Part 2 - Philly and Beyond

Indeed, I could not have picked a better time to come to the states. Events of note in reverse chronological order:

ELECTION DAY TODAY!

Everyone is excited and the whole campus is abuzz! Based on my unscientific poll of yard signs, buttons and T-shirts seen today, McCain doesn't stand a chance here in University City, and especially on campus. In fact, according to a friend, the few closet McCain supporters have taken to emerging only in the middle of the night, chalking "Vote McCain" on the pavement and sticking up the odd McCain poster. Otherwise, it's one big Obama party! Cars are honking outside because volunteers are standing at the curb with signs saying "HONK FOR OBAMA!", the mood is upbeat and I just can't believe it's election day. I can barely fathom what both camps must be feeling right now, having invested almost two years of their lives in the campaign. This is the make or break. I mean, wow. I can't wait to see how this plays out tonight. It will be monumental.

One of the many yard signs I polled.

HALLOWEEN

I knew Halloween was big here, but I didn't know it was that big. Lots of pumpkin carving too. This was the day I had my 15 hour assignment marathon so you can guess that I wasn't out partying, but rest assured, everyone else was. People really took the effort to dress up, and I spotted some pretty awesome costumes on my way to poker at 12am. No pictures though. Instead:

(Photo from the internet) It took me half a minute but when I realised what was going on it cracked me up. One of Obama's campaign slogans is "Yes We Can!"

PHILLIES WIN THE WORLD SERIES!

So I was a baseball noobie, and still am, but I understand at least that winning the World Series, and more so after a 28 year drought, is a BIG deal for Philadelphia. While I wish I could appreciate the Phillies win a bit more, the unbridled ecstasy that ensued was infectious. For 3, 4 hours straight that night after the win, people ran down Spruce St (one of many, no doubt) screaming and jumping and celebrating, cars honked and flashed their lights as passengers stretched as far out as they could from the windows waving, laughing, cheering with everyone around them. The next day everyone - security guards, cafe staff, students - were decked out in Phillies gear and congratulating each other. There was also a huge parade in Center City.


THE FINANCIAL CRISIS

Unfortunately I have two group meetings lined up tonight with the first starting in 10 minutes so I will have to come back to this. Happy reading!

Phillies vs. New York Mets

This blog is a bit like Arrested Development - the little teaser the previous week (or post, in this case) has no bearing whatsoever to what actually comes up next.

So I went for my first ever Major League baseball game last week - what an experience!! Armed with a half-baked understanding of the game and its rules, I trooped off to Citizens Bank Park with 24 other exchange students from around the world for a taste of this integral slice of American culture. Apparently this would be an interesting match because the Phillies and the Mets had tied the night before, and would be jousting for first place in the Eastern standings this game.

The atmosphere on the subway was particularly festive - fans were decked out in red and white (and some blue) with huge 'P's emblazoned on their fronts; some sported all manner of flags, signs and caps.

Destination in sight:

The subway spilled out into the cool, breezy evening and snaked its way to the entrance. Along the way, there were what must have been scalpers or desperate fans hollering, "Extra tickets? Anybody got extra tickets?"

Why? Because:

I'm sure he's famous:
As a matter of fact, Rollins scored a couple of home runs that night...

The big screen that kept us entertained all night:

Nothing can quite convey the atmosphere and excitement of being part of such a huge crowd than actually being there:
At the time of this picture, the Mets had been booed on the pitch and the Phillies greeted with a rousing roar. The smell of fries (not chips - if you ask for chips, they actually give you potato chips) wafted across and made me hungry, vendors were hauling crates of cold beverages up and down the stands yelling, "BEER! Get your ice-cold beer!", the two Mets fans sitting next to me were popping salted nuts and the game was about to begin! I felt like I was in a movie.

A few broken bats and home runs later, the Phillies get an early lead 3 to 1:

As I realised that night, part of why baseball is so lucrative is that it's made itself into the perfect live spectator sport. Sure, the scoring system helps - with 9 innings and lots of breaks in between, it's a little more exciting than cricket yet not so involved that you can't get up and grab a hotdog, then come back and check the score. More importantly though, there's so much more to 'being at the game' than just focusing on the pitch and players. There's so much fanfare going on off the pitch or on the big screen that gets the spectators involved and having fun, and ultimately, well, attending.

For example, every now and then a trivia question or a mini-game would go up on screen. People would call out their answers, or rally their neighbours into a chant; then, once the answer pops up, a collective sigh emits from the 'losers' and the 'winners' celebrate with laughter and cheers. Or, the roving camera shows up on screen with the words 'Flex Cam' superimposed, and zooms in on various people in the stands, while the rest cheer at the fat guy bouncing his wobbly arms or boo at the fit, over-keen guy whose flexing fills the camera. All this, while the 'macho, macho maaaan!' refrain plays in the background. Then, an ad for XYZ Hotdogs gets played, after which, as the ad wraps up, an XYZ Hotdog mascot on a buggy drives onto the pitch (between innings obviously) and shoots foil-wrapped hotdogs into the stands. The crowd hoots and cheers and gets on its feet, while arms flail about amidst calls of "HERE! HERE!"

I tell you, that hotdog shooter is some contraption...it's a 45000 capacity stadium and it shot one right up and over the edge of the stadium!

Then, there are the traditions, the staple at baseball games, the potatoes of an Irishman's diet - like the 7th-inning stretch. During the half of the 7th inning, everyone gets up - some stretch, some sing racuously to 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame", and others like me, so clearly out-of-place, crack ourselves up, lift our hands in amusement and join in the chorus.

Then, there are things I thought only happened in movies:
He proposed! Most of the crowd were supportive, though some hecklers met the gesture with calls of "LOSER!". Luckily this one had a happy ending - the girl giggled, covered her face, wiped her eyes, gave a barely discernible nod and shy Mr. Phillies Fan kissed his bride-to-be. I think it's a little embarassing given how the concept has been done to death in movies and goodness, I mean, there are so many ways it could go wrong! Anyway, ended well so, good luck to them!

Now, admittedly, I haven't watched many sports live in the stadium, so I don't know if the spectator carnival happens in other sports the way it does in baseball. Sure doesn't in tennis. Maybe football? You tell me. But first...

Here's a game for you, can you guess the attendance?

A record, sell-out crowd of...

Unfortunately, after a 7 inning lead by the Phillies, the Mets staged a late comeback in the 8th, scoring 4 points, and finally, won the game at 6-3. Invigorated, the vastly outnumbered Mets fans led a chant of 'Let's Go Mets!' - interspersed with a forcible 'Boo!' by disgruntled Phillies fans.

"Let's go Mets!"
"Boo!"
"Let's go Mets!"
"Boo!"

Me? I was a happy camper, despite the outcome.

More stories and adventures to come!

Next week: An exclusive interview with the evangelical right's new heroine. Thanks McCain for helping me make up my mind.

America - Part I

So. Having settled most of the housekeeping (bank, phone, apartment etc) I'm taking advantage of a momentary lull in orientation activities to collect my thoughts and update everyone on my first week in America.

But first, getting here. LT and I met up first at KLIA, since we were both headed to Penn on exchange. The flight was comfortable enough - made a little easier by my noise-reducing earphones, lots of sleep, my success in staying hydrated and surprisingly good food on Northwest Airlines. We made our first transit at Kansai Int'l Airport in Osaka, a modest and poorly signed airport for the non Japanese-speaking visitor. Some coffee and toast and 5 hours later, we piled back on the plane and set off for Detroit.

To try and get my body clock aligned, I stayed awake and watched the movies playing on the main screen (no in-seat entertainment on Northwest). Drillbit Taylor (lousy show) and Leatherheads, a (romantic) comedy/sports movie set in the roaring twenties and starring George Clooney, Renee Zellweger and John Krasinski (from The Office!). That was enjoyable - great cast, great 1920s style music and some funny moments.

12 hours later...

Detroit Metropolitan Airport, looking suspiciously like KLIA

After an hour delay, our connecting flight took off for Philadelphia. I slept like a pig through most of the hour and a half flight, but when I woke up, the sun was shining, it was something like 27C out - it was fantastic! I guess I was bracing myself for the cold so much I forgot it doesn't start till later. Now quite fatigued, we hailed a cab for the hostel where we would spend the next 3 nights.

Unfortunately for us, we landed a really unhelpful cabbie. We gave him the address - 4640 Spruce St. But, as we got onto Spruce, he started barking at us to tell him where to go. I've never seen this place in my entire life, and there he was expecting us to point it out. We peered desperately out the windows and saw that the row of houses that flanked the road were numbered even on the left and odd on the right. Very usual and sensible. We reasoned with the cabbie that since we've just passed 4300, 4640 must be further up the road on our left and if possible could he please keep going. He got impatient, pulled up on the right side and stabbed his finger at the space betwen 4167 and 4169. "No...over THERE! Over there!" he kept saying. After about 5 minutes of confusion, we decided to pay and walk the rest of the way. The meter showed $23, but he quoted us $27. We stalled a little, unsure if he had already included the tip in his quote. Finally we decided he did, paid the $27, after which, he ordered us quite coldly to get our bags ourselves and get out.

So maybe we didn't tip him after all - but I really wasn't feeling very sorry by then. Anyway, we managed to drag a combined 70kgs of luggage up the block and a half, across the road to the hostel, and up 3 flights of rickety stairs to our beds.

Needless to say, we were out in blink.

Coming up next: More updates and photos of campus and Philly center city. Stay tuned!

I CAN'T STOP LISTENING TO JASON MRAZ - I'M YOURS

This kind of dependence is unhealthy. What if I accidentally deleted all copies of the song I have? What if my internet connection fails and I can't download a new copy? I mean, I'll have to depend on the radio stations for my 30 plays a day fix - actually, that might just work...

It's been 2 and a half weeks since I arrived in KL, enjoying the holiday I missed last summer. That sentence feels structurally unsound. Anyway, I've been driving a lot, playing some badminton and mostly, just catching up with friends.

I have 2 weeks to plan my future because application deadlines don't wait for you. I feel maybe a little lost.

Diversions

Hey you. Yes, you.

Nothing much has happened since my last post. I wish I could blog about exciting new travels, interesting incidents or something, but the reality is I've been back and forth between home and uni, studying most of the time and procrastinating the rest. Routine stuff.

I'm in the middle of the mid-terms and assignments season, so just working to clear the lot. For some good news, I've been accepted into Wharton. I'll be back in KL probably mid-July to mid-August, then flying off to the states for the fall term. After the term ends in mid-December, I'll be traipsing around NYC with Aditi and Rachael for about two weeks, celebrating the end of my uni life and my first step into the real world.

As exciting as it is, that's all still a little way off. Amidst the tedium, I've been amusing myself with little time-wasting diversions on the internet, like this.

There once was a buggy AI
Who decided her subject should die.
When the plot was uncovered,
The subjected discovered
That sadly the cake was a lie.

I figure Alex would particularly appreciate this one. ;) Anyway, more here! The site was set up by Randall Munroe, creator of xkcd, and is pretty much a bash.org for (mostly geeky) limericks. It's pretty entertaining. Here's another one that made me laugh.

There once was a man named Bertold
Who drank beer when the weather grew cold
As he reached for his cup...
"NEEEEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP!!!"
Oh, snap! You just got limerickrolled!

Oh, one last note. The beautiful love between House and Wilson, it's trooo! Okay, so the whole internet knew before me, but better late than never. I hadn't been watching House in awhile (slow internet, can't download) but not too long ago I turned on the TV to find the most squeeworthy episode of House. Ever.

[transcript]

House - S04E12:

HOUSE: This isn't just about the sex. You like her personality. You like that she's conniving. You like that she has no regard for consequences. You like that she can humiliate someone if it serves...
HOUSE: [wide-eyed] Oh, my God. You're sleeping with me.

...

HOUSE: Went by your hotel this morning. They told me you moved out. Moved in with CB?
WILSON: No, apparently, I moved in with you.
HOUSE: The very fact that you're resisting my insight proves to me...
WILSON: [interrupts] House, you're right. Why not? Why not date you? I-i-it's brilliant.
WILSON: We've known each other for years, We've put up with all kinds of crap from each other, and we keep coming back. We're a couple!

[/transcript]

Kudos to the writers of the show for making the world a better place with House/Wilson. Now if only Smallville could take some hints...

Semester 2 and winter blues

So, semester 2 began tamely enough. Work and assignments and mid-semester tests are starting to build up - about time for me to get into gear. I've been doing more of the same since I last updated, throwing plastic around and estranging my non-frisbee inclined friends further, though I suspect they can be easily appeased by the promise of gelati.

Anyway, barely two weeks since I properly recovered from my cough, I've come down with a sore throat, cold and cough of a different strain. It's very phlegmy, but thankfully does not send me into coughing/choking fits like the last one did. I'm trying very hard not to feel miserable, but some days, when I've got to drag myself out of warmth and comfort into the winter chill to play frisbee, I feel like running off in search of a corner to cry. Unfortunately, being only midway through the season, I can't afford to take time off for fear of losing fitness. As it were, I'm still struggling to get it back up to pre-sickness levels and the experience so far has been wholly and determinedly painful.

I haven't been sick for a long time, which makes this extended bout of viruses a lot less manageable. I'm not used to feeling shitty so much of the time, having dizzy spells after climbing up a flight of staircase and the general unhealthiness of my being. The cold doesn't help one bit either. I've never wished more fervently than in the past month to be back home, soaking up the sun and eating good food. Oh, take me away from this pale and pasty, dank and dreary winter!

Sigh.

In other news:

Alex leaves for India in 3 days for a 6-week long training course sponsored by his new work. I miss him already. :(

I am going up to Sydney again this weekend for the 1st National League tournament. I just want to get it over and done with.

I need a good, hot meal.

Updates and even photos to spice things up!

Here I am again, clinging desperately to the last two weeks of my holidays. Holidays are never quite as unfettered as I would like them to be - always this or that worry lurking in the background. This time, it's summer internship applications. Though I've barely begun with the process, I'm already going about it with an air of reluctance and defeat. Truly, if I'm to get anywhere in life, I really should change my outlook. But gawd, it's so bothersome. I much prefer a show, don't tell approach to job applications. I'll show you I can do the job and do it well, just don't make me persuade you beforehand to give me a chance.

Unfortunately, the real world doesn't work that way. :( But surely failing at the tell does not mean I'll fail at the show. I suppose one could argue that if my communication skills are at the level required by the job, I wouldn't have a problem; and if I did have a problem, I'm not good enough for the job. But is that so? Is that so?

Sigh.

Moving along, exams are over and results are out. I'm fairly happy with how I went, naturally, it can always be better, and I would have liked that 90+ I was hoping for in Accounting, so that I can finally say what I've been itching to say to Accounting - "WTFPWNED! Fuck yeah!". I can still say it with the result I got, but not with as much satisfaction. :P Business Finance was a minor disappointment, as expected, following a shoddy performance at the exam. Happily, I've just managed to maintain an overall H1 average. I'm getting complacent. To hell with all this scraping through business - I want to wtfpwn everything!

Except regionals. We didn't quite wtfpwn regionals like we should've. For the first time in 3, 4 years Melbourne Uni lost its gold streak at regionals, to Monash no less. It was a fair game, and there is not much more to say than in the end, they proved to be the better team. Nevertheless, with more training and some valuable female imports in Sem 2, I'm confident that we will fire out stronger in Gold Coast come September.


Melbourne Uni Regionals team

In other news, I attended a farewell dinner at Pugg Mahones for a friend who was going away for a month. It was a very good night, good food, live music and montage-worthy chatter round the table. When the performer dude played and sang Heart of Gold with a guitar and mounted harmonica, I thought my heart would weep with joy. He went on to play many good folksy/acousticky/country songs, which made me exceedingly happy.


Jimmy, who should be by now safely in Europe, and Bec, token American. (Despite the fact that the Americans almost outnumbered everyone else at the dinner :)

I would also like to take this opportunity to express my new-found love for Blizzard's sense of humour in WoW. I don't play the game and probably never will, but I've been introduced to many interesting and entertaining aspects of the game, including but not limited to raid group photos, video-recordings of raids, customised dance moves and the Southpark episode featuring WoW.



[EDIT: Upon recommendation, video link changed to something even more exciting. Such choreography and camera work...]

Finally, everyone say "Yay Alex!" for being so awesome.

"Dad, instead of my usual allowance, I'd like to have the present value of all my future cash flows."

I received an update from home a few days ago, with news of my sister's stellar performance at the CHS sports day. 4 gold medals, a triple jump record and a Peserta Terbaik award - truly, I have underestimated her. This of course, makes us just about even, down to the triple jump record. (No, not mine. Mine was set at PLC. I'd be snarky if she broke mine... :) Nonetheless, I am rather proud of her. If I'm not careful, I may soon be outdone. Good thing for the 6 year headstart...

In other news, Melbourne Uni training has finally got off the ground and it has never been better. Regionals are coming up 2-5 July in middle-of-nowhere Traralgon and Australian Uni Games sometime in September in the far more exciting Gold Coast. It's been awesome getting back into the mixed scene again after a somewhat uninspiring season playing women's at nationals. Still, it was a good learning experience and helped me identify a fair number of things I'd like to work and improve on.

My finals are in 3 weeks, which means it's high time to kick myself into action. Right now, I'm still cruising along at a far too leisurely pace, doing bits of study here and there and missing quite a few lectures. If only my Business Finance lecturer didn't squeak so much I'm sure I'd feel more guilty about not going.

The salsa itch is coming back again, despite feverish attempts to keep it dormant, at least until next semester. I am dancing away in my head, which, in the end, may be for the best. In my head I imagine so well the fluidity and passion and release of two dancers moving seamlessly as a unit, but I suspect as soon I as I take that first step again the reality will be much less pretty.

Another update? No wai.

I'm on a roll, I am. If I keep this up enough, I'm well on my way to missing all my assignment deadlines, flunking out of uni and living my life as a penniless drifter, preaching frisbee love to those who'd care to listen. Now wouldn't that be nice.

So, Ong and I met up in the city to see Miss Saigon over the weekend. Along the way, I [edit] bumped into a certain dashing, blue-eyed American on his way to the footy, which left me with a silly grin for the next 15 minutes. Then, Alex showed up with such a kiss in greeting that aforementioned American was promptly forgotten and all around us, the world dissolved away. How cliched. :) Nonetheless, it's a wonder indeed that I haven't overdosed on so intoxicating a drug.

("Shameless! Shameless!" I hear you cry. Ah well, I couldn't care less. :)

But I digress. We were on the subject of Miss Saigon. (I rarely ever have my head about me these days, you understand.) It was enjoyable enough, but I think we both agreed that it wasn't a particularly memorable musical. There were, however, some rather impressive stage effects and scene transitions, like a flashback and perspective and 'camera angle' changes. Very interesting to see.

Sunday training with Honey was one of the best training sessions I've had with the team. It was a step up, definitely, in terms of physical exertion, and pushed me a lot more, didn't allow me to be lazy and get away with it. Towards the end I started getting a strain up my left thigh, probably related to my knee inflammation late last year (which has since subsided but not wholly so). But, nothing like a good, hot shower to rejuvenate the limbs, just in time for Monday league tomorrow night.

I don't think I've talked about it much, strangely enough, but I play for MUCUS in the Monday league. Apparently it's a backcronym which stands for Melbourne University Co-educational Ultimate Society. Most creative. It comprises mostly MU alumni and is a fantastic team. Our cheers in the Circle of Love have a lot of snotty hackcoughing incorporated. Sets us apart, really. I have so much fun playing MUCUS, and we share so much laughter and camaraderie on and off the field, that my only regret is having to miss half the season while I was back in Malaysia.

Speaking of which, we've had a very good season, staying mostly, if not always, at the top of the ladder. For the first time in league history, we're tied with Tepid Romantic Explosion on all counts, even the multitude of tiebreakers, which means we'll have to resolve this problem with a simple discflip tomorrow night. Or maybe a drink-off, in the spirit of ultimate. Too bad Ong can't hold his drink. *runs away* Either way, I am looking forward to the semis tomorrow and the finals the week after Easter. More frisbee action!

Also, I am so gullible. (Re: xkcd's April Fool's prank) xkcd, sell itself out to a syndicate? Foolish, foolish me!

Weekends - blink and you'll miss them.

Unfortunately for me, there appears to be a strong positive correlation between amount of work and frequency of blog updates. It's bound to be my undoing, sooner or later. I can't believe it's already week 5 of semester. Especially since general revision and study stagnated circa week 2. And the Easter break, still two long weeks away!

This fleeting weekend only served to exacerbate the work situation. Nonetheless, it was a wholly enjoyable weekend. The finicky weather ruined perfectly good plans for a birthday picnic down at King's Domain on Saturday, which had to be relocated indoors (Nicky's/Ong's housemate's/Honey captain's/birthday boy's girlfriend's apartment, as it happened). It worked out well in the end, and I spent the afternoon playing with Nicky's lizard, eating and making friends with a group of Swedish exchange students, including an Emille, who stood at a dizzying height of 206cm. Gawp.

After that, Ong and I made our way to Rob's housewarming near where I live. Oh man, what a great house. The spacious, high-ceilinged living room has a jam-space with maybe 6 guitars, 3 amps and a couple of pedals, the TV area has a sound system, projector and a Nintendo Wii and the alcohol rack in the corner was well-stocked with bottles and bottles of wine and a few liqueurs - clearly the essentials of modern-day living.

Speaking of the Wii, how cool are its wireless motion-sensor controllers? They take a bit of getting used to, but it's a whole new gaming experience. Highlights of the night include me smashing everyone and setting a record at bowling with a score of 190 on the Wii (See, people kept trying to put fancy spins on their bowl, while I just slam it straight down the lane. Guess we know what works :), Ong fashioning a makeshift handcuff on me with two glow sticks, the engineer that he is (Oh wait, it's the wrong kind of engineering. Nevermind.) and most of all, the great company and excellent atmosphere.

Sunday morning was not so good. I did however, wake up to the happy realisation of gaining an hour thanks to daylight saving. But then I had to up and get ready for a Honey v. Ishtar (grudge) match, and the sun was too hot, I forgot my cap, I was somewhat dehydrated and yeah, it wasn't a pretty match. I got home exhausted and was horrified to find my skin all dry and crinkly. The words "premature ageing of skin" immediately popped into my head following a snippet of a conversation I heard just before the match when everyone was sunscreening up.

[a heavily edited and ad-libbed transcript]

Jo: You don't put sunscreen on your legs! You should! Prevents premature ageing of skin...
Nicky: Not if I botox my whole leg!

[/transcript]

Unlike Nicky, I wasn't too keen on botoxing my limbs, and hence wasted no time in getting clean and moisturising. Tried to study after that, took a nap instead. Woke up, had dinner, studied some and here I am. Hour or so past my bedtime.

I am so going to regret this tomorrow...

She speaks of the weather and of love.

I've become such a lazy blogger, I know. And when I finally decide to up and do it, I just end up grousing about the weather. Case in point:

The weather has been uncomfortably muggy the last few days, but heck, today's was worst. According to the statistics, temperatures peaked at about 37C, which no doubt occured at the exact period when I walked home from uni. Nature has that kind of a humour.

So I eventually made it back to the apartment, feeling like I'd just trudged through a vat of warm glue. Then the wind started howling outside my window, just in time for a pick-up game of frisbee at 5pm. After much swallowing of dust, chasing and retrieving frisbees 100m away from where they started and many turnovers later, the wind very suddenly turned chill. It was wonderfully refreshing, until 2 minutes later, huge, fat drops of rain started pelting down on us. They were icy and stung a bit. By the time we made it to Rob's car, we were smelly, cold and sopping wet. This was probably the 18C low the statistics were yammering on about.

Despite such unforgiving conditions, pick-up still managed to be fun, and great dinner and company at a nearby pub after more than compensated for it.

Apart from the weather, my life in general has been just peachy. Now and then I work myself up into enough of a state to review all those lectures and tutorials I've fallen behind in, and most other times I'm playing frisbee, grumbling about FMAA work or daydreaming about that someone in my life. Let's call him Ong. :)

He's probably grinning at this most uncharacteristic blogmention, and rightly so. I've never blogged much, or anything at all, on the subject of my love life. Too personal, too transient, too non-existent - take your pick. But many good things have happened since that happy serendipity that brought us together; one cannot help but immortalise those memories, this happiness, in some medium other than our sometimes unreliable minds.

On that note, dear readers, I bid you goodnight.

Gmail's been down for over an hour now since I last tried to log in. I feel so displaced. I can't manoeuvre the internet without the reassuring presence of the Gmail window in the background! And my inbox! Gaaaaah. *refreshrefreshrefresh* It's not like Gmail to be down for more than a few minutes.

*fidgets*

So I came back to Aus a little over a week ago...

[Edit: Of course, just as I decide to blog about my misery, Gmail comes back on. Thank you. Now I can relax.]

It's been ridiculously hectic since uni started. I may be exaggerating only just a little bit. I've joined Honey, one of the women's frisbee teams, which turned out to be a fairly big commitment. Coupled with the FMAA workload, I'm starting to wonder if I can hold out till club season is over. I haven't even factored in uni work yet, but at times like these, I am thankful for the relatively slack Commerce course.

Nonetheless, it's good to be back. The first few days were deliciously languorous, spent in a little happy, silly, floaty bubble, unfettered by work and other less enjoyable things. I got a new Acer laptop, which came preloaded with Vista. Apart from some minor compatibility issues, for all my working purposes, it's very slick (and sleek).

I have nothing funny or interesting to say, so it's best that I quit while I'm ahead. Though whether I am actually ahead may be a matter of some dispute.

happy new year and all those things

Now let's see. We pick up the story from whence we saw our heroine last - in the throes of exams. Since then, a month and a half has passed, without so much as a peep on this blog, regretfully.

The holidays have been lots of fun, as I've been able to enjoy a kind of freedom I'm unaccustomed to back home. I got my driving licence in record time - if I'm not wrong, 2 weeks from first lesson to issue of licence. Exam results were reported satisfactory, my birthday was happily spent with that riotous company we all know and love, and new year's was a whirlwind of booze, deliberately bad music and blackmail-worthy photos.

And that brings us to the here and now, where our heroine is valiantly attempting to hammer out a blogpost in the midst of the ruckus and bickering and nagging and scolding that is happening all around her. Ah, don't you love the start of school term. One big logistical mess of carpool, tuition, activities and other arrangements, times two for each sibling.

As for me? Nothing quite so harrowing, I assure you. I start work experience tomorrow at a securities firm. I have absolutely no clue what people do at work, what I'm supposed to be doing or if they even know what to make me do. Push papers and make coffee, I suppose. =)

This year promises to be even more hectic than ever, as I move on to bigger roles in the FMAA, uni and the ulty scene. Excitement, oh the excitement!

ahh the sweet, sweet smell of rain

There's something inherently exhilarating about walking through torrential rain with an umbrella. It's like saying, "STUFF YOU NATURE!! I REFUSE TO BE WET!!1!"

Of course, it wasn't quite torrential when I did it, but it never fails to make me smile. Also, the message might have gone across with more conviction had I not been carrying that white polka-dotted-koalas on blue umbrella, which I'm perennially embarassed about.

Rainy mornings make me happy.

malaysia makes the news again!

It's been a little over a week now since I came back from Adelaide, and it's been full steam ahead with assignments and deadlines, hence the lack of a post-tournament update. I would like to reflect on the tournament eventually, preferably when I've got more pictures and time. In short though, AUG was fantastic. I'm still recovering from a bruised finger and developing shin splints, but people, for the BRONZE MEDAL at the national level, it was every bit worth it!

I've been a little out of touch with news back home since the Mahathir hoo-ha, but it seems every time I do check, there is never a dearth of similarly amusing stories to entertain me. Ah Malaysia! How I love thee.

Malaysia cracks down on "salad language"

All the other links in the article are worth clicking on too. Unsurprisingly, such a development opens up floodgates for the usual lost-in-translation digs. It's funny how so many well-worn English phrases become suspicious sexual innuendoes once translated into BM, as pointed out by the M'sian blogger linked in the article and the comments on his comments page.

Joystick - Kayu Gembira
Touch N' Go - Raba dan Pergi
Plug and Play Device - Peralatan Cucuk dan Main

*giggles*

But oh goodness, MyKad to Kadaku... And Rais' suggestion that 'Boulevard' be changed to 'Lebuh Perdana' is laughable. As if our road names weren't long enough already. As a commenter implied, they (well, the government) were the ones who came up with Cyberjaya (name of a suburb) in the first place.

Seeing 'bahasa rojak' translated as 'salad language' was interesting. I've never seen that version before. In fact, I've never seen any version before, so maybe that's why. My sister's speech is a prime example of bahasa rojak. Everytime I go back, I never fail to gawp at the progress she's made in fusing 3 different languages together in one sentence. This would then be followed by much teasing and laughing from her 2 other helpful and supportive siblings, and an admonition from my mom, "Don't speak like rojak!"...the irony of which, I've just realised.

While we're on the topic of languages, I stumbled across a blog written entirely in Hokkien some time ago. It's hilarious if you know Hokkien, so, sorry for those who miss out. He recently posted lyrics to a Hokkien song I've been half-heartedly searching for, which made me happy. Hokkien songs bring up such vivid memories of my dad, Chinese New Year and grandiose Chinese hotel wedding dinners.

Happy mid-autumn festival! I want mooooncake...mmm double yolk...

Are you excited? I'm excited! Aaaah!

I can't sleep again. Know why?

I just bought a new pair of shoes. Clean, shiny, metallic blue-green Asics shoes. Have you seen anything as beautiful as this? The comfort and fit of sneakers combined with the traction of cleats. I've just bought this pair of shoes; I can die happy now.



OH MY GOD I CAN'T WAIT TO WEAR THEM!

I can barely sit still. I want to switch on the daylight, grab a disc and take them out for a test run RIGHT NOW.

Tomorrow, I will attempt to cook chickpea curry (with potatoes and eggplant, just because I have them sitting around sprouting shoots or getting soft). In fact, said chickpeas are soaking overnight now in a bowl. Overnight preparation, man. How professional is that?

It's going to be a bit of an experiment, this curry. One can only hope it comes out edible. If it doesn't, there is, thankfully, the Moroccan Soup Bar on Thursday.

18 days to AUG!

spring

Ah, spring! We've been enjoying warm, sunny weather here in Melbourne, and it makes me very happy indeed. Nothing significant has happened since I last blogged, besides a slight panicky scramble to finish assignments, but the worst is over now.

I went see a movie today at Cinema Nova (ex0 would remember it) with a friend. It's a small, arthousey cinema just down the road from where I live, with great retro decor and very cosy and generous seats. I love watching movies in a cinema where you can sit anywhere you like, where you show up 10 minutes before the show, walk straight up to the counter and buy tickets and share the big screen and surround sound with 4 other people on a Friday evening. It's such a far cry from the sweaty queues at GSC and the big impersonal theatres with noisy kids and annoying mobile phones. If only they had places like Cinema Nova back home.

In other news, 24 days left till the Australian Uni Games! It's being held in Adelaide this year, which everyone claims is an absolute hole. No doubt a week of ultimate will fix that right up. I'll be road-tripping there; it's an 8-hour drive in Susan's old Subi with Chuck and another guy. Times like these I really wish I had an MP3 player that can store more than 60 songs and does not trip and automatically shut down every 10 minutes. If anyone has a spare MP3 player, let me know?

Oh, did I mention that I took up salsa the start of this semester? It's great fun, only there are 3 guys and 17 girls so we have to take turns being male and female. It's confusing sometimes, but your coordination comes out the better for it. Also, it helps you gain a more thorough understanding of the dance, so no complaints, really. Initially I found myself more comfortable in the guy's role (why are we not surprised? =) but I think I've got over that now. I suspect it's because I usually start off being the 'guy' first when we're learning a new move, so it leaves a stronger impression.

Anyway, we hope that I will pick up some feminine grace in my movement (*snort*) at the end of this. The 'rents used to complain that I had a jaunty, clumsy gait that reminded them of elephants. Very forward, them parents. Of course, if I was really looking to pick up some grace, salsa's probably missing the mark a little compared to...say, ballet.

Well, we'll see what happens. I believe it's all in the clothes. After all, it's nearly impossible to trundle about when you're wearing a dress and heels, whereas trundling is synonymous with jeans and runners. For me, anyway.

On a last note, if you enjoy fingerpicking and country music like I do, check out Chet Atkins and Tommy Emmanuel's album The Day Fingerpickers Took Over the World. Great stuff there. And if you're looking for a TV series to get into, Six Feet Under is very good. A more detailed review of that and more in the future...

A bunch of naked students ran past the library today. I heard the noise and racket first, and by the time I looked up all I saw was bare bottoms, flailing limbs and a lot of skin. After exchanging amused looks with other people at the study table, I went back to my study. About a minute later, a rather stout fellow, also completely naked, sauntered past. My guess is he was left behind by the pack, and when you're left behind in the middle of one of the most heavily-trafficked paths at uni without a thread on your back, what do you do but saunter?

Anyway, I handed in my first assignment today. Two more to go this week, then I can finally take a much-needed breather. It's the usual suspects keeping me busy again - ultimate, FMAA and lunch/dinner/no-occasion dates. The first and last is a nice sort of busy, so I'm not really complaining.

I saw an ad on TV just now. They were trying to sell a compilation CD titled "Songs for the Broken-Hearted", with the slogan "Let music mend your heart." I'm not sure how one is supposed to mend a broken heart with songs like How Can I Live Without You, Incomplete and other similarly titled songs. Thankfully I'm the optimistic sort, so thinking about the whole concept of this product and the people that will phone that number on the screen to buy this product merely amuses, not depresses me.

The reality show, Big Brother, on the other hand, makes my brain shrivel. Thank goodness BB season is over.

sleep schleep schmeep

Ngh. I can't sleep again. This time it's most likely my fault; I succumbed to a cup of coffee at 9pm. But the sleepless nights have been a trend of late. What's curious is the reason why I can't sleep. The moment my head hits the pillow, I start thinking about ultimate frisbee. Or more precisely, thinking about playing, and *wanting* to play oh-so-badly. It's like the adrenalin rush that keeps me up the night before a track and field event, except now, it's UF. After about 10 minutes of heart-pounding restlessness, I start to go delirious and fantasise about a world populated with clones of myself or wildly complicated frisbee-throwing mechanisms. Then, I think about throwing practice (because now there's someone or something to throw to) - 20 backhands, 20 forehands, 20 inside-outs, 20 outside-ins, and there I am, throwing to my heart's content.

Only, it comes nowhere close to the real thing and I'm left feeling unsatisfied, uneasy and more awake than ever. So yes, it's not pretty. The problem is simple: I'm not getting enough ultimate.

(Someone's inevitably going to do a Freudian analysis on this and insist that everytime I say 'ultimate frisbee', I actually mean to say 'sex'. I just know it.)

The remedy however, is much less simple. I don't wish to inflict potentially mind-numbing throwing practice with an incompetent player (i.e. me) on anyone, but I can't throw alone. Why must life be so hard?? This is why we all need siblings, nay, access to siblings. Because I have siblings and they sure aren't helping much being 4000 miles away.

Moving on, I'm now into week 2 of Sem 2. It is all going swimmingly, I daresay. I'm developing a very healthy interest in macroeconomics and geopolitical events, which surprises me mildly, but is really good to see. While I do a lot of reading, I worry about the effectiveness of my ability to retain even 30% of what I read. Imagine soaking a sponge to saturation, then lifting it up and having the water all drain out again. That's my brain. I fear my mind has gotten lazy; give it the barest inkling of having to retain and process a thought and it zones out immediately.

Ah, there we go. 3am. Blogging has always been a great time-killer. Thanks for listening, says she to the void. =) Goodnight.

Superman Returns opens tomorrow with Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor! All that evilly goodness...I can't wait!

4 more days to unigames, and I'm a little excited, a little frustrated. It's been 4 months since I started playing ultimate seriously, but I feel as though I'm improving much too slowly. My self-esteem took a number of blows again during the Monday night league game as I got yelled at a lot. I know it's a very heat-of-the-moment thing, and everybody yells at everybody; I just get a higher proportion of it cause I happen to be the most inexperienced player on the team.

There is just so much to work on and I have no idea how to work it any bloody faster other than playing more games and giving it time. At the moment, my brain turns to molasses when we talk strategy, I have zero field sense and a terrible awareness of the disc. We played a defence that I seemed to screw up all through the game, and just this evening during fitness training I found out why.

Apparently the defence we played was a variation of zone defence invented by an old UF coach of ours a few years ago. It was a huge relief finally sorting out the jargon, the concept and method behind the strategy. While I still lack experience playing it, at least I now have some basic theoretical grounding. The seniors have been extremely patient and reassuring as well, and for that I could not be more grateful.

Anyway, that's the news on ultimate so far. I hope I won't be too much of a liability on the team come unigames and that I remember to keep my head about me during the matches. I'm currently revisiting The Fountainhead, which has been very start-stoppish thanks to the World Cup, season 2 of The Office (US) and general wasting of time. =) My fingers are too cold most times to play the guitar properly and the strings have been rather stiff and twangy in a bad way also thanks to the cold. *blameblameblame*

Either I've been particularly unperceptive, or there really has been a dearth of interesting things to blog about lately. Fortunately, I haven't got to the point of blogging about absolutely banal things just to satisfy the blog itch. Yet. (Although what constitutes as banal may well be a matter of opinion.) By the way I found out recently that it is pronounced ba'nal, not 'banel. I'm a stickler for pronunciation, and have been cured from saying cha'racter instead of 'character by my very *ahem* insistent friends.

Last but not least, the makeshift speaker comprising a very expensive cable, a tube amp and an adapter has worked like a charm and I can now pretend I have surround sound when watching shows or listening to music on my laptop. Did I mention I'm going through a 70s music phase at the moment? Summer breeeeeze, makes me feel fine...