The Nomad.

I feel like a nomad these days, going from place to place to study. Have got no choice, because the people converted my usual studying place in school into a research student's office.

!@#@$#$@

Today, I went to Cathy Chia's studying spot. It is a classroom located in School of Bio Sciences, and it is packed with her church people. The best part of all is, there's free food, people come to take your orders for lunch and dinner, there's even more free food.

Did I mentioned there was free food?

The place was quiet and conducive. I think I can finally set up tent and settle here.



Cathy Chia, studying.



Cathy Chia, disturbance.



Chee Harn and Cathy Chia, they happily offered me a free Curry Puff.



After 12 hours (from 9am to 9pm), this is what happened to Cathy.

We Got Study One.

Felily got bored so she doodled on my hand.



Media Law is (the car stop and the driver goes Por Por) SHI~INGZ.



And my favourite song of the moment.

On a totally irrelevant note:
Wanna know what I want for my birthday? http://smellslikedeespirit.blogspot.com/2009/11/its-my-birthday-soon-post.html

You Found Me.

The Fray's You Found Me



I found God
On the corner of First and Amistad
Where the west
Was all but won
All alone
Smoking his last cigarette
I said, "Where you been?"
He said, "Ask anything".

Where were you
When everything was falling apart?
All my days
Were spent by the telephone
It never rang
And all I needed was a call
It never came
To the corner of First and Amistad

Lost and insecure
You found me, you found me
Lyin' on the floor
Surrounded, surrounded
Why'd you have to wait?
Where were you? Where were you?
Just a little late
You found me, you found me

In the end
Everyone ends up alone
Losing her
The only one who's ever known
Who I am
Who I'm not, who I wanna be
No way to know
How long she will be next to me

Early morning
The city breaks
I've been callin'
For years and years and years and years
And you never left me no messages
Ya never send me no letters
You got some kinda nerve
Taking all I want

In an interview, Issac Slade expressed his meaning behind the lyrics of the song:

“You Found Me is a tough song for me. It started from just a song with a lot of hate towards God. More of questions, "why" It's about the disappointment, the heartache, the let down that comes with life. Sometimes you’re let down, sometimes you’re the one lets someone else down. It gets hard to know who you can trust, who you can count on. This song came out of a tough time, and I’m still right in the thick of it. There who’s some difficult circumstances my family and friends have been going through over the past year or so and can be overwhelming. It wears on me. It demands so much of my faith to keep believing, keep hoping in the unseen. Sometimes the tunnel has a light at the end, but usually they just look black as night. This song is about that feeling, and the hope that I still have, buried deep in my chest.”

(from Wikipedia)

Some of the old ones need to listen to this song and reconnect with their faith. With faith, hope and a lot a lot of love, this new soul shall channel her spiritual optimism into making sure of that!


On a totally irrelevant note:
http://smellslikedeespirit.blogspot.com/2009/11/its-my-birthday-soon-post.html

The "It's my Birthday Soon" Post.

Above is the Western Digital My Book 1 TB. It's what I want for my birthday.

Arn't I simple and clearcut?

But it's S$299.99. So, it will be ridiculous to ask just a few people to share and buy that for me.

I'm considerate too.

Therefore, I'm proposing that everyone who would like me to have a very happy birthday this year give me money for the "Happiness=External Hard Drive" Fund.

Yes you see it right. Cold hard cash.

I've calculated, and considering I have quite a few groups of friends, about 6-7 different groups, each group just have to fork out $50 and I'll be on my way to a happy birthday. Any surplus will go into the other 2 funds- the "Sponsor my FYP" fund and the "I'm Not Going Anywhere But Europe for my Grad Trip" fund.

So yes, I welcome surpluses.

I know I'm very practical. But I know you people love me.

Plus I'm having a hard time taking in the fact that I'm not forever 21.

I apologise for behaving so pratically, but I know the importance of giving something useful during birthdays. Many thanks in advance!

Oh hey! I still want a (non-alcoholic) cake, birthday song and a birthday hug too!

Locations, locations, location.

Fat Tripod Films Director of Photography #1 as she walks along the planks, trying to look for suicidal spots (not for herself, for the film).

WKWSCI Class of 2010

The cohort had our last mass lecture today.

At the end of it, Zac and Ziliang got everyone to squeeze for a picture. By the end of 3 or 4 takes, everyone clapped their hands and went woah! Because next semester, there won't be any mass lecture for all of us.

Looking back, it has just been a surreal journey. My mind keeps cutting back and forth, from the moment I got the letter telling me I've been shortlisted for an interview, to the first day of school, to random days in the school, and now here I stand, a senior of WKWSCI. One more semester, and the school will spit us out into the gruelling society.

It hit me a while ago that I had planned my life's course to this school. I knew in Secondary school and Junior College that this was the school I wanted to go. Then now, I have no idea what's next. Okay, I have a slight idea, but you get it, don't you? As a student, we know we have to get into university, get our degree, and get out. Then what? I forgot to think very deeply about that for the past 3 years.

Then again, I have to say, the journey in WKWSCI has been great. From knowing zero people on the first day of school (I didn't go for orientation!) to having a great bunch of friends I can hang out with, even when we're out of school. Even more awesome, is the fact that I've found travel buddies, fellowship friends and the Christina Aguilera/ Avril Lavigne (now Lady GaGa) best west fwen (in 3 years time). These people are uniquely unCS-like, past the immaculate dress sense of course.

And of course the people in my specialisation. We all just have a great time above the crazy schedules and deadlines. I still recall everyone staying over in the editing suite overnight, just to rush the final video which was due the very next day. I could remember my group and Xue Mei's group at 4 in the morning, sitting at the benches, sipping coffee, and we were all mad, tired and just plain sick of the suite. The people in my specialisation were all very nice too! We'd go around helping out in each other's production, which just shows how good natured everyone was. Ahhh.... the love.

Then don't get me started on all the traveling! From 1 and a half months in Korea, to an 8 day crazy adventure in Taiwan, and a grand finale of 6 months of indie livin' in Shanghai, I can truly say I have been to a global classroom.

(Thankfully I cut the deal with my mum saying that if I don't get to stay in the hostel, she'd have to let me go for exchange programmes. The crying and whining was worth it!)

Well, it's been a fun 3.5 years in here. Thanks, WKWSCI.

I shall pat the pillar when I go to school on Tuesday.

12 Midnight

For the first time in the longest time, I slept at 12 midnight yesterday. Adding to that, I also had a 3 hour nap in the afternoon. I was worried I couldn't fall asleep, but then I did, which goes to show how lazy I truly am.

In between my nap and my actual quality sleep, I went to Soon Hui's house to collect the long overdue things from Shanghai. This is the last batch of items from Shanghai, but ironically, the first we sent out via post.




This box is actually made up of two boxes. My vests, white shorts, books and The Simpsons Season 19 and 20 are finally home. Joyce, Felicia, you guys also have a lot of things inside. Come and collect soon!



I decided to tidy up my study table too. Here's my collection of DVDs and CDs from China! All classics, especially the first one on the right, which is Casablanca.

So, you probably don't have to guess what I'll be doing during my exam study breaks.

Documentary Classes

In documentary class, Nikki asked us to fill up a survey form so that she can improve on lessons for next semester. One question was "If there are any additional comments, please write here".

And here's what I said.

"It's good overall, but I just feel sad that my brain works too slow that I cannot think of anything to say every time you ask for comments, so I have no choice but to stare blankly at you."

For Once.

Even though it's kinda dented, it's still a pleasant Surprise nonetheless. Thank you :D

Tyra Banks says "I Don't Believe You"

My most significant memory of the last Media Law lecture was only of our Spike doppelganger lecturer showing a youtube video of Tyra Banks imposing her opinion on this poor Asian girl who was just trying to get prettier flaps on her eyes. While the girl tries to explain her stand, Tyra jumps in and snaps, "I don't believe you."

I half expected Tyra to whip out one piece of photograph amid a transition into the music which goes "You wanna be on top, top, top", and then blindingly blinking her eyes and going "The judges have commented that you wanna be white. Like me! Look at the hair weave, look at it! We all wanna be white."

Then she'll snap her fingers, shake that head in a diva "S" shape and screams "No go, girl."

These, are of course, figments of my imagination. But it goes to show how people can forget their respect for one another, and how easily they want to impose their views and standards. As one girl said in class, "Tyra ain't no Oprah!"

Yeap, Tyra's no Oprah.

But lest we flock immediately to Oprah, remember Mr James Frey and his Million Little Pieces of lies.

What We Do In Astro Lecture

Also the reason why me and Felicia failed our astro quiz.

Geez Wheeze.

After a series of immense coughing fits by yours truly, the mother became so agitated she demanded that I go to the doctor's immediately and put on one of the 40 state-of-the-art N95 masks I had bought to combat H1N1.

Well, I'll go later. WITHOUT the mask.

It's been two weeks of playing cat-and-mouse with sickness. First, the throat had much fun playing "tickle-me-Elmo". And in social situations, the dilemma of whether to cough or not to cough is more frustrating than the tickling feather within the gullet, for I know that putting myself out of my agony requires a massive bout of hearty wheezing which will instantly make me an old man. It is the classic case of damned if I do, damned if I don't. And don't get me started on the nose. While I'm grateful that it hasn't cried me a river yet, it has produced matter of a certain distinctive brownish tinge, reminiscent of the Tiger Leaping Gorge's massive river. Teh Terik, anyone?

I was even on the brink of getting the big disease- Fever. I believe the germs were on the sidelines already, waiting for the right time to play inside my organs. However, I finally declared I'm going to bed early, and I hit those unicell organisms with a mighty bout of sleep attack. Take that, arseholes.

Well, ultimately, I got better. It's just the cough that's sticking to me like glue. Featherman is still working his wand, tickling my oesophagus with every opportunity. (Especially during sticky social situations).

Anyway, I'll probably be fine. I'm not allowing myself to have that big fever I had in February, where I was basically living at home as if I was living in a hospice. Exams are near, times have changed and the weather sucks. Therefore, I'm going to combat every cough with a poker face in the spirit of Lady GaGa.

And with each time I mention her, I never fail to dive into a rendition of the song.

"Can't read my, can't read my, oh you can't read my poker face. Cough's [sic] got me like nobody".

Supplies!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcTMKaQPRSA

Go to this address to see how we spring a surprise on Wan Mei.

Songs.

"I don't wanna fall to pieces, I just wanna sit and stare at you."
- Avril Lavigne's Fall to Pieces

When I blogged with the other, Avril-Lavigne inspired blog, it was teen-angst and many tiny little things. One practice I liked to do was to include lyrics of songs I like at the top of each post. Looking back at my old blog (with all the horrible sentence structures), I can't believe that time has flown so quickly that some of the songs that I've written on my blog are no longer on the radio.

I love lyrics. While the melody catches my attention, it is the lyrics that I remember and ponder over. It is the lyrics that has this reflective ability. In secondary school, I have this file where I print lyrics I love and slot them in. I'd stay in one corner of my bed, and try to memorise them, just for the sake of memorising them. And somehow, I'd invest a part of my present into it. The mood, the feelings and places.

As time works its course, the song goes into oblivion. However, when the song starts playing again anywhere, it triggers the part of the time line and boom, my memory's back. The emotions, the feelings and the mood, they all come back too. Listening to Michelle Branch's first album never fails to bring back the image of me buried in my desk, studying for O levels. Listening to Stephanie Sun's previous hits jolts me back to my year 1 days in university, and most specifically, the image of raindrops cascading down on the shuttle bus window. Then Fish Leong came, marking the rest of my university days.

I find myself listening to Avril Lavigne these days again.



Perhaps there's a yearning desire to be young again.