High time for updates~
Or maybe, no one even noticed I did not update for quite some time? lol...
If you are thinking, hmmm... has Clarice disappeared again, or is Clarice going to quit blogging altogether, then you can stop all those thoughts now. Cuz here I am with some updates... Maybe a long one... Not sure... Actually, I did think of quitting blogging altogether, but in the end, I decided to go on since I've already maintained this site for so long, that it has somehow grown deep in me, that I can't just say quit.
Anyway, I've beeen really really busy as well, so didn't really have the time to sit down and blog. First things first, I've started working again... Yes, I've found an administrative job, at a jewellery company... I will not say too much here since I'm just into the job... but it is just another boring casual position that I've took up, with much higher pay yet rather monotonous and mundane... yeah... Let me get my hang of my work before I start talking more about it.
And yeah... my school work is just suffocating me so much so that I can't breathe! I have a 2000 words submission coming Friday, which I've not started writing... then I've another 5000 words one which I've not started either... AND the big thesis I've been working on all this time... *groans*... I just want this semester to end ASAP!
Anyway, I will divide this post into 'chapters'..... So read away (if you have time to spare)!
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Chapter 1:
I've met up with my supervisor Mark on Thursday, after having submitted my first draft for my thesis... I know I still have a long way to go, and I need to add in more arguments and provide more examples of the case study, which I've chosen as the September 11 attacks. Mark said that I have provided a strong theoretical background, but I did not build up alot from these theories, so he wants to see more of my arguments and opinions. Sigh... I am just not critical enough. How??
Besides, there are so many distractions. I wish I can just focus on one topic, but I have Media Ethics unit to tackle too. For my 5000 words essay, I've chosen to look at the media reporting and its ethical issues for Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky scandal which happened in 1998. Then next Friday will be my submission for Media ethics journal, which I have to cut out newspaper articles which have raised doubt in terms of journalism ethics, and how these reportings might have breached these codes of ethics..... See, so many things to focus on... *help...*
Korean classes have started again too, after 2 weeks break... Feel so happy to go back to class, which is something that has never happened before for any of my classes from primary school til university now... lol.... I always prefer outside classes - piano classes, language classes etc... they are so much more interesting!
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Chapter 2:
9 October - my darling Mommy's birthday!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY!! Though I've already called and mailed a card, but still, I regret not being able to physically be in Singapore to celebrate her birthday.... Sigh...
My grandfather in Taiwan has celebrated his 90th birthday last month as well... Wow... HAPPY BIRTHDAY Wai Gong!! :)
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Chapter 3:
Amidst of all these stress and torture, I am glad I still managed to squeeze in some entertainment for myself... which somewhat kept me sane... Anyway on Tuesday, went to watch "The Seeker - The Dark is Rising" by Alexander Ludwig, Christopher Eccleston, Amelia Warner, and some others... The movie was ok actually... Not as good as I've imagined it to be. After the movies I've read reviews from other people and they said that the movie was a disappointing adaptation of the book. Hmmm...
And what's on TV?? Quite alot! I've been watching quite a few programs recently, and it's quite 'surprising' in the sense that I don't usually watch TV in Australia... Besides my favorite world news and other news programs on SBS and ABC, Thursday nights are the nights I will stay in the living room whole night glued to the TV... lol... First, my favorite "Ghost Whisperer" starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, who is also the producer for this series. The series' just, very interesting. I love seeing how Jennifer Love Hewitt's character, who has the gift of seeing spirits, solve the problems for these spirits who have passed away, but couldn't cross over because of things that could not let go when they were still alive. After "Ghost Whisperer" was the new series called "Bionic Woman" which looked so interesting that I just have to watch it. After that, will be "Heroes" season 2, and I decided to watch that, knowing I've missed a fair part of the exciting season 1, and I don't want to miss so much of season 2 again!
Oh... and I've also started to watch a new Korean series, "Hwang Jin Yi" (황진이), who was the most famous, talented and outstanding gi-saeng (기생), or courtesans, in the Joseon dynasty... Acted by Ha Ji Won as Jin Yi. So far I'm only at episode 6 out of 24 episodes, but I can only afford time for 1 episode per day. I think this is a 'must-watch' period drama. Really... you can learn so much about Korean's history and culture. And I am intrigued with the life of gi-saengs, and the concept of the whole occupation. It is actually similar to Japanese's geisha, who sells their muscial and dancing talents, except gi-saengs do not sell their bodies. Their status in the Korean society is one of the lowest ranks ever, and they cannot marry noble men. So many a time, they fall in love, but the love cannot blossom because of differences in status.
As cited from this head gi-saeng in the gyobang, when a gi-saeng can overcome her pain, and smile through her tears, then she will truly become a gi-saeng. How true... actually even for modern times for any ordinary people... Not sure how many people can actually understand how this sentence works for us, but think hard, and you'll realise how it does...
So, anyone dare to try prying me away from my TV???
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Chapter 4:
I am broke. That's a fact. Therefore, I cannot eat out too often. And thus, I need to fix my own meals! Knowing I am far from being an average cook, I still have to think of things to cook before I starve to death. Sharuen and I have been cooking abit in the kitchen. In Australia, it's much cheaper to cook than to eat out. One meal in a normal restaurant in Australia equals to 3-4 home-cooked meals.... So, to save money, I'd rather go through the trouble of cooking instead of eating out...
Brewing of soup is the most common thing I cook. Cuz it's easy. Just dump in everything and let it boil. You can be lazy, yet you can still eat the most nutritious stuff... :)
That is the amount 2 people ate for dinner.... And I'm not lying~
Sharuen's masterpiece... Note: she did not have any recipes in her mind. I was the incentive. I simply said, "Really feel like having some cakes", and BAM... she started mixing flour, self-raising flour, eggs, butter, chocolate powder, sugar and milk and ta-da... mini cupcakes! And guess what, they turn out unexpectantly DELICIOUS!!! lol....
Dishes I've attempted to cook:
- steam fish + wolfberries + shitake mushrooms
- potato stir-fried with minced beef
- iceberg lettuce with oyster sauce and lots of chilli flakes
- egg + baked beans
- fried luncheon meat
- tonic chicken soup
- spicy spinach
More dishes to come in future...
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Chapter 5:
And occasionally, when things in life get tough, call your friends to your house and gather around for some alcohol and snacks! It can make you feel better~
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Chapter 6:
Friday - the usual 4 of us gathered and cooked dinner at Yongshan and Suya's place. This time round, I steamed chicken with wolfberries, red dates and golden mushrooms, together with shaoxing wine and soy sauce to taste. It was a recipe from Eemei actually... But the effect did not turn out as good as hers... Chris they all said it tasted good, but I don't think the taste from the red dates and wolfberries have seeped into the chicken. Furthermore, the chicken was kinda over-cooked. Suya made Ddok Bokk Gi (Korean Rice cakes) and the red bean rice cakes she made last week. The korean rice cakes taste so good! Love 'em!
Yongshan brewed soup with some herbs and chicken. Very nice. I love tonic soups! And Chris made the same cake he made last week, except that this week the result looks much better, but taste a little less sweet. Yay.... We all managed to fix up a really really delicious, inexpensive, healthy (well... quite) and yet VERY filling dinner~ And most importantly, the company's the essence of everything.
Korean rice cake, by Suya
red bean rice cake, by Suya
soup, by Yongshan
cake, by Chris
chicken, by me
CH: this is the way the heat rises when you cook...
YS: oh really ah? let me feel it!!
(eh?)
Happy birthday to.... WHO?
Where are the candles?
the "Natural-born"-"chefs"
Maybe meeting up at Chadstone later on? Oh yeah! Shopping is always one of the best therapy! Only IF you know how to control your spendings!
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Chapter 7:
My 4th program went on-air, and by far, this was the most exciting one ever~ For the first time, there were quite a few people lurking around the Airport Lounge listening, and, halfway through my program, this girl came in and asked if she can play a song from her iPod, and made a dedication to her friends outside. That was actually very nice, though I got to change my program layout a little bit. I actually enjoyed myself tremendously in the studios, and I can really put my mind off unhappy/stressful things during that 1 hour.
However I feel less nervous, and more liberated, to just talk. In fact, whilst the first few programs are ran by script (I write my script... bleah), I gradually stopped following my script and train myself to host spontaneously. For example, I took in a copy of the Herald Sun, start reading it when I was playing 2 songs, and when it's time to go on-air, I discussed about an interesting article that caught my eye. Those are the things I intend to do more of in the future.
Radio Monash's website is kinda updated... If you log in on Friday, you will be able to see the program list there with my program listed. And if you click that you can listen to me. But I think I do not have a podcast yet... Not sure about that... Hopefully soon I will have one then anyone can listen in to me at any time! :)
Hey, participate in the program ok.... Email to me at dedications_monash@hotmail.com, and I will gladly read your dedications out! :)
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wow... such a long post.... eh.?
Actually there are more, but I guess I'll leave it for my next entry... in case I bore some people out... There are issues about the pressure I have been put through since young... the routes that I've been taking, for the sake of following my parent's wishes... The only time I rebelled was by totally giving up accounting, and took up what I've been wanting to do for such a long time - media and communications. Despite strong protests, I still charged ahead... Long preaches over telephone calls about staying in Australia because of its vast opportunities as compared to the small and economically-depressed Singapore..... And the desire for me to do PhD because it will then 'outshine' and 'outwin' my older cousin, who has always been better than me academically. There are just so many things that I cannot simply explain with written words, because how can I explain them? It's complicated and depressing... Really... A few friends already knew about this though... Looking at parent's perspective, I understand how they feel to want the best for me, especially I am the only child. However, it is really so torturing for me to force myself to not disappoint them by quietly following them... How am I to overcome this struggle??
Either way, I shall end my post here, and shall not go on and on droning about my pressure or 'pleasures'. I can already see the mouse cursors being placed on top of the 'X' sign tempting to turn this screen off already... lol.... B-O-R-I-N-G right? Yeah.... that's what you can expect from a boring person. *GUFFAWS*
Signing out... with a collage:
xxx
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