Reasons why I can't help but love you

10) because you manfully ate the entire plate of over-salted risotto without so much as a grimace, I took a bite and almost spat it out. T'was as salty as the Dead Sea and you merely complimented its perfect texture.

9) because you have the most delicious voice. The first time we met, you were telling me in a roundabout fashion what you were doing, you could have been reciting the alphabet or saying that your eyeballs were made of cheese and I would have been just as enamoured.

8) because you handle so much stress and put up with a whole lot of yelling/ lectures/ nagging just to go out with me. I'm sorry there's nothing I can do about that. We can only hope that time will favour us a little more.

7) because you've written me personalized poetry, you've cooked for me and better still with me, pampered me a whole lot and because of the way you're never shy to express yourself. You sing to me in public, pick me up to kiss me goodbye and give me piggy back rides :))

6) because you're just as courteous and gentlemanly as the day we first met. Not just to me but everyone else too. *I love it when you hold doors open for aunties and are charming to them*

5) because you land up at my doorstep, after long, crappy work hours -sometimes post call-, having sat through horrible jams, driving from the island to the mainland and you still wear such a cheerful smile.

4) because you sang to me in the moonlight on top of a hill, kissed me in the rain on a rock by the sea and danced with me in the dead of the night in a car park.

3) because you like children and they love you back. It scares me less knowing that you are there.

2) because you've seen me at my best and liked it. More so because you've seen me at my very worst; violently angry, terrified as hell, upset, angsty, emo... the works; and you still find it in your heart to forgive me, comfort me and still love me.

1) because you are you and no one else.

I want!

Somebody please tell me why Pyrenean Mountain dogs are so damn adorable. Raaaaawr! *squishsquishsquish*

The quest for another piece of paper

now brings me to Australia. A land I consciously avoided when deciding where to do my bachelors degree.

Why did I not consider Australia then?

a) poisonous snakes (the most poisonous snake in the world, the Australian Inland Taipan, has apparently not killed anyone, but this is one "first" I don't really want to test ahaha)

b) poisonous spiders

c) crocodiles

d) baby-stealing dingos

e) the huge ass hole in the ozone layer etc.

Why am I doing my Masters here now:

a) ANU is a good university, it's close-ish to home, the 2 hour time difference won't be as killer as the US 12+/- hours would be on a long distance relationship. Finding out that it's the only Australian U with a ranking better than NUS, shallowly enough helped in the decision making process

b) I will prolly be stuck indoors most of the time and it's unlikely to find a kidnapping dingo/a crocodile/ u.v. rays in the lecture halls and labs.

c) my paranoia has worn off a little and I know many friends who have moved to Australia without encountering any of the above who are happier than the people I know in Singapore

Having discussed my previous qualms with some of the Toadies (the residents of our hall are unforch called that, since we live in Toad Hall. We're a post-grad/ mature age residence but prolly have the least dignified name. That said, we do have the best view; it was named Toad because the surrounding area looks like the scenery in the Wind in the Willow; digression complete!) they added new things to my list of heebee jeebee inducing thingums:

- Australian rips, sharks, jellyfish, wombats, kangaroos, possums Raaaaaaaaaaaaaawr!

Anyways, I am now further south of the equator, freezing my non-existent balls off, studying the brain, neural systems and genetics, learning to live in a new place again while attempting to coax and reconfigure my cerebral cortex into entering study/ note-taking/ assignment-doing mode and juggling a LDR with an over-worked -still slightly miffed (at my sudden decision to leave)- houseman some 6820 odd kilometres away.