October Rain

The sky was a perfect shade of blue, until it started raining. October is a wet, wet month- Makes me don't feel like blogging. Okay fine, that's an excuse. I was just being lazy. And since I'm still lazy to write, I'll just post some pictures to fill the void. :P

Our yoga sessions in class.

See the matching mats with our shirts? So well-coordinated! :)

Mooncake festival at school. Never too old for lanterns. *a-hem*

Nezar and Rinugah's birthday celebration. Rinugah's busy cutting cake haha.

Neuroscience professors and a thank-you cake from Dr. Nicole. That's a brain, if you're wondering. :) 

Group photo with NSS team. 

Group photo 2. 

This was Edna's surprise birthday cake. She wasn't surprised by our surprise though. /fail. 

For Mior's birthday though, we managed to surprise him! But no pictures taken because I was busy with the surprise cake etc. 

Brothers

Even when they annoy the hell out of you sometimes, you can still love them.

Brothers teach us that. 

Happy birthday, 老弟! :)

HB to Myself

Feels like it was just yesterday when I celebrated my birthday with some of my closest friends at a dueling piano bar. But in truth, 'tis not so... and I'm reminded that I'm a year older. 

This year I don't have anything in particular that I really want - am happy and thankful for what I've already got. :)  Below are some pictures taken by Brandon last year at Howl at the Moon (thank you Brandon!). 

great friends, bucket of booze and long straws :) 

mot mot and tom tom :)) 

<3 

chocolate, durian and vanilla flavors…  awesome mix!

(hey if you guys are reading this, we should go somewhere together!) 

cool colleagues i had :) 

wonder how they're doing over there.  

one of my most memorable birthdays :) 

Ok maybe I do have a bday wish- i wish i didn't have an exam on monday. but that can't be helped so no point wishing. k back to Hardy-Weinberg Principle, genomic imprinting and mosaicism etc. toodles! 

Rats and Horses Don't Get Along

You know what they say about people born in the year of Horse and people born in the year of Rat? That they don't get along. Well there are 3 "rats" in my house right now- my mom, my uncle (dad's brother) who stays with us on weekdays, and myself; and 2 "horses" - my dad and my (maternal) grandma. It's funny now when I'm writing about it, but sometimes things can get really heated up, and it doesn't always end well, especially between my grandma and mom; and between dad and myself. It's not that big of a deal most of the time, but it's really interesting to see how grandma always likes to irritate mom; and how dad likes to do the same to me. It's like he finds joy in pushing the button in me and will declare victory when he succeeds in pissing me off. Well okay, I do agree it's kinda fun (and funny) at times. Now that I'm not a child and he doesn't play the dominant paternalistic role as much anymore, it's okay for me to "answer back" when he said something that clearly doesn't make sense. And so, it's become our little game that we play so very often. It's the equivalent of "poke" on facebook, or if you wanna use the ping pong analogy, that works too- this is our secret ping pong game. Other people may find it weird or see me as the disrespectful daughter, but that's just what it seems from the outside. All I can say is, it's not always what it seems to be.

Anyway- today is his birthday, and it's the first birthday that I get to celebrate with him in the last 5 years. When I was away I didn't really think it was a big deal to miss occasions like these, but it sure is great to be back home and being able to be there on birthdays, weddings, and all that stuff. Dad and I don't always get along, but he's still a great father to all of us, and he makes sure he gives us the best that he can afford. The reason I am who I am today is in large part due to him; and for better or worse, I wouldn't want to change a thing. He won't be reading this, nor do I intend to let him, but I do want to jot it down in words, in my not-so-private virtual space, "Thank you for everything, love you dad." :)

The Birthday in July

i am back-tracking.

for the sole reason of none other than my deteriorating memory, i am jotting down the little things (or big things) that happened prior to this moment, so that i can look back and remember what i've done during my time in LA- for soon, i will be gone from here, and what is left will merely be memories of this place and the people i've met. but even then, memories are nothing more than traces of thoughts in our mind that can so easily be tampered with, modified, or forgotten. and so, this little virtual space will be a tool to help me remember the good times.

now, on to the back-tracking process. :)

 geisha lips. hah! use your imagination. :P

ingredients- tuna, shrimp, crab, avocado, Kaiware sprouts & orange tobiko, wrapped in cucumber. no rice though. 

geisha house, the place where we went for lil' K's birthday dinner, is a contemporary jap restaurant, serving sushi of course, sake and some other main entrees like lamb chops and such. the atmosphere is mysterious and sensual, just as they described on their website, and the fact that this place is right there on hollywood blvd yet look like just another shop from outside is, to me at least, amusing. kinda like a hole in the wall place that no one would go, unless they heard it from someone or somewhere. so for decor and atmosphere, i'd give it a 4.5 star (out of 5), but the food was alright (3.5). tasty, yes, but still slightly overpriced.

seaweed-cucumber salad. loved the crunchy seaweed part.

fried calamari karage style.

with sea salt and creamy sauce on the side. seemed ordinary but i liked it lots.

 uhm, i think it's lamb.yah should be.

it's the grilled mongolian lamb chop, with creamy sesame and cucumber salad on the side.

grilled filet mignon steak. with soy, garlic and sesame dipping sauce.

can't decide which was my favorite. both are so good.

ooh, this is called octopussy. :D

ingredients- diced octopus, spicy cream sauce, scallions, tobiko, topped with avocado, spicy tuna and tempura flakes.

hot chicks- sheena and birthday girl kenna.

doing the half-pout pose lol. :D 

our only group picture there. 

went to Besos for desserts. they were to die for. :))

ice cream and cookie? i think. can't remember the fancy name for it. 

the coffee i ordered, without knowing there was xo patron in it. omg it was so strong i felt like i was gonna be drunk after a few sips! too bad couldn't really enjoy it because i had to drive after. 

 chocolate mousse with whipped cream on top. and some choc shaves around it. 

just heavenly. :)

that's about it. dedicating this to lil' K, albeit it being 3 months late. thanks for being such a great friend all these time! much love, and hopefully we'll get to spend many more birthdays to come with you! :)

My 25th Mark on Earth

No one ever warned you about how tough it is to grow up. But that's because they can't, not that they don't want to. Growing up is an extremely personal process, and everyone does it their own way. Not even your clone who experienced the exact same events would turn out exactly like you. It's what you take in and what you filter out that slowly shapes the prism of your perspectives, which will eventually, over the years, cook up the recipe of who you are today.

On my 23rd year of being, I attempted to see the world through my mom's eyes, wondering what it was like to be married and pregnant with me at that age. Last year (I mean, 2008) I was just bored and depressed about not doing anything to celebrate the end of the second cycle of my chinese zodiac; and so I vowed to do something exciting the following year. Well, we all know that didn't happen. Yet this year I was quite at peace. Monthly cramps aside, it was a choice to just stay in, read a book and chill. That day when the clock struck twelve and I officially turned five-and-twenty, my d.o.b. ceased to be of more importance to me than any other day that I am alive -- because it is, in fact, just another day. In a sense, birthday hype is nothing more than an expression of borderline megalomania, and the sooner one gets over it, the better it is for that person. It took me roughly a quarter of a century to realize this, but this year (I mean-last year) it's as if I "saw the light". :D  ooooh I felt very zen-like. :))

I predict I would feel that way for the subsequent years to come - if i'm still alive - and I probably won't go out of my way trying to be all happening get drunk and/or jump down from a plane on that day. I mean, if I want to do anything of that sort, I could mighty well do it today (or on any other day)! Why wait? What if I die on the day before my birthday? Then I'd have wasted however long I've been waiting to do certain things only to have deceased before I could accomplish what I could've done long before. But having said all that, I still want my beloved friends to remember this very special day *ahem* =P  and keep the cutsie birthday cards coming!!! :)

And since I'm a collector - bags of emotions, pints of tears, vivid snapshots of specific events and guffaws of laughter are just among the many things I collect; cards, postcards and letters too - here are a couple of pics of what I received. I think I somewhat mentioned it last year, and so this year I've got 5 cards plus a set of postcards for my birthday this year from friends and my brothers. Hugs and kisses to them. :)))  They are a funny bunch I tell you. The cards they sent me! Check it out for yourself below.

Let's start with the top right shall we? On the card, "I was gonna have him sing you happy birthday...", and in the card it reads, "...but who cares if he's mute, right??!" HAHAHA good one! Then there's the top left! That's a huge package I got from my darling friend! There seemed to be a common thread of concern for my welfare this (well, last) year eh. :P Next card, also the first I've received - about 2 months before my birthday (for a second then I wondered if my friend forgot when my bday is) - is the one of a bear and cat hugging each other. so cute! but the message is funnier than it is cute. Totally made my day. :) The middle card is from one of my oldest friends, with a very heartfelt message in it, and last by not least a card from my brothers. And because each of them got to me at a different time, it's like reliving my birthday on 5 separate occasions. :)

This, is a set of postcards put together by my friend from Down Under, who took to heart what I said jokingly about wanting a story handwritten by her for my birthday. Awww.. :) Thank you all so very much, and special thanks to the guest star on postcard #9 (you know who you are :P)

Other cool stuff I got: from Chean, a pair of fit-flops! :)) It supposedly helps you burn more calories and shape up your thighs while you walk in it. I was so excited I took out the packaging and started wearing them, hence no pictures. Also got a clutch bag and a make-up set from my roommates, that's pretty cool too. A t-shirt from S, that says "I know what boys like". :D And as far as gastronomy goes, dear friend baked me a chocolate mousse cream cheese pie, mmmmm. Absolutely delectable! :)) many thanks to K-bear.

'Twas a peaceful one this year, but pleasant nonetheless. And though this is an overdue birthday post, I just wanna thank everyone who's touched my life, one way or another, even if it was only for a brief moment. So, thank you all. *little bow and a curtsy* :)

Roommate #2's Birthday

It was a feast. It's not your typical Malaysian home-cooked meal (well, duh, they're from China not Malaysia), it's close enough to elicit the feeling of warmth that you get when sitting down with fam for a good meal. Dishes: tofu with century eggd and soy sauce, eggs with tomatoes, greens, glass noodles with pork and napa, steak (or was it pork ribs? i forgot), lobster-and-tofu soup, and eggplant. oh and watermelon too.

the best coffee sponge cake in town, i dare say. gotta ask where they got it.

she closed her eyes and genuinely made a wish.
and as she did so, i silently wished it will come true for her, whatever that wish was.
hmmm... she's only turning twenty-one! i can't recall my 21st bday. :(

 Roommate 2 and Roommate 3.

best of friends. although if you ask me, they looked more like a couple. :P

and this was everyone present on that evening. meet my roommates and their friends.

The girl next to me is Roommate 1; the other 2 girls are Roommate 2's friends from college.

Sweet Sixteen

i wish i were blogging about my sweet sixteen. and how i'd throw the most lavish party in town, of which only the cool people could come; shop for a skanky dress thought highly of by people around me because some celebrity had something like that and i had to have one too; then find a pair of shoes that must absolutely go with it (the dress)--and i don't care if someone has to bring it in from Paris or Italy or wherever. and somewhere along the way i'll have to throw a fit and order a dozen of people around, make their lives a hellhole just to please me, because i'm the princess and because i should get what i want whenever i want.

oh wait. those are someone else's birthdays. on TV. i always find shows like that boring. it's always the same old story. show me something new!! ah well, i guess it's making money and that's all that matter.

but of course, the point of writing this post is not to bitch about reality tv shows. (pleaseeee. i have better things to do than that.) it's my little brother's birthday, and he just turned 16! yayyyyyy. :)))) i remember the days when i used to carry him around like my little trophy and showing off to my friends. days when i just couldn't stop holding him. days when i had to clean his shit (literally)... then he grew up little by little, and before i realize it he's already off to the Lion City, shaping his own future there.

there were gaps of years when i wasn't there for him as he was growing up. the 2 years in russia, and the past 3 years. now i'm still not there for him..geographically speaking, that is. still, there are plenty of memories to live by, and though we can't create new ones by spending time together, at least i can still keep in touch with him with the help of technology. and amongst all our memories, this particular one is my favorite. long long time ago when he was just six, or five (i forgot), i went out with friends and didn't get home till late. mom was mad at me for not getting home early, dad was overseas for work. so while mom was seething and contemplating my punishment (all this was related to me by mom later on), little brother went up to her and told her not to be mad. he said, maybe jie has something to discuss with friends and forgot bout time. awwwww.. it doesn't seem like much right now as i tell you this, but for a 5 or 6 year old to say that?! i think it was pretty amazing. was (and still am) absolutely touched and smitten. :)))

anyway. i just wanted to wish him Happy Birthday. :)  the boy is taking his O-level in a month's time or so. all the best!! you can do it! much love, all the way from U.S. of A.

Another Year Older

Started out by writing a bunch of stuff, narrating what I did on my birthday so that in the future when I look back at least I have a record of what I did on my 23rd birthday.

Then I deleted everything. Thinking to self, is it so important what one does on one's birthday? If we're lucky and get to live till a ripe age of 80 or 90, does it even matter anymore what we did on our 14th or 26th or 57th birthday? If nothing goes wrong, there'll be so many more birthdays to come and I wonder if anyone's gonna keep track of what one did for each and every one of his/her birthday. But then again... knowing myself, being borderline obsessive-compulsive, likes to have things very organized, and rather meticulous, I know that if I had wanted, I would easily have kept a journal for my birthdays. :) I'd even have a list of who wished me for my birthday in chronological order, who sent me b'day cards, text'ed me, friendster-msged me, facebook'ed me, msn-msged me, or verbally wished me. And if I were free enough I'd keep all the msges and sms'es too. Okay at this point I'm pretty sure you'd think I'm some weirdo eh. Yeah so I am wacky that way. so what. :)

But. Doing all that would be kinda narcissistic. And I'm not. Plus it's a waste of time. So I won't do it. Funny how different people view birthdays differently. Some freak out for getting one year closer to death. Some don't give a flying monkey bout it, some believe that it's the time of the year where you have the one opportunity to be as selfish and demanding as possible. Some believe it's an excuse to splurge on things they desire. What I believe - okay this is gonna sound quite cheesy - is that it's the time of the year to thank my mom again, be very thankful of her for bringing me into this world not without going through some tremendous labor pain. And also, I believe it's a day to be happy. Doesn't matter how or what we do (as long as it's legal =P), it's a day we ought to be sincerely in cloud nine. :) I think we all deserve it, no?!

This year I didn't make any birthday wish. The one I made every single year for the past 7 years never really come true anyway, but then again maybe it's impossible to hope that it'd completely come true. This year for some reasons I wanted to be surrounded by snow and sipping a cuppa hot cocoa whilst enjoying the beauty of it. But it didn't happen. This year I have comparatively less friends celebrating with me. But I'm thankful I have these people who stuck around and tried their very best to make me very happy, grateful they're around. And that I didn't have to sit at home and stare into the computer typing a birthday entry, made me happy. :) no snow, but i saw some man-made snowman, had dinner with some close friends, then went to the beach took a ferry across the water to an island, had my hot choc. What more can I ask for, eh? :)

Thank you, my friends. I love you guys. Including those who couldn't be physically around. All the phone calls, sms'es etc. I appreciate them, really.

And so, as of today, I am 23 years and 2 days old. :) a very happy birthday indeed.

Knott's, Crepes & Godiva choc cake

As Disneyland was named after the creator Walt Disney, Knott's Berry Farm was named after Walter Knott. Such imagination they have. -.- Next time if I'm opening a business, remind me NOT to name it after my name. But that's besides the point. Roy and I went to Knott's Berry Farm - no it's not a farm farm, its an amusement park with roller coaster rides and a lot more - on Sunday. And boy was it fun! Oh yeahhhh so much fun it was, we got lost twice and what would've been half an hour's journey to our destination turned out to be 3 hours! How much more fun can one ask for eh?! :) Nonetheless it was an adventure! Definitely a fun-filled and interesting day, if not for the little Californian freeway venture and the lil cat-scratching moment during lunch, it'd definitely be for Roy's company. :) Thank you Roy, for inviting me.

Came back home, took a shower and we (Aaron, Kanlun, Roy, Chean and I) went to Diamond Plaza for some peanut butter-and-Nutella with ice-cream crepes. It was hella good, and I have my extra layer of love handles to prove it. When the clock strucked twelve, I was with them at WinCo shopping for groceries. Fred called :) and Poy too. Got back home, and Nick came over with a slice of heavenly Godiva Chocolate cake from Cheesecake Factory. Omg it's so good I had to dig in. Roy made me chug down a bottle of strawberry flavored beer, made me so full I couldn't have any more cake. Which ain't a bad thing cuz I get to keep it for the next day. :) That was my birthday. Quite simple yet filled with joy. Love you guys!

-to be continued-

Happy Birthday Daddy!

So I remembered saying I'll write an autobiography of Granny Smith and about my experience in Disneyland. Granny Smith will have to wait, for now I shall write about my day-out to Disneyland. :)

'Twas supposed to be a day full of fun rides, not adrenaline-pumping ones but rather those you hear people rattling about all the time that you made up your mind a long time ago that you'd have to do it just so that you can say 'oh yeah done that before' in the future. But emotions not expected flowed through me as the day gone by - excitement blended with a mixture of hope, inspiration, sadness, guilt and gratitude.

I look at the whole park and I wonder how many acres is Disneyland and California Adventure built on. How many habitats had to be destroyed for this money-generating monster. Every hook and nook I turn I see materialism. Consumerism and capitalism. People placing more and more importance in plastics, glasses, shiny shimmering diamonds, you name it. All those cold, un-living things. Souvenir shops, branded merchandise, they make me sad.

Mickey said, "Everyone has the right to dream. And all you gotta do is believe in your dreams, and it'll come true." Those words gave me hope. Sometimes in life, when things are not going well, hope is the glue to keep you together. Then inspiration follows as I thought of all the things that I could do with my life. If Mr. Disney could do it, I could too. :) Totally inspired and motivated. But when the fireworks go off, the first thing that hit me wasn't happiness and excitement, nor was I taken away by its grandeur. Instead, the heat (I felt from the pyrotechnic effects they used as part of the fireworks display) and the smoke (that I couldn't help but noticing coating the sky a big fat thick layer of gray) gave me a shock. Instantly horrified and guilt-stricken. And unless for bad weather, they'd have this every day. Every goat-flipping day!!!! Imagine doing that for the past, oh I dunno, 50 years? The smoke it contributed to destroying the ozone layer must've been massive. -_-

Then last came Fantasmic, a performance of Disney characters, fireworks, together with snippets of Disney classics projecting on a thin layer of water fountain as the screen. As I watched in awe, looking at Mickey Minnie Donald Ariel Snow White Dopey Belle Beast Prince Eric Ursula etc. etc., I recalled how I used to watch them over and over again during the school holidays when I was a kid. And I'd never get bored of them. :) Gotta thank my dad for buying me those videotapes, introducing me to a world of imagination and fantasies, where I started prancing around exercising my imagination and weaving my dreams. A place where there's no right or wrong, a place where I'm safe to think whatever I want, create stuff from mere sparks of excitatory action potentials of neurons. And it's free!! :P

Anyway, this post was initially one to do as the title says. But as always, I digressed and went completely off-tangent. Pardon moi. :) Wanna thank you Dad, for providing the best you could for us, for giving us so much, and is still giving. And I don't mean just financially. Your time, patience and hard work too. Wanted to let you know, there wasn't a moment that I don't remind myself of how much sacrifice you've made for us to be here, and I'm sure Kan Lun knows that too. And so everything I do, I told myself I'd give it my 1000 percent, cuz that's the only way I can repay you. (And mom of course).

Okay it's getting too mushy I can't take it. Anyway. You get my point don't you. :) I hope you're proud of me. And Kan Lun. Happy Birthday!

P.S. Pictures of Disneyland coming up soon, I still haven't uploaded them from my camera.

Sushi and Dinner

Ooops, did I spill my.. uhh.. moodiness over here? sorry peeps, promise i wont do that again. keep forgetting.. arrrgh.

'twas an off day for me.. i'm telling you, it's the books i read. they have so much influence over me i just can't control my emotions! Dance Dance Dance made me dysfunctional for 2 days, Sati lifted up my spirit. but not for long cuz Alice Munro's short stories brought me down again.. issit just me or what. anyhow am feeling okay right now.. but kinda forgot what i had in mind to blog.. so.. uhh.. i'll just go back to my book till i recall what i wanna to say... :)

happy birthday to chun yie and my mom (hers is tomorrow)! i wish i could celebrate with you both! but... maybe the next birthday eh?! :)

made u guys sushi and as for my mom, kanlun and i cooked specially some dishes to 'celebrate' with you!! (excuses excuses.. ahaha :P) and so here are some pics to share with you, mom! enjoy!

It's not the best-looking sushi ever, not does it taste that fantastic.
But for the first trial ever, it's not too bad, eh?! :P

Steamed egg with spring onions, sweet & sour pork (so much better than the orange chicken in panda), and stir-fry vege with prawns. kanlun made the porky i made the other 2. :)

This is the self-improvised tamarind-base soup with mixed vege, shitake and tofu. Wanted to make claypot tofu or ma-po tofu but didn't have the ingredients. so i just threw everything in there. heee. that's what lazy people do. :P

A four-course meal~~~!! Not too bad! haven't had that in such a LONG time!!!!Roy was loving the soup, he finished them all! Wanted to tell him its too sour, not good for the body, but he's drinkin out from the pot itself i didn't have the heart to do so..

bro and sis, sis and bro. the invincible team! :)

Happy Birthday Mommy!

It's mom's birthday today and I kinda forgot her birthday this morning when I saw her. Just called her to wish her happy bday though. hehe at least something. :P Tonight having dinner with family. So pics will definitely come up here in the following posts. Depends on when I'm hardworking enough to upload all the pics in my camera. hehehe told you I'm a sloth didnt I.

Well 24 days to go before I fly off!!! counting down. Whats the meaning of life, Mr Kong and I were discussing this topic just now. I dunno, to procreate? Whaddaya think? If you're free enough to read my blog, do comment on this pleaseee!!!! I'm kinda bored...!!! Imagine: sitting in the office blogging when I'm supposed to be doing something.

Spice up my life somebody! =)

Jeanie's Bday

Dressed up for Jeanie's bday...@ wow wow cafe. =)