Tuesday, November 28, 2006

How I survived, I don't know.
Thank God for God, and Fang Fang, and JFK, and Tam, and the Home Team, who were my pillars of support, foundations of strength, sources of true joy. Not the false laughter issuing from the ruins of orgies, decay of which stench I once again caught rising from the abyss of memories on this night. So thick I had to throw wide the window and gulp down the crisp night air; like a protective cloak, airy dream-catcher to save me from the nightmares of Christmases past.
Oh Lord, protect us evermore!

Monday, November 27, 2006

For those who are facing exams in the coming days,
(Especially Matt, Dre, Jen, but not forgetting many others!)
May you receive the Peace that will carry you through this stressful time,
the Strength to never give up,
the Faith to believe in yourself,
and the Hope that all will eventually be over!

Gambate!

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Girls' night out


Siu Mei's Birthday cake!

At her place now, with Jon and Colleen (Leicester gang) =)
We were out in London the whole day: Dim Sum, Arcade, Coffee, and Evita!


Covent Garden at night...

They have the big Christmas tree up already!

And we're happy you're happy!






Saturday, November 25, 2006

borrowed vehicle

All that I am, all that I ever was
Is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see
I dunno where, confused about how as well
Just know that these things will never change for us at all

Friday, November 24, 2006

lost in translation

Came up with a new easy-to-prepare dish for dinner today!

Something of an equivalent to chicken claypot rice:
Dice chicken breast and marinate in sesame oil/light sauce/pepper for 20 min.
Wash a cup of rice and add dark sauce/light sauce (and salt if nec.)/sesame oil into the right amount of water for rice to cook in rice cooker.
Add 4 cloves of crushed garlic and the chicken to the rice.
Pop it into the rice cooker until rice cooks!
To serve:
Good garnishing - pepper and fried shallots.


Fei (he's from China) was in the kitchen eating when I went in to get the cooked meal. So I sat down to eat at the table with him (usually I prefer to go into my room to eat, the kitchen is only enough for 6 people to stand in, and we have 12). We were talking about work and study in UK, when he offered me some of the food he had cooked: lo and behold, it was kung pow duck! (oops, here's Mel talking about food again!). It was really yummy, and he said it was his first time preparing duck, having only started cooking 2 months ago when he arrived here. Really amazed by his cooking skills, and ashamed I myself hadn't been so daring! Also, he had come from China not knowing much English - I thought it was very admirable he decided to do a course here: it would be like me studying Chinese literature!


Another corridor-mate, Linda (also from China), came in and proceeded to tell us she had just come from her pole-dancing lesson. Fay choked on his food then. I didn't really understand her mandarin, so she went on to demonstrate a few moves. He had stopped chewing, eyes about to pop out of their sockets; I nearly fell off my chair laughing.


Then Darran (a Hong-Kong British) walked in. Fei wanted to know whether guys could join the pole-dancing class, and what they would wear. Since he didn't know the english word for underwear, he proceeded to ask Darran what he wore to sleep.


Needless to say, I was nearly in tears from laughter by then.
What a meal!

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

chitchat

Woke up at 8.50am this morning, and the seminar on Maus was at 9am!!
Rush rush rush, I was so tempted to stay in bed and 'forget' I had a class, but because it's so unique to have one on a graphic novel I just couldn't miss it!
Turned up at 9.05am ready with apologies ( I DID brush my teeth!) and turns out half the class hadn't arrived yet, my tutor in fact looked grateful to those who walked in no matter what time it was.

Attendence just might have something to do with the fact that he set us 3 novels to read for this week?

Anyhow, had tea and a nice hour-chat with a couple of my course-mates after. And because they mostly were
a)in their late twenties
b)all (nearly) at the engagement stage with their partners
c)females
the topic for the day was marriage, having a house, maybe-babies. Okayyyyy, I had a nice cup of hot chocolate.

Back at twelve for a little lunch of pancakes with ham and cheese, got another class in 10 minutes at 1pm.

More stories!

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Mauschwitz

This week's seminar reading for Literatures of War was Maus I and II, at least that's what it said on the reading list. So I headed down to the book store, found the author (art spiegelman), pulled the book out and saw...

Vat??!!

Flipping through the pages I got a bigger shock (note: this is what we, a class filled with students from 22 to 50 years of age, including ex-teachers/ administrators/ soldiers, will be discussing on wednesday after paying 9000 pounds):


I just love my course! *grinz*

By the way, this work did win the Pulitzer Prize, among others. I guess no dream is too huge!

Monday, November 20, 2006

Coventry and beyond!

Autumn Leaves! Technically, the temperature says it's winter already (high of 9 deg cel, low of 0 deg cel) but there's still some colour in life, thank goodness! Those are the blocks of my hostel, Tocil, just a 2 minute walk from lectures whoppee!


10th Nov: Went to West End, London, to watch Chicago with Yan yan! Didn't watch the Richard Gere/Catherine Zeta film, so I didn't know what to expect, but I must say the songs were catchy and the dancing great! Themes in the film were a little too dark for my taste, but it was a good production. Yan yan had seen the show in Japan and in US (different companies) and she says this one was the best =) See the plastic bag I'm holding? Full of Japanese goodies we got from a shop in London (including Pocky!)

Yan yan's my dear study-Tesco-musical-dinner-let's complain about work-buddy! She's doing a PhD in English Literature *kowtow to her* Specialises in 19th century fiction (power, right!) We met her friend in London that morning, who's halfway through her PhD in Gothic fiction. The intellectual meter is getting hot out here...

See this one? This is Mel, whose speciality is eating roast duck! In Chinatown, nonetheless. So happy because she's not eaten roast duck in 3 months ...we had it with xiao bai cai/ crabmeat/ shitake and fried rice. Too full to walk out after that, we stayed from 7 to 9pm gluping chinese tea.

Presenting...my room! The one furthest away from the noisy kitchen *grinz* I'm real serious as I thank God!

More to come! Was trying to fit in more pictures of Ho Fung's farewell at Leicester Square, but they wouldn't load. Ho Fung, if you're reading this, it means you're home safe and sound; enjoy your homecoming (I'm sure you will, British food ranks one of the lowest) 'cos we all will miss your jokes and great tenor voice!

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Simply Insatiable

I want to...

read all the good books that have been written, eat the best cuisine from all over the world, join a multi-national corporation and be a high-powered executive and thus give my parents a comfortable life, have written at least one book that makes it to university syllables, teach, watch all the gothic and fantasy and detective and mystery films at the cinema, spend my time with my lover, rid the world of prejudice (especially racism), reach out to those who feel lonely,win the noble prize in literature very funny hahaha

all in all, to never regret how I spend my days

BUT
1. Isn't this all very self-centered?
2. Just how am I going to accomplish the above?
3. Things have a funny way of not turning out how you plan it i.e. God has a plan
4. Living is about making choices and balancing what we have (not what we don't) - then a voice in my head yells "life is about aiming for the stars too!"

*sigh*

To ponder: "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God"

Sunday, November 05, 2006

got to read this day's entry from the bottom up

wanna hear more?

The green tortoise just looked at his Purpose Driven Life calender, which reads for the day:

Servants base their identity in Christ. Because they remember they are loved and accepted by grace, servants don't have to prove their worth. They willingly accept jobs that insecure people would consider 'beneath' them. One of the most profound examples of serving from a secure self-image is Jesus' washing the feet of his disciples. Jesus knew who he was, so the task didn't threaten his self-image.

whoooooooooooosh
Oh my gosh....you're kidding

It's 3 hours after I typed that last post, I'm just preparing to read today's reading, so I go on the 'Word Among Us' website. This is the first line I see:

What does it mean to humble ourselves?

In a state of shock now, when I recover I'll continue reading the reflection...

a time for everything

Humility: having a lowly opinion of oneself

Lowly: Humble in feeling or demeanour; not proud or ambitious

(Definitions from the Oxford English Dictionary)

OK, since definitions don't answer my question, how does one be humble? I don't believe it's about shortchanging yourself, making yourself out to be less than who you are. But then again, who are you? I may think I'm witty, intelligent, sexy (this is an example), but if 75% i.e. the majority of the people around me say otherwise, am I to believe that, and act likewise? If I don't do and think what they say, will I be labelled as 'proud' and 'arrogant'? I don't have to bother what 'they' say. But what if they're right?

As the wise Oracle would say,
"γνῶθι σεαυτόν"
Gnothi Seauton
Know Thyself

argh. Work in Progress.