Feeling melancholic tonight.

No one would believe what transpired today. I actually got so utterly confused and lost that I cleanly forgot about a lecture that was held at noon. This posting is simply bringing out the worst in me. Last Thursday, I almost lost my temper at that KSG. Yes, to the point of shouting at her at the nurse station. Anyone heard me shout before? Don't.

Anyway, I was advised this morning to let tell the reason why exactly I've been so busy and distracted and stressed up this whole month. Readers of my blog should have a vague idea why. It's a whole load of juggling between overseas elective applications, taking onto myself to make the house look good for CNY, staying abreast of schoolwork and pulling off just about the largest carnivorous plant display I've ever done in my life.

The last one sounds easy, but I guess it's the perfectionist inside rearing its not-so-pretty head. I just had to design a huge display complete with artificial mounds and water features and foggers and the perennial headache of making tree branches stand up. So here's a short summary of what's left to be done:

Hardware

• Wait for dad's delivery truck to arrive with 3 sample pallets
• Arrangement of the display on top of the pallets
• Purchasing yards of black cloth to conceal the pallets so as to make it look like the display's sitting on a black platform
• Obtain more sphagnum moss
• Dig out those square vegetable baskets to elevate the back of the display, creating a mound
• Purchase 5 metres more of pine edging to create a natural border around the display
• Replace gravel tray with faux cave bought yesterday to create water feature
• Drill entry hole in bamboo (bought today at $2.50) to create passageway for running water
• Shop for $35 bookcase at IKEA as holding shelf for excess plants
• Buy 250g-thickness paper to print plant ID info on
• Contemplate buying a home laminator to laminate plant ID tags, posters etc.
  
• Obtain black netting to wrap Nepenthes roots in, for attaching onto branches
• KIV buying turfgrass (carpet grass) to mask the brown-ness of the dried sphagnum moss
• Purchase bags of lawn sand, fill into ceramic pot, and make branches stand

Software

• Wait for shipment from Borneo to arrive right before/right after CNY - lovely woman from the company called today, much to my surprise, so I'm keeping all my fingers crossed.
• Wait one more afternoon for Australian side to email me back - I will call to pester if no reply by Wed. And also keeping all my fingers crossed for this one.
• Arrange with organiser for power plug, meet up to discuss chopping down trees and to view the site
• Touch up on materials and contents of my talk
• Re-doing some graphics I've been preparing
  

It all translates to visiting Sentosa, Spotlight, plant nurseries at Thomson road, plant nurseries at Choa Chu Kang, plant nurseries at Bukit Panjang, IKEA, and stationery shop at harbourfront all within the span of 1 week. Very hectic, and I'm therefore digging out any non-tutorial times to do all these. So there you go. My absence from the wards these days.

The biggest headaches of all come from things I cannot control. Stuff like customs and paperwork, which takes days and days and days. Fucking hell - if I pull through this, I'm going to ask them to notify me at least 4 months in advance next time. Oh but there won't be a next time .. not next year anyway. Was thinking of putting some reference books on the skirted table that's provided, and simply referring silly questions from people that way. And really. HALF a mind to ask C.K. for help even though my heart moves me not to. At least he's got the patience to explain fundamental things to people. Like CPs are not animals. And the million-dollar question - no, they don't eat humans.

Yes, Mr. Ye - I agree. No Utricularia, definitely. People are *bound* to ask if they are CPs.