Another week of my very interesting life

Let me go in reverse chronological order:

1. Last night, Abi and I stayed over at Amanda's house. We wanted to celebrate her 20th birthday [Happy birthday, Amanda!!] but come to think of it, we didn't really celebrate officially. We talked a lot, some rubbish some serious. We gave some really funny advice to Abi that traumatized her. I don't think I can say it here, ask her! AND...

We painted our nails!!! I was the manicurist. I purposely bought the multi-purpose base coat+top coat+clear shine polish yesterday. Amanda and Abi are pretty noob when it comes to nail polish. So, usually you have to put one base coat, 2 paint coats and one top coat. That's 4 coats! I painted for their finger nails and my own toe nails. It was so girls' night out. Amanda's mum baked the best banana muffins with chocolate chips. It was the most banana-eey muffin ever, I think they just whacked the bananas mans.

Amanda and Abigail, you girls are my bestest friends. I love you and really appreciate you. You guys give great advice and support. Who needs boys when I have you? :)

2. I watched Funny people with Josh last week, thereby continuing my movie-once-a-week streak. I keep talking abt that because I used to watch movies like once in 3 months. This movie-watching behavior is so new to me. Anyway, we watched it at Illuma Film Garde cinema. There weren't student tickets! It was M18, meaning lotsa F words, and one or two nude scenes. But it was a good movie! Quite draggy, but great script, very sharp and witty. Adam Sandler was awesome.

3. I've been playing l4d. Twice in the last two days. XIAO right? Cos I'm so not that type of girl. I guess you should never put one in a box. Amanda just suggested going for another session of l4d later. NUTS, absolutely. And 8 hours ago, she said she's not going to touch l4d again. [for a long time at least]

Well, ciao. :) Have a great week, y'all!

True or false

Yesterday, I planned to eat Macs for dinner. Throughout Finance class, I pictured my McChicken, plain, and 1 apple pie. But unexpectedly, I was to eat with a group mate, whom I was going to have a meeting with after dinner anyway. My Mac dinner was dashed; We ate at Koufu. I told him about my Mac dinner plan.

"Why didn't you tell me you wanted Macs?"
"Cos I know you're anti-Mac!"
"How would you know?"
"It's true right?"
"Yeah."

How did I know? Call it intuition, whatever. I believe, our physical being and personality can give off huge signals about ourselves. We may not catch all aspects of a person's total-ness, but who can? I don't even understand myself sometimes, only God knows each one of us perfectly. Anyway, I always hear people claim, "I'm different. I'm actually very introvert/extrovert. Most people don't realise this certain thing about me" And so on. Really? I think FEW people are difficult to read. These few people are often either in a world of their own or have a damn high self-monitoring disposition. [that's an MPW term!]

Anyway, my friend and I played a game during dinner. We are to make observations of each other by saying quite specific statements which are either true or false. A true statement earns you one point. The first to 5 points win. I kept shooting off statements like, 'You like your poodle more than your golden retriever [false]', '60% of your T shirts are white. [false]', 'You were from a sports cca in JC [true]'... In any case, I lost. My friend came up with much fewer statements about me, but they were more accurate.

'You are close to your parents.' True.
'You hate soft toys.' I declared that this is not counted cos many girls feel that way at my age.
'You don't wear dresses' Generally true.
'You never had a boyfriend.' True. I'm still trying to figure how he came to this conclusion.

I can't remember the last one. I really should have won.

The little Prince and his rose

Before he left his planet, the little prince said "I ought not to have listened to her. One never ought to listen to flowers. One should simply look at them and breathe their fragrance. Mine perfumed all my planet. But I did not know how to take pleasure in all her grace. This tale of claws, which disturbed me so much, should only have filled my heart with tenderness and pity.

The fact is that I did not know how to understand anything! I ought to have judged by deeds and not by words. She cast her fragrance and her radiance over me. I ought never to have run away from her... I ought to have guessed all the affection that lay behind her poor little strategems. Flowers are so inconsistent! But I was too young to know how to love her."

Women are flowers.

Inglourious Bastards

I watched it with Amanda and Joshua yesterday. We sneaked in Lay, Ruffles and some other snack that I couldn't make out in the dark. Forget the snacks, the movie is good! There was too much killing though, but throughout the movie, the mood is rather light then tense, then funny. Your emotions go on a roller coaster with Inglourious Bastards.

1/3 of the movie's in English, the rest was like French and German. And since I cannot tell the difference between either, had to call on Joshua to let me know who is speaking what. My favourite character was Colonel Landa, the sharp evil detective with a very warp sense of humour.

I've been watching a movie a week, and usually people is quite impressed with how much time I have. But Lebbeus said that he watches 2 a week, ha, so I'm not that bad. :)

Healthcare in Singapore

With the recent fuss about reforming health care systems in the US, I started to wonder, what exactly makes up the health care system in Singapore? Yeah, we all know, because we hear from people, that it's super efficient, super successful and great financing schemes. But do you really know how is works? Shame on you, Singaporeans.

So, tell me the difference between Medifund, Medishield, Eldershield and Medisave.
You can check http://www.watsonwyatt.com/europe/pubs/healthcare/render2.asp?ID=13850 to find out.

I also went to Wikipedia to check out "Health care in Singapore". [No actually, I first Yahoo-ed it, which led to Wikipedia. And yes, I'm so geeky.] Some sentences which are strange and that I don't agree with:

1. Singapore's system uses a combination of compulsory savings from payroll deductions (funded by both employers and workers) a nationalized catastrophic health insurance plan...(italics my own)

How in the world is our health insurance plan a catastrophic one???

2. Singapore's medical facilities are among the finest in the world, with well qualified doctors and dentists, many trained overseas. (Once again, italics my own)

It is, yes it is, implied here that doctors trained overseas are better. Excuse me, to the person who wrote that article, a lot of so-called 'trained-overseas' doctors went overseas because they couldn't get into our local med school in the first place. Yes, NUS med school is that good. And yeah of course, there are exceptions la, some singaporeans have gone to Ivy league med schools.
After reading all that I read, I felt some pride in our nation. God has really blessed Singapore much.

Expectations

Taken from Jonavan's blog http://historymakers-jonavan.blogspot.com/

"My NS expectations

I decided to put this document here so that all those that see it can come and ask me and check with me regularly if I've been fulfilling all that I want to fulfill :) Haha.

Expectations of my 2 years in NS

1) Stand for my convictions and “resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)

2) Give my best and do “it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”(Colossians 3:23-24)

3) Be a testimony through my actions and to “do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should not only look to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4)

4) Be a testimony through my speech. I should neither “let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29) “Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving” (Ephesians 5:4)

5) Glorify God in camp through my speech and actions “that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16)

6) Persevere with a smile “because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance” (James 1:3) “and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

7) Reach out to all my friends in camp and to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19) verbally and through my life testimony.

I pray that God will give me strength to abide by these :)

Do keep me prayer! :) haha. I'll see all of you after two weeks of isolation :)

Bye! :D

Posted by Jonavan"

I hope you're encouraged by it!

Week 5

Week 5!!! 'It's Week 5!' is probably the sentence of the week. Every class I go, I would ask, how are you. And I usually get that reply. A Swiss lady, an exchange student, asked me, 'I keep hearing that, is it supposed to mean anything?' Means no more walking, now need to jog to keep up with work.

1. I watch The Ugly Truth with Joshua this week. My movie-watching rate is once a week. I'm so cool.

2. Before choir recruited new people, we were a 24-strong choir. We accepted 26 new people! Now we're huge!

3. Fatimah invited me to her house this evening, for Hari Raya Puasa. Food was good. It's a pity my good friends couldn't make. I enjoyed myself, but in the company of new people, must deal with ambiguity.

4. I learned today. Do not say, 'Hey you remind me of so-and-so!'. You can only say that to someone if you are comparing upwards. For e.g. "you remind me a little of this Korean actress.' Not "you remind me of this girl in my class, so and so, you know her?' 99% of the time, unless that referent girl is hot, the person you are speaking to will be offended, be it openly or inwardly.