Sometimes you can't make it on your own
Trust me, i'd like to blog about something happy. I could, too, because interspersed amongst my woes are happy memories with friends and family (thanks for the emails and SMSes Ma and Dad). But I dunno, even if I want to talk about bunnies and flowers and chocolate cream puffs, I'm sorry, I'm just, on the whole, a sad person right now.
It's mostly academics, really. I basically screwed up the killer midterm tests I had to sit for the past week. By "screwed up" I mean, messed up in a MAJOR way. I'm disgusted with myself really, and something has to be done regarding my study habits. Seriously, we can never ever mug hard enough. I know I haven't been studying as intensively as I would like, although from the stress level visibls to others, people think I'm doing a pretty good job mugging. Oh nothing could be further from the truth.
The essay for my film and cultural texts module also didn't go so well, and that was a blow to the ego, because if I do bad in my other modules like Statistics, I can say it was never in my list of fortes anyway, and it's really an insane body of knowledge too, so that's that. But for English, no sir, I take things very seriously. And maybe also it's the fact that my hardcore Stats and Maths modules are rather in the danger zone right now, and this film module was one of the few bright lights left, so I'm working my ass off to make sure it doesn't get put out.
Hmm.. what else. Maybe I just should trust God more. I haven't been exactly prayerful and faithful lately, and I think in these very dark days, I should learn to make my way back.
* * *
OK, time to take a break from the depressing stuff a bit. Thanks to Hayati, Aaron, Adyll, and Iris and Joanne for being my constant mugging-mate for the past weeks. Those afternoons and late-nights at the Central Forum, at CFA and YIH one time, at KR, at Bizad faculty both inside and outside Hon Sui Sen Library, yep those were fun. I dunno if we should change strategy now that I didn't really quite do well in my tests, but thanks for the company and keeping me sane.
Ferron, Arthur, Ivy come let's do our all-nighters again like last sem! Haha I think it's high time to get mugging for the exams! Taking six modules a semester is really a pain, I fully realize now.
* * *
I went with some of the NUS Choir folks to watch the Vocal Consort's concert at the Victoria Concert Hall on March 17th. NUS Choir is connected to the Vocal Consort since we have the same conductor, Nelson Kwei, and our key singers Student Conductor Weiwei, incoming Asst. Student Conductor Adyll, outgoing Secretary Hui Yin, and incoming Alto SL Winnie are Consort singers too.
It was enjoyable, being an audience in a choir concert, so I could better understand how people feel when they go for NUS Choir concerts and performances. I liked the Consort's Latin motets, this song the Seekers, and some of their folklore tunes. The Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) Choir was their guest choir, and I was impressed about their performance of "Magtanim Ay Di Biro", a Filipino folk song about rice-planting, and it being no joke. The diction was surprisingly very good, and my Laotian friend Vi even commented that the other Thai song they did was also spot-on with the pronunciation (Laotian language is close to Thai).
We crashed the Consort's post-concert snacks afterwards, and then went for a stroll by the Esplanade and Merlion, before heading for a posh coffee shop for some chitchat. This was just the night after, too, btw, of the Jason Mraz concert at the Esplanade that I couldn't go for initially because of no companion, and later, even if I was willing to go alone or even sponsor a buddy, I couldn't go because the show was sold-out! Anyway, my Ridge Big Boss Nurul got the most expensive tickets and was blown away by the performance. Haha I'm gonna get you Mr. A-Z sometime. I do need some cheering up.
Anyway anyway, I took a lot of photos before we took the night rider bus to Clementi, and a cab back to NUS.
* * *
The NUS Choir also performed for the Hatters' charity gala dinner at the Kent Ridge Guild House the night before (yes this is the Friday night of both the Jason Mraz concert at the Esplanade and the Rivermaya free show outside). It was fun. Free buffet food and great company! It was nice to get together with the choir folks before we all become muggerfied in preparation for the exams. The prawn with chilli was to die for, because it tasted like it was barbecued or something.. awesome. The fish fillet too.. heaven! It was tender and had this yummy sauce that seemed a combination of butter with a hint of cheese. Woohoo.. Yummy and expensive charity dinner! Funny thing was, four of the 10 or so tables were reserved for the performers! And guess what, the choir occupied three! Haha. I didn't mind giving a small "token of appreciation" because that was a sumptuous meal anyway! Yum yum.
Afterwards, a few of us crashed this cool and happening super senior Huai Zhi's room at Eusoff hall. Joanne, Aaron, Xuefang and I played this PC game Dynasty Warriors in his room, but as it turned out, we all sucked except for HZ and Aaron. Hehe. I just read the X-men comics instead. We hit Fong Seng for supper afterwards, before heading for KR to hang out in Christina's room where some of the KR A cappella folks hung out. We had some chitchat before turning in for the night finally at around 4AM.
* * *
And oh yeah, the past two days were random days. Haha. I felt so bad after learning of my screwed-up effed-up Actuarial Stats test, that I decided to indulge myself. It was the Ridge Writer's Night on Friday, and it was fun! Had a good chitchat with fellow writers, and they're such fun people to talk to! I'm gonna miss Nurul and Kok Weng and immediate boss Asraf! And I should've talked to Selene and Alice more! Too bad they're graduating this sem!
Afterwards, I went with new Lifestyle Editor Yvonne to the Stardust Finals. KR rocks la! Out of 6 vying for top honors in the Group category, 3 of them were from KR A cappella! Two of them made it to the top 3. The runaway soloist winner was Surath from KR too! Cool cool.
Karen SMSed later to invite me to Blooie's, this sort of pub near PGP, to have a drink with some of the Pinoys. Why not? Yep yep treated myself to a BIG glass of Hoegaarden and was a bit tipsy afterwards. Good stuff though. Although a sip doesn't have much of a kick like Tiger, the quantity (500 mL in that glass) was enough to compensate. Oh and I learned something new too that night.
Yesterday, Saturday was another random day. Haha. I was out at Clementi to settle my ATM and debit cards, and then was suddenly off to Orchard looking around for shirts and bags and stuff (but bought nothing), and then decided to have a haircut, and later was off to faraway East Coast Park to go rollerblading. Haha didn't plan it at all. Was back at NUS in time for dinner. I needed the break too, so yep that was okay.
* * *
Hmm.. what else to say ah? Haha nothing much, I guess. My mind's a blur. Yeah, I should think of happy memories when life gives me sucky experiences.
EDIT@28/3/06, 4:03AM:
Apparently the record-lows I recently hit aren't rock-bottom enough. My lousy results and the truckload of proejcts to do are threatening to break my spirit, but nope, I shall grit my teeth and hang on until this is all over and I can go home and rest.
Thank you to all those who comprise my life-support system. I hope you know who you are. Hehe.
P.S.
Ahh I love long blog entries. Yes I've said it before, but I must say it again! They drive the indifferent blog lurker away, and leave only those genuinely concerned and interested to finish reading (because really, going through it all is a chore). If nobody bothers to read, then all the personal this blog gets. Brilliant, these long blog entries.
