Priority

Is definitely not blogging... for now. No doubt i missed it and i still try to read friends' blogs in between the more.. 'important' things in my life.

****
Work is shit. Was. And probably going to still be.
But it's life. And increasingly, i cannot really imagine trying to move out of it. Not that i haven't tried.

Surfed internet on work opportunities in OZ. Used to be that i would seek for something different. Like being a psych in other areas or learning to deal with clients of a different demographic. Not these recent searches. I want to contine with what i know and use it. But sadly, OZ might not offer that to me. How it will eventually be, i do not know. For now, work IS shit but damn if i am gonna let it go.

****
Hen night for a friend and we took her to a private belly dancing class all decked out in navel-exposing gear. Not an easy... sport. But fun nonetheless. After that a dinner and drinks at chijmes and we talked till 2am. I can't really remember much, on the account of the few round of drinks (including shots of tequila) we had but one topic stuck in my mind... the relationship between mother and daughter-in-laws.

I am honestly apprehensive about being a member of someone else's family. Disregarding whether one's new family is nice or otherwise, i guess there will always be some uneasiness because no two family culture is ever the same. And frankly, it will be a different sort of family that will 'adopt' me into their midst come September. Perhaps the 'assimilation' would not be that 'painful' when we don't stay together but i guess one has got to learn.

****
Right. Wedding check list.

Date - Confirmed
Venue - Confirmed, awaiting finalized contract
Dress - 2nd fitting soon
Shoes - Bought
Photographer for photoshoot - Confirmed, shoot in June
Photographer for Day - Confirmed
Videographer - Have contact, awaiting confirmation
Invitation - Half-way through design process

Now, on to florists and their quotations so head is filled with images of different blooms now.

Wedding prep feels like work.
And if you recall... work is... sigh.

Don't forget, there is still the wine, the transport and other nitty gritty things which i am sure will come up sooner or later... Still, like work, i am not about to let it go right now.


I wonder if continuing to date might perhaps be a better option.

****
Film fest with 8 movies and Pin Boy was so incredibly boring.
Either that, or i was not in the right frame of mind to decipher what the story is about.

Realization No. 61

It is always easier to make sense of unfortunate things and put them in perspective when they happen to other people.

Lobang in my elbow

After being plagued by that silly lump in my elbow for the past year, i finally decided to get it removed last week at my doctor's. The whole procedure took less that 1/2 hour and wilk got everything down on tape, from the injection of the LA to the cutting, to the pulling out of the cyst, to the stitching.

Very entertaining. Especially watching on a bigger screen than the camera's. Not quite open-heart surgery but still, with the scalpel cutting away and the blown-up shots, it was pretty gross to said the least. At the end of the procedure, there is just this diamond shaped lobang on my left elbow and now i am working around with "cookie monster blue" stitches. And the doctor was so nice as to give me a running commentary of what's happening (i couldn't see because i was lying on my stomach) and the lump at the end of it for a momento in a little bottle filled with saline. Think i will keep it to show my mom but wilk said it is starting to look really unhealthy, with yellow cheesy thing oozing out of a thin layer of fat-like sac.

Would have posted a shot of the 'lump' here but... Heh heh, maybe not.

Searching

When you know what you are looking for, does it make it easier to be found?

A cat who would be a lemur... or panda...

We have been painting a lot of cats in the studio lately. Well mainly wilk, though i tried my hand at a cat or two. Mine are usually happy, smiley, contented, chubby cats. Much like how i remember ruski to be but wilk's cats are a mysterious, menacing, crafty colour-run ones. Perhaps sort of how he feels ruski is like (esp the menacing bit). But last night, wilk painted a cat... well sort of a cat from one of ruski's photos (ruski's photos on our camera phones are a huge 'inspiration'). But it looked sort of... funny.

It started looking much like a bear cub with a flat head, then a lemur with big unblinking eyes and when blue outlines were added, it suddenly transformed into a panda. As odd as it sounds, the painting actually started to look more like ruski as compared to wilk's previous 'ruski-cat' paintings. Maybe it is the goofiness or the startle-wide-eyed look which was so spot on (esp when you jump into the bathroom, surprising ruski during one of his 'mid-lick' moments). But i think, it was the absense of the previous qualities in the other cats and this was just ruski as a harmless domesticated pet who is really just quite blur.

So... are you going to finally admit that you don't fear ruski as much as you think you do, dear? *grins*

Big things, little things

I wonder if anyone have the experience of being so focused on the details of a particular thing, that they fail to see the big picture. This is just a thought i have after listening to a friend who is currently doing an art project which involves him looking for a quote in the books of a particular author. Talk about looking for a needle in a haystack but such patience! Anyway, while i think i understand his rational of undergoing through such a, in my view, clinical and precise process, it is something difficult for me to envisage doing myself.

I am a 'big picture' reader and i read fast. To put it plainly, i read chunks of sentences, enough to know what they mean and move on quickly, trying to catch the rest of the fleeting images of the story as it unfolds in my head. Though occasionally, a particular good line stands out like a beacon beckoning at me, rather than the other way round. And i realized that when i focus on the individual words and slow down, i often stumble and fall into the chasm of grammer, syntax and vocabulary. Nothing much gel and at the end of the day, i often couldn't really remember what i have read.

Perhaps it is just me, having the inflexibility of the mind to both focus on the details and pull out far enough to appreciate the big picture. Perhaps, i am just too impatient to try and do that, appreciate both the language and its meaning at the same time. Maybe that's why i like to re-read my books. First round skim through the lot to 'view' the images, then a 2nd reading to pick out nuances of the langauge. Not a very effective way i guess, but i'm slow in that way...

Maybe for my next book, i should try to do both at the same time.

The Powerpuff Girls Lunch Club

Lunch time at work these days has been spent with some of the newer (under 1 year of service) young and pretty therapists in the social work department's counselling room eating lunch and chit-chatting together. It is nice, relaxing and generally cheerful. We have tons of fun and it was great not having to deal with work for a while, at least an hour a day when we can afford the time to eat a decent lunch without having a meeting schedule during lunch time.

Due to our regular 'gatherings' and friendship, the head of the social work dept has unceremoniously dubbed us as the "powerpuff girls" (in return, we call him our 'sugar daddy' for always buying us snacks and ice cream *heh heh*). And being the oldest of the lot *sigh*, i have been declared as the 'chief' of club. Other than lunch, we always have birthday gatherings, the latest being the sleepover/drinking/makan/mahjong party at my house during my birthday and long lunches during holidays. We even have a 'treasurer' who is incharge of the calculating the cost and collecting funds. Who knows, we may even get to register our little lunch club as a regular society once we have more members. :)

Still, working environment couldn't have been better. Now.. if only the work can improve...

I need a host...

for my photos so that i can link it up from my blog decently.
Yahoo photos and Sony Myimages just cant quite cut it.
The links doesn't stay where it is suppose to!
:(

Holidays are here but i am pretty stressed.
From term 2 onwards my responsibilities seems to have doubled and i am still far far behind in terms of my reports. Have a couple of sessions schedule with some teachers to prepare them for whats to come in the new term but i don't think that they are quite happy coming to school during the holidays. I don't think at this point they have any choice because we are really behind time.

Had a siblings workshop yesterday and we brought the kids to watch robots. Most kids behaved themselves and my group was pretty good. Would have enjoyed it more if the lunch was a bit more *cough* palatable (sorry angela) or if some of the kids are less spoilt. Sigh. The whole workshop could have been a little more well-planned too. Very harrowing to see people photocopying materials and changing some games details just before workshop started. Gosh, some even forgot that we will need pencils! But... i guess i am not quite anal of this sort of things. If anything, we will just wing it and see what happens.

Gazing

If I could, I would like to lie here and stare at the skies forever.

Meet Andrew

My latest car companion

Easily Old

or '29' in Cantonese... at least a sort of an approximation.

Well.. that's me.
Actually, it is not half bad, considering the gaping big 30 i will have to face up to same time next year.

I've always liked my birthday. First of March. Good number, easy to remember. Always rather enjoyed being an 'almost' leap year kid, missing the 29th of Feb by a couple of hours. I was, however, lucky enough to get my driving license on the 29th, making that a perfect birthday present in the year 1996.

In 2005, 1st of March was a good day.
I had the happy birthday song whispered into my ear at the stroke of midnight and everyone was nice to me at work. Well wishes poured through my phone from close friends who remembered and my mom called well ahead of everyone else to wish me a happy birthday.



My brothers topped their last year's surprise with a hugh bouquet of lilies this year AND an ice cream cake was sent to my office with "The Greatest Sister, Alice" decorated on it with Snoopy&Woodstock. That, despite the fact that none of my family is in Singapore.

Spent a lovely evening trying on wedding gowns and happily confirmed what the design would be. A check of the wedding-to-do list and a load of my mind. Close friends came by and even wilk, who should have been busy preparing for his exhibition in 2 days time. The lovely dear made reservations at a nice french restuarant call Aioli and i ended my birthday superbly having red wine, french food and great company with my dearest and friends.

Birthdays make me felt loved.
Thank you...

Oh shit! I forgot about V-day.

Some vague memory of spending it at the gym with a colleague doing body combat.
Ho ho...

How romantic is that?

But, i did save money on presents, dinner and avoiding tons of lovey-dovey couples on the streets. He probably had a load of burden off his mind too, since he's so busy with his preparation for his exhibition.

*Shameless Plug: Mega Attack II opening on 3rd March 2005 7pm. COME SEE!!!*

Still, you know i love you lots don't you darling? Without the presents and dinner? *grins*

Yuan Xiao

End of chinese new year and the day for tang yuan...

No one's home except dad who's in town for a 1 day stopover, together with some friends from China, so he is busy 'entertaining'. Even having dinner seems more like a 'business-local host' obligation thing.

Youngest bro went back yesterday and it's kind of sad.
I think i rather like having my brothers around at home. Not that we do anything much together but at least there is someone at home when you need them.

Yuan Xiao is a day to celebrate family togetherness.
Looks like i got to buy myself some mochi ice cream for a make-do celebration instead.

Dysfunction

Why on earth does everyone has a dysfunctional family these days?
Is that the "IN"est thing?
A growing "trend"?
Is Dysfunctionality the new "Normality"?

What is it and where do i get one for myself?

Oh.
Wait.
I already inheirted one.
Heh heh.

Nice to be part of the majority for once.

What do you mean it's OVER!?

That's right baby... the holidays are over!
Drats.
Envy independent schools who declared a whole week of holiday.
Bleah.
I barely warmed up to the whole CNY festivities and whoosh... i am stuck back at work again.
And not allowed to take leave today because Big Boss said NO.
Anyway, most kids are back in school today so have work to do.
Sigh.
I am so sleepy.

Anyhow, angbao takings this year has been good.
VERY good.
I think everyone is storing up credit with me so that next year i get to be bled dry when i start giving them out. Sort of like fattening a sacrificial lamb.. cow.. whatever.

Been going around telling others that first year couples are spared this 'tradition'. Hopefully the rumour sticks. If not, there is always the cheap flights to bangkok for the duration. Heh heh.

Folks leaving on sunday night and bringing along my grandma. It's been a long time since she has gone back to china, hard to foresee if she would come back here. After all, we just threw a big family gathering (7 tables!!!) for her 90th birthday on the second day of CNY. Odd, that sort of massive gathering where you hardly know anyone and you questioned the redundancy of it all especially when the old lady in question couldn't really partake in the eating or even recognize most of her children. But i guess, like someone said, it's really the thought that counts and that family, no matter how dysfunctional, is somehow important.

Not that i have ever thought of it that way being one with loyalty not extending beyond my immediate family. As my brother puts it succintly when parents expressed the view to do this sort of gathering often, "I just want the exact opposite". Perhaps we are of a different generation but i just think, after all that 'family history' we are laden with, it is perhaps better just to leave everything behind us. Just a personal view of course and i always envied the closeness big extended families who gather every year for celebrations.

Just not this family.

Just seems terrible odd and... forced. So despite the folks good intentions, i can't help but feel it was a trifle bit misplaced since most of those who turned up are don't really give a damn for my folks or even their mother, my grandma. At times i think it is a blessing that the old lady doesn't remember a thing.

Ah well.
Blessed are the innocent and meek.

Have a Crowing Golden Rooster New Year

Yada yada yada...

Just glad to have a break at least.
And yes, the angbaos doesn't hurt too.

:)

Mad

My life is pretty crazy right now.

Work is hectic and unfruitful at the moment. Kinda crap.I used to like working. A lot. Because i get to be with the kids and work with them, see them improve.But now that work has turn more into helping and training the teachers, i am getting all the stress and none the satisfaction. I don't know. I just don't think i can relate to adults in a work environment very well. I hate having to come down on adults to do things and chase after them to complete certain responsibilities. I feel like fucking middle-management.

I want to go back to doing groundwork. Get my hands dirty with the kids and not run training programs facing indifferent people who just rather not be there in the first place. Heck, give me a kid that bites and kicks anyday.

Folks are back. Would be great if things are great but the vibes are not fantastic. I guess i rather not think or talk about it. I can only say i am not the perfect kid because i WOULD fight for what i believe in, even though i hate fighting. I think parents hate having a kid like that. Uncompromising bitch, whenever to whoever. That's me.

Gave up on the travel log to china. Seems a hassle though i have tons of materials. Who gives a shit anyway?

Gym has been going on well. Went for body combat class on monday and it felt great to visualize punching the living daylights out of someone(s). Too bad i looked like flabby fish flopping around in a crowded studio. Mind over mirror. If i don't look at the mirror, there's no dispute... i AM lethal. *haii ya!*

Yes.. the wedding prep. Been pretty good. Keeping to budget and timeline. Helps to be an anal-retentive perfectionist at times. Got the bridal salon. Got the photographer. Got the venue. Just not quite good in minding the sensitivities of 'periperal' participants (aka the relatives). Leaving it up to the PR department (him, with the stronger EQ) to mop up my "destructiveness". So far so good. That's what i call teamwork. I 'cheong' ahead to forge new frontiers and he watch my back and tidy up behind me while calming down the startled farmstock.

How typical of one to blog when one is full of gripe.

Got to think of happy thoughts. Soon.

Working on a saturday

.. is what i would call mandatory volunteerism.

In any case, i am here in school and so are some teachers.
This better be a saturday well spent.

Personality Clash

It would have been easier to just say that that's what both of us have. But it is really a little more complicated than that. If anything, i can only say, we fight because on a rationality level, we differ as of ice and hot lava. Yet on an emotionality level, we are two peas in a pod.

Hence, its just like the chinese saying.. Huo xing zhuang di chiu (mars hitting the earth). Most of the time, if we are orbiting in our own paths, peace in the universal and goodness to all mankind. But when our orbits collide? All hell breaks loose. Well, at least in my head.

In Memory of Whisky...

...my brother's 3 mth old schnauzer who passed away this morning

You came into Eric's life at christmas
and would have been his greatest companion.
He was going to teach you all sort of cool things too
and thought you were so bright to learn how to sit so soon.
Remember the can of tennis balls?
I remembered telling him you weren't that tall
to play catch.
Still, he said, when you're older you'll be able to fetch.

Sorry you couldn't stay
because i think he would have like you to.
At least for a long long while.

Know that wherever you may go,
you took a bit of us with you
just as we kept a bit of you
for company.

Stay warm, Whisky...
23th Dec 2004 - 10th Jan 2005

Travel Log 1.2

16/12/04 Thursday : Humen - Guang Zhou- Guang Xi (Guilin)

Set off early morning at 8am to Guang Zhou, hitching a ride with one of my mom�s friends. Arrived at Sha Mian Dao (literally, sand covered island), a rather unique enclave islet on the river where the Europeans and trading posts were. Hence the small area was filled with colonial/European styled buildings and had an old catholic church. Compared to the hustle and bustle of normal day Guang Zhou, Sha Mian Dao was tranquil and peaceful. It was hard not to like a place where you see endless of old people strolling in the park along the river, middle-aged gents and ladies dancing and playing badminton or jian zi. There were also cherubic little kindergarten children out on a late morning stroll with their teachers, their hands holding on to loops along a long rope, smiling and waving to the old uncles and aunties that called out �good morning� in Cantonese. At Sha Mian Dao, we also saw our first �adult playground� which looked exactly like any of our playgrounds except on closer examination of the playground equipment, they were actually exercising machines for the adults. Spent some time take photos and assuring two old ladies in my semi half-baked Cantonese (which I learnt watching old VHS tapes of Hong Kong serials when I was young) that Wilkie meant no harm taking photos of children at the playground. Hence it was mightily flattering when they thought I was a local bring around foreign friends. *heh heh*

Next up, dimsum at Victory Hotel (RMB 40 for 4) before hopping onto a cab to the Chen Academy (Chen Jia Ci � RMB 10) along En Long Road. It was the 2nd visit for me since I visited it with babes a while back, but this time the weather was fantastic (not raining) and Wilkie was there finally to see it with me. It looked pretty much the same, but Wilkie and the girls had a great time taking photos of the intricate figurines made of stone on the roof tops while I sponge off local Chinese tour groups by tagging along behind them and listening to the guide introducing the various exhibits in the traditional Cantonese mansion. After that, on to GuangZhou Museum of Art at Heng Fu Lu by the electric tram (RMB 2) where we managed, by our shabby poor student getup, to get the cheaper student admission tickets (RMB 10 per ticket). Sadly, it was quite disappointing for me because more halls were closed for viewing and what�s available were hardly interesting in my opinion though Wilkie thought there were some �gems� in there and bought almost RMB500 worth of books.

Took another lift from the same friend of mom back to Humen (1 � hr drive) where we had a rather hurried dinner (Abalone/chicken porridge with roasted pigeon! YUM!) before rushing to Shen Zhen Airport to catch our flight to Guilin, GuangXi at 8.15pm. For this next leg of the trip, we would be joined by my parents, one of their friends (yes, the one we hitched a ride with) and 3 of her children. 10 persons in all and quite interesting but I was still pretty glad it only lasted for 2 days. Touched down in Guilin at 10pm and the weather was cool and slightly foggy. Airport transfer cost us RMB20 per head and courtesy of my dad�s arrangement, we checked in Guilin Bravo Hotel, a relatively peaceful 4-stars hotel for the next two evening (RMB380 � double room) though it wouldn�t have been my choice. Perhaps something more �budget� if we had our way?

Stocktaking...

2004 was... OK for me personally, i think.

At least i don't recall any particular nasty incident and unpleasantness, though i seem to have lost some sense of myself, fought with people, became quite stressed at various parts of the year (training with 'colleagues'... wedding prep... urgh!) and not to mention all the terrible things happening around the world (tsunamis, dumb war in iraq).

Perhaps i am not being very fair to 2004... after all, it has given me..

1) Generous birthday gifts
2) A couple of new friends and strengthen the ties of some older ones
3) An enlightening realization that he is 'the One'
4) A chance to go to US for training
5) Sept 9, 2004
6) Rainbow Award
7) Enjoyable holidays to Australia and China

I guess there must be more good stuff that had happened and i am thankful for my slice of it...

When the tsunamis hit...

we are left trying to fix the world in the brand new year...

So much for Happy new year.



Couldn't do much except to donate what we can (school held a collection) and hope that the money and necessities would reach the needy. It is sad that in time of such devastation, there are news of child-rapists taking advantage of the chaos and worries about profiteers clamouring for a piece of the black market pie. More often than not, it just seems like everyone is measuring each other up on how much money each is donating...

Maybe, i just have too dim a view of the world.
Whatever it is, welcome 2005.

Travel Log 1.1

14/12/04 Tuesday : Shen Zhen - Humen

Touched down in Shen Zhen Bao An Airport on SQ flight with Wilk and two of our friends (henceforth, "the girls") around 2.30pm. Practically uneventful for the rest of the day after my dad picked us up in his battle-scarred MPV. Point to note is how dad has learnt to drive just like the locals, with no regards to lanes and no inclination to signal. It was quite nerve-wreaking being a front seat passenger. As usual, meals were hearty affairs that cost next to nothing considering the exchange rate of S$1 to nearly RMB 5. Wilk and I were pretty used to it by now but it was an eye opener for the girls to have a whole spread of fresh Japanese fare (Ooo more sashimi please!) for a mere pittance.

Settled into the parental slick, if slightly unfurnished, new 25th floor penthouse. Yes, relatively cheap housing too. Ok, so I was fairly impress with the new pad, but service from the locals I was not. It was pretty ridiculous when you have the money to spend and yet the people who do the renovations, deliver the furniture and plant the garden were pretty darn incompetent (kept bringing the wrong stuff, never bring the equipment they need for gardening and sat around drinking coffee instead). By the time we left, the gardeners (all 4 of them) still have not completed planting in a garden the size of two bedrooms of a 5-room flat and they have started almost 2 weeks before I even got there.

15/12/04 Wednesday : Humen

Brought the girls to see the local wet market (roasted dogs!!) and found it rather toned down compared to 2 years ago where there were stalls selling assorted wildlife such as raccoons, cats etc. Guess after the SARS and bird flu epidemic, the authorities have been really clamping down hard on exotic wildlife cuisine. Now all that is left are a couple stalls selling various reptiles like king cobras and bullfrogs. Still it was an eye-opener for city folks like us to see snakes being skinned alive and �drowned� in alcohol to make medicinal wine. Not to mention the abundance of live fishes swimming in numerous pools, ranging from huge eels to octopuses and all forms of clams and crustaceans. Only poor people would buy seafood that was dead and often, the seafood we get on the dinner table were most certainly alive minutes before they were put into the wok.

Afternoon spent bring the girls to the ONLY local tourist attraction, the Lin Ze Xu Museum. (RMB10). For those who have no inkling of Chinese history, that�s the guy who burned down all the opium (more like flood actually, than burned) which propelled the Opium War. That�s probably my 3rd visit there and frankly, it was pretty boring and the exhibits were limited and not well maintained. After dinner at home, we went prawn fishing (1st hr RMB38, 2nd hr RMB33) at the local �prawn pool�. If we were expecting a nice outdoor pond with balmy sea breezes, we were sadly mistaken. The �prawn pool� was just as the title suggested, a pool (which is not very big in the first place) filled with prawns housed within one of the shop houses along the main road. Not much to look at, but we were able to bring our own beer and peanuts, which we proceeded to ignore, being so intent watching our fishing lines. It may not sound like much, but I think the joy was in actually getting a prawn on the hook (using liver and prawn meat as bait). Once that happened, we stayed the whole 2 hours. By the end of the day, we took home around 1jin (kg?) of prawns of various sizes. Not too bad to the end of day 2 for a couple of city slackers who never even fished before.

The Quest...

My wedding notebook (you know, the one filled with secret information which does not make sense to anyone else but me?) is aptly named "The quest for Enlightenment". It was a hand-made 'one of a kind' (and made with love, so said on the introduction page inside) journal made from a recycled indian "philosophy" book i bought originally for the SO. The cover is still intact but the inside pages has been taken out and now it is ring-bound with blank journal paper.

SO didn't quite like it. I thought it was a laugh... so guess that's why i am using it now for the wedding notebook.

I think the heading just said it all, esp in light of our endeavours in this whole fiasco of wedding preparations. I must say that not all quests will bear fruit.

Let's hope this one will...

Hectic Holidays

Well, we are back, in one piece... more or less.
Let's just said that China has been extremely kind to us, gastronomically and financially. And not to forget, the graciousness and generousity of my parents to our friends while we were there.

hmMmm.. starting to sound like a thank you/acceptance speech thingy...

In any case, WILL post up trip details once i have my travel diary with me.

Summary as follows:
12 days
Humen, Guangzhou, Guilin, Yangshuo, Macau, Shantou
Eating,
Walking,
Cycling,
Cruising,
Drinking Coffee
&
Playing bridge.

But, it is actually more fun than that.
So stay tune...

Let's get jiggy with it!

To the tunes of Xmas Jingles!!!

*cough*
*hiccup*

*headache*

Can't wait to leave the country already...

Half-fucked face

One of the more hurtful things i uttered yesterday.

It came suddenly...
"Why don't you put your half-fucked face on it instead?"

Actually what i really wanted to say was...
"why do you have to put my half-fucked face on it?"

I guess i really meant to hurt someone else when the only thing i am really upset with is myself.
Lashing out at others is an easy way to cover up one's unhappiness of oneself.

I have a Jambu Tree...

Actually, make that two.

One tree resided in my garden where it has been planted directly into the ground while the other was planted into a flowerpot outside my gate. They are both huge and yet strangely, while during certain period of the year, the one outside my house continued to flower and bear fruits, in fact absolutely laden with them upon occasions while the one inside the house never did, despite being planted into the soil of the garden.

Then one particularly stormy night, the flowerpot outside my house was blown over. I realized that the reason the jambu tree outside was bearing so much fruit was that the roots has grown out of the pot and into the soil beneath the pot. But due to the storm and the weight of the pot toppling over, the thickest root, the size of my arm, was severed from the rest of the plant. Though we put the pot upright again, from then on, the tree withered and lost all it's leaves within a week. A gardener was employed to replant it directly into the soil outside my house when we noticed that part of the brunches, after a month or so, sprouted tiny leaves. After a few months, the leaves started coming back slowly but the tree itself remained rather 'crippled'. I doubt we will ever get jambus again.

This morning, my maid placed on the dining table, five big bright pink jambus. A miracle of sorts. Though not from the 'crippled' tree. Rather, the dormant tree in the garden had rather quietly flowered and bore fruits for the very first time. Just 5 and nothing more. But it was 5 perfect looking jambus.

Perhaps when given time, the tree outside will flower again.

Somethings i have learnt from my two jambu trees:
1) Things does not always remain good
2) When adversity happen, it does not mean we stop trying.
3) Like all things, it takes time for one's effort to bear fruit.
4) Just because someone else presented results first, you are not necessary out of the running.
5) Miracles can take time too.
6) Life will find a way.

4949

Had a little 4D adventure just a week ago. Though i hardly ever buy 4D (toto still occasionally, especially during birthdays *heh heh*), decided to ask SO to go buy the number 4949 after two particular incidents we witnessed where a dog was ran over along the ECP. In fact one dog was ran over just a few cars before mine and was still kicking its legs when we drove by. SO called the traffic police and we weren't sure what happened after that. In any case, we didn't really stop to think about it till 2 days later, we saw a dead dog on the ECP again. It was a chance remark about what a unfortunate coincidence and luck when the number 4949 (twice si-4 kou-9) came to mind.

On the day of the draw, the number which came up closest to ours was 4749 which sort of made sense if you think about it (si qi-as in last breath, since one dog was still alive the last we saw it)...

Surreal.

Not about the numbers and the dogs.
But the fact that people can see meaning in random numbers or try to give meaning to them. In any case, i am not sure i would feel good if we did win some money. Seems abit... wrong somehow. Perhaps i ought to stick to buying quickpicks from toto instead.

Singapore Idle

Finally watched an episode of Singapore Idols on Thursday because i was 'dateless' for the evening. Yes, blame the SO for going off to cambodia with a bervy of young chicks... And it was also his fault that i did one of the most meaningless things in my life...

I SMS in to 43657 and voted for Taufik.
Only because 1) I was bored 2)the other GUY really sucked big time.

*awkward silence*


Anyway, back to the monotonous scheduled drivel of yours truly...

Realization No. 60

A perfect day can have imperfections too.

Cat on probation...

At least for the time being for showing examplary behaviour for the past 2 days. Shall monitor his progress before lifting his punishment totally and take him off the 'naughty list'.

Which i guess will be soon, seeing how good he is at getting back into my good books.
*roll eyes*

Between Cambodia and Australia...

I've just lost two of my consistent 'entertainment' in my private and work life...

*sniff*sniff*

I wish i am overseas too!

Dream a lil dream

Was startle into a 'deeper' sense of consciousness when in my dream, i suddenly remember that i have to prepare for my history exams. History? Good lord, i haven't studied history since i was sec. 2! Still, whoever said that dreams had to make sense? Anyway, i was flipping pages and pages of thick history textbooks and making notes with my highlighter when i mentally evaluated my 'progress' on history and other various subjects which i then remembered the exams were due in 2 weeks time.

It was a panicky sort of feeling but i think overall i felt in control because i though i was adequately prepared (i.e. i don't think i will fail) for the subjects. That is until i realized that i have done nothing for my maths paper. (Maths? What the heck was i doing maths for?) Then it was a mad scrambling for old textbooks, notes, lecture notes, exercises, piles of assessment books and model answers. On first glance i already knew i have no freaking idea how to do cosine of anything to anything or remember what's the formula for a triangle (is it a2 + b2 = sqrtC. Argh! I was freaking out but not quite knocked-out yet. From the top of my head, i was wondering if i could get tuition at the last minute from the teacher or friend and even planning which topics i ought to concentrate on (draw graphs on planes or something like that and NO trigonometry!).

So i would say i am still pretty in control (hmmm keyword?) though hopping on one foot when the better part of me (left brain probably, or right, or hind or whatever) stopped to ask...

"So what exactly is the paper i am cramming for. Was it C Maths, O-levels? Waitaminute... I finished my O-levels! And my As (okie, so i didn't do that well, but goddamnit, i completed that blasted C maths paper!). University? What the heck! I didn't even do maths in uni. And this ain't no psych stats paper either."

The more the thoughts rambled on, the more excited i became...

"Hang on... i finished my As, my university. I got my bachelor's degree. GEEZ! I even got my Masters already! (EUREKA!!!! - you could literally hear my brain blew a fuse just then) I DON"T NEED TO PREPARE FOR NO MATHS PAPER!!!!!! WOOHOOOOOOO!"

Well, that was probably when i realized i MUST be dreaming and need to wake up.
Besides, i think my phone just rang... *heh*

Off to Siam Reap

No.. not me.
HIM!

Sigh. So fun.
Wish i can bring a whole bunch of pesky, overprotected sec. sch girls on a overseas trip to a 3rd world country for 6 days after fending of defensive and protective parents too.

Some people have all the luck.

I am a part of the UN!!!

It tickled me to no ends when i surf on the web this morning and found that "Aurorin" is one of the nation member of this internet united nations under the umbrella name "Ztorque" (HmMm i don't know, sounds pretty much like a new model of sports car).

Apparent it is named The Commonwealth of Aurorin (WOoHoo! I am rich, rich, RICH!). With a really cool looking flag/crest/totem(?!?) that sorts of look like a desolute planet with a funky blue spike for a hair do (or perhaps a inverted ice cream cone, or mabbe not-so-coolly, like a missile emitting from the moon).

I am under the UN Category of Inoffensive Centrist Democracy (whatda??!?)with good civil rights track record, reasonable economy (wo0oHoo) and below average political freedom (yaY for ruling party!!). I even have my own motto - "Triumph is eternal" (that's right baby! and national animal (atomic superman?!)..

*heh heh heh*.

Being alone

I am in the enviable position where i get to live alone, with all the amenities and comfort of staying with the family (big room, live-in maid who cooks, do the laundry etc) and no nagging parents/siblings to content with. No one to ask me what time i am going to be home. No one to fight over the remote and internet phoneline with. All the peace and quiet i want, with no rent to pay.

Yet, too quiet, i'd say.

More than once the SO has mentioned that to me but i am quite used to it, really. I have my tv and my cat. What more would i need? And SO's company whenever he could come over (which is pretty much 80% of the week). I really don't think after we get married, much will change.

Except perhaps, we should really find a place of our own, to call our own.
Where there's a sense of belonging.

Not transcient migrants living a life beyond our boundaries.

Soon i think, though situation demands that statues quo remain as it is. As least for the time being.

Solitary confinement

The cat has been kept in solitary confinement for doing something naughty.
Really REALLY naughty.
So he has been looking mightily guilty and contrite in the past two days.
Not a peep out of him either.
Will let him stew in guilt for a while before cuddling him again.

Has been in self-imposed solitary confinement too.
Guess that virus which plagued me has not fully been eradicated because i am sick.
Again.
It is always the same problem.
Nose blocked.
Throwing up.
Feverish.
Sore throat.
SO seems to think it is stress related.
Perhaps it is but then i only got sick after i confirmed the 'venue'.

Strange.

I decided to control myself a little bit and not talk too much about the upcoming 'event' next nov *argh. the wedding damnit*

Don't want to have to rename the blog - "The marrying psychologist".

But who knows.
I may become indulgent later on.

Yoghurt and Tuna

For the past two weeks, i have been eating tuna/cheese with softmeal bread, cherry tomatos and a cup of yoghurt with nata de coco for lunch. The yoghurt, especially, is strangely addictive, considerating that i never liked yoghurt much in the first place. In any case, this rather boring combination for lunch every day has been quite good because a) it is cheap (in the long run), and b) it is healthy. However, i doubt i can continue this for long because everyone needs some variety in life, even boring people like me.

So, i decided to have yoghurt with mixed fruit from now on instead.

Salsa!!

Having the second session of salsa tonight. Quite enjoyable though if you asked me, i would still rather prefer the edible kind... HmMMmm with nachos and cheese... yum!
As usual, there was way too many women sharing the pathetic number of men in the class. Whatmore (and that's not being overly cocky), most of the women danced far better than the men. Case in point, one of the guys actually 'danced' by remembering the steps by linking it to military marching commands. Wouldn't that be nice to see on a National day parade? A contingent of soldiers doing the salsa *oops* sorry, march pass the President on TV.

As for me, i don't think i have the flair and aptitude to do good salsa though rhythm i get, steps i remember. Still, a sight far better than 'forward 2 3 4, backward 6 7 8, Kekakan Puseng!' (at least that's what i thought he said).

Deja vu... well, thereabouts

It's a trifle bit disconcerting to be typing in your own blog and the first other website you surf had the name of your blog, as a title to their blog.

Not that there's any relation.
Just something that jumps out once in a while.
I guess in this instance it must be only me (darn! the voices in my head!) who even find the name Madness Monologues vaguely familiar.

3 year-old husky male to give away

Found this friendly and affectionate husky named wiggy at the pet shop near where i worked yesterday whose owner wanted to give him away. Originally the owner wanted to put him to sleep because they are moving to a condo and wiggy needs a compound to roam in.

So anyone interested please let me know?
Preferably someone who has an outdoor area and no other big-sized male dog. Wiggy is quite territorial but is very good with smaller dogs (saw him playing with pet shop's jack russell) and also cats. Doesn't bite but may want to intimidate larger dogs (male ego thing).

Really very very cute. Would love to have him if i don't already have a possessive Rottweiler!

It is Official!

Half my stress burden is gone!!!!!
Well, in terms of work and reports that is.
And i am now free!
Free as a bird!
FREE!

.. to perhaps concentrate on the other half of my stress burden.

Can i elope? Please?

Am bl**dy confused with all this supposably essential wedding prep and it is driving me (& him) quite nuts.

So.

Anyone been to a wedding at beaufort before?
Nice or not?
No one seems to be answering that question for me at the *god help me* *whisper* bridal forum *gasp gasp*...

This is nuts.
Couples shouldn't be ALLOWED to go through all this madness just to be together.
It should be outlawed!

And did i mention the issue about parents and number of guests and bridal gown and videographers and photographers and whatnots and whatnotsnots? I am probably just in denial, unwilling to confront the *cough* issues and who can blame me? I blame the accursed society who invented the whole wedding fiasco and brain-washing everyone (esp parents) on what needs to be done, should be done, have to be done.

Seriously, can i elope?

It is nice for friends to offer to help but frankly, if only i know what i need help in. They should come up with a wedding/marriage manual, to be taught right from the time i was borned.

But i think it's only me. Everyone else seems to be enjoying the preparation. Would you believe that brides in 2006 have already started? And those in 2005 already got their wedding venues? What's this? A society of super women whose major is logistic exist in singapore? Why wasn't i a part of this superior race? Instead people look at me funny because i don't have a actual day planned, a bridal salon lined up, a photographer on hold for the photo shoot and a videographer standing by.

I feel inadequate.
That shouldn't be allowed too. *snort*

So i am trying and trying to get it together with his help. And it seems like our dream of what our wedding will be like gets further and further away from us as we jump into the whole wedding prep loop, along with the other rats. The worse thing is, i am not sure i like morphing into this "get-a-whole-wedding-coordinated" super woman-freak and pulling him along with me.

But i AM stressed not having anything done. And it is going to be Nov soon! And the wedding is Nov 05! See? I can't believe i am saying that and freaking out when i still have a year! But that's typical! That's life! That's Singapore! (see how excited i am?! Count the exclamation marks!!!!!!)

*take deep breath*
Seriously... Why shouldn't i elope?

Lists

Things i do to keep myself sane:

1) Play with the cat

2) Drive to nearest petrol kiosk in the middle of the night and devour a large packet of ruffles potato chips (original)

3) Impulse-shopping at the very same petrol kiosk. Include items like 1 tub of b&j ice cream (which would be promptly forgotten and left in the freezer till its time to be defrosted), 2 cans of tuna, 2 tubes of cling wrap (shrug), cherry tomatos, one vegetable puff which i originally thought was tuna, 1 box of tic-tacs, aluminium foil (add to the two which i already had at home, in preparation of a bbq that would never materialize) and car seat leather cleaner.

Perhaps i really ought to have said, things i do to keep myself in-sane...

Let me start again,
1) Play with the cat (this time sleep on his tummy till he whimpers and surrenders)
2) Stare vacantly at the sliding door while leaving the tv on and clutching a book
3) Allow my other self to talk and scare the weebie jeebies out of him
4) Act on impulse and drive to Bt Panjang to pick up someone for supper across the island in the middle of the night
5) Bite my bolster. Hard.
6) Make crazy faces behind people's backs at work
7) Entertain colleagues by acting strange during dinners
8) Refusing to blog

That said, perhaps i am getting better.

9) Watch tv till 3am in the morning. On a school night.
10) Ignore deadlines and in a moment of hyperactivity, finished my reports
11) Bite my pillow.
12) Act pre-menstrual.

I could BE pre-menstrual.

13) Entertain erractive thoughts.
14) Teach the cat to salsa.
15) Drink tea, A LOT.
16) Make faces at the mirror.
17) Pretend i don't have friends then proceed to go out with as many people as i can find.
18) Eat sushi, A LOT too.
19) Fantasize about ramens.
20) Pretend to be a human sausage roll.

Whatever works.

Not having your choice...

Last night, me and him had dinner at the food court at Bugis Junction after our appointment with the consultant from Shangri-la. Nothing very eventful but... i am really dying to have some ramen. Along the way to Bugis, something got into my head that i would like to have ramen and i guess the idea stuck. He was okie with it, but once we got there, he mentioned eating at the food court instead. I guess i ought to have insisted to have ramen but decided that i wasn't going to 'be difficult' since it was only food. When i was at the food court, i couldn't really decide what i wanted because there wasn't really anything that i wanted from there at all. Still, i had to make a choice and picked yong tau hu. Throughout dinner, while eating yong tau hu, i kept thinking about ramen.

Hot soupy ramen.

Yong tau hu never tasted worse but it 'felt' even more miserable because i could actually be eating ramen instead. In the end, i finished my yong tau hu, a most unsatisfying meal. So much so that i impulsively went to buy an old chang kee curry puff to try and meet that need for satisfaction, despite the fact that i was having a sorethroat. As it turned out, i couldn't even finish the curry puff (though it tasted better) and now my throat seems to be worse.

Not a very interesting story but... while chewing my curry puff a rather interesting analogy came to mind. I realized how much marriage can be like that if we don't follow our hearts when choosing a partner. I could marry someone I never really wanted (i.e. Mr Yong Tau Hu) and have a really miserable marriage because i would keep thinking of Mr Ramen. And to satisfy my needs, started to have an affair with Mr Curry Puff but lived to regret it later, leaving me to wish that I had insisted on marrying Mr Ramen in the first place.

So the moral of the story, if you could call it that is... If i have insisted on what i really wanted instead of going along with what others' wanted, i would not be sitting here typing this, while nursing a sorethroat. But then, thankfully i have defintely picked the right guy for marriage.I just need to work on the choosing where to eat bit. *grins*

Life can't just be time punctuated by events.

Away and back again...

Penang had nice food...
It's a pity that i didn't get to taste it.

Really wanted a break but i think i need a break to recuperate from the break. I guess i should have known it wasn't going to be a typical 'break' when i am travelling with, on one hand, him (aka the SO) and on the other, my mother. Actually, it wasn't too bad since they hit off pretty well but everything else was horrid. For me, at least.

First off, the flight was supposed to take off at 6.15pm but after spending 2 hours on the plane ON the runway, it had to taxi back to the holding area for us to change to another flight due to some problems. But like my optimistic mom said, "Better for plane to spoil while on the ground than up in the air". Finally reached Penang and checked into the hotel around midnight, starving because we only had sandwiches served while we waited on the runway. The hotel was way below expectation, the only consolation being the showerhead works and so did the TV. Woke up next morning feeling pretty sick and had slight fever. Ate medication but may have an allergic reaction to it (it was that or the prawns from lunch) because by 2pm my eye puffed up and i turned red. Good thing i had my kebaya measurements taken in early morning when i was still feeling pretty okie by mom's friend who is a well-known kebaya tailor in penang. Very pretty nonya kebayas that were fully hand-embroidered and took 2 weeks to make.

By afternoon, stopped medication and took just panadol instead. Took a 1 1/2 hour car ride to Alor Star to attend her friend's in-laws' 50th wedding anniversary. Spent the car ride sleeping and woke up giddy. Dinner was a lavish 80 tables affair with possibly the whole chinese community from kedah attending. Couldn't eat much because threw up after the 3rd dish was served. It was an nostalgic 80s experience, full of getai singers and cheesy dancers in hot mini shorts blasting their lungs out singing chinese, cantonese, hokkien and the occasional techno britney-spears' not-so-latest hits. The SO was properly impressed and intrigued, being new to this type of ostentatious "village" affair but for me, it was nice to be a good ole malaysian girl again, if only i was healthy enough to enjoy it. Pity... heard the food was really good too.

Next day didn't fare much better though the fever subsided but couldn't eat much still. Watched the SO and mom wolf down penang laksa, popiah, dimsum, char kuey tiao, ice kachang, goreng yam/sweet potato/green bean cakes, lao ba, etc etc WOULD have been painful, if i was less dazed and nauseous. Managed to exert some energy when i visited the bridal tailor introduced by an old friend. Very nice workmanship and design. Had to keep mentally alert while there but brain collapsed once i came out again. The SO predicted correctly that i would do exact just that. I knew there was a reason why i am going to marry him... hmmm...

Bought tons of tau sar piah and beh teh soh, famous local produces from penang. Attempted a little bit of sight-seeing but body not really into it, so did not register much. The SO took a bit of pictures though, but i have a feeling most of it would be food related. Wish i could remember more. Ah well. Gave up by late afternoon and took the earlier flight back to Singapore, feeling like i shouldn't have left at all.

Didn't i say i needed a break?

Happy Children's Day and I'm off to...

Penang!!
WOohOoo..

I am always so thankful for all the lil 'extra' holidays we get working in a school... like youth day, teacher's day, children's day. So lucky me... a long weekend ahead and i am off to penang tomorrow with my mom and dearest mm to attend a dinner and just chill out.

Have tons of work still left piling... oh well.. what the heck... i need a break.

Methods

I never really thought of blogging this down but it might help me as time goes along...

One of my greatest challenges at work is trying to convince parents and even some teachers that the methods of intervention we propose for our student with autism is the 'appropriate' or even most 'suitable' one. For the longest time, i myself didnt have much clarity on what exactly is the right intervention methods, being new to the job. My basic training back in university when working with children with autism is using the ABA methods, and for the longest time, it was the prevailing method of choice in terms of intervention. But when i started working, i realized that there are a lot of alternative methods as well as 'treatments' out there for the autistic population.

Autism is a tricky diagnosis. No one really knows where it comes from exactly... which genes... which triggers.. even how it affects each individual is different on the autistic spectrum. I guess ABA has the longest history in terms of working with children with autism, stretching all the way back to the time of Lovaas, and the method itself has been evolving as well. Then there is also sensory integration methods, sound therapy, cranial therapy, floorplay, drugs/diet therapy, even acupuncture which is now readily avaliable out there which promises a 'cure'. Then of course, there's TEACCH, the structured teaching program started 40 years ago in North carolina which i went for training in recently. From all the parents that i had worked with in the last 3 1/2 years, different parents/caregivers and teachers have sworn by different methods which they felt work for their individual child.

I am really in no position to say which is the 'RIGHT' methods and at work, we could very well opt for an eclectic approach in our service delivery. However, from past experience, it didn't worked very well, mainly because to be truly effective in having an eclectic approach, i believe we have to be well-versed in the characteristic of autism as well as the various intervention philosophy and methods. If we don't have that, it would be confusing for the child and the one delivering the services.

Personally, i have a few core beliefs in what I can do for a child with autism. I believe in individualization because as i said, different child will have different autism profile. I also believe in utilizing their strengths (in visual learning) to facilitate learning in their weaker areas (auditory processing). And most importantly, i believe in helping the child to be independent. With all these in mind, i felt what's most comfortable for me is to use the structure teaching methods whose philosophy of how they view a child with autism coincide with mine. There is no conflict of interest and i can honestly see how, when applied individually to suit each child, i am creating meaning for the child in his environment.

It was rather amazing for me when i went to North Carolina and see how the methods can work for children with different abilities. Even more so, i am just so impressed by the respect the therapist from TEACCH have for the children stemming right from their philosophy that each child is an individual, hence WE have to take the initiative to go into their world to bring them out rather than attempting to mould them by force into ours like how i see some people attempt to do.

I guess it really bores down to what the therapist or caregiver believe in and ultimately, i do respect what the parents want for their child even though i may not be able to deliver what they want because of what i believe and i am trained in. I think the only thing i can promise is that i will deliver to the best of my abilities in the method which i believe in.

oh ya baby..

What Is Your Battle Cry?

Sprinting amidst the candy store, clutching gilded boxing gloves, cometh Aurorin! And she gives a cruel scream: "I'm seriously going to bruise you harder than God thought possible!!!"

Find out! Enter username: Are you a girl, or a guy ?

created by beatings : powered by monkeys

Sticky Stool

Not quite appropriate material for dinner conversation but somehow it is befitting that i honour the first time i scraped poo off a child's underpants with an entry.

Over the last 3 1/2 years at work, i had been bitten, scratched, punched, and kicked, on top of having to wipe drool, change diapers, and even mope up urine when a child 'shee shee' in my therapy room upon occasions. I guess that's part and parcel of work. Occasionally, the highlights as well because it made my work life quite interesting. A couple of times, the child also 'poo-pooed' but usually i just needed to bring the child back to the teacher or caregiver who will take care of the ermm.. 'problem'.

However, it didn't quite happen that way on monday morning when i brought a 4yr old to my therapy room. He was doing quite well in therapy until i suddenly realized that his pants 'looked' wet. I checked the mat, the chair and the carpet for the tell-tale puddle but didn't find any. Fearing the worse, i brought him back to the classroom only to find it empty and the rest of the class (plus teacher) is nowhere to be found.

In the end, i brought him to the toilet and took off his pants only to find a HUGE lump of stool stuck right to his underpants. It wasn't the runny sort nor the hard kind, it was sticky, similar to the constitunency of clay. Thank god i had a blocked nose and couldn't smell anything. By the time i took off his pants, there were stool on his underpants, legs and shoes. Luckily, most caregivers usually pack along an extra pants and underwear for such emergencies. So i left the dear boy who was quite oblivious to what's happening with another teacher who was there with her students at the toilet and ran to get his bag.

I showered him and changed his clothes before proceeding to try and ermm.. scrap the stool from his underpants and shoes before i wash them. The boy was quite happy by this time, after he was cleaned and dressed while i was busy trying not to think too much scrapping stool from his pants into the toilet. Then i washed the underpants, shorts and shoes while trying to keep the boy away from the sink where he was happily splashing water onto himself. These are the days when i wish i had an extra pair of hands because i had to almost stick out one leg to block him from the sink, while i scrubbed his pants with my hands. It took a bit of coordination but when i finally delivered the boy back to class, he was very happy and looked quite presentable.

Not quite the glamourous idea of what a psychologist do eh? Actually, all those pre-conceived notions i had before i started work are almost, if not all, demolished. But it is not too bad doing this... it only became quite sad when scrapping sticky poo off underpants was the best thing that happened to me on monday. Ah well... i always knew i much rather be with kids who is not toilet-trained than stuck in a meeting with adults who are busy trying to push away blame and responsibilities from themselves.

Swept away

It has been a while and truly quite swept away by... things.

Didn't quite managed to do what i had set out to do... and got a little stressed in the beginning (and stressing him out at the same time) trying to keep to the 'biblical' timeline of organizing the *cough* event for next year. Thankfully he has been wonderfully sane in contrast, a little laid back perhaps but i think it was a good balance. I think we finally hit on the right dynamics and pace *eureka!* Yes.. at least a person who can keep me grounded AND tolerate my special brand of anxiety.

Work hasn't been going quite the way i expected. Tons of curve balls thrown our way and if not for my colleagues, it would have been difficult to stay focused and sane. It was a nice break today when we had our children's day carnival. It was a massive party and we had free flow of candy floss, ice cream, pop corn, drinks, balloons sculptures, magic shows, bouncy castles, games stalls, motorized rides and so much, so much more... Some colleagues and I wore clown costumes sponsored by a costume shop and had our face painted for the carnival. They entertained the crowd while i was the emcee for the event. Most of the kids really liked the clowns though a few were quite frightened by our painted faces. The parents were tickled and we got quite a lot of request to have our photos taken.

We really had to thank the sponsors for coming up with the money and students from SMU for volunteering their time to do up the stalls and dress up as barney. We also had real clowns from the same costume shop who juggled and made balloons animals for the children. The kids had a wild time watching us and playing the games and jumping on the bouncy castles. It rained for a while and the castles were wet, but the kids didn't mind though. By the end of the event, we had a lot of muddy kids running around. In any case, it was really a great day and i had tons of fun (at the expense of losing my voice for shouting so much).

I guess life has a way of balancing out the good and the bad. Each day is a special brew that propels me to want more for the next day, heck the aching bones!

On why Sept 9 is special...

Conspiratory colleagues
Big aluminium box
Opened
Envelope
10 Fluttering Yellow Papers
"meow meow meow"
"Would you be with me "jiu jiu"?"
Smaller aluminium box
Opened
2 bags of scented dried flowers
White T-shirt "yeah! Cos mm love xmm"
Put on T-shirt
Parking lot
Him, tanned & sweating in grey-blue shirt
Blue bouquet of red-tinged roses
One Moshi Mushroom
A locked car
A blue gift box in white netting and blue ribbon sitting in driver's seat
Opened
A ring box tied with a blue-heart hair band
Put on hair band
Opened
A neo-print "mm & xmm" on blue background
A personally designed diamond ring

Could the answer be otherwise?



All i have to say is...
FINALLY... and... thank you...

How do you spell B U S Y?

Sometimes i wished that i didn't go off for training for 3 weeks and having work pile up on me like that. 3 weeks of overdue work and it HAS to be the semester where there are more assessments cases (reports reports reports), PLUS being the year where i had to be incharge of program for D&D, having my co-incharge being sick, AND conducting training sessions on what we had learnt in the US.

Tired & stress doesn't quite describe how i am feeling now. I even dream the night before that it was the first day of school in term 4 and i had forgotten about my assessment case for the day. I had having things overdue and over my head. Bad for my karma and temper. Didn't help that he went off for reservist now too. Sigh. I need a miracle!!!

Okie.

Ranting over and jobs still left to be completed. I am happy to have gone for training despite the work i had to do when i come back.

I guess i'll manage somehow...

The Young'uns

In the new term of school, we suddenly seems to have a influx of young (and pretty) therapists here. There's the two new OTs down the corridor, a very quiet SW and of course, our chatty new psych here in the office. There's a very nice and dynamic feel about the place and it sorts of energizes me. Looks like a good bunch to work with, on top of the other wonderful colleagues i have here whom i already work well with. Most of them are here on their first job and it is really refreshing to see them and of course, at times i do feel a tad (just a tad, mind you) bit... old. Like Angela said, in two years time, i wont be in my twenties anymore. But that's okie. The good thing about aging is, everyone has to go through it with you. *grins* So i am just going to wait on the otherside of the '30' door and wait for the rest to catch up... as always.

Competition...

It was probably 2 weeks ago (gosh, where has the time gone?) when me and him were at a dinner and one of the girls there openly flirted with him.. She was really pretty and had big sparkling eyes and a sweet friendly smile. I could tell she was quite smitten with him and when she sat next to him, she kept looking and smiling at him. On top of that, there was the constantly offering of food. It was quite evident where her attention lies. It was quite blatant and effective, since he had his eyes on her too.

I guess i should be infuriated with both of them. But then, how does one get upset with a absolutely adorable 18 month-old? Gosh. Before the evening was over, baby Joelle had the both of us eating out of the palm of her hand, just like how she did to her parents. A clearly devious little baby but Oh-so-adorable. Sigh...

Dinner & Dance 28th August 2004

Finally... ITS OVER!

Things went surprisingly well during the vintage-themed D&D, though a few hiccups here and there were expected. Practically spent the whole evening standing up and running around on those silly boots(ouch feet ouch). I really should take on less if i can help it. Besides doing the program, overseeing it, partial emcee for lucky draw and getting the acts together, there were also two competition items i was involved in. But i think it is really worth it since people seemed to really enjoyed the evening despite going quite overtime (whole thing ended at 11.30!). The most memorable event though, was getting on stage and getting the rainbow award alongside with a wonderful teacher. I know i probably doesn't quite deserve the staff award (for exceptional performance), especially when my companion is such a great teacher but it makes me feel quite proud nonetheless. Ah well. Seems like i cant really skive off now. *rueful smile* Thanks to all those people who actually bothered to nominate me. You guys sure you all know what you all are talking about? *heh heh*

And a final thanks to my dear mm for shooting the video for the whole night. Erm, it does seem that i appeared quite often on the video ... i wonder why. *grins*

Another silly quiz...

OoooOo.. blue.. my colour! ;D


! You are most Like A Sapphire !Dark, mysterious - but unforgettable. You have a
deepbeauty. Delicate, and shy you try to stay away from
thelimelight but often your intelligence puts you in
at thedeep end. You're like a Sapphire, because, your
beauty is priceless.You're intelligent, full of opinions, and not
big-headed about it all.Sometimes you need to put yourself out there, as
you can be a bit shy.Congratulations ... You're the mysterious gem
everybody wants to have and learn more about.

?? Which Precious Gem Are You ??
brought to you by

It is Wednesday and I...

- have two aching calves and a stiff right shoulder after last night's gym session *groan*
- just finished doing my program flow for saturday's d&d
- need to rest my eyes after staring at the computer for 2 hours *argh argh*
- am still pissed with P about happened yesterday at work
- wonder what should i wear for saturday
- miss walking in New York and the weather
- have too much things to do
- cannot remember what is it that i have forgotten
- have a craving for tao huey and you tiao
- suddenly wanted to see an old friend
- just had a msg that an ex-colleague just gave birth few minutes ago to a baby girl
- realized i shouldn't be so busy on a wednesday
- think perhaps i may not be that busy if i can take time to blog this
- really much rather be home sleeping in this rainy weather

So hard to get away...

Now that I am home... it is just so hard to get away. Plonked (hMmm plonked?!) right into work the very next day i arrived from US and activities has stopped since. Work has piled up higher and higher (as they often do... since they don't disappear just because YOU do) and there is also the added responsibilities once i am back from training. I guess one hurdle at a time, the first being yesterday's presentation to the director and principals. Nearly had a big major hiccup yesterday when my powerpoint presentation suddenly refused to be opened on monday night (suspect photo files too big... duh.. forgot to resize them) but thankfully, i managed to put one together yesterday morning (big thank you to angela for helping and no thanks for boss for telling me that my part was 'just for fun').

Ah well. As usual, more grouses against certain 'team-members' of this trip who purported told us to just give a oral presentation and not to prepare anything (still, the least i thought i could do is do a powerpoint but even that was deem too.. 'showy' at our last meeting last week) but she herself wrote a poem AND prepared projected notes for EVERYONE on the meeting. So much for "no need to do anything too dramatic". Duh.

Now... Better to concentrate on the D&D preparations. So much to coordinate but lucky for me, the other team members for this committee is really on the ball and helpful, and things are progressing smoothly. *cross fingers* :)

Wish that i could take a short break with him before he goes into reservist in early sept but looks like the next two weekends are burnt. Sighh.... sorry dear. Perhaps after that?

Ah.. back to work!

Rest of the photos...

Well... finally finish uploading and rearranging all the photos...
Phew.
There are tons of them in the last album though. :)

Here they are... Enjoy!

Home

Well... I am home after a tiring 18hrs flight from NYC. Had a really jetlaggy day before having to report in to work on wednesday. Work has already been hectic the minute i came back and i think i wont have much luxury to blog about my two days in NY though i will put up the photos soon.

NYC was fantastic and for the short time i had there, i really focused on what i wanted to do and i am pleased to say that there was no regrets whatsoever even though i did not get to see the statue of liberty and the world trade centre site. I visited the natural history museum and the Met, as well as spent luxurious saturday/sunday mornings in central park. I even caught a play at broadway on saturday night (Sly Fox) and had a nice walk down at greenich village for a late sunday brunch. I don't think i could ask for more than that with the time i had.

Spent most of the time on my own because the rest either had no idea what they wanted to do or rather leave earlier on sunday to go shopping near the airport. It seems like a waste of time to me because we were in NY for god sakes. But then, everyone have their priorities, even if it seems a little sad to me to sleep in early in NY on a saturday night instead of being down at times square soaking up the atmosphere. Ah well...

Okie. Back to work.

Day 1 in NYC

Wow...

seems like so many people was, is, will be in New York.
Cool.
Can't wait to get my butt there as well!
Just so pissed that i couldn't get leave from work (duh duh duh) to stay till end of next week.
Sigh.

Day 14

There is only so much one can squeeze into a day and today, it was so stuffed that i'm sure if today was a shirt, it would have burst it's buttons.

Did that make sense? :)

I was the 'hands-on' person today and worked on establishing an independent task through restructuring as well as structuring a new activity in a new environment. The child was one of the lower-level child they had and operated on a purely object-level transition object. He was pretty passive but such a handsome face. He was fantastic with the individual 'put-in' tasks and transit to areas well with some familiar objects. Initially the restructured task we had was a bit too unfamiliar for him (we changed too much component) but the second time we restructured it, he got it down pat the very first time! *HURRAH!* I was so proud of him and we all cheered (while silently la... because cannot disturb the other children doing their work too).

For the second activity, we had to structure the environment out so that he was able to put away his placemat and cup after he finished eating on his own. He has never done that. We tried to make the transition as smooth for him as possible, though he needed some prompts eventually, he did show greater understanding and was able to complete some steps on his own (e.g. putting the cups into the basket). And this was a child who had severe motor planning issues! It was also so funny to see his little face light up when i showed him the transition object (a cassette filled with some skittles) and he immediately knew he had to go to the snack area. Will definately implement some of this ideas with the kids in school who needs them.

The round up for today's session was a dinner at the sheraton's with the trainers and some adults with high functioning autism. Some of the adults (like last week) were just as independent and one even wrote a children story book and worked as a teaching assistant at the local school for autistic children. One of the guys at my table worked in a testing laboratory and told us an amazing story of how he met his girlfriend (who is also a high-functioning autistic adult) and how he felt when he was diagnosed at 19 after having a label of being intellectually disabled all his life. It was also touching how much 'emotions' he has for his girlfriend when all the while we had thought that ASD individuals are so 'emotionally-challenged'.

Of course, there were some social awkwardness such as poor grasp during handshake and poorer eye contact but it was so hard to tell that some has autism on the first or even second look! In particular, there was one guy who worked in accounts and had a graduate degree in geography, we talked about clean fuel, travels and he made jokes and was also very witty. In fact, i couldn't believe he was autistic and would have thought that he was just quite shy and reserved. Just like my sentiments last week at the adults supper club, if any of my kids can grow up to become like these unique individuals, i would be so.. SO happy.

This has been a truly enriching trip. I know i have been wanting to go home and all that (well, i still do), but i wouldn't regret coming here. In fact, if possible, i would like to come again, perhaps for the module 2 training. I guess we'll just have to see...

No photos today because all the 60 something photos on my computer for today are all tasks and activities designed for kids. Doubt anyone will be interested. :D

Day 13

Today's topic for training was communication. Our group had a good time observing the child and designing a specific task to help the child in directing her initiation to interact appropriately because though she had plenty of language, she was usually not using it very well to communicate with others. Hence she often has delayed echolalia or tends to label things around her. We observed that she did once or twice tried to initiate to interact with her peers but never did follow through with that effort and often she couldn't even request appropriately without some form of visual cues. It was a very good exercise in term of taking needful data (in this case, a communication sample) and coming up with a task that specifically aimed at targetting on the emerging skills (while incorporating the interest). It was wonderfully successful and it was great to see the smile on the little girl's face when she finally managed to get her intention across and see her engaging with others purposefully.

Okie... Hands up if no one understood all that.

*grins*
I had a great day and it was great because i felt like i did something good. It wasn't anything dramatic but it made a difference. And that made me feel like the king (hMm queen) of the world, and i did it with people whom i enjoyed working with (okie... not necessary colleagues *heh heh*). In fact the days were just so pack filled with activities that even though it was tiring, you hardly feel it there and then because you would be so busy! I enjoy the energy despite the fact that i need 3 cups of black coffee (i usually only have 1 back home but it is really diluted here *urgh*) to function in the morning. I also had a chance to eat lunch with the little girl we were working with today and it was just plain fun. She was a really sweet girl. Too bad, we couldn't take any pictures.

Dinner was with one of the singaporean phd student at UNC whom we knew long before and used to work in the hospital. He and his wife ate with us at Crook's Corner (aka hogs'head - just going by the deco infront of the place) and later brought us to UNC for a stroll while pointing out some of the buildings to us. The food was fantastic (mainly southern cruisine) and we were so stuffed that we had to be rolled out of the door. It was a relaxing dinner and no one talked about work *yay*! It was nice to walk around the campus in the evening and though it was pretty quiet (being summer holidays and all), we did saw a live band gig (jazz music) while some people gathered around the lawn to listen. It was peaceful and serene, there were also plenty of fireflies. Makes me wish i am back in school again, though not quite in UNC because the town is just way too quiet (aka ulu) for me.

I need a more vibrant atmosphere... which is perhaps why London worked really well for me, with it's nice blend of the old/quirky, peaceful parks and 'happening' events. Geez. I miss it already. I think i do feel a sense of belonging to an old city like that, where one can afford to be an individual and dip in and out of the current whenever one feels like it. In singapore, you tend to have to 'plug' into the system whether you like it or not. In melbourne and NC, it is the trouble of finding a place to 'plug in'. *chuckles*

But, sadly, i don't think i will have much chance of doing all that (i.e. study) back in london again. Guess, its just too expensive. I bet wilk miss it too (don't you dear?). *smiles* Well, maybe one day (I hear you say).

Right. Photos time!

I am pretty small...

in the general scheme of things...

Despite all my ranting and ravings, i do have a pretty 'easy' job, not quite your bomb specialist or nuclear physicist or A&E doctor. The things or people i come into contact with, some despite their disabilities, are still generally a cheerful, upbeat lot. Sure where i work, we have our difficulties and problems (geez, i even have a complain or two about a couple of people *heh heh*) but we are still in our little protected little circle.

I lead a good life. A mainly-wholesome one at that. I don't smoke or party/drink too much. I have regular friends (well, most of them i think, except for a couple of nutheads) and a mostly functional (than dysfunctional, though at times i do wonder about that) family. I have a dog and a cat. I have a car and a nice roof over my head. At the age of 28, i may not have many savings but i am not in debt of any kind. I don't overspend (hell, i don't even like to shop!) and knows my credit limit.

I have a great relationship with a caring guy whom i think i can share my life with, which i worked at for many years (and finally paid off). I don't come into contact with death or sadness as often as i think i do. I had my share of trials and suffered through my 'valleys of depressions' but there were always a helping hand even when i least expected it.

I don't hold big thoughts though sometimes i think i can. It is humbling when i meet people who has sacrificed and people who in my mind, are great people. Not so much by the materials that they have acquired but by the qualities and what they have given to others. And there are so many people like that. Like the therapist who had worked 27 years and has an interest in politics. Like the middle-age lady who is so proud to have held on to a job for 15 years despite being autistic. Like the guy who quit his high-paying job just to travel and volunteer.

So many of them.

And so, i am small. In my itsy bitsy way. Secure and snug at times.

This blog is my indulgent i know and i write about all these little things that mean so little in the bigger scheme of things. I know. I am aware of that. But i am aware too of other things. But just seldom 'self-less' enough to look beyond myself to put it down into words here.

I miss my cat...

I wonder how is ruski doing.
Did he try to jump out of the window again?
Did he over-eat?
Did he try to scratch my drawers?
Did anyone play with him?

sigh.

I also wonder how's sambar...
I hope he is doing okie.
Not sick or anything.
One of his eyes was quite red when i left, i wonder how is it now.
Geez.
Did he throw up while i was gone?

hmmmmmm....

Can someone help me go check? :(

Day 12

Long day, but short blog.
It was tiring but exhilarating, the training i mean. We got a chance to work with a child and learnt about informal assessment. Very enriching and we had to 'unlearn' some of our previously held concepts. But it was great, especially for the teachers. Dinner was macdonalds in the hotel room while we had a lively discussion. I think our thoughts are finally coming together and we are reaching the same platform. Finally! A breakthrough! Hallelujah!

So tired now but relieve and happy.
I think we are going to make it ladies and gentlemen despite my personal feelings for certain people. At least we are doing what we are doing for the same reasons. Sigh.

No pictures today because we are not suppose to take photos of the child.
Besides, i had no time. *grins*

I wonder how weather is like in singapore. Luckily hurricane alex just passed offshore (they name their hurricanes! the first one always starts with letter A and so on and so forth). But another one is coming in its wake. So happening meterologically (is this the right term?). Another long day tomorrow and another, and another. Then NEW YORK!

On elaine's loss...

You know.. i know how that is... and hard it is to get over losing something so precious despite the fact that it may be some inexpensive piece of costume jewellery. It is the significance it holds for oneself. This is exactly how i felt when i lost the very first necklace he put on me the day we left for london, at the beginning of the r/s. I never took the necklace off and it went everywhere.. i think it was the first gift he has ever given me as a couple and it IS special. So the day the necklace fell off without me noticing it, i was a wreck. Totally and completely. Especially when it was at a time when our r/s was rocky. I blamed myself over and over again. Despite the fact that afterwards he surfed the internet and got me a new one which was quite like the old one, it was not quite the same. The attachment just wasn't there anymore. No matter how much i tried and before long, the new necklace tarnished and i never felt like i needed it to be replaced... and i still missed the old one so.. So much...

I still have the other piece of jewellery of significance for me (my trinity ring) though the necklace will always have a special place in my heart because it was the first. But i have come to also realized that my attachment to the person, as objectified by the necklace, is still there and that too, never changed. I guess it is important too despite the loss, and that helped me move on.

Dear elaine, I don't know if it makes any sense.. but i really feel for your loss. *hugz*

Day 11

A new day starting with another round of new training conducting at the holiday inn hotel down the road. The training thus far reinforced all the previous knowledge i had from other conferences but there are fresh insights here and there. It was pretty helpful but i still think that the training at Wilmington was more helpful and indepth because of the smaller group where we can have more focus on what we lack. Now there are about 20 participants and they all came from various states with different background, so the information were slightly more general. Perhaps tomorrow, when we move into the classroom teaching where each group of 5 will have a real child to work with, it will be more interesting.

There was a clear distinction between the two schools today where we will sit in different groups for lunch and so on... but it is okie for me. The main thing now is now to make our school's program a better one. That IS a challenge and E and I are pretty geared up for it despite others' being patronizing about it and constantly tell us not to worry etc. We also heard from some parents during today's training and it is abit sad to find out what the struggles they go through and a little bit comforted for our parents back home that things are not necessary better over here compared to back home. The same issues such as financial support, lack of resources, waiting time, exist here just as well. So our parents aren't really in such a bad shape after after all.

After the training ended, we had a wine and cheese reception back at the sheraton's and we met Dr Gary M. who came to singapore before, as well as Kenneth who worked at KK the last time. We will also have a dinner reception on thursday where some adults with autism will join us. So that's the plan for the rest of the week before we fly off to New York on saturday. I wish it would be sooner so that i can go home! *grins* Ah well. Time for a bit of rest before the boss ask us all in to her room for a 'discussion' in an hour's time (by now, it is more like 'them' telling us what 'they' think needs to be done, rather than something of a reciprocal nature).

Had a glass of wine and feeling quite relax, so shan't try to fight with anyone.
Just chilling... heh heh heh

View photos : Pictures from day 9 - 11

PS: the discussions went okie with everyone having a turn to share. Y was quite quiet in general which was surprising but the P still pretty clueless. Ah...

Day 10

Had a relaxing day by myself and slept in for a bit (well, relatively if you consider sleeping till 9am as sleeping in). The others gathered in my 'previous' room (the twin bedded room i shared with E) for breakfast because that's where all our groceries were dumped before my boss went to check us into a smaller room with one single king sized bed. It wasn't too bad, as long as E or I don't snore or flop around, i think we'll managed. It even has a little balcony facing the pool where i can hang off clothes to dry. Mavellous. The only glitch was when my boss saw how 'nice' the room was, contemplated moving into that room instead with Y and D by getting in another roll-in bed. *sheesh* Some people just wants to have the better deal i guess. Thankfully no one really paid any attention.

Returned the car to the airport. E's friend was so kind to let me follow his car and then he drove me back to the hotel before both of them went off to do their own thing. The others wanted to wait for me in the hotel but then i thought, "what for?" since i am not sure if i wanted 'company'. Told them to go on ahead and do what they want while i returned the car. When i got back, relaxed abit by the pool, went for a swim, wrote wilk a postcard and ordered in room service (fantastic alfredo pasta and cheesecake $23 in all) while i watched The Sum of All Fears on cable. Hey, i could think of worse things to spend my time.

My 3 other colleagues arrived and herded off to explore shopping places (shakes head). I am perhaps the only oddball in the company. After i finished my food and movie, strolled out and hitch a free ride on the hotel shuttle to franklin street where i explored the campus of university of north carolina for 2 hours and hanged out at Ben&Jerry's for abit having a double scoops of dublin mudslide and choc chip cookie dough. YUmMmmy. And deliciously peaceful too. Without hawks preying on cheap bargains.

I know i sound terribly insolent. I really ought to be more mindful (what if any of them read this?!) but then, it is tough travelling with people not like-minded like yourself or share any similar interests. Worse still, treat you patronizingly as if you are a child and consider my main flaw to be my lack of humility. Being young does not mean i am ignorant or immature or not humble. Perhaps i am terribly ungracious because i don't really try to make myself "fit in" just for the sake of being 'normal'. Arrogant? Perhaps a tad bit but then i just don't feel like making myself liked by people whom i have no interest of. And the more i 'know' them, the least incline i am to try to do so. In a lot of ways, during normal conversations, i find myself not being understood by them because... their understanding of what interest me is so limited while i am just as uncomprehending of what's the best bargain on shoes and kiddie clothes.

Maybe, i am just too independent for these people and feel restricted in a lot of ways, which explains all these resentments but that's the way i am. I feel bound to a group which i do not enjoy being with or appreciate their so-called superior 'quality'. That irks me to some extent, hence trying as much as possible to keep aloof other than work purposes. I don't see why i ought to stay 'within' their boundaries just because we came here on the same 'mission'. So much for following group dynamics.

Won't up load any pictures today because it isn't worth the trouble lugging down my laptop when i have only got 38 pictures in my camera. Perhaps when i have more...

@$#(*&!

Bloody hotel disconnected me and made me lose my post!
FuCK!

I got arthur!

Nancy, one of our trainer at wilmington who enjoys talking about politics, came by the hotel yesterday and dropped off a book by arthur miller about the art of acting and politics. An interesting dissection of current politicians and the need to put on a persona during elections. She is just so nice and i really enjoyed learning from her and talking to her. She is such an interesting character and i think the trainers are really what made this whole trip worthwhile. Hopefully they will all come to singapore one day.

Day 9

The worse has happened...
Dumb hotel has not free internet access in their rooms!
*#$&@(*&

Oh well. The business centre do provide computers for the guests' use but then this ancient IBM doesn't support java so i can't even use my icq2go. Drats. I am so... so... SO not pleased. The rooms here are also smaller... and instead of twin beds, my boss is going to move me and E to a room with one king sized bed tomorrow to save cost. I guess if 3 of them is sharing the same sized room as us now, we shouldn't really be 'enjoying' ourselves by having more space. Especially since the other 3 girls arriving tomorrow will be in the same predicament. Yes. I truly see the point of everyone suffering together. It's all about be FAIR right? I'll bet my boss won't be moving rooms if we switched places. *close eyes* *groan*

Okie okie. I am just being grumpy. Shucks. Must be the afternoon sun.

Anyway, now i am in chapel hill, sheraton hotel after a hard day drive up from Wilmington. There was a couple of really heavy thunderstorms along the way which sort of reminded me of how it was when we drove in the snowstorm in scotland. The visibility was terrible and roads were slippery. Thank goodness i did not get anyone killed. Stopped halfway at smithfield so that others could go shopping at the carolina factory outlets. It was a whole stretch of outlets from GAP to levi. Okie. First up, I did not get anyone anything. So don't anyone bug me about not getting 'cheap' branded goods and what nots. It was hot and humid and i was already feeling damn pissed about it. I had to occupy myself 3 whole hours while others laden their hands with more and more purchases. Not my kind of day. In fact i was so bored, i slept in the car, in the HOT SUN (where else could i go? there wasn't any airconditioned sitting/waiting area!) for almost an hour. What a rotten experience.

Dragged myself out of the car to show a semblence of interest to keep people from gossiping about my already "anti-social" behaviour. Did go into Levis to try and get into the mood of things by trying on some jeans. Tough luck. Adult cut stopped short at size 6 which was still 1 size (at least) too big for me. And the juniors? They only had hipster/low cut jeans which i didn't like. Met Y and went off to fossils with her and got a couple of t-shirts for wilk and my brothers only because i felt like i ought to be a little more 'participative' (& the fact that they 'only' cost $9.99ea). I did eventually got a fossil leather wallet there for myself because i don't have one. So there you go. One wallet and 4 t-shirts. I am soooo... pathetic.

Weather (other when it was raining) was clear, with cornflower blue skies and brilliant sunshine. Along the way, i finally encountered my first roadkill (a raccoon, and i didn't do it) and for the first time, saw a herd of cows which was pretty unusual because unlike UK or aussie, there is hardly any livestock to be seen while driving along the roads. Maybe i am in the wrong state (ha! ha! ha!).

Arrived at chapel hill around 7pm (still bright!) only because we took about 4 hours to shop and 3 hours for driving. It is such a crazy day. And now i don't even get the internet in my room!! Shit. So no more uploading of photos for the time being. Not that it matters since it is really New York which i will take most personal photos. This place really don't have much to offer in terms of photo opportunities (especially since we will be stuck in training).

Had dinner at a chinese place called Charlies. Not fantastic but then you know how chinese food are in the small towns of america. I will be surprise if it was anywhere near decent. Ah well. E has a friend who flew in from oklahoma to see here and i have no idea where she is now or if she will even come back. HmMMmm.... Oh well, that means i will get the tv to myself then.

Returning the car tomorrow because it will be unnecessary for the coming week. The dumb thing is that i have to drive the car back to the Raleigh-Durham airport a couple of miles away because Thrifty doesn't operate a outlet here. After returning the car, will have to make our way back here from the airport. Sigh.

Can't wait to fly to new york next weekend!

Moving off...

Will be driving to chapel hill tomorrow after we finish packing up. It is about a 3 hours drive away but since some of the others wants to stop over at the factory outlets out at smithsfield along the way, the trip will take considerably longer time. I am SO not looking forward to it. Ah, well, i guess when in rome...

Will be staying at the sheraton's hotel in chapel hill and will keep the car till sunday. It seems we will not need the car during the training in chapel hill since it will be close by. I wonder if there will be free internet service. I sure hope so. Or else i will have to watch tv the whole night! *chuckles*