'E'-ffinity For Trouble

When Ed told me that the UK was a third-world country, I thought he was exaggerating and being rather cynical. So they’re a little disorganized at times…

He wasn’t kidding.

I don’t know how many of you remember this post but basically, it was during the last week of June that I received my Certificate of Acceptance dated 21 June 2005, confirming this (letterhead and signatures cut out for obvious reasons whether or not I need to). I was ecstatic and went ahead with my hostel applications.

And THEN!

Today I received THIS which came together with THIS!!

So. I now have TWO Certificates of Acceptance for two DIFFERENT courses of study!! Within the same department no less, they must love me twice as much as I previously thought.

Regrettably, Veetwo is only one Siew Mai. I cannot possibly attend both courses (although they are more or less the same) so I call up the admissions office to express &#^%$@* my “regrets”. I managed to find out the following:

1) With regards to the 2nd Certificate: Oh! Just ignore it. They don’t know what happened, but they’ll find out for me, and anyway the course of study I want is the first one. Oookaay... But I should let them know that the 2nd Cert also came with this letter which tells me I have to go for a pre-sessional course. … Ohhh…

2) With regards to the pre-sessional course(s): Ooohh… Erm… Do I have an e-mail address? The supervisor is away on holiday you see, so they’ll ask around and e-mail me about it as soon as they can. Oh that’s fine, only the pre-sessional course means having to fly over almost a month earlier, so if they could just let me know really soon… Ohhh… Uhm. Sure, they’ll work on it. May they have my e-mail address, please? So that’s ‘v’, ‘e’, ‘n’… Oh, ‘a’, ‘n’… ‘s’… ‘s’ for ‘sugar’, you mean? Ok. ‘s’, ‘e’, ‘w’… ‘i’, ‘w’?? OH! ‘i’, ‘e’, ‘w’… [note: You get the picture. I refuse to continue.] Ok! Don’t worry about it (#$^@*!?!?!?!), they’ll e-mail me (assuming they managed to copy down my e-mail correctly in the first place) soon! (-_-)"'

3) Whether or not I actually have advanced entry: I gave up asking by question 2. If I don’t see an interpretable answer in the alleged e-mail that is to be sent, I will ask them again. Through e-mail. My phone bill cannot survive another… Whatever.

So to those who are still mildly clueless, let me summarize the story for you.

*Ahem*

Very soon I will be flying off to Scotland to study one course or the other and I may or may not have to go in early as I might or might not be required to attend a pre-sessional course due to the fact that I may or may not have been awarded advanced entry.

Capiche?

P.S. The good thing is that I managed to get a room in one of the Elphinstone flats. Flat E no less. I must be fated to stay in places labelled with an 'E'.

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[Thanks to Ed for the tip.]

It's A Sad Sad Situation

Find that SH is more wound up than usual. Sitting in the cubicle in front of her is becoming more stressful by the day. To think that this week is supposed to be more relaxed for me. Last week leh… Haiz. But I sort of understand her situation lah. GM is depressed over the recent development board meeting and is now quite sick also. Been on MC since yesterday, but from what I hear, sick since Saturday. And apparently the company board meeting is going to happen sometime next week, and a lot of things are not settled yet. So sad the way things are going for the company. Despite all this new blood coming in and a sort of new dynamism that seems to have been injected, it may not be enough to save the company from certain doom. It doesn’t help that the AD is currently more interested in her own agenda than the company’s.

Yes, I do realize I could get sued for libel or slander or breach of confidentiality or some other politics (politcseses… hirhir… Backstroke English…). But it is really very sad. The set-up of this company was supposed to have been a milestone in Singapore’s arts scene history. Even now, I believe people think it to be a stalwart within the local arts circle. They believe it will be here for a long time to come. I am not so sure, considering the current situation. I do hope it can continue for the foreseeable future. Even though I do not necessarily like every single piece of work that is produced, I do believe that this company serves a very important purpose within this industry. If it were to go away it would be a great loss. I’m tempted to say catastrophic, but it may not be the right word to use.

So sad. Haiz.

In other Siew Mai News: Just finished watching Haru wo Daite Ita last night. Raunchier than Kizuna but at least there was more of a story to follow. Actually I only really watched it because the seiyuu of one of the lead characters is MIKI SHINICHIRO!!!! Miki-sama!!! He voices the role of Katou Youji, an up and coming AV actor. The character (and Miki-san!!) is a floppy-haired Japanese guy! Just the kind Siew Mai likes…

Unfortunately it turns out that I somehow like the other leading character, Iwaki Kyousuke, better.

Dammit. :p Nebermine... Soubi-chan still win. Souuuubiiii!!! (^_^)v

If There's Such A Thing As Sleep-Walking...

Zzz... Got scolded by SH for being blur. I just wanted to double-check whether certain documents should be human-shredded mah... Diao-ded. Aiyah. Dun complain. SH has always been very good to me in the office, although she's very strict. Should've been a teacher. :P

Boi Sakti has arrived to supervise RTM. Brought two short monkeys Indon dancers whom I assume are dancers from his own company. The RTM music got singing one... Sounds like ghosts moaning though. Woh woh woh kind. Or maybe I just dunno how to appreciate.

I think I put on weight. Dammit. I want to go back to running 1 hour every morning!!!

But I also want to sleep.

Is there such a thing as sleep-running??

London is Falling

Oops, sorry, won't do. – Times Online UK

I totally agree. It is absolutely irresponsible. And “My heart goes out to the officer who killed the man in Stockwell Tube Station.”???? British politicians better clean up their act before this gets any more out of hand.

Moves like this – More marksmen to hunt five bombers on the loose – Times Online UK is just going to add fuel to the fire.

Ed, sorry if I hit any wrong buttons or ruffled any feathers, but somehow now I’m REALLY glad I didn’t choose London.

Siew Mai Shlurrps

Just came back from watching Fantastic Four. I think I prefer the comic. Bleah. Nebermine. Next one to look forward to is Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. Johnny Depp!!! Wheeee....!!!

Ok.. I know I promised a menu of what was demolished eaten at the recent Dine at Duck's Domain.

Warning: Not For Gastronomically-Challenged Stomachs

1)Vegetarian Spaghetti (with yummy yummy dried tomatoes *drool*) - Mrs Budak
2)Baked Mushrooms with Mixed Cheese (JUICY!! YUMMY!!! SHHLLURRPP!!!) - Mrs Budak
3)Tori-Q Yakitori - Siew Mai
4)3kg of Organic Rambutans from Ubin (yeah... so organic that one housed a little white worm who stared angrily at me as I bit into its big white home...) - Monkey & Joelle
5)Jello + Mixed Fruits (got ginger also!! Sho shpicy! I didn't know ginger was a fruit... :p) - Mrs Budak
6)Goreng Pisang, Yam & Sweet Potato - Monkey & Joelle
7)Apple Strudel - Ash
8)Various wines (Grape juice grape juice!!) - Budak & Mrs Budak

Truly a very healthy (I don't care. Apple strudel is still apple and therefore is a healthy fruit dish. And a banana is a banana, no matter what form it takes.) DDD!!

Budaks' have a very cozy place!! I like all the shrimp-breeding fish tanks! And we were introduced the Budak's duck, in all its hard glory... As usual, since I do not have a digital camera, I cannot show any proof of this siew mai's adventures into a duck's nest. But you should be able to find some on Budak's blog and Mrs Budak's.

Although I cannot brraaap like the duck himself, I can continue to drool at the thought of the next Blogger Meet. SHLUUURRRPP!!

Have I No Imagination?!?!?

I just realized that my new blogskin is exactly the same as my ~Siew Mai Style~ blog but in different colours. This means either one of two things:

1) I have very specific tastes.

2) I have no imagination.

Dammit... So much for wanting to be artsy-fartsy.

DDD-ed. New Layout!!

NEW SKIN!!! Heheheheheh.. Cheap thrill.

DDD-ed. Still incredibly full. Mrs Budak has stuffed us all. Thank you for hosting us!!! Shall post an entry about the food tomorrow. Now am going to digest food in sleep. Zzzzzzz....

Bombs, More Bombs and Now Bullets...

Suspected suicide bomber shot dead on Tube

All I (and my mother) can say is... Thank goodness I chose Aberdeen instead of KCL.

I mean... Of course, we sympathise with the people of central London. This is really just one big tragedy. But on a selfish side, my goodness... God must've really been merciful when he whispered to me to choose Scotland instead. Can you imagine if I had chosen King's??? Getting an entry clearance now would probably be damn difficult. In a worse case scenario, they'd probably delay my term or something at a point where I really don't want to waste anymore time!! Of course, this is all my own speculation and may not neccessarily be true. But omg!!

*shake head* It's just... Amazing... Terrible.. But amazing...

Fly To Mee...

Sian ji pua.

I have been reduced to miscellaneous filing and human-shredder-ing in the office. There is nothing better for me to do in the office. Dammit. Just let me resign earlier lah. Kaoz. Aiyah.. Nebermine... Dun complain because in the end the company is still paying me to be a human-shredder for another week.

Anyway this post is to make a request: Anyone want to sponsor me lunch today???

I have totally given up making lunch the night before to bring into the office and have been living off SH's supply of food. Sadly today she seems to have not brought lunch either. I am lunchless for today. *sobsob*

************************************************************

Scrap that. Apparently there is lunch. Wahahaha... There is fly noodle for me. Today instead of cooking rice, SH's maid fly noodle instead. Ok good. It shall fly into my stomach. But I think will not be enough for me leh... Coz I have to half-half with my GM who also occasionally shares SH's food. Rats. Will be hungry by 3pm I tell you. Nebermine... SH says she got soup in the pot in the kitchen. I will kapo the soup. Wahahahaha...

I wonder if it's possible to still find Backstroke of the West in China. If can, maybe I will ask Shuhui to buy. Then when she brings it home to S'pore, I will laugh and laugh for 2 hours straight and then die from suffocation because cannot breathe. Laugh too much. Or as any character in Backstroke would say: Laugh die.

Hail the great hopeless situation warrier!!

STAR WAR: The Third Gathers

GASPS!!!

WAHAHAHAAHAH!!!!

my the eye tears out come already!!!

Here's some more of the transcripts of Backstroke of the West..

Spouting Nonsense

Thursday. Why is it only Thursday?!?

Felt so tempted to pontang work today. Some more now I sit in front of the office "police" so cannot blog openly. Can't even play game cause this silly computer doesn't have certain applications and I can't install anything coz I don't have administrator rights on this comp. Pah. So boring.

Why can't it be the weekend already?!?

By the way, anybody want to sponsor me a digital camera? Hahahahahaha... Wishful thinking. Maybe I should set-up a "Donate-to-Siew-Mai's-Digital-Camera-Fund"... How about some Golden Peanuts??

Siew Mai is spouting random nonsense again. Save me! Save yourselves!!

*spout spout spout*

Backstroke of the West!!

Omg.. You guys HAVE to read this...

Backstroke of the West

Don't Want To!!!!

BWAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!

My Purpose In This Office Is....

To Snack.

Nyahahaha...

I'm blogging again. 2nd time today. To make up for neglecting my blog.

Actually it's because I have nothing better to do in the office. Maybe I shall go and attack the little box of cakes that the new dancer brought in as a meeting gift.

*********************************************************************

I have returned from raiding the cake box. Have more or less attacked and decimated the last (and only) chocolate muffin in the box. It was a good muffin.

Really don't know what I come to work for anymore (to raid cake boxes. (^_^) Heh...). I come, I sit at the desk that is not even mine (technically belongs to the E&O Manager but he isn't coming in until August. HA!) and I rot away. Of course, I will do whatever task comes my way but that's like... The task of the day. After that I just continue to rot again. Or until Edna comes along with a question about classes. Oh, and I get SH dumping lunch and tonnes of fruits and snacks on my table and insisting that I finish it. Bleah. Not that the food is bad lah, the food that comes with SH is usually very nice. But still. There has to be more of a purpose than eating the food that SH brings.

Side note: The muffin has just muff-ed its last. It is no more. SH's box of cut watermelon and papaya is still staring at me from the corner of my table. Arcks...

Anyway. Yes. I have no further purpose here than to just earn money by showing up in the office and sitting around trying to look useful. Oh well. Shall make the most of it. Will rarely get the chance sit around, do nothing and still earn my paycheck. Last 11 days to do so already. Actually less than that since I'm actually off duty on 30th July and who on earth will be working on 31st July, Sunday? So it's actually more like 9 days left, if you consider my last actual working day to be the 29th. Although it's TECHNICALLY the 31st. But well... Technicalities...

Dengue? Really??

Okok! Time for me to tell you what happened with the multiple blood tests and the platelet count. Hmm.. Lemme try telling this chronological time-line style.

8th July, Friday: As usual, kena arrow to be emcee for BUTS. Went and did all the usual ra-ra and got into some conflict with the stupid BM. Developed a pounding headache. Prob due to over-excitment or stress.. Stupid BM's fault. Ran away home with SH immediately after show.

9th July, Saturday, 2am: woke up with headache pounding the pounding headache I already had before I went to bed. Also had damn high fever. Almost 40 degrees celsius. Somehow managed to find my way downstairs to take panadol and somehow managed to find my way back into bed. All without falling down the stairs.

8-something am: Woke up with head still pounding. Fever still damn high. Sms-ed SH to tell her bad news. Got out of bed to take some more panadol and to shower, hopefully can shower away the fever. Went back to bed. SH sms back to say Stella is new emcee. Wahahahaha... Pass the arrow.

Dunno-what-time-already: Mum comes in to announce lunch. Announce back that no appetite. Everybody comes to the conclusion that I am sick and have probably caught the same viral fever that my brother was having a couple days back. Ok lor. Just take panadol and go to
sleep. Zzzzz...

10th July, Sunday: Am still sick. Decide to go Sylvia's clinic to get an MC. Called office to report in sick again. SH scold and say nevermind MC. Just stay home and rest. Too bad, already halfway to Sylvia's clinic. Lalala. Mummy goes to buy fruits while Papa escorts me into clinic and sits to catch up with Sylvia. Always lidat onez... Anyway got MC for Monday also. Wheee...

11th July, Monday: Spend the day in and out of consciousness. Probably in bed 20 out of 24 hours. Bleah. Parents leave for Vietnam holiday with brother. Siew Mai is abandoned.. *Sobz* Continue panadol and sleep treatment. Zzzz...

12th July, Tuesday: Tried to go to work. Nearly collapsed walking up the stupid Fort Canning stairs. According to colleague, was as pale as ghost. Sat in office to recover for about 1 hour and then promptly get sent home. Tsk. Go home and continue sleeping.

13th July, Wednesday: Continue resting at home. Sleep some more. Take some more panadol.

14th July, Thursday: Finally go back to work for real. Managed to survive whole day. Discover red spots on arms and legs. Dunno what's going on. Go home and find out that sister has decided to go and lose her i/c. So clever. Dun care, she settle herself. SMS-ed Mum about spots and stupid sister.

15th July, Friday: 2nd week of BUTS. Stella is still emcee-ing. Yay!! I can just sit back and enjoy the show. Dreaming of Coffee Club chicken pie.

6.30pm: Mum calls from Vietnam. Tells me to go and see Sylvia NOW!!!! Cannot lah... People's clinic close shop already lah... Ok fine. Tomorrow morning, first thing! Okokok. Continue eating beef ball noodle from Kiliney Road. Very yummy.

6.45pm: Mum calls again. Tells me, ok go Mount E NOW!!! Anjula is waiting for you. HUH?!?! For what?? BLOOD TEST LAH! HUH?!?! Ok lor... So in the end I still don't get to enjoy the show and still no Coffee Club chicken pie. Sobz. Go off to get cab down to Mount E.

8pm: I get Jabbed. Ow. They took my blood!!! I have to wait about an hour for results. Sigh. Ok lor. Wait in freezing air-con. Anjula shows up and says ok sit here and wait. She will come back. Sigh. Ok. Continue waiting in freezing air-con.

8-something pm: Anjula bursts into A & E waiting room with test results. Tells me my platelets a bit low leh, don't know if she should hospitalize me. (O_o) Ok, hold on she go and ask the MO on duty. MO say no need, too early to tell. So Anjula gets into the act of scolding me to stay home and rest and drink plenty of water. And come down again tomorrow morning for a repeat test! Huh.. Ok... Take cab home, report to Mummy on phone, sleep.

16th July, Saturday: Go down to Mount E in the morning for 2nd blood test. Go to Anjula's office to report. Brought to lab for more jabbing. There goes my other arm. Go for coffee while waiting for results. Ladida. Another hour of doing dunno-what. Go back into Anjula's office to wait some more. Discover that Anjula is very scary when she's stressed. Nurse comes in to report that platelets have risen from 75 to 80. And Dengue IgM tested positive. (O_o) Anjula says don't care don't care! She only wants to know the platelet count. (-_-)"' I assume I am alright and just go home after being ordered to come back on Sunday for a 3rd test. Anjula is very scary. I don't go to work again.

17th July, Sunday, 12-something pm: Go down to A & E dept with slip from Anjula. Some old lady nurse just anyhow jabs me without even looking for the vein and wonders why there is no blood. Finally she takes out the #$*%^@# needle and jabs me with a new one on the back of my hand. In three days I get jabbed 4 times. (T_T) I go home without waiting for results. Segali they jab me again how.

Somewhere in the afternoon: Mount E Lab calls me. Tells me that my platelets up to 133 already. Do I need to know the rest of the results? No need, thank you. Assume that since platelet count so high already so no need go back for more blood tests. Just stay at home to rest. Don't go to work again. Never got to eat my Coffee Club chicken pie. SOB!!! (T_T)

18th July, Monday: Go back to work. For real! Finally! Still got a bit of light-headedness. Continue to report status to Papa through SMS. Parents come home at night, but I have concussed before that. Zzzz...

19th July, Tuesday, 8am: Am about to leave for work when Mummy calls from office. Do you know you actually had Dengue??? (O_o) Really ah?? Yah lah!!! Ohr ok. Tell Papa and maid to drain all water plants and to make sure all pond filters are working. Ok. Go off to work and announce to SH that actually had dengue. SH suspected as much. Decides to SMS GM to frighten the hell out of her. GM really over-reacts and insists that I be sent to a hospital. What nonsense. Still light-headed.


Yesh. That's about it. So I actually had dengue. But I never knew until I had actually more or less recovered from it. Scary sia. It's this stupid Fort Canning lah I tell you. This place is a haven for mosquitos. Did some research, dengue fever itself is not fatal, despite being super super uncomfortable. HOWEVER!! There are 4 strains of dengue. And if for example, I've already been exposed to strain A, I will get the anti-bodies for strain A. Logical right. BUT!! If after getting exposed to strain A, I then get exposed to strain B, then I am almost definitely going to develop dengue haemorragic fever (DHF), which is the fatal one!! So since there are 4 strains, I know have a 1-in-4 chance of getting infected with any of the other strains. So I guess that means a very high risk of contracting DHF. Eeyer... Thank goodness I'm only going to be in this place for another 1 1/2 weeks. eeh...

Seen Any Floppy-Haired Japanese Men Lately?

Ok yes. I admit that I have once again subjected my blog to certain neglect. So I have returned with yet another office blog! Actually I should call it "In-the-office-blog" because technically it's not really going to be about the office, just that I happen to be blogging in the office, therefore... Aiyah you all get the idea.

Anyway, office is empty at the moment, presumably coz everyone is coming in late in lieu of BUTS over the weekend. Two more weeks before I say goodbye to this place! Whooopee!!! No more madness and silly prancing divas!!

OK! ENOUGH OFFICE NONSENSE!!! Dun wan to talk about office. *Pui*.

What I really wanted to blog about was this: I think I will have to admit to having a weakness for guys with long or long-ish hair. For example, there is a photo in the Straits Times today of some of the local footballers who are taking part in some H-Two-O/S. League Hunk Competition. For reasons unexplainable to myself, the first fellow I looked at was the fellow in the middle, He Hongji. He wasn't even the most good-looking fellow there, in fact I think the best-looking fellow in the picture was the guy on the far right, Hidetoshi Wakui (ok. Weakness #2 is Japanese guys...). It was just that this He fellow had long floppy hair. Dammit. I must do a full review of my tastes in guys. I think if somebody showed up in front of me who had long floppy hair AND was Japanese, I will just self-combust in mid-swoon.

Ok. Admin Manager stressing me to get back to work. Shall blog later. Still have to tell all of you about my drama with the low blood platelet count and the multiple pokings to my arms.

My turtle eats more cake!! *points upwards* Actually I need to think about changing my blog skin again. Think I will just go and use one of the fixed templates that Blogger has.

Stuffed by Monkey

Very full. Blog-friend/friend-friend gathering at Monkey's tree was very very VERY filling. Sadly I do not have a digital camera (x1 item to add to wishlist) otherwise can take photo of all the yummy food and post here.

Menu included:
1) Meatballs in homemade tomato sauce (why I fry meatball cannot become brown?? I try very hard already!!!) - Monkey
2) Fried purple cabbage with walnuts - Monkey, with the help of the fantastic nut-crushing skills of her friend Julien
3) Pad Thai (the tofu look like egg! Power!! I also want to learn these wonderful camouflaging skills!! Then can fake my dad into eating more tofu.) - Mrs Budak
4) Brown rice - Monkey
5) Cous cous salad with feta cheese - Siew Mai
6) Ice Cream - courtesy of Monkey 弟弟 Ash
7) Red wine - Joelle (correct spelling?)
8) Brewerkz beer - courtesy of the NutMan
9) Gula Melaka with longan stuffed with pineapple - Mrs Budak
10) Cherries & grapes - Siew Mai

Didn't look like a lot at first, but looks are deceiving. Did some partial digesting while watching the first episode of LOVELESS. Hirhirhir. Everybody was like... wtf?!? Heh heh heh. I still say Soubi rules. And I will confess now... It took me 9 eps before I realised what the cat ears were an annotation for. :p I am slow.

All in all, a very successful little gathering, I would say. Thank you Monkey for organizing and inviting me. Your frens are all very interesting people. Today I actually did feel like the youngest one there. Hahaha... Haven't felt that for a long time.

Looking forward to the next one. (^_^)v Next time maybe if I try to chao dar your meatballs then they will be frightened into turning brown. Wahaha..