Marina’s Bloggariffic

My night classes started already and I was very pleased to see that the General Paper lecturer that taught me last year, Mr Chako, was the one who will be guiding us again this year. There seemed to be just a handful of my previous classmates joining in this year. Majority of them, I’m seeing them for the first time.

Some of them were A level retakers, I realised. The mood was casual, however, I could sense that it was a tinge more serious as compared to last years where there were more happy-go-lucky people.

I am surprised that the ITE department allocated us to the 4th level instead of the 1st level where we were used to. Apparantly, the students at Monks Hill Secondary School, the school where we used for night studies, complained that the classes were always in a dirty state when they come back to school the next day.

I wasnt pleased at having to climb up so much staircase after a hard days work. It was tiring having to go for a one hour bus journey and then walking such a long distance from the bus stop to the school. But what made me extremely displeased was that there were no proper facilities on the 4th floor. There isnt any projector where the lecturer could use to give his demonstrations.

It felt discriminatory.

I’m quite appalled that the school would do that. I can vouch for myself that the classes that I passed by had no evidence of being littered nor messed up.

The least that the principal could do was to at least give a warning before implementing such a harsh treatment like that. We’re paying students. Yes, I realise that we are heavily subsidized but the least we want is to have proper facilities for our lessons.

Sigh

But anyway, it was always an interesting lesson (as always) in which we discussed about the different reasons why people would commit euthanasia. He states 2 different examples:

Firstly, Ramon Sempedro, a Spanish man whom became completely immobile from the neck down due to a diving accident. For 27 years, he enjoyed the support from his family and friends and kept his mind sharp through reading, but finally succumed to depression and wanted to die with dignity.

Secondly, was an exerp from S. Rajaratnam, a former previous deputy minister of Singapore, who recently passed away, wrote:

“This brings me to the question of human rights. The list of rights is growing, but one important right is absent from the list - the right to die with dignity. Neither law, the Constitution, nor even the United Nations Charter of Human Rights makes any reference to a human being’s right to die without indignity and with the least possible pain. Dying should not be prolonged torture”

To what extent does committing suicide be justifiable?

—

I’ve been stressed out trying to book a plane ticket all week now. Fare.net finally responded to my email but I couldnt get to the discounted Emirates flight that I wanted as they claimed that it was fully booked and adviced me to book a higher priced plane ticket with another company. So I called up some agencies from the namecards that I acquired from the Natas fair and guess what was the response?

“Sorry, we dont cater to airline plane ticket sales”

Huh? But the salesperson at the counter at the Natas fair said …

Then I finally gave up. Fine. I’ll use Zuji again. And then I booked a flight with KLM and then I realised that KLM gave me a voucher last year. I’m sure I could use this and so I called up the Customer service. Only to find out that they dont accept vouchers and that If I wanted to do that, I had to book with the airline themselves.

So I quickly checked the KLM website. Guess what? The plane ticket dropped from the initial $1.2k to $950! I was fuming! And my heart palpitations started again …

Cancel my booking! I dont want anymore!

And I quickly tried to do a reservation with KLM instead. But they couldnt process the transaction. Zuji still kept my money and they will only refund it back in 7 working days. In the meantime, I cant do anything with my money being stuck and I dare not spend anymore money with my examination fees, my tuition fees and other payments that I had to do …

O I’m so stressed. Whats wrong with airline agencies? Why do they pressurise me so? This must be some kind of devious torture for us to want to book the ticket fast but dangle a carrot every now and then with a cheaper plane ticket.

O my heart … be still. You’ve been beating so fast, a Bollywood MTV couldnt catch up.

Sigh

Anyway, something nice did happen this week. Sujimi, a former newsreader and currently a producer for the tv show, Hanyut, a reality tv drama came over to the workplace. He did an interesting talk and a demonstration for the students. I quickly asked for a picture before he ran away for his next appointment.

How come celebrities seem to always come when I’m in my glasses and looking very mousy?!?!

The lingerie fair at IMM was lovely. Just lovely. I got myself a stylish pierre cardin bra and panty with matching camisole for only $50 dollars (after my old bra trade in) when regularly it would cost $40, $14 and $39 individually.

Do you like my new camisole?

I could have gone crazy there though. So many lovelies. And cheaper too. Even some of the ones that I bought just last november went on sale, 2 pairs for $29. Unfortunately the choices were limited though, and some of the lingerie that I saw from the website wasnt there. And I dont fancy the dressing room that they had there which was so cramped! There wasnt enough space to extend my arm forward. It felt abit coffin-like even.

But anyways all in all I had a whole load of fun with all the lovelies. Great deals like that dont come very often. I’m surprised there wasnt more people coming over though. There were just a handful of ladies there when I was there. More for me I guess :P

—

After some months of construction, the new Jurong Greens park was officially opened today with a fitness carnival today and there were so many people. It was lovely to see so many excited and happy faces as they participated in the various activities.

When I arrived there, there were many people queuing up, waiting for to try out the different games there.

There were many happy children there too, playing with their friends and it was such a delight just to see them laughing and smiling as they played around.

Near the concourse, there were a few activities too, such as the taekwondo and juggling display (which I missed) as well as the breakdancing display (which was pretty cool)

Soonafter came the announcement of the lucky draw winners. Hamish Brown, radio personality for class 95 was compere. How funny it was to have him smile in my direction as I casually took a picture :)

The happy faces of the proud winners!

Lovely morning

—

Went to the Natas fair at Suntec City afterwards. The Natas fair was where different travel agencies have their annual fair to promote their packages. This is where people were supposed to get good deals. And thus, with the long Easter break coming up as well as the June holidays, there were a huge crowd there, from the ticket booth …

To the entry …

To the insides …

Narima, a ex colleague of mine whom initially wanted to go to Italy complained that it was super crowded and quickly left after spending less than an hour there. I could see what she meant by that.

One of the prettiest display I’ve seen

This poor thing got bullied by kids who kept kicking and poking it. I was tempted to scold them if not for their parents right next to them. Why didnt they say anything? 0.o

Turns out that the Natas fair was catered more for packaged tours. And I wasnt interested in that. However, there were about 2 or 3 agencies that offered plane tickets to Rome.

Funnily enough, the prices for the plane tickets werent competitive plus most of them said, “You HAVE to book today! Last day!” and I was left to think that I might as well book a ticket online anyway, which I did at fare.net.

I do hope I get a plane ticket.

Oh my, Minoshe has a new website and there’s even more lovelies to drool over!

I want! I want! I want them all!

But Marina, you’ve got so many lingerie already …

But I love them …

But you’ve got enough to last you two years

But I want …

You’re being wasteful

But they are so pretty …

Argh!!!!

The heart is strong but the flesh is weak. Anyway, Minoshe has a promotion at IMM this weekend (trade in your old bra .. hehehe) I think I’ll drop by and take a look :) Would be fun I think.

—

Cart and I planned to meet again this coming June for our vacation and I was just comparing a few flights from Singapore to Rome and I am flummoxed and quite flabbergasted really, at how fast the price increased in just a span of a week.

When visiting cartcart last year, we used zuji.com.sg to book a flight. It was a smooth and professional transaction by Zuji.com (I liked the way that they did the iteneraries, everything was complete, from the plane number to the gate numbers at the stopover)

But it was still kind of pricey, so I thought I’d do a little research myself.

Since I was in the airfrance flight last year which I liked very much, naturally, I went to their website and compared the prices there.

A few clicks later, I found that it was about $900 without taxes, that sounds pretty good. Let me wait a little bit and see if there are other offers somewhere else.

KLM my inbound flight was slightly more expensive at about 1.2k without taxes.

That was last week.

Today I checked the same flight again and it has increased by at least another $100 dollars … oh my. Plus taxes, it will easily reach 1.5k How now? These flights are costing me more than a month’s pay. Need to find cheaper alternatives.

Juli will be going to the Natas fair this Sunday … I think I’ll tag along too.

O how I wish I was rich. Wonder what I can do for extra money. Any ideas anyone?

• I can do beautiful studio shoots but it seems like either people dont want to do it or too shy …
• I can do digital art but no one wants my services :\

Ahh what can I do? Maybe I’ll try to write some articles and see if there be any publication who wants to buy them. I got to try something after all …

*Goes to sing at the void deck and begs for moolah*

To whom it may concern,

I came across with interest with the advertisments that you have publicised in the mass media recently about the Miss Tourism competition that you are organizing. I perked up with complete rapture at the host’s voice asking me saucily, “Do YOU have it takes to represent Singapore as tourism embassador”

Okay, so I’m slightly shorter than 1.65m as what the terms and conditions specified and that my body shape would most definitely not put me in the modelesque category and neither do I have the fair caucasian skin that talent scouts are always fawning about.

How could anyone vote for an embassador by how they physically look like?

Everyone here is special, and everyone has their own experiences that are special. Having lived here all my life, I’ve formed bonds with people here. I’ve experienced different cultures. And I’ve walked in the different senses that is unique to this country.

Every few weeks I find the simple joys of exploring Singapore and see what different things that there are in this country. We may be small, but there are always interesting people and things to see if you search well enough.

Without the need to resort to using famous television actors nor singers or models, there are already many facinating real life people here. Like the Indian uncle with the cool long beard who makes delicious teh tarik, or the friendly Chinese man who would chat with you while you order a potong ice cream from him on a blazing hot day. The interesting auntie that shows you how to handcrafts slippers using tiny beads.

The esplanade is a gorgeous and beautiful monument. Sentosa is a lovely sunny island getaway. But there are also beauty in the simple things, like coffeeshop that we visit. There you see people of different creeds having their communal breakfast together and you close your eyes and hear different accents and bustling sounds of the atmosphere in the morning.

I’ve experienced joy, gratitude, remourse, excitement, sadness … and a whole load of phetora of being a citizen here. And like everyone else, I struggle … like every one of us, we struggle to reach our goal, our hopes, our dreams …

Since mum has been more active in attending different community events, I’ve come to appreciate things that I would have never noticed before. The people, the festivals and the joys.

So I refuse parade in a bikini. Thats my freedom of choice. So I have a distaste of having a fake smile and posing like an insipid living doll like what I’ve failed to avoid to see on TV mobile - The Miss Universe pageant. Just seeing these contestants smiling vapidly, beckoning viewers to “Vote for me” sends a chill down my spine.

Why is it so wrong to have a more regular, person to represent? Why is it so wrong to have someone from the heartlands?

So you say that these beautiful vapid dolls will attract more demographics. But you have to remember that beauty is only skin deep and what makes a person is their character, their knowledge and their experiences.

I dont believe that any one of the current contestant have the passion nor the dedication to ‘represent’. Maybe I could be wrong about that but till the day when I see the chosen delegate doing anything significant, I’ll still be firm in my stand.

Excuse me for being insolent while I look with helpless dismay on our passionless future embassador.

Sigh

The mosaic music festival was fun to watch yesterday. There were many different types of genres of music going on simultaneously in the different parts of the esplanade building.

I was bumming around yesterday and decided to roam around just for the heck of it. Initially I thought of attending a talk conducted at Suntec City but I found out that I was too late then I thought maybe I could go to the hospital to donate blood. Then I found out that it was closed.

Finally, I let my legs take me where it wanted to go and finally I ended up at the esplanade. Boy was it full of life with loads and loads of people. Some were wearing casual - typical jeans and tee shirts, but there were many well heeled people in an almost formal attire of heels, dresses and jewellery. But they all looked to have some fun.

I was standing by the foyer, overlooking the sea and I saw a crowd with some comperes talking to the crowd and I approached it and saw that there will be a band starting. A group started and played the samba and salsa music. The hypnotic rhthymic beat made everyone in the mood. It even made some people stand up and dance to the music too! It certainly felt very festive.

As far as my eye could see, there were people everywhere. From the completely full cafe’s alone the esplanade, to the entire granite seatings by the sea.

I felt quite lonely tho as everywhere I saw, everyone walked in two’s. Everyone! From the point where I walking from the foyer to the other end of the bridge. Till I even got teased by complete strangers for walking by myself.

But anyways, I’m sure Cart would have loved to see the music festival. Him being an avid music lover and that his ultimate favourite band, the Pat Matheny trio, was playing here too during the mosaic festival. He would have gone wild!

Finally someone with naturally volumed hair like me

I then went in the building and there were flamenco dancers and guitarists. And I watched the dancers clapping their hands and sang lyrically in a language I couldnt understand.

So very cool. Yes I liked it. Couldnt find the jazz section, I bet that would have been cool too. I liked acid jazz - brand new heavies is one of the bands that I liked to hear. Maybe they’d have that in next year’s mosaic festival

Mum taught me how to make Roti Jala this morning. It helped me take a number of things off my mind momentarily as I slowly moved the utensil slowly on the wok.

Roti Jala is something that I’ve always liked to eat but didnt have the opportunity to make till only now.

Roti means bread, while Jala means net which fishermen traditionally used to catch seafood, using large nets that looked like these.

It was pretty simple to do with just a few eggs, flour, coconut milk and a little bit of salt and abit of tumeric for the colouring.

The batter would be placed into a funnel with many holes below it and then slowly poured into the flat wok that mum specially bought from Little India.

The first try I did wasnt so good

By right, there shouldnt be much clumping on the batter. I must have poured it in too quickly till mum adviced me to pour it in slowly and with love.

“Cooking with love! Thats what Anita Sarawak said when she cooked. First time when people heard it, they thought she was crazy! Cooking with love? I’ve got no time to cook with love! As they think about wanting to spank their children for being so naughty or the neglectful husband. Thats why their food doesnt turn out so good”

So I slowly poured in the batter carefully and took my time and it did look better on the next try. There must be something psychologically calming about this as I slowly nurtured my little pancake into the crispy golden lace that it was supposed to be.

And its supposed to be eaten best with chicken curry.

Mum didnt have time to make the chicken curry, so we ate it with chili squids instead. It was new to me but, food is food. And food is always usually good.

—

I’ve been quite depressed for this week with many things on my mind like the A levels, sometimes I feel like I cant cope with it with my demanding job taking up most my times. So I feel helpless and unprepared.

And I’ve been depressed with the realisation that my money is rapidly depleting with the registration of examination, the classes and the extra tuition that I’m taking. It unbalances my goals and now I can hardly save up for the many things that I aimed for.

And I’m also depressed because of my long distance relationship which has just been leaving me a feeling of uncompleteness …

And I’m feeling depressed because of the issues at home.

I dont know. Maybe I’m just being childish. People always say that there are people who’ve got worse problems than you do. But I cant help but to feel extremely sad. Like everything is pointless. Sometimes I feel like I just want to end it all.

In an office, somewhere in Singapore … a woman gets an sms …

Julisms : Oh so sad. Boon died

What? Oh my gosh! Hong Boon died? What? Cannot be! He’s too young to die! He was my classmate! He sat right next to me! He helped me in maths! This must be a joke right? This cannot be true! What? What? What?

Gone too early … This is so sad … how did it happen? What? Oh my gosh. I dont believe it. No no no no no

Poor Hong Boon :(

Hong Boon, top right corner

Marinasms : What? Who told you this?

Julisms : Huh? I’m watching lost episode 18.

Doh

—

Came back from registering for a Singpass account from the Taman Jurong community center and logged in the Singapore Examination Website to register for the A level examination online.

And now I’m kind of stumped on which 3 papers to choose

Paper 01 Shakespeare and other authors (pre-twentieth century)
Paper 02 18th and 19th century writing
Paper 03 Twentieth century writing
Paper 04 Topic paper (books in)
Paper 05 Open texts (books in)
Paper 08 Comment and appreciation (unseens)

Arrghh! I think I’ll choose 1, 3 and 8. Hmm …