Ok so I met up with G on Jan 20 for dinner, was really an overdue one; we hadn't seen each other since the last day of school. Because both of us are such nice people (and very indecisive too), we had a hard time choosing where to go for dinner. But in the end, we went to this Japanese food outlet, which is a household name in Singapore, but with my bias and all, I've only patronised it I think once (or not at all) before. Yes, it is the dreaded ***** ***** outlet.
Flashback/Context/Memories that should not be dug up:
Annoying neighbours who think other people cannot own both a condo unit and landed property except them.
Crowded roads in the housing estate because of their inconsiderate party-goers.
But anyway, review: Not fantastic at all. Fish not fresh enough. The table smells like it was not cleaned properly. Green tea not green enough. Soup too salty. Tempura not tempura enough. I think that's bad enough. Hahaha.
We had a good time though, just talking and catching up, and later on bought ice-cream and strolled around Tampines, and continued talking. Long time since I had ice cream, by the way.
We probably will meet up some more, lest it becomes overdue again.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
eye-opener
Okay the mundane thing first: shopping.
Initially I thought my parents wanted to do CNY shopping i.e. getting all the goodies and stuff, like candy, confectionery and other crunchy, chewy, crumbly things. But no, Expo sales come first. Especially if it's the second last day and it's so close to our place (yet we don't exploit that enough). So we shopped instead for New Year clothing and all. Come to think of it, it was the first time I remember I did serious clothes shopping for the New Year. Hm. That is either a good thought, or a really bad one.
Anyhow, I'm amazed at what an amazing shopper I am! HAHAHA. I'm so serious, really. I immediately (and accurately) zoomed in on all the best deals, the deals that boasted at least more than 50% off their price tags. Okay, I know I'm el cheapo and all, but I'd rather blow a lot on food than on clothing. My tastebuds deserve the best.
And I was a prolific shopper compared to the FATHER and even the MOTHER. Just goes to show how little we shop. I think I scored around, hm, ten or eleven items within one and a half hours for both the BROTHER and myself. A big apology to the salespeople there though; I left big messes of clothing in my wake as I flitted around (who asked them to put the S's and M's at the bottom of the pile?!).
Okay, on to the more exciting bit of my day - the eye-opening bit, in a good way of course.
So the MOTHER knows a few friends committed in the area of community service, and we were invited to attend an orientation of the place around HS. HS is basically an organisation first initiated by a few doctors to cater to the local migrant worker community, and has now expanded to include quite a few charitable and commendable services, such as medical consultations, counselling, English lessons, and walk-abouts around the area i.e. Geylang, all to further extend His kingdom. I know some Singaporeans may be thinking "Geylang?! All the sex workers hanging around there; what a seedy place to be in!" and all. But hey, from what I saw tonight, there is a need there, and some people need to fill that need. Besides, the food is good and cheap there.
So okay, one part of the programme entailed a walk-about, where I was in the group that was to visit a dormitory housing Indian migrants. We walked through plenty of backlanes to get there, and obviously chanced upon many a sex worker, and other foreign workers just lazing there, either engaging in conversation or having their supper. But we were turned away when we reached; they were 'busy'. Fortunately, we managed to enter another dormitory in a shophouse. In it, there was a room that supposedly housed ten of them, with a rent that was quite reasonable, compared to more exorbitant rents that are said to exist for other migrant workers, even up to $200 a month just for a bed and a toilet shared by seventeen others. This is compounded by often unhygienic conditions (you'll never imagine the extent of it until you see it) and danger lurking everywhere, from unreasonable/abusive employers/pimps to thieving/violent co-workers.
And it was surprising that they were so eager for us to pray for them! One of them wanted us to pray for his niece that had undergone open heart surgery that very day. And out of the seven or so of us in the room, he asked ME to pray, bypassing even the person-in-charge that guided us around the area. Of course I gladly obliged. (:
Later on as we left, I realised that this was what encapsulated "missions at our doorstep", a phrase sometimes overly used (I feel) by some churches. There are so many opportunities for many Christians and non-Christians alike to serve the community in this area; many of the foreign workers here are in so much need for a friendly face among the community, and in just that hour and a half, I noticed the dire void between the citizenry and these foreign workers. It really explains, unfortunately, the Serangoon Gardens incident.
But the world will be a better place.
Initially I thought my parents wanted to do CNY shopping i.e. getting all the goodies and stuff, like candy, confectionery and other crunchy, chewy, crumbly things. But no, Expo sales come first. Especially if it's the second last day and it's so close to our place (yet we don't exploit that enough). So we shopped instead for New Year clothing and all. Come to think of it, it was the first time I remember I did serious clothes shopping for the New Year. Hm. That is either a good thought, or a really bad one.
Anyhow, I'm amazed at what an amazing shopper I am! HAHAHA. I'm so serious, really. I immediately (and accurately) zoomed in on all the best deals, the deals that boasted at least more than 50% off their price tags. Okay, I know I'm el cheapo and all, but I'd rather blow a lot on food than on clothing. My tastebuds deserve the best.
And I was a prolific shopper compared to the FATHER and even the MOTHER. Just goes to show how little we shop. I think I scored around, hm, ten or eleven items within one and a half hours for both the BROTHER and myself. A big apology to the salespeople there though; I left big messes of clothing in my wake as I flitted around (who asked them to put the S's and M's at the bottom of the pile?!).
Okay, on to the more exciting bit of my day - the eye-opening bit, in a good way of course.
So the MOTHER knows a few friends committed in the area of community service, and we were invited to attend an orientation of the place around HS. HS is basically an organisation first initiated by a few doctors to cater to the local migrant worker community, and has now expanded to include quite a few charitable and commendable services, such as medical consultations, counselling, English lessons, and walk-abouts around the area i.e. Geylang, all to further extend His kingdom. I know some Singaporeans may be thinking "Geylang?! All the sex workers hanging around there; what a seedy place to be in!" and all. But hey, from what I saw tonight, there is a need there, and some people need to fill that need. Besides, the food is good and cheap there.
So okay, one part of the programme entailed a walk-about, where I was in the group that was to visit a dormitory housing Indian migrants. We walked through plenty of backlanes to get there, and obviously chanced upon many a sex worker, and other foreign workers just lazing there, either engaging in conversation or having their supper. But we were turned away when we reached; they were 'busy'. Fortunately, we managed to enter another dormitory in a shophouse. In it, there was a room that supposedly housed ten of them, with a rent that was quite reasonable, compared to more exorbitant rents that are said to exist for other migrant workers, even up to $200 a month just for a bed and a toilet shared by seventeen others. This is compounded by often unhygienic conditions (you'll never imagine the extent of it until you see it) and danger lurking everywhere, from unreasonable/abusive employers/pimps to thieving/violent co-workers.
And it was surprising that they were so eager for us to pray for them! One of them wanted us to pray for his niece that had undergone open heart surgery that very day. And out of the seven or so of us in the room, he asked ME to pray, bypassing even the person-in-charge that guided us around the area. Of course I gladly obliged. (:
Later on as we left, I realised that this was what encapsulated "missions at our doorstep", a phrase sometimes overly used (I feel) by some churches. There are so many opportunities for many Christians and non-Christians alike to serve the community in this area; many of the foreign workers here are in so much need for a friendly face among the community, and in just that hour and a half, I noticed the dire void between the citizenry and these foreign workers. It really explains, unfortunately, the Serangoon Gardens incident.
But the world will be a better place.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Evaluation
Perhaps this is a little late, but right now, I'm going to evaluate all the A level exam papers I took last year. Sure, it's already an issue one and a half months behind, but still, I recently thought about (in a sketchy, vague way) my performance, how I felt I did. Certainly, most of us (I think everyone, probably) would acknowledge the fact that we could have done better and all that, but I think, just for the sake of it, as well as to bring some sort of closure, it would do me well to go over the motions and evaluate each and every paper. To those who may be reading this and who went through the same examination as I did last year, apologies, and if you want to, you may stop reading now. To those who don't care a bit about the last statement, do continue on.
Just a little note: while I may sound a little regretful later on, I still do know that I tried a good deal of my best in each paper, and whatever the outcome may be, I will be satisfied in that knowledge. And even if I do garner good results in papers I might appear not to be entirely happy with, please do not think that I'm being a little too modest or even that I'm overly critical of myself; the following evaluations are truly my honest perspectives on each paper. I say it as it is.
General Paper 1 (Essay): Okay, for this paper, I realised that the 12 questions set were unconventional, to say the least. Though there were familiar topics, there were also a few that were entirely foreign, in that we were never much exposed to these areas of content knowledge. On my part, I chose an essay question that I felt I had an edge in, in terms of content knowledge e.g. examples and all. But structure-wise, I felt that I could have done a better job on hindsight (but that's almost always the case for every GP essay I do). All in all, I felt it was a job well done, considering the circumstances i.e. question-wise. While it didn't examine me on my pet topics, neither did it confound me to no end.
General Paper 2 (Comprehension): It was a surprise as well, in terms of the passage that was given to us. While some may say that the content knowledge in this case would come easier to arts-inclined students like myself, I wouldn't agree entirely. The passage tested more on whether one could glean knowledge and understanding from the text, and not on whether one knew a lot about the content itself, except perhaps in the Application Question section. But even then, it was certainly do-able. I felt quite alright for this paper, and some of my peers would even say that I SHOULD feel more than alright; I acknowledge that my competency in this subject is much above average. But even then, anything can happen; it's up to God's will. (:
Mathematics Paper 1 (Pure Maths): Well, I'd thought that even with just the merely adequate grasp of the subject that I had, I'd be rather prepared for the paper. Unfortunately though, there were some questions in the paper that were, to me, overly centred on trigonometry, which under the A level syllabus here, rates only as assumed knowledge. Compared to the paper in the previous paper, the first of its kind in the revised syllabus, it had much less focus on trigonometry. Given that I'm in the IP, I'll admit that I'm a little less well-adjusted to trigonometric concepts than mainstream students are, because trigonometry, as a whole, is considered a very primary topic in the O levels, but much less so in the A levels. But that shall not be an excuse. Previously, I had only been practising other schools' preliminary examination papers as advised by my Maths teacher, but the A level paper turned out to be rather different from those. So, as you can guess, I got pretty much a rude shock that day. I felt really dejected after that paper, and yes, I would say that I also cried over it, trying to overcome a tumult of emotions. But silly me, I know I shouldn't have, because it would also affect my mental strength. I also tried not to let this on to too many people as well, given that it would not be very nice of me to also affect them during that crucial period. But this really got me working extra hard for the next Maths paper, and also got me started on the ten-year-series (a little late, but better late than never) (which I don't specifically remember being reminded to do, only the prelim papers), in a bid to prepare me for the kind of questions that would come out in the next Maths paper. And so I worked hard, and really depended on God in that space of three days.
Mathematics Paper 2 (Pure Maths and Statistics): Well, I had set myself a pretty high aim for this paper, given that I was eager to make up for whatever I had lost in the last paper. And thank God, the paper was much more manageable this time. I managed to do all the questions if I remember correctly, but of course, in trying to guesstimate my score, I left room for the potential errors. This greatly boosted my morale at that time, along with encouragements from some friends. Just want to say that, here and now, whatever my Maths grade, I will be satisfied with it. I know that I did my best with whatever I had, and the rest will be up to Him.
Literature in English Paper 1 (Reading Literature): I went into the exam hall with a little mixed emotions, no doubt I had already entrusted it to God, because no one really knows what to expect from Lit papers. But I say that, on the whole, the three essay questions were manageable. Though, the question I chose to do for the Pride and Prejudice section was a little, hm, weird. Hard to say. Again, it was not the typical kind of question I would see in the papers set in school.
Economics Paper 2 (Essays): Okay, Econs has been an up-down-up-down subject in which I'm never quite certain of the grade. One moment I may get an A, another, a C or even a D. It perhaps reveals that even though I may be quite adept at the subject in certain areas, in others, my foundation may not be so strong after all. Anyway, all that I have to say is that for this paper, the questions set were rather tricky, and were phrased in a manner that was quite different from what I was used to. For the microeconomics question, I felt that that answer was the most unsatisfactory, relatively. I felt that I answered the second part perfunctorily, and that the first part was below par as I did not cover enough ground. For the two macroeconomics questions, I felt that one was answered well, because I believed enough content and analysis and even evaluation were portioned out. The other one I had at first thought to be entirely off-point, but later on, as in I think a few weeks later on, I chanced upon the notes for that topic, and realised I had actually answered quite satisfactorily. Well, it depends. For this paper I can never be sure of my grade. Again, and I don't care if it sounds repetitive, it has been given up unto God. (:
China Studies in English Paper 1 (Case Study): After the paper I felt quite confident. Surprisingly, during practice in class, we also did some practice on the exact same topic of the case study that was examined. But later on, our CSE teacher mentioned that a certain question was rather tricky as it required us to identify as well that 2002 was the year in which power was transferred from Jiang Zemin to Hu Jintao, which I didn't quite identify (and I think the rest of the class), so that was a little bummer-ish. But all in all, I still felt alright.
Economics Paper 1 (Case Studies): Time wasn't quite on my side here, as I would have liked to finish up the last question of the second case study in a more full and polished manner. Anyhow, I felt that I actually understood most of the questions this time round (sometimes in school exams I never really quite answered to the point), and managed to provide pointed answers. So that was good. Other than that, the content material was quite understandable as well.
China Studies in English Paper 2 (Essays): The content knowledge that was required for the six essay questions was familiar to me, but again, the phrasing of certain questions left quite a lot of doubt due to the ambiguity generated. Nonetheless, I chose only the questions that I felt I was more capable in. The compulsory question was the most challenging for me, because it required analysis based on social and economic factors, and I wasn't sure whether to analyse them separately or in tandem, so I did both. The essay structure which I adopted for I think all of the questions was also slightly different. Instead of the factor-aligned structure which had been stressed upon the most during class, I opted for a more analytical approach, trying to inject more depth as and when I could, instead of only at the conclusion. It felt a little experimental, but I also felt more secure in doing that, especially since its the subject's first major appearance in the local A level syllabus.
Literature in English Paper 4 (Imagining Other Worlds): There was a rather lengthy break between this final paper and the previous one, but I tried to put the time to good use to study and just gear up for the final leg in this race. The questions were understandable, but I felt that my answer to the Practical Criticism component was a little too simple, though very understandable. I felt that the other two essays were more well-done, in that I actually put in more of what I learnt into them.
Okay, so there it is, my humble evaluation of the papers. Whatever the results, to God be the glory. (:
Just a little note: while I may sound a little regretful later on, I still do know that I tried a good deal of my best in each paper, and whatever the outcome may be, I will be satisfied in that knowledge. And even if I do garner good results in papers I might appear not to be entirely happy with, please do not think that I'm being a little too modest or even that I'm overly critical of myself; the following evaluations are truly my honest perspectives on each paper. I say it as it is.
General Paper 1 (Essay): Okay, for this paper, I realised that the 12 questions set were unconventional, to say the least. Though there were familiar topics, there were also a few that were entirely foreign, in that we were never much exposed to these areas of content knowledge. On my part, I chose an essay question that I felt I had an edge in, in terms of content knowledge e.g. examples and all. But structure-wise, I felt that I could have done a better job on hindsight (but that's almost always the case for every GP essay I do). All in all, I felt it was a job well done, considering the circumstances i.e. question-wise. While it didn't examine me on my pet topics, neither did it confound me to no end.
General Paper 2 (Comprehension): It was a surprise as well, in terms of the passage that was given to us. While some may say that the content knowledge in this case would come easier to arts-inclined students like myself, I wouldn't agree entirely. The passage tested more on whether one could glean knowledge and understanding from the text, and not on whether one knew a lot about the content itself, except perhaps in the Application Question section. But even then, it was certainly do-able. I felt quite alright for this paper, and some of my peers would even say that I SHOULD feel more than alright; I acknowledge that my competency in this subject is much above average. But even then, anything can happen; it's up to God's will. (:
Mathematics Paper 1 (Pure Maths): Well, I'd thought that even with just the merely adequate grasp of the subject that I had, I'd be rather prepared for the paper. Unfortunately though, there were some questions in the paper that were, to me, overly centred on trigonometry, which under the A level syllabus here, rates only as assumed knowledge. Compared to the paper in the previous paper, the first of its kind in the revised syllabus, it had much less focus on trigonometry. Given that I'm in the IP, I'll admit that I'm a little less well-adjusted to trigonometric concepts than mainstream students are, because trigonometry, as a whole, is considered a very primary topic in the O levels, but much less so in the A levels. But that shall not be an excuse. Previously, I had only been practising other schools' preliminary examination papers as advised by my Maths teacher, but the A level paper turned out to be rather different from those. So, as you can guess, I got pretty much a rude shock that day. I felt really dejected after that paper, and yes, I would say that I also cried over it, trying to overcome a tumult of emotions. But silly me, I know I shouldn't have, because it would also affect my mental strength. I also tried not to let this on to too many people as well, given that it would not be very nice of me to also affect them during that crucial period. But this really got me working extra hard for the next Maths paper, and also got me started on the ten-year-series (a little late, but better late than never) (which I don't specifically remember being reminded to do, only the prelim papers), in a bid to prepare me for the kind of questions that would come out in the next Maths paper. And so I worked hard, and really depended on God in that space of three days.
Mathematics Paper 2 (Pure Maths and Statistics): Well, I had set myself a pretty high aim for this paper, given that I was eager to make up for whatever I had lost in the last paper. And thank God, the paper was much more manageable this time. I managed to do all the questions if I remember correctly, but of course, in trying to guesstimate my score, I left room for the potential errors. This greatly boosted my morale at that time, along with encouragements from some friends. Just want to say that, here and now, whatever my Maths grade, I will be satisfied with it. I know that I did my best with whatever I had, and the rest will be up to Him.
Literature in English Paper 1 (Reading Literature): I went into the exam hall with a little mixed emotions, no doubt I had already entrusted it to God, because no one really knows what to expect from Lit papers. But I say that, on the whole, the three essay questions were manageable. Though, the question I chose to do for the Pride and Prejudice section was a little, hm, weird. Hard to say. Again, it was not the typical kind of question I would see in the papers set in school.
Economics Paper 2 (Essays): Okay, Econs has been an up-down-up-down subject in which I'm never quite certain of the grade. One moment I may get an A, another, a C or even a D. It perhaps reveals that even though I may be quite adept at the subject in certain areas, in others, my foundation may not be so strong after all. Anyway, all that I have to say is that for this paper, the questions set were rather tricky, and were phrased in a manner that was quite different from what I was used to. For the microeconomics question, I felt that that answer was the most unsatisfactory, relatively. I felt that I answered the second part perfunctorily, and that the first part was below par as I did not cover enough ground. For the two macroeconomics questions, I felt that one was answered well, because I believed enough content and analysis and even evaluation were portioned out. The other one I had at first thought to be entirely off-point, but later on, as in I think a few weeks later on, I chanced upon the notes for that topic, and realised I had actually answered quite satisfactorily. Well, it depends. For this paper I can never be sure of my grade. Again, and I don't care if it sounds repetitive, it has been given up unto God. (:
China Studies in English Paper 1 (Case Study): After the paper I felt quite confident. Surprisingly, during practice in class, we also did some practice on the exact same topic of the case study that was examined. But later on, our CSE teacher mentioned that a certain question was rather tricky as it required us to identify as well that 2002 was the year in which power was transferred from Jiang Zemin to Hu Jintao, which I didn't quite identify (and I think the rest of the class), so that was a little bummer-ish. But all in all, I still felt alright.
Economics Paper 1 (Case Studies): Time wasn't quite on my side here, as I would have liked to finish up the last question of the second case study in a more full and polished manner. Anyhow, I felt that I actually understood most of the questions this time round (sometimes in school exams I never really quite answered to the point), and managed to provide pointed answers. So that was good. Other than that, the content material was quite understandable as well.
China Studies in English Paper 2 (Essays): The content knowledge that was required for the six essay questions was familiar to me, but again, the phrasing of certain questions left quite a lot of doubt due to the ambiguity generated. Nonetheless, I chose only the questions that I felt I was more capable in. The compulsory question was the most challenging for me, because it required analysis based on social and economic factors, and I wasn't sure whether to analyse them separately or in tandem, so I did both. The essay structure which I adopted for I think all of the questions was also slightly different. Instead of the factor-aligned structure which had been stressed upon the most during class, I opted for a more analytical approach, trying to inject more depth as and when I could, instead of only at the conclusion. It felt a little experimental, but I also felt more secure in doing that, especially since its the subject's first major appearance in the local A level syllabus.
Literature in English Paper 4 (Imagining Other Worlds): There was a rather lengthy break between this final paper and the previous one, but I tried to put the time to good use to study and just gear up for the final leg in this race. The questions were understandable, but I felt that my answer to the Practical Criticism component was a little too simple, though very understandable. I felt that the other two essays were more well-done, in that I actually put in more of what I learnt into them.
Okay, so there it is, my humble evaluation of the papers. Whatever the results, to God be the glory. (:
Saturday, January 10, 2009
pseudo-EMO
It's funny how I miss school a little, missing the activity and the bustle of it, and maybe it's also because I don't get to see schoolmates as often now. Yet I wouldn't want to go back to school in a different capacity, say as a senior or even as a teacher; it just isn't quite the same. Maybe it's because it had been a full four years there, so bonds and relationships forged there perhaps run a little deeper, and memories linger longer.
I felt the same way leaving two years of secondary school behind. While maybe I didn't quite like the curriculum and those who imparted it then, I did have quite a few friends that, on hindsight, I found quite hard to leave without feeling even a little tinge of sadness. I still keep in touch with some of them, but as it is always, it isn't quite the same.
But this time, I believe these same emotions would definitely be stronger (even though I believe most of my friends think me almost emotionless). The end of 2008 signalled a closure to many things I had been previously familiar with, education and all. Perhaps the advancement to something more foreign and the reluctant venture out of my comfort zone leaves me a little helpless, and honestly it is quite distressing.
But leaving so much behind and all the what-could-have-been feelings... sigh.
I felt the same way leaving two years of secondary school behind. While maybe I didn't quite like the curriculum and those who imparted it then, I did have quite a few friends that, on hindsight, I found quite hard to leave without feeling even a little tinge of sadness. I still keep in touch with some of them, but as it is always, it isn't quite the same.
But this time, I believe these same emotions would definitely be stronger (even though I believe most of my friends think me almost emotionless). The end of 2008 signalled a closure to many things I had been previously familiar with, education and all. Perhaps the advancement to something more foreign and the reluctant venture out of my comfort zone leaves me a little helpless, and honestly it is quite distressing.
But leaving so much behind and all the what-could-have-been feelings... sigh.
Monday, January 05, 2009
things that go on at a typical barbecue
- Prawns that are half-cooked but taste just as nice.
- Chicken wings that are half-cooked but taste just as nice.
- The SISTER being the proud cook of the aforementioned items, toiling over the open fire with surprising enthusiasm. The marathon chef, as she is called - even the UNCLE had less endurance.
- A debate over whether the sugar in the marinade caused the carbon build-up on the wings - a debate that never fails to arise during bbqs, whether with the MOTHER'S side or not.
- The clever innovation that was our very own marshmallow roasters - sticks that stick out of the grill at such beautiful angles to roast them mallows nicely, which produce wonderful saggy and rippling curves of brown, freckled crust and soft, woozy filling.
- The downing of red wine which awakens allergic reactions in me - though I don't actually mind; I don't fancy alcohol.
- A gathering of the family and all its nice, warm, fuzzy feelings - even if we do turn to what's on TV later on.
Thursday, January 01, 2009
new year
So it's the new year.
Spent the time up to countdown (and about 4 hours thereafter!) with some of my cell group friends, over games and a potluck supper, just talking, eating and card playing, enjoying their company. Hopefully, for this new year, we'll be able to 'grow up well', so to speak.
So I woke up at around 2 plus in the afternoon. For lunch, the MOTHER invited over some of her friends for an authentically Peranakan new year lunch. She even dressed up in a pink-dominated sarong kebaya, and modelled a hair bun, to top the look off. Most of our family has been bitten by the Little Nyonya bug, so I guess that's why. The food was really good, with the whatever-whatever udang being the best.
Then I played with the RABBIT (it's in caps because it's now part of the family). It was a Christmas gift from one of the MOTHER'S friends, for the SISTER. But I play with it a lot.
Ok so the SISTER named it Lovely. What a lovely name.
But I call it Ah Nia, haha. And somehow it stuck. So it's now Ah Nia (which sort of means 'lady' or 'woman' or something, the term itself connoting some form of respect or reverence, I think).
So now it's as if the rabbit is some revered demi-god. But no it's not. Ah Nia is basically brown all over, with a grey tinge on its underbelly and feet. Its ears have a black outline, or as I like to know it, thick earshadow. It has a big brown patch that covers its nose and the part above it, so it looks as if its nose is two times too big for it. Best part of all, it's really not so smart, and looks like a beaver (sort of) if you cover its ears with your hand. And it's really a bit of a glutton.
So as some people call it, it is cute.
But I prefer to think of it as Lovely.
Just like I hope the new year will be. Thank God.
Spent the time up to countdown (and about 4 hours thereafter!) with some of my cell group friends, over games and a potluck supper, just talking, eating and card playing, enjoying their company. Hopefully, for this new year, we'll be able to 'grow up well', so to speak.
So I woke up at around 2 plus in the afternoon. For lunch, the MOTHER invited over some of her friends for an authentically Peranakan new year lunch. She even dressed up in a pink-dominated sarong kebaya, and modelled a hair bun, to top the look off. Most of our family has been bitten by the Little Nyonya bug, so I guess that's why. The food was really good, with the whatever-whatever udang being the best.
Then I played with the RABBIT (it's in caps because it's now part of the family). It was a Christmas gift from one of the MOTHER'S friends, for the SISTER. But I play with it a lot.
Ok so the SISTER named it Lovely. What a lovely name.
But I call it Ah Nia, haha. And somehow it stuck. So it's now Ah Nia (which sort of means 'lady' or 'woman' or something, the term itself connoting some form of respect or reverence, I think).
So now it's as if the rabbit is some revered demi-god. But no it's not. Ah Nia is basically brown all over, with a grey tinge on its underbelly and feet. Its ears have a black outline, or as I like to know it, thick earshadow. It has a big brown patch that covers its nose and the part above it, so it looks as if its nose is two times too big for it. Best part of all, it's really not so smart, and looks like a beaver (sort of) if you cover its ears with your hand. And it's really a bit of a glutton.
So as some people call it, it is cute.
But I prefer to think of it as Lovely.
Just like I hope the new year will be. Thank God.
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