MAGRA 2008

Dear lonely isle,

About some time ago, (methinks it was only last week actually) me and a few coursemates decided to go for MAGRA (award night). As such, we then cornered our dear friend Tiing Jen and asked her what she was going to wear, knowing the tomboy that she is, she'll probably wear what she wears to class on formal days. We, of course, couldn't let that happen, especially since even Lai San went and bought a dress for the occassion.

But Tiing Jen was like "Huh? Wear jeans lah."

Three of us went >.<" You cannot be serious...

So we cornered her and badgered her to let us take her out shopping before the event and we will get her something to wear (her birthday was coming up anyway). Of course, being the good friend that I am, I promised her no lace, no skirts and no dresses. She agreed.

So bright and early this morning (oh wait, it's yesterday morning now), we dragged her out of bed and out of the house. It was time to go shopping....for ink.

Well yeah, Tiing Jen and I had already agreed to go buy ink today (yesterday now) way before the whole MAGRA issue came up. So we went to buy ink, and then planned to go to Wisma Merdeka to shop for her top (I thought a nice sexy top would go well with her slacks). But instead we saw lotsa clothes shop in Karamunsing as well, so what the hell, might as well get the shopping done there. We didn't have much time anyway, because MAGRA was today (yesterday, sorry) itself.

We didn't have a choice! The only day we were all free to go shopping was today, and that's even with forgoing a day of studying to enjoy and amuse ourselves dressing up the tomboy of our group.

But lo and behold, Tiing Jen never fails to surprise me. I don't know what made her change her mind, indeed she can be most stubborn, but she allowed us to get her a DRESS. Yeah, she did say her room mate gave her an ultimatum of getting a dress or no heels (we made her borrow a pair). Suddenly shopping became even more fun.

But shopping for the girl is like shopping for a lump of wood. It had as much or probably more preference and opinion than she had. Anything and everything was either "Okay", "I don't know" or "Whatever you guys like". Hellooooooooooooooo~ You'll be the one to wear it...

I tried getting her to choose on her own cos she'd probably like it better if she chose it herself...but my efforts were all in vain.

Finally found something we all 3 agreed on that flattered her more than other dresses.

Then we find that her room mate does not have brown or black heels >.<" How can you not have black heels? The impossibility of the situation astounds me.

So now shoe shopping! And yes, our poor girl has never worn heels before.

Finally again, we found something she liked that she could walk in (actually I found something I liked which she thought was nice too) that was on a buy one free one thingy.

And I ended up spending money...Yes I know! I shouldn't! But I liked those heels too... and she didn't have any other pair she fancied enough to get.

No worries, we got different colours: hers, brown and cream; mine, black and grey.

Before MAGRA, I got dragged over to her place to put make up. Yes, someone please teach me, I am that sad. I don't know how to put on makeup. Her housemates decided to play dressup with her that day and she thought I should suffer too.

My makeup was done in like under half and hour (wanted just a light, nude one). She was there for nearly 2 hours...we kind of missed the bus, so Yasmin sent us to Nexus Karambunai (thank you Yasmin!!) and we'd catch the bus back.

(L to R): Me, Tiing Jen, Lai San, Jia Jia.
I tried to get Phebe to come too, but she absolutely refuses to...
I put on my most winsome face, my most winsome smile and even used my most winsome persuasion which would have devastated anyone...but she was resilient T__T

With my other coursemates who attended the dinner.

The dragon looks like he's gonna eat Lai San. (or maybe me. I'm fatter)

At any time I look marginally good or slim in a photo,
it will with all certainty, unmistakably, definitely and without a doubt
turn out to be blur.
I'm starting to think my own camera doesn't like me.

See? What did I tell you?

"I am not Tiing Jen. That is not my face, this is not my dress. That is not me.
That's my sister."
quote unquote Ms Loh Tiing Jen.

She decided to be Yvonne Loh today, making our initials an opposite of each other's.
(what do you call it? Ambigram?)
Oh, its Loh Tiing Jen
which when placed backwards form the initials JTL (with a Y for Yvonne)

If you still don't know whose initials those are,
go jump out of your window right now.
A few broken bones and concussed skull might help jog your memory.

Chinese girls of Year 2 Biotechnology course. (minus one. Dammit Phebe!)

They started the speeches around this time. Could you blame us?

My new heels!
I really do like them.
They're stable and actually comfortable, for a pair of heels.

Oh, remember last year's MAGRA where I didn't get to go up the stage
because I was too busy playing hero in the bathroom?
I decided that that will not happen again.
Went bathroom earlier and stayed put in the ballroom till it was time.

FINALLY, the moment I'd been waiting for.
My name was after Lai San's and Jia Jia.
So after "Woo Lai San", was...

"Adibah Noor Something Or Other, Couldn't Be Bothered".

Joyce went "..."

and then "What the F**k?"

and then went to complain to the class rep.

and gave him the Look.

He scurried off to find the person in charge, and came back with..

"I'm so sorry, they told me something wrong with the printer they can't print your cert."

Joyce went "So? They could've still called my name right?" *gives Look*

Class rep scurries off and points to me the person in charge, wanting to be out of my wrath.

Person-in-charge goes, "You're Jocelyn? OMG we're so very sorry!
You see, you see the printer-"

"You could've still called out my name."

"Yes I'm so very sorry, will go find out what went wrong."

Scurries off, came back with...

"You see, it's the emcee's fault.."

*internal monologue* Yes I expect she's either blind, retarded or illiterate. Or maybe she's just genetically modified to immediately skip the words Jocelyn Toh Lian Yin as they do not register in her brain. Which makes you the bigger idiot because your committee was dumb enough to pick her as the emcee.

"But we are so very sorry, we are rectifying the problem now, your name will be called soon.."

I don't know how I looked like but people were just scurrying to be out of my way and pass me to the next person so he/she could apologize to me.
I lost count of how many people apologized to me that night.

It was so odd, out of nowhere they announced my course and my name...
The camera probably thought I was too bitchy and refused to get a clear shot.

In an attempt to pose..

With one of our favourite (and better) lecturers, Dr Lee (centre, with shawl).

Four fansu!

In the bus on the way back.

WARNING: Camwhoring ahead.

You've been warned.

It's amazing how I can smile in the almost exact same way almost all the time.
(Finally, Ann Gee!)

Obviously I'm failing horribly here but who cares.
This is MY BLOG.

You're probably sick of looking at me by now, but I'm not :P
Why waste the makeup?

I know you're probably going "What makeup?" (audibly too) but I DO have some on.
Really!

Okay, okay it's the last one already.

I started fiddling with my glasses.
And nope I didn't get contacts. Just took off my glasses for pictures :P

It's been a fun day :)

Good Night!

love, Joyce.