The End is Nigh

Superstitions

2012-01-24T00:57:00.001+08:00

Wow this is one of the most accurate description of my zodiac signs I've ever read..

Underneath their cool, calm and collected exterior, Taureans differ greatly from all the other signs of the zodiac. Taureans manage to discreetly stay apart from the crowd, even though they have a well-earned reputation for being socialisers. They will let others get close, but only so close as they want them. Some claim that trying to get your point across to a Taurean, should they not want to hear you, is rather similar to talking to the trees – they simply won't budge. And, there is no such thing as an open-book Taurean. Their feelings, fears and desires often run far deeper than anyone around them would guess. Like the butterfly that chooses to remain hidden in its cocoon until it is ready and prepared to emerge, so the true Taurean spirit remains hidden behind a veneer of day-to-day activities. That's why Taureans are sometimes regarded as snobby, withdrawn, boring, or even sulky.

The truth is, when Taureans manage to operate very adequately on their own form of automatic pilot, they can switch off from the world around them very efficiently. And when they do switch off, they are actually gathering in their inner reserves to deal with the outside pressures. This sign is also very closely connected to 'feeling good'. Most Taureans like their creature comforts and hate change because it takes them out of their automatic pilot condition of separating themselves from the world around them.

I guess I'm just superstitious like that. I love to read my horoscope and even Chinese zodiac sign predictions. The geomancer is right about Tiger having bad health this Dragon year. It's only the first day of the new lunar year and I'm already sick. Sigh

La Bamba

2012-01-22T03:36:00.001+08:00

I heard La Bamba on the radio this morning and it being the song of one of the many mass dances at VJC brought about a rush of memories.

Although I didn't know it back then, those 2 years spent in junior college were perfect. My hockey team won the championship title for 2 years straight and for many years after. (I'll never forget the school holidays we were given after each trophy we brought back) Grades wise I fared decently although I didn't study as hard as I should have. I had awesome tutors who willingly stayed back to give me remedial to make up for the times I missed classes, slept through lessons or didn't do homework because I was too lazy/tired. (I really should go back to visit 1 day) I made good friends who are still my good friends after almost 8 years. I was probably the fittest I ever was, running ECP religiously whenever I was free. I graduated with 4 As and went on to study Dentistry.

Whatever problems I had were inane in retrospect. Doing relatively badly in physics and being made to drop out of 's' paper classes - which I later begged the HOD to give me a second chance and actually scored a merit in for the 'A' levels. Not becoming an OGL because I submitted my form in late. (nothing much has changed huh?) Being bullied by a classmate who later repented although we never got back to being friends.

Those were really good times, memories which got me through the tough period that ensued. '03 and '04 were my golden years and I think a large part was due to what a great school VJC was and probably still is. Funny fact that I probably told no one before: I actually chose VJC over the other JCs that I was initially more keen on (i.e. RJC) because of this Happy House card my hockey seniors in VJ sent to me during my 'O' levels. It was a simple card saying good luck for your exams and we hope to see you soon. It was a spark during that stressful period and it gave me a goal to work towards. It's the smallest of gestures at the right moment that speak volumes and truly makes a difference.

It was also the same tiny gesture during my Dentistry final year exam by my senior which really helped me to pull through. He told me 'how close I was' in doing well and brought snacks to my hall when I was being a hermit studying. That really spurred me on.

You know, I've been really lucky. I probably don't deserve it because I can be such a horrid, lazy and self-centered person sometimes. I'm hoping one day I can be a spark to someone like how that Happy House card and bottled Starbucks coffee was to me.

Goodnight all, and Xian Nian Kuai Le :)

Escapism

2011-12-03T02:22:00.001+08:00

New year's in Baltimore, here I come...

Wild abandon

2011-11-20T12:34:00.001+08:00

Suddenly it all seems so scary and I feel so unprepared. I wanted this for so long but now that I'm so close, I keep thinking what if I made the wrong choice? Will my time be well spent or wasted? This basically sets the path for the rest of my life.. At this crossroad, I have to make one of the most crucial and irreversible decisions of my life.

Sigh, I wish I was more decisive and appreciative of what I have. And embrace my opportunities with wild abandon instead of always having this seed of doubt festering within me.

2011-10-07T08:47:00.003+08:00

Without expectations, there will be no disappointments.

The road is so bumpy, I don't know why I still bother to continue on this journey.

TMD

2011-08-22T19:34:00.001+08:00

I stress clenched so much over the weekend that I've induced a Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD). My masseters are constantly aching and I'm getting a trismus :(

Why is it that I feel unhappy although everything is somewhat going as planned? Am I being ungrateful or is this not what I want?

2011-08-19T18:08:00.001+08:00

Why do I feel like I'm working so hard, yet getting nowhere?

Insomniac

2011-08-03T00:39:00.001+08:00

It's past my bedtime but I can't sleep.

I'm thinking about my life and where it's headed but all I draw is a blank.

It's too big a decision to make, when will I ever be ready?

2011-07-04T02:07:00.001+08:00

I can't sleep :(

Long nights like these are what I hate the most..

2011-05-21T14:00:00.001+08:00

I liked that we were in it together. Now we're scattered all over like unwanted sand.
I don't know where I belong anymore.

2011-05-03T05:12:00.001+08:00

I miss the place, not only because I loved it but also because I didn't get to say a proper goodbye.

Every night I return to that solace, only to be saddened in the morning.

Tuesday's solace

2011-04-19T19:42:00.001+08:00

Tuesday afternoon solace meant taking a power nap at the stadium, running my usual 4k and being inspired by a man with a prosthetic leg who outran me.

What I would give for days like these.. Running till the balmy night descends, with nary a thought on my mind. The simple pleasures in life... seem all the more valuable these days.

Quarter life crisis

2011-04-11T17:56:00.001+08:00

I had one of the most depressing weekends in a while..

I feel like there's nothing to look forward to anymore.. Like all the hard work I've put in all these years is coming to waste.

I think I'm having a quarter life crisis :(

The Minpins

2011-03-01T17:16:00.001+08:00

And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.
Roald Dahl

2011-02-21T20:29:00.001+08:00

Black swan, was without a doubt the most riveting movie I've watched in a while, if not all my life.

The issues covered were close to my heart. To what extreme would you allow yourself to go in order to excel professionally and fulfill those perfectionistic yet crazy dreams?

Natalie postman was insanely flawless in her performance. It's times when you watch such shows that your mind starts to go on overdrive, replaying the scenes over and over again thinking about the underlying meaning of each act and appreciating every tiny detail of it's beauty.

At the end of the day was it all worth it? The stress leading to schizophrenia, having to endure a bipolar mom, working till your toes bleed and start to fuse together; till everyone around you becomes your enemy?

Was it worth it giving up your whole life just to be perfect? For that one impeccable performance, to be outstandingly stellar just for one day?

Being a perfectionist and idealist myself, I would do everything the same. I believe in giving a little of myself each time to reach that perfection.

Craning my neck for hours to achieve the perfect crown preparation, spending additional time smoothening it and making sure my provi is as aesthetic and functional as it can be although I know I can get away with much less. I want to make sure each and every tooth set up for my dentures are exactly where it should be and the patient wants it to be although it means extra time spend. I would love to make every set I issue as shiny and polished as it can be even if it means an extra trip to the lab. And all that as quickly as I can manage so that the patient wouldn't have to waste time for my inefficiencies.

Am I crazy? Maybe I'm becoming psycho myself :)

A little something

2011-01-26T19:03:00.001+08:00

The honest truth was that I initially felt disappointed, overworked and under appreciated when I found out I didn't get the posting I wanted.

I had worked so hard the past year, staying back after work to call patients and ask after them, slotting in last minute cases so that I can complete their treatments as fast as possible. Many times I'll carry around boxes and hunt down my bosses to discuss cases. Some days when I've towers of green boxes on my table, I'll look through them and fill up the lab cards before I allow myself to go home..

There were instances when I felt enthusiastic enough to help organize events even though it meant working extra for no additional gain.

Yet, despite all that I didn't get the posting I wanted. What did I do wrong?

When I received the cheque from the old work place, I suddenly felt a little recognized for what I've done.. The extra hours, effort, passion and care I've put into each patient paid off somewhat.

Now everything is starting to make sense slowly.. It was all a blessing in disguise. I finally got what I needed - a taste of something different, the real experience of working as a GP. Having to make my own calls with no one to consult and help whilst doing procedures like wisdom tooth operations and root canal treatments on top of the prostho work I was used to doing.

Now the same question remains - should I or should I not specialize? Local or overseas? Sigh I've a few months to ponder over it while applications start to open the later part of this year.. I wish someone would shed me some light..

2010-12-20T02:32:00.015+08:00

I had an awesome 1 week of leave. In light of the coming festivities, i managed to meet up with a few groups of friends before I fly off to the Philippines.

First it was chilling with the indians - ravin and chethan together with chiew at Zsofis Tapas bar. Little known fact - this bar was named after a girl the co-owners met in Spain and setting up this bar was their way of trying to reconnect with her. haha!

Zsofis Tapas Bar

the bar is owned by ravin's brother's friends.. thanks for bringing us there! pretty cool chilled out place in Little India.

all drinks come with complimentary tapas, and we decided this was one of the best - Patatas Bravas. Really cheesy, spicy and yummy at the same time!

chethan clearly had one drink too many... no guarantees that your uncle in India wouldn't be reading this.. hahaha

* * *

Next, it was a long overdue HCC gathering :) To celebrate ilynn's graduation and her coming back to Singapore for good.

No meeting is complete without Yan's complimentary TCM analysis. We always get a kick out of shoving our wrists towards her and demanding to know what's wrong with our internal systems once the meal is over :D

That night's dinner theme was Let the Great Minds Solve your Dilemma. Everyone took turns to pour out their current most pressing dilemmas and we all discussed to try and find the best solution. It was funny that we all agreed on the same solutions except for chiew's rather subjective problem. The conclusions were that - Yan should take up her TCM position at the hospital, teena should change job if she's bored, i should do post graduate, chiew should remain with her current status and that ilynn should take up her part time vet job for now. Do great minds think alike or what? :)

* * *

Then it was an early Christmas celebration with the girls.

We had a nice, cosy and really affordable french dinner at La Petite Cusine, Upper thomson road.

The food was pretty superb, in fact alot of us thought that it was better than the dinner at Sage last year which was nearly double or triple the price.

La Petite Cusine (@ 227 upper thomson road)

Corkage was merely $10. Boons brought wine from leeuwin estate, australia!

The girls shared a plate of pan fried foie gras with salad. I'm really not a big fan of foie gras, but this was quite delectable..

rach's dory fillet with butter rice

my confit de canard :9 the skin's so crispy and the meat just melts in your mouth...

boon with her new haircut :)

aww group shot :)

boon drowning her sorrows haha

love upper thomson and its quaint shops

old school delights :)

Liquid Kitchen

we had realllyy potent drinks at Liquid Kitchen. Thoroughly enjoyed ourselves although the place smelt a little like puke. (apparently there were some sink problems)

The waitress was shocked when ping ordered a Sangria and wanted to know how ping discovered the drink, saying that very little people order that. Maybe that's cos the drink isn't on the menu? And she also asked if we just finished A Levels! HHAHAH her reasoning was that we were the rare few who ordered cocktails instead of beer / wine and that we were all girls hanging out together... strange..

rach's superb new camera - Canon S95. It reminds me of Leica, maybe because of the brown vintage looking camera casing and the high quality photographs. I feel like getting a new camera too...

* * *

Tonight, it was an early celebration of Mummy's birthday because i will be away on the actual day :/

Dinner was at Majestic Restaurant. It was good old chinese food with a slight fusion twist. Every dish was impeccably delish. The food was gobbled up in no time and the plates licked clean. Yummy.

Majestic Restaurant

scallops with asparagus

kurobuta pork

my favourite of the lot - steam soon hock in superior soya sauce

my dessert - crispy durian ice cream :9

love the vintage furniture there..

the pseudo barber / dentist chair
r

happy birthday mummy!

I will be flying off to Manilla in a few hours time. The itinerary includes touring Mahati and staying at Punta Fuego resort for a few days each. Im slightly worried cos the country is apparently quite dangerous, especially at night.. Wish me a safe trip y'all :)

Goodnight world, while i squeeze in a few hours of snooze before philippines beckons...

Hello Tomorrow

2010-11-19T01:20:00.009+08:00

1am accompanied me as i bought cat eye shades with pointy silver tips, listened to karen o songs and reminisced about 2009.

1 year has passed way too quickly. Did i delve straight into it without thinking, head first into that bed of rocks without checking the depth of this murky sea?

Only time will tell.

I'm on one week leave next week. Yipee for my eyebags and excruciating neckaches.

I must do a proper update soon.

Karen O and the kids will sing me and my worried shoes to sleep tonight.

The most unforgettable chapter

2010-10-23T15:40:00.001+08:00

I was watching an episode of Got To Dance UK and there was this 14 year old street dancer who auditioned and got voted off and was advised to attend more dance lessons. He went on to say that he was self taught and couldn't afford lessons as his mom was diagnosed with cancer.

One of the judge's heart softened and changed his star from red to yellow to encourage him and even went offstage to give him a hug.

The tears suddenly welled up in my eyes and I couldn't stop crying for a while.

It brought me back to the year 2007 when my mom was sick and I was going through so much in school judging content heavy subjects and preclinicals, outside of dentistry captaining the hockey team of Temasek hall, playing hockey for SRC and floorball for NUS and lastly squeezing time out to teach tuition. Not only did my mom need to visit the hospital regularly, we were also in the midst of moving house again.

It was so tough finding a delicate balance and making it through the mental and physical demands. Everyday was like skating on thin ice, each move had to be carefully calculated, each sacrifice had to be weighed against my other responsibilities.

I remember breaking down once on a Sunday night thinking about my week ahead - how many trainings I had to go for, which games I should go for or miss to study for tests, trainings I had to organize, logistics which I had to settle, the date of mom's operation clashing with my IHG finals.

I remember the fear of finding out my year 2 results which had just arrived in the mail, hoping and praying that I had passed all subjects and did not have to go for a viva voce or re-paper like in year1.

I still wonder if it was all just a nightmare.. Sitting in the vice Dean's office being 'counseled' and breaking down in tears. Those are events I'd never ever forget..

Thinking back, I wonder if I had done the right thing... Should I have given up some commitments to concentrate on what was more important?

I guess that was when I decided to give up playing hockey for SRC in year 3 after doing so badly in school the first 2 years. From then on I told myself that studies always come first. Especially when my dad had a near fatal incident and was warded in the midst of my year 3 exams. I finally realized what my priorities were.. That weekend I sat myself down and studied like I've never before for my internal medicine viva and ended up topping the class.

Little did I know that 2 years after all the drama, I would graduate seamlessly from dentistry and even become the valedictorian.. God must have been watching over me.

This would have to be the most unforgettable chapter of my life. What was yours?

Mid autumn festival

2010-09-26T09:20:00.001+08:00

I hope everyone's having a good weekend :)

I carried lanterns with my neighbors last Wednesday.. It's been about 10years since I last did that. We snacked on intercontinental mooncakes, malay goodies and played around with lanterns as we admired the moon :) happy mid autumn festival!

Flavour of the month from Raoul. To buy or not to buy, that is the question... I've been asking my shoerack. I'm running out of space, or rather I've already ran out if :/

Someone dared me to wear my leopard print loafers with my scrubs.. So I did! Haha didn't get too many stares so it's good ;) told you it matches!

My never-ending flow of boxes....

My new floorball :):):) crashed the Callistans on Saturday. It was so fun playing with my ex teammates.. Wei, shen, fish, Tash.. My juniors Yilin, Jing, mon, Dione, rah etcetc. I'll always love NUS floorball:) I'm so glad I'm still a part of it somehow..

I had awesomezzz dinner after training at Arbites, serangoon gardens. This is the grilled snowfish with lemon butter sauce :) slurpss

Mushroom salad :)

And desserts was chocolate fondue with an extra shot of butterscotch at Icecubes. A little extra something's always good :)

I'm on call today.. Please let it be a good call....

Have a great week ahead everyone :)

2010-09-16T23:04:00.001+08:00

Just ran from NDC to marina bay sands and back with a friend I haven't seen in 9 months. It felt like old times again. Sweet that we patched things up and I finally got my exercise :)

Silence is golden

2010-09-07T06:39:00.001+08:00

I went to see the doctor 3 times the past week and was on MC for 3.5 days. Completely lost my voice over the weekend and stayed bedridden and housebound for most parts of it. I couldn't go out to meet my friends or attend the team BBQ :(

Strangely I really miss work.. And I feel so uneasy knowing that there'll be so many boxes waiting for me to attend to when I get back. I'll be flying off to hk this morning. I hope my voice comes back sufficiently for me to enjoy.. :( right now I can talk but my throat is still pretty hoarse.

Miss you guys.. Thanks for covering me and making the necessary arrangements when I couldn't go to work..

My current nurse / PA :)

Iqah scaling her own teeth! Haha

My ex nurse and her cute antics :)

New alginate flavor - mango! This one turns from yellow to hot pink when mixed and turns back yellow when ready to be loaded.. Cool or what?:)

Cindy! Thanks for helping me to see my dislodged provi cases if any :)

My ex nurse, ex ex nurse and current nurse :)

My NITEC students :)

My favorite part of the lecture.. Quiz time!

They're super cute :)

Their drawings are pretty good eh :D

This was what my desk looked after 2 days of MC.. I dread to see what my desk will look like after I'm back..

My latest buy.. Leopard print loafers:):) isn't the print gorgeous :) this is one of my best buys yet although some people may not think so..

2010-08-29T18:10:00.001+08:00

I had one of the best weekends in a long time, indulging in the simplest simplest pleasures in life :)

Friday was shopping, dinner and drinks with my St nicks girls - shantelle, simin and their other halves. Dinner was at indochine and it was fun chilling to cats in the cradle's live music. We all agreed it somehow brought us back to the JC days.. Nostalgia at it's very best :)

Saturday was brunch with my best friend at Mimolette, accompanied by a breezy stroll and drive to observe some really beautiful horses grazing.

Afterwards it was hanging out at ECP with shantelle and kat, and attempting to learn how to longboard. Its like a longer version of a skateboard. It was pretty scary but fun :) it felt so wobbly like you're gonna fall off anytime.. After dinner we sat by the beach drinking beer, stargazing and exchanging stories :) all we lacked was a camp fire and some marshmallows. Heh

Today it was an afternoon spent with the kids from the Down Syndrome Association who made a trip down to NDC. We interacted with them, watched Up and played games. I felt a warm fuzzy feeling as this girl who was initially causing quite a ruckus quietened down and held my hand during the movie, occasionally leaning on my shoulder. :)

I hope everyone had a great weekend :) here's to a good week ahead..

What dreams are made of

2010-08-08T21:31:00.007+08:00

I've been hotel hopping recently. Some hotels are so gorgeous they motivate me to dream up my perfect house and hope that one day I will save up enough to materialize it.

Lantern at Fullerton Bay Hotel

Klapsons boutique hotel

This place reminds me of ugly betty's kitschy office. I must stay here one day.. Apparently some of the rooms have glass columns as bathrooms right next to the bed and private outdoor jacuzzis. Exhibitionistic and luxurious - the perfect combination ;)

Marina Bay Sands

Ominous view from the rooftop of Marina Bay Sands.
My friend had a room so I went to check out the view from the top. Definitely not worth the $20 for non-guests. I don't see what the hype about the infinity pool is and the ambience is tainted by the rowdy touristy crowds.

I will upload more photos from my camera soon.. i seem to say this way too much :/ The national day long weekend is ending too soon. I need to take leave pronto. I've been feeling so jaded about going to work although I actually really enjoy working and treating patients. Plus I've been granted an extra day off for being in the nurses day committee recently :) Holiday, anyone?

2010-08-07T09:49:00.003+08:00

I finally did it :)

Active retainers :) I hope my teeth will straighten out soon.. Together with my life..

Somehow I feel like my life has come one full cycle after 10 years.

* * *

Met up with the girls last night and we nearly had full attendance except for pings. We were loud, boisterous, excitable and debating about all sorts of controversial stuff, being a nuisance to the other patrons at Shin Kushiya. Just like the old days, with loud screams and laughs accompanying us wherever we go. People must hate us alot heh.

It was fun reliving the old times and yet moving and looking forward from this stage of our lives. We've grown so much haven't we?

* * *

To do or not to do, that is the question.

2010-07-24T10:14:00.001+08:00

Breaking up with you was the best thing I did in 6 years.

2010-07-04T09:28:00.001+08:00

Lord, I've sinned.

If I could do anything, anything to turn back time and undo my sins I would.

I feel so so so horrible. I guess saying sorry doesn't change anything.

The saying goes that everyone makes mistakes and that we all learn from our mistakes, but how many must I make? Why should others suffer from my mistakes? It's not fair, they don't deserve it.

Why am I so inadequate?

I'm go glad I'll be heading to bintan next week. A much needed break.. Some time off to clear my head, recharge my batteries, start life afresh?

My long due mission trip to Nepal/sri lanka needs to materialize soon.

Dear lord, please tell me how do I amend my sins? Please help me become a better person..

Perfect

2010-07-03T07:47:00.001+08:00

And I've known
We're just like old friends
We just can't pretend
That lovers make amends

We are reasons so unreal
We can't help but feel
That something has been lost

But please
You know you're just like me
Next time I promise we'll be perfect

Strangers down the line
Lovers out of time
Memories unwind
So far, I still know who you are
But now I wonder who I was

Angel, you know it's not the end
We'll always be good friends

* * *

Smashing pumpkins to come to Singapore for Singfest. Am I dreaming?

I remember 2 years ago we were supposed to go but she had just been warded in the hospital and I had probably flunked a test because it happened the night before the paper. The mood was too sombre to have a good time at a concert.

Perhaps this year I'll go, with my best friend in tow :)

New posting, new beginning?

2010-07-01T08:11:00.001+08:00

Today's the first day of the new dental posting. I am staying put at my current posting but a few of my friends have left and a whole load of new people will be coming in..

Brings me to a year back when my fellow classmates and I started work for the very first time.. How eager we all were..

So much has happened in such a short span of time.. I can feel myself slowly becoming jaded by the day and giving up bit by bit of my idealism and perfectionism. I try my best and yet I don't feel the least bit appreciated. How does one stay unaffected?

I'm gonna miss my colleagues who just left.. We had such fun times :)

Midnight rendezvous at WANGZ

2010-06-21T15:57:00.001+08:00

On a whim, em visited me last night and we decided to check out WANGZ hotel, which was within the vicinity to watch world cup. Brazil and ivory coast were playing at 230am.

WANGZ hotel didn't look half as shady as it sounds.. In fact, it was pretty snazzy with a cage like exterior and minimalistic interior.

We had a whirl of a time eating krispy kremes, giving one to a stranger who was so grateful he he treated us drinks; sipping cocktails and having the luxury of first class seats infront of the huge screen projector. When the generous stranger left, we were the only patrons left. Brazil won ivory coast 3-1 and Kaka got sent off for nothing. What a night.

I slept at 530am this morning and miraculously stumbled out of bed into NDC for work this morning. I still found time to attend a part of the Emax course and brave an intense critique session with big boss.

It's just one of those crazy days.. And it's not even over yet :)

North Korea vs Portugal at 730pm tonight! Who's watching?

Sunday at A&E

2010-06-20T21:02:00.021+08:00

I always say it's the simple things that make you happy, today for me that is:

1) Being on call at SGH and somewhat enjoying it

2) Having a blanket in the rest room that feels warmer, alot less scratchy and stiff than usual.

3) Having had a good intensive floorball training yesterday - all thanks to my partner who didn't come. I had to play 3 consecutive shifts to make up for the lack of centers. Haha still love you emmz

4) Watching an exciting men's floorball game after and playing monopoly deal with teammates

5) The thought of being off call in the afternoon tomorrow and sneaking into the Emax porcelain course in the lab.

I'm currently watching Lifewatch in the pantry to pass time. The show is about the different specialities and surgeries performed at SGH. I teared just now watching the team of specialists successfully perform a liver transplant for a hep B patient with end stage liver failure. I think doctors are so noble, and I'm proud to be one regardless how pseudo I may be. :)

I know I haven't been updating this as often as I should.. Here're some photos taken on my phone. Enjoy :)

LEISURE

Hand sewn teddy bears at a shop in Central Mall. Each bear has its own personality, it somehow comes to life. Pity each is so costly...

Super cute dress at Depression, Millenia walk

Millenia walk's Parco is my new shopping haven :)

strawberry shortcake at 1 Caramel. its so light yet divine.

chocolate slut :P

Swensen's icecream fondue :9

Buffet dinner at Oscar's :)

Soccer camp part 1 - an all nighter at em's house watching England vs US.. we both look damn gross here :/

Running chapter 10 - sue getting cosy with tinky.

Aww isn't tinky the cutest :)

WORK

Blistered by a Bunsen burner flame :/

My Korean patient sent me ginseng!
Although i'm not a big fan of ginseng, this totally made my day :)

my clenching has caused another fractured restoration.
Time to get a nightguard :/

A typical day at work...

This is how my day starts - with a horde of boxes at my desk waiting to be attended to...

Iqah my nurse :) we have telepathy

Iqah and I, we're the box processing team.

Hard at work to clear boxes - sending to in house / commercial labs, keeping them in order in the cupboards, preparing silicon putty prior to crown preps and recording of all the movement in the little book :)

Yeah I'm messy like that..

Looking through the boxes, treatment planning and filling up lab cards.

Checking the crowns that come back..

At the end of the day, my desk usually looks like this. It signifies the end of our hard day at work :)

That's all for now. Have a great week ahead everyone!

2010-06-10T08:00:00.001+08:00

All emotions culminate into one - numbness.

There's nothing to feel anymore.

Somedays I feel like I'm trapped in a bubble floating away, seeing events unfold as if I were from another world. It is my defensive detachment that wraps me up and shoves me into a make believe isolation booth.

What is it about our trade that makes us so fragile?

The little adventures in my head

2010-06-05T12:49:00.001+08:00

Am I sane to wake up feeling even more tired than I was before I slept?

Tired to the bones

2010-05-20T06:38:00.001+08:00

Is it possible to be exhausted to the bones?

I feel every single muscle aching, my joints creaking and the exhaustion creeping into my bones..

Had a friendly match against LMFC last night, after a really bad day at work. The match was intense and I thought I could have stepped it up a few notches.

I'm gonna be on call tonight.. I'm just hoping for a good day at work and an easy call after.

Nuff of my whining.. Time to get out of bed and pack my bag!

Good morning one and all :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Welcome home, phone

2010-05-16T18:01:00.000+08:00

Had an awesome Saturday training with Titans and shopping after.

The highlight was reuniting with my iPhone..

We all learn from our mistakes, some more costly than others..

St nicks old girls.. Somehow we all seem to have some sort of telepathy..

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Run, run, run

2010-05-13T02:25:00.008+08:00

Dammit, late night jogs always keep me up at night. Must be the endorphins...

I'm quite pleased with myself for discovering one of the most perfect routes and faithfully running it the past few weeks. Its a 8k journey from my place to Seletar reservoir and back. This is akin to my campus runs and ECP jogs back in my NUS and VJC days respectively.

Each chapter in my life signifies new beginnings, new routes, new partners, new memories.

I think i've finally settled into working life - finding some sort of equilibrium and inner peace at my new posting by taking criticism by my boss in my stride and having a fellow buddy to whine to everyday. Its a daily cycle that is full of the unexpected and yet routine at the same time. A mixture of everything i love. :)

I know i've been such a fat lazy ass by not updating this. I'm not sure if people still read this..

Let's see I've been busy with weekly Titans trainings, meeting up with friends some who are back from overseas, getting my birthday out of the way, losing my handphone a week before my birthday and feeling terribly depressed about it, still.

I've always hated birthdays. :( I get the blues and bad things always happen to me around that period. Although I must say a big thank you for the wishes, presents, cards (a surprise from Germany), calls (my best friend never disappoints), and dinner with the fat squid which somehow made the day bearable.

I'll upload photos soon i hope! :) and update more when i get my new iphone.. most likely this friday. -cross fingers-

Have a great whatever's left of the week!

GOODNIGHT ALL! :)

Dreaming aloud

2010-04-18T22:38:00.001+08:00

Time to wake up and smell the roses.

2010-04-10T22:24:00.001+08:00

I don't want the best... I want perfect.

2010-04-07T22:01:00.002+08:00

Yesterday, I bought 2 items which I feel would benefit my life for a long time to come.. Can't say the same for many of my other purchases..

Say hi to my new tempur pillow and asics running shoes!

My old pair of Nike running shoes breathed it's last on Saturday after 5 years of hardship..

I decided on this pair of asics because the moment I slipped my feet in, it felt like I had found 'the one'. Haha

Going for a run later to try it out :)

Somewhere over the rainbow

2010-04-04T23:02:00.017+08:00

We're constantly chasing after that magical moment, even if it takes a life time.

* * *

The Sartorialist / Garance Doré

* * *

On a funnier note,

pris says: u think i shld wear braces again?
WTR says: if it bothers you and if you get it sorted out, your life improve, then do
WTR says: i mean... its you and your quality of life at stake
you do what suit you best
even if you tell me you wanna sex change and be guy, i will take that

Wataru, will always be my go to guy for absolutely stoic yet impeccable advice. (in broken English, no less) hahah joking :D

Other side of the world

2010-03-19T07:44:00.001+08:00

There's nothing like a best friend offering advice from the other side of the world to give some clarity to my jumbled up thoughts.

I miss you, come back soon.

2010-03-18T07:58:00.001+08:00

I had a recurrent vision of my skII bottle dropping on the floor, shattering into smitereens and splashing facial essence everywhere. Nothing to be salvaged.

Almost lover

2010-03-09T08:47:00.001+08:00

so you're gone and I'm haunted
and I bet you are just fine
did I make it that easy to walk
right in and out of my life?

goodbye, my almost lover
goodbye, my hopeless dream
I'm trying not to think about you
why can't you just let me be?

so long, my luckless romance
my back is turned on you
should have known you'd bring me heartache
almost lovers always do

* * *

The jigsaw pieces are slowly falling into place as I formed my globe in it's entirety.

Where was Johor straits all this while?

I found it as we sat on the dam, overlooking the choppy waters that separated us from the other side.

Settling onto black sheets laid on the ground, I hugged my knees against my chest as we chatted about whatever crossed our minds. Under the moonlight, we took it all in - the scent of unknown shrubbery, the almost palpable layer of sea crust on our skins and the hint of salt on the tip of our tongues.

As I glimpsed into those hopeful eyes before we left, i finally realized where we were - right on the edge but not quite there yet.

* * *

I had the strangest dream last night. (yet another)

I dreamt that I was crossing a large, murky pond which coincidentally resembled the one in my primary school. I was treading gingerly on big floating rocks to get to the other side. But as all nightmares go, I slipped and fell in. I panicked as I thought what strange creatures lurked beneath the muddy surface. I struggled for life and somehow managed to paddle to the bank with the help of a rock. When I finally pulled myself on land, I realized that my precious belongings like my wallet, handphone and camera had dropped into the pond.

I was miserable, debating for a good minute whether to go back into the scary pond to retrieve them. Suddenly frogs started leaping out of the water and throwing things on land. They had found my valuables and were returning them to me!

Part 2 was somewhat disjointed. My friends and I were having a crab gift exchange session where we brought live crabs. Out of the blue, the teenage mutant ninja turtles theme song started playing from an unbeknownst source. The crabs then crawled out from the red plastic bags, untied the ropes that bound them and started dancing to the music.

Curious and curiouser?

Weekend here I comeeee

2010-02-12T21:25:00.002+08:00

It's FINALLY THE WEEKEND!! :):):)

Had a disappointing dinner at Graze but awesome desserts at Eden Sanctuary. The chocolate ganache and tofu cheesecake felt like saccharine clouds melting on my tongue after the ho hum miso codfish and BBQ mixed mushrooms i had at Graze..

Rejoice everyone it's the looong weekend! A much needed break from all the insanity at work.. Although I must add that I'm not the biggest fan of Chinese new year.

You can't have everything, can you?

Welcome to prostho

2010-02-04T21:58:00.001+08:00

I received a complaint today. I felt so hurt about being wrongly accused and couldn't stop thinking about it the whole day.

I started ranting to one of my nurses about the injustice I felt. To which she responded with a bemused smile,
"Welcome to prostho".

-____-

It's gonna be a looong sucky year ahead...

Bikram

2010-01-26T07:27:00.001+08:00

I attended a session of bikram yoga. It was 41degrees and I nearly fainted 5 times but it was the best yoga I've ever done. More mentally than physically. It was just so inspiring learning about Bikram's teachings during the class.

I remember my instructor quoting him,
"The luckiest are those who take longest to master a position - the positions will be forever etched in their bodies."
Something to that extent..

So really, the more stupid, untalented, slow, inflexible and unfit you are the better. Makes me feel so comforted to know that in light of last week's events.

Another one of his sayings is that yoga helps you conquer your mind and be a master of it instead of being a slave to it and giving up everytime your mind tells you to.

Oh wells all pretty cliche, but it was so inspiring in that steamed up room when all my muscles were begging for me to stop.

Always have kindness and meditation in your heart was the last teaching that struck a chord - an extremely easy line to say but a very difficult one to achieve. Who doesn't have hatred and anger in their heart? To expel all negative emotions would be so enlightening, but would it be possible for someone like me?

* * *

In the same vein, I watched The Blind Side the other day. I initally thought that it would be like remember the titans, those heart warming, team spirit centered kind of show but that was farthest from the truth.

On the topic of Michael Oher, the homeless black boy Mrs Tuohy (Sandra Bullock) opened her house up to and eventually adopted, she said,
"I didn't change his life, he changed mine."

You know I've always wanted to do something charitable, help change someone's life for the better or make an impact within my means but somehow I never got down to doing it.

And I thought to myself as I was watching the movie, would I have had it in me to have done what Mrs Tuohy did given the circumstances? Would I have the heart, courage and generosity to provide for a homeless black boy without any prior knowledge about him?

The answer is no - I would have probably been too afraid. Afraid of the kind of person he is, afraid of the sacrifices I would have to make and the changes it would have in my life.

The fact that it was a true story gave the movie a whole new meaning and it inspired me on a whole different level.

Maybe it would spur me towards finally making the effort to go on that mission trip I've always wanted to.

* * *

I supported my juniors at the women's IVP Floorball finals yesterday. They lost 7-1 to NTU.

:(

2010-01-23T10:20:00.001+08:00

Work is making me depressed :(

2010-01-14T15:37:00.001+08:00

No time to eat lunch, no time to go toilet, no time to even cough.

I held it all in the whole day.

Life's tough when you can least handle it :(

Be careful what you wish for

2010-01-13T16:31:00.001+08:00

Now that I'm on MC, I actually miss work..

I'm raring to go to work tomorrow, only to find out from my nurse that I've:

3 crown preps
2 crown issues
1 denture issue
1 denture try-in
etc etc

I've yet to check the lab work for the issues and prepare for my provisional crowns. :(

I'm predicting that I'll work through lunch and overtime after work tomorrow. Sigh, so much for wishing fervently that I'll fall sick to take MC and skip work...

On call again

2009-12-30T02:04:00.003+08:00

Have a great night everyone :)

Singapore idol Season 3

2009-12-28T20:40:00.001+08:00

WHAT THE SHIT HOW CAN SEZAIRI WIN?!? I'm so pissed off!!!!

If I wasn't on call last night I would have definitely voted for Sylvia like siao, whether it made a difference or not at least I know I did my part..

Sigh so sad! Sylvia's definitely much better, more inspiring and in my heart the season 3 Singapore idol. Why did she lose :(:(

Anyway my call was quite strange last night. Thankfully not that busy but I had strange requests from MOs to drill rings off swollen fingers(?!) and to see a patient past 7am when the dental clinics were opening soon. They must dislike us, those medical people. Hehe just joking. They're mostly quite sweet :)

Another call again tomorrow night! So glad the new year's falls on Friday.. Long holiday here I comeee..

Which reminds me, i need to read up on prostho for my new posting.. I'm getting incessantly stressed up about it after hearing scary stories. Today my soon-to-be supervisor took a while to explain something to me. I was quite dumbfounded by seemingly new techniques I've not heard of yet alone learnt about in school. Looking at my lost expression he winked at me and said, "we're gonna have a fun time aren't we?"

Sigh.

How long do baby turtles take to learn to swim in the big sea?

This is MY DECEMBER :)

2009-12-23T20:04:00.018+08:00

December has been all about eating, eating and MORE eating!

I've been feeling so full, lazy and sluggish because of all the excessively eating :(

I was on leave since monday.. and i haven't gotten my fat ass off the couch to do some exercising except on tuesday when i joined the NUS girls for a short floorball training.

Tomorrow gym, i hope!

Anyways i've decided to upload some photos.. finally...... :)

22 December 2009, Tuesday

It was an indulgent dinner at The Sage with the girlies :)

appetizer - some pea thing with lemon sherbet and foie gras. it was a little quaint tasting..

Mushroom soup
Cappuccino of wild mushrooms with truffle infused scrambled eggs,
asparagus and morel cream

Wow the truffle infused scrambled eggs (in the eggshell) was divine! The taste is so exquisite i don't think i've ever tasted anything like that...

Then it was Secret santa time!!

rach and i both bought kiehl's lipbalm for our secret santa gifts!!

i literally received what i gave!

rach received a heartshaped fondue set from Ping! everyone was only slightly envious.... haha

Duck Confit
Duck leg confit on a Savoy cabbage parcel stuffed with a fricassee of field
mushrooms and foie gras, potato puree and Pommery mustard jus

Rach and ping both ordered the duck confit! :)

COD
Roasted fillet of cod topped with prawn and cognac butter on gratin of salt cod brandade with sun dried tomatoes and russet potatoes, basil pesto emulsion and lemon confit

boon and i had the cod :)

issit possible that it tasted better than it looked? :)

our rose wine - Pfeiffer Ensemble, Victoria 2005

chilling before desserts

chocolate souffle

great way to end the night :)

20 December 2009, Sunday
Mummy's birthday dinner at Silk Road, Amara Hotel

okay these are the few photos i took.. the rest are in mom's camera. I must say though that the standard dropped quite abit since we last visited 2 years ago.

The food were all quite oily and only slightly above average.. i remember the food being much much better.... love the 8 treasures tea though :)

19 December 2009, Saturday
GPA Dental Clinic's D&D at Grand Copthorne Hotel

The host was no other than... Mr. Gurmit Singh himself. haha i felt like i was watching Singapore Idol life or something.

Pan fried Sea Bream with Truffle flavoured mash, Escabeche of Carrots with Tarragon

my fish :) The tomato was so plump and cute looking, couldnt resist not taking a photo of it!

proud of my junior, lizhen for doing such an awesome job treating my ex patient's wife :)

really cute japanese boy!! :D

Gotta thank Dr. Wilson Goh for the invitation.
He's one of the most successful dentist and entrepreneur around...

all the guys were wearing blazers! talk about looking smart :)

my strange hair!

thanks squid for being my chauffeur of the day teehee

16 December 2009, Wednesday
Dinner at an incidental find - Jolly Frog.

We ate there simply cos mon was adamant that the place sold frogs and i was sure that it didnt...

Calzone 15.9
(Homemade arrabiata sauce + honey glazed ham + mozzarella + portobello mushroom)

check out its plump belly bursting with mushrooms, cheese and ham........... really juicy and delicious!!

this has got to be one of the MOST interesting and yummy pizzas around :)

Salmon Orecchiette 15.9
(Pan fried norwegian salmon w/ fresh basil + pesto and olive oil)

The verdict: I was right once again :) No frogs sold there and it was one awesome newly opened cafe that's a stone throw away from my workplace :) Definitely worth dropping by again!
They're currently having a promo - 1 for 1 pasta / pizza. Go check it out :)

13 December 2009, Saturday
ZOUKOUT 2009!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :):):)

'Nuff said.

Pre-zouk at Boon's place :)

on the cab there... which cost $33 btw!! because of the massive jam outside sentosa :( we were stuck at the entrance for ages.....

bumped into austen just outside the entrance! (where we conveniently cut the crazy horde of a queue...)

ALT-F at its very best
(Austen Likes To - Flirt)

so glad we bumped into them :)

if u noticed, i've a really disgusted expression hidden by my hat because of austen's really gross whisky soda water! who drinks that?!

pretty birds

at the Armin stage

The slippers keeper

Left at 5+am? Much earlier than my 7-8am last year... Zoukout again next year? Maybe, baby.

10 December 2009, Thursday
Met up with joanne finally after she got back from New Zealand!

Ate at Swaadhisht (practically the most difficult restaurant name to spell and pronounce) aka Chethan's mother's shop :)

We had good ole yummilicious indian food :)

7 December 2009, Monday
Finally watched Twilight :) :) had to force squid to watch with me...

I enjoyed it tremendously of course. And i have to say i've switch sides to TEAM JACOB. Edward look so skinny, pale and gaunt. Jacob's hotter, has solid hard wash bod abs and looks so cute as a werewolf! I'd pick warm and cuddly over cold and mysterious anytime! hiak hiak

Our dinner at Gusstimo, Ion Orchard before the movie.

6 December 2009, Sunday
High Tea with HCC at Shangrila's Rose Verandah :)

Ooh those green and brown balls were the highlights of the high tea. The hard shell melts in your mouth to release some yummilicious liquidified greentea and milk chocolate respectively.

ilynn and one of her crazy laughing fits!

love the teas!

Verdict:
The food was disappointing, like The Line's. Way overpriced food that was just average or even slightly below average.
The teas were great! The only plus point at this place.. since this high tea prides in having over 100 different flavours of tea.
Another good thing was that Shangrila was having an 38% discount (because of its anniversary of some sort). So we only paid $29! Rather affordable but I definitely wouldn't come back here again.. Goodwood park's high tea are much better!

Digressing...
This is an awesome pair of camel toed Irregular choice shoes i managed to snap up from Soon Lee @ Haji Lane for half price! what a steal :):) love it to bits!

4 December 2009, Friday
Dinner with mon at Skinny pizza, Wheellock place.

The pizza we chose was nothing to rave about (ack, i can't even remember it's name)

But the desserts were kickass!!

warm banana cake with salted caramel and coffee popcorn
it was sweet and salty, moist and crusty all at once. super duper yummy! :)

2009-12-15T08:31:00.003+08:00

Zoukout was fun fun fun :)

Will upload more photos soooon...

Can't wait for my leave next week!! Hang in there guys, 3 more days to the weekend :)

2009-11-29T19:02:00.007+08:00

Perseverance is fighting till the very end despite the increasing desire to give up with each step you take.

Determination is giving your all to achieve that goal, in spite of all odds being against you.

* * *

I think gym and yoga has eased me onto this slow and magical path towards discovering myself.

* * *

I need to go shopping SOON. Itching to get vintage stuff from haji lane and goblin market. Plus i need to get a new dress for a function coming up this 19dec. HELP! where're my shopping buddies when i need them :(

Truely fitness

2009-11-25T22:21:00.000+08:00

I just had the awesomest workout consisting of body combat (a mix of aerobics, Thai kicking boxing, taekwando etc) and starlight yoga at True Fitness, vivo! I'm feeling mighty fit now.. With some abstinence of my daily dose of chocolates n more salad I'm sure I'll get some abs coming..

Anyways met up with Colin last night! He finally managed to find his way out of tekong.. "Bumped" into his gf n her "date" and at the end of the night we were like having a double date. Haha except that I was a little confused who my date was. Will upload photos soon :)

Meanwhile I'm having week 10 syndrome - i feel like just ponning work or going late so that I can sleep in.. Help! I need my 3 weeks of break to recharge:(

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The secret formula

2009-11-11T08:09:00.000+08:00

Just the other day I treated this 42 year old female patient who teaches music at a high school. On first look I thought she was in her late 20s. She looked hardly past 30, let alone 42.

Before she left I had to find out..
'So what's your secret to looking so young?'

She said, 'laugh alot! ... and stay single.'

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Little miss piggy

2009-11-08T00:05:00.015+08:00

Aww makes me feel like all my hard work has paid off..

It was a 3 day affair extracting this 13 year old dental phobic boy's teeth. I spent most of the time cajoling him, sweet talking him into opening his mouth for me and not bite my fingers. I even got wais to bring his gundam robot after finding out that the boy likes gundam too..

He gave me this card together with a pig mug the following week. My nurse linda was a great help the whole time by laughing at my unfunny jokes made in a feeble attempt to lighten the mood and holding his hand when he started crying. She also received a card and a frog mug. why am i the pig?

Posting this on my iPhone again cos my desktop officially hates me and refuses to start up. Thank god for my iPhone and my slow but steady fujitsu laptop. Haha

* * *

This afternoon was an awesome Floorball match against the NUS juniors with the alumni team. I had a great time playing with my ex-teammates, it feels like year 2 and 3 all over again. Such sweet nostalgia. I realised that chemistry can make up for some lack of skills or part thereof. I think the understanding and unspoken communication built from having spent the last 10 years playing with the same teammate(s), is quite unparalleled. :)

Anyways I know I haven't updated this in the longest time.. I will do a photolog soon after my computer decides to get it's act together!

For now, gossip girls season 3 beckons :)

2009-11-03T22:39:00.001+08:00

Nobody cares about me :(

Mr. FON

2009-10-26T23:13:00.026+08:00

I had a pretty ho-hum day besides the fact that i:

1) Flashed at my colleague (accidentally of course)

2) Found out that inferiority complex was a psychological disorder that could lead to depression.

That was after spending 6.25% of my day screaming at a patient who refused to listen to me and was instead going on and on (and on and on and on) about his conditions and giving me instructions on what to do, as if he was the doctor and i the patient.

He told me things like "don't extract the wrong tooth", "don't rush my treatment", "clean off the biscuit (calculus) and nicotine stains first", "you know what to do right?", "do one thing at a time", "what're you going to do for me today?" , "i have a heart condition, you better be careful not to pierce my arteries."

In my frustration, which reached its zenith after 30mins of wasting my time answering and placating his unnecessary concerns i finally screamed,

"Do you trust me? Am i the dentist or are you the dentist? If you don't trust me go and see another dentist!"

To which i pointed towards the door for added effect.

His facial expression totally changed and a look of innocence and fear replaced that initial smug expression.

"No, no i trust you. Dr. you know what is inferiority complex? I'm suffering from that and depression.."

So that was how the ice was broken and i finally got him to sit down on the dental chair and stop sprouting a list of questions written in BOLD RED HANDWRITING on a piece of foolscap paper.

The rest, you can say is history. And my nurse couldn't stop laughing at me and imitating the way i screamed after it was all over.

What an experience.

* * *

Today i learnt that with everyone, even the meanest, the most psychotic patients - deep within there is always a reason for the way they are. Cause and effect explains it all.

In this case the cause is inferiority complex due to a series of humiliating events and the effect is depression with an overwhelming sense to try and prove one's worth.

It brings to mind a quote from Atticus in To Kill a Mocking Bird:

'First of all,' he said, 'if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks.

You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.'

Isn't psychology interesting? Now i know why it was my second choice after dentistry. Dentistry was first because i can torture patients and psychoanalyze them at the same time. It satisfies both my masochistic and inquisitive nature. Perfecto, no? :D

* * *

In retrospect i realized how grateful i am to Dr. T for forcing me to treat psycho1 back in my student days. There's nothing more valuable than starting with the worse when you're still a noob (not that much has changed..) under the guidance of the best teachers around.

Dr. T, although your fierceness was somewhat unparalleled in school and you probably scolded me the most, i must thank you for giving me a hard time to know how it's done.

After all, they always say - practice makes perfect.

P/S: Late night blogging makes me a hungry hippo :(

2009-10-24T12:07:00.001+08:00

iPhone bliss is using ping and whatsapp to SMS your best friend in london for free:)

Canopy

2009-10-12T22:22:00.006+08:00

Just has dinner at Canopy, bishan park. I remember having the awesomest Caesar salad here.. But I think today's was quite disappointing.. The red snapper fillet was pretty damn good though:)

Caesar salad

Tomato vine soup

Red snapper fillet :)

Crab meat pasta

I had fun finally finishing ONE of the many presents I've been meaning to make for people I wanna thank.

Haha I know the curly furry spider effect is quite retarded but it's the thought that counts right?:)

Oh! I got myself a pair of extremely geeky looking specs for work.. just to make myself look older, fiercer and more plausible.

What say you?

P/S: Sorry for the blurry photos.. this was posted using my iphone..

Dry socket

2009-10-08T23:59:00.008+08:00

Drew this while waiting for my iPhone..

I think I've been treating too many dry socket cases.. to actually have nightmare about it.

In my dream this dry socket case had brown stuff sticking out between the interseptal bone. On probing, I realised that the brown stuff were mushrooms!! 3 of them in each radicular socket (is that what you call it?)

I'm definitely stressed out from work haha although I'm quite loving OS these days :) will definitely miss my fellow gossipy and full of rubbish DOs and the super nice and approachable consultants when I change posting :/ oh wells everything will come to an end eventually...

2009-10-07T23:52:00.003+08:00

I just queued for 6.5hours to get my iphone 3gs. Mad i know.

I wouldn't have done it if i wasn't waiting this long for it...

But i'm loving it now :) Ping (which lets you send free msgs to fellow iphone users) and google maps makes it all worth it!

Had a night call yesterday.. it was not too bad, getting used to sleeping in that crammed, dusty and freezing little room.

I need to do more calls to earn some extra $$$ after buying my phone, specs, vintage stuff etc etc. argh.

If only money grew on trees...

Wake me up when September ends

2009-09-27T16:10:00.016+08:00

Sitting at Starbucks at Wilkie's edge and pretending to be student by doing some pseudo studying on a laptop. All whilst sipping my favourite chai tea latte, couldn't get any better :)

Miss hanging out at cafes and studying, being very stressed and yet enjoying the entire process of cramming last minute. I'm warped ain't i?

I was soo soo excited about heading down to Goblin market today but as usual they're closed! Grr, gonna make an appointment tomorrow. Bridget told me some new stock came in today and i'm excited as hell :) I'll let you know if i manage to snap up any precious vintage finds.

Anyways, this's what i've been up to this September:

FRIDAY NIGHT AT OVEREASY
Was spent having dinner and drinks at overeasy whilst waiting for boon to finish work.
By the time she came, ping and i were so deadbeat we decided not to go butter!
At least we had a whirl of a time feasting on cheap $1 mini burgers (thank you STI!), indulging in reasonably priced 1-for-1 drinks, and telling this CHEEKO china man off for sneakily taking pictures of us.

Damn should have secretly taken a photo of him instead and posted it so that
1) he can have a taste of his own medicine,
2) everyone will know who he is and be forewarned.

$1 mini burgers!!! the offer stands when the STI on friday drops. whopeeedoooooo.
it was pretty damn good save for the fact that the patty is beef and i pretty much dislike beef. oh wells.

Just realized boon deleted the only photo i've of her at overeasy.. boon!!!!!!

Anyways i heard from my sister that paris hilton and ashton kutcher was at butter.. what the!!! dammit we should have so went... curse the work blues.

PAM'S 27th BIRTHDAY @ SZE CHUAN DOU HUA RESTAURANT
Besides the pretty nifty UOB discount at the restaurant, i only have one other thing to rave about this place.. the SOON HOCK FISH IS TO DIE FOR!!!

Yummy :) Soon hock is by far my favouritest fish of all :)

i loved it so much we ordered it twice :D

the tilapia sucked, i'm sure you can tell from my sister's expression..

soon hock 2 :)

Cool china guy who pours our tea from a pot with a long stout standing a mile away. He actually missed once and spilled the tea a little. haha

FRIDAY DATE NIGHT

fell in love with this faux fur vest!! isn't it lovely?

sucky dinner at Mussel guys (vivocity), never going there again!!

ugh, check out how gross my fish looks.

the mushroom soup tasted like campbell, turn off.
haha i realized i always have this grumpy face when the food's bad or i'm pissed off. typical.

Ashley's new bunny, rust! isn't it the cutest? everyone tells me it looks like a stuff toy here. it actually reminds me of Peter rabbit!

HOWL AT THE MOON
Free flow of bubbly on wed nights! :) you could guess that the girls and i had a blast ;)

OKAY more updates later, gonna run at bedok reservoir now. ha ha ha.

* * *

Back from my run at bedok and watching F1.

Man i just realized that it's been a year since i watched F1. IT was exactly 1 year and 1 day ago! It's scary how time flies by so unknowingly.

Anyways, more updates:

DA PAOLOS (Cluny Court)
It was a languorous Sunday lunch at Da Paolo's with my sister and Aki.

seafood pizza

my scallops and spinach-potato flan :9

Aki and his lobster pasta

Overall, i would say the food didn't impress. The pasta at La Nonna (Squid ink) wins the ham and cheese pasta at Da paolo's hands down. My scallops were good but not the best i've tasted. The seafood pizza was slightly above average with its nicely crisp thin crust, that's about it.

The ambience is definitely one of the reasons to visit this place, with the poised and beautiful expats peppering the place. Other than that, i'm sure you can find cheaper and nicer italian food elsewhere...

La nonna's (holland v) does italian food better i'd say ;) (free advertisement rehan!)

CLASS OUTING AT JUNDA'S HOUSE
What a beautiful place he has in the east side of Singapore.
We had a sumptious potluck session, pity i didnt take any photos of the crazy spread we had. Of course, there was plenty of left overs at the end of it...

sitting by his pool and chilling, while the other guys play rock band.

Mr Japanese acting stoic, as usual

Mr Junda himself...

moonbathing.. if only life was this good everyday!

OKAY GOODNIGHT EVERYONE, sleep beckons :)

Time for another crazy week workaholics!

Party people, it's friday night!

2009-09-24T23:34:00.006+08:00

To kill or not to kill your feet, now that is the question.

* * *

Funny anecdotes that kept me going this week:

1) During dinner with ravin and faiz today, this line came up -

"If you can't bring Mohammad to the mountain, bring the mountain to Mohammad."

what the....

2) Met up with the dental classmates at Holland V last night.
At one point of time when we were having a serious conversation about squamous cell carcinoma and other malignant lesions of the mouth, Wataru suddenly interjected stoically,

"When you see a scary thing in the patient's mouth, do you feel your ass being squeezed and a chill run down your spine?"

HAHHAHA. check out taut ass Japanese at woodlands polyclinic everybody.

3) Apparently even the lab technicians in NDC have to go for Basic Cardiac Life Support training!

The next time a person on the street faints and you see someone running up to help, don't be surprised when the person says, "Don't worry i'm a lab technician!"

* * *

It's finally friday tomorrow! It feels like such a long week even though we had Hari Raya holiday on Monday. It's been so busy, hectic and mentally draining these days, what with all the consecutive pulpectomies, making post core provis, sectioning of crowns and what nots. I had to drink some coffee during the lunch meeting today just to keep me going for the rest of the day. So so glad for the weekend.

Anyways i took some photos over the past week that i would have loved to upload if i had more energy. I'll save that for the next time... till then, goodnight everyone!

A&E call at SGH

2009-09-12T00:59:00.014+08:00

i think the formula to satisfaction is finding an equilibrium in your life.

where the ups balance the downs, the happy times override the sad ones, stressful maniac times canceled out by relaxing moments.

Just came back from tennis and KFC with the girls. :) Friday nights with the girls are always the best, regardless of what we do.

* * *

I survived my first night of my A&E call at SGH yesterday.

YAY me :) thanks for dropping by guys. The movie Bruno (watched on laptop) sucked, but the company rocked. :)

No spooky moments, thank god.

I came home and knocked out immediately. Slept from 2.30pm to 7pm. I'd have slept all the way till tomorrow if boon had not call me.

* * *

Funny moment of the week:

One of my nurses nearly fainted whilst assisting me as i was extracting 3 root stumps and 1 grossly carious tooth.

She suddenly looked so pale and nearly blanked out. We took her blood pressure and it was 80/40!!

Either she's blood-phobic or i extract teeth too gruesomely.

Well, i had a blood phobia as well but i got numbed after a while. Now i kinda get sickly thrilled by it.

* * *

Hooked onto The Rachel Zoe project right now.

I identify with her perfectionistic streak, but it must be so tiring being a control freak all the time.

Being a stylist seems so fun though, if only.

* * *

The photographer at the Dental Pledge event sent me photos.

They're so well taken, i'm almost tempted to get myself an SLR. Although the convenience and user friendly nature of my canon digicam always manages to persuade me against it.

DENTAL PLEDGE CEREMONY AT NUS ALUMNI HOUSE

Leading the pledge and screwing up a few lines.. because:
1) my script was different
2) i was too nervous
Everyone wouldn't stop jacking me after.

oh yeah, check out my hideous calve muscles

He who gave me the most shit, but probably taught me the most :)

matching outfits?

squid wearing his fake paul smith shirt! haha

Somehow everyone looked so good, huh? I sense some photoshopping..
Thanks alot willie! :)

You looked like christmas morning

2009-09-07T23:20:00.010+08:00

I'm currently munching on some rocket and lettuce salad and feeling proud of myself for rising to the occasion and making something yummy and nutritious when my tummy most needed it. Maybe i can cook to save my life after all... (cup noodles during my lonely hall nights count right?)

I came home early tonight to watch Mr and Mrs Smith on tv. I wanted to catch glimpses of the sparks that supposedly flew between Brad and angelina, which blew him away enough to make him to leave jen... okay that's one sad love story..

I CANT WAIT TO WATCH THE TIME TRAVELLER'S WIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BUT anyways, here're more photos :)

okay that's all i have for now..

time to sleep, rejuvenate for work tomorrow and have some blue-doeful-eyed brad pitt dreams. :)

indulgence

2009-08-30T21:32:00.019+08:00

Another weekend has passed all too quickly....

It's back to work again tmrw! :(

I'm glad i got my valedictorian speech out of the way :)

Thank you mon, von and wais for helping me vet my speech :)
I know i spoke way too fast and a few times i was like spitting in the mike, but all in all i quite like my speech :)

ps: pardon squid's lousy videocam-ing skills... hahaha

I know i probably never talked about this.. but i'm actually very happy and surprised that i got my prostho distinction. it's special to me because prostho was always my favourite subject, and probably caused me the most up and downs during my student life. (think: psycho f/f patients, crown patients who keep canceling appointments, difficulty in finding a crown competency candidate, redo-ing dentures multiple times because some prof think restoring in CR is not always the best solution..)

The viva actually actually went really badly, with the american external examiner asking me multiple dental material questions instead of focusing merely on prostho. Truth is, my dental materials knowledge leaves much to be desired. When i walked out of the room, i remember hearing the 3 interviewers laughing really loudly. How i got the distinction is a mystery in itself.. but i believe someone sitting on that panel helped me, alot.

thank you :)

* * *

I've been eating too damn much recently. where's my restraint, and more importantly where's my exercise regime?!

I had a buffet lunch at Club Chinois with my family yesterday.

There were over 200 dishes to choose from. Everything from Tunglok's specialties of spinach toufu and wasabi mayo monkey head mushroom to the softshell crab and pork ribs was lipsmackingly awesome! everyone couldnt stop eating for nearly 2 hours.

The best thing of all was that the price was really reasonable. $200++ for 10 people! cos there was a UOB 1-for-1 promotion :) too bad it was the last day of the promotion yesterday... :(

PHOTOS
of food food and MORE FOOD!

Little Part 1 Cafe at Jasmine Road, Upper thomson
They've quirky games like Who Am I?, boggle, pictionary and the likes. Mon and i spent the whole night playing Who Am I (which is secretly really really fun) and felt very sleepy after the meal. btw the hot chocolate with marshmallows is pretty damn good!

Hacienda Cafe @ Dempsey.
They've the yummiest burgers! i fell in love with the miso cod burger.. the miso sauce was impeccable.
My friend loved her NY wagyu burger and the cocktails were 50% off! what more can i say? :)

Zen Japanese Cuisine has the best best best japanese food!! we were so satisfied and full after the meal :) The only thing was that the pork + cherry tomato yakitori was still slightly inferior to Nanbantei's....

Dinner at Chameleon restaurant and desserts at Laurent's cafe and chocolate bar.
Chameleon was quite disappointing but desserts more than made up for it :)
The chocolate ball thing we had was pretty damn awesome! it was a dark chocolate ball which contained a scoop of ice-cream and other ingredients like pistachios and orange i think. can't remember the name of it but it was so cool that we could melt the ball by just pouring hot chocolate over it.
The chocolate souffle and raspberry ice-cream was kick ass as well :D

A night of indulgence at Orgo's grand opening. We were pampered with a night long of free flow cocktails! Think rose wine sangria and watermelon martinis, yum :) The finger food like sauteed mushrooms and oreo cheesecakes were heavenly too!

Okay, shall blog more another day. its 1.30am already and i've work tmrw :( the horrors.

GOODNIGHT EVERYONE!

1.5 months of work - be careful what you wish for.

2009-08-16T21:56:00.007+08:00

I'm sorry i know i haven't been blogging for the longest time.

1.5 months of working has passed. Time flies when you're busy.

Work has been:

Busy and stressful the first month - so much so i wanted to go back to school where it was alot less stressful (for me at least)
An attempt to squeeze out time from our 1 hour or less of lunch time to change in and out of our scrubs and walk to a nearby coffee shop to satisfy both the hunger in our stomachs and our sense of adventure. It takes alot to not fall into the lazy trap of settling for packed food in the pantry. Although there're times when we've to make do with 7-11 frozen food and pastries. haha still worth it, i guess?
Getting used to my new Oral Surgery department and feeling somewhat relieved that it's less intense than General Dentistry
Finally settling in and finding peace within myself after being stepped on like a cockroach by the bigwigs of the place.

Today, i spent the entire day sleeping. There was this somewhat somber mood after waking up in the evening, as if I had to pack my bags and head back to hall soon. The "book in" mood was something nostalgic.

There're so many things i've yet to blog about - my trip to australia, convocation, post-graduation functions, meeting up with friends who're back from abroad, little gatherings here and there.

I want to start ticking things off my to-do-list. Meantime i need to find a charger for humans, feels like i'm sleeping my life away :(

The last 2 movies i've watched have been pretty damn awesome: GI Joe and Up. :)

I'm super excited about 2 upcoming movies!
Avatar and The time traveller's wife. Although i've this sneaking feeling that they wouldn't live up to the cartoon series and book respectively. Oh wells.

I've to write a speech by the 28th, but as usual the procrastinator in me has been too lazy to start doing anything constructive. arghh

I'll update and upload photos soon... ihope!

Time for gossip girls and some popcorn :)

P/S: Need to go running AND TRAINING soon!!! getting fat and lazy :( :( :(

First Day at NDC

2009-07-01T20:57:00.015+08:00

Two funny conversations yesterday:

1) On the car ride home from the Dentistry Graduating Class Dinner, i was saying how stressed i was about my first day of work.

One of the doctors was telling me that NDC called to ask if i would be like the previous top students who gave alot of trouble by being late and taking long lunches (sounds very familiar i know.. hahah thanks for the constant nudging wataru) so she said she vouched for me by saying that i was a good girl and that i had better be when i get there.

A: So you're the top student for this year?
Me: Uh yah, i guess so.
A: That's retarded.

hahah. thanks for having so much confidence in me.

2) At Udders, i was having ice-cream with ravin and chiew.
There were various ice-cream flavours with alcohol in them like rum rum raisin, tiramisu and baileys & bourbon.

Ravin: (clearly trying to flirt with the hot ice-cream waitress)
Hey how much alcohol is there in the ice-cream? Can i still drive back if i eat one scoop of it?

Waitress: Yah don't worry. (waitress trying to explain how much alcohol each scoop has, of which i can't remember)

Ravin: Okay i take your word for it! If i get stopped by the traffic police i'd say it's your fault.

Haha as if Ravin of all people would get drunk on one scoop of ice-cream. Someone call the cheesy pick-up line police!

Although i must say for the record that ravin really drove that day and that he seemed geniunely concerned about the alcohol content in the ice-cream....

* * *

Glad i got the first day of work out of the way. :) It was pretty damn slack cos we had orientation the whole day.

I got posted to General Dentistry at Level 2 of National Dental Centre and i found out that i don't have any patients scheduled for the next entire month cos apparently there's a shortage of chairs at level2. i hope they don't post me out. i'm really starting to love level 2 and my colleagues :)

I was so bored today that i'm actually raring to start treating patients tomorrow! Please gimme someee

Anyone knows where's good to eat around outram please let me know! :)

i was delighted to receive this :)

its strange though having people call me Dr. Priscilla... i can't get used to it.

* * *

Graduating Class Dinner was quite fun :)

The profs suddenly became all friendly and started telling us about their life stories. Especially the profs who used to avoid us along the corridors and ignore our presence when we greeted them.

What a world of difference it is after you graduate.

GRADUATING CLASS DINNER @ BACCHUS FULLERTON WATER BOAT HOUSE

with Mr. Dean of Dentistry himself, Prof Keson Tan.

He who passes all competencies. :)

my favourite japanese :D

The most cannot make it cluster.. C&D!

The corner buddies.. Kaimun thanks for tolerating my nonsense these past 4 years :)

Guo an eating esplanade.. there's always room for more food ;P

it was quite windy that night.. but thank god it didnt rain!

i miss wataru already :( Hope you're having fun at Woodlands polyclinic and becoming a well known strange english speaking dentist there as you wished!

Awww... i'm kinda miss the class, the school and the ever-friendly dean's office staff. :(

OKay, time to sleep now. Got to wake up at 6am tomorrow morning! -___-

GOODNIGHT ALL.

2009-06-26T13:23:00.003+08:00

GRADUATE LIAOZZZZZZ.

Convocation on 6july :) I wanna say come support me but i only have 2 tickets :( measly.

These 2 weeks have been fun fun fun :)

Post photos when i've have more time!

Work officially starts on 1 July at NDC. I hope we've a week of orientation cos im seriously still in slack mode. Doubt i can remember how to do extractions, S&P and fillings simple as they are.

Time for gossip girls now:) I'm damn slow i know

:)

Holed up in CDC

2009-06-16T19:10:00.004+08:00

I'm FINALLY back from Communicable Disease Centre (CDC)! After an agonizingly long 7 hours of wait for the test results.

I initially went to see a GP cos i was having sorethroat, cough, runny nose, yellow mucus and the likes. I didn't think of calling 993 cos i didn't have fever or muscle aches which i though were the prerequistites.

Upon telling the doctor that i just returned from australia, his face colour changed immediately and he was like,

"My nurse made a mistake! You're not allowed in here. She should have called 993 from the start."

The events that unfolded subsequently was a blur. The doctor called 993 and made me wear an N95 mask. I got isolated in a tiny room while waiting for the ambulance to come and i was told to stay away from everyone in the clinic!

30 mins later, the back door of the tiny isolated room opened to a man fully scrubbed up, gloved and masked, whom promptly grabbed me and whisked me into a CDC van. so drama.

At CDC, they bombarded me with a whole lot of tests.
They started taking my blood pressure and heart rate from my left hand, whilst drawing blood from a vein in my right hand. At the same time they look my temperature and started asking me a series of questions like my flight no., duration spent in australia, my current symptoms, whether i was pregnant?!

Right after, they stuffed 2 huge cotton buds in my nose and down my throat each. It was super painful and i kept feeling like choking! the nurses were quite unsympathetic, obviously having swapped hundreds of people a day.

A while later, i had to take a chest x ray. My second this month.. i'm going to die of radiation i swear.

They took my blood pressure, heart rate and temperature every few hours.. which just goes to show how thorough the Singapore Medical system is.

One guy from Melbourne was complaining incessantly about having to wait 6-8hours for the results and kept asking what each test was for skeptically. He was incredulous about being holed up in CDC for so many hours and even said, "do you know that 1 in 3 people in melbourne have swine flu?"

Duh, that's where the cases in Singapore are coming from.

The 7 hours consisted of sitting on a chair behind a table which reminded me of school and entertainment merely consisted of today's newspaper and a television airing channel 5. I was so bored out of my wits i decided to do some financial planning and budgeting for my first pay check. I even read today's papers 2 times over. Luckily they provided food, drinks and masks.

The funny thing is that we were supposed to have our masks on at all times so when we want to eat we have to go to the EATING CORNER where we can safely take out our masks to eat. hilarious. too bad i didnt bring my camera, else i'd have taken some pictures.

Thank god i'm H1N1 negative :)

Came home and feasted on my Champagne delice macaroon i bought from the Lindt Chocolate cafe in Sydney.

Feels good to be home :)

Quite sad about missing floorball training today though, was really looking forward to it. Damn and i wasted my entire day in CDC doing nothing. :(

Melbourne, Day 6

2009-06-07T21:41:00.005+08:00

Some days something comes along, shakes you out of your complacency and makes you realize that you're just like any other human being - fallible, vulnerable and weak.

* * *

Howdy from australia! its day 6 of Melbourne! So much has happened that i dont know where to begin....

DAY 1:

Arrived in melbourne and was picked up by Ilynn who has been a really wonderful and motherly host :P

We had breakfast at Cafe Sweethearts at Coventry St. The pancakes were pretty damn kickass. My blueberry pancakes were made of fresh and succulent blue berries. The pancakes were humongous!

In the afternoon it was shopping at Bridge road, which is seriously shopping heaven. why can't Singapore have a Bridge road and Landes shop?!

At night it was dinner at a Japanese restaurant near China Town.

DAY 2:

WE had brunch at theobroma Chocolate Lounge at DFO, Spencer st.

The hot chocolate is the best i've ever had (cue vertical horizon hahah)! Kinda found out about it during my first trip to melbourne...

Chiew had a large mug of hot dark chocolate on a warmer which was pretty damn impressive! and guaranteed that her chocolate remained warm to the very last drop.. sure kicks Max Brenner's ass.

DFO shopping was great as before:) Bought a couple of shoes from steve madden and nine west.

Dinner was at Colonial Tram Car Restaurant! It was a 3 course dinner served aboard a tram car restaurant, which was really scenic and romantic. Guys in melbourne, you should really bring your girlfriends on a date on this.. perfect for valentines day. lol.

They serve seemingly free flow of drinks like champagne, wine, hard liquor.. great for the alcoholics, although you would have to gobble everything down in 45 minutes..

Post dinner was visiting a Strip Club called Bar20. It was MUCH better than Centrefold, which i went to the last time cos the girls really danced a whole lot better and there were alot of pole stunts and such.

I somehow found myself getting a private lap dance together with chiew and ilynn by 2 lovely girls called Stella and Crystal. Stella coincidentally stayed in singapore for 4 years and in between stripping she started gushing about how wonderful singapore is and telling us about where she studied and stayed at in Singapore. It was kind of a strange lap dance conversation.. Crystal on the other hand had a really taut ass. That was why we chose her i think. hahhaha

The introduction of the lap dance consisted of some hot breath and ear lobe licking.. kind of brought out the closet lesbian in me.. kidding!

DAY 3:

Explored ilynn's vet school and ventured into Werribe Open Range Zoo to check out the animals. Fell in love with a wallaby named Brookie, who was apparently saved from a forrest fire. he was so cute, cuddly and friendly! he even tried to eat my camera.. adorable :)

Dinner was at Pacific House at Richmond. Yummy roast duck and salt& pepper pork. thinking about it makes me feel like salivating :9

Finally met rehan, the emo boy. We popped by his place and then went to a place called Garage (?) for drinks.

DAY 4

Shopping around near Bouverie St where ilynn stays. Found this factory outlet selling minkpink and other brands. bought tops for $2.50! now you know why i get shopping withdrawal symptoms when i'm in singapore...

Had lunch at a cow-chicken vietnam restaurant at Russel st. Much better than Mekong! (which i heard recycles their soup...)

Afternoon activity consisted of shopping at Smith st. Lots of sports factory outlets. bought shoes (again) which were dirt cheap compared to its original price so i couldn't resist...

Dinner was at Chong Qing hot pot at Elizabeth St. together with Panghao and DT. it was a hilarious dinner cos Panghao was being a masochist and gobbling up all the taupoks soaked with Ma La soup. (note: SUPER HOT AND SPICY AND SOUR AND OILY!!!) and we had a good laugh about the GONG vegetable. hahhah i'll upload photos soon and you'll understand what i mean..

Desserts were at KoKo Black. I had a hot chocolate Affogato. It was pretty damn good. The rest ordered ice chocolate which had 2 scoops of icecream in the ice chocolate. yummy!

We were really full-ish and tired so we abandoned our plans to go clubbing at Seven and decided to practise our pole skills with ilynn's pole at home. Which we didn't in the end cos we were lazy and fell asleep soon after reaching back. damn we're old!

DAY 5

Horse riding at Ace Hi, Mornington Peninsula.

We booked a 2.5hour Beach + Forest ride which cost $85. The free lunch was damn cheater because they basically placed some frozen, tasteless and totally nutritionless food into the deep frier and placed it on a plate to serve to us.

The ride was pretty fun! It was my 2nd time riding and the last time i rode a horse i was really puny so i can't really remember anything.

This one was so much more scary and adventurous and pretty much the real thing. The whole journey was really scenic too, trotting past vast green plains peppered with grazing cows, thick forestry and along a beach which reminded me of Great Ocean Road. At first you're really scared cos the horses seem very temperamental and it was abit tricky trying to balance when they're trotting on bumpy paths and up and down the slopes. But after a while when you get used to it.. it feels so relaxing like you've been doing it all your life and you kind of feel this connection with your horse.. My horse was called Minnie and she was really obedient the whole ride and almost on auto pilot, following the horse infront of me without having to kick her much.

I had butt, calve and inner thigh aches from all the trotting and reallllllly slow walks cos some people refuse to listen to instructions. (hint: they're people from my "FAVOURITE" country)

We were told to stop the horses from eating grass, kick their bellies real hard when we want them to move, pull back the reins when we want them to stop and put our heels down lower than our toes to help with balance but SOME people (whose english probably is so bad they can't understand... then why didn't they just admit that they don't understand instead of screwing up and slowing the whole group down?!) just can't listen to instructions! omg.

An unfortunate event happened though. Not sure if i'm allowed to say what happened but one of my friends is in hospital right now and has just undergone surgery. :(

Get well soon okay.... i was so damn worried throughout the whole ride.. plus the horse trainers were quite testy due to those people who refuse to listen to instructions. So we couldnt accompany her to the hospital cos we had to finish the ride.

We might change plans and fly back to singapore earlier. And obviously our skydiving trip will be cancelled. (luckily we haven't made payment for that yet...)

Dinner was horrible seafood along Rosebud St. i didn't have much of an appetite anyway.

DAY 6

Dropped by Victoria Market to buy Gerberas.

Went to Royal Melbourne hospital to visit her.

Came back home and then spent the afternoon shopping for stuff that chiew and ilynn needs. I was basically a personal shopper for 1 day. haha bought lunch back after running all the errands and we ate lunch at 4pm! sad or what. At least The Dessert House had pretty good baked rice so it was at least a reasonably sumptuous late lunch.

The hospital suddenly had vacancy for the operation today so we rushed down to visit her before she went in but by the time we reached she was already in the OT.

So we sat there reading magazines and studying while waiting for her. The op took all of 3.5hours! Thank god everything went fine... she's out and safely resting in the hospital now.

OH i have to say this:

The reason why Melbourne has SO MANY cases of swine flu is because NO ONE WEARS MASKS or takes temperature! Even the hospitals! No one gives a shit!

Yesterday while waiting at the Trauma Unit (it was a really long wait... 4hours or so) i asked the nurse for a mask and you know what she said?

"Why bother? We only get those people with flu symptoms to wear it. You don't need it..."

And i've not seen a single hospital staff wear a mask. Nor did they take any of our temperatures.

Today i wanted to get another mask and one of the doctors scolded me. She asked me WHY i needed a mask and said that i couldnt take a mask for myself or a friend unless the friend is seeing a doctor.

I was too stunned by her reaction to respond that i wanted to wear a mask to prevent myself from getting the flu which is obviously so rampant in this country cos no one is doing anything to prevent the spread!

Maybe i'm just too pampered by the Singaporean System where i was forced to wear masks and take temperatures 2 times a day even before we had any cases in the country.

OKay anyway, time to sleep. Gotta wake up early to go to the hospital tomorrow. GOODNIGHT ALL. See you in singapore soon!

2009-05-27T23:40:00.009+08:00

I just got back from dinner with monsiess. haha we had good old California Pizza Kitchen. We shared a Chicken Waldorf salad :), avocado club egg rolls and a chocolate souffle cake a la mode. (means add vanilla ice-cream! haha you learn something new everyday)

Isn't ironic that we ordered everything except their pizzas? haha i was telling that we CONFIRM cannot finish if we order pizza.. although i must say their pizzas are out of this world.. i love pizzas made the old school way with a charcoal oven and stuff. (like spizza :)) oh wells, maybe next time... (when i dont have vivas to worry about.. more about that later)

I am having a severe headache from talking on the handphone for too long. and my computer is majorly lagging! super irritating.

MY EXAMS ARE FINALLY OVER!!!!!!!!!! well kind of.....

Just found out at 6.30pm today that i have two vivas to go for tomorrow. I don't know whether to be happy or sad cos i was all ready to slack and celebrate today but now i've to study. but at the same time i guess i'm happy that i did okay... the first one is at 8.20am! someone save me...

Okok i am gonna study for my vivas now, else ill be sure to make a fool of myself infront of the external examiners tomorrow... (not that if i study i wont but hopefully it wont be as bad, right?)

Think i will just read through their current research papers (which i just searched through and omg how many papers do they want to write??!) and then go to sleep... my headache is killing me :(:(

GOODNIGHT ALL!

Tomorrow i'll be a happy girl :)

Bruised and confused.

2009-05-21T13:09:00.034+08:00

I didn't know how to do 2 / 4 questions for today's Preventive Dentistry 2 exam. how's that for a bad paper? :(

I think the worst part is knowing that it's supposed to be an easy paper but i still screwed it up :( sighsighsigh

Plus i've been having strange lapses in my memory, i'll suddenly forget to spell words like perhaps and apparently in the midst of scribbling down answers and racing against time. i think i've been over reliant on spell check. hah

I feel damn sad and irritated today duno why. Maybe i'm PMS-ing.

Oral Surgery + Oral Medicine + Oral Pathology Exam tomorrow. Wish me luck.

Can't wait for tomorrow to end. I'll only have 2 vivas next week then i'll be done! :)

I should be going for the Floorball Div 1 match against Tempest this Sunday. itching to play! but i've been so idle and useless i'll be amazed if i survive the match...

* * *

Just for fun, spot diagnosis for my classmates who happen to read this today. (Although i highly doubt it cos firstly no one knows about my blog and secondly everyone will be too busy being overly hardworking and concerned about themselves..)

Anyways i managed to dig this out and thought it'll be fun to use it to revise for tomorrow. hah

Note the scar on my upper left forehead. I got that from hockey too! It was a hit by the stick, this bruise is from a hockey ball. hahha
They actually "glued" my skin together then, and the glue just started oozing out as the skin started to heal....

Clinical features: Periorbital ecchymosis and swelling, Subconjunctiva hemorrhage

Type of injury: Contusion

That's me at various stages of healing. The first pic was taken on the first day i think. The subconjunctiva hemorrhage was a delayed presentation. Cool huh. The blood clot nearly reached my pupils!

I still remember those days when i went out with my friends, everyone would stare at the person i was with with suspicious eyes.. it was hilarious.

Ugliness has its perks :)

I miss jc :( uni sucks man. can't believe people actually think uni is fun, ugh.

* * *

And these are my best friends during the exams :)

i know i seem to frequent starbucks, coffee bean and MacCafe alot but actually most of the time i don't drink coffee. hah

:)

OKAY, time to resume my strange daily exam ritual.

Sleep is from 3-7pm, and then 4-7am.

2009-05-18T14:32:00.004+08:00

1 down. 4 + 2 more to go.

I slept at 4.30am this morning and woke up at 7am. I'm amazed i'm still awake now, considering it's raining cats and dogs outside.

"War"(aka exams) has officially begun. 2 weeks of hell! can't wait for it to be over.

Anyway, after lunch today i saw one of the nicest prof in the faculty eating alone and i suddenly felt really sad. i was considering sitting with him but i just ate :/ (plus i stuffed my face with fish soup hoping to get a food coma later which obviously didn't work)

I felt sad cos someone as nice as he is, who says hi to everyone including the students even though sometimes we're pleasantly surprised at his overfriendliness and don't know what to say in return, has to eat lunch alone. Well, maybe he decided to eat alone and wanted to have some alone time. But to me lunch is always with friends. It's like a happy break from the crazy day where you can relax and chitchat, even if it's all for an hour.

It also reinforced my theory that nice people finish last. Like how the most evil people can get away with anything and the meanest people have the nicest partners, while the kind ones go through shit and have to deal with the aforementioned people. hah

And then it just made me think if my future will be like that - stuck in a tiny polyclinic where i dislike the people so much that I'll rather spend my happy lunch time alone.

:(

Okay, time to study or force myself to sleep now.

It's Restorative Dentistry Paper 2 tomorrow.

Time to say bye to Rosenstiel and hi to Torabinejad!

Time, always runs faster than me.

2009-05-16T03:21:00.022+08:00

I should really go to sleep at normal hours like the rest, instead of being enraptured by Annie Lennox and David Bowie at such unearthly hours.

How is it that one can still look so damn attractive and sensual despite the ghastly complexion, vampire-like stance and raccoon eyes; wearing a ridiculously bouffant skirt matched with a vinyl metallic shine top?
Annie Lennox - you just got to love her.

It makes me feel like rubbing excessive black eyeshadow all over my eyes before i head out the next time. (which would be 2 weeks later, unfortunately)

After watching the video on replay approximately 10 times, i'm starting to sense some degree of unrequited feelings from one party and animosity from the other. Do you feel the same way?

Notice David Bowie's slight disguise as he says, "Where did she get that dress?" at the end after she walks off.. tense.

Or am i just being oversensitive?

* * *

I just had oreo cookies dipped in Starbucks frappuccino. (thanks to a really kind and mentor-like senior who's been looking after me like a little sister:))

To say it's ULTRA sinful is an understatement. The coffee is probably the reason why i'm still awake at this time despite only sleeping at 7am this morning and waking up at 12noon. Argh, bloody screwed up bioclock.

* * *

This morning after roughing it out till 7am, I had macs breakfast (Sausage Mcgridle - now when was the last time i had that) before going to sleep.

Is it still called breakfast if its the last meal i eat before sleeping?

Studying sucks - my brain feels oversaturated, nothing is going in anymore but i still have so many textbooks to flip through and tiny words to read.

P/S: I finally got my leopard print skirt through some sort of personalized courier delivery. yay can't wait to wear it out.. of course, after 27th May..

2009-05-15T03:12:00.000+08:00

Feeding time.

The resurrection

2009-05-13T13:34:00.008+08:00

Have you ever woken up from a good dream and felt like you've learn more about yourself in those few hours than you have your entire life?

* * *

I did a major room spring cleaning (reminiscent of my japanese classmate) the other day and managed to find the DEAD cockroach, which somehow died and came alive and died again. (sounds incredulous i know, but it's true)

A mother-freaking-big-probably-great-great-great-grandfather-of-a-few-colonies-of-cockroaches-that-have-been-stealing-the-food-in-my-room flew in suddenly that day. I panicked and screamed and ran out of the room whilst a experienced pest-control friend dived into action with a can of Baygon. After a few accurate sprays, the cockroach collapsed onto the ground, next to my dustbin under my window, with its legs heavenward and evidently struggling to live. It was in such agony i couldnt stand looking at it so i went about doing other things. The next thing i knew, when i looked back to check if it has died a peaceful death, it was suddenly gone!

Lo and behold. I checked under my bed, near my dustbin, inside my dustbin and around the vicinity but couldn't find it. That night i slept with the fear that the mother-big-cockroach-with-its-babies-and-younger-generations would attack my face and kill me in my sleep. So the next day i decided to clean my room to find it. I found it under my shoe rack and it gave me such pleasure to suck it up with the vacuum. :)

Riding on the momentum of my successful find, i decided to tidy up my shoerack, which has once again gone crazy and started spewing shoes all over the place. It's so neat now i feel so happy looking at it :)
(although something tells me i have bigger problems to worry about when i move out of hall.....)

And since i'm in such a joyous mood to upload photos, i shall post photos from the last meet up with the girls:)

Prive at Keppel Bay

we were all wearing black that day! how coincidental haha

emo-ing by the river...

And some days i'm really worried about the people i hang out with in school...

Oh that was one super big bruise i got from floorball. hah! everyone kept asking me what happened, as if i got beaten up or something.

Okay anyway back to studying now!

2009-05-12T02:58:00.011+08:00

Something tells me I should spearhead the feed the hungry mosquitoes and house the poor homeless lizards, coachroaches, praying mantis and ants of all sizes campaign.

* * *

Finally handed up my exam case report after running around school getting new OHP markers (the ones i bought were spoilt, damn waste money!!), trying to bind my booklets (some shops don't allow binding of transparencies?!) and bracing the rain to get to NUH only to get angry stares from the security guards for not bringing my staff pass and not taking my temperature. At least now we don't have to wear that stupid face mask around.. i'm not even sure it's of much use cos only the N95 masks deter viruses and bacteria, right?

Anyways i spent the entire of last night and the wee hours of this morning doing up my exam case, cos i just had to make life exciting for myself by only starting on it at 11pm the night before submission. in the midst of which, I got sucked dry of blood by the biz mosquitoes. those relentless blood-suckers!

Okay, back to studying. Raffles city starbucks rocks my socks :)

2009-05-10T19:08:00.007+08:00

I had a somewhat good end of the week, compared to the hellish start..

Thursday night was running to Harbourfront from school with mon. That was one awesomeness jog.. it was such a nice, straight and flat route, without the tumultuous slopes of NUS. And i found out the next day from google maps that it's 6.5km! A much longer distance from my usual 10 rounds on the track or 1 round around NUS. But it didn't even feel that long, we literally breezed there. It was so easy running on the flat pavement, compounded with the fact that we constantly deluded ourselves into thinking that we were 3 busstops away. haha. Speaking of which, i found out that one round around NUS is 5.2km, and not 4+ km that i initially thought it was. So much for 4 years staying on campus and studying in this university. There's so much I still don't know about this place, the place i call second home. hah

We ate dinner at Seah Im Food Centre and i had a plate of black carrot cake. It was really good! maybe i was just hungry after the run. We took bus back after dinner.. we were too lazy and full to run back.

What a great run nontheless :) we should do it again soon! Before i move out of hall :(

Oh yah, thanks for the Canele cake monsiess. it was really sweet! Both the cake and the gesture. :P

Friday night, was supper at Roti Prata House at upper thomson road. I had an egg prata and honey paper prata. the meal was extremeeely sinful, i proabably put back 10x of what i lost running the day before. The pratas were really good though, much much much better than fong seng's! Someone should overthrow that stall's monopoly and open a better stall behind school. I'm sure NUS students deserve much better tasting and cheaper prata. hahah

Last night, i had an impromptu studying session at Changi Airport T3's coffee bean. It was my first time studying at the airport and it was quite fun. Checking out people waiting for their flights, an occasional vagrant being chased away by a policeman and a bitchy girl complaining relentlessly about her friends in a near distant.

thanks for studying with me even though your exams are over:)

I think i'll miss studying when my exams are over. But for now i just can't wait to get everything over and done with.

Submission of my exam case report is on Monday 2pm but i've yet to start doing it. Laziness and inertia are my best friends.

1 more week of hell.

2009-05-07T02:31:00.003+08:00

It's raining right now, the sound of rain drops pounding on pavements and echoing off the roof top keeps me awake.

It's a stark contrast from the afternoon, when humidity and the scorching sun rule the day.

It's funny how we slip in and out of phases without realizing it. One minute we're here, the next we're gone.

How it is that we do so without a care, without an afterthought, without considering what happened before and what could happen after?

The naivety of it all, the carelessness of youth.

Can't wait for exams to be over (again ambivalent), and jet off to Australia. Especially after reading The Sartorialist and Garance dore's blogs. They somehow manage to bring out the vibrancy of Australia I never thought I'll see.

Sucky 23

2009-05-06T21:34:00.007+08:00

I had the most horrible birthday.

I spent 1/3 of it studying, another third in school sitting in for utterly boring lectures and the last 1/3 feeling like crap.

Oh wells, just glad it's over. It sucks to be 23.

Met the girls yesterday night which cheered me up quite abit, although we were all feeling so jaded about graduating and starting work...

Thanks for the presents nonetheless :) The mini birthday cake, bobbi brown make up, build a bear and booksss. :)

Back to studying now. I think i'm perpetually depressed by studying and inane school these days. Actually today was quite a good lecture day considering that we had 2 talks by Prof Duggal who is the co-author of the pediatric dentistry texttbook we use. He was very engaging and informative and it's just so cool to listen to someone whom you read about in textbooks in real life.

Sigh, studying's been damn slow cos i've been so unmotivated. Floorball Div 1 starts this sunday. I really really wanna play but i dont know if i've got time to squeeze out to head down to Tampiness and then back home/hall. Factoring in the hour before the match to warm up, the match which would take 1.5hours, debrief 0.5hours and the trip there and back - i think i would have to sacrifice 4 hours or more of my studying time. Can i afford it? I really duno... :(

Ambivalence

2009-04-28T20:51:00.013+08:00

I'm feeling very ambivalent about graduation.

The thought of working, of being with the same 2-3 people everyday (if i'm posted to a small polyclinic), the thought of politics, vicious backstabbing, not being posted to the same place as the few friends i hang out with and being stepped on all over as a lowly dental officer.. it suddenly makes me feel like stalling time, freezing this instant and forever remaining as a student.

It's not that i'm having a great time right now as a dental student, but it just seems like going out there to work is even bleaker.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not being unappreciative of the fact that I don't have to stay back (actually i dont know that for sure cos the eligibility list is not out yet..), and i actually feel very lucky to be taking my exams this term. I know i'm also very fortunate to have a job waiting for me despite this financial downturn... it's just something that doesn't feel quite right, the light at the end of the tunnel just looks so dim.

Maybe i'm slipping into one of those depressive moods again. Maybe it's the pre birthday blues or the futile studying sessions i've been having. Perhaps i'm just losing motivation.

Oh wells, enough of my random ramblings. Time to get back to work.

Maybe i just need some joy in my life... or do i?

P/S: The aircon at Raffles City starbucks is soo friggin' cold that my fingertips are numb and my knees are starting to hurt. i think i've rheumatism :(

Exams.

2009-04-27T17:53:00.005+08:00

Its often the smallest, tiniest things that are important, and make the difference.

* * *

I had the most horrible morning today.

First of all i woke up from a dream where my friend was pregnant and that she was going to give the baby away after delivery (she hates babies in real life) and didnt know if she could still go to school after being pregnant. it was such a strange dream that i felt really disturbed waking up from it.

I opened my eyes and realized that it was 8.50am and i had lessons at 9am. so i rushed into the toilet to wash up and discovered that i forgot to bring my contacts lens from home. (AGAIN!!!) Then i decided to throw on a pair of white pants and brown top (cos i had to wear my stupid ugly brown specs) and i grabbed a white jacket from the bottom of my wardrobe only to realize that white jacket was wet and sticky! I investigated the area and noticed that my Thirsty Hippo (some container thing that has calcium chloride to absorb moisture) toppled and drenched all my clothes with whatever solution was in it!!! My jacket was not only wet, it was sticky and had this strange feeling to it....

In the end i had to change my whole outfit cos i couldn't use my white jacket! Sounds damn bimbotic i know, but its really about matching your clothes... right? Anyway i ended up being 30 minutes late for school and wasted the entire day listening to seemingly useless and currently irrelevant talks. bah.

I'm studying in engine now. Exams start on 18th may and my progress right now is depressing.

I calculated that we've a grand total of 11 subjects to study:

1) Fixed prosthodontics
2) Complete Denture
3) Removable partial dentures
4) Occlusion
5) Endodontics
6) Operative dentistry
7) Dental materials
8) Oral surgery
9) Oral medicine
10) Dental public health
11) Cariology
12) Pedodontics
13) Periodontics
14) Orthodontics

OKAY I MADE A MISTAKE. We've 14 subjects!!! and each subject has a thick textbook to read.. i think if i stacked up all the textbooks together (some subjects have more than 1 textbook...) it'll be taller than i am! Well not that i'm very tall, but that's a whole different story altogether...

Alright, back to studying. I'm running out of time.

Everything pales in comparison;

2009-04-17T20:55:00.002+08:00

No one can pull anyone back from anywhere. You save yourself or you remain unsaved.

Lucky, Alice Sebold.

2009-04-08T02:47:00.012+08:00

I'm feeling sad right now because i somehow think that nice people do always finish last.

it's a queer sudden realization that hit me hard.

don't get me mistaken, i had a great training this evening, studied at engine in the afternoon and got irritated by the Indian scholars but all in all it was an okay day. although i must say that studying has been mighty unproductive.

I'm just having my usual dose of melancholia.

it was the same feeling when i realized that i slept there for the last time without knowing it, and upon awaking it was too late to go back and cherish the place I've unknowingly come to love.

what a strange afterthought.

Anyway, studying is abysmal as always. I seek refuge in fashion blogs and online shopping. Sigh I'm dreading the start of school. Mindless lessons and boring clinical sessions. I'm feeling so ambivalent about graduation.

Goodnight y'all.

P/S: i love that blogspot has spell check

2 weeks of School Holidays!

2009-04-04T15:12:00.017+08:00

The first of the 2 weeks of my school holidays has passed.

I tried to hole myself up in school to study, in a rather feeble attempt. Most of the time i ended up willing time away eating, feeling bored after a few hours of studying and running off to well run, meet friends or feed tinkerbell her medicine. My poor kitty is currently down with a superficial bacteria infection :(. but i love it that i think i found a superb vet at the upper thomson Mount Pleasant.

I cracked my tooth the other day while eating popcorn. It was a semi-popped kernel and i bit on it as hard as i could thinking i have superman teeth and cracked a tooth that has a large filling on it. What was I doing eating chocolate popcorn at 3am at night, and what i was thinking biting on that tough as steel kernel when we were forewarned many times by our profs that un-popped kernels can kill our patients' teeth.

Truth is, I tend to munch my food really hard. I once cracked my molar band when i wore braces in primary school while eating lunch and my orthodontist was shocked beyond words when i showed her the destroyed molar band. (i was charged $50 for it btw, aren't dental fees like daylight robbery?)

It might have something to do with my chronic clenching of teeth. I clench so hard that sometimes i wake up with aches of my jaw muscles.

You know what's funny? After a portion of my tooth chipped off, there was a jumble of superhard fragments in my mouth - unpopped kernel, cracked tooth and all - and i just chewed as per normal thinking how come the unpopped kernel multiplied and just SWALLOWED EVERYTHING! including my tooth fragment! gross or what?! i couldn't stop thinking about it for days after.

Fortunately, a kind soul at NUH Dental Centre helped me to get my tooth fixed the next day. (the perks of being or rather BECOMING a dentist) And my tooth is thus saved from the evil clutches of root canal treatment and the likes. :) for now at least...

Right now, i've developed a phobia of eating popcorn. :( there goes my favourite pasttime..

I know i haven't done this in the longest time, but I'm going to post some pictures of the past 2 months.. :)

PHOTOS

Girly Night Out to celebrate Rach's Birthday :)

Dinner at Ricciotti, Riverwalk.

Rachel's pet dog schnauzer, Chloe! :) we dropped by her house before heading down to the new Butter Factory to feel young again haha.

WaiSeng's 25th Birthday! (wah damn old)

Celebrated Wais the mice's birthday on Monday at our perennial favorite Ken's ramen :) Alexia made her specialty tiramisu cake.

NUS Tenses

There was NUS Tenses last sunday and it was tons of fun! NUS invited various teams, including JCs to play at NUS. The JC kids were so cute and excitable, reminds me of my younger days...

My team - NUS Combined team. We won the tournament hahah. It was fun playing with the seniors again:)

GastroBar

Discovered Gastrobar, which used to be a firestation, along upper bukit timah and drank cheap but extremely delicious Moscato :)

Labwork Action

the mouth splint i took ages to do!

I managed to coerce Wataru to take some photos of me doing lab work.. for this might be the last time ever i'm going to do lab work and i think i'll miss it :( thanks japanese! :) even though you didnt tell me my lab collar was so messy!

Pizza Party in the LAB!

i fulfilled my lifelong dream of having a pizza party in the lab :) thank you to all you wonderfully spontaneous classmates who made it happen! haha

ahem, check out whos in the background...

Last Chill Out @ St. Nicks

Went back to St Nicks for the Last Chill Out - and we had a whirl of time just feasting on Orange Bowl :)

Eusoff Hall Dance Production

Went for Eusoff Dance Productions with the floorballers!

Genghis Khan - freaking ass cute!

supported ravin.. his first debut dance performance! (minus the talent show thingy back in vj that is..)

Extracted Colin's wisdom teeth!
thanks for supporting cols :)

BLOOD

at the pharmacy after getting his med..

NUS Open House

Helped out at NUS open house :) and met MANY super kiasu parents who kept asking about dentistry even though their children were light years away from taking their A levels...

OKAY, that basically sums up the last 2 months of my life in a nutshell :)

Back to studying now...

Marley and Me, Victorian's day

2009-03-10T16:33:00.015+08:00

Watched Marley and Me last night.

The movie didn't live up to expectations, the book was so much better. Especially the ending, they could have made it alot more dramatic and emotional, i just didn't feel Josh (Owen Wilson)'s sorrow when Marley died.

And they cut out some significant parts of the show which would have made a difference. Like John keeping Marley's choker collar in his drawer so that he'll be constantly reminded of the dog, John being a columnist at Philadelphia Inquirer, and going back to the farm where Marley was bought and bumping into Marley's suspected father - a crazy looking humongous Labrador.

Oh wells, it was still a good movie all in all. The best actor award without a doubt goes to Marley! For being such an excellent actor dog and staying the most true to the book. I can't believe they actually successfully trained a dog to chew on boxes, bite on a necklace precariously without swallowing it and drink water from the toilet bowl!

* * *

Weekend was going back to VS (NOT VJ!!) to play floorball for Victorian's day on Saturday. My team consisted of Fariza, Marianne, Farah, Wei, Muni and Yishan! :) Our team name was @NUS and we won first out of the 4 teams! The prize was a grand total of $30 parkway voucher. Abit sad la.. and we didnt go back to VJ in the end cos everyone felt lazy :/

L-R: Farah, wei, me, meh, yishan (super senior), muni (super senior 2) and fariza! :) yay us!

At night it was shopping at Haji Lane, followed by drinks at a horrible place called Brasserie Wolf along Robertson Quay. I ordered a caesar salad which came with FATTY PORK BITS, bones included! The white wine was alright but the waitresses were overly eager and kept trying to clear everything even though we were evidently not done with our dishes. Funny thing was, we actually wanted to chill out at Brussel Sprouts next door but got confused by the lack of demarcation between the two restaurants and somehow got a seat at the wrong restaurant! stupid or what.

Argh.

* * *

Had a rather slack day in school. 2 hours of clinics from 8-10 this morning followed by a session of General Anesthesia operation at the Operating Theatre with the Oral Surgery peeps. They were grafting bone from this caucasian lady's hip to place into the maxillary anterior region to augment the bone for better aesthetics. Got kind of sickly thrilled by the blood and such, i think i'm secretly getting over my blood phobia. Hah. i should really take photos of the OT one day.. it'll be quite cool.

Oh yeah, i spring-cleaned my room that day (finally!). I shifted my crazy unruly messy shoe rack from behind my door to the foot of my bed and took away some shoe boxes. There's still a space constraint problem but it looks much neater now. I read somewhere that having shoes by the door and clutter behind the door which stops it from opening fully is bad feng shui, so i'll see if this changes my luck. haha!

my frigging crazy ass messy shoe rack!
there is an obvious lack of space.. but who gives. shoe shopping is my solace :)

Don't know why i'm so talkative today. Okay, that's all for now! Dinner at Hooked! later i think. I'm tempted to buy some CDs: Mr A-Z and We sing, we dance, we steal things. :D

The geek in the pink.

2009-03-05T23:35:00.022+08:00

I'm a happy girl :)

well the day started with school, which was a okay, same old - tiring and terribly rush at times, but other than that pretty free and easy for most parts..

Dinner was at Old airport road! yummilicious wanton mee and rojak :)

Then it was JASON MRAZ'S CONCERT!!!!! IT was absolutely freaking amazing!

Jason mraz is possibly the most chilled out, laidback, cool and corny guy ever.

I can't believe i'm saying this that but he sounded even bettter live!

As he sings the emotions come alive and suddenly i find myself slipping into his world, into his mind and the scene where he writes the song replays and i come to realise why and how he wrote the song.

aww it ended way too quickly...

bye jason :(

He charmed the crowds throughout the 90min concert and everyone was up on their feet dancing to the beat of his wonderful music and laughing along to his funny antics, which included:

Imitating his band members' instruments (imagine sounding like a saxophone, drum and bass guitar!) He even called it talking to a saxophone!
Singing impromptu songs about random things like invisible bubble gum
Taking individual polaroid pictures of his band members whilst introducing them and throwing the polaroids to the audience. Of course the girls went crazy when it was jason's polaroid.. should have seen how everyone scrambled to catch it.
Giving out a bunch of flowers to his band members and getting them to throw the flowers to the audience.

He's just so damn endearing. :) Those doleful downward slanting eyes, canted cheeky smile and soulful voice.

I'm officially in love with the geek in the pink. :)

You and I both

Thank you for the concert. :)

You know, it's strange but i suddenly feel so inspired to be him. To be chilled out, laid back, carefree, happy, funny, earthy, down-to-earth and to not "worry life away". He once said, "everything is about perceptions, it's how you perceive things". Maybe that's why positive people are always positive and vice versa.

These days i admit i've been testy and impatient, demanding and slack at the wrong times. I've been selfish and worrisome (to some extent). Let's see if i succeed in achieving the new me... hah.

Goodnight all. Time for sweet dreams and let's hope i won't wake up before the dream is over. :)

Love will tear us apart

2009-02-18T02:19:00.005+08:00

Some days, i still do.

if i could turn back time i would.

To treasure the times and hold the moment close.

* * *

I'm trying to study for my perio competency 7 viva tomorrow despite everyone telling me that its not worth studying for.

I fell asleep midway through studying and just woke up from a nap, once again plaqued by horrible dreams. okay not horrible, just plain queer. but that's how my brain works. hah :D
(like how i dreamt that my friend was a ghost and she was trying to possess me so i climbed up 5 flight of stairs to escape only to realise that there was no exit on top of the 5th flight.)

I'm such a snackaholic. I had Homestyle two-bite chocolate macaroons (which i opened to find that it was coconut cookies dipped in chocolate much to my horror) before dinner, Twisties seaweed nori multigrain chips after dinner and now i'm munching on Nature's path cereal endlessly whilst flipping through my notes.

Nights like this i tend to reminisce. I'm such a person for nostalgia that i nearly died laughing when i saw this line off Karl Lagerfield's latest movie,

"The worst thing is when friends say, ‘Remember the good old days?’ Forget about the good old days! That just makes your present secondhand. What is interesting is now. If you think it was better before, then you might as well commit suicide immediately."

I know it is really random but my dream would be to dabble in fashion, that is my perfect retirement plan. A second life after my first. :)

Random fact 2: I heard that Avatar: The legends of Aang is gonna be made into a movie!!!!! :):):):) excited. it's really the simple things that keep you going. :) can't wait.

Alright, goodnight all. Time to study!!

2009-02-10T22:27:00.005+08:00

I'm damn busy this week :(

I've practically something EVERYDAY after school this week.

Monday: IHG floorball training at 10pm
Tuesday: IVP floorball training at 6pm
Wednesday: Make up lecture with Dr. Ho at 5.30pm
Thursday: Perio make up tutorial with Prof. Lim from 5.30pm + IHG floorball training at 6pm.
Friday: IHG floorball training at 9pm

Sigh, i've been wanting to shop, watch a movie and CUT MY HAIR (aka lead a normal life outside school) for the longest time but i'm stuck in school everyday. feel so sad :( plus i need to finish my my assignment fo perio tutorial this Thursday, competency 7 case report by Friday, and study for DPH competency test which is next Monday.

ARGH so many things to do, so little time!!

ok assignment time, ciao :)

Finally, a January update.

2009-01-30T18:15:00.026+08:00

Today was another random day in school.

guoan fabricating a provi,
wataru waxing up his erogenous full full dentures,
leo talking cock,
kaimun finding stuff from his cupboard and
me slacking around snapping everyone.

i'm having a lab work drought currently, not sure if its a good or bad thing :/

IVP Floorball updates:
NUS girls & guys both won 3rd!
The girls lost to sim 1-0 in the semis and won TP 3-1 in the finals! i know it wasnt that great a result considering we were aiming for gold, but i felt that we played really well in the last 2 matches (of course with some changes in the lines...) so i'm quite happy. plus i finally scored in a penalty in the finals! :) which i hope made up for the miss last year..

i'm gonna miss the GRUMPY OLDIES aka the graduating batch of floorballers. We've bitched and kaobei-ed through the entire IVP, i'd feel so lost without all of you when we graduate :(

GRUMPY OLDIES

sigh, graduating seems like such a gloomy affair suddenly.

Photos time!

Starbucks outside Pacific Plaza (17/1/09).
BOONS IS BACK FROM EUROPEEE!

Floorball IVP 08/09 (16 - 23/1/09)

Photos taken before and after matches. BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE DIDN'T HELP US TAKE PHOTOS DURING THE MATCH!! (AKA CHARLES)

BIG BIG BIG thanks to all of you sweets who came all the way to support us :) From Tampiness Sports Hall to ITE Simei, really damn LOVE :)

Some photos taken during our frequent trips to the Sheares Hall Supper after matches. Check out wei greedily feasting on the Whole Spring Chicken with cheesy fries!

Other photos taken at the award ceremony last friday.

yay jupitans ice ice milo!

* * *

24/1/09

Had lunch at Blue Basil! :)
Really nice, cosy, secluded place.

Blue basil ice tea

cream of wild mushroom!

Norwegian Salmon in blue basil cream sauce.

Lamb loin.

Raspberry Creme Brulee. this is to die for! :D one of the best cream brulees i've had. comparable to Halia's.

At night i met Colin and Ali (who just flew back from Shanghai!) for dinner :)

Colin's poor friend Ian had to take all these photos for us.. haha anyway check out the chocolate boy i drew with the remaining chocolate from our fondue at coffee club. i think i'm secretly very artistic. :D

* * *

Sufi @ Arab Street on 26/1/09
Met joanne and ravin on the first day of Chinese new year!

The 2 met for dinner and sheesha at Sufi. I joined them later after i was done visiting and then we headed over to ravin's place to watch movies! Transporter rocks my socks. It's got to be the movie with the most well choreographed ridiculously-out-of-this-world stunts.

Hanging out with the guys!

BREASTman, hanging out at walas and gambling at charles' house!

2009-01-17T00:48:00.004+08:00

we're into the semis :)

NUS won NP 5-2. And we only marginally made it into the semis based on goal difference between us and NYP. i guess you could say we were really lucky that TP beat NYP 3-2....

now the question is.. how far will we go?

13.5 hours spent in 3.5inch heels.

2009-01-15T22:37:00.015+08:00

I just got back from school!

Yes school, horrible school, that wretched place of a lab where lab rats labour on mindlessly through the wee hours of the night.

Yet somehow staying back till 9.30pm made me realise some things.

1) That being in the lab, doing wax up and making special trays is somehow therapeutic.

Around 8pm an oral surgeon suddenly dropped by the lab and exclaimed in shock, "Why are you all still here? Go home! There's more to life than carving teeth."

Yet at that point of time, i realised that i was happy doing what i was doing, being where i was.

Some days you just want to be alone, encapsulated in your solipsistic bubble and doing something you love without a thought or worry. it's a form of escapism i've come to love and appreciate.

2) Walking in 3.5inch heels can really kill your feet after 13.5 hours in school.

Today began with clinics in the morning, after which was a crazy rush to pack up and head to the lab to pour my alginate impression before it warps and then a scramble from the lab to TP4a classroom to attend a Prostho seminar.

During those few hours i mused to myself in delight about how comfortable my Zara leather heels were and how secretly happy i was to be wearing them.

At the end of the day (aka now) my feet hurt like crazy and my second and third toe feel squashed from running around all day in those 3.5heeled creatures.

i still love 'em though :) For the love of shoes, blisters and callouses shall be my best friends.

3) Hospitals are pretty DAMN freaky at night when there's hardly anyone around..

Waiseng and i once saw some shadows lurking in lab3 even though it was empty and i was quite certain it was cos the juniors have an earlier curfew than us..

And today i saw some shadows lurking in corners as i was walking from the lab to the kopitiam... maybe i was just tired and my mind was wandering....

* * *

Right now, i'm eating ba chor mee bought from NUH kopitiam, reading my newly acquired February issue of cleo magazine and blogging. multi-tasking is my forte :)

Its been 2 weeks of school. I can't say school was all that hectic but the matches and trainings and rushing around from school have been leaving me really really tired. Even though most days i fall asleep immediately after getting back to hall i still struggle to pull myself out of bed each morning. I can safely say i havent been on time a single day these past 2 weeks. Fortunately everyday starts with clinics and most of them are my buddy's sessions. haha kaimun please don't be angry!

Floorball IVP started last week too.

The results of the past 3 matches:

NUS vs NYP
1 - 1

NUS vs SP
10 - 0

NUS vs TP
0 - 1

We played really badly against TP. You should heard the cheers and shouts of joy from the TP girls after they won. It was like they won the world cup or something. That said, i felt that they played a really good match and saw through our tactics like it was encyclopedia overlay. But on our part, i'm sure we could have done better if we got our basics right and played a more shrewd game.

Oh wells, the 3 games have been played and are now over. Nothing can be done to change the scorelines. We can only now hope for a miracle to happen... (there can be miracles, when you believe..)

ANYWAYS, some photos worth posting :)

i decided to make collages of the events to save time uploading! haha i love picasa!

New Year's Countdown with Friends :) HAPPY 2009!!

Ashley's bday dinner at Raku; Surprise with friends at La Nonna

Wataru's bday surprise in clinic 3 !!

Extremely sumptous 7 course dinner at Tao's Restaurant (Paradiz Center)
at an extremely affordable $29.80. Happy birthday mervyn!

And this, Ladies & Gentleman, is the cutest cat alive :) my baby tinky.

NUS will be playing NP at Tampiness Sports Hall at 7.30pm tomorrow. Come support please!

Happy 2009

2009-01-07T01:40:00.005+08:00

Hello everyone and happy 2009!

I have officially started my LAST TERM OF SCHOOL, whereas the rest of NUS sitll have 1 more week! not fair :(

I can't wait for this 13week term to be over. All the hectic rushing about, gancheong-ness, late nights spent in the lab (as a rat), merciless bitching on email and vociferous bickering in the clinics could very soon be over. I can't wait. At the same time i feel reluctant to start working although it would be such a breeze compared to what we're going through now. Becoming a working adult and being stuck in the daily routines associated with it is such a scary thought. :/

Anyhow Floorball IVP will officially commence for NUS girls this thursday. We'll be playing NYP on Thursday, 730pm at Tampiness Sports hall, followed by SP on friday at the same time and place. I will be making my debut as a defender, so everyone please come support! I need it. It's also my last ivp, so i'm hoping this year we'll finally get what we deserve...

I had a quiet christmas with the family and a crazy new years with the friends. Can't wait for the rest of the girlies to come back from Europe! You know who you are. :)

The holidays was nothing short of fulfilling. There was some major slacking, shopping, watching of plays - (Nutcracker which made me feel strangely christmassy), Zouking Out!, floorball trainingss, meeting up with HCC, dentistry d&d, team outings, movies (yes man, seven pounds, TWILIGHT, australia) etc etc.

I'll post some photos up soon.. (hah, haven't we heard that before?)

GOODNIGHT ALL. sleep and dreams beckon.

Frosty

2008-12-13T00:52:00.012+08:00

Will you be my snowman? :)

* * *

Went out to town to do some pre-christmas shopping, queensway to grab a certain sports apparel and ikea to look for a potential shoe rack that could possibly house my shoes when i move back home from hall come june.

I'm rather excited about christmas shopping, birthday gifts shopping (why do 90% of my friends have their birthdays in january?!) and carrying out my christmas day giving on the day itself. :) although it would mean that i would be pretty damn broke after all that. argh why doesnt money grow on trees?

Rabbit without ears

2008-12-09T23:16:00.012+08:00

I had the most random day today.

Firstly, i headed to Praiseheaven Salvation army (of course not without getting lost.. which took all of a 40min drive haha) to satisfy my thrift store shopping craving. I ended up buying a pair of first hand black lambskin court shoes with enamel stone encrusted heels for $20! yummy :) perfect for school and super comfy! although i'm starting to worry about the amount of shoerack space i've left in hall.. the shoe boxes are spilling all over i'm finding it difficult to open my door nowadays. shucks.

I caught a German movie called Rabbit without ears in the evening. what a queer name for a movie! but it was pretty damn good. i thought it would resemble Love me if you dare, but it was a little less abstract, alot more more in your face and realistic. enjoyed it :) plus the fact that it was in a foreign language made it alot more alluring.. although i must add that german can sound very vulgar and harsh!

Dinner was at vivo marche and deserts at bakerzin.. nothing too random about it. Although i discovered how lovely the Lavande cake at bakerzin is! i've never ordered that before because i'm such a boring person and always stick to the tried and tested. hrmm.

You know how i've been saying i hate christmas? It suddenly struck me whilst shopping at salvation army that i've gotten it all wrong about christmas...

I realised that Christmas isn't about who you spend it with, what sort of celebrations you have, the type of presents you receive; but rather it's about giving. Giving to those who need it, need it more than you do and spreading happiness as such. Cliche as it sounds.. man i'm getting more and more cliche these days but i really mean it. :) I'm planning to do some giving this christmas in a really unique way.. i'll blog about it if i succeed.

I woke up with a revelation today. That what happened 7 years ago might just be happening again now. Life has come one full circle.

And i realised that i should stop feeling bad because it wasn't as much as my fault as it was the other party's.

The reason is and was beyond my control and that i should be happy it turned out the way it did... who knows if the ending would be similar? it would be scary, but i'd love to retell this story in the future.. my life and its many colourful cycles. :)

Til Schweiger (Ludos) in Rabbit Without Ears was saying,
"You can't expect someone to come along and make you happy. You got to be happy in the first place before you can be happy with someone else." (something along those lines...)

I couldn't agree more.

thank you for the decade in the sun :)

Okay time to sleep.. goodnight all.

Leisure Farm Resort - holidays has started!

2008-12-09T00:26:00.020+08:00

I woke up from my cat nap this afternoon to a feeling of pins and needles throughout my entire body. quite a chilling sensation if you ask me...

I had a crazy night at Rehan's Leisure Farm resort over at JB.. it started off innocently with scrabble, a sumptuous dinner followed by drinking by the pool and swimming on a high. i didnt think i drank that much, maybe it was the vodka after the remy martin. but after i jumped into the pool, (okay not really, i actually dipped in really cautiously..) swam around a while and paddled mindlessly on a safety float then did i start feeling nauseous.

Turns out i actually puked whilst swimming.. thank god i leant over the edge and puked into the gap / draining system between the pool and the grassy slope that the pool overlooked. Funniest thing was that i didnt even remember that i puked, the girls were telling this morning and i was really shocked but amongst the messy semi-dazed memories i have of the night i can vaguely remember that it happened.. hah.

I think i've got some mild form of alcohol intoxication cos i really couldnt remember what happened last night and that i was feeling numbed from then till now.. scary huh! someone must have drugged my drinks.

LEISURE FARM RESORT @ JB

we played scrabble whilst waiting for the guys to come back with dinner...

and sandy, rehan's MALE golden retriever totally molested me!! he pawed my chest and bit my face! isn't sandy a girl's name?

sumptuous dinner which ashley and rehan took 2 hours to buy!

which explains why justin was stuffing his face into his plate.. hahah hungry boy. check out his biceps though

drinking by the pool

sunil's ultimate striptease! hawt :D

jumping into the pool! haha

rehan the man :) thanks for having us over!

note: flasher behind.

the girls :)

pretty pool.

lindy and justin bootying to beyonce :D zoukout poster worthy.

(thanks for the photos charles!)

* * *

The holidays have officially started.

The weekend was

A night safari themed slumber party at Ilynn's :)
A failed attempt at getting free icecream at Chunkfest,
Dentistry's dinner& dance at Little Bali
talking to him
talking to her :)
Dropping by borders to try and get some books
Chilling out at Rehan's Leisure Farm Resort:)

And so it is... let's see what the next 4 weeks will bring.

* * *

I actually dug out this diary i used to write in in secondary school. it was so hilarious that i laughed out loud whilst reading it.. i was such an angsty emotional brat.. (not that much has changed i think... hahah)

It was the child-like innocence, naivety and idealistic ideologies that struck me the most. i even drew timelines for significant events that occured and added cerebral drawings to depict my moods and frustrations. how cute i was heh.

some snippets from it:

22/6/01

Always learn poems by heart
They have to become the marrow in your bones
Like fluoride in the water, they'll make your
soul impervious to the world's soft decay.

(i think this was taken from white oleander..)

To them, pain was a country they had heard of, maybe watched a show about on TV, but one whose stamp had not yet been made in their passports. Where could i find a place where my world connected to theirs?

(Prozac nation)

I'm trembling
such thoughts running through my mind
Tears like rain
they fall, fall
Sorrow, unlike you
sorrow - visits everyday
My head
my head's invaded with little montsers
Help me!

(written by me haha)

9/9/01

ADVENTURES! WOOT!
Lydia :) After roti-prata at Jln Kayu, Priscilla Sia K.S (owner of this bk) said we should walk ard. We walked, we walked and we walked. Till we came to this signboard - The Animal Resort. And so, we walked in. We walked and walked and walked and walked and walked and walked (I'm sorry but it was a really long walk lar!) and finally!!! we saw... BIRDS!! Tadah! Viola! The Animal Resort! Someone take over!

(this was written by lydia... i even had guest writers haha. This was the day rachel, lydia and i went to eat roti prata at jalan kayu and took an impromptu walk around the area and ended up finding this fairy-tale like animal resort in the middle of nowhere with animals running around freely. It was the same day that i found out how long a horse's dick really is. It was elongating it to pee i think and all of us thought it was shitting at first. haha it nearly reached the ground!)

7/6/02
I shall disparage myself from the past entries. the new me has no worries, no lovelorn thoughts of forgotten and unrequitted love. i am concurrently me, the new me. barren of love, company and happiness.

once upon a time, i had an imaginary boyfriend. once upon a time, i lived in a cupboard, stocked to the brim with fantasies and make beliefs. once upon a time, i eloped with *****.

au revoir

(this was my last entry. how intriguing, what was i thinking.)

Reading this diary opened up the world of my teenager years once again. the emotional rollercoasters i went through, the messy relationships, childish quarrels with friends, my first almost everything. coolbeans :) i guess i really am as emotional as you said i was..

Alright, it's time to sleep my paraesthesia away. GOODNIGHT ALL.

Maybe tomorrow...

2008-12-05T01:21:00.004+08:00

Made me feel like the one.

I was revisited with paroxysms of melancholy and ambivalence.

There's nothing like a dose of Ngak to perk me up during the midweek blues. School has become the epitome of humdrum monotony. If only...

Tomorrow is the last day of school! before we break for 4 weeks of holidays.. i'm happy, yet as i was telling mon during our 10 round jog around the track today, i feel like its a double edged sword. i can't quite explain it.. anyway we did our usual routine after the jog - planks, leg lifts, lunges, push ups. i still feel as flabby and unfit as ever though. sigh.

I love stereophonics :)
I think i'm gonna get their album over the weekend, just to celebrate you know. hah me and my mini celebrations..

maybe tomorrow, i'll find my way back home...