So I am back in Singapore. I quite like the weather actually, not having to carry a jacket around. I do still wear hats though, mostly because that's just fun really. On the other hand, I probably shouldn't have brought my jeans back. That is, all 5 pairs of them. Ah well, I'll just put them to good use.

When you live alone, it is the odd little things that suddenly become important. If an article of clothing is cheap and looks nice but too much trouble to wash, for instance. And timing your laundry and sleep patterns. Remembering to eat.

Now that I'm back with my parents, I really appreciate the washing machine, floors that are not carpeted, tv that has more than 4 channels and unlimited broadband. Oh and don't forget the food. Food makes me unreasonably happy.

I have to stop to consider bus routes now, since I can't quite remember what goes where so well anymore. And also have to remind myself that my parents have to pay for electricity. Having a metal key to open the main door is so satisfying somehow?

The independence is missed though. Even if I did have a good few hours out with old friends Friday night, coming home to people who are not also students somehow doesn't sit well. But it was a damn good evening, sitting on the floor of her bedroom and being so utterly frank with each other. We can't have a conversation like that with many other people. We'd get stared at, for one. Or smacked.

HAHahahaaaaa I'm having pepper crab for dinner tonight~!! Fat Sri Lankan crabs ahahahahahhahaaaaaa~~~!!!

I'm kind of bored and I haven't put a meme on my blogspot for the longest time.


1. Who was the last person of the opposite sex you slept in a bed with?
Mister Lim.

2. Where was the last place you went out to eat?
Badde Manors, at Glebe. I have discovered they have amazing cider there.

3. What was the last alcoholic beverage you consumed?
An Oyster Bay rose.

4. How many others have you cheated on?
None. Cheated with, one.

5. What is more essential - a pretty face or a great body?
Both can be disguised with clothes or make up, so I'd have to go with personality also. If you can disguise that, then I think you're worth talking to.

6. What is the value of all the jewelry on you?
One side of a pair of diamond earrings my mum got for me. I'm not sure how much it cost.

7. Medicine, fine arts, or law?
Arts please!

8. When was the last time you got a good workout?
Sex is exercise right? Then... Saturday I suppose.

9. Best kind of pizza?
I like meat.

10. If you need a new pair of jeans, what store do you go first?
Seeing as how I got a new pair recently... either that jeans store on Oxford street or Myers.

11. Where did your last hug take place?
Sunday night.

12. What were you doing at 11:59 PM on Saturday night?
Watching House, methinks.

13. Are you a quitter?
Yarh no kidding, I've kind of given up on my exams already.

14. Who was the last person you had in your room?
Artee, the girl who lives next door.

15. Is your bedroom window open?
Yes.

16. Can you speak another language?
Enough Chinese to get a discount in a land full of white people.

17. How about put your legs behind your head?
Can't!

18. What is in store for your future?
Maybe teaching. Yes, I have just admitted this to myself.

19. Who was the last band you saw live?
The Bon Jovi Show at Scruffy's.

20. When was the last time you went dancing while under the influence?
Never on drugs, on alcohol a few weeks back. And happyness, quite often.

21. Do you take care of your friends while they're sick?
Sadly, I get conned into this quite easily.

22. What is your favorite soda?
Cider can be fizzy, does that count?

23. How many songs are on your iTunes?
No clue. Pushing two thousand tracks I reckon.

24. When was the last time you purchased something over $500?
My return ticket... or maybe my rent?

25. Have you been through driver's ed yet?
I be lazy please.

26. What will you be next school year?
First year, second semester. For some reason I'll be doing my senior elective, which is gender studies for second year students. On the bright side, I'll only have one exam at the end of it, I believe.

27. Who is your favorite person to have a serious conversation with?
Any one of the gamers, Jenny, Bern, Tora, 'Lecky, Nick from second year commerce (I surprise myself with that), Jerrick, Eldred, Victoria, Mavis, just to name a few.

28. Where was the last place you drove to?
Being in the car, seeing as how I can't drive... to the airport for Krisy Kreme, then to Surrey Hills for dinner, next to King's Cross and finally back. Car being Eric's Mazda.

29. Nickname?
I tolerate a few people calling me Glor, Ed is the only one to call me lolia. Other than that I have no fondness for nicknames.

30. Are you experienced?
I'd have to go with Tora on this one. At what, exactly?

31. Any historical figures that you envy?
Well, sometimes I wish I were dead too.

32. Describe what you're wearing in detail?
Faded IJ PE shorts, non descript grey green three quarter sleeve top that makes me look a tad boyish.

33. What brand of digital camera do you own?
My phone has a camera. And I guess I own Victoria's second hand five year old camera that is so super high tech that it has to be held together with duct tape.

34. What do you think about people who party a lot?
Some of us still have exams to study for you know. Take the party somewhere else where we can't hear you.

35. Does talking about sex make you uncomfortable?
HAHAHahahaaa. Is that a trick question?

36. What makes a perfect evening?
Home cooked meal and good wine to wash it down, along with good conversation and laughter.

37. Who was the last person to sleep over at your house?
The one I am in now, Mister Lim. The one in Sg, I think Scha.

38. iPod?
30GB, black. Name of Calien. 2/3rds full.

39. How often do you tan, if you do at all?
I don't tan, I burn. Which hurts. So I'd have to say no, I don't like bleeding under my skin all that much.

40. What was the last CD you purchased?
Apocalyptica, plays Metallica with four cellos.

41. Have you ever been offered a job?
Yes.

42. What are two bands/singers that you will always love?
There are so many! One that springs to mind is Anberlin.

43. Have you ever stolen anything off of a road?
Is there ever anything worth stealing off a road?

44. Who was the last person you rode in a car with?
Eric.

45. What of the seven deadly sins are you guilty of?
Sloth.

46. Do you do homework in coffee shops?
All the time.

--

1. What will we call you?
Gloria. Sometimes I answer to Sarah, if you're calling from a register.

2. And how old might you be?
19. I'm feeling old.

3. Who sleeps in the same house as you?
No one? Hundreds of people in the same block though.

4. Suppose you see your crush/boy/girl friend kissing another person, what would you do?
I'd have to agree with 'lec, watch. Then when he realises I'm there I'll just sit and wait for whatever amusing explanation he can concoct.

5. Yay you got a free holiday, South America or North Korea?
North Korea because its so damn difficult to get in.

6. What would you do if a teacher of the opposite sex hit on you?
Be amused. I'd reciprocate depending on age and marital status. If not too old and single to boot, it would be interesting. Especially if he were a relief teacher only.

7. Right now do you prefer a Strawberry Milkshake or a Banana Cupcake?
I dislike strawberry so the cupcake.

8. Is your phone within a meter radius of you?
Both mobile and landline, yes.

9. Wait, are you a guy or a chick?
Chick but I have guy tendencies sometimes (well, I game). Have also passed off as a guy before, when I had very short hair some time ago.

10. What are you wearing?
Why do you repeat yourself?

11. What color is the thing you are sitting on right now?
Black. Also sitting on the corner of a yellow jacket.

12. Are you doing this just because you're bored?
No kidding.

13. What is bothering you right now?
I have one paper on Wednesday and two on Thursday.

14. Who do you think you're going to spend New Year's with?
Family, then Mister Lim, if i get my way.

15. Was last New Year's enjoyable?
I was waitressing, which I am quite fond of. We saw fireworks from where we were too.

16. I'll betcha you miss someone right now.
I miss lots of people.

17. And they would be where?
In Melbourne, Houston, London, Tokyo, Singapore and across the university campus.

18. Can you type over 60 words per minute?
I don't know? Depends on the keyboard.

19. Are you high?
Will be after my last paper on Thursday.

20. McDonalds or KFC?
Macker's has better fries, KFC has nice coleslaw. I haven't had either since I got here.

21. Krispy Kreme, Donut King or Wendy's?
Krispy Kreme please!

22. Target, Wal-Mart or K-Mart?
Clothes from all three don't fit, I be too small.

Questions 23-29 have been eaten up by aliens.

30. If you were given $100, would you spend it, or save it?
Spend it on nice food, because there is no such thing as nice cheap food here.

31. If there was a large spider in the room, would you stay?
Why not?

32. What time is it?
Estimation... nearly 6.

33. What do you wear to bed?
Nothing.

34. Would you ever become a vegetarian or even vegan?
Maybe, but I like meat as much as veges or fruits.

35. Where are you right now?
My place. That has no kitchen.

36. Do you think your crush likes another person?
Well, he always says he'd do Jessica Alba.

37. What is your desktop picture?
Two wooden chairs on the coast of... I can't remember.

38. Can you swim well?
I can float and get myself from point A to point B.

39. Do you shop for clothes?
Seldom, but if there is a reason I would. I have nothing to wear for Gerri's wedding, for one, seeing as how I don't have proper green or beige anythings.

40. Do you have a guitar in your house?
In Sg an acoustic one hangs on the wall, belonging to my father.

41. Are you listening to music right now?
No.

42. In winter, would you rather wear jackets or hoodies?
Both. My hoodie is the warmer one, and also the most expensive.

43. How long can you go without your mobile phone?
Not long. I use it as a watch also.

43. Do you have any enemies?
Maybe? There were alot of people in school who didn't like me very much.

44. What are you doing?
Answering this meme and chatting to Jenny and Gerri over MSN.

45. Is your bed made of metal or wood?
The frame is metal, the support is wood.

46. What does your tenth text say?
"Got laundry you need done? Im going tonight for discount if you want to come" from Russell who lives in the block across. Our laundromat has a 20%ish discount between midnight and 6 in the morning.

47. How much cash is in your wallet?
Maybe 6 dollars. I don't like carrying cash around.

48. Ever kissed a blonde haired, blue eyed person?
Nope.

49. What last made you sad?
Seeing my name as an answer to one of the questions in the meme by two other people. Sad that we are so geographically far apart now.

50. What’s the best way to say I love you?
Cleaning up your boyfriend's puke while he passes out. Then being half awake the whole night to make sure he pukes in the right direction, if at all.

51. What’s the worst way to say I love you?
Being the person to get your boyfriend shit faced in the first place.

52. What did you dream last night?
Bandung, that is milk with rose syrup.

53. What are you worried about?
My three papers.

54. What are you doing tomorrow?
Going over my phenomenology and epistemology notes again. Thank god I'm not doing philo next year.

Spring is strange. There are some days when it is nearly as warm as Singapore yet there are bouts of cold too. I've had to take out my winter gear (see: hats scarves gloves). I've caught myself doing what I used to think of as an odd thing to do, when my sister came home after her first semester; stick my arm out the window to check the temperature and therefore decide what's appropriate to wear.

I haven't actually seen anyone else do it though. Erm.

So I finally got around to fixing that format mistake on my blog because it be exasperating on a 19 inch monitor. Man, squinting at html again after all these years made me laugh. I'd realised that this blog has been around longer than some of the good friends I have today (see: people from MI/JC). 5 years already!

In any case, I'll be back in Sg by December. I'm quite looking forward to being able to eat whenever I get hungry.

Just spent the last week churning out two essays, essentially about how stupid people in the world are.

The weekend spent in his lap, humming along, having wine and munching on cookies.

I very much like being an undergrad here.

Why is it now I feel like I have lost my ability to communicate effectively? Why is it so much more difficult to put abstract thoughts into words, now? It feels like the part of my brain that is committed to that just wandered off. But the thoughts are still rattling in my head, why is that?

Or maybe I never really had to explain things I have always taken for granted. It's not quite like having been thrown into the deep end, but rather... that I'm lost perhaps, in a place or without my gear.

I could use a bit of help. But that would defeat the purpose, wouldn't it?

Hello.

I should be okay. I am feeling much better now. I would like to think that everyone has their little moments, where they want to write something like that out of frustration. No, there is no one trying to hurt me, except maybe myself, in which case it doesn't quite count.

Thank you the people on MSN who have prodded me. You know who you are.

----

I thought I wore my heart on my sleeve, apparently not. I thought I let people in easily, apparently I don't. I thought I would fall in love easily, and yet I don't even know what love is. And all of this, I had to find out by way of someone I've known for half a semester.

And along come my friends who say, well yes, that's what you've been all along, really. I have such a dismal sense of self awareness. I'm not even sure if I know myself, who am I and who is Other People.

Things about yourself that you have always taken for granted. And one day you find out that you've been fooling only yourself. And doing a damn fine job at that.

And last week we started philosophy lectures on existentialism. I so win at life.

He goes by the name of Matthew. I have shocked myself by choosing to spend time with him rather than WoW. I am thinking maybe this might mean that I like him more than I am aware of.

Why are you? She can feel you. She can hear you laughing. But yet you keep drawing her in and in and there is blood everywhere.

You tempted her and she stupidly, fell for it. She stupidly followed. Now she is lost in a hall of mirrors. She is trying to find the set of doors, if there are any. She does not know what to do when she gets there. She will smash the mirrors soon.

She cannot breathe or think or feel. She cannot be.

I can see into my neighbour's rooms from my window. There is this particular person who has a bed sheet that looks remarkably like Toria's yellow, tea for two bolster case, the one that she's so fond of.

There is another person, a girl I believe, who is drying a bouquet of flowers on her windowsill. I wonder how she got them, then again, if she weren't happy with them she's probably have thrown them out. So it's sweet anyway. Sweet like how this other guy has his girlfriend over every so often, to see her leaning on him and giggling while pointing at his computer screen makes me smile too.

I see people in the meeting room opposite at all hours of the day. It makes me feel much better when I sit at my desk and do my work. But hey, I do have friends ok. Speaking of which-

This chap who lives down the corridor from me is sort of half kind of courting me. Then my friend (who is also, sort of kind of half courting me) bangs on his door and greets him with how are you and how is Grace? while I am standing there peering around his arm. Amazing how Aladdin's expression can change so fast. No, Aladdin isn't an euphemism for anything, it's his real name, which is exotic even if he is middle eastern.

They continue to joke for a while (I'll beat you up! Oh yeah? How much can you bench? 76! Holy sheet I can only do 72.) When we get into the elevator I ask what makes you say he's chasing me, since he's got a girlfriend. My friend looks at me like I'm completely stupid and says, I've known him a year, he's that kind of guy.

Erm, I don't completely understand this whole thing either. But I won't rush into anything, I promise.

I Am Still Alive. I have Not Dropped Off the Face of the Earth.

Sydney is cold. It's even more of a bitch when the sun is down and the wind blows. But in the day it's fine, you see people lounging on the grass patches around the school. An odd sight for someone from a tropical climate.

I'm living in the school hostel at the edge of the school grounds. I can get anywhere on the school given half an hour, a fact I love. I've met people who take an hour to get to school, that's like when Jenny was living in Seng Kang! You must have to spend a fortune on transport! It really doesn't help that if you're not a PR, you don't get concessions.

I live in a studio apartment, so I'm by myself. There is no kitchen. Therefore I have to figure out Creative Ways to Make Meals, given a mircowave and fridge. But it's a cosy place, very comfortable, with good insulation. Also, for some reason I fall asleep by midnight and I'm up by 10. Which has never in my life happened before. Oh well, I'm not complaining.

But I like this place, when it's daylight and I'm not hungry, because there is no such thing as cheap food. And I like what I'm doing in uni. I'm starting to see why Toria thinks I'll do well here.

Have you ever seen a picture, where the scenery makes you pause? You can nearly feel the breeze, the tickling grass, the worn wood under your fingers. Something that is so beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time, that makes you think, is that place real?

Only to realise, I could live the rest of my life there.

Have you ever?

I'm tired.

So I'm quiting my job at the end of this month. If I keep working like this I'll crash and burn by the time I hit uni. Even then, I'll pop by to help out if they've got a mad reservation or something like that. I really need a holiday, maybe I'll take up my aunt's offer of a 2 week silk road trip. Until then, I must go back to gaming, I've been running on empty for too long.

I'll miss the funny regular customers and food the kitchen whips up for staff meals. I'll even miss the stupid accidents, of wine glasses and bloody hands. And of course, the people who help me hide such accidents from my draconian managers. I'll miss alot of things, but I can't function in this limbo anymore.

Work isn't a substitute for school like I thought it would be. The lifestyle is completely different. For instance, I can't function on two hours of sleep. And I have to dumb myself down or people can't understand what I'm trying to say. It's a bit of a struggle to write properly, work does nothing for my grammar and useage of lingo., can't seem to code switch anymore. I have to start reading again.

I don't know if he's coming back and I don't really care at this point. I will always rememeber that impossible amount of frustration loaded into four simple words. Someone else found him first, and I wish them well. I hope they fix it.

The relief and release after final exams. But do you know what it's like to turn heads on the street? What it's like when your long term crush (yes, even til now) looks at you with new eyes? When half the people you know don't recognise you? Time and situation conspired against us, that much we agree on.

But dangling things in front of me, just to make sure I'd call you back? That was the final straw.

Even then, you're right and I do feel guilty.

Not.

So I was supposed to start part timing on Friday, mid March. And what? Now my boss gets to hear of it and says no? I have to full time till the end of April, at least. On the other hand, he does have a point; my probation period will be over and they'll start paying CPF, along with any medical benefits.

I am such a damned sucker for people who are nice to me. Yet from here the negotiatons start, I need a 5 day work week soon or I'll crack.

My results? I'm good with it, my parents are happy, it's enough.

It's enough.

It's the time of year for hearts, flowers and blog entries denouncing the prominence of hearts and flowers on V-Day. A few days ago, I read an article in that vein by regular New Paper columnist Ivy Ong-Wood which prompted a moment's reflection. It was about a couple she knew who were getting divorced before their 3rd anniversary.

Apparently "marriage killed all romance", where Romance = sending her flowers + taking her to nice restaurants + champagne on private yachts.

Ivy's idea of romance was more mundane, found in everyday actions like her husband going out at 2am to buy kway teow soup for her. That's not far off from my parents' own philosophy; every day is Valentine's Day for them. (Aww... so gross) Once, we were in Paris standing on the steps of the Sacre Coeur on Montmarte Hill, overlooking arguably one of the most romantic views in Europe. I asked them, "Isn't this romantic?" And my father replied, "Yes but your mother and I can be romantic anywhere." (Aww... ew gross)

Turning back to my own relationship, I think if I asked Jamie to go out and buy a specific, hard-to-find dish like kway teow soup, he'd probably tell me to go stuff myself or snack on something healthy like fruit instead since I'm always complaining about being fat. Come to think of it, getting your boyfriend to fetch food for you in the middle of the night seems to be a remarkably Singaporean characteristic. One memorable example of this is a piece of gossip I heard concerning a SGean boy who went to Oxford and was so pussywhipped by this SGean girl he fancied that he would ride his bicycle for miles into town during winter, at night, in the dark, to the MacDonald's just to satisfy her craving for a burger. His name was Philbert, by the way, which might explain things a bit.

Don't get me wrong though, I like romantic gestures, flowers and diamonds as much as the next girl. Especially diamonds. But at the risk of sounding smug, I don't need any of the above from my boyfriend as proof of his love because I already know he loves me.

Here, I'll count the ways:

1. Moving Out For Me

He basically moved all 8 boxes of my stuff into storage at his house for me. Of course I helped but he did most of the heavy lifting.

2. Letting Me Crash In His Room For 3 Weeks During Exams

We didn't fail though.

3. Finding A Flat For Us

Walking around viewing flats in the London chill until his feet blistered and he got the flu. Just so I could spend chinese new year with my family.

4. Moving In For Me

Moving all my boxes into the new flat from his home which is 3 hours drive away on treacherous snowy roads.

5. Braving My Parents + Making Them Like Him

Convinced them that he wasn't a despicable ang moh out to deflower and exploit their innocent daughter.

6. Learning Some Chinese

He has learnt the words

Shark
Enemy
Cockroach
Danger
and
Vampire

He also speaks a bit of Singlish.

7. Resigning Himself To The Fact Of Bolbol

'Nuff said.

No one bothered to tell me that she'd been removed. Suddenly, I have to deal with all the Valentine's Day reservations myself. Oh gee, thanks. Tomorrow, I'll have about 5 hours to know the menu back to front, call and confirm with 14 people and assign tables.

Yes, it'll be easy (it's an eternity of 5 hours for god's sake) but what annoys me is that the most fun bit, labelling tables, has been taken away by my bar manager because he says it's unprofessional. Hahaa, so damn many things about the place can be considered unprofessional that I don't know why he's making noise about this.

Then again, it's also probably because he doesn't trust me enough to do it decently. Not for all my parchment, fountain pens, german nibs and indian ink.

With her gone, I'm back to being a door bitch. I'm paid to stand around and wait for people to walk past, or seat customers, which sounds like a good deal yes? Hahaa. I'd much rather be writing an essay or doing someone else's homework. Hell, I'd be happy in a corner, beta reading the chef's reports.

It's a damned good thing I'm only here til university.

Come home past midnight. Munch on leftovers. Watch half a movie and polish off half a tub of ice cream. Write notes for family members, because I don't get home early enough to talk with them. Chat online with people half way across the world, because the time difference is just right.

I like work. But having so little time left for anything else, is driving me mad. The following is a random thing that's been floating in my head. Work gives me strange ideas.

---

No pressure, just guilt. Yes, your hair is too long for wax but I still love to run my hands through. Scratchy kisses, can't leave a mark. Fogged glasses, will they notice? Soap and a sigh, watching the blue grey patterns from your Marlboroughs fade.

I almost wish for you to leave, would that make me feel better or worse? I think, at least I won't wake up screaming.

Southern Comfort and sangria, with cake on my birthday after hours. That really made up for the horrible one last year, wish everyone had wonderful colleagues like mine!

19! I don't want to get any older!

---

Why are you feeding me bullshit? Really, I may be young but please don't insult my intelligence. I know you flambouyant lying types, along with your wives and kids! I have nothing for you, so stop with the leverage! Oh, and get out of my head please. It does hurt.

TOR:

I can't talk properly or eat solid food for a week because I just had my wisdom tooth operation yesterday. I had 3 teeth out in shards after an arduous surigical operation. For the record-- it was very painful. It felt like parts of my skull and cheekbone were being carved away and wrenched out of my head, which is in effect what happened. I could feel the dentist drilling deep into my jaw. I'm afraid I screamed several times. Some kindly nurses popped in after to calm my blubbering self down. It was all very embarrassing. My mother said it sounded like they were sa-ing zhu in there, i.e. killing pig. I couldn't feel my gums and flesh, but I could feel, in my nerves, the bones in my face being sawn apart.

I heard the dentist ask for bigger pliers twice while violently chiseling into my lower right tooth, shattering it into easy-to-wrench bits. Because my teeth were so close to my nerves, I could feel the drill bit every inch of the way. And there was nothing anyone could do about the pain, since it is not possible to numb the whole damn nerve. This is not a kua-zhang-ated account. I'm already 24-- hard bones; more drilling.

Of course you'd expect me to be on a soft mushy diet of congee, congee and more congee. But in fact I've been able to get away with having more tasty, yet still liquidy stuff without having to resort to rice porridge. Initially, I thought I would be able to lose weight by not eating much during my week of recovery, but this doesn't seem so likely now. With a bit of imagination, it's amazing what yummy (fattening) foods you can think of which do not require chewing.


Vic's recommended diet for the wisdom-toothless convalescent(mastication unnecessary):

Day 1-- post-op

Dinner: Milo cereal drink +mango apple juice for vitamins
Supper: Low-fat hot chocolate drink

Day 2

Breakfast: Orange juice + horlicks energy drink
Lunch: Mashed banana + Birds' nest soup
Dinner: Sharks' fin soup (fake-- from J8 downstairs stall) + bak jio (spicy pork paste-- like mashed up bak ting)

Day 3

Breakfast: Apple pureé + marigold yoghurt drink-- passionfruit and pear flavour
Lunch: Dao huay (beancurd dessert) from Jollibean + orange juice
Dinner: Oyster mee sua from taiwanese chicken shop. (without oyster)

Day 4

Breakfast: Kopi + soft boiled egg from Ya Kun
Lunch: Brekkie To Go smoothie from Boost! (banana, vanilla low fat frozen yoghurt, muesli, milk, honey, ice + I will ask for a spoonful of chocolate)
Dinner: mashed potato + chicken gravy (ready-made from NTUC) + Tow Kae Noi seaweed (melts in mouth)

Day 5

Breakfast: Milk + Khong Guan egg rolls softened in milk
Lunch: Barley drink with dao huay from Ya Kun
Dinner: extremely cooked vegetable stew (easily mashable cauliflower, potato and carrot)


Even a wisdom tooth operation that's left me with chipmunk cheeks, holes in my gums and painful stitches that click when I laugh hasn't dampened my appetite. But I'm not hungrier than I usually am since my present diet is not actually that far off from what I would eat normally anyway. I am so not going to lose any weight lor.

My only gripe with my ravaged gums is that the ache goes right down to the holes in my jaw and cheek bones and it hurts when I laugh, smile, sneeze, cough, yawn or talk like a normal person. I can only speak in a wierd, sleazy, muffled way, through clenched teeth, without really moving my mouth. That's actually worse than my inability to eat solid food, since I've demonstrated that there's a good variety of tasty non-solid foods available in our fair country. It's times like this that I give thanks for the virtues of our bounteous island-state. Can you imagine being in angmoh-land with holes in your gums? You'd be stuck with going to chinatown for pei-dan chok, pei-dan chok and more pei-dan chok!*



*Ok, ok, I jest. I'm sure there's lots of ang-moh food for convalescents, e.g. angmoh soups, porridge, cauliflower pureé, mushy peas, Heinz baby food...

Interesting Things that Have Happened

Tor went for wisdom tooth surgery today. She's ok but still in pain and wants to eat Old Chang Kee curry puffs, as expected. I hope she doesn't bleed all over her pillows tonight, like I did that time I got my last molar extracted.

Bar manager is ill. There is something disconcerting (but at the same time funny), about a heavy set, bald man looking miserable while nursing a cup of tea. He used to be a bouncer, at that.

Peter our dish washer got hit by a motorcycle this morning, on the way to work. He's now in hospital with a broken leg. You'd think that accidents were more likely to happen in a kitchen right? I pointed this out but everyone thinks I'm mad. Hallo, what's the use of fretting? It's just a broken leg, we're not some third world country where you'll get gangrene and die from it.

The various bits of my life are fixing themselves. Also, to date I have conditional acceptance into 2 universities, having applied for 7.

Methinks '07 is starting out pretty good, all things considered.

I never thought the lack of something mentally challenging would drive me nuts. Now the memo pad I use to jot down orders is filled with random scribbles, some of which will make it to the journal in due time. It's starting to resemble my school notepad (or any of the A4 notebooks I used for Lit). Examples of my downtime mental excrement:

Rebound is Bad For You
Starfuckers is Much Love!
Get out of my head, please
and
"Anything red compels us", being from Atwood's Good Bones, a fantastic book that I'm actually planning to buy.

Along with lists of things to do, like "find out what's wrong with iTunes" or "buy new clothes". The latter is due to the fact that I'm losing weight at an alarming rate. I'm eating more, more often (I do work at a restaurant), so it doesn't make sense. This does not combine well with being in an environment I'm not comfortable in yet.

And I need to start WoWing again, or my hormone levels will become unbalanced. Bloody hell, I really need to frostbolt something to death.

I Like My Job.

It isn't perfect or anything fantastic, but it's everything a job should be. Crappy managers, unhappy collegues and not much of a life. That's the point, isn't it? On the other hand, I am very fond of the people I work with, like Sophie and Diana, making this a major reason why I Like My Job. Ok, maybe also too fond of a particular Boy but he only works Saturdays.

I am Not Unhappy with this job, but I just might move, in a while. The managers are really pissing us off and it's ok for them to lose us, since they've got about 50 new applicants in the last few weeks.

I've learnt alot of new things:

Waitressing is not always thankless.
Managers are the spawn of Satan.
The people who own the store are nicer than managers, obviously. They generally have less to stress about.
Guys behind the bar shaking up a martini automatically become Hot. (it works like a +5 charisma or something.)
Carrying 10 cups with one arm is really, dead easy.

Okok, I work at Bungalow, United Square. Ground floor, in the corner where the large beige tents are. We're more a bar than restaurant, though people keep thinking otherwise. Exhaustive list of alcohols and mixes, 4 types of sangria and 3 colours of absinthe might interest some people I know. Our Penffold and One Tree wines also seem very popular with customers.

We open at 11 everyday, close at 11 on Sundays to Thursdays, 2 on Fridays and Saturdays. Last orders for kitchen 9.45pm.

Ok, I quite like my job. For now, at least.

So the place I work at has a bar. I had half a bottle of Asahi, my mum smells it on me and thinks I'm turning into an alcoholic. And if I'm the slightest bit late she freaks if I don't call home. What's the point of asking me to get a job if you don't trust me enough to take care of myself from work to home, in a cab. Cab fare is also free because the management pays.

I start work at 3 and end at midnight everyday til Saturday, the 13th. So don't ask me out for prata or drinks or a movie or whatever unless it's before or after work. Thanks.