Boyce Avenue - Family

Ant Farm Diaries

Okay, before you start to say anything, please note that I HAD a few small ant farms maybe around 2 years ago. Let's just say I hid them under my bed coz there's a strict "no pets" rule at home and more so if it involves insects, but my parents found out... lol *does neck cutting motion*. RIP... I don't even know how they died :(


Annnyyywaysssss... here's my experience from way back when (This post has been sitting in my Drafts folder for AGES!)


I've started my own ant farm using fertilized queen ants (the garden variety black ants, which I don't dislike as much as small and stinky red ants that bite. These black ants don't bite.) that I've collected from my lab back in Bertam - though only 3 queen ants and their off-springs survived. 

- Lesson learned: Queen ants do take in larvae from other queen ants of the same species.

Originally, there were 4 though... I'm still not sure why the fourth died, but I transferred the larvae and eggs to another queen ant with a hope that she will take them in as her own. Let's just say she did :)

- Tip learned: Cleaning the ant farm tube/ Transferring ants from tube to tube

Oh,. one advice for transferring ants from a tube home to another - I'd advise you to chill them in the fridge (NOT the freezer, mind you!!) for awhile, so that they'll get all drowsy. I've tried putting them in for 5 to 10 mins and I can then gently shake them out into a new tube, so I can clean out the old one. 

And well, I've tried feeding them several stuff and so far, these are the stuff they like and the stuff that they don't

- Tip learned: Food for black garden-variety ants

Likes:

1. Fruits (the sweeter, the better) - can last at most 3 days (but vary depending on the type of fruit), then you'll have to throw what's left of it because, obviously, they get all rotten.

2. Very tiny flying insects

3. Very tiny worms

4. Strawberry jam, processed (but then they will leave behind "something", probably the "processed part" that you'll have to throw away)

5. Small strips of meat (moist, not dry) - chicken meat, pork, etc

6. Sugar (Fine, preferably) - They are crazy over these stuff... obviously

Dislikes:

1. Small moths (even though it was chopped up and dewinged - after it was dead ofc... I'm no monster!)

2. Bread chunks soaked in water (bad advice given by an user at an ant farm forum)

- Tip learned: Designing your own ant farm container

They like the dark, so be sure to keep your transparent container wrapped in something non-transparent. Thin sheets of paper don't work as well, but aluminum foils work perfectly.

Remember to have breathing holes for air to circulate. It's best to use cotton or thick gauze to stuff the entrance. I've also tried using something like a thick and elastic "plastic cling wrap" and poked tiny holes in them -but that turned out to not be a very good idea since some ants do try to bite through these wraps. Naturally, I'd recommend against poking holes on paper or any other thin stuff since the ants will even more easily tear through the stuff and escape.

If your container is wide (in an ant's perspective), then you'll need to insert something to fill up the middle before you put soil in. This is to make the tunnels that the ants dig more visible against the sides of the container. I personally used a discarded poster (thick) to do this, but you can also use the a used toilet roll (the cardboard part).

So, if you're using a poster, I roll it up tight and compact - glossy side inwards due to the taping part, and seal it with strong tape. You'll need to seal the hollow part with strong tape as well. Poster paper can withstand semi-moist soil that your ants will need to dig in and the best thing is - there isn't any moss growing inside my ant farm. 

For soil, it's always best to get some "local soil" - meaning the soil that you think the ants came from. Those are usually foolproof, but if you can't or don't want to, well, you shouldn't get something that is too dry. Semi moist is best. And also, be sure to shake or tap your container against the ground as you pack in the soil so the soil will be more compact. Be sure to leave plenty of room at the top so that the ants can carry the soil they've dug to the surface and they have some room to walk around as well. 

~ ~ ~ ~

I couldn't continue this diary as my dad threw away my Ant Farms after I went for a trip to KL last year and I was devastated. I got over it though, but I'll always remember the feeling of having something to look after. Keeping a pet... no matter what type of pet it is... is HARD work! But I'm glad of the experience and I'm surprise to know ants do consume chicken meat and pork. 

Anyway, when I last saw them, 2 of the colonies became very huge, so much that it's actually hard for me to feed them without them trying to crawl up my tweezers (I use tweezers to place very small "bowls" of food and water in). I actually had to wait for an opportune time before I can feed them lol. 

And well, there were lots of escapees when I try feeding them (makeshift ant farm containers aren't the best way to keep these ants contained, but I did my best) - some of which I've managed to return to their homes (some of which I can find crawling up my leg after 3 days since it escaped lol - don't worry, they don't bite) while others, I can't find them so I suppose they deserve their freedom... but ants can't survive long without their colony. 

Pics soon! I'll just have to recover them from my old and now semi-broken smartphone. - Update: the phone's completely broken and I'm not sure if I could even recover the pics.

Discover Your Patronus on Pottermore

I'm a huge Harry Potter fan, especially considering that I grew up with the series (and the actors), so naturally, when I spotted this quiz, I simply had to take it. Here's the link for you fellas who can't wait to take the quiz: http://adf.ly/1eE9ZR (Being a content writer = not rich enough to buy a home to call my own. Please lend me around 15 seconds of your time to wait awhile and click Skip Ad :) )

However, I'm a bit disappointed with the result since what I got was.... wait for it.... Look below!

Yes... a bleeding hedgehog. Sigh. Had hoped for something more impressive :P

Anyway, I've went a bit further and googled up "Hedgehog, patronus" and I found this!

PATRONUS ANALYSIS: 023. THE HEDGEHOG
The first impression of an individual with a hedgehog patronus can be very deceiving. On the outside, they can first appear happy-go-lucky and kind, as well as slightly naive. They are optimistic individuals in the way they want to be happy and have the feeling rub off on others, but this is not who they are completely. Rather, they actually have a tough personality to them, and have the ability to fight and defend themselves. Do not take the for weaklings, because they certainly are not, and are much more perceptive than they appear. The most common house for a hedgehog patronus is Hufflepuff. The most common signs are Cancer and Sagittarius.

Source: http://patron-a-bum.tumblr.com/post/48615573513/patronus-analysis-023-the-hedgehog-the


Well, I'm not sure about the "fighting and defending" part - I haz no self-defence training... pls don't assault me! - but the analysis is generally correct to some point. I do present a happy-go-lucky appearance because sometimes, I just feel like I don't want to care (but I can't - I would make a really bad superheroine since I'll proly be weighted down by doubts and guilt almost all the time).

I like to think that I'm tough - who doesn't? - and can handle anything and everything, but I'm pretty sure, deep down, that I can't. One thing's for sure though - I would not go down quietly.


Anyway, that's enough about me, what about you? Which patronus did you get? I would love to know... wait, if you got the unicorn, don't tell me... I would get super-salty... nah, just kidding!

Here's the link again for you interested people out there: http://adf.ly/1eE9ZR  (you just need to wait a few seconds and click Skip Ad, thanks! :) )


Do tell me... I'm very curious to know.... aannnndddd if there are any other hedgehogs out there, let's get together some time (points at my Facebook link on the right)! :)

For more 'tests' such as this one, feel free to check out my other posts:

Test Your Vocabulary: What's the Size of Your Vocabulary?
How Dark is Your Personality?
Stanford Sleepiness Scale: Are You Getting Enough Sleep?
Which TED Talk are you?
Find out your EQ score!
How old are your ears?
How many colours can you see?
Whose #brainchild are you?

Do you ever have trouble telling right from left?

Hooked on Music - What makes music so catchy?
Kuku Kube - Test your eyesight!

Twitch Reflex Challenge!
How Well Do You See Colour?

Test Your Vocabulary: What's the Size of Your Vocabulary?

I kinda.... cheated a bit here and there, hehe. That said, what's yours? :)

Find your Vocabulary Size here: http://adf.ly/1eE7u7 (Please support this poor blogger - por favor. It'll only take around 15 seconds of your time to wait awhile and then press the Skip button :) )

Source: http://adf.ly/1eE7u7

For more 'tests' such as this one, feel free to check out my other posts:

How Dark is Your Personality?
Stanford Sleepiness Scale: Are You Getting Enough Sleep?
Which TED Talk are you?
Find out your EQ score!
How old are your ears?
How many colours can you see?
Whose #brainchild are you?

Do you ever have trouble telling right from left?

Hooked on Music - What makes music so catchy?
Kuku Kube - Test your eyesight!

Twitch Reflex Challenge!
How Well Do You See Colour?

Eric周興哲 - 你，好不好？ How Have You Been?

This lyrics is easy enough to read (for a person with half-baked Mandarin like me) but well, I've decided to add in the pinyin for those who are struggling with some of the tougher words (like me) :P

Anyway, I'll see if I can get the time to actually translate the meaning of the song into English, but until then, enjoy! :)

Lyrics:

是不是 还那么爱迟到
Shì bù shì hái nà me ài chí dào
熬夜工作又睡不好
Áo yè gōng zuò yòu shuì bù hǎo
等你 完成你的目标
Děng nǐ wán chéng nǐ de mù biāo
要戒掉逞强的嗜好
Yào jiè diào chěng qiáng de shì hào

都怪我 把自尊放太高
Dōu guài wǒ bǎ zì zūn fàng tài gāo
没有把你照顾好
Méi yǒu bǎ nǐ zhào gù hǎo
骄傲 是脆弱的外表
Jiāo ào shì cuì ruò de wài biǎo
最怕我的心你不要
Zuì pà wǒ de xīn nǐ bù yào

能不能继续 对我哭 对我笑 对我好
Néng bù néng jì xù duì wǒ kū duì wǒ xiào duì wǒ hǎo
继续让我 为你想 为你疯 陪你老
Jì xù ràng wǒ wèi nǐ xiǎng wèi nǐ fēng péi nǐ lǎo
你好不好 好想知道
Nǐ hǎo bù hǎo hǎo xiǎng zhī dào
别急着把回忆都丢掉
Bié jí zhe bǎ huí yì dōu diū diào

我只需要你 在身边 陪我吵 陪我闹
Wǒ zhǐ xū yào nǐ zài shēn biān péi wǒ chǎo péi wǒ nào
用好的我 把过去 坏的我 都换掉
Yòng hǎo de wǒ bǎ guò qù huài de wǒ dōu huàn diào
好想听到 你坚决说爱我
Hǎo xiǎng tīng dào nǐ jiān jué shuō ài wǒ
可惜回不去那一秒
Kě xí huí bù qù nà yī miǎo
你好不好
Nǐ hǎo bù hǎo

天知道 我快要受不了
Tiān zhī dào wǒ kuài yào shòu bù liǎo
后悔钻进心里烧
Hòu huǐ zuān jìn xīn lǐ shāo
拥抱 再多一次就好
Yǒng bào zài duō yī cì jiù hǎo
你要的我都做得到
Nǐ yào de wǒ dū zuò dé dào

能不能继续 对我哭 对我笑 对我好
Néng bù néng jì xù duì wǒ kū duì wǒ xiào duì wǒ hǎo
继续让我 为你想 为你疯 陪你老
Jì xù ràng wǒ wèi nǐ xiǎng wèi nǐ fēng péi nǐ lǎo
给你的好 还要不要
Gěi nǐ de hǎo hái yào bù yào
答案我却不敢揭晓
Dá àn wǒ què bù gǎn jiē xiǎo

我只需要你 在身边 陪我吵 陪我闹
Wǒ zhǐ xū yào nǐ zài shēn biān péi wǒ chǎo péi wǒ nào
别用离开教我 失去的人最重要
Bié yòng lí kāi jiào wǒ shī qù de rén zuì zhòng yào
别说 你曾经爱过我
Bié shuō nǐ céng jīng ài guò wǒ
让我们回到那一秒
Ràng wǒ men huí dào nà yī miǎo
你好不好
Nǐ hǎo bù hǎo

能不能继续 对我哭 对我笑 对我好
Néng bù néng jì xù duì wǒ kū duì wǒ xiào duì wǒ hǎo
继续让我 为你想 为你疯 陪你老
Jì xù ràng wǒ wèi nǐ xiǎng wèi nǐ fēng péi nǐ lǎo
你好不好 我好想知道
Nǐ hǎo bù wǒ hǎo hǎo xiǎng zhī dào
别急着把我的愛丟掉
Bié jí zhe bǎ wǒ de ài diū diào


我只需要你 在身边 陪我吵 陪我闹
Wǒ zhǐ xū yào nǐ zài shēn biān péi wǒ chǎo péi wǒ nào
别用离开教我 失去的人最重要
Bié yòng lí kāi jiào wǒ shī qù de rén zuì zhòng yào
别说 你曾经爱过我
Bié shuō nǐ céng jīng ài guò wǒ
让我们回到那一秒
Ràng wǒ men huí dào nà yī miǎo
你好不好
Nǐ hǎo bù hǎo

A Long Overdue Update and Rant (Naturally)

Sorry for the verrryyyyy long absence! I really wanted to write some stuff here from time to time, but I often find myself too tired to actually do anything productive after work. Not to mention, I always find myself writing here whenever I have some major dilemma or some incident that I just can't stop worrying about. That said, let's just get the rant started!

It has been a whirlwind these few weeks. From an unexpected surprise to my sudden realization that I suck at planning an overseas trip (maybe because I'm still so green behind the ears when it comes to travelling overseas), I've been getting these incredible headaches (I'm still getting it at the mo'), fatigue and immense stress... to the point where my memory completely turned into Swiss cheese and I actually forgot to brew my daily cup of tea... something that I've been doing for more than a year since I started my job... for more than a week!

I'll just be waking up, getting ready, switch on the computer and go straight to work. My off times are often used to worry about all the stuff that I had to delay or ignore due to a fiasco of planning stuff. It's just crazy! It's THAT bad until the phrase "being overwhelmed" becomes an understatement. It's a wonder I haven't had a mental breakdown yet... hmm, wait a sec, I think I might have actually... I went into full-blown panic mode for 2 days when I was worrying about the Visa. LOL

Sigh, actually, if I really think about it, I hadn't had a "normal" (low stress) working month since April. So generally, these 4 months of stress would probably reduced my lifespan by a few years... lol. The stress is not going away anytime soon though either.

Sometimes, I honestly don't understand why people don't just do what they are supposed to do. It's not like I don't treat them well - at least that's what I think. I've helped them when they asked for it and even sometimes when they don't (but it's pretty obvious that they needed help)... to the point when one of them actually told me that I've helped her more than she deserved.

Why is it so difficult for some people to understand the concept of "I help you, you help me"? It's pretty much a win-win situation if they do. Everybody gets to go home happy. It's really simple, people!

It's not just people and work though - I'm also under pressure because my main tool for earning my monthly wages is causing some unnecessary problems for me. Admittedly, I haven't exactly been treating it well - just take a look at the tabs I have open within these 2 weeks where I'm doing a crazy ton of "Google Research". I dare say at peak times, I probably have like 40 tabs open spread across 3 or 4 different browser windows along with a running Photoshop, Skype, some "pending" word docs and notepads, and maybe around 3-4 windows explorer. I'm practically torturing my computer lol. Thank goodness I've upgraded its RAM last year.

Of course, I also have some personal plans that I can't seem to put into motion maybe due to the insane amount of hours I'm putting into my work at the moment. Even when I'm supposed to be "off" work, I'll be planning the things I have to do tmr - just to get all those plans shattered into brilliant tiny pieces - and I'll just be like "winging" it the best I can. Seriously, sometimes I feel like my life's out of control right now. There are just so many stuff to think of, to consider, and (let's not forget about this) to worry about. If you have yet to meet a worry wart... well, congrats, you've just met one...lol!~

Anyway, I'll need to head to the shops to collect my stuff tomorrow, conduct a short (second) training session, send emails, activate stuff, write stuff, and make sure my team has a well-stocked list of stuff to do.... all of these when I'm supposed to be off work tomorrow. What's the point of replacing my working Friday to a Sunday if I'm just going to work on Friday anyways? Haiz...well, till we meet again then!

Chester See - You're Not the One

Lyrics:

I've never been
So sure of anything
You're next to me
I finally feel complete
I know for sure
You're all I'll ever need
And I'll never stop..

Loving you more with each breath that you take
This promise that I never will break
For you..... 

You're not the one
Coz you don't wanna be
I might have chosen you
But you chose differently
You might make me feel whole
I don't make you complete
I will grow old with you
But you've grown tired of me
You're not the one
Coz you don't wanna be

So I'll let you go
As hard as it is for me
I'll never know
This was supposed to be
If you're ever alone
I hope that you think of me
Coz I'll never stop...

Loving you more with each breath that I take
This feeling inside never changed
For you....

But you're not the one
Coz you don't wanna be
I might have chosen you
But you chose differently
You might make me feel whole
But I don't make you complete
I will grow old with you
But you've grown tired of me
You're not the one
Coz you don't wanna be

If you ever feel the way that I do
I hope that it feels the same way too
Coz I only want
What is best for you
And I hope he gets on one knee
Just wishing it could have been me

You're not the one
Coz you don't wanna be
I might have chosen you
But you chose differently
You might make me feel whole
But I don't make you complete
I will grow old with you
But you've grown tired of me
You're not the one
Coz you don't wanna be


"One of the easiest lyrics to transcribe so far :)" - S.Y.