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Happy Children's Day

2011-09-30T10:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it's 2 hours in to children's day, the end of my rest-break from mid, mid sems. And I can't seem to sleep. Maybe because I refuse to turn the comp off.

So quick update:

Well most recently (approx 48 hours ago) i was friggin killing myself. Panicked over too many things with too little time. Basically, I had to finish up both my theatre critique and psych paper, do up an English presentation, and study for PL2131 mid sem.

Everything just crashed and burned by the end of the day, cos I had no one to talk it out with. My phone died and bee was angry with me..multiplying that shit by a thousand times. Here's what summed up that crappiness : A kind stranger in the lift (who on seeing me with my super black face) asked/said "the day wasn't that bad was it??" (hahaha) and seeing Sher's shoes outside my house <3

So allswellthatendswell. That was me two days ago.

A month's wrap then?

School work's pretty manageable - if i have the discipline, that is. I shall vow to keep 2 hours a day solely on reading. And another hour on tutorials. Doesn't seem so bad right??

Climbing's getting better - I don't feel that dog eat dog world competitiveness. I think getting to know the seniors and our peers through camp made it all the more awesome. I'm still skeptical if it'd ever reach the state of closeness the TJCCC family was at. But i'm happy Jensen said he considers keeping us all. That really made my week :D

Life outside school - meh. not so much. I really really appreciate him for coming down to NUS like two or more times a week to spend time with me. Even though he doesn't talk much of his life, it just makes me smile. And i know how much he's doing this for me. For us. :D

Besides all of that...i guess the only thing i haven't really got used to is the loneliness? I cannot bring myself to SIT at a table without anyone around me to have a meal. Not that I haven't but I just don't like the feeling =( it's pretty depressing really. i don't consider myself to be needy, but lunch alone, to me, is just unbearable. I can shop alone, study alone, walk to class alone, BUT not sit at tutorial/lecture alone and EAT alone. Sorry.

So if you ever do see me looking lost at the deck (i'm more like looking for peeps than for people) please invite me to join you.

HAHA. i wonder how many of you think i joke.

Well, that's all for tonight. HAPPY CHILDREN'S DAY

P.S, did i say i'm EUPHORIC about the fact that my PL mods' mid sems are over with?

my baby

2011-08-17T09:46:00.000-07:00

MY BABY's AMAZING ;D

Within me

2011-08-17T09:24:00.000-07:00

Haven't dropped any ink here for awhile.
Dust has settled huh..
Maybe even spiderwebs in corners, like my room.

Anywhoo. As I'm sitting in my C309 hostel room at KE VII hall, with ballads in the background, and a tiny naggy me in my head telling me to sleep, there are a zillion things going on in my head.

School's been on for a week and three days.
And I've been "living" independently for about three weeks.
After all the orientation activities, things start to simmer down, and anticipation of serious stuff begins

I kinda miss the old times when things get spoon fed to us...
Notifying my parents that fees are due,
Printing of lecture notes, assignment worksheets,
Being told exactly what to read and when and from where...
Having an aunty at the bookshop that'll sell you a whole pack of notes you'll ever need for the semester
Having a fixed class that comprises a class committee that bao kah liao all the necessary lil details like printing the class timetable
Homecooked meals.

But hey, the Past is past.

Then I think about the Future.
And one word comes to mind - Fear.
Right now I'm juggling:
Two tuition students
A standard 5 modules with 17 hours of contact time per week
Not inclusive of the hours spent doing alltheabove on my own
Plus the countless readings and texts that ARTS FACULTY virtually spells.
Being an IVP - Inter-varsity player, (which isn't really set in stone yet. But a girl can plan/hope)
which means three trainings per week, 3-4 hours at a time.
Being a part of KE VII hall
Wanting to be active in hall (I mean, why else join a hall right?)

Can I do it all?

Mommy and Daddy think so (:
They gave this to me when I checked-in to my hostel
It was so sweet I cried =(

Your presence is a gift to the world,
You're unique and one of a kind.
Your life can be what you want it to be -
Take in one day at a time.

Count your blessings, not your troubles,
And you'll make it through what comes along.
Within you are so many answers,
Understand, have courage, be strong.

Don't put limits on yourself,
Your dreams are waiting to be realized.
Don't leave important decisions to chance -
Reach for your peak, your goal, and your prize.

Nothing wastes more energy than worrying -
The longer a problem is carried, the heavier it gets.
Don't take things too seriously -
Live a life of serenity, not a life of regrets.

Remember that a little love goes a long way -
Remember that a lot goes forever.
Remember that friendship is a wise investment,
Life's treasures are people... together.

Have health and hope and happiness,
Take the time to wish on a star.
And don't ever forget for even a day...
How very special YOU are!

www.papemelroti.com 904426

Hostel Headache.

2011-05-23T19:56:00.000-07:00

for the longest time, I've considered university life to encompass the experience of living independently - in a hostel, that is.

except mommy had a hard time accepting this "definition" of uni life of mine.
after lots and lots of persuasion, convincing and a pinch of whining, plus input from my aunt and cousins who grad from NUS,
she said yes! whoo.

having accepted NUS' offer to FASS, the natural choice of arts&soc.science kids is... Eusoff/Temasek, yeah?

well, no. mommy would rather me stay at a less crazy-active hall. and i didn't want to stay in a single room (like lone-phobia).

So, that left me with KE7 and Raffles. After considering and deliberating for the longest time... I decided to stop pushing my mom and testing her limits. I chose KE7, since my cousins have graduated from there with no qualms, unscathed. It's still a hall. Better than staying home, no?

Plus the bus stop's right at my doorstep - super convenient. Less distraction too! The steps? Oh well, toning for my thighs and butt.

See, silver lining :D

University!

2011-05-23T19:47:00.000-07:00

Why's a university called a university?
Do we learn about the universe while attending lectures?
(not unless you take astrophysics,maybe)

Or do you meet people from all over the universe...?
The highly enthusiastic, always in over-drive mode people;
The quiet conservative;
The theatrical, dramatic divas;
The closet-muggers and closet-otherthings;
The Martians, Venusians, Earthlings....

Yeah, that's more likely.

wayyyyyy better

2011-05-11T10:35:00.000-07:00

i'm feeling much better already (since two days after my sick-post)

and today i felt really really glad.
exceptionally glad
ecstatic
overjoyed...

(i get that you get it!)

...cos I received moi NUS acceptance letter!
WHOOPs in joy (:

and and and and! earlier this morning, i tried out Jups highwall route for CLIMBX '11 and when I was done, Phil said something like,

"Yeah, you can adjust according to Ash's standard, she should be a good gauge for JC Girls' Finalists."

HEEHEE :D

eek

2011-05-03T16:48:00.001-07:00

just threw up.

i read

2011-05-03T09:37:00.000-07:00

i read!

whoop. fact of the day huh.

So well, today I was on my way to meet mummy, Jude, Bridget and the darling Jerome @the airport, and I started on an old cherished book of mine - A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

I'm halfway through the Penguin Classic, and it's amazing. I love Burnett's style. Impeccable, it is. Really. And the English is soooo English. Victorian-era English.

Here's a quote that jumped at me whilst I was absorbed in it earlier.

"If nature has made you for a giver, your hands are born open, and so is your heart; and though there may be times when your hands are empty, your heart is always full, and you can give things out of that -- warm things, kind things, sweet things"

penny for thoughts?

2011-05-02T10:53:00.000-07:00

http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/home/index.htm

reading kristal's recent post got me thinking.

at 2am in the morning.

Mmhmm, there's no better time than dead silence

Why FASS?

My answer: It's dynamic. It's not as technical and theory-based as Sciences. I like reading. I love reading, so people who say, "oh damn, FASS equals lotsa reading", i really don't take that as a minus. And lastly, gut feeling. For once, please let me have the freedom to choose purely based on individual interest. Sorry if I'm not as practical as you in wanting B.Eng so I'd have a guaranteed 6 month bonus or whatnot. I truly believe in pursuing my own happiness. So let me have it this once - it's life-determining.

NUS' answer(s):

Because we offer breadth, depth and choice.

" Our students have flexibility and choice."

Because we offer exciting learning possibilities.

"Joint degree programmes with leading Australian and American universities, double degree programmes, double majors and multidisciplinary minor programmes are available."

Because we offer excellent learning experiences.
"extensive research into many areas"

Because we offer vital skill development for careers.
"You will gain skill in critical thinking, analysis, evaluation, problem solving, written and oral communication. In a world where the only constant is change, these skills are valued by employers because it means you can adapt quickly to changes, applying original thinking and knowledge to new situations and expressing your ideas succinctly.
FASS graduates are thus well positioned for a large variety of jobs in the public and private sector – teaching, publishing, advertising, marketing, corporate communications, event management, broadcasting, banking and finance, information technology, tourism planning and many more. You should not be surprised to find many successful entrepreneurs among our graduates too!"

So. I shall plunge headfirst into this new life (which i'm not exactly guaranteed at this point in time... "application (STILL) processing") and go in with a mind OPEN, a heart WILLING and a soul PASSIONATE.

what say you?

back

2011-05-02T10:46:00.000-07:00

i bus-ed back to SG about 5 hours ago,

extremely elated that the bus driver was speeding

and as ganchiong as i was

that meant being able to see sher off

and even have dinner with him & his family

at tampines((:

i was really really glad we got some time together,

before we sent him off to Pasir Ris Camp

and his mom sent me home!

take care b!

OH! i saw xiaxue at tamp while we were having dinner

*Star*struck. hahah.

i love him

2011-04-28T05:04:00.000-07:00

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY:D

haha, it was a sick, sick day.
(don't let your mind get ahead of itself.)
I fell ill. and he was here bright and early, collecting his first reward of the day!

I made scrambled eggs and sauteed fresh button mushrooms and baked bread(:
So we ate and I slept cos I felt really weak.

Sher sat by the bed, entertaining himself with his phone, his new topman wallet and some of my old yearbooks, conveniently placed in the shelf opposite my bed.

He was great. Just amazing. Being there. Being around.
Helping my mom with laundry.
Making sure I felt okay...

And I felt really guilty that we weren't able to have the celebration we planned for. =(

But we'll have one soon.

Broadrick's Speech Day

2011-04-27T21:36:00.000-07:00

Last week, this time, I was getting ready to meet up with Shaina to go back for Broadrick's Speech Day

I like the idea of speech days. The acknowledgement of achievements, recognising students' efforts, summing up the year... Too bad I was never really good enough to receive such a prize.
(oh, with the exception of Sec1 when I got 2nd in cohort for English Literature)

So, the programme was short and sweet. Performances were great, the parade too. I especially liked the Malay Dance (my students did great!) and the CO. Fringe performances took place during the refreshments. Ms Alicia Loh performed :D:D and the songs were (Y)

I had lots of fun being back in the school. Plus night had fallen by the time we'd left...making the visit more special (yknow the feeling when you experience night-time for the first time in school?).

I miss the rest of the staff. I miss the students. :(

Shaina, Ying Chao and I will go back on...Teacher's Day ;D

whee

CLIMBLOVE

2011-04-20T09:14:00.000-07:00

Fingers oh-so-raw

Perspiration dripping

The subtle yet knawing feeling of fear

Fear of the pending route

Excitement boiling

The climbing calls

The psyching-up

The first hold

The ascent

The fall

The unexpected happiness from an unfinished route

Pride from knowing I did my bestest.

((:

Overhang, i'll be baccccckkkkkk

3 days

2011-04-18T23:24:00.000-07:00

It's three days to our first year. Who can believe that?

I'm really really glad that it falls on GOOD FRIDAY. which means sher's gonna be a civillian? Haha, the block leave week was too short =( and like he said, he's experiencing withdrawal symptoms... Cold Turkey treatment

Good news though, he'll be out for three days, in three days. And we'll feast and celebrate and be merry people(:

On the other hand, I has bad news... I was so looking forward to the next time i get to travel (without my parents). And my opportunity came - Batu Caves 2011 with the J1s. Sadly, my dad thinks it's dangerous and risky and whatnot. So i can't go =( Sorry jac =(((

Well, i won't dwell on the NOs i get from my parents. Life's too short for that.

Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have. And I'm ever so blessed to have everything that I have.

2nd post!

2011-04-05T23:31:00.000-07:00

Okay, im happy I've started posting again, so lemme just update on my past 65 days, excluding those I spent in Broadrick Sec(:

CNY: Celebration's always good, as usual spent in IPOH! and the photos will be out soon. Im very apologetic. Really >< My pics just pile up when I've got holiday photos to edit. Which take. 2 months. Hence.

Reunion with TJCCC: LARGE, LOUD and full of LAUGHS. The last time we'd have such close-to-full attendance, what with the boys going to army, and the girls starting to work. It was great:D

Half-Class outing: (same day as J1 mass dance @ suntec!) we had food at NYNY, talked a bunch bout where's and what everyone's up to(: catching up FTW

TJCCC J1 selections: Kind of disappointing. The number of girls who turned up for trials could be counted on two hands. =( how sad is that? I remember Phil saying something like, "When did it become them choosing us instead of us picking them" (speaking of when the selections were all made and some turned down our acceptance) But here's having faith in our 10/11 batch to groom them and bring their potential to light!

Reunion with VARY: haha,dinner with Vanessa, YuKwan and Rachel at NEX(: we toured the area for such a long long time, deciding on what to eat. And ended up having CAFECARTEL. fail =p oh and i bought new working shoes

Climbing (in general): Had a resolution (and stuck mostly to it) to continue climbing at least once a week! maintain fitness and refresh climbing techniques for NUS! yup, here i come ;D

putting off for too long

2011-04-05T23:07:00.001-07:00

Okay, I haven't been the most hardworking blogger. But today ends the 65th day (no, really i counted) of procrastination

Of this past 65 days, approximately 30 were spent interning for the Ministry of Education as..well. A teaching intern.

A lot have mistaken it as mere relief teaching, and with all due respect, it's different. Relief teaching is but a tiny fraction of what we interns are assigned/scheduled to do. I was assigned to two Chemistry classes (Sec3 and 4) as well as a Math class (Sec4). These three classes took up about 10 periods a week. In my six weeks as an intern, I shadowed my supervising tutors as well as taught these students on my own. Lesson plans had to drawn up (and then edited. and then re-edited). Worksheets had to be printed. Impromptu changes had to made when the plan doesn't go as planned.

As the weeks went by, I began to love my job. Rushing enthusiastically for classes despite knowing that the students may be late, patiently explaining concepts on the whiteboard, bumping into familiar students in the corridor, being greeted with a HUGE smile and a HI MS TONG!, there were even days where i'd willingly stayed back in the school canteen, for what we commonly term (in JC) "consultation". Besides all these, there were non-academic stuff to handle. Together with two other interns, we set up a recycling corner in Broadrick, we put up a presentation in the hall during assmebly, we sat in for numerous CCA sessions, we arrived earlier in school, or stayed way later for Staff meetings/department meetings/team-building sessions/workshops. You name it.

Each day i'd return exhausted to the bone, some days with worksheets in my bag, other days with a pending proposal or powerpoint presentation to be edited. And then, there are days where my mind's saturated with thoughts.

How could I get my kids to settle down?

Why were some so hyperactive, and the others so quiet?

What could I do?

How long would it be till I lost my cool?

Did I have to lose my cool?

I am certain I developed some sort of maturity in those weeks (which, sadly, came in a package with wrinkles and sleepless nights)

And I'm ever so honoured to have had this opportunity. The workload, the long hours, the seemingly irrelevant tasks we were assigned, the wars and battles in the classroom - it was all part and parcel of this amazing journey I'd experienced.

To my disappointment,though, I was not able to extend my stay at Broadrick.

I can't wait to go back and visit((:

BACKTOSCHOOL

2011-01-31T06:11:00.001-08:00

Got back from Japan (Tokyo and Hokkaido) about a week ago (pics are being edited. hahah)

and i spent the week before starting work with Sher, meeting him after his DSO internship, meeting him AT DSO for lunch, surprising him outside the lab to have dinner, watching (THE VERY ACTION PACKED&FUNNY) The Green Hornet, standing on top of the pinnacle admiring sunset...

My baby's leaving in a week, right after CNY. Which gives me two days to spend with him :(

Anyway, it's two weeks. I hope I'll be kept busy with the kids at BROADRICK SEC! (((:

Yes! It was my BACKTOSCHOOL day today. Was jittery the whole night before, trying on outfits and packing whiteboard markers.

I met Shaina, a fellow intern who went for training with me, at Paya Lebar MRT and then we took a train to Dakota (say de-koh-duh). The rain wasn't much of an obstacle, seeing that there was a shelter built between Dakato station and BSS.

Here's a list of things i did today!

-Received an access card (so kewl! i need it to use the staff toilet. heh. and enter the staff room, AKA Broad Haven, and the GO)

-Got my table. (OMG,i have a table!!!)

-Introduced to the school cohort and met teachers and Key Personnel along the way

-Chat with the P!

-Lunch at the canteen

-Lesson experience (Character and Citizen Education with Ms Kim's form class-CNY deco, followed by a period of science-chem with her sec3 class)

At the end of the day, i was exhausted...mostly mentally, from all the new information and the constant reminders to myself that i no longer am a student. I was pleasantly surprised when a lower sec boy greeted me (by Ms Ashley) as i was in the corridor after flag raising. Oh yes, the canteen vendor said (in Chinese), "Morning teacher, would you like to have rice?". Heh, teacher. And the kids from 3A5 took that burden off me with the constant "Cher!" calls.

Haha, it was a great day. Many challenges to overcome, projects to complete, lessons to experience and students to meet. I'm enjoying every minute of it.

JAPAN! 3

2011-01-31T05:50:00.001-08:00

DAY 4

Supposed to wake up bright and early today, our final day in Tokyo city... BUT, hahah, we all woke up at only 10-ish? Aye, well. We hadn't planned for much that day, so we followed Mi Chelle's wish to see Mt. Fuji! While the other three went on a 1.5hour trip to Yokohama (aka Chinatown) to buy mushrooms and other stuff, we went back to Shinjuku to take a chartered bus (close to two hours ride) to Lake Kawaguchi! Lake Kawaguchi is one of the five lakes surrounding Mount Fuji, and is the most popular destination to sightsee;D

We arrived around 3pm, passing the Fuji-Q amusement park. The amusement park has one of the highest roller coasters in the world, and it looked pretty CRAZY to me! Haha, they had vertical dips and high high rides. Adrenaline pumping! The temperature around the lake was as low as -3'C! whee~

We walked to the lake as well as to a carpark near the Fuji Visitor's Centre. The view was magnificent. The mountain was in clear view due to the nice nice weather and it had the classic snow peak(: actually, mom and I were pretty hesitant about the whole idea of spending so much time and money to see Mt Fuji...However, after being within 3km from the base, i felt it was totally worth it. I'm so coming back here. Maybe even to CLIMB it one day((: When chelle saw the mountain, she was so overjoyed, she almost cried :D

Rushed back to the bus station to take the 4.40pm bus, capturing about 20 pics of far-away fuji while in the bus as the sun was setting.

Dinner with the other 3 at a roadside stall which usually caters to professionals after work who come here and drink, ordering food only to go with the alcohol and smoke. But we ordered much more, like potato curry rice, octopus, yakitori, fried fish and so on(:

Checking out of Asakusa, we lugged our significantly heavier luggages and dragged them to the train station. Not the nearest exit though, we went for the ONLY exit with an elevator. Which took some valuable time, causing us to miss the first train to Haneda Airport.

Airport? Yeah, end of our trip. IN TOKYO. We had to meet the SA Tour Group who'd arrived to go with them to HOKKAIDO!

WHEE HEE. snow snow snow snow:D

JAPAN! cont

2011-01-31T05:46:00.000-08:00

DAY 2

We had to wake up real early this morning, thats 4am, for the famous TSUKIJI WHOLESALE MARKET. The main attraction is the auctioning of fish and other seafood, especially the huge ass Blue-Fin Tuna. The length of the fish is about the height of a full grown man. Weight? IDK. but, it IS HUMONGOUS.

Walking through the hectic market with speeding transport vehicles (that kinda remind me of a bumber car except with a platform for carrying goods), we had to remain unobtrusive, lest they kick us out. There are hundreds of stalls, lined up pretty close to each other selling all sorts of shellfish and yes, TUNA. The size of the fresh catches was extraordinarily HUGE - twice to three times the size of those we find in good SG restaurants. Shellfish sold there include abalone, scallops bamboo clams, sea urchins... other stuff too like seawater eels (anago) and octopus and fish innerts and omg the list goes on.

After an hour stepping cautiously ard fish stalls, we went over to a smaller building, the fruit and vegetable wholesale area. we saw the wasabe root and other extraordinarily huge and colourful vegetables and fruits like tomatoes, eggplant, mushrooms (not a fruit or veg but yes) and they all looked so delicious. I doubt they were GM-free...
HUNGER came about soon enough, and we explored the surrounding lil shops, most featured fresh produce right from the market. There were people QUEUING for miles for a few particular shops...those of which were featured in famous books like TimeOut and Frommer's. We decided not to join them, and go for a quieter shop. We were told those popular shops wouldn't be a good experience because A) they don't entertain you much. With service that is. And B) they have a set menu. No choices. just take it or leave it... so thank goodness we chose not to be sheep and follow the herd. haha

Breakfast was a guilty pleasure, costing (total 6 people) 30 000 yen! goodness gracious moi. Haha, but we had one of the freshest sashimi ever. The shi fu who was slicing pieces of raw fish for us was also a jovial man, adding to the experience we had in the restaurant.

With our bellys full and a couple of seaweed as souvenirs from a shop nearby, we proceeded home to get some sleep. After all, we DID wake up at a disgusting hour of the morning.

A train, another train and finally two taxis - there're six of us - brought us to a FARAWAY place.. closest train station being Nishiarai. The journey took us close to an hour and a half... and we had to wait for another hour before stepping into.... A KOBE BEEF BARBEQUE RESTAURANT for dinner. It was featured recently in a foodie's blog, chubbyhubby hence our persistence to go visit it. It was quite a tiny place, very unassuming indeed. But that was a good thing - the food wasn't too expensive, given the quality and freshness of the meat, and the hostess, a Taiwanese, was very humble and sweet.

She'd offered to give us the best cut of the day, which came up to be 10 000 yen! But after cooking it slightly, and tasting a slice of beef heaven, we felt it was totally worth it. It was juicy and tender and so so sweet. The sauce was another burst of flavour altogether, and we were given a bottle to bring home! whee! Isn't the lao ban niang awesome?? Besides the royal plate of kobe beef we had, there were other dishes to go with our rice, such as seaweed&lettuce salad, chicken, pork trotters, egg soup, stew beef and pickled vegetables (kimchi style).
The sad thing, though, is the tiny place fitted with two fans is hardly sufficient in clearing out the smoke caused from inddor barbequing. Since i was wearing my contact lenses, i couldn't quite feel what the rest were going through, especially Mi Chelle. Her sensitive eyes kept tear-ing from the smoke and oil.

All in all though, that meal wrapped up a day of indulging in quality food, an occasional guilty pleasure(:

DAY 3

Today was quite a walk-much day, us busy scurrying from place to place via public train. Oh by the way, one ride costs quite a hefty sum, not surprising as Japan's cost of living IS pretty high. Mm, for example, the ride from the airport to the city area cost us 600yen. Which is... about S$9. i could take a cab with that amount! oh, the cab's flag down rate is 710 yen (11 bucks!!), followed by increments of 90yen (slightly more than a dollar). EEK.

Well, moving on, our (Mom, Chelle and I) first destination was ueno park, a large open green space, with the largest concentration of museums and sculptures in Tokyo. It holds the famous Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo Art Museum and Tokyo Science Museum. Oh yes, it is also home to the Ueno ZOO! When we were there, it was pretty windy! And hence quite cold. Because we had a long day ahead of us, we basically skimmed through the park and went back to meet the other three.

We then took the train to HARAJUKU. A teeny bopper heaven with stores catered to youth and weekly cosplay "parades". Arriving at about 2pm, we split up once again into two groups and explored the area, squeezing through throngs of well-dressed teens and tweens. A bunch of Harajuku Girls were at the entrance of the train station. All donned in short skirts, stockings, stilleto boots and trendy clothes. Not forgetting HEAVY makeup, comprising fake eyelashes, body glitter and coloured contacts. I couldn't help but STARE. Then this girl reached into her LV bag and took out... an A4 size MIRROR. wow.

The stores lining the main shopping street reminded me somewhat of Bugis street. Execpt more expensive. Haha, well, we hardly did any shopping, besides Chelle buying hair accessories. What we did in the hour or so we were there, was to people-watch. I felt kinda like a paparazzi, looking out for oddly-dressed people/cosplayers.
Shinjuku was our final destination that day, and by then we were HUNGRY HUNGRY.

We searched up and down for dinner (from OIOI - marui shopping centre to mitsugooshi to isetan..) and finally we ended up at a ramen stall, quite a traditional one, in fact. The ramen is cooked in huge cauldrons instead of modern pots and pans. We also drank ume (plum) liquer..aka Choya (which is the brand of the liquer). It wasn't too sweet, but very pleasant to the palate(:

After filling our bellies, we found our way to Kabuki-cho, a notorious red-light district in Shinjuku. i was quite excited to go there, not knowing what to expect. Haha,but i was surprised to find restaurants and (clean) shops. The street was neon-lit, very busy and not at all a stereotype geylang-type area. The "escorts" weren't out on the streets..Instead it was an organised brothel disguised as an "entertainment" centre. The entrances are covered with a half-length curtain with a "restricted" sign and a number 18. We peeked past the curtains and saw bar stools in a line facing computer screens filled with pictures of girls. The "potential clients" would walk in there, sit down and take their pick(s) and then proceed upstairs to...be entertained. Activities besides the obvious include karaoke, pole dancing and hm, striptease. Well, i guess it was an eye-opening experience ;D

Along the way, we met a three-way junction where about 20 men stood, scattered, all donned in black. We were told that they were hei she hui (black society) and they ran the brothels and kept the street, Kabuki-cho, under control. We also observed some of them taking interest in young ladies, stopping them to pass a pamphlet. Recruitment, it seems, was taking place...

That night, i slept around 1am, updating my journal!

JAPAN!

2011-01-31T05:42:00.000-08:00

Here's a longwinded journal i wrote to sher while in Jap/for my own reference. CAUTION: Read only if bored. (but not too depressed-ish bored. Cos it might cause greater harm..)

DAY 0 (17th Jan)

sat on a plane, SQ636, for about 6 hours... watching MEGAMIND (but napped in between cos it was a night flight and i was sleeeeepy). We had two meals on board the flight, supper and breakfast before landing in the relatively-new Haneda Airport, TOKYO(:

DAY 1 (18th Jan)
The sun was peeking out from the LAND of the RISING SUN as we took the local train to our accommodation for the next 3 nights-Sakura Hostel in a town called Asakusa.

After we'd left the bags in the hotel, we decided to explore the community! The major attraction in Asakusa is the Sensoji Temple. It houses a Kannon (Goddess of Mercy) and a Buddha statue. Legend has it that two brothers fished the Goddess of Mercy statue from a lake and each time they threw it back, it returned to them! haha, believe it or not, 20 million visitors come to the temple annually! The main entrance to the temple is the Kamanarimon, or lei men (thunder gate). A huge lantern hangs from the gate with the two words.

Thank goodness for chinese-Japanese overlapping words cos it helped me understand a bunch of stuff. I mean, even a single word could clue you to know what's in a particular dish or what a shop sells. hee.

After touring the attractions, mom,my cousin, mi chelle, and I went to this restaurant - Wanentei Kikko (recommended by Frommers!). It was kinda hard to locate, but with the awesome hospitable people of JAPAN, we found the quaint, tiny traditional shop house tucked in a corner. The place served Bento Sets while you enjoy a cultural Shamisen (san xian, a three-string instrument usually plucked by a BIG pick) performance(:

I thoroughly enjoyed trying all sorts of colourful, foreign looking sashimi! Definitely my first experience being so adventurous with RAW fish and seafood. The usual salmon sashimi was outshone by TUNA. Melts in your mouth, if you know what i mean.. And then there were other queer looking things like snail as well as the more harmless cooked stuff like cod fish and miso soup and pickled boiled veg.

After a heart-warming lunch, we were kinda groggy and wanting to check in, back into the hotel (or rather hostel) for a nap to compensate for the tiring fly-over. So we did, meeting up with Lolo(mommy's colleague), her husband Philip and her mom, and we slept till DINNER(: That was about 7pm. The foody couple (Lolo and Philip) brought us to a nearby street stall for what looked like less-than-appealing zhap fan (mixed rice). We were so wrong! the food was inexpensive and delicious and award-winning! The jap rice we had was soooo sweet and delicious, plus the warmmmm dishes...mouthwatering. mmmm...

Following dinner, we walked around town, and ended up at SEIYU! haha, it was a supermarket and not a department store though. And we bought some bread and snacks for breakfast.(: the foody couple however, shopped for SUPPER. yes, they bought crabs and some cabbage and cherry tomatoes intending to bring it back to the hostel to boil/prepare. When we paid for our goodies, i was kinda surprised by the cashier. It was semi-automated, with a machine dispensing the exact amount of change after we'd paid. SO COOL. cheap thrill i know, but Japan's really an eye-opener. For example, SMART TOILETS. In the Bento Restaurant we went to and Haneda Airport, there were these toilets with WARMED seats. And not only a spray to wash your behind, BUT A BLOWDRYER TOO. and then there's a button to adjust the temperature, a button for music, a button to alter the angle, and the intensity of the spray. AHHHH! ;D

We then proceeded home to the common area of the hostel (which gets pretty crowded around late evenings) for supper. We had Hokkaido cheesecake, bought from the supermarket and hot tea(: pleasant end to a sleepyday

more flashbacks!

2011-01-09T22:38:00.000-08:00

my spain trip was pretty amazing(: the photos, i know, aren't fully on fb cos i'm still procrastinating. I'm currently only editing pictures from day five (of ten).. eek. And now i've got to finish then (CHOP CHOP) because i don't want them to pile up.. seeing that i'm going to hokkaido soon!

So, my family and i travelled to Catalunya, Spain.. First, we drove on a rented Citroen to coastal towns like Blanes and Lloret de Mar (Day1); Tossa de Mar (Day2). then we went on to bigger, less reliant-on-tourism-and-thus-were-pretty-dead towns like Figueres, Olot and Girona. Finally we made it back to Barcelona where we returned the car and went around by public transport and trusty ol' feet.

The coastal towns boasted of beautiful, powder-like sand. I'd love to be back there in summer, tanning my bum away. Sadly though, the average temperature in coastal towns was about 3-5'C... the (Mediterranean) sea breeze made the cold bitter than ever

Coastal towns meant cheaper food! And since the tourist-y attractions and restaurants and hotels were closed (Seasonal unemployment!), we were glad to have sampled Spain's local food! yumyum. I tried my hardest to take pictures of the food we ate (unless i got distracted by the oh-so-delightful meals)..(:

i think one thing i absolutely love about Spain (or at least Catalunya) is the quirkiness of it all. Shophouses, two stories high, flanking the sides of a narrow street, just wide enough for a small car (or a really skilful truck driver)... and they lean in... unsteady? but yet you know they've been standing longer than your grandparents. Lampposts and park benches and graffiti and squares littered with stone or marble sculptures. I love old places(:

After leaving the coastal towns, we moved on to the first (big) town, Figueres. It was home to the Dali museum. (note: Salvador Dali is a quirky artist aka Surrealist Painter. go see his works here! I'm not an arty farty person... and neither can i draw for nuts, but these things usually hit a switch in me and suddenly i'm all interested to know why he's got this crazed obsession with ants, and spindly-legged camels, and eggs and locusts...

Moving on to Olot, we ascended 367 steps to reach the peak of a crater caused be volcanic eruption. Yes, Olot's a volcanic town. How cool is that!? hahha, i am easily fascinated huh?

Okay, i shall continue with editing photos. Stay tuned for more Spain's adventures (HAHAHAH)

let's hit the rewind button

2010-12-30T20:56:00.000-08:00

now that i'm back from the land of narrow cobbled streets and gorgeous quaint houses, AND my brother's off at camp COS-ing, I finally have time to blog!

Yes.

Where i left off last, I had yet to mention Prom and my class chalet. So here (rewindzxzzzxx... Dec 6th)

Prom was like any other. People spending tons of money on a single night (i mean just the dinner itself was expensive and not worth it! I've SERVED better food). After Sec4 grad night, I told myself never to get conned into this seemingly glam night only to remember nothing but taking a bunch of photos mostly with people (besides VaRY and SMarWLL and the some other guys) you'd never see again. Prom, then, was an overstatement. A con, like i said.

But this prom, THIS prom. (was still an overstatement, except) I had willingly signed up to be conned for a bunch of 22 hunks and babes (as we narcissist like to call ourselves.) These 22 people whom I would probably have gone into depression and left JC without. They've pulled me through the hardest times, be it Climbing difficulties, competitions, family problems, issues with schoolwork... ALL of it. And i wouldn't have gone to prom if it weren't for the majority who decided we should show our glam-ed up faces.

The dinner was. meh. The programme wasn't too bad. (Watching Calvin, Clement and the rest of the nominees dance) At the end of the night, we took a group photo together. Sadly, without van and alistair and raihan. But, at that moment, i felt like. This is it.

I've said it a thousand times before, written it down in most letters and cards i've given to you batch of climbers, but i'll say it again. Each and every one of you have contributed to the club and have most definitely made a DIFFERENCE in my life.

TJCCC 09/10 has been legen-(wait for it)-dary. And I wouldn't have had it any other way. You hunks and babes are awesome ttm. I'll never forget the times we had together.

emo-momo. =(

(forwardsssss... 13th Dec) class chalet!

There were about 12 of us that day? Nicole, Ying Ying, Ming Xuan, Martin, Mark, Joel, Jason, Albert, Andrew Wong, Tanoto. And I!

That makes 11. uhm, yeah. so we card game-d, we board game-d, we camwhore-d, we ate, we laughed, we talked, we drank. And we did a lot of crazy forfeiting. Which shall not be named, to protect the poor victims of said tragedy. =p

photos are all up n FB. so, none shall be posted here!

I had a great time with the class. (: who cares if we don't have a friggin class tee, and that our outings/chalets arent the most successful. (We've got Ryan, what's your excuse?) haha, i'll remember the tutorials we spent pissing off Mr Lim, Martin having to see teachers after class, GP essay writing while sucking on lollipops, lectures we never attended, getting caught for skiving, being all competitive and whatnot with the rest of the cohort... It's been roses.

I'll see you guys real soon and all the best with your future endeavours..!

days before prom

2010-12-06T17:03:00.000-08:00

SATURDAY:

cleaned the house, spick and span! Babysitted Caleb (who's at the most adorable stage now cos he walks like a penguin and sometimes falls on his bum from imbalance...) and fell asleep while trying to put HIM to sleep. Babies... Haha, he'd get kinda sleepy, and comfortable. And just as he's about to shut his eyes... He realises it isn't his room, gets cranky and crawls out to the living room to play. Finally got him to sleep in his pram later on.

After his parents came to pick him, Sam Yee, mommy and I went over to Echo lounge (by foot! i love the convenience of staying in Central SG) to watch Mi Chelle's Christmas gig(: It was really good and i think i had goosebumps when they sang Orphans of God.

SUNDAY:

Went out shopping with mommy (on foot! teehee) to OG for pants. Trimmed my dead hair ends and dolled up for a wedding(:

The wedding was at Conrad Centennial. And no, mommy and I didn't go by foot. Uh, i wasn't supposed to go, but i was filling for someone who fell ill! So, the young bride, Carlene was mommy's colleague's daughter.. But later on i found out how small Singapore really was. The dinner was pleasantly interrupted between dishes with videos made by friends and a guitar acoustic solo by the emcee, a close friend of Say Wei (groom!)

And in one of the vids, I heard these, "Carlene... first year in Temasek JC" and... "She won a lot of climbing competitions". EPIPHANY. okay, over-enthusiastic. Uhm, ding! (?) hhaha. So, later when the newlyweds approached our table for a photo, I told Carlene I was in TJCCC(: and she asked if Phil still coached us. Unfortunately Phil and Kel were just back from CM and Kelly wasn't feeling too well. IF NOT i would have seen them there! :D Anyhow, what was really amazing was that Carlene and Say Wei (who's also a climber!) had been together for seven years... which means. They'd been dating since J1 0.0

How sweet is that? Having someone so dear to you to see you through two graduations, enlistment, POP, ORD, your first job...

To sum up? Bliss.

MONDAY:

so yesterday was an i-can't-open-my-eyes-i-just-wanna-sleep-day

mostly because of the interview i was gonna have with MOE regarding a three-month teaching internship next year. How'd that cost me my sleep?

After the wedding, it was close to midnight when we got home. So i packed my things and tried to sleep. Except... Questions and possible interview scenarios bombarded my half-concious state. And i only started dozing off at three.

Then at 4.44am. A dear friend called. She cried and I listened and I hope she's much much better now. Darling, if you're reading this, remember what i said ok? XOXO

So, the next morning I rushed through makeup and G2000 pants to be punctual for MOE. And in the end, it really wasn't too bad(: Sure, i could have done better. But i think it was pretty manageable and I said what I'd truly thought through the past couple of days. Fingers crossed! They'll get back to me by the end of this week. Or next :D

Oh yes, I did my nails too! And the manicurist asked if i was a stewardess. hahaah.

moxyoron

2010-12-03T22:53:00.000-08:00

MOXYORON

You're pretentious; you're charming

Sincere and honest; blatant lying

I'm your Angel; your disposable Plaything

You've got me hooked; nights a-crying

Addicted to your scent; lingering sting

Mended my heart; head-first crashing

More than friendship; a perverse fling

Your savage slashing; my craving

Oblivious and cold; you caressed my feelings

Your words embrace; relentless lashing

Empty promises; you keep me trusting

Suave and soulful; masked disguising

I love you; I loved you.

I despise you; I hated you.

This moxyoron game, I'm done playing

celebration day 1,2 and 3

2010-12-01T06:43:00.000-08:00

CELEBRATION day1: SHOP.HOP.OP.P

the few hours after our last paper saw shopping (part 2) with gwen&kris (and weng) at Far East and the Orchard Road malls. my progress with prom-related stuff? Dress, check. Shoes, check. Accessories, check. Makeup, check. Hair. :D i'm happy! And i'm happy kris found her prom dress! it's pretty((:

CELEBRATION day 2: I heart clean tiles(:

on Tuesday, i had no plans. Hence I decided to drop by at CA to help Mr Kao set routes for the juniors. Did a bit of conditioning too. Quite contented with my current state of fitness, but there's definitely much to do in terms of strength training. And I'm hoping to conquer my weaknesses (roofs, slopers...) Oh yes, highwall soon?

The J1 girls have indeed improved since the last time I've trained with them. They've brushed up on techniques and strength too. The only advice I have for them is to be more daring, dynamic and positive. Don't be afraid to attempt something that looks challenging. Instead of groaning and making excuses, work on your strengths to conquer the route. The beauty of climbing is not in completing a route, but dissecting the process of it. It's all about perspective. And on Tuesday, I was quite disappointed with their negativity and lack of enthusiasm towards the end of training.

Well, I'll see them again on Friday. And I hope I can help them make the best out of training time. (: Keep pressing on!

CELEBRATION day 3: two is better than one

Spent half the day with my boy today(: it's just great having nothing to worry about and having no reason to rush off some place. Stress-free days ahead... I like ;D

bio students! all the bestest for tomorrow..end the As with a BANG yes? (:

technically

2010-11-28T00:36:00.001-08:00

technically...

tomorrow will be the end of As (but who isn't celebrating by now?)

i have tons of things lined up from the day after tomorrow till... uh. August? (but some other things take precedence over my list, and other times.. I'm just bored)

a celebration calls for late nights out, crazy shopping and meet-ups with those we've lost touch with (but some days, i just feel like giving my feet a rest and stay in with a good book)

i've been waiting all my life to be over and done with the endless exams (but when it's over, there will be much idle time)

So. technically. but. no.

CLIMBASIA RAID?

2010-11-23T07:09:00.001-08:00

hellloooo? anyone out there wants to raid CA with me?

(ignoring manly shouts from wait. make that girly shrieks from ahmed, alistair, zheng wei and whoever else has confirmed.)

I NEED MY GALPALS :(

or not. i guess. i could. just. climb.

So Long

2010-11-23T07:06:00.000-08:00

Y'know, it's probably from all that slacking

I don't quite feel elated over the fact that we've endured a whole month-

make that 12 whole years of education

I think the same goes for when we ended our Os

We were celebrating prematurely

(like we aren't now. ha)

But yeah, no matter what

Somewhere in there, there's

a unanimous sigh of relief

From my eye bags to dehydrated skin: So long Cambridge(:

#6

2010-11-17T05:39:00.001-08:00

I'm sick of physics right now, so

#6. Be observant

Pay attention to detail. Can you remember how she laughs, the way she looks when she's stressed, that smile that says it all?

Subconsciously, we (like well-tuned radars) tend to pick up a few of these. But for those who don't, it's time to open your eyes. It's in a woman's natural instinct to read body language, to listen to words unsaid, to observe tones and signs. But men? Have to try harder.

Remember in 500 Days of Summer?

Tom said: It's official - I'm in love with Summer

I love her smile, I love her hair, I love her knees. I love how she licks her lips before she talks, I love her heart-shaped birthmark....

You get it.

So, being observant means all of that and more. And why should you? Well, for one, it's a process of getting to know her better, to find out what unique quality you fell in love with. And then, everytime you doubt, or hesitate, remember that quality. Two, you will discover the art of communicating without words.

In Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, there's a chapter on "speaking different languages."

When women say, "You don't love me anymore", you may angrily respond: "WHAT? I don't love you? Is that what you think? Fine. If that's what you want..."

But hey, take it... non-literally. If you've picked up her signs, she may well be saying: "I know deep down how much you love me and I really do appreciate the things you do for me. But today, I'm feeling down and a little insecure... Cheer me up? And reassure me?"

Your other half is unique, so don't take my word for it. There's no hard and fast rule (like if she's quiet she's angry).

When i'm silent, I'm usually stopping myself from saying something I'd regret later on. Or some days I'm quiet because I just want to listen. When I quicken my pace, walking ahead, I'm angry, stubborn and upset. Following that, Sherwin follows, and apologises.

Because he knows.

So moral of today's lesson: Be alert to the itty bitty things.

to err

2010-11-17T01:43:00.000-08:00

Early this morning, (real early, like 3am)

i was feeling beat up

after the realisation of being used as a means

to some end known as entertainment

a joke perhaps, a seemingly "innocent" laugh

And then after waking up later

i recalled GP lessons - discussions about philosophy

The Kantian Imperative in particular

This is what the Kantian Imperative says:

Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law

in English: Do unto others what you would deem others appropriate to do

for example: consider littering. Yes, it would be convenient for one to rid of one's rubbish. But would it be OKAY (universal law) if everyone else did it? If your answer to that is NO, don't do it.

So yeah, back to my rant

What he did was clearly. Human?

Natural instinct.

To make someone the butt of a joke (means) for one's own pleasure(end)

Without a semblance of concious thought

And I was angry for a whole ten minutes or so

The conclusion this morning?

To err is human

To forgive is divine.

And though i do not condone his actions

I don't want to bear grudges

For what good would it do to get beat up over someone who doesn't mean a thing

I forgive.

chem shmam

2010-11-09T01:32:00.001-08:00

I officially hate the word. "SUGGEST"

I don't know why ___ happens okay? Stop asking me to suggest a reason, suggest why, suggest whether.

ARGH. Studying for this Chem Paper was so... inefficient. (where efficiency = output/input X 100%)

Well, on the bright side.

Wait, there is none.

Come (back) to bed

2010-11-04T02:01:00.000-07:00

Break from doing Chemistry.

Ever get the feeling we're studying too hard for the first paper

(too hard is used as a relative term here...)

Anyhow, John Mayer always melts my heart.

And my scouting for good covers, i found a certain Ray Cheong

One of his better vids here:

(psst. who wouldn't want to go back to a bed with John Mayer??)

hope you enjoyed that.

and i want the sheet music for this:(

oh well, going back to bed ;D

incomprehensible

2010-11-01T02:32:00.000-07:00

I can't remember how i spent the last 2 weeks before my Os-
the last major exam I took

But I'm pretty sure it wasn't like this.

I wake at 11, depending on how bright my room is (which depends on whether or not the curtains are drawn)
I squander (yes squander) my time away with breakfast, a magazine or newspapers until i realise i should be doing something else.

I start work on a good day at 2pm
With in between facebooking, youtubing and whatnot
(which i deceive my mind to be checking for solutions to some past year paper. Which i DO! when i finally do.)

At 4.30pm, the sprinklers go on
I feel like crap cos that means its 4.30pm
(my house has no clock. pfft)

And i feel MORE like crap when i know everyone is studying the butts away.
Except me.

birthday/housewarming ;D

2010-10-11T05:24:00.000-07:00

So my house had like twenty strands of hair

So my "ash's 18th" sign was illegible from the lift

So the food wasn't catered-standard in terms of presentation

So there were no games or activities...

I learnt that all that was superficial

Who cared about stuff like that?

I read somewhere once, that HOME is not a place - it's a time.

You can only feel truly at home with the people you love around you.

Home isn't home if you're alone in a house. That's just solitude.

In the same way, a party isn't a place - it's a time.

A time when I'm blessed to celebrate my 18th with the darlings that have seen me through my two years in college. The very same people who were at some periods the only reason that drew me towards the college. And these are the people I'm going to remember for a long time to come. ( to those who say 2 years is too short a time to make true friends - i say bull.)

The party could have been held at a lavish bungalow, complete with a pool and backyard

The party food could have been an on-site barbecue with on-site chefs

The decorations could have been absolutely stunning

Music blasted from surrounding top of the line speakers

But it wouldn't have been half as successful as the celebration on Saturday, 091010

If my friends weren't present.

Ask me what I want for my birthday

I want to blessed with sincere, loving friends.

Their presence is more than any present I could possibly receive.

NUMBERSEVEN

2010-09-30T03:05:00.000-07:00

haha, Ahmed, Calvin and Jac have been commenting about how this must-be list is so one-sided and kinda over-the-top? Like a fantasy list.

So to clear up any confusion or dissatisfaction,

1) the list is purely my opinion - just a non-exhaustive, non-conclusive guide for guys

2) it is one sided because this guide is for guys... If any of you would like to compose one for girls (to enable us to understand you queer martians better) by all means, please do so(:

Today's topic #7: Be True to Yourself

(see, this isn't that bad is it?)

As far as I'm concerned, I know I cannot stand "masks" - identities, actions, personalities and whatnot that are employed to hide one's true colours. If she loves you for you, there's no need to put on a mask. To a certain extent, though, we all do that. In different situations, we act differently.

Take this scenario as an example: you are fun-loving, life-of-the-party, happy-go-lucky guy. When the day comes to meet her parents, you suddenly turn shy, awkwardly polite and boring (relatively). These masks aren't necessarily bad - they form the foundation of your image to a new person lest people are quick to judge and form opinions without first knowing you better.

The masks I'm referring to, are masks employed when it's just you and her. She fell in love with you (hopefully, not your masked-self) so don't be swayed by (other) people's opinion that you should look different or be different.

Moral today? Don't feel inadequate - if she matters most to you, her opinions (not anyone else's) of you should carry you through the relationship.

#8

2010-09-27T00:23:00.000-07:00

#8. Be spontaneous

If you're the kind of guy who needs a schedule to go by, coupled with a daily to-do list, grocery lists and a real-time updated contact list... this is for you.

Being in a relationship requires work (no joke) and from time to time, it should come in the form of something...extra-ordinary. Spontaneous surprises, that is.

And before you jump to conclusions that such "surprises" have to be expensive or in any way tangible... think again. Depending on what you're comfortable with, and what she'd be over-the-moon about, (refer to Five Love Languages by Dr Gary Chapman), it can range from a bouquet of flowers (or even a stalk really) to walking her to school without previously arranging to do so (hence. surprise).

These spontaneous acts may seem like a tall order. But really, it can be simple and equally heartfelt. Drop a note into her wallet when she's not looking or offer to let her decide on which movie to watch. Bring her on a date she's never experienced or to some place she's never been... The list goes on.

But the main point is, to add that spark of excitement to your relationship once in a while. Not so because "things are getting mediocre/boring" but more so because you want her to be happy(:

"Love is when the other person's happiness is more important than your own"

Moral of today's story: Do something. Something she wouldn't suspect. Something... smile-inducing ;D

migraine

2010-09-23T05:06:00.000-07:00

from being a major lazyworm:(

anyhow, that's besides the point. I wanted to rant because...

My dad just managed to use the following words on me in a span of... 10 minutes

A) Debtor

B) Bum

C) Potential cancer victim.

Why? Because I exceeded my monthly mobile plan quota for 100 minutes and 600 texts by 70 minutes and 60 texts.

Honestly, I don't remember my counter going up so high...

Secondly, he thinks I'm going to end up a debtor and a bum in life because i spend money before i start earning a cent. (Guess what, we're al doomed. We all spent money on diapers and milk powder the day we were born. And goodness, education too!?)

Thirdly. I'm getting a headache from staring intently at the screen ignoring his,

"Your-daughter-is-getting-out-of-hand", nag to my mom.

Okay, so. If i stop calling/texting, i apologise in advance

#9

2010-09-21T09:16:00.000-07:00

And this brings me back to my Ashley's idea of a list of MUST-BEs for clueless guys who think women/ladies/girls/female sex should come with an instruction manual.

#9 is the topic of discussion today.

#9. Be a part - not apart

As a couple, it is essential that the two of you are together (no shit right?). And not just intimately or emotionally as mentioned in #10. The whole idea of this is summed up with that song from Spice Girls-Wannabe

"If you wannabe my lover, you gotta get with my friends". I've always had this idea that once a relationship was underway, the said couple should be sharing. Sharing secrets, laughs, memories, time... And most importantly-sharing lives.

The whole definition of a relationship is based on connection. How then can you expect to remain only a couple when it's convenient? Or when you two have alone-time. What I'm implying is, she should not be a complete stranger to the people or the things you care about. And vice versa.

If she likes shopping - suck it up. Try to have fun while she's picking out a dress for your next date. If your friends mean the world to you, arrange for both parties to meet. Don't be exclusive and all mysterious to others around you. Because the moment your relationship status on FB changes, people don't just look at you as... you. You become him and her.

Just last Friday, when i went back to my alma mater, I was bombarded with boyfriend questions. It started off with, "Where's he?" and then on to "Tell me more!" So basically, if she matters to you, then she belongs to the list of things/people that matter to you. Once you two start being more involved with each others' lives, it builds a stronger foundation for further... development? Capiche?

And as always:

The moral of the story today- 愛屋及烏. If you truly want to be ONE, it involves a lot more than her alone. The Chinese saying is translated roughly to mean, "If you love a house, love the crow that lives there"

freedom?

2010-09-21T08:36:00.000-07:00

Remember that comprehension we did on freedom

With that funky "How free would you like to be?" AQ...

Weellllll, i think i experienced it today first-hand.

Lemme narrate.

Yesterday, after the end of econs paper (sigh of relief)

Nelly Yelly and Melly and I were discussing the possibility of watching a movie today

After Chem MCQ - which. Is pretty reasonable? No?

In my opinion-yes. So, we made plans for Step Up 3D - slow, i know

Paper 1 ended at 3, we thought we'd go to Lido for a 4.15 show

And so we made our way there (which is also kinda otw home)

I then proceeded to tell my mom about me going for the movie

(note: my mom's still very much a mother at this time in my life. I mean, she tells me to sleep at 10, or 11 depending on how busy she is to notice that i'm awake. She wants - needs - to know where i am always. She has never let me stay overnight anywhere except home (unless it's a school trip. Oh except this once during prom when i stayed with girlfriends @ Amara) She makes it a point that we all be home before 7pm. Which is standard dinner time. She's a tad overbearing. But, like i said, she's a mom. If you've known me long enough, there's probably a MOMent that i've whined about. Yes, end of note)

So today, i consciously thought

"Why not ASK her if i can go watch a movie and come back in time for dinner?"

(ask not tell. because she wants - needs - to know that her approval mattered in my decision-making process) Hence i did.

(Note: it was a conscious effort to ask her, mind you. As observed from Note1, there could be a possibility of her saying NO. which is the reason why i don't tell her most of the time.)

I sent her a message, telling her i had only one paper remaining, which was on Friday... and if it were ok if went out. For a 100 minute long break, involving moving pictures.

No. You're not done with your prelims.

Ouch, she then proceeded to ignore the rest of my pleas in the form of calls and texts - pity-inducing ones as well as angsty ones.

She'd said I was only to go if i could guarantee As. *inserts ridiculous face*

She threatened me with my housewarming/18th birthday party *inserts "SERIOUSLY??" face*

and then i stopped.

I mean who was I to go against her? Puny insignificant and unable to produce As.

If I'd gone to watch the movie without her knowledge, she wouldn't have known. But i had to tell her. And i got nothing for being honest. What's the upside of integrity again?

Once i got home, i was intent on making her realise that

A) i deserved a break after 15 papers.

B) the party had no relation whatsoever to my grades - hence should not be used as a carrot to dangle over my head

C) it was just a movie - i would have spent that same amount of time blogging right here right now about her inability to reason

D) All of the above and she should apologise

Except she cooked amazing fried rice (Zhengyu can attest to that), and kept mum (pun!) though the night. Till i offered her a cookie at 9pm.

Because i realised

A) I can't be pissed at her forever

B) At least i still have my party

C) It's only 3 months till the end of that letter ever being mentioned again - A

D) All of the above and hence I should be the bigger person

And so I gave up my day's freedom with other things in mind. I don't want to be ruffling feathers of someone whom i rely on over a movie right?

on a roll here(:

2010-09-20T07:26:00.001-07:00

okay, another post! to make up for a 3-month hiatussss

a couple of times during our studyfest made me think a lot

about the future

about me

about us

about larger things

about love

about mind-____ing stuff.

that was "blow" by the way. nothing else.

Psychoanalysis was a great part of those thinking moments

Lotsa WHYs and WHATs and plain question marks.

I somehow came up with a list of 10 must-bes for guys as a guide to girlss.

non-exhaustive, non-conclusive. It's a personal stand (not Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus), don't shoot me if she doesn't agree ;D

so. today, i shall start with #10!

#10. Be inclined to think her: WWSD - What would she do?

Take any hypothetical situation, throw in an ultimatum

You'd instinctively choose A over B. But what about her?

How well do you know her thoughts/feelings/priorities/expectations?

Fit yourself into her skin and walk all around in it. The revelations will shock you.

Personal anecdote. I am quite a crybaby. Says Sher. He thinks i cry too easily and too frequently. In my defence, it's my defence. And when it isn't I'm just in touch with my emotions... But for him to know this about me has (in my opinion) helped us tread through rough waters. He's definitely more aware now of how i'm feeling. When i'm silent. When i turn away. When i go "okay, bye".

So, moral of the story today is-know her insides. Knowing that alone will change you through your actions and words. And she'll start going, "you know me best"

are we there yet? no. are we there yet? no. are we there yet? YES. really? no.

2010-09-20T07:07:00.000-07:00

that scene from Shrek cracks me up,

I feel liberated after today, knowing all that's left does not involve crazy writing.

And i'm thankful for getting through this round of examinations with such a sense of.

Chi??

Like innerpeace. (ahmed's innershine?)

I didn't quite prepare for prelims as much as I'd hoped

But the queer thing was my lack of pre-hall jitters

(well, ok, i had them last night thinking of failing stats and econs.)

But as i said, the worse for now is over.

I deserve a break, so do you.

You make take a day or two,

to settle for grades foretold, and face the next battle

I shall indulge in a week or so,

before my nerves return to being numb and cold.

hee, i feel poetic. (ha.)

(ha.)

anyways, my well deserved break starts...yesterday

(i watched three movies in a row! hence the jitters)

but what i really need now is to repay my sleep debt.

Go to bed with a smile and worry not bout tomorrow.

Do not worry about tomorrow,

for tomorrow will worry about itself.

(: nightnight kiddos.

PS: climbers - reply me! i needs your answer by soons;D

and the match begins

2010-06-25T06:06:00.000-07:00

the long road race to the finish line began just about 15 hours ago

the silent gun-shot indicating the start of scribbling and flipping - deafening

a dash past hurdles of time, accumulated pressure and seeping contents haphazardly added at the last hour

before a whistle signifies the seal of semi-fate, all that can be done now is to look ahead

the race isn't over, not for several more moons

opponents will observe an opening - to attack and destroy

you. Them - not other runners focused on the finish line,

their names - complacency, over-expectations, fatigue and (possibly depression)

Overtaking such opponents isn't a cause for hoorays.

It's merely a ticket to continuing this race.

And a gentle reminder - you voluntarily registered for this

So see it through.

it's a temporary lifestyle change

2010-06-18T08:12:00.000-07:00

we've thrown away all our hobbies

we've put only one thing in the "Priority List"

it's taken over our TV time, sleep time and lay-around-doing-nothing time

it's eating us (or me) from the inside and doesn't show signs of stopping

sometimes I get fed up with studying - i mean we all do

because there are just those naggy thoughts like

-why study so hard and be as unique as the 3582 others around you?

-is sacrificing everything else worth it?

-are you even doing "this" right?

-study so hard also no results

and then there are other times where i feel like i'm on a high

doing work.

yes, i sound crazy - i hope you have moments like that too (if not check me in to IMH)

but at the end of it, those questions return, leaving me feeling as empty and as useless as a kite

a kite yes. doing nothing but chasing the wind hoping something fruitful comes out of it

call it what you want - rat race, paperchase - there are no good adjectives. TRY as you might.

You know what sucks though? the fact that people think it's easy? Especially those who don't even know what they're talking about. Ok, i'm sorry if you're born with jenius (yes it was intentional) jenes. but hey, before you judge me, stand in my jeans. For example, just yesterday, Dad picked up my promo cert which i was trying to file and i remembered thinking - haha, that was my best result in TJ yet... thank goodness he didn't see MCTs. And the next thing i knew, he was making "tsk" sounds and shaking his head. He asked, "why you so proud of results like that", i said it's pretty good, i mean LOOK at the percentile? and he just turned away and mumbled something like "so easily contented"

ouch?

study?

2010-06-14T08:24:00.000-07:00

with all that's going on right now

studying is one of the last things on my mind

(contrary to popular belief yes?)

as I'm typing, I'm surrounded (in the dining area)

with close to 20 boxes

containing toiletries to files; photoalbums to pots

can you believe the amount of things we're NOT keeping?

I'd liken my house to a war-zone, tyvm

the dust collected over 15 years doesn't like to be unsettled

the cupboards don't like to be ransacked

at least my nose which gets ever so irritated by the air-borne particles tells me so

this move is the first i can remember, the second that happened in my lifetime

yet it feels like the last thing i want to do

I've been pulling and stacking, packing and wiping, sneezing and taping...

And then there's the labelling, stock-checking, not-eating and shouting

It's been only about a week but it feels like it's been too long

And thankfully, I'm grateful to say - we're almost there.

After 33 boxes of clothes, memorabilia and "essential" items

and 47 other individual pieces of electronic/bulky/non-boxable items

WE ARE DONE (almost)

studying's the LEAST of my problems. Least.

I'm now getting ready to scream at my very responsible brother who was responsible enough to leave the house in chaos to GO OUT.

never the end

2010-05-31T01:44:00.000-07:00

the past week marked the last training we had

- half of which we spent on taking pictures

the colourful, saturated Red from our Flasher Tee

we'd never wear again, 'cept on Casual Fridays

the past week marked the last competition we had

Friday - Novice Women&Men & Intermediate Women

As legends once again, we breezed through the former

Tore through - said Michael - like the TJCCC War Machine

Intermediate was different - too different

It was devastating and discouraging

I hated the fact that my last competition had to end that way

Bottomline though, we had fun..!

Laughing at the tiles, sloping and odd-angled

Falling off the wall, barely to the bonus tile

Wondering "WHATTTTT????" and "Howwwwww?"

Staring at the route, hoping it'd change. Ha

Some excelled, beyond most expectations

Beyond boundaries anyone could fathom

For this, Congrats are due to

Novice Men: Christopher & Ahmed

Inter Women: Valerie, Shi Hui & Eugenia Pua

Inter Men: Clement Tan

To the rest, we all know you've fought hard

And what's more important is

That this is not the end

It never is

CLIMB X 2010

2010-05-15T19:18:00.000-07:00

"It's a bee-a-you-ti-ful Saturday morning, here in Temasek Junior College

And if you've just joined us, this ruckus you're witnessing by the Climbing Wall

is CLIMB X twothousand and ten(:

Solely organised by Temasek Junior College Climbing Club

Sponsored by Climb Asia, Milo, Red Bull, Metro, PUB and Frolick"

Yes, i was DJ/emcee-ing at the event last weekend together with Calvin/Alistair/Jo/Jac

The whole competition was more or less flawless, i must say, if we ignored Nature's wrath...

I hope competitors enjoyed themselves, cos I sure did ;]

Agreeing to this competition was probably one of the best decisions I've made in my time in TJCCC

I know it might not be such a big deal to anyone else

But this comp served to remind me why I loved Climbing and competing in the first place.

Sure, i told myself, being organisers of the competition took precedence over being a competitor..so i did not expect any kind of achievement going into this (except for the competition to be AWESOME ;) )

Yet, from the minute we settled into isolation, and got seated at the transition area, my heart started pumping and butterflies were emerging.

For the first half of our competition season, I manage to let these feelings just flow through me.

In and out.

That Saturday though, 8th of May, it stayed inside.

However, it was different. Good in a way.

Adrenaline pumping, I stepped up as the 3rd JW to the baby roof.

I hadn't touched the baby since January.

YES JANUARY eonssss ago..!

And if you climbed enough with me, you'd know roofs were a certain psychological barrier to me

Anyhow, anywhat - I ascended reminding myself to breathe, clip and flow.

I was in LOVE with the route in no time ;)

Towards the middle of the roof route while holding the crack on the wall,

I remember having that nudge in my head

"quit now. you're tired. after all you've never been able to flash a competition route before...

much less now that you've NOT trained for highwalling"

And i punched that thought into oblivion and said

"No Ashley, you will NOT quit on me now"

I progressed another 4 moves to get to the penultimate hold

And then in sight, about a panel's length away, was the anchor.

And the last yellow jug.

I reached up, but it was out of my grasp.

Panicking, I felt around for inserts, features, nuts, ANYTHING

that i could use as an intermediate hold.

All i got was a semi flat insert - and i recall going "WHAAAA?"

Without hesitation, at that moment, i leaped for it, as though i was on a boulder problem

And hey, I topped the route (:

TJCCCCamp 2010

2010-05-03T02:04:00.001-07:00

busy busy week, preparing for numerous things

like buying logistics, packing them, finding alternatives and so much more

it was hard juggling between TOOP, Climbing camp, CLIMB X preparation and studies

but we've all been through worse

i'm glad the camp turned out successful

i wouldn't have it any other way

despite the last minute decision to hold the camp last weekend

the seniors pulled through for the TJCCC family

because we wanted all too badly for the J1s to experience what we did last year

except more.

it started on a Friday evening with tile stripping and washing

and sacrificing would-be time at Mega House Func

a brief briefing then followed, i was surprised every one grasped the 2D1N camp in a mere half hour

even though we were all exhausted, Sherwin and i sat by the grandstand for some time alone

and i liked that we talked about everything

it wasn't a "hm, nice weather. hope camp goes fine" talk.

rather raw, with more depth and honesty (:

slept came at 2am, ending at 7am

juniors came after breakfast and we proceeded to do MORE stripping/washing/sorting/drilling.

you know.

games finally started off with trust fall (which i missed..?) followed by

HUNGRYHUNGRYMUNKAY - a whole lot of laughs, blisters, wide-open mouths and flour-throwing. Yes, we learnt that our Captain and Vice Captain liked it white.

Bucket balance was next (another game i missed-i'm missing these games from preparing the next/packing up from the last. NOT slacking! see?) followed by climbing games!

1) Pass the pocky-gross much? apparently (while i was gone again!) the J1s bullied J2s by challenging them to pocky passing. Except it was minuscule to the point that Sherwin was licked by Clem. =( bad boy!

2) Hang challenge, and

3) Scissors Paper Stone (endurance-y game)

Water-hole was next, and i must say, the juniors were really innovative(: our cups' designs were pretty menacing, but they managed to fill the bottle oh so fast

Oh yes, i think i missed out their trials to be the next top Yati/Maria. The climbing area's so CLEAN now. Free of tapes, tiles, bolts, screws, weeds and litter(: yay for j1s

Sock challenge on soapy mats was realllllly entertaining. I didn't quite want to get down and dirty (or squeaky clean for that matter) so i watched from the side and took pics! haha SO hilarious. I don't know who/how/when/where/why/what, but J1s beat us =(

we ended the day's activities with a yumyum dinner and a visit from j3s! hahha(:

OR SO THEY THOUGHT! while they were catching up on sleep in lalaland, we were half-zombified, preparing for Night Games.

Last minute? Yes, but it turned out better than expected. At least Jun Wei told me i was creepy... "Ring around the rosies...." And i initially had a kick out of being a mental kid-ghost.

Talked again with Sher till my hair dried and we went to sleep(:

The next morning brought about PT race! which the J1s embraced (RIGHT?!)

Butt abrasions, lactic acid build-up, scorching hot weather and a whole lot of sweat.

Like Jia Ying Ma'am used to say, "What's bitter to do is SWEET to remember"(:

I hope this camp really brought the team together and gave them an opportunity to know each other. Not superficially but as friends, as a family, as a TEAM. I really was moved when (during the debrief), Mr Kao said to the J1s that we've left a legacy behind, and that TJCCC 09/10 was the best batch of climbers ever ;D

To the dear J1s, as Exco elections approach and the seniors get prepared to step down... Always remember the passion you have for climbing. The rest will fall into place.

let's just fall in love again

2010-04-26T06:10:00.000-07:00

why do I compete - a question clement asked me, to which i gave a "politically correct" answer: Exposure

I say I'm not in it for the tangible accomplishments,

The shiny medals and glittery trophies that speak volumes in an instant

I know it's more than that - for how long can these last?

Competing psyches me up, a feeling we hardly get to indulge in

And we react accordingly by taking advantage of this boost of adrenaline

Without causing too much a strain on the nerves and tummy

What's most important is competing with yourself

Because once you compare, you insult you

Don't think about RELATIVE, think about I

Yet sometimes instincts tell us otherwise

Nobody enters a competition aiming to lose

Not one person would willingly give up without a fight

I hate to feel jealous or disgruntled or upset

When I want to do is be happy and unselfish

But every time, every time, it hits a nerve (the one that never wants to lose)

CLIMB X is coming up, and I've decided to participate

Even though I have not trained for high-wall difficulty since Batu Caves???

The main reason is that this would be our final high-wall competition

And more importantly,

I don't want to leave without falling in love with our amazing wall again

Allez ash(:

NSSCC 2010

2010-04-25T01:15:00.000-07:00

To start off explosively, here are the results accumulated from 2 weekends of Nationals

A Division:
Speed Individuals (Boys): 1st - Christopher Yong

Speed Team (Girls): 3rd - Jolene Tan, Jacinda Siew, Gwendolyn Lee, Kristal Cheong
Speed Team (Boys): 2nd - Christopher Yong, Clement Tan, Alistair Chong, Ahmed Khalil Khan

Difficulty (Girls): 1st - Valerie Chu, 2nd - Jacinda Siew, 3rd - Kristal Cheong
Difficulty (Boys): 1st - Clement Tan, 2nd - Sherwin Lau, 3rd - Rahul Raman

All I can say is I'm so AMAZINGLY proud to be part of this family

Going down on both days (that I wasn't competing on) was more than worth it

Even though it rained on us yesterday, today was such a heart-pumping, adrenaline-filled day

It made up for it and so much more

So many of you broke out of your comfort zones

And got psyched up for the competition without feeling the nerves

You did incredibly well, whether or not your name was mentioned up there!

I'm all smiles now(:

When this is announced in TJ tomorrow morning or the day after,

SOAK IT IN.

You earned it;D

permanently black and blue

2010-04-20T16:12:00.000-07:00

the roughest week of April has just gone by.

with unreasonable parents who once more try

to reason with grades - threats fly

with new things to learn and more datelines to keep

with heart aches that make each day look bleak -

haunts from the past, one hopes never to seek

"so little cause for carolings", yes?

cos though I try and I try my best

to let things simmer, those weights on my chest

never seem to want to go, no bidding good-byes

the roughest week of April has just gone by

or has yet to say hi?

I tried to do handstands but everytime I fell for you
I'm permanently black and blue, permanently blue for you

it's april!

2010-04-07T06:13:00.001-07:00

April's fine - new topics bury disappointment (or lack thereof) from results

I know I need to buck up because I really am under-performing.

I will. I can. And if I can't, I must.

Our class really is blessed with good teachers who care and make learning such a breeze.

For JCTs I want to give it my all and do justice to my class and our teachers(:

Who's with ;)

Today brought another bouldering training with J1s.

It wasn't any different from last week - Traverse, Boulder (new routes today!) followed by Medium PT (6x8 pull ups, 4x20 push-ups, 4x30 sit-ups, 3x1min plank) and punishments =( for climbing in the Barea without j2s around and not closing the store gate and being slow and being late.

Well I hope the J1s have it drilled in their heads now. We aren't sadistic seniors who enjoy punishing them, it's all a matter of discipline and safety.

Slight bouldering and moderate PT made my arms sore and fingers raw (it rhymes!), but as always, I LIKE. On Friday, I hope we'll get warmed up to Speed Climbing(: and highwalling in general!

words that starts with F

2010-03-30T06:07:00.000-07:00

This is one of those days

Where exhaustion just gives in to emotion

Where being alone doesn't necessarily mean anything physical

Where all else seems not to matter, not one bit

Where history haunts.

And is victorious.

Am I really?

What ever happened to "I know me best"?

See what doubt does to people?

It eats me

from the inside out.

What I'd give to want what I have

Ha.

Joke.

emceetees

2010-03-28T05:43:00.000-07:00

Not going to talk about them?

Hahaa, there's a part of me that's disappointed that I hadn't put in my best for the MCTs. And the other side (whom I'm going to abandon by the time JCTs approach) that reminds me how this was set to kill us and make us buck up for JCTs.

New studying pact: Basically just to stay back after school each day to do homework and do revision. TYS here i come;D

Besides studies, Climbing is still out of the question. I did "touch" and do minimal (really minimal!) bouldering @ CA today while the J1s were shopping for their first pairs of rock shoes. I wore a skirt to prevent myself from getting on the wall(: but yeah, the minimal climbing I did didn't hurt my back(Y) and I'll probably go for Physio on Tues.

For now, I'll stay away from Yishun and train the J1s to boulder.I can't say I'm unhappy because high-walls are so foreign to me now though it means I won't be able to be with my love :(

Social life update!

On Thursday after my last paper, Rachel, Vanessa, Yu Kwan and I met up for some chillax session. A rare treat we indulged in (since the last time we met up was in 2009!) We had lunch @ Vivo Marche which stretched into Tea. Pictures are due to be uploaded by Wed. I PROMISE! haha, we caught up with each other's lives and just took turns to tell the latest;D Christmas plus Birthday gifts were also exchanged, it felt odd but equally heartwarming. HEARTS!

Since it was pouring, I couldn't bring them to the Pinnacle so we just shopped around Vivo. Much of our remaining hours was spent at Daiso! And did i find treasure there!! I'm so making a trip back when I've moved(: Besides that, I bought a scarf and a headband from Forever21. under $12 =p

The day after, we met (AGAIN!) cos we realised we were all free. HAHA,initially the plan was to catch Alice in Wonderland. But we ended up shopping (without Rachel =( boo) Lunch at Manpuku followed by aimless walking. We found ourselves going crazy with more headbands at Montip and I bought two(; for training and casual use luh. Then I proposed that we three visit the Pinnacle since I had to help Dad paint the house. And they came!

Okay, i admit, we did nothing but CAMWHORE. hahahah, 100pictures in 2 hours. Yes, the epitome of camwhoring XD

Friends are the family you choose for yourself and I just wanna say that you girls are fantastic family members ;)

let's do this S

2010-03-19T06:38:00.000-07:00

mixed feelings about recent events

1) AHSLC: turned out way better than expected. I went in feeling like I was doing SK/JM/AHS a favour and I would do the bare minimum. BUT HEY! i was so caught up with the camp's activities, the atmosphere and most of all the CAMPERS, that i hardly thought about the notes that lay untouched in my bag(: And as i was saying, i learnt SO much too.. talk about service learning ;)

2) studying for MCTs: ahh, motivated (just one more weeeeek!) yet slightly chill-ish since is just the MCTs. Sherwin's been helping me through Physics, Chem and Math :] yay

HEAL BACK HEAL

2010-03-14T06:20:00.000-07:00

I went for the AHSLC briefing this afternoon gaining nothing but an injury.

We were on our way back from shopping for logistics at Sheng Siong and took a cab because we had a ton of things and it was pouring terribly. As we unloaded the things, my slipper (extremely unreliable) decided that i should slip and fall. On my back.

I couldn't stand for almost a minute, but i knew i had to get indoors. Thank God i managed to stand and walk. The pain was still bearable.

As I eased into a chair, I soon realised it wasn't a minor bump. The pain was sharp and piercing. I could not bend forward to a 90' angle.

I'm also thankful for the other camp officials who expressed concern and made me go to see a doctor. Yu Kwan, Soon Keong, Ray Seen, Lee Ying (thanks for the slippers and cash!), Jia-Min, Vanessa Chow, Chun Kit and Ka Hwee.

Apparently the doc said it could be anything from a bad bruise/contusion or a minor crack in my bone. She gave me some pain relief pills and a cream for applying... I pray that it's nothing serious or long-term. I don't want to lose it all.

Not now. Not ever.

NW finals

2010-03-14T05:39:00.001-07:00

Flash format. Detail 4. 6 routes. 2 flashes, 1 top, 2 bonuses. Ranked 14th.

There are SOOOO many pictures on fb, it is SCARY.

Just imagine, 182 pictures from Calvin, 136 others from Mr Kao, 200 (not complete) from Lisa. And my overdue Gravical NW/NM/NW finals plus Boulderactive IW/IM/NW/NM pictures have yet to be uploaded!! Screams. Jac, please relieve me of them, credits are all yours if you do them for me ;)

Reflections on my NW climb? I guess I just had this "I wanna flash as many routes as I can and prove to those supporting me that I did not enter the Intermediate Category by chance". We were probably all tired and had zero psych from all that waiting (+- 5 hours), but we still did our customary warm-up (unique to TJCCC!) and watched Details 1 and 2 compete.

As I was reading some of the routes while Detail 2 was climbing, I saw from the corner of my eye, a trail of red-shirted guys were half-running towards the wall. Turning, I spotted Calvin right in front and the other J2 guys. Following them, the (almost) ENTIRE J1 entourage. A smile broke out on my face and i ran over to Calvin(:

I was just SO touched knowing that they had rushed down from school just to watch us compete for a mere 20 minutes. The J1 juniors too, could have gone home and enjoyed an early Friday night, BUT they came and gave their support, cheering like a wild fan club. Each time the emcees mentioned 'TJ', a roar of support just made me beam;D

I did not do as well as I'd have liked too. But the IW did compete in the morning and on the bright side, I attempted every route (unlike at Gravical).

Route 1: unable to reach bonus (too tired cos it was one of the last routes i attempted)

Route 2: 2 attempts to bonus (i just felt like my sequencing wasn't very right, and hesitated a bit too much..

Route 3: Balancey, but I LIKE. 2 attempts - both reaching the final tile, but was unable to STICK IT. sigh, wasted=(

Route 4: flash

Route 5: flash

Route 6: top on 2nd attempt

Videos, like my pictures, will take time. It's more for my own viewing, but feel free to comment!

With that, we end part 1 of our Bouldering season. Now to focus on J1s/NSSCC

Of bruises and abrasions

2010-03-12T05:55:00.000-08:00

few more injuries added to my list(:

Approximately 4 new bruises on my knees, my skin's peeling from every finger, some unknown wound on my left wrist and a series of abrasions on my right wrist.

The above were all results of Gravical and today's Boulderactive at Orchard Central organised by NUS.

I sound like a sadist? Maybe, but these injuries are so much more to me. I'll not complain that they hurt or will cause ugly scars, for one sole reason... I'm back ;D I am officially 100% recovered and on full form. The back injury is passe now and I'm no longer trying to catch up with the team (from the hiatus through Nov/Dec/Jan)

Arriving just in time with Jac at 8.30am, we registered and got our goody bags, quickly changing and settling in amidst the 23 Intermediate Women climbers. My arm was marked [IW 18] and in that second i thought. Wow. Intermediate. *beams*

I kept telling myself: no stress, no pressure. It's my FIRST inter comp! Have fun, get all the experience I can(:

Approaching the first wall, the sequence seemed pretty do-able. But i was stumped by the side-of-the-volume sloper. Yes, that is where i scraped my wrist. three times=(

2nd route was crappy holds entirely.... I barely slapped my left hand on the bonus tile, before slipping off.

3rd route was all about lay-backing. I looked at it, and *WHIMPER!* just popped into my mind. haha, well, i took way too long getting towards the bonus tile..

4th route. HAHAHHA. cannot start. XD so morale-boosting aye? if i was given 10 mins, maybe my fantastic brain would have gotten me somewhere higher than the starting hold. HA

5th, final route. FLASH. FLASH. FLASH. FLASH. FLASH. FLASH. oh no, ONSIGHT. heehee. Jac came to me as i was resting, and said, "You can flash this." It just gave me all the encouragement i needed to rid myself of all negative emotions and give it my all for the final route. And yes, i was feeling high after completing it.

THE trip - through my Nikon D40x

2010-03-09T03:44:00.000-08:00

tanjung balai

2010-03-07T01:46:00.000-08:00

our TOOP trip finally (yes, finally!) came true after an entire year of preparation, disappointment and cancellations.

Pictures from the trip will be uploaded to facebook, but here's a sneak peek(:

I enjoyed the entire process, from breakfast at Macs, to a long ferry ride to Indonesia, the bus ride to the village, teaching and interacting with the children, our photo essay, the visit to the tuition centre and lastly the whole ride back

It was an experience of a lifetime.

Having drove through the village and seeing how they lived, it opened my eyes to a whole new world. The village school was a mere shelter with a blackboard, stacked chairs and running children. Yet, they all looked forward to school, they were punctual, enthusiastic, quick learners and ever so happy. I had so much fun playing with the children, who had nothing on their minds but innocent thoughts.

We also walked around for our project assignment and went into two houses. The villagers lived mainly on fishing and were quite a tight community. Everyone knew every other person and they all lived relatively simplistic lives. But if one said globalisation did not affect them, I'd beg to differ. A bunch of teenagers had with them mobile phones, televisions were present in most homes and we even saw a boy wearing a Steven Gerrard jersey from the English Premier League.

In all, the sights and sounds of a developing country made me realise that Singapore didn't reflect the world. There was so much more going on than what we only knew. I learnt that happiness is not determined by one's riches.

Like Bill Gates once said, "I think everybody should get rich and be famous and do everything he ever dreamed of so he can see that it’s not the answer to happiness."

GRAVICAL

2010-03-07T00:17:00.000-08:00

Qualifiers for Gravical 2010 was quite a surprise really. I mean, besides the completely new FLASH format we had to deal with, the routes' difficulty was pretty interesting.

First route shown in the pic (yellow volume) was flash-able, but i kinda followed Jac's sequence (and failed unlike her cos i didn't have that pulling strength). 2nd route, i completed but it wasn't counted cos i jumped and got n the last tile about a split second after the 19minute whistle was blown=( 3rd flashed(unexpectedly), 4th completely didn't try and 6th flashed, 5th was a wasted route too. Videos will be out on FB soon(:

TJCCC girls owned the qualifiers and shocked crowds as 7 TJCians qualified for today's competition. After the results were posted, i was contented being in 11th place. (not qualified for finals...) but upon further inspection, Bernice was 3rd! And she's an intermediate climber hence she couldn't compete in the novice finals! ;D

I was overjoyed and brimming with smiles, I couldn't wait to share the news with everyone... My heart was literally somersaulting...

Staying on to support the Novice Men wasn't the best decision, because i got scolded for it afterward by my parents. Yes, it was an irresponsible decision driven by my pumped heart. That night though, i wondered if Mom was being way too strict. She talked about my piano and school and how Climbing seemed to take precedence over it all.

"What does she want from me?" That thought troubled me as i cried myself to sleep, doubting if she would let me compete for Gravical Finals. My facebook status summarised how i felt about the whole bittersweet day "What's the point of doing well if there's no one to share the joy with."

Thankfully, korkor managed to talk them around(:

And hence, i competed today for my NW Finals. The on-site format was more comforting and the fact that i was amongst my team mates kinda took away some of the pressure. It was fantastic, too, that i had supporters (Mommy, Daddy, Sam Yee and korkor plus Mr Kao, Philip, some J3s and the TJCCC guys(: ) who kept cheering me on.

The routes weren't easy. I barely flashed the first route. 2nd route was wasted with a mere tap on the last tile. It drained a lot of my energy, leaving me completely unable to reach the bonus tiles on routes 3 and 4. Rushing off after my finals, i couldn't stay to hear what Philip had to say about the moves.

Congrats to those who made it to the top 3 - Lynette, Jac and Gwen. You girls are just awesome(: Share the prize! XD Those who didn't make it, remember what Mr Kao said about us already doing our best and getting through to the finals. We've also shown the climbing community in Singapore that TJCCC is not to be trifled with! (Gravical DJ called us WAR MACHINES ;D ) To Jo, Raihan and Lala, the competition was a great experience and with the upcoming boulder comps, I'm sure there will be greater opportunities for ya'll to SHINE!

with love, ash

NW 402 and NW001

ALLER!

2010-02-27T22:54:00.000-08:00

Scribbling in my organiser, made me realise how busy i was going to be, starting tomorrow...

Take a look at the "Future Dates" section somewhere down there--->

It's just the tip of the iceberg.

Eek.

Well, on a more present note, j1s' training the past week was pretty smooth flowing

They are beginning to show some potential (:

and i think they learn really fast! (regarding the knots, belaying, harness stuff and climbing calls)

The J1s in our group comprise Atiqah, Naomi, Breyon and Caden Lowe.

Tell me their names aren't unique. HAHA ;D

Us J2s include lala, Alistair, Zhengwei and myself.

We can't help but reveal our crazy selfs already...

Mock Competition yesterday was quite surprising for me

Firstly cos i didn't feel any nerves going into isolation and stepping up to the boulder walls

I guess it's experience that we've all been exposed to(:

Secondly, I managed to top the first wall route (after 2 attempts because i aimed poorly-overshot the bonus tile) and onsight the second wall just barely.

I remember telling myself that i had to give it my all. Especially while attempting to match hands on that eagle nonsense!

The roof proved to be hard for me - no surprise there. But it really makes me wanna train up my core and do more roof routes!

Lastly, i was glad to have entered the final round amidst competition from Loyang, Springfield, UWC and SJII.

The finals (Novice Men Qualifiers) were wayyy out of my league though, i only managed a bonus on the 2nd route. This is why we aren't Men right!?

Towards the end of the competition, people were getting hungry/tired/listless and all. I was upset about something my parents said/implied/did. And i just wanna thank those who were there to comfort me(:

Jac, Clement, Calvin, Val TYVM. Plus all the climbers who were there, your presence made me feel all that better(Y)

Yesterday i knew for sure.

That i wanted to climb - not because it was a CCA, nor because it kept me fit, nor for pure enjoyment.

Besides all that, I love doing it.

And hence I will keep on doing it.

aller ashley

coughs hi(:

2010-02-22T05:15:00.000-08:00

Came down with a bug

Croaking and breathing through my mouth

and just as i was celebrating my recovered back!?

well. health update complete, school's just school

i'm still about (or less than) a tutorial behind for each subject

thankful for tests because it's the one thing that keeps me studying, on my toes

MCTs in 4 weeks.

a new pact made with Nelly to meet each Sunday for notes-making and the like (:

besides the boring stuff, Gravical's in slightly more than a week!

i'm not expecting anything because i've just recovered (if you've been reading right). not to say that i won't push my boundaries, because i know i will. this will be my first NBL comp, it's also going to be a world of difference from Bouldermania, an Invitational comp. Gravical's Novice Qualifiers are going to employ the FLASH format, which probably does more harm than good to us. sure, it saves time, but what happened to the importance of reading a route? =( The flash format merely tests one's strength and memory? sigh.

before that, Andrew's 18th ;D

what to buy? and can i make it? *hopes training is cancelled in view of Gravical XD

and the weekend brings with it my Grade8 piano practical exam

eeesssh. how encouraging, my piano teacher told me to be prepared in case i fail. tyvm

okay, now to listen to the BUDGET

non-Rant

2010-02-20T20:08:00.000-08:00

Okay, my previous post was a rant.

Hence the blog name right?

I admit it was overboard, and i apologise

But those feelings had to go somewhere, if not they'd probably show themselves in person

Anyhow, I'll dwell in the side of me that's excited

To welcome new blood into TJCCC

To impart skills of whatever we've learnt in this short year's time

To let that passion we have bubble in their veins

To groom them into climbers who love climbing

Wednesday - the excitement shall begin(:

climb-able state

2010-02-15T18:15:00.000-08:00

I wake up this morning at 0600 hours.
why so early?
COS I WANTED IPOH DIMSUM BEFORE I LEAVE
and i wake up feeling prance-y and jump-y
because my back has stopped hurting!

i can't remember when it started feeling better.
i know on my first day (fo sure) that i had trouble going up the stairs to Jean's room
But amidst the CNY food, cookies, slow gin, karaoking, visiting, playing, cam-whoring and gambling - the nagging/bruising/sharp pain had gone to bother someone else and left me alone
I guess an Ipoh break was just what i needed(;

Earlier, i wanted to check out the Tambun climbing area too!
Just to take a lookie at the routes and maybe recce for a trip-to-be?
Because it's such a waste that i have relatives staying 2 minutes from there, and i have never once appreciated the cliffs flanking the surroundings of the house

It really is a sight to behold, and i'm so thankful for our Batu Caves trip which made me peel my oblivious eyes open, yes i am.

Alls well here - meeting up with the Aunties and their families

Aunt #1-Dai Yee, Aunty Mary came down from Yorkshire! bringing Uncle Keith along and Paula plus little Isabella who's turning into a pretty young lady

Aunt #2-Yee Yee, who's house we're staying in, looks better since the last time we were here. Uncle Tim put up a cherry blossom tree in their amazing house for that CNY feel(: it's nice!
oh, since we're on the topic, the house is about 3-4 years old? It has 6 bedrooms (master bedroom, Jean's room, Popo's room, Maid's room and 2 guest rooms), a LIBRARY, 2 living rooms (one up and one down), 2 dining rooms (one formal with the lazy susan and one for casual dining), a karaoke room aka Uncle Tim's den/work area, a fantastic high-tech kitchen, and SEVEN yes 7 toilets. one in each bedroom and then one for "public" access. hahahah. say WOW. when i start earning money, i'll buy myself a house in Ipoh. Land abundance ftw.

Aunt #3-Sam Yee, who's been shuttling up KL and Singapore cos her children (Ad Win - married doctor and new dad of baby CALEB~! and Mi Chelle - pharmacist and dancer, probably my closest cousin. Both live in Bukit Batok now so Sam Yee's usually in Singapore most of the time.)

Aunt #4-Sei Yee passed away while i was pretty young leaving behind Uncle Chin Lai and three sons - Jason, Siang and Yong. They live in Subang and it's been great catching up and talking about whether i look better with my glasses or not. HAHA(: HTHT (heart to heart talk) and camwhore buddies(:

Aunt #5-May Yee lives in ipoh and has an 8 year old daughter who's quite chor lor! hahhaa, but she's a lively handful

Aunt #6 is my mummy(:

If you're wondering where the uncles are, well there's only Uncle Thomas who's still around. and he likes to bring korkor and me from hor fun and prawns

i'm just really happy to be home away from home though i'm leaving this afternoon =(
school starts in less than 24. WHAT?!

Pinnacle@DUXTON

2010-02-07T02:04:00.001-08:00

glimpses of my new place i took off the internet. Yes, i am lazy to upload them from the DSLR =( boo. SOON(:

of bald heads, sacrificial oaths and cruel PA systems

2010-02-07T01:48:00.001-08:00

I miss my korkor=(

He left mommy,daddy and my lives (for a week) on the 5th of February.
While having his last civilian meal, we took a few commemorative photos.
Black and White (:

Bus-ed and Bus-ed and Ferry-ed to Tekong, where Bryan left us to rehearse for the ceremony later on. The three of us then toured the facilities @ BMTC for about 2 hours.
We saw their canteens, Standard Obstacle Course, school (littered with pull-up bars) and lecture halls.
We saw their bunks with two-level beds, complete with a table right in the centre for the future 16 recruits staying there and pretty decent ceiling fans.
Next, we sat at the block next to Bryan and the other 80 odd enlistees during the official ceremony.

They pledges to be loyal to Singapore (blah blah) and protect it with THEIR LIVES. I feel safe already(:

After the entire ceremony, the enlistees took their leave and stood in two rows, flanking both sides of the corridor that we'd have to pass. And as their respective parents/friends walked by, they were allowed to leave with them and enjoy a final lunch together.

I met Nee Meng (said goodbye!) and Mr Yow that day too. Lunch was pretty good! Chicken, mash, broccolis, bread and rice. Just to assure parents that food doesn't really suck at camp. (I know the enlistees beg to differ)...

As we ate and took photos again, the PA system suddenly roared to life. "ALL ENLISTEES REPORT TO PARADE SQUARE NOW. (repeat. reapeat. and again.)

Aww, I had the final glimpse of a bald Bryan marching into the distance =(

Pics will be up soon(:

WET&WILD

2010-02-01T05:34:00.000-08:00

Today started out early

With a briefing and redundant tie-wearing, schoolsong-singing, flag-raising assembly

Soon it was time to get the game ready for

The new J1s, whom I am attempting to love amidst the problems that they've brought with them

X-ing the X-s, so it's called, meant

Rafia string was rolled out, chairs were stacked

Pails, cups and all things plastic were filled

To the brim with water

Megaphones were employed to give directions

To the restless, donned-in-black/blue/red OGMs

Safety precautions - NO CLIPS, WATCHES, SPECS, PINS, SHOES (i sounded like I ran a roller coaster)

And DUCK WALK, careful, the web! oh FAIL rolling.

CHEER.

and repeat(:

oh did i say SPLASH?

Towards the dead noon, the track

Could have fried an egg. Because it fried my feet.

Right before clearing up, a brat from MEOW high threw flour in my hair

BOO. flirt. right clem?

Showered with Raihan and Gwen, revealing a TAN,

While Sherwin and Alistair stood there wishing

They could be in there as well. Lunch it was, with queues (yes, i heart j1s)

Debrief to end, officially. "Singlets? Okayyyyy..." (okay!)

The Day ended UNofficially with a MASS O. ;)

what a disgrace. kisses!

no, my cat isn't hurt.

FRIDAY without training

2010-01-28T21:17:00.000-08:00

I'm at home now, and it's still bright and sunny out (on a FRIDAY? rare much.)

My physiotherapist said no running/CLIMBING for a week =(

Frankly, I'm home because I know staying in school while the rest trains would be way too tempting. Like how I told myself on Wednesday that I wasn't going to climb.

I did anyways.

Well, seeing that i had an early day today, my initial plan was to join Mum, Dad and Bro @ the Pinnacle. We're getting our keys for the new house today, and contractors would be coming down and all. But it's pretty much a waste of time, 'cos I've seen the place already? Plus they're all coming back at 5. Which leaves me with pretty much 2 hours to look around and imagine how my future room'd look like after all that white space gets filled up.

So, my decision? Shower, watch some TV and take a well deserved nap. I mean, it IS Friday! (:

(=(

2010-01-25T05:23:00.000-08:00

CHEM TEST. back pain.

double boo.

no running though!

PICTURES

2010-01-22T07:49:00.000-08:00

before i sleep,

updates NOW~!

2010-01-22T07:21:00.000-08:00

Okay. sorry the last post was soooo 2000 and late. HA

Quick one, (which will prob turn into a long one - yes trust me on this)

the photos from US/Germany will be up this weekend. (i hope)

And basically i stopped updating cos the trip started getting more tourist-y after starting off in Germany. Like hotels (rather than free accommodation) and public transport.

SO, in all, i just wanted to upload pics instead of do the typing.

After touching down in sg, close to three weeks back :0 , we welcomed 2010 @ Calvin's.

First time counting down at someplace other than HOME.

It wasn't exciting, it wasn't packed with activities

But i'll tell you what it was.

It was filled with FRIENDS who just took the time to sit back and enjoy the

(most boring) Risk game (ever!), EIGHT minutes of fire works (yes sam, tax payers feel the pain), Li Meng's (atrocious) singing, Marcus' (terrible) drum playing, Jo's (desperate) plea for us to finish her "Chrysanthemum Tea" and all that jazz.

Too bad, we had no pictures cos Calvin's cam had no batt. boo.

After that night/morning, i woke up after four hours of sleep.

I felt (no words to describe how terrible it was). I can't remember the last time i was so UPSET about the year passing. Thoughts flew from my piano exam, to Z, to MCTs, to A, to Climbing comps, to R and C and i just felt (ditto).

Who cries on New Year's?????

Ugh, anyhow. I'm way better now because taking it one step at a time, no matter how small, is still a step. aye?

Class chalet! (or BBQ since that's all i stayed for) pics on the next posty(:

First week of school - I made a pact with AHMED! that on all non-training days, we would sit on the rattan/metal chairs that leave temporal traces on one's butt and STUDY/MUG/do HW. Yes, A levels FTW. :D it's a slow and steady, but sure way to be in step with all my subjects.

Climbing was mostly instructional training/bouldering. Hadn't gotten the chance to scale the high walls yet.

2nd week of school (finally all caught up) brought about more positive feelings. Feelings with regards to school work (mmhmm, i UNDERSTAND and am only slightly behind tutorials) and climbing (bouldering + BoulderMania - pics next post) and my walk with Him.

He's been by my side all this time, as i drifted away, giving excuses not to talk to Him. But He's been there, and He's always going to be. Because He'll finish what He's started in me. It's a promise, and i trust in that.

I just wanna mention Wed's training TRAINING. (yes, when muscles hurt that bad, it's TRAINING - Philip) I wasn't in the best mood for bouldering. But strength training was (Y).

Just a list:

-2 4 6 8 10 8 6 4 2 (pyramid pull ups)

-campus drills x 3(right hand lock on crimp 1, left hand grace crimp 3 and vice versa till you fall off. yes with weights too 5KG!)

-dead hang (with 5kg) for 10sec x 3

-full lock (with 5kg) for 10 sec x 3

-eagle push-ups (NEW!) sucks up remaining bit of muscle juice - if ANY.

-twinkle twinkle little TWOHUNDRED stars.

still aching. (:

today's routes in order:

Panel YELLOW (1st time, hung twice), Overhang BLUE tape (1st time, hung once), Wall 1 BLACK (top rope, half wall... ><), Baby roof YELLOW (3rd time, hung once), Overhang YELLOW (top rope - Philip insisted i do this last route - no hang, semi-speed climb. HAHA)

okay, "hung" seems to have appeared quite a bit? Heh, it's prob due to the HOT,HUMID weather, plus the aches from Wed (from now on referred to as Wednesday's muscles) and lastly, my mental state.

I'm trying to preserve myself for tomorrow's endurance training (Snake game) and my recital tmr! EXCITED, not.

See, told you it would stay short. i keep to my promises. Like not multi-tasking during lectures. XD

risks

2009-12-21T19:45:00.000-08:00

To laugh is to risk appearing a fool.
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out for another is to risk involvement.
To expose feelings is to risk revealing your true self.
To place your ideas, your dreams, before a crowdIs to risk rejection.
To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To live is to risk dying.
To hope is to risk disappointment.
To try is to risk failure.
But risks must be taken, because the greatest hazard
In life is to risk nothing.
Those who risk nothing, do nothing, have nothing,
And become nothing.
They may avoid present suffering and sorrow, but they
Will not learn, feel, change, grow, love, or live.
Chained by their fear, they are slaves who have forfeited
Their freedom.
Only a person who risks is free.
The pessimist complains about the wind;
The optimist expects it to change;
And the realist adjusts the sails.

—
William Arthur Ward

this is so good, i had to take it off Jo's blog(:
i'm going to print this out and stick it somewhere. ahha

Philly! Day 10 & 11

2009-12-20T21:30:00.000-08:00

[Day 10; 18th Nov]
Breakfast at home before we left to explore Philadelphia. I studied the map with attractions and all the night before, so I led us four around today.

Our first stop was Washington Park, where we saw squirrels (that willingly posed for me!)! Walking MORE to the historic part of Philly again, we went to this Visitor’s Centre and got free tics to a tour.

I was pretty hyped up because daddy usually doesn’t go on tours inside buildings/museums. But
since this tour of the Independence Hall was free, why not right? Unfortunately, the tour was A BORE. A terrible BORE. History lessons aren’t as boring. Wasted my time in there… at least we got warmth?

Franklin’s Court was next on our agenda. Here, we posted our(Singapore)selves a postcard! Haha, I don’t know why, but since we did the same in Vatican City (2 years back), why not? (:
We stopped at Campo’s for lunch and had more philly cheesesteaks! Fulfilling I must say. Especially the freshly-cooked meat that’s steaming is more than I can ask for after walking in the cold…

Penn’s Landing was close by, so we just walked on and saw from afar, the bridge that linked Philadelphia to New Jersey. By then, I couldn’t stand the winds (which got worse since we got closer to the river..!) Thankfully, we soon took a subway to 30th St. Station. Here, we were to pick up our rented car, but Daddy said we were early so we just admired the pretty neoclassical designs in the interior, very grand(: for some reason, after having a 99c HOT CHOC from Dunkin’ Donuts, I fell asleep on the bench waiting for the car. An hour or so passed, and finally.
We got our snow-white 4WD Dodge. CAR = less walking = AWESOMEZXZX

We DROVE (no more walkingggg!) to the north of Philly, to see the Boathouse Row and grabbed dinner. It was 10pm, just nice for free parking, when we arrived back at Belgravia.
Night!

[Day 11; 19th Nov]
What happened today? It snowed! Biggest snowstorm in Philly for 30 years!

We were planning to wake up at 6am today, but I only got up at 7 because Daddy took a whole
hour deciding whether or not we should drive to Canada today.

So we did! Drive. THE WHOLE DAY. So there’s really nothing exciting except us reaching there in 11 hours, in time for sleep. Haha! I finished reading “For One More Day” by Mitch Albom though, another good read.

Philly! Day 9

2009-12-18T20:40:00.000-08:00

[Day 9; 17th Nov]

COLD. At least my fingers, toes, ears and nose thought so, the minute we walked out of 1811 - Belgravia, on our way to Old City. The east-ish part of Philly.

The first attraction we visited was the City Hall. I just love the architecture (it’s the tallest&largest masonry building in the world, having no steel frame and being built in 30 years!) and the trees all around it. Yes, the bare, seemingly lifeless trees really take my breath away(:
LOVE park was next. You know the famous LOVE sign was originally designed and placed in this park! They now have one in Orchard Road I think? We stopped by at Reading Terminal Market for lunch at about 2pm and we had GOOD FOOD. Pulled pork from Dinic’s and Philly’s Famous CHEESESTEAK (=

I had terrible cramps today (2nd day!!! Screamsss) which brought about bad moods and a grumpy Ash. While the rest of the family went jolly-walking around the market. We came across this Amish Corner and got dessert! That little pick-me-up came in the form of a Caramel Pecan Cheese Pudding ;) sweet, cold, smooth and cheesy. From Reading Terminal Market on 12th Street, we walked for what seemed forever, to 4th Street – Old City.

We passed by the Mint, the National Constitution Centre and Betsy Ross’ house (once owned by the seamstress who was believed to have sewn the first Stars&Stripes!). Elfreth’s alley was next. It was a quaint street, still tiled with cobblestone and lined with brick houses. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited residential streets in the country, dating back to the early 1700s.

I still felt pretty crappy the whole time walking, especially in the friggin cold wind. Biting at my face and hands… We found ourselves at Christ Church next. The bare trees swinging at the wind’s mercy caught my eyes again, even before the Georgian-Style church did. Christ Church's congregation included 15 signers of the Declaration of Independence. Revolutionary War leaders also attended Christ Church such as George Washington, Robert Morris, Benjamin Franklin and Betsy Ross. INTERESTING. Haha

It was almost 5 (time when most shops/attractions close) when we walked into the Liberty Bell Centre. Another building that held loads of history, it appealed more to the Americans I guess (as an icon of the American Revolutionary War)? It was just cool to know that the writing on the bell was quoted from the Bible(: Leviticus 25:10, it reads: Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land, unto all the inhabitants thereof. A crack down the centre is its most well-known feature, ironically caused by an attempt to fix a smaller crack that first appeared.

As the sunset, we walked back (14 streets!! Grrr.) to the apartment for warmth and awaited dinner.

Five Guys (famous for burgers) was our chosen place for dinner! It was pretty good, seeing that toppings (like mushrooms, onions, lettuce and all) are free! We walked around a bit after dinner, and we went for GELATO! Oh please, don’t give me that WHAT?-it’s-so-cold-and-you-wanna-eat-ice-cream?! look. It’s always a MUST to eat ice-cream during winter. Heh. I had mascarpone, Bryan had Cranberry, my cousin chose pear bourbon.

Night-time came and we met with my cousin’s house-mate. CUTE. Hhahaha! =p independent and capable too! He’s like 22 and has got a stable job as a financial consultant. Don’t judge me and assume he’s ang moh, cos he’s a Malaysian Chinese.

Alrighty, going to bed now!

Los Angeles! Day 7; Philly! Day 8

2009-12-17T20:38:00.000-08:00

[Day 7; 15th Nov]
Last day in LA.
Again, we did not do much… How’d I remember? Cos there are no photos taken of today. I can remember having Vietnamese food for lunch and dinner, plus this awesomely strong ICED COFFEE. But we didn’t visit any significant places. Not that I’m complaining, because I managed to almost finish The Pact. The book made me ponder a lot on the whole meaning of love and life. It’s a good read, borrow the book from me if you want!
That night, I slept pretty early, after awkward goodbyes were exchanged with J-Zach. Hmm, the next time I see him, he’d have changed a bunch.
[Day 8; 16th Nov]

Waking up at 4.30am in the morning didn’t seem like a great feat. We drove to the airport and got on the flight to Phoenix. After lunch and connecting flights, we finally arrived at Philadelphia International Airport in time for dinner. US Airways was terrible. HAHA, sorry, but I’m a total loyal Singapore Airlines fan. NO in-flight entertainment, how to survive hours on the plane???

Yeah, well, we grabbed a cab and headed towards 18th and Chestnut. My cousin’s co-renting an apartment there, and he’d only started working recently so I wasn’t expecting much.

When we got off the cab, WOW. His apartment had a NAME. “Belgravia”, it’s called. And the lobby was marble floored and had sofas and a floral centerpiece and carpets. WOW.

Going up to his apartment, (finding out it was actually a condo – it had facilities like a gym) was WOW too. 2 bedrooms, a HUGE living area, decent kitchen, 2.5 bathrooms. Bigger than my new house, I expect. Oh yes, I’d gotten news from Jac that the Pinnacle@Duxton (my new house from next year on – after renovation) is ready! Hee(:

My cousin brought us to this Sze Chuan restaurant he frequented in Chinatown. Okay, to be honest, I wasn’t a big fan. Just not to my liking I guess? I took photos anyway…

Walking back, it was pretty cold. Now I understand the term “BITTER cold”. Argh, I don’t remember Beijing/Switzerland/London being this unbearable. I miss Singapore! Can’t remember how it feels to perspire. HAHAHA. Oh well.

FYI, the time difference between Philly and SG is +13. So I’m half a day behind ya’ll(:

Ciao!

Los Angeles! Day 6

2009-12-17T20:15:00.000-08:00

[Day 6; 14th Nov]

We fulfilled our cravings for PANCAKES this morning. Weekdays mean zero crowd, better service and less pressure on you to get out of the booth for the next in line(:

Pictures from the “Original Pancake House” will make your mouth water! Bryan, Mommy and I had German pancakes (served with lemon and icing sugar), Daddy had Swedish and Aunty Theresa ate crepes. SO GOOOOOD. It’s way better than IHOP (International House of Pancakes - Overrated)

Downtown Disney was next on our spontaneous agenda. Closest we went to Disneyland I guess. Mommy decided that Knott’s was sufficient a theme-park… And Disneyland’s REALLY expensive – USD79!! Pretty, sunny day to just walk around and window shop(: So good weather, we walked home! Hahah, yes. The whole Disneyland/California Adventure/Downtown Disney is a stone’s throw away from where we were staying.

The rest of the day was spent with me and The Pact. Till almost dinner, where we met up again with Aunty Jenny, Claire and Mike for dinner. Chinese again this time after which we bade farewell to the three of them. Won’t be meeting till next time. Which could be from a year to 5 years… Unless we meet up in NY? :D

Los Angeles! Day 5

2009-12-16T21:17:00.000-08:00

[Day 5; 13th Nov]

SURPRISE surprise. The boys and I managed to get up early today! Pretty early at least, give us some credit… We had planned to go to Pancake House for breakfast, but it was packed.

Adjourning to Po Folks was not a bad idea anyway. Oh yes, surprise #2? WE’RE GOING TO KNOTT’S! Uh huh, the sky cleared up really well and the sun shone through for us :D

After a heavy-but-normal-for-American-proportions egg&sausage&bacon&pancake&french toast breakfast, we headed for the theme park. By 12pm, we were on our first ride!

Sorry that there are no pics from Knott’s. Cos us kiddos went alone, my dad didn’t want to leave the camera with us. Oh well, I’ll source for some online? Just those of the rides maybe(;

Order of rides:

#1 Seirra Sidewinder (each ride vehicle rotates while moving!; pretty fast rollercoaster)

#2 Jaguar (Simple rollercoaster, not as thrilling but a good start to the day)

#3 Dragon Swing (Like Pirate Ship, but slightly smaller in scale and lower in thrill factor)

#4 Hat Dance (err, you know the spinning teacups thing? Yeah. Ha.)

#5 La Revolucion (LOVE this ride! Didn’t know where I got the guts to do this, but I went and screamed the whole way through. =p imagine a big rotating ring of seats attached to an arm that swings. It swings riders in both directions up to 120 degrees and at the same time, the ring rotates. However, we chose the side that was always at the top when the ring was swung up. FREAKING high. Awesome thrill. Suspended in the air, seated and body was parallel to the ground)

#6 Timber Mountain Log Ride (only went for this cos the riders coming out didn’t seem all that drenched. The ride comprised wo or three plunges into water after moving around the “mountain” looking at Santa’s elfs and Mrs Claus and listening to carols. If I were a kid, I’d be creeped out. There was a mechanical grin about each plastic doll bobbing back and forth that made me queasy…)

#7 Pony Express (New-ish roller coaster, riders sit as though they are riding a pony. So there’s this cushion clamping on your back to keep you angled at a weird incline of 45 degrees or so? It was a good ride, though short and not worth the discomfort)

#8 Ghost Rider (another favourite cos I psyched myself up for this. HEE. It’s got this extreme plunge and the speed plus consecutive plunges made my adrenaline pump. Jerky movements, but I liked it all the same. (: )

I went on La Revolucion again, once more being on top before it swung down. It was a different experience riding it in the dark though with the cool air hitting your face and a blur of flashing lights going off.

For dinner that night, Uncle Kok Pan made his world-famous steak, Aunty Theresa made honey mustard salad, Aunty Jenny, Claire and Mike brought salsa and chips. In conclusion? YUM.

cryptoquote

2009-12-15T21:59:00.000-08:00

lying in bed just thinking about the previous night
how i looked back
not in regret though, more like collecting my thoughts
defragmentation.
then i wondered, "Was it just about timing? He just happened to be there at the right time."
Right. What did that mean anyways?

What did love mean? I know i'm starting to sound all Dr. Phil
But really, this is for me.
Each has a definition she'd like to call her own
"Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away"
"Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own."

The Pact is turning out to be compelling indeed.
It has a say too
"Love is when you put someone's needs before your own. No metter how inconceivable those needs were; no metter how fucked up; no matter how much it made you feel like you were ripping yourself into pieces"
It's got me thinking, it's got me feeling, it's got me teary-eyed.

i admire jac.

Los Angeles! day 4

2009-12-13T20:23:00.000-08:00

[Day 4; 12^th Nov]

Waking up at 12 isn’t so bad huh? What sucks is that it’s raining! DAMN. That means no Knott’s Berry Farm. Not today at least… And looking at the weather, the precipitation seems pretty stubborn. Anyhow, I find myself having breakfast/lunch at a Chinese restaurant for Dim Sum.

Brunch wasn’t awesome, but satisfactory… We then went to D&Bs for some fun(: kids fun more like. J-Zach, Bryan and I went to play at the arcade for about 3 hours or so. Shooting, racing, collecting tickets, you name it! Hey, I just realized arcade games are so stereotypical! There’s nothing besides boy-ish, gory stuff. Really! Para-para and step dancing not included.

Dinner was at another Chinese restaurant. Zi Cha, nothing much to say about it? Heh. I’m taking food for granted, good food too.

Night activities were way more exciting! For some reason, after we’d all showered, we brought Cluedo out to play(: It was J-Zach, Aunty Theresa, Bryan, Uncle Kok Pan and myself and though I didn’t win both times I had fun anyhow. The guys are just GOOD at this deduction thing, I wasn’t even close..! After Cluedo we headed on to RISK. I hadn’t played it before, but what the heck right? After learning a bunch of necessary rules and stuff, we headed on as I tried to conquer Africa and Europe. Much suffering occurred until Bryan and J-Zach decided to ally. Uncle Kok Pan’s immediate reaction was to ally with me. DUH did I say yes! Uncle Kok Pan’s a natural at games. HAHA, the pair of us won in the end! (I know he could’vve won on his own, really!)

What family-game night could end without Pictionary? It was past midnight then, but we played 3-on-3 Female V Male, Dad sat out. The girls won of course ;)

I went to bed at 2am, after surviving rounds of laughter :D

ciao

Los Angeles! day 3

2009-12-13T20:21:00.001-08:00

[Day 3; 11^th Nov]

As expected, I woke up near midday today and had breakfast before practicing some piano. Oh yes, Mom was still nagging at me to practice, “Make use of this time to practice your piano! We’ll only be here for half a week more.”

We decided not to have lunch since breakfast was pretty filling. So, Target it was. Didn’t see much while shopping there for about two hours… We then went to get fruits from this really quaint fruit market before picking J-Zach from school.

T.J.Maxx was next on our shopping itinerary – not that we were scheduling anything – but I didn’t find much again here. Dinner was at a nearby BBQ place called Lucille’s and it was pretty delicious. What I loved most about that place was the interior and its ambience. Like those 1940s ranch houses, it hung irrelevant posters and quirky photos all around the walls. I took plenty of photos (of the ribs that we’d ordered too!). For appetisers we had onion rings, and this was really good. Portoin was so huge that even the six of us had trouble finishing up. It came with this yummy honey mustard sauce ;)

When the baby-back ribs and St. Louis pork ribs we ordered came, I was all too excited. But sorry to disappoint, the St. Louis at Café Cartel has more flavor and is way tenderer. All, but Dad, at the table agreed on that.

It was only 7.30pm when we got home and since it was chilly in the living room, we started a nice fire going(: I think it was hypnotizing watching the flames and sparks and ashes, which was pretty much why I took an early night. Plopping to bed, I even had on my button-up Gap jeans and sweater that I wore out that day.

It’s close to 2am now, and I’d gotten up after a five-hour “nap” to shower. And write in my journal. Tomorrow, or today technically, it’s Saturday and we’ll be going to Knotts’ Berry Farm. It’s America’s FIRST theme park and boasts crazy-thrill rides. Haha, I told myself earlier that I must break away from my phobia of roller-coasters that go three sixty. I hope I don’t back out!

Los Angeles! day3

2009-12-13T20:21:00.000-08:00

[Day 3; 11^th Nov]

Los Angeles! Day 2

2009-12-10T22:27:00.001-08:00

[Day 2; 10th Nov]

I woke up at 10am, two hours off my expectations. After getting out of the warm bed where I was literally sinking beneath the comforter and washing up, we headed to this Italian fine-dining place for brunch. It was gooood. You guys should just assume that every food place I mention from now on is GOOD. Hahaha, and fattening, and yummy. And good. Okay, moving on (there are loads and loads of pictures from Maggiano’s so, if you feel like feeling jealous about Calamari, Stuffed Mushrooms, Salmon, Lasagna, Ravioli, Chicken and Truffle, Tiramisu and Crème Brulee do check them out ;)) we shopped a lot after that.

Because it was almost 3pm after that heartening (or heartburn-ing) lunch, Aunty Theresa had to pick J-zach from school, leaving us to shop at Marshall’s, this department stall that has fantastic brands and awesome prices. I bought myself an O’Neill tank top (for US$9.99!) and Clement’s birthday present (: I think it’s so appropriate. Haha! While shopping at the Sports area, I found PRANA. Okay, I admit, I was looking for chalkbags but I found tops instead. SO PRETTY. There was one that’d match Gwen’s chalkbag..!

We reluctantly left Marshall’s at 5pm, having about 3 hours left till Aunty Theresa picked us up for dinner. We walked into Pak Sun, this shop which had brands like FOX (the riding brand), Split (my favourite!), Roxy and VANS. I almost bought a shirt and a pair of jeans, but the price and fit weren’t great, so I passed. Next, we went into Tilly’s! Yes, I came out with a bag… this time it was jeans. Not just any jeans, hon. Levi’s. And you’ll never believe the price! I got it for a mere US$26! Screams. The States is shopaholic paradise, admit it!

Dinner that night was at Kula’s, after meeting up with J-Zach and Aunty Theresa. Imagine Sakae Sushi, minus red plates and less variety. I enjoyed myself anyhow, grabbing plates off the conveyer belt. I don’t know how it happened, but I seemed to be the only one eating, constantly. Our table for six only raked up 23 plates. Epic fail right? I was responsible for more than a third of that. HAHAH. Yum.

I’m back home and it’s 10.22pm and I’m watching the guys play L4D again. After a bath, I’ll probably tuck me in cos tomorrow spells DISNEYLAND! Or California Adventure, technically :D all smiles baby ;)

PS: got your text! Thanks(;

Los Angeles! Day 1

2009-12-09T23:15:00.000-08:00

FAMILY HOLIDAY (LA, NY & FRANKFURT)
9th Nov – 31st Dec 2009
[Day 1; 9th Nov]

As I boarded SQ638 at 11.45pm that Tuesday, 8th Nov, I couldn’t help but feel sad leaving Singapore for such a long period. It wasn’t one thing in particular though, or someone for that matter. We were running late because our on-standby seats had only just been confirmed, hence for once, I didn’t exploit the free local calls from transit.

The flight was approximately six hours which I used to catch the Half Blood Prince (terrible, I agree with the masses…) and the remainder for resting and meals. Though we were on board the A380, this was probably the first time I’d felt queasy. =S sleeping wasn’t an easy task either; trying to get comfortable on their excuse for a “seat” probably took as long as the movie did.

It was 8’C in Narita when we’d arrived (7am; GMT+9) and we had 11 hours to kill in transit. Donning our coats, we walked around Narita Village and found ourselves in a temple. Pictures were taken, and I enjoyed the quaint shop houses and falling autumn leaves more than the temple. Bryan was really stoned by then, plus his attempt to sleep on a random staircase failed when the cleaners made him leave. Indeed, I was pleasantly surprised at the friendliness of the Japanese and their hardworking nature. When it was almost time to eat, we went to this famous Unagi place that a family we’d met on the plane recommended. It was SO GOOD. I just wished I had more appetite for the fantastic melt-in-your-mouth eel that was freshly slaughtered at the restaurant. Our family even sat on the floor to eat (the traditional way) though, I doubt we were doing it right.

Back in the airport, we slept on the seats at the Arrival Hall waiting for time to pass so we could check in and get on SQ12. This time, I managed a two-hour nap, way more comfortably may I add. We bought Royce chocolates in transit (at only 660 yen! Which is about S$9.00 (Taka sells it for S$15)) and I read a chapter of The Pact by Jodi Picoult, which I’d bought in KL’s kinokuniya.

This flight was 10 hours long, inclusive of 2 meals. The second I settled in my seat, I stretched across the adjacent (empty) seat between Bryan and dozed off, skipping dinner. I can’t remember what happened when exactly… but I re-watched 500 Days of Summer, this time taking note of when the songs were playing.

Favourite quote? Summer: They used to call me anal girl. (Tom chokes) I was very neat… and organized.”

Like the previous flight, I wasn’t feeling too good, especially after the lights were dimmed and I’d brushed my teeth. I had no appetite for breakfast because the sight of food made me want to grab for the sick bag. I can’t understand why it’s happening, I never once had trouble on long flights. I’m getting old. The last time to LA, I watched 4 movies in 24 hours, and though Bryan would get bloodshot eyes from watching 6, we never did complain. Actually, we usually welcomed long flights because in-flight entertainment is awesome.

Anyhow, we landed in LAX at about 12pm local time (GMT -8). And with an empty stomach, I waited surprisingly patiently for Uncle Kok Pan to pick us up and bring us to lunch.
We had yummy Vietnamese noodles, Pho, at a shop we frequented in Little Saigon. That, plus iced coffee, was plenty satisfying. By then, we’d also met up with Aunty Theresa (J-Zach was still at school) and my unhappiness on the flight had become history.

It’s 5pm and I’m now seated in their living room half-watching Bryan and J-Zach play Call of Duty on the Xbox 360. Dinner, so I’ve heard, comprises LOBSTERS (:
Check back later!

MIA

2009-12-07T19:09:00.000-08:00

ASH-WIPES will be away from tonight 000hours

and will be back on the 30th of Dec, bearing goodies and souvenirs

take care and cya 2010! (i may blog overseas. MAY.)

BATU CAVES! [5]

2009-12-07T08:41:00.001-08:00

DAY 5 [30^th Dec, Mon]

0815 – Slept in later today, and I woke up thinking, “It’s the last day already? =S” sigh, that feeling of departure and emptiness washed over me as I hurried to pack and told my roomies to get ready. I had famous amos cookies and tea for breakfast(:

0830 – Stepping into the cab for the last time with Ms Lim and XiQuan, we barely said a word. It was a comfortable silence though. Comfortable for taking a quick doze before gaping at Camp5’s exterior. 0.0 how could I have missed it all this time???

1000 – Anal-ism started around here. Philip warned us the night before that Camp5 was strict on rules and yes ATAS comes with tedious SOPs. We signed and filled up forms, took membership cards and had our pictures taken. It was noon before we started climbing that beautiful place.

1200 – I initially wanted to boulder, but I had SOOOO much fun doing the high walls I didn’t want to stop! Hehee. Climbing on plastic again brought together technique and the new-found confidence we had. I think that channeled into climbing faster than we normally would have.

ROUTE #1 – Lime green 5C+ on top-rope

Easy climb, warm-up and moves that required momentum. I like.

ROUTE #2 – F. Orange 5C+ on lead.

Clement told me beforehand that it was pump-y toward the top plus I had to really commit to the big moves. But handholds were nice. As I got to the top, the pump in my forearms got the better of me. I wanted to give up. I wanted to down-climb and ask for tight. I wanted to fall off and make it seem like a slip. I shut those thoughts out, I mentally prepared myself for the last two panels and I reached the anchor. =) this climb boosted my confidence, and I was surprised at my determination to hang in there. Smiles all around.

ROUTE #3 – Marble 5C on lead

Fun climb, mostly jugs. Another route to get acclimatized to plastic walls (:

ROUTE #4 – Blue bridging 6A

This was an ungraded route. But if I had to grade it, I would say 6A. Firstly the holds aren’t great, and I had to depend a lot on my bridging, which was awkward at times due to high step-ups and disgusting handholds.. The final overhang near the top almost deterred me as well, but I got through after two attempts(: harder than Handsfree in school, and a different experience too.

ROUTE #5 – Blue pocket-y 6A

I wanted to do the 6A green tiles route that Jac and Rah had did earlier…but Kelly said I should attempt something harder. I asked her for the grade, because once again, it didn’t appear on the topo diagram. She said it was 6A but slightly harder than green. The tiles here… were mostly pockets and I remember there being a crux and I had to ask Val for help. I managed to on-site the route and dealt with the pumpiness! :D

Val and I sat there and watched Philip lead the this under-graded 6C+ route that Clement tried out. It was one of those rare moments that he grunted and growled and stepped with somewhat less preparedness than usual. Inspirational indeeeed.

1600 – We left to shower in the ATAS shower room, and then dined at the extinct A&Ws. It isn’t as good as I remembered it to be, and rushing through the meal didn’t make it taste any better..

1730 – Got on to First Coach and bade Philip & Kelly goodbye(: the bus home comprised half the movie “Just Friends” and card games and a marathon-massage session. Yes, I massaged Shakila, then Jo, then Sherwin. I can’t remember who else, but my thumb cramped after all that. Haha, I had some alone-time reading the mockingbird too(:

2330 – We arrived back in Singapore, earlier than expected. It was a sad farewell, but all in all the trip was a great one and I sent them all a message that night to thank them for making our natural rock trip a success(= can’t wait for my next trip!

BATU CAVES! [4] pics

2009-12-07T08:07:00.001-08:00

More pictures from DAY 4, mostly of the crazy antics that went on during the last night-meeting we had. See for yourselves the condoms and other items that had not-so-hidden intentions. (:

BATU CAVES! [4]

2009-12-06T19:22:00.000-08:00

DAY 4 [29^th Dec, Sun]

0700 – oopsie, we woke up late today because my alarm didn’t go off! Hurrying, we managed to reach breakfast with time to spare.

0800 – We were welcomed by civilization today at Damai! Civilization included toilets, a playground, an insincere plastic wall, belaying area, benches, dustbins, pavilions and an ice-cream man! Heehee, my main aim today was to whack as many routes as I could because it was our last day on natural rock. So indeed, Val and I moved quickly to reserve our first route after warming up as a team.

0930 – ROUTE #1 Lead-man 5B on lead!

This was the adorable route that required you to climb into a hole and out. Basically it was a nice warm-up route and though claustrophobic, it was unique and fun! The pictures will tell it all if you can’t quite get my description of the route.

Oh yes, I loved Damai because the routes, being short and easy, were less intimidating allowing me to jump right onto the next route once Val had completed the previous one.

1020 – ROUTE #2 Stairway 5C on lead!

Another warm-up route on the far right of Damai. This was again an entirely new experience because it required climbing through a wide crack or avoiding it. I chose the former and once again, broke a sweat experimenting different techniques and looking out for handholds

1100 – ROUTE #3 KL Connection 5C on lead!

I was on a roll! But this climb made me lose my cool a tad because I didn’t start the climb properly and had to come back down to start again. Towards the top, I also had this naggy thought, “where’s the anchor? I don’t think I can last any longer”. But I shut it out, together with the fear of the long run-outs and continued till I reached the anchor =)

1230 – We slacked a bit before going on our next route

ROUTE #4 – Ghana Power 5C

This was a short climb but the first half wasn’t easy. I only managed to get through it because Li Meng had given me beta regarding the awesome jug-gy handhold hidden behind the rope for clipping in the quickdraw. Thanks(:

1400 – While lunch and helping others out with some routes, I embarked on my next route.

ROUTE #5 – Thunder 5C

This route was longer and made me feel slightly pumped, but completing it was fun and I’d learnt to be more confident, even to the point of injecting some momentum and twists in my moves.

1500 – It was time for a lunch break but I didn’t eat because the fried rice was really spicy, and I could imagine how my throat would suffer as a result. So anyway, I just grabbed a bar to eat. After lunch, Valerie was pressuring me to do another route…like rain man, or monsoon, something…more challenging? More pumpy, maybe?

1600 – But as I was considering, the rain came in, and I had to (once again) clear up the quickdraws.

ROUTE #6 – Lead Man 5B on top rope

I decided to climb on the OUTside of the tunnel, just for a different experience. Since it was on top-rope, I felt more confident doing it, more comfortable, like it was a breeze. Haha, so anyway, I left Damai feeling happy that I’d climbed 6 routes. Though I know Philip was pretty disappointed that I hadn’t tried Monsoon..? Or Rain Man. Cos I’d joined the guys and some girls to go caving =p oh well, I wasn’t in the mood after the rain had cleared up. Heh.

1700 – Showered after getting back to the hotel and then we headed to KLCC. We were all pretty delayed so Val and I took the opportunity to shower at Ms Lim’s room (: it gave me an opportunity to get to know her better, (plus the cab rides too, since Rahul had to leave for a family emergency) when Val was showering. We would talk about the climbs and her fiancée and GUNNERS ftw!

1900 – The team went KLCC again tonight for dinner and last minute shopping for our gift buddies. We ate at Madam Kuan’s after waiting almost an hour for them to get our seats and food prepared. Like what Dad said, ATAS. The food was overrated, and overpriced and over everything. The curry laksa I had was good, but for the price I paid, only satisfactory…? Oh well, at least our whole team ate together (:

2200 – Our night debrief was unforgettable. We quickly wrapped up our last day’s crag climbing and went straight into gift exchanges! Haha, I can’t remember it all, but it was a night I’d never forget. There were laughs and tears, more laughs than tears but I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Three condoms (for having fun yet staying protected like climbing!), one vibrating, was exchanged, some butterfly wings (to our butterfly-phobic Alistair), an eyebrow pencil (to our eyebrow-less Zhengwei), photoframe (to Rah the camwhore), Christmas stockings (Jac) and headgear, and yes, a pregnancy test kit (which will “come in handy when I’m drunk on brandy).

The reason for my gift was an appreciation to Haris for impacting TJCCC’s journey on natural rock, like leaving a mark. And since we all learnt to trust our feet this trip, it served as a reminder to step hard and have faith. It was an innocent (non-dirty) gift, and attached was a note with messages from everyone in TJCCC. I hoped it would make Haris feel loved(: he was shy, but he did thank me. Twice I think =)

0000 – Later, we gathered back in the guys room, but this time to watch Arsenal v Chelsea. The first half was heart-wrenching, so I stopped and went for prayer meeting with Chris, Gwen, Alistair, Li Meng and Clement. It drew me close to Him once again, and allowed me to openly share my testimony of my recent persecution. Sure, the meeting diverted to a discussion on Christians v Roman Catholics but it stayed friendly, and I learnt a bit more about bible history.

0200 – Yes I slept THAT late. The match ended with a 3-0. Sobs.

BATU CAVES! [3]

2009-12-06T19:07:00.000-08:00

DAY 3 [28^th Dec, Sat]

0615 – After a miserable six-hour sleep, we dragged our bodies to wash up and trod downstairs for breakfast. Once again, I just had sunny-side-up eggs with a slice of Val’s fruit and nut loaf.

0800 – We set off on the same cab and arrived at Nanyang! No trekking this time, just greetings from a pack of puppies and their mommy. Later on, Kelly named the mommy HUGGIES and this human-friendly puppy, which I played with, CUDDLES =) they were all soooo adorable. I wanted to bring one home.

0900 – ROUTE #1 Whimper 6B? (mother of all bridging routes) on top-rope

Basically, it’s the mother of all bridging routes because there’s absolutely nothing to grab on to, and stepping on the tiniest jutting out rock would be heaven up there… After numerous tries, I’d only made it to the ledge. Looks like I’m not the queen of bridging after all! Hahah, I did the route with the process in mind this time, and yes, I enjoyed myself. Gwen, Van and Jo completed the route later on, and I’m in AWE!

1000 – ROUTE #2 Old Shoes Beware 6C+ on top-rope

I wanted to try this route for fun, because watching Philip flow on it while belaying him urged me to attempt it. Philip had to growl while leading it, something we heard rarely and getting two-thirds to the top was an achievement for me already! This route taught me to trust my feet and finger strength. Composure was key too, in order to stay balanced on that inclined paper-like route.

1130 – ROUTE #3 Handphone Disaster 5C+ on lead!

This was my first on-site lead on natural rock and I certainly had fun! It was like a learning journey on the way up the unconventional route line. There were big run-outs I noticed, and falling would cause serious injury, but I didn’t worry too much about that. Instead I just kept going and appreciated nature up-close.

1300 – Lunch today was Fried Rice! And teh bing (:

1430 – Towards the late afternoon, it started to get cloudy and it drizzled slightly causing us to pack everything and climb routes quickly but clumsily in order to clear the quickdraws. Philip told me to climb fistful of hangers which I did!

1500 – ROUTE #4 Fistful of Hangers 6A on top-rope

I was indeed climbing faster than usual, and that probably clouded my judgement on making certain moves. Through the climb, I could hear Philip telling me to slow down and compose myself. Eventually, I did. The stalactite proved to be an obstacle for me, mainly because I was feeling pumped and wrapping my arms around it didn’t seem like a convincing move. Also, the top-rope pulled me back while I tried to cling on and step up on the stalactite. Thanks to Kelly’s guidance, I finally completed the route (when the rain had stopped =p). And I’d call it a good climb cos I completed it using my own sequence :D

1600 – We packed and left, returning back to the hotel. This time, the girls in our room (731) DID shower before dinner, which was at Kenny Rogers! We had the whole upstairs to ourselves and caused a riot. As usual, the dinner conversation inclined to something dirty, thanks to the horny boys, and girls..? hahaha. I laughed so much that dinner, I’d almost forgotten about my sore throat. A bit of shopping followed afterwards for us to get presents for our gift buddies. I had chosen glow-in-the-dark footsteps for Haris, my gift partner. You’ll find out why later!

2130 – A quick debrief this time about our climb (we apparently all had a better time today. And Philip said of all his natural rock climbing expeditions, today was the most energetic (: cool huh?)

2230 – Since Man U was playing Portsmouth today, us four from Room 731 popped over to the guys’ rooms 716 and 717. Another chance at bonding today, as I cursed the Man U players and the rest complained about the referee who gave 2 penalties and a yellow card within the first half hour. Haha, I went to sleep at half-time (1 all) with Vanessa while Kris and Val stayed till the end. Sadly though, it was a 3-1… to MU.

BATU CAVES! [2]

2009-12-06T04:56:00.000-08:00

DAY 2 [27^th Dec, Fri]

0600 – Alarm rings. We snooze.

0635 – Finally ready to face the day, we took turns washing up

0730 – We reluctantly left our comfy room for breakfast at the lobby. Though it was a buffet and all, it really had no appeal to me whatsoever. I obligingly ate two eggs and some cornflakes with milk before we all trotted upstairs.

0800 – The taxis arrived and we piled into them according to our respective groups (Ms Lim, Rahul, Xi Quan and I) half-asleep, may I add. The ride was pretty short and we arrived in awe just staring ahead at Nyamuk, taking in the scenes while applying sun block and mozzie repellant.

0900 – It was an adventurous trek about 400m inwards to come face to face with Fumakilla, one of the walls at Nyamuk. You really had to be there to understand the treacherous hike we took. A tiny slip would injure you seriously… There were steep slimy rocks and soil eroding everywhere. But knowing that every step brought us closer to the cliffs made up for all the trekking and hiking. Here, I just want to say that our club’s guys were really thoughtful and I appreciate them for extending a hand to pull us up on the way =)

1000 – ROUTE #1: Ulysees 6A on top-rope

It was so exciting, like when a child opens a Christmas present. Though you see the crag and think to yourself, “damn, how are we gonna climb this thing?” being up on the rope and off the ground is just so different. Handholds? Just feel for it baby ;) cracks are (Y) and it was just a discovery process for me. My whole perception of natural rocks changed then and there. Before, I used to take it for granted, like it was just a scenic backdrop to look at but now, it’s a challenge – a beautiful challenge to scale and climb on.

I hung twice on this route and given the chance, I’d definitely do it again, this time – zero hang, zero reliance on Val and enjoy the route! Oh yes, some time here, i had to do business. And so did Jac. If you take a look at the pics above, there's one of me and rah, holding up a ground sheet so Jac can. uh. yea. I went after her =p Ms Lim now calls it the pee groundsheet. XD

1200 – ROUTE #2: Because I got HIGH! 6B+ on top-rope

I really enjoyed myself doing this route, at least until I had to mantel. The ledge was good for resting and the holds were jug-gy too. Once I’d reached the second-last clip on the route though, it was panic and GG from there on. The smearing on smooth limestone was infuriating to the point where I felt was tempted to be lowered/cheat by grabbing the anchor. Kelly was cheering me on, giving me beta, but in the end she walked away. I am thankful she did though, because I knew I had to conquer this myself, my own way. Bottom-line, mantelling isn’t easy.

In the end, by sheer grunting, pulling, calling for tight and scraping (my knee) on the ledge, I got to the top (: Relief flooded over me and looking out at the view before my eyes just gave me this sense of accomplishment. <3>

1400 – After a quick lunch, Kelly asked Val and I to head to Shieldtox to try a 30m route. We obliged and were greeted by unfriendly mozzies, Philip, Jac and Rah plus some of the guys.

1430 – ROUTE #3: Bowel Movement (30m) 6A on lead (7 quickdraws…run-out was CRA-SY)!

I started off great, keeping in mind my tripod – which Jac said was important TTM. And the movements were really slow and steady like move, rest, shake off, carry on. But towards the 2/3 mark of the route, the holds became. Well, unholdable. I hung and climbed. Fell. Hung. I was on the brink of crying, before I prayed and asked for strength. I asked for courage and I drew a cross with chalk. I put my trust in Him and made it to the anchor, holding the final “dick” like. A dick. (Haha, sorry Rah, I couldn’t think of anything more creative!)

I came down happy, not overjoyed though, because I knew I could have done better if I’d better composed myself. Anyhow, I did the last few moves having faith and committing, so I’m contented(:

1600 – We packed up and left Nyamuk, trekking down the same way we came up and bid our goodbyes to the crag and the village boys. Arriving back at the hotel, we washed our clothes oblivious that the rest were bathing before dinner. XD SMELLY! (right Mr Kao??)

1830 – Dinner was yummylicious claypot rice and stingray with lime juice to quench my sugar needs. We then walked around Petaling street to get grapes before heading back up to the room to shower. Kris had gone to Starbucks and Van was with Val checking out her H3 subjects so I was alone in the room.

Right before I showered though, the boys (Xi Quan, Haris, Ahmed, Rahul, Zheng Wei and Dong Ying) barged in and lehpak-ed watching TV and making a ruckus. My attempt to get them out of the room failed, so I pretty much showered and changed while they were there. It was fun watching TV with them and laughing because I got to know Haris better and we bonded!

2130 – A debrief of our climb that day lasted longer than it should have though I learnt a lot from it. It struck me that all this time, I’d been climbing for results, climbing to reach the top, and I would do that by all means. Most of us were bred this way, to aim for the results, and not enjoy the process. But Kel, Phil and Mr Kao spoke to us today, making us understand that we should be process oriented. Also, it was no use climbing when you’re upset or angry because you’d lose your composure. Instead we should psych ourselves up before each climb. Don’t let the grade of the route deter you, it’s just a gauge. I was glad that I learnt that this trip. Winning the mental battle would really change how the whole climb turns out (: Aller Ashley!

BATU CAVES! [1]

2009-12-06T04:34:00.000-08:00

BATU CAVES, Kuala Lumpur

26^th – 30^th December 2009

DAY 1 [26^th Dec, Thurs]

0930 – The bus ride to KL consisted of the following… Half of Confessions of a Shopaholic, TABOO! With the back gang of the bus (the noisier half indeed), card games like tai di, bridge and not forgetting camwhoring.

1600 – Settled in to SwissInn Hotel and took a quick nap before dinner. My roomies for the trip were Valerie, Vanessa and Kristal (: we shared the family room which many envied cos it was pretty spacious. However I can’t say the same about the toilet, where the water from the shower head and tap seemed to flow out unwillingly…

1800 – We took a train down to KLCC, dealing first with the inefficient, slow, and cranky ticketing machine. Dinner was free and easy so Valerie, Gwen, Clement, Kristal and I joined Mr Kao, Philip and Kelly @ little penang kafe. I had a not so yummy char kway teow but a satisfying chendol(:

After that we browsed around the shopping centre and did some grocery shopping for midnight snacks (famous amos! Double choc pecans and butterscotch pecans) and crag food (Carmens).

2200 – Drowsily, we had a briefing about the next day’s climb @ this meeting room in the hotel. We then packed our crag bags, showered and went to sleeeeep.

0000 – Too tired to rendezvous with the rest of the girls.. (maybe cos their rooms were two floors down?) Oh yes, I felt a sore throat coming around so I drowned myself in non-tap water which probably explains why I woke up every two hours to pee.

TO KL!

2009-11-24T20:17:00.000-08:00

what can i say?

雨过天晴 (:

i'm stuck at home again, but this time, i'm not complaining

because, really, i have so much to be thankful for

being unable to go for a picnic doesn't even come close to spoiling it for me

in less than 24 hours, i'll be on the coach to KL!

am i prepared?

hopefully. i'm praying nothing bad's gonna happen

like a heavy downpour, or food poisoning

packing progress: 80% (undone stuff like my Old Navy's that's in the wash and my toothbrush and contact lenses)

maybe later today, i'll organise my 2010 diary(: that'll be fun. haha, organisers <3

organising my songs now. that. sucks =( it's taking forever..!

Somewhere in the

Middle of Nowhere - Hot Hot Heat.

H. yay.

my next post will probably feat. Damai, Nyamuk, crazy night fun, Camp5 and all that jazz

ciao!

guilt-stricken me

2009-11-18T06:46:00.000-08:00

okay. i need to do a guilty rant

remember how i said, "I've had enough (of changing plans and all)"

today, i almost wanted to literally take all that back. like eat my words.

today started out rough, don't feel like sharing though

but the reason behind my guilt rant is that Ms Koh talked to me

Ms Yee told me the day before to speak to her, 1-on-1, directly

the convo was basically like this...

"why do you want to pull out from the trip?"

"(talks about KL trip, clashing,wanting to avoid troubling parents/mr kao/philip with more changes)"

"do you want to go to Indo?"

"of course. it's just that, i had to make a decision. either one or the other."

"oh, because we were trying to make plans for you to come back earlier, then you could go for both. The teachers put in A LOT of effort in this trip. On Friday, the teachers went out to recce immediately. The whole of next day, I spent coming up with the proposed ideas. And gave it to Mrs Loke ASAP. I assure you, though everything was done in three days, it wasn't a slipshod job. If we didn't have the contacts or experience, it would be impossible to do."

"(nods)"

"we had to get the project approved fast because the more it dragged on, the less chance of the whole team being able to make it due to the last-minute notices. Basically, the teachers are very disappointed and upset that a large number of you cannot make it... Of course, at the same time we understand that the right is yours to decide. And when Yunnan go cancelled, we understand you would have gone to make other plans...we just didn't expect 7 people."

"(feels uber guilty. about everything i blogged the day before..)

"so anyway, since you've already made your mind up, all i can say is i hope not going for this trip doesn't mean you break off totally from TOOP. I hope you don't leave TOOP this year thinking all your time was wasted. And I hope you still help the team if you're free.. The group's dynamics have really changed..."

" =( "

"alright. have fun in KL then. bye"

"bye ms koh. thanks"

okay. the convo was way longer. but. this is the gist. lots of silence (GUILTY silence) too. argh.