Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Things you either LOVE or HATE about me:
1. I'm a all-or-nothing person.
Yes, simply put, I'm extremely extreme. I haven't learnt the trick of 'moderation' yet (although that's always on my new-year-resolution list).
Does it mean you are either my friend or not? Go figure.
2. I'm obsessed with books.
Its a hobby I've picked up since young. When I was still at the age when my Dad would bring me to the library every other week, I would use up my whole family's library cards to borrow 20 books for myself.
I like to think that that's the fastest way of being WISE. When I read (esp non-fiction), I see other people's pitfalls and avoid them. Or maybe, reading is just my way of a temporal escape from this world.
I love books so much I think that everyone else appreciates them too! So, when I buy you a book as a gift, its not because I cannot be bothered. I just thought its the BEST GIFT I can give you.
I need to always be in the middle of a book. That explains my big bag.
Little wonder I turned out to be a Lit major.
3. I'm very stubborn.
Which can either work for you, or against you.
If I want to help you, nothing can stop me.
But when you try to correct me, I would get really defensive and might bite your head off. Although, frankly, I really would have a good reflection about what you say afterwards.
4. I'm a perfectionist.
Its a trait I've picked up when I worked for Jan's mum. A trait I can't outgrow.
I will not hesitate printing my 17-25 pages essay over and again, until I'm satisfied. Even if its over a full-stop.
I know I'm getting all the head-shakes from enviromentally-friendly-people.
5. I'm still not subscribing to the normal mode of keeping-in-touch.
I'm still unconvinced that I need to be in the FACEBOOK, MY SPACE, FRIENDSTER or MSN community. If you really want to find me or know my profile, you should know where to find me. In fact, I would still say that my blog is a poor reflection of who I am.
Want to know me? You've got to use the conventional ways.
6. I believe in looking sharp, all the time.
I always believe that I won't know who I would bump into along the streets, so its better to look sharp all the time. Although that might mean that I'll spend so much time dressing up, you end up waiting.
7. I check out girls along the streets, not boys.
Boys are no fun to check out.
Its especially flattering when a pretty girl smiles at me. To me, its more flattering than a guy winking/smiling.
BTW, I make no pretenses that I'm checking girls out. I literally stare. So, that might make you uncomfortable while going out with me...
8. I can fall asleep in 4 seconds.
Maybe its the rhythm of my life. I knock out in 4 seconds. The problem is, the venue doesn't matter to me. So yes, I've dozed off at work before, and many times in the midst of phone conversations.
9. Don't get pushy with me.
I really hate it when people get too insistent on something I already indicated a "no". (Maybe if you are my mum, I'll relent. That's just out of respect.)
The more you push, the more I move away. That's just the way I operate. Its probably not the BEST operation-mode, but, ya..
10. I dont talk about things in the midst of it.
When I'm in the midst of crisis, I like to hide away. In a place of solace and quiet. That's my way of dealing with things. Don't find me at my cave, I still won't answer you.
I'll talk about it after I've found a solution.
11. I'm a fan of COKE LIGHT.
Despite strong objections from all avid COKE friends, I still prefer the taste of Coke Light over all its other flavours. Don't put me off by telling me that the contents of Coke Light are so acidic, its a good toilet-bowl detergent. I still believe that's purely a myth.
12. I'm a road hazard.
Women drivers are bad bad drivers, compared to our males counterparts. Its ironic that I say it, being a female driver. But, well... I've seen it with my eyes. When I'm driving. Ha..
Getting into the car when I'm the driver, may not be the most pleasant thing. Yes, I've realised. Somehow, I have this uncanny ability to make all my passengers sit up, wide awake. Their eyes are all peeled to the traffic. They are my reverse sensor, my GPS, my side mirrors, my audience when I burst into songs.
I'm not a very friendly driver. Any hazard in front of me will earn a horn (instead of a friendly high beam). I will also rant about how dangerous other drivers are (its my unexplainable road-rage-habit).
Ok ok, I'm obviously exaggerating. Just be prepared to take my car at your own risk. ;)
13. I don't like to sleep on a pressing matter.
I think its childish to pout, pretend I'm ok and sleep on the argument. I'll rather stay up and fight! Oops, I mean, stay up and talk about it.
14. If you travel with me, be prepared for An Amazing Race!
I think its the most fun to travel on adrenalin. So, running to catch the plane, the connecting coach, to catch the last show, to make it to a place before the last admission are common occurences in my trips.
So, if you want to stay in a five-star hotel/resort, visit only the tourist attractions, only eat from restuarants, travel with a tour group, I'm sorry I can't travel with you. I'm a backpacker at heart. (The only exception I'd make is for my honeymoon.)
15. I'm a Linus.
I need my blanket to sleep every night. Even in the warmest Summer nights. It gives me comfort. If I'm given a choice, I would carry it with me, wherever I go. That's if the world wouldn't give me a second look.
I think this feeling spills over to the other aspects of my life. I need my 'comfort blankets.' Some friends are that essential.
16. Music helps me feel better.
It is especially so when I blast it (either in the car or my room) and sing to the song at the top of my lungs. Beware, road-users and housemates!
17. I go through rather severe PMS.
I go through an emotional roller-coaster fueled entirely on my own hormones, almost every single month. While PMS stands for PRE-mentral-stress, I think mine is PRE-, PRESENT- and POST-, which practically means the whole month around. Ha.. (Ok, this is obviously too exaggerated.)
Funny thing is, I don't really snap at people at this time.
I just wallow and feel sad. Listening to a sad song/reading a sad ending can make me tear and cry, regardless of where I am.
18. I'm a diplomat.
Yes, which means I don't burn bridges. No, that does not mean I'm a hypocrite.
I just don't believe in making people's lives hard. If I see something I don't like about a person, I'll just move away.
I personally think its extremely rude to humiliate/correct people in front of others, to scar them. What's the point? I'm not perfect myself.
Or maybe, its just my very-traditional-Chinese-upbringing: to be ke-qi all the time. Its better to be miserable myself than to be rude to others.
Just The Girl @
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
"Love is giving someone the ability to hurt you but trusting them not to!"
"Trust is what makes everyone realize that you are always there for them. Faith is what makes everyone realize that you are always there to help them in case they need some help. Love makes not everyone, but the only one in your life who is special, think that you are always there for her, to be with her, to cherish her, to fulfill her dreams, to share with her and most of all, to make her realize how much you really love her."
"Relationships should never be taken for granted. The choice of being with another life is an amazing thing. Trust, loyalty and respect are a must for eternal happiness. No matter how much you love someone if you don’t have these ingredients you will never succeed."
Just The Girl @
Monday, January 28, 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
A weekend filled with lots of paint.
Splashed pink, purple, red, green,
yellow,
blue and black.
Left, right and centre.
Just The Girl @
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
Thursdays are my stay-at-home-and-be-a-good-daughter days. For as long as I can remember, Thursdays are always my parents' off-days. It so happened to fall in the middle of the week, so that's a nice break in the middle of a week. (That is, I consider Monday to be the beginning of the week.)
So, I'll rush home for dinner, spend time with my dad in front of the TV (that's his way of spending time), talk to my mum, listen to her complains about work, help out around at home, refrain from using the phone. Basically, just to make my presence felt.
I had a rewarding conversation with a random colleague (a nice Indian lady) on the company bus yesterday. She commented that her daughter (Sec 2) is more interested in things outside, than family. I smiled knowingly and replied, "Give her 6 years. Its just a phase, it will blow over." Haven't we all been through that?
Then, it struck me how priorities have and would change. It is prevalent even amongst my friends. Family is now taking a front seat.
Is that a realisation of what should be the dearest to us? Or, is it a grow-up-responsibility to be a filial daughter?
Last night proved to be really fulfilling. We had a good dinner. Despite my fatigue after a long day at work, I didn't have the heart to disappoint my mum's request to go to Chinatown. So, we went. The conversation at dinner, and the rides to and from Chinatown were good connecting times with my parents. We talked about my dad's business, my plans after graduation, my work, my life, our dreams, our struggles.
I realise that the older I get, the more weight my words have over my parents. They'd actually ask for my opinion over their decisions and listen to my point of view, whether over life/love/official issues. Of course, there are bound to be things that we do not see eye-to-eye. I see that as "generation gap." But, there is now a mutual respect for each other's opinions. I listen to their opinions and they would listen. I think that's nice. That's something I really respect about my parents.
The festive atmosphere at Chinatown was nice and cosy. The massive crowd of shoppers encoraged us to stick even closer together and shop together. Its sweet when the three of us decide on what to buy, together.
After missing CNY last year, it is especially wonderful to spend it with my family this time around.
The new year goodies we bought is making me look forward to CNY even more!
Just The Girl @
Friday, January 25, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Talking about school pride, I chanced upon this piece of news and I'm so proud of Pearlyn Ler!
Way to go, SC!
Just The Girl @
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
It never fails to amaze me that "SC girls will always be SC girls."
Always.
The poor girls sitting next us at Kenny Rogers last night, glanced over many times with raised-eyebrows and pretended (rather poorly) that they were not eavesdropping. The funniest bit came when I started relating a church meeting when the speaker commented, from his own personal experience, that "SC girls are hot stuff on the market. Somehow, its every guy's dream to marry a SC girl."
He is obviously married to one.
The girls on the next table made no pretences this time, they just gaped at us. With a woman's instinct, I bet that was out of disgust. (Well, at least it seems that way to me. In fact, I'm not sure if Celest or Candice caught this scene.)
So, besides the usual "So what is this person doing?", "Oh, do you remember the days when..." and "Oh, do you know that so-and-so is engaged/together with...?" it seems like little have changed since our SC canteen days. We are still complaining about our siblings, talking about other girls from our class, talking about boys and the stunts they pull...
Maybe our overseas experiences, outlook of Life, the way we dress, boys we are dating, planned career choices at the age of 16, have all changed over the years... but it felt that the past few years have mashed into a blur. (Yes Candice, I'm quoting you..) It has been 6 years, oh, or has it?
The past few years that have passed in a blur brought us to the age of 23 without our knowing. As we sat, denying that we are indeed turning 23 this year, I couldn't help thinking we'll soon turn 25, and then the dreaded 30. The next block of 5-10 years would definitely entail lots of changes. Crossroads. Decisions. It would mean finally stepping out of school to start working for real (whether here or away), buying a car, paying house mortgages, marriage, children.
Just when I'm convincing myself that at 23, I can no longer be a 'sweet young thing', I came across
http://www.karencheng.com.au/2007/10/09/turning-30-part-2/Maybe my fear of growing old, that I am no longer 17, 19 or 21, is all because of my own fears of not achieving my dreams. I see myself achieving certain goals by a certain age, and now the age is drawing nearer! But as I grow older, I realise that certain dreams will inevitably get shelved aside, take on a backseat, while others will get moved to the box seats. Especially since a special someone is almost touching the big 3.
These are all life choices.
As the Robert Redford said in
Lions for Lambs,“The tough thing about adulthood is it starts before you even know it starts.”
We actually only realise that we are IN adulthood, after we have made too many decisions.
So, ultimately.. there is no escape. Whether we like it or not, we
have to grow up, take responsibilities over our own lives and decisions, embark on a career, climb up the social ladder, take care of our parents, find someone who loves us and we cherish, then care for the next generation.
While I could not wait to grow up when I was younger, I have exchanged my white canvas shoes for heels before I realised it. It is all a process.
Just The Girl @
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
