Spring Cleaning

Spring cleaning, to me, is a little like coming to terms with who I really am. The accomplishments, the failures, the little joys and little demons, old dreams, new dreams, old ideals, present ideals, ideals that never bore fruit, ideals that burst forth and changed me, bad habits, good habits, old habits and new habits.

When I face myself from all that collection of nicknacks, odds and ends, I am reminded that to move on, I must free myself from all that clutter and look towards the future.

It's a little bit hard, getting rid of the old stuff. I end up remembering old emotions. Lingering in the past, finding it harder and harder to let go... till I resign and tell myself to just keep it - and think, "I'll always be like that." And then the defiance sets in, "what's wrong with being like that?"

But I'm reminded of my resolve: unless I de-clutter my life, how can I be free to move on? It's a bit of taking a break, a stop point. To take stock of who I really am. And when I stop, I stop blaming myself. Stop taking pride in the past. Just stop.

And finally when all is swept away: the dust, the grime, and the clutter, I can go.

Strange wasps in my room

Is it the weather? The season?

Wasps have been flying in and out of my room. Blasted two of them at my window still.They look kinda pretty though....

Finding a good spot to sleep

Rippy

Seeing Rippy at his favourite spot to sleep, I realised that he was literally sleeping among his own filth!

Feeling a little sorry for the little fish, I proceeded to torment the poor guy by dropping stones into his glass and rearranging them... loudly.

Needless to say, there were loads of swirling... filth.

But Rippy's such a trooper! Slowly and tentatively, he checked out the stones to make sure - they are mere stones. Then proceeded to probe around for the best place to perch himself and finally get some rest.

The funny thing was while he was checking out the stones, I tried taking photos of him being inquisitive. But whenever I moved, he'd float up away from the stones and STARE at me.

Must be worried that I'll do something to terrify him again.

So I end up resorting to sneaking the camera from behind the laptop screen and using the laptop to hide my hand movements to take the photos.

I think I'll get him a plant sometime in the future for him to perch and make for himself a cosy hiding spot. Then he will not need swim all the way to the top to get air and all the way to the bottom to sleep.

Meet Rippy

Meet Rippy!

Rippy checking the depth of its new home.

Rippy reading. Lol ^^

Rippy's happy bubbles ^^
A sign that it's settled into its new home.

Another attempt to keep a pet. Rippy's really cute. It likes to stare at me while I'm doing stuff in front of it. It follows my wriggling fingers albeit from a safe distance, and perks up when I return to the desk. ^^ Rippy's name is derived from Red and Pipsqueak. Other considered derivations were: Rip (X) Ripsqueak (sounds like rib steak so X) Rsqueak (sounds like risque X) Priseak (Prosac??! X) Ped (X)

My Garden Corner

I've created my own garden corner!

I finally got an orchid plant. It's a small pot which I bought from the Pasar Malam set up near home. Did a little bit of research and found out that it is of the dendrobrium variety. Which variety is it exactly I've no idea. Think I'll go look for the aunty tonight and find out.

I also got this vine plant with cute pods and button like flowers.

Have no idea also what plant this is either too. Anybody knows? [I later found out it's common name is: Ant Plant]
Meanwhile my old favourites are still there surviving.

Compare them to when I first got them in April 07.
http://jtcontinued.blogspot.com/2007/04/blooming-cactus.html

By the way, Em, the plant you gave to me is not a mint plant but an Indian Borage. See article link: http://www.greenculturesg.com/articles/oct07/oct07_Plect_amboinicus.pdf

It's shooting up like nobody's business. Time to cut and repot.

My Workstation has expanded!

Sorry bro, when you come back to visit, there may not be space for your bed in my room cos... my workstation has expanded!

After last sem's intensive courses, witnessing the TON of reading materials strewn over my room, spilling over to the living room... I decided, I needed more table space. So I dragged the extra dinning table we had into my room. Idea courtesy of my mummy, who remarked offhandedly at the mess, 'you should use the table outside, more space.'

Good idea, mummy! I shall use the table outside, inside my room! Bwahahahaha.... Check out the ever evolving state of my study table.

From studying outside...

To studying inside...

Getting my L-shaped table extension...

Adding another extension....

Today's Workstation!

Flowers

My catcus bloomed!!!

Nah... a couple of friends came for the concert and gave me flowers! So pretty huh?! I love flowers. Fresh ones especially. They don't last long unfortunately. So I decided I shall take photos of the flowers for posterity. ^_^

So pretty right the packaging. Girls love the packaging. I'm impractical that way.

Another close up!

On plants again!

Haha! Despite Daddy's doomsday pronouncement on the peppermint plant that I brought back home, one week hence and it's still alive and growing leaves!! Thanks Em for giving me a hardy plant! Maybe I might have Daddy's green fingers afterall?

So happy to have a plant that needs me to water it everyday, I was getting bored with my cactuses. Not much fun with plants that don't really need you much. My cactuses' flowers have since withered and closed up. I wonder when's the next time it blooms?

In the meantime, Daddy's money plant is growing massively outside our corridor. Grrr...

Just to help, Daddy's put an extra pot of earth for the plant's new growing roots (see below)

Flowers progress

I've been tracking my cactuses' flowering process. Check this out. Hmmm... Maybe I should conduct an experiement... like set my camera permanently on one angle and snap it day by day...

Oh well... next time lah. haaha! Enjoy, this time, it's the small flowers that are opening. =)

I decided to track the decay of my large flower too. haha...

Blooming cactus!

Hey something actually flowered in my hands!!! I'm so happy! Cos since UK, nothing that I planted ever prospered. the last 5 cactuses I bought died! Seriously! I was depressed... how pathetic a gardener I am that even the hardiest of plants - the cactus died on me! Anyway... enough with the depressing memories... Enjoy!

Here it is at night. the bud's closed for the night.

And then in the day night... it blooms!

Here it is from the side view! I put a mirror to reflect indirect light from my window. A better picture cos I dug out my camera from dusty storage to document this proud moment!

Here it is! In glorious full bloom! Yeah lah, the baby in the picture is me.

Okay, I know you guys must be skeptics. So I must confess, I just bought these plants a week ago and deliberately chose two that had buds. The bottom left plant actually had flowers before. Cute white ones. But they have since closed. Looks like it'll be another year or so before they bloom again... assuming I don't kill them off before they do.

Nonetheless! I'm thrilled that cacti (which I didn't like before) actually have such lovely blooms! I still think they look ugly, and I bought these cos I thought each one of them looked unique and interesting, plus I wanted some greens in my bedroom that I won't kill off so easily. But now I have flowers to look forward to! Woohoo!

Yeah... obviously exam preparations are still slow going...

I love looking at the Calendar

All those different colours, just seeing my filled up calendar makes me feel all nice and productive. ^__________^


Figaro's finally over. The one thing good about this one, is that I was so busy and tired at the end of it, I didn't even have any withdrawal symptoms. You know... the usual lost feeling. Like you suddenly don't really know what you're suppose to do at night. Or just really miss playing, rehearsing... etc...

I gave up my trip this year to HK. Sob* I'm sorry An_!!! I'll save up for your wedding next year!

Not that I'm not going to travel this year, end of the year I'll be off to Medan for a humanitarian trip. Definitely looking forward to the new experiences, not looking forward to the fund raising...

I'm raising cultural standards in among my friends. First off is Cabaret (which really isn't cultural... more like eye opener raunch), then Ballet under the Stars (which come to think of it, isn't that cultural since my s_ are more motivated by the picnic...) Ah well...

Meanwhile I've been cleaning...

My newly cleaned room!!
My new workstation in the living room!

Daddy just installed a shelf beside my table, so now I've got that L-shape desk I always wanted! Well... there's no curve... but it's L-shaped! Woohoo...

My new desk! With a new shelf at the top, and shelf at the side... and for ample space for my long legs, Daddy removed the drawers attached to the desk!

My previous messy desk!

A close up!

The Ikea desk I've been drooling over... like for a VERY long time.

Okies... this is all for my update.