Obviously I kinda sorta lost steam on the post-a-day thing.. or more accurately, I just lost steam, period. More often than not I find myself regretting taking on these internships, not because I find them subpar or unfulfilling, but because I severely underestimated how hard it would be to go on without a break. I like that you don't take home work from well, work, but I don't like that working hours take up a large amount of time that I would usually use fulfilling my other commitments, which have been sidelined to occupy my lunch breaks/after work hours.

( What I miss the most? )

But I'll live. I still am grateful for the chance to work in MCYS, after all, and it's at a good time (in a least-of-many-evils way). Exposure! Experience! ...socialising. :( It hasn't blown up in my face the way I (half-)expected it to, and yeah so far this is the most fulfilling internship experience I've had. For one, I've come to realise that I really am an office job person after all, with the occasional on-the-ground experience.

That being said, I still hate office hours ttm. But probably not only for the same reason everyone else does (i.e. they are long), but more because.. I am more productive at 2am than I am at 2pm. D: Yet somehow I don't see things working in my favour anytime soon, hm.


( Major meme backlog. But still no scanner = no photos yet, sorry! )

I probably have far fewer photos of Qarinah (on Kate) than I do Fariq, which is quite self-explanatory because Fariq is well, Fariq. But Qarinah is actually a lot more photogenic, and loves the camera, while Fariq cannot stay still for more than 3 seconds. Either way, I figured it's about time I posted a photo of my sister on her own.


Day 11: Whatever tickles your fancy

(Sorry still messing up the order because I don't have those photos!) Okay this will only interest a tiny majority of you that will have the patience to read this but since I can't think of much else to write about, you'll have to deal haha. ( At least I'll put it under a cut. )


Other than that, there's a passage from Jeffrey Eugenides' Middlesex that I wanted to share, not because it's amusing or anything but because it well.. completely disturbed me. :/ Okay I'm gonna place this bit under a cut too lest you get plan to read the book and get spoilered, and god knows I hate that more than anyone. So DO NOT READ if you plan to get the book!

( War is stupid 101. )

Today my grandfather told us tales about WWII in Singapore, which he lived through, so it seemed as apt a time to bring that passage up as any other. It really, really got to me. :/ And no, I don't think I'm being naïve when I condemn war, and I think you're the ignorant one if you think war is ever necessary. (...actually I think in far stronger terms than that, but I will refrain.)

Day 10: A photo of you taken recently


Should be the recentest. (Wow why doesn't Firefox count that as a misspelling?) Taken at Fort Canning Park, the thing behind me was a carved tree or something! Like there was a plaque. But I can't remember what it said. Okay so I'm cheating, today was supposed to be a photo of me taken over 10 years ago but I don't have access to the scanner now!! Promise it will come though, I'm looking through photos now and omgz these are brilliant, and for those of you who know my brothers, it will be even more brilliant.


There are a few things I have neglected to mention lately. So now I will.

1. I SAW A CHICKEN CROSSING THE ROAD AT MCYS ON MONDAY. SEE, THIS PLACE IS BRILLIANT.
2. #1 is actually pretty accurate so far I like my internship, though I might just like having holidays more eh.
3. WHY DO PEOPLE BUILD BUILDINGS ON HILLS? I DO NOT UNDERSTAND.
4. I am taking H3 Chem after all. For reasons that are too long to explain in a bullet point (and I can't be bothered anyway), but mainly boil down to: who cares if I fail?
5. PLUS I HAVE MY STRAIGHT A BBZ EDEN & RAMYIAAA~
6. Yesterday speshtian and I saw a gummy bear exhibition at the Esplanade. It made me sad. It's been a very long time since I last ate a gummy bear, or had marshmallows. :(
7. Come to think of it, it is quite brilliant that speshtian and I have met. The only other online friend I've met in person would be dancerxo, and she lives in the same country!
8. In light of #6, I have eaten 12 Nata de Coco jellies.. and counting.
9. I taught liangzi24 how to make konnyaku jelly! And I think her mum appreciates it more than she does.
10. 17 jellies. Serving size is apparently 5, hm.

Okay today my mitzvah thing failed because.. it just didn't occur to me. :( On the way home I passed by a surveyor from HSBC who wanted me to do a short questionnaire but I was cranky after having to stand the whole way home (srsly, I hate whoever came up with the idea of removing MRT seats okay) and being late for a family gathering thing, so I brushed him off. It later occurred to me that I should've done it because I know how much it sucks to have to interview people on the street. ...but then again, I also know that these HSBC people aren't asking us about our saving habits out of the kindness of their hearts, so.

Anyway, I am exhausted! Again! I am cramming so many things into a day nowadays it's ridiculous, and I'm supposed to be on holiday. :( But I can't complain because yeah so far the internship's been going well and I really do want to take this one seriously, because it is quite possibly what I will be doing for the rest of my life. Today Tim (the debate coach - why I am involved in debate again is another story for another day) mentioned that working at MCYS could be taxing, and well, it makes sense. And Ren Yan told me about how the child protection officers take frequent breaks because their work really gets to them. Definitely an insane risk of burn out whenever you get emotionally invested in something, but there are things that are worth that.

Day 09: A photo you took


Just got home, am gonna keep this really short because I am exhausted. Took speshtian out today, she took photos, I didn't. I did the one up there, though. But not today.. aiya you know.


Donated a couple of bucks to The Salvation Army, got a 2010 calendar, gave the calendar to speshtian. The end!

Day 07: A photo that makes you happy


Combined both because uh, it makes sense! And I have more to talk re: mitzvah, so. This photo makes me happy even though I look damn strange because (a) Chen Liangzi makes me happy, (b) this photo was taken by a kid and kids make me happy, and (c) this photo was taken while volunteering at an event for kids and helping out with kids makes me happy! ...that being said, I can't do small talk with kids either. But you don't really have to.


Remember that blind busker I talked about wanting to donate a few coins to the other day? Turns out I had to ( write a complaint letter about him today. )

But anyway, volunteering at MPS = my gift for the day. Longest shift I've done in a while too, and definitely the most letters I've ever written. D: I should also probably mention that no less than half the cases I handled today involved people speaking in Malay (both Chinese and Malay residents) and srsly, I am damn fail at speaking the language. So bad at it. D: SOMEONE TEACH ME HOW TO SPEAK ONE OF MY NATION'S MOTHER TONGUES, OMG.


I also baked cupcakes yesterday and gave them out to family members + guests + SOMEONEEEE. Andandand radon_ gave me this, thanks bb! :D