Free

I suddenly remember this. It was the skateboard craze period and it was a random late night. Shamil wanted to go practice his (EPIC FAIL) skateboarding skills so he, YJ and I went down to campus and I lay on the bench half asleep, half peering at the pitch black sky above me, while they started on their antics. I could hear the sound of the wheels on the skateboard on the concrete going back and forth, Shamil & YJ’s mix of accents echoing around me. When they were done, we explored the random foresty bits of campus, which were all empty and abandoned by this time. We ran down slopes, shouting and making jokes, laughing until we saw the road lead open into Telegraph. That might’ve been the same night we discovered the fresh donut holes that tasted like warm pieces of cotton candy. I don’t know how threads of memory get pulled out from my brain like that, neither do I know how accurately I am recounting this particular memory. But one thing I do remember clearly about that night, is how it felt; how we felt.

We were so free.

x

Haha since I’m at it, I was looking at some photos of Shamil & YJ. Here are some of my favourite Malay-Korean moments.

On the bus.. probably passing by OAKLAND (TPWPD) on our way to/from San Fran.

Our very first Sunday Supper.. which Shamil took very seriously and even did his hair to look super formal. And back when YJ still had a REALLY SKINNY FACE ZOMG.

The night they discovered the room in Ihouse with the drums & piano. Why was I even down here with them!? Jackie where were you?!

7th floor lounge, our second home :)

Yeaaaah.. the skateboards were bought at Walmart.

On our way to a baseball game.

At IHOP in LA.. for a really late dinner.

They are two of the best people I have ever ever known and I love them very much. In fact, Shamil’s birthday passed about a week ago! HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIFE TEACHER (as YJ would call him). I miss us all very much. xo

Summer 2010

Forgotten snapshots of life aka some things I’ve done over the summer..

Met REAL DESPICABLE ME MINIONS (+ got free stickers!)

Was a fascinated tourist in my own country + met an old friend from Berkeley.

Had lotsa random rojak meetings of friends that I love <3

Saw two friends of my uni years graduate :)

Been attending YACG.

Cut my hair short again.

Sat in the middle of the road/outside a house while KOI disintegrated my stomach.

Rapped in a band.

A huge part of my summer has also been going out with girlfriends for weekly dinners + spontaneous suppers with Mike & Nat.. and soon all this shall come to an end.

And now. MY FINAL YEAR IN UNIVERSITY IS ABOUT TO BEGIN. I never thought I’d see the day.

A day in the life

Yesterday we spent a day in the life of a tourist, visiting the new addition to our island’s cityscape.

All photos courtesy of Quen. Please fall prostrate at his feet now.

The four of us had the privilege of witnessing this amazing view of this little red dot, and what better time to do it than a month before National Day :) Four of us = Quen, Jiwon, Tarnia and I – probably one of the most randomest combination of people yet. But I sekretly love random small groups which are Not Awkward. Its like finding a new combination to a puzzle. Random church chatting @ Beanstro ftw.

I will not damage the beauty of this post with my rambling (I will do another with MORE RANDOM PHOTOS of this day) but one last thing -

Bright lights shine on the street at night, guiding me closer to home.

Full

The charms & trinkets of Little India, the sweetness of Max Brenner chocolate, the company of longlost friends. Sipping dark chocolate granitas while recounting endless episodes of ihouse first semester drama, wondering how we got here & reeling at the thought of how it has been more than a year since all of this has passed, yet we remember every moment as clear as day. There is something beautiful about the bursting memories that replay themselves vividly in your mind.

Steak & foie gras night @ Kat’s. Kat’s steak has taken our friendship to a new level, and I echo Mat’s sentiments. Mmm I think we should just make our weekly dinners permanently at her place, and let her whip up some heavenly creation for us. Love these relaxing nights with girlfriends, getting high on wine&conversation, with the pup clamouring and running around our feet.

I am soooooo full on food, love and memories.

Failsauce

I promise I will do an extensive/whiney ANDREWHASLEFTANDIAMSOSAD post after I stop work this week, but just for the record since he left this morning – so long homie. I will miss you (and your camera) more than you think I will :(

I am terrible and hopeless with goodbyes (not to mention sappy). Andrew leaving and not knowing when I’m going to see him again is like losing a brother to a war which you don’t know when will end (ok maybe not that serious but youknowwhatimean).

This goodbye goes right up there in the hall of fame of ‘saddest moments in my life’, right after 1. leaving YJ one year ago at LAX, 2. putting Socks to sleep. It shall be labeled as 3. LOSING A BROTHER TO THE WAR OF THE UNCERTAINTY OF LIFE, AND THE CERTAINTY OF GEOGRAPHY AND DISTANCE.

:’( sadface.

KIWI FANGIRLNESS: a continuation

WHILE TALKING TO YJ TODAY I REALISED THAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SURPRISED AT THE ALLWHITES KIWI HOTNESS. He reminded me and I suddenly remembered.. WAIT A MINUTE. BACK IN IHOUSE. ALL THE KIWIS WERE HOT AS WELL -__________-

YJ claimed good genes. He doesn’t even count cos he is pure korean. FAIL.

HAHA I was browsing through the kiwi’s photos and so many (other) memories started rushing back. IM SURE JACKIE WILL CONCUR (!!!!!!!)

I am putting this under the cut so that my fangirlness can be minimized. Prob too late for that.

7 months late

As is the title of Quen’s facebook album.

I love my hair back then (!!!!!) RAWR. And this series of shots was taken right after I got off the plane and headed to Berkeley. Quen surprised me with his FLASHING PAPARAZZI-NESS when the door was flung open. Once in a lifetime kind of good times :)

Kudos to the photographer! Thank you for digging the photos out for me :)

My second chance at reliving those instax polaroids, colourful cups, yummy yogurtland kind of afternoons, with people I love and a hand to hold <3

Morning thoughts: Bob Marley

Morning thoughts on the bus that make me smile to myself.

Bob Marley comes on my playlist and the image of Shamil trying to educate me on reggae music suddenly floats into my head. Later that night, Frisco. Reggae club. LEGIT BIG SCARY BOUNCERS (not a stereotype anymore!). Italian Nic. Shamil’s signature dancing (man I really miss that guy). Sore feet. Police drag a guy out of the club for illegalstuff (not a stereotype now either). THE Jamaican dude.. I can’t remember his name now! Edward was it? Singing Brian Mcknight on the walk back to Berkeley. All of us piling into YJ and Allen’s room.

What a great night. All this will probably be triggered all over again everytime I hear Bob Marley.

I LOVE YOU C.C.

So.

Do you know what is one of my absolute FAVOURITE FOODS that makes me the happiest person in the world every time I bite into it?

CHOCOLATE CROISSANTS.

There are no words for my love of this wonderful baked drug. I don’t even remember how my sekret love for it began! All I know is that everytime I bite into a chocolate croissant, I FEEL JOY.

{I just had one from Swissbakery and it was AWESM – this explains the sudden rant}

Well the problem was that when I was in Berkeley, they sold this at the Ihouse cafe. WHICH WAS LIKE A 5 MINUTE WALK FROM MY ROOM. So it turned into a pretty unhealthy ritual of “one chocolate croissant please” AND (this is all Shamil’s fault I blame Shamil) “and one cup of hot milk”.

AHA, see the thing is I DON’T DRINK MILK. Or pure milk, at least. I kinda hate it. BUT WHAT MISTER SHAMIL taught me was to put HONEY in the milk. And my oh my did it make all the world of a difference.

What made things worse was that I have a sweet tooth. So honey in milk means honey in milk. To the extent that you can only taste the sweetness and pretty much no milk. HAHAHA. Can you imagine what an unhealthy combination that was!? (but ohsoAMAYZING) Chocolate croissants and milk with copious amounts of honey every other day. Yeah, not to mention I stopped going to the gym after Spring Break. YJ begged and pleaded with me to go with him on his insane twice-a-day gym ritual – NO SIRREE. Find me later – I’ll be curled up here by the Great Hall fire…

x

One night I tried to reform. I told YJ: When you see me at the cafe, you have to STOP me from buying chocolate croissants and whatnot!

A few days later we were at the cafe counter, I pointed and turned to YJ – “should I get the chocolate croissant? Or should I just skip it and go for class straight?”

YJ: You like it right. Then just get it lah (LAH SOMEMORE).

x

Yeah, in the end I bought it. And regretted almost immediately after.

Boyfriends are BAD cos they encourage you to be happy (read: EAT. burritos, bubbletea, donuts, and the like at 2am in the morning). Happy isn’t necessarily healthy. YJ’s defence? You can eat as much as you like, but you have to exercise after! That’s why I keep asking you to go to the gym with me!

The annoying part is that he is right :(

Yami sprinkly things

{Spontaneous YOUTHINREVOLT + YAMI YOGURT day!}

:)

Dear Andrew,

DUDE. Can you not go back to Socal, like seriously? :( What am I going to do without your room to crash in the afternoons and without you to use an excuse to explore my own country? This is a failsauce face :’( And we have yet to take our epic BASKETBALL SHORTS photo. Which is where it all began :D

xo

S-tudying

{Work progress: one down, one more to go! Taking a break..}

So this used to be YJ & Pete’s room back in Berkeley.

Note:

1. THE FEET STICKING OUT belong to YAP HUI JUN YVONNE.

2. All the shoes below the bed belong to YJ. Like not even kidding. Pete only owns one pair of slippers and one pair of sneakers. HAHAHAHA.

3. The random items of clothing hanging around are also YJ’s, in attempt to create a ‘tent’ for himself. Evidently it was effective as Yvonne is being half-hidden from sight.

4. They are studying. (who knew you could study in such a ridiculously cluttered environment?)

x

Anyway, one day I decided to creep up on him studying..

And to my HORROR:

My reaction was just like. o.O

(Mind you, it was pages after pages after pages of things like this..)

I didn’t know if I should have felt disgusted or proud of him. Haha!

RIDIK. I’ll probably never complain about writing essays again.

SIGH. Which means I have to get back to them now :(

RAFI

Its Rafi’s birthday today! I just thought I’d pay some tribute to my favourite German of all time, and probably one of the most unforgettable people I met in Ihouse. I can’t help but LOL when I think about the memories with Rafi.. from how he wandered into our lives till the moment he left.

{Found this video lying around.. and it is one of my FAVOURITES because it reminds me of the good ol times. These are the times I miss the most, and yet are the times that often go unnoticed, unphotographed and uncaptured. Just chilling till the AM :)}

More ridiculous Rafi videos can be found here, here and here.

{CLICK BELOW FOR: MORE ON RAFI}

PIECES

Bits and pieces of the days gone by.

(this backlog seems unending doesn’t it?)

CNY dinner with SIX MEN at the table. Very overwhelming.

Two semesters of Ihouse meet and merge!

THE FLEA MARKET @ Tanglin Mall with Geriberi & Rachel!

The very-late supper where we wound up playing MONOPOLY DEAL after the food court closed.

THE YAPS USE IPHONES. We look so insanely happy here.

Alice in Wonderland with the gang. “Underwhelmed”, the Elf says.

x

And now we are in the month of APRIL. Madness, I say.

Nonetheless, hope you are having a fabulous Easter weekend!

x’s and o’s from both YJ and I!

:)

St Patrick’s Day

Apparently yesterday was St Patrick’s Day. Obviously no one really celebrates the occasion here in little ol Singapore, and not that I’m complaining cos that means I won’t get pinched for not wearing green.

My first and only time celebrating St. Pat’s was last year. It was a hazy memory of shouting down the corridor to get Shamil to wear green, pinching Jackie cos she wanted to be the rebel of the family, trying Guiness cupcakes and Bailey cakes served in the dining hall, then getting whisked off to Raleighs, bartender throwing green Guiness necklaces over the counter, Jarvis PIGEONING at me to tell him an interesting fact, green beer, and the night they told Hugh the Irish man that I don’t shower.

Good times.

A comprehensive reflection of 2009

I haven’t written an entry like this in quite a while. Feels liberating.

via weheartit

I know, it’s kinda late to be doing last year’s reflections at this time. But I was browsing through my tweets for the second half of last year and it suddenly struck me how I had forgotten so much of the bizarre time that was 2009. Such a Beautiful Mess of a year.

WARNING: A VERY VERY VERY VERY LONG POST AHEAD. Probably my longest yet, and probably repetitive at some points of you’ve been following this blog. Do not click if you do not wish to read my rambling. If you really love me that much, then click away (bottom left).