my gravity is love.

2011-12-31T21:06:00.002-07:00

Today I cleaned my room and reorganized my life. Today I cried just a little. Today I felt a little bit liberated to become whoever I want to be. Today I laid down, stared at the ceiling and sighed out loud. Today I downloaded pictures of places around the world and made a folder of these pictures on my laptop. Today I took a nice long hot bath. Today I set my laptop's background display to change every 5 minutes to the pictures around the world. Today I laughed a little louder. Today I let go of my first big love. Today I grew up just a little bit more. Today I became a single 24 year old lady. Hello 2012, you will be here tomorrow, and today will be yesterday.

2011-12-06T00:17:00.003-07:00

hearing aid: mikael karlsson - until we bleed (feat. lykke li)

"we drink the fatal drug / then love until we bleed"

nothing to say today. i find that i have less to say the older i grow. or more inclined to speak less about who i have become. interesting thought hey?

i want to fix people, be capable of physically kicking butt, and a good hearted pedestrian. too many hats can only lead to an overheated head.

"who knows where you'll be in 2013. you seem to keep finding yourself in new places every couple of months."

quote me: "you should google jobs in fashion, mom. you might be surprised."

2011-05-24T23:48:00.003-06:00

i think about you from time to time. it is about that time right now. i know that if things were different, i would run to you. i also know that there is no guarantee that your arms would be open to receive me, and that is okay too.

when i'm brave enough, i will say 'hello, i love you.'

2010-11-10T12:32:00.002-07:00

hearing aid: the hum and drum of the computers in my school lab

my semester is ending in 5 weeks, and it's been a journey of sorts. i've learnt so much about fashion, and how i fit into this industry. the next couple months will be interesting with styling classes, business and management courses, an internship, AND planning and executing a full-on fashion show!

i'm so so very proud of my works and i can't wait to look back at my portfolio and go, 'i did that, and that, and that, oh and that!' (:

working at Forever 21 has been amazing. i love the pace, the clothes, and the people. i've been getting hours in, and i'm making plans on how to pay off my school loan when i graduate. like adal says, "gotta check 'em dolla dolla bills!" haha.

here's a shout out to my friends and bestfriends in singapore. knowing that whenever i need a shoulder, or advice, or something to get me through a hard week, gives me strength to face another week of madness.
to rah, you're my rock and full-time lover.
to dee, wherever in the world you go, you have a home with me.
to t, i like that i get to spill my nonsense with you, you make me happy (:

i only have love for each and every one of you.

off tangent: the ride for red 2010 is over now, and the team is making their way back from santa monica to calgary. 2011 is in the works as i type!

and on a different tangent: my closest and bestfriend in calgary, anne marie, is planning on moving back to calgary! she moved home to vancouver earlier this year to get answers to some life questions, and now that she's found them, she's decided that calgary is now home. i can't wait to welcome her with big hugs and warm chocolate. she's such a huge part of my life here in canada, and i'm over the moon that she'll be in the same city one day soon.

2010-09-12T00:14:00.003-06:00

I'm so excited to be part of this huge venture The Ride for Red 2010 to raise $2 million for the American and Canadian Red Cross.

push me.

2010-08-11T11:40:00.003-06:00

hearing aid: music from the '70s, and boys in the workshop playing with their ~~toys~~ tools.

it's been 16 weeks + 1 day since my epic accident, and i'm doing ... alright. i have good days and bad days. lately, it's more the latter, which i can probably attribute to the fact that i've been out of physio for 10 weeks now and i admit that i've been slipping in keeping up with my exercises (1 hr, twice a day).

my back's been like the little kid who incessantly yanks on your arm to go play with them. ugh. let's just say T3 and naproxen are in my make-up bag, and are my friends i keep at bay until absolutely necessary.

it's like a super-imposed STOP sign in your life, and though you're revving to get out onto the major road, your car isn't ready yet and idling.

on a side note, here's what's my summer's been like:

... vancouver trip #1 - end of exams
... accident
... extended vancouver trip #1.5
... physio, physio, physio
... i hearts my new ride
... vancouver road trip #2
... physio, physio
... tampa, florida - alpha gam convention + holiday
... end of physio
... vancouver trip #3
... hello little brother
... hello little niece
... hello mom, hello sis
... vancouver road trip #4 - ongoing

what's coming up
... road trip back to calgary - with mom and sis
... edmonton - alpha gam retreat
... wicked birthday bashes
... romantic dates with mi amor
... UTAH - family road trip, where i'm looking forward to hot air ballooning.

and come Sept 7, SCHOOL! i can't wait (: more so, i can't wait to get my life going again. mom says i might not be absolutely ready for it, cos the fact that i fractured my spine should put me out of commission for a year, so not to take it too hard on myself.

i've learnt that i'm bad for sticking to/under the limits. i like to push.

2010-07-13T11:10:00.002-06:00

hearing aid: boys in the workshop playing with cars and drills

that's about all.

oh, and my brother's coming into canada from singapore in less than 36 hours.

the big bad wolf.

2010-05-31T08:24:00.003-06:00

i am driving out to vancouver again tomorrow. as of tomorrow, it would be exactly 5 weeks since the accident (which happened on my drive/trip back from vancouver). i have no intentions of driving the same route back, but i will - i will be driving nevertheless.

i have taken a liking to VWs lately, seeing how i recently purchased a VW (!!!) as my 3rd car.

my general liking of calgary is lessened only because to "survive" in calgary, one needs a mode of transportation that does not include waiting for a bus or train. i can't afford to not work anymore, so step 1 to getting a job is... ta-dahh! getting a car. it makes no sense for me to bus 45 minutes one-way to work every 5 days a week.

so, tomorrow. yes, tomorrow. after my physio appointment at 8 in the am. rest assured, i have given my word to sarah and many other friends that i will drive no faster than 100km/h (and i just found out from my brother that the speed limit in the national park is in fact - 90km/h) - so yes, my last trip through the park meant that i was a consistent 20+km/h over the speed limit - and no ticket. yay, win for me.

truthfully, i feel like i need to face the same road again. and if i feel the opposite while on the road, well then... u-turning is always an option. i am not afraid.

puzzles and decisions like coffee and biscuits.

2010-05-19T09:23:00.002-06:00

34 days to Tampa.
45 days to Vancouver.

Q: how do you make decisions?

since the accident (now 3 weeks and a day ago), i've been given time (and lots of it) to think about my choices in life.

decisions.

when you're younger, you never thought about decisions and the consequences of actions. you'd eat an ice cream bar because it was yummy. now, you think about eating an ice cream bar before you actually take a bite into one and sometimes contemplate the calories you'd be consuming or the number of lunges you'd need to do to work it off. well, i don't calorie count - but the idea is there. maybe thinking about the consequences of your decisions is the point where you become an adult in life, because we all know of someone who at their age should know better but don't.

this is what i do know:
adrian flips a coin. always.
sam writes a list - pros and cons.
steph asks her mother.
lindsey calls her friends.

and i...? i tend to make decisions that'll benefit the other parties involved. i know it's terrible, and i apparently are sometimes nice to a fault (says adal).

but when faced with a menu in a restaurant, i have ideas and only make my decision when the waiter asks the table and i spout something randomly. and that's what i'm eating! i just thought about bringing that process of "whatever my mouth says first" decision making to the rest of my choices, but i realise that that might be a bad idea. i can deal with a bad meal, but a bad anything else? not so much.

i ask the question, how do you make decisions?, today because for starters i've been thinking a lot about it - and the fact that i have been given the time to do so begs another questions - what do people do with their free time? i can only do so much physio workouts a day. and i finished a 750 piece jigsaw puzzle in less than 6 hours yesterday. i was hoping that the puzzle would tide me over for the rest of the week. no such luck.

then again, i'm real lucky. and that's another story for another day.

i would write my day away, but that might not be as productive as sitting in front of the tv or munching on a chocolate hedgehog from purdy's.

A: i'm not sure yet. let me get back to you on this one.

2010-05-11T14:13:00.002-06:00

Q: do you believe in signs?

i did it! after 1 hour and 55 minutes of being on hold and being tossed from customer service representative to another, i did it! i finally booked my flight to vancouver! *phew/happy dance.

A: yes. maybe. a little bit. okay, i am on the fence but i definitely am inclined to a yes.

518. roll baby roll.

2010-05-10T11:30:00.000-06:00

post #518. one i'd never forget.

i drove out to vancouver with my closest and best girlfriend in calgary. it was one extended weekend trip we'd never forget.
i say extended weekend because we had intentions of leaving on the tuesday after my grandma was discharged from the hospital, but never left BC.

i was driving, and Anne Marie my passenger. Anne Marie was sleeping, reclined in her seat and as she dozed, and i remember driving through the rain storms and patches of sunshine of the start of the Rockies. as we passed other cars, trucks and 18-wheeler semis on the right of us, i decided that we would change into the right (slower) lane after passing the honda civic and the 18 wheeler up ahead.

for the first time since the start of this roadtrip, i wasn't speeding on the highway as i reasoned that we were in no rush to make time back into calgary. i only had work the next evening, which gave me plenty of time to sleep in when i got home that night.

as i come down the left lane doing no more than 110km/h, the honda civic suddenly cuts me off (pretty sure the guy didn't shoulder check), and then upon seeing my car so close to his, he steps on his breaks (note: who steps on the breaks when attempting to overtake?!). i immediately jam on my breaks. you could smell the burning rubber, hear the screeching of the tires, as i made a hard swerve to the right to avoid rear-ending him. Anne Marie wakes to see me swerve to avoid the honda. and there it is, the huge white rear end of semi-truck, travelling not fast enough.

in my head i think, do not rear end this guy. we will die if we do. this is the guy we do not want to hit. try val try. there i am, steering and counter steering the momentum my car was having on the road. then suddenly my tail swings out towards the ditch and my first thought was thank god. we can just slide into the ditch and avoid any collision. we will be alright. i conscientiously turn my front tires in the direction of where i wanted the car to go. that's when suddenly i felt the driver's side tires go air-borne, and the car roll onto it's passenger side. with my hands on the wheel i thought, damnit. brace for impact, the roof is gonna come crushing in. brace for impact. this is it. the car rolls almost slowly in my head, but in reality probably like a movie-epic kind of rolling. i see the green grass from the ditch, the ground, the sky, and then wham! the roof came in and hit my head, then i was out like a light bulb shot with a 9mm beretta pistol from 5 feet away.

I remember everything following the car crash in very minute moments.

shivering.

gravel.

warm liquid.

people talking.

anne marie crying.

someone holding my head.

the bright sky.

people trying to move me.

someone telling me not to move.

being in pain.

neck-brace.

man asking anne marie questions.

man asking me questions.

conversations.

occasionally i'd try to open my eyes. most time i kept my eyes closed. listening. waiting.

blankets. heavy blankets.

being rolled onto a stiff board.

being pushed on a gurney into an ambulance.

questions.

more questions.

being asked to stay still so they can take x-rays.

emergency room ceiling and lighting.

anne marie coming by the table once or twice.

someone taking off my neck-brace.

man talking about sue, the nurse who's brilliant at road rash injuries which i had a lot of.

man stitching my head.

sue coming in, me talking to sue about how brilliant everyone says she is.

cutting my shirt up.

sue telling me about another 16-year-old boy who had road rash but didn't tell sue that he had more on his bum. and it later got super infected. poor boy.

very painful episodes of cleaning and bandaging road rash.

very painful episodes of trying to put on a t-shirt meant for a 4-year-old.

sue saying that the tight t-shirt will hold the bandages down well.

anne marie talking on the phone.

me calling my workplace and my manager getting mad at me.

talking to my family in calgary and singapore.

bumbling over to anne marie's room, 2 doors away.

someone asking if anne marie and i were sisters. no, i said, bestfriends.

getting a wheelchair to hold onto as anne marie and i walked the tiny trailers fused together of a hospital in Fraser Canyon, Hope. anne marie deciding that she wants a present from the hospital gift shop as a memorabilia for the experience.

anne marie's hands and wrists hurting, and my legs hurting. deciding that we can work together to make anything happen. i have the upper strength, anne marie having the lower strength.

anne marie and i laughing about how bruised we look.

me hating on my hair which was standing on ends and crusted in blood. i thought i looked like edward scissorhands.

anne marie and i deciding that we have quite the luck, and appreciating our second chance at life. deciding that we really have been through everything together.

laughing.

calling my family in vancouver, only to find out that they were already on their way in the middle of the night.

anne marie and i attempting to watch 'gangs of new york' on my laptop which survived the accident, in my room because anne marie's room was too cold.

aunt vic, grandma, grandpa and tristan showing up in my room.

me joking with grandma that she could beat me in a foot race - she just got out of emergency surgery that weekend from a constricted bowel.

calling people at work to help take my shift.

calling sam. calling steph.

going to bed that night, and sharing a tiny twin bed with anne marie.

anne marie telling me that the nurses and doctors found it funny how anne marie and i were inseparable.

waking up to the option of getting shots or pills to help alleviate the pain. shoot me please (i hate needles but i think i've gone through enough pain). convincing anne marie that a shot will be better. laughing after the shot.

having apple juice in the morning.

having anne marie's apple juice in the morning.

being discharged the next day at noon.

having anne marie's aunt (a nurse) help cut me out of the tiny t-shirt sue put me in, because it had fused to all my burns. :( very painful episodes (which anne marie has pictures of).

booking a flight to calgary, which i later cancelled.

enjoying a week of bussing and training and hobbling. no camera because my camera though it survived the accident too, had no more battery life.

my new nickname: hobbles.

laughing. smiling. happy. taking forever to get dressed everyday.

anne marie changing my bandages twice a day.

anne marie yelling at me for attempting to bandage myself with tissue paper and not gauze.

bandages fusing to my open wounds. me ripping it off, thinking it'll be better - no :( blood.

not being able to shower.

buying a scarf to cover my edward scissorhands hair, so people would stop staring.

buying clothes because anne marie and i didn't bring enough clothes for the trip.

not trying on clothes because i can't, but buying it anyway.

buying a stuffed penguin.

asking anne marie if i can bring the stuffed penguin out with us everyday. her response: i won't judge you. :D

seeing my car a week after the accident, crying.

and since seeing the car. i cry a lot more.

anne marie telling me how she remembers the accident. she blogged about it. it isn't pleasant but if you think you're ready - take a read WARNING!: people who have read it have become very upset and cried.

overall... the trauma i've been going through daily feels like an uphill battle. everyday i know my thoughts aren't rational, but they make me feel very upset with myself.

my short term memory is kinda shot. i can't seem to remember days when i did this or that or who i had certain conversations with. it's normal after an accident like mine. it makes me angry and upset because i had to drop my spring classes with my memory being this shitty.

ryan and jo tell me that i've been given the time to figure out what God's plan for me is. i like how fiz put it: God is always good and He has an awesome plan for you. Don't worry about not knowing what to do right now, just let Him tell you what to do. At times, His plan for you is to take a backseat. ;) XOXO

i'm learning everyday.

2010-05-06T11:28:00.002-06:00

random note: this is post # 517 since i started blogging way back when.

big note: i am alive, and i can hobble faster than my grandma! (:

side note: i hate hondas, especially honda civics with a passion. the damn car that cut me off, randomly JAMMED ON THE BREAKS on a highway and caused my accident as i tried to not run into his rear end or the 18-wheeler in the next lane.

other notes:
1. i am in the process of physio in attempts of regaining full movement in my hip and left leg. yay me!
2. i will be out of work for the next month for sure. :( maybe two. :( :( :(
3. when you think you're going to die, life happens in slow motion and you have the time to form full sentences about how f-ed up everything's gonna be.

pictures and videos coming soon. love always.

2010-04-08T08:29:00.002-06:00

this post has to be quick only because i'm suppose to be getting ready for my 9am class now.
english prof is allowing us to write a creative piece, and i'm over the moon about this. i told anne marie about my assignment and she has already jumped at the chance to convince me to take creative writing with her next semester(?). i've decided to write about a stone griffin (i.e. gargoyle) that has a high-school crush on the main character. in the book, the main character has this griffin that "follows" her around and shows up in the random-est of places (like her wedding) - and NO ONE ELSE can see the griffin. creepy eh?

love, val.

p.s. i'm less stressed because i finished three written assignments yesterday. still in hell week though.

2010-04-06T22:45:00.003-06:00

s.t.r.e.s.s.e.d.

it's hell week, and i'm this close to keeling over and just saying "okay school, you win."

BUT.

i did score FULL-freakin'-MARKS on my english exam! how's that possible you ask? allowing us to have one bonus question which totally made up for the 3 marks i lost here and there.

i also just finished my spanish oral exam, which went better than i expected. i... definitely did better than last semester. and gen (my partner-in-crime) owned that exam - i guess it does pay off to have lived in Espana (Spain) before.

hell week will last through till next week thursday. until then, say hi, but don't expect a conversation i can repeat verbatim. i'll tell you now that i will nod in agreement, and nothing of our conversation will register in my memory.

i have however promised my sister-daughter, vickie, that i will be attending her 19th birthday bash (which is a very big thing in canada - as the legal partying/drinking age anywhere outside of Alberta is 19). it's a weekend-long thing. i have every intention of getting as much work done before then. intention being the key word of the sentence.

much love to all. p.s. i love the random msgs from yous peoples in singapore.

eyes are puffy. and heavy. good night.

2010-04-01T15:10:00.002-06:00

heavy is my feet as the semester draws to a close and the assignments pile high enough to shadow the CN Tower in Toronto.

lately, drama is the word. i'm quite over it, however the little blue birds tell me that it won't be over until spring thaws the rockies (and that is a whiles away).

a girlfriend from work was inspired to apply to the fashion college i'm attending this sept! i do hope she gets in, it'll be kinda kickass to have her in class with me.

see you on the flipside (after april 15th).

i hope you're all well. love.

2010-02-16T13:44:00.003-07:00

hearing aid: thug style // ciara

has it been forever?

sure feels like it.

i'm no longer writing in general or on random pieces of paper now that i'm in an english class. i feel so... left behind when in my english class only because most of the people in the class are english majors and i'm... obviously not. you know that feeling when everyone feels like they know everything, and the prof just nods in agreement to the words you've never heard of before until today.

i'm writing today only because i'm on my one-week reading break from school and i took the time to soak in a bubble bath while trying to prep for my english video project (say what!). i've never heard of doing a video project for an english class, have you?

since coming back from Idaho (with momma) over christmas 2009, i've started school, learnt more spanish, gone through several exams, had what felt like a very long january, been called a nazi, and got a job as a personal stylist for a boutique/chain (Tristan). a rather productive 2010 no?

back to the bubble bath. today is the first day in 2010 that i haven't had to do something - other than study. it was luxurious, luke-warm and an absolutely perfect hour spent reading "Venous Hum" by Suzette Mayr. now that i work 5 days a week, school 4 days a week, going out at night fortnightly seems like a chore. yeah.

on a side note: Venous Hum is one confusing book. Freddy, is the love-child of two lesbians, who meows and eats cat food. one half of the two lesbians is sleeping with her bestfriend's husband. and her bestfriend has the "memory as holey as lace", and imagined a lot of their history together, but the lesbian doesn't want to spoil her bestfriend's idea of how great their friendship really is. not forgetting that this is also all revolving around the bestfriends trying to organise a 20-year school reunion and finding out that more than a dozen of their classmates of '85 have died. and in the background, there are dreams about the most mundane activites, attempts at letter writing, gargoyles, and griffins that haunt the main character.

like i said, one confusing book. still, you just want to know how everything plays into each other.

okay, now that that's over, the good news is:

i've booked my flight to Tampa, Florida (June 22-29, 2010) and i am over the hill with excitement.
i bought myself a Valentine's day gift! (: (: (: - adal and i decided to not celebrate v-day. anyhoo, my present-to-me needs to be shortened, and hammered a little, so i won't be getting it back for another week-ish. (i won't spill what it is until i get it back, you can guess all you want). all i can say is that it cost me HALF(!!!) my pay check, and i'd been lusting for it for 5 weeks up till then when i found out that it was 50% off!
i've decided to do a 2-week road-trip across canada (highway 1) and back via the northern US states. date: TBC, companion(s): unknown. i might just do this trip by myself. - funny how fast we've grown up and comfortable we are with just being by ourselves.
i'm getting promoted at work. (:
my family in BC sent me a care package which included all the awesome asian sauces i can't get in Calgary, AND HEADLIGHTS from my car! (: hahahhaa.

LOVE.
happy new year 2010.
happy 22nd birthday sandee (i know... don't kill me).
happy valentine's day.
happy chinese new year.

and all the other wonderful days that i've missed since i've crawled into a shell and disappeared from society.

2009-12-24T21:28:00.002-07:00

Tomorrow is Christmas! My mom and I are going to drive 8-9 south into the US (Idaho) and spend a week there. We're shoving off at 6AM in my wonderful car (: I'm quite excited because that would be the longest road-trip I've taken ever. The last one I did was with Adal to Fernie, British Columbia - and that was a mere 5 hours.

I intend to take so many pictures of my trip, you better be ready for the awesome-ness that is my photo-taking skills. hahhaa.

I wish you love.

2009-12-21T01:26:00.003-07:00

i had the best 22nd birthday "week" ever - and i wished that i could turn 22 all the time now.

adal planned a surprise birthday bash for me at our favourite underground bar/restaurant, and the Talay and Up contributed a surprise custard and fruit tart cake with even more awesome candles (that wouldn't light) that spelt Happy Birthday. even weldon came into town from Lethbridge!

and to all 99 people who wished me happy birthday via Facebook, you will all get personalised love from me soon enough (when i find the time to say hello and how awesome you are).

i love that i have the superpower of cuddling. now you know who to call when you need a hug. (:

2009-12-14T13:46:00.009-07:00

i'm taking some time out from reading my spanish textbook. i've read every single word n the damn book for the last 133 pages; i NEED to take a break and find out what the rest of the world is thinking.

i picked a random idea from my hat and it's AVATAR. yes, the inbound to theatres movie by James Cameron (director/writer of Titantic - flashback to Rose and Jack waiting in the freezing ocean for someone to come rescue them.)

question: what form of feedback and reviews of movies do you trust?
a) my friends/brother/sister-in-law told me the movie was shitty.
b) the ever friendly faces in the newspaper's entertainment section.
c) online sources like rotten tomatoes.

if you're like me, the answer is (c).

i like to read what other people (in the hundreds) think - be they e-critics or the mass consumers like you and me.

so far... as of today, Avatar's reading on Rotten Tomatoes is 91%, which is pretty damn good.

click to enlarge, and read the (green splat).

and this is the reaction by 'Floor Man' to Matt the "green splatter" of Avatar.
the win in this argument is: "Tyra Banks is not good-looking. You fail." HAHHAHAHAA *wipes tears from the corner of my eye.

that was good. (:

i am going to watch (triple bold, double underscore!!!) The Princess and the Frog. i'm so excited for it, you have no idea.

i am a sucker for singing, dancing, trumpet-playing alligators. and of course, the fact that the entire movie is all hand-drawn!

watch the official trailer here.

2009-12-14T12:42:00.003-07:00

ever heard of the Konami Code? it's an old video-game code is one of video-gaming's most storied cheats and was named after Japanese company behind classics like TMNT series and the Nintendo Contra classics.

so no surprise, that the minds behind FB are geeky and dorky and "a little dweeby" as Dan Fletcher from TIME.com puts it. it seems that FB has incorporated the video game cheat code into their website.

copy and pasted from time.com:

During development of the 1985 Konami arcade game Gradius, a programmer found the game to be too difficult and programmed in a key sequence — up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A — that, if entered, gave the player a set of the game's power-ups. As word of the shortcut spread, other programmers aped his cheat, working the same sequence into their own games. The Konami code works in nearly 100 video games now, including Frogger and Dance Dance Revolution.

And now it works for Facebook. Try it for yourself — log in to Facebook and type the code:

up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, enter.

It doesn't matter where you type it: just have the Facebook page open and active. The result? Lens flares — those groovy circles that appear when pointing a camera into the sun — appear on your page with every click of the mouse. Useful? Not in the slightest. But they're easy enough to get rid of — logout and they're gone.

Facebook isn't the only site that makes use of the Konami code. There's even a dedicated website — Konami Code Sites — chronicling what the code does on sites around the Web. (Naturally, you have to type the code to access the site.) Some other big names make the list: on the social news site Digg it expands all the comments in a given thread, and on MLB.tv, it lets you watch highlights in slow motion. The folks behind Konami Code Sites encourage you to try other sites too, in case some developer with an acute sense of video-gaming history inserted a surprise.

i tried the code on FB. and it works. (: cool shit yeah?

2009-12-13T20:06:00.004-07:00

this weekend has been unreal. negative 30s. freaking negative 30s. and it's only december.

if you chart the weather patterns in canada, it usually only hits negative 30s and 40s in late january, early february. someone up there must've done something real bad and made someone real mad because it's negative 30s in december!

funny thing is, the snow is up to my knees here in calgary. the east coast has snow higher than the roofs of houses. and in western canada (i.e. vancouver), they've got a winter storm warning for the 5-12 cm that's coming in overnight. you gotta love the news (:

on a totally different note, did you know that russia and canada is on the same latitude (horizontal line across the globe)? the only state/country higher than calgary is greenland and alaska!

that was a deck/patio of a house. can you see the grill?

this is moscow, russia in winter time. pretty no?

spot the differences?

calgary in winter time.

moscow in winter time.

there aren't any differences!

love for all. mi examen de espanol es a las siete por la noche manana!

2009-12-12T13:25:00.002-07:00

tengo que estudiar espanol hoy y manana porque tengo un examen en el lunes a las siete por la noche. estoy un poco miedo.

2009-12-10T15:30:00.002-07:00

Q: do you know the feeling when you know everything's going to be alright?
"pressure makes diamonds."
if you're looking for a TV series that is different, charming, warm and entertaining, i highly recommend CBC's "Being Erica". i just caught the season 2 finale.

A: this TV series made me feel like that. (:

2009-12-10T11:32:00.005-07:00

it's christmas in 2 weeks, and seeing that i don't have a job, i'm trying not to spend a dime unnecessarily. it's been working out great too - i immediately delete all e-marketing mail from online stores. they've been sending out christmas-best-gifts lists. *delete. delete. delete. enter. enter. enter.* :D

i live precariously through the online shopping carts, ensuring that my credit card(s) are out of reach.

all i want for christmas:

and if i had the flow:

and if i had a million dollars:

i'm 31 hours from my first exam. time to read hard and read fast.

2009-12-09T15:13:00.003-07:00

yesterday was the last day of the Fall semester - and boy am i glad yesterday is over.

i had a 40-page group report due (i volunteered to compile), a marketing presentation, 2 written exams, and one spanish oral exam. and all within a span of 10 hours.

i haven't felt that amount and kind of stress since... mass comm days. yeah. it definitely was a good stress, but holy - it sure reminded me of singapore and how crazy my life used to be.

2 days to the start of exams.

snow outside my house is as high as my knees, and it just doesn't want to stop falling.

2009-12-01T23:52:00.003-07:00

i just googled "why do women argue".

you should try it - why do women argue.

the way i see it, i don't mean to argue, and i don't want to argue. i have no intentions of making a big deal out of a mole hill, nor do i wish to make you or myself upset. plainly, i just want you to listen - don't tell me that i'm wrong, don't tell me that i'm being stupid, don't tell me that i don't get it.

bottom line? i still love you.

dreamscape.

2009-12-01T12:59:00.003-07:00

confusion lies on its own belly, face down in the sorrow of not knowing itself. it searches the world over sometimes only to find nothing was ready to be found. confusion is but a name that throws itself against the woes of people who don't try to face up to the challenges ahead. - Valerie Anne
i've had two different dreams that turned into what i wouldn't call nightmares. at the end of the night, when i wake, i'm not tired nor rested - but calm and feeling better than okay.

the first dream 2 nights ago, involved me driving off a 50 ft cliff into the dark ocean. but just before the head of the car takes that nose-dive, i bath in the setting sun's rays, and gaze into the most colourful sky i'd ever seen. the part that confuses me is the lady stranger i'd never seen before who sat in the driver's seat at the beginning of the dream. but once the car took off over the cliff, i became the driver and the stranger disappeared.

the second dream last night, had me waiting at a quiet train station, only to be caught deer in the headlights of the century's worst train wreck disaster. i didn't die. i was flung like a ragdoll, and hit a cement pillar. i somehow managed to break all the bones on the right side of my body and leave my left side of the body completely scar free. no blood, no screaming, almost like a silent movie.

i went to Coles (a bookstore like kinokuniya in singapore) to read up books like 'the dictionary of dreams'.

in summary, i am on a pathway - perhaps leading away or completely different from the one i'm currently on - maybe in fact speedily, but certainly hopeful and bright-eyed. the train station signifies a transitional phase where i'm approaching a new direction in life. something about the renewal of the spirit and putting aspects of myself together, and being firm in the face of adversity.

i'm feeling good about this.

2009-11-30T10:13:00.002-07:00

"hey lady, do you remember the password for the internet we made for ***** a long time ago?"
"hahaa. i know it was something dirty. but you can hold the reset button and reset the password."
"was it meat something? lol."
"yeah. meat something 2000."
"meat pop?"
"OH! meat popsicle 2000! we make a great team! hahaa."
"that's right! we are awesome!"

the adventures of val and jessica m. it has been a while. i believe she's my first friend who's pregnant and soon to pop her first baby. (:

"sorry we missed adal's birthday. i was having nasty ass back pains. we wanna make up to you guys, let's meet up soon!"
"yes let's! when you have a craving, call and we'll deliver. (: hahaa."
"that's bound to happen in the next 2 weeks. love!"

being pregnant must kinda suck, but i can't believe the 9 months are flying by so quickly.

and once again, my birthday is less than 18 days away.

2009-11-17T17:39:00.004-07:00

hearing aid: norah jones // even though

cos' i know trouble will follow
when i have to go
ms. jones' new album - the fall - has a great groove with songs mostly inspired from her break-up with long time boyfriend and ex-bassist for her band. whatever the inspiration, the album sings to me.

the sun sets by 5pm nowadays. boo. i see the fall creeping slowly away over the hills.

2009-11-16T11:41:00.002-07:00

a keep update!

so between the last post and this one,

adal and i went to TIESTO as VIPs baby!!! (my gift to him for his 21st birthday)
got my first TIESTO /concert tee
i've applied to a college for fashion marketing (intake fall 2010)
i've cleaned my bathroom several times
i've eaten the worst sushi in my entire life
i've missed lots of classes
i've had the flu and ugly coloured phlegm
i've attempted to go to clinics to see a doc about my flu, but they are overwhelmed and turned me away
found out that calgary has widespread activity of the flu
i've sat for several midterms
i've not so much as prepared for the upcoming midterms
went to the sex show with my sister-d, vickie
bought a candy called BJ BLAST from the sex show - it's just the candy that fizzles and crackles and pops in your mouth! hahaha.
and finally transferred pictures from my trip to SG/japan in may onto my computer (coming soon!)

yeah.

TIESTO was so amazing; he had epic moments for sure.

2009-10-31T12:21:00.001-06:00

Q: what would you recommend everyone to try once in their life?

do you have those friends whom you only call when your balling your eyes out? you call them when you're completely almost inconsolable and think the prettiest and fluffiest bunnies are the work of the devil. you call them when you wish to spew curse words that would even put a sailor to shame. you call them when you hate everything and everything was stupid and stupid things should be hated.

you call them because you know after yelling out about all the above mentioned things, they'll still be on the other side of the phone listening and waiting and then making you feel better by saying something completely irrelevant.

I miss my life in singapore lots from time to time. sometimes when i see pictures and hear stories of the lives of everyone in singapore, and how they have moved on and up, i wonder if i'm a different person and if i've been left behind. but then, sometimes i receive a call and remember that i am still very much the same and they haven't changed a bit either.

it's nice to know it's still home. i constantly send my love to you.

A: being that someone on the other side of the phone to someone else.

2009-10-30T13:29:00.002-06:00

we're at the half-way mark of school now, and i feel like i've been floating through the courses. i need a job. life is so slow without one. funny how when i was growing up i thought working was such a bore, now look at where i'm at - almost craving a job like how i crave spicy korean kimchi nowadays.

2009-10-14T19:02:00.002-06:00

there wasn't much of a Fall season here in calgary. it kinda started, then just yesterday winter hit - hard. i've already shoveled the walkways to the house twice.

i was driving, no, i was in a traffic jam with the hundreds of other calgarian drivers, when i realised how much i actually enjoy the winters here. (gasp. i know.) it took me 40 mins to drive the usual 10 mins.

oh, and did you know that calgary has the highest amount of road rage incidents across canada? (holy moley). the reason? the infamous disorganised road planning of calgary.

there were 200+ accidents on the roads yesterday.

here's something you should know before getting into a car: Never drive faster than your guardian angel can fly. it's real nice to know that my guardian angel likes to travel at 193km/h. (:

2009-10-02T11:35:00.003-06:00

the new pledge class '09 of Alpha Gamma Delta.

the latest addition to my family - Vickie.
i now have 2 daughters! it's not going to stop there!

bye!

2009-10-01T22:44:00.002-06:00

so here's what's happened in the last 3 weeks:

I had my first Spanish quiz, which I did super well.
I had my first Psyc exam, which I wished I could say I did super well.
Alpha Gamma Delta rocked Rush Week.
I've found my place in Calgary (:
We just pledged 14 ladies into Alpha Gamma Delta tonight.
I have 2 absolutely wonderful (sister)daughters.

and

I bought myself a $200 dresser (for $60)!

i hearts you all lots.

i'm in a great mood. (: i think it's just the buzzing aftermath of consuming the world's best cheesecake.

p.s. to whom it may concern, if your nose does turn out like MJs, i'll still love you best. (:

2009-09-22T11:33:00.002-06:00

week 3 of school. it's midterms next week.

the latest word on the street is that we have 116 girls coming to RUSH this week for sorority. that's a lot for a how tiny our two sororities are (less than 50 put together). it's looking to be a very exciting semester.

my spanish vocabulary is ever growing, and it's been lots of fun.

i have plans to send emails in spanish. we'll see how many random phrases i can put together.

love, val

fully loaded, lock stock and barrel

2009-09-09T10:56:00.002-06:00

hello school.

yes, word on the street is that i am back in school. it's nice to be back at the books.

i spent a good part of my linguistics (semantics) class yesterday trying to recall what i learnt in the my first year philosophy logic class. why? i'm not so sure yet either.

i attended my first spanish class - where i learnt the phrase "hola! como te llamas?" > hello! what is your name?

i'm also taking a class in business venturing, which happens to be a mandatory class for most exchange students - so i met 2 singaporeans from NUS and NTU! it was wicked to hear singlish accents - you just can't get rid of it can you.

i have also decided to stick with this class on Tourism: Marketing and PR cos the prof is such a genius and i would love to just sit there and learn from her 3 hours a week.

OH! and for the mcm-ers out there, i'm doing SPSS for the next 8 months. hell yeah.

and if you didn't count how many classes that is, it's 5 which IS my full course load.

i brilliantly put all 5 classes on the same day. yeah. every Tuesday, 13 hours.

i was thinking of dropping a class, but - it's just sooo perfect. every prof is awesome, every class has something interesting, and it also means i have 5 days a week with nothing to do but study... (or work, or play Star Ocean on the xbox!) hahaa.

yes, i have been warned that this timetable would suck so much ass it wouldn't be possible to suck any more come 6 weeks in. but you know what, if i can survive 16 hour days at zasuu 5/6 days a week, i think i can do 13 hours of school.

okay, i'm trying to be gungho and optimistic. go with me here. (:

my very happy dance.

2009-09-05T10:35:00.008-06:00

Q: you know you're in love when?

MUAHAHHAAHAHA (evil laugh) :D

yesterday was my last day at zasuu. we had a little farewell get-together - with cake and flowers, AND my boss from brazil in town! it was pleasant, fun and i definitely felt the effervescent of "resent" from the remaining party that i was leaving them with a HUGE effing load of work to get done this coming week.

of course i said that if they needed help, to just give me a shout. the new guy is great, though admittedly starting to feel the stress on his 3rd day, i know he'll do great and will know how to cover his colleagues asses when need be. (:

it was a good day yesterday. i also bought my first car yesterday.

yes, do not be confused. I (me, me, me) bought my first car (with my own money). the last car (which will be sold in the next 7 days) was not bought by me (technically, though i'm still paying for it). this neat little winter beater (yes, it is going to be called my winter beater) is from 1994. hahaa, yes, you singaporeans should read that again. 1994. it is 15 years old.

it also cost me a whopping $1,000 + the new car battery i'll have to get ($80).

oh, i also found the time yesterday to whip out my happy dance. my very happy dance (:

my little brother (who's not so little anymore) has been commissioned by my mom to scan every picture from our history.

when adal first saw the pictures, he ran out to show his brother - "look! look at how big her hands are! they're MONSTER hands!"

'how can you say that about my hands?'
'it's okay, you had big hands when you were a kid. at least you've grown into them!'

what did his brother say?

'you look kinda exactly the same. just now with short hair'.

great. i look like i'm 7.

A: you put your finger up the other person's nose to pick out the boogers that are annoying you.

2009-08-25T20:17:00.002-06:00

i loved how karen used the term 'clearing cobwebs' (in her most recent post). for me, it's more like chasing the bad "juju" out of my life to make space for new good "juju".

i've moved house, gotten rid of bad relationships, took off 7 inches off my hair(!), and yes, i've decided to leave zasuu after some really good 15 months.

i submitted my letter of resignation last week. my last day is 4th sept. i've learnt plenty there, but when it is time for a change, it's time for a change. it's probably not the best time to leave a job, especially when calgary is the worst hit of all the canadian economies - and people still keep flocking to calgary in search of something that pays. but call me silly, i have faith i'll find something.

what i've learnt through the years since mass comm days is that i am/we are resilient individuals who have so much to contribute to any and every industry.

i'm also going back to school FULL-TIME. finally. i'm really hoping that my studying brain cells haven't taken a hiatus since i haven't really used it for... quite some time.

to those looking for something, don't be afraid to try something out of your comfort circle. throw your net out there, and you might be surprised at what comes back.

onto other things, it's weldon's birthday tonight! we're going to party it up at Sole (an underground korean bbq/karaoke bar). whoop!whoop! (: it's always a party when weldon's in town.

2009-08-20T13:38:00.002-06:00

perfect timing, it's almost something we wished would happen to us.
until we see how perfect timing can screw us in the butt.

it isn't me that perfect timing has screwed over, but it sure feels like it when you hear the news.

the many things i love doing in the summertime is long over.

2009-08-13T17:57:00.002-06:00

the cold is coming. the frost of winter is near. yeah, you hear it on the streets. everyone's talking about how winter is so close we can almost feel it in the air - and it's only august. technically "winter" isn't going to be around for another 5 months, but in calgary, winter starts in november and maybe weeks before then too.

i got good news from dee today. she got a promotion at work (score!) and oh boy was i stoked for her. when i read the email, i was jumping up and down on the bed. and it wasn't even my bed. (: haha.

i have a massive amount of sales reports to go through tomorrow when i get into work.

this is something parents don't tell you. they don't tell you that growing up sucks and that you should stay a kid for as long as possible. or simply find a potion that keeps you young and don't tell anyone else about the potion. i say find what makes you young (i.e. happy), and hold onto it for as long as possible, because growing up sucks.

other than that, i scored me some student pricing high speed internet and digital cable tv (with close to a hundred channels of choice) for my new apartment.

i'm thinking of purchasing a bike. yes, a bike. the ones which involve you exercising and well... cycling. i'm thinking of cycling to school from my new apartment. it's about a 20 minutes cycle.

but. did you know that bikes here sell for a minimum $200! and that's for crappy bikes with low grade brakes and what not. i was telling dee that that's more than car gas for a month. gas prices here are on the rise, and they're now at $0.995/litre. not too bad when you think about how bad prices are in singapore. but travel to the states and they're freaking out about $4 a gallon. a gallon (imperial/US) = 4.54609 litres. <--- did you know that? i didn't, until now.

oh and did i tell you that i can't wait for school to start? yeah.

apparently, my girlfriends (notice the plural form) have decided - not together - to leave calgary or BC/vancouver. alberta is too conservative for them. when you come visit me, don't say i didn't warn you.

much love to all. you are on my mind - just like my daily dose of cardboard love.

the setting sun and its yellow rays fall on my face.

2009-08-01T13:53:00.002-06:00

if only you could see the skies here when the sun sets. i was driving back home from adal's place at 7.30 yesterday when the sky turned this gorgeous smorgasboard of colours. as far as the eye could see were splashes of red, orange, purple, blue, pink with dashes of yellow streaks from the last rays of the sun.

i wished you were here to see it. and i remember thinking while i was facing the setting sun that you guys were all i wanted at that point in time. you would've loved it.

summer's coming to an end, so next time, i'll try to have my camera ready.

my left shoulder and arm is burnt from the sun. i look like quite the sight.

p.s. my new place is awesome! i have the keys now, and am packing up my old unit. it may be easier than i think. or it may be too early to tell. :P

love always.

2009-07-29T15:30:00.001-06:00

I have a headache now :(

2009-07-22T17:14:00.001-06:00

Tanya spotted this on Calgary's page six today.

"Alberta Fashion Week: Oct. 4-10"

(:

my week was a hella-rollercoaster.

2009-07-17T19:25:00.009-06:00

if i were a constant Facebook status, this very moment would read --- Valerie Anne is happy with the upswing of the week, but down with the food poisoning(?)!

the food poisoning story will follow later.

update on my week:

last sunday was the last day of stampede! woohoo! stampede is so over-rated, it's insane if you want to get around the city during the 10 day festive season. Zasuu (i.e. greg) decided to participate in one of the city's many Breakfasts. most events includes booze from the early hours of 7ish-AM. yes, drunk drunk very very drunk people at 8am, and sloshed by 10am, who will at noon, get on a bus to a club to get even more thunder-f-ed. ugh.

i did however catch the last of the stampede fireworks. look at all the cars stopping illegally on the road

and more of my week in random pictures

here's pictures of the wonderful kids i get to see almost every day (:
aren't they lovely? (:
glenmore reservoir and reserve
adal snapped this picture

the biggest cloud formation i've ever seen.
sushi making 101adal made the two of us a feast!

now the food poisoning story...

so the word is that i went to Canmore (this lovely little town 1hr out of Calgary, and somewhere in the Rockies) this morning. i got up at 6am, to get to work by 7am, to get to Canmore by 9am. it's not too bad a drive, and Tanya did the drive up half groggy. and i drove the way back stuffed from lunch's mini burgers (which sounds totally unappetising but really is the best thing i've had in months!), crab and artichoke dip with toast, and eggrolls chipolte.

somewhere between lunch and having 2 meetings with potential buyers and marketing co. Start Marketing, AND finally getting in back into the office at 4.30PM, i got a bug of some sort. tanya's feeling nauseous and has a high fever. and i feel like someone hit me with a semi-truck going at 120km/h.

tanya and i have concluded that we must've eaten something wrong - and it's true. we shared the crab and artichoke dip :(

oh here are some sights from Canmore

that my friend is a dog. not a horse.
it's an irish wolfhound, and it's bigger than a 8-year old girl.
this is Canmore's nordic ski olympic training area. we got to meet with lots of Canadian olympians during this trip. everyone lives within 5 minutes of this area. imagine waking to this sight every day (: you'd never want to live in the city again.

picture was snapped candidly by Adrian on a random sunday afternoon while we were trolling the city.

onto other other news, i have found myself a unit! i'm finally moving out of my crummy basement suite, and into a brighter, bigger, happier-landlord-run place! you are invited to my housewarming party (when i finally get settled in about... 2 months) (:

once again, it's been cut.

2009-07-04T09:58:00.002-06:00

i'd been trolling the webs and magazines trying to find a new look that'll make me feel... different. Adal hoped so hard that i'd keep my length, but i wanted to go short. so, the other day, i bought myself a pair of hair cutting scissors, gave them to Adal and asked, "wanna cut my hair for me?" (:

i'm liking the new do. everyone says i look more asian now. in pictures, i'm requested to hold up a peace sign. *kawaii!* (: haha. love from calgary.

lookbook of loves for stars and pedestrians.

2009-06-27T10:36:00.003-06:00

i have committed myself to something new. does it sound dangerous? (:

"Dear Valerie Lim,

Thank you for shopping with chapters.indigo.ca! We are pleased to confirm the details of your order, received on 27/06/2009 12:10:59 PM. As soon as we have shipped your order, we will send you another e-mail, with shipping and tracking information. To get items to you quickly, we will ship each item as soon as it's available. As a result, you may receive multiple shipments.

Your order number is, ORXXXXXX91. Please keep this number for future reference, in case you would like to check the status of your order online.

Your chapters.indigo.ca order includes the following item(s):

1. The Fashion Designer Survival Guide, Revised and Expanded Edition: Start and Run Your Own Fashion Bu - 1 @ $17.16 (In Stock)

2. High-fashion Sewing Secrets: From The World's Best Designers - 1 @ $19.16 (In Stock)

3. Simplicity's Simply The Best Sewing Book - 1 @ $15.60 (In Stock)

4. 200 Projects to Get You Into Fashion Design - 1 @ $17.49 (In Stock)

Item(s) Subtotal: $69.41
Shipping and Handling: $0.00
GST: $3.47
=====================
TOTAL: $72.88
OWING: $72.88"

that's right. i've been meaning to learn how to sew and make outfits like soho - she makes such adorable outfits inspired from the runway.

i'm now planning (yes, planning; not executing) to start my 'lookbook of loves'. only when i have the time. but it is wonderful to be excited about something isn't it? (: love with hugs.

peas pretty please.

2009-06-27T09:06:00.002-06:00

peas please bolster pillow by diffractionfiber on etsy

i found this lady via jon's phlodsurboat, and i'm tempted to get the PBJ pillows - which are truly made for each other.

still, since i am moving house - july/august - i shouldn't be "stocking up" on new finds. i'll get 'em all AFTER i move into my future super fantastically awesome place. wished you were here for the future fantastically awesome house warming party for my future fantastically awesome place. yeah, i'm really stoked about getting out of my current locale - just as long i stay away from the North-East (= ghetto). i will be curb stomped in those areas after 10pm, just because.

life lately has been good. i like it.

the king will never die.

2009-06-27T00:02:00.004-06:00

futureshop is having pre-canada day (July 1st) sale.

and i had to...

yes, i did...

i bought me a Nikon D60 + 18-55mm lens - for C$499.99 (not including taxes). [see second from left, top row]

maybe now i'll have some pictorial evidence of my stay in calgary. good timing too, cos the weather's biting hot and i'm getting a tan. let's hope it stays this way till end-august (if we're lucky).

on a whole other note, i cannot believe 'the king of pop' - michael jackson - is d.e.a.d.
i think he potentially faked his own death. BUT, did you know that in the last 24 hours, MJ's hits have been sold out in almost all stores (in North America) - online (how is that possible?) and in-stores? the total amount of sales equals 1/4 of his debt. how ludicrous.

still, his music is music to my ears. i'm waiting till the radio stations over play his tracks.

terrorised by three.

2009-06-19T14:49:00.002-06:00

days till calgary stampede: 14

i've been hit with a gazilion things to do for zasuu this week. and i'm so glad that i've been able to get 'muscle' to help me out. 'muscle' is the true name of Adrian. he's my part-timer/works-so-much-for-zasuu-that-he-might-as-well-be-a-full-timer.

big news! i "baby-sat"/nanny-ed for the first time in my life! and the kids (yes plural) didn't choke on their food, burn the house down, or drive me up the wall. i even got to make dinner for the 7, 8 and 12 year olds that day! the kids did however run out of the house unexpectedly - because their dog escaped and it doesn't know how to heel or stop running. this happened in the rain too. surely.

you should've seen me when i had to pick the little ones from school. i was the most awkward, what-am-i-suppose-to-do-now person standing in the school yard waiting for the sky to fall. i didn't know what to do so i followed the herd of parents and siblings - waiting and waiting and waiting. then when it finally happened, i realised what we were all waiting for --- the school bell and the rush of screaming kids.

at the end of the night, when the parents came home to see me still standing, not yelling the words "i quit!", were extremely appreciative and happy that all went well. the best part of the night though was when the middle kid, i call "little miss", came up to me and gave me a hug before she went to bed. (:

should you be curious, i am doing this for free. people now can't afford to pay for sitters, and everyone understands why.

the funniest thing i found was how quiet my drive home was.

no pictures unfortunately, because i don't have my camera batt charger. can you believe it? NO CAMERA?!!!!

puny little thing is feeling the work.

2009-06-08T19:17:00.003-06:00

it's all good here in calgary. other than the fact that it snowed in JUNE (which is practically summer!)

yeah.

work's caught up on my little ass since being in singapore meant that no one in Zasuu was really doing my job. feeling a little winded lately though; had a bout with mini-mono over the weekend, but i think i'm winning.

just a short update. love and hugs for rah, dee, shane, fiz (and nick), t. (and min), sam and soph! (:

a snippet of japan and other wonderful things.

2009-05-30T15:28:00.003-06:00

i'm in calgary now. the flight from singapore was... well, alright.

i think i am the harbinger of bad luck when it comes to airports/flights. if you recall the number of times in the past 3 years that i almost missed my flights, got weathered on, got bumped off multiple flights due to overbooking, had overweight baggage, had security pat-downs (especially in the states), had to open and repack my luggage, had people around me go through security checks too - that number would put seasame street's count dracula's skills to the test.

anyhoo, i did a manual hand-written log of my transit in Japan.

1021hrs, 28 May 2009 (Japan time)
apparently there are seating assignments on the Keisei Line (speedy train, limited stops. 1920yen). i discovered that AFTER the ticket guy came around in talked to me in japanese, and then after realising that i don't speak japanese, told me to move one seat back.

i'm suppose to be in cart train #2, seat 7D (window). i'm now seated (i think) in #2, seat 2A. i see someone seated in 7D. maybe that's why he just told me to move that one seat back instead of moving me and having to move him (the white guy who also probably doesn't understand japanese).

the plan is to go to UENO then take the Ginza Line to Asakusa (the cultural spot of Japan). this speed train is suppose to get me to UENO in 56 mins. i'll see if it really does or doesn't. the trains run pretty punctually, so no skipping in the park for me! (:

everyone keeps talking to me in Japanese! at least i look local enough.

i treated myself to a braided necklace (twice wrapped as a bracelet) at the Singapore T3 airport. it reminds me of Rah. i miss everyone already.

the closer i get into "the city", the less subsistence farming i see. and people's houses are barely 10 metres from the train tracks! that's close!

1300hrs, 28May 2009 (Japan time)
just walked around Asakusa and definitely got lost for a good half hour. i walked (lost for most of it) all the way to Nitenmon, which i will have to google when i get back. Asakusa was great, barring the rainy weather. everyone's carrying huge umbrellas and surely hitting me (unintentionally i hope) and everyone else. marred and with my feet a little soaked, i made a wish at the temple, played fate a little turn and of course, snapped pictures. gtg! this is my stop!

1400hrs, 28May 2009 (Japan time)
i'm tired of walking.
so i've decided to hop the train back to the NRT (narita) airport, 40 mins earlier than i originally planned. another 1920yen one way.

this time i've the got seat assignment right. cart #7, seat 7A.

UENO's huge! tons of shopping, casinos, slots and food. Japan is bustling! this place deserves a full few days to explore. i caught myself smiling at all the store sellers yelling with what looks like the bright orange hazard road cones about the great products they're selling. no pictures though, camera batt's dying. :(

how exciting! i wanted to grab something to eat, but wasn't craving the pricey sushi or he mass made cakes or the wide range of ramen noodles, soba or udon. some shops sells their noodles at 380yen, and some even at 850yen! honestly they all look the same, but i'm sure the locals know the difference.

cam batt's really dead now. wanted to catch the huge junction of at least 5-6 directions/traffic lights. they all turned red at the same time, and then the tar roads where covered in hoards of moving bodies (no shoving involved). like a well-oiled machine.

noticed that most guys here do not wear wedding bands and tend to hang/chill with the guys only. girls aren't as pretty as on tv, but really, who looks like the people on tv right? i think the anime and japanese comic books have managed to capture the real jap culture. afternoons spent in casinos and slot machines, lots of video game stores and arcades.

train is passing through Nippori station. Nippori reminds me of Flinders St. in Melbourne.

p.s. felt like a rat in a very huge maze, yes i did.

1737hrs, 28May 2009 (Japan time)
Japan has been wonderful. i started with 11,000yen. and now left with 3,500++yen. bought a few souvenirs for myself. wanted to get this 7 or 12 step box. it just means to open the box, it'll take 7 - 12 steps (like a puzzle!) very cool. it involves a lot of sliding pieces back and forth. didn't want to spend the 2,000 - 3,000yen that i didn't have. :P

i'm very happy with the amount of time i got to spend in Japan. i managed 5 hours in the city, 2 of which involved travelling by train, and the rest of my transit was left to checking out NRT airport. i recommend when transiting in Narita, to leave the transit area - the airport has a shopping mall inside it and more food options too. it's more of a mall than an airport really. but note that security is tight and that the gates may be very far away.

travelling to japan is in my future for sure. next time though, i am gonna get more sleep before i travel (:

gotta read my Asakusa Sensoji and Kannon Temple fortune again. after watching a couple of people do it, i "donated" 100yen to shake a box with chopsticks. whilst shaking the metal tin box, a chopstick with a number printed on the side comes out. with that number (1-100), you find the box with the same number, open it and take out the piece of paper holding your fortune.

my flights in 1840hrs, soon.

- end -

and as promised, i will try to blog more, and less about cars. (: adal thinks that i could prolly start a blog "tuner's page" - about my car and favourites to look out for. hahaa.

i made friends on my flight from japan to LAX/Calgary - an art prof in the Pasadena's College of Art and Design, and a Calgarian girl who worked on a cruise liner in Brisbane. people are too cool.

calgary's weather's awesome. it's 22C out now, and i'm walking about in shorts and a tee. no need for jackets! love.
when i find my camera battery charger, the pictures will follow.

SLAP CHOP.

2009-05-24T21:10:00.001-06:00

2009-05-24T06:17:00.004-06:00

post-wedding, and a little crazed.

i brilliantly forgot to bring my camera. but pictures from other people's cameras will be coming soon. oh the Lim(Faith) family, you make me happy.

too tired to talk/type now, love.

can someone tell me, who wrote this poem?

2009-05-22T04:57:00.001-06:00

Q: who wrote this wonderful poem?

I can't be with you today
but if you close your eyes and think;
I'll be beside you in the kitchen
wearing your shirt - standing by the sink.

I'll be with you in the bedroom
waiting quietly on your bed;
Just close your eyes and think of me,
relive those moments in your head.

I'll stand by you in the bathroom
an unlikely place to meet;
I'll smile at you so playfully
as I let you brush my teeth.

I'll be your light in the darkness,
shining steady through and through;
You only have to watch it glow
to know I think of you.

I'll be the music that you listen to,
I'll be there in every song;
I'll laugh with you and sing with you,
and comfort you when your day's gone wrong.

I'll be the wind that ruffles your hair,
I'll be that warm embrace;
I'll be the hand on your shoulder,
I'll be the tender touch on your face.

I'll be the clock gently ticking,
reminding you of the times;
We've shut the rest of the world outside
we're in our own world - yours and mine.

I'll be the moon as it dances
on the water cold and still;
For I have loved you always
and I know I always will.

Though you may not see me physically
as you live your life today;
Just close your eyes and think of me
I will not be far away.

A: ?

of all days and all nights

2009-05-17T20:41:00.004-06:00

caught Ron Howard's Angels and Demons yesterday with dee, rah, shane, fiz and nic. nic (who has read the book) says that they changed several (non-important) parts of the book, and omitted (possibly unnecessary) information. as a movie-goer, who did not read the book, it was very exciting. i was kept thoroughly entertained and would recommend others to catch it too. Tom Hanks does not (yay!) play the lead in the same stoic manner as he did in The Davinci Code. Ewan McGregor, as gorgeous as he is, does a fantastic job getting audiences to hope and leap and love his character (cue sighs from audience and waiting with baited breaths when he does his stuff). the female lead plays a significantly smaller role than most other lead women in other films.

other than that, i was more than happy to watch a movie with surround sound. theatres in calgary are kinda backward. seats are crappily thin and worn, the 2.1 sound system ever so often crackles and pops. i'm hoping to find a newly built and improved theatre when i go back in 9 days - which is admittedly not likely to happen.

singapore is... busier than i remember.

i walked into the malls/shopping centres to find the recession not anywhere in sight. people were scrambling for the latest deals (what with the ever Great Singapore Sale a few days away). i felt... firstly overwhelmed at the hoards of bodies. secondly very tired (mono doesn't help me in any way either).

oh! which reminds me, i am still searching for shoes to match my dress (to be worn to my brother's wedding, this sunday). i found a pair of Karen Millen's. gorgeous.

karen millen collection. eye the blue.
indulgence
S$329 > 30% off > additional 10% with a UOB card (thank you mom!). at the end of the day, the shoes will come to approx the same price as my dress. no i haven't bought the ONLY pair they have that fits me like a snug. yet.

of course, blue dress, blue shoes... not so great. but if i did go with a pair of hot pink shoes (zara's), my brother would kill me. to think, there are 500,000 types of shoes being sold in singapore, AND i still can't find the perfect pair... i can only imagine what men think when they attempt to go shopping with us. :P

in canada, adal says that he's been feeling under the weather this week (potentially mono?). but he also said that if that is how mono hits him, he's thankful for his german engineering. i only pray that he feels better soon.

"don't make plans for the 29th. i want to spend time (i.e. all day) with you."

could it be true?

2009-05-14T17:00:00.002-06:00

Arguments out of a pretty mouth are unanswerable.

- Joseph Addison

another trip around the world

2009-05-10T19:07:00.003-06:00

not so much in eighty days, here's another trip around the world.

9th May's hearing aid:

9th May, 6PM. ciao calgary.

somewhere between time belts now. ola san francisco.

the end goal: singapore.
time alloted to reach end goal: approx 5.5 hours from now

see you on the other side of this post!

love for all, especially for you.

wasn't he just a fling and a case of mono?

2009-05-02T11:01:00.002-06:00

just caught this film: FLING (LIE TO ME)

i liked it. and i think you would too.

what's happened to me this past week?

long story short: i've been feeling like death for (what i think is) a week now. i missed my final exam on monday because i couldn't drag myself out of bed. in fact, i have lost all track of days and time. yesterday was my first day out on the town for like 3 hours and being tired for 2.5 hours of it. i have been a form of cut log, that doesn't move unless pushed, carried, or rolled along.

now the long story:

after falling sick on saturday night last week, i went to the doc on sunday (knowing i had an exam on monday). the doc, bright and all, told me that he couldn't tell what was wrong with me because "it's too early". his recommendation included me "going home to sleep because that's what (my) body wants to do", and coming back "after 7 days if i still feel the same".

i went home, crashed. and before i knew it, it was wednesday night(?). adal's been awesome, he came over everyday after work, and on his day off too, to take me out of bed and feed what was left of me. on thursday morning, john got back from the rigs. on thursday night, john brought me to the hospital.

and for the first time in my life, the docs got me into a gown and did a full body work up on me. one might think that it was precautionary measures for the H1N1 virus. honestly, i never once coughed or had the sniffles - so it really couldn't be the H1N1 virus.

after much poking and proding, the doc said that she believes i have mono. i looked at the list, and i have 99% of those symptoms. it IS contagious, only for a certain period. however, it is usually spread by kissing, bodily fluids, using the same utensils, and such and such. best way to "combat" mono is to wash your hands often. touching me/ hugging me is TOTALLY fine. just no kissing on the lips, of course.

what is mono?

EBV infectious mononucleosis, also known is kissing disease or affectionately known in North America as mono, is a common viral illness that can leave you feeling tired and weak for weeks or months. Most commonly occurs in adolescents and young adults. Mono goes away on its own, but lots of rest and good self-care can help you feel better. It is characterized by fever, sore throat and fatigue, along with several other possible signs and symptoms.

i am allowed to get on a plane, and i am already taking the antibiotics for the mono. i'm awaiting confirmation whether i have strep throat, which also sucks balls. anyhoo, i'm also a huge pill popper right now, so no i am not a druggie. don't fret when you hear the clackity clack of the pills in my bag when i walk by you.

i am however very tired all the time. i hear i'll feel better in a couple of weeks (maybe months, please God no), until then, it's lots of chilling sessions for me.

p.s.: i like to lie my head down on pillows a lot. (:

love always, your favourite girlfriend

kaminari aerodynamics!

2009-04-24T09:42:00.004-06:00

latest addiction that the guys have picked up: playing Forza 2 on the Xbox360

my latest kick: kaminari aerodynamics's forward-thinking concepts on car body and engine modifications. all in all, "performance aerodynamics for discriminating enthusiasts". totally got the company off the Forza 2 too.
as they say, "At Kaminari, our design staff strives to create visually exciting designs that integrate perfectly into your car's existing lines. This long standing philosophy results in the hottest looking styling packages around."

i'm dying to get the Toyota Celica wing with carbon inset (US$449). it'll totally match the carbon hood i've got working now. i WAS thinking of stripping the wing completely, and having it sleeked out in Midnight Black, with (pearl white?) dish rims. think the gorgeous 370z. anyhoo, the dish rims will have to wait until summer 2010 or until i become a total race-ready machine. (:

i am admittedly a fan of Pearl White on cars (see right), and now Midnight Black (2 gloss coat on dark black).

i just found out that if i want Alex Lee (kickass drifter and painter) to do up my car in nuances and shades, it'll cost me a very sweet C$1500. but what was my inspiration to switch out the colour on the Celica?

i went to Gallery a month back, and spotted a generic black celica with with slightly wider body kit with 10mm dish rims. right then and there, i knew my car had to go black. i figured going Midnight Black and losing the (outstanding) spoiler would also help 'hide' my car if ever i had cops on my tail and i lost them in a car park (inspired moves of course).

made to order, and shipped in 5 days to you, how can you not love Kaminari Aerodynamics?

of blue skies and white clouds.

2009-04-22T15:37:00.006-06:00

if you've kept up to date with my blog since i came to calgary, you would already know how crazy the weather here can get. from a wild +30C days in the summer, to spine-chilling -45C in the winter, the weather somehow always never ceases to surprise me. i've been here for over 600 days now, and i still can't wrap my mind around how crazy the weather here gets.

anyhoo, it's officially Spring season. and it's been warm enough this past week to hit the streets in summer dresses (people here wear summer dresses in 5C and now i can say i do/can too (: ). i just took a break from work (i.e. staring at the computer screen), and at the corner of my eye, i see white stuff falling outside.

awesome white stuff. yeah. the wind's howling too.

and to think, it was just a barely 2 weeks ago i could do this:
in shorts and a tee, and no snow in sight

oh! i would like to dedicate this post to the TITAN.

oh you could've been so great. (:

i drove brett a few weeks back to Okotoks, 30 mins south of Calgary, so that he could say his farewells and pick up the important remnants/things of his ride.

the insurance company has written it off, and given him $47,000 for it. it IS a 2007, and it was pretty mangled up around the grounded light post.

i'm not sure if he's decided but i last heard that he is going to get a Yamaha R1, or a Lotus Elise with the write-off money.

my friends have asked me to do the same with my Celica and get something buck wild too, but i think i already have gotten into enough trouble with the ride i have. anything faster, and i better be able to drive fast enough to 'scape the cops.

i'm leaving on a jet plane.

2009-04-20T16:25:00.002-06:00

i have my flight home to Singapore!

mark your calendars, and ready your sails! i'll be landing in SIN on 11th May, Monday, at 2.10PM. I managed to find flights on SQ after much searching because i didn't want to pay C$1900 on expedia, or have a 6-12 transit in Seattle. remember the last time i was in transit in Seattle? yeah it sucked big time.

i'll be in town until the 27th, Wednesday, because i have work events to attend all weekend in Calgary when i get back - which includes the DriftWest DMCC Competition! think suped up cars and lots of burning rubber on highspeed tracks..... i can't wait to hear the umpteen 2JZs take to the tracks (:

and another thing i can't wait for is the 10-hour transit i'm gonna have in TOKYO, JAPAN! so sick!

if you're in SG while i'm in SG, be sure to hit me up (via FB if you don't have my #) because i need my fill of hugs before i fly again. love for all.

one hell of a dress.

2009-04-17T13:41:00.003-06:00

tomorrow's my Psychology of Aging final. to put it simply, i'm not exactly the most ready for it. however, being totally dedicated to passing this final exam, i took ONE full day off work - today. yeah, i'm such a hardworking student, you could never tell, could you.

btw, i'm still on the hunt for a floor-length sapphire dress for my brother's wedding (may 24) - AGAIN. i did purchase one off e-bay. it was a little lose here and there, so i brought it to the tailor who did Jo's wedding dress - Fashion & Bridal Group. THEY RUINED THE DRESS. MAJOR. i wanted them to take in the back by an about an inch (by removing excess material), and shorten the straps. in an attempt to cut their costs, they DIDN'T take in the back, they simply added elastic banding to the back of the dress. OMG. WTH. imagine ruching on a silk dress. i definitely flipped out on them. i told them outright that i hated it and that i was furious. it would be the most expensive dress i would never wear ever.

yes i hear you, why don't you undo what they did. the stitching of the elastic band can be unpicked, however, the stitch has already been done and the dress will have "holes" in it. all in all, it'll cost more to undo what they did. bah.

one things for sure, i am going to blacklist their name on every wedding gown forum in calgary.

anyway, here's me at Jess's 20th birthday dinner on Good Friday last week. it's for all yous people in singapore and melb, if you've already forgotten what i look like. p.s.: if you spot a floor length sapphire (not cobalt, or deep, or just) blue, please let me know. i'm short on time, and short on funds.

i wore:
tee: RCVA
skirt: silence & noise silk pencil skirt with suspenders
scarf: jacobs
shoes: jeffrey campbell's laced up bootie

2009-04-11T09:49:00.002-06:00

two weeks ago, the drain in the office backed up and flooded the kitchen (eeeee...) + carpet. since then, i've kept the windows open in attempts at airing the place out. i've also brought in a huge summer fan to blow dry the carpet.

however the smell is STILL lingering!

the muck that came out of the kitchen sink (drain) is horrid and gross with a capital G! i've been bugging the landlady to get the carpet cleaners in, because it wasn't the office pipe's fault. apparently the people who live upstairs like to wash grease and oil down their drains and so you get the idea. imagine what came back up. (eeeee...) the landlady's been avoiding me, obviously.

and so i'm spending my saturday morning, at the office, waiting for them carpet cleaner people to show up.

lesson learnt: don't dump oil and grease down the drain. it definitely bites you back in the ass. hard. or smells like muck.

(eeeee... *shivers)

f450, 1-600 in 2 years.

2009-04-03T14:15:00.004-06:00

Ferrari's F450 is coming out 2010. Road&Track totally spied the car out!
now THAT's sex on wheels.

on a totally random note: tomorrow is my 600th day since coming to Canada in August 15, 2007. how should i celebrate the moment?

chapters and indigo.

2009-04-02T14:22:00.007-06:00

how's about a sneak peek into my future?
now wouldn't you like to know.

spring is here!

2009-04-01T10:05:00.009-06:00

hearing aid: halo // beyonce

i've found these two girls on Youtube. Erin and Roxanne are quite the something. they sing covers of the latest hit songs on the radio right out of their toile, and you can find them as 'RinRox' or 'Rin on the Rox' on Youtube. they even appeared on Ellen's show and Ellen gave them two tickets to the GRAMMYS!! hahaa.

it's officially spring, but the snow still falls here in calgary. i received word from my weather people (i.e. ryan and jo) on saturday night "snow fall warning: 15-30cm by morning". the aftermath:

if you can't fathom the depth of the 30cm snow;
it's falls to just below my knees.

the weather does warm up, like when it hit 4C on tuesday! (: it's a fantastic reason to pull out the summer-ish dress, and toss some layers on. i can't wait for spring.
dress: Sapphire tiered dress, gary's shop at Far East Plaza Singapore
leggings: black (heel wrapping), HongKong
scarf: Jacobs, Calgary
cardigan: Willow Grey, espirit HongKong
bag: Yakpak, Banff
shoes: Jeffrey Campbell, UrbanOutfitters.com
earrings: chandeliers, unknown

note: the huge-ass TV in my living room is not mine. however, i would like my living room to be three times deeper to optimise tv-watching.

P.S. my mom's in town!
layers: black skinny top
pullover: Coincidence & Chance Silverleaf Pointelle Pullover, UrbanOutfitters.com
jacket: Silence and Noise Zipper Pocket Leather Jacket, UrbanOutfitters.com
jeans: Pull & Bear, Singapore
bag: Spring, Calgary
earrings: silver loops, unknown

we have been fernied, how about you?

2009-03-26T20:14:00.007-06:00

good things are coming. i feel it in my toes.
there are awesome pictures up on Facebook - part I and part II!

it's of Adal and my roadtrip to Fernie in British Columbia. It's about a 3ish hour drive (minus all the stops we made to take pictures) from Calgary.

"my mom asked me whether we were serious,"
he looks up into my eyes, ready for the answer.
"i said that 'it's more serious than [you know who], and i like [you]. [you] make me happy.'"
a brief silence.
"what am i suppose to say? we only made plans till the summer."
"well, let's make plans for the winter."
"you mean next winter?"
"yes, next winter. i like you. you make me happy."
"hahaha. okay. let's make plans for next winter."

i am happy. (: the world seems right side up today.

three strikes you're out!

2009-03-26T20:08:00.002-06:00

it doesn't surprise me how someone's word (i.e. his) is so easily broken or forgotten.
do you remember saying that you wanted to do dinner? and yet, here i am and it's past 8PM, waiting for you. i call not just once or twice between 5 and 8 to ask you what was going on.

you finally call me back to tell me, "hey what's up? oh, i'm at my friend's house."

you've lost a couple more points there today bud. keep it up and i think you might just be 4 times over your strike outs. i'm one nice umpire.

a screw loose.

2009-03-16T11:56:00.004-06:00

his answer to everything is the bottle. it's self-destructive, and worrysome.
he's such an emotional individual, so much so you don't know what to say when you're the bearer of bad news. it doesn't even have to be the worst news, just bad news.

it affects the people who surround him. the consequences of his actions are like blackholes, sucking the most innocent of bystanders into the never-ending whirl of blacks and dark greys. the stars that spot the universe don't settle near the blackhole; they know better. "reach for the closest grounded pillar, and hold on tight. you're in for a ride."

maybe his mom dropped him on the head when he was a kid. maybe his first love broke his heart. maybe he was the kid who was picked on in the sandbox. maybe he doesn't have his head screwed on right.

maybe i simply don't have the energy to fix him, because that's all that i've been doing the past year.

cut your losses short, they say. unfortunately, not all of us have it in us to cut it when it was short. let's hope that we can when it's long.

overtime drive time.

2009-03-13T23:55:00.003-06:00

hearing aid: my mac's hard-drive whirring on overtime

i'm on the edge. with another 100-ish pages to go, i really want to get this done by 2AM. it's coming midnight. thankfully, my exam's at 1 in the afternoon tomorrow.

it's times like these that i'm reminded that i'm still a student. i spend so many hours working a week, that i occasionally forget that i'm in school. i pretty much only use the "I'm a Student" line when it comes to paying taxes and getting lesser fees at the banks.

i've been looking over my degree navigator - the online system which tells me what courses i'm missing to graduate. it's another 5 3rd year level classes to go, and 6 4th year classes with 3 linguistics classes to accompany the lot. after that, i'm pretty much scott free!

okay, back to the books.

love to all.

my hero's name is Adal.

2009-03-11T21:31:00.007-06:00

on saturday last week, there was a HORRIBLE and VERY SUDDEN snow storm.

jo sent me a text message at 9PM
" There is a serious blizzard. Drive safe. "
" Really? Not where im at "
" The north is shocked with super low visibility. Winter storm warning "

where was i? i was in Lethbridge, 2 hours south of Calgary. it was a nice sunny day out and i wanted to get out of town. and since i had an invite, i figured why not. i enjoyed the alone time, and being able to really take the car for a spin since i got back from the workshop.

at 9.30PM, after a very saigonese dinner (= vietnamese) with Adal, the lot of us left Lethbridge with news that the storm was heading south (our way). Jimmy said, "we're gonna book it up and hopefully get as far as possible before the storm hits up." great idea pal. here's what i've learnt, you can never outrun a storm, or a twister, or a hurricane if you're heading towards it. hahaa. I let Adal drive because Lord knows i'm not used to doing long haul trips in the back-country.

half an hour of Lethbridge, and 40KM to the closest town (Claresholm), BAM! all you could see what white. with zero visibility in front of you and barely a foot from your side windows, you know you're effed. we could barely make out the headlights of jimmy's car in front of us.

"we can't stay out here. let's keep moving. there may be a motel in one of the towns."

and at 5-10km/h, we snail crawled their way to Claresholm. along the way, we saw dozens of cars stopped by the side of the road, unsure of what to do. when they saw that we were moving (attempting to anyway), they hitched a line behind us and followed us. hazard-lights blinking and with our highbeams only able to light a foot in front of the car, it's true when they said that the blind (i.e. Adal and i) was leading the blind.

then Adal had a bright idea; he said he could make out the ditch lining the road.

fact: you don't want to go into the ditch.
fact: if you can see the ditch, you'll try to avoid the dtich.
fact: the ditch is next to the road.
fact: follow the ditch line and you'll make it somewhere (anywhere).

unfortunately, to see the ditch line, he had to wind down his window. it was -35C out too. thankfully i had my wool coat with me, and a few extra randoms in the back of the car. i wanted to pile all my warm clothes onto him, but Adal chose to only wear my gloves and scarf. gee, i wonder why... (:

to get through the hellish drive, we turned up the music way loud and started singing. our belting definitely lightened the mood. we played games like "PAC-MAN", where you EAT the dotted lines that separate the lanes! (yeah, that was kinda fun-ish when you aren't completely terror-stricken) occasionally you could make out the dotted line that was a foot in front of you. other times, you had to go on faith and trust when i said, "left a bit". and then there are times when you actually run yourself into a ditch. THANK GOD Adal was able to reverse out of that one.

after driving hundreds of KMs, Adal and Jimmy decided that with a 100KM to Calgary to go, it would be a wise time to take a break at a gas station in Nanton. we prayed for visibility to increase; specifically to be able to see more than 5 feet in front of us. after waiting 2 hours, and watching Hannibal Rising on Jimmy's recently installed in-car DVD player, the snow lightened up and we were ready to go. cheers all around of course.

playing the same games all over again, we made it back into town in one piece and with both cars!

so it is with good reason that i can tell Adal, "i wouldn't mind getting stuck in a snow storm with you again. you're my hero! (:" it's true, we made a fantastic team. (:

i am inventing the perfect boyfriend.

2009-03-06T19:05:00.003-07:00

hearing aid: low millions // statue

"I never noticed the ceilings were so low,
I never saw all the cracks on the window,
I never saw myself as sentimental, but here I go."
i haven't been this frustrated in a while.

i guess this is where people here fall short. they don't have any loyalties, they don't stand behind you, they don't honour their word. they say things that they don't realise can hurt you.

or maybe they're just being spiteful because you don't want to be with them anymore. or maybe their name is john.

this is what i needed to really move on.

don't forget me.

2009-03-06T10:21:00.005-07:00

today I googled: what can i do to help those in Gaza?

this came up.

CAIR has launched an online petition drive to collect one million signatures. Be part of it by clicking here.

CAIR is the Council of American-Islamic Relations, and they stand consistently and persistently against terrorism and the killing of innocent civilians.

Their petition reads:

We, the undersigned people of conscience who respect international law and the sanctity of human life, urge you to speak out for peace and justice for all parties in the Middle East crisis.

We are concerned that the current violence and ongoing humanitarian crisis is further eroding America’s international image. For this reason, a strong, balanced stance from you that is aimed at fostering an enduring peace is vital.

Unfortunately, all parties in the Middle East conflict have committed violence against civilians. We unequivocally condemn all of these actions.

The European Union (EU), Russia, the UN Secretary-General, the Arab League, the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), and other international bodies are all urging Israel to end it attacks.

Middle East Envoy Tony Blair deplored the "tragic of loss of life,” while French President Nicolas Sarkozy condemned Israel’s “disproportionate use of force.”

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said the Israeli attacks were "inflicting an unacceptable toll on Palestinian civilians and will only worsen the humanitarian crisis as well as complicate the search for a peaceful solution.”

Unfortunately, our nation’s one-sided response to this tragic episode will only serve to fuel anti-American sentiments in the Muslim world and beyond.

We therefore call on you to demonstrate your commitment to changing our nation’s current one-sided Mideast policy by speaking out now in favor of peace and justice for all parties to this decades-long conflict.

Put your signature here at www.petition.cair.com

When was the last time the Gaza Strip terror was on your newspaper's headlines?

Please don't forget about them. Here's a video+audio slideshow about a family in Gaza on bbc.news.co.uk

i will now hold my purse strings tight.

2009-03-05T08:55:00.018-07:00

i have a dream. a goal. a vision. an ideal.

stop shopping. (you should *gasp!)

yes, i know it is going to be difficult, and i know i will be up against some mighty contenders, but i am resilient. i shall overcome my love for shopping and hold my purse strings tight.

it did however make my day yesterday night when my 2nd order at Urban Outfitters arrived! (: yes, this is one of the many reasons why i am trying to STOP SHOPPING (maybe specifically online......

No. i will hold my purse strings tight. I will hold my purse strings tight *play on repeat.)

fyi. whenever you go shopping online. google the shops' names and coupon codes. most of the times, retailmenot.com carries some secret discount code. sharing is caring! (:

in it, was this lovely leather jacket. some shopper on the website commented that it kinda fits large, which is entirely hogwash. she recommended that we go a size down, so i went with size XS. i could prolly have gone for a small; but the XS fits like a glove to my body shape!

Silence & Noise Zipper Pocket Jacket, $89.99 ~~was $128~~

love love love.

okay, i have indubitably a large shoe collection. in fact, when i came to Calgary, i brought only the essentials. the other 25+ (i have yet to get a true count) shoes lying around the house/room and secretly stacked away in some boxes were all bought in the last year and a half.

my latest addition: Jeffrey Campbell Lace-Up Booties, $69.99 ~~was $150~~

king-size me.

2009-03-04T10:02:00.006-07:00

today i googled, "random things to blog about".
and this came up - "how big is your bed? big enough?"

hahaa.

yeah.

so how big is my bed? think Princess Cinderella in her castle suite.
Cinderella's Suite is designed to sleep up to six guests, with two Queen-sized beds (with feather comforters) and a pull-out sofa in the parlor.

yeah, i bet you can so see me in that bed. not.

my bed is good enough to fit me. and that's big enough. (: i might invest in a larger bed once i get myself out of the s**thole of a house i'm currently living in. okay, the house isn't THAT bad.

let's look at the pros: it's close to school. it's close to work. it's close to food. there are transit bus stops just off my street, and it's "walking distance" to the train station. it's "slightly more than walking distance but still walkable" to the grocery stores. it's right off a major highway (fun for driving at night, not so good during peak hour build ups)

now the cons: the cupboards are too high for me (taking into consideration that most people here are at least a head taller than me, i guess it's about right for everyone else). i don't have enough space to even call a wardrobe. there isn't a tub in the bathroom. the water is never hot after one person's shower. the living room walls are an awful shade of musty white. the people who live upstairs are heavy footed and the dad yells a lot. and i am paying A LOT for utilities that i swear austin and i don't use as much ($250 a month, and that's 40% of the entire bill! i am freakin' for real.)

i was considering doing the place up, but then i think again and realise that i don't want to live there forever. my love and attention will go towards my future house. i also have spent way too much fixing this house up.

don't you just love how this post was suppose to be about 'random things to blog about' - i.e. how big is my bed? - and it ended up here. yeah.

Bedroom and Living Room by Andrew Suvalsky. visit his site.

just king-size me, why don't you.

2009-02-26T17:03:00.015-07:00

i've
always
wanted
a
fisheye
lomo
,
and
a
colour
splash,
so
i
could
take
pretend-artsy
pictures
of
everything
i see.

and now, i'm waiting for them to show up on my doorstep!

i figured that i Should do something fun and silly. i May spend lots of money developing the films (considering digital is always free; merely at a click of a button they are uploaded onto my system),

but
it
could
be
absolutely
worth
it
.
could
be
.
absolutely
.
(:

my current lust and love:

Jeffrey Campbell, Crosshatch Platform. US$198.

thurber.

2009-02-25T16:44:00.000-07:00

Hearing aid: ronan keating // when you say nothing at all
(what happened to him anyway?)

Man is flying too fast for a world that is round. Soon he will catch up with himself in a great rear end collision.

- James Thurber

I have never heard of this man, Thurber, before. But he has said numerous fantastic sayings, entirely quote-worthy. For example:

'Sixty minutes of thinking of any kind is bound to lead to confusion and unhappiness.'

'The dog has got more fun out of Man than Man has got out of the dog, for the clearly demonstrable reason that Man is the more laughable of the two animals.'

'Well, if I called the wrong number, why did you answer the phone?'

'Sophistication might be described as the ability to cope gracefully with a situation involving the presence of a formidable menace to one's poise and prestige (such as the butler, or the man under the bed - but never the husband).'

yeah (: how could you not like this guy?
So, WHO is James Thurber? you should google/wikipedia him like i did.

Anu the Puppy.

2009-02-23T07:58:00.004-07:00

newsflash!: i am allergic to puppies :.(

i'm hoping it's just little beagle pups. i've concluded that it's just puppies because i'm not allergic to Devin's pitbull-mix-with-something-i-can-never-remember 'Memphis', or Jess's insanely hyper white terrier (terror) aptly named 'Turbo'.

this isn't The puppy, but that is pretty much how Anu looks like. adorable no? Anu's tail is long and it whips from side to side when it's happy. It also likes to snuggle and hide behind people's stocky legs (i.e. Devin's). and it YAWNS! ohhhh... (:

jess brought over Anu (her friend's new 8 week old puppy from Innisfail - 116km north of Calgary) on Thursday. after cuddling and snuggling the little thing to death, i start sneezing, then coughing, and then keeling over like i'm dying. and now, i'm just sick. bah.

but look at the puppy! you couldn't possibly be mad at that little thing, could you?

love for all.

look at us now.

2009-02-20T10:04:00.005-07:00

my big brother ryan (affectionately known as 'kor') turned 27 this January, welcomed by a dozen of his closest calgarian friends and a surprise birthday bash! (:

it wasn't too long ago i celebrated my 7th birthday, and played a three-legged race with sarah. look at us now (2008).

the car that bites back.

2009-02-18T18:45:00.004-07:00

my one sin of the day - shopping. you have to count the major payout to the tire servicing people of Big O Tires into my 'spree'.

i scored myself a very wonderful flat tire yesterday night (thankfully i didn't ride the rims!). for some reason, i knew something was going to happen, and it did! a flat tire in the middle of downtown, at 10ish pm. thankfully it wasn't too cold out - say -14C (i know, that's NOT too cold too). however, with my luck, you had to know that there was the spare but no jack or wrench in sight.

and so, i call my big brother ryan just as he was about to fall asleep. always ever ready to rescue me, he shows up, wrench in hand, all bundled up. unfortunately, it's a no go - the wrench is the wrong size.

i eventually resort to calling the tow truck guy (who are known to be absurdly priced). jody (mr tow truck guy) shows up an hour later, and fixes up my car while i am half-snoozing away in the warmly aired car. that cost me $68.

this morning, i wake to call around for the best priced tire deal and servicing. it's so damn hard to find 225/50R16s in the city. but then again, you have to think about the number of people who ride on 50s (they're really wide, which is good for grip and drifting). truth be told, not many people use 225/50R16s with a VR rating H (driving capacity above 130 miles/hr). i settle on a pair of all seasons Tiger Paw Touring wheels at $394, and tell the nice guy at the desk that their shop came recommended. he takes another 30 off my bill (:

i've beaten this car up so many times, i feel bad. but believe me you, this car has gotten me into trouble several times now, i think it's just getting back at me. hahaa. imagine that, a car that can get back at people... okay maybe not.

love for all.

p.r.o.m.o.t.e.m.e.sh.oo.t.me.

2009-02-13T18:47:00.002-07:00

update! i scored the promotion i've been eyeing since Dec, which includes an extra $800 a month!

ever since i got that promotion at work, i've been feeling really swamped and occasionally frustrated (okay, maybe more than occasionally). taking my boss's duties and keeping my role in the company isn't easy, not that i was expecting it to be. though the job may come with some perks, i may spend hours doing so many things, but my list never ends. i guess this is what they call 'a job'.

i spend hours a day in conference calls. i think skype should just give me free minutes.

at least this means i can buy that ticket home (to Singapore) this May! can't wait to see you.

version 2006 look on the 2009 life

2009-02-04T13:03:00.002-07:00

i'm backtripping.

Q: in which direction should we look when we don't know where we're going?

hearing aid: twelve stones // the way i feel, from my 2006

i think i've lost my flourish for writing and expressing myself. i'm gonna go find it, and get back to you as soon as i find it.

A: look behind, and see all the people who are standing there ready to catch you. they'll prolly be able to tell you where you want to be too.

to sarah: bestfriend, i'm here. always and forever (:
to everyone else: when you see rah, tell her i love her and give her a hug for me. please and thank you.

the only night that lit the copper field gardens.

2009-02-02T18:49:00.007-07:00

Copper Lilies
another original short story, by valerie anne

all she wanted to do as he walked away from her, was to take back everything that happened in the last half hour. yet, she was determined. she did not want him to see her fall, or cry, or be in the state that was to come.

crumbling apart was never an option, but it felt like the only road that was open to her.

she was a typical type-A; aggressive and unrelenting, like cancer cells eating away at a person's lungs. however, this meltdown was a long time coming. she was adamant. she did not need someone around to hold her. she was stronger than that. and she was foolish.

"it's going to happen. and i can't hurt you. the longer i wait, the worse it will hurt in the end. for both of us. i am going to hurt you. and i can't do that to you. you are important to me."

he stood in front of her in the cold winter night, in his boxers and a sweater, wanting to be there for her. and she, in her madness, kept pushing him away. brave brave soldier he was. unfortunately for him she could not muster the courage to tell him to stay either.

"this is the worst reason i've ever heard for anyone to break up. you want to break up because we're doing so well together. i don't understand why. but i won't make you stay."

the hour hand ticked closer to three a.m. and the howling winds suddenly died down. she had no clue how long she was standing there for, nor did it matter. she looked ahead at the slick snow-covered roads, and knew not where to go from there. there wasn't a plan, nor an idea to start with. all she knew was that she was cold, and she had already lost all sensation in her feet up to her knees. the only sounds that filled the air were that of her chattering teeth.

she repeated aloud countless times to no one but the dotted dark sky, "that was the right thing to do. that was the right thing to do."

it just didn't feel that way. and deep down inside, it nagged her. she just wasn't strong enough to turn around. and as she fell to her knees, he caught her.

"i can't let you go. not now. i'm here for you."

the end.

a wishlist of clothing and such.

2009-01-30T18:25:00.023-07:00

Q: what's not to love?

one word: splurge.
two words: not possible.
five words: how long till my birthday? (:

she's wearing:
Alexander Wang Classic Mini Pocket Tank, $73
Alexander Wang Slinky Skirt, $435 < i am currently lusting for a size 4
Alexander Wang Double Breasted Jacket, $625,
KORS, Michael Kors Tropical Open Toe Sling Back Pump, $260

and this.Report Signature Shoes, Randolph Paneled Platform Sandal, $185
size 8 please and thank you! (:

and this.

Alpha Pea Long Coat, $99!! from $210 < omg! $99?! size small

and this.

Larsen Gray Open Back Gown, $320

for this particular piece, i am kind of torn between the light and dark side

to match my white high pump pumas or not to. that is the question.
Puma Remix Grip Bag, $120

and this.

Kill City Leather Halter Tunic, $49.99 from $78.00

P.S. to my girlfriends who are on the other side of the world, if you want to do some major online shopping, but them people don't ship to Asia. please feel free to contact me for my address. (: just because you are awesome and loveable.

A: there are so many things to love, but i think my wardrobe (and bank) have had enough

happy chinese new year, version 2009.

2009-01-28T12:53:00.011-07:00

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR! (:

ah yes, the calgary chinatown and our asian food markets were swamped prior to the weekend celebrations. not that i took part in any of it, but i did hear stories on the news about how asians flocked to the 'designated asian areas of calgary' in the Cold weather. i had a reunion dinner with my family (i.e. my brother and jo) on Sunday, and that was A.W.E.S.U.M (:

i know some have been wondering what have i been up to, seeing that i don't update my blog much anymore. well, nothing awesome to report really. i've been working full time, studying part-time and breathing air for the rest of the time.

let me lay it out for you

Mon-Fri: 9-5PM, Zasuu (sometimes till late-Late.)
Wed: Evenings, Platinum Productions Meeting
Thurs: 6.30-9.30PM, PSYC of Personality
10PM, another never-to-be-missed episode of Grey's Anatomy
Fri: more often then not (lately), it's a Jess+Val night to ensure the boys don't do anything stupid
Sat: 1-5PM, PSYC of Aging
Nights, agreeing or disagreeing at Blockbuster with the crew over what movie to rent (we're trying to save money, and people know that going out is kinda money out the window) - i usually fall asleep part-way anyway
Sunday: Church (when I don't miss that bus / my girlfriend lends me her 4x4)
Afternoons, meeting with Platinum Girls
Nights, the occasional dinners i love with ryan and jo (:

i spoke to my mom via skype on CNY, and she asked me if working full-time and studying part-time still gives me time to do fun things. i have to admit, there ain't much time for fun when you're working. but i also have to admit that i spend most of my days in a building, on a chair (swivel, yes i have that many privileges), hunched over a computer (completely attached to the internet) or on the skype phone with my boss from brazil. occasionally i get to take the company car out onto icy roads and hit up the warehouse (which is OH-SO-MUCH-FUN-KILL-ME-NOW) in negative temperatures and get frosty fingers.

still, i love my job. and the economy is shit.

and now, onto what you were waiting for! The Random Picture Of The Day: california, six flags, Dec 29, 2008. the last time i took a picture with a life-size cartoon was... quite some time ago.

bag borrow or steal.

2009-01-27T16:22:00.003-07:00

Q: what would you do for the bag?

note: not just Any bag. it's The Bag. (:

fyi. this weblink is now one of my favourites. yes, dangerous i know.

A: BAG BORROW OR STEAL perhaps?

of girls on mopeds and venezian gondolas.

2009-01-26T14:25:00.005-07:00

hearing aid: keisha white // don't mistake me

Q: what are you waiting for?

if you want to see a broken heart, try looking at another place
if you think you could be torn apart, try to looking at another face
but don't mistake me for somebody who's caught up on you
commitment: an agreement or pledge to do something in the future
future: that is to be, specifically, existing after death
death: the cause or occasion of loss of life

"in the choice between heaven and hell, i choose heaven. i choose life." - izzie stevens, grey's anatomy season 5, episode 6.

what is imagination if you never use it? so think of girls on mopeds and venezian gondolas, of japanese foods and mediteranean cultures. (: spend the time to think up happy-endings and fairy tales.

A: this.

this is my future.

2009-01-21T13:19:00.003-07:00

say hello to my future saleen.
i don't have any issues with JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) cars, personally i do prefer west coast cars - but seriously. look. at. the. 2005. saleen. just Look at it! (*swoon)

sold on the market in 2005 at the base price of US$555,000 = C$700,000 = S$834,000
now it's 2009, and i don't know how much they're worth / selling price, because no one would sell theirs. i wonder why.

the coconut in a pina colada

2009-01-13T14:51:00.002-07:00

Q: when do you know you've used up all your lifelines?

feeling: six feet under.
hearing aid: the fridge's soft hum in my house.

anger is such a strong emotion. hate is a strong word. and yet when you put those two together - hate and anger seem to sit so well with each other. it is no wonder why.

i don't think i've ever been so angry. or frustrated. or exasperated. EVER in my life. i Have taken a knife to my brother when i was younger. it was during a fight, but nothing came out of that because --- well, that is another story. he is still alive if it makes you feel better.

so, story goes: i put down the phone last night, and had the (best) desire to blow up buildings and drive real fast in any direction out of calgary (preferably south).

imagine taking the hell of out hell, the coconut out of a pina colada, the berries out of a Christmas mincemeat pie. what does it have to do with this post you wonder? well, imagine all that; taking away the trait that is necessary for the thing to exist. it's like arguing against what is the nature of things. surely things change, but one thing that we need to remember is that it takes TIME to change things. i can't make it the way he wants it to be because he needs it to be that way. i can't speed up the process, nor do i want to. he has to know that, especially after all the yelling.

you can't take the coconut out of a pina colada. you just can't. maybe you can find a replacement, but you can't force change. you can guide change.

A: when you realise that you are standing over your toilet bowl, holding your hair back, and throwing up because you've yelled to the point you've got a migraine.

the scarebear.

2009-01-08T12:28:00.006-07:00

look what i got for christmas from my housemate austin! in return, john and i gave him an Ecko tee we got from california! yay for american sizing! p.s. austin's tall and huge, so finding tees in CA is occasionally troublesome enough that you want to throw up blood.

all snorg tees. are made on American Apparel tees, and i'm a size M.
ah yes, he knows me well (: haha.

on another note. for christmas, Ryan and Jo got me a Circle Scarf from American Apparel too! it's pretty neat. and i love it! (: i got Jo a hair-dryer, and john got my brother winter mats for his new Madza 3 (no prizes for those who guessed it's red in colour).

i've decided to work full-time for Zasuu for the winter semester. however, i will be taking 2 night classes and one weekend class - all of which are PSYC. *the horror... well, trying to save up to fly home by May is a challenge, seeing as to how i have to set aside some cash for the celica too. surely i'm gonna put some back and elbow grease into it. (: love.

remember:

of californian winters and terror in the strip.

2009-01-02T19:28:00.005-07:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR! with love, val.
it's that time again. when you walk into a shop, you'll hear a cheery 'happy new year'. i had real fun welcoming in the new year. hanging out with a couple of good friends at a korean karaoke bar was the last place i would've picked myself yelling 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1! still, reliving the hangovers of a year's gone by with two awesome people was, well, hilarious.

'i feel like i've been eating sand for an hour. got kicked in the head by a camel, and gave 10 blowjobs.' - weldon

later in the day, walden is sitting in the back seat of the car when he goes, 'guys, i'm sorry. i'm sooo sorry.'
'why?' we ask. then we know why. 'WELDON!'
'i'm SORRY! i couldn't stop myself, i tried holding it in.'
we wind down the windows (even though it's -30C outside), and cover our noses and mouths. you could taste the air. it was THAT bad.
'it's like a mix of tequila and beer.'

my pictures of california are up on FB;
A Young Californian Christmas, 25-30 Dec 2008 ptI
A Young Californian Christmas, 25-30 Dec 2008 ptII

here's a glimpse.

unfortunately, today, i am reminded again by what is happening around the world. my safari internet homepage is set to news.bbc.co.uk

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7802295.stm

31st Dec, 2007: "People around the world will be about to celebrate the new year - not here in Gaza. This is usually a time when people make new plans and have high hopes for the coming year. At the moment the people in Gaza are just hoping they will be alive tomorrow."

help those who need help.
love those who need loving.
smile for those who need to see it's possible.
and give because you can.
pray to whomever you believe in, because God knows the world needs it now.
more than ever.

penguins for life.

2008-12-28T16:24:00.002-07:00

"I have just learned that penguins are
monogamous for life, which doesn't
really surprise me all that much
because they all look exactly alike.
It's not like they're going to meet a
better looking penguin someday."

-ellen degeneres

HAHHAHA.

i went to this hip LA club, Vanguard, last night. my FIRST (!) US club and just 21 and 10 days old! (: apparently you have to be at least a 21 and 7 days old before they let you in, and the bouncer said, damn 'no $100 bill for me'. hahaa. it's nothing huge really, i've got 2 picture, and well, that's about it. will tell you more later. i have to run to the mall now. love!

2008-12-27T14:30:00.003-07:00

i'm finally in California. though it was a rough start - being stranded in Salt Lake City, Utah (SL,UT) in a snow storm - it's good to feel this winter warm sun on my skin.

here we are, in john's family home, surfing FB, checking in on the world, and being served cheese on crackers and grapes. yum.

time to go to the beach. pictures are a'coming.

hello ed hardy's, rock and republics, and sevens! i love you guys.

old banff coach road.

2008-12-24T04:08:00.008-07:00

hearing aid: me shrieking after a friend delivers the punch line in a scary story, all this while driving through the supposedly haunted roads of the outerskirts of calgary.

"i would hit you so hard right now, but i can't cos we're driving in the middle of nowhere and the roads are slick. you're lucky. very lucky."

last week, i attended the Alpha Gam secret santa party at Nili's. my secret lover (my term for the receiver of the secret santa gift) had received, by total vote, the best gift of the night. with a budget of C$5, i knew that i didn't want to get chocolates, or lip balms, or socks, or earrings. i decidedly went in search of love dice - the pair that come with the options that include: kiss / suck / play / tickle & bathroom / kitchen / office / bedroom OR ear / face / lips / hand / legs... you get the drift.

i couldn't find the love-dice anywhere! so, when i came across a pair of pink fleece-like furry velcro-wrap handcuffs, and for C$7.99, i was sold.

i pride myself in beating the handmade cookies. (:

to be charged for all kinds of misdemeanour.

2008-12-17T10:28:00.003-07:00

last night, i drove on over to Ryan (my brother's) and arrived just after midnight. and when they finally let me into the house, Ryan was carrying a wonderful chocolate covered cake with raspberries and blueberries and what i think are christmas flowers (holly?). [pictures will be posted soon]

"sorry, you've got too many candles to light now. wait a while and one box of candles won't be enough."

"what type of cake is that? black forest?"
jo laughs. "your brother was thinking about getting you black forest."
i cut into the cake, it's CHEESECAKE! delicious cheeesecake!

i wake this morning, under the duvet and on my brother's couch. i'm as happy as a clam. it's snowing outside, and it's a lovely -13C. i'm happier than a clam.

THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE WHO SENT ME LOVE ON THIS DAY. I'M DEFINITELY FEELING THE LOVE. IT MEANS TRUCKLOADS TO ME.

and to my mom for giving me the best kind of wishes:

"Hi Val

Still enjoying your extended 17 Dec? You're now truly an adult - can be charged for all kinds of misdemeanour.

Love you lots

mum"

HAHAHA. perfect. (:

happy twenty-one darlings.

2008-12-16T15:50:00.002-07:00

in SG time, i'm already 21.

in another 8 hours, it'll be my 21st birthday all over again, this time in Calgary.

i'm excited-ish. still wishing i had my nearest and dearest with me.

love,
val

two days and tire swaps.

2008-12-15T08:34:00.003-07:00

winter. oh winter.

today's my last exam - SOCI375: Sociology of Ethnic Relations. i've taken the day off from work to do some last minute cramming; and my boss is Awesome - "take all the time you need".

ever changed a tire before? check.
ever changed a tire in -30C (without wind chill) before? check.

yesterday, my friend Adal noticed that the tires on my car were two different sets. that being said, the better gripping tires were on my rear wheels when it's a front-wheel drive car. add the wind chill, take the temp down to -40C. as promised, Adal gets props on my blog for being the only person i know who can change 4 tires at -40C weather.

love for all. wish me luck on my exam. 21st birthday's in 2 days. TWO DAYS!

are you stuck again. i hate hate hate winter driving.

2008-12-13T22:33:00.004-07:00

i feel christmas is in the air.
people/strangers are so helpful. and happy. and giving.

what a time it is to celebrate it in the real snow of alberta, canada.

i got stuck in the snow banks one too many times today. and people off the streets would walk up and say, "need a push?" grandparents get out of their cars and offer advice. girls in their big-ass SUVs pull over and hop out in their furry jackets and say hello. my neighbours a few doors down (who i swear are the most lovely gay men you'll ever meet) come out shovels in hand ever ready to lend a hand. "are you stuck again?" hahaa.

my friends are telling me that the car is too light-weight and low-riding. well, the hood and wing are made out of carbon fiber, and i am barely 125pounds. my close-to-300-pound friend sat in the car to help get my car out of the parallel parking spot, and it moved like a samurai sword slicing a pie. i think it'll be a good call to get sandbags from home depot and toss 'em into my boot (or trunk as they call it here). i hear they're doubly useful when the road gets too icy - "take 'em out, toss the sand on the ground and off you go!" says pearl.

i love driving. i hate driving in the snow.

"don't get frustrated. it is your 2nd day winter-driving; you'll get used to it."

ARHHHHG. don't you wonder why we spell a-r-g-h as a-r-g-h, when it is actually pronounce as a-r-h-g. we do end the word off with a 'G'-sound. try it.

love for all. merry christmas.

and yes, it is cold out. plus wind chill, it's a lovely -37C now. i'm glad i'm home.

dec 12's weather warning.

2008-12-12T09:06:00.004-07:00

Calgary Weather 2-3 Day Forecast for the weekend.

oh yeah, i'm terrified. aren't you?

yesterday i went snowboarding for the first time at Canada Olympic Park. Think big hill, not so steep, great park structure for stunts and learning. i fell a grand total of 5 times (way better than what Adal thought i would do - a nice 40-50 times). of that, 1 knocked the wind out of me, 1 hurt both my wrists (again), and 1 had me landing on my tailbone. all of which has left me not moving from my living room couch. sure feels like i fell 40-50 times though.

however, i am not deterred from learning how to snowboard this winter. i hear body casts are very in this season. (: