Waiting for 2010

Universal Studios in Singapore is expected to be completed in early 2010. In the midst of studying, I went to look at potential places to go. With finances staying like that, the best place for now is Universal Studios, in Singapore. But after checking out the website, it seems not too bad. I mean, to put that in a tiny red dot like Singapore, on an island even tinier than the red dot is a feat. So, I shall put aside a mini sum for a holiday within the country. (:

Who's interested?

Final Exam Paper

Ah, my last exam paper for my undergraduate studies is approaching. Thereafter, I'm done. Actually I wouldn't mind doing more modules. But there are only so many modules to do. I mean a more vigorous university education would appeal more to me. But what's done, is done. Perhaps a masters degree a couple of years later?

Oh well, for now, it's studying for my last paper...

Here I am trying to tell you how I feel.

JUST STOP SHRUGGING YOUR SHOULDERS AT ME.

Don't blame me for not telling you things or not communicating with you. You just refuse to talk to me. Forget it, seems like he is more important than your daughter is to you.

If I don't mean anything to you, then so be it. I'm just sick and tired of these situations happening again and again.

Count my blessings? Yes I do, and I count the un-blessings too. Think about the good things? Yes, but bad things still exist.

HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT. ARGH.

Switch it off!

There's no one in the room, why do you need to turn the air condition on? Can't you only switch it on say 10 minutes before you go in? Do you know that electricity doesn't come cheap? Do you know how long I have to teach, to talk before I earn enough to pay that bloody bill? A full 4 hours, excluding transportation and preparation of materials. Do you know how long does she have to stand before she can pay electrical bill? Why are you wasting electricity? So what if you are sick? There's no logic in wasting electricity. You are just burning money away.

FUCK OFF.

Stress Time

It's the exam period for the students once again, and their tutors get stressed too. Not exactly due to stress from parents, but the level of competition the schools have. It's either you go to a good class, an average class or a lower ability class. What's the difference? Well, the friends you hang around with, the level and amount of class work and homework is different, and the pressure to perform is different. Just too bad that Singapore's education system has a huge emphasis on exams and grades. It's based on the value of meritocracy, that makes us to grades-mad.

In any case, tuition is not a hard-to-pass time, just that it is on me to make sure the student learns something, since their parents entrusts me to do that. Oh well, two tuitions in a row tomorrow...

1am Emails...

CAN SCARE YOU TO DEATH! I was checking my email and saw one entitled "Environmental Science." It said that my assignment was not received and I would be given an "incomplete" for the course. Panic gripped me like crazy and immediately I forwarded a copy of the email I sent over for submission. Yikes. Scary. Then just to make sure, I called over to US of A at 1.30am (it's 11.30am there) just to make sure my grade will not be affected because I emailed my assignment before the due date.

So, after 2 unsuccessful calls that didn't get through, I probably sounded like I had a panic attack while talking. In the end, my paper will not get penalized and I should be getting on fine. This is what technology can do... A nice grade better be coming...

Kinder Surprise!

One morning at NTUC, I decided to buy one of the new Kinder Joy, previously Kinder Surprise, to see how different it has become...

It still comes in an egg shape...
















When you "crack" it, this is what you get!
















And you open it again, this is what you see!
















I took a while to finish the chocolate before assembling the toy. The chocolate was not bad, but I prefer the egg one better...
















The assembled toy! Not really fun, nothing much you can do with it. But in such a small sized egg, this is not bad already lah.

501th Post

不知不觉, I'm at my 501th post.

As usual, my random ramblings... Yesterday I gave my 小绵羊 a wipe down and a bath. It was accumulating dirt on the outer case. Oh, 小绵羊 is the name of my MacBook, or rather known as Little Lamb. Since it's white, it's a lamb. A cute one. Someone suggested that I should be called Little Bo Peep, since I have a lamb.

I had my hands on Rock Band on the guitar yesterday. Fabulously fun. Now, how's the initial plan of getting a Wii going? We shall KIV the plan since there are other things I need to get. But after my successful turn on the guitar yesterday, it could be my next big ticket purchase...

I'm a free person today because my student needs to go to the old folks' home. Prepared some materials for my tuition kid, and vacuumed and mopped the floor, cooked noodles and intending to head for a bath and get out to buy some snacks. Stock at home = zero. That is one torture. I need my snacks.

Tomorrow's the Division 'S' International Speech & Table Topics Contest. Our members are representing us, so I'm going down to support them... Thereafter, I'm hoping to go get a "sleeping bag" for my 小绵羊 so that I can bring it out to meet the world.

Off to the bathroom, and off to re-stocking the snacks!

Trying...

I'm trying to finish writing my speech of 3 minutes, I'm at 1 minute plus. Blah, not in the mood to do speech, don't feel like rehearsing, don't feel like doing anything. It's one of those sian days.

What the heck.

Turnin' 22.

Today, I turn 22. Now, this is one of the fastest years I've ever lived since it always takes eons before I celebrate my next birthday. But from 21 to 22, it's way too quick. I'd love a longer 21. Youth is really a short time. So time to go all out, experience life and prepare for the old!

Can't imagine it has been a good decade after PSLE, a good 6 years after the 'O' levels. Like those things just happened yesterday. Anyway, tonight's a night with the family. Has been a long time since we celebrate birthdays on the actual day since we try to meet up sometime when everyone's free.

A year older, a little wiser, and I grow up a little more. (:

The Constant Postponement.

Right, now I know why my tuition kid keeps postponing tuition all the time this year. She has a boyfriend. And she spends time at her boyfriend's house, so she keeps going home late, and keeps pushing my tuition. So, what should I do? Since she's more interested in her boyfriend, I can just give her up and let her be in love all she wants and fail her examinations. Maybe that will wake her up. Anyway, I'm just dreading going there as months pass by. Sick and tired of that kind of attitude. I should speak to her mum sometime soon. Maybe tomorrow. That will work.

Now, taking up a primary school student does have its advantages, no love/relationships to bother them. Computer games are easy to handle since parents still have much say. Secondary school students? Tougher.

Okay, time to look for a new student...

How Long Does It Take?

Question: How long does it take to tick you off when people do not take the initiative at all, or most of the time?

Imagine you are the one who keeps initiating contact your friend, and your friend does not reciprocate. After a while, it feels one-sided and you start to get sian. It will just seem that the other party is uninterested.

Answer: It doesn't take long.

Rush to Walk

After a rather good sleep, I woke up to buns for breakfast and tuition thereafter. Haha, and the girl gave me a sticker in return for the stickers I gave her for her work. Since the journalism thing was on today, I had to rush in about 20 minutes from Woodlands to Sembawang by taking a bus to the MRT station, take the train, drop off the next station and walk to the school. By the time I was on my way walking, I called only to realize that it has been cancelled, after all that rushing and transport frenzy.

I was about to turn around and head back to the trains when I decided to walk my frustration off by walking from Sembawang MRT station along the MRT track back home, a station 5 minutes away by TRAIN. And also perhaps the longest distance between one station and the next on the red line. And so, how long did the walk take? Just 40 minutes. Well after the sweat out, I felt better, exercised and hungry. A little crazy huh? But that saved some money since I wasted $1 on taking a wasted trip.

I'm not crazy, just a lil' cranky, needed to just walk it off. How did a 40 minute walk feel? I was impressed at how I managed that seriously.

So what's on today? Plain slacking at home to watch 'Don't Forget the Lyrics."

Super Long Day...

Tired, exhausted, half dead. I had a crazy Wednesday.

3 hour workshop in the morning then almost put me into lala land,

Then 1.5 hours tuition after a short rest of an hour,

And 2.5 hours of Toastmasters after another hour of rest.

I had to write my opening address during the workshop, just grab my calculator and pencil case and hope that I can solve any algebraic problems my student throws at me after waking up from a 10 minute nap. Thereafter, survive with no rest, give my opening address then crack my brain to give a good evaluation. Now, what can you expect from a girl whose brain constantly tells her that it needs to shut down?

Well, I delivered my opening address relatively ok, and even won best evaluator today. Yet even better news, Cheng San has another 3 new members. Today's meeting was filled with people, newer Toastmasters, the core people, and guests. Nice meeting today.

Tomorrow it's tuition in the early afternoon and the journalism club thing in the afternoon. Seems like I'm getting busy once again, but I get to sleep in, and I ain't complaining. Money's coming, I like how life is. I just need my splurge on good food...

Stuff...

A last minute call at 11pm last night came to tell me I was due at a Toastmasters Club today. TSK, I had plans but my early promise to visit them in April led me to cancel the plan. Well, the relevant person could have called or emailed me right, then to even receive no email the night before. Thus, I missed my Esplanade performance tonight. Even best, had to postpone one tuition student and I'm getting my pay today. Overdue 2 weeks pay leh.

Anyway, things turned for the better since I was warmly welcomed and had a wonderful time listening to speeches of very different natures. From make-up to hypnosis to roasting to failures. With a good chat while in a car on the way home, a nice way to conclude the day. Although we would have headed to the Hong Kong food stall for supper to fill our hungry tummies if not for the stupid workshop tomorrow.

Yikes, I'm craving for more waraku. RP, time to go there. I am hungry...

Hoping to hear more about a guy? I also dunno what's happening. Enlighten me.

(Almost) Painted The Town Red!

Saturday was a run-up-and-down-day with sai-kang to do at the CC before meeting the bestie for dinner! Well the intention was to go laptop bag shopping, and for RP to get whatever she needs to get, but as usual, the two of us end up without buying anything but have fun eating. As RP puts it, our favourite hobby is eating. Jap food + Jap ice cream + RP = bliss.

Sunday... What else than tuition in the afternoon. But thereafter it was a meetup with the JC clique to celebrate Joyce's and my birthday since we are April babies. It was our first times at Waraku and they do serve some good food at affordable prices. Not the pasta outlet, the other one. For our birthday pressies, we got a tee shirt each from Graphiph (not sure if it's the correct spelling). (: Thank you girls.

The weekend was a pretty fruitful one, and I still managed to keep within my S$40 a week budget although I ate out on both days. I mean I had to take $10 out from this week since I had to chip in Joyce's present. Ha ha. Nonetheless, the once in a while meet up with JC mates is always fun.

The Night Before the Weekend...

No concrete plans, other than for Toastmasters that is.

Do I prefer leaving weekends to impromptu sessions or have them planned?

Well I like them planned because I won't have to overwork my brain on the weekend itself.

Tomorrow, lunch with kor confirmed, Toastmasters confirmed, evening program not confirmed.

I want my ice cream. My strawberry flavoured ice cream.

Weekends are precious aren't they?

Looooong Weekday

Thursday yesterday was longer than usual. Or rather, I stayed out longer. Tuition in early afternoon, journalism club in the late afternoon, dinner with kor and colleagues at KFC with my crispy chicken till 9pm.

I prefer busy days, because it can take things off my mind, keep me busy and allow me to sleep better at night, over tossing and turning in bed till wee hours in the morning.

Now, I should be going for a run later, because I haven't been running for 3 weeks. And of course, it tones the muscles. Furthermore, I think some endorphins are welcome to perk me up after being frustrated for a couple of days.

Finally, nothing comes until something goes. Let's see how it continues before I no longer feel it.

Why Ask Me?

If you don't trust my sources, then don't ask me.

Just ask your friends.

Why make me go through the trouble and then make me feel like my information was useless?

Just listen to your friends, ok.

Don't ask me anymore.

Destination

Only when you know your destination,

That you know which tool to use to get yourself there.

What is my destination?

I have not figured out yet.

This is tough.