College

Hello! I know I haven’t blogged in a really long time, but forgive me, exams are and should be a bigger priority if i want to get into university. There have been somethings and nothings that happened in this absence, among them the end of my college life, a string of scholarship interviews, mundane study break, the arrival of my new iPad Debussy… Yeah that’s about all that’s happened lately. What did I tell you? A Levels is a soul robbing course, don’t take it. I feel like blogging about my thoughts on A-Levels and my subject combination, but I’ll make a mental note to do it some other day, perhaps after my exams. :)

Today i want to talk about the 1.5 years of college and the whole college life experience. College may sound like a big deal to secondary school leavers, and perhaps it would be for people taking other pre-u courses, but in my honest opinion, apart from getting rid of the school uniforms and perhaps having a driver’s license, college hasn’t been much different from high school. I still wake up at 7am in the morning to haul my butt to school, eat (overpriced) zhap fan over 20 minute lunch breaks, study last minute like a mad woman before exams. Oh, I forgot to mention that in high school, there was more time to take part in societies and activities and go to concerts and other fun student stuff. In A-Levels, it’s study or DIE. I consider myself very fortunate though, because I’ve had the opportunity of being taught by awesome lecturers so classes are very bearable. I remember sleeping in almost all my classes in high school with Chen Lynn, so yes, that’s one plus point in college. :p

In college, you definitely meet new people and mix around with a new bunch. At the start of my course, everyone will be more sociable and chatty and you make loads of new acquaintances, some of which may forge into greater friendships and most just dwindle to mere hi-bye greetings. For some reason, I never really got close with many of my classmates until mid of last year. I don’t have any solid clue on why that happened, but according to Eu Jin I was still dating Kz then and didn’t care about my classmates. Which I wholeheartedly disagree with. It just so happened that I got myself out of the relationship and at the same time started bonding with my classmates. So yeah, I’ve met a whole lot of awesome people from my class. I got placed in the class with the most intelligent whiz kids ever (much to my disadvantage fml), from kids who make Cambridge offers look like an easy feat, students who teach my math lecturer something new (in math, of course), as well as an Ivy League boy. These are just SOME examples of the people I sit in class with every day. Oddly enough, the people in my class are a fun bunch at the same time. Fun doesn’t necessarily come from alcohol or loud music or dancing, as the stereotype often depicts. We have our own share of fun from class trips (to Redang last June, and to Krabi this June :p ), the occasional laser tag or movie outing, gatherings, or just plain joke-sharing or insult sessions.

I’m glad to have gotten along comfortably with a good number of my classmates over the course of these 1.5 years. I may not be as close to them as I am to my best friend bunch from high school, but good ties and friendships have been formed, and I truly appreciate that. Oh gosh, I’m such a cheese. But I love my classmates lah, every single one of them <3 and I hope that when I look back on this post in the near future, I'll still be in contact with this awesome bunch of people. Now, for some pictures :)

For the last week of college, the girls in my class decided to coordinate our dressing to suit the occasion. For example, Monday was Blue Day. Don't ask me why.
http://web.stagram.com/p/180680653113469812_40791865

Wednesday was Dress Day! :)

My Crap Luck

My friend Rachel used to tell me all the time that she does not believe in luck. Back in high school, whenever we had major exams and we were super kanchiong and burying our heads in books and finally when the teacher called for us to put our bags outside, ya then we would start saying ‘Oh Good Luck! ^_^’ But yeah, Rachel always just said ‘all the best’. Aiya why I tell grandmother story. The point is –> I CANNOT BELIEVE MY CRAPPY LUCK. And there are times when I really just blame it on luck, because I cannot blame God right. So maybe the odds just weren’t in my favour.

This is what happened. My piano exam is this Friday at 2.45pm and I knew this way beforehand already. Sounds boring right? NO, DENG DENG DENG. Axiata had to schedule a scholarship assessment on the very same day, from 8am to 6pm. That’s 10 hours! I really wonder what and how they plan on assessing us. Maybe they’d throw us in a Hunger Games arena and let us battle it out and the last person standing gets the scholarship. But anyway, obviously I wanted a shot at the scholarship AND to pass my Grade 8 (last grade ok!!!). First thing I did when I woke up this morning was to call up Axiata and ask if the assessment was really 10 hours long, and if there was a lunch break in between where I could sneak off to play the piano. Alas, Axiata guy was too nice. He was SO POLITE but at the same time he was basically telling me they can’t do much, I have to choose between the scholarship or my piano. I wished he was meaner or something so that’d make my decision so much easier, but no he had to be so calm and rational about it. ~T_T~ I suspect they picked up psychology studies as part of their job scope, so sheepish people like me will just accept anything they say as long as they say it nicely.

So yes, I’m forced to make a decision but until now I still cannot. My plan now is just to be extremely gungho and be super impressive from 8am to 1pm at the interview and then run off to my exam. Then come back and just BLOW THEIR MINDS WITH MY OUTSTANDING AWESOMENESS. Sigh this isn’t going to work is it? okay.jpg My second best bet is to go to the education ministry tomorrow and go down on my knees begging them to change my exam date. :( so ya, my luck cannot get any worse than this. It better not. T_T

—-

But I shall keep all the negativity away and swing with the positivity because people say thoughts become things. Instead I shall just post pictures from a dinner that was on Jo a few weeks back. The initial bet was if he got into Cambridge, dinner will be on him ^_^ so yeah, FREE DINNER. It was a good night (despite a physics test the next day) with good food and great company! So yes. I think I only have two pictures LOL

WHY OH WHY DID I JUST DECIDE TO POST FOOD PICTURES??? Dinner was at Pasta Zanmai @ Tropicana City Mall btw. Ok lah I tell everybody. I’m on a diet (again). Yes from far away, I can just hear some people say AGAIN??? Sigh. I hate the fact that I’m over 50kg now. To be exact, I’m around 51kg the last time I weighed. I WAS 45 IN FORM THREE. How did this happen I do not know. Determined this time (yes all my other diet plans failed), I signed up for a gym membership (also, because it makes me feel so adult). I also decided to not touch rice anymore until I’m 45kg again. So status update: Dieting is so terrible. Seriously. I’m a person who loves my rice. And meat. And milk and cream and cakes and dessert. And from last week until now, I basically eat a bowl of slimming cereal with low fat milk (tastes like water) for breakfast, vegetables for lunch, maybe an apple if I remember, and more vegetables for dinner. I substitute rice with oats instead, but it tastes like baby food, only worse. If I had no choice but to eat out (like for TianXi’s birthday dinner last Saturday) I’ll probably take fish. I promise myself if this diet doesn’t work I’ll just go bulimic and vomit everything I eat lah sigh. (Joke! I joke!)

You may be wondering why I’m so self-conscious and why do I feel it is so necessary to conform to society’s notion that thin is beautiful. I’ve been lectured so many times by Yu Li I can even remember her lines. In my honest opinion, there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with wanting to conform. In fact, sometimes I get tired of people who diss mainstream options, saying oh we should be unique, we shouldn’t care what other people think, we should live for ourselves and not other people. WRONG. That is a wrong concept to live by. And my reasoning is very simple – you don’t live alone on this planet. You have to get along with the other 7 billion people who share the same living ground as you do. And to get along, you have to be accepted. To be accepted, you have to meet a certain standard. This is why generally (not me ok) people shun a person who is obese, or say full of warts. In fact, even though this sounds very insensitive, I’m going to say that I personally believe better looking people gain more opportunities. Better looking doesn’t only mean what you’re born with, ie. your genes. It can mean the way you dress, the way you talk, how you carry yourself. A better looking person and an average looking person finding a job, better looking person has a higher probability of winning. Unless of course average looking person is really a genius inside, but that’s a whole new topic. I know and understand that the world is superficial, and really, there’s nothing we can do to change it. It’s a psychological thing for all humans to WANT to be accepted by other human beings, so I don’t think there’s anything wrong with me. Also, hypothetically, if I do get back my old 45kg body, naturally I’d be more confident and happy inside since I’ve achieved my goal. And I believe this happiness will transfer from the inside to the outside also LOL.

Of course, there are instances of people who don’t conform and turn out successful. But honestly, radical changes don’t work all the time. For that one example of a person you see who was a successful rebel, there were probably another 999 who failed. And because they failed you don’t get to see them. Ok abrupt end to this post because my train of thought cannot go on anymore.

Klutz

Yes I am one. A mindless clumsy klutz I mean. People who know me close enough will know that they’ve met the clumsiest person in their lives, and yes it’s me. Though my kind of clumsy isn’t the trip-and-fall-down clumsy or the knock-one-thing-which-causes-a-domino-effect-of-things-falling kind of clumsy. I’m more of the losing things clumsy. And so here is a (definitely shortened) list of things I’ve lost over the years. Do not judge me.

1. My Phone – actually losing phones is quite common nowadays lah. But the story of how I lost it is quite funny. I was on a plane to Redang, phone in my pocket and I was sleeping while my classmates were busy taking unflattering pictures of me asleep.

This is obviously not me.

An hour later, the plane had landed, I was walking out of the airport when I realised the phone wasn’t with me. Talked to the AirAsia staff, they promised to look for my phone on the plane, and I sat on the bus heading to the jetty. Alas, the staff didn’t call back so I thought that was the end of my phone. Guess what? A week later I got my phone back! A kind-hearted man who boarded the next flight back to KL on the same plane called my mum and gave me back my phone! God bless him, and it’s things like this that retains my faith in humanity LOL although to be fair my phone (complete with kinks and scratches) isn’t exactly what people would like to steal. :D

2. Jason Mraz Live In Malaysia 2009 Concert Ticket - Yes I lost my concert ticket 1 hour before the concert outside the stadium. Go ahead and facepalm right now. I must’ve been holding it in my hands and unknowingly dropped it when I used that very same hand to carry a drink or something. Until today it remains a mystery unsolved. So anyway, in panic attack mode, I frantically went to the counter to get a new ticket. I explained my situation to the ticketing lady and she nicely hooked me up with the only ticket left – the most expensive one :( Sigh, poor Form 4 me had to fork up around RM400 inclusive of the ticket I lost and the new ticket I got. Interestingly enough, I still have the ticket stub from back then. Obviously it’s the new ticket I got.

Still an amazing show nevertheless. Mraz is a wonderful entertainer.

3. My Car Keys – in fact, this happened not too long ago. I parked in college as usual, boarded the shuttle bus, went to class. By lunch time, we decided to hop onto Ejong’s car to Village Park. That’s when I realised my cute koala bear keychain holding my car keys wasn’t in my bag anymore. I traced back my steps and searched in every place I had been to that morning but no :’( Car keys were gone. I got a long lecture from my mother. Anyway, about a week back, I was riding the shuttle bus back to the parking lot when I noticed a familiar keychain hanging on the ignition of the bus. Further inspection showed it was MY KEYCHAIN!!! So obviously I went and asked around about the origins of the keychain but le sigh, keychain is there but keys are nowhere to be found :( I wonder why didn’t I ask for the keychain back.

4. My Car – hahahahaha ok lah I didn’t exactly lose my car. But it did disappear after I came back from a dinner at Bangsar. As I stared at the vacant space where my car used to be, a thousand thought were running through my head. ‘Oh my goodness mum is going to slaughter me..’, ‘WHO STOLE MY CAR!!!’, ‘What am I going to do…???’ Luckily Chen’s boyf Ivan was there and he calmly went to ask a guard who was guarding the bank I parked in front of. (At this point I was quite hysterical and wasn’t exactly in a condition fit enough to ask around for help LOLOL) Yeah my car got towed by DBKL. The next day I went all the way to Jinjang, Kepong to the pound and paid RM260 :( Moral of story: Don’t park illegally in Bangsar. Or anywhere for that matter.

Poor car in the pound :(

Other than this, I’ve lost things like cameras, clothes, books and all sorts of trinkets. So yes I’m a very bad keeper of things. Things just go missing in my hands, and I can’t  help it :( Nowadays I don’t even trust myself anymore so I let people keep important things for me. My worst fear is losing my passport out of the country, so I pray it’ll never happen to me ._.

Spaceless Thoughts

It has been about a month since I promised to blog about Japan but until now I haven’t, so good news. I will now! But I also want to talk about things (stuff I want to read about when I reach 30 and laugh at myself for being so young) so I’m gonna just insert random unrelated pictures of Japan wherever I feel like it. :p

On the airplane ^.^

So since the Japan trip ended, a lot has happened but I didn’t have time to talk about it. First off, my second semester results were released just two weeks ago. Out of 11 papers, I managed 7a’s and 4b’s. Not terrible results, but not very outstanding either. And I don’t mean to sound like I’m complaining or whining (because a LOT of people will come and scold me and say, 7a’s so good already you complain what?). Ok everybody has their own natural talent one right? Some people are just good at singing, blogging, dancing etc (I can’t dance to save my life so I’ve always been envious of people who can) and I’ve always thought my special talent was studying. I don’t mean to say that I’m very intelligent or anything, because I know I’m not. I fail to answer my Physics lecturer correctly (great guy) almost every time he shoots a spontaneous question at me and I hate thinking deeply about intellectual hypotheses, unlike some of the people I know. But when it comes to studying, I really was quite hardcore. I could burn the midnight oil until no more oil and still study, because I really wanted the A and the attention LOL. I know right, what kind of special talent is that? -.- But really, to prove my point, I have always been a straight A student from kindergarten until, well. This semester fml.

Osaka in the morning

So as I was saying, I’ve always tried to be above average academically. I have very Asian parents who expect the world from me, so I try my best to please them and myself. Anything less than an A was unacceptable by my standards, except for Chinese in SPM because I prepared myself for a C. But in the end still get A lolol #truestory ask me about it I will tell you because I put this as one of my top 10 proudest lifetime achievements. But all my close friends know already lah because I brag about it all the time. I’m also very competitive one so I hate losing to my friends, or just losing in general. I think some people don’t really like me because of this, but it’s stemmed in me since I was a foetus? Not my fault leh.

Kyomizudera, Kyoto. Structure pictured above was built without nails, quite amazing.

Getting 4b’s was heart wrenching. I know I should be grateful that it’s not 4F’s or anything, but studying is the only thing I am used to be good at so forgive me. Imagine if you were a really good pianist and one day you broke your hand so you cannot play anymore. HOW WOULD YOU FEEL?? Ok my story not really that tragic but in the heat of the moment, it really felt like that :(  I’m also aware that my situation is perfectly reversible thanks to Edexcel’s wonderful system that allows me to retake my papers, which is what I’m going to do but sigh, that’s not the point. The point is I’ve disappointed myself. I let myself loose, got overconfident and I paid the price. I can be a song lyricist.

If there’s one thing A Levels taught me, it’s humility. And I say this not only because I got my (very well deserved) B’s. In college, I’ve met so many people who exude this aura of capability and success. And I’m forced to realise that I’m not as good as I thought I was. A lot of people say that a university does not define who you are or it’s their loss (usually words of consolation after you get rejected) but let me tell you, rejection is never sweet.

I’ve had the honour of hearing these words countless of times (for Cambridge, UCL etc) and I don’t care if I’m selfish or maybe I just have an attitude problem but I absolutely cannot stand it when I hear people consoling me like that. I feel like pulling all my hair out and wailing non stop until the person stops.

My back and one half of the ‘love stones’ at Jishu Shrine. It is fabled that if you can walk from one stone to the other with your eyes closed, your relationship will be very happy/good/blessed.

Actually I have reached what I’d like to call the ‘acceptance’ phase. Basically it goes like this. First, you meet the ‘failure’. Then you face ‘denial’. You keep telling yourself this is not happening, you know you’re better than this. Next you face ‘anger and self pity’. This is the part where you flip tables, scold everybody in the way, cry yourself to sleep, ask yourself what did you do to deserve this. Give it a few weeks to maybe 3 or 4 months (varies from person to person I guess), and you will finally settle down with ‘acceptance’. Everything happens for a reason, and if it’s God’s plan for certain things to happen, you just have to learn to accept it and take it in your stride. It’s not easy, but you’ll get used to it eventually. Besides, there’s always a silver lining to everything.

One of the many sake breweries near Kobe. Parents went alcoholic crazy here.

I remind myself I did receive offers from places. I have a conditional offer from the University of Warwick, which has a reputable economics school. At least Bank Negara is willing to offer a scholarship for it (yes, I will be applying). A few days ago, I received an offer from HKU together with a 50% scholarship as well. Father Chua was *this* close to having a heart attack from ecstatic happiness because he is incredibly passionate about tertiary education in Asia. I have no idea why, apart from the fact that it is much cheaper compared to say, UK. I personally love Hong Kong because I enjoy its fast pace and upbeat lifestyle, and THE FOOD. Warwick is a decent place as well, so I haven’t made up my mind entirely. There’s also this nagging bug in my brain that’s always telling me to consider a gap year, but I don’t know how my parents will react to it. Who knows? :)

Kobe Tower

The only reason I blog about all this (results, universities etc) is because sometimes I feel no one can really resonate with me. Writing down my thoughts feels like I’m spilling everything out to someone who’s just there to listen, and not have any opinions or judgements. But the worst is over, and I have a feeling things will just get better from now on. I’m optimistic about life, love, and my dreams for the future :) #1 on the dream list would be to open my pancake/library cafe. LOL I actually told this to my mum and she gave me a death stare. Ok to be fair my exact words were ‘Mum, can I drop all my studies and cook pancakes for a living?’ :p

Yes, the Osaka Castle is as picturesque as it seems. The short stroll from the gardens to the castle grounds was enjoyable as well, except for the mad cold wind.

Osaka has much, much more to offer than the few photos I posted. I just didn’t manage to take a picture for everything. But do visit places like Dotombori and Shinsaibashi (Osaka), Pontocho (Kyoto) and be sure to eat at least a bowl of ramen. You’ll come back for more, trust me. :) So, I’m 19 as of now, trying to take life one bit at a time, and learning to enjoy overcoming hurdles.

:)

Down South

Hello hello! Missed me? :) This blog is all about unfulfilled promises so I have not started blogging about my trip to Japan. :p Apologies, but I shall entertain you with some Instagram pics I stole from Sha Lin. We went to Singapore just over the weekend to watch Wicked the Musical, and yes it was good! I loved it, but that being said I haven’t been to a lot of musicals in my life. So yes Wicked was good enough for me :)

Tickets for Wicked! (ooh it rhymes) My favourite song from the musical (excluding Defying Gravity cos everyone knows Defying Gravity -.-) is What Is This Feeling, a duet by Glinda and Elphaba! Please go and listen to it <3

Plane ride there! Speaking of which, I’m flying down again in July for a trip with the girls in my class! :D

Marina Bay Sands (mammoth sized hotel-casino-mall) with Shu, Sha and Su Mae :)

Yes, the lack of pictures is apparent. Our flight was at 8am, so we had to be at the airport at about 6.30am and in that haste, I forgot to bring my camera T_T  so no pictures of the extremely delicious goat’s cheese pizza we had at Pizzeria Mozza, MBS. BUT GOSH IT WAS SO GOOD. <3 Marina Bay Sands itself was HUGE, with every single luxury brand imaginable in it. It also has a skating rink, but oddly enough it’s smaller than Sunway Pyramid’s. And of course, we went up to the SkyDeck (?? is that what it’s called??) and the view was quite breathtaking.

Singapore is very cosmopolitan, and sometimes a bit too much for my liking. It’s like everywhere you turn, you see some construction going up. Even the trees look artificial. I like travelling there because there ARE sights to look at and enjoy, but I rather stay here in Malaysia. Just an opinion though. :)

School has been going on as usual, but at the moment I’m still pretty chilled out (read: slacking on homework, eating out a lot, not studying). I foresee a 180 degree attitude change in about 4 months, when exams come. :p But for now, all I want is an iPad to play with Instagram and read e-books. Ok i promise my next post will be about Japan! <3 byebye!

Winter Love

That indescribable feeling you experience when you finally get to switch on the computer and blog your heart out without feeling the slightest bit of guilt. It feels like complete ecstatic happiness for the first few hours, then it turns into something mildly pleasant, and by the next day the excitement dies down and here I am being the complete lazy bum in front of my computer, just like the pre-exam days.

Edexcel exams have come to a halt for now. It’ll continue in June but that’s 5 more months away so I choose to live in the present :p

Actually, I’m not as lazy as I think. (see that very subtle self-praise thing I did right there?) My last paper actually ended yesterday, and I actually did quite a lot of things in between then and now. This is me in a VERY oversized Harvard varsity sweater, but it’s perfectly fine because oversized clothes are the trend now! *in denial* Kind of a hand me down from my dad because I thought it was pretty cool (no la he didn’t go to Harvard, I think he bought it for the same reason I like it – to look smarter than we really are LOL). If you look to the left of the photo, you can see all my clothes strewn on my bed -.- I was packing for my trip to Japan tomorrow, and I cannot wait!! Like the meticulous perfectionist I am (ahem see I did it again) I have been hard at work planning our itinerary for the trip. I promise to blog about the trip! <3

LOL took this at Borders, Bangsar Village. We finally received our RM200 book voucher, so Yules and I decided to splurge on storybooks instead of textbooks (which I think is what the book vouchers were intended for). And no, as crazy and possessive I am, I did not buy that book above. I think it was RM100. Not worth it just to turn your ex-boyfriend into a toad. I spent RM100 on 3 books. Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami (just after I finished Norwegian Wood, which is really good but quite perverse!), Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua and Girl w/ The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. Borders gave me a free membership and a Starbucks voucher for my purchase, so yay!

This is Chen’s back together with the cutest thing in the world <3 her dog Cookie! It has got to be the cutest, tiniest, fluffiest, most adorable piece of fluff in the world. But it is major hyperactive and just runs everywhere and bites everything. Had lunch with Yules and Chen today, so nice to just chill and hang out and talk with my best girlfriends without worrying about exam timetables! Then we went back to Chen’s place to play with Cookie and watch a few episodes of Gossip Girl. I love my life.

Also kinda did something to my hair but I don’t know whether it’s a good or bad thing. If anyone is reading out there, please tell me whether this is a nice change or not! You can be brutally honest I don’t mind. :D

And this is a video of a sibling band called Freak Morice. Honestly the best cover of this song I’ve heard. And this is a song i simply love, originally by the one and only Mr Mraz. There’s just something about the sibling love and harmonization that really captures the melody, the tune so perfectly. Have a listen! :)

That’s all for now, will update about Japan really soon!

My Kind of Place

Wasn’t planning on blogging today (because I only blog when I’m bored and I have no time to be bored considering I have a Statistics paper tomorrow nuuuu) but something just hit me in the head just now and I didn’t want to forget my (wonderful) idea so it’s best I write it down.

Being the nerd that I am, studying takes up a huge amount of my time. You know those statistics that you read on tumblr quotes and what not? Like ‘the average human being spends 3 years of his lifetime sitting on a toilet bowl peeing’. Yes I made that up, but hey! You never know. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is if there was a statistic of my life, I think the amount of studying I do will constitute a huge chunk of my lifetime.

Recently I have found it increasingly hard to study at home, what with all the distractions around – my computer (exactly what I’m doing now), my television, my bed, my imaginary dog… DISTRACTIONS. So I started finding places to study. During my SPM days I used to visit the public library a lot. But it soon got so boring and the quietness was quite claustrophobic. Also, there was another problem. The food at the library cafe SUCKED. It was edible yes, but that was about it. #firstworldpains wuwu

Since then I moved on to places like Starbucks, Coffee Bean and other coffee houses with a nice, cosy atmosphere. This was much better compared to the library. But it gets too noisy during lunch hours and instead of absorbing the notes in your textbook, you start absorbing other people’s conversations. #truestory (I once spent a good 30 minutes trying to figure out who ‘Sophia’ is and why two ladies were gossiping about her, to no avail) Also, places like Starbucks (despite the fact that I love it so much) are CRAZY SIAO expensive if you go everyday and stay there from morning to night.

Like, can you imagine ah?

Morning – Bagel, one latte = RM20

Lunch – Some pastry = RM 8

Dinner – Shepherd’s Pie =RM8

That’s RM36 X 5 (if you go 5 days in a week la, for example) = RM180

And this is assuming I drink only ONE drink and be cheap and ask for water refills continuously. #lifeofthecheap&fabulous

So I was thinking, what kind of place would I like to study at? And the dreamer in me started mentally painting out my ideal cafe.

Good music is a must, and when i say good I don’t mean radio good. I think a mixture of Romantic & 20th century era instrumentals, some smooth jazz and some classic Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel-ish vibe would seal the deal.

Next, I’d like a place that serves decent main meals and snacks to chomp on as well. At a decent price (DO YOU HEAR ME STARBUCKS? I dowan to pay RM8 for microwaved pastry that tastes less than mediocre!!) I want actual cooked dishes that fills the tummy, and snacks that can become my guilty pleasure while I work on that math question that refuses to be solved. Read: french fries, potato chips, ice cream. An assorted array of drinks, not only coffee. Perhaps a daily menu that changes would be good.

Of course, the decoration in my ideal cafe would be quite minimalist yet cosy. I’d have bookshelves everywhere filled with all sorts of reading material. I’d have warm yet bright lighting, so I can work properly without squinting. Must have wifi also lah because kids these days cannot live without their iMacs, iPhones, iPads, iDunnoWhatElse. I’d have a corner that allows sunlight to reach inside as well! I envision bean bags and short coffee tables (sitting on a hard chair for hours can be painful) with a few proper tables also, for the more studious.

I certainly hope my cafe will have 2 levels. The lower level being where the cake display, bar, cashier and kitchen is. Also, downstairs will be for customers who are going to engage in chatter i.e. casual meetings, discussions. Upstairs is where all the people who want to study in peace go to. There’s no strict rule that you cannot talk, but I’d like to instil a cafe culture where noise is kept to the minimum upstairs. You can come alone, or in pairs, or in a group, but we shall all chat in low tones and work silently :) Of course, you can still enjoy the wafts of grinded coffee/baked pastry aroma that travels upstairs from the kitchen.

This, guys and girls, is my ideal place to sit down and study for long hours. :) This is also one of those things that is a dream, and will probably stay like that forever too. I LOVE the idea of running my own cafe, but I cannot see myself having the guts to do it anytime in the future. I’ll probably be a business consultant in one of those corporate giants, working 9-5, getting stuck in a jam  and coming home ragged and tired. Only to repeat the entire cycle again the next day :p

Testing Out Maxim!

Yes, our family (or specifically my brother) welcomed a new addition to our humble home not too long ago. Say hi to Maxim, our DSLR! :D

Haha funny how I used my bb camera to take a picture of a much more professional and handsome looking camera. Anyway, Maxim is a Canon EOS 600D (honestly though, I know nothing about cameras) and the reason we got him is so that my brother can produce more professional filming projects and all the thingamajiggies he does. That being said, I think I should learn to use the camera as well so I can document more shot-worthy moments in life :p

So anyway, on the very day we got Maxim, we happened to be in KL so we thought, why not test-try the camera? So, here’s some random pictures just to fill up some space :P

Hokkien Mee, which is culture for perhaps all Malaysian Chinese people. Although personally, I don’t particularly like the taste of the yellow mee in this dish. It has what we call ‘Guan Sui Mei’ or this lingering taste of boric acid that doesn’t go away and my, it’s disgusting. I don’t avoid this dish like a plague or anything, I’d just prefer something else any time! (I do like the fried lard pieces in it though :3)

Yes, I’d totally go for something like this over Hokkien Mee! Cantonese Fried Noodles (Wat Tan Hor) is usually on the menu together with hokkien mee most of the time. This restaurant I went to serves it with beef pieces together with ginger and spring onion (姜葱牛河) and it was mad delicious!

Old school menu and signboard! Yes, the place we went to is called Restoran Sang Kee, somewhere inside a dilapidated shack (no, seriously) opposite Chin Woo Stadium and somewhere around the Methodist Boys School KL. My dad, an alumnus of MBS was feeling rather nostalgic after dinner and decided to take us on a tour of his old school -.-

If you ever go there though, don’t order the fried rice because it’s a major letdown. Usually chefs who can cook good Cantonese Fried Noodles should be able to cook a good plate of fried rice, but evidently this wasn’t the case :(

Anyway, life update as of 11th January:

First up, exams have officially started for me. I’m taking 11 papers this term, and so far I’ve finished 2. Those two were practical papers, so they’re not too difficult yet but I don’t want to be overconfident. I have about a week more to study for the upcoming 9 papers, so I’m going back to Starbucks again tomorrow! A conversation with Ian went something like this the other day:

Me: I must produce good exam results, because I’m A-sian, not B-sian! (Geddit? :B)

Ian: No, you’re not A-sian. You’re an A*sian.

Me: ._. 

Wish me luck for the coming papers! imma ace you papers!!

Second thing, I’ve just been rejected by Cambridge not too long ago. And yes it’s terribly disheartening but I’ve come to realise it’s not the end of the world nor is Cambridge my entire world. In fact, I think I’ve passed my mourning period! (cos I’m capable of making jokes about my rejection and laughing when a friend made a meme out of my rejection) So, life goes on and hopefully, I’ll get into the other universities I’ve applied to *crosses fingers* I , however, have had the pleasure of being friends with someone who did get accepted to Cambridge! :D so this is a shoutout to Fong Kah Jo (although he will never read this) for being the short clever non-nerd who is currently looking forward to meeting hot intelligent girls in Cambridge. :p

Bye Cambridge, I guess we were never meant to be. *weeps sorrowfully*

Alright, this is a post meant for closure. Hahaha someone told me I’ll get back up stronger from downfalls. I think I most certainly will :p goodbye!

A Japanese Poem

テスティング、テスティング。

はい、私はカルメンです。はじめまして。

きょは　たいへん　あついです。

日本語は大変むずかしです。

さよなら、来週　わたしは　試験を　します。

わたしは　たいへん　疲れました。

LOL have fun google translating this. I tried. Results were hilarious.

I’m in a Boyfriend Shirt

An ex-boyfriend of mine believes that girls should never put on make up. In fact, every time I apply make up in his presence, he’ll say out loud in a disapproving tone, ‘Girls don’t look pretty in make up lah. Natural beauty best.’ And even when he doesn’t say anything about me, he would insinuate this point with other examples. The ironic thing is this person is obsessed with Korean popstars, all who look like this:

tell me which one of them doesn’t have make up on. Now there’s no denying that they are extremely gorgeous looking girls (the shallow attention seeking side of me wouldn’t mind looking the slightest bit like any of them) but their faces are covered in make up and he still thinks of them as goddesses. -.- If said ex boyfriend ever stumbles upon this, he’ll probably say that his goddesses look equally good, if not better, sans make-up. Maybe, maybe not. But that’s not my point.

Whenever the ex used to hint that I look horrible in make up, my self esteem took a plunge for the worse. I’m a teenage girl and this is the phase where we all start experimenting with ways to make ourselves look better. (Who dowan to look better lah?) I see all my friends slowly putting on eyeliner, blusher, lipstick one by one, and all of them to me look prettier after berdandan-ing. So I didn’t understand why even with the slightest bit of eyeliner on, I’d receive annoying I-think-you-look-horrible vibes from him.

I thought he was being terribly hypocritical and insensitive (actually I still think so), but the relationship has ended and his views no longer concern me. (THANK GOD) What I’ve learnt though, is that I shouldn’t let anyone define beauty for myself. Women generally put on make up to look better and feel better about themselves, so as long as I think I look good, that’s all that matters. *cue I am Beautiful, no matter what they say..

I’ve always wanted to talk about this but like I said, I’m the laziest person on the face of this planet, so no can do. LOL And also because said ex-boyfriend is on an insensitive rampage again today (about things I view MUCH more seriously and has nothing to do with cosmestics) I feel like being a mean person. Yes, sometimes I don’t want to be the better person, so eat that. :)

And since I’m already halfway blogging, might as well continue talking about boring stuff la so you can switch off your computer and go to sleep kthxgoodnitebye. Recently I’ve been going to Starbucks almost every day, it’s almost as if I’m addicted to the place. I even got myself a Starbucks card (eh everyone should go get one, trust me you’ll feel more privileged one!) and get this, I don’t even drink coffee. Yes I hate drinking coffee and I don’t consume one ounce of it unless I have to stay up late and need that caffeine boost. So, what do I drink in Starbucks? Ok Starbucks 101 guide for non-coffee lovers:

Green Tea latte K lah I think everyone knows what a green tea latte is, but it’s still a great cuppa! I’m getting bored of it though, because I drink it so much.

Black Tea Latte One of the more underrated drinks in Starbucks. Plain ole cuppa’ Morning Breakfast teabag with milk and froth, but it makes a fantastic study drink. Tried one for the first time today :)

Hot Chocolate You can choose from their Signature, Caramel or Hazelnut. I’ve tried the Signature and Hazelnut, and both are good, although they taste very similiar and the Signature is cheaper. #kiamsiap The drink is very very rich though, so perhaps avoid ordering on a full stomach.

Tazo Tea This is an imported bottled flavoured tea drink. (Omg I just used like 3 adjectives in the last sentence) Choose from Brambleberry, Mango, Peach (& other flavours if there are but I forgot) with a cup of ice. RM11+ for a bottle, but so darn good.

And of course there’s the frappucinos but I’m not a big fan of ice blended stuff. I think Starbucks should hire me as a promoter, because I’m the best person for the job #shameless. Kidding. Or not. ;) But yes, I mad LOVE studying there because the staff is friendly, the ambience is nice, the music is good and not the trashy kind you hear on radio everyday. My mother says she cannot afford my expensive atas needs anymore, so I’ll be willing to let anyone in on the best Starbucks outlet in exchange for a free drink! :p no seriously, my favourite Starbucks is the best ever. Already like my second home.

And of course, pictures (because everyone just likes to scroll down and see pictures I KNOW YOU ALL SO WELL).

Big picture of me first because I like it. :p

Chemistry notes!

Hahaha my dad is so cute. He saw this Angry Bird plush toy in my car, so when he won these bedroom slippers from his company’s annual dinner lucky draw he gave them to me! :)

Never even made concrete plans with these kawans but still bumped into them at my fav Starbucks outlet!

Embarassing things I do to de-stress from all the pre-exam stress. HEHE CAN GUESS WHAT IS THIS AH? I’m never telling. :p

My daily life in my second home !

K la tired already. Tomorrow I’m trying out a new Starbucks place that Baby Po said is pretty decent and quiet-looking (hopefully). Nighters! :)

p.s. sigh I missed a class party because of a family dinner. Now I’m hearing all these juicy stories about my classmates berbonding and getting wasted and I wasn’t there to join in the fun T_T