Ferris wheel

My heart

2012-02-12T02:02:00.000+08:00

Here comes one of the occasional surges of emotions where I feel thankful for everything that is given to me :)

Feel very thankful that I'm born physically healthy :) This gift empowers me with the ability to participate in daily activities and all the things I want to do. I am healthy enough to participate in sports that I like, and I can even dive! :D You have no idea how thankful I am for this gift.

I can kayak, I can ride a horse, I can dive! :)

Today, I read up about this condition, aquagenic urticaria; this means allergy to water. Can you imagine how everyday would be for people who suffer from allergy to water? Sports becomes almost impossible. Even daily showers become challenging. People don't appreciate what they are blessed with, until they lose it. Cliche, but it's nothing except the truth. Like how young people enjoy speeding on their motorbikes, drink driving without thinking about the consequences; until nasty things happen. Then comes spinal cord injury and paralysis, accompanied by grief. Decades ago, people die of events like accidents. Now, they suffer as a result of lifestyle issues; cardiovascular accidents, diabetes, hypertension. All these, mainly as a result unhealthy eating.

I wished people could treasure their health more, and treat their body with more innate kindness. Rather than indulging in superficial "body-love" gestures like pumping money on skincare products & makeup & clothes. Ok i'm guilty of not eating well sometimes (particularly weekends), cos I'm lazy to prepare/buy food whenever my mum is not around. It's a habit since young! My mum always nags that it's bad to be starving one day, then to be eating 200% beyond my capacity the next couple of days; she said i'll mess/confuse my gastric. She's exaggerating, but you get the gist. Will try to make up for this and eat more "even" meals!

Thankful that I'm born to be fairly pleasant looking without any physical anomalies. I won't say that I'm good looking, but I look presentable enough to feel good about myself :) Anyway, I believe in innate beauty and kindness, not just external appearances. Looks can be deceiving! I think I have a relatively good physique with some feminine "curves". I love my body/body shape and am thankful for it :)

Thankful for having a family and having a home that belongs to me. Despite everything, I can feel the love that every family member has for each other :) Thankful to have an understanding and encouraging boyfriend who loves and treasures me, and forgive me for all my wrongs :) And I'm so thankful to have the best-est friends in the world who love me despite all my flaws :) And sometimes, they even "flaw-with-me" hehe :) And not forgetting my 2 cutest furry companions! Their presence is a joy and blessing:)

Thankful for being me. I like being who I am. Thankful for the 21 years of very personal life journey and experiences that have moulded me into who I am now.

Every time I feel appreciative, I feel like thanking everyone. There was once that I wanted to title this post as "not thanksgiving day but feeling thankful", or something along this line. So lame :p But I feel sincerely thankful for all I am blessed with :)

It's tedious to blog. But thinking about reading it 10 years later, it motivates me to take time to pen down my thoughts. Let's just hope blogger will never close down haha:)

An interesting phrase-for-thought to share before sinking into my bed: "Being wealthy is not about how much you have, but about how much you are willing to give"

Scarlet heart

2012-02-10T09:06:00.000+08:00

Hello wei qi is back in reality again. I just finished watching another drama yesterday. Scarlet Heart, 步步惊心, the Chinese drama currently broadcasted on Channel 8 on weekdays at 7pm. I've been hearing tons of praises for this drama serial. Out of curiosity, i lately started watching some episodes on channel 8, perhaps less than 4 episodes. This Wednesday, channel 8 broadcasted episode 16. Then out of more curiosity, I watched episode 17-35 on YouTube on Thursday; I finished watching the drama in one day! Hahaha omg 19 episodes I think i'm crazy.

It's about this Chinese lady from the 21st century who experienced a near fatal accident of traffic collision and electrocution, who then accidentally travels back in time to the Qing Dynasty period and relives one of her previous incarnation. She is aware that there will be a dangerous power struggle known to history between the princes for the throne, and the outcomes of casualty. She then tries to change the future outcome for the better and hoped to prevent the casualty in history. However, she ultimately realizes that not only she fails to alter the course of events, she is fated to become an instigator of the tragedy she tried to prevent, by her actions and the princes' romantic affection towards her.

Personally, what I liked most is the romance between the male lead (4th prince) and female lead Ruo Xi (若曦). I could appreciate the genuine affection and love that they have for each other despite all the power struggles within the palace. This really touched my heart, the love and the hurt.

The story and the ending caused me to burst into tears, and this was the biggest irony cos I hated shows with sad endings or shows that would make me cry. And I was dreaming about this drama serial last night haha. But well, it's an interesting show!

Went for mummy's advanced birthday dinner on Wednesday. We had Thai food at Tawandang branch at Suntec. I'm glad that my parents enjoyed the dinner. The food wasn't fantastic but it was pretty decent. I dedicated a birthday song to my mum; there was a live band at the restaurant. The staff at the restaurant were then very sweet to gather together to sing my mum a birthday song together with a huge "Happy Birthday" banner :) They took a photo for us and developed it for my mum :)

mummy was smiling ear to ear when she saw crab. haha:)

the restaurant crew gathered to sing a birthday song for mummy, and the live band sang her a birthday tune
She was pleasantly surprised :)

papa and mummy :)

han wen once mentioned that i resemble my mum?

♥♥♥

my grown up (but always baby)little sister :)

Anyway! Have to get back to business and start studying in preparation for exams! Even though we only have 3 papers, there's a lot of reading to be done. I wish I could ingest the knowledge. If only I could, haha. No more drama for now manz. I missed out on the earlier episodes 1-14, but i'll catch up with that after exams as a reward :) I think I lost some weight (again), and I attribute it to negligence of ADLs (eating) thanks to the drama. or maybe it's due to periods. Haha.

Longing

2012-02-07T20:54:00.002+08:00

I was coping well and I knew that time was passing quickly. But for these 2 days, time seemed to have retarded and each day feels like a week; I miss bf :( Browsing through our photos and I miss his super cute face, his warm arms, his hugs, his smell, his voice and everything about him :(

han looks so cute :)

so cute :)

Must be due to idleness. Must start studying and secretly hope that I can be more productive with time. Aiyo aiyo I when can I ever learn my lesson and not do last minute work?!

2012-02-06T21:42:00.000+08:00

It's 9.18pm and I'm feeling so drowsy and pseudo-sleep-deprived. No idea why I feel so sleepy, but I blame it on all the carbohydrates from the cream pasta that I had at Pasta mania earlier :/ Post prandial somnolence.

Went back to school today to do my test splints for the Hands viva on Wednesday and I feel so proud of my own splints :D Hope that it's not just aesthetics and that they really serve their functions.

Anyway! I know it's really random but I'm going to Bangkok again, and with Wan Li again! Haha:) Bangkok is never a place of interest to me cos I cannot enjoy a trip solely based on shopping. Don't really enjoy shopping anyway.

But this time we have a different agenda:) We'll be staying for 8d7n, and hoping to go on an adventure; going to other parts of Thailand via the Thai railway, or to venture to her neighboring countries like Cambodia (Siem Reap) or Laos by bus. During our previous trip we were in Siem Reap, and we saw that a bus ride from Siem Reap to BKK costs only 8usd! We've always wanted to try that out, i thought that was really interesting way to explore these places.

Aye i know i sound ironic. But... I don't know if I made a right decision to go for this trip, seems so ambiguous. I don't like the idea of "going to Bangkok". Bangkok sounds terribly boring :( Am really hesitating and I hope everything would turn out to be fun. Don't know where this would eventually lead me to, but I do hope that it'd be different from a "conventional" Bangkok trip! Shall leave all the planning to the day after exams.

han says that this is a super unflattering shot (he looks like ah pek), but i thought it looks really cute/sweet :)

hehe :)

So cute, if you can figure out this dark photo

Missing the bf :(

PS: Must start studying!

2012-02-04T22:50:00.000+08:00

Today's a Saturday but it feels like a Friday to me. There was an immersion camp for JC students earlier, and a couple of us were helping out for the event. These students were introduced to the allied health science courses (occupational therapy, physiotherapy, diagnostic radiography, radiation therapy), and were given chances to raise questions while having some hands-on experience at each of the respective rooms.

For occupational therapy, we had (i) Snozelen and (ii) Hand Splinting as means to promote the course to the students.

Snozelen is a controlled multisensory environment (MSE), and a form of therapy for people with autism and developmental disabilities. Snozelen rooms are specially designed to deliver stimuli to the various senses. This offers individuals an environment to bridge cognitive, perceptual, behavioral, and physical impairments. Personally, I feel that this is a very interesting concept and creative modality to deliver health services :) This is how a Snozelen room looks like. You can Google it to get a better idea! :)

For hand splinting, we demonstrated the handwriting (tripod grip) splint and the finger immobilization splint. Splints are self explanatory, right? :) Immobilization, provision of support for people with various conditions. From fractures to nerve injuries, to rheumatoid arthritis, to stroke patients and more.

Occupational therapy doesn't just teach you such skills. We learn human skills, we cultivate humanistic values and views about life. I learnt how to appreciate little things and people around me, taking conscientious note not to take them for granted. Like what Buscaglia mentioned, "Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around". This has been my favorite quote of all times and I personally try to live by this principle. This is the beauty of life :)

And ...

Straits Time, Mind Your Body featured occupational therapy and gave a pretty good coverage on what occupational therapy(OT) was about. This was on 2nd Feb, pretty recent. Helped to promote our course too! :) It's a very interesting course, but so difficult to explain our profession in a few sentences cos the skills that we learn are so diverse and we work with a spectrum of people! From infants to people in palliative care. So, read Mind Your Body or Google to find out more! :)

I love OT! ❤

Anyway! Han Wen left for Brunei on Thursday midnight. So it's been almost 2 days already! The rate at which time passes never fail to amaze me. I suspect that the (speed of time > speed of light).

I found this alien word document in my messy folder on my desktop :) Hehe. Han prepared this word document last week, and was hoping that I'll stumble upon it during one of the days that he's away. But I saw this document last Saturday! Haha i thought this was a very sweet gesture :)

3 more weeks to the end of exams, which would signify the end of our 2nd year? Then in another 2 weeks' time, we will embark on our clinical placement, which marks the start of our final year. Enjoying and will embrace all the privileges as a student every moment while I can! :)

PS: Napped for at least 4 hours earlier, and now I'm feeling tired again. I feel like pigsty. But ok I shall assume that my body needs more rest to recover fully, it's a physiological need! Goodnight! :)

Flu monster

2012-02-01T01:15:00.002+08:00

Down with flu for the first time this year, sigh :( Fever, and coughing to the extent that it induced vomiting. Hate to be sick and the feeling of being unwell.

I told doctor that I think I ate too much popcorn (Ate 2 packets of Garrett Popcorn within a week!). She replied that "As a western medicine practitioner, we don't believe in these (causes). We believe that it is caused by viral infection" haha :) I thought this sentence was kinda cute :)

2012-01-30T15:06:00.001+08:00

Today is Hanny's birthday :) it's hard to imagine that he is already 23, he still feels like a boy to me:) we got together when I was 17, and he was 18 then. Time passes so quickly, we change, but the (numeric) age feels static. Haha:)

Anyway, I'm really thankful for having a wonderful bf like han. Even though the beginning phase of the relationship was terri-horrible, but we managed to help each other. We grew together, but as our very own individuals. I think it's amazing that han could tolerate my wilfulness and be ever so patient to me, guiding me through phases of transition in life.

When we first got together, I remember having such funny expectations of him; I wanted him to be like all my friends' boyfriends. I had this fixated mindset that my bf should be as romantic as the male lead in any romantic genre movies/dramas. I thought that it was a norm and I wanted to be at the recieving end to this expectation. Haha I know I was so foolish/naive to blindly follow what I felt was a convention.

So, my bf should buy me Teddy bears, surprise me with flowers and plan an interesting surprise everytime we meet. So of course, han wasn't like this. He was the woodiest 木头 bf, who wasn't romantic that way. For instance. During a period that i was working temporarily at a hair salon, i felt particularly envious of the girls there. On valentine's day, their bfs would deliver a huge bouquet of flowers or Teddy bears. On contrary, we did not even celebrate v'day cos we were both working. I remember there was an occassion that han bought me a hot water tumbler.e says that I could use it to contain hot drinks(Milo) and bring it with me so I won't be hungry. He knew that I had irregular meal times during that period of time. My colleagues at the hair salon then commented 'huh why he so funny' in a sacarstic tone. :(

Anyway! These colleagues have broken up with their bfs. I don't think they have ever sustained a long term r/s to date, haha. Like what han always says, everyday is valentine's day:) and (I think) there's no point spending so much money on frivolous things. We'd rather save for our future:) Different people have different expressions of love, and han does it in the 'supposed unconventional' way, which I used to take for granted. Han has a pair of rough, big hands; I call them the magic hands:) he rubs my tummy when I have cramps and make muscle spasms so much more tolerable; magic hands also held us together through good and tough times.

Alrighty back to topic hehe. All in all, just wanted to say (from my heart) that I'm thankful for Han's birth, thus blessing me with an amazing bf and bestfriend:)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY DEAREST SWEETHEART :)

2012-01-29T12:05:00.000+08:00

This week, I did the craziest and most irrational thing that I promised myself not to do again. I finished watched my HK serial drama (公主嫁到), and neglected my schoolwork & sleep. The drama was so interesting and addictive! Couldn't complete my report before the dateline, and submitted it late. Promised myself that I won't do it again. Sigh aye.

Anyway, had a sleepover at Amanda's place on Friday night, so that we could go to school together for the students' conference the next day. Her parents were so hospitable, they even bought us out for dinner :)

22nd CNY

2012-01-25T21:54:00.001+08:00

Attempted to do a last minute shopping on the eve of CNY. Futile attempt actually. But well, there was a lingerie sale at Takashimaya, and I managed to purchase an item that I've been eyeing! And I bought it for $50 less! Hehe :)

Oh, Happy Chinese New Year! It's my 22nd time celebrating this festive season, and the excitement seems to be fading off with each passing year. It's the third year that we are celebrating it without my grandma. We used to visit my grandmother every first day of CNY, and she would give us an angpow. For the past 2 years, I would present an angpow to myself, and telling myself that it was from my grandmother. This year, I did not. Resigned acceptance, maybe? Starting to face up to reality and starting to accept that she won't be physically around anymore. But she'll always hold a very special, permanent place in my heart.

only sis and I were prepared! puppy's so fidgety and refuses to stay still for a photo. but i still like this :)

Koh Papie and Mamie:)

♥

one and only clear photo with puppy! all the others are blur cos he's so fidgety like an earthworm

Baby Tian Wei! He's soooo chubby and cute! :)

Went to Han's place at night. I have to mention that Han's 4 year old nephew is super cute :)

My family went to Malaysia on the 2nd day of CNY. So Han came over to accompany me. It was a lazy day and it was quite fun :) It's the first time we watched a Hong Kong drama serial together. Han never watches drama serials, and we were quite surprised that he actually liked the show.

I like this photo cos Han looks so cute here :)

Mac Delivery for dinner :)

(Random: Han looks cuter when he doesn't gel his hair, but he thinks otherwise)

Sunny Saturday

2012-01-21T11:14:00.000+08:00

It's a Saturday! I reflected on my week, and I'm so proud to say that I've accomplished so much :D I made a break through in the past 2 week:)

Held so much determination that I never knew I was capable of, and I'm really proud of myself. Thankful that I got to meet up with chew this week, and we even went climbing together! It was my first time climbing outdoors, and it was a tad frightening. Initially I couldn't overcome the fear of the heights. Most importantly, I had zero trust in myself (strength and skills) and my hands were semi trembling. Thanks to chew's patience & encouragement, I managed to conquer my very first outdoor wall! Of course, I trusted her that I could live my life on a string(literally). Okay, rope. But well! After the first climb, the second and third came to be less intimidating :)

So proud of myself that I've exercised 3 times this week, and it feels really good :) Muscle aches from exercise feels better that those from static-sitting-in-front-of-the-laptop-doing-work. Aching all over but.. good! Haha :)

Anyway, went for birthday dinner for Faith with Faith yesterday :)

I just realized that this photo reflects how tired we actually are! Faith had only 3 hours of sleep the night before, and I had 5. I almost fell asleep during tutorial classes (extremely rare). Faith sleeps anywhere, anytime, anyhow. Haha:)

PS: Fishball just went for grooming and he'll be back by 7pm. Told the groomer to shave off his fur (more manageable) but hide his fats as much as they can. Haha :)

2012-01-19T00:33:00.002+08:00

Liberty didn't last long. Here I am again, still doing my report at 12am. This report is due on Friday. But it's a group effort, so it isn't that bad :) My lecturer was rather amused (& looked dubious?) that we have yet to start on the report. She told us that she'll see a miracle on Friday when that one piece of paper (draft) multiplies and becomes a report. Haha :)

For the past week, I was feeling a tad frustrated with Han; probably cos the projection of stress(?) I remember being so busy that I neglected all my ADLs (eating, showering, grooming) and just stayed in my room facing my lappie like a nerd. I felt depressed cos work seemed never-ending; and i felt so ugly and dirty and pimply.

Han didn't hug me and he didn't talk to me when I felt that I really needed some support. Then I felt that Han didn't love me because I looked so terrible. I think he realized how I was feeling, then he explained to me that he actually wanted me to focus on my report and he knew that I'd be distracted if he was around. I understood and appreciated his intentions, but still felt a little low and I still felt ugly.

Then he told me that it's normal to have breakouts especially when you're stressed, and that it's ok :) I felt very comforted. If it was my mum, she would have (unknowingly & innocently)done the opposite. I could remember since the time I went through puberty, my mum used to constantly scrutinize my skin so much so that I always ended up feeling miserable and then I secretly believed that I was ugly(for years); cos these words came from someone whom I loved and trusted. Affected me so much at one point of time that I didn't dare to step out of the house. Used to blame her for inculcating these insecurities in me. But well, I know I can't externalize the blame, and everything's up to me now that I should think for myself. Thankful for Han who has been helping me correct this distorted & unhealthy thinking pattern throughout our r/s. I'm do feel lot better now, but there's some feelings of hurt beneath this perception. So I guess I'll still need more time.

Anyway. Han just sent me a very sweet message telling me how much he loves me, and it really melted my heart :) It made me feel loved :)

2012-01-17T09:16:00.004+08:00

I woke up at 7.30am to realize that it's morning already. Slept at 7pm yesterday and I can't even recall myself falling asleep.

The past week must have been one of the toughest weeks in my life. I've never slept earlier than 3am, and I'll wake up between 7-8am. And for the other 19-20 hours of the day, I was doing work and work. On top of this, I had 2 project presentations that week.

Towards the end of the week, it got worse. On Friday I slept at 3.30am & I had to wake up for a Saturday 8am OT Day duty in school. Then I reached home at about 6pm. Decided to take a nap and woke up at 8pm to realize that I was late for Faith's birthday celebration. Then I continued doing my projects & report, and slept at 6am. And Sunday, I was working through the day and night, and rushed to school to submit my report by 9am

I had 2 major projects & 1 major report, all due on Monday (yesterday).

Throughout the past week, I was experiencing some hopelessness. Especially when you've spent hours on the alien report/project, and realized that the report is still static and then the cycle repeats again. Then you start to doubt/wonder if you have the means and ability to finish the project. Loss of appetite, food felt as unattractive as a piece of wood. And then, it doesnt help when your skin starts to unfriend you, and you have a really terrible break-out (really!)

Anyway. Submitted my report, and presented my 2 projects :D I'm not confident of report, my pages are a little messed up, and I forgot to attach one of my important appendices. Secretly hoping that I will not be penalized for this :(

But my projects went unexpectedly, but amazingly, well! Actually, I didn't think that we would make it, cos we didn't manage to finish the project (we were rushing to complete report). And this project is challenging, and you can find faults in everyone's presentation. When I heard about the positive feedback from my lecturer, I almost cried. I felt touched and motivated that our efforts paid off, which I didn't expect.

Right after my project presentations, all i wanted to do is to head home and have a good sleep. Fell asleep everywhere. I can't believe that I fell asleep on the bus while holding a container of fish soup bee hoon (hot), and not even realizing that I scalded my hand. Then at home while eating beehoon, I dropped the beehoon over my chair and table and on myself.

To sum up the past week It was the 2nd time in my life that I stayed up through the night. The first time, I was preparing for one of my exams. Now, it was several nights without proper sleep/sleep It was tough but it pushed me to my limits. You don't have time to wallow in self pity or to cope with depressive thoughts. You just need to move on.

So! I slept for 12.5 hours and it felt so good! The power of sleep! And my face looks so much better than how it looked last week. Face still very pimply but it looks better. Declare my Tuesday a holiday, before starting on a report that's due on Friday!

"Very skinny"

2012-01-14T00:23:00.006+08:00

Some pictorial updates! :)

Before windsurfing :)

And the after, hahaha. We agreed that we both look kuku, but still..
It represents our achievement! :)

At Dori's birthday party :)

wan li with the birthday girl :)

mission impossible with the love :) check out the popcorn set!
It costs only $2, so we bought it :)

Today marks the end of Week 13 of school, and it's the first time I don't look forward to the weekends. I was secretly hoping that there won't be a "TGIF" this week. We had an interesting lesson today, where we visited and was oriented to a gym. The sports and wellness students were our guide for the session.

Anyway the main point is, I just found out that my body fat is at 22%. I was told that this was the ideal that all girls should aim for. (?!?) The American Council of Exercise also mentioned that it's a good level of fitness. But, but, but this was upsetting! 22% sounds/seems like a lot of adipose tissue! This sucks. I NEED TO LOSE FATS and gain more muscles. Another (new year) resolution.

Oh and since I approached this topic, I want to share about another lingering thought. Since I've enrolled into the course, I have friends telling me that I'm skinny.Which was quite weird cos some friends used to tease me for being chubby or fatty. I didn't think much of it, cos I perceive myself to be "very-average-sized".
Still, I took it as a complement.

But till now, friends/acquaintances have been telling me that I'm "very skinny", "freaking skinny". Words getting heavy. So much so many that it's caused me to (mildly) question my perception of self? Don't they see my moon /soccer-ball-shaped face? What about the people who are the authentic skinny ones?

skin·ny
[skin-nee]
adjective
1. very lean or thin; emaciated

And if you Google the word "skinny", this is what you'll find...

This is the real "skinny" manz!

Anyway, not that this matters to me. Just sharing a thought :) Back to work!

2012-01-12T12:08:00.001+08:00

Stressed and my face is so dry that my skin is peeling and many pimples are popping out and I feel ugly. Stress+ugly = Terrible very terrible :(

A thousand spinning lights

2012-01-10T22:20:00.002+08:00

God I'm going crazy :(

It's 10.11pm and I'm still waiting for a bus home from school. Spent more that 6 hours on project meetings on top of lessons, and I feel like my brain's gonna burst anytime soon. And it doesn't help that I've got another project meeting (via phone) at 11.15pm.

I don't have that faith that I can survive this week cos it sounds too incredulous to be reality. How now brown cow? Blue cow black cow red cow green cow how? :(

*Chants to self: I can do it x10000*

-Sent from my iPhone

sinking pebble

2012-01-05T16:57:00.002+08:00

I think I'm gonna cough my lungs out. I wished that I could cough using (just) the abdominal muscles, I think I'll have a very well defined rectus abdominis. Not feeling too well, I think my body is probably developing an adverse reaction to school hehe. On top of everything, I'm having sudden rashes/allergy on my face - It's red, patchy and super ugly :(

2012: everything's gonna start "afresh" (supposedly) since it's a new year. It's a LIE. It marks the midway of the school semester, which also means that all the assignments/reports/exams are nearing. I somehow feel terrible, very terrible. I feel so unprepared and honestly don't see myself surviving this semester. I have yet to start on this major report due in 2 weeks, and I have no idea how to go about starting/doing the assignment. What makes me feel worse is that... I heard that some of my friends are gonna complete this report soon! Goodness, how is this humanely possible? Sigh.

What I can do now is to just keep the faith and tell myself that I can do it; You can do it, Wei Qi!

Nolstalgia

2011-12-30T17:07:00.002+08:00

In January 2011, Han Wen had his first passing out parade (POP) from Tekong as a proud, trained soldier :)

In February, I completed my Year 1 Semester 2 :) It was also my 2nd CNY without my grandmother.

In March, went to Cambodia with Wan Li :) We went back to Koh Ramdual Island to visit the kids. Then we went to Siem Reap; visited Angkor Wat, had horse riding lessons then went on a horse riding trail. Then we went to the silk farm and Artisan's De Angkor. We stayed in an amazing guesthouse, had some exciting experiences/encounters :)

Then it was Batam trip with the boyfriend. We met another couple, and we went on a double date :)

In April 2011, went to Bangkok with Wan Li and Shidah.

Then in mid April, I was officially a year 2 occupational therapy student :) Was busy with school work, but still managed to catch up with some friends :)

Then in June, I went on a dive trip. Fostered new friendships, and had fantastic dives :) Even edwin said that this was one of his best trips to Tioman :)

"team edwin" hehe

shi hui, my fabb roomie!

Here, Han Wen passed out for the 2nd time this year, but now as a happy and proud sergeant :)

In July, it was dear huay's 21st Safari themed birthday,

In early August 2011, went on a trekking trip to Kluang with the buddies, to celebrate huay's 21st

my 猪朋友 :)

Late August marks the end of Year 2 Semester 2, and it was my granny's 2nd death anniversary. Time flies, doesn't it? I turned 21, and had my first ever birthday party :) It's probably gonna be the first and only birthday party in my entire life. Or maybe I'll have my second one when I turn 85? :)

went to this thai restaurant with baby on actual birthday :)

Then in September, went to Phuket with chews :D Stayed at a cool guesthouse; the electricity died on us at night. It was an interesting experience haha :) Went on another dive trip there. Oh, I officially have more than 40+ logged dives! :D Oh man, I can't remember exactly how many dives I had. Have to find my log book soon hehe.

In September, I went on my first block (6 weeks) of clinical placement at NUH, and it was definitely one of the most precious learning experience I've ever had. I had a fantastic supervisor and working environment, and of course, the other OT students! I got to know some of them better, and built precious friendships.This attachment helped me better appreciate the "essence" of occupational therapy :) It also helped me to be more aware of personal biases and helped me grow; as an OT student, and as a person.

In October, we celebrated chew's 21st birthday party, and it was meant to be a little surprise. Invited her friends to be part of this celebration :)

In November 2011, I went back to school as a Year 2 Semester 2 student, how time flies!

Managed to catch up with some friends throughout the year, and I'm so glad to have wonderful people in my life :)

And now, in December, Han Wen and I turned 4 :D It also means another year of friendship with all my dearest friends :)

2011 was an exciting year; tribulations and joy. Family, boyfriend and dearest friends. And this pretty much summarizes my 2011 :)

I'm a pig

2011-12-29T21:28:00.001+08:00

24A chalet yesterday. I can't believe that it's been.. 3 years, since we graduated from JC? Time is passing by so quickly man. It's nice to see that everyone has individuated, and working towards a promising future :)

0724a!

with buddy!

Emma's bf sent me home, and I slept from 2am till 12pm, then from 2pm to 6pm. Then I woke up to a terrible headache and fever. Must be cos I had too much barbecued food! I've never ate this much barbecued food, especially wings.

2011-12-28T02:19:00.004+08:00

Haven't been on a date with boyfriend for a long time! Caught Sherlock Holmes with Han on Sunday noon, walked down the streets of Orchard in the evening and went to his house for a stay over :) It was fun, we tried to watch a movie(online) before sleeping. But both of us were so sleepy and only managed to catch the first 15 minutes of the movie. Promised him to help me do a back massage that I just learnt from an aromatherapy lesson, but I dozed off within a blink. Haha :) I do treasure the weekends that we spend together, now that we don't get to see each other often.

i really like this photo even though i look mega "cui" here. i look so sleep deprived.. but still, ♥♥♥

Haven't been feeling okie-ish these few days,intermittent headaches and blah. Guess it's cos of the decreased/minimal h20 intake.Went for dinner at Nihon Mura, and I ate sashimi! Was so (x100000) proud of myself, this is the first time that I ate so much salmon! So silly i know, but still very commendable. At least it's more than just cucumber and crab meat now :)

Mr nah arranged this for me! :D

i think i look very retarded, so just for laughs. I thought that the plate of salmon looks too intimidating and was attempting to ask Han for "help". My attempt did not succeed, btw -.- He refused.

was asking Han if i looked like a school kid. he said no, but i think i looked like one. -.-

Supposed to meet Wan Ting for lunch tomorrow, but I realized that I'm running out of time so i arranged to meet her next week. But this made me reflect again.. Where did all my time go? Goodness, I hope that I can finish my reports in time for submission!

2011-12-24T12:20:00.001+08:00

2011-12-24T01:00:00.002+08:00

It was winter solstice and we bought glutinous rice balls to visit my ah ma at Long San Temple yesterday :) I haven't visited her for a long time. It's been almost 2.5 years since I haven't seen my dearest grandmother. How time flies. It still feels weird to bow and greet my grandmother with joss sticks, and I always run out of topics to talk about. It still somehow feels like a monologue to me.

Went to AMK hub after that to run some errands, then went home for family steamboat. Was running a slight headache, probably due to the overwhelming incense smell at the temple. Took a nap before meeting Yvonne for dinner. Was supposed to meet her at 7.30pm, but I overslept! :( Reached Holland V. at 8.20 instead.

Dinner at Al-Qasr Lebanese and Middle Eastern Cuisine.

mixed kebab platter

mixed mezze platter

A group of middle eastern tourists came to the restaurant shortly after us, and this was the highlight of the night. They were singing, then they started sashaying to the Lebanese music:)

They beckoned us to join them in the dance, and we had so much fun. Boy, they could really move their hips! They really do live up to their reputation; belly dancing originated in the middle east! :)

with the sisters :)

yvonne: "these sexy ladies are the coolest moms ever"

on-the-house red wine..

And on-the-house dessert! :)

with Jack, Al Qasr's chef :)

Jack, Al Qasr's chef, was very sweet to offer us red wine and dessert that was on the house :) He also explained to us the Lebanese culture. He mentioned that the ladies were from over 10 different countries, including Arab, Dubai. They took turns to play the traditional songs from each countries, which the ladies danced to :) And they were so spontaneous! They told us that they have a "special performance" coming up, and it was..

Hahaha. This lady dressed up in a "traditional costume", and all the other ladies and sisters were cheering and we all joined in the fun; except that we couldn't understand what this play was about. Jack then told us that this lady is pretending to be a King, then the ladies were all dancing to attract the King's attention. The king would then leave with one of the chosen ladies. So very interesting! :)

Jack joined in the fun and added the beard and head accessories heh

with some of the gorgeous ladies :)

It was a memorable night, we were embracing a different culture and Yvonne describes it as "we seem to be the tourists instead". I really admire them for being so jolly and "indulging"! Jack was telling us that they dance any time, any where and everywhere :) What an interesting culture! :) I would love to visit their country one day and learn more about their culture.

2011-12-21T00:53:00.003+08:00

Had dinner with Becky and Steph in town today; the christmas lightings and decor looked so beautiful :) And it reminded me of how long I've not been to Orchard. The last time I saw these was when I was running Standard Chartered Marathon last year. Didn't even get to enjoy it's beauty then.

2011-12-20T16:05:00.008+08:00

Listening to Christmas-y songs on 98.7FM while attempting to start on my report. Christmas is such a festive season :) Faith invited me to a Christmas Play last Saturday night at St Margret's, and it was enjoyable! Gave me a "back-to-basics idea" of the real meaning of Christmas, in the midst of all the commercialized activities.

Oh, we were in the same dress code coincidentally! :)

with faithy, pretty friendy :)

Oh man, I can't seem to concentrate on school work. Wonder how I'm gonna get all these work done before school resumes.

Anyway Hans & I are gonna turn 4, soon! Wow. 4/21? I have spent almost 20% of my life with this "guy"? Hehe :) So thankful for this special person :)

He's been with me when I had so much unresolved feelings within me. So much unresolved emotional conflicts, confusion; all bought forward from childhood/past experiences that I've never (ever) dared to tell anyone. I can recall how external my locus of control was. Then transference happened; 17 years worth of suppressed, shadowed emotions. Poor Han did not know what went wrong and he was absolutely clueless of these uncertainties; didn't know what he could do. He had to endure all my frequent spurts of borderline emotions, it was so terrible. There was even once that he saw me through an episode of OD. Almost 3 years, that was. But we passed the test, and this helped me to develop myself as an individual. I didn't have to be a shadough any more, I could be a real me.

Then this year, I found out that Han acquired a habit that I detested. That really hurt me. Not just the habit, but also the trust between us. Someone told me, you can't change a man. This implies that I've got to learn to accept the habit? This brings me back to the point - that i'm thankful for being an OT student. Here, I'm equipped with the knowledge, skills and patience. And also, to eliminate personal biases and look at things from an objective/scientific/evidence-based point of view! I understood that change implies phenomena occurring over time (Procaska, Johnson, Lee, 2009). It involves 5 sequential stages, and 10 processes. (Diclemente, Prochaska, 1998). It tells me that the change process is dynamic, and it's normal to have lapses.It's all part of the change process :) This helped, really :) They say, it takes time to change a behavior; did they mention that it takes a much longer time to change an attitude?

All these have made us stronger than ever, and we are growing and learning together. I'm thankful for this :) Thank you for loving me and being there for me when I'm at my very ugliest. Thank you for re-educating to me what life is about , nurturing me, and for loving me for who I am. Without you, I won't be where I am now. So here I am, standing strong, &; feeling proud of being me :)

It's all about ME! :)

References
Shumaker, S. A., Ockene, J. K., Riekert, K. A. (ed.). (2009). The handbook of health behavior change. New York: Spring Publisher Company.

2011-12-19T20:51:00.010+08:00

"To be honest, I don't have the words to make you feel better, but I do have the arms to give you a hug, ears to listen to whatever you want to talk about, and I have a heart; a heart that's hoping to see you smile (again)"

This quote has always been part of me, and a reason why I do what I do.

Felt a little hurt when budz said that she didn't like me sometimes cos of my craziness. I know that I speak in alien language and behave like one at times. I gave these a thought yesterday; I think I behave this way cos I have this perception that it'd make the people around me happy. Or does it not? Like when I say something gross, it'd evoke a weeny surge of xxx emotions/responses. Whether the response is positive or not, I perceived that this would "perk" a friend up. I don't enjoy being a clown, I solely enjoy bringing joy to my loved ones. Of course, there were times that I had much insecurities about being me.

But well, feeling a lot better now! I believe that everyone is unique; I am, too :) All these that I do, it's all part of my personality - Generous in all these impromptu/random/unpredictable/weird/crazy/cranky behavior. But i believe that I'm generous in giving, too. On top of all these, I don't do any harm. And I've friends who love me for who I am, and I've always been thankful.

Margret mead said, to always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.

That's why they say, "everyone is unique".

2011-12-14T21:31:00.001+08:00

Everyone is connected to everyone in this world (almost). So much social media, virtual realism. What is Facebook actually? As a platform to show that one has the perfect life; so, is it a platform for comparison?

There was once, I saw friends update about their relationships with their new partners. They looked so sweet together(photos). I felt so envious, then there came a tint of disappointment. "Why can't my boyfriend be as sweet as her boyfriend, too?" This had once caused me to be so dissatisfied with my current relationship, I thought that I deserved more.

What was I thinking about? How could I compare my relationship of 3yrs++ based on some xxx friends' Facebook photos? There's no moral of the story actually. I just wanted to share about how comparison leads to nowhere. It leads to dissatisfaction, insecurities, unrealistic expectations and might cause one to take things for granted.

What holds a relationship together? Conventionally, it's things like attraction, trust, respect and etc. What about the humongous extraneous factors that no one mentioned about? Cultural expectations, peer expectations, family expectations, comparisons, social influences.

Of course, I may be speaking from a very narrow/biased point of view. But this can be generalized to other situations too! Like how girls turn anorexic because they want to be "as hot as a supermodel"; society's idealism?

Everyone (yes, everyone) strives to improve themselves. The disabled wants to be abled. The abled wants to look good. The good-looking wants to look pretty. The pretty wants to look gorgeous. The gorgeous wants to be a model. The model wants to be a supermodel. From one point of view, it's absolutely positive that people have the naturalistic drive to improve and be better. However, some may neglect and fail to appreciate what they already have. Societal drives can be potentially disabling. They tell us what is ideal. If you think again, it's just a framework, of what people generally perceive to be right or wrong. We should learn how to take things non-judgementally. You have to judge for yourself, what you really want. The dog wags it's tail. The tail doesn't wag the dog.

2011-12-11T10:55:00.002+08:00

1) Visit to Hort Park as a visually impaired,

One of the beautiful orchids @ lifestyle corner

Fruits of a plant looking like raspberry :)

2) Shu Fen's 21st birthday party

with the birthday girl :)

3) Welcoming Esme, the 2nd guide dog in Singapore

Esme! :)

Esme is a trained guide dog from Victoria.When he has his harness on, he knows that he is working. When he is off his harness, people are then allowed to pet him.

Esme's harness

Cassandra shared about her experience of having a new guide dog and how it has positively impacted her life. Cassandra's story was very inspiring, and her family was there to support her as well. Her daughter looked so much like her, beautiful :) Our animal friends are amazing :)

A photo with Esme and Cassandra :) Esme was off the harness btw!

4) Dinner and impromptu camping with the buddies :)

5) I need an escapade from this city.

Wait for me..

2011-12-07T20:08:00.005+08:00

2011-12-04T20:49:00.000+08:00

Han's sick. Running high fever for 3 days, and paracetamol didn't bring down his temperature. But he insists that he feels fine and refuses to see the doctor. :( He'll be busy with army matters and won't get to see him for the next 2-3 weeks.

Anyway, it's december already! Wow.

2011-11-27T19:49:00.000+08:00

♡
Take my hand, I'll teach you dance
I'll spin you around, won't let you fall down
Would you let me lead, you can step on my feet
Give it a try, it'll be alright.

2011-11-20T14:13:00.001+08:00

There are times that reality is too harsh, for too long. Almost like a persistent comatose state/nightmare that you feel you can never wake up from. Andwhat you can do is to:

1) Struggle and hold on to the strand of belief that fairytales and happy endings are possible
2) Snap

2011-11-16T19:51:00.002+08:00

2011-11-07T20:54:00.001+08:00

Spent the day with Han Wen :) Caught "In Time" , and the movie was really good! Very creative, very interesting :)

Won't get to meet Han for 3 weeks; He has to be "confined" together with the new batch of recruits. Sigh. Taking individual consecutive turns to be busy(?) See you in December, dearest :)

2011-11-06T23:55:00.000+08:00

Friday marked the last day of my clinical education. It was a day of with mixed emotions; Relieved yet reluctant. 6 weeks went by so quickly, it felt as though it was my very first day at NUH.

Everyone has been very patient with me; the staff, my supervisors and my patients. On Thursday, I had a farewell lunch with my supervisors. Friday was filled with love and warmth, as my patients wished me "all the best" in school. One gave me origami flowers, and another gave me ferrero rocher; the nurse clinician bought packed lunch for me; the therapy assistant prepared a farewell gift for me. :'( I guess good bye-s are always the hardest. Dinner with the NYP-NUH girls after work :)

I feel very thankful for the opportunity to have clinical attachment as part of my education. I find this 6 weeks especially enriching and words can't describe how much I've learnt. Thankful to have a great supervisor, colleauges, patients and friends! :)

Spent Saturday morning at the hospital to make-up for my medical leave, and had lunch with eel, dori and shern. Went home to have a nap before meeting Han in the late evening. He has this "surprise" place where he wanted to bring me to. And tada, it was night safari :) I've told him that I wished to go to night safari, and he remembered ❤

♡


han's camera's flash was toooo bright (and blinding)!

School's starting on Tuesday, and it'd be the start of a brand new term :)

46th monthsary

2011-10-30T22:01:00.000+08:00

Went to JB with love over the weekends. I was supposed to spend weekends preparing for the coming week of clinical attachment (Which would be my determining week). Han would be very much occupied with army commitments from the start of next week, and we agreed that this would be the best time for us to have a short getaway. So yup, we went ahead :)

2011-10-23T21:53:00.001+08:00

It's gonna be the start of the 5th week of my clinical attachment tomorrow! :)

Was in a delirious state during clinical attachment this week. Hopefully, the coming week would be better *keeping fingers crossed*Anyway, met up with Trudy, Faith and Jie Min on Friday evening. It was apparent that all of us were tired and stressed from the clinical workload. But well, it was so therapeutic to be able to meet the girls; it feels so good to see each other and it kinda makes me miss school.

Spent the weekend trying to prepare for the coming week of clinical attachment, and also went on a date with the boyfriend. Went out for lunch and shopping at Daiso, with some miscellaneous retail therapy. Have been having periodic acute behavioral changes (hahaha, mood swings) towards bf. Probably due to stress from clinical attachment, then, transference to bf. Sorry dear :( Love you many!

Love you baby ❤

2011-10-18T07:57:00.001+08:00

I think that I am a very blessed girlfriend:)

Had my mid week evaluation yesterday, whereby a lecturer comes to the hospital to observe our performance. I was nervous, for sure. The performance anxiety drained every ounce of energy from me, I was perspiring in an aircon-ed room, sympathetic body reaction. Felt so lethargic by the end of the day. I was home at 7plus, and used the PC. 8pm, I was dozing off. I saw Han Wen at my house, I thought that I was dreaming (he's supposed to be in camp). He bought me happy food, and he tucked me to bed, I fell asleep in 0.01 second. I had no idea when he went home, and I think the last time this happened was when I ran for standard chartered's full marathon.

Woke up at 5am today. Boyfriend called at 5am, alarm clock also rang at 5, 5.30, 6am. Boyfriend preset the alarm for me cos he's afraid that i cant wake up. Thankful for having such a sweet boyfriend:)

Alighting at kent ridge now. Happy Tuesday everyone, jiayou!:)

Halfway through!

2011-10-15T22:56:00.000+08:00

Just a quick update!

Went for an inpromptu dinner with Yong Qing after CE on Friday. We are attached to the same hospital, but in different settings. She's in pediatrics rehabilitation :) Anyway, Yong Qing has been a very good friend to me throughout these 3 weeks in clinicals! She's a sunshine :)

Yong Qing's super cute & expressive. Hehe:)

Went for a half-day attachment today (to make up for my absence on one of the days) before meeting Han Wen at Vivo. He had some army gathering in the morning and came from Sentosa. Went to do some craft shopping at Daiso, had lunch at Marche before heading home. Once we reached my house, we both slept all till 7.30pm. Hahaha. It's obvious that both of us were sleep deprived. I had 5 hours of sleep for the past few days, but he only had 3. It's been tough for both of us. Han's very busy with army, and I'm preoccupied with clinicals for 24hours a day (I even dream about it). We don't get to spend much time together; just some smses in the late evening.

However, Han is still such a sweetheart :) He's been waking up early just to give me a morning call at 5.30am, even though he only has to wake up at 7am. He was so sweeeet and surprised me with a very nice card today :) Really appreciate all these thoughts and efforts in trying to be sweet in little ways. Love you sweetie ❤

Dearest boy :)

I thought the black-and-white effect looked good here? :)

❤❤❤

Already half-way through placement, and all i can say is "time really flies". Just had my mid-way evaluation and discussion with my supervisor, and I'm very thankful that things turned out to be more positive than what I've expected. It's been a extremely good learning ground, and I'm learning something new each day. No doubt that it's stressful at times(I broke down thrice and was very depressed/pessimistic for 60% of the time), but i'm still hoping that I can improve my skills of being a good OT student and better contribute to the patients' recovery :)

BZB

2011-10-12T22:51:00.002+08:00

Third week through clinicals now. It has been an interesting experience so far. However, I feel that I'm always falling short of expectations. Today, I felt so useless and disappointed with myself that I "broke down" during break time. It was a chain of accumulated, supressed feelings. Somehow glad that I let it "go", feeling so much better already :)

Learning, learning and learning. Jiayou :)

2011-10-02T11:43:00.001+08:00

Last Sunday marked the last day of my month long semestral break! :) It's been a fufilling one, and I'm glad that I've "spent it well"? Came back from Phuket on Friday morning; Phuket was awesome! Shall blog about Phuket another day, too long a post!

Met Wan Li last Friday noon, accompanied her to reece her clinical placement area at Tiong Bahru before heading over to Han Wen's house :)

And last Saturday was a date day with the boyfriend :) It's been eons since we've had a date like this. Usually, we'll just catch a movie at Nex (the nearest cinema from sengkang), and head home after that.

han says: "can see that you look very tired"
me: "no i'm not feeling tired at all. it's just my dark eye circles -.-"

huat ar!

@ Beaver's

@ ah chew desserts. Han looks so cute here :)

and eggcited about our dinner!

If just one person believes in you...

2011-09-28T20:23:00.001+08:00

It's the 3rd day of my clinical education, and I was posted to a psychiatric ward. All I can say is... Abundance learning. Today, I had the opportunity to interact with the patients. There's this patient whom I had a conversation with, and then he told me this, "you, are like a light bulb. you help to light up our lives". I felt so touched, my heart stirred and there was this surge of pride in being an occupational-therapist-to-be; to be able to make such a positive impact on someone. I felt so strongly about wanting to help the patients recover. Having a mental illness is so much more disabling than a physical disability. Patients wonder when they'll be able to recover and get back to their normal lives.

I love this song. Dr Param once showed us this video on our last lecture before our exams (last year), and I felt so encouraged. I hope to be able to do this for all of them.

And when all those people believe in you,
Deep enough and strong enough
Believe in you,
Hard enough and long enough,
It stands to reason
You yourself will start to see what everybody sees in you.
And maybe even you
Can believe in you
Too.

2011-09-17T00:47:00.005+08:00

Woo it's Friday night already!

Guess i've fufilled my promise to self, & made this week a meaningful one! :)

Went for manicure on monday with mummy. It's my second time doing manicure in SG, and i love how it makes my hands feel and look more girly! I've always had short nails due to nail biting habit/accidental self harm(scratching)/curriculum requirement. Now, thanks to the holiday break, I finally get to keep my nails long enough :) Manicure does magic to my nails! The photo does not do justice to my pretty nails. But still, love :)

Celebrated mid autumn festival with chew @ Seletar reservoir. Mid autumn has always been one of my favourite festivals, love the orange tinted lights/ambience and how it makes me feel blessed.

Spent my Tuesday and Wednesday at RDA. Did some observation sessions on Tuesday, and volunteered my services on Wednesday where i woke up at 6am! Spent my time sorting hay, area cleaning, and of course, the most interesting part was to interact with horses :) It was an enjoyable experience, except that
1) I found out that was allergic to hay and developed rashes which lasted and itched for two days,
2) My nails chipped :( :( :( :( very sad.
3) The wound on my palm regressed thanks to the pokey hay

I like how cute the horses' nostrils look :)

Met Raidah for dinner at Sakura on Wednesday night :) She was so sweet; she surprised me with a little slice of birthday cake (out of nowhere) while we were chatting :) And she made me a birthday card, which looked so pretty that I couldnt tell was hand made!

Went to recce Siloso beach with Cherish for an SAOT event on thursday noon before meeting Wan Li and Dori for dinner at Doggiestyle cafe :) Bought my furballs along! One thing worth mentioning: I saw a pomeranian at the cafe, who was half of fishball's size. I felt a little depressed for fishbal the obese pom. Oh well. Becky and Shern came to join us for a short while after that :)

And friday(today), went to Raidah's house as she was hosting lunch! :) It's nice to catch up with the other ex-classmates whom I rarely get a chance to talk to! And after that, rushed off to NUS to meet Amanda and Sharon to attend a focus group before attending the actual workshop, also at NUS. The workshop discuessed about clinical education, and the audience included occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech & language pathology students. And guess what, I met my diving instructor, Jason, who was a Year 1 SLT student :) It was such a coincidence and a pleasant surprise to see a fellow allied health prof student who's my dive instr. Heheh. :) And met Yun Ting for dinner at Olio cafe! It was really nice to meet up with her after eons, and it's nice to see that she's as bubbly and chirpy as ever :) And this friend of mine, she's attached to her bf for 6years +! WOW :)

2011-09-12T00:50:00.003+08:00

2 more weeks to the start of clinical placement, and am hoping to spend these 2 weeks meaningfully.

Had lunch with Han at Suki Sushi today, and we had buffet! Thanks to last week's dinner with Wan Ting (& her "encouragement), I finally had suffice courage to try sashimi. So for today's buffet lunch, I ate sashimi! It's an achievement, really:) Anyway, fishball went for grooming on Saturday, and now he looks like a little boy all over again. Though this cut looks really adorable on him, I still (very much) prefer him with his double coat! But well, i admit that it's a lot easier to "maintain" him with short fur.

Fishball's new bear-cut :)

& fishball @ IMH :)

PS: I wonder when will my braces be off, and would my teeth feel "naked" then?

I'm a... bricklayer?

2011-09-11T00:40:00.000+08:00

Stranger like me

2011-09-08T20:09:00.007+08:00

The world is... infinite. There are so many places and I'm sure that it's impossible to travel & explore every part of earth. It's not just yet, there are so many interesting places that one can chose to stay while travelling! While it's attractive to go on a budget/backpacking trip (meet new friends/travellers, experience the local's lifestyle, cheap and etc), it's equally interesting to experience man's new/creative creations that can be expensive and not worth spending the $$$$ just on accomodation.There are wayyyy too many options/choices to travelling. Who/where/when/what/how to visit. Aiya. The world is infinite, period.

If I go to the US, i'll make a trip to Idaho; I'd definitely want to stay at Dog Bark Park Inn! It's a guesthouse in the shape of a beagle! The owners must be a huge fan of beagles, and very innovative! I wished there was one in the shape of a mongrel or pomeranian. Heh:)

The exterior

the very cosy looking room!

I'll also make a trip to Florida to stay in Jules Undersea Lodge. I've always thought that it was cool to live in places like this, like those action packed movie involving underwater/marine research, where researchers stay underwater to observe marine species/carry out secret research.

yea, this looks exactly like a scene from the movies!

And i want to dive with the manatees too. ♥♥

Awwwwww ♥

I hope that I can visit these places before they ever close down. Somehow, interesting places that I want to visit tend to cease operation before I get a chance to visit them. :/ Anyway, I really wish that Jia Tian and I get the chance to go on a dive trip when we go to Phuket! I really miss being underwater. Edwin got me a pretty Cressi mask as a birthday present, and I can't wait to use it for the very first time :)

2011-09-06T18:59:00.009+08:00

"So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they’re busy doing things they think are important. This is because they’re chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning."

“Tuesdays With Morrie” by Mitch Albom

Went for a jog earlier, and I have a say that my endurance is on the decline :( I cant imagaine how I actually completed a marathon last year, sounds incredulous (ok, i walked and didnt "complete"). Havnt been exercising for too long. But well, this isnt the main point, it's just a ra-ra complaint.While I was jogging, I saw this elderly lady on a wheelchair, her maid accompanying her for a walk. I wonder how she feels when she sees people walking, people who are in control of their own lower limbs? I feel that most people usually don't treasure the gifts that they are blessed with, the "fundamentals" that we usually take for granted. They don't, until they lose it. I'm guilty of this, too.

*I imagined myself to be a paraplegic. Then I told myself that "if" I were to gain back my ability to walk, I'll make full use of it. I'll walk as much as I can and enjoy doing it. I'll take care of my legs. I'll make use of this gift. If. *

After jogging, I went to a neighbouring "fitness corner" and laid down on a bench that was meant for sit-ups. I stared at the skies, there were 2 very pretty stars. Everything was nice and calm, and i felt happy. I thought to myself, perhaps this was what life was about? (to me, at least for the present); to enjoy the the bits and pieces of everyday. Stopping to look at things around you, appreciate their existence. Be generous and genuine. And smile :)

2011-09-05T10:54:00.001+08:00

To determine right from wrong; it's a very fine line. So fine that it's tough for me to make a decision. Right seems so right, everything's going on (more than) well. However, wrong seems so wrong and wholly against my principles.

Twenty one, already?

2011-08-29T21:26:00.003+08:00

Snippets of some pictures of my 21st! It's a disney themed party, and I know it's not an easy theme. Appreciate the friends who dressed up for my birthday, especially becky! She made a snow white costume herself, despite her busy busy schedule. I feel so touched by her efforts, she's such a dear girl! ❤

the koh family :)

with cuzzies :)

coolest l4d2 group!

dearest dearest dearest buddies :) ❤ ❤ ❤ thanks for being here for me always always! chew, thanks for helping out pre-party and helping me with makeup, love! and huang, thanks for being such a sweetie! ❤ you girls look soooo pretty:)

:) coolest diving gang hehe. zhao lun provided disney toys and they pinned it onto their shirts, super cute and so thoughtful :)

joleeeeen :) she dressed as an incredible, and she specially bought the items for my birthday :) and she gave a such a nicely wrapped present with a sweet little message. thank you primary school friend! :)

becky! ❤ my prettiest snow white :)

JC mates :) :) :)

dearest OT girls! :)

Sissy and siyu :)

snow white :)

boyfie ❤ thanks for rushing to withdraw $$ for me, cos i forgot to do so to make payment to the caterer! and helping out with the deco, booking the chalet for me. and for being my dearest boyfriend:) i love you hanny:)

It's my very first birthday party and spending my special day with so many people. Usually, it's a very simple affair. It's definitely a unique experience for a 21st, and this memory will stay close in my heart. I feel really blessed to have friends who love me, and thankful that friends and relatives took special effort to dress up, come for my bithday party. And I find it extremely sweet of them to buy such thoughtful gifts :)

Despite all the naggings, I appreciate my papa's effort in helping me with the birthday preparations :) And despite being such (the ultimate) naggy, I really appreciate my mummy's birthday bracelet for me and for giving birth to me. Without her, there's no Wei Qi. :)

thoughts with love! :)

Han bought me out for dinner on Sunday, and we went to this Tawandang for dinner. It's a thai restaurant, and they serve pretty nice food! Something different from the normal cuisine:) They have live music, and Han dedicated a song, "You'll be in my heart -Phil Collins" for me (upon my request hehe, so thicked skinned right). Thanks sweetie :)

cute giordano mascot!

sad and (kinda) creepy exhibits

Took a stroll to the esplanade, where we chilled by the river side. It was really romantic, if not for the fact that i was being a moody, irritable and PMS-y girlfriend. So sorry dear:( Had some drinks after that at Sauce, before heading home.

Dear, I really appreciate all your efforts and for doing so much for me. Thank you so much, I love you baby :)

2011-08-25T23:18:00.000+08:00

*eggcited screams!*

It's over! Year 2 semester 1 is OFFICIALLY over, and i'm feeling SO relieved. The past few days have been rather intensive. Was having a terrible headache through the day, and just popped 2 panadols cos it never seemed to subside and became kinda intolerable. But, I'm just so very glad that everything's over, school's down for now, and it's time to enjoy a well deserved break!

Skyscraper

2011-08-24T14:50:00.001+08:00

Connie Talbot's all grown up now, a beautiful young lady with a beautiful voice :)

PS: 1 more paper to go!

Kopi-O

2011-08-23T03:12:00.001+08:00

Taking a little breather, off the books for 10 minutes!

Here I am, drinking kopi-o at 3am, desperately hoping that it will help me stay awake and be alert until tomorrow's paper is over. And secretly wishing that my body responds (extremely) well to coffee, and provide me with fantastic short term memory. Not greedy, just wishing that it can last me till tmr 11am!

Last minute work kills :/

2011-08-18T01:20:00.003+08:00

I feel so awake at 1am. Trying my best to focus on studying in the day, but attempts were hopelessly futile. So many distractions, everyone's awake, mum's nagging/vaccuming the room, teevee's on, furballs are excited and wanna play.Fishball's on medication and i have to monitor him, make sure that I feed him (pellet by pellet, and yes he's so spoilt) before administering his medication.

Maybe I can really function better at night, without all the distractions. I feel so fresh now. But again, I have this schema that "I have to sleep before 11am", cos it feels weird and lonely to be awake alone.

I feel that I'm taking my own sweeeet time to do exam revison, which is probably not the most ideal way. Like how I came across this interesting piece of exercise while revising for psychological dysfunctions.

"Think of someone you know whom you don't like very much. Maybe you even hate this person. On a piece of paper, write down a description of that person. Write down what it is about this individual's personality that you don't like. Be as specific as you can."
When everyone in the class is finished writing, I tell them to draw a box around what they have written - and at the top of the box write "MY SHADOW."
"Consider this," I tell them. "What you have written down is some hidden part of yourself - some part that you have suppressed or hidden. It is what Jung would call your SHADOW. Maybe it's a part of you that you fear, can't accept, or hate for some reason. Maybe it's a part of you that needs to be expressed or developed in some way. Maybe you even secretly wish you could be something like that person whom you hate."

Absolutely irrelevant, yet so fascinating! (PS: Still trying to figure out how this works)

And also, facebook strikes anxiety and fear in me. We have a special group on facebook where our coursemates share information for revision. Everytime when i log onto facebook, I see umpteen notifications that "xxx just posted in xxxgroup". It feels terribly intimidating, considering that I have not even started on revision for those modules! To think about it, i only started revision for 2 modules, and the other 3 are un-touched. And i can't comment on my progress, cos I read about so many other extraneous articles!

Shall end off this post with a picture from some time back!

2011-08-17T11:51:00.000+08:00

2011-08-14T18:57:00.003+08:00

We went to the zoo, zoo, zoo. How about you, you, you?

our 4 wheeel drive

qi ❤ kangaroo

Han's new polkadotted-shirt:) credits to sam the sealion.

Amazing people

2011-08-12T23:47:00.004+08:00

I waas on national geographic's web earlier, and chanced upon this video of this young american rock climber; Chris Sharma. Apparently, he's the top rock climber in the world. (If not, one of the top).

He's AMAZING! His videos swept me off my feet. Anyone who climbs would know how much strength, endurance and perseverance is needed to conquer the walls. Physically and mentally. Chris Sharma is bending physics, like totally. Amazing. Now, tell me about human potential.

2011-08-11T23:50:00.004+08:00

How can people get over their relationships? Then, how can they start a new relationship? It sounds incredulous, and feels almost like a mission-impossible.

Many friends around me are having relationship issues, & I see familiar couples breaking up. Feeling kinda down actually, especially for those couples who have been together for many years. All the promises that they made to each other, all the memories they once shared. It feels even more absurd when he/she gets into a new relationship. Absurd, way beyond my imagination. The hope, the trust and the bond that you have with this special someone has been given to another special person. It means that the "past" relationship belongs to the past?

Sounds so... tough. And harsh.

On another note, it's been almost 2 years since i havn't seen my dearest grandmother. My ah ma is the most caring and loving grandmother, so kind and so helpful. Last Sunday was her 2nd death anniversary, according to the lunar calendar. Went to Mandai Columbarium to visit her, and i bought her some flowers. I wished ah ma was there to see me grow up, too. I wished she could attend my 21st birthday party, my graduation and my wedding. I wished she was here, so that I could give her allowance and a better life when I start working. I wished she could be there to see all these. I love you, ah ma. And I miss you so much. Sincerely wish that ah ma is doing well now, if there's life after death.

Okay, enough of the blues. Some pictures of my cute boy to cheer myself up!

*listen* sianz*
pupz must be the cutest fuball on earth!!

the sweetest thing on earth ❤

Anyway, glad that kinesiology practical's over! :) It feels like a mini major milestone. 2 more weeks and 5 more papers to go!

PS: August babies get free entrance to the Zoo/Bird Park/Night Safari during the month of August! Planning to go to the zoo zoo zoo with Han Wen this saturday morning, but he might only be able book out on saturday morning. Shall see! And definitely not gonna waste this privillege! :)