Received my Diploma cert

Finally received my Diploma cert, after waiting for a good 6 months or so. There was actually some problem but the guy managed to clear that up and we got our certs. The bad thing is the results are printed there too, and I must say it isn't a pretty sight.

A few weeks left until the end of my Advanced Diploma, going to have to start deciding my perspective career and start on the resume.

Am not liking it at all.

It's too fast. TOO FAST!!!!!

My neighbourhood

I've lived in this neighbourhood all my life, all 18 years of it, and yet I still do not know what I think of it. It is convenient: 5 mins walk from bus interchange and MRT station, neighbourhood schools all around, 2 wet markets nearby, coffee shops, provision shops, fruit stalls, pet shop, foot and full-body massage shop, physician, clinics, bubble tea shop, a tailor, hairdressers, and a mini-market downstairs. Sounds pretty good? Yes… except for one thing.

My neighbourhood is kind of noisy. But exciting all the same. Many things happen around here, be it thefts, suicides, drunken fights,

I was having lunch when I heard a commotion coming from next door. Not surprising, really. Once every few days they fight. But it’s been kind of frequent; their last fight was only last night. Next door lives a married couple and their 4 year old kid. There is a big age gap between the couple, I think maybe 15 years, even more than me and my baby. She’s from China. He couldn’t get himself a wife so he flew there for one. And you know China women are… Some are okay, like the China housewife living an apartment away, but some are… you wouldn’t want to pick a fight with them. She’s younger than my baby, around 2 to 3 years younger, and her husband’s 40 plus, going on 50. He’s around the same age as her step-mother, you know (There was once the China step-mother came over to be with her grandson, the China woman was actually worried about her husband hitting on her. >.<). I believe they don’t have much in common, except that they share a child and a flat and are legally bond to each other.

Anyway, so the fight started with some very loud yelling. The woman being the loudest. She’s always the loudest. She’s loud. The man started shouting back. Then things were being thrown around. And some banging of furniture. Then a kid crying and, “Mummy… Daddy…” My ma went to the door to listen properly to what they were fighting about. Came and told me it was about the husband reaching home earlier and not boiling the water and washing the dishes and stuff. Things about his Laziness (Last night’s was about the wife talking to the husband and the husband not answering her, he was busy watching telly. The funny part was when the wife said to the husband, “你siaow啊!”, the kid went “Siaow啊!”).

The kid was always the innocent party of the fights. When the mother got tired of yelling at her husband she yelled at the kid instead. The mother treats the kid well of course, but there are bad times, too. She scolds and hits him quite a lot. But the endearing part of it all are the moments when he says to his mother, “Mummy, 我爱你.” (Yes, he says them loud enough, even I can hear from next door.) There are times when the mother is busy, she wouldn’t answer him. And the kid would repeat his declaration again, and receive a “Yes, Darling, I love you, too.”

I can write a book on the family next door. I bet I can write a whole series of books about this neighbourhood.

Understanding the older generation

Last night when it was me and my ma at home, she told me of her fun days years ago. She told me when she was younger, she and her friends would pay $5 to go on a tour to Singapore. She told me they would go to many many places in Singapore, and somebody would ask her to get 10 people to go on the tour, so that another person would have the chance to come to Singapore for free. Of course she was that lucky person. Then she said she'd spend her money on shopping and food instead. She said when my pa was courting my ma, he would bring her to watch opera. And many times my aunts would tag along, and he would have to pay for all of them. And opera tickets weren't cheap in those days. And my pa wasn't very happy for paying extra and the 'lightbulbs'. That made me laugh.

It's hard to understand older people, sometimes. It's harder to imagine what they were like in their prime days, in a totally different place and environment. Nowadays kids play with their latest high-tech gaming machines, in the olden days our parents made toys for themselves. In the past, things were much simpler.

Adults keep a lot of things to themselves. Many times I wonder about the countless things I still do not know about my parents. My parents both have a significant scar on their bodies each. She told us about her scar on her leg. It was when she was young, she went out to feed the ducks, fell and cut her leg on a piece of glass. She told us about the scar on my pa's ass, too. She said when our pa was young, he was mischievious, just like any other boy. One day, he climbed his neighbour's rambutan tree to pluck rambutans, but was chased by the neighbour's dog and bitten on his rear end. That was kind of funny, too.

You wouldn't imagine them when they were young, what they were like. The moment you stepped into this world, you only know the adult version of them, you've never met them when they were children. The reason of them being around was to care and nurture you, to shape you into the person that you are today. You would sometimes... take them for granted. As if... they are supposed to be around.

I guess we don't think about such things. I dunno why I wrote this, too. I think it was the tiny bit of closeness which I felt for my ma when she tells me about her past. Each time I would get this feeling. It's like being welcomed into their world, into their past, the past we do not know about.

Wedding on Sunday

My Pa and sis have gone to Malaysia for a cousin's wedding on Sunday night. They should be at the bus terminal at Kallang now. Wished I could go too. But it's just for a wedding, it's kind of a hurry to rush there and back again.

Was busy the whole of yesterday. Last minute decided that I had to add a some things to my HR assignment. Figured I wasn't going to do well anyway, so what the heck, one more page of rubbish hoping to gain some marks won't hurt.

Then my computer got infected with some serious spyware. Tried removing it with anti-spyware software but was unable to. So I had to reformat my computer. Again. Spent a few hours on it.

Read in Blinkmummy's blog (see links) that she got her Honda Jazz, so lovingly named it Xiao Bai, but her 'Good Fren' didn't want her to modify it. I think once in a while her 'Good Fren' is going to have to drive it, and it won't be nice to see a bloke driving a girl's car. Makes me wonder when am I going to get my own car, or even will I get one. Made me think how much Blinkymummy earns a month so she can own a Honda Jazz, although it isn't a very expensive car, but if added in all the costs of fuel and parking fees and servicing fees and stuff, it's not the same story anymore, is it?

Update

I regret to say that I haven't been blogging recently. This week has been spent unmeaningfully. I have spent my time on the PSP replaying Final Fantasy 1. And this time round I played all the bonus dungeons and I just ended the game with levels 70 plus. So many days of my life spent on this brainwashing machine! The bf has been complaining that I'm spending too much time on it, and not giving a hoot about my Econs class test next week. Okay okay, I heard you. Now that I'm done I can fully concentrate on studying, though the test isn't a big deal, really.

Baby Ethan just turned 5 months old. His flipping over is as quick as ever. He has just accidentally bashed his head into my ma's head, and is crying his little lungs out. I have learnt to change diapers! I changed his diapers for him yesterday, and am proud of the results. Not too tight, not too loose, and not too uncomfortable for him. And I can carry him the way mothers carry their children. I think I'm almost qualified to be a mother now, except that I haven't tried bathing him and helping him poop and wipe his ass.

He's an adorable little guy. Wherever he goes, people just like to stop and pinch his cheeks and kiss him and whatever. And he's at his cutest when he's asleep. I'm lucky to see him grow a little everyday. It's kind of nice.

The weather

When it rains, it pours. Yesterday went to meet the bf, and he was drenched from the waist down, even though he had an umbrella with him. It makes me remember maybe around 6 months ago what the heavy rain did to my relatives back home.

Not feeling very bloggy these days. Don't really much to write about. Going to be quite free this week. It's another one week break. This is the last one week break I'm going to have in the school. When the school reopens plus a few weeks I'm going to have my exams again, and the end of the exams signals the end of my MDIS life.

Update

What the fuck is wrong with the school. I came to school early in the morning and sat there waiting for the lecturer to arrive. Half an hour passed and he's still not arrived. I was thinking something must be wrong. Like the other time we waited an hour until 2 guys from the office came up and told us our lecturer fell sick, last minute. Okay, so we waited. Then I heard from someone that our student coordinator didn't give out the new time table. And that actually there should be no class this morning. What the fuck.

Received my exam results from last term. I got a D and 2 Bs. That's good enough cos this time round we have to study for all 3 modules at once.

Went to buy running shoes with my sis yesterday. It was hard to look for shoes, with the unfortunately largeness of my feet. I should have bound my feet when I was little, or something. Anyway, it was a hard time, as usual, ever since I was small, shoe shopping was always a hard time. I have size seven and a half feet. Sometimes eight. Ahh, but managed to buy an okay-looking pair that I could fit in at $39.90. There was a sale going on, and most of the shoes left were small sizes. So I guess I'm not the only one with big feet. (: Then after that I went running.

The Replacement

The replacement lecturer was okay. I think he teaches better than the late one did. He gave homework too, and that's a good thing, cos most lecturers won't give a shit on giving homework. It will be one more work to do. He teaches and we understand and he asks questions, which is what we hate. Other than speaking a little too fast sometimes, he's okay. I realise I've got to buck up, actually. I haven't been paying attention or studying since the start of this term. In a private institution, it's all last minute catching up. (:

Skin problems

Took a look at myself in the mirror this morning and saw that there are some holes in my face. I ought to do something about it, fast. I fear that they may became the beginnings of skin problems in the future. But of course, treatment for the skin requires money, which is what I don't have. In a few months time I may have the money to do something, I just hope that it won't worsen too quickly. In the meantime I'm doing research on how to improve my skin, or maybe slow down the deterioration. ):

Broken Spectacles!

I broke my spectacles yesterday.

I was in a hurry cos I was going out to meet the bf, and I quickly cleaned my specs and I realised it was a little loose so I tried bending it to make it tighter. I bent it way too hard and it broke into half. It broke right at the center. I sort of panicked, cos I was rushing for time. I ran out of my room screaming that I broke my glasses. Then me and my ma went downstairs and got a new spectacle frame. I only had to wait for 15 minutes to get it done and spent only 20 mins to make a new pair of glasses. It's not very very nice but I think it suits me better than the previous one. The uncle gave me a huge discount cos three quarters of my family get our specs from him. Cos he's the nearest spectacles shop, you know. The second shop to the left of the elevator. I hate that I had to use my ma's money again.

I want to go home

Usually around this time of the year I'll be at Malaysia. But not this year. For one, I've got no time off from school. Second, it's the baby. For the first time in my life I'm unable to see them during June. That's so sad. Sad sad sad.

Update

Just got back from school actually. We used that classroom. The classroom my lecturer died in. Didn't really feel spooked or whatever. I guess I'm over the trauma already. I just didn't think about it, that's all. Yeah. They let us choose if we want to continue having lessons in that room, as normal, or if we feel uncomfortable they can arrange for us to have our lessons in another room, but the bad news is we would have to go to Dhoby Ghaut. Most of us chose to resume our lessons in that classroom, except for 2 Indonesian girls. I guess they still feel uncomfortable. Well. My POM lecturer saw that there were quite few students present today. So he sort of joked, "Why so few people today? Scared of me, is it?" My friend joked back, "Scared of something else." No one laughed.

Ethan just went off. He's learnt to roll over pretty fast. But he can only roll over to his right, and he can't roll back. So he always get stuck on his stomach, until someone flips him over. He's going to be teething soon, cos he's chewing on his fingers, instead of sucking on them.

Dreaming of getting rich

Lately I've been thinking about what I would do with the money if I were to become a sudden-millionaire (by means of lottery or inheritance that I do not know of). So here are 12 things I will do with my new found richness:

1. Purchase a piece of land and build the house of my dreams.
2. Buy a golden retriever.
3. Get a MBA. (In case, you know, if I suddenly don't have any money left, I can still get a well-paid job).
4. Buy the car of my dreams (unknown, preferably a Mercedes).
5. Go for slimming sessions & facials & pedicures & manicures.
6. Stock up on wardrobe.
7. Hire maids & a gardener & a butler (but not a chauffeur, I would like to drive my car myself. What's the use of buying myself a car and let someone else drive it?)
8. Give my parents some money.
9. Give the bf some money to open a shop.
10. Get braces and cap my teeth.
11. Start being charitable.
12. Get married.

Yes, I love dreaming about the impossible. But it makes me quite happy. (:

Band Of Brothers

I'm currently watching Band Of Brothers. I'm lucky I wasn't born a male during the World War era. I wouldn't have survived. I probably would have shot myself, anyway.

Being "well-known" in your neighbourhood

I hate it that your parents are well-known around the neighbourhood, you know. Well, I've lived here all my life, we are bound to have many friends. But to the extend that even the coffee shop vendors know I am the daughter of my father without first introducing myself to them... I got a bit sick of it, actually. I used to go down and buy lunch or breakfast or whatever and the woman selling fish ball noodles will go, "Ah Soon eh char bor kia arh?" Then she will smile at me in a way that as if she's known me all my life when I only know her as "the fish ball noodles auntie". Then everyone will look at me. Then I will nod, grab my purchases, and run off. It happens every single time, no matter how many times of the week I go. It's scared me, and everytime I want to go down I send a representative, my sis. I think she's sick of all that unwanted attention too, of being called "Ah Soon eh char bor kia". Not that we're not proud of being Ah Soon's char bor kia, of course. It's just, well, embarrassing.