i guess i should write a bit more about life now, since you pple are probably dying to know. haha! my ego, forgive me. anyways, i met up with some singaporean vet science classmates and seniors for dinner last night, and i have to mention this cos it's really memorable. they're really fun people and i had tons of fun with them at dinner. i sent off my family in the afternoon so i was really down, luckily they were fun enough to make me feel better. i should really introduce you to them sometime, maybe when we're back in singapore for winter recess in july, haha! anyways i say they're nice bcos back in college things are abit diff. my collegemates are nice yeah, but nothing beats going out with a bunch of authentic singaporeans in an unfamiliar environment. and two of my vet sc classmates even walked me back to college at night, cos it's kinda unsafe. and they were friendly throughout the entire LOOONG, windy and freezing cold, walk (about 25 mins).

so anyways, melbourne so far is really enjoyable. i like the place a lot. although cost of living is high, it's really wonderful walking around seeing new things and breathing new air. there are so much more things to see walking around melbourne than anywhere you can find in singapore. the people are really REALLY multi-cultural. if you thought singapore was multi-cultural, THINK AGAIN. melb has singaporeans, thais, vietnamese, malaysians, hong-kongers, taiwanese, mainland chinese, japanese, koreans, italians, nigerians, americans, and all these in generous proportions! singapore just has them in very small proportions, lol! i haven't really been into any shops or malls, not much time to. but just walking on the streets is enjoyable! weather's chilly but with enough layers, the walk will be fairly pleasant! only bad thing is having to carry an umbrella, sunblock lotion and a jacket all at the same time cos you never know what might happen. also it's hard wearing shorts/skirts cos you never know when the weather might change and how far away you'll be from your wardrobe to get a clothing change.

rightio, i'm supposed to be playing games at college orientation now, but i kinda ponned it. (SHHHH!) i can hear some shouting and sirens blaring intermittently while i'm here typing and uploading pics, slogging away so that YOU can have something to read/view. by the way, i've met another rg-rj girl, one year my senior, she looked familiar cos i think i see her around school sometimes. and there's another rj guy in vetsc, but he's old! cos he's here after ns. quite a few vet sc peeps are older than me!

right anyway, i'm gonna try slip a nap in before dinner, dinners here are too early!! they start at 6 i think...sigh. it's 5.18pm now, and.....i'm feeling cold! haha randomness.

P.S.: to my dear cousins, this blog used to be mainly for my friends in school la, so a lot of my posts are about the gluttons (my friends in school) etc, but now i formally invite you to my humble blog. haha, i don't think you guys will be here often, cos glo has A levels, yt is like a computer-noob and fio just doesn't use the computer! but anyways, check it out whenever you can then.

here is a photo of the 5 gluttons at ps cafe and ben & jerry's in tanglin village...
and here are photos of IH (international house, my residential college). by the way, if i ever talk about my college, it'll be IH and not the uni of melb! that'll be known as my uni! so here's me and mom in one of the courtyards... the reddish-brownish building is Wadham Wing.


me dad falling asleep with a peaceful look on his face. behind us is the ping pong room! there's a table tennis table in there usually. always a long queue to play... :( and guys are always hogging it.


the same courtyard as before, the yellow building behind is Graycourt. it's about 13o years old!!


this is Schepps. a lot of pple say it looks like a jail house. esp since the windows can only be tilted slightly to open, and the interior is rather claustrophobic. the corridors are narrow, the ceiling is low. there's a lift though, and every room in this building has a personal sink!! so unfair!! the gym's in the basement.


here's the gym! kinda run-down...


this is dimmick dining hall. looks harry potter-ish according to a friend.


the flags of many countries are up there..


this is the shelf right outside my door, with a microwave, kettle and tiny fridge! the fridge makes a lotta noise, esp audible at night.


the front door of IH


the front gate of IH, and the long road that i walk down to get to school. it's about a 20 minute walk each time to get to the nearest building in uni

and now, the uni of melbourne! this is the block for the Old Arts i think, where pple do historical or classical studies. it looks like a european cathedral


one of the lanes in school. i LOVE the trees here!!





this is the border of the uni, the part where you come out into Swanston Street from the inside of the uni. the trams are so cool! you can see sparking at the tram cables quite often, interesting lightworks.


and more scenery for you to enjoy...




by the way, those pple are parents on a tour of the uni, and i joined them as i had nothing better to do. so anyways, that's about it for now! might post more next time... dunno, a bit busy at the mo

and in a violent swerve to a wholly new set of thoughts and feelings, much as a rabid dog would look like on the streets, i'm feeling happy all of a tremendous sudden!

why, you ask.

here are the reasons:

1. chinese new year is coming soon! there'll be reunion dinners, lunches, "HUAT ARH!" lo-hei, seeing my dear cousins and chilling with them, getting angbaos, eating unadulterated amounts of cny snacks, wearing nice spankingly new clothes, finally hanging around with my family who don't need to go to work, etc. although i'm so bloody sick of chinese new year songs now, hear them everywhere i go and in all forms and remixes that they sound so dang mixed up now. PLUS i dislike the singing in those songs, terrible.

2. i'll be starting a new life soon, and an exciting one at that! too much to say about this, but i can't wait! although i will miss my family and extended family terribly, i'm still looking forward to going over! studying what i love, meeting new people, learning new things about life, learning about another country, living independently, etc etc, so MANY things to look forward to.

3. i feel like life is so full of promise suddenly. sigh, if only youth lasted longer. ah well, i guess you can feel young even if you were old, but that would just be complicating.

4. i currently feel an inebriating mix of jubilation, luck, ignorance and confidence which makes me stick my tongue out at mishap. that may be unwise, but the above said intoxication clears my head of all sense of reason and moderation.

and so, my mood has invariably swung.

from :(

to :D

arrrrrgh.

why?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

noooooooo!!

i know i've piqued your curiosity, but too bad, i won't elaborate on what antagonised me.

except that it bloody stupidly SUCKS to the high heavens. F*& @&*^%@^%Q$%^% the &*#@Q^^#*.

I AM SOOO DEAD. DEAD LIKE A FESTERING CARCASS. DEAD LIKE AN ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT BUFFET FOR VULTURES IN THE SAHARAN DESERT. DEAD LIKE A DUMB CORPSE THAT JUST FELL THROUGH SWEENEY TODD'S TRAPDOOR TO MRS LOVETT'S MEAT PIE SHOP BASEMENT. DEAD LIKE A HOUSEFLY SQUISHED BENEATH THE GIGANTIC FLYSWATTER OF LIFE. (by the by, note the interesting usage of insect and animal imagery...just a literary point i have to make)

point made.

time to move on.

but i'm still dead, how do i move on??

to the afterlife, i guess.

it sounds like a beautiful place to be, if you believe it is, that is.

anyways, i'm transcended this bloody nonsense of being dead, and have been reincarnated. whatever. i'm OVER it. ok, i feel better now. i still have other options.

dammit, i don't. but i screwed up and berating myself over it won't help nuttin. so i'm giving up now. right now. like now. giving up now.

okaaaaaay, pheeeeeeew.

i'm baaaack. for a short paragraphs' time.

to all dudes, just a reminder, i'm leaving on the 18th of february for Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. please organise all farewell parties, and deliver all farewell presents and well-wishes before this date. we thank you for your cooperation.

:)

and so, i've met my classmates from singapore who'll be in vet science too. there are SOO many of them! approximately 20 i'll say, and that's only from the uni of melbourne. how about those from other australian universities?! how about those from universities in other countries?! how about those who are going to graduate in the next 5 years?! it'll add up to about 250 vets who have graduated before me, or at the same time! which is MUCH MUCH MUCH too MUCH for a teeny country like singapore. how'm i gonna get employed when i graduate?!?!? it's unthinkable! i'll be a starving veterinarian looking for clinics with openings! o almighty one, please give me strength and guide me through this turbulent period, and ensure me a succesful career and flourishing wealth! lol, of course, i dramatify.

alrighty then, i'm excited to go to school again! makes me feel all brainy and enlightened! hope i can keep up with those who took bio in jc though

SALE.



UP TO 70% OFF.



FURTHER REDUCTIONS.



ah the delights of shopping in orchard road during the holidays. it never fails to put a spring in my step and a twinkle in my eye thinking of ALL the shopping, and great savings, i can make during these wonderful times.

BUT.

wouldn't you say that those savings you've made on the clothes, shoes, bags etc that you've bought were somehow leaked out of your wallet or bank account anyway?

first, you pay a HELL lot for carpark fees in most buildings in the orchard area. spending 3 hours in a shopping centre like taka or paragon practically saps those savings you've (or think you've) earned thanks to the parasitic carpark machines. damn those things.

THEN, you have to deal with the uncouth, jostling crowd that never seems to need to eat, drink or rest. seriously, even at lunchtime there are SWARMS of people (who, by the way, don't look hungry) infesting the shops around. maybe they've evolved into some higher species by selective shopping abilities. those that lose out and get phased out eventually are those who can't shop for more than 5 hours without food and water.

aaaand then, there's the bad service. as usual. (there's always bad service everywhere, where ever you are, whatever age you live in) quality of service is inversely proportional to the number of customers currently within the shop. (this has probably been researched on and proven....PROBABLY) only robots could retain their composure in the face of an onslaught of customers eager (almost desperate) to purchase an item on sale. unfortunately, the progress of science is far too slow for inventions of such genius, and we (still) have no robots. ah well.

anyhoo, whatever detractors make out of great sales, clearance sales, closing-down sales, "Everything MUST go!" sales, New Year sales, Post-New Year sales, Post-Post-New Year sales, the mother of all sales etc etc, i still like 'em.

hehe.

I LIKE SALES.

unfortunately, i'm already running into a budget deficit and am hoping that i get some nice fat angpaos this year. PLEEEASE. or at least a careless millionaire sitting beside me on the train. haha kidding, i'll return the wallet. I SWEAR! i won't take it when noone's looking, spend a little cash on some stuff then dump it in the bin in the nearest toilet. i would never do something like that, heck, i can't even think up of something like that! haha.

battery's low so i've got to go. right, i'll call it a night. goodnight and....erm....have a pleasant flight?

alrighty-o, today's the 9th of january. chinese new year's on the 7th and 8th of february, which leaves me with..... (doing an extremely fast mental calculation and employing exceptional brainwork and memorywork) 30 days till chinese new year, and a further 11 days till i leave singapore. wow. gifted with the benefit of hindsight, it feels easy to say that the past 18 years' worth of life and time has passed extremely fast. of course, it hasn't. but it sure feels like it since i'm already at the end of those 18 years. funny isn't it? well, not really. before you know it, you'll be 100 in the twinkling of an eye and approaching you end. THAT's definitely not funny.

anyways, i'm really looking forward to cny! i get to see my dearest cousins again, and chill out with my family for 2 entire days. the shopping for new year clothes is, of course, greatly anticipated too. i like shopping. (but obviously, i'm employing the use of a gigantic litote)

and also, i'm looking forward to going to australia! learning and seeing new things, refreshing change. imagine it, you even get to (well, sort of) start a new life! revamp your image! change your habits! set new goals and resolutions! it'll be cool. many pple don't get the opportunity to, and i sure am glad i get the chance. considerable sacrifices have to be made though..

one thing though, i have absolutely no idea how i'm gonna fit all my stuff into the luggage i'll be carrying on the plane. it'll be extremely headache-inducing to pack all my things, and praying that my fragile items do not reappear in australia looking like headless shrimps in a pile of mouldy noodles. erm, in plainer terms, just downright messy and definitely not a pretty sight.

and i'll also be troubled outta my wits worrying about things back home. (yes it's true, worrying doesn't only occur in that one way) i'll be worried about atlas, is he getting enough exercise, is his skin okay, how will he survive without me?!!?, eating his food well? etc etc
i'll be worried about my grandmother, worried about her worrying for me, how's her health, is she going out enough, is she bored at home? etc etc
i'll be worried about my mom, dad, brother, will they miss me lots, are they working too much (what the hell happened to the bloody 5-day work week?!?! bollocks!), is my brother playing too many pc and ps games etc etc
yes, that's a day in the life of Juline, in Australia.


anyways, i will take things one at a time. no use planning far ahead when everyone has a roadblock that can't be surpassed. one step at a time and you should be surviving.