do excuse my lack of updates...

but...

i'm still on a high...


a lot has happened in the past one month since i last updated...

like obtaining a first in my law degree and then being the recipient of an award that 2 months ago i could only drool upon!

i swear to g*d i did not pay the dean or sleep with any of my lecturers to get this...
*truthfully...

and then I turned 24...

picture above taken on actual birthday showing that age has prolly caught up
the usual birthday glow was substituted with complete haggardness and maggoty pale skin
the in-denial self is blaming it on theresa though...
mental note to oneself: should not take pictures next to theresa chin so as to look more outstanding in future...

but
thank you theresa for celebrating me bday wif moi...
although you managed to steal the limelight from me on me special day!!!!!

am now just a year shy from hitting the quarter life crisis...

unfortunately not much wiser....

and lastly...
am somewhat honoured to be featured in the local newspapers back home...

pic courtesy of sammy poh!

pretty shocking that i was also featured in Sin Chew Jit Poh (?!?!)
yes, i do not know the proper spelling of the newspaper because i'm a banana who could only read 3 characters out of the entire article (my name included)


not so honoured is how my picture's colour resolution came out totally off from its original copy.
i suppose that sin chew jit poh prolly thought it was more marketable that an ah lian was featured by giving me a super LALA hair colour to go with the already chinky face!

sigh...
i miss the joyous atmosphere you feel on festive seasons...
with your closest friends and family visiting you galore...

i miss seeing red...
on the walls, on almost every child and adult
and on that lil rectangular packet that comes with money...

i miss the overplayed chinese new year songs...
yup...
even the chinese new year jingles that i used to find so irritating,

i miss all d cny goodies n the never ending big reunion dinners...
stupid me for throwing a hissy-fit
just for putting on the extra weight last year...

i miss them all...
and i think i'm losing my identity...
chinese new year is the only time a banana like me feels more chinese than ever.

this year has been far too quiet for me.
just a bowl of mee sua...
to keep me happy...

it tasted sooo much like home though
and with the warmth of the soup and great company for the night
it was enough to keep us warm during a cold winter night.

(yoko ono exhibition in Baltic Contemporary Art Musuem... a wall dedicated to mums
with me sticking my masterpiece...)

(my masterpiece... and of course i love daddy too)

i guess it took me 6517.95 air miles
for me to realise that...
chinese new year isnt bout the amount of money you receive in a red packet...
or the new clothes your wearing
or even all the glorious food
it's about being with your family...

oh boy...
i miss them lots.

i've been extremely busy since posting my last entry...
i had eva over frm the 17th-21st in between a packed timetable with an assignment due on the 23rd...
and in true phyllis fashion, i managed it all bein an accident prone like i always do..

like knockin off my glass n spilling water onto my books,
tripping n almost breaking my ankle (thank god no one saw dat!),
lost 1 pound found it n lost it again,
wasted 3 cds burning the wrong data,
burning myself wif an iron while ironing *alamak...

am pretty sure dat'll scar me 4 life...

and almost popped a blood vessel trying to blow eva's mattress up!
i hate being clumsy... i really do!
sigh...

p/s: btw the length of my hair now is just above the shoulders... the ah lian dye is gone... all gone...
oh n totally random... eva thinks i'm vain... pfft! wad is dat?

oh and...

happy chinese new year!
(my first cny away frm home... sobsssss)

if there's a movie role out there for the most beautiful man in the world, nobody will fit it better than orlando bloom.
with killer cheekbones, dark hair and brown eyes, who would have thought he could pull off a blond wig and blue contact lenses and still lookd s good.
come on... we all fell in love with the ethereal elf Legolas Greenleaf...
nobody ever looked dat sexy carrying a bow and arrow... ROARRRR


unless he's a neurosurgeon who looks uber hot in dark blue scrubs, then legolas has met his match in dr. derek 'McDreamy' shepherd...
Inheriting his good looks frm his irish ancestors, Patrick Dempsey has wonderfully dreamy blue eyes...
talk about McGorgeous...

and isnt it coincidental that both orlando bloom and patrick dempsey turn a year older and definitely hotter today...
January the 13th...
which also happens to be the birthday of a beautiful soul... ever so alluring on the inside and exquisitely beautiful on the outside...

william hung
(born: january 13, 1983)

two years of writing to myself and letting others scrutinize me...
every move and sentiments made known...
some were foolish... appalling even to yours truly...
some were rational... hoping to inspire.

lacuna turns two today...
and 172 posts later...
the reason for her existence remains the same...
no masquerades, no mendacity...
she becomes the journal i turn to while i stoically face the harsh reality of life...

there's a reason why i've been missing in action all christmas.

i was down in the countryside in Ireland WITH no internet access and where there are more cows than cars.
my very first christmas away from home.

i know... amazing isnt it...
spending Christmas in Ireland... the land of Ronan Keating... mr. Irish man whom i fancy back in the days when puberty first hit me.
sad to say, Mr. Keating has now been replaced by one Eric Bana... who is smoking hot!

Same old christmas for the past 22 years of my life... little did i know, Christmas this year would be so different.
a standout from the crowd is that, it's d first time i'm celebrating christmas with a crowd so different from me... frm the colour of the skin to the hair...

here are my Christmas 08 highlights....

i) being able to force myself to swallow every pea and carrot (that i so despise) every meal for 8 days...

ii) the excitement in the children's eyes and their screams of joy that still reverberates in my ears on Christmas morning...

iii) My pressies.... i love all the presents i got...
frm the sweater to the pajama, the beautiful pen to the book of sudoku puzzles and the lovely bracelet to the warm scarf and gloves... i love them all!

iv) the beautiful scenery that greets me everyday.

v) the many frens i made...

vi) the poker game that won me 30 euros.... ;)
yup... uhuh... Phyllis won a poker game...
my god... until today am still amazed... talk about beginner's luck!

vii) the ability to be a child again... where nothing is too tedious and playing will forever be sacrosanct.
viii) the opportunity to meet Bob and Roxy... two lovely four-legged pooches that helped heal my 'dog-fur deprive'...
ix) the Guinness Factory... that i visited

and the two times i had to guzzle down guinness out of respect cause the Irish sure love their Guinness!!!!

x) the splendid Christmas that made me one happy girl!
Guess i was a good girl the whole year to deserve this...
Thank u Santa ;) best christmas gift ever!

HAPPY BELATED CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

yeah baby!
phyl's one happy child this week.
snow greeting me in the morning and Christmas Market shopping by night.
did i ever mention i love Newcastle...

German Hotdog stall greeting us at the mouth of the market.
no pics of the hotdog bt i tell u it's HUGE.
prolly s big s brad pitt's ding dong...
nt dat i've seen it bt it has been mentioned in several magazines dat his johnson is as good as 8 inches long.
talk bout 'mouth-full'.

cool stall selling bonsai trees and dreamcatchers...

traditional dutch pancakes...

macaroons...
yummy...
well mayb due to my undeniable love for coconut too...

cool transylvanian art...
very pretty... very pricey!

smelled no different frm d rubbish chute at my apartment
arghh...
CHEESE
fermented cheese!!!
bleuk!

stall frm finland selling winter wear and cute husky dolls...
bet shell would love one...
speaking of which... shell if u fancy one... leave a COMMENT!
will post it 2 u...

olives!
bet u'll nvr c dem display in dis manner back home...
europeans r crazy about olives... i dunno y!
my spanish hsmate eats his bread wif olive oil n salt...
0.o
apparently it's VERY 'normal' in spain!
tried it... didnt like it... i'll pass...
shocking 4 such an obsessed bread lover lk moi 2 pass on bread... even i'm shocked!

unique way of selling waffles too...
in boxes...

talk about a whole different culture and an eye opening experience...
first time walkin in2 a market that was neither hot nor stuffy...
i was not fanning myself for once... and instead of short shorts n a tank top...
i was in my bulky attire of thick winter coat n a puffy scarf...
bt i still miss the pasar malam back home tho...
satay, keropok lekur, ayam panggang.... omg...
*wipes saliva off keyboard*

sigh...
i mean belacan sting-ray sure beats eating macaroon any day man!

how was your halloween?
mine was pretty crazy... and i say that with an impish glint in my eye!

BUT... allow me to recuperate from two nights of partying and i shall face the harsh reality that i'm getting too old for this.
the best part of halloween was of course the dressing up!
i had sooo much fun shopping for the right outfit, the right make up and then putting them all together and designing them!

for this year's halloween, i went as envy...

portraying envy was a little challenging...
apart from the facial expression...
i practically had to be green the entire night...
as the saying goes GREEN wit ENVY!
so i got myself....
a beautiful green corset dress from Morgan n Co.
green hair extension and
a lovely green hairclip from New Look... and i was all set...

and so were the other six deadly sins too... allow me to introduce them to you...

LUST...

GLUTTONY...

GREED...
SLOTH...

PRIDE...

and here are pictures taken from the entire night...

gluttony, envy and santa

joker and evil leprechaun

witch and greed

the devils

nurul, the island princess

between devil and angel

witch, pimp, zombie, angel and dr. seuss/cowboy

a witch and a dracula in between the devils

jason, commander and witch

zorror, batman?!?!?! and ju-on

envy and china-doll

G.I Jane and Envy

and before i end this post....

nurul and i would love to wish something to someone who means the world to the both of us...

A HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY to

Samantha Poh...
we miss you lots!

(p/s: check ur mailbox in a week's time ;b)