La luna.

My September break in colour, before it ends in two days...



Went to visit a classmate's apartment in Docklands - still a part of the Melbourne city area, yet it possesses a character and personality entirely unique to itself. This is the view from her balcony, how much do I love water views?!?









Darren (aka 'thorn among the roses', hehe)'s 20th birthday celebration at Sofia with a couple of other people from Jap class - fried calamari, spaghetti marinara, pizza, risotto and Sofia's signature mega-sized gelati made all of us really happy and really full too :D



Massive marketing spree - evidence of how hard-core the housemate and I were. She said we now have enough garlic to keep the vampires away for a long time, bwahahhahaaha!!!!



My little friend Timmy, who is, I reiterate, four years younger, but always puts things into perspective and knows what he wants out of life so much more than I do.



Movie + nonsense night at Piggy's, where we all decided to be creative and take a pic of ourselves uh... 'sleeping'. But I was the only one who really wanted to look like I was asleep, apparently :p



Emma's 21st birthday lunch + cupcake indulgence - I was never really into cupcakes but I guess now I am, thanks to this nice little cafe called 'Sweet Source' on Rathdowne Street! Yum yum yum (doesn't it look lovely!).



Today is the Australian Football League (AFL) Grand Final and yesterday afternoon they had this massive parade in the city. The tram routes were screwed as usual, blehh... but look at the Melbourne crowd, crazy over Australian footy! o_O

AND... the housemate and I also went to the annual Royal Melbourne Show yesterday, which was TOO much fun!!! We actually spent 7.5 hours there and by the time we left at 8pm we were absolutely pooped... and naturally I couldn't find the energy or the mood to do my thesis work due on Monday (which also means I will die this weekend). Will upload pics of the Melbourne Show in a later entry.

As if all these random social activities (eating, snacking, having fun, etc) that come with this holiday aren't bad enough, I...

1) have NOT found the time to go to the gym at all. I do not wish to know how much weight I have possibly added on this week -_-

2) am addicted to the Murakami book I am currently reading, 'Norwegian Wood'. I read it on the tram, while waiting for people, in the bathroom, while running virus scans on my laptop... can I just say that there cannot be a worser time for me to be hooked onto non-academic literature?!? But that book is too good to give up for other things... like preparing for my thesis supervision, for example.

Good night!

Lost in translation.

You.

You to me,

Appealing yet Distancing, both At the same tiMe.

When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am.

Goo Goo Dolls - Iris.

Confessions of a reality TV addict.

SMS exchange between my Dad and I -

L: Pa... can you do me a favour? Singapore Idol results out tonight right? Is there time left for voting? Can I trouble you to vote 10 for Hady to win?

P: You're Hady's fan? OK.

X X X

You see now why my dad's the greatest? He's in his mid-fifties but he, like me, follows silly, crappy programs like Singapore Idol (not that I get to follow it while I'm here, but still!) and is always very willing to send in votes on my behalf. Two years ago when Taufik faced Sly in the final, he actually sent in 12 texts for Taufik to win, which made me very very astonished and O_O!

X X X

Australia time 11.56 PM update: I've gotten a couple of texts from Singapore telling me that Hady won Singapore Idol!!!!!!!!!!! *screams*.

Ah, must be the extra 10 votes all the way from Melbourne... ^_^

He's gotta be strong
And he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight!

Bonnie Tyler - Holding Out For A Hero.

Gonna take a sentimental journey.

This is going to be boring if you don't know 'Cold Case' or don't watch it, but give me a couple of minutes to gush pleaseeeee.

On Monday night I realised in dismay that next week was going to be the season finale on Australian TV and my heart felt this sudden void already - if you are a TV addict such as myself you will sooooo relate to this sentiment. When an entire season of one of your favourite TV shows comes to an end, you actually feel... empty, because you feel as though you have become part of the show, growing and developing with them o_O

BUT! I did a search online and realised that a brand new Season 4 would premiere in the USA on 24th Septemberrrrrr (which means I can torrent it really soon)!!!!!! Something tells me I am going to be one busy girl again, with the comeback of Survivor, Amazing Race, and now Cold Case all at the same time?!?! Hello CBS, bye bye schoolwork?! :p



Anyway, the 2 gorgeous people who keep me glued to the TV every Monday night. I love, lurve, lurrrrrrf them... can they please get together/sleep together/kiss/make out in Season 4 already?!? I can't take that onscreen tension anymore :p



Danny Pino - seriously underrated, but I always love the unsung heroes (and men from South America :p). The producers of 'Cold Case' couldn't have given him a worser name than Scotty Valens though -_-



And Kathryn Morris, now tied with Jennifer Garner for my favourite female celeb crush ^_^ Much love.

Gonna take a sentimental journey
Gonna set my heart at ease
Gonna make a sentimental journey
To renew old memories.

Peggy Lee - Sentimental Journey.

PS: I am enjoying my holidays way too much.

For the love of you.

Just because it's the holidays and I am bored at home. A very pointless meme.

1. how's your heart lately?
Intact and beating normally (when I'm not at the gym killing myself with cardio classes). But of course there is the occasional slight flutter...

2. did you ever cheat during an exam?
Yes, with my best friend in primary school even though she sat miles away from me. No details here, haha!

3. first boyband that made you go gaga?
Gosh I think that would have to be N'Sync!!! *sheepish smile*

4. how many pairs of shoes do you own?
Eight in Melbourne, about three more in SG (I had to count).

5. what CD's are you currently listening to?
Jay's latest album, 依然范特西.

7. do you buy pirated CD's, VCD's or DVD's?
Hell yeah! But not if it's Jay or David Tao.

8. have you ever been suspended from school?
Nope, I was a well-behaved student who stuck to the rules :p

9. how many different faces can you make?
Oh don't get me started on the number of camera expressions/poses I can do...

10. how many times do you brush your teeth in a day?
Two (what sort of a question is this?).

11. what perfume do you use?
Chanel Pour Homme, Body Shop's White Musk, Moonflower and Spring Orchid (I am environmentally friendly :p).

12. favourite cartoon character?
Doraemon.

13. can you drive?
Yes, but only in SG and with my mom's supervision! -_-

14. favourite streetfood?
Old Chang Kee curry puffs and Taiwanese sausages o_O

15. describe your room, what can we find inside it?
Messiest room on the planet - clothes, books, laptop, bed, posters on the wall, and always me.

16. do you like to party?
Not particularly but I love drinking! :D

17. do you still ask permission from your parents about stuff, like going out or going to somewhere?
I don't ask for permission per se, but I make it a point to notify my mom of my whereabouts.

18. favourite radio station?
I hardly listen to the radio now, but I guess Class 95 in SG, Mix 101.1 in Melbourne.

19. have you ever been under arrest?
No, but almost was!

20. what song do you sing in the shower?
Anything that comes to mind. Having a fixed shower song is soooo boring?!

21. what's the biggest difference you've made in the world?
I would like to think I make the people around me happy.

22. do you keep a diary?
Yes I now own seven of them since I started when I was ten, but I have not been writing often because of this evil techie thing called the BLOG.

23. what do you do when you feel low about yourself?
Talk to a close friend, go to the gym, put on my 'brooding playlist' on iTunes, watch TV, and OMG how could I ever forget - EAT.

24. can you cook?
Everyone can cook, it's just a matter of WHAT you cook and whether it can be eaten at the end. But I think I've improved alot over these few months *wink wink*

25. worst gift you had ever received?
Not that I can remember, but I honestly appreciate all gifts.

26. are you facing a major problem right now?
Does procrastination count??!!

27. how's your relationship with your parents?
I'm an only child so it HAS to be good... and it is!

28. Last time you had sex?
Umm... never tried it! o_O (now THIS is a personal question...)

top 2 things found in your wallet:
Coins and cards, of which most of them are for no purpose :p

top 2 films I'd watch over and over again:
Before Sunset, My Best Friend's Wedding.

top 2 songs I can listen to again and again:
'Kokoro No Doa' by Chemistry and 'It Doesn't Really Matter' by George Michael.

top 2 magazines I read from cover to cover:
8 Days and I-Weekly (exhibiting my bilingualism? :p)

top 2 reasons to watch television:
Eye candy, and for educational purposes (contrary to popular belief, you really learn alot about other cultures from TV)

top 2 places I'd want to visit 10 yrs from now:
Egypt, South Africa.

top 2 obsessions:
Movies and food (says alot about me doesn't it)

top 2 things you hold everyday:
Mobile phone, wallet (another ridiculous question).

top 2 favourite girls' names:
Rachel and Anne, although kinda common names...

top 2 favourite guys' names:
Ben and Noel. This is what four seasons of 'Felicity' can do to you.

top 2 favourite foods:
Potatoes and fried carrot cake (which is why I need a gym membership).

top 2 favourite snacks:
Red Rock Deli Honey Soy Chicken potato chips, Cookies and Cream ice cream (which is why I need a gym membership).

top 2 favourite websites:
www.postsecrets.com, www.karencheng.com.au

top 2 favourite colors:
Blue and light purple.

top 2 goals you want to accomplish:
Graduate with good honours, then head to Japan after!

And I am telling you I'm not going.

The very first day of the two-week September break, and you find yourself fussing about your clothes and hair a little more than usual because of a tingling anticipation of something that was going to happen - which did not manage to happen eventually, but life is bittersweetly unpredictable and casual words should never be taken seriously, you realise.

Truth be told, I have alot of work to do in this two-week holiday (or should I say, non-teaching period because it was never meant to be, or even feel like a holiday). I have more or less drafted a holiday to-do-list in my head, both schoolwork and non-schoolwork related, but whether I stick to it or not is a totally different story altogether. Most fortunately, or unfortunately in my case, activities associated with the phrase 'having fun', however, will also most definitely be a major part of these two weeks!

In any case, I should really treasure this break before the semester restarts, and then there will be absolutely no more time for rainbows and coffees and dreams woven out of sweet fluffy cotton candy for the two months that follow.

And today, is Day Two.

Sweet symbols in the moonlight
Do you mean that I will fall in love per chance?
Isn't it romance?

Rod Stewart - Isn't It Romantic?

I knew you, and you knew me too.

Heehee, never expected my Rick Price video to garner that much interest, so I decided that I'm going to put up old music videos here whenever I recall a good song from the 80s and 90s (and if I find the video on Youtube, that is)! Be prepared for Boybands in the next couple of days... muahahahahaaa!!!! *winks at all my DHS friends*




Another blast from the past, though I have to shamefully admit that I started to really like this song only last year (blueh!). Tevin Campbell's voice does take a bit of getting used to, but OMG, why why why didn't I take note of this song in my teenage days?!

Last night I
I saw you standing
And I started
Started pretending
That I knew you
And you knew me too.

From the time I wake up, till I close my eyes.




If there was one thing I'm glad about growing up in the 90s, it would definitely be songs like this one. Does anyone remember Rick Price, this one song of his, and how much we all loved it?! I remember buying the CD just for this song (crazy primary school days where the words 'download' and 'piracy' were unheard of!) and playing this track again and again and again. Did a random search on Youtube that night and found the original music video (yay!).

Almost gagged at the female lead but I guess that kind of look was considered 'pretty' then huh? :p And there you have good ol' Rick Price, plain and simple Australian guy on the piano, no commercialised package, no gimmicks... just that unique voice that everyone remembers so well :)

Talk about blast from the past. This song is *gasp* ... FOURTEEN years old.

And here's a birthday shoutout to my dearest A.S.S. who turns 23 today! This video is for you, I know you love it! :)

But tell me where do I start
'Cos it's breaking my heart
Don't wanna let her go.

Rick Price - Heaven Knows.

"... but music seems to be part of a courtship ritual, wouldn't you agree?"

Everyone knows the 5 'C's in life stand for cash, (credit) card, condominium, car and career. The 'C's in my life, however, are slightly different, as I only have 3 of them and they are those things in my life that I will never be able to say no to... never ever!

Chips - Moonface as my witness
Chocolate - Moonface as my witness
Cappuccino - Piggy as my witness

I love all of them at equal levels and they are also equally unhealthy (well okay, cappuccino to a lesser extent). But life is short, so I believe in indulging all I can while I am still young and healthy. Muahahhahahahaa!!

And speaking of coffee, I have approximately 8 hours before a very much anticipated cappuccino at Deep Dish. I love my coffee to death, but you know there is something very queer about this world when Lynn is willing to wake up 30 minutes earlier just for that.

And maybe something more.

She used to look good to me
But now I find her simply irresistible.

Robert Palmer - Simply Irresistible.

All my only dreams.

A good Friday night out is yummy Korean cuisine complete with side dishes, bulgogi and grilled chicken, dashing across the street in the rain for two cups of taro bubble tea, and endless laughter with a friend who simply wouldn't let me pay for dinner! :>

X X X

On Thursday evening Piggy and I decided to turn up at the Arts Faculty Postgraduate Information Session held at uni, and although it was redundant, crappy and disappointing (now we know why it was due to start only at freaking 6pm when 95% of the uni has gone home), I think I might have gotten the next few years of my life figured out. I shall not bore you with the mundane details - to cut a long story short, after my Honours is done, I hope to go to Japan for a couple of months or so, finally get a Japanese boyfriend my Japanese sorted out, and possibly come back to Melbourne (or somewhere else, like SG - eeks!) for a Masters before heading out into the real world (umm... that is assuming the parents are giving me both the green light and the cash).

It's quite embarrassing really, when almost everyone you've been to school with is already working and bringing in the moolah for the family, becoming financially independent, etc... and all you want to do is stay in uni forever, which means spending your parents' money, and not participate in the workforce/contribute to the nation's economy. I am sooooooo going to be frowned upon when in future I tell people I am 28 and have never worked a single day in my life (which technically isn't true because I have done some casual work in my teens, but anyway).

I am also currently reading "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee and enjoying it so far (surprise surprise!). It was a book I've had to read (school assignment) and always wanted to read, especially since I saw the film "Capote", but for some reason I just never got down to getting through the first two pages (ah, teenage short attention span). How I got through my school assignment without reading the book, that I can't remember.

So anyway the dad snail-mailed a copy of the book to me a couple of weeks ago for my graduation present because he knew I wanted it (aww!). Moonface and Piggy have told me that this book totally increases my 'cultural credibility', so I am going to hold it up high whenever I read it in public, unlike the times I was reading "The Secret Dreamworld Of A Shopaholic" (I am a closet chick-lit reader) and I had to put the book flat down on my lap to hide the cover :D

This time I swear not to give up on "To Kill A Mockingbird" no matter what. It has been listed as one of the books you have to read before you die so I figured I'd better start now because life is unpredictable :P

So every night I'll pray
I'll have you here one day
I'll count the stars tonight
And hope with all my might.

The Wonders - All My Only Dreams.

我猜是我中了箭

在遇上他第七天

那一瞬间我有些晕眩

像全世界从此被偷走时间

我中了爱情的箭

很痛但是心很甜

我躲不开也不想避免

他没发现却在我身上应验

我中了一箭。

You give your hand to me, and then you say hello.

Why is it that someone can suddenly lose a tiny bit of that initial mystifying appeal you've been drawn to for so long, after an almost too-good-to-be-true ten-minute friendly conversation?

"You really love what you do, don't you?"
"Yeah, I'm obsessed by it really."
"Why is that, do you think?"
"I don't know. I don't think obsessions have reasons, that's why they're obsessions."

- The Bridges Of Madison County -

Sea of love.

(I've been meaning to write about this for a couple of months now but never got down to doing it. Still funny revisiting it, anyhow :p)

As you all already know, bad english never fails to amuse me. Was back home over the holidays in July, and one evening I was stopped by this guy (who hails from the neighbouring country *ahem*) at a certain train station to do a street survey. And because Lynn is a nice and kind person she willingly obliged, even provided her contact details and stuff thinking she probably wouldn't be contacted by the company anyway.

BUT.

A couple of days before I left for Melbourne, I received a text message on my phone -

Survey Guy With Bad English (SGWBE): Good luck to australia. Have a good day. Am the survey *name of company censored* guy at bishan last time. Next time come back Sing I introduce you skin care produce.. very good :D

Lynn: (I can't believe I replied his text but I replied something along the lines of) Hello. Surprised to receive your message... what's your name?

SGWBE: I am mr law :D

L: Mr Law? You don't have a proper name?

SGWBE: My sir name Law, i like it. Dun forgot my name ok :p I will waiting you come back and show you my best product :* Give your skin more pretty. Haha.

And then I stopped replying. I also figured that he probably had the most awful name on this planet.

And, a few days later, at 1am in the freaking morning:

SGWBE: Exciting, our company have free scanning skin to help you to know how good your skin and let you know your skin result. Come and try new technology. Law.

I refused to reply. What an idiot! Using the contact details I provided to send personal messages to me. The first time was still tolerable but he did it a second time (and it's not as if he was good looking... and OMG his English! His English!!!!!!! -_-''')

If I were a meanie I could have called his company and complained against him. But I reiterate ... I am a nice and kind person. Bwahahahahahaha.

X X X

I'm also in the mood to share two of my favourite pics taken by Moonface last week... very misleading I reckon, since my face seems almost 10 times smaller in these pics than it is in reality. Oh but this is precisely why I love her camera.



The candid shot. I don't know how to describe the emotion I'm portraying - I think it was pretty random.



Z calls this the 'uhm chio' (ie: silent smile) look. Hahaha I look so cheeky and mischievous!

X X X

So it's been six weeks into Honours year, and already I find myself distracted. Very very very distracted :X

September 1st. The first day of Spring is here. Enjoy it everyone!

X X X

And I think of it every night
How I just could not get it right
Oh if we ever come close again
I know what I'll say then.

Tevin Campbell - Can We Talk?