1. I love music - classical music, jazz, blues, bossa nova, some pop, little rock, a little alternative... nothing metal nor trance. I'm not a big fan of rap/hip hop. It's imperative for me that someone likes the same music as I do. Things would not be pretty otherwise.

2. I'm an incredible home person. It's true. I absolutely love to spend time at home with my family.

3. I'm predictable and boring. But I love to travel. I love to try crazy things like sky diving (not base jumping!!), paragliding...

4. I can devote my life to playing the piano and learning languages. I'm currently spending my summer dabbling in music, learning French... ignoring German a little. ;)

5. I love cities, but would really like to go to some place less developed. On my list are some countries in Asia, and going to other exotic places like South America and Antarctica. I definitely HAVE to go to Antarctica. It's one of my must-dos before I die things.

*hands up in surrender*

I know I promised to be away from the Internet. I was. But I'm here, after a few days of surprisingly limited productivity, to email a tutor. See. Legitimate reason.

No need for guns now..

I would watch the Republican debates if I didn't have a paper on the same day. ):

Anyhow, am mighty pleased that Kevin Rudd is voted Prime Minister for Australia. But it might just be my political ignorance.

Happier times at the National Gallery back facing Trafalgar Square last Christmas. People are caroling!



There are 32 bridges at the Seine, and if you close your eyes, make a wish and kiss the person beside you while passing this one, your wish would come true. It was very sweet.. and yes, my wish came true hahaha.

Ah Europe is beautiful.




This is really old, it's a Christmas marketplace in Berlin near our hotel in 04.
They have one of the two best chocolates I've ever tasted!

Listening to Andy Williams's Can't Take My Eyes Off of You and Elvis's Love Me Tender. My heart melts.

Till 7th December. Hopefully, hopefully I wouldn't be in this country for some time.

5.40AM; Dad & I are standing in the porch appreciating the quiet of the morning except for the heavy rain. The sky is still dark, and it's so cold you can see gusts of wind illuminated by the lamp posts. 5.40 rain, 5.40 light.. He makes me a warm cup of honey and he says that early morning is the best time of the day, and I can't help but agree.. it's the quietest. And I know quiet. I'm nocturnal.

* * *

I even looked up the word romance in the dictionary once, obsessed with justifying its absence from our relationship.

'A picturesque falsehood,' I read out, closing the book triumphantly. 'See, it's not real. Romance is a lie.'

And he nodded sagely. How reassuring, to know the emptiness surrounding us is real.

But, as I sit here, pretending I can see a diamond on my bare finger, it occurs to me that intellect can be a terrible, deceptive thing.

- Louise in Elegance

A couple of weeks ago when I was less panic-induced I spent about forty five minutes reading the whole script of 10 Things I hate about You, a movie that I've never seen but wanted to see badly.

Forgive me if I've been complaining that I'm tired.

Just this afternoon I spent an hour doing absolutely nothing at all and it felt great.

I'm a bit ill you see. 6 and 7AM days are taking a toll on my mental health. I've been mentally insane for the past few days - weeks - I don't know how long I've been keeping up with this charade. I started to have a(n extreme) competitive streak for no reason at all, was emotional and totally uncalm, made very bad decisions, was ready to attack and defend (fight-or-flight syndrome) and started snapping at people that I shouldn't.

Last night I didn't do any work at all, and I feel tremendously guilty about it. I spent five hours sleeping till 12midnight and ended up sleeping at 6AM again without doing any work. It didn't feel great because I wanted to do work, but I just couldn't focus. I felt even worse when j/on told me on the bus this morning (yes, neighbours all) that he was studying m/arke.ting last night.

Today I was sitting in the afternoon rain solving someone's brain teasers. It was tremendous fun. My professor walked past and I asked him how to do one, and he said I had plenty of time. Maybe I do haha. But I was taught a real lesson today; not to be complacent! I wish I were more competitive, more able, more determined and disciplined.. all that I will be in due time.

I've rested long enough. Another 6AM day awaits..

Labels: college, rambling, sick, work

someone made this for me. isn't that sweet?


I slept at 7AM this morning.

By that I meant that I was supposed to sleep on Saturday night, but I slept on Sunday morning. I don't know how many hours I went without sleep, but my inner clock is so screwed up I'm living in European time all over again.

I spent the night watching TV and studying. And I wasn't the only one. 6AM days are, after all, very common in university. I didn't get much done, but I'm two chapters away from conquering m*ark/eting. Fantastic.

There's a little secret that I hold now, and that I say it now it means that it has lost a bit of its value, but I pray every day that things will go, ultimately, in my way. I'm willing to give up the Dean's list for this. so please, let me get it. There's nothing more I would like in the whole world.

Still remember the time when I was in the library returning to my seat after spending 2 hours photocopying stuff for research.. and I had toner on my forehead. Jeff comes in and he doesn't bother to tell me at all. He laughs at me instead. I was extremely embarrassed then but it makes me smile now thinking about it. I remember how I was surprised that he was in my tutorial class. It's been an experience. It's sad that he's leaving (is he? I don't know, I don't want to know)

May just emailed me and we're reminiscing. Living in the past is one thing, thinking of the past is another; she says that she cannot believe that the As have come and gone for a year, and now that I look at my crazily insane juniors take the As I just can't help but smile. I've lived a life without any regrets...yes, none at all. And I'm happy.

and you'll always be my angel

Labels: college, reflections, work

I'm actually posting more than I should. I think it's the stress.

Originally I wanted to blog about Richard Quest (my favourite CNN anchor.. how many times have I said this already?) and his amazing magic trick (youtube it), then I thought about the little frog incident we had in the kitchen this evening (Dad was holding a mop, Mom a wiper. I was watching.). Then about how we drew 2-2 with Arsenal - fantastic match ONLY THAT WE DREW.

But then this is cooler.

I'm doing an assignment for m*ark/eting and part and parcel of the job is a lot of research, finding cool ads, coming up with m*ark/eting plans, and doing a lot of research. So here are some cool ads I've found:

This ad is by Folgers coffee in NYC. I was against showing the full sized version, but then blogger decided to go against me.


Source: Creative ads around the world

This is super cute even though I don't drink coke (yes, really) PS JCDecaux is super international:


Source: Here

Ads by Amnesty International in Zurich, Switzerland:


Source: Adland

I have absolutely no idea what "Non accade qui ma adesso" meant in the previous ad, but I can tell you that "Cela existe. Pas ici, mais maintenant" means "This exists. Not here, but now."


Source: Adland

Adland actually has a lot of other ads, but the ones they posted by Amnesty are really cool.

And oh don't we all love Mastercard ads. They really have a consistent theme about them. This one is just priceless.

The next time I travel I'll be sure to look out for ads. Funny I never really paid attention to them.

Labels: interesting ads, work

cute cupcakes!


Close your eyes for a while.

Imagine you're in this small restaurant - or grande, posh restaurant, whatever fancies you - and there in a corner is a pianist playing the song "Isn't it Romantic?"

Outside a cold winter is brewing, and there're people walking around in a piazza/square (they mean the same thing, yes) and there's a small carriage pulled by two white horses. Everyone is in their cashmeres and you sit there at your table drinking some hot coffee.

This is how it feels like - December in Europe.

In the morning you wake up to nice continental breakfast (they're the best) and all around there's music playing, and you think to yourself, yes, yes it's romantic.

On a more crazy note, exams are COMING! TIME WAITS FOR NO MAN. And here I am, writing my t*eam ana*lysis report.. here is a sentence I wrote out of sheer insanity:

I felt really out of place seeing the guys doing complicated technical manoeuvres.

Haha go figure. I'm laughing to myself and there's silence in the house.

It's nice having the house to myself. I think I'm a loner. Wheee!

Labels: home, rambling, reflections, reminiscing, travelling, work

I'm trying to figure out why we got kicked out of the Federation. Writer's block. So here I am.

This was actually scheduled to be posted on 9th September, but I decided against it.

The other day, when I was doing a project outside, I saw someone I knew ; I don't know how to explain who he is so. It was.. invigorating to see him again, mainly cos I haven't seen him in a long time (3 months then, 5 months now) and for that few seconds we just looked at each other, not knowing what to do or say.

It was a pleasant experience.. not the sort of drama serial type of thing that might be in your mind now. Moving on.

The other day I stumbled onto a re-sung version of Les Feuilles Mortes (for the uninitiated, it's called Autumn Leaves, but the literal translation is The Dead Leaves). There're two beautiful lines at the end of the chorus that goes like this;
Et la mer efface sur le sable
Les pas des amant desunis. (Yes I know desunis should have all the funny up and down curly things on it but I'm lazy!)

It means "and the sea erases on the sand, the steps of divided lovers". It's a nice song anyway for those who want a reprieve from contemporary French songs.

Moving on. Mom asked me the other day if I would like to go travel in December. The answer was "YES".. in my heart. The answer that came out was "No.." which is sad. Naja! Since then I've been having bad dreams. Case in point.

Last night I dreamt that I was running away because I was a con-artist (or something similar) and I was about to leave the house. I told Dad, who was passing me the car keys, that I would call him and for him to keep watch over his cell phone. Then I zoomed off at 220km/h (yes, really).

It was actually quite sad. I still remember the expression on Dad's face when I told him that. He took out his cell phone then and looked at it, and then he looked at me before I left. It's a dream, I know.

I miss being young and taking family photos. I miss the days when I was so easily appeased.. and I miss going to Changi village to have nasi lemak and to wander around the beach doing absolutely nothing at all.

Labels: dad, family, rants, reflections, reminiscing