Tiger Tiger...

A night to remember...

Everyone in the pics shares a story...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some may pass...Some may hold...
Some grow ageless while their body's growing old...

Getting wasted...

Went to Susanna’s flat for a small house party. Bought some drinks on the way. It’s kinda an alcoholic potluck session.

As usual, the party was conquered by Spanish people...Had a couple of beer, a couple of rum mix, a few sips of Scotch whiskey...and “stole” a chocolate muffin from the table...was damn hungry without any proper dinner...

Went to an international party at Tiger Tiger at 11pm...

Was stop by the police on the way there...“Sorry...No drinking in the city centre.”...Oh, I was holding a can of half finish beer. Didn’t realize that was considered illegal...

At Tiger Tiger...Saw some familiar faces, friends from Angela’s birthday party and some people from the global cafe. Didn’t really drink...Was busy meeting friends and dancing and singing along instead.

Left Tiger Tiger at about 3am...The gang decided to go to Rachael’s place for some food...

Alex’s jacket was either stolen or he didn’t remember where he placed it. So, he just “steal” one on his way out. Lots of jackets lying around in the club anyway. And he didn’t realize how idiotic he was till I pointed out that the one he picked up was actually a ladies’ jacket...hah...

Although feeling high and slightly giddy, I was still walking straight...

Went to bed at about 5.30am...It was always nice to sleep with the high and giddy feeling...At least that was very true for me...Till today...

Woke at 6+am...Feeling damn sick...Was drooling uncontrollably for a moment, and the next second, I puked...It’s like in the movie, kinda cool for awhile...haha...Like a natural reflex of the body, the second you wanna puke, you will just vomit to the side of your bed, and not on your bed...While thanking God that my bed is clean, I cursed the fact that my room has carpeted floor...arghhhh...

Felt so sick that I can’t really sleep after that...so went to do my laundry...

Stoned in the bed till I doze off naturally...

Woke again at 9+am...Despite being hungry, I felt so sick that I don’t feel like eating...

Went to stone in the kitchen...Maybe I drank too much...No, I didn’t really drink that much...Or maybe I actually didn’t realize I drank that much...Or maybe it’s purely because of drinking with an empty stomach...

Sitting in the sun by the window, feeling the warmth on my face, placing a cup of hot drink on my stomach, eyes closed...ahhh...I think I see heaven...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hope my neighbour wouldn’t think I’m an idiot when he sees me later...

Drifting Thoughts...

(A babe reminded me yesterday night to update this space of mine. She is this friend of mine who commented that we haven’t been meeting up lately, but yet have talk a lot over msn...Yup, we should really hang sometimes ya...)

Had lunch with my Gerardo and Ana at this Spanish buffet today. Decided to take a break from the project-craze...It’s a great restaurant-cum-pub with dark atmosphere and candles light on every table. Kinda like that place...Oh, Gerardo acknowledge me as a Spain ambassador and Alex commented I’m already part of the Spanish community here...Pretty cool ya!!! Really wish that I can speak Spanish!!!

Doing project with final year students is really a bad mistake, ‘cos they will be constantly doing their FYP and don’t bother about other modules, especially during presentation periods like now. But I kinda understand how they feel, as I will be in their shoes when I’m back in Sg next year. One more year to have an officially unemployed status...hah

It feels bad enough to know you have deadlines closing in and yet you are slacking away. Yet, believe me, it feels even worse when you want to work but have absolutely no idea how to. The thought of having to answer to a good lecturer who I don’t want to disappoint is bad enough, and the feeling of starting to have doubts in myself of whether I will be able to grasp the gist of this module sucks...Sigh...

It’s kinda pathetic that “Scrubs” is the only thing that can make me laugh and forget my work for a moment these days. It’s kinda like some morphine drug to me that numbs my brain...haha. Yup, I’m a damn workaholic. Perhaps not working smart enough though. Close friends to me will know that...hah. But hey, no one in this world is perfect right???

Life these days are not that bad, just that they are pretty boring. Fighting with deadlines to get my projects working...Finding time to hang out with my international friends here whenever it is possible...Finding time to scout for presents for my friends back home...Finding time to plan some stuff in June and July...Finding time for some MSN session with my Sg friends...Finding time for myself (Yup, I’m those I-need-some-time-for-myself kinda guy...) Yup, basically stretching the 24hrs I have to the max, compromising on sleep and stuffs that I can afford to forgo...

I kinda miss my international friends now...It feels weird that you are missing some people even when you are presently with them. But the thought of not coming back to this part of the world anytime soon (Will be pretty broke by the time I return home, and assuming my work will not allow me to travel for such a long time), and the thought of high chances of “converting” some late-night-coffee/beer drinking/crapping/partying/chilling buddies to close friends, then to normal friends, next to hi-bye friends, lastly to acquaintances really sucks big time. We can’t deny but admit that there is only this much long-distance call/msn/web-cam/Skype can do. So next time if I give you a hug out of no reasons, please don’t whack me or something ok!!! You don’t need a reason to give a hug anyway...hah

Sometimes, when there is a chance to sleep late just to crap with your friends and wake up early next morning for school, a chance to party with friends till 4am in the morning when you aren’t really a party person yourself, a chance to lie down on the grass with friends even though work is piling up your ass, a chance to do those classic dance moves of the 60s/70s with friends at someone’s birthday party, a chance to act like an idiot among drunken friends during chilling session even though you are absolutely sober, a chance to have lunch with friends when you find the meal is expensive according to Sg standard, or even simply a chance to give up your beauty sleep and wake up early to stone at a table with a friend when your class is only in the afternoon...To me, it’s time well spent...

Ok...Time to get back to work...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I miss you so much it hurts, sometimes...

How are you…

3 words that people commonly used around here. In fact, they were being used so frequently that they started to irritate me.

In just one day...

[Met my China neighbour in the morning while having breakfast in the kitchen]
TF: Morning, how are you?
Me: I’m good!!! You? *big friendly smile*

[In school, met my lecture mate from Penn. state]
C: Hey, how are you?
Me: *smile* Nahz...Nothing’s new...The lab report…blah blah blah...

[Met my Spanish neighbour in the afternoon in the kitchen]
G: How are you?
Me: Fine...Just came back to grab some lunch...Going for lab later...

[Met my project mate for discussion]
H: Hey, watsup?
Me: Nothing much...Any new progress? (Hmm...Cool way to greet friends...)

[Met my project mate’s flatmate at his place]
Unknown: Hi, how are you?
Me: This proj. is going no where...haha *tired*

[Met my China neighbour at evening]
TF: Hey, how are you?
Me: Fine, thank you. (Now, please leave me alone...)

[Met Gerado’s friend who came over to do her laundry at night]
N: Hi, how are you?
Me: Hi *smile* (Oh crap...)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Guess I'm just mentally drained...

Cheese Person…

Went to this “Cheese and Wine Party” today with Gerado and friends...Guess it’s supposed to be some sort of a networking session for international students, but I went for the free food instead. Oh well, who can resist the temptation of cheese??? FREE CHEESE!!!

There were only two large groups of people there – Spanish and Italian. Didn’t know these two communities are so prominent in the international student scene here. And I am the only Asian there!!! How cool is that...haha

Tasted the Sangria, the wine punch which originated in Spain and Portugal, that was available...But the one Julia personally made during Ana’s birthday was way much better!!!

Anyway, that’s not the point. The point is...Can you believe a table filled with different kind of cheese together with some crackers and biscuits, and you can feast all you want? Woohoo!!! Especially there is this kind of French cheese called Brie...it's freaking nice la!!!

I think I am a mouse in my past life, cos’ I am one hell of a cheese person. Yup!!! Cheese makes me happy...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An average mouse eats 12 pounds of cheese in a lifetime...
I figure today I've lived 2000 years...

My lovely proj mate...

When is the last time you wanna bang someone's head against the corner of the table and run it under hot water???

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Agreements are meant to be broken...

Time Out...

Did something today which I always wanted to but never will back in Singapore...’cos if I do that in Singapore, others will think I am insane...

We went to Hyde Park...and simply lie on the grass...basking in the sun...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They say that in life, one out of every three chances you took will fail. But some days, the odds are worse than that. And on days like that, I guess the best you can hope for is that you took something from it...Anything...Anything at all...Even if it's just taking the time to lie in the grass and think about all the things you still have left to do...

想念的声音...熟悉的感动...

燕资在前几个星期发了新专辑，而我到今天才发现...

不知为何...突然觉得很孤独...觉得与某些人离得很远很远...

再次听见孙燕姿，仍然有着同样的感动...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
也许我一直害怕有答案...

Musical Ecstasy...

Have you ever come across a day when you are so damn bored, and discover a song that makes you feel totally jumpy, upbeat and ecstatic?

And you keep looping it on your laptop while you work? And you just can’t get the tune out of your head?

Jumpy music rox!!!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They said chocolate is better than sex...
Some days, that’s true for music too... =P

Simple things remain...

How do you know spring is here?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just love their music...

Traveling...

Joe popped by to say hi in the afternoon. He is this Argentinean who I’ve met during my first week in Leeds, and had finally come back from his 2 months of travel around Europe. Had a great time listening to his traveling tales over cups of coffee. Tales of traveling without knowing where he will be going next, not planning his accommodations in advance to stay in a place as long as he wanted to, of the new people he met who bring him around their own city, of the relatives who he didn’t get to meet for a long time, of he actually met his best friend by chance in a foreign land, of his budget traveling lifestyle...Always love such exchange of information and tales sharing sessions...

He seems like a changed man now, not as playful as when I first met him. Even he himself agreed that he had changed, as he had seen and experience so much from his 2 months of travel.

Kinda agree with him to a certain extent. Some people use traveling as a form of relaxation - To take a break from their daily routine. Or as a form of escapism - To avoid a problem/issue back home. Or as a form of fun - To see the place as a tourist. Or as a form of self development - To go out of your comfort zone to experience as much as you can, to interact with people you least expected you will and to see who you really are. No matter what your motivation for traveling is, you will always return back home as a changed man to a certain extent. But the thing is how long will the “new” you last, when you are back to your own comfort zone again? That’s a story for another day ya...

Anyway, went to the Library with Gerado and Anna to meet Ben for a drink at night. Ben is from Bath, and got to know Gerado when he was doing some bio-chemistry modules in Valencia. (Despite only attending lessons for the first two weeks…haha). I was surprise that despite staying in Spain for only one year, he is very fluent in Spanish. He picked up the language from the bar which he was working in in Spain. Oh man, I should really pick up a third language for communication sake...

Also, found out from him that 21st June will be a good day to visit Stonehenge as there will be a traditional Summer Solstice celebration there, to celebrate the arrival of the longest day of the year. Seems kinda cool ya...At least it’s something worth thinking about. Life in Leeds during Easter is kinda boring anyway...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The real voyage of discovery lies not in seeing new landscapes...
but in having new eyes...

Reverse Engineering...

(Geeky post)

It comes to a point where Hadi and I agreed that researching from the basics and driving into the problem head on is no longer a sensible approach. We will be glad if we manage to implement a small part of the whole Image Processing thingy on the FPGA. In fact, Prof. Steven keeps asking us why make things difficult for ourselves, and to keep things simple, so that at least we have something to show to other professors on the presentation / demonstration day. Ahhh...a reflection on what he has been teaching in class all these while...

So here we are, “dissecting” a 2D FIR project we found online, hoping to understand how it works, and manipulating it to suit our needs...

Ok...back to work...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sometimes, it’s not about the journey...
What really matter is the destination...

Random...

Sometimes in life, they warn you you gonna make sacrifices...

But I guess that means different things to different people...

Like giving up something you really want now...for something you want your whole life...
Or spending less time on yourself so you can spend more time with someone you love...
At some point, you even might have to give up your sense of safety and well-being...


But after a while, you don’t feel like you are giving up anything at all...

St. Patricks Day...

(Backdate: 17th March...)

Went for the Otley Run (visiting 16 pubs, drinking a pint of beer in each) with Gerado and his gang to celebrate St. Patricks Day. A damn big group that consist of Spanish, Italian, Greeks, Argentinian and English :)

Met Hadi's flatmate in one of the pubs, and was roped in to do their "Dinosaur" dance...haha

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ever wonder what will happen if you put a bunch of crazy people together??? :)

Scrubs...

Have been introduce to this American situation comedy by Hadi, my FPGA buddy (Think it had been shown in Singapore before...okok...I'm kinda slow...haha)

Exploring meaningful issues in interesting/funny ways...A very nice show...Recommending it to all you guys who haven't watch it!!!

Helps to take my mind off all the projects from time to time =)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Won the race but lost your mind...
Was it worth it after all...