Off the doctors..

Gitti had to go to the doctors. I had to go to the doctor's too...



This was what I diagnosed myself with :

Some mosquito bit me on my left eye lid. What a place to be bitten by mosquitoes...causing my eyelid to 'puff' up a little. The puff didn't go away... Instead, it grew larger and larger... ( ok. its not noticeable.... so its not that big ) but got really really irritating... I can't put on my contact lenses... ARGH !!!!

So i went to the Doctor Lim, my family doctor... all the way in North Side Singapore, Yishun.... And this is what I was diagnosed with...

Styes: (external hordeolum)

There are many small glands (and the ducts of these glands) in your eyelid. They can become infected or simply clogged and swell , causing pain and discomfort. Sometimes you may see and feel the small nodule. Styes more commonly occur in the upper lid near the lid margin and eyelashes, but can be found in the lower lid as well. More often than not, they are caused by a staphylococcus bacteria infection in an eyelash follicle or in the associated glands of Zeiss and Moll . Staph is a very common bacteria often present on your skin. Sometimes they over-reproduce causing inflammation.

This is quite similar to a pimple in your skin and the treatment is likewise similar: warm compresses three or more times each day until completely resolved. Most often improvement can be observed within a day or two and complete healing occurs within a week. Styes may be treated with antibiotic drops and ointments along with warm compresses. This sometimes shortens the recovery time.

So.... for the next 3 days.. I am not going out unless I am need to... I am not going to think about it. I am going to think about how I can swallow the pills my doctor gave me.... I CANNOT SWALLOW PILLS ! Its a disability ! I am soooo terrible at doing so... and my doctor gave me HUGE capsules and tablets to swallow ! Oh my ! ( A huge flask of water, Cutting Board and Knife to the resue )

I came to the conclusion with my doctor that not being able to swallor pills is a diesease that many people have.... I think so..... do you ?

For now... poor me....sniff sniff....

------------------

Yuexia : I know you read my blog but I dont have your email address or number.. How can I get in touch with you ?

And to the nice girls

And one for the girls.... ( i googled this... ha ha ha ha ha )
Guys, Click for the 'Nice Guys' Post

This is my tribute to the nice girls. To the nice girls who are overlooked, who become friends and nothing more, who spend hours fixating upon their looks and their personalities and their actions because it must be they that are doing something wrong. This is for the girls who don't give it up on the first date, who don't want to play mind games, who provide a comforting hug and a supportive audience for a story they've heard a thousand times. This is for the girls who understand that they aren't perfect and that the guys they're interested in aren't either, for the girls who flirt and laugh and worry and obsess over the slightest glance, whisper, touch, because somehow they are able to keep alive that hope that maybe... maybe this time he'll have understood. This is an homage to the girls who laugh loud and often, who are comfortable in skirts and sweats and combat boots, who care more than they should for guys who don't deserve their attention. This is for those girls who have been in the trenches, who have watched other girls time and time again fake up and make up and fuck up the guys in their lives without saying a word. This is for the girls who have been there from the beginning and have heard the trite words of advice, from "there are plenty of fish in the sea," to "time heals all wounds." This is to honor those girls who know that guys are just as scared as they are, who know that they deserve better, who are seeking to find it.

This is for the girls who have never been in love, but know that it's an experience that they don't want to miss out on. For the girls who have sought a night with friends and been greeted by a night of catcalling, rude comments and explicit invitations that they'd rather not have experienced.

This is for the girls who have spent their weekends sitting on the sidelines of a beer pong tournament or a case race, or playing Florence Nightingale for a vomiting guy friend or a comatose crush, who have received a drunk phone call just before dawn from someone who doesn't care enough to invite them over but is still willing to pass out in their bed. This is for the girls who have left sad song lyrics in their away messages, who have tried to make someone understand through a subliminally appealing profile, who have time and time again dropped their male friend hint after hint after hint only to watch him chase after the first blonde girl in a skirt. This is for the girls who have been told that they're too good or too smart or too pretty, who have been given compliments as a way of breaking off a relationship, who have ever been told they are only wanted as a friend.

This one's for the girls who you can take home to mom, but won't because it's easier to sleep with a whore than foster a relationship; this is for the girls who have been led on by words and kisses and touches, all of which were either only true for the moment, or never real to begin with. This is for the girls who have allowed a guy into their head and heart and bed, only to discover that he's just not ready, he's just not over her, he's just not looking to be tied down; this is for the girls who believe the excuses because it's easier to believe that it's not that they don't want you, it's that they don't want anyone. This is for the girls who have had their hearts broken and their hopes dashed by someone too cavalier to have cared in the first place; this is for the nights spent dissecting every word and syllable and inflection in his speech, for the nights when you've returned home alone, for the nights when you've seen from across the room him leaning a little too close, or standing a little too near, or talking a little too softly for the girl he's with to be a random hookup. This is for the girls who have endured party after party in his presence, finally having realized that it wasn't that he didn't want a relationship: it was that he didn't want you. I honor you for the night his dog died or his grandmother died or his little brother crashed his car and you held him, thinking that if you only comforted him just right, or said the right words, or rubbed his back in the right way then perhaps he'd realize what it was that he already had.

This is for the night you realized that it would never happen, and the sunrise you saw the next morning after failing to sleep.

This is for the "I really like you, so let's still be friends" comment after you read more into a situation than he ever intended; this is for never realizing that when you choose friends, you seldom choose those which make you cry yourself to sleep. This is for the hugs you've received from your female friends, for the nights they've reassured you that you are beautiful and intelligent and amazing and loyal and truly worthy of a great guy; this is for the despair you all felt as you sat in the aftermath of your tears, knowing that that night the only companionship you'd have was with a pillow and your teddy bear. This is for the girls who have been used and abused, who have endured what he was giving because at least he was giving something; this is for the stupidity of the nights we've believed that something was better than nothing, though his something was nothing we'd have ever wanted. This is for the girls who have been satisified with too little and who have learned never to expect anything more: for the girls who don't think that they deserve more, because they've been conditioned for so long to accept the scraps thrown to them by guys.

This is what I don't understand. Men sit and question and whine that girls are only attracted to the mean guys, the guys who berate them and belittle them and don't appreciate them and don't want them; who use them for sex and think of little else than where their next conquest will be made. Men complain that they never meet nice girls, girls who are genuinely interested and compelling, who are intelligent and sweet and smart and beautiful; men despair that no good women want to share in their lives, that girls play mindgames, that girls love to keep them hanging. Yet, men, I ask you: were you to meet one of these genuinely interested, thrillingly compelling, interesting and intelligent and sweet and beautiful and smart girls, were you to give her your number and wait for her to call... and if you were to receive a call from her the next day and she, in her truthful, loyal, intelligent and straightforward nice girl fashion, were to tell you that she finds you intriguing and attractive and interesting and worth her time and perhaps material from which she could fashion a boyfriend, would you or would you not immediately call your friends to tell them of the "stalker chick" you'd met the night prior, who called you and wore her heart on her sleeve and told the truth? And would you, or would you not, refuse to make plans with her, speak with her, see her again, and once again return to the bar or club or party scene and search once more for this "nice girl" who you just cannot seem to find? Because therein lies the truth, guys: we nice girls are everywhere. But you're not looking for a nice girl. You're not looking for someone genuinely interested in your intermural basketball game, or your anatomy midterm grade, or that argument you keep having with your father; you're looking for a quick fix, a night when you can pretend to have a connection with another human being which is just as disposable as the condom you were using during it.

So don't say you're on the lookout for nice girls, guys, when you pass us up on every step you take. Sometimes we go undercover; sometimes we go in

disguise: sometimes when that girl in the low cut shirt or the too tight miniskirt won't answer your catcalls, sometimes you're looking at a nice girl in whore's clothing - - we might say we like the attention, we might blush and giggle and turn back to our friends, but we're all thinking the same thing: "This isn't me. Tomorrow morning, I'll be wearing a teeshirt and flannel shorts, I'll have slept alone and I'll be making my hungover best friend breakfast. See through the disguise. See me." You never do. Why?

Because you only see the exterior, you only see the slutty girl who welcomes those advances. You don't want the nice girl.. so don't say you're looking for a relationship: relationships take time and energy and intent, three things we're willing to extend - - but in return, we're looking for compassion and loyalty and trust, three things you never seem willing to express. Maybe nice guys finish last, but in the race they're running they're chasing after the whores and the sluts and the easy-targets... the nice girls are waiting at the finish line with water and towels and a congradulatory hug (and yes, if she's a nice girl and she likes you, the sweatiness probably won't matter), hoping against hope that maybe you'll realize that they're the ones that you want at the end of that silly race.

So maybe it won't last forever. Maybe some of those guys in that race will turn in their running shoes and make their way to the concession stand where we're waiting; however, until that happens, we still have each other, that silly race to watch, and all the chocolate we can eat (because what's a concession stand at a race without some chocolate?)

By Jessica Leigh Griffith

To all the nice guys out there.

Vesna posted a really good piece today..... it was so good that I have to cut and paste this on my blog so all my guy friends would read...

So.. here's to a few really really special people in my life.....

I read this and I thought of you guys ! All the shit that I've put you through and all the times that you have put up with me and some other crazy girls... Some of you I've know for almost 10 years, ... you have put up with some of Celine's craziest and sillest moments. The good, the bad, the pretty moments and the ugly.....

To Glenn, Mouse, Justin Yeo and Justin Lieu,
Jatin, David, Wai, Colin, Richy and Kenric,

I am so guilty of the things mentioned
below but before you get mad...
Remember that I love you guys !

Love Celine

-----
A tribute to all the 'nice guys' I know.

This is a tribute to the nice guys. The nice guys that finish last, that never become more than friends, that endure hours of whining and bitching about what assholes guys are, while disproving the very point. This is dedicated to those guys who always provide a shoulder to lean on but restrain themselves to tentative hugs, those guys who hold open doors and give reassuring pats on the back and sit patiently outside the changing room at department stores. This is in honor of the guys that obligingly reiterate how cute/beautiful/smart/funny/sexy their female friends are at the appropriate moment, because they know most girls need that litany of support. This is in honor of the guys with open minds, with laid-back attitudes, with honest concern. This is in honor of the guys who respect a girl's every facet, from her privacy to her theology to her clothing style.

This is for the guys who escort their drunk, bewildered female friends back from parties and never take advantage once they're at her door, for the guys who accompany girls to bars as buffers against the rest of the creepy male population, for the guys who know a girl is fishing for compliments but give them out anyway, for the guys who always play by the rules in a game where the rules favor cheaters, for the guys who are accredited as boyfriend material but somehow don't end up being boyfriends, for all the nice guys who are overlooked, underestimated, and unappreciated, for all the nice guys who are manipulated, misled, and unjustly abandoned, this is for you.

This is for that time she left 40 urgent messages on your cell phone, and when you called her back, she spent three hours painstakingly dissecting two sentences her boyfriend said to her over dinner. And even though you thought her boyfriend was a chump and a jerk, you assured her that it was all ok and she shouldn't worry about it. This is for that time she interrupted the best killing spree you'd ever orchestrated in GTA3 to rant about a rumor that romantically linked her and the guy she thinks is the most repulsive person in the world. And even though you thought it was immature and you had nothing against the guy, you paused the game for two hours and helped her concoct a counter-rumor to spread around the floor. This is also for that time she didn't have a date, so after numerous vows that there was nothing "serious" between the two of you, she dragged you to a party where you knew nobody, the beer was awful, and she flirted shamelessly with you, justifying each fit of reckless teasing by announcing to everyone: "oh, but we're just friends!" And even though you were invited purely as a symbolic warm body for her ego, you went anyways. Because you're nice like that.

The nice guys don't often get credit where credit is due. And perhaps more disturbing, the nice guys don't seem to get laid as often as they should. And I wish I could logically explain this trend, but I can't. From what I have observed on campus and what I have learned from talking to friends at other schools and in the workplace, the only conclusion I can form is that many girls are just illogical, manipulative bitches. Many of them claim they just want to date a nice guy, but when presented with such a specimen, they say irrational, confusing things such as "oh, he's too nice to date" or "he would be a good boyfriend but he's not for me" or "he already puts up with so much from me, I couldn't possibly ask him out!" or the most frustrating of all: "no, it would ruin our friendship." Yet, they continue to lament the lack of datable men in the world, and they expect their too-nice-to-date male friends to sympathize and apologize for the men that are jerks. Sorry, guys, girls like that are beyond my ability to fathom. I can't figure out why the connection breaks down between what they say (I want a nice guy!) and what they do (I'm going to sleep with this complete ass now!). But one thing I can do, is say that the nice-guy-finishes-last phenomenon doesn't last forever. There are definitely many girls who grow out of that train of thought and realize they should be dating the nice guys, not taking them for granted. The tricky part is finding those girls, and even trickier, finding the ones that are single.

So, until those girls are found, I propose a toast to all the nice guys. You know who you are, and I know you're sick of hearing yourself described as ubiquitously nice. But the truth of the matter is, the world needs your patience in the department store, your holding open of doors, your party escorting services, your propensity to be a sucker for a pretty smile. For all the crazy, inane, absurd things you tolerate, for all the situations where you are the faceless, nameless hero, my accolades, my acknowledgement, and my gratitude go out to you. You do have credibility in this society, and your well deserved vindication is coming.

RIOT !

2 second mind-blast of a drama-queen
ZOOOOOOOOOOMM... SWISHH....... SWASH........ " this is your captain speaking, we will be arriving at Singapore's Changi International Airport. in about 2 minutes.. please take your time, collect all your memories and prepare for the heat, if you are a citizen of Singapore, welcome home and welcome to REAL life......"

Funny how I have never thought about growing up, how much I have changed or life when I was in Victoria, I've always knew wanted to do and I just concentrate on getting to my goals. Coming back to Singapore is like coming back to reality. A blast back to earth or Singapore... For a jot of the crazy Asians hectic life.. look into mine.... I have day-time work lined-up, night classes starting September, 2 language classes to attend starting in July, volunteering and helping out with CHIJ Alumni. Am I crazy or what.. being and keeping myself busy is a good thing, being busy reminds me of the little time I have and how precious time is and how much harder I have to work to push myself to achieve just a little more......

Jenny wrote about goals and expectation setting and how it is an AIESEC disease. This is soooo true...my boss asked me if I had any questions for him and I asked if its possible to do goal and expectation settings ! I wrote my goals on a piece of paper and stuck it directly in front of my wall in front of my desk.. I am keeping a book of goals and dreams by my bedside... I did goal setting without even consiously thinking about it !



So.. for the year of 2005 and 2006, even up to 2008 for that matter... I have set goals for myself.. some really big, some really small.. hopefully.. i will have enough strength to go through and pull through with ALL of them ! Do you realise that the 'smaller goals' are harder to 'get' in the above picture ?

So... I am inundated with thoughts.... it almost seemed like a RIOT going through in my head !

Coming back home after 4 years and meeting people whom you haven't seen in a while is sometimes like meeting friends again and getting to know them all over again. People change and especially in the late teens, early 20s, people change drastically. Some friends have certain expectations ( not to say they are judging a person ) but they expect a person not to change after a few years... it kinda made things awkward... but I guess friends will always be friends, no matter how things turn out.

Do I have to find the old Celine back so my friends can feel more comfortable ? should I be the one changing ? or should i be the one helping them adjust to the new Celine ?

My pay-check, how much is going where and how and when ..... investments, savings, can i afford a car ? oh man... I am going crazy ! too much to think about for my brain..

Sleep is prob. good...

It was another monopoly night.. guess who won ?

It was another night of cook-out and monopoly.

7 people sat down for dinner.
This was how the conversation went :

' Chinese classes while we were at school'
Generals- Lan Party !
How good the beef tasted
Generals- which tanks are attacking from where
Glenn and his lack of hand-washing before handling food, sniff sniff...
Generals- how PJ wants to buy over the LAN shops
Glenn and Julian being GAY partners and the salad bowl.
Generals- mental game in the guys' mind
Justin is late and we have started eating without him.
Generals- what is 'scorpion tank' in Chinese...and scud storm..
The strange noises mouse imitates while fighting a battle.... 'tiueeeeeeee... shhiwsshhh...bomb....'
Brillant essay pieces we wrote while in high school.

MONOPOLY !

It was very predictable and very obvious unholy alliance...
6 people sat down to play..

we knew from the start who is going to 'merge' their assets with each other..
it was an hour of psycho-talk.... if you want the red, you have to trade me for....
"I need to go to jail, there are hotels everywhere."
I SEEM to love stepping on "Community Chest", carefully avoiding the hotels....
Mouse is now a true believer in KARMA !

Guess who won ? Mouse and his partner.... I guess that is me !

It was a good night of catching up.. good heart-felt conversations...
Even after 4 years... I know good friends stay good friends... The barker boys are my closest friends and I will drop anything to be there for them if they need help..

iDid, iHeard, iAppreciate, iFit, iChange and iWonder

I did what most people would do when they leave the country and return after a few years..I caught up with Grade 10 ( Sec 4 ) classmates. Thinking back, it makes me feel sooo old... we graduated from secondary 7 years ago ! It was cool to finally get to see Victoria again, she is now a proud mother of a baby girl. ( i blogged about it a few weeks back ) Finally, I have a friend to ask and clarify all the myths I heard, all about giving-birth, what it was like... what can't you eat, what are the things that one shouldn't do, what they do.. breast feeding.. blah blah blah..... ah... motherhood- the pains and the joys...

iHeard
Over the last 2 weeks, since I have been home, i've heard a lot of very interesting statements..

" If I snore, they deserve it, its karma ''
" The movie is a ah-lian's dream come true, they speak Chinese in cute Japanese settings "
" You play 'Generals'( war games ) like a true business woman. "
" Fries and Rosti actually taste the same ! "
" I can sing any song at Kareoke as long as the artist is singing with me ! "

Very interesting thoughts, a few still make me laugh..

iAppreciate
Last night, a very tried person Colin was really really kind to drive half way across the country at 2.30am( yes.. Singapore is quite small, driving across Canada would take more time ) to give me a ride home. I was stuck downtown due to some reason I cannot explain on my blog ( protecting a friend's identity ). I really really do appreciate it... Thank you !

iFit
I am still trying fit back in Singapore, in my family. Its so strange to move back home. Its understanding family dynamics allover again. I have always kept my feelings to myself, kept to my room, kept to my world. I don't telll dad lots, nor mum, my sister would know most things about me... I am really close to my first aunt, she looked after me when I was a little girl, she still takes care of me and of everyone in the family, she understands my stubborness and craziness.. she is the best aunt in the world....

iChange
For the first time in my entire life, my aunt and I didn't agree on one particular topic. We came to the conclusion that I grew up and changed a lot over the past couple of years. I am a different person now.. Change is not a bad thing but when I fail to communicate the change to my family members, things go wrong. They assume they know Celine ( 5 years ago )...
I guess its going to take quite a while to learn the changes that my family have gone through. Changing a little and fitting back in ?

iWonder
I am heading for a Old Girls Association ( Convent Alumni ) meeting today... I wonder what it will be like ? I know I love my high school and I love to get back into Volunteering..
I set my short and long term goals ( AIESEC style ). My goals would require lots of hard work. I wonder if I can really deal with a hectic life all over again for the next 3 years. With so many courses to juggle and work...I hope so...

Taking time off to chill, there is an AIESEC party tonight...the barker boys are also meeting up tonight.... sigh... looks like I've got to party hop.

Have a good weekend !

its a LAN party !

In true 'barker girl' spirit.. what is hanging out with the boys without getting sucked into their craze for 'GENERALS'... So.. this game is reallly old...but i am terribly addicted to this game... so much so that I spent a total of about 8 hours playing the game. Its a LAN party !



this amount of time focused on the computer screen and details cannot possibly be good for my eyes...... but.. whatever...

What are you ?

AIESEC Victoria would know this.. I'ved asked too many of them what they are...I am conducting a simple survey in hopes of eventually be able to come up with my very own theory !

Ha Ha Ha...

the question goes.... ( you have to chose between the two options, no crazy answers like 'I dont know..' ' I like / dislike both..'

1 ) Which do you prefer ? Chocolate or Vanilla..



2 ) Are you a Dog person ? or a Cat person ?



Now... take both your answers and put them together... What are you ? Chocolate Dog ? Vanilla Cat ? Chocolate Cat ? Vanilla Dog ?

My findings so far...

There are a lot of chocolate dogs in the world... very few vanilla cats.. and even fewer vanilla dogs or chocolate cats !




Let me know ! I am a vanilla cat... if my theory falls through, at least I would know just a thing or two more about my friends...

4 girls, gossips and hagen daaz

There is a bunch of people that I worked with during my teaching days..
The same bunch of people I always have lunch with during my teaching days..
The same girls goes to the gym for our work-outs after work...
These girls have lots of gossips for each other..
These girls went on a shopping trip in Thailand, December 2004.
They returned from more overseas trips and have even more gossips.
After 6 months, they finally met up, caught up with newest gossips and news... and laughed till our sides aches at hagen daaz yesterday..

Oh... the simple joy of catching up with old friends...

Another AIESEC Saturday

This was the event,



This was what happened...


Enough said...

More pictures can be found at my flickr account

I think there are a couple more parties next week, the week after, the week after the next ......
Did I hear someone say "Trainees Rock" !

my best friend..

Introducing one of my ''BEST-EST''
friend in the whole wide world.
Super-duper, Pretty, Intelligent,
Hardworking, Cool, Fun-loving.
Miss Sikan ( you don't want to know her last name ! )

9 days away from her.. We have not met on MSN, we have not talked on the phone, just a few emails here and there... I miss you ! All the times we are together, we spent gossiping, girly chit-chat, watching chick-flicks, hanging out, talking about our goals, priorities, dreams and even wedding ! Oh... how much am I missing that stuff..

I got an email from her saying that she will be coming back to Asia in Mid-Sept to Mid-Oct... I can hardly wait.... PT : you better come too.. Jenny you too !

Off to dinner.....

A picture says a thousand words

People say that a picture speaks a thousand words... sooo... here's a quick peek into Celine's room..
this picture shows my table ( i spend about 60% of my day here...)

Sitting directly under the air-conditioning...2 computers... good music... ah.. life is not too bad...
I admit that its messy and needs a quick tidy up....I will work on it..

Flip-Flops, love- hate relationship

Moving back home is strange...I am so used to living alone, no curfews, no specific meal times..

well...I still have no curfews and I still hang out with whomever, wherever.. But meal times.... its funny..

Dad woke me up this morning at 8.30am to go for breakfast ! Being the good daughter, I did, I understand why he wants to spend time with me, he hasn't seen me for 4-ish years. Breakfast was in the market, in the neighbourhood.. I wore my flip-flops...

I don't wear flip-flops every much.. I wear them when I am out at the beach, in the market or if my dressing permits. Most of the time, I prefer wearing shoes... My sister is quite the opposite, she has lots of flip-flops and I guess she doesnt mind them...my sister wears flip-flops to university. I think some flip-flops are actually really nice... Ha Ha Ha.

Flip-flops are casual, hell of a lot easier to put on, no need for socks... But i guess to old fashion dad, they are not presentable and he doesnt allow my sister to go to school in the,. neither his employees at work ! ( that, I can understand, he works in construction and flip-flops just dont give your toes the right protection... Steel-toes shoes maybe !! hee hee

Sleeping, Location, Daddy, Mouse and Songs

Strange, since I came back.. I have really good sleeping habits.. i go to bed latest 12 midnight and I get up at 8 in the morning. no alarm clock needed...

I finally changed my 'location' my blog.. for a few days.. i have been procrastinating.. I want to be in Victoria... Today.. i changed it..

Dad is not working today.. he is spending the day at home. We went for breakfast ( now that my dad has BOTH daughters at home, we are really keeping a close watch on what he is eating.. no crazy cholesterol climbing foods ) Mum is busy going through my clothes.. ha ha ha.. she found and borrowed a top already... I think I should get off the computer and bug my dad to do something more active.. besides watching TV...its only 12.15pm and i got quite a few things done already....

We had breakfast at the local wet market... the huge variety of cheap and good food..walked the neighbourhood, went grocery shopping.. only to pick up a few bottles of juice. Its cool to shop with dad, we head straight to grab what we want and we head out almost immediately after... no hassle, no time wasted...

What do you call your dad ? I mean, how do you address your father ? you call him Dad ? Pa ? Daddy ? Bab ? I dunno... I realise this morning that I have been calling my father, Daddy for the last 23 years... Di for short... and Mummy ( Mi ). I know I sound really sweet when I call my dad, daddy.. how many 23 year olds you know still call their father - Daddy... it almost seems like I am still 7.... will I still call him Daddy when I am 40 ? or even 60 ? I dunno... will i start calling him grandpa when I have kids ? ha ha ha ha ha ha... for now.. its Daddy.... AH.. the wonders and simple joys of being home...

I have a friend, his name is Mouse, he is inquisitive.. he is crazy and he is going to take over the world with me..ha ha ha ha.. Mouse messaged me at work... it almost always seemed like he knows what is going on with me... one of the first things he said " spill it out, what are you not telling me..'' Ha Ha... its nice to know that there is someone out there who understands you and is watching your moves, ready to advice and ready to lend a helping hand.. mouse keeps me on the right track.. to be ambitious, to dream and to excel... yo mouse... thanks..

Songs.. I am listening to sappy love songs, i moved into my room..i stopped sharing a TV, a study table, closet and all with my sister.. I bet it must be nice to get me 'out' of her room. And I am enjoying my personal space. My room is located further away from the rest of the bedrooms in the house.. away from the living room and everything else... 3 huge windows that open up to allow the sea breeze and plenty of warm sunlight... since i am so far away from 'the house' I turn up my music and just relaz, reading the papers... ah.. the comfort of being at home...

My sister is moving to Beijing for 6 months... hmm..... time to pack and travel again..

from a different point of view

this is me... Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada.. just the sunday before I left...
I am entering the corporate world, its going to be from a different point of view.

A new room, old stuff and a party

I have a new room.. the last couple of days were spend cleaning my old room... getting new furniture.. unpacking my stuff and arranging them into my new room.

A lot of people would tell you that I am a card-fanatic, i still sent snail mail, I love to get mail and collect every card that was given to me. New Years, Christmas, Birthdays, Snail mail, Postcards... I keep them all.. they have sentimental value to me..

I received my first snail mail from my uncle when I was 7. Christmas 1989... I still have it... the last one was from Justin, just minutes before I left Canada.... there are about 70 ish cards sitting in a nice box in my room..

I found a really old box, yellow in colour, on the top most shelf and I found newpaper cuttings from 1992... I forgot why I cut them.. I sat down to read each article and it didnt take me long to realise the reason why I cut them. Every single article is geography related.. earthquakes, flood, volcano eruption, natural resource management.. ( why am i not surprised ! )

I miss Canada. I miss hanging out with my friends from Victoria.. I miss my LC - AIESEC Victoria . I see them online a lot, and it almost seemed like we are still in the same city.. but I sill miss them.. I wonder what they are doing now...

Jenny is coming to Asia ! So that means we will get to see each other again... Yeah !

-- Elvin and Jessica's House Warming Party --
Where else would you find a rooftop party with over 15 different nationalities. AIESEC of course... Thanks to Elvin and Jessica for hosting the party. There was a huge Canadian presence, from there, worked there, lived there, studied there... hmm.....



More pictures can be found on my Flickr Account.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/veraceline/

update

update in 18 hours..

spent too money in IKEA -- new room !
Sundays are family days.. that is even stranger... I am so used to living alone..
Where else can you find 20 different nationalities in one party ?
Nothing beats meeting up old friends and midnight prata ...

new cell phone number... excited....

need sleep.

And so I am home..

5 extremely overweight check-in bags,
6 smaller carry-ons ( including my MOGU doll ),
3 International Aiports,
19 hour of Flight time and
7 hours of waiting time,
I am home.. I arrived 2 minutes pact midnight and was greeted by the famous Changi International Airport and a rush of warm air. Its midnight and its 29 degrees.


Changi International Airport - Singapore

So... what's travel without a good / bad flight story.
Both my flights were packed.... so... everyone was confined to their allocated 33 inches....I got a window seat and my poor sister sat in the middle, between myself and a Japanese lady ( probably in her late 40s or early 50s ) on the aisle seat. We dont want to be trouble, so we sat in our allocated seat with our carry-ons tucked away in the overhead compartments... we decided to only get up and move ( or stretch / take a book from our bags ... ) when the ladies needs the washroom or when she does. In this way, we dont have to trouble her / disturb her while she was resting..

GUESS WHAT ? she never got up from her seat, she did not use the washroom .. nothing ! not a single inch... ( and imagine a VERY reckless me sitting down, wishing and praying that she will get up every so often ) . I felt soooo trapped ! ARGH !



A new start.. seeing how I have moved back to Singapore. A brand new start. I decided to use a different planner, start on a new one..

I feel so grown up. I arrived home to find bank statements, government letters, letters from different organizations ( they all read, please renew your membership at XYZ.... ) and credit cards ( that I never applied for ) on my table.. It screamed FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES ! I unpacked my suitcase full of sweaters and t-shirts, knowing that i will soon be replacing them with work-clothes ! ARGH ! I talked to Mum and Dad, talked about my plans.

Jotted down a few dates into my new planner. A to-do-list and a few friends, and family friends, friend's mum to meet. 2 parties already and about 6 people I have to meet ASAP. I can't decide which cell-phone company I should use..... I can't get to sleep ! I am jet-lagged ! its 7am.. I'm not in bed still !

From nice cool weather to a warm humid tropical island... Just to give you an idea on how warm Singapore is....
I stepped out of my room ( 22 degrees ) to use the washroom to brush my teeth, I returned sticky and sweaty....

On the flip side, the heat is giving my complexion a nice, natural-looking healthy red glow on my cheeks ....

I am going to go to the bank.. blog update soon.

I am home in Singapore. I love my country and I am glad to be back..

its 3.23am

its June 7th 3.23am...

I am 2.5 hours away from taking the bus to Vancouver .. I am done packing but I am not done Canada. I am quite sure I will be back..

A few friends called to say BYE.
A few friends almost made me cry..
Why is it so hard to say goodbye...

A quick summary of my 4.5 years stay in Canada. The most exciting and 'happening' highlights of my years here..

2001 :
August 16th, arrived in Canada.
Applied for a SIN card !
Started school at UVic.
Took a 35 hour bus ride to Saskachewan for WRC ( AIESEC )
Visited Montreal, Quebec. Ate Poutine !
Played in the snow !
Best Friend : Sai !

2002 :
Got really drunk, caught on a conference video tape ! I am famous !
Visited Quebec City, Laval University...
AIESEC Victoria won the spirit Keg at WRC in Vancouver ( AIESEC )
Attended International Congress 2002 ( AIESEC )
Learnt to Snowboard !
Second Year at UVic. Participated at Week of Welcome.
Missed out on : the birth of my cousin, Katelyn

2003 :
Join City of Victoria ESS Team
Volunteered at 2 other organizations, bring total time spent volunteering per week to a staggering 15 hours !
Third Year at UVic. Participated at Week of Welcome.
Visited Ontario, Manitoba and Alberta.
NPM Rocks ! ( AIESEC )
Achieved my highest GPA in school.. 7.9
Travelled Vancouver Island on a train ! ( First train ride ever in my life ! )
PHEW ! BUSY !

2004 :
Went back to Singapore for 7 months.
Fufilled new years' resolution of taking 30 Courses !
Applied for Engineering School and Law School. Got In !
Almost made the Dean's List.. ALMOST !
Fell in love.
Best Friend Astrid got married ! ( Singapore )
Got into the habit of running. Enjoyed running and regularly !
Second year on ESS Team. Went to a call-out on New Year's Eve !

2005 :
Visited Salt Spring twice, I love it !
Jenny ! my twin ! was in Victoria for her Internship / traineeship with AIESEC Victoria !
Officially a AIESEC UVic Alumni, went to my last GA, met one of AIESEC Victoria's best exec team ever !
Completed all avaliable ESS courses.
Leaving Canada for more schooling
June 7th, leaving Canada ( I'll be back.. )

4.05am : I think I am ready to go.. Next blog : maybe Japan, maybe Singapore.

I'm leaving on a jet plane..

Its confirmed,

Departs YVR, 1250HR 7th June,
JL 017



Arrives Singapore,
2355HR 8th June,
JL 711

iFavourite, iWill, iNeed, iHave and iMiss

one of my favourite things to do...
i love chillin' and just hanging out with my friends.. whether its in Singapore or Victoria

no time constrains, no particular topics to talk about, no work, just plain chillin' sitting in the sun or the cafe, enjoying each other's company. Memories like that would last forever ! To the guys that came out to Bubble Tea last night.. Thanks for coming out and for the memories..

I met a girl from Calgary and she is working in Singapore. She loves the night life that Singapore has to offer.. Its really cool to hear from a Canadian how much she enjoys living in my country. We talk about roller-blading in East Coast, to prata, shopping at Orchard Road, night life, K-Box... Thanks Michelle for making me home-sick and looking forward to going home again !

A few iWill, iAm, iHave and iNeed
I am having my ESS BBQ today.
I will be seeing my ESS Team for the last time tonight... ( sob sob )
I am having a sleepover tonight with my best friend, Sai... ( sob sob )
I will be going to Salt Spring Island tomorrow ...
I will be leaving Victoria on Tuesday morning
I will be flying out of Vancouver on Tuesday Afternoon. ( yucky flight is 17 hours long )
I will be arriving in Singapore on Wednesday Night
I will go to the airport again on Friday to pick Melissa up.
I will miss Victoria so much...
I will be blogging from Singapore, STILL everyday...
I am waiting to hear from my friends who have still not told me what they want from Duty-Free Singapore
I have NO motivation to make my blog colourful even though I really should.
I am waiting to hear from Jenny and update her blog !
I need to go and use the washroom ( oppps ! did i say that out loud ? )

Have a great weekend guys.

iMiss Victoria and All my WONDERFUL friends !

Wrappin' and wrapping up.

I hate packing but I have to do it...Leave me a message, I will get back to you
This has been my MSN auto-reply message for the last couple days...

Thank God for a little sister... I have a nice balance of going out and packing when I come home.

As I packed and wrapped up my stuff in boxes, I 'wrapped up' stories, episodes and life. Explaining funny stories and good memories to my sister.

This was given to me in XXX Year by XXX, the person is now in XXX doing ....... I guess it was a good way of self-help. Most of my friends have graduated and moved to other cities, countries and now I am doing the same... I packed most of my clothes for home, some I left them out on purpose... While I love to carry all my AIESEC shirts with me home ( all 34 of them ) I have to learn to let go.. Each shirt has a specific memory, a specific friend from conferences, be it a regional one or an international conference. Pictures, Frames and Posters have to come down from the wall, Textbooks and notes......

I think this whole process of cleaning up, packing, wrapping is therapeutic. I think its doing me a lot of good.

I Finally found the Wash

A good friend of mine graduated a year ago from Canada and returned to Singapore. He is missing a specific kind of facial wash from here... So... i went on a treasure hunt and after 4 days.. I FINALLY FOUND IT ! Its like Easter egg hunt on Easter Morning. WOWW... the wonders of being a kid again

I am not too bad at guessing Middle Names..

I was guessing the middle name of a friend today and remembered that I use to guess the middle names of my friends in High School. I think I am pretty good...

Plans BREWING
Sister and I have some big goals and plans to take over the world..... update soon ! Mouse, its time to take over the world... who else wants part of it ? let me know..

So i packed...

But i think I am leaving my heart behind...

It fits perfectly..

The last piece fell into place

The last few days, my mind has been running around, going crazy, trying to piece together all the little bits of my life in Canada.. In the words of Celeste " Everything has to justified in your world''.

She is my sister and she understands me well. In Celine's world, everything needs to be justified ethically and morally, most things I do have a rational behind it and reasoned with. ( it might not br the same rational and reason as others )

Little bits of Celine's life in Canada fell into place over the last few weeks. As I walked around campus for the last time, sat in the harbour, will attend my last ESS meeting tonight, saying goodbyes to my friends and just pure chillin' with people I will not see for a long time.

I stayed up last night, after returning home at about one-ish. I thought for a long time and I chatted with my sister for a while. I explained my life goals to her and I thought of what Jenny told me. " Because you know exactly what you are looking for, when the right opportunity / thing / person comes along, you will know that it fits.'' She is right.

After 45 minutes of talking to myself, I know that my going home will fit perfectly into my puzzle for the next little while... and while I am not quite done with Canada, I am going to leave it on hold for a little while, and I am so determined that I will be back.