Sakinah Abdul Aziz

So for the sake of some quick updates, I've been having about a month of bumming. I had officially graduated after 4 years, which now felt very much like 4 months instead when I look back. It's amazing how time flies. I'll talk more about school as I intend to dedicate a blog entry for this particular milestone since school has been a significant part of my life and it deserves a proper closure in writing. I spent about 3 months doing an internship soon after and ever since it ended, I've been clinging to my 4 weeks of freedom very dearly before the start of my first official job. While I planned my last few days, the first realization I had was the very fact that I had almost no memory of the last time I could spend my days freely and doing whatever I wanted to. The last was probably the period of time after the A's, but most of it was spent doing a part-time job. This week has been refreshing. For one, I notice how beautiful the afternoons are. While the majorit...

I'm beginning to value my weekends more than ever. You see, when you jump straight from school and do an internship (which pays you just enough to cover your lunch) and experience the time constraints as a result, you really need to hold dear to your weekends. I love the weekends. It's about the only time you can catch up with your loved ones properly and give undivided attention. And most importantly, you can catch up with yourself. It doesn't really have to be anything remarkably adventurous or exciting. It could be a similar itinerary every week but what's important is you love and enjoy every moment spent with whoever you're spending your weekend with. It could be sitting in front of the tv watching Sheldon Cooper's pesky antics. It could be discovering how your sibling has similar music taste as you. It could be jogging around a nice park in attempts to burn some calories to get back in shape. It could be picking up a book that was put away and trying to...

So this semester really teaches me how to be resourceful. Really, really resourceful.

Amidst the busy week, perhaps I had forgotten why is it that I love school. It's really sad that due to the academic workload thrown to us, we have transformed into some sort of humdrum existence along the lively corridors of school. We all have been there before. Every now and then. So why is it that I love school? If I were to look back to catch a glimpse of myself back in the primary school days, and then to the secondary school days, and then to junior college, and finally to where I am now, I see two things that remain to be in common as to be the reasons why I love school throughout the whole chunk of my academic life: 1) People 2) Joy of learning It's always been these two. I think I could go on and on if you really want me to explain why people, or rather, socializing with people, really makes school so fun and enjoyable to me. Simply put, I love socializing. If you ask me, it's really where I get my energy from. I see a friendly acquaintance or a friend or a profes...

The human body has its ways to tell us that we need sleep, we need rest. The laptop has its ways too. So I've always put my laptop to hibernate mode instead of properly shutting it down. And today it suddenly refused to work on me, again. Just when things get busier and when I need my notebook the most. So I stoned for thirty minutes with a splitting headache, and decide to head home and hibernate too. Shan't ignore these signs that I too, need some rest.

There are days when you feel like crawling into a deep hole, to stay there and to never leave. And you just want to let the world spin without you and you'd be more than happy to be missing out on it. I think this phenomenon is worth investigating; the one-week, delayed PMS. If there is such a thing, really. I have been having half-written entries stuck in my postings. I also realised that my blogging style has been pretty cryptic most of the time (or I try to be as much as I could). And if you don't think that my entries have been cryptic in nature, then I've failed to be a cryptic blogger as I aspired to be when I first started this. So anyway, it's about time I should publish something and not let this be stuck, halfway-written like some others. So anyway, I had a pretty good but tiring start to the semester last week, and perhaps there were just so many things that I feel so damn tired right now. It's as if school never really ended, you forgot that it actually ...

Gil, who truly believes that he belongs to the 1920s instead of his present time, stumbled upon a Peugeot which brings him back in time. The 1920s, where he yearns to be, where he could meet inspiring people who inspire him to write and of course, where he could meet an alluring lady like Adriana. And all it takes was a midnight roam in Paris and voilà, a magical experience awaits. Well, just like Gale, I stumbled upon my own lala-land ever since the beginning of my December holiday and just like him, I never really wanted to leave. Can I not? I love the holidays and I really had a good time. Woody Allen must be pleased with me for using his plot from Midnight In Paris to uh.. depict my sheer mental unreadiness for school tomorrow, my real world, and my reluctance to leave lala-land. I must say that I quite like the concept Allen used in the movie; the whole idea of how we continuously idealize the other world, but the present time we are in. First 9 am seminar tomorrow. Back to realit...

It's 3:30 PM and I am still on my bed. I love Fridays. Actually it's also because of the fact that I have a 3-day work week after all the module drama I had to face. Monday to Wednesday. But this also means that I have more time to slack, so I'd go to school anyway to catch up with the crazy readings. So officially, I am reading these modules: Positive Psychology Addictive Behaviour Sport Psychology Evolutionary Psychology Ok nyeh hope that looks good. Please help me in my CAP, thanks. So here's just a short list of the things you appreciate when you're in Year 4 1) The familiar faces 2) That's about it I FEEL OLD. Been listening to Priscilla Ahn, she's just brilliant. Alongside other influential female artists :) On a bright note, Happy Eid Mubarak although I'm a few days late.

Hello earthlings! Woa, just like that time flew. I withdrew myself from this blog and I realized that it REALLY does need a lot of updating. For one, I had a temporary job for 2 months at People's Association. I was back in the same department I worked in exactly a year ago. For another, there was one point in time when I thought my life was a mess, it wasn't all so long-lived though (or so I hope). As they say, when it rains, it pours. But also, there's this saying that time heals all wounds, and that there's always light at the end of the tunnel. I, for one, believe that there are truths in such cliché-d sayings. And also, I went to Bangkok for a short, awesome shopping trip. I honestly do not know how three months fly. I attempt to update my blog more, not for the sake of readers (I don't even know if there's anyone reading this anymore), but purely for myself. I remembered the humanistic feel I had a couple of years back, completely in touch with my feelings...

I think I almost forgot how nice it feels to blog. I haven't been typing much ever since school started this year and that sucks because I totally lost touch with this space. So I'll be slowly revitalizing the energy here. Decided to head down to Coronation Plaza two-leveled Starbucks today. A change of environment is indeed good because at least I could absorb some stuffs unlike yesterday. Totally love the ambience because it was a mix of carefree and studious environment (yeah Singaporean students study anywhere and everywhere). As usual, I had an awesome relationship with my hot chocolate hazelnut and had a nice, warm blueberry muffin. Yep, I realize that tea and cakes can really make my day (: I met with my girlies for ais' birthday celebration. And adhering to the theme, it was small, special and intimate. Oh how I miss girly moments and fun-time. Yes, I do sound like I really spent a great deal amount of time away from these things. In actual fact, I did go to the cen...

I know I haven't been blogging for at least a month. Falling sick is indeed a double-edged sword cos for one, I have a reason to slow down and rest. I realised I haven't done some of the things I totally deserve, like catching up on Glee, and perhaps this blog, which I've been neglecting a lot, woops. There has been a lot of good music lately. I chanced into this one. Nearly screamed cos it's REGINA SPEKTOR MEETS RADIOHEAD! She did a cover on 'No Surprises'. Awesome or what!? Regina, please come to Singapore!! If it's anyone, it should be her because she's an exquisite singer. So on updates, there has been a lot going on lately. Deadlines, assignments, presentations. A traumatizing encounter with a stranger. And, a sudden death of a friend. May he rest in peace. Dear God, please heal the people who love him and may they move on with their lives for in Hereafter, we shall all meet again. Death has been a looming subject at one point of time. It has ingrai...

Funny things happen whenever I'm too engrossed in a conversation with someone. Like take last Friday for example in the school library, I happened to bump into this psych senior of mine so I asked her about how honours is like and stuffs like that. And all that while I was registering myself to book a computer. So I was yakking away and I could actually multi-task, but I FORGOT the computer I chose to sit at. How silly. Can you imagine after choosing the computer seat, I glanced at the seat number without internalizing it. How typical of me! Something just came across my mind. And perhaps it has to do with me being a girl and everything. Sometimes I really wonder why on earth do the amount of clothes in my wardrobe simply DIMINISHES at an alarming speed. Are there crocodiles down there? Oh gosh. And each time that happens I feel like I don't have clothes when that isn't true at all! Ah, I need to shop nonetheless! CNY sales FTW :D Oh happy Lunar New Year to my Chinese frien...

Clearly I was still floating in the holidayland on the first day of school (yesterday) as I was so confident to have left home, even filled up my 1 litre bottle of water with everything else BUT my pencil case and foolscap paper. How silly of me. That's like going out on a normal day to meet up with friends! Darwin & Evolution lecture was uber boring. I certainly think that Darwin and the law of evolution is not boring at all, but it's really the lecturer. Droned on and on and on about the whole history before Charles Darwin came up with evolution. As usual and anticipated, I always have the entry of the first day of school and the modules I'm taking this sem: Adolescent Psychology Language and Cognitive Processes Lab in Interpersonal Relationships Introduction to Social Work Darwin & Evolution Le sigh. No francais this semester, I have decided to forego it just for the sake of my CAP. There's no point in taking a module I'll get a mediocre grade for and a m...

Awesome awesome awesome. Ok as many of you have guessed, my finals were over since last Friday, ending with social psych paper. I rather not talk about how my papers went, but more of how this semester went. I think school as of this year was rather happening (only intermittently of course, but very memorable), since predominantly, it's been filled with school shitloads. Last semester was great as I had numerous outings with ze french peeps and the nusha gang, this semester seems to lack of those since ze french gang flew off to France for exchange. But the best part about this sem is really the joy of learning although Dr Penney's midterm paper was a killer, french 5 seemed a little demanding, and MNO was just full of projects and time-consuming and the many projects and presentations I've had. But they were all awesome! Bottomline is, the equation will always be learning > studying, hands down. It may seem, on the surface, that I'm biased towards my own major, but ...

One of the best things about Monday is the fact that I am so finir with french 5. Over and done with the final test and just ended with a debate today woohoo! I went through 5 different hurdles within a week and nothing can feel as good as feeling relieved and accomplished. Of course I've my final exams in a week but I'm gonna take some breaks as of this week :) I am excited for HARRY POTTER & THE DEATHLY HALLOWS! The best thing is I've already got tickets this coming Thurday! Even if it means 3 hours away from studying despite 3 days away from my very first finals paper yikes! So today marked the final french tutorial. Nicole and I were kinda sad that it would be our last french class ever (if we choose not to continue with french 6). But today was awesome because I bumped into francesca and chatted with her quite a bit, and then bumped into Dorisa, she finally came back from exchange in France! That girl spent a year there or something. And I had quite an awesome bo...

This is frustrating. I ranted out so well and all it takes was an accidental click and the whole entry's gone. I am beyond infuriated (obviously this doesn't show). But then again, I can always rant twice. As I was typing before, the things I have to do and have to complete by this week and next week have completely exceeded the existing resources I have now :( I have three ongoing projects to do and I have been multi-tasking like crazy. There's paediatric psych presentation slides to tidy up, french powerpoint slides and presentation script and MNO report and presentation, again. It's crazy. The worst feeling is knowing that there are people around you who are somehow depending on you (well we are all depending on each other in groupwork) and it's tearing me apart. But I am only human and I can only do things one at a time. And I hate to admit and to have reached this state but I completely abhor how the academic aspect of french is slowly killing off my intrinsic ...

Good morning. I woke up today thinking about this awesome new pizza that Pizza Hut just came out with. Not that I'm advertising for it. But this advertisement at some random busstop caught my eye while I was on my way to school. Being a cheese-lover, I've gotta try this one. Hoorah for Italian cheese :D Speaking of Italy, I'm dying to watch this! Ah, gelato! You might be wondering why is it that I seem to have more time in my hands. The arts faculty's having this e-learning week now. It masks all the million things I actually have to do. Like the 3 pending lectures to hear, and of course my projects. You see, we actually think that by having this, we'd be able to save more time but it actually makes you do more work. By being at home and being in front of your computer, people actually thought it will be faster, but in actual fact no. Like online discussion is twice as long as the actual physical discussion we could have had in classes. I just had two e-learning via...

You know, the bad thing about not having the time to blog is that, I keep relying on the "save drafts" option, which obviously haven't been good at producing entries for a month! Well for obvious reasons, it's either I lost the mood to continue where I left off, or that I couldn't bring myself to sort out my thoughts well. So I shall give a summary/accumulated/condensed version of what's been written on my "save drafts"; - How much I have to read my psych texts - How heavy my eyelids were while doing so - How fast time flies - Eid - Being known as the "polar bear" by the MNO tutor, sheesh - Sat for a French listening comprehension test without knowing it was on that day, double sheesh - Universal Studios - Best popcorn bought, everrr. Voila, saves lotsa words ain't it? So that while I'm here I can blog about more recent things. So finally, I am so over and done with the mid-terms. Of course the pending presentations are still not d...

Modules this semester: - Social Psychology - Paediatric Psychology - Learning and Conditioning - French 5 - Management and Organisation So tomorrow, or rather, later, will be the start of a new semester. Daym, Year 3 sounds so old. I'm feeling pretty apprehensive because some of the psych modules above are rather heavy. I am uber scared for French because this time round it is mostly about French literature which is something new and foreign to me. And that apprehension is futher aggravated upon seeing that my lecturer could be the same one I had 3 semesters ago. Not that he's bad, just that he always has tendencies to call my name whenever I was off-guard or wasn't prepared for answers, like all the time. Do you know how silly that looks? Imagine question marks all over my face while trying my best to form sentences in my head. Ok but thankfully because of him, I bucked up a lot and that probably contributed to why I'm still pursuing this language. So yeah, this is a c...

I had my first paper today. I think that it was reasonably, moderately challenging but I think it's the sort of paper that didn't provide enough opportunities for me to display my true understanding of this module. Ah injustice, but I did my best! I still like Personality and I think Ryan Hong is such a funny, good lecturer haha. Hoping for the best still! :) Me and xiang decided to take some break and then meet again just now to study till midnight at macs. I was pretty appalled actually with the crowd at macs (again, I forgot it's a Saturday, I mean, exam on a Saturday?!) because there were hoards of people sitting, all facing in one direction, towards the big plasma TV, showcasing some soccer match. I wanted to find seats but to no avail and I was thinking, who on earth would spend their Saturday night at Macs? Then I realised that I was in a more pathetic situation (who on earth STUDIES on saturday night?). Ok on a positive note, 3 more papers to go, and then, liberalis...