i've just cooked instant pasta for timo and geriberi! they have one last morning paper later so i decided to be nice to prepare supper as encouragement for the hungry souls but i realised how bad a cook i am ): ):
i havent done anything like "cooking", or rather experimenting, in the longest time. the last time i entered the kitchen to actually prepare something was probably last year, to fry garlic prawns. my parents were the guinea pigs and i thought the entire thing was quite funny cause i took hours for those two dishes (incl stir-fried beef). a few days later, i attempted making coconut ice cream which was a complete fiasco! LOL! those were the post-krabi days when i was still so gaga over thai food.
oh well. fortunately, the pasta still turned out edible much thanks to sistie's invaluable tips. actually, they thought it was kinda good. :) -pats my head- instant stuff, hard to go wrong. but i always thought that food prepared on your own will just taste exceptionally good. something about self-approval and satisfaction maybe. heh. here's one more new year resolution - to learn to cook tasty meals :D

anyway, end of exams never felt better! this semester has been a real roller coaster ride. too much of a rojak to be exciting. but yea, i'm so glad that the semester has come to an end! :) i'm still basking in this luxury of having all the time in the world to do all my favourite things! (:

and top on the list has to be shopping! :D



bestie's new hair color! deliciously sunny! :D



Cause you gave me the best mixtape I have
And even all the sad songs ain't so sad


Cause all of the stars are fading away
Just try not to worry you'll see them some day
Take what you need and be on your way
And stop crying your heart out
Oasis


after what has been a way too long and draining semester, i can now proclaim that exams are over! i feel as happy as i'm eating all the best desserts combined together! :D

do you see what i'm seeing?



girls and boys, it's time to party!!!


Hold on little girl
Show me what he's done to you
Stand up little girl
A broken heart can't be that bad
When it's through, it's through
Fate will twist the both of you
So come on baby come on over
Let me be the one to show you
i wish you well.


last night, we had a battle with THE MOTH!
the 5cm by 5cm creature made its in intrusion to our room while shin and i were studying/doing online shopping. (we bought clothes!yay! and we had a mini fashion show in our room too) We can't really blame it for its unwelcomed presence cause entrance was way too easy with our door wide open. so, when it flew in, shin zoomed to the toilet and the other room at an equally high speed, abandoning me ): then, frank came over to survey the situation and the moth decided to change its strategy to re-position itself on my photo, disguising as an oversized hairclip. i hurriedly ran over to the other room, bringing along tomato. wendy was our first valiant knight who volunteered to try to chase the intruder away with her notebook. frank, who was behind her, brought a bigger weapon - a broom. brenda was the reporter, telecasting the latest locations of the moth. what followed after was ten minutes of fruitless attempts. then, shin suggested calling for more help so we went downstairs and got our eveready pestbuster- ting guan! he was the one who helped us chase away a fat lizzy and also caught a spider with his bare hands. -applause please- having saved us on two occasions, he's more than experienced. and so, within less than ten seconds, he won the battle. we were awed and wendy re-enacted the entire scene twice. haha.

lately, i have the urge to blog about every little thing that happens in hall. i'm slowly collecting these memories knowing how much i will miss every single one of you. my online-shopping-crazy roomie, carnivorous wendy and the sweet cottage couple brenda and frank. )':


It's 4.44 am but i'm wide awake. Looking at the many photos pinned around my room, I sat back and thought, "Jacq, life is so wonderful. Isn't it?"



To my family and all my friends, thank you for making me this happy. This love is enough, really. I don't ask for anything more. (:


FIRST ONE DOWN (: (: (: -proclaims and does the tralala flaps-

yay. so there's four more to go till 28th! freedom is soooooo near! -sniffs- the green green pastures and the fresh sweet air! i cant wait for 28th, 29th and 30th! tralala lalala~



. . .

Let me in
to see you in the morning light
to get me on and all along the tears they come
see all come
I want you to believe in life
but I get the strangest feeling that you've gone away
will you find out who you are too late to change?

today, while listening to angels and demons, i was reminded of how i used to replay dishwalla's three songs (incl candleburn and every little thing) on my way to work last year. hurhur, seems like only my bestie and i have the queer habit of making short playlists. to us, short would mean one or a max of three songs. haha.

while my folks set off for bkk a couple of hours ago, the disneyman is returning tom! soon after exams, my sistie and tim will be off to new york. )': and at that time, home will be so strangely quiet when i shift back.


i've just found a good mugging song, to replay ten times over and not get sick of it.

it just takes some time
little girl your in the middle
of the ride
everything(everything) will be just fine
everything(everything) will be alright (alright)

hey, you know they're all the same.
you know you're doing better on your own, so don't buy in.
live right now.
yeah, just be yourself.
it doesn't matter if its good enough, for someone else.


and so i've influenced Brenda and Frank. Now, the both of them are TowerBlox addicts! while i type this, they are still at the game, both handphone and facebook. LOL!!! i'm really gonna miss them (and my roomie and wendy of course) when i shift out this year end. Today, Brenda and i were chefs! we cooked maggi porridge with sausages and mushrooms! how sumptuous (: next up, we will be frying mee goreng! yay! :D

i shall get back to my books before sistie and timmy drop by for supper later! Happy birthday Tim! (:


it was 2.30am. while most people are either furiously flipping their books or fast asleep at this rather unearthly hour, (it's actually not considered late cause here in hall, we haven't learnt how to differentiate night from day and vice versa)we could only hear Frank's rumbling tummy. Thankfully, we had Rubin's car so Wendy could drive the three of us to The Sun, where our mini adventure begun! (:

we shopped like aunties and came back with cup noodles, biscuits and best of all - Strawberry Cheesecake!!!



look how nice B&J describes their products. *slurps! don't you want some too? it's no wonder that frank ate half a loaf of bread while brenda and i shared two slices between us! HOHO!

If you love strawberry cheesecake as much as we do, wait'll you discover the Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream breakthrough we've created! Just when you think this unmistakably cheesecake-creamy, very strawberry flavor couldn't possibly taste any dreamier, the thick graham cracker swirl blissfully flips you into a whole 'nother world of cheesecake lusciousness you never knew existed. Welcome to the Strawberry Cheesecake dimension - we hope you enjoy your visit!

geex. this little shopping trip really reminded me of those days at mustafa.. They sell anything and everything there! seriously! from potted plants to groceries, perfumes and even jewellery and high-end goods! it has to be the most amazing hangout after midnight! i miss those carefree days.. those crazy stuff all of us did.


last night, i read an article and i got so fearful. i have never felt this way before, not to this extent. this time, reality's hitting me hard. it's as if i've been there too. her struggles make me shudder but i'm moved.

sometimes, i wish for how i want things to be but are some things really beyond our control? will you be like Christine? there's so much i want to do. ultimately, i will still support you.




it's always nice to start a day by showing someone that you care. we dont meet often but this bond is amazing. no doubts about it. (: my himbo friend jer is gonna bake a cheesecake for me! (: (: (: and we're gonna bake for nik in dec! heyho heyho!
BON VOYAGE my friend! have fun at hk! -waits eagerly for the cheesecake- thanks for praying, your prayers always work wonders (:



when clearing it up complicates instead, what should be done?
and when do we draw the line, when do we put a stop.
it has to be now before we lose it all.

~What would you think of me now,
so lucky, so strong, so proud?
I never said thank you for that

sow the wind and reap the whirlwind


while i was staring blankly into my acct textbook, Wendy walked into the study room with a SURPRISE! she bought POIFULL for me!!! You can't imagine how delighted i was!



Just a min ago, she was at the Meiji Factory with Rubin and 2 other friends and apparently, she had spent $51 on titbits! Such huge Meiji fans we all are!!! i love Meiji Strawberry milk, Meiji yogurt, Meiji Strawberry Choco, Meiji YanYan and the list goes on! GLORIOUS MEIJI! (: (: (:

~i didnt know the West has so many hotspots! now, there's one more "must-visit" after the exams! YIPEE!


I laugh, I feel, I make believe it’s real,
I fall, I freeze, I pray down on my knees,
I hope, I stand, I take it like a man,
I try as hard as I can.



why do you see right through me

it's beautiful here. the chill, the sound of rain. but i'm all messed up.


last night, while helping tim with his global warming proj (click to view their blog), I saw this phrase "Love your neighbour as you love yourself". what a nice reminder i thought (:



now, i can't wait for 2008. New resolutions, new goals and a better person!
and many chances for better days!

oh, just another random post.


someone please tell me, when's the time for ice-cream showers and summer slings? (: is it april? i dont mind skipping christmas for that.



In summer, the song sings itself.
~William Carlos Williams


this morning, we witnessed the biggest ever thunderstorm in our history of stay in hostel. and naturally, all of us went back to sleep till noon! heh

as i was just thinking of friday night's dinner, our fish-market-like convo had a couple of hilarious points. here's a few classic quotes that i forgot to include in the earlier post.

* mark: "qi, do you board?"
qi: "huh?"
mark:"do you board?"
X10000, in the exact same way.
(in layman terms, he was asking if qi stays in hall, not whether she's bored or not. noone uses terms like boarding house over here, mark. maybe dorm...)

* shane: "erm, i actually have a camera.."
(it was difficult to find the appropriate time to say it in a crowd of four kopi-sohs)

* qi: "jacq, you have contacts right?"
(as in sponsors' contacts. silly me thought she wanted contact lenses :X)
jo: ". . ."

* shin: "jacq, i'm getting all your sermeowly things today! HAHA!"
(i sulk while glaring at her. i dare you to say and i will reveal all your dirty little secrets)

. . .

thanks to bestie's recommendation, i'm really addicted to white houses, vanessa carlton! the video itself is fantabulous, really.

when she dances, she goes and goes...




i had a sudden urge to change my blog but i guess it isnt too much of a change. still has the stripes and the layout's the same. nonetheless,i like it :*)

. . .
lately, i've been really really nasty. hostile. and would much rather be left alone. sorry for the cancellations of meet-ups, bad attitude and raised voices. ew me.
it's due to a combination of factors including pms and exam stress (easily the best excuses huh but i cant explain it otherwise). geez. i'm even starting to find myself irritating everytime i make those whiny noises to brenda/my parents "i dont want exams...i wish i could study faster... (and the million what-ifs)..." to the poor people around me who have to endure my nonsense, thank you for understanding and i'm sorry )':

have you felt this way before? a suffocating feeling that you cant rid, like some nagging pain in your chest? maybe it's from too much procrastination or suppressed feelings of agony? anyhow, i know i'll have to make the best of my time now, no time to cry/whine/moan over lost opportunities. come 2008, i shall write a whole new resolution and STICKtoit! -throws a life bouy to myself-

hopefully, after we gym later in the morning, it'll all get better.


happy 20th bwestie mark!
despite the whining, complaining and groaning about exams and how our pimp has forgotten us, (it was all the way from school to brewerkz. sorry mark and shane ): haha) last night was still a jollyjolly affair!!! (: we took lotsa photos and even had the time for one last quick groupie shot at the station. you know, those that you pay sixbucks for 4 passport-sized photos? haha. trust me, it's no joke having four people squeezed in that cubicle with shin yelling "i can't take it!!! my legs are damn suan!" and jo going "i feel so claustrophobic! hurry up, get out!" haha. obviously, the photo didnt turn out so well. half of qi's face was chopped off! but the entire thing is a fuzzy kinda nice (:
i always like hanging out with them.
nothing beats those college days. (:

thanks to shane who brought a cam, here are some pictures!

the entire group



the birthday boy, girlfriend and surprise cake!



besties shane and mark!



our lovely gang! and the complimentary apple crumble (before six spoons dug into it)



before stepping out of the house, i chanced upon a book "image quotient" by suzanne, on tim's side of the table. i only had a chance to scan through the review and the first two pages. but a prose in the intro started me thinking. (i wish i didnt have the memory of a goldfish so i could remember the entire thing and quote it for you here. it was basically about how important it is to upkeep one's image and how that leads to elegance etc.)
i used to think that anyone who cares excessively about their image would be related to being superficial/ vain etc. not that one shouldnt care at all but being too image-conscious was perceived to be unhealthy and a tad shallow. i mean, i always didnt like myself being so self-concious and i dont see myself as a confident person yet i do not approve of those who go through so much pains just to want to look good when they actually dont have anything wrong with themselves. geez. it's sorta outta point. but oh wells, i realised i am so wrong! it's okay to want to look good cause looking good stems from feeling good about yourself as well as being confident and happy too. and so i have learnt from a brief reading of suzanne's that having a high image quotient can be really crucial in many aspects of our lives, especially in building a good first impression and that first impressions are no doubt important cause we can never have a second chance to re-create one. i also saw a survey on how three different factors contribute to one person's first impression of another person. since i think i'm better at remembering numbers than at words, i think the statistics were something like this:
Dressing - 54%
Something else i cant remember - 39%
What you say - 7%

image is important.
but loving yourself is too.

i shall steal the book from tim when i return home sometime next week.
and geez.
this gives everyone an excuse to dress-up and look good! (:
---

btw, studying has been getting tougher.
not only studies but studying.
on a happier note, my folks treated me to CRABS!!! chilli and black pepper! hurhur (: (: (: it was a pleasant surprise indeed! this week's gonna be a high cholesterol week. *rubs tummy*

all that i need, boyzone
Trying to grow,
making my way down that long winding road
Had no reason, no rhyme
Like a song out of time

food facts for today:
On food, writer Barbara Costikyan notes, "In the childhood memories of every good cook, there's a large kitchen, a warm stove, a simmering pot, and a mom."

Once an orange is squeezed or cut, the vitamin C dissipates quickly. After only 8 hours at room temperature or a scant 24 hours in the refrigerator, there is a 20 percent vitamin C loss.

One of the fattiest fishes is salmon: 4 ounces of the delectable fish contain 9 grams of fat.


i woke up about two hours ago, feeling very upset that i had slept the night away and my parents were my "parters in crime". geez. i was feeling bad that i couldnt be back in hall to accompany shin. but, i understand the good intentions of my parents now that i feel so awake! (:
it's all a topsy-turvy now :S

with compliments of vic, i got to see pictures of this really cute baby, Ruby.





view the blog of Ruby's daddy
our parents' love. this love! (:

hang in there everyone! give the watermelon SMILE :D

it ends tonight, all-american rejects
The walls start breathing
My mind's unweaving
Maybe it's best you leave me alone.
when darkness turns to light...


this long and dreadful week is finally coming to an end
though it hasn't been smooth-sailing.

~never felt such exasperation before )': i wonder how i'm gonna grasp tax in these two weeks. it feels impossible when i don't even have a plan. those strategies dont work anymore.. and i have myself to blame, this bag of lazy bones

---

home always tastes sweeter.
but i know i've to stay in hall for the next few weeks to come,
gotta force myself to study admist the biting cold (in our reading room!)
it's the final lap.
everyone boleh!!!

konstantine, something corporate
But I can't stand here in a patch of four leaf clover


You said you'd light a candle
And you'd say a prayer for me
I feel the light has dimmed and gone
Half the world is begging
While the other half steals
Where did everything go wrong?

Some days I can't believe
Others, I'm on my knees
Hoping I belong

And laughter is my soul's release
But we're not smiling anymore
And can't we try to win this peace?
'Cause we're never gonna win
Never gonna win this war


goo goo dolls