fun times!

hey hey hey!
i've been up to much this week :)
every single day of this week was fully packed heheh.
i'm really making full use of my break now before school starts again :(

friday (18 jan)
had a buffet lunch at shaw plaza, the usual place where i'd frequent with my grandparents!
my dad had vouchers to be used there, so we saved some on the bill :)
the spread became a lot less, because i remembered how i'd always look forward to this double-boiled soup on paper.
okay idk what you call it in chinese, but it's this soup that sits on a paper-bowl boiled over a heated flame.
i'm cantonese and i love soups.
these days i can't go without it, i need soup every meal, with the exception of breakfast.
so it was rather disappointing that they didn't have this anymore :(
but i replaced it with the soup that you could scoop from a pot.
ah well. it tasted the same altogether still :-)
after clearing the soup i dived straight into the sashimi section.... ;)
took all sorts of raw seafood: mussels, clams, salmon, yellowfish (?), prawns etc.
the salmon left was of a really scarce amount though!
and it wasn't exactly the freshest fish...
so yeah :(
went for the grilled + chinese stuff after that.
however i got full really easily and helped myself to barely any other food.
saved a small space in my stomach for dessert, which they had improved from the other time because this time there were b&j's!!!! :)
yay for awesome ice-cream hehehe.
took my favourite flavours, strawberry cheesecake and chocolate chip cookie dough yeah :)
i realised i've never had the privilege of having a tub of b&j's at home...
but it's fine, 'cos i don't think i'd be able to finish it on my own...
it's a tad too sweet for me when you eat too much.
so yup headed for the usual grocery-shopping with my grandparents after the lunch.
took a bus down to the nearest mrt station, boon keng, with them too.
i'm really grateful for my grandparents :-)
they're really good to me, and they pamper me a lot.... hahahaha.
but yeah, they've looked after me when i was young, so yeah there's this natural bond i've developed with them over the years :)
so anyway, took a train down to dhoby ghaut to meet my p6 clique yayyy :)
since i was relatively early, i decided to do some shopping on my own hehe.
the reason why i love plaza sing is because they have my favourite shops!!!
namely paper market, cache cache and daiso woohoo~
so i bought 3 sheets of paper, a set of alphabet stickers, and also 2 stamps for valentine's day! :)
the stamps were really cheap, but the ink pad costs a bomb!
like $9.90 for this really small pad of ink pshhh.
anw, i went to daiso to see if they had cheap ink pads but too bad they don't :(
so until now, i have the stamps but not the ink pad..... right.
bought a packet of nice labels from daiso too :)
met up with my clique then at dhoby ghaut mrt!!!
after some conflict, we decided on strictly pancakes for dinner!
but then the rain and the crowd hindered us from eating there :-(
so we changed location to eat at cineleisure's aston's :)
don't exactly like to eat western food anymore (idk why), but nonetheless, it was a good and affordable meal!
sat at aston's talking about a lot of school stuff and how much people changed :P
it's pretty cool how some ppl stayed the same since primary school!
went to buy b&j's after that and we sat there and took polaroids and pictures hehehe.
got all excited about cheap fleas after talking about that, so we left for scape thereafter!
i didn't manage to find my favourite $10 shorts from cotton on though :-(
ah well it's fine!
had a well-spent evening with my primary school clique and thank you guys for everything these years :) 

 

 

saturday (19/9)

met up with sheryl, stacy and yingxia to go shopping at bugis :-)

was really excited 'cos i haven't been shopping in ages, so yeah this was the time!!!

i honestly love shopping at bugis, 'cos firstly, the stuff there are really cheap!

ok it might not be of good quality, but still, i can wear it and that's what matters :P

secondly, there are really a lot of nice stuff to buy!!!

bugis street totally changed ever since i went there when i was p5/p6.

they used to sell those lame t-shirts hahaha but now they evolved into this really coolass fashion street!

it has become this place full of fashion trends ahaha.

the first thing that caught our eye was this really cheap long maxi dress for only $10!!!!

me, sheryl and stacy were hesitating to buy the dress 'cos like we just stepped into the place!

need to warm up a bit uh~

but yingxia was the boss, she bought a $10 skirt with some animal prints on it in a snap, like, WOW.

we explored the first floor and moved on upstairs!

and i went back to this stall that i wanted to buy smth from last time...

it was this sleeveless turquoise tank with a peter pan collar for $10.

so yup i bought that!!

then we went to rush, where yingxia bought her platform heels from.

the shoes there are of rather good quality, and are also really cheap!!!

i bought a pair of navy blue shoes with white ribbon adornments (slightly heeled) for $15!
great buy hehehe.

then we went to this really nice vintage shop that sold pretty bags!!!

it was where stacy got her red lunchbox bag from hahahahaha~

there was this brown (fake) leather bag in particular that had really pretty floral prints on it!

it cost me $30, and that was after sheryl also decided to buy the same brown bag but with different floral patterns!

my heart pain ahhhhh.

but honestly it was worth it :-)

'cos apparently it was handmade... and it's really pretty i like it soooo much ^^

so yeah then we had a really late lunch at a small food court on the 3rd floor of bugis street.

and i got myself a bowl of tomyum noodles yay :)

though it was really spicy, but yeah it was really shiok... :P

roamed around on the 3rd floor after that looking at accessories and more clothes!

so yeah i bought other small stuff like $1.50 nail polish & $3 hairpins yay :)

had to rush back afterwards to nex to grab my $10 cotton on shorts and sheryl's forest green shorts!!!

there were both our sizes but i didn't buy 'cos #1 i was pressed for time, and #2 they were so understaffed that it pissed me off 'cos they really didn't have hands to help the customers zzz.

to the cotton on outlet at nex: hire more staff will you please!!!

it was really pissing for me to buy clothes when there weren't any staff around to assist me.

pshhh.

train-ed down to harbourfront to meet my family for dinner to celebrate my grandpa's b'day!

tried to keep myself occupied the whole time by talking to my parents so as to distract myself from SOME of my relatives who would ask me non-stop questions about my o's results and school postings.

degrade or despise me all you want ok?

i don't really care anymore.

all i know is that i have done my best and that's all that really matters.

your opinion means nothing.

there was even post-dinner interrogation but whatever, ignored ignored ignored.

so yup that's how i spent my saturday :-)

thank you my shopping gang for the great afternoon too :)

monday (21/9)

woke up damn early at like 7.45am just to rush to school to get my testimonial...

how stupid was i???

never did it cross my mind that i had to go through much of those stupid procedures to get my testimonial...

i didn't even bring anything with me, not even a pen -.-

sighpie.

so i just took the form from the office and filled it up leisurely while i accompanied hannah around the school for hers hahaha.

met up with xiaohui after that 'cos she overslept....

took a bus to hougang mall and bought stuff for baking that afternoon at the red man shop :)

we were, however, 1 hour late, in meeting ashley at the bus stop near my place.

ooooops.

got more ingredients from a nearby ntuc, and went back to hurriedly eat lunch!

baked a really cool ham & mushroom pie for "lunch"!!!

i swear it was the best thing ever ;-)

we could actually cook hahaha!

then we went on to bake red velvet cupcakes!

i was really excited 'cos it was my first time trying out a velvet cupcake recipe~

sadly we kinda failed...

first, it became blue velvet cupcakes 'cos there was no red colouring LOLOLOL.

second, the texture came out pretty bad and was completely different from authentic velvet cupcakes.

however, we did manage to salvage the situation and turned our blue "velvet" cupcakes into cookie monsters! :-)

with icing and chocolate chips as the eyes and an oreo for it's mouth, they turned out quite cute hahaha!

the second batch failed because the colouring was really crazy.

beyond crazy i tell you.

we added a shit-load of blue and yellow colouring to try and get a nice green but it just became shittier (wow there's such a word) and shittier HAHAHA.

so much that my shit...........

ok nothing.

turned those into oscars instead but yeah... they were really disgusting :P

ah well.

had a good baking time and wii with xiaohui after that ;-)

i love mario kart on wii!!!

best game ever~

tuesday (22 jan)

went for cycling today :)

initially it was a class-based outing, but everybody backed out one-by-one, which was kinda pissing 'cos this cycling trip was obviously planned way beforehand.

and seriously.

the outing ended up with only sheryl and i going.

it was rather annoying 'cos there were so little people, but whatever, we both still had fun :)

we met up at east coast at around 1pm, but ecp was sooooooooooo big that we were completely lost.

we never expected ecp to have so many different areas.

at least we arrived at the same area c, so it wasn't that difficult to locate each other!

we continued walking and walking for i think almost like 30-45mins, and there was no mcdonalds in sight.

like wtf????

i think we were walking in the wrong direction -.-

but anyway we just continued talking and talking about stuff hahaha :)

yeah man, then we finally found an eatery!!!!!!!!!!!!

stopped by old town for lunch and had spicy noodles (AGAIN YAYYY) and their specialty - white coffee! :)

i swear their iced white coffee is amazing :*

we sat there for about 2 hours talking about everything 'cos the noodles were really too spicy for us to take :p

BUT I STILL LOVED 'EM.

i always see eating spicy food as a challenge, if i can't finish it this first time round, i'll make sure i come back to this place again, order the same food, and eat it up.

i'll repeat this if i still can't finish hahaha.

so yeah we just sat there talking till like 3.30pm omg!!!
it was so late already but, it was still great bonding time :)

left the lunch place to look for a bicycle rental shop, so we kept walking further up to area b & area a.

the further we walked, the more lost we were :(

ecp seemed like a completely different place at area a, it looked more like some reservoir or smth, with a lot of greenery.

so we decided to u-turn and walk back...

all that walking took us a whole 20mins omg :P

and guess what, the best thing was that the bicycle rental shop was just outside our lunchplace...

how did we walk past it and MISS it omg...

we're so fail!

but anyway the walking helped me to exercise a bit and also we caught up even more hahaha.

sheryl and i really just talked during every single minute of the walk hahah.

love how we can always chat about anything and everything :)

so anyway, we rented a tandem bike for 2 whole hours 'cos i guess there just wasn't enough time for me to learn how to ride a single bike...

so sheryl obviously took the front seat and i took the back...

there was some difficulty of us getting on the bike 'cos we weren't used to it.

then after we slowly got the hang of it, we just cycled all the way from area b (???) all the way to area e.

it was so damn far omg.

after cycling we realised how familiar we were with the surroundings 'cos of sports day and its reccee trips...

SIGH.

we are hopeless :P

so anw sheryl was the one cycling hard the whole time 'cos of the doubled weights while i just slacked behind and pedalled for the fun of it...

i think she got really tired so she kept threatening to topple the bike over >:(

tsk tsk tsk.

annoying!

stupid girl kept provoking me the whole time too hahahah it got me soooo mad.

when we u-turned, she kept forcing me to pedal the bike faster!!!

oh gosh my fitness level was like -100000 i got tired after pedalling hard for barely 200m hahahahahha.

i'm hopeless :P

guess what, I FELL DOWN OK!

'cos we completely lost control of the bike and then it tilted to the left and so i crashed on the grass with my butt landing.

sighpie, so many people were staring at me oh goodness :(

how embarrassing.

stopped by for ice-cream at new zealand's natural and really, just had a good talk over things :-)

i love how we can talk about everything srsly :)

cycled back to the bike rental place and returned the bikes.

walked back to parkway and bought fruit juice yay!

shopped around for presents, then we left the place :)

though we were ditched by the class, but i still had a great time!

thanks sheryl, and sorry about your finger :(

guess i was really too heavy whoops hahahaha!

wednesday (23 jan)

went out with my dear s&u company today!!! (with the exception of the gillians)

but the best thing was that everyone was late, and we were supposed to meet at vivo at 11.... -_-

AND I WOKE UP AT 10.45.

WOW JAMIE WOW.

punctuality at its maximum man.

ended up reaching vivo only at 12.15pm...

tsk jamie.

played monopoly deal at the sky garden area :-)

and i truly sucked haahha.

and anchi was seriously going crazy over the ryeowook cup we gave her hehehe!!!

glad that you like it a lot anchi ;)

and i hope you like your cup too amanda!! :)

then after that anchi went to buy koi for us while amanda and yingxia went to soak their feet in the water.

stacy, sheryl and i played taiti and i won quite a bit hehehe ;)

not bad for a noob like me huh ;)

after koi we all went to bask in the waters while stacy and yingxia just like hid in a corner in fear of getting wet.

and stupid sheryl pushed me in and so my shorts were COMPLETELY soaked. >:(

why are we always fighting, honestly.

HAHAHAHA.

wanted to eat seoul garden for lunch, but there was no bbq :-(

so we settled for the food court instead and i ate yong tau foo :)

went back up to daiso to go shopping!

but then there was an orange-juice accident hahahaha.

sheryl dropped her cup of juice and then the cup just kept leaking after that.

we were too embarrassed to go back in so we just waited outside at the sky garden playing monopoly deal~

and i totally owned her ^^v

a few minutes later yingxia came walking out, saying she spilled her ice-cream on herself too hahaha.

aiyooo today's a bad day of spilling things :P

continued with monopoly deal as a gang and anchi and stacy got really obsessed with painting our nails haha!

it was a pretty fun time~

took photos and polaroids with all of 'em and headed home :)
bought starbucks again hahaha, i'm addicted to java chip frap omg <3 p="">

the best drink on earth!!!

hope i can redeem my free 13th cup soon!!!

took a bus back with anchi and bought dinner home :)

had a good day out with my dearies, thanks guys :)))

love you all! :-)

thursday (24 jan)

baked with the doob today!!! :)

we were undecided about what to bake even just before buying the ingredients hahaha.

wanted to bake oreo cheesecake but found it a little tedious...

so we settled for milo cupcakes instead!

yay :)

bought the ingredients home and we cooked our own lunch haha!

we cooked instant noodles, and i tried to cook this plate of garlic sprouts which were an ultimate fail because they turned out to be slightly burnt...

sigh.

i am so hopeless.

watched running man over lunch with seowhwee and i was rly annoyed with the female guest of that episode (park ye jin).

omg lol i can't stand her...

after lunch we started preparing the ingredients and baking!

ran out of cupcake lining in the midst so we left the house to buy cupcake tins from the provision shop downstairs :)

after we put the cupcakes in the oven yihui came yay! :-)

prepared the icing together hehehe so much fun!!!

added the wrong thing in ok!

we mistook creamer for condensed milk sighhhh fail :P

and i purposely added a lot of cream cheese to the mixture 'cos it was overly sweet (and it still is).

CREAM CHEESE DOES WONDERS K!

there was a slight cheese taste to the icing in the end!

created our own icing squeezer with plastic bags and squeezed out lumps on the cupcakes that looked like poo hehehe.

then yihui suggested we do our names, and yessss we had enough!

so ya we took home our individual names and yeah seowhwee left :-(

yihui stayed on and she mapled for me! :)

but sigh she's a complete noob hahahahaha really!!

then we went upstairs to watch running man again over dinner!

this is the first time i actually bring food up to my room to eat ok!

you should feel honoured, yihui :P

jkjk.

she stayed till pretty late, like about 10.30pm!

walked her to the bus stop and then yeaaaah that's how the day ended~

thanks for a good day my retards!

love you all :-)

friday (24 jan)

woke up early to go for brunch with jieling, xiaohui, ashley and sylvia! :)

jieling recommended this bak kut teh at sin ming lane so we decided to try it since it's sylvia's first time having bak kut teh :P

"ARE YOU EVEN CHINESE"

hahahahahah ashley's comment is the best!

met at bishan at 10.30, but sylvia was late so we went to cotton on to shop!

AND THEY HAVE MY MAROON SHORTS.

ahhhh so precious :*

i must buy itttttt!

took a bus down to ai tong and tried to find the bak kut teh shop with the iphone maps!

ok they suck ya, like seriously.

we walked across this field of nothingness, cut through run-down industrial areas, walked a few streets down, and finally gave up because we decided to cab instead.

AND GUESS WHAT.

the cab took us back to the place that we came from omg!!!

we walked the wrong lane and completely missed it sigh.

made a big round for nothing.

what failures we are :(

anyway we finally got to the bak kut teh shop and we ordered 3 bowls of bak kut teh, fried egg, steamed fish and fried kangkong!

they gave a free bowl of peanuts as a starter which we gobbled hungrily after hiking for so long :P

when the food came i swear it was heaven!!!!!!!!

the soup was so so so refreshing, the pork meat with the dark soy sauce, the crunchy kangkongs, the tender steamed fish and the awesome fried egg!

everything we ordered was so damn good omg :)

we kept refilling the soups, but the staff there were absolutely friendly :)

i swear i'm going to come back again!!!

LOVE THIS BAK KUT TEH.

it's called rong cheng bak kut teh btw, for those who really like bak kut teh, it's at 26 sin ming lane ;-)

don't miss it pleaseeee it's darn good ^^

took a tourist shot near the place as a memory and this marked our first food expedition :)

so yup we might go for a second one next thursday.... claypot rice! :)

yay for claypot rice~~~

had to rush back to school to fetch my sister to the dentist.

she had an extraction done and was crying really loudly! :(

she seemed like she was in so much pain sigh what a poor girl :'(

after the extraction, my sister was actually looking for xiaohui omg!

"where is xiaohui jiejie i want to say bye to her"

:((((

first time i've seen her so attached to someone!!!

had to give my cca auditions a miss because i was in a rush back home...

my sister's teeth wouldn't stop bleeding sigh, it even continued through the night ohhh :(

but it's a lot better now~

saturday (25 jan)

spent most of my day alone at home yay.

did my own ironing and also cooked my own dinner.

but again the garlic sprouts i cooked were slightly burnt... :(

the edamame was damn good though!!!!

and soba sigh i love sobaaaa :)

my weekends are usually less exciting because i don't head out...

wanted to go for flea that evening but no one wanted to go :(

ah well!

school's starting in less than a week sigh.

I DON'T WANT MY HOLIDAYS TO END

fall seven times, get up eight

10th january came a little too soon.

results were thrown back to us way too fast.

i remember i was feeling quite unnerved before the release of results... idk why.

i guess it was good that i wasn't tensed up and all, but too bad i guess i had to pay a price after that...

when we gathered in the hall, the wait was what killed us/me.

all that talk about the administration matters & open houses seemed really unimportant to me at that time.

i just wanted to get back my results so i would know where i can go!

and the announcing of our dux......

IT'S SEOW HWEE THE DOOB WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*throws confetti in the air*

OMG THAT MOMENT OF GLORY.

WE WERE ALL CLAPPING IN ADMIRATION FOR HER :)

AND TRULY WE WERE ALL SO PROUD OF HER FOR HONORING PL!!!

this is indeed the #seowhweepride :)

                              

hi seow hwee i am so so so proud of you.

10 a1s is really no mean feat.

though i kinda predicted you'd be the dux, but i'm still awed by your perfect results!

a1s for all 9 subjects is already commendable enough, but you actually got a1 for french omg :')
you're truly a genius, doob, i am srsly so so so so proud of you.

hahaha it's really true!!!

and the best thing about you is that you're so loveable 'cos you're so humble :)

PL HAS FINALLY MADE HISTORY THANKS TO YOU MY DEAR RETARD.

my pride for you will never cease to exist HAHAHA.

okay so anyway, putting aside the seowhwee pride, we got back our individual results one by one.

and all sorts of reactions i had witnessed.

majority were that of shock and disappointment, and hardly any were actually squealing in delight.

i was anticipating my turn...

and then it really came.

the second i grabbed hold of my cert, saw the first 3 subjects, and suddenly realised how badly i did.

after signing on the class list, i caught sight of my L1R5 score.

in my mind i was like "shit jamie, you're really done for this time".

i was reeling with disbelief as i looked at my cert.

how...? why...?

what on earth happened?

the next thing i knew i was in tears.

in a bucketful of tears....

i collapsed to the ground with my face buried in my hands, just like how all my dreams really collapsed to heaps.

i cried, and cried, and cried.

i don't even know how to explain this disappointment, but all i know was that i cried non-stop.

suddenly everything i wanted to do in the future seemed almost impossible.

it just felt like i let my parents down.

i wanted to study hard to make them proud of me, but what have i done???

they always tell me my best is enough, and they never expected much out of me.

and look at this. my results were terrible.

though various people came to comfort me, i was feeling really sore on the inside.

what am i going to do from here?

how am i going to face everyone out there?

i remember ms gan very clearly coming to me to comfort me.

she offered me tissue paper and told me some things i will never forget.

"it's okay jamie, you have done well."

thank you ms gan.

you coming to tell me that i have done well was really something that meant a lot to me.

though everyone back at home tells me the same thing, it indeed is different hearing it from a teacher.

though you have never taught me before, except a few interactions in the prefectorial board, this little word of encouragement will ring in my ears for a long time to come.

thank you.

"....you had a lot of responsibilities to bear...."

yes, these words made me reflect upon so much.

from my service as the vice president in the harp ensemble, to a member of the prefectorial board, indeed i have devoted myself to service in pl.

and these servant leadership experiences i've acquired will be something that will stay with me for life.

results really aren't everything, it's your character that defines you.

and i believe that pl has moulded me into a fine person.

i'm truly grateful to pl for providing me with countless leadership opportunities, and for letting me taste the true value of servant leadership here.

the friends i've made and the bonds i've forged,

the memories i've created and the experiences i've shared,

is really incomparable to the results i got that day.

so yeah, after i stopped tearing temporarily, i went to comfort stacy...

i guess the disappointment of our results were too much to bear.

cheer up stacy! :)

and everyone else out there who is feeling really disappointed too.

and to yihui, i hope you're feeling tons better already.

if you see this by chance, please know that i'm really really here to help you.

i really want to help you, it pains me to see you cry so hard.

i'm really very worried for you, please open up....

keep your mood up ok, it's really not the end, in fact, it's only the beginning.

don't be discouraged ok sotong, i will always be here for you.

yup so i just continued with like sporadic intervals of crying 'cos i still couldn't get over my shitty grades.

went to nex after that with yx and stacy to gorge ourselves 'cos we were honestly too disappointed.

had pastamania + sogurt at 4+...

even went to reflect about life outside the library hahaha what retardedness :P

but yeah.

after i got home i was still emotionally unstable because i really.... just couldn't get over it.

phone calls from relatives made me feel a thousand times worse.

i was taking poly into consideration very seriously, and there some people are telling me that a diploma will never get you a job and all that crap.

i was so darn frustrated with them. 

like seriously, my results were already disappointing enough, can't you just let me be and let me decide for myself?!

i know what's best for myself, why must you pry into my decision???

you're not even my parent.

ugh, feeling even shittier as the night passed. 

continued to tear up at the slightest mention about the results/colleges etc.

after my family went to bed, i cried.

i cried even harder than at school.

a million things were running through my mind that night.

about how i didn't meet my personal expectations, about how i might just end up in poly alone, about how we'd all be separated from one another, about how life would continue, about.... everything.

i was so so so daunted by this failure, 'cos it was almost like history repeating itself.

i studied so so so hard for psle, and ended up performing the worst among everyone.

i studied equally hard for o's, and turned out to score badly too.

for all those who tell me "you did great, nothing to cry about" should really just shut up.

at that point of time i wasn't in the right state of mind to listen to all that "encouragement".

i cried my heart out, my eyes were sore and puffy, my throat was absolutely dry, my jaw was painfully aching, my nose was running non-stop and the tears rolled down incessantly.

it was... that feeling of shit.

true blue shit, i was really at the pit bottom of my life.

the tears were all blinding me as i was whatsapp-ing...

thank you sheryl for being there always to comfort & console me, listening to the reasons for why i was crying and really, listening to just almost everything i said till i fell asleep.

thank you so much for trying to cheer me up, and really just lifting my mood.

i'm very grateful for a friend like you :')

thank you for the coffee you made the next day too~

so yeah i just went to bed that night feeling a whole load better, but waking up with swollen upper lids and a huge zit was no joke.

the next day, it was torture getting up.

though i heard the alarm, i didn't wanna get up 'cos i was still reliving in yesterday's shit.

i didn't wanna wake up to face reality, to go for the college open houses.

i just wanted to continue sleeping the disappointments away.

after a wake-up call and a really sweet encouraging text from my mom, i finally got out of bed and headed out to check out the jcs.

went for nyjc, srjc, ajc and cjc's open houses and they're all pretty good :)

but honestly do you know how i really felt that day?

the feeling from the day before came sinking back in again.

like how i did poorer than my friends, and how i'd never be able to make it to the same colleges as them.

the discussion about entering the better colleges made me feel really down.

i can't even make it to a second-tier college........

and that almost everyone around me could.

it just made me feel even more bitter and disappointed about my results despite the fact that i worked really hard.

that sheer disappointment was really unexplainable.

but i don't blame any of you guys, no hard feelings.

just, truly irked by my own self.

went for the sajc open house the following day and argh it just pains me again how i know i won't be able to make it there.

i really really really want to enter sajc, but too bad my results don't allow me to.

sajc's culture is rather similar to pl's and it just gives me the sense of belonging, it's like as though you're going back home.. :)

but too bad.

thought long and hard about everything and in the end i decided to enter college instead.

though it might not be a reputable one, i like the environment a lot and i just hope i get in.

fingers crossed that my appeals would succeed too.

but yes i'm feeling a lot better now, thank you everyone who were there by my side to keep me afloat from disappointments...

i'm very grateful for the people that have crossed my paths.

i love you all so much.

always believe that something wonderful is about to happen

poly > jc?

visited 3 poly open houses today! :)
definitely changed my perspectives about education in polytechnics.
i know sometimes they might exaggerate a little in their advocation, but honestly, it sounds like a worthwhile prospect.
really, poly life sounds so damn fun in contrast to jc.
jc is just another college, going to school at the usual wee hours in the morning, staying back till dusk 'cos of cca sessions, studying your ass off for the terms...
i'm honestly sick of that kind of life.
i want to try something new, like poly life.
attending lectures and having a lighter load when studying seems a lot more attractive than the dull life ahead in jc.
but of course, the career opportunities ahead after each institution is vastly different...
i really gotta consider this carefully...

first stop was ngee ann poly.
i was pleasantly surprised by the students there, they're really warm and friendly!
every student ambassador you passed by would be "hi!!!!! welcome to ngee ann!!!!!" very excitedly.
it made us feel very welcome and comfortable in this warm environment.
not only were the student ambassadors nice, but they also gave directions very well.
we were led smoothly to the place to collect the goodie bags, and also the other np magazines & cookies that came along with it :-)
it was very systematic and there was just no fuss about it.
straight after collecting our goodie bags was an adam khoo workshop given to us for free.
the speaker talked a lot about life, and that doing something you like is crucial and so on...
i really admire him because he made poly life sound very interesting, and i was really tempted to attend poly instead of jc :O
also, the cool part of the course was that there was a survey for you to assess your values and interests, so you could actually narrow the range of your course exploration around the campus.
right after the talk there were even students who held clear signs on the various schools to visit and know more!
i was really satisfied, as a guest in the school.
my survey results showed that i was well-suited for people-oriented courses, so i decided to head to the school of humanities and social sciences.
visited the psychology studies booth and played this interesting beanbag game.
the rationale behind this game really made the course sound doubly intriguing.
the optical illusions that we tried to figure out really speaks a lot about how the mind works and everything.
it just made me want to find out so much more about psychology.
the setback however, is that, to enter this course, the L1R4 score is 9...
and if i actually got a 9, of course i'd choose to enter a junior college, right?
so if i do badly, psychology might just not be available for me...
sigh.
next, we popped by the chinese media & communication booth.
it was fun playing with the props they provided and taking pictures against the cool backgrounds ^^
then it was the chinese studies booth!
they did this kind of like "fortune-telling" thing - all you have to do is give them your chinese name and they'd analyze the meaning for you :P
and mine meant that i would be financially stable and prosperous :)
yay for it if it's true!!!
early childhood education & psychology sounds interesting but i think the pay's not too good...
though its double degree opportunity beats its same course at tp.... i don't think i'd go for this 'cos i have zero patience with kids.
and arts business management sounds really cool, 'cos you get to organise arts events and be involved in the arts scene in sg!
but abm requires lots of artistic skills and creativity, something i lack :(
a year 3 student who showed us round their gallery explained many of their installation art to us, and i must say the works put up were really brilliant :)
not only does it have a meaning, but the painting and photography skills displayed were simply fantastic.
collected cute fun fact cards from the signature place too!
abm also designs the booklets you get on learning journeys etc.... yup.
i would have considered this course if not for the need to be really artsy-fartsy.
the last stop we went was business and social enterprise, which was a really really good course.
you get to kill two birds with a stone - set up your own business and also contribute back to society.
it's like professional meets moral.
they've set up this ice cream shop to hire np students from low-income families as a part-time job for them to work in, and the ice cream we redeemed from them is so damn good.
it's a really good business idea to help those in need.
after that we all gathered at the convention centre to get free candy floss!
did the ngee ann cheer to get a free np shirt! :)
cool stuff huh ^^
set off for singapore poly after that!
don't have much to talk about sp because it was pretty disappointing.
the open house was not as well-organised as ngee ann's.
tp as usual was really rah-rah and... a tad too rowdy.

my regret today was not being able to attend nanyang poly's open house!!!!!!
if i really really had no choice because of my poor results and had to go to a poly, i'd choose nyp 'cos they've got the course i want!!!!
i really wanna do food science & nutrition there.
though the cut-off point is 16, it does act as a safety cushion for me in case i do badly...
which is a blessing in disguise because although i didn't do well, i get to do something i'm passionate about.
furthermore, if i take this course at nyp, i get to choose to enter singapore's institute of technology and obtain an honours in human f&n, which is my ultimate aim.
i just hope this passion lasts for long because i don't want to regret my choice again later.
i did my homework on jcs the night before too... and it's worrying how all their cops are improving...
i'm worried i can't make it to a jc.
but nonetheless if i do make it to at least a second-tier college, ptl :)
i don't have any ideal college in mind, i'll just go wherever the results will take me.
no particular preference whatsoever, but i've already decided what subjects i will take if i enter jc.
i'd do h2 chem, h2 bio, h2 math, h1 econs (?) and those compulsory ones.
still contemplating whether to take history again or not, but then again i don't want to drop econs just for history.
econs might get boring for me, but the most important thing is that it's a practical subject...

so yup i actually already have a goal in life, and that is to work as a dietician at health promotion board.
sounds stupid but yes that is my aim.
i tried often a few times to picture myself in a white lab coat.... and a gold badge with my the hpb logo, my name, and the position "dietician" carved nicely on it.
i'd picture myself with my own "clinic", where patients with diet problems came to visit me and i'd give them advice to eat well and stay healthy.
my job would also consist of designing and planning of nutritional posters and charts...
don't think i'd be able to do that much but, it sounds like a really exciting thing for me :)
if i really do get to do this in the future, i'd say my life goal has been achieved and i would be very happy.
let's hope i don't waver, and stick to this goal for a lifetime.

anyway, i don't know if i'm putting too much thought into life now, but i'm scared.
why?
it got me worried that i had a future full of uncertainties.
i didn't want to live life without a purpose.
i used to just want to enter a junior college because i had "no aim in life".
seriously, there should be a purpose to everything we do in life right?
and since o level results are going to be out in less than 2 days, i decided to get down to being serious...
not that i've made my decision (permanently) yet but, at least i have a major goal to work at for now.

it scares me, though, that life is passing so quickly.
i still remember my first day at primary school, eating pork floss bread from a pink powerpuff girls lunchbox.
i still remember my first day at secondary school, entering 1-2 feeling rather alone 'cos i didn't have my close friends with me.
i still remember the last day of secondary school, where i spammed polaroids with the people i was afraid i couldn't get to meet up with again.
and today right now, i am sitting here, in technically 1 day time, awaiting to collect my o level results.
life is passing too quickly.
we'd soon be posted to our various schools, be it poly or jc, i know we'd be separated...
it's a hard truth of life that i know but can't bring myself to accept.

and suddenly the first time by boys like girls is playing in my head again.
"that you never get a second chance at the first time, we will never be 18 again."

let's look back at 2012

hello hello.
look how fast time has flown, it's already the last day of 2012.
so i guess this is the time of the year where by people reflect upon how 2012 has been, their resolution
for 2013, and i guess also to thank the people who've made a difference in their lives this year.
i do want to do the above 3, and hope i can cram all these in this one post.


anyway, 2012 has been one of the best years of my life.
why do i say so?
well, despite the stress from our o's this year, i feel very accomplished.
i might not have given my very very very very very very best for my exams, but i know this was the best i could offer.
and the best thing about all this exam madness is that you know you're never alone.
your friends are doing this together with you, and that what makes it all special.
you share all the joy with them - when we do well together, we celebrate.
you share all the pain with them - when we fall (fail), we tear.
in the midst of our busy schedules i am surprised we actually found much time to bond and have fun together.
it was my most eventful year in my secondary school life i must say.
2012 was the year i learnt a lot about myself, as well as others.
2012 was the year that taught me that the key to happiness is letting go.
2012 was the year that i learnt to love.

so yes, looking back at this year, here are my top 5 most memorable events of 2012 :)
they're not in any particular order so yup here goes.

#1 Back To Basics Camp

this is the camp that i truly enjoyed and learnt so much from.

firstly what makes it so special that it was a camp organised during the march holidays.

in my almost-three years in the board, this is the first time the exco actually planned for a camp as a farewell.

as an introvert (pretty much) during the camp, it kinda taught me about the real world, realising how important being open and outspoken is.

if not you'd just get trampled on.

but other than the cruel reality i've learnt about, i also cherish and value the times spent with the board.

the above photo signifies so much about what we'd do randomly together at times :)

the lessons and memories from my whole journey are priceless. :')

#2  PL to USS

thank you PL for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of visiting USS as a school.

i was really hesitant and worried about going because i'm not exactly the most adventurous person around.

i am pretty afraid of sitting on roller coasters...

and indeed my life changed when i got onto the "scariest" ride in USS.

i honestly felt like i was going to die or something.

i just screamed non-stop, waiting for the ride to end hahaha.

but yes, the common saying of "life is like a roller coaster" became really surreal.

i looked forward to the parts where the roller coaster was moving very slowly, and also when the roller coaster ascended.

similar to life, i like it when things are going at a comfortable pace.

it's like you're problem-free and can put your mind at ease 'cos you don't sense any imminent dangers.

also, the ascension of the roller coaster could be likened to a smooth path in life.

when things progress smoothly, you'd feel satisfied, and even more, accomplished, when you progress all the way to the peak.

however, on the coasters, everytime it descended or flipped 360 degrees around i had this bad bad feeling i was going to fall or have something terrible happen to me.

just like how things in life go wrong, you feel like as if you're falling through a bottomless pit and no one's there to save you.

i feel really philosophical; but yeah that day scared me out of my wits, played to my fullest and also taught me much about life :P

#3 Sec 4 Farewell

4 years in this ensemble, just flew past like that.

i still remember the days when we were in sec 1, and were newly joined noobies :P

when i had only one friend i could talk to...

it's pretty amazing how we became this batch of harpists that went through so much together.

enduring all the scoldings because we're one of the weakest levels.

bursting all the blisters we got because of endless practice sessions.

we've been through so much together i don't think i'll ever forget that.

the times we actually gathered out of school to bake//have bbq.

and this sec 4 farewell came too fast...

it was really time for us to let go and move on with our lives, relaying the baton on to our juniors.

and i pray, with all my heart, that the sec 3s will shine like never before :)

#4 Prom Night

this was significant because it marked the last day of me being in PL as a sec 4.

and this dinner - i had lots of fun :)

from bidding farewell to my teachers to bonding over meals to taking photos as a memory, it was one of the most memorable night of my life.

special preparations like shopping for the dresses with my friends,  having our make-up and hair done together and also staying up all night in a hotel, it was really something i treasure very much. 

thank you teachers for organising this amazing dinner i will never forget :)

so much love for everyone in the same cohort, too.

#5 Australia, Gold Coast

this was the perfect getaway place to reward myself after the big o's :)

took in so many sights i can't help but marvel at all the photos again.

it was really the best of the best, from the shopping to the seafood to the sights and scenes...

everything about gold coast was perfect!

since this is also my first time going to a non-asian country, it made everything all the more awesome and beautiful hahaha.

but honestly the next getaway place for me will definitely be south korea ^^

the shopping looks really attractive, and i've always been curious to try out korean foods too, thanks to running man :P

skiing would be great fun too!!!

AWESOME.

thanks to australia i'm starting to love travelling ;)

now it's time for me to show my appreciation to those who have made my 2012 so so amazing :)

those that have been there for me, and shared both my joy and woes.

it's my honour to have met and known you all, and since this is our last year in PL, i really want you to know that i love you guys very much and i will miss you all.

thank you for being who you are; you guys are beyond amazing and you should know that :)

yes here's to my lovely clique that have always been there every recess.

will miss the times we talked about everything at the round tables, and also the occasional table tennis sessions ;)

it may have been a very short time together, but i genuinely enjoyed every minute with you guys.

here's to our table of 10 and the amazing people in it!

♥♥♥

okay so let's start off with the closer dedications shall we?

they're in no particular order so yuppp don't assume.

firstly, ashley my desk buddy :)

dear ashley, thank you so much for this whole year. i have really enjoyed spending time with you and i'm glad we got the chance to become table partners :) glad i got to know you a lot better throughout this year through our interaction in class daily. thank you so much for everything hahaha i really don't know where to start. ok how about something we're good at, being gay? :P you never 'judge' me huh, in fact play along and be gay with me hahahaha. i love the hilarious times during class when we do all sorts of crazy stuff! like our cat and dog rendition of we are young, our gay version of gold forever (the wanted fans please don't get me wrong we're not poking fun at the song), our noodle store, our countdown during chinese lessons etc etc. there's so much we've done together and looking back, it really makes me smile :) you never fail to crack me up and i finally found someone who's just like me - wanting to poo in the morning ahahaha! i remember the time i cried after spotcheck and you comforted me... thanks a lot :') i'll always remember you and how you would always be ever cheerful and nice to me. and i'm so proud that you are our miss cambridge!! :) thanks gayley, you made 2012 awesome and i love you :)

alongside with this favourite table gang of mine heh :)

thank you for the endless laughter hehehe~

my gay buddy ashley, my quarreling buddy sheryl and my childhood (can be considered as childhood right hahaha) friend tianwei, thanks so much for making lessons so damn fun :)))

dear sheryl, thank you for being a really good friend of mine for the past 4 years. time really flies, i still remember how noob we were in sec 1.

*inserts noob photo here*

(okay it's an early sec 2 photo because i look way too noob in the sec 1 one)

anyway, thank you for being someone who could tolerate all my nonsense. and i really mean nonsense. i remember how i pms-ed almost every single day and took it out on you. i know it's darn irritating, but you still put up with it. i probably gave you and the rest loads of bullshit in the first 2-3 years. but yeah, i remember everytime when things happened, you were always there to listen to me and how i felt. (or maybe it was just once only hahaha) i guess you're the one who taught me how to let go and just be HAPPY 'cos that's how you are right? trouble-free and always just laughing everything off :) and you always boast that i changed for the better because of your annoying insults hurled at me everyday... no doubt it's true. despite our everyday quarrels (and i seriously mean everyday), i still love you hahaha. i will miss you picking on everything i do and me criticising your ego :) honestly, i couldn't ask for a better friend like you too. thank you for studying with me almost everyday during the intensive period, and our consultation sessions... all the hard work we put in together (esp. for our humans), i'm sure it'll pay off. i hope we'd both do well for our o's and move on to our desired schools. so yes to my really amazing friend who has a completely opposite personality from me, i want you know you've been really awesome this year (especially) and in my whole 4 years of secondary school too. thank you sheryl the stoop for everything, you're awesome in your own way and i love you :)

 

^ okay the lighting is horrible but... this is the best photo i could find :P

dear stacy, thank you for these 4 years of friendship. i really don't know what more i could ask for :) you've been really nice and all, and honestly i will never forget the times we were in sec 1... when you were still 'naughty' and all hehehe, skipping your training sessions just to take bus home together aww :) and also, how could i forget the sock and shoebag throwing thing during malay class in the toilet hahaha!!!! anyway coming back to the more recent times, i really appreciate you and the card you gave me punctually on my birthday :) i'll miss calling you fatty and fatfat and rolling around and all... i swear our whatsapp convo history is priceless. you're the best shopping buddy i' ve ever had, really. love how i actually criticise the clothes you like hehehehe :P but i guess also no one is as patient as you in shopping with me... :) we should really go out again sometime to shop hehe. but the thing is you always encourage me to buy everything i like HAHA!!! besides that i'd remember how we'd always brag about how skinny we'd both are... and also the time i cried over something in the toilet... you were there for me :) speaking of the toilet, we always go to the toilet before lessons (chinese especially HAHAHA) to kill time hahaha!!! going to miss that :( i'm ever grateful for someone like you, really. thank you fatty, for being such a good friend of mine these 4 years, i love you & i'll never forget you :')

dear yingxia, thank you for making my 2012 so memorable :) really, in fact, you've been a great friend these 4 years. i remember how you'd always be so competitive but also really helpful at the same time :) whenever i needed any help from you about work, you'd never fail to help me to the best and never did you complain too... :) and when you quit the zoo tuition, it was really weird w/o you... we (or maybe just me HAHAHA) missed your hilarious laughter so much, and also how you'd always be named the ahlian.. you're also my no.1 telephone buddy hehe, for always calling me up to ask questions and also to sometimes rant about your day/your brother/how unprepared we were for the tests etc. :P and i'm glad i joined mavis too! despite the fact that i was probably more of a distraction to you instead, i really enjoyed talking to you about everything and confiding in you whenever things happened. and the time we freaked out together about "dying" was so epic lol! your compelling spirit (the time when you forced me to go visit you at work) is scary but it'll always crack me up so bad hehehe. thanks so much for everything you've done for me this year, including that pretty cotton cloud card you did for me (and yet it 'failed' because you got the parachute thing completely wrong), i'll always remember you :)

dear abigail, thank you for a wonderful 2012 :) though we only became close last year, i'm glad i got to know you a lot better :) thank you for all the cip opportunities and all the fun times we had together! like going to sentosa as a class, and also during our prom period! enjoyed shopping for dresses together, and also when we did our makeup and hair together :) it's really something we'd girlfriends would do together hehehe. and also the time we stayed up all night to talk about everything after the dinner... it made prom all the more better hehe. and bio tuition too!!! talking about s.b. and gossiping about the boys hahaha. honestly i think we all should go to sentosa again soon... i swear beach volleyball, suntanning, and basking in the water is so much fun haha!!! despite the burns (like that time you had), i'm anticipating for another great time of fun~ i hope we don't lose touch and that we'll keep in contact for a long time to come! all the best for o's results and also to your future too :) thanks for making 2012 awesome!! :)

 

dear seow hwee, thank you for being the best buddy i could ever ask for. i really really wouldn't know what i'd do without you in the board. you were always someone who was there, someone i could talk to about anything (but giving a really deadpan response), but you're really amusing haha. your deadpan responses and your superb wits are entertaining hehehe. and though sometimes i poke fun of you, you seem cool about it and that's what makes you so cute hahahaha. at times when you have outbursts of weirdness (like you spazzing over joongki) cracks me up real bad too!!! oh and coincidentally, you're the person i've taken the most number of polaroids with! i've got 23 polaroids with you lol! i truly love viber-ing with you, and all that friendly banter on twitter... hehehe. i swear 2012 would have been really boring without you :( i hope we'll keep in touch girl, i really hope we do :) i know you'll be the dux of our batch right hehehe. and if we really do stay in touch for a long time, let's keep to our "pact" and travel to korea tgt after uni okay ^^ anyway, i promised to make sure you get a life after o's... i hope these few outings have made you have a life HAHAHAHA. love you so much doob, i'll always be here for you if you need someone to talk to. though so far i've never seen you shed a tear or feel sad before (I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DIDN'T CRY DURING LES MISERABLES) because you have a rock-hard heart hehehe so anyway, thank you for 2012 my dear retard :)

dear yihui, 2012 was really one crazy year for us huh? those bad memories we've left behind in this year. but i'm glad we pulled through, and became even closer after everything :) really, things fall apart so other things can fall together in place. anyway, putting aside those negative times, thank you for being someone so dear to me ever since sec 3. you're really like a sister to me - someone i trusted fully, someone i could look to whenever i was down, someone i could be always be happy/joyful/crazy/retarded with. cherish the times we actually had heart-to-heart talks, studied together, played table tennis till 7pm in school and went crazy, became retarded on our own in a corner during prefect camps and so much more... the times i've spent with you are endless, endlessly hilarious as well. and it's cool how we can understand each other most of the time, almost like we could read each other's minds. creepy but amazing :) the times we actually sat on the swing in school pondering about life... till we became giddy HAHAHA. oh yes, i promise you will be the first to know if i like any guy/have a crush on a guy okay ;) since you tell me so much all the time. now's just not my time yet hehehe i will make up for it :P and thank god you got whatsapp hehehe yay. no more money-less phone haha!!! so yes, i hope your future will run smoothly too :) thank you for the wonderful memories in PL, my dear retard :) 

thank you guys for making my 2012 so amazing.

no lies, 2012 has been one of the best years of my life :)

so here's to the chapter of our life we've just closed, and to the future we'd embark on.

the first line of the chorus means so much to me...

"that you never get a second chance at the first time..... we will never be eighteen (sixteen) again." 

eventful week (dec 17th - dec 23rd)

hello readers.
did i mention that the holidays have been really boring for me?
everyone's either working/overseas, and there's hardly anyone to go out with.
it's so so so boring.
but this week had been one full of outings and all hahah :)
i was pretty excited about pretty much everything~

on tuesday i went to gardens with my retards :)
so much for that place being one of the "50/100/500/1000 places you have to visit before you die".
there were like zero flowers seriously.
or maybe because we were being cheapskates and refused to pay to enter those enclosed air-conditioned areas.
maybe the pretty plants are housed there, i'm not sure.
but there was this one exhibit with a man-made waterfall which was really cooling!
we could feel the cold air from outside so we just stood outside to enjoy the cold air :P
the souvenirs in the shop were really expensive too...
like seriously.
the whole time the 3 of us were just like exclaiming aloud the ridiculous tourist rates of the goods there LOL.
took a few shots, and the self-timer one with mbs in the background was epic HAHA.
we all looked terrible in the end :P
also, there were countless centipedes/milllipedes on the floor, not to mention crushed ones...
it's really gross, 'cos you really had to look on the floor every second to make sure you don't smash one.
honestly it's really disgusting.
after that we took the overhead bridge to mbs to buy gongcha.
it's the only thing we can afford there hahah!
then we trained down to orchard and had ajisen for lunch.
those 2 ah!
make me place the order...
so embarrassing can.
i was like "can we have 3 sets of the $7.90 ramen"...
it's the cheapest thing on the menu HAHAHA.
and also "ummm and 3 cups of plain water too thanks"...
#ultimatecheapskates
i bet the waiter was irked by us :P
so anw, we just sat there for an hour or so talking about everything hahaha.
love bonding times like these so much~
didn't buy anything from orchard, so we just trained down to bugis again :P
we wanted to buy a friendship watch and bag together!
but too bad there were no cheap bags around :(
so we bought a $5 watch each.
mine's pink, seowhwee's green, yihui's white. :)
we should wear the watches together when we go and collect our results :')
awesome day spent with my dear retards :)
thanks guys i love you all alot; appreciate the time spent together alot, 'cos we might not even get to do this together again... :'(

went out shopping with stacy that thursday.
stopped by h&m and forever 21 at orchard :)
but sadly there wasn't much we could buy hahaha.
maybe because i kept criticising whatever she picked out :P
HAHAHA but anyway, we went to bugis straight after without even having lunch.
bought snacks and our favourite avocado milkshake while we shopped :)
i didn't really buy much then, just a dress (that is too short to be one so i gotta wear it with leggings) and a matching longggg skirt with stacy that's really formal LOL :)
oh oh oh!
i bought crazy world that day too hehehe awesome :)

but i was so annoyed!!
hmv promised to give away free autographed wallet cards of blg!!!
but where is it arghhhhh don't have :'(
my feelings got cheated hahaha.

visited my juniors that morning during practice :)
missed them a lot and they honestly have improved a great deal, esp. the sec 2s :)
heartening to know that :)
bought so many snacks for them hahaha we even arranged pack by pack for them to take lol.
their syf song is pretty prepared too! :)
really miss the times when i had intensive holiday sessions to practice swan lake and la vida breve.
honestly time has flown by too quickly.
syf 2011 was more than one year ago.
which means it was 2 years ago that we begun our intense practices...
though i often went back tired, but it was really satisfying to have mastered another bar/line of the music :-)
miss harp so so so much.
gotta go back during cca fair :)))

had my 2nd flea experience that saturday!
awesome awesome.
sales that day were even better than the first time :-)
at least i'm not wasting my saturdays away HAHAHA.
finally smth productive LOL.

resumed my piano lessons after a hiatus due to o's that sunday.
at least i didn't get too rusty....
gonna prepare for grade 7 slowly, and let nature take its course.
yup.
(ok that reminds me, i must practice piano tmrw)
went to jieling's house in the afternoon to bake! :)
finally got a chance to bake smth i've always wanted - rainbow cupcakes :)
helped jieling and xiaohui bake their apple crumble and chocolate chip cookies too!!!
it was great fun but i guess we're that bad because her maid had to help us most of the time :P
she's really good at slicing those apples ahahaha!
even i am not that good on fruit ninja LOL.
i loved the part of adding the color to the batter and also lining them layer by layer ;-)
it's great fun baking with friends teehee :-)
should go bake again soon guyssss!

australia, gold coast

it's been a while since i've blogged.

i'm gonna let pictures do the talking, since i don't feel like blogging...

but australia was brilliant ;)

Day 1: Take-off for Gold Coast

arrived at the airport to find that there was free starbucks that day from i think 6-8!!!

so i ordered the cranberry one...?

(apologies for not being able to remember the name of the drink, still a coffee newbie here)

had swensens for dinner, ordered black pepper seafood pasta.

mmmhmm i swear it was so so so good. :)

i love seafood this much :>

-

so the plane ride wasn't too bad after all~

guess i'm pretty accustomed to it already.

sitting on a plane feels like being on a mild roller coaster ride.

the ascending and descending feeling yeah.

but due to bad weather in gold coast, we arrived pretty late, and ended up having serious butt sores after the almost-9-hour flight. :(

didn't sleep well during the flight either because i kept getting disrupted from my sleep...

the aisle was too narrow and whoever walked past me knocked into my elbow....

what a disturbance.

blame budget.

so i've touched down in australia :)

and the first shop i saw at the airport were krispy kreme doughnuts!!!

yum, even the picture on their signage looks so so so good :)

i heard they're coming to singapore!

is that true? ^^

anyway i wasn't deprived of the opportunity to try them - i did so at dreamworld a few days later :)

after settling the car rentals, we self-drove to look for a place to have lunch.

we were all hungry (except for me idk why, probably the tiring plane ride), so we decided to stop by mcdonalds for a quick bite.

LIKE YUCK!

I HATE MCDONALDS.

THE FRIES ARE DISGUSTING.

so i decided to order a grilled chicken salad instead.

my mom and i had much difficulty placing our orders 'cos the locals have got a really strong accent and we could barely understand them.

i've got other communication breakdown stories to tell you later, they're actually quite funny :P

-

after lunch we drove off to our apartment to check-in and deposit our luggage.

yup this was it :)

the interior was pretty good too, though the floor was a little sticky, i had bedroom slippers to wear around ^^

the kitchen was really cool as there were numerous pots and pans everywhere for you to cook...

it's truly like a home :)

after settling all the administration matters, we set off again for the nearest shopping mall, pacific fair.

ooh la la shopping~

bought the typo 2013 planner from cotton on here for only AUD$5 (which is SGD$6.50).

it's pretty cheap huh! :)

i love it so much yay, it says "it's a good day to have a great year"~

however their clothes are more expensive than sg due to the high exchange rate so i didn't get anything.

my dad and mom wanted to buy coffee and bread for the next day's breakfast, so they asked the cotton on salesgirl for directions.

mom: do you know where we can buy coffee powder and bread? is there any supermarket here?

salesgirl: ....... oh! it's coles, behind! (we heard that it's CLOSED)

so after walking out of the store and exploring the mall, we realised that their supermarket's called coles, but we mistook the salesgirl as it being closed. -.-

genius.

-

after the shops closed at 5.30, we went to the oasis for dinner.

there was a small mall known as the licensed food court and we had our dinner there.

settled for something asian - ebi don.

'cos as you know i love prawns :)

-

after dinner we walked around another supermarket called woolworths...

it was pretty interesting 'cos you get to see what a typical aussie mart would have in store (oh so punny)

and guess what i found?

red-tipped bananas hahahahah.

it just looks really sick and wrong... :P

and there were really nice pastries like doughnuts and cakes to look at too heh~

crashed back to the apartment and managed to catch some good night's sleep :)

Day 2: Carrara Market, Harbour Town Shopping Centre

good morning!



and this was my hearty breakfast that morning :)



bread and biscuits from coles along with fresh milk :)
i personally find that the bread from singapore is a lot nicer 'cos there's this really awesome fragrance of the loaves.
australian bread's pretty stale to me :P
hahah i don't know.
after breakfast i got out of the apartment and headed to the beach.









yes and the beach was so so pretty :)
the sand was so soft and fine, and the waves were so strong~
the clouds were seriously fluffy and the sky was actually a nice shade of blue.
you'd never find such a scenery in singapore...
honestly the view was breathtaking.
the breeze was pretty strong too :P

-

and yes this is the resort's swimming pool :)
pretty nice huh?



after breakfast we set off for our first destination - carrara market :)
it's sort of like our 'pasar malam', only that it operates solely on weekends.
so on the way to the market i took a couple of photos along the road.



and this is my favourite one hahaha because the clouds are SERIOUSLY pretty :)
-
upon reaching the market, i was surprised to find that it bears similarity to our markets in singapore.



the pretty market entrance hehehe looks rather tumblr-ish, don't it? ;)
there wasn't pretty much to shop around but then i got myself the coolest thing ever - a piggybank with my name on it!!!
how cool is that?!?!
and i bought it for only AUD$2, which is SGD$2.60.
CHEAP RIGHT!
you'll never find anything like that in singapore :P



anyway @ carrara market, we stopped by this eatery that was run by a singaporean and sold local food.
he was a really nice chap and talked to us a lot about his life here in aussie~
he even gave us a free ice-blend haha!



my only regret was actually not being able to purchase a basketball jersey...
they were like about SGD$40+++ :(
sadness.



that celtics jersey i will come for you soon!!!!!!!!!!!
-
in the afternoon we went to a place called harbour town shopping mall.
it was the mall that i visited thrice because i just couldn't get enough of the shopping... :P
and now i'm actually sick of that place hahaha.
had lunch at this place called nonna's seafood and i ordered spaghetti bolognese (sp?)...
i like pasta heh.



though it was a little pricey, the best part of the lunch was that there was a tv telecasting a basketball match!!
couldn't really see the scores so i used the camera's zoom to peek hahah~



okc was leading for nuts hell yeahhhhhh :)



there were rows and rows and rows of many shops and i just didn't have enough time to visit all of 'em.
since the shops closed at 5.30...
didn't grab much this first round.
anyway, decided to have dinner at this place called peter's fish market.
apparently it's been listed as the top 50 things to do in gold coast!
and true enough, the seafood was AMAZING.
IT WAS BETTER THAN HEAVEN.
they were all fresh and succulent, especially my favourite prawns.
i like how the eatery works actually, i think it's a great business idea.
you choose the seafood you want, various fish, prawns, crabs, oysters, scallops etc., and choose either to have it fried or grilled.
there're other items on the menu such as fish and chips.
it's clever how they just avail us with 2 choices of fry or grill, making their workload a lot lesser.
they sell nice sauces too that make a good dip for your seafood.
so being the (healthy) seafood lover, i asked for the fish to be grilled (i would have died if it were fried).
the prawns were already cooked so they were meant to be eaten cold.
AND I SWEAR IT WAS THE BEST THING EVER.
(i realise that i am blogging very enthusiastically about this seafood place because the keyboard was clattering non-stop hahahah i am such a seafood fanatic)



HOW CAN YOU RESIST THIS ENTIRE TRAY OF PRAWNS.



PRAWNS ARE SERIOUSLY MY WEAKNESS.





yes i was a very happy prawn picker ^^
so yup, ended the day with a great takeaway seafood dinner + instant noodles heh :)
everyone had maggie mee while i had the microwave-able penne though~
it was pretty good ^^

a full belly is a happy belly
(ok what am i talking about)

Day 3: Dreamworld

good morning fellows this was my breakfast!

the australian milo is super good!!!
it's more chocolatey but also not too artificial :)
it was a perfect blend ^^
and those cranberry & pistachio shortbreads were delicioussss ;)
-
after breakfast we headed straight to our first world, dreamworld!









so the first (and only scary) ride that i sat was this shockwave thing.
it was this ridiculous shit that spun round and round while moving sideways from left to right.
omg i was screaming the whole time hahahah i nearly died of fright.
there were times my butt felt like it was off the seat, and everytime i opened my eyes all i could see were the clouds.
just the clouds!!!
i felt like i was going to die hahahahaha
so i went for a milder ride after that.... LOL



yeah so i sat this with my sister and it was.... boring hahahaha!
but yeah kiddy rides are just like that.
they should totally have this section of rides called the for-teens-who-are-above-kiddy-level-but-not-prepared-for-high-adrenaline-rush-rides!!!
those high-stunted ones are way too scary for me and these kiddy ones are too.... no kick.
HAHAHA.



sat this kiddy swing thing too hahaha!
it was quite fun but i got really groggy after 3 turns.
it was so boring......
LOLOLOL
#loserforlife
-
went for lunch at the nearby cafeteria, and got the time to try krispy kreme doughnuts! :)



i think it was not bad hehehe im so glad it's coming to singapore!
KRISPY KREME FTW~
and yes this was my lunch :)



i tell you, that frozen cola was the nicest drink ever~
okay it tastes the same as coke but.... it's like ice-blended haha!
i love ice-blended drinks i have no idea why.
probably because i like that freezing feeling in my mouth and also chewing the ice ^^
and did i mention that their sausage looks like an inflated balloon 'cos of the unpeeled skin!!! :P
-
visited the other side of dreamworld after lunch, which was the countryside/zoo-ish part where they had animals :)
went to see the kangaroos~





wazzup kangy.
they're really picky about the people who feed them hahaha.
i think they actually prefer their local people to feed them food instead of us tourists haha.
it refused the food my dad gave :P
after that we roamed around to see the nocturnal animals in this dark dark room.
and the crocs.
did i mention that this bloody bird flew DIRECTLY above my head omg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
disgusted x10000000
i don't hate birds, i only hate them when they FLY.
all that dust and dirt when they flap those wings, YUCKS.
and it flew just above me.
DISGUSTING TO THE MAX.
went to watch a sheep shearing show after all the drama.

BEFORE


AFTER


hahah i'm serious.
they shave off their wool like hair.
it SEEMS like hair, so i hope it doesn't hurt those poor little fluffs.



proceeded with a tiger stunt show and the tiger performed pretty cool tricks :)
it jumped over a platform, climbed a tree, and more!!!
really smart :)





got tired after all the shows so we dropped by the dreamworld's ice cream parlour for a quick (chill).
it was pretty crowded, so i guess the ice cream was good ^^
and true enough it was~~~





this rainbow paddle pop has been my favourite since childhood :)
though it's slightly different from the one i eat in sg, the taste is still there and in fact, it's more caramel-y! :)
HIP HIP HOORAY!
-
had takeaway dinner that night again - bought roast chicken from coles and had cabbage and noodles again HAHA



honestly their chicken's really well-marinated and tasty! :)
yup so that was about it for day 3.

Day 4: Movieworld + Harbour Town Shopping Centre (again)





went to the warner bros. movie world today~
i was most excited for this world because my mom said that they'd actually tell you how movies were produced and all.
thought it would be a pretty cool, eye-opening (why does this expression sound weird) experience!
stepped in and the first place we visited was the souvenir shop :)))
shopping again yeah!





and look!!!!
there are both me and my sister's name mugs!!!
got so excited because my sis's name was not easy to find and therefore we bought both cups teehee yay :-)
almost bought their movie world t-shirts but ended up not buying lol.
moved further in and there was a tweety bird and gang christmas performance hahah~





straight after there was a hollywood stunt driver show...
this was probably the only place that showed how the movies were made...
it was really cool but didn't interest me much as i don't really like action-packed movies :P
nonetheless, the stunts they did were really cool!









roamed aimlessly after the show, 'cos we didn't really know what to do HAHA.
those scary rides were excluded :P



went to sit kiddy rides with my sister haha.
took the kiddy coaster, merry-go-rounds and roundabout rides lollll.
i feel so noob but yes hahaha I'M SCARED.
lunch was really hurried because we didn't have a table to sit...
they were mostly takeaways.
so we left movie world pretty disappointed because there was just no movie-making process places...
:(
oh well.
everything's been modified to rides and rides and more rides.
-
went back to harbour town shopping centre today...
bought much hehehehe yay.
i'll post a picture of all my shopping later ;)
that night's dinner we had decided on fisherman's wharf tavern.
but their foods were really overpriced...
even their starters cost like.... AUD$20+??? :O
so we settled for a "cheaper" alternative, PETER'S FISH MARKET.
WOOHOOOOOO!
prawns prawns prawns.
tried their scallop and crab today.
as good as best :-)
headed home and walked around the apartment to explore their facilities!
they had claw machines and arcade games!!!
how cool is that :-)
they even have a table tennis corner for you to play!
sadly we didn't play~
there was also a sauna and a billiard table.
the beach at night was really dark and cold...
the breeze was seriously like aircon at 10 degrees celsius or smth!!!
OMG.
i had to wear my sweater out like a loser when all their locals just wore tank tops and shorts.
HAHAHA.
joke forever.

Day 5: Paradise Country + Wet 'n' Wild



headed to paradise country early in the morning.
this was a place that had more of a countryside feel to it...
with animals reared like horses, cows, sheep etc.



there was free sampling of a traditional cup of billy tea and damper made by a local stockman (obviously i had to go check this up because if not i would have just called 'em bread and tea)
the tea was nice :-)
the damper was pretty dry but still, it's something different!



proceeded with a horse-riding show and that's when i got the chance to touch the horse!!!!
it's so smooth and feels so so so clean :)
-
upon entering the next stockmen & sheep show, i was just randomly taking picturess and this nice man posed for the camera haha!



all the sheep, cows and dogs during the show~







AND YUP THIS IS ME MILKING THE COW HAHAHAHA



after this we went for my second sheep shearing show in aussie.



i thought today's was more interesting because they called out many guests and created much comedic effect out of the wool~
-
AND NOW IT WAS LUNCH.
it was probably one of the best meals in aussie because it was a buffet hahaha.
and the tickets came with lunch, and that i preordered veg lasagne.
the rest of the food were up to you to pick from :)



the potatoes were really good as they were creamy!!!
and i usually don't like potatoes...
made my own milk tea too :)
mmmm it was good (Y)
after lunch we went free & easy around the farm and looked at more animals: the koalas, wolfdogs (???), emus and even fed the sheep and pigs!!!! :)









really enjoyed my time at paradise country 'cos i was able to do things i'd never get a chance to :)
the only thing that pissed me off real bad were the china tourists.
sorry if i'm being what you call, "racist", here, but i'm being honest.
they're so uncivilized.
like, they'd do anything to get their way.
they would go to the extent of squeezing their way through and pushing a child aside just to get a good view of the show.
seriously...
so annoying.
after the rain cleared we went to a water park called wet 'n' wild...
i was hesitant about playing 'cos my wound was still not fully healed.
but i was like "WHO CARES SINCE I'M HERE I GOTTA PLAY TO MY FULLEST"



for a warm-up i decided to bask in the waters here at this wave pool.
every 10 mins or so waves will come on and everyone just goes waaaah and ooooh.
it got pretty boring as i didn't get to try the fun rides.
floated along the calypso river with the float and it was pretty relaxing~
but then i went along with my dad's friend's family to play the other rides.
there was this really high green slide and you could choose your path down: either closed or enclosed, with a large/small splash :P
so i chose closed + large splash ^^
when i slid down and reached the bottom, the splash was sure huge...
my face and nose hurt for quite a bit LOL.
next i tried this aqua racer thing....



yup it's that open air blue slide.
i was quite scared because you were supposed to lie flat on this rubber/styrofoam mat they gave..
 and what if you actually flew off!!!
and as you can see there are many humps where the slope is steep, and those were the scariest parts haha!
i was screaming so badly the whole time LOL~~~
i came in almost last as the water splashed into my nose really hard the 2nd time i rode it.
despite the pain, it was really thrilling :-)
due to time constraints, i couldn't try anymore rides.... :(
but yeah at least i played two "scary" ones LOLOL.
detoured back to movie world that afternoon 'cos my dad's friend's wife had to get smth..
drove to the australian fair shopping centre to buy groceries for the following day.
the shops were all closed except for the supermart and i was so tempted by all the shops....
there was this $2 clothes store, jayjays and many others...
so i was asking if we could come again.
and true enough, we did :-)
there was also this asian supermarket there that just made me LOL.



we then had dinner at jupiter's.
it was a restaurant at a hotel near our apartment.
we decided to eat here because they had a seafood platter for only AUD$9.99!
seafood again ^^



their seafood was really fresh, and could compete with peter's fish market :P
though i had a hard time peeling the crabs ah well...
it was still deliciouuuuuus :)
went back to the apartment and feasted on the box of strawberries i bought for only 99cents~
CHEAP RIGHT.

Day 6: Seaworld + 

set off for seaworld in the morning.
went to the penguin encounter first.



hahah they look really innocent :P
some were swimming like that in the above picture, while others just stood up straight around on land looking like statues :)





see those gross furry humps on the penguin's face and back?
yep to my surprise i found out that they actually moult!!!
they shed their old skin and grow new one.
i thought only cockroaches moult HA HA HA.
#mindblown

DAMN YOU BLOGGER YOU DIDN'T SAVE MY CONTINUED ENTRY ARGH I WILL CONTINUE THIS ANOTHER TIME K GOOD-STUPID-NIGHT

watched a sea otter show thereafter.
they're so fat and cute and full of blubber hehehe.





^ a case of molest hahahah



went to the polar bear exhibit after the show, but sadly there was only one shy polar bear in the whole enclosure.



it was shy 'cos it hid far away from the glass barriers...
and made no sound.
someone claimed they were having "lunch" lol.

there were other mini exhibits of sea animals around, such as the starfish and sea cucumber.







next was this underwater fish gallery, similar to sentosa's underwater world ^^
the fish were really pretty!!









sadly they didn't have clownfish so it wasn't all that funny.
get it?
HAHAHAHAHA lame...

proceeded with a really cool dolphin show...
though they talked more than performed stunts, i know it's not easy to tame and animal and teach it tricks.
so yeah...





ate this really expensive $5.99 ice cream after the show.... :O
but it was good :)



gathered at the central arena to watch the spongebob parade.
don't watch spongebob but yeah, the props and vehicles were really colourful and attractive :)
and i swear in that moment we were infinite the sky was a beautiful blue!









^ he looks like he's descending from heaven HAHAHA

lunch that day at seaworld was as usual...

more fried & fast food.

disgusting >:(

so sick of french fries i tell ya.

left seaworld after lunch 'cos there was honestly nothing much to do...

went to the skypoint observatory, which is the highest building in gold coast overlooking the entire city.

on our way there, we passed by the surfers' paradise beach, and look how pretty it is!!!!

blue skies and blue waves.... sandy beaches 8D

so yeah at the skypoint tower i took pictures like as though i never used a camera before HAHAHA.

because the view was simply too breathtaking :)

after we got down the 80+++ floor building, i bought a cup of chocolate mocha from the coffee shop below.
stupid waitress was so condescending i tell you.



shopped around surfers' paradise (a whole street of shops), and bought a couple of souvenirs here!
i expected much out of the night market that were to be held on wednesday & thursday nights, 'cos i heard there were really cool stuff & souvenirs on sale.
to my disappointment, the variety wasn't that wide and so i didn't buy anything...
what made it worse was that the sand from the beach kept stinging my eyes due to the strong wind.
argh, but at least the double rainbow i saw made up for most of what happened :)





decided on more asian food for dinner again because i couldn't stand the sight of another fry again.



Day 7: Australian Fair Shopping Centre + Robina Town Centre

so i spent my last morning in australia at the beach...
never gonna touch this same sand and view the same skies and enjoy the same breeze again...
all the nostalgia when you've gotta leave everything behind... HAHAHA







first stop was the australian fair shopping centre.
to be honest the shopping here's pretty good!
there's jayjays, a all-at-$2-each store and many other boutiques with nice and cheap clothes :)
kudos to the year-end sales hehehe.

asian lunch again HAHAHAHA
but yeah i told myself before i left aussie i gotta try smth from the mccafe once.
and i did! :)
i think sg's is better though, 'cos their cup's bigger and it's cheaper back there!



went to this sports fair after this mall, but we spent like <10mins p="p" there...="there...">'cos there was nothing to buy and everything was so expensive...
headed to robina town centre thereafter and bought quite a lot too! :)
shall post my shopping later.
sorry for the lack of photos beacuse #1 my neck was starting to take the toll of carrying a heavy camera everywhere for the past 6 days and #2 it was shopping day so all we did is shop and there's nothing interesting to talk about.

Day 8: Goodbye Australia, Hello Singapore

woke up real early to travel to the airport to catch our flight back home.
i really miss aussie :'(



the flight got delayed and we were supposed to reach at 3.15pm (SG time) but we ended up landing at 4+???
actually i have no idea too hahah the mere 2-hour time difference is confusing...



and yes this was my rewarding shopping from gold coast :)



heh my personalised stuff from gold coast!!!
a mug from movie world and also a piggybank from carrara market!
so cool right :)
and guess what, the piggybank was only $2!!! :)



sis and i've got matching cups! :)
it was really hard to find her name haha!
but we finally did~



these 2 neck pillows at $7.99 each i bought was really a good help during car and plane rides :)
thanks for alleviating my neck aches, pains and sores!



my 2013 planner that i bought from typo over there!
it was only $5 hahahaha singapore sells this for about $18 man!
where else can you find such a good deal ;)
can't wait for the new year to begin and start using this cute book ;-)



eh eh eh my tourist shirts HAHAHA.



this is my favourite top i bought from aussie!!!!!
the material's good, and the length is just nice for me to wear with my favorite denim shorts :)
and tribal prints are really cool too ;)
yay for this~



bought a total of 15 tops/shorts in aussie :-))))))
i am a happy kid.



this!!!!!!!!!
my roxy wallet that i bought for only $18!!!!!!!!!
it's so pretty and matches one of my flats hehehe.
it's got many compartments too, and is of really good quality :)
such a great steal ;)



a mouse pen i bought from carrara because i can.
k no im kidding.
but yeah it's only a dollar, and is so cute, why not?
looks semi-koala though HAHAHA!

last but not least....



MY $1 FLATS!
YEAH BABY.
it was seriously a $1, at jayjays!
though it IS a little worn out, but c'mon it was only a dollar...
CHEAP CHEAP CHEAPPPPPPP
where in singapore can you find such deals!
$1 SHOES!
impossible.

-

so yup, that's all i've got to blog.
and i've FINALLY finished blogging!!!!
three cheers for me please!
will blog about my eventful week of the holiday soon ;-)
see you guys again soon.