A few words, a few thoughts.

'Tis the season for cherries and beaches and lazy days under the sun.

Yay. I love summer.

I also love songs that remind me of summer. A current favourite: Put Your Records On - Corinne Bailey Rae.

p.s. I turned 21 last Thursday. Happy Birthday to meee!

I find this one of the few personality tests that actually describe quite accurately how I think about myself. It allows a lot more flexibility with its scale and grid system, rather than the simple 'yes' and 'no' questions.

Funny that my brother and I are completely opposites of each other. It's a wonder we get on so well (when we're not bickering, that is).

Generous Dreamer

Toni Collette will be launching her debut album later in the year, called Beautiful Awkward Pictures. I never even knew she was a musician. Apparently she's been making music for the past decade.

She'll be featured in this year's Homebake with her band The Finish. Others in the line-up include Silverchair, Eskimo Joe and Youth Group. Turn out will undoubtedly be huge (as always)!

I just saw the video clip of her new single on the telly, and I must say it's pretty darn good. Her voice is unique and has a slight tone of vulnerability to it that makes her quite charming as a singer. Will definitely be on the look out when the album comes out.

Livejournal is like friends whom you've lost touch with and not knowing how to reconnect with them again.

Taking the initiative step is always the hardest, but I'm determined to break out of my antisocial funk (I'm referring to my online actvities only; I have been going out for the last 8 months, not to worry).

Thanks to those who haven't given up on me yet. I realise I'm absolutely hopeless at maintaining any kind of consistency in my updates.

Hi again.

Been a while, huh? I have been quite lazy for the last couple of months when it comes to keeping in touch, whether they be emails, messenger chats, or livejournals. Alas, I'm back, with extra randomness. Hopefully we shall return to regular scheduled programming for the new year ahead.

So, December has come by and gone and I'm enjoying the festivities in the intense heat of summer.

( Holiday Funtastic! )

There's been way too much food in the last few days. I need to exercise but it's too damn hot, gah.

A Belated Merry Christmas to all and best wishes for a happy new year!

Yesss. I convinced (more like cornered him into agreeing, but I digress) Dennis to watch Little Fish with me this coming Tuesday. Can't wait.

I've actually been trying to persuade my friends to watch it with me all week, but none of them seemed interested. Cate Blanchett. Hugo Weaving. Sam Neill. High quality Australian drama. It interests me a-plenty (read: it's the best). The Sunday paper even gave it a 9/10 rating, like whoa (because nothing ever gets higher than 7).

What is it with people's (well, people I know anyway) aversion to seeing heavy dramas at the cinemas? I love it! There's a tension that you don't get by popping in a dvd at home. We can't all be watching happy laugh-out-loud comedies all the time. No offence, because I do enjoy them and there are some good ones out there, but personally I prefer something that's not spoon-fed and requires a little more thinking.

Usually I end up watching obscure independent films by myself after lectures at uni. Yeah, call me weird. I'm used to it, heh.

I kinda want to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory too, I've heard raving reviews from friends (mostly on how Johnny Depp is as delicious as a Wonka Bar). But of course anything with Cate warrants precedence, hee.

Ps. I see that my bracketing () tendencies have made a spirited comeback (I didn't mean for it to happen, oops).

Tagged by lysachan.

List seven of your favorite songs of the moment in your journal and force seven other people to repeat this process.

1. Everytime It Rains - Charlotte Martin
I stumbled across her music when I was given a recommendation on Amazon, and have been listening to it non-stop ever since. This is one of my favourite songs on her latest album, On Your Shore.

2. Sunny Road - Emiliana Torrini
I love to lie down on the grass and listen to this. It's just exquisite!

3. Blue Eyes - Cary Brothers
From the Garden State Soundtrack. I had a hard time trying to choose one song out of that cd, I love them all. The. Best. Soundtrack. Ever.

4. We're All In This Together - Ben Lee
A cute song to sing and bop along to. Yay for Aussie artists!

5. How Come - Ray LaMontagne
This song makes me happy and bouncy, I don't know why. I want to see him in concert with Missy Higgins, someone come with me.

6. Worn Me Down - Rachael Yamagata
I love her voice. And this song is so infectious it rocks!

7. Eight Days A Week - The Beatles
The Beatles actually made an appearance in our linguistics mid-semester exam, hah. We were given data on the percentage of their American "r" pronounciation in various albums and had to analyse the sound changes that took place. Hard, but so much fun! I thought it would be appropriate for the occasion to include one of the classics ;)

Well that was an eclectic collection, heh. And since I only have about 10 people on my f-list and some of them have already been tagged, I won't bother naming people. But if you want to share your favourite songs you're more than welcome to :)

Hate is such a strong word, but I'll use it anyway.

I hate Powerpoint. The feeling is very mutual, I think.

Whoever came up with the idea that we should record our voices along with powerpoint slides instead of doing a real presentation in class should have very, very bad things happen to them.

Ugh.

The arrival of spring means it's time for backburning once again. The gray sky seems oppressed with gloom and the air is thick and stagnant.

Somehow I don't mind it as much as others. Maybe it's because I find it so distinctively Australian. Backburning and bushfires in summer make me feel at home.

According to this personality test, I'm a Counsellor. Interesting, because some of the descriptions are quite true but I never thought of myself that way.

The available types include Big Thinker, Counsellor, Go-getter, Idealist, Innovator, Leader, Mastermind, Mentor, Nurturer, Peacemaker, Performer, Provider, Realist, Resolver, Strategist and Supervisor.

I did the test a second time and I was a Mastermind, hah.

Today was one of those days when I felt everything pressing down on me all at once; School assessments, mid-semester exams, my enforced independence and isolation, confusion as to what I'm doing with a chemistry major when I have no intention of working in that field... all compounding to such an extent that it was difficult to even breathe.

As a result, I decided to take the afternoon off after my lecture and go on a little trip to the art gallery for some inspiration.

Which turned out to be a perfect afternoon. Art galleries do wonders for the soul. In fact, I am now a proud member of the Art Gallery Society of New South Wales.

I visited the exhibition Margaret Preston: Art and Life, and it was magnificent. As an eminent Australian artist, I loved how Preston's work combines elements of Aboriginal and Eastern as well as Western influences. I especially loved her woodblock prints, the colours were so bold, intense and dynamic. I stuck out like a sore thumb in there since I was the only person who was under the age of 40, not to mention being Asian, but heck, I didn't care.

I love art. They have a certain quality that allows you to transcend time and reality. It's the best way to escape.

Mel, a friend of mine from America whom I met last year, was online moments ago and we chatted for the first time in months. God I miss her. She is still funny and adorable as ever.

( Conversations... )

Whooo, finally the Week of Horrible Assessments is over. In hindsight, procrastining during the weekend when there were 4 big assessments to hand in the following week wasn't my brightest idea. I have been surviving on less than 5 hours of sleep each night for this entire week, and considering I normally require an average of 8 to function properly, I'd say it's quite a feat. Gallons of coffee helped of course. That little coffee shop I visit downstairs thanks me.

Anyway, this weekend I plan to lay back and chill out for a bit before I have to head back into the academic battlefield that is the advanced science course. I swear, some of those people are positively freaky in the amount of knowledge they can store in those little brains. My fairly reputable nerd status I achieved in high school is nothing compared to theirs. Thank god I have my arts degree to keep me sane. As challenging as anthropology and linguistics could be, at least they don't leave me forever wearing a baffled and clueless expression in lectures. But even though I complain ceaselessly, I love chemistry, really.

Well, my chill-out plan is holding up well so far. After meeting up with some high school friends for lunch and more coffee today, I indulged in some very much needed retail therapy. I emerged from the shops with my hands full and my wallet empty, sigh. This cd craze I'm going through is not helping any.

Tomorrow I'm gonna drop by the art workshop I used to go to when I was a child and help out. Little kids are inspiring.

I have been on a music craze lately. I think the recent Alanis acoustic release has reignited my love for some good, honest music to enlighten my dull study days. I thought I'd share some of my current favourites.

( Recommendations )

The original plan was to go bushwalking, but that was scratched because of some lazy asses otherwise known as my friends. Instead we went down south for a bit to lunch and then to bowling.

Which turned out to be quite fun, actually. I haven't been for a while, and it was a great way to spend time and catch up with old mates. The final score was 119 with 3 strikes, not bad.

Came back home to have dinner with family since Dad and brother are leaving tomorrow. Mum's leaving on Thursday, so I'll have the house myself for about a week or so before brother comes back from his conference. Won't be home much though, lots of plans next week plus I'm starting work again.

After that it's back to uni for more learning, woot!

I'm still at a loss as to how to respond ever since I found out this morning. Sometimes you just wake up and everything changes.

The horrible thing is that I can imagine all those innocent people who were just going about their own lives. It was selfish, brutal, and senseless.

I have no words.

Why must the exams be on at the same time as Wimbledon every semester? It is seriously affecting my studies, think there's a box labelled skewed performance in exams due to an unhelathy obsession with watching late night tennis that I can tick in the Special Considerations form? No? Well, a girl can hope. I can't decide which one of the oldies I should root for, Mauresmo or Davenport?

I am now officially a Danish shipper. They're too cute. And Leisha Hailey is hot.

After having a browse of the digital SLRs online, I can now safely conclude that they are stuff from dreams. If only I have the money. As a poor full-time student who only works for 3 hours a week, unfortunately, it is very unlikely.

Just realised I haven't rented dvds for quite a while now, some may think this is behaviour from me that would cause the world to freeze over. My movie list to watch as soon as the exams are over:
1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2. Closer
3. Ocean's Twelve
4. The Aviator
5. Million Dollar Baby
6. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
7. The Motorcycle Diaries

Wow, I can't believe I haven't seen the above at the cinemas, let alone on dvd. Atrocious, that is.

I also plan on watching My Summer of Love after my final exam on Friday. It premiered on the opening night of the Sydney Film Festival with critical acclaim, so it should be good.

Next exam is Wednesday. That's two down, two more to go.

So many distractions, so little time.

Older chests reveal themselves
Like a crack in a wall
Starting small, and grow in time
And we always seem to need the help
Of someone else
To mend that shelf
Too many books
Read me your favourite line

Some things in life may change
And some things
They stay the same

Like time, there's always time
On my mind
So pass me by, I'll be fine
Just give me time

My eyes well up everytime I listen to Damien Rice. It's quite embarrassing really.

Another 13 weeks passed, and once again I find myself procrastinating as the exams loom ahead. There is added pressure this time around, I have to get distinction in my subjects in order to keep the advanced science degree. Which, at the moment, seems like an impossibility.

My friend (whom I have the craziest crush on by the way) and I went and saw Mr and Mrs Smith yesterday as a kind-of end of semester celebration. The hotness that is Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt is enough said.

This semester had pretty much sailed through like an autumn breeze. Nothing too heavy, but somehow comforting and satisfying.