Im so happy today. Had late lunch with weikiat, wengkeet n chekfong today. Some kinda reunion thingy. Waited in Monash Sunway for over an hour for weikiat's class to end, but fine ler. Coz thrs Wengkeet to crap all da way (and bully me!), n thrs Chekfong to always back me up.. Haha! And anyways, met PeiJayne in their campus too. Hmm, not bad. Suddenly all SriLethians appear. Haha. And oh yah, also had da chance to catch up with Sheetal (SAM classmate) n Jasmine (MGS schoolmate).

Well well, da sudden lunch plan was for Wengkeet actually. Who just came back from US, who says he came all da way back just bcoz he missed us. Ya rite! Haha.. But i sure did miss him too, all his crappin since we were just li'l kids. Nv changed! Everybody think so too.

And when we were in Taman Rashna for bakkutteh, we met YongYao thr. Another SriLethian. Haha. Is today some kinda Reunion Day or wht? Hmm, but kinda fruitful i must say. Talk n talk n talk. Until we each got a fine for parkin without tickets. Haha. Wht an expensive meal! But okay ler, overall. Glad to catch up with them again.

-end-

Windmills. Somethin tht has fascinated me since i was a li’l girl. Still rem my dad told me – i could find them in Netherlands, so i shld work towards my dreams n ambitions to visit da country when i grow up. Okay. Since then it had been my aspiration.

Im so sure i have da coolest dad on earth. He was a sailor when he was younger. Yup! Tht means he has probably visited every country i could name! Thts so, so cool to his daughter, who loves architecture as much as he does. And im sure hes so proud tht i chose to bcome an architect. He’d explain every detail he know patiently whenever I had a question abt anything. Tht is, windmills, in particular.

Okay. I really cant answer u if u asked me why is da windmill so appealin to me. I cant tell. But thrs somethin in it dat catches my attention whenever I lay my eyes on it. Im sure im not d only one. In numerous paintings n artworks, the windmill frequently appears centred. Im glad, everytime i notice tht the beauties of the old Dutch windmills have fascinated artists for da past several centuries. And again, dont ask me y!

I guess its hardly saying too much to stress on da fact tht windmills must not disappear from da Dutch landscape, n tht their loss would spoil da beauty of Holland irreparably, so much tht it would even amt to an international misfortune! Im sad to read, not so long ago, tht some windmills have been demolished to build new ‘landmarks’. Fortunately, da monuments are now protected by da Dutch government.

So, wht abt Windmills?

Windmills are said to have existed in Holland since a long long time ago. In da Dutch landscape da windmill is symbolic of da gravity of da Dutch character. Planted solidly on da earth, its an manifestation of force, forming an essential part of da environment. Its, undoubtedly, in perfect harmony with da natural scenery arnd.

Built of native brick or thatched with reed. Reed was easily transported thru waterways n hence, it was used as a natural roof-covering by seventeenth-century Dutch architects jus as it is today by architects of country homes. All da primitive structural parts of da windmill reveal simplicity, realism, and practical usefulness n its façade testifies to its association with da primitive forces of nature: obviously, wind n water.

And so, in da past, wind was exploited by da Dutch to satisfy their daily requirements: keeping da soil dry or grinding da corn. But it did not stop thr. They tried to utilize da elements further. And indeed, wind n water became da factors that helped Holland to arrive at its glory and wealth, with water as a medium for cheap long distance transport, as well as da wind as a drivin power for da sailin ships.

Thinkin of it this way, i guess i can say tht they carry our thoughts back to da distant past, these windmills which saw so many generations come n go, which in their unspoilt beauty absorbed n preserved, as it were, something of da spirit of da past generations, with their toil, their joy, and their grief. Da windmills to da Dutch r symbols of daily human labour, their sails turn round in sunshine n rain, in da piercing cold of a winter's day, in da bright spring skies as well as in da heat of summer.

I once asked an online friend of mine from da Netherlands. He asked me if ive visited a working mill. Wish i had da chance! Anyway, he told me I shld really do so, bcoz i’d b delighted with da dreamy n romantic atmosphere created by da whirring n vibratin of da timber in da dust-covered interior of da mill. Total contrast from da silent breeze outside.

The windmills belong to da Dutch landscape, to such an extent tht i cant imagine this landscape without them, at least not without feeling that something valuable is missing. Hope i’ll b able to visit this beautiful country to lay my eyes on da actual structure tht I would like to call ‘my first love’ in architecture. Wish me luck k?

P/S: Just look at da pic! Can u really blame me for fallin in love?
[img:269235]

I read an article online abt schools in d US. Schs in towns in Southern US always hold 2 proms, one for da black students, and another for da white. Eventho officially excluding students of diff races is illegal, da tradition continues in many towns, and one Georgia town has even added a 3rd prom for Hispanic students after a student complain she wasn't welcome at da "white" prom!

In Nebraska, students w disabilities threw their own proms n a Long Island suburb is on its 4th year of hosting a separate prom for gay and lesbian students. Muslim students have held proms whr gurls wear headscarves, and Christian students in Pennsylvania organized a prom with Christian rock music (read: no swear words or immoral messages).

I dunno wht these ppl are tryin to portray, but i feel this isnt a healthy trend. Isnt this a sign tht students are racist? I belif it wont b surprisin to find that those "diff" students might nv have gone to prom at all in past yrs.. Saddenin!

-end-

Finally collected my spirits to pen this down. A bike rammed into my car yesterday 8th June 2004, at arnd 1.30pm. I dont even know wht happened, din see it comin. Saw da green light, drove as usual, then BAMMM! Glass pierced into da skin on my right cheeks. All covered with blood. I realize he came from my right, altho its was da red light over thr.

I turned behind to see him lyin on da grnd. We were both rushed to da hosp, i have cuts near my right eye n lotsa scratches on my cheek and ear. Im so lucky da glass didnt fly into my eyes. As for him, he hurt his head n he's still in da hosp rite now.

Went to da insurance company n da police station today. I found out tht he's only 18. He doesnt even have a lisence.

Anyway, glad to have guests today. Nadia, Jo n Bryan came to see me. Brought me lotsa fruits n stuff. They said da scars will go off eventually. I hope theyre right, bcoz i feel ugly now. Very ugly. I look in da mirror n i feel like cryin. I just cant stand to look at my reflections.

But i thank god im alive, tht da biker's alive as well. Its just tht it still hurts, my cuts n my left arm. And it hurts more to look in da mirror. Okay, i always tell ppl tht looks arent everythin. I realize now, it does matter to me. But i shld keep to wht i say. Just need some time to go over this. Gimme some time. I will stay strong n recover for da sake of all those who love me, even if da scars shld stay.

Im just so sorry i made my mom n dad worried at tht moment tht i called them to tell them i was involved in an accident. And Thank u, Liseong, for being thr in da hosp when i was goin thru all da pain havin those glass pieces removed from my face. And Thank u, to my sis, for takin care of me since i came home. And Thank u, to my bro, for gettin bein so protective over me. Thanks to my uncles n aunts, n my cousins tht came to see me. Thanks to all tht came over to see me, thanks to all tht called to check. All of u are my angels. Thanks for cheerin me up.

So ,friends, do take care. Im goin to b strong for u, n yre gonna take care of yrselves for me. And most importantly, please drive safely. For yrselves n for others.

-end-

I thought she was a friend. I thought she really cared. Now i know it isnt true - every word she said, every smile she gave. She talked behind my back, she used wht i have given to her against me. If i was da person i used to be, id b totally devastated now. But im not.

Ever since she knew me, she tried to imitate me. Da way i wear my hair, da way i speak, da way i dress, da way i laugh, da way i walk.. Even da way i look at ppl! Hmm, my friends have been tryin to tell me tht she is jealous of me since a long time ago, but i didnt believe them. I trusted her wholeheartedly n stuck to her as a friend bcoz she had noone else to lean on. But now, thr she is..with everythin she 'stole' from me, backstabbin me.

Of course, i have to admit. Im kinda sad i just lost a friend. But i know she doesnt hate me. It is herself tht she hates. She knows it too, deep inside. She has my deepest sympathy. Seriously.

And if YRE readin this: Im really disappointed in you. I gave my friendship so sincerely. Since u dont appreciate this, then forget it. I dont need a friend tht backstabs me da way u did. I really must compliment yr story-tellin abilities, i must admit da stories are really interestin.. Ppl may say u look better now, but dont forget yre not u. U chose to b my reflection. Poor u.

-end-

Female. Somehow stuck with da label of da 'weaker' gender. Girl power believers n women's rights protestors fight da war, but deep deep inside me - I dont quite care if we'll ever gain da 'equal treatment' thingy.

Dont get me wrong. Im not sayin tht we girls are weak. (Altho i must say..Im really weak physically! But i will work somethin out abt tht.. hhahaha!) I believe in Girl Power myself! Girls are equally as strong as guy mentally, psycologically, spiritually - mayb stronger! Fightin for da best of our rights is a great idea, but lets just not go too far.

Thinkin of it this way, as a helpless romantic, if both genders are equal.. does it mean tht guys do not need to b initiative in a relationship? Then will it come a day when girls start to give roses to guys instead of the other way round? All tht feels weird to me, especially tht im a girl who hopes to have my prince charmin come sweep me off da grnd. I still prefer to have da conventional types of love stories, hehe..

U may call me an old-fashioned. Whatever. Mayb i am. But im still open enough to accept hse-husbands whr da ladies are da breadwinners of da family, provided if da hse-husbands arent hse-husbands just bcoz theyre plain lazy or hopeless ppl who expects their wives to take care of them.

Ppl always say i live in my own world. My li'l "fairy-tale" world whr my guy is a knight in shinin armour tht comes to save da princess (which must b ME! Haha *blush blush*) locked in da deepest dungeon or da highest tower. Stupid, i know. But ideally, my guy shld still b able to take care of me in every way. Supports me in everythin i do. Tells me honestly when im wrong. Be thr whenever i need him. Hehe.

But then again, some guys need to b taught a lesson. Like those violatin women's rights, raping n stuff liddat.. They are simply goin off-limits. Bein physically stronger does not give them da right to do such evil deeds! These crimes are simply unbearable. These ppl shld nv be forgiven, under any circumstances!

So, girlfriends, stand up! Shine n colour da world! Prove da world tht yre strong. Live up yr dreams! And most importantly, take care n love thyself. HUGz n KISSes!

-end-

1. I dont get da difference btw Sprite n 7Up. And i cant stand 100Plus.
2. I didnt dare to eat grapes when i was younger bcoz theyre purple.
3. My mom said tht i could see "things" when i was a toddler.
4. I loved singing. I sang non-stop all my way from Klg to Kedah when i was three. Self-composed tunes+lyrics. Cool huh?
5. I used to think tht kissing causes pregnancy. I didnt know da existence of lesbians until i entered an all-girls school in form1. I only found out wht masturbation is late last year. And i still dont know how tampons work.
6. My biggest fear is my maternal grandma. Second, being tickled. Third, durians. Dont ask me why.
7. My mom had to pull my ears from home all da way to my Chinese classes. And i yelled n cried all da way thr as well.
8. I shop during da Mega Sales but i nv bought da items on sale. I always ended up buyin da new arrivals. And my mom thinks all da clothes n shoes n bags i bought are half their prices.
9. Guys with tight-fittin tops make me lose my appetite. Those with six-packs looks kinda disgusting.
10. I cried five times watchin Shrek 2, and also cried non-stop for da last 45 mins watchin Shaolin Soccer.

Ten for now, shall come up with more when i can think of them.

-end-