bittersweet-life

2006-05-25T02:00:00.000+08:00

Looking back, I feel that I've been so childish. So naive. I also realised how stupid and shallow I sometimes seem in posts. That leaves so much to be desired.

Well, so now, time for a change. No more talking about myself. The main reason: it's narcissistic and totally boring - who want's to hear me anyway? In my opinion, politics is much more interesting. Especially hearing about how people can be so desperate to do each other in, makes you wonder, is our intellectual growth inversely proportionate to our age, experience and growth?

Well, no doubt, our emotional intellect is. okay okay, to be fair to the many others who believe that the milk of human kindness still flows, to me then.

Because of this, tonight, the few rare nights when i feel like blogging, I shall dedicate this post to an email message i got from a friend. It's really meaningful. Though yeah, duh it may be commonsensical, but it seems this common sense is lacking in many.

Well, yeah, this is just some simple post that hopefully may change the world. For the better.

ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

THREE. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

FOUR. When you say, "I love you," mean it.

FIVE. When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.

SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.

EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dream. People who don't have dreams don't have much.

NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.

TEN. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives.

TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.

THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"

FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

FIFTEEN. Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.

SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose the lesson .

SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and responsibility for all your actions.

EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

TWENTY-ONE. Spend some time alone.

Sigh... it's a sad world sometimes. That's my general sentiment after reading 'Flowers for Algernon'. That book really makes you think: what exactly is intelligence for? For you to experience immense disappointment at the point of failure, a disappointment so great that we become so depressed that we so stupid things, like commit suicide, self-inflict damage, bang our heads against the wall etc? Like the RJC guy who commited suicide in 2004, these things have evidently transcended the barriers of fiction. It's real, so real it's scary.

2006-03-20T01:41:00.000+08:00

Funny, I don't feel sleepy tonight.

Just waiting to print out some physics stuff before I force myself to bed. Poor Edwin is still doign his ERP lol...

U know, when you are bored, and too lazy to move your fat bum from your seat, you should really take a few tickle tests, haha, it's really quite interesting.

So far, I've learnt that my jap name is Kimi Sato; that my Monster name is Infamous Giant

and that as a monster I erm... 'Feast On: Hot DogsYou Lurk Around In: Public Restrooms; Especially Like to Torment: Your Exes'

I can't help but laugh.

Oh, andI just realised that I have a Sanguine Temperament:

'You are an optimistic person who is easily content.You enjoy casual, light tasks - never wanting to delve too deep into anything.A bit fickle, it's easy for you to change plans or paths when presented with something better.You enjoy all of the great things life has to offer - food, friends, and fun.A great talker, you can keep the conversation going for hours.You are optimistic and sure of your success. If you fail, you don't worry about it too much.At your worst, you are vain. You are obsessed with your own attractiveness.A horrible flirt, you tend to jump into love affairs and relationship drama easily.You're very jealous - which just magnifies the craziness around you. '

Sanguine? Me? Well, okay then. i dun think much of it though. But once I told Nerissa that one of my greatest strengths from strength quest was positivity: she nodded her head vehemently; I shook my head persistently. So there. Maybe she's right afterall. In that case, maybe I don't know myself very well.

These tests have some valid points though... haha, I'm quite sure. haha, but i'm not saying =P

2006-01-28T01:12:00.000+08:00

Reading a book about Danielle Steel. Adn feeling sad and nostalgic.

It's 1.11 am in the morning btu i can't seem to sleep.

Maybe it's because of the many horus of sleep i got during the joruney to KL. But then again, i'm the kind who can sleep anytime, anywhere if i wanted to.

Danielle Steel has a knack in penning stories about family, love, the infinite sense of loss when a loved one dies, and the process of recovery. She writes slowly, btu the stories always seemt o flow in a smooth and unhurried manner. So far, i've lived the life of a poo women whose husband and son tragically die in a car accident, and another women whose amazing husband was killed by a deranged murderer. and of cos, how both of them found love again.

My thought always seem to wonder when i read books. Nowadays at least. In primary sch, i use to read a book a day. Now, i take a week.

This time, I found myself thinking about New Year's Eve.

It was the best New Year's Eve as far as I can remmeber. Usually, it's just dinner and party. pas Grand-chose. I still remmeber vividly how anrong had so kindly secured the Jade Suite for us. how i was so afraid that my parents wouldn't let me go.

but on that day, I met them at the Dhoby Ghaut mrt station :) and it was there that i met my chess friends too. But that aside for now.

We went to carrefour to buy french food. But they were a wee bit too ex, so we settled for local food, cheap in terms of price as well as quality.

after eating lunch at burger king, where we met up with vanessa, Shu ting, hui min, shermin and edwin, we went to the hotel.

The hotel was so cool! oh my god, it was as if we were at soem holoiday resort, bali or sth! and we were all staying in the same hotel room. oh yeah, i just realised that that was a fact. But yeah, i dunnoe how to describe it, but it was a wunderful gathering place. There was adequate space for us to engage in different activites: jungle speed, snap, twister, mahjong, PS... etc. c'estait parfait! i was shuffling between all the different stations (oh my god, sounds like p6 maths trail), yeah, it was super fun and we got to really mix around. Not like we needed it! we were super bonded after the trip and i m so grateful for that. I cannot iriterate any more how much i love everyone in the gruop and how much i miss every single one of you!

Yeah after that we went for dinner at this nice fish and chips restaurant. To pass time, we played truth or dare, which was .... amusing i guess. It settled the issue of entertainment which our vibrant gruop sorely needed. eveyrone, pls give a standing ovation to me and hui min at this point of time, we were so lucky or unlucky, i dunnoe how u look at it, to guess the correct number. Yeah, but i guess it was hilarious. =P

yeah, the fish and chips was great, I just realised that food should have been the focus of the previous paragraph... hm... i ate almost all of it. =P maybe i beat shaun. :)

then we went for a night stroll...which apparently wasnt such a good idea, cos edwin almost got lost lol... bt ahaha, HEY WE GOT TO SEE THE FIREWORKS TOGETHER!!! how precious was that moment! i'll never forget it. how we started cheering though everyone else was deep in silence because we had mistaken the time. gosh! and afterwards, sing a birthday song for Shuting!!!! YAY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHUTING!!!

ahaha it was super fun! only after we sang did we usher in the new year with our shouts, We hugged each other. I think hugging is a comforting and warm thing that we should all promote in singapore. What can be more heart-warming than the feeling of each other.

We all went crazy after that. Despite our thirst, we started shouting 'happy new year' to random people.

oay, i just realised i'm writing a lot. So much taht i dun think i'll be done by morning.

so, fast-forwarding, we returned to the hotel and we celebrated shuting's brithday by eating the birthdya cake me and nerissa baked! i didnt eat any though. I drank so much that i couldnt eat at all. then we called m. chan to wish him happy new year. from his voice, i relaly couldnt decipher his reaction. Let's jsut suppose it was funny.

we didnt feel like sleeping. So we tried to stay up playing mahjong, cards and ps. but at 3,30, am i decided i should conserve energy for tmr and slept.

the next day, was basically waiting for everyone to wake up before we planned anything. anyway, with most of us leaving, there really wasnt much to do. So after Jerome and Vanessa woke up at 12 i think (vanessa was a pig and jerome didnt sleep for arnd two nights) we went for lunch at a hawker centre and then returned to the hotel.

I don't really remember much about the mornings. Mainily because the most significant thing seemed to be after lunch. We had truth or dare again. This time i was careful not to get it. Thankfully, because i dun think i would be able to fulfil the tasks requirements, which had taken a more serious and intimate tone. It was a moment i really treasured. Because friendship is not just about laughter and fun. Sorrows, troubles come hand in hand. Without sadness, there will not be happiness. In life, there must always be a balance. Ying, yang; even the chinese are aware of taht. The idea must therefore be universal.

We grew closer by sharing. We extended our trust and confidence to each other. It was sweet but at the same time depressing.

Or maybe, simply emotionally-draining.

during the game, it dawned upon me that the holidays were drawing to a close. I vaguely remmeber asking constatnly what date it was. I was still in denial.

The holidays were ending. WE wouldn't have time to meet up. New Year's Day was the last gathering together.

I was so depressed I couldn't look at anyone in the face. So i just let my eyes scour the ground but i didn''t see any ants. I simply wasnt looking. just thinking. i think anrong sensed the melancholy in the suite. He suggested awakwardly that we take a photo. So I smiled. He took a photo. And i think my smile dropped immediately afterwards.

2006-01-28T00:10:00.000+08:00

Today is a so-so day.

The morning was fun. We had chinese new year celebration and during most of the time, i was busying fiddling with my camera, taking pictures with Mei Lyn, Stacy, Kavya and Rhea and everyone around me. Wasn't really paying attention to the programme on stage., though i must say that the xiang sheng, though vaguely related to CNY, was amusing. It was so lame, i was laughing like mad.

The best part was the end i suppose. Cos we got to take class pictures! YAY, i was really happy! mainly because the class seemed more bonded. YAY! THREE CHEERS TO 401'06!

After that, i took pictures with stupid xue jun and mabel! i must bao chou! ahahaa, stupid ppl! Why can't u all just behave and take a nice picture together? Must ji nian our one year together sitting at the front, enduring the stupid microphone blasting in our ears mah! =)))

then i saw many ppl, denise and nerissa and mien and mel teo.. ahaha, talked to them a little, then went tot the canteen and fooled around with yannie, mabel, xue jun and bobby! they are super funny, oh man, i can't stand them!

then i went home and preppared for the arduous journey to malaysia! five hours plus! my mp3 player must work, if nto,,, ahhaa, my sister's irritating voice willhave to suffice. Ca serait insupportable!

i'm tring as hard as possibel to recollect my feelings of teh eralier part of the day. Now i jstu feel sad. I really wanted to meet everyone for the dinner tonight! ARGH!!! why why why! I''m so sad... if they go chinese new year visitiing without me, i'll be sadder! :(

nvm, sarah, there's still the delicious porridge forward to. Pleure pas.

Oui, en tout cas, c'est de ce que je dois me contenter pour le moment, ne'est-ce pas?

Tout le monde me manque! Surtout ma famille de 27, Sabrina et tout le monde en France.

Les souvenirs resteront toujours dans mon coeur...

Les oublier? C'est impossible.

2006-01-21T12:53:00.000+08:00

Have you ever gotten this feeling, that you have loads and loads of things to do, btu you can't seem to start on any?

I think it's happening to me NOW.

Let's see. This is what I desperately feel like doing now:

1) Shopping for more clothes: blame it on yesterday's detour to orchard for Memoirs of a Geisha

(I seriously swear that it is good..reminds me of Fred and George in Harry Potter: 'I seriously swear that I'm up to no good!' lol...I miss the times when I have the luxury to prop myself on a chair by the pool, under the sun, immersing myself in the world of words. I really do): )

so yesterday me and nerissa went to Cine then we choose to take the escalators as we had an ulterior motive: we wanted to meet a few people by chance ... lol... that's weird.., we WANTED to
meet...so how can it be by chance.

as we walked past the shops, i saw so many nice clothes... nice clothes and no money really dun go together.

2) I want to go rollar-blading, cycling and everything. Just that now, my butt hurts like shit.... why why why must this type of things happen to me!!! This is not the first time pls. It's recurring with a frightening frequency.

Before the france trip, I tore my ligament. During the france trip, on the night of the party, I stepped on my own toe twice. Yeah, the same toe with the same force. Throughout the france trip, I aggravated my ankle by running, jumping and doing dunnoe what. After the trip, I slammed into a stationary van. On New Year's Eve, a whole slab of skin got pinched by the toilet door. Now that taught me an important lesson: don't estimate doors. And NOW, oh my god, just the day before yesterday, I fell down and it was really really painful. If I go into any details, I might scare some people. So I shall stop now.

3) I want to watch nice movies. Like cheaper by the dozen 2. OH! the DA vinci code is coming out soon ! =P great. Though i bet the movie will pale in comparison to the book.

4) I wanna go to the library to borrow tons and tons of books. The problem: I dun have the time to read them. and I have just minimised my chances further by penning this entry and prior to that, by reading other people's entries.

I WANNA GET OUT. ANYTHING. I JUST DUN WANT TO WRITE 1 commonwealth essay AND 2 chinese essays.

2006-01-15T00:50:00.000+08:00

YAY...what a wunderful day!

I bought $121 worth of clothes from the same shop! =) and i'm so proud of myself cos i've finally relinquished myself of the cumbersome task of scouring shopping centres just for the ideal chinese new year clothes. The twist is that the clothes are far from red.

anyway. everyone rejoice. I've finally removed that irritating song on my blog. even i find it irritating. i bet the rest of you almost always immediately mute your com to spare yourself the torture of listening it.

Good choice.

All of you must thank the recent newspaper article on illegal handling of songs. It's insightful and important.

2006-01-12T00:55:00.000+08:00

OH no! i just glanced at the clock on the computer. It's 12.56 a.m. 12th December 2006.

I'm having a personal crisis.

My birthday is over.

No matter what, people pls continue giving me present! (:

i have a feeling i'm no talking myself. N'importe quoi! (Ma phrase favorie..tu peut demander a ma soeur. Je lui dit tous les jours. et je suis fier de ca!) :)

i guess my birthday has to go, to give way to other people's birthday! lol

SO here i present my most sincere birthday wishes to NAT!

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY NAT!

MAY YOU BE HAPPY AND DISGUSTING AND PERVERTED AND SMART AND HARDWORKING AS ALWAYS!

Random comment: lol...now rainy days aren't so bad... now that i've found a new pasttime ... LOL

c'est un secret.

2006-01-12T00:42:00.000+08:00

~~~ Sweet Sixteen ~~~ -------------- 16

Today I'm gonna ride away
And feel the sun throughout my hair
Finally free to be who I wanna be
Who that is I don't really care

'Cuz I've got friends who love me
Blue skies are above me
My blonde hair is everywhere

[Chorus:]

Sweet sixteen
Gonna spread my wings
Sweet sixteen
It's my chance to shine
Sweet sixteen
Discovering
Sweet sixteen
So much more to life
Sweet sixteen

Drivin' down to the club where we go to dance
Radio is blastin' and the top is down

There ain't nothin' in my way'Cept the traffic of L.A.
And I've got friends who love me

Bright stars shine above me
My blonde hair is everywhere

[Chorus]

Mamma loves me and a sister who shows me, and a daddy's always there

[Chorus]

I wanna know what it feels like
I need to see it from the inside
I can taste a bit of what I will find
So much more to life
Sweet sixteen

[Repeat]

2006-01-12T00:07:00.000+08:00

It's super late now. My eyelids are drooping and practically covering my eyes so much so that I'm forced to master the art of typing blindly just when I think that my head may crash onto the keyboard and wreck this entry any moment now.

But I can't sleep. YET. Cos i've jsut finished my physics project, which had been dealt out just TWO DAYS AGO and which has such ridiculous requirements which are so hard to find on the internet...it's either too cheem, or too rare that no one has heard or researched on it.

Okay i'm exaggerating...lol...but they are really mean to make me do work on my birthday! ahahaha... i was chatting and doing research at the same time. Or trying really. Cos most of thet ime i find myself distracted by that blught flashing orange thingy... lol... or maybe it was just the people i was talking to.. (:

Anyway... the main POINT of this entry :

A BiG sHOuT OuT to aLL eVerYoNE! rEAllY! aLL tHaT yOu aLL dID foR mE mADe Me WAnT tO bUrSt iNto teARs anD BisOuS aLL oF yOu!!!

thank you 301'05, 401'06 for singing that super long birthday song. and thank you Xue Jun for adding to that low-pitch, monotonous but funnily you background music! I really miss sitting next to you! ahaha, Don't u miss me too? I cant help you with yoru maths anymore! have to rely on Bob! =p ahhaa, no more laughing during maths lesson and having ms Neo ask us what we are laughing at. No more looking at the clock all the time during chinese lessons ....

thank you Nerissa, Shu-En, Nats, Mien for going out with me! ahhaha, crashing into an NC-16 show was FUN...ahahha, to think that we actually went through all that meticulous thought about how to make me and nerissa look more grown up in order to get in... (yeah, it's super funny that it's me and ner, the oldest who looks the least grown-up :)))) when we could actually stroll in! i love the ticket ppl :) ahahaha it was damn funny and nice... and thanx so much for the delicious cakes @ NYDC ahhaa, it was worth the trip wasn't it?

Thanx Ner and stacy a million times, for organising that surprise party @ MOELC! You all are the best! ahaha, I must be really stupid, cos I really didn't suspect anything, even after Ner accidentally sent me the SMS about a cake. I thought, u noe, Nerissa, the person who eats anything anytime, just wanted to eat a cake... ahahah...anyway, it was really nice! and thanx to all the people who graced the party: Lee Ning, Shu Ting, Hui Min, Rhea, Daphne, Xue Wei, Shauna, Swati, Soon Ae, Nadiah, Je vous aime!!! BEAUCOUP BEAUCOUP BEAUCOUP!

Thanx to all the people who gave me presents. They were wonderful! :) i mean it! : Nerissa, Mien, Nats, Shu-En, Mei Lyn, Rhea, Stacy, Swati, Wanxi, Kavya

Thanx to all the people who wished me happy birthday! I'm really really touched that so many people remembered my birthday... yeah, regardless of the fact that maybe some of them had to be reminded by birthday reminders... lol...

Thanx to my parents who bought so much things that I really really liked! ahahha, YAY, finally, u bought them AFTER MY HOLS...i must really try to find time to use them now, though i'm seriously lacking in spare time !

Thanx MUM and DAD for the squash rackets, roller blades, and new sport shoes... those were necessities, but you claimed they are my birthday presents, which i inevitably have to share with Anthea. But heck, THANX!

et merci Jerome, pour ta carte tres speciale, tres touchant, tres douce. C'est les mots dedans que je n'oublierai jamais ...

YAY, the blurr pok, tai bian tai has now turned 16! lol...a bit the unbelievable, but ...lol, c'est la vie...je suis qui je suis. C'est toi qui dois m'accepter. Je ne changerai jamais.

2006-01-06T23:46:00.000+08:00

Ok, I shall state this very very clearly. Sweet and touching as this is, this si not my dedication. Mine is much better :) This is Yao Guang's lol. I'm just putting it up cos I have no where else to put it...lol...hope you dun mind Yao Guang! Any protest or discontent, just rail at me yar? Tu me manques aussi! C'etait tres gentil de ta parte d'ecrire tout ce que sur moi, meme les choses embarrasantes!

Anrong – Hail the great ruler of the Universe! To think I actually thought you were studious and serious! I can’t believe how wrong I was! After all the pure and innocent things that you’ve looked at and written, I am forced to believe that you’re not what you seem to be. But it’s not a bad thing; it does make you much more likable.

Cheryl – Hmm... What should I say? All your photo poses are really nice and original so it’s been great being your photographer.

Christine – You seem to know quite a lot from what I gather and you’re one of the most mature in the group. It’s been great getting to know you. Another interesting fact: I finally learnt your name at the end of the 2nd week.

Christl – Round face! You’re really nice and friendly from all the few times that I’ve talked to you.

Daphne – Cool dance! I remember how you were talking to everyone in French during the sojourn in Paris and I will never forget that I actually managed to correct you when you were asking the others to hurry up. Another interesting thing was that you were one of the two people I saw reading a Chinese novel.

Edwin – My fellow scout and “ex-husband”. The spastic member in the group. I just love teasing you because you always act like a retard. Oh ya, you are one. I forgot :P. I’ve known you for two years already so I’ve nothing much to say that I’ve never said before. It was fantastic having you around especially since you’re in my CCA. You should really speak out more so people would know what you were thinking about during your quiet staring-at-the-wall moments. I was shocked to hear you had a heaven. All this while I really believed you were gay. Please work harder to ascent the stairs to your heaven. You make me feel sorry for you when I think about Edmin.

Hui Min – The HOT BABE in the group or at least that’s what she told me. =)Are you considering a career in singing? Or maybe making lame jokes is your destiny. I’m sure there’re people willing to pay for entertainment in both industries. But I really miss your lameness. Come to think of it, your lameness really did make the journey much better. Hail the great eraser of the Universe!

Isaac – You aren’t 17. You can’t be. The pro in Bridge and DotA but a really bad teacher. Haha. Just kidding. Next time don’t scare your students off by shouting at them. I really appreciate all the lessons though. I finally have enough experience in Bridge to play properly with everyone else. But I still need serious training in DotA. Care to help, Isaac?

Jerome – Hi Mom/ ex-Mom-in-law! Firstly, heaven is not so far away... Congrats on coining the term ‘heaven’ and setting us a lovely example. You’re a really good confident even though the suggestions you gave turned out poorly. I will always remember your desperation to charm Heaven during the last few days. Right, Doorman? Don’t worry; you DO stand a chance.

Jing Ping – The most Christianish Christian in the group. Almost everything about you reminds me of it, from your T-shirt to your pencil case to the songs in your MP3 player. But that’s a good thing. You work magic on the piano with your fingers. The things I remember most are getting pwned in DotA and your laughter and boasting when you did that. To prove Edwin wrong that I will almost remain a n00b, I’ll beat you soon! ;p

Mathan – You’ve been a really great friend to me and I’m very grateful for that. You make it much easier to socialize and bond with the other 26. The two years with you have been memorable and the extra 25 days in a foreign land has just added to the fun. Thanks so much!

Nadiah – Firstly, STOP CALLING ME SMALL BOY! Lol. Now that I’ve said that, I still can’t believe you’re head prefect. I’ve always thought head prefects were a bunch of unpleasant prefecty people. Thanks for proving me wrong. Great shopping skills too.

Nerissa – Nice, funny and HUNGRY! I still remember all your in-between-meals snacks. Strangely, you don’t eat much during meals. Do you survive on junk food? Your whiny voice is impossible to miss as you sing down the streets of France. I miss your voice… Haha…Thanks for your duck, daughter!

Orlanda – Hahaha! You’re funny too. It was a pity we didn’t talk often. I remember how I was hiding under the table, trying to blend in with the darkness. You gave us such a scare!

Priscilla – I think you had a really fruitful time in France with *ahem* SJ *ahem*. I still remember that you were one of the first RG girls that I recognized since you were in dance. I don’t really remember what you said but I can clearly remember that you were fun to hang around with, even for that short moment.

Rajeev – Hi Dad! I think you can champion Edwin in retardedness. Seriously, you can act so retarded at times, but as I said, it’s ACTING, so don’t get mad at me. You’re funny especially during mass convos, especially with all your random comments, pictures and shooove the flag ups.

Sarah – A true pro at the quick game of Jungle Speed. Thanks for introducing me to that wonderful game. Other than that, I can see why *ahem* Mr. J *ahem* fancies you but I shan’t reveal anything. *wink* Even though I sucked a Jungle Speed at least you didn’t criticize my playing skills or rather the lack of them. Thx a lot.

Sean – The official translator of the trip. An amazing feat, being able to understand all that mumbo-jumbo the guide was talking about. Heard you’re actually very dirty but so far I haven’t heard anything sick coming from you. Thank God! Haha

Shaun – “I’m hungry” That’s what I always hear. AND you eat more than Nerissa! C’est impossible! You can become an NDP motivator because you’re always there to encourage everyone on the trip. Hope you aren’t that sad about Damien anymore. J

Shauna – What can I say? Well, you are kinda nice to others. Your close friends do say you are a good person so I believe them. Oh! I know what to say now! I was impressed by your dance! You’re a great choreographer with lotsa initiative to suggest the dance and actually carry it out. Good job.

Shermin – Nice seating beside you on the flight. Glad I cleared up your misconceptions about guys. Dun want you carrying it around and accusing innocent males like me. xD. Hehe. Oh ya, thanks for the help in ‘Who wants to be a Millionaire?’ You were the extra helpful infinite-use lifeline. Even though I only got 64k, thanks again for helping me avoid spending my flight in frustration from not getting above 2000.

Shu Ting – Whenever I think of you, I think of hei3 se4 mao3 yi3 (Popular Chinese song). Maybe it’s because you provided the lyrics for that song which was in Edwin’s opinion, a racist song. My best memories of you are you sharing your MP3 player with Hui Min and singing Chinese songs on the bus.

Su Jun – It’s a pity you didn’t hang out with me in France as much as I would liked it to be. But nevermind, I guess certain things are more important. I’ve known you since the first dancing rehearsal and I guess you’re quite talented – from doing cartwheels to throwing people around and playing the piano. Not bad! You are also a funny joking kind of guy which is good.

Vanessa – Please let me keep my valuables, mugger! Don’t mug me! Seriously, you really look like a mugger with the bonnet. It’s so uniquely you that I almost couldn’t recognize you when you took it off in MIJE. You’re fun to hang out with and your guitar skills are indeed commendable. It was great knowing you.

Xuewei- The fashion model who escaped from Project Runway. I still remember how you took a video of me talking about racism in the 21st Century. That was one of the most unforgettable memories I had of the very unforgettable trip. It was so funny that I kept laughing and trying to direct the camera away throughout the video. ROFL

Yao Guang – MY HEAVEN! He’s a nice quiet fellow who I always see hiding in the reflective windows of shops. You know, sometimes I see him in mirrors too. Strangely, he always tries to copy what I do but he never talks to me. I really wanted to get to know him better. I think he secretly likes me too! Hehe =P

Yuhui – What kind of interesting stuff do I say anyway? You look funny in your green shower cap. OH! It was a beret? Couldn’t tell... xD! Did you beat me in Bridge before? I think you did. On the train when I said I was playing with a bunch of n00bs. LOL. Ironic. Another comment, it seems your conditions of ‘heaven’ is really hard to attain. You sure you want an older and taller rich man who will buy you the ice-cream factory? Haha! I think you’re the one who said interesting stuff!

2005-12-28T10:48:00.000+08:00

I know it's christmas, a new year and everything. I know i'm suppose to be hyper, happy and everything. But the truth is, I'm not.

I'm crying inside.

A new year is approaching. School starts. Work starts pouring in. We again find ourselves caught up in the rat race, constantly mugging, doing homework, projects etc, invovled in CCA and other commitments and neglecting the essentials of life: people.

I'm so scared that we will lose contact, just like I have with my primary school friends.

Next hols, I'm gonna find a way to meet up with them. It can't gone on this way...

Now, looking at all the great pictures we took in France and at Singapore's Changi Airport, and laughing at all the smiles that were captured, memories inundate my heart once more. I start laughing. and then i feel a wince of pain.

Those remain as memories, tucked in my heart, never to be realised again. It's the past. not the present and will never be the future.

Who knows what the future holds for us anyway. We all have different career plans, different lifestyles, different economic status.

We all want to go back to France. I hope. But I don't think that applies to all of us. Some may be willing to leave their family, in pursuit of a life that they yearn greatly. Others may choose to snuggle up in the cosy covets of their home nest.

I'm really grateful that I could go on the trip with the people I went with: Anrong, Cheryl, Christine, Christl, Daphne, Edwin, Huimin, Isaac, Jerome, Jing Ping, Mathan, Nadiah, Nerissa, Orlanda, Priscilla, Rajeev, Sean, Shaun, Shauna, Shermin, Shu Ting, Sujun, Vanessa, Xuewei, Yao Guang, Yuhui...

I love all of you. I never ever want to forget you. But if I do, I really do not mean too and I'm really really sorry.

2005-12-23T11:42:00.000+08:00

I'm crazy over personality tests...maybe it's because i'm nto really sure where I stand...

anyway, I came across this one...which is quite interesting actually...

and ...this is the result of the test...

'' You're blue — the most soothing shade of the spectrum. The color of a clear summer sky or a deep, reflective ocean, blue has traditionally symbolized trust, solitude, and loyalty. Most likely a thoughtful person who values spending some time on your own, you'd rather connect deeply with a few people than have a bunch of slight acquaintances. Luckily, making close friends isn't that hard, since people are naturally attracted to you — they're soothed by your calming presence. Cool and collected, you rarely overreact. Instead, you think things through before coming to a decision. That level-headed, thoughtful approach to life is patently blue — and patently you! ''

Food for thought.

2005-12-20T23:17:00.000+08:00

To everyone reading my blog. I'm so sorry for the mess. I'm a moody blogger. So everything's kind of haphazard... a bit of dedications and a bit of recounts of events. There's more to come. So, people, keep your eyes peeled.

Grosses Bisous! (:

2005-12-20T23:12:00.000+08:00

I truly miss everyone on the trip and it's definitely a pity, a tragedy in fact, that we are separated by our hectic lifestyles, the different schools etc. Sooner or later, we would have new experiences that woul replace the older ones, new friends that would dominate our most recent memories. The older ones would not disappear completely (or at least I hope), but remain a blurred, distant one .. like the ghost of our past... Never would I want that to happen.

Never would I want to forget all of you, my dearest family of 27! For this, I shall devote a bit of my time to the glorification of each and every one of you. This is so anti-climax, but nevermind that, this is important: all dedications are written according to the most recent telephone list. Don't believe me? Go check yourself =P

Orlanda

I'll never ever forget you, NEVER EVER EVER! Believe it or not, Orlanda Goh Qi Mei is not only super super zai in French, she is also a cute, funky, nice person..okay, I shall add the word 'pretty' too, cos Sabrina said so. :) Yeah, I know, it is very hard to believe it at first. Actually no lar, I’m totally joking! Orlanda’s dress sense is super cool! Just like Ms Wu! I shall emulate her..in the future, when I’m older. Orlanda’s French is also super zai! I feel inferior when I hear her speak to Aude in French… it’s like…I try to eavesdrop, but can’t get a single word. Orlanda understands everything and replies equally fast..either she’s speaking broken French or bordealaise French, or I’m just super bad at listening. Orlanda, you are really damn damn cute! And funny ! and nice to tease! I’’ll never ever forget you Round Face! Or the story of you bouncing of Mathan..LOL. and the car rides we had together. And your bo-chup ‘hi’s. and the fact that ur Lexis camera is much much better than mine! ARGH…I love and hate you at the same time lol, what can I say? I MISS YOU! =P

Christl

Christl is the sweetest and cutest person I’ve ever met! My most vivid impression of Christl is this cute cuddly girl donning a bright orange manteau, with an always smiling, flushed face. Christl always gives the funniest responses to your questions.. ahaha, I really can’t remember and for that I’m terribly sorry! I just remember she answered Mdm Peng in a damn funny way during the FLE, and everyone there laughed..it was one of the rare moments of laughter during FLE. Yay, I’ll miss you Christl! You and shaun are some of the nicest, kindest JC people I’ve known! And I’ll miss taking pictures with you! Grosses Bisous!

Cheryl

Cheryl has a cool dress sense. I was really impressed by her bold and unique dress sense: pink skirt, black stockings etc. Cheryl really shows me that one can be pretty but at the same time hardworking, on task, focused… ahaha, I think that I would never ever have the courage as she had when she went up to the guide to ask questions in French! She rocks man! Cheryl takes French as a second language… I wish I could do that! I wish I had gotten to know Cheryl more… I’m sure it would have been great fun! Nonetheless, I am totally grateful for her efforts in dolling me up! (really Cheryl, it was a great job! A bit messy, but great!) Way to go, aspiring hairdresser cum fashion designer. I hope too that we will return to France one day and stay together!

P.S I’m sorry that I had to cross over you so many times! It must have been very very irritating! Je suis désolée! Grosses Bisous!

Shauna

When you get to know Shauna, you’ll realise that she is in fact a very caring understanding friend. And a very experienced one too, as in with some kinds of issues… lol… She helped me clear my thoughts during the trip… if it wasn’t for her, I think I wouldn’t be what I am today…I’ll be mad, sad, depressed etc. I think everyone will agree with me that Shauna CAN DANCE SUPER WELL! She’s really good! And the dances that she choreographs is really good! I really admire Shauna, as in, she has a good fun social life, but at the same time, she has this good habit of reading! I wish that I could find time to read, not that I have very little time! I’ll definitely miss this girl with her bright red jacket! Grosses Bisous!

Shuting

Oh no! I’m super sorry Shuting! I just realized that I’ve been spelling your name wrongly for so long! I thought it was Shu Ting! This is totally irrelevant but heck. J Shuting is my les partner! Lol, I’m always flirting with her! I can still remember that night on the dance floor, we were super crazy together! Seriously, it was super fun can! Shuting is super shuai! If she were a guy, maybe I would fall for her. For now, I’ll just settle for this unorthodox homosexual relationship with her! Shuting, somehow or another, we must must be in the same French class next year okay! Apart from Nerissa, you are my closet friend in French Class! Imagine without you and ner, M. chan – talking to the wall; me – stoning. Je mourirai! Shuting dances really well too! She dances in a damn cool manner, especially when she is wearing that blue shirt of hers. You know Shuting, I still think that when you wear that blue shirt, you look like a Hong Kong chef selling all kinds of noodles: hor fan, xia mee, hokkien mee etc. I’ll definitely miss you! Grosses Bisous!

Xuewei

Xuewei has a quirky dress sense! She really dresses like a painter! Weird but artistic and confident in her own way. Xuewei is a very helpful person! And I think a person like me would tend to bully her! I’m really sorry for rushing you when you were using the bathroom! Lol. Must treat helpful people like you who offered to be Nerissa’s crutch when she was injured nicer! Xuewei is also very polite! She’s always apologizing to Vanessa, Nerissa and I for being underdressed… she’s much more well-dressed compared to us... lol. Take care! Grosses Bisous! I’ll miss you dress sense!

Hui Min

Oh man! Like I will ever forget this person! Stupid Hui Min! She gives me the creeps! One moment, she acts completely normal, as in she acts haiya, normal lar…I wanted to say like me..but then I realized that I wasn’t normal.. then the next moment, she would gaze at me as if she was les and wanted to seduce me and reach out her hand and stroke my face… at least ALMOST stroke my face! Thankfully I have fast reactions, I’ve managed to run away so far! Hui Min’s the cause of my misery! Days after her weirdo actions, Vanessa can towards me and tried to touch my face. She succeeded and she was like, ‘Sarah, your face very smooth leh!’ TWO PERVERTS! Then Hui Min came back and the terror started again! AHHHHHHHHH…………Dun get the wrong idea, Hui Min is bizarre, yes bizarre, but cute and yes totally totally LAME. She and Edwin can really make a good pair! Both have this quirkiness in them and both are equally lame! And palatable, I must say! Lol, oh yeah! Hui Min (again) and Shuting displayed their eccentricity again by greeting everyone with bisous on the cheek in the morning… I was momentarily stunned lol…. But it was warm of them! Grosse Bisous à toi Hui Min!

Daphne

Whenever I see Daphne, I would feel so so so ashamed of myself. Look at Daphne, she would either be scribbling ferociously into her notebook, listening attentively to the teacher, speaking intelligently in French to the adults or native French, or answering Mdm Peng’s questions intelligently. And then look at me. At FLE, I would be playing with Nerissa tick-tac-toe, and when Mdm Peng asks me a question, I would be stun, blur and say , ‘je ne sais pas.’ Mdm Peng would ask Daphne, and Daphne would answer flawlessly, and Jing Ping would tell me the answer so I can act clever again. Daphne is the most hardworking person I know! Daphne, I wish I could be as hardworking as you! And remember all the details about all the places we have visited! Je suis sure que tu vas etre gave bien en francais tres tres bientot! Grosses bisous !

Nadiah

LOL, first and foremost, a big apology to Nadiah for constantly suaning you about being the head prefect ! In fact, in my eyes, you are GREAT! You are so sensible that you know just when to stop. If I were having fun, I would just go on and go and never stop until someone like M. Chan shouts at me. (he really did once! Scared me to death! Eeks) Before the trip, I thought that you were a very serious person who would scold me and Nerissa if we made too much noise! But no, you are fun-loving and have a good taste for songs! I love spending my time with you in the bus, listening to someone’s mp3,huming along to lyrics that I hardly know but try to act as if I do while you sing on ith such aplomb that I just feel like killing you! Joking joking! But ay, must teach me how you get to memorise the lyrics so flawlessly! Nadiah is also super funny can! If I’m not wrong, she was the one who suggested that we have an evacuation route just in case the bouncer came to check on us. My dear hardworking headprefect! I’m really glad that you came on the trip with us! I finally got to see the fun and jovial side of you! My impression of you is no longer the one that stands behind the mick and screams at the sec 3s, who, I think we will all agree, the noisiest, chattest, slowest batch. Cheers to all sec 3s! Sometimes, because of the many sec 3 RGS ppl in the French immersion trip, I really pity the teachers. Ahaha, all the same, I like our batch as it is! I’m all for you Nadiah! Grosses Bisous!

Shermin

One thing I greatly regret, is not spending enough time getting to know Shermin. All I know is that she is a really really nice and friendly person! I’m really sorry Shermin, for not getting to know you well enough! But all the same, thank you so much for being on the trip! Without you, the trip would not have been right! Grosses Bisous!

Priscilla

Priscilla is one very very sweet girl who is a very very good friend of a very very sweet guy. ORGH… I’m so sorry I’m teasing you again! I’m always teasing her! But they are always so sweet…it’s hard to control. Okay lar, it’s not as it that’s all about her! Pris is special in her own way too, even without Su Jun. For one, she can dance well! Ahaha, I can remember her twirling her red ribbon (for Chinese dance) with Isaac, while M. Chong would lecture me on my horrible, unsightly twirling… LOL… Pris is just charming. Full of elegance. Oh yes! She is always smiling! I think even when she is sad right, she will still have a hint of smile lingering on her lips. Ooooooo, that’s another important factor that would make her such a gem. Oh, but the one time she smiled the widest was during the dance! I think my sister was watching a video of the dance of her with su jun, and my sis was like, ‘why is that girl smiling so wide?’ lol, I know why. Okay, enough teasing! Pris is a really really nice person to talk to! I’ll miss her so! Grosses Bisous!

Yuhui

Yuhui is a really fun and nice and cute person to be with! Ahaha, I will always remember the many bus rides where she and Ner would be singing and singing and singing all kinds of songs, like ‘The Song that Never Ends’, ‘Mu Nai Yi’. Oh yes!!! Yuhui can sing well! And she’s a very patient teacher! Ahaha, I must confess, I seriously can’t sing for nuts! Vanessa was like, ‘Sarah, you sing weirdly!’ so mean right! Stupid Vanessa! Whole day say I am weird! I look weird! I sing weird! Come online lar! Weird girl! I miss you, you know! Luckily I have Yuhui! She is super patient and she can sing well! Lalala, it’s thanx to her that I got the rhythm for Mu Nai Yi. It’s a damn nice song! J Yuhui has a very red face! She looks nice too ! Grosses Bisous !

2005-12-20T18:45:00.000+08:00

Thanx to Mien, I've found this ... I would say Amusing blog?

yes yes...

It's worth a read. Or at least, a click

http://studentssketchpad.blogspot.com/

2005-12-19T21:12:00.000+08:00

You know what? I shall continue thinking and thinking about the trip until i'm satisfied that most of the memories are jotted down ... that way, the trip can be preserved in the most complete way, no parts missing. And then the memory will look complete, though of course, it will never be.

13. Snow

I've never seen snow all my life. Though my mum and dad insist obstinately that I have.. when I was 3. And I would obstinately refute their statements. And they would lament to themselves that they wasted their money bringing me to the nice, fantastic Canada because I remembered nothing. Which is true, because the only holiday I remembered as a child is the one in Hong Kong, when I was sitting on the shoulders of my mom's boss, at the top of an open double decker bus! I forgot the holiday in Canada.

But I sincerely believe that I will never forget the one in France, 2005. Jamais. And I will never forget the 5 minutes of snow that showered down on us in Bordeaux.

According to Sabrina, snow in November, c'est très rare! I suppose then that it's a sign. A sign that that time was special...it was in a way, it was the time when we were in Bordeaux! Laugh people, though I sound so damn lame.

Okay, I just realise i haven't really described the snow. One word. Wonderful. We (Sabrina, Delphine, Louise, Nerissa, Vanessa and I) spotted in while sitting at a café at Marché des Capucins. Delphine thought she saw it at first, but she was mistaken. All of us who rushed out to usher the arrival of snow came back down-casted. But five minutes later, the real snow came an we ran out like lunatics. Hands outstretched, we twirled round and round, dancing in the snow, clumsily though, we are no ballerinas. I stuck out my tongue to taste the snow. It tasted… normal? Lol.

It was quite weird though… we seemed out of place, being so fascinated over the snow. The passers-by just kept on their journey, indifferent to weather change that had caused such elation within us.

It was something that we would never experience in Singapore.

14. Football

Sometimes I really do wish that I’m a guy. If I’m a guy, I’ll be stronger, I’ll, hopefully, be able to play as good football as Jerome, Edwin and Jing Ping, yeah, then I’ll be less bored after lunches.

Although I didn’t play, I could see that the games were very very fun. Our Singaporean team, made up of Jerome, Edwin and Jing Ping, played against the French Team… that’s the way we see it in any case. Ahah. So when our team scored 2 goals against the other team, we cheered like mad. =P Good job guys! You did Singapore proud by beating the French! They are supposedly much better than the Lions..Yeah, you are better than the French who are better than the Lions, therefore, you are better than the Lions. (spot the fallacy…lol)

15. Toilet Problems

You know one thing I really really want to improve in France, or maybe just Bordeaux, I’m really not sure…lol, is the presence of public toilets! There can be, and this is perfectly normal, absolutely NO toilets around at shopping districts or on highways.

So it’s always a battle between the physical need to release myself and the mental strength to psyche myself into thinking that, ‘No Sarah, you are feeling just fine… You are not urgent at all’ It really doesn’t work. And sometimes during the bus ride, stupid Priscilla and some other people make it worse! :P

16. Pique-niques

I think the pique-niques are essential for a good day of fun! It’s really quite a nice thing to do in France, when the weather is all cool and dry! No flies and mosquitoes to swap, no muddy patches of grass to sit on and therefore, no dirty trousers and jeans! (what good luck!). hohoho, imagine having a pique-nique in the hot sweltering Singapore… fun, but strenuous.. lol

The pique-niques are really very fun… as in, it is during these times that we all come back as a group. Usually, while we are walking down the cobbled pavements of Bordeaux and Paris, we are all split up in our little groups. It’s not exactly cliques, as in, we all do occasionally wander around here and there… I suppose that’s how we all become so close… no boundaries…

Oh yes, back to the picnics…yeah, we all slow down our footsteps and sit down on the ground… if we are lucky, there will be green patches acting as nice butt-rests.. if not, hard ground would have to suffice. Once settled, we would then eagerly open our lunches... lol, the French meals are designed to stuff-and-starve: they eat lots and lots for every meal, but they only eat three meals a day! ..yeah, so at every meal, everyone is always hungry! =P ahaha, that’s better, in a way, less things to carry after that.

We’ll be busy offering and sharing our stuff with everyone… seriously, it’s like a marketplace. I remember Shu Ting was like, ‘Sarah, I give you my apple you give me your orange can?’ lol, TAKE SHU TING!

And then there would be the leftover’s club! Boy should you see Shaun’s, Isaac’s and Vanessa’s appetite! C’est fou! Totallement fou! Shaun can eat 4 sandwiches in one go! He’s damn funny…as in, he eats three and he says, ‘I’m damn full can! I have 4 sandwiches to eat!’ and then the next moment, he starts on his sandwich.

17. Chinese Class

Okay, I’m making an exception and talking about a class. Chinese class is one of the most fun classes ever. Yes, after having my share of SES (Sciénces Economiques et Sociales), Chinese is a bliss (which is rare..lol). It was damn nice, for a while, to savour the taste of our own culture. It was during then that I was somewhat grateful for my own unique cultural roots. I felt proud that I was a Singaporean who could at least speak Chinese (though Vanessa doesn’t think so). The lesson was damn fun too. Mainly because it was saturated with people I knew: Lucy, Adrien, Laurent, Delphine.

It was fun hearing a non-chinese speak Chinese. I’m not inherently evil okay? Lol, I’m just fun-loving and truthful. Anyway, Lucy and Delphine were all so cute when they spoke Chinese.

I read and heard the passage so many times that now I can even remember it.

A: 我回家
B: 你家在北方吗？
A: 不在北方。在南方，上海。
B: 你家有几口人？
A: 四口人。

Lol, I’m ashamed. I forgot the rest… L

We had a good laugh hearing the French read. But it wasn’t all that funny when it came to our turn to speak…. I think I sounded weird when I spoke Chinese. Ahaha. But it was really an eye-opener, I seldom hear the Singaporeans speak Chinese either.

18. Car rides

For some reason, I really love the car rides in the morning. In the morning, Aude or Aude’s mum would drive the car to pick us from our place, Sécurité Sociale. It’s really super funny. Almost all the time, we would be late. Or at least, I would be early and cross the road to Delphine’s place to rush Vanessa. And Vanessa would usually be still gulping down her breakfast in a rush, after which she would then rush back to her room, stuff everything into her luggage, lock it, and under the fuss of Maman de Delphine, wear her bonnet, gants, and manteau before rushing out of the house together.

We would run towards the corner of the road where we were supposed to wait for Aude when suddenly, along the road, a car’s lights would on… It would be Aude’s car. We would always be caught in the act! Lol. And then we would rush in the car, hurriedly saying, ‘salut! And désolée!’ and Orlanda would be laughing silently to herself and / or say her bochup ‘hi’.
That bochup ‘hi’ of Orlanda’s is seriously not easy to imitate, Vanessa and I have tried it repeatedly until Orlanda got so sick of us. It’s sort of a low and sian ‘hi’ ahaa..yeah, bochup.

Haha… I think Orlanda is seriously super funny. There was once we had a sleepover at my place, Vanessa, I, Sabrina, Flo, Lucy and Delphine. We told Orlanda about it. So the next day, she saw Vanessa coming out of my place with me (yeah, this time I’m the guilty one), and when we went in to the car, she was like, ‘You all had sleepover again last night?’

Ahahha, I think the car rides are really super funny. Pardon me for saying this over and over again.. it’s true.

There was another time when Vanessa was trying to find her seatbelt and she was searching near Orlanda. Orlanda was like, ‘Oi! Stop tickling my butt!’ Orlanda is forever saying that funny expression.

19. Bicycle rides

I wish Singaporeans would be more polite, respectful and patient towards cyclists. That way, there maybe a day I can ride my bike to RJC. =P It was really a novel experience, sitting behind a bike in France. I bet very few people have actually done it.

It’s really quite tiring, though you aren’t the person pedaling and doing all the hard work, because your legs are long and you have to position your legs in a way that you touch neither the wheel nor the ground nor get in the way of the ‘driver’. Yes, and when you find that perfect position. Freeze. And freeze for as long as the journey takes. Mine being about 20 minutes.

Lol. But the feeling is nice all the same. The chilly wind blowing against your face. The boulangeries, magasins, chacuteries, laveries, librairies flashing past. It’s really something you cannot experience in a BMW, Mercedes or Toyota in Singapore.

But I must say, Poor Delphine and Sabrina. I’m not very light. (:

20. Wine-tasting

This must remain a secret from the Singaporean Government. I tasted wine, like almost more than 20 times: during dinner, during parties, after lunch, during educational visits like Saint-Emilion and Lycée Hotelière.

I don’t really like wine. Shaun does. Actually many of the guys do. They drink our leftovers. (:

I like the things we do with our wine.

I remember Edwin. Yes, he was acting spastic again. He took the wine and told me, ‘Come, let me show you how to drink wine. First, you look it.’ And he looked at it in a very cannibalistic manner. That’s like totally Edwin. ‘Second, you smell it.’ And he sniffed it in a very dramatic way. ‘Next, you listen to it.’ And he puts the wine to his ear and pretends to listen intently. ‘Finally, you taste it.’ And then after the great Spastic person finishes his act, he resumes his reticent character: camera-shy and loss for words. ‘okay, enough enough.’ Lol, I filmed a video of him.. maybe one day I’ll put it up.

At Lycee Hoteliere, it was damn fun too. We had this degustation de vin and we couldn't drink the wine. We had to sip the wine, gurgle the wine in our mouth. Honestly, it was completely disgusting. Once I started gurgling it, my brian seemed to have this natural signal which told me that it was mouthwash. Euh! Couldn't wait to spit it out.

It was acutally quite funny! I was spitting out my wine and M. chan saw me. He was like, if you don't like the wine, throw it away. And I was like, 'Cannot! I want to take pictures with it!' and he gave me that weird and bemused look again.

Yeah so I took pictures with the wine. It was damn fun can. I linked arms with Shuting and Jerome and then Orlanda (under my insistence) aahhaa. Wines are good for taking fun pictures, not very good for drinking. Ca pique!

2005-12-19T12:46:00.000+08:00

There are a lot more memories.... I have to try to remember them and jot them down...one by one...so that they will never be forgotten...

Like the last day, the time on the plane, the coming gathering....

I'll really miss you guys, family of 27. I'll really miss France. I'll really miss Bordeaux. I'll really miss the people there.

And when I grow up, I'll miss the teenage me...

2005-12-19T10:54:00.000+08:00

I think that I'm becoming dumber and dumber.... I just realised that there is a thing called Title, which you can name each post.

I shall forgo it though... I think giving a title is somewhat restricting. Just like what the Harry Potter movies are doing to the Harry Potter books. Seriously, Sirius Black doesn't have as little hair as I imagined; Ron looks disgusting, ugly, abysmal compared to what I imagined and Lord Voldemort is a total wreck.

Okay, so i'm straying. Like I care.

How many days has it been since we hugged goodbye at the airport? 4 days. 4 days only and I'm missing everyone.

Somehow, I knew this day would come, the day when the 27 of us, tightly bonded by the experiences we shared:

1. the boring plane rides

I can still imagine the frustration etched on the faces of the passengers. Who can stand it anyway! 27 boisterous teenagers doing a mass change of seats right after take off and then alternatingly getting up and congregating at the back of the airplane, chitchatting, whining about the tiring, restless, boring plane ride, robbing of the passengers and the crew of their much-needed sleep! But all the same, it was a fun experience. Some of us lucky few peered out of the windows just in time to see snow-capped mountains and the invigorating, mersmerising sunrise...special moments like this require much sacrifice.

2. the noisy bus rides

where we would turn to our mp3 players and bold people who would sing out lot (Nerissa, Edwin, Yu Hui, Nad, cough cough cough).

I think it is due to these trips that I truly appreciate the power of music: it can alleviate you stomack troubles, help you pass time, lighten your spirits, or fill them with intense emotions...words (of the songs) can do miracles.

It was also during these busrides that we bonded further. I can still remember the times where me, ner, yu hui, nad, jerome, edwin, yao guang, Rajeev, huimin, sometimes mathan (he's always moving around), jing ping would gather and play modified jungle speed, listen to songs, and hear amusing recounts of school life, hilarious jokes (thanks to Rajeev) and occasional bursts of spastic-ness from edwin.

During these bus rides is also one of the rare times when you will see Vanessa in her quiet mode: staring out of the window, listening to Jerome's mp3 player quietly (really, he's really nice about lending ppl his mp3. He brings it, but he doesn't seem to be using it much (= )

3. the boring hours at CDI and at french class

To tell the truth, these are the worst experiences of the journey. In CDI, we are constantly shushed by the teachers for talking to loudly...yes yes, I know very well that it is a library and à la bibliothçque, il faut avoir le silence total.mais, de toute façon, c'est pas facile!

Suddenly, after my sudden burst of french, I realise how much I miss Sabrina, Estelle and all the french peps I've met. Vous me manquez, mes amis français!

ya, the CDI was oppressive, i really couldn't breathe in there.

The french lessons too were so boring... I can understand why Orlanda forever looks gloomy, grumpy, sian and murderous in there.

4. the fun shopping trips

(fun for the girls at least :) right GUYS? lol... we girls would go to La Rue Saint Catherine, raring to scour every shop for red hot deals. Jennyfer, Claire's, Nerissa's favourite shop where she bought her S$24 comb, H&M and the guys... not really sure actually, GO sport, computer shops maybe.

But i think the guys were really nice... waiting patiently outside jewellery shops while the girls admire the exquiste earings, lip gloss and necklaces...sometimes, I feel bad that we make you wait, staring blankly into space when you could be playing LAN and having the time of your lives.

Thank you guys for sacrificing your happiness for ours!

Oh yes! On one of the shopping trips, we saw M. Chan, Orlanda, Christl and Shaun shopping together! What fun! I teased M. Chan a bit and they left without taking a picture in front of MacDonalds. Dommage!

5. the nice party after the concert

which would also remain a sacred memory in my heart...

We were, or at least me, were totally let loose during the party... I was dancing crazily with Shu Ting, acting les for the fun of it... and Orlanda was woooo.... mind-blowing, the way she danced! Maybe that's why a person called Kenneth likes her! In any case, I miss Orlanda! She's so cute, fun, smart, sensible......... ORLANDA! I'M UR FAN NUMERO UN! =p NE M'OUBLIE JAMAIS! at the last day at the airport, I suddenly cried, because I realised it would be a long time before I would see that cute face of hers again! such good times we spent together! right round face??? =P that always has me and vanessa laughing.

I danced with many other people too... It was nice. But there were many things that I did not do and I greatly regret. yes i truly do.

Maybe we should have more of these parties, and i shall make amends.

6. The fun times i had with Vanessa.

I can say that Vanessa is one of my closest friends during the trip. She's the nicest person you can ever meet: full of self-confidence, fun-loving, caring, at the same time always there for you to cry on, to lend a listening ear, to laugh and talk with you... I've poured many troubles to her and am glad to do so...

I think I had been very lucky. Lucky to have developed a passion for french, lucky to have such lovely parents that encourage me to pursue my dreams, lucky to be born in a rich enough family to afford education and money that would otherwise deprive me of the chance to be on this programme, lucky to find friends such as nerissa and vanessa whom i will never forget, lucky to find someone who shares the same sentiments as me, lucky to have nice host families, lucky to have kind cousins who teaches me the ropes of life, of teenagehood. lucky to be on the trip with the nicest people ever.

Yes, lucky to have vanessa staying right opposite me. And this i mean literally. I remember nights where the door bell would suddenly ring, I would rush down and see Vanessa at the door shivering and joking, ' Sarah, why you take so long? I press the doorbell so many times and no one answered! then i just stand there...brr... brr...' I would laugh and usher her in. We would enter my room, and talk, she would get bored, play stand by me and other songs on estelle's guitar, watch friends in french together with estelle and me or we would pop into sabrina's room to chat.

Sometimes, I would go to Delphine's house, when Sabrina wants to get rid of me. joking joking. and we would make chocolate mousse, drink hot chocolate there., play the guitar and sing again, with Estelle, Delphine and Lea, sometimes Marianne (she's very nice! in school, i see her all the time, and she always grins at me and says 'salut!')

The best time I had was on the window still...before a party at Martin's house. The wind was chilly, but me and Vanessa sat on the window still of her room, overlooking the swimming pool rendered useless during winter and talk. We talked about first impressions, how they changed, funny experiences during third lang classes, OBS... everything under the sky...Vanessa was one person I could open up to.

7. the rolling, playing, falling, laughing in the rain at the sand dunes

At MIJE, I woke up early one day and met Mdm Au at the corridor. She asked me what was the most enjoyble part of the trip. One of the things I said was Les dunes de Plya. It was really fun. First of all, the scenery was breath-taking. I was mersmerised by the good view from the top of the sand dunes. It was the highest sand dunes in Europe. The whole journey up the sand dunes was interesting itself. It was a difficult climb but we helped each other up. That's what makes the whole thing so warm and sweet. I was especially touched by Jerome. He stayed behind to help Nerissa up. He is always helping ppl, helping people with their luggages, holding the door for people, lending people his mp3. No wonder he is a prefect.

After that we wasted no time in taking pictures, of the beautiful scenery, of the wonderful people we were with. I love the pictures taken. especially the fun ones where we jumped in the air.

It started to rain, but that only made it funner. I love the rain. It just increases the element of adventure, the element of fun.

After the photo taking, the guys (Shaun, Jing Ping, Jerome and Edwin) and rolled down the sand dunes.

I was a bit scared when I was coming down as I had a fear of heights. So after they rolled down, there was hardly anyone left behind. and i felt scared...I almost cried.

Yeah, and while I was busying taking photos, I hooked by specs on my clothes and the next minutes, when I reached for my specs again, it was gone! This is no laughing matter okay? I was super scared. Okay, almost hysterical! The next moment, I was trudging in the sand dunes, scouring for my specs! And guess what, I am so lucky I cannot believe it, Shermin found my specs! My god! i was so happy, i think i kissed her lol...

MERCI BEAUCOUP SHERMIN!

That day was also the first time I ate ice-cream in France. funny isn't it? France, country of desserts, ice-creams should be a common sight! But no, not at all. Yogurts, caramel and chocolate mousse are the favourites.

It was a weird time for ice-creams. It was raining, our hands were freezing. But somehow, there was jsut this urge. And contrary to the worries of the teachers, we did not feel cold after the ice-cream. It was fun eating it then. Me and Nerissa acted as Fredand George and amused the teachers abit. Mdm Au took our photo! Chouette! Génial! Gavé bien!

8. the immensely boring museum trips

that would have been much worse if not for the all knowlegeable Ms Au (I really liked her, regardless of what people say ... she treats us like friends and is nice compared to RGS teachers, who would lecture us on our behaviour (even though it isn't at all bad =P) THE whOLE triP if they had been there... thank god it's her we were with!)

I'm really really sorry, fans of Le Louvre. I really have this disinclination towards that 4 storey museum filled with paintings, sculptures, portraits, artefacts, paintings, sculptures, portraits, artefacts, paintings ...and so on so forth. It's saturated with historic art all the way! C'est envahissant, tu sais. In the end, me and Flo were so bored that we decided to mimic statues. lol, we were having a lot of fun, far behind the group who were listening 'attentively' to the guide speaker into turn-off-able headsets when suddenly Jerome turned around and stared at us with that same bemused and weird look that M. Chan gives me. lol.

Now I know what type of art I love: contemporary art. I think it's more interesting than old art as there is more freedom. The artist can do practically anything to convey his ideas, his concepts, his thoughts. Yay, it's really interesting as you look at one artpiece and wonder what the heck the artist is trying to convey, you read the explanation, and voila, you see the light. It kind of boosts your ego, because you realise, wow, okay, now you can see it...getting smarter.

I REALLY WANTED TO GO TO LE CENTRE POMPIDOU!!!

9. the memorable picnics

we had where we would swipe food from the blessed who were given yummy yummy food! and return the leftovers to the leftover club! namely shaun (boy can he eat! 4 sandwiches, 2 yogurts, leftover fries from everyone's dinner.. u name it! go shaun!), isaac and vanessa (there was once I remembered, my host family, her host family and Orlanda's host family were having dinner together, as a gesture of thanks to Orlanda's family for kindly agreeing to ferryh us to school every morning and sometimes back..yes yes, Vanessa amazed everyone by gulping down 2 bowls of pumpkin soup, 4pieces of bread, 3 pieces of cheese, some potatoes, 2 pieces of ham and a bowl of dessert [ cream and egg white ] .. i've a feeling I got the amounts wrong, but trust me, that is a lot of food for a night!

I suppose Maman de Delphine is right in saying that Vanessa mange comme un cochon, boit comme un trou...dort comme something... darn, i forgot!)

10. Secret Midnight Gatherings

In my opinion, this was the most fun part of the trip! By law of MIJE, and this is serious, il faut avoir 'silence total' after 22h, which to everyone is crazy. So for the two consecutive nights, we gathered at room 23 ( i'll never forget this room), Nard, Shu Ting, Shermin, Huimin, Nerissa, Vanessa, Xue Wei, Jerome, Edwin, Jing Ping, Rajeev, Mathan, Isaac, Shaun and me basically to play bridge and jungle speed and of cos, to pig out on whatever food we could get our hands on: lays, chocolate biscuits, coke

it was damn fun. some clever person placed a bedsheet to seal up the whole in the door so that it would appear as if the lights were out and provided minimal noise was made, our presence and our action of rebel would go unnoticed. We were so meticulous that we even had an evacuation plan. Nerissa and I on the beds, Jerome under the bed, Mathan in the closet etc. It was of high importance that we hid the boys well as they were apparently unwelcomed in the girls' room. As clearly displayed by m. chan's reaction when he saw me, ner, shu ting and nard and a few others in Jerome's room. He knocked on the door, Nerissa opened, saw him, gasped, slammed the door in his face expecting he didn't see her and left M. chan shouting,' open the door!'

He came in and saw us girls around and was like, euh...you all aren't doing anything stupid right? and there was a big protest.

11. Walkings with Madame Peng

This was amusing. It's only natural to talk when you are walking isn't it? Madame Peng doesn't think so i think. She's forever rushing us on with her 'vite! vite!' shrieks. ahaha

but actually, I kind of miss her cries. They are part of the french experience after all

I also noticed something really weird. The traffic lights are really just colourful lights adding to the christmas deco. Seriously, we do not pay attention to the lights. Redman = stroll across the street and stop to pick up stuff when one drops something. Let the cars roll by.

Greenman= this usually happens while we find ourselves crossing when it is red. So basically, it's jsut extra assurance that nothing will happen to us. Come what may. As if we really need that assurance.

12. Lunch

Lunch was much funner with the Singaporeans. i guess that's just because we are more fluent in our english..so we tend to be a bit more loquacious together. As usual, Nerissa would not have eaten much as she doesn't eat much thingsin France and she would resort to STEALING CHEESE. yes, it's a miracle that she ever succceeds though. The only one who can get past the eagle-eyed Monsieur who surveils the dessert section is Yao Guang! WHY!!! Probably he looks small harmless and innocent... argh... once, Nerissa and I tried to pilfer cheese (again), I managed to get hold of two..not one, but two.. but good triumphs over, as usual and the man spotted us. I did not realise it.. so after passing the cheese to Nerissa, I continued running to my seat... poor Nerissa, she saw the man and with two cheese in her hands, she realy looked guilty. I'm so sorry she had to take the rap for me.

I love the yogurts! YuM!

2005-12-19T10:47:00.000+08:00

Call me fickle-minded, I've decided not to recount my wunderful trip in France. That shall remain a secret, in my diary and my mind and some other places, which no one would be able to find.

But that in no way means that France was something not worth remembering... for just the first day of the trip, which is basically the departure, the plane ride, the arrival and the meeting of our host families, I wrote a 4 page diary entry... so i guess it is quite easy to imagine the magnitude of feelings i have for this trip.

For this, Shu Ting, i'm sorry for gaping at your long diary entry. I'm more guilty than you for the offence of long-windedness and greediness at wanting to retain every minute detail of the trip.

2005-12-18T03:02:00.000+08:00

Gosh, why am I even doing this? From past experiences, I suck at blogging. Firstly, I lack that feverish passion for penning long articles of my daily life. Secondly, I'm lazy. Thirdly, I have a strong distaste for announcing to the whole wide world my false feelings, my likes, my dislikes.

So pardon me if this closes down after like 2 weeks. Let's hope that it can even last that long.

Okay, so why am I even doing this?

To retain some of the most wonderful memories of my life that would probably be effaced if I do not do something quick to jot them down. I think another reason is partly my dear mum nerissa...she was writing a dedication for everyone who went on the trip to France. I read part of it and I almost laughed my head off. hahaha...

It would be nice if I penned one too... it's sad that as time passes by, we tend to forget the people with whom we had spent so much time; with whom we have shared the most pure, most pleasant memories of our lives...

I really don't want to forget them. But, truthfully, I know that I will one day.

So, now that the memories are still deeply etched, I might as well attempt to put them in words, as best as I can. So at least, as the wind blows, as the water flows, traces of these memories will remain...