wow.. time really flies, as I am clutching my jackets and figuring out what jeans to bring to London for spring break i kinda reminisce the awesome winter break i had traipsing round orlando, NYC and van.
Didn't really have high hopes since
a) I wasn't a disney person as sheryl put it, and well, I kinda went more for the rides.. which made me utter "dis..appointing at ever turn"..
b) NYC was dead. to. me. having been there 4 times or more and just having been to ever single free destination that was around, I was getting sick of it.
c) Van wasn't particularly appealing either. lol.
but hey! i guess going with low expectations helped out ALOT. I thoroughly enjoyed myself in all phases of the trip and yeah.. it was a blast.
NYC revealed herself much more to me thanks to cw guiding us around for 'photo assignments' as well as introducing great food places from momofuku (yummy tsukemen and overrated BBQ pork bun -_-), to the home-reminding nonya, to that quirky japanese restaurant where we over-ordered like crazy, then chilling at joints like brgr (ironic that we didn't even TRY their burger), as well as jamba juice (where i prompty took at dump at their toilets after drinking so much juice.. ok u didn't need to know that)
not forgetting the places, and even the gem of a hotel i found. gerswhin hotel was uber-kitsch and just a nice find, so well-located near to the flatiron district that shopping was literally a stone throw's away. we pushed some wierd cube at k-town in the middle of the night (instigated by cw), went shopping at every single possible shopping place, hit greenwich village (i still cannot pronounce that word) and quarreling with cw over which movie to watch at that meteorically expensive theatres at Times Square (i wanted to watch National Treasure 2 and he insisted on Sweeney Todd.. and we ended up watching the disaster of Beowulf-3D which honestly.. sucked.)
oh oh! and i think i went on a realty-tv contestant spotting streak (think linken's gonna think i'm a complete pathetic sod but hehe.. who cares).. saw Malan from PR3 shopping at Marc Ecko and then saw Neil from SYTYCD2 (i think) at the theatres queueing for.. Sweeney Todd. haha.. i think i'm wasting my memory on utterly useless stuff.
so yeah, i actually miss NYC.. glad to be able to spend half a day there before I head to yet another metropolis called london. =).. wish me luck!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Monday, March 03, 2008
games night and post-party fun
games night came and went amidst yet another week of frantic scrambling to finish work and prelims alike. honestly not doing too well and getting too stressed over it, but well, i think i needa chill. lol.
well, had my usual dose of tennis and snowboarding to keep me happy, though snowboarding on friday was a commingled mess of abject misery + pain as well as exhilration. pain because i didn't wear a beanie and scarf which meant that when i sped down the hill, snow and cold sleet smacked and slapped my face so hard I had troubled speaking coherently upon finishing the black slopes. thank goodness for my ski goggles. we 'tried' going down hercules, apparently the toughest black slope that greek peak could offer, and honestly, when i reached the edge of the 'cliff', i just sat down and pretty much panicked the same way i did at odessey. then i pushed myself off, starting sliding down the slop on my butt, and laughed all the way down this way. this was so reminiscent of our kiddie slides just much bigger, much steeper and much more fun... lol.. yeah, so i didn't actually manage to go down hercules. oh well.
aniwez, so saturday was games night, started off slow, but as critical mass of people came, things were pretty fun, i skipped dota to play a game of bang! in which i had to battle the combined wits of 3 outlaws intent on killing the sheriff who couldn't quite protect himself and with a vice who was sheryl. nuff' said. lol.
too bad it had to end at 11, but it was pretty obvious that various groups were still intent on playing. headed back with the 909 gang, not before stopping for bubble tea in the middle of the cold night and also talking alot of crap.. lol. spent nearly 4 hours playing citadels (or.. in the case of me and zee, we spent 4 hours trying to explain and progress the game). it was pretty interesting. we had gamers like joshua and joel who were reading every single rule within the book to find out winning strats, we had guojian and cheewei who were more intent on being kings/architects and then exclaiming about them.. lol..
i must says it was fun, different kinds of fun with different groups.. which to me.. was real cool. haha.. will quite obviously miss such times when the semester ends and u guys have to leave.. lol.. oh wellz
well, had my usual dose of tennis and snowboarding to keep me happy, though snowboarding on friday was a commingled mess of abject misery + pain as well as exhilration. pain because i didn't wear a beanie and scarf which meant that when i sped down the hill, snow and cold sleet smacked and slapped my face so hard I had troubled speaking coherently upon finishing the black slopes. thank goodness for my ski goggles. we 'tried' going down hercules, apparently the toughest black slope that greek peak could offer, and honestly, when i reached the edge of the 'cliff', i just sat down and pretty much panicked the same way i did at odessey. then i pushed myself off, starting sliding down the slop on my butt, and laughed all the way down this way. this was so reminiscent of our kiddie slides just much bigger, much steeper and much more fun... lol.. yeah, so i didn't actually manage to go down hercules. oh well.
aniwez, so saturday was games night, started off slow, but as critical mass of people came, things were pretty fun, i skipped dota to play a game of bang! in which i had to battle the combined wits of 3 outlaws intent on killing the sheriff who couldn't quite protect himself and with a vice who was sheryl. nuff' said. lol.
too bad it had to end at 11, but it was pretty obvious that various groups were still intent on playing. headed back with the 909 gang, not before stopping for bubble tea in the middle of the cold night and also talking alot of crap.. lol. spent nearly 4 hours playing citadels (or.. in the case of me and zee, we spent 4 hours trying to explain and progress the game). it was pretty interesting. we had gamers like joshua and joel who were reading every single rule within the book to find out winning strats, we had guojian and cheewei who were more intent on being kings/architects and then exclaiming about them.. lol..
i must says it was fun, different kinds of fun with different groups.. which to me.. was real cool. haha.. will quite obviously miss such times when the semester ends and u guys have to leave.. lol.. oh wellz
Saturday, February 23, 2008
tennis tennis tennis tennis
ok that networks thing was just a castoff from another blog post that i was required to write for my class. I hate how when grading comes in everything that was once fun becomes so mandatory and un-fun.
but who am i to complain.. lol.. when i see cheewei mentioning about his thetr class and how it's it most fun class.. i kinda look at my classes and weep. The only remotely fun class is my networks class, but even that is saddled with a ridiculous amount of math, game theory and shits. and all i like is social network theory and how to analyze game plays of survivors using Social Network Theory and the likes.. geez.. i am so not an engineering student. (oh and if you haven't realized, the network shown is the favs tribe this season, with Yau-man getting the boot)
the week has been crazily busy, with two prelims back-to-back and a hell lot of homework. spent 2 hours yesterday agonizing over one question from my networks homework (my housemates said they heard me) and yeah.. realized it was a stupid reading error. omg.
speaking of non-academic stuff, i LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE tennis. it was a superb idea to get tennis lessons and then free up my whole tuesdays and thursdays morning. now (upon skipping 310 sections), my schedule on tuesdays and thursdays look like:
Wake up @ 9.00am -- Cook Breakfast -- Dawdle, QT, study -- Drive to Reis Tennis center at 11.00am -- Play till 12.00nn -- Head home, bathe and then saunter up to school.
WOOT! and honestly have i mentioned (yet again) that tennis is SO ABSOLUTELY FUN. imho it beats snowboarding even. the sense of accomplishment after ripping a winner down the court is.. wowz. that being said i kinda needa work on removing my prior badminton influences, like twisting my racket, not locking my wrist and stuff.. sheesh..
ok gonna sleep.
but who am i to complain.. lol.. when i see cheewei mentioning about his thetr class and how it's it most fun class.. i kinda look at my classes and weep. The only remotely fun class is my networks class, but even that is saddled with a ridiculous amount of math, game theory and shits. and all i like is social network theory and how to analyze game plays of survivors using Social Network Theory and the likes.. geez.. i am so not an engineering student. (oh and if you haven't realized, the network shown is the favs tribe this season, with Yau-man getting the boot)
the week has been crazily busy, with two prelims back-to-back and a hell lot of homework. spent 2 hours yesterday agonizing over one question from my networks homework (my housemates said they heard me) and yeah.. realized it was a stupid reading error. omg.
speaking of non-academic stuff, i LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE tennis. it was a superb idea to get tennis lessons and then free up my whole tuesdays and thursdays morning. now (upon skipping 310 sections), my schedule on tuesdays and thursdays look like:
Wake up @ 9.00am -- Cook Breakfast -- Dawdle, QT, study -- Drive to Reis Tennis center at 11.00am -- Play till 12.00nn -- Head home, bathe and then saunter up to school.
WOOT! and honestly have i mentioned (yet again) that tennis is SO ABSOLUTELY FUN. imho it beats snowboarding even. the sense of accomplishment after ripping a winner down the court is.. wowz. that being said i kinda needa work on removing my prior badminton influences, like twisting my racket, not locking my wrist and stuff.. sheesh..
ok gonna sleep.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
wipeout
i had my first winter wipeout as I was attempting to run out of the house to get to the gym. slipped and fell flat, clutching my iphone desperately to save it. and yeah, in the process found myself sprawled on the floor, knees scrapped by the cruddy snow and keys strewned across the white mess.
i hate snow. they say that the first winter is the worst. bullshit. every winter is SO miserable, and the notorious february 14th snow that cancelled school last winter has unfortunately decided to spread itself out thin and slather the whole place with mounds and mounds of snow. which then melts slightly due to the salting of pavements, but then ices back into semi-skating rinks in the cold night. geez.
speaking of wipeouts, well, snowboard has been REALLY REALLY FUN. it's like a breath of fresh air and confidence to zoom down mountains relatively confidently, feel the cold breeze commingled with a sense of adrenaline embrace u, and just.. the thrill of black/blue slopes. =) perhaps the only joy of winter.
i was telling everyone how i wished it would only snow on friday such that we go boarding on saturday, then snow melts on sunday, and we have summery days for the rest of the week. rinse, lather and repeat. oh wellz. wishful thinking
i hate snow. they say that the first winter is the worst. bullshit. every winter is SO miserable, and the notorious february 14th snow that cancelled school last winter has unfortunately decided to spread itself out thin and slather the whole place with mounds and mounds of snow. which then melts slightly due to the salting of pavements, but then ices back into semi-skating rinks in the cold night. geez.
speaking of wipeouts, well, snowboard has been REALLY REALLY FUN. it's like a breath of fresh air and confidence to zoom down mountains relatively confidently, feel the cold breeze commingled with a sense of adrenaline embrace u, and just.. the thrill of black/blue slopes. =) perhaps the only joy of winter.
i was telling everyone how i wished it would only snow on friday such that we go boarding on saturday, then snow melts on sunday, and we have summery days for the rest of the week. rinse, lather and repeat. oh wellz. wishful thinking
Friday, February 08, 2008
happy cny guys!
well.. what can i say, time really flies when you're busy and well.. haha this sem is proving to be really hectic, with me waking up at ungodly hours of around 7 - 8 and then only returning home at around 6 - 7. geez. 12 hours at sch.. bleah
that being said, my courses certainly look more manageable and i thank God that I have been able to cope well with my work so far, clear my homework debt that piled up in the weekend, enjoy a pretty social cny dinner, had steamboat, joined a project team, taking ballroom dancing and tennis lessons (whoopee!), and basically having a blast of a time snowboarding and stuff
i kinda feel like this semester is the way i wanna spend my time - frenetic but with a point. lol. but well, the downside is that i kinda needa catch up on my sleep.
so yeah. nitez
that being said, my courses certainly look more manageable and i thank God that I have been able to cope well with my work so far, clear my homework debt that piled up in the weekend, enjoy a pretty social cny dinner, had steamboat, joined a project team, taking ballroom dancing and tennis lessons (whoopee!), and basically having a blast of a time snowboarding and stuff
i kinda feel like this semester is the way i wanna spend my time - frenetic but with a point. lol. but well, the downside is that i kinda needa catch up on my sleep.
so yeah. nitez
Sunday, January 27, 2008
now for the serious stuff
first week has nearly expired itself and honestly i find my resolve weakening (yet again), faced rejection yet again and well.. find myself scarily staring at what would be a repeat of last semester's doldrums. i don't want to give up.
thing is, sometimes i wish God would just show me my path in life, so we don't have to face the hurt of rejection, we don't expand energy chasing dreams that aren't meant to be for us, and instead channeling time towards things that actually make a significance.
well, through the experience i guess i DO thank God for certain things - for allowing me the strength and courage to try, for giving me sufficiently leverage to break my fall, to have time to think and not get permanently scarred. i KNOW that there are God's best plans for me still, i just.. haven't found it yet or realized it yet maybe..but yeah.. now's the time to reflect, to let the hurt ebb away. =)
yesterday was a cool potluck and post-postluck singspiration plus two rounds of wild picture games where an original message of 'a rolling stone gathers no moss' evolves to 'shit rolling down the hill does not smash into wall' and to the eventual 'snowman cannot jump over wall'. lol. honestly the most hilarious thing in awhile.
i'm not going to be contented about certain stuff. i'll try on and on i guess, and well, hope for the best and hope my heart can take the hurt from the rejections. =) why must i keep getting denied?
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9)
thing is, sometimes i wish God would just show me my path in life, so we don't have to face the hurt of rejection, we don't expand energy chasing dreams that aren't meant to be for us, and instead channeling time towards things that actually make a significance.
well, through the experience i guess i DO thank God for certain things - for allowing me the strength and courage to try, for giving me sufficiently leverage to break my fall, to have time to think and not get permanently scarred. i KNOW that there are God's best plans for me still, i just.. haven't found it yet or realized it yet maybe..but yeah.. now's the time to reflect, to let the hurt ebb away. =)
yesterday was a cool potluck and post-postluck singspiration plus two rounds of wild picture games where an original message of 'a rolling stone gathers no moss' evolves to 'shit rolling down the hill does not smash into wall' and to the eventual 'snowman cannot jump over wall'. lol. honestly the most hilarious thing in awhile.
i'm not going to be contented about certain stuff. i'll try on and on i guess, and well, hope for the best and hope my heart can take the hurt from the rejections. =) why must i keep getting denied?
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9)
reality show updates
- i think aryn is pretty and did not deserve her bottom 3 placement. jay should be kicked off.
- methinks ronnie and shannon did the best job, with ronnie's pic being the absolute best. honestly, perry/casey's hardly made any sense and well.. wasn't in anyway sexual chemistry.
- amazing race lives up to it's reputation of having amazingly SHITTY endings. That's 12 seasons I've watched and so far the only winner I've supported was rob and brennan from the original TAR.
- PR's ricky needs to stop crying, and thank goodness that sourplum of a Victorya is gone.
- Survivor Micronesia is gearing up soon. and I am rooting for my past favourite, Ami. And FYI, Mark Burnett, I scarcely would think Amanda and.. omg what's that black guy's name ARE NOT favourites. give that to peih-gee.
- TAR:Asia sucks so badly this time round it isn't even worth watching. It is NOT the Marc and Rovilson show please.
- JDMA actually edits janice dickinson to be quite a real, caring character. i'm surprised that i'm actually rooting for her to succeed.
- American Idol is boring with a capital B. Just gimme my top 12 to skewer already.
sigh. all that's said and done, crushed dreams are the most fragile things of all.
- methinks ronnie and shannon did the best job, with ronnie's pic being the absolute best. honestly, perry/casey's hardly made any sense and well.. wasn't in anyway sexual chemistry.
- amazing race lives up to it's reputation of having amazingly SHITTY endings. That's 12 seasons I've watched and so far the only winner I've supported was rob and brennan from the original TAR.
- PR's ricky needs to stop crying, and thank goodness that sourplum of a Victorya is gone.
- Survivor Micronesia is gearing up soon. and I am rooting for my past favourite, Ami. And FYI, Mark Burnett, I scarcely would think Amanda and.. omg what's that black guy's name ARE NOT favourites. give that to peih-gee.
- TAR:Asia sucks so badly this time round it isn't even worth watching. It is NOT the Marc and Rovilson show please.
- JDMA actually edits janice dickinson to be quite a real, caring character. i'm surprised that i'm actually rooting for her to succeed.
- American Idol is boring with a capital B. Just gimme my top 12 to skewer already.
sigh. all that's said and done, crushed dreams are the most fragile things of all.
Monday, January 21, 2008
musings
hmm.. just a few more footnotes..
1. today's sermon was pretty good, with a really moving story at the end that was greatly motivating and inspiring. it is where the goal of our lives is such that when people talk about our lives, they can't help but talk about God. that in essence is the life we should live.
2. i did a pretty cool salad inspired from my final meal at Burgoos. Yup, it is Spinach salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette.
Here goes:
fresh spinach leaves
slices of bacon
cherry tomatoes
feta cheese
red onions
sauce-
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp grd black pepper
1/8 tsp sugar
1 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette sauce
so basically cook the bacon, then use the oil remaining to fry the onions and the sauce, and then spray the whole thing onto the spinach leaves, add feta cheese, cherry tomatoes and bacon and voila!
1. today's sermon was pretty good, with a really moving story at the end that was greatly motivating and inspiring. it is where the goal of our lives is such that when people talk about our lives, they can't help but talk about God. that in essence is the life we should live.
2. i did a pretty cool salad inspired from my final meal at Burgoos. Yup, it is Spinach salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette.
Here goes:
fresh spinach leaves
slices of bacon
cherry tomatoes
feta cheese
red onions
sauce-
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp grd black pepper
1/8 tsp sugar
1 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette sauce
so basically cook the bacon, then use the oil remaining to fry the onions and the sauce, and then spray the whole thing onto the spinach leaves, add feta cheese, cherry tomatoes and bacon and voila!
traipsing round vancouver
1. For some suspension bridge thrills, go to Lynn Valley instead of Capiliano. Capiliano costs money and seems more gimmicky. Well actually unless you're starved for options to sightsee, don't bother about these two. My mom poohed at the suspension bridge saying it was like the MacRitchie Treetop Walk whereas me and my sis were clearly not quite enjoying the walk across. I wonder who gave us the gene for fear of heights.
2. I learnt one more function of my camera! whoppee! (lol to Liksin)Well, aniwez I was pretty impreseed with Ian's photos and yeah wanted to learn a skill and two. Finally figured out how to blur the scenery behind the object of focus. (Yeah, I am writing this knowing I risk sounding ditzy, but oh well.. lol)
Kitsilano Beach.. honestly this was taken at like 12.00nn and the suns already making its way slowly down.. what a depressing feeling.
another view of Kitsilano
Up Mount Seymour for snowboarding!! Honestly, anything done on a mountain trumps Greek Peak soundly.
View on the roads near my sis' house
tons of snow geese in the parks
i like.
more indulgence in photo taking
i think those were nests.
i love the dusk shots
this is in victoria. which honestly is not worth going in the winter. and i don't think they encourage tourists as well considering how the planted the ugly crane there to destroy people's photo shots...
miniature world! possibly the few things worth seeing in vancouver, but we rushed through it cos there wasn't enough time. I HATE PACKAGED TOURS.
aniwez my camera kinda got a bit full with all the images.. so that's about it. school starts tmr! i'm kinda hyped up for it somewhat but what with the horrid schedule i have, and idea of waking up at 7+ every morning.. man..
Sunday, January 20, 2008
things i learnt about disneyland
1. the Osborne family define the words extravagance and decadence. but hey, the christmas light up sponsored by them was fan-freakking-tastic.
2. the only rides worth mentioning are everest and fast-track. the rest serve to tickle you slightly.
this is everest. whoppee.
3. be AS kiddie as possible, go try everything, go pose with everything you can see, ignoring the glances whatsoever of other disenfrachised parents saddled with their kids and whatsnot. lol. ok, but draw the line at pink power ranger. -_-
we waited 1 1/2 hours for this. geez.
4. wolfgang puck is overrated.
5. despite knowing from psych class that the castle is only 3 levels high, it still is pretty awesome.
6. epcot yields gorgeous scenic shots.
see what i mean
my favourite shot
i think this was 'little' italy
7. epcot scores again for emo shots.
i like this shot cos it feels very 'in the moment' and 'high fashion' lol. taken in epcot's 'france'
i dunno what to say.. lol
notice how it's always guy-girl shots? hehe.. wonder why? think along the lines of the prev disneyland post. lol
8. bring a good camera to the safari. else just forget about the shots and enjoy the ride.
9. on that note, animal kingdom is a pretty good place for shots as well. otherwise it's outstandingly.. underwhelming.
ducks caught kissing
10. stay for all the fireworks display. they're the reason for the exorbitant cost of things in disney.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
the shopaholic laments
it's kinda quite sad to hear people dismissively talking about how engineering students dress shabbily to school and the likes... and then realize you're pretty much an offender of it as well.. geez..
thing is, it's easily to wear things in singapore. a decent tee and jeans kinda rules the day. and i don't means fake abercrombie or wad. if things get too boring, slap on a jacket, a choker or something of that variant and you'd fit in pretty well and fell pretty good. (for accessories, just ask guang yi or sunnypal.. lol)
problem is, coming to US, you kinda have to contend with more stuff, which i obviously didn't realize till recently. you can't just import your singaporean wardrobe over, then slather on various disparate but nice pieces and expect to 'make it work'. furthermore, you have to contend with the fact that style comes at a price, whereas warm clothing comes at another. meaning the combination of both fetches a pretty scary price... and it also means this stupid, vapid dumb guy here pretty much only has stylish/nice-looking but impractical clothing, or warm clothing that look like it came from the eighties.. ok i'm exaggerating that.
and then some clothes are just meant for summer and not for winter and vice versa.. so it's been pretty agonizing. well, not actually, but since i've had the time to pretty much reflect about everything in life, i was also contemplating this fact and had an epiphany, albeit a very stupif and overused one - go for looks instead of pieces! voila. duh.
haha.. it kinda means i needa go stock up on essential basics and then apply the healthy lessons of layering and what's it not.. or honestly, (which im more inclined to do since i'm that lazy and honestly by now am lamenting the amount of money i've spent on ..impractical clothing), i'm just not gonna care. lol..
aniwez, this babble was all generated whilst i was talking to my sis whilst we were walking back from UBC after crashing two of her courses, one being an intro to the course of christian thought and culture and the other being the chapel service, which was really pretty good! though in my unc kum-heng influenced deviant mindset i was chuckling at my own joke that the chapel was pretty much so holy that angels were expected to burst out in chorus any minute.. lol.. ok lame.
aniwez yeah, kinda will miss the place when i head back to ithaca tmr. living here has been fun, meeting her friends, chatting silly things.. =). oh yeah.. and getting dissed by her when i said i wanted to try to pull off the the looks mentioned below.. one which is too exorbitantly expensive and that other she just said was.. gay.. which on hindsight, pretty much is.. oh wellz.. lol.
i kinda like the sunglasses. but i doubt i would be caught dead in them. and i can't be bothered to paste the other picture.. cheewei recommended it from the rugby, ralph lauren website..
thing is, it's easily to wear things in singapore. a decent tee and jeans kinda rules the day. and i don't means fake abercrombie or wad. if things get too boring, slap on a jacket, a choker or something of that variant and you'd fit in pretty well and fell pretty good. (for accessories, just ask guang yi or sunnypal.. lol)
problem is, coming to US, you kinda have to contend with more stuff, which i obviously didn't realize till recently. you can't just import your singaporean wardrobe over, then slather on various disparate but nice pieces and expect to 'make it work'. furthermore, you have to contend with the fact that style comes at a price, whereas warm clothing comes at another. meaning the combination of both fetches a pretty scary price... and it also means this stupid, vapid dumb guy here pretty much only has stylish/nice-looking but impractical clothing, or warm clothing that look like it came from the eighties.. ok i'm exaggerating that.
and then some clothes are just meant for summer and not for winter and vice versa.. so it's been pretty agonizing. well, not actually, but since i've had the time to pretty much reflect about everything in life, i was also contemplating this fact and had an epiphany, albeit a very stupif and overused one - go for looks instead of pieces! voila. duh.
haha.. it kinda means i needa go stock up on essential basics and then apply the healthy lessons of layering and what's it not.. or honestly, (which im more inclined to do since i'm that lazy and honestly by now am lamenting the amount of money i've spent on ..impractical clothing), i'm just not gonna care. lol..
aniwez, this babble was all generated whilst i was talking to my sis whilst we were walking back from UBC after crashing two of her courses, one being an intro to the course of christian thought and culture and the other being the chapel service, which was really pretty good! though in my unc kum-heng influenced deviant mindset i was chuckling at my own joke that the chapel was pretty much so holy that angels were expected to burst out in chorus any minute.. lol.. ok lame.
aniwez yeah, kinda will miss the place when i head back to ithaca tmr. living here has been fun, meeting her friends, chatting silly things.. =). oh yeah.. and getting dissed by her when i said i wanted to try to pull off the the looks mentioned below.. one which is too exorbitantly expensive and that other she just said was.. gay.. which on hindsight, pretty much is.. oh wellz.. lol.
i kinda like the sunglasses. but i doubt i would be caught dead in them. and i can't be bothered to paste the other picture.. cheewei recommended it from the rugby, ralph lauren website..
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
american chinese food
you know, after eating vancouver chinese food (well, practically weeping in joy over its authenticity and flavour), i've come to the conclusion that american chinese food belong to one special category of its own. haha.. right between tv dinners and badly cooked food.
ok i'm being mean, but honestly i think chinese american food has deviated so far from its original inspirations, then it honestly forms another whole food genre of its own..
the food you encounter in american chinese cuisine:
1. pork roll - translates to measly pork balls stuffed into bandages of unpalatable flour and fied in stale oil. avoid at all costs. honestly.
2. soup before the meal - only 3 choices, either wonton, hot and sour soup or the puzzlingly named egg drop. when i mentioned egg dropped to my sis, she said it reminded her of bird droppings.. so.. hmmz.
3. some form of poultry or farm animal. usually either chicken with general tso's sauce, sweet and sour sauce, sesame sauce, or some other tangy, sticky paste that's a variant of the above. honestly, sometimes i can't taste the difference and probably there isn't any. the sauce attempts to be so thick and overpowering that you taste nothing else besides it. and honestly, who is general tso?? honestly, at the rate his chicken is being served at chinese restaurants, i think he would be the most famous chinese personality in the US
4. JUMBO shrimp - which means a normal prawn. which i then would wonder what they would call a tiger prawn. the shrimp that ate manhattan? ...
5. dessert - what do you expect? fortune cookies. well actually fortune cookies are quite delicious unless of course you get those that have been stashed in some box for millions of years and taste like stale plastic. eww..
6. moo goo gai pan. don't ask me. i never figured out whether this was a mispelling typical of such places or i dunno. maybe moo goo was the wife of mr. tso?
7. the chopsticks!! honestly this issue was discussed in my freshmen writing class once and we had a great laugh about it. its found everywhere where chinese food is served and is unmissable with its gawdy red and yellow coloring. one side teaches the individual how to use the chopsticks whilst the other slaps of some chinese ideograms and has words going like - welcome to the Chinese culture. enjoy the hertiage and glorious culutre as you enjoy the foo.
yeah.. some variant of it or what...
but well.. what can i say? beggars ain't choosers and so when i head back to paltry ithaca and crave for my chinese food, guess where i'd be heading? lol...
ok i'm being mean, but honestly i think chinese american food has deviated so far from its original inspirations, then it honestly forms another whole food genre of its own..
the food you encounter in american chinese cuisine:
1. pork roll - translates to measly pork balls stuffed into bandages of unpalatable flour and fied in stale oil. avoid at all costs. honestly.
2. soup before the meal - only 3 choices, either wonton, hot and sour soup or the puzzlingly named egg drop. when i mentioned egg dropped to my sis, she said it reminded her of bird droppings.. so.. hmmz.
3. some form of poultry or farm animal. usually either chicken with general tso's sauce, sweet and sour sauce, sesame sauce, or some other tangy, sticky paste that's a variant of the above. honestly, sometimes i can't taste the difference and probably there isn't any. the sauce attempts to be so thick and overpowering that you taste nothing else besides it. and honestly, who is general tso?? honestly, at the rate his chicken is being served at chinese restaurants, i think he would be the most famous chinese personality in the US
4. JUMBO shrimp - which means a normal prawn. which i then would wonder what they would call a tiger prawn. the shrimp that ate manhattan? ...
5. dessert - what do you expect? fortune cookies. well actually fortune cookies are quite delicious unless of course you get those that have been stashed in some box for millions of years and taste like stale plastic. eww..
6. moo goo gai pan. don't ask me. i never figured out whether this was a mispelling typical of such places or i dunno. maybe moo goo was the wife of mr. tso?
7. the chopsticks!! honestly this issue was discussed in my freshmen writing class once and we had a great laugh about it. its found everywhere where chinese food is served and is unmissable with its gawdy red and yellow coloring. one side teaches the individual how to use the chopsticks whilst the other slaps of some chinese ideograms and has words going like - welcome to the Chinese culture. enjoy the hertiage and glorious culutre as you enjoy the foo.
yeah.. some variant of it or what...
but well.. what can i say? beggars ain't choosers and so when i head back to paltry ithaca and crave for my chinese food, guess where i'd be heading? lol...
Saturday, January 12, 2008
reflections of the past semester
-emo post alert-
time in vancouver has been invaluable and incredibly refreshing, time spent with my parents and sis (thou i sorely miss my eldest sis as well) and without my own computer and dota, i have had more time to reflect and just appreciate stuff
honestly, i wasn't really happy with the previous semester because to me i accomplished zilch besides my academics stuff.. i kinda preload my semester with expectations and resolutions then lack the courage and determination to carry it through. plus for the semester, i spent most my spent worrying about my tutorials, doing my tutorials then reeling from the disaster that was my tutorials.. and also being lazy at home.. this kinda is not what i signed up for, not what i sold 6 years of my life for and certainly not the reason why i came to america for.
plus, what disappoints me was how i threw all concern of spiritual stuff and physical health stuff outta the window this semester and just blitzed past everything..
so yeah, it is with such thoughts that i brace myself for the upcoming semester. it's not hard to guess what things i'm gonna be resolu-ting for.. so i wouldn't bother. what i would be bothered, would be to really give thanks to God for my family and really appreciate them...
during one QT session, i wrote this down on my iphone-
if there is anything i really thank God for, it is for the amazingly great family he has put me into - each building me up in different ways- my mum being the pivotal support in my formative years and for inculcating good discipline as well as being steadfast in God and being such a diligent, smart and yet humble and thoughtful mother. for Dad, with his self sacrificial ways and his great love for his children, and his undivided love for God. my elder sis, for showing me how human love between husband and wife is such a beautiful and amazing thing that it shapes both individuals to be more christlike. and finally for my emotive lovable secod sis, who has struggled through so much in her life yet through her life and her chatter, has taught me many valauble lessons about God.
of course, at this point i kinda realize how i've been super lazy about appreciating others who have done so much for me and yet i've been quite the jerk in procrastinating and not replying to emails, gifts and stuff
to alvin and co (you know who u all are), thanks for the great support through the JC and post-JC years and being there for me even when i was being difficult and stuff, and especially alvin, for showing me how a great devoted friend ought to be with his cards and stuff. really, sometimes i complain and get so hurt about investing much in friendships and stuff and then i realise i'm also a great perpertrator in such acts as well.. so forgive me as well.. =)
to my cousin chrystal, who always bought me stuff and listened to me yak about silly pop-culture stuff, i really thank you for being such a great couz and friend and yeah, i will pray for you for your growth in God.
to friends that I've gone hi-bye with through msn, army, sch and stuff and just haven't had the time to re-connect and rejuvenate the friendship, i truly apologize and really hope that yeah.. there's the emotional space and time to maintain such great friendships and memories
---
i've was complaining in orlando florida that i have had issues, that i was being emo and that i had childhood scars, but honestly, reflecting so much on my life, i realize how blessed i am and how unfair am i to say such stuff about my 'childhood'. indeed, i felt like i never lived up to any thing in RI/RJ and was distraught with my physical inabilites, and just overall pasty, unfavourable demeanor. but then i remember the good friends i made, and just the experiences and lessons i have learnt and am i still learning and yeah.. maybe there is a point to it. indeed, i was extremely distraught with my not being able to join odac in rj, and then the being sent to obese company in army but then as i was recounting my time in gryphon coy, i really enjoyed my time there, made GREAT friends and never once felt insecure about my weight/image or stuff. indeed, there was a regrettable sense of superiority that times which i am disgusted as ii reflect, because you guys there built me up as well and we supported each other towards common goals, so yeah, forgive me as well if u felt slighted by me..
... wow.. feels like pandora box is opened.. lol.. but well.. i'm glad i can share such stuff. these ARE my many 'childhood scars' and issues as i so have proclaimed but well.. i think these are more like obstacles and stepping stones that i had to navigate in order to grow up and really learn to be more like Christ. i am proud to say that going to gryphon was probably one of the best gifts God gave me even though i was so chagrined when i initially heard of it. but i do realize that there are many hurts that are still hurting, that i cannot yet resolve. ri chronicles still hurt honestly sometimes.. because i felt like i did nothing except get fat and study. the whole friendship falling out thing hurts like HELL and i'm still learning.
i'm still work in progress, but well, who isn't? may the next sem be more illumianting and may 2008 be a year where i follow closely to God's words and lead a disciplined lifestyle.
-end of emo post- lol.
time in vancouver has been invaluable and incredibly refreshing, time spent with my parents and sis (thou i sorely miss my eldest sis as well) and without my own computer and dota, i have had more time to reflect and just appreciate stuff
honestly, i wasn't really happy with the previous semester because to me i accomplished zilch besides my academics stuff.. i kinda preload my semester with expectations and resolutions then lack the courage and determination to carry it through. plus for the semester, i spent most my spent worrying about my tutorials, doing my tutorials then reeling from the disaster that was my tutorials.. and also being lazy at home.. this kinda is not what i signed up for, not what i sold 6 years of my life for and certainly not the reason why i came to america for.
plus, what disappoints me was how i threw all concern of spiritual stuff and physical health stuff outta the window this semester and just blitzed past everything..
so yeah, it is with such thoughts that i brace myself for the upcoming semester. it's not hard to guess what things i'm gonna be resolu-ting for.. so i wouldn't bother. what i would be bothered, would be to really give thanks to God for my family and really appreciate them...
during one QT session, i wrote this down on my iphone-
if there is anything i really thank God for, it is for the amazingly great family he has put me into - each building me up in different ways- my mum being the pivotal support in my formative years and for inculcating good discipline as well as being steadfast in God and being such a diligent, smart and yet humble and thoughtful mother. for Dad, with his self sacrificial ways and his great love for his children, and his undivided love for God. my elder sis, for showing me how human love between husband and wife is such a beautiful and amazing thing that it shapes both individuals to be more christlike. and finally for my emotive lovable secod sis, who has struggled through so much in her life yet through her life and her chatter, has taught me many valauble lessons about God.
of course, at this point i kinda realize how i've been super lazy about appreciating others who have done so much for me and yet i've been quite the jerk in procrastinating and not replying to emails, gifts and stuff
to alvin and co (you know who u all are), thanks for the great support through the JC and post-JC years and being there for me even when i was being difficult and stuff, and especially alvin, for showing me how a great devoted friend ought to be with his cards and stuff. really, sometimes i complain and get so hurt about investing much in friendships and stuff and then i realise i'm also a great perpertrator in such acts as well.. so forgive me as well.. =)
to my cousin chrystal, who always bought me stuff and listened to me yak about silly pop-culture stuff, i really thank you for being such a great couz and friend and yeah, i will pray for you for your growth in God.
to friends that I've gone hi-bye with through msn, army, sch and stuff and just haven't had the time to re-connect and rejuvenate the friendship, i truly apologize and really hope that yeah.. there's the emotional space and time to maintain such great friendships and memories
---
i've was complaining in orlando florida that i have had issues, that i was being emo and that i had childhood scars, but honestly, reflecting so much on my life, i realize how blessed i am and how unfair am i to say such stuff about my 'childhood'. indeed, i felt like i never lived up to any thing in RI/RJ and was distraught with my physical inabilites, and just overall pasty, unfavourable demeanor. but then i remember the good friends i made, and just the experiences and lessons i have learnt and am i still learning and yeah.. maybe there is a point to it. indeed, i was extremely distraught with my not being able to join odac in rj, and then the being sent to obese company in army but then as i was recounting my time in gryphon coy, i really enjoyed my time there, made GREAT friends and never once felt insecure about my weight/image or stuff. indeed, there was a regrettable sense of superiority that times which i am disgusted as ii reflect, because you guys there built me up as well and we supported each other towards common goals, so yeah, forgive me as well if u felt slighted by me..
... wow.. feels like pandora box is opened.. lol.. but well.. i'm glad i can share such stuff. these ARE my many 'childhood scars' and issues as i so have proclaimed but well.. i think these are more like obstacles and stepping stones that i had to navigate in order to grow up and really learn to be more like Christ. i am proud to say that going to gryphon was probably one of the best gifts God gave me even though i was so chagrined when i initially heard of it. but i do realize that there are many hurts that are still hurting, that i cannot yet resolve. ri chronicles still hurt honestly sometimes.. because i felt like i did nothing except get fat and study. the whole friendship falling out thing hurts like HELL and i'm still learning.
i'm still work in progress, but well, who isn't? may the next sem be more illumianting and may 2008 be a year where i follow closely to God's words and lead a disciplined lifestyle.
-end of emo post- lol.
Monday, January 07, 2008
relishing vancouver's food
had dinner at a fabulous restaurant near my sis' house today that consisted of butternut squash soup, fondue of cheese with white wine and beef bourl- smth.. yummy! loved the ambience too - some smoky, authentic dim-lit taverna-ish place that proved too dim for any photo-shots.. geez
still, if u get me and my mom in agreement that the food is good.. you've struck gold.. lol. oh and lunch was fantastic as well with the most authentic dim sum i've have had in 6 months.. swoonsome man, especially the crunchy uber-delicious bbq pork!! haha.. sometimes i think vancouver is even more asian and chinese than singapore man.. honestly i've spoken more cantonese here than i have in singapore.. and it's like the people here assume you speak canto.. lol
alrite.. cue the amazing race music..
from the snowy suburban terrain of ithaca, new york
to the gawdy overdone but nevertheless spectacular light-ups @ orlando, disneyland
heading west toward dreary, sleepy vancouver
to the snow-tipped regions in japan.. (yah rite!! this was in vancouver as well)
back to the cosmopolitan-ish cityscape of sing.. vancouver!
still, if u get me and my mom in agreement that the food is good.. you've struck gold.. lol. oh and lunch was fantastic as well with the most authentic dim sum i've have had in 6 months.. swoonsome man, especially the crunchy uber-delicious bbq pork!! haha.. sometimes i think vancouver is even more asian and chinese than singapore man.. honestly i've spoken more cantonese here than i have in singapore.. and it's like the people here assume you speak canto.. lol
alrite.. cue the amazing race music..
from the snowy suburban terrain of ithaca, new york
to the gawdy overdone but nevertheless spectacular light-ups @ orlando, disneyland
heading west toward dreary, sleepy vancouver
to the snow-tipped regions in japan.. (yah rite!! this was in vancouver as well)
back to the cosmopolitan-ish cityscape of sing.. vancouver!
lol.. what a journey it has been.. more fotos when i finally reunite with my com... honestly.. using my dad's inept LG computer and the equally baffling and useless iMac courtesy of my sis is like entering computer-purgatory.. geez. lol
Sunday, December 30, 2007
a rundown of things
these few days have been more of a frenzied hustle than a rest period for me.. geez.. with my parents arriving and fussing over the cold, my sis currently acting like a complete retard (that she is - further confirmed today.. hehehe)
now she's threatening to throw me out of the her room. geez.
vancouver has been absolutely bleary and miserable (despite what cody insists) with the weather varying from miserable drizzle to lin-ken type of moping downpour (not that i am least bit laughing at him. hehe). honestly, and with the sun setting at 5pm there hasn't been much fun in the sun and i haven't been able to take much shots of places like granville island and the likes.
oh wellz.. i realise the most fun part of things is meeting people, interacting with them and man.. preventing my dad from overinteracting with them. had a fabulous christmas dinner @ my sister's friend's place with much christmas caroling, silly games and comparing canada, america and singapore.. then it was meeting up with my dad's old friend who honestly has a personality that pendulum-swings between utmoust piousness and schoolboy mischeviousness.. and yeah.. he's an absolute riot and fun to be with.
so yeah whilst the location is disappointing, the company is a blast. =).. plus i get to have my 'me' time occasionally and start planning world domination next semester.. hehehe.. as i have always said before a semester, you're gonna see a new frank next semester.
lol.. let's see whether even an iota of that statement above would ring true
now she's threatening to throw me out of the her room. geez.
vancouver has been absolutely bleary and miserable (despite what cody insists) with the weather varying from miserable drizzle to lin-ken type of moping downpour (not that i am least bit laughing at him. hehe). honestly, and with the sun setting at 5pm there hasn't been much fun in the sun and i haven't been able to take much shots of places like granville island and the likes.
oh wellz.. i realise the most fun part of things is meeting people, interacting with them and man.. preventing my dad from overinteracting with them. had a fabulous christmas dinner @ my sister's friend's place with much christmas caroling, silly games and comparing canada, america and singapore.. then it was meeting up with my dad's old friend who honestly has a personality that pendulum-swings between utmoust piousness and schoolboy mischeviousness.. and yeah.. he's an absolute riot and fun to be with.
so yeah whilst the location is disappointing, the company is a blast. =).. plus i get to have my 'me' time occasionally and start planning world domination next semester.. hehehe.. as i have always said before a semester, you're gonna see a new frank next semester.
lol.. let's see whether even an iota of that statement above would ring true
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
the fun of it all
really have had so much fun these few days, first with the rekindling of the youthful side of everyone @ disneyworld, getting overwhelmed by the fantastic fireworks and light-ups everynight, me + cheewei laughing at sheryl's photo-shots, taking silly emo shots around epcot's world showcase. then heading to NYC, chillin' at an uber-cool trendy gershwin hotel, hitting the streets around soho, east village, greenwich village, chinatown, eating delicious jap food + fusion jap food, having a blast of a shopping time with new found great shopping pals, then arguing like crazy over movies to watch and concluding that we ain't movie pals. then finally it's a complete 360 degrees change in vancouver, staying at my sis' place and enjoying the much better weather, relaxing and chillin' at her place, going for fantastic christmas eve parties and the likes..
ahh.. life.
ahh.. life.
Friday, December 14, 2007
reflections
well.. this sem is officially over, from the moment i put down my pencil in disgust over the 303 paper and laughed my way whilst handing it in. oh well. hahahaha
aniwez, things really went by way too fast this sem. was completely steeped in work and wow.. can't say i really enjoyed the sem much. geez. hopefully the next will be better.. kinda wanna do more stuff and have WAY more fun.
but yeah.. now for the hols first!
aniwez, things really went by way too fast this sem. was completely steeped in work and wow.. can't say i really enjoyed the sem much. geez. hopefully the next will be better.. kinda wanna do more stuff and have WAY more fun.
but yeah.. now for the hols first!
Thursday, December 06, 2007
cold and miserable
it's a frigid -9 degrees out there and the snow has blanketed everything, transforming the scenery into yet another white winter wonderland. i'm honestly still in awe at the way the snow just magically makes everything so.. beautiful, so pure, so rustic and so untouched. you feel as if life itself has deserted the area somewhat.
oh wellz. though the cold is a dratted thing.
aniwez i'm in the midst of studying in the final week, and i'm currently ONE DAY BEHIND schedule. arggh. doesn't bode well for me. i'm torn behind hastening my psych studies or just plunging into them and clearing the first hurdle first. hmmz. ok, you don't need to hear me yak about this. hehe.
i'm more frustrated with just how things have turned out this sem. i'm honestly not the sentimentalist. i'm like the pathetic mimic. the guy that wants to be something yet honestly cannot fathom why he wants to be that. the guy that pulls so much psychological ploys and plays yet wonders what the heck he does that for. the guy who orchestrates schemes and plans to do this and that, yet wonders if ultimately, we are shackled by our inherent choices, behavior and nature.
i can't make things reconcile. and i'm paying for it. i just feel.. sigh. confused.
oh wellz. though the cold is a dratted thing.
aniwez i'm in the midst of studying in the final week, and i'm currently ONE DAY BEHIND schedule. arggh. doesn't bode well for me. i'm torn behind hastening my psych studies or just plunging into them and clearing the first hurdle first. hmmz. ok, you don't need to hear me yak about this. hehe.
i'm more frustrated with just how things have turned out this sem. i'm honestly not the sentimentalist. i'm like the pathetic mimic. the guy that wants to be something yet honestly cannot fathom why he wants to be that. the guy that pulls so much psychological ploys and plays yet wonders what the heck he does that for. the guy who orchestrates schemes and plans to do this and that, yet wonders if ultimately, we are shackled by our inherent choices, behavior and nature.
i can't make things reconcile. and i'm paying for it. i just feel.. sigh. confused.
Sunday, December 02, 2007
back to the slopes! (and the books)
woot! final week of this sem just ended! besides several glimpses of fun this sem has been DREARY with the capital D. but well, now it's time to regroup study hard and do well for finals! =)
played like 4 hours of settler's yesterday and hit the slopes today @ greek peak to fill my fun quota before a week of mugging.. heehee.. settlers, to me, is one of the fun-nest games ever cos there's so much psychology involved in the game and it's so much of talk. and snowboarding was pretty painful and disheartening initially, as we only attempted alpha slope (noob man!) and fell like crazy initially on the icy slopes. ouch! but well.. then the muscle memory kicked in and things became much better.
so well.. 3 finals to go! countdown starts!
played like 4 hours of settler's yesterday and hit the slopes today @ greek peak to fill my fun quota before a week of mugging.. heehee.. settlers, to me, is one of the fun-nest games ever cos there's so much psychology involved in the game and it's so much of talk. and snowboarding was pretty painful and disheartening initially, as we only attempted alpha slope (noob man!) and fell like crazy initially on the icy slopes. ouch! but well.. then the muscle memory kicked in and things became much better.
so well.. 3 finals to go! countdown starts!
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