Juz Another Gal

What else can I say? I'm just another girl!

Sunday, December 31, 2006

Busy festive season

Funny how work gets busier towards the end of the year. Thankfully, my lecturers are all on leave and the final week of 2006 is free of class.

Christmas eve was spent at Ki's place. It was his birthday celebration. Even Christmas day was spent at his place.

I'm not in much of a mood to blog. I just thought to leave a little update on the last day of the year.

I read a news article saying how people are feeling the festive blues. I guess I'm one of them. I'm not much of a party-fella so it's not that seeing people going out to get piss-drunk makes me lonely.

It's more that I just feel Dearie's so distant sometimes. THe same old rants. I know I know. One hug less, a kiss missing, blah blah. I'm not keeping count. But a girl feels things, and sometimes it doesn't feel right.

I got myself high on Friday by 6pm. All from drinking some red wine with colleagues. Should do that again. I felt happier then. Perhaps it was Kumar's jokes that were making me laugh so hard. Hmm..

By the time I got home at 8pm, the high subsided but it was still a happy night. Even went for a movie (Confession Of Pain) with Dearie and his friends. I wasn't supposed to go 'cos the ticket was meant for another guy, but he couldn't make it so I was on "reserve".

No prizes for guessing - Yup! I've got no plans tonight. I am just this close to going KTV on my own. I rather go on my own than get people who are not going to enjoy themselves there to go with me. It probably won't happen, like always, but hey, hopefully I get to do something tonight. Death Note marathon? At least I'm spending the afternoon at home. Dearie's got to work from 12-6pm. Ha...

I'm just not feeling the love this festive season. What the hell is my problem?!

Let me at least end this post on a good slew of photos. At least give something to smile about.



Monday, December 18, 2006

Photo update

It's been a long while since I posted a slew of photos.

There're plenty more but all not captured in my family camera.

What I've been up to:
- I've attended an ex-colleague's wedding at Grand Copthorne Waterfront on 11 Dec (Mon). If next time you have anyone holding a wedding there, you can be assured it's going to be grand. Even comes with a live band. Gosh did I feel underdressed.

- Went to Underwater World with Ki on 14 Dec (Thur)
Here's where some photos come in.....
This stingray pool is damn cool. Those things come up to people so eagerly wanting to be touched - but really, all they want is to be fed.

Here's a gigantic one in the "tube".

But Ki was more interested in the travellator than the fish I think.

My mum helped to snap this. Dearie, Ki and ME!

At the end of the whole thing, Ki wanted a dolphine balloon from the gift shop so... wat to do...

Ki kept using the balloon to hit Dearie's head. He thought it was funny.

Too bad it rained very heavily when we came out, so no dolphin lagoon for all of us. Dearie had to work and had to go back to the "main land". I had class that night. BLECH. Spoilers.

- Performance Day 1 (16 Dec, Sat)
We started rehearsal at 1pm. Too early. We got really tired by 3pm. Oops. Great training of stamina though. Felt like we jogged a distance. We left for Wheelock place for some food, then off to perform.

My parents came to listen but Ki was restless so they didn't get to hear much. Ki's parents were there though so they did get to catch it. Plenty of passers-by.
Presenting to you Kaze, the flute quartet!

In case you didn't know, this one is me.

The guy closest to the camera (not the one beside me) is the one who taught me how to play the flute when I was in sec 1. There were 4 of us girls, and we were terrified of him 'cos he was strict in teaching us. Explains why he's so good at the flute, and why I still suck at it. HAHAHA! Took us so many years after graduating from secondary school before we get to play together.

Also turns out he's an ex-classmate of my best friend's husband. I tell you. CTSS has one helluva linkage to every damn person.

- Dec 17 (Sun)
Hectic day. No photos. Too difficult to get any. I'll bet photos will be on "Lichen's blog" (link on the right of my blog).

7:35am: Reached Lichen's place with Jingxian (the same best friend I mentioned above) and her husband. Another 2 "sisters" were late.

The groom was waiting downstairs. When we were ready, the bunch of guys came up and it was time to bully them. You had no idea. All four of us were clueless about doing this. We didn't know what to do. We barely knew of any customs we had to adhere to so we were constantly whispering to one another to see if anyone knew if there were any taboos to take note of.

Didn't take long before they got into the house, thanks to one of them who snatched the piece of paper from our hands containing the answers to our questions. (Good news was that we were running out of time so just as well.)

Bad part was that we planned another thing at the bride's bedroom door. Unfortunately Lichen's father needed to bring something into the room, and the moment the door cracked open, the guys from across the house, dashed over and pushed against the foor violently, with 4 of us girls standing in between, SQUISHED.

IDOITS.

But hey, they did their job and we did ours. Important thing was bride and groom are happy. Gosh did she look good. Sigh.

It was a super tiring morning. From the bride's house in Bkt Panjang, we went to the groom's place in Kallang for the tea ceremony. It was a super traditional wedding. Complete with suckling pig.

Before moving off, she wanted to throw the bouquet so the guys and gals gathered at the high ceiling area (it was raining lah), and on the count of 3, I caught the bouquet. Woohoo! FREE FLOWERS! Tulips some more! But then the price of that was that everyone kept saying I'd be next to get married. Yeah riiiiite. Unless you're telling me none of my friends are going to get married between now and mine.

After the hoo-ha, we went back to the bride's place for the tea ceremony to HER family. She had changed into the Chinese traditional "kua". Very heavy. But very nice.

By 1pm, we were free to go. At last. Back home. Sleeeeeep.

***

I woke at 4pm. Had a little porridge and took a bath. Damn rain didn't let up. I got ready for the performance at Borders again. My parents dropped me off so I didn't get affected by the rain.

We sounded better in the first half. Can't say the same for the second though. I still had fun. I loved every moment of being in this quartet. When it ended, I checked the donation boxes which looked rather healthy for such a short performance.

I hurriedly packed my stuff, and bid goodbye to everyone. I rushed to change my clothes to something more appropriate. It was still raining. So it was plan B. My parents would send me to Paramount Hotel for the wedding dinner, while Dearie would ride there alone.

Poor boy still chose to ride in the rain. Sigh. I got there earlier than him of course. My parents helped bring my stuff back home, while I walked into the restaurant.

Saw a number of old friends at the dinner table. One of them brought her 2 year old daughter there. A VERY VERY pretty little girl. She was very quiet, but when she saw my phone with the Ki's wallpaper, she said loudly: Boy boy! SOOOOOOOOOO CUUUUUUTE!

Needless to say, Dearie came in wet. But hey, he made it safe and sound. Like all dinners, there wasn't much chance to talk to the bride. But the ladies did make it a point to tell Dearie I caught the bouquet that morning - who was clearly distracted by playing with the little girl.

We left the place after 10. The rain had stopped but the roads were still soaked. This new bike is definitely more comfortable for my butt - I no longer feel numb when I get off - but it's not so for my back 'cos it means I cannot lean backwards anymore.

We made it in time to catch 3/4 for CSI: Miami. I can't wait for Las Vegas and NY's new seasons to come out. I'm looking forward to Criminal Minds Season 2, and the next season of Lost too. Prison Break ain't over yet and I'm already hoping they'd show the seasons back-to-back!

Anyhoo, Dearie stayed the night. I am off today (Monday) so I am recuperating from the past week. Tomorrow I should be all charged and raring to go again!

This long blog post is a great dumping ground. Now I feel like I've managed to throw off a part of the weight from my mind.

A pity about the weather though. The rain just keeps going.

I hope I get to do more music-related stuff. Can't wait to play the flute again. Or find some excuse to work on the piano.

Friday, December 08, 2006

A Flute Quartet Fund Raising Performance

Yep yep! That fella on the extreme left is me. Damn do I look retarded.

Anyway, point is this: If you're at the place during that time and date, please please please drop a donation!

I'm sort of just a stand-in for this quartet ('cos the original member couldn't make it), so very obviously, the other 3 of them play waaay better. Still, none of us are professional musicians, but we sound decent enough. :O)

It's for a good cause so please... donate! Thanks!

Remember:
Entrance of Borders (Wheelock Place @ Orchard)
7pm
16 & 17 Dec 2006 (Saturday & Sunday)

Things to do in my lifetime

Inspired by wulfe (although his is much more organised), here’s a list of things I want to do (whether or not it’s realistic) before I die (in no particular order):

1) Learn a couple more languages – at least in the spoken form

2) Learn how to dance (If you’ve watched Gene Kelly dance, you’d want to too.)

3) Get married and stay happily married till I die

4) Have a couple of kids

5) Learn another couple of instruments

6) Teach someone how to play the piano

7) Be involved in the making of a musical (preferably the one on stage)

8) Help someone in need through volunteering

9) Go on a safari

10) See and play with real snow

11) Own a brand new HDB flat in Clementi central

12) Be able to buy all the clothes and shoes I want without having to worry about its price or my wardrobe space

13) Go to the Mauritius Islands (or is it the Maldives?) to stay in that chalet on the water

14) Have a chauffeur

15) Sing on a big stage in front of a very appreciative audience.

16) Ride a horse

17) Finish watching all the movies and TV series I have always wanted to.

18) Hold a big but cosy gathering for my primary school class

19) Hold a big but cosy gathering for my secondary school 1998 level

20) got some more... just haven't thought of the rest yet....