West Coast of Western Europe Pt 2

cont'd from West Coast of Western Europe Pt 1

Orly airport was quite far from where we stayed (Jaurez). We had to change 2 metro lines and take a 40-minute bus ride to reach the airport. The train bit was fine, but when we got to Porte de Choisy, we were a bit confused as to where to take the bus because everything was in French!

But worry not, a (cute) Frenchy metro-counter guy came to our rescue and pointed us in the right direction.

Ok fine. He didn’t literally come to us, we had to go to him. Still. He had the cutest smile I’ve seen in the last couple of days.

So there, we were ready to bid Paris adieu.

I have no doubts I will be back to this lovely city in the future.

Next time, with more cash and a man.

:)

2nd Stop: Barcelona

We got into the Catalanion capital past 2 in the afternoon.

I made a mental note to change my habitual “Excusez moi, parlez vous anglais” to “Hola, habla Ingles?”, but when I came face to face with the locals, I got so tongue tied it took me a lot of “erm”s to get back on track. And I tell people I actually speak 3 languages. How useless.

Good thing Barcelona wasn’t a freezer. It has exactly the kind of weather you expect Spain to have. Palm trees, warm breeze, lots of sun.

After checking into our hostel, we headed off to the Picasso museum and the Barri Gothic Cathedral (which was under construction so basically we saw nothing). The next morning we went to witness Gaudi’s brilliant architecture at La Sagrada Familia and a visit to Nou Camp!

I was the only one excited about this as none of the girls were interested in football. But before you get excited yourself, let me just say we merely hovered outside and did not go in for any tours as time was pressing. So don’t ask me if I saw Ronaldinho or Messi :)

We went from there to Montjuic, home to Barcelona’s 1992 Olympic village. The trek uphill was worth it as we got to go inside the stadium and around the area.

Having walked so much in the last 4 days, my legs were ready to cave in. I think J’s ones were in similar state too. We were thinking of whether to walk up to the Castell or take a cab ride up.

The other Adeline, the semangat one, didn’t have to ask us really. The answer was obvious.

And it was a good thing we didn’t pretend to be brave and say “oh don’t worry we’ll be fine” because we would have died on the way up! It was quite a steep ascend to the top, and given our state at that point in time, we would have been stuck in a rut if we had chosen to walk!

You should have seen how we ooh-ed and ahh-ed, and how the cam-frenzy came alive. It was a view to remember. Absolutely beautiful, especially since we were there around sunset.

We got back to town and did a bit of shopping.

Yeah I heard you, a trip to Spain wouldn't be complete without a visit to ZARA! Luckily for me I was on a (very kiamsiap) budget, so I had no problem not splashing.

The plan was to go to the waterfront in the evening, but an untoward incident occurred (theft). It definitely tarnished the favourable impression I had of Barcelona. And the police! They could have a) referred us to the right place and b) be more sympathetic! We spent the entire night making a police report. Over what, a stolen bag? Have some efficiency!

If there is one thing about me that I've learnt while on this trip, it is that I could actually survive on 2 hours of sleep and still be up the next morning.

Yeah, loads of people can too, but you don’t understand. My body is not accustomed to staying up late and waking up early, which means this is a surprising revelation for me!

Having spent so much time at the policia the night before, we retreated back to our hostel for 10 winks before leaving for the airport at 5am in the morning to catch a plane to Granada, our next stop.

I must apologise to the girls for not speaking much to them the night before (after making the police report) as I was really tired. And when I’m tired I’m grouchy. As it’s not nice to have a grouchy travel mate, I kept my mouth shut the whole time after the incident. J and A, if you’re reading this, it’s nothing to do with you guys or anything. It’s me alright.

And as if my need for a quick pick-me-up was obvious to serendipity, a curly haired, smiley, hostel assistant was on duty that night. You don’t know what kind of wonders that did to my moods!

Argh, why did we have to leave so early in the morning? I didn’t even get to ask for his name....

Not that I know how to in Spanish anyway…

No wait, he spoke very good English!!!

Sob sob…

3rd stop: Granada

Granada had better be good, I thought to myself, after all that in Barca.

And it was supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

As I wrote to my parents on the postcard I sent them, Granada has to be my fav spot on Earth at the mo. Well, home too (before they get offended haha).

What can I say? It’s simply beautiful beyond words!

Before I left for this trip, I asked my Gibraltarian friend about Andalucia (the southern region of Spain), a place she claimed is where I can see the “proper” Spain. The moment I mentioned I was going to Granada, her eyes lit up. She said she hasn’t been there before but that I made a fine choice by deciding to go.

Er, truth be told Tanya, I didn’t plan this trip. Joyce and Adeline did, so girls, good choice.

Granada is a smaller town/city compared to Barca, so there are less shops and buzz around town, but despite that, I loved it. That coming from a city girl means it means more!

If I thought 9 Euros for the Louvre in Paris was expensive, than 10 Euros for the Alhambra must be throat-slitting. It was, I wouldn’t deny that, but it was worth every cent. The palace within the Alhambra was so majestic I almost wished I could pack my bags and start settling down there!

I’ve done a fair bit of palace-hopping on my last European trip and this, but I’ve seen nothing like the one in Granada, which is a shining beacon of Moorish architecture. If I already went goo-goo-ga-ga over this palace, then I can’t imagine how I’d feel when I visit the Taj Mahal in the future. (I’d probably be so breathless I need an oxygen mask haha).

The next day we went outside of Granada, to a place called La Alpujarra, which is a conglomerate of little villages at the foothills of Sierra Nevada.

We took the bus up to Pampaneira, and then walked UPHILL, for 1.5km to Bubion, the second highest village. UPHILL hokay! 1.5km leh! Rocky, steep footpath some more. Don’t play play man!

This has got to be my personal best so far!

And I almost died when I reached Bubion. How to climb Mount Kinabalu I ask you? *head shaking*

Picture paints a thousand words. So here you go. Enough said.

And one more thing.

I WANT MY CRYSTAL FLOWER!!!!

Advice of the day: if you see something you like, then by ALL MEANS buy it. Don’t be like me and think the whole day. At a store in Pampaneira, I saw this crystal ornament I really liked and I thought to myself, "you know what, let's go eat first, and then come back and browse to my heart's content". I went back to the shop after lunch, but it was closed coz it was siesta time and I ended up not buying the one thing I fell in love with at first sight!

See? I'm still regretting to this today!

Muaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!

To be continued...

West Coast of Western Europe Pt 1

Ha. People laugh at my collecting receipts, entrance tickets, boarding passes etc. Things they call JUNK.

But at times like this when you struggle to recollect the things you did on a trip or where you've gone to visit, they do come in handy!

I won't dwell too much on what I did, where I went and bombard you with too many pictures (because I know the pictures won't mean anything to anyone but the people in it, so I shall spare you that).

I'll just throw in some of my observations, thoughts sparked off by quirky little things that happened, and (haha I know you're waiting for this) how many leng chais I've met along the way...

Aherm.

1st Stop: Paris

2 words.

FREEZING COLD!

As beautiful as the city is, winter there is unbearable. I was in 4 layers and still, was close to being hypothermic. That's bad.

But let not the cold take anything away from gay Paris, the fashion capital, a title it truly deserves! Man, the ladies here are so well dressed. I mean chic, classy, elegant you get the picture. Not tracksuits or sweat pants with tacky bling-bling. You see this quite a lot you-know-where...

We reached Paris rather early in the morning, a crisp morning with the sun out not too long after we arrived at Beauvais Airport. An expensive bus ride to Palace de Maillot and we were in town. Till today, I still chide myself for not learning an extra few French words because it was hard communicating in English over there. *eyes rolling* You know, the whole French pride thing. Some people just refuse to speak to you in English even though they could. I know they can because even my grandparents know how to count in English and say "left", "right", "walk straight", "5 minutes", "oh bus? You take here" etc, so don't tell me the guai los can't?

Also, it's ironic that the only French words I know aren't appropriate to be used, at all!

Hint: Lady Marmalade :)

According to the (messy) travel log I kept, the Arc de Triumph was followed by Champs Elysees, Grand Palace, Petit Palace, Concorde, The Louvre Museum and Eiffel Tower at night. Speaking of the Eiffel Tower, it was certainly a historic venue because: a) that was where the Ultimate Eiffel Tower Sucker Group was formed and b) I survived the extreme cold temperatures to which I've never been exposed before!!!

UETSG was a joke among the 4 of us (Jesse, KC, Kwang Chear and moi) for being, as the name implies, suckers for the Eiffel Tower. First we bought cheaplak souvenirs at the Louvre, and then kiddy little glowing Eiffel Towers that captured our gullible imagination. And when at the entrance, we decided we were going to go all the way up to the top even if it meant we would have been set back by almost 12 Euros.

All for being so in love with a tower. Gawd.

Nonetheless, the view up there was amazing . It's hard to see from pictures, but do take my word for it!

The Louvre Museum was oh so huge. Though not one to appreciate art, I paid 9 Euros through my nose for entrance fee solely to see Leonardo's muse, amongst other things. The things that I do to be "cultured" eh...

Mona Lisa was a little disappointing if you ask me, coz there was no way you could get a close up view. Security was tight around the museum's prized possession and the painting was so small (at least smaller than what I pictured it to be) that some people even suggested it was the fake one!

After that, we walked along the Seine river, mentally taking in the romantic view from the embankment and wishing that a special someone was here...

Ok Munny, speak yourself and no one else!

We walked passed Hotel De Ville (haha, as much as I appreciate your humour, it's not where Cruella stayed), the Pantheon and Luxembourg Garden and went into Notre Dame Cathedral.

Apparently duck dishes are famous in France, so that's what we had on our second night. Foie grais, magret, confit de canard. Not forgetting creme brulee too! I would happily eat escargot for every meal but erm, these stuff are too pricey for a snail! Then there's also french crepes and pattiserie to satisfy all the sweet tooths around...

On our last and final day, we went to Sacre Couer and later posed at the entrance of Moulin Rouge.

Naked?

You wish!

A trip to La Fayette (the Harrods/Selfridge of Paris) completed the city for the 4 from Glasgow, while Joyce, Adeline and I (there were 2 Adelines on the trip) stayed on another night before flying out to Barcelona the next morn.

To be continued...

GROSS

I am the one in the sex DVD, says Chua
sourced from The Star

LABIS: Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek admitted he is the politician in the sex DVDs circulating in Johor.

In a press conference here Tuesday, Dr Chua said the girl is his “personal friend”.

He apologised to the Malaysian public, his supporters and colleagues.

He said he did not make the tape himself.

Dr Chua said he will not resign over the sex DVDs. He will leave that up to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to decide.

“I have seen the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting and I have personally apologised to them,” he said while reading from a one-page statement during a press conference here Tuesday.

Dr Chua, who was clad in a yellow batik shirt, added that he had met up with Abdullah on Monday.

Asked about the reactions from Abdullah, Najib and Ong, he said that it was better to get a reaction from them as he cannot comment on their behalf.

Dr Chua vowed to continue carrying out his duties as a minister, MP and party leader.

Asked about his political future, Dr Chua said: “I leave it to my party members, leaders and the Malaysian public to be the judges. It's not for me to speculate.”

The sex DVDs, on two discs, show Dr Chua and a woman engaging in various sexual antics. The two DVDs had been circulating in Muar, Tangkak and Batu Pahat over the past few days.

The existence of the DVDs was first reported in the Chinese dailies on Sunday while a Bahasa Malaysia daily reported about it on Monday.

In one of Ally McBeal's early episodes, a senior at her firm justified his illiciting a prostitute as having too much respect for women to get on with them under the pretext of a relationship when all he is asking for is just the three letter word.

She threw up.

I think reading this makes me want to throw up too.

Urgh.

2008

At the beginning (Donna Lewis & Richard Marx)

"life is a road now and forever a wonderful journey"

I welcomed the new year in my room at midnight. Far from the crowd, far from the noise, far from the smoke. Just exactly what I was surrounded with in Covent Garden a year ago.

I spent New Year's Eve in London last year fine dining with some friends. Although we were (physically) very close to seeing the fireworks along the Thames, we didn't manage to at the end due to mis-timing.

Having experienced the hoo-ha and chaos that accompanied the ushering of the new year in central London, I thought enough is enough and decided I'm not gonna bother this year. With anything.

And what do ya know.


I saw what I missed 365 days ago, with clarity, in peace and serenity. To think that I actually saw the fireworks display without leaving my room...the whole thing does make my enthusiastic plans last year a little ironic, don't you think?

Photo taken from Aberdare Hall, Queen Anne Square

 

Steve Allen - "Nothing is quite as funny as the unintended humour of reality".

I have no clue who he is but he is damn right.

Not trying so hard may just be the unintended resolution for 2008...

FACE it

Yes, I've come to a point where I HAVE to FACE it.

"The social networking utility that's gripped this side of our generation" - a friend aptly puts it.

"One that will get you addicted for nuts" - I'm sure many will not venture to disagree.

What am I talking about?


YOU know what I'm talking about.

Funny how I still can't bear to utter it's name.

What has taken me so long?

Truth be told, I never dreamt of signing up for one. Not in this life, not in another life.

Why?


Well for starters, it's for people with a life. Low profile folks like me don't have one (or rather much prefer staying below the radar), so you can count me out.

Secondly, I'm selfish. I don't think I'd devote my precious time to checking out who's with who or who's no longer with who or who's about to be with who. Unless you're a very pretty boy then I might make an exception :)

Thirdly, don't give me the "but that's the way to keep in touch!" pretext. Oh no honey, no no no. You can do better.

Fourthly (and ultimately), it's an act of defiance.

I think the last point - above all - sums it up best.

So why am I doing it now? After all that?

Well, I've been forced to.

Yeah I know, this is lame as lame excuses go. But that very something I'm after can only be found there you see...

No, not handsome men, my recent holiday photos on 33's cam!

And then there's also the "if you can't beat them, join them" thing...

Back

Back To Life (Soul II Soul)

"Back to life, back to reality, back to the here and now yeah.

Back to life, back to the present time, back from a fantasy yeah "

It's unmistakable.

I know I'm back in the UK when I see dark clouds, grey skies and general gloominess.

Sigh. What a far cry from the mood-lifting, spirits-soaring, feel-good weather that I've been lucky to experience in the west coast of Europe in the last 2 weeks.

Oh well. Reality bites. That's what it is.

Hope all my lovelies had a splendid Christmas and in less than 48 hours, a cracking ringing in of the new year!

Shalll write again soon.

Holiday wishes

Finally.

The last day of term.

I'm off to Glasgow in less than 3 hours and I've not packed.

Very good.

Anyway, before I shoot off, I haven't forgotten you lot ;). Just wanna say Merry Christmas to all who celebrates and all the best in 2008!!!

You had me at the piano

http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/sol/newsid_7130000/newsid_7137200/7137218.stm?bw=bb&mp=wm&news=1&bbcws=1

Oh my god.

YOU HAVE TO WATCH THIS.

You HAVE TO HAVE TO HAVE TO watch this.

Talk about being WOW-ed. I've never been SOOOOO impressed by a guy before in my life!

Anyway do me this tiny favour by watching the clip. Won't take you long. Max 3 mins.

:)

Righteo, back to my 3500 word essay.

*Sniff*

Christmas with David Beckham

David Beckham on BBC2, 25 Dec 2007, 1500-1700

SOB SOB...

But I won't be here to tune in on Christmas Day!!!

SOB SOB x 1000000000000 times until breathless...

Pain pain go away...

...just go away and GO AWAY!

*sniffles*

My gums have been hurting for 3 days now, all because of my impending wisdom tooth...

Heck, I didn't know that stress can instigate these things to grow...

Either that or I've just grown wiser in the last couple of days =P

(Wawasan) 2020 for Pharmacy in the UK

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain organised a Pharmacy consultation at Redwood this evening. Pharmacy 2020: have your say and help shape the profession's future.

A few friends and I attended this small-scale forum which was aimed at obtaining feedback from students with regards to how they (or we) think Pharmacy will be in the next 13 years.

NLT was about 3/4 full, with students from all years represented. Among the speakers for the evening were Mark Donovan - possibly one of the funniest and most interesting external lecturers I've had this year, Mair Davies - principal pharm at Princess Wales Hospital and one or two other Welsh Pharm Board Execs.

Mark kicked off the session with a quote.

“Everything changes, nothing remains without change.” - The Buddha

How profound is this quote huh that I'm actually still trying to make sense of it as I'm blogging...?

Anyway, he talked about the society, and how the profession is changing for the better, with pharmacists having a bigger role to play in healthcare than ever before. The last point was undeniably referring to the recent (must have been over a year now actually) green light from DoH for pharmacists to prescribe.

It is a grey area, prescribing. For us pharmacists. On one hand we have to be careful not to upset the doctors given that they've had sole possession of this right since the dawn of time, and on the other hand, we have to make sure that we're all up to speed in terms of competencies and skills. Also, prescribing for pharmacists, as idealistic as it sounds, does present a limitation in that it's difficult to prescribe without knowing what the diagnosis is. And I'll the first person who would object to pharmacists diagnosing because that lies outside of our realm. We're simply not trained as diagnosticians. Period.

Almost everyone on the floor unanimously opined that pharmacists have the skills, and are the best persons to prescribe. No question. But are there other ways of making prescribing work in favour of us pharmacists, the experts in medicines?

A progressive model was put forward during the consultation.

Doctors diagnose, patients prescribe, technicians dispense.

What do you think?

Oh you laugh. You naysayers laugh and shake your heads in disbelief at such a notion.

10 years ago no one believed pharmacists could prescribe a single drug let alone the entire BNF, sell emergency hormonal contraception over the counter, monitor warfarin levels (blood thinning therapy), run high blood pressure clinics etc. Yet they are all now in full swing, with pharmacists as proprietors, leading the way.

So pray tell me, what is impossible?

Pride and prejudice

Racial slur as man calls Welsh woman "English"
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20071130/tuk-uk-britain-racial-fa6b408_2.html

Michael Forsythe was sentenced to 10 weeks in jail, suspended for 12 months, after being found guilty of racially aggravated disorderly behaviour, a court official said.

Forsythe received the sentence at Welshpool Magistrates Court on Tuesday and was also ordered to pay 200 pounds in prosecution costs.

The former lorry driver, who is originally from Northern Ireland, but lives in Powys, Mid Wales, called Lorna Steele an "English bitch" during an argument after he collided with her parked vehicle in the Welsh market town of Newport in February.

Forsythe has attacked the prosecution as a waste of time and money, according to the Daily Mail newspaper.

"I find it unbelievable that I've been prosecuted for this," he said. "I've travelled all over Europe as a lorry driver and never had any problems with anybody and now they're officially calling me a racist.

"It's political correctness gone mad."

To you, for you, THANK YOU.

Heartfelt thanks for remembering the 29th of November
Your sincere thoughtfulness I will always treasure
And cherish in my heart from now until eternity
For friends and family are the pillars of humanity.

Impression@ble

I know I shouldn't be judging people by their email manners.

But that I do.

All the time.

*frowns*

It's murderous, I agree. It's just wrong to think more highly (or lowly) of people based on the that. But at the same time it's hard to not like a person more when they write you nice emails.

:)

Haha, caught ya speculating. It's not what you think! And there's no pretty boy involved. I swear!

Okay, stop all the pestering, dear KPCs. It's just my groupmate lah. Partner in crime for our VPL project. See, he's this super berat mulut guy. Who doesn't say a word during meetings. Absolute silence. Unless he's forced to speak, he would remain silent until the end of time. How someone can be so wood-like and log-gy I just don't know.

I know some people would say they prefer this type of co-worker to a chatterbox who talks non-stop. But it can be quite tricky communicating with the former too you know, especially when you're trying to work together for the project.

I tried. God knows how hard I tried. Trying to chat him up so that he can warm to me (oi, I already said it's not what you think!). I thought that would make him want to talk more and contribute his ideas more. To be fair, it's not like he's a no-show. He's always there for meetings and does contribute a bit (er, peace and serenity [which comes from his silence] is the only thing I can think of unfortunately). And most of all, he's smart. He's got the BRAINS. But we just can't put his intelligence to good use because he's so tight-lipped all the time!

It came to a point where I was starting to dislike him. You would too if you've tried so hard to get him to (and I'm not trying to sound like a dentist) OPEN HIS BLOODY MOUTH when all he's willing to muster are one liners.

Very good.

Oh, I gave up.

Then last week, we were supposed to meet and discuss our section of the presentation, and for some untimely miscues, we missed each other and didn't meet in the end. I thought with his kind of attitude, he would just not say a word and let it pass. But no. He wrote me a (sweet) email apologising for our failure to meet!

Awww...there Munny goes again...

Ok fine, it's not like he OPENED his mouth and uttered those words but at least it was something.

That was last Wed. On Friday, we met up for good and completed our task. I emailed him the slides to have a look and he replied back saying he thought it was ok. He even thanked me for being more organised than him and wished me a good weekend!

I can't believe I've changed my impression of him after this brief exchange of emails!

Seriously, what am I like?

Croatia 3 - England 2

My first reaction?

Dai sei.

Padan muka.
 Wa-ha-ha-ha!!!

But before you start labelling me Cruella Devil, I must say I'm not anti-England. In fact, I’ve been an England supporter since the day I started watching football (eherm, no prizes for guessing the reason behind my unwavering support *wink*)

But as much as I wanted England to qualify for Euro 2008, I didn't feel they deserved to. At all. IMHO if they can’t even beat Croatia AT HOME, they can forget about competing with the rest of Europe for the trophy in Austria next year.

Reality bites. Truth hurts. Defeat sucks…

…but DB07 rules! :)

And I can’t wait to catch Mr Goldenballs' inch-perfect pass on Youtube!!!

Haha, alright alright. That last bit was done on purpose. But see, I have to chide McLaren for being such a smart-ass. He bravely dispatched Becks when he took over from Sven in July last year, then when he was in trouble with England’s underpar performance some months back, he recalled Captain Marvel to save his bum. But minutes before the game last night, he decided to trade experience for experimentation.

Dear Sir, what can I say? But that you chose own demise…

Prescription for Laughter

My public health lecturer once told us that he has seen "exercise" being prescribed to patients on the NHS.

I wonder if docs could prescribe "laughter" too?

Coz that's what I need. V badly.

And today I managed a few, without even needing a prescription for it. All courtesy of my groupmates (at the Hypertension workshop) who, bless them, sees the funny side of many things.

I will remember inelegant drugs (as in "no class"), how when I said 'Hey pal', you replied 'Hey bucket' (coz you thought I called you pail) and last but not least, the warm welcome you extended when I told you I was stressed out.

You have no idea how much "Join the club!" meant to me...

You know I can't...

My sister Yan had started her school holidays for more than a week now.

I asked what's occupying her these days.

She said, "Well, I wake up at 11, potter about, go online, have lunch, watch TV, read newspaper, bake cupcakes, read my books, do my thing, dabble in art when I feel like it, and yes, lots of sleep."

I can hear her snickering in the background.

I almost slammed the phone.

Unfortunately for me, it's a Nokia 5300 Express Music slide-up phone, so I literally couldn't slam it down.

Deep breath Munny, deep breath.

"Oh I see. You know what dude, I'm done with you. Put mom on the phone."

Yes, I call my sister dude. Affectionately.

Oi, what's so funny?

I chatted with my mom.

I asked her about the upcoming holidays.

"We're thinking of going to Kuching for a few days in December. Not official, but we're planning to."

Alright, good guess, but I didn't slam the phone down. I CAN'T do that to my mom. I DON'T WANT TO do that to my mom.

Yup baby. Deep breath. Don't lash out like a mad dog.

But then again it won't be me if I said I didn't put up a sulky, sour-grape protest.

"Mmm...okay then ma, enjoy yourselves if you all do go."

Minutes later, a long lost Kuching schoolmate nudged me on MSN. She asked if I remembered her.

Course I do, Ming Yian!

We did some catching up, and she mentioned she's going home this weekend after her final paper.

"Aww, that's nice", I said.

"Yeah, mom's Ko-Lo Mee, Sarawak Laksa and Kuay Chap are waiting for me."

She inserted a grinning emoticon.

"You know you can only get these from Kuching right?"

I think that's when I lost it.

Why huh, why???

Especially when you know I can't do those stuff, have those stuff, and resist those stuff!!!!!

Another 1 down, 4 more to go...

Downtown (Petula Clark)

"When you're alone, and life is making you lonely, you can always go downtown"

I finished week 7 of semester 1 today.

It has been a whirlwind week.

Relieved? You bet.

To quote Mr New Kid on the Block himself - who I deliberately sat next to in room 0.07 this morning (hehe) - it's Friday!

Sigh, a pal of mine is off to Norwich for the weekend to see her boyfriend. That's her reward for working her butt off in the last 5 hectic days.

For those of us unlucky enough to have such distractions, eherm, we just have to find other things to distract ourselves... =P

I went to town in the afternoon. Just had to get out after adopting the robotic "going to uni and back to my room" routine for the last few days. Literally saw no other people in the entire world except my coursemates and lecturers. How sad!

And I've been so caught up I hadn't realised that Winter Wonderland is already up and running.

It's an annual thing, this Winter Wonderland. A family-oriented mini carnival fun-fare enterprise to usher the advent of winter (or rather, stave off the advent of winter depression =P).

As I was trotting down King Edward Avenue and walking pass City Hall where Winter Wonderland is held, my mind rewound back to the time when a few mates and I went to our first Winter Wonderland. I remember us having tonnes of fun taking silly pictures up at the ferris wheel, on one hand trying our hang on to our seat, and on the other, fighting hard to be in the centre of attention in front of the camera!

Ahh, those good old days...

...was 4 years ago. Dear me.

Cardiff City Centre looked more pleasant this evening than I ever remember it to be. I reckon it's the Christmas deco and lights that gave it some much needed cheer this time of the year...

Read a touching book lately, called Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson. It is about a diary written by a mother to her son, right from the early days of his conception. As you can imagine, it is full of bliss and mirth and heart-stirring stuff. It certainly did insinuate a lot of broodiness in me!

Here's one of the many quotes from the book that I found inspiring. Hopefully you will find it breathtaking too ...

"Imagine life is a game in which you are juggling 5 balls. The balls are called work, family, health, friends and integrity. And you're keeping all of them in the air. One day, you will finally come to understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. The other four balls - family, health, friends and integrity - are made of glass. If you drop one of these, it will be irrevocably scuffed, nicked, perhaps even shattered. And once you understand the lesson of the 5 balls, you will have the beginnings of balance in your life.

Remember the 5 balls Nicky, always remember the 5 balls."

Yes, I said one.

Last one :)

"Good memories are like charms, Nicky. Each is special. You collect them, one by one, until the day you look back and discover they make a long colourful bracelet."

Aww...

Jung Typology Test

A pal introduced me to this test. Claiming it to be v accurate.

Jung Typology Test.

Try it!

After you have done the test, you would be assigned 4 alphabets. Type in that combination into Google and read the profile description.

Have fun!

Here's what I am...

INFJ

Portrait of an INFJ - Introverted iNtuitive Feeling Judging (Introverted Intuition with Extraverted Feeling)

The Confidant

As an INFJ, your primary mode of living is focused internally, where you take things in primarily via intuition. Your secondary mode is external, where you deal with things according to how you feel about them, or how they fit with your personal value system.

INFJs are gentle, caring, complex and highly intuitive individuals. Artistic and creative, they live in a world of hidden meanings and possibilities. Only one percent of the population has an INFJ Personality Type, making it the most rare of all the types (oooohhhh).

INFJs place great importance on havings things orderly and systematic in their outer world. They put a lot of energy into identifying the best system for getting things done, and constantly define and re-define the priorities in their lives. On the other hand, INFJs operate within themselves on an intuitive basis which is entirely spontaneous. They know things intuitively, without being able to pinpoint why, and without detailed knowledge of the subject at hand. They are usually right, and they usually know it. Consequently, INFJs put a tremendous amount of faith into their instincts and intuitions. This is something of a conflict between the inner and outer worlds, and may result in the INFJ not being as organized as other Judging types tend to be. Or we may see some signs of disarray in an otherwise orderly tendency, such as a consistently messy desk.

INFJs have uncanny insight into people and situations. They get "feelings" about things and intuitively understand them. As an extreme example, some INFJs report experiences of a psychic nature, such as getting strong feelings about there being a problem with a loved one, and discovering later that they were in a car accident. This is the sort of thing that other types may scorn and scoff at, and the INFJ themself does not really understand their intuition at a level which can be verbalized. Consequently, most INFJs are protective of their inner selves, sharing only what they choose to share when they choose to share it. They are deep, complex individuals, who are quite private and typically difficult to understand. INFJs hold back part of themselves, and can be secretive.

But the INFJ is as genuinely warm as they are complex. INFJs hold a special place in the heart of people who they are close to, who are able to see their special gifts and depth of caring. INFJs are concerned for people's feelings, and try to be gentle to avoid hurting anyone. They are very sensitive to conflict, and cannot tolerate it very well. Situations which are charged with conflict may drive the normally peaceful INFJ into a state of agitation or charged anger. They may tend to internalize conflict into their bodies, and experience health problems when under a lot of stress.

Because the INFJ has such strong intuitive capabilities, they trust their own instincts above all else. This may result in an INFJ stubborness and tendency to ignore other people's opinions. They believe that they're right. On the other hand, INFJ is a perfectionist who doubts that they are living up to their full potential (OMG). INFJs are rarely at complete peace with themselves - there's always something else they should be doing to improve themselves and the world around them (OMG OMG!). They believe in constant growth, and don't often take time to revel in their accomplishments. They have strong value systems, and need to live their lives in accordance with what they feel is right. In deference to the Feeling aspect of their personalities, INFJs are in some ways gentle and easy going. Conversely, they have very high expectations of themselves, and frequently of their families. They don't believe in compromising their ideals (of course!).

In the workplace, the INFJ usually shows up in areas where they can be creative and somewhat independent. They have a natural affinity for art, and many excel in the sciences, where they make use of their intuition. INFJs can also be found in service-oriented professions. They are not good at dealing with minutia or very detailed tasks. The INFJ will either avoid such things, or else go to the other extreme and become enveloped in the details to the extent that they can no longer see the big picture. An INFJ who has gone the route of becoming meticulous about details may be highly critical of other individuals who are not.
The INFJ individual is gifted in ways that other types are not. Life is not necessarily easy for the INFJ, but they are capable of great depth of feeling and personal achievement.

Jungian functional preference ordering:
Dominant: Introverted Intuition
Auxilliary: Extraverted Feeling
Tertiary: Introverted Thinking
Inferior: Extraverted Sensing

INFJ Relationships
INFJs are warm and affirming people who are usually also deep and complex. They're likely to seek out and promote relationships that are intense and meaningful. They tend to be perfectionists, and are always striving for the Ultimate Relationship. For the most part, this is a positive feature, but sometimes works against the INFJ if they fall into the habit of moving from relationship to relationship, always in search of a more perfect partner. In general, the INFJ is a deeply warm and caring person who is highly invested in the health of their close relationships, and puts forth a lot of effort to make them positive. They are valued by those close to them for these special qualities. They seek long-term, lifelong relationships, although they don't always find them.

INFJ Strengths
- Warm and affirming by nature
- Dedicated to achieving the ultimate relationship
- Sensitive and concerned for others' feelings
- Usually have good communication skills, especially written
- Take their commitments very seriously, and seek lifelong relationships
- Have very high expectations for themselves and others (both a strength and weakness)
- Good listeners
- Are able to move on after a relationship has ended (once they're sure it's over)

INFJ Weaknesses
- Tendency to hold back part of themselves
- Extreme dislike of conflict and criticism
- Have very high expectations for themselves and others
- Have difficulty leaving a bad relationship

INFJs as Lovers
INFJs are warm, considerate partners who feel great depth of love for their partners. They enjoy showing this love, and want to receive affirmation back from their mates.
They are perfectionists, constantly striving to achieve the Perfect Relationship. This can sometimes be frustrating to their mates, who may feel put upon by the INFJs demanding perfectionism. However, it may also be greatly appreciated, because it indicates a sincere commitment to the relationship, and a depth of caring which is not usually present in other types. Sexually, INFJs view intimacy as a nearly spiritual experience. They embrace the opportunity to bond heart and soul with their mates. As service-oriented individuals, it's very important to them that their mates are happy. Intimacy is an opportunity for the INFJ to selflessly give their love, and experience it in a tangible way. Although two well-developed individuals of any type can enjoy a healthy relationship, INFJ's natural partner is the Visionary, or the Inspirer.

The busybody in me erm, went and checked the 'Visionary', and this is what it said on the profile...

The visionaries are fluent conversationalists, mentally quick, and enjoy verbal sparring with others. They love to debate issues, and may even switch sides sometimes just for the love of the debate. The ENTP personality type is sometimes referred to the "Lawyer" type.

My instant reaction was..."Oh my dear God...."

It is exactly the kind that I like to engage with!!! Verbal sparring? Anytime mate!

As for Inspirer, they are warm, enthusiastic people, typically very bright and full of potential. They live in the world of possibilities, and can become very passionate and excited about things. Their enthusiasm lends them the ability to inspire and motivate others, more so than we see in other types. They can talk their way in or out of anything. They love life, seeing it as a special gift, and strive to make the most out of it.

Adeline is now very hopeful...haha!

INFJs as Parents
INFJs usually make warm and caring parents. Their goal is to help their children become adults who know the difference between right and wrong, and who are independent, growth-oriented individuals. Along the path to that goal they are generally very warm and caring, and are likely to treat their children as individuals who have a voice in family decisions. They want their children to be able to think for themselves, and make the right decisions. They also can be quite demanding on their children, and may have very high expectations for their behavior. Although they are generally soft-spoken and gentle, they may become stubborn and sharp-tongued at times when their expectations aren't met, or when under a lot of stress. INFJs take their parenting role with ultimate seriousness. They will make sacrifices for the sake of their children without a second thought, and without remorse. Passing on their values to their children is a serious priority in their lives. Children of INFJs remember their parents fondly as warm, patient, and inspirational.

INFJs as Friends
Although the INFJ is likely to put friends behind their God and their families in terms of importance, they do value their friendships. As idealists who have strong value systems, INFJs seek authenticity and depth in their close relationships, and especially value people who can see and appreciate the INFJ for who they are and what they stand for. The INFJ is likely to spend a lot of time socialing with family members. If they are religious, they probably are social with members of their religious community. After that, the INFJ may have friends represented from any of the personality types. They are usually extremely intuitive individuals, who will have no patience for anyone they feel is dishonest or corrupt. They'll have no interest in being around these kinds of people. All kinds of people are drawn towards the INFJ. They are usually quite popular, although they may be unaware of it themselves, because they don't place a lot of importance on it. The INFJ is valued by their close friends for their warmth and consideration, their new and interesting ways of looking at things, and for their ability to inspire and motivate others to be the best that they can be, genuine article that they are.

Possible Career Paths for the INFJ:
Clergy / Religious Work
Teachers
Medical Doctors / Dentists
Alternative Health Care Practitioners, i.e. Chiropractor, Reflexologist
Psychologists
Psychiatrists
Counselors and Social Workers
Musicians and Artists
Photographers
Child Care / Early Childhood Development

So, what are you?

Awkward Moment

Our department organised a welcoming party for international students this evening at Aberdare Hall.

The turn out wasn't great, but better than what I had expected. Our head of school was there, as well as a few lecturers and academic staff.

As it was held around the same time as my part-time job in the kitchen, I couldn't stay long and only popped by to say hi and grabbed some finger food before starting work.

I saw Ven, one of my juniors and walked over to his table and joined him. He was engaged in a conversation with another person, and when it came to a standstill, I extended my hand and introduced myself.

"Hi I'm Adeline."

He looked at me.

Then at my hand.

And back at me.

"Hi. Er, I'm Rahim (name is changed to protect privacy of the person in question). Sorry I can't shake your hand."

Woops.

I never knew that. I have shaken hands with male Muslim friends before and they never told me off so I assumed it was alright.

I apologised and then we started talking.

"So, where are you from?"

"Malaysia."

Then he laughed.

"So shouldn't you know about that???"

Er...

***awkward moment***

***hands thrown up in air***

But I really didn't know!!!

Wheel of Fortune?

Listening to: To The Moon and Back (Savage Garden)

"reaching out for human faith is like a journey I just don't have a map for"

Picture courtesy of Reuters

I read on Yahoo! news today that China is planning on building it's on Eye.

I wonder why.

It seems like everyone is trying to copy the ferris wheel in London. First Singapore, then us, now China.

Why not have their own versions of Twin Towers or Eiffel Tower or Opera Houses and other architectural hallmarks?

Why the Eye?

I wonder why...

Runaway

Listening to: Escapade (Janet Jackson)

"I hope you can find the time this weekend to relax and unwind"

Whoa, if this is how withdrawn I am after a nice, relaxing, carefree weekend, then I can only imagine what drug users go through when they desperately crave the next fix.

Was away to Birmingham on Friday. Not a great time to be galivanting across the country when I have essays to write, presentations to give, meetings to attend, reports to hand in, papers to appraise, experiments to conduct...erm yeah, the list goes on.

Nonetheless, I always have time for friends and it was indeed a quality weekend break. Sincere gratitude to Siok Ping and Aun Yeung for their superb hospitality.

Siok Ping is a friend I met at Malaysia Hall in the summer. She is a radiologist at QE Hospital in Brum and has been here for almost 6 years now. She would soon be going over to Canada, with her husband, to do her fellowship there and I thought I should catch up with her once before she leaves for Ontario early next year.

It wasn't that long ago that I went to Birmingham for the All England Championships in March, so nothing much has changed. Well, Bullring is still bullish, and the town centre is as thriving and bustling as ever (which is, I must say, what I remembered most about Brum from my last trip, although to be perfectly honest, I didn't go anywhere but the NEC).

Siok Ping suggested taking me out for shopping and walking around in town, but sincerely, those of us coming from Asia will probably find shopping here less awe-inspiring than those multi-storey domes we have back home, so she thought of taking me to the countryside instead to have a taste of the Midlands.

Me and Siok Ping at Hidcote

We drove out 50 miles to Hidcote Manor Garden on Saturday morning. It's one of those National Trust sites that offers scenic, unpolluted natural landscape and as you've guessed it, 90% of the visitors were above 60 :)

Haha, not that I mind at all. It was nice to go out there and take in breaths of fresh air to keep my lungs healthy. We spent the entire morning at Hidcote, gazing at flowers, snapping our cameras away on sights which would make perfect desktop material, and plucking apples.

Yes you saw it right.

Erm actually, no. We didn't pluck them from the trees. We helped ourselves with windfalls =P

Hey look, if you paid 8 pounds for entrance free it's only fair you get something in return alright...

Later in the afternoon, we dropped by Stratford upon Avon and paid Sir Shakespeare a visit at the Holy Trinity Church. It was an interesting (albeit touristy) little town. A place which offered Shakespeare so much inspiration must be worth visiting.

Me in front of Shakespeare's statue

We walked along the river Avon and Hwee Cheng - Siok Ping's sister-in-law - couldn't help but lament that it was the perfect place for pak-toh (courtship), to which I silently nodded.

Haha, in spite of myself, and the cold, foggy weather!

Winter days are, as you know, short, so by the time we got back to Brum, it was pitch black (although it couldn't have been later than 5pm). There wasn't much point in doing more sightseeing, and since Siok Ping and her husband wanted to watch Elizabeth: The Golden Age, I tagged along.

IMHO, Cate Blanchett deserves an Oscar. Ooh Definitely. Even if she was only nominated and didn't win it at the end of the day, I just hope the person who beats her to it is worth more salt than Gwyneth Paltrow (remember the '98 Oscars?)

Sunday went by in a blur. I think we did grocery shopping in the morning, and then prepared lunch after we came back. Aun Yeung went to his room to fix his computer, while Siok Ping and I enjoyed a girly conversation or two downstairs in the kitchen.

Although there is quite an age gap between me and Siok Ping, I find I can talk to her very naturally, without any awkwardness on either side. We talked about work, life, relationships, family, you know, the usual sort of thing, but with a more matured outlook. Not that I'm slagging off my peers, but sometimes it is hard to talk about serious things with the latter without them thinking you're having a quarter-life crisis.

Yeah, I know people find me a tad serious sometimes. Ok fine, not a tad but very. Just the other day, we went for a mate's birthday party and I was engaged in an interesting conversation with a matured friend about life, present and future, when my coursemate came over to join us. She followed our conversation for 5 seconds and then she left. And when she left us to join another table, she chidingly said to me, "Honestly you guys, it's Friday night, can we talk about something else?"

I don't think the point is whether it's Friday or Sunday or Tuesday. I think it's a matter of interest. A matter of wanting to talk more than who's going out with who, or where are we going shopping tomorrow. I know not everyone is a fan of stimulating, thought-provoking conversations but I, fortunately or unfortunately, happen to be one.
I like talking and pondering about life. It makes me think less about myself and more about others. I become less caught up in my own world, and embrace a bigger one out there that I've only seen a fraction of, and wonder if I would ever see enough.

Backward In Coming Forward

Better Together (Jack Johnson)

"I'll tell you one thing - it's always better when we're together"

 This afternoon, I met up with my group mates to discuss our VPL project (the one where we had to come up with a new drug for a given disease), and in particular, talked about the questions we were going to ask the "investors" (simulated bosses of this project) when we meet them next Monday.

After a seemingly positive reply from the BOD on our ideas for hepatitis C last Friday, my groupmates seemed to have taken their feet off the pedal. One even came to the meeting and said she didn't know what we're meeting up for.

You don't???!! Well my dear, I suggest you read your own emails the next time before sending them out to others because it was YOU who said this...

"I think before tuesday we should research this idea further and look at the other aspects regarding this idea and then when we meet on tuesday we can discuss it."

That's why, Miss H. That's why we're meeting up today.

It was as if people were clueless about what's going on. Either that or they underestimated next Monday's session with EJK and co. Let me tell you something my lovelies, we only get one chance, and nothing more. Next Monday is the only opportunity for us to clarify our doubts and concerns with the investors with regards to proceeding with either idea 7 (or 8) for which they have previously given the go-ahead. It is our only chance to seek advice from the experts and use the new-found knowledge to solve problems that we - the amateurs - are currently facing (amateurs may be too generous a term, actually). It'd be a complete waste if we turn up for the session ill-prepared!!!

"Speak now or forever hold your peace".

How I regret not injecting my take on this subject at the meeting earlier. We spent 30 minutes (or maybe even more) beating around the bush, going back to square one when common sense dictates that the outcome of today's meeting should be a conclusion on which idea we wish to pursue. I didn't want to sound too school-marmy by telling others what to do, and therefore thought it was best for the other stronger characters to hint it out but in the end, they too weren't sure themselves.

So here's what I have to make peace with - the tedious task of doing something completely not worth our time, and most importantly, something we have already DONE for the submission last Friday. All because I was backward in coming forward.

Sigh Munny dear, just never learn.

One Sweet Day

Listening to: Pour Some Sugar On Me (Def Leppard)

Me and the birthday girl

Went out with some pharm mates last evening to Chiquitto's for Darsh's 21st bday do. Good night out it was, made complete by a sweet revelation :)

Just want to say congratulations to the new love birds and hopefully someone will circulate the pictures around v soon...

It was a sweet surprise indeed. Lily said I reacted like an overjoyed mother (haha). Nah, I'm just very happy, both for the 2 of them, and the fact that I picked up the right vibe, some point in time!

My Dream Team

Say What You Want (Texas)

"You can say what you want but it wont change my mind"

Laminated list.

Have you one of your own?

This topic (made popular by Friends) cropped up several times during offhand conversations with my girly pals, and upon reflection, I realised I've always given different answers each time I've been asked. Tsk tsk, how typical :) The thought of making it official is hence the reason for this post. Except I wouldn't call it the laminated list, seeing how I don't quite agree with some technicalities of the definition...Anyway, I'll just name it the Dream Team. People who make me dream my life away (and hence should be prosecuted by the Time Management Inspectors for seriously damaging Miss Tan's productivity =P...)

Oh Adeline, just cut the crap.

In no particular order, they are:

Michael Vartan

I mean, seriously, what was Jennifer Garner thinking when she dumped him for Ben Affleck?

Ethan Hawke

He comes, he sees, he conquers...my knees!

Matthew Metzger It wasn't just his choice of song ("When I See You Smile") at the American Idol (season 3) audition that had me. It was his personal goal in life - "To someday be the best husband and father the world has ever seen" - that swept me off my feet.

Aww, isn't this is sooooo Adeline???

David Robert Joseph Beckham

He needs no introduction, nor pictorial justification.

But here's how sweet a couple we would make if I know how to super-impose my face onto Posh's one...

Jose Mourinho

Yes, okay, I know. I'm an Arsenal fan, I'm not supposed to be looking at Chelsea players. But that doesn't include the (ex-)manager, does it?

Dermot Mulroney

Like how wine tastes better with time, Dermot looks finer with time...

Alex Yoong I defy any hot-blooded female not to be moved by this heart-stopping picture...phoawar!

Shia LaBeouf

Please Shia, drive me home in Bumblebee, every night!

Sean Penn

You wouldn't have understood it even if you tried, so don't bother ;)

Fredrik Ljungberg

Erm, yeah. The man, is, erm ________

*pls insert the highest superlative you can think of for I have been rendered speechless*

Pierce Brosnan The dream team is NEVER complete without an Irish Charmer!

All pictures are sourced from www.google.com

Alright alright, I know some of you are gonna argue that it's double the number of what is "allowed" on the laminated list, but hey, that's the beauty of the Dream Team you see. No restrictions, no bumping off the list, no order or ranking... :)

OK FINE. I'm fickle. I'm indecisive. Happy?

Namesake

I supposed you can call it a strange habit. Or just plain weirdness. That I tend to look out for my name as the credits roll at the end of a movie...

So, someone shares my name. Big deal huh?

Oh yes, especially if you're not Jessica, or Emily, or Sarah.

I guess I just like the coincidental, light-headed thrill of chancing something uncanny :)

Time and time again, I've been on the lookout for another Adeline, but I haven't been close. The nearest hit was probably Adele, of which there were a few.

This evening I watched "And I Hate You So" on Veoh.com, a HK rom-com that has been around for ages (I'm sure). I don't get to watch as many Chinese movies as I do Hollywood ones, so naturally, I didn't pass up the opportunity of viewing one when it's totally on the house. =P

Cheesy, predictable, but entertaining is what I thought of the movie. Not your average "boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, boy and girl have conflict, boy and girl end up happily ever after" romantic comedy. Something a little different.

And there. Just when I wasn't expecting any familiar names, I saw 诗敏.

Hmm, I should have bought lottery today...I reckon I'd strike big :)

7 Days

In the last 7 days...

I bade Theresa goodbye. She left for China to do a short course on Traditional Medicine and I wish her all the best.

In the last 7 days...

I experienced real muhibah-ness when I joined in Raya celebrations at a Malay friend's house. Was swept away by the kuih batik he made. Damn, I can't even bake anything and I'm a girl...pah!

In the last 7 days...

I attended a birthday do for 2 of my coursemates and had a marvellous time eating yummy Mexican food, acting silly and discussing about cute guys in MPharm IV (namely 'loceng', 'Kaya BaikMenang' and the new kid on the block...shoot(!), what's his name?)

In the last 7 days...

I experienced a choking feeling as deadlines got the better of me.

In the last 7 days...

I was drawn away from my comfort zone time and time again and I don't like that.

In the last 7 days...

I wished I could punch her bulldog face and tell her to take her rotten who-do-you-think-you-are attitude away with her but I'm glad I didn't. Haha, I could actually sabar...not bad not bad :)

In the last 7 days...

I slept for less than 6 hours on 3 occasions and I snoozed my alarm clock 3 times the following morning. How I still reached class on time is a wonder.

In the last 7 days...

I became someone I wasn't. Maybe in my dreams I was that, but in real life I know I am not.

I 'defended' a 'criminal' 'in court' and was later told I gave a moving closing speech. The truth is that I was only putting up an act. Literally.

In the last 7 days...

I kept thinking about this which have no answer.

You said it right Des'ree. Very right.

Listening to: Life (Des'ree)

Thankful thought of the day: That I'm Alive. And Kicking!

www.davidbeckham.com

I am serious. No joke. He really has an official website!

I googled Becks a while ago for an upcoming post (hehe) and found myself at his website, reading his blog!

Well, nothing fancy. Just short and sweet messages for kei po chis like me :)

Here's one of the latest posts...

Hello everyone,

Firstly, I’d like to apologise for not updating my blog over the past week or so, but as I’m sure you understand, with my dad being taken ill the only thing on my mind was to get to him as quickly as possible.

Thank you so much to all of you who sent messages of support, flowers and cards to the hospital. They were greatly appreciated. Along with my dad and my family, I would also like to thank the doctors, nurses and ambulance staff who were amazing in their care of him. I’m back in the States now and will be continuing my treatment on the injury.

That’s all for now - I’ll update you again soon.

Thanks

David


Oi Becks, what about pharmacists?

When I read that Beckham senior had been admitted to Whipps Cross Hospital following a heart attack, I wished I had applied there for a training place. Who knows maybe in the future I'd come into contact with Beckham senior himself, advising him on his medicines? And in return for my excellent patient care, he'd introduce me to his son and and and...

Okay, time's up. Enough day-dreaming for the day. o.O

Happy Raya

Was told by my classmates that the Muslim community here celebrate Raya today (whereas it's tomorrow for those back home), anyway, regardless of dates, here's me wishing all Muslims Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, or Happy Eid-Ul-Fitr!

Looking forward to open houses and yummy food ;)

Stye

I have a stye in my eye
And all I can do is sigh...
I'd very much like to bid it goodbye
I hope the time is nigh!

Woke up this morning and my left eye felt gritty. There's this uncomfortable feeling everytime I blink. Went to the mirror to have a look and saw a tiny red bump on the eyelid.

Having learned about styes in my first year, I didn't feel so panicky at the sight of one. For those not in the know, it's essentially an infection at the base of the eyelids. Nothing damaging, as it's all external, but the accompanying tenderness and pain is definitely not welcomed either.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Stye02.jpg

Styes are self-limiting, fortunately or unfortunately. It'll go away on its own without medication.

I sure hope it'll disappear entirely by tomorrow evening as I'm out for dinner with some friends, and am very likely to have my beautiful face captured on cameras...hmm, maybe I'll just stand rightttttttt at the back so that no one can see my "weird" eye... :(

Trial Run

I went to the courts today. Cardiff Crown Court. For a trial.

Ooohh...

Witnessing lah, not trying! Choi choi choi.

It's all for our Expert Witness assignment. My friends and I figured that since we are so pathetically clueless about the judiciary system here, it'd be good to go and sit in on some trials, since the Crown Court is a stone's throw away from Redwood. And it's free. :)

The first trial we witnessed was so anti-climax. The guy pleaded guilty barely 5 seconds into the whole hearing and the next thing we know, we were out of the courtroom. That quick.

But that wasn't what we're here for, I exclaimed! We wanted to see lawyers cross-examine witnesses and present their case so that we know what to replicate in 10 days time. In front of the whole class.

Completely unsatisfied, I told Jinal I was staying put. I'm not leaving until I saw another trial. 2 of other friends had commitments so they left. We went back to the drawing board and checked out the other trials that were in progress. The next available trial was in court 5, and so we went.

This time around, it was a series of preliminary hearings, which is a bit like appointment-booking if you ask me. Basically, the prosecutors gave a background to the case and asked the judge for x amount of time to service the paperwork before proceeding with the case. The judge then looked at the present schedule and fixed a later date to resume the trial.

Full stop. All rise.

What???

Nooooooooo, that again was not what I woke up early for! (We agreed to go at 10am).

This time, Jinal wasn't staying. She had a group meeting back at Redwood at 12pm and she left.

Still unsatisfied, I stayed back at Court 5 antiticipating more action.

I want to see fights! I want to see heated arguments! I want to be wow-ed!

True to form, the next hearing was indeed a trial. 3 guys were tried for assaulting someone... or er, something like that. The jury were called in and they each took their oaths.

I rubbed my hands with glee.

The prosecutor stood up.

"Your honour, I am Ms X, prosecutor for this case and may I introduce my learned friends, Mr Z, Mr Q and Mr R who are representing the defendants."

...
...
...

She said some technical stuff I couldn't remember, and then my worse fears were confirmed.

"The witnesses were originally told not to attend the trial until tommorow. I'm afraid there won't be any provision of statements from the them today and would therefore like to ask Your Honour for this case to be postponed till tomorrow."

*&%#!!!!!

But I have a class tomorrow at 10am! And I'm booked up for the whole week! I won't have time to poke my nose in the Crown Court till next week, which will be too late for my assignment!

Sigh, my whole morning was wasted. If I had seen some cute lawyers then I wouldn't feel so bad, but this? Totally unacceptable.

And later on when I recounted the incident to my friends, I said our 'outing' was a bit like trial and error. We just have to try enough times to get the right case!

Yes yes, I like puns ;)

Humpty Dumpty? There's one right here...

I last heard: Melodi (Sheila Majid & Lin Yu Zhong)

I am reading: The Expert Witness (R H Mildred), The Expert Witness In Court: A Practical Guide (C. Bond)

I am thankful for: the herbs mama dearest packed for me last month...so that I could reconstruct her "Luk Mei" soup 6600 miles away from home...although it's nothing like the real McCoy!

Whenever nosy people asked about my middle name, I'd almost always say gorgeous, or stunning or some other similar superlatives, but the truth is, it's klutz. That is my (unspoken) middle name.

I can't begin to describe how clumsy I am. I can walk with most confident stride you'd ever see and the next thing you know, I'd be bumping my feet against the edge of the rubbish bin as I take a swerve away from it. Ask my sister, she'll tell you.

Just this week, I've had 5 clumsy moments.

First, I jammed my index finger between the shower door and the hinge (if there's such a word). How the hell I managed that is beyond comprehension.

Then when I was working in Aberdare Hall's kitchen, I dropped the huge plastic dish-washer rack onto my feet. Imagine the ouch.

On the same day, I accidentally brushed my fingers against the metal food container before I put on my gloves to take it out from the dish-washer. OOoohhh.

I hadn't even recovered from all that and I injured myself again. This time, I bumped my head against the kitchen sink as I got up from picking some residue on the floor.

5 minutes ago when I was in the shower, I noticed a blue-black patch right below my knee.

You know what? Don't ask.

Just don't.

Don't You Read The Papers?!

I went to the library to do some research at 4ish this afternoon. On a Saturday. All for that expert witness thingy. Hmph!

As I walked down King Edward VI Avenue past Redwood to Bute, I saw rows and rows of buses parked on the streets. Ah, must be a match going on at the Millennium Stadium down town, I thought.

A few bus drivers were standing around, chatting among themselves to kill time as they waited for the passengers to come back up after the match. Which won't be till another 2 hours or so.

One of them saw me walking past, and out of boredom (I guess), he greeted me.

"You alright love?"

Ah, my favourite term of endearment.

"Yeah not too bad."

I decided to be friendlier.

"A match going on is it?"

He gave me a scary look. Like he was going to kill me. Oops, what did I say?

"Don't you read the papers love?" He bellowed, and the rest followed.

"Well, yeah but..." Actually, it's no.

He cut me short. "It's rugby my love. New Zealand vs France!!! Rugby World Cup!!!"

Oh...I see.


What? It's the world cup again? So soon?

Where has the last 4 years gone?

Searching My Soul, Tonight

So, I am now officially back in uni.

Completing my final year.

Ya-hoo!

Well, not exactly.

First day back and I'm petrified. The introductory lectures really did the trick the proprietors wanted them to. They've successfully reduced me to a bunch of fray nerves.

Presentations. Group work. Group project. Individual presentations. Class test. Exams.

Break?

None.

Our major major (have I said major?) assignment this term will be VPL. Actually, it's not called VPL, but we are essentially doing a project for VPL - Venture Pharmacy Limited - a venture capital company set up by lecturers to fund bright, feasible projects.

Hypothetical, obviously. There's no such company, but we have to pretend as if it's real.

Our task? Form a biotechnology company to research a drug for a given disease.

Each group consists of 8/9 students, 2 representatives from each of the research group ranging from chemistry, drug delivery, pharmacology and health and medicine. In lay men terms, there'll be 2 chemists, 2 drug formulation-ist, 2 pharmacologists and 2 clinical staff in the biotech company, and it's designed this way so that we each bring our respective expertise into the team to work this thing out.

My group? We're looking at developing new Hepatitis C treatment.

How?

NO CLUE.

Next up, it's this thing called Expert Witness. As pharmacists, there will be instances where we will be asked to go to court to provide, as the phrase suggests, expert opinion to help with criminal or civil cases involving the use and misuse of drugs. To prepare us for the REAL WORLD, they've designed an assignment in which we have 2 weeks to research and prepare for a 15 min presentation, which is supposed to mimic the adversarial situation, ie like how it is in court - complete with judges, jury, prosecutors, plaintiffs / defence.

How?

NO IDEA.

Just this evening, I bumped into a long-time-no-see friend at the hall. She came to visit a coursemate and knocked on my door on her way down. We got chatting for a bit and being a law graduate, I sought her opinion.

"You want to know about the judiciary system and law stuff ar?"

I nodded my head with so much vigour it almost broke my neck.

"Haha, er, I guess you can watch Ally McBeal?"

It doesn't take a genius to figure that she was actually kidding, but I took her words seriously anyway. Anything that would help me get a better idea of the LAW.

So I did. I watched Ally McBeal. Right from the start. The pilot of Season 1. Courtesy of a very generous veoh.com member. And I'm hooked.

It's all Lu Yee's fault!!! :)

But hey, don't roll your eyes at me...

As Ms McBeal herself said...

"I am admitting a difficulty. It will get easier in time."

How much time do you think?

My First Tag

Never really bothered with tags before but since Eunice tagged and called me Miss Cardiff University, Adeline is very flattered and honoured (cheh perasan-nya ku ni!!!). Sigh, why is it that Cardiff Uni doesn't have a beauty pagaent...

What were you doing 10 years ago?
- Moved from Kuching back to hometown of PJ. Sat for UPSR exams. Had a crush on a classmate. Wore the most studious specs you could ever imagine. Started learning about puberty. Sang along to Wannabe. Followed almost all Chicago Bulls games.

What was I doing 1 year ago?
- Pining for a very panjang and kacak Mat Salleh...


Five snacks you enjoy:
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Crisps / Keropok
- Fake Oreo (my sis and I call it 'fake' coz mom buys cheaplak Oreo from wet market but hey, they taste as good if not better!)
- Lindt Dark Choc
- Waffles / pancakes


Five songs that you know all the lyrics to:
5 only ar, how can? That's literally undermining my ability!
- How Do I Live (LeAnn Rimes)
- Always Be My Baby (Mariah Carey)
- Because You Loved Me (Celine Dion)
- As Long As You Love Me (BSB)
- I'll Be (Edwin McCain)

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:
Well, it depends on how many millions I have...
If it's 1 million, see 1 and 2
If it's a few million, see 1, 2 and 3
If it's millions that one can easily lose count, see all


1. Dump money into the TAN family's bank account to buy whatever their hearts desire
2. Make sure I don't go back to being a non-millionaire
3. Bring Malaysian food closer to those abroad, at all cost!
4. Provide decent sanitation and healthcare to the poor around the globe
5. Build up Malaysia's infrastructure by contributing to national funds

Look at how much thought I've put into this...way before I'm even a thousand-aire!

Five bad habits:
- I moan (a lot)
- I sulk (a lot)
- I say lah (a lot)
- I worry (a lot)
- I perasan (a lot)

Five things you like doing:
- Dreaming about pretty boys
- Meeting new people, catching up with old pals
- Seeing the world, experiencing new cultures
- Stuffing myself with yummylicious food
- Playing with cute little children (and once they cry, I'll fly!)

Five things you would never wear again:
- Trousers that don't fit
- Red Lipstick
- School Shoes
- Blue Pinnafore!
- Super long earrings!

Five favourite toys:
Not really a toy person, so cannot think of 5...Johnny Boy and Mary-Anne are my 2 and only teddy bears

Alrightey...now my chance to tag people...hmmm...

Xin Yi, Felicia, Shin Kit, Sook Meng and Joyce...what say you?

Someday We'll Know

A wise person once said, "24 hours is insufficient not for the busy, but for those with ill-managed time..."

A-huh. Such as moi.

So much to do, so much to think about, so little time, so CLICHED!

How???

Yours truly have been back for almost 2 weeks now, but she's still in holiday mood, and mode. 4th year is hot on her heels and yet she's not in the right frame of mind for school.

How???

Since she's been back, she's attended 3 interviews for pre-registration positions (just know it as training jobs is good enough). One was good, one was bad, one was ok. People say it usually gets better but for her, it seemed to go downhill after round 1...

Why???

Her last round of interview (in Brighton) left her slightly scarred. It was for a hospital she's previously worked for and had gotten rather satisfactory feedback. Yet she was rejected a place.

Why???

Thankfully, she's been offered a position with Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospital NHS Trust, but the twist is that she will be spending 50% of her time (equalling 25 weeks) at Harefield Hospital (all the way in rural Middlesex) while the other 25 weeks will be at Royal Brompton in Fulham. It takes almost 1.5 hours to travel to Harefield from South Kensington (where hospital accommodation is based). 3 precious hours everyday merely for getting to and off work.

How???

Should she take it or leave it???

She is mentally tired. Yet couldn't sleep.

How???

She thought of watching some movies from her DVD collection to chill for a bit, but found that her D: Drive has miraculously removed itself from the system and she's left with no D: Drive.

How???

She looked at the pile of things waiting for her to clear. Documents, receipts, letters, timetables, 4th year module handbook. The last thing caught her eye. Maybe reading this may make her want to go to bed, and actually put her to sleep. But the light suddenly went off...

She realised the fluorescent bulb has fused, but the hall maintenance guy will only be back on Monday, so she would have to live in the dark till then.

How???

This song came on her radio player...

So many questions...Need an answer...I bought a ticket to the end of the rainbow...I watched the stars crash in the sea...If I could ask God just one question...Why aren't you here with me?...Tonight...

I guess Someday We'll Know, baby. Someday.

(Leaving) Home

Alas, my 45 day summer holidays at home has come to an end...

No emoticon or words could illustrate how sad I am at the prospects of leaving the comforts of family company, good food, nostalgic catching-ups, and human-friendly temperatures...

I'm going back to the UK rather early this year as I am anticipating a few interviews for hospital training jobs, but so far there's only one, and that's all the way in High Wycombe which is in Buckhinghamshire. Will update y'all on that when I have more good news.

I came across this question in a book some time ago - what is the meaning of life?

It's a good thing I've not been asked that in the face before, as I ain't got a clue. Or rather, I've never really sat down and think about something as blank-cheque as that (too busy enjoying myself haha?). Nonetheless, I've been prompted - and inspired - by certain things of late to be more reflective and inquisitive.

I'm not saying this is it, as it'll indefinitely be refined along the journey, but for now here's my take on that...

I think life is about having hope. It's about finding and seeking the good in trying times, and remembering that nothing is ever as bad as it seems.

Heartiest thanks to the TAN family for all the TLC they've showered me with! To all with whom I have met up in the course of the last 6 weeks, thank you for the good (and food) times. Do keep in touch and I look forward to the next time we see each other again!

With best wishes...XXX

p/s: Will update my blog once I've properly settled down in Cardiff...I know I owe you lot some pictures!

I fit the bill, Hans!

Over the last few days, I've been leafing through a pile of newspapers at home, which is sitting there by the staircase, waiting to be recycled.

What was I looking for? Nothing much lar, just interesting articles that I might have missed out on in the last few months.

And it was probably Cupid's doing that I stumbled upon this particular edition of Sunday Metro. Dated 29 July 2007.

It features Hans Isaac! Currently Malaysia's most eligible bachelor, I think. Me and a girl pal was just talking about him the other day when we met up for lunch and here he is, right in front of my eyes, smiling!

What a heart-melting picture...

I quickly flip to the 3rd page to read the article.

It reads...

"He is adventurous, romantic, successful and good with kids. And the best part - the handsome Hans Isaac is single, and looking for an ideal life partner."

...
...
...

Han's idea of an ideal woman is: someone who is truthful, genuine, and adventurous.

Wait a minute.

I FIT THE BILL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I Do, I DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HANS ISAAC, LOOK NO MORE! HERE I COME!!!!!!!!!!

Oops. The entire pile of newspapers have fallen onto my skinny shins and it's hurting the bones out of me. Hmm, maybe I'm to be blamed because the whole thing had been tilted off balance after I dug out this Hans Isaac pullout....

You know, it's hard not to daydream about a guy who's a "self-professed neat freak who ensures that everything is spick and span around the house". "I am the sort of guy who has no qualms doing the chores. I can't really cook but my house has to be sparkling clean."

BRING ME THE PHONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And YELLOW PAGES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And while I look through 3 million phone numbers in Klang Valley for the man's line, here's something about Hans from the article...

Name: Gerald Hans Isaac
DOB: Aug 20, 1971
Hobbies: Football (me too!!), squash, diving (I don't mind!!)
Hometown: KL
Fav things:
Food - Mom's popiah (me too!! Anything by mummy dearest!!!)
Drink - Teh O Ais Limau (er, I think that's Iced Lemon Tea...yes yes, me too!!!)
Holiday destination - Kota Kinabalu (I spent a couple of years there, so can say me too!!!)Restaurant - Fatty Crab, PJ (haven't been there but I like crabs too, so me too!!)
Colour - Blue (me too!!)
Perfume - Bvlgari (no joke, me too!!)
Dislike: Dishonest and pretentious people (eh, me too lar!!)Ambition: To be the most successful film producer in Malaysia
Obsession: Cleanliness (OMG, me too!!!)

We share so much in common, we'd make a matching couple, no?!

First, I need his number...wuu-huu...

My School Make Headlines

http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/news/articles/school-of-pharmacy-success.html