我是一个喜欢呆在家里的人

Miss having the time and 闲情逸致 to do nothing, stay at home and read a book. Meanwhile let me think happy thoughts about Hongkong to keep myself going!

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Trying to make time to read: Hard Times by Charles Dickens

Deuter ACT Lite 40 + 10

Splurged on this huge backpack today. The first step towards my becoming a real hiker/trekker/backpacker! Wah these things really don't come cheap. I tried begging the lao3 ban3 niang2 to lower the price but she wouldn't budge. Shall bring it to Hongkong and Alaska :) So big... I tried putting a sleeping bag in it and it miraculously disappeared into the cavernous depths :p Bought this so I won't repeat the mistake of having to drag a piece of luggage all over the place. That gets irritating after a while, especially on self-planned trips like mine where I don't get any airport transfers and such. Poor mah!

Anyway, introducing the ACT Lite 40 + 10:
An extra light touring backpack suitable for multi-day trips. Formable aluminium X-frame. Compact bilaminate hip belt. Pocket lid with front pocket and valuables pocket, compression straps, elastic cord attachment, stabiliser straps, stowaway ice axe loops, two mesh side pockets, inner separator pocket, separate bottom compartment with pocket, double bottom.

Weight 1700 g
Capacity 40+10 l
Dimensions 64/37/25 (H/B/T)
Material Deuter-Ripstop-Nylon


Wish I had an ice axe! That would be cool~

Pride and Prejudice

Watched a really enjoyable movie today! Pride and Prejudice is the first movie I've really enjoyed watching in a long time. I actually started out watching Perhaps Love (only watched it cos of Takeshi Kaneshiro), but it turned out to be pretty weird and boring. So I left the cinema halfway and went in to watch Pride and Prejudice after a trip to the loo. It paid off! The movie is intelligent, humorous and well-paced, and doesn't depend on fancy CGI thingies to make it good. But then again, I'm not sure its the kind of movie everyone would like. Heh. But I loved it anyhow! The English countryside looks so beautiful :)

Panasonic VS2

Happy! Just got myself a new toy with which to amuse myself for a few days. Okay so I got the phone cos its pink. I admit it. But I'm quite happy cos its just like a Japanese cell phone, and I've wanted one for so long. I tried getting one when I was in Japan but they were all incompatible with our sim cards so couldn't. The screen is really excellent. My only gripe would be that there's no expandable memory. There's no Bluetooth but then again Bluetooth isn't that important to me. VS stands for visual slim and this is the first GSM handset to sport a 16 million color QVGA display. I was always a little resistant to clamshells cos I thought they'd be hard to open but this phone has a button you press and it pops open heh.






I got the pink one :)

Log of Nuah Day 1

Nuah-ing was pleasantly satisfactory today :) As I mentioned, I didn't quite stay at home all day. I went out once in the afternoon to meet the Sembawang Sec Sch teacher and once to go exercise in the park below my house. I also read a book. I am happy!

Regarding the teacher aide thing, I am beginning to have my doubts. First of all, the teacher I was supposed to meet lives 5 blocks away from me and yet she chose to meet me at the McDonald's across the road, making us both have to walk there in the hot sun. Doesn't make sense. Next, she proceeded to show me all the materials she brought along with her regarding my duties and so on. She told me that the school has allocated me 30 hours with which to help 2 groups of students complete their respective projects, ie 15 hours each. The school will only pay me for a maximum of 30 hours. Being the (responsible) person I am, I asked is it ok if I exceed the 15 hours if necessary, so that I ensure that they do finish the project if I'm willing to not be paid for the extra hours? She said sure, then went on to show me the timeline for the projects, which clearly listed out a total of 22 hours for each group. So effectively, she is telling me that I will only be paid for 15 hours but I am scheduled to work 22 hours. -deep breath- I have a feeling I am going to be taken advantage of, and will have to spend many, many hours imparting knowledge to students who don't have the foggiest idea about what research is. The teacher kept telling me that she thinks they're enthusiastic. Thanks, that doesn't encourage me much :p What makes me saddest, is that she said I'll only be paid in February. -sob-

On a brighter note, my tuition kid's mom called and asked me to tutor her on alternate days for the remainder of this month! Must brush up on my physics and chem. Goodness, all my income in the foreseeable future comes from education. I still don't wanna be a teacher though. I like kids, but I don't wanna be responsible for them.

I tried calling up travel agencies for deals to Thailand today. Don't ask me why, I'm crazy I know, no money still thinking of going for umpteen holidays. Unfortunately, they're all very expensive. Seems improbable.

Am scheduled to go for an interview at Recruit Express tomorrow. Think I shall skip it. Firstly, they never ever get back to me. Secondly, I suppose tuition will be taking up lots of my time. Thirdly, it will interfere with Nuah Day 2. Hehe :)

Beginning of Nuah Day 1 and 2

I have decided to stay at home and not go out for 2 days starting tomorrow. I haven't had a real break since the exams ended. Dunno doing what also, meeting friends, going to work, going to school for teacher aide training and to meet professors. Is this what holidays is about? Though I say I won't be going out for 2 days (beyond that I have commitments once again), I actually have to meet the teacher I'll be working with from Sembawang Secondary School tomorrow to talk about the projects we'll be working on. To see things from a positive viewpoint, that means money! I really hope the students won't be too tough to handle. Though intelligent students are good in the sense that they don't make your blood boil by making terribly stupid statements, they can give headaches if they ask too difficult questions also.

Since I will be home for the next 2 days (minus the time I take to meet the teacher), I shall take the opportunity to nuah properly, pack up my room a little and brush up on my 'O level Chemistry and Physics. My ex-student's sister called to ask me to tutor her for the holidays. Her pattern is such that she stumbles her way through the academic year without really learning anything, then hopes for miracles during the holidays. Very good. Fortunately, 'O level Chemistry and Physics is not too difficult, I hope/think. Anyway I need the moolah to fund my holidays. I think I am slightly getting on my Mum's nerves by wanting to go here and go there all the time, but cannot help it, I really have travel-itis. New destination I have my eye on: Laos. Of course Korea and Europe are my primary destinations next up on the list after Hongkong and Alaska. And my Japanese exchange student friend recently returned from a trip to India, and I read in an adventure magazine that it has excellent white water rafting. A month ago you could have threatened me at knife point and I wouldn't have considered going there, but I think I am slowly getting more receptive to the idea. I also want to see places like Bhutan and Romania etc etc. Exotic, untouristy, uncommon places good!

On another note, I have finished reading the Life of Pi. Its not bad as far as having a good imagination is concerned, but its quite gross sometimes with the graphic descriptions of Pi having to eat various innards, brains and so on of other creatures while he was stuck at sea with a Bengal tiger. Yep.

To end off, nuah-ing 是天下的一大乐事！I shall go ごろごろする　：）