FML 44 - Summer is here and it is TOO HOT!

Oh yeah, when it was winter, I was complaining how cold and windy it was.

And now finally summer is here and I should be happy. But I am not! Now that it is summer, it is way too hot! To make it worse, there is no air conditioner or fan in my room! Even with the window opened, it is still hot!

Lesson 44 = Okay fine, I admit it. "I AM HOT" (If you can interpret it the other way round)

FML 43 - Mosquitoes Bite!

I have been growing up in tropical country for 18 years, and I should be used to the heat and the mosquitoes. After coming to Canada, I realized that I have never been bitten by mosquitoes until last year when I went bike riding. That was the first bite in like almost 4 years. Then the first day of summer here, I got bitten by two mosquitoes which was rare! So that made the total of 3 mosquitoes bites in almost 5 years.

Lesson 43 = Back off Mr. and Mrs. Mosquitoes! Apply or spray some insect repellent too besides the sunscreen!

FML 42 - Are you one of the many students in majors you are not happy about

*Dislike* nursing major
I started out as a nursing major in 2008, but the thought of switching out of the program has never left my mind. Every day, every semester, every year, I am in deep thought whether I should continue to do this-wake up every morning realizing this is not what I want and definitely not spending the rest of my life doing what I don't like to do.

Having an Asian Family
In Asian culture, you follow blindly to what your parents or your family ask you to do. You obey, you don't override their kind "suggestions". So this is how I got into nursing. I know what my passion is, so do they, but again, you gotta do what you have been told. Like they say, nursing is a promising job with secure income and job stability. Yes, I agree with that, but what about my passion?

My art, my life
I want to go into artistic route. That is what I want. I can stay up all night long, creating new fresh crazy ideas. I am always intrigued by all the creative works by others. I have a love for CREATIVITY/ART. Wong Fu Productions is a great inspiration to me. It is shouting out to all the Asian American to bring out the young talent you have! Just like what Wes has said, "it’s crucial to nurture the creative side no matter what, despite other influences you have from parents or friends".

Mission accomplishment countdown
Now that I am almost graduating in 5 and a half month. I will be completing the so called family's mission. I will be entering into the so called "solid" career field. Finally, I can pursue a different major. I need to grow personally and creatively. There is nothing wrong to pursue "non-traditional" careers or even the arts as a hobby, right?

Lesson 42 = Don't limit yourself to what you're "told" to do. Rebel your strict upbringing if you dare!

FML 41 - When you lose a friend

How do you feel when you lose a friend? Sad? Unhappy? A little depressed?


Here is my story:
We have known each other since the second year of school. But we don't know each other very well as we all have our own friends. Coincidentally, he was my classmate and we were in the same clinical group for the semester, so we have spent more time together. He is a very good friend and I really appreciate his kindness in teaching me some of the patho-physiology and giving me a ride when possible. He was like my mentor.

Not till yesterday:
He: I didn't do anything wrong. I treated you good.
Me: (confused) Huh? What?
He: You know what you have done.
Me: What did I do? (still confused)
He: I treated you good. How can you treat me like that?
Me: ...
He: I gave everyone five for peer evaluation
Me: (Oops, I gave him 2/5) ...(don't know what to say)
He: I know how many marks you have given me. I can count.
Me: (speechless, i can't really say anything, can I?)
He: But it is okay. It is okay...
Me: O---kaay....
He left.....me in shock.

Sigh...there you go my friend. I lost a friend just because I gave him a 2/5 for peer evaluation.

But I gave you 2 because of your lack of participation and collaboration. And your paper really sucks. And yet you blame me for giving you a 4? What the heck? Why am I feeling so guilty? Because you are my friend, and I don't want to hurt your feelings.

Anyway, maybe I should have given you 10/10. Happy endings. Then I won't have to try to avoid seeing you, even your friends. Now I am even hoping that we will not be in the same class for future semester or even work together because it is just awkward and embarrassing to smile to you and pretend that nothing has happened.

But it is too late now. Friendships that is broken can't be mend. Or can it?

Lesson 41 = But I am still thankful to have you as a friend. The pain of losing a friend will never go away.

FML 40 -She foretells my future

This happens to me not very often, but quite a few times I remembered. When I was young, I wasn't doing very well academically.

Kindergarten
I have bare memory of my kindergarten. All I remember is toys and snacks that I begged my dad to buy for me, swings, and of course friends! I don't remember what I have learned in my kindergarten year at all to be honest. I remember how my teacher won't let me go home unless I finished that one test. That one test I will remember forever and ever. My mom had to sit beside me and literally tell me the answers: "This is duck", so I drew a line connecting the word "duck" and a picture of "duck" and so on! How embarrassing hey! But at least from then onwards, I know what a duck is! HAHA!

Junior High
Then it comes to Junior High. Of course I know how to sing ABC and count 123. Other than that, the purpose of going to school was just play and to meet friends? Not that lucky of course. I remember how my grade 1 teacher used to hate me to the max! She would always call my name up front, beat me with her lovely stick, and ask me to half squat throughout the lessons. Again embarrassing! She thinks I AM STUPID! Then Grade 2 was better, a lovely younger teacher who do love me and so I love her back by doing a bit better in class. I improved slowly in my learning just for her favor. Then Grade 3 was the best. I was arranged to the "green" class aka class with helpless student. Why? Because we had a substitute teacher and her last name is the same as mine. I also had the best tuition teacher ever. The encouragement and support from both of them made those negative predictions made by my Grade 1 teacher less likely to be true. And soon enough I became very popular in the class. And I guess I was stupid, but not that stupid in the "worst" class. I managed to get into the top 3! And my mom was so proud that she made sure everyone knew that I was a Top 3 student. I remembered passing by my old grade 1 classroom, seeing my grade 1 teacher looking back and me. Then she told her grade 1 class how stupid I am. Great...

Well, I guess you are wrong, my grade 1 teacher!

Because of my excellent performance in grade 3, I was being arranged into the best class in grade 4. Studying with a whole class of nerds was pretty stressful and yet benefiting at the same time. I was smart in the "worst" class, but not smart enough in the "best" class. So I made it to the last 5 in my grade 4. But one thing I am proud of? I am never the last, never ever! Someone is even stupid that me hahaha. Sorry! In the next three years, I was able to make it into the top 10! Congrats me now! Is it great? See the improvement and the growing in three years. During UPSR aka the biggest test ever in primary school, I got 5As out of 7. Impressive huh grade 1 teacher.

Again, I guess you are wrong, my grade 1 teacher! 

You couldn't believe I can get 5As/7 in UPSR (grade 6)
You couldn't believe I can get 7A's/8 in PMR (grade 9)
You couldn't believe I can get 11As/12 in SPM (grade 11)
You couldn't believe I am now pursuing my study in a university overseas!


Lesson 40= Parents or educators should be cautious in assuming that the future of your child or your student may be predicted directly based on their current performance. Whether we are excelling or not has little bearing on how we will do as an older student. We change. So be optimistic!

FML 39 - Group work

Group work sucks to the MAX I tell ya. It was, it has been and it really is! There has been tons of group work to do for school and universities. In my case, there has been group activities every single semester. I don't even understand why all the course coordinator or instructor always include group activities. Is it because they want a day off by sitting there and evaluating us instead of teaching to the class? I believe so.

But seriously group work is not collaborative at all sometimes. Everyone has their own life, own schedule, own working style, and so it is hard to collaborate with each other. What usually happens is that each of us will be assigned with different part of the assignment and at the end we will just combine everything. That is like mixing all different kinds of leftover foods together in order to come up with a dishes. And of course, sometimes it comes out great, and most of the time, it is NASTY!

In a nutshell, group work sucks. What makes it even worse is when you have unproductive, late, last-minute group members. They tend to ruin everything! So the paper is due at 9am, and you just emailed us your part at 8:53am? I can forgive you if it is really a great piece of work. But the problem is it is not! I was merely a page of simple paragraph and still missing the important points! You suck! We have to fix your problem for you at the very very last minutes! I blame you for the freaking stupid, low marks. All because of you! Sick of you! So unlucky to have you in my group.

Lesson 38 = Pray that you do have good and reliable group members whenever you are doing group activities.

FML 38 - Prince William and Kate divorce...

MAARS News reports:

" Barely a month after marrying 29-year-old Kate Middleton in a royal wedding ceremony watched by an estimated 2 billion people worldwide, Prince William announced Tuesday that he and Middleton have divorced and that the entire marriage was “a tremendous mistake in every possible regard.” “I really don’t know what I was thinking—we’re a terrible match, I don’t love her and never have, and, to be honest, I never really had any interest in being married in the first place,” announced the now unattached Prince William to a dead-silent British press corps. “People thought our wedding was some sort of fairy tale, but I assure you it was all just some ghastly ceremonial farce that got out of hand. I’m just relieved it’s over, frankly. And I’m glad I’ll never have to see that awful woman again.” Prince William then told the assembled reporters, “Well, see you all later,” smiled, and walked back into Buckingham Palace."

So unluckily Kate and William are getting divorce. I am heartbroken. And I don't understand why he thinks Kate is a "awful woman". This only proves that there is no fairy tale in this century.

Lesson 38 = Do know how to differentiate between the truth and the rumor. Rumor is just a rumor after all. It will fade eventually. 

FML 37 - Got on the wrong bus

Someday you just want to go home as soon as possible right after work because you are so dead tired. So you drag yourself to the bus stop and get on the bus you have been taking all the time. And yet, it was a little too late to realize that you were on the wrong bus!

Yup, I got on the bus that come at the usual time. Half way through, I realized the bus is heading to a different direction! I thought the bus driver was new and not knowing the route as this happens quite frequently. But no, the driver was right and I was wrong. Thanks goodness, I was familiar with that bus route and knew where it was going, or else I would freak out. At the end, it took me an extra half an hour than usual to get home. Sigh...lesson learned!

Lesson 37 = Open your eyes big and wide and make sure that is the right bus! LOL

FML 35 - No camping on the long weekend

No fires, no booze, no fun?

So you really like camping, and you wait and you wait and you wait all winter, and then you wait for May long weekend to come and then what happens? There is fire ban. And the weather forecast is not looking great. And the rising gas price? Not so great I tell ya. It is like a big wet blanket on the plans.

With the money ti takes for gas now, plus the fire ban, plus the cloudy, raining day, it just seems like not worth it.


Lesson 35 = Don't be dampened by the forecast. If you have been planning it for a long time, you can't call it off at this point because of the forecast or fire ban. Let's head to somewhere else!

FML 34 - Still raining

If you refer to my previous post, I mentioned that it would be unlucky when you forget your umbrella at home when you are outside in the rain.

Right here, hot weather is not in the forecast over the weekend. Saturday will be the warmest day of the week at 20 degree Celsius and cloudiness is expected on Friday and Saturday, while showers are in the forecast for Sunday and Monday.

I think it is okay to have rain one in a while, but what if the rain won't stop? What if it is going to rain for the next 7 days? That is not so great because that means all the outdoor activities will have to be limited too.

Spring and summer are already very short here, so we always want to make the most out of it. And yet now you are forecasting rainy day for the next few days?

Sigh, that is so unlucky!

Lesson 34 = Hopefully Mr. Sun would feel better and greet us soon?

FML 33 - When it is raining ...

And you don't have your umbrella. This is what happened to me today. Even with a jacket with hoodies, it didn't save me from becoming "down soup chicken" ( a term that only Chinese would understand, xoxo) or in English term, I am all wet!

Lesson 33 = Don't forget to check the weather forecast before heading down of the door especially now that it is spring and summer. Bring your umbrella and embrace yourself in the lovely spring shower haha!

FML 32 - Suck at short answer questions...

Well, remember the day when I mentioned how multiple questions suck before? Yes, and now I am complaining about how short answer questions suck too!

Yes, I hate multiple questions because they are very misleading! But on the other hand, it is quite easy.

For short answer questions, it sucks when you have no idea of the topics being tested. When you didn't study, or you somehow forgot, or you just skip that topics. For whatever reasons they are, you just have no single idea what to write on that piece of blank paper! Your monolog will turns into something like this, "Sh*t! I should have read this, how can I forget, I am going to get zero on this! Dang it!"

Lol, tell me you did!

Lesson 32 = Choose whatever you like. Choose multiply questions because they are quicker and short answer to test your true knowledge of the subject.

FML 31 - Pay more than what you should be paying for wireless phone

You think you have a $35 plan. But unexpectedly you are paying over $100 per month.

Paying $6.95 for system access fee aka profit for those providers who charge it.

Paying $0.75 for 911 aka emergency services. I don't think we should pay it in order to access emergency services. I thought they are trying so hard to promote equal access to health care system?

Being overcharged for overages data usage? I thought they mentioned unlimited data usage before?

Ouch for paying so much for the $35 plan! I am tired of the pile-on.

Lesson 31 = Read all the fine prints before signing a contract with your providers. Or be smart enough to choose a provider who does not charge you these fees. Or go for prepaid phone. Or just be phoneless haha.

FML 30 - Taking spring and summer classes

The exams are done, the books stashed away and many students who have spent their eight months in the university hunched over desks indoors are looking to get out and get active!

I am a university student. This time of year is usually the time to relax, to have fun, to do whatever I want, to find a job, and to earn summer income. However this would not be the case for this year as I am taking spring courses and also summer courses, meaning I don't have any summer holiday at all. Then very soon, I will have courses in fall too.

Spring course is a mandatory, so no one has any choice. But summer courses, I myself decided it just because I want to graduate earlier. At least by December, I would have finished all the necessary courses and trainings. After 7 months of intense studying and trainings, I would be a free man! Oops, actually a free girl! haha!

Lesson 30 = Take a break when you don't have any classes or exams. Or study with the sun, beers, and sunglasses!

FML 29 - My phone dies

Yes, my phone finally ends her life, after living for almost 3 years. Well not quite 3 years, it is 2 years and 8 months to be exact.

I was so in love with this Sony Ericsson before. The vibrant red colour just caught my eyes. However, the longer I used it, the more tear and wear it starts to show. And finally it came to a point where it could no longer hold the charger properly, giving me a hard time to charge the phone. I have to try to save the phone battery by turning it off most of the time, causing me to miss all the phone calls. What is the point of carrying a phone when you turn it off and miss the text or calls. So unrealistic.

The reason why I still kept it is because I can't afford for any other phone. I want a Blackberry or Iphone which is way too expensive. And I am the type of person which I would go for the best and extreme instead of a temporary cheap things. That is why I still hold on to this phone.

But of course it finally loses the battle. R.I.P Sony Ericsson. You had done a good job and had been very loyal. But it is time to switch.

Lesson 29 = It is time to get an Iphone 4. Should I wait for Iphone 5?

FML 28 - Gasp! Overspending

When you have credit card, you think you have a lot of money to spend...

When you spend money using credit card, unconsciously you spend more than what you can afford to... 

In the end, your credit card is racked up each month because of overspending...

Oops...now you have credit card debt...

You ended paying high interest if you didn't pay it off...

And you will have a bad credit if you didn't pay the minimum amount...

Bad idea to have a credit card if you don't know how to control your spending...

Lesson 28 = Need I to say more, it is better not to get a credit card, then you won't overspend!

FML 27 - Vacation is ruined

Accidents never take a vacation. Getting sick or injured when you are away from home isn’t only bad timing, it can be expensive. In Canada, provincial health coverage may not cover you for medical expenses outside of your province and out-of-country hospital bills can add up fast.

When travel mishaps ruin your vacation…Unlucky.

Lesson 27 -Invest in quality travel medical insurance to protect you and your family from unexpected expenses and unwanted headaches when you are on vacation in Canada or abroad.

FML 26 - Chipped windshield

Is the chip visible? Yeah, I think so.

Snow is officially gone, and spring is officially here! How exciting! But warn you though, once the snow melts, the pebbles would start to go bam, bam, bam. And you know they always choose the "right" place to hit. I know exactly where I chipped mine – it was on my way to work driving down Deerfoot Trail. 

FML 25 - Not so great first date

First date is always exciting and nerve-wrecking. You are anticipating for the best and hoping it will turn out well. You are having butterflies in your stomach. You are very conscious and careful with your every word, movement, behavior, attitude. In addition, there are few more things you ought to bring to your first date – charm, humor, smile, wit, heart, soul, breath mints and don't forget a small mirror to check for spinach haha, but...THERE IS ALWAYS A BUT... there are also some things you should leave at home. 

FML 24 - I don't understand

Have you ever encountered a situation like this: