Doing what i do best

I was so disturbed ystdy! Rmbr my entry on my buddies? i started the day well and i was full of hope to accomplish a lot too. Well, it certainly didnt turn out tt way. Whatever i felt scared me a lot, cos i've always thought my optmism was formidable! Hmm.. guess it's natural, at least i've come this far! Glad tt i'm getting to know myself better :) *smile*
I must have fallen asleep quite early last night cos i woke up early today, which is usually not the case on Sunday :)Haa.. i did what i do best - running! It's the best way to give myself affirmation that i'm still strong *pts to head* up here! Well, i thought of sth quite interesting while running too. I was thinking in chinese, so here it is:

真正的胜利不在于不曾失败 , 而是屡仆屡起。
毅力并非长跑 , 而是一次又一次的短跑。

I'm looking forward to a real good day. Hope everything'll turn our fine!

:(

Buddies!

These are my council buddies! :) From left: Alvina, me! and Kecheng. Alvina's from the 22nd council and kecheng's from 21st. Hmm.. I think alvina is still on the plane on her way to Newyork! :) When i was at the airport ystdy, i felt this sudden impulse to get a tic and fly off somewhere the very moment! Maybe with my buddy, maybe to somewhere i've always wanted to go. Ha.. shows how much i wanna run away from A's huh? Anyway, sending alvina off made me wonder if i really want to do medicine in singapore. It just seems so excting to fly off to somewhere possibly i've never been to study for a few yrs, do you think? It's upsetting tt i can no longer say "I want to do medicine here" in conviction. Then again, kecheng says it's a life time exchange thing. Medicine has more to offer for a lifetime.. :)
Alright, i better get back to work.. bleah.. :(

4 Seasons

I love this song! :)

Longer Than
Longer than there've been fishes in the ocean
Higher than any bird ever flew
Longer than there've been stars up in the heavens
I've been in love with you.

Stronger than any mountain cathedral
Truer than any tree ever grew
Deeper than any forest primeval
I am in love with you.

I'll bring fires in the winters
You'll send showers in the springs
We'll fly through the falls and summers
With love on our wings.

Through the years as the fire starts to mellow
Burning lines in the book of our lives
Though the binding cracks and the pages start to yellow
I'll be in love with you.

Longer than there've been fishes in the ocean
Higher than any bird ever flew
Longer than there've been stars up in the heavens
I've been in love with you
I am in love with you...

elegance

I was reading TIME magazine when this rolex advertisement caught my attention. Dont you think that the ballerina's sheer elegance is so captivating? :) The slogan reads "Her movements tell a story for which no language has words."
This advert made me realise how out of touch i am with ballet. I havent seen a ballet performance for a while! Hmm.. hope esplanade will have another nice ballet performance after my A's :)

Twinkle Twinkle

A thousand coruscating light in the deep blue sky.. this is a sight i wish to behold someday:) Hmm.. not sure if you've heard of light pollution. Apparently, not as many stars are visible in cities cos our surroundings are too bright for our eyes to perceive the contrast. I found it quite interesting. Ohh.. Did you know that the nearest star is so far away that even its light takes years to reach Earth? In other words, the stars we see now are probably elsewhere now :)

Everyone needs a Hug sometimes

I really like this pic :) It's not just because i simply love pictures featuring children, but this pic certainly means a lot to me. I was reminded of how i appreciate a tight squeeze every now and then and how it makes me so happy when i receive one! Haa.. very much like the little girl here. *grin*
I'd like to share this pic with those who have been there to give me a hug when i needed one most :)
As you can see.. my mood's picking up a bit. I hope it'll be uphill all the way from here :) I'll tell you more when i next have the time alright? Gtg for now. *Waves*

:)

When Somebody loved me

I posted the prev post in sch cos i really needed some kind of escape after a long day of sch. For awhile, it was difficult to accept how i was feelin' and i asked myself repeatedly:" where's the happy cheerful ivy who is always so full of energy?" I didn't regret having decided to give myself a gd break ystdy though *beams*. I slept a full 10 hours! what a luxury :)
While i was lying in bed last night, i figured that there are 2 very normal, simple and routine things everyone [i hope :)] does daily that i like very much. I like to bathe cos there's sth therapeutic abt it :) It's nice to feel water gushing down and easing all the sore and tension away. I like to sleep too! :) I especially like hugging my bolster! Come to think abt it.. i havent been to a hotel that offers bolster! :)
Anyway, here's a beautiful but sad song. It was the last song i listened to before i embark on my 10 hour sleep :) And the last thing i thought to myself was: it's not a bad idea to have someone loving you afterall :)

When somebody loved me
Everything was beautiful
Every hour we spent together
Lives within my heart

And when she was sad
I was there to dry her tears
And when she was happy so was I
When she loved me

Through the Summer and the Fall
We had each other
That was all
Just she and I together
Like it was meant to be

And when she was lonely
I was there to comfort her
And I knew when she loved me

So the years went by
I stayed the same
But she began to drift away
I was left alone
Still I waited for the day
when she'd say
I will always love you

Lonely and forgotten
Never thought she'd look my way
She smiled at me and held me
Just like she used to do
Like she loved me
When she loved me

Lying in a pile of...

Hey there! I havent written here for a few days. Maybe it's good news that i have finally settled down for real to do my work. I try to stay in sch to do work, cos my home is really like a temptation island. Imagine this: if i sit down to do work.. to my left is the TV, behind me is the bed and just a few steps away is the computer. I've never understood why i lack self discipline.. didnt used to be the case.. Hmm.. mb it's a reflection of how i need a form of distraction to de-stress...
Well, anyway, i've been mentally fatigue from all the things i'm expected to commit to my goldfish memory. Luckily there's running and lotsa food to make me smile in school :) I like this pic, it's a good reflection of how i feel these days, but for my case, i'll be lying on piles of books :)

Heart

Guess you can see that my entries are getting shorter :) I really like sharing things i've seen and thought abt with everyone but it's really becoming more challenging by the day cos of time constraints. It's comforting to know tt it's my way of putting my mind off work momentarily :) So.. Today's entry is just a quote.
"It's better to give others a piece of your heart
than a piece of your mind"
The pic was from an exhibition i went to in London called Earth from the Air. This was my fave pic and isnt it amazing that the heart-shaped clearing's all natural? It's quite appropriate to share it together with the quote too *grin*

Sunset in Bali

每人有的记忆都不同，

但我们总觉得自己的最漂亮。我想记得的有好多好多，但偏偏恨不得想遗忘的却爱逗留久一些。或许人生真的犹如沙滩，

一切欢笑足迹，将被时光的流水冲涤得一干二净。你是否有在匆匆而来的海浪上岸前把一切所要记住的都抄写在心版上？
在浪花消失后，
人不在了，时光也消翳了。
朋友，你还在等什么？-薇

Rainbows

This is the pic i placed near my study area. I see it whenever i look up from my work! There's this thing tt draws me to a rainbow, guess it's just not its beauty but also the whole air of mystery that comes with it.
Looking at rainbows reminds me so much of my eagerness to see one when i was young :) Perhaps, in a way, i feel youthful again whenever one appears ;)

My fave. rainbow songs: Rainbow connection (thx jon!) and I can Sing a Rainbow

Starry Starry Night

I rmbr when i was on an immersion programme in germany, my host family drove down to the Art museum in Frankfrut. It was the first time i was exposed to such quality exhibits! The interesting thing was when u're in the art gallery, you're surrounded by this air of.. oh no.. i can't describe it. You have to feel it for yourself, it's this feeling of being surrounded by VERY expensive artefacts and people there all seem to be an expert in art, or people who really knew how to appreciate Art. Anyway, i got to see one of Van Gough's most outstanding piece known as the "Sunflower". I've always thought that tt's his best in my opinion until Jon sent me this song called Vincent by Don Mclean and the pic of "starry starry night". That's the pic I've shown here but scaled down, you can click on it to see the larger version. On the bigger version, you can see his characteristic brushstrokes. I love the swirl he created in the nightsky! :) Abt the song... it kinda grew on me when i listened to it a few times. I was especially upset when i found out Van gough killed himself after he painted this. :*( Here's the lyrics.. it's worth a read :)

Starry, starry night
Paint your palette blue and gray
Look out on a summer's day
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul
Shadows on the hills
Sketch the trees and the daffodils
Catch the breeze and the winter chills
In colors on the snowy linen land

Now I understand
What you tried to say to me
How you suffered for your sanity
How you tried to set them free
They would not listen they did not how
Perhaps they'll listen now

Starry, starry night
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze
Swirling clouds in violet haze
Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue
Colors changing hue
Morning fields of amber grain
Weathered faces lined in pain
Are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand

For they could not love you
But still your love was true
And when no hope was left inside
On that starry, starry night
You took your life as lovers often do
But I could have told you Vincent
This world was never meant for one as
beautiful as you

Starry, starry night
Portraits hung in empty halls
Frameless heads on nameless walls
With eyes that watch the world and can't forget
Like the strangers that you've met
The ragged men in ragged clothes
The silver thorn of bloody rose
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow
Now I think I know
What you tried to say to me
How you suffered for your sanity
How you tried to set them free
They did not listen they're not listening still
Perhaps they never will

Oink!

I came across an interesting article abt Pigs today. Guess it's not surprising at all that i stopped to read it, since i'm quite a Pig fan :) Hmm.. Pigs have gained themselves an undeserved reputation for slovenliness. People always picture them with this mucky appearance but the real reason why they always wallow in mud is cos they dont sweat and it's their way of cooling down. Gosh.. makes you wonder where the nasty remark "you sweat like a pig" come from huh? Apparently, contrary to popular belief, pigs are in fact some of the cleanest animals around. Given a choice, they'd refuse to excrete anywhere near their living or eating areas too.
My heart goes out to these adorable pigs. They are misunderstood in so many ways! Many people think of them as portly and stupid, but pigs are actually really intelligent. Pigs are smarter than any other domestic animal and are considered by animal experts to be more trainable than dogs or cats. Surprise surprise! :)
I used to want to keep a pig as a pet but my parents thought i was mad so i got myself a guinea pig. Haa.. dont laugh but it was true! :) Hope i after reading this you can take a look at these Oinks in a different light. I have some cute pics!

silence

Gosh! My head is so cluttered with biotechnology... one thing about biotech that really challenges me is the tremendous amt of figures, definitions and names of microorganisms the examiners expect us to commit to memory. I tell you, i find it sooo terrible! Thiobacillus ferrooxidans, Escherichia coli, Zooglea ramigera, Methanobacterium, Asperigillus fumigatus.. Let's see how someone with a goldfish like me can survive! *lol* Anyway, the pic shown here is a classical album i bought in sec 2. I was listening to it when i was studying bio. Hmm.. i like track 2: Valse by Chopin. It reminded me of my ballet classes cos i remember the more advanced dancers dancing to it. Hmm.. it reminded me of Florrine too! She always sounded good when she plays Chopin. There was this track by Schubert that i liked as well. Hmm... think it's called Arpeggione :)
Well, looks like i may be on my way to listen to all my classical albums soon!

a purpose driven life

a friend of mine recommended the book "The purpose driven life" and just when i was going to get my hands on a copy, a church elder said he'll get each of us one :) Hmm.. can't wait to read it, since everyone's thumbs up for tt book.
A purposed driven life.. guess there's a purpose to our existence. I've always believed that there's some sorta role i'm supposed to fufil here. Once asked abt it, i said my life's motto is to let those who get to know me leave gaining a new knowledge. I really like the whole philosphy of teaching. If you want to ask why i'm not considering teaching as a career, you'd be the 10 thousandth (ok.. i'm exaggerating) person. Sure, i do have the interest, but if given a chance, i'll actually choose to teach in a kindergarten. I feel tt there's this need for kids to first love to learn before being taught to learn. It upsets me when i see my little cousins being introduced to rote learning :( But why not a teacher? I guess i still can teach without being in a school, but i can't do medicine (or any related discipline) without being trained to be one. I'll leave you with a quote:

"Our God works to transform us
Till life on earth is done
He uses trials and testings
To make us like His Son"

Porcupine

*feeling groggy* Just woke up from an afternoon nap and since i can't get back to work right away, thought i'll just share with you about porcupines :) This zoologist made an observation: Contrary to the popular belief, porcupines are not always alone. Most people think that they'll hurt whoever who comes near with their quills, but every Nov & Dec, porcupines get close enough to produce offspring.

Some people can be difficult to love,
And so we do not even try to care.
But God says," Love them just as I've loved you."
You'll bring Me Glory as My love you share.

I'm always motivated by this thought abt unconditional love. But it has this "it's too good to be true" thing to it. It makes me feel special when the Lord extends his unconditional love to us all and it is really sth i want to share from my relationship with Him. It's unfortunate though that people always think there's a motive behind every good deed :(

One of the reason why i love children is cos they love unconditionally naturally. It makes me wonder.. what happened to this quality when we grow up? It's not the only thing lost. A look around people around me, i find tt as we grow older, we lose that sense of wonder too. Didn't we use to ask "why?" alot, don't you rmbr some of your endless search for something precious, didn't we use to get all excited abt our daily discoveries?

Now, when was the last time you did sth for the first time? :)

"God loves you and me - let's love each other."

all abt discipline!

Hey! I've decided to write sth abt the discipline i'm expecting from myself for the next few mths. Those of u who read this, must encourage me ok? Hee.. especially those who have seen the naughty and playful side of me ;) I shall attempt to tell myself my ultimate goal is 4As: 4As ivy!!! 4As! I want my 4As! :) I hope my faith in the Lord would grow stronger during this period too :) Hmm.. i'll work very hard!
To Jon: I hope i can see the stars over ur side :) Haa.. this is indeed gd motivation man!
To everyone else: Study hard and i'll rmbr all of you in my prayers. God bless

cleared 4.8!

Hooray!! There wont be school until next wed :) It makes me happy cos i'll get to rest while i get more work done efficiently. I find it a little difficult to do my revision while keeping up with the last part of the syllabus, but it's indeed comforting to know that we're only left with math to complete! *yay!* Hmm... National day is round the corner, hope i get to hear this classmate of mine sing the national anthem! You see, i once asked him why he never sings it during assembly and his ans was he sings it only once a year to let Singapore know he really means it :) He's one of the most hilarious person i know, hope it tickled u a little too. Oh!!! before i go, i must tell you I ran 4.8km today. I feel so much fitter! *lol*

John 14

²⁷Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

I was really comforted after reading those lines. I read it over and over again and it had the effect of Peace blooming within me. Hmm.. It's true isn't it? That we need not be worried, troubled or afraid 'cos surely we're of more value than the birds of the air. They neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet our heavenly Father feeds them. *sigh* but it would be a lie to say I don't worry.. I'm really trying to juggle 10 thousand and one balls right now and barely managing. Where has all the Peace gone? It's really easier said than done... Whenever i lay down on my bed, i can't help but think abt where i should go, what course i should take, scholarships tt i can apply and definitely whether i'll do well for my prelims and A'levels. Ohyesh! The saddest thing i had to do recently was to make myself accept the fact that Cambridge is all but an impossible dream. It's just so unbelievable when i was just there a few mths ago :(
Luckily, on a happier note, it wasn't too difficult either, cos it's not the end of the world! I was so thrilled to hear Cardiff Uni is located at the same place where Cadbury chocolate originated. How cool! Don't laugh ok, but i'm going to find out if they offer the course i'm interested in later
Hmm... we're into week 6 already. *!!!* I just hope for the following weeks to come, i'll say a prayer instead of panicking like mad pig. Hope i'll find the strength and wisdom i need :) May the Lord blesses everyone :)