Manchester Trip Part 2 and a 1/2

Erm, yes. Sorry. I am not finished with Manchester yet...but will be, very soon!

Went sight-seeing. On Good Friday. On my own.

You see, Hua had to rush a 25,000 worded essay in 6 weeks (or something like that), and being the exceptionally hospitable host that she is, she had already spent so much time hosting me and bringing me around, that I thought it's not fair for her to waste anymore second so I embarked on a self-guided tour.

Man, that was VERY brave of me. I say brave because heck, I don't know Manchester at all! And I pretended as if I knew which bus to take and which tram to hop on and where to take pictures etc.

Like Oxford, I had done NO PRIOR PREPARATION/READ-UP/RESEARCH/ whatever you want to call it. The only thing I know about Manchester, is that it's spelled M-A-N-C-H-E-S-T-E-R and it's an industrial city which boasts of 2 premiership clubs. City and United. One of which I used to support. :)

So the very smart Adeline. 7 hours to kill before she boarded the train back to Cardiff. So, what's the plan?

I was so bold, I didn't even have a map on my hand. The only information I managed to source, with Hua, sitting in front of her lap-top giving "Visit Manchester" a good Google, was Salford Quay.

"Oh yeah, I heard of that. But err, what is there?"

"It says the place is home to Imperial War Museum North, The Lowry, Lowry Outlet Mall, Salford Watersports Centre. It's also a stone's throw away from Manchester United football ground."

Okay, so I found somewhere to go. Armed with that, I walked down Oxford Road and stopped in front of the Manchester Library at St Peter's Square to take the tram.

But wait, where to stop?! Luckily for me, there were a couple of tourists going to the same place, so I just tagged along. Eventually got to the Quays at Greater Manchester about 10 mins later. Oooh-ed and aaah-ed about how scenic the whole place was and basically just started my journey from there.

I walked across the bridge to get to the Lowry and started snapping away like a Jap. Ok, bad joke. The Lowry, I figured, is something like an Istana Budaya. "An architectural flagship with a unique and dynamic identity...bringing together a wide variety of performing and visual arts under one roof". Yup, the wonders of cut and paste. But before I get caught for plagiarism, it's http://www.thelowry.com/AboutTheLowry/.

Literally opposite this chun building is the Lowry Outlet Mall, a high class factory outlet store. Cheapos like me almost died of happiness when I saw the big Nike swoosh logo on the outside, and the words "50% off everyday" somewhere else, so the agenda for the day had already been set.

But aiyar, shops not opened yet...how? Continue to jalan lor...

As I walked ahead, I saw the tourists who I followed earlier. They were now in the middle of a striking bridge, taking pictures and marvelling at something , which I thought must be worth seeing, so I followed suit.

Man, what I saw when I got to the bridge, was picturesque beyond words. It overlooks a serene man-made lake by the side of Lowry Outlet Mall. With not a cloud in the sky, one could really just soak up the sun and start dreaming away. Which I think I did for 5 minutes. 5 stressed-free, relaxing minutes.

As I extended my sights further, I saw...

...

...

OH. MY. GOD.

I let out the shriekiest shriek of delight I never knew I was capable of. Everyone on the bridge turned and looked at me. But I didn't care.

I saw Old Trafford from where I stood.

I saw Old Trafford!!!

Old Trafford!!!

Part of the reason why I was so shocked was because I didn't expect to find it. You can't take the meaning of "a stone's throw away" too literally, can you? And I guess because I didn't expect to have a chance of seeing the stadium, it made it extra special!

It didn't take me long to get to Sir Matt Busby's Way. I followed the roads and figured my way by constantly looking up to make sure that Old Trafford was getting bigger as I walked, not smaller.

I always thought people were joking when they say they see things that make them go weak in the knees. I have personally not seen a man that has such effect on me, but I dare say I've seen a building that did.

If people had caught a glimpse of me, they would have thought I had Parkinsons or something, because I was shaking, all over. Standing in front of the Theatre of Dreams, with Busby's statue welcoming Red fans and non-Red fans alike, was simply awe-inspiring.

I bought a combo ticket for the stadium and museum tour, where a guide brought a group of us around Old Trafford, starting from the stands, to the player's changing room, to the lounge, the press room, tunnel and dug-out area. The tour guide told us interesting anecdotes along the way making the tour very lively.

FYI, the United squad actually train at the Carrington Ground and not Old Trafford, which is a good thing because I would have fainted if I saw anyone of the Class of 92 or Ole Gunnar Solskjaer or Wayne Rooney. I seriously would.

When I went for the tour, I got talking to this lady called Shamilla, who took her nephews to Old Trafford as a birthday gift for one of them, a Cristiano Ronaldo-resembling young boy of 11. I swear it was his gelled hair. No mistake. Given his Hispanic genes, you really can't fault me for saying he looked like the former because he did.

I told Shamilla and she laughed. "I bet he'd be over the moon if you told him that. Big Ronaldo fan. Copies his every move."

Ah, I don't want see a peacock in the making so I kept my mouth shut. She was nice enough to ask me if I wanted to join them for lunch at the Red Cafe, and seeing I was hungry, I obliged. I paid for my meal of course, I'm not a leech!

I left soon after lunch. If I had a choice, I would have stayed and camped there all night until I was satisfied, or rather, until all the adrenaline has worn off its effects, but time was pressing...so I had to go... *sniff sniff*

Nonetheless, itt was a TRULY OVERWHELMING 2 and a 1/2 hours there. And I guess I felt a sense of pride because I SUPPORTED UNITED.

ONCE DID.

The older pals of mine might have known it was because of this guy who used to wear the number 7 jersey. But the truth was, although it started off with an interest in Beckham (ok fine, not interest, obsession), my support for Becks and United went hand in glove back in those days. The partnership remained whole until 2003, when I jumped ship over to Arsenal, whose fluid football captured my imagination (much unlike the mundane style United was trading at that time).

But I guess the MAIN causative factor was the decision to sell Becks lah, which I, a 'bigger than life' David Beckham fan couldn't swallow, so like my hero, I parted ways the same time he did.

In hindsight, I may not have supported United for long, but those years had inspired me, imparted a lot of passion into my life, and gave me so much to cheer for. But most of all, the memories I have of the United years is something I can look back on as MY theatre of dreams.

Manchester Trip Part 2

Hua and I went to town in the afternoon after my conference had ended. We walked past St. Peter's Square and were admiring the amazing architecture of the Cathedral yards away when an old man (about 60ish I'd say?) came and interrupted moi, who was halfway zooming her camera lens to take a picture of the WHOLE (tall) building.

"Sorry, are you Chinese?" [What??? Are you telling me I don't look like one? Ok Adeline, give face lah, let's just amuse this old man...won't take 2 secs...]

"Yes I am. Malaysian Chinese."

"Oh right I see. So, are you a tourist or..." [Don't mean to cut him short but my camera was still on and batt was running low.]

"No, I'm a student."

At this point, Hua - who had finished appreciating the building - joined us in our 'conversation'.

"I came to visit her."

"Ah, speaking of visiting, do you know who came by today?"

"Erm, no?"

"The Queen. She came by today. You know about Easter?" [Yup yup, save your breath]

"Erm, a little?"

He went on about the last supper Jesus had etc, and mentioned about money.

"Mourning??? Who were they mourning for?" Apparently, he was talking about Maundy money, which they give out to old people (I think as tradition), and I, for some unknown reason, misheard as mourning...must be the northern accent I tell ya...

At this point, I thought a-ha! It'd be a good "right ok, ba-bai now" moment, but man, could I be more wrong? He enquired after the courses we did, why we decided to come here, commented on how he thought Hua looked Japanese with her rather short stature (which really irked her) and then covered up by saying how good he thought her English was blah blah blah.

And then he turned his attention to me and asked me about Malaysia.

Haha, bad move old man. BADDDDDDD move...

I won't bore you with details, but if I say religion, I trust you'd be able to work that out? He kept wanting to be negative, but after a while, he got the message and switched the topic. I must have done well with my body language.

Then came the most interesting part.

He asked us why we never see Asians rising above the stereotype (which according to him, is working in Chinese restaurants and doing blue collar jobs). "Why is it that you don't see many Asians having a high public profile here, making a scene in politics?"

I think Hua must have had enough of this nonsense, which was why she gave him a verbal equivalent of rapping of the knuckles.

"Maybe it woud be a different story if the British society is less conservative???"

Fooi-yor man!

He was stunned, to say the very least!

I seized my moment. "Plus, this isn't OUR country, it wouldn't be wise for us to mess with the political issues of Great Britain, would it?"

He gave a nervous laugh. "Haha, I guess maybe not." [honestly what else can he say?] "By the way, I'm meeting a young Chinese lady online, someone your age, on Skype at 5pm. I'd better get going. Enjoy your holiday!"

We almost passed out. Skyping with a chinese lady of 20? What a psycho!

Moral of the story? Stop trying to entertain maniacs on the street and if someone comes up to you the next time (bar those asking for help), just say "me er no speaking Englisher!"

We spent the whole walk to Chinatown talking about that old fool. Hua couldn't believe his guts about the whole Asian thingy, which I wholeheartedly agreed. She blasted him through and through, from English to Mandarin to Min-Nan (which was her own dialect)! Man, I enjoyed every second of it!

Before we knew it, we were already in town, which was huge, needless to say. Good thing all the shops in the UK are rather similar (as in you get Dot P, M&S, and New Look everywhere), so I didn't go crazy. I just quietly acknowledged how the store sizes are 10 times that of Cardiff outlets as I walked them by.

But Arnsdale shopping mall is impressive. It reminded me a lot of the malls in KL, don't know why. And I didn't know they have a Selfridges Co store here!

I darted Hua a look. She darted me a look.

Sigh, great minds think alike...what can I say?

Obviously, we skipped almost every floor until we got to the top, where they housed designer items with a more humane price, shall we say. It was quite uncanny how both of us love Karen Millen, and I guess the big difference is that one has at least a few items from it, while the other is still looking to buy her first article from this classy label!



Hua has a keen eye for fashion. She's one of the trendiest and smartly dressed people I've ever known. "Simple, but elegant", that's how I would describe her. A classy young woman with impeccable taste!

But even this lady who shops at designer shops were lamenting about how stuff in Selfridges are way out of her budget, what about cheapos like me? "No need to see lah", I told Hua, "let's just get out of here before we get too depressed to walk back. And plus, shopping is supposed to be a therapy, us having upturned mouths isn't gonna do it justice!"

Determined to feel better, she said she knew JUST the place to take me to.

A place that will offer bountiful comfort.

Yup, you've guessed it. If it's not shopping malls, if it's not handsome men, it's gotta be food.

We went to a bakery in Chinatown on our way back, and indulged in yummylicious cakes. Man, it was probably after I stepped into the confectionery shop that I realised how much I miss Malaysian bakeries. Like how you can choose from Kaya bun to Tuna bun to butter bun to cakes with fresh cream and made to order. How you can stand in front of the freezer thing and choose your pick. How you can have every other thing but BLT sandwich or pasties for lunch...

And those of you lucky enough to study here (or have studied here), please don't say "we have Greggs what".

The 30mins that we spent savouring every bite of our fruit cakes, as we watched people walk us by in the small bakery, at 6pm in the evening when the sun was still lingering around on a beautiful spring day, was a bliss. Utter bliss.

Yes, Janet J. Best things in life are free.

In MY face

I went to the post office yesterday to make a claim on a letter lost in the post. The item sent was actually a National Express coach ticket for a pal who's coming to visit me in May, hence the urgency.

15 working days have elapsed since I posted it and yet still no signs of it anywhere, so I thought, you know what, I'd better lodge a claim.

Went to Albany Road branch Post Office and told the counter guy what happened.

Actually no. I showed him the proof of postage first, then only explained my case.

The moment he saw the word Malaysia, he gave the most disgusted look I've ever seen.

"Hmph! Malaysia??? This country is known for doing this kind of thing."

I LOOKED AT HIM.

AS IN I. LOOKED. AT. HIM.

What does he mean by "known for" and "this kind of thing"? I've sent so many stuff back home through the post in the past and they've never once failed me, so what's his problem?

Anyway, you know me, I am "known for" being tetchy when it comes to "this kind of thing", so I told him straight.

"Yes sir, thank you for enlightening me. THANK YOU."

I think he sensed my sarcasm, so he quietly turned round and got me a compensation form to fill.

Just as he was handing it to me, he asked what it was that I sent. I said a coach ticket. Again, he launched into a tirade of "this country is known for doing this kind of thing"...

Oh no baby, you shall STOP RIGHT THERE.

I grabbed the form form him, gathered my stuff and said "You know what sir? I've heard enough of this kinda thing for today. But thanks for your help. THANK YOU VERY MUCH INDEED" and left.

Pah! It wasn't so much of what he said that cheesed me off, it was HOW he said it. Fine, we might not have the most efficient postal system / administration in POS MALAYSIA, but that's for us to sort it out. If he had said something like "ooh miss, this has happened a couple of times in the past with some of our other customers, so I'm afraid you might have problems retrieving it" etc, I wouldn't have minded so much.

So, dear post-office counter guy, if you can't think of anything nice to say, just MYOB!

Manchester Trip Part 1

I never thought of blogging as a commitment, but if it is, then I'd better write up my dues before someone labels me a commitment-phobe!

Ok, where should I begin...

Ah yes, was away to Oxford on Wednesday for an interview at John Radcliffe Hospital. Yup, you've guessed it, placement stuff again. The interview/informal chat with the principal education pharmacist went quite well, thank you very much. Nothing out of the blue that they wanted to pick my brains on, and I guess the only blip was the question about what I liked AND disliked about the course. Pah! Never saw that coming and erm, haha, found myself a little tongue-tied. Can't exactly remember what I said but I think I blabbered something about how I "enjoy" learning about the different disease states and the respective therapeutic management etc etc etc. Doubt I sounded convincing at all but what the heck...they either take my answer, or leave it!

You know, it's actually rather unusual for me to take an instant liking to a hospital on a first visit, but that's how it is with JR. No major "urgh I don't like this or I don't like that", just generally a modest, new, well-maintained and brightly lit hospital (this girl just can't stand dim hospitals FYI).Looks to me a good hospital to working in...

Haha, that was, of course, a very superficial observation on my part...it might be the exact opposite when one DOES actually work there...who knows?

Anyway, more news about placement at JR later.

My train to Manchester from Oxford wasn't due till 6 in the evening, so I headed back to town straight after the interview. Didn't manage to do any sightseeing because, well, my fault for not checking out the places of interest prior to my trip, so I had to make do with just going around in city centre...

Ooohhh, Oxford is pretty. Many of the buildings are historic-looking (or maybe ARE historically signifcant themselves), adorned with nice, intricate carvings that stood the test of time. The city centre itself isn't exactly huge, but shopping looks great. Comparable to Cardiff if not better! And if I may add, students are everywhere! All these brainiacs I tell ya...

And after a brief walkabout in town, I left for Manchester in the evening as planned. A signal failure that happened 2 hours ago delayed many FGW trains and the backlog left many people stranded at the station. It was rather chaotic, with stewards shouting at the top of their lungs, and blowing whistles like mad just to maintain order. But thankfully I was on Virgin, so that didn't set me back much. In fact, I arrived at Piccadilly earlier than scheduled because I boarded the earlier train by mistake! Talking about blessing in disguise...

But I didn't bother hurrying my friend who was to come pick me up, so I found the nearest seat and sat my butt down. Spent the entire time just taking in the granduer of the train station really. Yeah alright, it's not THAT big, but it IS very modern-looking. For some bizzarre reasons, it looks a bit like a mini-KLIA from the inside, with all the glass ceilings and spatial design!

Oklah, maybe I was just tired, and dreamy!

I didn't have to wait long before Hua came to meet me, and we walked back to her halls in Grovesnor Place which was only about 20mins away. Hua and I actually met 2 years ago when we went for student warden training together. She graduated from Cardiff last year and is now at Manchester Uni doing a Master's course in Marketing. She was kind enough to host me while I am in the city to attend a conference on Thursday.

The conference was organised by the British Pharmaceutical Students' Association, and they invited quite some speakers to give us talks on pharm-related issues, and all the career stuff. Very insightful :). Sola - my pharm mate - was supposed to join me for this conference thingy, but being the good girl that she is, she decided she wanted to use the time for exam revision, so it was just me, myself and I.

Do you remember yonks ago, well, it was only last month I think, I mentioned about the McNeil's Responding to Symptoms competition in Birmingham? Yeah, I didn't make it pass the semi-finals, but as kismet would have it, one of the finalists pulled out in the last minute, and so they approached the nearest substitute, which was moi! Was rather shocked when I got the text from Sian a few days before the finals, which was to be held on BPSA day, the day of the conference, in Manchester. She asked if I was interested to take the girl's place, and I thought, well, since I was already going to be there for the conference, why not? And as far as I was concerned, I had nothing to lose!

Haha, it turned out that I had much to gain...coz I actually won the competition!

The words "dumbfounded" and "stunned" and "flabbergasted" were nowhere near the emotions I felt when they announced the winner at the conference. Okay, I know this is going to sound weird, but I don't actually know what were the sort of criteria they judged us on...Communication skills? Content? Relevance of advice? Oh well, I guess that probably explained why I was so shocked to find myself emerging as the winner, for I don't even know where I did well, if at all!

But not bad for someone who wasn't meant to take part in the first place...and to the other 3 finalists, I'm truly very sorry!

...to be continued

Happy Easter!

Here's wishing those who celebrate Easter a Happy one, and any leftover Chocolate Eggies are welcomed to be sent here!

p/s: Will be updating blog v soon...haven't procrastinated enough yet... :P

Those are the songs, aha aha I like it...

"He took me to the future in the flux thing and I saw everything, Boybands and another one and another one ... and another one!"

If you know your lyrics well, you would have noticed that the 2 lines were actually pinched from Busted's Year 3000.

Yo dude, no need to fast forward to year 3000 lah, just rewind back to the 90s and you'd see exactly the same thing!

Not that I am complaining...coz heck, I grew up with them. 90s / early noughties wouldn't have been the same without pop culture defining the decade.

While I wasn't one of those who draped her walls with Nick Carter or Justin Timberlake's torso-showing posters (err, if I had gotten my hands on Taylor Hanson's I would, but that guy is now married with kids...*sniff sniff*), I admit to following their songs...very closely!

I was once so into pop music that I know almost every song there is to know. List a few words from the lyrics and I'd tell you which song it is and who sung it. Name the album and I can tell you when it was released. Name a song title and I can describe what the video is like and so forth.

Haha, it sure gives people the impression that I was rather jobless, don't you think?

Just today, I went onto imeem.com to look for more long lost songs (which has become more of a permanent feature since J introduced it a week ago...thanks gal!). I stumbled upon so many catchy tunes from the 90s that I still seem to be (shamefully) bopping my head to...dear dear...

I Believe In A Thing Called Fun

Easter Hols started today.

Even then, I am not entirely excited.

Man, what's wrong with this woman...it's the holidays for goodness sake!

I guess maybe my nerves have been frazzled to an extent where they can no longer differentiate between the good and the bad, the nice and the not so nice...

Dear dear me, I do sound very messed up!

Anyway, it was a good start to the holiday season (though only 3 weeks), as we went out to celebrate a pharm mate's birthday. Had soooo much fun yakking (non-stop), laughing madly (that's me) and dramatising (ooh, that's me too), and basically just having a blast.

It might sound crazy but I have a love-hate relationship with this best pal of mine called fun. I love it because, well, it shouldn't need any explanation, but at the same time I hate it because I get this unbelievably debilitating withdrawal syndrome EVERY TIME I have a good time.

EVERY TIME.

EVERY SINGLE TIME.

It's like I don't want it to end but my conscious mind knows it HAS to end because there's just no way you can have fun all the time...or is there?

Ain't no other word?

My MSN horoscope for the week. ..

"You are someone who likes to have friends from all over the globe, and you love to explore new cultures, but you can be dogmatic and intractable when it comes to your own personal beliefs and philosophies. Wednesday you may find that your family and friends feel you are becoming too enamored of your personal set of convictions. You might want to consider if your loved ones are right in their assessment. Saturday may signal a time of turning inward for you, and you may question your own motivations. Once you do, you will start on the path to self-fulfillment."

Honestly, what's with this word dogmatic?! I've been described that twice this week, and it's only just Tuesday!

Silly Billy

I went to the post office in town today, and while I was around that area, I decided to pop into Cardiff market to buy some ginger.

Time check. 4.58pm.

There weren't many stalls left who were still open. I hurriedly made my way to the grocery stall and picked my ginger.

"11 pence then please."

I opened my purse, and dug all the coins that I had.

Hmm, 8p.

I deftly zipped the coins compartment and fished out a fiver. Ha, I could give him 1p on top of that so that he'll only have to give me back 4.90 instead of 4.89. Brilliant.

"Here you go."

He looked at me.

"You're joking lass."

"What?"

"I've cashed up now. Ain't got any change."

Yikes. "I don't have any change too."

He walked away to serve the other customer, and seconds later came back to me. Staring in my face.

"Erm, do you know where I could probably get some change for a fiver?" Stupid question but I WANT MY GINGER.

He raised his voice. "Do I like look I'm a mind reader?"

I was expecting him to say "Well, try old John on the opposite aisle" or "how much have you got?".

Not this.

Stunned, I gave my 2 cents. "Well, it's not my fault I don't have any change!"

"So it's my fault then? Yada yada yada"

I didn't hear the rest of it. I walked away.

In hindsight, I had nothing to lose (except to go home without my ginger), but he lost a customer. And many more too, if he's not careful.

What colour are you?

Thanks to my curiosity, I went to check out this website called colorgenics from a hyperlink a friend made on her blog (maybe I should too, http://www.paulgoldinresearch.com/cg/). I've always had a knack for such random, knock-me-out psychoanalysis and this was no exception.

10 seconds later, this is what I got.

You are a very sensitive person and you try hard (perhaps a little too hard) to make favourable impressions and to be recognised by your peers (ha! Nothing unheard of). But you have that inherent need to feel appreciated and admired and you are easily hurt if all of your endeavours go by unappreciated or not acknowledged. Stop trying so hard.

You are full of stress at this time (haha, I don't think there's a time when this isn't true...:P). It would seem that you are having more than your fair share of trials and tribulations and you are looking for a way out. You are not quite sure which way to go but the advice is - 'Stop trying so hard'. (come on, easier said than done).

There are times of everyone's life when 'compromise' is the name of the game and this is the time, so you have no alternative but to forgo some pleasures for the time being. You are capable of achieving satisfaction through physical activity (such as...?).

The stress and tension that you are experiencing at this time is perhaps due to your inability to achieve security and appreciation from those closest to you. This is resulting in considerable pressures. You find the situation as it stands most frustrating. You are the sort of person that would like to experience all and everything very intensely (wa-lau, spot on man) but unfortunately you are not receiving the warmth and understanding that you feel you are entitled to. Matters are not going too well. You seek a sympathetic ear but it is not forthcoming. This situation is extremely nerve-racking - and what is more humiliating is that no-one seems to care and you are powerless to do anything about it.You are being very dogmatic, insisting that there is to be absolutely no equivocation whatsoever about your achievements and accomplishments.

Thing is, the test could have gone either way. We're asked to click on the colours which we feel we're most at harmony with, and there were 8 of them so we'd have to keep on going until all has been chosen.

I was torn between choosing blue first before yellow, and grey after black. What would happen if I had followed this sequence instead of the first?

Ok, here goes...

You are very ambitious and because you seek and need recognition, you try in your own way to impress people and you want to be looked up to - to be both popular and admired. You feel that there is a gap which separates you from your fellow man, or woman as the case may be, but this anxiety is an unnecessary one. Keep on the way you are going and you may surprise yourself.

You 'need to be needed'. As an idealist you are intolerant of anything short of special consideration from those close to you. If you do not get what you seek you are apt to become reclusive and you will close the doors on all those within your sphere of influence. You wear your heart on your sleeve and since you are an emotional person you are apt to give your all - heart and soul - to all those that show you a little affection; but take care - it would appear that you have been extremely hurt in the past and you keep leaving yourself wide open for punishment.

The stress and tension that you are experiencing at this time is perhaps due to your inability to achieve security and appreciation from those closest to you. This is resulting in considerable pressures. You find the situation as it stands most frustrating. You are the sort of person that would like to experience all and everything very intensely but unfortunately you are not receiving the warmth and understanding that you feel you are entitled to. Matters are not going too well. You seek a sympathetic ear but it is not forthcoming. This situation is extremely nerve-racking - and what is more humiliating is that no-one seems to care and you are powerless to do anything about it.

Matters are not all that they would appear to be and you are critical of the existing conditions which you feel are confused and disorganised. You are therefore looking for a modus operendi which will simplify the situation so that you will be able to see the 'trees in the woods'.

*Jaws wide-open, eyes blinking at computer screen, dumbfounded*

More Than Words

I haven't logged in to MSN Messenger for ages. And when I did today, I saw a couple of worthy quotes displayed on a few friends' profiles and I thought I'd share it with others. Yes yes, I'm a quotes freak!

- I reached the shore! Not that I learnt to swim but I managed to float! -

- When you want to brag, remember that history counts for nothing. -

- Freedom comes with a price and only affordable to those who took the action. -

There's also another one that made me laugh so much I almost fell of the chair.

"I see, I dig, I jump, I bury" - I roar!

Haha, oklah, I won't reveal who he is (plus I can't think of any nome de plume), so to the person in question (you know who you are), here's wishing you the best in your undertakings! Hang in there bro!

Out in the cold

I had a lecture on anxiolytic sedatives today, and one of the slides had this on it (although I'm still trying to make the link as to why it's there)...

Humans apparently have five physical needs:

•A full, but comfortable, stomach
•Regular bowel movements
•Freely moving, painless limbs and joints
•Sexual gratification
•A good night's sleep

If there's one more thing I can add to the list, it'd be "A warm, body-temperature friendly environment".

This past week has been arctic. As in really freezing. It really puts me off going out, and when I do, I couldn't wait to be back in my room, giving my body a break from shivering. At times like this, I really feel for the homeless. Perched on five-footway begging for money in numbing temperatures...

I guess if you can survive that, you can survive almost anything!

(Exhale) "Aiyor..."

That has been my signature gesture since the beginning of 3rd year.

Guess it has become too much for Charlene who, when I sat next to her at NLT today, turned to me and said, "Why are you sighing so much?"

Actually, I don't know either. It started off as a response to stress, but I think it's now progressed to a habit, much to the annoyance of others.

It reminds me of this episode of Friends that I watched not too long ago.

Rachel found a pair of undies at Monica's flat and Joey was forced to admit that it was his (although it actually belonged to Chandler) because he had promised to guard the secret that Mon and Chand were dating.

Rachel: "Joey, why are your underpants on the couch?"
Joey: (Shrugs) "Because I'm Joey?"

So the next time someone ever asks me why I sigh a lot, maybe I'll just take my cue from Joey and say, "Because sigher (saya) Adeline?"

Yes, find me that man!

I like reading the profiles of famous personalities.

That's one of the things I check out in the cyberworld when I have the time. Yeah yeah, I heard you. I am a kei po chi.

This morning, for no apparent reason, I decided to log on to MIX FM's website, with the intention of listening online. But once I got there, I couldn't help but notice Serena C's image on the main page.

Serena C? Doesn't she deejay for HITZ?

Apparently not anymore. My sister told me she's moved over to MIX FM a few months back. She, Ross and Mesh, who used to DJ at HITZ are now colleagues at MIX. What a small world!

I like Serena C's sassy style on air. I think she's a cool DJ. But really, who is she? What's she like? Intrigued, I went to check out her profile and here are some of the interesting anecdotes I pinched, courtesy of mix.fm.

What do you think is your greatest achievement? - Not dying (yet). Hehehe
In the movie of your life, who would you play? - Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman (tell me which girl hasn’t dreamt of that?) (agreed 100000x!)
In one word, how would you describe yourself? - Yummy (good one)
How old were you when you fell in love for the first time? - When Ah Kao who sat next to me in class lent me his Buku Latihan. (I nearly fell off the chair laughing)
The place that best reflects your character is......Somewhere between heaven and earth. (well said, girl!)

There are also some I picked out from the profiles of Richard and Ross, the latter of whom is the perfect epitome of "I knew I loved you before I met you". Shh, don't tell his wife though!

Richard

Hobbies or special skills: Getting wet…and doin’ it real deep… Scuba diving lah! (zha do)
Choosing any musician, dead or alive, who would be your ideal band line-up?
Ayoh! Why you make me think so much? (Manglish at its best)
Happiness is...just a word, you have to be it to know it. (wah...so deep :P)
What was your most embarrassing moment? They’re all embarrasing so how? (so Malaysian!)

Ross

How do you spend your nights off? I have no nights off! I have a baby son!!! (aww...)
What would you like to be remembered for the most? A good DJ, Great dad, Solid in midfield! (aww...)
How far would you go to get the attention of someone you liked? Can’t do that anymore. Married. (yalah yalah!)

But of all the witty remarks, I like this the best. It's stunning. Breath-taking. Almost impossible...

Serena C

Happiness is....waking up next to the person you know you’re gonna spend the rest of your life with, basking in his natural scent that you can’t get enough of, and mentally taking down every single detail of that face you love stroking – NOW FIND ME THAT MAN!

YES, FIND ME THAT MAN TOO!

The Devil Wears Power

For some time now, I realise I've been manipulated by a creature I don't have a name for (or rather, I refuse to give acknowledgement to). And it's taking charge of my life instead of me.

But I guess I better clear the haze up in case you think I've been possessed or something similar.

Choi choi choi. Tai Kat Lai See.

This devil without a face is in fact a combo of procrastination, laziness, weakness and everything little thing that antagonises my efforts to be industrious, productive, and erm, wholesome.

Ok, take Thursday for example. I said I was gonna go to Crwys+Albany Road to do only 2 things, that was to send my jacket for dry cleaning and go food shopping at Tesco's. But surprise surprise, I wondered into Peacocks, Woolworth's and those nice little shops at Central Road, and ended up spending money and wasting time for something I don't need!

And when I was at Tesco's, I promised myself I will only buy healthy food this time around, but hey ho, the 'buy one get one free' Doritos offer was too much to pass so I greedily stuffed them into my basket. On my way to the check out counter, I couldn't resist those lovely strawberries at the fruits aisle, so I decided to buy 2 boxes.

Looking across the fruits aisle, I saw the dairy section, and a fattylicious thought struck me.

I could have it with cream! That would be heavenly, wouldn't it? You'd think the image of my arteries being clogged up would have kept me away from it but ha! Temptations have a way of blinding even the most sensible of souls. I now understand why some of my lecturers continue to smoke even though they know the hazards that come with it.

It's all to do with WILLPOWER baby!

Usually, when I'm walking alone, I'd think of songs to sing in my head that would make the journey less boring, but the entire walk back from Albany Road that day was filled with only one thought...

"When is the best time to have my yummy dessert? Tell me Quando Quando Quando!"

Sigh...

Then yesterday, I had plans to do up my notes on histamine and asthma, but upon seeing I have a new DVD dispatched to me by LoveFilm, I couldn't say no. Failed miserably to contain myself so I spent the evening watching Miss Congeniality 2, which was quite good as far as sequeals go. Found it funnier than the first. Ok I know iMDB users only rated it 4.8, but I don't like to trust that website because come on, they rated the Godfather 9.1. How extreme is that? Ok fine, I've not watched the whole film but I fell asleep in the first 5 minutes so that is a testament of how "good" the movie is in my books.

Haha, as if watching the movie hadn't make me feel guilty enough, I had my 'strawberry with cream' dessert to go with it. What a double dose of sins!

Oh dear dear. This has got to stop.

Like what Gracie Hart says, "I need to wake up and smell the machiatto".

I really do.

And I'm not going to give it to the devil. Anymore!

A Syioking Weekend

Oh how I hate thee...

As much as I LOVE having fun, I also hate it when the fun stops and I have to force myself to get back to reality. There's nothing worse than having to endure heart-breaking withdrawal syndrome!

I left for Birmingham on Friday after a head-spinning week (imagine having lectures, labs, workshops, and a coursework plus a test due on the same day). It was a relief to be past that now but the test was shite. Can't remember the last time I felt so hopeless about my performance (hmm, actually I think I do - it was the PH2106 exam last autumn which until today I don't know how I managed to pass). The PK test on Friday was so depressing that I thanked God there was something to take my mind off it soon after I finished.

And that was what brought me to Birmingham.

The sports enthusiasts among you might have guessed that it was for the All England Badminton Championships but not to worry if you didn't. Just as long as you remember 11th March as the day we made history by winning the MEN'S DOUBLES event in 25 years!

This whole talk about going to All England started way back last year, when I thought my Brummie friend (correction, my Malaysian friend studying in Brum) was going to graduate this summer. Decided to ambil kesempatan and made him buy me the tickets the moment it was out for sale (yes yes, Adeline the Kanjiong Queen :D). And thanks to Anson's efforts, I was there to witness a weekend full of world-class badminton!

I was quite lucky - in that the matches that were played after I reached NIA on Friday evening - were those which featured the Malaysian team in action (matches started at 5 but I only got there at about 7.30). Tan Fook and Wan Wah were leading in the second set against the Danes but they lost at the end, going down in 3 sets. After that, it was Kien Keat and Boon Heong who took on the never-say-die Koreans which saw them win in straight sets to book a place in the semis. To add icing to the cake, our women's doubles team did us proud by beating the 4th seeds to reach the semis, which I believe is a first for the women shuttlers in the entire history of Malaysian badminton. Too bad Mew Choo couldn't join her compatriots as she lost to the aging Zhang Ning who - despite her age - is still winning matches (way to go girl).

The semis ensued without any hiccups on Saturday, and I guess it was time the spectators sat up and took notice of this small but proud nation. The Malaysian fans literally took NIA by storm with our ever feverish Malaysia Boleh chant throughout the match in which KK and BH demolished the Danes (who beat WW and TF the day before). Many Jalur Gemilangs were hung or draped with so much pride that no one could deny our presence even if they felt compelled to.
Badminton wise, KK and BH played exceptionally well (imho). They were so calm that the Danes were making a hill of unforced errors which gave the game away! Anyway, who cares lah, their loss is our gain!

Unfortunately, Pei Tty and Ee Hui couldn't repeat the feat of their male counterparts and went down tamely to a Chinese pair. It would be nice to have a non-China representation in the women's event for a change, as it is becoming more and more of a stalemate if you don't mind me saying!

Think about this. If a badminton fan like me woke up on Sunday morning with butterflies in my stomach, you can imagine the gamut of emotions that the players actually go through on the day of the finals.

Men's singles was played first, and Lin Dan won against his team-mate whose name I forgot (sorry mate, it was an all-China final). I was praying and hoping that the Men's Doubles event would be the last to be played so that I wouldn't walk out of the stadium an hour after reaching, but no, they were up next. The lunch that I had bought earlier had to be put aside because I was too nervous to eat. Honest. Adrenaline was pumping in every single blood vessel of mine and it was no wonder my heart was beating at 200 bpm. Ying Yie, Anson's friend who I met at Brum that weekend, had to calm me down as I grew quite tensed. And if you had seen me on Sunday, you wouldn't have thought that the idiot who was shouting and screaming at every opportunity was actually your friend Mun aka Adeline. Positive, without a doubt.

But in my defense, every self-respecting Malaysian was cheering on KK and BH with Malaysia Boleh and you'd be losing out if you didn't follow suit!

Haha, I think it was more of the nerves talking than anything else to be honest!!!

Our opponents in the finals were top seeds and World Number One Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng. Our players started the set superbly with well thought out shuttle placement and lightning reflexes, which drove the Chinese pair in circles, forcing many shots into the net. We won the first set quite comfortably but had to stifle a minor comeback from the opponents in the second before sealing off the championship point in style. No prizes for guessing who went wild on the last point :)

I think part of the reason why Ying Yie and I went ballistic (ooh, a pun unintentionally intended) was because we both fancied KK. Aiyar, don't roll your eyes lah, we all know cute guys are a sight to behold :P, no? I was lucky enough to congratulate KK and BH when they did their lap of honour after receiving the prizes, but I must say, I was a bit put off by my man's expressionless reaction when I went over to shake his hand and said congratulations. He looked at me rather dazedly and managed to only nod slightly as I gave him an arm-breaking "well done mate" hand-shake. I mean, what the hell?! You just won the All England championship for goodness sake...you're supposed to be feeling on top of the world!

Or maybe he was just shell-shocked. Either by the win or my beauty, oops my enthusiasm, only he knows...

Funnily enough, I actually stayed on to watch the rest of the matches before heading to New Street station to catch my train back in the evening. I guess I needed time to finish my unfinished lunch which I had abandoned some 40mins ago :) The all-China women's doubles was surprisingly an interesting match because both pairs wanted to win badly. It certainly wasn't like the men's singles final, which was more of an exhibition match than real competition.

Then came the highlight of the day, or what Ying Yie accurately described as 'war'. England had a finalist in the mixed doubles event and the spectators were naturally thrilled to have a representation in a competition blatantly dominated by Asians (and Scandinavians to a little extent). Donna Kellogg and Anthony Clark did the St George proud by reaching their first All England final, and they gave the locals something to cheer for, which they did with utmost pride and passion. China's Gao Ling and Zheng Bo were obviously the favourites to win, but they were sadly a shadow of their true selfs in the first set. They just couldn't find their rhythm and nothing was going for them. Nonetheless, they came back strongly in the second set to force the match into a rubber. Eventually, they got their groove back and proved too strong for the English who were, if I may add, a little unlucky to have been the runners-up.

So that was it. My exhilirating, lung-stretching, adrenaline-rushing weekend. I guess the phrase "time flies when you're having fun" couldn't have been more apt even if a little cliched.

A note to 2007: promise me there's more of this to come!

International Women's Day

I call myself a feminist at heart but when asked about what it truly means to be a woman, I never quite know what to say. It begs the question of what is it about women (beyond obvious anatomical differences) that is different from men?

Someday I shall give it more thought and hopefully it'll do my sex justice.

While we're at this topic, this Madonna track came to mind...

Girls can wear jeans
And cut their hair short
Wear shirts and boots
Cause it's OK to be a boy
But for a boy to look like a girl is degrading
'Cause you think that being a girl is degrading
But secretly you'd love to know what it's like
Wouldn't you? What it feels like for a girl.

Silky smooth
Lips as sweet as candy,
Tight blue jeans
Skin that shows in patches
Strong inside but you don't know it
Good little girls they never show it
When you open up your mouth to speak
Could you be a little weak?

Do you know what it feels like for a girl?
Do you know what it feels like in this world, for a girl?

Hair that twirls on finger tips so gently
Hands that rest on jutting hips repenting
Hurt that's not supposed to show
And tears that fall when no one knows
When you're trying hard to be your best
Could you be a little less?

On a separate note, pls tell me I'm not the only heterosexual female who thinks Madge looks v hot on the latest Elle Mag's cover??!!

PK

All non-pharms should be glad they're not doing a ridiculously abstract subject called PK (short for Pharmacokinetics).

I don't mean to swear but it really is PK!

%&*^!!!

Lazy Sunday...not

This is THE day I'd want to be snuggling under my comfy duvet and sleep the day away. Let the wind and rain fight all they want out there, for I have my radiator emanating warmth from within...

Sigh, what a pity that wasn't to be had.

Woke up at 8ish this morning and took a 2hr train to Birmingham for McNeil's Responding to Symptoms competition semi-finals at Aston University. The school round was held sometime in December and I emerged as the first prize winner (hence being given the chance to represent Cardiff to compete with other pharm students through out the country for a place in the finals). Essentially, we were tested on our ability to source out information from the patient (role played, obviously) who was presenting a symptom at the pharmacy counter, and were subsequently judged on how well we counselled them on the treatment recommended (if any). It's organised by BPSA (Pharm Assoc of GB) and sponsored by McNeil Ltd. There were 16 semi-finalists in total, and only 4 will be chosen to enter the finals in Manchester next month.

Although I didn't think I did badly, I don't fancy my chances that much. Why? Well...I don't know...just gut feeling. Plus, just as I left the room I remembered that I forgot to give the patient lifestyle advice, so there we go, a few marks down the drain for not thinking on my feet.

In summary, it's been a good run. Hopefully the streak will extend to Manchester, but if not, I'd be proud to hang my head up high knowing that I've done my best and lessons learned will be remembered for the future.

What to eat?

Pics sourced from fotosearch.com

This week, like the past 20 weeks since the start of 3rd year, has been suffocating. Been busy with uni work, uni work, AND uni work. Oh, have I mentioned UNI WORK?

So much so I've been skipping meals of late...

Well, okay, maybe not entirely. I should probably rephrase "skipping meals" with snacking, before everyone else starts lecturing me on the importance of healthy eating, especially mama dearest!

I have been eating, rest assured, just that it's not such wholesome food. I usually have rice for dinner, complete with meat and veg but lately it's been conveniently substituted with crisps, biscuits, cereal bar, Kit Kat (er gotta finish them soon coz they're all expiring in March) and yes, chocolate cake last night, which in my defense couldn't be helped due to circumstances. It was a floormate's birthday and we celebrated her big day with a self-baked choc chip cake. Imagine the guilt after the 2 slices that I greedily helped myself with!

Frankly speaking, I don't think it's hecticness that has driven me to such measures, it's also the very baffling "what should I eat?" decision that I find troublesome to make. God forgive me for being such a brat, I mean there are millions of people out there dying of starvation and here I am, complaining about WHAT to eat, honestly Adeline, get a grip.

But it is a tough call don't you think, especially for someone who's not a good cook in the first place...

Wuu-huu, sick of eating bread dee lah...day in day out sarnie... *shudder*...such is the ang moh lunch culture for ya...*sob sob* give me wan tan mee, hokkien mee, chee cheong fun, rojak, nasi lemak, chap fan, and my mom's cooking, which is what I missed the most, above everything else!

p/s: Any simple and healthy lunch/dinner ideas I can try out?