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"There is no frigate like a book
To take us lands away."
--Emily Dickinson
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The Reader
-Is an English Language major undergraduate who likes to Take It Easy.
Adores
Words and languages, Jane Austen, period dramas/films, Vitagen, Korean dramas, good songs, better books, Green, wanderlusting, Culture, writing, Experimenting
Things I'd Like
- A Nitendo Wii gaming console - My own set of rollerblades - More nail polish (bought just one, neon pink in colour)
- Concert DVDs! (Back to Basics: Live & Down Under by Christina Aguilera, The Black Parade Is Dead by My Chemical Romance , Mika: Live In Cartoon Motion, Where The Light Is: John Mayer Live In Los Angeles )
- A cat
Life goes on, and it’s only going to make me, and you, stronger.
This whole week, I’ve been trying really really hard to get some work done, to make way, make some progress, into my revision. Two, three weeks ago, I had the privilege to complain like, “what?! We are only given one week to revise? That’s so stingy. How are we going to do that?” and in my mind, I thought that I was gonna start my revision way in advance, have it all neatly planned out. Being lazy and procrastinating, Revision week soon loomed up. Now I’m grateful that we are even given a Revision Week at all. Yeah well, I’m trying to catch up on my readings, get my act together, form arguments for my coming exams, know what stand am I gonna take in my exam essays, and trying so hard not to be stressed, Cuz as the wise L says, “Stress does nothing. It only impedes your progress.” Hear hear. She’s such a good friend.
Today is Friday, maybe cuz it’s Friday, and I’m like, more relaxed (more like lazy) than usual, and my com is giving me problems! I just got it fixed up cuz some electronic part failed inside, we have no Norton protection, I had just installed the free McAfee, and every moment, warning msgs are popping up. So whenever my mum is using, I have to be on standby. Cuz I’m the resident computer engineer at home…argh. It’s not good to be a know-it-all sometimes. The com really wastes peoples’ time when it’s whacked up. So my whole morning was kinda wasted, I had planned to be halfway done with revising my English.
Anyway, we finally had lunch and then I had a kind of nice long conversation with my mum abt the past, abt my aunty at first. And all I can say now first is “Whao.” I understand my mum and dad so much better now, and the pieces all just fit together. I now know I can’t blame everything on them for how unhappy I was in my early teenage years due to the turmoils, anguish and hell going on at home. Every one of us felt so lonely and..lost. We really weren’t a functioning family at all. We all coped in our own ways I guess. And I can say that it’s a miracle we survived. It really is a miracle. Looking back, everything happened for a reason, my mum came out strong, I came out stronger, my dad became better, my bro, well, he stumbled along the way but we recently helped propped him back up again. I know all this sounds vague but I’ll say more in time to come. Cuz I don’t wanna spend so much time blogging, it’s already 12.15 am here, I gotta wake up at 7am tomorrow, and I’ll never end.
Right now, my family, we all are in kind of a settled, a little tense kind of situation. But that’s ok. Cuz I’m much happier where I am right now. Life isn’t perfect…that’s what makes it..life. Sometimes I think when I’m finally settled in heaven, maybe it can get a little boring there, cuz it’s said we won’t feel any sorrow or pain anymore over there. Cuz no sin exists there and we are souls, living, free from our bodies.
We just had a family prayer session a moment ago, and I’m soo glad. Cuz it’s always said, 3 or more fellow Christians will give you strength. It’s true, you can’t just pray alone for things to get better. You gotta pray together.
My aunty. Finding her was a miracle by itself. Again, it was purely coincidental that my dad’s friend spotted her, while they were making their way to a petrol kiosk. She put up a struggle, the cops were called in, but she turned meek soon after and came home with my dad. Gosh, there’s so much to say. In time to come.
I don’t wanna be numb to her, I don’t wanna ignore her. She’s not normal in the mind, but she’s still kind of normal, in that, she knows how to eat and sleep and go to the loo on her own. And she’s causing unrest in my house, the first day she came back, it was so bad, I couldn’t eat at the dining table with my parents, cuz they wouldn’t stop arguing over her. Hell, she may be living with us for the next 20 years, with a few runaways in between, no many, I guess. But I will have faith. Once my hols start, I’ll make sure I’ll do all I possibly can to make her feel more comfortable and help her to be able to handle her life and promises. I’ll certainly not wanna see her run away ever AGAIN, if that’s the one thing I can do.
It takes a graphic news to really get on my nerves! I was flipping through The New Paper today and the biggest entertainment news for the day, if you haven’t already heard, is Richard Gere kissing and hugging Shilpa Shetty (yes, the infamous contestant from UK reality show Big Brother) rather crudely! I feel I had to bring this up now, cuz at night, I watched the video footage on the news and apparently, apart from kissing her hand at first, he gives her a slow deliberate kiss on both cheeks before hugging her rather clumsily and swept her off her feet. Check out the pic. Richard Gere looked bloody drunk in the video and was totally treating Shilpa like a damn prop. Is he really that desperate for publicity??
Check out the news here: http://www.rediff.com/movies/2007/apr/16look.htm
Then it brought me to today’s cover news on The New Paper, about a matchmaking agency in Singapore-First Overseas International Matchmaker. IT IS NOW OFFERING 15 BRIDES FROM HAINAN, CHINA, TO SINGAPORE MEN. FOR FREE. HURRY! WHILE STOCKS LAST! WOO HOO!
This is the agency’s way of celebrating their 15 years in the business.
The agency argues that it is a creative marketing gimmick in this fiercely-competitive matchmaking industry. It goes on to say that other agencies have their own marketing gimmicks too, like having $1 downpayment for a China bride!
And in Singapore, the matchmaking industry is UNREGULATED.
The agency goes on to argue that oh, the 15 women up on offer don’t have any objections and what, they’re excited about it and are willing to fly down to meet potential suitor if necessary. Ha. As if they have the option of choosing potential suitors. The agency only cares about making money, girl!
Naturally, a local prominent woman’s association, AWARE, has argued the agency has crossed the line and that what it has done is bloody degrading to women. They say such a ‘phenomenon’ (of free brides) should have no place in modern-day Singapore. HEAR HEAR. Humans are not to be so freely given away.
But in a patriarchal society like Singapore, am I all that surprised? Our beloved Senior Mentor has said before that it was wrong for Singapore to give women equal rights as it now causes many social problems like low birth rates, and a higher rate of divorce, etcetc.
Singaporeans still have such a third-world mentality. Is it because of our cultural roots which makes us close one or two eyes when things look questionable? To have such a tolerant attitude towards marriages of convenience at this present age? Or, to ignore when a (muslim)man keeps ten wives and has 64 children? Neighbours said it was an open secret and they did not think of reporting him to the police for being a devious hyper-sexed predator. Things had to be pushed to the extreme, to have the man rape his own daughters for news of his lifestyle to come up in little old Singapore just a few days ago. Or what about that poor woman who got tattooed in various places (breasts, forearms and abdomen) while tied to a bed because her husband was enraged with her for infidelity? He was recently merely charged with ‘Outrage of Modesty’ for crying out loud. AWARE rightly called it ‘an extreme act of bullying’. By branding her with all those tattoos, he certainly is treating that woman like cattle or a slave. Let’s see how he feels if he gets tattooed on his balls against his will.
If this goes on, Singapore is really going to be in the news for all the wrong reasons. If our society cannot be supported by responsible people, by people with good sense and judgement, who are we kidding when we proudly proclaim we are a First World Country?
Oh, as I’m typing this blog entry, I hear on radio that there is a search for New Man cover girls at the Ministry Of Sound club this Wednesday night. See?? Ew. I don’t like that mag. The last and only time I checked out their cover was for a Sociology project about the objectification of women. And they had 2 cover versions on newsstands. 3 girls each from our local universities, NUS and NTU, and they were holding up bedsheets to coyly cover themselves up. Ironic. New Man my bloody foot. I think the mag is supposedly for sensitive new age guys, so what is up with their provocative covers one would find in a typical lad mag?
And WTF is clubbing gear? Ah ha. Now you girls start to look guilty. See-no-touch clothes? You know what I mean. When you tempt people, you are sure to cause them to act irrationally. There is that probability, no matter how you argue how small or how big that probability is. Bare-backed tops? Mini-skirts? Sounds titillating even to me. A straight girl. Now I wonder what guys would think of that, normal straight guys who think of sex every few seconds(a research said so). Factor in a dimly-lit place, loud music and alcohol. PARADISE! FOR SEX PREDATORS.
Stimulation/provocation=lust=temptation= FILL IN THE BLANKS.
Oh, there’s a reason why I can confidently say AIDS will never have a cure.
So what I wanna say is, girls, have more dignity and respect for youselves! Know your rights and take responsibility to set things right if you feel a fellow woman’s rights have been violated but can’t take action due to her circumstance.
It is so not funny when you hear your own dad joke that there’s a need for an International Women’s Day every year on the 8th of March because every other day of the year is Men’s day.
Wow. I just realised how bad my Chinese is. or should I say, both? Both my Mandarin and Chinese.
A lady asked me how much my laptop costs. I am in the library right now. and I told her, "Yi Wang liu bai". Being so sure it meant, $1600. Then I MSNed Mad and she told me i actually had just said $10 600. :O
Oh, what am I to do? I'm so hopeless at mandarin or chinese. Argh!
Then anyway, the lady told me some weird things. She started off ok, telling me her son was in poly year 1 and was going to buy a laptop too, but he was having some problems. At first, we were just having a casual conversation about school, laptop and students but as we talked on, she started talking really fast, and kind of mumbled. on an on. In chinese. I didn't bother to strain my ears, cuz I know my chinese sucked too much. I just kept quiet and listened. tried to, at least.
She told me her nephew just passed away, don't know because of what. i didn't really catch. and then also that another nephew or something always watched porn online and was caught and sent to a boy's home. Then I started thinking if she was normal...in the mind..
Then I couldn't give her my full attention already, I was starting to get bored, so I started typing on my com. chatting with some friend on MSN and then the lady said, "Oh you're busy?" I smiled and said yeah, and then she walked away to the table nearby where 2 of her kids are doing their homework. They all seem normal, the kids, the woman seem normal when she's with them...I guess she have just faced some problems and hardships in life to pour out so much to me...in a moment. Wow. Maybe it's cuz of her age or something, but I don't know how to respond to people like that....
u know what? You really do learn something everyday. My mind is still reeling from something I read in the papers a couple of days ago...it's about handphone usage!
So i was just chilling at home, and I saw some chinese newspapers which my dad was reading, i picked up a section and it said in big Chinese headlines: Handphones are Scary!! Well, that's what it was to me, anyway. It says the radiation from handphone can really disrupt your brain activity and all. and that it's pretty dangerous. Anyway, it gives some tips when using handphones. Let me break it down:
1) Don't use your handphone for more than 5 minutes.
2) Don't use the handphone on one ear for too long. Always switch sides. If not, you'll soon have bad headaches.
3) Don't speak too loud on the phone. Cuz the louder your volume, the more radiation and signals sent out. Actually, I also read somewhere before that handphones can pick up the slightest whisper. so yeah. there's no need to speak so loud. maybe use the earphone-speaker even? to be really safe...:P
4) When you receive a call, after you press the receive button, wait 2-3 seconds before placing the handphone at your ear. This is because the signals are strongest when you are just receiving a call...
hmm..what about when u have received or are sending out a msg? cuz i know when u r actually listening to the radio nearby, some funny noises are produced
Anyway, my friend also told me that what, don't hang the handphone on your neck for too long??! Cuz it can disrupt your heart activity too?
and my mum read somewhere also that, don't place your handphone beside your head when you go to bed.
hahaha!! I'm so glad i know of these info, being almost one year into my handphone usage...I mean, it's better to be safe than sorry. Cuz we all know the handphone has become a neccessity for many of us...:)
PS: If you so happen to be able to read Chinese, I scanned the articles, check them out at:
Seriously though, researchers have not yet found any serious long term damage the radiation from handphone can do. So this may be nothing more than hoo-ha. So the bottomline is: Use in moderation.
Teaser poster for Pirates of the Caribbean 3, check out Chow Yun Fat on the far-right...his role is a Chinese pirate leader from Singapore! Cool huh? And Johnny Depp looks so hot. Anyone who agrees, just breathe...
PS: Does anyone know if they have this poster in Singapore?? I took this in JB, Malaysia
Anyway, below are just 2 short videos I took in JB... This first one shows all the flags on every lampost in JB. I don't know why there were so many of these blue flags with the red crescent on them...maybe cuz it was the Sultan's birthday or maybe that every state has a flag of its own?? Does anyone know?
This second video, I took while we were driving along the coast of JB...opposite is actually Singapore! and it's so nice to drive right beside the sea, don't cha think?
In the morning, we has at least a 5km walk as we wanted to 'explore' JB a bit...we came across a shopping mall called 'Waterfront City' and my dad told us that apparently, Malaysia wanted to build this mall to be megahuge and to compete with Singapore or something, but the project failed because of corruption and all. In fact, we saw quite a lot of buildings in JB which were half-finished. anyway, I was really hoping the building, called 'Lot 1, waterfront City' would be open and that we could chill out inside, with aircon, but it turns out the whole bloody place was deserted. It was eerie. One huge shopping mall super deserted. There were 'Marybrown's' and 'Kenny Roger's' billboards in front of the building but there was no life going on, so we just took a look at the facade of the building for a few seconds and continued walking. under the hot sun. whao. in a black shirt. i was a mobile heater. like seriously, NEVER wear a black shirt if you plan to walk around outdoors. and my black shirt was sleeveless. It didn't help.
Then we went back to City Square mall. So I watched The Reaping, which stars Hilary Swank and I watched Catch and Release too, starring Jennifer Garner and a bunch of unknown actors... I give both movies 3 1/2 stars...The Reaping would definitely interest Christians out there. there's a freaking twist in the end, which lifted the movie. the movie pacing is kind of slow, but there are some special effects at the end, which was quite a satisfying climax, though it was quite short.
As for Catch and Release, it is a movie with heart, with good intentions. The plot is very simple, about a woman whose fiance dies while out on a fishing trip and she finds out that he had a child with another woman behind her back, and she falls in love with his good-for-nothing but supposedly good looking best friend after that. I think the sex scenes are a bit stupid and redundant to the story at times, and the male lead is amatuerish but the movie makes you think. I wish there was more plot development though! If you're looking for some action, this is not a movie to watch, it leans on the 'boring' side, but it addresses issues of how people fall in love. Well, i'm glad to catch a movie which hasn't been released in Singapore yet:) haha!
and at least i didn't watch a stupid movie like Shooter which my whole family wanted to watch. I don't like mark Wahlberg. I think he's ugly. and watch a movie which kills kills kills? please. Give me a brainy movie anytime!
Right now, I'm in Malaysia, JB! It was so a last-minute decision of my parents to drive out here...i so did not want to go. I wanted to watch Shirlyn Tan, a very talented local singer perform on Saturday, songs from her debut album. but my parents were like, "nooo way are you going out, when we're not at home." like wtff. wth. I can't belive they would give me this unreasonable ultimatum. and to think i would miss the Rivermaya concert too. But then i thought over my priorities and figured that since my whole family's going, I don't wanna be the odd one out. It wouldn't be nice.
JB's traffic lights are darn inefficient. The red lights are on for like forever! So much so that we were caught in a jam in the mid afternoon! Imagine that...and correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think it's a holiday here in Malaysia?? and so, we travlled like, a mere 50km in 2 hours! Our car really crawled! and to top it all off, our car nearly got like, crashed into by that big yellow bus, which travels frm JE to JB. yes, a Singaporean driver, I'm guessing! He was trying to cut in front of my dad on the already jammed JB road, but there was NO WAY HE COULD, CUZ, HE WAS SIMPLY TOO NEAR OUR CAR!! seriously, we were 2cm away from getting scraped at by that haulking stupid bus, and some more he gave us some 'attitude', a pissed off face, and waved us off to let us go first.man, i was so freaked out, i couldn't believe a stupid driver would have the nerve to drive so close to us!! and it happened on my side of the window! so believe me, i got a full frontal view of what exactly happened, too mUCH for my own liking. luckily, my mum reacted more quicker than me, she acted agitated and quickly signaled to the driver to back off or slown down, doing some quick flurry of hand gestures, which pissed the driver off. Damn stupid fella.
We then parked our car at the hotel, FINALLY! and made our way to City Square shopping mall. This shopping mall is like, mega-huge on the inside! There's a zone for teens, something like Far East Plaza and every other shop for everyone else. We went to grab some dinner at the foodcourt and what do u know, an average meal costs 5RM. I think it's expensive, considering the meals at the hawker centres at the reststops in malaysia usually costs less than 3RM.
After that, I was looking for a backpack, cuz I'm sick of those one-sided tote bags I bring to school, cuz it gets really shoulder-and-back-straining. And I FINALLY found a cute bag, it was sold in a shop called 'Studioworks' and that's the brand of the bag. I think it's a Malaysian brand. The design of the bag is like, white words ('studioworks', over and over) written in a graffitti style on the lower half of the bag, with red splashes of spots. I'll post a picture here if I can. It's material is quite thin-like the material of a child's bag- considering its price, 48RM. but hey, I told myself, how much do i know? haha. how ironic. how much indeed. so I just bought it. I wouldn't know until I gave it a try.
And then we also came across this store, finally able to have some fun shopping after we searched high and low, found, and bought my bag. haha. we came across this store, which was having a 70% discount on a bunch of clothes. mostly tops, skirts and dresses, and the material was like, silk, and the design retro and floral-ly, and bright-coloured...so we tried on a bunch of the clothes...and only went away with me buying pants! haha, i look slim in those pants. I could wear it to work in future-office wear, it's that nice. but i don't know if i'll stay the same size in future. argh. hell, this pants is already L size u know?! I'm not fat, I'm just fleshy in my waist area! -_- and the pants cost 28RM. Originally was 93RM.
ok, hmm, Easter day, I really wanna put more thought into what I wanna say about this special day...here goes, I'll try, it's already 2am here.
Well, Easter day is when Jesus was hung on the cross, and left to slowly die. Just a few days before, he was welcomed by the whole city of Jerusalem, people were waving palm leaves at him and shouting "Hosanna to the King", "praise the king" and he rode into the city on a donkey! how humble can a 'king' get? Why would ppl praise someone like that? So modest, so unassuming, so un-kinglike.
And then just 2,3 days later, everyone turned their backs on him, spit on him, mocked him, placed a crown of thorns on his head, while he carried his cross on his back to the crucifiction place. They were testing Jesus. To see if he would somehow, use his 'powers' to kill those who were disrespecting him, those who were degrading him to such a state. But no, he didn't. and he knew he had to die. Cuz that was what was inevitable. He had to die to wash away our sins, because God his father, our Father, loved us all and wanted to make us clean, by sacrificing his son, a pure human, lamb, untainted by sin. He was God's son.
so now we can communicate directly with God-in our personal prayers, instead of through priests like people in the Old testament did. because of Jesus.
And then he rose again 2 days later, to rejoin his Father in heaven. and showing others that indeed, he was not human.
For everything, there is a creator. and there is a purpose. We won't know our purpose until we come to know about God, and accept him in our hearts. and acknowledge what Jesus did for us.
Only a creator can tell you the purpose of his invention. We were not made to be super ambitious, super inward-looking, super self-centered. But for so much more. Because life on earth is but a temporary home and preparation for the next.
God loves us all. Are you willing to love him back? To welcome him into your life?
I'll pray for you.
God bless.
Lyrics for Halfway Home by Jason Mraz I used to walk along the opposite side of the road and made others get out of my way I used to think I could sit and wait for the times but they wont come until I meet them halfway
I'm halfway home and I'm on my own I'm halfway there and I don't care, I don't mind I plan to leave here after supper time that's when traffic is light, all I need is a sign and I'll be alright. I'll be fine
I used to think that i could just sleep and then I'd dream And everything it would come to me Until I woke one day without anything to eat Lying on the opposite side of the street
I'm halfway home and I'm still out on my own I'm halfway there and I don't care, I don't mind Because it ain't my time to stay or say. I'll never lay down.
I used to think that I could just sit and wait for the time But I know I gotta meet them halfway
I'm halfway home I tried home running with the flow I'm halfway there. Ain't it funny how everybody seems to care I planned to get there around supper time their serving up bread and wine All I needed was a sign and I'll be alright. I'll be fine.
Yeah! It's a HOliday tmr! Thank God! I've been so stressed with my Lit essay and History test this week that I really dreaded friday, cuz that meant 2 tutorials this friday as it's an even week...but, no worries! and I'm gonna attend the church service tmr morning and hopefully get to watch the Billboard music awards on TV at 10.45am...
I'm coming to see that mornings are a weird way to start a day. Usually, I'll just be dashing off to school in the mornings, have been doing so for my past 13 or so years...so when i do have a free day off like today, to finish off my lit essay, i have an eventful morning.
While i was reading the papers at the living room area, i was blasted with a bloody smokey smell. I thought you know, that people were burning money papers again at the barrel below my house, somewhere outside my living room window, so I didn't bother to check. I mean, what can u do? I had half a mind to go down and douse out the smoke but i didn't have much time, cuz i was leaving the house to go out soon.
Anyways, my living room was soon filled with white smoke, we were literally experiencing a mini haze in our house...and my mum looked out of the window to check for the source of the smell and lo and behold! She said the SMOKE was coming out from my neighbour's window below us! iNDEED IT WAS! and the smoke was coming out of their window and straight into our house...something to do with the wind I think! Man, i was so mad, i wanted to pour water into their windows. But being more civilized than that, i just talked loudly at my own window, saying it's really smelly and all and saying how can people be so inconsiderate and just anyhow burn their joss sticks anywhere.
Anyway, the smell soon subsided. Which got me thinking, do people really think joss sticks will do any good? I mean, i have respect for other religions and all, but then again, don't you think buying joss sticks, ghost money and such is a waste of money? It's just like reasoning why is there a Valentine's Day. It's for gift and card companies, and F&B outlets and all sort of companies to cash in on that day...! lolzz
and then also, some people can't believe why people choose to be atheists..they cannot believe that a person can get through his life, without believing in a divine being, an outlet to just be himself..I say, then these people are really strong people.
But just to note, do these atheists really believe that life is just in the here and now? We are made to be much more than that. Why do people suffer pain and hardship? because of sin. Why are we even given life? Because we have a purpose here on earth. and that purpose is to spread His word till judgement day is here.
Now let me talk about what Christians do...those unbelievers may find that we are wasting so much time and effort in something we don't even know exists. Those people ask, how do u even know if God is still alive? Well, because God has touched us Christians in some way. You may say, 'oh, it's just your imagination', but only we ourselves know that something is at work within us and it can't be really explained. also, why do u think people wanna be Christians if it requires us to give money to the church, to help others, to love your enemies and all that stuff? You think we like it? Or do you think we are just trying to be self-righteous?
I think in the first place, it is very hard to live your life as a true Christian and dedicate your life to God, and to be accountable for all of your thoughts and actions. That is why, many people out there just choose not to believe. Cuz we can go psycho right?
But we believe that things happen for a reason and God chose us. And we are happy to serve Him.
It's so funny...i started my Saturday morning with an innocent decision in mind, just to borrow something, and in the end, i(or to be more specific, my whole family) got more than i bargained for...let's just say things happen for a reason...a person can always try to hide, try to scheme, try to do things in secret, but remember, God is always watching you...and if you are one of his children, he will lead you on the right path...eventually, though you may not see it at first.
Because God loves you. and me. and those who accept him in their hearts.
11:00 PM