Was planning to write this blog last night the moment I came back home, but I was so drained to do anything other than falling asleep.
Yesterday I spent most of my days outside, went for dental appointment and then popped by my cousins' place to say hi to my two cousins since the clinic is so near to their place. After that, I proceeded to meet Jinwei, my ex-colleague from MOF. It was in the late afternoon and I went so famished that we went to Shokobu restaurant which is at the basement of Raffles City for late lunch. Then we went scouting for clothings around the City Hall region. I fancy the shirts they sold at Topman, but we have to understand that the clothings sold around the region was so ex, bearing in mind that my finance was overstretched in recent history. However, I did not go home empty-handed. I bought a pair of cufflinks @ Robinsons for $35. Well, quite a reasonable price, thanks to the advice of Jinwei. Or else I will have spent $80+ on cufflink at another shop, which was not worthwhile. And so we walked from Raffles City to Suntec City and finally stopped at Marina Square. Apparently, one store @ Marina Square selling good polos that has caught my attention. Might go there and have a look again. Was tempted to make frivolous decisions of buying tops when it comes to 'scouting' ytd (a new term I have set when it comes to looking for clothings)
Then sat down at Starbucks and had a long discussion or convo wif him on career matters, well at least our endeavors of getting a job and exchange of knowledge of the current job market.
After that, I went to PS to meet up wif Tze Peng, a bud I have not met up wif for 2 yrs!!!!! Walked to and fro PS and the youchakuey store near Paradiz Shopping Centre....simply because we had so much things to catch up on after two yrs.
And ya also due to the need of applying the financial concepts we have learnt in uni (or else it will rot after NS), I have put in S$200 (don put in $2000) to invest in pounds. I can only devote that much because of the scarcity of financial resources just as mentioned...hmmm pls appreciate, GBP!
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Mahjong Course....
Gosh! It is 7am and here I am blogging. This is so random, I woke up at 6am. Not feeling obligated to wake up so early and yet, here I am sitting on the chair, feeling energised. To think, as a normal student, I will always feel reluctant to wake up so early to prepare for school. But now, really for the first time, I have no school to attend to now. My mum will always feel amazed by my wake-up time in recent-history.
So woke up sending email to a frien, taking into consideration the time difference between here and Adelaide.
And yes, ytd, after going to Driving Centre to book for BTT for foreign conversion, I went to Vanessa's place for mahjong. You all shld noe, for learning anything, you will have 'jiao xue fei'. Mahjong, too, was not spared from this saying. I had a few times coming close to 'hu-ing' but I won 0 rounds in the end, taking into account that that was my second time playing and somemore with 'tai'. Milk and Alex taught me the 'gai-tai' version, I thought when I first played mahjong at their house.
Then went home, while encountering both traffic jams on the road and on the MRT track. The MRT system going to Pasir Ris then was stuck as there were a crowd of people clotting up the platform at Clementi MRT. So mi and a frien decided to board the train at the other platform to Jurong, to avoid the congestion. Den so boarding the Pasir Ris train at Jurong, realising my slippers were stepped on by people for many times in the process of boarding. Then I realised I should have bought a smaller pair of slippers in Melbourne back then; bought a size-twelve instead of size-ten....GOsh, I fell down at the platform.
So woke up sending email to a frien, taking into consideration the time difference between here and Adelaide.
And yes, ytd, after going to Driving Centre to book for BTT for foreign conversion, I went to Vanessa's place for mahjong. You all shld noe, for learning anything, you will have 'jiao xue fei'. Mahjong, too, was not spared from this saying. I had a few times coming close to 'hu-ing' but I won 0 rounds in the end, taking into account that that was my second time playing and somemore with 'tai'. Milk and Alex taught me the 'gai-tai' version, I thought when I first played mahjong at their house.
Then went home, while encountering both traffic jams on the road and on the MRT track. The MRT system going to Pasir Ris then was stuck as there were a crowd of people clotting up the platform at Clementi MRT. So mi and a frien decided to board the train at the other platform to Jurong, to avoid the congestion. Den so boarding the Pasir Ris train at Jurong, realising my slippers were stepped on by people for many times in the process of boarding. Then I realised I should have bought a smaller pair of slippers in Melbourne back then; bought a size-twelve instead of size-ten....GOsh, I fell down at the platform.
Monday, January 05, 2009
Dandelion's Promise 蒲公英的約定-Jay Chou
My friend once told mi, at least for once there will always be a tune or a song that will remind you of a particular person or even any events in life that had happened to you in Australia. This song really brings back fond memories of my time in Adelaide, and has also become one of the favourites of a few of us, including myself.
A nice song, really bai ting bu yan!
With English Transalation:
A nice song, really bai ting bu yan!
With English Transalation:
小學籬芭旁的蒲公英 是記憶裡有味道的風景
The dandelion next to the hedge in our elementary school
is a flavored and fragrant memory that’s worth savoring.
午睡操場傳來蟬的聲音 多少年後也還是很好聽
The chirps of cicadas on the playground flowed into our siesta
The sound is still mellifluous, after so many years.
將願望折紙飛機寄成信 因為我們等不到那流星
Come fold our wishes into paperplanes and letters
Because we cannot wait for the coming of shooting stars
認真投決定命運的硬幣 卻不知道到底能去哪裡
With all your heart, throw the coin that would determine our fate
though never knowing, where it goes and where it will take us
＃一起長大的約定 那樣清晰 打過勾的我相信
Our promise about growing up together, in stark clarity.
I believe in deals made with interlocked fingers
說好要一起旅行 是妳如今 唯一堅持的任性
We said we would go travelling together
and that is the only willful consistency I can find in you now
在走廊上罰站打手心 我們卻注意窗邊的蜻蜓
On the corridor, our palms were slapped as punishment
but we only noticed the dragonfly on the window ledge
我去到哪裡妳都跟很緊 很多的夢在等待著進行
Wherever I went, you followed closely
Many dreams were waiting to be realized
Repeat ＃
一起長大的約定 那樣真心 與妳聊不完的曾經
Our promise about growing up together, in sincerity,
a ‘once’ that we could not stop talking about
而我已經分不清 妳是友情 還是錯過的愛情
though I can no longer tell whether it is friendship
or a love that has slipped through my fingers
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Here we are in Jan 2009....
Every time I update my blog, I will always start with: It has been ages since I last updated my blog.
After 3 mths of inactivity, here you go....Ushering in the new year 2009, here in Singapore now, awaiting for enlistment. Yesterday evening, knowing that my friends were having a gathering in Adelaide, I made a long-distance call to Fuilin and utilising her phone to speak to everyone in the gathering. Glad to hear their voices once more...specially during this period of time when I am starting to miss every single one of my friends back there. Sounds sappy I know, and I hate to admit it.
We talked over the phone for quite a while....Then after the call, I started to reminisize all the recent events that had happened over my last few weeks in Adelaide.
Going down the memory lane....
(Feel free to read the trilogy titled: The Clock turns back, pictures were also uploaded!)
Ok, welcome back to Jan 2009, and 4 yrs in Adelaide has officially ended. Frm Bradford College to University of Adelaide. 8th Jan 2005, the day when I left my comfortable home in Singapore for an environment which was totally unfamilar to mi. This will be the day that will always be remembered. Cant imagine then a 17-year old young boy left for Aust. and returned as a 20-yr old uni graduate. I will say that MingChien was considered pre-mature then to study overseas, but for the past four yrs, he learned a lot of things from his friends and matured over this process.
Truthfully from his heart, he says to all of his friends 'It has been a wonderful four years, not bad, not bad at all!'
Now, bearing in mind that the challenges he will face in NS and also in turn working life, he will face them positively and with fervour optimism, pledging that any challenges will not weaken him but will further strengthen his resolve. And so, enough of studies for now, Bring on National Service!
After 3 mths of inactivity, here you go....Ushering in the new year 2009, here in Singapore now, awaiting for enlistment. Yesterday evening, knowing that my friends were having a gathering in Adelaide, I made a long-distance call to Fuilin and utilising her phone to speak to everyone in the gathering. Glad to hear their voices once more...specially during this period of time when I am starting to miss every single one of my friends back there. Sounds sappy I know, and I hate to admit it.
We talked over the phone for quite a while....Then after the call, I started to reminisize all the recent events that had happened over my last few weeks in Adelaide.
Going down the memory lane....
(Feel free to read the trilogy titled: The Clock turns back, pictures were also uploaded!)
Ok, welcome back to Jan 2009, and 4 yrs in Adelaide has officially ended. Frm Bradford College to University of Adelaide. 8th Jan 2005, the day when I left my comfortable home in Singapore for an environment which was totally unfamilar to mi. This will be the day that will always be remembered. Cant imagine then a 17-year old young boy left for Aust. and returned as a 20-yr old uni graduate. I will say that MingChien was considered pre-mature then to study overseas, but for the past four yrs, he learned a lot of things from his friends and matured over this process.
Truthfully from his heart, he says to all of his friends 'It has been a wonderful four years, not bad, not bad at all!'
Now, bearing in mind that the challenges he will face in NS and also in turn working life, he will face them positively and with fervour optimism, pledging that any challenges will not weaken him but will further strengthen his resolve. And so, enough of studies for now, Bring on National Service!
The clock turns back III: Farewell Party 2008 and Graduation 2008 (Adelaide)
My dad came down to Adelaide on the 12th of December to attend my convocation on the 19th...But there was the Farewell party event the next day, with all of my coursemates and this time finally we could meet Tinyik after such a long time since the last gathering we have had. Went to Kbox after a dessert session at Pancake House and a few rounds of 'Mafia'...it was a much larger mass gathering than the last one in end-Nov.
(The 'characters' in Farewell Party 2008)
The guys @ the Party: Mi, Lincoln,Tinyik and Edwin
Ok, Tinyik wat was tt for? :D
Then there was this China song which happens to be both Edwin's and my favourite..titled Xiang Tian Jie Wu Bai Nian. We tried to sing it but the pitch of the song was so high that we couldnt hit the notes and being caught breathless. We ended up ROFL instead of singing it to the end.
We spent the night till 1 to 2.30am.
Enuff of the Party, then 6 days later was the day that had come after 20 yrs of patience and basic education: Uni Convocation 2008.
Lincoln, 'Ex-Health Minister, M'sia'
The 'Flower' Gang, lolx!
Wif my cousins and sister
This is our moment!
Wif Fiona
Wif Shuai while returning our gowns and hats!
After the ceremony and spending the last moments with coursemates, I joined my cousins and sister for a graduation lunch @ Ding Hao! Thx for the treat! Then followed by a lan game of CS, haha! Den off to Chiangwei, Yan and Kim's Convocation @ Adelaide Convention Centre.
It was a sweaty, busy day in Adelaide, travelling from Uni to Chinatown, den to the Convention Centre, indirectly moving around two different venues of convocation, having to cover a long distance.
Well, with the end of a busy day of attending convocations, my sis and I rushed back home for packing for the Gold Coast trip the next day, and Singapore (after the trip). I brought the 'whole room' of clothings and a few important books back, so all of you can imagine how heavy was my luggage? And so, there goes 19th Dec 2008; my last day in Adelaide.
(Will talk about Gold Coast another time) Back to the Present: Jan 2009!
(The 'characters' in Farewell Party 2008)
The guys @ the Party: Mi, Lincoln,Tinyik and Edwin
Ok, Tinyik wat was tt for? :D
Then there was this China song which happens to be both Edwin's and my favourite..titled Xiang Tian Jie Wu Bai Nian. We tried to sing it but the pitch of the song was so high that we couldnt hit the notes and being caught breathless. We ended up ROFL instead of singing it to the end.
We spent the night till 1 to 2.30am.
Enuff of the Party, then 6 days later was the day that had come after 20 yrs of patience and basic education: Uni Convocation 2008.
Lincoln, 'Ex-Health Minister, M'sia'
The 'Flower' Gang, lolx!
Wif my cousins and sister
This is our moment!
Wif Fiona
Wif Shuai while returning our gowns and hats!
After the ceremony and spending the last moments with coursemates, I joined my cousins and sister for a graduation lunch @ Ding Hao! Thx for the treat! Then followed by a lan game of CS, haha! Den off to Chiangwei, Yan and Kim's Convocation @ Adelaide Convention Centre.
It was a sweaty, busy day in Adelaide, travelling from Uni to Chinatown, den to the Convention Centre, indirectly moving around two different venues of convocation, having to cover a long distance.
Well, with the end of a busy day of attending convocations, my sis and I rushed back home for packing for the Gold Coast trip the next day, and Singapore (after the trip). I brought the 'whole room' of clothings and a few important books back, so all of you can imagine how heavy was my luggage? And so, there goes 19th Dec 2008; my last day in Adelaide.
(Will talk about Gold Coast another time) Back to the Present: Jan 2009!
The clock turns back II: Early-dec 2008 (Adelaide)
Auditing was a subject I dreaded the most, with me racking my brain throughout the 12-week semester over how to deal with this particular course in uni. The lecturer also proved himself as the most nothing-to-do person I have ever come across in uni history. He just failed so many of my friends for plagiarism with regards to our first Auditing Assignment.
One of my friens (anonymous) even went to the extent of shredding tears, which did not make mi feel gd eitherat that time.
And so on the 2nd of December, the final verdict of my eligibility to graduate lies on the outcome of Auditing. I went to the school lab to check my results with Devern. And here comes the defining moment, when I knew I passed the course of Auditing, I lied down on the floor of the school lab and screamed. It was just so emotional for me, and I wasnt able to contain it! After 20 yrs of education (both in Singapore and Australia), all the hard work had paid off. It wasnt just about the last 3 yrs of education, but also about the last 20.
So, with that our graduation celebration events commences, Hula came back to Adelaide, carrying the thought that she had to retake the Auditing paper. However, the lecturer passed her and her purpose of returning had been replaced with holidays and sightseeing of Rundle Mall in Adelaide haha!
With Fuilin and Hula at David Jones, enjoying Boost)
That happened after I had helped Shuning with her luggage as she returned from Melbourne (and wat a pity, u din bring back Crispy Creme from Mel?! waHaha). Then rushed off to meet Fuilin and Hula(mentioned), she subequently passed her Auditing and off we went to celebrate by walking around Rundle Mall. In fact, she was one of three fortunate pple that day who initially had to sit for sups, but passed in the end without the need of retaking.
On another event, went to this prominent Vietnamese restaurant (selling marvellous cold rolls) wif Kwong, Edwin and Hellen for dinner. The business was so good that there were a pack of people waiting at the counter for vacant seats. If my memory did not serve me wrong, we took 20 to 30 mins of our life waiting....
Wif Kwong and Edwin...
Kwong and Edwin then calculated that I was the one who ate the most number of cold rolls and the one with the fastest pace of consuming the ingredients...Kwong even dubbed mi as 'the no. 1 person whom he will not desire to be with when a famine breaks out' haha!
A closer shot...
(to be cont.)
One of my friens (anonymous) even went to the extent of shredding tears, which did not make mi feel gd eitherat that time.
And so on the 2nd of December, the final verdict of my eligibility to graduate lies on the outcome of Auditing. I went to the school lab to check my results with Devern. And here comes the defining moment, when I knew I passed the course of Auditing, I lied down on the floor of the school lab and screamed. It was just so emotional for me, and I wasnt able to contain it! After 20 yrs of education (both in Singapore and Australia), all the hard work had paid off. It wasnt just about the last 3 yrs of education, but also about the last 20.
So, with that our graduation celebration events commences, Hula came back to Adelaide, carrying the thought that she had to retake the Auditing paper. However, the lecturer passed her and her purpose of returning had been replaced with holidays and sightseeing of Rundle Mall in Adelaide haha!
With Fuilin and Hula at David Jones, enjoying Boost)
That happened after I had helped Shuning with her luggage as she returned from Melbourne (and wat a pity, u din bring back Crispy Creme from Mel?! waHaha). Then rushed off to meet Fuilin and Hula(mentioned), she subequently passed her Auditing and off we went to celebrate by walking around Rundle Mall. In fact, she was one of three fortunate pple that day who initially had to sit for sups, but passed in the end without the need of retaking.
On another event, went to this prominent Vietnamese restaurant (selling marvellous cold rolls) wif Kwong, Edwin and Hellen for dinner. The business was so good that there were a pack of people waiting at the counter for vacant seats. If my memory did not serve me wrong, we took 20 to 30 mins of our life waiting....
Wif Kwong and Edwin...
Kwong and Edwin then calculated that I was the one who ate the most number of cold rolls and the one with the fastest pace of consuming the ingredients...Kwong even dubbed mi as 'the no. 1 person whom he will not desire to be with when a famine breaks out' haha!
A closer shot...
(to be cont.)
The clock turns back I: 2 mths ago (Adelaide)
And we are back in end-Nov 2008!
This post-exam period (from end-Nov 2008 to Dec 2008) has proven itself to be the most hectic celebration period out of my entire tertiary life or even my entire studying life (from kindergarden till now).
Here comes the first page of the story....after the exams, we have to wait for a time when Tinyik was free to come out. Come to think of it, he is like a modern-day Cinderella. Finally that day came, so we drove to Spats to have desserts and who knew that we still were not contented with what we had enjoyed. Thus we went back to Chinatown to have supper at Ming's Steamboat.
Us coursemates suppering at Ming's Steamboat
(left to right: Daphne, Fiona, Mi, Hellen, Edwin, Tinyik and Fuilin)
Uni coursemates/ Bradford College friens, known them for 4 yrs: (from left to right: Fuilin, Hellen and Edwin)
And that was the first mass gathering after the exams, we had pretty much fun that day, the highlight of that outing was that Tinyik was bomb-blasted with so many qns regarding someone!!! Haha, and Hellen was such a great questioner/ interrogator, constantly putting our poor Tinyik on the spot. However, that was how fun was generated that night. The euphoria finally ended at 2am, with the two drivers (Edwin and mi) driving pple home.
Of course, celebrations did not stop there, during that period of time, usually during the weekdays, Edwin will jio mi to his house quite frequently to trade shows, this includes several HK dramas such as Jia Hao Yue Yuan, Tang Xing Fong Bao and Gem of Life. Throughout this celebration period, I hung out pretty much with Edwin and Hellen, for the several visits I had made to their house.
Yes, next, sumptuous lunches wif Edwin and Hellen, but this particular one was also wif John, sending him off as he was flying back to KL.
Wif John and Edwin @ Cafe Kowloon, Chinatown
And here were the members of the lunch that day
(l to r: Mi, Edwin, Hellen, Daphne, John)
Subsequent celebration events happened for the next few weeks, but that was basically what happened in end-Nov 2008.
This post-exam period (from end-Nov 2008 to Dec 2008) has proven itself to be the most hectic celebration period out of my entire tertiary life or even my entire studying life (from kindergarden till now).
Here comes the first page of the story....after the exams, we have to wait for a time when Tinyik was free to come out. Come to think of it, he is like a modern-day Cinderella. Finally that day came, so we drove to Spats to have desserts and who knew that we still were not contented with what we had enjoyed. Thus we went back to Chinatown to have supper at Ming's Steamboat.
Us coursemates suppering at Ming's Steamboat
(left to right: Daphne, Fiona, Mi, Hellen, Edwin, Tinyik and Fuilin)
Uni coursemates/ Bradford College friens, known them for 4 yrs: (from left to right: Fuilin, Hellen and Edwin)
And that was the first mass gathering after the exams, we had pretty much fun that day, the highlight of that outing was that Tinyik was bomb-blasted with so many qns regarding someone!!! Haha, and Hellen was such a great questioner/ interrogator, constantly putting our poor Tinyik on the spot. However, that was how fun was generated that night. The euphoria finally ended at 2am, with the two drivers (Edwin and mi) driving pple home.
Of course, celebrations did not stop there, during that period of time, usually during the weekdays, Edwin will jio mi to his house quite frequently to trade shows, this includes several HK dramas such as Jia Hao Yue Yuan, Tang Xing Fong Bao and Gem of Life. Throughout this celebration period, I hung out pretty much with Edwin and Hellen, for the several visits I had made to their house.
Yes, next, sumptuous lunches wif Edwin and Hellen, but this particular one was also wif John, sending him off as he was flying back to KL.
Wif John and Edwin @ Cafe Kowloon, Chinatown
And here were the members of the lunch that day
(l to r: Mi, Edwin, Hellen, Daphne, John)
Subsequent celebration events happened for the next few weeks, but that was basically what happened in end-Nov 2008.
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