today was a good day. perhaps it's just the simple catching up with a few old friends and finding that they are still the same, finding out about what had gone on in their lives while i was away... and discovering that they had fun, they got what they wanted... somehow nothing beats just knowing that they are fine. and seeing how some people are really enjoying what they are doing, i cannot help but feel overjoyed for them. and then looking at myself and the odds and ends in my life, i really feel kinda lost, displaced, but it's not time for self-depracating thoughts... somehow i also became acutely aware that i really don't have many friends, but then i guess i'm not that kinda person and so it's silly to make comparisons like that... i dunno. i'm so touched by the good things happening to my dear friends that i feel like crying. silly shimin. it's a pity this non password-protected blog is now too easily accessible to random ppl for excessively private thoughts. and so they can only well up inside me.

roommate was really sweet and made me a goodbye cake and breakfast...
and so i have transplanted myself across the continent and i'm once again back in Berkeley... it actually feels a little strange cos i've never been away from Berkeley for nearly one sem, or return near the end of the sem, when my dear friends are all stressing about their work/ really busy... but i'm glad that the sense of familiarity is still there... nothing seems to have changed. people might be preoccupied with new things in their lives i might not be the most acquainted with, but i guess the nature of these friendships are essentially 'intact' and i'm really glad for that. and i guess i became more aware even within a single day that perhaps i havent really changed... felt really bummy today, but from tmr onwards i shall be good, finish up my poli sci paper by friday, seriously look for housing and occupy myself with all the things i've wanted to do, that i can do on my own...and do some self-reflection and decide what i want my senior year to be like.

I am such a fool...[yest i was pissed with myself and wrote 'retard' without thinking about how derogatory and offensive it can be to some ppl... i dunno why the word came to mind either but rereading this entry, i deeply regret using the term and it's so awful and mean now that i think about it... =( ] first i brought too much stuff here. second i couldn't resist myself and had to buy stuff here. and i have so many papers i printed out for my research paper that i cannot bear to throw away and will prob end up shipping back to Berkeley. haven't found a box for shipping, super shuttle is coming super early at 530am on Wed morning, haven't written my thank you cards nor touched my final memo for my Poli sci class due on Wed... there's the farewell dinner tmr evening... couple of things i want to buy to bring back but prob will end up with no time nor space...and i'm so terrible to my really enthu roommate who wants to do a million things before i leave tmr...who woke up specially this morning to make me a sumptuous breakfast... sigh shall go sleep and try to finish the million things i have to do tmr...

For once we have a special guest blogger on my blog.... enjoy =P

Greetings from Washington, DC from ShiMinTan's flatmate, Courtney!

After much pestering, Shi Min has relented, and now almost seems
pleased to offer me a bit of space on her blog. And just to allay any
suspicions, Shi Min has assured me she will not go all Singaporean on
me and censor what I write! (j/k, of course!)

Shi Min and I have lived in close proximity, scratch that, the same
bedroom for quite some time now—just 11 days shy of four months. And
during our lengthy cohabitation, I have born witness to quite a few
quirks in her personality… First off, the girl emits sounds—a cross
between a "hmmmm" and a "mmmph" whenever she's perturbed, perplexed,
what have you…and she's not cognizant of it! Also, she's quite concerned
with aesthetics, so much so in fact, that new fonts and powerpoint
templates tickle her! Ah, my goodness, and her love affair with
tortilla chips… Shi Min's quirks are indeed endearing..

Although I know I have given Shi Min a lot of grief and I have been,
at times, "troublesome" (poking her toes, tidying her side, gawking at
her food), I hope she, scratch that, you, Shi Min, know it was all
done in good fun. You've been a great sport…dealing with my repeated
attempts to indoctrinate you with the best of American expressions
(ehem, ehem), my desire to talk at length after the lights are out and
we've already said "wan an," and my need to test the limits of your
kindness (think back to the commitments you've made (jk), my funeral,
pushing me in a wheel chair, being a godmother to my adopted Chinese
daughter….

Now with the semester coming to a close, I'd like to put to use some
of the phrases you've taught me---

Woe ai knee, Emu….Knee ai woe ma?

And in closing, I would like to let you know that I think you have a
really good heart, and you need not worry, I will store it safely in
my back pack…. <3

Oh, and just one last thing, I like big butts…. =)