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.