[closed] Lilian VII

[Sila]

while lilian went to enjoy her pint, i prepare new house for her.. :D

[JC]

You guys are real chatterboxes... 7th episode...:)

[Sila]

hehehe what to do when confronted with the truth? admit to being chatterbox lah!

[KoChun]

The Chatterbox is enjoying her drink now.

[Sila]

cheers to her!!

[JC]

while lilian went to enjoy her pint, i prepare new house for her.. :D
She's going for a pint or is she taking a dump?? :laugh: It seems like she's offline right now...

[Sila]

She's going for a pint or is she taking a dump?? :laugh: It seems like she's offline right now...
she went for a pint with her office mates...friday afternoon liao..

me still have to work :(

[shiruikage]

really nothing to do ar u guys? lol

[Sila]

really nothing to do ar u guys? lol
lots to do...procrastination, my friend :D

[shiruikage]

lots to do...procrastination, my friend :D
:sus: its not a do sila, it a non-do. lilian go makan, u no go watch galatica?

[Sila]

:sus: its not a do sila, it a non-do. lilian go makan, u no go watch galatica?
tonight - 10 PM eastern standard time. another 9 hours to go!!

[LiLiaN]

i'm back! thanks for getting the house all prep up...
was out at the local pub with my boss and my colleagues...
didn't quite drink by the pint, had 7-up with peach schnapps instead...
nice and refreshing little drink... and let the weekend rolls on!

[Sila]

yahooooooo!! i finished working - met my deadline! woohooooo!! kicking and screaming gua kerja!

but it rained this evening so didn't go to play tennis. but i baked 2 loaves of Peasant Braids and also for dinner made baked ziti with lamb meatballs.

what will the weekend bring?? let the good times roll!!! :laugh:

[LiLiaN]

decided not to be kiasu afterall, so only went to bookshop a moment ago to get harry potter... guess this evening would be purely reading time for me, while minding my baking of course... ;)

[Sila]

good idea! don't get so involved in the book that you forget about your kueh lapis!! :D

wow, how is it i'm still sleepy??? last night slept 8 hours liao...

[LiLiaN]

it's weekend, should have slept in... i tried but didn't manage, too bright (even with the blind closed)...

[Sila]

dunno what happened. i thought i was ready to get up but apparently i'm not. may need to take a nap later! :smile-2:

[LiLiaN]

you're lucky to be able to nap... i'm the worst person in attempt to take a nap... never successful! :mad:

[Sila]

i'm not that good at it, only if really tired. (or if too bored by sports on tv...) but vin is the champion napper. he even has a special chair (that i call his "chair") that is dedicated to his napping habits!! :laugh: quite envious of it. my idea of a nap is if i can sleep for 3-4 hours, which is half the night! :D

[LiLiaN]

my brothers can just conked out in a snap too... not sure why it eluded me...
sometimes when i'm tired and really just want to sleep, it never jadi! ah well....

[Sila]

hmmm...i probably won't nap either. i just want to as it will help relieve my sleepiness. :)

other than harry potter and the kueh lapis project, whatchu up to today?

[LiLiaN]

need to go and get gift vouchers as engagement present to my postdoc from my lab... speaking of which, i'd better go soon... nanti enjoy forumming until the shop closes, i'll be dead since the party is tomorrow...! :eek:

[Sila]

ok doke. i'll hang out around here for a bit - vin is enjoying coffee and the newspaper. after he's done maybe we'll do some crossword puzzles.

[LiLiaN]

i want to still hang out too... :crying: but better do what i'm supposed to do... if have time later, can still sambung chit chats...

[Sila]

sounds good. gift certs for where? i love gift certs - folks at work got us some for our wedding and it was so cool!

oh, btw, i have resmikan your le creusets! made fruit crumble (apple, strawberry & rhubarb) and meatloaf in them last week! boy, so pretty and useful! thanks so much again!! :D

[LiLiaN]

oh, the post office here sells a one4all voucher - can be used in over 3000 stores nationwide so lots of choices what to do with it... can even use in participating restaurants...

and oooo... fruit crumble... now you make me crave for one... with plenty of crusty top, and serve with fresh whipped vanilla cream.... yummm... *drool*

[Sila]

one 4 all vouchers! cool!!!

topping was flour, brown sugar, regular sugar, sprinkling of nutmeg & cinnamon powders, and cold butter cut into small dice, and pinch all of it together with my hands. very simple to make, really. vin eats it for breakfast. me i like to warm it up and eat with vanilla ice cream (although whip cream will do too) :D

[LiLiaN]

oh, i like mine warm too... look like gotta drop by cafe java after this for a take out of fruit crumble with cream...

have a good weekend and hope the weather will be all sunshine again for you and vin to have fun! ;)

[Sila]

it just rained pretty heavily, but it just stopped after about 30 minutes. hopefully the afternoon will be hot and dry out the tennis courts. otherwise nanti i :crying:

[Sila]

losing hope for any tennis now. it keeps raining on and off. and when it rains, it's actually pouring down.. :( and now it is a steady drizzle. courts won't have chance to dry out. :crying:

[LiLiaN]

that's a shame to have such a wet weekend...
here, it was dry but somewhat cooler than the previous week...
but it was all good...

was at my friend's engagement party (bbq style)...
and then at andrea bocelli's concert...
oh, i am soooo in love with him right now... :laugh:

finished harry potter too....

[Sila]

sounds like a nice weekend there lil :)

it actually dried up enough for vin and i to get an hour of tennis in on saturday. i lost 6-1 but i broke his serve for my 1 point! yahooo! after that it rained again. good timing on our parts! then on sunday, went to watch vin play baseball, then came back home, had lunch. after vin's nap we went to play tennis some more, this time i lost 6-2, and both points i broke vin's serve! yahooooooo!! i put up a good fight.

jock vs. geek, playing tennis, sure jock win... :laugh: :o

[LiLiaN]

he sure sounds like a big games lover there...
and hey, there's a postgrad bbq and softball day this thursday...
so the day will be pretty much a write off for working...
everyone would be out having some fun... how cool...

today however won't quite be so much fun....
we're doing a lab rearrangement thingy...
and so it's clean up time this afternoon...
not only that, i'm losing my window seat too... :crying:

[Lava Gal]

awww lilian, dun :crying:

tatz :( cant look out...hope there are some good things for u out of the rearrangement too!

[LiLiaN]

nope, i'm going to get a desk next to my postdoc supervisor (read: can't forum so much anymore!)...
and i'll also be quite close to the door so everyone can see me... :(

[Chris C]

nope, i'm going to get a desk next to my postdoc supervisor (read: can't forum so much anymore!)...
and i'll also be quite close to the door so everyone can see me... :(
protest! protest! give excuses like u're allergic to sitting near the door????? :unsure: :D

[LiLiaN]

protest also no use... all decided when i was on hols! :mad:

[Chris C]

protest also no use... all decided when i was on hols! :mad:
like that not fair loh............but still can try the allergic thing.......sneeze like siao.......say u pening sitting near the door.........maybe then can change place again.... :D

[LiLiaN]

somehow doubt it, coz it's this new section for bioinformatics only...
and since there's only me and my postdoc supervisor in this section...
i got the short straw lor... never mind, will prints lots of pics and stick around my notice boards...
so will not be paying attention to the door instead...

[Lava Gal]

aiyo :( ...tsk tsk...did anyone suspect that u were forumming so much ar?

[LiLiaN]

no lar... it's just we're trying to have a more dedicated section to ourselves...
previously, there's no bioinformatic section for the lab at all...
so me and my postdoc sit in different benches, troublesome for communication...

[Sila]

makes sense to put you with your post doc but unfortunate that they did the rearrangements while you were not around to stick up for yourself.. :(

it's hard for me to forum at work too because people walking by can see my screen. poor lil. :(

[Sila]

at least thursday you get to play and have a bit of fun with your lab mates :) so that's something.

i have a windowless cube at work ... very sucky but you have to just do your job.

[LiLiaN]

makes sense to put you with your post doc but unfortunate that they did the rearrangements while you were not around to stick up for yourself.. :(

it's hard for me to forum at work too because people walking by can see my screen. poor lil. :(yeah, so look like i'll have to stop forumming during working hours once i get my new seating... :crying:

[LiLiaN]

hey, good morning y'all... wah, at 7am plus also can see jc and sila (obviously evening time for her though) here in forum already... *wave wave*

well, not so for me, am going to head to bed... just thought i'd come in for a quick check before slipping to dreamland... just finished updating my blog for june (which i sadly neglected during my hols)... sleepy now... *yawn*

you guys have fun and i'll catch up in a few hours time... ta ta!

[Sila]

good night night owl lilian!!! :D

yep - it is evening so i am warming up leftover vegetable lo mein in the microwave.

[Sila]

yeah, so look like i'll have to stop forumming during working hours once i get my new seating... :crying:
:crying: how will we get our lilian fix??

[LiLiaN]

yep - it is evening so i am warming up leftover vegetable lo mein in the microwave.wow, you also get lo mein one ah..??? :amazed:
just came in from breakfast meet up with my friend...
it's nice and leisurely, although i had to get up extra early for that.. ;)

[LiLiaN]

:crying: how will we get our lilian fix??i can see an alteration to my sleeping hours....! :eek:

[Sila]

wow, you also get lo mein one ah..??? :amazed:
just came in from breakfast meet up with my friend...
it's nice and leisurely, although i had to get up extra early for that.. ;)
it's all americanized lah... not the authentic kind, i'm sure. but at least it's somewhat close to mi goreng and have hot oil to put on it to make it pedas. :D

[Sila]

i can see an alteration to my sleeping hours....! :eek:
like me! always up at 1-2 AM forumming because that's when most people are on.. :D

[LiLiaN]

look like i'll end up going to be 9pm or something to be up at 5am to forum! :p

[Sila]

that'll work, lil!! LOL!! :laugh:

[Sila]

btw i went through and read your blog entries for june on tuesday night. lovely! great pics and great entries. the buddhas in the temple in kg koh are quite impressive..

[LiLiaN]

how do you find the new archive by month thing..? handy isn't it..?
and what do you think of the blog font size..? just got it changed...
lava was saying she had hard time reading my blog...

[Sila]

i never had a hard time reading your blog - font size was fine. it's probably the screen display setting - i have mine set to 1024 by 768 because 800x600 was just too small. maybe that had something to do with lava's problems reading your blog? sorry, not techie enough to explain that one.

yes i love the archive feature. very easy to use and i read through the month quickly without too many clicks. :D

[LiLiaN]

maybe... i also don't know much... whatever setting i'm on, it's good... ;)
yeah, thought that way or archiving is probably more user friendly...
previously gotta click one by one on the dates... a bit confusing...
hip hip hurray to daboss who helped make that change! :)

[Sila]

yay daboss!!

:D

work is progressing slowly today :( trying to coordinate some maintenance and the server is very iffy. grrrrr worked good yesterday!

[LiLiaN]

yikes, a bit annoying with tech seemingly failing us at times...
my office server died earlier this week so it's all disaster zone there at the mo!

[Sila]

we took our app down for a maintenance procedure and now it is taking long to get it back up due to technical issues. :( server going down SUCKS!!

grrrr. plus i can't do anything but just monitor and be on call in case they need something. i'm liaisoning...

[Sila]

or is it liaising? i dunno..

[LiLiaN]

not only when server dies that it sucks... lost of data is a major problem...
from two cases of failed servers that i've seen...
both would also have problem with backup about a couple of months already...
so not only server kaput, backup also not working... teruk!

[Sila]

omg! backup oso kaput?? how can?? my goodness if this happened to us i donno how many people will kill me lah before i can do anything to the dba team i kena first! :confused:

[LiLiaN]

yeap... first instance was my friend's lab... the boss had to call in professional data recovery team all the way from london to fix the problem! if not, my friend would stand to lose her more than a year work of her phd!!

this time, office server kaput... not sure what the progress is yet... hoping to recover data as late as 24 june or something like that... if that one cannot work, the last working backup was early may!!! maybe can also get the data recovering people...

[Sila]

omg! that is completely unacceptable!! who takes care of the databases?

[LiLiaN]

well, you see, every the person in charge in house would not know backup failed...
coz everytime he put tapes in etc, the machine made the right noises etc...

[LiLiaN]

anyho, going to head home now... may log back in later if any action around here while i continue to blog... ;) have a good weekend!!

[Sila]

well, you see, every the person in charge in house would not know backup failed...
coz everytime he put tapes in etc, the machine made the right noises etc...
good lord - then whoever installed it needs to be shot!! that is terrible. kesiaaaan hope your friend doesn't lose a year of their work. what a disaster!

[Sila]

anyho, going to head home now... may log back in later if any action around here while i continue to blog... ;) have a good weekend!!
k doke. see you later.

i might be MIA this weekend. vin's family is having a get together so will be out of town. will try to check in from time to time but will be hard.

take care and have a good weekend! now must shower and pack and go!

[LiLiaN]

oh, MIA to vin's family... have a good one and lots of fun... ;)

[Sila]

thanks lil. just dropping in for a few minutes while vin is working out. supposed to be showering but ah well... hehehehe i'll shower in a few.

[LiLiaN]

hi sila! hahaha... look like it'll be quite a rushed shower..? ;)
how's your weekend so far..?

[Sila]

good so far. we drove 5 hours yesterday to get to northern indiana, then checked into our hotel. went out to dinner with vin's brother and fiancee who flew in from hawaii for this occasion (how to spell occasion? 2 cs and 1 s or 1 c and 2 s's? can't remember). came back pretty late. was very bummed out - hotel has no Sci Fi Channel so had to miss Battlestar Galactica because i forgot to set the timer to tape it at home :(.

this morning has been very relaxing. uh oh now vin has come out of the shower (he got back from running and is done showering - my turn soon!)

will be going for cookout this afternoon. ooops there he goes - i have to shower now or i'll get in trouble!! teehee! bad sila!

have a good rest of the weekend. i'll pop in when i can.

[LiLiaN]

that's good... though a pity about BG... hope rerun will be on soon!
i'm just about to log off myself... got to do laundry....
so busy forumming here too that blogging has been slow today... :p

have a great weekend! say hi to vin!

[Sila]

i'm back! wow am exhausted - had a wonderful weekend though. it was for a sad occasion, but since the family all got together it was really nice - vin's brother came from hawaii and there were people there who hadn't seen him in many many years so it was really a good time. we sat around and talked for 2 days straight.

i'm still sleepy and tired from all the late nights.. :D

[Sila]

how was your weekend lil? and i don't start work back until tomorrow. woohoooo!

[LiLiaN]

hi sila... i had a great relaxing weekend, thanks...
didn't do much on saturday apart from updating my blogs...
nearly updated by this stage, just maybe one week off...

sunday i was out for leisurely lunch with my friends....
was there for 3 hours plus, nice and slow eating... ;)

[Sila]

oooh i must go and read your new blog entries then! :D

woohooooo!

but i just got clobbered at tennis.. :crying: kalah 0-6. crap! i feel like i didn't even put up a fight! grrrrr...i threw my tennis racket and threatened to walk home i was so mad.. :mad: next time i will do much better!

[LiLiaN]

ah, well, there's always next time... sharpen up your skill and clobber them cukup cukup next time lor... ;)

[LiLiaN]

got introduced to this website today --> PhD : Piled Higher and Deeper (http://www.phdcomics.com)
super duper funny... well, funny for geeks anyway... :p :laugh:

and here's a strip that i found amusing while browsing the archive...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/lilianl/phd042701s.gif

[LiLiaN]

another one...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/lilianl/phd102601s.gif

[Sila]

funny hairstyles, lil. i know people like that too.. :laugh:

talk to you later! have a lovely dinner!

today i am baking onion twist bread. new recipe. wish me luck!

[LiLiaN]

i'm the last person with the hair "what the heck am i doing" style... :laugh:

oooo... sounds like good bread there....
good luck and lucky vin, and as chinese put it, he has "the luck of the mouth"... ;)

[Sila]

hopefully! i just put the bread in the oven. it rose very nicely. smells oniony. :D

i think we all have those "what the heck am i doing" days! whether in grad school or not :cheesy: my hair sadly is not in any of those hairstyles, because mine falls under the "regardless of what you do to it (hair, i mean), i will look exactly the same as i have looked since i was born" :( boring and with no variety.

[LiLiaN]

i think that's probably better than mine, which is wavy but not quite curly...
while i was back home, with the high humidity, i have bad hair day so often!
very tempted to succumb to the hair straightening thing, but decided not to...

[Sila]

i always wanted wavy hair... :(
very sad. hisham and my mum have wavy/curly hair. my hair, keras like my mothers and straight like my dad's. nothing stays in it - pins, ribbons, all my scrunchies fall off and get lost eventually.

i had a crew-cut after graduation (dunno what kind of idea that was) but it was TERRIBLE. my hair standing up straight like i'm scared only. my hair too straight and too keras. my dad said, when i was small and my hair was short, ribut tiup oso tak jadi apa! looks exactly the same. :D

[LiLiaN]

no, you don't want wavy hair that doesn't curl properly but will threaten to turn into afro!

[Sila]

i dunno. you should try straight straight hair. it doesn't do anything. just sits there. put lah chemicals in it or use curling iron. 2 hours, it falls straight again. really! i have not dared to go for a perm - scared a) will look like crap, b) might damage my hair.

although i suppose the crew cut was enough to scare little kids away from me! :D it was a bad bad bad look. i didn't have the guts to go bald, so i went with a crew cut. less than 1 inch of hair. i looked like a pincushion. wore lots of hats. didn't take any pictures of me. luckily by the end of the summer it grew about 2 inches. and by october, when i was interviewing for a "real" job, it had grown quite a bit and was "fashionably short" instead of "WTF Happened To YOU???" :laugh:

[LiLiaN]

ah, the odd day you see me with straight straight hair, that means i've been
a) at my hairdressers and so asked for it to be straighten using curling iron
b) having a very good hair day after tying my hair all in straight bunch and gone to bed the night before

i dare not go for the chemical hair straightening thing...
worried will damage my hair...
heck, i've never even tried dye-ing my hair...!

[Sila]

dyeing our hair will be tough - need to bleach first then dye. i would never subject my hair to that sort of treatment. plus, many ang mohs dye their hair black and envy our naturally black hair - so much nicer than the black that comes in bottles. completely unnatural!!

[LiLiaN]

well, shall just appreciate what god gifted me...
black hair is all good... until grey hair pops out! :eek:

[Sila]

they do stick out don't they! the gray hairs :D

s'ok. i don't mind being salt and pepper if eventually i go all silver. that's a pretty cool statement.

[LiLiaN]

sure hope so...

busy eating weekend ahead... woohoo!
tonight, a friend's farewell dinner party (moving back to HK)...
tomorrow, dinner party with my french friends...

[Sila]

dinner party left and right! :D

yesterday i baked banana bread for vin. he likes these fruity things for breakfast. for dinner it was Sole fillets baked in parchment paper sacks with green beans, garlic, onions, thyme, lemon zest, lemon juice, anchovies, olives and roasted red peppers, with saffron rice on the side. the fish turned out nice... finished cooking in about an hour. got to love that!

[LiLiaN]

oh... banana bread... i love banana muffins though...
orange muffins are good brekkie food too...

my.... you're making me hungry lar...
i love fish but can never cook them properly myself...
wanna share the recipe you've got..?

[Sila]

i'll dig up the recipe thread and post it there :)

the fish recipe i got from the food channel. gotta love it! :D from prep to cook to table, fish, rice & veggies in 1 hour. woohooo!

[LiLiaN]

hi sila! just got back from dinner, now relaxing and listening to andrea bocelli...
bought a dvd of his yesterday on sale, and it's good... :)

[Sila]

nice! i just logged out from my work apps and am almost done cooking rendang. was going to go play tennis later, but vin is asking to have a lazy evening at home :D

[LiLiaN]

i'd go for lazy too... :laugh:
check out this for potential dessert (http://www.ifantabulous.com/index.php?p=166)..?

[Sila]

did i say, droooooooool...?

:D

hey, i think in italian it's called zabaglione. same basic ingredients and technique of making it.

[LiLiaN]

yes, that's what it's called in italian... :laugh:

[Sila]

today i am going to make fruit crumble (strawberry, blueberry, apple & rhubarb), and also bake another loaf of bread so vin can last the week.. :D

also, we are supposed to play tennis. i have to clean the kitchen floors too :crying: aiya i want to find a cleaning person lah but don't want to just let just anybody come in the house.

[LiLiaN]

i decided to laze about today... not doing much... :laugh:

why not? ask neighbour if there's any good recommendations... i'm sure there are bound to be someone who has a house cleaner... or else get the cleaner to come at a time when there's someone at home...?

[Sila]

asking neighbors mean i have to start talking to them first.. :o so hard to do that lah since i am only here on weekends. the neighbors probably think i'm some part time girlfriend lah... :o

but relaxing sounds good. hey so i finished Foucault's Pendulum, finally! it was quite good. but i might still like The Name of the Rose better, as it was more of a "whodunit". Foucault's Pendulum is much more thoughtful and introspective, although there are periods of action in it. makes you think about thinking... :D

[LiLiaN]

well, i know this sounds very indulgent but i just finished reading romance novel this morning in bed... ah, the bliss.. :p

hmm... what if vin go and check with the neighbours for recommendation..?

[Sila]

yayyyyy reading in bed! :D ahhhhh... actually, speaking of indulgent, vin came to wake me up at a little past 10 AM this morning.. :o hehehehehe so nice to sleep in! i never get to do it anymore other than saturday mornings.

my next book to read, Lathe of Heaven by Ursula LeGuin. it's pretty short but is supposed to be really good! other forummers have recommended it too.

[LiLiaN]

i'm still working on virgins of venice at the moment....
once done going to start on eco's book... ;)

wah, so nice lar vin pampers you like that...
time for me to get a sugar daddy or something... :p :laugh:

[Sila]

hehehe i do get spoiled quite a bit! but i try to spoil him right back too. he enjoyed his rendang last night, and i will make him fruit crumble (his favorite)! what's not to like? ;)

dowan to send poor vin to the neighbours to ask about cleaning persons...maybe at the party i'll make some new neighbor friends and then i can ask? this seems to be more a woman-to-woman conversation. men don't care. i don't want to just use a service where they send a different one every time, you know? i'd like to not have strangers running around inside our house...

[Sila]

how's virgins of venice? it reminds me a bit of the movie Dangerous Beauty - did you ever see that movie? about courtesans in venice when courtesans were educated, beautiful, independent, rich and all that?

[LiLiaN]

true, reciprocate the "spoilings"... manja lar... :laugh:

that's right, ask during small talk at party... good idea indeed!
and it's true though that men don't mind much about issues like this...
i wouldn't like the idea of different people in and out of my place either...
but luckily since so many of us share the house, we share the chores too...

[LiLiaN]

how's virgins of venice? it reminds me a bit of the movie Dangerous Beauty - did you ever see that movie? about courtesans in venice when courtesans were educated, beautiful, independent, rich and all that?no, have not seen that movie... the story as far as i've been reading, has been talking about nuns and how even if they were supposed to be equal and sisters to one another, there was still discriminations, family powers, running ground for the rich to favour one sister over another... i think should i continue, i'll be reading about broken vows etc...

[Sila]

no, have not seen that movie... the story as far as i've been reading, has been talking about nuns and how even if they were supposed to be equal and sisters to one another, there was still discriminations, family powers, running ground for the rich to favour one sister over another... i think should i continue, i'll be reading about broken vows etc...
yah - seems like nunneries and abbeys were not immune to political intrigue and also money matters...learned that in The Name of the Rose. bit scary really. we humans just f**k up every ideal...

[Sila]

that's good that you guys share the chores. makes life easier in the long run. :D

[LiLiaN]

i was also watching program on tv last week about life in ancient rome and it was concentrating on the vestal virgins... unbelievable the amount of power the priestess had...

[Sila]

i never understood the whole fascination with virgins and virginity...it's not just because of the Virgin Mary, since this fascination seems to be universal and pre-dates the birth of christ...

breakfast! vin just brought over fresh peaches in yogurt and cream, and toasted banana breads with butter melted on it. mmmmm :D

[LiLiaN]

yeah, strange thing isn't it..? a friend of mine just rang - she's accepting a position here in dublin and will be moving over from italy!!! so cool, and so happy to hear that... she's absolutely a darling, and i've missed her....

[Sila]

yayyyy! friend coming back! that's great news.. :)

ohio is still a bit lonely for me, girlfriend wise. well, my college roomies are scattered around the country, and my work friends too since i travel for work. i have a few friends here in ohio but it's difficult to make friends since i am here about 50% of the time. can't go out to lunch with friends if you're not in town.. :(

[LiLiaN]

yeah, well, i met lisa when she was here for student exchange... and now she's coming back to do her masters... that's going to be so cool...

most of my friends here are international students when i was studying in UCD... it's terrible when every year they move back after their exchange period ended... luckily then i met some studying postgrad and they stay longer, a couple of years at least... that's nice coz then i have a somewhat more steady circle of friends...

now that i'm in trinity, things are improving too that i have more irish friends... all in all a good mix...

still not quite the same though as my best friends from home... miss them lots but not much i can do when i'm living so far away... kinda drifting away from one or two of them, which is a real shame... am working on keeping everything glued together....

[Sila]

i think my mix of friends is pretty varied too...internationals as well as locals. i keep in touch with my college roomies (3 of them, who keep me informed of the rest of the college gang), and also keep in touch with people i've been on different work projects with. nobody's like the old ACS friends...although i was in a 1-year prep program in indiana after SPM where i made a few really good friends too...

i think i just have to start working in ohio to get some new girlfriends here.

it's amazing how easy it is to lose touch with people. the internet is the lonely foreigner's good friend.. :D without it, i know i wouldn't be in touch with half the people i'm in touch with. take this forum for instance!

[LiLiaN]

yeah, the internet is amazing for lonely foreigners like us...
thank goodness for something like this forum on top of emails etc...

i'm lucky that over the year i've made some very good friends..
there are a good few from home... the unforgettables as i call them...
then from secondary school here when i did a-level equi...
friends from undergrad years... and now postgrads...

i don't really have roomies as such over the years...
since i've nearly always have been living with my cousins...
those are family, can't get rid of them really... hahaha.. :p

[Sila]

i feel so institutionalized...i lived in dorms and ate dorm food from 1991-1998...

that's a freakin' long time! but i did make good friends while doing it. and was sad to leave the dorms and have to learn to cook - no more meals prepared for me! :D actually i learned to make kari summer after my freshman year of college. missed kari sooo badly i phoned my mum and she sent me a care package of her favorite kari powder, kurma powder, and handwritten recipes..

[Sila]

if i had family in this country, no doubt i would have chosen to live with them too. but since i left with 1 suitcase, 1 violin, and 1 backpack and left everything and everyone i knew, that really wasn't an option. i have been lucky that throughout the years i've made some really good friends, since i left home...

oh i should mention i have some friends also from boarding school that i'm in touch with. also via email. what would i do without email??

[LiLiaN]

that's true... emails are life savers nowadays... feel like that for me definitely!
anyway, gotta run... have to get ready to go to anne-laure's for dinner...
her bf evan and i will be a bit pitiful tonight... there's going to be lots of french people tonight!
if they start speaking french, i'll have trouble following the conversation if they fly by...
but at least i won't be as clueless as evan is going to be! :eek:

have a good weekend and talk soon... :)

[Sila]

have a lovely dinner! think of it as practise, and just ask them to speak a little slower when they are speaking to you.. :D

au revoir! catch you later!

[LiLiaN]

oh they're trying to help alright....
mike even help me to do programming by giving me links in french!!!
killing two birds with one stone so to speak... :laugh:

bye!

[Sila]

sleeeeeeeepyyyyy...i know it is only 6 PM. but i just got up from a small nap and am still sleepy but i don't like to nap as i usually end up more tired unless i get like 2-3 hours of sleep.

vin is mowing the lawn. and the cubs are on TV. i already baked the fruit crumble and am waiting for the oven to cool down before i bake bread (the recipe i am choosing calls for a cold oven to start baking the bread in).

[Sila]

is this right, lil?

je ne parlais francais --> in case it is completely wrong, i'm trying to say "i don't speak french".

i can say "no hablo espanol" pretty well in spanish.. ;)

[LiLiaN]

je ne parlais (pas) francaise --> i used not to speak french
je ne parle pas francaise --> i don't speak french

there are lots and lots of grammatical rules...
so even i get confused often... :)

[Sila]

je ne parlais (pas) francaise --> i used not to speak french
je ne parle pas francaise --> i don't speak french

there are lots and lots of grammatical rules...
so even i get confused often... :)
my goodness.. so how do you pronounce "parle"?

vin has elected to wait on teaching me any past tense for spanish - apparently it is complicated. so i will concentrate on the present for the present.. :D

[LiLiaN]

hi sila! pronounce parle as if without e at the end...
grammars are always the worse to learn....!

[Sila]

thanks for the tip! at least i should learn to tell people i don't speak their language, non? ;)

[LiLiaN]

yeap! i always try to learn how to say hello, thank you, excuse me, please, and i don't speak such and such language...

[Chris C]

So Sila, when do u intend to have a house-warming party b4 your neighbours do think that you're Vin's part-time lover? :D

[LiLiaN]

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

[Chris C]

Lil, how's your marathon training going on? Manage to loose all those pounds u brought back from M'sia? Still got Kon jellys left or not?

[LiLiaN]

marathon training taking back seat at the mo... only training twice a week, not good enough really.... :o but at least holiday weight nearly gone... :laugh:

konnyaku jelly left one packet nia... very very precious...
beejay starting holiday next week so going to ring home for stock ;)

[Chris C]

marathon training taking back seat at the mo... only training twice a week, not good enough really.... :o but at least holiday weight nearly gone... :laugh:

konnyaku jelly left one packet nia... very very precious...
beejay starting holiday next week so going to ring home for stock ;)

So did u and your cousins had a weighing com when u got back?
As for kon jelly, lu mau berapa? I'll get it for u and send it to your gran's place.

[LiLiaN]

So did u and your cousins had a weighing com when u got back?
As for kon jelly, lu mau berapa? I'll get it for u and send it to your gran's place.heheh... dare not weigh actually... so long as clothes back to fit as normal, can liao... :laugh:

aiyah, don't want to mah huan you lar with the jelly... thanks so much for your offer... ;) you're so sweet...

[Chris C]

heheh... dare not weigh actually... so long as clothes back to fit as normal, can liao... :laugh:

aiyah, don't want to mah huan you lar with the jelly... thanks so much for your offer... ;) you're so sweet...
no mah huan.......since I do have to do grocery shopping every now and then, can buy for u and send them to your gran's place...........in fact going to Fajar tomolo to buy some stuffs, so how many u want?

[LiLiaN]

no mah huan.......since I do have to do grocery shopping every now and then, can buy for u and send them to your gran's place...........in fact going to Fajar tomolo to buy some stuffs, so how many u want?ok, you've managed to tempt me into it! make it 10 packets, and i'll let my grandma knows to expect you and she'll pay you then, ok? thanks so much!!! :laugh:

[LiLiaN]

you're soooooo nice... *hugs*

[Chris C]

*hugs* back..........and u're welcome......
any sugus as well, to 'bribe' your colls? :D
the 2nd packet of kon jelly, lu bikin for wot occasion?

[LiLiaN]

*hugs* back..........and u're welcome......
any sugus as well, to 'bribe' your colls? :D
the 2nd packet of kon jelly, lu bikin for wot occasion?hmmm... yeah, make it 2-3 packets of sugus...! hehehe...
the 2nd pack, make for myself to indulge... even breakfast also had it!! :eek:

[Chris C]

hmmm... yeah, make it 2-3 packets of sugus...! hehehe...
the 2nd pack, make for myself to indulge... even breakfast also had it!! :eek:
at least u enjoyed it.......sugus mau apa flavour?

[LiLiaN]

at least u enjoyed it.......sugus mau apa flavour?the mix flavour like last time, handy that way... ;)

[Chris C]

the mix flavour like last time, handy that way... ;)
hokay......no problemo.....10 kon jelly and 3 pacs of mix flav sugus....will be on their way to your gran's place tomolo....... ;)

[LiLiaN]

hokay......no problemo.....10 kon jelly and 3 pacs of mix flav sugus....will be on their way to your gran's place tomolo....... ;)thank you thank you thank you thank you!!!!

well, gotta run now... still in office :( and want to finish up and go soon...
talk soon!! ;)

[Chris C]

thank you thank you thank you thank you!!!!

well, gotta run now... still in office :( and want to finish up and go soon...
talk soon!! ;)
bye.....me going to zzzzzzzzzzzz too..... :)

[LiLiaN]

sigh... look like i'm not going to go home anytime soon...
still got so much to do!! argghhh.... :(

[Sila]

sigh... look like i'm not going to go home anytime soon...
still got so much to do!! argghhh.... :(
i got to do a bit of work tonight too...had an all day meeting today so didn't get around to doing my regular work. :(

[Sila]

So Sila, when do u intend to have a house-warming party b4 your neighbours do think that you're Vin's part-time lover? :D
ouch!! :D

we are thinking sunday august 14 kot - vin's baseball game is at the high school a block from our house so we can have the team over and the neighbors over for sunday afternoon...

[Sila]

wot's kon jelly? sorry - very blur tonight. but i do know what sugus is.. :laugh:

[Sila]

pretty quiet in here tonight...in that case, good night all! :D

[Dino]

Goodnight Sila!!

[LiLiaN]

sila, kon jelly is konnyaku jelly... really really nice...!!

[Chris C]

Lil, bought them and sent them to your gran's place oledi. Fajar don't have stock for Sugus, so on my way back, went to a kedai borong and bought a container of sugus for u, all 400 pieces of them, mix, and much cheaper. Will last u thru' haloween..... :laugh:
Oh, your gran was expecting me. Your text did get thru' to Beejay.....

[Chris C]

wot's kon jelly? sorry - very blur tonight. but i do know what sugus is.. :laugh:

Sila, when u come back in September, will show it to u. Good for dessert.

[LiLiaN]

Lil, bought them and sent them to your gran's place oledi. Fajar don't have stock for Sugus, so on my way back, went to a kedai borong and bought a container of sugus for u, all 400 pieces of them, mix, and much cheaper. Will last u thru' haloween..... :laugh:
Oh, your gran was expecting me. Your text did get thru' to Beejay.....oh, thank goodness... i was so worried when the report said msg sending failed!! :eek: and beejay also another one, didn't reply to say he got my msg or not...

wah, thank you thank you thank you soooooooooooooooooooooooo much!!! :laugh:
halloween this year or next..? :p i suspect this year...

[Chris C]

oh, thank goodness... i was so worried when the report said msg sending failed!! :eek: and beejay also another one, didn't reply to say he got my msg or not...

wah, thank you thank you thank you soooooooooooooooooooooooo much!!! :laugh:
halloween this year or next..? :p i suspect this year...
:laugh: u're welllllllllcoooooomeeeeee..................
if u intend to give out one sugus each, then it'll most probably last u thru' next yr...............enjoy chewing them when u get them.....

[LiLiaN]

one sugus per day also enough for one person nia...
i think i'll bank on it to last until this halloween at most.. :laugh:

[Chris C]

one sugus per day also enough for one person nia...
i think i'll bank on it to last until this halloween at most.. :laugh:
and those kids will have something diff for a change........your last packet of kon jelly can masak liao since 10 pacs will be on their way........how long does it takes to reach u there?

[LiLiaN]

and those kids will have something diff for a change........your last packet of kon jelly can masak liao since 10 pacs will be on their way........how long does it takes to reach u there?hehehe... depend how long it takes for beejay to go to post office..? then, see lor... if andrew got stuff to post also, can make a big parcel, go by ship, maybe 21 working days or so....

[Sila]

i look forward to trying the konnyaku!

[Chris C]

i look forward to trying the konnyaku!
Bila balik?.......will have some waiting for u then....... :)

[LiLiaN]

wah, sila going back next month..? so nice...

[Chris C]

yup, she's coming back for her best fren's wedding.........and good morning dear............but I have to say adios as well, time for my hike.....kay poh another time.....and have a nice day ahead.... :)

[LiLiaN]

oh yeah, that's right, for peb's wedding...
enjoy your hike chris... ta ta!

[LiLiaN]

was at the dublin rds horseshow yesterday... had lots of fun...
and here are some pics...

towards the evening after the competition ended
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/lilianl/rds1.jpg

janice and i at the spectator stand
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/lilianl/rds2.jpg

[LiLiaN]

the countries that were taking part...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/lilianl/rds3.jpg

cian o'connor and waterford crystal in action..
check out the judge's tall hat and day suit, so cute!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/lilianl/rds5.jpg

winners' parade - UK won the trophy!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/lilianl/rds6.jpg

[Chris C]

wah yoh.......manyak gaya....... :smile-2: but I heard such event must pakai cantik-cantik to attend one, betul tak?

[LiLiaN]

hehehe... thanks chris... no lar, yesterday quite relax actually...
if gone on thurs, it was lady's day, have to "pan leng leng" one....
got prize somemore - 10K euro worth of diamond for the winner...!!

[Chris C]

wah....like that must go for the 'b4 and after look' liao..... :D

[LiLiaN]

i know, and also need to satay the judges maybe... hmm... :rolleyes:

[Chris C]

i know, and also need to satay the judges maybe... hmm... :rolleyes:
...learn a few, 'Demi Moore's strip-tease move'......... :p

[LiLiaN]

eh, cannot lar... got ladies and men judges one....
they look for class i got strip, sure lose lar... :p

[KoChun]

eh, cannot lar... got ladies and men judges one....
they look for class i got strip, sure lose lar... :p
Then you perform got class strip lor, Lilian. :p

[LiLiaN]

Then you perform got class strip lor, Lilian. :phow? you show me first lor... :laugh:

[KoChun]

how? you show me first lor... :laugh:
I know how to judge only, don't know how to perform. :laugh:

[LiLiaN]

eh, who you judge huh..? ;) :p

[Chris C]

I know how to judge only, don't know how to perform. :laugh:
Ehhhhh......KC kura-kura...........betcha he's doing a few moves now since ling-ling is not around..... :rolleyes: :p

[LiLiaN]

Ehhhhh......KC kura-kura...........betcha he's doing a few moves now since ling-ling is not around..... :rolleyes: :pROFLMAO!!! :laugh: good one chris!

[KoChun]

Ehhhhh......KC kura-kura...........betcha he's doing a few moves now since ling-ling is not around..... :rolleyes: :p
As if you can see what I am doing now, Chris. :p

[KoChun]

ROFLMAO!!! :laugh: good one chris!
Hmmmm, better leave this thread now. 2 against 1, sure lose lah. :cheesy:

[LiLiaN]

no need lar... me going... hungry, wanna go search for food... :)

[KoChun]

no need lar... me going... hungry, wanna go search for food... :)
Me also hungry now, better sleep now.

[Chris C]

tata dearies..........eat well and sleep well....me off to watch t.v....... :)

[KoChun]

tata dearies..........eat well and sleep well....me off to watch t.v....... :)
Now got what good show to watch wor, Chris?

[Chris C]

Now got what good show to watch wor, Chris?
Me trying to catch the korean drama,'Jewel in the palace'........shown a few times, dem long, never got to watch them faithfully, so catch it whenever I can.....

[KoChun]

Ceh, I thought what nice movie. Pressed my controller until smoke came out also got nothing nice to watch. :(

[Chris C]

Ceh, I thought what nice movie. Pressed my controller until smoke came out also got nothing nice to watch. :(

..u press untill smoke comes out so were got wayang to tengok?...get another new controller.... :p

[KoChun]

..u press untill smoke comes out so were got wayang to tengok?...get another new controller.... :p
Controller no use lah. My tv keluar asap lah. :laugh:

[Chris C]

Controller no use lah. My tv keluar asap lah. :laugh:
...then another new t.v..... :smile-2:

[LiLiaN]

korean movie really heng in asia it's just amazing!

[Chris C]

korean movie really heng in asia it's just amazing!
Sweetie, have u seen 'Jewels in the palace'? Good drama cos' it's not like the other mooshy mushy love stories. U'll get to see lots of tradition, korean food and the traditional cure for ailments in this drama.

[LiLiaN]

oh, oh, i saw some of them when i was home!
but didn't get a chance to finish by the time i come back here...
what happen to the poor girl... losing her taste sense...

[Sila]

what happen to the poor girl... losing her taste sense...
omg! what a nightmare!!! wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy!! :crying:

[Lava Gal]

hmmm....didnt know got tat kindof disorders...loosing taste sense!!

[Chris C]

....well u know how the others were jealous of her.......so they got her sacked from the palace......but she was determine to go back to the palace, so she took up nursing.....did well and got back to work in the palace again...but those who betrayed her were trying their best again to get rid of her....

[LiLiaN]

i've watched until the part where she got back in to palace again after the chicken incident...
she was losing her taste sense and her mentor was trying to teach her by other sense...
and she's not allowed to try to taste anything while cooking...
she was also being tested by the head lady with the three bowls of water...
that's as far as i went...

[Chris C]

now very kan chiong......she managed to cure the empress, others got more jealous, tried to get rid of her but somehow she always managed to come back better and more determine but still very humble.....tahan all the stabs and jeers.....in a way, shows so much of human nature....how people are even till now.....

[LiLiaN]

aiyoh, like this memang kan chiong... can't understand why astro showed it only one a week... maybe have to ask beejay to get the dvds for me or something...!

[Chris C]

aiyoh, like this memang kan chiong... can't understand why astro showed it only one a week... maybe have to ask beejay to get the dvds for me or something...!

Astro is repeating it, this drama was shown on t.v. few times liao...worth watching.......there can't rent from cd rental shop ah?

[LiLiaN]

here, rental so expensive, might as well buy and post over from malaysia...
i think rental here (only available in one place) is 3euro per episode or something...!

[Chris C]

here, rental so expensive, might as well buy and post over from malaysia...
i think rental here (only available in one place) is 3euro per episode or something...!
.in that case, Beejay will have to get quite a number of dvds, very long episode lah...

[LiLiaN]

really? how many?

[Chris C]

really? how many?

cds i heard at least 30 pieces.....

[LiLiaN]

like that memang a lot... hmm...
maybe i'll just and get story summary somewhere...
coz the show sometimes a bit "poh mah"...
overall, i do like looking at the food... :laugh:

ok lar, have to go liao...
before my supervisor get in and see me NOT working!

bye chris!

[Chris C]

like that memang a lot... hmm...
maybe i'll just and get story summary somewhere...
coz the show sometimes a bit "poh mah"...
overall, i do like looking at the food... :laugh:

ok lar, have to go liao...
before my supervisor get in and see me NOT working!

bye chris!

bye dearie......have a nice day ahead... :)

[LiLiaN]

i sure will.... later today lab barbecue afternoon! woohoo!
you too, have a good day and a great weekend ahead...
i'll talk to you when i see you next... ;)

[Sila]

wow you guys really enjoy your korean dramas eh? i used to watch a lot of cantonese dramas in secondary school. loved them!

[LiLiaN]

sila, nowadays popular lar korean movies in malaysia...
even 2-3 different korean tv series everyday, not including astro!!

[Lava Gal]

Lil...nice to see u still kicking round here...hows new office setting etc...

[LiLiaN]

i now have cubicle... :( a bit hard to get used to...
with screen partition to my left and my right... i miss my window view... :crying:

[Lava Gal]

yea....i get what u mean...window view ...tatz sad..

but hey! partitions on both sides...mean still can forum hor....ur boss not right beside u;)

[LiLiaN]

says who..?? now that postdoc sitting to my inside (next to window)...
boss also venture over more often to talk to my postdoc supervisor...
it's lunch time now so i indulge a little... :)

[Lava Gal]

oh.....so lunch hr/b4 and after work is when we can see u forum kau-kau ya??

better be careful not to be caught-red-handed forumming when suposed 2 work ya, dearie...else then :o lor

[LiLiaN]

well, yeah, lunch hour finishing in 5 mins... so gonna run soon... :)
can see me most morning time here also but not today... overslept! :o

[KoChun]

well, yeah, lunch hour finishing in 5 mins... so gonna run soon... :)
can see me most morning time here also but not today... overslept! :o
Overslept? Haha, Lilian overslept wor. :blink:

[LiLiaN]

coz reading until too late last night... only slept after i finished mah...

[LiLiaN]

ok lar, lunch time over, gotta run!

[Lava Gal]

well, yeah, lunch hour finishing in 5 mins... so gonna run soon... :)
can see me most morning time here also but not today... overslept! :o
oh dear.....will miss u...tc & happy working k. so long then lilz...

[Lava Gal]

Overslept? Haha, Lilian overslept wor. :blink:
is that kochun in denial?? ;)

[KoChun]

is that kochun in denial?? ;)
You say leh? :p

[Lava Gal]

You say leh? :p

maybe more like *rubbing hands together....with 'glee' & :laugh: away silently*

:p

[Sila]

sila, nowadays popular lar korean movies in malaysia...
even 2-3 different korean tv series everyday, not including astro!!
i wonder if my mum is watching these...she was watching the spanish telenovelas and thai ones and stuff.

[Sila]

i've cracked down on forumming in the office. just means i stay up late forumming s'all... :) what's some sleep deprivation for the good of socializing on the internet?? heheehehehe

[song cm]

i've cracked down on forumming in the office. just means i stay up late forumming s'all... :) what's some sleep deprivation for the good of socializing on the internet?? heheehehehe

get a life sila.....or shld i say....get some sleep.... :laugh:

[Sila]

get a life sila.....or shld i say....get some sleep.... :laugh:
i'm supposed to be logging off soon. this morning was rough so i need to make up some sleep tonight.. :D

[song cm]

i'm supposed to be logging off soon. this morning was rough so i need to make up some sleep tonight.. :D

thot u sudah tidur...see see still ard....

[Sila]

thot u sudah tidur...see see still ard....
i'm trying to go! honest!! :o

[KoChun]

i'm trying to go! honest!! :o
You are tying and you are still here? Hmmmm :sus:

[Sila]

ok for real. good night my friends! it is 12:04 AM now. so dem sleepy too...

[KoChun]

ok for real. good night my friends! it is 12:04 AM now. so dem sleepy too...
Still a little :sus: . Anyway, good night, Sila.

[Sila]

Still a little :sus: . Anyway, good night, Sila.
thanks for your faith in my ability to log off from this forum..

ummm since i just replied when i'm supposed to be gone, you might have a point! :h: i might have...an addiction!

[LiLiaN]

oh sila, you know we'll always be here for you... :)

[LiLiaN]

hahaha... on the phdcomics today, goes to show nerds can be funny... :laugh:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/lilianl/phd081705s.gif

[LiLiaN]

will keep the next instalment posted... ;)

[Chris C]

...and how are u sweetie? I practically have to run round the forum to read bits and parts of u.....and can say now that i managed to compile them..... :laugh:

[LiLiaN]

me or sila..?? :confused:

[Sila]

will keep the next instalment posted... ;)
waiting with bated breath... ;)

[Chris C]

me or sila..?? :confused:
:laugh: u!...but come to think of it, Sila is in the same sampan too! :D

[LiLiaN]

ya tak ya jugak! :laugh:

[NHLee]

ya tak ya jugak! :laugh:

Have a nice weekend! Yuck..i got chores to do think of it!

[LiLiaN]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/lilianl/phd081705s.gif

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/lilianl/phd081905s.gif

[Chris C]

Haha........so anyone in your lab in that situation? :D

[LiLiaN]

seeing another grad student nia mah... :p :laugh:
my postdoc is engaged to a postgrad student wot....

[Chris C]

ah......and they both make good genes together........ :cheesy: :laugh:

[LiLiaN]

we hope... i have to save up for that wedding somemore...
coz it may be held abroad and not here... i'm in the list of invited guests...

[Chris C]

we hope... i have to save up for that wedding somemore...
coz it may be held abroad and not here... i'm in the list of invited guests...
aiyo......this time where?

[LiLiaN]

hhmmm... they're still tossing between a couple of locations in europe...
regardless where, i need to think of the flight, accomodation, dress to wear etc....
plus i'm single so it's going to be a bit depressing i think...
at least if held here got lots of friends who are going on their own too...
but going away means only small number of people will be invited....