Embrace love and life.

Welcome to Your Quarterlife Crisis;

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:39:06 GMT

By: Kate Carraway April 01, 2009 21:04
From: http://www.eyeweekly.com/article/55882

Imagine a day in the life of a couple you probably know. He’s 27 years old, and she’s 26. They wake up beside each other in his downtown bachelor apartment and have sex that neither of them particularly enjoys. They’ve been sort-of dating for a while now, but they’re not willing to commit to each other: he likes her, but doesn’t know if he always will. She can’t decide if she likes him more or less than the other two guys she’s sleeping with.

He bikes to work at an advertising agency, where he uses his master’s in English to proofread ad copy, and spends several hours reading music blogs and watching movie trailers, periodically Twittering updates about his workday to his 74 followers. He doesn’t really hate his job, but feels as if his skin is crawling with vermin most of the time that he’s there, so he has a plan to move to Thailand, or to maybe write a book. Or go to law school.

At her government job, she instant messages her friends and mostly ignores the report she’s drafting because she’s planning on quitting anyway — and has been planning to quit for about a year now. She spends her lunch hour buying boots that cost slightly more than her rent, then immediately regrets it.

He listlessly works through lunch, then goes to the bar after work to meet up with some university friends, where they talk about their jobs and make ironic jokes about other people. Back at home, he wonders why he feels so gross and empty after spending time with them, but it’s mostly better than being alone.

She walks to the house that she shares with three friends and spends a few more hours on celebrity gossip websites, then clicking through the Facebook photos of girls she knew in high school posing with their husbands and babies, simultaneously judging them and feeling a deep pit of jealousy, and a strange kind of loss. “When did this happen for them?” she wonders.

They both eventually fall asleep, late and alone, each of them wondering what it is that’s wrong with them that they can’t quite seem to understand.

This phenomenon, known as the “Quarterlife Crisis,” is as ubiquitous as it is intangible. Unrelenting indecision, isolation, confusion and anxiety about working, relationships and direction is reported by people in their mid-twenties to early thirties who are usually urban, middle class and well-educated; those who should be able to capitalize on their youth, unparalleled freedom and free-for-all individuation. They can’t make any decisions, because they don’t know what they want, and they don’t know what they want because they don’t know who they are, and they don’t know who they are because they’re allowed to be anyone they want.

When a contemporary 25-year-old’s parents were 25, they weren’t concerned with keeping their options open: they were purposefully buying houses, making babies and making partner. Now, who we are and what we do is up to us, unbound to existing communities, families and class structures that offer leisure and self-determination to just a few. Boomer and post-boom parents with more money and autonomy than their predecessors has resulted in benignly self-indulgent children who were sold on their own uniqueness, place in the world and right to fulfillment in a way no previous generation has felt entitled to, and an increasingly entrepreneurial, self-driven creation myth based on personal branding, social networking and untethered lifestyle spending is now responsible for our identities.

IDENTIFIED FOR THE first time in 2001, the Quarterlife Crisis has been written about most notably by Alexandra Robbins and Abby Wilner in the New York Times best seller Quarterlife Crisis: The Unique Challenges of Life in Your Twenties. The themes of twentysomething ennui are everywhere in pop culture (Garden State; Lost in Translation) but it’s also been explicitly addressed: on Gossip Girl, Blair Waldorf explains some bad behaviour with “I was such an overachiever, I was headed for a Quarterlife Crisis at 18”; in the John Mayer song “Why Georgia” (“I rent a room and I fill the spaces with wood in places to make it feel like home but all I feel’s alone / It might be a Quarterlife Crisis or just the stirring in my soul”); Quarterlife was a successful web series about seven twentysomethings with creative tendencies. There’s also a terrible metal band from Long Island called Quarterlife Crisis who look like an apathetic version of Insane Clown Posse.

Says Michael Kimmel, a sociologist and author of Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men, “The Quarterlife Crisis is a kind of anticipatory crisis: ‘How is my life going to turn out? I don’t have a clue; I don’t have a map; I don’t have a vision for it.’ The mid-life crisis is a kind of ‘Is this it? I had a big plan, I had big ideas. Now I’m 48 and I guess I won’t get to do those things.’ The mid-life crisis is understood as one of resignation. A Quarterlife Crisis will resolve itself by hooking itself into a plan.” What that plan could be, though, might be vague, or feel altogether impossible to create.

Attempts to manage the Quarterlife Crisis might be as banal as drinking a lot, doing a bunch of drugs, sleeping with idiots and myriad other kinds of self-flagellation, but broader attempts are made to find some sense of purpose. An obvious choice for panicking twentysomethings with a post-undergraduate sense of displacement and for the ones that aren’t fulfilled by their jobs is grad school. James, a 28-year-old student, says “Quarterlife crises are the reason that so many universities have turned lower-level graduate programs into a cash cow.” Graduate and professional school can provide a direction and delay other choices about career and stability. And, while it’s true that higher education can “help students improve their personal and professional competency,” it can also “leave students feeling insecure about their abilities and their job prospects,” says Marc Scheer, who is a career counsellor and educational consultant, the author of No Sucker Left Behind: Avoiding the Great College Rip-Off and an advocate for considering options beyond formal education. (He also has a Ph.D.) Scheer emphasizes making an informed choice. “Whether graduate school is a wise move depends on each individual student and what they want to study. Law school can be helpful, but mostly if a student can gain acceptance to a top-tier school. Getting a Ph.D. could be dangerous for some students, especially since Ph.D. graduation rates are obscenely low these days, and few tenure-track jobs are available. So it really depends.”

Among the implicit promises made to this generation of twentysomethings was that they would have work that was engaging and creatively fulfilling. A 27-year-old freelance graphic designer with a graduate degree who is struggling to find work, Prescott says “You could always say the whole premise of education is that if you study, get good grades, acquire skills, you will have more options in a ‘career and life’ point of view. If you get a degree, you don’t have to work in a factory or have to work in a farm. That’s proving to be a huge lie, because you have people coming out of school and there are just no jobs, especially in ‘middle-class’ fields.” The dissonance between a twentysomething’s pre-career expectations and the dissatisfaction they feel as part of the working world can be hugely defeating. As Kimmel says, “They don’t have much of a life plan about how to move from Point A to Point B. What happens very often is they have very big ambitions, [but] there is a mismatch between their planning for their lives and their ambitions.” He also says that the conflict is made more difficult because 25-year-olds are living “in an economic environment which is the most inhospitable in our history.” David J. Rosen, the author of What’s that Job and How the Hell Do I Get It, a career guide based on interviews with young professionals with “cool” jobs across a variety of professions, says “Generally, being happy at work is huge part of having a happy life, and a cool and interesting job is one that leaves you fulfilled, not bitter, or not with that existential career angst that you were meant for ‘more than this.’”

SPENDING MONEY IS as fraught as making it. Multiple degrees, trips to Peru, and keeping up appearances on Saturday night all communicate values and desires, and having no consistent sense of “want” can reinforce the problem, often with trail of debt. Anya Kamenetz, who is a 29-year-old staff writer at Fast Company magazine and the author of the book Generation Debt: Why Now is a Terrible Time to be Young, says “As recently as the early 1990s, Americans had less than $10,000 of student loans on average. Now the average is over $20,000. As of about 2006, young people had $4,000 of credit-card debt on average, and those with debt were spending a quarter of their income on debt payments.” Kamenetz says “Debt and lower income can affect your choice of jobs. It can take longer to move out of your parents’ house or stop accepting those cheques and become fully independent. And many young people find themselves asking the question: ‘Why haven’t I made more progress?’ It makes people feel like failures when really there are larger trends at work.” This is also, in part, what has led to the “Boomerang” trend, where adult children move back in with their parents after leaving for school or work.

Scheer identifies another, more insidious problem with grad school, and with delaying career choices generally: “Graduate school presents some ‘opportunity costs’ in that students can’t work while they go to school. So, for example, someone who goes to medical school and doesn’t finish residency until their late 20s or early 30s won’t financially catch up to their friends until they are in their late 30s or early 40s or later. These are all important factors to consider and not be unrealistically optimistic about.”

The Quarterlife Crisis remains largely a middle-class, Stuff White People Like kind of problem, and usually manifests itself where certain problematic social norms used to exist, like who had access to education and interesting work, and who was allowed adventure and self-determination. The twentysomething void is, in large part, due to the important evolution of sexual equality, and when sex, relationships, and family-building changes, everything does.

Kimmel says, of men in particular, “Part of the Quarterlife Crisis is a kind of malaise that the end of your youth is really the end of fun. And that you’re never going to have any fun again, because you have to work. You’re never going to have sex again because you’re going to get married. Your life is over.” So why bother? Literal and figurative fucking around is infinitely more appealing to men who are still sorting out what they want their lives to look like.

“Grown-ups understand that the choices we make also involve choices we don’t make,” Kimmel says. “We have some regrets and we carry [those] with us. Guys don’t get a lot of help in this from each other or from our culture. Culturally we have got to show guys that the other side of this is actually terrific.” He points out that, statistically, married men are happier and have more sex, and that fathers experience lower levels of depression. Still, Kimmel points out that very young marriage has the highest rate of divorce, and that men would do well to spend their unmarried years focused on their own growth, rather than Halo 3.

WOMEN ALSO FIND themselves conflicted, usually more than men, about the trajectory of their twenties as they relate to relationships. Sarah, who is 27 and works at a non-profit, wants to travel and get a master’s degree, but feels conflicted about doing either. “I want to have kids, and every day that goes by, I have this number in my head. It’s 32. It used to be 30. That’s only a few years from now. I’m thinking, if I don’t do some of this stuff now, before I have kids, am I going to be able to do it?” Women are roundly considered to be in biologically ideal form for baby-making in their twenties and early thirties, which are also prime fun-having and career-building years. For women who want all of the things promised by (theoretically) equal education, work and sex lives, the conflict of desires can be catastrophic. Leah, who is a 26-year-old with a demanding corporate job, says “I feel tied down because of my job, but at the same time feel that while I am single and young I should travel because I don’t have any obligations to other people, and it’s only going to get harder as I get older.” Sarah says, “Am I going to have regrets? Once you have kids, your opportunities are over. That’s probably not true. But everyone seems to change. All of the women who I work with who have kids, they change. Their priorities shift.” Sarah’s boyfriend doesn’t feel the same pressure. “He doesn’t have that kind of timeframe. He says ‘I don’t even think about that.’ Of course you don’t think about it.... [Men] really don’t think about it.”

In 1973, the average age for women to get married was 23, and for men, 25. By 2003, the average age for both rose about five years, a significant change that reflects both marriage-free cohabitation and purposefully delaying serious commitment. It also means that twentysomethings are increasingly going it alone in their financial lives, where they would historically be building assets and houses and portfolios alongside their partner. Women, especially, are buying homes on their own. It also means that loneliness and isolation are far more likely, particularly when being separated from the close friendships that make up university life happens without a family or back-up community in place.

THE EMOTIONAL TUMULT reported during, or remembered after, a Quarterlife Crisis has a scarily ineffable quality. This isolation and its private anxiety are pervasive, as is a longing for the way things were in the predictably structured eras of high school and college or university. The directionlessness and resulting immobility is made worse when twentysomethings going through the Crisis compare themselves to their peers, past and present, further convincing someone in the throes of it that they’re not only alone, but the worst kind of failure. Says Leah, “A lot of [my friends] are settling down and getting ready to take the next steps towards marriage and families and it makes me question why I am not doing the same, and I realize that the amount of effort they put into finding a partner and getting married I put into my career. So how could I possibly have time for both?”

Twentysomethings are also inundated with constant but mostly empty communication, as the increasingly primary social sphere exists online instead of real life. Nothing could be more alienating to someone in the midst of a crisis than a tool like Facebook. Says James, “All sorts of half-forgotten acquaintances and abandoned friendships reappear in this spreadsheet of potential reasons to feel terrible about yourself. If you’re as petty as I am, you spend a lot of Facebook time gauging your own feelings of inadequacy in direct relation to other people’s success. All these people you couldn’t give a shit about a couple of years ago are now these omnipresent benchmarks and counterpoints to measure against whatever you have or haven’t got going on in your life.”

Adair, who is 30, found herself mired in a Quarterlife Crisis and sought professional help. She says, “I worked with a life coach, and he helped me a lot to realize that I was creating a vicious cycle in my life.... It was a cycle with four different phases, and I’ve followed it basically throughout my life. The steps were: I would get really excited about something, something new something different, something stellar, big. I went off to school totally excited and ready for an awesome experience. Stage two would be like ‘Oh, this is it? This is kind of boring now.’ After one-and-a-half exciting and non-stop years, I realized that I wasn’t excited about being there anymore. Stage three would be ‘What am I doing, why am I choosing to do this?’ In that third stage I would inevitably have some type of breakdown, [which] usually consisted of crying and talking through the feelings of emptiness and boredom with a friend or family member. Then I would have kind of breakthrough in that experience and get myself back up. At that point, I went abroad to Seville, Spain.... Now every time I’m faced with a change or new situation or find myself bored, I ask myself if this is a part of the cycle, or is this genuinely how I’m feeling.”

Having so much — youth, ability, independence — can feel like the worst possible scenario. What remains, though, is the potential for the years with anxiety and without direction to be reclaimed. Scheer sees real opportunity here. “If you feel you’re in crisis, this is a great opportunity to draft a five-year plan with steady concrete goals to help you get to where you want to be. Anyone can transform their life in just a few years.” Michael Kimmel says “There is life on the other side of this, and it’s actually a pretty good one. Growing up may be hard to do, but in the end, the gains outweigh the losses.” In other words: it might just be time to grow the fuck up.

Starstruck;

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:26:49 GMT

Think I should dress up as Lady Gaga for Halloween.

Who's with me? ;p

In Christ Alone;

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:56:38 GMT

In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
this Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! who took on flesh
Fulness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones he came to save:

Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied -
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave he rose again!

And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine -
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny.

No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

Father's Love Letter;

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 12:03:54 GMT

Father's Love Letter

An Intimate Message From God To You.
(http://www.fathersloveletter.com)

My Child,

You may not know me, but I know everything about you. Psalm 139:1 I know when you sit down and when you rise up. Psalm 139:2 I am familiar with all your ways. Psalm 139:3 Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. Matthew 10:29-31 For you were made in my image. Genesis 1:27 In me you live and move and have your being. Acts 17:28 For you are my offspring. Acts 17:28

I knew you even before you were conceived. Jeremiah 1:4-5 I chose you when I planned creation. Ephesians 1:11-12 You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book. Psalm 139:15-16 I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live. Acts 17:26 You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14 I knit you together in your mother's womb. Psalm 139:13 And brought you forth on the day you were born. Psalm 71:6

I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me. John 8:41-44 I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love. 1 John 4:16

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you. 1 John 3:1 Simply because you are my child and I am your Father. 1 John 3:1 I offer you more than your earthly father ever could. Matthew 7:11 For I am the perfect father. Matthew 5:48 Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand. James 1:17 For I am your provider and I meet all your needs. Matthew 6:31-33

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. Jeremiah 29:11 Because I love you with an everlasting love. Jeremiah 31:3 My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore. Psalms 139:17-18 And I rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17 I will never stop doing good to you. Jeremiah 32:40 For you are my treasured possession. Exodus 19:5

I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul. Jeremiah 32:41 And I want to show you great and marvelous things. Jeremiah 33:3

If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. Deuteronomy 4:29 Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 For it is I who gave you those desires. Philippians 2:13

I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine. Ephesians 3:20 For I am your greatest encourager. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 When you are brokenhearted,
I am close to you. Psalm 34:18 As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart. Isaiah 40:11 One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes. Revelation 21:3-4 And I'll take away all the pain
you have suffered on this earth. Revelation 21:3-4

I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus. John 17:23 For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed. John 17:26 He is the exact representation of my being. Hebrews 1:3 He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you. Romans 8:31 And to tell you that I am not counting your sins. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you. 1 John 4:10 I gave up everything I loved
that I might gain your love. Romans 8:31-32 If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me. 1 John 2:23 And nothing will ever separate you from my love again. Romans 8:38-39

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen. Luke 15:7

I have always been Father, and will always be Father. Ephesians 3:14-15

My question is… Will you be my child? John 1:12-13

I am waiting for you. Luke 15:11-32

Love, Your Dad

Almighty God

The sweetest love;

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 11:51:28 GMT

(Credit: http://media.photobucket.com/image/god%252527s%20love/pocketpal_ur_lov/icons/love.jpg)

How can I ever grasp the depth of my Father's love for me? Everyday, His mercies are new every morning and I am constantly in awe with the fact that He loves me all the same, and nothing I can do can make Him love me more or nothing that I've done can make Him close the door on me!

This is the kind of love that the Author and Creator of life has intended for everyone of us to experience, and after being in Bartley for slightly more than a year now (yes, God answers prayers) learning about my unique God-given SHAPE (Spiritual gifts, Heartbeat, Natural Abilities, Personalities & Experiences) and about being intentionally missional, I feel that the God is telling me throughout this new semester to go forth, to step out of my comfort zone to share who No. 1 Lover in life is.

Although I desire for Him to be the captain of my ship as I sail the course of life, there are instances which I can't let go of the reins. The secular world has taught us that we are ultimately responsible for our own destinies and if we fail, it's our own wrong doing. However, what happens when we feel weary, burdened and have no one else who can grant us peace and sufficient rest? Why are we putting in so much effort to the temporal without investing in eternity?

Horrors of horrors... but if that is so, then wouldn't our lives be like an empty vessel, lacking purpose and meaning? This is why so many people end up searching for this Love, Fulfillment and Excitement in life from the latest look off the runways to dating the next hottie that comes along... but the 'high' effect is only temporary.

I know, I have experience it all before but was left more down than ever when I was still in the midst of searching for this personal relationship with my Heavenly Father, who created me and knew me even before I was born. Every moment of my life has already been laid out even before a single day has passed.

On hindsight, my personal ups and downs in life not only made me who I am today, but has equipped me with the testimonies on how God's faithfulness has stood through times. I am so grateful for that and I cannot keep this great, priceless, unconditional Love to myself; it has to be shared with others.

I have been praying faithfully for God to open doors in allowing me to share who this wonderful Savior and the Prince of Peace is.

He is the Rock of my Salvation.

In Him, I am secure, and worthy of His AMAZING Love.

You are God's love and God's joy too. :)

---

Just yesterday, I was in a dilemma about leading today's cell as I know I wouldn't have the time to prepare and still had lots to cover for my World Politics midterm tomorrow. Even then, I didn't want to let Mich down; she's giving me a huge responsibility and an opportunity to grow so I still reluctantly agreed.

On my way home from school at 11pm, I messaged Slam to tell her that I'd rather mug for my exam than to lead tomorrow, with other implications such as a damn sad scenario of mugging all alone in a GSR on a Sunday rather than fellowshipping with my amazing CG learning about God from one another... and more fundamentally, I'd rather put school/exams/grades before God! (Forgive me, O Lord!) I know how wrong is that of me, but I take it as a lesson from God. My conscience pricked; the whole journey home I was engaged in a mental war with myself- 'Just use the afternoon to study, you have so much material to cover, anyway you have no time to prepare the material and thus, is inadequate to lead discussion...' Oh how Satan tries to exploit our weaknesses and tear us down!

Thankfully, I woke up with a clearer mind, and decided that if I have already surrendered my life into God's hand, why do I have to fear, what did I have to worry about? To cut the long story short, I am glad I went this afternoon and just like the past CG sessions, I take away with so much more. :)

For as long as I live, I will remember;

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:42:29 GMT

I am doing a very bad job with updating this space. I don't know if I have lost my penchant for blogging; whether it is due to the lack of interest or the hectic academic semester but nonetheless I am regretful that I wouldn't have somewhere tangible where I've stored my memories, thoughts and life events to turn back to in future.

That's why I am adamant on blogging about my 21st, even though it's slightly more than a week late.

My 21st birthday definitely felt different, and of course, in a great way. Finally, a birthday celebration that was significant of a rite of passage, I am finally an adult! Can finally sign my own consent forms in university, can vote in the next GE! ;)

The anticipation for the actual day wasn't that high as I had a 8.30am class, and another one later at 3.30pm so it was essentially an entire day in school. But thanks to Facebook, many were notified of my birthday and sent well-wishes, smiles and hugs along the way. I got countless numbers of SMS-es when the clock struck midnight which left with sweet dreams and feeling really happy throughout the day.

My awesome India buddies HX and Parveen even SURPRISED me during Sociology of Food's 20 minute break- a bunch of roses, a delish mixed fruit pavlova from Cedele and a birthday song sang repeatedly outside Four Seasons which caused some mild embarrassment on my part. :p Really didn't expect any of that and I felt the love and am so thankful for the both of them. Thank you the both of you! <3

The highlight of my 21st was my party at Treehouse cafe two days later.

Theme: PAPARAZZI. I don't even know what it really means in terms of the dressing, kinda Hollywood glam, red-carpet, strut, pose, all-modelish I guess?!

I almost chose the theme 'Joyce's Political Party' since my first major is in Political Science; giving out 'Vote for Joyce' badges, posters of a scandal (no politician is without a scandal anyway!) and wouldn't it be fun to come as your 'favourite' political figures? Sarah Palin, Stalin, LKY, Kim Jong-Il..... I AM SO DOING TO DO THAT NEXT YEAR! :p

My closest girlfriends were such blessings to me. Being the perfectionist that I am, I wanted the whole party to be smooth-sailing, from deco to food to programmes, but I guess I have to just kick back and allow these sort of entertainment events to take its course. However, Slam (the funky pro make-up artist, spicy number emcee and my dearest cell groupie), Sam (the bestie who gave that amazing speech with the hilarious poem we wrote during our younger days!) and Fong (my sister-in-Christ and one heck of an amazing photographer!) were there to sooth my jittered nerves and who made this birthday party a truly memorable one.

I love you girls, life has brought us thus far and I hope to do the same thing a couple of years down the road or should I say, the aisle? ;) My heart can't express the amount of thanks for the help the three of you have so graciously shown that day.

I wish my other close girlfriends could share that day with me, but too bad they were dispersed across the globe or had other plans on that day itself! MG B3 babes (Mish & F5), Olie (who sent a lovely card all the way from San Fran!), Si (who called from Aussie to wish me 'Happy Birthday' and asked if I wanted a hairband or earrings, hehe), Hang, Adora especially! Still, thank you all for the wishes and being there in spirit!

Still, I had a great time with my closest friends that day. SMU school mates- the RunTeam peeps, FTB'08 fellow facis, Frujchaholics, classmates, travel mates, random people I've met along the corridors but are my friends now, Bartley Church CG, AC AA3 lovelies, MG/Girls' Brigade sistas, my dearest family... thank you all for taking time off to make the party such a smashing success! Really, really felt the love!

And a special shout-out to HX, my roomie for 3 months in India for that lovely acoustic guitar rendition of Jason Mraz's Life Is Wonderful (indeed, it is with my loved ones around)... you have such a great voice and I am really touched beyond words!

Also to my awesome CG guys, Ian and Joash... thank you for the Birthday Song by Corinne May... the lyrics are so so meaningful!!

Don't worry about that extra line 
That's creeping up upon your face
It's just a part of nature's way 
To say you've grown a little more
Trees have rings and thicker branches
Kids shoes get a little tighter
Every year we're getting closer to who we're gonna be
It's time to celebrate the story of how you've come to be

Happy birthday my friend
Here's to all the years we've shared together 
All the fun we've had
You're such a blessing
Such a joy in my life
May the good Lord bless you
And may all your dreams come true

So light a candle on your cake 
For every smile you've helped create
For every heart and every soul 
You've known to grow a little more
A few more pounds, a little more grey 
Don't count the years just count the way
It takes a little time to go from water into wine
Don't ever lose the wonder of the child within your eyes

Happy birthday my friend
Here's to all the years we've shared together 
All the fun we've had
It's such a blessing
Such a joy in my life
May the good Lord bless you
And may all your dreams come true

I still need to ask Ivan to upload the photos he's taken! Amazing to have friends so interested in photography to capture the special moments :)

And, I got really meaningful gifts that are 'just so Joyce' as friends would say- recipe books, pretty notebooks, vintage print stationery set, a study Bible (thank you CG, this was really what I wanted), a cute chunky ring, cosmetics, various accessories like earrings and a hairband, a bottle of Vodka, a teddy, a daisy, a quaint little picnic basket, 2 storybooks (one of which is The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, one of my favourite books, thanks HX!), a book on Christian dating (yeah, it couldn't come at a better time...), 3 dresses (2 of which have floral prints, and a black one), a couple of gift cards, 3 bags, beautiful cards with even more beautiful words in them... and oh, 1 box of Special-K cereal, 4 cups of low-fat Chocolate pudding, a box of Twinnings Chamomile Vanilla tea, 1 packet of DIY strawberry yogurt, 1 packet of healthy nuts... Haha my roomie knows me so well. BUT I REALLY LOVE EVERY SINGLE THING I'VE RECEIVED but the most important things like MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS ARE PRICELESS. Cliche but it's so true!

(Photo credits: Fong & Sher)

ZIGGYSTARROKKER;

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:22:04 GMT

And I opened my school email account yesterday to this...

*
Dear Joyce,

Congratulations! We are pleased to offer you an exchange placement at North Carolina State University (NCSU)!

Please let me know by 15 July 2009 if you will like to accept this placement. Upon your acceptance, we will nominate you to NCSU for their consideration/ endorsement. Please also provide me with your passport no. in your reply to facilitate the nomination process. .....

*

WOOHOOHOO!

and I am also on Twitter now! (@ziggystarrokker) A combination of my two fav songs right now. Ziggy Stardust by David Bowie and Indie Rokkers by MGMT! I figured just using my name would be bor-bor-boring!

An Exciting Epiphany.

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:30:16 GMT

While walking to work today, I had this mind-blowing visualization of what I want to do for the few months after graduation.

New deep.

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 05:41:30 GMT

This India internship has really been a journey of personal reflection and growth. Really didn't expect all the lessons that have come my way but am grateful to God for the opportunity to practice, demonstrate and most importantly strengthen my Christian faith.

I have discovered that I actually do have a feisty side when push comes to shove, although anger really robs you of all ounce of energy and joy.

Yesterday, HX and I had an unexpected intense exchange with our project advisor. All because of false impressions and misinterpretations. I felt an irrepressible disappointment arising in me as my hopes to effect a small positive change here in India being crashed by some sort of a cultural and probably, generational differences.

Being open-minded about other people's culture is simple; just tell yourself that you are in no position to pass any judgement of how or what is to be done. However, yes, it takes alot of time and a high degree of social interaction with the culture before coming to appreciate and to understand the nuances.

The thing was, we knew our survey results have been tainted by the factors of social desirability and obviously, a language barrier.

But. The passion in wanting to help, wanting to improve, knowing that there is an opportunity to do so was interpretated as being flippant enough to make generalizations and lacking cultural sensitivity.

To even suggest making an improvement indicates that something is off the mark (but not necessarily wrong)... and not everyone is coming from the same wavelength, so people disagree. Some get defensive, some get frustrated but to me, I ask, does it better the situation? Absolutely not.

I strongly subscribe to standing up for what you believe in despite the obstacles that may come your way. However, at times, it is necessary to take a step back and respect the hierarchy that is in place. The chain of command is there for a reason.

Maybe I wouldn't get to improve the situatuon by great leaps and bounds; change might not even effect in my generation but it isn't a reason to be dejected and defeated. I must continue clinging on to the faith that my life's purpose is much higher than its present state, just like Colossioans 3:23-24 says, 'Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.' And I shouldn't let what transpired yesterday to stop me from doing what I can and believe in. During my quiet time this morning, I came across a well-known verse that I hold close to my heart.

Paul wrote in Philippians 3:13-14, 'Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.'

Now, the test comes into translating what I hold dear into practical actions.

*
Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will.
- George Bernard Shaw

*
Currently am encouraged by the lyrics of this song by Casting Crowns.

Beautiful Savior

All my days I will sing this song of gladness
Give my praise to the fountain of delights
For in my helplessness, you heard my cry
And waves of mercy poured down on my life

(chorus)
Beautiful Savior, wonderful counselor
Clothed in majesty, Lord of history
You're the way, the truth and the life
Star of the morning, glorious in holiness
You're the risen one, heaven's champion
And you reign, you reign over all

I will trust in the cross of my Redeemer
I will sing of the lamb that never fails
Of sins forgiven, of conscience cleared
Of death defeated and life without end

(chorus)
Beautiful, beautiful Savior
Wonderful counselor, beautiful risen one

(chorus)
I long to be where the praise is never ending
Yearn to Dwell where the glory never fades
Where countless worshipers sing one song
And the voices of the nations
Sing worthy, worthy
Worthy beautiful, beautiful one
Jesus you are worthy, beautiful, beautiful one
Jesus you're worthy, beautiful, beautiful one
You are worthy, beautiful, risen one

RIP MJ.

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 06:02:02 GMT

Despite his recent crazy circus-like antics (child-molestation cases, baby-dangling antics, nose falling out and other cosmetic surgeries, putting up his personal items and Nevada ranch for auction etc), I've got to admit that I am de-vas-tat-ed by the death of Michael Jackson.

I just caught 13 Going On 30, and saw MJ's Thriller dance. It was so amazing, and together with his other songs like Black & White (which was the mass dance song for our juniors so the OGLs had to learn the moves), Smooth Criminal, Beat It, Billie Jean (the iconic moonwalk dance)...

I remember my previous maid sharing her love for MJ to me. I was in primary school then. She would introduce me to his songs, and she would sing his songs when she was cleaning the house.... so I kinda grew up with his music.

During my stint at CNA last year, there were many entertainment news about him and I thought, 'What a freak', but sometimes you don't know how much the media distorts. Whatever, he is and will be the legend of our generation. He is in his own league man.

I am going to console myself by playing all his songs on repeat.

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 09:45:31 GMT

Goa travel entry up at http://joyceinhyderabad.tumblr.com!

GO-GO-GOA!

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 07:39:17 GMT

I'll be hitting India's hippie trail tomorrow for 4D3N!

Goa, here I come! Shopping at flea markets (!! bargains galore please!!), renting a bike and soaking in the sights of stunning Portuguese colonial architecture, sun (monsoon rain, go away), sand, sea, beach parties, cheap booze, trance, dance, dance, dance.

Excited like hell. :D

Humility.

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 05:19:23 GMT

Anger drains me of all energy and makes me feel as though as my head is clamped by a concrete stone. I hate feeling unsettled, where the negative vibes are just multiplying by the minute.

I spent the whole day in the office thinking about the chain of events that mounted into nothing but a dramatic reality check about the people around me and even more so, myself.

This verse came up to me while I fought with my guilt conscience.

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger (Proverbs 15:1).

Only after a period of cooling down and reflection did I realize how silly the situation seemed. It all boiled down to assumptions made due to the lack of open communication.

Rashness results in a moment of folly. Saying things that you don't mean, and being hurtful to others (and God).

But through it all, I believe every circumstance is a chance for myself to grow, discover things I never knew about myself, and if need be, to make the necessary amends.

What does it mean to strive to become a better person?

I think it's to lay down my pride; too much pride trips a person up. To realize that I am not perfect, I have made mistakes, and have resolved to make the effort not to mess up the same way in future.

To step forward and say with courage and humility, 'I am sorry'. Three simple words that usually takes so much for one to utter. I wonder if the world would become a better place if everyone sets aside all conceitedness, self-righteousness and feelings of superiority.

Yes, there are times when people say or do things that really piss us off. I remember a recent sermon on anger. Anger is fine, it allows us to realize that certain things are not right... but it is what we decide to do with our anger that is important.

And the Bible didn't lack any verses on anger, pride or humility.

“The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.” (Psalms 10:4)

"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" (1 Peter 5:5)

"as God's chosen people...clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience" (Colossians 3:12)

My instance of outrage was rare that it even shocked myself.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves (Philippians 2:3)

I struggle with loving unlovable people, but that is because I only do so with my own strength.

I made a mistake by raising my voice, but I am glad that I have managed to stay calm and speak without getting all defensive.

In the end, all that it takes is barely a huge effort to be kind, honest and to speak lovingly,

*
Deep down inside, I recognize that we still have our differences,,, but I also recognized that I didn't have to 'win' an argument to be a winner.

I slept peacefully last night.

*
“It’s all about character. Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions, they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.”

-Frank Out

Susan Boyle made me cry!

Sat, 18 Apr 2009 15:23:22 GMT

Britain's Got Talent: Susan Boyle

I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high,
And life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving.

Then I was young and unafraid
When dreams were made and used,
And wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung,
No wine untasted.

But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hopes apart
As they turn your dreams to shame.

And still I dream he'll come to me
And we will live our lives together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms
We cannot weather...

I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living
So different now from what it seems
Now life has killed
The dream I dreamed.

---

In just that 7 minutes on air, Susan Boyle touched millions of hearts around the world, turning her from a dowdy lady from Scotland (who lives with her cat, Pebbles -> cute name!) to an overnight singing sensation. 25 million hits on YouTube in just one weekend!!

And really, that was such an angelic voice... totally blew me away and made my tear ducts work up! Did you see that Ashlee Simpson wannabe in the audience rolling her eyes at the beginning? Did you see everyone trying to suppress their laughter when she went on stage?

How many of us tend to judge a person by their appearance? I admit that I do, not once, but over and over again. We have been so pre-conditioned to think that looks are everything.

Read in the papers today that Simon Cowell is keen to sign her on. I hope that popularity will not change her, and that she should continue keeping it real because it is precisely her simplicity AND HER HEART that wowed the audience!

Thank you Susan, for reminding us about humility, inner beauty, quiet confidence and courage which made you believe in your dreams. AMAZING.

I wanna bake some Mighty Macs

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:35:54 GMT

I have an urge to try my hand at baking macarons!

I ALWAYS have baking urges during exam revision period!

Some macaron recipes... I'll probably pick one and give it a go after the exams!

Time Out London Recipe + Lemon Curd (Food Network)/Fool Proof Lemon Curd Method

David Lebovitz's French Choc Macaron Recipe

Bakerette.blogspot's pistachio macarons

A La Crusine's Macarons

Tartelette.blogspot's Expresso Toffee Macarons

Wed, please come sooooon!

Othelloooo

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 11:19:54 GMT

AA3 people, you gotta hear this! It's to Kanye West's 'Homecoming' song. :p

Audio link here.

And you see Cyprus,
Cyprus, Cyprus

(Chorus)
Then Iago made a plan
Othello he was quite the man
Othello he was quite the man
Then Iago made a plan
Made a plan

‘O’ to the ‘T’ to the ‘H’ and the ‘ello’
Our boy is one oblivious fellow
I’m sayin’ listen to me and I’ll tell you his story how
Iago messed him up and took all his glory
Our boy Othello he was a moor
A playa so black you ain’t never seen before
He likes to act tough, and likes to tell em off
and they don’t mess with him ‘cause they straight up soft

He ran off and married this chick Desdemona,
She had a boat that was made in Verona
And he told her in his heart was where she’ll always be
And never mess with other wenches ‘cause they always leave,
This made Barbantio angry, straight up upset
A black man and his girl, thats like he lost a bet
I guess thats why he took him to a council meeting
and then he, kept making tha kept making that ugly greeting

(Chorus)
Othello he was quite the man
Othello he was quite the man
Then Iago made a plan
Made a plan
Othello he was quite the man
Othello he was quite the man
Oh, then Iago made a plan
And he can’t start again

But if he did care for her, then how could he suffocate her?
I mean she was his wife, he shoulda still talked to her, but when he talked to her
It always seemed like she was talkin’ ‘bout Cassio,
Iago wanna rule the kingdom just like you,
He wanna be tough and represent just like you,
But he’s just not you, and boy he ain’t through,
Talkin’ bout what Desdemona’s tryin’a do,
Now everyone’s got Iago figured out all wrong,
and Othello didn’t know what he had till it was gone,
I guess thats why he’s gone, he stabbed himself in the chest,
I’d tell you the story but you know all the rest.

Who would have thought you could integrate Shakespeare with hip-hop music?!

Easter

Sat, 11 Apr 2009 05:22:29 GMT

When I became a Christian I said, Lord, now fill me in,
Tell me what I'll suffer in this world of shame and sin.
He said, your body may be killed, and left to rot and stink,
Do you still want to follow me? I said Amen - I think.

I think Amen, Amen I think, I think I say Amen,
I'm not completely sure, can you just run through that again?
You say my body may be killed and left to rot and stink,
Well, yes, that sounds terrific, Lord, I say Amen - I think.

But, Lord, there must be other ways to follow you, I said,
I really would prefer to end up dying in my bed.
Well, yes, he said, you could put up with the sneers and scorn and spit,
Do you still want to follow me? I said Amen - a bit.

A bit Amen, Amen a bit, a bit I say Amen,
I'm not entirely sure, can we just run through that again?
You say I could put up with sneers and also scorn and spit,
Well, yes, I've made my mind up, and I say, Amen - a bit.

Well I sat back and thought a while, then tried a different ploy,
Now, Lord, I said, the Good book says that Christians live in joy.
That's true he said, you need the joy to bear the pain and sorrow,
So do you want to follow me, I said, Amen - tomorrow.

Tomorrow, Lord, I'll say it then, that's when I'll say Amen,
I need to get it clear, can I just run through that again?
You say that I will need the joy, to bear the pain and sorrow,
Well, yes, I think I've got it straight, I'll say Amen - tomorrow.

He said, Look, I'm not asking you to spend an hour with me
A quick salvation sandwich and a cup of sanctity,
The cost is you, not half of you, but every single bit,
Now tell me, will you follow me? I said Amen - I quit.

I'm very sorry Lord I said, I'd like to follow you,
But I don't think religion is a manly thing to do.
He said forget religion then, and think about my Son,
And tell me if you're man enough to do what he has done.

Are you man enough to see the need, and man enough to go,
Man enough to care for those whom no one wants to know,
Man enough to say the thing that people hate to hear,
To battle through Gethsemane in loneliness and fear.

And listen! Are you man enough to stand it at the end,
The moment of betrayal by the kisses of a friend,
Are you man enough to hold your tongue, and man enough to cry?
When nails break your body - are you man enough to die?

Man enough to take the pain, and wear it like a crown,
Man enough to love the world and turn it upside down,
Are you man enough to follow me, I ask you once again?

I said, Oh Lord, I'm frightened, but I also said Amen.
Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen; Amen, Amen, Amen,
I said, Oh Lord, I'm frightened, but I also said, Amen.

Disconnected.

Sun, 05 Apr 2009 14:05:31 GMT

Bye, Facebook!

FML

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:48:02 GMT

FML is the new deal.

Gets you through dreary lessons (though you must try try try not to burst out laughing), and makes you think, 'my day ain't too bad after all!'

The Archipelago of Kisses

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 17:47:48 GMT

The Archipelago of Kisses by Jeffrey McDaniel

We live in a modern society. Husbands and wives don’t
grow on trees, like in the old days. So where
does one find love? When you’re sixteen it’s easy,
like being unleashed with a credit card
in a department store of kisses. There’s the first kiss.
The sloppy kiss. The peck.
The sympathy kiss. The backseat smooch. The we
shouldn’t be doing this kiss. The but your lips
taste so good kiss. The bury me in an avalanche of tingles kiss.
The I wish you’d quit smoking kiss.
The I accept your apology, but you make me really mad
sometimes kiss. The I know
your tongue like the back of my hand kiss. As you get
older, kisses become scarce. You’ll be driving
home and see a damaged kiss on the side of the road,
with its purple thumb out. If you
were younger, you’d pull over, slide open the mouth’s
red door just to see how it fits. Oh where
does one find love? If you rub two glances, you get a smile.
Rub two smiles, you get a warm feeling.
Rub two warm feelings and presto-you have a kiss.
Now what? Don’t invite the kiss over
and answer the door in your underwear. It’ll get suspicious
and stare at your toes. Don’t water the kiss with whiskey.
It’ll turn bright pink and explode into a thousand luscious splinters,
but in the morning it’ll be ashamed and sneak out of
your body without saying good-bye,
and you’ll remember that kiss forever by all the little cuts it left
on the inside of your mouth. You must
nurture the kiss. Turn out the lights. Notice how it
illuminates the room. Hold it to your chest
and wonder if the sand inside hourglasses comes from a
special beach. Place it on the tongue’s pillow,
then look up the first recorded kiss in an encyclopedia: beneath
a Babylonian olive tree in 1200 B.C.
But one kiss levitates above all the others. The
intersection of function and desire. The I do kiss.
The I’ll love you through a brick wall kiss.
Even when I’m dead, I’ll swim through the Earth,
like a mermaid of the soil, just to be next to your bones.

Our Rock.

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 18:12:51 GMT

These days, my only time for musings and personal reflections only exist in three places where I find myself locked in some sort of a vacuum with hardly a whiff of verbal human interaction; on 190 bus to/from school, in the toilet when I shit/shower/sleep especially when I have morning class which I so painfully have to drag my ass out of bed for (I swear, no more back to back morning classes next sem) and when I am walking or running alone.

Today, I stumbled upon news that a school mate's mum has succumbed to breast cancer and she was called home to the Lord last week. I couldn't even say that we are close friends, just mere acquaintances whose love for running made our lives cross paths. The shock and pain I felt was something way beyond I could articulate. No, I can't put myself in her shoes but because we are of similar age, it seems as though there is some sort of invisible thread that ties my heart to hers; maybe it happends with all other human beings too. I like to think that we have a heart for each other in the most invisible yet emotionally tangible way.

However, I think the most inspiring thing is the fact that she is so strong in spite of the grieve and loss that she and her family is feeling. When I found out about her plight, the question that instinctively went through my head was, 'Why, God? Why let such a beautiful girl (both inside and out) suffer at such a young age?'

I teared a little when I read her note she posted on FB. She was strong, and not once did she blame God. She understood and surrendered to the fact that the Lord could call her mum home anytime, and it only made her more appreciative of every minute she had by her mummy's side. She wasn't angry that she had only a limited time with her mum after the fateful diagnosis, but she was determined to create beautiful memories of her mum with her, with her family. Now, she takes comfort knowing her mum couldn't be in a safer, peaceful and more beautiful place. Indeed, I am sure her mum would look down from heaven with pride that her little girl has grown to be so strong and so loving, and more importantly, so trusting and never questioning that the Lord is indeed 'our rock, our shield and our stronghold'.

The whole time I was on the (last) bus home from school today, and from my 5 minute walk to my door, I said a prayer for her and her family, and gave thanks for my parents and my family.

:)

Sun, 28 Dec 2008 17:46:46 GMT

Life is so exciting and so happening right now that I couldn't be happier. :)

2008 was great, I have so much to be thankful for, especially so in this financially turbulent times.

Hope to do a memory recap but no guarantees cos school is starting soon (IN ONE WEEK?!!!). Sian. But cannot start the year off the wrong foot! Let's try again, I'm so excited for school! Excited to see all my friends again, and to take Computer as Analysis Tool as my first class of the semester! *crosses fingers*

(Ok the second part was a FAIL.)

Seeking for a summer internship...

Fri, 26 Dec 2008 07:40:55 GMT

So Christmas has come and gone... :( too soon and I was quite sick to fully enjoy the festivities. Supposed to be at Olie's with Si for WII but I don't wanna spread my cough germs to them. No fried food and chocs too, because my throat hurts. Perhaps it's a blessing in disguise; lesser cals! I will NOT go on ranting how i haven't exercised for two weeks (stupid shin pain works up when after 10 minutes of running, non-stop phelgmy cough)... >:-( Hi lardy.

Anyway. Sorry to sound like a Debbie Downer but OMG school term is starting again in slightly more than a week. Dreadinggg it. Really need to pull up my socks- not to sound competitive or what but it's a personal challenge to myself. I haven't really been putting my best efforts and I wanna make my uni education worth my while.

Spent 2 hours earlier trying to plan for my exchange (ideally to North Carolina State University or California State University... very, very limited spaces... haven't made up my mind if I should go in Year 3 Sem 1 or 2)... there's just so much info to process. I need to make a mental note to see my academic advisor (whom I never spoken to nor was I taught by her before) when school starts.

Also need to start searching for summer internship. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise that I forgot to submit the proposal for my CNA internship so then I am forced to try something else different.

I was looking through the openings on the school website, and they don't appeal to me at all. Tried some other singaporean websites where they consolidate internships but zzzzz.... alot for business and IT students. Seriously, I am starting to doubt my PolSci degree. Perhaps working in an NGO is HIGHLY possible... but I want to do something I love.

Like anything related to health, fitness, fashion, food, media, writing, entertainment. There's still the Asian Food Channel which I have already applied to but still no news from them, and I dropped an email to SPH's SHAPE magazine to ask if they have any internship openings (am crossing my fingers for that). I can totally see myself in the field of media/journalism.... But if you ask me, I still dream of opening up my little cafe cum bookshop. So french you know?

This is life and growing up for you. You have dreams which you chase but sometimes it's hard to get where you want to be.

Hola Holga Lola lalala.

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:19:11 GMT

#1: Rocking around the Christmas tree outside Paragon

#2: Twinkling lights. Loving this!

#3: Heavenly streams.

#4: Two two-headed guys. Joash/Ian. I like this photo!

#5: Ponder. (Which Lacoste polo colour should I get?)

#6: Freeeedom from exams! Joan and Charlene. We pigged out at B&J, right after our last paper!

#7: Girlfriends for life. xoxo

#8: The special times, all these times I shared with you.

#9: Ramp.

#10: '80s postcard (well, almost)

#11: Eunice/Jonny's mouth/Sherms on 190 bus!

#12: My favourite Mambo girl.
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#13: Chicken (who could play the guitar)/thighs/legs on Starry Night XIII Stage.

#14: Don't Use Red Flash on Faces. Ingrid/Me

#15: Old Uncle @ Starry Night, we wondered what went through his mind when he sat near the loud speakers, listening to a crowd of crazy SMU students scream/dance/sing.

#16: Yum, Treehouse nachos and Corona beers.

#17: We sew, we bake, we shred tees. Me/Huixin.

#18: Siying/Me.

#19: Rockers.

#20: Another multiple-exposure shot, love it! Pris/Me.

On a separate note, I got to interview Taufik yesterday! Quite impromptu. He's really down-to-earth and funny, but it all went well. My article can be viewed here.

Hail the dominatrix!

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 05:43:48 GMT

I just scored a high-wasted, black GENUINE leather (not patent) front zip-up skirt for TWO buckeroos, it's cheaper than my lunch! It was half-price day today, but even then, four bucks would still be a steal. And it fits my fat ass! SO AWESOME! I love unexpected finds like this... I must say it reminds me of a dominatrix (A woman who acts out the role of the dominating partner in a sadomasochistic relationship.- dictionary.com), but don't get the wrong idea now....

Urban Outfitters is retailing one at 95 pounds! I also got a cute leather sling bag at a price you can't beat. The woman at the counter told me I've got a sharp eye and good taste, and when she said that, I blushed and laughed. Then 2 ladies nearby came over to eye my skirt and bag, I think they wanted it! :P

I love the fact that a thrift store is just a mere 5 minute walk away from school! I went there after my IPE paper this morning (I spotted the right question! Yippy yay... I hope??!), so random but I am spontaneous like that.

One more paper to go on Sat afternoon, can't wait!! Really need to exercise like mad after that, I haven't put on my running shoes for more than three weeks already and argh I feel sluggish. Oh and I wanna make more skirts with my (I mean, my grandma's) sewing machine!!