seventh

Everyone went over to the deep pool today.

We took turns do to laps.

I did my first lap holding on to the float (our coach held the other end) and just doing the leg movements.

Then I completed my second lap sans float.

Without stopping!!!

YES I CAN FINALLY SWIM!!!

Although only frogstyle.

While I was waiting for my third turn, this Indian guy told me, ‘You must be leading among the girls.’

:D

To which I replied, ‘But none of them are here today.’

Well there are only two other girls (the other five are boys) anyway.

And I’ve also turned up for all the lessons.

Also learnt how to tread water.

Alas today’s lesson was only about an hour long cos our coach had to attend a staff dinner.

那都是很好很好的，可是我偏不喜欢

是不是只有女孩子读武侠小说才会去注意、记得那些情情爱爱的部分？

其时红日西斜，秋风拂面，微有凉意。杨不悔脸上柔情无限，眼波盈盈，低声道：“无忌哥哥，你说我爹爹和妈妈是不是对不起殷……殷……六叔？”

张无忌道：“这些过去的事，那也不用说了。”杨不悔道：“不，在旁人看来，那是很久以前的事啦，连我都十七岁了。不过殷六叔始终没忘记妈妈。这次他身受重伤，日夜昏迷，时时拉着我的手，不断的叫我：‘晓芙！晓芙！’他说：‘晓芙！你别离开我。我手足都断了，成了废人，求求你，别离开我，可别抛下我不理。’”她说到这里，泪水盈眶，甚是激动。

张无忌道：“那是六叔神智胡涂中的言语，作不得准。”

杨不悔道：“不是的。你不明白，我可知道。他后来清醒了，瞧着我的时候，眼光和神气一模一样，仍是在求我别离开他，只是不说出口来而已。”

张无忌叹了口气，深知这位六叔武功虽强，性情却极软弱，自己幼时便曾见他往往为了一件小事而哭泣一场，纪晓芙之死对他打击尤大，眼下更是四肢断折，也难怪他惶惧不安，说道：“我当竭尽全力，设法去夺得黑玉断续膏来，医治三师伯和六师叔之伤。”

杨不悔道：“殷六叔这么瞧着我，我越想越觉爹爹和妈妈对他不起，越想越觉得他可怜。无忌哥哥，我已亲口答应了殷……殷六叔，他手足痊愈也好，终身残废也好，我总是陪他一辈子，永远不离开他了。”说到这里，眼泪流了下来，可是脸上神采飞扬，又是害羞，又是欢喜。

张无忌吃了一惊，哪料到她竟会对殷梨亭付托终身，一时说不出话来，只道：“你……你……”杨不悔道：“我已斩钉截铁的跟他说了，这辈子跟定了他。他要是一生一世动弹不得，我就一生一世陪在他床边，侍奉他饮食，跟他说笑话儿解闷。”

张无忌道：“可是你……”杨不悔抢着道：“我不是蓦地动念，便答应了他，我一路上已想了很久很久。不但他离不开我，我也离不开他，要是他伤重不治，我也活不成了。跟他在一起的时候，他这么怔怔的瞧着我，我比甚么都喜欢。无忌哥哥，我小时候甚么事都跟你说，我要吃个烧饼，便跟你说；在路上见到个糖人儿好玩，也跟你说。那时候咱们没钱买不起，你半夜里去偷了来给我，你还记得么？”

张无忌想起当日和她携手西行的情景，两小相依为命，不禁有些心酸，低声道：“我记得。”

杨不悔按着他手背，说道：“你给了我那个糖人儿，我舍不得吃，可是拿在手里走路，太阳晒着晒着，糖人儿融啦，我伤心得甚么似的，哭着不肯停。你说再给我找一个，可是从此再也找不到那样的糖人儿了。你虽然后来买了更大更好的糖人儿给我，我也不要了，反而惹得我又大哭了一场。那时你很着恼，骂我不听话，是不是？”

张无忌微笑道：“我骂了你么，我可不记得了。”

杨不悔道：“我的脾气很执拗，殷六叔是我第一个喜欢的糖人儿，我再也不喜欢第二个了。无忌哥哥，有时我自己一个儿想想，你待我这么好，几次救了我的性命，我……我该当侍奉你一辈子才是。然而我总当你是我的亲哥哥一样，我心底里亲你敬你，可是对他啊，我是说不出的可怜，说不出的喜欢。他年纪大了我一倍还多，又是我的长辈，多半人家会笑话我，爹爹又是他的死对头，我……我知道不成的……可是不管怎样，我总是跟你说了。”

她说到这里，再也不敢向张无忌多望一眼，站起身来，飞奔而去。

张无忌望着她的背影在山坳边消失，心中怅怅的，也不知道甚么滋味，悄立良久，才追上韦一笑等三人。

金庸《倚天屠龙记》第二十五回

sixth

Can swim frogstyle less vaguely now.

Oh the style is actually called breaststroke but never mind.

Frogstyle sounds cuter anyway.

Swimming makes me a very hungry heretic!

情是何物

一日早晨，陆无双与程英煮了早餐，等了良久，不见杨过到来，二人到他所歇宿的山洞去看时，只见地下泥沙上划着几个大字：“暂且作别，当图后会。兄妹之情，皎如日月。”

陆无双一怔，道：“他……他终于去了。”发足奔到山巅，四下遥望，程英随后跟至。两人极目远眺，惟见云山茫茫，哪有杨过的人影？陆无双心中大痛，哽咽道：“你说他……到哪里去啦？咱们日后……日后还能再见到他么？”

程英道：“三妹，你瞧这些白云聚了又散，散了又聚，人生离合，亦复如斯。你又何必烦恼？”她话虽如此说，却也忍不住流下泪来。

金庸《神雕侠侣》第三十二回

fifth

Midsem break but went back to school for swimming lesson.

Can vaguely swim frogstyle now.

Started on backstroke.

Highly possible for one to knock their head on the wall.

The feeling of the water rushing into one’s ears is weird.

What a ridiculous way to swim. :P

初三

Happy 22 7/12th birthday to me!!!

初一

This afternoon my 奶奶 picked up my thick black plastic bangle and went:

呢個係乜？*figures it out and gestures around her wrist* 咁大隻啊？

Haha my granny is so cute. I just realized that she codeswitches from Hokkien to Cantonese but I can’t really tell what each dialect indexes as I don’t understand Hokkien!!!

Happy new year everyone!!!

除夕

Homemade popiah (with shredded abalone and scallop in addition to the usual stewed turnip and boiled egg) and roast chicken (with roasted vegetables nicely oiled by the chicken fat) for dinner.

Very full now.

:)

男左女右

Last minute preparations are ongoing.

Was tasked to decorate pineapple plants with bits of pipe cleaner:

Girly colours for 观音娘娘 and something less so for 土地公!

Lol!

tart

oh pineapple tart
chinese new year’s existence
will depend on you

…

Homemade pineapple tarts courtesy of mum and sister. ♥

无题

如果和某人有艳遇，和他说的话，算不算是歇后语？

a moment of bliss

Finally hauled myself down to the OSA around half-past noon today to pay my swimming class fees.

But before I made payment, I just had to check out the poolside restaurant which sells Northern Chinese cuisine. The 菜 looked a bit weird and gross but then I spotted a warmer full of 馅饼 – pork and veggies; egg and veggies; and onions. Since my tummy was rumbling, I bought one pork and veggies 馅饼 and settled on a nearby bench to eat.

OHHH the pastry skin was hot and crispy, although a little oily, and the meat inside totally melted in  my mouth. The first bite was totally amazing. I nearly fainted in delight. YUMMY!!!!!!

I savoured every mouthful before going to pay my swimming fees. XD

fourth

I can almost swim frogstyle now.

But I need to work on my breathing.

Subway sandwiches taste like heaven after a long swim.

My arms and legs are aching.

点心点心点点心心

While eating crumbly New Year cookies I suddenly thought of this passage:

郭靖心神渐定，笑道：“我真胡涂，一直当你是男子，以后不能再叫你黄贤弟啦！”黄蓉笑道：“你也别叫我黄贤妹，叫我作蓉儿罢。我爸爸一向这样叫的。”郭靖忽然想起，说道：“我给你带了点心来。”从怀里掏出完颜康送来的细点，哪知他背负王处一、换水化毒、奔波求药，早把点心压得或扁或烂，不成模样。黄蓉看了点心的样子，轻轻一笑。郭靖红了脸，道：“吃不得了！”拿起来要抛入湖中。黄蓉伸手接过，道：“我爱吃。”郭靖一怔，黄蓉已把一块点心放在口里吃起来。郭靖见她吃了几口，眼圈渐红，眼眶中慢慢充了泪水，更是不解。黄蓉道：“我生下来就没了妈，从没有谁这样记着我过……”说着几颗泪水流了下来。她取出一块洁白的手帕，郭靖以为她要擦拭泪水，哪知她把几块压烂了的点心细心包好，放在怀里，回眸一笑，道：“我慢慢的吃。”

金庸《射雕英雄传》第八回

does gentlemanliness promote ladylikeness or vice versa?

Snippet of an MSN convo with KN:

time to abandon the chrysalis says: heys..you can comment on my msn nick

~ * j u n * ~ [ the princess of peach blossom island ] says: why?

~ * j u n * ~ [ the princess of peach blossom island ] says: you grew wings ah

~ * j u n * ~ [ the princess of peach blossom island ] says: haha

time to abandon the chrysalis says: msn msg

~ * j u n * ~ [ the princess of peach blossom island ] says: dont think so

~ * j u n * ~ [ the princess of peach blossom island ] says: i think many girls expect guys to be gentlemanly

~ * j u n * ~ [ the princess of peach blossom island ] says: and yet they are not ladylike

time to abandon the chrysalis says: yes

time to abandon the chrysalis says: but i think gentlemanliness does sometime promote ladylikeness

~ * j u n * ~ [ the princess of peach blossom island ] says: eh

time to abandon the chrysalis says: for example..if a guy pulls a chair for you to sit

time to abandon the chrysalis says: you’ll try to sit on it daintily

time to abandon the chrysalis says: you wont just plonk yourself on it

~ * j u n * ~ [ the princess of peach blossom island ] says: the values espoused by gentlemanliness/ladylikeness should not be confined to one gender

time to abandon the chrysalis says: ( i think ladylikeness is an underrated value)

time to abandon the chrysalis says: a pity i’m too siaocharbor

~ * j u n * ~ [ the princess of peach blossom island ] says: like courtesy, helpfulness, bravery, etc for the guys

~ * j u n * ~ [ the princess of peach blossom island ] says: these can also be practised by girls

time to abandon the chrysalis says: of coz

~ * j u n * ~ [ the princess of peach blossom island ] says: lol i think i will just plonk down

~ * j u n * ~ [ the princess of peach blossom island ] says: HAHAHAA

~ * j u n * ~ [ the princess of peach blossom island ] says: ohgosh

time to abandon the chrysalis says: think these two terms are only in used when relating to members of opp gender

time to abandon the chrysalis says: kk..we shall try to be more ladylike