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.

I'm home. It's 5.06pm - my meeting is postponed till tomorrow morning (ahhh my poor saturday :(). I can't recall the last time I came home this early from school.

Something happened in campus today.

There is a lot of construction work going around my faculty, one of them is the guild house which is right next to some of our theatrettes. Today during MS lecture (right next to said guild house) at 2PM we heard this huge, resounding collapse.

All of us paused for a moment and decided to move on. I wondered aloud whether we should call an ambulance cos it wasn't your usual construction sound/feeling. Nobody around me thought so. Some of us laughed. The professor paused, then continued.

I don't know if it is typical Singaporean apathy; we just continued with the lecture. Moments later, we realised - some of us are still unaware I'm afraid - that three people died from a crane collapse.

It happened about thirty metres away from us. Nobody bothered to call 995. I got really upset when I learned what happened, so I sat at the rag site for a while just taking in some air. Haven't done that for a long time - not since 9th january at Bryant Park - and it felt peaceful and quiet.

We read so much about the desensitisation (blogger tells me I spelt this wrong, but I disagree) of the media but I guess like the reality of things never really hit us until it happens so close to us.

I'm not making sense; i guess it's cos I slept at 9AM this morning and went for classes at 10. OK, have to go to a friend's bbq, will be having a busy weekend and busy week ahead.. I need my sleep so bad.

downtown manhattan, night

So my schedule is effectively booked till january 2009.. this means late nights every day until I leave for the land of swiss...

Since I reminded Dad of an old song - will you still love me tomorrow by carole king - he has been singing it non stop. I asked Mom if Dad was heartbroken. She laughed. He laughed.

slowly, slowly

vel, you have no idea how true your poem is.

I was right. I'm probably the luckiest person in the whole of the country - or at least until tomorrow's Toto results are out (and I'm not one of the winners, hah).

But this probably means even less sleep. Heck, I am that one in a million.

Thank youuu mommy and xy! (:

PS I might have to privatise this blog so only those invited can read it due to some issues - no biggie. Might. I'll do whatever's suitable there and then. If you're not invited and you know this address, just let me know then and I'll add you on the allow list.

I have the most peculiar feeling that something momentous is going to happen.

There are times when I feel a curious sense of falling. When it feels bleak, I try to look at how fortunate I am, and how much God is helping me. I turn to Him in hope, turn to Him for strength and courage to trudge on.

But sometimes, sometimes, I don't want to be anyone. Nobody at all.

Chinese New Year has been awesome, I played mahjong overnight for don't know how many days already, ate a lot of food, laughed a lot, talked a lot, relaxed a lot.

My cousin has the new 24" iMac (okay she had it for some time but I just realised) and my dad loved it - until he realised it cost $3k - $4k; now he's telling me about buying a Sharp HD TV. Men. I'm in love with it too cos it's pretty! OK but I am so low on funds - the new MacBook Air looks nice but honestly I want the iMac more. But I have my German course to pay for (Mom suggests I scrap this completely) and I have to save up for my e.xchange.

My family's combined lust includes:
1. Sharp HDTV.
2. iMac
3. Fish tank
4. Canon DSLR
5. Canon ixus
6. MONEY FROM TOTO (just me, lah)
7. New laptop for my dad to play with

Which reminds me. I don't want CNY to end. ): I love bak kwa all the cake and SHARKS FINS abalone all the buddha jumping over the wall gets me excited!

Time better stop here. Right now.

Labels: family, special occasions

Flight SQ346
Zurich ZRH
0105 HRS

Today less than half the class turned up for e.conomics tutorial, so after that a few of us went to vi.vo for reunion lunch and also to celebrate w.ei l.in's birthday.

The drive there was the most noisy (at least in our car) cos we were all excited about going on e.xchange. OK now the tallies are:
1. 2 female classmates are going to Germany next January
2. A male classmate (also my ex-project mate) going to Germany next semester
3. W.ei l.in's going to sweden next Jan
4. N.eil is going to UManchester (!!) next Jan.

Now I'm trying to convince everyone to fast forward their e/xchange one semester so we can ALL go travelling. (I asked WL how he plans to do this. He said meet at one central location lor. Then I said, "then your luggage how?! you going to bring your everything there leh." "Yah hor. Fedex back lah!")

We reached vi.vo. Most of the shops weren't open then (it was 10+) so we ate at f.ood r.epublic and ate some cake. (: It was great fun. S.haun saw this couple at the nasi lemak stall, turned to yy & I and asked:

"Eh, do the majority of girls like guys like him?"

"Which one? The green t-shirt ah."

"Yah. Like tall, muscular, then hair short short one..."

"He's not muscular what."

"...not as flamboyant as me.."

(looks at him) "...you're flamboyant meh?"

I thought that was the most amusing. I don't remember going for reunion lunch in a long, long time.

Labels: college, friends, special occasions

This was written yesterday. I'm actually in a good mood now, so was I yesterday.

A good friend was h.ospitalised recently; twice in two years, so I have been spending a bit of time making trips to the hospital to visit. It was today when I realised that his doctor is actually my t.hird u.ncle. I guess this is how small the country is.

As I was leaving the place I walked past the emergency area and saw this unconscious old man (God bless him) carried on a stretcher and felt this wave of pity overwhelm me. I guess the sadder part was I didn't see his family around, and it must be lonely to be like this...

I'm thinking of my own grandpa (Mom's side) who passed away a few years ago. I guess it was the fear of death - or rather the fear of seeing him that way - that cut down my own hospital visits to him. He was in bad shape; Mom was there every day with him for a long time, and I guess it never really did hit me until I was much older. How much I miss him. How he's no longer around. How I used to live at his place when I was a child. How he spent a lot of time with me putting 20 cents into those rides you used to see near HDB shops that'd rock children around.

He used a lot of 20 cents. He bought me a lot of costly dresses. He made the nicest soup (even better than Mom's). I remember how he uses hair gel. I remember his mirror. His orange comb. His desk. His bicycle. His eyes. The way he looked. How tall and thin he was.

And I think, it must feel awfully horrible and lonely to die alone. That is, for all the people who die alone.

I'm glad I still remember that much about grandpa. And that's the funny thing about loving someone. They live on in your heart forever long after they are gone.

Labels: family, friends, reminiscing