a picture (or three) says a thousand words

or perhaps a thousand tummy growls!

for your eye-feasting pleasure, nana ;D

as to the lack of actual sampling, take much consolation in that they are

fattening beyond all reason.

the killer (or saving grace): this

[ dave - you wanna be thanked or strangled? ;P ]

maturity

so laura had it hard all along. holden never once gave her a break. rumour had it her dad was some big shot buying her loads of votes via company employees - suitably damaging information for us to click our tongues and shake our heads. and yes, she was clearly never one of the better few. her song choices didn't rock. her voice was mediocre at best. her musical abilities as a whole wasn't mind blowing. she stirred neither fondness nor dislike in me, which is potentially worse than having someone feel strongly - in a good way or bad - toward you. a person whose guts you abhorred, say, was at least someone you felt about more than an nonentity would even skim cross your mind.

ok, so i think she was the best looking, best dressed girl in the game, significantly important parts of showbiz. but when it came down to having other more talented competitors kicked out instead of her, well. that wasn't on - especially when the five lowest voted for contestants stood apart by less than 1% - and all the more, when it boiled down to a toss between her and james. (go james!)

my point then, is that having come to have seen her in the bottom three the last couple of weeks, i realized that her responses to the everything she has had to go through has been golden.

let me clarify: her ability to swallow the acidic comments thrown her way is noteworthy - she never shrugs them off with a blonde oh-but-i-did-my-best, gives the thank-you-for-your-comment speech while shooting off up-yours glares, or turns on the crying machine. as far as i can remember, she didn't play the airhead, bitch, ice-queen, or snob cards. yes, she may have been a little cool, had a defense machanism moment or two, but doesn't everyone?

in a word, she was classy (and i grumpily acknowledge that my least favourite judge who loves fence sitting, isn't particularly bright in more ways that one, and who constantly contradicts herself [guess that goes together with not being too smart hey] put it succinctly [ok fine, she has good moments - very rare ones]). it never hit me at once, but when i thought about it, i realized how much she too into her stride. was it merely the works of a good actor? i don't know. still i think her nanobreakdown at the end illustrates just how much she had taken in to be her best. (and isn't our best behaviour really acting, to an extent?)

sure laura wasn't the sharpest knife, but precisely because - what she did and how she did it - she damn well earned my respect. kudos gissara!

ps. surely i wasn't the only one to notice she didn't get her final road-down-idol vid as per the show's traditional send off? i know the world-is-never-a-fair-place sentiment, but the world of showbiz is sometimes just plain nasty.

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speaking of showbiz - sometimes, on the other hand, celebrities do so ask for it. like, seriously *giggle*. nikki hilton and kimberly stewart, of hilton heiress sister of paris and rod the tall-young-superfit-model-wife-collector stewart fame on rove live is like, omg, the classic example. like, we're blonde and beautiful and *snear* have no brains but our daddies make more money than enough (cuz in bimboworld, words strung together like no particular order surely mean the same one thing [ok fine, they didn't say that, but they might as well have]) to buy us brains, like, IF we ever wanted them. and why would we? we're blonde and beautiful and *snear* have no brains but our daddies make more money than enough... *giggle*

we're here to ooh ooh what are we here again for oh yeah look for like the "it" girl for antzpants and yeah. cool. she'll like get to shoot the ad with us and for reward get to like hang out with us and like shoot the ad with us. but oh *bambi eyes* who can blame us for not having a clue in the whole like, wide world for like not knowing what an ekidna is in the whole like, wide world. i mean it's like, only the animal in like, all the antz pants ads. like puh-leasee. *giggle* upset the sponsors (who?? OOH. them.) cuz we haven't the faintest clue what an ekid-- (now do you say that again? right. what is it again?) is? like, no way, they wouldn't couldn't be mad, surely, cuz we're like blonde and beautiful and... *furiously batting eyelashes* like, sooo hot. like, duh.

i would put up the link to tonight's show, but even finding out if there was one is not worth the effort. photos? of them not-that-beautiful-anyway identically bleached (on rove anyway) dingbats? not a chance.

what a waste of God's good air.

all in the eyes

elizabeth wayua muia.

is that not just the loveliest name?

my cup runneth over.

almost a soap

a certain uni i will not name is being a real pain. granted DIMIA had a part to play, but everyone who has ever had to deal with DIMIA knows it is completely un-uniformed anyway. [epiphany - maybe DIMIA is this dumbass uni's inspiration, adminwise]

screwups, in no particular order of severity, just according to timeline:

1. the reputation for being practical as opposed to some other more academic universities must have been paid for. with big money. their courses may supposedly be, but their admin system is completely oh wait what admin system?? i had two student accounts with them since i applied for entry some four years ago, then rejected it. not that rejection makes for anything - why not charge me application fees this time round times two just for the hell of it, nevermind the name order on the two are different [chinese english last vs. english chinese last] or that they have two sets of completely different details, or that i never knew let alone used the first account for any purposes at all when applying the second time.

2. i obediently make my way down to the outskirts of zone 2 from the buzzing happenings of the city to enrol. i get enrolment paperwork filled out and submitted at international student admin department. then i go to other end of campus to student services to get student card and other such wonderous things, and create username and password for access to all blessed things uni online, to be selfdone on computers provided. c'mon computer, work with me. attempt. attempt again. again. and again. c'mon, c'mon. come bloody on! ok screw this. back in waiting line. complain. get redirected to online help. go to online helpdesk. complain. perseon behind desk gets up for her shot at an attempt. the fact that i tried every possibility and told her so counts for nothing. so she tries every possibility, filling in exactly the same things i did before, then, when it still doesn't work... she brings me back to the helpdesk, to - get this - call someone somewhere whose job is to do this because oh what a surprise this has been known to happen so they've set this dude on the line up, and i give him my details in exchange for my username and password!!! wth?? so now it's time to fill up the compulsory questionnaire as instructed by the government. to be done to ensure enrolment doesn't get zapped. long story short, couldn't do so because -wait for it - i'm not enrolled. OKAYYY. back in line. kick up a fuss and oh me oh my, you aren't enrolled cuz you didn't go see someone in your faculty to get enrolled. but but--
and then, because everything has taken too damn long, and it's now closing time, please come back tomorrow to recommence what you began today ie see the course coordinator to arrange your subjects and timetable. ok - breathe.

3. day two: the whole trip down i'm thinking, why in the world can't i arrange my subjects and timetable on my own?? i need someone to do that for me?!?! but nevermind, maybe this uni is... different. i see her, she tells me to see the internationl arts coordinator at the arts faculty first to get enrol. she does that, not me. i - i coordinate the actual course dynamics. but wait, she has a lunch appointment today and won't be back lateeerr, so i'll have to sit it out and wait. now i'm thinking: just how many people do they need to do one simple thing???!?!!? fastforward: i see international arts coordnator, then course coordinator, who does everything i could have well done myself, and gives me "compulsory" [because she didn't ask or say i had a choice] elective subject to do. (refer to point 8 for further details)

4. i discover discounts awarded for paying fees annually must be applied for because i guess they can't tell from the glaringly big sum that it totals up for more than one semester.

5. to apply for said discount, you need to fill up a form. ok fine, they need paperwork/trail to follow through. but no, we can't send you a copy, please come in all the way from the city to get it. it is only an hour away each way by train then bus, and we know you have to spend effort time money to get here, but the form is free, so that should even it all out.

6. discount form comes in the mail. right. in beyond decent condition as far as i'm concerned, even by whatever lowly standards for an international university organization. the form is amateurishly produced - complete with home-made style photocopied touch, as is uni logo (a letterhead would have been asking too much), at an arty semifaded print, and text in twenty-oh say-four degree angle. not that i care, elated that i hadn't actually been down there as yet to get it. but i just thought i'd let you know.

7. in the meantime, i can't do the questionnaire, OR get a CoE cuz the system needs time to record my enrolment. when i finally scream bloody murder about getting a CoE some long time after i am enrolled and longer time i'd been trying to get it, guess what i get told. you got it - we don't believe in the post. print it off your email, which we will now send upon your request. no prizes for guessing what the postman delivers two days after. [isn't a CoE a given for uni students anymore??!]

8. uni finds out that oh no! we have a 6 point slot to fill, which, for some reason or other, is the case despite the fact the course has been running for almost a decade now. no matter, we'll conveniently slot them in to a fastpaced, highly professional course under business and commerce. piece of cake for art students who have no clue abt clues at all really. of course we only find out about this way after we're swimming in the world of marketing sharks infested waters.

9. the other 6 point core subject we're doing [with 8 necessarily bringing it to the needed 12 points] will be 12 points next term. the workload - exactly. the same. i'm willing to bet my pinky on it.

10. another saga cut short, i decided to withdraw from the said 6 point elective. right before the deadline too, indicating how much i chewed over it. so i call the uni, tell them i want to do such and such, and am told i can't do it over the phone. i gotta come in. again. only after asking if there was any other way, i'm told i can simply send an email to the coursework department to get it sorted. which i did.

11. great dismay was in order when i am reminded (thanks to fellow sufferer for the torture elective) that our visas require us to be full time students. shitshitshit. all hope is lost when i call the international arts coordinator and she tells me things look bad but that she couldn't make a decision because another waste of employment payouts coordinator such as herself was in charge, and wouldn't be back til the coming week. [what can she decide?, i wonder. better yet: why does the uni even need her then??, i protest] really, it was within uni regualtions, and mostly up to her discretion to approve so as to make this a non-issue. if you ask me, it was only 6 points and an elective and a mistake on the uni's part with which i cannot handle anymore anyway, so the answer was obvious! as a general rule, there is usually a standard number of points needed to be considered ful time - as there is a minimum number of points one needs to still be considered fulltime. i wanted to know, so i asked, but no one can give me a straight and simple answer. general admin staff have no clue since masters is very much a case-to-case thing; the lecturer in charge doesn't know because he isn't even a fulltime staff of the uni nor is it his call to make anyway; the international coordinator wouldn't say [repeatedly pointing out the usual number or points i needed instead]; the course coordinator said it was ok. i checked with her. but in my panic, i didn't mention to the international coordinator i had already discontinued the subject.

12. incontrolable shaking gastric and hyperventilation are in order the first thing that next week, when i find out i cannot withdraw. in nervous breakdown mode, i call the lecturer in charge of my program to appeal. he then calls this woman, and then calls me back to tell me all is ok. there are several annoying but doable things to get done for this to follow through.

13. next i see my lecturer, he told me ms coordinator wasn't too pleased. honestly, i just don't get it. if she had been more complying to begin with, she wouldn't still be dealing with me now. and i'd be more than happy to not deal with her. i sent her an email asking her to confirm i was still considered a fulltime student, and got no reply. should i be surprised?

but this is only my first term. the adventure's bound to get more interesting with two more to come. on the flip side, i am very thankful my lecturer is on my side, having taken me under his wing and providing much an encourging word. kudos to him. better yet, i dodged more assignment work, a presentation i was dreading beyond explanation, and an exam, all for the said elective. never in my life have i experienced such severe physical symptoms of stress just thinking about a subject.

mammoth week

while all this is going on, our buddy kel packs to leave the shores. the week up to it was meant to be a whirlpool of activity and time spent together. so i think: i can do that. for a few hours i can forget things and just be with friends.

things were all dandy right up to steaks on saturday. boy were we regretting wishing we could work off just how much we had stuffed ourselves with. the night-meant-for-clubbing went like this:

found a park [no easy feat!] and tracked in non-cold resistant clothes and heels to publicity - waited in long line - got to entrance - packed out - no entry for who knows how long more - waited awhile to no avail - got moving to RMH, other end of city - not happening, no go - hiked to Scubar - liked the place, not the crowd - sniffed at Amber Lounge walking past - the Expert took one glance and turned up her nose, we wisely followed - then F4our - no good - 255 - stayed long enough for a drink - very good music, but the crowd was probably at publicity - So'Bar - closed dammit - Hype - sucky trance we tolerated for awhile - then back to publicity [yep!] - still no entry - police bouncers club manager bleeding guys swearing to the moon for 10 minute entertainment at freezing entrance - then to Supper Club - for 4 dollar juice with some fancy name.

as the morning sun rises, we stand up to leave, i dig into my back pocket for money to pay, and find my cash and ID gone!!! leave details at Supper Club, then go back to Hype and 255 to do the same. [the options are 1. they slipped out somewhere, or 2. i got pickpocketed. both are hard to believe because my jeans were tight. plus i've put money and cards in my back pocket when goin out at nights all the time - in this very pair of jeans - and i'm always fine]

next day, i called the embassy. don't know why i bothered. the guy on the line was of littel help, basically telling me to make a polic report, which i already knew to do. when i asked about reporting the lost to deem it void, he kept insisting they had no power to do anything or make a new one or do anything about it, that i had to go back to the motherland to get it all sorted but that if someone returned it to them he could send it to me if i sent them a copy of the police report bla bla bla and i was about to go off on a rant and swear at him in malay when i finally said: what if someone picks it up and uses it for something else???? you know, like for something illegal you tak guna punye orang macam ni pun tak faham lu ingat lu banyak pandai ahh? aksyen la kerja kat embassi, tapi otak pun takda nama lu apa hah? i kasi report sama your supervisor, babi punye orang. biar kena baru tau.

ok fine. i actually stopped at "else". his reply?

OOOH. no no, it's ok. no one will use your IC. they only want passports because passports sell for 30,000 you know, lots of them get lost. all the time, passports get stolen. this IC one, nothing. when you go back home, you just make a new one, that's all.

1. i don't know if i'm glad he thinks it's really so minor i have nothing to worry about,
2. upset he was so blasé about the whole thing and that eventually i'm gonna get screwed,
3.annoyed at his dumbness, the annoyance fueled by my wanting to be polite knowing full well he thought i wasn't very bright and repeated his explanation over and over again, each time more and more slowly, while not listening to a word i said,
4. amazed someone at the high comm would even say something like that at all.

i think it's a bit of all the above.

----

the night before

lex j larry kel tongue action

scrumptious shots to kel
zookeeper and pets
kel jen
joy: kel! army boy: yes ma'am! ;D

the self-admitted designated driver who i had to talk into a mockshot (shockhorror!) leaving the premises - AH-HAH!

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airport blues

brave smiles at the gate
Kel's Melbourne journey photo collagemoney clip from Tiffany & Cobefore the tears

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steamboat party

no rest for the weary. but good distraction for the soul. steamy soup and other goodies at T's with his mum and Bernamoffs, T's (and mine, actually) bosses. [you know what they say. people eat for all sorts of reasons...]

the lil tykes - the real bosses of the lot - showing how they do just that

a bigger plate

otherwise known as higher capacity, is what i need. or, as T will argue, it really isn't your fault after three-and-a-half years of non-study courtesy of the-arts-conditioning. i can't decide if i'm upset or happy at that excuse - another whole topic worthy of a post in itself. (for the record, i say pishposh. we work ok!)

there is so much to say, but since i've worked myself out of the flood - fancy talk for a process involving some serious panda eyes - i think regurgitating it here and now is only going to be an aggrivator for disasterous spinoffs rather than time to pent. but believe you me, i will come back with fresh bite. and THEN oh boy won't you hear about it.

----

if discipline weren't an option, how would we do the things we do, or dodge the things we don't, and not get screwed?

who went and made the world all about doing what we need to do not just the things we like? i very much feel responsibility and pleasure are not mutually exclusive, so if it takes all kinds, why shouldn't the-way-it-just-is be one that satisfies?

the kel marathon day 4 - charcoal grill on the hill

da daddy and his playmate

vince and mary strike a pose

liz gags to the suggestion kel knows cute potentials, key word cute

good thing growling tummies can't be caught on camera!

where is the food!!!

haa?! you want some of the sausage??

300 300 300 300 300 500
700 (oink!)
yum yum yum yum

strawberry crepes lemon lime tart sticky date pudding double cream and vanilla ice cream later

so'bar for a so good time

see how happy we are. we're just natually happy people.

ready?

steady?

go!
waddaya mean you don't believe us???

we're angels! really.

shooters? what shooters? oh thoseee. coincidental enhancers. mere chance.

take #2 - velour the song regurgitator

the ring leader of the night doin' elvis ;D

a lil' bit of group love

the awesome foursome...

(ok fine. the awesome gals of da partyin' foursome)