mrsjono

Going for a break after slogging for 4 years and before I begin the next phase of my life. After months of preparation, we're finally setting off on our own to see if those sceneries on the web are real or photoshopped. I feel kinda stressed when I'm supposed to be relaxed. Maybe bcos I'm having running nose and I'm scared I'll get quarantined.

This is my fourth time to China. Can't believe I'm going back to Chengdu again. Maybe this is my opportunity to right a wrong. I still remember last year I sat alone at Tianfu Square waiting for the fountain to start at 7.30pm but I never got to see it.

Watch this space for my graduation trip to Sichuan & Yunnan.

These are the sounds I hear in a day:

First, I would be woken up by thunderous drilling and knocking at about 9am. My block is finally selected for lift upgrading after 22 years. But I manage to continue sleeping, pressing my bolster on my ear.

At 12 noon, the drilling stops as the workers go for lunch. The neighbourhood enjoys some peace and quiet for a while and the chirping of birds becomes audible now.

The drilling resumes and the birds cannot be heard now.

The knocking stops again at 3pm as the workers go for 30 mins of tea break.

It continues again and the volume produced by electronic devices need to be increased in order to watch TV or listen to music.

At about 5.30pm, the workers call it a day. Rats take over and their squeaks reveberate in the whole neighbourhood as they scurry across the carpark.

Some sounds are produced due to our biological needs. After the rats screech, a long meow is heard around the corner as the cat is not looking to catch mice but longing to mate.

Late into the night when the rats and the cat are asleep, the night is filled with a chorus of sounds by earthworms, lizards and crickets. Night crawlers usually spend most of their time at night having sex. So I suppose these animals are having sex outside my house while I'm trying to sleep. That's not very nice.

Slowly, I can't hear anything as I fall asleep and the bulldozing interrupts my sleep again the next morning.

This post has no meaning. I just need to get away from studying for a while.

To reward myself after the submission of the last assignment in my life (most probably), I decided to watch Despereaux on Tudou. It's called 浪漫鼠德佩罗 by the way. I've been wanting to watch it ever since it was released last year but I haven't got the time.

It's a great show for kids as it teaches values such as courage, kindness and forgiveness through a fantasy story. I felt rather intrigued with some parts of the show. Looking at how the Mouse World functions makes me think of our own society. Every society has its own norms and culture. But who sets these rules? Who determines how we should behave? Society? People around us? Or ourselves? Why should a mouse cower, scurry and be afraid? Why should we conform?

In order for society to function, there are laws to govern how we should behave. When Despereaux's father said to his wife that they should let the Council deal with Despereaux's behaviour, he could not give a reason. "They're the Council...because they're the Council." Similarly, is the judge or court always right? Who gives them the authority? Who determines what's right and what's wrong?

When Despereaux was tied up and lowered into the dungeon, Hovis, the Threadmaster (the rat without pupils in his eyes) said "Wear it proudly...There's no shame." When I heard that, I kinda felt like he was trying to tell me "It's ok to be deviant, there is nothing to be ashamed of." So if people ever say you're weird (like what Despereaux's classmates said to him), you should laugh back at them, because they don't have the courage to deviate from the norm.

I'm recently hooked on Jon & Kate Plus 8. The Gosselins have twins and sextuplets. It's showing on TLC (US) and Discovery Home & Health (SG) at different times of the day. My favourite kid has got to be Collin. He loves trains and likes to be organized. Collin reminds me of my neighbour baby Jared. The kids are really adorable. They have different personalities and behave differently. It's interesting to see how they communicate with each other among themselves. They say funny things and do funny things.

I've been waking up at 10.45am everyday, from Mon-Fri to catch the show at 11am on Ch16. (15mins to wash up and get ready) But 2 days ago, they've switched to Little People, Big World and I'm so disappointed. I told rs about it and this was his response:

No more Jon & Kate Plus 8...

What? U know why? Cos their viewership is bad. U'r the only person in Spore who watches it.

I think they've decided to air another show cos it's the end of Season 2. It'll come back soon. Luckily, I found most of the episodes on youtube. I've been watching them all day long. It's doing me in, what with all the work I have to do!

This time last year, I would have arrived in Beijing, free from stress and enjoying myself with all the time in the world. Totally miss those days!

I was doing my work in the computer lab when a Caucasian walked in. She's very tall and pretty and didn't sound like from the US or UK bcos her English wasn't very fluent. She looked lost and I guessed it's probably her first time using the lab in sde. Well, up to this point I guess rs would probably be saying my kpo-ness is acting on me again, especially when it comes to foreigners. And I'll argue that it's curiousity not kpo, especially how they behave in an environment that is foreign to them but familiar to us.

So this Caucasian approached me for help as she couldn't login. When she stood beside me, I felt like a gina. Westerners usually look older and more matured than Asians even though we might be of the same age. I login using my account and she was really grateful. I directed her to the printing room, held the door for her and waited for her to walk in first. She had this look of disbelief at this gesture of mine. While this gesture could just signify a host-guest relationship, i.e. "This is my school and I'm bringing u around, pls follow me" I guess it could mean a master-servant relationship in her country, i.e. "Subservients holding the door for their colonial masters".

In the printing room, I login to the system for her, released the print job for her, and, no, I didn't use my cash card to pay for her printing of cos. She thanked me many times and said "You're so kind."

Later in the evening after a consultation, I didn't have time to have my dinner. I was very hungry and I was already late for a lecture. The only solution was to get a burger at Mac Donalds. I don't like their new system of printing out those receipts and getting u to wait by the side as it's totally inefficient and a waste of paper. There were 2 girls in front of me and I don't know why one of them went to take the receipt with my double cheese burger order in it and put it in her tray.

So I told her "That's mine" but she ignored me, didn't put the receipt back and continued talking to her friend in some language I couldn't understand. When the burgers came, she grabbed both, gave me the McChicken burger and took the double cheese burger. I was carrying lots of things in my hands, I'm hungry and I'm in a hurry. I was losing my patience and angry. I said again "NO, THAT'S MINE." She had no idea she had messed up the orders and said something which sounded like "I change cos got chilli" and had the insistent look on her face. I couldn't make sense of it and didn't want to know what's going on.

Why the contrast in treatment? Would I still be a kind person if the Caucasian had seen this episode at Mac Donalds? All I can say is, if u need help, I'll help u. But if u'r causing inconvenience to my life at the wrong timing, I wun be tolerant and understanding of cultural differences.