Apologies

Sorry! I've been too lazy to update lately. Will update in detail soon.

Ciao for now!

Christmas Break! XD

Wohoo! Christmas break is finally here! XD

I got up at 0900am this morning as I planned to attend the replacement seminar at 1000am but decided to go back to bed. Hehe... So I got up at 11am and got ready to attend the replacement seminar at noon instead. Despite having that extra couple hours of sleep, I'm still feeling so very sleepy... Don't know why! I guess I'm just a very lethargic person. Hehehe... Anyway, I decided to head down to Mac Lab to see Andrew for a bit during my one hour break before my other seminar at 0200pm but changed my mind when I walked out the Main Arts door - the wind was CRAZY and the weather was so cold (it still is)!! So, I went back into Main Arts and headed to Dylan's to grab a bite to eat before going to class. I decided to have Hot Salmon Sandwich. FYI it was not hot at all (not warm nor spicy!) and it cost me 3.50 pounds for it! And it didn't even taste that good! Sigh... What a disappointment! Should've just stuck with my Kellogg's bars instead!

Oh! I had a really amazing Christmas dinner at Paul's last night! YUMMY! SIMPLY DELICIOUS! I especially enjoyed the Yorkshire pudding and the cheesy cauliflower (at least I think it was cauliflower =P). There were about 20 of us in the kitchen. All of us sat down around the four tables put together in a room lit with lotsa tea-light candles while waiting for the ever-so-deliciously prepared dinner. Very romantic I would say. And cosy too! Having the Christmas dinner made me (and Andrew) miss the one we had at Paul's place back in Ireland! His mom made lotsa amazingly yummy finger-licking-good food! *Sia-sia pun!* Thanks for inviting us for both the Christmas dinners Paul! Really appreciate it! XD

So, Christmas is just around the corner! I'm really excited bout it. Can't wait for our trip to Bath and Bristol, Ada's arrival and perhaps also a trip to Sheffield for New Year's! But all these fun will come with a price in the end as exams will commence a week after the end of Christmas break. So I should actually be revising studiously!

Anyhoos, Happy Christmas to you all! XD

Pictures of My Messy Room

I'm bored so I thought maybe I'd post some pictures of my bedroom... The pink flower border was already there when I moved in (see first picture below).

Those who have been to my room have been questioning me about the posters on my walls...
Having lotsa female posters in my room doesn't mean I'm a lesbian, okay?
(and what's wrong with being one anyway? Not that I am one...)

The door is towards the left side of the shoe rack.
I don't know where to put those ugly hangers - they're not even mine.
And look at the small shelf! I'm using it to put my DVDs there instead of my books...

As you can see, I don't have as many shoes as a girl would have...
two pairs of sneakers (white K-Swiss from Bangor and white Ked's from London);
three pairs of boots (one from London; one from Sydney; and one from Bangor). I only like both my black ones as I don't like the first brown pair (the one from Bangor) that I got when I first arrived;
a pair of high heels from Charles and Keith, Brunei;
a pair of ballad-ish shoes from Sydney;
a pair of flats from Vincci, Brunei;
a pair of non-brand slippers;
and my latest addition - a pair of shoes from Clarks! (which I really love although I dreaded walking in them the first time. But it's okay now since I'm getting used to wearing them =D)

Here's my messy bedroom. Well, at least I get to have a double bed! XD
Never used the TV though...

I keep all my books in the upper part of the massive wardrobe.
This is just part of it XD
And magazines on the table. I want a new study table! Look at how small mine is!

By the way, my bedroom is only always messy towards the end of the day cos I tend to put my clothes on the bed after showering or changing since I don't have a clothes rail for clothes that I've worn. Could put them into the laundry bag but they're not too dirty, which means I can always wear them again some day without washing them so often. And only clean, washed clothes can be placed back into my cupboard.

My So-Called Schedule for Week 11

Things to do until Christmas break arrives. Most of them are pretty boring, i.e. lectures and seminars.

[x] Friday, 5th Dec - Early 20th Century Literature seminar at 0200pm.
[x] Saturday, 6th Dec - Japanese Society Calligraphy class from 0100-0300pm.
[x] Saturday, 6th Dec - Hot-pot party at Janny's at 0700pm.
[o] Sunday, 7th Dec - 'Boys Don't Cry' at MALT at 0700pm.
[x] Monday, 8th Dec - SVB Caroling at the Cathedral at 0700pm.
[x] Monday, 8th Dec - Early 20th Century Literature lecture at noon.
[x] Monday, 8th Dec - Medieval Literature lecture at 0100pm.
[x] Tuesday, 9th Dec - Reason to Romanticism lecture at noon.
[x] Tuesday, 9th Dec - Medieval Literature seminar from 0115-0300pm.
[x] Wednesday, 10th Dec - SVB Christmas Buffet at Bar Uno from 0700pm.
[x] Thursday, 11th Dec - Reason to Romanticism lecture at 0900am.
[x] Thursday, 11th Dec - Early 20th Century Literature lecture at 0400pm.
[x] Thursday, 11th Dec - Christmas Dinner Party at Paul's.
[x] Friday, 12th Dec - Reason to Romanticism seminar at 1000am.
[x] Friday, 12th Dec - Early 20th Century Literature seminar at 0200pm.
[x] Saturday, 13th Dec - Beginning of Christmas break! Yay! =D
[x] Saturday, 13th Dec - Chinese Society Hot-pot party at Cefn-y-coed at 0600pm.
[ ] Sunday, 14th Dec - Malaysian Society Jemputan.
[x] Groceries.
[x] Body Shop stock-up.

Current Thoughts and Feelings...

I'm feeling so BORED.

I should be finishing 'A Passage to India' already since the seminar is tomorrow. But I'm just too lazy to read it. I'm finding it rather boring now. It's such a long novel to go through.

I'm chatting with my youngest brother now. He just told me that they (he and my younger brother) are already having their school break. That's why he's still up and awake although it is already 0220am back in Brunei! Go to sleep lah, Abi! You need your sleep if you wanna continuing growing. Studies have shown that children develop most during their sleep (or something along that line...). So if you wanna be taller than Ah Bert and Papa, go to sleep early... And do eat more, you skinny butt! =P Oh, he just told me his exam results too. He did pretty well as compared to Ah Bert. What happened to you, Bert? I think it's cos you play too much football. And you always think that you're so smart. See, Abi's doing better than you already. Hehehe... Trying to show off some more huh?

Well, I'm glad to know that my family's doing fine although I've got no clue at all as to what my sister is doing back in Brunei. Pei, what are you doing now anyway? And do Papa and Mom let you drive around in my car or Mom's car? Do you get to drive at all? If not, tsk tsk tsk. So kelian le. Oh yea, how's my car? I bet it's getting suckier right? Only looks good. Sigh! I miss home; I miss my friends; I miss driving my own car; I miss hanging out at Anis's and at Ada's. I miss the so-called dull life in Brunei. Now that I'm away, I don't think it's that dull back home. I quite like the quiet, slow paced life back home.

But I have to say, sometimes I never like(d) it back home. I dread being at home - sometimes. I dread being consumed with all the shoutings, screamings, tension, ignorance, etc. back home. And perhaps, because of this, I'm quite glad I'm not home right now so that I don't have do feel like I'm drowning again... I'm sick and tired of all that. That's probably why when I'm actually at home, I'm usually cooped up in my own room. I think I feel more at home in my own room than when I'm actually at "home", if you know what I mean. I prefer the silence and the peace that I get to experience in my own room; and sometimes, in the living room, when I'm all alone. At least then, I can say that I've a peaceful home. And when I don't find the peace and quiet back home, I'll be out with my friends, which happens pretty often. (P/S: Pa, if you're reading this... This is why I'm always out and sometimes [more like often] till late at night. I'm sorry I made you guys worry about me but I hope that you understand).

Anyway, Christmas break's around the corner! Just one week of lessons left and Andrew and I will be off to Bath and Bristol! Wohoo! Unfortunately, it seems like we'll be spending Christmas and New Year's in Bangor... I'm thinking about going Paris for New Year's but Andrew's still thinking about it. And the answer from him will most likely be "NO". Sigh! But let's try it again...

Andrew, can we PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE go to Paris for New Year's? Pretty please? *acts innocent with puppy dog eyes* Hehehe...

Oh, and I think a White Christmas might be possible this year! It's already frosting/snowing outside! Yay! *prays for White Christmas*

New Dishes

Andrew and I have been trying our hands at pastry making and also at cooking some new dishes. I tried making cheese cake and sweet and sour chicken while Andrew did tiramisu, spaghetti with mussels in buttermilk sauce and dumplings...

Preparing the ingredients (clockwise): shredded cheddar, crushed digestive cookies, cream cheese and double whip cream.

Bottom layer - digestive biscuits;
Second lower layer - double whip cream;
Middle layer - digestive biscuits;
Second upper layer - cream cheese;
Top layer - shredded cheddar.

Voila!

Doesn't look too nice here!

Andrew's tiramisu! (what's left of it anyway =P)

Then a few days after that, I did a second attempt at making the cheese cake. This time it's only one layer...

One layer of digestive cookies...

Followed by a layer of double whip cream...

And then the cream cheese... voila!

And here's the rest of our yummy creations!

Andrew in action! =P

Ain't he just adorable? Hehe...
(he's gonna kill me for saying that! XP)

This is just the beginning...

Tadaa!

And now we can eat them!

Andrew's Spaghetti with Mussels in Buttermilk Sauce
(he got the idea after he saw me cooking buttermilk chicken).

This is the result of my first attempt at Sweet and Sour Chicken...

Well, I would say that everything turned out pretty well in the end considering these are our first attempts =P

Happy 1st Year Anniversary

Today is a very special day. As of today, at 1258pm, Andrew and I have officially been together for a year. It is our 1st Year Anniversary! XD

Happy 1st Year Anniversary, Hubby!

Andrew and I used to live at one of the University Halls. The hall of residence was called Reichel. From what we've heard, the place used to be a psychiatric ward but it got changed into a student accommodation since I don't know when. We used to live on the same floor too; the second floor, which is at the top-most excluding the "pent-house." I always had to walk by Andrew's room in order to go to the toilet or the shower. We've seen each other around but never really got a chance to talk. Perhaps we were both too shy? Perhaps not...

Then came the International Evening 2007 on 18th October 2007, which was held at the Terrace Bar in the University Main Arts Building. That was when we first got to know each other... He asked me if I was staying at the hall where he was staying and I replied yes; and I asked if he was the guy who lived in front of the kitchen and he said yes; then we introduced ourselves. Our meeting at that time was pretty brief as he had plans to go out with his friends that same night. So, I asked him if it was okay for me to take a picture with him before he left; and so we did; and he said that I could just pop by at his room if I needed anything; and that's exactly what I did the very next day...

I went over to Andrew's room with Amalina. I forgot what was the reason we gave for being there but anyhoos, he asked us if we could help out with his Psychology experiment. We filled in a consent form and some questionnaires... What happened after that I don't remember. A few days later, Andrew and I went to a fun fair held at Anglesey. I told him that I went to the fun fair the night before with my friends and he decided he wanted to go and asked me if I wanted to as well. I said yes although I'd already been there. It took us more than half an hour to get there on foot (could've taken the bus but I told him that we could walk there thinking it was pretty close by - at least it seemed so the night I went there by bus =P) My bad! Anyway, we went on a few rides and didn't talk much. I think that lasted until the last ride. He thought it was a ferris wheel, just like what the others thought the night before. But unbeknown to him, it was a ferris wheel... which flips you around 360 degrees at break-neck speed! I was laughing my arse off the whole time just like the night before as well. Apparently, I was the only one who thought it was funny. The others were scared to death. And so was Andrew. You should've seen the expression on his face when the guy test-turned our "cage" upside down when we first got into it! XD I lost my keys to my room that night too cos I did not realise that they had dropped out during the ride...

Then there was this one night, I invited him over to my room to have a few drinks (it was just WKD Blue, nothing strong.) We ended up staying up till the early morning talking bout nothing... I know we had an enjoyable conversation but what about, I can't recall. I don't remember what we talked about and neither does he. Anyhoos, I don't really know where I'm going with this post anymore apart from wanting to write down the beginning of our relationship... Well, I guess that's how it all began. Nothing special - at least not to you guys. I didn't really realise I was actually falling for him... But I'm glad I did XD

Once again, Happy Anniversary Hubby!

*******

Also, a shoutout to my parents...

Happy 22nd Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

Love always from your eldest daughter,
Yeng

My First Tagging Game

1. Take a recent picture of yourself or take a picture of yourself right now.

2. Don't change your clothes, don't fix your hair... just take a picture.

3. Post that picture with NO editing.

4. Post these instruction with your picture.

5. Tag 5 people to do this.


Since Ada tagged me... So, I'll tag Anis, Bebs, Hiong, Naz and Syee...

Tiresome Thursday

I despise 0900 o'clock lectures! I had to snooze my alarm several times today as I was too lazy to get up to go to class. I'm sure you know how that feels. You just feel like staying in bed the whole morning instead of going to the lecture but you know that you have to attend otherwise you'll be way behind in class... My alarm rang at about 0745am and I snoozed it all the way through to 0830am and that was when I finally got up and got ready for class; usually, I would take a shower in the morning before my class but Thursday mornings are kind of a special case - at least for me; that does not mean I'm disgusting or that I stink cos I often take a shower at night before I go to bed as well... Anyway, because I went to the 0900am lecture, I kept thinking that it was already early evening but in fact it was only noon when I got to my seminar after an hour's nap in between. (Most of my lectures start at noon so by the time I have my next class it'll be around 0400pm till 0500pm).

It's now 0230pm and I just had bread and tea for lunch after a refreshing shower XD Now I'm feeling so fresh and wide awake - kindda! Just taking my time to blog now till it's time for my Early 20th Century Literature lecture. It's a good thing I live close to Uni - it's only bout 5 minutes walk! Actually, I kindda like where I'm living despite the fact that it's a shop-house and has got no living room... And also that it could get pretty noisy at night since it's near a pub... But at least it's, as Andrew puts it, strategically located. It's close to our Uni, the laundrette, take-aways (we live right above two of them - one Chinese restaurant/take-away and the other sells a range of Middle-Eastern/Indian food, pizzas, etc...), supermarket (Morrisons) as well as the train station. Despite the fact that it is "strategically located", I really dread walking up and down "Bitch Hill" (it's this really steep hill that's a bitch to walk on. Hence, its name as called by students in Bangor) just to get to High Street and back.

Anyway, Andrew just got back a while ago and he brought me my things that I ordered from the Body Shop Party at Home event that I mentioned in a previous post. I feel sorry for him nowadays such that he's been so busy from all his work - in terms of academic and co-curricular activities. He gets up at 0930am every morning and I'll hardly get to see him until the sun finally sets. I don't know what I can actually do to help him. Academically, he obviously doesn't need my help. Co-curricular activities wise, I don't know what I can do since I'm just a member and not part of any of the committees that he's currently heading. He's the President for one society and the Coordinator for the other. That's why his schedule is so full. He basically heads from one meeting to another with different committee members while attending his classes in between. Basically, all I can do for him is to listen to what he has to say whenever he has a rough time as well as preparing dinner for us.

Oh, in my previous post, I mentioned something about breaking the bond with MOE and stuff... That doesn't mean I'm actually planning to do that. I'm just trying to see what my options are in case things don't work out. I mean, I must be an idiot to actually turn down such a good job opportunity (I heard that salaries for teachers have recently been revised! XD). And think about the perks that I could get from working with the government... I could easily apply for housing, etc right? I mean, although I might get bored from the job and the students will probably be better at Literature than I am (this will really suck and be such an embarassment!) and bigger in size than I am... In the end, I get a job... Right? On the other hand, I kindda do hope that I won't be able to get a job within 6 months so that I can actually venture into something else... Or does that only apply to students who are bonded with the government but not as a teacher? Can those who are bonded as a teacher work elsewhere (in Brunei or overseas) if they are not offered a job within 6 months?

Tata for now!

Please Comment on This

Got up at 0830am this morning and chatted with Andrew's mom and aunt on Skype. I guess I'll be heading off to Singapore next summer! XD That is, after going back home to Brunei of course. Hmm... But I'm not sure when I wanna go home exactly cos I'm kindda interested in going for the CCUSA Camp during summer too. Gotta think about it again...

I've not been doing as much reading as I planned to. Stopped reading 'A Passage to India' for a bit and moved on to 'Annie John' by Jamaica Kincaid. Very interesting novel about a girl growing up in Antigua and especially how her feelings towards her mom changed during her adolescence... But I still can't figure out the protagonist's racial background! I'm trying to finish the novel by tonight so that I can move on to William Blake's 'Songs of Innocence and Experience' as well as T.S. Eliot's 'The Waste Land' for my seminar next week. Sigh... Why did I choose English Literature again? I've absolutely no clue about poetry! Although I do love reading some of the novels... But still! Why English Literature? I think the modules for American Literature are more interesting somehow... At least I think I'm better at American Literature modules than I am in English Literature ones... And my exam results kindda proved that too!

Anyway, what kindda results do we need in order to successfully apply for Masters in English or American Literature? And how much will the fees add up to? And is there any chance at all at deferring the bond with the government if, for example, we choose to pursue a Masters programme privately or wanna take a job somewhere else before that? And does anyone know how much exactly one will have to pay if he or she is to break the bond (those under MOE scholarship for a three year degree/ three year degree plus Masters)? If anyone has any information on these, could you please let me know?

Cheers! XD

My Reading Week

I attended a General Meeting for a student volunteering work that I've recently become involved in on Monday night. The meeting itself was okay. Andrew got elected as the Coordinator while all others that I voted for got elected for their respective posts as well. It's like winning a BINGO game or something for getting all the right numbers in a row! Congratulations to all the new committee members! XD

Anyway, there happened to be a BODY SHOP AT HOME party after the meeting. Being a loyal customer of Body Shop, I obviously stayed for it. And plus, it was for a good cause since about 25% of the money made will go to our Society. We really need the funds for publicity, etc anyway. Oh, all attendees at the party were girls EXCEPT Andrew! Hehe... He only stayed because I did. And also cos he thought that a Body Shop at home party only involved us browsing through the catalogues and ordering whatever we want. He must have felt really weird when it actually involved the girls having a makeover as well! I mean, he actually stayed through the party and got involved with the games, etc. LOL! Oh, and there were raffle tickets and gifts as well. Andrew's raffle and mine got picked up and we won me some goodies! XD

Since this week is my Reading Week, that means I've got no lectures nor seminars to attend. So, I decided to attend one of Andrew's Psychology lecture which started at 0100pm. I think it was called Developmental Psychology. It was actually pretty interesting. I stayed up through the first hour of the lecture while Andrew was snoozing off beside me. Hehehe... =P Yesterday's topic was on Family and Parenting. The lecturer, Mihela, showed us a film called 'The Caves of the Yellow Dog' which I think is a documentary about some Mongolian tribe. That film kept Andrew awake and was probably the most interesting thing that happened during the whole hour cos there was this scene which showed this little girl playing with dung with her sister and another little girl - which she was allowed to do since she asked her mom's permission to get the dung from her! Oh, and I did my part in donating to the Children in Need too! *pat myself on the back*

The lecture was for two hours and I left during the ten minutes break they had after the first hour. Went to the library to photocopy some of the critical essays on 'Everyman' from the books that I borrowed from the library two weeks ago and then returned them after that. Then I borrowed some more books from the library. This time they're books on Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. After the library, I went to Morrisons to do some groceries shopping. Then I got back home and relaxed for a while. Later, Andrew and I went to High Street after his class because he wanted to go to Clarks to get the shoes that he tried on the last time we were there (I brought him there to get a pair of shoes that I saw from a magazine). And this time he finally bought the pair of shoes that he really liked. And I'm glad he did too cos the shoes looked really good on him and he needed a good pair of shoes too for that matter. The price is well worth it - he keeps saying that the shoes feels very comfortable to the point that it's "orgasmic"! XD This happens to be his choice of words when he thinks that something feels or looks really good! Oh, and we've finally done our laundry too!

I didn't get on to the second reading of 'Heart of Darkness'. I'm currently reading 'A Passage to India' by E.M. Forster instead, which happens to be a really good book and it's not as difficult to read as 'Heart of Darkness' is.

And for now, I'm gonna get back to my reading! Toodles!

"Autumn Cleaning"

Got up at 0930am this morning. I think I'm getting the hang of waking up this early now... Had cornbeef (with lotsa onions) on toast spread with melting butter and tomatoes plus Ipoh's white coffee (which Andrew's mom sent over) for breakfast *yummy*

*This post will most likely bore the crap out of you readers, if there's any at all, cos it's basically bout me cleaning my room...*

Anyway, I finally got to cleaning my room today. I've told myself a million times that I should do that some day and now I've done it! I spent the whole day cleaning my room. Started after breakfast till bout 0600pm! I started cleaning the windows first. Initially, I thought it would be an easy job but it wasn't! I never really realised that there are lotsa stains on my window! Eww! So I basically spent almost an hour scraping the window till it's clear from the stains and wiped it (with berry scented cloth) till it's now squeaky clean, and smells good too! Man, I never knew that cleaning a window would be so tiring! I mean, it's just ONE window! Come to think of it, when was the last time it got cleaned at all? Damn the previous tenants!

With that done, I went on with my massive wardrobe. And I mean massive! It's got enough compartments for me to put all my clothes (including my luggage), my books, etc into it XD But that didn't take long since I've cleaned it when I first moved in. Then there were my tiny study table, my drawers, my "make-up" table, my three other tables and my shelves... They're all squeaky clean now! Yay me!

Then I stopped at 0600pm to cook dinner for Andrew and me. Eat, eat, eat... Then more cleaning done by me... It was the dishes this time since Andrew had to get himself ready for something that he had to do. Then he left to do that something that he had to do. Then I went on to clean the toilet and part of the kitchen... Got rid of all the black grime from the window and the areas near the window... And I only did part of the kitchen cos I was too tired from all the cleaning by then. So, I headed for a nice warm shower at bout 0830pm... Aaah... XD

The only thing left to do now is to vacuum my room - as well as Andrew's if I feel like it! And finish the other half of the kitchen... And perhaps, try to look for something that can actually get my heater really clean cos nothing seems to work! =( But all these, I've leave for tomorrow...

And now, I'm just ranting on my boring day on this blog after watching two episodes of 'House'.

And tomorrow's a whole new cleaning day for me. Wohoo?! Oh, and I've really got to get on to reading 'Heart of Darkness' again. Has anyone read it yet? If yes, can you please tell me exactly what it's about? And any ideas on its themes of race and anti-colonialism, etc? Cos I didn't get it at all the first time I read it. It's such a difficult text to read! =(

I guess that's it for today. Gonna get back to watching another episode of 'House' now before I hit the sacks... So, good night! Bon nuit!

p/s: Mom and Dad... See I'm not that lazy after all... I do do house chores (when I feel like it) And I go crazy with it once I've started... XD

Pathetic Fallacy

Another gloomy day, which seems to reflect my mood today somehow... Is this what Mr. Ray used to call 'pathetic fallacy'?

He and I had a talk bout our relationship last night. Where is it going? He's not sure. Neither am I. Although both of us seem-ed to want it to last for a very long time... Despite this, there are lots of obstacles in front of us:

What'll happen after we graduate? Will I have to go to Singapore since he won't even consider going to Brunei? Or will it just end after that? If I choose to go with him, what am I to do about my bond with the Brunei government since I'm under scholarship? Will I then have to pay it all back? Or should I just stay and be a teacher? If I do, will he wait for me? It'll be most likely that he won't despite saying that he loves me.

Should we hope for our relationship to work out like it did for Sharon's sister and her boyfriend? Or should we just keep going and cherish our moments together knowing that it will soon end after we graduate like what Vanessa and Mark are doing? Or should we just go with the flow and hope for the best like what Sharon and Simon are doing?

I really don't know what to do anymore... I'm feeling so lost in this relationship now. I know it's all mushy-gushy stuff bout the future and I probably shouldn't even be thinking bout it since we're all still young and studying... But then again, if you love someone that much, don't you just wish that you could be with them, always?

I know that the saying goes "If you love them, let them go" but what if I don't want to let him go?

Happy Birthday Mom! XD

Today's a special day cos... it's my Mom's 43rd Birthday!

HAPPY 43RD BIRTHDAY, MOM!!!

May God bless you always with good health and happiness! Just wanna let you know that I love you and I miss you loads! Take care always! XD

p/s: I hope that you like that card that I sent you! =D

Back for Good?

I am finally back to blogging! This time I won't be bothered with the fonts and colors, etc anymore because it's less of a fuss for me that way albeit more attractive (at least I think so...). So, I guess that would also mean that I'll be blogging more frequently as well instead of going on a hiatus based on plain laziness...

I've been waking up at bout 9.30am this week, which is considered rare for me because I usually won't be up before noon. So, I guess this is a good start. As the saying goes "Zhao shui, zhao qi - shen ti hao!" which literally means "Early sleep, early wake - good body!"??

Anyway, Andrew and I had bad jacket potatoes on Sunday which resulted in us getting sick - Andrew had fever and diarrhea and a lot of vomitting while I vomitted twice only. So he's kindda avoiding jacket potatoes for now and has not eaten proper food for a while since he'll end up throwing up again.

I finally got a headstart on my essay on Dubliners today. Got around to reading the book and some critical essays to help me with my writing. It's a bore though considering I've been sitting on my ass for the past few hours and end up with barely 500 words on my essay! Two-thirds more to go and it's due this Friday! Why is it not due during Reading Week like it usually is? Why must it be due during Week 6 this time? Sigh... At least that means I'll be free with nothing to do during the whole Reading Week (Week 7) although I'm meant to do my readings (unfinished readings). Hence, its name!

Work aside, the weather has not been good at all! Dark and gloomy all day long isn't helping at all! =( I want the sunshine! Or at least less dark, less gloomy and less cold windy days! Oh, and I want a bigger study table and brighter lights in my room, please! I'm currently using the dining table in the kitchen cos it's a lot bigger than the table in my room. Plus, it's got more space for my books to lie around! And space for food and drinks while I do my work as well!

And for now, I'm heading back to my work!

Happy Birthday My Love! XD

I just wanna give a big birthday shoutout to My Love, Andrew Lee!

HAPPY 22nd BIRTHDAY, Hubby! XD


I hope you'll have a blast on your birthday... BUT how can you not have a blast on this special day of yours when you're spending it with ME? Hehehe... I hope you like the card and gift that I've given you... Cos I took a really long time choosing them at the shops... ;P

May GOD bless you always with HIS everlasting presence and shine on you with HIS guiding light! May your years ahead be filled with joy, good health and everything good that HE sees fit in you! And may you always be blessed with love from your loved ones - especially from ME! ;D

Anyway, can't wait till you get back from your meeting... Cos the night's waiting for you!

And here are some of our pictures together so far...


You and Me during our London Eye ride...


Look at how adorable you looked! Hehe... XP


You and Me before I left for Birmingham...


And here's You and Me by Ada! XD


Love always,
Pris
xx

These Past Few Days

Updates…

Saturday, 10^th May 2008 – Shopped for groceries with Andrew.

Sunday, 11^th May 2008 – Stayed in room all day! Sigh…

Monday, 12^th May 2008 – Today has been a pretty nice day with the sun shining bright and warm! It has been an amazingly fantabulous Monday for me! Got up at 10:00am today. Went out for lunch with Andrew at KFC and I had my regular Wicked Zinger Meal while Andrew had his usual two piece variety meal. My initial plan for getting up early was to go to the library to borrow some books so that I can start researching for my essays and also to go to Main Arts to get my pre-released exam paper BUT I didn’t!

Instead, I went to Clinton’s after my lunch with Andrew. And I stayed at Clinton’s for quite a while cos it was difficult to decide which birthday card to choose. I think I was in there for about half an hour just to look for the right card! After Clinton’s I just strolled along High Street until I reached this gift shop. I don’t know the name of the shop though since it didn’t seem to have a proper sign for its shop’s name. All I know is that it’s a Welsh gift shop. I like going into the shop and have been there for quite a few times but always left it empty handed. It’s not that the things weren’t nice cos they were great. It’s just that the prices aren’t that pocket-friendly… which seems to be in contrast with the owner of the shop though cos he’s really friendly. He seems to always be wearing this really nice tuxedo – I don’t know why. Anyhoos, this time I left the shop with something else apart from my usual empty hands…

Just when I stepped out from the gift shop, I saw Hana. She was on her way to the Post Office which is now located in WHSmith. Since I was so bored, I tagged along with her… Thankfully, she didn’t mind. And I even followed her all the way to Ysgol Ffriars (I think I got the spelling wrong… Hehe…), which is a school that’s located about half an hour’s walk from High Street. She was going to send off her job application. It was a very long walk but I didn’t feel tired at all (which is weird cos I’ll usually feel tired quite soon… Hmmm…) I haven’t really been to a school in a very long time so I guess finally being in one and hearing the school bell ringing kindda brought me back to when I was still a student in school… *reminisces* In the end, Hana got interviewed and was offered to do the job on the very same day but she decided to start work the day after…

So it was another long walk back to High Street where we met up Adek at the Post Office in WHSmith cos she needed her home address which she forgot (which Ili passed to Hana on our way to High Street cos she was in a rush to do a Psychology experiment and could only get back to Adeq, who would have to wait for an hour if Ili were to pass her the address instead). I finally got to rest and cool down a lil while waiting for Adek to post her parcel home cos it took quite a while since the lady didn’t know where Brunei is. When Adek finally got her parcel posted, the three of us left WHSmith… And I guess this is where the fun kindda begun…

We headed into Deiniol Building and in we went to Bay… At first I was just browsing through the clothes with no intention of trying or buying any of them… That is, until Adek picked up some dresses and decided to try them on. So into the dressing room we went. Firstly, Adek tried on a pretty white dress with pink sequined flowers. It looked beautiful on her! After seeing that, I just had to try it on just for the fun of it… Later, she had on this gorgeous black tube dress with white floral prints. And I tried that on as well… And Adek tried on some more dresses while I took some pictures in the dress that I had on. We loved the dresses but my favourite would be the lil black dress… But we didn’t buy any of them in the end. Our reason – there isn’t any special occasion to wear them to! Well, actually there is…

We then went on to Dorothy Perkins'. However, there weren’t any dresses that caught our attention so off we went to the new Debenhams where we tried on more dresses. I’ve got to admit that this was the first time that I’ve tried on clothes, had pictures taken (by our vain selves, of course) and left the shop without buying anything. I mean, I had fun trying on the pretty lil dresses without feeling guilty bout not buying any of them =D But of course this doesn’t mean that I’ll do it often. I’ll probably only do it again when I’m with my girl friends cos it’ll be pretty, VERY, embarrassing doing all that alone! And it wouldn’t be as fun =P

By the time we were done, the shops were already closing so we headed back to Adek’s for a while. But before that I had to go to Subway to get some food cos I was starving (I should really stop eating so much though cos I’ve gained lotsa weight since I got here!) Anyhoos, we hung out for a bit and finally headed back home again at bout 07:00pm. By that time, you could say that I’ve been out walking for six hours straight! I only realised how exhausted I actually was when I lied down on the bed!

When I got back, Andrew was still out doing his work. So it meant that I had to cook dinner. Andrew wanted chicken and veggies with rice so that’s what I did. I prepared the drumsticks and marinated them in onions, garlic, dark soy sauce, curry powder, mixed herbs and Chinese spices for an hour. I know the ingredients probably sounds like the chicken will end up tasting funny but it tasted great! At least that’s what Andrew said! =D And then there were trimmed beans and mushrooms with oyster sauce as well. I never liked eating veggies and never really had them when I was back in Brunei. However, since I got to know Andrew, I’ve been starting to have them for every meal. But it only alternates between trimmed beans and broccoli. Although sometimes I do munch on some cabbage when Andrew makes his cabbage soup with meatballs! *yummy* It was a great dinner!

Later on, we left for a BBQ at Emrys Evans at about 11:00pm. It was to celebrate the end of exams – at least for the first year Psychology students anyway… Now they’re technically second year Psychology students! We all had a lil beer with some of our friends, sitting down on the grass and chatting away happily… Most of the people there happened to be couples. Hehe… It was nice to finally get to sit down and relax for a bit… Enjoying the cool night air… The perfect ending for a perfect day! =P

Tuesday, 13^th May 2008 – Got up at a lil past noon today. Didn’t do much except that at bout 03:30pm I went to a surprise birthday party for Johnny’s 21^st with Andrew at Emrys Evans. This only got planned the day before. It was pretty fun just that I felt a lil stupid for just standing and sitting around instead of helping out – not that there was anything I could do since everything was pretty much done. But all I did was sit, stand and eat and that’s it! I mean, I didn’t even get to contribute to anything. I would’ve felt better if I got Johnny a card or a lil gift but then Andrew said there was no need to. I felt okay bout it at first when I realised most of them arrived empty handed anyway. But then later, there was suddenly a card and a gift and everyone who was there chipped in – except me! They said “not to worry” bout it and that I didn’t need to pay for it. I felt even guiltier then… =(

When I got back to my room after the party at bout 07:00pm, Adek came over for a while. I ended up watching “You’ve Got Mail” and “When Harry Met Sally” after she left and that’s bout it. Andrew left for work a lil before 08:00pm and I’ve been all alone in my room till now. I didn’t have any dinner at all cos I didn’t feel like having any and it’s now a lil past 07:00am and I’m still not in bed. Come to think of it, what have I really been doing for the past twelve hours apart from watching movies, showering, surfing the net and chatting and arranging my room?!

P/S: ANDREW, I MISS YOU!

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HAPPY 20^TH BIRTHDAY NIS! =D

The One After the Birthday Celebration

You know what I hate the most? People who are pretentious cos it’s so sickening and revolting! I mean, one moment, this person would be like:

“Hi! How’re you? It’s so good to see you…”

OR

“You know what? We should hang out more often… You know… Go out for lunch or something?”

And the next moment, they’ll be a totally different person behind your back. Seriously! You don’t even need to hear them say things about you anymore cos you can just feel it. You can just sense that they’re trying to move away from you just by the way they look at you. There’s this cold or indifferent look in their eyes or in their just being there. And when they laugh and smile at you, you can definitely tell that those emotions aren’t sincere at all… I know it may seem like I’m just over-analysing things as people usually say that I do. But very often, I am right about these kindda things…

IF you ever feel like you don’t like anything about anyone (i.e. ME!) please just let me know. But this does not mean that I’ll change just for your sake! Just that, at least then, I’ll be able to try and stay out from your stupid pretentious face. So stop talking / texting (or whatever kind of communication / telecommunication method that you’re using / wanna use which does not involve direct / face-to-face interaction) to me like I need your sympathy cos I don’t. I don’t need your sympathy. I don’t need you to invite me to whatever function / occasion that you’re having just cos you think that I’m feeling left out (or whatever else that you might be thinking) – What? Like I’ve got no other friends of my own apart from you guys? And stop trying to be nice and things like that… I mean, you must be having a really difficult time acting nice and all… I'd rather you guys not talk to me than pretending to be nice! It's just so icky!

**********

It was Bryan’s 20^th Birthday yesterday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRYAN! At first, I didn’t wanna go for his celebration cos I felt guilty bout not going to Paul’s just the week before. Paul, if you’re reading this, I just wanna say I’m SORRY and I wish you a HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY PAUL! But then I decided to go anyway so at bout 11:00pm, Andrew and me left for Octagon a.k.a. Occy! I decided to bring my jacket along cos I thought it was gonna be quite cold but the weather was so good that there was no need for a jacket at all. In fact, if I’m the type of girl who wears sleeveless tops I would’ve!

Anyhoos, bout 15 minutes later we arrived at Occy and saw that most of others were already dancing. We saw Owen first and he apologised to Andrew for forgetting to call him (he was supposed to call Andrew to let him to know when they were leaving for Occy). And to make up for that, he offered to buy Andrew a drink and Andrew kindda made him got a drink for me as well. Hehe… Thanks for the drink Owen! (And thanks to you too Andrew! Hehe… *wide smile*) I had Vodka Ice! Well, what can I say…? I love Vodka! =P *cheers* Vodka’s my favourite and it’s practically the only type of liquor that I drink.

We stood at the “table” near the dance floor with our drinks and watched the others danced while some of them were practically “getting it on” on the dance floor. Hehe... Andrew finished his drink first and started getting his groove on with the guys while I continued with my drink. I felt so stiff at first that I didn’t feel like dancing at all… I finally joined them on the dance floor moments later when the Birthday Boy asked me to. Well, you can’t exactly say no to the Birthday Boy, can you?

I felt so silly dancing with them at first cos like I said, I felt really stiff… After bout three or four songs later, Andrew decided to get another drink from the bar so I went with him. I forgot what he got but I had WKD Cherry. Finished our drink quite slowly this time and then we were back on the dance floor again. I definitely enjoyed myself and had a great time dancing with them! Most of the time I was dancing with Andrew, Paul and Bryan though cos they were just so crazy and fun to be with! And the music was great too! *dances around* Wohooo! By the way, Jodie was at Occy too!

Andrew and I went for one last drink from the bar at bout 12:30am cos he wanted to head back at 12:45am. He had tequila and I had another WKD Cherry. More people (men in suits?) were coming in and dancing and it was getting pretty crowded so I decided to kindda just stay with my drink while Andrew continued dancing with his friends again. While I was almost done with my drink, Andrew came back out and we both finished our drink in one shot – well, sorta! – And decided to head home. We went onto the dance floor to say goodbye to Paul and Bryan and the others. Just when we stepped out from the dance floor, the DJ played a nice tune so Andrew and I decided to stay and danced to that one last song before we left… LOL! And once again, we said goodbye to Paul and Bryan…

Andrew and Me on our way back home...

After getting a midnight snack from Late Stop we slowly walked back and finally got home at bout 01:00am and then showered. Despite having a nice shower, I still felt a lil tipsy from the last drink –this is why I can’t drink too fast! And I thought having a shower would actually refresh me...

Well, I guess that was the highlight of my week apart from having lunch and playing pool with Andrew at Coffi on Wednesday afternoon… I can’t believe I lost all four games to him! I mean, I’ve never lost four games in a row! And I don’t usually lose to him – cos I usually win! Paul could vouch for that!

Andrew trying to get the yellow ball into the pocket...

FRIENDS...

I was just lying down on the bed last night, trying to sleep but I couldn’t. I thought about how much I miss home. How much I miss my friends… And then it struck me how few friends I’ve got in my life… And how little I actually appreciate them (I hardly keep in touch with them!) =( Now, they're probably gonna be a lil less as this post may or may not offend some of them.

I mean, yea, sure… I may have hundreds of friends on MSN and Facebook. But I would have to say that I hardly ever talk to them… And they’re mostly acquaintances… Think about it – do you talk/chat with everyone on your list? I’m sure I would be right to answer “NO” on all your behalf. You probably only chat with about 10-20% of the people who are in your list. As for me, I only chat with my family members and a handful (or two handfuls) of my friends. And they are my close friends as well as friends whom I’ve known for years. They are the ones whom I’m able to ‘click’ with.

I guess I’d have to say that I kindda categorise my friends as ‘Close Friends’, ‘Friends’ and ‘Acquaintances’. As you may have realised, there’s NO ‘Best Friends’ category cos I simply don’t believe in it – at least not anymore after such disappointment… (Although some of you may say that ‘Close Friends’ are ‘Best Friends’, etc). However, I’m glad that my ‘Close Friends’ have been able to find their own ‘Best Friend(s)’. Perhaps one day, I’ll be able to find my own and believe in it once more? Perhaps NOT…

‘Close Friends’ – Sorry, but for me, there are only FOUR of them (and ‘you’ should know who ‘you’ are!). You are the ones whom I’ve known and been able to be close with. You are the ONLY ones whom I can confide in…

The One I’ve Known Since Primary School – I’m really glad that I got to know you. We’ve known each other for more than a decade now but have only started being friends after our PCE exams in 1999. I guess this is sorta like a confession, but I’ll have to admit that I’ve always been afraid to speak my mind around you for fear of you being judgemental about me. There are times (quite often) that I tell you some things only after I tell ‘her’. Perhaps it’s easier for me to confide in ‘her’ first? However, I’ve come to realise that you’re NOT that way at all. In fact, I think you receive opinions really well (without being judgemental at all!). Perhaps I'm the one being judgemental all these time?

P/S: I love the fact that you don’t give a damn about what others think!

The One I’ve Known Since Secondary School – To me, you’ve always been the wildest among us and I’ve always envied you. And I still do! You’ve got so much charisma! I can’t believe I’m actually saying this but there are times when I feel like I wanna be you or just like you… You and ‘her’ have always been so confident; being able excel in your studies while having fun despite what you guys have gone through while I’m just stuck in between you guys being a C-grade student! This is kindda why I’ve always walked behind instead of beside you guys when we were in school even though the corridors are wide enough for the three of us!

The One I’ve Known Since They Left – Despite our differences (except for the fact that we both love the same colour), we’ve been able to ‘click’! We’ve shared our part of ups and downs during the last few years… And I’m sorry that I kept bugging you! Hehe… I hope that you don’t mind (although I do find myself very annoying at times!) I loved being over at your place especially that year! Thank you so much for welcoming me to your home. I kindda felt guilty for ‘tumpang makan’ at your place though! Can’t help it cos the foods were yummy!

The One I’ve Known Since The ‘Training’ – You are one hell of a wild and crazy wacko! You never fail to make me laugh! Among the four of you, I think you should know me the best despite the fact that I’ve known you for a shorter period of time as compared to them… We’ve been through quite a lot together during these short few years… To be honest, I really missed you during our ‘misunderstanding’ (or whatever you wanna call it). I feel so silly now for being the way that I’ve been over such a lil silly thing as that! I miss just hanging out with you and laughing our arses off and just lazing about and doing nothing… I know that your parents were VERY annoyed with our behaviour especially us being girls! Hehe…

To all FOUR of you – I wanna apologise for anything that I may have done to upset/hurt any of you in any way at all (perhaps even through what I say in this blog). I’m sorry that I may seem like I didn’t listen (although I did!) when you guys were talking to/ confiding in me. I know I yawned a lot (and I still do!) And I’m also sorry for being such a lousy friend (I’m sure you realise that we hardly keep in touch!)

But I just wanna thank you for always being there for me in times of need. Thanks for being my confidant by lending me your ears and your caring hugs. Thanks for welcoming me into your homes despite my lack of manners! But most of all, I wanna THANK YOU for being MY TRUE FRIENDS!

‘Friends’ – You’ve got lotsa them! You usually hang out in groups. They are the ones whom you’ve always known but only ‘click’ for a while. This is because after a few conversations, you just suddenly run out of topics to talk about and just move on. They are the ones that you can talk to but not confide in. They are in your ‘Circle of Friends’. They are your ‘schoolmates’, ‘ex-schoolmates’, ‘colleagues’, etc…

‘Acquaintances’ – They are the ones whom you know only either by their name or by the way they look or sometimes both. You see them at gatherings (or whatever functions, or you just happen to go to the same Yoga class…). They are usually a family’s friend or a friend’s friend, etc whom you’ve been introduced to (or not). You only talk with them when you feel like you should or are being forced to cos they are there and it’s only right to strike a conversation with them. Otherwise, you’ll have to stare blankly ahead, eat your food, text your friend(s) or play with your fingers, necklace, etc like I always seem to be doing at gatherings when the people that I can ‘click’ with aren’t around. However, interesting conversations may break out sometimes…!

Well, I guess that's all that I've got to say on this topic for now...

And I wish you all a pleasant evening...

p/s: I think I might've sounded a lil harsh in some areas! Once again, I'm sorry!

What A Wet Weekend?!

For the first time in a very long time, I got up before noon! *big grin*

Hmm... I guess, for now, I'm gonna update about what happened yesterday...

4th May 2008 - I thought it was gonna be another gloomy day since the sky was so dark outside and it had been drizzling for quite a while. And then out comes the sun at about 4pm! *cheers* It was bright and sunny once again. So, I took advantage of this great weather and took some pictures.

Mmm... Warmth from the sun...!

The New Halls which will open in September 2008

The view from my room...

While snapping away... I saw Akma, Ili, Hana and Rin so I waved at them and they waved back - I thought they would've known by then that it was me, Pris! But NO! (I heard one of them saying "Wani kah tu?") *laughs* So I shouted "Hi!" thinking maybe they'll recognise my voice. Yet again they failed to recognise me! *laughs harder* I waved frantically and shouted one of their names - then someone else later said, "Pris kah?" Then we started shouting at each other cos my room was on the third floor... And I got invited to join them for a water gun fight! *cheers to my random photo taking session*

Here's when they flashed the PEACE sign after recognising it was ME!

I put on my shoes and went down. On my way down, I saw Wani and Adeq and they asked me where I was going. So I told them - knowing that they didn't know I was joining them since they've been inside when all the shouting occured. THEN, I realised I was going for a WATER gun fight so why the heck was I wearing shoes and socks for?! So I went back up to change into my slippers and met them outside later on.

And soon, the fun begins...!

Blowing the "blow-me-till-i-get-naked" plant...
(Hehe... Don't know the name of the plant...)

Posing with our guns before the real fun begins!

Here we go...!

Hmm...??

Taking advantage while some of us were refilling!

Let's aim for Adeq's butt! *giggles*

I'm gonna get you!

Haha! Revenge...!

Some of us like big bubbles!

Whheeeee! Lotsa big bubbles...!

And another one...!

Tralalalala... And another one!

While some of us like small lil bubbles!

No bubbles for me...? *sobs*
(Oh-oh! There's a small one near the bottle!)

Finally got some of my own BUBBLES...! Hehe...
(My GOD! Lookie me spots! I look horrible!)

And then there's the SPECIAL one with the "HAT"?! LOL

A lil shadow pose before we head home... =D
(Guess which one am I?)

We were out at the field for hours! Needless to say, we had lotsa fun with the water gun, the BUBBLES, frisbee (I'm hopeless at frisbee... Didn't even get to catch it once! Although, I did manage some good throws... Sorta! Hehe...) and then there's a game of 'cara kaki'. And of course we had absolute fun being camwhores! LOL =D

Until next time... Tata!