[My biceps fool me]

I went to gym early today morning. Woke up at 6.45 am...which is something I don't even do for work. All b'cos my dear trainer said we had a session. So I reach there at 8.10, thinking "oh deak, nik must be waiting for me". but what do i get instead? A sheepish receptionist who tells me he is running late and maybe I should start my warmup first. Okay I said. Ten minutes later, he was still nowhere to be seen. The whole gym was empty except for me and another guy. Alright, I'm not the only loser here at 8am on a Sunday morning. I decided not to wait any longer so I went upstairs to do the usual stuff that I do at training. Doing it on my own was tougher (Nik usually holds the equipment so I don't feel the full weight of it). The worst was the bicep crunch. I put it at level 2 and could hardly lift it. Shifted down to the minimum weight and barely managed a few sets. I guess the biceps Sakura and I see when we flex them to each other (whenever we wanna show that we're STRONG) are really fake ones.

When I reached home, my dear instructor called me to apologise cos he had forgotten(!!) our session. Arghh. Second time this wk he's pissed me off. First was on Tues when he kept attending to a potential customer during my session with him. He kept apologising for his "last minute appt" but I was like..hey I booked u first!! Well, he's prob desperate to get commision from a new client. GH thought I should've been fiercer to him and refuse to accept his apology haha. But I let him go pretty easily after he promised to dis-count this session. I'm not very impressed by the service he's giving. He comes 10 mins late, goes off 5 mins early and can even forget a session! Man, I'm either gonna stop training with him after my 12 sessions or get someone else!

I went to help my father at his shop in the evening. I was so tired from gym (I tend to overdo it when I don't have training..for fear that whatever I do won't have to full impact) that I had to drag myself out of the house to go all the way to Bedok. Had dinner with Sakura who was doing the morning shift then she went home. It was pretty hectic, there were only 2 drink stalls open so we had a lot of customers. I panicked when I had to take a few orders and when dad came back from serving, I immediately went back to my job of preparing cups of ice lol. We went home around 12. Damn exhausting. Dad was so tired (he's been doing full day shifts two days in a row) that he asked me to drive him home..which is a really rare thing cos he thinks he's the only great driver around. Don't have much energy to surf so I think I'll be heading to bed soon. Gd nite.

[Walking Contradiction]

No it's not Green Day's song. It's about me, myself and I. I'm confused by my behaviour sometimes.

On one hand, I love being alone. I prefer going to the gym myself, I like to go shopping alone, I wouldn't mind catching a movie myself, I don't mind travelling on my own if I had to. And on the other hand, I hate going for lunch alone, getting a haircut by myself (don't ask me why), would rather take an alternative route than bump into a friend and hate attending functions alone.

I had a function to attend today..Mendaki Graduates' Tea. The twins told me at the last minute they weren't going to I was wondering whether I should go (it was a "if u go, i'll go" thing). I knew Su was going but I wasn't absolutely sure. Plus she didn't answer her phone so I thought she was busy at work or something. Ironically enough, I was half-hearted but I started ironing my clothes. Was contemplating whether I should go or not till Sakura convinced me that:

Fullerton Hotel + free food = should go.

So I dragged myself there, thinking that if I didn't meet anyone there, I'll just hang out for awhile. And if I bumped into someone there, well duh..tag along. When I reached there, I saw someone I knew but instead of approaching her, I walked away so that she didn't notice me. And then I picked up my phone to call Su again to ask her if she was coming. I bumped into a friend from Crescent whom I haven't seen in ages (well I realised she went to NJ as well but hmmm...kinda slipped my mine..I guess in my mind I categorised her as "Crescent friend"). We talked a while till I realised I shouldn't be anti-social. But by then I didn't have much of a choice cos I was standing practically at the entrance so those who were coming in saw me n Lily and did the usual Hi, long time no see bid.

It was quite fun actually, catching up with friends (and finding out that another quarter of them are in NIE or already teachers). There was a lot of "Hey, where do I know you from??" and two of my friends kept wondering how they knew each other. Lol. Imagine what a 20 yr reunion wld be like. I'll probably only remember faces by then. The entertainment was good - Banghra dance and Malay dance from NJC (woo hoo..NJC is solid!). The "Malay" dancers were like 5/6 Chinese (probably Malaysian ASEAN scholars desperate for CCA points); the girls being Chinese didn't really have the grace of a Malay dancer. The dance was pretty confusing as well - we were wondering whether it was Malay, Chinese (didn't help that they were wearing red costumes during CNY) or something dance but well, it was impressive and they got great applause. We were pretty bored and tired by 4, especially cos it was a standing event...they wanted us to socialise and thought tables would be too formal. Most of us ended up complaining anyway. We only stayed back for the lucky draw, but too bad none of us won. Just as we were about to leave, I remembered I brought my camera...but as we were smiling for the shot, the batt went flat. Bleah. Embarrassing.

The trip home was even better. Su n I wanted to get seats. So we thought we'd take the train from Marina Bay all they way home. Neither of us realised that the train was actually heading to the north-south line...so when I woke up halfway, expecting to see the sky and finding a bright yellow station instead (toa payoh)..I woke Su up and told her how silly we were. Well, it was a good time to chit chat I guess. We finally got down at Clementi like an hour later..but at least we caught up on our sleep!

[I'm a girly girl]

Your Brain is 100.00% Female, 0.00% Male

You have the brain of a girly girl Which isn't a bad thing at all You're emphatetic, caring, and in tune with emotions. You're a good friend and give great advice.

What Gender Is Your Brain?

Got this from a friend's blog..try it.

[Of race and religion]

Before I start...some definitions:

race: A group of people united or classified together on the basis of common history, nationality, or geographic distribution.

religion: Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe. A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship.

Unfortunately, some people seem to confuse the both. For the upteenth time, someone asked me about my race today. And after some pondering, a couple of hours later, she came back to me and asked why I was wearing a tudung if my dad was indian and mum eurasian. I wasn't surprised actually. In fact, she was being very apologetic cos of the "confusion" but I was like..it's ok..I get that qs a lot. I think they need to improve on social studies lessons in school so ppl get the simple difference. Hmmm.

[I'm Choosy]

Men See You As Choosy

Men notice you light years before you notice them You take a selective approach to dating, and you can afford to be picky You aren't looking for a quick flirt - but a memorable encounter It may take men a while to ask you out, but it's worth the wait

How Do Men See You?

[the things u have to say]

saying so many things
yet keeping mum
the growing crowd
walking hand in hand blissfully
as if owning the world
what goes on inside
i don't know
you could even be me

the cover that shields further
into the centre of the world
till nothing can be identified
by everyone except a few
what's hiding beneath
perhaps a clue or two
they've already been given
but the mystery unresolved

[Le Grande Voyage]

Between culture, religion, and a lot of emotions - I must say this was one of the best European films I've watched so far. Father and son set off in their rattling old car with just a pocketful of money to sustain their trip from France all the way to Mecca so that the father could perform his Haj. I wonder whether people really do that..afterall flying is much easier...and religion is supposed to help you, not burden you. It was a charming road trip movie with a touch of humour and class. The ending was pretty sad but minus the dumbass behind us who kept laughing unnecessarily, it was an enjoyable show.

[a dozen's too many]

The weekend was good. On Friday night, my auntie finally got the treat that she's been asking me for ever since I started working. I was calling and calling Sakura cos we decided to meet at 6 instead at 6.30 that I initally told her. Since she said she was extremely tired I was scared that she was sound asleep so I went home just in case I needed to wake her up. Was taking a risk since I didn't bring my house keys. Luckily my suspicions were right..she was sound asleep despite the dozen missed calls she received. Failed miserably at dragging her out of bed so I went to take a quick shower first. She almost didn't wanna go but thank god she finally got up. By then it was already 6 so we were obviously very late in meeting auntie and jam.

They didn't hesitate in choosing Swen.son's for dinner...my auntie afterall was on a mission to make me poor. Haha. Dinner was good and we made it on time for the movie. I didn't watch Cheaper by the Dozen 1 so I really had nothing to compare with..but it was a pretty nice feel-good movie..typical Steve Martin plot..the clueless dad who has to learn to let his children go. I was shocked to receive an sms from flo after the movie...she forgot to bring home her house keys so she actually came down to west mall to get the set that she gave me last time. We did some shopping (cos according to auntie i had to get her a parting gift!) and window shopping...but in the end i only bought jam something. ah and the sports sandals i've wanted for so long. my auntie wasn't done making me poor yet so all of us went to mac's for supper (what a sinful outing...i cld feel my tummy bloating up). We had ice cream and fries...and a whole lot of laughs. Poor jam was clueless cos of our NC-16 jokes lol.

Went to gym on Saturday and had a good workout. My trainer probably realised I could start doing greater weights so things got tougher today. It was pretty draining but at the end of it I actually felt refreshed. Went down to Raffles city to meet GH and XL. We were going winter shopping. They didn't find anything there so we went to Suntec WinterTime and Coldwear to buy some thermals and heat packs. Later on I met up with Kin and her two friends. I was quite exhausted at first having been to gym and walking around Suntec, but after dinner felt a bit better so I stayed on chatting n hanging with them. Her friends turned out to be pretty cool (not that I assumed they weren't..I just wasn't in the mood to meet up and be gay with strangers haha). We shopped and talked and talked and talked till it was like 10 plus. I finally explored the terrace at Esplanade heh. Nice place.

On Sunday, had the usual nagging in the morning abt how I should spend more time at home so that I can cook and clean for the family. So after cooking lunch (and what did i get in return...why didn't u cook fish instead. GRRR), I rushed off to meet flo. I was thinking of getting a lappie so we went to Sim Lim square to look around. Fell in love with a Fujitsu S2110SM which cost $2635. Unfortunately I couldn't get an installment scheme with my debit card so after an embarrassing moment (shall spare u the details) I walked out of the place. Was tempted to use up all my cash but well...I have to keep some for London :P We went to Haig Road after that cos my uncle wanted some suggestions on how to improve business at his new nasi lemak stall. Flo gave some pretty good suggestions and while the two of them were babbling on, I crapped with auntie on the phone. After that, we went to my dad's stall in Bedok (hawker stall visiting day haha) to have dinner. Papa was actually quite friendly with Flo...surprising considering how antisocial he usually is. We went back to Woodlands after that to hang out then I went home at abt 11 plus.

Yeah here I am now, at "work". I came in at 10 cos I couldn't wake up on time. Came to the library to copy some journal articles but they're like ancient issues (1993) so I have to request from the closed stacks...which I can't do cos I don't have a membership card. Oh well. I'm going to Queensway with my colleagues after this for more winter (boots) shopping. So much for work...

[PETA]

Got this from yahoo news today:

"On December 19th last year, a complaint was filed against Neverland Ranch by PETA (People Against Ethical Treatment of Animals) based upon a news report," USDA spokesman Darby Holladay told AFP."

Must be a terrible organisation. Well, I guess it's supposed to be PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals: The animal rights organization. Funny.

[Under Construction]

As u must've noticed, my blog is undergoing some changes. Stay tuned for the final product.

P.S. Efforts are courtesy of my godsis. =)

[Pedal On]

Had a great time at East Coast today. Met up with Far n Mel to go cycling. The bus journey was pretty long..1.5 hrs but it was a good way to take a nap. We had a small breakfast at Mac's (it was almost a must to do breakfast) then armed with sunblock and bottles of water, we headed on our cycling trail. I had trouble keeping up cos my legs were exhausted from yesterday's treadmilling; then again, my stamina hasn't been fantastic. Mel n Far kept stopping ahead waiting for me to appear. *paiseh* We did quite a distance tho and it was a good workout. Finally stopped at a shelter for a water break..which turned into a session of Aha! since Mel brought her cards. It started to rain a bit but luckily it was just one or two drops. We wanted to hang out at Bedok jetty for awhile but unfortunately we had to head back to return the bikes. We had a quick drink at the newly renovated food centre then rushed back to the bike shed. And I just realised that we skipped the dip-your-feet-in-water part. Heh.

We went off to Parkway Parade for lunch. The hotplate chicken noodles I had was yum yum, tho I guiltily realised I probably put back on whatever calories I lost. Tsk tsk. Better not let Nik (my trainer) know. Mel was in a bit of a rush cos she had to attend a recording at TCS. She left ard 2.15 and Far n I stayed back to bitch about life. It was a pretty good bitching session... felt better after that. Sometimes its good to know that someone is going thru the same shit as u. I've met one too many sheltered ppl who don't know how to relate to my ramblings about how crap things are sometimes. We talked n talked for almost an hour I think then walked around the shopping centre and headed home.

Oh yeah, I just remembered I should be tidying my cupboard. But I'm tired. Zzzz...

[Disillusioned]

Just came back from my biostats re-exam today. Feeling disillusioned by the GAME programme more than ever. First of all, I don't think I deserved the horrible grade that big boss gave me. With a "very good" during the test and answering most of the questions correctly, I definitely didn't deserve such a crappy grade. Then today Feng told me that the re-exam marks won't be counted and I'm like wtf. Why did I take it then?? To show him that we have the basic concepts right it seems. What a whole load of shit. If this were in KI, I'm sure the re-exam wld've been taken into account. Was bitching with Feng abt the prog..apparently one guy dropped out cos he was disillusioned way before. And (a close, reliable source told us) our tester apparently judged us even before sitting down to present our answers. "Yeah this one has the potential..this one doesn't". What the hell. All his personal invites and docs made it (even one of them who was struggling with biostats did well cos he "has been working with molecular bio for some time now". hello..it's biostats..nothing to do with that!) It seems that my 2 A's in another 2 modules played no weight at all. Sigh.

I think the first exam was really terrible. Judging a whole module based on one stupid question. It didn't help that the exam was a day after Hari Raya Puasa which meant less mugging. Even my Swedish friend thought it was pretty unfair and that they should cater for minorities. Oh well, this is Singapore. The molecular bio exam was just as crappy; imagine being assessed on the entire module with just ONE presentation. Some of us had 1, some had 2, some had 3 examiners cos they kept going in and out of the lecture theatre. And Mr S kept asking questions only related to his field. In the end, they even asked us for our slides so that they could grade us. Really really unfair. There should be a less subjective way of assessing us. Sigh. Guess the only way is to get into the examiners' good books.

Or I suppose the other way is to do really well for the next coursework and prove to big boss that I deserve to be in the programme. If things don't go as planned...well..as much as I had to say it, I might drop out as well. Let's see what God has in store for me.

On a better note, now that I'm on the way to becoming a full time staff, my trip to Sweden will be paid for. And yeah, I'll be leaving on the 10th of Feb, but I'll only be away for 2 mths. Will be taking the last week of March off to do a bit of travelling in London/Cambridge. Hee. Looking forward to that!

Alright, my stomach's growling. It's lunch time. Gotta go!

[Why Plan?]

Why make plans? Why make resolutions? Most of the time they don't work out anyway. One of my friends was saying today that she took the whole of Jan last year thinking of what resolution to make...and she never did. And it's probably gonna be the same this time round.

I planned to have a future with Y but we broke up. Now I'm not even looking at guys.

I planned to do my postgrad overseas and here I am stuck in sg.

I planned to save a ton when I started working and now I can barely maintain 2 bank accounts.

So much for planning. I plan to do well in everything this year. Let's see how that one goes.