Woohoo!!

Yippy! I'm a happy happy girl!

As many of my friends already know, my previous driving experience was a really BAD one. I'm not even exaggerating. It was so bad that I'd have nightmares & palpitations the night before my driving lessons. Thanks to my previous driving instructor, I almost sworn off driving. He scolded, nagged, pinched, poked & screamed. I could never have a second of peace with him around. Basically I just did whatever he said without even knowing the basics of driving. After the 3rd/4th lesson (Can't remember, it was 9 months ago) I couldn't take it anymore. I thought I was gonna have a mental breakdown. & with those nightmares, I didn't think they were good for my well-being, so I told my mom that I wanna have my driving instructor changed.

Well, we managed to change but I didn't manage to finish my lessons in time to take the test. Went back to Adelaide with my lessons hanging halfway. When I came back, I totally dreaded driving lessons. I didn't know what to expect.

But....

thank God I survived my 1st driving lesson in 9 months! I still remember how to drive on the road but not going uphill & the parking one. All is good! I'm happy...I guess I'm not so afraid of driving anymore! My new driving instructor is more patient & he lets me ask questions. =)

XOXO,
Me

Fringe

I finally got myself a trim! =D
I haven't had fringe since high school so I thought I wanted to look a bit different.
Tell me what you think. =)

Before

After

After 2

So?! Do I look like a school girl?! >.<

XOXO,
Me

On Cloud 99

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG!! I'm finally FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! No more staying at home studying whilst refraining myself to go out! XP A picture says a thousand words right? I'll just let the pics do the talking.

#1 Taken at Glenelg beach in 2007 in Spring.
Was supposed to stay home & finish up my assignment...the rest is history =P

#2 Back in Penang during summer.
Was trying to take modelly jumping shots but ended up being so unglam >.<

#3 Doing a random jump on the way back from Barossa Valley

These pictures portray what I'm feeling now =D The yayyy-ness of being free from exams!

XOXO,
Me

I feel hollow...

...at this particular moment.

Not too sure if it's because I'm still not over about my paper OR I refuse to face the reality - when I wake up tomorrow, I have 1 day short to prepare for my final exam paper.

Every day from the moment I open my eyes, I can't wait for it to be night again so that I can drift off into my dreams, far far away from reality. It always seems like the day arrives sooner than the night. I never wanna wake up to face this harsh reality.

Just 4 hours ago, my friend & I encountered something freaky, which I'll save for another day because I can't wait to go to bed~

Me =(

I'm devastated, don't ask.

Just came back from sitting for a paper. & guess what?! Instead of feeling relieved that I've finally finished 3 papers, I feel totally, utterly & extremely shitty! I dunno about you, but I somehow feel a tad inferior being around ang mohs in the exam hall. I know their first language is English & I bet that they'd think we, international students, are not as smart because we have to bring in dictionaries (not that we HAVE to, but just IN CASE they use bombastic words that are totally out of our league). It was distracting when the time for the ang mohs was up & they all left the exam hall. It made me feel nervous because now there were only a few international students left (we get extra 10 mins for every hour, in this case 20, since the exam duration was 2 hours).

*SIGH* Talking about time, I still cannot believe that we were given 2 hours for such a long paper!! =S The thing that makes me feel bo kam muan is that, I did extremely well for ALL the assignments for this subject & if this exam paper pulls down the average grade, I'd be damned! I KNOW I'll pass this paper, just not with flying colours, that's all. =( & I know how people always say "when you're in uni, as long as you pass, it's alright, you don't need distinctions to get a degree" but...this is something rather personal, like I fail to even reach my full potential, y'know? Somehow being brought up in a competitive Chinese school has instilled this kiasu-ness in me though I don't show it. My parents never pressured me into achieving excellent grades & I thank them for that because it makes me a person who knows how to think for their own good. & I don't wanna disappoint them, knowing I could've done waaaayyy better.

I'm going on & on & I know you're bored reading this. I just needed to rant. For the final paper, I'm gonna shine (hopefully)! *fingers crossed*

Me

It's official

Before any of you guys think I'm attached or my exams are over or *insert what you think it is*, sorry to burst your bubble. =P

I've been feeling rather frustrated lately. I don't know why it took me more than a year to feel frustrated since I've been in Adelaide since February last year.

So, what is it about "official" & "Adelaide"? LOL I just simply don't get the Aussies! Like, seriously =.= I don't get their humour, their culture of drinking & clubbing, the way they say "no worries" in response to "thank you", the way they say "ta" as a replacement of "thanks",
arvo" for "afternoon", & calling people "mate". I dunno about you but according to my dictionary (in both sense), "mate" is something more personal. According to Microsoft Encarta Dictionary 2007 - U.K. used to address somebody: used as a friendly, or sometimes hostile, form of address to a man (informal) (usually used in combination). There were more than 1 definitions. Another definition is "friend". Well, I'm not a man AND I'm definitely not YOUR (any random Aussie person) friend! It gets to me all the time! =S Even though I speak proper English, without the lahs, mas, lohs etc., they still don't get me. Sooooo, I have to "speak like an Aussie", which they don't understand me either! It's freaking frustrating, it's like being mocked at, y'know? It's like they're secretly laughing at me in their heads, "Haha...Actually I understand you perfectly. I'm just poking fun at ya." OR "WTH, your Eng sucks to the extent I do not understand you!" There are a few instances where Aussie people don't get what I mean. I'll just give you 2 examples.

Incident #1
Venue: A reject-shop kinda store
Was looking for a waste paper basket but I couldn't seem to find it after having walked up & down the aisle a million times, so I resorted to asking one of the cashiers on duty.

Me: Hi, I would like to know where I could find a waste paper basket.
C: A...what?
Me: A waste paper basket?
C: Errr...sorry, what?
Me: (Attempted to pronounce it in an Aussie 'style', with "a" being pronounced as "ai") A wAIst paper basket.
C: A rice paper basket?! (I was like =.= WTH, rice paper basket sounds close enough to a waste paper basket & she still couldn't get it!! Was losing my patience)
Me: (Was getting annoyed at this point) A waste paper basket? You know, something you used to throw unwanted papers into?
C: Oh! A waste paper basket! Right, it's just there..walk to the end & they're just on your right.
Me: Thanks.
C: No worries! (see what I mean?!)

Incident #2
Venue: Home
I couldn't find a particular piece of information on the subject that I had to sit an exam for the next day. So I msg-ed one of my coursemates, an Aussie obviously, to ask her if she knew where to find it. Till the next day, even after I've sat for that subject, I didn't get any reply from her. & she replied me this: hp all ok ee lin! sorry didnt reply at time. was lk for that answer too! How did you find the nxwm (short for Nutrition, Exercise & Weight Management) exam? L___ (her name) I wasn't in the mood to reply her because obviously I didn't see the point in replying. I mean, what should I say? Tell her what I thought about the exam? Then what? =S Back home, we (my friends & I) don't normally sms about stuff like that. We would just talk face to face if we wanted to know stuff like that, not sms! It'd be so awkward to just stop msg-ing with nothing else to say. Besides, I didn't wanna waste my hp credit! =S Anyway, I thought maybe I should reply just to be polite. & so I told her what I thought about the exam & she replied me saying that she agreed. Then WHAT?! Ish...I hate it when they (Aussies) make small talks that go nowhere. So no, I didn't reply after that.
Disclaimer: I'm not being racist. I'm just simply saying that I don't get the people here! & I don't think I'll ever fit in. You see, I don't even get their humour. Last year when I took this course which requires us to watch some clips of Aussie TV shows, everyone laughed except me. I sat there with this face --> =.=|||

XOXO,
Me

='(

Yup, that's how I feel right now. =( Y is it that the more you hope, the more disappointment you feel?? Maybe my resolution for next year should be - Never hope, so that there won't be any disappointments. *sigh*

Sadly,
Me

=(

For 20 years of my very existence, I've never had to worry stuff about being beautiful & such. For example, I don't even care if I have hairy legs (although having hairy armpits is quite unforgivable) or that I don't wear feminine enough. I had no problems with anything to do with my appearance. You must be thinking this is another post about my protest regarding my principles on beauty again, right?

You're WRONG!

LOL

This is the most random & most wu liao post ever! Since I came to Adelaide, I realised since last year that I've been having dandruff now & then. =( When I went home last summer, everything was normal again. This year, it started developing again...since mid-winter? I can't remember when...*sigh* I could still remember how I thought people with dandruff must be dirty & that they don't wash their hair enough. But since I shampoo my hair every 2 days, it's impossible that my hair's dirty right??? So I decided to do some research on dandruff. =D

& *gasps* I learnt that dandruff can be caused by emotional/physical stress & the season - usually worse in winter. These are 2 of the factors. I wonder if it's both in my case. So, for the first time in my life, I had to go shop for anti-dandruff shampoo. =( Fortunately for me, mine is not as serious as described in many websites - "White scales and flakes on the scalp which fall onto the shoulders" or "may be associated with irritation or itching".

Before I end this post, here's a really funny pic that describes what dandruff is really all about. XP

*update: ish! i tried to link the pic here & it failed because the pic was copyrighted - wtf =.=

XOXO,
Me

What I do when I'm stressed 2

At times like this, I always need a good laugh. Was thinking of blogging to relieve stress & I found this cartoon. ROTFL Now, don't you feel it reflects most of us during exams? =P

I have nothing to update, really. Oh, except for the fact that I haven't stepped out of the house for 2 days in a row =.= I think I'mma go out later to get some fresh air!

Another 2 more weeks...yes, it ain't that faraway! >.<

XOXO,
Me

What I eat when I'm doing revision

Studying lecture slides
(It enhances my memory on things that I've studied! It works!)

A slice of choc chip & apricot cake

Let me elaborate more on the cake. LOL I feel so loved these few days =P Yesterday I stayed back at uni to study with J until 9:30pm & at about 7:30pm, my coursemate/classmate sms-ed me to ask if I was still at uni cause she bought me "yum yum" cake (according to her) to keep me awake while studying! How thoughtful is that?! =)) & indeed they were yummy! I didn't finish them yesterday, so I ate the remaining piece today as a dessert for lunch. I think I'm starting to get influenced by Lunch is Served. She blogs about what she has for lunch & the stories that go with it. Got me hooked. XP

A tuna sandwich with cheese & a tall Long Black from Hudson's

XOXO,
Me

*sniff*

OMG! I just can't believe it!!

A moment ago, I was studying...feeling lazy, eyelids about to close when suddenly my mobile phone rang with Britney Spear's song Autumn Goodbye..."I NEVER PROMISED YOU A HAPPY ENDING, U NEVER SAID U WOULDN'T MAKE ME CRY..." You get the drift. It was pretty loud and I totally got a fright! XP

The voice of the caller (C) didn't sound at all familiar.
This was how the "conversation" went:

C: Hello! *very cheery tone*
Me: Hello! *very cheery tone*
C: You're at home right?
Me: Yeah...? Who's this?
C: Oh, I'm SL, using E's phone to call. I'm reaching your place in 15 mins, I'll call you when I'm there & you just come down & get something ok?
Me: *confused* Errr...OK

I was left clueless. I didn't know what was happening. LOL After giving J a birthday surprise I thought someone was doing the same, except that my birthday was eons ago! XP But what could it be?! A VERY belated present?! =S Hmmm....

So, I continued studying, keeping in mind that my phone would ring any moment so that I would not jump outta my seat due to Britney's singing. And so, SL said she was here & I immediately went down.

It turned out that SL & E made me herbal soup! OMG! Can you believe it?! Herbal soup! The one thing I miss most about home! My mom used to make herbal soups for us all the time, especially exam periods. Ohhh...

Now everything fits into place. I recalled myself talking to SL after church last week. She asked me how I was doing & cause last week I was totally stressed out due to assignments, I casually said that I'm stressed out but trying not to. She asked me if I missed home & I replied without 2nd thought "YES! Especially now that no one makes me herbal soups during times of stress!" I know I have a weak body. That's why I always try not to put myself in a situation where I'll fall sick easily. For example, I try not to even expose my neck when it's windy because I catch a cold easily (that is why I can never fathom how the ang mohs can wear low-cut dresses during winter); I try not to risk not bringing a sweater out when I know that it might be cold because I don't wanna bear the consequences of catching a cold later; not forgetting, I don't like wearing skirts during winter even though I've got tights because tights ain't that thick & again, I might catch a cold if a bigger surface area of my body is exposed to the wind.

Anyway, back to the story. I never, in my wildest dream, thought that someone would actually take my word seriously. OMG. I feel so touched!! It is a kind of surprise...& it changes my perception towards ppl too. I thought it'd b so hard to actually find someone who cares. =) I'll leave that for another day.

Here's a picture of the soup! And mind you, there's ginseng inside too!! =) I'm a happy girl...

Soup in jar

Close up

XOXO,
Me

My assignments...

...are so yesterday!! XP I don't care that exams are just around the corner, I'd prefer studying to doing assignments ANYTIME!!

So here's a song I dedicate to myself...LOL






XOXO,
Me

What I do when I'm stressed

Drink...

...a cup of chamomile tea with a teaspoon of honey

and listen...

...to an upbeat song!

XOXO,
Me

That's Me!

Fiddle while Rome burns:
to occupy yourself with unimportant things when there are extremely important things requiring to be done

XOXO,
Me

What I do when I'm restless

SCATTERGORIES...it's harder than it looks! Copy and paste into a new bulletin. When you are done, send it on. Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following... they have to be real places, names, things...nothing made up! Try to use different answers if the person in front of you had the same 1st initial. You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question.

What is your name?
Ee Lin

4 letter word:
East

Vehicle:
E-Series Volvo (?)

City:
Ethiopia

Boy Name:
Edwin

Girl Name:
Emily

Alcoholic drink:
Ethanol XP

Occupation:
Elevator cleaner (?)

Something you wear:
Essentials (What?! I wear only the essentials)

Celebrity:
Emma Watson

Food:
(anything) Eastern

Something found in a bathroom:
Eau de toilette

Reason for Being Late:
Elevator slow

Cartoon Character:
Emily the Strange

Something You Shout:
Eeeeeesh!

Oh boy, that was mind boggling! =S

XOXO,
Me

A Quick Update

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SZE MAY & CHERYL GAN!!!!!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I missed my bus by 3 seconds today. Before I could run to the bus stop, the bus had already turned into the main road. Oh well, will just have to wait for 15 minutes till the next one comes. So I decided to walk over to the bus stop situated farther away since I had nothing to do. While standing there waiting for my bus, I noticed that there was a construction going on on the opposite side of the road. The construction workers were trying to arrange those glass panel thingies (GPTs) along the sides of the building. And as I observed them, I think it took them quite a while (& effort!) to just place 1 GPT together with the rest of the GPTs. It really got me thinking, "What would we do without them? (the construction workers I mean)" No matter how beautifully buildings are designed by architects, without those construction workers, their designs would just be a mere design on paper. I can't help but to admire those construction workers. They pour out so much sweat and effort, yet they're not earning as much as professionals do (correct me if I'm wrong but I think they don't get paid very well).

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


OK, moving along. I had this really random thought. If we asians are called asians, and those who are of mix heritage are called eurasians, then why are ang mohs called caucasians? There's the word "asians" in it. =S So what does that "cauc-" stand for? Have you ever wondered? Hmm...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh!! Before I forget! OMG...today I almost inhaled a freaking fly!!! I was on the bus talking to a friend and this freaking fly decided that my nostril seemed like a good hideout and it flew straight into (well, it attempted to anyway, i can totally read its mind!) my nostril but hah! Just before it could fly into my nostril, I exhaled with all my might even though I very much wanted to inhale (lack of oxygen). =S Totally disgusting! Argh!

p/s: been really busy preparing for a presentation next tues & 2 assignments due next thurs & fri respectively.

XOXO,
Me

I really don't understand...

...how people can juz leave their dirty dishes for weeks, even months!! =S
Washing a freaking bowl only takes less than freaking 30 seconds!

Check this out =.= I don't even wanna know what that black lining in the bowl is.

Left by the sink for weeks
(The other housemate helped her clean her bowl a few days ago, & this appeared days after)

Just fyi, my "dear" housemate threw away those smelly milk cartons almost after a month (It felt like eternity). Now, below is a pic of the current state of her bin. Treasure hunt anyone?

A month ago

Present

Oh, & yesterday J pasted a note on her door asking her to wash her bowl. Guess what?! The note worked wonders! This morning I nearly had a heart attack when I saw that the space by the sink was EMPTY! W-O-W! I also added a P.S. beneath the note asking her to pay me for the internet bill &...I got back the money today!

Hmmm...sometimes I just wish I could make a trip into her mind to see how her mind works. Interesting...

XOXO,
Me

Laugh die me!

OMG, I nearly died laughing! I was feeling sleepy so I asked this friend of mine, YL, to entertain me while I do my work. He asked me for my opinion about this particular post on his blog so I told him what I thought...before we knew it, the following conversation took place:

* º·º°¨*¨°º·•« E-LiAnG »•·º°¨*¨°º·º° * says:
love just isnt easy

Ee Lin 依灵 is on cloud 9 & no one can bring her down! says:
like for example, a wife who's always abused by her husband...many also think that their husbands will one day change...but u cannot expect such things...cause it's hard for them to change...and that is y many women still are caught in a bad relationship n unable to break free....u get what i mean? like they know it isn't working but they're still hoping...they're willing to take the risk

Ee Lin 依灵 is on cloud 9 & no one can bring her down! says:
lol..this is the more serious wan la

.* º·º°¨*¨°º·•« E-LiAnG »•·º°¨*¨°º·º° * says:
yeah too serious

.* º·º°¨*¨°º·•« E-LiAnG »•·º°¨*¨°º·º° * says:
always abuse de ==S

.* º·º°¨*¨°º·•« E-LiAnG »•·º°¨*¨°º·º° * says:
this kind of man should die

Ee Lin 依灵 is on cloud 9 & no one can bring her down! says:
=D

Ee Lin 依灵 is on cloud 9 & no one can bring her down! says:
so funny...

Ee Lin 依灵 is on cloud 9 & no one can bring her down! says:
no no...

Ee Lin 依灵 is on cloud 9 & no one can bring her down! says:
die is too easy liao

Ee Lin 依灵 is on cloud 9 & no one can bring her down! says:
hahahaha

Ee Lin 依灵 is on cloud 9 & no one can bring her down! says:
should be castrated

.* º·º°¨*¨°º·•« E-LiAnG »•·º°¨*¨°º·º° * says:
hahaha

.* º·º°¨*¨°º·•« E-LiAnG »•·º°¨*¨°º·º° * says:
yeah

.* º·º°¨*¨°º·•« E-LiAnG »•·º°¨*¨°º·º° * says:
agreed

.* º·º°¨*¨°º·•« E-LiAnG »•·º°¨*¨°º·º° * says:
maybe pluck his toenails out one by one

.* º·º°¨*¨°º·•« E-LiAnG »•·º°¨*¨°º·º° * says:
ok i am being too violent

.* º·º°¨*¨°º·•« E-LiAnG »•·º°¨*¨°º·º° * says:
lol

Ee Lin 依灵 is on cloud 9 & no one can bring her down! says:

Ee Lin 依灵 is on cloud 9 & no one can bring her down! says:
good idea...

Ee Lin 依灵 is on cloud 9 & no one can bring her down! says:
and pour salt on them

.* º·º°¨*¨°º·•« E-LiAnG »•·º°¨*¨°º·º° * says:
hahaha

.* º·º°¨*¨°º·•« E-LiAnG »•·º°¨*¨°º·º° * says:
then oil

.* º·º°¨*¨°º·•« E-LiAnG »•·º°¨*¨°º·º° * says:
n light fire on it

Ee Lin 依灵 is on cloud 9 & no one can bring her down! says:
WAH!!

Ee Lin 依灵 is on cloud 9 & no one can bring her down! says:
u so ganas!!

Ee Lin 依灵 is on cloud 9 & no one can bring her down! says:
u're killing him liao

Ee Lin 依灵 is on cloud 9 & no one can bring her down! says:
lol..

.* º·º°¨*¨°º·•« E-LiAnG »•·º°¨*¨°º·º° * says:
slowly killing him ma

Ee Lin 依灵 is on cloud 9 & no one can bring her down! says:
must torture him kau kau ma!

Ee Lin 依灵 is on cloud 9 & no one can bring her down! says:
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

.* º·º°¨*¨°º·•« E-LiAnG »•·º°¨*¨°º·º° * says:
nola

.* º·º°¨*¨°º·•« E-LiAnG »•·º°¨*¨°º·º° * says:
nearly wanna die le

.* º·º°¨*¨°º·•« E-LiAnG »•·º°¨*¨°º·º° * says:
put da fire out

Ee Lin 依灵 is on cloud 9 & no one can bring her down! says:
XD

.* º·º°¨*¨°º·•« E-LiAnG »•·º°¨*¨°º·º° * says:
then let him rest for awhile

Ee Lin 依灵 is on cloud 9 & no one can bring her down! says:
put the fire out!!!!

.* º·º°¨*¨°º·•« E-LiAnG »•·º°¨*¨°º·º° * says:
then again ==P

Funny right?! I thought it was hilarious...imagine that "poor" guy being tied up, having his toenails pulled out, being set fire, then rest, then being burnt again. I dunno y but I imagined it in a very comical way! XP

XOXO,
Me

Have you ever...

...wished that time could just standstill while you're busy finishing your work so that you can use the remaining time to enjoy yourself?!

Well, I have...in fact, a lot lately.

Very melancholic of me...

Again and again, I feel lost in a sea of people with non-black hair.

Here I feel insignificant.

Because they just walk past you as if you were invisible.

Sometimes I imagine myself walking in Adelaide as though I'm the only person that exists.

But...it keeps failing.

All I need is a little piece of home.

I think I've mentioned in one of my posts last year that I need people/places that are familiar to me to make me feel at home.

Someone whom I can run to when I just wanna runaway from this chaotic world.

At the same time, I wish time could move faster so that I am able to fly home where I belong though the political side is rather erm...complicated at the moment.

Been drifting away from Him too...need to pray for His empowerment to keep me, His creation, going no matter how tough the going is!

Everything's in a mess right now...how do you do a spiritual spring-cleaning?

OK, just realised that this post is rather depressing.

Me

Time is running out...

...and I'm extremely stressed!

I have work to do but I don't have the slightest amount of motivation to do them. =( HELP!! I wish I could just lie down on a lush green meadow, under a clear blue sky with white cotton-candy clouds, horses/goats/cows grazing...Ahhh

*SNAP* back to reality!




p/s: will update about my 2-week mid-sem break when I'm not as stressed.

Me