still alive,

i have 13 minutes left on my internet, and i decided to stop looking at apps.

quick update: havent seen much of poland, but the countryside (kembliny) where im at is quite pretty; i think if the world ever runs out of fuels and electricity i would gladly live without handphones and internet, for they only serve to complicate life. wouldnt life be wonderful if you get to make everything yourself and just grow corn and ride horses everyday;) watch the beautiful sun set over the lush green fields; sit on swings perched on a big old tree; have big dogs and they get all the space to run around and be dirty; and breathe fresh, clean air.

its a good break away from the hustle and bustle of a city life; its different.

i admit to struggling sometimes at the centre between what i want to do and what i can do. theres only so much i can do as a listener, as a friend, as someone who will eventually leave the place and maybe never come back again. maybe. but i figure that while im there i might as well make the best of it and even if its naivety, so be it.

ive baked twice at the centre already. shimmie and i spent hours doing it and it gets chomped up in minutes. scary;) but at least i get to do something i like;) eat! i feel like all the weight ive lost in the first week upon arriving at the centre has been put back on;( i dont feel it, i SEE it. damn that tummy bulge.

alright, time is running out. till next time;)

i said yes, you look wonderful tonight

it has been a long string of social engagements, and i am feeling pretty exhausted as i type this entry. but yes, summer has been really fun so far and ive been kept very busy even though my one and only partner has left for singapore and hasnt been replying my emails ;)

highlights of my summer since i last updated:

day 3 of wimbledon. got really sunburnt, and i dont think ancic is that hot. i did want to pinch(dont want to use too strong a word) this little kid who kept cheering for him though. i blame it on the scorching sun. and i do think samantha stosur looked absolutely fantastic. i googled her and someone thinks she lesbian (yay!)

hard rock calling, 28th june, hyde park. we were there for close to 8 hours, and the line up for the concert: jason mraz, john mayer, sheryl crow, and eric clapton. lets just say jason mraz should meet me cos i would make a fantastic mrs mraz ( i felt like a silly groupie but i couldnt stop squealing when he was singing, hes simply soo attractive, well, at least, to me). john mayer looks like an ah beng, esp now that i know he dates blonde actresses; sheryl crow has an amazing voice, and eric clapton is simply a legend. my fav moment was when he did 'wonderful tonight' and all the couples around me jsut started dancing. that got me all teary for a good while;) fav line of the concert :(by a band who did the opening act) i'm a receiver, you're a transmitter, so lets communicate. how original! :)
good music, fantastic weather, loved the artistes, lots of improv and jamming, and i couldnt have ended my summer in london with a better way.

leaving for poland in about 30 hours, and i must say i am looking forward to it. the corporate world, or trying to be in the corporate world, can be disillusioning and tiring, and i think i need to rediscover inspiration, again, for living, for passion, and for all the things i believe in. two and a half months is a long time to be away for, so dont miss me too much;)
http://monar.org/englishcooperation.html

heaven

heaven

i keep hearing this version of 'heaven' by a female singer on the radio, but i cant seem to find who she is! i hate it when this happens;( and trust me ive been searching for quite some time already.

battle.

watch and be tickled;)


back from all my holidays, bournemouth was a tad too cold for sunbathing but at least i got to catch sex and the city on big screen (cos tickets were so much cheaper there). i think they kept it very real and thats why i felt so drawn towards the characters, and obviously the clothes were fabulous to watch as well. dont worry, im not going to become brand conscious, just brand aware i guess;)

diets dont work.

just course,

im waiting for people to be ready and so im blogging.
hello hello, back from salzburg-vienna-hungary, and boy was it a really good trip;) im glad i went with the people i did, cos i think i got to know them so much better (trip defied all perceptions i had of them, esp supsup(which i still think is the best nickname i ever came up for anyone, ever)) and i dont think ive ever laughed so hard and talked so much for a very long time already. so thank you all for the wonderful company and lets do this more often ;)
salzburg was undoubtedly very scenic, and i couldnt help breaking out into sound of music everytime i see green rolling hills 'the hillsss are alivveeeee' cos it really is just as it is in the movie. and the trek up to the ice caves and the ice caves itself was just as gorgeous, i cant decide which one was better. the trek up was so misty we were practically walking in the clouds (imagine that), and inside the ice caves it was pretty much a different world. thank goodness we didnt do sound of music tour.
a pity we were all so broke in vienna, although we definitely didnt scrimp on food. but i think i had enough kebabs and macs to last me for a month. and going for mass on sunday was definitely a highlight; i miss classical music hm. ooh and we got to catch euro cup :) and i actually thought ronaldo played really well, although i know im probably gonna get whacked for saying that but hey he IS smooth!
hungary was really pretty. i know the boys were tired but boy did cheryl and i explore alot of it on our last day. we even went to soak ourselves in hot thermal baths which was definitely a luxury(it wasnt even expensive!) and on top of that we got to soak in the glorious sunshine.

;) bournemouth next, and then, results and poland. why must fun end!

whee

at cheryl's house now for a change (yah i know, like a couple right) and ive been walking around the whole of london. ive just come to a sad realisation that there really isnt much to do in london. when i go out i normally get out early and come back early too(hence nightlife in london is not counted), but after two days of hitting the shops and markets we realised we ran out of places to go. but yeah post exams has been great so far and im flying off to austria hungary tmr. weather looks great over there so im pretty excited;)

may's birthday picnic was yesterday and it was fun preparing for it. although it was supposed to be a surprise but i kinda blew it when i sent her the wrong message. but oh wells HAPPY EARLY 21st my dearest friend/choirpok/flattie(pun not intended)
;)

oh and ive been keeping with britain's got talent and i still think this is the funniest thing ive watched in a while

fyi they came in second. george samson the winner is really cute, and i was rooting for andrew johnston but he came in third ;(

one day more!

must get through the next day and last exam and not think about what to wear after exams/where to go shopping/sun sun sun(if it comes out)/where to go eat/what to watch on tv(britain's got talent's finals!)/visiting roshni/austriahugarybournemouth!

so many things to do!
note: i didnt mention running. ;) i still think its too much work as a post-exam activity.

i honestly dont think ive ever been so hyped over post exams before! man the perks of living alone :D no curfew, no one to answer to. gee, rocks! sorry mummy daddy;)

i keep looking back at the old pictures and laughing to myself at how silly we used to look. will post on facebook soon. must show the world how phua's hair used to look like.

exammsss be overrr soonnnn.

grey's anatomy

greys get to me, for some strange, awkward reason. but it does, even though when put next to house it all does seem very frivilous. it'd be cliche to say i can relate to them, because obviously they're a bunch of make-believe doctors who run around having inappropriate moments in the hospital (and the elevator) while all saving lives and touching hearts. but i've definitely felt like ive grown with the characters. so! i do love greys and of course, mcdreamy, very very much.

finally. ;)

captain planet he's the hero!

okay so ive ran out of shows to watch (why must shows end!), and ive resorted to xmen animation, kim possible, and now captain planet! "the power is yours!" hahaha really quite cute im going to start on carebears next. or maybe not.

so two down, two more to go. im thankful for the comforting joys of big fat oily macdonalds after papers :) i swear they have something magical in those filet oh fish burgers. and of course, coke.

in other news, i just realised that i cant get onto the oprah show because to reserve a place you need to phone in. so ive decided to become famous one day so oprah will actually invite me onto her show. please oprah give me another ten years!

marriageable flowers

probably terribly premature to think of this, but i cant help glancing at the flowers when i study and think of how lovely they'd look in a wedding ceremony outdoors.
strangely i think summer makes alot of people sing out very loudly. i have terribly loud singing neighbours.

life.

10 things happening in my life as of now(cos ten is a nice round even number(and cos i have more than 5 things i wanted to write about)) :

1. exams in ten days. strangely panic attacks doesnt seem to be translating into full speed ahead- hm.
2. i have heat rash. which i havent had since primary school. ! its that hot in london.
3. i am mourning the death of my old trusty ipod. it just happened too fast. i was barely out of the house when i noticed my waterbottle wasnt capped properly-- but my ipod was just too weak and old- it didnt survive the mini flood. now my ipod case is very empty.
4. i bought myself lovely flowers from (lo and behold) sainsburys local(just outside my house). i dont even venture into the big sains(10m from my house?) anymore!
5. i'm loving the comeback of grey's anatomy.
6. i was at holborn library when it opened; i was still there when it closed. and i didnt even read comics today. go me!
7. i have been skipping lunch sigh. but no visible results yet. not that im deliberately starving myself! yes ma i eat a very heavy breakfast.
8. we havent been running. (cos someone's a klutz!)
9. the thought of macdonald's breakfast tomorrow is the only thing thats keeping me sane right now.
10. my soundtrack for this year's studying is: kendall payne's 'scratch'; ingrid michaelson's 'breakable'; all of the colbie caillat i have on my itunes. i dont know why they're all girls.

am resisting the urge to go around london in fbts. MUST RESIST.

thank you;)

Dear Gracia and Mayling,

Thank you all very much for the (Very Belated) birthday present and the great lengths you two went to get it (oh the horrors of passer-by stares). i will forever and ever treasure the 21 glorious (aunty) panties. I will keep them (until I'm old enough, or trashy enough, depending on which panties you're talking about) in good condition and promise not to use them as disposable ones.

Yours and always the underwearer,
Jia Yun

mug on!

i made this for my wallpaper and im pretty proud of my work;) in case you're wondering GRA its your lipbalm! and while im at that id remember to go yell at you cos i still havent had the chance to open my birthday present.

anw cheryl has been staying over at my place (really, kai, we're not lesbians and no we dont share a bed.) and its been good studying with her. i've never really got the whole 'study with a friend' thing until erm now. i guess having someone to talk to during breaks (or not) is really quite a good way to release stress.

the funny thing was cheryl remembers having spoken to someone from vjchoir during germany olympics. at an airport before the flight leg back to singapore. according to her, that person looked dao, quite fashionable, short hair, skinny, but was very friendly. (ahem). i showed her all the pictures from germany and she couldnt find the person she spoke to. although she said since i was so skinny back then it might just have been me.
wouldnt it be just hilarious if it really was me!

creepy crawlies

i hate to sound like a girly girl, but there are BUGS in my room. ever since i boarded up my fireplace ive noticed bugs trying to get out from under my cardboard, but then they get caught up in all the tape and all and so i get to see them, stuck, in all their full glory. bugs stuck in scotchtape=3

then today i saw one in my laundry basket, dead=1
and one crawling around, alive=1

and i am freakkking out abit. i googled "brown bugs london" and all other variations, and strangely i cant really describe them. they do have alot of legs, but they're not exactly any of the categories of bugs on the internet. ive narrowed it down to maybe the lavae of carpet beetle though, which is apparently common in southern england, totally fits.
;(

looks like i have to get a bug spray even before i buy my mice traps.

edit: im slightly obsessed i swear. two hours later i spotted another one, only bigger, crawling OUT from under. naturally i changed into my jeans in record breaking time and i went out to get pesticide. only that when i lifted my cardboard to spray into it, i dont see any bugs. none at all.
now i think it might not be carpet larvae but it might be woodlice, which is attracted to damp conditions and is generally not harmful. its not even an insect! and besides woodlice generally die out if its dry (silica gel, anybody??)
;(

bing: "especially for teojia"

One day, when a seamstress was sewing while sitting close to a river, her
thimble fell into the river. When she cried out, the Lord appeared and asked,
"My dear child, why are you crying?" The seamstress replied that her thimble
had fallen into the water and that she needed it to help her husband in
making a living for their family. The Lord dipped His hand into the water and
pulled up a golden thimble set with sapphires.

"Is this your thimble?" the Lord asked The seamstress replied, "No."

The Lord again dipped into the river. He held out a golden thimble studded
with rubies.

"Is this your thimble?" the Lord asked. Again, the seamstress replied, "No."

The Lord reached down again and came up with a leather thimble.

"Is this your thimble ?" the Lord asked. The seamstress replied, "Yes." The
Lord was pleased with the woman's honesty and gave her all three thimbles to
keep, and the seamstress went home happy.


Some years later, the seamstress was walking with her husband along the
riverbank, and her husband fell into the river and disappeared under the
water. When she cried out, the Lord again appeared and asked her, "Why are
you crying?" "Oh Lord, my husband has fallen into the river!"


The Lord went down into the water and came up with George Clooney. "Is this
your husband?" the Lord asked.


"YES!!" cried the seamstress. The Lord was furious. "You lied! That is an
untruth!"


The seamstress replied, "Oh, forgive me, my Lord. It is a
misunderstanding. You see, if I had said 'no' to George Clooney, you would
have come up with Brad Pitt.

Then if I said 'no' to him, you would have come up with my husband. Had I
then said 'yes,' you would have given me all three. Lord, I'm not in the best
of health and would not be able to take care of all three husbands, so THAT'S
why I said 'yes' to George Clooney.


And so the Lord let her keep him.



The moral of this story is:

Whenever a woman lies, it's for a good and honorable reason, and in the best
interest of others. That's our story, and we're sticking to it.


Signed,

All Us Women

holborn library

studying at the holborn library turned out really well today. although this is what making notes for fundamental rights in the EU looked like;) during my lunch break i read the league of extraordinary gentlemen! i didnt know they were so... hm twisted. anw the foreword had something like 'there are three things that you need to know... blahblah.. the chinese are smart, but evil. ' haha.
;)

holborn library!

edit: how can the americans vote carly smithson out?! i am truly upset. argh;(

all i ask of you

i know i should be studying, but damnit why am i always so caught up with american idol(ie andrew lloyd webber night). if theres one thing i hate about old brits its the coloured pants that they love to wear- be it green, dirty yellow, or hey, burgundy coloured ones that andrew lloyd webber was wearing. why cant they be boring and just wear normal coloured ones and leave the coloured ones to the mats!

anw im falling in love with michael ball's dimples, and i really want to catch les miserables, again.

i can listen to those songs over and over again, and never tire of them. ah, the magic of theatre.

always be my baby

i absolutely love that rendition
"you'll always be a part of me i'd be a part of you indefinitelyyy"
listening to it really cheers me up:) im glad we (tan and i ) got cheryl hooked on it as well! boo archuletaaaa.

went for a run today and it was really much needed. weather was fantastic (finally, spring!), and the stopover later at cheryl's place was really fun;) im glad we sorted out whatever we could for summer, although bummer, our glorious plans for a complete eastern europe trip seems to be pretty out of the window (although if i defy my parents and book the cheap air ticket and come back early anyway id be filthy richhhh and yes im still sore). but if no one wants to tag along anymore, you and i baby, we'd be tanning our skins off at that oh so heavenly santorini beach and feeling the greek winds in our hair as we cruise along the, erm, greek sea. ;)

am definitely keeping up the runs. feeling strangely restless recently.

personality test

my morality score is 3. haha;) but i kinda think the test is pretty accurate even though it says i procrastinate.

test results