Monday, June 12, 2006

Advertising The Other Blog

Yah. 2 new drawings on ~Siewmanime~ .

So shameless hor....

Weather has turned dreary again. Haiz...

Let There Be Sunlight!

SUN!!

OMG!! Today has been incredibly good weather. I could even go out without my sweater. Had lunch by the beach, then walked around the university's botanical gardens and went crazy talking pictures of the brilliantly coloured flowers until my camera's battery died on me. £"%£&... Then, went and bought a cold chicken pasta salad and had dinner on the King's College Lawn wtih Suzanne and Joanne, among other fellow sun worshippers and damnable seagulls. Ooohh... It was just such a lovely day today. *happy sigh* Hopefully tomorrow is just as nice. (^_^) Go jogging!! Yes yes... Must get back into the running routine. I'm so out of shape now. Yesterday I looked into the mirror and OMG!!! Shades of a double chin coming back to haunt me!!! いやだ~~!!!! (T_T) Siew Mai is really becoming a dumpling in Scotland.... I shall run off and join the circus. I'll be a part of the side freak show as the amazingly fat dumpling. (T_T)

Oh! And btw, I'm planning to extend my stay in Singapore. So prob be there for an extra month. (^_^)v Well... For anyone who cares anyhow...

Monday, June 05, 2006

So Many Updates... ゆっくり読で下さい

Right... Time to do some major updating, as I keep promising.

Ok. Let's start with the opera. Verdi's Rigoletto by the Chisinau National Opera. It was beautiful! Trooped down to the Aberdeen Music Hall last Sunday by myself since my flatmates weren't exactly big fans of opera. Ohhh... It was their loss. The baritone, Vladmir Dragos, who sang the part of Rigoletto was no less than wonderful. His voice just rang in your ears even after he'd left the stage. Wasn't too sure about the tenor who sang the part of the Duke though. Thought he was a bit shaky at times. However, that said, he did manage to pull off La Donna e Mobile quite nicely, although personally I thought he could have done with a little less self-dramatization. Thought his chest was going to explode at the end.

All in all, it was a great show. The live Golden Eagle didn't make an appearance, due to the small size of the venue, which was sad. And the period costumes were just really really pretty. (^_^) The Marriage of Figaro (can't remember which troupe is singing) will be playing somewhere in the middle of June, definitely going to check that out.

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

What next... Oh yes. Last Tuesday. Had a minor case of homesickness and emotional breakdown. Was just feeling generally unhappy that whole day, and kept thinking that my flatmates had some kind of agenda against me. Talk about paranoia. Finally, just before I went to bed, something inspired me to pick up that book of daily lessons that my great-aunt gave me. The Gentle Spirit's Lesson for May 30 - Calling In The Troops. And it started:

"Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety."~ Proverbs 11:14

The lesson talked about how in our weakest moments, we are made to think that we are alone in our battles and there is no one who could care less about us. But it's not true. Because there is the Man himself, always standing behind us in case we fall. The lesson ended with this verse:

"Confess your faults one to another, and pray for another, that ye may be healed."~ James 5:16

And with that, I went straight to my flatmate's room and asked if she would hear me out for a bit. We talked, I cried and she comforted me, and shared her own insecurities of living in a foreign place, far away from home.

As far as I am aware of, God's sent me an angel once before. I'm sure there were more, but of those that I'm aware, there's one. That night I believe that I was on the brink of slipping into depression again. But something stopped me. Picking up that book brought me face to face with God. He gave me personal reassurance. And then, once more in my life, God sent me an angel.

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

Friday night, I had 1 Singaporean and 3 Malaysians over for dinner. I've been hitting myself over the head ever since because I forgot to take photographs of the dinner party and more importantly, of the dinner itself. Bad Siewmai, Bad! Oh well... Here was the menu anywayz:

2 June 2006, Siewmai's Singapore Night
1) Chili Prawn (using Prima Taste Chili Crab mix)
2) Chili Tau Gan & Vegetables (also using above mix. My neighbour Sally is a vegetarian, so to be a good hostess, must cater for everyone)
3) Beef Curry (actually supposed to be Prima Taste Beef Rendang.. but I added too much water...)
4) Quorn hamburger Rendang (Quorn is a brand of frozen foods that specializes in vegetarian "meats", their main ingredient is something called mycoproteins.. I think. But it's good!)
5) Vegetable Fried Bee Hoon
6) Stir Fry Mushroom Sauce Choi Sim
7) Thai White Rice
8) Mark's & Spencer Lemon Cheesecake - provided by the SEAsian gang
9) M & S Blueberry Pie (as of yet, still uneaten) - also from the SEAsians

Except for the dessert, everything else was cooked by yours truly (with the help of Prima Taste for the main dishes). Except for the failed beef rendang-turned-beef curry (which was still quite tasty in the end), I must say that I'm quite proud of myself. Everything turned out quite nicely. Everybody seemed to enjoy the food, and even Suzanne and Sally managed to down quite a bit of the spicy Singapore food. And thankfully, everybody had fun! It was a success in my books. I'm glad I managed to get Grace and gang over for dinner before everybody left. I know for sure such dinner parties will not be possible in my new place next year. It's too small.

1 point for Siew Mai. YAY!

Anyone want to request Siew Mai's cooking? ;) It'll only be available for a month. Well... About 3 weeks, really. I'm off to Cambodia during the last week of July.

Saturday, June 03, 2006

Siew Mai Lives On!!

OK!! I've decided not to close this blog down. In fact, I've remembered what blogging was all about! Anything and everything can be blogged about can't it?? I think I just forgot how to blog because of prolonged periods on non-blogging. OK! Well. Siew Mai is back!! And with a vengence!!

I've finally uploaded my Easter holiday photos into my flicker account, which can be found here.

And! I've also FINALLY updated my Siewmanime blog!!! New drawings just awaiting your cruel/kind/adoring/flaming criticisms people!! Come and hit me!!!

I do in fact a lot a lot I want to say, now that the flame of blogging is back in me. But first hor... I want to watch some anime on youtube. So if you'll excuse me for an hour or two...

Thursday, June 01, 2006

Singaporeans Speak... What?

As I told my flatmate Caitlin, yesterday I decided that Singaporean Chinese are an international conundrum. Westerners (or maybe just the people I've met in the UK.) don't expect us to speak very good English, if we speak it at all, and will always compliment us on how good our English is. Then the mainland Chinese who for one reason or another are stuck here, will automatically assume we are also mainland Chinese and start blathering to us in heavily accented Mandarin, making them barely understandable to us. When they find out that we are not mainlanders but in fact, Singaporean, they will then compliment us on how well we're doing with our command of Mandarin.

So, either way, people expect us NOT to be as good in the above said languages, either due to appearances or where we're from. So what should we have a good command of? Swahili?? Or maybe the Singapore Government should consider making Singlish an official language. I mean, one classmate of mine actually asked me if I spoke Singaporean, so... Why not?

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

"Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety."
~ Proverbs 11:14

"Confess your faults one to another, and pray for another, that ye may be healed."
~ James 5:16

On Tuesday, I had a minor issue. And it was these 2 verses that helped me overcome. Heh. I'll talk about it more in detail soon.

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Actually... Maybe...

Maybe I should shut this thing down. And the Siewmanime blog. I hardly update due to one reason or the other (mainly that I don't have direct internet access where I live), and there really isn't all that much to talk about in Aberdeen. I lead a pretty boring life here.

Plus, I've noticed that I've lost a number of readers, due to the reasons stated above. Flooble threatens to shut down my chatterbox because nobody says anything, and the comments function is now just redundant somehow. Not that I blame anyone. There isn't much to comment on even when I do say something nowadays.

So far the most exciting stuff I've put up on the blog have been my baking escapades and even then, pictures of breads can only be novel for so long. What else is there to say really? I wake up, go to school, go home, have dinner, study a bit and sleep. Occasionally there is a movie or an outing. But nothing much else. No drama, no angst... For which I think I should be thakful for. But then there's also no excitement. Nothing to ponder about or wonder about or write about.

Well... I'll think about it. Maybe I'll just keep this thing up as an archive of sorts. Heh....

Oh. I suppose I did do something exciting on Sunday. I went to a showing of Verdi's Rigoletto by the Chisinau National Opera. 'Twas very good. For those who don't know, it's where that famous Italian canzone La Donna e Mobile comes from.

Hmm.. Gtg check on other things... Will talk more on it next time I suppose, or if anyone actually cares...

Monday, May 29, 2006

What Now?

Siew Mai's To-Do List:

1) Study for exams Check: 26 May 2006
2) Finish exams Check: 26 May 2006
3) Find a room for next year Check: 28 May 2006

Yes, I have managed to find myself a place to stay next year. It's a little small, but very pleasant. The kitchen is nice and the windows are large, so there's plenty of sun. 230GBP inclusive of all bills. Pretty good, considering. But....

What the hell do I do from now until July when I leave?? I had left myself the whole month of June to look for a flat and I've already found one... It isn't even June yet....

Diao-ded (-_-")

Sunday, May 28, 2006

FREEDOM!!!!!

NO MORE EXAMS!!!

Now I have to find a place to live in next year...

Can't wait to go home!!! WAAAAAIII!!!!!

(,o_o,)

Friday, May 26, 2006

Quizzy Quizzy Quiz

Bwahahha.... Sure or not...

You Are Lightning

Beautiful yet dangerous
People will stop and watch you when you appear
Even though you're capable of random violence

You are best known for: your power

Your dominant state: performing


You Are Mint Green

Balanced and calm, you have mastered the philosophy of living well.
Your friends seek you out for support, and you are able to bring stability to chaotic situations.
You're very open and cheerful - and you feel like you have a lot of freedom in life.
Your future may hold any number of exciting things, and you're ready for all of them!


You Are Noon

You are upbeat, ambitious, and never at loss for energy.
You have a lot that drives you in life. The desire to be the best, and a secret hope of fame and power.
And while you definitely have a Type A personality, you are still fun to be around.
You have a ton of charisma and a genuine interest in others. You are adored by many.


Ok. This next one I might agree with...

You Are 60% Boyish and 40% Girlish

You are pretty evenly split down the middle - a total eunuch.
Okay, kidding about the eunuch part. But you do get along with both sexes.
You reject traditional gender roles. However, you don't actively fight them.
You're just you. You don't try to be what people expect you to be.

Latest Mantra

iwannagohomeiwannagohomeiwannagohomeiwannagohomeiwannagoho
meiwannagohomeiwannagohomeiwannagohomeiwannagohomeiwannago
homeiwannagohomeiwannagohomeiwannagohomeiwannagohomeiwanna
gohomeiwannagohomeiwannagohomeiwannagohomeiwannagohomeiwan
nagohomeiwannagohomeiwannagohomeiwannagohomeiwannagohomeiw
annagohomeiwannagohomeiwannagohomeiwannagohomeiwannagohome
iwannagohomeiwannagohomeiwannagohomeiwannagohomeiwannagoho
meiwannagohomeiwannagohomeiwannagohomeiwannagohomeiwannago
homeiwannagohomeiwannagohomeiwannagohomeiwannagohomeiwanna
gohomeiwannagohome

Sunday, May 21, 2006

ただいま? Soon Soon...

Yes indeed.

The Return of The SiewMai.

Coming to an airport near you this July.

I wonder if Peter Jackson thought of adding a fourth to the trilogy... :p :p :p

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Quote

If I weren't a transvestite terrorist, would you marry me?
- Patrick "Kitten" Braden, Breakfast on Pluto

Heh heh... I love that movie. It's so weird.

Sunday, May 14, 2006

Gah.

Exams.

Gah.

But this industrial action by the lecturers is still going on. I wonder what will happen. Don't think I will be affected though... Don't think any of my lecturers are part of the participating union. But there are quite a few departments that are being affected. Some have no papers set yet, some have pushed back the exams to August, some just have no idea what's going on.

Haaaaa.... All in the day of a life in Europe, where everybody and anybody strikes for some reason or the other...

Monday, May 01, 2006

A-R-G-H!!!!

O.
M.
F.
G.

I'm back to my previous size. FREAKING HELL!! I think it was barely a year ago that I proudly announced that I'd finally dropped a size (I shall have to check my archives...). And now I'm back in the pits of dismay. "£*%^!((£%&*%^£^ How on earth did I let this happen????

Argh... Shane will kill me when he finds out...

Ok. Starting tomorrow, I will go back to the no-carbo dinners and regular short jogs. And no more sugary stuff dammit.

Friday, April 28, 2006

EXAMS ARE COMING!

*insert Darth Vader theme here*

Exam dates are out. Mine are in a month. AAAAAH!!!!

Tuesday 23 May
EG1527 Applied Mechanics and Structures
1500-1700

Friday 26 May
EG1567 Electronics and Electrical Systems
1500-1700

Erk. I'm not so worried about Mechanics. It's the electrical part that's getting me. I can barely understand my lecturer speaking (hespearrkslahrkethirrss). Lecturers should be made to go for "How Not To Mumble" classes. And I'm hating the electronic labs at the moment. GAH! Those stupid oscilloscopes are going to be the death of me. Grrr....

On the bright side, I baked more bread today! Hmmm... One walnut, sunflower seed & current bread and another plain wholewheat bread with a hint of cinnamon. Hmmmm.... I should bake more... Baking makes me happy.

Saturday, April 22, 2006

Project Rush

Just reaching the 6 hour mark right now.

My group (minus 1 slacker) have been in the tutorial room in Fraser Noble since this morning finishing up our individual parts of the project, finalising and putting them together.

I don't think I've ever had a group meeting that lasted this long in my life.

But egads. It is one of the most productive sessions ever. And I do believe that this time around, the project will actually look better than our previous group project. I think that was for some form of projectile cannon. Oh no. That was last term. The last group project we did was reverse engineering... That was a near disaster. No one knew what the other was doing and at the last minute, many things were still left undone. We still managed to finish it somehow... God's grace is all I can think of right now. But this time, things have actually been going quite smoothly. If the work had not been split up properly in the beginning and if like last time, there had been no communication at all, we'd be here since yesterday. So this is good. Because we actually breaked for a while inbetween for lunch and various other distractions. So really I think we've only spent about 4+ hours on the project so far.

Woosh! Almost there people!!

がんばって!!
加油!

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

信じられない!

OMG!! Such a thing actually exists!!

The price is unbelievable as well... SGD$1,400-odd... *PENG SAN*

Still... I can dream can't I?

(*_*)

Sunday, April 16, 2006

AAAAHHH!!! *Trauma x2*

Trauma #1
Easter vacation is almost over!!! WWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!!!!!!!!!!

Trauma #2
Bleach has been licensed!!! WWWWWAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Saturday, April 15, 2006

Let's Bake Again...!!

I must be on some kind of roll here man! Just take a look at the baby below!!

















Lemon Meringue Pie!! OMG!! It came out BEAUTIFULLY!!! I was actually aiming to just make some kind of custard flan, but it seemed like such a waste to just throw the egg whites away. So the meringue top was just kind of an experiment and LOOK at that texture!!!

















*Happy sighs of content*

Sunday, April 09, 2006

Behold! BREAD!!!


How does that look to all you people? This is 100% home-baked bread by Siew Mai ok!! Wahahahaa...