Hello boys and girls! Yes, this is a new entry and you can believe your eyes! I know I have been absent for a little more than a week and now I am here to make it up to you people.

First off I would like to say welcome to my new layout! It looks so blue initially but I change the font colour to white for easier reading. LOL! My eyes strain after 5 minutes of reading with the previously set colour.

Next I would like to say a HAPPY 17TH BIRTHDAY TO KEVIN TAN! This young man is a proud (but overworked) student of LKW University, one of the world's prestige universities for graphic designing and whatnot. I was going to send him a card bt realised I didn't have his postal address [edit: I just read his blog, he has posted his address]. Ah well, I guess I will fly over to KL and meet him instead! How's that for a surprise? But of course that is only a preliminary plan and God knows if I will ever do it. Nonetheless I am all set to go to Hong Kong this coming June. If all goes well with the application, I should be flying off on 20th to attend a congress which is related to my work and I will be celebrating my '21st' (ahem) birthday over there. How cool is that?!

I am pleased to say that I have done most of my chores as stated in my previous blog. I have managed to update my personal details with nearly all the institutions. I can tell you it wasn't a fun thing to do since I had to run around many places and I tried to get things done as fast as possible. I never knew that becoming a citizen comes with a high price too. I need to pay $50 for a new passport, $12 for a set of passport photos, $10 for a duplicate car licence, and $15 for a new identity card. Well, perhaps I am exaggerating since it is still under $100 and I suppose there will be more benefits to come in the long run. My next target is to apply for Gov't housing and with any luck, I shall get a house by the end of this end, in time for my first open house for next year's Chinese New Year.

I wonder how Manzy and Greg are doing down at Perth? It has been dull since they left. No one to go hiking with, no one to watch movie with and no one to play GB with. I took up a new hobby recently i.e. jogging by the stadium 3 times a week. Initially it was a complete torture to jog non-stop for 3km but as I build up my endurance, I am able to complete 5km without much hassle. I still play tennis with my mates every Sunday and occasionally I would swim if I need the extra exercise. Losing weight is no longer an agenda on my list of things to do this year since it's impractical and I tend to eat more after several futile attempts to diet. I will wait for Puasa month when it is more realistic to comply. My new craving this month: ginger nut cookies!

Tuition is fine so far, lots of students join the class this year, I have a total of 66 eager pupils to learn more about Maths, although a handful of them aren't concerned with their performance. I wonder if I can help them at all, don't they ever realise how tough it is to get a job with low qualification nowadays? If they work a little harder, pay a bit more attention, and have a little faith, I have no doubt they will obtain at least a credit in the end. Over the years I have been trying to adopt a better teaching system but I am still unsatisfied with the outcomes. How to make a difference when they are so resistant to changes?

Nothing much to download this week, most of the dramas are having a break and I am still waiting for the much anticipated series of the year (Heroes) to return on 23rd April. Lost is getting drier as each episode unfolds predictably; 24 keeps you on edge but reaches an anti-climax after 15 minutes into the episode; CSI is ok for now; Ugly Betty sees Rebecca Romijn to the scene and that's fine by me; Grey's Anatomy takes a stab at lessons on humanity; Desperate Housewives, well, the series is getting desperate with its storyline. What a boring week! Bleach is disappointing. No Naruto on Friday. Death Note is so-so. I am going insane soon if I don't get my daily dose of excitement.

And that is why I have turned to play PC games! Nothing like Warcraft but enough to keep me entertained for hours while waiting for something to pop up. Thanks to Wina, I have enjoyed playing Mystery Case Files Ravenhurst, Huntsville and soon, Prime Suspect. You can download the trial version here.
Be warned though, it's highly addictive and you may need to wear spectacles after spending hours glued to the screen. At present I am trying out Virtual Villagers 2 which resembles to The Sims. The part I like about this year is that it runs on real time so even when I don't play, it runs on its own and drastic things can happen after a day or so. Sounds interesting? Check it out here.

Ok, I think I am ranting too much here, I'd better end here. More birthdays to look forward to which means more presents to buy! You know who you are! Toodles!

**This blog is dedicated to my grand-aunt who passed away on Thursday in Seria. She was a strong will lady and I am glad I have met her during CNY last month for one final moment. May her soul rest in peace**
1:47 午後 By Burt

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