Blood

...is actually very red. Mine's really, really red.
Any vampires lurking around?

Sis was sick, again, so mom brought her to the clinic.
I tagged along because I needed a medical check-up before being sent into the wilderness.
See, NS is so troublesome.

First, the doc checked my blood pressure.
Then, she asked me for a urine sample.
And because I complained about my backache, that made it even more important.
The test came back clean; no trace of sodium, sugar or protein in my kidneys.
That also means that my kidneys are working all right, YAY!

Then, came the blood. And boy, was mine really red.
I think it's as red as scarlet.
I guess the oxyhaemoglobin just has too much oxygen in them.
The alcohol left a burning sensation on my skin before the syringe pierced through my skin.
Then, she drew about 4ml of it and it was done.
She said that the results will be back tomorrow, since it is urgent and problems will have to be fixed ASAP.

Who knew the results would be back today.
The lab techies probably spent the day watching paint dry before my blood got to them.
And...I'm as healthy as an ox!
The backache? Probably from my bad posture when I'm sitting, since I do hunch a lil when I'm in front of the computer. Ehehe...

Okay, I guess that's it.
My life's just not as interesting as some people's.

V-Day

...was okay.

Yesterday was Valentine's Day...and I spent it being on my own.
Hey, I don't need anyone's pity. I HAD FUN
I spent another holiday in a game. Hehe.
I just quit it like five minutes ago, so you can guess how long I was in there.

-

My brain is now functioning at 3%, so don't expect perfect English.
Manglish also can lah, can?
Today patch Maple Story, but the stupid auto patch didn't work.
Wait for manual patch download also sibeh slow; have to download it twice.
Once, it download till 98% and then the stupid wireless die.
WTH?
But good thing is, once I go in I got invited into a guild.
I've been guild-less for so long after DarkClover disbanded. I never play much since two years ago.
So, I spent my day doing noob quest, from level 40-82 quests.
New map haven't explore yet.
Now, my arms are hurting cause the whole day doing nothing but pressing the 'jump', 'buff skill', 'explosion', 'fire arrow', 'mc' and pot.

-

Dinner was at some seafood restaurant.
Dad ordered something called a geoduck.
I said it looked like a tapeworm / ringworm that got itself caught in a clam shell.
It was like chewing a plastic sheet, tasteless.
And yet, it's the most expensive dish!
This world is so weird; weird looking and tasting things are the expensive ones.

-

I want sleep, or not tomorrow someone will have to face my crankiness.
So, to those people who are going to celebrate Valentine's Day now,
Happy V-Day!
You don't really have to spend it with someone; just spend the day doing all the things you like. Celebrate singledom! YAY!
I'm so sleepy till gila edi.

Geh...

...Life's a mystery.

You know, it's the middle of February, right?
So, I called.
And you know what they said?

It's still in the middle of processing. You can call us on the 18th if you have yet to receive the confirmation letter.

WTH?!?!
Eh, I'm not planning to waste my time waiting for the stupid thing.
If I don't get, I don't care.
I'm going to start my classes in March and get the hell outta this @%#@&$ #@&#$%@.

YOU DON'T OWN ME.

I go read ペンギン革命 to blow off some steam. Katsuragi Ryou is sooooooooooooo cute!
Damn, I go ga-ga over a fictional character...again.
Well, real life bishies are either major jerks or gay. I guess that's life.

Irony

...seems to be the theme of my life.

It's gonna be short, cause it's one in the morning and I'm still having the killer headache from yesterday.
That's maybe cause I was coughing way too much.
I know, I'm sick.
...And I'm really, really, really, really PISSED at the irony.

WHY DO GOOD THINGS ALWAYS HAPPEN AFTER I'VE LEFT SCHOOL OR THAT I DIDN'T ATTEND CLASS FOR A DAY?!?!

I know it's childish for me to throw a tantrum over this, but it's just so annoying.

Okay, I'll go be a good girl and go to sleep now.

Happiness

...is probably one emotion I can never fully enjoy.

Well, I sat for my Undang today.
Heh, I'll just let you guess how I did.
But that will be revealed later on.

--

Today, mom got us out of the house early, cause she had lots to do.
She had to take my sister to see the doctor;
She had to take my bro to see the coach so that he could see the bow.
Yes, the school FINALLY offers archery but I ALREADY graduated from the school. Ironic, isn't it?
She had to drop bro and I off so that the instructor can take us there.

On my way there, I saw many of my ex-schoolmates.
Like Jimmy from 5C at Tmn Megah. I think he was working already.
Then, I saw Min Wei who is also from 5C. He was going to take the exam too.
After that, I saw Lydia at the test site, but she was already leaving.
Then, I saw David at Kelana Jaya's MRT station when we were heading back. I don't know him that well, other than being expelled once. He was with his girlfriend.
Later on, I saw Michelle driving past us while we were walking to Casa Impian.

Anyways, I'll get back to the test site.
Everyone was reading their book, except for me.
Not that I'm confident or anything, but I just wanted to get it done and over with.
But the thought of failing was dancing in my head the entire time.
FYI: I only did some of the sample questions yesterday, 500 of them.
So when the guy in charge called my name, I just stood up, took my ic and the number and headed to the desk.

Okay, it's fully computerized; so the only thing I'm worried about is clicking the wrong answer.
When I did the test for colour-blindness, that didn't worry me too much.
So was the static questions.
When it came to the real part, I just moved like normal.
I did hesitate on a few questions, and was unsure about 11 of them.
I was the third person to leave the room.

--

I'll talk about looking at a bow now.
Archery is one of the few games that I really want to play. So goes for martial arts, paintball and rock / wall climbing.
The equipment altogether costs around 2000+. And that's for the amateur bow, Korean or American made.
Like my dad says, I have expensive taste.
But bro's the one buying it first, since he needs it for competition in two weeks.
I'll try my luck to get one once I finish my stint.
See, it ruined everything.

--

Now, I'll talk about my result.
Okay since I've purposely deliberated, I must have given the impression that I didn't pass.
I mean, who exactly dallies on a piece of good (not to you, but me) news huh?
Your guess is...WRONG!
It's the excitement that kills, ne?
Of course I passed!
I don't think I'd be able to live it down knowing that my cousin can do it at one go while I can't.
Yes, I was the third to go out of the room, but the first to pass.
The two who came out before me didn't.
So, I'm heading to some workshop tomorrow and stand / sit for another 6 hours till my ass cramps or my legs go numb, whichever comes first.
And probably in a few weeks, I'd be the one behind the wheels; taking bro and sis to school.
...Woohooo...That's a future to look forward to.
*groans*

Pending

*checks the mailbox*
*sees letters*
*spots name*
*sees the sender*
*jumps for joy*
*itchy fingers tears the mail*
*reads the letter*
*meh...*

Yeah, I took the picture when I already opened the mail.
And the huge envelope is another story.

--

The whole 'meh...' thing was referring to my *coughstupidcough* NS stint.
I called them two days ago to see whether my appeal for changing of group was approved, but you know what they say?
Here's the conversation (translated from Malay):

Me : Hello, I'm calling to ask about my appeal of transfer.
Guy : *sounds tired* We have not made the decision yet; the meeting has not been held.
Me : Huh? But I sent my appeal in January! *sigh* When can I get the news?
Guy : Call us in the middle of February; the name list should be up by then.
Me : Middle of February...Okay then. Thank you.

Two days after my call, I got the mail.

The letter is dated to the 28 of January...So slow moving.
It says that my appeal is taken into consideration and will get the news by 16 of Feb. If I don't hear from them by that date, it means that my appeal failed.

- -

About the huge white envelope, it's from my uncle (mom's bro).
The picture should tell you what it's about.

No matter how much I didn't put this college into consideration, it still managed to get hold of me!
Like my dad kept telling me to go to this college;
Or like my dad's friend who kept recommending this college (during the gathering);
Or the time when the counselor called about my application (which I don't remember doing);
Or that my uncle happened to have connections within the college.
Can I conclude that I'm destined to go to this college?
That's a scary thought.

My uncle designed the labs in SEGI, so he knows the dean, the head of the Science faculty and almost any other people there.
...I think one of my grandaunt is a senior matron there too.
Since I was talking about taking the medical line of work when he came to visit, he took his time to go to the campus to ask about the course I was interested in.
Then, he dropped it off yesterday; along with a name card of THE head lecturer of that course.
And that's the story behind that huge white envelope!

--

See, see. This is what's inside!

To my surprise, it even included the application form for the the other half (2 years) of my twinning program!

And see where I'm going to go (if everything works out, that is)!

It's at the North East side of England.
Not exactly my dad's alma mater, but at least it's still in the same country...
And if Carmen (Loke, not Lai) has gone to England like she said she would, I'd be able to visit her...in 3-4 years. That's quite long...
Wait for me, yeah?

--

Since Jess asked me about my Korean version of Goong...I'll post up a picture now.
I'm sorry it's late. 御免, 御免.

It's colored, all the way!
And here's the MapleStory guide I got.

It's me-i-puru-seu-to-ri in Romanized Korean.
I guess my hard work paid off! :D

Barbie Dolls

I'm reverting back to my old way of writing, but only for this post.

One interesting topic has caught my eye, which of course relates to the title, Barbie dolls.
This post is in referral to the article 'Barbie: to love or to loathe' on page 16 of StarTwo; under lifestyle. Two journalist / writers have written about their views about Barbie; Moira Redmond on the Government while Julie Bindel on the Opposition. A debate, it is.

Barbie dolls...I have several of them. Yes, several.
I was a girl, once; but that was a long, long time ago.
I used to love dressing her up and going on 'vacation' with her, telling her my dreams and ambitions...Sounds pathetic, huh? Well, I was only seven.
I also used to nag my parents to get me the house set. They didn't, until my younger sister came along. Then, I used her to get them. Whenever I needed something, she'd be my tool.
At the age of ten, I was able to manipulate a kid; she was wrapped all around my finger.
See, I told you I was evil and devious but nobody believed me.

I did continue to play with Barbie up until the age of twelve, or maybe eleven. As to why the lost of interest? I don't know. Perhaps I just outgrew it.
My thirteen-year-old would be an age my parents would call as the 'emo' age; I was miserable and only wore black. I hated everyone and everything and loathed the thought of wearing a skirt.
So, what does this exactly have to do with Barbie?
Even though I hated wearing a skirt, I made her wear them. And instead of wearing the clothes in that were apiece, I jumbled them up.
My point- She taught me my sense of dressing.
And even though I'll probably never wear a skirt again, at least I could offer my suggestions to my mom whenever she asks.

Perhaps Julie never experienced this point.
She was hell bent on hating Barbie just because it was a sex symbol for perverted guys; that it symbolized that women were objects to play with; the development of the 'Barbie Syndrome' and the jealousy of girls turned to the destruction of their dolls, making their personality warped- my interpretation of her words.
Even though I'm not so happy with my body, I never did take it out on Barbie.
Geez, she's a doll and she's made in a factory. Besides, it would be a waste of money to destroy a doll; Barbie dolls ain't exactly really cheap where I come from.

The points she presented were good points, but foundations were shaky nonetheless. It is the people themselves are striving for perfection, even though they know that perfection is unachievable.
As a female, I know that I'm not an object to be played with and am not any weaker to the male counterpart. Heck, I can even beat some of my guy friends in games that they deem 'only fit for guys'. Through decades, we've made a point to men that we're just as good as they are; and on occasions, even better.
As for those perverted freaks; you could get a really sick response from them even if you put a picture of a fully clothed person in front of them.
The bottom line is, it's all in the state of mind.

I don't love Barbie, nor do I hate her. I'm Switzerland in this topic.
And I have two of them on display on my keyboard note stand. I change their clothes whever I feel like it.

Classical Music

...is really stimulating when you are doing tough math questions or trying to learn a new language.

I've not been using much of my brain since the exams were over.
And playing Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhurst doesn't count.
So after two months of underusing my brain, I decided to take up a language.
Yup, a language.
...No kidding.
Anyways, it's not Japanese; I need to go to the school for that.
I'm learning Korean and the language school that I found doesn't have it as an option.

So, how much is it for a private tutor?
Well, it's free of charge; and it's not my relative who's teaching me.
Besides, I would be quite surprised if they knew more than 2 / 3 languages (not including ethnic dialect).
It's true and I'm not putting them down or anything; their English is veli ho-ri-ji-bel (taken from my aunt).
Then?
Duh, I'm learning it on my own. What is free of charge in this world, excluding the air we breathe.
...I'm not even sure about that statement.

Since I went to Korea for vacation last year, I have a Korean dictionary and a phrasebook.
...Which wasn't even used at all.
Like any dictionary, they have the introduction. And if anyone would take the time to read it, then we wouldn't have so many morons that doesn't know how to use a dictionary or what 'abbrev' means.

When people say that when you learn Chinese then it's easier for you to take up Japanese or Korean, it's partially true.
You have to memorise the characters; just like Chinese.
But one thing for sure, don't expect it to be exactly like Chinese.
The characters are different (duh) and one word may not even mean that it's only one sound.
Confused?
Simplified...It's kinda like spelling; like the spelling we use in any other language. And instead of alphabets, it's hangul.
They have the basic consonant, just like English, and vowels too. But they have the additional compound consonants (like 'pp', 'tt', 'kk', and 'ss') and compound vowels ('yeo', 'eo', 'ui', etc).

I've gotten the basic consonants, compound consonants and the half of the vowels done. That alone, I can translate most of the words I see into romanized Korean.
But the thing is, I have no idea what they mean...yet.
And, I was quite confused with one of the characters, 'ch'. The dictionary was different from the phrasebook.
Since I don't have a Korean word processor, I concluded that both characters could be used. I even saw the same character in two of my other sources- the Korean version of Goong and MapleStory I bought at a whim last year.
See, who said that the things I buy are useless?
And if I do meet a Korean, I'll ask to clear the confusion and how to get myself a Korean word processor.

I'm going to continue my learning after I finish cataloging 花より団子.
Even though I've zipped up the file some time ago, I'm not quite satisfied with the way I renamed the pages.
And since I've not burnt it into discs yet, I'll rename it with my renamer.
Another 15 more volumes to go...

Almost Done

Well, after I posted the last post...I didn't continue doing my cataloging.
See, my procrastination is THAT bad.
So, I did it today...or yesterday, since it's 1+ in the morning.
ONE?!?!
OMG~
Nah, it's nothing. I stayed up playing MMORPG for 3 days without sleeping; so this is nothing actually.

I started in the late afternoon, like 4.
Went out for dinner and then continued till now.
I have 73 more to finish and 5 folders to zip.
*sigh*
Even when I know I've still got lots to go, I'm now downloading two new releases from Aerandria; Shounen Dolls and ひみつの姫君うわさの王子.
Kyaaaa~ (fangirly scream when Leo of Shounen Dolls pops into the mind)
My manga obsession has just gone up another level; truly an otaku. :D
Since I've got around 20 minutes left to wait, I'll go read 極楽青春ホッケー部!

Listening to Rhymester's Heat Island...now Paramore's That's What You Get.

Update: More fangirly screams after seeing Yukinosuke and Leo in a tux...
Kyaaaaaaaa~