Time of my Life......

Got inspired by all the emo emails, emo leon. And so I decided to do a little something on my part to gush about our geography honours class as well! I'm having the time of my life right now..I hope you do too!

Dedicated to My Class, my friends....


Urban class


Tracy's house



Greenday- Time of Your Life

Another turning point;
a fork stuck in the road.

Time grabs you by the wrist;
directs you where to go.

So make the best of this test
and don't ask why.

It's not a question
but a lesson learned in time.

It's something unpredictable
but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

So take the photographs
and still frames in your mind.

Hang it on a shelf
In good health and good time.

Tattoos of memories
and dead skin on trial.

For what it's worth,
it was worth all the while.

It's something unpredictable
but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.


It's something unpredictable
but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

It's something unpredictable
but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.




Fm 5.1! (a.k.a the 'Green' people)


Greedy girl!


our mulu dormitory (can't believe the name!)


by the stream

class soccer matchday


I'm taller for once!





No other class holds three BBQs within a span of less than a year. (PGP/Tracy/Loyang)

No other class gets to travel overseas together often on the pretext of 'academic' reasons. (Bintan/Mulu/Thailand/Malaysia)

No other class has lecturers added as friends on facebook. (Pow added me!)

No other class can lose a game, yet walk away feeling like the world's biggest winners.

Lastly, no other class will actually bother to stay back after a gruelling examination despite looking all shagged, unglam, nerdy, grouchy, half-dead, undead, unkempt, unawake...
just to take a united group photo!







No other class but Ours :)

What you see is not what you get......

So there we were on the flight from KL-Kuching, midway on our 10 hour flight route and practically starving since we started off at 6am.

Lunch came in a pretty box and we greeted it eagerly. The one beside me made some comment about how environmentally unfriendly it was but concluded that it would make quite a nice container to store barang barang in such as t-shirts, socks, underwear…etc.

Whatever. It was all small talk before we tackle the munchies!

I opened the box cover before me to find- yogurt (yuck!), a cup of water, a dry looking pandan muffin and a cute cubic container labeled “Sandwic”.

Thinking it to be what you usually get for sandwiches, (you know, the thing with meaty fillings squashed between two slices of bread) I immediately attacked what I thought would be the answer to my hunger.

Alas! Things were not what they seem to be…

Presenting Malaysian Airline’s one time only, limited edition, exclusive flight food offering-
the ‘Meteor Bread’! Also known as the ‘Rock’!

A special concoction of pure plain dough shaped as a square brick block, with bits of ham thrown in for a dash of colour!

I looked over to the guy beside me and he looked back, we both threw that horrid thing back to its beautiful package and shut the lid. So much for lunch!

Touched down in Miri and found that our next flight had been delayed by an hour. Good! I thought, just enough time to search for a quick bite onto some good grub. Enticed by a delicious poster advertising for ‘Malaysian Wok’, we were in a mood for a little noodle soup…

Yet, Life decided that it was not at the end of its mischievous run.

Sometimes what you see is not only what you get…but MORE!

Guess what I found in my chicken ball noodle soup halfway after eating it?

A piece of STRING!!

Yep, a skinny white string masquerading as noodles was found floating in my soup as I fished it out with my fork. It’s the same type of string people use to tie exam scripts with during O’levels. Urrgh... I refuse to speculate on what went into the making of those chicken balls I ate!

And so that's the end of my adventures exploring the arid gastronomical wonders of MAS, not forgetting the 'delightful' surprise that awaited me at Malaysian Wok.
Thank God the rest of the food along the trip was normal and not quite as spectacular! haha...

Ulu Mulu: I Love You!

For those of you who have been wondering what I've been up to, don't worry my blog's not dead.
I was just busy exploring limestone caves in Sarawak, Malaysia while on the pretense of doing geographical fieldwork. I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves and make every Human/Urban Geographer/ Non-Geographer jealous...haha!




miri-mulu flight

Meandering rivers in Borneo with an Ox-Bow lake clearly visible on the right.


Royal Mulu Resort

Taking measurements along the river flanked by limestone.


Royal Mulu Resort

Stopping for an ice lolly right after.


Bat Observatory

Watching millions of bats make their way out of Deer's cave for their daily hunt in the evening.


Entrance of Clearwater cave

Exploring the caves themselves with all the bat shit guano, collapsed dolines, speleothems and dripping water in utter darkness.


Park HQ eating area

Having a hearty breakfast with good friends every morning.


Sg Pala bridge along main road

Admiring breathtaking landscapes where the mountains meet the clouds together.


miri airport

Taking a breather from the 5m high piles of stinking guano in Deer's Cave. ahha.



Finally when the going gets tough, nothing beats wasting time more than taking stupid photos as we while time away waiting for others. heeheehee!


my tshirt for the day



Ahh.........!

Things that amaze me about Germany...

Near the Reichstag

1. How do they wash their hands with the soap and paper towel dispenser provided with not a single tap of water to be seen anywhere nearby??

I suppose the wash basin could be inside the cubicles but I didn't see any water pipes or tubes connected to them at all.



Bebelplatz

2. The irony of having the Nazis burning 20,000 books right outside the Humboldt University, from which 29 Nobel prize winners came from.

I must admit, the geek in me was alerted and gave a little leap in response when I saw the list of names that were part of the university's alumni. The list includes:
Alexander von Humboldt- natural scientist and Geographer!
Georg Hegel-Philosopher
Heinrich Heine- Poet
Otto von Bismarck-First one to unify all the German states
Albert Einstein- Jewish German who taught physics there. He later fled the country during the Nazi occupation to the U.S, where he came up with the equation to build the atomic bomb that ended WW2. Strong sense of 'Karma' operating there.
The Grimm brothers- Without whom we would never have amazing bedtime stories and get introduced to Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel etc...
Karl Marx and Freidrich Engels- The ones who give many students (including my whole Honours class) a mighty headache and incur frequent curses as we all struggle to comprehend the idea of Structuralism/Marxism/Socialism. (*%#$@!!)



Outside a shopping centre, Berlin

3. How silent it is when snow falls.

It may not be obvious but I took the above picture when it was snowing heavily on New Year's Day in Berlin. Up til now I still feel quite amazed at how silent snow is compared to rain. Somehow, falling snow blankets away all the sounds of the city and manages to make everything seem so quiet and peaceful. (My friend says it's an eerie silence but I beg to differ.)



Old Bridge, Heidelberg

4. No matter how important the person the statue is of, be it a Greek God, a Hero or a Prime Minister, there will always be a bird who will perch itself comfortably on top of the head and shit on it.

Simply put it, Shit happens to anyone regardless of status, age, gender or class. haha.


Outside a Butcher's shop, Munich

5. How incredibly obedient and well-trained German dogs are.

I have seen dogs on the train, on the bus, even in the middle of a shopping mall! They will just sit quietly by their owners' side without barking or moving an inch. The huge Retriever I saw in the shopping mall was just lying alone in the middle of the walkway while its owner went off browsing for shoes. It didn't move its position at all but just laid there peacefully as hordes of shoppers manoeuvred around it. It was only when the owner came back, tap his leg once, when it lifted its giant body up with a jerk and started to follow him out of the store.
The Terrier above was waiting patiently outside the butcher's store while its owner was happily purchasing sausages inside. I'm really surprised that it did not leap and start pawing the mountains of meat and sausages hanging seductively around the store!




Plaque citing the fall of the Berlin Wall.

6. How a country like Germany can become one of the strongest European economies when it's capital was still economically/socially/ philosophically/physically divided less than 20 years ago.


Jewish Museum, Berlin

7. Last but not least, how is it that there can still be a thriving, growing and prospering Jewish community in a country that strove to eliminate and succeeded in 6million Jewish deaths less than 50 years ago??!!

The only explanation I can give is that it is because they are God's people. God has really let them keep the flame burning despite all the odds. For an idea of how well the Jews in Germany are doing, I would add that they now have a new synagogue in Berlin with its dome capped in Gold and the Jewish Museum is the only museum to have Apple ipods for its visitors to listen to the commentary. To me, it just screams "$RiCH!!!$"

Back Home again...

Hey people, yes I am finally back in Singapore after a whirlwind kind of tour to...in case you don't know it yet... GERMANY! Yep, I went to the kingdom of Bavaria, the proud republic of Deutschland and the place that gave birth both Nobel prize winners and cruel dictators.

I hope you are not thinking, "She's damn bloody rich and lucky lah, always flying off to some faraway place!" Because no, I am not rich and over-flowing with money. I do not take tours but rely on budget transport and travel. We plan all our own iteinary. It's a very 'backpacker' independent kind of travelling. Except that we do not carry backpacks but strain our arms lugging our suitcase luggages up and down buses, trams, trains as we go from city to city. Few people know about the many-a-cup noodles I have eaten as a substitute for a meal overseas, and I mean ALOT of instant mee. (The supermarket cashier always gives me a weird "are u planning on running away as a refugee?" look when I make my pre-travel purchases haha) Even fewer will understand the weirder looks we get when we unpack our own lunch of Japanese Curry Rice to eat in the middle of the park, musuem foyer, shopping centre bench or out in the open in the middle of winter. We do not even stay at hotels coz they are usually quite expensive. What we have are mostly apartments, hostels and B&Bs. (which translates to we cook, we clean and we share toilet facilities with others)

But despite all that, I really do feel extremely lucky to have been to and seen the places, met the faces and gone through the experiences that I have. Thank God for His kindness! :)
I wouldn't trade it all for the world, though I have seen it. Haha.
I used to worry abit about writing all about my travels coz I don't want to end up sounding boastful and gain the envy of others, but then again now I'm thinking: Heck it lah!
I should try to put it all down before it all turns into a faded memory. Besides, someone once told me I should actually put in more photos of my travels so that people who can't afford to travel can at least get a glimpse of what's out there. So I shall try to do just that.


1st photo of the day: The Reichstag in Berlin, Germany on New Year's eve.

Notice the long queue lining the front of the entrance to get to the dome crowning the German Parliament. Think it must have been as long as the line outside the Donut shop at cityhall during its peak or maybe longer. And it certainly would have taken just as long (most probably 2-3hrs) to get in. We were originally in the queue but the plan was aborted when the British group behind us brought us to our senses when they said:"Blimey! We are wasting our time freezing in the cold when we can spend it better at other warmer places. Let's get out of here and away from these idiots!"

Okie that's about all that I'm writing so far. Shall update more when I have the time. It's one of the rare times when I'm starting to type more than the pictures I post.
Til' Then!!

I'm Like a Bird...

Hey there, people who know me and are reading this, wondering where I am since I'm not answering your sms or phonecalls. (I doubt there will be many anyway)

The reason being that I'm off to some far-flung part of the globe again. This time on a last minute 2-week holiday trip to maximise my last remaining chances of using cheap SIA ticket prices. (Before fuel prices sky-rocket to unattainable heights and I officially become a full-paying 'adult')

By the way, I'll be back on 13 Jan, just before my last semester of school starts again, if anyone is actually interested to know.

As for where i am going, I'll leave it to the people whom I have told to know and for the rest to find out. Haha...why don't you make an intelligent guess?
(hint: it's on another continent and hemisphere)




In the words of Nelly Furtado: "I'm like a bird...I always fly away..."

Til' I see you all again!

You Know Who You Are...

Rainy Days and Mondays

The exams are finally over and the holidays are here once more.
But somehow I'm still cooped behind the grills of my house.
For the past few days it has been raining like God-decided-to-try-and-turn-Earth-into-Neptune-on-a-whim.
Alternatively, we can just conveniently blame the anthropogenic-induced global climate change for this perpetual wet socks weather. Sighz...
Bad weather no sun, no money no fun.


Anyway, I was just mulling over the rainy weather late this evening when i was greeted with a sight that just made me laugh...

My mother never fails to surprise me and today she did it again with
this HuuUuuuGE Umbrella!!!!

ps: my own blue umbrella looks like a tiny dwarf next to her monstrous waterproof canvas, which I think, can easily pass off as a makeshift shelter for the homeless! I wonder how many stares she invited when she took it out to work today. (I'm guessing either envious or weird kinds. haha.)







How nice it is to have a big warm shelter you can always run to in stormy weather... And never fear of getting wet too!

Reeling from a nightmare

I feel like a caged bird...been cooped up at home for the past whole week trying my best to read, study, synthesize and summarise. Containment is an ironic word for what I'm in. I feel repressed within the four walls of my home, yet I struggle to keep whatever my eyes have seen inside my head. Just when I thought I was quite ready to fly out and confront the dreaded,
I got shot.

First paper. First glance and I knew I was dead. First time i felt so paralysed from a stupid paper. 3 questions and I couldn't give a complete answer for any.




If I could turn back the hands of time, I wouldn't even bother.














Time to grab the most important book for revision to help me face the rest of the desolation.

The First Love Story...

Bell X1- Eve, The Apple of My Eye

You left it, I sent it
I want it back
You left it, I sent it
I want it back

If I had you here, I'd clip your wings
Snap you up and leave you sprawling on my pin
This plan of mine is oh so very lame
Can't you see the grass is greener where it rains

You left, I died,
I went and you cried
You came, I think
But I never really know
I've served my time
I've watched you climb
The wrong incline
But what do I know

Accept it, Don't let it
Turn the screw
Accept it, And let it
Scream back at you

Now this applies both equally to you and I
The only thing we share
Is the same sky
These empty metaphors
They're all in vain
Like can't you see the grass is greener where it rains

In the garden Snake was a charmin'
And Eve said let's give it a try
Now lead us not into temptation
But no matter how hard I try
When in the garden and
Snake is a charmin'
And Eve says let's give it a try
Eve is the apple of my eye

Eve is the apple of my eye

And I lie behind you
And a cradle you in the palm of me
And I pat your hair down
I think will we sink or swim?
'Cause we could do either on a whim




This song is currently no.1 on my playlist. Love the lyrics man.
Parts of it sound more like a poem rather than a song.

"The grass is always greener where it rains"
I suppose we now all know where the expression "apple of my eye" comes from too.

Apparently, Damien Rice was with this band before he went solo. Go figure. He's one of my favourite poet/singers, one of the only ones who can wax lyrical about depression and make explicit words sound poetic. Haha!

Anyway, my interpretation of the song is that it comes from the viewpoint of Adam.
He loved Eve so much that he was willing to give anything a try, even if it meant doing something wrong. Ahh...The things people do for love, sometimes it just breaks my heart...oh well it's just me being melancholy...haa...

What about you? What do you think?




PS: I've been stuck at home with my books and notes, supposed to be studying but with not much luck. Youtube will cause the death of me.

Different Lens...

Been thinking about this issue for these past few days, haven't exactly been able to put it in words or pictures. Until something written in a friend's blog spelt out what I have been wanting to say all along. So I shall start off with a story from her,

"I went to the optician a few days back to order a pair of spectacles, i told her i really cannot stand being short-sighted by 100 degrees for both eyes. I wanted perfect eyesight. Then she advised that i can still see quite well, except for things at a distance. Thus wearing spectacles is only for when there is a need.

Something that struck me deeply was what she said, that because i know the difference between looking at things with perfect eyesight versus short-sightedness, therefore i cannot stand it.
She told me many people at 100 degrees short-sightedness do not actually realise that they are short-sighted, because the unclearness is so mild, they think they have perfect eyesight and are comfortable with that.

Isn't this what is happening in life each day? Each person has their own view of what is a perfect vision. Someone's perfect clear vision might be 50 degrees short-sightedness, or 150 degrees short-sightedness, whatever the person is comfortable and decided to live with.

In terms of how each person perceives things, the logic is the same. Each person has their own thinking of what is correct and perfect, and base their perceptions on that.

Therefore, don't assume people will see things as you do. Even the most basic instinct of what is clear vision differs greatly for each individual, even more so perceptions."





Sometimes in life, arguments can seem endless with no conclusion in sight.
But perhaps if we take a step back and try to think things through,



We'll be able to keep things in perspective,
and to look from other people's point of view,
even if we may not agree with them.









Maybe the world will be a better place if we could all just leave our bones of contention out on the open table and try to resolve it in a calm peaceful manner.


But then again, I'm idealistic.

It Ends Tonight

Your subtleties
They strangle me
I can't explain myself at all.
And all the wants
And all the needs
All I don't want to need at all.

The walls start breathing
My mind's unweaving
Maybe it's best you leave me alone.
A weight is lifted
On this evening
I give the final blow.

When darkness turns to light,
It ends tonight
It ends tonight.

A falling star
Least I fall alone.
I can't explain what you can't explain.
You're finding things that you didn't know
I look at you with such disdain

The walls start breathing
My mind's unweaving
Maybe it's best you leave me alone.
A weight is lifted
On this evening
I give the final blow.

When darkness turns to light
It ends tonight,
It ends tonight.
Just a little insight won't make this right
It's too late to fight
It ends tonight,
It ends tonight.

Now I'm on my own side
It's better than being on your side
It's my fault when you're blind
It's better that I see it through your eyes

All these thoughts locked inside
Now you're the first to know

When darkness turns to light
It ends tonight,
It ends tonight.
Just a little insight won't make this right
It's too late to fight
It ends tonight,
It ends

When darkness turns to light
It ends tonight,
It ends tonight.
Just a little insight won't make this right
It's too late to fight
It ends tonight,
It ends tonight.

Tonight
Insight
When darkness turns to light,
It ends tonight.

Note to Self

Luke 6:41-42

Stray Off Track...

The sign on the floor said
"Stay on Track"
But nobody told me honours
will be this whack



I tried to balance,
to keep my eyes forward
tried to walk straight
and just accept my fate





Somehow in the middle
I started to dwiddle
Went from reading to you-tubing
Instead of perserving
I end up straying



And so I stumble
with all my work in a jumble
Nevermind that the people around me
Seem to have it so easy





It's driving me Mad
All these load of Crap
Everything going down with a big fat
Splat!





Clarissa is not having the best of times...
need to find the strength to fight the battles within and without...