Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Happy Teacher's Day to Me.....

After an intense week, this week is relatively peaceful... actually its the calm before the storm. Cos next week I have 3 assignments due plus 1 test, followed closely by 4 more assignments and that is only for the month of September that hasnt't 'technically' arrived yet. Am looking forward to the recess week and purposely overlooking the number of assignments til then.

On monday, inbetween classes, I went to the toilet to answer thy call of nature and while I was washing my hands, I looked into the mirror and something caught my eye. I squinted... and tugged at it until it revealed itself.... A white hair! Me, Hellbound, having white hair! It was such a 'shock' that I stared at it a while longer and then hurried for class. In that class, I saw my projectmates and remarked

"I am shocked to find a WHITE hair just now in the toilet"

Images of a grey,white-haired Hellbound popped to mind. Hmm maybe I can try the ash-grey dye hair they have in mangas....

"Oh, that means the stress is getting to you. I also have white hair. Previously before university but thereafter I started getting whites."

Huh? She already couldnt take the stress of Uni.... then teaching might just give her more. As for myself, I am stressed but not that type that I cannot handle. You mean there is stress that I cannot handle. Anyway getting a white hair for NEI is just so NOT worth it. I assured myself that I will check to verify that its not my eye playing a BIG trick on me under the light. Later I conveniently forgot about it.

Tuesday, a better day cos I finally got my 6hr break back since make-up lessons had ended. So using that break, I tried to clear one assignment, which its almost complete. Then after class, I went with Tab to Jurong Point for a well-deserved and hard-earned dinner at MOS burger.

Incidentally ever since Geoky, my youngest sister worked in MOS burger, I just suddenly stopped eating there completely. Though the ice milk tea is my all-time favourite for a very long time, I just suddenly stopped. She didnt have a good work experience there so I carried that grudge and held it. So ever since then which was some time last year, I only went with Tab once recently at Lido and on tuesday. Hmm it seems I carry work grudges for long... Maybe I should ask my sister to work at the rest of the fast food restaurants, that way, I'll just boycott everyone of them and lose weight. :)

While I was drawing money from the atm, Tab went into a lingerie shop. And later when I joined her. She wanted to try her 'usual' so since there was a discount, I thought about it, and also tried some. Let's just say that she didnt find anything and I bought something. Its not the first time, remember the converse shoes. Her infamous Shopping Hypothesis - Shopper with need doesnt buy anything. Tag-a-long buys exactly what Shopper needed. And I got my first cross-back shirt. At the bus queue, Tab grumbled that she should join me shopping when its my turn to need something, which I assured her takes a very long while. I can have latent needs, which just means I can ignore that need for a very very long time and then finally find it and fill it eventually.

While waiting still, she helped me check for that WHITE hair and she couldnt find it.

"Chee chee chee" went Tab and she started scratching and picking my hair like a monkey.

*Rolls up eyes* arrggg, its itchy and walao the whole place can see lor.... grr

Now am kinda stoned... all the deadlines and project meeting... and tomorrow is Teacher's Day... yet we have classes. Watashi mo kyoshi ne! I am also one what. Why cant I enjoy a day that is dedicated to all alike? Just because I am a trainee in NEI. And around 4.30pm I just got an sms from my former school telling me that there is a dinner tonight. Since it is sent to me, it just means I am invited. But so last minute. I didnt get any notification. Opps didnt check my mail. But I had class up to 5.30pm followed by project discussion up til 7.30pm the intended timing. Not to mention tomorrow I still have early classes... so attending is out of the question. I dun think I will miss much, anyway met up with my mentor earlier.

So for now I'm in my room, had my dinner and bathe and blogging. Just dun feel like doing anything, cos this type of OTing is insane. Lemme chill a bit otherwise become 'Bai Fa Lao Nu'. Happy Teachers Day to all!

Thursday, August 25, 2005

Steam is building up....

Man, it has been a long and torturous week, where I had to 'stay-in' at the hall last friday in order to complete my ppt and work. Then on sat, I went for project trashing that started from 10.30am to 4.30pm which thereafter I rushed for Jap lesson. I had to skip guitar but after that I went to my mentor's house, cos he had invited a few friends and collegues to visit. His house was at Seng Kang and when I finally reached home, it was 2am in the morning. Of course crashed out and slept until eleven on Sunday. That weekend seemed to whizzed past and before i realized, another week is upon me.

Monday was just another LONG day... besides a 7 hour straight lesson, my groupmates came over and we continued to amend our presentation. It continued until 8.30pm. Finally the presentation went without a glitch on tuesday. I did reward myself by going down to Jurong Point and shooting and killing stuff in the arcade.

But I couldnt breathe easy cos there is a quiz today and another module slide presentation to complete. So last night, after class around 5.30pm, my other team stayed until 8pm to complete the outline of the slides.

Now I have just finished my quiz and having a 2hr break where I rushed straight back to hall. Am now resting, eating, stoning and trying to complete some readings for the upcoming assignments.

Anything interesting that happened?

Well there is this incident where me and Tab were making our way out of the hall. It was raining heavily and I took out my umbrella. It was a brand new umbrella which I used only around 3 times. When I opened the umbrella, the unthinkable happened.

The whole umbrella top came off the metal piece and fell to the floor! I stared at it and Tab burst out laughing uncontrollably. Then I picked up the umbrella top and tried to piece it together, to no avail and served to make Tab laugh even louder. Anyway Tab had an extra umbrella which I loaned and I put mine away.

Oh incidentally, Tab has been rather sleepy these few days. I would think that its partly her illness and partly cos finally FATIGUE has caught up with her. Now I hope she understands how I feel when I am constantly tired or even dead-tired.

Tomorrow should be a better day I hope.
I need my beauty sleep very much.

Friday, August 19, 2005

Another Very Hectic Week

This week has been another very hectic week, with our stress levels sky-rocketing after the first group for the presentation did a SUPERB job. They upped the ante so much that it left us wide-mouthed. So began the stress of trying to do a good job for my upcoming presentation next tuesday. Sign... Any little free time was to read the books and for today I have to finish my part, include taking pics and doing up the slides, less than 10% done.

Then first of my weekend, sat is to be used for discussion and trashing and compiling session. After which if we end early or or time, I will make my way for Jap class, and after dinner, go for a gathering. *pukes blood and collapse* And if i have time, might make my way to Borders to look for books?

Life has been rather sad at the moment. I aint living my live, its just a life.

Every morning, I wake up to a morning class. By the time I return after eating, its six. Then bathing, stoning and its eight. Then got to start doing stuff and reading. The welcomed sleep comes at the very end of the day. After a short while, its another day.... until Friday, where for everyone, fatigue seemed to have caught up and everyone is tired.

"I want to sleep, I want to sleep like I have no tut,
I want to let go and sleep like there's no morn!!!!!

I want to sleep, I want to sleep, like I'm a freaking corspe,
I want to let go of the fatique I've held so long.... Somewhere I can snore....."

(sing to tune of Somewhere I Belong)

Hope I can dig deep and find the energy to go on.

Thursday, August 11, 2005

National Day... and how I spent it...

On monday we, educators at NEI were having classes cut short due to the national day celebrations on campus. But as most of us had a full back-to-back 6 hours before it, many are reluctant to go. Biologically we need food. Luckily our tutor didnt escort us there and told us that we are supposed to be there. Thereafter I went back to hall and tried to clear out the mountain of reading and assignments. Its really no joke when they say things are intense. With a 30+ hours spread over 5 days, everyday morning lesson at 8.30am and ending mostly around 5pm, it is taking a toll on this Night-Owl.

Though I am sleeping earlier ever since I've started. Sometimes noises from the 'wildlife' in the hall and trying to clear some work left me sleeping late. Sometimes I just dont feel sleepy. Anyway I have no problem gettting up on time. The difference is whether I am awake or not. Even if a Night-Owl sleeps early and gets up early, the Night-Owl would still feel sleepy despite sleeping enough hours, because mornings are just not his best times. The brain is not awake. Not to mention I wake up automatically at 7am every morning, even weekends. Screw this biological alarm clock! And I am awake earlier than Tab. She gets to poke me when I choose to stay and laze around in bed.

I chose not to go home for National day cos I have stuff to clear. Not to mention the holiday book syndrome plus more distractions at home. So Tab went back and I stuck myself in the room to do work. So inbtween meals, bathing, readings, guitar playing, game playing, internet surfing and checking for assignments, I managed to get my notes orderly and catch up with one module. The rest I am still chasing the runaway train. Cleared some stuff and I dont feel as stressed but still on my toes.

Sadly being in pilot programme, some assignments are starting and are due very soon.

Which means, while Tab can still read her storybooks and stuff, I am already trying to clear stuff.

Which means, I am feeling the heat now.

Which means if her assignments starts, cos we have some common modules, my stress and workload would have doubled!

Now where is that psychological clinic. Did I mention that some course duration is just 6 weeks so assignments for that module is due on the 6th week and now we are nearing the end of Week 2.

Help.... (feeble tone)
Oh... finally I am going to blog about the Cosplay Event that Tab, her friend and I attended some time back in July. Keep on forgetting, a sign of old age. So the event was one of the largest in local cosplay scene and we decided to check it out.

While we were there, we saw many cosplayers in action, posing, moving about, even seated together to watch the Individual and Group competition. We went around to look at the art and manga merchandise many local art groups have for sale. Two art groups caught our attention, Deviantart and Zemotion with their gothic and incredibly realistic fantasy art pieces. Done in ink, digital art. Very cool. But by the time we partronized the stalls, certain hot pieces were snatched up. It was highly affordable for around 6-8 bucks. So if you are keen, check with them for their next set-up and buy from them. Cos if u go through the websites, prices are quoted in US dollars.

Soon we settled ourselves down to watch the competition by the various groups. And we kept looking around, cos everytime we do that, we saw new cosplayers that we havent noticed earlier. Later while we were at the other row of stalls, I noticed something. It is unmistakable! A Predator! It is walking through the centre of the audience and few had noticed it. I pointed it to Tab excitedly ( am a fanatic rabid fan of Aliens and Predators) and off she ran to get shots of it. Some noticed the commotion and turned around to look. Once they saw the Predator, many grabbed their digital cameras and ran towards it, even the cosplayers themselves. Then we tried to move closer to get a look but it was surrounded wherever it went. Finally after twenty minutes we got a closer look. Definitely a suit ordered off the Net. But its way too cool! I also want one and an alien suit too! By then some foreign cosplayers had turned up, Freddie Kruger, Fantasitic Four and a fully suited Batman.

After the competition concluded, we went to Burger King to eat something and rest the tired legs (effect of old age) and there were some cosplayers in there too. I took a glance and noticed that a particular cosplayer was spotting long hair, revealing midriffs. At first I thought it was a female cosplayer cos the character is so obviously female. BUT I took a second look and saw that it's a He! Oh well... Ordered my burger and later gaveTab a knowing look and asked her if she noticed that guy. On the whole it was an eye-opener. Tab was very gungho and psyched up that she wanted to join in next year. Tried to drag me in, I gave her a non-commital reply, Lets see how first.

Monday, August 08, 2005

A terribily busy weekend...

My weekend started on a very busy note on friday.

In between classes, with 1 hour to spare, I travelled to the comp centre to check for the nth time whether my lap top has finally arrived. I asked the guy, termed Grunt to check for it and he replied nope. I was very weary and not satisfied to leave until I get to say something. I lingered around the shop and saw this lady who from previous visits, knows what is going on. I asked her and she said its here already. I was appalled. Huh? Why does Grunt tell me negative? She replied that he didnt check the list, for whom the goods have arrived but which she cannot contact.

So to me, it meant that IF I had not lingered around and pester her, I would have to make another trip down due to Grunt's fault... Gladly 'threw' the cheque at her and got my laptop finally.

Everyone lemme introduce you to the newest member of Hell's family, SIREN a 1.73GH, 60G hard drive, DVD-R, and 1G of Ram. So after Grey, Sinn and Siren, Hellbound is very very poor.

Saturday was another busy day. Went to buy the children's textbook prescribed by the tutor, then went for electric guitar and followed by Jap 3. I was totemo stoned ne by the time it all ended. But not for long, Kinokuniya was having a sale and I had to check out and purchase my own personal copies of certain children's books as part of assessment. The books have to follow certain prescribed topics. So I lingered around Kinokuniya. Tab had went off to meet her friends. And I checked out the Orchard library to search for award-winning picture books for the next week's tutorial. I was wiped out by the time I reached home around 10pm.

Sunday was equally busy. After hip hop class, I went to another library to search for that bloody award book and found one. Yay! Then took the train down to Expo for the Times Book sale and lingered around searching through piles of books to look for some cheap resources. I think I got all I needed for my lower-primary portfolio but not for my upper-primary portfolio. When I reached home around seven, my family went out for dinner. After which I went to Ginza to return my rented manga and get more. And within half an hour, I was packed to go back to my Hall. Hectic siah!

The best thing is after I settled down, I plugged in the network cable and Siren is magically connected to the Internet. Grey is singing lovely tunes while Siren joined in usion. At least something works around here. Phew, finally an end to printing notes in the library. With Sinn I managed to get the hip hop instructor to show all the dance moves she taught us. Now I can practice without having to forget moves here and there. And I can directly upload pictures using the SD card and slotting it into Siren. Great!

(and while all this is happening, Tab is pulling out her hairs, producing expletives of colourful nature cos her laptop cannot detect the lan setup.)

Tomorrow without one morning class, I can get Siren wireless up and running, then get my act together and start on those freaking assignments. Okie I think that is all for now. Need some shut eye. My weekend is really bombed.

Just a last mention to this 'holiday book syndrome' whereby suffereres would pack many books and note home or for holidays, hoping to have plenty of time to read them. But many a times, the books are left almost untouched at the end and have to be lugged back. Hmm I shall not bring so much back next weekend. I'll just pack Grey, Sinn and Siren. I think that is good enough.

Friday, August 05, 2005

Ohisashiburidesu ne minasan!

Long time no see everyone. Havent been able to blog much due to the lack of a laptop as well as no internet connection at our room. Then after a LONG school day, after printing all the notes and stuff from the library, I am too tired and hungry to blog much. Better still some hostelites hog the few computer terminals at our Hall, playing warcraft and maplestory. Dun think I didnt see that. So life here is boring with little online activities.

For the past few mornings, Tab has been poking me with her pen. Why? Cos I wanted to sleep 5 minutes more. Its only 7.20am but I have to wake up for 8.30am lessons. Then there is that morning toilet call that I have to do daily. Damn the stomache. Finally I got my chance today to wake Tab with a few hits from my bolster! Revenge is sweet.

I am already stoning before the week is over. So many assignments and lack of sleep. Been going back around 7.15pm for the past few days. Did I mention that I have 8.30am classes daily. Its Hell man! So busy and tired that I havent practiced for guitar and stuff. I am so screwed.

The only highlight was watching the sneaks for Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. Its a pretty good movie. Definitely recommnend for kids. And certain parts are funny. Tab was laughing so loudly that those sitting beside, gave her dirty looks. That was a mid-week dis-stressor. Hmm so far no shuai ges at NEI, but did see some when we hopped on the shuttle bus. Too bad none on the level below us. In fact, Tab was complaining on Tue, that when she walked past one of the rooms, she inhaled lots of BO cum sweat cum whatever ordors of questionable sources, while she walked back from the pantry to get water. Hmm... I smelt that too last night. Some people best keep their room doors closed... It can help aid the anti air pollution efforts globally.

Anyway with tonnes of assignments, it seems things are only set to get worse. Will try to get any reprieve and still resolve to try to enjoy myself inspite of the very very tight schedule. So chow. Got more lessons and my lunch is waiting. Hope to get my laptop... am very pissed about the lack of speed in receiving it.

Monday, August 01, 2005

On Sun evening, Tab helped me printed out the readings, notes and my time-table. Its a MONSTER of a time-table.

Why?

First, on mondays, I have 7 hours long lessons. One after another with no time for lunch or anything. Its 8.30am to 3.30pm before finally I can get some food into the system. So I am now very very stoned and seeing stars... Maybe just maybe there is a good chance for me to slim down.

Even being 5 mins late for the lecture, saw the group being lectured for being late. And its not even that many people. With back-to-back lessons, there is definitely a great need for bladder movement, which for reasons I cannot fanthom, given that NIE has many toilets but yet there is still a queue for the female one!

Second, I realized after chatting with some tutorial group mates that they have an average of 27 hours of lessons, which prompted me to count mine and OMG!!! I have 31 hours. That's 'Special' for you. Now I somewhat wish I am not in the pilot programme.

Then I average 6 hours daily for the rest of the week. Really have to find the time and energy to sign up for driving. I vow to walk out of NUT with a driver's license. And to work out in the gym.

Lots of printing and filing and stuff. Just want to sleep now.... while Tab is struggling with her blog. No laptop, no wireless lan, no games. But I brought comics. There is always time for comics. Otherwise life is not worth living man.