MacRitchie Treetop Walk

Went to the MacRitchie Treetop Walk with Daniel Kang, Xin Hui, Jasmine and Qi Cai (if I didn't spell his name wrongly).

The bus stop at Bishan Junction 8
Trying to wake myself up
Nice weather at the reservoir..
...with canoeists...

...and monkeys
No I'm not the monkey
Hiking






Was taking a picture of the sky when a bird flew past and I caught it in the photo

Only 2.5km? You sure?
I'm not the only one sian-ed
First break-stop: Terap Hut
Custard puffs from Miranda. Thanks to Daniel Kang for the sponsorship. I believe he's a spokesman there

We continued walking till we reached the Ranger Station, not too far off from the Treetop Walk and rested there.

Engravings on the cement ground


Jasmine, me and Xin Hui

(In a very fluent and dramatic tone) And right after snapping a good group photo, two bandits came from behind us and gave us a threatening snarl which made us pick ourselves up and run aside! And out from nowhere came Captain Takeshi Kang, the unidentified hero, who rescued the defenceless us from the ruthless menaces! As one of the robbers dived for the 7-11 plastic bag containing their treasures tied to Captain Takeshi Kang's bag, he pulled as hard as he could to release the robber's filthy hands from the plastic bag! And you could hear gulps and exclamation coming from the passers-by as they see the plastic bag releasing itself from Captain Takeshi Kang's bag. Oh no!!!!! And the menaces got their treasures. What the...but anyway, Captain Takeshi Kang saved all of our lives from the infamous food snatchers of MacRitchie Reservoir!!! Kudos to Captain Takeshi Kang!!

Captain Takeshi Kang in action
The bandit hiding and eating his celebrated treasures
Out and about again to steal more treasures

Now then Captain Takeshi Kang notice the warning
Do you see the fat red ant among the dried leaves?

Here we are!
Another robber on the pry
The Treetop Walk







Halfway

Stepping ahead
Nearing the end
Bundles of bright orange flowers among the greens



And as we completed the route, I thought I heard some kind of waterfall. What? Some waterfall in MacRitchie? Haha no laa. It was the rain tapping on the tree leaves. -_-



And we trotted down a long flight of steps and finally sought refuge in another hut, whose name I didn't catch.






A flute melody in the wilderness


But who is Captain Takeshi Kang?

And after the gruelling 5km walk back to take a bus, we decided to go to Din Tai Fung for Xiao Long Bao! Yum.






This is my reward after a long journey.

Sinful indulgence

Went to VivoCity yesterday and I went to Candy Empire. And guess what? I got a bar of Wonka chocolate!! =D


Heh. Damm nice. My favourite milk chocolate.

And anyway I won't be blogging that often these days, will want to sort out all the photos in my comp first. Everything is everywhere. So gonna put them properly into folders.

Be right back.

Whatever you think think the opposite

Got this non-fiction book from Ai Lin. It's those advice kind of books by business gurus. Haha. Found some nice advice that I find quite relevant to myself now.

IT'S NOT ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE IDEAS.
Some people have a gift for coming up with ideas. But for those that don't it is a real struggle.

Oddly, it is those people who struggle most often the ones who become the most successful.

Having too many good ideas is not always a good thing.

It's too easy to move on to the next one, and the next one.

If you don't have many ideas, you have to make those you do have work for you.

DON'T GO TO UNIVERSITY.
Going into the university usually means, 'I don't know what to do with my life, so I'll go to university.'

A gap year confirms this.

They are delaying tactics.

Some people are lucky enough to know what they want to do early in life.

The majority have great difficulty in putting their assets to useful purpose.

I feel sorry for these people. It isn't easy for them. But going to university is not going to solve their problem.

Whereas going to work will.

GO TO WORK.
If you start work at eighteen, you're five years ahead of someone who start work at twenty-three.

At twenty-three, for all your education, you'll still be the office junior.

If you get your career decisions wrong when you are young, you can alter course, but at twenty-eight it is a bit too late to find out you are in the wrong job.

So don't go to university unless the subject of learning is close to your heart.

Go to work and do your learning in the school of life.

MUM!
I FAILED MY EXAMS.
DISASTER?
IT'S AN ACHIEVEMENT.

It's commonplace to do all right or be somewhere in the middle.

Being bottom or near the bottom has its merit.

It means you are not interested in the run-of-the-mill way in which you're being taught. Your mind is elsewhere.

Fantasizing.

Many people who bottomed out at school have gone on to be rich and successful, not because of their pass marks, but because of their imagination.

So in order to succeed in your failure, you have to think of your failed situation as a good place to start from.

Good marks will not secure you an interesting life.

Your imagination will.
--From WHATEVER YOU THINK THINK THE OPPOSITE. by Paul Arden.

Well I don't know if I have much imagination to start with, but since with my mediocre results, this is quite a morale booster.

I used to imagine when I was just slightly younger that I'll be working with lions. Haha. But there are no zoology stuff taught in Singapore schools, so that 'dream' sort of was called-off. Oh dear. I could be happily studying lions now. But I'm never good at biology, hard to say.

Yea, I gotta dream of something else.

But what? It may ultimately mean there's no point staying in university.

But I'll stay of course. Go with the usual, and I'll want to dream some more.

Making mountains out of molehills.

That's what examinations do to your face.

Was putting on makeup yesterday for Project Glambassadors at Zouk. And my skin is extremely horrible I'm horrified.

Help.

Zoo or Zouk?

There's going to be a bash for Shearites as well as JC kids tomorrow at Zouk. Starts at 8 p.m., I know my dad wouldn't like me hanging out so late, but I bought the ticket nevertheless.

So called my dad in the afternoon and told him about it. He was expressionless about it. I wondered why and realised, maybe he thinks I'm going to the zoo instead of Zouk.

OH NO.

But well after that he asked me about Zouk so ya. He didn't get the wrong idea. By the way. I'm home!!!

Ya. Moved things back already. And now my room is in a big mess! Like everything is everywhere. Only managed to sort out the clothes today. Shall do the table and shelves...have to do the day after already.

EEw.

China can get rather...uh...sleazy online now. No offence.

For a start, still no offence to anyone, I was studying with Amy at the Biz library the other day when I was sitting beside this male PRC (People's Republic of China - we say PRC to refer to a Chinese National). And I wasn't concentrating on my work and I accidentally saw what he was doing. And he was looking at pictures of girls in bikinis or extremely little clothes exposing here and there. I got all disgusted I SMSed Amy who was sitting opposite me. She said no wonder she thought she saw the guy smiling to himself. HOW GROSS IS THAT. Imagine someone getting high beside you. Terrible.

And then I was at a youtube-like website which is set up by the Chinese, and was watching my show happily when I saw this 'recommended picks' showing a shot of an ass. And two fingers poking at it.

Even if the ass belonged to a kid, it is still disgusting to post it. Like, paedophiles? Eeew.


Blow up the picture.

In case you don't read Chinese, the top left circle indicates the title as a very hot or something beauty using the toilet. Bottom, 'Are they wearing bras??' Right top, the ass I was talking about. 'A beauty being raped in the classroom'. Below it, 'A guy harassing a beauty on the train'.

What happened to Confucian teachings? The titles of the videos are damm gross.

Well I didn't even click them, I didn't watch don't worry.

And they're like, recommended?

We can't prevent what we can't predict

I was watching Desperate Housewives these days, since the exams ended? Probably around there. Lost track of days.

And I saw a darned good episode. It could be the best out of so many DH episodes. I cried! Hello, it's the bitchy soap opera that Erina cried over. But it was very good. Season 3 episode 7. Catch it. If you don't want to, I have a spoiler here. Or just ignore this post if you have no time to read.

It all started with Catherine Bigsby confronting Bree Hodge if the latter gave up on her husband Orson, because Catherine was trying to help Bree. But Bree didn't, she had her reasons, he had his explanations, so Bree wanted to take revenge for getting hurt and told Catherine about her husband's affair with a French air stewardess, Monique. Who was murdered eight months ago.

Catherine's husband Harvey was the owner of the local supermarket. Quite a huge one. And she called him while he was busy to ask about Monique. So he had to hang up, and she was 'calm'. She didn't throw tantrums or cry or anything. She went to get the gun from the drawer and made her way to the supermarket.

And so she fired a shot at her husband and missed. Harvey ran into his office and Catherine took the surrounding people hostage. And whoever else who was stuck in the supermarket. A guy who worked in the supermarket tried to escape through the back door and he was shot. But escaped alive.

Lynette who was in the supermarket too tried to call her husband Tom and he didn't manage to answer in time, Catherine was pointing the gun at Lynette.

So other than the calafares, the main cast who were held hostage were Julie Mayer, Austin, Lynette, Nora, and Art the newbie in the neighbourhood.

The police came, and stationed outside the supermarket.

In the meantime, neighbours around Wisteria Lane gathered at Bree's house and watched the news together to catch up with the reports about the supermarket. And it was quite a nice sight, it's like the neighbours getting together to tide through an ordeal together.

Tom, Lynette's husband, was with Susan (Julie's mum) outside the supermarket. Their conversation moved me. Susan was very sad because the last thing she said to Julie was that she was very disappointed in her. Tom assured her that Julie will be fine, and she told him Lynette will be alright too. Tom said he's not worried about Lynette, she can get out of trouble with her power to convince. He added that Lynette only needed to go to the store the next day, but they ran out of hamburgers at home, so she had to go get hamburgers. And Tom tearfully said 'I want to eat hamburgers...' It was just sooooooooooooooooooooo freaking sad!

And there was a gunshot.

Nora who was Tom's ex spoke to Lynette when they're not allowed to. Catherine pointed the gun at them and told Lynette that 'you and your friend is getting on my nerves'. Lynette said Nora's not her friend. Nora told Catherine that Lynette wanted to steal her daughter, and Lynette said that Nora seduced her husband Tom. Well, that's the last thing a lunatic with a gun who was in the same situation would want to hear. And she shot Nora on the chest.

Nora was an extreme pain in the ass with her punkish stuck up attitude, but you know she wasn't evil or anything, she didn't deserve that! Lynette got hysterical, she hated Nora but didn't want her dead, and she started scolding Catherine and said that 'You were cheated on because maybe you deserved it!' And that's the last thing you'd want to tell to a lunatic with a gun. So Catherine wanted to kill Lynette too, pointed the gun at her and pulled the trigger when Art threw a product at Catherine's head. So Catherine missed and shot Lynette on the forearm. The gun fell to the floor and Catherine went for it, to be grabbed by Austin. In the end this calafare got the gun and pulled a bullet through Catherin'e's temple.

I started to cry when Nora died, because it got a bit too scary for a DH episode and I wasn't prepared for that! And I feel awfully sad for Nora. And got soooooooooo afraid that something bad would happen to Lynette too.

So when the people at Bree's saw that Julie came out safely they held up their glasses high in the air and cheered. I got quite touched at this scene...it's a very nice neighbourly gesture. Like you know your neighbour is safe and sound and everyone is happy about it.

Of course Bree was very guilty.

The episode ended with Lynette dreaming of Mary Alice who commited suicide in the beginning of DH. She was their neighbour. Lynette saw Mary Alice a while before she went into the house and shoot herself, but Lynette didn't continue asking what was troubling Mary Alice. In the dream Lynette asked Mary Alice, and asked her how she could help. Mary Alice didn't mind Lynette not asking, and told her 'We can't prevent what we can't predict'.

How true. We won't be able to avoid what we don't know will happen next. Makes life sooooo brittle, like you won't know what will happen and who you're going to lose. Ironically it IS life which made us not appreciate the people around us and feel all bad and guilty and sad when you lose someone.

Life's too hectic to fully appreciate your loved ones.

Kai Yan is enlisting!

This is so scary.

They're going to army again!

And I've been quite busy, as in we have been busy, I dunno what Hong Wei they all are doing anyway. Felix is busy. So am I. So we didn't have a meal before he goes in.

But well anyway, we're gonna have a meal when he books out.

Sorry!

But anyway, come out and be a man okay.

Chin Fung's Housewarming + Birthday Celebration

Chin Fung invited the Mermaids to his newly renovated flat at Bishan where he lives alone. But he lives at PGP during school term la. Anyway, he catered buffet for us. We got him a $150 gift card from TOPMAN. People, please pay up =D

The guys
YX and I with the birthday boy

His cake is from Rive. It's damn nice
Mermaids and the birthday boy
Uncle Jason presenting the gift to CF

Singing the Happy Birthday song






Chatting happily

Basil's Garage Sale

Basil, the exchange student from Switzerland, had a garage sale to clear his stuff before he left for a trip before he heads back to Switzerland. And it was some sort of farewell for him from us.

The note he left in the lift
With his beloved plant
The Swiss goodies!!! The cheese was a bit too strong for my liking though
Items up for garage
Guys who went to his room

Girls who went to his room
Autographing
Singing Auld Lang Syne
Ai Lin, Juli and me posing with Basil

This is his pig! So cute. Four-leaf clover for good luck
Anything wrong with the laptop? Guess.
Well nothing is actually wrong. Just that it's a Qwertz keyboard rather than a Qwerty that we use
Stamps I got from him! Their stamps are very pretty
He took a picture of one of the wandering lizards at Level 2 and printed it. Damn nice though I hate geckos

So I don't know if I'm gonna see Basil in my life again, I hope I do! It'll be nice =) We can look for him if we go to Switzerland. Take care my first Swiss friend!

A motivation for all

How motivating.

Lenticular clouds

I didn't know such clouds exist. A very beautiful phenomenon. I wanna see it too!

A new thing

Along with a quite nice-looking blogskin, there comes an ugly cbox. So whatever it is, you can tag there. Or leave a comment in the posts.

It's not even 7 yet and breakfast is ready.

And my eyes are red!

I wanna sleep!

It has been the dunno-how-many-th time that I cannot sleep!

As in I stay up the whole night and sleeping for a while in the day. Sighh. Something's terribly wrong with me.

And I feel like sleeping now. But I might as well stay up till 7a.m. and have some breakfast.

So I think I'll just roam around.

That's all

It's overrrr!!! Finally.

I'm feeling a bit aimless now though, like dunno how to fully utilise this break I have.

I think I also feel like going down to Kong Hwa (I dunno how you spell it exactly), the primary school that Ms Sia is teaching at and some sort of coach the tuba kids there with my mediocre knowledge. I have a feeling that generation of kids will have better musical background than me. Considering the kiasu parents we have today.

The last paper was quite tough la. General Biology. 60 MCQs in two hours. Some questions are simple, some aren't. Especially those asking you about the energy of life. E.g. the entire process of glycolysis, citric acid cycle, the electron transfer chain etc. So many questions about those I feel very unfair! Haha. Cos that's the chapter that I tak boleh. And then didn't ask a lot about the cells and the functions of the stuff in the cell. Just a bit here and there.

Holidays are here! So much that I wanna do.

Just shopped at VivoCity for the first time today. A huge place, a lot to shop! But there are shops are still closed la.

I owe a lot of people dates! So dunno if I can make it for everything. Chiong liao.

And I wanna find some roadshow jobs too. Gonna find with YX at Recruit Express. Just do for a few days and I'll be alright. No homework, gotta kill time!

OK, my eyes are awfully red. Freaking tired.

By the way, when I was having dinner, WJ SMSed me! Haha. Asked me about my last paper. Small delights in life.

Oh ya to add on, we went to eat at this affordable Hong Kong restaurant today. The food was so-so la. We chose to go there because of the prices. Will post photos soon la. Lazy. Haha.

I bought a pair of bermudas today at Pull and Bear. But there's something wrong with the workmanship of the bermudas. Will go back for exchange soon I guess. Didn't try it because it's a new one. The sewing wasn't in place. Dunno how to tell you. Haha.

OK..I need to catch up with packing, moving out of hall soon! Not staying for the holidays.

*shakes ass*

HELLO.

Last paper tomorrow.

Can't wait!

Woots.

Please please please.

And I hope I have the relieved feeling tomorrow after the paper. It's the best feeling after exams.

MJCSB going Japan soon la =(

Sickening old man

Can all you guys out there promise me that when you're old, don't be those ji-ko-pek (lecherous old man)?

This irritating old man was cycling past the bus stop behind hall when I was there today. He looked at me and started making those irritating noises at me! F***! Think I'm some prostitute or what? Or think I'm a maid? T_T And that isn't how people should look at maids in Singapore!

So gross!!! Even when he cycled past me already he was still looking back at me and making those noises!

I was only going for Mus'Art practice and I wasn't wearing like only a tube top and mini skirt for goodness' sake! I was wearing a polo tee and jeans! I cannot imagine what he'll do if there's another girl wearing spags and very short shorts. Disgusted. Feel like kicking him.

Just let me die of gross-ness.

I was hoping there would be some obstruction in front of him so he could fall off his bike and maybe break an arm. But he's so old! It's not that I'm apathetic to old people, but he's gross and old! That's a turn off.

And it's not the first time such things happened! The previous time was a Bangladeshi or Indian I dunno. Outside Mustafa centre. Same thing, cycling and staring at my chest! T_T If he had been making noises it would be damm disgusting and embarrassing, so many people were at the bus stop. And I'd have thrown a stone at him. Only another lady was at the bus stop just now.

Maybe I should just carry a large pebble around with me all the time. It'll just help me take revenge.

It just tells us how dangerous it is to work here for those foreign maids who only want to work here.

OK I'm admitting I tend to look like one.

Guys, don't grow old to become like that! Dregs of society!

And girls, don't grow old and try to charm a handsome lad! It'll be as gross.

I want to have a good rest.

I want to destress and do something not regarding work.

start time
0036.

Name
Erina.

Nickname
I don't think I have one.

If you were a Skittle, what colour you want to be?
Sour red.

Chinese zodiac
Rabbit.

Hair colour
Black.

Eye colour
Black to dark brown. I don't know. I don't go staring at myself.

Height
171cm.

Favourite colour
Maybe red? Depends.

Glasses
Yes.

Bunjee jumping?
I want to try. I need one now.

Jumped off a building?
What do you think?

Dumped someone?
Yep.

Been arrested?
Nope.

Tp'd someone's home?
What's tp?

Won something?
Ya.

Be rejected?
Of course.

Been to a funeral?
Yep. Several times.

Used a lighter?
No whenever I need to light up birthday cake candles I rub two sticks together and wait till they produce some flame and then try to light the candles but may end up burning the entire cake.

Been on stage?
Countless of times.


FAVOURITE

Season
Autumn and summer. I don't like it when it's hot but I don't really like winter I think. Never been thru the four seasons before. Been thru Vivaldi though.

Food
A lot. Pizza. Sushi. Food that I cooked. Some hawker fare. Most cheesy stuff.

Ice cream flavour
Vanilla and mint.

School subject
Uh. Math.

Person
My mum and dad. I know those are two people instead of a person, but I like them both.

Book (s)
A lot. Roald Dahl's children's books especially. Angels and Demons was the first book that thrilled me while reading. Five People You Meet In Heaven. Tuesdays with Morrie. And many many more. But I don't really re-read books.

Movie (s)
A number too. The Lion King. Finding Nemo. Cars. Pirates of the Carribean.

Song (s)

Mostly Josh Groban's and David Tao's. But recently I heard this Kenangan Terindah by Samsons, an Indonesian band. The song's quite nice.

Park

Not really any that I like..East Coast Park maybe.

State

Singapore is the entire state.

Place
Home

Sport to watch

Soccer

Band
...HSCCB and MJCSB, ha.

Letter (s)

E

Restaurant
Not many. Not a very restaurant kind of person. $$$.

Cartoon character
Don't think I really like any.

TV station
None..not really a very TV person.

Name for a son

Anything but Tom, Dick or Harry.

Name for my daugter
For your daughter? Call her Merry.

DO YOU PREFER

Chocolate or vanilla
Vanilla if you're talking about ice-cream.

Long relationship or short
Long for good ones.

Dogs or cats
Both!

Scary movies or comedies
Comedies

Short hair or long

I'm fine with both, but I feel like having short hair sometimes.

Croutons or bacon bits

Croutons

Kissing or hugging
Free hugs, anyone?

FIRST THING THAT COMES INTO YOUR MIND

Mexicans
Sombreros

School
Exams. Damn.

Grass
Green.

Canada
Maple leaf.

Mouse
Flowers for Algernon

Hands
To write.

FOR THE PAST 48 HOURS, HAVE YOU...

Watched a movie
No. The last time I watched a movie was in July. Don't even know if I remember HOW to watch a movie. Do I get tickets after the movie?

Talked on a phone
Yep.

Threw up
Nope.

Drank a glass of water
Yes. A kopitiam glass of water.

Done drugs
I've done enough to kill myself.

Read a book or magazine
Textbooks.

Watched TV
Yes a bit.

Look in a mirror
Yup.

Taken a shower
Yep.

Taken a picture
No.

Listened to music
Now.

Kissed someone
No.

Told someone you like them
No.

Choose TEN people to do this quiz
You, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you and you.