Capture the Moment

Random thoughts and sights

2009-01-09T03:01:00.003+13:00

1. First it was VJ Utt, now it is Chef Wan! Pavillion is really the place to be if you want to bump into celebrities. Was watching Yes Man at Pavillion yesterday and Chef Wan was sitting 2 seats away from me laughing and laughing, yes sometimes at inappropriate moments too ^^

2. Randomness is watching a friend slurping a drink named Milo Dinosaur. It's a Milo drink with lots of Milo powder piled on top of it, and you're supposed to eat the powder on its own. I am glad I didn't take up the offer for a sip, because me being me I can only see myself choking on it and start coughing out brown powder @_@

3.

Found a photo of myself changing from clubbing heels to comfortable Vans for the long walk home after clubbing in Auckland. In the middle of the street. My friends did not miss the opportunity to snap this. What a night it was!

4. I love Sg Wang and all the RM25 clothes you can get there!

5. I am addicted to Rihanna's Disturbia and very ashamed to admit it @_@ What is it with her songs and all the bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum or mama say mama sa ma ma coo sa or ella ella ella that makes them super-catchy?!

Next, womanizer womanizer wtf hahahaaha

Close Call

2009-01-08T03:08:00.002+13:00

I went shopping at Sg Wang today, and while crossing the bridge over to Lot 10 to meet a friend, I was stopped by two youngsters. One of them gave me a voucher and asked me to make a mark on it before opening it. Curious of what was to be found inside, I did as they told me to.

A dialogue box with the words "special gift" inside.

The two of them immediately went hyper, saying that I have just won at least RM3000 worth of prizes, the grand prize being a car.

Red flags sprang up in my mind.

They then told me that I should follow one of them to Taman Desa to claim my prizes.

More red flags. I've heard plenty about these kind of cons, and was very skeptical over the validity of their claims and promises. Deciding to be safe than sorry, I lied to them that I was busy then and would go to their office tomorrow to claim whatever prize I was supposedly entitled to. The replied I got was that I have to go with one of them now so that they will receive a bonus for giving out a winning voucher.

There was no way I would go with them. What if they lead me to danger? I think they knew that I was being skeptical, and kept trying to convince me that it is a genuine activity, with advertisements on national newspapers. They also said that they were only 17 year-olds trying to earn some income to support their studies and would not cheat me.

Ah, the old tactic of trying to gain sympathy and instill guilt. I had it then. I told them that I did not need the prizes, and that they could give the voucher to someone else, then walked away in one piece.

I still have no idea whether they are trying to cheat me or not. I hope they were trying to make an honest living, and the joy that they showed upon seeing the special gift voucher was genuine. After all, they looked very young, too young to be trying to con others.

On the other hand, what if they were really trying to cheat me and I had gone with them? I can't imagine what kind of harm I would have experienced. *sigh* Cheating really needs to go.

Another year gone by...

2008-12-31T14:34:00.004+13:00

2008 is by far the toughest year I have ever experienced in my life.

First there was Honours, which turned me into a super human study machine that eats dissertations for breakfast @_@

When I had to sit in front of the computer all day either reading or researching or writing

When I had to churn out close to 20000 words in 3 weeks

One of the passage in the picture reads "There is an element of intersubjective-objectivism in social constructionism, where reality exists but does not have meaning. While objectivism sees meanings of objects as being discovered by subjects, social constructionism implies that people in a society interact with each other and engage with objects to create meanings of reality . Hence, the emphasis is placed on the people interacting with the world around them and with each other. Objects do not have a meaning by themselves, but depends on the interpretation of those interacting with them."

-___-

OMG THE STUFF I WROTE!!! This was a 5000-words essay on whether accounting is an art or science. I remember arguing and arguing that accounting is more of an art than a science, and even included artworks of Escher and Dali in my essay HAHAHAHA Joanne Ang you geek.

But despite all the hard work and sleepless nights, Honours was one of the best things that ever happened to me. It changed my way of thinking and made me grow so much as a person. I made friends for life and became more open in sharing and accepting opinions. I want to keep it up.

And then there was the whole break-up drama. I really don't want to write about it anymore. Let me just say that we are still friends, we still like each other, BUT I AM SO BACK IN THE SINGLE AND AVAILABLE DATING SCENE MUAHAHAHAHA. Being single is not so bad after all!

Lots of good things also happened in 2008. I said hello and goodbye to many people, graduated, got a job, toured around NZ, felt the love of friends when I was most down, explored new corners of Wellington, watched Phantom of the Opera in Auckland and more performances at St James, and grew up pretty drastically.

All in all, a tough year, but a good one.

Happy 2009 everyone, may your wishes come true and here's my love to you all!

<3

Can I just say that...

2008-12-30T07:50:00.002+13:00

KL continues to amaze me.

Yes, both the good and bad side of it.

You would never think that hidden somewhere in this bustling city, there would be a stunning restaurant with amazing ambiance overlooking a rain forest.

You would never think that you would be feeding mosquitoes even in an air-conditioned room.

You would be amazed at how many rude and amazingly bad drivers there are on the road.

You would be quirked at how Kenny G seems to be equated to hotels/upclass restaurants.

You would love and hate how much yet how little culture there seems to be.

KL, to me, is a city of conflicts.

The Great New Zealand Road Trip - South Island chapter

2008-12-23T20:31:00.007+13:00

Hello Hello I am back in Subang!!! It's so nice to be back where mom and dad pampers you, where the food is good, where you don't have to worry about doing everything yourself, where you can meet up with old friends, where you can get good roti canai 24/7, where the cool people like me are! (perasan perasan)

Anyway I've been back for a week and enjoying every minute of it! Except that the humidity gave me a dyshidrosis eczema flare up :(

Ok la my hands do not look as scary as this but it's like a milder case of this!

There are hundreds of tiny blisters on my fingers and they itch like there's no tomorrow T____T

I hate it when this happens!! Imagine waking up in the middle of the night to 10 extremely itchy fingers! And although they are not contagious, they look like they are so I'm worried about going out with friends T____T

The only good thing is that whenever my brother tries to bully me to do something I can threaten to rub my fingers on his face and he'll back off with his tail between his legs U___U

Anyway! South Island! My family loved it!

We visited Christchurch...

Went on the Tram...

Froze our butts off...

Hid from the chill in phone booths...

Went punting...

Drove to Franz Josef Glacier via Arthur's Pass...

Stopped in the middle of road in the middle of nowhere and took lots and lots of pictures...

Enticed my parents to take pictures Bollywood style...

Conquered the magnificent Franz Josef Glacier...

My brother tried to lick some ice and his tongue stuck (not)

Stopped by at the beautiful Wanaka...

To take a dump at the Puzzling World...

And to flex our muscles...

And to train our sense of balance...

So that when we finally arrived at Queenstown...

We would feel refreshed to explore and enjoy the scenery...

And scream our lungs off on the Shotover Jet...

And race each other on the Luge...

And chicken out on the Bungy...

And end our beautiful trip around the South Island with a relaxing lunch in the vineyard.

License to Read

2008-11-29T19:10:00.002+13:00

I don't know why, when life is normal I don't have the urge to write as much, but when it goes downhill I feel the need to rant and whine. Hence all the depressing posts.

It's the end of November already, and as I am writing this my family are flying over here to attend my graduation. I'm flying to Christchurch tomorrow to meet them and to bring them around South Island. The weather god has decided to play with me a bit, bringing heavy rains that caused the Glacier walks I want to go on to be cancelled or be too challenging for unfit people like us. Hopefully she's had her fun with me and give us beautiful weather for as long as my family are here *fingers crossed*

I am so excited about showing my family what has been the past 4 years of my life! They are equally as excited, and it motivates me to plan the trip well for them to have a good time. I really want them to have fun because its been forever since the 4 of us have had a nice holiday together. I miss them so much! Can't wait to see them tomorrow.

The blog is back in public for anyone to read, and I have learnt enough in the past 1.5 months to exercise prudence in what I write. To the person who is, until now, still trying to access my blog, feel free to do so if that gives you some sort of satisfaction. I am no longer affected by you, and you can have whatever opinion you want about me. I DON'T CARE. I have grown up from what I have been through in the past months, and I think it is time you do too. Despite being able to read what I write, I do hope that you will leave me alone and let me get on with my life.

Hello again, life.

A new start

2008-11-24T02:52:00.003+13:00

What a crazy week it has been!

I have finally gotten over the nightmare of packing and moving. So as of now, I am officially a resident of The Terrace! Again! I've lived here for 2 years out of the 4 that I have been in Wellington, and now I'm back again. It's an awesome street, and besides the killer slope that I need to climb up everyday, I'm loving the feeling of being back here.

The place that I've moved into is great too. It seems like a semi-social flat, which is nice because it gives me both the comfort of hanging out with flatmates and my privacy. I love it. I haven't been home that much though, being busy dealing with other things, and also catching up with my social life. I've been out with different friends so much that it has helped me slowly get over the pain of being alone. I like where I am at the moment. I still feel lonely and scared when I'm alone in my room at night, but it's no longer unbearable. I really want to keep this up!

Will post pictures soon, and one of these days when I'm free I'll review all the previous entries before putting the blog back in public!

Off for a break

2008-11-12T22:43:00.002+13:00

I'm off to Auckland tomorrow for the weekend!

Had to fork out a fortune for the plane tickets but I think I need to get out of Wellington for a few days. Hopefully when I come back you will see a much more cheerful Joanne!

Also, I've decided to make my blog public again, because the person I intended to block out no longer has the right to care about what I write and think. Will delete a few posts about sensitive issues, but yeah, no more depressing posts if I can help it.

See you on Monday Wellington!

2008-11-11T15:25:00.002+13:00

So he moved to his new flat today.

It's really sad thinking about it, but at the same time we've been friendly and comfortable hanging out together. It feels weird, but I can see myself living with this. The day when we broke up, I thought that my world would crumble down on me, I thought I had completely lost my best friend and companion.

But I tried putting myself in his position, and I realised that I probably would've done the same thing if I was him. This revelation made me feel so much better, it's astounding. I no longer feel that I've lost half a my life. I still feel sad that we cannot be what we used to be, but I am so glad that we can still be friends. Sometimes it feels as though we've gone back to what it was like when we first got to know each other. Good friends who enjoy each other's company, with no strings attached.

With him gone, I also felt something that was least expected - freedom. I found that I no longer cared as much whether he spends time with me or not. I no longer feel any jealousy. I no longer need to tell him what I was doing. I could make impulsive plans without consulting him. I did not have to fit him into my schedules. I am no longer committed. Perhaps I had gotten back a part of myself that was lost in these three years. Perhaps I had forgotten the joy and freedom of being single. I feel so much lighter. I still love the feeling of being in a relationship, I still feel lonely, but this unexpected freedom feels so refreshing.

2008-11-09T21:18:00.002+13:00

Thank you my friends.

Thank you for all the texts, msn messages, facebook comments, calls, visits, everything you all have done when I am feeling at my worst. Thank you for feeling sad with me and even crying with me on the phone.

My world feels really empty now, but I am learning to deal with it. I am learning to accept the truth that I won't have someone special with me all the time from now on. It's so difficult, so weird, but if we can stay as friends then I will learn not to ask for more.

I still cry and mourn my loss, I still wish things had not turn out this way, I still want to go back in time and enjoy the moments more, but I will move on. I don't know if I'll ever be able to get over it, but I don't want to be stuck in this pit forever. I will work my way out of it somehow. In the mean time, please continue to support me.

Conflict

2008-11-08T21:45:00.002+13:00

So we finally broke up, for good.

Nothing I said could make him change his mind on wanting to be free of commitment and not having to consider others' feelings.
Nothing he said could make me understand the logic behind why we had to go our separate ways.

"Be strong." "You've made me a better person." "You're going to have so much wonderful experience while I struggle in my future." "You're too good for me."
All these talk is utter bullshit.

Did the three years not mean anything? Was I so insignificant that I was the first thing that he was willing to give up? So he is just going to go with friends who has helped him through tough times? Did I not try to do whatever I could to help as well? If I am so good then why is he giving up on me?

There are just so many questions left unanswered. I can't accept his justification. It is just too selfish and too unfair. It did not come from the person I knew and loved so much.

My writing does not make any sense. Because the whole thing is just so confusing. I can't understand anything. I'm not sure if I want to understand anything.

I want to move on, but I can't help mourning the loss of someone so important to me for the past three years. The tears just do not stop flowing. The broken heart does not seem able to ever heal itself. I am so afraid, so sad, but my closest confidant will never be there for me again.

Happy and Sad

2008-11-08T01:17:00.003+13:00

I'm happy because I'm finally free from a lot of the stress that has been weighing me down for the past few months.
I'm happy because my social life is coming back bit by bit.
I'm happy because I'll get to see my family in 3 weeks' time.
I'm happy because all the hard work has seen me finishing my life as a student.

But I'm also sad because my love life is virtually non-existent at the moment.
I'm sad because I only get to see my so-called boyfriend for 10 minutes a day.
I'm sad because I'm always left alone to do everything like a fucking maid without any acknowledgment.
I'm sad because I try too hard to be understanding and end up being taken for granted.
I'm sad because you don't even try to give me what little I need from you.
I'm sad because I give so much that it makes me look like I'm desperate.
I'm sad because I feel myself losing faith in this relationship.

Maybe I'm just better off alone. At least there is no need for so much heart ache then.

Recovering

2008-11-05T23:28:00.002+13:00

Obama won. I'm happy for the US. McCain just doesn't have what it takes to lead the country, just watch one of the Presidential debates and one can understand why.

Sorry for only having depressing posts lately... I'm in a phase where bad things keep happening to me, and my mind is so preoccupied with these thoughts that it is hard to be perky and blog about happy things. Hopefully things will get a lot better soon and I'll be able to have some updates about fun things I did after finishing Honours.

Happy Guy Fawke's Day everyone, I missed the fireworks because I was being a slave to work. Like my manager said, it's never bad to earn more money when you are young.

2008-10-31T09:55:00.001+13:00

It's over.

It's effin over.

Goodbye to a big part of my life. A new journey looms ahead.

2008-10-27T13:23:00.002+13:00

So this is what a broken heart feels like.

Sadness, anger, frustration, confusion, despair, loneliness, uncertainty, all mixed together.

My heart feels numb somehow. It doesn't feel like it's beating at all. The headache is overpowering everything else.

Stop the tears. Forget the memories. Say goodbye. Walk away. Set yourself free.

Let me sleep for now.

Past the point of exhaustion

2008-10-24T19:25:00.002+13:00

Finally.

Finally.

FINALLY!

I FINALLY HANDED IN THE DRAFT FOR MY THESIS!!! *runs around the room*

I think I did a pretty decent job writing the draft. Could have written more but I've decided that enough is enough. Will improve it during the editing stage.

What a relief! The minute I emailed the draft to my supervisors, I could feel my body and spirit getting lighter. The heavy burden has been lifted somewhat. It felt really good. I can have a relaxing weekend at last!

I love this feeling!

Btw, I have been up since around 8 am yesterday morning. That means I have been awake for 36 hours! I have been running on energy drink and chinese tea since last night, and all the caffeine is definitely working its magic. I don't know why, I feel like I am at the point where I don't feel my exhaustion anymore. Nothing really matters. I got through the most challenging year in my life. Not even exhaustion can take this sense of achievement away from me.

I went shopping to reward myself. I deserve it, seriously. So do all my other classmates who are still working on their drafts. I really hope they finish soon so we can all celebrate together.

Going to try to stay awake for a few more hours and go to sleep around 10pm so that I don't screw up my sleeping habit. Am tempted to clean obsessively, but think I'll leave that for tomorrow. Now to find something to do~

p/s: I read what I wrote in this entry and realised that I'm just babbling about whatever that comes to my mind without any structure to my writing. So this is what lack of sleep does to your brain...

Yet another boring one

2008-10-21T20:16:00.002+13:00

Hello people!!

Guess what!

I only have another 7000 words to go~~!!!

Ok la I probably shouldn't say 'only' because I have to finish that by Friday T____T
But still it feels so good to finish all the other assignments and being able to concentrate on my thesis! AND the number of words to write is down to 4 digits!

Seriously I have to tell myself these positive things because if I don't I'll probably go crazy. So here you go: 3 more days to go! All your research is done you just have to write it out! After you finish you can party do whatever you want!

Yep yep be positive.

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My financial statement analysis lecturer from last year emailed me saying that he wants me to present an award to the student with the best analysis this year! He said its because my analysis was the best in the class last year U_____U

He has short-listed 3 of the best analysis from the class and wants me to go through them to pick a winner. It's going to be awesome to read this year's work and see how they differed from mine. And guess what the award's going to be called?

Joanne Ang Top Analysis Award.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA what the hell right! To present an award that's named after you hahahahahahahaha how embarrassing would that be! I'm going to tell him to rename the award because I don't want to seem too important lol.

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We gave Fishfinger away to one of Daniel's classmates because we won't be able to care for it over the summer T___T

The kitchen looks so much emptier T______________T

I'm going to miss feeding him and watching him make bubbles. HIS NEW OWNERS BETTER TAKE GOOD CARE OF HIM, OR ELSE!!!

2008-10-20T16:12:00.002+13:00

A Nelson man who was mooning while car surfing has been badly injured after falling from the car's roof.
Source: Stuff.co.nz

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA WHAT A LOSER!!!! I feel sorry for him because he had to have facial surgery after sliding face down on the highway, but HOW IN THE WORLD DID YOU COME UP WITH THE BRIGHT IDEA OF MOONING AND CAR SURFING!

The things people do... *shakes head*

2 moving on to 3

2008-10-19T21:16:00.002+13:00

OMG I just realized that come this Thursday Trong and I would have been an official couple for 3 years!!!

3 YEARS!!!

OH MY GOD.

It's funny because the other day I was talking to Hamish on the bus to Dowse Museum to attend Trong's award ceremony and he told me he has been with his girlfriend for 5 years and he's freaking out. At the time I was like what the hell are you talking about 5 years is amazing and there's nothing to freak out about!

And now it's my turn to freak out!

Damn time really flies! I still remember those moments in first year when we started getting close. Watching lots of movies together, staying up until 5am just to talk to each other, screwing up our sleeping habits after that, waking up too late for hostel meals and going out to have lunch, the first time he held my hand while trying to cross the street, the time he asked me to go steady with him and got really sad after I said I needed to sort things out with another guy that I was close to first, not knowing whether we were a couple after that, oh those awkward times.

So I guess we never knew when we actually started being a couple. We chose October 23rd as our anniversary even though we started going out way before that, because it was the day before he went back to Thailand in first year, and somehow we were talking about my parents when I asked him what was I going to tell my parents about him. 'Can I tell them that you're my boyfriend?' were the words I asked. Funny how I still remember it. Anyway he said yes and from then on we were officially together! We actually chose the date way after that happened because I was fussing about not having an anniversary LOL.

So 3 years on, he became my best friend, my confidant, my entertainer, my shoulder to cry on, ~~my slave~~, my punchbag (kidding kidding). He's the person who knows me the most. He's the person who lets me play with his face when I'm bored and laugh at him after that. He may be a big baby at times, but always seems to know what to do when I'm vulnerable.

3 years.

I'm both happy and scared because I really don't know what is going to happen to us after this year. We probably have about one month left together, and after my graduation in December it is most likely that we'll go our separate ways. Me staying in Wellington to work for the next few years, him working or studying elsewhere in the world.

I'm really scared.

He has been such a big part of my life in Wellington that it would be so weird not to have him around all the time here. I know I'll eventually get used to living my life here alone, but I know it's going to be so hard, so painful at first. I keep telling myself that we'll visit each other every once in a while and maybe go travelling together, and when we're apart there's always skype and webcam to keep in touch, but I still can't get used to the fact that we're not going to be able to see each other for a long time. What if we grow apart and don't have anything in common anymore? What if we're always in different parts of the world and never get to be together again? T____________T

I'm so weak. I really need to get stronger. I don't want to be remembered as the girl sobbing ridiculously and refusing to let go when we bid each other farewell. I don't want to be overcome with emotions and cry everytime I think about him. I want to be stronger and get the most out of my life alone, until we meet again.

I'm a machine

2008-10-19T11:42:00.005+13:00

OK, 2.5 hours since I woke up and 1000 words written already. Go Joanne!!!!

History research is at 3129 words at the moment, another 2000-3000 words to go today since it's due tomorrow T_____T

I can't wait to finish it though, I like what I've written so far, it's interesting although I'm not sure whether it was too superficial or overly detailed. Oh well, the concern is just to finish it for now. I'm confident that I won't fail at least. Really wanna finish it by midnight so I can wake up very early tomorrow and go hard out on my last 8000 words for my ACCY430 research project. My aim is to finish it by Friday at the very latest, preferably earlier.

Yes, I have turned into a machine, thank you very much. Need to work hard to make up for the crappy tax exam yesterday!!!

Ok I know I have been really boring lately but sorry la with 20000 words to churn out what do you think I have been doing la? I have big plans for post-honours celebration though, so hopefully by then I will have more to write about and the aforementioned issue will have died down so I can make my blog public again! Huzzahhh! Two more weeks to go!

2008-10-14T19:53:00.004+13:00

I have written a long entry about the issue that has been destroying my mental health these few days, and after doing so I feel much better about the whole thing. But I want to make sure that the person involved won't be able to access it before I post it up. If someone has this page on the browser's cache, would new entries show up even if the blog is locked?

Hope not.

Anyway, I've been doing so much work, its crazy. Finished my 6000 words tax essay early this morning, and now I have to start working on my accounting history research report, which is another 6000 words. I'm really sick of working all the time and being alone at home all day. I want to go to school but I work much better at home.

Sigh, another estimated 10 days or so until I finally finish all these writing. I really can't wait, and I already have so many activities lined up after that. Think I'll list it down here so I don't forget:
1. Find a nice house, preferably near town, move out and settle down
2. Apply for my work permit
3. Plan my family's trip around New Zealand
4. Major cleaning day
5. Maybe go to Auckland to hang out with friends for a few days
6. Donate whatever clothes I don't wear anymore
7. Get JPA to buy my plane ticket home
8. Detox and nurse my skin back to its former glory (ok la my skin has never been nice but its terrible right now)
9. Catch up with everyone
10. Go to every party I'm invited to ^^

...Among other things.

Expect to have boring entries until then.

2008-10-12T14:01:00.002+13:00

Dear readers

Sorry for suddenly locking my blog. It pains me to do it because I usually like having random visitors but due to some personal issues I have decided that some privacy would do my relationship a lot of good. Will write about that when I've gathered my thoughts about it.

Hopefully this will be a temporary thing and we'll be able to see this page back in the public domain in due time...

Windy Wellington

2008-10-08T14:52:00.002+13:00

The forces of nature visited Wellington in full blast yesterday.

Seriously, it was one of the windiest days I've ever experienced! Gusts of wind going up to 130 km/h, people flying around (no kidding), roofs and doors being blown off, buildings swaying, windows smashing, flights cancelled, the water from the fountain in front of my window was being blown away, rain that floats sideways instead of falling on to the ground... it's crazy.

But while all that violent weather was going on outside, I did what any smart person would do...

...snuggle up to my pillows in bed. NYEHEHEHEHEHE

Wellington really blows (yes yes the pun was totally intended) xD

Anyway, I leave you now with an interlude in Ayumi Hamasaki's My Story album. Love the arrangements!

Kaleidoscope Instrumental - Ayumi Hamasaki

Guilty

2008-10-06T19:18:00.003+13:00

It's peak workload period.

I'm supposed to write about 20000 words in 2-3 weeks.

But instead of being a word-crapping machine, I've been watching J-Dorama.

Last Friends

T_____T
WHY AM I LIKE THIS!!! I HATE MYSELF for getting addicted to dramas and animes and variety shows so easily T_____________T

But then Ueno Juro rocks and Nishikido-kun is soo good in this show!!!

I hate myself

Salam Perantauan

2008-10-06T00:40:00.004+13:00

A very belated Selamat Hari Raya to everyone out there!

I went to the Malaysian High Commission for a Hari Raya open house today feeling very excited after missing out on the one last year.

Why excited you ask?

What else can it be?

FOOD OF COURSE! And free food on top of that! Not many things can get me so excited and influence my mood so much. A good meal always lights up my day.

I ate soooooooo much at the High Comm, it's crazy. 2 huge plates of mains, and a full plate of dessert after that. I was so stuffed that my tummy didn't have any space for dinner after that.

Very contented look after the meal

What do you think about my photoshop-ed picture? I wanted to give it an old photo feel and I am actually quite proud of it as an amateur photoshop user!

Oh if you want to compare, the original photo looks like this.

Ta-daaa

Hehehehehe go on and tell me I'm good *smug*

I played around with the hue, saturation and RGB curve, liquified our faces so they look a bit slimmer, and blurred the background to give it a more SLR camera feel (the photo was taken using my point-and-shoot).

Don't think I'll use the liquify tool in future photos though, I did it just as an experiment. Made Trong's face look a bit weird, don't really like it. Plus people would probably be shocked to see that I am actually not pretty in real life *rolls eyes*

OK enough time wasted. Back to my thesis T_______T

I miss my family :(

2008-10-04T18:01:00.005+13:00

Since I haven't had any pictures of myself lately, I thought I'd put up some pictures of my family taken during my cousin's wedding last weekend. These pictures were taken by another cousin of mine, and it brought me to tears out of homesickness :(

Mommy, Daddy and Victor

This picture got me really emo because I haven't seen their faces for so long, to see them smiling like that just reminds me of how much I miss them T____________T

Didn't realise how much weight my brother put on... I've been pestering him to go on diet, threatening him that all his pictures taken in NZ will be like that if he doesn't slim down before they come here in November.

The Angs minus one T______T

Mommy and Daddy are wearing matching colours!! Hahahahaha I think they're the coolest parents anyone can ask for.

I really can't wait to show them around NZ. I know Daddy will love it because he'll enjoy the relaxing lifestyle here, and the cafes everywhere. Mommy will probably love the scenery and being in a Caucasian country for the first time. I've been telling her so much about my life here that I'm sure it'll be fun for her to see it herself. Victor, needless to say, will happily follow me for all the extreme sports I've been wanting to do. I'm so excited about them coming here!

The bride, the groom, the bride's parents, cousins and grandma

The bride is my cousin, I'm really happy for her! Not all my cousins are in this picture, but it's still nice to see some of them here. Grandma looks so adorable here! I think she must have been very happy because it's been forever since Mommy's side of the family has had a wedding. I think the last wedding was my aunt's, and that was probably around the time when I was born! Nevertheless now that my generation are pretty much all grown up, I suppose we can expect more to come ^^

Grandma and her five daughters

I spent the first seven years of my life living in Kelantan, where Mommy's side of the family were. Because of that I was always closer to them compared to my relatives from my Daddy's side, even though I was told that I inherited more of the characteristics of Daddy's side of the family. I'm really fond of them.

In my memory there were very few occassions that all the five sisters above have gotten together. Even during Chinese New Years when most of us head back to Kelantan, there was always one or two missing. This picture eched a smile on my face because they're all together here. Daddy called me then and while we talking the background was just filled with their chatter and laughter. Them being them it was so loud that I could barely hear Daddy talk, but it was such a nice feeling to have.

Granny and the five sisters, indicating their rank in the family

I really love this picture. Mommy was laughing so much and even Granny is smiling away happily. It also struck me for the first time how much the six of them resemble each other. People have always commented that Mommy looks a lot like her sisters, especially the fourth sister (the one in black) whom she's closest to, and some have even mistaken them from one another. I never thought it was so, but it really shows in this picture and the one above. Even their expressions are the same!

Sigh I really miss my family. To have to live away from them for at least another 3 years, to miss out on these warm occassions, to see them only once a year, it makes me homesick just to think about it. Last summer when I was home I enjoyed the company of my family so much that I didn't even feel like going out with my friends too much. It was so hard for me to make the decision to stay behind in NZ to work when I can easily go back to the comfort of home and not having to be away from the people that I love most. But my rationality won over my emotions, I would have a brighter future starting my career here, and I would be able to give better support to my family financially. I keep telling myself it's for the best, and that 3 years would go by in a flash anyway.

*Sigh* I wish someone would invent a teleportation device or Doraemon's doko de mo doa T_______T

WE FIXED THE WASHING MACHINE!!!!!

2008-10-03T17:13:00.002+13:00

Turns out some tube that links to the water level control came off, which explains why the water doesn't stop filling the drum!

I am a super genius woot woot!!!!

Oh happy day~

2008-10-02T15:08:00.002+13:00

Somehow, despite being at the peak workload period, I am really happy right now.

It's spring, everyone is out enjoying Wellington at its best, summer will be here before I can say "I am impressed like a grape" (hehehe Heng Liang), I only have a month left for honours, had yummy fish and chips in the sun with my boyfriend, went shopping, I get to see my family soon and bring them around NZ, I'm graduating soon with a job next year.

LIFE IS AWESOME RIGHT NOW!

My projects are going really well too! Presented my accounting history project to the class yesterday, and the lecturers said it was good and well-focused. And I had a meeting with my supervisors today, during which they told me that I probably have everything I need to finish writing my thesis, and that it had a good chance of being a really interesting read.

I AM SO HAPPY I WANNA CRY~~

just a couple of weeks ago I hit rock bottom and was seriously considering quitting honours, that I am not made for it. After all the stress and forcing myself to do whatever I can then, that dark period is now over, and in this coming month I'm going to give my all to secure that first class honours!

I just had a revelation, and I'm going to tell it to the potential future honours students in the information next week. Interaction with your lecturers and classmates are the best things that will get you through this programme. My classmates know the best what I'm going through in this programe, and I am so glad that they are such good listeners to my rants. I was also happy to listen to their problems because it makes me feel that I am not the only one who feels the way I do about the programme. It means a lot to me, and I think we are witnesses of each others' tremendous growth since the beginning of the year. I am so happy for everyone~

Words of advice and encouragement from lecturers are such comfort to me. Everytime I have a meeting with my supervisors they always make me feel a lot better about my project. Granted, they have been really busy and I haven't had the opportunity to see them a lot, but they are so helpful and so encouraging. I have the tendency to get worried too easily about my project, because I felt that I haven't done enough compared to other students. I told that to my supervisor today and he said that since my topic is so new it is just reality that I have to rely on very limited sources of information and it has turn out well. They are so nice la I am really grateful....

Hope this happy feeling will stay with me until the end of the month~ let the countdown to freedom begin!

Cheated

2008-09-28T17:09:00.002+13:00

I don't like daylight saving!!
It feels as if I've been cheated of an hour of my life, and the day goes by way too quickly T___T

The only consolation from this is that SUMMER WILL BE HERE VERY SOON!!!! ^^

Banjir Kilat

2008-09-28T01:56:00.002+12:00

I can't believe how many problems we've had with the condition of the flat this year!

This place is a real shithole man, it's so ill-maintained that things just keep breaking down or malfunctioning. Lights, doors, washing machine, fridge, floor etc etc I'm so sick of it.

Today it was the washing machine that caused a disaster.

Somehow it malfunctioned and overflowed with water when Trong was trying to wash our towels and flooded the whole bathroom. Luckily my flatmate Anna noticed it before it got worse. The carpet in front of the bathroom was already starting to get wet and if she had noticed it later we would have had a hell of a mess to clean up.

Not to say it wasn't a lot to clean though, we had to first drain the washing machine, and then sweep all the water on the bathroom floor into this small little manhole(?). We were all telling each other that it was a relief that the flood was noticed before things got worse.

We spoke too soon.

The water had seeped through the floorboards in the bathroom and through the wall into Anna and Daniel's room which was right next to the bathroom!!! While we were busy cleaning the bathroom, a large area of the carpet in their room was being soaked with dirty water. I feel really sorry for them because some of their papers and an external hard drive on the floor got wet. Really hope it still works fine.

So we had to use towels to soak up the water in the carpet and squeeze them into buckets. HARD LABOUR man!!! It took more than an hour to make the carpet less wet and I'm sure we squeezed out at least 4-5 buckets of water.

My hands are all blistered now T___________T

STUPID CHINESE LANDLORD FIX THE PLACE UP LA!

I can't wait to move out at the end of the year.

Once upon a dream

2008-09-27T00:49:00.002+12:00

I am going to be extremely girly for once because I'm feeling all airy-fairy at the moment.

It all started with me browsing on rotten tomatoes for good movies to watch. I stumbled upon this list of top 50 animated movies according to the Tomatometer. It had a few of the Hayao Miyazaki works, awesome Pixar and Dreamworks animation and not forgetting DISNEY CLASSICS.

Oh the memories it brought!

All the long-long time ago, the innocence, the music, the princesses and princes, the funny scenes, the romance, the happily ever after!

Remember Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Drawrfs, Pinocchio, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, the Jungle Book, 101 Dalmations, The Sword in the Stone, Aladdin, Pocahontas, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid and Sleeping Beauty?

Girls, remember how we all used to pretend to be a princess and want to marry a prince?

I was especially a sucker for princess movies (I still am), and my favourite of them all was/is Sleeping Beauty.

I just watched a few videos of Sleeping Beauty scenes on YouTube and was strongly reminded of why I loved the movie so much.

Aurora is, I judge, the most beautiful and graceful of all Disney princesses! She has an amazing voice, and her dress and hair are way more stylish than other ones! The art in the movie is extremely detailed, apparently Disney put in heaps of time, money and effort into making it.

The three good fairies are absolutely adorable, and Maleficent has got to be the most bad-ass Disney villains of all time (ok the queen in snow white is a close second). Her costume and voice are awesome and she turned into a dragon wei!!! How cool is that?

The soundtrack is unbelievably good! It's Tchaikovsky (my favourite composer!) afterall, and his compositions are always, always amazing. If you remember the scene where Aurora gets hypnotised and is led up a tower to the room where she pricks her finger on the spinning wheel, THE MUSIC IS BEYOND AWESOME OK!!!

Watch it yourself.

The choice of instruments and arrangement are really really characteristic of Tchaikovsky's ballets, which I really really dig! And it just fits so well with the scene. You can also see how cool Maleficent is.

And who can forget Prince Philip and Once Upon A Dream??
*sigh* He was my hero when I was a kid. I thought he was the coolest prince in all the Disney movies, because he seemed a bit playful and flirty but so heroic at the same time. I still melt when I watch the scene when he first meets Aurora and they dance to Once Upon A Dream *long sigh*

Sleeping Beauty is really my perfect fairy tale. I wanna watch all the Disney movies again T_________T

ten ten ten ten ten ten ten ten ten ten xD

2008-09-26T01:51:00.005+12:00

I swear if I lived in Japan I would be a hardcore TV addict.

They've got like the most entertaining TV shows ever la. I've watched so many animes and J-Dorama on Crunchyroll this year.

And that does not include their variety shows.

OMG Japanese variety shows are priceless. Like seriously how do they come up with all their ideas?! The best thing is that celebrities and comedians are not afraid to be made fun of, and they have these recurring gags that gets funnier everytime they use it.

My favourite of them all has to be the Batsu games on Gaki no Tsukai ya Arehende. These people are genius I tell you. Their brand of humour can be a bit crude but for people with weird sense of humour like me it's gem. It's 10x funnier if you can understand Japanese. All those time spent rolling in laughter at their acts are some of the things that get me through honours life. They ALWAYS make my days.

Don't believe me? Check this video out. It's a Batsu game where comedians have to go through a day in a particular setting, with hilarious acts trying to make them laugh, but if they laugh they'll be punished by being whacked in the ass.

HOW CAN ONE NOT BE ENTERTAINED BY THIS?!?!

I remember watching this for the first time in the honours room with Liz and both of us were just dying from trying not to laugh too loudly while everyone else there was slaving away on their work.

As usual I went bright red and was sweating so much from all the laughter -_____-

I think everyone else in the honours room was wondering what the hell these two weird girls are laughing so much about =____________=

And then there's this.

HAMA-CHAN'S FACE WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
They said it looks like CG BWAHAHAHAHAHA

Sigh I wanna learn Japanese again and go to Japan....

Wall-E

2008-09-22T21:22:00.003+12:00

My readership is declining! I suspect its because I haven't been updating as regularly as before.

COME BACK PEOPLE PLEASEEEEE don't abandon me wei! I want you I need you truly madly deeply -___-

OK enough bullshit I don't really care whether people read my blog or not. It's really for myself and to update close friends on my life. Anyway on to a more serious topic.

I went to watch Wall-E over the weekend, can you believe that it has only just came out in NZ last week while every Tom Dick and Harry elsewhere in the world has already seen it months before this? Unfair! It was one of the movies that I really looked forward to this year and they made me wait for so long hrrmmpph!

But it was well-worth the wait, I LOVED it! How can a robot have such droopy eyes and be so cute la? Made me melt so much.

***Spoilers ahead as I'm going to give away the story so be warned!***

The story is amazing yet really really sad at the same time. The landscape shots of the abandoned earth and Wall-E being all alone really drove me to the verge of tears T________T How can anyone have the heart to abandon such a droopy-eyed cutie?! And he had like the coolest house la fairy lights and all his treasures but no one to share his joy and loneliness with I WANNA CRY JUST THINKING ABOUT IT

And the humans oh god I'm really scared just to imagine that our future might be like that, not needing to move at all and blind to the world. I know some of you may think that its impossible but just look at the direction in which we are developing towards. You can just sit at home and do almost everything through the internet. Really, everything is just too accessible nowadays. I have to acknowledge that the internet is steadily becoming a huge part of my life, and I probably wouldn't be able to survive without it. Like my social life how would I keep in touch with my friends without it? Where would my entertainment come from? My news updates? It's really scary how attached we have become to it.

And I was practically tearing when Wall-E's chip got damaged beyond repair and when EVE replaced the chip he lost his personality and memory and just went about doing his programmed duties IT WAS SUPER SAD OK AFTER ALL THAT HE JUST REVERTED TO NOTHING BUT A MACHINE

If Pixar left it like that I would have hated them forever, but all the same I think that would have made a brilliant ending. I think the message to be conveyed through the movie would be much stronger because it would have been so sad that it would touch more people. Suckers like me would have bawled their eyes out and spend the next year being depressed lol

I was really touched by the movie and came home feeling both really warm inside and depressed. Pixar really is genius!

***end of spoilers***

It really is genius la it's no wonder Rotten Tomatoes gave it 97%. Go watch it everyone!

P/s: I GOT A+ FOR MY TAX ESSAY WHOPPIE!!!!!! ^^

Sick again

2008-09-16T16:23:00.002+12:00

Herro eberyone

I'm down with flu and cough again, and this time it's hitting me hard.
My nose is a cross between rudolph and a slimy leaking tap, and my throat feels like a hairball is stuck there.

I sneeze every 5 minutes and mucus drips from my nose every 2 minutes.

Since this morning I must have used up half a huge box of tissue papers already.

The flu medicine that I'm taking is making me drowsy and my limbs weak.

I sniffed and blew my nose so much that it's sore now.

SO MISERABLE LA!!!! T___________T

Such bad timing as well! I really really hope I'll get better soon. Don't wanna skip class and miss out on everything :((((((((

-------------------------------------------------

Been reading lots of news lately and feeling very grim about the economy and financial market for the next few years. The thing about the US being such a powerful economy is that its mismanagement creates trouble for every other economy as well, it sucks.

I was watching Dateline online yesterday and this professor from Uni of Melbourne said that the OECD countries have twice the level of debt now compared to the level before the Great Depression. It sounds really scary to me. And John McCain is saying that only him and his running mate can solve the crisis. What an airhead. His dear running mate is not even familiar on their foreign policy for goodness' sake! I do not approve this message (Paris Hilton gag hahaha)!

Anyway, today is many Malaysians' long-awaited September 16th! I am sceptical about anything happening but I sure hope things will change for the better, if not today then in the very near future.

Lead by the tail

2008-09-14T10:56:00.002+12:00

I forgot to write about something else in the last post!

In the past week I was also constantly reminded about how my country is led by the butt of the nation.
As a result we are moving backwards instead of forward.

Stupid and unfair words/actions, ridiculous excuses. Acting before stopping to think. Racial politics. Wrongful use of power.
That's what makes up the governing party.

I love my country, but sometimes, just sometimes, you read about things that make you feel truly ashamed as a citizen.

I hope change will come really soon.

A week later

2008-09-14T10:27:00.002+12:00

I just realised I haven't blogged for a whole week! It started with being too busy, and then progressed to having nothing interesting to blog about.

And I still don't have an interesting topic in mind, so I'm just going to write about what I did in the past week.

The week of 7th to 14th September was a week of:

1. Being a makeup artist
One of Trong's classmates produced a performance exploring the potential of incorporation between theatre and industrial design. She asked me to be the makeup artist for the performers.

Told her I didn't have the confidence to do it because I have never in my life put on makeup on another human being before, but she insisted I would do a great job so had to just lend a hand.

I'm surprised that I actually did a pretty good job putting on night makeup with reddish tones on the female performer. Got credited for it as well! U___U

Didn't take pictures though because I was busy beyond comprehension during that few days and looked like a walking corpse.

2. Staying up till dawn every night to work
Pretty weird that even though I didn't have anything major due, I was doing soooooo much work! Presentation for tax took me more than 2 days to prepare T___T And even so I don't think I did a good job. The lecturer said that it was good considering I had to pick up so many points regarding the topic from scratch, but I felt I could have done better with more time and sleep.

3. Playing Spore
After the super busy stretch I thought I would get ahead of my work so I wouldn't have to suffer too much afterwards, but then Trong introduced me to this new game called Spore and I GOT HOOKED T_____T

It sucks how I get hooked to games so easily T____T I have no sense of discipline at all.

But then again almost everyone in my flat is hooked to it la. It's super fun, you start from being this single-cell organism and slowly evolve to a high-level species, build civilizations and eventually venture into space! I'm still at the civilization level and I'm happy to report that I haven't played it for 2 days! Proud hehe

4. Playing host to nose-bleeding Japanese
Go's here in NZ for a holiday and stayed at my place last night before he flew to Queenstown. He hasn't changed much, except he kept talking about getting old and being bad at making decisions *rolls eyes*

Seriously, he left one of his luggages at my place and kept fretting about what to bring to Queenstown la! And he's still as anal about tidiness as ever. I thought I can be really obsessive compulsive, but this guy is at a whole different level! His suitcase is tidier than anything I own, all the adapters and wires for his gadgets are tied neatly and stored in a designated bag, in fact everything he has have got their own bags la!

It makes me stressed because I WANT MY STUFF TO BE AS TIDY AS THAT! Now I have to find ways to make my room tidier so I can constantly feel good about it.

OMG my life is damn boring.

Beware

2008-09-07T01:44:00.002+12:00

Geeky post ahead!

Ok I am going to say something perhaps none of you will believe came out of my mouth (or rather, came from my typing fingers).

I am really excited about the Large Hadron Collider!!

*waits for muffled laughter or confused mumbling*

I must admit, I never would've found out about it until I read Angels and Demons, and after I finished the book I wiki-ed it and got really interested even though I know peanuts about physics.

My knowledge on physics is limited to what I learned in high school about how freon is used in air-cons and fridges, momentum and force, inertia, Prinsip Archemedis and such (HAHAHAHA I can't believe I still remember all these hahahahahaha)

Anyway, the collider will be turned on in 3 days' time and I'm excited to see what they'll find!

Can't wait!

------------------------------------------------

I read the latest chapter of One Piece yesterday and I have to say this:

ODA IS A FREAKING GOD!!!

It's like the biggest cliffhanger ever la! So epic! I cried so much inside and I'm dying to read the next chapter now!

Ok, back to reading Branch Equivalent method proposed for taxation of Controlled Foreign Corporations in 1988.

I told you so, geeky stuff!

2008-09-04T13:43:00.002+12:00

Helloa peopla thiz iz a bery groggy Joanne typeing.
You cen tel from ze bad speling.

OK won't do that anymore. I don't know how some people can live with really really bad spelling! On purpose!

I just handed in my first draft for my thesis. It was supposed to be 30% of my research and I have written about 5500 words, but why do I feel like I haven't achieved that much? My literature review is not completed, I'm having trouble finding the information I need, I have so much more to write!

And that does not include work from the other 2 papers!

I have been sleeping an average of 4 hours for the past week and it really is starting to show in the form of eyebags and bad skin and bad hair. Make up, conditioner, moisturiser, everything is useless!

My hair sux to the max, it's super flat and look like dead roots from all the split ends. My pores are screaming at the world to look at them and my eyes look like they've been punched by geng mafia ketat hahahahahahaha inside joke.

Yesterday was the worst. I woke up at 4 am to work on my draft and prepare for accounting history presentation. Had class at the ungodly hour of 9.30 am (ok not ungodly but you must remember I have been averaging 4 hours of sleep!), listened to tax lecturer go on and on and on and on and on ok you get the drift for 3 full hours, worked more for presentation, and then had my history class in the afternoon. I met my lecturer from last year and he said I looked very tense and tired. And then another classmate of mine (cant remember who) said I look very tired.

Says a lot doesn't it!

I can't wait until all these are over. November 1st, come quickly!

Clumsy Bimbo

2008-09-02T19:19:00.000+12:00

I am the biggest klutz in the world.

You know those kind of canned food where you can pull a handle on the lid and the lid comes off without having to use a can opener?

I was trying to open a canned soup with that kind of lid yesterday, and when the lid came off it made a big cut on the ring finger of my right hand. I was thinking 'NOT AGAIN!' because I have had the same experience earlier in the year and it wasn't nice.

A lot of blood started oozing out and I panicked and ran back to my room to get some tissue paper. It wasn't painful la but it was bleeding quite a bit, so I stuck a plaster on it and continued cooking. By the time I finished cooking the medicinal strip of the plaster was totally red lor!

And Trong was still at uni doing his work so I ate my dinner alone with a bleeding finger and feeling really sad and lonely, almost cried T________T

I don't like being alone when I'm hurt or sick la! It just makes you feel extra lonely and sad knowing there's no one to comfort you T______________________________T

So I learnt my lesson and was extremely careful when I tried to open a can of diced tomatoes today while cooking dinner. It was really difficult to open, but eventually I managed to open it without any injuries. Poured half a can of the contents into the Nachos I was making, and wanted to store the rest in the fridge. I couldn't get the lid to come off completely though, so instead of leaving it half jutted out like that I thought I'd push the lid into the can for easier storage.

AND THEN I CUT MYSELF IN THE BASE OF MY THUMB.

OF THE SAME HAND.

AM I A STUPID KLUTZ OR WHAT! The edges of the opening are so sharp that I got cut quite deeply AGAIN. And lost a lot of blood AGAIN.

Why am I like that! Two days in a row! I feel like such an idiot.

Trong is usually the one who opens the cans and HE NEVER GETS CUT! I only do it when he's not helping me in the kitchen and I GET CUT THREE TIMES ALREADY!!!!

I SWEAR ON MY PLASTERED THUMB AND RING FINGER THAT I WILL NEVER TRY TO OPEN A CAN LIKE THAT AGAIN!

Luckily Trong was in the room this time around so I could run to him and try to cheat some TLC off him -__- He helped me put plaster on my thumb and hugged me so nice hehe

2008-08-31T08:48:00.002+12:00

Someone googled "middle finger emoticon" and found my blog T_____________T

Flame of determination my ass

2008-08-30T14:11:00.002+12:00

Took a day off from work yesterday to have a bit of fun before holidays come to an end. It was a gloomy day but I promised Trong to visit a toy store with him so he can do some observations of toys for his research (desigining a toy for some reason O_o) so we woke up early and headed off to the store he wanted to go ONLY TO FIND THAT IT CLOSED DOWN T___T

So we made some enquiry and found out that they re-structured their operations such that the toys are only sold online now.

-______-

Who sells toys online la?! As if kids would know how to buy toys online? As if parents wouldn't want their kid to have a look at the real toy before buying it? I dunno, as much online shopping as I do, certain things are just not meant to be purchased online, like shoes, groceries, property, ~~boyfriends~~, you get the drift.

Anyhoo, we went to another toy store where I got all excited and hopped from one section to another admiring legos, playdo, board games, dolls, miniatures, puzzles and likes.

Sometimes I wonder if I ever grew up.

I noticed that most toys nowadays are some sort of merchandise from movies, cartoons and nickolodean/disney channel/cartoon network shows. There were plenty stuff from Cars, High School Musical and things like that. They even had Transformers Risk and 2010 AD Risk but no original Risk for goodness' sake. Whatever happened to all the classic toys? The simple yet unpretentious toys we used to enjoy?

Maybe it's just a generation gap. I definitely wouldn't buy a lot of the toys out there nowadays for my kid. Trong and I agreed that what toys you buy for your kid would shape their personality for years to come. E.g. if you buy a lot of puzzle games for your kid there would be a high chance that they'll learn to think more and have better problem solving skills.

After spending 2 hours at the store and me being the short-attention span baby getting bored, we headed off to Lambton Square for grilled fish for lunch and went shopping afterwards.

Haul of the day: 2 of the same white singlet top with sequins at the front (one for me one for mom, I am such a perfect daughter U___U), a grey hoodie, and a STRAW HAT FINALLY!!!

Yessshhh!!! I can put it on now and go conquer the Grand Line and become the Pirate King! (One Piece overdose hehehe)

I can't wait for summer so I can strut around with pretty summer clothes!

In the evening we joined some friends at this Asian restaurant chain called Wagamama that just expanded to Wellington. It's like some pretend-to-be-upclass restaurant chain serving mediocre Japanese fusion food la. It was a good dining experience but I probably wouldn't go back anytime soon. I had chilli chicken ramen, gyoza, peach tea and warm sake which burnt my pocket a little bit. The gyoza was awesome but everything else was just so-so. I am quite unsatisfied and craving for better ramen now! Wanna go to Auckland and have that heavenly ramen that Shze Wei brought me to!

Super human writing machine

2008-08-28T00:26:00.002+12:00

Hello everyone!

Been MIA for the past couple of days because I've been sitting in front of my laptop churning out argument after argument for my tax essay. I remember how devastated I was when I first got the topic and word limit. 6000 words evaluating and comparing two tax policies? The readings alone were more than 2 inches thick T____T

Needless to say I procrastinated for as long as I could, being burnt out and unmotivated to do anything. It wasn't until Sunday that I started being concerned about the amount of work I had and started working on it seriously. Even so, the progress was slow, and by yesterday morning I only had half of the blasted thing done.

I panicked because I still had my first research draft (5000 words) to finish by Sunday, and admidst my panic and determination not to hand in anything late, stayed up until 6 am this morning to finish the essay.

Final word count: 6142 words.

I AM SO PROUD OF MYSELF WAHAHAHAHAHA

It is the longest piece of work I've ever done! And I wrote 3000 words in one day! Am I amazing or what *smug*

So much for worrying about meeting the required length lor, I could have written much more if I wanted to, but enough is enough I will probably have endured enough tax to last me a life time by the end of this semester.

But seriously, determination and pressure really goes a long way. I never would have believed that I would be willing to stay up all night to finish an assignment in the middle of the holidays. I am still unmotivated to work, but the desire to get everything out of the way forces one to be efficient.

Now if only that flame of determination won't go out until October 31st....

A lighter note

2008-08-24T22:41:00.004+12:00

I usually don't listen to mainstream pop, punk, and hip-hop music, preferring the sounds of electronica and alternative music such as Daft Punk, Goldfrapp, Air, Gorillaz, Bjork, Jamiroquai, Groove Armada, Massive Attack, Moby, 50 Hz, Phoenix, Thievery Corporation and Royskopp.

Sometimes I also listen to rock-ish bands like Muse, Coldplay and Silverchair.

But you know what turns me into a fangirl?

BUBBLEGUM JPOP.

Kiss~Kaerimichi no Love Song~ - Tegomass

Sigh Tegomass' ballads are love. The melody and lyrics make me airy-fairy and float to the ceiling lol

WTF FIRE ALARM!! gtg bye

Better days ahead

2008-08-23T23:44:00.003+12:00

Hello spring!!!

The weather for the past few days have been awesome and since you can't beat Wellington on a good day, I abandoned my essay and went to the waterfront to enjoy the sunshine and His Dark Materials. Loved all three books, although I must admit I should've read them at the end of the year, because I feel soooo guilty for not doing my essay T___T

Yes, I have to write about 8000-10000 words over the next week. I have no idea how I am going to achieve that T_________T

I'm extremely sick of honours already. I think I went too hard out last semester and burnt myself out, so now I have absolutely no motivation to study anymore. I still like what I'm studying, but I can't be bothered putting effort into anything I write now, which is bad because the remaining 8 weeks is crucial in determining whether I get a first class honours or not.

Sigh I can't wait to finish this semester and enjoy bumming life.

---------------------------------------------------

I wanna shop.

I want new aviator shades. Love mine with white frame and purple lens from BKK but they're scratched :(

I want summer clothes! New dresses, new top to go with the pair of red jeans I bought online, new jandals, new shorts, white flowy clothes, new bikini

I want a strawhat so I can look like Strawhat Luffy hahahahaha

I want to shop at BKK~~~~~~

I want to go travelling because I haven't been out of Wellington at all this year (the day trip to Auckland was for interview and doesn't count)

I want out

--------------------------------------------

APPLE BETTER RELEASE THEIR NEW MACBOOK REALLY SOON BECAUSE I REALLY WANT A NEW LAPTOP!!

Was all prepared to blow my bank account on the existing ones already and then my Apple-crazy flatmates decide to tell me Apple is due to release new macbook next month and advised me to wait for it T____T

AAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH

ROOOOAAAAARRRRRRRRRR

2008-08-20T00:42:00.005+12:00

I was in a happy mood all day today until I read this.

I CANNOT EVEN BEGIN TO DESCRIBE HOW EXTREMELY ANGRY AND SAD I FEEL ABOUT THIS.

All this talk about unity and building a national identity is political bullshit.
After 50 years of independence, I had the illusion that Ketuanan Melayu and special rights to Malays/Bumiputera has been reduced to merely a formality of the constitution. Bumiputeras are neutral about it, enjoying whatver special "rights" they have but believing in equality all the same.

I thought Ketuanan Melayu was a matter of political propoganda, a topic reserved to the debates among politicians to gain support from fanatics. I thought my generation would be open enough to see that race should not have to matter anymore.

How very wrong and naive I am.

9000 students from a Bumiputera-only public university protested against the proposal of taking in 10% of non-Bumis into the university.

9000 strong protests. Against 10% intake.

It is this kind of things I read in the news that makes me lose all hope in my country.

How do you expect non-Bumis to love the country and commit to unity when there is a constitution that forever places them at a disadvantage, AND you get STUDENTS who do not believe in equal opportunities?!?!?!

Students. The future leaders of our beloved-country. DISCRIMINATING AGAINST NON-INDEGENOUS CITIZENS OF THE SAME COUNTRY.

I say FUCK YOU ALL.

It is only a 10% non-Bumi intake for goodness' sake! What the fuck is your problem?!?! What is wrong with having non-Bumi in a public university?! Heck, can we even call it a public university? Why shouldn't intakes be based on merit?? Why are you all so narrow-minded and backward?!?!

I remember doing my pre-university studies at INTEC, which is sort of a branch of UiTM for JPA scholars going overseas to pursue their tertiary education. If I am not mistaken it is the only campus in UiTM with non-Bumi. All of us went to the main campus at Shah Alam for a Merdeka celebration once, and I remember being stared at by all the Malays there as if we were aliens. Someone even asked us if we were international students here for an exchange.

That is how removed from the society these students are. I think it goes to show that a single-race environment does no good for education of all levels in a multicultural society. It just produces narrow-minded katak di bawah tempurung (literal translation: frog under a coconut shell. The frog thinks the world is only as big as the coconut shell, with no knowledge of what is beyond it) who think the world of themselves, but are actually parasites to the society.

And the student body president says that they will hold bigger demonstrations if they proceed with the proposal. I quote him "we are serious about the matter as it touches on our educational rights".

OMG I AM SO ANGRY I COULD SPIT FIRE RIGHT NOW. *Resists urge to smack sleeping Trong*

YOUR educational rights?!?! What about everyone else?! Don't we have educational rights too?! Why are my parents paying taxes to fund lavish campuses for which their children can never use? To finance tertiary education that we have no right to?!

What is the point of staying in a country where you will forever be second-class, you tell me! This is exactly why many non-Bumi students go overseas to study and don't come back to the country! And it is why our workforce is not as productive as it should be - because you get scums who know that they will get support from the government anyway! Also it is why our university rankings are so low - BECAUSE YOU GET LOUSY STUDENTS WHO GOT INTO UNIVERSITIES BECAUSE OF THEIR RACE, NOT THEIR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS!

As a student, this is what I am most upset about. I have Chinese friends who fail to get a scholarship because they got 11 A1 and one A2 for the Chinese language paper for SPM, and then you hear about Malays who get to go overseas to study on government scholarship having only gotten mediocre results.

Where is the justice in this?! Why do we have to work so hard just to get to the same position as someone else who is lucky enough to be born as a 'privileged' race?

FUCK YOU ALL. I have lost all hope.

p/s: Please pardon my french, I have read some other articles on this and I am sorry I'm not able to write as maturely as they do. I am really really upset about this and I just want to express my disappointment at the whole issue.

P/p/s: To Malays out there, I know a lot of you who are not as shallow and narrow-minded as these guys. This is not directed at you as a whole, but to the (small? I'm not sure anymore) proportion of those Bumiputera who still believe in Ketuanan Melayu. Friends who are reading this please don't take offence. All the same, if you stand by the views projected by the students at UiTM, FUCK YOU.

Wet stone characteristic -__-

2008-08-19T22:41:00.003+12:00

I went for a wine training course last night and it was awesome! Getting paid to drink wine, what more can one ask for?

Considering my amazing alcohol tolerance, I was actually quite nervous at first, thinking I was going to get pissed after 3 types of wine, and the wine selection at the bar comprises of about 10 types of red wine alone @___@

But! I managed to come home alive and quite sober lol. We only tried about 10 types of wine - 2 bubbles, 3 Savignon Blanc, 2 Chardonnay, 2 Pinot Gris, a Riesling, and 3 types of red. I'm not a fan of red wine so not gonna bother typing those out.

The session was surprisingly enjoyable! I am mighty impressed with the facilitator (?) la, she can take a whiff at the wine and tell so many things about it! Here are some of the descriptions she used: herbacious, grassy, smoky, complex, tropical, woody, butterscotch, vanilla, spicy, citrusy, acidic, minerally, luscious, earthy, BURNT BACON HAHAHAHAHA, zesty, crisp, broad, creamy, clean, dry, well integrated, smooth, smells like ash tray, pepper, and my favourite: wet stone characteristic.

Wtf how can you tell that something tastes/smells like wet stone la! My senses are only limited to nice/ not nice only lor! I remember taking notes like crazy on the information sheet she gave us. Yeah yeah go ahead and laugh at me taking notes during wine tasting -___-

Once a geek forever a geek -__________-

But anyway I learnt soooo much about wine and it feels really good because now I can pretend to be sophisticated and say 'Hmm this has a wet stone characteristic to it' U____U

I found that I enjoy wine with a more tropical or fruity flavour to it. Still like the crisp and clean Savignon Blanc from Marlborough but I really really dig the tropical taste of Hawke's Bay wine! My favourite of them all has to be the Allan Scott unwooded Chardonnay. It has a really smooth and creamy texture, with a buttery flavour with subtle hints of spice. Unlike Savignon Blanc which really attacks your senses initially and is then gone just like that, Chardonnay has a really broad characteristic and has more depth to it, with really nice aftertaste.

HOHOHOHOHOHO DON'T I SOUND SOPHISTICATED

But seriously, that's my take on it, and I recommend Pinot Gris for an easy drink as well! That's all for now byebye!

Still proud

2008-08-18T02:08:00.002+12:00

We lost to China in Men's Singles badminton finals
Our only hope for a gold medal went *poof* just like that
And I cannot help but sigh at how badly we lost

Disappointed at the lost opportunity
But waving the Jalur Gemilang nonetheless

2008-08-17T15:06:00.001+12:00

GO LEE CHONG WEI!!!!!!
MAKE US PROUD!!!

Don't think! Feeeeeeeel

2008-08-13T22:39:00.004+12:00

Ok I'm supposed to be working my arse off for my History of Accounting Thought research proposal thats due in less than 12 hours (which I haven't started btw)....

BUT! This is too good not to blog about!

Ladies and gentlemen introducing my new favourite quote:

Don't think! Feeeeeeeeeeel
-Bruce Lee, Enter the Dragon-

THE WAY BRUCE LEE SAID IT WAS DAMN FUNNY OK! I was totally shitting my pants laughing the first time I heard it on a Japanese variety show. And then I YouTube-ed it and the scenario of the scene made it 10 times funnier xD

Don't believe me? Watch this.

HILARIOUS RIGHT!!! It's my new favourite quote replacing Russell Peters' "OH MY GAWD, !xobile" LOL

Trong doesn't think it's funny -_- Maybe I've just got an overly shallow sense of humour.

Honestly, I even think the -_- emoticon is hilarious.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

More on the Olympics:

If you watched the opening ceremony, you would have came across this little girl singing A song for my Motherland. Remember? The little girl in the cute red dress, cute ponytails, pretty smiling face, awesome singing voice?

I actually thought she was really creepy because she had this creepy smile plastered on her face the whole time.

Like this:

*cold shivers*

SERIOUSLY, HER FACE WAS LIKE THIS FROM BEGINNING TO END LOR!!! HOW SCARY IS THAT!

You'd think she was told that if she stopped smiling her family would be executed or something o__0
(courtesy of Tina) (It's a joke ok don't flame me for being a traitor to my race or whatever)

But anyway a lot of people thinks she's cute as and quite the little miss perfect.

But get this:

She was lip-synching the song which was sung by another girl who was denied her opportunity to perform for the opening ceremony because she wasn't pretty enough.

The other girl is this girl in fact:

WHAT THE HELL IS THEIR PROBLEM?!?! Ok la granted she is not as pretty as the creepy girl but she's not horrendously fugly la so why the bloody hell can't she perform the song she sang?!?!

She's got the most amazing voice la and a little make-up will make her look pretty in no time right?!

It's really sad la, she got effin rejected because she has crooked teeth. Poor girl.

And there I was impressed as a grape (LOL I dunno where that came from it just popped into my mind) that so much effort has been put into the production of the ceremony with amazing results, only to find that the footprint fireworks footages and singing little girls are fake.

Says a lot doesn't it? And I don't even wanna go into other aspects of this made-up perfection.

I'm still impressed with their achievements, but I would have settled for less, provided that they're genuine and sincere.

Olympics Action

2008-08-08T17:05:00.002+12:00

I WANNA WATCH THE OLYMPICS BUT I DON'T HAVE A TV AT MY FLAT!!!! T_______________T

How how how?!?! This sucks la I really really really wanna watch some volleyball and beach volleyball! The last volleyball match I watched was China vs Russia dunno many years ago man!

Seriously, that was like the best game I've ever watched in my life.

I remember watching it alone and biting my nails furiously because China lost the first two sets and managed to come back and win the game! OMG just thinking about it makes me want to play volleyball again.

I miss my volleyball days :(((((((((((((((

Anyway, back to Olympics. Any kind soul out there in Wellington wanna lend me a TV set for the next few weeks?? *hamtaro face + blinkey eyes*

EGGY

2008-08-06T23:32:00.003+12:00

This flash video got us laughing like crazy~~~~!!!

Will never look at eggs the same way again U_______U

2008-08-05T22:24:00.002+12:00

Waaarrrgghhhh my face is tingling like anything!

Just tried on this new facial product that I got online (I won't say the brand) and it's making my face feel soooooooooo minty!!!

The instructions state 'suitable' for eyes so I rubbed an extra large dab on the area around my eyes and now they're screaming as if I just rubbed chilli on them T____T

Damn I hope this lives up to its reputation~

The other flatmate

2008-08-03T01:12:00.004+12:00

Meet my sixth flatmate Fishfinger!

Pebbles are my staple diet because I have a stomach made of steel *bloats up to show off steel tummy*
Those are actually flower stalks LOL Trong stuck them in there for photography purposes
Talk about multiple usage

I have a feeling Fishfinger doesn't get a lot of oxigen in his bowl because he likes to go up to the surface to breath? Or maybe he just likes making bubbles.
I've tried looking for oxigen pills for the water but can't seem to find it :(

See?
I love how you can see the water going into his mouth in this picture

I LOIKE THIS PHOTO

EVERYONE/THING AROUND ME LIKES TO GIVE ME THAT PITIFUL LOOK I TELL YOU!!!
Look! Doesn't this picture make you go 'awwwwww~~~~' and proceed to feed him?
Seriously it's like sometimes he knows he can get to me like this and everytime I look at him he looks back at me with this kind of face and opens and closes his mouth like he wants me to feed him!
Damn hard to refrain you know!
K la I'm just over-dramatising as usual and I DO NOT OVERFEED HIM

Sigh he makes me happy just wiggling his body and swimming in his fishbowl. I wish I could be carefree like that.

I remember there was once when his fishbowl had so much algae and none of its two owners bothered to clean the bowl so me being the kind-hearted soul had to do it

I replaced too much clean water and didn't leave enough of the original water in the bowl and Fishfinger had a shock and was suffering quite a bit
I thought he would die because of me and got really scared and kept praying that he wouldn't die because it would really break my heart T_____T

It didn't help when Trong (one of its owners) came home and got annoyed at me
I remember him scolding me "why didn't you consult anyone first?!' T_______T

That was the last straw
I broke down and cried

WHAT THE HELL I'M SO KIND AS TO DO YOUR JOB FOR YOU AND ALREADY FEELING REALLY BAD AND YOU HAD TO TREAT ME LIKE THAT!!

Anyway he apologised to me after that and Fishfinger got used to the water eventually so all was well so byebye everyone!

wtf damn anti-climax hahaha

I love spoofs

2008-08-02T03:16:00.001+12:00

WAH LAU EH DAMN FUNNY!!!

Stalkers Anonymous

2008-08-02T02:33:00.003+12:00

I have to admit it - I am a closet stalker.

I like stalking other people online, through their blogs, social networking website profiles, anything. And I usually do it to people whom I find pretty/hot/handsome/attractive. They're usually people I am only vaguely acquainted to.

Yes, I am shallow like that.

I like to read what they write, get to know how they're like as a person. I especially love looking at their pictures and admiring how pretty/hot/handsome/attractive they are.

~~And then I go and bang my head on the wall because I'm not as~~ ~~pretty/hot/handsome/attractive as they are~~

I just spent 2 hours reading this blog of a girl I don't even know. Granted, she's a pretty famous blogger in Malaysia but sometimes I find stalking pretty pointless myself.

I could easily spend that time catching up on my readings or sleeping. Heck, I could have catched up on my social life!

Are any of you like that? Is this healthy? Is it *gasp* just me?

Btw, I got myself a counter for my blog traffic a few days ago because I'm vain and I wanna know how many people actually reads my blog.

Surprise surprise I actually have some stalkers of my own too har har har!!

I don't know anyone in Minnesota or Seattle lor! Or maybe I do but I'm just so socially-retarded and don't catch up with friends that I dunno who is where. Wahahaha wanna own up and tell me who you are?

Seriously, I would love to know who my readers are and interact with them. So please don't be shy to leave comments or flood the chatbox. You can be anonymous if you want just comment on something la cos I'm an attention whore lol

K la you can even make fun of me if you want to *hamtaro face*

In case you're wondering what hamtaro face is about, it's this emoticon that I use quite often on MSN. I dunno how to post it here but it has hamtaro making this really pitiful face with shiny eyes and looks about to cry. It's damn effective if you wanna bug someone to do something for you or buy something for you lor!

Just use the emoticon 10 times in a row! Has 82% success rate!

Ok I'm just writing bullshit now so I'm gonna go and sleep now. Nite nite!

Fatboy Slim - Weapon of Choice

2008-07-31T18:12:00.001+12:00

Was watching Batman Returns a couple of nights ago and Christopher Walken was in it, and it just reminded me of this video so much that I just had to post it up! One of my favourite music videos!!

Online Videos by Veoh.com

Crap

2008-07-30T01:24:00.004+12:00

Crap #1

Received an email from my tax lecturer saying that the expected length of both of our essays on international taxation this trimester is 6000 words each.

6000 words EACH.

$#^@!*&@!%$##&* WHAT ARE WE NOW?!?! WORD-CRAPPING ROBOTS?!?! My other paper has a 6000 words research paper only lor!

This paper is really draining all my energy. There are only 3 of us in the class, hence we are expected to give presentations every week, there is a final exam for the paper, and now TWO 6000 words essay!

Man I feel exhausted just thinking about all the work I have to do.

Tax - Weekly presentations, 6000 essay x 2, final exam
History - Critiques, presentations, research proposal, 6000 words research
Research Project - 15000 to 20000 words research

So all together I have to write at least 33,000 words in 3 months?!?!?!

THATS LIKE A MASTERS THESIS CRAMMED INTO 3 MONTHS OK!!!!

I should really buck up. All this procrastinating is doing me no good. I hereby announce that I am going to stop blogging until all this is over....

....

Ok ok kidding, come back please don't ditch me! I need an outlet for all my rants about honours.

Crap #2

I spent a whopping 200 bucks today on online shopping!! OMG I need to tighten my belt for the next 2 weeks to make up for the splurge.

Online shopping is EVIL I tell you. It's just way too easy to spend money online lor! Don't even have to dress up, put on make up, do your hair, walk into every shop like nobody's business, go through rack after rack of clothes/shoes/makeup/books/accesories/etc etc like nobody's business, swipe your eftpos card, carry all the stuff back home.

Just sit in front of your computer and click away, let others do the dirty job for you.

I have a feeling that I will turn obese and poor if this online shopping spree goes on. Heck, shopping was one of my very few forms of exercise la!

*mental image of broke and obese Joanne* SCARRYYYYYYY~~~~

Trong please let me stay as your girlfriend!!!! T_________T

Did you miss me?

2008-07-29T08:31:00.003+12:00

Sorry to those who visited yesterday and found that bloggie was locked to visitors!

I was trying to add a profile photo to the sidebar and it totally screwed up the layout for some reason, so I had to lock the blog up temporarily to fix the layout. But then after that I forgot to unlock it!

Absent-minded Joanne.

Anyway it is once again open to all readers! Hope you didn't miss me too much nyehehehe

---------------------------------

Trong wants me to promote his new blog/domain since he thinks I have more readers than he does hohohoho. It's mostly design/photography related so I assure you it will be entertaining for design/photography geeks like him!

But my blog will always be more entertaining la what do you think! So don't ditch me for him ok *blinkey eyes*

Here's the link to Trongy.com

Just because I've been looking fugly in pictures lately...

2008-07-27T16:03:00.003+12:00

The bimbo will never run out of excuses to camwhore. I love Trong's iMac!

And lookie I've found a way to do the Ah Lian pose with an iMac! Adjust the screen so that the camera's pointed at your forehead, tilt your head down, open your eyes really big, pout your lips, look ghostly, SNAP! Nyehehehehe

*The end of Joanne's narcissism for the day*

-------------------------------------------------

Cinderella on Ice was a disappointment!!! They cancelled the show on the first night because the ice was contaminated. How that affects anything I won't speculate.

Anyway, they totally didn't follow the storyline lor!! Like suddenly can have swan lake scene wan, what the hell right!

And then I totally laughed my head off when they used ice-skating boots as the glass slippers. How un-classy is that!

Sigh it was really disappointing la. The costumes were so-so, the effects were so-so, even the music was so-so! Swan Lake on Ice was so much better.

But then The Dark Knight comes to the rescue! Seriously the movie was like the bomb man. Suspense to the power of 1000! I loved it, and I think I'm gonna go get all the old Batman DVDs out to refresh my memory of the story.

I'm not gonna talk about Heath Ledger la because every Tom Dick and Harry out there is raving about how good he was as if he suddenly became the greatest actor that ever lived and they suddenly became his greatest fan. After he died. BAH!

Anyhow the bottomline was that movie is A+ material, go watch it!

2008-07-22T12:24:00.000+12:00

Who would have thought it would be so hard to find a lousy long-sleeved white shirt in Wellington?!?!

I need one for my ushering shift on Thursday and I've been EVERYWHERE in town and can't seem to find one! Either they're not long-sleeved or they're too big for me!

I refuse to buy one that is not my size just because of one ushering shift. And why do I have to buy an ugly long-sleeved shirt just because they decided that they don't want ushers wearing three-quartered sleeves?!

I'm just going to ask them to provide me with one. Nevermind if it's going to be oversized because IT'S JUST ONE LOUSY SHIFT!

OK la not that lousy because I get paid to watch Cinderella on Ice! *smug smug*

Really excited about it! I watched Swan Lake on Ice 2 years ago and it was awesome! I think this one is by the same performers so I have high expectations. Can't wait!

-----------------------------------

Have booked tickets for The Dark Knight this Friday and I'm really excited! I think the whole world is gearing to watch this one la. Sorry for your death Heath Ledger but it definitely gave the show lots of publicity!

And there're posters for the movie pasted on the wall below my flat so I think the guys are definitely going to steal it hohohoho

Family drama

2008-07-21T21:53:00.003+12:00

Many may be deceived by my writing style and the way I speak to non-Malaysians that I speak good English.

I do not. I only try to speak in a Kiwi accent because people tend not to understand me when I speak Manglish (Malaysian English). And since I hang out with a lot of non-Malaysians here, most of the time I will be speaking in attempted Kiwi accent. And write in proper English.

But I dunno why I have suddenly reverted back into using Manglish quite a lot nowadays!! If you read my previous few posts there are lots of 'la' and 'lor' - sure signs of Manglish!

I am puzzled. But I thought since my writing style has always been quite formal I should take this opportunity to introduce my friends to the beauty that we call Manglish!

So ladies and gentlemen this is an announcement that I shall not refrain myself to use Manglish, Malay and Chinese words in my blog from now on!

Don't worry my writing style won't change drastically but you will probably see more la's and loh's and mah's and wan's in my sentences from now on. If you don't understand anything you can ask me k....

----------------------------------------

Just now my brother messaged me on MSN with a very bright 'HI!!' and I immediately knew something was up. VICTOR ANG, that twat who rarely bothers to talk to me online, and always tries to be cool, getting all hyper and giving me the 'HI!!' talk?!

I considered for a moment that it might be his new gf hijacking his MSN. Anyway the conversation goes:

- vic - a.k.a m0nkEyBoy a.k.a kisuragi(kissy) says:'
HI !!

*~Joanne~* ジョエン * says:
hello!
you're hyper today

- vic - a.k.a m0nkEyBoy a.k.a kisuragi(kissy) says:
*evil laugh emoticon*
i know what i want for my b'day !!

*~Joanne~* ジョエン * says:
*sweat drop emoticon*
which is?

- vic - a.k.a m0nkEyBoy a.k.a kisuragi(kissy) says:
iPhone !!
It's damn cool

*~Joanne~* ジョエン * says:
then?
GET YOURSELF LA (see I told you right sure got something up wan)
where got this kinda brother always wanna con from sister wan

- vic - a.k.a m0nkEyBoy a.k.a kisuragi(kissy) says:
*Middle finger emoticon*
b'day present of course ppl buy one la
where got ppl so damn lame buy for ownself

*~Joanne~* ジョエン * says:
Ok, i buy you pay
settle

- vic - a.k.a m0nkEyBoy a.k.a kisuragi(kissy) says:
you come back then we go buy
you pay!
i drive you buy

*~Joanne~* ジョエン * says:
please lor i pokkai kaki (pokkai kaki = slang for someone who's always broke)

- vic - a.k.a m0nkEyBoy a.k.a kisuragi(kissy) says:
pokai my ass
working + allowwance 0,0

*~Joanne~* ジョエン * says:
OI YOU THINK IF I GOT MONEY I WONT BUY IPHONE FOR MYSELF FIRST AHH YOU KUKU

- vic - a.k.a m0nkEyBoy a.k.a kisuragi(kissy) says:
good la
buy 1 iPhone expensive
buy 2 got DISCOUNT !!
HHOHOHO
smart way to earn money

*~Joanne~* ジョエン * says:
YA LA CON ME LA NOW
i'm sure you already knew i'd say that and prepare the discount comeback

- vic - a.k.a m0nkEyBoy a.k.a kisuragi(kissy) says:
i'm a very honest person
i dont con ppl "especially" my own sister !!

*~Joanne~* ジョエン * says:
what d'ya mean especially
very close to you now ah

- vic - a.k.a m0nkEyBoy a.k.a kisuragi(kissy) says:
sei yeh (sei yeh = literally 'dead thing' in Cantonese. Carries the meaning of 'damn you' but not as harsh)
heh !!
i dont care
you gonna sponsor me when you come back
good job
BYE BYE
and THX !!!

*At this point he went offline*

*~Joanne~* ジョエン * says:
wtf
sei yeh COME BACK LA

WTF why do I have this kind of brother I ask you! NO WAY will I buy him an iPhone. I am a firm believer of not spoiling kids with unnecessary luxury. If you want something expensive find a part-time job and pay for it yourself! But Victor being Victor I don't think he's actually serious about me getting him an iPhone la, he's just doing that to piss me off grrr little bugger.
I miss my brother :(

---------------------------------------------

Trong and I came across the curse word "Douche Nozzle" while we were online.

What it means:

The underappreciated apparatus of the Douche that actually does the stinky work. Attached to the Douche Bag.

A male who acts and looks like an utter jackass. Someone who transcends common insults to the point that simply calling him a "jackass" or "douchebag" will no longer do. Much more offensive than simply calling someone a douchebag.

A douche nozzle is a person who can't handle social situations without his douche bag sidekicks. He bumps into you and speaks louder than normal because he thinks his douche nozzle presence is so important. Douche nozzles and bags travel together because they both must exist for douching to occur.

(Source: UrbanDictionary.com)

Trong laughed and laughed and laughed until he ran out of breath.

-_-

Why is everyone around me so weird

2008-07-18T17:19:00.001+12:00

I think this video is genius! Love Daft Punk.

Abuse

2008-07-18T15:44:00.000+12:00

Crunchyroll + free internet = love!

Have been abusing the free internet at uni to the max lately on crunchyroll. What started out today as a browse for asian movies to watch turned out to be a 2-hour long movie session. I watched this Thai movie called Iron Ladies and was trying so hard to suppress my giggles and laughter in the honours room! Aaahhh I love crunchyroll and all the entertainment that comes with it. I have been watching quite a few Japanese variety shows on it and they have always made my days. Next on the crunchyroll playlist: GREAT TEACHER ONIZUKA!!!

------------------------------------------

We had a meeting with the honours coordinator, Chris, today about our research topics and supervisors. I was answering a question for Fiona who wasn't there at the meeting and this Chris called me Fiona instead of Joanne! I am damn hurt inside lor I have been in his class for the whole of the last semester and been to several consultation sessions with him and HE CALLS ME BY THE WRONG NAME!!! T__________T

I know la I'm not the best student and not his favourite but I have a distinct look right! Just look at my ears la who else has ears like mine!! T_____T
I knew I should have kept my mouth shut and not answer questions on behalf of others.

What was worse was that ALL the guys in the class thought it was very funny and kept calling me Fiona after that lor! Why am I always subjected to bullying T_________________T
I think its my charisma or somehow I always react funnily to being bullied la, for some reason I am always a favourite when it comes to bullying *sob*
Seriously, since my kindergarden days people have enjoyed making fun of me (I don't mean bullying in a bad sense la they're always friendly fun) - my classmates and friends, relatives, people I don't see for a long time, EVEN MY BOYFRIEND AND FAMILY ENJOYS MAKING FUN OF ME LA I should just go and kill myself

I don't think these jokers will let this pass for a long time, so I will have to brace myself and prepare some cunning comeback at them GRrRRRRR think think think

----------------------------------------------------------

Been quite productive when it comes to weekly readings lately! Going to finish next week's readings tonight and go all out on my research over the weekend. Have a great weekend everyone!

iro iro

2008-07-14T20:33:00.003+12:00

Been out and about doing this and that but I dunno what to blog about!

Ok la, won't complain about workload this time around, will save it for better times ahead *rolls eyes*

I had an awesome weekend! Went for the potluck dinner with my flatmates at a friend's place on Friday. It was a Southeast Asia themed dinner so I was being smug about it thinking I would probably whip up the most authentic dish there - Malaysian curry from a Malaysian! But just my luck la I managed to burn the pot of curry because I left it to simmer for too long on medium heat while I went to my room to get ready T_______T

Had to make a big job out of rescuing the curry by pouring lots and lots of curry powder in to get rid of the burnt taste. And when we brought it to the friend's place it didn't even get served! There was just too many dishes and somehow everyone just forgot about it T______T
Anyway, we saw it as a free meal and brought the pot of curry home with us and had a wonderful dinner out of it the next night hehe.

On Saturday night, went to Hope Bros to watch All Blacks vs South Africa. One of the most intense games of rugby I've ever watched. It seemed to me that both teams played their hearts out, and I am again mesmerized by just how big a difference Daniel Carter makes to the team. Although All Blacks lost by 2 points at the end, I really enjoyed the game. Went to random party that Rory's flat threw after that. It was really cool, the theme was 'scene-ster' but nobody understood what it meant so we just went there as we were U___U They rented out their deck/turntable and Rory showed me how it was used. They also had a smoke machine! I would have enjoyed myself a lot if I wasn't slightly drunk and feeling dizzy whenever I stood for too long.

I really suck at drinking la!!! Hate my low alcohol tolerance.

What else to write about arrr...think think think

I dunno la there're too many things going on what with my one-day-of-classes week and I dunno which to write about. I suppose I should buck up and get serious on my school work.

In the mean time check out this extended scene from LOTR!!! It's hauntingly beautiful. A bit of a waste that they cut it out from the theatrical version. I am mighty impressed never knew Liv Tyler could sing!

My last trimester as a student

2008-07-10T09:42:00.002+12:00

OMG OMG I can't believe I'm down to the last 3 months of student life already!! Yesterday marked the beginning of the end of my wonderful life as a student, and I am going to enjoy it while I can.

Papers I'm taking:

ACCY 407 History of Accounting Thought
ACCY 410 Advanced Taxation
ACCY 430 Research Project in Accounting (dunno the actual course title la I just made it up)

I like all three papers so far. I'm doing a comparative study of the taxation system of emissions trading between New Zealand, UK and Germany. My supervisors have been awesome and really helpful. Hope my first class honours is within reach with my research! The taxation lecturer is a bit boring but the subject itself is about international taxation and it seems really interesting. There are only 3 of us in the class so there you go, can't ask for more individual attention. I have a feeling I'm going to love the accounting history paper. Yesterday during the introductory lesson the lecturer was talking about the origins of accounting like a grandfather telling stories to his grandchildren. Aaahhh I adore him.

Oh, did I mention I only have ONE day of classes a week?
U_____________U

Leave it to the Japanese to come up with these

2008-07-08T14:49:00.002+12:00

Aren't these the cutest sushi ever....

Pictures from Toxel.com

Just looking at them makes me happy.

2008-07-02T01:05:00.002+12:00

Despite being 2 and a half thousand kilometres away you have a way of making me laugh and feel good about myself like no one else can when I'm sobbing in bed alone on a cold night.

No one else understands my insecurities like you do and still accepts them whole-heartedly.
No one else will probably be able to put up with my mood-swings and obsessive compulsiveness the way you do.
No one else will let me boss them around and yet still cradle me like a kid when time calls for it.
No one else has taught me so much but at the same time make me feel young at heart.

I love you, I miss you, and I can't wait to be in your embrace once more.

2008-07-01T22:46:00.002+12:00

Some people have no idea what one selective comment can do to my self-confidence.

I'm usually ok with it and take it as a joke but there comes a time when enough is enough. I do not need to be compared with others. I know I usually project a confident and collected image but I am not like that all the time. I have issues with myself that I try very hard to come to grips with. Just when I was feeling good about myself one inconsiderate comment ruins it all. Thanks for making me feel like a sore loser.

......And I don't have my boyfriend beside me to cry to.

Status: Depressed, frustrated and in major PMS-mode

2008-06-30T23:35:00.002+12:00

I love Trong today because:

1. He's vain like me and tells me about really really cool websites selling orgasmic dresses!!!
2. He puts up with my attempts at lame jokes and says yes reluctantly when I ask him if I'm funny.
3. He lets me tease him about absolutely everything.

Muakzzzz!! Eagerly awaiting your return from Melb.

2008-06-30T08:24:00.002+12:00

I think it's really sad what is happening to Zimbabwe nowadays :(

Joanne in Obsessive Compulsive Mode

2008-06-29T11:23:00.002+12:00

Those who know me well will notice that I have this thing with tidiness. I can't stand having stuff scattered around as it'll make me feel suffocated. Nevertheless when it comes to busy periods when I absolutely don't have time for cleaning and tidying I usually have to bear with it and do a major obsessive clean-up after.

(Oohhh I just got distracted by some snow-like substances floating outside my window. Went to have a look and realized it was foam from the fountain blown to air by the strong winds. It actually does looks like snow. Haha random)

Anyway, to celebrate the end of my semester I did a huge clean up of the whole flat yesterday. Regretted not taking pictures as up till now I'm still amazed at my work! Everything tucked away in their rightful places, clean tables and floor, not a sign of mess. Very happy with myself U_______U

But then I effin hate this flatmate of mine la. He's effin useless and NEVER does any housework although we have a roster drawn up. He's like forever in front of his computer obsessing with his graphic designs. Now that its holidays, my two other flatmates have gone back to Dunedin and Trong is in Melbourne until this Wednesday so it's just me and him in the flat at the moment. Yesterday I made a big job out of cleaning and he just pretended not to notice me and didn't even bother to help out! FUCK YOU I wasn't even obliged to clean up your shit but I did it out of the kindness in my heart (lol) since I am free now and want the others to come back to a clean flat and not a rubbish dump. Grrrr I'm so angry with him I swear the next time he messes up the place I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind. And it's not just me who's angry at him lor! Everyone else knows he's useless, I know everyone else in the flat is not the pedantic type, we are happy to clean up others' mess if its not too much of a bother to us, but this guy is one of the biggest chumps I know and I'm sure everyone else is annoyed at him too. GO ROT IN FRONT OF YOUR BLOODY IMAC LA HOPE YOU GET DIARRHAEA FROM ALL YOUR ROTTING FOOD IN THE FRIDGE!

Actually no I take that back because you'll probably won't flush the toilet clean as usual and I have to face your disgusting shit so HOPE YOU GET LOCKED OUT AGAIN AND I WON'T BE AS KIND THIS TIME.

Phew glad to get that off my chest. All in all I'm still very happy that the flat is clean, such a sense of accomplishment U___U Also made myself very good dinner and went to work at St James. Very productive. I was working for the Medieval Banquet last night and everyone, staff included, had to dress up in Medieval clothings! It was really fun working and they really paid so much attention to get the whole Medieval theme going! The managers hired out $4000 bucks of Medieval costumes so everyone came in their normal clothes and got to change into those costumes! I had to dress up as sort of a peasant and my costume looks like one of the hobbit women outfits in LOTR! Pictures later.

The patrons had to sit at long tables lit up by lots of candles and only use metal plates and mugs for their meals and ale. No cutleries allowed and everyone had to eat with their hands. We served their meals by carrying around a large pot of soup and serving directly onto their bowls while they were seated, and bread from a huge basket. The patrons were to be addressed 'Sire' and 'Mi Lady', and they had actors stirring the Medieval atmosphere up! It was most fun and the staff got to have really good food during our breaks too. Aahhh I love St James.

I had big plans of going to get lots of groceries and bake for the rest of today but the weather is really shitty so I think I'm just gonna stay at home and chill out. HOLIDAYS ARE AWESOME!

Omedetou!!!

2008-06-27T08:33:00.002+12:00

It is 8.34 am and I just finished my research proposal. Have been up since 1 am trying to finish it and didn't expect the lit review to take so long T___T

Oh well, I've sent it in to my supervisors to be reviewed and hopefully they will give me some feedback by the end of the day so I can make any amendments and submit it to my course coordinator. AND THEN, HOLIDAY!!!

I hope my sleeping pattern won't get screwed up after this.

Sugar/ alcohol/ magic fungus effect

2008-06-26T08:37:00.003+12:00

I got high last night.

Not the stoned kind of high (what do I know anyway I might have been stoned for all I know) but more like a bad reaction from various substances.

This is what happened:
I went to Letisha's place in Newtown for dinner and to chill out. Very nice la her place got central heating (ya mama I want!), nice paintings and little sculptures, 2 living rooms, and AWESOME backyard! Feels very homely la I like it. So yeah we had a dinner of 5 spice pork belly, tiger prawns and passion fruit cheese cake. I brought a bottle of Riesling so we had that too. Her flatmate who's practically a stoner was around, and he and his friend were cutting up some sort of fungus that apparently "helps them relax". Can't remember what the name is its some Maori word which translates to blue something-something. So Letisha being the inquisitive girl that she always is, asked to have a try. Surprise surprise guess who got a small piece of dodgy fungus? Granted it was a small piece la I didn't expect it to have any effect on us. It was rubbery and tasted like nothing, didn't like it.

After dinner we watched Death at a Funeral on Leti's new 24-inch iMac (ya mama I want too!) and continued sipping wine. That movie was totally great man soooo funny, I love British humour.

So anyway halfway through the movie I suddenly got very restless!! My heart was beating so fast and I could hardly focus for a while. I dunno, maybe it was just the alcohol and I am being paranoid. But I was panicking ok! Totally thought for a while that I would start hallucinating or do something stupid. But no, Joanne Ang always has to keep her cool demeanour, and so I just sat there and wished really hard that it would past, which it did after a while!

And then when I went home I had to make things worse by having tamarillo with lots of sugar. The fruit is really nice la, the flesh looks like passion fruit and has this soury taste which goes really well with sugar. I must have had a tad too much sugar because I got excited again after!
So Joanne Ang, you had to go and make yourself high twice in one night. *knocks head on the wall*

Needless to say I achieved nothing for my proposal last night. T_____T
I am gonna go hard out today and finish it so I can enjoy my well-deserved break at last!

Fuss

2008-06-25T12:40:00.003+12:00

Just finished my sushi lunch from Midland Sushi and not satisfied AT ALL!!! They usually give me 2 little packets of soy-sauce and today when I asked for my usual 2 packets, the girl who was serving me said 'our soy sauce change size, bigger now'. Sounds dodgy, and it didn't seem like the packet grew any bigger to me! Nvm la, take your word for it and settle with one.

IT WASN'T ENOUGH AT ALL!!!! I had to be so careful with not squeezing too much on every piece of sushi so I would have enough to last me to the end of my meal. Gaaaahhhh so frustrating. It's just soy sauce la, how much more can it cost? So kiam siap. I have half a mind to bring my own soy sauce from home and keep it in my locker for future use.

Talking about my locker at the honours room, it's seriously turning into a pantry! I've got my hot water flask, mug, cutleries, biscuits, leftover muffin from yesterday, and various snacks in there. I need to munch when I am working ok! And given that I am usually at honours room every working day during office hours (honours is more than an effin full-time job), I have every excuse to stock up on munchies here. It's no wonder my classmate Ben is always giving me shit about eating. Thank goodness I don't put on weight easily.

Research proposal is going very slowly. It's frustrating that I only work best under pressure. Granted, the due date is on Friday, but I know that I can finish it with 1 day's hard work, and that realization makes me procrastinate!!! Grrrrr I hate myself.

Phantom of the Opera is coming to Auckland in October!!! I wanna go!!!!

2008-06-21T20:57:00.002+12:00

My pen drive just died on me. I think some of the components inside broke T_T
Thankfully I have back-ups for my school files.

I think my lappie who has been with me for 4 years is dying too. I've had the blue screen scare for quite a few times now and she just turned off by herself.

So? Macbook or not? I really want to continue using my lappie until she finally goes to eternal sleep, but I'm just afraid that might happen during one of my busy periods... Sigh decisions decisions.

Rarrrr

2008-06-21T15:02:00.002+12:00

RAAARRRRRR (x100)! Betty!! HULK SMASH!!!

I was pissing myself laughing at the grand total of 3 words that came out from Hulk's mouth at the movie last night. It was alright, only watched it because Edward Norton was starring in it. Trong and I had a good night at One Red Dog and movies after. Felt really good especially now that I'm done with exams.

The Methodology in Accounting exam was one of the toughest I've ever had, even though it was an open book one. I'm sure everyone else in the class felt the same. I think it's mainly due to the bad organisation and lack of cohesiveness in the teaching. Nobody really cared about it. Ah well, hopefully my research in the next trimester is able to bring up my grades.

Now to tackle the research proposal! Wish me luck!

Being Japanesey

2008-06-18T20:34:00.002+12:00

Was paying for my share of dinner with Trong at this Taiwanese restaurant called Cha today, and the waiter said 'arigatou gozaimasu' to me. Not to Trong, only me. I was pretty taken aback and just smiled at him like an idiot.

So this is like what, the 1,026th time someone has mistaken me for a Japanese? I don't mind it, but I really don't think I look that Japanese right? Maybe I should just play along with it next time and see how they react *grin*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Had a 4-hour long discussion with some of my classmates for the Methodology in Accounting exam on Friday. Pretty hard-going on your mental health to be talking about research paradigms, anarchism, research designs and the likes if you ask me, not easy having to concentrate and think for 4 hours. But it did help clear up many confusions and learn what others think about the issues. I love group discussions like this, it's so much more efficient in terms of learning than grinding through all the readings by myself.

At one point we were talking about Lakatos's research programs, which consists of fundamental worldviews called the hard core and supplementary assumptions called the protective belt. The idea is that you can falsify and challenge the protective belt, but scientists generally do not falsify the hard core of the program. Challenging concept, I know, but there is nothing like an 'appropriate' example to illustrate it:-

Mike: I still don't get this hard core-protective belt thing.
Marco: The hard core is like a child girl, and the protective belt is like a girl older than 16 years old. You can touch the 16 year old girl, but cannot touch the child girl.

*major sweatdrop and laughter ensues among the group*

Talk about good use of analogy.

Panic Panic

2008-06-16T20:29:00.002+12:00

Ok, I am seriously freaking out.

Research proposal is due next week and I haven't set on what I wanna do yet! I really have to get a supervisor this week. On top of that, sucky research methodology exam is this friday and I've just started revising!

I need a real break without having to stress out about all this.

Long time no see

2008-06-14T17:41:00.003+12:00

If you look at my chatterbox, Tina made a very apt comment that my last (proper) entry was about me getting into honours and that it was fitting in a way.

So true.

Anyhow, I'm back in blogsphere! I didn't realise how much I missed blogging until recently, when I felt that I had so much bottled up inside and no way of letting it out. I remembered how therapeutic it was to voice those thoughts out, to share those feelings, even to the few friends reading what I write here. So here I am again...

Some updates:
I'm still studying in Wellington. Honours has been everybit as challenging as I imagined it to be. Lack of sleep, sacrificed social life, limited time to myself and everything else, but I'm still enjoying it. I love being able to ask questions insteading of answering them, to question ideas rather than blindly accepting them, the flexibility in assignment topics. Sure, the content and workload is tough, but there is so much more interaction involved, and I am able to freely express my views on various issues. I love it. I do complain about the workload and wish for the day when I finish honours, but I really do enjoy it.

Social life has taken a dip seeing as I am in the honours room pretty much all the time. But I've gained some awesome classmates in return. Few others understand what I'm going through than they do. The group studies, the abuse of lecturers and subjects behind their backs, the pat on the back upon a small accomplishment, I appreciate them all. I've come to realise that it doesn't take much to make me happy, which is a great revelation to have.

On to happier stuff - we got a goldfish for the flat, and named it Fishfinger because we couldn't decide what gender it is. The little fella is swimming happily in its bowl making bubbles at the water surface at the moment. I took it out to wash its tank last week, think I didn't put enough of the original water back into the bowl after cleaning and caused it to suffer for a while. Was totally bawling my eyes out to Trong because I thought it was going to die because of me :( It's fine now though, what a relief.

I got a job with PwC in Wellington after I graduate!! Very happy with the offer. This will probably mean that I'll be staying on here for at least another 3 years to get my CA. Was in a dilemma over whether I should go back to Malaysia after I graduate for a while, but I decided to get a head-start with my career for now. It'll probably be better to earn more while I can, seeing as the economy is slipping big time at home and a lot of people are struggling just to make ends meet what with all the inflation and political instability. More about that another time.

It's nice to write again ^^

I'm still alive!!

2008-05-31T00:22:00.002+12:00

Friends,

Fret not. I'm still alive and well. Been wanting to write for ages but I just haven't found the time to do so. Will do a proper entry soon enough.

Happiness and relief mashed together

2007-12-07T15:08:00.000+13:00

4 words....

I GOT INTO HONOURS!!!!

Can't describe how happy and relieved I feel now, considering I was in a mode of major freak out last night when I received news that some of my friends have gotten their acceptance while I have not. Turns out that they posted it to my old address!! Dumb Joanne.

This means that I can play my hardest for the next few months before suffering next year! Hello Aussie, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore!!!

Turning 22...

2007-12-06T21:01:00.000+13:00

My first year as an official adult didn't turn out so well, but my 22nd birthday made me realise that I was still loved, not by a crowd, but by those whom I care for. I don't need to be popular with everyone, but knowing that there are some who would do so much for me is the greatest gift of all.

I had my birthday dinner weeks before my actual birthday at the Flying Burrito Brothers on Cuba St. Although the service wasn't the best in the world (they made us wait for half an hour for the table even though I had made a reservation), the place was really pretty and the food was awesome! Best of all, I had the company of my dear friends who kept me smiling all through the night.

I also got lots of wonderful presents!!

Gym ball from Tina (I couldn't conceal my excitement when I opened Tina's gift, considering I've been jealous-ly bouncing around her room on her own gym ball)
Hershey's kisses chocolate from my sweet new flatmate Anita
The coooooooooooolest self-made candle holder by Rory
Not one, but TWO self-made flamingo necklaces by Danny! Thank you so much for sending it all the way from Hamilton!
Whitcoulls gift card from my old friend Letisha. Will put it to good use!
Pretty pretty bracelet from Liz and Athi. I LOIKE!!
Huge handbag (my favourite kind!) from Ellie, Sue and Ainee. It's not in the picture but its great!!
Jewellery holder from Jia Yin (also not in picture). Thanks girl! Just what I need for all my one-thousand-and-one accessories!
Trong's gift just made me happy for days. Levi's top that I have been drooling at for months!!! I remember being depressed at the time I saw the top at the shop because I knew I couldn't afford it. Was so surprised when I pulled it out of the gift bag!

Gifts aside, let's not forget all the warm wishes from friends, old and new. Hugs to Daddy, Mummy and Victor for your calls. A huge kiss to Trong who has done so much for me and has always been there. I couldn't have gone through the year without your love and support. Thank you, thank you, thank you everyone! I feel so loved~~

Summer in Wellington so far

2007-11-21T13:20:00.000+13:00

The weather: BEAUTIFUL
The room: spirit-lifting
The company: awesome
The mood: mixed...

I must say, I'm so glad I moved back to Stafford for the summer instead of being stuck in a certain place with certain people. Waking up every morning with sun shining through the blinds into my room just makes me happy instantly ^^ Although I still enjoy the other side of town better, being back in a hostel means that your friends are nearby, and there's always opportunities to meet new people. I've been able to do so many things I've wanted to do all year: hanging out in the sun, walking on the beach, working out, drinking coffee while having girl talks, lying in bed listening to music, looking forward to the days ahead.

I LOOOOOOOVVVVEEEE SUMMER!

All the happy feelings aside, as the day goes by I am getting increasingly homesick. I don't know why, but this time of the year, as it gets closer to going home, I am always missing everything about home, eager to see my parents and my little brother again. There are some days when there's absolutely nothing to do and no one to go out with, and I just become emo about home :(

One thing that has been keeping me going is thinking about all the fun to be had in the weeks ahead. I simply can't wait to go to Australia with Shze Wei!!! This is one girl with whom I can be as crazy as I want and have fun all the time. Really looking forward to travelling with her and meeting up with the old gang in Aussie. It'll be like old times in college again. Counting down the days....

Yes my friends, it's that time of the year again.....

2007-11-08T11:21:00.000+13:00

Post-exam parties and relaxation aside, one thought occupies my mind constantly:

I EFFIN HATE PACKING!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-09-25T10:04:00.000+12:00

2.5 down, 1.5 more to go. YOU CAN DO IT JOANNE!!

I simply can't wait until the week is over. Yesterday was my most productive day in a loooooooong time. I guess the stress really gets you going huh...... I swear, I am going to laze around for the whole weekend after this! No work! All play! Anyone wanna come out with me?

All the excitement about spring has died down again. It was 18 degrees a few days ago, and 4 BLOODY DEGREES NOW!! At 10 am!! Needless to say my mood has taken a dive, being stuck in my room without a view and working my arse off. I'm bored. *sulk*

Again, can't wait to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Spring is here!!

2007-09-21T14:18:00.000+12:00

Sun is shining
Flowers blooming
People out and about enjoying the warmth of spring

I must say, the weather for the past few days have completely lifted my spirits! Even though I'm overloaded with work, just seeing people in shorts enjoying the sun in the park outside somehow comforts me. At least it's not cold and miserable anymore. I can at least do my work in the lounge with the sunlight pouring in from the window (in contrast to my flatmates who like to live in the dark -_-). Nothing can beat Wellington on a warm and sunny day.

I am sooooo getting a sunny flat next year.

<3

2007-09-18T11:40:00.000+12:00

Last night, while we were doing dishes after dinner....

Trong: Karna has Danny's picture as a wallpaper on her phone... (Karna and Danny are a couple)

Me: Oh, ok.

Trong: You're sad.

Me: *Bewildered* What? Why?

Trong: *whines the Trong way* Why don't you put my picture on your phone wallpaper??? Sad la...

Me: But I always thought you'd think it's tacky! Isn't that what you think?

Trong: Yeah... but stiiiiiiilll... girlfriend should use boyfriend's picture as wallpaper...

Me: Ok ok, do you want me to put your picture on my phone then?

Trong: *becomes shy* If you want to...

Me: Yep, I want to.

Trong: *Happy immediately*

Me: *Laughs like mad*

CUTENESS <3

Keeping in touch

2007-09-17T18:16:00.000+12:00

Randomly came across this mass email message that I sent out in first year to inform my friends about my change in email address, and just realised that I haven't been keeping in touch with more than a few of my friends for such a loooooong time! Had so many things to say to most of them back then. I think if I was to chat with some of them now I wouldn't know what to talk about.

Really, I suck at keeping in touch.

Most of you probably know what I mean :(

Therefore, I have decided to change my ways. I miss all my friends, and I WILL email them more often from now on. Being busy is not an excuse. I really need to balance my work and social life. Now, who to start with.....

KUNI! GO! REGINA!! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU GUYS BEEN?!?

Can you see the trend?

2007-09-16T18:57:00.000+12:00

My sunshades seem to increase in size every year....

2005 - The still innocent size

2006 - What my mom called Mata Lalat (The eye of a fly)

2007 - LALAT MUTASI ?!?!?!?!

Lol

Small world

2007-09-14T11:27:00.000+12:00

Been ~~procrastinating~~ catching up with high school friends through facebook lately, even some who I never thought would meet again in my life. Facebook is such a joy (minus annoying applications)....

Anyway, I discovered that one of my high school classmate and fellow volleyball player, Kit Yan is studying dentistry in my hometown Kelantan! Its weird because Kelantan is such an isolated state in Malaysia, you're either from there or you're unlikely to ever go there. It's not like KL, Ipoh, Malacca or Penang where every single Malaysian has been to and experienced. To have a friend from Subang (fast-paced, modern town, shopping malls and cinemas everywhere) actually studying in Kota Bharu (Kelantan's state capital, everyone knows each other, a grand total of one shopping mall and NO cinemas) is a special feeling. As I listed the various AWESOME food places in Kota Bharu to Kit Yan I had a feeling of attachment and familiarity.

Maybe that's what it means to be a Kelantanese. We are known to be proud of our state despite the state's reputation as the most conservative and religious state in Malaysia. My mom speaks Malay in fluent Kelantanese accent (we have a unique accent which to others is quite difficult to follow), and whenever she speaks to a stranger with the same accent they talk as if they're old friends. Even hawkers selling Kelantanese food will give me extra large portions of what I am buying upon knowing that we are from the same state. That is the meaning of muhibah.

To ignorant people who think Kelantan is 'that poorly developed Islamic state': screw you. It is home.

Selamat Berpuasa!!!

2007-09-13T18:33:00.000+12:00

It's fasting month at home, and I can only salivate while thinking of all the food at Ramadhan markets~~~

I'm really looking forward to summer! It's going to be action packed with lots of travelling and enjoying myself. Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, here I come!!!!!

BUT!

Before that, let's try not to procrastinate on my blog and GET THE DAMN ASSIGNMENTS DONE!

Wish me luck my friends

Complaints alert

2007-09-06T09:43:00.000+12:00

Why is it that in every single trimester, there is always that ONE paper that takes up most of my timeand effort?!?! Arrrggghhhh

I am so sick of Financial Statement Analysis and all the bullshit we have to come up with. It would have been such an enjoyable paper if not for the need of proof that we need to personally engage with the contents and other students in the course. Gosh, the delivery and assessments bore me to the core. It's no wonder so many students skip lectures.

I am homesick. Can't wait for the trimester to be over so I can go travelling and go home to be pampered by my parents...

HOLIDAYS~~~

2007-08-20T21:22:00.000+12:00

I love holidays! There just seems to be way less to worry about. No classes to attend, limited homework and readings, lots of sleeping in, finally having the time to do things that you enjoy. OR maybe I'm just lazy lol.

After the 2 crazy weeks before holidays, I have just been relaxing at home and reading for leisure for once. Trong taught me how to play chess properly (apparently he was a chess master at school, unbelievable!!) and I'm happy to report that I've been improving well.

I've decided to spend less time on my computer and get out of the house more often instead of wasting my holidays away stuck indoors. I realised that the reason why I haven't been able to carry out my plans for the previous holidays was because I waste too much time surfing the net and lazing around in bed. No more of those! I'm going to go around town and catch up with my social life.

My idea of a good saturday night.....

2007-07-29T01:15:00.000+12:00

Having the flat to myself
Cuddling up to the boyfriend
Lights turned down
A glass of Riesling in one hand
Norwegian chocolates in the other
Watching a good movie

THAT, my friends, is LIFE ^^

The end of the line

2007-07-23T15:36:00.000+12:00

As of 3.37 am, 23rd July 2007, I finally finished the extraordinary journey through seven books, seven wonderful years with Harry Potter. All those ups and downs, laughs and near-tears, joy and despair, have come to an end. I'm happy.

Thank you, J.K.Rowling, for sharing your wonderful tale of love with us.

Birthday present ideas anyone?? hint

2007-07-20T21:33:00.000+12:00

I WANT A LOMO-LCA CAMERA!!!

We did it!!

2007-05-26T13:31:00.000+12:00

After 2 years of planning, Tina and I finally had dinner at The Curry Club! I don't know how many times we have said 'oh, we should go there!' but never got around to it lol. So on Sunday night, Tina, Trong and I headed out happily to the beautifully-decorated restaurant.

Happy faces!!

Yum

My Murgh Chettinaad was AWESOME!! It's a Southern Indian curry which is more similar to Indian curry in Malaysia than anything I've ever tried in Wellington. Yumminess... Overall, The Curry Club gets my recommendation! Good food, pretty alright service, beautiful deco! Go try it now everyone!

P/s: I'm soooooo tired of working 4 or 5 nights a week......

I'm still alive!!!

2007-05-11T15:55:00.000+12:00

Fret not my friends! I'm still hanging there...barely, but still hanging on to life.

I'm so glad that I finally have some free time to do whatever I want... third year has been hard on everyone, what with assignments due every single week, tests and endless readings! All the same, I've noticed that what we are learning now are more interesting and useful compared to last year. Also loving my Japanese classes where I just sit around and talk rubbish (in Japanese) to my fellow classmate Dyana. The lecturer tells us a lot about Japanese culture, making me yearn to go to Japan to visit Kuni and Go!

Guess what, there are 8 people living in my 4-bedroom flat! Well, 2 of them are only PRs, but still here all the time. It's kinda scary having to cook for 8 persons twice a week because last year I only had to cook for Tina and Manuel and they don't mind having the same kinda food all the time. With 8 persons, you really have to plan your meals ahead and look for new recipes constantly! Not that it's a bad thing, I've learnt to make quite a few new dishes, all from online recipes ^^ mom will be so proud of me, hehe. I was talking to her on the phone last week, telling her that I was cooking curry chicken and she was like "sure or not? even I don't know how to make curry chicken!"

....Obviously mom is not the best cook in the world, hah!

Went to watch Spiderman-3 with the other Malaysians last night at the Embassy. I will never go to Readings Cinema again if I don't have to! The Embassy is sooo pretty, it actually looks more like a theatre than a cinema! Not as crowded as Readings too.

Beautiful...

The movie was alrite, was quite impressed with the CG and action, but some parts were plain trashy... Ohh, I really can't wait to watch Pirates of the Caribbean!! Chow Yun Fatt as a pirate... hmm wonder how it'll be like.

More updates soon!

Say AAAA

2007-02-08T19:29:00.000+13:00

Went to have a dental check-up today... the dentist commented that I have a beautiful set of teeth!! Yes, I have been blessed... never had braces, fillings, tooth decay whatsoever! ^^

BUT!

My wisdom tooth is not growing the right way up T_T She said that if it starts giving me any problems then I'll have to have it removed. We'll see how it goes.

Also had my first ever teeth scaling experience in my life... *shivers* pretty scary to have things poking near your gums if you ask me. I'm glad that was over!

I never knew that...

2007-02-08T02:40:00.000+13:00

Those plants that we use to decorate our homes during Chinese New Year that are soooo nice to touch...

....are known as Pussy Willow...

*sweatdrop*