Sunday, December 27, 2015

12/27/15

I dreamt that I was chasing after ghosts, which involved running from one place to another. In addition to that, I was touring the many floors of that shopping mall, hoping to purchase presents for the friends I had in mind.

I had to rush to the airport to send a friend off to Wales. Although she graduated from the university here, it was by sheer luck that she was able to secure an employment with a respectable TNC in Cardiff. I was stuck at the aerotrain and growing frustrated at the train's tardiness while our mutual friend was caught in the traffic congestion. In actual fact, the Welsh-bound friend is still an accounting student here.

When I finally arrived at the departure hall, what greeted me was the flap display (airport message board/flight information display system, depending on which you are most familiar with) and the toilets were on my left and right. My Welsh-bound friend and mutual friend were nowhere to be seen in the busy hall.

In another scene, we were driving through a small area - with the lush greenery surrounding us on a bright afternoon. It was just me and the driver, no one else on that road. I couldn't clearly see the face, but something in me felt that the driver was a male.

Saturday, December 26, 2015

Throwback: Celebrating Christmas Eve/Christmas Day

Christmas Eve

There was nothing grandeur. It was just a trip to Central Market, where we went a little insane with the grocery shopping (partly due to their four-day closure). As if that wasn't enough, we grabbed a couple of last-minute items (read: sparkling grape and pomegranate juice) from the nearby grocery store.

In addition to that, I treated myself to a little Christmas gift from Lovisa.



The only catch is that I already bought the following presents for myself during the road trip to Helensvale and Gold Coast.





Contrary to what you think, we ended up spending Christmas Eve with the ducks.



Meet the new friend!

Christmas Day

The morning began with the Day Mass. For unknown reasons, I ended up in a formal outfit with heels and boarding the public transport to Church. Gosh, I was more than ready to tear the dress and heels off me. Not only was I drenched in sweat when I arrived home, I was limping with blisters on the toe.

Why does my favorite pair of heels from Vincci always give me this problem to deal with?

For the first time in a long while, there were no celebrations. No grand meals or Christmas Carols with family or friends either. Just a simple meal... unless you consider stewed pork with tofu and shitake mushroom as befitting the special day. It's a far fetch from what we did last year, but it's alright.

The emphasis was more on the religious obligations anyway and who knows Christmas will be much more interesting next year? *grins*

Friday, December 25, 2015

The Seasons of Giving



Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone!

I'll see you in 2016, so until then, stay safe and have an awesome celebration with your family!

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Can the winds melt my misery?


Meet the new addition to the friendship circle!

Sincere apologies for the sudden disappearance. It's just that the second semester emotionally and mentally drained me (hence the flights out to KL and Brisbane).

It's disheartening for me that I almost flunked a course that I had the most experience in. I'm not angry, just disappointed in myself. I was still awake at 6.30am on a Monday morning, struggling to complete the remainder of the take-home paper. I was like, ugh, I'm not forcing myself to sleep after submitting the refined answer. Everything already looks incoherent (even to my exhausted brain).

At this stage, I was losing a battle with my emotions. Not only was I upset with myself, I was at the verge of bawling my eyes out while crawling past the exam questions.

It didn't help that my performance on the Public Law exam paper was affected by the pre-exam nerves that I felt (for the first time!). Who knows I might have even attained a bare credit if I remained cool as a cucumber?

*sighs*

Maybe it's best that I freeze all forms of communication whenever I have a take-home exam to prevent an explosion of emotions.

It is the reasons above that I decided at the eleventh hour to return home and visit Brisbane. The desire of momentarily leaving Adelaide grew stronger by the day and I knew it spanned from the academic stress. Talk about not being in the right zone!

You see, I was against the idea of paying the penalty fees (and maybe even the fare difference) to adjust the schedule for both flights just for the replacement exams. But hey, at least I've sailed through and can now focus on prepping myself for another round of intense studies. I seriously hope that the mistakes and lessons learnt will nudge me to become a better planner and time manager (read: studying alone in the library, away from the buzz).


Chocolate Mud Cake and Flat White in Coffee Club Brisbane Square, QLD.


Pumpkin and Ricotta Pie with Caffe Latte in Zarraffa's Coffee, Myer Centre, Brisbane, QLD.


Christmas Carols Spectacular by Hillsong Brisbane in Mount Gravatt, QLD.




Night Quarter Market in Helensvale, QLD.


Raw Treasures, in Surfers Paradise and Helensvale Night Markets.

Although I'm aware that there's such a market in Adelaide, I admit that I've been too lazy to visit Flinders Street Market. I've no idea why, but I have a tendency to visit tourist spots that are furthest from me.


Supper while flying to KLIA

It's mostly food that I ran after during this trip home (as I craved the authentic flavor), not shopping or catching up with friends. I didn't have the luggage space to accommodate the shopping spree and with the limited time that I had, I'd rather reserve it for myself or the people close to me and errands.

What probably made it more special was the surprise that awaited me, though. The payer did not know it was my birthday when we went out together for seafood. I was such a smart mouth (sarcasm intended) to let it slip out, argh.

I don't think I want to recollect the events of that night, but let's just say that we did have fun amidst the travel hiccups.

Look who came to greet me while I was on campus earlier!



Am I looking at a duck? O.o
- After researching the details for Eurasian Coots, the image above is indeed a duck! It's known as Australian Wood Duck.

Thursday, November 12, 2015

One down, two to go

Seeing that it ate 20 hours for me to complete the torts exam, I thought that I could stay awake for 24 hours to complete the first exam, which coincidentally (and thankfully) was a take home exam as well. However, as circumstances illustrated, I began to crumble at the 17th hour when my emotions went on a rollercoaster ride - from feeling confident to answering it in one piece to being mad at everything around me. In addition, I was beginning to lose control over my sense of speech although my brain was still coherent.

It didn’t help that I misspelled ‘skunk’ as ‘skunt’.

Let’s just say that I was still sleep-deprived when I was asked that. I know staying up until the wee hours of the morning (or even pulling an all-nighter) is dangerous for the bodily functions, but it has to depend on the situation. As property law is one of the toughest courses to absorb this semester, I’d rather slave over the exam online than in Wayville. I’m not game on the idea of taking the public transport to Wayville thrice either, especially if it is an afternoon exam.

It’s too taxing for the brain to aim for any score higher than a pass, and I always believe that ‘the greater the hope, the deeper the disappointment’. It is better to keep an open heart about the desired grades than to be weeping over the setback.

One exam down, two to go.

Well, technically, only one more (in the form of Public Law) on Tuesday morning. It was only this afternoon that I sat for the International Law exam, so yeah, I’m keeping my fingers crossed for that. I do feel the pressure because I’d like to make the lecturers (both in the university and Mr. Layng) proud with the achievements, but if God decides that I should have a pass instead, it’s fine with me as well.

I should be back with a proper post anytime after this Tuesday. And with that, see you until my next post! =)

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

The 2 am thoughts

Few more weeks and I’ll be wishing that I’m visiting an unfamiliar horizon instead of burning myself with the melting sun. I’m aware that most of my friends are only returning when it is nearer to the new academic year, but I’d rather remain in town. There is only so much that I can endure in KL without longing to jump on the next flight back to Adelaide.

Exams are just around the corner and I feel that I’m far from prepared to score a respectable grade for especially Property Law, which is bad. The exam is on Sunday, and this leaves me with around 3 days to sail through the revisions and note condensation before throwing caution to the wind. I’ll definitely go broke with the amount of caffeine that I am about to ingest to remain awake and fresh. I know that I should be contented with a mere pass as a freshman, especially for this course, but a part of me wants to aim higher and attempt to bring home a credit. It will be tough, considering that I messed up on the assignment, and my confidence in attaining a credit is dwindling as the time approaches.

What worries me the most is that the assignments and exam are not redeemable in Property Law; it’s similar to the course structure of the subjects I learned in CPU except that the weightage is different. I’ve learnt where I screwed up on the assignment and hope that the lessons learned will slowly guide me on the all-nighter for the exam.

Yet, I am bushed and thinking of reaching out for the bottle of strawberry wine resting in the fridge to relax the nerves. I know that I can’t; not only will I blow the actus rea and mens rea, the countless hours and late nights thrown into the revision will be thrown into the basket instantly.

And I’ll make things worse than they already are, sigh.

At the time of this posting (2 am Adelaide time), I know I should be fast asleep after the intense revision, but I’m instead wide awake and feeling high - not because I was listening to upbeat songs, but through the Week 12 Public Law lecture.

It’s odd that listening to that particular lecture as a refreshment is soothing for the tired soul and before I become exceptionally hyper to the point where I think I can stay awake for 24 hours, it’d be better if I stray away from academic matters at this moment. Inasmuch as my eyes are exhausted from looking at the computer screen, my brain is more alert than ever.

On the bright side, it always takes listening to the gospel songs on Spotify to ensure that I don’t freak out over the course materials. Although it may not be able to inspire me with the confidence and required knowledge needed to tackle all three papers, at least it ensures that I remain cool as a cucumber (or so, I hope).

Sunday, October 4, 2015

The Beginning of a Change - Part 3


"Gee, Michelle!" Sophia's jaw dropped. "Are you serious?"

Michelle squinted. "I am not kidding."

"It's interesting, though. How he studies here and all. Did you ask what degree he is doing?"

"He only said he's doing arts."

"I can't believe how it transpired. I mean, it's already odd that he'd rather listen to you blasting 'Canon in D' or even 'The Winner Takes It All' than to complete his assignments. For him to compliment you as well? Babe, that takes it to a whole new level. Is he cute?"

"To me, yes, but to you, I don't know."

Hoping that her good friend, Sophia, will be able to shed some light into the random encounter with Mike over the library piano, Michelle recollected on how it happened. From the looks of it, Sophia was more interested in checking him out than to help her debunk the incident.

She shook her head and sipped her flat white, gathering her thoughts.

"You should have asked him specifically. Who knows you two will cross paths considering you want a language elective next year?" Sophia sighed. "At least you've a friend if he intends on taking the same elective."

"Six months away. Anything could happen by then. Plus, I'm still unsure if I want a language elective or something else. Let's kill the exams first."

A moment of silence before: “Did he ask for your number?”

“Oh my God, Sophia! What has possessed your mind? Yes, he may be a peer, but you don’t give out numbers to strangers.”

"Not everyone has social media accounts like us, Michelle. Studying for the international law assignment the entire day in the law library has colored my brain grey. Humoring me a bit won't cause any sudden shock or mental harm on anyone."

"Torts." Michelle broke into a grin. "We only added each other on Facebook."

"Go, stalk him. See what he's doing. Establish communication."

"You..." Michelle trailed off when she saw someone who resembled Mike walking past in the distance to the direction of the Hughes building. The person did glance at their direction, but she wasn't sure if it was Mike as he had his brows furrowed, instead of a familiar smile.

Sophia raised an eyebrow, perplexed. "Cat in your tongue?"

"No, just someone whom I thought was him."

"The right opportunity to drop him a message, honey."

"Fine." Michelle whipped out her S5 from her Kipling and punched the words into her phone. "If anything happens, you'll have to take responsibility because you did not qualify yourself. And there is detrimental reliance on my part."

"We've not touched on estoppel in property yet!" Sophia protested, but was interrupted by a ringing phone. "He replied?"

"Let's see." Michelle unlocked the screen, reading aloud the message. "He said, and I quote, oh, no, you've mistaken me for someone else, with a smile. I'm stuck at home, nursing a cold. Haven't been to uni the whole day, and I unquote."

She replied that he should drink more water and catch more rest. She added that she hoped he'd feel better in no time. Her phone almost slipped from her hands when she received his message. "We've a problem here."

"How bad?"

"This." Michelle handed the phone to Sophia. "I hope it's just manners."

Sophia almost squealed when she read the screen. "He will heed your advice and hopes to see you again? He even gave you a wink?!" She looked up and patted Michelle's arm. "This is pretty interesting."

"Ugh, please. I don't know and I prefer not to know. Speaking of which, when is that lovely boyfriend of yours going to show his face? He owes me a proper introduction, man. Don't tell me he's petrified of me?"

"Nah. He's more shy than he is fearful. The time will come."

Sophia almost fell off her chair in the law library when Michelle suggested three weeks later that they seek Mike's help to critique the video that they filmed for a parody. "Of all people, him?!"

Michelle's eyes widened. "Hey, you were the one who asked me to snoop around and find out what he is doing. I discovered from our conversation that he's pretty good at critical analysis, considering that he is not a media student. Do give him the credit of portraying our dear lecturer. I almost thought he's the real one... Until I remembered that there was a sense of sarcasm that Mike couldn't imitate from our lecturer."

"Right," Sophia answered, not lifting her eyes away from the textbook.

"Oh, and to answer your three week old question, he's doing a double degree in arts. I can't remember the first one, but the second is a degree in language, majoring in French."

"Ah, the language of love."

"Wasn't it Spanish?"

"I've no idea. I've never studied French or Spanish before. How did you get him to agree?"

"I told him that I'll treat him to a round of coffee or tea, whichever he prefers, but it has to be walking distance from the uni. Or, more like me buying the coffee of his flavor and delivering it to him on campus. Wait, when the video has gone past the post-production stage and uploaded on YouTube, I'll arrange a mutual timing with him."

"Not bad, not bad at all."

"You are coming along, though." Michelle felt Sophia's eyes on her. "You are coming as a decoy. Yes, he doesn't know you, but I'll let him know that you want to meet him as well. Not to mention, he knows that you are the shier co-creator."

Sophia whined.

"Hey, at least you are able to observe his body language. It always takes a third party to see things that people involved can't see."

Friday, October 2, 2015

Descriptive Poem - Free Verse

Note: Back in CPU, this is one of the many class assignments that I wrote for Writer's Craft. I'm using it as a filler post because it's that time of the semester again, when I'm sprawled with books and running amok with revision.

The wind blows at the edge of the cliff.
My tears are like rocks rolling down the mountain.
I held a piece of your heart,
But she held the rest of you.
Dancing in your eyes is her soul.
Watching how your lips twitched,
How your eyes brightened up,
Whenever you spoke of her,
It pierces my heart like a sword.
It weakens my soul.
I saw her in you, you in her.
All I could do without crumbling apart was zone out,
Zone out into a better world of dreams.
If you won't hold me in your embrace,
If my heart and soul can't be yours,
I'll join Hades in the Underworld.
Me or her, the choice is yours.

Saturday, September 19, 2015

The Beginning of a Change - Part 2

He floated to the origin of the melody and saw the bespectacled brunette drowning in the audio pieces that she played. What he heard was whimpering pleas for help; it felt that she struggled to battle her personal demons and it was consumed her alive. He felt his throat tightened as he wanted to comfort her in her miserable state. He wanted to soothe the fears that she harbored and whisper that the pain was just a temporary bleak in life.

Not wanting to risk being reprimanded for the unplanned interruption, he leaned against the railing and patiently waited as the music now began to tease his dancing feet. She took a wide tangent and settled for happier, upbeat songs instead. Yet, he waited until she was finished with the piano before slithering over to approach her.



“Hey.” He cleared his throat.

Michelle glanced up from the piano keys. “Just give me a second to compile my piano sheets and the piano will be all yours.”

He saw that her eyes were rimmed red from what he presumed was sorrow. “Oh, no worries. Take your time.” He spoke nervously. “Um, I actually wanted to compliment you for the beautiful presentation. You see, I was at the other side, trying to complete my assignment but couldn’t focus. I gave up and decided to be an audience.”

“Thank you, uh…” Michelle paused, realizing that she did not know that the guy had a name.

He sensed her thoughts and offered a handshake with a smile. “Mike.”

“Ah, Mike.” Michelle rose to full her height and accepted the proffered hand. “I’m Michelle. Nice to meet you.”

“It’s my pleasure.”

“Look, I’m sorry for having disturbed you earlier, Mike.” Giving voice to her suspicions, she continued. “I take it that you’re a student from Adelaide University?”

Mike nodded.

“What faculty are you in?”

“Oh, I’m doing an arts degree. What about you?”

She gulped. “I’m in law.”

“Wow, that’s interesting.” He suddenly caught a glimpse of his watch and sighed. “I’d love to stay back, but I’ve a tute to catch. Will you still be here in about an hour’s time?”

“No, I’m actually leaving in a short while. How about this? Perhaps we could catch up with each other on Facebook, if you use it?”

“Yeah, sure.” He whipped out his iPhone from the front pocket of his jeans. “What’s your Facebook name?”

“Michelle Charlotte.”

She saw him fiddling with the iPhone before he nodded. “Alright, I’ve just added you. Thanks so much, Michelle.”

“No problem! Have fun with your tute, Mike!”

While Michelle gathered her things from the piano and shoved them into her Kipling, she couldn’t believe that a stranger, although a fellow student in the same university, complimented her on her piano skills. Compliments to her were as rare as truffels. She was always at the receiving end of ridicules and reprimands, be it over her piano skills or her song choices.

“This is going to be interesting,” she muttered under her breath before wrinkling her brows. “Wait, did he ram his words together?!”

Sunday, September 6, 2015

The Beginning of a Change - Part 1

The uncontrollable tears threatened to seep into Michelle’s bloodstream yet she willed herself to continue playing the piano. Unlike previous occasions, where the melody came to a fuzzy halt, she will not allow herself to grieve for the loss of a beautiful friendship. It was necessary that she moved on and chase the dreams that she longed for instead of being locked inside a cage by her misery.



She remembered that event lucidly; she still remembered the freezing glance that he had in his eyes, but she thought she saw someone hurt beyond description beneath the perfect facade. Someone whose beautiful dreams were crushed into pieces. Someone who believed, as much as she did, that in a different world, they’d be the best match for each other.

He shook his head and turned away, unwilling to bid this perfect memory adieu.

“Wait, Joshua, wait!”

The sound of her voice pierced his heart like a sword. Inasmuch as he wanted to deny it, only her voice had the power to stop his heart. Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to address her without revealing his broken self.

“If this is going to be over between us, allow me to express my thoughts,” she continued. “Treat whoever you fall in love with in the future properly. Don’t repeat the same mistakes with me.”

Joshua remained silent.

She took a step forward. “It’s bad enough that we hurt each other to the point where we can no longer remain the best of friends and I’m sorry that I’ve turned you icy cold.”

It was not the words that he expected to hear, but it gave him the strength to finally face Michelle with a softened glare.

“No amount of apology is going to soothe the broken hearts or even rewind the time that we wasted. If there’s one thing that you are able to do for me, please forget that I ever existed in your memory -”

“But,” he croaked in interruption.

“Trust me, Joshua.” She sighed with sadness. “It will help you move on. You may not be able to understand the relevance now, but you will when the years have passed us by.”

Surprising himself and Michelle, Joshua lunged forward and embraced Michelle. “I’m really sorry. I’m really sorry.”

She could hear that his voice was on the verge of cracking and she wanted to hug him and offer her condolences, but what difference would it make? They had arrived at the point where the bridge has to be burned in exchange for their total recovery.

She softly nudged him away.

“Sorry that I’ve loved you, Joshua,” was her last words. She rushed away in the opposite direction, fighting to no avail to keep the burning tears bottled inside her heart.

Not far away, the brown-eyed cutie pie was snapped awake from his forty winks by the sweet serenade that came from the piano.

*to be continued at a later time.

Saturday, September 5, 2015

9/8/2015

Something’s really off when I start dreaming about the legal terminologies and the lecturers.

I dreamt that I was interning at a local law firm to fulfill the conditions attached to my chambering. On one fine afternoon, I ran into a lecturer (who shall remain anonymous as he is a member of the Bar Council in real life), who was representing a client in a civil litigation. As fate would have it, I was assigned to assist with the legal paperwork and research pertaining to his case.

He seemed to have been surprised to have seen me as well because not many students knew that he masqueraded as a barrister in his free time.

As if that wasn’t freaky enough, I dreamt of vote-rigging… and I highly doubt that it is related to the recent hype that set tongues wagging and the world glued in on our country.

I dreamt that a course mate (yes, he used to be my coursemate in real life when we were clueless freshmen) was running for a post in the electoral board. He was the most popular among the candidates, which resulted in some unintended jealousy by his rivals. One even went to the extent of rigging the votes to his personal interest although the preliminary polls illustrated that my coursemate would win.

Ugh, I really think that I should do something about lowering the stress levels. This must be the work of the stressed psyche.

Thursday, August 20, 2015

"Law School" (Payphone by Maroon 5 Parody) by Chocolate Ghost House

This is something that only law students will be able to understand.

It's also something that we're all experiencing this semester, dating the 3 very complicated yet interconnected courses concurrently.

Monday, August 17, 2015

Thoughts

The harmonious tunes of “My Heart Will Go On” and “You Ruin Me” swept me emotionally when mi hermana basked in the emotional melodies. It’s not exactly the song I’d want to listen to after an exhausting morning with International Law, but the heart gets what it wants (to quote one of Selena's songs).

My throat began to thicken at the same time as my eyes stung, sigh.

Who knew "You Will Ruin Me" would still have such an impact on me? =/

Anyway, I was tempted to enroll for piano lessons after that. Here’s the catch; I was exposed to piano lessons as an elementary school student but threw it in the towel when I couldn’t handle the balancing act of academics (we're talking about at least a decade ago) with lessons. I surrendered for more than a decade without touching the musical instruments - until now, until I discovered my hidden recorder. It was a gift from Mama Carrie when I was in the music club during the SS 19 days. I haven’t been able to convince myself to dispose it because embedded in it are happy reminiscence of the musical experiences - including presenting a performance for some VIP once. Yet I’ll not succumb to the temptation; it’s pricey to purchase a piano here and my place can’t accommodate a keyboard either. First thing first, I’m a freshman who barely has enough time for herself, let alone straighten her priorities. How can I even afford to commit myself into the lessons?

I’ll just have to contend with listening to mi hermana and, hopefully, have the opportunity to see the acquaintance at the piano. With that being said, he still thinks that I’m one of the best players he’s met - and I shall let him awe in that amazement for the time being. #sneakyCiana

That’s just wishful thinking, though.

I don’t think either one of them will have the spare time to play the piano. Between the three of us, we’ve a packed calendar and obligations to fulfill (note: personal life). The free time remaining will always be reserved for the me-time and nothing more.

Meh, we’ll have to see how things end up.

Plus, I've a busy fortnight ahead of me *help* in the form of an assignment (no, make that two assignments! Although the compiling of contributions for the case log has been assigned to a team member, I can't help but pace in anxiety... and yes, it's a one-way street to passing this particular course. No redemption whatsoever permitted.) and lectures with its related seminars.

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Trust

Trust.

Some people may say that it is the golden key that keeps friendships and relationships alive, but it does not come easily. Depending on the individuals, not everyone have it easy for them. Some can’t trust without fearing that history will repeat itself. Some can’t trust because of something that the other party has been doing.

I’ve heard too many examples, but there’s one that will always stand out in my mind whenever trust is mentioned.



“One allowed the poison to infiltrate his bones to the point where his facade crumbled in the public eye, pouring buckets of freezing water at all. The other sought solace in music and travel, flying to a place where she was confident she could start over.”

All in the name of what?

Trust.

Although they could trust each other with their secrets and thoughts, they couldn’t be honest about their feelings. The mere knowledge of this couldn’t prevent the blossoming flames into something they couldn’t have or even save their crumbling friendship.

There’s another thing that I’ve realized too.

Those who trust a tad bit too easily tend to have their hearts cracked in two more often than those who trust with caution.

What about you guys, my readers? Have you experienced a moment in time where you felt that you should have (or should not) trusted someone?

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

The Warm Trip

Spending 3 weeks absorbing the warmth my little suburb provided isn't helping me much to combat the wintry cold here, but it led me to settle the errands that taunted my psyche. I'm not relieved (much to the contrary) because of time constraint. It doesn't help that I'm off again for the summer...

Without further ado, I shall let the selected pictures from the flight back speak for itself. I've omitted pictures with friends on purpose to protect their identities, so if you want to see more of the pictures, you'd have to check them out on Facebook.













Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Here we go again

I’d like to think that I made the right decision to return for the duration of my winter break, but it resembled more like I chose the wrong option. I could’ve purchased the flight for the summer holidays and disappear for almost 3 months without any contact on either side yet circumstances won’t permit me to do that now. Sure, my winter return allowed ample opportunities to meet up with the people, especially those who’ve supported my back, that I’ve not met in a long while. I shall not name names, but you know who you are anyways. Although they’ve never expressed it through words, I can feel that they want the best for me through their conduct.

Who honestly would accompany you through the cold days, waiting for you to fall asleep before retreating to bed themselves after you?

Who honestly would allow you to rant on them with verbal tears (incl physical actions) and not take any offence?

Who honestly would silently care for you in the background?

Who honestly would take a bullet or stab for you?

Okay, now this is pushing it. I won’t allow my best friends to do that; it’s too much of a sacrifice. Plus, am I correct to iterate that humans would only do that for the ones they can’t live without - like their parents, spouse and/or children?

Spending time with them left me smiling and contented, but it opened a book of possibilities that was unreasonably expected. I had to face the demons that I hurriedly left behind: the torturing memories. The places that I visited only encouraged the suppressed memories to return and i could feel each moment all over again. Fighting the torture of a soiled friendship was like going against the strong winds - and it will always be something associated with the place. It’ll be something that I’ll constantly have to deal with whenever I’m in the vicinity. Avoiding it won’t cut it; it’s a place I always go whenever I’m in town.

Life definitely has weird turns, I’ll summarize it.

I should be concentrating instead on the dreams and goals I’ve set forward before me and making them proud. I can see it glimmering with the hope that I once harbored yet it feels like it’s out of reach. I can see them standing at the entrance of Bonython Hall with the widest grin on their faces, waiting to throw me into the air as their way of congratulating me. Sure,, that day would be one of the best day of my life. I’ll be surrounded by the best of friends with our photographs as evidence.

Whether that day will occur and when, I have no confidence. After the rough end to Semester 1, I am losing the steam and vigor to attack Semester 2 courses on the head with a hammer. We’ll just have to play by ear as to how my survival in Law School would turn out.

I really don’t know.

Should I be exasperated at the way things spiralled out of control or rather, the behavioral change of certain humans? It was something unexpected and I should shrug it off as part of life, but the more I ponder on it, the more I am pissed. It feels like there is no reciprocation of good deeds and what greeted us in return was evil deeds.

Yet my true feelings will never be known.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Just A Quick Update

Standing in between me and my well-deserved break is the upcoming exams. Inasmuch as I should embrace it and tender to it like a fragile baby, it still seems like a huge obstacle for me to overcome. I’m struggling to stay afloat in one of the courses. I screwed up in something that I should’ve been familiar and knowledgeable with from the get-go.

Three more weeks, and I can slam the book covers close for the final time.

Three more weeks, and I’m off to chase after the other half of my brain (and confidence) that I left somewhere.

Three more weeks…..

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Let the memories fade away

I can’t believe how fast time has flown.

On one minute, I was participating in some of the O-Week programs and looking forward to begin the degree. On another minute, the finals are creepily within reach - and I’m far from ready to kill the papers. There’s one thing for sure; I’m more than ready to throw the covers over me and recover from the weird sleeping cycle that I’ve been having after the finals. Not being to fall asleep after midnight and needing to wake up by a certain time daily is melting the determination and enthusiasm from me. *yawns*

There’s nothing I can do but to take the bull by its horns with adequate preparations and a clear mind. In addition, I’ll have to throw caution to the wind and keep my fingers crossed that everything will fall well. It won’t be beneficial if I have to sacrifice my health to chase after the elusive scores again anyway.

Life hasn’t been a smooth ride lately. Other than the complications I’ve landed myself into, I feel like I’m living under a shroud of stress most of the time since the comforting days of high school and college are now a distant memory away. It’s like I’m trying to find the balance between studies, health and life while coping with a new learning environment. I mean, I’m accustomed to the teaching methods here (it’s rather similar to the one in CPU), but the notion of being an international student can be miserable. I’m not blind; I can see the difference in the way students treat each other, but don’t mistake my reticence for ignorance. It’s just that I’ve made a wise decision to remain cool and silent about it.

Plus, it's better to have a few close friends than an amount of acquaintances in sheep's clothing. Wait, I hope you understand half the reference to that popular saying.

On the bright side, I’m just glad that once I’ve cornered the hurdle, I'll be able to swallow the chill pill that my friends have been nudging me to and sprawl on the floor from the accrued exhaustion.

Excuse my absence while I head over to the land of revision.

Saturday, May 16, 2015

The Mini Hair Room Salon, Goodwood, South Australia



It was through a lady’s recommendation that I secured an appointment for a haircut in The Mini Hair Room, Goodwood after weeks in waiting. I was in dire need to fix the awful hairstyle that the previous hairstylist created for me; not only was the ends flicking in various directions, it made me look generations older and less vibrant. 



Although the shop may be small and simple, it is cozy and warm to all of its visitors.

What’s best is that you can catch a quick bite or if you’re famished, you could swing by a dessert store - all within walking distance on the same street!

The decorations that you will see when you enter were mostly the brainchild of Chris with the exception of the lamp on the counter. He related that he was a big fan of arts and craft and he had personally created most of the decorative pieces that sat in strategic places. Placed at the end of the shop window was an antique radio that will burst classics from the past and at the time of my visit? It was playing “Fall at Your Feet” by Crowded House, which immediately spiked my interest with its lyrics.





The hairstylist assigned for me was Chris, who just happens to be only some years older than yours truly. He took a good look of my hair and broke the bad news that not much could be done to improve it. It’s definitely not something I was expecting to hear, but he added that he can still rectify certain areas in an attempt to balance the sides and make the style look.. well, smoother. It was a risk that I had to gamble with because it meant that I’ll be sporting the same length for winter (which I’ve never done it before; wintry Auckland was another story and hidden in a beanie).



The after result was a much better one: the ends are no longer flicking in various directions and as what Mama Carrie would describe, ‘more obedient’.

I’m sorry that I haven’t published the before and after result for the haircut. I’ve been a shy kid as of late and am more comfortable hiding behind the computer screen for now. 


Haircuts strictly by appointment only.


Credits to The Mini Hair Room for the image.

Address: 124A, Goodwood Road,
Goodwood 5034,
South Australia

Tel: (08) 8373 2684

Website: http://www.theminihairroom.com.au
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMiniHairRoom

Business Hours:

Sun and Mon: Closed
Tues, Weds and Fri: 9:30 am to 4:30 pm
Thur: 9:30 am to 7:30 pm
Sat: 9:00 am to 2:30 pm

Sunday, May 3, 2015

A Friendly Stranger

The effects of repeatedly listening to emotional Chinese songs for hours while completing seminar work has led to this, a poem inspired by a friend's bittersweet story:



The pictures tell an unspeakable story.
It is a fuzzy wave in your brain,
But in mine, it is as lucid as the spring water.
The memories, nothing but frozen ice
To you, to me.
Safe in the comfort of dusk,
Away I hide,
Spraying tears of hurt and love in the silence.
Rising in the air are ashes of burnt reminiscence.
In your presence,
My heart skips tremendous beats.
Uneasiness weaves deep into my emotions.
Fed up was the word you read.
Avoidance was what I felt.
The hints were sprinkled in your glimmering eyes,
Arousing hopeful suspicions.
Our blossoming friendship, however, set a precarious path
More for me.
I was fresh from consecutive heartbreaks,
And a walking hourglass.
One wrong move will sent me shattering.
The brave girl who stood up to you?
It was a facade.
It was me protecting a broken, cautious heart.
It was me suppressing the growing feelings for you.
Allowing you to enter that guarded space,
It would have sliced your heart into two.
A foreseeable risk I couldn’t gamble with,
Because I’ve always cared for you.
And the sad thing is,
I’ll never admit it to you or anyone.

Then again, what do YOU think? *winks*

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Le Souk, Adelaide Central Market

A word of warning: this is not the full post for the café.

An exhausting morning of classes left me wanting a momentous break from the assignments and seminar work to immerse myself to something relaxing. It'd be perfect if it was related to food and travel. With a half-dozing mind, we took the ride down to Central Market to kill two birds with one stone.

Le Souk is an Algerian-owned, Adelaide-based cafe with a traditional and authentic cuisine to boot. For someone who’s never been exposed to Middle Eastern cuisine before, let alone Algerian, it was something worth tasting. The only association I had with Algeria and its cuisine was its colonization by France.



Keeping a budget in mind and in the mood for something different, I followed the boss's recommendation and ordered a plate of Chicken Couscous. The boss revealed that not only was the couscous double-steamed to ensure that it was soft on the taste buds, it required some 6 hours of slow-cooking for the ingredients to be cooked to perfection. It includes the use of the cafe's Kefta Mix blend with a slight trace of cinnamon. The chicken meat had to be tender to the point where it fell off the bones with ease as it was an Algerian custom to eat it by hand, and not with the help of cutleries.


Chicken Couscous (AUD$ 14.50)

As it was a slightly cool afternoon when we went to Le Souk, I really loved how the Chakchouka warmed the palate. The chicken meat was surprisingly still supple and not chewy, which can sometimes occur when it has been on the stove for a long time. The only setback was that the green peas were overcooked and yellow in complexion.

Blending with the homemade sauce known as harissa produced a different wave of flavor. Its piquancy and spiciness was manageable. It will assuage even the chili-fearing diner.

It was satiating, considering that it was a small, shared plate between us.


Mint Tea (AUD $8.00 for 2; AUD $ 4.50 for 1)

Realizing that it was my virgin exposure to Algerian cuisine, the boss continued to recommend one of his house specialties: the mint tea. It consists of fresh mint leaves that are immersed in boiling water before being topped off with roasted pine nuts for a nutty flavor.



It was brought to my attention - before I could sink my face in it - that the tea had to be poured from a higher angle to ensure that the liquid would be cooler when it landed in the glass (as illustrated in the image above by the boss himself).

The drink was fresh on the plate and had a minty twang to it. It was unfortunate that the amount of saccharine threw me off. Maybe I had forgotten to make that special request for less sugar after all.


[Desserts]

A variety of merchandise is available for sale, ranging from the aforementioned mint tea (in powder/sachet) to a cranberry-looking red berry as a flavor infuser and Algerian spices among others.











Le Souk Pty Ltd,
Stall 10,
Adelaide Central Market,
23A Victoria Square Arcade,
Adelaide SA 5000

Here's a map of Adelaide Central Market, which will help you ascertain the location of the cafe.

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Short Thoughts

Author's Note: I can't believe that it's been ages since the last creative piece. Certain parts of today's short story is based on my experience. It'll take more than luck to correctly guess it... 

The sudden gush of rain poured through the clouds and slammed onto Tricia’s glass window, lulling her into a hibernation mode. She didn't want to be anywhere else; she didn't want to do anything but hide beneath her blanket and be left alone in the sorrow evening.

Almost a year has since fast forwarded since the shocking revelation and it still felt like it was just yesterday when she heard the news. The outer layer of her heart was peeled off like an apple skin. She didn't know what to think or do. She could stood there with a gaping mouth as her mind attempted to digest the news.

"Tricia, they are both after you and fighting neck to neck to gain your hand," was the words thrown at her face.

It was a platonic friendship with them both. She was close to them as if they were her brothers from another mother and to hear that they were at loggerheads because of her broke her trust. She didn't want to lose either one of them as a friend but she was not keen on advancing the friendship either.

A frown formed on her forehead when she recollected how sweet one of them treated her when she went out for lunch with him - one to one. He offered to pay for her meal on one afternoon and suddenly surprised her with a phone call en-route to campus the next morning, casually mentioning that her share of coffee was with him. He wanted her to pick it up from him while it was hot and still full. He joked that if she didn't arrive fast enough, he'd drain the coffee for her in his thirst.

She shook the memory away, unwilling to face it again. As much as she desired to expunge the events from the past or at least suppress them in a dark pit somewhere in her heart, the memories always creep on her like a silent murderer at dusk. She has tried to take each day in her stride and not allow herself to have negative thoughts, but one thing stood in her way: her degrading friendship with the person.

Now that she was a year older and wiser, she was sure that she did harbor an interest in him once but the fear of ruining their friendship killed all hopes of a blossoming love. If she had known that she stood to lose him as a friend no matter what, she'd have taken the gamble and allowed nature to take its course. it was in a different time, she would have given in to the whole idea of love.

Losing him after a breakup would be kinder because it will give Tricia and him a reason to fade in each other's memory instead of her current situation.

She doesn't have any inkling as to why he was becoming cold blooded towards her.

And only her.

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Birds of Paradise Soap Studio

It is not quite often that you'll see me loitering in night markets, especially the ones abroad, due to the distance from my place, but the one that I went to left me doing just that, browsing through the various stalls.

The one I attended is unfortunately the last one of the year. I wasn’t alerted to its existence until a newsletter from the university arrived in my inbox, encouraging all of the international students to visit the place while we still could.

According to Splash Adelaide, Adelaide Night Market is an event that brings together small business in retail and food with entertainment under the sunny evenings every Sunday until the Sunday before Easter.

There was a particular booth that caught my due to the visual aesthetics of the products. When I approached the stall, I saw that there was a variety of products being offered for sale, such as lip balms, body scrubs and soap bars (of various flavor and color).



Birds of Paradise's official mascot.

A quick word with Erika, who happens to be the brainchild behind Birds of Paradise Soap Studio, revealed that all of the products are handmade with love and care. There are new products that will be launched as soon as it has been cured for a number of weeks.

Body Scrubs, which are available in an assortment of flavors.





Face and Body Soap Bars, which are available in a wide array of colors and fragrances.











The one that attracted me was ‘Salty Mariner’ because it was something that I’ve never seen before - be it here or back home in Malaysia. The shells on the soap are made out of sea salt.



Birds of Paradise Soup Studio's next stop would be at That Dapper Market in Bowden, North Adelaide on the 12th April 2015 (that's this Sunday, folks!). There is more array of merchandises being offered than the ones featured in today’s posting.

Feel free to browse through Erika’s Facebook page here to have a look at all of the items or to know the list of places that she’ll be selling at.
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