Wind In My Head: July 2006
Wind In My Head
Monday, July 31, 2006
Just one of those days.
Sometime back, I blogged about bringing the wrong lunch to school. Today, I brought the right lunch. The problem is I forgot a whole lot of other things. No wallet. No mobile phones. A very light handbag should really have tipped me off, but it didn't till I reached in to take out my phones (phones- plural because I have a work line) and was met with lots of space and the distinct lack of metal buttons.I'm totally unconnected today. I'm told that it is a liberating feeling and I'm sure it is. I'm just pissed off that I forgot so many things and it's not like it's a short day today.
So, only one way to describe how I'm feeling today.
Poo.
..and then,
Boo.
Ondine tossed this thought in at 11:01
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Choice words
Tym and I have been in a strange mood. She summed it up very nicely this morning by saying that she was "vibrating at a low frequency"- a seldom quoted reference to Summer in the O.C. And based on the theory, when you vibrate at a particular frequency, you attract like minded people, i.e. me.Kirsten: Vibrating at a high frequency?
Summer: Lynn Grabhorn, Excuse Me Your Life Is Waiting. Human beings have an electrochemical currency running through us, which is affected by our emotions. When you are feeling happy or joyful, that current or energy is vibrating at higher frequency than when you are feeling sad or angry at, let's say, Seth Cohen. When you're vibrating at a higher frequency, the more likely you are to attract happy people than when you are vibrating at a low, sad, bitter-at-Cohen frequency. It's the law of attraction in physics.
So we've been whinging to one another online with grumpy IM messages that are generously sprinkled strange onomatopoeias. For the literarily ignorant, they are words that imitate the sound that is associated with the object or action that is being described. :)
A regular conversation from the last two days goes something like this.
Tym: My glasses broke this morning.
Tym: Poo. *
Ondine: Oh! Boo**.
Tym: I hate work!
Ondine: I want to quit! Bah!
Tym: Pah!
Ondine and Tym (together):P/Boo.
And so it goes.
Of course, there's also Olie who, while not grumpy, has some effective onomatopoeias of her own.
Ondine: I need to go get ready for my interview.
Olie: Yes, must look presentable.
Ondine: Yes, I will. And I'll even brush my teeth.
Olie: Tsk***! That's expected.
Olie: Tsk tsk!!
It's not true that we have to be wordy to get our point across. We seem to have been able to communicate our frustration and great sense of ennui quite effectively without actually having to describe the dreadful malaise that is plaguing us because there really isn't a name for it.
Anyhow, whatever it is, I hope it passes. Time passes really slowly when one is in such a sullen and petulant mood and if I stay in this mood any longer, I'll have to make up more words.
*Poo - according to Tym is a word used to replace fuck and shit and according to me, carries a sense of quiet desperation that the oft -used words do not even come close to expressing.
**Boo- according to me is used to replace How can??? but has less syllables and a sense of great forlorness to it.
***Tsk!- according to Olie is the sound she makes when what she really wants to say is How stupid are you?? But I'll leave her to corroborate that one.
Technorati Tags: The O.C., onomatopoeia
Ondine tossed this thought in at 20:47
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Sibling Rivalry
I am the youngest of 3 children. Because of that, everyone says I'm lucky because I'm spoilt rotten and all the attention has been showered on me. It is also supposed to mean that I'm self-centred and expect the entire world to revolve around me.Those, are just the perks.
Coming as part of the territory is also the fact that no matter how qualified you are and how independent you are, your opinion hardly matters. I mean, after all, you're the baby in the family. How could you possibly have anything important to add? So half the time, you're shouting on top of your lungs, struggling to make yourself heard, only to realise that no one's really listening to you.
At the same time, being the youngest child means there has been a whole lot that's been achieved by the older lot. The better parents won't run a comparison and they'll let you do your own thing. But you try anyway, to be different. Sometimes in a good way, sometimes in a bad way. But whatever it is, you try to get them to notice. To notice that you're different from the rest, that you're your own person. But also that you need some sort of affirmation from them, that you're getting it right.
But so much of the time, none of this happens. The lucky ones are loved, but no matter how much you are loved, it doesn't really replace the fact that you'll always be a kid in their eyes and what you want doesn't really matter, because how could you know what's good for you, since you're merely a child? And when you clamour to be heard, it's not really because you have something to say, more that you just want to be heard for the sake of being heard. So yes, listen to appease the ego that needs listening but totally disregard the content and belittle the needs.
So, come to me again and tell me, how wonderful it is to be the youngest of all the siblings and I will show you how it is also the most raw of deals.
Technorati Tags: siblings
Ondine tossed this thought in at 17:58
Sunday, July 23, 2006
A house
I live in a four room HDB flat. But I live in a four room HDB flat surrounded by huge, sometimes palatial houses. Some where my entire apartment could fit nicely into their sitting room with space to spare for the cat.Packrat doesn't want a big palatial house. Ever. Even if we had money throw around, he doesn't want one. His reason? One word. Upkeep.
I, on the other hand, dream of a house, not a huge one where you could do Gone with the Wind Redux, but a house, with a garden. I lived in one of those when I was young and we had huge gardens with grassy slopes. And when it rained and the slopes were wet, we'd get cardboard boxes, flatten them out and toboggan down the slopes! And even our dogs copied us doing that! So, with those memories, I want a house with a garden. It's pretty impossible here, not on the salaries the government pays us. In Melbourne, possible. In Vancouver, definitely. Even though it's highly unlikely that we move to the Pacific Northwest, I'm leaving that corner of the world for Tym and Terz to explore.
But yesterday, I walk past this.
And I stand there and stare for a long time. And I wonder what it must be like to live there. The living room and possibly the bedrooms that open up into this little garden. I can only imagine how nice and bright the house must be, to have those french doors. And to be able to occasionally have breakfast out in the garden...mmmmm... Dream....
So, if I had all the money in the world, I wouldn't buy the $7 million one we accidentally saw- we really thought it was an apartment block when we drove up to it. Only when we discovered one door did we realise it was one house and by then, the realtor had descended upon us!- I'd just buy this one. And it does remind me of the houses in Melbourne, so all the better. A little bit of home in a house here.
Technorati Tags: Singapore, Houses,home
Ondine tossed this thought in at 11:00
Keeping Sane
Sometimes when the going gets tough, the tough get a manicure.What's the point of being totally flustered by everything around you and looking the part? My motto, look good even if flustered.
So, Friday, KW and I duck out a little bit earlier than we usually do and went to get our nails done. It really was what we needed, to be able to sit there, not able to answer frantic messages from work because it was literally, out of our hands. Have our feet sloughed and pumiced and to be able to doze off slightly from just being able to sit back and do nothing- heavenly.
And after that, to have pretty nails to show for it? A nice bonus.
Now, the trick is to keep my fingernails from chipping. I am so bad at keeping them pristine. A friend said it was a true sign that I was not a lady of leisure. Oh well, that, I can keep working at.
Technorati Tags: Manicures, Singapore
Ondine tossed this thought in at 10:21
Friday, July 21, 2006
Young people nowadays...
In the recent years, our education system has been attempting an overhaul of sorts. Of course, some would say that the changes are merely superficial and at the heart of it all, our education system produces the same automatons and cogs as it has always done. Then again, you read about more radical approaches with big names tagged to it like David Kolb's Experiential Learning or the current flavour of the month, Teach Less, Learn More.In theory, it all sounds good. Especially the whole idea of getting down and dirty to figure things out and learn through experience. And in the same way, how wonderful it would be if we could really teach less but have the kids learn a boat load more.
In practice, the horror stories are abound. Tales from schools that use Experiential Learning as their preferred pedagogy (and here, I roll my eyes) make you wonder if you're indeed in Singapore or in an inner city school like Boston Public's Winslow High. You hear tales about how at public lectures now, these students who are considered the children of a better age have to be constantly policed by staff at a ratio of 1 : 20 because they cannot be trusted to behave. They cannot be trusted to not heckle the speaker.
I'd heard all these tales but I hadn't actually seen it for myself until earlier in the week. I was at a National Schools' event and because a minister was there in attendance and I guess because it was a National schools' event, the national anthem was played before the final award ceremony. Now, I don't know about you, but I was taught, when the national anthem plays, you stand still, as a mark of respect. Even if you don't have sacrificial, patriotic feelings toward the flag, you stand still. I mean, it's no skin off one's back. You're just standing there for like 2 minutes. You don't have to sing if you don't want to, you don't have to swear or pledge allegiance, you just have to stand still.
But these children, very ostentatiously from a well-respected and revered school were standing all slouched over and nattering and giggling while the national anthem played, in full view of the Minister and all in attendance. Now call me traditional, but I think it's bad behaviour.
Some smart assed 16 year old might argue that it is his or her right and decision whether or not to stand at attention or to respect the flag, in much the same way that one should be allowed to burn a flag in protest. Well, technically yes. But unless you're able to explain which of your rights have been violated (and that doesn't include tv or mobile phone rights), I think it's plain rude.
I fully respect every individual right to complain and fantasise about bitch-slapping our government if that is what they want to do. But I'd expect a good reason for such behaviour, even from myself. But when in public and when representing a larger institution for all to see and when the reason is "it's just not cool", I just don't buy it. And I think that was as far as it went for these kids with regards to why they were behaving that way.
George Carlin said it right. Even though he was talking about language and cussing, the sentiment is the right one.
But you go to someone else's house and you're not sure how that mother or father feels, and most of them won't like it, that's not where you say it. You don't go there and insult other people and violate their own rules that they have. You're at school or in a setting where that language isn't called for or accepted, you honor what's going on there.
That about sums it up. You honour the flag, you honour the national anthem because you're in a place that is doing so. In simpler terms, When in Rome, do what the Romans do. Now, if experiential learning is really based on "Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I will understand, " I wonder why they don't understand this.
Technorati Tags: Singapore, Experiential Learning, George Carlin
Ondine tossed this thought in at 21:02
Cheater Bug!
Sometimes, when you think you can't be stunned by things happening around you, when you think you've seen it all, something hits you hard in the face and you're stunned, again.As teachers, sometimes we are faced with students who are insolent, disrespectful and down right rude. They expect the world to revolve around there and think we owe them a living. Some have gone to the extent of saying that "their parents' taxes pay our salaries". Well, my taxes subsidies their education so we're square there.
But I've been led to the conclusion, rather reluctantly, that it really isn't their fault. It's more insidious and it's in the words of a parent, a "systemic flaw".
---
Take this as a for instance. I'm a student. I'm caught cheating. I go out of my way and get the questions to a test I'm about to take and I prepare all the answers to the questions. That way, i ace the test. Only problem? I get found out. The guy who gave me the questions, gave a whole lot of other people the questions too. And teachers weren't born yesterday and put two and two together. So, what to do? We 'fess up and our parents get hauled in as well. Thing is my dad's way cool. He really gave it to the Principal. He says, he's not going to discipline me (Cool!) and he says it's their fault (even cooler! I'm off the hook). His rationale, if they had got us all to take the test at the same time, we wouldn't have cheated. But since there were people who did the test first, why not use their knowledge as spring board to do better? And the whammy, he said he would have done it too. Way to go Dad!
----
So, that's what the world's become? Where it's so important to get ahead that integrity means shit? How about, not cheating because it doesn't benefit anyone? Not cheating because then, you won't really know how good or bad you are? Not cheating because you're freeriding on someone who did all the work? Not cheating because it's dishonest?
And parents, to teach children that it's ok to cheat, to get ahead? What's going to happen to these children later on? They teach it to their children? They end up in jail because they decided Enron was the way to go? It really bugs me.
If I had cheated and got found out, I'd be shitting in my pants because not only would I fear getting expelled, I would have gotten my butt split 10 ways from Sunday and I would need a doughnut to actually sit down. But apparently, that's not the preferred way of punishment these days.
I wonder, what would it be like, if we brought up kids on what we see as a value system? Would they be seen as relics of an age gone by? Would they be seen as weird and alienated for standing by values that no longer exist?
How liddat?
Technorati Tags: Singapore, Values
Ondine tossed this thought in at 10:40
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Jelly Belly
I have decided. I hate food. Well, I don't really hate food. I hate it when I can't get food. Yesterday, my lunch got buggered up. Today, I made it a point to check what I packed into my bag and even though lunch went smoothly, I got tripped up again. At dinner.Now, let's dial it back 12 hours. Last night, while watching television, I turn to Packrat and tell him that I want ice-jelly. He says we can go get ice-jelly if ice jelly is what I want. But I decided, stepping out of the house, down ten flights of stairs, walk a 300m walkway, cross two roads, walk some more and then do the same thing to go home except this time, it's walk up the stairs...was far too long.
So today, we went over. No ten flighs of steps involved because I had just got back and had no desire to go up and down; just straight across to the food centre. Now, ice-jelly is dessert so we had to get past the formality of the main meal before considering what I had gone there for in the first place.
Now, there was just this one teeny winny problem. The store was not open! No ice jelly! Plus, I had to suffer through pathetic fish soup with like 5 pieces of fish in it. So, not only did I not get dessert, I didn't get a proper main either!
Days like that, it's easier to go to bed and then wake up to a brand new day with more opportunity to find the ice-jelly.
Technorati Tags: Singapore, food
Ondine tossed this thought in at 20:40
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Just My Luck
The sleepy bug has hit again. I spend everyday in school, dreadfully sleepy and in need for a nap. This feeling starts the minute I wake up in the morning. To make matters worse, I had to lecture 3 slots in a row first thing in the morning so this morning, it was quite a mad rush to get ready, get breakfast ready, actually eat breakfast and pack all my stuff in the 45 minutes that transpire between my alarm clock going off and me stepping out of the house. (now, that's a really long sentence) And last night, I had made lunch for today. A yummy risotto thing that I was absolutely looking forward to. All I had to do this morning was actually take it out of the fridge and bring it to school. Q.E.D.In my fridge. there also stood some preserved vegetable in a plastic container. Similar to the one that held my risotto like thing. When I got into school this morning, I thought to myself how essential it was to keep my risotto thing refridgerated. So I trooped up to the communal fridge that was in the lounge. And as I glanced appreciatively at my lunch, I couldn't help but realise something did not look quite right.
Instead of my yummy risotto, I had brought the salted preserved vegetable to school for lunch! And there was no way I was going to eat that. There was enough salt in there to shrivel a colony of snails. And it wasn't cooked!
So, I was left with no lunch, on a day where comfort food was extremely necessary. Oh, I really am the grandest idiot around! Now to settle for sub standard hawker fare for lunch.
Growl.
Technorati Tags: Lunch
Ondine tossed this thought in at 19:28
Monday, July 17, 2006
Bringing the mountain....
What I know is a great way to cure ennui is for me to go and sit by the beach with a big cup of drink and a book. Or to run by the beach. But since I'm stuck at work, I decided, this was the next best alternative.I'll bring the beach to me.
Hopefully this works.
Technorati Tags: Perth
Ondine tossed this thought in at 13:59
Blogging about blogging
I haven't blogged in a week. Even when I was away on holiday or for work, I have blogged more than I have in the last week. I could give an array of excuses. I could say that the whole gov vs. mrbrown situation left a bad taste in my mouth. It did, but that wasn't what kept me from blogging. I could say it was because I was grading papers. I was, but I've done it before. In fact, exams provide much fodder for blogging. I could say I was tired. But then again, I'm always tired.Although this morning, I accepted an invitation to interview somewhere else purely based on the fact that if I took on the job, hypothetically speaking, I would not have to drag myself out of bed at 6 in the morning and be on the assembly grounds an hour and a half later. Forget the career prospects, the potential challenge, being honoured... whatever. It was sheer proximity that swung it for me.
So, no. I don't really have a good reason. I think it's just ennui. And I've had ennui before. I think what makes it worse is there's ennui and also the absolute reluctance to do anything about it. Wallowing in ennui. Burnt out with work and frustrated with life.
Add it all up, nothing much really to blog about.
Technorati Tags: Blogging, mrbrown, ennui
Ondine tossed this thought in at 13:12
Monday, July 10, 2006
The Morning After
I am one of the lucky people whose organisations have allowed us to come into work in the later part of the morning seeing that most people were up in the earlier part of the morning riveted to the iridescent glow of the television screen that was the World Cup Final match where it was the French against the Italians.I told Packrat I was gunning for the Italians to win based on nothing more than the sheer fact that I hated French food and I loved Italian food. As you can tell, I am not the biggest soccer fan in the world. Anyway, my food instinct was right since the Italians won.
I did not intend to watch the match because Packrat, rather unfortunately, did have to go into school this morning. But I woke up at 2 and figured I'd switch on the television and see what the fuss was about. For the first sleepy ten minutes, I thought the guys in white were the Italians and the guys in blue were the French. Hey, it was a logical conclusion since the French flag had blue in it while the Italian flag didn't. It was, I repeat again, 2 in the morning and I am not the hugest soccer fan in the world.
Anyway, I watched, I saw some goals, I dozed, I woke up, watch some more until about 4 am when the little blue men were jumping up and down on the field and the month long love affair many had with the television screens came to an end rather abruptly.
Through all this, Packrat slept like a baby. He didn't even respond very much when I prodded him to tell him that Italy won and he owed me a pizza. But I didn't fault him for his lack of reaction because I was half way there myself.
I wondered how many people would actually show up at work, at those offices and institutions that were not farsighted enough to start business hours later today. The answer became apparent when I dropped Packrat off at school. Walking to our carpark, I wondered if I was actually still sleeping because I was looking at what seemed to me to be a 5 man line, all dressed in the same attire.
2 seconds of computing later got me to the "Oh! They must have stayed over and watched the match and are going to school now!" And when they turned around, indeed, 5 dishevelled 17-18 year old boys who looked like getting their uniform on this morning was quite an impossible task stared blurry eyed at me. And they were all from Packrat's school. Poor poor souls!
The roads however, seemed errily quiet. It was like a Sunday morning when everyone wasn't rushing off to work. No traffic, no one around- the round trip from our home to Packrat's school and back took a quarter of what it usually does. Plus this morning is all dark, wintery and dreary.
Nice.
Technorati Tags: Singapore, World Cup Finals
Ondine tossed this thought in at 09:15
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Painting the World Red
Olie did this and I've done it before but I can't remember whether I actually blogged about it so I shall now.create your own visited country map
It's obvious I need to visit South America, Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia more. But then again, I don't do the whole backpack and stay in digs where there are no ensuite bathrooms. I would love to see some of the islands though, but Packrat doesn't like the ocean so I think we have a problem there.
Technorati Tags: Travelling
Ondine tossed this thought in at 11:04
Bzzzz
We saw this in Perth and decided that the Ipod was really cornering the personal entertainment world. Add to the list of things you can do with the Ipod. First, listen to music. Then, store photos and watch videos. Then you can run with your Ipod. Listen to it in the car. Stick it into a Groovy bag with built in speakers and always have surround sound. And now, taking pleasure to a whole new level, the iBuzz.
It's touted as the music-activated sex toy and it comes fully equipped with the essential paraphenalia to take music to an orgasmic level. According to Cosmopolitan Australia, the rabbit is the most highly rated one, especially since an entire episode of Sex and the City was dedicated to it and the joys it brought. But for the more groovy, Ipod generation crowd, who knows? This might be the next big thing that sends women into recluse.
Of course, now I'm going to be very suspicious everytime I see a woman on the bus or the train, who has her Ipod plugged in, an extremely wide smile and a somewhat glazed over look.
Technorati Tags: iBuzz, the Rabbit
Ondine tossed this thought in at 09:12
Mirror Mirror on the wall
I finally made it down to Mango. The sale began when I was in Perth and when I got back, I wasn't keen on going from large open spaces to toe stomping, ruthless shoving crowds. Plus I had missed the last one as well. So, I didn't go down and the truth is, I intended to give this sale a skip because money was being demanded elsewhere, for a cause I suspected was more fulfilling, if successful, than beautiful clothes (yes, I'll get my head checked for rocks soon!).But then to celebrate the end of my exam marking and also because I was feeling extremely morose and sorry for myself, I decided it was time to go on the pilgrimmage that never failed to make me feel happy. And it felt good because I caught the tail end of the sale where everything was 70% off and the queues for the fitting rooms did not resemble the Hello Kitty MacDonald mania ones.
I haven't been into a Mango fitting room for a long time. But I've known from experience that one should never trust what you see in a Mango mirror because the mirrors there are warped. They make you look skinnier than you really are so that you'll be conned into thinking the clothes make you look incredible and you have no choice but to buy it. Creative marketing. Effective but sneaky.
But the Mango I walked into yesterday at Isetan Scotts took this mirror illusion to a higher level. Not only did it make you look skinnier, it made you look taller. Not in the Fun Fair- stretch you up to look like Olive Oyl- sort of way but in the deceive your eyes-trick your mind- lull you into believing that you look like a supermodel- kind of way.
I'm not sure the photo does justice but I really looked tall with endless legs and for a split second, that visual illusion was an extremely convincing and desirable one until my brain kicked in with second year cognitive psychology and mocked me with a very loud "Oh! Come. On!!" did I reluctantly shake myself out of the very nice daydream.
But it sure is clever on their part. Unsuspecting, impressionable young women who want to believe the best of themselves will just lap it up and give Mango more money than they need to buy more of these mirrors.
And they say a mirror doesn't lie.
Technorati Tags: Mango sale, Creative marketing
Ondine tossed this thought in at 08:46
Friday, July 07, 2006
Behind the Door
I had to be at a primary school for a course. Having just downed a LARGE iced tea, the minute I got to the school, I needed to find a bathroom. KW of course was teasing me about how I would have to lower myself almost to the ground to the toilet because everything in primary schools were scaled to the size of the children.I just sniggered because I just found an adult sized bathroom.
But when I shut the bathroom door, tagged onto the back of the door, where in airports they have safe sex and Imodium advertisements for you to read while you're on the can, was this.
Seriously? Can't the give the teacher a moment of peace and not bug her about the useless but copious amounts of redundant paperwork that she has to do, that no one told her was part of her job description when she signed on the dotted line?
Teachers are required to go on at least 100 hours of course a year. So for each course they sign up for, not only do they give up weekends, school vacation time and afternoons like a perfectly good Friday afternoon, they have to give up time to fill in the course evaluation form and a PPCR which stands for (pre-post course review, I think!) . And on top of that, they are haunted and stalked by it, giving them no reprieve, even in the bathroom.
And the insidious message at the bottom- Learning is a treasure that accompanies its owner everywhere he goes". Yup, even indeed it does, including to the bathroom.
Technorati Tags: schools, toilets, courses
Ondine tossed this thought in at 23:29
Disenfranchised
Conversation I had today with Plentyfish(although he doesn't blog anymore for fear of being put in prison for sedition). I was getting him up to date about what was happening in Blogosphere since he'd been away.Me: Did you know the gahmen went after Mr Brown?
Plentyfish: Huh? Why?
Me: Go and read his blog lah.
Plentyfish: Gahmen, sian man!
Me: It's all your fault.
Plentyfish: Why? Why is it my fault? I never ask gahmen go after him what?
Me: You voted for them what. You chose them to be your gahmen.
Plentyfish: But they are your gahmen too!
Me: No, not true. I didn't choose them. I wasn't allowed to choose. They are not my choice! I am an oppressed people!
Plentyfish: *blubber sputter sputter blubber* Fine.
It's always good to be able to pin the blame on someone.
Technorati Tags: Singapore, mrbrown
Ondine tossed this thought in at 21:43
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Self-centred
I was asked just now if I would shave my head as a show of solidarity for the Children's Cancer Society.I'm ashamed to say, I didn't think twice before I shook my head. My reason is that my hair is there to cover my dented head. Yes, you heard right, I have a big dent in my head which apparently came about from the doctor dropping me at birth according to cruel cruel brothers.
So, I'm not a nice person. I'm selfish, vain and my head shape not nice.
Time for some self-flagellation.
Technorati Tags: Children's Cancer Society, shaving heads
Ondine tossed this thought in at 10:24
Excuse
What better excuse to finally go to the Great Singapore Sale than the fact that the heel of my shoe is cracked and the grinding sound it makes when I walk makes my hair stand.So, I shall look forward to that at the end of an extremely long today. Too bad there isn't a Nine West in my area.
Technorati Tags: The Great Singapore Sale, shoes
Ondine tossed this thought in at 10:14
Bummer
It's a total bummer when dreams feel so real that when I wake up, I'm all depressed and blue about. What a brilliant way to start off the middle of the week.*sigh*
Technorati Tags: dreams
Ondine tossed this thought in at 05:58
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Anywhere but here
Tym's blogged about taking 3 showers a day. I haven't got to that point yet but my power bill sure is going to hit the roof this month. Air-conditioning PLUS two fans on to keep my polar bear husband and myself cool.We sent Gai off to Melbourne last night and that prompted me to take a look at the weather there. This is what it looks like.
What I would give for some of that cold now. We really need a cold snap. Then I won't need to figure out how to store my leather jacket and keep it from smelling musty. Then I won't have to sit, sweltering in this heat trying to grade essays about technology.
Now, tell me this. If technology is indeed so great, why can't they make Singapore with air-conditioning? Or dig up the entire island and plonk it a couple of degrees in latitude south of where we are. Hmm, surprise surprise, we hit Perth. The best reason to change our address. Really.
Argh.
Ice cubes, slush, brisk wind anything. Please.
Technorati Tags: Singapore, hot weather, Melbourne
Ondine tossed this thought in at 23:04
Have some fun with this
Complete the following sentence...Let's see if you're more imaginative than 18 year olds.
"Because of technology, we no longer make babies in the bedroom. We now do so in the......"
Technorati Tags: exams, making babies
Ondine tossed this thought in at 22:44
Tis the season
One way of figuring that marking season is once again upon us is when you read with regularity that " Life begins at contraception".Yeah, when contraception fails perhaps. Ho ho ho.
- Updated with another gem while we are at it. -
"Abortion is murder and against Christianity and the sanity of life"
Technorati Tags: Singapore, exams
Ondine tossed this thought in at 17:58
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Who wants some soap?
This is what happens when you're broke but want to buy something ditzy and flighty just for the heck of it.
The bottles are so cute. Problem is I don't really trust shower gel that costs $4.95. What if I get a severe case of rash from it?? So, I want to use the shower gel to refill our hand soap bottles that are also quite cute, but there're only two of us in the house and the hand soap goes very slowly. Then I can fill up the bottles with the real shower gel that I bathe with.
Yes, it sounds like a remarkably complicated plan to make me happy. But hey, when you have to wake at 5.50 every morning to shower, the smallest things make a difference.
So, anyone want some soap? I can give it to you in a zip lock bag or you can bring your own bottle over and I'll quite gamely pump it out of the bottle into yours. Going once? Going twice?...
Sold! To the insane lady in the corner!
Technorati Tags: Toiletries, Recyling
Ondine tossed this thought in at 19:35
Sleepybeauty
I think I'm suffering from narcolepsy. I been sleeping a whole lot more than usual this week, taking long afternoon naps when I cannot afford it, dozing at my desk involuntarily and walking around in a daze all the time.All this while I'm supposed to be grading exams.
Last night took the cake. I took a nap at 7 in the evening, Packrat woke me up at half 8 for dinner, so I stumbled out onto the couch and tumbled onto it and dozed till all the food was on the table. I think I ate like 5 slices of chicken and some veg before clambering back onto the couch to continue sleeping while he watched television. I dreamt that someone was kicking me and awoke to him tapping my leg, trying to convince me to sleep on the bed instead.
So, I did, till 11. Where I struggled to pry open my eyes, get up, shower and attempt to grade some papers. Attempt being the operative term. Let's just say the spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak. So the next time my eyes saw the world, it was 10.30 this morning.
And let's just say, if I didn't have this deep fear that I'm not going to be done in time for the deadline, I would very willingly crawl back into bed. Spook thinks it'll cause me to have sunken eyes, but I don't really care.
Ondine tossed this thought in at 11:48