it's been almost 2 full months since i stepped back onto this tiny island with the terribly erratic weather. i had forgotten how humid it could get in one minute and how fucking cold (well, as cold as tropical temperatures allows it to) it'd be the next. no wonder i fell sick.

i also forgot that this island is the land of food. but no, i'm not very happy about that because it's mostly crap that i've been putting into my body. pratas, pastries, lots of kopis, snacks, fried, fried, fried food, suppers, and the list goes on. i thought i had a problem in melbourne trying to keep my weight down, til i came home and everyone started stuffing me. oh boy. but alright, i admit, i haven't been exercising great willpower in saying no to food that i shouldn't eat. in fact, i would say i have been indulging myself a little too much.

the first month went by like this: alot of crap / food + no gym-time = fat chelle, then 2nd month came and i started to panick, so hit the gym i did and started to climb a lot more. thank god for friends who climb with you.

the job hunt went pretty well. i was kept busy with freelance work all the way so essentially i don't think i ever really stopped since school finished. but still, after a month plus, i was ready to start work, to the horror of some of my friends. apparently i am supposed to bum for a long while more before i work..but nah. i hate being idle. so after a few failed attempts at some interviews i got shortlisted in 2 companies.. both of which replied positively but i decided to go with the design studio :) i'm pretty pleased with that, seeing that it's an established designhouse where i foresee myself learning lots..and which will be a great stepping stone to whatever i might want to do in the future.

i start work real soon. and i'm panicking about it.

other than that.. it's been great back here. terald & i are doing amazingly well, despite the 1 year plus apart.. i think we're great when we're together, still strong but a little iffy when we're apart.. but yeah anyway now it's all good. about 2 weeks ago i bought those contenderasia finals tickets from sistic on impulse..but it was all worth it - he was terribly happy :) so was i, i was so proud of watching our singaporean fighters win...great matches.

anyway, lots have happened really. it's a real pity how we've lost the habit of writing - i wish i wrote more on my blog because i don't write in my diary anymore, and at least if i still use my multiply, i'd have an online account of what's been happening. well, in a way i still do that, but only with my photos.

the last bit: i still miss melbourne, and i think of it on a daily basis, but not as badly as i did when i first returned. nowadays, it's just little things like "oh how i wish i could be sitting at my favourite cafe having a skinnysoylatte with my favourite book" or "i wanna lounge in the sun in front of the library on the grass" stuff like that. the little things that i love. oh, last thursday when I was at the red dot museum having a coffee, just to dodge the scorching sun outdoors, this lady sitting at the next table spoke to me, asking for directions to basheer, and we started to talk. she's from sydney and one of the things i mentioned was that it was really great to be able to speak to a total stranger, something that's quite taboo here in sg, but totally normal there. but yeah, another friend made. 45 mins of chatting later, we exchanged emails and god knows if we'd be in contact but oh well.

anyhoos.

char kway teow with terable tonight. (see. more crap in my body)

Holly translated my question, " What's the secret to a long and happy life?"

She directed her answer to Holly. "Moments."

- Globetrotter Dogma

how true.

as i was lugging back 4 new cartons from budget, about 3 streets away, my mind started to wander about the time here in melbourne. two years have really passed me by in a blink, and i'm not quite ready to leave this place and head back to reality, but i gotta do what i gotta do.

2007 was the best year of my life. i know some of my friends might feel what the hell chelle, how could that be possible, you weren't surrounded by close friends, family, boyfriend etc etc but i think it was precisely because of that, that i gained independence and insight into who i was. talk about finding myself...i think i found a huge part of me here this year. 2006 was shitty because it was my transition year, getting used to melbourne, hanging on to my singaporean buddies as much as i could because they were my life buoys. but this year. i let go of my safety net, kept one (desmond...i thank god for him everyday), and explored the infinite possibilities. i have to say, in getting close to my international classmates have given me a whole world of design networks, new schools of thought, intellectual challenges and so much more. it was precisely because i didn't have anyone from my past or present here to judge me as they knew me, that i allowed change to happen. but don't get me wrong, i appreciate every single moment for the support system i have back home, for if i didn't have that i knew i wouldn't be able to get through the time in melbourne.

and oh, sure i've done some terrible things this year, things that have put me in the morally grey box, but hey, no regrets whatsoever. what i've experienced this year is something i'd never give up and would go back and do again in a flash if i could. but i think i grew up quite a bit. my mindset has been altered. my goals have changed. what i want in life has changed. i'm alot more daring now. my adaptability threshold has increased. i think i can survive if you put me in a foreign country to work. a year ago i doubt i'd have said the same thing. but melbourne gives me the impression i can do anything...and i did accomplish a lot here. my design skills were honed and improved by the communication design course, but mostly because of my peers. i've learnt so much from them, and for that, i'm eternally grateful because my confidence level has increased. a far cry from the lack of belief in myself back in 2006.

i'm going to miss this place for the opportunities it presented me. but i'm not going to say goodbye because i know there's a possibility of returning (holiday - definitely, i need my shopping fix.) for work. but for now, i've another journey to embark on. the thought of seeing my friends, family, terald excites me. it scares me too - a year away from singapore - questions of adjustment to the smallest things - weather, language, mannerisms (yes liz...it is a problem..i feel ya babe. a friend just reminded me bout what someone commented (a pm or whoever) "singapore's a first world economy with a third world culture", how true.), and to the bigger problems of getting a job, whether i'm good enough in this competitive field, whether anyone will hire me and so on. but i'll cross that bridge when i come to it.

it's amazing how much things can accumulate over two years, and i'm not just talking about the tangible stuff. emotional, physical, mental baggage, all packed away and ready to be shipped back to singapore. it's hard. there are laneways where i will always remember a certain coffee spot that i frequent. or a restaurant which holds good memories for me. the school computer lab where tears have been shed, laughter shared, madness ensued. trips taken around melbourne, around australia. beautiful places, mountains, beaches, cafes, food, people, so many things.

good times. :)

feels like months since i last wrote (actually i think it might be), so just thought i should do a quick update about what i've been up to.. it's been quite the rollercoaster ride ever since school ended...felt like i haven't stopped working even though we handed in our final folio on 22.10 - i've been freelancing since july and ive ranted and been a real kvetch but now, since things have quietened down, i'm really grateful for all that opportunity.. after bout 5,6 projects, i've earned enough to buy myself a much-needed macbook pro (my powerbook is dying very badly - already it's blacked out on me 16 times this morning alone...it's impossible to do work on this - a motherboard problem that'd cost me a hefty aud1.2k to fix if i want to, so i thought, yeah might as well upgrade to a new mac). so yeah. pretty proud of that cos we're talking about a little over sgd4k here... nelle's brother is coming back in a few days so he's gonna bring up my laptop for me, i can't wait...

lots have happened...took a well-deserved trip to brisbane and goldcoast over a long weekend. was meant to be 3 of us, but one dropped out because of last minute TR application stuff ups.. but turned out to be fine, was a really good trip - i think both of us needed it because we were so wound up from work and more work that the four days of relaxation really did us some good. felt a little strange the first day because i wasn't used to not doing any work...but the holiday mood soon sunk in.

we spent a day in brisbane, and loved the southbank, where the museums are. was a pity because we were going to miss out on the andy warhol exhibition which would've started a week later. but oh well.. the city's relatively small, so i think we covered almost everything in bout 5 hours.. lots of drama on the first day, from not being able to rent the car cos neither of us had credit cards, to missing the bus to gold coast in the evening.. but eventually we got there..the beaches are absolutely gorgeous on the gold coast..it was breathtaking, sitting on the white sand just enjoying the sights. i remember on the last day, i got up early at 6am (don't ask..i thought it was 8) and strolled down to the beach with my slr and just sat there for an hour with my ipod and my thoughts. walked up and down the stretch for another hour.. it was some me-time which i quite missed in the midst of all my projects and what nots..

luckily we didn't collide too much with schoolies (huge graduation festival for high sch/college grad students - mostly chaos and hell), tho on friday night we ventured out into the tiny city area...and it was such a strange experience because it was like stepping into an entirely different social paradigm where there were zero adults/old people and the streets were just running wild with crazy teenagers. was eye-opening though.

anyway, we came back refreshed and unfortunately back to work immediately. speaking of which, the magazine which i was working on has been published and distributed (5000 copies!) in melb city..pretty pleased about how it turned out, just not so happy bout the number of pages - 24 is too little and too fast to get through, so the next issue should be a little heftier..but yeah. it means a lot to me to see a little booklet with my name in it. :) check out mcity.com.au, that's the co. i've been working for. issue 2 is in order.

i've also graduated on wednesday evening.. was extremely boring to sit through but when i finally got that piece of paper i just felt such a sense of accomplishment.. it took me a really long time to take that step towards this direction and i have to say, i do not regret a single moment of it. i'm really glad i left that comfort zone in singapore and moved to a place where it perpetually feels like i can do anything, that i always have opportunities abound. this is one of the reasons why i'm a little sad to leave, knowing that i could grow so much more as a person, a designer here. but singapore's home, and i will be back in due time - there are people, places, jobs waiting for me and a part of me can't wait for all that either.

going to take another lil trip this coming weekend - desmond nelle and daniel, we're gonna take a 10 hour drive up to sydney, should be pretty fun. it's gonna be all about eating, so this week i better starve myself. the first thing on our eating agenda - yum cha! we're leaving fri night 12am, so..yeah. 4 drivers over 10 hours, that's manageable.. road trip - can't wait! sydney's meant to be a real gastronomical experience for the curious palate - there's yum cha, hurricane ribs, plenty of savouries, sweets, chocolate martinis, and of course, the fish market - fresh barra or red emperors or basas cooked to perfection on the spot. mmm.

christmas is coming so soon.. seems like time is really flying by, esp when you're enjoying yourself. to the elites - i'm really sorry i won't be home this time around to host the annual elites party..but i'm sure someone else would be able to arrange something! will miss you guys.. next year i'll be sure to continue the tradition.. heck it, when i return, i'll host another just to get together to see u guys. :)

on a separate note, philly's coming up to spend nye with me i can't wait! hehe

for now, i should get some sleep - gonna climb tomorrow with the boys, time to conquer that new grey route...gaaah.

with kevlar. love at first sight.



AND with adesso. i love love love this typeface. someone please buy me the two whole sets. please.


speaking of typography, do this quiz: http://www.iliveonyourvisits.com/helvetica/# typophiles, can y'all tell the difference? they should make this a requirement when applying for design courses or somethin..haha. ok no.

• poppytalk.blogspot.com (can't get enough)

• chic-cityrats.typepad.com (some lovely packaging, furniture design here)

• boygirlparty.com (beautiful illustrations)

• lepetiteatelierdeparis.com

(i wish i could buy everything here)

• debivanzyl.blogspot.com

• iliveonyoursites.com/helvetica/# (a quiz: arial or helvetica? this is bloody interesting for us typophiles. also, read the article attached.)

• sfgirlbybay.blogspot.com

• antigirl.com

• designtaxi.com (yeah popular site that goes on forever and ever...)

• decor8.blogspot.com

• typographica.org (more drugs for the typophiles.)

• www.designspongeonline.com

• www.waldopancake.com

• www.flickr.com/photos/waldopancake/sets/72157594409406379/

• www.thecraftydevils.com/blog

• www.designtoinspire.com

• www.farm.sg

• www.designobserver.com

and so much more.

150 bucks. should i indulge? petzl selena.

short rant:

Designers just do not get enough credit nowadays. Our job description entails us to deal with supposedly menial tasks like kerning letters, making sure the colour profile is right for print, choosing the right font for a poster, so on and so forth, and some embeciles out there might think that, in comparison to what doctors, lawyers, or engineers do, all the above are considered as trivial matters. However, in this homogenized society of ours, good design is tantamount to a successful business. People are starting to realise that effective and aesthetically pleasing designs would lead to brand and product recognition, catching the eyes of potential consumers. Point being? We are important.

Believe us when we say we constantly strive to be ahead of the hoi polloi, to be disparate from the crowd, and sometimes celebrate a sense of idiosyncrasy. So the next time you come across a designer, don’t think that all we do are fun and games. When you hire a plumber to fix your leaking pipes in the ungodly hours of the morning, some designer is out there slogging at his/her mac, trying to meet an impossible deadline for an (possibly) equally impossible client. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe said that God is in the details, and we undoubtedly understand where he’s coming from.

i haven't updated in a long long long time because i've been too busy... so much have happened and i don't even know where to begin. we're in full swing right smack in the middle of the semester, and it scares me to think that we've only about seven weeks left of this diabolical life that i (the sado masochistic person i am) love. melbourne's growing on me, and i think my photos show.

we don't really understand why this sem's so darn short, seems like, in a singaporean way putting it, cheating our marnies and our feelings. i started out with a bucketful of motivation and enthusiasm which has sadly died down a little too much and i'm on the brink of insanity from so much work. i don't know if it makes much sense to anyone, or maybe my design friends would, but it's like there's just SO much to do that you feel like oh crap i don't feel like doing anything at all.

i should stop rambling.

anyway, i'm now juggling 3 projects, 1, might be 2 soon, freelance jobs, my peko peko job and a terrible bout of hives. yeah i just had to add it in. come spring, my skin gets an adverse reaction to the change in weather, which i am definitely not complaining about, and i break out in rashes that come by the hordes..argh.. i partly blame my mom for this cos she gets the same sort of rashes as well.. i've assumed the identity of a semi-druggie cos i've been taking so many anti-histamines for it at night that i'm sure my body's been slightly chemically altered, if that's even possible. the worst thing is, my own anti-hist stopped having an effect on me so desmond gave me his ultra strong ones and the first night i took em, i knocked out like a baby. it was such an amazing sleep, which was precious commodity to me nowadays, keeping in mind that i often get home by 1,2am, wake up at 7,8 am...so i don't really want to stay awake scratching. ugh.

ok that sounded damn wrong but yeah.. so in some ways i relate to those (desperate) housewives who take valium to "get some peace of mind" and just sleep. haha.

the new climbing gym at the prestigious milano apartments on swanston street has opened for almost 2 weeks and i haven't gotten my ass there yet. it's looks bloody amazing and even more scary because the walls are uber high. i'm trying to arrange for 10 people to book in for a 2 hour timeslot so we get a discount, plus an instructor. i've not climbed in almost a year and i'm sure my shoes hate me now. i declare myself a virgin climber once again... would be fun to hit the walls and get pumped. check out www.hardrock.com.au.

i have to say, i've been having loads of fun these few weekends of debauchery. so much alcohol in my system i'm sure my liver's half-eroded.. but i wouldn't miss out on nights out with my friends. the pending return home is always on tip of my thoughts and that upsets me, even though i can think of a 1000 reasons why i need to go back to sgp (and one main one...). but at the same time, i can think of 2000 why i should stay. it's a question that i need to answer eventually and i'm not looking forward to it. tentatively, i'm going to stay for summer if i can find an internship (whole reason being, it'll look fanfuckintastic on my resume) then head back.. if i cannot then..uhmm.. i might stay a lil longer then go home. maybe work full time at hardrock (climbgym) if they wanna hire me then yeah. hehe.

anyway back to my work at school.. i need to get back my motivation to complete my projects..right now it's just meeting deadlines as much as i can.. there's no high level of creativity involved, i feel, just moving along with the masses, doing it just for the sake of finishing up.. i hate that feeling. next week i have the main hero image due for my fashion exhibition poster, a client presentation for kit (kitcosmetics.com.au) which m having a lot of problems with, a client meeting for mcity (publication), the online publication spreads which i have to get done... AND i might be taking on some photography freelance....

speaking of photography, samuel and i (and yang and jati) recently took on a job (well, we're not being paid, but nevertheless, it's good exposure) to do some photography for an aussie band, Pretty World (myspace.com/prettyworldband), and it was a really good experience.. we drove out to clifton hill, north fitzroy and went into a gorgeous park to take the shots..2 hours later we were done and were well on our way to doing more jobs for them.. fantastic group, with a really sweet lady, Joanna, as the lead singer :) went to see them play a gig last saturday at alleybar, and promptly got smashed with $5.00 cocktails (cosmos, expressotinis!! malibu sunsets!!) with daniela...hehe... so anyway they're interested in getting us to do the posters as well, and wants yang to do the website..so that's all coming together in the next couple of weeks..pretty cool.

lots have happened. time's passing way too fast. it's desmond's 29th this saturday.. what do you get a guy who has everything?? man..i'm going shopping tomorrow with nina... hopefully i can find something. and while we're on the subject of shopping, it's been baaaad.....cos ive been getting so much lingerie for myself..but i mean, sales everywhere!! and they're really really really nice lacey bras and knickers... from elle mcpherson..from kaysers... i looove. a girl's gotta have pretty underwear to feel good bout herself right? hehe.

well its 945pm. i'm still in school. listening to trance around the world...i'm on episode..uhm...169 now. amazing stuff. i should continue my work... ok that's all from me now. take care y'all..

this excerpt was shown to me by jolynn, while we were sitting one late afternoon at cafe segovia on block place, just a small alleyway off little collins, me with my skinny latte, her with her usual double expresso and of course a dessert, melb's well known skinny date pudding. this is from j.m. coetzee's "age of iron" and again, he displays his uncanny ability to put words together that pulls at your heartstrings. thanks jol, for sharing.

It is because I do not with a full enough heart want to be otherwise than I am still wandering in a fog.

I cannot find it in my heart to love, to want to love, to want to want to love.

I am dying because in my heart I do not want to live. I am dying because I want to die.
...
For love is not like hunger. Love is never sated, stilled. When one loves, one loves more.
The more I love you, the more I ought to love him. The less I love him, the less, perhaps I love you.

-j.m.coetzee

liz left yesterday...so sad. seems like melbourne's becoming more of a temporary place, where everyone leaves eventually. even at the gym, i was so upset to learn that my favourite spin instructor was leaving. his name's eugene and he's a dj who plays his demos during spin class...and i totally look forward to his class every single week cos it's my personal anger management course hehe...it's like i have all this built up frustration and angst and i just go there and thru the fantastic trance music it all melts away.

sigh. and he's not gon be teaching anymore so sad.

anyway back to liz.. yeah she left yesterday...i didn't say goodbye cos we'll see each other in sillypore when i do come back, but yeah we've spent a lot of time together the past few months and it's been so great. liz i miss you lots! :( and my sister's leaving in 2 days...sigh. it's been really nice to have her in the house...oh well...

its 2am and m sitting in my living room with merete and we're just on our laptops. i got addicted to downloading these icons for my folders and now i have a row of sushi as my folders on my desktop damn bloody cute lahhh hahaha so random. we were supposed to do work but oh well..went for some yong tao fu dinner at the target centre earlier with merete, daniela, ingrid and thea (the four norwegian girls), amir (the greek-msian) and yang (singapore yo!) then had two..yes two..coffees at rue bebelons..then the girls came over to watch this swedish movie called "tillsammans" ("together") bloody funny lah.

anyway congratulations baby on the new internship...rem to go to my place for dinner after work! heheh... and i can't wait to see the new show... i miss u lots.

gon go sleep soon... supposed to go to the gym tmr morning. yawn. bo liao entry once again. tmr another day of stress...got so so so much to do. yikes.

the other day i was talkin to terald and he asked me what kinda sandwich i was making so i said wholemeal grain bread with hungarian salami, honey ham, jarlsberg cheese and mayo, with a side of salad topped with balsamic dressing. and after a bout of silence, he went on to complain about how come can eat such atas food at home lah, not expensive meh, singapore where to find only cold storage but chor as hell yadda yadda... haha damn funny lah. but yeah that's the beauty of supermarkets here, everything is so fresh so cheap so delicious, even, yeah, the atas stuff is affordable.

so i thought i'd be bo liao and post up a photo of a regular sandwich meal for me. hehe.

baby u should be filming in japan by now and having the time of your life..and yeah, i do believe you're the next big thing! happy 3 love. :)

seems like just yesterday when school just ended and my classmates and i got ourselves a well-deserved beer at workshop after handing in our last assignments. four weeks have passed now and another two remain til i begin my last stretch in my design undergrad journey. met up with a coupla girl friends yesterday and we made a list of things to do before school reopens, and realised oh damnn...there's just too much to do in melbourne.

the melbourne design market's back on sunday, can't wait. i remember going for last year's and i was just too impressed with the independent designers in aussie, so yeah i can't wait to see what's installed this year.. melb people! it's held at the federation square carpark yea. the pixar exhibition has started too, at ACMI, that i definitely have to go for. Also, the Guggenheim Collection has arrived at the NGV.. so many things to go for, too little moolahs damnnit.

Speaking of exhibitions, my friend Daniela lives in Fitzroy (which is a real artsy fartsy area i think) and she was telling me there are these little galleries dotting Fitzroy street and some of them support budding artists and photographers. What some of them do is allow designers to exhibit their work for a small fee...all you need to do is bring in your work, so for example, i can bring in say, 20 photos and they'll select, perhaps 5, and leave that on the wall for the next few months for a small fee of about $75. Sounds bloody reasonable to me if i can get my stuff on the wall of a gallery man! Ever since i got the D80 i've discovered an even bigger love for photography, and boy, what a difference a good camera makes.. Realised that i love taking people and i've tried to bring my camera out whenever i can. So i was thinking i could put together a small portfolio of portraits and see if i can get some of them exhibited...even if it's at a tiny tiny gallery i'll be freakin happy lah.

anyway we collected our works back last friday and got our results back for individual projects..and m real happy to say my efforts and late nights in school totally paid off :D two HDS and a D...definitely satisfied with that. my manager at pekopeko, Jack, told me i could sign up for a scholarship with those results. but well it's too late. anyway i only started doing really well and becoming a little more consistent this year i feel. oh and another piece of good news, my works for publication got picked up to be showcased during the rmit open day woohoo! they better take care of it..i don't want any grubby paws on my precious book.

i'm so glad i came here lah. if i had actually gotten into TP visual comm i think i wouldn't have done as much as i did here. i still wanna shove a stick up that arse's ass.

onto more somber matters, winter is getting to me. my hands are constantly reaching for something to munch on. i better chop them off and seww them back on when school reopens. oh wait then i cannot facebook. hahaha. (oh last night merete and kristian (see pic of couch potatoes) brought over this norwegian chocolate called POPS (see pictures again) and wah lau it's evil! non stop munching, there's just something bout the chocolate..yummm.. very bad very bad)

i shall just marry my bicycle and the 4kg set of weights.

gonna help liz pack tonight after we finish gym... i can't believe she's leaving!! sigh. gonna miss her so much. but i'm so glad she's doing so well for herself, scoring some pretty impressive interviews. that's why i think working overseas is important because eventually when you do return to sillypore, you'll be considered an asset. everyone's gonna want you. i'm thinking (really really) of checking out the work&live in europe visa. did i mention that already? yeah.

ok time to watch dr phil. then oprah. then mebbe go out and sketch. then gym. then dinner at pekopeko. i love it here.

...since i handed in my last project for school. it always amazes me how time passes when you have fun. been doing so much these few weeks that i'm really starting to enjoy my time in melbourne, to the extent that i've decided if i can, i'd stay til my student visa ends next march. i've plans to find an internship here in melbourne during summer...should that happen, i think it'd look great on my resume.

been taking some mini trips around melbourne...went to the dandynongs (ok lah...mount dandenong) thanks to samuel...went to the melb aquarium...went towards echuca... had (too) many many coffees...many days of staying in and watching tv (heroes, particularly, with my new found norwegian couch potato friends)... these few weeks have been nothing short of fantastic and because i've kept myself busy, i haven't really missed home much...which is a good and bad thing i guess. i remember last winter i was absolutely miserable because there were so many problems with...everything, my friends, myself mostly. but this time around i've made a pact with myself to fcuk all and just enjoy whatever months i have left here in this city. it's starting to feel more like an international education because of my classmates, particularly the ones in my more recent photographs.
it's really opened up my social circle here in melbourne.

it upsets me to think that after next year i won't see some of them again...i've met some really amazing people in school. and yeah alot of times u say yup we'll keep in touch, i'll miss you, i'll come visit you, but how often will that happen? realistically, if i do settle down in singapore get a job get married get a house car kids (yikes) the chances of me keeping in touch and seeing these people will decrease. oh well..anyway for now i'm working on a europe backpacking trip 2009... jolynn's being optimistic and wants to go summer 2008 but man.. if i wanna save up at least 6Gs by then i have to work my ass off and make sure i have a job.. i wanna spend at least two glorious months in europe starting from france then working my way up to italy to france, perhaps detour to turkey, istanbul, to greece, ending in norway :)

why can't it rain money when i need it?

anyway so much more to update about what's been going on (including a haircut..i now have very short hair!! cut it again this morning and my hairdresser helen chopped it all off. i look like i was in jc, cept chic-er..if there's sucha word) ok gotta go shower n get ready to go out tonight... finally, after a long long long absence from excessive drinking and party music, i'm finally going out.

so i should really blog about something substantial since i've been enjoying my time in melbourne quite abit, heading out to the mountains, going for dinners, movies, daily (countless) coffees, gym... but instead, i'm lazy. so i'm gonna do yet another bo liao survey which another bo liao person did. haha... what an insipid excuse of a blog entry. so anyway i'm bored lah, here goes.

60 HONEST QUESTIONS
if you're not going to be honest, don't take this survey. (haha wtf what u gon do to me if i ain't bein honest)

1. Who is the last person you held hands with?
terable.

2. If you were drafted into a war, would you survive?
maybe, because i'm so small they won't seee meee.

3. Do you sleep with the TV on?
nope.. unless i doze off.

4. Have you ever drank milk straight out of the carton?
nope. i only drink milk with cereal.

5. Have you ever won a spelling bee?
uhm...no?

6. What is your longest fight you had with one of your friends?
fight. no fights, but cold war, and it was my fault. a long..long time.

7. Are you a fast typer?
uh huh..trained from the days of alamak chat (u guys remember that?) and irc (internet relay chat...ahhaha damn old school)

8. Are you scared of the dark?
sometimes. i have a very strong imagination.

10. Who can you always turn to?
i'm glad to say i have more than a handful to turn to any time, any day.

11. When's the last time you chose a bath over a shower?
30 mins ago.

12. Do you knock on wood?
yes. along with a "choy!"

13. Are you drinking anything right now?
hot hot hot green tea.

14. Do you think you're attractive?
no.

17. What do you want for your next birthday?
a job / an internship in europe.

18. Do you know the muffin man?
well... my favourite muffin man sells the best chocolate chip muffins in the city. yeah, that muffin man.

19. Do you talk in your sleep?
i think so leh.

20. Have you ever flown a kite?
yes.. when i was little.

22. When was the last time that you went swimming and where?
legitimate kinda swimming? like..never. i can't swim.

23. Do you consider yourself successful?
now, in my school work? sort of. but in my career.. i plan to be. very. very successful.

24.How many people are on your contact list of your cell phone?
i don't know, perhaps a hundred?

25. Have you ever jumped on a trampoline?
ya huh.

26. Plans for tommorrow?
cut my hair, clean my house, change my sheets, cycle class.

27. What's your middle name?
andrea.

28. Missing someone right now?
yes...

29. When's the last time you told someone you loved them?
today.

31. How are you feeling today?
sick.. i think i've stomach flu : (

33. Have you ever been suspended or expelled from school?
nah. i'm good.

34. What are you looking forward to?
my hair cut. long time since i had short hair.

37. Have you ever eaten dog food?
uh..no.

38. Can you handle the truth?
even if i couldn't, i'd rather know the truth.

40. What 3 things do you always bring with you to places?
mobile phone, money, my keys.

41. What are your plans for summer?
this summer (december)... survive sweltering heat in melbourne, tour the country, enjoy whatever time i have left here...

42. Do you like or have a crush on anyone?
a crush? nah.. eye candy? yeah. quite a few here.

45. How often do you talk on the phone?
not often enough.

46. Do you believe in love?
yes, i do.

47. Is there something you want that you can't have?
materialistically? (is there sucha word?) yeah definitely.

48. Three things about the opposite sex that you first notice?
their eyes. their smile. the way they speak.

50. What did you last hug?
(what? not who?) liz... the sweetie sent me home.

51. where is your cell phone?
right here next to me.

54. Favorite Color(s)?
black. purple.

55. Last movie you watched?
ocean's 13 at hoyts.

56. What song are you currently listening to?
mad world, by gary jules from the donnie darko ost.

57. What do you want?
backpack trip to europe with my montpellier girls.

59. What t.v. show are you watching?
fergie's video "big girls don't cry" and drooling over milo ventimiglia on youtube

60. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?
terald... :)

another one of those boliao surveys...

1. Name someone who made you smile today.
~ the RPM instructor...she was ridiculous.

2. What were you doing at 8:00 this morning?
~ woke up..and snoozed.

3. What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
~ talking to ben on msn.

4. What is something that happened to you in 1990?
~ uhmm.. entering primary 1?

5. What is the last thing you said aloud?
~ BYE THANK YOU! (at work lah.)

6. How many different things did you drink today?
~ skinny milk. coffee. green tea. coffee. water. water. coffee.

7. What color is your hairbrush?
~ hairbrush? light brown.

8. What was the last thing you bought?
~ bottle of water.

9. Who was the last person you kissed?
~ tania, on the cheek, before she left my place on saturday :)

10. What color is your front door?
~ cream

11. Where do you keep your change?
~ my scurvy purse

12. What's the weather like today?
~ coooollld...and freakin windy. low of 8degs, high of 13.

13. What is the best ice cream flavor?
~ mm.. baci or ferrero roche. green tea rocks too.

14. What is something you are excited about?
~ right now... dinner at nina's on thursday. steaks yo!

15. When was the last rainbow you saw?
~ huge one on the way to the dandenongs.

16. What size shoes do you wear?
~ 5-6

18. Are you random?
~ not as some of my friends.

19. Do you want to cut your hair?
~ yes please.

21. Do you talk a lot?
~ depends who i'm with, how i feel.

23. Does your screen name have an "x" in it?
~ uh. no.

24. Do you know anyone named Steven?
~ yea my dad. and a classmate.

26. Are you ticklish?
~ uh huh. but it also depends on where..

27. Are you typically a jealous person?
~ not as much as before. i can be really bochup now.

28. Name someone whose name starts with the letter "R":
~ ryan

29. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter "M":
~ mark

30. Who's the 1st person on your received calls list?
~ tonight? kristian, an hour plus ago.

31. What did the last text message you received say?
~ "Chelle thanx 4 da dinner....etc etc" from mark who ate at peko

32. Do you chew on your straws?
~ not anymore.

33. Do you have curly hair?
~ nope.

34. What is the next concert you're going to?
~ i don't know. gwen stefani? or does gatecrasher count? hehe

35. Whats your favorite color?
~ tie between purple and black

37. What is something you say a lot today?
~ uhm.

38. What is the last thing you ate?
~ jarlsberg cheese & crackers

39. Have you seen the movie "Donnie Darko"?
~ no but i really want to..its drew barrymore!

40. Do you have work tomorrow?
~ no..hehe.

41. Is marriage in your future?
~ i guess so. i hope so.

42. When was the last time you said "I love you."?
~ 2 mins ago.

43. What should you be doing right now?
~ nothing. sleeping?

44. Do you have a nickname?
~ kinda.

45. Are you a heavy sleeper?
~ not really

46. When was the last time you used a skateboard?
~ like..never.

47. What is the best movie you've seen in the past two weeks?
~ haven't seen any movies the past fortnight.

51. Did you cry today?
~ nope.

52. Do you like someone right now?
~ yup.

53. Are you currently playing any sports?
~ cycling & gym.

55. Last time you listened to music?
~ right now. pink martini.

56. Last time you watched tv?
~ two hours ago...some boringass show.

57. Do you miss someone right now?
~ yup..

58. What are you doing at this very moment?
~ this survey. and stoning.

59. Who is the last person you talked on the phone with?
~ classmate.

60. Are any of your friends going to fill this out?
~ whoever's bored and wants to.

haven't felt this nuaaahhh and relaxed in such a long time... i feel a little estranged now that i don't have anything to do, nothing to really think about, no projects to fret over. but well this weekend has been fantastic. handed in my last projects on wednesday and started planning the steamboat gathering on saturday.

had some of my classmates over that evening...they're crazy lah. we had so much fun and it was really quite a new experience for the norwegians, while the rest of us were steamboat veterans (the singaporeans at least). totally stuffed and very satisfied after too much food, a variety of wines :) will prolly have another dinner or lunch soon again. gotta thank desmond for preparing the food for me, he's such an amazing chef.

went to the camberwell market today again, since kristian hadn't been there before. objective was to just shoot some photos so i kept my hands tight on my nikon and didn't sift thru any of the temptations that met my eyes. there were so many kids there today and managed to get a few good shots. and since sunday's the cheap-travel day (woohoo sunday saver!) we decided to head to this place near albert park called middle park and had muesli and coffee at this lil cozy cafe called loco. nice chillout place... will definitely be back there.

liz's comin over with a bottle of white and will & grace for some girl talk :)

tomorrow is the queen's birthday.. blaah.. hi performance cycle at 330 tmr, i cannot wait.

ok, so maybe i could get used to this.

and woman brought sin into this world says: (2:43:59 PM)
okok i've gotta get some work done

andrea. says: (2:44:08 PM)
yeah 

and woman brought sin into this world says: (2:44:08 PM)
i'm actually in the engine dept comp lab

and woman brought sin into this world says: (2:44:10 PM)
:/

and woman brought sin into this world says: (2:44:14 PM)
what a foreign world

andrea. says: (2:44:15 PM)
engine complab? man...

and woman brought sin into this world says: (2:44:20 PM)
everything seems so square here

andrea. says: (2:44:22 PM)
everything looks square and

andrea. says: (2:44:23 PM)
hAHAHA

and woman brought sin into this world says: (2:44:23 PM)
even the people are

andrea. says: (2:44:27 PM)
shit we said the same thing!

and woman brought sin into this world says: (2:44:30 PM)
HAHA

andrea. says: (2:44:31 PM)
square and rectangles

andrea. says: (2:44:41 PM)
see m not the only one who thinks that way

and woman brought sin into this world says: (2:44:49 PM)
it's an arts mentality

andrea. says: (2:44:54 PM)
that's going into my multiply

andrea. says: (2:44:56 PM)
hahaha

i've posted some images of my work from this semester on the multiply... pretty proud of what i've done so far and it's got me thinking bout how much i've learnt. had i not made the decision to move out of my comfort zone and fly here to study, i doubt i would've progressed that much in design, even if i had gotten accepted into tp. i don't deny that tp is good, i've seen works that my friends from there have churned out and it's some pretty amazing stuff... but here, i get opinions from all over the world.

i look back at my work from years ago, from aep, jc, nus...all of which looks so naive right now. my sense of design has heightened tremendously and i'm seriously enjoying what i do, despite sleepless nights and caffeine overdoses (not that i'm really complaining). i have to thank my classmates tho, they make it all the more fun for me to be doing what i'm doing. the crazy nights in the labs are a little easier to endure because of the nonsense they put me through. i've a classmate from hongkong who recently discovered i've a fear (maybe too strong a word but for now it'll do) of people touching my ears..i get fidgety and spasmy and goosebumpy all over. might not be a good idea posting this up here but oh well. now he's been torturing me every moment he can, just by reaching his hands out towards me.. bloody hell.

but yeah, it's been a fun journey and like i said before, i'm gonna be sad to leave.

next semester is gonna be crazy. i'll be doing a packaging module again with my favourite nazi, for a giant cosmetics company called KIT (check out their site at http://www.kitcosmetics.com.au). i love their stuff and love their designs even more. it'll look fantastic on my portfolio. speaking of which, i'm thinking bout sending out my resume/cv soon to prospective companies in july...what do you guys think? i need a list of places to send my e-folio to...and i'm wondering whether i should try out for the big shot design&advertising companies and risk rejection or start with smaller, more intimate companies and build up from there. i'm not very confident of getting a design job and i'm quite certain the pay's gonna be shitty even though i'll hold two degrees come december. we'll see how it goes. if anyone's got any suggestions of where i can try out for, please let me know :)

i'm in school again tonight, one last day til the end arrives. thinking of holding a small steamboat party for my classmates, esp the ones who aren't asian since they'd never know what it'll be like. i'm guessin it'll be pretty fun since they're all insane.

ok back to work!