Is There a Santa Claus?

Is There a Santa Claus?

From the Editorial Page of The New York Sun,
written by Francis P. Church, September 21, 1897

We take pleasure in answering thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun:

"Dear Editor--I am 8 years old.
"Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
"Papa says, 'If you see it in The Sun, it's so.'
"Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?
Virginia O'Hanlon
115 West Ninety-fifth Street

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the scepticism of a sceptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no child-like faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Taken from: http://www.stormfax.com/virginia.htm

Home...

Been back home in Malaysia for almost 2 weeks already. But have only been able to go online today. Never really realised the extent to which I rely on the Internet to stay connected to people, to keep in touch, to communicate. So, to all those who were waiting for replies to emails, or for an update, I do apologise.
But anyway, Singapore was quite fun. My uncle and aunt were already at the airport when I touched down. Visited Wan Jie and her family. Had a lot of fun there, and was greatly entertained by the stories her father told. My aunt took me to visit her mother and then to Tiong Bahru Plaza. My uncle recommended Jeffrey Archer novels and I finished three of them while I was there. He also took my sister, brother and me to his school to have a look at his flowers, as well as out to NTUC and Margaret Drive for popiah. Then when my parents came, we went to Vivo City. And I helped to guide my father in driving my brother back to his room. I was happy that all of them liked the souvenirs I got them. =)
However, I think I ate a bit too much there, probably went out too much as well. LOL. Because when I got back to my sister's place in KL, I fell sick. -_- Haha. But am ok now. Will be heading to my sister's place again later today. Because my mother wants me to rebond my hair. So it's off to the hairdresser's tomorrow. Haiz. So Ivy, Fawn and Yu Wan, I'll be getting my hair straightened after all. And then my aunt will be coming on Saturday with the younger of her two sons. So, I'll be back in Bentong only on Monday. Not sure when I'll be online though, when they are both here from Perth. But I'll try to keep this blog updated.

To all who wrote in the scrapbook...

Just a short one to really thank all those who wrote in the scrapbook for my birthday. I really appreciate the thought that went into each word and all the encouragement... sorry it's so late. I just received it on Thursday but I really really am grateful to have such wonderful friends. Thank you thank you thank you!

A short one...

So, I apologise for the lack of updates. Have been quite busy packing and moving all the odds and ends from Halls to Rusden, where I'm currently staying with Yu Wan, Wan Jie, Fawn and the various friends visiting Melbourne. Caught a cold, complete with sore throat, cough and headache but have recovered completely. =) Thank God! Collecting CBP assignments and having Grace over tomorrow. Yu Wan's friend, Elizabeth, and her brother, Edmund are currently the visitors to Melbourne. And Elizabeth and I bonded over anime, lol. Wan Jie and I have also been helping Yu Wan clean her kitchen because we feel quite bad about cluttering the living room with our accummulated belongings. Played capture the flag on Saturday, but it was called off early because of the rain.

Just a short update this time. LOL. Cheers!

What a hectic Sunday...

Today was an extremely busy day. Church in the morning, DFO in the afternoon and Sam and Calvin's place at night. Managed to get a dress thanks to Fawn. Though I cannot leave out Wan Jie, Zepeng, Lester and Yus who provided some major input as well. Will post pictures of it when I've actually taken a photo of it, lol. That took up the majority of the time in DFO Moorabin. Then back to Halls to cook the Portuguese chicken I bought from Coles and then off to Sam and Calvin's place to celebrate Celine, Jean Marc and Steven's birthdays, which unfortunately fell during the exam period. As such, the belated birthday celebrations were held. It was a very long day today. But at least it was productive. =)

Tomorrow is Joel's farewell picnic lunch. And probably laundry and packing. The joys of moving around. And to hunt for a bed and breakfast for when Mummy and Papa come next year. Signing off now, cheers!

Captured moments part deux - presents! =)

THANK YOU AGAIN, FOR THE WONDERFUL TIME AND FOR THE THOUGHTFUL GIFTS!!

The decorations used for the surprise =), now in a memory bag. Lol.

Ivy and Ian's birthday present, anterior view.

Ivy and Ian's present, posterior view.

The tank top that was one third of Ivy and Ian's present. =) The white one is same in all aspects except colour. =)

The card all the way from Scotland, courtesy of Fi. ♥

The content of the card. Can you differentiate her handwriting from what was originally on the card itself? =)

Glass pendant all the way from Italy, also from Fi. ♥

From Adilah, Grace, Li Ping, Ivie, Ravind.

What was in the package. Cool, eh?

From Shea Chuen and Justina.

The mug that they gave me. =)

From Ezra.

The coffee maker/percolator, the coffee and the card that was in the bag.

From Chean Ying, Nooi Hoay, Jessica.

The 165 piece jigsaw puzzle of an optical illusion. =)

From Yu Wan and Fawn.

The leather bound daily devotional journal. =)

From Zepeng.

The chocolates in the wrappings. Looks too good to eat, actually. LOL.

From Daniel and Yeu Sheng.

The plaque/certificate that was inside, with the origins of my name and characteristics as well. =)

All the presents. =)

All the presents, again. =)

Yet another one. What can I say? I like the pictures. =)

Captured moments...

From the lunch at JG Dumpling:

After cutting the cake in half and then, realising they haven't sung the song yet. LOL.

With Fawn and the triple chocolate gateau...

With Jocelyn and Fawn and the triple chocolate gateau...

Back, from left: Sam, Joab, Jocelyn, Chun Hoong, Lester.
Front, from left: Yu Wan, Zhi Lin, Clara, Fawn.

At the surprise dinner in the common room:
With Ivy. =)

With Ian.

With Lester.

With Joel.

With Yeu Sheng.

With Daniel, who celebrated his birthday on the 7th of November. =)

Back, from left: Grace, Li Ping.

Front, from left: Ezra, Adilah, Ravind.

With Celine, her boyfriend and Jia Chee. =)

With Vanessa.

With Shea Chuen, Justina & Ye Chia.

With Yun Ying.

From left: The organiser Wan Jie (thanks so much dear!),Shea Chuen, Nooi Hoay, Joab, Ryan, Yun Ying, Chean Ying, Justina and Ye Chia. =)

With Celine and Jia Chee.

Random pic with the decorations.

Group photo:

Back from left: Sam Tan, Jason, Michael, Steven, Celine, Sam Chan, Ye Chia, Justina, Shea Chuen, Joab, Lionel, Ian Lim, Celine, Ravind, Grace, Joel, Li Ping, Ryan, Lester, Ezra.

Centre from left: Sophie, Rachel Ngoo, Zepeng, Jessica, Wan Jie, Chean Ying, Nooi Hoay, Adilah, Jia Chee.

Front from left: Jean Marc, Rachel Chua, Calvin, Yeu Sheng, Daniel. me, Yun Ying, Fawn, Vanessa, Yu Wan.

With the balloons used to decorate the common room.

With the decorations that Adilah, Grace, Li Ping, Ravind put up. Thank you very very much, you guys!

And another pic with the decorations! =) =)

THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH!!!!

Thank you all! =)

I am happy today! =) Extremely so, in fact. *grins like an idiot* Anyway, today started with a plate of IndoMie at midnight, courtesy of Chau Wang. And then Chun Hoong also wished me around that time. And then Mummy, Papa and Sheldon called, Che-che sent me an SMS, and Fiona called me (all the way from Scotland!) at about 3am. =) Thanks for the phone calls! ♥ This morning started with a wonderful conversation with Kohila. =) Our conversation veered towards all the Korean gameshows/ variety shows we watch. And her bias towards Junsu and mine towards Junsu and Yunho from DBSK. And how Exploration of the Human Body is just wonderful entertainment because all the members of Super Junior are full of fail! LOL. And then we wondered how we ended up talking about that. ROFL. But I enjoyed the randomness of the conversation. Her papers ended yesterday. And she'll be going back soon! And we may go to Genting this holidays, if all goes well. =) Again, I digress. Thank you dear! ♥ I really missed hearing your voice. Hehe. And fangirling together was so much fun. =)

And then, it was off to Glen for lunch with my caregroup members. We went to JG Dumpling, where I had dan dan noodles with spicy pork sauce, fried taro pancake, pan fried chicken and prawn dumplings and pan fried pork dumplings. Unfortunately, as always, I forgot to take pictures of the food. In fact, I forgot to bring my camera entirely! ROFL. I FAILZ! Anyway, the lunch was attended by Fawn, Yu Wan, Sam, Joab, Zhi Lin, Clara, Lester, Ian Song, Ivy, Chun Hoong and Jocelyn. Thanks for the treat! =) Chun Hoong bit his tongue, and Yu Wan was sad for my behalf on how the cake was presented (there were no candles, lol). And the fact that I cut the cake a bit too early. As in, like before they sang the birthday song. *grins* But the triple chocolate gateau was just too tempting. Hehe. Anyway, they then sang the birthday song, I made a wish and blew out the imaginary candles. Teehee! And the cake tasted fantastic! =) Thanks you guys! It was great hanging out with you guys! And all of you are incredible actors!

Anyway, came back from lunch, surfed the Net a bit, read people's blogs, etc. And then went to Ivy's house for a meeting with Calvin, Yu Wan, Lionel, Jean Marc and Ivy, and for shepherding. Hehe. Again, I have to applaud everyone for their acting skills. And Andrew and mom called me to wish me Happy Birthday and just catch up with one another. =) After which, Ivy asked me to wait while she packed stuff to bring back to Singapore (she's flying tonight for her father's birthday tomorrow, which is actually really only 10 minutes away. ) And then Kam came over and left shortly after. And then Ivy shepherded me. And after that, drove me back to Halls with Rachel and she picked Ian as well. I thought Jia Chee, Yi Xin, Sharon, Stan, Celine and her boyfriend were coming over for dinner with Wan Jie and me. So there I was in my room, when Wan Jie knocked on my door and asked me if I was ready to go to their place, LOL. That should have rung bells in my head, but I thought that the plan just changed. Heh. And then when we went down to her car, she asked if i minded if she checked her mail first. As I didn't mind, I followed her to the common room. And just as we entered, we saw Jason and Lester carrying bottles of soft drinks. And still I didn't suspect anything. Blur like sotong, right? Heh. So, I asked what the drinks were for. And just as I asked that and entered the common room, everyone burst out with "Happy Birthday!" And a cake that Fawn baked. Yummy! And everyone cooked and contributed to the pot luck! Lolz. I was so surprised! Hehe. My face must have been a sight! Lol. And then there was the speech by Grace and the video by Wan Jie which really touched my heart. And yet another speech by Ivy. I am thankful to have been blessed by all who made my day so wonderful. Especially Yu Wan and Wan Jie who organised, planned and acted flawlessly such that I did not suspect anything at all. =) And to all my friends who attended and acted their roles very well, including coursemates: Grace, Adilah, Li Ping, Ravind, Li Ping, Ezra, Chean Ying, Nooi Hoay, Jessica, Daniel, Yeu Sheng, Justina, Shea Chuen, Ryan and Yun Ying and Ye Chia; caregroup mates and church friends: Ivy, Fawn, Lester, Zepeng, Joab, Sophie, Joel, Sam, Ians Song and Lim, Jason, Rachels Chua and Ngoo, Calvin, Lionel, Jean Marc, Vanessa, Michael, Steven, Celine and Sam Chan; as well as ex floor mates: Jia Chee, Celine and her boyfriend. Heh. Yi Xin and Sharon were sick and could not make it for the dinner. And in case I missed out anyone, I apologise. Thank you, everyone for cooking, and for making my day even more wonderful! =) I appreciate it very much and am touched by all the effort that has gone into the planning of the event. =) ♥

Anyway, dinner was a very fun affair, with pictures taken, lots and lots of hugs, presents given and received and a lot of eating. =) And after dinner and everyone had left, I watched the last half hour of House with Grace, Adilah and Li Ping at Deakin Hall. And I spazzed out with Li Ping and Grace as we hung out in my room and drank Coke while we waited for her parents to come and drive both Li Ping and her home.

I am so BLESSED. THANK YOU EVERYONE!!! =) ♥ I am officially 21 years old. And it's now 12.16 am according to the clock on my laptop. (I started writing this at around 11.45 pm) But yeah, it's random. =) THANK YOU AGAIN!! ♥ Lol, I think I may have overused the hearts a bit. =P

Quotes...

Just a few of my favourite quotes. =)

There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief... and unspeakable love.

-Washington Irving-
American poet, essayist and author.

What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven in the lives of others.

-Pericles-

Athenian statesman, orator and general

Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

-John F. Kennedy-

What other words, we may almost ask, are memorable and worthy to be repeated than those which love inspired? It is wonderful that they were ever uttered. They are few and rare indeed.

-Henry David Thoreau-

In "A Week on the Concord and Meirimack Rivers"

Other things may change us, but we start and end with family.

- Anthony Brandt-

Author

The bitterest tears are shed over graves are of words left unsaid and deeds left undone.

-Harriet Beecher Stowe-

American author and abolitionist

Return from the hiatus... =)

Time to return to blogging from my hiatus. Exams are over!!! What a relief! Though actually, they've been over since Friday, lol. Anyway, just to update everyone on what's been happening in my life for the past 2-3? (or 3-4) weeks prior to the exams, that time was spent mugging and mugging and yet more mugging. Truth be told, I was just extremely stressed out, especially when I was preparing for the OSCEs and VIA, which happened to fall on the same week, just one week apart. Yet, it was the times when I was feeling like I was at the end of my tether, worried and almost like crying, that I realised how much support and love I receive from my family. The call was at the most opportune moment, at the point in time when I needed it the most, the words of comfort, calm and reassurance were what I needed to hear. Thanks, Fi, Mummy and Papa! You all have no idea how much it meant to me to hear your voices amidst all the frenzy and panic of OSCE practice and cram sessions for VIA. I am grateful, and blessed that you are my family. =)

Called Fi on her birthday, though I interrupted a phone call in the process. Sorry! And hope that your birthday was the best one yet... although I was not there, lolz. Joking, joking. Though I really wish that you will have an even better 2009 and that your birthdays will only become better and better as time goes by.

So what have I been up to post exams? Destressing a little, watching Korean game shows (Kohila, you've made me addicted to EHB! And I've think I'm on my way to being a DBSK fangirl! I listened to the Doushite What the Heck Darou a cappella and I've morphed into a fangirl! It's on loop together with Love in the Ice Korean version! Help! How?), laughing my head off at all the random and dorky antics of the guests, and helping the first years with OSCE prep. As it is, Fawn, Yu Wan, Wan Jie, Zepeng, Joel, Lester and I were helping Chun Hoong, Zhi Lin, Sarah and Liz until late Sunday night/early Monday morning, lol. But it's good revision of Year 1 material. Also celebrated Daniel's birthday with a potluck in which the only dish I could prepare on time was hard boiled eggs with chilli oil on top.

Called home too, and listened to Mummy, Papa, Sheldon and Che-Che's voices. And dear old big bro' called me on my handphone and commented that I sound different, so much so that he cannot recognise my voice. Heh. But it's great to just listen to their voices after an absence. =) *grins widely*

I'll probably help Ainul and Chun Hoong with their OSCE practice again tomorrow morning, after which is the VIA debrief and then grocery shopping in Clayton. Wan Jie and I decided to get 'China' bags (the white-red-blue striped plastic bags) to store what we have accummulated this year and hopefully make moving less of a chore. It's astounding, as always, to note the amount of junk we collect over the year. Heh. Maybe Grace will come over as well. =) I'll see. Nothing has been set in concrete as of yet. And then, it'll probably be more practice for Chun Hoong and, if they want it, Liz and Zhi Lin as well. =)

Life is looking up at the moment. Heh. I'll pray that I'll be able to say the same thing after tomorrow's debrief. Lol. =) Signing off now, cheers!

To Kohila...

Happy 21st birthday dear! Hope it is a great one.
Remember what Abraham Lincoln said, “And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.”
Lots of love,
Christina

And now I shall go back to my hole to study. =)

Of mugging and pondering...

So, it's 3 more weeks till exams. How frightening is that thought? 3 more weeks... sounds so finite... heh.

Anyway, been a while since I posted. My apologies. Saturday was Raya, where I had a little too much to eat but really, the sambal was really good, and Grace and I came to my room to study and complete our HLSD assignments, but we ended up napping on the chairs facing our laptops. Lol. Sunday was Fawn's birthday - which she dubbed her twenteenth birthday. Laughed when Jason tried to say "twenteenth birthday". Monday was HLSD assignment hand in. Whew! I'm now left with the remaining optional piece for the potfolio. How abhorrent! My mind is in stasis - no new ideas generated! Even the thought of writing '5 things I wish I knew at the start of 2nd year' has me stuck at number 1 which is... drumroll please... first year material! *rolls eyes*. Been mugging otherwise. No classes yesterday, and today was ok, although someone bungled somewhere and sent an email informing our Neoplasia 2 lecturer that her lecture starts at 1 when actually, it was scheduled for noon. Stocked up on coffee, some junk and indomie for the exam prep. I am officially dependent on coffee to survive.

***

I feel insecure. Without confidence. But I wonder if people will be surprised at that... I've been told that my countenance has always been one of confidence. Like I am always on top of things. I wish it's true. Lol. Heh. I think I have to stop being so self-reliant and to depend more on God. But that does not mean that I just let go of all my responsibilities and duties as a student. It just means that I strive to do my best and let Him take care of the rest. To accept that He has blessed me so much, beyond my imagination and comprehension. And to not complain so much. Easier said than done, eh?

On a side note, updates will be sporadic until after Nov 7th. I'll try to update at least once a week, but... we'll see. Sorry Wend and Kohila!

Of Code Geass R2 25 and wondering...

Spoiler warning:

Lelouch dies! And the saddest thing is that no one will ever know the sacrifices he made for the peace that they enjoy, save a few. I thought it was especially poignant how he flashed back to the time when he, Suzaku and Nunally were children, just before his death. How happy they all were and how all he did was really for his sister. And I think that all he really desired was to be with Nunally and Suzaku, very much like the times when they were children - happy, fulfilled with just each other for company. Or how Nunally was saying that all she ever needed was her brother by her side and she would be content. Or her screams of anguish and grief and despair drowned out by triumphant cries of "Zero! Zero!". Or how Rivalz was telling Milly that he really missed the times when they were all in the student council, wasting their time away, having fun and doing ridiculous things that all teenagers do. Especially when juxtaposed with the fact that one of their own was the Emperor who was commiting heinous crimes, and the other, his knight, protecting the Emperor and ensuring his safety such that those very atrocities could continue. So many deaths... so many tragedies... so many horrors and losses in the war... It was a sad but fitting ending to the anime. I refuse to join in the is-Lelouch-alive-or-dead debate that is raging all over the Internet. I'll just wait and see if there's an OVA that will clear things up, if not, I'll accept the ending as what was portrayed in the anime without further interpretation of the wagon/ cart scene.

***

Sometimes I wonder what the world is coming to. The economy is shot, people are getting retrenched, the political situation at home is not as stable as most would like it to be... it feels like it's an unsafe place to be in, this world we live in. The pervasive atmosphere of depression and worry, the incredulity that follows after reading about the mountain made out of the molehill, the disbelief at human folly and caprice... it disheartens and discourages. But we try to rise above it, to not let it leave a permanent mark, to use it as a booster and not let it pull us down. Because that is what we can do. That is what we should do. And that is what I will try to do.

Of OSCEs and nasi lemak...

It's already Wednesday! So sad... the mid semester break seems to be flying... haiz. Anyway, yesterday was OSCE practice at CMHSE with Adilah, Li Ping, Jessica and Grace. After that was dinner at Keith's. He made nasi lemak! True, it's Singapore style nasi lemak, but it's nasi lemak nonetheless and it was really good. Organised my notes, and interviewed my HLSD participant. Heh. What else have I got planned? Tomorrow's another OSCE practice session, then Friday, before caregroup will probably be a revision session with Jocelyn on reading ECGs.

Hehe, when Sanjay heard what I have for this break, he agreed with my opinion that my life seems boring, and that he would intrude on my 'me' time to make my life more interesting. Lol. But he also said that since I enjoy what I do, then it couldn't be classified as boring. Yup, I agree.

What else to write about? Nothing really exciting happened this week. So... I guess I'll sign off for now. =)

My first tag...

Simple Rules:

1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
4. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

So now, onto answering the tag proper:

1. I dislike wearing jeans. Which is why one finds me in trackpants or shorts (if the weather is warm enough) most of the time. I even think that slacks are more comfortable than jeans. Which is the reverse of what most people would say. I just feel that jeans are restrictive, and the material they are made of, a little too hard for my liking.

2. I like to keep my bed as clean as possible, which means most of the time, I do not sit on it or lie on it if I have not taken a shower. No eating on the bed either. And if I have just changed the sheets, I try as much as possible to not let the previous sheets or pillow cases to touch the clean ones. I've improved a bit with this, in the sense that if there is a blanket or comforter or doona over my bed, I am not as fussy about sitting on the blanket/comforter/doona, though I minimise that as much as possible. Pretty weird eh?

3. There was a period of time in my childhood when I really wanted to become a fashion designer. And when most of my day was filled with drawing random pictures. My dad used to bring home blank paper from his school for my siblings and I to draw on. I remember the many weird things we drew - ranging from layouts of our dream town to depictions of rooms at home. And then, as I got older, I tried to replicate faces from manga (Sailormoon was the craze when I was in primary school) and even later, I let my imagination run wild. Lol. There was also a time in Sunway where I was really enthusiastic about sketching portraits of real people from photographs. But it's pretty much in the past now. The only time I draw stuff here is when I play Pictionary, lol. =)

4. I think that I am a hoarder, a packrat, a collector, lol. Just so happens that the objects I keep have somewhat arguable value associated to them. In other words, most of the time, they're junk to the random observer. Things like wrapping paper from a birthday gift. Or the boxes that they came in. But to me, they have sentimental value, evoking nostalgic memories and eliciting fond remembrances of the time I had them/received them/ saw them. Sometimes, even a whiff of a scent can bring me back to fond times of childhood play and imagination, or teenage angst and insecurities, or of school time escapades, not that they were many. They serve like a stimulus to a movie in my head. And that is why I love all that I keep.

5. I tend to forget things people tell me relatively easily. Which is the reason why sometimes, I can recognise a face, but when I try to associate a name to that face, my mind comes up blank. And sometimes, birthdays slip my mind as well. That makes me appreciate Facebook all the more. Lol. I think for me to remember things well, I need both audio and visual inputs. Heh. Something to be changed? Lol.

6. I try to be early most of the time, whether it's for lectures or appointments with friends. I think with lectures and tutes, that's because I like to sit in a certain spot- most of the time, to ensure the most central view of the projected notes as possible. In R1, it's the 5th seat from the right in the central block, either the 4th or 5th row from the front. In the other lecture theatres, it pretty much depends on which side will the lecture slides be presented on. Lol. As for appointments with friends, I'd rather wait than have people waiting for me. Heh. I'd feel guilty if I'm late. Lol.

7. I like my 'me' time- time that I can spend alone in my room, with my thoughts, doing what I like- which ranges from reading fiction to watching anime or TV shows. My idea of a good time is precisely that. Yes, there are times which I spend with friends, when I enjoy their company very much, but there are times when I want to relax in the comfort of my room alone. Heh. I sound like a very boring person, eh? Lol.

8. I enjoy washing dishes. Yes, you read that right. I find it therapeutic to wash dishes. And iron clothes too. The repetitive motions and the difference before and after the deed is a form of release for me. Lol. Maybe I like it because there's visual evidence of improvement when sometimes it becomes difficult to see my life's purpose. Perhaps it's my obsessive and controlling personality taking over, where I have to have things done my way. Or it could just be that I am plain weird. Haha. Take a guess. Good luck with it though, because I'm not entirely sure of the answer myself. Lol.

Who do I tag?

1. Kohila

2. Wendy

3. Fiona

4. Li Ping

5. Ivie

6. Yun Ying

7. Yu Wan

8. Fawn

Life's little blessings...

Unexpected blessings really made my day today. A thank you card and candies with a rose twined around the opening of the package. A stick of cotton candy that melts in the mouth. A blog entry that warms the heart with its earnest gratitude. Lunchtime filled with laughter and reminisces. Dinner with old friends catching up on current affairs. Seemingly insignificant things that add up to create a wonderful day. I am content. =)

Thank you, all the friends who made today special. And thank you, God, for giving me the opportunity to meet these people and call them my friends. =)

Of hairdos and academia...

First things first: HAPPY BIRTHDAY WEND DEAR! Hehe. It's a turning point in your life, eh? Hehe. Anyway, hope that you are happy and healthy in Sunderland. May all you wishes come true and may God pour out His blessings unto your life. =)

So...

Assignment status: HLSD and remaining optional piece for portfolio left to do. My plan is to finish them by this week. Which might be a challenge, because I have absolutely no idea what to do for the optional piece. Maybe something like 10 things I wish I knew at the beginning of Year 2...? Hmm... creative juices that I may/may not have, please flow!

Anyway, on Saturday, helped Jessica, Nooi Hoay, Li Ping, Ivie and Adilah with their hair for Med Ball. Lol. I had so much fun! I even learnt how to curl people's hair with a hair straightener, of all things, lol. Hehe. And baked cinnamon bread with Wan Jie. It tasted more like cake, but oh well. Cake's pretty delicious after all, so we did not really mind. Heh.

Sunday was church, then I had a headache, so I napped in the afternoon. Woke up and studied anatomy for Monday: Posterior Abdominal Wall. Apparently, because the left gonadal vein drains into the left renal vein which then drains into the inferior vena cava (IVC) compared to the right gonadal vein which drains directly into the IVC, guys' left testicles hang lower than their right ones. Why this is so is currently not substantiated. Lol. See the nuggets of information we get at our anatomy practicals?

It is: 5 weeks to the EOS.
5 weeks and 5 or 6 days to OSCEs.
6 weeks to VIA.

Bon voyage, mon ami...

Just a quick one for my special friend, Wend, who will be flying off to the UK in about 10 hours' time. Bon voyage, have a safe trip, don't forget to get up and walk about every so often, make sure you have your passport, visa, confirmation of enrolment, all important personal documents... and enjoy yourself immensely! Lol.

"May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds."
-Edward Abbey (1927-1989)-

Naturalist and author

Have fun, dearie, and it the time of your life! Of course, don't forget to give your truly your contact number, ok? Bon voyage, mon ami...