There is an awful lot of lupine howling going on downstairs.
Then again, it is the full moon.
Friday, June 01, 2007
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Super Duper Overdue Entry
A month or so ago I met up with one of my friends, who is very dear to me because I can talk about certain things with her that I cannot discuss with anyone else I know (for those gossipmongers reading my blog, I have to disappoint you-- nothing to do with sordid secrets).
Anyway, we went to Hyde Park to admire the spring flush of flowers and to feed the (frankly very scary) waterfowl. Treated my poor unsuspecting friend to a one-hour lecture on bird identification and behaviour. Sat on the grass by the Italian fountains and discussed apples.
Then we walked to the Natural History Museum, where we sat on a bench outside to catch our breath and watch a little pigeon porn. After which we went inside to look at the exhibits, and discoursed at great length on minerology and paleobiology.
The end of the obligatory blog entry.
Anyway, we went to Hyde Park to admire the spring flush of flowers and to feed the (frankly very scary) waterfowl. Treated my poor unsuspecting friend to a one-hour lecture on bird identification and behaviour. Sat on the grass by the Italian fountains and discussed apples.
Then we walked to the Natural History Museum, where we sat on a bench outside to catch our breath and watch a little pigeon porn. After which we went inside to look at the exhibits, and discoursed at great length on minerology and paleobiology.
The end of the obligatory blog entry.
Friday, May 04, 2007
Now for Some Cultural Brainwashing.
Because there is too much "pop" music in this world.
Remember the true geniuses that lived.
Here is Rachmaninov's Elegie, performed by the composer himself-- a lament for the forgotten dead.
Remember the true geniuses that lived.
Here is Rachmaninov's Elegie, performed by the composer himself-- a lament for the forgotten dead.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Some Scientists....
The mind boggles.
Do read the first article (though the rest are pretty interesting too).
Choice quotes:
"drakes probably use their penises like bottle-brushes"
"it was 32.5 cm long when hanging under the force of gravity"
Ah, evolution.
Do read the first article (though the rest are pretty interesting too).
Choice quotes:
"drakes probably use their penises like bottle-brushes"
"it was 32.5 cm long when hanging under the force of gravity"
Ah, evolution.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Pratchett Madness
I am very, very fond of Terry Pratchett's books. Here are some quotes from the books I've read:
"...my father is the Emperor of Klatch and my mother is a small tray of raspberry puddings."
-- Agnes tells Christine about herself (Terry Pratchett, Maskerade)
Ahahahahaha! Ahahahaha! Aahahaha!BEWARE!!!!!Yrs sincerelyThe Opera Ghost
-- (Terry Pratchett, Maskerade)
"That's right," he said. "We're philosophers. We think, therefore we am."
-- (Terry Pratchett, Small Gods)
He says gods like to see an atheist around. Gives them something to aim at."
-- (Terry Pratchett, Small Gods)
"I used to think that I was stupid, and then I met philosophers."
-- (Terry Pratchett, Small Gods)
"Give a man a fire and he's warm for a day, but set fire to him and he's warm for the rest of his life."
-- (Terry Pratchett, Jingo)
"Remember -- that which does not kill us can only make us stronger."
"And that which does kill us leaves us dead!"
-- (Terry Pratchett, Carpe Jugulum)
The kraken stirs. And ten billion sushi dinners cry out for vengeance.
-- (Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman, Good Omens)
"?" he said.
-- (Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman, Good Omens)
In the Beginning It was a nice day.
-- (Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman, Good Omens)
There were no public health laws in Ankh-Morpork. It would be like installing smoke detectors in Hell.
-- (Terry Pratchett, Feet of Clay)
Much thanks to the website "The Pratchett Quote File" http://www.ie.lspace.org/books/pqf/index.html
"...my father is the Emperor of Klatch and my mother is a small tray of raspberry puddings."
-- Agnes tells Christine about herself (Terry Pratchett, Maskerade)
Ahahahahaha! Ahahahaha! Aahahaha!BEWARE!!!!!Yrs sincerelyThe Opera Ghost
-- (Terry Pratchett, Maskerade)
"That's right," he said. "We're philosophers. We think, therefore we am."
-- (Terry Pratchett, Small Gods)
He says gods like to see an atheist around. Gives them something to aim at."
-- (Terry Pratchett, Small Gods)
"I used to think that I was stupid, and then I met philosophers."
-- (Terry Pratchett, Small Gods)
"Give a man a fire and he's warm for a day, but set fire to him and he's warm for the rest of his life."
-- (Terry Pratchett, Jingo)
"Remember -- that which does not kill us can only make us stronger."
"And that which does kill us leaves us dead!"
-- (Terry Pratchett, Carpe Jugulum)
The kraken stirs. And ten billion sushi dinners cry out for vengeance.
-- (Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman, Good Omens)
"?" he said.
-- (Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman, Good Omens)
In the Beginning It was a nice day.
-- (Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman, Good Omens)
There were no public health laws in Ankh-Morpork. It would be like installing smoke detectors in Hell.
-- (Terry Pratchett, Feet of Clay)
Much thanks to the website "The Pratchett Quote File" http://www.ie.lspace.org/books/pqf/index.html
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Fell Off the Bloody Horse
Had riding lessons today, which was meant to be fun. The horses wouldn't move at first, and when they did they were being rather reluctant and slow. I had to change horses with another rider at one point-- her horse absolutely refused to move, and the instructor apparently thinks I kick harder, for some inexplicable reason. Anyway there were three of us: me, the girl I switched horses with (we've both been riding for a term and a half) and another girl (who hadn't been riding for four months and had had a grand total of two lessons thus far). There was awful weather-- wind howling outside and rain beating madly on the roofs, and the horses got a bit skittish, I suppose.
And they bolted. All three of them. And we all fell off. At the same time. "Synchronised falling," my instructor called it. "Didn't know who to look at."
I still don't know what happened-- I was in the lead, as usual, and have absolutely no idea what was going on behind. From what I can gather it was Royale (the chestnut mare the "new" girl was riding) who spooked and started running. That spooked the horse behind me (Tonto, who was originally the one I was riding), who then spooked my horse (Boysie). So I abruptly found myself galloping across the arena, and oddly enough my only thought was "Huh?". I vaguely remember leaning back and trying to pull on the reins before hitting the ground.
Fell on my head, but somehow managed to pull a calf muscle. The first thing I thought was "I've got to get this to the drycleaner's", and I think the first thing I said was "Yeah, what?" in response to "Gladys?!"
I'm not that displeased about falling off (it didn't really hurt, except for the muscle, and it had to happen sometime...), but I really question the judgement of them putting the new girl on Royale, who, in my opinion, is the flightiest horse in the stables, not to mention a bit cranky. I've seen her bolt twice now, and both riders on both occasions fell off. And the crazy thing just kept galloping around even after we were all on the ground, when Boysie and Tonto had the good grace to stop and look ever so slightly abashed.
Oh, and I lost my keys.
And they bolted. All three of them. And we all fell off. At the same time. "Synchronised falling," my instructor called it. "Didn't know who to look at."
I still don't know what happened-- I was in the lead, as usual, and have absolutely no idea what was going on behind. From what I can gather it was Royale (the chestnut mare the "new" girl was riding) who spooked and started running. That spooked the horse behind me (Tonto, who was originally the one I was riding), who then spooked my horse (Boysie). So I abruptly found myself galloping across the arena, and oddly enough my only thought was "Huh?". I vaguely remember leaning back and trying to pull on the reins before hitting the ground.
Fell on my head, but somehow managed to pull a calf muscle. The first thing I thought was "I've got to get this to the drycleaner's", and I think the first thing I said was "Yeah, what?" in response to "Gladys?!"
I'm not that displeased about falling off (it didn't really hurt, except for the muscle, and it had to happen sometime...), but I really question the judgement of them putting the new girl on Royale, who, in my opinion, is the flightiest horse in the stables, not to mention a bit cranky. I've seen her bolt twice now, and both riders on both occasions fell off. And the crazy thing just kept galloping around even after we were all on the ground, when Boysie and Tonto had the good grace to stop and look ever so slightly abashed.
Oh, and I lost my keys.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Evilness
I believe some of my friends out there have plans to take over the world. So, here's a brief guideline:
The Top 100 Things I'd Do If I Ever Became An Evil Overlord
The Top 100 Things I'd Do If I Ever Became An Evil Overlord
This Evil Overlord List is Copyright 1996-1997 by Peter Anspach. If you enjoy it, feel free to pass it along or post it anywhere, provided that (1) it is not altered in any way, and (2) this copyright notice is attached.
1. My Legions of Terror will have helmets with clear plexiglass visors, not face-concealing ones.
2.My ventilation ducts will be too small to crawl through.
3.My noble half-brother whose throne I usurped will be killed, not kept anonymously imprisoned in a forgotten cell of my dungeon.
4.Shooting is not too good for my enemies.
5.The artifact which is the source of my power will not be kept on the Mountain of Despair beyond the River of Fire guarded by the Dragons of Eternity. It will be in my safe-deposit box. The same applies to the object which is my one weakness.
6.I will not gloat over my enemies' predicament before killing them.
7.When I've captured my adversary and he says, "Look, before you kill me, will you at least tell me what this is all about?" I'll say, "No." and shoot him. No, on second thought I'll shoot him then say "No."
8.After I kidnap the beautiful princess, we will be married immediately in a quiet civil ceremony, not a lavish spectacle in three weeks' time during which the final phase of my plan will be carried out.
9.I will not include a self-destruct mechanism unless absolutely necessary. If it is necessary, it will not be a large red button labelled "Danger: Do Not Push". The big red button marked "Do Not Push" will instead trigger a spray of bullets on anyone stupid enough to disregard it. Similarly, the ON/OFF switch will not clearly be labelled as such.
10.I will not interrogate my enemies in the inner sanctum -- a small hotel well outside my borders will work just as well.
11.I will be secure in my superiority. Therefore, I will feel no need to prove it by leaving clues in the form of riddles or leaving my weaker enemies alive to show they pose no threat.
12.One of my advisors will be an average five-year-old child. Any flaws in my plan that he is able to spot will be corrected before implementation.
13.All slain enemies will be cremated, or at least have several rounds of ammunition emptied into them, not left for dead at the bottom of the cliff. The announcement of their deaths, as well as any accompanying celebration, will be deferred until after the aforementioned disposal.
14.The hero is not entitled to a last kiss, a last cigarette, or any other form of last request.
15.I will never employ any device with a digital countdown. If I find that such a device is absolutely unavoidable, I will set it to activate when the counter reaches 117 and the hero is just putting his plan into operation.
16. I will never utter the sentence "But before I kill you, there's just one thing I want to know."
17. When I employ people as advisors, I will occasionally listen to their advice.
18.I will not have a son. Although his laughably under-planned attempt to usurp power would easily fail, it would provide a fatal distraction at a crucial point in time.
19.I will not have a daughter. She would be as beautiful as she was evil, but one look at the hero's rugged countenance and she'd betray her own father.
20.Despite its proven stress-relieving effect, I will not indulge in maniacal laughter. When so occupied, it's too easy to miss unexpected developments that a more attentive individual could adjust to accordingly.
21 . I will hire a talented fashion designer to create original uniforms for my Legions of Terror, as opposed to some cheap knock-offs that make them look like Nazi stormtroopers, Roman footsoldiers, or savage Mongol hordes. All were eventually defeated and I want my troops to have a more positive mind-set.
22. No matter how tempted I am with the prospect of unlimited power, I will not consume any energy field bigger than my head.
23. I will keep a special cache of low-tech weapons and train my troops in their use. That way -- even if the heroes manage to neutralize my power generator and/or render the standard-issue energy weapons useless -- my troops will not be overrun by a handful of savages armed with spears and rocks.
24. I will maintain a realistic assessment of my strengths and weaknesses. Even though this takes some of the fun out of the job, at least I will never utter the line "No, this cannot be! I AM INVINCIBLE!!!" (After that, death is usually instantaneous.)
25. No matter how well it would perform, I will never construct any sort of machinery which is completely indestructible except for one small and virtually inaccessible vulnerable spot.
26. No matter how attractive certain members of the rebellion are, there is probably someone just as attractive who is not desperate to kill me. Therefore, I will think twice before ordering a prisoner sent to my bedchamber.
27. I will never build only one of anything important. All important systems will have redundant control panels and power supplies. For the same reason I will always carry at least two fully loaded weapons at all times.
28. My pet monster will be kept in a secure cage from which it cannot escape and into which I could not accidentally stumble.
29. I will dress in bright and cheery colors, and so throw my enemies into confusion.
30.All bumbling conjurers, clumsy squires, no-talent bards, and cowardly thieves in the land will be preemptively put to death. My foes will surely give up and abandon their quest if they have no source of comic relief.
31.All naive, busty tavern wenches in my realm will be replaced with surly, world-weary waitresses who will provide no unexpected reinforcement and/or romantic subplot for the hero or his sidekick.
32. I will not fly into a rage and kill a messenger who brings me bad news just to illustrate how evil I really am. Good messengers are hard to come by.
33. I won't require high-ranking female members of my organization to wear a stainless-steel bustier. Morale is better with a more casual dress-code. Similarly, outfits made entirely from black leather will be reserved for formal occasions.
34. I will not turn into a snake. It never helps.
35. I will not grow a goatee. In the old days they made you look diabolic. Now they just make you look like a disaffected member of Generation X.
36. I will not imprison members of the same party in the same cell block, let alone the same cell. If they are important prisoners, I will keep the only key to the cell door on my person instead of handing out copies to every bottom-rung guard in the prison.
37. If my trusted lieutenant tells me my Legions of Terror are losing a battle, I will believe him. After all, he's my trusted lieutenant.
38. If an enemy I have just killed has a younger sibling or offspring anywhere, I will find them and have them killed immediately, instead of waiting for them to grow up harboring feelings of vengeance towards me in my old age.
39. If I absolutely must ride into battle, I will certainly not ride at the forefront of my Legions of Terror, nor will I seek out my opposite number among his army.
40. I will be neither chivalrous nor sporting. If I have an unstoppable superweapon, I will use it as early and as often as possible instead of keeping it in reserve.
41. Once my power is secure, I will destroy all those pesky time-travel devices.
42. When I capture the hero, I will make sure I also get his dog, monkey, ferret, or whatever sickeningly cute little animal capable of untying ropes and filching keys happens to follow him around.
43. I will maintain a healthy amount of skepticism when I capture the beautiful rebel and she claims she is attracted to my power and good looks and will gladly betray her companions if I just let her in on my plans.
44. I will only employ bounty hunters who work for money. Those who work for the pleasure of the hunt tend to do dumb things like even the odds to give the other guy a sporting chance.
45. I will make sure I have a clear understanding of who is responsible for what in my organization. For example, if my general screws up I will not draw my weapon, point it at him, say "And here is the price for failure," then suddenly turn and kill some random underling.
46. If an advisor says to me "My liege, he is but one man. What can one man possibly do?", I will reply "This." and kill the advisor.
47. If I learn that a callow youth has begun a quest to destroy me, I will slay him while he is still a callow youth instead of waiting for him to mature.
48. I will treat any beast which I control through magic or technology with respect and kindness. Thus if the control is ever broken, it will not immediately come after me for revenge.
49. If I learn the whereabouts of the one artifact which can destroy me, I will not send all my troops out to seize it. Instead I will send them out to seize something else and quietly put a Want-Ad in the local paper.
50. My main computers will have their own special operating system that will be completely incompatible with standard IBM and Macintosh powerbooks.
51. If one of my dungeon guards begins expressing concern over the conditions in the beautiful princess' cell, I will immediately transfer him to a less people-oriented position.
52. I will hire a team of board-certified architects and surveyors to examine my castle and inform me of any secret passages and abandoned tunnels that I might not know about.
53. If the beautiful princess that I capture says "I'll never marry you! Never, do you hear me, NEVER!!!", I will say "Oh well" and kill her.
54. I will not strike a bargain with a demonic being then attempt to double-cross it simply because I feel like being contrary.
55. The deformed mutants and odd-ball psychotics will have their place in my Legions of Terror. However before I send them out on important covert missions that require tact and subtlety, I will first see if there is anyone else equally qualified who would attract less attention.
56. My Legions of Terror will be trained in basic marksmanship. Any who cannot learn to hit a man-sized target at 10 meters will be used for target practice.
57. Before employing any captured artifacts or machinery, I will carefully read the owner's manual.
58. If it becomes necessary to escape, I will never stop to pose dramatically and toss off a one-liner.
59. I will never build a sentient computer smarter than I am.
60. My five-year-old child advisor will also be asked to decipher any code I am thinking of using. If he breaks the code in under 30 seconds, it will not be used. Note: this also applies to passwords.
61. If my advisors ask "Why are you risking everything on such a mad scheme?", I will not proceed until I have a response that satisfies them.
62. I will design fortress hallways with no alcoves or protruding structural supports which intruders could use for cover in a firefight.
63. Bulk trash will be disposed of in incinerators, not compactors. And they will be kept hot, with none of that nonsense about flames going through accessible tunnels at predictable intervals.
64. I will see a competent psychiatrist and get cured of all extremely unusual phobias and bizarre compulsive habits which could prove to be a disadvantage.
65. If I must have computer systems with publically available terminals, the maps they display of my complex will have a room clearly marked as the Main Control Room. That room will be the Execution Chamber. The actual main control room will be marked as Sewage Overflow Containment.
66. My security keypad will actually be a fingerprint scanner. Anyone who watches someone press a sequence of buttons or dusts the pad for fingerprints then subsequently tries to enter by repeating that sequence will trigger the alarm system.
67. No matter how many shorts we have in the system, my guards will be instructed to treat every surveillance camera malfunction as a full-scale emergency.
68. I will spare someone who saved my life sometime in the past. This is only reasonable as it encourages others to do so. However, the offer is good one time only. If they want me to spare them again, they'd better save my life again.
69. All midwives will be banned from the realm. All babies will be delivered at state-approved hospitals. Orphans will be placed in foster-homes, not abandoned in the woods to be raised by creatures of the wild.
70. When my guards split up to search for intruders, they will always travel in groups of at least two. They will be trained so that if one of them disappears mysteriously while on patrol, the other will immediately initiate an alert and call for backup, instead of quizzically peering around a corner.
71. If I decide to test a lieutenant's loyalty and see if he/she should be made a trusted lieutenant, I will have a crack squad of marksmen standing by in case the answer is no.
72. If all the heroes are standing together around a strange device and begin to taunt me, I will pull out a conventional weapon instead of using my unstoppable superweapon on them.
73. I will not agree to let the heroes go free if they win a rigged contest, even though my advisors assure me it is impossible for them to win.
74. When I create a multimedia presentation of my plan designed so that my five-year-old advisor can easily understand the details, I will not label the disk "Project Overlord" and leave it lying on top of my desk.
75. I will instruct my Legions of Terror to attack the hero en masse, instead of standing around waiting while members break off and attack one or two at a time.
76. If the hero runs up to my roof, I will not run up after him and struggle with him in an attempt to push him over the edge. I will also not engage him at the edge of a cliff. (In the middle of a rope-bridge over a river of molten lava is not even worth considering.)
77. If I have a fit of temporary insanity and decide to give the hero the chance to reject a job as my trusted lieutentant, I will retain enough sanity to wait until my current trusted lieutenant is out of earshot before making the offer.
78. I will not tell my Legions of Terror "And he must be taken alive!" The command will be "And try to take him alive if it is reasonably practical."
79. If my doomsday device happens to come with a reverse switch, as soon as it has been employed it will be melted down and made into limited-edition commemorative coins.
80. If my weakest troops fail to eliminate a hero, I will send out my best troops instead of wasting time with progressively stronger ones as he gets closer and closer to my fortress.
81. If I am fighting with the hero atop a moving platform, have disarmed him, and am about to finish him off and he glances behind me and drops flat, I too will drop flat instead of quizzically turning around to find out what he saw.
82.I will not shoot at any of my enemies if they are standing in front of the crucial support beam to a heavy, dangerous, unbalanced structure.
83. If I'm eating dinner with the hero, put poison in his goblet, then have to leave the table for any reason, I will order new drinks for both of us instead of trying to decide whether or not to switch with him.
84. I will not have captives of one sex guarded by members of the opposite sex.
85. I will not use any plan in which the final step is horribly complicated, e.g. "Align the 12 Stones of Power on the sacred altar then activate the medallion at the moment of total eclipse." Instead it will be more along the lines of "Push the button."
86. I will make sure that my doomsday device is up to code and properly grounded.
87. My vats of hazardous chemicals will be covered when not in use. Also, I will not construct walkways above them.
88. If a group of henchmen fail miserably at a task, I will not berate them for incompetence then send the same group out to try the task again.
89. After I capture the hero's superweapon, I will not immediately disband my legions and relax my guard because I believe whoever holds the weapon is unstoppable. After all, the hero held the weapon and I took it from him.
90. I will not design my Main Control Room so that every workstation is facing away from the door.
91. I will not ignore the messenger that stumbles in exhausted and obviously agitated until my personal grooming or current entertainment is finished. It might actually be important.
92. If I ever talk to the hero on the phone, I will not taunt him. Instead I will say this his dogged perseverance has given me new insight on the futility of my evil ways and that if he leaves me alone for a few months of quiet contemplation I will likely return to the path of righteousness. (Heroes are incredibly gullible in this regard.)
93. If I decide to hold a double execution of the hero and an underling who failed or betrayed me, I will see to it that the hero is scheduled to go first.
94. When arresting prisoners, my guards will not allow them to stop and grab a useless trinket of purely sentimental value.
95. My dungeon will have its own qualified medical staff complete with bodyguards. That way if a prisoner becomes sick and his cellmate tells the guard it's an emergency, the guard will fetch a trauma team instead of opening up the cell for a look.
96. My door mechanisms will be designed so that blasting the control panel on the outside seals the door and blasting the control panel on the inside opens the door, not vice versa.
97. My dungeon cells will not be furnished with objects that contain reflective surfaces or anything that can be unravelled.
98. If an attractive young couple enters my realm, I will carefully monitor their activities. If I find they are happy and affectionate, I will ignore them. However if circumstance have forced them together against their will and they spend all their time bickering and criticizing each other except during the intermittent occasions when they are saving each others' lives at which point there are hints of sexual tension, I will immediately order their execution.
99. Any data file of crucial importance will be padded to 1.45Mb in size.
100. Finally, to keep my subjects permanently locked in a mindless trance, I will provide each of them with free unlimited Internet access.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
The Phantom of the Opera and Holly Trees
Went to watch The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre on Tuesday.
It was a wonderful performance, with fantastic props (think whole moving staircases a la Hogwarts. What? I may not like Harry Potter, but I am not uneducated.) , special effects and illusions ( I still have no idea how they did some of the disappearing acts -- in one the Phantom covered himself in a black cape and just vanished. I kid you not). Really lovely. There was even a massive chandelier that swung down beautifully. And the pyrotechnics! Fabulous!
Ok, shall not get too excited.
Yesterday, I went hacking. Meaning, I got on a ridiculously big horse and rode off into the woods on a very muddy trail. It was a beautiful, clear day, and the woods were dappled gold with the light of the setting sun. Birds sang from their perches in the trees, and squirrels scampered for cover as we rode past.
But it was also very cold and I nearly froze my ass off.
Several times, I found myself far too near some painful-looking holly trees for comfort. And dodging low-lying branches was also rather .... exciting. Very enjoyable, in all, and the horse was a dream to ride. Ah, I will miss this when I get back to SG.
It was a wonderful performance, with fantastic props (think whole moving staircases a la Hogwarts. What? I may not like Harry Potter, but I am not uneducated.) , special effects and illusions ( I still have no idea how they did some of the disappearing acts -- in one the Phantom covered himself in a black cape and just vanished. I kid you not). Really lovely. There was even a massive chandelier that swung down beautifully. And the pyrotechnics! Fabulous!
Ok, shall not get too excited.
Yesterday, I went hacking. Meaning, I got on a ridiculously big horse and rode off into the woods on a very muddy trail. It was a beautiful, clear day, and the woods were dappled gold with the light of the setting sun. Birds sang from their perches in the trees, and squirrels scampered for cover as we rode past.
But it was also very cold and I nearly froze my ass off.
Several times, I found myself far too near some painful-looking holly trees for comfort. And dodging low-lying branches was also rather .... exciting. Very enjoyable, in all, and the horse was a dream to ride. Ah, I will miss this when I get back to SG.
Monday, January 08, 2007
Not Dead Yet
Contrary to popular opinion, am not dead yet.
Possibly close, but not yet.
Check back soon for updates.
Possibly close, but not yet.
Check back soon for updates.
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Ennui
001. What’s your name? Are you asking for my full name or first name? Either way I’m not giving it away. Bleh.
002. Spell your name backwards: See above
003. Date of birth: 12. 12. 1987
004. Male of Female? Female
005. Astrological Sig: Sagittarius
006. Nicknames: Madame; Butterfly; Queenie
007. Occupation: student
008. Height: not tall enough
009. Weight: too heavy
010. Hair Color: black
011. Eye Color: dark
012. Where were you born? In a hospital
013. Where do you reside now? In a ratty hall that leaks, among other things.
014. Age: 19
015. Screen Names: schmetterling
016. Email Address: You ain’t getting that, mate.
017. What does you screen name stand for? Butterfly
018. What is your xanga name? Got no xanga name, mate.
019. What does your xanga name stand for? See above.
021. Number of candles you blew out on your last birthday? Five, strangely, because my friends couldn’t count.
022. Piercings: two
023. Tatoos: none
024. Shoe Size: 7
025. Righty or Lefty: Righty
026. Wearing: Clothes, of course. Were you expecting leaves?
027. Hearing: Some random Rossini overture
028. Feeling: mildly irritated by this quiz
029. Eating/Drinking: nothing at the moment, which is unusual.
~Love/Kissing/And Other Stuff~
030.Have you ever been in love? Define this ‘love” you speak of.
031. How many people have told you "I love you"? Oh I don’t know. Is one meant to count?
032. How many people have you been in love with? See 030
033. Does someone in your family wear a toupee? What the hey?
034. Do you have any neices or nephews? It’s spelt “nieces”. And yes.
035. Are your parents divorced? no036. Do you have step parents? no037. Has your family ever disowned another member of your family? no
038. If so for what? no
039. Did your family come to America from another country? Am I in America? Nooo, and thank heavens.
~Music Stuff~
040. What song do you swear was written about your life? I don’t have a life, hence there is no song that is written about my life.
041. What is the most embarressing c.d you own? I am proud of all of them.
042. What is the best c.d you own? Brahms requiem
043. What song do you absolutely hate? I have a long, long list.
044. Do you sing in the shower? No?
045. What song reminds you of someone special? N.A
Questions 46-70are about pop music and hence completely inapplicable.
~Favorites~
071. Color : navy blue
072. Food: currently, ciabatta bread
073. Song: Hmm. Lascia ch’io piange? Haha.
074. Show: HOUSE MD
075. School Subject: I only have one subject….
076. Band/Singer: Andrea Bocelli!
077. Animal: Horse. Ain’t it obvious.
078. Outfit: Black.
079. Radio Station: Accuradio’s Classical Crossover
080. Movie: LOTR! D’oh.
081. Pair Of Shoes: The high heels I left at home…sob
082. Cartoon: I don’t watch cartoons.
083. Actor: uh.
084. Actress: uuuh.
085. Potato Chip: Ruffles!
086. Drink: Definitely not British tap water, let’s put it this way…
087. Alcoholic Drink: white wine
088. Holiday: Chinese New Year
089. Perfume/Cologne: Kenzo Park
090. Pizza Topping: Cheese?
091. Jello Flavor: Grape
092. Lunch Meat: Turkey ham
093. Board Game: Is chess a board game?
094. Video Game: Zelda (though I get stuck EVERY TIME)
095. Website: Worth1000, oh WIKIPEDIA
096. Book: LOTR… (are you beginning to see a pattern here?)
097. Computer Game: BFME!
098. Number: 12
099. Cereal: anything that’s sweet, really.
100. Comedian: -
101. Dessert: ice cream cake
102. Disney Character: Kronk in the Emperor’s New Groove.
103. Clothing Store: Esprit/Lee
104. Pastime: Reading, writing, drawing
105. Teacher: Lecturer? Dr. Cookie & Prof. Wright
106. Childhood Toy: My Mechanix Set
107. Carnival Game: I don’t go to carnivals
108. Candy Bar: Crunch
109. Magazine: Discover, NewScientist
110. Salad Dressing: I don’t even know what kinds of dressing there are. Not a big salad fan. I mean, what’s the point of a salad? Just eat the veg already.
111. Things To Do On The Weekend: read, write, draw
112. Hot Drink: COFFEEEEEEEEEEE
113. Season: Autumn
114. Sports To Watch: Showjumping, Gymnastics, Ballroom
115. Person To Talk To Online: depends.
~Your Bedroom/Sleeping Habits~
116. What Color Are Your Sheets? Er. Hard to describe, really. Brown and white and blue?
117. What Color Are Your Bedroom Walls? At home you mean? Cream.
118. Do You Have Posters On Your Wall? No. What is the point, pray?
119. If So, Of What? N.A
120. Do You Have A TV In Your Bedroom? Nein
121. How many pillows are on your bed? At home, two.1
22. What do you normally sleep in? What I happen to be wearing at the point of time I feel like going to sleep.
123. Describe Your Favorite Pair Of Pajamas: N.A
124. What Size Bed Do You Have? Single125. Do You Have A Waterbed/Bunkbed/Daybed? daybed
126. Do you have your own phone line in your bedroom? no
127. Do You Listen To Music While You Try To Fall Asleep? no
128. Describe The Last Nightmare You Had: I don’t have nightmares. Do I count the one I was killed in? Wasn’t really a nightmare.
129. Do You Sleep With A Stuffed Animal? A green stuffed toy fish. It goes on top of my face.
130. How Many People Can Comfortably Sleep In Your Bed? 1
131. Do You Sleep In Any Unusual Positions? Does sleeping with eyes half-open count?
132. Do You Have To Share A Bedroom With A Sibling? no133. Do You Drool? If I sleep on my face, yes.
134. Do You Have An Alarmclock In Your Room? Yes
135. What Color Is The Carpet In Your Room? No carpet
136. What's Under Your Bed? Dust, I think
~This Or That~
137. Beach/Mountains
138. Donuts/Bagels
139. Day/Night: Night
140. Wicked Witch Of The East/ Wicked Witch Of The West: do I care? Noooo.
141Heaven/Hell: Don’t actually believe in either, so, what’s the point.
142. Make Love/Have Sex: there is technically no difference between the two terms.
43. Coffee/Tea: coffee!
144. Britney/Christina: neither145. Swiss Cheese/American Cheese: Swiss
146. Real World/Road Rules: ?
147. Backstreet Boys/Nsync: ?
148. Silver/Gold: All that glitters is gold. But gold is tacky. See LOTR for details. Silver pretty, but not as bling as gold.
149. Nike/Adidas:
150. McDonalds/Taco Bell:
151. Sweet/Sour: sweet
152. Punk/Emo: neither
153. Hot/Cold: cold
154. Winter/Summer:
155. Spring/Fall:
156. Operas/Plays: d’uh
157. Read/Watch TV: read
158. CDs/Tapes: CDs
159. DVD/VHS: DVD
160. Old/New: depends
161. Shorts/pants:
162. Pink/Red: red
163. Colored/Black And White Photos: Colored
164. Meat/Vegetables: veg
165. Mexican Food/Chinese Food: chinese
166. ......
167. Scary Movies/Comedies:
168. Bikinis/One Piece Bathing Suits:
169. Sandals/Tennis Shoes:
170. Dogs/Cats:
171. Unicorns/Fairies: Fairies are plain nancy.
172. Water/Land: water
173. Sugar/Spice: sugar
174. Black/White: black
175. Ribbons/Bows:
176. Chicken/Beef:
177. Colored/White Christmas Lights: white
178. Cars/Trucks: cars
179. Austin Powers/James Bond:
180. Popcorn/Pretzels: Popcorn
181. Hip/Hop: ew
82. Passionate Kiss/Peck: stay away from me
183. WWE Wrestling/Real Wrestling: Mud wrestling?
184. Back Rub/Foot Massage:
185. Picture Frames/Photo Albums:
186. Pens/Pencils:
~What Is Your Opinion Of The Following?~
187. Eminem: who
188. Virgins: good for catching unicorns
89. God: Doesn’t exist, hopefully.
190. The Osbournes: weird
191. Reality TV: stupid
192. J.Lo: why insure your butt?
193. Religion: will be the cause of world destruction one day
194. Emo Music: What’s Prozac for, pray?
195. Valentine's Day: -shrug-
196. Christina Aguilera's Comeback: who?
197. Homosexuals: quite natural, though obviously an evolutionary dead end.
198. Abortion: Sometimes medically necessary. Don’t fuss.
199. Inter-Racial Relationships: Why is this a problem?
200. Murder: fascinating human behaviour, no?
201. Death: comes to everyone.
202. Obesity: sad and wholly preventable
203. Pre-Marital Sex: I believe that marriage is an artificial human condition.
204. Terrorism: Though I like explosions, stop bombing. It’s rude.
205. Pornography: illogical, really.
206. Fortune Tellers: why don’t their pants catch fire?
207. Threesomes: conceptually baffling
208. Prostitution: an age-old profession that will last unto the ending of the world
209. Politics: a headache
210. Country Music: eep
211. George W. Bush: Hopeless. Utterly hopeless.
212. Cloning: happens in the natural world all the time
213. Britney's Boobs: none of my concern
214. Gas Prices In America: ought to be much higher.
~What Do You Think Of When You Hear These Names?~
215. Jack: a beanstalk
216. Tiffany: the girl downstairs with too many shoes
217. Ben: my orchestral colleague
218. Maria: the Greek girl who has an obsession with my riding crop
219. Jennifer: my ex piano teacher who utterly sucked
220. Nicole: a friend
221. Amy: a friend
222. Adam: his ribs
223. Richard: Lionheart
224. Justin: Friend
225. Arnold: Ooh the Gov’ner
226. Tom: across the landing
227. Melissa: Nicole’s sister
228. Charlotte: Charlotte's web
229. Harold: the sock puppet in someone’s fanfic
230. John: friend
231. Joel: donkey
232. Vanessa: Mae
233. Michelle: Nicole’s cousin
234. Kevin: Guy in riding who fell asleep on another guy’s shoulder
235. Brent: rings no bells
236. Jake: ditto
237. Billy: goat
238. Sarah: CSI
239. Natalie: friend
240. Christi: nothing
241. Nick:
242. Linda:
243. Taylor:
244. Jordan:
245. Jamie: ex-classmate
246. Adriana:
~Have You Ever...~
247. Mooned Anyone? Does “mooned” mean throw to the moon?
248. Been On A Diet? Yes
249. Been To A Foreign Country? yes
250. Broken A Bone: nope
251. Swallowed A Tooth/Cap/Filling? No?
252. Swear At A Teacher? No?
253. Talked To An Xanga Member, Via, E-mails, or Instant Messages? Heck, one lives in my room.
254. Got In A Fight? No
255. Dated A Teacher? Serious? No?
256. Laughed So Hard You Peed Your Pants? no
257. Thought About Killing Your Enemy? Regularly.
258. Gone Skinny Dipping? no
259. Met Another Xanga Member In The Flesh? One lives in my room
260. Told A Little White Lie? If you haven’t you ain’t human.
261. Told A Secret You Swore Not To Tell? No
262. Stolen Anything? nope
263. Misused A Swear Word And It Sounded Absolutely Stupid? Nope
264. Been On TV? Yep
265. Been On The Radio? no
266. Been In A Mosh Pit? A what?
267. Been To A Concert? Many many many…
268. Dated One Of Your Best Friends? No
269. Loved Someone So Much It Makes You Cry? no
270. Decieved Someone Close To You? no
271. Broken The Law? no
272. Been To A Rodeo? no
273. Been On A Talk Show? no
274. Been On A Game Show? no
275. Been On An Airplane? Yes
276. Got To Ride On A Fire Truck? no
277. Came Close To Dying? Probably, every time I eat a meal cooked by myself.
278. Cheated On A bF? No?
279. Gave Someone A Piggy Back Ride? Yes, sadly.
280. Terrorized A Babysitter? no
281. Made A Mud Pie? no
282. Had A Dream That You're Falling Off A Cliff? no
283. Snuck Out Of The House At Night? no
284. Been So Drunk You Didn't Remember Your Name? no
285. Had An Eating Disorder? no
286. Felt Like You Didn't Belong? Belong to what?
287. Felt Like A Third-Wheel? A what?
288. Smoked? no
289. Done Drugs? No
290. Been Arrested?no
291. Had Your Tonsils Removed? no
292. Gone To Camp? Yes
293. Won A Bet? Yes, I think.
294. Written A Love Letter? No.
295. Gone Out Of Your Way To Be With The One You Love? no
296. Written A Love Poem? No?
297. Kissed In The Rain? People do that?
298. Slow Danced With Someone You Love? no
299. Participated In Cyber Sex? no
300. Faked An Orgasm? no
301. Stolen A Kiss? no
302. Asked A Friend For Relationship Advice? no
303. Had A Friend Steal Your bF? no
304. Watched The Sunset/Rise With Someone You Love? no
305. Gotten A Speeding Ticket? No
306. Done Jail Time? no
307. Had To Wear A Uniform To Work? No
308. Won A Trophy? Yes.
309. Thrown Up In Public? No.
310. Bowled A Perfect Game? no
311. Failed/Got Held Back? No.
312. Got Perfect Attendence In Grade School? Never.
313. Roasted Pumpkin Seeds? no
314. Taken Ballet Lessons? No.
315. Attempted Suicide? no
316. Cut yourself? All the time. On paper, knives….
~Childhood Stuff~
317. Did You Play With Barbies? Yes, sadly.
318. Did You Own Treasure Trolls? No?
319. Did You Watch Beverly Hills 90210? no
320. Did You Play Simon? no
321. Did You Watch Fraggle Rock? what?
322. Did You Wet The Bed? Never.
323. Did You Believe That Monsters Were In Your Closet Or Under Your Bed? Of course not. How silly.
324. Did You Wear The Underwear With The Days Of The Week On Them? no
325. Were You Shy? Not by a long shot
326. Were You Spoiled? no
327. Were You Abused? no
328. Did You Go To The Circus? no
329. Did You Go To The Zoo? Yeah
330. Were You In A Car Accident? no
331. Did You Build Snowmen? sadly, it doesn't snow where I live
332. Did You Cry When You Scraped Your Knee? No.
333. Were Your Older Cousins Mean To You?no
334. Did You Think Slinkies Were Cool? yes
335. Did You Think The Ninja Turtles Really Lived In A Sewer? No
336. Were You Afraid Of The Dark? No, loved it
337. Did You Have Slumber Parties?
no338. Did You Have New Kids On The Block Sheets, Curtains, Sleeping Bags, Dolls, And Pajams? no
339. Did You Tease Your Hair? You mean laugh at it? Why yes.
340. Did You Believe In Santa Claus/Easter Bunny/And The Tooth Fairy? No?
~Randomness~
341. Do You Believe In Aliens? I believe in the possibility of alien life-forms.
342.Name three Things That Are Next To Your Computer: yoghurt cup, paints, paper.
343. Do You Have Any Hidden Talents? If I told you they wouldn’t be hidden now, would they?
344. Do You Wish MTV Would Play More Music? Ew?
345. If You Were A Star In A Movie, What Movie Would You Be In? I don’t wanna.
346. What Would Your Movie Star Name Be? I told you, I don’t wanna.
347. Do You Play Any Sports? Does riding count?
348. What's The Scariest Movie You've Ever Seen? Snow white, probably.
349. What Is The Best Movie You've Seen In Theatre Or Rented Recently? V for Vendetta
350. What Is The Dumbest Movie You've Even Seen? Harry Potter. I vomit in its general direction.
351. Do You Drive? no
352. What Is Your Dream Car? One that does not guzzle oil and belch noxious fumes.
353. Do You Think You Are Good-Looking? If a lump of lard is good looking, then I am good looking.
354. Do Others Say You Are Good-Looking? Apparently. I know not what ails them.
355. Would You Ever Sky Dive? no
356. Do You Believe In Big Foot? Well, I have a big foot.
357. How Many Rooms Do You Have In Your House? 5
358. Are You Afraid Of Roller Coasters? Yawn
359. Do You Believe In God? No
360. Do You Believe In Satan? No
361. Do You Believe There's A Heaven? No
62. Do You Believe There Is A Hell? No
363. Do You Own A Pooltable? No
364. Do You Have A Pool? No
365. Do You Have A Dishwasher In Your Kitchen? No
367. Do You Like Chocolate? I live on it, practically
368. Who/What Is On Your Calander? Do you not specify which day?
369. How Many U.S States Have Been To? 0
370. Ever Wished On A Shooting Star? no
371. Best Halloween Costume You Ever Wore? -
372. Do You Carry Weapons On You? No?
373. What Is Your Weakness? chocolate
374. Name Something You Can't Get Enough Of: chocolate
375. How Many Kids Do You Want To Have? 0
376. Future Daughters Names: N.a
377. Future Son's Names: N.A
378. What Is Your Ideal Way To Die? Choking on a cookie.
379. How Do You Relieve Stress? Eat chocolate
380. Are You A Trendy Person? no
381. Are You An Artistic Person? I suppose.
382. Are You A Realistic Person? Highly.
383. Do You Untie Your Shoes Everytime You Take Them Off? Never.
384. Are You A Strong Person? Do I know? No.
385. Are You A Strong Willed Person? Probably
386. Who Is The Last Person To Email You? artsoc
387. Who Was The Last Person To IM You? Ger?
388. Do You Hate Chain Emails? Yes
389. Are You A Deep-Sleeper? Yes
390. Are You A Good Story Teller? No
391. What Do You Believe Is Your Best Quality? Being able to sleep through almost anything
392. What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment? Sleeping though an episode of ant-killing going on just inches from my nose.
393. Do You Like To Burn Candles Or Incense? No
394. Do You Do Yoga? No
395. Do You Have Your Own Credit Card? Yes
396. Let's Say You Win The Lotto: Great. I can pay for my education.
397. Did You Have A Check Book? Yes
398. Do You Like Your Driver? Do I have a driver?
399. Do You Tan Easily? Do I tan?
400. What Color Is Your Hair Naturally? black
401. How Many Fillings Do You Have? three
402. How Many Cavities Did You Have At Your Last Denist Visit? three
403. Worst Feeling In The World? Having no chocolate
404. Best Feeling In The World? Caffeine high.
405. Is The Glass Half Empty Or Half Full? What’s the fuss? It holds the same amount of liquid anyway.
406. Last Thing You Downloaded? 300 wallpaper.
407. Do You Catch Yourself Using Online Terms In Regular Life? no
408. What Do You Think People Think Of You? That I am very, very odd.
409. Are You A Likeable Person? Not particularly
410. Do You Need Therapy? Proabably
411. Do You Take Medication For A Chemical Imbalance? no
412. What Is The Best Way To Propose? Propose what? A business deal?
413. What Kind Of Movie Would You Star In? Don’t wanna.
414. If Fed Ex And UPS Were To Merge Would They Call It Fed UP? That is a very bad joke.
415. When Are You Moving? Dunno.
416. What's Your Favorite Phrase? “What the hey?”.
002. Spell your name backwards: See above
003. Date of birth: 12. 12. 1987
004. Male of Female? Female
005. Astrological Sig: Sagittarius
006. Nicknames: Madame; Butterfly; Queenie
007. Occupation: student
008. Height: not tall enough
009. Weight: too heavy
010. Hair Color: black
011. Eye Color: dark
012. Where were you born? In a hospital
013. Where do you reside now? In a ratty hall that leaks, among other things.
014. Age: 19
015. Screen Names: schmetterling
016. Email Address: You ain’t getting that, mate.
017. What does you screen name stand for? Butterfly
018. What is your xanga name? Got no xanga name, mate.
019. What does your xanga name stand for? See above.
021. Number of candles you blew out on your last birthday? Five, strangely, because my friends couldn’t count.
022. Piercings: two
023. Tatoos: none
024. Shoe Size: 7
025. Righty or Lefty: Righty
026. Wearing: Clothes, of course. Were you expecting leaves?
027. Hearing: Some random Rossini overture
028. Feeling: mildly irritated by this quiz
029. Eating/Drinking: nothing at the moment, which is unusual.
~Love/Kissing/And Other Stuff~
030.Have you ever been in love? Define this ‘love” you speak of.
031. How many people have told you "I love you"? Oh I don’t know. Is one meant to count?
032. How many people have you been in love with? See 030
033. Does someone in your family wear a toupee? What the hey?
034. Do you have any neices or nephews? It’s spelt “nieces”. And yes.
035. Are your parents divorced? no036. Do you have step parents? no037. Has your family ever disowned another member of your family? no
038. If so for what? no
039. Did your family come to America from another country? Am I in America? Nooo, and thank heavens.
~Music Stuff~
040. What song do you swear was written about your life? I don’t have a life, hence there is no song that is written about my life.
041. What is the most embarressing c.d you own? I am proud of all of them.
042. What is the best c.d you own? Brahms requiem
043. What song do you absolutely hate? I have a long, long list.
044. Do you sing in the shower? No?
045. What song reminds you of someone special? N.A
Questions 46-70are about pop music and hence completely inapplicable.
~Favorites~
071. Color : navy blue
072. Food: currently, ciabatta bread
073. Song: Hmm. Lascia ch’io piange? Haha.
074. Show: HOUSE MD
075. School Subject: I only have one subject….
076. Band/Singer: Andrea Bocelli!
077. Animal: Horse. Ain’t it obvious.
078. Outfit: Black.
079. Radio Station: Accuradio’s Classical Crossover
080. Movie: LOTR! D’oh.
081. Pair Of Shoes: The high heels I left at home…sob
082. Cartoon: I don’t watch cartoons.
083. Actor: uh.
084. Actress: uuuh.
085. Potato Chip: Ruffles!
086. Drink: Definitely not British tap water, let’s put it this way…
087. Alcoholic Drink: white wine
088. Holiday: Chinese New Year
089. Perfume/Cologne: Kenzo Park
090. Pizza Topping: Cheese?
091. Jello Flavor: Grape
092. Lunch Meat: Turkey ham
093. Board Game: Is chess a board game?
094. Video Game: Zelda (though I get stuck EVERY TIME)
095. Website: Worth1000, oh WIKIPEDIA
096. Book: LOTR… (are you beginning to see a pattern here?)
097. Computer Game: BFME!
098. Number: 12
099. Cereal: anything that’s sweet, really.
100. Comedian: -
101. Dessert: ice cream cake
102. Disney Character: Kronk in the Emperor’s New Groove.
103. Clothing Store: Esprit/Lee
104. Pastime: Reading, writing, drawing
105. Teacher: Lecturer? Dr. Cookie & Prof. Wright
106. Childhood Toy: My Mechanix Set
107. Carnival Game: I don’t go to carnivals
108. Candy Bar: Crunch
109. Magazine: Discover, NewScientist
110. Salad Dressing: I don’t even know what kinds of dressing there are. Not a big salad fan. I mean, what’s the point of a salad? Just eat the veg already.
111. Things To Do On The Weekend: read, write, draw
112. Hot Drink: COFFEEEEEEEEEEE
113. Season: Autumn
114. Sports To Watch: Showjumping, Gymnastics, Ballroom
115. Person To Talk To Online: depends.
~Your Bedroom/Sleeping Habits~
116. What Color Are Your Sheets? Er. Hard to describe, really. Brown and white and blue?
117. What Color Are Your Bedroom Walls? At home you mean? Cream.
118. Do You Have Posters On Your Wall? No. What is the point, pray?
119. If So, Of What? N.A
120. Do You Have A TV In Your Bedroom? Nein
121. How many pillows are on your bed? At home, two.1
22. What do you normally sleep in? What I happen to be wearing at the point of time I feel like going to sleep.
123. Describe Your Favorite Pair Of Pajamas: N.A
124. What Size Bed Do You Have? Single125. Do You Have A Waterbed/Bunkbed/Daybed? daybed
126. Do you have your own phone line in your bedroom? no
127. Do You Listen To Music While You Try To Fall Asleep? no
128. Describe The Last Nightmare You Had: I don’t have nightmares. Do I count the one I was killed in? Wasn’t really a nightmare.
129. Do You Sleep With A Stuffed Animal? A green stuffed toy fish. It goes on top of my face.
130. How Many People Can Comfortably Sleep In Your Bed? 1
131. Do You Sleep In Any Unusual Positions? Does sleeping with eyes half-open count?
132. Do You Have To Share A Bedroom With A Sibling? no133. Do You Drool? If I sleep on my face, yes.
134. Do You Have An Alarmclock In Your Room? Yes
135. What Color Is The Carpet In Your Room? No carpet
136. What's Under Your Bed? Dust, I think
~This Or That~
137. Beach/Mountains
138. Donuts/Bagels
139. Day/Night: Night
140. Wicked Witch Of The East/ Wicked Witch Of The West: do I care? Noooo.
141Heaven/Hell: Don’t actually believe in either, so, what’s the point.
142. Make Love/Have Sex: there is technically no difference between the two terms.
43. Coffee/Tea: coffee!
144. Britney/Christina: neither145. Swiss Cheese/American Cheese: Swiss
146. Real World/Road Rules: ?
147. Backstreet Boys/Nsync: ?
148. Silver/Gold: All that glitters is gold. But gold is tacky. See LOTR for details. Silver pretty, but not as bling as gold.
149. Nike/Adidas:
150. McDonalds/Taco Bell:
151. Sweet/Sour: sweet
152. Punk/Emo: neither
153. Hot/Cold: cold
154. Winter/Summer:
155. Spring/Fall:
156. Operas/Plays: d’uh
157. Read/Watch TV: read
158. CDs/Tapes: CDs
159. DVD/VHS: DVD
160. Old/New: depends
161. Shorts/pants:
162. Pink/Red: red
163. Colored/Black And White Photos: Colored
164. Meat/Vegetables: veg
165. Mexican Food/Chinese Food: chinese
166. ......
167. Scary Movies/Comedies:
168. Bikinis/One Piece Bathing Suits:
169. Sandals/Tennis Shoes:
170. Dogs/Cats:
171. Unicorns/Fairies: Fairies are plain nancy.
172. Water/Land: water
173. Sugar/Spice: sugar
174. Black/White: black
175. Ribbons/Bows:
176. Chicken/Beef:
177. Colored/White Christmas Lights: white
178. Cars/Trucks: cars
179. Austin Powers/James Bond:
180. Popcorn/Pretzels: Popcorn
181. Hip/Hop: ew
82. Passionate Kiss/Peck: stay away from me
183. WWE Wrestling/Real Wrestling: Mud wrestling?
184. Back Rub/Foot Massage:
185. Picture Frames/Photo Albums:
186. Pens/Pencils:
~What Is Your Opinion Of The Following?~
187. Eminem: who
188. Virgins: good for catching unicorns
89. God: Doesn’t exist, hopefully.
190. The Osbournes: weird
191. Reality TV: stupid
192. J.Lo: why insure your butt?
193. Religion: will be the cause of world destruction one day
194. Emo Music: What’s Prozac for, pray?
195. Valentine's Day: -shrug-
196. Christina Aguilera's Comeback: who?
197. Homosexuals: quite natural, though obviously an evolutionary dead end.
198. Abortion: Sometimes medically necessary. Don’t fuss.
199. Inter-Racial Relationships: Why is this a problem?
200. Murder: fascinating human behaviour, no?
201. Death: comes to everyone.
202. Obesity: sad and wholly preventable
203. Pre-Marital Sex: I believe that marriage is an artificial human condition.
204. Terrorism: Though I like explosions, stop bombing. It’s rude.
205. Pornography: illogical, really.
206. Fortune Tellers: why don’t their pants catch fire?
207. Threesomes: conceptually baffling
208. Prostitution: an age-old profession that will last unto the ending of the world
209. Politics: a headache
210. Country Music: eep
211. George W. Bush: Hopeless. Utterly hopeless.
212. Cloning: happens in the natural world all the time
213. Britney's Boobs: none of my concern
214. Gas Prices In America: ought to be much higher.
~What Do You Think Of When You Hear These Names?~
215. Jack: a beanstalk
216. Tiffany: the girl downstairs with too many shoes
217. Ben: my orchestral colleague
218. Maria: the Greek girl who has an obsession with my riding crop
219. Jennifer: my ex piano teacher who utterly sucked
220. Nicole: a friend
221. Amy: a friend
222. Adam: his ribs
223. Richard: Lionheart
224. Justin: Friend
225. Arnold: Ooh the Gov’ner
226. Tom: across the landing
227. Melissa: Nicole’s sister
228. Charlotte: Charlotte's web
229. Harold: the sock puppet in someone’s fanfic
230. John: friend
231. Joel: donkey
232. Vanessa: Mae
233. Michelle: Nicole’s cousin
234. Kevin: Guy in riding who fell asleep on another guy’s shoulder
235. Brent: rings no bells
236. Jake: ditto
237. Billy: goat
238. Sarah: CSI
239. Natalie: friend
240. Christi: nothing
241. Nick:
242. Linda:
243. Taylor:
244. Jordan:
245. Jamie: ex-classmate
246. Adriana:
~Have You Ever...~
247. Mooned Anyone? Does “mooned” mean throw to the moon?
248. Been On A Diet? Yes
249. Been To A Foreign Country? yes
250. Broken A Bone: nope
251. Swallowed A Tooth/Cap/Filling? No?
252. Swear At A Teacher? No?
253. Talked To An Xanga Member, Via, E-mails, or Instant Messages? Heck, one lives in my room.
254. Got In A Fight? No
255. Dated A Teacher? Serious? No?
256. Laughed So Hard You Peed Your Pants? no
257. Thought About Killing Your Enemy? Regularly.
258. Gone Skinny Dipping? no
259. Met Another Xanga Member In The Flesh? One lives in my room
260. Told A Little White Lie? If you haven’t you ain’t human.
261. Told A Secret You Swore Not To Tell? No
262. Stolen Anything? nope
263. Misused A Swear Word And It Sounded Absolutely Stupid? Nope
264. Been On TV? Yep
265. Been On The Radio? no
266. Been In A Mosh Pit? A what?
267. Been To A Concert? Many many many…
268. Dated One Of Your Best Friends? No
269. Loved Someone So Much It Makes You Cry? no
270. Decieved Someone Close To You? no
271. Broken The Law? no
272. Been To A Rodeo? no
273. Been On A Talk Show? no
274. Been On A Game Show? no
275. Been On An Airplane? Yes
276. Got To Ride On A Fire Truck? no
277. Came Close To Dying? Probably, every time I eat a meal cooked by myself.
278. Cheated On A bF? No?
279. Gave Someone A Piggy Back Ride? Yes, sadly.
280. Terrorized A Babysitter? no
281. Made A Mud Pie? no
282. Had A Dream That You're Falling Off A Cliff? no
283. Snuck Out Of The House At Night? no
284. Been So Drunk You Didn't Remember Your Name? no
285. Had An Eating Disorder? no
286. Felt Like You Didn't Belong? Belong to what?
287. Felt Like A Third-Wheel? A what?
288. Smoked? no
289. Done Drugs? No
290. Been Arrested?no
291. Had Your Tonsils Removed? no
292. Gone To Camp? Yes
293. Won A Bet? Yes, I think.
294. Written A Love Letter? No.
295. Gone Out Of Your Way To Be With The One You Love? no
296. Written A Love Poem? No?
297. Kissed In The Rain? People do that?
298. Slow Danced With Someone You Love? no
299. Participated In Cyber Sex? no
300. Faked An Orgasm? no
301. Stolen A Kiss? no
302. Asked A Friend For Relationship Advice? no
303. Had A Friend Steal Your bF? no
304. Watched The Sunset/Rise With Someone You Love? no
305. Gotten A Speeding Ticket? No
306. Done Jail Time? no
307. Had To Wear A Uniform To Work? No
308. Won A Trophy? Yes.
309. Thrown Up In Public? No.
310. Bowled A Perfect Game? no
311. Failed/Got Held Back? No.
312. Got Perfect Attendence In Grade School? Never.
313. Roasted Pumpkin Seeds? no
314. Taken Ballet Lessons? No.
315. Attempted Suicide? no
316. Cut yourself? All the time. On paper, knives….
~Childhood Stuff~
317. Did You Play With Barbies? Yes, sadly.
318. Did You Own Treasure Trolls? No?
319. Did You Watch Beverly Hills 90210? no
320. Did You Play Simon? no
321. Did You Watch Fraggle Rock? what?
322. Did You Wet The Bed? Never.
323. Did You Believe That Monsters Were In Your Closet Or Under Your Bed? Of course not. How silly.
324. Did You Wear The Underwear With The Days Of The Week On Them? no
325. Were You Shy? Not by a long shot
326. Were You Spoiled? no
327. Were You Abused? no
328. Did You Go To The Circus? no
329. Did You Go To The Zoo? Yeah
330. Were You In A Car Accident? no
331. Did You Build Snowmen? sadly, it doesn't snow where I live
332. Did You Cry When You Scraped Your Knee? No.
333. Were Your Older Cousins Mean To You?no
334. Did You Think Slinkies Were Cool? yes
335. Did You Think The Ninja Turtles Really Lived In A Sewer? No
336. Were You Afraid Of The Dark? No, loved it
337. Did You Have Slumber Parties?
no338. Did You Have New Kids On The Block Sheets, Curtains, Sleeping Bags, Dolls, And Pajams? no
339. Did You Tease Your Hair? You mean laugh at it? Why yes.
340. Did You Believe In Santa Claus/Easter Bunny/And The Tooth Fairy? No?
~Randomness~
341. Do You Believe In Aliens? I believe in the possibility of alien life-forms.
342.Name three Things That Are Next To Your Computer: yoghurt cup, paints, paper.
343. Do You Have Any Hidden Talents? If I told you they wouldn’t be hidden now, would they?
344. Do You Wish MTV Would Play More Music? Ew?
345. If You Were A Star In A Movie, What Movie Would You Be In? I don’t wanna.
346. What Would Your Movie Star Name Be? I told you, I don’t wanna.
347. Do You Play Any Sports? Does riding count?
348. What's The Scariest Movie You've Ever Seen? Snow white, probably.
349. What Is The Best Movie You've Seen In Theatre Or Rented Recently? V for Vendetta
350. What Is The Dumbest Movie You've Even Seen? Harry Potter. I vomit in its general direction.
351. Do You Drive? no
352. What Is Your Dream Car? One that does not guzzle oil and belch noxious fumes.
353. Do You Think You Are Good-Looking? If a lump of lard is good looking, then I am good looking.
354. Do Others Say You Are Good-Looking? Apparently. I know not what ails them.
355. Would You Ever Sky Dive? no
356. Do You Believe In Big Foot? Well, I have a big foot.
357. How Many Rooms Do You Have In Your House? 5
358. Are You Afraid Of Roller Coasters? Yawn
359. Do You Believe In God? No
360. Do You Believe In Satan? No
361. Do You Believe There's A Heaven? No
62. Do You Believe There Is A Hell? No
363. Do You Own A Pooltable? No
364. Do You Have A Pool? No
365. Do You Have A Dishwasher In Your Kitchen? No
367. Do You Like Chocolate? I live on it, practically
368. Who/What Is On Your Calander? Do you not specify which day?
369. How Many U.S States Have Been To? 0
370. Ever Wished On A Shooting Star? no
371. Best Halloween Costume You Ever Wore? -
372. Do You Carry Weapons On You? No?
373. What Is Your Weakness? chocolate
374. Name Something You Can't Get Enough Of: chocolate
375. How Many Kids Do You Want To Have? 0
376. Future Daughters Names: N.a
377. Future Son's Names: N.A
378. What Is Your Ideal Way To Die? Choking on a cookie.
379. How Do You Relieve Stress? Eat chocolate
380. Are You A Trendy Person? no
381. Are You An Artistic Person? I suppose.
382. Are You A Realistic Person? Highly.
383. Do You Untie Your Shoes Everytime You Take Them Off? Never.
384. Are You A Strong Person? Do I know? No.
385. Are You A Strong Willed Person? Probably
386. Who Is The Last Person To Email You? artsoc
387. Who Was The Last Person To IM You? Ger?
388. Do You Hate Chain Emails? Yes
389. Are You A Deep-Sleeper? Yes
390. Are You A Good Story Teller? No
391. What Do You Believe Is Your Best Quality? Being able to sleep through almost anything
392. What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment? Sleeping though an episode of ant-killing going on just inches from my nose.
393. Do You Like To Burn Candles Or Incense? No
394. Do You Do Yoga? No
395. Do You Have Your Own Credit Card? Yes
396. Let's Say You Win The Lotto: Great. I can pay for my education.
397. Did You Have A Check Book? Yes
398. Do You Like Your Driver? Do I have a driver?
399. Do You Tan Easily? Do I tan?
400. What Color Is Your Hair Naturally? black
401. How Many Fillings Do You Have? three
402. How Many Cavities Did You Have At Your Last Denist Visit? three
403. Worst Feeling In The World? Having no chocolate
404. Best Feeling In The World? Caffeine high.
405. Is The Glass Half Empty Or Half Full? What’s the fuss? It holds the same amount of liquid anyway.
406. Last Thing You Downloaded? 300 wallpaper.
407. Do You Catch Yourself Using Online Terms In Regular Life? no
408. What Do You Think People Think Of You? That I am very, very odd.
409. Are You A Likeable Person? Not particularly
410. Do You Need Therapy? Proabably
411. Do You Take Medication For A Chemical Imbalance? no
412. What Is The Best Way To Propose? Propose what? A business deal?
413. What Kind Of Movie Would You Star In? Don’t wanna.
414. If Fed Ex And UPS Were To Merge Would They Call It Fed UP? That is a very bad joke.
415. When Are You Moving? Dunno.
416. What's Your Favorite Phrase? “What the hey?”.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Schmetterling's Guide to Vaguely Edible Cooking
My roommate has been a huge nuisance lately, bothering me with such drivel as "how do I spell lettuce?" and "how do you marinate a chicken?". What is she doing, one might ask. Well apparently, defying all logic, she is writing an instruction manual on how to prepare meals for one of her friends, despite being barely able to cook an egg without converting a substantial amount of it to carbon in its most basic and unpalatable form (not that I am any different, but that is an entirely different matter altogether...)
This of course, got me thinking.
Why not publish a whole series of articles on undergraduate cooking? Why, I might even become famous!
Here, then, is the first installment.
Schmetterling's Guide to Vaguely Edible Cooking
Lazybones Chicken Legs
The ideal meat meal for the hopelessly lazy carnivore.
1. Get chicken legs out of the freezer and defrost in microwave. Never mind if they are slightly cooked in the process- they are meant to be cooked anyhow.
2. Marinate chicken legs using salt and pepper. Amount of salt and pepper used depends on how hard you shake and how protective you are of your kidneys.
3. Chuck marinated chicken legs into the grill turned to the maximum gas mark. Hey, the whole point is to get it done as quickly as possible, right? We're hungry students here!
4. Every random interval, open the grill and poke at chicken with a fork. If red stuff comes out, it ain't cooked yet. Continue random poking until stuff that comes out is clear/ until your fears of salmonella are quelled.
5. Remove chicken legs from oven and eat.
Next installment coming soon, on Schmetterling's Guide to Vaguely Edible Cooking: Mushy Macaroni.
This of course, got me thinking.
Why not publish a whole series of articles on undergraduate cooking? Why, I might even become famous!
Here, then, is the first installment.
Schmetterling's Guide to Vaguely Edible Cooking
Lazybones Chicken Legs
The ideal meat meal for the hopelessly lazy carnivore.
1. Get chicken legs out of the freezer and defrost in microwave. Never mind if they are slightly cooked in the process- they are meant to be cooked anyhow.
2. Marinate chicken legs using salt and pepper. Amount of salt and pepper used depends on how hard you shake and how protective you are of your kidneys.
3. Chuck marinated chicken legs into the grill turned to the maximum gas mark. Hey, the whole point is to get it done as quickly as possible, right? We're hungry students here!
4. Every random interval, open the grill and poke at chicken with a fork. If red stuff comes out, it ain't cooked yet. Continue random poking until stuff that comes out is clear/ until your fears of salmonella are quelled.
5. Remove chicken legs from oven and eat.
Next installment coming soon, on Schmetterling's Guide to Vaguely Edible Cooking: Mushy Macaroni.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
"金玉良言"
Quotes from my Lectures:
"There's really not much to choose between you and a mushroom." - a lecturer being cynical about the human race.
"...that fluffy bit there (points to distinctly un-fluffy blob on protein)..." - the same lecturer being slightly overenthusiastic.
"And my point is...(dramatic pause)... now I've forgotten..." - another lecturer.
"...and then he dies, which is fairly interesting." - the humanities lecturer on the subject of the only casualty in the construction of the Eiffel Tower.
"This is a Newtonian moment." Right. Not for me, though.
"It would fry you!" - a lecturer gleefully putting into perspective the huge membrane voltage gradient. Add a quaint accent and a rolled r.
"Here I am brainwashing you..." Finally, they admit it!
"And after I squeezed him... no no, not in that way!" It is amusing when your lecturer's first language is not English, and tends to use inappropriate words at inappropriate moments...
And... notes have never been so amusing...
"The specimen has to be dead. Really dead."
And there was a smiley face in my notes. A smiley face. I am not kidding you.
"The world will go neither a whimper nor a bang, just a simple short circuit." (N.B - a reference to nuclear silos being controlled by complex electrical switchboards.)
And finally, a poem on the machine gun in one of my humanities recommended reading things, which is really rather tragic:
"Onward Christian soldiers, on to heathen lands;
Prayer-books in your pockets, rifles in your hands;
Take the glorious tidings where trade can be done;
Spread the peaceful gospel-with a Maxim gun."
- Labouchere, in A Social History of the Machine Gun by J. Ellis
"There's really not much to choose between you and a mushroom." - a lecturer being cynical about the human race.
"...that fluffy bit there (points to distinctly un-fluffy blob on protein)..." - the same lecturer being slightly overenthusiastic.
"And my point is...(dramatic pause)... now I've forgotten..." - another lecturer.
"...and then he dies, which is fairly interesting." - the humanities lecturer on the subject of the only casualty in the construction of the Eiffel Tower.
"This is a Newtonian moment." Right. Not for me, though.
"It would fry you!" - a lecturer gleefully putting into perspective the huge membrane voltage gradient. Add a quaint accent and a rolled r.
"Here I am brainwashing you..." Finally, they admit it!
"And after I squeezed him... no no, not in that way!" It is amusing when your lecturer's first language is not English, and tends to use inappropriate words at inappropriate moments...
And... notes have never been so amusing...
"The specimen has to be dead. Really dead."
And there was a smiley face in my notes. A smiley face. I am not kidding you.
"The world will go neither a whimper nor a bang, just a simple short circuit." (N.B - a reference to nuclear silos being controlled by complex electrical switchboards.)
And finally, a poem on the machine gun in one of my humanities recommended reading things, which is really rather tragic:
"Onward Christian soldiers, on to heathen lands;
Prayer-books in your pockets, rifles in your hands;
Take the glorious tidings where trade can be done;
Spread the peaceful gospel-with a Maxim gun."
- Labouchere, in A Social History of the Machine Gun by J. Ellis
Monday, October 30, 2006
Silwood Park
This is terribly terribly overdue. But nevermind.
Recently, had field trip to one of the university's other campuses. What was really nice was that it was set in lovely lovely countryside (see picture for the Manor House, which is the main building), with acres of woodland, grassland, and what not.
What was slightly scary was that the entire place was used for ecological experiments, and that cages and traps and wire fences and random logs just kept popping up everywhere you so happened to wander.
Basically went around collecting data (think tramping about in the woods, wading in waist deep thorny bushes and stinging nettles, waving nets about in streams, etc) and enjoying the fresh air. Oh, and this is totally random but I caught two crayfish. And I saw a deer, dozens of rabbits and four pheasants.
As you can see, it was simply beautiful, so I don't think I can put it adequately in words. Suffice it to say that the ragged scars from thorns and nettle-stings were worth it.
I love the countryside.
For pictures of the wild woods, visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/greyschmetterling.
Will blog more when I feel more inspired.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
More Faintly Amusing Stuff
1. Lectures
Yes, lectures are actually quite fun in this place. Especially when your lecturer is a portly old gentlemen dripping with British humour and full of phrases such as "charismatic predators" and forever taking potshots at the Americans. And your other lecturer (humanities) pokes fun of just about everything and is also forever taking potshots at the Americans. Recent lectures aren't so fun though, mainly because they involve math. Ew. Not amusing, that.
2. A Horse Named Fen and Another Called Joker
The former is a little bay mare, a bit lazy in my opinion, and much given to flopping her lips about, which is quite amusing to watch, but not so amusing when you're actually on the horse. The latter is a skewbald, very well named. Enough said. Shall go nurse my sore rear end.
3. The Madness of Engineers
Have got one for a roommate. Interesting species to observe, I must say.
Engineerus civilus
Range: radius of 1m away from laptop and bed.
Feeding habits: Eats mostly crisps, tortillas, biscuits and other processed carbohydrates
Behaviour: Eccentric. Highly given to wearing bulky construction helmet indoors and singing at inappropriate times of the day. Almost impossible to awaken unless given the prospect of breakfast. Likes juggling random fruits.
4. Terry Pratchett
Very addicted to his books, and the school library keeps a good collection. Though it is fantasy, you'd be suprised how much of it echos the absurdity of modern life. My roommate is slightly disturbed at me sniggering at odd intervals from my corner when I'm reading. Payback, I say.
Yes, lectures are actually quite fun in this place. Especially when your lecturer is a portly old gentlemen dripping with British humour and full of phrases such as "charismatic predators" and forever taking potshots at the Americans. And your other lecturer (humanities) pokes fun of just about everything and is also forever taking potshots at the Americans. Recent lectures aren't so fun though, mainly because they involve math. Ew. Not amusing, that.
2. A Horse Named Fen and Another Called Joker
The former is a little bay mare, a bit lazy in my opinion, and much given to flopping her lips about, which is quite amusing to watch, but not so amusing when you're actually on the horse. The latter is a skewbald, very well named. Enough said. Shall go nurse my sore rear end.
3. The Madness of Engineers
Have got one for a roommate. Interesting species to observe, I must say.
Engineerus civilus
Range: radius of 1m away from laptop and bed.
Feeding habits: Eats mostly crisps, tortillas, biscuits and other processed carbohydrates
Behaviour: Eccentric. Highly given to wearing bulky construction helmet indoors and singing at inappropriate times of the day. Almost impossible to awaken unless given the prospect of breakfast. Likes juggling random fruits.
4. Terry Pratchett
Very addicted to his books, and the school library keeps a good collection. Though it is fantasy, you'd be suprised how much of it echos the absurdity of modern life. My roommate is slightly disturbed at me sniggering at odd intervals from my corner when I'm reading. Payback, I say.
Monday, October 09, 2006
Life in London thus far
Life in London thus far is...
1) Quite pretty (refer to picture on the left). London is stuffed to bursting with pretty buildings; the one on the left is the entrance to the Natural History Musuem, which is just next to the school. I go there during lunch. Tee hee. However, not all buildings in London are pretty, duh. Some are absurd (like a mango-shaped building that my engineer room-mate is complaining about having to do a project on) and some look crumbly and old.
2) Faintly amusing. There are really odd things in London. Like "low sodium table salt", which I saw in a supermarket- really the ULTIMATE oxymoron. And of course there's my slightly mad roommate (aren't all engineers slightly mad anyway. I mean, who wants to build bridges, honestly.) And there's the picture on the far left, which I find quite funny.
3) Charming. Refer to picture on above right. That's Hyde Park on a really fine early autumn day. Nothing beats just sitting in the sun and looking up at the blue blue sky (sorry about the haze in SG).
4) Slightly scary. You hear police/ambulance sirens 3 times a day, on average. And this is a safe area. Did I mention that the traffic is frightening? Going to be knocked down by a car one of these days (am glad I have insurance). Also, the swans and ducks at Hyde Park are HUGE, and they have this disturbing habit of closing in on you when you've run out of bread....
Till next time.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
In London!
That's right, Schmetterling is in London.
And it's cold. Especially when the wind blows.
And the weather changes every ten minutes.
And Schmetterling is very sure she will develop very muscular legs with all the walking she's been doing these days. (It's a 15 minute walk from the hostel to the school, and about 20 min from the hostel to the supermarket...)
Well, till next time, because Schmetterling is quite sleepy now. Tata.
And it's cold. Especially when the wind blows.
And the weather changes every ten minutes.
And Schmetterling is very sure she will develop very muscular legs with all the walking she's been doing these days. (It's a 15 minute walk from the hostel to the school, and about 20 min from the hostel to the supermarket...)
Well, till next time, because Schmetterling is quite sleepy now. Tata.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Alas for the Trees
I will be leaving this place soon, and heaven knows when I'll be back. Probably not till next year.
What will I miss, people ask?
Somehow, I don't think it'll be the food.
Family and friends I will miss, definitely, but to what extent? I am not particularly close to anyone, and friendships are virtually (forgive the pun) maintained through MSN these days(that's what has been going on for the past.... 8-9 months, for me at least...)
It's the little things, I suppose.
The view of the reservoir from my window.
The sunset that irritates me from 5-6pm daily. (because of the *beep*ing glare it causes)
The wet, green smell after the rain. (Yes I live in a well vegetated area, thank heavens.)
Dammit, probably even my neighbour's noisy parrot.
And the trees. I am very very attached to tropical vegetation thankyewverymuch. The beautiful flame-of-the-forest that I admire every time I cross the overhead bridge. The weird tree with white blossoms below the flyover en route to school. The humongous tree overgrown with strangling fig in Fort Canning. The old droopy tree that dangles its branches in a frequently overlooked section of the Singapore River. Will miss them all.
And no, I am not mad. Or overly sentimental. Trees are worth worshipping.
What will I miss, people ask?
Somehow, I don't think it'll be the food.
Family and friends I will miss, definitely, but to what extent? I am not particularly close to anyone, and friendships are virtually (forgive the pun) maintained through MSN these days(that's what has been going on for the past.... 8-9 months, for me at least...)
It's the little things, I suppose.
The view of the reservoir from my window.
The sunset that irritates me from 5-6pm daily. (because of the *beep*ing glare it causes)
The wet, green smell after the rain. (Yes I live in a well vegetated area, thank heavens.)
Dammit, probably even my neighbour's noisy parrot.
And the trees. I am very very attached to tropical vegetation thankyewverymuch. The beautiful flame-of-the-forest that I admire every time I cross the overhead bridge. The weird tree with white blossoms below the flyover en route to school. The humongous tree overgrown with strangling fig in Fort Canning. The old droopy tree that dangles its branches in a frequently overlooked section of the Singapore River. Will miss them all.
And no, I am not mad. Or overly sentimental. Trees are worth worshipping.
Monday, September 04, 2006
A Brief Sojourn into the Land of Pink and Purple Taxis
Day #1
I write this in my frigid hotel room overlooking a sign saying “Applied Physics” and another describing the foot reflexology services of “Miss Puke”. My stomach is so bloated stuff threatens to exit from either above or below, and I am on the verge of breathing fire (thanks to my exceedingly spicy dinner). To top it all of, I have had three servings of coffee today (caffeine overload alert) and am quite insanely perky. As a result, this entry is likely to be terribly garbled and not make much sense at all.
Where am I? Somewhere in the middle of a tangled mess of hopelessly congested roads, highways and alleys, beset on all sides by garish pink taxis and dangerous sofa-bearing tuk-tuks. Bangkok, naturally.
Day #2
Hmmm… haven’t been in this city for what, four, five years? I never cared much for it in the past. But it calls to me now, singing its siren song… (Buy, buy buy! Very cheap, buy!) Sadly, I find it irresistible. I am not one who is easily tempted by long swishy skirts. But here, I find myself drooling at every third swishy skirt that so happens to be in my path. The variety here is mind-blowing. Utterly mind-blowing. And though the prices have gone up somewhat throughout the years, one can still get a very good deal, if one knows where to look (and if one avoids shopping malls that scream 'DEES EES A TOUURISS TRAAAP!"). There is plenty of stuff here that suits Schmetterling's very exacting tastes, and Schmetterling is very very happy about that. Service is almost universally excellent, and I find myself smiling more in one day than I've smiled for the past half of the year, simply because there are fewer pompous assholes here.
I also think that Thai massages are quite highly overrated. Perhaps having all the breath squashed out of me just isn't my thing. Don't get me wrong- it wasn't exactly painful or anything... it's just that I am not too amenable to having feet and elbows push into my back.
Day #3
I swear they put sugar in EVERYTHING. Including fruit juice. To think I was marvelling at the sweetness of Thai watermelons. Anyway, I like Thai salads. If I become a vegetarian I think Thailand might be a good place to retire.
Nothing much of note, just this. Walking on the streets can be quite hazardous, for there are shrines (and thus clouds of flies accompanying the offerings) leaping out at you from unexpected corners. And university students wear cute uniforms.
I write this in my frigid hotel room overlooking a sign saying “Applied Physics” and another describing the foot reflexology services of “Miss Puke”. My stomach is so bloated stuff threatens to exit from either above or below, and I am on the verge of breathing fire (thanks to my exceedingly spicy dinner). To top it all of, I have had three servings of coffee today (caffeine overload alert) and am quite insanely perky. As a result, this entry is likely to be terribly garbled and not make much sense at all.
Where am I? Somewhere in the middle of a tangled mess of hopelessly congested roads, highways and alleys, beset on all sides by garish pink taxis and dangerous sofa-bearing tuk-tuks. Bangkok, naturally.
Day #2
Hmmm… haven’t been in this city for what, four, five years? I never cared much for it in the past. But it calls to me now, singing its siren song… (Buy, buy buy! Very cheap, buy!) Sadly, I find it irresistible. I am not one who is easily tempted by long swishy skirts. But here, I find myself drooling at every third swishy skirt that so happens to be in my path. The variety here is mind-blowing. Utterly mind-blowing. And though the prices have gone up somewhat throughout the years, one can still get a very good deal, if one knows where to look (and if one avoids shopping malls that scream 'DEES EES A TOUURISS TRAAAP!"). There is plenty of stuff here that suits Schmetterling's very exacting tastes, and Schmetterling is very very happy about that. Service is almost universally excellent, and I find myself smiling more in one day than I've smiled for the past half of the year, simply because there are fewer pompous assholes here.
I also think that Thai massages are quite highly overrated. Perhaps having all the breath squashed out of me just isn't my thing. Don't get me wrong- it wasn't exactly painful or anything... it's just that I am not too amenable to having feet and elbows push into my back.
Day #3
I swear they put sugar in EVERYTHING. Including fruit juice. To think I was marvelling at the sweetness of Thai watermelons. Anyway, I like Thai salads. If I become a vegetarian I think Thailand might be a good place to retire.
Nothing much of note, just this. Walking on the streets can be quite hazardous, for there are shrines (and thus clouds of flies accompanying the offerings) leaping out at you from unexpected corners. And university students wear cute uniforms.
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