Superstar Virgo!

Star cruise on board Superstar virgo, 23 to 25th may 2007

A nice name for a start. named after my favourite zodiac sign. huge ship. but i noe theres bigger ones.

The cruise wasnt a heavenly experience, but memorable. also enjoyable and relaxing at times. A special treat to my eyes cause theres lots of nice and beautiful stuff to see, be it the interior of the ship, the outdoors and the scenery, as well as the short getaway on pulau redang. And of course, the company of my friends and coursemates enhances the experience.

DAY 1

was running late for meeting at SP. so i was in a hurry and forgot to bring my camera which i left to charge last night. BIG mistake cos theres so much good scenes to take. i realised b4 i arrived at SP, but i was late so i couldnt go back to get it. We gathered in MLT first, had more briefing , then went to harbourfront. waited in a long Q for immigration. the Q wasnt moving so i tot had a long time b4 boarding and went strolling around, go toilet n buy drink. then dawn found me n told me everyone else is on board the ship alr! so unlucky that just when i went away, the Q started moving fast. So we had to wait in another long Q.

I went to my cabin 8511. on the 8th floor and at the end. the rest of the ppl all on 9 floor. watch abit of tv, laze around, then at 5.40 i go n bathe. not used to the shower there so i took a long time slowly bathe. My roommates went off i din even noe. tv still on summore so i tot still got time. then i finish alr, check my clock.. alr 6.10... supposed to meet for dinner at 6.! Then i also dunno where to go for dinner so i go reception.. they gimme the list of restaurant. i went pavillion first, then mediterranean, and finally found them at bellavista. =.=" By then alr 6.30 and i missed appetisers. But i managed to catch up later. For that dinner we all had to dress nice-nice cos of the restaurant dress code. But really nice to see everyone so well dressed.

After dinner some filipino tourguide took us to tour the ship. see the restuarants, facilities, entertainments, etc. then we were free to roam. I followed the 9087s guys and 9077s girls to borrow twister and pictionary, then together went to the guys room to play. 11.50, went for mediterranean supper! but not much nice stuff la. Then hang around talk abit, walk around the ship, go KL's room do nth, then tired alr.. go back to my cabin n sleep. alr 2am but my roommates still not back.

DAY 2

Woke up abit late. about 8.30. rushed down for breakfast. joined the 9087s guys; they finished first and left without me. then i arrived at lido late. hope no demerits taken. had hours of talks in the theatre and almost fell asleep. others were too. then we went to see the kitchen in groups of 15. very big, connecting pavillion and bella. came back to lido, had disembarkation breifing, then dispatched for lunch. joined the 9087s and 9077s to lunch at pavillion. goood chinese foood in large qty cant finish. all the chicken feet went to me.

After that we went to visit the casino. but cannot play. by then the ship had stopped on unstable waters and causing all of us to become giddy and seasick. coundnt listen to casino manager giving talk.

at 3+ we got off the cruise ship, and took a boat to pulau redang. the people on my boat went high and crazy and started yelling nonsense and singing at top of their voice. especially shane and fiona. at redang, we first had a boring talk at some hall, then go over to a disco for another boring talk. only at 4.40 were we released to do whatever we wanted on the island. most of them went to swim in the clear waters or play beach games. i borrowed dawns cam and went around exploring the place by myself and taking pics. quite alot of interesting stuff around.

a stupid looking statue.

a forest atop a hill.

squirrels running above your heads

looks like a graveyard to me. but no markings.

playtime over at 6. we gathered at the jetty n took another boat back to cruiser. this time got aircon, nicer seatsand the ppl werent so high. from then on, free and easy! went back to cabin to watch disney channel. had dinner at mediterranean buffet. found the 9087s and 77s crowding around a small table outdoors, some still in wet swimming attire. no space so i had indian food by myself indoors and came out for bbq food later.

After dinner joined the group at 9077, play bluff n bridge but i din play. got so sian so i used the cam again, go around the ship taking night scenes. Got back to my cabin at 11+, enjoy a long warm bath, then slept at 12+.

DAY 3

set alarm at 8, but it was accidentally set to 8pm, so slept until 9.20. roommates took so long in the toilet. by the time i wash up no time for breakfast. went to helipad, but nobody there. so quickly had some pastry. time come to take class photo, nick was still sleeping in the room and the 9087 and 77 gang were nowhere to be seen. turned out that they all accompanied fiona in 9087 during her suffering of an injury.(and fell asleep in the process.)

went to pack up and check out at lido. nick offered to carry my bag (and ended up creating problems.) had lunch at medi, took a outdoor seat facing the sea by myself, then later somehow the 9077s girls picked the table behind me, like they knew i was there. the restaurant was short of tables, so some of my classmates couldnt eat.

Soon, the ship went past sentosa just a few metres away, giving us a great view of the forest, fort siloso and other stuff. too bad the camera was totally out of bettery so i couldnt take photos. The ship docked at harbourfront and we got off the ship. nick was nowhere to be found and uncontactable during that time, but i thought my bag was still with him. so i even went past the checkpoint without my bag. then finally we contacted them and found out the bag is still in the cabin and i din noe. worried for awhile, then approached the staff to get my bag. in the end it was sent over, intact. phew, what a relief.

we went viviocity supposedly to watch movie but in the end didnt. the class had alr split up by then, and i went with the 3 89-ers to carls jr for refreshment and idle chat until 5+, before i made my way back to home sweet home.

Study study study, earn more money?

yes i do believe in that; the soul is willing but body is weak.

my accumulated work and things to do is getting more with each passing schoolday. And its not because theres too much to do, but cause of neglect.

i keep telling myself i have lots to do and even listed it all out to try to scare myself into action. But my procrastinative character took the better of me everytime. So i delay and delay.. and end up not finishing what i have to do. Bal c/d into the next day.

The long break before the start of poly has really turned me lazy and playful. Now im far from having that perseverance and motivation like i did before O levels. and i dont noe how to get it back.

Now i have a little more time cause of e learning, so i need not worry about more work coming in... but i alr wasted 1 day doing close to no work. arrghs. need some serious reformation soon. CAs are looming not far away.

Farrer Court Farewell

The verdict is out - farrer court will be en-bloced. The 80% quota has been met. Not surprising, after a previous update showed that only 4 more sigatures were required. Obviously those 4 places couldnt hold out much longer. Many residents were in a hurry to clinch the deal and sell the units before the price should fall. Although the 'bubble' isnt expected to burst soon, ppl r just being kiasu because we were given a very good price. well in a situation like this, u can only be either kiasu or greedy. but actually yeah.. the price is alr so good, so i wun expect it to rise much more. better to be kiasu.

But i objected to the en-bloc not cos im greedy for a higher price, but cause i dont wanna move out of farrer court. I once even wanted to use farrer court as a heirloom, some time before the en-bloc idea came out. (now i noe it cant cos the lease is 99 yrs) It holds sentimental value more than any other place. I been living here since the day i was born, and since im not sum1 who goes out alot, i spend most of my time here. Although most memorable events happen outside, my home is like my shelter and refuge from the whatever hustle and bustle going on; a safe haven. A place i can find peace and quiet.

I like this place. the location, the position, and the view. im on the 8th level, and thats just nice, the same level as the canopy of that big angsana tree a few meteres away, so theres a nice view of the canopy, and shades from direct sun. around that tree there are also a lot of artificially planted bushes and short plants of diffrent colours and with flowers, and the rest of the area covered with a field of grass, making the view all natural and nice. A big old tree another several metres away would be covered in bright yellow flowers during a part of the year. Birds would frequently rest in these trees. sometimes there would be interesting birds, like some kind of white parrot, small blue or yellow birds and some pigeons not like the ones found pecking crumbs at some neighbourhood void decks in swarms. There would also be some animal visitors one in awhile, including a giant big-beak bird on my ledge when i was a small kid, praying mantis, a pigeon that made a nest among the aircon cables and recently a group of minahs coming into the kitchen, eating our apples and leaving shit on the table.
On the other side of a wall nearby, i can see a big bungalow which belongs to a series of really expensive houses along leedon road. this bungalow is only rented not owned. when theres no occupants, a guard would be patrolling the compound day and night. when there is, the whole place including the plants there would be lighted up and there would be some festivity going on.Outside the windows of the other side, the view is of leedon heights, which is separated from my block by just a small field, leedon road, and after a drop downwards, a small canal, and the footpath. The occasional passing of cars on leedon road as well as the people jogging or walking dogs along the sides of leedon rd and the footpath adds life to the area, making it not seem like a secluded place, yet not making it a busy place disturbing the peace. (the recent tunneling project very nearby has added a great amount of disturbance.) the view In between the leedon towers as seen from my window, is of a whole forested area, which i found out, is owned privately, with a nice big house in the compound. Farrer court is somehow mainly resided by midage workers or elderly. hardly see bunches of kids playing around. some buildings like mera saga, holland hill mansions, holland close HDB flats and the MOE building can be seen from my window. at a slightly higher storey, the ulu pandan CC, which is very near my former school, a singtel tower which is just adjacent to SP and chimneys of the jurong industries sprouting fire can also be seen. sometimes at night, the fire can get real big and lights up the sky with an orange tint. if i would like the taste of a busy main road from the window, a small portion of farrer road is also visible. the absence of tall buildings nearby other than the leedon towers and block G allows me a good view of the vast blue sky and its clouds.

i dont know if i can find and get another place like this or better. Today i went with my dad and uncle who is an estate agent to look around at some condos and view 2 units up for sale at pine grove and the sterling. The pine grove unit is on the 16th floor, good wide view, but when the sun is up it heats up the living room. The location is good.. very near my school and the mrt and rather accessible. the place is rather cosy if its enclosed and airconned, but if not it will be stuffy. the ceiling is very low and some parts have no ventilation, others quite poor. The rooms are quite small but theres 4 bedrooms and some extra spaces around. but in total shd be smaller area than my current unit. Since we wont agree to bear the hefty cost of aircon all day long, i guess we have to reject it. As for the sterling, its much worse. on the 8th storey. hardly any view. the windows are all in 1 direction only. 2 of them looks out into some junkyard beside the malaysian railway and a trek of wild vegetation. when the train passes its sure to create a din. the 3rd one looks out to a wall and the neighbour's kitchen window. eew. the study room is extremely small and only got 4 rooms in total. the facilities doesnt look good either. and the swimming pool environment is so plain. we also went to view the marbella and cavendish park.. quite nice but may not have units on sale, and even if there is it may be too expensive. But wherever we may finally move to and settle in, i know for sure, things will never be the same as before.