within the heart

Vain Words and Valentine's

2012-02-14T11:03:00.000+08:00

There are many things you say as a child about the future

but end up falling through.

"I'll let my kids have ice-cream for breakfast."
"I will be a millionaire by the time I'm 30."
"I don't want to get married when I grow up."
"I hate people of the opposite sex."

For example, I knew of a little girl

who was so afraid of the idea of menstruation

that she decided she'd tape her vagina

so it would never leak out.

(Of course she didn't, but she did say that.)
Note: Apologies if you find this bit of sharing vulgar.

Then you have people like me,
who decided that Valentine's day was too icky for her.

I vowed that if I ever found someone,
I would NEVER celebrate Valentine's day.
NEVER.
No to the oh-so-cheesy day.

Then years pass, things change
and before I know it
I'm looking forward to Valentine's day.
(Though I have a test tomorrow. Yay me. :/ )
I can't believe I'm such a typical girl.

You can imagine how disappointed I am in myself,
conforming to the world.

Anyhow,
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY.
Much love to family, friends and faithful blog readers.

To Wake Up a Genius

2012-02-10T22:19:00.000+08:00

I always go to bed with a million thoughts in my head

then wake up with strong decisive (sometimes ridiculous) convictions.

For example:

"I wish I had an ambition...something to aim for.
I really like writing. Need to find time to write."
*sleep*
*wake up*
"I shall become a behaviour analyst!"

"I've been shopping all day searching for the perfect wallet
and I can't find anything...so frustrating..."
*sleep*
*wake up*
"I am going to open a leather shop and make my own goods!"

"I should really try to eat moderately right? I mean I don't think I'm really fat.
But gluttony won't do me any good."
*sleep*
*wake up*
"CAKE."

I await the day I wake up with a brilliant idea

that would wow the world and make me dictator of all nations.

HAHA kidding...except for the brilliant idea part.
Brilliant ideas would do the world some good. :)

Showering with Updates

2012-01-25T14:54:00.000+08:00

Someone said this to me some time ago:

"You know that feeling when you try to recall if you have showered for the day then you feel so relieved that you have so you don't have to shower again?"

*pause*

"Oh it's you, of course you don't. You're a freak; you shower all the time."

HOW CAN SHOWERING BE A CHORE? :/

Bathing is one of the best parts of the day!
(almost on par with meal times)

Warm water running down your bare skin,

the fragrance of shampoo filling your nostrils

the pretty bubbles from all the foam,

that clean feeling you get as you wash soap off your body

then that feeling of rejuvenation first step out of the shower.

It makes me feel alive...and sound stupid, but alive nonetheless.

ANYWAY.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Quick CNY update:

1. I bought 7 new books to read.

Currently reading Sherlock Holmes: The Ectoplasmic Man.

2. I learnt a lot about my family history.

e.g. My ancestors were driven from the north to the south of China by the Mongolians!

3. I watched Season 8 of Project Runway on Youtube.

Sarah's influence.

4. I bought a typewriter!

It's an Olivetti Lettera 32 and I love it to bits!

5. Exams next month.

Screwed.

Alright, ta! Shower time. :P

Stupid for Smart

2012-01-05T18:35:00.000+08:00

I hate being stupid.

I really do.

So I pretend to be smart.

But the thing about pretending to know it all is that you limit your chances of learning.

Now THAT is being stupid.

I don't want to be stupid.

Ergo my New Year's resolution (which I don't normally make...ever):

Behave as though I know nothing to learn everything.

Happy new year. :)

Highlighted and Distracted

2011-12-31T10:41:00.002+08:00

Another year whizzed by. Such is a time to recollect the highlights of the year.

1. Transferred from Creative Writing to Biomedical Science.

2. Went on 2 mission trips: Cambodia and Thailand.

3. Learnt to play half of 'Kiss the Rain' by Yiruma.

Honestly, why can I never complete playing at least one piece?

4. Started selling handmade notebooks online.

www.inspiritedsoul.blogspot.com

5. Watched 5 seasons of Grey's Anatomy.

6. Got addicted to 9gag.

which reminds me...9gag and Grey's anatomy.
Sorry, back soon. :P

Happy new year's eve!

Stupidity At Its Best

2011-11-30T17:36:00.001+08:00

Tests are coming soon, which means I've got to study every second I can get.

(okay except these few seconds I'm spending on blogging)

So. I read my textbook because I don't fully understand my notes.

After one paragraph, I see this:

Now I'm thinking: ...............

NO I HAVE NOT LEARNED YOU RUTHLESS LIAR ARE YOU MOCKING ME?

Now I feel stupid.

Kthxbye.

To Jot Thoughts

2011-11-20T18:40:00.001+08:00

Currently addicted to making notebooks.

Decided I'd sell them since they aren't doing much good lying on my desk all day.

Click on images for more information

or simply click here.

Who's bonkers now?

2011-11-02T21:23:00.003+08:00

I was out on Sunday night when I saw:

(well not exactly, this was ripped off google images.)

Know what that is?

THE CHESHIRE CAT!

Know what that means?

UNDERLAND (a.k.a Wonderland) EXISTS!

I knew it I knew it I knew it!

Who's bonkers now, loser?

Food for Trot

2011-10-29T09:41:00.000+08:00

I've been craving for Korean food for a very very very long time.

So yesterday, I decided to have it for lunch during my one hour break.

The food court was crowded and there was a long queue at the Korean stall.

But my craving made it all worth it.

I scouted for a seat and finally queued up.

I ordered a bibimbap with extra kimchi on the side.

Bibimbap means 'mixed meal' and is a mixture of warm rice, vegetable, meat and egg with delicious sauce in a hot pot.

By the time I sat to eat, I had half an hour left before my next class.

The bibimbap was excellent;
fresh vegetables, golden egg yolk, sizzling meat with delightful sauce.

As I slowly took bite by bite with pure relish, I decided I needed a cool drink to pair my meal with.

I left my less-than-half-eaten-long-time-craving meal and went to get a drink.

It was going to be perfect:

my mouthwatering bibimbap, my refreshing drink and I.

Together, we can rule the world.

But by the time I got my drink and returned, my food was gone.

GONE.

Someone had cleared my food.

THE. HORROR.

I was depressed. Beyond depressed!

I was depressed and hungry!
I was depressed and hungry and boompow frenzied!

Oh the nerve!

I was so unsatisfied that I had it again for dinner....at 4pm...right after class.

Now I'm all happy and bouncy flouncy. :)

The World Is Mine It Can Be Yours

2011-10-24T18:09:00.000+08:00

"Be yourself, everyone else is already taken."

"Be yourself, an original is always worth more than a copy."

That's what they say.

Then you go ahead and be yourself and have a multitude of people judge you for being different.

-_______-

We're such judgmental hypocrites.

The world is so messed up, I don't want to be part of it.

I'm creating my own world.

[Stroke of genius! HAHA.]

I don't care if I get looks like:

or whatever ridiculous faces people can actually make.

I just don't want to be like the rest of the world.
That's like saying I don't want to be human. :/
Though almost impossible (since I am human), I'm going to keep trying anyway.

This reminds me of a song (might not exactly be related to whatever it is I'm saying but I like the song):
Pretend - Nat King Cole

The world is mine, it can be yours my friend, so why don't you pretend?

In short:Be yourself (unless you're a nasty troll), love yourself and don't let the world get to you.

Caterpillar in the Tree

2011-09-13T14:14:00.001+08:00

I feel like a caterpillar.

(Personally, I dislike these icky creatures. In fact, I dislike bugs in general. This is the only picture of a caterpillar I'm willing to put on my blog.)

This feeling came about when this song came to mind:

Chorus:

Caterpillar in the tree

How you wonder who you'll be

Can't go far but you can always dream

Wish you may and wish you might

Don't you worry hold on tight

I promise you that there will come a day

Butterfly fly away

Flap your wings now you can't stay

Take those dreams and make them all come true

Butterfly fly away

You've been waiting for this day

All along you know just what to do

Butterfly, butterfly, butterfly fly away

I really hope one day my dreams will sprout wings and bring me somewhere lovely.
Hopefully, yours will too. :)

Here's a toast to the future!

May it be fragrant and golden...and crisp.

Note: Happy birthday Pay Leng. <3

I Conquer The World

2011-08-10T10:28:00.002+08:00

When you get hacked,

you get back.

(nicely, of course.)

How I Keep Awake in Class

2011-08-09T11:13:00.001+08:00

How I Keep Awake in Class:

1. Spray Away

I'd fill a spray bottle with water and spray my face once every 10 seconds.

2. Slap-o-nap

I slap myself out of a potential nap

numerous times a day.
I don't use this method anymore though...it hurts. :/
HAHA.

3. Coffee

Lots and lots of coffee.

4. Water

Once I had to burn the midnight oil, I drank cup after cup
aftercupaftercupaftercupaftercup.
It keeps you awake because it keeps filling your bladder.
And you can't ignore a full bladder.
(Smart aye?)

This should depict your urinary system for this method to work.

5. Sit-How-Not-To-Sit

It's self-explanatory: I sit in awkward positions.

Squat. Stretch. Cross. Twist. Fold.

You name it.

But at the end of the day, nothing beats beauty sleep.

***

I remember the first time I ever slept in class.

For a long time, I had been wanting to sleep in class (at least once in my life).

It was pretty dim in class and 1/3 of my classmates already had their heads weighing their desks down.

The teacher didn't seem to care.

It was the perfect opportunity.

So I did.

I felt so accomplished.

(Yeah, cheap thrill.)

Then I get caught and scolded for being a bad example as a prefect.

-________-

On A Mission: Cambodia - Part 4

2011-08-01T14:04:00.000+08:00

I went on the trip wanting so much to be a blessing to them in every possible way.

But I felt like I was more on the receiving end.

I was humbled and my eyes were opened.

When the trip was announced, I decided immediately that I wouldn't go.

If not for someone who encouraged me to,

I really would not have gone.

I really would have missed out.

With that said, I'd like to take this opportunity to say two things:

1. Thank you Ryan for your kind encouragement.

2. Encouragement really goes a loooooong way.

On A Mission: Cambodia - Part 3

2011-07-13T10:09:00.004+08:00

The youths there are amiable, independent, generous souls.

We spent a lot of time just talking and getting to know them.

We taught them English,

they taught us Khmer.

[Take it from me, Khmer is haaaaaarrrrrddddd.]

Each night, we'd conduct a youth session - Bible study + games.

I think we really bonded with the youths.

But more on that later.

Random: They played 'Connect 5' with us and they're goooooooooood.

How to play Connect 5:

Two players take turns to mark the intersections on a piece of gridded paper.

The first to mark 5 in a row wins.

And us? We're good at....uhmm, being silly.

Okay, that's not it.

It's just nice to see how all our strengths lie in different areas.

I am amazed by how they climb them trees to pluck them fruits,

and make lovely keychains by sawing them coconut husks...

(among the many other amazing things they can do)

They're such a lovely lot!

...unlike certain people who make fun of how a certain person smiles by trying to imitate her.

*subtly points at the 3 girls who aren't me*

Heh okay, I kid.

You people are as lovely.

On A Mission: Cambodia - Part 2

2011-07-12T02:23:00.003+08:00

House of Love

is a place where kids and teens from surrounding villages come and spend most of their day,

interacting with each other, learning more about God etc.

By night, they leave for their respective homes.

I love kids.

We played plenty of games with them...

The sight of kids giggling and scurrying about is absolutely adorable. :)

sang songs with them,

did arts and craft,

...among a shedload of other things.

I am tremendously amazed by how easily contented they are.

There was once we organized games too advanced for kids so some of us were left to entertain them while the youths went on with the games.

Caught off guard, we unpacked hula hoops and played choo-choo train.

Picture a whole group of puny earthlings packed like sardines within the hoops, charging back and forth across the hall.

Then we brought out Ikea tunnels.

They took turns to crawl through it overandoverandoverandover again.

This went on for about an hour.

I know people who have so much more but are barely contented.
Cliché, but undeniable.

"Contentment is natural wealth, luxury is artificial poverty."
~ Socrates

More to come. Ta. :)

On A Mission: Cambodia - Part 1

2011-07-03T19:35:00.004+08:00

I went on a mission trip to Pnom Penh, Cambodia together with a bunch of JYMers on the 13th - 21st of June.

It was amazing!

Prayer is always the way to go. :)

Our first meal there:

Lucky Burger
It was.....okay.

To kickstart the trip, we went sightseeing the first two days.

If sightseeing didn't include:

the killing fields

the slums

broken slippers

three accidents

(one of which I caught a glimpse of a dead distorted body on the road)

I just might have enjoyed myself a little more.

I was traumatized by the end of the day.
Nonetheless, I don't regret the experience.

I've gained much from it.
It doesn't take all that to teach me to appreciate life.
I always knew the fragility of life and all its worth.
But it did teach me how to rise above such situations and not dwell in my trauma.

After all that, we broke into 4 teams and journeyed to different villages.

My team went to House of Love.

(I'm uncertain of its whereabouts exactly.)

Spot me if you can.

The team:

From left: Joel, Bryan, Samantha, Joelle, Faith, Ivan, me, Junting, Clement, Gabriel

Will blog more about House of Love soon.

Ta.

(Credit goes to whoever's pictures I took off facebook.)

Them Leaves Go CRUNCH

2011-06-08T13:58:00.001+08:00

I like:

stepping on dry leaves.

I dislike:

Irksome Gabriel Sims and Joel Pangs kicking dry leaves off the pavement or stepping on them before I get a chance to.

Just saying.

Screenshot Worthy!

2011-05-18T11:40:00.001+08:00

WARNING: This post is flooded with random ~~and freaking awesome~~ screenshots by author of blog

(...followed by some updates.)

They make me smile all the time. :)

MSN

Webcam with cousin eventhough we're both in the same room.

Yes, there actually was a time I wanted to be an astrophysicist.

Isn't my sister adorable? HAHA. (And no, she's not actually stupid. She just has a sense of humour.)

People need to stop asking me this question. :/

FACEBOOK

Michael Kong is absolutely adorable. <3

SKYPE

My lame moment.

TWITTER

MISC

Spent forever laughing at the sight of above image.

UPDATES:

1. Currently a Biomedical Science student and liking it.

Yes, I switched course. Pleasedonotaskwhy.

2. Absolutely busy and sleep deprived BUT life's good.

Classes end pretty late but okay I asked for it, taking up extra classes like French and Psychology.

I tell myself everyday that it's worth it. :)

3. Still in love with Jack Sparrow.

Can't wait to watch next Pirates of the Caribbean 4. *squeals*

4. Had a nightmare of losing my teeth.

They fell out one by one like a spoilt candy machine.

5. Really enjoy helping my uncle out in the kitchen whenever he needs/I can.

Learn a lot and food's always, always, always good.

His MUST-READ blog: www.foodcanon.com

6. Started watching Glee and I really like Sue Sylvester.

I especially like how this mean baddy has a soft side (her sister) AND is almost always unpredictable.

7. I am still a glutton. :(

I finished almost a whole bag of Red Rock Deli chips only a few days ago.

8. I recommend the whole wide world to read 'The Alchemist' by Paulo Coelho.

Absolutely inspiring. It's the sort of book where you'll come across beautiful sentences that'll make you pause and ponder. Eyeing all of Paulo Coelho's at the moment. SGD 119 for the whole set (14 books). *winces*

Life is beautiful. Till next time. :)

Bagged

2011-03-23T17:21:00.000+08:00

I went shopping yesterday with darlings Andrea and Grace.

From left: Grace, Me, Andrea

Before we left, I saw it - the bag.

No.

THE BAG

I've been looking for a bag like this for the longest time.

The moment I saw it,

I rushed into the shop,

I picked up the bag,

I held it in my arms,

I caressed it,

I cradled it,

I slung it over my shoulder,

I said to Andrea and Grace, "This is it!"

I inquired about the price,

I placed it back,

I walked right out of the shop.

RM 5590

Kthxbye. :( :( :(

SERIOUSLY, 5K FOR A BAG?

COCKAMAMIE!

Not worth it, even if you have all the money in the world.

I can think of 5590 better ways to spend RM 5590.

For instance, charity deserves 5k. A bag does not.

Mulberry, you're evil.

REPENT NOW
(that means 100% discount for me)
OR FOREVER BE DOOMED.

(I'd accept a 99% discount too)

Blah. Ignore the bag.
I've got more important things to deal with, like:

JACK SPARROW IS MINE!

MINE!

HAHA kidding bye.

The Food Canon

2011-03-18T23:17:00.002+08:00

From left: Deb, Aunt Jen, Sarah, Uncle Terry

I live with these lovelies in Singapore.

You see that guy in the picture?

That's my uncle.

He cooks the most irresistible yummies!

(It is unequivocally difficult to watch your weight

when you live with such an amazing cook.)

Oh and it gets better.

He writes too.

Click on image to meet the gastronome.

Or simply visit www.foodcanon.blogspot.com

The Art of Manipulation

2011-03-10T14:40:00.004+08:00

Everyone hurts...at some point in their lives.

Tough times are inevitable.

What's important is how you deal with it.

Some wallow in pain.

Some seek revenge.

(and a whole bunch of others do a whole bunch of other stuff)

I don't know everything.

But one thing I know for sure is this:

Don't hurt for too long.

Oh and revenge is never worth it.

but after that, it's bitter muck.

You can't take revenge without bringing yourself down.

You think you can, but I assure you that you'll be at loss

and it'll be a darn pity.

If anything, one ought to learn the art of manipulation - but only at its best and for the best.

Growing up, I've learnt to manipulate tough times to do more good than harm (for myself at least).

The best way to deal with such times is to reap its benefits, focus on gain.

They come in forms of motivation, life lessons, inspiration, experience, wisdom, strength et cetera.

I mean, something's got to compensate for all that pain right?

They say "No pain, no gain."

So while there's pain, might as well reap all there is to gain.
Make the pain worth it.

It's not easy, but it's possible.
Then again, I don't claim to be an expert on the issue. Just my two cents. :)

The Little Prince

2011-03-01T11:58:00.000+08:00

I don't care if you aren't fond of books.

You MUST read The Little Prince.

Though it's a children's book, it is absolutely brilliant.

"Where are the people?" resumed the little prince at last. "It's a little lonely in the desert..."
"It is lonely when you're among people, too," said the snake.

I'd quote a whole lot more but I figured I'd be ruining it for everyone. :)
Handed in my last assignment yesterday. That means I'm FREEEEEEEEE!
Time for family, friends, fun, books, blog and balderdash.

The Milky Way Myth

2011-02-07T16:25:00.002+08:00

I like myths. Don't you?

They're creative, entertaining, inspiring and most of all, imaginary.

I read a greek myth on how the Milky Way came about quite some time ago.

It begins with Zeus, the king of the gods and the god of thunder.

He tricked Hera, the goddess of women and marriage (a.k.a. his wife)

into breastfeeding his mortal baby boy, Heracles.

(Heracles is the son of Zeus and Alcmene, a mortal.)

Zeus placed baby Heracles on Hera's breast while she was sleeping.

His plan was to have the baby drink Hera's milk and thus, become a god.

But Hera awoke and pushed the baby away,

causing the milk to spray across the night sky.

VOILA!

The Milky Way.

HAHAHAHA.

Quite ridiculous aye?

I'm so glad that the God I know isn't one bit like Zeus.

By the way, if you're interested in Greek mythology, please read the Percy Jackson series.

Don't be fooled by the movie, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief.

It does not do justice to the books AT ALL, I promise.

Every single cell of my body was thoroughly disappointed with the movie.

Think Again, Thinker

2011-02-04T00:52:00.002+08:00

We went to Botanic Gardens yesterday morning.

At one point, dad sits down and does this:

Me: Japhia, dad's posing for you. Take a picture already.

Dad: The thinker.

But one picture wasn't enough.

He faces the other side and...

Dad: The other thinker!

HAHAHA.

An old man who was walking by overheard him and started laughing.

Happy Chinese New Year peeps. :)

(Note: Dad just looked at his pictures and laughed to himself. HAHAHAHAHA!)

The Instant Noodle Affair

2011-01-24T18:28:00.004+08:00

I eat instant noodles by choice roughly once a week.

Sometimes, more.

I LOVE INSTANT NOODLES.

In fact, I just had this for lunch:

Asam Laksa Maggi Mee - one of my all time favourites.

To make things worse, I don't just eat the noodles, I drink EVERYTHING up.

The first time I met someone who ate the noodles only, I was appalled!

Growing up, people would tell me that if you eat too much instant noodles,

1. You will get cancer.

2. You will be bald.

3. You will grow fat.

4. You cannot give birth.

5. You become stupid.

6. Your hair becomes frizzy like instant noodles.

(Note: To the girl we used to call 'Maggi hair' in primary school because you don't come often enough for us to remember your name, I'm really sorry. Please forgive me. Anyway, 'Maggi hair' is pretty. We just didn't fancy proper terms as kids.)

In conclusion, it is unhealthy and

I need to live as long as I can.

I've got too much to do for God, for people, for myself...

Therefore, I'm going to limit myself to only one serving of instant noodles per fortnight.

Less than that, if I can help it.

Speaking of Maggi hair...

I wonder if adults crack lame jokes like:

"Wah, your hair's so curly. Eat a lot of Maggi mee is it?"

Because I grew up with plenty of adults cracking this lame joke:

"Wah, you're so tall. Eat a lot of long beans is it?"

You deceive kids like that you know?!

Too many people cracked the same joke, I thought it was true...for a short while.

That failure of a joke must've been passed down for generations.

I assure you, the buck stops here.

Let's go fly a kite~

2011-01-15T01:13:00.007+08:00

On the 2nd of January, I went kite-flying at Marina Barrage with a few friends.

(To be specific, my cell group.)

The moment I arrived at Marina Barrage, I was so fascinated by all the soaring kites.

It's not like I've never flown a kite before. It's just such a fascinating sight.

Of course, I tried to keep my fascination to myself.

I didn't want to behave like a wackadoodle in public.

But you know what fascinated people with cameras do?

They take multiple shots of almost the same darn thing.

Believe me, I've got a lot more pictures of those tiny dots in the sky.

The weather was beautiful.

I snacked on almonds while I watched the kites fly higher and higher.

Everything was perfect...until I saw this:

WHY IS THERE A GARISH GARGANTUAN OCTOPUS IN THE SKY?

Does anyone else find it disturbing?

I most certainly do
...especially after my blog post on Paul the Octopus: Say Hello To Your Heroine

(Nah, I'm kidding.)

Then some funny soul thinks one octopus in the sky is not enough.

So voila! Another octopus.

(Or do you reckon it's a giant squid?)

Alright, forget it. Maybe people like octopodes.

Then I saw a stingray.

By now I can't help but wonder...what's with the sea creature fetish?

Look, I've got nothing against having sea creatures in the sky.

By all means, go ahead and fly those stingrays, octopi, fish, crabs, seahorses, mermaids...

But you know what would be cool?

A GRYPHON KITE.

(Know where I can find one? :D)

Enough with admiring other people's kites, it was time for us to fly our own.

The wind would blow,

Then we'd run with the kites,

Then we'd throw them up,

Then the kites would gain height!

Then plummet to the ground within a second.

(If you can't read the fine print above, don't bother. It's not important.)

Have you ever heard people say they feel like a kite?
Limited by a string...can't go far...
Snipping the string would mean freedom yadda yadda...

I don't think so.
In fact, I want to be like a kite.
(Of course, not the octopus kite.)

I love the idea of kites.
To soar, you need the wind.
Even better, you need to go against the wind.
It won't be easy but with much perseverance, you'll eventually get there.
Slowly, you'll gain height.

That string? That's not to limit you.
That's to remind you of where you came from and to show you how far you've come.

You'll go as far as that string can take you.
But it doesn't end there because strings can be lengthened.
There's only so much you can do on your own
so I would think the lengthening is only possible with God, family, friends (etc)...
If you get what I mean.
:)

On the other hand, you know what happens to kites when their strings snap?
One moment of glory then nothing good.

<3

I shall end this post off with this song that's been stuck in my head for years:

Let's go fly a kite
Up to the highest height
Let's go fly a kite
And send it soaring
Up through the atmosphere
Up where the air is clear
Oh, let's go fly a kite
Let's go fly a kite!

Facebook By The Book

2011-01-03T22:10:00.003+08:00

Time wasted on Facebook can be better spent doing a whole lot of other things.

I hereby declare every Sunday of 2011 No Facebook Day!

Speaking of Facebook...

HAPPY NEW YEAR PEOPLE. :)

Christmas isn't Christmas till it happens in your heart~

2010-12-26T00:35:00.006+08:00

If there's one thing I dreaded as Christmas drew near, it'd be the dance.

I was asked to dance for Christmas.

Before I agreed, I warned them on the following:

1. I'm a VERY RUSTY AMATEUR dancer.

2. I've never danced ballet.

3. The only dance lessons I've ever had was one month of hip hop early this year after my SPM/O levels.

4. Most of the dances I've done are self-taught and picked up from wherever.

I have a feeling they paid no heed to my warning.

I had to spin and turn and jump and point my toes and feel stupid and feel more stupid and feel even more stupid than stupid could ever feel.

I felt like a screwdriver trying to dance.

(If you can even picture that!)

The whole week before Christmas was spent stressing over the dances.

(3 tambourine dances, 1 performance)

We had too few rehearsals.

Then the time drew near. All I could do was practise and pray.

I had butterflies in my tummy.

I kept pinching and slapping myself to stay awake.
(Real tired after practising dance 6 hours straight and caroling on Christmas eve)

I kept telling myself that I was doing it for God; it doesn't matter if I make mistakes.

I was so nervous, I needed to sing a song to calm myself but I didn't know what song to sing.

Then the song, 'Everything' by Tim Hughes came to mind.

I couldn't remember the exact lyrics but it didn't matter because I sang:

God in my dancing

God in my moving

God in my spinning

God in my jumping

Be my everything

God in my tempo

God in my rhythm

God in my timing

God in toe pointing

Be my everything

In the end after all that stressing, it was time to dance.

And it went....

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Sometimes, I'd be one step ahead and sometimes, a step behind.

But basic mathematics would tell you that after you average it out, it'd be PERFECT TIMING! :D

The performance went better than our rehearsals.
It could have been worse.
I could have fallen on my butt, broken a bone, lost a hand...
but all that didn't happen.
For that, I thank God.

Oh God, thank you so much!

Of course, I'm also very thankful for a whole bunch of people who were so encouraging.
(Among them being Maggie, Gabrielle, Nadine, Tisha, Claudia, Dawn, Dora, Deb, Sarah etc)
I feel so loved. Haha.

***
Sarah: There was one part where all of you were supposed to dance your own thing right?
Me: *silence* Uhmm...yeah?
***

Overall, I'm just so glad it's over.

On an unrelated note, I learnt to play mahjong this Christmas (thanks to Adeline, Sam and David).
It was fun! :)

Last but not least,
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Sparrow at Pulau Ubin

2010-12-20T17:43:00.005+08:00

Youth service in St. James is called JYM (Jesus Youth Ministry).

In JYM, youths are divided into little cell groups.

Sarah and Deborah had countless cell outings while I had none.

Thus, my cell group (called Sparrow) organised one to Pulau Ubin on the 11-12th of December.

Here's Kester and Davin being an embarrassment on the boat ride there. Haha.

I enjoyed the ride (especially the view).

Once we got there, we rented bicycles and smeared a nasty amount of repellent on ourselves.

But the mosquitoes there are ridiculously hardcore.

Those foul little vampires feasted on our blood anyway.

We cycled all the way to a particular spot where we would spend the night.

Sleeping arrangement:

This is where the girls slept

and this guy here (Hsin Qin) is standing on his bed...as well as the rest of the guys'.

We collected twigs, branches etc for a campfire.

Then we headed back out and sat nearby the jetty, overlooking the sea.

We sang, talked and ran from dragonflies before we had dinner.

Because it rained, we had to wait till it was pitch black before we cycled back.

I LOVE CYCLING IN THE DARK.

Davin led the way with a torch and would warn us about oncoming bumps, slopes and uphill roads.

Kester lighted the way from behind.

It was a pleasant experience. :)

We started a campfire at the pavilion, sat around it, talked, snacked, played 'Shoot, Shag, Marry' and made Malaysian jokes.

Strange enough, most of my Singaporean friends are picking up this bad habit. Pfft.

Campfire and us.

(From left: Charlene, Clement, Davin, me, Aik Hong, Hsin Qin and Kester)

Dead campfire and us.

Things I did not enjoy about the trip:

1. Having/hearing the guys pee wherever they fancied.

2. The stuffy tent that (I am so convinced!) was designed to suffocate you.

3. The horrible music coming from across the waters. It went on till about 4am.

(In this case, music would be an euphemism for 'noise-so-dreadful-it-could-wake-the-whole-of-Singapore-and-raise-the-dead'.)

4, The uneven ground where the tent was pitched.

Charlene: Eh, there's a hole here. Maybe I can put my butt there. :/

Under such circumstances, I slept only around 5am.

(Of course, no.1 had nothing to do with this.)

Despite all that, I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Among the things I enjoyed about the trip:

1. The fellowship/bonding time.

2. Cycling!

3. The view.

4. The fact that the guys could barely sleep because it was freezing cold outside. HAHAHA.

5. The fact that one of them guys asked if he could join us in the tent because he was afraid of cannibals. HAHAHAHAHAHA.

Overall, the cell outing was a success!

<3 Sparrow

Boys and Bosh

2010-12-09T16:38:00.002+08:00

I dreamt that I got married.

HAHAHAHA.

Before that dream, I actually posted this on facebook:

Note: I particularly like the last comment in the picture above.

Facts:
1. I don't have a boyfriend.
2. I've never had one.
3. I'm not actively looking for one.

I can actually imagine myself being single in the future,

living in my pleasant little home

with a little library

and a little arts and craft studio...
BUT
who's to say I would be?

Maybe one day, an amazing guy will come along.
(HAHA tough luck, considering the fact that the world really lacks amazing guys)
But that's besides the point.

The heart is too deceitful.
The boys, still boys.
(Okay, maybe not applicable to all.)

I'm not interested in games, ephemeral thrills and all that mumbo jumbo.

If anything, I want forever
and God has to be in the picture.

Last but not least,

Three Years Old

2010-12-06T16:14:00.001+08:00

This blog (www.jannawqe.com) turned 3 yesterday!

Also, happy birthday Ming!

Love you loads.

*hug*

All is Vanity

2010-11-30T10:44:00.005+08:00

I take Calendars and Astronomy as a General Elective Module.

Last week, I learnt about ancient astronomy. People used to think the earth was flat.

People also used to think everything (Sun, other stars, planets) revolved around the earth.

Ptolemy's Geocentric Model

People had reason to think so. If it were us at that point of time, we probably would have thought the same. It was only after much reasoning and discovery that led them to the truth.

In the same way today, most people think the world revolves around themselves.

I think it comes naturally for a person to think that.
But anyone who still thinks the world is flat or everything revolves around the earth is a fool. In the same way, anyone who goes on to think that the world revolves around themselves when there's a whole lot going on out there is also a fool.

All is vanity.

The point is that we should all learn to look beyond ourselves.
Learn to see. Learn to care. Learn to love. Learn to give. Learn to encourage.

Haunted

2010-11-07T09:15:00.000+08:00

SPM (O levels) decided to haunt me.

Last night, I dreamt that I had to sit for SPM

and I couldn't remember ANYTHING.

Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Additional Mathematics, History, English Literature...

ALL DOWN THE DRAIN.

I honestly don't know why I've been having so many SPM-related dreams lately when I'm done with SPM.

Read this: Good Riddance to...

Last month, I dreamt that I got a 'B' for Malay in SPM.

Then this Malay boy in my dream told me that I didn't get an A because:

1. I studied at too many locations.

(According to him, you must study Malay in one fixed location throughout.)

2. I didn't wear a sarong while I studied Malay.

(SPM students this year, you might want to take note. LOL.)

Told you I've been having a lot of strange dreams.

Some really make me wake up laughing.

When I wrote dreamer on my header, I didn't mean literally. Pfft!

Note to SPM:

BUG OFF!

Sisterhood

2010-11-05T20:19:00.011+08:00

My sister did something to me.

~~She made me cry.~~

YOU KNOW WHAT SHE DID?

She blogged about me: http://japhiawhispersloudly.blogspot.com/2010/11/diy.html

I feel like buying the whole world for her.

Japhia's reply to this post in my cbox:

-_-

LOL.

Stop and Stare

2010-10-31T20:52:00.004+08:00

Eh world,

I JUST SMILED (like a billion times):

WHY DIDN'T YOU
STOP AND STARE
FOR AWHILE?

Pfft.

P.S. Just pointing out how ridiculous some lyrics are.
Nonetheless, I actually like it.
Just too bad it's understandably unbelievable and ridiculous.
Just too bad. :(

Say Hello to Your Heroine

2010-10-27T12:33:00.008+08:00

I've been having lots of strange dreams lately.

I think it's all due to my billion buzzing thoughts that I go to sleep with every night.

I came across this on tumblr a few days ago:

Does this mean that Paul misses me?

Because I dreamt of him on Monday night.

He must have been thinking of me

ALL DAY.

*giggles*

Yeah, Paul the Octopus.

(Seriously, I demand to know which 'psychology expert' came up with that.)

In my dream,

Paul the Octopus stretched to the size of
(at least) a hundred Jannas.

It went amuck, trying to engulf every person in sight

while I was trying to come up with ways to slay it.

The next day,

I wake up, hearing news about the death of Paul the Octopus.

Darn, I must be gooooooooooood.

HAHAHA.

P.S. I just saved the world.

Disclaimer: I'm totally kidding. I promise I have nothing to do with Paul's death...unless you actually think I'm THAT awesome.

Fairy Flair

2010-10-26T17:41:00.004+08:00

Deshun and I.

Deshun: Why are your eyes so glittery?
(Random questions like these call for random replies.)
Janna: I'm a fairy, shhhh.

Days later, Deshun and I were talking about something and it led to this:

Deshun: No...just having a good memory isn't enough to be awesome. You need to be yellow with pointy ears and red cheeks to be awesome.
Janna: Oh, you don't see my pointy ears, do you? You're confirmed human then. It is invisible to the human eye.
Deshun: You're not going to tell me that you're a fairy again, are you? You can't lie to me. I did research. Fairies are old godmothers with wings that give out glass slippers.
Janna: I can't believe you believe what the internet tells you. You think they'd actually tell you the truth about fairies?
Deshun: I didn't believe the net...I believe Disney. Disney never lies. Unless of course they're doing a movie about lies, but if they're doing that then they're actually telling the truth about them lying in a movie about lies, so they're still telling the truth.
Janna: That's just a stereotype, really. Of course, we're related. But it's modern times now mister. Gosh, if you don't believe in me, I'm going to start fading like my great aunt, Tinkerbell almost did. That's why we fairies like keeping our identities secret, so people like you won't have a chance to doubt us.

Deshun: Do you think I can blackmail you with this some day?

HAHAHA.

Surprisingly, Collin asked me the same question so I replied the exact same thing.

Claudia said I read too many books.

Speaking of books, I read 15 the last holiday.

Absolutely well-spent! :)

Of Home and Hair

2010-10-21T19:00:00.006+08:00

You know what I love about staying in an apartment?

Staring into other people's apartments.

That was not meant to creep you out.

But if it did, that's a bonus.

*sniggers*

I barely watch TV but I love watching everyone else's TV from the balcony.

In fact, I just watched Someone's TV a moment ago.

But before I could figure out what programme it was, Someone turned it off.

I particularly love looking at the clothes hung out to dry at the balconies then guess what sort of people live there.

Kids, working men, ~~busty~~ women etc.

(Note: Such observations/people-watching are strictly used to feed my imagination and cultivate inspiration to bring flesh to skeletons for future writings.)

New semester just started.

It feels as if time slapped me in the face as it breezed by.

Today, Deshun remarked, "Janna's hair is so normal."
*death glare*
"Zany's hair is Zany. Felicia's hair is Felicia. Janna's hair is just normal," he went on.

NORMAL? PFFT.

NOT SO NORMAL NOW HUH, MR. FANCYHAIR?!

(Psst, I'm totally kidding. You're still awesome, Deshun.)
And yes, I suppose there's nothing special about my hair. I can't disagree.
LOL.

PS: That's just my hair after a French braid.

Of Girlfriends and Growing Up

2010-10-14T14:16:00.003+08:00

Look how much we've grown.

From:

to:

Pay Leng and I went for a sleepover in Peng Han's place on Tuesday.

We baked the most gorgeous and scrumptious

red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

Recipe taken from: tastedbytwo.com

Magnolia Red Velvet Cupcakes (yields 24 cupcakes)

3 ¼ cups of plain flour
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 ½ cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
6 tbsp red food coloring
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups organic full cream milk
1 1/2 tsp cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
Preheat oven to 175°C. Grease and lightly flour 2 cupcake pans.
In a small bowl, sift the cake flour and set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a small bowl, whisk together the red food colouring, cocoa, and vanilla. Add to the batter and beat well.
In a measuring cup, stir the salt into the milk. Add to the batter in three parts alternating with the flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overbeat. In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.
Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Arrange the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and bake the cupcakes, switching positions of the pans halfway through baking, until a tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the pan 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely on a rack before icing.

Cream Cheese Frosting

300g cream cheese (spreadable cream cheese or mascarpone are both fine)
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
With an electric mixer, blend together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Pour in powdered sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Turn mixer on high and beat until light and fluffy. Fill a piping bag with the icing and spread over cakes.

So we got to work.

(And took a few pictures in between)

The wicked red batter.

Popped it into the oven and it was time to prepare the icing.

If there's one thing that's finger licking good, it's certainly cream cheese icing.
NOT KFC.

Once we were done with that, we worked on stuffing ourselves with as many as we could handle.

How does one resist something this delightful?

I just love sleepovers.
The last time we baked together at Han's house, it was an utter failure.
But we're all grown up now and us three can handle any recipe.
Easy peasy, no struggle. HAHAHA.

While we've grown much ermm...physically,
some things just never change.

I am not entirely proud to say that we're still as silly as ever.

Past:

Present:

I love how some things just never change.

(Credits to Pay Leng for some of the pictures)

The Pegasi Plight

2010-10-06T20:08:00.005+08:00

I was never into origami.

All I know how to fold is a/an:

1. basket

2. crane

3. ball

4. heart
5. airplane
6. boat

3 out of 6, my grandmothers had taught me.

When I saw this on tumblr:

I had the sudden urge and a burning desire to master it.

I searched high and low for a tutorial but found none.

(except for tutorials on how to fold a few lousy unicorns that look like distorted cows)

But I found a pegasus origami tutorial: Origami Pegasus

97 steps to fold a pegasus.
NINETY SEVEN!

I spent hours figuring it out.
I am not exaggerating when I say hours.

I finally managed
BUT
I wasn't satisfied.

The folds were clumsy and the paper looked terribly crinkled so I made another one.

Imperfect but satisfactory.

I shall name:
1. the white one Kierste, derived from the Greek word 'erste' which means 'first'
2. the pink one Nitora, derived from the Laitn word 'nitor' which means 'persevere'.

More pictures of Kierste and Nitora in my arts and craft blog: The Inspirited Soul

PS: I still really want to learn how to fold that unicorn.
If any of you know how to, I'd really appreciate a tutorial. :)

Just the Way I Am

2010-09-27T17:33:00.003+08:00

I watched Shutter Island a few days ago.

As brilliant as the plot may be,

it was STILL too gruesome for my liking.

After watching that movie, I dreamt that I was a murderer.
:(

I should have taken advantage of that dream to kill a few irksome people I know
but oh well, it's not in my nature to do so.
I'm just too nice. Hah.

On an unrelated note,
I just heard this song: Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars
(Yes, I'm pretty outdated. I know.)

"Imagine if your boyfriend sings this song to you," my sister said.

Sweet, but highly unlikely.
Anyhow, fret not.
If no one is going to sing it to you, you can always sing it to yourself.

For example:

Oh my eyes, my eyes
Make the stars look like they're not shining
My hair, my hair
Falls perfectly without me trying

I'm so beautiful
And I tell myself each day

Yeah I know, I know
When I compliment me
I believe myself
And I'm so, I'm so
Sure that everyone sees what I see

And every time I ask whether I look okay
I say

When I see my face
There's not a thing that I would change
Cause I'm amazing
Just the way I am
And when I smile,
The whole world stops and stares for awhile
Cause darn, I'm amazing
Just the way I am

My nails, my nails
I could kiss them all day if I'd let me
My laugh, my laugh
I love and I think its so sexy

I'm so beautiful
And I tell myself each day

Oh I know, I know, I know
I'd never ask me to change
If perfect is what I'm searching for
Then just stay the same

So don't even bother asking
If I look okay
I know I'd say

When I see my face
There's not a thing that I would change
Cause I'm so amazing
Just the way I am
And when I smile,
The whole world stops and stares for awhile
Cause darn, I'm amazing
Just the way I am

The way I am
The way I am
Oh I'm amazing
Just the way I am

It never sounded better. HAHA.

Screen Capture Software

Waltz with Walt

2010-09-22T12:50:00.008+08:00

A few classmates
(Elsa, Kerri, Genevieve, Nicholas, Bridget, Kelly, Hana)

and I had a Disney marathon on Monday at Elsa's place.

We had an awesome time swooning over Shang from Mulan and Simba from Lion King.

Simba really is one good-looking lion. HAHA.

It's hard not to love Disney.

Of course, not all the above are Disney classics, but you just can't help but love them too.

I remember my first visit to Disneyland.

I lost that badge. :(

It certainly could pass off as one of the happiest places on earth.
Of course, it matters who you go with.
Twice I went with a great bunch. :)

I really adore Walt Disney.

"I hope we never lose sight of one thing - it was all started by a mouse." - Walt Disney

Personally, I find that very inspiring and encouraging.

~~Maybe if I start with a cat, I'll own Disney...okay, very lame.~~

Sabrina once asked me, "If you could be any Disney princess, which would you be?"

I told her,

No I'm not going to tell you what I answered.

*sniggers*

Wish #512925228: To spend one of my birthdays in Disneyland.

On Greener Grass

2010-09-18T00:41:00.011+08:00

People are never satisfied.
They're always saying that
the grass is much greener on the other side.

But what other side?

Honestly, you wouldn't even know.

There was a point in my life where I thought of such things

...until I came to a point where

I looked close enough and couldn't tell the difference.

I tweeted this yesterday:

twitter.com/jannawqe

To come to think about it...

What does it matter how green the grass is?

In the end, it is not about your surroundings.

It's about what you make out of it and how you live your life, be it green grass or not.

The outcome of your life does not depend on how green the grass is.

Eye Candy

2010-09-17T05:13:00.002+08:00

I woke up at 3am, dreaming about work.

Now I can't sleep.

In a way, I'm glad work is over.

(though I have just started making friends with my colleagues)

I can revert to my original plan of burying myself with books.

Books are such joy.

The touch of a nice hardcover in your hands,

or even a paperback...

I love how:

a novel can whisk you away into a world that the author has created.

the words seem to fly out of every page and fence you from reality.

novels trigger your imagination beyond thought.

Books are REAL eye candy.

Off to read another good book.

The Curious Case of the Man in the Toga

2010-09-10T23:53:00.000+08:00

           I was in the middle of watching ‘Notting Hill’ when my elder brother, Jordan entered the house laughing and sweating profusely after jogging.
“Nora, come!” he beckoned me. “Moses is outside!”
“Moses?” I asked. I knew more than one Moses. “Which one?”
“The one in the Bible,” Jordan said.
I looked at him, puzzled then shook my head and went back to my movie.
“Again?” my brother asked. “You’ve watched it a million times.”
“And it’s still good, after a million times. By the way, such exaggeration! Million times! People keep using that term. So dumb,” I remarked.
          “Anyway, I really saw Moses,” he went on. “There’s this guy outside dressed in white bed sheet with a wreath on his head and holds a staff. Funny thing though, he was wearing black leather shoes.”
“Oh, maybe it’s not Moses. Maybe it’s the second coming of Jesus! Oh no, what do we do? I know, maybe we’ll just let me watch my movie in peace before we rise into the heavens,” I said sarcastically.
“You think I’m kidding? He was walking around the neighbourhood, seriously!”
I paused before I asked, “You weren’t kidding?”
“I’m not!”
“You’re not pulling my leg?” I asked, getting up.
“Why’d you think that?”
“Oh nothing really, apart from the fact that you’re always out to get me!”
“You’re gullible. Anyway, this is for real,” he uttered, leading me outside.
            We waited and waited but no ‘Moses’ came about. I gave my brother a failed attempt of a death stare.
“What are you two doing outside? Time for dinner,” my mother called out.
At the dinner table, Jordan told the whole family about how he saw this weirdo dressed up as a man from the ancient days. Apparently, dad saw him too, three days ago.
“Must be mentally ill,” my dad assumed.
“Yeah, probably a screw loose in the head - he talks to himself,” Jordan added.
Mom nodded in agreement.
“Sad,” I commented.
“TIME TRAVEL!” my seven-year-old sister, Kate yelled.
Kate is an albino. Because of that, she often gets teased. Some said she was adopted, some called her a freak and there was no end to it. Even her best friend, Yi Chien started making jokes about how fair Kate was. Kate often came home crying, but only around me. She didn’t want mom and dad to worry.
“Mom, Kate watches too much TV for her own good,” I said.
                A week later, I took Tiger, my husky out for a walk. I had to put Tiger on a leash; else he’d enter every open gate in the neighbourhood. I had my earphones on and ‘Air in G’ was playing. Then I saw him – a man in a toga, squatting down, looking for something. He looked like he was in his seventies. A few boys who were cycling by burst out laughing. He wore a tense frown and looked deranged. His hands were raking the ground. I tried not to giggle or stare and just walked past him but Tiger had other ideas. Tiger likes sniffing people. ‘Moses’ was no exception. I tried pulling him back but it was too late.
“Get off, stupid mutt!” the man yelled. “I need to find you. Where are you, Jane?”
“He’s not a mutt,” I muttered. “He’s a husky.”
“Jane? Jane?” he murmured.
By then, I was sure that he was some grumpy, demented old man.
           I tugged on Tiger’s collar, trying to pull him forward. Then I noticed he was wearing ugly sandals, not black leather shoes like Jordan described. Perhaps he thinks he’s in Sparta, I thought. Perhaps he’s looking for some Greek goddess…though ‘Jane’ doesn’t sound very Greek. Then a plethora of female names from Greek mythology began popping into my head. Athena, Hera, Medusa… I bowed my head, trying hard to suppress my giggle. On the ground, I saw a vintage photo of a lady in a stola. Curious, I picked it up and said to Tiger, “This must be Jane.” So he hasn’t been talking to himself, I thought. He has been talking to a picture. The weirdo must’ve heard me because before I knew it, he snatched the picture and wiped it clean.
“Thank you,” he said.
I just nodded, too shocked to reply.
“Come, Tiger,” I called to him then quickened my pace.
          “Wait!” he shouted. “Would you like to join me for tea?”
“No, I would not like to have tea with a creepy deranged old fruitcake like you who thinks he’s from Sparta or Athens or God-knows-what other part of Greece,” is what I would’ve said…but I didn’t. Neither did I say yes. I just ran off! So did Tiger. While we did, I looked behind me to check if he was deranged enough to chase but he didn’t. Instead, he entered a beautiful house with an ornate gate and a well-kept garden. Was he…trespassing? I became absolutely curious. Suddenly, I had a strong urge to walk past the house. I just had to. So I did.
           He was having a cup of tea, still in his toga and hideous sandals. On an aureate table laid a scrumptious spread. Tiger barked.
“Ah, you’re here for tea,” the man said.
I shook my head.
I had been unconsciously staring at him.
“I’m John. Would you like to come in?” he asked as the gate swung open.
John the Baptist, yeah you are! I shook my head again.
“I’m sorry to have frightened you,” he said.
Just then, a familiar Filipina appeared with another pot of tea then returned into the house.
           “Who’s Jane?” I found myself asking.
“Jane is the lovely woman in this picture,” he replied. “She was my wife.”
Then Tiger did something that would surprise no one – he ran into the man’s house and began to sniff around the garden. As a precaution, I pulled out my phone and dialled dad’s number so that I’d be ready to press ‘Call’ anytime before I ran after Tiger. Tiger went all the way to the back of the house where there were two Labradors and a barking festivity began. I recognized the Labradors immediately.
“I’ve seen you guys before,” I said to the dogs.
“That’s Jodie and Taco,” John introduced.
“Now I remember. The Filipina often takes them out for walks, right? I’ve seen them around.”
“Yes, the maid does that.”
           I was about to go but then I decided it wouldn’t hurt to ask, “What’s with the toga?”
John chuckled.
“I’m surprised you know what a toga is,” he began. “It was a long time ago and Jane just loved peploses and stolae. They were pretty but certainly not the clothes you wear out. Imagine a woman in ancient Greek clothing walking along Orchard road. Weird, huh?”
“As weird as having you walk around the neighbourhood in a toga,” I laughed.
“Yes, exactly. That’s what Jane wanted to do though. She loved ancient Grecian art and culture. She wanted to spend one day out in a stola but she didn’t want to do it alone and so she got me a custom made toga. Of course, I refused to wear it! I was a research scientist and I would never flout convention for her fantasy. You sure you don’t want some?” he asked as he poured himself another cup.
“A cup would be nice, ” I obliged.
“Rose or earl grey?”
“Earl grey please, thank you.”
            Once he poured me a cup, I asked, “So what happened? Was she upset?”
“Very upset but I dismissed her every time with the excuse that I’d do a hundred of these walks with her when I find the time. Then, she begged me to at least go for a photo shoot with her. I refused. I never did intend to put the toga on at all.”
“But this picture…” I uttered, pointing at the photograph.
“She went for a photo shoot anyway. She looks lovely, doesn’t she? Want to see the rest of the pictures?” he asked.
I nodded. He called for the maid and within minutes, the album came. Jane looked lovely. She was a fair Chinese woman with long wavy black hair. She looked so graceful in her pictures.
“She’s pretty,” I commented. “Where’s she now?”
“Heaven,” he murmured, his voice unsteady. “She passed away last year.”
“Oh…” I said. I didn’t know how else to reply.
          “Thing is…” he continued, “I was so caught up with myself and my work and…she withdrew. When we were together, she was so unhappy. I never knew until I came across her diary after her death, how much her dreams and freedom of expression mattered to her.”
He paused to sip his tea. His eyes were red and filled with regret.
“I’ve never been able to sacrifice my ego for her. Not once,” he croaked, trying to hold back tears. “I’ve never said ‘sorry’…and most of all, I hindered her from being herself. For my sake, she had to hide and restrain her carefree and fun self. She was such a dreamer, you know? But I made her change…all to feed my ego. My selfishness brought her much pain and disappointment.”
          As much as he was trying to hold back tears, I held mine. I felt terrible for judging him…for thinking he was a demented freak. How could I?
“So here I am, in a toga walking around the neighbourhood. But it’s too late now isn’t it?” he tried to smile. “The first time I walked out in this stupid toga, I couldn’t even bring myself to wear these stupid sandals she bought me. Then I couldn’t sleep. You know how you can’t sleep at night just because you’re bothered by the thought of not wearing stupid sandals?”
I shook my head and smiled.
“So there,” he uttered. “I am an old man who’s going to live the rest of his life in guilt, regret and unfinished business. I’m just thankful the rest of my life won’t take too long.”
           Mentally ill? Demented? Trespassing? How could I have thought of that? I didn’t even know him! I was furious with myself. Who was I to judge him? He didn’t deserve it. I wondered how many people judged him like I did. Then I remembered how people had judged Kate. I too, had my share of being unfairly judged. I thought they were mean, but I’m just like them. Some of his pain seeped through me as these thoughts lingered. That was the day I resolved never to judge anyone, because everyone has his or her own story.
              Three years later, John passed away and I wore a stola to his funeral.

When Life is a jerk...

2010-09-06T22:40:00.002+08:00

No matter what life throws at you,

look it in the eyes and say, "I can handle that."

God never gives you more than you can handle.

Trapped

2010-09-05T23:31:00.001+08:00

I hope you remember the past two picture videos I posted up.

Click here to view them.

I had to do a final one for the module (Visual Communication).

1. It is an individual project.

2. Video can only have a maximum of 2 characters.

3. A door key must be used as a prop.

4. The theme is 'Time Waits for No Man'.

5. Video must be between 40 sec - 1 min.

For weeks, I had no inspiration until the very, very last minute.

(explains the lousy props etc)

Here's the outcome:

(Yes, you can be honest with me. I liked the previous two better too.)

Inception Deception

2010-08-22T22:35:00.004+08:00

People told me that the movie Inception would:

1. blow my mind.

2. make me feel lost.

3. confuse me.

4. render me gutless to sleep and dream.

I just watched Inception and none of the above applied to me.

My dear friends,
Deshun, Felicia and Adrian

watched the movie wayyyyyy before I did.

So when Deshun, Felicia, Adrian, Zany and I were supposed to be discussing one of our assignments,
Deshun, Felicia and Adrian wanted to discuss Inception.

Do you know what I hate more than durians?
Spoilers.

No wait, I hate durians as much as spoilers...but that's besides the point.

But guess who doesn't mind spoilers?
Zany.

Thus, the 4 of them decided it'd be fun to mess with me.
Don't let those pleasant faces deceive you, seriously.

Deshun and Adrian began to discuss the teddy bear scene so I scurried out of the room.

I was sooooo upset because now I know there'd be a teddy bear scene and that it's only a dream.
I felt robbed of the opportunity to figure it out myself at that time.

Guess what?
NO TEDDY BEAR SCENE.

Deshun and Adrian (the main culprits), be prepared to suffer my wrath.

LOL.

Anyhow, I loved the movie.
Good storyline, brilliant concept, excellent production.
Credits for the cinematography.

Perseus and I

2010-08-12T12:32:00.002+08:00

I woke up at 4.30a.m. on Tuesday to walk out to meet someone special.

I did the same today.

He was worth every second.

His name is

*shy*

Perseus.

(Yes, he was named after Perseus, the son of Zeus who beheaded Medusa.)

Time spent with Perseus was amazing because

I saw a meteor!

(a.k.a. shooting star)

In fact, I saw two.
(one on Tuesday and another today)

Occurrences like these never fail to remind me of how amazing God is.

To me, the sky is always a beautiful reminder of God.

When I look into the sky and think of how vast it is, I can only imagine how big God is.

And every time I think of how big God is, all my troubles seem so small.

Oh right, I forgot to mention...

It's the Perseids meteor shower.

(17th July till 24th August)

That would mean it comes from the constellation, Perseus.

I spent more than an hour staring at him, waiting for a meteor.

Growing Up

2010-08-09T21:58:00.000+08:00

We celebrated Faith's second birthday today.

Faith, winking.

Rachel, Rebecca, Deb and I had to entertain the kids.

(Sarah was away on cell outing.)

So we did some craftwork and made fruit loop necklaces.

Faith was among those who were more interested in eating the fruit loops than wearing them around her neck.

Actually...so was I after that.

Then it struck me: I want to be a kid again.

I don't want to grow up.

No wonder Peter Pan is such a pleasant story.

Kids don't ever grow up.

(Hmm, is this why Zany likes Peter Pan so much?)

This is not the first time the thought ever occurred to me.

Sometimes I wish I could be oblivious to the ugliness of adulthood...not that I'm an adult yet.

And no, I don't mean physical ugliness.

But then again,

if you look close enough, you'd learn to see the beauty in the ugly.

I can't stop myself from growing up.

But, I'll always keep the inner child alive.

And I think everyone should too.

P.S: Being childish and child-like are two very different things.

P.P.S: In case you're not catching on, I'm talking about the latter.

The Old Fairytale

2010-08-08T01:05:00.001+08:00

I hereby announce that Janna Wong is officially addicted to tumblr.

www.theoldfairytale.tumblr.com

I've been resisting tumblr for far too long.

Now, I succumb WHOLEHEARTEDLY.

To this blog of mine,

no worries, I'm not going to abandon you.

When I'm done being infatuated with tumblr, I promise there'll be equal attention for you and my tumblr...

and my arts and craft blog.

Unspoken Words

2010-08-05T09:51:00.001+08:00

If there's one song that could represent life, it'd be Canon in D.

Because its melody brings you on a journey of ups and downs and err...

roller coaster rides to every other direction.

I don't like Canon in D just because it has a nice tune

or because everyone else likes it.

I like it because it is a wonderful work of art that invokes all kinds of emotions.

Most of all, I like it because its euphonious tune carries unspoken words.

Do you hear what I hear?

Adored Archetypes

2010-08-04T10:13:00.001+08:00

The one thing I love to do when I watch movies or TV shows is study the characters.

By far, the characters that captivates me most are:

Captain Jack Sparrow
the swashbuckling anti-hero
(a witty drunken swagger)

Professor Severus Snape
the shapeshifter
(a cold, bitter man who would do anything for love)
*cues for an awwww*

Dr. Sheldon Cooper
uhmm...the one who wishes he was the mentor in Star Trek a.k.a. Spock? LOL.
(a theoretical physicist with autism spectrum disorder)

Each of them are incredibly exceptional.
But they all have one thing in common - they're odd.
It's hard not to love them, really.

Question: Why are we so attracted to odd characters?

Because:
1. they're odd.
2. they don't exist.
3. we wish they exist.

Case closed.
Almost.

Comfort Food: Congee

2010-07-30T16:18:00.002+08:00

I am falling sick.

(Someone sing me 'Soft Kitty' please? HAHA.)

This is bad, because I really NEED my voice.

If you know me well enough, you'd agree with me.

~~I can't keep silent.~~

I just need my voice.

Thank God class got cancelled today.

That would mean I can rest all I need...

until 5.30p.m. that is; I've got French class.

But when you're home alone, it means you're responsible for your own meals.

I needed something that wouldn't make me worse so what better option than a nice hot bowl of porridge?

Except...Idon'tknowhowtomakeanicehotbowlofporridge.

So I experimented.

1. Boiled water with rice.

2. Threw in whatever I could find.

(carrot, ham, chicken stock, salt, soy sauce, pepper etc)

3. Kept on stirring.

4. Garnished it with spring onion when ready.

(I took a whiff and it was goooood.)

5. Ate it all up.

I had a splendid meal.

Now...what's for dinner?

Friends + Forever = ?

2010-07-28T22:54:00.004+08:00

I just read my sister's blog post, Friends Forever.

And Japh, here's what your big sister has to say:

I believe in forever.
And I don't need someone else to prove it to me.

Because I shall prove it to me.

Friends may hurt you, betray you...or even stop being your friend.

But as long as you don't stop being a friend to that person (and have no expectations), you'll understand forever.

(taken by Japhia)

Get what I mean?

Purr purr purr

2010-07-27T22:26:00.009+08:00

It's not my fault that I have not been blogging as often as I'd like to.

Trust me, it is not.

It is ALL. SHELDON'S. FAULT.

Sheldon has been taking up my time.

(Yes, Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory.)

It was time well spent though...
because Sheldon is just too awesome.

Reasons why Sheldon is OH-SO-AWESOME:

1. He's a child prodigy who got his first Ph.D at the age of 16.

2. His facial expressions are HILARIOUS.

3. He has his own seat that NO ONE ELSE can sit on...or else.

Sheldon: Uh Penny. That's where I sit.

Penny: Sit next to me.

Sheldon: ...no. I sit there.

Penny: What's the difference?

Sheldon: What's the difference?!

Leonard: Here we go.

Sheldon: In the winter, that seat is close enough to the radiator to remain warm and yet not so close as to cause perspiration. In the summer it is caught between a cross-breeze created by opening windows there and there. It faces the television at an angle that is neither direct thus discouraging conversation nor so far wide to create a paralex distortion. I could go on but, I think I've made my point.

3. He tries to blow up people's heads with his mind.

4. He's mysophobic.

5. He comes up with games like "Rock, paper, scissors, lizard, Spock".

Sheldon: Scissors cuts paper, paper covers rock, rock crushes lizard, lizard poisons Spock, Spock smashes scissors, scissors decapitates lizard, lizard eats paper, paper disproves Spock, Spock vaporizes rock, and as it always has, rock crushes scissors.

6. A little bit of alcohol makes Sheldon extremely boisterous.

8. He sings,

"Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur.

Happy kitty, sleepy kitty, purr purr purr."

Note: The YouTube video above is a MUST-WATCH.

In conclusion, watch The Big Bang Theory.

You really have to.

I'm a geek because...

2010-07-24T23:15:00.004+08:00

1. I watched Star Trek and I loved it.

2. I aspired to be a computer programmer for a period of time as a kid. Seriously.

3. I asked for a domain for one of my birthdays.

4. Astronomy fascinates me (and apparently, that's geeky)

5. I spent most of my free time after UPSR (a.k.a. PSLE) learning up HTML coding on my own and trying to build a website.

6. I make it a point to memorise facts like 'there's 23 hours 56 minutes and 4.091 seconds a day, not 24 hours.'

7. I finished the whole Harry Potter series in a week. (I assume this is considered ~~lifeless~~ geeky.)

8. I.....hmm....can't think of number 8. Ah well, I guess I'm not that much of a geek after all. :D

Face Deface

2010-07-15T19:56:00.001+08:00

Something is wrong with me.

Something very, very wrong.

It freaks me out.

(It should freak you out too.)

I could feel it...

my voluntary muscles are suddenly involuntary.

I'm not kidding.

Every time the camera goes 'click',

my face self-distorts.

I'M SERIOUS.

It's not funny.

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

Exhibit C:

Exhibit D:

Exhibit E:

I shan't go on...~~or I'll scare all my blog readers away~~.

But you get the picture.

Point is...

YOU SHOULD TRY IT TOO!

It's heaps of fun! :)

Uncane-ny Way Out

2010-07-13T18:20:00.005+08:00

Remember this video?

That was just for practice.

Assignment: Tell a story logically and coherently with just the use of visuals without any verbal dialogue.

Note: Visual story must have a POSITIVE theme.

Time limit: 1.30 - 2 minutes

End product:

within the heart

Vain Words and Valentine's

To Wake Up a Genius

Showering with Updates

Stupid for Smart

Highlighted and Distracted

Stupidity At Its Best

To Jot Thoughts

Who's bonkers now?

Food for Trot

The World Is Mine It Can Be Yours

Caterpillar in the Tree

I Conquer The World

How I Keep Awake in Class

On A Mission: Cambodia - Part 4

On A Mission: Cambodia - Part 3

On A Mission: Cambodia - Part 2

On A Mission: Cambodia - Part 1

Them Leaves Go *CRUNCH*

Screenshot Worthy!

Bagged

The Food Canon

The Art of Manipulation

The Little Prince

The Milky Way Myth

Think Again, Thinker

The Instant Noodle Affair

Let's go fly a kite~

Facebook By The Book

Christmas isn't Christmas till it happens in your heart~

Sparrow at Pulau Ubin

Boys and Bosh

Three Years Old

All is Vanity

Haunted

Sisterhood

Stop and Stare

Say Hello to Your Heroine

Fairy Flair

Of Home and Hair

Of Girlfriends and Growing Up

The Pegasi Plight

Just the Way I Am

Waltz with Walt

On Greener Grass

Eye Candy

The Curious Case of the Man in the Toga

When Life is a jerk...

Trapped

Inception Deception

Perseus and I

Growing Up

The Old Fairytale

Unspoken Words

Adored Archetypes

Comfort Food: Congee

Friends + Forever = ?

Purr purr purr

I'm a geek because...

Face Deface

Uncane-ny Way Out

Them Leaves Go CRUNCH