oh we just collided in the fast lane
pah. my HC seniors evidently think it's funny that i support United. Chunyang is the 2nd person who's laughed at me and told me Liverpool > Utd. -.- and now the noseyparker is interrogating me about my life. these guys have honestly got nothing better to do. O_o they're so 鸡婆. psh. oh, and he's trying to get into Imperial College to study mechanical engineering. -_- why do i even bother talking to such people?
i was going to attempt another swimming endeavour, but it just thundered and now there's a massive downpour. *sighs* anyway, i'm having a horrid headache so i refuse to exercise. went shopping with Lai earlier today, after i visited the PO. i mailed 3 letters to 3 flisters, but i shan't say who. hee. i stupidly forgot to write "PAR AVION" on the envelope, so if it arrives 4 months later, it is entirely the PO's fault, okay? XD we had lunch with Phway at Pizza Hut and afterwards i walked for quite a bit in the sun, so i guess that's why my head hurts. >_<
the purpose of our shopping trip was to get mday presents... and that we did. Lai got her mom a new wallet and i found a really kute little bottle of German wine at Marks & Spencer's, so i got that for mom. the cashier didn't even bother to verify my age. she merely asked if i was above 18 and believed me when i said yes. so much for enforcing the rules ey. (either that or i have aged so much i look 81. O_O) lol so yeah that was the very first alcoholic drink i have bought in my life, or since i turned legal, anyway. went to Border's after that cos i had a 35% discount coupon on any full-priced book. i was gonna get The Fourth Bear or First Among Sequels, but i don't think they carry it here. D: the only Jasper Fforde book they seem to carry is The Well of Lost Plots. :( i guess i'll have to check the library again.
had a mild stomachache just now. i think it's because i had 3.5 slices of tiramisu in 12 hours. X_x we had an early mday dinner at Sentosa last night, some place called Barnacles. the food wasn't particularly good, though the whitebait i had was yummy and quite addictive. :S dad surprised mom with a tiramisu cake and it was good. i had the leftovers for brekkie this morning, which i suppose wasn't a very good idea. :P i can't help it though, i'm a sucker for tiramisu. XD we arrived late for dinner cos dad + bro haughtily assumed they knew how to walk there from the carpark. we ended up walking in a completely wrong direction, climbing 3892472 stairs (IN MAH HIGHEST PAIR OF HEELS, TOO. >_<) in the dark (PSH stupid Sentosa and their dim lighting) and i nearly sprained my foot because the retarded footpath is tiled with rough and uneven stone. pfft. i thought it was an important occasion, you see. so i wore the heels i got for prom, which i rarely wear. sigh. i've a long way to go.
right. dinner's in about 1.25 hours so i'll just do a bookworm meme i stole from
unscathedbefore heading off for a shower and attempting to tidy my room, which i know i will fail to do because the tv is so, so alluring. *stares*
Hardback, trade paperback or mass market paperback?
paperbacks. i have no idea what the difference btwn trade and mass market is. o_O hardbacks are so heavy to carry around!
Barnes & Noble or Borders?
don't have Barnes & Noble here so i don't really have a choice... we have Borders, Kinokuniya, MPH and Times. nyerk. i usually stick to the library. XD
Bookmark or dog-ear?
BOOKMARK FTW. i hate my papers/books to be torn/creased/folded/stapled/damaged in any way. i just hate it. it irks me to no end. which is why all my textbooks are wrapped nicely in plastic and their edges are taped so they won't get dog-eared. :)
Amazon or brick and mortar?
brick and mortar. don't order books online.
Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random?
er. random. :P i don't have a large collection of books, actually. i prefer to borrow them from the library because i read very quickly and then i'd feel as if i'd just wasted money. :P my uncle has a humongous collection, though. they're exploding out of his study. i think i ought to offer to catalogue them and charge him for it. XD
Keep, throw away, or sell?
you NEVER, NEVER throw away a book! *shudders* oh, the HORROR. O_O i keep them. i get annoyed if my mom offers to give it away cos i'm possessive like that. i once lent an acquaintance a book when we were 8. till this day she has yet to return it to me. i didn't like the book much but sheesh.
Keep dust jacket or toss it?
keep it.
Read with dust jacket or remove it?
i usually read with it, unless it keeps slipping out, then i remove it when i'm reading and replace it after.
Short story or novel?
both are fine. no ridiculously sappy and tragic chinese romance novels though. i've only read one in my entire life and that's more than enough. -.- 琼瑶 FTL. i actually cried reading the silly thing, and the plot was so stupid.
Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket?
haven't read LS, so i can't give a fair comment here :P
Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?
it depends on the book, i guess. no particular preference.
"It was a dark and stormy night" or "Once upon a time"?
"It was a dark and stormy night" fo'sho.
Buy or borrow?
borrow. if i were to buy all the books i've read in my whole life, my family would have gone bankrupt long ago. when i was little i used to read like 15 books a week, the maximum quota the library would let me borrow. XD
New or used?
NEW. books that are dog-eared or have mysterious brown stains scare me to death.
Buying choice: book reviews, recommendations, or browse?
browse. i prefer to just take whatever catches my eye.
Tidy ending or cliffhanger?
unexpected endings. but no cliffhangers please, because it wouldn't really seem like a proper ending.
Morning reading, afternoon reading, or nighttime reading?
anytime is good. :)
Stand-alone or series?
both are fine. the series shouldn't be too long/draggy though.
Favorite series?
the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. FTW forever kthx.
Favorite children's book?
hmm. don't think i have a particular... i used to be nuts about the whole BSC series (LAWL, YES, I KNOW. *facepalms*), Nancy Drew... i guess the one i liked the most was The Enchanted Tree by Enid Blyton. the different lands atop the tree fascinated me. XD
Favorite YA book?
YA = ?
Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?
*ponders* no one seems to have heard of Jasper Fforde! *cries* not in Singapore, at least. :( The Persistence of Memory by Tony Eprile has the most gorgeous vocabulary EVER. each page has at least 10 words i've never come across in my entire life. O_+ stuff like The Teenage Textbook and Notes From A Small Island are hilarious, but you'll only appreciate it if you're a Singaporean, so yeah. Postcards from No Man's Land was good too, but i personally have forgotten the author's name! D: oopsie. it was about an elderly Dutch lady recounting her love experience during the war. if you want chick lit, i suppose Postcards from Wit's End by Sarah Hugh (sp?) is to be recommended. now i feel like rereading all these books! :O
Favorite books read last year?
i didn't read much last year, sadly, because of the A Levels and whatnot. the most significant ones would be The Big Over Easy (Jasper Fforde lmao i'm pimping him so much he ought to pay me) and The Persistence of Memory.
Favorite book of all time?
gah, can't answer this.
Least favorite book you finished last year?
the GCE A Level Economis Ten Year Series. XD (i'm just kidding, as if i could ever finish doing a whole tys -.-)
What are you reading right now?
Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell.
What are you reading next?
the next Jasper Fforde book i can get my hands on! otherwise... perhaps a PG Wodehouse. Lord Emsworth amuses me very much. XD or some Hitchhiker. *nods* 'tis goot.
Favorite book to recommend to an eleven-year-old?
the last time i was 11 was a loooooooong time ago. O_O the only book i remember reading when i was 11 is Harry Potter & The Philosopher's Stone, so i guess i'd recommend it.
Favorite book to reread?
can't choose, but i've reread the HP series a coupla times.
Do you ever smell books?
that is so weird. O_o
Do you ever read Primary source documents?
i haven't read one before, but i wouldn't mind, i guess. if it's not too boring. O_O
at the start of this entry i was supposed to do so many things. in between mom came and forced me to go bathe so she could do the laundry, then she hijacked the PC so yuh. i have accomplished nothing. and dinner is in 15 minutes. hurray. -.-
i just realised i have a coupla VCDs lying about which i haven't watched. urgh. i must get down to watching them sometime. i've got Election which i jocked off my uncle, Fanfan La Tulipe which my mom's friend gave me (hur. i don't even know her O_o) and Behind The Sun, which i bought like 3 freaking years ago and have yet to watch! :O nyet.
Spanisnh Grand Prix tmr! *bounces*