tag tag tag

Never in my life have I 
been outside of Europe


The one person who can drive me nuts is
there's more than one person. But usually it's things they do, rather than the person they are.


High school was
a great experience!


When I’m nervous,
I fidget and get physical symptoms of anxiety


The last song I listened to was
All Of the Lights by Kanye West and all those other people, because I wanted to check song and video quality to put it in a blog post.


If I were to get married right now my maid of honour would be
hm. this requires serious thought.


My hair is
annoying


When I was 5 
I used to be good at maths and my best friend was called Lindsey


Last Christmas I 
was at home with ma famille, and it was very cold


I should be 
eating properly


The happiest recent event was 
I'm happy a lot of the time. one of those times when things 'click' a little bit. also, dinner with the boy


By this time next year I will 
be in the same position as I am now! looming exams and not eating or sleeping properly


There’s this girl I know 
who stresses more than I do


I like you when you 
read my blog


The world could do without 
violence of any sort


Most recent thing I’ve bought myself is a 
went to the supermarket earlier, got eggs, cheese, soup, oats, chicken


Most recent thing someone else bought me is 
er, i'm not sure actually. i pay for things myself now mostly. let's just say one time at dinner


My middle name is 
non-existant


The animals I would like to see flying besides birds are 
giraffes


Once, at a bar
I cried with laughter at someone's story. (must go back there)


Last night I was 
completely exhausted, so sat in bed with a book and watched Junior Doctors


There’s this guy I know 
who never asks me how I am when we see each other


Tomorrow I am 
one day older than i am today


Tonight I am 
studying, thinking about having dinner and tidying up


My birthday is
soon!!!!!

the key that opens holy doors

Just found out there's a school reunion, of my sixth form class, in a few weeks.  I won't be able to go because of school and stuff, but I am not sure I would want to.  There are some people I would dearly love to see, and some others who I am indifferent to.  Sixth form, particularly the latter months, are a bit strange.  I can't remember if I have ever written about this here before, but when I chose my intended career path, it was for quite a few reasons, unlike my other friends, whose parents/family members were already in this field.  I didn't want to be tied to any assumption, I didn't want people to think, oh she's Chinese, she's got to do this career.  I did lots and lots of experience in order to find out what I wanted to do, and in the end, I couldn't think of anything else I wanted to do!


Thinking about it now, I am not sure what other degree I would have loved to do, to be honest.  I loved French, and all things French.  I don't understand English people's animosity towards France, partly because I wasn't alive during the times when Britain had issues with France, partly because I don't believe my country deserves to be better than France and partly because I love the French.  (I keep meaning to write about why I like French things so much, maybe one day.)  I had a love for languages, although I had a huge fault which is reflected throughout all my language learning experience.


I had a lot of friends at school - I am not being boastful.  A lot of people had a lot of friends.  (You know you did.)  Some I was close to in some years, some not.  The way my school worked was that in the first three years, you would do all the subjects together as a class, and then when you chose your GCSE options, the four classes in each year would be divided firstly by common subjects so those who did certain subjects always ended up in the same group, then by ability (Maths) and then randomly.  I maintained close friendships with a few people throughout my school career, and then normal friendships with others.


There were about 15 girls in my group (I went to an all girls' school) and I was close with about 6 of them.  Some of them were because we did the same subjects or very similar subjects.  We have all chosen the same career path, but I feel like it might have been a detriment to any lasting close friendship.  It was quite hard, because I was the very last one of this group to get a university offer (except the Czech university, which I believe I never formally declined....) and so whilst they were making plans for university life, I was left on my own (figuratively) to worry about my future path and what I would do next.


I worry that if I were to see these particular friends again, there would be some sort of hidden agenda type rivarlry, with trying to tell stories to one-up each other.  I have no interest in doing so, I don't regret any decison I've made so far about where my life is going. I won't be swayed by stories of other cities and other universities.  As far as I am concerned, the university I am at has given me so much and continues to do so (even though fellow school-goers do not express the same opinion).


I feel like there might be silent judging; what else would you expect with a class of around 70 girls?  Some people have gotten to exciting places, others may not.  Some have fallen off my radar and I have no idea what happened to them after we left.


A couple of girls I still count among my best friends; we keep in regular contact even though meeting up is always difficult.  They've been through a lot with me, and I truly respect them.  I would love to be able to see them at the reunion!  One of them has been my friend since I started that school, and we would always have our crazy ideas together.  She saw me through my crushes and I through hers.  I miss her a lot.  We haven't beenout for ages.. I'm still studying and she's almost a language assistant / serveuse at Disneyland (I think the latter is a summer job?)  She brings out my ditziness and a bit of recklessness, I would say.  The other of my best school friends has always been, and remains, very wise and very knowledgeable and practical.  I went to see her recently: she is making a very interesting living working for a branch of the government in a lovely part of the country.  She is very independent, and I admire her very greatly.


My girls' school had a boys' school counterpart, across the road.  Lessons weren't mixed when I was at school, but I think they became mixed in the year below me, for only a few subjects.  Sixth formers were allowed in each others' common rooms only at lunch, but some boys and some girls went to the other's school during free lessons or breaks or whatever.  I was alright friends with some of the boys, in both years.  (Sixth form is made of two years, year 12 and year 13, or as they were known as my school, Lower Sixth and Upper Sixth.  We had an old fashioned way of naming the years)  I do not know if the boys' school is having a reunion actually.  I met up with one of my friends, which I mentioned last week (?); we went to the same school, although he was there from all the way through, and I joined in year 5.  I'd heard about him, and to be honest, his infamousness, and we became acquainted through a mutual friend, who was going through a bit of a self destructive period.  In some ways, he is exactly the same as he was a few years ago, and in some other ways, he is different.


So these three people I have described are the ones I like to keep in touch with.  I respect them the most, in their own way, and they have helped me learn a little more about who I am, whether they realise it or not.  I keep going on about how I don't regret anything every once in a while (hey, if you don't like it, don't read it) which is one of the most important things I have ever been told (life lesson wise).  Each of these three people have helped show me that this is true.


Of course there are others I'd like to see, and equally, there are some girls I feel indifferent towards as I wasn't close to them.  It's such a contrast; I used to have loads of female friends at school, but now at university, I feel as though I don't have many girl friends, but more guy friends / acquaintances.  This is partly due to demographic.


Part of the reason I love watching Gossip Girl is that it reminds me a tiny tiny bit of a very overblown and exaggerated version of my school.  But mostly, I miss the school environment.  I miss lessons with teachers who would go off topic, I miss being asked, "isn't that right, Carol?" every two minutes by my Physics teacher.  I miss how everything seemed so simple then, and everything seemed within our grasp.  I miss how silly I used to be, and think once in a blue moon about the mistakes I made.  Every once in a while, when I look at my facebook newsfeed, I see news about a girl I went to school with.  But I wouldn't want to go back to a situation similar to my school.  I led a very sheltered education, (if such a thing makes sense).  The teachers always encouraged us, and never let us believe that we couldn't achieve something (which is a good thing, I know).  A lot of the good teachers are gone now, and a few years ago, I went back to the school.  So much had changed.  The whole school comes under one name, and is split into 5 schools across a fairly sizeable bit of land.  There is a mixed Kindergarten (nursery / year 1 + 2), a boys' junior school (whose years were named oddly, after Latin words!), a girls' junior school and a boys' senior and girls' senior school.  The sixth forms were attached to the respective senior schools.


Whilst I miss a lot of things about school and the things it taught me, and how different I was then, I don't really miss the old me.  I made mistakes that both allowed me to see who were my real friends and who weren't.  I learnt firsthand what the power of gossip could do.  A few months ago, I went through the posts I had written on my blog, and took steps to delete all my past online blogs (I only joined blogger in November 2006.  I deleted all entries until October 2007, not because it is a time I don't wish to remember - I had some fond memories, but because my writing style was so disjointed and there was a lot of personal information.  And whilst I may have made mistakes during that first year, I do not regret anything.) although some of them were about my time at school.  I wrote a blog about my style of dress once, right?  I was known for dressing a particular way - I won't really elaborate here - I'm not being boastful; every girl had her distinguishing feature.  I suppose I was one of the ones who could get away with any style of dress.  Yes it was always appropriate.  And centred around pink and black.  How emo of me.


One of the best memories I have of sixth form (most of what I have written so far is about my time at sixth form, which is totally different from senior/high school) was when we went on a "school trip" to London, without teacher supervision.  For some reason, the teacher couldn't come, so we 5 went off on our own, joined by 3 other girls who didn't take the subject of the focus of the trip but were there to enjoy the social aspect.  I go back to the places we went to over 5 years ago, and think how much has changed and what memories I still have.  Like how I got excited that Jude Law waved at us.  To this day, I maintain that he DID, and in all honesty, I'd still be excited if he waved at me right now.  Like how I held Matt Dillon's hand (wikipedia him).  Like how my friend blinded Pierce Brosnan.  Like how I tipped half a tub of Bailey's ice cream into a bottle when it had melted.  Like how I got told off by a lady at the Lancome counter in Harrod's.  Like how we'd have midnight conversations that lasted ages.


Coming to university made me realise what a big change life was taking, and it forced me to grow up in a way that I feel that some people my age and/or in my school year currently have not.  Whether or not I act like an adult, I would like to think I have matured a bit, learnt (some) common sense (I was known for being ditzy, and still am) and learnt a lot, both about life, studies and mostly, myself.  Of course everyone changes at university: it is one of those things that is bound to change you.  Some aspects of myself have definitely changed, some have subtly changed and some have not at all.  Some have just been enhanced by my time thusfar at university, and some dulled.  But I wouldn't want it any other way.


Carol xxx


If you truthfully made it to the very end of this very long post, having read everything (although, I'm not sure why you would want to.  I hardly read over my own posts myself!) you are now at liberty to ask me anything you like about anything I have written in this post in the comment section.  If you know me in real life, please feel at liberty to ask me in real life.

no matter what they try to say

middle/right click to view in another tab and read below if you require a translation

Hello!

I thought this would be an alternate way to writing a blog post :)

Normally, I love seeing other people's handwriting because sometimes it matches their personality and you can often discern whether or not the hand belongs to that of a boy or a girl.

I haven't been up to much exciting of late... studying, having a really ache-y back - I think it is my chair - and avoiding the sunshine really.  It is a little sad that sunshine times and study time mostly coincide so for that reason, I've been staying in and trying not to lament my lack of sunshine-related holiday.

I actually try to avoid the sun normally because I rarely wear SPF moisturiser / suncream and don't want to prematurely age.  I actually used to be quite tanned when I was younger (naturally) but as I get older, I am getting paler (I suppose also naturally) such that I could almost be white (but not quite...)

Contemplating changing my hair style/cut +/- colour... I feel like the summer brings out this part of me that makes me want to dress up a lot and change my hair constantly.

As for visiting Bath, perhaps I will write another post on that when I can access all the pictures taken (not all that many really).  This feels like letter writing - I am a huge fan of writing letters but lately email, twitter and facebook have made this a little redundant.  Nevertheless, I still love to write letters even though my handwriting is not the easiest to read.  To this, I will post a translation of my blog.  You can tell that my writing is written by a girl - boys would never make it flow-y and flourishy!

I hope you have all been well!  let me know what you have been up to recently in the comments!

Carol xx

PS. picapicapie.wordpress.com... happy belated birthday!

maybe he won't find out what i know

I am feeling out of sorts today and I have no idea why.  I feel as though I haven't achieved anything, when in fact I probably have and I am just kidding myself.  Studied and did some house chores and ticked things off my 'to do' list.  I realised that I am a hoarder.  I think I am probably part of the reason why Sainsbury's have instigated a limit to x number of items on certain things when they are on offer.  Every so often, when I am low on house supplies, I buy loads of soap / shampoo / washing up liquid / food, and end up spending a lot of money but then they last for ages.  And now I go to the shop to do so, and find that you can only buy 6 soaps, for example.  Not that I have ever done that... *cough*


Went to A's house last night and had a nice chat about all sorts of things.  We had the intention of discussing a certain topic, but it didn't happen.  On a slightly tangential note, there was a BMA student online debate about students basically, and how people think that students ate going into medicine just for status and money, rather than caring about patients.  Whilst this may be true for some people, that doesn't mean you can generalise.  I feel like people have negative views of medicine, and maybe they don't appreciate all the good things, instead focussing on the bad things.  Being a doctor still commands respect in society, and some people, I guess, want that feeling of being respected and looked up to.  People I know and see are people I can imagine doing it for money/status but for a lot of others, that doesn't ring true.  I can't imagine wanting to do it for the money.  As long as I had job security, I would be fine doing it for very little money.


I feel like people have different views about money, depending on how they viewed it when they were growing up.  The whole "Carol hoarding" thing probably stems from this too.  I grew up in a household where money did not flow very easily and the importance of saving and investing and not spending a lot of money was impressed upon me very strongly.  I mean, I live a relatively comfortable lifestyle at the moment, as in I have a rented flat, I can afford to buy supermarket food (mostly supermarket brand stuff) and I can afford to travel, and buy things that I need.  I mean 'comfortable' in the sense that I am not (student debts excepted) in debt, and if I budget, I can afford things I want, as opposed to need.  P makes light-hearted fun of me a lot because of my thrifty ways.  It's a bit ridiculous sometimes, but that's the way I have always been.  For example (I can't imagine what ever possessed me to do this) but I used to go to P's house by bus, and I would get the bus for like 15 minutes and then walk for 15 minutes and it would cost me 90p.  A faster route would be to take the tube (5 minutes) then walk for 5 minutes.  And it would cost £1.  Yet somehow, I got it into my head that I was making a huge saving by spending an extra 20 minutes travel just to save 10p. :/


I actually get a bit ridiculous about soap.  I only ever buy it when it's on offer, like 3 for 2, or it's £1 for a limited time or whatever, and I won't ever buy it full price.  I stand there in the aisle for ages trying to work out which brand of 250g liquid soap is cheapest, and I work out which offer works out the cheapest. (ask P.  He's found me in the soap aisle with a determined thoughtful look on my face and a basketful of things I worked out to be the cheapest many times)  Yes, I know I could buy solid soap, but I don't.  I mean, those offers are there for a reason.  Why would I pay £1.49 for soap when I could get it for £1 if I used my brain to work out which was cheaper? (Told you it was a bit ridiculous)


Anyway, I suppose the point I am trying to make is that the way I view money is probably because of my upbringing.  I am not saying that my parents did/do the same as I do (I only started the whole soap calculating thing a few years ago) but they instilled a lot of good ideas about money in me.


Does anyone else think the same?  The way money flowed in your household affecting your views about money now?


One of my friends believes in spending when he feels like it, because he is used to having no money.  I am also used to having no money (or not letting myself spend any money) so that's why I save.  People find it weird that I don't always have my purse on me.  And my answer is that I never let myself get in a situation where I am out somewhere where I need money and there is no way for me to access it.

from google

that you were the last good thing

about this part of town

~ Fall Out Boy

reconciliation?

Being a student of something that has the effect to change people's lives and to make them feel better is exciting.  The ideas behind medicine are constantly evolving, and theories have been proved or disproved, depending on their foundations.  It was not so long ago that in Western medicine, the idea of the four humours was the dominating idea, with an imbalance leading to illness.  Now we scoff at those ideas, the idea that some herbs can help cure the body.


Growing up in a household that largely shunned Western medicine, apart from the ubiquitous cough/cold/flu medicines, always makes me reconsider medicine.  After all, now Western medicine is starting to look to traditional medicine, to see why exactly things work and can cure sickness.  I am eternally grateful that I have had this upbringing; it has followed me to university, where I have a half drawer full of Chinese medicines.  It is acknowledged that traditional medicine has many of the answers that western medicine searches for.. but the more.. let's say "traditional" methods are still queried.


For example, I have a medicine section of one of the drawers I have in the chest of drawers in my flat.  I do not use medicine much / often but it is there just in case.  It mostly consists of Chinese remedies, including aniseed stars to stave off bird/swine/normal/any flu, ginseng (which is real), a cream which is the cure - all for all external conditions and Kwan Loong, which is my most favourite medicine.  It has a strong minty smell, and cures pain.  I use it if I have bad stomach pain .. the smell of it is strong enough to make me cry because of the very strong mint / eucalyptus smell.  When I was young, my dad always rubbed it on my tummy, so it is probably no surprise that I like it so much.


The idea of the four humours is still prevalent in the ideas behind the medicine my parents use.  I use cupping, which I've written about before, but I can never really eloquently explain what I mean.  I am not sure if it works; the set my mum got a few years ago came with a DVD and one of the uses of cupping was apparently to lose weight.  I didn't really think it was true.  It feels nice though.  It looks odd to have your skin sucked into suction cups, but it feels strangely good.  I think it must mostly have a large psychosomatic effect, because I like to use it because it feels nice, not because I think it is the ultimate cure.  I am open to these ideas though, and perhaps they do play a small part.


I often worry about telling my parents that I do not feel well, as if I am home, they brew up some mixture of flowers/roots/seeds/plants or all of the above +/- some other strange looking things.  I always drink these things knowing that they do not taste good, yet they seem to work.  This then brings in the question of how much can the mind do to affect the body's status.


Once, I found a book at home which was talking about the pros of a vegetarian diet (It was called, Eat Green Lose Weight) and one chapter talked about an experiment where they split a group of participants into three groups.  One practiced shooting basketball hoops every day for half an hour.  One group thought about shooting the hoops for half an hour every day.  The third group did nothing different.  It was found that the second group did just as well, if not better, at shooting basketballs through hoops.  Perhaps it is a similar concept...

pieces of good news

Good news, good news all around!!!

1) I have been selected to be one of the 'givers' on 5 March 2011, for World Book Night.  It's a move to distribute 1,000,000 books across the country to get people reading.  There are 25 titles in all, and the one I am giving away is 'Life of Pi'.  I hadn't read any of the books, but I had heard that this one was particularly noteworthy.  To apply (back in November or December), I had to state why it was this book in particular that I wished to give away to 48 people.


I forget the details now, but 'Life of Pi' revolves around a boat story, and I know one of those already.  For those of you who don't know, basically the 'boat story' is the story of how my parents got to England.  Over the past few years, I have become more and more interested in my family's lives, and what it was like before I was born.  This 'boat story' moved me when I first heard it, and it still does every time I tell someone or I hear it.  And I thought that I could help to move others, as they share in the 'boat story' in 'Life of Pi'.  Now I have to figure out a way to distribute them.

2) P and I are very slack on gift-getting, and have decided to renew our Valentine's Day gift amnesty. (Why would you pick one day to buy your loved one a gift?  Surely if you loved them, you wouldn't need one day of the whole year to make extra special effort?)  I got my Christmas present! Finally.  I have conflicting ideas about gifts, but I picked these out myself which is probably why I love them lots :-D Our gift exchange involved online shopping, so whilst I still have overvalued ideas about things girls should have as they pass into adulthood, I picked things out from one website only (not my idea).

3) Organised a Chinese New Year dinner for my friends and I last weekend in Chinatown.  It was surprising that people turned up for a celebration of something most of them don't celebrate, compared to turn out for people's birthdays.  Anyway, I wore my cheongsam, which P bought for me in Hong Kong - apparently it took him a long time to find.  I was and still am one of those people who loves to wear new things as soon as I have bought / received / got them, but even I know there is a time and a place for a cheongsam.  Now I need to figure out a way to work the kimono into my normal socially acceptable wardrobe.  Hm.. National Foundation Day is in a few days.....




4) It is Chinese New Year tomorrow!

新年快樂

Xīnnián kuàilè

Carol
xoxo




all images from google

le vingtième

Day 20 – The meaning behind your blog name

http://sei-maow.blogspot.com

I've had several names during this blog's life, but none ever really fit properly.  I've had "sei-maow" for a while now... at least a couple of years.  Maybe 2 or 3.  Anyway, it means "kitten" in Cantonese, literally translating to 'little/small cat'.  You pronounce it "say mao" (as in Chairman Mao).  My family speaks Cantonese with me, and this is my most often used nickname.  (My parents only call me rarely call me by my name)  My pet name from P is (sometimes) "kitten" so it is also fitting.

C

xo

pour en savoir plus, cliquez ici

virtual diabetes

It is common knowledge that I looooove cake.  It's really bad to eat lots of sugary food, and I have been trying to have less, so that I can enjoy cake when I eat it more often.  With the Christmas / holiday season upon us, with all that food (:/) I thought I would share some pretty looking cakes!

red velvet cupcakes for a wedding

Chanel 2.55

the detail that's gone into this phone must have taken ages!!!

looks like a drunken cake

daisy melon boat

sewing machine?!

winter carousel!

bird and its house?

mini cottage

Noah's Ark!

All images from deviantart.


I confess I like sweet things, a lot more than savoury things, although more and more recently this becomes less true.


You know how we consider chocolates and sweets as treats?  What if we did that for fruit and vegetables?  Would it encourage people to eat them more?  What do you think?


love, a very shivery cold Carol
xoxo

"Action. What will you do next year that you've been putting off for too long?"

This is the 20SB blog swap post, except mine never got back to me, so here I am, posting this on my own blog.


Next year... I will make the effort to cook more meals that do not involve the current major Carol food groups of: chocolate, bread/toast and pasta.  These things are the go-to foods when I am just too tired to be imaginative and creative with my food choices, or when I feel ill and want some comfort food.  I cook a really nice meal for myself for my birthday and for Chinese New Year, as these are important days, the latter in particular, but other than that, it doesn't get all creative or anything.


I've been living away from home for a few years now, and I still very much look forward to coming home and having food made for me.


I will also keep my table tidy.  I write notes to myself, or important things and leave them on pieces of bright pink paper so that I will see them.. I have pens and papers and all sorts on my work table, and it gets a bit much sometimes.  I will also keep my piece-of-furniture -in-lieu-of-a-vanity tidy (a vanity is something where you put make-up and mirrors and other such things, and mine has magazines and books, a clock, hair things, creams and jewellery all over it in a very disorganised manner.  That is the one thing in my room that requires the most time to tidy up, and it is the one thing I hate to tidy the most.  So I will make more effort to do so.


In terms of really answering the point of this post... I'm not really sure there is anything I have been putting off... more, delaying (and these are things I would do in time).  I don't have any big plans I have been delaying (have I?)... but expect to see reflections upon this in the not too faraway future =)


C x x x


-------------


As a side note, the snow has really messed up the country's transport, and people keep citing Canada as an amazing example of snow-handling.  I accept that they are better equipped to handle snow, but the UK sadly is NOT, and a comparison to Canada isn't helping that much.... I hope that everyone's braving the snow if they need to, and being safe!  A lot of the trains and planes are cancelled / delayed, and I am so thankful that I didn't need to use any form of air transport this holiday.  Handling a train concourse full of irate people was bad enough!!

ten plus seven

Day 17 – 10 Things I Want To Do Before I Die

1. get married - this is very high on my list of life priorities.  I know there are some people who just don't see marriage as a big deal, but I have known for a long time that I want to get married, in the sense that sometime in the future, I wish to get married.  It's something that is important to me.  I also want to have children.  Sticking with tradition = :)

2. see a reindeer in real life - this is a throwback to something that happened a few years ago and I am still uncertain as to their realness

3. visit Vietnam - to experience a different culture and see where my family grew up

4. live in another country

5. completely redecorate my house and make it my own

6. grow old gracefully and stylishly

7. have no regrets

8. climb a mountain. No mean feat, as I hate walking long distances, I hate the cold and I am scared of very very high heights.  Also I cannot carry anything more than 20kg for a long time.

9. go to space .... highly unrealistic and if it were available, it would be hard for me to do (see #8) but it would still be fun. Kinda. For a while, before I get scared.

10. be happy :)

C x

-------------------------

just over half way.... want to see the other 16 days in the blog challenge?  Click here

clés

Day 15 – Something you don’t leave the house without

Hmmm.. I am not too sure what to put for this.  I know.  MY KEYS.  Otherwise I would never be able to get back in!


I have a high keyring to key ratio, because I am forever misplacing them so if I can hear them jingle, then I know they are in my bag, or in my pocket, or I can find them more easily.

half way now... want links for the first half of the 30 day blog challenge (not done in 15 days)?  Click here and it should take you to a page with links to all the challenges I have completed so far.


C

d a y t w e l v e

Day 12 - 15 random facts about you

1. I have a thing about putting my bag or my clothes or bedclothes on the floor... I just have some irrational idea that they'll get dirty and therefore should stay above ground.


2. Sometimes I wonder if it's a 'grown up' thing to have a dark/neutral coloured coat.  The coats I have had for the past few years have been pink or purple.....


3. I find cleaning up my room to be very therapeutic.


4. I always try to get maximum value out of my travelcards on my oyster card.


5. Very often, I wake up with bruises on my legs.  This may be because I sustained unknown injury the day before, or because I kick myself in my sleep.


6. I own clothing from several different world cultures, including Japan, India, Hawaii and China.


7. When I feel too lazy to make lunch / dinner / any meal really, I make toast.


8. If I think of sour foods or lemons, I can taste that bitter taste in my mouth.


9. Diaries / organisers are very useful to me, but then I always end up not needing one as I remember most of the important things that I have written down.


10. I passed my driving test first time round with only 3 minors.  I have had my licence for 4.5 years.  My licence came in the post on my 18th birhday =)


11. I have a CD of farm animal noises in French which I got as a Christmas present a couple of years ago.  I still have not opened it.


12. I have benign hypermobility syndrome.  A rheumatologist diagnosed it for me in a rheumatology tutorial about a month ago.


13. I don't like writing in blue ink anymore.


14. I have been named as 'assistant surgeon' in a theatre list.


15. I can tell my computer to fix basic internet issues by programming.


Want more random facts?  Click here! (it was a facebook tag going around a few years ago(?))


Carol xx


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on the eleventh day

Day 11 – What’s in your makeup bag?

This is a very artificial post.  I don't really wear any make-up, partly because I hate the feeling of feeling it on my face.  So a lot of stuff in my "make up bag" are eye products, as I'm okay with those.


As far as the bag goes.. it's just a free thing I got with some samples.  Most of the stuff I have isn't make-up.. more nail polishes and skin products.

top: Eyeko Superstar Line and Define
bottom row: MAC Swimming, MAC Parfait Amour, Barry M Midnight Dazzle Dust

I also think a lot of make-up is expensive, so don't buy it (much).  MAC products in particular are very expensive, and I got these two eyeshadows as gifts.  I'd never buy their things myself.

I suppose I wear eye make-up more nowadays.  I've been reading reviews of Eyeko make-up so I got one of their eyeliners, and use that most days.  Just because I don't wear it doesn't mean I don't know how and what it does :)

Here are screenshots of the products I own.

C ♥


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Day 6 : 30 day blog challenge

Day 6 – A photo of an animal you’d love to keep as a pet

So I think you get the idea.


I would like a kitten, and I shall call it Jelly.  I have a thing about naming pets/gift toys (like my Hello Kitties) with a name ending in "-y".


C


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love (via a) machine

I am pretty sure anyone with the know-how can do this....

But I think it's cute.

My boyfriend made it for me :)

xoxo

C

language barrier

I had Chinese lessons when I was younger, but stopped due to school commitments.  So a lot of it thereafter was self taught, and I learnt to work out what people were saying through context.  I am not sure how other people learn languages but for me, Chinese was always a bit different because I don't need to think about what my parents are saying to me.  When they say, for example, "go and move your car, it's blocking the back door and I need to get access to the gate but make sure you don't park it too near a wall otherwise you'll scratch the paint", I don't (feel like I) stand there and think, "what was that?  So this word means this, this word means this...".  It feels like second nature to me and I don't need any time to process its meaning.  I am not boasting about my linguistic abilities, far from it!, as a lot of what I know was worked out myself through context.


So it therefore makes the tiniest bit of sense when I say I like context to a conversation opener which someone has sprung on me.  Some people go x, y, z about a certain topic, then I'm there reeling through my mental rolodex thinking about things connected to x, y and z.  Sometimes it's appropriate to have context, y'know?  Like, "do you know about... did you hear about...." and THEN start with your line.  That's why I go "Context!  Context?" ... because it benefits both parties concerned.  Right?

sleepy times

I always always sleep on the left of the bed.  Even in a single bed.  Unless the right hand side of the bed is near the wall.  Allegedly, I move around a lot in my sleep, and when I was younger, I fell out of bed during the night once or twice.  (A LOT younger.  As in, under 10 years old).  I know I've said I don't like feeling the cold wall, which is why I have blankets and pillows and the like lining that side, so I can still sleep on the left, but not feel the cold walls during the night.


It's weird... I just dislike sleeping on the right.

her favourite colour is the radio

When I hear the radio anywhere (seriously, anywhere), I get confused about where I am and think I am at home.  As in, home where my parents are.  It is very weird and everyone I have spoken to has thought the same thing (that it's/I'm weird).  I can be out shopping or at a friend's or wherever, and if I hear the radio, it instantly makes me a little confused about my orientation in place (time and person are fine!!) and I have to rethink for a few seconds about where I am.


The reason for this is still not so clear to me... I used to listen to the radio for at least a couple of hours every day for a few years during my senior school years (high school).  I listen to it in my car or sometimes during university when I want a variety of music going in the background.  Maybe it's because I subconsciously connect it with being at home?


It really is completely bizarre; I can be out somewhere and then hear the radio then suddenly feel very strongly as though I am at home and a lot of the time I have to remind myself I am actually in London.


Do you ever feel like that with anything?

die Musik

About 8 or 9 years ago, when Sky was the only sort of digital package thing you could get, my parents bought a Sky box.  We didn't pay for Sky, just got the random free channels so my parents could watch some Chinese channels.  I spent a lot of fun times when I used to watch TV flicking through the German channels, watching Friends and some anime in German and watching the news in French and watching German music channels.  I could sing along to some of their songs and to the random musical adverts.


I miss those days a little bit.