Horticulture, Here I Am!

(Here you go, P-chan, wiping off more dust)

(k, =), hello dear, hmm! I was going to do add a wishlist to my blog (no time to figure out a good layout for it, help?) so I tried to meddle with the codes, erm! Then everything hilang including the virtual memedi! I’ll put it up again when I find the codes…hopefully!)

Let’s talk about what I’ve been up to the past few days shall we?

There was a LOT of money issue flying about my head these past few days. This is the first time in my life when I feel I have no control over my own moolah. I’m seriously considering getting a part-time job, just so I can always have that extra cash lying about so I have a back-up in case I ever need it. And there is a rather intriguing job in the horizon…

Wait, wait…I’m veering off-course.

What I’ve been doing the past few days was planting. Yes, I’m off tangent and into horticulture now. I’ve been practicing my pollinating skills and I think I may have discovered new species of plants never before seen. Ahaha.

There’s this game, it’s called Plant Tycoon (I swear most of the tycoon games were made for me to become addicted to) and I’ve just been absolutely hooked onto it. It’s so horribly slow and should be boring but yet I keep opening it with eagerness everytime I see my laptop (which is almost every hour unless I am occupied with the interference called classes. then again, there's always sleep but I can dream of plants then too).

So, what is Plant Tycoon? It’s a game where one gets to grow virtual plants and the plants will continue growing (if you let it) even if you turn off the game or the computer. Cool, eh? And you get to crossbreed plants. It’s like watching the making of a liger (cross between tiger and lion). And though one can sorta guess what can come out of cross-breeding certain plants, one can NEVER truly tell what one will get until you grow the seed. And there are plants I swear were invented in the game for the sole purpose of infuriating the horticulturist because they just DIE out without ever blooming.

My favourite is catching insects you’ll find flitting round the screen from time to time. Not only it provides side income in the game but it’s the most addictive part (to me) about the game. I can sit in front of my laptop for a couple of hours just watching the plants grow at this superbly slow rate and hoping an insect would enter the screen just so I can catch it.

Yes, sad but true, I’ve entered an old frame of mind and loving it.

In fact, I’ve already have a few converts under my belt (seem to be doing that a tad too often of late). Namely P and JY though he probably won’t admit it (denial). Soon, UncS will be joining the ranks too (hopefully). I’m sure he’ll get a kick out of breeding all the poisonous plants out there. I already have two poisonous type plants (I think they are anyway) namely the Poisonous Fern and also the Nox Ananas. They produce BLACK coloured flower/fruit. Sounds so UncS actually. He’ll probably fill his greenhouse with it.

Me? I actually love the rose-type of plants. I grow cacti roses, grass roses, bamboo roses, oak roses and the best type?

Here’s a picture of my current bug collection.

(c = common, u = uncommon, r = rare)

Top left 6 bottles from top left to right and bottom left to right
c Blue Butterfly, c Mission Blue Butterfly, c Fern Butterfly, c Black Moth, u Pale Moth, u Lapiz Butterfly

On left side of screen on top of green-covered book
u Lemon Moth

On left side of screen on top of table from left to right
r Plum Butterfly, r Cherry Butterfly

Hanging from left side of wooden pillar from top to bottom
r Golden Butterfly, c Green Beetle, c Brown Bug, c Ladybug, c Shiny Blue Beetle

Hanging in front of wooden pillar from top to bottom
u Hiding Beetle, u Zebra beetle, u Cockroach (this is UNCOMMON??), r Ebony Scarab, r Fire Scarab

Hanging from right side of wooden pillar from top to bottom
r Golden Beetle, c Blue Dragonfly, c Pink Dragonfly, c Tiger Dragonfly

In top middle-right of screen hanging on scales from left to right
u Ghost Dragonfly, r Fire Dragonfly

On top right of screen from left to right
c Emerald Dragonfly (I’m offended that this is common), u Dart Dragonfly, u Fragile Dragonfly

Underneath it…
r Black Dragonfly

and underneath it from left to right…
r Golden Dragonfly, c Cactus Spider, c Yellow Spider, c Brown Spider, c Spotted Spider, u Pearly Spider

On bottom right side of screen on top of wooden ledge from left to right
u Limelike Spider, u Bamboo Spider (I caught it between some grass-type plants though), u Cricket Spider, r Bumpy Spider

On bottom right side of screen on top of highest pedestal
r Jade Spider (how ironic that it is a rich bluish sort of colour)

What Good Brothers Do

He came back from down under (not Aus, no) over the weekend and he asked me what I wanted. Being the opportunist that I am, how could I turn down the offer?

This is what I ended up with.


Yes, I finally own my own pair of speakers. The faceplates...I swear Creative just knows what to manufacture to get me to lust after their stuff.

Speaking of stuff, I recently added another bag to my collection. It's my second favourite after Elle Paris of course.


One day I am going to write a story on all those characters I can find on the bag.

I have no idea why am I blogging right now. Outside pressure? Seriously, who reads? I don't. If you do, you might consider 'communicating' that to me. You might also want to call it 'incentive' for the writer. In other words, it is also known as 'commenting'.

At any rate, P, if you're reading this, you better change the name of my blog link. It's no longer, er, dusty. Sort of.

So, where was I? Oh, right. Nowhere.

I Pity You (Olde Post)

Monday, March 13, 2006

Congratulations are in order for the 4000+ students (was what I heard on the radio correct?) who achieved straight A's in their SPM examinations last year. That's quite a number of people! Makes one wonder at either a) the low level of examination standards in this country or b) was it that hard that they had to lower the bar that much??? or maybe even c) have our students suddenly gotten a brain jolt, d) bullshit to the people sitting in their super expensive leather armchairs about taking both co-curricular activities as importantly as academics (we don't see papers brouhaha-ing over let's say, thirty seven students who were raised up to be Pandu Puteri Diraja's within one year or joining the uniform body) and last but surely not least e) are our students actually BETTER at English than we had supposed?

If I am not mistaken (which I sincerely hope I am so please, I accept corrections most humbly and gratefully), last year's Sciences and Mathematics papers were in English. To have that many straight A's, A1's too to boot, showed that students actually understand this language quite well. So, why are we so worried?

Is there something we, the common people, do not know?

Like, for instance, the actual passing mark for the exam papers for last year's SPM? (this will apply to Malay language papers too of course)

Well, perhaps I'm being bitter about the whole thing. I didn't get as many A's as my father had expected me to get but actually, truthfully...I'm okay with that. I chose my future. I would've liked more A's I suppose (who doesn't?) but weren't the other things I had that you all didn't, make it worth it?

What do I have that you don't, you ask? I have memories. A lot more than you do. I have lots of experience and learned a lot of things compared to you. I learnt about life and made friends from all over the country and then some. I sacrificed time and effort for more than just my academics. And I'm proud of it. And I'm contented with life. I have lived my uniform-wearing days to its fullest.

It's a give and take situation really. If you give all your time to studying, I don't believe that you would not get the results you set out to achieve. If you have given part of that time to the other equally (to me) important things in life like friends, and creating cherished moments, the time sacrificed would be translated into...anything less than an A. But don't people say, A's are not everything in this world?

If you even have to ask what's the use of my memories and friends if my 'future' is jeopardised then you are one sad person who's missed out on all the good things in life.

But all in all, I suppose it comes back to what one wants in life. I'm happy with mine.

And to the STPM students whose results are coming out this Thursday...don't be afraid! Don't cry! Whatever comes, comes. I personally believe (isn't that what this whole post is about?) that what goes around comes around. If you've put in your best (don't lie to yourself!) you will get the results you desire. Don't come with your false confidence and fake beliefs. You get what you give.

To, Chi-kun. I don't remember which exam it was, but remember when you told me something so selfish about you not liking the fact that I got some sort of better result or something? I can't remember the details but I remember the feeling and it was of hurt. I was truly happy for you then but you had to go and drop some dead weight on my head. Don't be so insensitive in the future, okay! My good wishes go with you!