It was ecstasy and sheer relief as the tension finally broke, when Paul Scholes lashed home from outside the area after latching on to Xavi's stray ball. In the wee hours of the morning, a loud "whoo-hoo" rang out from unit #10-2911 in Paya Lebar Way. I jumped up and down like a crazy man, waking my dad and brother up. It's not often since the Malaysia Cup days that I have felt so passionate over a football match on TV. Barcelona vs Man Utd, this was the big one. Then more tension and trepidation, as Man Utd sat back to protect their lead, one goal would take Barca through and they began to look dangerous with that little Wizard Lionel Messi pulling the strings. Half Time unscathed at 1-0 was met with a huge sigh of relief.

I needed a new laptop, so......

I am back and not glad after two days on island paradise.

I miss my hut (middle level right) and its view of the channel and at night, thousands of sparkling stars :(

The Maths Lesson Plan that has taken up most of my time and attention the last few days was finally completed and handed up this morning. I am back home and packing for my next weekend escape - To Pulau Aur to swim with the fishes.

Before I embark on a new adventure, I think it is appropriate to recap on last weekend's adventure.Here we are at the macdonald's at Larkin bus terminal in JB, waiting for the 1030pm bus which would take us pass KL and up to Genting.


5:30am. The bus turned in to Genting Bus Terminal. We emerged from our sleep and groggily made our way into the vast lobby of Hotel First World, where we learnt there were no available rooms, which was part of our original plan anyway, we were prepared for that, just that it would have had been a great lot more comfortable. Masquerading as guests who had just checked out, we stowed our baggage with the reception and head off to explore the giant casino complex, which reminded us of Golden Saucer from Final Fantasy 7. Abel is checking out the toy model of the whole place in the photo above.

We found out that the theme park only opened at 8am. With two hours to spare in the wee hours of the morning in a giant casino complex, the most natural thing was to head for the casino, Trainee Teacher or not. We emerged unscathed (between us 30 ringgit richer lol. That's about $12 SGD.) from the maze-like halls of sin filled with tempting slots machines and alluring game tables which promise to double your money, but in actuality, they are tentacles hoping to ensnare you and suck your wallet dry (I know, so drama.haha).

Time to hit the rides in the theme park. See the picture above? That's like the scariest ride in the whole park. The tower of fear ( I can't remember the real name) a phallic tower extending up into the clouds, well further up into the clouds.(technically by being on top of the mountain we were already in the clouds) The scary bit was actually the part going up and the pause just before the free-fall when you are never sure exactly when it was going to happen. Well after the first go, it wasn't scary anymore. We are brave people :)

At this point, I am getting quite tired of writing, so I will run through it really fast. Here goes, we gave most of the rides a go (even the silly ones; except for the flume ride becos we didnt want to get wet with no hotel room) , some more than one go, Abel thought the 1st Roller Coaster in Malaysia ride was the scariest because of the constant creaking of the joints of the structure, which gave us the impression the whole thing was gonna collapse at any time.
Past noon, we head down to KL, spent a few hours there, got some stuff from Borders, came back up for the concert at 8pm. It was a blast! I heart Mayday yada yada yada.

Seeing as I have managed to make some progress on my maths lesson plan, due this Friday (right before I head of to Aur to swim with the fishes), I think I can spare some time to write a bit and post some pictures from my short escape to Malaysia.

We had had our fill of all the rides in the theme park by one and decided to head down to KL.
These,(urban acid processed) were taken in the afternoon outside Pudu Prison which I remembered from the last time I was in KL with Uncle Ed, Winn, YY, and Henry. I had wandered off on my own then, and I had made a mental note to myself, that if I ever took up photography, this was one of the places I would photograph. Doesn't it remind you of Sona in Prison Break 3?

more on the concert when i find the time!

Back from KL. Very tired but it was really fun. Anyway I lost my hp so everyone please send me an sms!

After collecting the concert tickets, after tuition, in between our DOTA game, it was time to cut the cake(Baked Alaska from Island Creamery yummy) and sing the song. Happy Birthday to my baby sis, Happy Birthday Sally Brown!!!

Finally, a free day!!!! I could have woken up late, but I didn't, Grrr.

riding to see the girl you like - a lovely feeling

I was roused from my sleep before 8 by the symphony of my mum shouting at my dad, it would be a quarrel if it wasn't just so one-way. And I tell myself I will not marry someone like that. Grr.
Picked up some cross processing skills and learnt to use 'Actions' in CS3. It is just the most useful tool a photographer will need. Where have I been living! all the time wasted! well better late than never. Have to resist my impulse to go out and shoot some pics so I can render them in Urban Acid. Have to study for my maths test tomorrow. I can wait! Study study study. After all I am leaving for Genting tomorrow evening with Abel, what an adventure it's gonna be. Anticipation mixed with trepidation with our barebones planning, basically we are gonna hike across the causeway to catch a bus to KL from Larkin and then figure it out as we go along, sounds fun! Don't you wanna join us? It's my sister's birthday and have to get her a present later, or will an Angbao do better? And I am thinking of Macaroons from Riverwalk. Winnie you want some? What about you Gwen? ( I miss those lunches with you and lulu !) Dig yourself out from your books and smell the roses, or the smell of the earth after the rain, well something like that. Whatever.

Qingming. Put my ed psych essay on hold at 860 words to head off to LCK to visit my maternal grandparents. I brought my camera along, and when you are behind the lens, it kinda feels as if you are outside of everything, a journalist there to document the event ( well its an event of sorts, a family event.) The talk began, or rather after all the usual comments about inflation in the underworld, and how the tree roots are destroying all the graves; was about condos and how my Grandma still has her bungalow, what's with the government starting to exhume all the graves and relocating them to columbariums and then my uncle Mark( my mother's cousin who stayed with the family as a child) started to reminisce about my Grandma's cooking, how he loved her Promfret dish, how the the smell would waft from the kitchen around the house, and then for a little while, everyone was a little quiet, caught up in their old memories I guess.

And then it was time to burn the offerings, and I suggested that we dispense with the burning, citing concerns about releasing more Co2 into the atmosphere, but I was never gonna convince them. There were other thoughts that ran through my mind, complicated fears that I don't feel like putting down here, well I guess I might as well, I imagined myself in their shoes, and no I don't wanna say anything more about that, its too scary a thought.

After cleaning up my grandmother's grave, we head off to the Christian cemetery to visit my grandfather, and it was a chuckle when I heard from my uncle Robert why my grandfather became a christian on his deathbed. He wanted to save money for my mum and her siblings, since a christian funeral is generally cheaper especially the christian cemetary's burial rates. :)

I think they got their inspiration for CJ7 from this.

I'm into the last lap of that infernal education psych. essay, 1900 words, 4-500 more words to go! so you cannot fault me for heaving a premature sigh of relief. I'm playing imaginary drums to 人生海海 on itunes and looking a little forward into the future, and feeling excited becos I will be heading up north to Genting on the 19th with Abel to catch Ah Shin and the rest of the band at the Arena of Stars! We are planning to hike across the causeway to Larkin to catch a bus to KL and then on to Genting from there, its gonna be an adventure and I hope to get some good pictures!

Before I head off for another game of DOTA , which is becoming a nightly affair, I just had to share this.

George Carlin on age.
(Absolutely Brilliant)

IF YOU DON'T READ THIS TO THE VERY END, YOU HAVE LOST A DAY IN YOUR LIFE. AND WHEN YOU HAVE FINISHED, DO AS I AM DOING AND SEND IT ON.

George Carlin's Views on Aging

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.

'How old are you?' 'I'm four and a half!' You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key

You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.

'How old are you?' 'I'm gonna be 16!' You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life . . You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony . YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're Just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone.

But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!

So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.

You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!

You get into your 80's and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30 ; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; 'I Was JUST 92.'

Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. 'I'm 100 and a half!'
May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay 'them.'

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.' And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.'GET HIMALAYAN GOJI '

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them , at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER :
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.