Hello.
I just can't focus on my worrkkk. How to focus on anything when you can't breathe in one nostril? TELL ME HOW. Happy Halloween. Somehow Shirin and Shaowen managed to persuade me to go out tonight. HAIYOH. Tomorrow I'll fall asleep during lecture I think. NO ALCOHOL tonight. I was thinking of not taking antibiotics and drinking a bit, but on second thoughts the reverse seems many times more sensible considering I wanna eat chocolate again. (And buy asda's cheap b&js on jiayan's recommendation)
I'm going as a retro girly girl tonight complete with vintage yellownblack dress (25pounds, Topshop) a HAIRBAND (onloan, Shirin) and black tights. I will freeze to death if there's a queue at Toffs. Shirin says I look "milder" in a hairband. I think she means I look sweeter. I hate being sweet. I wanna be spunky.
But the hair's getting long and unruly and haircuts here are so ex I'm not gonna pay SGD90 to get parts of myself taken OFF. So don't be surprised if I come back in december (if i get to come back) with a tiny ponytail.
WELCOME BACK BABY :))))))))
Vanessa Lim 6:53 p. m.
BAAAABYYYYY :) I'm sooo glad I managed to talk to you today even though the stupid call cost 10 pounds zzz. I'm sorry I can't be at your commsball I really really wanna gooooo sniffsniff. Sigh I'm sorry. Really. Hmm it seems so fast. One more month and you're gonna be an officer. OCS. It's so poignant yeah? It's so nice how everything started. The girls and guys teasing us.. Staff Sathia at his signals lesson.. my move to airwing.. :))) We've been through quite a bit huh dear? loveyouuuuu zzz.
Sorry for the shitty photo quality + lighting. Took this on my phone. It's chicken breast stuffed with brie cheese and butter mushrooms. Best thing?
I COOKED IT. Do I ROCK or what. hahahahaa. This is proof of my culinary masterpieces. (Okay, I added too much salt but still it WAS good ok!) I still can't fry nice eggs though. :(((
Right I shall get to work now. Stupid politics thing. Bahhh.
Vanessa Lim 7:30 p. m.
domingo, octubre 29, 2006
Tesco man just came by with our groceries. We bought so much stuff that my first reaction was "SHIT". Somehow I ended up buying 2x3litres of Apple and Blackcurrant Squash. Now the humongous bottles can't even fit in my bloody cupboard. Monster Squash. Plus now we have 2 bloody kgs of carrots. The thing with online shopping is that you never really know what you're gonna get. You just clickclickclick and tadahh damage is done. We also have 8x3 chicken breasts.
Somehow the weekend is gone AGAIN, and AGAIN I have managed to not do any work. Tomorrow's Titus Andronicus seminar. I must say, watching the movie actually helped a lot. All I had to do was gloss through the book and the come up with 3 themes. The convenience was really appreciated especially when I'm hungover.
Oh and I'm sooooo sick. Sigh. I have to clear my nose every like 5 min. I'm sick of rubbing tissues to my nose and sick of sticking my face in the sink to blow my nose. I'm just SICK. Hellpp me I want to go hooommmee.
Vanessa Lim 7:35 p. m.
Fuck. Antibiotics with 2 pints of Carlsberg, a double vodka and a Snakebite DO NOT GO. I repeat. THEY DO NOT GO. Not even when they are taken FIVE hours apart. Fuckfuckfuck. The result is inebriety and a headache the size of Jupiter the next morning. At least it wasn't like Debs, who had to have her stomach pumped when she did that the previous time.
Oh as of today, UK is 8 hours behind not 7. Don't ask me why I'm not sober enough to tell you. I think last night in my drunken stupor I COULD have given Weird Adam my number. Shit. And the most amazing thing - I wrote Chinese for Sam. HAHA.
Ok now I'm gonna TRY to read Titus Andronicus.
Vanessa Lim 4:34 p. m.
viernes, octubre 27, 2006
HOUSE J + Pat (with me squished up)
Sam (my coursemate & housemate) and I + Pat in the background
Pat & I with Kate in the back!
House J plus Pat again! Yayyy.
Ah yes here are the long overdue photos of my housemates. This was at Viking Raid last Thursday - a pubcrawl ending off at a club (Toffs). Yeah the blue shirt was like our 'ticket'. Goshhh I lovelove my housemates! (and Pat, who's Sam's friend) I like how drinks are so cheap here. I love Snakebite. Wheee. But I'm TOO good at drinking games haha.
Oh I opened my Natwest account today. FUCK HSBC, seriously. They've been giving me sooooo many problems! To all students intending to study in the uk: DO NOT BANK WITH HSBC thank you. I'll post full details on WHY tomorrow. GAH.
Vanessa Lim 9:30 p. m.
tell your mom to marry us
a candle to carry us
with cans on our bicycle fenders
so sweet and hilarious
and we'll find us a home
built of packaging foam
that will be there 'til after we die
Clementine - The Decemberists
... and how do you know what's right? When you're sucked so deep into a ceaseless whirlpool, a multitude of mixedup emotions, how do you be rational when you're absolutely flailing? Have you ever wondered what it's like to suffocate? I have. Suffocate while you watch the second hand of the clock slowly and cruelly ease its way around the perfect circle. Must be torture.
I suppose that's what officership means. I just told Sam my rank yesterday and he was real impressed. But to me, I realise that I don't really know what I'm gonna face, and I'm apprehensive. Yeah but being an officer means you have to be rational and make split-second decisions even if you're faced with the worst situations you can ever imagine. It's hard, and sometimes the dilemma hurts, but if it hurts, it means that you already know what you've gotta do.
Because truth hurts.
When it hurts, we tend to run away. Escapism, they call it. Cowardice, others might say. One day we'll come to realise that running away and living in denial isn't gonna work anymore. It's like local anaesthetic or morphine - it wears off after a while. It's like marijuana, ecstacy. Temporal alleviation, after which you feel like shit. Living in denial is like a taking drugs. It's so easy to cave in, yet so hard to wean yourself off. So painless to delve straight in, yet so painful to pull straight out.
On a totally unrelated note, when can I talk to you properly again? Baby, it's been a month..
Vanessa Lim 9:53 p. m.
You know, all that apprehension about that Lowell poem was pretty much for nothing, I'm pleased to say. Had my one-to-one debrief today with Brockbank and he basically told me I needed to have more confidence in myself. In his own words, my "self-confidence is founded" because I "write well". Yay. My essay was "subtle and rewarding" especially when dealing with such an "elusive" poem. WHEEEE. That really makes me feel better about myself. OH and the biggest compliment was when he said I'm "bright, intelligent and sharp" omg hahahhaa. I'm like bouncing all over the place cos I'm really really happyyyy.
Ah but there were some bad stuff too. For two years, people like Dio, Suhaili, Champagne, Mr Chia.. have been telling me that I can be more succinct when it comes to writing. Now Brockbank says I'm too long winded ha. So now my new motto is "CONCISE AND PRECISE". Seems like I've not kicked that habit since A Level :( Oh and I had no idea I was using so many "also"s in my essay! Brockbank pointed out like 15 "also"s! Gasp.
Oh and regarding my flight back.. I haven't mentioned anything cos it's not confirmed yet. There's this tiny problem that I can fly to singapore but I don't have a flight BACK TO YORK. We're still on waitlist and the deadline's 4th Dec so let's all keep our fingers crossed yep? If everything works out I'll be coming back on 18th Dec and flying back on 6th Jan.
Cross your fingers and toes and eyes and whatever can be crossed!
Vanessa Lim 2:37 p. m.
HAIYARRR the weekend is gone.
English seminar. My tutor's a nice guy I suppose but it's again that biting apprehension of handing in my essay and having another discussion with those smart people about the Early Modern Ballads. Shit.
Ahh on a more positive note - NEWSFLASH - I CAN COOK. Was in Warwick over the weekend and I made them CHILLI CON CARNE okay! Yeemeng and Guofeng can testify to how goooooood it was. Plus I made them turkey+potatoes+omelette! I am a natural natural chef I think. I'm gonna try to make salsa soon.. and erm erm steak or something. Lasagna. mmmmhmm.
Oh ya and I'm joining rowing. Went for my first session last wednesday and it's nothing like canoeing/dragonboat :( Rowing goes BACKWARDS but canoe/db goes forward. Severe psychomotor problem man. When it comes to turning the boat all the telemarking is the OPPOSITE and I keep forgetting that I'm not supposed to be seeing where I'm going in the boat. Nevertheless it was good fun to hit the water again, to feel the boat whoosh with every single pull, to catch the water properly, to feel the wind rushing against your cheek.
I miss the canoeing times :(
Vanessa Lim 12:10 a. m.
I think I'm PMS-ing. :(
Rahh I had my first seminar today. It was a nice lesson I suppose, but everyone is like SO SMART. We were discussing Beowulf, and I could barely get a word in edgewise cos everyone was just jabbering away really quickly. That got me into a bit of a panic, really, cos even though I knew exactly what was going on in class I kinda felt mute and nervous cos I didn't really have a chance to contribute some of my points (which were very good points okay). But my tutor picked my point to discuss which made me feel a bit better. :)
Sigh then Skyped with my mom and my sisters. I really miss home a lot. My family especially. Sighsighsigh I have no idea why I'm so emo todayyyyyyy it must be pms it must be.
Ahh and I've actually got an essay to do on Robert Lowell's "For the Union Dead". First day and I've got to write an essay. Crud I haven't written an essay in like 10 months. I'm looking at the poem and I'm so scared to start analysing it cos I feel like I'm not up to it. I mean, it feels as if everything that I've learnt in the 2 years in JC has just.. disappeared. I kinda need my Purple Bible (as in the lit PC book not the actual Bible) but I dunno where it is at home so I can't tell my mom to ship it over. Sigh and Sam's invited me to discuss the poem along with Ralf or whatshisname but Ralf is like this big brainy brit and I'm so scared. :((((
Maybe I will email Mr Dio. Looks like I'm gonna use up my phone-a-friend lifeline :(
Vanessa Lim 10:22 p. m.
Rachie just showed me this link last night. (or rather it was 3am in the morning but ohwells)
AEP 2005 GRAD SHOW. I realise I've never posted a finalfinal picture of my artwork here before so go seeee. I'm number ELEVEN :) Go have a look at the rest of the works too. I miss my AEPians.
I'm happy here. I really truly am. I like the responsibility. I like learning how to use the oven. I like the 15 min walks to campus with Sam and Debs in the mornings. I like going on pubcrawls and reaching home at 3am only to sleep through 915am lectures the next morning. I like the mist that hangs over the soccer fields, the ducks that poop all over our pathways. I like being happy.
But don't get me wrong - I do miss everyone. Maybe I don't miss the country as much, but I miss the people. My family, my team, my.. everyone. Then again it's good that I'm pretty much settled here and I've been able to blend in so well cos I've got fantastic housemates. After all even though I'm away from home.. it's only 11000km away (thanks to Sam's encarta).
And that's not very far.. is it? I love you all muchly.
Vanessa Lim 4:15 p. m.
viernes, octubre 13, 2006
Vanessa Lim 6:14 p. m.
BOO. So term has officially started and so far it's been a whole lotta fun. My housemates are excellent, apart from the 4 people on the top floor who we don't see much of. My college has like the best college spirit, I swear. People say St Lawrence Court is like the "ghetto of Halifax College" but we don't really mind. Fine, the room's bloody old and depressing, but it's pretty much okay, really.
So far in the first four days since I've moved in, we've had the neighbouring House O turn their kitchen into a rave complete with strobe lights, House G has set off the fire alarm at 10am in the morning (causing me to jab my eye with my eyeshadow brush), I've sneaked into college events without a wristband, and had my name struck off the English department. Apparently, they heard that I wasn't coming to uni, and when I showed up in the office, the lady proclaimed very loudly "OH LOOK VANESSA'S HERE!!!!!!". Shit. So now they all know who I am. O_O Not only that, they've put my name like handwritten on the list on the noticeboard, so EVERYONE will know I'm the poor forgotten girl. It's a conspiracy, I swear.
Ahh and the campus is simply LOVELY. There's a humongous lake in the middle complete with ducks, swans and coots and god knows what other species there are. Apparently, if you kill a duck in the uni you get expelled and you're never allowed to study there again. I've got about a 10-15min walk to the main campus every morning but at least I've got company since Sam's taking the same course. OH and I have about errrm NINE hours of lessons per week only. Thursday's my busiest with 3 lectures, Wednesday's 2 lectures, and Monday and Tuesday - I'm free from 1015 onwards. Friday's FREEE. Sweet.
AHH I'm gonna put the photos separately in another post so watch this space :) Gonna go decorate my room now. It's a mess - as usual. CYA :D
Vanessa Lim 4:19 p. m.
HELLO FROM BIRMINGHAM!
I've finally managed to get internet after all the touring. STUPID HOLIDAY INN. They charged 15pounds for 24h of internet access and I was like.. -_- So to the people who've missed me, I'm sorrryyy :(
Well, things are lovely here. The weather's pretty gloomy but it's a fresh change from the heat in Singapore. I've been touring London, visiting museums etc. (I SAW VAN GOGH'S SUNFLOWERS AND RENOIR'S UMBRELLAS PAINTING!!!!) Then popped by York for a bit and absolutely fell head over heels in love with the city. And right now I'm in Birmingham in Davina's supergorgeous room (that makes mine look like a slum). Tomorrow's Coventry then Saturday's back to York to settle down for good before term starts on monday :)
Yeah in a nutshell that's what I've been up to. Everything's pretty good here, and PHOTOS soon, I promise! Lovelovelove :)
Vanessa Lim 5:40 p. m.
HOUSE J + Pat (with me squished up)
Sam (my coursemate & housemate) and I + Pat in the background
Pat & I with Kate in the back!
House J plus Pat again! Yayyy.
Dome of the British Museum
HEHEHE Meet GINGER, everyone. Yes that's what this thing's called.. It's real btw
Very nice glass building.
Guofeng & I
Tower Bridge on a very gloomy day.
Tower of London. People got beheaded here.
Trafalgar Square. Pigeons galore.
Mummy and I at Trafalgar Square
I really can't remember where this is O_O
The London Eye
Near the Thames
Big Ben
Why Hello, Mr Blair
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Gates of Buckingham Palace
Changing of guard at Buckingham Palace
B-B-Buckingham Palace in its full glory
Bicester Village factory outlet where I found many a bargain :)
Picadilly Circus
HARRODS! (Ridiculously exorbitant)
Coffee.
Harrods Food Hall.
Tea at Harrods Food Hall
