Today was a looong marathon - but I felt productive! Just pray hard I didn't screw up some part of my work, heheh. Again a front row seat to how an academic writes - gotta admire my boss's mind and tenacity. My mind's kinda blown now, so...gonna watch the Peace Make Kurogane, Chrono Crusade and possibly the Full Metal Alchemists eps I've been saving up...

Had to attend looong lecture today about the Cultural Policies of the E.U. - long but interesting in that they have pretty fun stuff like festivals going on there, of the likes you would proably never see in Singapore. Fell into old habits and took notes which I am now desperately grateful for....well, was observing how the lecturer was stacking his notes and cringed a little at the disorder. So of course, they were later handed to me to go through and extract the useful stuff. And I gotta send them back to the lectuerer's homeland, so I gotta move fast and photocopy the necessary....in a funny, lame, completely-no-life way, I am actually looking forward to making sense of the pile of papers - like it is a challenge to my organizational soul. Next time you see me, I'll be so uptight about filing stuff, I'd carry Post-it notes like an American Express Card and my organiser like my IC.

Was sneaking the last of my Sneakers bar because lunch was a little too early and a little insubstantial.

My international phone call karma kicked in again, my boss slightly unhappy at how all the contact numbers dun seem to be working, and my printer karma hopping along for the ride by having a seemingly unfixable paper jam just before I have to leave, argh!

Tomorrow gotta go in early as my boss is working on his paper. I totally expect insanity and frienzied typing with embarrassing spelling errors. Ugh. But please, no more phone calls! For an ICM student, I suck at telecoms...

Saw the latest Rice novel at Times Bookshop today - pwah~ Rowan Mayfair and Lestat! The two big characters! Like always, flipped to the back and totally spoiled myself...was a little disappointed at the ending...I mean, Witch Vs Vampire!...I was hoping for some sparks...of the deadly slightly kind, some magical conflict, dunno...I only read the back bit, maybe the middle will be more interesting. After Taltos, still nurture some of that insane curiosity about what happened to that last taltos pair...

Tomorrow's gonna be a whole slew of lectures - have heard it might be a little monotonous so am plotting to smuggle in a notebook and look like I am taking notes but probably writing my to-do list, heheh.

Why did the cat cross the road?
Had a Cat Returns thing happen to me today. Saw this cat attempting to cross the street - he was supremely indifferent to the car which was trying to drive away from the kerb and join the traffic. The driver tried flashing her headlights and drive slightly nearer but the cat was totally oblivious, caught up in watching for cars, hahah. Eventually the passenger got out and herded the reluctant cat back onto the pavement and the car departed. But the cat seemed determined to cross the road and guarded the kerb vigilantly, waiting for the cars to stop. I was a bit worried when some motorbikes driving on the pavement scared the cat and trapped it on the kerb. For a moment, it seemed it might run into the traffic. Once, a bicycle drove too close and it sent the rider a indignant but wary look over its shoulder saying: 'Hello? You're in MY SPACE." Before I knew it, the cat dashed across not one but two roads, as it skipped nimbly almost as though it could read the rhythm of the traffic flow. And the cutest thing was that after it got across the road, it strolled along the pavement and leisurely turned up a walkway to a HDB void deck, almost like a real person. Me just thot it was amusing as hell.

ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow...*whimper*

Had an interesting time typing out my boss' paper while he dictated - first row seat on how a learned academic creates his paper out of experience, opinion and judicious quotes. His thought pattern is astounding - to be able to draw together concepts from such broad cross-sections of writings and literature. His sentance structure is admirable too. Although found that I'm terrible at names, have decided that I like typing to a dictated speech.

The morning earlier was spent organizing photostated sources into folders for storage and selecting articles on my boss for his researcher friend. Typed a few emails for my boss and duplicated a file for storage. Almost wanted to organize the archives a little but didn't have the time. Felt productive, heh, though the highest priority thing is not yet done. *sigh* Will be able to get it done tomorrow, I hope.

Had dinner with my colleague after work and tried out that claypot rice at Clementi.

Hopefully I can make it for the anime and manga symposium MDA is having - felt at first it was too expensive plus I would probably miss the exhibition because of work - but I wanna go!!! *wail*

Pwah!~ Lucky I decided to save Naruto 59 for a rainy day - becos it rained indeed today - am also ultra-shacked today, even tho' I slept at ten last night.

Got into work and spend a busy two hours archiving and organising newspaper articles. Then spent a dusty back-breaking three-four hours in the library compiling an assignment - yay, now I know more about the modules offered in Eng Lit since 1969 ^_^ Some of the modules like creative writing and utopian something something really looked interesting.

Then typed some emails for my boss, but i was so cold, my fingers became clumsy. Also missed lunch, and Adeline running on fumes = silly mistakes. Made a few international calls (one of the tasks I am worst at) and failed to connect three in four of them *sigh*

Another spate of dorkiness as I forgot about the public holiday tomorrow until the secretary reminded me.

A looking forward to Dec 18 LotR! Thanks choklad! Muaks!

Just saw Naruto 58, because 57 is done loading, ugh...liked the small additions they made, but not much surprise since I already know the story...still haven't read Chp 193 - saving it for a rainy day.

Body Shop's cranberry oil smells really nice and fruity! But the shower gel of the same name has a tang of sourness.

I think my brain is starting to be crowded...sadly, I can't remember my dreams anymore - I do recall a barbercue, open-air in a condo type. And I couldn't get the meat to cook because the coal was wet. For the life of me, can't remember the faces of the people I met, ummm...Chicken cutlets, by the way.

hmm, got job satisfaction today - or I'm just an efficiency addict with no life...boss was very nice today, treated everyone to teh tarik and a slice of a very yummy cake he'd gotten as a gift.

After work went with my friends to look at this flower exhibition near the Esplanade. Some very pretty arrangements, and using some interesting material. The one I like best was this gold manequin which was gracefully covered in twigs, ivy, glittering beads and shiny wire. She had gold gauze draping over part of her face, and long slender leaves splayed in her hair. She also had a deep purple silk trailing down like a skirt. Just like a woodland faerie goddess. Other funny exhibitions had dried chilli, and old bananas. Another was just a pile of bundled twigs *shakes head* Very nice landscaping exhibitions too. But despite the nice flowers and surroundings, the best was I got to play with my friend's digital camera. Craving craving - but i refuse to buy a digicam until I get ad-less server space.

Had a fun time rooting around Popular for the right kind of floppy disk sleeves for my boss' conference file. Came home for dinner - which I have cunningly planned to be the Korean instant noodles. Have nursed craving for it since the office air-con decided to set itself to 10 minus North Pole temperature.

Enjoyed good food at two meals today - lunch and dinner. The first was because of my boss's b-day so we took him to lunch. I really got a chance to try new things - have realised that I'm more open to putting things in my mouth, hahah. The second was the closing dinner for the Creative Arts Programme. The jazz band was great though I dun know much about that kind of music, they were really professional. The kiddies though (selected secondary and jc students) kinda added life, laughter and a tiny bad taste to the whole event. You know how teens tend to be a bit arrogant and cruel (like in orientations?) - it shows in their dinner games and their attitudes. Am I getting old thinking like that? Before I know it i'd be a disapproving old maid liao.

Was very excited today because one of the visiting lecturers conversed with me and was supportive of my very very vague masters topic - examining the design (maybe design process) of multi-cultural websites. Am reviving my thesis blog, yay! Of course, trying to consider how I can worm usability and web design theory into it again. He suggested a masters on literature and I was aghast because I dun have much of a background (compared to most uni students). But it'd probably be at least a yr before I even seriously consider masters but I wanna think up topics now and take the chance to do a little lit review before the clock starts ticking for real. But at the same time, I want to integrate job stuff together with my masters, so I'd be saving time.

Nodding off now, really tired...Nite!

Wow, got to meet one of the authors I've had to research on today, she is very pleasantly cheerful and elegant in her speech...I was slightly dorky at lunch today though. Social function, ugh...

Got a pile of stuff to photocopy and organise tomorrow. And found out there is a scanner pen available in the office, arrghhh! All these weeks of typing...I feel like demolishing the wall with my head sometimes.

You know when you get all insufferably smug that you managed to finish a project on the deadline, only to find out the next day that the lecturer has actually given a two week extension a week ago? Am feeling slightly cheated.

Yesterday was another fun-filled day of panic, stress and evil possessed heels.

I only had to do ushering but of course am expected to assist my frazzled colleague who has to organised everything. So by the time the real event started, my feet already started to hurt. My high-heeled shoes are inhabited by an malicious sentient entity which can skip pass toes that have been plastered and go straight to un-plastered toes. That's how I have a blister on my fourth toe but not my smallest toe. Sucky.

Got to talk to some of the MOE teachers who are collaborating with us for the Creative Arts Programme. Also had a fun time putting together a tar-pao lunch for some people, and helped the teacher there to swipe all the food into styrofoam boxes. Hmm, maybe the food industry is for me after all...

Suffered a major adrenaline crash after the event, and after lunch, I was nodding off at my desk. Thank goodness for the walls of my cubicle. Would be typing on auto-pilot, then when I re-checked what I typed, I would have no memory of typing it. -_-"

But by four plus I was wide awake again so decided to hang around till late since my poor colleagues in charge of the CAP had to stay till nine.

Got home by nine plus, thanks to a free ride, and plonked out till this morning, heh.

Moral of the story: Always break in your heels before wearing them - possibly by tossing them off the hundreth-storey! *maniacal laugh*

p.s. My first post from work. Shhh...

Another interesting day which started off with my usual bout of dorkiness - went to the National Library early because I recall it closes at 1pm - actually, it opens at 1pm...so bought a drink at the canteen nearby and settled down to do some readings...only to realised I cleared out my file so I would have space for the loot I intended to pirate (i.e. photocopy). Thus, had to finish my Coke (which fizzled a lot and spilled) which I didn't really want, just bought so I could sit down. Argh.

So, to while away two hours, went walking around Raffles City (again...). Maybe next weekend I'll just stay home and watch anime, yeah? Maybe my feet will stop hurting by then...

Spent a few hours in the reference section and got good loot! Split for Plaza Sing to look for my white shirt for tomorrow only to run into a veritable human flood outside the new Dohby Ghaut station who were waiting for some 5566 signing thingamajig. It was hot, stifling and it rained on me too.

Searched in vain for my white shirt - but had nice kway chap at the food court. Pretended to be invisible wallpaper when the two ladies sharing the table with me started discussing their kids an their first husbands...one of them mentioned she still loves her ex and that women usually do, but she held no grudges. I was kinda surprise they even brought up that topic with me just sitting there...guess I'm more invisible than I thought...

When I got out of Plaza Sing, that 5566 thing had begun and I was curious but didn't want to go near the crowd too much. Most of them were young secondary school girls - one was dressed to the nines, with maroon heels that could stab through the heart...but the thing was, they were all perspiring (the humid weather not helping) and some emerged from the queue with their shirts all sticking to their backs, ick...well, maybe if Shinsengumi from Peace Maker Kurogane (or the Naruto cast) decided to do a signing thing, I would probably go...so far Hijitaka and Yamazaki rate really high, ohohoho.

Nearly had my eardrums blasted through by a whining kid, who was being carried by his dad, passed by me. Notice
how that places his mouth at just the right level to direct a straight blast of irritating sound? He had a whine only a parent could love. I like kids, but I would probably be the bad cop in the parental game.

Let's hope I wouldn't wobble too much in the heels tomorrow (they really hurt the last time I was in them, damn!)

Inflicted this on my exam-suffering friends (Evil me...) at the anime club's msgboard - now I'm gonna do to same to the few scarce souls who wander by here.

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All~rightey then!

Have seen Revolutions and since I'm sure there is already loads of negative feedback on the net, let me contribute some nice stuff about the movie. But sorry to say, this post is SPOILER-ful, so plz skip if u dun wanna know.

But before the spoilers - just like to say the battle scene are pretty worth, quite exciting. And that slimy French guy is still as slimy.

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Pretty interesting "opposites" thingy going on in the movie (I couldn't watch the whole war movie sequence, but was more interested in the philosophy going on...)

1) Machines "organic" Vs Humans "clunky mobile suits" - did anyone notice how graceful the machines looked once the Machine Face gave them the signal to return? The violent atmosphere just died suddenly and the dock transformed into an underwater scene with streams of jelly-squids circling upwards. Not to forget the awesome snake formation in a ferocious backdrop of frenetic violence. The difference between the two scenes seems to show how the machine (like the humans) can be violent but also beautiful, maybe even more beautiful then humans, who lurched around in their dirty clumsy metal suits. Some of the machine "animals/creatures/nature" I saw:
- caterpillars
- spiders
- jelly-squids
- snakes
- porcupine/durian (the Machine Face!)
- mountains (which turned out to be machines?)

2) Machines "feelings" Vs Humans "hardy-ness"
- the machines show more human feelings - love, sympathy/concern (that Indian guy for Neo), anger (that awesome Machine Face) than the humans who
- are narrow-mined in the chase for efficiency (the Roland Captain guy)
- stagnant in their thought - hello? Grand Council Lady! The things are at your doorstep and you still ask if you can survive?
- defiant (that slashed-in-the-face heroic Captain)
- cunningly efficient (that butch infantry-woman)
- tough (Naomi)
qualities perhaps more suited to describe machines...

In fact, the Architect's appearance seems to hint that machines may be even more "enlightened" (get it? get it? Neo's new vision...hahah) than humans since the Architect implies he would not break his word (like a human would), and thus machines not only love but are rigidly honourable. And if you've seen the Animatrix, you'd get the feeling that he is right in suspecting that the humans would be the first to destroy peace like they did in the Second Renaissance. even looking at some of the bull-headeness, ignorance and hopeless attitude of the humans in the movie, you would lose confidence in Man.

3) Resultant overlap between machine and human - since the machines seemed to be "evolving" human characteristics and humans showing machine characteristics, the two seemed to show similarities and a symbiotic relationship. Like how the electric (BMP?) shock hurt both the operations of the machine and the humans.

4) Feels like the movie has thrown away the whole "What if your whole world in unreal" issue in favour of hightlighting the juxtaposition of man and machine. Like how Agent Smith becomes the opposite of Neo, while Neo is closer to the machine world. Like how Agent Smith gained "eyes" but could not see past choice (he does't seem to understand it) while Neo lost his eyes but "saw" in a whole new different way. Like how programs want to escape the matrix while the movie doesn't make an issue of releasing the humans from their "sleep" - that some may even choose to stay in the matrix.

5) The sky scene was like a ray of hope thing for me - anyone got any Immortal movie fashbacks? The one where Chris Lambert acted as Callum McLeod and the sky was red but later at the top of the building the protagonists got to see the beauty of the sky as we see it now?


okay, this one is a bit about Christian faith, so if dun wanna read, plz skip...

6) I think Neo "died" in this movie - because
- the Trinity death-scene was like the Passion at the Garden of Olives - where he thought he could not go on - Neo is so wooden in the whole show and the grief he shows I think is the most intense we have seen him
- the way he was laid out was distinctly cross-shaped
- the Oracle on how he would come again
- Zion and the Temple...

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Some stuff that still puzzles me but am too lazy to find out...
- Sathi - is she a powerful program to be able to create sunrises?
- why did the Oracle's programming change?
- the whole implication of Agent Smith's sudden attack of stupidity

Really liked Agent Smith's speech - very impassioned if I do say so...was quite freaked when the guy who got infected by Agent Smitheven spoke like him! *shudder*

And to those who got schocked by Trinity's death - well, you can't say they didn't warn you when they've been calling Neo The One for like three movies straight...

13th - Thursday:
Was a dangerous day for me cause I got a serious attack of theMonday blues and was quite lethargic during the day...too much Mao Tsu-Tung I think - have started reading the other world leaders to stave off reading too much Mao.

Had lunch with my colleagues and got to promote the ICM programme a bit, heheh. Was quite happy cause I got a standing invite to join them wheever I want, yay!

14th - Friday:
Was happy cos I managed to turn in an info-gathering assignment the very next day, tho the boss had asked me only at 4 plus the day before. Actually, did it fat so I could get back to my current pet project about the views of world leaders on nationalism and literature.

Had to run lotsa errands that day - physical (the full Monty, ewww) plus a brain-numbing wait for a 30 sec -ray procedure. Also had to go show HR my orginals certs...in the rain. *sigh* But got to sample Engine's wanton mee again - the lady was most obliging when I specificed wanton mee without the wanton, hahah...

But the fun part was meeting M to watch the Matrix. Was pretty pumped cos we both got jobs and went to try the food at this Thai-Chinese restaurant at Marina Sq, so had a pretty okay impression of the movie. Food=Happy. I just felt the Trinity scene was a bit overdone - and the French was funny in a slimy sorta way (did anyone feel like tossing popcorn at his slimy face? - and I didn't even have popcorn!), and the atmosphere was really good, it recalls the Animatrix's apocalytic despair. Anyways, back to the important part - the food. We had Thai pineapple rice, sotong paste in fried you tiao, omelette with prawns and coconut and sago desert. Will not mention the tom-yam soup as it wasn't to my taste - only ordered to try-try one....

15th - Saturday:
Proof that age does not have any diminishing affect on dorkiness. Spent a few chilling hours in the National Library's Reference Section copying by hand stuff out of a book only to turn the corner and discover a photocopying room. Argghh! *kicks self* And I was even listening for the sounds!!!

But is my first time there and was suitably awed at the old place and high ceilings.

By the time I left, had froze enuff energy from me that I headed straight to Subway at City Hall and polished off a whole six inch. And I finished it all this time, hahah! Proceeded to U2 to look for shirts and a formal skirt for ushering duty come Monday. Let with two black shirts (one for my sis cause she felt she sold more stuff if she is attired better) and a dark blue skirt. Still have a problem of a white shirt despite trying three of them - some were two small, and others too transparent. *sigh* And to think I used to believe that I buy but never shop. The sales ladies there were very nice and obliging yet never too hovering. Even wrote a email to compliment them ^_^

arghh! freaking pop-ups on brinkster...

have gotten a few layouts all over - the non-anime flowery one and a mysterious blue one with the SEED logo. Am leaning towards the FFVIII one because it can accommodate a long pop-up on the right side...stalled yet again on sis's websites. They are kinda near-completed, i'm just too lazy to trim pictures and upload...

ok ok, I can't keep it all in anymore - all sorts of stuff happening to me since working...let's see...

Compiled bibliographies like no tomorrow (its like the Thesis Era all over again!) - lots of poetry stuff - so much so that I ended up copying poets and titles...in Vietnamese - only to discover I didn't really need them in Vietnamese. Must hand it in for translations - I don't know if they mean what the original is about, but the imagery is there. Either that or my brain is fried and conjuring up images from nowhere and everywhere.

Read some interesting stuff - like how funny King Vajiravudh (*sigh* brings back memories of the jc days gone by) and sarcastic Jose Rizal can be. Also some really deep thoughts like Aung San Suu Kyi on fearlessness - will dig up the quote when I find it again.

Have had to juggle assignments that come zooming out of nowhere - have had to make international calls (which scare the heck outta me, but I gotta suck it in and handle them anyways...) - have had to type looong paragraphs of quotes and check what I type, sometimes the hours just zoom by. Have had to comb the library for sources - pretty fun, like going on a treasure hunt. I like how the reference section smells (maybe left over from 4th year?) but now they have moved the whole section to a newly renovated area (which probably smells like varnish, yeck!), they keep moving the collections! Had to kowtow and grovel to the library staff because of my numerous requests ^_^

Reserved more closed stacks books than the whole of my uni days. Read more poetry too (tho' not too much) - some are really nice, and have been translated repeatedly. Have read lots of last words - and you wonder how some people's words really do live on.

Met L and from chats with my colleague who is also doing her masters, am getting tempted to do mine - but now surely is too early to do anything - must find a topic first.

Had a guy hit on me in the library - outside I was pretty cool, but inside I was "whoa!" Later it got a bit concerning since he seemed genuinely confused why a romantic relationship couldn't work out like a maths equation, and was asking highly personal questions like my views of marriage, eek! But seriously I wasn't interested because I dun even have enuff hours after work for myself (3.5 hrs!), let alone a committment of any sort. It was an interesting exchange of views though - we were frank in the way chatty strangers are.

Have found out that staff get discounts on books from the co-op (whee!) and various courses. And may be able to get leave for the anime chalet, ohohoho!

And today, today was the best! The annual staff was on a junk ship this year - it sailed out to St. John's island and anchored there for the evening, then leisurely sailed back to Clifford Pier. The mountain-turtle that is Ade was completely bowled over. We even got to see a red moon and have found out that I dun get seasick, yay! But the absolute best for the evening was the unrehearsed music of the tutors from the Chinese Orchestra and the half (?) of the Indian Quartet.

Of course, tomorrow is another day - but I feel fresh and fairly confident that I can handle my work (except for the occasional terrifying call abroad).

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Anime stuff!

Have given up on PLANTES because the download is so freaking long.

Am following Peace Maker Kurogane now - Kyaa! Saitou! Saitou talking to spirits (sounds like Madam Hydra's fic doesn't it?) and Saitou eating soba like a squeaky conveyor belt, hahah! Was laughing my guts out. As for Hijitaka and Yamanami - still can't decide which is the Buddha and which is the Oni. Tetsu's depiction of him is soo funny!

Latest Naruto manga! Chouji and that butterfly scene is soo sad! (Really dunno if he's gonna survive - maybe they'll pick him up later?) Really like how the artist inter-mingles such serious, moving themes into his manga - kinda like CLAMP's CCS.

Naruto ep 56 - ehhh? They gave Yondaime's hair the same shade as Naruto's - I thought his hair was meant to be a little more pale - I like the ambiguity it implied - rather than the obvious inherited same colour. And he doesn't look the same as in the manga - he seems nicer in the manga.

Still waiting for the Naruto calendar - maybe will email Anime House by next week to ask...

Finally got around to watching the five eps of Bottle Fairy I've got - quite cute but a little boring at times...yah, Hororo is really quite Osaka...especially when she tried to take a chomp out of her fellow fairy's head.

eh, a bit busy and too tired to blog lately but a lot of nice stuff happened to me, so will store it all up and post in a mega-entry when I'm more free, 'kay?