External Review Checked, Completed and Done With!

Each time I post, my semester has came to an end. Well there you go, the hectic life of an Interior Architecture student. My 3 month holidays has just begun, and my initial excitement wore off pretty quickly. After our final drawing submission on Tuesday morning, I went out with ze collegemates for a hardcore karaoke session. Guess what? We sang for so long that we got tired of it and left early. A total first for me.

Yesterday was pretty relaxing. I just started playing The Sims Social! It was on the top of my holiday to-do list. Other things I'd checked yesterday is preparing my resume for my internship application, which I'm still crossing my fingers about. Chances aren't quite likely but if you don't try, you'll never know right? I'm taking my chances.

Today was more eventful. I mapped out my plans for December already, settling my class schedules and taking a trip to bandroom and the library. The 2009 concert video makes me feel nostalgic. And as a result of my trips today, I now have a purpose in life. A direction. Something to do! JOY!

I guess I just can't sit still and not do anything. Virgos and their high expectations of themselves, tsk tsk. But to make my quest for relaxation easier, I have borrowed a dozen Danielle Steel books from the library! 12 books for me to slowly devour. Mmmm-hmmmm :)

My holidays are looking up! :D

Toodles~

External Review - The Finale

And this marks the end of my foundation year.

I feel relieved, but there is a certain void in my life now. I'm super eager to start my degree and begin my new phase of life! :D

I wanna go shopping...

So, so badly.

Shopping is very relaxing and de-stressing. However it is a very expensive hobby.

Still, I deserve a treat after my strenuous and stressful "group" project. I hate group work now. Not everyone will be doing their fair share in group work, and it is very unfair for people like me who somehow always end up doing everything.

This is my last semester in foundation anyway! Then I'll be moving on to my degree nyahaha! Which is hopefully less stressful than foundation. I've never been this busy before. The workload is crazily insane.

SPM and foundation in built environment (mainly the design module) is SO different. To me, SPM = last minute cramming and daily slacking. Foundation = consistency and last minute studying (for some subjects). The transition is so abrupt that I still can't really find my feet at times.

Tomorrow is submission day! I hope I can get good marks for this assignment :)

Fingers crossed!

Back on the treadmill.

No time to relax.

Too much on my plate.

Deadlines.

Barely a month into the semester, I'm already overwhelmed. It won't get better -- I've lied to myself enough times to realise that.

Still, I'm gonna work hard and collect my 'A's. Oh yeah~

Btw, I have an ugly disfiguring cold sore right now. I'll tell you what caused it -- stress.

And I have a totally unreliable group member whom I have to cover for. Added workload.

Yippee. My life's real great.

But, I am so thankful that I am not a group leader for the next project. I really need a break, albeit a short one. Nights!

My camera is back!

Wheeeee~ I love my darling camera :D

I only use point-and-shoot digital cameras because I'm a total noob case when it comes to cameras. Also, I don't really see the point of using DSLRs when I can't operate them. My camera is light, sturdy and functions really well for me, so I'm very very happy with it. I purchased it last year for RM299 so well, what's there to complain?

The only things that I wish could be improved is the zoom. 4x zoom is not enough! And an additional image stabiliser during maximum zoom would be very helpful. The focusing time for maximum zoom is very long, so by the time its ready to shoot, my lecturer would probably flick to the next slide.

Don't know what I'm talking about?

At Limkokwing, the lecturers don't always give you slides from lectures. If you get black and white printouts or soft copies from the student portal, you can consider yourself lucky. Seriously. And it is so rare that you'll get them! So I depend alot on my trusty camera :)

The video is actually not bad, but you can't zoom in and out during recording time :'(

Well, it definitely does not do HD videos or anything since it is an old model. But I like how light it feels. Pocket sized and compact, you can easily fall in love with this Panasonic Lumix DMC-F2!

EMO.

I woke up extra early for today's class to search for my missing notebook relating to today's Building Technology and Concepts class.

I brought along my super thick building construction textbook.

I brought all my previous semester's lecture slides.

And class was cancelled.

How do you think I feel?

Bonjour, Semester 3~

Well, so much for my break. I'm resuming my hectic lifestyle again. Truth be told, I don't miss it. I wish I were on my holiday break again though...

I have to write a 300 word essay and do some research on a traditional Malacca Malay House.

And complete my syllabus planning as well as start my June notes if I want to meet the deadline. Ahh! Tasks, deadlines, responsibilities!

And next week I have my makeup class scheduled. Busy busy. But its pretty fun, so I'm not complaining ;)

Also, I am gonna use my Groupon voucher for the grilled international cuisine next week. It sounds scrumptious and I have yet to try it yet! Actually my life isn't that bad, just that I'm super busy. Well for now I can deal with it, so I'll do just that.

Okay, that's all for now~ Nights, all!

My Semester Break

Was absolutely fab!!! I spent 3 days of my holidays at Miaw's place and we had tons of fun shopping, karaoke-ing and hanging out. Its awesome hanging out with your bestie! Especially one you've known for a decade ;D

I took to heart the phrase "Work hard, play hard". I am still feeling very much unrested! My semester break was absolutely exhausting despite the fact that I had spent zero time on assignments or studies.

I absolutely love shopping. I can shop as long as I earn enough money for it! And online shopping is the craze right now.

Here's a list of sites I highly recommend:

1. http://lajoie-closet.blogspot.com/ (awesome bags!!)
2. http://www.groupsmore.com/ (great savings and deals!!)
3. http://milkadeal.com (same as above)
4. http://www.dealmates.com.my (same as above)

La Joie Closet retails affordable and reasonably priced bags. Great since I really hate blogshops that sell overpriced stuff. Those are total rip offs man. I could tell you of some I know. They charge RM100 for an average quality bag that isn't even very nice to begin with, and clothes that you can purchase for far less at departmental stores. I wish that more blogshops were more ethical in doing their businesses.

Anyway, moving on, Groupsmore is my favourite group buying site! I have tried a number of deals with them and it was really good. RM10 for a plate of carbonara, soup and egg salad! Divine.

Oh, and RM50 for a makeup course! I still have 2 more sessions to attend, since RM50 is for SIX hours of lessons. We use quality products too, which make it more worth it. I've learned basic skincare regimes from my first lesson which most people think they know but end up doing it all wrong anyway. The next lesson will be focusing on matching makeup colours! That'll be fun :)

So that was what I did during my holidays. I have purchased another deal for a grilled international cuisine. I paid RM50 for RM100 value of food. My dear and I can eat to our heart's content~ The photos of the food already make my mouth water!

Oh, and Lowyat's RedBox's service is atrocious. One visit is enough for me. Arrogant and cocky waiters are such dampers! Can't tolerate them.

Okay, so that's it for now~ I shall update more when my 3rd semester begins on Wednesday. Wish me luck!

Au revoir, Foundation 2!

My presentation board!

The fruits of my labour. What do you think?

If its anything negative I'd rather not know, thank you very much xD

I'd be crushed after all the effort I've put in. Save your critiques for next time maybe?

The review went okay, some people liked it, some people didn't. But that's fine with me. I put in effort, and that's all that matters. I learned how to use Photoshop and created my entire portfolio and presentation board using that software. I feel very accomplished, despite my lack of rest. I strive for perfection, and I am happy that I have made a significant step towards it.

That's all that should matter. No matter what the results are, I know that I tried. And having put in your all -- you won't regret that. Semester 2 of my foundation year is extremely challenging as opposed to my free and easy semester 1. I have one more semester to go before I enter my degree. After this week of holidays, I know that will be up for it!

***

I went shopping today! What a happy way to start my holidays~

Actually my holidays began yesterday but since I work on Saturdays it doesn't really count for me :P

My shopping trip was very, very fruitful.

My boyfriend accompanied me as I tottered in and out of shops, stared at clothes for ages, entered and exited dressing rooms and scrutinized them for any microscopic flaws . I admire his patience and I love him for being able to put up with me and my indecisiveness. He has pretty good taste in clothes too, which makes him a great shopping partner. I am one lucky girl! Heehee~

I made quite a number of purchases, and they included plenty of earrings. I have so many pairs of them now that I have lost count. However many of my earrings went missing because I totally suck at organizing my accessories. That's kinda sad :( I guess I'll have to restock then!

We also had a fantabulous lunch at Sushi Zanmai. It was heavenly. Zanmai defines sushi. Your taste buds will be spoilt with the variety of food available and the explosion of flavours. I love good food. But my appetite has dwindled slightly. I can't eat as much as before now and what a waste it was this afternoon...

But I'm sure that there will be a next time! :)

So that's still okay.

Am looking forward to tomorrow, where I will be making another shopping trip with Miaw. Whee~ Actually, the whole week ahead is gonna be great! It could be better though if my camera didn't break down yesterday (I blame it on dad -- it was alright when I used it!) and had to be sent for repairs YET AGAIN. Sheesh that's a real downer. I can't capture snapshots of my great week ahead :///

Anyway, I'll update soon! My bed is calling for me now ;)

眼泪成诗 - 孙燕姿

我已经
已经把我伤口化作玫瑰
我的泪水
已经变成雨水早已轮回
我已经
已经把对白留成了永远
忘了天色
究竟是黑是灰

分手伤了谁
谁把他变美
我的眼泪写成了诗已无所谓
让你再回味
字不醉人人自醉
因为回忆总是美

我已经
已经把绝情变成了恭维
因为不配
你就忽然自卑说声失陪
我已经
已经把沉默变成了忏悔
无路可退
只能无言以对

分手伤了谁
谁把他变美
我的眼泪写成了诗已无所谓
让你在回味
字不醉人人自醉
因为回忆总是美

分手伤了谁
谁把他变美
我的眼泪写成了诗已是无所谓
让你再回味
字不醉人人自醉
你的品位总是美

回忆总是美。

Bittersweet feelings -- we smile at the bitter moments we've been through, yet we tear at those happy memories.

The irony of life.

***

I can relate to this song. It is melancholic and somewhat wistful. And everyone can identify with those feelings. I really like it very much, and its good to listen when I'm feeling down. Like now. Because I lost myself a good portion of marks in a question I KNOW THE ANSWER TO by forgetting to pen down my final answer. God save me.

Actually I am pretty certain that I can score at least 80% already but I am soooo close to getting a near perfect score. I am rather disappointed and very regretful.

The last week of my second semester was not easy. The mental stress I gave myself did not help. But anyway, it is over already and not worth stressing about now.

I wonder now how could I be so relaxed throughout the entire duration of my SPM in the past. How I managed to find the time to play Mafia Wars every day during SPM baffles me now. People say enjoy college life, relax, take it easy, don't stress and so on.

And I'd reply "HOW?????". Its easy to say from the viewpoint of someone who can do well without putting in plenty of effort, or from the viewpoint of someone who does not put much emphasis on results. I am not that intelligent (luck always plays a part in my successes, so stop asking me how I manage to do so brilliantly) and I am under a scholarship that requires me to achieve a minimum 3.5 CGPA each semester.

But for now, I'm just gonna let all these worries go and concentrate on enjoying my holiday~! :D

Imbalanced

I have been skipping meals, had insufficient sleep, tired beyond my wits and been through a roller coaster week.

The life of design and architecture students is living hell. I need to hold on for a couple more days before I can fully collapse.

After that, I'll have a week to recuperate, and its back to this lifestyle once more.

Stress stress stress

I feel so stressed of late. My face looks like the surface of the moon and I lack sleep. Lots of it. No thanks to my final project for design. I did real bad in my exam today also because I couldn't think. Regret. But design is more important than English, unfortunately. So yeah. Tomorrow is the submission date :S

Wish me luck!

P.S. This weekend I'm gonna go shopping!!!! I DESERVE IT AFTER SO MANY MONTHS OF ABSTINENCE!

Feeling so proud of myself!

I photoshopped this out today! From scratch, despite my close to nil photoshop knowledge or skills. IT LOOKS GREAT EH, for a beginner?

My first photoshop project that does not involve typing in words only.

Well actually I followed a tutorial but I still feel such a great sense of accomplishment. This image is now my desktop background~

Hehehe!

加油哦~ Stephanie!

My semester is ending soon, and I really must put my all into it.

Even though I am heavily penalised for not attending the site visit (which I so totally cannot afford on my meagre salary), I still hope that I can do well.

As the Japanese say:

Anything that is worth doing is worth doing well.

I really like that saying and wholeheartedly agree with it.

All the best to me!

Personality Test

Engaged Idealist

• My Type
• My Career
• My Love
• My Happiness

Engaged Idealists are extroverted and helpful. Others find them to be very congenial and inspiring - especially as they are always willing to see the best in the other person. Their humour, their energy and their optimism attract other people. Engaged Idealists are very good at communicating and are good at convincing and firing on others. That is why it is a matter of course that they often take over the leading role in groups. This personality type often produces very charismatic persons.

Engaged Idealists have an unusually strong ability to empathise. They are tolerant and generous towards others; they sometimes tend to idealise their friends. They always try to suit everybody and want their relationships to be harmonious and satisfactory. To achieve this, they are prepared to invest a great deal and to put their requirements last. As Engaged Idealists are very considerate, there is the danger of them sacrificing and overexerting themselves for others. In their job, they therefore have to be very careful not to develop a burnout syndrome.

Engaged Idealists are reliable, well organised and love structuring complicated situations. They have difficulty accepting criticism; they quickly feel hurt and misunderstood. Their perfectionism also influences their love life - they look for the perfect relationship for life. Once they have made their decision, they are faithful, well-balanced and loving partners. However, should they get involved with the wrong person, it can happen that they allow themselves to be exploited for a long time before they end the relationship.

Adjectives which describe your type: extroverted, theoretical, emotional, planning, idealistic, committed, likable, enthusiastic, responsible, helpful, loyal, diplomatic, friendly, inspiring, caring, solicitous, optimistic, effusive, adaptable, communicative, articulate, convincing, energetic, optimistic, open, vulnerable

On my own

我伤心，谁知道？

我哭了，谁理会？

我觉得好没用、无助、失败。

作业怎样做都搞不定，因为我总没灵感，做不出自己满意的东西。

压力太多了，哪儿来的灵感呀……

我的脾气变坏了，连我都觉得自己很暴躁。是真的很 暴躁那种。明知说了会后悔，但那些难听的话还是从口中出来。我想控制自己，但不说出来心里会更不舒服；因为那些怨气是不会走的，只会在心里滚动，搞得我快要崩溃了。

除此之外，我又没空理我的 dear。这点让我觉得好后悔，好内疚…… 再说，他生病了，我更应该多关心他呀。但是我没有。

我很坏，是不是？

烦恼好多，多到我不想活下去了。但是我也不会那么笨去搞自杀啦……只要我再忍多几年，就会看到阳光了。

我能如愿以偿吗？:/

我领悟了

最近我犯了几个大错。

后悔了。但也从中学习了。

I've been too quick in passing judgment.

I'm not always kind in my words. I can be spiteful and nasty, and its not a side of me that I like.

I wasn't satisfied with my life because I chose to see the negative side of things instead of the positive side.

对我不小心错误的人，我真心对不起。

对于那些肯耐心劝告我的好朋友，谢谢你们。

我的个性太情绪化了…

谁叫我是个红色脑子的人啊…

According to the personality test, red people are emotional, rash, passionate, impulsive and tend to not think before they act. Its not how I want to be, but it is who I am. But even if its IN me, I still have to try and change for the better.

反正，我的成长空间还很大呀……

最重要的是理解、领悟、改善、进步。

我绝对不能半途而废，就这样放弃了我要改善的念头！

所以得写个部落篇来提醒提醒自己 xD

加油咯，Stephanie!

P.S. Waiyeen, your words of encouragement inspired me to write more in Chinese :D

发神经

Today, one of our tutors 发神经. She scolded in class "Can you guys please shut up! Do you understand Inggeris? Do you know what is the meaning of shut up?".

How rude! Her conduct speaks of her character.

Goes to show the Limkokwing spirit. Awesome!

That was a pretty pre-menstrual thing to do. Not "Keep quiet!" or "Lower your voices!", but SHUT UP. Aha I like I like. Wish I had recorded that down so I could upload it to Youtube.

Uni life sucks to the max for me. Getting penalised for not having enough money to go for a 4 days 3 nights, RM1.3k site visit is a first for me. 0 marks for some subjects. Sweet.

***

I miss my boyfriend real badly and yet its only Monday. 4 more days to go before I can get a glimpse of his adorable face :(

Sad, sad Stephanie.

Oh, and by the way, Sanctum is very gory. If I knew what it'd be like I'd never opt to watch that movie. It gives me nightmares. Everyone dies in the end except for the main character. So its like watching them die one by one. The entire movie is about waiting for them to die and seeing who survives till the end. And their deaths get more and more disgusting. The death by hair scene was so revolting that I could not bring myself to watch it.

DEFINITELY NOT MY CUP OF TEA.

No Strings Attached is a much better movie. Grisly movies just can't beat romance. Hmm, I'd say that romance wins over repugnant movies hands down...each time!

一个字：烦

最近几天都心情不好，是特别不好那种。

想到功课会觉得好烦。

想到工作又觉得烦。

学业上的问题若能解决就好咯……我因为经济问题不能与同学去site visit，而这个给我添了好多麻烦。教授给的选择是 a)不做，没分，不及格 或 b)做 extra extra (x10倍以上)

然后，我不能自己来，得与其他没去site visit的同学组织成一组。我没问题呀，只不过，大部分没去的同学都非常懒惰!!! 他们懒惰的程度我无法形容。我连一次面也没见过他们几个，因为他们连课也不去上！ 尤其是那些皮肤黑的外国人。不是我种族歧视哦……是他们故意要给我原因把他们“分类”的！最后我不止需要做自己的份，还得帮那些没用的废材做他们的功课! 你说，这是什么天理？！

最悲伤的是教授好像冷落了我们这群人……我呀，连要做什么也不懂……给了我 “队长” 这个名称，真是搞笑！我天天都尝试找老师问有什么其他作业给没去site visit的我们，但老师又要跟我玩失踪。这也不是一次两次的事情了，搞得我好累，好压力。

林国荣啊林国荣……你这个大学未免太失败了吧……

我连做功课的时间都不够了，还要来烦别的事情。我可以不要理的，但是这样做不是我的风格。我的良心会过意不去的……

哎……

一个字：烦

My First Valentine's Day

And my best, ever!

Actually, the point of Valentine's Day is to spend time with your loved one and cherish each other. So all the material stuff are actually insignificant. Getting 999 roses doesn't mean that your guy loves you more than a girl who only received kisses.

To those out there who don't have a Valentine, its okay :) Don't be unhappy, because God wants you to wait for the right one. Then you will be able to love, cherish and appreciate them better than you can now.

My boyfriend is so awesome. And I am so not. But he doesn't mind, being the sweetheart he is. And thanks to him, I'm the happiest person alive right now!

We had a great dinner at The Windmill tonight. And no, we didn't make any reservations! Hehe..lucky us! Behold, our meal! (Let the pictures talk for now)

Cupid's Prawn and Honeydew Cocktail

Sharkfin and Crabmeat Soup

My boyfriend's cheese-covered, VERY expensive lobster main course.

It was definitely worth the price! ;)

Love Bird (Mine!)

(Oven-baked Tiger Prawns with Honey Baked Spring Chicken)

Love Indulgence (Honey Brownie)

Black Knight

(Black Coffee with Hearty Chocolate)

We got a teddy bear each too!

A gift favour courtesy of The Windmill.

***

My evening was full of surprises and firsts.

I received flowers for the first time ever. And its his first time giving them. Hearing his flower purchasing antics was pretty amusing!

So, I had my first candlelight dinner. AWW AWW AWW!

Got a surprise gift! My dear is so crafty! xD

It is a stuffed beanie pillow which I just mentioned in passing one day that I would like to have. I'm so touched that he remembered *sniff*

But the expense! Each time I think about how much he had splurged I feel kinda bad. Luckily I chipped in for dinner~ at least he doesn't have to foot the bill. I like to pay for my share since it is not fair to let guys pay for everything. Also, I'm working! So its not like I can't afford it.

I spent loads of time snapping photos of my roses and admiring them from all angles after transferring the bouquet into my makeshift vase. I don't even have a flower vase! *embarrassed giggle*

Awww :)

3 roses mean....

Beautiful up close!

Nice vase, gorgeous roses!

The wrapping

***

Felt so happy today! It's really the thought that counts. And my darling boyfriend put so much thought into today that I'm just, touched. And pleased. The gifts and surprises are icing on the cake.

Happy happy! I feel so loved~

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!