One step forward and another two back
Gosh it's been long since i last posted. Why? Mostly because i've had such a smashing semester i've hardly got time to. Also, i have suspicions that certain members of my family have stumbled upon my blog ( hi mom) and it's just weird having them track your life. C'mon, admit it, even the best of us have done things we hope dear old grandma never finds out.
I think i have bored most people into thinking that i have abandoned this blog which is good cos i was starting to get weird advertisements posted on my tagboard. I mean, who still clips their hedges with shears and do they actually mean gardening?
Anyhow, I'm back, busy as usual, but strangely bored. Christmas shopping is impossible along the crowded streets, carolling has left me butt tired and the new places ( vivo city especially) have failed to impress. I came back to oppressive heat and humid nights, and now I've ruined my nice shoes in the wet.
Bah and humbug, Im cranky, wake me up when december ends.
On another note, it's really nice to see everyone again. It's good to get back into the swing of things, catch up, have a cuppa. So call me if you're in town. Would love to see you.
pauperes commilitones Christi Templique Solomonici
That's the proper name of the Knights Templar: Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon. On the topic of the Knights Templar, well, I happen to be staring at a bunch of them. Funny, that.
I looked up from my sunday afternoon read to be greeted with kilts, scottish berets, and sword-bearing military-looking people. Judy ( my neighbour) too, looked out of her window. One of them waved amicably at her.
The next thing i knew, i was hurtling down the corridor, pounding on every door and yelling, "Oh my gosh, the Scottish Knights Templar are here!" The effect was immediate. Soon there were a bunch of us pressing our noses to the windows and gaping unabashedly at the men in medival colours.
" They are so cute!"
" Can we take pictures with them?"
" Yar, we should just stand next to them and do funny poses. They can't move right?"
" That's like the episode of Mr Bean... the one where he goes to London!"
" It's soooo Da Vinci Code."
So we went from room to room trying to get a good view of them. Min and i formulated a plan ( held together by false accents and bad fashion) which involved both of us pretending to be snap-happy tourists. But we were too paiseh to. And i think there's something about the Knights that is so steeped in history and awe-inspiring that is feels a bit sacrilageous go snap them like a tourist attraction. So instead we sent the brave soul on our corridor, Wen, to pull her best CIA skills and click the cam discreetly on her way to work.
So that's my excitement of the afternoon. I pity the guys in kilts; it's freezing outside. Thank goodness for their plentiful leg hair ( it's a new winter coat) . Back to the books. Semester pictures will follow if I get bored.
For more on the Knights Templar, see
Wikipedia's article.
What Would Be Different If Men Really Ruled the World
I know... it's so stereotypical and unfair, yadda yadda. But it's funny. And it's my blog. So piss off.
Any fake phone number a girl gave you would automatically forward your call to her real number.
Hallmark would make "Sorry, what was your name again" cards.
When your girlfriend really needed to talk to you during the game, she'd appear in a little box in the corner of the screen during a time-out.
Breaking up would be a lot easier. A smack to the ass and a "Nice hustle, you'll get 'em next time" would pretty much do it.
Birth control would come in ale or lager.
Each year, your raise would be pegged to the fortunes of the NFL team of your choice.
The funniest guy in the office would get to be CEO.
At the end of the workday, a whistle would blow and you'd jump out your window and slide down the tail of a brontosaurus and right into your car like Fred Flintstone.
Lifeguards could remove citizens from beaches for violating the "public ugliness" ordinance.
Tanks would be far easier to rent
.Garbage would take itself out.
Instead of beer belly, you'd get "beer biceps."
Instead of an expensive engagement ring, you could present your wife-to-be with a giant foam hand that said, "You're #1!"
Valentine's Day would be moved to February 29th so it would only occur in leap years.
On Groundhog Day, if you saw your shadow, you'd get the day off to go drinking. Mother's Day, too.St. Patrick's Day, however, would remain exactly the same. But it would be celebrated every month.
Cops would be broadcast live, and you could phone in advice to the pursuing cops. Or to the crooks.
The victors in any athletic competition would get to kill and eat the losers.
The only show opposite Monday Night Football would be Monday Night Football from a Different Camera Angle.
It would be perfectly legal to steal a sports car, as long as you returned it the following day with a full tank of gas.
Every man would get four real Get Out of Jail Free cards per year.
When a cop gave you a ticket, every smart-aleck answer you responded with would actually reduce your fine. As in: Cop: "You know how fast you were going" You: "All I know is, I was spilling my beer all over the place." Cop: "Nice one. That's $10 off."
People would never talk about how fresh they felt.
Telephones would automatically cut off after 30 seconds of conversation.
stolen frm
glady's blog
My life in pictures- reverse chronological order: start from the bottom and work your way up.
For the rest of the day we wandered about the city, taking pictures and behaivng like tourists.
The weekend after that we had a joint celebration for Ling and Jielin. They're both 21! We had Yum Cha at Westlake, where we feasted on all things yummy and droolsome. We ate so much, no one could fit in any birthday cake afterwards. see the wide smiles? we are happy people.
Pat made a great Captain Jacksparrow. The rest of the line up included the Guru, tinkerbelle, the charlie's angels, james bond and his chick, marilyn monroe and various action heroes.
The week after that was Pat's 21st! It was a MASSIVE celebration at his house in Baldwin. It was a night of the red carpet, dazzling stars and the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. We had a great time rubbing shoulders with the rich and the famous while downing bubbly and nibbling on cheese. Marilyn thinks it was a stellar party. So does the bond girl.
The girls at dinner. Shuwen, Jielin, me, Neek and a whole rack of wine.
We wound up at Grecco Bar and Grill for dinner. They've renovated over the summer and now instead of an all-red theme, they've gone the whole semi-goth-victorian way. I like. Check out the black chandeliers and iron latticework! Makes one feel sexy.
Sunset over the docklands and Westgate bridge.
The same view at night. I love the city. * cue smoky jazz strains*
The MCG, Rod Laever and Vodafone Arenas, where most of the action of the Games was. And behind all that's the lovely blue Dandenong Ranges.
South-Easterly view form the city. In the foreground is Crown Casino/ Entertainment complex, In the centre is St. Kilda Business District, the lake with a little island near the top right is Albert Park Lake, and the F1 Grand Prix runs around it. The beach and sea beyond is St. Kilda Beach and Port Phillip Bay.
At the Melbourne Uni tram stop going to the Rialto towers to celebrate Jielin's Bday.
Clara, JL, Kaichin, Jiawei, Tim and Ravin
Exactly how many pranks do we play on each other? Well, we bought JL this gorgeous Swarovski necklace for her birthday. Now, most girls would swoon at the sight of the familiar blue box. Not JL. When we first handed her the little blue bag, she eyed it suspiciously and and gingerly pulled out the box. When she opened the cardboard box and found another box in it ( these expensive things have so much packaging) she looked even more suspicious. It was only after she opened the 2nd box and saw the bling bling that she beamed and went, " awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. so niiiiiiicccccceeeeeee." Girlie, we might be mean, but not that mean. At least not on your birthday.
It's Jielin's 21st! We surprised her at College Square with a cake and present. She threw open the door and was like " Whooooooaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!" She then promptly smacked KC and retorted, " no wonder you didnt want to open the door lar!"
A transient surge of patriotism: the Singapore flag on Bourke St!
Commonwealth Games in Melbourne! We're united by the moment. We are also united in our joint frustration at the public transport system.
Corridor Life. We cooked. We also ate communally like people in refugee units. But that's ok!
After a few failed attempts to fit into a bar (there were so many of us!) we decided to get some drinks and go back to 1J.
We found the initial D car!
Tom and Wennie!
Judi's 21st dinner at Chinatown. It was nice. We had lots of chinese tea. I got my asian KFC. The boys slurped up the pork belly. We leave bursting at the seams.
I also happen to think Judi looks exceptionally pretty in this shot.
I got this pic of Jey Han while we were waiting in the corridor to go to Judi's 21st. Think it looks like a promo poster for the no-drugs campaign. All it needs are words on the side: " one my one, my brothers left me." And in fine print at the bottom: " Drugs leave you all alone."
Choir picture!
Post-commencement port-and-cookies in the JCR. Nick, Kate, Hil and me. (There was no port. bugger.)
I like this shot. We look so happy.
Seals and I laughing at drunk people trying to handle cameras
Commencement dinner at college: Sze, me, Wen and Gladys (my baby!)
what's worse than a bug in your room?
A bug in your room that you currently can't locate.
summer nights have been refreshingly cool, and my corridormates (holding up to the open-door policy) have taken to opening their windows. Which is terrifying for me because now the insects that used to fly towards the light and go splat on the windows have been gliding in and having a ball around my lamp.
Yesterday a moth flew in ( No, it's not in my mind, I swear I saw it)and promptly disappeared among my stuff. That sent horrifying images to my mind: opening the cupboard one day to find that all my clothes had been consumed my moths, one moth becoming 100 thousand by the end of the year ( these things reproduce fast) because the lost moth was pregnant, the moth landing on me while i was asleep, yadda yadda. I spent last night jumping every time my blanket brushed a bit of my exposed skin. Coincidentally, I also felt terrible this morning. I hate moths.
To bring it up a notch higher, I found the dismembered body of a (wasp? flying ant?) random flying insect on the floor. I didn't just find it. Noooooo. I stepped on it by accident, went oh! stooped down to take a look and nearly fainted. Thw best part is, I have no idea where the head is. Great, just great. Now i have a random insect head with accusing bulbous eyes lying somewhere on my floor waiting to be stepped on.
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Moving right along, the reason why Xing has no blogged in ages is because she has been busy. Nono, BUSY. The weekdays are busy with college stuff, and all my weekends are burnt dancing and horseriding and working in the kitchen and singing in chapel choir. I barely have time to socialise ( and i never thought i'd ever have to say that). Every weeknight i limp back to my corridor nursing my sore ankles or my sore head, or both. And my corrridormates are like,' Oh hello stranger! From whence have thou come? Do tell of thy travels.' I suspect they think I dont exist on weekends.
Ooooh and the IXIII Commonwealth Games are in Melbourne! The city is crawling with tourists, festivals, music and excitement. And the Queen's here! When I read that she had arrived a few days ago, I squeaked so hard at the dining table a Queener nearly spilt her milk in shock. I KNOW she's not my Queen, but it's still exciting. I mean, I went to visit her at her home 2 years ago and she wasnt there, and now she's come to visit me at mine!
Traffic is insane in melbourne. With lots of tram routes redirected, everyone encouraged to use public transport instead of drive, the place is crawling with pedestrians and people stopping randomly in the middle of the road to point a lens at something. Bad for window shoppers like me who will walk right into them while gaping at the shoes in the window of D&G. Thankfully most tourists ive walked into had nice big paunches so I could bounce off harmlessly.
The new tram routes have also confused the drivers themselves. I was on the tram heading up swanston street when it suddenly stopped right in its tracks (ooh bad pun) and the PA system crackled to life. The passengers all froze in horror.
The tram driver was laughing. Sheepishly. Like HEHEHE. kinda.
'Im sorry passengers * heh, ahem* we have gone the wrong way. We have to go back. Thank you.'
What the hell? we said to each other in confusion as the tram accelerated in the opposite way. Let us off, we dont wanna go back into the city, said some people, tugging frantically at the stop cord. But to no avail. We hurtled past 2 stops back to Queensberry hotel before the tram screeched to a stop. Still, the tram driver did not open the doors. Instead, he jumped out of the cabin with a huge spanner and cranked something on the tracks. That answered the question for most of us. The dude had forgotten to redirect the tracks! Sheesh. We are not
stupid you know. You could have just
told us. sigh.
By the time the tram started moving again, the driver had recovered his composure and his official stop-announcing voice. 'Next stop, Grattan Street'.
I shall leave the rest of tale to be told by the pictures. Life's a festival; dance, dance with me.
Postscript: Picassa is stuffing up. Xing can't post pictures. Xing is upset.
To celebrate Jie Lin's 21st birthday, we first went to the Rialto Towers Observation Deck ( the highest point in the city) to check out the view. It was a first for most of us, and we were suitably excited. Bubbling like tourists, we ran around the circular deck, pressing our noses to the floor-to-ceiling windows and snapped many happy pictures.
I like the smell of a newly-struck match
I can tell when it's going to rain in the next 12 hours by smelling the moisture in the air.
I love the colour yellow though it looks terrible on me.
I talk to my brother's stuffed lamb.
My hair has a life of its own- I can be in the best of moods but have a bad hair day.
I love leafy avenues and and country lanes, but I know i'd die away from the city.
Moths scare me hysterical.
I can generally point north by instinct.
I have weird recurring dreams with friends making cameo appearances.
I like black satin and dark lipstick.
People tell me that under all that dark hair, my roots are blonde.
I like thinking. Just sitting and thinking. And putting thoughts to paper.
Clare and I were talking about our friends and their quirks a few days ago ( friend of mine's vegetarian but eats fish because fish are ugly and should be eaten off the planet), and that got me thinking about myself and how people would view the things that make up me.
I didnt get very far down the list before I realised that while most people have seen a few of my quirks here and there, no one has actually seen the full collection of oddities that is me. I think at this point i came to fully understand what Leonardo Da Vinci meant when he said that painters should begin every canvas with a wash of black instead of a whitewash, because all things in nature are dark except when exposed by light.
The only things that people know about you are what you let them see.
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Moving right along to happier things, Im moving splendidly well into college and Melbourne. Classes have started. Jump- started, I should say, for in these 3 days i've learnt enough anatomy to make my head spin. All this while the sun outside is shining and everyone else is sunbathing on every available patch of grass. They are mocking me, I just know it.
Everyone has come back for a brand new semester! All is hell and chaos as people search for houses, move into new rooms, run about madly trying to claim all the stuff they left in various storage locations (usually the flat of a long-suffering friend who spent the summer scrambling over the cartons) and catch up with each other over coffee. My love goes to Tom and Wen and CY for being such sweethearts and helping me cart everything back to college. And for bearing the brunt of the embarrassment cos they were the ones who had to shepherd the Safeway trolley full of boxes back across the baby Roundabout of Death. We looked like homeless hobbos, yay!
Between the whole corridor, we have a microwave, a number of fridges, a toaster, 2 rice cookers, a coffee machine and some pots. Which means this year we can flick fingers at Eatkin's Monday attempt at curry and make something that tastes 10X better. Like instant noodles, for example.
OOOh and the new showers are pretty awesome. The showerhead's on the ceiling, so it feels like you're showering in the rain. Hot rain, but still rain. And someone has kindly left an iron in the bathroom so we can all stop looking like college students who rolled out of bed and into the lecture hall. It feels like a good start already!
Have a lot more to tell about Valentine's day and the Gaslight market, but that will have to wait cos it's thursday and yet again, I have waited for the last possible minute to do my PBL research. But that's ok. I love the syllabus this semester. We're doing thoracic cavity and locomotion, which means I get to poke and prod people with metal instruments and tell them things like 'you have acute laryngotracheobronchitis!' and other doctorly things.
Making up for the lag
Just Singing, Singing in the rain! Singin' in the Rain was staged by the Queen's College Music and Dance Society from the 6th of Oct to the 8th of Oct 2005. Amidst the many costume changes, we managed to sneak in a few pictures backstage.
Duncs and Emma
Zoe and Jesse the bobby.
Nothing like coffee to make a long wait sweeter.
Me and Don Lockwood and a wad of cotton wool. says zoe behind the camera: one cheesy photo coming right up!
Noni and me!
Tanj and Jesse as upperclass snots.
Miss Lina Lamont, the golden girl with the screech.
( L-R) The taitai groupie whose rich husband owns a plantation in the far east, the vocal coach and the nosy reporter.
The chorus girls
Plummers, my dance partner.
Lina Lamont's hairdresser, director and makeup lady.
The girls at Valedictory Dinner.
Valedictory day! For those not in college, it's the day where we sniff and wave white hankies at the people leaving the college at the end of this year. To the Queeners however... only we understand why we now fondly call it VB day instead. We start the day out early with a screening of 'The search for plastic fish', starring Queen's very own Haary Mo and Goldy. I have never seen so many college kids get up before 12pm. After making chalky skull many jugs of beer at The Clyde, we head back for a spit roast lunch. Here's lunch on the lawn with Gladys and Jess and the South Seniors: Gareth, Ben and Tamzin.
The law girls
Inter- Floor Volleyball Special: All-stars Vs the Weakest Link. Guess who won? Plummers show us his backward jump flip specialty.
The Miss Queen's Pageant. The girls become depressed at the sight of guys actually looking better than us in OUR clothes. sigh.
last year's winner arrives to pass her/ his tiara on.
Harry Mo ( and newly crowned Miss Queens 2005 ) shows us his stuff.
Choir barbie. Michael shows us his culinary expertise and feeds us all.
Us and our dear Dean of Chapel, Dot. Her daughter Miriam is the blonde bombshell next to me. She also has the loveliest voice ever.
After the Advent Carols service. We have lovely tea with Zoe, who kindly came all the way back to Queen's to watch us. *tear of sentiment* Hilary still can't take pictures without blinking. Meg can't wait to go home after a semester away from it; right after the tea she jumps into the car and drives off.
The view over Albert Park's Lake as we zipped past.
Roadtrip to Phillip Island. The car breaksdown, we get stranded at a petrol station for 3 hours while Jiawei gets told repeatedly by the rental company that since
we didn't know what the problem with the car was, we should drive on till the car grinds to a halt (!), potentially in the middle of nowhere. Houston the eternal opportunist explores the area and discovers great fish and chips. We, of course, never did see the little penguins (this is my second failed attempt at trying to) but the oily streaks we left on the car's bonnet ( that's in your face, stupid budget car rental) made us feel a little better.
To make ourselves feel better, we go to St. Kilda for dinner, where we munch on everything seafood and creamy and full of butter, washed down with a bottle of sauv. blanc. After a short stroll on the beach and contemplating the bacardi breezers, we concluded that the roadtrip was not such a failure after all.
My room at Queen's. See the piles of books? Im
am studying in Melbourne. In the snippets of time between dancing and partying and drinking of course.
