Time suspended

"Plead the fleeting moment to remain." So says Kazumi in Tony Parson's Man and Wife. Yet succeeding in that would mean remaining stagnant and in a living death forever, because our lives are made up of moments just passing by in a continuous, sublimal stream, quicker than the flow of fireflies in a mangrove swamp; a few minutes past 5 in the morning and I could almost believe that time itself has paused for a slow, tender breath. Am I subconciously preparing myself for the worst? Perhaps. I still remember the date: 3rd July, the day of our Leaver's Ball. Mummy's voice on the Mulliner payphone, the sudden choking catch of my diaphragm when I heard the news. Cancer - 6 little harmless letters that everyone dreads to hear but my grandmother slips in so nochalently between Hakka and Cantonese words. She did seem to get better before our Singapore trip, but by the time Fresher's Week was over they said she had deteriorated. Slight scare when the October CT scan apparently revealed a growing tumour, but then reassurance from the Singapore doctor that it was the same size. The last two weeks the pain has increased and spread. It's not looking good. More news soon after her appointment in Singapore today.

Woke up relatively late this morning to another gorgeous day. Urge to go out instead of rotting away with worry in room - thank goodness for unlimited free txts. 1/2 price dim sum again at Pearl City with Le Suen, Esther, Jasley, Ray, Rachelle and Fiona. Anita not well and JJ too tired from Nottingham Games. Nice going out with this bunch once in a while, mainly just to eat. Would have even less things to say if I met up with them more often especially if JJ isn't there too. No further comments for very good reasons. ;D Quick reccee of Triangle/Ted Baker/St Anne's Square area for some promising busking sites. Grocery shopping in Sainsbury's for a change! Definitely prefer it to Lidl n Tesco. Yew Hoong dropped by 7-ish to ask some advice about his current Starbucks job. 20 hours a week! He spends more waking hours in Starbucks than in his flat methinks. Poor fella should either majorly cut down or simply quit. Well... the lure of extra pocket money. Hence the attraction of busking apart from the plus points of free performing opportunities and more exposure. At the same time, one must have the time to spend the money, no? Solid 30 minute plus of practice on the Amati but was certainly too preoccupied to get any effective work in. Met JJ before 10pm for supper at Moso Moso - mmm... Of course the food was good; for that sort of prices couldn't expect any less I suppose. Haven't had the time for a real chill-out in ages... Edited more photos, chatted online, more photography stuff, organised most of room, put up a few more posters and brochures, tried to sleep but ended up tidying again and then blogging. Photo above taken at Whitworth Park: shadow and highlighting increased, decided black and white worked best as the direct sunlight was too bleaching and didn't want to increase colour saturation/temperature unnaturally. Or maybe it's just my mood now. Aha literally just realised why I'm awake at this unholy hour. Blame it on JJ! Ok fine, blame it on chinese tea. Haven't had tea at night for a long time and seem to have forgotten it contains caffeine too... Arggh!! @~@

p.s. Reading Yan Martel's Life of Pi at the moment... (does this make up for reading something so obvious and straightforward as Tony Parsons?? Ah well.)