PMS (Pre Monday Syndrome)

Shucks...

Yes. I'm having PMS 'cause Sunday is almost over!

Tomorrow is Monday and the start of the 7 Ws:

1. Which means going back to school.
2. Which means need to go lecture.
3. Which means got practice.
4. Which means going back home late.
5. Which means not enough sleep.
6. Which means feeling tired the next day.
7. Which means the cycle starts all over again!!!

I found this commercial clip in Mr Brown's Blog:



It somehow express my thoughts and feelings too. But at least I'll have my classmates (some minus the 3rd W) suffering the same fate as me. Hahaha...

Never fear my fellow student maids- I means nurses, we will survive!!!

老友四重奏

Today I meet up with Ah Mui for lunch buffet at the Market Plaza Cafe. As usual, our good friend, Stuckup and Meow were late. So the two of us go ahead and have our have our lunch first. Stuckup came just in time while Ah Mui and I were looking at the display of food. The resturant is having a peranakan themed international buffet. For our 1st round, we had these:

There are prawn noodles, fried chicken wings, fish porriage, siew mai, zui kueh, paper chicken and some sandwich. The food we have in not really peranakan. Ah Mui thinks the theme is just to attract the foriegners.












While the two of us were busy taking photos of the food, Stuckup came back with his plate looking like this:






Wah Liao... Take a smaller plate lah! Meow came after we finished our 1st round. Ah Mui had to bring her to the resturant as she got lost. After her grand arrival, we started on our 2nd round. While we're eating, we talked about how some coffeeshops had a the sign saying 'No Outside Food'. If we eat food bought form other places in the permise of the coffeeshop, the food should consider 'inside food' right? Hahaha...
The Food they served in the resturant are mostly local crusine. I think they should called it as locally international buffet, but that will be very contradicting.

For the dessert, we had yam paste, durian pudding, bread pudding, chocolate moose and some other stuff.

Overall, the food is so-so. The ambience of the place is nice, but I don't feel it's worth the money.

After lunch, we head to Vivo City to do some shopping(actually the shopping are done by Meow and Ah Mui la. Stuckup and I just accompany them). The place is full of people sia! I know it's public holiday, but the place is practically infested by humans!!! Many parents brought thier children to the Sky park where there has this huge and shallow pool.


The area becomes a mini siloso beach! We came across these interesting signs.

At the Vivo Mart, Ah Mui said it's a place for her ans there're lots of slimming food for her to buy. I think it's fine for her if she don't mind travel fron the east of Singapore to there everytime. Hahaha...

Vivo City is really big. After all the walking, we went to a cafe to rest our legs. We went home around 8 pm. Selamat Hari Raya!

SRO Day Plus Six

One week of schooling has past. It's been quite hectic for me as I've yet adjust back to school. Well, I've survived one semester, what's one week right?

Cone to think of it, I've took a long round-a-bout from schooling. From a poly drop-out, to a waiter, to a soldier, to a slacker, half-f**K musician, and back to a student. I won't say I've seen everything, but I've seen some interesting things. From being a loner in school, to a waiter that can take all the abuse from customer and still give them a smile. From 'garang' recruit to a slack and 'know-it-all' LCP(only I didn't really know everything. I just act like one). From a Medic trainee to a Musician in MDC to a Student Nurse.

Yup, life has been quite unpredictable and interesting for me.

This semester will be very busy for me. By just looking at my timetable, I'll have dizziness and headache. Everything are jam pack together. Even my CCA are having performance around my test and exam period! Breath Ray, breath...

May Buddha give me strength to take on the challenges ahead...

Here's two of the goofy video I took during my NS life. Well, all I can say is I have too much time in hand and... I'm bored. Hahaha...

Behold, China's pride... or is it? Part 2

Good Midnight Everyone!

One of my CO friend from the school critisied me of being too 'self high' aobut the Ge Hus the school just bought.


Guess what?


I'm gonna 'self high' even more! Hahaha....


Ok now, back to more of the Geek's stuff. Today, I'm gonna talk more about the Ge Hu (革胡).

Development of the Ge Hu starts around the 1950s, where there's a need for bass instruments in the Chinese Classical scene. As I mentioned in my previous entry, the Ge Hu is made out of necessity and China's ego.

Like the other Hu Qins (胡琴), the Ge Hu has a sound barrel with a snake skin stretched over one end.

Front of the sound barrel

Back of the sound barrel

However, instead of having the bridge directly in contact with the snake skin like other Hu Qins (胡琴), it links with several connector that are attached to the skin as shown below:

The bridge

Inner side of the snake skin

Gehu is a fusion of the Erhu and Cello. The tone is clear and rich, like the viola da gamba. However, The Gehu has many weakness. It has a tendency to go out of tune easily if too much pressure is apply to the strings. The volume of two Gehus are only equivalent to one Cello. The instrument's volume and tone quality depends on the snake skin. As snake skin are easily damage by humidity, great care must be taken to prevent the deterioration of the skin.

Gehu has become a rare instrument as most of the Chinese Orchestra around the world has replace it with cello and double bass. Therefore, I am very fortunate to be able to play this unique instrument in NYP Chinese Orchestra.

SRO (School Re-Open) Day

Well, well, well...

In the first of school I got two surprises: I involuntarily volunteered to be the Class Rep and JB volunteer to be Assistant Class Rep! Somemore, Early in the morning kena stress by our tutorial lecturer. Plus, having morning sinus until now because of the haze.

But wait, there's more!

ALL MY SIBELIUS FILES FOR HONG KONG LOVE SUITE ARE CORRUPTED!!! CANNOT BE OPEN~~~!!!

Why oh why! Why can't I live a peaceful life, without all these leadership thingy and smoke up my nose~~~?!?!



"Om Ma Ni Bei Meh Om... Om Ma Ni Bei Meh Om..." *Chanting Buddhist prayer to lower his blood pressure*

So now I have to re-type all the scores for Bass, Cello and Percussion.

ROOOOAAAARRRR!!!

Today's sectional practice is a chore for DK. As Mr Lee did not come because he's sick. So, DK (DK is also sick. seems many people are down with headache and flu due to the haze) has to teach the Cello section, enduring his headache. What I'm I doing during the practice? I just stand one corner and slack. Hahaha... No lah, I got help him a bit, but I still feel a bit bad because I didn't help much. Vic can handle by himself and the newbies didn't come. So I do not need to look after the Bass section.

Sorry DK Bro, hope you get well by tomorrow.

Oh ya, one last thing: JB! Stop calling my name in that disgusting way! In case you still know how to read Chinese, it's 瑞祥. Not 瑞香! If not, I'll start calling you by your Chinese name ar... *Smack back of JB's head*

Ok, that's all for today. Peace, JB.

"If I wanna hear from an arsehole, I would have farted."

-quote from one of my NS pal.

Until next time, my friend...

Finally back to my messy, yet cozy bedroom-cum-dinning room-cum-study room. Last night, I spent my time in the airport with Ash, BX and Lin to finish up with the collage for Lou. She had migrate to the States. I had three cups of coffee and I can feel my hands a shaking a bit.

Although I'm not very close to her, but I'll sure miss her when she's not around. So are my other classmates. See her go makes me envy her. Will I have so many friends seeing me off if it was me whose going oversea? Many of her friends came to sent her off and boy, there are lots of hugging and tears as Lou were about the enter the departure hall.

No, I didn't cry ok... Just... morning sinus... *sniff*

After all that, I went back to school practice. Man, I feel really stone lah! After practice, there still spring cleaning for the CO rooms!

T-I-E-R-D!!!

Here's a collage done by Ash:

Until next tme my friend! For now, take care and wish you all the best in everthing you do.

Behold, China's pride... or is it?

It's been a long day for me... After my TP's make up attachment, I head back to school for my CCA. Guess what I found?



No, it not some artistic sculpture. Here, you're are looking at the alternative answer to Chinese Orchestra's bass section (and by-products of China's ego): The Ge Hu (革胡)and Bass Ge Hu (低音革胡)!



Below is the Ge Hu and it's playing position:







Oh by the way, the model is Edwin. Thanks man.

Next is the Bass Ge Hu:





Here, I tried to play the Bass Ge Hu:



There's something wrong with the picture above. Firstly, I'm holding a German Bow using the French bow method. Secondly, The Bass Ge Hu is a bit too low for me. Lastly, I'm in the picture! Man... Do I looked fat or what? Wait, I am fat! Hahaha... *Laughing loudly while rubbing his own belly*

The Bass Ge Hu is almost identical to Ge Hu, only larger. Compare the two to Cello and Double Bass, Ge Hu and Bass Ge Hu sound softer and muffed. Imagine a Cello or Double Bass having a nose block. Hahaha... It very difficult to handle the take care of the instrument too, as they're bulky and heavy. The good point about Ge Hu and Bass Ge Hu is their sounds bland well with the rest of the Chinese Orchestra's Instrument.

After the practice, Ape-Man DK tried to steal the Bass Ge Hu!



Ah Ha! Caught you in the act! Oui! Put down the instrument, or else no bananas for you for 1 week!

A Hazy Conclusion

Finally! The ordeal has ended.

The went by quite smoothly, though I've also attained the title of 'Royal Massager' for 'His Majesty'. Yesterday he had a very heated quarrel with his wife. Looks like even his wife has reached her limits.
Heck, every staffs in the ward are reaching their limits on him. After all the student nurses are gone, the staffs there will have tougher times as they have lesser hand to help them.

All the best to you peeps!!!

After me and my school mates left the hospital, we decided to take the picture of the SGH's museum.



As you can see, there's a slight aura surrounding the clock tower due to the haze. We thought that we were at Genting sia... Only that is much more hotter and humid. Welcome to GGH(Genting General Hospital)!



The haze gets worse when Val and I reach the bus stop.



The haze is so bad that we could only see the red logo of the OUB building. We decided to take the train instead as the air was too bad for us to stay at the bus stop any longer. On the train, Val and I talked about the last day spent in our wards. She wish that all her patients will get well soon and that she's gonna miss them too. I shared the same feelings of her, accept that I won't be missing them...

Okay, okay. Maybe a little.

The haze is everywhere!!! After I got off at Boon Keng MRT station, I can feel my eyes and throat are getting dry.



I can't even see the opposite building clearly! By the time I reached home, it even worse!!!



Actually, the weather here is the same as Boon Keng. It's just my phone's camera is out of focus. Hahaha...

Hospital 'burns' my Lantern Festival!

All right...! Today is my last day of my hospital attachment!

By 2100 hours, my job as a student nurse/maid/cook/runner is over... For now. At least there will not be anymore 'Lim, give me orange juice', 'Lim, give me my Hi-chew', 'Lim, give me my Ensure', 'Lim, apply cream to my back', 'Lim,shit you!'. My final word for you, 'Your Majesty':

Enjoy while it last!

This is my first Lantern festival spend in the hospital. Usually I'll go around burning little kids' paper lantern or set the playgrounds on fire, thinking the its a very big camp fire. Instead, I'll 'burn' my time taking care of the patients. I don't really mind actually as I've still have my classmates with me. Furthermore, I've get to be friend with some of the patients.

Last night while on my way back home after work, my friend and I stopped by at china town to get some pictures of the lantern display that are set up along the main road.

Here's some pictures I've took:

Nice eh? I bet they will make a real nice camp fire. Hahaha....

One week past, one week more to go.

It's been a interesting week for me. I've been more like a maid then a nurse. Besides taking patients' parameters, I've fed them, made their bed, bath them, change and wear clothes for them when they can't do it themselves. I even cleared their pee and s**t, clean their a***hole when they s**t.

Maybe I can consider becoming a housekeeper in a hotel if I can't become a nurse for what-so-ever reason. Hahaha...

Remember 'Mr 6 Sense form my previous entry? Apparently, he has been in the ward for quite some time already. The staff nurses called him 'the King'. He'll say whatever he wants and eat whatever he wants and he doesn't listen to our advice. Lots of the student nurses has been scolded by him too. He would criticized us for not 'carrying our own balls'. 'Every little things need to consult the staff nurse, you guys have no guts!' he says.

Right, it's not your career that's on the line.

As if that's not enough for him, he even criticized my name! 'Why is your name spelled that way? You guys don't know what you're doing.' My first name are spelled together instead of being apart (Ruixiang, instead of Rui Xiang). What's wrong with that!?!?! By this time, I've lost some of my patience with him, but I can't lose my temper on him due to professionalism. Hahaha... So I have to endure all the crap he said to me. My colleagues told me not to take it to heart.

They are right.

In the end, who's the one who can't move and feed himself, eh? Once when he transfers to home, he won't have the VIP treatment he has now.

MWAHAHAHA...

I know, I know. It's not very nice for me to say that. But I never say I'm a nice guy what. Besides, I need a place to vent my anger... Fortunately, not all patients are like him. Some are very nice. They keep thanking me for helping them, which makes my day better.

One week past, one more week to go!