Ruins.

“A friend took me to the most amazing place the other day. It’s called the Augusteum. Octavian Augustus built it to house his remains. When the barbarians came they trashed it a long with everything else. The great Augustus, Rome’s first true great emperor. How could he have imagined that Rome, the whole world as far as he was concerned, would be in ruins. It’s one of the quietest, loneliest places in Rome. The city has grown up around it over the centuries. It feels like a precious wound, a heartbreak you won’t let go of because it hurts too good. We all want things to stay the same. Settle for living in misery because we’re afraid of change, of things crumbling to ruins. Then I looked at around to this place, at the chaos it has endured – the way it has been adapted, burned, pillaged and found a way to build itself back up again. And I was reassured, maybe my life hasn’t been so chaotic, it’s just the world that is, and the real trap is getting attached to any of it. Ruin is a gift. Ruin is the road to transformation.”

Of vampires and sex in the city

I realised that I actually have a solitary side to me. I always say I hate being alone. But perhaps it is due to the lack of social activity, or the lack of willingness to spend money, I find that I recoil into an antisocial loner sometimes. And when I am out, I want nothing more than to sit in my room, in front of my laptop, and surf Facebook, or watch videos, or plan potential holiday trips. Perhaps this is escapism, my way of dealing with my homesickness. Perhaps.

But anyway, I watched a movie alone that day. In my room. I watched Twilight. Yes, now only I watch. I wanted to know what all the craze was about, I remember going home last summer and Rosie raving on and on about the lengchai vampire. And Keith going "Omg...what is it with you girls and Twilight?". So I had wanted to watch it with my own lengchai boyfriend, but as always, we never get around to doing the things I plan to do.

Here's my two cents. I think it is cheesy. I don't think Robert Pattinson or what's-his-face is at all good looking, I think I really despise fair guys. I think the girl is really gorgeous though, and I think a century old vampire dating a school girl is kinda paedophilic, but cool in the sense that they get to fly through the trees. I'd give anything to be flown through the trees. =) And though I think it was a long shot at a romantic tale, I couldn't help but feel emotional when he kissed her neck at the prom. Good entertainment though.

I also spent lazy free afternoons reading a storybook. It was called Last Chance Saloon by Marian Keyes. Think Sex and the City. With a gay man amidst the 3 best friends. I thought it was an enjoyable, light hearted novel. I can now understand how some people, mostly girls, can read something and start to reflect on their own lives. It definitely got me thinking about what I want out of life, out of my relationship. It also made me realise that true love really is rare to come by. But we learn to love the next best thing, we learn to fall deeply in love after a while.

I love reading the books, in my own sweet time, but at times reading about love really makes me wish I can end the day in the arms of the boy. And that's when I start wishing for June to come earlier.

How did I become such a sop, I wonder.

And man, I really need to get this lab report done.

Mercy

So i just finished this book my mom handed to me at the start of summer last year. Haha i know, summer was 3 months ago, but I was kinda busy during summer, in case you didn't know, so it took me ages to finish it. I just finished it last night.

It is by my favourite author Jodi Picoult. She's the one who wrote My Sister's Keeper. I cried from reading that book AND watching the movie. Yes I was very touched by the storyline.

So this book Mercy was also pretty moving. In a different way. To be brief, it was about a man who killed his cancer stricken wife after she asked him to, and he did it out of love. He then went to seek out his cousin, who was a Police Chief in a town because he didn't know what else to do. The Chief took him to jail and booked him for murder, but secretly hires one of the best lawyers to represent the man. So the entire book was about how the defense and the prosecution both fought along the lines of euthanasia and mercy killing and that sort of thing.

But along its side path, was a story which affected me a little more than the main story itself. Maybe it was because I could somewhat relate to the storyline. It was about the Police Chief who started an affair with a woman who worked for his wife. And while his wife was a doting, loyal woman, never over talking her husband, never standing out of his shadow, this honourable man went about sleeping with this other woman whenever his wife was out of town helping with the murder case, claiming to be completely in love with her. The character of his wife, grew with the plot, as she became more and more strong willed, and sure of herself, until in the end, her tall, strong husband found himself looking up to her.

Now what touched me the most, wasn't so much the cheating and the blatant lying of the man to his wife, but more about the concept of love. There is always someone who loved more in a relationship. Someone who gave more and took less. The Chief's wife definitely gave more. And the cousin who was on trial for murder, loved his wife to death, literally. Even in How I met Your Mother, there is always the Reacher and the Settler (Episode 13 Season 5).

And truth be told, sometime last year, in my darkest days apart from the boy, I felt like I was the Reacher and I was something he settled for. I felt like I loved more and took less. And that weighed me down like a ton of bricks. It's not true, I guess, but with the distance, and the fact that one of us was living in happening central while the other was in the land of absolute silence from 8pm forth, it kinda made it feel true.

Needless to say that was not a happy time. heh.

It's a good Picoult book, as expected. I loved it. I just popped over to the local Auckland City library this morning and got me another book. A Marian Keyes this time. Something a little less drama, and a little more Devil Wears Prada kind of fiction I think. It's called Last Chance Saloon. =)

Oh, and for clarity's sake, no, my boyfriend did not cheat on me. He's a keeper, this one. =)

book noob

Buying books is stressful. There, I've said it. For my birthday, a friend gave me a $20 gift card for Borders. About a month later, the manager at the gym rewards every staff with a $10 gift card for Borders. So I have $30 to spend on anything in Borders and I have decided, maybe it's time to buy a book. I've always wanted to buy a book. Just to diminish that jock-ish persona about myself a little, and integrate a little bit of intellectuality in my life.

In my defense, I do read books. I have read quite a number, I might add, but all of which I borrowed from friends and the Metro College library and what have you. Oh, and Jon bought me an Agatha Christie for my 21st birthday. I've only ever bought myself 2 books in my life. And they're special edition books from the teenage fiction series Fearless by Franscine Pascal. Yes, the one who wrote Sweet Valley. But I followed Fearless until Novel House disappeared from Taipan. I loved that series so much, I plan to name my future daughters Gaia and Katia based on that book. =) So eventhough, I admit to being an extremely slow reader, I have read books and popular ones, too.

So why is it stressful, now that I have free money to buy myself a book?

Well, for starters, I just realised books are pretty darn expensive! An average sized book costs at least $30. It's ridiculous! There I was thinking I could get 2 books with my gift cards and just pay a little bit more. But it looks like I can only afford one book and still have to fork out a bit more.

Second of all, because I can only afford one book, making a decision to pick the book is so hard! See, I don't buy books. So if I'm about to get myself this one book, I want this book to be a representative of me, my character, my personality. I want this one book on the book shelf, alongside my 2 Fearless books, to give people an idea of who i am! And I don't want to waste that $30 on something which I don't really like halfway through. It has to be a book i absolutely love from cover to cover because I don't buy books, but I "had to buy" that one. Even if it was a gift. Am I making any sense?

So i've been diligently browsing Borders and Whitcoulls whenever I have some spare time, either waiting for the train, or waiting for work to start. And each time I pick up a different book, I start reading a few pages and i realise...i am into it! And I really want to bring it home and finish it...but how can I decide?!

There're books by Jodi Picoult, author of My Sister's Keeper which i absolutely loved when I read it. I was reading A Change of Heart and The Pact earlier on and i loved the stories of both of them. But then I picked up this other book about romance and comedy and I thought, hey, that's pretty hilarious! And today i spotted a new book by Mary Higgins Clark, my favourite thriller author! I spent a good amount of my time reading her short stories while I was in Metro. Then there're those movie novels, like Twilight and Chocolat which I hear are pretty good as well.

Oh, the fickleness! I really cannot decide what to blow my $30 on. I have decided to put my book search on hold for now and start reading The Da Vinci Code, which the boyfriend lent me before I came here. I didn't particularly enjoy Angels and Demons until I was about 2/3 through the book. I don't know if I'll survive through the first 10 chapters of Da Vinci but I shall try, since the book is already here, now, in my hands.

heh.

Puteri Gunung Ledang

Because my awesome boyfriend and his awesome friends are so so....awesome...I managed to watch the Puteri Gunung Ledang Musical Season III for absolutely free! Like...ohmygod...am i fur reeaaal?

Bimbocity aside, I was totally stoked when Dennis told me we were going to watch Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical because i have heard since the first time it came out, that it was really good. So we went. Before it started his friends were all talking about it being in Malay and how our Malay language have rusted over the years out of school and how we can't even form a proper Malay sentence since. It was really funny because not only was the musical in Malay, it was in the olden Malay language which I probably know as much of as any Mat Salleh that went to watch that night, if not less. =)

But fear not, for the production crew have thoughtfully provided subtitles on screens at the side of the stage. Eventhough, i had to squint quite a bit because my vanity contact lenses did not come with astigmatism which, I have come to realise, is actually pretty bad. So after straining my eyes for 15 minutes or so, I gave up and just sat back, soaked in the vibrant cast and found myself actually understanding, more or less, what the whole thing was about. (note, reading the synopsis beforehand helped).

The musical really stood up to every praise and ovation it was given for the past couple of seasons. It definitely exceeded my expectations of a local production, and I am one person who does not look that lowly upon my own country, mind you.

I thought the costumes and wardrobe were all very befitting and authentic. The Puteri, Tiara Jaquelina, looked amazing despite being about 40 years of age. Every one of the cast sang beautifully especially the Bayan, Ida Mariana, who was the Puteri's caretaker. And even the half kwai loh Hang Tuah, Stephen Hughes-Rahman, had the most mesmerizing voice (and look) despite not being fluent in Malay.

But what I loved most about the play was the dance choreography which really looked extremely professional. I found that the dance was flawless in every aspect. It was playful and coy, very precise, quick paced and the whole thing just amalgamated so well. I dare say this production is up there with any west end musical.

It was a great night out, that sent my mind back to the times in Puan Misliah's house, studying our Komsas book for SPM. How we memorised the seven preconditions the Puteri gave to the Sultan, how we deciphered the meaning of their actions and pretty much regurgitated word for word during the exam...=)

Quentins & Sukan Wanita

The book started out like a guide to "How to be a Mistress". Seriously. It taught me everything there is to know about being one.

Then the mistress in the story started losing out really bad and everyone she loved was affected by her wrong doing. This was when the drama unfolded and the storyline picked up a little.

Basically it had many little stories in one big story. The stories blended in well together. It's suitable for light reading if u asked me. I enjoyed it, though I wouldn't go all hoo-haa on it.

***

Sukan Wanita was a weird experience. Everything didnt seem right about the tri.

For starters, there were 2 transition areas. Which was alright for me because i dont use clip shoes, but for the more elite ones they'd have to separate their running gears from their cycling gears and place them in individual bags to be carried off to T2 which was some 10kms away. Nevermind that. The finishing was at a different place too. This was bad. Because we had to leave our things at 3 different places (the start, T1 and T2) and worry whether or not they were being taken care of. Especially since i was on borrowed property (Uncle Peter's Bike). Then, we had to wait for everyone to get onto a bus before we could go back to the starting. And then, we had to wait for a lorry to come bearing our bikes and stuff. I shudder at the thought of the bikes being transported in lorries.

Next was the fact that it was an all-female race. I should be all out for such an event, but the weirdest part is, i actually felt pretty out of place. I had my friends acquaintences here and there. but no one to actually sit and chat with. at the end of the day, i found myself sitting at the table with Mr Tee, Mr Cheng and Uncle Peter. weird huh?

And i just had to laugh at the 180 degree change in roles. No longer were the wives and girlfriends snapping photos and passing water. It was the men who took the backseat now. Cheering the women on. It was almost hilarious! i saw several men with their clothes all wet. They say they were escorts, but my guess would be they were itching to jump into the water and do the whole darn thing themselves.

Anyway, it was alright. I have to say though, i have more fun at "co-ed" races. *shrug*

The Zahir, the Orange Run and the prom queen campaign...

I'm finally done with The Zahir. must admit i am quite relieved. because Coelho was going on n on n on i was afraid i might fall into a trance from reading the book. it was all very cult-like in a way....found it a bit out of this world. literally. anyway, every book has its good pages. and i'd say the love-themed story which ended in happiness still touched me in one way or another. :)

***

the Orange Run took place last Sunday at the Curve. I was looking forward to a relaxing run, seeing it was less than 10 kms. i had not known that there was in fact a bit of a hilly terrain and that the 9 km stated on the entrance form was actually 9.8 km in reality. When i reached there, i spotted the familiar baby blue running vest of Kit Mun and was pleased because she made me achieve a pretty fast pace during the Smart Tunnel run. but alas, she left me sometime after 6 km or so, despite the fact she said she was sick and had not been training. *grumbles

nonetheless, i had a good time. got 13th place in my category. I got RM60 worth of BHPetrol vouchers. and 4L of fuly synthetic engine lubricant. :)

***

the personal campaigns for the Mr & Ms Metropolitan nominees start this week. However, as of today i have seen not so much as a flyer being thrown around in college. are everyone really doing nothing? and there i was getting all competitive. i had imagined aggressive narcissm going on in the corridors of college, but the coast seem to be crystal clear

which makes me a little shy to campaign. Dektos, my campaign manager, has been spending hours on end designing posters n flyers for me, and i couldnt be more grateful. But how to fight if there's no fight?!?!?

i'm hoping that when i start campaigning tomorrow, ppl will start too. that way i dont come off as an attention seeking, fan-base generating stereotypical prom queen wannabe..

poster courtesy of Dektos

the chinese new year and book report

CNY this year was a tad different than before. My amah was hospitalised for a few days before CNY. As the days to chui it (First day of CNY) drew nearer, she became more and more anxious to leave the hospital, but i guess health comes first. When the doc decided to keep her in for one more day she was pretty disappointed. So on the eve, we had our little own reunion dinner with her in the hospital room. Well, actually, she ate. We ate before going. But we stayed with her for a while la. We went to Klang after that to usher in the new year with my yehyeh and my mum's brothers' families.

The next day, my dad was woken up pretty early by my amah's phone call, literally shrieking to sa that she was discharged! When we went to get her, the nurses laughed and teased, saying how she was making phone calls all morning. So we let her eat her lunch (which she ate in a hurry) and we shot off straight to Raub.

The crash boom bang of fireworks and firecrackers in Raub never fail to amaze me. They play it so rampantly there, that it pretty much lasts all night long. I didn't bring my camera down thinking there wouldnt be any visiting done, thus nothing to snap about. But i was wrong. My dad's cousins all came with their children and all. The eldest cousin requested a group photo even. Felt kinda weird to be the oldest grandchild now that kor's in Australia. hehe...

Anyway, while i was there, i was granted some good reading time. I finally finished My Sister's Keeper. It's an amazing book, which i recommend all mothers to read. Oh and sisters too. It's got a really sad ending though. But i didnt cry. I'm yet to find a book and a movie which can make me bawl my eyes out. haha...

tough competition

results for powerman are out, and lo and behold, i got last place. well, can't say i wasn't expecting it. but it still bums me out anyhow. what saddens me was the fact that my first 10km run was the slowest of the pact. and i so wanted to get a headstart with my running. i thought that maybe the heat had affected everyone else too. but it seems to me everyone was running fine. i know i shouldn't be discouraged because of this. i mean, it still was a feat in itself, to have gone without prior training. and having to run under the sun and then, cycle in the rain at my first long distance race is quite a challenge. but who am i kidding. there were many there that day who were first timers as well.

just makes me think. have i really gone down? i know it's not right to wallow in former glory, but there was a time when every race i went for would guarantee me a medal in hand. doesn't have to be the top 10. just the top 30 or something. my dad used to say i was a "medal prospect". it was pretty cool.

now my timing have improved. what used to be 6.5 minutes per km, went down to 6 minutes/km and is now going steadily under 6 minutes for 10km distances or less. my stamina have improved by leaps and bounds too. 3 years back i would have never even thought of going for a half marathon, let alone a Powerman.

but competition is getting tougher and tougher. like my brother said, it's a whole different league now. and though self satisfaction has served me well as a reward and drive, i can't help but think that sometimes, that ain't enough.

oh well, doesn't deter me from wanting to join again next year. if at all, it actually drives me to strive harder. from now on, it's the full distance throughout the entire series. that's if there still is the MMDS and the Powerman, considering Malakoff shares have been sold off. and the aim? to not emerge last, anymore. coz i'm a bad loser. i really am. heh. :)

oh i've changed the layout because i wanted to get the blogger comment system back. and the only way i knew how to do that was to get a blogger template again. Haloscan seems to disappear pretty often. now thanks to blogger's word verification, there won't be spamming anymore, so blogger it is. and for those who congratulated me in the haloscan system, i just read them today. thanks a lot! i guess if self satisfaction fails me, i always have you guys to keep me going...:)

p.s.: i'm done reading Mary Higgins Clark! Finally, i can start on the Devil. But i have to say, Mary Higgins Clark is an amazing writer! I'll definitely borrow her other novels next sem. :)

Remember Me

i just finished reading Remember Me by Mary Higgins Clark, one of the 3 novels in the huge ass storybook i borrowed from the library. At first it seemed as though it was a haunted story, which made me rather reluctant to read it at night. My imaginations can be very vivid at times. As compared to the first one i read, I'll Be Seeing You, this one was a little dry. The first one was more progressive while this one dwelled a little here and there. But nonetheless, the last few chapters really caught my attention. I read from 3 to 7 o'clock straight just now.

i actually stayed home the entire day today. it was supposed to be another morning at Bukit Gasing but Shakti fell ill last night and Mei Yen didn't want to date me this morning, so we postponed it to next Sunday. Which was good since i really appreciated a good long night's sleep after waking up early every single day of the week last week. and my fatigue was proven when i only pried my eyes open when my mum came into my room to fix parquet tiles at 11.30 am. that's 10 hours of sleep approximately. :)

had an invitation to climb at Camp5 today. but as i was trying to gather more people to go, the guy calls me and says that he has decided to go to Damai. so no climbing for me. and today marks the last of my 6 month period to use my 10 pass. i think i only used it 5 or 6 times. which is a total waste of money! i swear i need to get my own gear. everytime i go, i think about paying for the rented gear. don't really save much, do i? Camp5 sent me their inventory list for year 2006 and i'm dying to get a pair of shoes and a harness!
it poured in the afternoon so, i didn't get to work out again today. pity the people who went to Damai. hehe...burrying my face in my book seemed like the best option. the story became so intriguing that the next thing i knew it was time for dinner...

bet my dad must be thinking, "now wouldn't it be nice if my girl stayed home like this everyday. no need to waste petrol". heh.

what ive been doing

so the semester break came and left. my last post had me thinking that i'd have the free time to curl up at the head of my bed, with my piggie tucked nicely under my arms, allowing the novels of Mary Higgins Clark to drift me away from reality.

but alas, that moment came only once in my 9 day break. free time was an illusion. i was bustling up and down throughout the week entertaining, as my mum put it, my "thousand and one different groups of friends". one day it was a day out with the SJians, next it was my lovely RSGs, then it was my new found Metro clicks, and somewhere along the way i was out playing Miss Tour Guide for my OB dudes. *shrugs*

i only managed to run once in that week too. i did set the alarm clock at 7 am several times, but as far as im concerned, i dont remember hearing it ring. and by the time evening came...well, by the time evening came i was out somewhere with one of those aforementioned. so, not only was i spending as if i grew a money tree, i was eating like i was starved (i swear if i puasa i'd die) and i did nothing to burn off those calories.

well, to look at things from a positive light, i had a great sem break. there was not a day which i stayed home and did absolutely nothing. i guess the major events were the Genting day trip with Grace, Jayson, Adrian, Daniel, KK and Vanny; and the Leadership Camp in PD.

shall i report? i think i shall. a brief.

to me, i'd only go to Genting for 2 reasons - the theme park and the weather. Oh, and to race, so that's 3. and maybe when i turn 21, i'd have 'to gamble' on the list and it'll be 4. but on a general note, it's 2. so the first thing we did when we reached up there was to get ourselves wristbands for all parks. that burnt a large hole in my pocket, but the moment i got on the rides, i forgave Lim Goh Tong. i went on the space shot 3 times, drove the bumper cars twice and went on many others. unfortunately cork screw was closed, else i'd have ridden on it like 3 times too. the guys introduced me to Mamak Genting which from now on shall be where i dine if ever i'm in Genting. i left together with KK and Daniel after dinner because i had to come home to plan for the Angels Cup. i had a ball! thanks to Jayson for organizing it, and Daniel for driving me. :) Next time Sunway Lagoon??





the Leadership Camp report is still in the process. Yanyee asked me to do a write up, so when i'm done with that i'll just post it here. But in short, the camp was amazing! I learned a lot quite honestly, eventhough that wasn't my purpose for going. I met like a truck load of new people with very very interesting characters. I once said i'd given up scouting for hunks in my college, but i guess i just never looked hard enough. haha...and finally, i came home a changed person. this, i'm afraid you'll have to wait for the report to know more. :)



on other things, the sun is annoyingly bright and furious today. i could feel my skin roasting when i walked to college today. my eyelids were drooping too. so much for the first day of college. but as i type this minute, it's pouring cats and dogs. my mum started lecturing me about the equinox and hujan perolakan and whatnots. heh.

time to be intellectual again...

i've gone back to reading. i figured since i would be free this holidays, i might as well grab a book and "expand my horizons". i re-borrowed the book i was reading at the start of the semester, the one with 3 stories in it by Mary Higgins Clark. i was only a few pages into the 2nd story when i was rudely interrupted by the devils Assignments and Exams.

anyway, i thoroughly enjoyed the first story I'll Be Seeing You. it's a twisted tale of a really pretty reporter whose father's death was a mystery. suddenly this other woman dies and the resemblance between the dead woman and this reporter was remarkable. and from there the story unravels slowly releasing more and more deceits and lies that all of them were living in.

now i'm reading Remember Me. this one's a bit more thriller-ish because there seems to be a spirit-like character involved. which, if you guys know me well enough, makes it hard for me to read it at night. but at night is the only time i have to read in my busy jam-packed schedule. the story's about a young married couple who recently lost a baby boy. the wife had suffered from depression and was just recovering when they had another baby. they bought a summer house in this place called the Cape and there's something about that house, especially in the baby's room.

yup, i dont know when i'll finish it but i will. then there's the 3rd story Let Me Call You Sweetheart, which sounds pretty daunting too. i hope can finish the book before finals. Roshida just lent me The Devil Wears Prada. so Wendy, if you're reading this, i just remembered who Wendy Moh is, and no you're not Wendy from Camp 5. hehe my bad. anyway, ive gotten the book, so thanks anyway! :)

God knows when i'll start that though. *shrugs*

sem 4 week 1

this is what i think. one can actually get enough of holidays. really. and the last person to say that sorta statement would be me. yet, here i am actually glad that college had started. because i can only have so many days waking up almost noon, lounging around my pc till evening, going for runs, and then going to sleep again at 2 am. funny.

so i've gracefully stepped into Year 2 Sem 2, which is also known as sem 4, which is also known as the-second-half-of-my-commerce-degree. yea, i'd stick to the last title. :) My first lecture of the week was Finance (Introductory). I have a good lecturer, Ms Con Nee. Only problem is she isn't as fun as Ms Juliana. She's nice, but long winded. And the friggin' lecture starts at 8 am on a Monday morning. bluek! Then i've got Human Resource Management 200. I simple L.O.V.E my lecturer, Mr Ronald Hor. the guy's such a cartoon. he's very witty and he says things you would never in a million years think a lecturer would say. i was laughing my head off during his lecture. haha...On Wednesday, i've got Marketing Communications 201, lectured by Ms Janice. Very professional, very knowledgeable, very i'm-so-good-u-can-tell-by-the-fake-accent-i-put-on. i supposed i could grow to like her. *shrugs*. Then it's Marketing Research 211. Now i actually like Mr Lim Teck Sun. He's very very nice. Very grandfatherly. So you can guess he's long winded. even long winded is an understatement. But yes he's very very nice. He's the kind of lecturer that would go all the way back of the lecture hall, go through all the students to where you are sitting and show you how to use your calculator, step by step. The fact that he's probably more than half a century old, doesn't make him very popular unfortunately. heh.

i study 3 days a week this sem. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. ha! don't be jealous. I start 8-ish and end almost 6. which is just too long. takes away a lot of my energy for some reason. i come home and drop like a sack.

so sem 4 is looking pretty good. i'm still VP of Circle-K, in charge of promoting Rock4Hope and selling Heart4Hope tees, visiting Rumah Kasih Sayang next weekend. all the more reason to have a good semester. :)


***
oh, and i'm reading this book i picked up from the library on Monday. It's actually a 3-in-1 book, comprising of 3 novels written by author Mary Higgins Clark. The titles are I'll Be Seeing You, Remember Me, and Let Me Call You Sweetheart. I thought they were romantic novels. They're actually thrillers. haha...i'm still at the first, and it's very intriguing. can't seem to put the book down. can't seem to sleep with ease too. hahah...:)


***
this month's expenditure is rocket high. everything seems to fall i this month. i just used up my last pair of contact lenses. i had to top up my hotlink just now. i need to buy books coz my lovely seniors who lent me all their texts last sem is now in Curtin Perth. and to top it off, i joined so so many races this month. waiting for my July pay which is way way overdue. hmm...*drums fingers*


***
i just went out with 3 doctors, a doctor to be, an engineer to be, an accountant(??) to be, and 2 business students (including myself). we call ourselves the karate retirees. heh. okay so Ju and AunWoon still goes karate-ing.

it just makes me sigh happily when i think of how many doctor/doctor-to-be friends i know. i have friends in high places. hehe...

bedtime stories

ever since Lifemou lent me The Alchemist, i've been addicted to reading before i sleep.

My mum used to read me bedtime stories when i was a child. Then i grew up and learned how to read, and so i immersed myself in Enid Blyton books. But after some time i grew tired of reading. I guess "outdoor activities" got the better of me. I made friends with my neighbours and its not surprising that kejar-kejar or batu seremban or whatever games we used to play behind my house became much more interesting than reading. I figured i needn't a book to find solitude. My solitary place was this tree outside my house which i would often climb up to think (or to escape spanking).

So, i became a slow reader eventually. And that made me hate reading even more. It took me almost 2 weeks to finish The Alchemist.

But anyway, since i read about 10 pages every night, it got me hooked. So after i was done with it, i went and borrowed a book from my college library. It's called Walk Two Moons. It's actually labelled "Teen Readers" in MPH. But who cares...i'm twenteen what! :)

It's a great book! I actually looked forward to resuming my reading every night. It's like a story within a story within a story. No kidding! I enjoyed it so much that i now start to think like the little girl in the book. She's a nature lover and she's one with trees, bunnies, dogs, cows and horses. Just now I almost dived in between my maid, her broom and this cute little beetle on the floor. I told her not to kill it. Well, i've always had an afinity for beetles anyway. They've got really smooth shells.

So yea, i'm done with the book now. Feeling a bit touchy cause it wasn't a very happy ending.

I recommend it to all once upon a time Enid Blyton fans. Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons is a must-read!