Banana!

Yes, i am one.

I am one of those unlucky yellow souls stuck with a stubbornly white inside. It's unfortunate that such a lover of all-things-Chinese like me could also be orientally illiterate.

Whenever people ask me why i am unable to converse in Chinese (an annoyingly flippant question but i always answer it nonetheless), i simply tell them that i went to an English school for my entire life, that both my parents speak English all the time (except for the odd Hokkien input or two during their conversations), i've been speaking English since i began to talk, and as a result, i've never managed to pick up any Mandarin at all.

The last statement is correct, but only partially correct. did you know that i attended Mandarin classes from the age of about five until i finally stopped at 15?

Yes, i have indeed been learning Mandarin for at least 10 years, if not more. An utter embarassment!

So why is it that my grasp of the language is still so weak? I'm tired of all the misinterpretations concerning my Bananahood. Here's the real meltdown on why i, to put it as simply as possible, suck at Mandarin.

As i mentioned before, i had been studying Mandarin since i was a wee child. However the problem was my severely short attention span. I was unable to devote all my neurons utterly to one particular task at any one time. my brain simply had the tendency to think of other things while i was supposed to be learning my tong yi ci and fan yi ci. Instead of memorizing my cheng yu, i spent more time daydreaming or analysing the people sitting around me.

Another crucial factor was my being a sad little child desperate for friendship. Although i made friends extremely easily and indeed i had copious amounts of them, i still had the continual and underlying fear that i might lose them in some way. This motivated me to spend my time generously in earning their trust and making them laugh by doing comical imitations of any mutual enemies. Not only that, i often interrupted class discussions and teaching time by shouting out smart-mouthed remarks or pointing out grammatical english mistakes in our ke ben. Oh i must have been such a joy to teach.

As i recount those days, i can now recognize the agony i put the teachers through in having to tolerate my in-class antics (although i'm sure most of them would genuinely admit that having me in their classes was thoroughly entertaining at times). Oh those poor lao shis... Notice i did not add "underpaid", because THAT they most certainly WEREN'T.

So no matter how many classes i went to, the amount of Mandarin that actually stuck with me was a shameful fraction of what was taught to me. i now feel really bad about having spent so much of parents' money on Mandarin tuition.

but i will say one thing for sure: a lot of the vocabulary has stuck with me, so that's good =) it's just the stringing together of words that proves difficult for me. Since i came to Adelaide, my Mandarin's been improving little by little. Speaking it definitely helps.

So, hopefully by the time i return to Malaysia for the holidays, my Mandarin would have improved enough for me to impress my friends a little. HAHA. I just hope they don't expect too much =P

funny conversation

A: hey, are you wearing make-up today?

B: umm... no... only eyeliner...

A: ........isn't that make-up?

B: well, yeah, if you consider eyeliner as make-up......

A: ?!?!?!?!?!

this exact conversation did actually happen today. it was hilarious.

freedom of speech!

yesterday i had critical thinking class. although i'd probably known this subconsciously before, it was only made clear and apparent to me yesterday, that ANYONE and EVERYONE can post something on the Internet, and it can be ANYTHING. seriously! that kind of freedom gives me chills down my spine.

and now i'm typing with some sort of newly found liberation.

WEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!

Malaysia sucks. KIDDING! haha. just testing out the liberation =D

so yeah, right now, i'm supposed to be doing some critical thinking homework using the Internet. i hate doing homework that needs me to use the Internet cos it tempts me to do other stuff i.e. facebook and MSN. =_= i need to have more self-control. haha.

some consideration

Question: can people REALLY be that insensitive?

Answer: Yes they can.

back to the blog

i have discovered what blogs are extremely useful for:

• distracting you when you're supposed to be reading up on critical thinking.
• gathering dust.
• being a very disloyal and public diary.
• being a listening ear for when the person you usually talk to isn't interested in talking at the time.

URGH. I COULD RANT FOR HOURS RIGHT NOW. THE STORIES I GATHERED TODAY ARE BURSTING OUT OF ME; UNFORTUNATELY, I WAS UNABLE TO UNLOAD THEM THE USUAL WAY. SO I SHALL POST THEM HERE.

i met an incredibly weird guy today. he was this Indian guy from Singapore (i'm really hoping he doesn't read this) and he came up to me, offered his hand, and was like, "Hi, what's your name?"

And I was just like, "Er..... Linn...."

"Oh, hi Linn! I'm Handsome Jack".

"So what do I call you?"

"Handsome." (A TOTAL LIE)

"........."

*long interval* (i decided to ignore him)

"so what's your name again?"

"....Prasheen..."

so yeah... all it takes is a little cold shoulder and "you're weird"-type facial expressions to squeeze the common sense out of people. LOL.

well it's late... so why am i still awake. oh yes, i've remembered. tomorrow, my first class only starts at 1pm =D which means i can get up a LEEDLE later than usual tomorrow. woo hoo!

of course i will still do morning revival, as i have been doing every day this week. YAY! JIA YOU!!! =) i find that it really does revive me in the mornings.... and it helps me to get up early too. haha.

i need to choose my friends more carefully. it's so easy to get sucked into the whole vortex of picking the wrong friends 'cause once you're in their little circle it's really difficult to get OUT and then to join a NEW circle.... so i hope to make friends with more of those other students trying out for medicine... wanna get into the whole mood of helping each other out.... cos even though we're all competing for the same limited spots, we should all still help each other out, right? then at the end of the day, it'll just be the survival of the smartest/most convincing during the interview/possessor of the highest ability to answer PQA-type tests. =)

so yeah. that's all i can remember that i wanted to talk about. there's a lot more. but i can't throw it on here. THAT PERSON MIGHT READ IT =)

and no, it's not you, Esmonde. in case you're reading this blog. i'd never write anything bad about you. why do i always direct my blogposts to you nowadays? oh yeah.. it's cos youre probably the only one who ever reads it now... oh and there's Niqi too, but she can't comment cos she doesn't have a blogger account =P

I LOVE YOU NIQI!!!!!!!

until next time. good night! =)

waiting for the flight at Changi

well i'm writing this post from Changi airport. i gotta write fast cos the Internet time is running out. 3.5 minutes left to go only.

anyway, i miss all my friends already! i miss dad and ko as well =(

i miss malaysia tooooo!!!!!!!

however, i'm looking forward to the long flight =) i'm gonna watch the movies, and then i'm gonna watch my anime! hahaha. oh dear. what on earth have i turned into...

xx

statuses

well actually i DO have a few little things to post, including some photos of ME sitting alongside Gurney Drive, accompanied by a very thought-provoking creative writing piece laying out my thoughts as i sat along the Drive. i'm trying to download ActiveSync so i can sync photos from Ma's phone to my laptop, but it's taking minutes...

update on ActiveSync download: 3 minutes left... =_=

it's taking ages, even with this high-speed hotel broadband connection. SIGH.

bloggers block

this a very poorly named post, i know. but seriously, everytime i sit in front of my computer, ready to post something new, my mind goes totally blank. i am unable to think in front of a computer. perhaps that is why some of the stupidest things i've ever said were said via my computer =_=

well here i am, sitting in my chair, da dee doo dee da doo dee....

okay, confession. i actually have to draft out my blog posts before i write them on here. is that stupid? i hope not. cos i have bloggers block when i'm in front of my computer. URGH. so yeah. i use that Paperchase notebook that Kristen gave me to jot down my thoughts. (this particular post hasn't been drafted, mind you. I'm not THAAAT sad.

Here's a bunch of updates i wrote a while ago:

un.

reading the Life Study of Genesis is becoming a real chore. especially the two chapters a day thing. i don't know when's the last time i actually read two chapters in a day. my online Life-Study schedule must really be collecting dust by now.

nevermind... Press on!!!

deux.

i simply adore eating dodol. poor Ko can't eat it so i have to eat it secretly in order not to tempt him. i really pity him cos he has a huuuge sweet tooth.

trois.

i wish i could get a copy of Keel's Simple Diary but it's so expensive. so i could just try out my own one. (here goes...)

e.g.

Today, my day was...

(v) a coin.

( ) a radio.

( ) a frustration.

Please explain why:

because it has a heads (facebooking) and a tails (feeling bored). I'm being dangerously frank here.

(Note: words used for the Simple Diary were taken from 'The Book Thief' by Markus Zusak)

quatre.

i only just realised (at approx. 18:05 on Tuesday) that it is now the year 2010 and therefore i am hereby allowed to start writing in my 2010 daily planner! *smiley face* YAY. i hope i have stuff to write.

cinq.

my hair smells like honeydew! thanks to Pantene's Pro-V hair mask.. OM NOM NOM

six.

i just MIGHT consider starting to write a diary again. heh heh. but i have to make my entries less... you know.... =D

much to love to everybody! not that anybody reads my posts. *sad*

pronounciation euphoria

i love saying "Nicole" in a French accent...

it's soooooo satisfying! =D

i can't think of a creative title for this post, but if you must know, it's all about names.

here are some pretty names that I don't mind having as my first name (if they actually suit me).

i've thought these over quite well and some have been added by friends because they think they're suitable for me *rolls eyes*.

Helene (alternative of Helen, suggested by GIS friends)

Sky (suggested by Tze Yang; or "Ciel", which is the French translation)

Dahlia (a flower)

Chihiro (i don't really know how this caught on.. but oh well)

Angela (suggested by Niqi)

Darcie (according to thinkbabynames.com, it means "dark")

Taselin (OMG i can't believe this name doesn't exist on any baby naming website!!)

Elsie (means "My God is a vow" and is a variant of Elizabeth)

Deborah (woo hoo! Girl power! actually, it's Hebrew for "bee")

Marie (a pretty name, but it actually means "bitter"in Hebrew =S)

Cassia (another word for "Cinnamon". It was one of the constituents of the compound ointment mentioned in the Bible. apparently, it was used as a repellent =_=)

... and here are some boy names that i find rather beautiful...

Note: when i say these names are "beautiful", i don't really pay attention to the meanings of the names, but more to how they sound, how well they roll off the tongue, or how well they twinkle in my mind.

Reuben

Zion (i actually know someone called by this name)

Jacob

Josiah

Luke

Nathaniel

Sebastien

YAY

I HAVE NOW GOT WINDOWS 7.....

YAYYYYYYY

AND I HAVE A BRAND NEW LAPTOP....

YAYYYYYYYY

how do people know what to write about in their blog?

:LKHS:IJE:WLIJ:WELRIFJ:DKLSKULKEWFHLAUHFLEHDKSFLEWK

btw i'm a mini champ of Typing Maniac on facebook :)

when all is said and done

well i've got my results and they're more than pleasing, so i'm.... well... pleased.

also, i've finally finished my piano. i can't believe i'll never have to play a single scale or arpeggio ever again... unless i want to, of course.

just got back from penang. celebrated ah ma's eightieth birthday. twas fun, yes. nick and sara came down from the UK to celebrate it with us. FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN

now, i'm one day away from starting at HELP, and a few months away from aussie. HERE I COMEEEEE :)

out-of-body experience

two sundays ago (or was it three?), i sold second-hand books with ade, flory, bianca and her bf, joo and adrienne plus male friend. it was all very fun and games, really. i PR-ed with bianca alot, prancing from table to table in starbucks announcing our wonderful news: BOOK SALE! CHEAP READS FOR NEXT TO NOTHING! HURRY! EVERYTHING MUST GO! and other exclamations alike.

it was, i must admit, "fun". it was certainly rewarding to see the horrified looks on the faces of the heckled, as they mumble with much difficulty that they'll, "drop by later". HA. as if!
then it occurred to me that this is the exact same thing i do to those heckling. except i usually include a glittering smile that tricks 95% of hecklers that i'm actually going back to look at their knick-knacks. SUCKERS!

anyhow, back to the story. some people DID stop at our stall to run their eyes over our overflowing table: books, mags, stuffed toys, decors, shoes, you name it! i had originally thought flory organized a BOOK sale; i guess what's the harm in selling other junk if people will buy, eh? should've thought of it myself! haha.

one particular family came by that reminded me very very much of when i go shopping with my mum and brother. they stopped by our table. the brother sighed heavily as his sister proceeded to reach for titles such as "Becky Bananas", "Angels Unlimited: Budding star" and "Shopaholic Abroad". The first two were extremely suitable for girls her age; she must've been about twelve or so. but shopaholic? her mum wasn't fooled. the girl pleaded silently with her eyes and i could see her mum wasn't one to be crossed or whined at. you could literally see the prayer materializing in the girl's mind: "pleeeeease let me buy it. plllleeeeeeeeeease". all i could do as the shopkeeper-outsider was to stand by and smile at the girl in an "i understand" manner.
i was doing my fair share of crossing fingers. please don't look at the back!
her mummy turned the book around and furrowed her eyebrows as she read the synopsis. i could see the doors of her mind closing with a bang. slowly, she shook her head with her lips pursed, an expression that would cause any restless child to wilt immediately, and put the book back on its stand.
"No i don't think so. we'll just take these two lah."

the girl hung her head in defeat. i felt like patting her hand and saying, Ah, don't worry, soon you'll reach the age where you can read whatever you like! and Shopaholic will certainly be there when you're of age. okay? so don't fret. anyhow, i kind of agree with your mum. there are certain elements of Shopaholic that aren't suitable for young eyes...

i remember my own personal battles with my own mummy when it came to buying fiction. i wanted a funny chicklit read. she wanted "good" books that "taught me things" and that "had substance".

all i can say now at my wise old age of sixteen is that: MUMMY KNOWS BEST!

long time no blog

hello to anyone who reads my blog. as i recently found out, people actually do. HURRAH! thanks to Celine's PR-ing on her own blog, which looks much much cooler than mine :(

anyway, I AM UNDER CONSTANT CREATIVE PRESSURE. art deal not going too well at the mo, trying to find more artist influences that i haven't ALREADY used.... maybe i should go back to my beloved Cherry Hood.

i want to make that money WORTH IT, you know? i want to have earned it, and then lie back and pat my tummy and close my eyes and exhale deeply and say, "Good on you, HL!"

so ya. Ms Alford, my all time mentor, has advised me to pay Valentine Willie's Art Gallery in Bangsar Baru, because apparently it's got loads of influence i could benefit from. The name of the gallery itself puzzles me... sounds like Marcus (the short one, haha) may pop out at any moment and go "THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!!!"

Graduation Ball 2009

HEE HEE HEE HEE HEE HEE HEE HEE
EXCITED EXCITED EXCITED