Jacqueline
11:04 PM
Fabulous. Day one and I got $300. I am never gonna get married. This is so much easier than giving tuitions and getting a job. Sitting there and playing games, drinking beer and doing some people-watching and I earned that amount. I even get to doll up and act pretty. Cool.
Reunion dinner was fabulous too. We had all the Hainanese delicacies laid out. Beef stew, Chicken, Chilli, Tiger Prawns, Braised mushroom and sea cucumbers, abalone, jelly fish, Fish maw (My No.1 favourite) and many others. [Notice I only name food that I like? lol I deliberately skipped the dang-er, celery, leek and lean pork.] The soup base was made of real stuff, unlike what we always have at Marina. And the best part? There is no Tepanyaki! I love reunion dinners. I love it when everyone sit down and eat. Then I can do more people-watching and think back to those years where some members left and some joining the famaily. I like to see the transience.
It is amazing how much we have changed. The thing that I love most about Chinese culture is the inculcation of Filial Piety. I can't emphasize enough the importance of it. Of course I won't preach on what we should or what we shouldn't do. But the very act of appreciating and empathising your parent's effort to bring you up is enough to account for fillial piety. Chinese culture really goes a long way back, though they do have some that I don't really agree with.
It is interesting to see that amongst all the differences in age, gender and even blood relations, we still come together to celebrate a festival together.
Happy Lunar New Year people. On top of all the fun, take time to do some thinking. That will make you feel better for slacking and waiting for time to pass by.
Jacqueline
10:18 PM
There are many things running through my mind, but nothing great that I should really worry for. Even if there was any worry, they would have all been dissipated by the KTV session or even the thought of the KTV session I had with my people last Friday.
It is not easy to embrace changes and with friends heading towards different directions in life, the disparity between us is even bigger. As a result, when all of us came together (forces united), what left similar was the little part shared during the time we got together. Brushing layers and layers of years spent doing different things, we went back to those days again. There was no need for Botox, we felt young and energetic. We could go on and on and for once, I don't feel like going home. Never seen me laughed madly? Never seen me scream loudly? Never seen me lost control of my facial expressions? You probably wouldn't get the chance since it is hard for me to get drunk.
The time spent, though short, was worthwhile. Here are some shots that we did. I suspect (whats new?) deep down inside, we never grew up. You shall see. If you notice, its hard for nana to stay still for a decent shot.
You see that? Mad.
The attempt to be Qian Shou Guan Yin (Nana's claws look a bit evil here)
This is classic.
Hairy hairy hairy whatever you think it looks like.
You don't know my people. They are a strange bunch that acts that way eve though they aspire to be...
like her
All Lesbian tendencies were let loose when she appears... (only nana actually)
1 lovey-dovey couple and 1 jealous les. Disturbed?
Why do I have stumps for fingers? *stab myself*
Nana looks reluctant to settle down for a decent shot
Flo is more co-operative.
The choir presidents
I love my people too much. When again???
Jacqueline
12:02 AM
I am lazy. Leave blogging to another day. Photos that are overdue...
Where are you?
Boxing Day 2005
Cheryl the pro
First timer - Caught in a FIX
Celebrating Mic's and Sissy's B'day!
At the Airport waiting for Flora
Everyone looks SO different now!
How will we be all be like in the span of Three years?
Jacqueline
10:17 AM
If there is one thing I learnt in the past year, it is how to move on. I remember telling myself that if I figured about life or came to terms with something that once bothered me a lot, I would share with people on how to handle those issues. Afterall, why make another fellow earthling suffer the agony and go through those times when they can get out of it faster with the help of others? I was glad when I learnt that one of my friends felt the same way too. He grew a lot.
What is more heartwarming than having friends that share their ideals with you and for you to realise that some of the thinkings actually overlap.
I have been asked quite a number of times on why I blog. I think most people ask that because they have no idea what I am talking about.
To me, if a blog had a fixed function, I probably wouldn't use it anymore. Who doesn't know that talking to a human is healthier than bearing your soul to a computer (Technically, yes)?
But the thing about communication is, most people
do not bother to listen. If you think that communication is only about shooting your mouth off, you need to think twice. How many times have you been brushed off when you were talking about something that no one else really bothered to listen. Not hear, listen. And the fault doesn't lie with others. If you think about it, who would spend hours just to, not listen, but hear you rattle about
your aspirations,
your hopes for the future,
your outings... in short, only about
you? This kind of thing can be related when you have nothing more to talk about. And when it comes to women, what can be more juicy than gossips of
others? So, where do you channel the 'excess' thoughts and words that no one really bother to know unless they have nothing else better to do? Blog (n).
Nevertheless, whenever asked why I blog, I give answers that don't really give blogging a lot of credit. Why? I did that on purpose. Feel like slapping me? The thing is, some people ask why I blog just so to demean the whole notion of blogging. I am sure people blog for different reasons. These people that don't know about blogging assume that all bloggers blog like XX because they only read one kind of blog. As if to make their point, they went on talking about how cowardly Singaporean youths are, hiding behind a monitor and not standing up talking about this at eh.. what was that again? Oh, Speakers corner. DOH. Don't they know what is technology? I turn strangely beetroot whenever I mention "Speakers Corner". We all agree that it was a failure. So you think the fault lies with 'shy' or 'cowardly' Singaporeans? Well, I leave theat up tp you.
I knew no one would be interested if I start a conversation with things that I find worthed talking about (not that fashion and gossips are not worth talking). Therefore, I am explaining why I blog(v) in my Blog(n). And if you are reading it with distaste, go gossip. It suits you more.
Jacqueline
11:29 PM
I feel weak in all my joints. It is as if my body will disintegrate itself within minutes. I attribute that to the Mathematics that I have been doing continuously for the past few days. Ken asked me for help in Loci, then I had to tutor Wen jin on Sine rule and Cosine rule. After which I had a gruelling session of A maths and E maths with a very weak student. I think it is my retribution. As if the effect was not potent enough, I went to my Business Finance class and found myself punching feverently at the poor calculator. Then early in the morning the next day, I found myself going through with Xin ni the first topic of her textbook.
Mathematics.
I always feel that life is made up of stages and there are some things in life that we can never avoid from. For instance, everyone will go through stages whereby they learnt how to mend a broken heart, how to overcome failure, how to understand and accept the people around us, how to love a person, how to cherish family members and many others. It is only a matter of timing. Some experienced certain events earlier while others, later.The purpose, I guess, is to help people tide over a certain period in their life and vice versa. And that applies to me and the subject too.
The bottomline is, you can never totally avoid something you thought 'unplesant' in your life even though you can slow it down. What will be, will be. And because of that, you have to face your fear bravely, face it head on.
Back to Mathematics. If you people think that I hate that subject, you are wrong. I just don't like to do things that are meaningless. I know, there seems to be this whole bit about logic and all. But like I always say, do you speak in numbers?
Maths was like plague ever since I didn't do well for it during A's. Because I didn't do well, people gave me a certain look when they knew that people flock to me to ask me teach Maths. Teaching is different from studying. I may not be a good student, but I know the way to do it simply because I can empathise with students that are weak in Maths. Many are weak with figures simply because they
didn't want to do it, not because they are
dumb.
I advise many to worry for themselves, not my students. They are doing well.
That aside, my fever is worthed it. I learnt a lot more.
Jacqueline
7:11 AM
There are times I am thankful that I am able to understand and am opened to others' persepectives. Yes, you caught the 'there are times', thank you. Because of this, I am not that firm in my beliefs. Either that or I have no beliefs. But thank god I am not indecisive. I hate it when people cannot make up their minds. For the least, I share the same properties as that of liquid. Although I have no fixed shape, I have a fixed volume. When I make a decision, I only look forward.
I hate it when people talk about regrets and making the 'wrong' move. Is there anything that is 'right' in the first place? If you think there is, then you will be spending the rest of your life thinking why you made the 'wrong' one. I have a remedy to cure that though. First, raise your arms, make sure that your elbow is behind your ears and your forehead is leaned forward. On the count of three, run with all your might and slam yourself against the wall. That helps in snapping out of it.
What's done cannot be undone. Drop the talk about interest and all. I have people rooting for me. Find yours, win yours. Life would be easier that way. Forget about the first remedy because things would be the same even if you smashed your nose bridge and still stand firm with your thinking. When a belief no longer holds true, you bloody move on.
Jacqueline
10:25 PM
"Even if you have tried and failed, even if thousands of thousands before you have tried and failed, I want my chance too!"
The above is said by a little girl called Dawan in
Sing to the Dawn by Minfong Ho. I find this book stangely inspiring. The book has a very simple plot, somewhat like that of
The 5 People You meet in Heaven. The book speaks of a little girl's perseverence and will to change not only her life, but also the life of others in the poor village that she lives in. Growing up in an Asian context whereby males dominate females, Dawan's rights were taken away even though she deserved so much more.
In it, you will witness the pride and integrity that she fought courageously for. Truely touching.
Read it in a day and you will see.
Jacqueline
8:25 AM
It was only in these few days that I got to terms with what had been bothering me for years. I am feeling magnificent, feeling very 'myself'. I am so at ease that I don't feel like blogging about it. Will drop in again.
~Jacq feels something she hasn't felt for a million years: Jubilation
Jacqueline
1:59 PM
Prata rendevous
This week proves a little too harsh for me. I must have slacked too much because the process of going to school seems like a chore. I cannot focus or pay attention in class. On top of the tedious schedule and my blunder (going to school on a non-schooling day), I managed to meet up with Mr Suen and Nana for prata before the former leaves for Autrailia (not spelling error, just trying to impersonate my boring lecturer).
We were supposed to meet at 9 and I was five minutes late. Being polite, I messaged Mr Suen and realised to my horror that he would be late by an hour! No big deal on other times, no big deal if I missed the 9 o'clock show, but certainity one BIG deal because I missed the scene whereby Alex To was in boxers. And Carina dear, being kind and eager to display her innate niceness made it a point to let me know what I have missed. (I hereby denounced you as my leftie. Stay away!)
It is time like this that I realised what it means when they say 'A friend in need is a friend indeed'. Dear Nana stuck out with me through thick and thin as we stood outside a clinic pathetically trying to catch the rest of the show. And this is what we did during commercial break.
Nana looks like the bey bey I saw when I first met her in Sec 1!
While waiting for ZL, we ordered our drinks. I thought fruit juice was healthy but they added some sugar syrup into our healthy drinks.
Hari Raya and Chinese New Year
Then Zhi Liang came. This was what he did when he heard that we were taking a photo of him...
Vanity is not about women only.
(PS: look who is at the background of the photo!)
After making sure that his face showed no hint of oil, the photo was taken.
Bey, not behaving as always
A close-up at the food. I happened to go out with a weird group of people. One ate plaster and the other took tissue.
The plaster
Tissue with chocolate
ZL, long arms are nothing without skills.
I was supposed to leave earlier but time passed so fast that I lost track of it. If Bey didn't say anything, I would spend my whole night there. It would be great if Zan joined us. But the guy was too inflexible and Bey was too assuming. There is always a next time though. Nice meet-up.
Jacqueline
10:07 PM
2006 promises to be a good year ahead because a rainbow was sighted on its first day.
[Courtesy of Wenjin]
Very observant if you noticed how dark the sky was. This rainbow appeared before a rain. How ironic. We often hear people saying that a rainbow always comes after the rain. How do you explan this huh? *sticks out tongue* Erm.. why am I feeling smug? The very sight of a rainbow before rain is a little disturbing. The stark contrast between the dark sky and the innocent rainbow on the first day of a new year reinforces the skeptimism in me that it was Armagadden. You can't blame me, I am born cynical. Its like some kind of dark humour God plans. (I am NOT insulting God or trying to add in any religious connotations. Thank you.)
The rainbow looks as if the end is connected to my home. True enough, since we are the pot of treasure. *chest inflated as ego rises higher*
Anyway, I am in school. I was here at 8.30am, waiting patiently for the LT to respond to my continuous ravings of "Open Seaseme". When it was 9.15am, I got suspicious. Hoping for the best, I went to check the potal at the library. Holy shit, lesson has been changed on the 28th of December. This taught me something, always do things last minute. My theory of not trying too hard, studying and preparing last minute can never be more right. I really should have more faith in my theories.
(continue)
After lunch with Leftie, I went to WM to meet Jas for The Family Stone. The show was amazingly warm-hearted and entertaining. It seems boring but its all about Love and Acceptance. I love the way they communicate the death of the mother to audiences. Neat.
After movie, we chatted and chatted and chatted in Coffee Bean. If it wasn't the time, I don't think we would stop. Trust me, I could still go on, but I don't want to miss any sightings of Alex To in the 9 o'clock show. He is way too hot. *melts into a second puddle*
My thoughts are so dispersed and I will drop by again. Right now, I am going to dream of Alex To. *drifts to bed dreamily*
Jacqueline
11:38 AM
