Not so Merry Christmas.

My holiday plans are seriously getting screwed all over by this bug of mine.

I wake up late, feel my stomach growling, have a huge meal and then start feeling drowsy and ache-y all over and then go back to sleep.

Which totally screws my revision AND diet plan.

And i hate having to breathe through my mouth, cos it makes my tongue feel like its got scalded and my lips crack. My heart rate's also racing, though I have no idea why. Im drinking so much that I going to the loo every 10mins or so, so I doubt its going to be dehydration.

What a way to spend xmas and start the new year :(

Im def going to be booking a flight back home for next Xmas.

Its not like when I stay here i do anything productive or have plans to travel anyway.

Chubby Tummy's Hols :D

I have been wanting to go to the gym for the past 1 wk or so, but the horrid weather is just making me dread the disgusting walk (although its not more than 10mins really). And now Im down to with a runny nose and bad headache. What a way to spend xmas hols.

The moaning aside, Im glad I finally settled all my travel plans for Jan and Feb :D My brother and some of his friends plus my mum and gran would be coming over! Yay. After days and days of hounding my brother to confirm with his friends on their plans on where they would like to visit and their budgets, we finally have come up with a pseudo- finalised itinerary. We have plans for 2 weekend trips to Madrid and Amsterdam, which Im pretty much very hyped about. Shopping and Hookers, what more can we ask for no? :D Oh of course, not to forget waffles, fries and TAPAS! I hope it would be a blast, thats of course, if I dont get so annoyed by the 2 extra dudes that I would want to stab their eye.

(Erns, I totally feel your pissed-at-thick-skinned-arses now.)

And then it would be off to Venice after that! Im pretty tempted to book a nice place to chill and relax in Venice, instead of staying at a shoddy old shack. But thats also depending on what Carmen have to say about it.

Im still thinking if I should take a short break and stay in London for a weekend or do another trip during the CNY/ Vday wkend. If so, Im considering either Germany, which I have always wanted to visit, or Manchester, since the latter has a huge Chinatown.

So thats one whole month of burnt weekends. Hopefully, I wont be too shattered after that.

Hols are here!

Im so thankful for holidays :D

I have been waiting for this break for a real long time. The days of being able to wake up without swearing at the alarm clock for 2 whole weeks :D This is life!

And since most people are out of town, finally Im going to start having some me time. To catch up with work (unlikely), to catch up on sleep debt, to clean up my room (unlikely, either that or its going to get messed up again)and to read all the Jeffrey Deavers and David Baldaccis that have been waiting for me.

Of course, there is going to be the Boxing Day and New Year Sale to look forward to!

And hopefully, try to go to the gym. (3kg since i came URGHS.)

I cant believe 2010 is coming, time is passing way too quickly!

OK, time to go back to check on my fish pie. 2nd attempt, hopefully it would taste better than the first which I found way too dry.

Christmas Wishlist

Christmas Wishlist:

1. Hair Straighteners

2. Foundation Brushes + Bronzers

3. Uggs

4. Winter Coat

5. Ear Muffs & Gloves

6. Wellies

7. A nice big mug

8. Shoe rack

9. Bathroom (Under- the- sink) organiser

10. A nice thick Gym mat

As you can probably tell from the last few items that Im running out of things to ask for (esp when Im asking for household items.)

But of course, I would never mind ...

More dresses, more shoes and more bags! :D

And my greatest wish of all time... LOSE WEIGHT.

Please please please stop buying me food!

Randomly, I know Ive only visited the hairstylist less than 2months ago, but I think i might need another haircut soon. This is the problem with getting an interesting hairstyle, it starts looking really odd after 0.5cm has grown.

Lie to Me

Im positively addicted to Lie to Me.

Its definitely one of the best American dramas produced in a long long time.

And i love the clothes they have inside, wished i didnt have to wear such boring stuff to work every day.

A pretty damn good week :D

The mandatory tourist shot just as we were about to leave.

With the councillors, my family away from home.

At the dubiously fast ferris wheel. (With not much safety precautions.)

The cold of the day totally didnt help in calming down my nerves. But it was memorable i suppose :D

The nougats were pretty awesome. We had the Amaretto one :D

DUTCH PANCAKES. Yums.

Random french stuff that was pretty yummy too.

Spanish Paella.

It was pretty good and quite a good serving for the price (at a fair where you would expect to be completely ripped off.)

The indoor part of the fare.

Us 自highing as usual.

We basically climbed into the emergency exit of a hotel's restaurant and pretended we were explorers.

I have had pretty good week :D

Went down to Bury St Edmund's for the xmas fare on Sat and then to watch La Clique on Sunday with the councillors. La Clique was quite ranchy and pretty awesome, I would say its really one of the best shows to watch. We had the standing seats and it gave us a real good view of all the acts (in fact it was nxt to one of the 2 stages), costing at only 15pds :D

Started Pathology week at Archway, and I would say i really quite like the whittington hospital. Its alot newer and nicer than I expected it to be (And yes, it is my first time there. Sad I know considering Im in my 3rd year.) And the food there is really just quite amazing. Muffins from muffin break are like ooooppphhhhhmmm (I dont want to think about the calorie intake). Esp the apple and cinnamon ones. Though the carrot one is pretty good as well. The cakes they do are pretty damn awesome too. Though I think going to the gym for 1hour would only help burn off like 1 muffin worth of calories, but Im choosing to be a camel and delude myself into thinking that working out allows me to eat :D I cant do without sweet stuff. And as Wenxi said, sweet stuff is meant to make you happy! Why be miserable yeah?

Staying in home over this wkend to catch up on sleep (woke up past 11am today, how shiok is that!) since we would be starting Cardio nxt wk and it does look pretty intense.

Plus meeting Charm and Esther for dinner on Monday, UCL festive fair on tues, Grease with the councillors on Wed, Dinner party with the medics on Friday, Steamboat/ KTV with HC people on Sat ... What an exciting week it is going to be!

And after this, it would be time to save up.

Thank goodnes Im not going on Hol, I will def bankrupt my parents at this rate :x

Life is good, but I still miss home :(

I miss the sun and my room and going wakeboarding and being able to run around my estate and skip in my car porch.

I miss my maid's cooking, and Sgp's so damn awesome food.

And most of all, I miss just randomly walking into my brother's room and making fun of him.

-

Wilson (Season 6 Episode 10) must be one of the best House episodes ever. I was starting to get bored of the subplots and melodramas taking over the series (which should be concentrating on the medical cases yeah). I found myself bawling away at how sweet House and Wilson are (and how insensitive and annoying Cuddy is. Why rub it in, and why make someone who's into you so miserable. And why choose a loser over a smart ass doctor who is head over heels into you.)

And Im also glad that Wilson has finally stopped becoming too nice. I found it absolutely shocking that he was once willing to give his (jerk of a) patient his own blood to save his life and now part of his liver. I dont think I would ever be able to do that really. For family, yes, but for a patient, I dont even think it would ever cross my mind.

-

T Mobile sent me a text recently telling me that my phone bill for the last month was 60pds. (Like what the @£%^U right!) I nearly had a heart attack there and then. Im def going to call them first thing on Monday and find out why. And I think im going to change my phone provider to O2 since they do free landline calls, which would make my skype to go really cheap :D (Since calling home is pretty much what is sucking up my talktime.)

Time to get back to trying to do some reading :D

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Sometimes I do wonder if Im more emo than I think I am/make myself out to be.

Or maybe I should just blame it on Hormones? All girls get to do that right.

I feel like I need a break, but I dont know from what.

And I do feel like going home quite terribly, sigh.

Pied a Terre

Firstly, apologies that the photos are coming up in a weird order.

And also, cos I was too excited that i didnt quite manage to get proper photos of all the food there :D

A very bad photo of the main dish, which was fowl on mash + carrots & parsnips on top.

The fowl was very very well done, loved the texture of it and like the crispiness the skin on top. And the mash was smooth, and carrots really sweet, having taken in the sauce on the chicken. Not a big fan of parsnips though.

Came complete with the tempura like cabbage, which I really really loved.

The other main dish- which was the fish. It was pretty good too.

As before, I loved the crispy veg that went with the fish.

Pre- dessert.

Had chilli in it, very interesting tasting.

My starter.

Duck hearts, sausage and foie gras. I really loved it :D

Pre- starter.

Loved the little pastry thing on the left. Forgot what it was though.
Had a pretty awesome day today.

-

Slept in late, cos there was nothing but ward duties today. Didnt manage to find anyone to sign off my forms for me :( Hopefully tmr I would be able to grab hold of someone if not I would be seriously screwed.

And of course the highlight of the day was a 5 course lunch at Pied A Terre, a 2 Michelin Star Restaurant at Charlotte Street. (For about 33pds incl of additional charges.)

It was lovely that we managed to get hold of the private room, which was pretty comfy and gorgeous. Lighting was nice and romantic, which got me pretty sleepy.

However, I wasnt all that pleased with the service. Its not that the waiter serving us was rude or anything but I had feeling that it was done in a pretty slip- shod manner. Maybe cos I used to work in Banquet, but i hate it when waiters clang utensils on the plates too loudly. Although, I have to admit that we were behaving in the most unglamorous manner ever.

The food was good, I have to admit. But below my expectations of a 2 Michelin star restaurant meal. I definitely have had better food elsewhere without Michelin stars, but it might also be because we have had a meal that was on discount. It might possibly have been better if we ordered other stuff from the proper menu itself.

All in all, i still did enjoy myself tremendously there. There was good food, nice ambience, pretty good service and lovely people around. A very awesome lunch! :D

Headed down to New Bond Street for the Mulberry sample sale, but was rather disappointed by it. Didnt like most of the stuff too much anyway, so didnt get anything. I think Carmen and I were possibly the only people who left without getting anything. Ah wells.

Surgery's ending in 2 days time, and I still need to get a bloody CEX done urghs. This sucks!

More plans for Good Food.

My current line- up of Sins now includes:

The Fat Duck, of Course.

2nd Best Restaurant in the world, with 3 Michelin Stars to it.

Need I say more?

And possibly to The Waterside Inn, just next to it.

Le Gavroche, by Michel Roux Jr.

It must be great, since the man himself is so absolutely amazing.

The menu too, looks extremely extremely tantalizing, and relatively value for money, compared to the others on the Michelin List.

Murano, one of Gordon Ramsay's many Restaurants, with Angela Hartnett as the Chef.

The Lunch Menu looked pretty good and is pretty affordable too!

Maze, another one of Gordon Ramsay's ventures as well.

Its French, with some Asian Inspiration, and everything in tasting sizes (good news for girls!).

Its apparently pretty new but has had loads of good reviews already, well of course, including 1 Michelin Star :D

The chef has trained as the famous El Bulli (Best Restaurant in the World 2009!) in Spain as well.

York and Albany by Angela Hartnett/ Gordon Ramsay.

Its actually just at Camden, and I never knew about it.

They even have this small grocery store next to it :D

And this is why London is awesome :D

Salt Yard.

The highlight of my meal at Salt Yard, Charlotte Street.

Courgette Flowers, with goats cheese and a tinge of honey drizzled on it.

Plum and Almond Cake with Salt & Caramel Ice Cream.

Picture doesnt quite do it justice to be honest, tasted loads better than this looks :D

Salt Yard seriously serves amazingly orgasmic Tapas.

The tortillas here were my fave, and in my opinion better than those I had in Barcelona 1 yr back. (Hear this Ernie? :D)

Yum and Happy now!

Edna mode.

My new edna mode haircut. (Or Lady Gaga wannabe.)

That smile there seriously does not reflect my insides :(

Wish me luck in facing the public tmr.

Weekend trips :D

Heading down to Bury St Edmund's Christmas Market in 2 weeks time with the councillors, my flatmates and some of the medics! If you are up for it as well, please please please join us :D Though you would have to book your train tickets from nationalrail on your own. Afterall, parties are always merrier when there's more to make noise and do silly stuff!

Hopefully it would be good, considering online reviews have been making it sound so awesome. They have a trail of markets, selling stuff from christmas food (ooooh yeeeharrr!) to little trinkets. And im crossing my fingers and hoping that it wouldnt be insanely cold up there (though this place is only slightly up north of London, 45mins away from Cambridge) cos my cold tolerance is really very pathetic. But, Im still pretty much very very excited about this as of now!

-

Visited the London BBC Good Food Show 09 at the Olympia yesterday and I really enjoyed myself tremendously. I was seriously stuffed from going around tasting all the awesome cheese and wine/ alcohol and cakes and udon and kickass sausages and loads of random stuff. Managed to nab a couple of real great deals like 90p Calpis concentrate (I know its weird getting Jap stuff here in London), Rachel's organic yoghurt (the yoghurt rice is unbelievably smooth and awesome), sausages of course, jam for friends and aiyah, Im too lazy to type everything down. The sample size dishes which they sold there was disappointing though. The venison burger from Launceston Place was a little on the dry side, Kungbao chicken from Min Jiang good but not fantastic, and the Lemon sole with white wine sauce created by one of the Masterchef Winner was a little too salty (though I suppose it would have been better if it was the creator himself cooking it).

BUT BUT BUT ... I MET MICHEL ROUX JR in person. I was literally like 5m away from him. Totally made my entrance fee worth it :D :D :D

-

Today's the day whereby I told myself that its not too late to start afresh, and pick myself out of the ditch I have dug myself into. I heard that subtle relief from my mum when I announced that to her today.

10 weeks of play (excl summer) is enough. Its time to show people what Singaporeans are truly like :D

I love online shopping.

Just went into this crazy frenzy of getting shoes and bags and coats online.
Whatever happened to self- restraint :(

Rebirth.

What a week it has been for me.

Having Stef over, Meeting the PKK people and councillors, Mini- Maf, falling ill (so much so I had to take time off school), getting better, having dj over, watching Blood Brothers (4th row from the front for 15quid hehe), catching up on my sleep debt (out at 9pm, up at 9.45am) and a very lovely quiet Sat morning and noon.

Its going to be my flatmates' reading week, and my busy week. Not that I am complaining cos i really do like going to the hospital. I love my Hepatobiliary (basically the liver and gall bladder and stones and stuff) rotation. The consultants are absolutely charming, and awesome teachers.
As Rae said, I would feel rejuvenated after a bought of illness. And indeed I do, I feel like its time for me to start working very hard to catch up on all that I have missed. Esp since there is only 3 weeks left for surgery. I think im going to miss it very very much :(

Time really passes too quickly.

Sick.

I hate being sick :(
Esp when Im having such an awesome module with such great teachers who are so willing to teach us!
For some strange reason, I fall sick everytime i dont sleep well. I think Im getting old. Either that, or I blame stef for passing the bug to me when she was over during the weekend. Or maybe its my patients, or the freshers, I dont know. I'm basically surrounded by coughing, sneezing, tearing people all the time.

Mini MAF was cool, though me and Stef went super late, barely in time for song and dance. But it was sweet meeting the councillors. Everyone seems to be doing real well.
And now we have planned a trip up to oxford, I cant wait for the all- awesome .... Moo Moo's! I heard that they do hot milkshakes too :D

Posh.

Today, my patient taught me something interesting.

Did you know? ...
That the word Posh came about from "Port out, starboard home" (P.O.S.H). Apparently it was on the passenger list for for people travelling from UK to India because the sun would be on the Starboard side when outbound and Port side when Inbound. Tickets for those cabins would be more pricey, and hence usually only the richer people would be able to afford.
And hence, the term really :D

Its interesting what we can learn from just talking to people, and being willing to give some the extra time to "blabber on". You never know what surprises lie ahead of you.

UP and around on a bright Monday Morning

Turned all my clocks, but my handphone/ alarm clock back 1 hour.
So here I am, chirpy and awake and WAITING FOR SCHOOL TO START (?!?) at 7am in the morning. This is beyond sad! But i like the feeling of getting ready for work in a relaxing manner, taking my own sweet time to get dressed and have breakfast.

And Im so glad that Dj is going to be around for xmas to travel around with me! We are currently looking at somewhere sunny.
Stef is coming over for the weekend, and there is going to be Mini Maf for me to meet everyone.
I have a hunch this is going to be a relatively good week, crossing my fingers and hoping that I wont lag for my new Urology rotation as I did for the past few.

Im ashamed to say this, but i am now officially extremely sick of B&J's icecream, after having (too much of) it for the past 1wk (every single day, urghs). Things like this happen when there is 2for1 offers and only 3 flavours are restocked each time -_-"

Quick Update :D

I just finished my ENT (Ear Nose Throat) ultra-short posting and I have to say this is definitely smthing tt i really enjoy. I was speaking to one of the specialist reg and he was saying tt you get a good mix of clinics and surgery on ENT which is great. I like being able to use my hands and work on stuff, and yet I like the whole idea of meeting pts and chatting to them as well. Plus the surgeries for ENT are pretty "clean" and sleek, and these surgeons sure do play with loads of toys. Double plus! I like rotations cos it allows me to open my eyes to more fields and things tt I would not have considered otherwise, but at the same time I dont like the fact that I dont quite get to know my consultants and the staff well cos we just keep switching firms.

I havent been all too proactive and working as hard as I should be in school (I dont think i have properly clerked all tt many pts this wk), and I have been having way too much fun with my flatmates. Like i do find it rather ridiculous tt Im having dinner from 7-10pm on a daily basis. Even my mum has started saying things like, why dont you try working, for 2-3days and then play for the rest. -_-" But still, its cool to have smthing to look forward to after a long day at work. The feeling of a pseudo- family away from home.
But the last couple of weeks have been really great for me, from gg down to Billingsgate Market and getting loads of lobsters and crabs and throwing parties and meeting up with friends and all.

Im going to watch a Chelsea match nxt wed, and Kep is just insanely excited about it. Im looking forward to it, hopefully catching a glimpse of ballack or smthing. But not all tt excited about the cold.

And i havent yet decided if I should go home for xmas, cos Stef is not going to be ard to travel w me and I think dj is off in Japan. URGHS.
Either tt, or I will make my brother come over to go Morocco with me :D

Skiving off On- Call.

Considering that I havent been doing any reading for the whole week and that I just managed to skive off from my on-call duties which I swopped with Morrison, I should be getting some work done now instead of waiting for House to load. (Yes, the new season is finally out! So is Heroes. I dont even want to check if Chuck's out, even though I dont think I would eventually be able to resist it anyway.)

The whole week has been so hectic, coming in early and all. We aint going back tt late, but still having to be rushing about and taking in all the info just completely drains me. I havent called home much, and my mum called to ask if I had died or smthing. I have now FB-ed my brother to tell him to periodically assure my mum that Im alive and well, not that I think he actually checks it with A's coming up and all. Hopefully, he would actually be working on it to some extent.

My flat has been like totally the most amazing thing that happened to me ever. Going back now is to some extent like going home. With people to chat with and stuff. Its really a nice feeling. I have half made my immediate neighbour (the one who looks like asian harry potter) my slave. Which is cool :D

I met up with Egg, Dada and his twin sister last night for dinner and some drinks. We had Fish and Chips and I have to admit that 3 years down, I still dont get British grub. As much as i love fish, I still cant bring myself to say that I loved dinner last night. It was good for fish and chips, but I really would rather have it done say, the Italian way. Headed down to Potions after that, and it was claustophobic, though i did get pretty used to it after a while. And i am starting to like my cocktails, though for the sake of my liver, I do try to keep it down to the bare (social) minimum.

Colorectal firm's over. Which is quite a pity, cos I really really loved it so much. The consultants and regs are absolutely amazing, all of them excellent surgeons and interesting personalities in their own unique way.
Its going to be Upper GI and Bariatrics next, heard it loads more relaxing, which is cool 'cos I think Im going to need a slowing down to not burn out. I applaud the singaporeans back home who can just go on and on like energizer bunnies. Sometimes I wonder if I would be able to handle all of these when I do eventually go home. Hopefully, I wont be like the crappiest doctor around.

Its a lovely day outside today, and thats a good sign always!

On Call on Sat is afterall a good thing!

I had one of the most productive days ever yesterday.

Managed to successfully take bloods from a terrified kid. Which was really a cool feeling cos he thought I was pro. Hah. Even though i was probably trembling more than him. But I had to keep that confident smile on, and assure him things were going fantastic. And thank God, I got the vein the first time. Nothing beats the feeling of shiokness as you see the flash-back (blood flowing back into the needle for the first time before you insert the tube), when you got the vein.
Really, now i see the wonders of good communication. I mean last time I used to think that PDS was such a waste of time and they are teaching the plain obvious. But now Im starting to appreciate the little tips and all which I picked up from there. For one, it makes pts less angry when you mess smthing up, which is smthing med students are bound to make.

I failed my first cannula but the pt was chilled with it thankfully. The FY1 on duty failed on his first try too :P
But after that, i managed to cannulate this anesthetized chap. And it felt good. And honestly, I think I was real lucky to have met cool nurses and anesthetists and surgeons who were willing to show me things.
Watched a hip replacement op after that, and now i do have second thoughts abt ortho. And i see why my neighbour was telling me to run 5miles a day at the very least and to work with weights. Tough stuff.

I then popped by the next theatre to watch my consultant do a complicated colectomy on this lady with metastasis in her sigmoid colon, following spread from the left ovary. They had to create a permanent end ileostomy after that. I was amazed totally by the concentration levels and dexterity of my reg and consultant. I think as Medstudents, I really do have to sit back and think when I complain about how tough my timetable is, 'cos i think our bosses have it worse. Not only do they not complain one bit about it, they still have to juggle teaching responsibilities on top of it.

Managed to get off 2h from work, which was cool. Went down to oxford street hoping to do some shopping only to realise that I am in London and shops are off at 5pm. So headed down to my snr's MAF party after that. Came back shattered, showered, slumped onto bed and slept without an alarm clock. Shiokness.

Going shopping in a bit!

Eradicate the Freshers!

Im feeling murderous today. Like Im freaking pissed at the freshers in my block who are partying daily till 4am everyday. I cant bloody sleep at all with all the noise they are creating and its frustrating when you are in bed for 4 damn hours. (You get my point from my choice of vocab.) They kinda forget that there are people who dont want to hear their convo and flirting and have to wake up at 6.30am for work.
Im real thankful that my flatmates are angels.

Well of course, other than my animosity towards the newbies, Im otherwise quite happy. Clinic's awesome and so busy. We are up and running from 7.30am and only off at 5pm, with like 15mins in between classes for lunch (in the midst of walking to the next class). Its kinda crazy, but exciting in its own way. I prefer this to having to wait around for things and being bored.
Managed to clerk someone with 4 pages of past medical hx. But in light of pt confidentiality and what not, I dont think its a good idea to share it here. Really, i never knew that so many prblems could be present in the same person at the same time. But i suppose, I should be qte immune to this already no?

Nitin and I then went to watch a colonoscopy through a stoma after that. It was cool stuff, since most of the time they tend to insert the telescope through the anus. Im quite impressed by the Reg's skill. I mean it does require some sort of coordination and practise to be able to maneuver that stuff well. The pt had some sort of mutated HNPCC, which predisposes him to colon cancer. Results from the colonoscopy wasnt too good, a previously removed polyp is now a fairly large lesion. He prbly has to have a colectomy lined up. It would really be interesting to do some follow up with him since the Reg mentioned that he prbly has to have a surgery lined up qte soon.

On a side note, I think Im pleased with myself thus far. I dont think Im doing fantastically well as far as rankings are concerned. But i think i have largely surpasses my expectations in terms of being able to communicate with people- both pts and peers alike. For the past 2 years, I have had this irrational fear that Im going to pass out everytime i spoke up in a group, but I have to say it is getting better now :D And i think im finally really enjoying hanging out with the angmohs. Which is good news really.
Im thankful that clinics is going well for me, and hopefully it would continue so.

Hell's Kitchen!

I have refound my love for cooking. I mean, its completely time consuming and can potentially be more expensive than eating out (Well, since you cook for 8 people and when you are out, you pay for only yourself), but once in a while, its definitely worth all the trouble.

I was supposed to be making Tiramisu, but I couldnt find Kahlua so I decided to make some other dishes.
And so our dinner consisted of:
1. HK Style/Dimsum Carrot Cake (courtesy of Carmen)
2. Pineapple Rice (Miche)
3. Thai Green Chicken Curry
4. Stir fry Veg
5. Jap Curry Chicken
6. Ma Po Tofu
7. Honey Glazed BBQ Pork Ribs
8. Victoria Sponge Cake with Ice Cream
9. Passion Fruit and Manga Yoghurt Dessert (Miche)

And that's why my Sat night was awesome. How can it not be great when there's good food and good company yeah? :D
(Well hopefully, they did think the food was good la hehe.)

Kep's already in town, and I heard Dada's coming next Sat.
Reunion on Maf night, sweet :D

Pathology Week

Im going to give myself a break today (what's new). But Pathology week has been a tad too much for me, I mean Im totally not built for lectures from 9am-5pm, plus I dont see how we are supposed to be absorbing so much in 1 week, and having to immediately apply all these knowledge at the start of next week. On top of getting ahead with revising stuff, I think I need to get more intelligent.

I dont see how I would be able to juggle stuffing knowledge into my already full brain, waking up for ward rounds at ungodly hours (7.30am properly dressed and looking fresh?!) and having fun at the same time. Oh, and of course, staying healthy. Its easy to degenerate into eating crap instant food (I have had sandwiches for all 3 meals for 1 week now) and not exercising (Im proud to say I have finally signed up with the gym!). But i think if I could graduate from MedSch and say that Ive had a blast of student life, then I think Im capable of doing anything. Though I do suspect that Im going to be saying "I could get through foundation/ reg/ consultant years and say that Ive had a blast" for the rest of my life. But of course, providing that I do graduate in the first place.
All these busy-ness while trying to keep in touch with friends and family back home. Phew. But Im thankful that 3rd year has been kind to me, Ive been loving it and being the new kid on the block aint that bad 'cos the people around have been real nice, accommodating and friendly. 4 weeks into term and Ive only had 1 bad day. I hope such good fortune will continue :D

People are starting to move into Schafer this week, considering school for all the others are starting next week. No one has moved into my flat yet, but I suppose its a matter of time. But people that I have met around have been really nice and friendly. Plus I met another Singaporean HC dude (and incidentally CheeGake's friend) who is staying in my block on the floor abv me. I do hope that I would be able to meet more Singaporeans around. Afterall, Im starting to feel this irrational fear that one day I wont be able to converse with anyone who's life doesnt revolve around medicine.

Kep's flying in tmr, exciting stuff. And Rae on Sat. Finally, London's coming alive!

Breaktime!

Decided that it was time to take a slack since ICCM and OSCEs ended, and this weekend has been quite a blast.

Went out to shop at Covent Garden and then had dinner at Las Tasca on Friday. There was 50% off on food, so it was a real good deal. Kiki, Carz and I had a sharing meal for 2 and we were totally stuffed by the end of the night. I had 2 glasses of sangria and I think I was a little tipsy by the end of dinner. Which prbly explained why i actually agreed to go Huntley with them after that. People were absolutely shocked to see me there. I mean its beyond rare that Peish turns up at a social event and almost unthinkable that im at the school bar.
I have to admit its real sad considering its only my 2nd time there, and Im in my 3rd year of medschool. But it was good fun, and I got a taste of my new current new fave- Smirnoff Ice. I like my drinks sweet and this was pretty light. Though I think by the end of the night, I was a little whoozy since i KO-ed pretty soon I got the chance to hit my sack.

Sat was a rather domesticated day for me. Finally got the chance to properly clean up my room, pack my table, vacuum the floor, clear the kitchen. Its nice to be starting a new term with a newly cleaned room.
Spontaneously decided to watch Sister Act, the Musical after that. And it was great. The vibe was amazing and the stage set was impressive. I personally preferred Hairspray though, but Sister Act does have good songs! Managed to get real good tickets at an awesome price. Single seats, but i suppose we dont quite have to sit together with friends for shows yeah?
Got back and continued watching old Sister Act clips on youtube.

Ive spent this morning doing my laundry and getting random stuff for Kiki who is going to be making ondeh ondeh and baking! Cant wait to try it, crossing my fingers and hoping that it turns out well.
And im just going to spend my Sunday lazing around, watching youtube and catching up on all the rest Ive been missing. Surg's starting soon.



This dude totally moved me to tears.

Ive been tearing a whole lot recently, like I was bawling my head away in Sister Act. The couple nxt to me prbly thought i was nuts or emo or smthing of sorts.

The end of OSCEs!

OSCE went disastrously today. I mean I was so nervous I couldnt even spell accessory. I think i had like 4 S-es in it. I can totally imagine the examiner's face when he marks my paper. Even Ken was laughing at me for not completing the cranial nerve question, which was a total giveaway. Plus I was shaking so hard when I was trying to palpate for the brachial artery.
Im just glad that its not included in the final yr's grades, which actually counts for MBBS. Urghs.

Went to celebrate the end of OSCE with Carz and Ken. We had a last minute change of plan, and headed down to Belgo's in Chalk Farm for some mussels instead of French. The sausages (esp so!) and chicken there was good too. And we managed to beat the clock at 5 (so we only paid 5quid for our main dishes). The desserts werent fantastic though. Speaking of which Im kinda craving for some Pistachio ice cream at Selfridge's/ Le Chocolatier.
And i really should make good use of the 2for1s at Cafe Rouge and GBK. Oh, and 50% off at La Tasca! Sangria anyone? :D

Its not good that I have been feeling too full too much recently. And its worse when I havent even signed up for the gym yet.

One of those shit days.

Today is a shitty day.

I had a crap day at school.

Wanting to make myself happier, I had a strawberry cheesecake. Only to realise it was rotten after I finished it.

Im bloody sick of having crap food for meals daily.

The weather sucks.

And i have a freaking OSCE Im damn unprepared for in 2 days time.

Most of all, I wish I was home.

I actually miss my brother, mum & dad and friends.

Damn a lot too.

2 weeks into Clinics!

I was meant to be practising OSCE with Carz this evening, but everything totally went awry the moment I started having a craving for ice cream. Starting with a trip to Sain's for ice cream and cheese cake, and then it morphed into a long 5hour chat. But its nice having a chat about my friends back home, and all the stuff I used to do. It made me really nostalgic (as usual) about life back in singapore, of rgs and hc. Those were good times really.

2 weeks of Clinics has passed. Actually not clinics proper, more like learning how to examine body parts and roaming the wards/ accosting the patients. I really think the school should get us unhealthy patients to practise on. I just get so accustomed with declaring my actor healthy during the practise sessions that I dont know what abnormal is on the wards.
I totally did myself in when I declared a patient who had heart murmur as healthy during one of my clerking sessions. But i suppose, as medical students, we are meant to make mistakes and not know anything.
I love the way things are now, I mean its no more long hours of lectures. Yes teaching does start ridiculously early (7.30am for ward rounds, horror!), but everyday's so different and fresh and exciting. At least at this point, things are. And thankfully, Im blessed enough to be meeting people who would stop and teach me.

Thorpe Park last weekend was good stuff :D I really should make plans to check out Alton Towers, heard that the rides there are def more awesome.
Having plans now to check out Cafe Rouge again this thurs after OSCEs with Carz. Im totally having a craving for duck now.

Throw your Sigg away. Its poisonous!

Stef is trying to kill me!
Throw away your Sigg Bottles people, they contain the stuff that caused our paranoid Mamas to throw all those disposable plastic stuff away!

Weekend's here, finally.
Just had an awesome korean dinner with some of the medics to kick it off. Awesome stuff :D

Starting Clinics!

Have been real busy moving house (I shall not bitch/boast anymore about lugging stuff myself), settling in, having fun before term starts (Went for the Nottinghill Carn, which is like Europe's version of Chingay. Pictures will be up soon when my internet's fixed.) and sleeping alot (Ive been like konking out before 10pm daily). But life's good, weather sucks and ... Clinic's started!

2nd day into Clinics and I have this uneasy feeling that everything's going to be a lot worse. Esp when my tutor said smthing along the lines of "You get to come in late on Tuesday at 8am. And dont be late, you dont want to end your career by pissing Dr XXX off."

Im thankful that today is a wed, so we get to have the (late) noon off for "sports", smthing that i really dont see myself doing much in the coming year. I had great plans before starting clinics to do evening language classes, but totally having second thoughts about it now. I give Kiki and Jean and whoever else all the credit in the world for being able to do gym like everyday or so.

But im still happy that pre-clinical med is over, and we get to actually do stuff now. Even though we are like below the bottom of the food chain, and whatever we do actually doesnt help anyone but ourselves one bit. Afterall, all those consultants saving tons of lives out there started as amoebas like us right?

-
Randomly ...
And I do hope this Sat's Thorpe Park outing works out.
People in London, drop me a msg if you are interested in coming along! Bring on the roller coasters baby!

First Night in London

At Ken's now, crashing for the night, cos its obviously impossible for me to go to student residences to get keys now. I cant wait to move into my own place. Its not that his place aint nice (in fact its one of the most beautiful homes around here in London), but I just want to unpack and get things done.

And i think the first thing Im going to do after I move in is to buy a fan. I know Im nuts for saying this, but honestly, I dont like being in a stuffy room, esp when you have to close the windows cos otherwise your things get wet (cos it just doesnt ever stop raining here) or its just too damn cold.

Dreading the moving tmr, hopefully there would actually be someone to help me out :( Seems like only a few Ah Mao Ah Gou are back. Makes me miss my family, esp my parents and the car. Essentials back at home becomes luxury here.

Okay Im starting to sound too whiny and cranky. Think the exhaustion from all the travelling is setting in.

Good Nights people!

Buhbye Singapore :(

I hate packing.
I hate worrying about going overweight (literally too). The thought of having to lug those heavy luggages and backpacks and barangs just totally ruins my mood. And on top of that, I dont have someone waiting for me when Im in London (unlike lovely singapore) plus cab fares can actually kill, so I have to lug them onto the tube and through the crowds.

I find it interesting (actually, appalling) how London is like one of the major cities in the world, yet most of its tube stations dont have escalators and lifts. Cant they spare a thought for not only the millions of visitors and tourists who have to lug their bloody heavy bags up and down those 1000 steps but also, for the disabled who practically cant take tubes cos of this?

And I hate packing cos it always means leaving :(
Finally, packing means that there is going to be a point of time when you have to ...
UNPACK. damnit.

Happy Birthday Stef :D

Stef in pink, blowing out the candles as Whisper (the horror) looks on.

Me crowning the Pink Princess of the Day.

Happy Birthday Stef!

Im not sure if Stef enjoyed her Pink Themed Surprise Bday Party as much as the rest of us 'cos:
1. Being Stef, she obviously hates surprises. And being the centre of attention.
2. The theme was pink, so everyone came in pink. (Even her! Though she didnt mean to dress for the occasion.) Except for Ang and her Dad.
3. It was a 32nd gathering in disguise.

But it was good fun and Im glad everyone enjoyed the food. At least, my efforts didnt go to waste! :D

Happy Birthday to my 2 best friends in council- Mon and Stef!
You guys are now old like me. Hehehe.

Its almost time to return :(

Today marks the end of my wakeboarding lessons, and the start of preparing myself for school. Its mixed feelings really. 2 years on, and I still get damn teary everytime Im at the airport. Im gonna miss my brother, my family, my friends (esp the sad ones, you guys know who you are) and being a brat (Sorry, Im superficial- Having a big room is great.). And of course, the sun. I know Im such an angmoh for saying this, but I love the heat in Singapore. I dont mind the sweat, and the potential headaches that it brings Cos i think it beats depressing winter (which is cold and dark. Short days suck.).

This summer has been great, way too awesome actually. And for once, I have led a life which involves waking up with nothing to do, no plans and no worries. Its a great change really, something I wish could go on for abit more. But I suppose we only really appreciate boredom when we know that we are going to be busy soon. Its probably painful if we know it would be indefinite.
Whilst I know people like Stef give me The Look when I dont know how to answer them when I say I dont know what I have been up to the whole summer, Im still glad I spent it the way I did. I like being at home when my brother's around, even though we dont talk that much (blame prelims). Im glad I got to see Hing and Jr loads when the drunkard from down there was back. Im glad I met the Losers at least once every week. Im glad I got to see the councillors, catch up with people like Mon, attend a class outing, see Ah Gake and Cher, visit HC, chill with the Tripod peeps and the list continues.

I havent climbed a mountain, volunteer at Zimbabwe, done a meaningful attachment somewhere here or somewhere exotic, or even travel anywhere (yes, I didnt even go Msia). But still, I think Im giving myself a pat on the back for enjoying boredom like this so thoroughly.
My only gripe being the freaking 3kg I gained. URGH.

Congrats to Morrison and Choon Hong!

Recently, I lost the motivation to blog because I just re-found this really old game that I was once (and now am again) addicted to called Theme Hospital. Its a little like Roller Coaster Tycoon, just that you assume the role of Cuddy (without having to deal with rascals like House, though personally I would love to ... just 'cos he is hot) and see patients with bloaty heads and invisibility and too much hair. And considering I played this game when I was about 10 years old, Im amazed that 1 decade later I still find it entertaining.

Yesterday I attended the 2nd wedding of my life. And i believe this marks the start of a string, and a not very subtle hint that I am growing very old. I suppose one of the good things about spending CNY in London is that I dont have to endure relatives probing into my love life.

Morrison and Choon Hong's wedding yesterday was absolutely beautiful. Their love story's seemingly common but yet cute and sweet- their first meeting was at a KTV through M's best friend/ best man.
Tears of joy and gratitude were shed as both the couple and their best man/ maid of honour shared their feelings about the union and each other. The wedding was simple, no funny or embarrassing games, no lavish decor and nothing out of the ordinary- but I liked it that way. There was no pretentiousness, just very down- to- earth and personal- just like how I know M. M's one of those dudes whom I know who can charm waitresses around the world to give him an extra serving of rice on the house, make people whom he has known for but 5mins feel absolutely comfortable, and someone you would call about 1 day before exams because you know that he seems to have this superpower to make anyone feel better. And so if Choon Hong is fortunate to have Morrison, he's even luckier to get her. She's beautiful, graceful and very very smart. She's like one of those people with an air of elegance whom you would notice in a crowd even if she's not talking. And yesterday, she was more beautiful than ever. She looked absolutely stunning in all 3 gowns, though my personal fave was definitely the cheongsum, that was complete with a train. She makes me want to have a cheongsum for my wedding too ... that's of course when I find my significant other first.

So, here's to Morrison and Choon Hong!
May they be blessed with loads of beautiful offsprings, we all would love to have kids to play with in London!

Meeting 6L.

Primary school gathering yesterday was an awkward affair. At least for me it was. For one, me and Lily were straddling loser outing together with meeting our old friends whom we havent seen for like forever and ever. It was real odd cos we were drifting in and out of the group, and actually barely talking to any of the 6L people. Most people havent changed, but i have to admit i forgot most of them (names and faces... oops). But as my teacher (who turned up too) said, I was one of those that blended it cos I was a good kid, so I actually didnt mingle much with most people. Now no one can imagine me being a good kid eh? But i was def one of those who melted into the chair and I have this suspicion that if we didnt have fixed seatings or register numbers, no one would notice that I was gone from the class.
But still it was nice meeting my old teachers and seeing them :)

Parkway definitely brings back loads of wonderful memories for me. It still remains one of my fave shopping centres till today. They have an awesome food court, and prices of the things here are not yet jacked up to obscene figures. Shopping here is relatively decent and its never too empty, and yet never to insanely crowded. And for me, because I practically grew up here (from bday celebrations to tuition classes, I was in Parkway if I wasnt at school), I like the way it has a refreshing new look but hasnt changed so much such that I cant recognise it anymore.

Korean Food's good too.

Ive been out too much lately, so much so that my mum's started controlling my spending :(

Was out till past midnight (mainly cos i waited for the bus for super damn long) with Erns and Dj yesterday. Had Korean, B&J's and chilled at Angel's Bar. Dempsey's really an awesome place to relax with friends, its almost impossible to find anything bad in there. Only got back past midnight cos i waited for more than 40mins for each bus. Hence decided to be a good kid and come back early today.

Volunteered for this CIP thing that Stef organised. It was amazing race style (again), and since the goal was to raise awareness for people with Myscular Dystrophy, we all had to take wheelchair friendly routes. I never felt myself so lucky to be able to take escalators and cross roads without having to think twice. It was still good fun, although the group of us didnt stop complaining about having to walk in the sun.

After the race, I finally picked up the pair of heels I reserved at Charles and Keith, even though I did like it less than when I first saw it.
Mon then brought me to this Korean place at Le Meridien's obscure food court. I think it was pretty good standard korean stuff with absolutely no frills and at an affordable price. Im def going back there to try their soba fish!

Lebanese food's Awesome!

For some strange reason, my blogger page has been looking really odd and screwed up. I cant find my post pictures and insert html buttons anymore :(

Went to Kazbar Restaurant for a Lebanese Dinner and it was awesome. It was one of those small quaint pub- restuarants lining the road between Cuppage Plaza and Centrepoint. It wasnt too crowded, so def a nice place to chill with friends. The interior was done with some psuedo- authentic middle eastern decor. The waiter who served us was attentive and friendly, and nice enough to allow us to a cute little booth complete with drapery, even though it was just a small crowd of 3.
And come 9pm, there came a belly dancer (we eventually learnt that she's actually pure jap) who gyrated really vigorously at each table. Interesting way of drawing customers in.

Erns and I chose the place for its ambience (its nice and dark enough for hanky panky, if you are thinking of somewhere to bring your other half), but the food was def the highlight. It wasnt what one would call cheap but the portions were relatively generous.

We had humous platter for starters, and it was good- the pita was soft and nice to chew on, and the humous was smooth, yummy and not too salty. The platter came with some special potato pastry thing (abit like the fried Malay Potato balls, just more ... crispy and exquisite) and cheese spring rolls, both which were delightful.

Our 2 main dishes were Chicken kebabs and shish with cous cous & Dory fillet with brown rice. Both were enjoyable, and tasted quite like the real deal to me. Surprisingly, i liked the cous cous (which i normally avoid), even though I did prefer the fish dish. Its brown rice tasted a little like the yam rice that normally comes with duck rice, just better cos its more fragrant (and healthier!). The dory was gratifying, tender and quite fresh (no fishy smell!). Plus i loved the sauce that came with it.

Erns and Dj both had blueberry mojito as well, and i have to say it was pretty good. Better than the lime thingy I had at Howl at the Moon. But no one really goes to Howl for good drinks right- everyone's there are the awesome atmosphere, wacky jokes, great band ... and of course free champagne on ladies night hehehe.

PS Cafe.

It seemed that putting on the 2kg isn’t surpressing my appetite one bit. In fact, if anything, Im like craving even more random stuff.

Upon many many people’s recommendation, I finally had a go at PS Café. I visited the one at Paragon instead of the much raved about one at Dempsey. But personally I felt it was overrated. I mean, it was (relatively) good food and the atmosphere was cool stuff. The cafe got this back to 60s feel and loads of entertaining magazines to keep you occupied. And it wasn’t crowded during lunch time, which was a great plus.
But I don’t think the food deserves the price tag one bit, and it wasn’t… like oomph satisfying. I had the mushroom soup and a ham and brie sandwich. The mushroom soup was delicious, thick with fresh mushroom bits. I also like the way they added my favourite salad leaves- rockets into it. The serving’s not large, so you can either see it as not value for money or that it gives your enough stomach space (or less calorie intake) to go on to the next part of the meal.
The sandwich was good, for Singapore standards but I think it is possible to get bread of such standards at a better price elsewhere. The Brie was yummy though and I like the apple chuntney sauce that they added into it. The sandwich came with cold smoked ham, which was a pity cos I personally prefer them cooked and … stronger tasting.

Accompanied my mum to Spagaddies after that, and I don’t think Im ever going back there again. Felt like Ive wasted my calorie intake.

Okay, time to stop talking about food. I can imagine Ern’s face now.

Redo Half Blood Prince please!

For a very very long time, I didnt know that I have been insulting myself. I was trying to type my username to log into gmail and I accidentally googled Peish. Only to find out that people only get called Peish when they are arses. And all this time, Ive been happily responding when people are referring to me as the male organ or female dog.

Yesterday was a good day (:
After sending Hing off, I had pancakes from Rider's Cafe in the Saddle Club which actually did serve quite awesome pancakes that came with maple syrup and Mulberry compote. Plus given my appetite, even I found the portion generous. The omelette was apparently pretty good too.
Plus you get to see handsome horses trotting outside and even though its not air- conditioned, the place was cooling and an awesome place to just chill for a good breakfast with your family or friends.

Met the losers for ice skating after that. I spent most of the time getting dragged around by Erns and Lily. Erns goes abit too quickly for my liking. It didnt help that the ring was too slippery and too crowded. But i did manage to walk 2 rounds without clutching on to someone for my dear life. Spent most of the time watching old ah peks trying (a bit too hard) to be graceful, which was both painful and hilarious.
So after flushing the 20bucks down the drain (considering i really didnt skate at all), we headed to do my fave activity- EAT DINNER! ((: And I managed to have a go on Lily's Wii, where I found my love for Wii Boxing. Its good fun, a stress reliever and So this is a not so subtle hint to anyone who has wii boxing to please invite me to your place.

And finally .... it was HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE. Erns offered me free tickets to the show 'cos some of her friend's friends couldnt make it. I love erns and her flow of free tickets. Her friends were awesome too, real friendly and chatty, saving me from those painful awkward silences.
The movie was good, for a movie. But possibly very disappointing for HP fans. Most of the dramatic scenes in the book was cut, and some details were changed. So it would be very good if you didnt revise the book before the show. Lavender was downright annoying, I hate her bimbo-ness and baby talk and stickyness to Ron. I mean like ...get a backbone man, dont put the female gender to shame. Daniel Radcliffe somehow managed to clean himself up for the movie, Emma didnt look too sophisticated and hot (which means she does represent hermione granger more) and erms Ron, i think he is getting abit too well- built. The movie was too short, I wished they added more scenes into it (and cut out all the unnecessary lavender ones) and could have been alot of more dramatic and action- packed. But it still makes it to the must- watch list. Afterall, how can any Harry Potter (no matter how bad) film be missed eh? (:

Wakeboarding Withdrawals.

Wakeboarding lessons finally ended yesterday, and it ended on a great big bang for me :D I still vaguely remember dreading the last lesson, cos I was just too tired from SnR outing the night before.
But now, I missing it so much. Im going to miss like laughing with those 2 dudes, feeling the adrenline rush each time I learn smthing new, the seabreeze and spray of water in my face, the sun (even though I apply a generous amt of sunscreem on myself) and the pigging out with the boys after each session.
I was complaining about seeing too much of their faces but i think im going to miss laughing at, i mean with, them now. Esp Hing who is going to disappear down there.
Seriously, if not for these lessons, i think that the first month of my hol basically passed with nothing special going on.

So here's jr's graduating video. The 2nd one's funny. Im too lazy to recount it but it is me and Hing discussing how wakeboarding can potentially be a great 把妹 tool. Isnt that what all guys think about all the time anyway? Hahaha.

And yes, the tripod outing with Hing finally worked out last night. And more people turned out than expected. It was great fun, though May obviously looked completely zonked out from school. I think hell like that is going to start for me real soon.
Some of us headed down to Howl to the Moon (a piano bar) after that, and it was great fun! I mean like you have to be able to take loads of dirty jokes and remarks at all your baby- making organs. But all in all, it was a great place to hang out, cos the people there are really talented and entertaining. It was like top class entertainment, in fact I personally prefer it to the only other music place in Singapore that I have fone to, Timbre. And maybe cos we were there on a thurs night, its wasnt crowded-- meaning that conversation was actually possible.

Okay, Yearmates outing tonight and then Losers outing on Sat.
How come I am having so much fun? Expensive fun though :(

Wakeboarding Graduation

Okay, today's wakeboarding session was like awesomely endorphine boosting. Like i knew that even though still cant edge out for more than 45degree and my posture aint that good and that Hing basically still owns me, but being able to do the stuff that I wasnt able to last time made me feel pleased with myself. All in all, it was a great 1 month spent in Singapore. 1 more month to go and now Im racking my brains to find something relatively meaningful to do.

And as usual, I went to pig out with the gents after lesson. And this is perfectly the reason why I AM PUTTING ON WEIGHT WHILST WAKEBOARDING TWICE A WEEK. But today's calorie intake was like TOTALLY WORTH IT. Finally, I have been to The roti prata place at Upper Thomson and it was so orgasmically good. Like it is soft and yet crispy, sinfully satisfying and yet not too oily. The egg in the prata was also not too dry and overcooked, and when it goes with both sugar and curry, i felt like i have momentarily forgotten all my woes and that Im definitely the most blissful person in the world. Okay, i might just be exaggerating a tad bit, but I have been craving good prata for that long a time.

Okay, going to meet the tripod people now. I havent met some of them for so long I might have forgotten their faces.
And i realised secondary to friends, the thing i talk about most is ... food. At least food isnt ranked first right. Hahaha.

I wish.

Today is one of those days whereby i feel supremely inadequate, and wished that I was better in like 1000 other ways. Actually, I wish that I am not me.

For one i wish that I could actually write like this or actually being able to write as smoothly as Boobie would be good enough.
I also wish that I had a smaller face and that I have a hot bod like Maggie Q, or maybe actually losing 10kg would be good enough.
I wish I was beautiful. Okay, I shant be greedy- I just wish Im prettier.
I wish that I was smarter, more confident and a better medic, like not forgetting everything now that exams are over.
I wish I could dance, I wish I could sing awesomely well, I wish I could knew tennis, I wish I could play the piano or some cool instrument. I wish I was better at sports and music.
I wish I was really good at something.
I wish I could connect well with everyone, and make friends really easily.

Well yeah, I wish man.

Back to HC.

Had wakeboarding lesson again today, but it didnt go too well for me. Couldnt do the 180turn which i could the last time :( Which is depressing. Hopefully i can master it in the last lesson on thursday!

Went down to HC to return Mr Rem his stuff, and met up with Mr Sam Lee as well. Its a pity most of the teachers that used to have us like Ms June Tan and Mrs Ang and Mrs Mag Tan are gone. HC looks really different now, from new canteen stores to new class bench layouts to new teachers. Its barely 4 years since Ive left and I cant believe how much has changed! But going back does make me really nostalgic. I wish I met friends and teachers like that in uni, but who knows what lies ahead for me in the new year eh? :) Hopefully i can find new friends that i can truly connect with like in RG and HC.

Okay, time for bed. Feeling kinda tired from today's lesson.
I think im going to miss wakeboarding after the course ends. Im actually thinking of continuing when Hing's gone. Should I? Its another 300bucks :x

Burnt.

Class outing yesterday was great, even the teachers were impressed with how many people turned up for it ((:

It was my first time to Marina Barrage, which is like the new up and coming family place in the day and couples dating at night. It has this really pretty elevated platform with well kept neat cowgrass all over. There are enough people there to make it not look secluded but also, not too many people there to make it crowded and intolerable. My only complaint being that there should be more of a shade built over the grass patches cos I felt I was getting roasted in the singapore afternoon sun. I have this really hideous spag strap tan now.

7d's doing awesomely well. Most of the guys (excl jr, chinswee, hing and kep) are going to engineering of some sorts- chemical, material, general. Everyone else seems to be enjoying uni life as well, and looking better than ever. Everyone's older, but more fun and hyper. Its pretty ironic how our class never really met up last time, but we are just doing that now. Funny how things change with time. And im glad its for the better this time.

Met up with Kaix for dinner, and good gawd, i havent seen her for like forever and ever. Miss her so much. She's looking awesome and sounds like she is doing well.
Im sad she's going back so soon though :( I hate the way all the aussie kids are just like living in a world of their own. Holidays and seasons different from the rest of the world.

Next week up is going to exciting. Wakeboarding, meeting up with May, Yearmates outing, Losers outing and Lucy's (my friend from london!) is coming to town. I love holidays!

Yeah 我是 superman!

Today's wakeboarding session was awesome! (((:
Managed to learn how to board in and out of the wake on both sides (Something my instructor calls marching, cos its like going Left, Right, Left, Right.) and also do the 180 degree turn (though im still not very good at it.) And im actually not aching today! Which has never happened after a lesson before. Signs that im getting stronger and my posture is more correct.
Plus cos jr couldnt make it today, so it also meant that me and hing got more time than we asked for. 赚到了!

But the bad thing is that, im starting to notice that my arms are getting a bit too HUGE. Like my back muscles are building up, which is just plain ugly. I know jeffrey and jr would prbly like work-outs like this, but this is definitely deterring me from wanting to do this long term :( And i think i actually put on weight cos i tend to like binge with the guys after each session. Which totally cancels out all the calorie burns.
Maybe im going to take up yoga after this to tone myself up, and get rid of all the unsightly muscles. Now i understand why The Hulk hunches, cos the muscles at the back actually gets in the way!

I recently got addicted to this taiwanese drama called Hot Shot 篮球火. (Just when I said Ive given up hope on tw dramas.) Starring Jerry Yen, Show Luo and Wu Zun ... and some other female newbies. Its like a cross breed between Slam Dunk and MVP 情人, and Show Luo really played his character well in the show. Its funny and not too lovey dovey, plus its one of those typical sports drama where some underdog team goes on to win (i hope, i havent finished it yet).

And I find the 主题曲 very cute:

Too much sun :(

Wakeboarding every other day is getting a little ... too hardcore for me. Thankfully, the trial yoga session yesterday helped ease the pain.

Today is one of those days whereby a small thing makes the whole day suck :(
Havent had such a sucky day since I came back. Maybe working out later would help release the happy hormones. I hope so.

Enjoying Life.

Met some of the losers and ern's intern friends for KTV yesterday and it was good fun.
Totally love jumping up and down on the sofa for One Night in Beijing and going completely wild. I love girls' night out like this where we all get to go really crazy and just let my hair down. This holiday has been awesome, Ive gotten to catch up with friends, go crazy and do the things that Ive been missing so much when I was away.

There are days when I just degenerate at home, watch one bad show after another, or youtube crap, blog and FB. Then there are the days when I go wakeboarding and enjoy the sun or swim- things that I def wont get a chance to do when Im back in London. Or else, it just chilling with friends that I havent hung out for ages and ages- sec sch friends, jc friends, random other friends that Ive met from here and there.

I havent had such a useless awesome life for ages. Like having nothing to rush for, and allowing time to just slip from my fingers. The feeling is awesome if not, surreal :)

And i love this:



My current loop song: Taking Back My Love

NDP 2009 Rehearsal

I just refound (not that it really went away in the first place) my love for singapore after yesterday's NDP rehearsals on the floating platform! It was a good NDP show, albeit short.

They started off the show by trying to trick the audience into thinking that the show was cancelled due to "technical difficulties", and obviously no one believed. Everyone just sat around minding their own business as the large screen flashed stuff like "Really, you have to go now." And it reminded me of sec sch msn conversations, 'cos they actually spelt sorry like sorrriieeeeee. I never really spelt like this, but it did make me kinda nostalgic. I really do miss having a class, like back in rg and hc.
(And on a side note, the computer that they are using for the show is prbly a Mac heheh.)

After which, the hosts came out to ra-ra the crowd. But since it was just a rehearsal, some of them were kinda reading from the script and stuff, so it wasnt that good. They tried to get the crowd to learn how to drum some beats, but even the demonstrators in front of us were banging out of synch, so it wasnt really working that well.
Vanetta Lopez was undoubtedly the best host around. And gurmit singh has buffed up ... like seriously, why are all guys getting bigger and bigger nowadays? Mark Lee was usual ah beng lame self, epitome of singlish, and lead joker.

They had a fake bomb threat at Marina (smthing), right where we were sitting. And it was corny, but fun in a way since after that all the cool civil defence people starting storming in. But i was just thinking what if actually on the day itself, there was really a bomb threat? People would just so sit there and think its fake and clap and cheer their lives away.

After that, it was THE PARADE. Undoubtedly my fave part of the night (: I mean thats what NDP is all about to me (other than singing songs at the top of my lungs). I love watching the Guard of Honour execute those sleek marching (no mean feat!), and the way they are so in line and so smart. I love hearing the beats that they march to, the tune that doesnt seemed to have changed after so many years, and laughing at how crooked the lines for all the other uniform groups are compared to the real pro people.



Our NDP song this year by homegrown ELECTRICO: What Do You See?
I love it, though i cant quite sing it. Love the groove of it.

And this year Chen Wei Lian is going to sing Stef Sun's We Will Get there :(
Isnt she supposed to be in singapore having her concert?! Booooo. Plus i wished there were more sing alongs.

But all in all, it was a good NDP. The stage was beautiful, I like the coolness of the SAF, the songs are not bad, and the goodie bag this year is quite impressive and of decent quality. And the fireworks are pretty (and apparently the ones we see are only 30% of the real day's!)

Im looking forward to Singapore's Bday (((:

Nothing to Hide.

If only, they actually serve us with uniform like this. I would be happy to pledge allegiance to NZ ;)

Finally, after much talking and planning and not doing anything about it, I finally got my butt down to wakeboarding yesterday. So now Im burnt with odd tan lines, red like a lobster (though Hing def fare worse), aching all over (like i didnt know that your gluteal/ butt muscles can actually ache) but happy as a lark. It was really good fun and the crowd that I went with was perfect. Enough lame people to keep me entertained, enough good friends to make me feel blessed and glad that Im back in Singapore doing stuff like this, and enough guys to keep wanting to go again and again on the board cos Im so weak/ unfit that after 20mins or so (though it feels like 1hr to me) Im completely shagged. Plus it totally helped that yuhning was even more unfit than me, which kinda helped keep my ego intact. (But i love you still babe.)

Im going for an NDP rehearsal today at the Marina floating platform! Looking forward to it.
And then there's Loser's outing again, which Im pretty sure would be good fun.
Sharan's place on monday (if i dont feel too lazy).
Who says being jobless aint a good thing?