to Laugh Out Loud

i knew October was going to be good. and it seems like it's getting better and better...

kicked off 4th October with winning my first Security for Costs hearing. Sure, a "mere interlocutory application" some would say.. but to face a senior lawyer (6 years seniority), topped with undue pressure from Boss - "Shobana, we can't lose this".. "you sure you can handle this, on your own??" [edit: OK la. let's not dramatize - 'twas not "undue", i know.. ;) ] and then to finally kicking ass before the Registrar and winning the application ... was aaawwesome! :) oh, did i say i was 5 days short from my first year mark in the profession that day?

wookeeyyy... all this boasting is giving me a heartburn.

But yeah, October is going to be good.

Watched Eat  Pray Love last night (as predicted, i loved it). but that's not my point - on the way to the cinema from work to watch the movie - i won 2 tickets to the coolest stage performance ever!

Kings & Queen Comedy Asia!
- cloud nine, thinking that i'll be watching Harith Iskandar, Douglas Lim and Kumar all on one stage. Vek's gonna be soooooooo happy ;)

Thanked my lucky star when FlyFm rang me up after my first sms. one sms! damn lucky. had to laugh out loud like a moron on national radio to win them tix - but it was all worth it. i love radio contests! i love the month of October!

and oh, Pluck's in town! catching them with mum, sis and Vek next Fri. Mum managed to book tix on time (way to go, mummy).

not to forget 2 blessed occasions. . family friends' kids getting married next weekend and the weekend after. (granted, i'm more concerned of the wonderful dinners, and of course - to have a reason to dress up :P ) LOL.

Octoberrrrr... a wonderful crescendo to my more anticipated November.

blessed.

krrrriiiingg....

last day of Term 2..

this is my Large Group a.k.a Lecture

the beginning of easter "holiday", the beginning of assesment month.

Miss Catherine Hill is telling us about points we should bare in mind when we carry out conference with our clients... and i hear "buzzbuzzzbuzzz... pet peeves..buzzbuzz.. in 25 minutes.. buzzbuzz..." nothing's going in my head. and i should stop before i start typing out what she says verbatim here on this entry. but hey, why not?? no, i shouldn't.. i can't keep up. she speaks as fast as the tapping that girl in front is doing with her pen.. annoying. stop it! the girl, i mean.. not catherine.. catherine's funny.. she wore jeans to the lecture that day, and apologized everyone, cos she actually forgot she had class... yea.. catherine's cool.

Etmoni's giving me the look.

ok, pay attention to Catherine Hill.

five min.. and i'm staring blankly at my juice. i carelessly left my water bottle at home today. so i had to fork out unnecessary money at Starbucks for this lil bottle...

hmm.. interesting bottle..

the lime juice was good, tho..

yes, it is the last day of term 2.. term 3 starts in April.. and then there'll be May.. and then i'm done. wow!

i'm going to miss my Large Group.. term 3 starts of with a new tutorial of 12 blokes and new Large Groups Lectures.. will be getting to know everyone all over again. well, not EVERYONE... cos i learnt that i know 4 future classmates already. and thanks to the popular choice of subjects, all 4 of em are Malaysian buddies... weeeeehpeeee... (hey, everbody is click-ish, k. i have a right to rejoice)

i must apologise for my long absentism. it has been busy busy busy... and monotonous at the same time. busy monotonous.. hmmm...

i know some of ya'll will beg to differ if you've seen my recent facebook pictures..damn tagging! but, mind you, that was last night and it was after sooooo long.

i still dont have a life.

edit: this entry was written partly in class on the 27th of Feb..

more to come, i hope... back to the books!

will think of more stuff to write about. will entertain questions.. cheers to all!

poTAYto, poTAHto

right.

it has been 5 months now.
i still don't speak with a british accent.. *clap*clap*clap*. ok, 5 months is probably still too short of a time, especially when you live with malaysians and hang out with malaysians

(as a matter of fact, even one year's too short! - to all those that come back with tht haughty accent even after a 9 month stay.. i am refering to you.. and i'm going "hahahahaha"..*laugh and point*)

but there have been SOME cultural education.. certain words u'll have to learn the British dont say or say differently.. and you'd have to adapt and change.. or they won't know what you're talking about.
it is, after all, THEIR language.

just a couple of examples i have at the tip of my fingers now...
- toilets are appropriately loos. it does sound more polite/less "vulgar".. but we all know that already
- eggplants/ "terung" are aubergines. try using the word in public. instant britain-fied!
- Leicester square is NOT "Lay-ches-ter Square".. but "Lester Square" -_- tell me about it. i felt so daft.
- ATM machines?

"Oouuh.. you mean the Cash Point, luv?"
-_-.. yessss...

british don't vacuum their carpets.. they HOOVER...
and if a person is a Joker, chances are he's just "all about the banter" ;)

a friend pointed out i have been using lots of "fantastics".. "excellent".. "amazing"s lately.. tho i must say i think i have been using the last two even before. don't i? dunno..

anyways, our brit friends think us malaysians speak a whole different language when we talk amongst ourselves. its so easy to confuse them. just throw in a couple of "la's", speak in a manglish pace.. and walaah! they'll have no clue what u just said.

but what transpired me to write this entry - yes, i have not got to my point - is how come "vain pot" is not an acceptable english term. it wasn't until a couple of hours ago did i realise, for the first time, that calling someone a vain pot, is typically malaysian. i didn't know that!

i might be wrong... or the internet english & urban dictionary is just not updated enough.. i'm not sure
so is it or is it not an acceptable english term?

dine and whine

It was like being in the set for a Harry Potter’s dining scene. When the children eageredly waited for the Sorting Hat to work its magic. Difference is, there’s no Harry Potter, no Sorting Hats and no magic wands.

19th of October marked my first Dining in session. The traditional ritual all Barristers would have to go through (12 times) in order to be “qualified”, among many other things.

How was it?

I’m not going to lie – it was boring. From the way we had to nod in unison to the Benchers that slowly enter the Hall one… by…. One… at the start of dinner, to the way we had to bow at the Benchers who wobbled (after lots of wine, you see) their way out one… by… one… at the end of the night. (aww.. c'mon, Sho.. don't be such a whiner..)

The only thing I shall brag about tho, would most certainly be the food. 4 course of fantastic english dishes. they gave each course a fancy name.. which i sadly forgot. but basically we had steamy Potatoes, delicious, melt-in-the-mouth-fish with leak.. and turkey -which was everyone's favourite tht night. with a quick eeny-meeny miny moe on which fork and knife to use everytime, I shamelessly gobbled them down piece… by… piece (haha… )

Speaking of pieces, i must add, conversations were utterly dull. sorry. I guess I weren’t into small chats that night. Somehow I couldn’t care less for the war in Pakistan, how the weather is or whether the Bar Course is treating us fairly or unfairly. I couldn’t decide what was more painful – pretending to look interested to or trying to stay awake.

I couldn’t see how us pupils are to gain from this dine-ins. What were the odds of the guy opposite me were to remember my name after that night? Cos I sure won’t even recognize him without that coat and gown. So much for “rubbing shoulders” with a judge or a practicing Barrister when the Benchers sit in the long Bench way up in front throughout the night?

I envied Deepak’s table. He was the only guy among 4 girls, obviously being a real gentleman among the laydees. At least someone’s having a good time. Deepa? She stole my “date”. Etmonia’s in love with Deepa, and blames me for not introducing her to Deepa sooner… I’m just glad I got two nice girls know each other.

Lunch on Sunday was a different story altogether. It could be because of the sun shining brightly thru the stained glass windows. (and we had good conversational piece going on this time). Or it could be because I was craving for salmon or lamb and I got both! ;)

Somehow, after Sunday, I saw myself looking fwd to the next 2 sessions next weekend. It’s ok if I might have to make small meaningless chats with “new people”. who cares if we won’t remember each other again. But you’ll never know, right, until you try? And it’s living the moment and making the best of it that really matters. I guess I didn’t make enough effort on Friday, what with classes and all in the morning.
So yes, I’m looking fwd to next week. Wonder what they’re going to serve us this time..

sunlight, stained glass, sunday, luncheon. how fitting

insider's point of view

at the grand hall in the Inn

outsider's question mark.

lincoln's inn from the outside

Deepa, Imdan and i.

ps: the pashmina sheds alot