am staying awake till 11pm so that I (hopefully) sleep all night and don't wake up at 5am. My strategy for combating jet lag. *grin*
It's super hot here in Stanford. Feels hotter than in S'pore! and the air-con in lab is not working too well... heard that in the hospital they couldn't operate becos no AC in the operating theatres!
watched 'I Not Stupid II' on the plane. Lisa recommended it. Said it was good, and made her cry n cry. Immediately I felt that I shdn't watch it. Such a below-the-belt tactic of selling movies-- making people cry n cry. But against my better judgement I did watch it and indeed was induced to cry n cry. Basket. good thing the seat next to me was unoccupied, else so embarassing. Trying to hide my puffy-eyes-runny-nose condition frm the air stewardesses is hard enough. I think I used like, 5 tissues... *sigh*. The movie was ok. I hate having my emotions manipulated so I refuse to say that it's a gd movie. HRMPH. So There.
tried cable skiing on Monday. Quite fun =). but I spent a lot of time swimming and walking (after falling into the water), and I think I got stung by a jellyfish. didn't feel that tired after but my muscles are def sore today.. Will be a lot more fun when/if I get better at it. However, I think downhill skiing/snow boarding is more exciting, becos
1) You can go faster
2) You have more control.
But I guess cable skiing is less scary. You can't accidentally end up at the top of some super steep slope, rigidly staring at the !#$%! mountain of moguls below, trying to summon the courage to take the first plunge....
*grin*. yay skiing.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Monday, July 17, 2006
thots
thinking about how more n more ppl r getting married n having babies n stuff. Gerry was saying how she felt like everyone's doing stuff with their lives and accomplishing things. But I think she's accomplished the most and has come the furthest in our entire HJC class-- she's married n expecting a kid in Feb. !!?!! She also seems secure career-wise.. so really, no reason to feel left behind. I guess the grass is always greener on the other side??
Leonard asked me if I felt worried/left behind. I think he asked me this becos HE's feeling worried. *grin* [Len claims that he is NOT at all worried, and is in fact extremely satisfied with his life]
Shameless plug for leonard: He's a nice, eligible bachelor who will make a considerate husband and doting father. Sweet and pretty girls who live near Dallas, TX (or don't mind relocating to Dallas), pls apply within.
My brother is 21 and sez that he feels old. I guess it's a common emotion for post-army guys-- they come out and feel like in those 2 years the whole world's passed them by?? but he's amazingly still together with Sharon, so I dun think he shd have much to complain about..
me mum is sad becos it seems like Sharon is his 1st priority-- and also becos it seems like Sharon acts as though she SHD be his 1st priority... But then again even when my brother is at home all he does is play computer games, and watch anime. And my parents don't seem to have much to say to him except stuff like "Cut your hair", "When is your uni orientation? Remember to go." and "Eat this."...... actually.... that's pretty much what they say to me too.... I guess they just like having us around. But I'm not exactly sure what we do in our 'family time'. In fact, I'm not exactly sure what the ideal 'family time' should be like. Yet, this doesn't mean that we don't have family ties. Quite the opposite, I'm sure. *sigh*. This whole thing has the potential to become really mushy so I'm going stop now.
Somehow my parents brought home a breadmaking machine. My dad is v. enthusiastic about it and went out to buy yeast. they put in all the ingredients and started the thinggy 3 hrs ago. Unfortunately they didn't read the part of the instructions tt say how u can set the delay-timer to get the bread just-baked at 7am.... so now it's gonna get done at midnight. need to check the machine now to take out the bread... Moral of the story: read the entire manual before starting the !#$$R! machine!!
*update on the bread: didn't put enuff yeast, or water, or both. It turned out to be this hard disc of dough. for our 2nd try dad bought a ready-mixed packet-- just add water. this time it looks, smells, feels and tastes like bread. =)*
Last night we went to the Geylang claypot rice place. It's pretty good, but a little overhyped-- yes yes it's nice, but pocket feel pain lah. dunno if that huge pot of rice is truly worth $23. The chili steamed fish was really fresh, and I like the chili. The softshell-crab was too fried?? too much batter? Hm. not sure how to explain this. It seemed like each piece was just v. crispy batter. ok lah, but can't really taste the crab. Most jap places at Stanford have better crabs in their spider rolls. But I really liked their yam paste (dessert). V. smooth and creamy, and not too sweet.
Leonard asked me if I felt worried/left behind. I think he asked me this becos HE's feeling worried. *grin* [Len claims that he is NOT at all worried, and is in fact extremely satisfied with his life]
Shameless plug for leonard: He's a nice, eligible bachelor who will make a considerate husband and doting father. Sweet and pretty girls who live near Dallas, TX (or don't mind relocating to Dallas), pls apply within.
My brother is 21 and sez that he feels old. I guess it's a common emotion for post-army guys-- they come out and feel like in those 2 years the whole world's passed them by?? but he's amazingly still together with Sharon, so I dun think he shd have much to complain about..
me mum is sad becos it seems like Sharon is his 1st priority-- and also becos it seems like Sharon acts as though she SHD be his 1st priority... But then again even when my brother is at home all he does is play computer games, and watch anime. And my parents don't seem to have much to say to him except stuff like "Cut your hair", "When is your uni orientation? Remember to go." and "Eat this."...... actually.... that's pretty much what they say to me too.... I guess they just like having us around. But I'm not exactly sure what we do in our 'family time'. In fact, I'm not exactly sure what the ideal 'family time' should be like. Yet, this doesn't mean that we don't have family ties. Quite the opposite, I'm sure. *sigh*. This whole thing has the potential to become really mushy so I'm going stop now.
Somehow my parents brought home a breadmaking machine. My dad is v. enthusiastic about it and went out to buy yeast. they put in all the ingredients and started the thinggy 3 hrs ago. Unfortunately they didn't read the part of the instructions tt say how u can set the delay-timer to get the bread just-baked at 7am.... so now it's gonna get done at midnight. need to check the machine now to take out the bread... Moral of the story: read the entire manual before starting the !#$$R! machine!!
*update on the bread: didn't put enuff yeast, or water, or both. It turned out to be this hard disc of dough. for our 2nd try dad bought a ready-mixed packet-- just add water. this time it looks, smells, feels and tastes like bread. =)*
Last night we went to the Geylang claypot rice place. It's pretty good, but a little overhyped-- yes yes it's nice, but pocket feel pain lah. dunno if that huge pot of rice is truly worth $23. The chili steamed fish was really fresh, and I like the chili. The softshell-crab was too fried?? too much batter? Hm. not sure how to explain this. It seemed like each piece was just v. crispy batter. ok lah, but can't really taste the crab. Most jap places at Stanford have better crabs in their spider rolls. But I really liked their yam paste (dessert). V. smooth and creamy, and not too sweet.
Louis MacNeice - Prayer before Birth
I am not yet born; O hear me.
Let not the bloodsucking bat or the rat or the stoat or the
club-footed ghoul come near me.
I am not yet born, console me.
I fear that the human race may with tall walls wall me,
with strong drugs dope me, with wise lies lure me,
on black racks rack me, in blood-baths roll me.
I am not yet born; provide me
With water to dandle me, grass to grow for me, trees to talk
to me, sky to sing to me, birds and a white light
in the back of my mind to guide me.
I am not yet born; forgive me
For the sins that in me the world shall commit, my words
when they speak me, my thoughts when they think me,
my treason engendered by traitors beyond me,
my life when they murder by means of my
hands, my death when they live me.
I am not yet born; rehearse me
In the parts I must play and the cues I must take when
old men lecture me, bureaucrats hector me, mountains
frown at me, lovers laugh at me, the white
waves call me to folly and the desert calls
me to doom and the beggar refuses
my gift and my children curse me.
I am not yet born; O hear me,
Let not the man who is beast or who thinks he is God
come near me.
I am not yet born; O fill me
With strength against those who would freeze my
humanity, would dragoon me into a lethal automaton,
would make me a cog in a machine, a thing with
one face, a thing, and against all those
who would dissipate my entirety, would
blow me like thistledown hither and
thither or hither and thither
like water held in the
hands would spill me.
Let them not make me a stone and let them not spill me.
Otherwise kill me.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
HOME 2006
since coming home is always such an occasion, feel like have to blog 'bout it. so um... here goes...
First Impression:
Airport looks the same as always. Parents late as usual.
Coming Home:
family moved to new house in the last year. It's located in the maze-like Opera Estate at junction of Bedok/Siglap/Chai Chee. Am not sure how I'll manage to find my way home alone.
Possible ideas:
1) leave a trail of breadcrumbs
2) mount a lighthouse beacon on the roof
3) install a remote-controlled electromagnet at home, and carry around a large chunk of iron.
The house is pretty nice, though. I have my own room, and there's a lot of space. Enough for taiji, i think, but not enough for wushu.
They gave away the dog! to the SPCA. =(. actually, it took me the whole day b4 I noticed that the dog wasn't ard. sad. it was a good dog. amusing. Hairy and sheds all over clothes n furniture, but kinda cute so it was always forgiven...
Maid has left, so we have to do chores now. my mum has some sort of tendonitis in her right wrist, so I'm trying to help with stuff that requires extertion of right-hand. like chopping all the vegetables. and carrying water. and sweeping floor. But mostly during the day I just hide in the air-conditioned study room and play with the computer.... too hot to contemplate going out.
Local Food:
Fabulous. The only reason why I drag myself outta the house. 1st day I had hokkien mee at MP central, next day I had Prawn mee at Joo Chiat. Today I had char kuay teow for lunch n went to some hainanese zi-char place for dinner... have many many other things to eat b4 I can go back.
Family:
the same. everyone seems fairly busy.
Other thoughts:
um. dunno. so far have been slightly successful at avoiding mosquitoes. only get about 5 bites a day, instead of my usual 10-15... I hate mosquitoes. but the ones here are very sneaky. Commando mosquitoes. unseen and unheard.
Have to email more people. Need to see them b4 I go back.
Now that I don't have to work, I'm actually reading more Immunology! strange. last week I couldn't even bring myself to look at science.
First Impression:
Airport looks the same as always. Parents late as usual.
Coming Home:
family moved to new house in the last year. It's located in the maze-like Opera Estate at junction of Bedok/Siglap/Chai Chee. Am not sure how I'll manage to find my way home alone.
Possible ideas:
1) leave a trail of breadcrumbs
2) mount a lighthouse beacon on the roof
3) install a remote-controlled electromagnet at home, and carry around a large chunk of iron.
The house is pretty nice, though. I have my own room, and there's a lot of space. Enough for taiji, i think, but not enough for wushu.
They gave away the dog! to the SPCA. =(. actually, it took me the whole day b4 I noticed that the dog wasn't ard. sad. it was a good dog. amusing. Hairy and sheds all over clothes n furniture, but kinda cute so it was always forgiven...
Maid has left, so we have to do chores now. my mum has some sort of tendonitis in her right wrist, so I'm trying to help with stuff that requires extertion of right-hand. like chopping all the vegetables. and carrying water. and sweeping floor. But mostly during the day I just hide in the air-conditioned study room and play with the computer.... too hot to contemplate going out.
Local Food:
Fabulous. The only reason why I drag myself outta the house. 1st day I had hokkien mee at MP central, next day I had Prawn mee at Joo Chiat. Today I had char kuay teow for lunch n went to some hainanese zi-char place for dinner... have many many other things to eat b4 I can go back.
Family:
the same. everyone seems fairly busy.
Other thoughts:
um. dunno. so far have been slightly successful at avoiding mosquitoes. only get about 5 bites a day, instead of my usual 10-15... I hate mosquitoes. but the ones here are very sneaky. Commando mosquitoes. unseen and unheard.
Have to email more people. Need to see them b4 I go back.
Now that I don't have to work, I'm actually reading more Immunology! strange. last week I couldn't even bring myself to look at science.
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