I was lazing in my bed at 9 plus a.m. when Lee Kuen from the Econs Dept called. Her voice, while projecting a positive outcome, seemed to drone endlessly. I willed her to skip all the introduction and tell me the dept's decision.

Things are falling into place. =D

*

Now every room in PGP has this sticker above the switches. The first thought that came to my mind was "What a waste of money".


It was as if it intruded my privacy and ruined the status quo. Nevertheless, the humble little sticker seems to be emanating good vibes today. Perhaps I should reaffirm my belief that men are pure and kind at the core, only we sometimes need reminding.

When Fatty was born, doctors found a well developed sweet tooth in his mouth. And today, his penchant for all things saccharine became full-fledged.

He was particularly drawn towards cookies, so to satiate him, cookies we baked. =D

Fatty trying to make the butter-egg emulsion.

I was momentarily worried when I realised I forgot how to convert degrees Fahrenheit to Celsius. Betty Crocker sure is an accidental teacher.

Can you count the number of orbitals?

The final product. Our non racist attitude towards cookies is evident.

We wanted Subway versions, ie huge cookie with soft chewy centre, but a batch or two was rather burnt. So Fatty broke of the charred sides and ate what little remained.

*

Singapore won the bid to host the 2010 Youth Olympics! There is an unexplainable happy fuzzy feeling inside of me. I said to ZX, "Hope we win the bid", during lecture on Thursday. Yes, I subconsciously used the word we. I'm anticipating the changes to the Singapore landscape; glad to be able to be part of it.

On a sadder note, Friday's crane crash at the new alumni house site was a spirit dampener. Wouldn't the nation be ballistic had the tragedy occured at Warren instead?

*

Wonderful surprises arrive in e-mails and envelopes. Mooi is right. There shouldn't be any "ifs". What I want should be what I get.

We were at the "soft culture" of America when Prof Natasha whipped out a powerpoint slide that had us all stunned:-



She took a fleeting look, and with an impish smile on her face, said, "This says DEMOCRACY." We cracked! Apparently she prepares her slides on a Mac, and the fonts got lost in translation.

See how I managed to capture the moment on camera? Proves how attentive I am during SS. =D

I almost had a heart attack.

Flubdub, don't die on me!!!

It's only the first day of Sem 2, and already I feel like a wringed towel. At least the lectures were insightful, especially Matlab. The lecturer gave a concise introduction. It was a sorely needed beacon, because suddenly I see the light!

My body is lagging by a month, my brain defrosting in my cranium. December was definitely the Month of the Year. In fact, it was the best holiday ever. Not too short, so I wasn't misled by the elusive term "holiday"; not too long, lest the days start to drag. I had a lovely, if not meaningful, break. The camp was inspiring, as was the accidental(!) friendship. Mum and I have never been on better terms. We finally settled the headache provoking issue of the colours for the house, and I ended my short-lived affair with pinks and violets. My room will be painted St. Moritz.

Bei Shi and I have been chefs for the past two days. We haven't suffered from food poisoning yet, though I doubt it will ever happen because we're such great and efficient cooks. Till now our menu is limited to stir fries with our secret ingredient- Lee Kum Kee oyster sauce. I expect us to be bold enough to take on more culinary challenges in the near future.

Sam told me about her experiences when she ran for a post in NTU, and today I got to be an onlooker of the grilling process during the @ MTP session. Will I be brave enough to put myself on the chopping board next year?

Well, I have some plans... It's largely still in blueprint, but hey! I don't want to be the Oz Lion anymore.

I salute you, my friend, for making that bold decision. You always struck me as a pessimist, but the unhappiness and hard times you've experienced have only made you wiser and more resilient.

And on Sunday, when you shared news about Tigger, your excitement was infectious.

I wish you the very best. You deserve it.

About time I revive this blog. And I even enhanced the layout to usher the new year!

This year's theme borders on everything that's vibrant and catchy and exciting. Out with the sullen, sombre background. Colour, and I mean, colour, is here to stay.

As with previous years, the start of the new year never fails to put me in a reflective mood.

How much have I grown? (not literally of course)

How has last year's experiences contributed to my being as a whole?

-Hence the snobbish sounding title.

Sid made a nakedly honest comment, "The only thing that differentiates you from them is confidence".

With a burst of vigour, I set forth with a new pair of wings, and fly.