*insert clever title*

Deja vu :
I see my dreams flying out the window.
How many times has this got to happen before I learn
STOP dreaming.
Reality sucks

I pray

Today I pray not for myself. I'm dedicating this post to the people who need a little prayer now and then. A little boost in their day, a lift in their spirit and a spring in their steps.

Today I pray for people like Kristian Anderson and his family.

Today I pray for the earthquake victims in New Zealand.

Today I pray for peace

Today I pray for calm, strong hearts

Today I'll pray for you

Amen

Rachel's Birthday Video from Kristian Anderson on Vimeo.

Hell hath no fury

At times I loathe being female. It's just such a tiring role to play. Being surrounded by females makes things much more worse.

I don't get a  lot of things in this world. The way people clamour for fame and glory and go through all sorts of despicable ways to attain the duo. 

If you want to use me, fine. That's your prerogative. But I reserve the right to detest you and group you all the way down down there together with the grub and the muck of the earth. Drop off the face of the earth and see if I care ? 

The next time you try to study with a fever, headache and a blocked nose whilst insensitive bastardos pester you for things aimed at attaining their own goals , AND you manage to hold your composure steady - I applaud you and will duly nominate you for the Nobel Peace Prize or something. equally noble because it is just not humanly possible. 

The world is going to the dogs. That's the sad fact. Nobody cares about anyone else anymore. 

Screw tact ! It's the cold, bare truth from now on. If you don't make your own effort, don't expect others to clean up the mess you left behind. You and your trail of regrets shall haunt you forevermore....or at least until another idiot comes along to sweep it all up. Rest assured, that person won't be me. Capisce ? 

Gene pool

Conversations with the father unit ... 

[9:37:51 PM] Billy Chia: macky has tat key

[9:38:06 PM] Billy Chia: macky is the pet name for josh pc

[9:38:23 PM] Billy Chia: nokky is my e61

[9:38:41 PM] Billy Chia: lappy is my toshiba

[9:39:33 PM] Billy Chia: ashpy is the "new" acer

[9:40:08 PM] Billy Chia: yrs lappygirl and nettygirl

[9:41:08 PM] Joanna: wat the ....

[9:41:11 PM] Joanna: lol !

Sigh, and they say it's high time I grew up !! ..... I have the coolest parents :P

When God speaks ...

you step back at the astounding glory of the Lord

I admit to being a faithless Christian.  I'm a scatterbrained child. I panic way too easily. I cry too easily, I get angry fast, I forget equally fast. I'm vulnerable to hurt, I care too much. I get down, I get emotional, I get morose. I've been annoying and irritating.

Was on my regular blog hops ... and suddenly heard this song. It's the ONE song that keeps playing out of the blue when I least expect to stumble upon it ... and every time, I break down ..

Oh ye of little faith !

Enough with that !

They say growing up can be a pain. 

Perhaps I'm still a child. Perhaps I'm silly enough that I'll be eaten up whole the moment I'm thrown into the shark pools of the world. Idealism does not a good match for realism make ... 

It's a scary feeling , this. This never knowing who's true, what's real, whom to believe and to try to look through the masks that we all don. It's a huge blow in this dream I've weaved in my ignorance. To be lost for words and yet have so many things pooling around in an over-cluttered mind. I no longer know who you are ..... 

I pray for God's guidance, for wisdom and the strength to pull through the greatest odds. Things will work out, they always do ... 

There will come a time when cotton candy transitions from being a kid's treat to cavity causing devil clouds... perhaps that's what growing up is all about.

No dancing shoes have touched these dusty floors ..

This epitomizes in song what my heart would never admit ...

Are they laughing "at or with me"
Ah baby those are such great shoes
And I think that I'm so happy now
And I think this is a better you

Oooooooo ooooh
Are they laughing at or with me
Oooooooo ooooh
Why can't we just say what we mean

People are just trying to fit in
But is there something telling you
You can't trust anyone in this town
Ah baby those are such great shoes

Oooooooo ooooh
Are they laughing at or with me
Oooooooo  ooooh
Why can't we just say what we mean

Don't put your money where your mouth is baby
We don't want to see you choke
Nobody's joking around here anymore
Nobody's broking any high scores
No dancing shoes have touched these dusty floors
For such a long long time
For such a long long time
For such a long time

Oooooooo ooooh
Are they laughing at or with me
Oooooooo ooooh
Why can't we just say what we mean

Tramlines Festival

The last weeked, Sheffield hosted the Tramlines Festival, a celebration of music, art and the freedom of expression. Being a great fan of music, I just had to go and have a look at all these wonderful talent in town. How fortunate for me !

Unfortunately, most of the hip events had queues running to the end of the earth, so I gave up waiting for rock concerts and went instead to explore the wondrous food booths near the Eye of Sheffield. Oh food galore !! I shall take a back seat now and let the pictures do the talking ...

Exotic meats from around the world ... I tried the Kangaroo burger. The first and last time ... I kept thinking of baby kangaroos and adorable little creatures ..... urgh !!

A hog getting roasted. Couldn't bear to eat this either :( I should really just go vegan !

Yummy looking meringues ! Too bad I'm not a fan of the sweet stuff ... these looked real tempting 

Olives ! Olives ! Olives ! Of all kinds ! Have I mentioned OLIVES?? haha .. delicioso !

This. Was. Fantastic ! Dutch Pancakes with Baileys and Cream. Oh gosh .. be still my heart 

Tartiflette : A potato and bacon dish. Supposedly and Alpine favourite. Was so-so only though 

The funkiest, gorgeous-est, yummiest milkshake shop ... MadCow Milkshake. They have over 185 different flavours. I had the Jamaican Ginger Cake. Oh boy .. it tasted like blended cake ... good stuff, good stuff ..

And to save the best for last .... 

A really groovy, fantastic band from London. Their rendition of Marilyn Manson's Sweet Dreams was just feet-tapping, head-nodding, good ! 

Undisclosed desires

At times I sit down and wonder what life would have been if I had chosen the road not taken rather than the path of least resistance. I wonder if life would have been any different if I hadn't stood by and allowed my childhood dreams to flit away on the wings of insecurity. Perhaps I would have loved a life flirting with risk and dating danger. 

After all, Master Yoda says : 

"Do or do not .. there is no try"

More than just a game for two

Classes beckon,

Assignments scream, 

Early days with sprinkles of,  

Late nights fueled by caffeine laced diets,

But tummies, oh tummies have to be filled 

and ears need as much pampering as the soul ... 

When east and west meets adventurous taste buds .... you get "Kimchi Broccoli Salad" 

( that's real kimchi !! ... from the awesome-st Asian grocer we accidentally stumbled upon, more on that later ... ) 

Coupled with oven baked fish fillet and a dollop of crumbly cheese  .. 

Fuss free dinners are yummy. There was ice cream too but as with all rules that govern the universe, ice cream and sweet treats wait for no (wo)man's camera .. 

Ear candy is food for the soul, and Olivia Ong , a chinese Singaporean singer has been feeding me generous portions of feel goodness with her lilting voice ... very easy listening, not exactly bossa nova, but comforting nonetheless. Do have a listen. A few of my favourite renditions on time old classics ... 

The Asymmetry of Interdependence

It's the weekend yet again and I'm back for my now once a week posts. Friendships, bonds and interdependences are never fair, never symmetrical and I guess there comes a point where you just have to try to balance yourself upon the sharp ridges, concave dips and jagged terrains of relationships .... 

Yesterday was a swell day. Left early in the morning ( or relatively early for a weekend...:P ) to go marketing for goodies to cook for dinner. It's been an almost weekly ritual now for a few friends and I to gather around for dinner every Saturday, good to give a twist to my almost staple diet of sandwiches and salads ... 

Awesome roasted chicken 

Shallots, soy sauce and iceberg lettuce .. ah, tastes like home

And I made bruschetta ! Sauteed chestnut mushrooms, peppers, and garlic toasted on crisp baguette liberally spread with herb butter topped with mozzarella .. see mum, I haven't blown up any kitchens yet :P 

This on the other hand was just plain awful. Had to add lots of lemon juice in it .. 

And that's a wrap folks ! 

I hope you guys had a good weekend ! 

Whitby part 2

Continuing on from the last post .. the town of Whitby is full of quaint little shops that provide a delightful haven for tourists, hungry tummies, tired feet and a sight for sore eyes... 

I have a fascination for all the names of the places here in England. Whitby I realized, doesn't deviate from what appears to be a tradition of naming establishments after animals ... . 

The Magpie's Kitchen ... a heaven for people like my mum because this place has floors and floors of tableware and kitchen accessories ... 

The Dolphin 

The Black Horse

We had lunch at The Magpie, an eatery that came highly recommended but unfortunately our box of the infamous Whitby fish and chips was slightly overrated ... at least the cod was very fresh though ... or maybe it's just the fact that fish and chips just isn't my chosen bite ... hmm  

Candy shops provide an endless source of temptation for sweet tooths and overgrown children like yours truly .. 

Hehe ... this was a shop selling hand made soaps that looked good enough to eat don't you think ? 

The shops here have got jolly good names too ... 

The Jolly Sailors 

The Moon and Sixpence 

And ... this one here's Naughty but Nice ... 

Now, we come to the part of Whitby that I personally loved best .... 

I <3 independent bookshops .... and nice ladies who allow me to take photos in them .. 

This was literature-ly my stairway to heaven ... 

I only had time to take these snapshots because my friend pulled me away from the shop.. but looking at this photo now ... I spot Middlesex and Pigtopia !! Arrgh ... and these books were going for 60% off the RRP . 

and more ... 

Needless to say, my souvenirs from Whitby were ... 

I'm incorrigible I know .. *inserts appropriately repentant doe-eyed expression ... *

Whitby

The eager call of seagulls heralded our arrival to this picturesque little town by the sea. Whitby is located near the Yorkshire coast, nearby Ravenscar, Scarborough, Filey and Bridlington. 

One of the must sees here would be the Whitby Abbey. Located on top of a hill, the abbey looms up magnificent , and it doesn't take much imagination for you to see this splendid structure resplendent in its former glory. 

The Abbey's first Abbess was Lady Hilda, and is thus also known as St Hilda's Abbey. It fell to Viking attack in 1078, and although it was later reformed by a soldier monk, Reginfrith, the buiilding fell to ruins after an attack by King Henry VII in the year 1540. Today, the abbey remains a prominent landmark for the town of Whitby and has become a major tourist attraction. 

Look at the blue blue sky ! 

I think there was a stable nearby, so there were lots of these horses grazing in fields. There was this particular little pony which was really friendly and inquisitive. Ah, I wish I had a lump of sugar or an apple :( 

At the entrance of the Abbey's souvenir shop. There was a stained glass bookmark in there that I fell deeply in love with, but alas, it was way too expensive for a student. There were lots of Celtic crosses, little figurines, and even quills on sale there ! I could have spent all day browsing that place... 

I think this was St Mary's Church ... what drew my attention was the graveyard, at the top of a hill overlooking the sea ... this place had a very gothic feel about it. I could just imagine turbulent waves crashing in, and a dark, gloomy sky with streaks of lightning illuminating random headstones ... 

The view on the other side of the church ... breathtaking huh ? 

Whitby is also famous for its 199 steps, a flight of stairs leading up to St Mary's Church. I'm sorry there are no better pictures of this beautiful *torturous* place because I was so afraid of heights that I practically held my breath and counted step by painful step down with my eyes focused on the ground and nowhere else. As you can see from the picture, the view was actually magnificent so I kinda missed a lot. I was coerced into taking this picture by some friends, so I have to thank them for this slice of memory since I honestly can't remember much from this .... :( 

The view from the top of the steps ... 

Solid ground at last !! Narrow alleys, and quaint little shops dot the town of Whitby. There was lots to see here ... but probably that will come in the next post since I think you guys have had too much of looking at photos of me for one day  :)