tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60061832011-07-31T04:54:58.194+08:00bittersweet melancholieswhat if..fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.comBlogger15941100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-66136644733739094902009-07-31T19:33:00.001+08:002009-07-31T19:33:38.420+08:00I've moved on to another project:http://fleetingness.wordpress.com/fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-66027652766320111842009-03-01T13:09:00.000+08:002009-03-01T13:10:24.001+08:00I sent this email to a friend just a while ago..So. I went to bed after our chat. Got comfy. Lay on flattie and started my usual rhythm of deep, slow breaths. I believe I drifted off into a rather nice and yet not deep enough slumber because I was woken up by some residents at 5am screaming outside my window.The girl - an annoying-looking American with a voice I'd kill myself if I had (think Franfenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-92125969132504731052009-01-31T09:02:00.004+08:002009-01-31T09:32:10.281+08:00My 24th was just a week ago. I had a small pre-"proper" celebration with my neighbour, Anna, who cooked me a hearty breakfast (bacon, croissants, eggs, fruit..), walked around the city with me and finally had drinks with me in the night.She is a rare gem and always such a darling - my listening ear, advice-giver (only when consulted), enthusiastic bunny and someone who craves Chinese food more fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-17408891776154105412009-01-30T07:51:00.004+08:002009-01-30T07:59:22.541+08:00It's been an easybreezy past few days since turning in my EU energy paper. The weather has been wonderful - subzero and sunny, which means more frozen canals and picture-taking opportunities!fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-41209926874236180652009-01-29T01:53:00.001+08:002009-01-29T01:55:19.557+08:00Well, well. Looks like the weather gods have smiles on their faces.fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-41789491475964246202009-01-26T02:51:00.004+08:002009-01-26T03:04:15.021+08:00I've never been known to be a chef, let alone a fantastic one at that. (BUT. Well enough to have people over for chinese food every now and then.)This, however, has not stopped me from stocking my kitchen cabinets with so much stuff - spice, dried goods, canned stuff, noodles, herbs, sauces, instant curry pastes, rice, powders..and the list goes on.One thing I'm particularly proud of is my tea fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-30718089661407323882009-01-16T04:34:00.004+08:002009-01-16T04:47:32.128+08:00A city of contrasts is what Amsterdam is. Juxtapositions greet you everyday, challenging your world view and creating its own uncategorisable charm.It's been a week since my return and I've been meandering the alley ways, navigating traffic on my bike, going to the various libraries all over the city, meeting up with friends and I'm beginnig to think: the wheels of the semester will just turn fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-7020492351034174312009-01-14T01:51:00.005+08:002009-01-14T02:04:06.816+08:00Mini update:I spent 2.5 weeks back on the sunny island of Singapore. Indeed, the monsoon season didn't seem to want to take its attendance this year and I managed to return to Amsterdam with hints of a tan - evidence to europeans that I've been on a vacation. hohoho.and There's been a cold spell here in Europe and this has resulted in frozen canals. Such a pretty sight and there have been people fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-66887978381998613262009-01-01T01:00:00.001+08:002009-01-01T01:02:58.809+08:00Happy 2009! Here's to a lighter, brighter new year!fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-46960257184497250552008-12-27T05:08:00.004+08:002008-12-27T05:25:09.680+08:00I took a long, lazy bus trip to the city today, despite faster options.There is no better way for me to observe my surroundings, absorb the sights and sounds, feel the sun touch my skin as we went along. Songs which I think could make up the soundtrack of life were also plugged into my ears. It was a movie moment.Being Boxing Day, the traffic was horrible and we crawled on the asphalt. Cars fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-48516823433668891392008-12-26T03:14:00.000+08:002008-12-26T03:18:52.603+08:00Beautiful, beautiful Norway, yet again!fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-40195784979522922372008-12-10T00:27:00.001+08:002008-12-10T00:29:39.185+08:00The weekends are always awesome with my girls :)For now..studying for my history exam come Monday. sigh.fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-56549393436311624712008-12-03T07:15:00.001+08:002008-12-03T07:17:48.984+08:00Because (some) randomness is good, group photos from Brussels!fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-85379624269300689712008-11-30T23:13:00.003+08:002008-11-30T23:23:59.559+08:00Do you have glasses? Whether you wear/need glasses is not the question.This simple optic piece helps you see both near and far, makes everything clearer and allows you to see detail. It sits precariously on your nose, balancing. Its sexy legs hook your ears and immediately, your world changes.They come in all shapes and sizes imaginable: colourful, quirky, big, small, round, square, oblong, fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-80457846930897536542008-11-29T09:26:00.006+08:002008-11-29T10:02:37.279+08:00My Master's class and I spent 2 days in Brussels this week as part of our education on EU integration. We visited the EU Parliament on day one; EU Commission on day two.I left the EU Parliament feeling rather disenchanted due to the miscommunication and uncoordination of the staff which resulted in much frustration and feeling like a struggling existentialist character in one of Kafka's novels - fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-29226550973399803862008-11-17T20:37:00.002+08:002008-11-17T20:46:37.224+08:00I love seasons. They are such visual manifestations of time, that intangible concept that everyone chases after.Save for the rain, autumn is one of my favourite seasons (the others being Spring, Summer and Winter) as the colours are so vibrant - yellows, reds, browns. To me, it represents the process of letting go before regeneration and rebirth can occur: a very innate process of life on earth fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-19787476520187164972008-11-11T17:18:00.009+08:002008-11-11T17:45:02.824+08:00There has been much activity here in Amsterdam - uni, gig-going, dinners, coffees, strolling along the canals, biking, having guests over, election party, parties, feasts...The weekend was spent roadtripping with my ladies to the north of the country - the island of Texel and Groningen. Spontaneously, we went to Urk (a cute small fishing village by the coast) and ended up in Lelystad (modern fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-34937352957615875752008-11-02T20:27:00.002+08:002008-11-02T20:32:46.481+08:00I've had such an awesome weekend, I don't even know where to begin. Just think Halloween and Asian Dub Foundation. Pictures will come later, but first, I gotta get me some sleep....fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-55025989174838162492008-10-25T07:18:00.002+08:002008-10-25T07:20:24.087+08:00I haven't written an essay in a year. This is taking a lot longer and a lot more effort than I last remembered.........fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-55462828945305172292008-10-22T07:47:00.003+08:002008-10-22T07:55:57.246+08:00It's been 7 months since my last post - does anyone still read this? I wonder.In between, I've been searching, learning, exploring and leading life without a plan - no clear direction. Just to have a taste of the hippie lifestyle. No, really - I like to think of it as a phase and an important and necessary one.Currently: back in Amsterdam, the Netherlands studying. It's been a wonderful 2 months fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-74056637967266968692008-03-21T20:12:00.003+08:002008-03-21T20:23:10.142+08:00Sometimes, having a good memory is not advantageous.The past seems a lot more vivid than the present and nothing in the future can replace what you had then.Layers upon layers of memories have culminated in a bubblewrapped world, unspoilt by modern minimalism. The clutter lays unpacked, brown pages of "Dear Diary" in abundance, old photographs depicting a more carefree time..The walking archive fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-70874753052291965902008-03-06T00:46:00.003+08:002008-03-06T00:51:09.816+08:00Not that I discredit the importance of the information/article, I find this headline rather amusing:WHO says bird flu well entrenched in AsiaDespite its grammatical correctness, it's still sooooo.......singlish.yah, who ah?fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-89026609421398062332008-03-04T03:35:00.002+08:002008-12-11T11:22:18.749+08:00hmmm...I think this is the longest I've gone without updating. So much has happened and I just felt the need to withdraw a little.Pictures of my Eurotrip (including 35mm) have been uploaded to Facebook, just fyi.Hopefully will feel more inspired to post in the coming time.fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-67477248358746179142008-01-16T23:55:00.000+08:002008-01-16T23:56:37.325+08:00Greetings from Warsaw!I'm actually off to Vienna - yet again, tomorrow. Hurray!fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-36721507248013512602008-01-08T19:46:00.000+08:002008-01-08T19:54:19.713+08:00alright peeps, i know it's been a while, but just a note to say i'll be off to europe for about a month. will be back just in time for chinese new year! hopefully i'll have the opportunity to write substantial entries from the different countries i'll be visiting, but we'll see as our travel itinerary is rather packed. nonetheless, it's all good.i'm almost packed and pretty much raring to head fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-3345440757642402122007-12-31T21:34:00.000+08:002007-12-31T23:11:27.063+08:00the last day of 2007 calls for some retrospection and reflection. supposedly.in general, the past year has been somewhat trying. testing. evaluating. the whole "trials and errors" of life - picking one's self up at an obstacle and taking another direction. it is a human ritual i have yet to perfect - and perhaps it's never meant to be. nonetheless, i've been so fortunate and lucky to be able to fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-6363249156707417442007-12-23T02:08:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:22:23.968+08:00i've been down with a high fever since last sunday...so here are some pics of better, healthier times..visiting peishan all the way at ntu..ms librarian..wet day at holland v...singapore, rather.helping mum with christmas deco shopping..just for fun.buying durians from our trusty neighbourhood mama shop!when everyone was at zoukout, we were at st. james..hurhurcolourful.gimme nuts!!!nice fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-88404892267193542822007-12-07T16:05:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:22:43.547+08:00updates are known to be inversely related to time and activity. this is no different. i am determined not to let this space be a photoblog, but alas, the reality is proving too palpable. nonetheless, i'm sure once all the hype settles down, more texts, words and rambles will appear.at chang korean bbq at dempsey.B&J: synonymous with sin.rachie and ivw homies.28th nov: majestic bar.the 3rd level fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-15410718944309615372007-11-28T16:43:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:22:48.309+08:00the last 2 days in perth.meeting up with anne, with whom i've spent most of my uni units with, usually in lit class. who discussed men, politics, history and green issues with me. who churns out brilliant high distinction philosophy essays the night before the deadline. who is a carefree wiccan. someone i'll miss dearly.the arts building from the library carpark.nils and his housemates, isa and fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-17605951574816183442007-11-23T11:16:00.000+08:002007-11-23T11:29:36.232+08:00holy smokes. 5 days' worth of packing isn't quite enough for 2 1/2 years of work. and memories. and junk. and shit. and crap.i've donated 4-5 bags worth of clothing to op shops and charitable causes, thrown out some notes (i'm a sentimental person and to throw away my all research stuff is too xin tia [heart ache]) and cleaned out my share of the fridge. despite all this, in my wardrobe hangs 2-3fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-90804354203215659432007-11-22T20:08:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:23:06.333+08:00the month of november has been one of ups and downs: finishing my bachelor's degree, facing the reality of leaving sunny perth, nils having a bad accident, packing, partying, saying good byes..making memories, basically.saying goodbye to pearl, my lovely housemate. pearl is a brilliant student - every teacher's dream. living with her has been such a positive experience. we've found out each fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-25452904285690108422007-11-20T16:21:00.000+08:002007-11-20T16:35:05.213+08:00after all these essays, suddenly i have writer's block when it come to my own life.fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-73222284232715599202007-11-06T21:03:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:23:16.751+08:00Halloween 07: oh what a night.the preparations: getting into hippie mode by gazing across the universe..peace man.isa the neon hottie.the hawai'ian girls!!kiss and tell.group shot! arranged by height, somehow..suzi and igin and tonic: staple for the night.THE HULK!don't make him angry now..i was pretty startled when he lifted me for fun..two feet on the ground again..at jorge's place..virginie fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-68351803657252872272007-11-04T00:14:00.000+08:002007-11-04T00:32:21.752+08:00i had to cry on the bus todayit was a short 10 minute journey back home from the hospital. the hospital is a wonderfully scary thing - it is the (modern) place of life and death.as i sat down, usually near the window, there was a certain emptiness that filled me up. the cup was always half full.the drone of the engine hummed the sick feeling i had from bouncing off the hospital walls; fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-74056546443922044742007-11-01T11:28:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:23:30.146+08:00actually, in retrospect, October wasn't too bad a month - apart from essay-writing, that is. but i guess that's the way things work: things aren't always as bad as they seem.so here's a shitload of pictures! hurhur.groceries delivered to my doorstep, lovingly ordered by thomas:) [because i was broke lah].nils and i do sushi again.perfecting the messy hair look.after some vintage hunts.and he fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-91249053337504067812007-10-18T09:56:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:23:30.297+08:00striking a deal between the sun and my work.fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-52800917290429921972007-10-10T22:38:00.000+08:002007-10-10T22:53:05.069+08:00October is not looking to be a good month.4 essays are what's separating me from graduating, but writing them seems to require a gargantuan amount of effort.it seems i've lost some steam in the english literature department and reading a book can no longer entice me with leisure or escapism. oh the horror. temporarily, at least.oh, and my deadlines are squished up against each other like a can offenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-20174487632984973192007-10-08T13:10:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:23:30.976+08:00today, i received a package in the mail. i'm actually expecting something i ordered from a local independent australian online site, so i thought this was it..until i noticed it was sent from south carolina in the USA.at first i thought it was wrongly addressed or something, then smacked my head because my name was there staring at me..and it was my address. so i proceeded to rip it apart.and fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-71374441806994392352007-10-07T17:48:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:23:36.352+08:00the week in pictures.zy and her band performing at multicultural week in uni..zy and her biggest fans.despite my lack of funds, i trotted down to the Perth Royal Show which is an annual event mainly for farmers to show off, exchange and buy their livestock and what not. in today's context, it could be the dullest thing ever, but what with capitalism and commodification, it sells itself as a fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-70421955162457401332007-10-03T17:28:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:23:44.584+08:00apart from giving presentations and churning out essays like a machine..seb and i embark to promote James Joyce's Ulysses.going back to Darwinian roots..because he made me laugh.an SUV is really the thing to inspire you to read Ulysses.just because it's so engaging..the perfect companion at a construction site.because the love of bubble tea is worth spreading.Auds and i do Freo!view of fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-63819130969173688782007-10-01T21:51:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:23:44.870+08:00i've only recently developed a habit of walking everywhere (including within my own apartment) with my ipod nano in my pocket.thing is, i'm particularly keen on catching those "movie moments". you know, those frames in time that you can imagine being projected on the big screen. frames that stand out, are abstracted from its context, yet suffices to project its own meaning within that second.of fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-74470877387298796082007-09-29T12:57:00.000+08:002007-09-29T13:36:44.627+08:00the human need to classify could probably be said to have peaked during the period of enlightenment. characteristics, properties, tenets - synonyms of taxonomy; categorizing nature into groups, subgroups, branches. one of the counterarguments of the glory of enlightenment and scientific rationale would be racism (which then extends to colonialism). the classification of humans into subgroups, fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-23499118541766900062007-09-28T02:06:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:23:45.071+08:00because i've been feeling rather jaded of late.fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-3378382488701975822007-09-18T16:11:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:24:00.193+08:00the stasis has a reason.picture overload!from august, at mambo:ryan getting high, literally.bumping into a jc mate.with the part time door bitch.getting there.happy is me.alcohol makes one sociable.very sociable.mr drunk.ditto.darlie ad.you will be shocked.more normal.the open mouth greeting.happiness on the dancefloor!bumped into andrina.smoochies!more high people.with the HK mafia lord.so fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-61047107377185514512007-09-07T14:43:00.000+08:002007-09-07T14:46:00.023+08:00it's been a while, but just because. Sigur Rós is soul food. fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-77205494330793076092007-08-26T14:05:00.000+08:002007-08-26T14:15:05.825+08:00i've been paranoid about getting my credits from UvA transferred over to UWA, but today, i've gained full credit for it and in a very buildingsroman way, i feel like my time in amsterdam has finally come full circle. the paper work, chasing professors, emailing, letter writing to UvA, UWA, scholarship department and the Dutch and Australian Visa Department suddenly pale in comparison to my fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-74704793781102499622007-08-24T00:49:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:24:04.214+08:00another day out with Christine. this time at subi!start of the photo madness..pai kia!who you lookin' at?jesters pies are too good to have etiquette..christine's back up smile..eyeball gone wrong..good on ya, mate!soulmates.i come in peace.rather confused.display of rebelious behaviour.laughter the best medicine.:)gimme this; gimme that.happiness.what pastries do to christine..green power ranger!fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-74646793134612595262007-08-18T16:11:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:24:10.777+08:00perth in pictures!9th august, national day at the uni tav:queueing for food..rather patriotic in attire..ramli burger! chow time..people standing to sing the anthem. uh huh..not quite paying attention..cake cutter for the night..high on chocolate cake and bubble tea..a blast from the past..evening coffee at ti amo's..zhongyu's bday celebration..check out how thick that piece of meat this..our endfenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-55749118128443550402007-08-15T17:33:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:24:10.946+08:00walking by the travelex yesterday afternoon in the city, i chanced upon this:how cool is that? i watched a documentary some time last year or early this year about the race to (commercialise) space - spearheaded by none other than richard branson who wants to make 2008 a year to commemorate with space tourism.however, apart from the many issues behind man's insatiable appetite for commodificationfenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-68232173038862951302007-08-14T21:10:00.000+08:002007-08-14T21:31:31.801+08:00today in my cultural studies tute, we discussed places. what they mean, how they work, how our behaviour is determined by space and design. it is interesting to consider then how (in)dependent we are as (supposedly) rational human beings and how conscious we are of our surroundings. one could apply Williams's base-superstructure analysis of Marxist theory, or be optimisitic and consent to the fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-10480575707202575872007-08-11T14:31:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:24:32.321+08:00while on the phone with peter a few nights ago, he asked about my russian pictures. so after much procrastination, here they are!massive picture overload..Russia, part 1: St. Petersburg.Russia. there is something about this motherland that has made me want to visit it ever since i was a kid. could've been the cute Matryoshka dolls. perhaps the colourful domes of the Church of Spilled Blood and fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-38224114652913586162007-08-09T00:42:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:24:33.366+08:00more pictures lying around on my laptop from singapore:onglye and i on a date to ikea, geylang tau huay, bak chor mee and trainspotting at my place..with the zany canoeists..christine! with whom the fun never ends man..the following were taken by w. at seletar military camp..as today is singapore's birthday, i might actually just trot on down to the uni tav to partake in some display of fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-75619787243949792542007-08-06T17:13:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:24:34.302+08:00some outdated pictures with darling shoobs, taken on my last day in singapore.and in perth, yet again, at the bubble tea place. we're addicted la..headed to the beach yesterday to catch the sunset..but alas, this is what was awaiting:so as i sit here, finishing off the crumbs of my krispy kreme doughnut and thumbing the pages of Woolf's To the Lighthouse, there is a feeling that creeps up from myfenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-29873341598430597372007-08-05T14:18:00.000+08:002007-08-05T14:29:11.333+08:00just a mini update:1. i am taking 3 units of english literature this semester. and one on european studies. the deadlines for all 4 units coincide with each other, goddammit.2. i am waiting for my UvA transcript to be in my letter box so i can finally transfer my credits.3. i currently live with a very pleasant malaysian girl whose mum is visiting at the moment. the latter cooks herbal soup, of fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-59519341096913728982007-08-04T00:27:00.000+08:002007-08-04T00:37:19.335+08:00for an only child, i have a surprising amount of competitiveness in me.very disturbing.fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-65693731927972950182007-07-31T00:25:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:24:34.481+08:00in keeping with tradition that i say this almost every year,amsterdam, ik mis je zo veel!fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-2050085319904411012007-07-28T13:53:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:24:44.523+08:00Finland (Helskini and Porvoo) in pictures!after 15h cruising on the baltic sea, this was the sight that greeted us!trying to look glam while carrying my backpack.."Architecture in Helsinki". heh.Uspenksy Cathedral. how charming!Tuomiokirkko, a Lutheran Cathedral..at the park..at the Jean Sibelius Monument..having a beer with the Finns.church carved in stone..at the city's main square, the fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-13923093355440477872007-07-22T19:57:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:24:47.566+08:00oh my, ticktock goes the clock and as much as i tried to put that annoying reminder at the back of my head, the luggage is packed, the passport is lying on the table and i'm almost set for leaving - again. the emotional baggage can give my check-in luggage a run for its money in weight.i've tried to make the past two weeks as fruitful as possible - family, friends and food. there's nothing like fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-61660556263984034612007-07-19T14:11:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:24:58.547+08:00pics from Stockholm and Uppsala, Sweden!view from the Stadshuset (city hall) towards Riddarholmen and Södermalm at 8am..morning traffic.. crooked house! at the royal palace..Kungsträdgården.. Stockholm is filled with roundish buildings like this, apparently rather viking-styled..getaway in the city: Djurgårdsbrunnsviken..Swedish girls on the lake.. Strandvägen..on the trendy Biblioteksgatan.. fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-8842385951869562282007-07-18T14:02:00.000+08:002007-07-18T15:09:40.898+08:00coming home has always had a culture shock in its paradoxically familiar yet foreign mannerisms. the mind needs time to adjust in places where the heart has longed for.the rushing crowds eager to plop their bums on empty seats of the mrt; eating without saying a word and rushing off asap; reserving seats at the hawker centres with tissue paper packs (this i still do not understand); why everyone fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-87363792999831522102007-07-16T14:29:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:24:59.413+08:00excerpts from beat! last friday.. what happy people! the karchngs.. fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-74408699062532583832007-07-13T17:20:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:25:04.699+08:00i collected my 27 rolls of film yesterday. however, i also discovered a forgotten roll in my backpack, so to the photoshop i trudge again - eventually!bear with me. trips taken during the semester (recently developed contain copenhagen, france, germany, barcelona, budapest and prague) are still competiting for attention, let alone those taken during the last 3 weeks. BAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!as much fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-90600620970609611102007-07-10T10:36:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:25:08.554+08:00it feels longer than 3 weeks that i've been gallivanting europe - again. this has to be due to the sheer amount of sights we've seen, distances we've travelled (plane, car, train, metro, cruise even and walking), hostels we've stayed and my memory cards bursting from thousands of photos.i selected a random few from almost each place we went to. back from Stockholm..on the 15h cruise from fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-27423937986020659982007-07-09T14:53:00.000+08:002007-07-09T14:57:38.030+08:00it's pouring in the land of mountains at the moment. it's goodbye to europe at the moment, and hello good food in singapore.will touch down 7am on tuesday!fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-11994026814404826562007-06-30T17:16:00.000+08:002007-06-30T17:18:03.176+08:00we finally got to see Lenin today!our plane to Zurich leaves this evening. i have such fond fantasy-like memories of Switzerland that i can't wait to see the country again.be back in Singapore in a week's time!fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-30250232676990870562007-06-29T21:33:00.000+08:002007-06-29T21:34:59.022+08:00off to Switzerland tomorrow!fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-27573922608249837372007-06-27T15:01:00.000+08:002007-06-27T15:04:33.037+08:00we leave St. Petersburg today. it's been somewhat a culture shock here in Russia; the architecture is amazing.it's also been raining cats and dogs the past two days and there isn't much of a sewerage system. ugh.we have high hopes for Moscow still!fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-63711576492235411042007-06-21T01:55:00.000+08:002007-06-21T02:10:57.170+08:00the Swedes have got it right with efficiency, cleanliness, design and style.Stockholm is such a beautiful city (with equally beautiful people) whose quays, lined with colourful scandinavian buildings, stretch on and on and on..on each its 18 islands. there are physicla remnants of its viking history, usually in the museums, but some entertaining runestones, round mounts and wooden houses, unlike fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-87419094562403513432007-06-19T06:42:00.000+08:002007-06-19T06:53:33.290+08:00Greetings from Stockholm!it's only been a few hours in this city and i already feel at home. efficient, orderly, "ordning & reda". tomorrow starts our hiong day of sight-seeing, but will end in a splendid dinner with jochen and hanna. can't wait to see all things swedish! the people here are so trendy, and i fear that the stereotype of blondes is true. hahawell, off to bed now.fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-81644775738164433722007-06-15T23:59:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:25:16.285+08:00it's been a museum-filled past three days: the rijksmuseum, tropenmuseum, museum van loon, stedelijk and the oudekerk. phew. couldn't take pics in the rijks..but the rembrandts and vermeers were really beautiful. Yesterday: at the tropenmuseum of ethnography, which is really well-done. i even got to see a gamalan rehearsal at the grote zaal (big hall) .i then went to FOAM, my favourite fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-48403292405227384622007-06-15T18:47:00.001+08:002007-06-15T18:48:41.180+08:00just as my australian and russian visas were approved, my dutch residence permit screws up.bloody rita verdonk and her immigration policies. i curse, i swear, i SCREAAAAAAAAAAAM.fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-81084315264873344332007-06-14T05:02:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:25:16.561+08:00a rather amusing game:http://www.adultswim.com/games/biblefight/index.htmlso far mary rocks socks. she uses her halo to fight, while carrying baby jesus. also has startrek teleporting powers and a rosary whip. hohoho. and here? i like to think that not even satan can resist the temptation of eve. fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-64212651967853321072007-06-13T16:31:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:25:33.396+08:00picture overload! it's just a week's worth of pictures actually..saturday, 2nd june: at roland's (thomas's brother) birthday celebrations.playing singstar..some ps2 singalong game crazy dutchies.. more of them! a nervous me. i hate ktv.. bregger and maaike showing the way.. birthday boy and i..tuesday, 5th june: last borrel of the semester:predrinks at prisengracht.. girlies.. at the borrel fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-65568967276535517842007-06-08T05:52:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:25:35.531+08:00because i felt nostalgic and saw both charm and onglye on my tagboard, i dug out pictures of the past.here's our evolution!December 2004:January 2005: February 2005:July 2006:January 2007: i wanted to put our jc pics, but alas, they're not on my laptop. it's funny to see our pics in this manner; i miss you girls.fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-48910164713021105682007-06-07T07:11:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:25:35.674+08:00because you finish your exams today, this one's for you onglye!fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-91088710004954853362007-06-04T21:56:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:25:36.602+08:00groudhog mondaytoday was the last global politics class with my egotistical professor. it was also the class that we had to present our final paper, or at least give a rough outline of our research thus far.what it proceeded to become was a 20min lecture after each person's presentation, repeating the same routine of geopolitics, fragmented society, industrialisation, democracy blahblahblah. so fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-67958760138081540212007-06-01T23:07:00.000+08:002007-06-01T23:18:09.939+08:00watching an exciting roland garros mens' third round match between monfils and nalbandian brings back my tennis-ing days.yes. my parents wanted to put me in sport, so i did tennis for a few years. dad liked it coz i could do a few volleys with him; mum loved to dress me up in too-short white skirts and funky visors. i was only 7, maybe? as for me, i wanted the newest dunlop rackets like my peers fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-58850427507825411962007-05-31T23:45:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:25:36.891+08:00i chanced upon this picture from passiveaggressivenotes and immediately thought of my neighbours upstairs. yes, they're extremely nice people who helped us when we were locked out, but they also both have very heavy steps.we can hear them even if we have music playing in the background.we know when they walk from the room to the kitchen.we know when one of them is out for a smoke at the fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-62139731406302767702007-05-30T23:53:00.000+08:002007-05-31T00:08:08.392+08:00a final exam paper half way done, a conclusion for global politics and another 5 000 word essay left to write, my brain is fried. balancing my bag and a fucking load of groceries while biking across amsterdam to collect a fax before heading home leaves me exhausted. trying to absorb amsterdam as much as i can is emotionally taxing as well.multi-tasking visa applications, final papers, fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-48821638904209035702007-05-30T05:46:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:25:41.278+08:00time capsulefriday's class.. kirsten munching away.. getting my bike..here i come! by a canal.. cycling by the canal.. the green-ness of spring.. at FOAM - the photography museum.. sneaky peek.. slide show by lise safarti.. the library loft..inside the amstelkerk which is used for municipality purposes now..market next to amstelkerk.. all things asian.. hmmm... grey weather.. pussy at the window fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-80930545065203552432007-05-28T13:53:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:26:00.128+08:00warning: picture overload!Barcelona pictures!day one: just outside our hostel..pretty fans! Plaça Reial.. palm trees in the cathedral..reminds me of my medieval history days..inside the cathedral proper..after some shopping; at Plaça dels Àngels..Barcelona is filled with gems of architecture/design like these..near the beach..following suit..day two: market!at one of the many churches we visited:fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-30252047403864973542007-05-26T19:26:00.000+08:002007-05-26T19:42:09.160+08:00 photos from James Nachtwey nicky and i went to FOAM yesterday - Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam.it's one of the best photography museums i've seen and the work of James Nachtwey clearly stood out. not because of his style/technique or even subject matter (i think there are many more photographers that focus on war and the humanity crises), but his honesty in the photos. when black and white photos offenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-85752595970697673682007-05-23T18:52:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:26:00.380+08:00after that time of the month comes that time of the semester.fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-55599538682655761462007-05-22T23:12:00.000+08:002007-05-22T23:34:43.602+08:00we discussed freedom of speech in class today and its importance in western society. why it's so revered, why it's so protected, why it HAS to be so. and on the flip side, why freedom of speech should come with limits (this is, of course, debatable).i'm glad to say most of my (american) classmates can see both sides of the coin. but naturally most of the class is pro-freedom of speech. however, fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-1310064353737782532007-05-21T15:41:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:26:00.969+08:00uncannythis is me atop the Eiffel tower in Paris, 2004: this is me atop Castell Montjuïc in Barcelona, 2007:i just had to chuckle.fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-1935909215986837502007-05-20T06:26:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:26:01.462+08:00back from Barcelona (with a hell lota photos and barang)!fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-51049534688303424422007-05-16T03:50:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:26:07.691+08:00another random photo update!Amsterdam by night.. nicky and i braving the wind/rain/cold to go to the library (bah!)..view from the library..Gwyneth's bday dinner..debates/discussion/discourse over beer, g&t, martinis and port with rinse+karin..today: a 45min cycle from the east to the west of amsterdam(mauritskade-stadhouderskade-nassaukade) - just because it was sunny again!oh, i took this whilefenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-2565163317926259032007-05-14T22:32:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:26:08.836+08:00some random pictures from Lille, France:Place de Général de Gaulle..at one of the museum courtyards.. at a true blue French protest (against nuclear power)..too much rosé.. and one from Prague..I have yet to sort out my photos (+ thomas's) on any web-based photo album. if anyone has any suggestions as to which photo based thingamajig is best, they're welcome! fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-73375811006453163192007-05-14T21:36:00.000+08:002007-05-14T22:01:12.681+08:00have you ever sat in class, listening to your professor wax lyrical about the same ol' same ol', week in, week out?my prof's lecture today wasn't any different. his lecture from day 1 till today has been the same - fellow classmates and i flip our pages to find photocopied ideas manifested in our personal handwriting, page after page after page. industrialisation, democracy, condition for..., fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-90138644419131102222007-05-10T22:24:00.000+08:002007-05-10T22:43:21.756+08:00thomas and i locked ourselves out of the apartment yesterday evening.it was one of those rare nights that we headed out for takeaway dinner at the nearby turkish place. i closed the door to our apartment, and as we trudged down our steep spiraling suicidal steps, we realised we BOTH didn't have keys. thomas has a habit of always bringing his keys with him; yet i have a habit of always asking him fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-46696841624329413892007-05-08T14:31:00.001+08:002007-05-08T14:31:54.419+08:00the wind, rain and clouds have returned.what a charming reunion.fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-56018542537759102322007-05-05T04:58:00.000+08:002007-05-05T05:28:08.524+08:00reading Samuel P. Huntington's famous article, "The Clash of Civilizations" has given much food for thought.his main claim: that future geopolitics will be based on the fragments and misunderstandings between cultures, not ideologies nor economies. a clash of cultures which are based on similar histories, language, religion, experiences, social organisations etc. these discrepencies in culture fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-12899740441665119392007-05-02T15:01:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:26:10.643+08:00the living deadbecause i adore literary works (both for leisure and quite often, uni) and imagining the world 18th and 19th century writers lived in; because i was captivated by his world, his works and his brilliance, i had to visit Franz Kafka.so here i am, smiling as a cheesy tourist should, in the graveyard. i've taken one too many of such shots (with Beethoven, Brahms, Shumann etc etc) due fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-87859309660714280292007-05-01T14:16:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:26:12.120+08:00back from Prague and just in time for Koninginnedag!those crazy dutchies!fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-2309174606575068882007-04-28T00:22:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:26:13.671+08:00alessandro's 23rd! a lazy picnic cum bbq at oosterpark..our make shift bbq..nicky and i..Ozgur the pseudo asian..alice, nicky and i..the bday boy..maria and i, the big sunny's gang..now, we're off to prague.fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-58884282530410563402007-04-27T20:04:00.000+08:002007-04-27T20:18:53.212+08:00randomness.information overload today after my 1h exam on european integration has left me mentally numb. my brain can no longer absorb economics terms like a sponge, nor apply them appropriately. policy names, fluctuations, baskets, exchange rates and institutions - aye, it's been bloody 4 years since i had anything to do with economics. (ok, studying adam smith and the enlightenment is just a fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-61287227831199133032007-04-25T23:50:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:26:15.871+08:00dear ol' dave was in amsterdam for a 2 days and we met up..brave enough: on a bike. behind the rijksmuseum..the narrow staircase to my apartment..of course, highlight of the day was Ash..whoot! i use to have a thing for stoic bassist, mark hamilton. hawhaw..last minute guitar madness..happy people!!of course, the performance wasn't on time, but alas! while hanging around the stage (ooo, we were fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-84288116133364450482007-04-25T16:19:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:26:16.338+08:00ash were bloody awesome last night! will upload more when i have (more) time. watch this space! fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-7805601537134291972007-04-23T03:23:00.000+08:002008-12-11T11:26:16.482+08:00 back from budapest!fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6006183.post-28204512721173608122007-04-19T19:03:00.000+08:002007-04-19T19:30:41.903+08:00i had the chance to utilise my mediocre mandarin today, and in true chinese fashion - regarding money.being broke, i counted the amount of money (i really mean € coins) i had in my coin pouch before i left the apartment. there was only one big €2 coin and a few €1 coins.the bill at the oriental supermarket came up to €12.65. being singaporean, i gave €20.65 and then realised i could give another fenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13428584792255979649noreply@blogger.com0