Need A Break

OK I kinda screwed up today's Chemistry test. 2 reasons:

1. Not enough time.
2. Didn't understand some questions.

Seriously a few questions were alien to me, there was nothing I could do about it. Can't even guess coz my mind was blank in the first place.
The fact that time was slipping away made me rush through, so there was no chance to process the stuff that I didn't understand.

Don't know why, I just can't do well in Organic Chem. Even during my SPM days I sucked at it. Somehow I can't remember all the types of reactions and structures and apply the concepts when the exam paper twists questions into something slightly different.

Better work on it before the finals.

Just about an hour ago, my body started showing signs of flu again. It's only been a couple of days since I recovered and I tot I was off the hook... Guess not.
Thank god for Labour Day. We could all use a day off right?

And I know I'm paranoid, but when I first got the flu early this week, that was exactly the time news about the swine flu in Mexico came out. You know where I'm headed to.. lol

Honestly I don't know much about it. I heard it can spread quickly from human to human, but it isn't that life threatening right? I read an article which said some ppl who were tested positive for it have recovered like it was a typical form of flu.

So far M'sia seems unaffected. But still, we should all be extra cautious. I will see a doctor if I don't get well soon.

Oh and FYI I'm still twittering. Like I said, short updates go there while the longer stuff will come here.
Really tired. Time to rest.

Till next time =)

The Show + Twit twit!

Hmm lately I've been posting more music related posts.
Ever heard of Aussie actress turned singer Lenka? Her song 'The Show' is strange in a corky good way. The video just adds to the strangeness.



OH and I have an announcement. I'm officially on Twitter! (for now at least)
Not sure if it will last coz this may just be a 'hot hot chicken shit' thing... I've always been curious about Twitter since the whole Ashton Kutcher vs. CNN thing. But I always forget when I go online until yesterday when I saw it on Mun Teng's blog.

But here's the deal.
I realized virtually everyone I know is not using Twitter so it's totally not fun.
SO PLEASE go to Twitter and get an account, or just go check out mine (not sure if non-members can view though). I'm still learning how to use.

Anyway I tot of using Twitter becoz I like to write so much, but usually those things aren't long enough (or meaningful enough =P) to be a post HERE... So now I can post them on Twitter.
Yeah... We'll see how it goes.

I think it's simple enough and requires low commitment since it doesn't take much time to update a mini post. The best advantage is that u get to stay connected and keep up to date with the ppl you follow, even the celebrities who twit.
Nuff said. Check it out:
http://twitter.com/hsiang36

* * *
Today I just found out that there is no more Moral Studies lectures! Means I don't have to stay back till so late anymore! What a pleasant surprise... But I seriously have no idea what's gonna come out for the Moral exam next week.

Math test tomorrow, Chem test on Thursday. It's OK, we have tests so often I'm already numb.

Better go study. Bye =)

IN or OUT

I find the latest season of Project Runway to be quite entertaining. This fifth season has a bunch of talented designers. I'm following the series on Astro's Channel 707 weekly. Usually watch on Sunday, 11am.

It's amazing to see how these ppl can construct expensive looking garments from scratch with a small budget in a short amount of time. So far I can't really remember the designers names coz there are many of them, but i think Kenley is a standout.

Host supermodel Heidi Klum is still using the same catch line:
"As you know in fashion, one day you're in, and the next day you're out."

We have heard it so many times, but somehow the way she says it works.

If This Isn't Love - Jennifer Hudson


I like the line "Cause I could be dreaming or just plain crazy". Sounds like something I would say haha =P

Sick again. Sore throat, flu.
It just started so I hope I can prevent it from getting worse by taking meds.

Anyway I finally had the chance to play tennis last night (through lesson with Mr.Ong). This time I went alone coz my sis and Gerard were busy. But it was interesting coz Mr.Ong had other students so I got to play with 3 different guys. They were like older and larger in size. On first look I tot I would get trashed but interestingly I played better. Turns out they were relative beginners. They are strong and can hit damn hard, but skills and accuracy were still not polished. Lucky me.
Once again this shows that you can't judge a book by its cover. I could defeat a 20+ year old well built man, but possibly lose to a 12 year old pro junior. You will be surprised how well some youngsters can play.

Life is quite boring now. Classes are going slower than ever and I suddenly feel like going on a holiday. Anywhere... just to get away and chill a bit... OR I could just stay at home and revise for upcoming exams.

The first choice sounds much better, but the second option is more likely to take place. LOL! Yup that's life...

who's at no.1?

Hey.

It's been a few days since that incident, I don't know whether the matter is solved or not as no culprit has been named. But this whole thing seems to be dying down on its own. Everyone is quiet about it and I'm certainly not going to complain.

Move On.
I wanna talk about a few things.

Firstly have u heard of Susan Boyle? She's been making headlines everywhere. I saw her on TV, heard her being mentioned on radio and there were articles in 'The Star' on her.
Some call her the latest YouTube phenomenon. It all started with her audition on Britain's Got Talent. Go watch the video on YouTube. Simon Cowell's reaction is priceless.
Classic example that we shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Appearance is not a measure of how great a person is.

Next.

There's a change in the top rank of professional women's tennis. Russian Dinara Safina replaces Serena Williams as the new world no.1. There has been criticism, as Dinara hasn't won a Grand Slam and some feel she doesn't deserve the spot. This happened becoz Dinara played more tournaments than Serena, even though she hasn't won a major, her consistency earned her enough points to sneak to the top. Players like Serena and Venus, they are greater players, however they focus only on big events.

I feel Serena should be no.1, coz she's the better player currently. But honestly, if I were a pro player, I would appreciate the current ranking system, as it gives a chance for all players to improve their rankings and catch up with top players. The current system encourages players to play in as many tournaments as possible, and you don't have to win the final to gain points.

The best solution is that Dinara win a Grand Slam to silent the critics. But it's much easier said than done.
Speaking of tennis, I haven't played in a couple of weeks due to problems with court booking. There's a tournament next Sat at college, but I feel there isn't time to prepare and my current form is terrible. I find it incredibly hard to stay consistent. Initially I wanted to join but then decided not to becoz this is a team event, so ur performance affects the overall outcome of ur team and I don't want to disappoint anyone. There is pressure. Ur not just playing as yourself. Ur representing your course. Besides, when I checked the registration list, many MUFY-ians had already signed up. So I wish them the best of luck, while I hang around and wonder if I'll ever play in a tournament again.


OK lately my neighbourhood has been flooded with mosquitoes. They r everywhere and can be so annoying. Especially when they keep buzzing into ur ears when ur trying to have a good night's sleep.

Tomoro got English assessment. Written test for Theme Studies. After this week, there are many more tests including trials all the way until my finals begin on 22 May. Now it's seriously time to shift gears and kick some exam butt.

Sorry for talking so much. I know my posts are usually lengthy, so I will be amazed if u actually read them. Thanks =)

Innocent As Ever

There was drama at college today.

I don't want to elaborate on the details, in short I was accused, or should I say someone suggested that I was the culprit behind an incident that took place recently.
This is quite a serious issue, as it involves a higher authority.

I'm really disappointed. For someone to make such accusations without evidence is just an insult.

I'm not afraid if you want to point fingers at me, coz I didn't do it.

I think that it's ridiculous that I have to prove my innocence, convincing other people that it wasn't me coz I don't want them to think negatively of me.

All this while I thought I had a good reputation, I try to stay away from trouble, I try to be nice. Sigh. And this is what I get in return. Thank you very much. You have managed to tarnish my image.

Thinking Back

If only I could go back to November 25, 2008. Approximately 8.30pm at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Wouldn't it be wonderful if I could relive that 2 hours, probably one of the best moments in my life.

Until now it still feels surreal. I can't believe I was there. It went by so quickly and all that remains now is a memory. A very sweet one.



If you are a fan of any artist, don't miss the chance to catch them live. A concert is something you have to personally experience in order to understand... It cannot be described in words!

Whale Whale!

Gosh I don't know why I was excited about seeing the whale at Mid Valley. Did u see it?

OK for those of u who are unaware, it's not a real whale, but simply a life size model of a baby blue whale made using fibreglass in Australia. It's an exhibition by National Geographic to create awareness about the Big Blue Whale, which is endangered and their numbers are decreasing. I saw a bit of the documentary on the National Geographic channel on Sunday night. This animal is just cool (and HUGE!), but so much about this mammal remains a mystery as it is not a simple task to study them. In the first place just spotting one in the gigantic ocean seems impossible!

It's just amazing to see something so majestic in size, but yet so elegant. Somehow it reminds me of Roger Federer hahaha...

Oh... Look at this pic of me touching the whale, let me sing u a little Katy Perry:

"I touched a whale and I liked it, the feel of it's solid body,

I touched a whale just to try it, hope my pet fish don't mind it,

It felt so wrong, It felt so right,

Don't mean I'm in love tonight,

I kissed (I mean touched) a whale's fin and I liked it... I liked it.

Those whales they are so magical, soft skin, BIG lips, so kissable(?),

Hard to resist, so touchable, too good to deny it,

Ain't no big deal, it's innocent...." =P

OK enough of whaleling around... I actually went back to CHS on Saturday to see the inter uniform body marching competition. It's been so long since my marching days, I reli don't know what to say... I remember the first year it was organised I was a participant, the next year I was part of the organizing committee, then last year I went back as a judge (god knows why I was invited since I'm not really qualified to judge) and this year I'm simply a spectator. Not sure if I will be going next year, coz I feel my connection with the uniform society days is diminishing rather quickly.

But it was good to see my juniors, just to see that the society is doing well. But every now and then when I go back there, my juniors look less and less familiar. Got new members coming in, and the most interesting thing is how much some of them have grown.

OK....... This week got yet another oral presentation. This time is group work for Theme Studies. This is the last presentation. I just wanna get it done. Preparing for presentations can be tiring. There is so much thought that needs to be put in to produce something meaningful. However sometimes the lecturer may not appreciate the end product. Sometimes I don't know what she wants. I just hope she will have mercy this Sat =P

CGYOOMH!

This is a term that is familiar to Kylie fans, and it's widely used in Kylie related forums becoz typing "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" is simply too long. =P

This week the contestants of Idol sang CGYOOMH for the group performance on the result show. It was just strange. Not awful, but it can't compare to the original. Kylie's unique vocal suits this song and only she can sing something like this. When someone else sings the "la la la" and the "won't you stay..." part it just sounds like funny karaoke.

Watch the Idol performance...



And then watch the original. This is THE song that made me a Kylie fan way back in 2001. =)

age defying

Wow I just saw these pics on Kylie's facebook account. I think it's for promotion of her new perfume 'Couture'. She seems to be looking younger and younger. I know there have been reports of her using botox and these pics are probably touched up, but you have to admit she's absolutely stunning at 40.

Strange

Hey how's everyone doing?

Life has been surprisingly calm. Hardly any action in college. After all the fuss about research projects and presentations, suddenly life is so...... stress free. Well not to say there is no work to be done, but it just feels relaxed and laid back that it's starting to get boring.

And this boredom is making me lazy. Totally uninspired to work hard. My finals is 6 weeks away and yet i'm still chilling. So far the syllabus has been easy I feel like I can get away with last minute studying. But technically I should be working harder to be on the safe side.

Oh and I don't know why I missed the Miami tournament even though I was free this past week. I guess I was busy doing nothing. Almost zero productivity. Nadal lost in the quarter finals to Del Potro (unexpected), and Federer lost to Djokovic I think. In the end Murray beat Djokovic in the final. It's interesting becoz the top 4 players are capable of beating each other, and no one is the clear favourite. Like the week before Nadal won Indian Wells by trashing Murray, but this week Murray came up on top beating Djokovic. Federer is not doing so well, losing regularly to Nadal, Djokovic and Murray in recent encounters.

Time is running so slowly. Getting sick of Pre-U life. Just wanna move on to Uni life. But I predict those will be tough times. So I better enjoy this relaxing moment while it lasts.

P.S. - If u find that this post makes no sense, it's becoz my mind is not reli functioning and focused right now. Can't seem to translate my thoughts into proper sentences. It's taking me forever to type this. Oh and so many spelling errors. Brain not clear. Thank god for spell check. =)

This song is funky. Again, spunky and catchy lyrics is Lily Allen's trademark. Here I will provide the lyrics for this song and u'll know what I mean:
http://www.metrolyrics.com/everyones-at-it-lyrics-lily-allen.html

New Light

Hmm... it's rare for me to still be up at this hour but I just took a shower so I'm still fresh.

Had a great game of tennis just now, followed by yummy hokkien mee and Cantonese fried mee for supper. I love playing tennis at night, so much better without the sun and it's just so peaceful. U might think it's crazy to play tennis at 10pm, but I don't really have a choice, coz my coach Mr.Ong only has free slots at times like this.

It's been a while since I had a good game like this. Actually what I really want to talk about in this post is something that Mr.Ong said today. He said that I've changed, personality wise. I stopped taking lessons after my SPM for more than a year and it was only recently that I looked for him again. He said that last time I always kept to myself and I got agitated and frustrated easily. But now he said I'm more open, I talked more and that I listen and take advice. I think he meant that I'm a better person now and that's why my tennis has improved.

At first I didn't feel that I've changed, but now when I think about it, I reli agree with him. I realized that I used to be such a terrible person. I was negative, always frustrated at myself for not being able to play well. I remember I used to be so upset when I couldn't play at a level that I wanted to be at. Here's something that I've never told anyone. There were times where I was playing so horribly that I actually had thoughts of quitting. I was always asking myself, why the hell am I working so hard for this? Is it worth it? What can I get from this?.....

I don't know what kept me going, but I'm so thankful that I didn't give up, becoz things have improved so much since then. I guess all tennis players have to go through a period of experimentation and misery before u discover ur potential and ur own unique style of play. I know I still have miles to improve, I'm still a weak player, but at least now I have the right kind of attitude to do it.

I'm glad that I've changed. You know, I've never felt so relaxed in a long time. But deep down inside I still feel like I'm not a good person. Until today, I still feel disconnected with the world at times, especially with my peers. I wonder why I don't talk much. Is it becoz I don't care?
There is always a distance between me and certain people. I just can't open up and be truly happy. There is this shield that I'm creating that prevents other people from being near me. Terrible right... yeah I know I'm a mess. I have many flaws. I wonder why I'm so over achieving, why I'm so obsessed with perfection when it comes to tests and sports. And sometimes I'm ignorant. It's like I don't make enough effort to take notice about other ppl's lives as I'm always putting myself first.

These are the things I wish to change. I hope I will, coz I don't want to be like that forever.

P-P-P-oker Face

Did you watch this week's American Idol result show? Lady Gaga made a cool performance of 'Poker Face' on the show. The beginning part of the performance was interesting as it sounded so different from the original... And her style is original. Check out the zipper pasted on her eye. Lady Gaga's 'Just Dance' & 'Poker Face' are no.1 hits in both US and UK. As Ryan Seacrest said, she's the new queen of the charts.

And did u noticed how strange Megan was behaving on the show? Maybe she knew she was going home, so she was acting weird to attract more attention?


Last night I went to watch 'The Unborn'... Quite a scary show coz the evil spirit can pop out anytime and it was almost unstoppable... But the plot doesn't have much substance. I mean what do u expect? It's a horror movie, it's supposed to be a No Brainer.

Swept Aside

As expected i lost in the first round with a terrible score line. LOL

It was intimidating ok, just to be in a hall with so many pro looking players. Initially I was so nervous but when the match started I was feeling ok. I think I did try hard, but obviously that wasn't good enough. This is already much better than the time I played in my first tennis tournament 2 years ago, where I was just so overwhelmed by the situation, my mind was completely blank and that made my opponent's day so much easier.

Today is a different story. I was actually ready to compete, but the problem is that I just didn't have the skill to back it up. And my partner didn't either. It was kind of embarrassing becoz so many ppl were around the hall hahaha...

I'm sure u know that I have been training for tennis for almost 2 months, working on my serve and trying to improve my fitness. In a way it's kind of frustrating becoz I worked so hard on tennis but in the end there is no competition, and then all of a sudden I just walk into a badminton competition with virtually no preparation. But I don't regret a single bit on the work I did for tennis, I mean I'm sure I will benefit from it in the future.

Today I realize that tennis strokes aren't helpful in badminton. A lot of the times I was just swinging the ball high up into the air, allowing my opponent to smash it back. Even when I was hitting hard, I just couldn't keep the shuttle low enough... And in badminton you have less time to react becoz the shuttle comes back at you in lightning speed. In general I just couldn't read my opponent's game as well as I can do in tennis. OK OK, yes I know I'm coming up with excuses to console myself.

BUT here's what I really feel. Even though it sucks to lose (doesn't matter if it's tennis, badminton or any other sport), anyone who cares about the competition will be upset when they lose, but I genuinely believe that we gain more from losing. Seriously. I'm saying this out of experience. The last time I lost in a tennis event, I learnt so much about my game and how to handle pressure, and as a result I became a better player after that lesson. Whenever we face defeat, we are forced to come into terms with our weaknesses as they become apparent in the match. It's like a reality check.
Sure it feels so damn good to win and we all aim to win, but you don't learn as much from it. Yes it does boost self confidence, but at the same time it makes you arrogant and u tend to take things for granted.
Don't get me wrong, I still aim to win everytime I play, but I'm just saying that losing in sports is inevitable and it actually isn't such a bad thing. Believe me, you may feel awful now, but those wounds will heal after some time and eventually we get over it and grow into a stronger person.


Well I think I have expressed everything that's on my mind... OMG the things I just said in this post sound so philosophical and downright corny. Getting goosebumps... Maybe someone can hire me to be a motivational speaker hahahaha...

Time to get some rest =)

Relief

Feels so good that my English research project is over and done with! Today's oral presentation for the research went OK i guess... I think I spoke fluently and everything was smooth.. But I'm not sure if the class understood what I said coz they were so quiet during the Q&A... Maybe I was speaking too fast for them to digest the info. But I had to rush becoz there was a time limit.

Good or bad, it's already done so no point thinking about it. This morning on my way to college I was quite sick I actually thought that I wasn't going to be able to present today. Dunno what was wrong, I suddenly felt like throwing up. And it's not easy to drive when u feel like that. Thankfully I was ok by the time I reached class.

Tomorrow is the Mufy games... And I'm having mixed feelings about taking part in the badminton event. On one hand I think it's going to be fun and I get to have a good workout and test my so called "mental strength" that I've been building up from tennis. But on the other, I feel like I don't really deserve a spot in the draw becoz badminton was never really a passion of mine, and I kinda suck at it, in comparison to tennis that is. And my doubles partner also sucks at the game. So I'm worried that other ppl are going to be mad that 2 idiots who don't really know how to play badminton are hogging up the draw. But I guess I shouldn't chicken out, becoz I know I have a competitive nature. If I can be a good fighter on a tennis court, then why not on a badminton court rite? Even if the odds are against me, I believe I can still put up a good challenge, or at least die trying. Yeah, as long as I give my best, I have nothing to lose or worry about.

The only thing that I need to do now is to read up the rules of badminton. Honestly I'm still not too sure about the rules for doubles, like for example which side do I serve from and when do we need to change places and stuff like that.

Wish me luck! I need looooooooooootttsss of it =P