The Red Carpet

The UMSA Ball happened last night. UMSA is the society for University Malaysian Students in Auckland..i think. Well it's a Malaysian Students Society. And I know it's all too fast to go for a ball. Simply because i've been in the uni for only 6 weeks. haha...but i love balls proms. They're always such fun to prepare for. This is actually my 6th Ball that I am attending, but that's a story for another day...=)

Anyway, I was initially supposed to model for the Fashion Show. But because I was working whenever they had practises, so I couldnt make any of them, and because they only needed 10 girls, so I didnt have to do it in the end. Which was fine except for the fact I now had to start worrying about my own hair and make up. And I had no hair pins, no hairspray, no proper rubber bands, and no proper make up set. I brought very very essential things over and it's really baffling how you never realise the little things you need from home until u go so far away from it. I thought to myself, nobody knows me here, i'm supposed to sink into the crowd and just enjoy myself anyway, doesnt really mater how i look right? So, i was gonna go with straight hair, and powder, eyeliner, blusher and lip gloss. thats all. Pretty decent already I thought.

But then Aunty Jane invited me over for lunch on Saturday and suddenly a light bulb came on in my head. Lily and Aunty Jane could help me!! So arrangements were made and yesterday morning I traveled happily to their house for lunch. Which was delicious fried meehoon and vegetables. =)

After lunch, the makeover session began. Lily and Aunty Jane got really excited. I had expected something really simple and easy, but 2 hours, 35 hair pins, and a litre of hair spray later, Aunty Jane and Lily had turned me into outright bedazzling hollywood star GLAM!haha and i loved it! They were really good and I was more than grateful! All i got them were 2 slices of cake from Eve's Pantry. will definitely get them more stuff. =) And as if that weren't enough they sent me straight to the lobby of the hotel in the city. I owe them big time!

The ball was themed The Red Carpet. Which made my recycled dress very apt for the occasion. I was on the same table with Steph & Irvin, Abby & Alex, the emcees and Amelia, a pretty kiwi girl who reminded me a bit of Jojo the singer. I was surprised that Abby got us on the VIP table. We were right in front of the stage!They had a skit which was an annual thing for the UMSA committee. And I could see that a lot of effort and time was put into it. And they were splendid! I laughed pretty darn hard at their comedic bits. It was hilarious! They had the fashion show, which was pretty alright. There seemed to be a slightly more aggressive seductive theme going on, rather than demure and sweet. I would've probably tripped down the staircase if i had modeled. haha...and the live bads were awesome! I really like how they had rock bands, slow emo bands, jazzy bands and upbeat pop bands. And people danced on the dance floor! It usually takes people ages to go onto the floor back home. And it was always rock bands at home.

I really wished Dennis was there with me. But the people at my table were really nice. Made me feel pretty at home. So yea, thanks a bunch guys.=)

And there was a bar! hahaha sad that it wasnt an open bar, though. but yea, Irvin got me red wine, and I got myself a beer after that. Alcohol at a ball is so cool. ahhaa...=)

Anyway, I'm waiting for more photos from Abby and Irvin. But these are those I have on my camera.

*click for album*

I had fun at the UMSA ball. It was nice. =)

*owww!!*

I pulled a darn muscle today. From doing an agility test. Me. A former rhythmic gymnast, current runner. Somehow managed to pull a muscle on my left thigh from a running agility test.

*in Charlie's brother's accent* "And that really really hurts!" yes it does. it hurts pretty badly. i can't do squats now. and walking up the stairs hurt as well. sighh...

***

Semester break is here! Was initially gonna be running a lot but it seems like i'd have to give it a few days off.

well, i have thought of cooking up some stuff. Went grocery shopping and bought a whole shopping bag of various veges, meat, toufu, and whatnot.

and i'll be working. but of course. but i love working. it's fun. and i love my colleagues. they're the most interesting bunch of ladies i've ever met. =)

***

imissu...

I feel GOOD! *diddi-diddi-diddi-dee*

It's been a good past few days this week! See what a big difference the weather can make on one's emotions! Ever since the sun's come up, i've been feeling less and less cranky, moody, homesick and more and more cheerful, happy, friendly. I feel more like my old self now. It is as though my personality was solar powered or something. I am back to being all bouncy and ready to go! When I first arrived, I had expected to like Auckland. Shermayne's mom greeted me that very first day i landed here, with "You will definitely love it here, it's beautiful!". Perfect! Affirmation to my very conception of this "Land of Auck" (Chan 2008). haha...yea better reference the boyfriend's creative terminology.

But then down poured the rain wetting my jeans and dampening my spirits while it was at it. It drained off my enthusiasm, and day after day I could feel my loneliness deepen as I face everyday with a grim determined soul whose only drive for each passing day was to get through the day and get back to the apartment and sit in front of the heater. My homesickness grew exponentially as the gusty winds were strong in their pursuit to blow me over, as if to say I was not welcome here. The cold air bit at my face and my fingers and the rain seeped into my shoes and socks turning my toes into popsicles. I was miserable, i admit, in my first couple of weeks here, finding solace in the few hours I am online with the boyfriend, friends and family. I'd wake up every morning, realising that I was still here and unwittingly reminding myself the reason I came here. Thats right people, all in the name of chasing dreams!

But that was then. Worry not my dear friends and loved ones, for the sun has come up, the flowers have blossomed and the grasslands are greener than ever before. Puts a smile on my face, really. Bus rides are eargerly looked forward to, as i gaze out the window in my momentarily solitude, casting my eyes on the majestic mountain horizon. It is true, what Aunty Josephine said. Auckland is beautiful.

And friends I have made. Friends who are going to join me in an upcoming run, nonetheless! I have decided to run the Rotorua Ekiden relay with some of my classmates! And I'm running for a cause nonetheless! So i'm hoping you people out there, yes YOU working big time in big banks and earning big paychecks, to spare a little change for the children!

Let me know if you want to pledge. I'll have to get all my friends to register first. Then you guys can start pledging! =)

So yes, I feel good today...really good...=) I had one mid sem test this morning which was alright. Lots of people found it to be hard. Me, i thought it was ok. But that's coz i think all tests are ok. And it's simply because I expect tests to be somewhat that hard anyway. So my OK would mean that it's got a handful of questions I couldn't quite do, but overall I think I should be able to pass. =)

Abby, my faithful lunchmate,
who accompanies me on alternate Mondays and most Thursdays!
=)

chim chim cheree

i think Dennis just sent me the saddest sounding Mary Poppins piano medley ever.

***

i have tried to wait till the end of this week to blog about this. but considering i am doing everything i can to delay hitting my notes again for tonight i have decided, what the heck. it's Week 7. yup, time does fly. not as fast as people usually make it sound, but it still flew.

where am i now? i have come to a relaxed, comfortable stage. work's been great. i believe i could live like this for a long long time. everything is going pretty darn good, what with the weather clearing up, the temperature rising and the sun coming out to play. vast green grassy areas are littered with white pretty flowers, trees have all shades of red, pink, fuchsia, orange and violet. the skies painted the bluest blue, and the hilly, mountainous land of Auckland is now basking in its glory as the land i had imagined it to be. Magnificent.

I have friends, yesiree! I have pretty close friends in my Sport Science classes and Medsci class as well. Psych is still an absolute bore. I am so glad i'm only doing 1 unit of Psychology. Medsci on the other hand, doesnt quite stop here. It gets worse in year 2 and 3. And I am not looking forward to those.

My jeans from home now kinda hangs off my hip bones. Including my denim capri which used to hug my bum. I am currently 52 kgs. This significant weight loss is due to the fact that lunch is so hard to have. I usually have a sandwich which i prepare before i leave. If not it'll be nut bars, on days where I'm too lazy to prepare. Can't deny I'm rather thrilled about the new figure, though. =) I just wonder how I am gonnna maintain it throughout summer back home in Malaysia. I reckon i'll reach 56 kilos again in a week back home...hahah...

I run at least once a week. I try to put in more than that but the weather doesnt really cooperate with my schedule. Anyway semester break is coming so i should be able to log in more mileage.

Semester break is coming! yup, half a semester done. Unbelievable...

exams

Here i am, surrounded by lecture slides and handwritten scribbles trying to register the fact that I have an exam to study for. My Sportsci 104 mid term test is on thursday and I seem to be taking it rather lightly. Could it be that I have outgrown exams? I mean i've sat for it like 1,211,2763,274 times, it's only natural to kinda get immune to exam jitters. Then again, I spent most of my exam periods in Metro blasting my winamp in my room, surfing Facebook, increasing my running mileage, and enjoying the courtship between me and Dennis. haha...

I am one who is very very rarely stressed up by exams and assignments. Never was. I don't know if that's a good thing or not. Critics (namely my parents) think if i knew how to stress a little I'd do better in my exams. Peers seem to think it's good that I don't go through the hair pulling moments they endeavoured.

Trust me, every year i'd make resolutions to be a little more concern about my exams. And every year I fail to fulfill those resolutions. It's not that I don't care. I just can't find the capacity to invest all my energy into studying. I am unable to do it. Like a disability, i could never muster it.

Oh well. Will do what I can anyhow.

So, VO2 max is measured by....

One Tree Hill

For a long time, I was a One Tree Hill addict. I was a huge fan of OTH and all its characters in the first few seasons. And then it got a bit too crazy and too out of this world but i continued to watch the series quite fondly as i was just so familiar with everything about it already. Btw, when's the next season coming out, anyone knows?I digress. When I heard there was a One Tree Hill i was really keen to go but i never got the chance to. I saw it from Mt Wellington, but i had not the time to make my way over.Today Ju Mei and her family asked me to join them for lunch. Ju Mei is Fang's cousin living here in Auckland, Ju Mei's dad is Pn Khoo's brother. =) They brought me to this really cool asian place with pretty good asian food, then brought me sightseeing! And when i heard we were going to One Tree Hill, i was ecstatic! When we got there, I was entirely taken away by this place Cornwall Park where One Tree Hill stands in the middle of. It is a VAST area of rolling hills and flowers and everything! And the best part was there were sheep! Wild and free! I saw baby lambs scattered everywhere!Then they brought me home for dinner, Ju Mei's mum cooked spaghetti! Today is probably the day I am most well fed i would say. =] and I had loads of fun. i was supposed to be studying though, coz i've got a test on Thursday. haha...Thanks a lot Ju Mei! *if she ever finds her way here*

Bye Bye Winter, Hello Spring!

Spring is here! or at least i think it is. The trees are starting to have some colour in them and everything just looks so green and pretty! Now i was never one for bouquets of roses and what not. When a guy wanted to buy me flowers in Form 1, he sent his friend to ask me what kind of flowers I liked. I told him I like any flower as long as they stay on the ground with their stalks still in tact with the roots. Don't get me wrong, i think the act of a boy giving flowers to a girl (or vice versa, coz it seems the trend goes in reverse these days *ahem ahem*) is sweet. How that came about I wonder though. Because as a girl, I don't think we women like flowers all that much either. I never have any use for them. They wither and die after a few days. I hear some of you go "Hang it upside down and keep them as dried flowers! Spray fragrance on them!". Sure, but then what? Put them in a glass vase to gather dust. So it seems a bit silly to me to spend obscene amounts of cash on something that u dont get to keep in a drawer, or in a jewellery box or something. At least chocolates you can eat, then keep the box to store your letters. =)

But before i am attacked by my fellow women, and ambushed by the few who actually have bought me flowers before, i admit it's a thrill receiving them, and i appreciate them from the bottom of my heart. And that, I guess, is the sole function of flower giving. For the sender, it's to see the person's face light up and go all starry eyed, or to receive a text message filled with x's and o's and omg's and iloveu's. For the receiving end, it's the whole thrilling sensation knowing that this special person had thought of you, spent a crazy amount on you, and wants you to be happy.

But never never never because "girls like flowers". I guarantee you. And of course we say they're beautiful. It's what we were taught to say, and what florists are taught to perfect - to make them beautiful.

But wild flowers? I love them crazy. especially those that grow from grass, or weeds or stuff people pull away and get rid off. I dont have green fingers. And I don't know any other species of flowers except roses and orchids. Oh and Baby's Breath. But i can spot a pretty flower when I see one. Or a pretty clover, or even a funny shaped leaf. I love them all. And Auckland, apart from the gorgeous mountain views and amazing rainbows, has the most beautiful wild flowers.

Hello Spring!!

***

On other things, we did a lab test today for Exercise Prescription. It was the fitness assessment and we had to do all sorts of tests. Basically they test your strength, speed, flexibility and endurance. I thought the speed test and the shuttle run/beep test was really cool!the speed test is basically running at your top speed, and it'll be measured at distances 5m, 10m and 20m . so these little thingies here are set up along a line and they measure your speed! How cool is that? We each had 3 tries and i'm glad my results got faster n faster with each try. Here's my results in seconds..

Trial 1:
5 m - 1'23
10 m - 1'99
20 m - 3'46

Trial 2:
5 m - 1'19
10 m - 1'97
20 m - 3'44

Trial 3:
5 m - 1'17
10 m - 1'94
20 m - 3'38

Then we did the beep test. You can read more about this test here but it is basically a 20m running test. you run from point A to point B, according to a beep sound which comes from a CD. The beeps get faster and faster each level. Many organizations like the army and the navvy use this test to assess their recruits' fitness.
I thought i did alright, could've been better though. Because they split the group into 2 heats, and the first heat, this guy on the far inside managed to run up to level 13. He was the best in class. I was in the 2nd heat with 2 other girls and 2 guys. I was the best in my heat at level 9.8 but i stopped because the guy stopped right before me. I know i could've pushed myself more. Should have just hung on to make level 10...darn...

*shrugs*

Satisfaction is...

watching a client do an exercise I had taught her to do, by herself in front of the gym mirror and feeling really good about it...=)

i love my job!

and then there were nice days...

thanks for making things right...

Nastia Liukin

...is my favourite Olympian right now.

I was perched on top of a mini fitball in front of my TV watching with absolute awe the women's individual all round artistic gymnastics. Nastia Liukin stole the Gold Medal yesterday, made her daddy's dreams come true (he was individual all round Olympic Gold Medalist in his time) and as some reporters put it, broke China's dominance over the gymnastics sport.

Did you watch it? She was absolutely amazing. In all events. I just can't get over how strong and powerful yet graceful, poised and flexible this girl is. Those two just don't go hand in hand. And very unlike artistic gymnasts, her body isn't extremely V-shaped, and all bulky. She's got this gorgeous lean body with long legs and long hands. Ooohhhh the jealousssyyy!!

What completely swept me off my feet was her floor exercise. Gone were the days where rhythmic gymnasts were all bendy and contortiony, while artistic gymnasts were bulky stiff ones. Artistic gymnasts are really flexible too! This girl was doing needle point pivots, and >180 split leaps and what nots. AND...and...they dont even wear half shoes! *salute* I'm just shocked at how much flexibility the sport demands now. I never really watched artistic but i've always thought they were mostly about leaping and tossing themselves around from corner to corner on the carpets. But nooo. They require just about as much poise and grace and perhaps not that much flexibility but they seem to be getting there!

I think i would've made a pretty good artistic gymnast. Or at least a far better one than i am a rhythmic gymnast. I wasn't very good in RSG (Rhythmic Sportive Gymnastics) last time and i reckon i just wasn't born to be very flexible, nor very graceful. I think i'm more of the powerful, muscly kind of gymnast. Though balance may pose a problem coz i'm not that good at balancing. Haha...but anyway...should've tried out Artistic Gymnastics! =)

Anyway, just watch this video. This was for the trials. I loveeeee her ending!


*jealous*

week 5

is it just me, or does the need for significantly more hours of sleep occur in every 22 year old? i feel like 6-7 hours just isn't enough these days. i know, 6-7 hours is a luxury. and back in college even 3-4 hours is sufficient. but for some reason with 6 hours of sleep at night, i'm yawning by 11.30 am and groggy by 2 pm and absolutely drained by 8 pm. perhaps it's all the walking. perhaps it's the weather. perhaps it's this whole full time study, part time work lifestyle. one reason or another i feel the need to sleep 7 hours at least to be able to wake up fresh in the morning. 8 hours of sleep does that too, but i still yawn and yearn for more sleep, probably due to lethargy i.e. too much sleep.

anyone else feel the same way?

scattered.

warning: long long long mirage of words which may or may not make any sense depending on how well you know me.

it's 3.40 pm and i feel like my thoughts are just scattered all over the place. the sun has finally come out to play, just when i'm done with all my classes and need not be outside anymore. still, i've gotten pretty used to walking in the rain, as a matter of fact, i love it. it gives me this sort of transcending feeling having little droplets of water getting caught on my fleece pullover because it doesnt absorb water. kinda makes it easier to form thoughts. eeps. there i go thinking again. and thinking about thinking. i've become quite a loner, i must say. shying away from people, making beelines towards the double empty seats in the bus and ploking my bag down so hopefully no one would have to sit next to me. but if there was someone who wanted a seat i would allow it la, i'm not the kind who growls and death stares people, don't worry. but it reminds me of my first few weeks in Metro, how, out of spite, i was determined to remain low key, hit the classes then hit the road, avoid societies, avoid activities, nada, zilch. but look how that turned out? so i'm sitting here by my little window in my room, and wondering to myself if it will be just like Metro. that in no time i'd be walking along corridors smiling and waving to 1 in every 3 people who walks by, joining in all the fun and festivities, making a home away from home. but in many ways, uni life is a huge difference from college life. unis are huge. and diverse. and i...just feel small most parts of the day. i feel little. and foreign. which i am. but uncannily i also feel old. so it's old, little and foreign. but i have a few friends of my own now. friends which i have made from classes. friends of friends. and old school mates with whom i hang out with off and on. off and on referring to times where i feel like splurging on lunch. i've got no work today. which feels odd. i've almost gotten used to having work after classes. in fact i kinda want to work today. i've got nothing else to do! owell, guess a little revising wouldn't hurt. my mid semester break is just around the corner. 1st sept - 13 sept. 2 weeks! i wanna do something. get out get free! i hope sher mayne doesnt have plans. and if she has, i hope she includes me. haha...i want wan ton mee. the flat noodles. kon lou. i want the fried chicken in ss14 which Rosie calls steroid chicken coz it's oh-so-yummilicious. i want fried stuff. deep fried to a golden brown, crunchy with every bite. i can't deep fry stuff here because i don't have a wok. i think i shall have KFC this weekend. i find myself going through an array of mood swings. or rather perception swings, if you may. perception of time, to be specific. there are days, where i feel like time is moving so fast! like omg is it Tuesday again? time to bring out the bin. Didn't i just bring it out a few days ago? and then i'd be a little cheery because it means i'm heading home soon! then on some days, especially on sad, rainy, gloomy days. i think of the entire 3 years that i've got to complete this degree. and i'm barely halfway into semester 1. i've got 5.5 semesters to go. and when i think of that i start thinking of the changes and all that i would go through before the day arrives where i wear that regalia for the 2nd time, this time have my whole family with me, and Dennis too hopefully. honestly speaking, right this moment, that very day would be the happiest day of my life. i've pictured it like a billion times. nope, nothing else will beat how i feel on that day, i reckon. however, it'll be so different. friends whom i grew up with, friends who were with me in school and college, they'd be in the workforce a good 3-4 years by then. some would probably be making plans to get married soon. some would be moving abroad. i think...i can't wait to see how the future turns out.

and yeap. that's about the end of my thoughts for now. it's all in one messy paragraph because thats just how it is in my head.

anyway, just wanna wish this woman here a happy birthday.

Happy 23rd Birthday
Grace Tan Lay Hong!!
Have a blast!

hey you...

Hey you,
How are you doing there
How do you fill your hands
With so much time to spare

I’m good, thanks
I’m doing alright
The sun’s come up
Now my days are bright

I’m smiling here to the camera
I’m laughing here to the friends
But I sit really still in the bus, on the train
To move or shake, I refrain
For I fear, I’d lose those thoughts of you

Hey you,
How are your days now
I’m not around to keep you busy
I hope you see and do as much as time allows

I’m starting to enjoy now
I’d say I’m doing okay
I’ve got stuff to do
So I’m getting better each day

And I’m smiling here to the camera
I’m laughing here to the friends
But I come right home and stare up the ceiling
Try as I may, I can’t stop the thinking
Of the emptiness I feel without you

Hey you,
How’s it going
Are you sleeping alright
Stopped your nose from sniffing

Coz I’m smiling here to the camera
I’m laughing here to the friends
Though my days fly by quick and painless
It’s my nights that seem to go for hours
Every time I say goodnight to you...

laser strike

I joined the UMSA (Malaysian society) for a game of Laser Strike last night and it was SO fun! its like paintball minus the pain, minus the mosquitoes, plus luminous StarWars-like lasers, plus fancy robotic voice protocols, plus digital scores...i can go on forever but the point is i thoroughly enjoyed it! I really think its super cool!And at the end of each game you get to check your score, and i'm honestly not too shabby! ahaha i've got pretty good accuracy, i'm not amongst the high scorers, but i'm not amongst the low ones either.

i wanna play again!!

***

on the weather, the good people upstairs must've heard my little rendition of Rain Rain Go Away, thought i was a little kid, and granted my wish! The sun's come up, rain's gone.this is Unisports, the sports and recreation center of the Tamaki campus. my favourite place in the whole of Auckland Uni. :)
And flowers are blooming!! :)

Smile...and the whole world smiles with you!!

equality defined

so my professor says VO2 max ranges for males and females are different. but he was quick to say that the only reason those numbers differ are because of the higher percent body fat in the female's body.

omitting that, and measuring against lean mass only, the numbers would be exactly the same.
in other words, women and men are able to achieve the same level of fitness through optimal training. in fact, women are working twice as hard because of that higher body fat percentage. which means we could very well be even FITTER than men. if a male of a relatively high level of fitness grows breast and a bum (which usually makes up a woman's fats), chances are he'd be less fit than a woman who does the same amount of training.

am i making any sense?

hahaha...so women of the world, we're tougher than men! helluva lot tougher!

blah

today was a fair-weathered day. the sun poured its yellow rays all along the streets and the sky was the nicest shade of blue. the wind was strong but it was the kind you'd like to embrace with a smile on your face.

but for some reason i didn't feel quite as sunny as the weather. i was in a glum mood. my feet kinda dragged a little. my back kinda slouched a little. and i sunk so deep into the seats of the bus, i never knew i was able to.

today was one of those days i woke up and asked myself what i was doing here. i asked if i had made a right decision. and whether all this was worth it.

i felt like a little girl who just convinced her parents to buy her a brand new, high range teddy bear (because i don't like dolls) and later find that although the teddy was cuddly and cute and all, she misses the scent of her old ones as well. but they've been packed away to make room for this new teddy.

and she made a promise to herself, that she'd make this new teddy worth every penny it costs.

i miss home. just today, i wish i was home.
but the new teddy's still pretty awesome. and it's gonna get better. i know it will.

here comes another weekend..

right. so this is my second weekend since uni started. 2nd week of uni had Labs in it so i finally experienced practical Sport Science. :) It's been fun I must say. It's the kind of course anyone would find interesting, really...and ive made friends with a few more classmates, so that's good.

work has also been going smoothly too, they say i'll be getting my own clients soon enough. Yay! I'm gonna be a PT soon!

anyway, i woke up this morning with a plan in mind.

9.30 - 11.30 : work
11.30 - 1.00 : grocery shopping
1.00 - 2.00 : lunch plus cleaning up plus chilling
2.00 - 3.00 : housework. plan to wash the bathrooms
3.00 - 4.00 : chill, do a bit of homework.
4.00 - 5.00 : go run!
5.00 - onwards : shower, have dinner, chill around till night falls.

yup, it's 2.20 pm now and i am yet to start on housework. but right now i'm just too lazy to do anything. weather doesnt look too promising too. as much as i want need to run, i really don't think i can. just the mere though of hitting the streets with shorts and t-shirt is enough to send chills up my spine.

i haven't been taking many photos. only those of sun and rain. so sorry if i havent been posting many photos up. i did however do a little window shopping today. tried on something which i thought was pretty cool.

or does this look pretty skanky to u?
hmm...