Melissa, bless 'er 'eart, wanted to surprise Charles with a birthday cake since he turns 23 tomorrow. We planned it for Friday, which, when I say plans really just means we agreed it'd be a good idea (without asking him first). Then it got pushed to today because he wasn't around on Friday.
So we all cut out a little early for lunch to wait for him while Melissa and Raf went to get the cake, only to find that he wanted to eat lunch in the office, by himself, sitting at his desk with his vegetables. We had to beg him to come down, brought out the cake, sang him a big song, then waited for some kind of reaction.
It was hilarious because there didn't really seem to be one other than a thank you and a bemused smile. But that's Charles.
Um other than that, I get to play netball tomorrow! Yay!
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Gulliver's travels
Everyone in Singapore is like a size 4. If it weren't for all the angmohs that come here to shop, they probably wouldn't stock anything above an xxs.
Monday, June 26, 2006
I'm melting
Because I don't get out much, I have a lot to say when I finally do.
This morning was probably the worst "first day" I've had in a long time, besides primary 1 when my mom left and the first day of A levels when everyone was staring at my strapped knee and crutches.
I stepped out of the house, dressed to kill, and then died of dehydration on the way to the bus stop. My carefully applied makeup and neatly pressed clothes (thanks to my aunt) felt like a soggy mess. Sat on the bus for an hour, which gave me enough time to dry up but left me at Plaza Singapura five minutes late, only to then find out that I was in the wrong place, which made me even later.
Fortunately all the managers and officers I've met at HSBC are so unbelieveably friendly and patient. My fellow interns, at least the Atrium gang have been so accommodating and welcoming - I've yet to meet the Collyer Quay group, or as they say the "Kolicky Gang" (it took me two hours to figure out what they were talking about), but that should be fun.
My feet are killing me. It's like that feeling when you stick your finger in the top of a bottle and it swells and turns purple and then you wonder whether you're going to lose your digit, only then try standing on two of those.
I'm so tired. I was desperate for a coffee. I've never been desperate for a coffee. My 20cent cup got me through the whole afternoon. Good stuff.
But you know what is even better, coming back to the energy of two furballs, my entertaining 2 year old cousin, and my grandma's mouthwatering cooking. So good.
I miss everyone at home so much though. I think I'd be less tired packing. My contact lenses have transferred themselves to the inside of my eyelids.
This morning was probably the worst "first day" I've had in a long time, besides primary 1 when my mom left and the first day of A levels when everyone was staring at my strapped knee and crutches.
I stepped out of the house, dressed to kill, and then died of dehydration on the way to the bus stop. My carefully applied makeup and neatly pressed clothes (thanks to my aunt) felt like a soggy mess. Sat on the bus for an hour, which gave me enough time to dry up but left me at Plaza Singapura five minutes late, only to then find out that I was in the wrong place, which made me even later.
Fortunately all the managers and officers I've met at HSBC are so unbelieveably friendly and patient. My fellow interns, at least the Atrium gang have been so accommodating and welcoming - I've yet to meet the Collyer Quay group, or as they say the "Kolicky Gang" (it took me two hours to figure out what they were talking about), but that should be fun.
My feet are killing me. It's like that feeling when you stick your finger in the top of a bottle and it swells and turns purple and then you wonder whether you're going to lose your digit, only then try standing on two of those.
I'm so tired. I was desperate for a coffee. I've never been desperate for a coffee. My 20cent cup got me through the whole afternoon. Good stuff.
But you know what is even better, coming back to the energy of two furballs, my entertaining 2 year old cousin, and my grandma's mouthwatering cooking. So good.
I miss everyone at home so much though. I think I'd be less tired packing. My contact lenses have transferred themselves to the inside of my eyelids.
Friday, June 16, 2006
London - KL - Singapore
London
We spent the last few days, no, hours to our departure frantically packing. To be more exact, 'frantically' would probably only apply to the two hours before and 10 minutes after our cab pulled up, the other days were spent assuring Weng it would be okay, there'd be plenty of time to get everything into boxes.
Got to the airport without much mishap anticipating to be well underweight baggage-wise because it seriously didn't feel that heavy, but ended up having to smile very sweetly at the check-in lady while our luggage sat on the conveyor belt 2 kilos over.
Threw up on the way home for like the first time in my life, then had to hand the warm and surprisingly heavy sick-bag to poor Weng while I found a wet wipe.
KL
Landed to extended cries of "Oh my gawd, you're so fat!" In my defence, no one wanted to help me finish all the icecream in the fridge. Otherwise, it's been good food, clockwork weather, and even more packing. We're due to move 'up the street' next week. Thankfully the packing is about all I'll be involved in, since I'm buggering off to Singapore on Sunday.
It's good being home. I've been shopping a lot insofar as the term refers to walking around various malls for hours. As to the actual buying of things, it took me three days to find a handbag and a pair of shoes, but the victory is sweet.
Singapore
Promises to be a funfilled ten weeks.
We spent the last few days, no, hours to our departure frantically packing. To be more exact, 'frantically' would probably only apply to the two hours before and 10 minutes after our cab pulled up, the other days were spent assuring Weng it would be okay, there'd be plenty of time to get everything into boxes.
Got to the airport without much mishap anticipating to be well underweight baggage-wise because it seriously didn't feel that heavy, but ended up having to smile very sweetly at the check-in lady while our luggage sat on the conveyor belt 2 kilos over.
Threw up on the way home for like the first time in my life, then had to hand the warm and surprisingly heavy sick-bag to poor Weng while I found a wet wipe.
KL
Landed to extended cries of "Oh my gawd, you're so fat!" In my defence, no one wanted to help me finish all the icecream in the fridge. Otherwise, it's been good food, clockwork weather, and even more packing. We're due to move 'up the street' next week. Thankfully the packing is about all I'll be involved in, since I'm buggering off to Singapore on Sunday.
It's good being home. I've been shopping a lot insofar as the term refers to walking around various malls for hours. As to the actual buying of things, it took me three days to find a handbag and a pair of shoes, but the victory is sweet.
Singapore
Promises to be a funfilled ten weeks.
Thursday, June 08, 2006
It's come to an end
I'm sitting in my room, surrounded with storage boxes, waiting for some guy who's going to pick them up in the next half hr or so. It's also going to be my last day here in Southampton (apart from graduation day in a month's time) and it's sad to leave. Three years just went by and when I try to remember the first day, it seems so far away.
On a brighter note, I really appreciate all my friends who's braving the early morning to help me move my boxes down 8 flights of steps from my tower (with no lift) and also for dragging themselves out of bed. Thank goodness I only have 4 boxes that should weigh, technically, no more than 30kg or else I'll have to do some pretty intense repacking.
Anyhow, after this I still have to go through another bout of packing in London with even more stuff to put away. In between that I got to make it to the train station in Southampton with two suitcases and my backpack, get some much needed sleep on the train *because some flatmates of mine decided to throw a party till 4am*, and await help at Waterloo from Weybridge. I hope the late night DOtA-ing at Tish's doesn't bring with it withdrawal symptoms. Lol.
Here's saying goodbye to my undergraduate life and the start of postgraduate studies.
Conditional on a 2:1 of course *fingers crossed*.
On a brighter note, I really appreciate all my friends who's braving the early morning to help me move my boxes down 8 flights of steps from my tower (with no lift) and also for dragging themselves out of bed. Thank goodness I only have 4 boxes that should weigh, technically, no more than 30kg or else I'll have to do some pretty intense repacking.
Anyhow, after this I still have to go through another bout of packing in London with even more stuff to put away. In between that I got to make it to the train station in Southampton with two suitcases and my backpack, get some much needed sleep on the train *because some flatmates of mine decided to throw a party till 4am*, and await help at Waterloo from Weybridge. I hope the late night DOtA-ing at Tish's doesn't bring with it withdrawal symptoms. Lol.
Here's saying goodbye to my undergraduate life and the start of postgraduate studies.
Conditional on a 2:1 of course *fingers crossed*.
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
DoTA Wintermaul
Weng, I have found this unbelieveably fun map to play in DoTA where you just run around building towers to stop the monsters getting through. We played it so much that I also know that it gets bright at 4.30am.
It's so so fun.
It's so so fun.
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Some thrilling stuff
The last few days have passed on a Civilizations-4-soaked blur, only halted by the fact that Weng had to bring his computer back with him to Southampton. He's back there in his tiny, superheated room dredging up the motivation to study for his third paper (of three, I might add).
Daniel and Doris, having seen most of London armed with stamina, a different time zone, and one bottle of water, are now somewhere between Stonehenge and Bath.
I've been pretty much by myself for most of the day, something I'm not good at. I amused myself for most of the morning by crying over a Singaporean soap with English subtitles. I had to watch 20 episodes before it started to pick up, it was only then did the characters start to get self-sacrificing, back-stabbed, and misunderstood.
But there's only so much I can take in one day, which amounted to about six 45 minute episodes, and I'm now reading Jane Austen while figuring out a way to tell my cousins that I'll be legging it to Weybridge for a night and won't be here to see them off tomorrow when they leave for Paris.
I'm supposed to be packing - I've done some but haven't figured out what 30kg feels like. I'm probably going to have to repack everything anyway when Weng gets back all a-sighing and a-tsking, so I thought I'd save myself the trouble of doing it twice and just wait.
Daniel and Doris, having seen most of London armed with stamina, a different time zone, and one bottle of water, are now somewhere between Stonehenge and Bath.
I've been pretty much by myself for most of the day, something I'm not good at. I amused myself for most of the morning by crying over a Singaporean soap with English subtitles. I had to watch 20 episodes before it started to pick up, it was only then did the characters start to get self-sacrificing, back-stabbed, and misunderstood.
But there's only so much I can take in one day, which amounted to about six 45 minute episodes, and I'm now reading Jane Austen while figuring out a way to tell my cousins that I'll be legging it to Weybridge for a night and won't be here to see them off tomorrow when they leave for Paris.
I'm supposed to be packing - I've done some but haven't figured out what 30kg feels like. I'm probably going to have to repack everything anyway when Weng gets back all a-sighing and a-tsking, so I thought I'd save myself the trouble of doing it twice and just wait.
Saturday, June 03, 2006
So tired
I have a problem. I know I have problems, but the only one I'm prepared to admit to today is that I get nightmares sleeping in any bed that might have a mirror in front of it. That's why I tried to join Weng on the floor in his sleeping bag and subsequently got chased back to my own bed.
I had nightmares about extremist saints out to purge the evil (me) and then about a rugrat that I pissed off, only to be chased by her little tribe (like in Recess) for four hours during a house party. Serious, don't-screw-with-me nightmares.
Then I also wanted to say that I love strawberries and that I'm looking for someone to go with me to the British Museum.
I had nightmares about extremist saints out to purge the evil (me) and then about a rugrat that I pissed off, only to be chased by her little tribe (like in Recess) for four hours during a house party. Serious, don't-screw-with-me nightmares.
Then I also wanted to say that I love strawberries and that I'm looking for someone to go with me to the British Museum.
Friday, June 02, 2006
I swear it was Saturday
Over lunch the other day we were laughing about how one of my friends got the date for meeting her friend at the train station wrong, which resulted in her friend going all the way to Paris and then back again.
Today wasn't as disastrous as that, but I did mess up. I can hear my mum's 'Aiyo!' echoing in my head. Daniel called me. Looking at the '+65' number that flashed on my handphone I thought he was calling to tell me they were about to board their 13-hour flight to London, and I also thought, 'Oh, how considerate!'
I answered with a cheerful 'hello' and then my stomach dropped straight through Australia.
'We just landed at the airport, we're going to take a train there, so we'll call you when we get to Gloucester road?'
'But today isn't Saturday.'
'No, I never said it was Saturday...'
'I thought you guys were arriving on the 3rd! Saturday!'
'Um, we're at the airport now. So we're going to take the train in, right?'
'Oh right, Gloucester Road, okay. Picadilly all the way, no changes. Yep. Okay. See you soon.'
Crap. (There were more suitable words that crossed my mind in that instant.)
That two minute phone call was followed by 45 minutes of hardcore bathroom and room cleaning. Weng and I set a new record today, especially given that I hadn't cleaned either area for almost two months - exams, projects, you know how it never ends.
Thankfully God saw Daniel and Doris safely to London, looking pretty good considering they had just flown half way around the world. They also made it to 10.30pm, although it was getting pretty hairy on the way back from the supermarket - I thought we might have had to carry them home. But they're safely in bed. A clean, comfortable one at that.
Today wasn't as disastrous as that, but I did mess up. I can hear my mum's 'Aiyo!' echoing in my head. Daniel called me. Looking at the '+65' number that flashed on my handphone I thought he was calling to tell me they were about to board their 13-hour flight to London, and I also thought, 'Oh, how considerate!'
I answered with a cheerful 'hello' and then my stomach dropped straight through Australia.
'We just landed at the airport, we're going to take a train there, so we'll call you when we get to Gloucester road?'
'But today isn't Saturday.'
'No, I never said it was Saturday...'
'I thought you guys were arriving on the 3rd! Saturday!'
'Um, we're at the airport now. So we're going to take the train in, right?'
'Oh right, Gloucester Road, okay. Picadilly all the way, no changes. Yep. Okay. See you soon.'
Crap. (There were more suitable words that crossed my mind in that instant.)
That two minute phone call was followed by 45 minutes of hardcore bathroom and room cleaning. Weng and I set a new record today, especially given that I hadn't cleaned either area for almost two months - exams, projects, you know how it never ends.
Thankfully God saw Daniel and Doris safely to London, looking pretty good considering they had just flown half way around the world. They also made it to 10.30pm, although it was getting pretty hairy on the way back from the supermarket - I thought we might have had to carry them home. But they're safely in bed. A clean, comfortable one at that.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
It's been great folks
Third year has ended in a bit of an anticlimax, partly subdued by the fact that Weng's first paper is today and that there's a horrendous amount of tidying and packing to do. Lester looks like he stayed up all night (as he usually does before a flight, so I've heard), and his room is empty, which is a little depressing.
The project ended well, although the person chairing our presentation was a little bit of a whiny cow. I think the external examiner enjoyed himself though. Our poster didn't win anything, because of the only graph on the poster apparently offended one of the judges. Um, okay. Tom won though, Tom always wins - that guy is a graphic genius. The board was a massive success.
I should have brought my camera to take a picture of the amazing paint job Mike coordinated. Arctic camo has been redefined. Anyhow, it seemed like most of the year got on it at some point, including several of the department's esteemed lecturers, and the security guard, and whoever else happened to be walking through the foyer at that point.
I guess it was the coolest project there, in the sense that it was essentially a toy and very noisy, but no where near as scientific as a rolling rig, or as helpful as a percussion drill or plastic recycling unit for Africa.
And yea, I know I promised a movie of my board actually flying, but that got lost so I only have clips of my supervisor and assoc. supervisor being goofballs on our hoverboard. Unless you want those.
I have a whole bunch of errands to run that can't be put off anymore with excuses of too much work, not enough time. It feels weird that I don't have to rush into school and spend more time stressing at the team (which they handled really patiently). Projects are good for me, I lose weight, and my thighs and butt are pretty trim from all the power walking. Now it's time to get fat again.
The project ended well, although the person chairing our presentation was a little bit of a whiny cow. I think the external examiner enjoyed himself though. Our poster didn't win anything, because of the only graph on the poster apparently offended one of the judges. Um, okay. Tom won though, Tom always wins - that guy is a graphic genius. The board was a massive success.
I should have brought my camera to take a picture of the amazing paint job Mike coordinated. Arctic camo has been redefined. Anyhow, it seemed like most of the year got on it at some point, including several of the department's esteemed lecturers, and the security guard, and whoever else happened to be walking through the foyer at that point.
I guess it was the coolest project there, in the sense that it was essentially a toy and very noisy, but no where near as scientific as a rolling rig, or as helpful as a percussion drill or plastic recycling unit for Africa.
And yea, I know I promised a movie of my board actually flying, but that got lost so I only have clips of my supervisor and assoc. supervisor being goofballs on our hoverboard. Unless you want those.
I have a whole bunch of errands to run that can't be put off anymore with excuses of too much work, not enough time. It feels weird that I don't have to rush into school and spend more time stressing at the team (which they handled really patiently). Projects are good for me, I lose weight, and my thighs and butt are pretty trim from all the power walking. Now it's time to get fat again.
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