recess break schedule

my last recess break. a time to catch up on work, and to prep for my proj and 5 midterms after it. somehow i've managed to schedule quite a bit of misc stuff inside too, and i blame myself for agreeing readily to meetups w/o looking at my schedule (which wasn't done up anyways then). 

mon - dinner at JP with lalaa who's coming all the way fr the east to check out the newly renovated (and very nice) shopping centre. then followed by my best guys at the same place at 9pm. shall raise the idea of a taiwan/hk/batam trip to them. will hide at the lib in btw the 2 grps to read up on my notes; i do stay quite close but the 15min bus ride ain't exactly negligible.

figured i'm really an asian-country oriented person, after all my overseas trips, and jack further gave me insight into my preference by telling me he thought i looked the kind who preferred countries with "asian-looking girls". hmm never thought of that b4. 

tue - tennis in the morn to perk myself b4 the lib at 8, then NM proj mtg at 10. sigh, when i think abt it again. hahaha. but there's one cool-looking guy and a receptive someone there so i may actually secure another friendship b4 i leave NUS afterall. 

wed - trg with coach. 8-9 with ethel and 9-11 with linky and ginny. ethel's kinda behind me (by q alot at the moment) and coach/linky/ginny are saying my progress will be slowed down for the foreseeable future, but i really quite enjoy her company (no linky i am not interested in her) and think she'll catch up quite fast - enough pple for doubles, finally. 

thur - IMRE visit in the morn, physics outing after that, then a short break (hide in some random lib again) b4 gg mtg up with oldflaggers at josh's for dinner and a bit of guitar hero. 

fri - tentatively free, and should be at sci lib all day. will decide the day b4 whether it's a tennis session in early morn b4 lib opens or a swim session inbtw during 3-4pm. or both.

sat - study/swim/study, then meeting glad in sch 1700 to chevrons for dinner and bowling. i dunno why the hell the badminton courts are like booked the whole week, at all times la. hahaha. but bowling is fun too. maybe i'll bring one of my balls. but maybe not, it's heavy. 

sun - similar to fri. sigh. hopefully i'm done with most of my revision. it's gonna be an uphill task i feel. really do hate QuantumMech. but ohwells it's my last time studying it le. jiayous to myself!

NM2220 proj grp

having only 1 proj this sem and zero CCAs, i pinned my hopes on NM2220. on a fateful day last tues during tutorial class where the tutor announced that we were supposed to break up into proj grps of 5 or 6, there was a short silence thereafter as people expressed disorientation as to what to do. 

and i begun to make my move to get the row in front of me to join my current row of 3 (me and 2 other gals). then as i was abt to speak, one of the 3 guys in the row to the left of mine shouted "hey u pple dun have a grp yet right! join us then got 6 alr. the row to ur front can join the row infront of us which has 4, then both will have 6 alr."

the logic was so obvious, i couldn't think of a suitable rebuttal. so within a second of him ending his sentence, i had alr prepared and subsequently executed my vigourous thumbs-up sign with a knowing grin, and a look that said i-had-totally-been-thinking-of-that-too-and-i-feel-pleased-to-be-teamed-up-with-you-guys, despite feeling totally to the contrary.

the DVD fiasco

lately i've been trying to order my movie/game DVDs from online (m'sia) delivery sites and my latest attempt using Globla2.com din seem to work out. they did send me the customary mail noting my order but it's been hanging there since last month.

so i tried using Da-tou.com a week ago and.. tadaaa they sent me the confirmation mail within an hr, then called for verbal confirmation the next day. that;'s fast. i was fairly impressed, and made a mental note to use this website preferentially in the future.

then yesterday, during tennis lessons at abt 9am, the Da-tou guy called and said that the delivery would be from 3-4pm at a location of my choice (NUS, obviously). looks like i'll get my stuff without much hassle this time, i thought.

at 3pm, the guy called to confirm my location again and appealed to me to rmbr to pick up my HP when he arrived in a short while so his trip wouldn't be in vain. i assured him that i too, wanted my DVDs and would be there promptly.

the white car appeared in view, the man dispensed to me a blue plastic bag and collected his payment, thereafter zooming off into the distance. all in all, a speedy transaction. i then browsed thru the contents in mild curiosity. hmm? seems like i got less DVDs in total. and some which i din order. weird. then i saw the movie "benjamin button", which i hadn't ordered, and i kind of realised what exactly happened.

i called the guy and asked abt which company he belonged to. Globla2.com was his answer.

shopping with linky

shopping for sports equipment has always been a big part of my life, and something i look forward to. for one not only has to research on the details beforehand (else risk being a gullible sheep for shopowners' exploitation and flawed knowledge), even with proper preparation it may turn out that the shoes may not fit, or that the rackets dun turn out to be suitable for one's build and playing style, or for my case, the aesthetics dun match up to expectations. it's all so exciting. 

planned to go shopping at queensway, then eat the katong spoon laksa there, then pop by at ikea to dapao meatballs back home. since it was an unplanned trip, i decided to search my mind for pple who were most likely to be available at short notice (3 hrs lol) and interested in buying sports equipment or simply pigging out. 

after a few calls, i ended up with linky, who was all too willing to go cos he too, had to get tennis shoes and check out models of tennis rackets and bags. not entirely sure of his shopping style (1. relaxed, uninformed, meandering, dependent on shopkeeper or 2. informed, focussed, rational and quick) i decided to play safe and go there an hr early. just in case he was the 2nd type.

reached then looked thru all the shops (close to 20 i think) for the products i highlighted, then took down the prices  (after discount) of different models each shop had on my phone. tried out the fittings for the few models i thought fit my criteria. then bought some finger food to meander around the complex whilst doing a cost-benefit analysis on which shoe model (from 3) to choose from. 

now u know why i have to go there beforehand - i take alot of time to make a decision, afterall, why rush oneself to make one when one is not totally convinced of the choice? then linky arrived, and i soon discovered that he went more for the looks, then tried to see if those he liked fit. no issue with that. and good thing i thought of my decision beforehand, cos he turned out to be relatively more decisive (or impulsive?) than me. 

walked around after our purchase, looking at sports equipment and talking abt tennis and general topics, then had some laksa. and i rediscovered to my chagrin that i always choke and cough when i have spicy stuff due to my sensitive nose. but the laksa was good la. 

i then looked at my hp to check the time. hell, it's been like nearly 4 hrs since i met him. both of us were kinda incredulous after finding we took that long to buy a pair of tennis shoes, slippers and have laksa. ohwells. it can only be a good thing; i've been out with pple with whom time passes by as if an hr was an eternity. 

cny

the yearly routine. initially planned to study through the night then perform my duties with the bare minimum of energy during the 2 days (esp visiting) of CNY. but then i never anticipated that i'd end up immersed in a novel for those 2 days. first among equals by jeffrey archer, who's without a doubt my favourite storyteller. to quote from my dear cousin bert:

For want of a better word, Archer is simply... readable. The pages turn naturally. He won't win many prizes for allusions, depth, turn of phrase or vocabulary here, and nor are some of the plots even a surprise, but he doesn't pretend - or try - to be what he isn't. No stretching for a Booker or Pulitzer (ok, he's not American, but you get the idea), but for what he does there are few better. He lays down a tale, and gets the reader into it without any heavy lifting. And it goes on. And on. And when it's done, the next one is ready and waiting. It sounds simple. Maybe it is simple. But very few can do it.

was chatting to a relative (teacher) and her husband (ex-principal) and discovered that scholarship holders are put on the fast track, honours or no honours. so supposedly i'll progress faster than a honours degree recepient who din have the sense to apply for a scholarship after his/her A'Levels. that's so unfair, i retorted to the old man. he shot me a bemused stare and commented that he thought i was one too. oh yeah. i'm supposed to be elated right. haha.

somehow i have the impression that my relatives think i'm somewhat of an intellectual. the glasses and squarish jaw contributes to that i guess (thestudiouschinaPRC look). not to mention i actually discuss issues with them, listen intently and argue abt contentious points. well, it's cos i have nothing better or more interesting to talk to them about i guess. i'm quite the simple guy who enjoys talking abt trivial stuff so if i actually start spouting intelligent stuff it's likely cos 1) i'm trying to impress/endear myself to you or 2) i have nothing to say to you but i'm obliged to say something. i dun read the papers every morning for nothing la.

and i was perpetually dragging all the younglings (below 21) into my air-conditioned rm (with the xbox360 and 32in LCD haha) to chat and play beijing olympics (one of the few multiplayer games i had) and of course, Winning Eleven 2009. i think those relatives mentioned in the previous para would be aghast at the language i typically use when playing the latter. "f**k la my player where got offside" "c****** the referee anyhow give yellow card one". but i'm glad to say it's not exactly a spontaneous action but a conscious one. it seems they're amused to see a to-be teacher (one of them was my student during my attachment) using language more commonly suited to absymal secondary schs and the army.

hm. time on the workstation (central lib) almost up le. signing off!

horoscope!

was talking online to an old friend of mine after mtg for supper, and he started discussing abt horoscopes and compatibilities and such. read alot on it a few yrs back (i'm quite the perfect virgo) so obliged and continued the conversation. then he copied and pasted mine and his in the conversation window. looked like it was from some website i haven't been to b4. haha guess i'm really out of touch with it all. 

so here's my horoscope: 

You have a great curiosity about women. These fine creatures are something for you to experiment with, examine and cater to. As for sex you feel that it is an experience that should not be overlooked, providing you have the time and the desire. You are interested in anything that will further your career. You are always interested in how much money your partner can make and in turn what they do with it as you find waste to be sinful. You can come across as a father figure if your mate lets you become over protective. You will only propose or get into a committed partnership after a respectable length of time and only when you are one hundred percent sure that the relationship will be lasting. You need to feel that your mate will enhance and support your career and make your home a clean place of comfort. You offer security, reliability and faithfulness.

well other than the career and money part everything basically fits (honest right! haha). then when this old friend said a particular sentence fit me to a T i immediately knew which one based on what he knew abt me (which is alot). no, it's not the sex part, but the one abt commitment and partnership. angel once told me that she'd be frustrated abt my lack of expressing and delay in the entire process if she were her. i always take such things so slowly (and steadily!), u could be forgiven for thinking i wasn't all that interested haha. 

infact sometimes i figure that i'm quite screwed up in doing this kinda things, for if the other party doesn't take a little initiative at times, nor displays impatience, or even gg to the extent of asking me out and expressing explicit interest, i can really maintain the courtship process (if u call it that) indefinitely. not being confrontational has its faults, definitely. 

i'm running the risk of looking totally ignorant, insensitive and dumb but i can't help but comment on the absolute necessity of being in a r/s with someone u like and who reciprocrates ur feelings. i think they're kinda overrated. i mean, it's not like i'll behave differently or hold back on doing the things i've been all too willing to do just because i'm not in a r/s yet; i'll still be perpetually available for her either way. but i guess the unspoken promise that is given when in a r/s, that the other party 'll always be there (or has to be there lol) to share ur weal and woes, goes a long way in assuring both parties of one's own well-being and the other's availability.

hmm.. about the security, reliability and faithfulness part.. i'm still unsure as to whether i have those qualities. security cannot be gauged objectively, i have reliability issues oftentimes and lastly i haven't had much opportunities to test my faithfulness, so there. hahaha. 

new sem

haven't been updating for a while. like i rmbr telling Z, not doing so is a sign that all is well and good for me. after all, i'm only a prolific blogger when i'm depressed, stressed or bored. nearly 1 week into the new sem, and some resolutions to keep:

1. sleep by 1am and wake by 7am everyday (save sat&sun).

2. library to study whenever possible from 0830-2100.

3. spend less per month (keep within $500)

4. stop eating for fun (keep to 3 proper meals)

5. exercise regularly 

i) swim mon/thurs/sat

ii) gym tue/fri/sun

iii) tennis wed/sat

somehow this sem seems such a peaceful one. my mind hasn't been such for a long while, infact not ever since i entered uni. it just seemed to unclutter itself all of a sudden, without any specific trigger to it. things that i thought trivial but couldn't get out of my thoughts began to relocate itself to a more obscure part of my conscious mind, the result being that i'm truly feeling content and happy the past week. 

mundane distractions have been a huge part of my not being able to fulfil my potential and pursue my interests, and i can safely say that i seriously doubt it'll pose a problem this time round. wishing to secure friendships and making a certain few pple a part of my future instead of just passing acquaintances in the tides of time have always been one of my primary aims in life, misunderstandings notwithstanding given my approach to it. 

most of it dates back to the 3mth vacation (very prolific period); amongst the few pple i've been trying to know better, i should think that the friendships formed are considerably secure by now and able to last the distance. i really did put in quite a lot of effort and time into them, esp during the dec hols. quality over quality, i insist. ambiguity at times? definitely. it doesn't help that i just let things go with the flow mostly. 

everything and everyone seems in their proper place, and the feeling of being in a comfort zone, however temporary, is superb to say the least. there's just a niggling uncertainty abt a certain someone which i can't shake off totally. it seemed to be gg fine, and recently i've been slightly puzzled at the responses (downward transition, obviously). but i can't conclude so hastily; will do some occasional prodding in the coming weeks and see how things are going. everyone is busy, after all, and i can't possibly occupy myself with it amidst other pressing concerns. honestly, i'm quite sure it's the ambiguity thingy that's causing it. 

but it sure feels good to be able to feel alive, engaged and wishing to know and immerse oneself into what one loves, or has to do. i'm really loving the current me. love the emotions, alertness and sensations i feel when swimming/tennis-ing and the clear-headedness when absorbed in my studies. not to mention the gg-outs with my dear, familiar friends (no new pple this sem, i was commenting to wormy, to his amusement). 

with the exception of me falling (excessively) for anyone, i should say that this is gg to be a very stable and fruitful semester for me. an appropriate swansong to my many years of education.

the tennis lesson

finally got down to it and booked Andy for an hr of tennis at 9 the day after. normally i do tennis with CW for 2 hrs (taking turns to rest), so i decided that an hr would be good, (happily ignoring John's advice that an hr with no rest was a killer the last time he tried it). i guess i forgot that he was one of the few friends who were way fitter than me. 

woke up at 0800, knowing i had to leave at 0815 to be on time. packing was done the day b4 so i very complacently settled down to my breakfast and papers. one more article, i repeated to myself a few times. i looked up at the clock and wow, it was already 0825. 

reached CCK at 0850 and decided i should take a cab. but the damn vehicle took like 15 mins to arrive, then 5 mins to reach the car park. so i took the elevator up to the 1st floor, ran aroundthe entire complex looking for the court (even tho it was my 2nd time there alr), eventually saw the court across the field from the grandstands, but had no way to get down other than jumping like 5 metres down to the track. so i went around to the extreme side and climbed down a gate (illegally). 

and apparently i've picked up a myriad of bad habits since my 3rd lesson which was like 3 mths ago. tensing up my forearm unnecessarily, doing a minute leap when i hit the ball, and most damningly, the increased delay at getting into the appropriate 'step in' position when the ball is returned. 

john was right. when the lesson ended and we were discussing the lesson at proximity, the image of Andy started flashing yellow and orange, then blurry and unfocused. at times, it even seemed like he was floating around. i guess i was on the point of fainting, something i haven't encountered in a long time. and obviously he offered me breaks in btw, but you can imagine the scenario.

coach (at 20 mins) : shawn! r u ok? u look tired. need a break?

me (tired, aching but prideful) : no need! i know i look tired, but i'm ok! let's continue!

coach (at 40 mins) : shawn! u look like u're gg to collapse. u sure u dun want a break?

me (extremely tired, horribly aching but still prideful) : never mind! i can still go on! let's finish up the 2nd bucket of balls first!

i din realise then that the 2nd bucket of balls was still quite full. 

and i promised that should i be a coach in the future, i'll simply walk off the court and declare a break w/o my student having to agree to it, if my student seems like he's at the brink of losing consciousness. 

so after the lesson i decided to go to the nearby toilet for a quick washup b4 my swim, but took an premature turn and ended up at the carpark instead. hey. wait. wasn't that the carpark the taxi dropped me at initially, i wondered to myself. damn. it really was. 

modules

just a few more days before sch reopens. already got 3 physics mods and a SociDeviance one. really considering taking one more mod, just to milk as much out of the uni experience if i can, but i haven't decided on it yet. it's really a dilemma. esp since i'm taking QuanMech2 this sem. the last time i took QM1 i think i studied more for it than my next 2 hardest mods combined, and still i managed to screw it up. i really quite hate theoretical physics mods. 

a wish

ardent wish fulfilled. it isn't anything really important, nor did it require much effort on my part (abit of courage perhaps) but it gave me much happiness and relief. seriously, it wouldn't seem like anything to anyone else but it was one significant event to me. both wormy and kelc replied to my childlike excitement with a very 'duh' reply. and i dun blame them for it. even tho they know all the history behind it. haha. 'u don't stammer k' msged lalaa prior to it. i laughed out loud.