Post-Christmas Sales

WOOOOOO!!!

There's a mad-cap shopping buzz all over Australia. (As well as the rest of the world)
Post-Christmas Shopping!! WOOO!!

I went shopping on Christmas eve and on the 27th, 28th and 29th! (I would go on Boxing Day as well but unfortunately I live in Adelaide and most shops were closed. MEH. )

And I went shopping today too! :D
I must sound like a crazed shopaholic.. but who am I to deny this?

However, I'm a rather cautious spender despite getting all glaze-eyed whenever I see a bargain. It's because I am unemployed at the moment. Boo.

But anyway, I don't really like the style of clothes here and I find the shoes rather boring so it's not often something catches my eye. Sigh.

So I've bought things that I've been wanting to get and managed to snag a couple of items on sale.

The best bargain I grabbed was a FCUK cap for only $10!

A cute vest for $15 (or was it $10?)

An adorable jewelry box for $4.95

Two pairs of black leggings for $8.99

A gorgeous eyeshadow palette for $4.95I love white eyeshadows; they are so awesome to brighten and open up your eyes.

It seems like quite a fair number of items but for 5 whole days of shopping, it's pretty pathetic.
I'm quite disappointed that I didn't manage to score some hot new heels.

But I'm glad I didn't splurge too much this holiday season *prances*
Though, the same cannot be said for the amount of food I've been indulging on *pats happy tummy*

Old men and food

So I was walking along, enjoying the sounds pumping from my mp3 player when I spotted this old man with a receeding hairline and white hair, outside of his barber shop.

He was looking up at a threatening gray sky but as I approached him, he noticed me.
He bid me good day with a slow smile. "Come, come," he mumbled as he beckoned me to follow him.

Puzzled, I stopped and watched him enter his barber shop and fumbled for something on a desk near the door. At one point, I was beginning to worry. Was he going to stab me? (There have been recent three cases of stabbing going on in Adelaide, so you should forgive me for thinking that.)

With a big smile, he pulled out a massive bundle of what looked like baby apricots?!!



Eh? (O__o)


I was horrified as he shoved them to me, "Take, take!"

"No, I can't that's too much!" I said, thinking about how I was going to go shopping with all these fruit in my hands. There wasn't even a bag!

He nodded and started peeling away the branches and leaves, "Take, take."


-___________-

So I thanked him and went my way, trying not to drop any from my two hands.
Unfortunately, I have no idea what they are (or if they are edible for that matter) or how I was going shopping.

So I threw them away in the end.
I don't mean to be disrespectful but I had to go shopping and carrying some books back home. There was just no way I could do that with them fruits in me hands.



I just wonder why I encounter such things?
Probably a year ago, this old man handed me a pumpkin.
It ended up in my tummy :)

Perhaps I look starved?

It is done.

It's all over.
Done.

Surprisingly the seminar I had to give yesterday went well :)
I am extremely relieved. (Despite not being able to answer some questions correctly and getting flustered for a bit)

Locky and I had a practice run on Monday in front of the other lab members and our supervisors.
Unfortunately, I didn't do really well that day, particularly with the questions so you can't blame me for being extremely anxious the whole day and not being able to sleep well. It was haunting me! In addition, Dr. John Hayball (our Honours course coordinator) insisted that we arrived by 8.15am to load our talks into the computer so I had a mere three hours of restless sleep before the presentation.

It was great to see everyone again, although we were all feeling a bit sick and anxious.
Well, at least I was. I tried to eat a banana, which I usually devour (Love banananaaas! Happy fruit/herb) but I had no appetite. It tasted terrible but I had to eat something or my brain will be deprived of sugaaaaar.

Fortunately I was the first to present at 9am :)
The academic staff turnup was quite poor. There were several students coming and out, families as naturally, lab members for support as well as examiners who were there to question us and grade our presentation. I think at least 30 people attended my seminar.

While I was presenting, Andrew (my supervisor) kept nodding encouragingly at me which was great but sometimes distracted me a wee bit. Hehe.
Surprisingly, 20 minutes went by really quickly.

Fortunately for me, my examiners (this chick with a British accent and a chinese man) were really nice to me. They didn't probe me or ask any tricky questions. Other audience members asked uncomplicated questions as well. So yay for me!

Some examiners were a little mean as they persistantly asked difficult questions. Most of us managed to answer questions well, so it was all good. It wasn't like our examiners were out to get us or anything. But it's often hard to think that way, especially when you're put on the spot light. For me, it was a horrid 10 minutes of vulnerability.

In all, everyone's talk went well. One of my examiners sought Hayball to ask for my contact details. Turns out, he's interested in taking me in as a PhD student.
This to me, was a surprise. Flattering but unexpected.

Hayball thinks I should consider it. Long said I should go for it.
And my supervisor Andrew said I shouldn't.
We both know how difficult Honours was for me. I struggled.
To be honest, I don't think I've got what it takes to do the same thing for three/four years.

Andrew advised me to take a year off and if I wanted to do a PhD, he would be more than happy to take me under his wing. He's awesooome, isn't he?
I'm truly thankful for the wonderful people I've worked with. The people in the lab were a bunch of supportive, intelligent and genuinely lovely people.
After our seminars, they took us to the pub to toast us. And we're going to have a lunch gathering on Thursday as well to celebrate.


I can't believe a year just went by. The past several months were just emotionally draining.
There were days when I felt like I couldn't go on. I cried endlessly. I panicked every couple hours. Conjuring sentences took me ages, making me feel it was almost impossible to complete my writing. It was not a pretty sight.

But I've done it.
It's all over.

It's time to move on to the next phase of my life!



PS: I may be getting a bunneh!! Hehee!! :D

O__O

Completion of honours in less than 12 hours.

.

.

.

.

.

.

*silent scream*

Butterflies

In less than a month, I will have written a thesis.

A thesis that will be read and graded by individuals who expertise in the field of bone cancer.
I will be required to present my work in a seminar in front of an audience consisting of academic staff, my examiners, professors and students.

My work will be bound into a book and copies stored away into the library of my university.
Whether it'll be worth a First-Class or not.. by one way or another it will happen.

I cannot express the amount of pressure, anxiety and stress that has plagued me for the past month and continues to do so.
I lack quality sleep due to the constant nightmares and vivid dreams.

Time just slips by my fingers, making it feel like it will be an eternity before my thesis writing is complete.


I complain and lament about the amount of work. But mostly because I lack a lot of things.
The lack of sleep. The lack of determination. The lack of confidence in myself. The lack of the social life that I love and dearly miss.

And when I think to myself, everyone lacks something. Each and everyone of us use it as an excuse.

Sure, I don't interact with people as much as I used to.
So now, I am unhappy and can't write as well.
Boo Hoo.
But does it make a difference if I do? Or is it just as an excuse because I am afraid of reality?

I am aware that certain things that greatly affects the outcome, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. Just like the "butterfly effect".
But surely, there must be ways to overcome the battle you're facing?
Perhaps it's not as bad as you think it is.
It's all about perception.


So I've got to think positively and know that I will get through this.
Because I AM capable of doing so.

Wish me luck!

Euro 2008

Woohoo! Spain won!

MMmmMM... Fernando Torres.
You are such a beautiful boy.

Where's Wally?

If you were a child of the great 90's then you should know this game!

I need your help! I can't spot him at all! Can you??

double-click the pic to enlarge it, boys and girls

----Edit----

This is for the benefit of Sharon who doesn't know what Wally looks like.
Despite the fact that he's the man in the postcard on the top left corner -_-

Sunshine Buddy

Ladies and gentlemen,
boys and girls,

I present to you...

Nohonhons are solar powered toys from Japan.
The extreme stress levels of working people in Japan, inspired the creation of nohonhons. They were designed to calm their owners by swaying slowly from side to side.

In fact, it's almost hypnotic.

Ever since I saw a canary-yellow nohonhon swaying in a mate's house, I wanted it.

BADLY.

I began hunting on e-bay but they are so freaking expensive.
>=(

So I forgot about it.

But Twinno Yenny must have sensed my burning desire all the way from Korea.

AND SHE POSTED ME ONE!

WOO HOOO! You is awesomous, Yen!

Now, Toby has been with me for quite a while now.
And it wasn't my idea to name him Toby.

J suggested the name Toby and I went along with it.

But it hit me one day.

What if Toby was a girl?

.

.

.

.

With a pink flower on its bald head!

With a blue ribbon! (and the flower is now a decoration!)

So, should Toby be a girl or a boy?
HmmMM?

Am i ...

... the only girl who is unfazed by this?

Plastered smile

Ugh.

Hands up if you have to plaster a smile on whenever someone takes your photo?!
And when they take ages to press the damm button, you feel like a grinning idiot.
I don't know about you but sometimes I feel my lips quiver from trying to hold a smile.

AND!

When they do snap the pic, you close your eyes! (Well, I do that often anyway)
The camera-person would throw a hissy-fit and make you go through the horrible ordeal again!
Nyah!!

Anyway, Canon has come up with the idea of a 'smile detection' function in their cameras!
No more waiting for the camera-person to snap a pic!!
Woo hoo!

It'll be much easier to self-indulge in your vanity (or in order words: cam-whore) too!
Just set the camera down somewhere, take your time posing and when you're satisfied with your pose, just smile! :D
Woo hoo!! No more waiting for the timer to go off!


And onto something completely unrelated:
Remember that Maroon 5 song 'She will be loved'? The one with the lyrics of "look for the girl with the broken smile"

Sharon asked me once how the smile would look like. She'd try to do a broken smile.
Of course, she failed.
Anyway, I don't know about you but I picture a girl smiling with broken teeth instead.

Bringing down the house

After a long and disappointing day in the lab, I decided to make myself some nice herbal mushroom soup and relax.

But it went all wrong when I fell asleep.

I woke up to a loud cackling sound and went outside to be engulfed by smoke!
Took me about three seconds before my brain screamed “SOUP!” at me. So I ran into the kitchen to be greeted by a very, very angry pot…
I nearly burnt it to crisp!!! T____T

The house smells really weird. Fortunately for me, it’s not that typical burnt smell but something much more er… flavourful? Haha!
An interesting tangy bitter burnt smell. I actually quite like it!!! Although, that coud be the fumes talking.

What about the pot you ask?
I managed to salvage it with a full hour of scrubbing with the trusty old baking soda and some cream cleanser. Woo!
But the lid looks real bad. The inside is just charcoal black. I might be able to get it to shine again but will probably take another hour.

Imagine the state of my sponge!!

It resembles a very tanned Spongebob Squarepants!
Lol!!
Okay, I shouldn’t be laughing because I could have burnt down my kitchen.

I googled 'burnt Spongebob' and found this!

OMG! They killed Spongebob!

How could anyone do this to him?!

Alright boys and girls, let this be a lesson to you!!
No sleeping when you're cooking!

*reaches out for a box of cereal*

Graduation scare

Unfortunately, my dad's not coming for my graduation on the 1st of April!
So my mom and my aunt will be flying over for a couple days :)

The funny thing is that as a graduate student I don't have to pay a cent for my graduation (except for the gown loan) but I have to purchase guest tickets and am limited to only two guest tickets per student. So the other day, in the sweltering heat, I went to the BASS ticketing counter to buy my guest tickets.
The queue was long so I got a little impatient waiting. As it was my turn, the guy said, “I’m sorry but I think it’s fully booked. There are no tickets left.”WHATTTT????

How is that even possible?? -__-‘’
I asked if he could do something, like appeal to someone to add extra seats in the venue. He shook his head, “sorry, we’re selling tickets. You’d have to go to your university and ask them if they could do something about it.”

Me not happy.

So I went off to my uni and went into campus central. I wasn’t sure if it was the right place to go but in the years that I’ve been in uni, campus central has been excellent. The lady over the counter assured me that campus central deals with graduations. So I explained the situation to her and she was absolutely rubbish! She went to the website, read whatever’s on the graduations link, turned to me and said, “There’s nothing I can do.”

WHHAAATTT??

“You could head to BASS and ask them,” she suggested.
“I did go there and they’ve asked me to come to uni!” I exclaimed.
She then suggested that I head to our graduation venue (the Festival Centre) and ask someone there! “Sorry but if the tickets are sold out then that’s it,” she shrugged her shoulders.
-__-''

Me not happy X 10000!

So I mumbled an inaudible thanks and left.
I went online to the uni’s website and found the graduations office’s number. The lines were busy for the first 5 tries when finally, someone picked up!!
After explaining my problem, the guy had me on hold which seemed like forever~!!

Finally, he came back on and said to me, “Yes, you are not our first case. There seems to have been an extremely high demand for tickets for this coronation so we apologize for that. We have already ordered in more tickets and we will mail you two complimentary tickets to your mail box!”

HURRAAAAHHH!!!

*prances*

Whoooo!! Free tickets!

I hope they aren't crap seats -__-''

Anyway!!

I've officially started Honours :)

The lab's great! Turns out that Locky's in the same lab as me!

Wooooooooo!

I'm as happy as can be!

One thing I'm not so happy about is the heatwave!!

It's been 13 days of extreme weather!

Today's max was 39 degrees!

*click on pic*

*dies of dehydration*

Decisions decisions...

So on Friday, I went into the lab and told Jas of my decision.

It was hard saying goodbye to Kelvin. I had to hold back my tears. He looked really upset too (surprisingly). Still didn't stop him from making me help him out in his project until the next bus comes. Exploiting me until the last minute =_=

But he's been a great mentor and he kept trying to give me advice. The one thing that he said that lingered in my mind was that Honours was just for one year.

I knew that too but it was just too difficult for me to continue in the lab at the moment. The thought of leaving it actually made me happy.

The next morning I woke up wondering if I should still do Honours. 

With every hour that passed by, the thought of doing Honours grew stronger.

I know that I still had a chance if I went with UniSA as the Honours program do not commence until mid-Feb.

It was perfect. I don't move into my new house until the end of February so it wouldn't conflict with any deadlines and I can be settled by then.

I know it would be a tight squeeze as it was already February but I wanted it so badly so I went to see my program director Dr Maurizo Costabile.

Thankfully he said that there was no problem if I wanted to apply.

*prances*

I still have the daunting task of finding a supervisor and a suitable project but I know what I want now. I want a project that will ultimately contribute to helping someone out there with a disease.

If a supervisor takes me on, I will show him/her what I'm made of.

I will be a kick-ass Honours student.

Happy valentine's day everyone :)

It's time to let go

I have just made the biggest decision of my life.

I have decided to discontinue my Honours project with Dr Jason Able.

I know it’s surprising especially I have been brought up (I suspect as most Asian kids are) to never give up in whatever I do and stick it through.

I for one, never expect to find myself here… where I thought most young adults find themselves; fresh out of uni with a qualification and yet no real sense of direction in life.

Two months ago, I figured that if I did Honours, I wouldn’t have to bother with the prospect of finding a job or applying for a PR. I thought that once I’ve finished my thesis, I would be able to sort that out in my own sweet time.

I am so unprepared for the real world. I’m scared but I’m excited.

One minute I can be extremely positive and thrilled at the thought of being in the workforce but the next, I fidget and squirm in my seat with horrible thoughts of being unemployed and having to return to Brunei. Ugh.

My decision to quit Honours was extremely hard.
I had a long heartfelt talk to Jason Able. He does this to each of his Honours students at the start of their year and apparently 99% of them has cried. You don’t have to wonder if I did.

I have had a thought about quitting before but I didn’t because I thought about the scholarship that I would have to give up.
But I didn’t quit and stuck through it for another three weeks.

Couple of days ago, my mom called and realized that I was unhappy. So she urged me to quit. I never saw that coming!
She reminded me that Honours was my choice and that I came to Australia to complete a degree. She said that I did it and she’s proud of me. At this point I was sobbing uncontrollably.

She said that it was still my decision whether I want to continue Honours or not and no matter what path I chose, she would be behind me and support me.

Funnily enough, the next morning Jason had the one-on-one talk with me and her words came back to me. Jas asked me a series of questions to determine how committed I would be to the project.

I do not feel the project with my heart and soul.

And because of my current situation, I cannot give him the 100% that he wants me to give.
I dread waking up some days because of the lengthy bus rides and long hours in the lab. I doubt that I can give him the 1st class that he wants me to. I am already feeling the immense pressure.

I know it seems rather early as most students haven’t even started theirs yet but my summer research project was actually a part of my Honours (I was to obtain a promoter gene required for my Honours project), so technically I have been thrown into the deep end of the pool from the start.
So it won’t be so bad if I stop now because Honours officially commenced last week.

Perhaps I’ll find another project that I would enjoy or maybe I’ll get a job.
I find myself waking up knowing that I can be a kick-ass Honours student if it was the right project and I wonder if I should let it all go.

Anyway it's still not too late to do so :)

Wish me luck!


And happy chinese new year!
Those of you who are collecting 'ang bao' please share some with me!!

Rant-filled!

This will probably be another lengthy rant-filled entry but I deserve to sort out my thoughts for they are in a tangled mess. I need to rip them apart and organize them.

Usually when I feel overwhelmed, I either stop to think or crash and burn.
Fortunately it’s seldom the latter.

However, in the last couple of weeks, I’ve been running around until I’ve worn out my shoes and have blisters all over my feet. I convinced myself that I had too much to do thus I became self-involved and oblivious to the world around me.








Recently, I was given a mentally hard slap across the face. The words knocked me down and have been embedded in my head ever since. I know that it won’t be long before I’d forget them because I am only human. So right now, I’ve stopped to take a deep long breath.

Those words have made me realize what I was doing all along. I had much to do but yet I could not bring myself to do them, instead I pushed them aside and told myself that I have something else of equal importance to do, unfortunately I took my time in completing it.

Perhaps I kept making excuses for myself because I liked being busy. As silly as it sounds, perhaps I like the thought of having lots of important things to do because it made me feel important.

Now I feel like I’ve stretched myself too thinly by wanting to do so many things at the same time. But yet I’m afraid… because I don’t want to disappoint people. I feel so pressured into wanting to get good results that every failure that I’ve come across, I beat myself up for it, when I should learn form them because failures are a natural part of life.

I’ve let my emotions get in my way again. Many a times I’ve told myself not to do so but like I said I’m only human.
I want to open up to Jason and Kelvin but I find it so hard to. Do I really want them to have the ability to hurt me?
At the moment, I really only have one person to be vulnerable with. Only one person and that scares the hell out of me.

This will be one interesting year.
Anyways! Here's a bit of comic relief!

LOL! XD

Summer Fun

Two years in Adelaide and I’ve hardy ever traveled around South Australia.
Ony places that I've ventured to are a couple of suburbs just outside the city.

Yes, I am a bit sad.

But now I can finally stop seeing those dumbfound looks on people’s faces when I say I hardly step foot out of the city because in the past three weeks I've gone to practically everywhere in SA! Woo~! *prances*

It’s not as if I don't want to travel! I love to see and experience what places have to offer!

Send me to Korea and I will bring back Yunho AND your favourite Korean celeb (if you have any) to show you my appreciation!

I just don’t have any friends who have cars! >=(

So how was it possible for me to travel in the past couple weeks??
My neighbour, Wayne went back to Malaysia for the summer holidays so left his car in Josh’s hands. YAY!

Unfortunately, there isn't any air-conditioning in the car which SUCKS! Especially now when it's summer as it can go up to a mind-blowing 42 degrees celsius!

It gets so hot in the car that I can literally feel my brain cooking.

Not good. Not good at all.

Anyway I wish I have more pictures to post here but my phone died too early on during the trip to Yorke peninsula so I'll have to pester Rudi to give me pics that he's taken.

Unfortunately my camera doesn't do any justice to the beautiful scenery but enjoy them anyway!

Watched the sun rise on the pier

These wind-mills were massive and if you listen carefully, you can
hear their blades slicing through the air! It's a bit eerie actually.

and while wading through the waters, I found a one dollar coin! *mini-jig*

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE :]