Suddenly not looking forward to Christmas break as much as I did...

... After seeing the sheer amount of work that needs to be done over Christmas, I don't think I'll get many days of doing nothing anymore.

Sorry I haven't posted anything in like, a week. In all honesty, I've been lazy and had a crazy last week of term (and a rather unhealthy one involving pizzas and alcohol).

Oh well. I'll take things at my own pace. I realised that when you keep thinking about things that need to get done, you just end up feeling more stressed. It seems almost impossible to get everything done when I look at it but I keep forgetting that most of the stuff I need to do have no real deadlines (apart from that horrible 3000 word essay that is due in for the first week back). I've just found it almost impossible to plan what to do. I guess priority goes to the essay because that actually has a due date, the research project would come 2nd since the deadline would probably be the week after I get back. And then finally the dissertation because I choose the deadline (choosing my own deadline, wtf?) so that can be done at any pace.

I had the best sleep yesterday after coming home from the BIGBANG concert, not only was the concert SO amazing but also because I had soldiered through the day, starting Saturday with a mild hangover due to the night before (all I remembered was pre-drinking so much I was already drunk at the door, being forced to take a tequila shot because Lizzie knows how much I hate it and how much it tends to screw me over, having more shots randomly throughout the night - many of them multicoloured that I didn't even know what I was taking...) I guess the concert was the defining moment of my weekend. The night out was fun too, the student union at my university tends to be rubbish 99% of the time but this one was alright.

So it's Sunday and no one wants to hang out with me *sniff sniff* my brother went upstairs for some reason and hasn't come back downstairs for the past 2 hours or something. So I'm all alone. The flooring in the house has been finished though, so finally we have some solid ground to stand on. I never realised how much I miss carpet until now haha, the floor is so cold! Maybe people tend to change their flooring in the summer rather than the winter. My room is still largely incomplete - I find it slightly annoying that I won't have a room to sleep in until January 2013 possibly. From initial plans to redecorate my bedroom has turned into plans to renovate the whole house. Blehhh.

Oh and for those of you interested, this was BIGBANG yesterday (sorry they look like ants, the seats were actually really good seats but all I had was my iPhone camera so... new camera for xmas pls). This was taken at the end of the concert when they had the encore and everything, I thought I'd show this one since all the lights went on and (holy crap, look at the amount of people) all the glitter and stuff went everywhere AND IT WAS SO PRETTY.

Oh and if a certain JESSICA RHAE IN CHINA IS READING THIS, I'M SO SAD WE DIDN'T GO TOGETHER SINCE YOU WERE SHOWING ME YOUR TORCH EVER SINCE JUNE/JULY.

I wanna go again T^T.

I think scraping the frost off the windshield of my car will be inevitable tomorrow morning.

So far I haven't had to do it.

Tomorrow, I think I'll have to do it.

-2C tonight. 1C tomorrow morning. I'm going to have such a fun drive to uni.

I'm glad this is the last week I have to be in uni, well technically nothing is taught this week because they're revision lectures but I thought I'd still go in anyway since I have end of term meetings as well as analysing interviews on Wednesday.

I have such a packed week starting Wednesday, I most likely won't be home until around 9pm since I'm swinging by a friend's house for pizza and some more revision (we're geeks this year, you see, the pizza is enticing though). Thursday I have my placement, need to go in earlier to get my ID badge or else things might get awkward in the ward with the "who are you?' looks. Friday I have the end of term party which will involve having a few drinks and talks with Jen before partying the night. Then Saturday it's the BIG BANG concert. Highly exciting end of week plans. Then I'll probably be relaxing from Sunday-Wednesday before starting on my mountain of work to be done for after Christmas.

Busy times. I cannot wait to graduate.

23 papers and counting.

Sorry to keep banging on about work work work but I've finished everything and have already started on my Xmas load. Workaholic much? Nah, I'm more like... relaxed enough to sit down and do some work.

Finished everything. That's something I honestly thought I'd never hear the end of it.

The main thing is though, I've submitted my masters application *cries tears of joy* it's been a long 3 months of preparation up to it, drafting and re-drafting my personal statement, going to the open evening in the rain, applying for volunteering/placements to gather experience to write about in my statement. When I finally got around to amending my CV (which, mind you, hasn't been touched for about 3 years), I was surprised by the amount I was able to add to it, every section has been bulked up so much that I didn't realise the reality of how many opportunities I've had these past 3 years.

Stroke placement - now, if you've been following this blog, you'll know how excited I was to be given the opportunity to do voluntary work in the stroke unit at Charing Cross hospital with Imperial College. I started last Thursday and yes, I was nervous, I hadn't met the people in the unit before, the staff, the patients no one. I was nervous because I realised I would be meeting about 10-15 new people including staff and patients. Being thrown into a place where you know no one, you have to make the effort to get to know others. Luckily, the ward is really nice, the staff are really friendly, the ward manager/head nurse is a really kind Filipino dude who let me choose what I wanted to do and kept saying he's glad people are volunteering to help the ward out. The other nurses are lovely too, I met a particular nurse that actually lives near me, I was talking to her through lunchtime feeding. She's from Jamaica and she has the most awesome personality ever.

So basically, the first day pretty much consisted of me running around the ward getting to know people, initiating conversations is something I'm quite bad at, the awkward silences when people are not talkative. I mean, I'm used to it by now because you get a lot of this working in a care home, when people are disinterested or when people are just having a bad day. I really think I'm developing in terms of talking to people, there were about 2 patients who I talked to a lot on that day. One was an old man who was really really talkative and one was a lovely old Italian lady who showed me pictures of her family on her phone. Was so lovely. Though, there were some who just weren't talkative which made things a bit awkward, especially if anyone saw, but you know, you just brush it off, let them be and move on to the next person to talk to. These individuals aren't ordinary individuals, they've suffered from stroke and have been transferred from the hyper stroke unit over to the acute stroke unit (where I'm placed). I think that I need to develop my skills in cheering people up as well haha. Overall, it was a good day, I realised I learnt so much in one day when I went back to my application for masters and wrote a whole paragraph on my experience.

I'm having a rather relaxing weekend actually, I've spent since Friday doing almost nothing (apart from finalising my application and tweaking parts of it, emailing my referees to let them know the deadline, sending them documents to write my reference etc etc). I just looked at the post title and saw that this whole post is irrelevant to it. What I mean by 23 papers is that I've collected 23 papers to read for my dissertation. I was actually in the middle of summarising it but realised how long it is and came onto here since I haven't written anything for a while.

Hope you guys are having a blissful weekend. BLISSFULLLLL.

Progress.

Essay is all done, submitted, checked (almost) thoroughly. It gets increasingly boring as you read the same essay over and over again. Once I've finish writing my essay, I dread having to read over it about 100 times before I submit it. I hate the feeling of going back to an essay and finding out there's more errors and then re-submitting it again. 

But all that matters is that it's done. I am done. So done. 

Today, I need to finalise my application to City. I think I'll have that submitted by the weekend, Courtenay said she'd read it on Friday for me. I had a really interesting talk with her after the meeting yesterday about SLT (I'm so glad she did her PG at City as well!) and I'm even more glad that she's willing to read over my statement. 

I just want to have everything submitted by now. I'm all ready to sit back and do nothing. Oh wait... 

...I have 5 things to do over Xmas break. 

Looks like I won't be having time to do nothing after all :< 

After my meeting yesterday I have to write up my methods section of my project, make a reference list to show to my supervisor after Xmas and analyse videos... That's only for my project.

In addition, I've got to collect 50 papers for my dissertation so I can have my second meeting with my dissertation supervisor. 

And also, my 3000 word essay. 

Oh my god. 

This is what happens when you choose to do TWO 6000-8000 word reports so I have less exams. 

Cannot wait for Christmas break.

TIME TO DO NOTHING.

I'll be free by the 10th. I'm so excited. This term has been the craziest term I've had by far. It actually feels like the moment before summer break starts - I'm excited for the fact that I can finally catch up on the hours of sleep lost through doing coursework, extra reading, driving to uni (I'm still scared to fall asleep driving), waking up early because the builders start work ridiculously early. 

I'm working on my last piece of coursework at the moment as well as the final parts of my application to City. Once I finish my coursework I'll be concentrating 100% on my application which needs to be submitted by the 10th huhuhu. I can't believe the deadline is so near. I was actually worried about additional questions part which asks very abstract questions such as what are the negatives of being an SLT? Describe one example of where you had to deal with someone with communication difficulties... etc etc. Questions which I always have trouble answering, but having spent an hour answering 2 of the questions, it actually wasn't too bad. At this point I'm really grateful for the experience I've had with people with speech and language difficulties as well as having access to video interviews of adolescents with speech and language difficulties and my fabulous supervisor for telling me all about it. I'm actually having a really good time this year doing volunteer work and even learning in uni. 

I'm just really optimistic about my future at the moment which is a first. 

Another one of these stolen from tumblr.

Another chance to learn more about me! Yay! /enthusiam

1. What is your middle name?
- My middle name is 書翹 (shu kiu) which is pronounced 'shu kiw'

2. Are you wearing makeup?
- I am indeed.

3. What colour is your toothbrush?
- Well, I actually have 2 toothbrushes (don't ask why), one is white and blue and the other one is white and pink.

4. Approximately how many posters are hung up in your room?
- There were 3 but since I'm roomless until further notice, none at the moment.

5. What does your hair product smell like?
- Er... I can't describe this, it smells like what shampoo should smell like?

6. Where would you rather be right now?
- Anywhere but home, this house is a mess, my parents are being insanely annoying. I'm just glad I've finished my essay in the library earlier.

7. What is the temperature outside?
- 11 C. Not too bad today but it was about 3C earlier in the weekend.

8. Have you ever dyed your hair? If so what colour?
- Multiple times. I first dyed my hair blonde (HUGE mistake, I was ginger), then I went back to brown, then purple a few times, light brown a few times in the summer then when winter hit, I went back to purple and now my hair is purple. I love purple.

9. What is the funniest word you know?
- Hemidemisemiquaver (yes, it's a real word, I remember when my piano teacher used to use it "hemidemi-wha?"

10. Name your favourite band starting with the letter 'M'
- MBLAQ (they're Korean in case you're wondering, oh).

11. What is your favourite pick up line? And has anyone ever used it on you?
- The only pick up line I can think of off the top of my head is "great legs, what time do they open?" (I know, I know it's so bad), it's not my favourite because I don't actually know many but I hope no one uses it on me EVER because it's one of those pick up lines that deserves a slap in the face or a kick to the groin.

12. Describe your first icon using only verbs
- Skip

13. What is the most expensive thing you have ever bought with your own money?
- A blackberry bold which I regret ever buying because it was the most overrated piece of technology ever.

14. State your favourite letter of the alphabet
- L (for obvious reasons ^___^)

15. What is your favourite accent?
- Northern accents are sexy as eff.

16. How did you celebrate the new year?
- 2012? I think I was at a friend's house party.

17. What do you call a brown fizzy drink that usually comes in a can?
- Coca Colaaaaaaaa.

18. Do you like fish?
- I do.

19. What is your most used tag?
- On tumblr? I rarely tag so this is hard to answer. Skip.

20. Would you rather ask someone out or be asked out?
- Be asked out... Actually I wouldn't mind having the courage to ask someone out. But that's quite unconventional for a conventional person like me.

21. What is your favourite Olympic sport to watch?
- 10m Diving.

22. Have you ever dumped anyone?
- Yes.

23. What do you want to be when you grow up?
- Happy.

24. Have you ever been to the United States? If so, where?
- NO, I really really want to go :(

25. What instrument have you always wanted to play?
- Piano, and I do play it. I wanted to learn guitar a while back too but that ambition drifted off somewhere and never came back.

26. Describe your dream partner's eye colour
- Green.

27. What do you order at diners?
- Anything with chicken in it :>

28. Coffee or espressos?
- Ew. I can't tolerate coffee let alone espresso, so... neither.

29. What is the most annoying song on the radio at the moment?
- I haven't listened to the radio in a while but Superbass was annoying in the summer about a year ago and so was Call Me Maybe (but I have them both on my iPod...)

30. How many contacts do you have on your phone?
- 77 contacts.

31. What type of music player do you own?
- 2 iPods, 1 iPhone.

32. Describe your favourite painting
- I don't have one, not really an art fan.

33. What was the best present you have ever received?
- My Macbook Pro this year for my 21st. I'm in love with it *shameless admittance*

34. Spring or Fall? Why?
- Spring, because of the random nice weather some days.

35. What was the last text you received? Who was it from?
- Aanisah telling me she won't be in today's lecture.

36. Would you ever paint your room pink?
- As much as I love the colour pink, an all pink room would just make me sick. I prefer neutral colours like beige and cream when it comes to my bedroom.

37. What colour is your underwear?
- Wouldn't you like to know? ;)

38. Favourite perfume scent?
- Harajuku Lovers Wicked Style is my favourite scent, not overpowering, doesn't make me sick of it after a while. Love it.

39. What celebrity do you think needs to drop off a cliff?
- Kim Kardashian.

40. Do blue eyes turn you on?
- Not particularly.

41. What meat do you prefer in a sandwich?
- Ham or BBQ chicken.

42. Would you ever wear a sweater to school?
- Sure!

43. What is the name of your current ringtone?
- I'm using the first few seconds of Jang Woo Hyuk - Shouting Out to Memories

44. Glasses or contacts?
- Glasses when indoors, contacts when going out. I like contacts more because they're unobtrusive but they can get quite irritating when you have a long day, wearing contacts for more than 8 hours is also bad for you.

45. What shoes do you normally wear to school?
- Converse/UGGs. I reaaaaaally want to wear my heeled boots but I haven't mastered the dangerous art of driving with heels on yet.

46. Where is your nearest television?
- Downstairs.

47. What is your favourite vegetable?
- Broccoli

48. When was the last time you drank milk?
- Oh ages ago, I can't remember when (and why).

49. What was your lowest grade in school?
- A 40 (which is a pass, you need 40 to pass a module), yeah, I suck so much at biological psychology.

50. Are you using Google chrome?
- I am, how did you know!?

Weekend full of eating.

I pretty much spent this weekend eating. I ate so much on the day of my birthday I almost felt physically sick.

I ate a lot today (since there was leftover food from yesterday as well) and I totally demolished my birthday cake - those of you following my twitter or have me as a friend on facebook would've seen it - luckily it was a small-ish one. It was soooooo yummy, I think I could've eaten the whole thing on my own /fatty.

Now all I have left to do besides worrying about the state of my incomplete bedroom, is my last essay of 2012 (so close!!) and my application to City. I'm getting quite nervous in terms of the amount of time left to complete it - deadline is in 9 days but deadline for my essay is in 4 days. So obviously, deadline for the essay comes first, but since that is almost complete (I'm just dreading referencing since ALL my references are everywhere, I did a quick reference count on Friday and I have about 18-20 at the moment but my saved references folder is looking quite empty...) I think I'll aim to have the actual essay completed by Tuesday and spend all of Wednesday referencing.

I.am.so.busy.

I'm also not loving the fact that I have to wake up a whole 30 minutes (yes! A whole THIRTY minutes!) before my alarm goes off because the builders start work at 9:30 :/ I get to uni about an hour earlier than normal so I head to the library. I think I'll be doing that until the end of term at this rate. On a more positive note, 2 more weeks until Christmas break! I cannot wait to spend the first week of it sleeping, eating and repeating. I CANNOT WAIT. Actually, I cannot wait until my bedroom is complete - they're finally doing the wallpaper for my room tomorrow *wipes tear away*, the flooring is all done upstairs and let me tell you, wood flooring is so so pretty. Though, I'm not sure if I like wood flooring in the winter, I miss the fluffiness of my carpet T___T.

Tomorrow begins another week. I hope I won't be scraping frost off the windscreen of my car tomorrow morning *cries*

Have a good week, guys!