picture perfect

I love the pretty colours. Especially the last one. If only I could paint something like that.

Ocean Spray ad

That Ocean Spray cranberry juice ad on tv is starting to annoy me. Most of the ads here are reasonably interesting; some amusing. But this one's just plain in-your-face annoying when it comes on.

The ad goes like this:-

A friend tells dumb blonde a.k.a Paris Hilton look-a-like that her personal trainer has been raving about colonics but she thinks Ocean Spray is better.

Friend: It's, like, totally cleansing with all those cranberries.
Paris Hilton look-a-like: So, like, where does it go? [talks on phone with chihuahua in hand]
Friend: You, like, drink it?

Even a 3 year old kid would know that its a drink.

The question is so stupid it beats Jessica Simpson's is this chicken or tuna?

And what's up with all the like's. Their whole conversation is peppered with like's. It's like they don't have any other word to use.

reminiscence

I kind of miss playing the piano, now that I don't have one. All those years of music lessons...kind of seems like a waste to throw that all away. I mean I'm not doing it on purpose but actually buying a piano would set me back by...a lot. Maybe one day...when I've loads of money...then I'd get a grand piano...a black one. Having not practised in years, I'm pretty sure that I would still be able to play a few pieces like I used to...after heaps of practice. The only finger exercises that i get now are from typing up my assignments and blogging.

I've also realized that I will never be a violinist. Actually I realized that a long time ago. That was when i decided to give up on it. It was a bit too painful (literally) for myself and those who had to bear with my "practise sessions", which mainly involved me producing noise that would probably wake Beethoven up from the dead.

Art is another thing that I miss doing. Believe it or not.

I haven't picked up a paintbrush since it stopped being a compulsory subject. I mean I'm not exactly and art fanatic but I remember liking half the drawings I did at school. That was when Mr. Ronnie taught us. I'm sure most of you would remember him, eh?? wonder where he is now.

Those were the good old days. This is making me feel much much older.

Form 3 rocked!!

...and it happened again

How scary would it be if you were one of the students at Virginia Tech caught in the shooting? Imagine one of your classmates rocking up to class and randomly shooting at everyone. The Age quoted 33 deaths due to the massacre. Pretty big figure...just a few short of the people who were killed in the Port Arthur shootings.

So why is it that these mentally disturbed gunmen target random people in educational institutions? Maybe they have a theory that their shootings would reduce the world's exponentially growing population. Hello??!! A tsunami or some other disaster would do much more damage than they would be able to.

But seriously. It's happened before and it's happened again. There was the Monash Uni shootings in '02, the Amish massacre last year and now the Virginia Tech shootings. When will it ever stop?

My choc lindt bunny (updated)

The choc bunny's gone. I ate it.

It looked so tempting that I couldn't resist anymore. All that's left of it is its bell and ribbon.

Poor bunny!

How I spent Good Friday

I got up at around 6.30 this morning and it was freezing cold. I'm more of a warm-blooded person. Don't think I'll be able to survive in Alaska or North Pole even with 10 layers of clothing on. But then the ice caps are melting at a substantial rate so maybe I'll actually be able to in say...50 years time...maybe.

I didn't really do much today except to watch Mr. Bean. Apparently lots of people had the same agenda, hence the long queue at the ticket booth (and slightly stressed staff - I can definitely relate).

The movie was pretty funny, which was expected. But I thought that the number of disasters he had to go through was too much. At least Mr. Bean is still very much anti-social, a bit nasty and British.


Here's the highlight of the day. I caught the tram home like any ordinary day when a lady got on and walked to the seat opposite me. I wasn't paying much attention to her when suddenly...


floomp!


she fell forwards onto me (the tram happened to lurch forward when she was about to sit). Good thing my reflex isn't too slow or I would've been squashed.

It was hilarious (to me). A bit embarassing for her. But we all survived.

It just popped into my head

You know what I like?

I like my Target undies. They're so comfortable...the Cotton-Lycra ones. And they're not g-strings ok. I don't wear them. Too uncomfortable.

Besides, I wouldn't want to end up in a fi-arse-co like Jennifer Hawkins. *sniggers* Big Whoops! For those who don't know Jennifer Hawkins, she was 2004's Miss Universe.

Target undies - They're durable, stretchy and they fit really well. I'm not exaggerating this time. (Okay guys, you can stop picturing me in my undies now)

I actually prefer them to those supposedly comfortable Bonds underwear; the micro fabric or micro fibre ones. Whatever they're called. The ones that feel like silk. They snag too easily.

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I've discovered that I have a slight intolerance for very rich food.

Like cheesecake. Some people love cheesecake but I can only have a bit at a time. Coz I feel like throwing up if I eat too much rich food. Lactose intolerance? >.<

Happy Easter, everyone!! Don't eat too many easter eggs.

random-ness

Today's mood: Not as stressed as yesterday

It all began when I saw him eating really small biscuits with a chocolate dip. It looked so interesting that I was tempted to ask him what it was. He was sitting pretty close, like 1 metre from our table but then it'd seem a bit weird to ask him just like that. So I went on chatting with this other gal from my tute. Just to wind down really. It's been a tiring day. (I had classes from 9-3; not much of a break in between and had a group meeting from 3-4. Oh and we had our presentation today. That went pretty well according to the tutor...which is why im pretty pleased).

So...where was I...yeah...I was having a conversation with the other girl abt "getting-to-know-each-other-better" stuff. Actually...it was more like a get-to-know-her-better conversation. I noticed that that guy (his name's Darcy btw. as in Pride and Prejudice Mr. Darcy) kept glancing at us from time to time. Maybe our conversation was really interesting.

Anyway...I was about to leave when I decided to ask him abt the biscuits. He must've thought it was pretty random. But at least us two gals had a nice conversation with some totally random stranger that happened to sit near us. He's first yr arts/eng btw. We were actually distracting him from his studying. Not that he minded too much.

I'd recommend talking to random people. It's a great stress reliever. Coz it takes your mind off things and you basically talk about nothing in particular. Just don't go and chat with people who look like they'll bite your head off.



I like this quote by Carlos A Urbizo
"Stoop and you'll be stepped on; stand tall and you'll be shot at"

how tight is too tight?

I received one of those mass mailed uni e-mails which I usually get just about every week. They mostly get deleted but today's e-mail got my attention.

"Australia has tightened security arrangements for
international air passengers with effect from 31 March 2007...result of the threat posed by liquid explosives following incidents in London."

"...liquids will only be allowed in carry-on baggage if they are in containers up to100ml in capacity and these containers are put in a one-litre, resealable transparent plastic bag."

First we can't bring in certain types of food. Now...no more carrying drinking water when I travel. So macam.

Dissatisfied group member

Group presentations suck. Actually...all group work suck. This only applies when you have lousy group members. Of course...I can't really tell them that to their face coz then...it'd be really hard to do the other two assignments with them. Yup. I'm stuck with them for the rest of the semester. That means I'll have to see them in class for the next two and a half months. Therefore, it wouldn't be wise to give them the shits about group work. The only thing I can do is to blog here...hence confining my rants to myself...and to the very few ppl who stumble upon my blog.

So...I had a group meeting today for next week's presentation. If you can call that a group meeting. It was more like a half-group meeting. Somehow I had the feeling that it would happen.

Gut-feeling

Women's intuition

Call it what you like. I just knew.

Anyway, I met up with the girl in my group at around 11.30 (she apparently was waiting in the library but her phone was busy) and we sort of got a little bit done but she was slightly unenthusiastic about working on the presentation. She left early...half an hour after the other guy arrived.

He's a different story. He had this assignment due today and he said he'd probably finish the night before. He was supposed to meet us at 12pm but what a surprise...he came late. I'm sure you're all getting the picture now. A whopping 1hr and 15 mins late, no less. I mean, come on. I know your assignment is important but we've got a presentation due in less than a week and it's the first meeting!! We need to get going!

Somebody help me.

I still have 2 assignments to work on with them. At the rate we're going, I think I might have to do most of the work myself.

Re: 6 weird things about me

I forgot to mention...you know how some people are folders and some are scrunchers? Well...I'm a folder and a scruncher. It all depends on the situation.

I know I'm being a bit vague here and if you don't know what I'm talking about, then...don't bother asking me coz I'm not elaborating further.

Btw...did you know it's Saint Patrick's Day? I didn't. Not until a few hours ago.

I reckon it'd be cool to dress up as a leprechaun and walk down the streets, showering people with fake gold. Preferably part of a St. Patrick's Day parade.

So...people...wear something green today, eat some Irish food or maybe tap dance to Irish music. If you do try to tap dance, make sure you send me a video of it, yea?


Happy Saint Patrick's Day!!!

busy-ness + lazy-ness = no blogs

I was meant to post up six weird things about myself b'coz I was tagged but I got busy *coughs* so I've sort of left my blog hanging. This post is so long overdue that if it were a block of cheese, it'd be so mouldy, it'd look like something out of a year 9 science experiment that went wrong.

Okay...that was a bit too much of an exaggeration. And don't ask me how blogs relate to cheese.


6 weird things about myself (something like that)

1. I talk to myself half the time. And to things that aren't alive and imaginary things. I don't know why; I just do. It's a weird habit and I don't know how it started.
2. I love walking around and exploring new places even when I'm alone. I'd sit on some random tram and see where it takes me or I'd walk down a different street from the one I'd normally take. That's how I get lost sometimes. But no biggie. I always find my way back.
3. I have twitchy feet. They sort of tap when I'm listening to music. And they twitch when I'm in bed sometimes. Just before I fall asleep.
4. I hate it when people tell me that I look like someone else coz I like being my own person (flaws and all). Therefore, please don't tell me that my sister looks like me. I've had my share of that.
5. I like sleeping with background noise like soft music or cars on the freeway. I find it soothing although most (old) people complain that the noise affects their sleep.
6. I'm a what if person. I have a tendency to imagine myself falling into the river if i happen to be walking by a river. Or getting hit by a car if I'm crossing the road. It's a bit scary to have an imagination like that but I can assure you that I don't wish to die yet. I'm too young to die.Phew...I've finally reached six. Never thought I'd make it. Well that's out of the way...let's move on to other things. Oh and I'm not going to tag 6 people coz they've all probably been tagged anyway so there really isn't any point.

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You know how you get frustrated sometimes and you just want space? When you're really pissed, tired, crabby, etc etc. Well...sometimes I feel like that. Leave me alone by the Veronicas sums it up pretty well.

Here's a snippet of their song:

Chorus

Leave me alone
Get out of my face
I'm tired and low, and
Feelin' so misplaced
Time for you to go
Coz I know I'm better off on my own

Leave me alone
This isn't gonna work
Don't call me on the phone
I'm all out of words
I'll face the unknown
Thinkin' about all the ways that I've grown


I bought their cd btw. Just recently. It's cool.

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Guess what? I went to the casino last night. Nothing really special about it except that it's pretty big with lots of lights and lots of slot machines, roulette tables, blackjack table and all that. Not to mention heaps of smokers near the club. Surprisingly, the security people didn't ask to see my ID. I actually wanted them to stop me so I can whip out my ID with a smirk that says 'Hah, I'm legally allowed in the casino so you can't kick me out'.

At least now I can say that I've been to a casino. After all, I am 18.

Dear readers,

Just a quick note to explain my lack of progress on the '6 weird things about myself'. As I'm not currently feeling bloggish (if there is such a word) I will be postponing the blog until I feel like blogging. Besides, sam said it's not compulsory. I'm assuming there's also a hidden rule that also says you can procrastinate.

So until further notice...or until you see my blog abt 6 weird things which I hope I'll eventually get round to doing, I won't be tagging ppl.

Cheers,
dIScONNECTED

Lecture etiquette for dummies

Some people are just so inconsiderate that all they think about is themselves. Young adults mostly. Hence the reason for my lesson on lecture etiquette.

Now you'd probably be thinking who am I to be giving people lessons on socially acceptable behaviour in lectures. All I can say is that I don't claim to be an expert in social behaviour but it's just plain common sense what to do and what not to do in these situations.

So if you have no clue as to what I'm getting at, then you've come to the right blog.


What not to do in a lecture hall

1. Firstly, come on time. If you can't, at least use the back door and sit down the back coz it's really distracting when the door slams.
2. If you plan to talk when the lecturer is speaking, then at least have the courtesy of sitting at the back and whisper, not down the front where some people are actually trying to listen. No, I've got a better idea. Just don't come to the lecture at all.
3. Keep your phone off or on silent. And if it rings, don't answer it and start with the 'how're you going, mate. you want to meet up later....' yada yada yada. It's annoying, not to mention terribly rude.
4. If you come in early, sit in the middle not towards the aisles so those who come in later don't have to climb over bags and legs just to get a seat.
5. Don't leave halfway just coz you feel like it. If you don't really want to sit in on the lecture, then don't come at all. Then you can go off and do sth else that you think is worth doing and everyone else can listen without any interruption.

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I got The Fray and Nickelback cd's today. =) It's great when you don't have to pay for stuff that you buy. And I watched music and lyrics. Compared to most of the other movies that Hugh Grant's starred in, this one was pretty good. His voice isn't great but some of the songs are alright and at least it's not so demeaning. Hugh Grant singing is sort of a first for me.

Maybe I'll get the Veronicas next time. =D

such profanity!

The only thing I'd usually be obsessing on as soon as I walk out the door on weekdays is whether I'd make it to class on time. Public transport punctuality is a bit dodgy sometimes (I know, I know, a few minutes less sleep won't hurt).

So I got to Flinders St Station yesterday and pretty much ran through the ticket barriers, across the foyer and down the escalators. Fortunately I made it onto the 8.08am train which was delayed. So i got into one of the carriages, planning what I was going to do during my 4-hour break when I realized that something was not quite right. (No..I didn't catch the wrong train though I did that once - din't pay enough attention to the display screen).

Right behind me was a woman and across the aisle were a few men. I can't say they were talking coz it was more like a swearing conversation. Almost every single one of their sentences consisted of the f-word. I can defintely say that they have a severely restrictive vocabulary. 0.0 It was so vulgar that I was hoping they'd get off long before I did. Didn't happen, unfortunately.

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Panic at the disco actually has unique music videos from other bands. But most of their songs are kind of similar.


Panic at the disco - I write sins not tragedies

Did you know Keith Urban's got great songs? I just discovered that recently.


Keith Urban - Tonight I wanna cry

I'm currently suffering from post-work-depression. I can't believe I'm already missing work. Looks like i'm turning into a workaholic. *sigh*. It's just like coming back from an awesome holiday and you have to go back to school the next day but you wish you were back on hols.


*pfft*

CNY? What CNY??!!

Chinese New Year here can't be compared to that in Brunei. The atmosphere here is like any other day (except if you happen to be in Chinatown) plus it isn't really recognized here which means there isn't a public holiday for CNY.

okay...maybe i haven't really made an effort to go around and watch some lion dances. I happen to know that there was a lion dance at Crown on saturday night, which of course I didn't bother to go. The last time I saw one here was 2 years ago, under the hot sun.

But that's besides the point. See...I don't get to visit relatives/friends, or get any ang paus (kind of feel a bit old for that), or get invited to open houses. At least i had some sort of a reunion dinner last saturday night. If you can call it a reunion dinner.

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3 more days 2 1/2 days and i'm off work!! No more sitting in front of a computer and fiddling with spreadsheets or formulas or figures. =) I'll probably miss it a little but hey, I want my student life back.

It's way more fun being a student that working full-time. Anyone who's been working full-time for more than 5 years can vouch for that. The only problem with being a student is that you're always broke.

not enough $$$

or no $$$ at all. when you're working, at least you don't have to worry too much about your bank account...unless it has a hole as huge as the ozone layer or your cash inflow rate < cash outflow rate.

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Random speak:

Melbourne city council has taken small steps toward recognizing same sex relationships according to the age today. I don't have anything against gay people but I have to say that the photo of the two gay accountants was rather gross.

Saint Valentine

I managed to spot 47 bunches of flowers today. Huge bunches, single stalk, fake roses, the works. Valentine's Day is so commercialised now, it's just like christmas (but only lasts for one day); what with greeting cards and gifts, retail stores sure make a lot of money out of it.

Wikipedia says it all boils down to Saint Valentine (more like the two Valentines). I don't really harbour any angst against valentine's day. The only issue is that singles are more likely to be 100 times more conscious of their relationship status on this particular day than on any other day. And possibly exacerbates depression and emotional stress.

Just in case you were wondering, I won't be getting into any of the girls-are-so-materialistic-and-expect-so-much-from-their-bf's-on-v'day stuff. I'm sure you've all seen/heard/read those discussions before. so cheers then!

P.S Hope you have a nice valentine's day...single or not

Have you realized that post-911, you're guaranteed a slot of either war or terrorism or both on major news channels like BBC and CNN? It's usually the first topic on the main headlines. Which pretty much tells us what the world has come to (or how much emphasis the media puts on the topic). We humans (or the war-loving human species) will never learn to make peace. If it isn't Hitler and his Nazi's, it's the Japanese. If it's not them, then it's the US and Iraq.

I don't reckon Saddam's execution did anything for the world except perhaps to show that the US likes to be in power and to signify a milestone in the war against iraq. And also for the Iraqi's...first step towards democracy. Then again, it was Saddam who built up his country's economy in the 1970's.

For me, however...life has not changed whatsoever by the execution of some president.

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On a lighter note, i wasn't feeling too good today so i took a half-day off work. My manager said not to bother coming in tomorrow if i'm still not feeling so well. Temptation.

*must...resist...temptation*

Best actress award: Dame Helen Mirren
I want to watch The Queen.

So much for trying to rent/buy dvd's. Renting one dvd costs as much as buying a pirated one. Well...at least the quality is better. And I don't plan to buy pirated dvd's anyway.

material things

dIScONNECTED's top 5 fav material possessions as at 10/02/07 (subject to availability...terms and conditions apply)

In fifth place...is the pair of lime green saucer-eyed slippers. They remind me of the googly eyed stickers that I used to have for sticking onto my artistic creations - the ones that have the moving eyeballs. Care for an extra two pair of eyes, anyone?

Coming in at #4 is the Botanicals shower gel. Great smell, keeps you fresh and clean. I've actually got a lime flavoured gel but that one's half empty =D

Taking the 3rd spot is...the Body Shop's Brazil Nut Body Butter. Yep, it's great for the times when my skin goes all dry and scaly. Plus...it smells heavenly *drools*. Good enough to eat. It keeps my chocolate cravings down anyway.

#2 are Kelsi and Kaya - puppies in training. My very own Kleenex guide dogs (for use when i'm 60 with poor eyesight). Aren't they just adorable?? Now you're wishing that you can stick your hand through the screen and pinch their cheeks. Too bad! They're both MIINNEEE!!!

And lastly, the icing on the cake; taking the #1 spot is...

*drum rolls*

is...*drum rolls again*


my book collection!!

Hah! Bet you're kicking yourself for not guessing.