Brussels or Paris for Valentine's weekend? Isn't it horrible when life throws such tough choices at you? Like this morning I had to choose between Maple and Pecan crunch or 5 other choices of cereal. 6 choices of cereal... that's way too much luxury for a university student trying to save up money to escape the cold for a Valentine's getaway. I should get back to writing up my project report. But I want to make a tiramisu cake. I think too much, and all at once... and it's not even worth burning my brain cells over more than half the things I'm thinking about.

By the way, thanks for taking the time to click a few radio buttons on the survey below. Believe me, you don't know how grateful I am (and I'll be even more grateful if you think you have the time to do the survey again because it was fun!). 7% of the year is way too much stress on one.

Hey guys... do this for me! Pleeeeease!

http://www.my3q.com/home2/55/xangelcharl/20145.phtml

7% of the year depends on it!

and by popular demand, Charlotte takes a break from her matronly duties to provide a few selected updates.

Why only a few selected ones? Because there are only a few to select from.

Pardon the corn. Back to the pop...

... geez, I embarrass even my own self!

My birthday came and went uneventfully. I still appreciate ALL you darlings (not you, xk) for the well wishes, and forgotten birthday cards and belated birthday presents *wink wink, nudge nudge*. But sincerely, I was really touched by all the sms-es from far and away. And although my mother called three times (I'm not sure why... to make sure I properly turn 22?) and my grandmother made me call her, and my aunty called to wish me and then to ask me why Lionel is not a practising Christian, you've got to love my eccentric family on my birthday. And not just because they give generous ang pows and birthday presents. (My mother sent me 2 cards... one of which was blank. Maybe I'm supposed to save it for next year).

I had an extremely quiet birthday by all accounts. Lionel, who wanted to take me out to Belgo's for garlic mussels (say "Mm-mm-mmmmm") was hotter than the radiator on Sunday, and his fever took a turn for the worse. So, guess who ended up playing Florence Nightingle to a sick, sick boy? My godmother came around with a H-U-G-E chocolate walnut cake to make up for it. No one touched the cake till Tuesday, and even though 8 of the remaining healthier Emperor's gate occupants took a big sinful slice each... there is still more than one third of a cake still sitting in the fridge. On my birthday itself, Tao bought a delightful PURE CHOCOLATE cake from Pattiserie Valerie for me... and sounded all the more delighted when I told him I don't eat chocolate. How very gallant of him to break his low-carb diet for my birthday. We had a small (well, quite small) birthday session with the MSoc Comm and juniors in the JCR, with quite a few "who's birthday is it???" hilarious moments. That night Lionel, Lu, Yue and I had a small feast in Bugis Street. Then we came home. I put Lionel to bed... and promptly fell asleep early. On my birthday! Yes, I am growing old!

So there... I've just spent my first week as a 22 year old nursing Lionel back to health. His fever has transited to flu to cold to cough and now to sore throat... and I swear one moment I'm trying to warm him up in an attempt to arrest his cold and the next moment I'm boiling loads of barley and herbs to cool him down and lower his temperature. It's a miracle I'm not sick myself yet. But pumping myself full of vitamin C seems to be doing the job.

Alright Charm, Sher... you've got your update. And just for kicks... guess what else I got for my birthday? A HUGE pair of pinkish, flourescent greenish, yellowish fluffy shoes! They're called silent slippers for walking silently around my room. I don't know why...

Happy Birthday to me!

Who's the owner of a new Tiffany & Co. ring? I am!

It's like one of those things girls always dream of owning, apart from the sexy jaguar and Cartier diamond and Jimmy Choo shoes!

Thank you, sweetie! *beams radiantly*

And just before I turn a year older tomorrow... here's something to remind me of what I am like today...

1.B A S I C Q U E S T I O NS

[my name is]: Charlotte (...when pronounced correctly. All other forms do not apply...)
[in the morning i am]: usually very wide awake... around 2am in the morning
[all i need]: is my mummy!
[love is]: giving when you don't have to give, being there when you don't have to be, seeing what others can't or don't want to see, telling them - now, everytime, forever...
[if i could see one person right now]: it would be my little sister, because she always gets so excited about giving me a birthday present and seeing my face when I unwrap the most ridiculous thing on earth, but she thinks its just perfect for me... that's what little sisters are for...
[im afraid of]: never being able to do the things I want to do
[i dream about]: life not putting me to the test so many times... it gets abit cliche, you know

2.H A V E Y O U E V E R . .

[pictured your crush naked]: I admit I am kinda loony... but not THAT kind of loony!
[actually seen ur crush naked?]: ditto the above
[been in love]: lets be reasonable...
[cried when someone died]: actually... no. I don't really know that many people who have popped off...
[drank alcohol]: more than you can imagine... and still not drunk yet! What am I doing wrong?


3.T H I S O R T H A T . .
[coke or pepsi]: pepsi... love that gassy feeling... as long as it isn't going down south
[flowers or candy]: flowers of course!
[tall or short]: what are we talking about? mike stands?

4. W I T H T H E O P P O S I T E S E X . . . . .
[what do u notice first?]: their smile
[last person u slow danced with]: i really can't remember... i'd be damned if it was David Tai during Asean Nite. Isn't that funny? I obviously don't dance alot.
[worst thing to do]: let someone down... wickedly...


5. W H O . . . . . . . . .
[makes u laugh the most?]: there's really only one standard answer for these questions... do you REALLY wanna hear it? Like 5 times?
[makes u laugh the easiest?]: ditto
[makes you smile]: ditto
[gives u a funny feeling]: ditto
[has a crush on u?]: oh... now this is interesting, but I think it was Greg that came up with the theory that I wouldn't have the slightest clue even if whoever had a crush on me came right up to my face and told me! Girls are oblivious. Guys stop griping.
[easiest to talk to]: myself

6. D O Y O U E V E R . .
[sit on the internet all day waiting for someone special to I.M. u?]: I don't even have time to sit on the internet all day... and it's rather ridiculous to message Lionel when he's sitting in the same room...
[saved aol/aim conversations]: of course! You won't believe the amount of stuff I can blackmail Xiaokai with!

7. H A V E Y O U E V E R
[fallen for ur best friend]: eventually I guess it turned out like that...
[rejected someone]: nah!
[been cheated on] : nope!
[done something u regret]: aplenty! Got a few hours to spare?

8.W H O W A S T H E L A S T P E R S O N
[u talked to]: another one of those repetitive answers. Don't be ridiculous! you know the answer to this!
[hugged]: and this!
[sent sms]: Mum
[received sms]: Mum
[u laughed with]: and THIS!

9. D O Y O U
[color ur hair] : No. I kind of like it black. Real black!
[ever booted off in the chatroom]: no... I try not to get on people's nerves... lol! that's such an untruth! getting on people's nerves.... hahahaha
[habla espanol]: si senor, si!

10.H A V E Y O U/ /D O Y O U/ /A R E Y O U
[obsessive]: oh man, am I! And compulsive! You forgot compulsive!
[could u live without the computer?]: I sort of did, for 3 months. I should be awarded most tenacious ISE student of the year!
[what's your favorite foods?]: Japanese!
[whats ur favorite fruits?]: Longans... so sinfully sweet!
[like watching sunrises or sunset]: Sunrise... sunsets are a little depressing
[what hurts the most?]: whacking your little toe into the corner of the shower when you least expect it! Oh, that and ungratefulness...
[trust others way too easily?]: Trust no one... leads back to those X-File days...
[i want]: to know how to write a damn Literature essay properly!
[i wish]: another year of adventures... surprise me!
[i love]: you, and you and YOU and you and... no, not you!
[i miss]: awesome Char Kuay Teow!
[i fear]: hey... didn't we do this one already?
[i hear ]: Lionel snoring, or sniffling, or snoriffling
[i wonder]: how anyone can find this at all interesting


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This bored me half way through. I might delete it at some point in time... so don't get too cosy with this in case its gone in a few days

Everyone's back! Emperor's Gate is complete... with the added bonus of Amar, currently sitting in the kitchen trying to draw a Champagne bottle on Solid Works.

So much work. So little time. So much procrastinating.

Tis time I got a grip of myself and my sleeping habits. Tsk!

Another day, another destiny...
This never-ending road to Calvary...

Where did 2004 go to? What will 2005 bring?

I'm starting the year anxious and overexhausted. This is scary. Very scary.

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Anu's dinner on Thursday was a hoot! Judging from the after-taste, I'm not sure if mutton curry and a bottle of JD should ever mix. But our strange group mixture of Bbians and Amanians always will. And trust you guys to get the wrong girl wasted. Hilarious...

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Leaving on a jet plane tomorrow. With Amar. And Nadia. This will be interesting.