The talk at NTU was interesting... Topic? "Al-Qaeda : In Retreat or Marching On".
Among the guests were the Pakistan High Commissioner, people from the Inst of Defence and Strategic Studies, a bunch of Nigerians and a huger bunch of intellects. Whoa. Felt kinda dumb and useless among those academics.. During the Q & A session, the speaker (this dude from US) was like 'accused' by the Pakistani HC of using too many references to Pakistan when talking about terrorists. And that the speaker did not elaborate as extensively on the Jamaican terrorist as he did on the Middle Eastern ones... and this balding Arab-looking man was in a fit about how the western peepz always blur definitions and confuse the whole world about what the war on terrorism is really about. Wow, we were like, this is serious business, man! and i was out of my stupor after that..heh.

Anyway, that so wasn't what I wanted to blog about laah. But then again, what's blogging without some digression...haha. Ok.
I spoke to my grandma again the other night. (Been talking to her a load, for some reason) She asked me about school stuff... and it digressed (again) to the topic of my school's pending Germany trip. ok, blalala...she shocked me by saying that she'd gladly fork out like $3000 for me to go. Ooh... hehe. She shocked me again the other time, when I told her I'd rather go to France than Germany or Italy...

Me : .. I'd rather go to Paris!
Gramma : What Paris?!? Its not Paris, its Pa-ree!

OMFG. That, gramma? Was seriously` kablooish. I was stupefied stunned into silence.
Then I was like, "uhh.. seriously...?" I mean, yeah that was an unnecessary rhetoric question but she replied all the same -- "Se-reuh!" ie; serieux. ('serious')

Ok. Freaky. Since when did my ol' gramma become so particular about French words and stuff?! And she spoke the language! It mighta been just two words but it stoked me a whole load.
hahaha... here I am saying "Paris" in case she doesn't understand, and there she is correcting my pronunciation! Huhuheux.

The convo continued...and she unwittingly gave me an idea on why I'm so into all things French. Gramma used to like, babysit for a French family in Singapore last time..staying under the same roof with the family and everything. I'm guessing all the French connections got passed down the genes somehow. Coolness.

That family invited her over to France to visit, paying for all expenses but... ah well. If I have it my way? I'd visit them "on behalf" of my gramma! oh boy! Can you imagine? I'm praying hard...

If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment. - Marcus Aurelius