a Journey

1. Get my driver's license. I've been waiting more than a year! I have procrastinated enuf! I will pass that test of mine on May 19, 2006.
2. I want to take drum lessons! So far, the only quote I've got is $120/ 45 minutes. *sigh* I don't know if I can handle that plus my driving lessons, plus my trip to Melbourne in June!
3. Anyway, the trip to Melbourne will be first solo trip! *whee* It's scary, nerve-wrecking (where am I going to get the moolah to sponsor my entire month's living expenses?!) exhilarating & fantastic. Makes me happy just thinking about it. ;)
4. Which means that mastering the art of money management is of key importance! For once, in a long while, I'd actually like to be making deposits into my bank account at the end of the month instead of making only withdrawals!
5. Get a job at the Coffee Club in skool, if only to experince the working life and studying at the same time. Okie, plus the extra cash WILL come in handy... but really, if I can't work at Coffee Bean/Starbucks then at least a short stint at the uni's humble cafe... to fulfil my lifelong dream of being a barista of sorts, no matter how pseudo it may be. At least I'll learn to operate the espresso machine!
6. Speaking of activities in uni, joining a women's soccer club would be great. Better still if Naidu can join me. I still remember those crazee days when we tried to test our psycho-motor skills on the field in TPJC... *sniggers* But I like it, anyway. I know that the probability of NTU having a women's soccer team is dubious, but I don't wanna substitute it for touch rugby-- it's just not the same.
7. And I hope to actually run a marathon. And complete it. Of cos not competitively, but I think the sense of satisfaction would be undescribable, especially to a couch potato like me. *tears*
8. Which probably means that I have to start an exercise regime. Nothing like a marathon dream to kick you off the sofa...
9. But I won't forget Ern's advice. That is, get sleep. Enough sleep. Lack of sleep makes me emotional, cranky & honestly, quite dumb. Not the way I want to be when I turn 21 (reach adulthood)!
10. Learn and master basic HTML. I own this blog... and yet I know nothing. *blushes* But hopefully CS 227 will change all that, the same way CS 226 conquered my fear (not lack of skills) as an IT illiterate.
11. I also want to finally set up my own online shopping account instead of relying on others to keep buying stuff for me! *help* I don't know how to begin, but buy I will, shop I will! ;)
12. And through it all, I want to keep walking with Him each & every single day. He's more than just my priority, He's the center of my life. (p.s. this is about the almighty dude, not the boy.)
13. I want to take nude photos. I want to be able to look back 20 years down the road and smack myself for saying that all my hangups about my body, the way I look was just paranoia on my part. Youth is wasted on the young (as Robbie Williams so wisely said) and I hope to catch me in this moment in time so that I can look back and finally be grateful and contented with what I got.
14. And hopefully, I will be able to own an art piece. *Trina*hint hint* ;)
15. After all that I've been through this year, I have learnt that life is too short. I want to be able to let those who matter to me, know that they do. I want to love: dare to love and show my love.
16. So for that, I hope that I'd get to see people who really matter to me, at least fortnightly! :) I guess it's time I take the initiative to be proactive about meeting up with dearies. I'll be damned if I just let the friendships fizzle out just like that.
17. I will take my multi-vitamins faithfully - my body is a temple- health is wealth. that is so true just thinking about my A&E hopital bills and visits to the doc this year. :|
18. As I look at the books left unread on my table, I say, I will catch up on my reading. Too many times I've forsaken the books for the Net. I will read Emma finish! And The Chronicles of Narnia again. It's been too long since I lost myself in a book. Too long.
19. So for that, I will learn to take time out for myself more often.
20. Brush up on my Mandarin. I just tried to write an entry in my diary in Mandarin... that took me an hour. Hopefully the proficiency level will go up... and the time needed to compose something decent... down.
21. I will go back to the pool as soon as possible, and train with Uncle Jeffery again. too long since I went back to just chill and hang out like I used to as a kid. I may be older, but he's still d original Mister Hulk to me.

I am seeing stars for all the wrong reasons. Timetable planning is looming in the distance once again. Cosidering that bidding (a mindless ape-act that NTU students have to go thru' every semester which involves rapid forefinger movement punctuated by occasional 4th finger gestures to the computer and the system in general) is on the 23rd, I am stressing out. I do not want to waste one day when he's here just to go thru' the most anal system of the university. Module bidding. As yet, my timetable is in shambles. I need help in planning my life for next semester. If anyone can come up with any brillant idea on how to make sense of the time and blank spaces in that darn timetable STARS, please, let me know. I tried, have tried, and will continue to try, till the cows come home, and still probably never be able to come up with a decent timetable. :| *bah! humbag*nenek of the highest order*

Yesterday, Rach made this wonderful observation, "You're really not a shopper, Phie." In my defense, I will say, it is the crowd that gets to me. I get traumatised just walking into Mango during the sale season. I mean, I'm fine if you want to have lots of people in one space, but surely not in one small area! *gasps for air* It gets claustrophobic! I freeze when I see crowds. Even in citilink, I don't know how to cut across the masses of people to get into Singtel. I just don't see how to go about it! :| BUT yesterday was fantastic, nonetheless! My gurls are fantabulous! :) Manicure::full manicure:: and a Dashing Diva gift from Shal & Rach! *twirls* Great gurl talk with Shal about her beau too! *bliss* I think it's interesting how I can actually see DH and I, but in role reversals in their r/s. -Shal//Dh, Moi//Fir- All that issue of past r/s, past events. I guess it's always so easy to be rational, but the heart does not always necessarily go with the head. Looking back, things are so different between DH and I now, than when we first started 2 years ago. Listening to her explain herself, was amazing! It was like having this great insight to where he is coming from. I guess the whole reason Shal is still decent to the ex. is cos she has a teddy bear heart! -warm, fuzzy, soft- Just like my dear. Double-edged sword when it comes to drawing the line; but I have learnt to trust and let go of his baggages. Become more zen? Perhaps. But I know that I drew strength from Him and the great people around me. *hugs* Gurls, y'all rawk big time. And yes, this includes all my sistas too! *kehehe*

This is life. Great company, great warmth. :)

Christmas is coming! *whee* My first pressie is arriving early on the 20th! ;) I can't hardly wait, yet at the same time I am going out of my mind from stress! *sigh* trust me to get worried over superficial things like this, 'Do I look worse now than 7 months ago?' *blushes in shame* so superficial, I know. But I can't help it. After so long, finally, finally I will be seeing him again. I guess this is what most normal long-distance couples go thru... all the anticipation, the want to look your personal best for your darling... oh wells.

I believe that turning 20 is a process, and from what I've been experiencing, it has been a lovely, pampered, blessed one! *twirls*bounces*flounces*skips*around*

Birthday Celebration (dos) was wonderful, 'cos of my Melakan relatives... and the nostalgic appeal of that quaint place. Some parts are commercialized (Mahkota Parade-for the Singaporean tourisits-) but others still retain that old world charm. Lovely. ;) Walked across the entire town and back again with Papa... and stocked up on lots of toiletries along the way! We got sidetracked halfway when we walked past this store tucked away amidst all the shophouses. I think my dad was one of the first breeds of metrosexuals... I mean, we're sharing face washes and clay masks! Night cream and eye cream too! The only reason I get to keep the day cream... was 'cos I hid it in my cupboard!

Photos will be posted later on, in the meantime, I shall smile in bliss at all my lovely pressies. :)

These are the gurls who keep me sane amidst all the madness. They remind me that life wld be a whole lot more grey, bleak & normal  without them! *hugs tight* There are no high tea shots... cos we were too hungry (greedy) to wait before we tucked in. And group shots... that didn't work out too well as you can see.

My Sakae Sushi buddies! Let's meet up again soon for lunch at TM! (I think the sushi there's better!)

Our shock at realising that my Peter Rabbit organiser costs me $19! "So elitist!" in my defense, I shall say, it's adorable, it's cute... and I like it.

My stayover sista, Jo dearie! ;)