So this is what it feels like...

I had my last exam of uni ever this morning. How am I feeling? Happy/excited/sad but happy more than anything else :) It's quite a big thing - finishing uni. It's the end of being a student/kid and the beginning of being a proper grown-up, and being fully responsible for myself and independent. Right now, I'm still in the transition period and it's not easy... How does everyone else handle this crazy rush of emotions?

Having said that, the enormity of this event still hasn't fully sunk in yet. Hopefully it will... Tomorrow...

Haha :p

Killing time, waiting for my Big Bang Theory to download. I should have been studying, but I turned on the TV just as I was having breakfast and 'Prince of Egypt' was just starting. It's been a while since I watched an old-school cartoon animated movie and watching 5 minutes of this was enough to get me hooked - brought back so many childhood memories. Now, I kinda wish I could turn back time and be 10 again. Being grown-up is too much effort.

Download complete! Off to watch my BBT, and then back to studying about steel fracture and pre-stressed concrete... funfunfun :p

The Light - Sara Bareilles

The morning comes, heaven sent a hurricane
Not a trace of the sun, but I don't even run from rain
Beating out of my chest, my heart is holding onto you
From the moment I knew
From the moment I knew

You were the air in my breath filling up my love soaked lungs
Such a beautiful mess intertwined and overrun
Nothing better than this, and then the storm can come
You feel just like the sun
Just like the sun

And you say
It'll be alright
I'm gonna trust you babe
Gonna look in your eyes
And you say it'll be alright
I'll follow you into the light

Never mind what I knew
Nothing seems to matter now
I'm lost without you, I can't do without
No one knows where it ends, how it may come tumbling down
But I'm here with you now
I'm with you now

Let world come rushing, come down hard, come crushing
All I need is right here beside me
My love I swear it
Take my love and wear it over your shoulders

And if you say
It'll be alright
I'm gonna trust you babe
Gonna look in your eyes
And you say it'll be alright
I'll follow you into the light

♥

Random, but I was just thinking - "What's the best advice my dad has given me?"

Answer:
"Don't put all your eggs in one basket"

Soooo truee - it works all the time!

Yes, it's that time of year again - assignments... I NEED to be panicking right now if I want to produce good assignments and have them finished on time! Sometimes panic is a good thing?

MOTIVATION

I could do with some right about now...

Meh.

To Make Average Great

So, I was having my healthy lunch of chicken soup with tofu and choy sum, and watching Oprah (yes, I watch Oprah!), when I heard this quote. Everyone's already probably heard some variation of it by now, but I like it so much that I'm going to post it here anyway:

"When you make average great, your dreams become a reality" -Suze Orman

The hope and optimism embodied in this simple phrase - quite overwhelming (and perhaps slightly idealistic?). Now to brainstorm ways to make my average great... Hhmmm...

Any Way The Wind Blows...

I'm at the point in my life where the decisions that I make now, are what will shape the rest of my life. Well, at least it feels that way to me. Is it bad to say that I find solace in the knowledge that I am not alone in this? Many of my friends at uni who are graduating this year are also in the same boat - to stay or to leave? For good? :s Honestly, the ideal solution to this intensely emotionally and mentally draining problem is that one morning, I will wake up, and everything would have sorted itself out - there will be one clear sign, one that leaves no room for misinterpretation, that will point me in the right direction... Hah! I know, keep dreaming right?

They say that ignorance is bliss. But also, knowledge is power? And so I am, to put it simply, torn. The past weekend was easily the most stress-free 2 days I have had in a very long time i.e. ignorance = bliss. And then suddenly, I was back in my regular life surrounded by all these crossroads (yes, I am not just at one, but MANY crossroads... it may not be physically possible, but figuratively, it definitely is!).

It's funny in a way because the natural way of dealing with difficult choices is to sleep on it for a bit. But when you have a deadline looming, all you are doing is putting more pressure on yourself to make a choice in a shorter time. I am so tempted to push this matter out of my head until December, but I know that come December, I will be at my wit's end trying to figure out what best to do. If I was crazy, which I am definitely on my way to becoming, I would say 'make granola'. Why? Because it's healthy and it tastes good...

So I am tempted to do the lazy thing (some would call it Taoist?) and just go any way the wind blows. But at what cost? And then I start weighing the pros and cons again... It's a vicious cycle.

Argh. First post in awhile, and it's this emo.

Good job... ? :p

At times like this, I wish I was a sheep... One that they breed for wool, not meat of course. And all I have to worry about is where the tasty grass is...

So it's just one of those days - Friday night/Saturday morning, mid-semester break, eyes barely open - and for some reason I don't feel like going to sleep. It feels like I'm an 8-year-old all over again. I don't know why I chose the age 8, or why I am even writing this post.

I'm giving in to my sleepiness in 2 minutes (just enough time to shut down my laptop :p).

You Know You Love Me

Gossip Girl season 4 has started! Just watched the 1st episode and it looks promising... By Gossip Girl standards, that is :)

Something weird has happened to Chuck Bass. Hhmm...

Coincidence?

So I just decided (only 10 minutes ago) that I hadn't listened to Sara Bareilles in a while. Searched for some of her old songs to discover that she's just released a new album!!! Only 1 week earlier! Coincidence, no? Haven't listened to it yet... but I can't wait! Hhhmmm :) I'm happy :) SO looking forward to the quirky (yet deep?) lyrics and catchy tunes!

Oh and it's called 'Kaleidescope Heart'.

♥ the view from my window :)

Ok, so the picture obviously doesn't do my view any justice :p But you can see the tall buildings in the background.... they look nice... ?

I ABSOLUTELY LO-O-OVEEE


















MUSIC




Just putting it out there :p

“To love is to risk not being loved in return. To hope is to risk pain. To try is to risk failure, but risk must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.”

Apparently people who are born in the Chinese zodiac year of the rabbit are not risk takers. I beg to differ. So maybe the risks that I take are ones that have been carefully weighed but what's life without a bit of excitement? So I say - step out of your comfort zone once in awhile and just take the leap.

Easier said than done? :p

A few random thoughts -

Recently I've been thinking a lot about the concept of reciprocity, i.e. the concept of 'it takes two hands to clap'. In this world, it feels to me like everyone is treading the fine line between what's too much and what's too little; worrying too much about who cares about what; and all the other implications of their actions. Don't get me wrong, I would never do something that could/would be bad for another person, but when it comes to certain things, I'm a huge advocate of the philosophy of just closing your eyes and taking the leap. Having said that, how does one do something, say something, feel something without blowing it completely out of proportion? On the other hand, how does one do something, say something, and/or feel something and make it substantial enough to be significant?

I have always been and will always be a firm believer in the concept of reaping what you yourself sow, and that while fate may be predetermined, I'd like to believe that it has the flexibility to allow for sheer hard work, determination and dedication to chart a new course for it. Then again, I've also always been a hopeless optimist. No point in being anything less, right?

From my observations, I've realised that life always throws you a curveball when you least expect it. (Yes, a very American phrase, but so appropriate!) Sometimes for the worse, and sometimes for the better. But ultimately, even the worst things happen for a reason and fearing the consequences before even making your move means that life could end up being one tame (and boring!) roller-coaster ride.

What was it that they say is the spice of life? Variety? Idiocy? :p

And since, I've recently become quite fond of the word 'amalgamate', I will use it in a sentence in this post :) - This post is an amalgamation of some of the more prominent thoughts that have been going through my mind in the past week or so. Ok so maybe not the best use of the word, but hey, it works... somewhat...

Emo Song of the Month :p

And before any conclusions are made, I'm not feeling emo at all. But stumbled upon this song on YouTube, apparently it's quite popular with them country folk :p

Super like!!!

Unfortunately, embedding has been disabled. But here's the link :)

Need You Now by Lady Antebellum (for the record, I have NO idea how to pronounce the name :p)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eB7T3lJ3dZ4&feature=related

vs

I've noticed that more and more people are switching over to Google Talk from MSN Messenger... There are still lots of people who are Messenger users, but is this the beginning of the end for MSN Messenger?

Hhhmmm...

Inspiration

in·spi·ra·tion

–noun

1. an inspiring or animating action or influence: I cannot write poetry without inspiration.
2. something inspired, as an idea.
3. a result of inspired activity. a thing or person that inspires.

It's funny how simple things can be such big sources of inspiration in a person's life - the clear blue sky; an old couple holding hands; a silly tune. Simple things that make us realise the wonder of the world we live in.

I am currently reading 'Outliers' by Malcolm Gladwell, and it has just got me thinking about my sources of inspiration - why I have chosen the path that I have, what inspires me, and whether I inspire others. It has made me appreciate the fact that anything inspired by true, unwavering passion cannot possibly result in a failure. And if it does, then you'll need to re-examine your definition of failure.

One particular excerpt from the book really made my inherent optimism 'bubble over' in excitement. And it's something I'm sure everyone knows deep down, but only sinks in when read as someone else's words:

"... if you work hard enough and assert yourself, and use your mind and imagination, you can shape the world to your desires."

And if you are still skeptical, there is only one way to find out if this message rings true... :p

Random, but somewhat related to this topic, here's one of my favourite paintings from the European Masters Exhibition that I went to yesterday :)

Houses on the bank of the River Zaan, by Claude Monet (1871)

Currently reading 'Outliers' by Malcolm Gladwell. Quite interesting...

Updates?

This week's Masterchef is the last week before the finals and frankly, I CANNOT WAIT!

A few reasons why I like watching this show:

1. It always makes me hungry, so having dinner while watching this show is what I look forward to nearly everyday (sad, but true :p)
2. It makes me want to cookcookcook/bakebakebake and has definitely pushed me to try a few things I would never have tried making (or even knew existed!)
3. It has taught me sooooo many new things about how to appreciate certain types of food and how they are prepared.

MMmmm! Basically, I do believe that Masterchef Australia is successfully educating the general Aussie public about what food really is about. Having said that, I have also realised that fine dining dishes ain't no walk in the park for your liver - so go slow on the expensive stuff!

This show has been HUGELY received by Aussie viewers and there are a few silly people trying to sneak a ride on its success. It drives me crazy! Just wanted to put it out there :p

On a seperate note, I woke up at 4.15am this morning to watch the FIFA World Cup final and I must say that I was just a tad bit disappointed by the fact that both teams had to resort to so much violence on the field in order to put adequate pressure on each other. And I thought the AFL and NRL here were bad! But all that aside, I was ecstatic that Fernando Torres played in the end, albeit for only about 10 minutes. It was all worth it after all. Viva Espana (♥Torres!)

Oh and on another seperate note, Wang Lee Hom has just released a song from his new album! I'm not sure what it means just yet, since it's in Mandarin and all, but I will and must obtain a translation soon. Squee!

One drink later and I am still a Grandma...

So just 30 minutes ago I was in a (fairly hidden) bar in Melbourne discussing about how me and so many of my friends really are grandmas deep down inside.

It started off with us 4 girlfriends watching Sex and the City 2 (yes, I know a bit try hard right? 4 girls watching SATC2...) But it just so happened that it worked out that way. Then after the movie, one friend had to leave coz she was dead tired (she'd had her final exam this afternoon, so I can't blame her). So we called another friend to join us for a few drinks - turned us down because it was wet and cold out. Right. Who was she kidding? Grandma Rule #1 - don't use the same excuses your fellow grandma friends would use to wiggle out of similar situations i.e. don't give me the same damn excuse I would use on someone else I was too grandma to go out with! But that was alright because being grandmas ourselves, we understood where this friend of ours was coming from. So we opted not to pressure her into joining us because that would be just plain mean.

Walked to this well hidden and quite quiet wine bar and proceeded to get ourselves a drink each. Turns out that my apple cider, innocent as it sounds, was 2.9 standard drinks! Holy crap... How deceiving was that? Needless to say, I was as tipsy as the needle on a compass by the time I was halfway through that bottle of cider. (And the only reason why I could come up with that analogy of the compass needle is because I am still about as tipsy as said compass needle right now). And the only reason why I would be is because I've been staying at home all these weekends and my alcohol tolerance is right at ZERO. Hah. GRANDMA.

So alright, we were discussing the 'grandma' phenomenon that has seemed to have taken over the vast majority of my friends who are still uni students in Melbourne. Turns out that quite a lot of us make excuses to stay at home on a Friday night to watch all those classic rom coms that they show on Channel 7 rather than having to dress up to go for a night out in the city. Being the self-confessed grandma that I am, I must say that I totally have been there and done that :p And I would do it again and again and again. And really, how many people have done that exact same thing? Which brings me back to the question of just how many of us truly are grandmas deep down inside?

Is it really so bad to just want to stay home after a whole day out, and lie on your couch and munch on random deep fried crap and watch some brainless television? Haven't we done enough to deserve it? Do we really feel so insecure that we need to force ourselves to go out for a night of hard partaying just to remind ourselves that we still have what it takes to be 'happening' when all we really want to do is snuggle up in bed and sleep? I'm quite proud to say that my friends and I came to a wonderful compromise of choosing to relax at a bar (only half grandma!) and just chat and catch up rather than choosing to be either extremely try hard and to go clubbing at a super packed club or be extremely grandma and just stay home.

At this point, I'm not so sure where this post is headed. But I figured, it's high time I voiced out my opinion of something that I do actually feel needs to be put out there, before I forget. So I will stop here now. Hopefully in another 30 minutes I will be alright too cook up a Maggi mee goreng and just laze in my 'reading corner' Grandma style :)

C'mon, grandma or not, you have to admit that doing just that is one of the best feelings in the world?!

I cannot wait for my last exam for this semester to be over! It's on Monday. After that, I will be able to blog more!

Would like to write more now, but there are more pressing matters that require my attention... :s

Ah, my (not so fun) life.

1.5 days more to temporary freedom!!!

Why, hello again!

It is 10:24pm and I'm supposed to be typing up a report for an assignment that is due at 10am tomorrow. But being the well-behaved uni student that I am, I have managed to find just under a million things to do instead in a desperate act of procrastination. No, I don't usually sit down to watch Criminal Minds on TV on Thursday nights. But I did just now anyway :p

Just felt like having a little monologue here since I haven't done so in quite awhile. Is it wishful thinking to hope that someone is reading this?

Life as a final year university student is everything I expected it to be and more. Even as I type this, I feel as if I am stealing precious time that could have been used for more prosperous pursuits. And by that, I mean, getting myself a healthy portion of the measly 8% that my assignment is worth.

Random, but somehow relevant - I sometimes feel like I am something of a jack of all trades, but master of none. I have an endless list of things that interest me and hobbies that I want to pick up. But alas, time casts a net over me and I end up having tried many things but not being able to excel in any of them.

OK, so now I REALLY should get back to this blegh report that I have to write.

Blogs like this actually sound kinda sad in retrospect. Like I'm talking to myself. Haha. Still, I console myself with the fact that 10 years from now when I find the time to sit back and re-read all these posts, it will all be worth it :)

I know this post should rightfully end here, but I just remembered something that happened this morning that should never, and I repeat, NEVER happen again. For the sake of my poor little stomach. I tried to make a banana smoothie with one above average-sized banana for 1 tall glass of smoothie. BIG mistake. What I ended up with was a glass of thick and gooey banana paste, which I had to EAT rather than drink. LOL. Story of my life. Next time, my plan is to eat half the banana first and then use the other half to make myself a smoothie. I think the ratio of banana to milk should be about right then.

Ok fine. That's all for now. The end :)

Butt Pain

I'm not sure whether it was the little slip in the bathtub or sitting on the hard choir benches at Ormond or my bad sleeping posture that did it. But the result of one of the aforementioned occasions is that my tailbone is now SORE and I can't sit down, or walk, or even STAND properly!!!

I now literally have a pain in the butt :p

It's Been Awhile!

Wow. Just checked my blog and realised that the last time I had written something on it was more than 2 months back! This is officially the longest dry spell I've had. Ever. It's funny to note that the only reason for this absence is that I have had many more pressing matters to attend to than typing up posts that question the meaning of life or marvel at the wonders of retail therapy (for example) i. e. I actually had a life.

Another thing that I am beginning to notice now is that I have lost a large chunk of my ability to put my thoughts to words in an effective and coherent manner. The thinking part of my brain is working just fine - firing off at an average of about 10 thoughts per second. It is the communicative part of my brain that needs some oiling. I'm not entirely sure if the previous 2 sentences make any sense, but bear with me - the oiling process is a long and tedious one, not for the faint-hearted...

So anyway, since this post has evolved to become one that ridicules my own intelligence (or lack of), I might aswell share a teeny story about a silly thing I did today. Please note that like the previous part of this post, what you are about to read may or may not make much sense or be much of a story... It will all be decided shortly. So my story:

I had just finished my tutorial and was walking back home when I was hit with an urgent craving for hot chocolate. "Aha!", I thought to myself. "I shall get myself a cup at the cafe next to the Law Building. Shobana, you genius." I then proceeded to walk to the said cafe and order myself a medium hot chocolate. I was given a receipt with a number on it, and cleverly stood in such a way that I was close enough to hear my number if it was called out yet far enough to be out of the way for other people who wanted to place their orders. There I stood for a good 10 minutes thinking "Gee, these baristas sure like to take their time with the orders". And then it hit me - I'd been waiting at the wrong place the whole time!!! Meh. Walked the 3 steps it takes to get to the drink counter and saw my hot chocolate on it. There are no words to describe my embarrassment at having waited like an idiot in the wrong part of the cafe the whole time. And mind you, this was a really tiny cafe! So I grabbed my now cold hot chocolate and power-walked back to my apartment, making sure that my hair covered as much of my face as possible just in case someone I knew had witnessed my stupid moment (which in retrospect is highly improbable, but it's better to be safe than sorry?).

Hah! You'd think from reading this story (I've decided that it sounds quite like a proper story after all) that I must have some form of mental retardation/self-esteem issues. But hey, it only happens to the best of us :p

Oh and since I haven't ogled at him in a while, here is a hawt picture of Wang Lee Hom to wrap up this post :)

Malaysia: The Land of Psycho Drivers With A Death Wish

ZOMG. Just got home from work after being stuck in the office rush hour jam for over 1 hour!!! I must say that just as I was starting to think that us Malaysians were becoming more courteous on the road, I changed my mind. Cars cutting across from the extreme right to the extreme left; Cars not giving other cars way; Selfish drivers who drive right past the queuing cars and cut in right at the front of the lane when some of us have been obediently waiting in line at the traffic light. You name it, in these past 5 days I've seen it all. Well, nearly all. By the time I reach home, all I want to do is stomp around in fury and frustration, pulling at my hair, screaming, and basically behaving like your typical psycho-bitch throwing a tantrum. But I don't. Because I'm not a psycho-bitch (I hope...).

Seriously, I think our road and traffic system here in KL and the surrounding areas is crumbling and crumbling like concrete that has failed its slump test. As a budding engineer (hah!), I really can't see how this situation is going to improve unless the government pumps in billions of Ringgit to upgrade our public transport system and make the roads bicycle and pedestrian friendly. The latter requires extra road space - which is something that is direly lacking in this part of the country. So again, I don't see how things are going to improve. Maybe someone should propose multiple level roads... That might work.

But anyway, yeah. The traffic here. I don't know. I guess it's something we have to live with. Or we could move to Denmark.

Another 3.5 weeks in this crazy traffic.... I can do it. I can do it.. I CAN DO IT.

boo :(

Happy New Year 2010!

I love ushering in the new year because of the possibilities that it presents me with. Being the optimist that I am - the new year means new people, new trends, new lessons, new experiences... the list of new somethings is virtually endless! So you can just imagine how exciting it is to step into this new year (this new decade, actually) knowing that there is room for so many wonderful things to be seen and done. Remember the good times from last year, and leave all the bad times in the past where they belong - time to build some awesome new memories :)

The best word to describe my new year's eve celebrations last night is... interesting(?). I had decided to be a champion of sorts and attend 2 new year's celebrations in one night. Well, it seemed like a good idea then. Bad move!! Had an amazing time with friends - dinner, champagne and an awesome view of the KLCC fireworks from the 25th floor of the Traders Hotel. What more could I ask for right? The company of my other friends... Greedy me. To cut the long story short, my first morning of 2010 (after the nice dinner and fireworks) involved sweaty crowds, littered city streets, jam-packed public transport (LRT), an expensive cab ride, driving around in a frantic rush, and a failed clubbing outing. Finally got home and into my bed at 5a.m. Haha. Eventful much?

Having said that, I didn't mind any of it one bit :) The company that I was in more than made up for all the shortcomings mentioned above. (cue *awwww*)

Some people say that how you start the new year is how you'll be spending the rest of the year... If that is true, I'm going to have to prepare myself for one giant roller-coaster ride this 2010.

2 words - BRING IT :p

Happy New Year, everyone!

Random photo of the night - the fountain at KLCC park as seen from 'The Apartment' balcony