Pieces

“There are no extra pieces in the universe. Everyone is here because he or she has a place to fill, and every piece must fit itself into the big jigsaw puzzle.”, originally uploaded by miss_blackbutterfly.

I chance upon this pic and i really like the bokeh!

Incidentally, it also reminded me of what Sandra Oh said in Grey's Anatomy. How Burke took pieces of her away bit by bit and she was shaken again when Owen took away a piece of her for the first time.

We cant always wish to selfishly and stubbornly remain whole. Sometimes a void may be better filled by somebody or something :)

And it is almost always better to compromise :)

Appreciating CNY

I am usually quite ambivalent towards CNY. On one hand, i am happy to have a break and it's a real bonus to be able to enjoy the CNY goodies and see some relatives which i only see once a year; on the other, it can be quite a nuisance when relatives ask the same questions or say the same thing every year!

Last CNY, one of my uncles had LL lymphoedema. I told him to get a thorough check cos it could be a sign of something sinister. This uncle makes one of the best teochew braised duck and i look forward to visiting him every yr.

My heart really sank just now when he told me this might be his last cny making braised duck for the family cos his dr told him tt he has an estimated 6-12mth to live :( :(

I realised that we often assume the best possible outcome for our loved ones. I told my dad to follow up on my uncle's condition last yr and he kinda assumed he should be fine since he didnt update my dad. And i, i accepted what my dad said and thot mb my uncle has filiarsis from growing up and walking ard barefooted in kampong.

I could tell my cousin is qt affected, but we were all qt comforted that my uncle is trying to live life to the fullest and doing things he enjoy most. After my mbbs, i shall hope to keep in touch more with my extended family :)

This CNY has reminded me that if not for CNY every year, i might really be totally clueless abt what goes on in my extended family.

Simple Tomatoey Pleasures

Saint Pierre tomatoes, originally uploaded by Ian-S.

Some tomato noodles made my day today. I love how simple, yet surprisingly fulfillingly good it was!

One day i shall experiment and make such soup at home :)

MBBS is coming. HOW?

Mid Week Ramblings

Jessica cabbed down to TTSH to past me this bday present. How sweet! :) It is so pretty!



Girls, i love the card ++ especially how Eliza is still living in the past. haha. So funny! I was smiling like a silly fool on the train when i read christabelle's comment :)



Thank you so much for the friendship. You are right, time flies and it's surprisingly been 7 yrs already!!!

Cheers to years of friendship ahead:) Will catch up with fun when my exams are over k :):)

Brand New Year

Where Art thou?, originally uploaded by grinleaf.

This is easily one of my favourite photos i took in 2009. It's so me, 'cos i love butterflies and i love how this creature was seen right after its transformation.

Just like this catarpillar that has found a brand new self and in full anticipation to take flight, that should be the spirit of this brand new year!

In just abt 2 months, i would be taking MBBS. I hope it would be like a fleeting moment, over before i know it and i'd be free!

In April, i hope to summit Mount Kilimanjaro and see flocks of flamingos, herds of animals and my favourite giraffes in the Safari :)

In May till the next year, i hope to be working in a pleasant environment in a plesant team :)

Of course, in btwn the working months, i hope to find time to take some photos and keep my hobby going :)

All in all, i wish for good health of those around me and i look forward to many more yrs of cherished friendships of those reading this entry.

Happy New Year everybody :)

Maldives

Greetings, originally uploaded by maapu.

I so want to be here :)

Take me to the Hilton, originally uploaded by maapu.

This is at taken at Hilton hotel.

Awesome Avatar

If you havent already watched Avatar, please go watch it! It is damn gd! :)
You can also start by watching this trailer. Watch in HD :)



I really like the universe James Cameron has created from scratch. The distant world of Pandora is so pretty and exotic! I love the flowers tt glow at night and all the strange and peculiar creatures.

If u can, watch it in 3D. It is really awesome :) Seriously, nothing i say here will do justice to the movie :)

Here's the only screenshot of the pandora i found on internet. I'm sure more will be online soon!



I wiki-ed Avatar and found out that James Cameron actually waited for technology to catch up before he could produce this movie he envisioned. This is apparently the most expensive movie ever filmed!

So, please go watch it asap! I'm damn sure you'd love it too:)

Portraits i love

eight., originally uploaded by mistybliss.

This photographer has done an excellent job taking portraits of her children.

Many people think that i like only macros... but the truth is i love to take portraits too! Unfortunately, most of my friends are qt camera-shy and so i seldom get to practise...
I usually take my portraits overseas :) or of complete strangers..
These are few of my favourites..








Hope i will get to take some on my next trip!
But before tt i'd have to toil thru MBBS first :*(

Random Things

I wonder how many of my friends know that i love to play hexic :)
I saw these at lunch and they reminded me of hexic!


Some time ago, my frens and i went nightcycling and we cycled across the expressway my dad drives on everyday.


After ID posting, sam suggested that i cheer myself up to get a scoop of ice cream at Udders :) I love their hazelnut ice cream. I think it's called hazel's nut.


Simple things that cheer me up.. like a pretty sunset :)


We all got a wk of pseudo-break.. Lets jiayous everyone :)

Small things that peeve me

I think i have posted about expectations several times before and how i get really peeved when things dont turn out the way i expect.

Here and here are just 2 of them.

Today i bought a screen protector that cost me $12. I never paid more than $5 for one and i usually have to put it on myself. The best of cos is the screen protector came with my electronic device free and the friendly shopowner expertly stuck it on for me.

I was so surprised today when the salesperson at the shop returned me my phone with this super apparent big bubble with a speck of dust in the centre. I'm not saying tt being able to pay $12 is damn big but i really wasnt expecting to see that bubble.

I may or may not be able to do a better job. I've actually stuck on the screen protector for most of my devices and i perfectly understand that it can be tricky. The thing is my expectations are lower. Even if it is imperfect, it was done by amateur me.

Actually when i reflected abt what happened today, i think i was partly upset tt getting the screen protector was a hasty decision.
1. I was happy without one
2. I actually wanted to get a matt-finished screen protector
3. I was lazy to hunt for another shop
4. I was lazy to stick it on myself

At the end of the day, things that upset me the most are things tt stems from my inadequacy or laziness.

On one hand it is damn useful and safe to not have any expectations but i wish to attain the 境界 of have expectations and yet not let the unmatching outcome affect me.

I will eventually get used to my screen. If not at most i peel it off lor :) haha

Droplets on Crimson Red

Droplets on Chrimson Red, originally uploaded by grinleaf.

It's been so long since i last posted. Today is post-EOPT!

I cant help but ruminate on the silly mistakes i made today.. but its ok! I'm happier after processing this photo i took on sunday.

Hmm.. i think it'd probably look better on black background though!

I miss photography.. cant wait to pass mbbs.

Baking Philopsophy & Analogy

It's interesting that i am currently qt overwhelmed by all the things i am feeling abt my long lost hobby aft making tiramisu today.

1. Practice makes perfect
I used to be able to bake things qt efficiently in one smooth motion. No extra bowls used, no extra bowls to wash and the kitchen remains spick and span. I had a chat with a fellow baking fren and she told me that baking is like doing physical examination. The more u do it, the smoother and sleeker u become. It is true. Today when i made tiramisu, i forgot this i forgot that and i couldnt find most of my things.

2. Bake and be Happy, Happy that you baked
My fellow baking fren and i both bake when we're both happy and frustrated. Sometimes baking does make me feel better but as a general rule, i personally believe that good bakes comes from a happy baker and i try not to bake when i do not genuinely want to bake. I am least confident of the things i baked when i am frustrated. It becomes a vicious cycle... foul mood, foul bake which feeds the positive feedback loop to foul mood.

3. The perfect kitchen, equipment and organisation
I dream of having the perfect kitchen when every corner and inch of space is carefully considered and put into good use. I want every space to have its own purpose so that only things that belong to that space will be there. In this way i maximise space and i can find the equipment i need. I hate it when pple borrow my baking things and not return it to the same space. I hate it when i need to scramble at the last min like when whisked egg whites cannot wait and i cant find the stupid spatula.

Perhaps my interest in baking is dying. I should be glad that i made something today though. If i hadnt, the next time i bake would be even an even longer no-bake stretch in btwn than it was for me today.

What happened to my dream of combining baking and photography? Why am i not exhilirated that i did so today?

Tiramisu

Tiramisu, originally uploaded by grinleaf.

Practice makes perfect and the converse is so true too!!

It's been a while since i made anything. It was such a disaster not being able to find things where they used to be. I'm so out of practice and it makes me all jittery if this tiramisu will be approved.

I wished i had bailey liquer. I had to use kahlua which i felt was a little less fragrant. But hopefully, it's the effort tt counts :):)

Post-SIP

It's been a while since i touched my camera and processed some the photos i have taken so long ago! I'm super glad that SIP is over. But in retrospect there are things that i will miss abt it too :)

IF only it's hols for us all ex-sip-ers. It'd be perfect!

Anyway, some photos i've uploaded to my near-dying flickr account :)



I have 3 similar photos with focus placed on different points, the bird, the boy and in btwn. The bokeh of this looks most complimenting and not as distracting as the one with the boy in focus.


Katsudon at Shokudo


I was asked why i am so fascinated with geckos. Don't u think they have such cute and peculiar ears?

That's all for now. More to come when i have time! :)

October 22

A lot of things seems to be happening around October 22.
Including Windows 7! YAY :)

Sigh

I wish i can remove the part of my brain that ruminates over sth i have done wrong and cannot reverse.

I hate ruminating! I need to get on with life, move on.

Deutschland Deutschland

When i was looking for songs to include into my new cd for the car, i chance upon this forgotten song in my collection!



OMG!

This is such a classic! I use to listen to this during german class :) I miss german and Germany so much! :)

Flatus Pee & Poo

Never had i been more happy to hear that patients have passed flatus, pee & poo before being part of the pang sai (colorectal) team.

It was such an interesting sight when the whole team practically cheered when poo was seen in the stoma bag!:)

Anyway, today has been qt eventful.. 2 of our patients were qt ill and in the midst of resuscitation flurry, we still had to make calls and referrals and discharge patients. Is this post-take frenzy?

I woke up this morning feeling super tired. It can be qt an unbelievable thought that this will be my life for the next few yrs aft i graduate.

Anyway, the most exciting/interesting thing that happened today is my consultant requested for me to round alone with him... and i survived.

YAY :)

No Weekend!

It's kinda strange that today doesnt feel like sunday at all. I was in hospital before 7 and i've been doing so for the past wk!

I usually start and end my day at the hospital when the sky is dark. haha

Interestingly, now that i have to drive everyday, i'm starting to find ways to enjoy doing so. I actually find it amusing that early morning, the trucks and lorries take lane one and i'm going to write a new cd later.

Unfortunately, i still dont like it when the traffic is bad. I dont think anyone does, esp people who drive manual cars.

Hope everyone's had a gd wkend :)

Long >2 wks Ahead

You know how some pple say we shouldnt take it for granted that we will definitely meet the person we part with again? It is qt a terrifying thot to me!
In my life, i have felt it twice, somewhat. First was when my dad got sent to phuket in the rescue team when there was the tsunami and 2nd is today.

I said gdbye to my dad as usual this morn and he drove off to work. But i will not see him again for at least next 2 wks! Why does he get sent off to another country so suddenly??

It's quite a scary thot to me that the next time he disappear is for good.

I hope my dad comes back soon!