Rain rain go away...
Come again another day...
And that 'another' day better be after the 2nd of Jan, coz I'll be away to London from tomorrow!
Yes, am giving dear London a chance to redeem itself after the horrendous jams detracted my previous outing from being an enjoyable one...
Anyway, it has been pretty rainy in Cardiff today. I went to BBC for weather forecast and it seems it's also going to be raining in London over New Years...wth!
Never mind, when the clouds see me at Victoria Station tomorrow, they'll get the signal and start clearing the skies up... :)
So, it's 29th of December already huh?
Yup, it's also that time of the year where people start reminiscing about the good and bad, but knowing me, I get very emotional when it comes to "thinking back" and "taking a trip down memory lane", so I'll won't go into too much detail.
All in all, I'd give 2006 a score 0f 8.5/10. Definitely one of the best years of my life (the best has yet to come baby!). I've achieved more than what I have set out to, gained more experiences than I thought I would, met more leng chais than before etc etc...these are all a cause for celebration!
p/s to the Divine - I am VERY THANKFUL for all that I've been blessed with, and I will count my blessings, today, tomorrow and everyday!
Here's wishing all a smashing year ahead. May it be an even better year than 2006!
HAPPY RINGING IN 2007 folks!
Lotsa love xxx
Friday, December 29, 2006
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Written In The Stars
MSN's horoscope reading for the female Sagittarian from December 25 through to December 31...
You seem to be the life and soul of the party, the one whom everyone wants to involve in their celebrations. You radiate goodwill and charisma and bring smiles to everyone's faces. Christmas day will be on a Monday, and whether you actually observe this religious holiday or not, you will be determined to share your optimism and overall happiness with others. It is unlikely that you will be on your own. If you don't have a family, you will be invited to share the day with someone else. There is no way you will be starved for food or company.
And people ask if I believe in horoscopes...
Hello-oo? Of course I do, when they have such good things to say about me!
Wah, "radiate goodwill and charisma"...some more "bring smiles to everyone's faces"...fooiyor!
:P
Right, my face must have thickened 2 inches over Christmas...and I didn't even have turkey this year!
You seem to be the life and soul of the party, the one whom everyone wants to involve in their celebrations. You radiate goodwill and charisma and bring smiles to everyone's faces. Christmas day will be on a Monday, and whether you actually observe this religious holiday or not, you will be determined to share your optimism and overall happiness with others. It is unlikely that you will be on your own. If you don't have a family, you will be invited to share the day with someone else. There is no way you will be starved for food or company.
And people ask if I believe in horoscopes...
Hello-oo? Of course I do, when they have such good things to say about me!
Wah, "radiate goodwill and charisma"...some more "bring smiles to everyone's faces"...fooiyor!
:P
Right, my face must have thickened 2 inches over Christmas...and I didn't even have turkey this year!
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Papa Don't Preach...
...I'm in trouble deep,
Papa don't preach,
I've been losing sleep,
But I've made up my mind,
I'mmm going to buy them oh,
I'm going to buy them ohhh....
&*^% Boxing Day sale. I blew half a hundred quid today.
Yes pa, I'll pay them off with all the means I can think of...and don't deport me back home...please! PLEASE!
Whatever happened to self-discipline, I don't know.
50 quid on a dress, a smart-casual top, and a formal blazer plus a fragrance set. Everything I DON'T NEED!
Papa don't preach,
I've been losing sleep,
But I've made up my mind,
I'mmm going to buy them oh,
I'm going to buy them ohhh....
&*^% Boxing Day sale. I blew half a hundred quid today.
Yes pa, I'll pay them off with all the means I can think of...and don't deport me back home...please! PLEASE!
Whatever happened to self-discipline, I don't know.
50 quid on a dress, a smart-casual top, and a formal blazer plus a fragrance set. Everything I DON'T NEED!
Monday, December 25, 2006
Love Changes Everything
Hmm...maybe it's just me, perasan as always, :)
I got this Xmas text from my friend M this morning (gotta use initials to protect her privacy, though I'm sure she wouldn't mind if the whole world knows that she's now attached to J!), and saw that she signed it off with her and her bf's name, I couldn't help but think...ahhh...love changes everything...
Smug couples...
One word.
Sigh...
I got this Xmas text from my friend M this morning (gotta use initials to protect her privacy, though I'm sure she wouldn't mind if the whole world knows that she's now attached to J!), and saw that she signed it off with her and her bf's name, I couldn't help but think...ahhh...love changes everything...
Smug couples...
One word.
Sigh...
Sourced from fotosearch.com
Anyway, speaking of love, it's my Ma and Pa's SILVER Wedding Anniversary tomorrow. I'd like to wish them many many MANY more lovey-dovey years together!
Ok, enough saccharin for the day :)
Moi is retiring to bed early to charge up her battery for tomorrow's Boxing Day sale...
Later folks.
Sunday, December 24, 2006
7788
Okay, it's not a name of a boyband (coz I know there's one called 5566...OMG, what were they thinking?) and neither is it a potential lottery First Prize number, so don't bother.
It's just a colloquail canto lingo used by one to say they're almost done with something.
"Chat chat pat pat". Ring a bell?
Yup, that's how I would describe the my PH3108 dissertation.
On a separate note, one can actually modify it as cepat cepat (fast fast)! Haha, work both ways!
Nope, definitely am not boasting, merely psyching myself up...c'mon Adeline, you boleh!
Remember the Coca-Cola football fever catch phrase? Makan bola, Minum bola, Tidur bola? I probably can use it on myself, except we susbtitute the word bola with dissertation. Last night, I had this dream about me meeting my lecturer and asking him what he thought of my essay before I submitted it, and he said, "Right, you're nearly there. The contents are fine, you just probably need a bit of editing. It should be fine."
You know people like me, I read into every (little) thing! So yes, I would DEFINITELY use that as a sign that I'm almost there.
Except the lecturer in my dream was 30 years younger than Dr Brain, a 100 times cuter and has an earring on this left ear...hmm, not very correct, but still...
:)
It's just a colloquail canto lingo used by one to say they're almost done with something.
"Chat chat pat pat". Ring a bell?
Yup, that's how I would describe the my PH3108 dissertation.
On a separate note, one can actually modify it as cepat cepat (fast fast)! Haha, work both ways!
Nope, definitely am not boasting, merely psyching myself up...c'mon Adeline, you boleh!
Remember the Coca-Cola football fever catch phrase? Makan bola, Minum bola, Tidur bola? I probably can use it on myself, except we susbtitute the word bola with dissertation. Last night, I had this dream about me meeting my lecturer and asking him what he thought of my essay before I submitted it, and he said, "Right, you're nearly there. The contents are fine, you just probably need a bit of editing. It should be fine."
You know people like me, I read into every (little) thing! So yes, I would DEFINITELY use that as a sign that I'm almost there.
Except the lecturer in my dream was 30 years younger than Dr Brain, a 100 times cuter and has an earring on this left ear...hmm, not very correct, but still...
:)
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
One Week
I can't believe I have procrastinated for so long...was meant to update the blog soon as I got home but look, it's already Friday and I've not written a single word!
My bad...
Saturday – Rush Rush
Left Cardiff in unbelievably good weather (it always happens…as if they’re so happy to be rid of me for a few days!). Bus was late, and coupled with heavy traffic, I arrived in London an hour later than scheduled arrival time. As a DIRECT consequence, I was late for my musical at the Queen’s Theatre!
The people who saw me rushing from Victoria Station to Piccadilly Circus would probably have thought to themselves, "what the hell is this clown doing?" On one hand I was running and panting, and on the other hand, I was darting left and right, AND at the same time, trying to hold my bag down on my left arm to stop it from flying. I also knocked down some young kids who obstructed my path and I didn’t even have the time to say I was sorry. How bad was that?
P/s: thanks Chuen for your Oyster card. Again, I’m sorry for snatching it from you and vanished without a word. Time was pressing!
Yet despite all my heroics, I was 8 minutes late for Les Miserables. Imagine my frustration!
But I guess seeing 15 other people arriving late for the musical probably eased things up slightly for me. And we were all glad that they let us in after the first scene/act, so we didn’t miss much. In fact, while we were waiting at the foyer, they placed a TV broadcasting the live show that was going on inside the theatre so technically, we didn’t miss a second of it!
Les Mis was in summary, awesome, and amazing. I gave them 10 fingers up, and a standing ovation at the end, which I think they totally deserved.
Here’s something interesting – I recognised the actor playing Marius while watching the musical and Wikipedia confirmed it for me. It really was Jon from S Club 7! The blond guy!
Sunday - Peterborough
Was at this cathedral town to visit Min Yee, a pharm graduate from Cardiff who's now doing her pre-reg at Peterborough NHS hospital. It was a relaxing trip, done at a pace which suited this old lady who if you remembered, had lost all her strength rushing from one end of London to the other the day before.
We walked about in town during the day, and did some shopping. Queen's Gate shopping centre really gives Sheffield's Meadow Hall a good run for its money! I somehow prefer the former, and I reckon the Christmas deco probably had something to do with it.
Not too big, not too small - that's what people say about Cardiff. But in my opinion, this can be used on Peterborough too. The only thing lacking, slightly, is greenery. But then again, it's winter so what green things are there to see!
I left for London in the evening. Many thanks to Min Yee for her superb hospitality!
Met up with a friend from London, Jacob, at Bayswater and we went to Four Seasons for dinner, which is, to quote a friend, a restaurant where any self-respecting Oriental student would go and eat at least once...
Okay, so now I can boast of being super self-respecting :)
Food was okaylah. I know I'd probably get sticks from a lot of Londoners (and non-Londoners) for claiming it's just okay, but truthfully, I prefer my ma's cooking!
At least with ma's cooking, there's no throat-slitting after consumption...
Monday - Breathless
Again, I was rushing.
The only difference to Saturday was that there's someone else rushing with me!
Jacob decided to come down to Cardiff to chill for a few days, and because we under-estimated the time to get down to Victoria, we marathoned our way there!
The funny thing was, that was so not like me. At all. I'm usually quite a good planner and punctual, but for some bizarre reasons, I found myself late on 2 occasions in a row. Could it be that because I have been living 2 minutes from my department for 2 years now, that I tend to take the time for granted, thinking I could always roll out of bed and still reach on time?
Yikes!
I might want to rethink my application for next year's accommodation...
Tuesday - A Day for everything...
...from recuperating to food shopping to library-books renewing to room cleaning to having a good laugh.
Had a great time eating yummy food, and chilling out at Dot and Lily's place, together with Mr Jacob "the chef" Ooi. I don't dare think how many arteries I've clogged up over the last few nights...
Wednesday - Blurry
Not by Puddle of Mudd, but due to fog. I can't fathom the extent to which Cardiff has been enshrouded by this gloomy film of smog. Visibility was almost non-existent!
Wednesday was also work day so reluctantly lugged self to Barry. But it was almost as if my bosses knew I was demotivated, they gave me (and other staff) a Christmas bonus! Ok, this 2 digit figure might not a lot, but let's just say it could get me a pair of shoes, or a book with change enough for Starbucks coffee and maybe even some cake...
$$
Thursday - Ordinary Day
Am currently working (hard) on my PH3108 Quality Assurance Dissertation. I can think of a million things to moan about this stupid module but I think I'd much rather save the energy and use it to finish the 3000 word essay asap so that I can properly enjoy my Christmas break!
There are a few notable movies to catch on TV this festive season, so dear Aberdare Hall Common Room, here I come!
Friday - Huh, so fast?
Sometimes I wonder if my clock actually winds itself forward when I sleep, if not how come the time goes by so quickly one???
Oh yes, before I forget. The answers to the Christmas brain teasers I posed last week...
Q1: Why didn't the skeleton go to the New Year's Eve party?
- Because he had NOBODY to go with
Q2: What has a bed but does not sleep, and a mouth but does not speak?
- River
Q3: What do you call 2 spiders who've recently gotten married?
- Newly-webs
So how many did you get right?
Nil????
Actually, me too :)
My bad...
Saturday – Rush Rush
Left Cardiff in unbelievably good weather (it always happens…as if they’re so happy to be rid of me for a few days!). Bus was late, and coupled with heavy traffic, I arrived in London an hour later than scheduled arrival time. As a DIRECT consequence, I was late for my musical at the Queen’s Theatre!
The people who saw me rushing from Victoria Station to Piccadilly Circus would probably have thought to themselves, "what the hell is this clown doing?" On one hand I was running and panting, and on the other hand, I was darting left and right, AND at the same time, trying to hold my bag down on my left arm to stop it from flying. I also knocked down some young kids who obstructed my path and I didn’t even have the time to say I was sorry. How bad was that?
P/s: thanks Chuen for your Oyster card. Again, I’m sorry for snatching it from you and vanished without a word. Time was pressing!
Yet despite all my heroics, I was 8 minutes late for Les Miserables. Imagine my frustration!
But I guess seeing 15 other people arriving late for the musical probably eased things up slightly for me. And we were all glad that they let us in after the first scene/act, so we didn’t miss much. In fact, while we were waiting at the foyer, they placed a TV broadcasting the live show that was going on inside the theatre so technically, we didn’t miss a second of it!
Les Mis was in summary, awesome, and amazing. I gave them 10 fingers up, and a standing ovation at the end, which I think they totally deserved.
Here’s something interesting – I recognised the actor playing Marius while watching the musical and Wikipedia confirmed it for me. It really was Jon from S Club 7! The blond guy!
Sunday - Peterborough
Was at this cathedral town to visit Min Yee, a pharm graduate from Cardiff who's now doing her pre-reg at Peterborough NHS hospital. It was a relaxing trip, done at a pace which suited this old lady who if you remembered, had lost all her strength rushing from one end of London to the other the day before.We walked about in town during the day, and did some shopping. Queen's Gate shopping centre really gives Sheffield's Meadow Hall a good run for its money! I somehow prefer the former, and I reckon the Christmas deco probably had something to do with it.
Not too big, not too small - that's what people say about Cardiff. But in my opinion, this can be used on Peterborough too. The only thing lacking, slightly, is greenery. But then again, it's winter so what green things are there to see!
I left for London in the evening. Many thanks to Min Yee for her superb hospitality!
Met up with a friend from London, Jacob, at Bayswater and we went to Four Seasons for dinner, which is, to quote a friend, a restaurant where any self-respecting Oriental student would go and eat at least once...
Okay, so now I can boast of being super self-respecting :)
Food was okaylah. I know I'd probably get sticks from a lot of Londoners (and non-Londoners) for claiming it's just okay, but truthfully, I prefer my ma's cooking!
At least with ma's cooking, there's no throat-slitting after consumption...
Monday - Breathless
Again, I was rushing.
The only difference to Saturday was that there's someone else rushing with me!
Jacob decided to come down to Cardiff to chill for a few days, and because we under-estimated the time to get down to Victoria, we marathoned our way there!
The funny thing was, that was so not like me. At all. I'm usually quite a good planner and punctual, but for some bizarre reasons, I found myself late on 2 occasions in a row. Could it be that because I have been living 2 minutes from my department for 2 years now, that I tend to take the time for granted, thinking I could always roll out of bed and still reach on time?
Yikes!
I might want to rethink my application for next year's accommodation...
Tuesday - A Day for everything...
...from recuperating to food shopping to library-books renewing to room cleaning to having a good laugh.
Had a great time eating yummy food, and chilling out at Dot and Lily's place, together with Mr Jacob "the chef" Ooi. I don't dare think how many arteries I've clogged up over the last few nights...
Wednesday - Blurry
Not by Puddle of Mudd, but due to fog. I can't fathom the extent to which Cardiff has been enshrouded by this gloomy film of smog. Visibility was almost non-existent!
Wednesday was also work day so reluctantly lugged self to Barry. But it was almost as if my bosses knew I was demotivated, they gave me (and other staff) a Christmas bonus! Ok, this 2 digit figure might not a lot, but let's just say it could get me a pair of shoes, or a book with change enough for Starbucks coffee and maybe even some cake...
$$
Thursday - Ordinary Day
Am currently working (hard) on my PH3108 Quality Assurance Dissertation. I can think of a million things to moan about this stupid module but I think I'd much rather save the energy and use it to finish the 3000 word essay asap so that I can properly enjoy my Christmas break!
There are a few notable movies to catch on TV this festive season, so dear Aberdare Hall Common Room, here I come!
Friday - Huh, so fast?
Sometimes I wonder if my clock actually winds itself forward when I sleep, if not how come the time goes by so quickly one???
Oh yes, before I forget. The answers to the Christmas brain teasers I posed last week...
Q1: Why didn't the skeleton go to the New Year's Eve party?
- Because he had NOBODY to go with
Q2: What has a bed but does not sleep, and a mouth but does not speak?
- River
Q3: What do you call 2 spiders who've recently gotten married?
- Newly-webs
So how many did you get right?
Nil????
Actually, me too :)
Friday, December 15, 2006
Mad Season
That's how I would describe the first term of MPharm III.
Mad beyond my imagination!
Wasn't that long ago that I battled with this beast called laziness, fought myself out of denial, plodded through weeks of lectures, workshops, labs, tests of all shapes and forms etc...and now, it all grinds to a halt.
Am I saddened?
Hell no!
No words can describe how badly I needed this break.
And before the image of me skiing down a slope comes into your mind, no, my holiday plans for this Christmas and New Year isn't that sophisticated. I'm just gonna take a good rest and do some catching up. Plus, I haven't been giving my DVDs due attention this term...good news or bad, you decide!
But that said, all work and no play makes Mun so not fun, so will be taking a few days out to go to London to de-stress. In fact, the first batch of days-off is tomorrow!
So folks, will update my blog when I get back on Monday.
Until then, here are some quizzes (which I've accumulated from the 2 Christmas dinners I've had this week) to keep you perky on the weekend while I'm AWOL (ABSENT WITH OFFICIAL LEAVE people, WITH!) ...
Q1: Why didn't the skeleton go to the New Year's Eve party?
Q2: What has a bed but does not sleep, and a mouth but does not speak?
Q3: What do you call 2 spiders who've recently married?
The last one is actually quite easy, if you put your thinking cap on...though I doubt Jessica Simpson will find it funny...
Answers are available on Blackboard on Tuesday.
Pun intended, dear MPharm IIIs!
Mad beyond my imagination!
Wasn't that long ago that I battled with this beast called laziness, fought myself out of denial, plodded through weeks of lectures, workshops, labs, tests of all shapes and forms etc...and now, it all grinds to a halt.
Am I saddened?
Hell no!
No words can describe how badly I needed this break.
And before the image of me skiing down a slope comes into your mind, no, my holiday plans for this Christmas and New Year isn't that sophisticated. I'm just gonna take a good rest and do some catching up. Plus, I haven't been giving my DVDs due attention this term...good news or bad, you decide!
But that said, all work and no play makes Mun so not fun, so will be taking a few days out to go to London to de-stress. In fact, the first batch of days-off is tomorrow!
So folks, will update my blog when I get back on Monday.
Until then, here are some quizzes (which I've accumulated from the 2 Christmas dinners I've had this week) to keep you perky on the weekend while I'm AWOL (ABSENT WITH OFFICIAL LEAVE people, WITH!) ...
Q1: Why didn't the skeleton go to the New Year's Eve party?
Q2: What has a bed but does not sleep, and a mouth but does not speak?
Q3: What do you call 2 spiders who've recently married?
The last one is actually quite easy, if you put your thinking cap on...though I doubt Jessica Simpson will find it funny...
Answers are available on Blackboard on Tuesday.
Pun intended, dear MPharm IIIs!
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor
I can't help but laugh out loud (really) when I saw the drug I've been assigned by Dr Daniels on which to write a 2000 word dissertation.
Was it because I was all moody, and depressed yesterday? He couldn't have read the Rainy Days and Mondays entry could he?
So why on earth did he give me fluoxetine to research on! (for non-pharms, it's Prozac)
I'm still shaking my head...can't believe there's someone out there who's got such wonderful sense of humour!
Was it because I was all moody, and depressed yesterday? He couldn't have read the Rainy Days and Mondays entry could he?
So why on earth did he give me fluoxetine to research on! (for non-pharms, it's Prozac)
I'm still shaking my head...can't believe there's someone out there who's got such wonderful sense of humour!
Rainy Days and Mondays
Talking to myself and feeling old
Sometimes I'd like to quit
Nothing ever seems to fit
Hangin' around, nothing to do but frown
Rainy days and mondays always get me down...
Sounds so like me lah! And the weather today! But nah, I don't want to be caught with plagiarism or be accused of infringing copyright laws or whatnots you can be sued for these days, but that is part of the lyrics of this beautiful-yet-very-mellow-and-can-make-you-quite-depressed-if-you-have-a-lot-on-your-mind kinda song by The Carpenters.
The who???
Yeah alright, I won't blame you if you don't know them...yeah yeah, "too young" to know them I hear you say? Oh please, you know The Beatles and The Rolling Stones but you don't know them...what a shame!
I personally liked Top of the World, Yesterday Once More and Touch Me When We're Dancing much better than this, but neither of them quite capture the feeling of the moment. Looking forward to day when they do though, that's for sure...
Sometimes I'd like to quit
Nothing ever seems to fit
Hangin' around, nothing to do but frown
Rainy days and mondays always get me down...
Sounds so like me lah! And the weather today! But nah, I don't want to be caught with plagiarism or be accused of infringing copyright laws or whatnots you can be sued for these days, but that is part of the lyrics of this beautiful-yet-very-mellow-and-can-make-you-quite-depressed-if-you-have-a-lot-on-your-mind kinda song by The Carpenters.
The who???
Yeah alright, I won't blame you if you don't know them...yeah yeah, "too young" to know them I hear you say? Oh please, you know The Beatles and The Rolling Stones but you don't know them...what a shame!
I personally liked Top of the World, Yesterday Once More and Touch Me When We're Dancing much better than this, but neither of them quite capture the feeling of the moment. Looking forward to day when they do though, that's for sure...
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Blue in the face...
...and seeing red.
Well, the truth is, Arsenal weren't good enough to win the game. Period.
It was a scintillating match in total - a competitive first half, a thundering second half, with the last 5 minutes going at a rate of 10 scares per minute for the faint-hearted like me. Hopefully I don't need any beta-blockers the next time I watch footie!
Flamini's goal gave everyone at Woodville pub something to punch in the air, even I got so excited that my friend could hardly believe what she was seeing...Adeline joining the lads in rejoicing a 1-0 lead for Arsenal? Either that or she was still reeling from his goal I don't know... :P
Then Essien caused an F-word rant among all Arsenal faithfuls with his cracking equaliser not 5 minutes after. I was gutted no doubt, but I must conclude that it was a HELL of a goal. The distance from which he scored, the power with which he struck the ball and the positioning...Essien deserved all the applause he can get, though we were all in denial. You could literally hear a pin drop. It was that silent.
And as for Lehmann and Drogba, well, they probably misconstrued Shakespeare's words as...
"All the football field's a stage, and we are merely actors". Damn right you are!
Well, the truth is, Arsenal weren't good enough to win the game. Period.
It was a scintillating match in total - a competitive first half, a thundering second half, with the last 5 minutes going at a rate of 10 scares per minute for the faint-hearted like me. Hopefully I don't need any beta-blockers the next time I watch footie!
Flamini's goal gave everyone at Woodville pub something to punch in the air, even I got so excited that my friend could hardly believe what she was seeing...Adeline joining the lads in rejoicing a 1-0 lead for Arsenal? Either that or she was still reeling from his goal I don't know... :P
Then Essien caused an F-word rant among all Arsenal faithfuls with his cracking equaliser not 5 minutes after. I was gutted no doubt, but I must conclude that it was a HELL of a goal. The distance from which he scored, the power with which he struck the ball and the positioning...Essien deserved all the applause he can get, though we were all in denial. You could literally hear a pin drop. It was that silent.
And as for Lehmann and Drogba, well, they probably misconstrued Shakespeare's words as...
"All the football field's a stage, and we are merely actors". Damn right you are!
Untitled
Picture of me, Becky (pharmacy assistant) and Sarah (pharmacist). Couldn't get it on my previous entry...WTH!
Saturday, December 09, 2006
My First Official Christmas Dinner
SR Baileys Pharmacy held their annual Christmas party on Saturday evening at Deri Inn, Heol Y Deri in Rhiwbina, about 15 mins from Cardiff.
It was nice of them to invite pharmacy students as well so yours truly happily tagged along. Eh free food wor, why not...
Sarah, the Irish pharmacist I work with (lurrrrrrve her accent), was nice enough to ask her boyfriend to give me a lift so that saved me the trouble of Googling the place, which, to be honest, is hard to find if a) you've never wandered past Cardiff city and b) you ain't got a car, both of which apply to me, perfectly.
I met a couple my coursemates from Uni there, as well as my personal tutor Dr. Dai John (who locums for them on a Sat at Whitchurch Road) and Peter, the ever so brilliant lab demonstrator who Dr. Emma Kidd can't stop enthusing about (MPharm IIIs would recognise him from P'col lab classes).
It wasn't like I was shy or anything, but I just wasn't in my skin during that mingling session, probably because I don't know most of the people there. Alright, so what's the big deal, I can always strike up a conversation right, what's so hard about that? But the truth is, I don't really know what to talk to these people, really. Like when they were talking about Christmas time and what they do and where they go, well, I don't celebrate Christmas, and I don't got home during the hols, so what is there to say except "oh I'll be in Cardiff the whole time. Yeah, sad I know". And then smile.
Or like when they were talking about their boyfriends and how they met their partners and when did they move in with them and how their men proposed and what kinda weddings they were planning for etc. No wonder Bridget Jones is always complaining about smug marrieds!
I might be single alright, but I'm not alone!
Thank God time didn't stop for even one second and dinner was served before we knew it. Finally I could give my cheeks a rest from all the smiling which was the only thing I did in the last 60 minutes.
Starters for me was salsa jacket skins, and if you think that looked saliva-icious, let me confirm by saying it WAS delicious. Was so hungry I devoured over the plate within a minute. Who cares about table manners?
Main course, unfortunately, didn't step up to the plate. I was already slightly put off at first glance because, as you can see, it looked more like full English breakfast than dinner. Maybe I made the wrong choice of choosing gammon over something like chicken with aubergines (har... I eat chicken almost everyday, still want to have chicken ar) or Turkey (have nothing against Turkey, but thought I'd order something different). After 2 bites, I had to push the plate away because my osmoreceptors were begging me to. You cannot imagine how salty it was. And please, chips, and eggs? What kinda Christmas dinner is that?
Oh well, thankfully I didn't take any cue from Becky who deliberately didn't finish her jacket skins because she wanted to leave some room for main course.
It wasn't until dessert came that I finally decided to stop cursing the poor piece of meat.
Look to your right. The vanilla and chocolate sundae more than made up for the disappointing gammon!
Haha, now that you know ice-cream can make me say yes to anything, don't you go exploiting this weakness of mine!
In summary, I had an OK time. Could have been better if I participated in more conversations as opposed to smiling like an idiot 99% of the time, but that said, I was mainly there for the dinner and also to check out what a grown up Christmas party is like, so yeah, no qualms.
It was nice of them to invite pharmacy students as well so yours truly happily tagged along. Eh free food wor, why not...
Sarah, the Irish pharmacist I work with (lurrrrrrve her accent), was nice enough to ask her boyfriend to give me a lift so that saved me the trouble of Googling the place, which, to be honest, is hard to find if a) you've never wandered past Cardiff city and b) you ain't got a car, both of which apply to me, perfectly.
I met a couple my coursemates from Uni there, as well as my personal tutor Dr. Dai John (who locums for them on a Sat at Whitchurch Road) and Peter, the ever so brilliant lab demonstrator who Dr. Emma Kidd can't stop enthusing about (MPharm IIIs would recognise him from P'col lab classes).
It wasn't like I was shy or anything, but I just wasn't in my skin during that mingling session, probably because I don't know most of the people there. Alright, so what's the big deal, I can always strike up a conversation right, what's so hard about that? But the truth is, I don't really know what to talk to these people, really. Like when they were talking about Christmas time and what they do and where they go, well, I don't celebrate Christmas, and I don't got home during the hols, so what is there to say except "oh I'll be in Cardiff the whole time. Yeah, sad I know". And then smile.
Or like when they were talking about their boyfriends and how they met their partners and when did they move in with them and how their men proposed and what kinda weddings they were planning for etc. No wonder Bridget Jones is always complaining about smug marrieds!
I might be single alright, but I'm not alone!
Thank God time didn't stop for even one second and dinner was served before we knew it. Finally I could give my cheeks a rest from all the smiling which was the only thing I did in the last 60 minutes.
Starters for me was salsa jacket skins, and if you think that looked saliva-icious, let me confirm by saying it WAS delicious. Was so hungry I devoured over the plate within a minute. Who cares about table manners?
Main course, unfortunately, didn't step up to the plate. I was already slightly put off at first glance because, as you can see, it looked more like full English breakfast than dinner. Maybe I made the wrong choice of choosing gammon over something like chicken with aubergines (har... I eat chicken almost everyday, still want to have chicken ar) or Turkey (have nothing against Turkey, but thought I'd order something different). After 2 bites, I had to push the plate away because my osmoreceptors were begging me to. You cannot imagine how salty it was. And please, chips, and eggs? What kinda Christmas dinner is that?Oh well, thankfully I didn't take any cue from Becky who deliberately didn't finish her jacket skins because she wanted to leave some room for main course.
It wasn't until dessert came that I finally decided to stop cursing the poor piece of meat.
Look to your right. The vanilla and chocolate sundae more than made up for the disappointing gammon!Haha, now that you know ice-cream can make me say yes to anything, don't you go exploiting this weakness of mine!
In summary, I had an OK time. Could have been better if I participated in more conversations as opposed to smiling like an idiot 99% of the time, but that said, I was mainly there for the dinner and also to check out what a grown up Christmas party is like, so yeah, no qualms.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
The F word
Wednesdays for most undergrads mean one thing - it's a half-day at Uni.
The afternoons are meant to be for sports and societies, but in my case, I go to work at a local pharmacy in Barry (which is about 25mins on the train from Cathays).
Yup, have been doing that for the past 10 weeks now, and today was no different.
Not sure why there were more people on the train than usual, but I think maybe because everyone wants a piece of bargain (what with all the sale that is on), you see them pouring into Cardiff very often these days.
Anyway, I was on the train to work and these bunch of lads were annoying the hell out of me with their language. They were loud and obnoxious, and every other thing is an F-ing something. I knew if I had endured another f-ing minute of that f-ing b**shit (see what I mean), I would get very worked up and who knows what I'll do (to them)!
So I plugged up my headphones, blared the music to the max (someday in the future I might have to pay the price for torturing my eardrums). and filtered the negativity by thinking of good, wonderful F words, of which I'm sure there are plenty. And here's what I came up with...
food
family
friends (both amigos and the series)
fountain
fondue
freedom
Francesco Totti (ok technically that's a T, but if I say it's an F, F it is)
fish
Fantasy (the perfume)
fudge
Federer, Roger
football
faith
female (yes Ms McBride, This One's For The Girls)
fun fair
Ford (the lecturer, not the car :p)
fairy
fame (both fame and the musical)
fashion
feminism
fridays
fruits
fun
Formulation Science??? (hell no! Not even if James Birchall is teaching it!)
Have I left out any other good F words?
The afternoons are meant to be for sports and societies, but in my case, I go to work at a local pharmacy in Barry (which is about 25mins on the train from Cathays).
Yup, have been doing that for the past 10 weeks now, and today was no different.
Not sure why there were more people on the train than usual, but I think maybe because everyone wants a piece of bargain (what with all the sale that is on), you see them pouring into Cardiff very often these days.
Anyway, I was on the train to work and these bunch of lads were annoying the hell out of me with their language. They were loud and obnoxious, and every other thing is an F-ing something. I knew if I had endured another f-ing minute of that f-ing b**shit (see what I mean), I would get very worked up and who knows what I'll do (to them)!
So I plugged up my headphones, blared the music to the max (someday in the future I might have to pay the price for torturing my eardrums). and filtered the negativity by thinking of good, wonderful F words, of which I'm sure there are plenty. And here's what I came up with...
food
family
friends (both amigos and the series)
fountain
fondue
freedom
Francesco Totti (ok technically that's a T, but if I say it's an F, F it is)
fish
Fantasy (the perfume)
fudge
Federer, Roger
football
faith
female (yes Ms McBride, This One's For The Girls)
fun fair
Ford (the lecturer, not the car :p)
fairy
fame (both fame and the musical)
fashion
feminism
fridays
fruits
fun
Formulation Science??? (hell no! Not even if James Birchall is teaching it!)
Have I left out any other good F words?
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Soul Providers
It's nice to come home to family after a long day.
Though I might not have the luxury now that I am abroad, but I am closer to my family than I have ever been.
I received a belated birthday card from home today and I was reduced to tears as I tore open the envelope. It was a handmade card wonderfully drawn up by my sister Yan.
Inside it were heart-warming messages from everyone at home wishing me the happiest 21st birthday I could ever wish for. More tears welled up and rolled down my cheeks...and tissue paper was nowhere to be found!
If there's one thing I've learnt after spending 2 years living on my own, is that nothing beats family. All the riches in the world cannot compare to the love and comfort that family bring into one's life.
And for that I am thankful. I truly am.
Monday, December 04, 2006
Excuse Me?
It just amazes me (yes, amaze) how some people can actually bring themselves to be so mannerless.
It happened during lectures today.
For some reason, Dr Brancale's handouts weren't printing out properly, as in all the chemical symbols were completely messed up, appearing as squares instead of C, H, O, N, F (you get the picture).
Halfway through explaining how folic acid synthesis is inhibited by sorry-i-can't-remember-the-name, this outspoken girl at the back row interrupted the lecturer.
"Excuse me, are you expecting us to learn this coz they are not showing up on the handout."
I jolted from my seat (ok, I confess, I was far away in Adelineland when her booming voice punctuated some happy thoughts), and to say I was shocked is an understatement.
Excuse me?
Is that how you would address a lecturer?
And and announcing out loud in class when he is busy explaining his point?
Good thing you're not like me Dr Brancale. I would have just given that gal the marching orders and that will be the end of PH3101 for her.
Ah, such guts!
I mean yes, it's annoying not to be able to view on paper how the whatever electrons are attacking whichever bonds and in so doing creating some wonderful inhibitors etc, but can't you jot it down? Why, is it that you can;t write? It's not like yours is the only incomplete copy either. And what's the meaning of shouting out loud in class? Speak up, not interrupt!
I think Aretha Franklin should teach you a lesson. And don't worry, it only involves you listening to RESPECT and no jotting whatsoever.
It happened during lectures today.
For some reason, Dr Brancale's handouts weren't printing out properly, as in all the chemical symbols were completely messed up, appearing as squares instead of C, H, O, N, F (you get the picture).
Halfway through explaining how folic acid synthesis is inhibited by sorry-i-can't-remember-the-name, this outspoken girl at the back row interrupted the lecturer.
"Excuse me, are you expecting us to learn this coz they are not showing up on the handout."
I jolted from my seat (ok, I confess, I was far away in Adelineland when her booming voice punctuated some happy thoughts), and to say I was shocked is an understatement.
Excuse me?
Is that how you would address a lecturer?
And and announcing out loud in class when he is busy explaining his point?
Good thing you're not like me Dr Brancale. I would have just given that gal the marching orders and that will be the end of PH3101 for her.
Ah, such guts!
I mean yes, it's annoying not to be able to view on paper how the whatever electrons are attacking whichever bonds and in so doing creating some wonderful inhibitors etc, but can't you jot it down? Why, is it that you can;t write? It's not like yours is the only incomplete copy either. And what's the meaning of shouting out loud in class? Speak up, not interrupt!
I think Aretha Franklin should teach you a lesson. And don't worry, it only involves you listening to RESPECT and no jotting whatsoever.
Saturday, December 02, 2006
All At Sea
I think I've finally found another place in the UK that could rival Brighton!
Was on a day trip to Bournemouth today. Before everyone questions my motive and timing (when there's like a million courseworks & dissertation to submit in the next 2 weeks), I must declare that I went there for official reasons (it is 3 1/2 hrs away from Cardiff by train, and if I had wanted to go on a secret rendezvous, I would much rather choose a more convenient - and economical - location :P)
It is all to do with the summer placement with Boots. They offered me a place in Ringwood initially, but after an appeal from my side, they relented (a little) and offered me either Winton or Westbourne, both of which are in Bournemouth.
So that was why I went. To check out the store I could potentially be working and to see how the place is like in general.
It was love at first sight.
I know it's pathetic, but I have always judged a place by the number of buildings they have, and Bournemouth passed the first hurdle. Compact town with a decent number of
infrastructure. The town centre itself is very bustling and lively (maybe because everyone's out doing their Christmas shopping), and speaking of shopping, Bournemouth sure did impress me, with its chic high street shops and well-maintained arcades. On top of that, it's a town by the sea and that is always a plus point! I didn't manage to go down to the seafront, but I did pass by the pier on the bus and caught a glimpse of the beach. Looked quite gorgeous to me (though most things are from far...:P)
Apart from going there to do my survey, I also took the opportunity to catch up with a friend who I met while doing my placement at Salisbury last summer. Fil hadn't changed much since the last time we met, she's still very bubbly and chatty, which is good! Though poor girl is under a lot of stress lately coz of the pressures of Uni. So, I've been told that nursing students have to write essays too...hei hei hei, now I don't feel so bad!
Was on a day trip to Bournemouth today. Before everyone questions my motive and timing (when there's like a million courseworks & dissertation to submit in the next 2 weeks), I must declare that I went there for official reasons (it is 3 1/2 hrs away from Cardiff by train, and if I had wanted to go on a secret rendezvous, I would much rather choose a more convenient - and economical - location :P)
It is all to do with the summer placement with Boots. They offered me a place in Ringwood initially, but after an appeal from my side, they relented (a little) and offered me either Winton or Westbourne, both of which are in Bournemouth.
So that was why I went. To check out the store I could potentially be working and to see how the place is like in general.
It was love at first sight.
I know it's pathetic, but I have always judged a place by the number of buildings they have, and Bournemouth passed the first hurdle. Compact town with a decent number of
infrastructure. The town centre itself is very bustling and lively (maybe because everyone's out doing their Christmas shopping), and speaking of shopping, Bournemouth sure did impress me, with its chic high street shops and well-maintained arcades. On top of that, it's a town by the sea and that is always a plus point! I didn't manage to go down to the seafront, but I did pass by the pier on the bus and caught a glimpse of the beach. Looked quite gorgeous to me (though most things are from far...:P)Apart from going there to do my survey, I also took the opportunity to catch up with a friend who I met while doing my placement at Salisbury last summer. Fil hadn't changed much since the last time we met, she's still very bubbly and chatty, which is good! Though poor girl is under a lot of stress lately coz of the pressures of Uni. So, I've been told that nursing students have to write essays too...hei hei hei, now I don't feel so bad!
All in all, it was a good day out for me. Too bad time was pressing, otherwise, I would have walked about in town for longer, and let Bournemouth impress me more than it already has! Oh, did I mention there's this lush garden (comparable to the ones in London) in the middle of town? A place you can go to de-stress when the pressure knob turns higher. It makes the place very serene and calm. Third cheer for Bournemouth!
Oklah, don't say I talk down Cardiff lah, we do have our own Bute Park and Roath Park...which you non-Cardiff folks must not miss!
Or rather, I have to make more use of...jogging anyone?
Friday, December 01, 2006
Oh Happy Day
It truly was.I turned 21 on Wednesday (no, it wasn't my coronation, despite what the photo suggests) and I had the pleasure of congregating those close and dear to my heart to bear witness to this historically significant occasion. Many many MANY thanks to all who
-came to my do
-bought me presents
-sang me birthday songs
-fed me yummy cakes
-sent me heart-warming cards/ecards/texts/messages on MSN
-called me up
-and above all, made my day
If you didn't find yourself nodding to any of the above, don't fret. It's still not too late to make amends by wishing me happy belated birthday!
Haha, since when did turning 21 also mean turning shameless???
One thing for sure, becoming an adult means you have to be more responsible to yourself and those around you. I had every intention of not turning up for work on Wednesday, but it was not cool leaving my colleagues at the local pharmacy where I work part-time to run the store with just two members of staff, so I went anyway. I know it is sad, but there are worse things in life than having to work on your birthday, so one can't be all that selfish, can we?
In fact, it was for the better. Tuesday was kept clear for all MPharm IIIs for no apparent reason (or maybe there was :P), so I was able to celebrate my coming of age the day before. Everyone was in high spirits coz free days are like god-sends, so that brought extra cheer my way!
Doors opened at Hall's common room at 7.30pm and most distinguished guests arrived "quite" promptly (ok ok, it was raining, fair enough). The host, quite remarkably, managed to get all food ready for serving on time (she amazed even her biggest critic).We ate and drank and ate and drank. Sounded like a feast doesn't it...
Then came cake-cutting.
I guess this is the closest a Hollywood hopeful like me would ever get to feeling like a celebrity, with all the bulbs flashing and name calling...no I wasn't dreaming :) !
Myself and V then adjourned to a bar in toiwn. The plan was to bogey like it was 1999 at Reflex, but a change of plan, and also the fact that yours truly was knackered after the party (signs of old age??? Yikes!) meant we opted for a nearer venue and Fat Cats it was. A plush cocktail bar with very dim lights was my first impression, but the ambience was fitting.
It isn't rocket science to guess what you're about to ask me next, and the answer is no, I didn't come home drunk. Not even close. And never will I be. I like defying the norm :P
V recommended I try a cocktail mix of orange and cranberry juice with spirits. No wonder it's called Sex on the Beach ...no comment!See, the thing about alcohol is that it makes me sleepy, and some might even say giggly (though I beg to differ as handsome men have that sort of effect on me as well lol), so after one glass I was almost a goner. I had untroubled sleep that night though, which was an excellent birthday gift for myself!
That was Tuesday night.
On Wednesday evening, L, D and I went to Cafe Jazz to catch a gig by Two-Plus, some 4-man band who, I have to say, justified commanding a full house, though none of us were expecting that.
Jazz?
Yes, jazz. And I like it very much, may I add.
It is the first time I've attended a live jazz gig and it was cool to go on my birthday. And guess what were we up to...
Kudos to L and D who brought a deck of cards with them. It was super chilled-out. Cosy setting, relaxing music, amiable company, a good game of "chor tai di" and thundering laughters made it a thoroughly enjoyable night out.
I might not be able to recall the last time I was this happy, but I know I won't have any trouble remembering this in years to come.
Thank you so very much!
p/s: Before you start to think I'm some self-absorbed peahen who likes wearing tiaras, that cannot be further from the truth...it was in fact a present from my floormates who said they were going to pull me into shreds if I decided not to wear it. But then again they went ahead and did it anyway...almost :)
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