One thing I realise is lacking in many Aussie, especially the younger ones, is that their GK is kinda bad which I attribute that to their bias and 'narrow' news.

Yesterday, I was having dinner with an Aussie gal (caucasian), another Aussie (migrated from Sri Lanka) and this new guy from HK (a very quiet guy who doesnt socialise with us very much).

Anyway, we were talking smth abt China and the caucasian gal said that there is a saying:

The 2 billion ppl in China wouldnt care...

I was like HUH?! I told her it's 1 billion ppl. Please lah. There's only slightly over 6billion ppl in the world and if 1/3 of them are living in China, China is going to sink lah! Anyway, that wasn't the main point.

I then wanted to say abt something my sec 1/2 history teacher said:
If everyone from China stays on the Himalayans and pee at India, India will be having a massive flood...

He was referring to the war between China and India many years ago when he made this remark. Anyway, nothing racist abt this remark hor.

I din get to say that statement cos I was merely started by saying abt the war between China and India and they were like HUH?! Since when did China and India fought any war?!

The Caucasian gal then went on to say she did CHINA History in year 12 and cover history from dun-know-when-which-I-could-not-care-less to after Mao (Ze Dong) died. And she has NEVER heard of any war between China and India. (I felt like telling her that that's cos the stuff u guys learn here are too shallow and doesnt cover much.) Then she said:

Hmm...blah blah blah... (cant remember the crap of I am having doubts over her creibility liaoz) maybe you're referring the the opium war...blah blah blah...

I was like HUH?! HUH?! Are you sure you know China's history?! Even though I did not take History, I got the impression India DID NOT attack China during that period. It was the 8 countries allies (8 国联军) who attacked China and that includes countries like Britain and Portugal (not too sure) and Britain took Hong Kong away isn't it?! Since when was India involved?! (-.-")

Tho other asian gal then said she din know India and China fought a war and refuse to believe my words and asked the HK guy since -

1. HK is part of China but that doesnt mean he will know cos HK is HK and China is China mah...
2. He studies Social Science but that may not include History wat...

I'm so pissed off cos she refuses to believe me but rather believe the HK guy which is kinda insulting to me.

Anyway, he said they did not fight any war before.

I was like HUH?! WTH?!

I said they fought a war and I think it's during the 1960s but cant confirm on this. And I am VERY sure of it. If you guys dun believe it, we can make a bet (which obviously NONE of them made any bet with me).

Eventually, the guy rememers and said

Oh ya, they fought a war before cos of some land dispute (which was what I HAVE BEEN SAYING!)

I am very pissed and insulted by that. To prove my point, you guys can read the article here

Henceforth, I left with the belief that the aussies GK are not that wonderful. Probably cos their newspaper are always engrossed with their own local news, which are sometimes quite lame and boring, and hardly cover any international news. Which explains why I overheard some guys saying what's the criteria for Asia Cup and why was Australia part of it?!

Sigh, in case they dun know cos of their overpowering self-denial plus arrogance that Aus is so much superior, Australia is trying very hard to be part of Asia in the recent years. This is cos of the rise of Asia, esp China, and they want to rub off some benefits from us. This is on the newspaper quite often but of cos, it wldnt be mentioned here lah.

Anyway, I got another fren who said she wld believe me if she was there cos she thinks my info/knowledge is wider and more accurate than the ppl here which is OBVIOUSLY THE TRUTH! Ok lah. Not all the times cos I also a bit limited on many areas lah.

Totally insulted by some ignorant ppl... Argghhh...

With only a few hundred bucks in my bank account, I've been controlling my budget over here like hell. Furthermore, I have to go rural placement next week which means spending heaps of money since meals are not covered. Shitty ppl. Argghhh...

Anyway, I'll be bring coffee, 3-in-1 cereal, biscuits and noodles so that I dun ve to eat out so often! LoLz. And I just found out a way to save money for my Saturday dinner, which isnt provided in Mannix.

I will dabao late dinner on Friday and put it in the fridge and eat on Sat lor! Muaahhhaaaa.... But quite worried whether the food will go bad cos if so, I will ve to cook my own meal. Haiz... At least this week, my budget din go into deficit. I'm on surplus of 10bucks! Muaahhaaa... I know 10bucks sounds very little lah. Nut that is like 20% of my weekly budget sia. LoLz...

Another good news is that Aussie $ is coming down! WooHoo! It decreased a lot overnite which is good for me. It was almost 1.34 on Thursday nite at 1.339 and the next morning, it went down to 1.3206 and today, it went down to 1.29! Heehee! But hopefully the money changer will register the decline thou. Then korkor can change some money for me. Hopes Aussie dollar crashes down. Muaaahhhhaaa.... That is my dream sia.

Hope one day this will happen!

After the traumatising nightmare last week, my PERIORAL DERMATITIS (which simply means peri - around, oral - mouth, derma - skin, itis - inflammation) has settled down. I was prescribed this ear lotion which had antibacteria and antifungal properties.

However, I chose not to get it in the campus pharmacy, Chemist as it's called here, cos it's f*cking expensive to get stuff there. The antifungal cream I got costed me A$22 for a small tube! And I got it at A$18 outside!

Medications are damn expensive here but I din have much choice. Just the medication took away a huge part of my weekly budget of $50 and I had to stay in my hostel over the weekend eating canned food last saturday! Argghhh...

Anyway, I tried to get it elsewhere but wasn't available. Had no choice but tried applying my own antibiotic cream I brought from Singapore. And it works! Muaahhaaa!

Anyway, the infection seems to be settling down almost cleared but the risk is the cream is running out soon so I aint too sure whether it will last till the infection clears completely. Sigh...

School is going to get more and more hectic with numerous assignments, placements, selectives and exams etc. I will be going for my rural attachment where I will stay there for a week (only monday to friday lah) to see how doctors in rural areas work. It's hard to imagine what is rural area since no matter how rural Lim Chu Kang is, it is still near to all the basic facilities I guess. But some rural areas in Australia arent that rural so it really depends where you're going. For me, I will be going to inverloch with some other coursemates. Hope it will be alright over there but heard that it's really cold there! Arghhh... Sigh...

Anyway, this trip is gonna drain away another chunk of my budget since we have to spend our OWN money for all the food and stuff we buy. They only provided transport. The uni has given us $20 each which is basically not of much use considering a meal in Australia cost about $10! Guess I wont be going anywhere for the next few weekends.

While some ppl can understand, some idiots are damn irritating. I din go to this med ball organised by the Monash and Melbourne and someone asked me whether I was going. I said no and this person called me antisocial. I told her it's so expensive and I don't drink. Initially, the reason I gave was none of my frens going so no point going as well and it's true that money is another factor. Anyway, if that what ppl wanna say, guess I dun ve to be too honest in the future then.

Going for my lecture soon. Chao!

Argghhh!!!

I seem to be having endless health issues! I am seriously so sick of all these shit!

My fungal infection on my feet has been bothering me for almost 3 months. It clears after meputting creams for about a month and it flares up time and time again. Perhaps, it's partly my fault that I have not been very disciplined in putting the cream even after it clears and it's flares up. Sigh.

But, now the thing that is bothering me so much is that the area around my lips, around the whole lips, is being infected by something! Initially, I tot it's merely dry skin and I tried putting moisturiser. But it din work! Then, I suspected that it's fungal infection. Hence, I put anti-fungal cream for abt 2 days but it got swollen and painful.

After seeing doc, the doc tells me that he doesnt think it's fungal infection and told me this is called dermatitis. I was likeWTF?! !#%#$^!#$!! Cos Dermatitis simply means inflammation of the skin and even a year one med student like me can tell that! Argghhh!

He told me not to put anything for the time being as it might be cos I have been putting all e creams and it's my skin reacting to them. I did a tissue culture to see what is the microorganism yesterday. The thing is that will take me 3 weeks to find out the answer! By then, my mouth have probably rotted aways! Argghhh!!!

The doctor told me that it might also be due to iron deficiency. But I am not so sure abt that cos I have been taking multi vitamins mah. But my appetite since I came here has been bad especially last week cos of all the depression and stress. And I did feel dizzy when I stand up. So I am not so sure. Sigh...

Will be going back to the doctor tmr. Hope he can tell me something relevant and useful. Cos it's damn painful and it feels terrible! And it also look damn terribly disgusting! The skin is like flaking off and damn dry and wrinkled! Damn gross lah! Please let me enjoy some good health! I dun want to be always sick! Argghhh!!!

Finally, exams are over! WooHoo! My greatest enemy has been slaughtered under my knife! Muaahhaaa! Ok, kinda lame but yeah, you get the picture...

Finally, it'sover and its a huge relieve for me, both physically and mentally! So much for our Health Education on stress management. Seems that just when I need it the most, it doesnt seem to be working on me much. Sigh...

Today, I was kinda irritated by some ppl. There will always be ppl who will comment on ppl who studies a lot and keep lamenting. Well, it's exam time! Isnt it obvious?! So why keep commenting ppl studying?! Haiz. I mean some ppl are very well prepared but some aint or they want to be better prepared then. For me, I aint as confident as the previous exam cos I had hard time finishing and did not manage to remember all the stuff I revised. Very traumatising on my part. And furthermore, had to deal with (severe) homesickness during the revision as well. Not easy, really not easy on my part.

Anyway, there was this ABC (Australian Born Chinese), a local, I insist calling them local as they ARE australians, who kept commenting that we keep studying.

It was lunch time and the Singapore meddies, some of us lah, were seated near the cafeteria on the floor where many ppl always sit to ve meals. Then there were this grp of ppl, mainly australians, some ABCs and some arent. I actually heard them keep commenting that we are studying. But it was e last guy who caught my attention cos probably I was kinda annoyed by then. He was saying:

Wah?! Why are they STILL studying?!

Well, maybe I exaggerated a bit but that is the main idea lah. And I turned and looked at him cos I was irritated by then. My theory is:

1. We are oversea students who spent so much money to come here to study (esp with the ever increasing Aussie Dollars), of cos we want to do well. We din spend all the money to come here and flung our papers ok.
2. Normally, people who say this are the ones with low confidence. They are worried that other ppl who are so hardworking will perform better than them. However, it doesnt necessarily mean that they arent as hardworking. Perhaps, they are even more hardworking than other ppl.

Probably cos I was stressed out so I was kinda on a foul mood. Did not have my lunch cos I dun ve much appetite and furthermore, I dun ve much Aussie dollars left cos I only changed 1k to on my way back. Aussie dollar rates kept going up! I was hoping it will go down and I asked korkor to help me change the remaining money by the time he comes. With this current rate, my estimated amount of total school fees and living cost for the whole education is going to go updramatically! I initially gave a safe estimate of 400k with the exchange rate set at 1.3 which was considered at the point of time when I was estimating cos it was S$1.2 to A$1. But now, it's S$1.32 to A$1!!! Damn it! Gonna be thrifty! Sigh...

Cos of me skipping my meals and mugging during lunch, my frens were like asking why am I so stressed up etc... And ppl kept commenting I kept mugging which was making me on my nerves. Argghhh...

Anyway, not much time to play thou exam's over cos gonna go for rural placement kinda soon and lots of assingments and tests and exams coming up. Sigh... Really looking forward to Dec!

In the mean time, Exam's over! WOOHOO!!!

Just as I was thinking I am feeling better, with remarkable improvement for yesterday, only upset once, today seem to took a dive for the worse.

Not sure why am I feeling so upset but I think its homesickness. No doubt, friends are telling me that I will be back in Sept for a week and this whole shit will end (at least temporarily in Dec). But I just feel sad. I don't even know how to descripe this. It's a feeling of ultra sadness, isolation, depression, loneliness, lost etc...

Now I can understand one of the lecture, that is you can have ppl around you but still feel isolated. The only time I have any mere contact with other ppl wld be during meal times but even then, I still feel lost and lonely. I do hope these will end by the time school starts.

The only time I was so depressed was in Feb when I just came here. But things shld ve been better now since I shld be more used to this isn't it? Not sure why. But thou I was so sad the other time, korkor came and visited me and I felt so much better. But now, I am so lonely and always cooped up in my room, not talking to anyone unless talking to korkor or piggy. Loneliness is perhaps my greatest fear I suppose. Now and then, I miss my mum as well and everytime I think abt the time I spend with korkor and piggy, then I feel so sad and lonely all over again. It's scary how the mood can changed so rapidly, for the worse.

I seriously do hope I'm not getting depression.

Probably, it's just homesick. I'll get pass this ordeal...

Aromatherapy has been around for really long time. During this trip back to Singapore, I bought a set of the burner and some essential oils and brought them back to Australia. Then, I realised I forgot to bring a lighter or matchsticks.

So, on Wednesday, I asked Xinfang to help me buy a lighter since she was going out with Zhixuan and Sheryl. Both of them then asked XF why I wanted to buy a lighter and she told them I wanted it for aromatherapy. Well, she din think much abt it when I told her the use of the lighter until they asked her.

Both Xuan and Sheryl were shocked when they heard abt me using aromatherapy. Xuan was like:

WHAT?! Is he going to put the oil into bathtub?! I can't imagine you din ask him abt it!

Sheryl's response was:
Wah... That's so metrosexual. I thought only gals use aromatherapy.

After hearing their response, XF started visualising me using the essential oils in bath tub. But she was wondering is there bathtubs in Mannix?

I then asked her:
EXCUSE ME! If I want to use in bathtub, WHY would I need lighter for?! To boil the bathtub of water IS IT HAR?!

She was thinking I will be lighting candles around the bathtub since that was what she saw on TV shows etc... Sigh... Those candles HAVE NO therapuetic effects or whatsoever lor! It's only setting the ambience pls!

Sigh...

And, who says using essential oil very metro?! So puzzling lah! It's so so so common nowadays. Firstly, guys going spa etc is not longer surprising in this era lor. Somemore, everyone is using essential oils or aromatherapy liaoz lor. Like the ones where you plus to electricity and vapour starts coming out, there are ppl adding essential oils to it also mah. Aiyoh... It's so common and I couldnt believe they had such misconception of aromatherapy sia... Tsk Tsk Tsk...

I've been feeling slightly better these 2 days. Really would like to thank everyone who has supported me in one way or another.

Especially thankful to korkor and piggy. They've been talking to me either through sms, msn or through the phone. Sorry that I wasn't really able to talk to you guys for as long as I had wanted cos of the revision. But I'm really thankful. They seem to be my only link with the rest of the world since I have been isolating myself to the miserable room. Sigh...

School will be starting on monday. Not really looking forward to it. Too bad this holiday has been so short and filled with shitty revision. Next sem is so hectic and stressful, especially with the endless anatomy lessons which I hated most. Seriously hate anatomy. But well, I'll have to go through it mah... Haiz...

Currently, my life which is basically non-existence. What a sad life, pun unintended.

On top of being away from home and all the loneliness and sadness, I have to manage the stress which isn't my forte, one of my weakest point.

I have been studying for the upcoming exams. After a short rest in Singapore for 1 week+, I started revision immediately. Did not even dare to go out with my frens or meet up with frens whom I did not meet up for a long time. Only went out with korkor and piggy once a week. Did not even dare to chit chat with korkor and piggy on the phone for long. Always limited to 15mins or so. Up to a point when piggy was so sick with me say "I've only got 15mins to talk to you" that she says she knows lah.

I know many ppl wld be thinking I muz be a nerd trying so hard mugging when in fact, the problems lies with my studying speed. Probably I am an ultra slow learner. I take eons to finish reading notes and what is worse is that I will forget stuff I learn a few days later and now, I dun even ve the time to go thru what I learnt earlier on. Which means, my brain is kinda empty and that is making me panicky.

Life here isnt much better. Waking up early in the morning to study and only limiting meal times to half an hour and continuing study right after that. Isnt this really no life, sad life? It pretty sad to lead this kind of life and I cant do anything except lamenting and whining.

Well, I gotta go back and study cos this is supposed to be part of my half an hour meal time which is up. Sigh... I hate studying! Fucked up life!

It was a tough night at Changi Airport. Though everyone tried to be as normal as possible, I know my parents, especially my mum and my two best frens were sad. I was equally sad, in fact, very lonely as well.

Things did not go on smoothly on my first day. Melbourne was hit by thick fog and visibility was reduced to a mere 100m.

Initially, Plane captain said:

We arrived 25mins ahead of expected time. However, there is a thick fog as Melbourne right now. We'll try to see if we can land since the airport is still open.

However, when we were near to Melbourne Airport, we were told that the visibility is only 100m and we were not allowed to land. Hence, our flight was diverted to Adelaide which is another hour away. Our flight made a U-turn and landed at Adelaide. We were told that they will update us every half an hour. However, all updates were bad news and we cldnt disembark as well due to some custom policy since adelaide wasn't our destination.

Melbourne Airport was then hit with congestion cos all flights started resuming and were all landing at the airport. So we had to wait for another hour on air before finally landed.

In the end, what was supposed to be a 7-hour flight turned up to be a 14-hour flight. Sigh...

Melbourne Airport was so 'efficient' and their luggage belt wasn't long enough. So all the luggages were jammed at the collection point. Mine was so unlucky, among the last few to be released. And I waited for damn long!

Finally, I wanted to take the shutter bus back to Mannix since taxi will cost me almost 100bucks to get back to Mannix. However, cos of the luggage delays, I missed the shuttler bus by 10 fucking minutes. And cos of that, I had to wait for 1.5 hours for the next bus. Fuck. Things were all going not smoothly!

When I reached Mannix, I cldnt find the person in charge of the storeroom keys and much of my stuff were kept inside! Sigh... Another delay.

After clearing and packing, it was alrd 8pm. So tiring. When all the stuff which had kept me busy for most of the day were done, it struck me that I was now in Australia. Though I am familiar with the room in Australia, I was perhaps too familiar that I was thinking of asking korkor and piggy to go Bugis over the weekend when I was brushing my teeth. Then I realised I was in Aus. I needed so much reminding. Sigh... It feels so sad that my best frens arent by my side and my parents are far away from me as well...

I need to start getting use to this, again...

Time really flies and sometimes, you just hope you can stop timing from flying by. Just as you started getting off your horse to take a rest, you realise you have to continue with the endless lonely journey, all by yourself. You realised you've yet to enjoy the scenery but there is no time for stopping by and there you have to embark on the journey again.

That is something beyond our control. You just have to cherish all the moments you have, especially those with your koved ones and all the happy times.

Today, I have to continue with my journey after a brief stop and partial rest. I'm really glad that I had came back to Singapore, where my home is. Having to leave this place tonight is tough though it's not my first time. Perhaps, it's not as sorrowful as the first one but it's still not easy. I'm just not as strong as many others who had embarked on the journey long before me. Piggy says I'm too emotionally attached and perhaps, I shld be more emotionally detached. How I wish I can do that.

I hate going back. It feels so lonely. Though I may ve some coursemates there but it's just not the same as having your family and best frens ard you where you can meet up and chat with them as often as you want.

I really want to stay here... I really do...

I'm heading back to aussie in 5 days' time. Sigh... A 180degree change from my mood ard a month ago... The thought of coming back made me lose sleep due to excitement and the thought of heading back to aus also made me sleep but due to sadness...

I hate going back. Sometimes, I just wonder whether I've made the right choice in the first place. But there's no turning back. Sigh... Wonder why everyone else can be so independent but I can't. Sigh...

I really want to continue staying here. I never regret coming back though this trip was full of doctor visits, endless in fact. Weather was hot but I still love staying in Singapore. It's different to be with your friends. My only regret was that I cldnt meet up with all the frens and I cldnt spend more time with korkor and piggy cos of the stupid exam. In fact, chatting with them on the phone was also considered as smth luxurious which I cant afford to indulge in. I'm really sore abt that too. But some things are simply beyond my control and I must to accept it.

I just hope I cld ve stayed here longer.

Anyway, I will be back in Sept for a week during my mid-sem break. Not that I am rich or spoilt brat (unlike korkor). Cos my bro is getting married and that weekend happens to be during my holiday break. So I will be back for a week. However, I cldnt meet anyone cos I will be busy cramping stuff in again for my final year exam. Sigh. Med students really no life hor? Haiz... Think its going to be even worse as I get more 'senior' during year 2 and further. Haiz... Can't wait for december! Most prob will be going for cruise with korkor and piggy! Haha... cos this year more limited budget since I've been downgraded to poor student.

Really looking forward to then when I can meet up with everyone liaoz...lolz...

Dear Piggy and Korkor,


Thank you for being there when I need you most
Thank you for being there to hear my endless grouses
Thank you for being there to wipe my tears
Thank you for the meals you treated didi
Thank you for being there to talk when I'm stressed
Thank you for taking care of didi when I'm sick
Thank you for straightening my thoughts
Thank you for the time you spent with didi
Thank you for everything you've done for didi

I think the problem of prostitution is getting out of hands. It went on to spread to heartland areas from Geylang to places like Joo Chiat and then to massage parlours in neighbourhoods.

Though with the recent changes to policies of massage parlours and also clamp down in areas like Joo Chiat, things doesnt seem to ve improve much...

I just went to Geylang last week, FOR SOY MILK and supper hor. Anyway, that is one of the usual hangout of supper area since young. In the past, I dont ve the impression of seeing prostitues in that area. It was usually confined to a small area (dun know what lorong thou korkor knows very clearly which I WONDER WHY...)

When I was in army, I had frens like Michael who asked me to geylang to ve 'eye opener' since I ve never seen them before. I refused cos I din think that was necessary.

I ve only seen them on TV talk shows but last week when I went there for supper, they actually WIDENED their 'turf' to include the place I eat my supper. Prob cos Hotel81 opened a chain beside the area. I tot thou it makes biz sense to open there but they lack social responsibility to open in an area where families go for supper and meals.

I even saw some 'successful transaction. going on there lor. Not that I saw ppl having sew lah... But the 'bargaining' process is damn graphical one. You can tell they will first approach and all of the customers are some freaky disgusting ah peks, and the prostitutes, not i bias, all seem to oiriginate from this famous mega country.

then they will like bargain price and e uncle will give some ultra disgusting facial expression seemingly saying price too steep then finally they will agree on the price. then they will head to the hotel lor! Damn disgusting! Damn dirty! YIKES!

Think the police shld do more to clamp down thou in Singpaore this is a legal trade. But only prostitues with liscense are allowed to practise mah... how come nowadays so many prostitues one?! We dont need to boost our population to 6.5 millions if these are the ppl we are attracting lor! Sianz diaoz...