Not smart enough for the SMART TV

Saw a new DVD player my dad bought which was sitting in the living room so i thought why don't i fix it and start watching my movie on the 3 days old newly purchased Samsung 55" Full HD 3D Smart LED TV?

2 minutes later:
What the hell are all these small wires that doesn't it look like it connects to anything??? And there's so many of them!! Are they for the speakers or something???? Oh forget it, i'll just wait until my dad gets home and set them up. This is a guy's job.

Back when i had a Nokia 5610

I loved taking photos with my Nokia camera phone in the past, i could focus how ever much i wanted, not like the current phones. See the photo below, on the bottom right where there's that small silver button? I usually just lightly touch it to focus before pushing it down fully to capture the shot. Wish they're still selling this model, i'd buy it in a jiffy!

I was going through my old Facebook albums and saw an album that i named 'Happenings'. Ugghh.. I can't come up with good names at all >.< So i present to you now the following photos that are from that album. Back when all (just gonna show some) my photos were taken with Nokia 5610 without any photoshop, DSLRs, instagrams blah blah whatsoever. I think they're really my masterpieces haha

There you go, a hobby i still hadn't realised when i was what? 16?

To the Sentosa!

The last time i've actually been to Sentosa beach was like a million years ago, i was primary 1 or so when we went to Sentosa beach for a powerpuff girls event. It was the best, i can still remember standing at the side of the stage and being angry at the big speaker that blocked my view of the human sized Blossom, one of the 3 powerpuff girls, who i believed back then to be the real deal. I loved Bubbles as a kid, especially that episode where a clown made everyone in the town black and white and Bubbles saved everyone by playing her fabulous song. click here for that awesome song :)

Back to the story at hand, there was a picnic with my clique to the Sentosa beach last week and photos from my friend has just been posted to Facebook. The following photos are taken by me but using her DSLR cause i didn't want to bring mine due to the fact that i don't own a filter to protect my precious Nikon d5100. Her's is a Canon DSLR, it was interesting to use hers, functions are totally different between Canon and Nikon, each has its own pros and cons, i was amazed that i couldn't find a cropping function in Canon. I thought it was because i'm just not familiar with it but she said she doesn't think there is one. I was befuddled.  Anyways, I love how her's can focus faster than my DSLR at certain situations, like a few milli seconds faster but to me, thats a lot. 

Thus far, 2012 was really good to me

I'm grateful for what i have right now, especially because 2012 was a really fantastic year with lots of surprises. Now, after 3 months and 4 days, i will talk about how much i love 2012 and how much i will miss it so. okay, it was too long a post to be written in one day ;P

***

Now, I may not have the prettiest dresses like other girls, beauty defining features, nor the great fantastic HOT body but i really am happy and thankful for the things and the people i have in my life thus far and today, it's something i'd really like to share with you guys.

Firstly, what you should know about me is that I'm 1.73m tall and thats not something i loved when i was growing up. What? Why you complain so much about your height? tsk tsk it's good what! NO! It isn't as great as you expect it to be because only tall girls like me understand the picture i'm trying to paint here. So let me just cut everything down for you shall I?

Disadvantages/Bane(s) of our existence 

1.  Tall people like us ALWAYS have to stand at the back of a group to take photos. and if we're at the front we're always being given the 'go-to-the-back' look like we don't belong. Oh come on, isn't it time we stop this ridiculous rule of phototaking? If it's for a formal picture then yeah, i don't mind. But if it's just hanging out and wanting to take a couple of group shots then screw you! Haven't you heard from one of my favourite photographers, Scott Kelby's one photo taking tip? That a good group photo doesn't have to be structured. And by giving that mix and match (like tall people at the back and taller people at the front) actually gives a photo a nice touch?
2. When being made to line up from shortest to the tallest and always ending up the last person (which means the tallest) makes me feel like a giant freak. I simply hated it back in Primary school and even Secondary school. Every time that happens, lets just say i die a little inside. I remember the first time it happened, Primary 1 or 2. Now normally, nobody at this age would remember much of their time but this moment have stuck to me ever since. I was of course the last girl in the line and that was the first time (that i could remember) i felt insecure about myself. Nobody was behind me which for me, didn't give me a sense of security, it felt like i would be the first to die if something from behind pounced on us (What the... i think i had [still have] a wild imagination) but it just made me feel outcasted, thats the thing, because everyone can turn around and talk to the person behind them if the one in front wasn't. And at that time, the girl in front of me was practically ignoring me. >.<
3. Relatives (who i love by the way) who keep commenting on your height every single #@$%* year even when you have stopped growing and had the same height for 5 years (and counting). Here are the many examples:
   - "Wah! Ria (my nickname) so tall already arh!"
   - "Ria how tall are you?! 1.73? wah very tall eh!!!"
   - "Ria you're as tall as Rudy(a cousin) oh!"
   - "Eh Ria" *starts bending their knees in the impression that they're so short*
   
   
   It's like they had a memory wipe everytime we part ways.
   oh, i'm tall? WOWWWW THATS BRAND NEW INFORMATION!
4. Strangers scrutinising me when i wear heels. *arch eyebrows* Jealous much?

There's more but i think i've said enough for now.

Adding to the fact that i had a high metabolism rate, i was sickly thin, EXTREMELY, i looked like the long bamboo pole people used to hang clothes. One time, after reading an article about the world's smallest waist, my mom took a measuring tape just to check whether i could beat that record. Sadly though (for her), i didn't break it. I'm really jealous of girls around 1.65 or something which is my idea of the perfect height. Do you have to worry about your crush being too short for you? NO. Do you need to think about whether the heels you want to buy is too tall for you? NO. And do you have to think whether it'd make you look like a giant? Hell No! Because why? You're not freakishly tall and towering over almost ANYONE you see. Thats why i'm especially attracted to guys or like to hang out with platonic guy friends taller than me because they're the only people in my life where when i hang out with, don't make me feel like a giant. I don't really know any girl taller than me.

Now that i'm wiser and just a little older, i have started to love my height and the perks that comes with it and so i call the following:

Le Perks:

• The attention you get. All eyes are always on you whether for the good reasons (wow, she's so confident to dare to wear high heels even when she's tall) or bad (cheh so tall also want wear heels bleh bleh bleh, i don't care anymore)
• Able to go deeper into the swimming pool without having to try to stay afloat
• According to studies, taller people earn more money as they are perceived to be more attractive and successful to their shorter counterparts (sources: Tonya Reiman's book and other studies i read on the net)
• I have the ability to intimidate people (i think)
• Many clothes fit my body type because many clothes are designed on models for the catwalk 
• Many more perks i can't think of at the moment

So yeah i may have hated my height growing up but now, i'm starting to really appreciate it :)

I even took it to a Facebook confession page about my new found love for my height when some stranger of a girl made me really frustrated and here it is:

Last i checked, my post had 74 likes and an awesome comment:

Post update: I've just read a girl's blog about her definition of tall for girls cuz she's like 6 feet 2 inches and i'm 5 feet 8 inches (1.73m) and she defined it as: 'you're only counted as a tall girl if you're above the average male height of your country.' And i thought: Okay, i think that's valid!

And so i proceeded to find what was the average male height in Singapore. 0.32seconds and 58,000,000 results later on Google search, i found to my dismay (which came as no surprise) that the average male height here is 1.70m. (source) So there you go, I'm definitely in the 'tall' category as much as i would like to deny it. LOL

The second thing i'm grateful for is my wonderful family!

We're a family of crazy people and that's fine by me. Anyways, i love them so much lol. Like during the exam periods, i would get really stressed out and start screaming hysterically whenever anyone in the house made the slightest of sound. And they tahan me. They really do. I don't think anyone else can tahan me like them hahaha. My family is real quirky at times and i wasn't supposed to show this to anyone else but here's a video that shows just how a crazy but surprisingly functional family we are:

So a little about the video first, there's just 5 of us, only the children (all present) here and it was taken about 5 years back. And i've only rediscovered this video a few weeks ago and thank heavens i did because there's a thousand (i'm exaggerating) photos from our past and it was nice to recollect.

Yes, i know what you're thinking. "WTF???"

But those are nice memories that i will watch again 10 years from now and hopefully say "we're still weird" and at the same, want to go into the video and live it again.

and it really hit me hard when i saw this on my Facebook news feed:

Thirdly, wonderful new friends~~ My SPOT camp friends, Vietnam trip friends, new CCA friends! I'm not very close to anyone in my own class except for 2 or 3 girls though i wish i was because they're all such nice, wonderful and funny people, guess it was because i was very closed off during the first year in addition to the fact that i'm not sociable when placed in large groups. Anyways, i made friends outside of school curriculum and it was the best decision i've made. My SPOT camp friends are just a hilarious bunch...

The camp was one of the highlights of the year for me in addition to the Vietnam trip during March for 3 weeks. I made a vietnamese friend there who was the nicest funniest guy friend i've ever made and when it was time to leave for Singapore, both of us and another girl, Zoe, cried like we would never ever see each other again and i really think thats true. Even though there's facebook messages and everything, with time, everything would be forgotten and only the memories would remain. Then again, don't cry because it has ended but smile because it happened :) At least at one point of time, we were all we had and that we were the best-est friends.

And not to forget my pretty 'old' friends 

we were trying to act-cute here hahaha

and yeah, as you can see, after i came back from Vietnam, a few weeks later, i decided to cut my hair short, like very short. I've had long hair since 6 or 7 years old. It was a point of time when i decided that i wanted a change. I came back to Singapore after 3 weeks in Vietnam where i had to be dependent on people i just met 2 weeks ago as well as be independent myself. It was a transforming experience for me, it opened my eyes to lots of things, most i don't even know how i can possibly explain. It was a point in my life that i was ready to start 'living,' socially, emotionally, physically(<-- okay don't think too much here. I meant other things like participating in events etc.). 

I started joining CCAs and courses like Yoga and photography as well as events. I became excited to make new friends when in the past i really hated to do. I became a little more open towards people and letting them into my life. It was just a life changing experience to go to Vietnam and i owe in to her and my friends, Zoe and Toan who made me what i am now, a much happier person.

Fourthly, material stuff. I got many new things in 2012 which included a Nikon DSLR (my precious baby!), a mountain bike but not that high quality one la (i not so rich), new bookshelf (a beige-ish white) and of course, new clothes that i can flaunt in. I'm very fortunate!

Fifthly, some romance but i'm not going there :P Yet. But i can tell you something else, 2012 was the first time i had a complete stranger walk up to me and ask for my number. It was nice! But weird as well so let me begin from the top.

It happened during the exam period and whenever i have to study for a semestral test, it's a habit of mine to study anywhere else but my own room because my mind just doesn't function when i'm cooped up between 4 walls. So places i'd study is the living room provided it's quiet, the park, stairs at carpark blocks, void decks, playgrounds, community centres, etc. you get the drill.

So on one particular day, i chose the void deck. It was 10 blocks or so from my house (no idea why i went that far) and just sat on one of the benches available. Nobody else was in my vicinity so it was actually a good spot cause it was no-noise guaranteed. I laid my sling bag next to me and pulling my hair band from a pouch, started to tie my hair up into a cute bun. After i was satisfied with it, i took out my notes and proceeded to study.

10 minutes later...

I started to hear bicycle sounds (you know that screeching sound bicycles make? yup thats the one) from my left and i looked up to see if it was a hot guy. Yes, thats me, i'm always on the lookout for a hot guy :) ANYWAYS, i tried to check him out but he was moving too fast and suddenly he turned to look at my direction. OH SHIT! And i quickly looked down and started staring blankly at the paper i was holding with none of the words entering my mind. Is he looking at me or something behind me?? And then i noticed at the corner of my eye that he was making a few circles with his bike before he started cycling in my direction. Oh cheh... He's just going to ride past me LOL, you were over thinking things. But then he braked. Right. In. Front. Of. Me. MOTHER OF GOD WHAT DID I DO, DID I BREAK SOME LAW??? (I really thought i did something to offend him) But he stretched out his hand and said, "Hi, i'm Philip."

I was stumped. I was flabbergasted. It was like OKAY WHAT NOW??? Talk you stupid girl! 

"I'm Cai Yun," trying my best to flash a million dollar smile. Then i started appraising him and sad to say, my verdict was: OUT. He had this awkward goofy smile but it wasn't my type of smile, the kind of smile that'd make my heart go boom boom pow! 

"So, what school are you from?," he asked confidently like that's supposed to be a fantastic conversation starter.

"oh umm, Singapore Polytechnic as you can see," i grin and pointed to my SP t-shirt, "how about you?"

"I'm waiting for my a levels result," he smiles (and i try to mentally calculate his age but can't because i suck at math), "you look tan, do you do any sport?" OKAYY... when is the witty banter gonna start like in hollywood films? Is this it?

"I like to cycle actually, that's a nice bike," pointing to his bicycle.

"thank you :) So are you studying for something?"

"Yeah, i'm actually studying for my exams"

"Why are you studying downstairs and not at home, is it too noisy?" Pointing up to the celing as in implying that this void deck was the flat's which i reside in.

"oh beca-"

"it's okay if you're not comfortable with telling me that!" he politely interrupted me

"oh it's okay! Yep, it's noisy" pointing up again so i don't embarrass him making the mistake that i live in this block.

"You know, i think you're cute, can i have your number? We can go out and have yoghurt," he said awkwardly. WHAT? A FREAKING YOGHURT? THAT MAKES ME SOUND LIKE SOME FREAKING CHILD. AND THATS SO CHEAPO! PLUS I HATE YOGHURT! I watched movies and dramas growing up and never in my life have i heard of a date consisting of eating yoghurt because my image of that is plain child like. What do we do? just stand there eating something that looked like an ice cream that costs what $2.50/3? That's not even a proper place to bring a girl to for a first date, come on dude. Firstly, i didn't find him attractive but still a rather nice guy but what he said really turned me off. A girl have rights to her opinion of a guy and don't tell me that he wasn't also appraising me the whole time he was talking to me too. So i already had it in my mind to reject him. Plus, the whole time he was talking, a part of me was still concentrating on trying to memorise my notes. But now he wants my number? $%#@*#! i wasn't really thinking straight when i made my next move which was...

Giving him the digits. which was real. yes, it was my real effing number. because i just didn't have the heart to say no :( and some poor guy or girl whose fake number i gave would have some troubling time! So yeah, i gave it to him and when he rode off in his mountain bike to dunno where, i ran straight home hoping i won't bump into him again.

ahh.. it doesn't stop here. I told myself that maybe i should give him a chance. Maybe he was only nervous just now and the real thing begins now but then he texted me that very night. Just 5 hours from the time we parted. OK, IT'S OVER. It was too desperate for me and there's that weird weirdo vibe he was giving. He texted some stuff and i didn't reply, i think that was a good enough hint! :D

IT WASN'T.

A few days later, he texted again, something about his results are out. But i didn't reply, hoping again that now he took the hint.

NO. IT STILL WASN'T OVER.

He texted something again a few days later which the content i have long forgotten. I was fed up so i texted; "dude stop, wrong number," praying that he'd believe i was a guy or just some stranger.

My handphone bing bonged a few seconds later and it read, "you're not caiyun?"

"no."

and that was that. finally it was over.
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YOU GUESSED WRONG AGAIN. HE CAME BACK. . .

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I was just walking home one day talking on my phone to my domestic helper to ask some stuff and someone suddenly tapped me on my shoulder. I screamed. But stopped when HE (Philip) came to my front to reveal himself. Why is he backk!!! Oh. My. God. SOMEONE SAVE MEEE!!!!!!!!! 

(You may say that i'm being a bitch but trust me, i'm not. I'm like every other girl or guy out there who's not going to try and waste our youth and time on someone we know we won't work out with. So back to the story at hand...)

Nobody, not one effing soul, was in my surroundings and i thought that this was one of those days when the fates was playing a joke on me. And where the hell did he come from anyway, did he follow me from somewhere or something?? Because he's house is probably about 8 blocks from where i'm standing!

"Hi, i'm Adam," he stretched out his hand.

And I just stared at him. WHAT THE FUCK. ISN'T YOUR NAME PHILIP?? WHO ARE YOU?! WHICH IS YOUR REAL NAME? WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING!?!?!?!?!?! 

You cannot imagine what i was feeling at that moment, my eyes kept darting around like i was searching for an escape route. 

"I'm Cai Yun," i shook his hand, playing along like i didn't remember him. 

"oh you look like you do sports :)"

"yeah, i like to cycle"

ISN'T THIS THE SAME GOD DAMNED CONVERSATION WE HAD WEEKS AGO?

"Hey, i think you're really beautiful and i'd like to ask you out, can you give me your number?"

and i was thinking, NO you creep who might just be sociopathic to even change your name to pick up a girl who you tried to pick up before! plus, you already have my number! SHIT! what should i do!!!!!! I think i'm a lil scared right now!!

So i did what any rational lady should have done from the beginning, lie. 

"Sorry, i have a boyfriend," i said with an apologetic smile.

His smile fucking disappeared and became expressionless! No anger whatsoever on his face. And he turned and walked off without saying anything like "alright" or "good day" or anything, he simply walked off!and kept walking and walking, not turning back. 

I was left there gaping after him thinking whether he was just weird or what but thought, 'what the hell am i doing? i should walk away right now.' and ran like hell all the way home.

My weird almost romantic encounter. uuggghhhh, my friends even laughed. You can say that i shouldn't be picky in choosing a guy but thats WRONG. OF COURSE I HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE PICKY, we are talking about the guy i'm going to spend the rest of my life with and if i don't connect with this guy then what's the point of love or marriage even? You can say that you should try going on a date first and see but my first instinct was to avoid and didn't it show to be the right decision? Of course i'd date the guy first and see how it goes if we at the least bit had a tiny spark or something. But we didn't and that's that. 

Lastly, moving on to happier things, many other great things happened in 2012 too like my starting to appreciate life and understanding that grades weren't everything (because i had minor depression from wanting to do well in school), got a new phone (samsung, which is awesome by the way), my friends being there for me when i needed them and the other way round too, forging new connections and strengthening old ones, too many good things happened that i could never forget. So 2012, thank you for being the best year of my 19+ years of life, it was 대박!!!! (daebak which means awesome in korean). 

I will miss you, bye now :')

Who Run the World

Men are stronger 

a natural fact

women are lither

born to attract

back in the days

women had no say
told to stay at home

and married off like a giveaway

If they were cared and loved for

good

but if the other way round?

then a lifetime they withstood

because obey 

and they might survive 

disobey

chastised and despised

but the world has grown

different from the past

women have a say

a voice at last

and if any man
in whatever form or manner

dare strike you a blow

then... ...
they'd have the world to answer

so just because men are stronger

 doesn't make us the weaker sex

because we have fought to be here

and we're never holding back

Non Chocolatey Cake

I took a trip down to Bugis Junction and Street today with my friends because of 2 objectives actually and it's to buy some long sleeved clothes for new school year, i'm thrilled to say that i did buy what i wanted, just 2 pieces of clothes (cuz remember that i'm saving money for a trip to Australia?) which i simply adore one of them and another, i'm pretty sure i'm sending it for altering to suit my taste.

MOVING ON! 

I went to NYDC with my friends for dessert and something caught my eye,  a cake called High and Mighty. And I thought, "Gotta be good but $8.50? Isn't that a tad expensive?"

My bestie looked at me and probably could tell by my scrunched up face what i was thinking and said, "It's sure expensive what, sure use quality ingredients one," nodding her head in a know-it-all manner. In the end, i did order the cake. Notice that i did not say "yay! I ordered the cake," but "I. ordered. the. cake."

This giant slice of cake packs no punch at all, the sponge of the cake was ridiculously dry, not 'fluffy' like they described in the menu AT ALL. My friends took a bite as well and we (3 people slash critics slash ripped off customers) can safely agree that the only good thing about this chocolate cake was the sticky chocolate fudge frosting... It was really a lip smacking treat :) I simply adore their presentation and how the frosting looks like it could melt in your mouth. The whole time i was eating the cake, i only scooped up the frosting and just a little of the sponge cake only to neutralise the bittersweet taste.

For you chocolate lovers out there (like moi), i recommend that you not try this because it's simply not worth your money, maybe you could walk up to the counter and try to order that frosting, now THAT is worth it.

Behind the Scenes

Photography Workshop with Jean Danker and Nat Ho

On the 23 March 2013, my friend and i took a trip down to Hort Park, somewhere at the Southern Ridges. I've been there once before, the scenery was gorgeous, especially when you walk on that bridge. It was beautiful~~

Photography is something i love, like a hobby. So if there are workshops i could take to improve myself, i'd jump at the chance. But this one workshop costed around $25 i think? I can't remember.. But what was worth it was the celebrities that would be present and an opportunity to win a trip to Australia which i want! So i thought, why not?

Before you get hyped up about whether i won the prize, let me just declare that i did not win, some old man won it instead. It was surprising really, in the room of over 30 people (mostly adults) in the photography workshop, not one went to Australia before. The host, Jean Danker, actually asked at one point during the afternoon, "Has anyone been to Australia before?"

No one raised their hands. 

It's quite sad really, how much people don't really live life. Maybe they had been to other places like Hong Kong or Taiwan then yeah but that aside, how many actually never step foot outside of Singapore for a leisurely time besides to places like Malaysia and Indonesia? Why? Because life got ahead of them? Is that it? Then it's not really a life i want to live (hopefully). I want to be able to work for something i'm passionate about and i want to also live my life to the fullest because YOLO. Seriously. Don't judge me because i said that. You really only live once, i want to go out there and try everything i should before i'm too old to do it. Of course not do drugs and stuff, but the things that'd give you that sense of fulfillment, that energy that reminds you that time is running out and if you don't do what you want to do now, you'd live to regret it.

So yeah, i want to do what i should as a soon to be 20 year old, i want to travel the world, i want to fall passionately in love and i want to be that girl who follows her dreams even though she still has no freaking idea what she wants in life. Yup, just that girl :)

Alright, where did i left off? Oh yesh, the photography workshop! So JEAN DANKER was there, you know that already~

From the moment she walked in, i couldn't get over how pretty she looks and she was so nice! I asked for a photo and even though she looked like she was rushing off for something, she still agreed to take a photo with me. Really made me a fan of hers that day :)

And NATHANIEL HO!!

I'm not actually a big fan of his because of the image he portrays to the public, i don't know, just not likable  But after this workshop and seeing him, you know-in real life and not on magazines, he's actually a nice guy, charming, funny and everything a celebrity should be. I guess the media won this time around. 

Media 01        Reality 00

Also, we learned about food photography, what kind of lighting situations best accentuates the vibrant colours of the food you're taking, how to create it if the lighting situation wasn't good enough, colour balance etc. etc.

Afterwards, there was a slide show about the trip to Australia and one part really boggled my mind:

Look at the first line, 'where Asian cuisine and products are available'

WHY THE HELL DID YOU INCLUDE THAT AS A PART OF THE ADELAIDE TRIP WHEN SINGAPORE (where we live in) ITSELF IS A PART OF FREAKING ASIA AND HAVE ITS OWN CHINATOWN. WHAT IN GOD'S NAME IS THE DIFFERENCE?? WE COME TO AN ANG MOH COUNTRY TO EXPERIENCE ANG MOH STUFF NOT ASIAN!

Like seriously, dude who planned the itinerary.