>:(

I know Im usually happy and cheery and problem- less.

And I know that exams are not near, and there isnt anything thats troubling me right now, Im having a great social life, heading out almost nightly and Im not even supposed to be having PMS now.

But sadly (no pun intended), my baseline mood has gone into deficit, Im just perpetually sleepy/ tired and I feel ... erms, lonely? I dont even know if thats what i really feel, but its really a mish- mash of emotions that i dont normally associate myself. Maybe its the effect of doing a Psychiatry rotation. Im probably getting mild depression. But statistically speaking, I dont have any of those bad prognostic indicators.

Or maybe my puberty came late and Im just going through that moody phase now.

That aside, Im heading to edinburgh this weekend, so hopefully it will clear things up.

Plea for Postcards!

Now that my time in London is ending, Im starting to treasure it more. And being a sentimental nostalgic little girl, Im trying to compile an album full of my memories my uni life (which actually a large part aint in uni or uk for that matter).

So i would really appreciate if anyone could get me a postcard from the following places:

1. Dubrovnik, Croatia

2. Brela, Croatia

3. Oslo, Norway

4. Highlands/ Isle of Skye, Edinburgh

5. Dublin, Ireland

6. Barcelona, Spain

7. Venice, Italy

8. Verona, Italy

9. Naples, Italy

10. Cambridge, UK

11. Oxford, UK

12. Birmingham, UK

13. Prague, Czech Republic

Thats as far as I can think of for now! (:

Would pay you back and love your for ever and ever xoxo

My First Ever Vote for Singapore

Once again, I have to repeat myself for the 1000th time that I LOVE SPRING!

Even if it can get wayyy to hot in the very crowded non- airconditioned rush hour tube or super crammed & slow royal free lifts.

The days are long and people are just generally nicer and happier! Its less cold and most importantly, THERE IS SUN! I know Im becoming a Londoner when I obsess so much about the weather.

And today's a very important day, cos i voted in the Singapore General Elections. Im really thankful that I'm in London 'cos its not ridiculously difficult for me to get to the polling station (Singapore High Commission near Hyde Park Corner). Everyone tells me that my vote doesnt matter cos they aint going to count the votes of overseas Singaporeans unless there is an ambiguous win. But you never know right? I have to say I'm not really a fan of either of my candidates and with almost every seat ('cept for the unshakeable MM Lee) being contested, people will definitely forget my small constituency. It's a pity, 'cos potentially someone so much more capable could be our voice in parliament. Being an MP is not only about upgrading ... and erms, payouts? Its disappointing how neither of my candidates (Sitoh and Lina Chiam) addressed bigger issues that many other politicians have been discussing. The opposition party (Lina Chiam) appears to me to be merely trying to stir up angst amongst the residents against the government who has pretty much been neglecting our area ('cos its an opposition area) and Sitoh seems to be only dangling upgrading incentives (and he only had 1 rally). And sadly, neither are very engaging, sincere- sounding, charismastic or grammatically- correct speakers. Well maybe there are on the grounds, but it doesn't appear so on the online videos that I have to rely on.

Potong Pasir aside, I'm definitely way more concerned about the bigger guns- Aljunied especially. And I have no qualms that PAP would once again win in Marine Parade, despite Tin Pei Ling's "spectacular" performances and slips of tongue once and once again, but I'm excited to see how the results would be like. Yes, Nicole Seah is good, but can she compare to Goh Chok Tong? Indeed, she is more impressive than TPL but we cannot forget that there are very worthy candidates in PAP as well like Tan Chuan Jin, and can she compare to them? Much less GCT. Nicole Seah is one of the opposition party's stronger candidates and we are comparing her to PAP's weakest link. Is the opposition's weakest link even weaker than TPL? But as GCT said, (sadly) with GRCs you've gotta vote for the team and not only for individuals. TPL ain't ready, but if she doesnt perform (and in fact flop completely), I'm sure PAP would (hopefully) have a change of strategy next coming elections and understand that every single MP represents the voice of the people and fielding someone so unprepared can be a costly mistake.

But this election is exciting, and in less than 24h, we shall see what our new parliament will be like. Let's cross our fingers and hope that we have worthy MPs.

Easter Ends :(

Today marks the final day of my (well-spent) Easter holidays.

Its been definitely one of the best holidays- having gone to 4 different countries in a span of almost a month. Never have I ever travelled so intensely before, and never have I been to 4 such different places one after another. I guess in a way that is good, because the contrast brings out the beauty in each of these places.

Rome + Naples: The historical sights are just so well preserved in Rome that I feel like I'm almost transported back in time. Naples was alot less clean and organised as a city, but alot less touristy as well. And Pompeii was just breathtaking, its undoubtedly my favourite sight of the whole trip. Of course, what is Italy without the Italians who are always so friendly, helpful (going out of the way to help you with directions even when they dont speak English) and gorgeous (oh yes, check out those dark curly hair).

Croatia: Its beautiful with clear waters and unending scenery. And I can totally see why the Plitvice Lakes with the awesome waterfalls, clear lakes and hillsides make it as an UNESCO world heritage site. Unfortunately, it was too cold to swim at the season which we went. But still, it was a good (driving) trip with loads of laughter, joy and great company.

Paris: Its just so beautiful in Spring when the weather is great, and also when youve a local french- speaking friend to bring you around. The food was great, and now i can understand why people said that Paris is a romantic place to go to (only if you head there the right season)- the view from Eiffel, sitting by river seine, roaming the streets and picking up little things. Yes, Im glad i returned and let Paris have another chance (:

Istanbul, Turkey: A very interesting experience for me, travelling with 2 people Ive never travelled with before. Although I was ill the 1st 2 days, having about 6days in Istanbul meant that I had more than enough time to see/do most things anyway. (For a hurried tourist, 2days would suffice.) It was exciting for me 'cos Istanbul was just such a beautiful mix of Western culture and Asian (Islamic) believes. It was different from all my previous travels 'cos I was visiting mosques and the architecture & artwork are just so different from that of most of Europe's. Turkish food was great but Turkish coffee and tea (incl apple tea) was definitely my highlight! And I was lucky enough that one of my travel buddies had a local friend who invited us to her place for a great local turkish meal, which was awesome 'cos her family was just so inviting, friendly and it really showed me what a typical turkish family (& dinner) was like. Of course, what makes me fall in love with a place is the people. The turks are just so friendly-- like genuinely warm and helpful. Although they can get a little cheeky (maybe cos I was an Asian girl and there were hardly around. So as we all know, scarcity= highly sought after), but it wasnt so bad as to make it repulsive. Moreover, some of their pick up lines can be quite funny really. (Needs improvement though definitely.)

"Excuse me, can I hassle you?" (remains my absolute favourite)

(Conversation) "Oh, so you are a student. Do you have a sponsor, can I sponsor you?"

"You are my dream girl."

"You have a baby face. Can we be facebook friends?" (Is baby face even a compliment?!)

7 yo: "Hello, you are beautiful. Friends? Can I have a photo?"

"Hello you dropped something. You dropped my heart."

"Hello, where are you from?" remains the most common of all.

And so, this concludes my Easter break. Its now back to reality- Neuro, Psych and Ophthalmology. But it aint all bad, cos the weather outside is great (spring is great!), Im gonna be meeting my council mates who are in London for electives, and I still have 3 weekend breaks all lined up. 'tis an exciting term i foresee (: