Procrastination is a challenge

Finals are over! Schools out! Work is almost done!
It's time to:

Laze around and do nothing!

BUT

Argghh....Even after finals, I am capable of getting busier than ever. @.@
I have to work, clean the house, cook, do laundry, chores, grocery shopping, workout, study(yes, study...), applying to schools and jobs and keeping fit..all to start over again the next day coz' you're not alone but alone in keeping this place clean, tidy and working in order.
Can someone please teach me how to stop, relax and enjoy the days of doing nothing?
Procrastination comes naturally to most, but is definitely a challenge to me..
*sigh*

It's almost here...

Christmas is almost here! My favorite season of all times! =D

I wish it would snow this year...lots and lots of snow!

Oh well, it's finals now. Which means I'm buried under a pile of work and books. My best friend, Stress is now knocking on the door, hoping to spend more quality time with me during this wonderful time of finals. Hopefully temper and frustration don't come knocking too..Or I'll probably knock someone's head..hehe..yes, if you don't know, I have a wonderful temper.. =p Anyways, despite all the stress and frustrations, I do make time for GRE and Entertainment! hehe..

here's a MUST watch: TANGLED!

I laughed like a kid all the way through the movie. It was fun and relaxing..a good way to get stress out the door.

Thanksgiving Week

This year's Thanksgiving is different than every other year..no house hopping, no big-time entertaining, just simple and fun. Johnny brought a turkey from his company and I cooked it. And some dishes. =) I'm splendidly surprise of my cooking skills..really...it's my first time cooking a turkey, well, cleaning a poultry that is not already fillet, cleaned, packed and ready to cook..it had everything intact..it was an interesting experience that I hope not to do again..haha..i mean the cleaning part. Anyways, turkey turned out great. Stuffing was ok, gravy was perfect..after an entire day of toil and labor, we had our delicious Thanksgiving dinner..

Black Friday was fun too. We went to Tulsa, OK to shop..hehe..and well, there were couple of good deals..bought couple of stuff and Christmas presents. All were fine and well, happy as can be, we headed back. But then, of course, something has to happen..as always! =p Flat tire! We pulled over, tried to remove the nuts but they were screwed in too tight..both of us were not able to get them loose..so, we decided to pull over on a flatter road..Thank God for the kind and helpful people out in the nowhere..an old man saw us pull over near his place and immediately came out to help. He jacked the car, and helped us change the tire..and he even told us where to get new tire which was just 2 min away. All is well, we got the tire changed for low price and we were set to go..eventful huh?

anyways, GRE on Monday..pray for me and wish me luck! =)

Almost the end...

It's almost the end of another semester..3 more weeks of classes and I'll be done with this semester..Can you believe it? I'm one more step to graduation! Anyways, things are going crazy for me now. Exams every week, homework, papers, working 2 jobs and of course, chores. Caffeine is my daily source of energy, no more 8 hours of sleep and no more gym..I haven't been to the gym in 2 months! It's crazy..from every 2 days to once a week to now, every 8 weeks? I really need to start making time to exercise. Fortunately, I quit housing job to concentrate more on my studies and now, I have more time to study and sleep.

Last Friday was my last day at Housing. My colleagues and supervisors threw me a mini "goodbye" party. Everyone brought food =) There was Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, homemade Malaysian-style banana cake, homemade sausages (which they all finished before I arrived) and cupcakes! hehe..It's fun working there but things had become routinely. People here are great to work with, everything was easy and uncomplicated. I get to study on the job but internet on the computer I have is super super slow..Instead, I decided that my time is better spent on studies as it's my senior year and I really really wanna get into the phd program here...

So, now with only one job, I get to use my mornings to study instead of filing and just tutor on weekends and after class. It's so much more relaxing since I get more stuff done now (and more sleep, less caffeine). GRE is coming up after Thanksgiving..so, I have a lot to do..I really wanna make at least 1500 on the GRE.. =)

Anyways, time change has messed up my schedule a lot. It gets dark too early and bright way too early in the morning. Wind blowing at my face, wearing layers and boots...call me crazy but I now look forward to SNOW! I'm so excited!!!

Ok, back to studying and being a nerd..haha...

Overloaded

2 Weeks of of sleepless nights, headaches and frustrations, I hope everything goes well and it pays off. I had 3 exams this week, 2 term papers to draft and 2 bonus essays to draft..done with the exams, leaving 4 papers to draft..At this point in time, my brain is about to explode from overload. And all my friends told me that senior year was going to be easy going and headache-free..well, that's not happening for me. Senior year is tougher than the past 3 years, more hard work and more effort..My life always seem to be different from the mainstream..but I love every bit of it..So, Rill, if you're reading this, go back to studying..hahahaha......

Things (I still need) to do for this week:

1. Register for GRE.
2. write my application essays
3. set up my other students' tutoring session
4. decide which schools to apply
5. Study for GRE.
6. Draft my 4 papers..

Not too bad right? =p

Grateful

Despite all that has happened, I'm so glad I made really high A's in my Risk Management and Emerging markets exams. Both my favorite classes too! I was so worried about my Emerging Markets class as we had to write more than 10essays in 1 1/2 hours! haha..I wrote till my hands hurt, but I guess it's worth it!

(Even that one question I wasn't sure what I was writing and have no idea where the answer came from, all I did was pray and I made full score!)

Thank God lots and lots!

=D

Oh well, more exams and papers to do now..that's all!

My 23rd ♥

My 23rd Birthday was awesome! I had so much fun and enjoyed every part of it. In the afternoon, Johnny, Sheryl, and Daniel went to the mall with me. We had lunch since all 3 of them were hungry..it was short and ok..then we kinda just split up and went seperate ways since Sheryl and Daniel wanted to go somewhere else outside the mall..I don't remember where they went, something about BestBuy and other outlets..so that explains why I didn't see them in the mall after lunch..anyways, I had fun shopping..I got my winter boots, a knit vest, a cute winter cap, a small black knit short-jacket (so I can stop borrowing from Sheryl) and hugs! It was funny how I keep bumming into the students I worked with that day and I got hugs. After my little "spree", Johnny and I went to watch "Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps". At this point, still wondering why I can't find Sheryl and Daniel at the mall..so anyways, the movie was really nice! Sadly, I was the only one who knew what was going on in the movie. Haha..nevertheless, I had fun.

After the movie, we headed back to the mall to pick Sheryl up, thinking she would be there..After some time, we still couldn't find them and so I called her. They were already at Shogun..at least they could have told us. *sigh* Dinner was at Shogun. Food was not as good as we expected, environment was weird because someone had party music right behind us. Overall, the day was fun. Of course, Sheryl disappeared again after dinner and me? I had to head straight back into my books..haha..so, yes! I enjoyed my "little holiday"!

♥♥♥

Some pics!

(I think he had a headache trying to order? haha)

My Miso Soup

heart attack for appertizer

My Spicy Chicken Bulgogi

(yes, I had korean food at a japanese restaurant..haha)

Sheryl's Yakisoba

Johnny's Steak Teppanyaki?

Slippers from Sheryl

Mirror from Daniel

(it came with 3 price tags! haha)

my cute cute cap ♥♥♥

oh, and introducing my new study chair..hehe

it's so comfy ♥♥♥

bye bye back pains and uncomfortable seat..

♥♥♥

That's all for now..BYE~~~

Another year almost gone

Another year is almost gone..i woke up to FB greetings and chocolates on my work desk this morning. My "supervisors" treats me to all these chocolates during my bday and christmas time..it's awesome! They must really know how much I like chocolates..haha..And guess what? It's not even my bday yet..haha..one more day and I'm already enjoying it..I can't wait till tomorrow!

=D

Day Trip to Praire Grove

Today was different..I spent my day at a couple's new house today. Jaci and Michael were building their house from scratch, every plank cut and trim, every dirt poured, every single detail were personally done by the couple. It was amazing, how much effort and details went into the planning. When we got there, we were greeted by the dogs (surprise, surprise...more dogs...) I'm just not a big fan of overly excited/hyper dogs.. Anyways, they were so hospitable and friendly..i enjoyed my time. I learnt so much about animals, building a house, designing your house, nature and a bit of nature stuff..i hate never got so close to nature and animals as i did today. =)

I got to see 100s of hummingbirds up close. Did you know they hum and make sounds as they eat from the feeder..and they can fly backwards or stay at the same spot for some time? They fly at more than 34 mph..fast huh? I was enjoying the sight until one of it flew right into the glass door and fainted..it was so scary! I thought it broke its neck and died..luckily, it was alright. Jaci took it inside the house and it started gaining consciousness again..she brought it out for us to look up close and said it would come around in couple minutes..so i thought it'll be a great idea to lean in and admire the bird up close and personal..but that little thing flew right at my face and went back out to the feeder..i was so surprised when that happened that I flinched and spilled my drink all over me.. ^_^" (anyone who knows me knows this is NOT highly unusual..haha..) i felt so bad..oh, and they put away the dogs for me too..they brought them out one by one, well, not the big ones to say hi to us..Lucky impressed me the most. It's the sweetest thing ever..

We had a tour of the house and property..found lots of interesting stuff during our short hike..i got hit in the face by a grasshopper which was jumping way too high..didn't get to ride horses though, which was what i was looking forward to but it's ok..basically, i got to be out in nature, without getting allergies..it's an awesome feeling! At least for someone who grew up without animals and much nature..haha..oh, later, we cooked Bak Kut Teh, scramble eggs with tomatoes, stir-fry spicy chicken and rice for dinner for them. It was our treat, of course..I was afraid they would hate the food, but to my surprise, they loved it! =D I was so excited..hehe..after dinner, we played mahjong. Jaci bought the mahjong set from China, so we were learning it..they are really fast-learner and strategist..hehe..shows how much more i need to learn in reading people during the game. All said and done, I had an awesome time. I really appreciate them having me over today..it was quite an experience..although they probably think i'm weird because i never bother about animals or nature much before..haha..

BTW, their house is pretty awesome!!! esp, the kitchen. It's huge and oh, the recess lightings are amazing..and the large island..it's not quite done yet but i love the layout! =D

My new toy

Say hello to my new (upgrade) toy: HTC Aria!!! ♥♥♥

My early bday present from my friend..hehe..it's accessories will be here next week..hehe..I'm so happy! ♥

Earlier today, I was getting anxious about when it didn't arrive today. Checked the UPS status and it said it's "in-transit" and I was sitting here wondering where my phone was. As I was debating what to cook for dinner, suddenly there was that loud knock on my door..my htc is here!!! hehe..you can imagine how happy I was. I was smiling cheek to cheek..well, dinner was very very simple of course..haha..Then, later, there was another loud knock on my door..so I thought it was the other package, with the accessories..but to my dismay, it was some little girls selling cookies..*sigh* but it'll be here next week...i can't wait!!! ♥♥♥

Anyway, this birthday is getting better and better..did i mention i got a smallfry from Build-a-bear last week as their bday gift to me? ya..it's super adorable..haha..♥

missing them

It's been less than 24hours and I miss them so dearly now. Watching them leave is harder than me leaving the country the first time. =(

The smell of constant cooking and cleaning, the constant sounds of repairs and modification, the sound of laughter and unique ideas, that little voice that tags whe

rever I go..all these are now gone as they are on their way home. Living with them for almost the past 2 months was awesome! I did not have to worry about everything myself or try be an adult in every situation. Mom and Dad was there throughout the 2 months, helping us out in our place, making us breakfast every morning, packing our lunch boxes, organizing all our stuff the way it should have been done, buying us organizers we thought we can't afford, repairing every broken piece in my house, cleaning it everyday so we'll have a clean home to come home each day, doing my laundry so I won't have to worry about it, redecorating my ro

om with love and joy, stocking up my place with food so we won't starve..all the little things makes so much difference. They were always there to take care of everything for us. It was more like a vacation for me than for them.

Now, I wake up to quietness, loneliness and the smell of independence. I miss the smell of fresh home-cooked food, the sounds of repairs and new ideas, the laughter and joy, every moment we spent together..How I wish they did not have to leave so soon. They were so patient and understanding to everything we did/say here. Sometimes, we can

just be immature and ungrateful..but I just want you all to know I appreciate everything you did for us. Everything you had sacrifice so that we could have a better life, better opportunity. This has been the BEST summer ever!!! I promise I'll work hard and get a job and give you all a better life in the future. I love you all! Have a safe trip home!

Happy 3rd Anniversary

3 years and 5 days! that's exactly how long I've left home and studied abroad..that's when I first started my adventure of independence..it had its ups and downs but I love every moment of it. Thank God for giving me this awesome opportunity..and I pray for more to come..hehe..

Anyway, here's me with Tina Turner's star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame and also Golden Gate Bridge..I wouldn't wanna live here in CA but I LOVE shopping! hahaha..one more day tomorrow.. =D

Roadtrip..1

Roadtrip so far has been interesting, with so many people in a car..being together 24/7 is challenging. Being judged all the time ain't helpful either. Being called fat, picky and other names ain't much help to my self-esteem eh? I just hope they would learn to accept me as an individual, an adult, with my own lifestyle and personality..

Anyway, the scenery is beautiful and the time spent with family is priceless. We've been to NM and AZ so far..including the South Rim of Grand Canyon..had tons of unhealthy food that I feel so unhealthy and bloated right now..lack of sleep, constant driving and noise level up high..allergies are back..Grand Canyon was amazing. It's more than 6000 ft above sea level! God has really blessed this land with so many beauties and wonders, which I hope to enjoy without allergies kicking in..here are some pics to show you to wonders I had enjoyed today..apart from the Canyon and Colorado River that flows through the Canyon, there were several wild animals that came out to play..but we didn't get to see a mountain lion..hahaha...nvm...here you go!

on the way!

Grand Canyon

So misty after the rain

my awesome windbreaker became a raincoat..

RAVEN

Squirrel

DEERS

Of course, me..at Hermit Rest..

UB: Week 6..Final Week

This is our final week in Upward Bound 2010..6 weeks of drama and fun are about to come to an end. I'm relieved, yet a little sad. I'm going to miss these kids..spending 6 weeks with them, ALL day and night is tiring and fun..sometimes dramatic. But I'm glad it's going to be over, so I can spend time with my family and friends.

This week was eventful: first off, PROM!

Theme: Mardi Gras..

Venue: Uncle Gaylord's..(weird name? lol)

It was fun, dressing up and dancing like a puppet..those who know me know I can't really dance..so the kids had me like puppets..hahaha..esp Yuki..

(P.S. It's not alcohol..)

Second event: Memphis, TN trip

We spent 2 days 1 night there. It was a long 6 hours bus ride, uncomfortable one too. I had the noisy bunch sitting right behind me..i tried to sleep but was too uncomfortable. We had lots of authentic southern food (heaty food..sheryl's fav..all deep fried), visited Arkansas State University and then went to Southern Folklore for dinner and blues music..it was fun and entertaining. Food was not bad actually..

The next day, we walked to hard rock cafe for lunch..found a strand of hair in my plate which the waitress said it was cheese! drinks tasted weird, according to my table of girls..had a campus tour of University of Memphis which wasn't that great. We walked under the heat and did not even see the inside of the buildings. Later we visited the Civil Rights Museum which was educational and then had fried chicken for dinner..yes, more fried stuff *so heaty* ..then we boarded a sightseeing cruise on the Mississippi River..the river had a stench and it looked murky..it was horrible..but overall, it was relaxing and fun..I liked the breeze. Since most of the kids were busy partying and dancing in the cabin, the outdoors of the boat was relaxing..i liked it. But because of the long day and sweat and hot sun, i had heat rash and some type of allergy.. @.@ After all these, we started our journey back to Fayetteville. We got back at 3am! I'm so tired..and had to checked a girl out at 7am..which meant, after shower and all that stuff, I only had 4 hours of sleep all day today.. =(

Oh, the kids leave tomorrow! =)

Paul the octopus

Up to $4.5 million for the endorsement of an octopus that ate a clam out of a box labeled with the flag of a match-winning team eight consecutive times?

Since Paul is an international celebrity of the highest order now, everyone wants a piece of him - both literally and figuratively. Italy is trying to claim that he was caught in Italian waters, Spanish businessmen are trying to buy him for €30,000 ($38,000), and Dutch priests tried to dismiss him.

(cite: Yahoo! news.. http://g.sports.yahoo.com/soccer/world-cup/blog/dirty-tackle/post/Paul-the-octopus-could-make-millions?urn=sow,255780)

LA Times reported that a businessman has offered nearly $38,000 to rent Paul as a mascot for a food festival in northwestern Spain. Paul also has a Facebook page and millions of fans and followers all over the world.

After Paul's prediction on July 6, death threats and recipes from Paul's own countrymen were sent to his owner. Now that his prediction has proven true and Paul's World Cup 2010 picks remain 100% accurate, the AP reported that most Germans are now thinking about Paul fried in garlic butter.
(cite: the Christian Science Monitor)


All these fuss over an octopus is ridiculous. There is no such thing as a psychic octopus. Here is my theory..when you put an octopus to choose between 2 containers with clams in it, having a flag over the container, the probability of it choosing either one is 50%. 50% for every game, each team. 50% is a half-half..An octopus cannot recognize a flag. It is not scientifically proven that an octopus have the capability of predicting. It's a dish (sorry to those who get offended, but it is a dish in certain places.) It is merely a game of luck..OK, so, it predicted 8 games correctly..but does that make it psychic? The number of correct prediction does not increase the probability of a team winning a game, it does not add to the credential of an octopus.. Having bidding millions on an octopus that has 6 more months till its average life span is not a good investment. Having international dispute of ownership of an octopus is ridiculous. What's going to be next? Bidding billions on a chicken that has "psychic" powers too? Is this a matter of logic or just mere egoism? Is this an investment that would reap great returns? What do one gets from owning the octopus? Take it to a casino and increase your chances in winning? This is insanity..

Summer fun...week3

This week was fun with the kids..I think most mentors were worn out by this week. By Thursday, everyone was grumpy and tired, including me. Everyday is a routine. Hugs are getting more frequent, squeezes? Yes..those too..My nicknames are getting longer, including "sparkly" because I have a sparkling personality? lol..We had dinner on Dickson last Tuesday too. My family were planning to got o Kosmos with Anthony's family. Somehow, that place was mysteriously closed? haha..so we went to Feltner's Brothers. A burger place. Not too cheap, but not too expensive either. After that, we went to Orange Mango. Made my own ice cream with full of chocolates..not too bad. Somehow, I prefer Braum's ice cream..cheap and it comes with waffle cones! =D Since dinner and dessert ended pretty early, Anthony and I took our families on a long and exhausting campus tour..we went into at least 6 buildings, exploring each floors and rooms possible. You can imagine how tired my legs are after that fun, insight tour we had. Oh, and Thursday, we went to skate! Yes, I did try to skate. The mentors were going for the 80's look, so Jessica lent me a bright neon orange shirt and Chandra applied some extremely bright neon apple green eye shadows for me, which pretty much made me "eye-catching"..As for skating, having 2 girls holding my hands and going round in circles was definitely fun..but I wish my balance was better so I could have enjoyed it more. The feeling when skating reminded me of skiing in SD..maybe one day, I can try again.. =) Theme dance is next week. I think I can pull off the Sailormoon costume..we'll see about that one.

Today, I went to Beaver Lake for sightseeing..or at least attempted to. GPS has no clue where it was either..sigh..later this evening, we went to ISCA for some delicious homemade ice-cream..Sheryl put so much chocolate toppings on hers that I can feel a sore throat coming soon...After dessert, everyone headed down to Dickson Street for July 4th fireworks! We managed to get a pretty good spot at the Bikes, Babes and Bling (BBB) site. Apart from cigarettes and smokes, it was pretty good. I really enjoyed the sight. Pictures should be up later on, on FB...when I remember...

Weekend

Last weekend, we watched 3 movies (2 in a row!)..
This week..just 1..haha..
Anyway, met an old friend at church this week and it was just random..it took me by surprise because it's not everyday we see someone unexpected at church..lol..but what meddles with my mind is how people always look at me when I put on a skirt/ dress/ shorts...anything non-denim..I mean seriously? how different can I look when I'm not in my regular jeans and t-shirts? just a random thought...

oh, last week, I got the best compliment ever..
"I like your accent, it's really cute"
yes, my "cute" accent compliment from a 15yr old..lol
but the thing is, that isn't my entire msian accent..it's the suppressed accent.
After all the mocking and making fun of my accent and pronunciations,
I honestly appreciate it..

UB Week 1

So the kids have left..the hallways are so empty and quiet! this week has been a super long week, it feels as if it's been more than 2 weeks already. maybe it's all the walking under the heat, keeping up with the kids, HPER trips and lack of sleep..as you can tell, I'm worn out. and there's 5 more exciting week! haha..132 kids is hard to keep up with.

This week's been fun so far. We had a birthday bash and dinner on dickson. The birthday bash was awkward for me, since i don't dance. The songs were really loud, which lead to a bad headache. But the kids seemed to had a lot of fun..which was the entire point of the party. Anyway, Jessica's mentor family and mine decided to haed to Blu Fin for dinner. Blu fin on Dickson was expensive! Gladly, I'm not paying it out of my own pocket. =p The sushi was ok (i've had better ones, but not here in Fayetteville), but I think a lot of the girls had a bad culture shock! Some of them were willing to try new food, but others, not so much. Couple of girls were, of course, disgusted by the food..One even claimed that seaweed was fish poop-ing place and miso soup to be weird and disgusting..oh, and yet the best is..tofu is mini french toast bread! It's definitely an eye-opening for some and interesting dinner conversation for me and Jessica..lol..I even had Tamago sushi. Everyone thought it was weird because the egg looked different than regular eggs... ^_^""" I guess if you're from a rural place, it's normal reaction..but I just felt the entire dinner was interesting to see their reactions..lol..something normal to me is definitely a huge culture shock for a lot of the kids..

Anyway, kids are off for the weekend and will be back before I know it. So, adios everyone..I'm gonna go enjoy my days off....

Summer fun

I spent the last few days hanging out with my friends, catching up with friends here and everywhere else, studying GMAT, baking and other fun stuff..hehe. So far, we had steamboat/ hot pot (yes, we ate it during this horribly hot weather! XD ) and bak kut teh..what's next? haha..I have one more week of freedom before I move into the dorm again for work. Staying in the dorm would have its perks: free food, free lodging, TV cable. Bad is less freedom to hang out, less flexibility to yam cha or do things the way I'm accustomed to, more rules to follow, and less hygienic (based on my standards)..anyways, here are some of my all time favorite "Famous Amos" style chocolate chip cookies, it's so delicious!!! (sorry pics are a bit blur)