Ern and I were just chatting online just now, and from talking about our "new" glasses, the conversation somehow veered to English lessons with Mrs. Manik. We both agreed that our spelling and vocabulary have gotten worse after graduating from SAS. I remember one particular lesson, where we had to "fill in the blanks" with whatever. Anyway, one statement went:

"Let us be _____, Frank."

Or something like that, anyway. Ern and I were sitting beside each other, as usual. Mrs. Manik was making her rounds around the class. So Ern and I were figuring out what to put in that blank, and Ern suggested...

"Let us be frank, Frank."

Okay, that's like so retarded, I know! Anyway, we proposed it to Mrs. Manik.

Needless to say, she was not... very amused. But Ern and I really think that we did "tickle" her, it's just that she didn't want to give us the satisfaction of knowing that we succeeded in making her smile or laugh. Ern said that if she wasn't in one of her PMS-y days, she would have laughed.

Thinking about it, most of our female teachers were always going through those PMS moods - (suddenly I'm struck with the thought that a teacher might just stumble upon this blog. Scary!! Lol). Okay, maybe I shouldn't name names, but a certain teacher who dealt in the field of figures and graphs was always PMS-ing. But she was still fun! When she's not in her moods lah.

Anyway, the conversation led to the English compositions we used to write in class... one incident stands out in mind.

One of the topics we had on that particular Compo day was to make a story from the sentence "...and all that was left were footprints in the sand."

We all did our compos, handed in, and it was marked and returned. Anyway, Zakhir had always been notoriously protective of his compositions, and for that particular composition, Mrs. Manik made a really interesting remark, I think, so that got all of us curious. During recess time, we managed to "steal" his exercise book.

Oh man... it was the funniest composition we've ever read.

It was also the composition which made the least sense. I mean, there was no head or tail to it!

I can't really remember (someone correct me if they remember!) I think the essence of his composition was basically about this necklace with a curse on it... and there were a few paragraphs of this long-winded fantasy plot involving the necklace. And later on, for some reason, this girl found the cursed on the beach. She put it on, and -

She exploded.

Or was it the necklace which exploded?

But it was just hilarious!! She exploded, and "all that were left were footprints in the sand."

We have never laughed so hard before. I mean, it just didn't make sense at all!!

But to quote what Ern said: The funniest part was that Zakhir was convinced he deserved a high mark for it.

Jonathan Kok's compos were always revolving around the same theme: romance, and he always, ALWAYS kills off his main character at the end, usually by suicide. It led to Mrs. Manik labelling him as a romantic person, or something. Haha. I guess we all had our characteristics in our compositions.

Mr. AJ's Physics classes were funny as well... Ern lah! Always get me into trouble =P I remember one incident where we were sitting together (again), and we were doing absolutely nothing, but Mr. AJ gave us this really mean glare. Scaaary, okay! I didn't know what I did - maybe Ern did something. Lol. The "silence, class" and the "bang-bang-bang" with the palm of his hand on whatever surface he can find.

But I think Ern and I kind of created a "name" for ourselves, especially in Mr. AJ's classes. I remembered when Ms. Mary told Ern and I that Mrs. Manik (or some other teacher) thought we were a couple or something? That was in Form 3 or something? Lol.

But Ern and I do go quite a long way back... I remember we used to wait for each other everyday in Primary 4, and walk together to the bench to wait for our cars. Even when we were "split up" in Form 1, he always came to bother us in Form 1B. Lol. Yeah, Ern, I know you're drawn to me. =P But we were reunited in Form 4! Haha.

Okay, I should end this before I sound any more mushier. But anyway, bottom line is... I miss everyone back in Brunei! And the dream I had last night doesn't make it any better either. And to answer Ern's comment - no, it's not real! It's just a dream!! Just a dream.

But all that aside, I don't feel as homesick as I did last year (which was the whole year round, actually). I'm enjoying Melbourne, and already settling into life here... But I still can't wait to move out of this stupid apartment next year, and find my own place!! I need to find someone to share with, as well, and then I can rent my own piano from the Music Faculty instead of walking down to the practice rooms everyday.

It's ANZAC Day tomorrow, and it's a university holiday, so no school again! The classes I'll be missing tomorrow are replaced on Wednesday, though. Which is supposed to be my free day, but never mind!

Anyway, must go to sleep now... btw.. I want to see more pictures from Jerry. =P I've got no camera with me, so you can't exactly force me to put up pictures.


"So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodnight!"

Random

Easter break's over, and Easter camp was just amazing. Shall post more about it next time.

It's already autumn, and the weather's already chilling me to the bones - it feels like winter in Perth!! I can't imagine how I will be able to cope when winter really arrives later on. It's been raining/drizzling intermittently for the past few days (although it didn't today). I kind of miss the rains we had back in Brunei - the heavy, several-hours-long kind of rain. On those kind of rainy days, it's just lovely to stay home and do what I love best - either eat or sleep. =D

Speaking of sleep... wonder if any of you ever had a dream... where you're with all your friends, but for some reason, they're all denying you, and sever all ties with you. They pretend not to know you anymore, and whisper about things behind your back, and you just keep walking on, trying not to show that it's affecting you really badly. And when you try to find out what happened, no one wants to tell you anything, and for some reason, it's all your fault that you are no longer friends.

It's scary... I woke up from a dream like that this morning. A few of my closest and good friends were just being really mean... one or two were neutral, but I felt so alone and hurt. And it really did felt as if I had done something wrong. But I didn't know what.


Anyway!

Let's cast away that air of gloominess and depression and come back to happier things - like Jerry! You look different! Post more pictures of yourself =D

Speaking of that... I don't think any of you have actually seen me with my "not-so-new" glasses anymore... I was web-camming with my sister a few weeks back, and my brother saw me. Well, my sister as well. And my youngest brother said that I look really weird... Eeargh... brothers! My sister didn't really say anything, except that, "You have new glasses!"

I guess I really do look different, in terms of looks now! I mean, if you just compare how I looked the year before and now, it makes me wonder how I decided to have a perm, and at the same time, chop my hair off to have a fringe. And knowing me, it's quite a radical change, since I don't usually just go "all out". I mean, just before I had my hair permed back in M'sia, I even SMS-ed Ern just to get his opinion, so that I won't end up with weird octopus hair or something!

He never replied me, and the next minute I know, I was already seated on the chair with the curlers attached to my hair. =( I was seriously, seriously nervous - I didn't even know what I was doing, okay! It took a long time getting used to it - I remember after everything was done, I was regretting it, and complaining to my aunt (who probably can't be bothered putting up with my whining, since I wanted a radical change in the beginning). After a few weeks or so, it became part of "me".

Even my new glasses were just weird - I mean, I had worn my frameless glasses for three years, and though my prescription didn't change much when I had it checked at the beginning of the year, my astigmatism increased (again), which wasn't much, but my mom and I thought that I should have spare glasses, just in case. The spare, being my old glasses... And because thick-framed glasses are "in", I thought, heck, might as well be different.

And even after my new glasses were made, and even though my world was so much brighter and clearer, I couldn't, I just could NOT get used to seeing my face in the mirror with these thick-rimmed purplish-blue and metallic red glasses. I instantly went back to my old glasses after that, and once again, complained to my aunt and mom who were with me in S'pore. I wore the new pair on and off, and slowly got used to it. Now I can't wear my old glasses, because they feel weird!

And you guys know that I've worn my dolphin necklace for seven years now, right? Well, I'm not wearing it anymore - and that was a "painful" choice for me too. My mom bought me this new necklace in S'pore, with a really beautiful treble-clef pendant. Sort of a "present" for passing my Diploma... my dolphin necklace was ironically bought in S'pore as well, from my dad, for passing my Grade 5 exam with a distinction. I miss my old necklace! =(

=( Obviously, I have a complexity about letting go of the "past".

This is so random.

Er...

I need sleep now! School tomorrow, Easter break is over (and by the way, the first time in my entire schooling life that I had an Easter break). Haha, sakai of me, I know. =P

Night!

Dislike #1: Chain-Letters (grrr)

I received yet another one of "those" chain letters - sheesh, don't people just get tired of reading the same things over and over again?? I usually sort through my inbox email by email, starting from the top, and sometimes even the most innocent subjects can be the worst chain-letters. And you just seriously wonder why do people keep falling for it?! Especially when there are glaringly obvious flaws in the contents of the chain letter (email, I should say), itself.

Anyway, chain letters tend to follow a pattern; it's usually "if-you-don't-send-this-out-your-love-life-will-suffer" or "you-will-die-in-16-hours-if-you-do-not-follow-the-instructions". Or it might be "suffer-bad-luck-for-the-rest-of-your-life". Otherwise, it's always something related to love lives (makes you wonder about the people who aren't even in relationships) - "if-you-do-not-send-this-your-loved-one-will-dump-you".

Let's use the one I received today as an example. I won't reproduce the whole thing - it's just sheer idiocy, but let me have my fun of dissecting and lambasting it. *evil grin*

"This chain letter is real so follow the instructions and something good will happen!!"

*Huge, exaggerated yawn* Yeah, yeah, we've heard it all before. And how can you PROVE that it's real?? How is it real? Stop making all these ludicrous statements.

And as if they know you aren't convinced, they have to add an extra statement:

"Listen to this letter and good luck!!"

I won't even bother.

"Sorry, but this chain letter is for real. When Anne Wichert got it for the first time, she ignored it and a week later the love of her life jumped her for no good reason so BEWARE, and just send the stupid letter!!!!!!"

Okay, who the heck is Anne Wichert?! And why do we even care?! If you have like, an article with her photo, with details of her failed relationship, right down to proof of identification, and whatever nonsense, maybe we just might care a little. And why are you apologizing, anyway?! And anyway, millions of rational people probably ignore chain letters, and every day, someone probably gets dumped for "no good reason". And if this letter is "stupid", why are you even creating it?? (I assume that all chain letters must have originated from some smart wiseguy who has nothing better to do than to mess with the lives of innocent people.)

And then, after all this "declarations" and "statements", you have the usual contents - it's either some sort of retarded quiz, or just a really lo-so article on love and in my case, an article describing the rules of kissing and what-nots. (Tet~) Nonsense lar!!

Let's move on to the funniest (and lamest) joke I've ever seen -

"This chain started in 1887."

1887?! You've got to be kidding me. I almost fell off my chair. Wah-lau eh, I don't think technology was so advanced lor. And yeah, you may have the traditional "snail mail", but still!! I'm just thinking that it's extremely retarded that let's say, one person received this letter by snail mail in maybe 1995? (Computers becoming quite household already.) And let's say this person freaks out and goes, "Hey, look, e-mail! Fast, right? And can spread to even more people! Muahaha. I'm saved from the bad luck! (And I save tons on postage and envelopes as well~)."

Or whatever.

Never mind. Basically, it just sounds ridiculous to make a statement like that - for all you know, it might have started in 1500s or the Middle Ages~

Anyway.

"It is a love chain letter."

Like, duh, we know that.

"In an hour you are supposed to send it to 25 people. It is easy, just look into chat rooms and find them."

-___-"

I don't even go to chatrooms anymore (except when I want to download something, and we have MSN now~ maybe this chain letter was created in the late 1990s after all. And hey, what do you know, another major flaw - chatrooms in 1887!! You've got to be kidding me, right. And in 1887, can any ordinary person be able to replicate this letter and send it out to 25 people in only one hour??

Let's imagine:

A woman living in 1887 receives this in her mailbox outside her pristine country home. "Oh no," she exclaims. "If I don't send this to 25 people in 1 hour, I'll have bad luck in my love life! (What are chatrooms, anyway?) Never mind - must quickly get some pen and paper now, and envelopes and stamps!" (By the way, was the postal system already in effect by the late 1880s?)

I estimate that to replicate one letter will probably take 10 min or more - in cursive writing some more. (Since people tend to write in cursive in those times.)

Forget it.

"Anyway, send it to 25 people in 1 hour."

Yes, we've already got that in our heads.

"Now here comes the fun part."

Ooooh, what's that?? (/sarcasm)

"You then say the name of the person you like or love and then the person will say 'I love you,' or 'will you go out with me?'"

You know, if things can happen this easily, just by simply following some dumb instructions in a dodgy chain letter... And anyway, that's supposed to be "fun"?

And as if knowing that we doubt the authenticity of the letter -

"NO JOKE!!!!!"

In caps some more - plus 5 exclamation marks to augment the "seriousness" of the situation. -_-"

And as with every chain letter, you have the "consequences":

"If you break the chain letter, you will have bad luck in future relationships. If you don't break the chain, then you will be a happy camper!!!"

This ridiculous statement speaks for itself. Moving on~

"CONgRatULaTioNs! !"

Congratulations? Read on...

"You have been chosen to participate in the LONGEST and the LUCKIEST chain letter on the Internet! Once you read, this letter you must IMMEDIATELY (meaning within the hour) be sent to 25 people. After you send it, make a wish and it will come TRUE"

Oooh, don't you just feel honoured to have been "chosen"? It's not like we had a choice lor! (And again - 1887 = Internet??) They just keep reiterating the "1-hour, 25 people" thing.

Make a wish and it will come true? That belongs in the fairytales. And because these doubts are creeping into your head, and in case you're one of those people who decide to "send it later on, just in case", the chain letter warns you in a really loud voice (because it's typed in CAPS)

"YOU MAY NOT WAIT FOR A CERTAIN TIME TO SEND IT......"

Okay, okay, don't need to shout!!

"....REMEMBER, IT MUST BE SENT TO 25 PEOPLE WITHIN 1 HOUR, OR YOUR WISH WILL NOT COME TRUE!"

I think the numbers 25 and 1 hour will be floating around in my head for the next hour or so.

The climax is really at in this statement:

"If THIS CHAIN LETTER IS CONTINUED UNTIL THE YEAR 2004, IT WILL BE PLACED IN THE GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS!"

LOL. I won't even try to tear this statement apart. I think the absurdity of it pretty much brought it down already.

And because you still won't believe it, the letter begs you not to listen to the logic in your brain which tells you to just press the "Delete" button on top of the screen and watch it sit in your Trash folder:

"PLEASE CONTINUE IT NOW!!!"

x_x

And as usual, after the "consequences", you have the familiar "warning":

"IF YOU DO NOT PASS THIS ON, SOMETHING BAD OR WORSE WILL HAPPEN TO YOU:"

I think we already got that idea from the very beginning of the letter when we read about Anne-what's-her-name who got dumped.

"NOTE: THE MORE PEOPLE YOU SEND THIS TO THE MORE LUCK YOU WILL HAVE IN YOUR LOVE LIFE."

I think we'll get more bad luck considering the irritation of our friends who receive childish chain letters like this.

*Whack*
"What was that for?!"
"Flood my inbox with such nonsense lah!"

"IF YOU BREAK THE CHAIN LETTER (IT HAS BEEN GOING SINCE 1887) YOU WILL HAVE BAD LUCK WITH YOUR LOVE LIFE FOR SEVEN YEARS."

Sheesh, enough with the 1887 thing already! And that whole bad luck thing! Life itself is full of ups and downs - if we can make our lives stress-free, bad-luck-free, and everything else free, then what's the point? There's no excitement and "life" in cruising along smoothly. We need bumps now and then to help us learn and get us through our journey.

The funniest part of all:

"THIS IS NO JOKE".

LOL.

And hey, what do you know, it's already an hour *huge grin*. Does that mean I will be plummeted with bad luck from now on for the next seven years?

If I add up all the chain letters I've ignored thus far, I think I should be suffering for the rest of my life. =D Otherwise, I ought to be, by right, already dead. -_-" And I'm sure a lot of people ignore chain letters as well.



P/S. I might sound a bit too condescending in this post... but it's all in jest! Just pretend I'm Jerry blogging. =P (No offense meant to you, Jerry! Lol. J/k.)

....

今日さむいですね。

The weather's turning colder and colder... if I'm already freezing now, I can't imagine the situation when June comes around. I'll probably turn into an icecube.

JERRY WONG SIA HOW, WHERE ARE THE PICTURES YOU PROMISED???? WHERE IS THE POST YOU PROMISED TO PUT UP???

Now that's over and done with... onto my usual "updates"...

....

......

..........

*mind blank*

Okay, this certainly shows how interesting my life is.

Rant

Bloody lifts...!! GRRRR.

This has to be the 3rd time this week that I have to walk up and down NINE floors of stairs.

What the heck are the maintenance people doing??!

'Poke-able'

Does that word even exist? I doubt it! But I can't think of any other word.

Today during lunch, I was sitting with Chiew Hui and Pamela.

(A conversation is carrying on between Connie, Chiew Hui and Pamela. Suddenly...)

*Poke*

Connie: (startled) What?!

(Connie turns around in her usual blur fashion, searching for the culprit. She turns to her right and sees no one, and whips to her left to see...)

Connie: ONG CHI!!

(After some random conversation - a lot of exclamations coming from Connie, as expected - Chiew Hui has to leave for her lecture. Ong Chi takes her place.)

(More random conversation. Suddenly~)

*Poke!*

(Again, Connie looks left and right to see the culprit. This time it was - )

Connie: Bell!!

(Bell goes off to sit with her friends at the next table. Conversation carries on, with more 'exclamations' from Connie before the conversation actually gets back on track.)

(Conversation resumes. Time passes. And then~)

*Poke!!*

Connie: (not again! Turns to see) Grace!!

(Connie is very sorry to say that she started 'ranting' in her very Connie-way about why everyone is 'shocking' her today by poking her from one angle and appearing at another angle. All that at Grace's surprised face. Sorry!! =P)

As lunch break nears its end, Fate and a little bit of Suay-ness decides to play with Connie for one last time -

*Poke!!!*

Connie: (immune by this time liao~ turns around and sees) Lin...



I think lor, if someone poked me one more time, I won't be surprised anymore, even if I see a real ghost. Probably just stare and be sotong.

Titleless

Hello!~

Daylight savings end today - yes, an extra hour in my day!! The time difference between Brunei and here is now 2 hours; not that it's significant in any way at all. Just felt like saying it. =P

I'm bored.

No, I'm not bored, actually. I have a presentation tomorrow, a couple of assignments dued on Thursday, a response paper dued on Thursday as well. This is my busiest week by far. I'll be tackling all that later.

What's that I hear? Music, you ask? Oh, I'm quite enjoying it, thank you very much for asking! I have to "build up the strength in my fingers", though. I have to work on my technical skills to achieve that. Gah.

I see your eyes glazing over now, your attention shifting. I know my post is boring today, but it's just to *huff* keep this *puff* blog going... *breathe*. If no one else blogs *HINTS VERY STRONGLY AT A CERTAIN SOMEONE*, then it'll just slowly die a sad and painful death again. I have to do my part to "inject" a bit of life into it.

No matter how boring my posts may be.


[edit]


By the way, if anyone wanted to know, Chiew Hui definitely was in pink that day!! (So I'm not that blur!) I've clarified that with Ong Chi, but Chiew Hui showed me her shirt the other day when I was at her place - we've come to a compromise: She was wearing an orange-shirt-turned-pink.

^_^