Yawwnn.. it's been a long day..

I just got back from an extremely long day trip with WS and our friends.. :) We went to visit our friend SL in Coventry and he brought us touring. Well, in actual fact, we only went to Warwick Castle, but walking around the castle and the grounds alone seemed to be enough to tire me out. (You must be thinking, it can't be that tiring since I'm here blogging at the end of it all, but well, I have to do my online grocery shopping and for some reason, the Internet is so friggin' slow!!! Off to the shower I shall go, after this.. then to Dreamland.. where well, no one awaits, really. I'm too tired I'm sure I'll have a good blackout sleep!)

I digress. The Castle was just your typical English medievial castle, with a proper castle, a moat, a mill, a canal/river and just lots and lots of land! They held numerous activities today like jousting, swordfighting and archery, so that was quite interesting to watch. I for one, was more interested in learning about the history of the castle and absorb in its wealth of culture, unfortunately, the castle was quite poorly labelled that I don't think I learnt very much from my trip today.. Ah well..

Well, apart from that, the grounds were certainly very lovely.. Actually, extremely gorgeous! :) It helped that it was summer, so the flowers were in full bloom and the grass was a lovely hue of green.. Lots and lots of photos were taken, obviously, so do check out the link. (Click on the title of this excerpt, please.. Heck, just click here if you wish!) There were too many tourists for it to be romantic, but I still felt that it was.. (Haha, that probably could be due to the fact that WS was there with me, so err, I dunno!)

Ooh, one of the main attractions was the peacock garden.. and attract us it did! There were about 4-5 male peacocks when we arrived, all standing proudly with their feathers on show, trying to court a lovely lady peacock. (The females weren't remotely interested, but it meant we got to take lots of pictures!) Anyway, the garden was truly lovely, (Save the horny peacocks of course.. they were trying to tackle every single female peacock that walked past! Kinda reminds me of my friends in high school and college!)

All in all, it was a lovely trip indeed. Enjoyed myself quite a bit, so it was certainly worth the fatigue.. Sighh.. hopefully tomorrow, I'll be able to get started on some work! (Yes, yes, I sent WS packing off back to where he came from, so I won't be distracted.. :P) For now, enjoy the pictures!

Warwick Castle 

Lovely scenery on a bright summer's day 

Of cowardice nature?

It's been awhile since I last wrote.. (Well, if you consider my declaration as a Jedi Master proper writing, that is..) I've been swamped with absolutely trivial and frivolous things to do, so haven't had the time, really.. Actually, to be fair, I did have an important project report due in last Friday, and being deemed of having 'nerves of steel' by my mother as a kid, my recent qualification as professional procrastinator and the age-old "I won't do anything til' the very last minute" saying, naturally, I only started to work on it last week. So, yeah, that'll probably be main reason I was MIA.

WS came over this weekend.. (Yes, yes, yet another reason I was MIA.. hey, we haven't seen each other for 4 whole weeks so you can guess what we were busy with.. :P ) Anyway, we went to watch the long-awaited, highly-anticipated Star Wars Episode III and being the great Star Wars fan that I was, I couldn't stop talking about it the whole weekend! Overall, it was a good movie (much better than Episodes I and II but nowhere compared to IV, V and VI, of course!) and even though I felt sad all throughout, I felt it was worth my while.. So do go and catch it if you have the time!

Anyway, watching the movie got me thinking.. (Yes, we've established a long time ago that thinking is a pastime I don't usually enjoy.. Let it go!) Anakin Skywalker was prophesied to be the 'chosen one', the one to bring balance to the Force by ridding the world of evil. But, instead of sitting around and waiting for his destiny to be fulfilled, he decided to take matters into his own hands and ended up turning to the dark side. This proved quite good for him, to be honest, as he became the most powerful Jedi/Sith lord in the galaxy for many many years.. The same thing happened to Lex Luthor in Smallville - he had his future mapped out for him by his father but decided that he wanted more and therefore, always challenged destiny. It too did him well, he will always be known as Superman's arch nemesis, his most formidable enemy.

There is a point to this, I promise. Basically, through my extremely strong powers of observation (hah!), I have realised that the greatest of people are always those who dare challenge their own destiny. The greatest of people are the ones who are always willing to take a chance and grab hold of their own futures, instead of sitting on their hefty asses and waiting for it to drop into their chunky laps. (Btw, don't mean to offend you skinny people out there!) The greatest of people are the ones who take matters into their own hands and spell out their very own futures. The greatest of people are the ones who do not leave it up to Lady Fate.

My religion teaches me this. It teaches me that nothing is fixed, our destinies are not set in stone, everything is conditional and we have the power to alter our own fate. This is probably a concept alien to basic Chinese culture, which believes strongly that our endpoint has already been set and it's just the journey that's different. Obviously, I don't agree with this, but I still enjoy watching lots of sappy Cantonese series which epitomises this with their tragic love stories. (Think the Hong Kong pilot/airplane show.. I know the title of it in Chinese but forgot it in English! hehe..)

I digress. My point is, it has become clearer and clearer to me (No, not through Star Wars or the movies.. :P) that we control our very own fate. Yes, it may seem obvious to you and you're probably thinking that this article is quite pointless. Yes, it does seem simply apparent and straightforward but think again, and think hard. A lot of us take the things that happen in our lives for granted and therefore, are inadvertently leaving things up to fate. It is obviously the most convenient option, saying things like "It's not meant to be," or a more familiar "I can't help it, it was beyond my control."

We should learn to be more conscious and mindful of the many decisions we make in life, as they ultimately contribute in shaping our future. Even the trivial decisions (which incidentally, I absolutely hate!) could be important and cannot be belittled. I believe that I have come to a point in my life that I can no more dally about, waiting for answers to be given to me. I believe that at 23, I've got to decide what my future should hold for me and what I've got to do now to fulfil it. Call it an epiphany if you like, call it whatever, it doesn't matter.

In actual fact, I believe that we should all stand up to our own fate and challenge it. Whatever is thrown in our faces along the path of life, we throw back with a vengeance. We fight. We fight for what we want, for what we believe in and what we want our future to be. (Gosh, I sound like the Charmed ones! :P) Unfortunately, I believe this is going to be difficult. Not many people are going to be willing to engage in a one-on-one battle with the Almighty (and possibly, imaginary) Lady Destiny for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, we might all just yield and live our lives mediocrely..We might all just be cowards..

It seems obvious, but I believe our future starts from now, the present.. and although it seems daft, I believe we should get down on moulding it. The question is, is this happening? Are we all thinking about reshaping our futures hard enough? Are we doing anything about to secure it? Are we taking it seriously enough? Because from the way we play and play, I have a very strong feeling that most of us... don't.

A Jedi Master, I am.

Look everyone! I did a very comprehensive personality quiz to find out what kind of Jedi I am and guess what? I'm a Jedi Master!! Bow to me everyone, bow!!!

And for the record, it doesn't always say 'Jedi Master'.. Found it on someone else's blog and he was only a 'Jedi Guardian'. So to all the non-believers out there: Hah! & May the force be with you...

(Didn't I tell you I was bored?)





Take the quiz here and let me know how it goes!

(This quiz is proudly presented by TV Guide Online and no, they didn't pay me to advertise! ;) )

Boredville, USA

Yes, yes, as you can see, I'm bored... Bored to my bones, bored stiff, bored out of my mind and just plain ol' bored...

The worst thing about these bouts of boredom that seem to have hit me more frequently of late, is that it always always occurs when I'm at my busiest! I've actually got loads of work to do - a project report is due next Friday (gasp!) and I've got lots of reading to catch up with. Plus, exams are inching slowly but steadily towards me, so I really should start on my revision! Instead, I'm just wasting my time doing my cross-stitching (I'm halfway there.. hurray!), combing my hair, playing loads of computer games, watching shitloads of tv series, and of course, sitting here, blogging about well, nothing really..

Sighh.. I guess it's true what they say: "Coulda woulda shoulda.." I suppose it is pointless for me to keep should-ing when what I should (oops!) do is to get going on my work. Double sighh.. Everyday I tell myself that I need to start being productive but everyday, I get closer and closer to becoming what it appears to be, well, a bum. Oh well.. Coulda woulda shoulda!

Anyway, just a few pictures I've put here to show you the man I'm going to marry.. I believe that if you really really really (x100) want something very badly, and put your mind to it, you will ultimately be rewarded for your diligence and patience by finally, receiving it! I have been wanting Orlando Jonathan Blanchard Bloom ever since I first lay eyes on him, and no one could possibly want him more. So I truly believe, that one day, Orli will be mine!!! :)

(See? Told 'ya I was bored..)

A feast for your eyes! 

My reality.. my man!  

My dream.. my fantasy.. 

So near, yet so far..

I've not been MIA lately.. it's just that I haven't really come up with any extraordinarily exciting things to blog about.. guess my muse must have took off for a holiday in the Caribbean.. wish she (or could it be a he?) took me with her (him).. sighh..

Anyway, I've just got back from rehearsal.. I've got a mini-mini part in our 3rd year Medics Musical and we were just running through it just now. I really enjoyed myself cos' it's all a good laugh and we have loads of fun, so I think it should be real good to come watch. It's opening on the 7th of June and will be running until 10th so do come watch us! ;)

The thing is, every time I'm remotely involved with something that includes acting, singing or dancing, (even watching Beauty and the Beast the other day!) I can't help but hop onto my private spacecraft and be whisked off to my Fantasyworld. The same world I created once upon a time, so long ago..

Ever since I could remember, my greatest greatest dream was to become a performer. I started out as a kid wanting to be a singer, and having always sang at little concerts and performances, I was told that I had a great voice. So I thought "Ok then, let's do a Hong Kong thing and be a singer/actor/model. (I thought being on the catwalk would be fun too!)

But then I got fat so it just changed to actor/singer. Then, a few years later, lots and lots of people who had seen me dance said that I've got a natural flair for dancing, and that I was very talented. So, my dream kinda morphed into being an actor/singer/dancer.

And the thing is, ever since, I've tried to get myself involved in every thing that was associated with acting, singing and dancing. I was a ballet dancer until I was about 12, but I quit cos' my teacher was such a b*tch. Probably one of my biggest regrets, really. Afterwards, my parents refused to let me take up tap or jazz, so that was gone. I was signed up for lots of voice training and audtions by different people we knew, but my parents always always always refused to let me go.

Ooh, and the one time I went for a drama workshop when I was about 12, my parents pulled me out after the 1st session, even though they'd paid for the whole thing! I wanted to sign up for things like Toastmasters and Actors' Studio but was strictly forbidden. Recently, I took up ballroom dancing and street jazz and again, was told by my teachers that I was really good and a natural. But... my parents made such a big fuss that I was forced to quit. (At least while I was at home, here, I'm free to do what I want but guess what? I jammed my knee and I couldn't be bothered to get it back to what it was.. so I'm pretty much out!)

So yeah, it would seem as if my parents were the ones holding me back. And it's true, you know. My mom has actually admitted it on several occassions that she did that deliberately simply because she knew that given the chance, I would quit school and go do what I've always always loved.. but that's besides the point.

The point is, up until today, I've always wondered whether there would be anything different if I was given the chance to pursue what I love.. Sure, I'll probably not end up an Academy-award winner, but at least I would have enjoyed my journey anyway. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy what I'm doing now, but this is not where my heart truly lies.

Passion. It's really all about passion. I like to go through life enjoying and relishing every single precious moment that passes. I do best in things that I'm truly passionate about, and more importantly, give my all when I do it. And that's exactly how I feel when I stand on a stage. Even in an empty stage in an empty theatre, I've always felt that that is where I truly belong. I have found my true calling, my purpose in life. All I have to do is embrace it, and I am complete. Unfortunately, I believe that for obvious reasons, it's too late now, for me to do anything with this dream of mine.

And I think that is what saddens me the most.. This dream of mine will always remain a dream.. never to be fulfilled, never to become a reality. But at the back of my mind, there always remains a glimmer of hope. A tiny bit that keeps telling me that my day will come. All I have to do (apart from working at the craft) is to wait.

My question is: How long do we wait? Do we give up on our dreams simply because we know that dreams will always just be dreams and never come true? Do we just remove all hope and come back down to earth, to reality? Or do we sit it out and wait? Wait for destiny to call upon our doors, and hand us a personal invitation to live our greatest dreams? Or better still, do we take matters into our own hands, go out and seek what we are missing in our mundane lives? Do we still go even though we know very well that we stand almost no chance at all and risk being crashed and burned?

I want to know: Is it too late?

Beauty and the Beast 

A night to remember

I have just had the most INCREDIBLE night!!!

I went on a date tonight... and had one of the most amazingly enjoyable nights that I've ever had!! (Ok, exaggerating a little as usual here, but you get my point..) So guess what did I do tonight that made it so wonderful?

I went to watch 'Beauty and the Beast', the musical at the Royal Centre in Nottingham and it was truly enthralling.. breathtaking, spectacular, magnificent and simply incredible!!! I really mean it! It was beyond my every expectation and I enjoyed every nanosecond of the production! No regrets, whatsoever!

Let's see, we'll start first with the cast. Oh, the cast was brilliant! Belle had the most beautiful singing voice and undeniably marvellous! The Beast's talking voice wasn't as booming as I expected but his singing voice just blew me away completely! I haven't heard such good singing in a long long time.. sighh.. And when he transformed into the prince, wow... he was quite leng chai lor!!! :) Gaston was great too, though I suspect he's not from the UK. (He had an American accent) He was a very good actor - extremely animated and comical, he made us all laugh! Oh, and he sang pretty well too! Ooh.. not to mention, he had an amazing body!!! Yum!

The supporting cast was amazing too, and the dance sequences were nothing short of impressive! Ooh, and they were all ballet dancers, by the way.. Costumes were great too! Lumiere's candlesticks actually lighted up with fire!!! And Belle's yellow gown was every bit what I imagined it to be.. truly truly fabulous! (Ahh.. I feel like a little girl all over again!!)

I think what I was most impressed with was the special effects. All the stunts like the Beast's transformation (both to and from) were so remarkably well-done, and all the other special effects like fireworks on stage, the scary forest, the starry sky were just absolutely fantastic!

Overall, it was certainly a night to remember and I can't wait to go to sleep just so I can dream about it! For all of you out there who haven't seen it, I highly recommend you to go.. (although do keep the expectations down otherwise don't blame me when it's not as good as I said it is.. :P) Beauty and the Beast is playing permanently in New York, if I'm not mistaken, but it's definitely not showing in London. So do take any opportunity you can get to go!!

Right, that's it from me for now... I'll leave you reminiscing in this tale that's as old as time, and to sing the song's that as old as rhymes.. just as I will be for the next few days. (Haha, cheesy right?)

(Oh, by the way, if you were wondering who my date was, it was.. ME! Yup, I took myself out tonight and truly enjoyed my company. It's one of the best dates I've ever had!! Ooh, and am feeling very much like SJP in Sex and the City now.. hahahhaa..)

Gone pro & am now up for hire.. anyone?

I have found new meaning in the age-old saying, "Procastination is the thief of time.." And, as you would've probably guessed, I'm not exactly too thrilled about this.

Today's Tuesday and I just had a long weekend.. It's Bank Holiday weekend (which means I get Monday off) and it's also one of the two miserable public holidays that I have time off school. (Again, one of the perks of being a medical student!)

Anyhow, I had a great weekend planned, and by great, I mean, I had lots and lots and lots and lots and lots (you get the idea!) of work that I needed catching up with, and this weekend was the perfect time to do that. Unfortunately, the weekend turned to be nothing like what I planned, and I really mean NOTHING. N-O-T-H-I-N-G!! Sighhh..

Let's see, a little recap of the wonderful time-wasting events that graced my weekend.. Friday night: Can't really remember what I did, but I suspect it was cross-stitching while watching Friends on the computer. Saturday: Ahhh.. this I remember.. it was rampage shopping and massive hair project. Sunday: Essential shopping in the afternoon (wasn't awake before that), followed by remaining hair project and then dinner and drinks with friends. Monday: Housewife duties - did my laundry, ironing, mended my clothes (Yes! I sewed them by myself!!!), did a teensy-bit of reorganizing my room and yes, of course, cross-stitch. Oh yeah, had major menstrual cramps too so that took up some time..

Arrghhh... I'm actually quite annoyed with myself now.. Having said that, it's almost 11pm and I haven't showered nor done any work. All I've been doing is my silly cross-stitch. Y'know, I'm beginning to think that this new addiction of mine probably isn't such a good idea.. Ok, I vow to stop.. soon..

So, if you're expecting lots of intellectual crap being penned on this blog of mine, well, sorry to say, you've gotta wait.. because while I'm still a professional procrastinator, I probably shouldn't spend extra time doing more useless stuff than I already am.. Yes, it's true. From an amateur procrastinator, I've finally gone pro.. anyone interested in hiring me from some career advice?


PS: By the way, everyone, check out my new photo gallery!!!

The final product


This was taken in Hooters, where we went for dinner to celebrate James' birthday. (I'm seen here with Sue Yin and Jasmine.)

At the risk of sounding tremendously narcissistic, this picture is only meant to demonstrate the final product of S & J's (home) saloon treatment i.e. my new hairdo. Whaddaya think? Any difference?

PS: Don't forget to check out the rest of the photos!