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Oct 20, 2012

Fingers Crossed for Exchange


After weeks of contemplation and resource-gathering I finally submitted my exchange application on 13 October :)

1. Korea University
2. Yon Sei University 

Keeping fingers crossed in hope that I'll be able to return to Korea next fall - when I would able to join their inter-school events! 

---a very short post from StarBucks@Singapore---
Sep 15, 2012

On Vulnerability Fear and Treadmill

I solemnly swear I will not social-whine, nor stick my head up into the clouds because this is how I analyse and break down the different sides of myself - in order to be a better person.

And so, onto the self-confession:

Everything's been on a constant hiatus ever since college started. Uni life is passing really fast  - as if I'm about to graduate soon even though semester one and Year Two commenced just a few weeks ago. 

I knew this feeling would come - for I understand myself well enough to know that I would whine about the things I would like to do and have not yet done with my youth. *roll eyes* I've always been doing that  -but now, it's a different thing altogether. 

The thing is, when you have only this much time (5.5 semesters) left to do all the things you want as a student, time becomes blatantly scarce. I've been living in this bubble filled with anxiety and passion to excel - in this bubble I have with me dreams and aspirations as well. 

Yet in this very bubble there exists equal amounts of fear, insecurities and inertia. (they perpetually fill up the bubble everyday when I'm unaware) Which is why so many things I've been doing in life (or would like to do) are on  constant hiatus. 

It just doesn't seem to sit well. And now I know I have to face it. 

Why? 

Because somehow along the course of losing the life-chances I deserve, losing the things I love and spending eons envying people who somehow attained self-actualization (by hook or by crook, by effort or by luck) as a child - I've reached this stage when the world is starkly real. So real that I fear myself losing balance as I gaze into the world before me and the one around me. 

And the curious thing is that I believe I deserve better albeit the many flaws I have, given the many wrong choices I tend to make because of two things - fear and shame.

Before college, these two things played the salient role of villain in my bubble. 

Villain is probably the closet word I can think of now -because villains threaten to shatter the glass castle many people tend to live in, villains are bad, they deserved to be blamed. And we certainly have nothing in common with the villain we are running away from, even-while testing a bit of self-defense - we are still victims deserving betterment.

But if you look closely, that villain is just a part of you. Fear comes from within - nobody gives you fear like someone would shove a spoon in your mouth. 

Fear is a reaction. And sometimes we don't know why we react in this way. And in return we fear more, like pouring cartons of carbon dusts into the machine and start an endless cycle of churning fear.

When you can't control your fear - you find yourself running on a treadmill away from it - and ironically, constantly running into it - like an old friend- or villain. Because if you were to stop running on the same spot for just a while, you'll hear yourself panting alone with all the thoughts that made you such a wreck - and perhaps realize that if you have such a power to create such a villain out of yourself, you can do the same - to create the someone you've always wanted to run towards to.  

 Fear comes from within because it's a form of retaliation and justification for not wanting to fall flat on your face. But of you do not start running in the right direction, there is no way you're going to reach anywhere. 

And if you ignore this truth about fear, and how you've always been this way and hating yourself it - then it's time to know that fear is always there- and there are definitely better things to do about it. 

Let it chase you, let it push you, because fear is nothing when you have more important things to do, to love, to think about, to pursue. Courage is when you judge that there are things more important than fear.

Personally, I'm a jack of lots of trades - I know it - but I'm a master of none. But is being a master of none wrong? 

I'm a master of being self-conflicting, but perhaps this is why I always have such monologues with myself, about fear, about vulnerability and about stagnation. Somehow, I'll always emerge a better person after my long talk with Fear.

And so I told myself:

"I'm not a master of most of the trades I'm rather good at - because I'm a bloody perfectionist. But I know I can bloody do all of them well too - just one at a time." 

I had a long chat with a friend this week- and I discovered we share a common understanding about vulnerability.

And that is:

It takes courage to be imperfect. (FYI: you can learn more about this from Brene Brown on Ted Talk)

Well, it pretty sums up all I have to say about vulnerability and that villain you see in the mirror. That's all for today, slow down that treadmill and run in the other direction :)
Aug 3, 2012

BACK FROM SEOUL

Too many things have happened and I'm about to abandon my home for college camp again! I has been more than a week since I've returned from Seoul and I swear I've been missing Seoul ever since - I'm not kidding, because every-single-day something happens to me that make me MISS THE GOOD LIFE THERE. 

Now that I'm back (to reality) there's really loads of things to worry about...scholarships, school, my (on hiatus) novel, catching up with friends and family, broken laptop and lagging phone, sneaky wisdom tooth and horrible bank accounts... the reality of my life hits me every time I want to forget myself.
Retrieved from my Instagram


OH SPEAKING ABOUT COMPUTERS - my poor laptop - which I lugged all the way form Singapore to China and then Korea, then there and back again, malfunctioned when I was in Yon Sei University. Which is why I couldn't even upload a single thing on this blog. Schizer.

But I had a truckload of (mis)adventures though, and I met really really lovely people there which I shall continue to have fun with once this hectic semester starts in mid August :)

The best thing that happened in Seoul?

WE SAW RUNNING MAN IDOL OLYMPIC SPECIAL LIVE IN SEOUL!!!
AND DÉBUTED ON KOREA NATIONAL TV (as crazy supporters from Singapore)!!!

YES, (ONE PLUS ONE) HUGE TICKs OFF THE LIST :D
Jun 29, 2012

Breath before the Plunge

Take a deep breath because you'll be leaving this little red dot for 3 weeks+
Take a deep breath because you'll be sleeping on your cozy bed and sitting on that cozy chair for one last time.
Take a deep breath and remember the things your loved ones had done, and are still doing for you, because there'll be things you wish to tell them everyday when they are not there with you.
Take a deep breath because you'll be lugging a 10kg luggage around Seoul Incheon Airport up the winding stairs, not to mention the bagpack and the smaller bag...
Take a deep breath because you'll need to speak more korean in 3 weeks than your previous 2 semesters combined.
Take a deep breath because this will be a new adventure, a new beginning. 
Take a deep breath because you WILL get lost.
But sometimes when we get lost, we discover ourselves, we discover new friends and people who will be there for us, and there definitely will be moments that truly take our breaths away.
Take a deep breath- because it IS LIFE that you are breathing, LIFE that you are Living.

-0-0-0-

All right, the flight is tomorrow midnight eeeeekkkkkkk!!! And I still feel ultra unprepared!!! Shall proceed to online  check in now :) 

Schizer the online check-in services are down, super inefficient >:"(

And guess what my lovely mom bought for me to bring to Korea (for the homestay)(why would I want to bring any of these)? 
DRIED MANGOES! And jackfruit chips, a jar of kaya spread, chocolate, chilli tapioca chips...Seriously my mom is the best <333




Jun 26, 2012

Last Minute Compilation of Research

I would've gone insane if not for my dear Mom, she did SO MUCH FOR ME.
*slap-myself-in-the-face* I can't believe any of these are real, I'm really going to KOREA!!! HAHA, just today, I received an email from AirChina saying there are changes to my flight and I swear, I thought some disaster was boiling in the cauldron! Fortunately, there's only a push-forward of flight by like- 10mins? Phew, chill.

I'm seriously overwhelmed by all the stuff that's happening - whatsapp, twitter, skype, FB, Line and now Kakao talk??? HAHA, I LOVE MY FRIENDS but technology can really suck you dry of Time if you are not careful. Sometimes, I prefer to live life the old-school way, like making my own travel journal <3

Yes, I shall post it here once it's done! Gosh, I realise I have to bring Mackie to Seoul, cos GAPs and module-stuff will be on going while we're in Korea? I'm chucking away all my dreams for psych now, and looking forward to majoring in CNM with a few other friends :) Next semester will be another to remember - how I wish I can be a uni student forever ~ 

Anyway, it's time to print some discount COUPONS from VisitKorea, I'm gonna keep a separate envelope for all the coupons + receipts + tickets <3

Lastly, I need more MONEHHHHH, I'll bleed dry from shopping in Korea, seriously :P

My novel is on hiatus again, but I'm sure I'll return a better author before commencing my other round of revision! 

P.S: I FINALLY GOT AN EVENSTAR (plus the Heart of the Ocean) !!! <33333 I'm going to wear the Evenstar to Korea, to remind myself of a brand new future :)
Jun 25, 2012

Soul Searching before Seoul Searching

I'm here to do a little soul searching, you might not know me, but who cares? I have thoughts and I'll just write it here and then.

I'm sitting before my little com (Mackie) right on the favourite spot of my little home (my writing desk) before a wall-ful of pictures. Pictures of quotes, pictures of words, pictures of people I know and pictures taken by people I wish I could know. This wall may be filled with a messy collage of movie tickets, still life and landscapes but at least it is messed up with things I love. And sometimes I wish time could just stop, like the Narnia clock right before me, stuck at 8.40pm when it's already 12:09AM.

Five intense days came and went and I would often ask myself could I have done more? This five days gave me so many first-s that it seems almost ridiculous to count them.

For the umpteenth time I felt a surge of adrenaline telling me there's not enough time in Life, especially when you are spending it with people you love and people who love you in return.

Life is FRIGGIN short, and I swear I will not regret what I say so make the best out of it, make the most of it, make things happen, see your life unfold by doing the things you love.

Life only happens when you do those things. Things that make your eyes crinkle with smile, things that make the corners of your lips turn up.
Life only happens once, and make it a point to see it at least once a day or maybe once a week or even once a month.

Because Life only happens when you're not measuring it by the number of things you get but when you suddenly realise you have so many things that even a life-time of currency can't exchange for.




May 28, 2012

Updates, Jostling June

Hi everyone (well, no one's reading this anyway, more like - hi Li'az!) I'm currently on a hiatus for my Seoul research (the travel date is coming real soon and I'm short on info!), but there are updates every now and then:

Because I'm such a lazy blogger, I shall jot things down in point form:
1. On Seoul:
I forgot to post, but I did manage to book a hostel for my trip! Check it out (Hongdae JK House) on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/HongdaeJKHouse, it's really marvelous + it is new and probably sparkling clean. The owner seems pretty friendly as well, no advance payment, just a word of promise and I nailed the deal :)

Hongdae JK House is pretty near Hong Dae's 3D art house too Trickeye Museum (Seogyo Plaza B2, 357-1, Seogyo-dong, Mapo-guSeoul 121-838South Korea) - that means I don't have to fly all the way to Jeju island for its 3D Art Museum!

These are some reviews of Trickeye:
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g294197-d2203080-Reviews-Trickeye_Museum-Seoul.html

2. On college and work: 
Well, this is supposedly my 3-month holiday but I'm splurging all the time on mugging for my placement test (a pain in the ass, really). I received last semesters' results today via sms- and my CAP sort of improved by a few decimal points. As for my Korean grade, it was a little disappointing but I'm glad it wasn't a C. Enough of school, let's talk about work! I'm grabbing all the opportunities for exotic jobs and I'm currently holding two :) The first is a part time at Intercruises for the Royal Carribean and coming up this Thursday I have a job at Sarang, the Korean restaurant at Orchard Central. Hope all would be well, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.


3. On BOOKS and WRITING!: 
I've been reading A Song of Ice and Fire in my free time (on the bus and train while hopping from place to place, Singapore is really overcrowded.) and while listening to awesome soundtracks, I write when I should be sleeping. I'm still trying to revise a few tricky chapters! Words are flying everywhere.

Advice for myself: clear that block like a plumber and let the words flow. 

The annual book fair at Suntec City Convention Hall just gets smaller and smaller every year. I'm utterly disappointed by the amount of books they have (an the number of major book stores collapsing)! Back in the good old days the place would be a paradise filled with screaming kids hugging books (not assessment books). And now, the place just gives you goosebumps because there just isn't enough human to warm the place up. Geez. The booth for Times was like a lighthouse. I managed to buy a good book and thanks to my lovely cousin, I ordered even more books online (free shipping) from NOQ store.

I'll be getting my hands on Diana Wynne Jones' Howl's Moving Castle and Alexander Lloyd's Chronicles of Prydain soon, finally! Eeeeek!!! *dancing around the house* Gosh, I've been looking all over Singapore for Howl's Moving Castle, and they only appear in libraries.

4. On movies: 
Dark Shadows was very-Tim-Burton-ish and of course, I watched it because it's a Johnny Depp + Tim Burton film.

Nothing beats Hunger Games though, haha (unless you are watching Hunger Games for the second time or third time.)(You'll most likely watch it objectively until the muttations part).

Snow White and the Huntsman's coming out on May 31st! I've been waiting so long for it - I mean, I can't wait to watch the Queen, just look at the mirror and the milk bath...I'm not a Stewart fan, I shall not comment, but I do love the suit and amour (and probably the plaits).

And the best is saved for the last, I've been waiting for years for The Hobbit! ( I re-watch LOTR every year and yes, I tear every time.) Peter Jackson is back again! :D *fireworks* (I saw Peter Jackson's production video a year ago) I was hoping Orlando and Elijah Wood's coming back but I'm not sure---are they? But from the trailer, Ian Mckellen, Cate Blanchett and Andy Serkis' definitely back on set, cheers for the crew! I was that into LOTR  - even my mom know's what "my precious" mean. She didn't watch a single movie haha.

Anyway, the ranting's over! Have a lovely day ahead dear readers. (If you happen to stumble over my blog, that is.)

Quote of the day: "To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk." - Thomas Alva Edison

I guess this applies to writing as well.