Monday, 17 April 2006

blogger hates me...

Happy 22nd to Lester, Linus, and Swee San!!!



Seems like blogger and firefox dun get along anymore everytime I try to post a new entry in firefox, it crashes.... so I am FORCED to update my blog (hopefully only for now) using IE.....

Anyways, some quick updates before I get stuck in the exam runt.... Firstly, the friend that I have been blogging about ain't mad at me anymore ^^ *phew* Well, she says she hasn't quite forgiven me about my attitude during the project, and I understand that, I really am glad that she isn't pissed anymore ^^ Still have a couple of friends to patch up with, though I shldn't risk further aggravating them during the exam period... Really do hope that I can make up with them.

Next, dad gave the green light for the internship!! *bounces* So off to Hiroshima for me! Now, to wait and see if any of my Japanese 5 friends manage to get one of the 2 places after the interviews.... Feel so nervous for them... Know of at least 5 of them who applied but didn't get in, and there are only 2 places... Want ALL of them to get in, but guess that ain't possible... Shall have to wait til Thu morning then...

Finally done with ALL my assignments, and can concentrate on MUGGING Well, my exam schedule is up for all those who are interested.... This time round, I REALLY have something(s) on that would keep me going through the PILES of mugging....
(1) Openwater course finally becoming a reality in May before I go off for...
(2) 3-week internship in Hiroshima, after which I would be back to start on my Honours project before starting on...
(3) Special semester with LSM4263 Field Studies in Biodiversity, an intensive 3 weeks that includes a 1-week fieldtrip to Tioman (for the THIRD time~~)
(4) And of course, there's always my anime and dramas and books that are beckoning to me~~~

Busy busy busy....
Click for the rambling...

Friday, 14 April 2006

go figure....

Just after settling my enrollment for the field studies module during the hols, I am pleasantly surprised with the email informing that I somehow got selected for the Hiroshima internship ^^ *does a little jig* Tho' still waiting for my dad to give the green light that he wld be covering for my expenses, or else I would be more than hardpressed to go... Still recovering from the homestay, AND trying to fund my own openwater.... Only know one other friend who got in. Pity that most of my friends didn't get in, really wonder why... Thought I already submitted rather late... *keeps fingers crossed* Really do hope that Dad's gonna fund me.... Even if none of the jobs are directly related to my major but would still like to get some experience working in Japan....

On the downside, me getting selected seems to haf riffled more than a few feathers.... 2 other frens (that I dinnoe applied for this) seem to be somewat upset that I got in and they din.. Wonder how they even found out.. (maybe from my MSN nick but then I dinnoe abt it at that time) Was surprised when one of them SMSed me yesterday asking abt it, esp since she seems to be pissed at me the past few weeks (things HAVE felt awkward and I haf no idea how to go abt patching things up).... After cfming that I did apply and get thru, I get this SMS "If u're not interested in e hiroshima one, can pls withdraw? xxx (the other fren) is v upset abt not getting. If some1 withdraws @ least she has a chance." Before then, I cld only establish that she also applied but dinnoe if she got selected or not, so I just checked with her, and I get "Yes, only you and aaa (yet another fren) got in. Happy?" Really sounds like I did a bad thing by applying.... Tho' I dun see the prob w me applying, and I dun even noe how they selected lor... Plus I din say submit the application til the Friday before the dateline... Was gonna brush it off as carrying fwd of the awkwardness and un-friendliness btwn the 2 of us til I read her blog.... Feel grossly misunderstood.... Come on! I din apply just so that I cld "book" a place and deprive u guys of a space!! Just being one of the dunno-how-many-pple who have an interest in Japan.... Seems like I have developed this knack for riling up pple against me recently....

so yah, go figure, and any constructive advice/inputs are more than welcome....

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EDIT (18.30h)
And she responds.... Ah yesh, do admit that I was more than anal during the project (esp towards the ends of the entire thing), and really troubled you guys a lot more than I should have. I'm really sorry for all the trouble and added work that you had to put in, and I did apologise for it. Yesh, we were ALL busy and I had loads of cockups that resulted in tonnes of problems for the rest.... I was definitely in the wrong for that incident. Hontou ni warukatta. Not that I think that things would immediately go back to how it was before but would I even have a second chance at being friends?

Not gg to go into anymore detail... Dun wanna have this turn into some kinda blog squabble or wateva... Plus, wat has that gotta do w the internship thingie?
Click for the rambling...

Wednesday, 12 April 2006

last few days of sem....

Finally wrapped up my UROPS with my last oral examination ^^ Now have to make appointment to discuss possible honours project with Jani and Prof.... Just left with the last 3262 practical tmr afternoon and the 71 viva tomorrow nite... Speaking of which I FLUNKED my 3262 CA... 20% of my grades DOWN THE DRAIN.... the silver lining to the dark cloud is that our group assignment was a decent grade.... really need that 60% of the finals to get me a decent grade..... *outs on mugging cap and hope it's not too late*

Japanese 0ral later this evening... hope I dun pull Yilin dn along with me.... Still have behavioral and tumor assignments to finish by this weekend as well, and the NANA translation job (why does chp 54 haf so much dialogue?!) Must try and make sure my CAP remains above 3.5....

Anyways, seems like I probably would be able to take BOTH biz jap and jap 6 next AY, assuming that there are NO timetable clashes ^^ Signed up for the field studies module during special sem, so I no longer need to take developmental bio~~ *yay* there goes 3 weeks in July, but I get to go to Tioman again for a week ^^ Love doing field studies there! So good that Tioman has so many diff types of habitats within walking distance of Paya Beach Resort ^^
Click for the rambling...

Sunday, 9 April 2006

hotaru no haka

5 min into watching the live action re-make of the Studio Ghibli anime, and I am already tearing... This movie was made to make the 60th anniversary of the end of WWII, and ever since watching the the anime the first time round a few years back, I can't help but recall this movie when I see a box/tin of those Meiji Fruitdrop sweets... *cries some more* War is heart wrenching, esp so when you think about the civilians who are trying so hard to survive... oh, the children.... This year would mark the 61st anniversary of the end of WWII and I really hope that there would NEVER ever be a WWIII, and that NOBODY would have to suffer from the effects of another nuclear bomb (or anything as horrifying) *shudder* Memories of the artifacts and vids we saw at the Hiroshima A-Bomb Museum start coming to mind... Think I shld pay a visit there again when I am back in Hiroshima (hopefully in May for the internship)

*goes back to the movie and a tear-fest*

2.5h later.....
Nice seeing a new perspective to the original anime, with the introduction of another family (that DOES survive the war) to tell the story as a kinda flashback from 2005, and set in Kobe during the war years (Showa period), and atempts to make it a little more realistic than 2 children trying to survive all on their own during the last year of WWII. But isn't Sawano Hisako too harsh on the 2 kids, all the same? War and hunger just seems to bring out the worst in humans, but isn't there some way to survive together cooperatively? Or am I just being over-idealistic?
Click for the rambling...

Tuesday, 4 April 2006

still alive... barely..

*sigh* exams are nearing... but still have like 3 assignments to go... the big UROPS report was in last week, and now I'm left with the oral examination-cum-grilling session by profs :( but at least the report is all done (except that there are just SO MANY grammar and lang prob with it... dun even dare ask Prof abt content errors... just wait to get roasted during the oral sessions lor...) Japanese individual report dued tmr (since my TB is tmr... why can't I be in the Thu TB?!), so I prob have a late night today, attempting to get 2000 words out in Japanese... Doesn't help that TA is til 8pm.... Then there's the reports for behavioral and tumor.... More worried for the tumour one... 900-word essay some more... at least for the behavioral one I have a choice between finishing up our 2nd observational journal or doing the short answer assignment.... and then there's the preparation for exams.... REALLY need to score for exams in all my bio mods since my UROPS is so mucked up (unless Prof decides to be uberly nice to me....), or else I *may* not be able to do honors..... *pulls out hair*

Kinda in dire straits now since my coherency level is like this... oh well.... back to mugging the near-to-2-page long vocab list for TA... dunno how many I can remember, but need to finish it up and then do the readings for tmr's behavioral discussions, as well as my Japanese 2000 word essay.....
Click for the rambling...