「何度も生まれ変わっても君とここに会おう」

Celebrated Carol's birthday today. Pasta. I didn't like the pizza very much. But you get what you pay for, I guess. Walked miles to get that tiny cake. Strawberry cheese. Expensive cheese? Party of eight; just six strawberries. So we drew straws. ^__^

Everything's been flashing by lately. Meant to post that 24-hour Wedding Adventure but never got to finishing the story. Long-windedness, I apologise. Books, books, books. Less than a month to the dreadful exams. Noooo. You can just tell how crazy it's driving me by the drastic change in writing style, can't you?

Shimmy says I'd definitely be more popular if I weren't so lazy. Ouch, I think he's right..

More frantic wedding preparations today. So, I got my haircut over the weekend, but completely missed this afternoon's manicure session because I spent 45 minutes at the Post Office, trying to stuff a friend's belated birthday present into the largest bubbled-envelope they had - carefully. Much love goes to all of the staff at the Sixth Avenue branch. For lending me their hands, penknife, stationery and most importantly, time. Who says Post Office peeps are grumpy anyway?

Braved the rain to get to town, met Germaine and Merdin to get the wedding gift, dropped by at the nails parlour to check on the bride-to-be, and hurried to meet Alex for some mad last-minute shopping.

Don't think I've ever shopped for male formal wear, so the two of us had to scramble all over town for ideas. Singaporean men don't shop much do they? Only a couple of respectable stores with a minimal range of mediocre designs. It's no wonder people always complain about the lack of local metrosexuals.

Had fun though; my stripes fetish laid out for the world to see. I gushed all over pinstripes as usual, and practically forced Alex to try them on. We eventually settled on subtle pinstriped pants, a black diagonal-striped shirt which looked surprisingly good on him, and a nice tie. It looks better than it sounds!

Dinner. Then I got home to my toughest task - picking the wedding songs! This really could have been my dream job, except I've only got a bunch of hours to compile a good list of unique wedding tracks!

Sidetracked from my job, and wrote this senseless entry. Work Cindy, work!

Head hurts. It's been like this for a while; I am actually getting used to it. Oh well, here's some random listing again..

Did some mad shopping today. Got a new phone, found Felice the perfect pair of white heels for the wedding, and ran all over for Shimmy's gift. Fourth birthday present I've had to prepare this week. How many Virgos do I know anyway?

Celebrated Sheila birthday's over pizza with the gang last night. The cheesecake Ger baked was really good! Planning to bake another as a surprise for Ben when he gets back from Taiwan in time for his birthday. He's never celebrated his birthday before, and we wanted to be nice. Nicer, at least.

Oh, we met Sheila's boyfriend, his vintage Vespa, and the dead ugly helmets they'd just purchased. But they look so darn cute together. Like students running away from school on a scooter, or something.

Felice's wedding this Thursday. Head hurts. Need a haircut, manicure, beauty sleep, two prettier dresses, and the right pair of shoes. And I've also got to help Alex shop for Prom wear, pack my bags for the sleepover on Wednesday night, make sure I clear my online work by then.. and not screw my duties up on the big day. All this by Thursday?!

And when I actually survive my first wedding, I'd have to be back to LJ about it. Oh, Life.

Wish I could say I spent all my time away studying, but I'd be better off telling the truth. For every time that I've neglected my journal, it gets harder to get back into the habit, so let's start with a bit of incoherent updating..

Sunday was good fun. Hit home a tad before 4am after watching samurai movie Zatôichi at Jems', slept for a bunch of hours, went to Shimmy's to help spring-clean the house, and finally made my way across the island for the class gathering at Pasir Ris!

Went all giggly and lightheaded upon seeing everyone; missed my classmates to bits. A whole bunch of hugs later, I set about catching up on everybody's latest endeavours. After all, most of them meet each other in school daily and I had so much gossip to take in all at once..

( Long stories.. )

Oh, we played a proper game of Open Frisbee and it felt so much like being back in school during one of our awful Physical Education classes, except that we were playing on an open field by the sea. The wind in our faces, and a slight drizzle to keep the air cool.. it was perfect. And my team hit 5-0 first, even though we were one man down! I felt really healthy after the entire thing, as Yelin, Shikin, Nadrah and I ran senselessly after Azmi in the dark for quite some time.

Had sore legs, and slept like a log on Monday. But I was really exhilarated to spend time with everyone again. Even the bus ride was fun! Mrs Lim asked if we'd be able to keep this group together forever, and I said sure without much thought. Do I really think so? Sure. =D

Out of topic, but.. Darling, you're 18~ Otanjyoubi Omedetou! =D

I have, approximately, 7 minutes left to feel absolutely special.

Panicking.

Walking into their scene of private public intimacy was the last thing I was expecting, having pranced away from the rest of the gang with Shimmy. I had trouble shutting my gaping mouth, less to say tearing my eyes away from the couple, simply because, as much as it is killing me to admit this, it was a beautiful sight.

I recognised her first. My initial reaction? One of amusement, of course. In fact, I would have let out a couple of 'oohs' and 'ahhs' if I hadn't realised, all too soon, that it was him she was kissing.

Earth-shattering moments. A past confession he made about his kisses, echoing in my head. He must be crazy about her. I began to wonder if that sting I was feeling in my face, had more to do with what I had just witnessed, or that sunburn across my forehead and cheeks.

Their picture-perfectness stabbed our insides. I used 'our' instead of 'my', as Shimmy had clearly been affected by my abrupt mood swing. Still, we couldn't help staring, and my feet wouldn't shift an inch. Just like how meeting a shark would scare the daylights of you, yet you would naturally prefer to know its exact location than to swim about aimlessly.

I didn't know how to react - he got together with someone I actually like! She's pretty, smart, funny, talented, charming, feminine and sporty; in short, everything he needs. Everything I'm not.

I had always believed that when the right person comes along for him, I'd be able to take it in my stride and might even cheer him on. Wrong! The previous spite his other endeavours had caused, had nothing to do with him picking the only (two) girls I share bad blood with. He's always had a talent for that. In retrospect, all my "why must it be her, out of the hundreds of girls out there?" whining must have been delusional. It hurt all the same.

I'm selfish, and that creeped me out. But Shimmy told me something like, it's healthy to immerse yourself in a meaningless heartbreak once in while, as it aids the fading away of life's less trivial pain. And he was right; he always is.

He didn't try to cheer me up either. Instead, Shimmy pointed me in the direction of this cute guy who bears the eeriest resemblance to Randall. Shimmy tried to sound him out, and if I didn't already know his preference, I would have been equally convinced that he was gay.

At that point, I was already feeling a ton better. It became glaringly obvious that my bitterness had more to do with me and the state my life is in, than him. The only thing I had left to nurse was my sunburn, not a long-expired heartache.

We had a Six Degrees moment when our Randall-lookalike turned out to be Meg's brother's best friend. But our hopes went crashing out when we found out he barely speaks English, and well, we had trouble communicating. Dang, I really should have put more effort into those Chinese lessons back in school..

It seems there is nothing my friends love more than a good bout of drama. Every conversation I've had lately, I've learned things that can only be described as, well, soap-material. The latest installment of Ben's story, in particular, came out tops in terms of cringe-worthiness. Not that it was any less interesting than our yawn-inducing local television productions.

Ger, Ben and I paused in the middle of our frantic shopping spree last Saturday night, to ring Kenneth up with our well wishes for his birthday. We made the call while crossing the stretch of road between Mandarin Hotel and Takashimaya, hoping all that noise in the background would help trigger memories of our tiny Singapore. He must love us to bits.

It was after the call when Benjamin finally spilled the beans on the current situation of his long unrequited love. Xj, the cause of most of Ben's ongoing misery, happens to be great friends with Kenneth you see, though I have always maintained the suspicion that she was probably 'doing a Ben' on Kenneth, i.e. pining for him since forever.

Now. The crux of the story lies in Xj's intended present for Kenneth - return air tickets for his longtime girlfriend Sim, across the globe to England! Yes, Xj's dream was to send a giftwraped Sim right into Kenneth's arms! I promptly rolled over and died at the thought of Xj's "your happiness is my happiness" ideals. To further complicate things, she made Ben help plan and contribute financially to this man-made fairytale. If I had to be entirely honest, it was a grand idea, and one I would definitely support, having been buddies with Kenneth and Sim for years.

But the various circumstances couldn't be more unsettling. Watching them reminds me of the food chain. How Kenneth's exhilaration is enough to make up for Xj's sacrifices, and how Ben's sacrifices will always mean less than Kenneth's joys, even if the latter's effect on her will only be indirect, and often bittersweet. And as much as Ben would like to believe he agreed to this project so readily just for Kenneth, he's really pitching the effort for her.

Is waking up from a dream really this difficult? I barely know Xj, but I know how much Ben's been through since her reappearance. With the guy she carries a torch for being none other than our old pal Kenneth, it doesn't get much worse, does it?

I wonder how it must feel to place someone else's emotions above your own. I don't think I could be truly satisfied, if I had to give up the person I fancied in order to help him attain true happiness. Does that make me selfish? Or merely less mature?

I had to get up at 7am, after a mere hour's worth of sleep, to deliver my Withdrawal Form. Like all other dramatic days of my life, it had to rain. In fact, it was pouring and I, being the drama mama I always am, couldn't help pausing in my haste to display a couple of wispful looks as I trudged along to school.

While filling up the form in the darkness I call my room, I paused when I came to 'Reason for Withdrawal'. Nope, no regrets, just that a single line is barely sufficient for my story. Then again, I doubt I'd enjoy putting it into words; I can't even do it here. I wanted to scribble the true reason - school is a waste of time - but I didn't. Then came another form, multiple-choice this time, and I circled "dislike school" which was the closest answer. I can't lie twice, can I?

It was nice, running into Aslin and Bryan. Don't know how Nick got the idea that I was migrating to Japan; I wish! Was reminded of Regina's offer and how awfully stupid I was to have rejected it. Ugh.

Also, I wonder how people can backstab you and smile right in your face at the same time. Oh, and act like they care how you're doing. I stand amazed.

Oh well, life.

I can't explain what happened. This online conversation is the only thing I can offer; make what you will out of it. Don't be afraid to ask questions, I will not discuss this issue beyond this entry.

( The night before. )

I'm fine, I really am. Please do not worry about me.

I feel for the boy who cried wolf.

When the same thing happens too many times, it becomes increasingly difficult to convince others that this time, it's merely a coincidence.

Really.

Pardon the cynicism; four days of diarrhea make Cindy a very angsty teenager.

Dang, I had to run a Spell-check just to ensure I got 'diarrhea' right.

No. This isn't my day. Hasn't been my week, but I'm surviving ok.

What happened to that boy anyway? Did he get eaten up? I don't remember.

Disclaimer: No. I'm good, really. Just cranky. I've had too many good people worry about me this week. Don't.

My two cents on this overtly-hyped issue?

C'mon. He merely smacked her on the head with a book. That's nothing. Bet it didn't hurt. How many people have you hit with a book? At least it wasn't a fist. Or a palm. His resignation is too harsh a punishment, whether he implemented it upon himself or not. The fact that he didn't use his bare hands, instead choosing to pick the first thing in sight up to "discipline" her, shows some form of self-constraint, don't you think?

Plus, that student is fourteen. She can live with a smack or two. I couldn't.

*
I had to be eleven, at most. And she - the principal who slapped me - got away.

Sure, I was a notorious kid in school; didn't do my assignments, played truant and hung out with the wrong crowd. But I didn't deserve that slap. What has it achieved anyway? Nothing but disgust on my part, and a sense of injustice now that this issue has crept back into the limelight.

I will always remember her, that slap, and all the other punishments I was put through just because I was the black sheep in her crop, the worst-behaved one who conveniently shouldered the blame for any mis-endeavour in the midst of her empire-building. I no longer hate her, I just.. I don't know, wish it didn't end like that.

Everyone's been phoning Cindy up, just to be mean today.

*
Jeremy: Just booked out. Movie?
Me: Can't. Doing homework.
Jeremy: (laughs loudly) What's wrong with you now?!

*
Beehoon: Busy with?
Me: Homework.
Beehoon: (loudly) HUH? Come again?

*
Me: Told him I couldn't 'cause I've gotta do my homework.
Geraldine: Hur hur. Bad liar.

*
Caroline: What're you doing?
Me: Copying Math assignments.
Caroline: Oh okay..

*
Ah yes, what a supportive group of friends I've got. *claps*

It isn't exactly good news when homework becomes nothing but a matter of which teacher I'd rather get in trouble with. Stacks and stacks of senseless assignments. Working on them makes me feel awfully unproductive. Ugh. School is a waste of time. No doubt about that.
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I suffered a mean weekend. My worst this year. I exaggerated a teeny bit and told everyone that Friday was the worst day of my life. It wasn't, but it definitely made the top ten. Things just piled up. Past issues too, wouldn't leave me alone. And when I believed that things just couldn't get worse, they did. How dramatic. Even my current favourite television show seeked to disappoint. I no longer tune in religiously.

I lived through that, I think. I disappeared because I didn't want to leave another depressing entry; the world's been grey for a while now.
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Read this off Shikin's blog:
Yeah I had a great day today, despite the fact that Ajip and Cindy didn't come to school. Hik hik. But I still do miss them, esp. Cindy cos I can't tease and irritate her so she would bite my hands. Heh.

Should I take that as a compliment? Shall I chew her tiny hands off tomorrow? We'll see.

We found a copy of the Kamasutra on VCD under someone's table today. Attached to it was a letter which caused more controversy and a general sense of queasiness at the thought of our classmate's (mis)deeds. Let's just say she shed a whole new light on the term, "stamina training". I wonder how she'd react if she knew we knew. Er. Yeah. I don't like secrets very much. C'est tout.

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My set of newly-polished teeth cost a cool 130 dollars; it's official. I visited the dentist, who had an endless list of compliments for my cavity-less pearly whites, last Thursday. He asked if I'd ever had braces on, which had me grinning like a fool all weekend, then reportedly told Mom that my teeth looked like "these" while holding up the prerequisite pair of demonstrative dentures you see in every dentist's office. To think that, as a kid, I used to detest brushing at night. And my caffeine addiction? The tooth fairy must really like me - Mom fixed her braces on at 47.

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I spent a whole five hours in the National University Hospital's Accident & Emergency unit two Fridays ago. To put it simply, my family doctor decided he couldn't take on my throat "infection" singlehandedly and referred me to the hospital immediately. Poor me was drenched under a heavy downpour while trying to hail a cab amid tolerating the pain in my throat.

Oh. The A&E;'s efficiency rate is incredible. I spent so much time there that I began to run into old friends. The word "emergency" obviously isn't as significant as I had believed. You had to bleed to get any professional attention. The fruitless preliminary checks took forever, the X-ray session annoyed me a tad and the wait for my specialist? Murder. Mad props to him for being funny, sane and a problem-solver, all at the same time. When he finally turned up, at least.

Doc: (inspecting X-ray) Hmm..
Impatient/Me: (croaking) So? Can you see it?
Doc: No.
Impatient/Me: What?!!
Doc: Er.. Don't worry??

But he was a blessing. Food finally became an option. After what? 10 hours? Oh well. I lived through that, only missing out on the little outing Nigel planned for Joseph, Winnie and his pals. Sorry guys, next time? :)

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I want:
- the UOB Debit Visa Mini
- the iPod Mini ?
- Nokia's 7200
- Panasonic D-Snap SV-AS10

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::sigh:: The many needs of a demanding 19-year-old. I apologize for my senseless ranting; I miss writing.

So, what have I been up to since my last entry?

The most significant bit must surely be the four days I spent in Bangkok, Thailand shortly after returning from the school trip. Let's just say that holidaying without parents is indeed, a liberating experience. I did some mad shopping as our hotel, the Pathumwan Princess, was strategically located right next to Mah Bhu Krong. The fact that MBK, just about the largest and most popular mall in Bangkok, was right at my doorstep, blew me away. We practically lived in the mall itself, as all that separated the hotel from the 7-storey mall was a thin glass door beside the elevator. That, or the entrance at the lobby which blurred the hotel/mall border. I didn't even have to step out of our wonderful hotel. But we did, eventually.

Day One: I wasn't terribly excited about the trip. At least not till I boarded the plane. Singapore Airlines is such a dear. I managed to catch half of L'Auberge Espagnole (spent much of the trip looking for its DVD) and saved my eagerly anticipated Cosmic Rescue for the trip home. Lunched and did some minor shopping before my distant aunt and uncle came over to pick us up for dinner at some expensive Chinese restaurant. Have I mentioned my Thai relations? My cousin's the only one I had met, prior to that. He's another over-achiever. Proud graduate of Thailand's premier Chulalongkorn University, he now works for some IT firm and makes the bucks by the million. His sister's a lawyer and they had their driver escort us around a bit. Woo.

Wild shopping on Day Two. Other than the brief breaks for lunch and whatnots, I don't remember doing anything else. At this point, I grew terribly glad that Mom wasn't around to leash me to her backpack or something. Kathleen suggested sightseeing, since it was a Friday and possibly the best day for such touristy activities but we decided we were too lazy to drag ourselves about in that 39 degree heat. That trip was my second to Thailand, first to Bangkok. The capital's lovelier than Hat Yai I guess. More shops? Anyway, after dinner at a famous Thai restaurant (the Japanese Prime Minister was one of its distinguished guests), we headed for a late night massage. I didn't expect such to receive a traditional Thai massage in such a classy spa. It was like being in Singapore, minus the sky-high bill. And the service? Perfect.

My aunt and cousin (the lawyer) came over on Day Three to fetch us out for some, guess what? Yep, what else but shopping. Kenneth was a little grouchy that morning, possibly due to the lack of air-conditioning at the little marketplace we were exploring. After lunch, we visited Central Mall, which couldn't be more like our very own Shaw House, with an Isetan, similar brand names and all-too-familiar price tags. We had Japanese for dinner and another Thai massage around midnight. Such heaven. Oh, we also ran into Ivan Rantung, a DJ from back when I was still listening to local radio, in the lift and some ACS boys at MBK. Feels like home.

Packed on Day Four. The lady whom I placed an order for a pair of custom-made leather flipflops from on Friday, delivered them as promised. The afternoon flight didn't allow for much last-minute shopping though. But the flight was great and Cosmic Rescue didn't disappoint! I need to write a review soon.

I can't wait for my next vacation. This description is way blander than what I experienced. The trip was relaxing, yet so satisfying at the same time. Thanks to my buys perhaps. It so made up for missing Hong Kong in February.

I know, I'm lucky. Too lucky. :)

Guess I should have left some kind of a 'goodbye' note before leaving for the school's little Malaysian vacation, but I'd been too busy hurrying around town for a velvet rose with Jeremy, packing my backpack and sorting out the six large bags of magazines Bobo kindly reserved for me.

So, I made it home in one piece. Surprising news, considering my initial pessimism; if three days of seminars don't kill me, the food will. But things went against my expectations, like they usually do. I had fun, grew closer to some pals, and arrived home on Sunday with a list of wonderful memories. The retreat had its moments and highs, but it wasn't fanatically exciting. Some element was missing. Maybe the fact that everyone was there rubbed some sheen off the novelty of going overseas with a bunch of mates. I didn't miss or reminiscent about the trip like I would with camps and stuff. Or maybe all this apathy's just a part of growing up.

Oh well, it was a great getaway from usual school life, if only we felt like we were overseas. Johor Bahru is just too close to Singapore! And our supposed resort lifestyle resembled a boot camp in many ways. Jolyn referring to our hotel rooms as "bunks" didn't help.

The First Day was a mess. We had to sit through a whole bunch of lectures with stiff necks and whatnots, after a long day and a bad lunch. Winnie's comment about the "tough" chicken had me rolling around in laughter. I shall keep the lame jokes to myself. Still, the day was generally uneventful and better left forgotten.

I didn't look forward to Day Two. But hey, it was great. The lectures were more interesting, the classmates at my table more spirited and the entire atmosphere improved. I actually enjoyed sitting through the seminars and working on the many quirky activities, like naming our talents and abilities. Helping one another find their hidden forte was meaningful and entertaining, all at the same time. I was told to include "writing a full-length essay based on a tiny thesis statement" in my list. Not a compliment. Also, going onstage for the second time in two days was a tad embarrassing - the last thing I want others to remember me as is Miss Smart Aleck.

Joleen and I wandered about rather aimlessly during our short leisure session, before stopping by at Joey, Yelin and Diana's room to stick on a Biore Pore Pack, going back to our room to shower and change into our neat evening dresses, running to Aslin, Shiqin and Hannan's room to strut our stuff, and hurrying back to Joey's room for a tiny makeover. :)

The dinner, heh, I loved the dinner. We were made to follow a strict set of formal dining rules, i.e. the guys had to stand whenever a girl approaches or leaves the table, plus the males and females at our table were alternated, with the guys attending to the girl on their right. It took a while to get used to the many concepts of such high etiquette, but once it was underway, everything seemed so natural that I really enjoyed the process. Everyone looked their best and we got to see each other in a whole new light. Wonderful. I am also proud to announce that the Best-Dressed Male came from my table! Not too bad eh?

After all that fuss and photo-snapping, we sat in the hotel's lounge area with mugs of tea and some chips for supper till maybe 1am. Went back to the room, showered and found Joleen fast asleep so I decided to take up Peishan's Monopoly offer. Arrived at room 162 to find Clara, Peishan, Jamie and Xianyao playing Uno. We then tried Clara's Traveller's Uno Stacko and later in the morning, monopoly. The rest went to bed while Peishan and I chatted till near 5am.

Woke up a couple of hours later to the Third and last Day. Breakfast and a short prize-giving session later, we were on our way home. The trip came to a close upon lunch with Darren, Xiayan, Aliah, Helaine, Sam, Jolyn and Brandon at Jurong. I ran into Terrence, Andy, Samuel and Fabian and they threw me weird looks for dragging a luggage bag around the shopping mall.

We were exhausted, but smiling from the memory of some great times spent together. That made the bits of boredom worthwhile I guess. I was braindead for all of Monday, but I did manage to help hook up Nigel and Winnie, much to her excitement. We'll save that story for another time. Bedtime now, drama rehearsals at 9am tomorrow.

Me: (referring to Sunday) Let's do something special! It only happens once in four years!
Jeremy: What? Me saying you're pretty?

Saturday was fun. Disastrous, energy-zapping fun.

I dragged myself out of bed before 9am to dress up - in a shin-length skirt, no less - and drop my urine sample off at the family clinic. Yes you heard me right. Friday morning's medical examination didn't go too well, you see. I spent an hour after the blood test, trying to pee. Ugh, I just couldn't, no matter how much I drank! Mental stimulants like watching a running tap and picturing waterfalls didn't work and I was desperate (and embarrassed) enough to consider phoning someone up to whistle for me. Gave up when I realised that my only friend who can whistle a tune's Whitty the Malaysian. And guess what? I felt the urge upon reaching home. I was so annoyed about having to return to the clinic the next morning that I've been going "argh!" everytime nature called since.

As to why I was in a skirt; Felice and Jimmy registered their marriage! Finally! :D Instead of hosting the ceremony at the ROM, they threw a shower at some restaurant and aww, it was lovely. Felice was in the prettiest purple gown and I don't think I've seen her more beautiful. Can't wait for the actual wedding ceremony in September. We met Jimmy's twin at last and some jokes were passed about him almost having to stand in for the hangover-suffering Jimmy. Bachelor parties, bleah.

The entire legalisation process was held in Mandarin, much to my amusement, as I barely understood the couple's vows. That said, I think "I do" has become a rather flimsy statement these days, and I would rather say it in Mandarin(!) or any other language in fact, just to avoid the general cliché. But I digress. May Felice and Jimmy have many wonderful years ahead and a whole bunch of cute children for me to bully yeah?

Next up, Kenneth's surprise party. He was touched. We could see it in his eyes. He's never celebrated his birthday before and I'm glad we did something for him this year. I was a failure though. Despite orchestrating the surprise, I went "eh?" when the lights went out. No joke about the Short Term Memory. The party almost ended on a sour note, however. Ken and Kathleen had a huge fight and everyone else clammed up. Talk about awkwardness - no one let out a squeak. But we got over that eventually and were relieved when things came to a happy close. :)

Was invited to Junhao's little party as well but I had to turn it down as I could barely keep my eyelids open by the time I left Kenneth's bash. Ugh, and that was just after midnight. Being ill for a week really killed my stamina. It took most of today for me to recuperate. *sigh*

Almost forgot to call 'Man up to wish him a happy 20th. What's with the 21st of February anyway? I have friends born on this day from every stage of my life; and it's hurting my wallet.

No, actually, I'm just grouchy because there's school tomorrow. Somebody save me?

Everyone seems a tad down lately, so I'm posting last year's Final Term Report for entertainment, cheer or whatever bits of energy you guys have got left.

( My teacher redefined - singlehandly - the meaning of 'brutal honesty'. )

Feel better yet? :)

Today marks the start of my Common Tests Week. Haven't done a thing in preparation. *shrugs* And the fact that I had been on a 7-day MC last fortnight isn't helping.

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So. I stayed away from LiveJournal for a bit. Just to avoid reading about how magical everyone else's Valentine's was. Yet, surprise surprise.. my screening of friends' entries was scarcely needed. I should have realised that you people, being the seasoned LJ-ians you all are, know better than to post anything too lovey-dovey, or plain gloatish about that evil day. Well, most of you anyway. No worries though, I forgive the rest. I think.

Despite my detest for that unlucky day, I did receive many little presents and well-wishes. I almost felt bad for not preparing anything. ( Here's a list of the things I remember receiving, as a form of tribute to those lovely people. ) Upon reflection, I'm beginning to think that last year's experience made me Vday-phobic. No, not elaborating, but you might already know why.

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Scratch commercialism. Let's talk about a more important date instead. I remember my last Friday the 13th. Some clumsy waitress at some coffee joint dropped a glass bottle above Line's head. We were freaked when a neighboring table informed us about the date. The coffee was traumatic too, but everyone got home in one piece. I was expecting as much fun this year. And well.. :)

So, how was your Friday? I spent mine hurrying from place to place, as I usually do on Fridays. Hmm. But this Friday was special. I can't decide if it had more to do with the rosy air, or the fact that it was the 13th. After a good day at school (boy did the new hair create waves of excitement), I attended drums class at Orchard, then took the train down to Alexandra for my Hepatitis B screening. I was away from school when nurses came down to take blood samples so I had to pick out one private clinic from a list of "very scary places" to get it done. I decided on that particular clinic because Jeremy, my shopping-kaki for that day, works at Alexandra. And man did I make the right choice. :D

The rest of the clinic story goes into another entry because this one's getting a tad too long and I hate it when people fall asleep to my entries.

After the screening, I was on a high but got dragged back to earth again, thanks to some leg-bending shopping at Queensway. I felt generous and purchased Fila luggages for my Mom and aunts. Jeremy, who initiated this shopping trip in the first place, didn't get anything. After all that, we joined up with Joan and Carol for a movie. Don't watch Gothika. We ran into Sharril and Alvin on our way for coffee so they tagged along. Lots of V-Day jibs were passed, though the majority had dates and Sharril even got his darling's gift in hand. Ger called up for advice on her first date with Elf and everyone chipped in; polling on whether she should put on a skirt or jeans, which movie to catch, and other ridiculous things. :)

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Hmm. Some mates didn't like my bangs very much, but I did get a bunch of approvals, including a new testimonial on Friendster(!). Not bad at all, considering that one of the best compliments I got about my hair was that I am "a brave 'un", followed by an admirable look and some applause. The drama. :D

Well. Everything about that day was wonderful and I wondered which date could be more cursed than Saturday the 14th.