From the University of Wisconsin Urban Horticultural Website

Been a pretty busy week. Dance practice was on practically every evening night for about two hours right up until the performance and even on the day itself as well! We got the hanboks and fans on Monday night and practiced with them on all the time. The fans were easier to handle than I thought, after having been told by Q that we would have to practice a lot opening and closing up the fans. Poor Q, Sh and Jess were hard pressed for time to change in and out of their costumes before and after the fast dance, and it's been amazing how they managed everything in the end, with the help of Q's sis, mum and Flora, of course. Thank goodness for them, for those ribbons on the hanbok can be tricky to tie sometimes and even more so if one had to hurry!

The rehearsal for ours on Thursday was scheduled at 5.45pm, and we had a practice before that at 4.15pm. Stupid me I decided to walk to SH and had to rush back in the end so that I could have a bit of dinner before going. Ended up having to shower as well after the heat and all that running *wince*...

The performance itself went great. No mistakes, or at least none that I saw anyway, and the audience was very appreciative of the whole dance (*Lots of awww... and I think I might have heard wolf whistles as well during the fast dance*). I did find it very odd and almost hilarious though that the audience would be so impressed when we did the mountain and ravine moves with the fans (I was dancing, it was only afterwards looking at the video that I was impressed by it all myself! *blowing our trumpets here lol*) that I nearly laughed out loud. Certainly did a very ungraceful-all-teeth-showing 'smile' then, but not that it mattered, my fans were big enough to cover up my imperfect attempt at demure-ness :P!

We were lucky too that night that we were after interval. For one, we (except Sh who I think was a bit too worried) got to sample the foods (*reminder to self, must grab the recipes for some of the kuih I saw from Iza and the rest!*), and had a good floor to dance on. Before interval, the floor got really oily from the Samoan dance and the girl doing the sword dance after them nearly slipped and fell. Thank goodness the backstage crew got onto it and cleaned it up, for the dance floor was already slippery enough without having to add more oil onto it lol!

A big thanks for Flora as well for doing our hair and makeup as well. I wonder how on earth she manages to do her own, since it's long enough, and the short of styles she does really require quite a bit manipulation. I bet she has an extra pair of eyes under all that hair of hers at the back. Hmmm... hmm.... I didn't know that opera singers had to take make-up lessons as well as part of their course. And never noticed before as well that eyelids and eyelashes are so very variable. I'm not too sure if I get the theory why some eyelashes are still not suited to mascara though *something I think is a blessing, for mascara is sure damn hard to remove as I found out later that night*.

Earlier this week we had a venipuncture session as well. I skipped my own stream and joined A1's, with good Markie's blessing of course. And by doing so, managed to skip B2's pathology stream. Muahahaha. And not have to listen to that idiot's teaching. Muahahahaha *louder this time*. As I had expected, it was shit hard to venipuncture someone. Hard as in I get this horrid sick feeling right down in the gut when it comes to having to drive something into someone. All that they put into the instructions on what could possibly go wrong didn't help either. And so my first attempt ended up with Sh having a nice big painful swelling around her vein. A big swelling with two holes actually, since my second one missed the vein. *eeps* Being of two minds when trying to venipuncture someone doesn't work. Switch around and Sh expertly drew blood on her first attempt. T_T makes me feel kinda inadequate, and evil since I couldn't even deliver the same for her. Feel kinda in awe and happy as well though, since after being jabbed twice by me she still had enough confidence in me to let me try again on the same arm. Lucky thing I was third time lucky... not sure if a third failure would be well tolerated though, since she certainly didn't look too pain-free when my needle went in. And poor Markie as well, based on what I got from Sh and T afterwards, he was kinda embaressed by my non-responsiveness when he tried motivating me while I was drawing the needle out. Tried to explain with an email as well, but no replies came back. Not sure if he's still offended or no *cries*. Not that this is going to change the fact that someone is still going to have to call him 'baldy' at the end of his next class/ year. *evil*

Made roti canai yesterday for dinner. Or rather, tried to. The dough was simple enough. Just the shaping of the roti itself that was wanting. After perving a couple of Indian guys doing it on youtube, I tried following as closely as I could to flatten out the dough, but somehow they seem to fold on itself all the time. Grrr.... in the end, it was a case of flipping it until it stretched out a little and then pressing it down with fingers to get it thin as possible. Not thin enough it seems, since after cooking it was still rather dense, though the basic taste was there. But at least I now appreciate the skill that is involved in their making. Wonder how many balls of dough did they have to go through to hone their skill to perfection?? It seems that the dough is rather unforgiving. Make a mistake and that's it, the fibres or whatever it is gets irreversibly disrupted and becomes no longer smooth :S .... But considering how long it's been since I've had some, I'm not complaining. My lousy skills are enough to satisfy whatever cravings I have. Yum yum yum... that I forgot to bother about photos, and when puppy reminded me, I couldn't be bothered to -_-"' (Note to self: *Never will I make the stupid mistake of not going home end of the year now, wether I'm moving cities or not... my teeth have proved things as much*)

Rehearsal was this afternoon. Turns out that the stage isn't as big as I thought it would be. It fits the front row of dancers well enough all right, but the second row had to take on a different formation, with Sh and I at the sides taking a slight backwards position. Hopefully with the actual fans there'll be enough fans as well. Lots of other stuff to keep in mind as well, just so that both rows will form out evenly on stage. As Q puts it, 'keeping the good shape' ;) ! Hopefully the lighting will work as we hope it will then, otherwise whatever plans we came up with will be wasted as well. Funny how the people in charge of the auditorium could forget to unlock the sound and light systems, it's certainly very inconvenient as we had to count while running through the dance to figure out what adjustments we would need, and having had the music to guide us all this while, counting doesn't really come very naturally to me :S (not to mention that the place is costs a good 950 bucks for the four hours it is booked for! *gulp* I certainly hope Kwon will wring out of them free extra bookings from them in compensation)!

Weather today has been really shit too. It rain practically non-stop until late afternoon, just before puppy and I set out for home so that I could collect my fans for the dance rehearsal. And even then it drizzled occasionally. Ugh. Poor Bm was pratically freezing as she walked with us to and from the auditorium! Despite the horrid weather, Sh was certainly in the mood for photos and we got quite a good few with the cherry blossoms in full bloom on the way back. And lucky me as well that when we had to walk back to retrieve Sh's umbrella, it was still there. I wonder if my legs will be fast enough when it comes to escaping her when she's in a killing mood.

Recollecting the thanksgiving session the other day, I think I didn't feel too upset or disappointed that less than half stayed to listen to us (it may be voluntary, but considering the effort we put in, and the fact that I made an effort to be all alert so that I made 0 mistakes, a little appreciation of our music would have been very welcome) and even less paying proper attention right until the very end was because there was at least one person in the audience that I know would be listening and appreciating our music. I guess it's the little details that matter the most in the end. One does not need a huge audience sitting in front, one and only one appreciative and attentive listener is all that is needed to make a difference.

Reflecting on that, I think I am partly the sort of person that takes things for granted at times (and not to mention enjoy being a source of annoyance as well I guess) and when I do think about things afterwards do I realise how important little gestures are to me, but by then it's been quite some time ago that bringing them up again would seem odd and out of place. Perhaps I should thinking about things at the point where things are occuring?? So that I don't miss out on being thankful and happy and letting people around me know as well??

I think I'll find big woman sometime tomorrow and ask about my attendance instead. I doubt if Mr. Trying-hard-to-be-bigger-than-he-think-he-is actually knows what he is talking about. And I think I would rather kill a kitten (not literally!) than actually seek him out to explain things (not that he'll want to hear what I have to say about what I think his tutes are anyway) for I'm no idiot he can push around (the hell, we students pay his paycheck!) and it's about time he learns manners (talking about that, a Mr. Piggy back home can learn a thing or two about it as well... don't mind me, I just feel like ranting still) and that threats can backfire.

Arrgh... can't post up the photo I took. Will try tomorrow or later then.

Took this photo up above. Loved it so much, and getting to know my camera better now has only made me love it all the more. One good thing about this is that I tend to notice all the small little flowers these days and appreciate how different they all are, even if they look about the same at first glance. Took some photos as well of the flowering cherry tree just outside the dent school today. Been meaning to for some time, it looks so beautiful with the gazillion of flowers it has but somehow only got around to it just this afternoon.

Went by the dentist this morning as well. Got the bottom molar done at last. At first we thought we could do without anaesthetic, but turns out that that was not to be. Halfway while drilling, it started to get very uncomfortable and we had to stop while the dentist gave me the injection. Somehow injections in my mouth never seem to hurt as much as I think it should, considering how sensitive the area is (compare that to all those I've had in my arms where somehow they always hurt way waaaay more :S!), though I would be lying if I said it didn't feel slightly uncomfortable. Better than potentially having to go through what mumiak once told me as butt-raising-off-the-chair pain though!

Had only one lecture this morning. The other two before and after it were cancelled unfortunately, which did make attending the lecture seem rather silly. The clinical demo was quite interesting... and gruesome in a way. It was melanoma and the lecturer doing the demo was only too happy to include lots of scary pics of them melanoma spots and the effects and what not. It reminds me a lot of the programme I watched once when mumiak was here, though the patient that came along today was (of course) alive and currently appears to be free of it. So I guess there can be good endings as well, and having scarred and hence shortened calf muscles mean you would more or less prefer to wear high heels because flats will make you hobble seem not to bad as well, especially since Sh said she looked real elegant. It's only after lectures like this that I remember how much I like my natually 'tanned' skin, which unfortunately have been progressively bleached *cry*.

During dance practice today I learnt that *** Reddy threatened to fail me on terms for not showing up to his tutes. *TMD* I say. I've been attending tutorials, just not his and I've been signing off on their rolls already. I guess I'll have to check with the 'big lady', as Sh puts it. Who this 'big lady' is, I don't really have the foggiest idea. Okay, so it now is a lie. Puppy just reminded me who it is. That, or it'll have to be the witch I have to contend with. I'm wondering if I want to seek out this annoying Mr R as he asked (poor Lis had to be the messanger), partly because it's 'courtesy'... though I'm not too sure if I'm in the mood to be courteous. Grrr... we'll see who I can find come next week then. May I be boiling enough so that I don't just turn on that stupid asian smile and try to be let's-all-be-happy. Only orang gila would want to go to that guy's tutes, considering how he teaches. If you don't know your stuff, you shouldn't teach. And if you know that fellow can't teach, then you shouldn't employ him. Big shots up there need a good slap and knock on their heads, and he needs a reality check. Grrr. Mano-mano is not happy. Mano-mano demands blood payment to cool her down now. Grrrr.

Can't wait for tomorrow. 10 balls of dough sitting in my fridge. 10 balls waiting to be shaped and pan-fried. Yumm... Sigh, why on earth did I try to be smart and say to go home next year? Why on earth did I even bother choosing to move out when I could stay put and not worry about moving then -_-"'... now I've to recreate myself whatever I want to stuff down my trap. Dang. Not that knowing or thinking this makes a difference to my impatience right. Hopefully the shaping will come out right. Hopefully I don't coat my kitchen walls with dough... mmmm...

First week of class has been pretty uneventful. Lots of free gaps in between here and there, but mostly due to communication skills feedback sessions. Had mine just on this Friday. Was marked with a clear pass, something which I didn't see coming, especially when I thought this second one was worst than my first, what with all that nervous laughing in between. Apparently the tutor thinks I must have done something that made the patient to not get angry with me, for that was one of the first few questions she popped up as soon we were finished reviewing the tape together. I couldn't really think of anything, apart from my looking rather sorry at how things have turned out for the patient. She did mention as well that I should be careful to not come across as promising things to the patient as well that I might not be able to keep. I'm didn't do any of that sort of course, but then considering how often I kept on saying I'll try my best to find an alternative for the patient, a distressed patient might actually come to expect it, only to be let down if there weren't any. One option that certainly never crossed my mind which my tutor later proposed was to tell the lady that she could bring in a support person too. Don't believe that my tutor thought I dug out a lot from the patient too, for as far as I can tell, finding out that she had an accident and that she's somewhat claustrophobic isn't much, especially when there was so much more which I had wanted to know about but had not the time to ask.

Tried making mooncakes as well, using Kuali's recipe. The filling turned out okay I guess. Not sickeningly sweet and full of yam flavour, but I have this niggling feeling that the skin wouldn't have burst if I had spent more time stirring and cooking the filling. The recipe said to stir until it came clean off the sides of the wok. But considering that I was using not a wok but a pot, and that my fingers were hurting from stirring all that sticky stuff that kept getting stickier and stickier(!!), and afraid that it might burn on me and waste my entire effort up to then, I stopped when the thing became quite gooey. When it cooled down it certainly looked no different to the filling I usually see being used by those pastry chefs -- firm and shiny and easily mouldable into balls. The pastry didn't come out quite like I expected though. The pastry was meant to be flaky but mine came out after baking having a sort of pie-crust like texture and taste. Not sure if it was due to it being baked rather than the frying which was how that mooncake was traditional made :S ... But puppy and I did note that it was only those with the yam as a filling that actually burst while the ones filled with red bean paste were fine. How odd, considering that the red bean filling was rather liquidy compared to the yam filling I made. Though my overstuffing the skin with yam filling (which I didn't quite do with the red bean filling) might have been part of the reason. Darn, should have just went for the snowskin version rather than being smart and doing some baked version. Darn, why did that Asian grocery just had to be shut and 'go church worship god' (the exact words they used on their sign... sounds more like an order rather than giving a reason why they were shut LOL!) until so late in the day?!! Unreasonable Mano-mano I am, I have now zapped their butts so that I would be happier about my failure :P!

Dance practice still going on as well. I wonder if there's been much improvement on my part. Most times I can't or don't see myself in the mirror -- too busy looking down at my hands mostly and occasionally being the one facing the back! I've still no idea how to turn gracefully, if I get the counting right which I think is rarely, I get dizzy that I find it hard to stand up straight and do what my arms were supposed to do. If I don't get the counting right, same thing happens. LOL. I try to turn my head right at the last minute like how ballet dancers do but somehow my neck doesn't quite obey me each time. Sh was talking about filming ourselves and then emailing the results out to everyone. I think filming is a good idea, I'm curious as to how we all look, but perhaps it'll have to be a thumbdrive method of passing the file out. Don't think my baby has enough space to film six minutes of stuff though, but I guess it's one thing which I might try doing next practice or later...

Music practice on Friday as well. I'm still making a few mistakes here and there, though it's more a case of remembering and watching out so that I don't make mistake... or rather keeping in mind those places where my fingers are prone to decide themselves what keys to hit rather than what the score dictates. Considering that we three had played this together before, it's not much of a problem I think, even if the event is this coming Thurs (I heard that the careers night is the same night as well too... darn... a bit upset about that as I really want to go having missed last years *shrug*, not like it's stuff I wouldn't find out myself though eventually). What worries me a little though is the difference between the two singers. I wonder how easily it is to tune into a softer voice and then having to 'tune out' a little with a louder voice coming through afterwards. A bit worried as well, if that time is for talking amongst the families and students, would they be able to do so with singers in the picture? But then the song doesn't have much meaning to it though it there aren't singers, then it would be just a waste of effort and we might as well not bothered in the first place. But can't wait though, we haven't done any performing for so long as a group now, though I guess this will probably be the last before we each run off to our allocated cities.

Jan having came back just recently from Aklnd as well has reawakened that little fire inside me. I must go up to Aklnd sometime next year or after to have a look soon. I want I want I want!! :D

Holiday is nearly coming towards the end now. Haven't really been bothered to visit blogger, not when there's so much more interesting things around to do :P.

Had a potluck on the Friday afternoon that was the last day of class. Apparently the Gizzy debriefing thingamajig was cancelled or something. Just as well. I can barely remember what I actually did during that time now. The stuff the others made lasted for both lunch and dinner, and with leftovers too! I made egg tarts and chocolate tarts for dessert. The chocolate one was a bit on the bitter side, simply because I added no sugar to the filling, though having ice cream on the side did help things somewhat.

Walked around the botanical gardens as well after making a trip to UniMart. The weather was extrememly good then I remember and the plants were starting to come into bloom. Watched as well a couple of idiotic kiddies playing silly in the playground and heard from Ch that she had a video of her freaking out as she faked a plunge to her death :P! And she hasn't shown it to me yet.. must remember to pester her!

Went to Qtwn for a short holiday. I guess when one is willing to spend and goes around to look at the place properly, it's quite an enjoyable place for tourists. The last time I came away with the idea that there wasn't much in Qtwn but simply because I spent less than a day there and part of that time was at night-time and it was freezing too at that time. Talking about the weather, it was quite warm there when we went and not to mention that it was quite sunny for most of the time. We went on the gondola and played on the luge (however it's pronounced :S), went on the Shotover jet and on a cruise across the lake, walked around the tiny gardens there, perved the chocolate shop, played a tarted up version of mini-golf (at which I'm lousy), ate heaps and enjoyed myself thoroughly. *kekeke* Had to endure the unpleasant experience of eating seafood, but for which I would be rewarded with the joy of watching someone eat cheese as punishment soon. I just haven't decided what form is the cheese to be. Heh heh.

Dance practice for the med cultural night has been on three days a week in the mornings. For the most part, the dance is pretty much alright now. Just the finer details that needs working on so that we don't end up portraying ourselves as geeks attempting dance. *eeps!* I wonder occasionally during practice times as I watch myself in the mirror why I agreed to Q's proposal, considering that I know full well that I didn't inherit any grace in dancing from my parents. *grimace* Just as well I didn't rashly agree to doing the fast dance as well when Q asked!

Been to two different little cafes for breakfast during the weekends as well. It's part of wanting to try the most of what Dnd's eateries have to offer before I hightail it out of here. First up was Capers and had a go at their famous gourmet pancakes. Looking at the portion sizes, it doesn't look like much, but it was just as well that I shared my order otherwise I might end up another of those patrons that leave unfinished food here and there. *Tut tut* And Croque-o-Dile is another. We went to the one at the gardens and I'm not too impressed by the selection of stuff there. The muffin and cake that I tried were lovely, but variety is part of what I'm looking for too!

My camera has been rather busy as well. I've just realised what great subjects flowers are. Unlike animals and humans, they are all photogenic and for most of the time, obedient and stay still. Not sure if my laptop will have enough space to store them all though, since each picture is almost two Mb and I just can't bring myself to alter them into smaller files *yeah, I know, stooopid =.=*.

Can't be bothered writing more... still looking around. Found a promising place round Addington but will see what other options pop up...