Today I was in good spirits that I was going to face the panel of interviewers and be done with it. Little did I know that I would have such a whirlwind day. First of all, this stupid car on the road nearly crashed into me on Riverside Drive while I was merging lanes. I was in the left lane, but wanted to move to the left turning lane once it came up. Next thing I know this stupid car was merging lanes while I was merging lanes at the same time. So she was literally next to me, trying to take the spot that I had vacated while merging lanes. That probably was the stupidest thing to do and I was so annoyed. I tapped my brakes slightly with shock and lucky the car behind me was probably giving way to the lady and therefore did not crash into me. While I braked, I actually turned to look at the lady and she wasn’t even looking where she turned. Which ticked me off all the more, cause we were inches away from each other. I can still remember vividly her number plate: KMC 8 and she was driving a silver/gray Honda Civic, must be this year’s or last year’s model as it was the newer Civic. I was clearly not a happy camper by the time I got into work.
Got to work and caught up on paperwork and phone calls and documentation. Went through my midway evaluation and was alright. 30 minutes before my interview, I was having butterflies in my stomach. I said a silent prayer and went down to get the questions and sat in the lounge area to prepare. It was rather strange to be sitting there, considering everyone was going for lunch and was wondering what in the world I was doing there. So I had to explain myself a few times and hope they didn’t make a big fuss about it, which they didn’t so I was grateful for that. My supervisor was so nice, giving me tips and things like that to talk to them about. Come to think of it, if everything goes well, the people I’m working with now will officially be my work colleagues. It feels rather strange to think about it that way. Anyway, I don’t think I have the time to think about it. I still have to finish my exam paper and deal with my paperwork for migration and all sorts of things. Plus, results should be in by the end of the week so at least I’ll have a relaxing weekend.
I honestly feel like chucking something against a wall and smashing it to smithereens. I’m highly amused at how durable a stress ball is, doesn’t tear even with me digging my finger nails in it.
These past week while I took good ol public transport to uni, I had quite a bit of time to think and to watch the world go around. I think the thing that got me ticking most this week was these people who were blatantly walking about as if the road belongs to them and the cars have to give way to them.
One of them yesterday didn’t look at the traffic lights and tried crossing the road, luckily the car was stationery since it was a red light. She stepped in front of it, looked on the opposite side of the road (at this point she was already on the road) and she just stood there. Then the lights turned green and the car wanted to go but stopped for her cause she took another step and just stood there. The bus I was in was just behind that car and honked and only then did she realise what she was doing. I think that is probably the stupidest way to cross the road. Taking 2 steps in front of a car and not even looking at it.
Today on the way to uni I saw another girl who was walking on the road even though there were pedestrian walkways right next to her. For those who don’t know, pedestrian walkways are on only 1 side of the road and she happened to be on that side yet chose to walk on the road. And the bus I was in had to stay in the middle of the road cause she just kept walking on.
I am constantly amazed at how stupid some people can get at times. Sad to say, those 2 girls were Asian and I guess I can’t help but wonder if the typical stereotype of Asians being ‘fresh of the boat’ and ignorant is really true. I can honestly say I don’t fit the typical Asian stereotype of speaking with an accent and having a flat nose. I think I’m probably the most non typical Asian girl, I speak with an Aussie accent, I know enough vocabulary to get by, I have a sharp nose and I have double eyelids. I sometimes think I’m not Asian but my hair colour tells me the truth. I don’t know whether to feel good or insulted when someone says I speak very good English and finds out that I’m from Malaysia and have grown up there.
I think I think too much. I should go to bed since I need to wake up at 6.30am to get to uni by 8am by public transport. But what do you think about the Asian stereotypes?
Today was probably the day where I could honestly say that some idiot was tailgating me on the way home. Stupid idiot was driving so close to me. Didn’t quite manage to get his number plate (yes, he was THAT close to me) but I was determined to make sure I publicise this idiot’s car plates that I went slightly above speed limit and peek at my rear view mirror to get his plates.
He was driving a dark blue Ford, think it was an XR6, only got a look of the front. I caught part of his number plate, which is CPE 543 (I think). It was some specialised plate and its hard trying to drive and make sense of stuff in the rear view mirror without colliding with the car in front of me. But if you see such a car, just beware. The idiot literally stops inches away from your car and tails you at 60 km/h about a foot away. I was lucky he had good reflexes cause the car in front of me had to brake suddenly and which forced me to brake too. I was looking rather worriedly at my rearview mirror to find the idiot inches away from me.
It started all the way on Riverside Drive where there was a traffic jam from about Plain Street onwards. Said idiot kept stopping inches away from me, and I was just so annoyed at him that I kept inching forward cause I just didn’t like the idea that someone was just too close behind me for my comfort. Stupid idiot continues to inch closer. I turned behind to give him the evils a few times but noooooooooooooo, just completely ignores me and keeps coming forward. I was so tempted to so an emergency brake and see if he crashes into me. But then again, that would mean that my poor car would be damaged. No thank you.
I managed to get away from this idiot cause he got caught at the lights at Shepperton Road and I beat the yellow light and went ahead of him. Good riddance stupid idiot. I think you probably cut my life by a few years cause I was stressing that you would crash into me.
So far while on prac, all the nurses and staff have been really nice to me, showing me how to do leg bags, tape down IDCs and things like that. But today there was this one nurse who was so rude, not just to me but to the doctor as well. Or rather she just butt into our conversation while discharge planning for a patient. And then she had the cheek to tell me to do my shower assessments in the bathroom outside the DASU cause I “took up an hour and she couldn’t shower anyone else”. I was just so ticked off by that cause I had asked the other nurse who was looking after the patient I was assessing and she said it was fine to shower in the bathroom I took it in. So I retorted back to her that I did ask the other nurse and she said it was fine and she had the cheek to say back to me well don’t do it next time.
I was honestly so ticked off as she had told me off in front of the doctor, the social worker and the other nurse. She could have approached me in private to tell me and the only reason why I took so long was cause the other nurse was drying off the patient’s IDC bag’s velcro and checking that the IDC was still in place. I still remember that lady and I tell you I don’t want to deal with her much anymore. She’s not the usual nurse on staff, she’s from the agency and basically I think they get paid a lot more than the normal nurses cause of them having to cover for normal nurses. Today we were short staffed in the DASU as there were quite a few people sick so everyone was trying to do extra stuff around.
I think I was so angry for about 15 minutes I couldn’t quite think straight and I had forgot about time and that I had the case study tute with Sally at 3pm. Today we got the dog from Animal Companions and he was soooo cute! He even can ’say hello’ by barking to how many fingers are on the volunteers hand. Say if she sticks out 3 fingers, he’ll bark 3 times. So smart he is.
Recently on the DASU, the pressure mattresses for a lot of patients were not set at the right weight and therefore I’ve sort of made it my mission to check and true enough I found 1 today that was turned up to 110kgs for a person weighing about 60kgs. Poor person’s mattress was as hard as a rock. We’ve let the team know and basically continue monitoring people’s mattresses.
Well, I’ve got 2 home visits tomorrow. 1 to do by myself since I first interviewed the person yesterday and I’m going to go check up on his home setup. I’m off to write outline for cell, since I’ll be leading cell and I haven’t prepared anything at all. I’ve been taught not to do it the night before but oh well, things crop up so I have no choice really. Off a writing I shall go!
I was perusing through the online news just now and I found this story. I don’t believe it. School uniform is sexy it seems.
This is the school uniform they say is sexy due to the white blouse underneath.
That uniform has been around for ages and only now that they must complain.
“The white blouse is too transparent for girls and it becomes a source of attraction,” National Islamic Students Association of Malaysia vice-president Munirah Bahari said in a statement.
“It becomes a distraction to men, who are drawn to it, whether or not they like looking at it”
Munirah said that “covering up” according to Islamic precepts was important to fend off social ills, including “rape, sexual harassment and even premarital sex.”
“This leads to babies born out of wedlock and, to an extent, even prostitution”
Tell me that what she is trying to say is not that we, women, are a distraction to men because we are wearing uniforms which the education department told us to wear and that wearing said blouses can lead to babies born out of wedlock and prostitution.
Things that make headlines in the news today really amuse me actually. So now girls are supposed to cover up so we don’t become prostitutes? And cover up so we don’t have babies out of wedlock? Tell me, what the logic is behind that? So wearing a blouse with a different colour or wearing layers of clothes is going to fend off rape?
It all boils down to this: cover up girls cause we are responsible for the way men behave.
Are we living in a civilised society or the dark ages?
So the procrastination bug strikes again, I’ve got an essay about how culture has shaped my attitudes towards health and to explore and describe how gaining a broader understanding of health beyond my own cultural context might enhance my future practice of occupational therapy. Tell me that just looks like a bunch of big and sophisticated looking words. Its a 4 pages essay with 1 page of references and bibliography which is due in on Tuesday, 11th March. A week from now. For one trying to define culture, the essay can go on for miles if I just sit and compile down all the definitions of culture and how it influences me. But fortunately for me, I’ve got a 4 page limit and free reign over the content I present in the assignment. To take my mind of that pesky headache which has been bugging me on and off for 3 days now and to try and close one eye to my assignment, here I am. Blogging.
So the other day I was juts sitting at the bus port, waiting for my bus to get to work and I just let my mind wander off while listening to the tunes of The Way I Are by Timbaland. Then as I begin to drift into lala land, I began thinking about names. About how most people in Australia always shorten names such as Natalie to Nat, Timothy to Tim and such. I’ve never been a fan of people shortening other people’s names without their permission. Call me old fashioned or a nannna but it has been instilled in me by my elders never to simply go changing people’s names. Its in the Asian culture that we always address our elders by Aunty or Uncle so and so and not by their first names. So when I came here 4 long years ago and everyone started calling our teachers by their first name, you could imagine my horrified face. It’s so laid back here that the teachers insist you call them that. I supposed I’ve adjusted to that but when it comes to greeting my Asian elders or someone’s parents, its always Aunty or Uncle so and so or Mr or Mrs so and so. It’s just proper manners to me.
Back to the shortening of names. I’ve grown up being called by my full first name, Kristine. It is only recently that I have actually allowed people that I know well or am comfortable with to call me Kris or Krissy. It still annoys the crap out of me that some people call me Kris the minute I introduce myself as Kristine. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind people calling me Kris but somehow when a person I don’t know very well calls me Kris it just somehow gets to me that they know me very well and they are quite chummy with me to be able to call me whatever they want. A person’s name is what they are identified by, and to me they’re cutting out my identity for some reason. My given name is Kristine and it will always stay that way, so Kris is just for friends and family. Let’s leave it that way. I don’t know why I have so much of an issue with that but hey, that’s my opinion.
Ranting aside, nothing new has been happening lately apart from work, doing the project proposal, assignment, bible studying and packing up. And since I don’t really want to write that essay, here’s a meme I just felt like doing since Suet Li did it recently and it looks like one of the more exciting ones 
Skin Care
What facial cleanser do you use?
Body Shop’s Seaweed Deep Cleansing Facial Wash
What moisturizer do you use?
Body Shop’s Seaweed Matifying Day Cream. Yes I like the seaweed range not cause I like to eat it but its one of the only products that doesn’t burn my skin 
How many times a day do you wash your face?
Once in the shower, sometimes twice if i wake up and my face is just not feeling good or I really need a splash of cold water to get me up and going
Do you use eye makeup remover?
Yes! OMG, eyeliner does not come out unless it is taken out with eye makeup remover
If so, What kind?
Body Shop’s Camomile Waterproof Eye Make-Up Remover. Yea la, I love Body Shop, so sue me hahhaa
Is your skin oily, dry, or combination skin?
Combination….grrrrrr
What is the best part about your skin?
I tan very easily….wheee!!! No need to spend money on tanning lotions…Don’t you know the sun is bad for you to tan with?!?!
What are your skin problems?
Very dry during winter
Makeup
What foundation do you use?
Clinique’s Superfit Makeup only for special occasions though, its pricey
What powder do you use?
Some random in2it brand I bought back in Malaysia… Bwahahaha….Aiseh, from Clinique to random cheap stuff
What eyebrow pencil do you use?
Elizabeth Arden’s Dual Perfection Brow Shaper & Eyeliner
What eyeliner do you use?
Rimmel’s Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Pencil (what kind of name is that??)
What is your favorite eyeshadow?
I like all my eyeshadows but I absolutely love the MAC one mum gave to me. MAC Eye Shadow in Pink Freeze
What mascara do you use?
Some Japanese brand. Its really cool! Better than those branded ones that claim to double or triple your lash volume and length
What are your favorite lipbalms/glosses/sticks?:
My current fave lipbalm is Body Shop’s Hemp Lip Protector
Fave lipgloss is MAC’s LipGlass in Snowgirl
Hair
Do you color your hair?
Yea, but its been a while. Need to go and fix it
What is your stylists name?
Whoever it is at Just Cuts in the City
What salon do you go to?
Just Cuts in the City
What is your natural hair color?
It used to be jet black but now its sorta became a dark brown
Do you have a straightener?
Yes, my beloved Vidal Sasson that I break out when I’m having a bad hair day
What kind?
A thin one? What kinda of question is this?
Do you use a blowdryer?
Yes, I borrow my aunty’s
What shampoo do you use?
The Sunsilk from Malaysia…The grey and purple one Hahaha I can’t find the pictures online
What conditioner do you use?
Either the matching Sunsilk conditioner or now I’m using Edward Beale Daily Latte conditioner thing cause I got it for free…Hahaha
Do you use leave in conditioner?
I own some Sunsilk leave in ones and some random one which I use more in winter when its super dry
Scents
What deodorant do you use?
Hmmm…I used to use Rexona but now I’ve gone over to Dove Hahaha
What body wash do you use?
Lux Shimmering Body thing. But I’m loving Palmolive’s Cashmere range. I buy according to sale price hahah don’t need to be so fussy what
What perfumes do you use or like? Name five.
Dior’s Poison and Pure Poison
Max Azaria’s BCBGirls
Esprit’s For my Peace
Nutrimetic’s Aqua Pour Femme
Do you always have to smell good?
Haha abuthen? You want me to stink is it?
Jewellery
Are diamonds really a girl’s best friend?
Not really but I love my diamonds
What is your jewellery essential?
My necklace and earrings
What jewellery do you wear most?
My cross necklace and earrings
What jewellery do you crave most?
Don’t really crave anything. Maybe a diamond ring Haha
Purses and Shoes
How many purses do you own?
Errr….I think I own about 4 or 5. Most of them were given to me as presents
How many shoes do you own?
I’d say 20? I dunno la, I didn’t bother to count
Which pair is your favorite?
My fave pair is my green flats I got for 20 bucks, super comfortable
Who is your favorite handbag designer?
So far I like the Prada and Guess ones
Who is your favorite shoe designer?
Mollini? I dunno la
This or that
Manolos or Jimmy Choos?
Manolos. Just cause I actually touched a pair at Myer the other day but it cost about AUD1000 *faints*
Dolce and Gabbana or Chanel?
D & G
Michael Kors or Bebe?
Michael Kors
Louis Vuitton or Coach?
LV, they have nice totes
Gucci or Prada?
Both!
Miscellaneous
Favourite Magazine to read?
Cosmopolitan, Cleo
Favourite nail polish?
The pink Chi Chi one I got for free (yes, contrary to the popular belief that I always buy expensive things I get most of my stuff free or at sale price)
Favourite Book?
I’d say Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
Favourite Band?
*N Sync. Did you even have to ask?
Favourite Girly Movie?
I like all girly movies!
Are you high maintenence?
Nope, I’m actually very simple
Do you enjoy being a girl?
Yes thank you every much. I like being me
Well, that killed a bit of time. Now back to my assignment!
OK, so the summer heat is really getting to me. Not to mention that the bathroom renovators have just started drilling again without warning. Well at least its not as loud as the other day where I think I quite literally had a ringing in my ears for a while.
Anyways, I can’t help but feeling like I’m back at uni again. True, uni has technically started for everyone else but I don’t have classes till March 10th and I’m already working on an assignment due March 11th, and a project proposal which is supposed to be due March 12th but we got an extension for till March 31st. I look at the unit outline for what we’re supposed to be doing and the bulk of it is to repeat in more detail what was already written in our project overview. I feel like the unit coordinator is just making us write that just to make the thing look fatter. In fact, I’m convinced that’s the case. So much so, I’ve actually copied and pasted some of the overview in there and elaborated on it, see what he says 
I’m driving myself crazy trying to construct a timeline of what is supposed to be done using Excel or Word. This really is driving me insane cause I’ve got to colour code everything, get a due date, get meetings fixed up, get things drafted and reviewed and basically chart down every minute of my time spent doing anything related to this project. The good thing about this is that I can claim up to 200 or so hours on this project so I’m looking forward to it.
And this is what my bed looks like at the moment with my project stuff sitting on it:
Albeit its less messier than usual but I look at my diary and how fast that file is filling up and it is getting really crazy. I’ve got more official documentation there than I ever have before and I’m going to protect it with my life if I have to so I can graduate.
Anyways, getting back to the proposal and the timelines.
I thought I’d given up anatomy when I finished OT 202 - Anatomy & Kinesiology last semester, but nooooo. I was sitting in the library Level 2 Reserve Section, studying my McMaster Forms so we could discuss it in class on Thursday when this bunch of physio year 1 students came and sat at my table (cause there weren’t any others left) and started going over their lecture notes.
So I received a part lecture of the scapula, ribs, vertebrae and I heard questions about the bones that I would have answered, but I was earnestly trying to concentrate on my own work.
I woke up at 6.30am today ans went over the article I had to critically appraise and I decided to go to uni a little bit earlier today, just to avoid the blistering 42 degree heat. So I’ve pretty much caught up on things and now am planning things out right down to the tiniest detail in life. Turning over this new leaf really has been good. I feel much better about myself and although I feel a tiny bit foolish cause I wasn’t working hard last time, it’s all good.
I’ve even limited my Internet quota to something like 30 mins per day of chatting online. Which lead to a rather interesting conversation with Edrei last night. I told him my quota was up for last night and I had to go offline and get some work done. His response?
“WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH THE REAL KRIS??”
Ain’t that a great friend?
Public transport and me definitely DO NOT CLICK.
Recalling what happened on Wednesday, yesterday and today were equally bad times for me. First of all, the bus that hit the lady on Wednesday, was no. 1501. The bus I took yesterday to uni was no. 501. And that bus clipped my foot. What happened was the bus driver closed the door before I could get my foot off the bus while alighting the stupid bus.
Then this morning the bus I took was no. 1301. What are the chances of me getting buses with all similar numbers?!?!?!? Anyway, I took that as an omen and decided that I ‘m going to catch a train and bus to uni instead of taking the normal bus. So I got off and got onto the train. So happened, today the ticket inspectors were there and checked tickets. I had nothing to be afraid off, since I had my multirider with me and I definitely pushed it in the correct machine to get it stamped when I took the first bus.
So I showed him the ticket along with my concession card. He didn’t say anything, which was exactly what I had expected. Then I looked at my multirider to check what time I got on the bus this morning, so see how long more I had to go to reach uni.
Couldn’t find the printed date or time on my multirider. I started panicking and turning my ticket in various angles to see if somehow the ink is invisible. Nope.
Turns out the machine didn’t stamp my ticket but charged me for the trip. Had the ticket inspector been vigilant enough, it would have looked like I didn’t put in my ticket into the machine and gotten a free ride on the trains. Which would have cost me a fine on the spot.
Thank God he was one of those lazy ticket fellas who didn’t check. Phew.