birthday, etc.
written: 8:35 p.m. on Wednesday, Jul. 04, 2007
UPDATED! - House MD Season 1 DVD set. Wahoo.
Some of my friends asked me for a birthday wishlist. I suppose it would help alleviate the pain and trauma of the present-buying process, so I guess I will put one up.
(Chloe, if you're reading this, I KNOW I told you I would put up a wishlist, but after I realised that I had only one item on it, I decided against it. I'm doing this now because I met some of my friends at another friend's birthday party and they asked me for it! I'm just being considerate. DON'T JACK ME!)
I'm not expecting people to get me gifts; I can honestly do without gifts. But I know, too, it's common practice to go to birthday shindigs bearing presents, so...I'm giving in to peer pressure. Bwa ha ha.
The Wishlist
1. Christian Dior Dior Addict 2 perfume (NOT the summer fragrance. It's gross) (Note: This is really the only item I really really really really super want)
2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Region 1 DVD (i.e. the American import)
3. Buffy Season 4 DVD set (preferably Region 1 'cause I can't play Region 3/Asian DVDs on my laptop. But then again I'm not really sure if I want to keep this 'cause I hated the major storyline and also hated Buffy's new love interest they introduced in Angel's place)
4. The original Clinique Happy. The one I bought ran out ages ago and I'm stuck with Happy in Bloom which apparently drives guys crazy, but smelling it gives me a headache. I'm also quite tired of it.
5. Air ticket to London! Or a travel buddy to London at the end of July!
6. A hot boyfriend (hot = TALL, speaks real English, smart, and objectively good-looking) with a sweet set of wheels and lots of money!
7. This list is obviously getting nonsensical.
HAHA. My cousin is DAMN FUNNY. She's talking to her mom on the phone and she told her mom that she had a cup of Coke from McDonalds' this afternoon in the living room. When she went to the toilet and came back, she felt like her Coke reduced in quantity, and she suspected that my brother, who was also in the living room, drank some of her Coke! Hahahahaha. She's damn cute lah.
Okay, I took 30 minutes attempting to think up a wishlist and that's all I can manage. But you know what I really like? Surprises! So...surprise me! Or something.
Hmm, I think a list of what I don't want might help:
The Un-Wishlist
1. Make-up. I'm too lazy to bother.
2. Bath sets. Also too lazy to bother.
3. Leather goods
4. Wallets. I'm the type of person that can't be bothered transferring all her cards and coins and bills into different wallets; having one is enough. And the one I have is still in good condition.
5. Handbags. I have WAY too many of them.
6. Clothes. Shopping vouchers are good, but not actual clothes. I'm extremely fussy.
7. Earrings. I don't have pierced ears and clip-ons hurt my earlobes!
8. Books. I have very selective taste in books. I only buy literary novels, which, by default, excludes the likes of Stephen King, Michael Critchon, and John Grisham, and I tend to stay clear of the bestsellers list (there are exceptions to this, of course; see, for instance, Julian Barnes' Arthur and George).
8a. Julian Barnes books. I have read and own all of his novels and most of his non-fiction.
9. Stuffed toys. My love for stuffed toys extends solely to my Small Cow.
10. I can't think of anything else.
Er, so I hope this helps. :)
**
In other news, we had lunch at Tung Lok after my last driving lesson before my test on Friday and hopefully ever. My grandparents wanted to go to the Guan Yin temple, where I qiu qian-ed for the first time ever. It was a hundred percent my idea. I've been wanting to have my palm read since forever but I honestly don't know of any places in which fortune tellers congregate, so I thought the qiu qian thing was a suitable alternative.
Uh, I don't know what it's called in English. Ask for answers? Like, from the Buddha. Or something. I have no idea. Basically you ask the Buddha for guidance or answers or whatever by shaking this huge can of sticks until one falls out. To confirm that it's the correct stick, you toss two halves of this moon-shaped thing and if one faces up and the other faces down, it's the correct stick. There are numbers printed on the sticks. You go to the counter and get the corresponding slip of paper, your "answer".
Apparently the one I got was good. There is an English version printed on the back but predictably, it was a direct translation of the Chinese and I had no bleeping idea what the fuck it was talking about. Predictably too, I had no bleeping idea what the Chinese meant. But my grandma read it and went, "Hen hao hen hao!" (Very good), as did my mom, as did my granddad, so I suppose it is "hen hao".
According to my qian, I have good career and marriage prospects. From what I gather from the Chinese, I'm supposed to sweep off the dirt and thorns that currently sully my clothings, which I suppose means that I have to put down the problems that currently plague me. And there's something how the path doesn't have work and yet has work? Okay, don't understand.
At the counter I was like, What am I supposed to do? I went to ask this old man what the proper procedure was and he was like, "Do you speak English?" And he explained the whole thing to me in English. How nice of him. At the end of it I asked, "Should I ask my question in English or Chinese?"
Haha, I'm an idiot. He was all, "It doesn't matter! It's what in the heart that counts. You can even ask in Italian also can!" Damn cute, he was.
I don't fully believe this; I just did it for fun. I did have a very specific question and the answer I got is a tad puzzling and half of it isn't relevant to my question but it's interesting all the same. The part that I've always been very sceptical about is the bit where you toss that two halves and see if one faces up and the other faces down. It's about the way you toss them, isn't it? The first time I tossed them I kind of threw them down, and both faced down. The second time I tossed them I threw them upwards and I got the desired result. If I'd thrown them the same way as the first, would I still get the desired result?
It amazes me that there are people who base major life and career decisions on the sort of qian they get. But that's religion for you, belief and fervour and faith. I don't have any of those things. I was merely an outsider stopping by for a surface, superficial experience, for the fun of it. Of course I wouldn't understand, of course I'm sceptical, of course I ask many questions along the lines of probabilities and physics.
But it was an interesting experience all the same. I wouldn't go back there anytime soon though; all that incense was giving me a major headache. I can't be around the smell for longer than 10 seconds. It's even worse than cigarette smoke for me, in all honesty.
Anyway, just a heads-up for those going to my birthday thingy: My entire extended family will be there. It was my mom's idea and I thought, why not? So...yeah. Be nice, people.
I've decided on a place already. After I make my reservation I will start sending out SMSes. I sent out some to a few people to get them to confirm. Those that didn't receive any SMSes from me are people whom I know will definitely go no matter rain or shine or illness or broken body parts.
And also in small part due to my laziness lah.
If I ever get married, the Fullerton will be hearing from me.
**
I just read Tris' blog.
I CAN'T BELIEVE WE WILL BE WORRYING ABOUT PULPILLAGE AROUND THIS TIME NEXT YEAR.
Oh my god. How time really flies.
before sunrise // before sunset
Previously:
- - Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017
I'm moving. - Sunday, Jul. 11, 2010
In all honesty - Tuesday, Jul. 06, 2010
What I want for my birthday... - Sunday, Jul. 04, 2010
On Roger's behalf. - Friday, Jul. 02, 2010