I want my nose back

GAH I've caught the nasty bug that's been going on around campus lately. I feel like yanking my nose out and sticking it in an oven. Trying to focus on journal articles have never been THIS hard especially when all I feel like doing is crawling under the sheets and stay in bed whole day.

Thanks though to Mich who gave me the manuka honey and 'be well' tea. =) and the random walk-around-town with Chyi yesterday though I'm sure I brought that grumpy/tired face of mine into all the stores we window-shopped at.

I'm TRYING not to use the "I'm tired" excuse all the time. I feel annoyed when people use that all the time, so I'm trying not to let this bug affect how I feel/how much things I get done.

So March is apparently the month where heaps of birthdays occur. Sharon, my flattie honey, celebrated her 20th on the 9th of March- Monday. We bought a choc muffin for her during lunch after church, then surprised her with dinner at Etrusco for some pasta and delicious port wine. The next day during her actual birthday, the crazy trio (Val, Ping, and Bernard) decided to come up with a semi-striptease for Sharon. Poor her must be so traumatised. I was, for that night at least. The whole thing was recorded on video, and GOSH how R18 that was. haha!

Things are getting busier by the moment at uni. I'm just trying to keep my head up and endure this- hopefully with grace.

Some of the photos I took recently:

dog at St Clair beach
it was sunny. and I dragged Sharon along for a random bus trip to the beach heh

blue, cloudless skies- oh how I miss you!

strawberry fondue we made as a flat last week

our port wines @ Etrusco for Sharon's bday

you're 20!
wow I feel old

with Marie, her friend

group pic
thankfully no censoring is needed in this photo
he even had Happy 20th Bday Sharon and little hearts drawn on his chest -_-

happy bday again, Sharon!!!
welcome to the big TWO-OH club

I'm NOT OK with being sick. =(

Think positive! =P

I admit that I was so disappointed after finding out I didn't get my 1st choice of project/supervisor. The bad dream just before I woke up confirmed that.

OH WELL. It's not the end of the world. I'll just have to suck it up, be content with my allocated project/supervisor, and get through this year.

Had an introductory tutorial today for about 1 hour and that was the only official class I had the whole of this week. No more slacking around after this. The first presentation is next Friday, and for each paper, there's a presentation due every 2 weeks. No more nice, comfy lectures where skipping class is an option. Now the lecturers know every single one of us by name. I'm trying not to freak out yet about the 25% oral exams at the end of each semester where we'd get asked questions by 4 lecturers.

The sun decided not to shine today. Hence the cloudy, slightly warm weather. Had lunch with Chyi, then met up with Michelle and Rebekah for some shopping. We went to the new "mall". I bought a pair of Country Road black jeans- retail therapy to comfort myself and as I'd ruined my last pair of black jeans by dumping it in the drier and it shrunk 1 dress size.

Ah the last (relatively free) weekend. How I wish I can grab you tightly and never let go.

why we NEED friends

I cooked bak kut teh today as part of the flat cooking! Thanks to those busybodies who helped with cooking, stir-frying, and cleaning: you weren't supposed to! 4 years ago, I wouldn't even THINK about cooking edible food and inviting friends over to have a taste of my culinary (or lack thereof) skills. It's really a huge blessing having friends that LOVE cooking awesome yummy food (and eating) and having to learn skills from them.

I'm reminded of how Janice tried to trick Sam into telling us why she likes Canai when she was half-asleep... and Sam replied: he cooks. he eats. he cleans XD

So hint hint guys: if you want to get a girl, learn how to cook! It's true that the way to a man's heart is through his tummy (as confirmed by a random conversation with the immigration officer at Christchurch airport), but nobody stresses that the way to a girl's heart (long term anyway) is through her tummy as well! (though you're NOT supposed to suggest that she should eat less; instead say "NO LA NO LA" when she says "GOSH I LOOK FAT!") =P

We'll find out about our designated projects by tomorrow! *sigh nervous wreck* But good thing is, I'll have the whole day free tomorrow! Lunches/meet ups anyone? I'm still searching for a journal/diary for this year and wool bedroom slippers for my easily cold feet. And yes I am using a certain doggy slippers *given* by CKK (inside joke hehe) for the time being until I get better slippers.

OH YES. I want to especially thank all of you guys who helped with making my 21st birthday scrapbook!!! Yes I just got it today from Michelle! hehe =D WOW I'm really amazed and touched at the amount of time and effort all of you spent in the design, content, and just everything you wrote/drew/pasted :) I was grinning the whole night (still am). I'm keep it till I turn 80 and I'm using fake teeth and show to my grandchildren: the awesome friends I have <3 Especially dear May :) thank YOU so much for all that photoshopping hehe I knew it must be hard work and trying to get everyone to write on time hehe. Thanks Janice also for that creative story/introduction. Ron for the virus thingy haha you know what I mean. Michelle for the printouts of emails we sent each other etc when we were still working at ACC =P I miss those times! All the Studholme photos, my BABY till present pics GOSH :) ahhhhhh the memories. I miss you all :( do come back and we shall have countless reunions until the day we have babies and grandchildren and erm erm play mahjong and watch reruns of Heroes/House/Grey's Anatomy OK OK OK??? =D

***

Day 3 @ KK

photos from the trip to the islands: Pulau Manukan and Pulau Sapi (pulau = island)

once again, we were blessed with (almost) clear blue skies
took a ferry ride from Jesselton Point

1st stop: Pulau Manukan
so BLUUUUUE, right?

sandy beach. it was really hot that day, that's probably why the beach was quite desserted

i don't think those little bumps were necessary =P

i took this shot, went a little closer and found out that it was a DUDE, not a girl

i feel short

Pulau Sapi- once again, awesome view

photo: the 2 Aussie dudes before our turn
mum and I decided to try out parasailing
well, she had done it before at Phuket but it was my 1st time
RM90/pax for about 10 minutes- definitely worth the experience

that's us!
one of the guides were nice enough to take photos for me
I was so afraid that he was going to drop my camera into the sea =P

now that's why birds like flying so much =P

The sense of freedom... ahhh :) having a bird's eye view of the islands and beyond :) No doubt, the highlight of my island hopping trip. Some may think that it's pricey for just a short 10 minutes- but I'd want to do it again if given the chance to do so. I wonder if this is why people love flying planes/helicopters...

oh anticipation!

Looking at a friend's message on msn reminded me of the origin of the popular saying "raining cats and dogs", which I read somewhere a few days ago. MANY years ago (can't remember which) people actually throw their dead pets into their rubbish bins. When it rained really heavily, the cats and dogs would get flushed out from the bags into the streets; hence the saying. I'm trying to picture it, and it's just gross and unhygienic.

Anyway.

So some of you would know that I'm truly an indecisive person. UNLESS I get some kind of a sign- it comforts me but maybe I'm just making a big deal out of "signs" every time =P Anyway the signs were there as usual this afternoon when I went to have a brief *ahem* talk with my potential supervisor for the honours project this year. It went well; though he told me frankly that many others have shown interest in the same project as well. Which translates to MORE competition for me! I peeked at the appointment list he had on his table: at least 6 other students met with him today as well. My confidence level dropped a lot then.

But I'm glad for the 30-minute talk we had. Though most of the time was him explaining the 2 projects he's offering this year to students, and me nodding and asking questions that make me sound smart heh (hopefully sounding fairly enthusiastic too). He did mention about giving the priority to enthusiastic students. =P SIGH I just don't want to put so much hope into getting his project and end up getting disappointed if another student got it instead.

We are to email the lecturer our top 3 project choices by 3pm tomorrow, all the supervisors will have a meeting on Thursday, and we'll find out on the same day (I think). GOSH the pressure and anticipation!!!!

*cold hands*

***

Some pictures taken during the trip to Kota Kinabalu with my parents from 11th to 16th of Feb 09. Beauuuutiful city and nice sandy beaches off the coast of KK, few things I'll remember the most about KK are the ever so beautiful sky, sunsets, cloud formations, and yummy bak kut teh. =)

NOT taken @ KK
my favourite fried bee hoon!!! =D RM5
at Fu You coffee shop (Sekama), Kuching

Kuching: outside my house
the year's 1st lunar penumbral eclipse on the 10th of Feb 09
this photo was taken at approx 10.27pm Msia time
penumbral eclipses aren't as interesting as the other lunar or solar eclipses; it's just basically a slight darkening of the moon due to earth's shadow when the earth passes in between the sun and the moon

Day 2 @ KK:

with mum, in front of the majestic Mount Kinabalu
we were really lucky (according to our guide) as it wasn't cloudy or foggy

breathtaking!
if I ever go back to KK, my main goal would be to conquer mount KK =D
didn't do it that time as we were short on time and my parents weren't that keen on mountain climbing =P

odd food (?) somewhere near the mount Kinabalu viewing point
looks like white donuts on a string to me

it says: STOP. open only on XXX date
found at the gallery at Kinabalu national park
i can't remember what they stored inside though

flowers @ Kinabalu national park's botanical garden

roadside stalls (or used to be) selling fruits and local tidbits to tourists
i love the mountains and hills behind

doing the canopy walk WOOHOO~
... and NO I'm not afraid of heights =P
we saw a yellow/black snake a few metres under one of the skybridges, though the guide assured us that it's not poisonous

kampung-style toilet i went to
off a stall selling burnt coconut/coconut pudding by the roadside
the coconut pudding (RM4) was sooooo heavenly, the best dessert ever!

I'm so happy =D to be reunited with my beloved keyboard once again- Waszowski. It collected dust over the summer =( I lost the batik cover I bought for it at Thailand, it could be packed up in one of the many ocipala-labeled boxes. My flatmate Mae Ann the awesome pianist played some romantic period Debussy pieces just now and we were all so AWED.

Though slightly different from the past years, I just have a feeling that this year's going to be a great one. So many things to lookout and anticipate for: honours project, graduation, finding a REAL job, Mich & Ray's baby due late this year, baby shower to organise heheh, and who knows what the future holds. I can't wait! =D

boo! autumn's here

a photo to cheer YOU up
a crab plushie I bought at KK for the Yeos

For a few hours yesterday, we were greeted with sunshine. Oh how fleeting and treasured it has come to be (at Dunedin, at least).

Unpacking is 80% done. It's amazing how much stuff we can accumulate over the years. For me, it has been a good 4 years' of stuff. I'm not even thinking of shifting again end of the year if I'm moving to another city. Torture!

This week has been about catching up, unpacking, sorting out flat stuff, and just recuperating from jetlag. It's been great bonding with my new flatties =) buying groceries, playing the keyboards at church again this morning (though I had to learn 3 out of the 4 songs in 2 days), transforming my messy box-filled room to a decent bedroom/studyroom, and just er staying out of the not-so-nice weather lately.

Had brunch with soon-to-be mum Michelle yesterday at Vino Vena- still one the best places to get good food & great customer service. I highly recommend the bagels. =D Then went to the Warehouse with my flatties to get some necessities for the flat. Was so tired yesterday evening that I ended up sleeping for 5 hours!

The project list is out! Supervisors will be giving their talks/presentations on Monday, then we'll get to pick which projects we prefer, and results will be out by Friday. It's nervewrecking, really. I'm really hoping to get a good supervisor & project & lab buddies. I do want to make the most of this final year of studies :P The next 10 months would be crazily exhausting for sure.

Samantha W: meet up sometime this week! yay hot chocolate session
Chyi: welcome back. it sucks but hey we're graduating end of the year =P
every one NOT in Dunedin: we miss you guys!

Back to unpacking!