November's going already?!

Yesterday was Thanksgiving Day and today is Black Friday. I had my first Thanksgiving dinner with some other Malaysians nearby. It was nice. We had turkey, pies, cranberry juice, and the whole deal (well, as best as we could make it!). Today is when many people go crazy busting doors at malls, grabbing deals on just about everything from clothes to electronics. What did I do? I slept in til about lunchtime. Uhuh. No waking up at 2 am and making my way to a mall to wait for the doors to open at 3 am. No, thank you. I'd spent enough and I think it's about time to put a hold on spending on things that aren't completely necessary until the next allowance comes in. :P

I'll be having dinner with the other Malaysian sophomores tomorrow night. We're doing it pot luck style, as usual. We'll have turkey again. And other good stuff. :) Oh, speaking of food reminds me... I'd been eyeing cake pans for a while now. I finally gave in to the urge to get one just so I can bake on the weekends. It does get really boring to stay in and just study over the weekends. I love having the smell of freshly baked or cooked things in the house, so hopefully this will satisfy my craving a little. (And I use cake mixes. No baking from scratch for me - not right now, anyway.)

Weirdly enough, I've found out that cooking can be pretty relaxing. I say it's weird because before I came here, I was hopeless in the kitchen. If you asked me to cook dinner for myself, I'd probably just settle for instant noodles. But now I actually enjoy preparing meals when I have some time to spare. Once in a while, I do succumb to making quick meals like heating up canned soup when my workload gets a little crazy. But for the most part, Beng Yen and I cook dishes we're familiar with. We've also tried some things we'd never cooked before. And so far, it has all been pretty safe. :P Everything's edible. Whew.

So yeah... there you have my short life updates. I kinda lost track of time in early November because I was swamped with school work and exams. They seemed to blur into a mass of stressful to-do lists. Now that I finally have some time to kick back and relax, November is almost over and Christmas is coming in a month. Wow.

I miss the sun (it has been below 0 degrees Celcius the whole day today - but no snow yet, just some ice on the sidewalks). I miss home in general. I guess the relativity of time has never been so prominent in my own situation before. Because even though I feel like time has flown by when I think of school, it seems to have stretched out when I think of how long it's been since I was lying on my own bed at home, listening to the crickets in the middle of the night.

My heart is in so many different places... sometimes it seems just so amazing. Yet quite painful at times, I must admit. But this sure is quite an experience.

Hello!

If you're wondering what I've been up to lately, the answer is... not too much. I've been kicking back and relaxing since I got home. And it has been wonderful! Well, I'll admit, I got so bored on some days that I ended up staring at the tv without really processing what was going on in the show. But I have also gotten around to dealing with things like housing issues. It suffices to say that it has been a pretty long process, so here's hoping that it'll get settled completely soon.

When asked what I plan to achieve this holiday, I get stumped. Because, uhh, I kinda just wanna relax? Haha! Okay, okay. I have to learn how to cook. And um... maybe I should write a little. It has been a long time since I wrote just because I want to. Hmm... well, of course, I've been busy re-reading the books on my shelf. I'm running out of space for my books, but I actually like having a few books on my bedside so that I can read something right before sleeping.

There are so many photos that I want to post up - from the History mock trial to the great Penang trip (yes, again!). I tried posting them a couple of times but the uploading process either failed completely or took too long, so I'll try again another day.

On vacation

Hello!

I'm typing this on the cold floor of our bedroom in the apartment that we rented. It's a little insanely early to be blogging, but I got up at a quarter to six just now, so now I have some time to kill before my 11 friends wake up.

Anyway, our little trip has been quite fun. We walked and ate a lot. Eating is like the main highlight of our trip. I'd say that the best fun I'd had so far is riding a horse on the beach. I'm so happy that one of my childhood dreams came true. I got a handsome brown horse named Happy (how aptly named) that is very gentle and very, very warm. :) It was my first time riding a horse. Riding it on a beach is just the icing on top.

Anyway, I'll be posting photos up when I get back home. My feet are tired and my whole body is screaming for proper rest. So it's time to pack up and leave this island soon. Today, we have another half a day for some fun and a lot of sun. After that, it's homeward bound for us!

Have a good day, everyone! :)

Officially done!

Oh, hello, everyone! I'm just here to tell you that my finals ended on Thursday and that I am now officially no longer a student here. I guess it means I am now just a transiting student of sorts, seeing as how I'm waiting to transfer to university. I am transferring to America in fall, which is in a few months' time. (Honestly, it still feels a little funny saying that I'm going to America, but it sounds pretty cool too eh?)

Anyway, I'm going for a little vacation tomorrow. And then I'm homeward bound!

Tonight is my last night in this room in INTI (unless I stay here when I come back for the briefing a couple of months from now). All my bags are packed (except for the laptop bag, of course, which is always the last) and my shelf, desk, and bulletin board are all cleared out. As happy as I am to have officially ended my duration of studies here, a part of me is actually really sad to leave everyone behind. But what has to be done has to be done.

Now on to our little trip!

Have a good week, everyone! :)

Parts and parcels

I haven't posted in a while because I was busy basking in the bliss that was the holidays.

Chinese New Year was so-so, nothing too spectacular nor drab. My flight going back was delayed due to some technical problems. The flight was initially retimed to depart an hour later than scheduled (and I only got to know this after I checked in and entered the departure hall with only a cup of coffee as my breakfast) so I had to find a seat, station myself there with my belongings while reading Digital Fortress. I was engrossed in the book so the wait didn't feel that long.

We boarded later than the rescheduled time. Once the plane was taking its normal starting up route, I was excited to reach home, especially since it was already the first day of the New Year. But the plane stalled twice while it was gaining momentum on the runway and it jerked really hard. The first time, I wasn't too worried. After I steadied myself, I just continued reading. But the second time was scary because it felt like the plane was close to taking off already, but it suddenly jerked to a halt. My immediate thought was GET US OFF THIS PLANE. I'm a frequent flyer, so I've learned not to overreact to jerks and a little turbulence, but that was freaky.

So we disembarked and went back into the terminal. Fast forward to the end, I ended up reaching home four hours later than scheduled. I was bummed that I missed the entire morning of the first day and that my first meal of the New Year was a pack of overpriced nasi briyani that cannot match up to a complete meal of New Year dishes. But I was very thankful that I got back safely. :)

I enjoyed my chill time at home because there wasn't much work to do. I loved my TV time a lot. And even though I'd gotten accustomed to not having a TV around 24/7 for two years now, I still really love it when I can morph into a couch potato for a whole day. It's very unhealthy to be so sedentary, I know, and I wince every time I see the walking meter on my phone and it reads a small figure like 100 and maybe 0.1 km. But, y'know, it's the holidays. And that's when the lazy bug infects most easily. :P

In the midst of all the merry-making around, I was very sad because our cat died. My little blue-eyed prince of almost 6 years old. It hurts so badly but you know, it's like that with pets. You love them and they love you, that's what makes it worth it. In the end, you experience a heartbreak, but when you think back to all the good memories, you'll realize that's what matters. I won't talk more about this because it saddens me. We have good memories and that's what we keep.

RIP Bobby, we love you always. :)

Now that school has resumed as per normal, we're picking up where we left off. It's back to readings, equations, and speeches. To kick off the week, I had a mid-term in an 8 am class on Monday. Last night, we had a barbecue which was a lot of fun. Right after class, I found myself in Giant, pushing a cart full of ingredients and charcoal. I was worn out when I came back to my room at midnight, but I ended up staying up til 3.30 am, which explains my sorta-dazed state now, even though it is already noon time. :P

I'll be off to lunch soon. Have a good week, everyone. :)

Some quiet and relaxation

I have so much free time to myself now that it feels kind of funny. The hostel block is almost deserted now because most people have gone back home. Me, I'm chilling by myself, spending my time the way I really want to. Except that I don't like meal times when I'm all alone. If you don't know, I hate eating by myself. I know some people enjoy the peace and solitude, but I'm all for laughter and camaraderie during lunch and dinner, no matter how short. But, oh well. It isn't too bad.

So far, it's been alright being alone here. I slept in, woke up to a good breakfast, spent time doing chores, and then finally got around to trying out my new nail polish. (It's a break away from my usual neutral light colors - I love it.) I like the fact that I can blast music loudly for as long as I want. I think it's best to spend some time getting my work done too because my public speaking midterm is on the day right after I come back here.

On another note, here are some photos I didn't post up earlier. These were taken on the night we gathered to have dinner with Eric who is leaving to Australia tomorrow.

All the best in Aussie, Eric! :)

Exploring Melaka

Hello!

To start off, I'd like to say that I had an awesome week! It really feels like I've been back here for more than just a short two weeks, because I feel like I've already done so much more. I have to say, realizing that this is our last semester together here has injected a new sense of adventure in us. Or maybe it is just me. Either way, I think it's quite enjoyable. ;)

Yesterday, Wei Yiing, Bee, Olivia, Shervin, Yat Sin, Poh Yee, Ei Leen, and I set out from here to Seremban at 6.10 am. That is really, really early because I can't even remember the last time I woke up at 5.00 am, took a hot shower, had a complete breakfast, and stayed awake and alert for the whole day after that. Despite the terribly early hour, I was psyched for our trip to Melaka. I initially expected to nod off in the train on the way to Seremban, but we occupied ourselves by playing charades. I think the train does not usually have so many laughing college kids in one carriage at any time before 6.30 am.

When we arrived in Melaka, we were rearing to go and explore the place and not to mention try the food! Our first stop was the Stadhuys where the bus stopped. After the obligatory touristy photo taking session, we headed to St Paul's Church where we looked at old tombstones and took more touristy photos. From there, we moved on to A Famosa, where we had fun with the neat looking floor and the cannons. More photo taking ensued.

After walking around the hilly area, we decided that it was time for lunch. We walked along flat land to get to the bridge heading to Jonker Walk. Our food quest was certainly the highlight of our trip. We stopped by a chicken rice stall that Karyn had recommended. The chicken rice balls were good. It's not that much different from normal chicken rice except that it has a denser texture and it is more sticky. The shape is really cute, too. :P The asam fish we had was awesome. I'm not one for asam dishes, but that one got me. I actually enjoyed eating fish! To top off our lunch, we crossed the road to a cendol stall and had some good ol' cold cendol. There is really nothing better than an icy dessert on a hot day! The guy operating the stall even took our photo and told us that he'd upload it on Facebook! (I've yet to look his page up.)

After our makan session, we did some window shopping. We entered almost all the souvenir shops along the rows where the chicken rice and cendol stores are. Jonker Gallery got us girls hooked. We entered all but one of the stores. :P We found some really good bargains on accessories, and, oh, how could we resist? Thankfully, we spent very little on souvenirs. The bulk of our expenses came from transportation and food.

After souvenir shopping, we took a time out by having more dessert - this time, at a really cool stall that offers durian-flavored ais kacang and cendol. I tried the durian ais kacang since I'd already had cendol earlier and I totally do not regret it. It tasted so good that I think I could've easily had another bowl of it! Once we'd decided that we'd had a long enough pit stop, it was on to the temples. Me, Ei Leen, and Yat Sin spent more time in another souvenir shop while the rest toured the oldest temple in the country and then another temple opposite the road. We sure made full use of our umbrellas yesterday as it was scorching hot.

More walking followed as we made our way to three museums. I don't remember all their names, but I do remember that one of them is the navy museum. The first one that we entered is the one housed in a replica of a ship. That time, I was already feeling worn out, so I took the time to unwind as we walked through the belly of the ship, looking at the exhibits. Two museums after that, it was time to whet our appetite again. (Don't we sound like complete gluttons now? Uh-oh.) After a quick call to a Melaka resident, we made our way back to Jonker Walk. We dined at Nancy's Kitchen following Sher Minn's recommendation, where we had authentic Baba Nyonya food. We had two chicken dishes, one vegetable dish, and a fish. It was a really scrumptious dinner that left me sated and really happy.

We were hoping to catch the 5.30 pm bus back to Seremban but by the time we piled into the uncle's car (he owns the restaurant; he offered us a lift - for a fee - to the bus station), it was already only 10 more minutes to 5.30 pm. We missed the bus by a few minutes, so we spent the next hour in McD where we split all the tabs and carried out all our monetary transactions. I couldn't resist getting myself a sundae (oh, I can hear Wei Yiing going you pig now). I guess my tired face must have lit up when I scanned the menu because Yat Sin said, oh, aren't you happy to see ice cream? I should've just stepped away from the counter! Meh.

The journey back to Seremban was filled with peals of laughter caused by weird and funny photos in both cameras that were brought along. Despite all the laughter, I could feel tiredness really getting to me, so I decided to take a nap. I did manage to doze off for a while, but when I woke up, there was a pain in my neck because of the position of the head rest. I was really thankful that the bus is comfortable and clean, though. Apparently, everyone felt a tad bit refreshed after cat napping on the bus because we were back to being noisy on the train on the way back to Nilai. This time, we did not play charades, though. :P

By the time we reached hostel grounds, it was already 10 pm. We grabbed some burgers for supper (strangely enough, we got hungry even after all the food we'd consumed) and then headed back about half an hour later (shortest supper session ever). I couldn't wait to jump into bed and sleep, but there was still some packing to do for school. My eyelids were heavy and my legs were tired. I searched high and low for my tube of Flanil but I couldn't find it (this morning, I found it in my bag), so I went to sleep with all the aches.

All in all, it was a really enjoyable trip, as I'd expected. Not only did I get to try authentic Melaka food, but more importantly, I got to spend some quality time with friends who made me laugh so much in just one day and who totally made my week. I think that's just awesome. :D

Jolly spirits

I am back from the extremely hot island of Langkawi and the other island, Penang. I had great fun in both places (minus the weather in both places and the traffic madness in Penang). It was nice to get away for a while to experience different environments.

It was my second Christmas away from home, but this time, with my parents. We had a low-key Christmas Day because there wasn't the normal Christmas Mass followed by the unwrapping of the presents under the tree at midnight, and then adding the finishing touches before all the guests come flooding the house. Instead, we enjoyed a really good breakfast and then took the whole day to walk around the hotel area. There isn't much to see in Langkawi (no, I did not visit any beaches), but it was fun just looking around. And I got to meet up with Shing Yee in Penang after over a year! She and Wendy brought me around Gurney. It was fun getting to chill with friends in their own hometown. All in all, it was a great vacation, with all the walking, shopping, and, of course, eating!

Now on to proofreading my essays and gearing up for the new year! Are you ready to usher in 2010?

Contentment in small packages

I watched 2012 and almost cried. I don't like that they killed off so many people that I felt should have survived. And I was wrong in thinking that the movie portrays the end of mankind because everything was obliterated, but a small fraction of the human race survived (mostly because they could afford to pay 1 billion Euros per person - notice the subtlety with which the 'equation' money = life was hinted at).

I also found good bargains at Elianto. Go get the stuff there while the promotion is still on. They've even got stuff with prices slashed by half. Concealers and lip glosses at half their normal prices - a good enough reason for me to try out. :P And out of boredom, I've discovered how to work my Revlon palette to its potential. I've been blending and blending the colors but I'd never felt fully satisfied with the result until tonight. The maroon shade is awesome stuff. Top it off by blending in a deeper purple, mmmm, just what I was looking for. But there's one thing bugging me - smudged eyeliner. I think liquid ones are supposed to hold and last longer, but I don't know which to get. The pencil ones are working fine for me, but I don't like how they smudge after a few hours. :/ Now, who's up for a game of makeover magic with me? :P

I've been watching many clips on Youtube lately. Stand up comedy, simply funny stuff, make up tutorials, touching videos - and I think Youtube has really revolutionized the way we interact in the Internet. Whether it's for the better or worse, that's up to us to decide through the way we use it. I think it's really cool. (Haha, yeah, I have more to say on that, but I think I'd rather not go into that for now.)

I've been home for a month now (exactly a month tomorrow) and I've been pigging out a lot. I've gotten hooked onto 90210 and Psych (again!). And a lot of dragon fruit and mango, too. Yummy! I love waking up to the feeling of my comforter against my skin, my soft pillow under my head, and the sun rays lighting up my room. Nothing like some good ol' home comfort to greet you in the morning. :)

Hope you're happy wherever you are, everyone. :)

Yawn

As you can see, I've gone totally unenthusiastic about posting. I can feel my linguistic skills slowly going to sleep. See, that's what I mean. I can't even find a nice way to put that. WHAT I MEAN IS I should really kick start my university application essays and tell myself to get back into my normal incessantly OCD proofreading mode.

I need some intellectual stimulation! I can't let the holidays suck my brain juices out like those brain-hungry zombies in Plants vs Zombies (I DO NOT play this anymore, thank you very much!). I hate that sometimes I get a funny feeling when I pick up a pencil or pen to write something down and I go, "Oh, hand, have you forgotten this familiar feeling?". (The latter part of the feeling isn't literal.)

Yeah, I've got things to do. Things like writing essays, redoing the color on two of my fingers (thanks a lot, post-paint smudges and dents), cleaning up after the pets, resuming my typing work, mastering a new piece on the piano, reading something worthwhile... So why do I feel like just sitting here, stuffing my brain with more mainstream music, some of which I don't even like?

Lalala

I've been home for almost a week now and I'm doing well in my mission (achieving complete relaxation). Of course, I foresee veering off-track by delving into my university applications. But that aside for a moment, everything is going swimmingly well. (Mostly because my main activities have been eating, sleeping, watching tv, and not much else)

Besides the normal eat/sleep/watch tv cycle, I have effectively gotten myself hooked onto an old version of Need For Speed. I blinged out my car (I miss Pimp My Ride!) and raced the night away when I should've been sleeping. And I finally figured out how to work the exploration mode this afternoon when I should've been having my lunch. Errr, oops? I don't like the green car that I got in the exploration mode though. :( I switched to a gray Mazda which isn't much of a looker too. Meh. And today, I learned that I need someone to teach me how to drag. :/

I have also been reading up on puppy training tips. Because of this furry ball of energy:


She has been tumbling all over the place and has taken to nibbling our feet. Even her toys don't attract her as much as our feet do. Aiyo.

I didn't think that we'd be getting another dog because the last time we had more than one dog at any one time was, what, 15 years ago? And now, look, we have a German Shepherd that is gonna grow to a size bigger than any dog we've ever had before. WHEE! I love her size now. Her paws are already big but she's still quite clumsy on them. Just yesterday, while I was doing the dishes, I turned back to see her attempting to settle on her behind only to launch into an accidental somersault. :D

Yeah, in case you're wondering, I live in a mini zoo. :P

Woohoo!

I AM HOME. AND I'M LOVING IT! :D

Updates when I feel like it. :P

And there is a very adorable new addition to the clan! :)

Whee!

I spent two days and one night in Genting with Karyn, Wendy, and Bee. We had a lot of fun despite the chilly weather and the thick mist that shrouded the whole place yesterday evening. I stuck to my word and stayed away from the rollercoasters. I know, you're thinking, BUT WHY - you're in a theme park! I KNOW. But me and rollercoasters - we don't run together, ya know? The only ride they managed to coax me into taking is the Flying Dragon which is the mildest rollercoaster ride. Mildest or not, I don't foresee myself taking any rides like it in the near future. :P

I'm now packing up the rest of my belongings. Only three boxes are sealed so far and I've already run out of masking tape. Duh. Here I was, thinking that a small roll of tape would be sufficient. Apparently, I've got too many things to tape. I've got ten separate items (boxes, plastic bag, pail, etc) to keep in the store room this year. Oh, boy. That is a lot of things. The boxes are all filled to the brim and my largest luggage bag is packed up to all of its expanded space. I almost couldn't fit my clothes into it earlier and I had to unpack everything and roll all my clothes up. As if that wasn't frustrating enough, I had to repack my check-in luggage bag as well because it was too bulky. Now I'm more concerned about the weight (or mass, if you nitpick) of the bag. :S

I've been unpacking, packing, and repacking the whole night long and I'm so tired. All I feel like doing is flop on the bed and get a good night's sleep. All these boxes and storage space overwhelm me. I still have a clutter of things on my desk. I have to figure out where to place the stuff in the bags that I'm carrying on board. This is another bothersome task because most of the time, when I've fitted in all the items, my bags end up being so heavy that I don't feel like carrying them. And when I say heavy, I mean up to 10 kg heavy. Considering the fact that I cannot carry a bag of rice that weighs 10 kg in one hand, I was surprised that I could carry my bags this time last year.

On a much happier note, I cannot wait to be home. This semester has gone by really fast and I'm happy to take a break from this place with its excessively large populations of insects and pests. I'm especially looking forward to having my own room to myself. Sharing a room makes me really appreciate having my own room with a bookshelf, radio, air-conditioner, and everything else that I need. Here, I have limited space, a closet that cockroaches and lizards might and have strayed into (ergh, let's not go into those stories), and a desk that gets dusty easily. And sometimes I feel like I'm living in some mustard-filled pie because of the wall color. Yes, I am thankful that I have a fairly spacious room (in comparison to other rooms) with an a/c unit, but I'm just making a point that I love my own bedroom at home so much more after spending 4 semesters in this yellow room.

It's time to get back to clearing up the clutter on my desk before turning in for the night. I'm already getting hungry. Ish.

Can't wait to break my routine by sleeping late and sleeping in, waking up to hot breakfasts, and all the good stuff that only home offers. MMMMMMMMMMM. :D

Rawr

Oh, lookie. It's almost 1 am and I'm still awake when I'm supposed to collect sleeping hours when I can. Facebook = cute guys = stalker alert = a lot of time wasted. Go figure. :P Yeah, I know, what am I doing checking guys out on Facebook when I'm supposed to finish packing up? (I need a real good cuci mata session, though. Sigh.)

Oh yeah, I'm going on a short trip. :D

Why didn't I talk to this guy when I had the chance to? Missed opportunity yo. Whatever possessed him to add me on Facebook, I don't know. All I remember is that he was in one of my groups during... okay, no further information will be disclosed. :P (Pssssst, Ding...)

Whoops. Karyn just reminded me to pack my toiletries. ZZZ. How could I forget those? Aiyo!

Have a good weak ahead, everyone! :)

Exhaustion

The holidays are here! :D

I finally went to Seremban yesterday after Chem. I don't even know the name of the mall that we went to. :P After a hearty lunch, we watched Law Abiding Citizen. When the movie started and the title flashed on the screen, I told Karyn how boring the title sounds. But you know what people say about not judging a book by its cover. Likewise, don't judge a movie by its title. It is an intense movie. Its plot has twists and turns that baffle at first, then amaze. As I've mentioned before, I'm not big on action movies but I'm beginning to see why some people love them so much.

Law Abiding Citizen portrays a man, Clyde, (Gerard Butler) who is out to seek justice and reform the legal system after his wife and daughter were murdered by two men, one of whom, Darby, managed to walk free as a result of Clyde's lawyer's deal with the murderer. Driven by the memories of his family and the mental torture that he had to endure for 10 years, Clyde formulated a detailed plan to bring down the legal system. His targets are those who had worked on the case. His plans were so intricate and baffling that no one knew that he was killing people from inside his prison cell. He also seemed fixated on trying to teach his once-lawyer, Nick (Jamie Foxx) how to do his job "the right way".

Being the mastermind that he is, Clyde managed to take down most of his targets. But, in the end, Nick and two other men managed to unravel his plans and get him back. The final scene shows Clyde detonating a bomb that he had set for the city hall. But the three men had already transported the bomb to his prison cell, so when he triggered the timer, he actually blew himself up. The end of the movie is actually quite sad because so many people had been sacrificed in Clyde's plan to destroy the "flawed system" and he ended up dying in his quest, holding the bracelet that his daughter had made for him. I guess in the end it all boils down to his love against the vengeance he had against the system that went too far. All in all, I'd say that this is quite a thought-provoking movie and is worth a watch.

Anyhoo, after coming out of the cinema with a slight headache (I'm starting to think that I'm either a tad averse to the darkness and loudness of the cinema or my eyesight is deteriorating), we headed to Aunty Aini's for dinner. I kinda regret having the chicken chop now because I think all the fried stuff might be getting to me. Add on to that the fact that after I came back, already quite tired, I resumed my seemingly endless packing session. I acquired two new boxes and figured, okay, I can do this - I CAN DO THIS! But the packing session concluded with twice the amount of papers to be recycled and a three-hour chat with Beng Yen. For the first time in 2 weeks, I turned in for the night at 3.15 am.

And now, I have a headache and my body feels exhausted. Awesome. I can't believe I subject myself to this torture every time a semester ends. Now my eyes are droopy, my limbs heavy, my head thumping, but I have to keep myself alert because my room still looks nothing like what a proper bedroom should look like. I've got so many miscellaneous items that I don't know where to store! ARGHHHHH. I feel so tempted to just swipe them off the desk into a container or box without sorting through them.

I think I'll just nap in the bus on the way to church. I need sleeeeeeeeep.

The LPB strikes

My room is kinda like a shipwreck now. My belongings are all over the place. It's like KABOOM and my stuff went flying everywhere! Okay, not that dramatic lah. It's more like I climbed on the chair to clear the top of my wardrobe and chucked all my things into the box and one luggage bag. I was struck by the sudden urge to start packing while having my lunch of free nasi lemak. :D

So everything came out and got sorted into (not so neat) piles of things. I even stuck labels on the walls and desk to indicate what each pile is. I don't really trust my organizational instincts to do other stuff when my mind is so occupied with things that involve ions, equations, and the like, so, yeah, labels it is. I employed the very quick and relatively pain-free technique of sorting my clothes. I simply picked them up one by one and chucked them into wherever I thought they should go. Often times, I find myself keeping clothes that I don't actually wear, so I figured I might as well stop lying to myself and start sorting them out appropriately.

The thing that gets to me most besides the lack of storage space (should've gotten two big boxes) is the copious amount of paper that I have collected over four semesters. After taking about 13 courses here, I've managed to hoard A LOT of paper. Calculus made me consume the most paper, I think, judging from the height of the pile of Calculus notes, tutorials, test papers, and whatnot. Thank goodness for wonderful friends like Karyn who was willing to come upstairs and spend some time sorting through all my papers and organizing them. She even left them in neat piles on the bed, arranged by order of exercises, tutorials, tests, etc. and threw out the stuff that I don't want to keep. Oh, what would I do without such willing friends? :D

As of now, the only section of the room that is still pretty much the same way it was when I woke up this morning is my desk. It is still cluttered because I have textbooks, exercise books, and loose sheets of paper everywhere. That's just how it is when I'm deep in work. I think it's safe to conclude that the level of atrocity of the mess that I create is directly proportional to the amount of work that I'm doing. So I've pretty much come to terms with the fact that I just can't be bothered to clear up the mess when people come over to my room. (I'm so sorry, my dear friends, but you know well enough that you can just move the stuff around if you need somewhere to sit!)

I cannot wait for my second and last final paper of the year to be over! I can't wait to be liberated! Because then I can finish packing up and sit back to enjoy the shows that are waiting to be feasted upon! AHHHHHHHHH.

Can't wait to be home too! (Though I might start saying how bored I feel in the first week... Just ignore me if I do...)

As for now, I shall just ignore the joyous cries that occasionally reach my ears from outside my room and the many Facebook statuses that proclaim other people's freedom from the clutches of exams and focus on my own work. I have kept my butt on the chair to study for a big portion of the day. Just a bit more, and then I shall join them in their joyous cries! (Though, actually, most people have already gone back or are going back tomorrow.) But it is okay! Because, woohoo, HOLIDAYS!!!!!!!

(Yeah, it's the last paper bug getting to me.)

Time travel

It was great being home for my birthday. I got to spend time with my sister, which is just about the best gift I can ask for now. :) It might have been short, but my break was everything I'd wanted it to be. You know, three years can change a lot, but some things remain the same. Or else why would I have spent at least 10 to 15 minutes holding my hand in a numbing position to tickle her to sleep? As much as I want an older brother, I think having a chatterbox princess as an older sister is about all I can handle. :P

Now it's back to school for me. I've got a pile of work to tackle. Add onto that the fact that I conveniently forgot that I have a mid-term exam on Thursday, I really gotta get busy.

Woohoo!

It's been quite a week!

I've been wrecking my sleep pattern - again - so what else is new? I have also discovered that sometimes, it's okay to do what you want to do and not give in to outside influences, as long as it is a good decision and it pays off in the end. And I'm regaining my skills in conducting Chemistry experiments! Having not done any natural science subjects in over a year, I knew that whatever knowledge that I'd acquired prior to my time here might have more than just evaporated from the crevices of my mind. But I'm finding myself slowly recalling the things that I'd already learned and done before. Now if only I can find my old Chemistry notes...

Now that both my tests are over and done with, it's time to kick back and relax for a bit. We're already halfway into the semester; I really didn't think that time would fly by so much faster in this short semester. It's kind of scary sometimes when I take a look at the calendar and realize that we're nearing the final exam dates faster than I'd thought we are. It's like a time warp took place.

Yesterday was a lot of fun. In the afternoon, I managed to indulge in a McD meal, watch 4 episodes of House back to back, paint all my nails, and do nothing else that is remotely productive. I couldn't have felt more contented, just bumming around in my room, filling the air with the smell of nail polish and the sound of House picking on his team of doctors.

In the evening, I ordered in pizzas for dinner. While I was wolfing down the last bit of my pizza slice, a cake was placed on the pantry table. I stared at it blankly for a second too long before realizing that it was a birthday cake - my birthday cake! It turned out that the girls had planned to have pizza to celebrate my birthday (the funny thing is that I placed the order and paid for the food... hello, where's my reimbursement? Haha!) while they hid the cake in Beng Yen's room. I didn't suspect a thing. Sneaky, you all! But a big thank you goes to Wei Yiing, Karyn, Beng Yen, Wendy, Olivia, and Bee for the celebration! :D

After dinner, it was karaoke time! I sang for three hours (with mini breaks in between when I either wasn't familiar with the song or just tired) with Wei Yiing and Olivia. We left the place with clothes and hair that reeked of cigarette smoke. Ergh. But I really enjoyed the karaoke session! That made my third time K-ing here. I wanna go to a better place next time. :P

Right now, I have a big load of laundry to do. I've got to pack up too because I'm going home tomorrow for a short break. I've been waiting for this for so long (not the break itself, but something else). I'm so excited! :D

Have a good weekend, everyone!

Part 2

Monday

Off to the beach! We checked into our room that overlooked the beach in Damai Puri. The view was breathtaking. Given how long it had been since I'd last been to a decent beach, I was overjoyed at the prospect of having a whole day to frolic in the sun. As soon as we reached the room, I officiated the bed (I love doing that!) and we proceeded to chuck our belongings around. After some light snacks and a few rounds of card games (and not to mention marvelling at the huge shower head that is more than enough for two persons to use at once... go figure), we decided to head down to the real deal. (But before that, we just had to snap some photos after stopping by the reception desk to make a few inquiries.)

Flufffffffyyyyyyyy *muffled voice*

Kiddy pool outside the room

I initially wanted a spot near the deck but we spotted a vacant spot not too far off. Walking on the scorching sand, even with slippers on, is not recommended. I hate walking on hot surfaces like sand that has been baked under the sun for a good 5 hours, so doing that was a big discomfort to me. But there was no way else to reach the sunbathing seats with the umbrella. I was kinda transfixed on the umbrella because the heat was crazy (yeah, were not that fond of the sun, ya know?). But we were determined to just go ahead and get into the water before the heat got too overwhelming. I think the ang moh beside us must've been puzzled as to why we were so impatient to run into the water when the heat was so inviting to him. I don't know how people sunbathe and no, I shall not do it here.

Ah, 'tis the life!

One of my favorite photos. It's postcard perfect. :)

We spent a good few hours dipping in the water. I wanted to collect sea shells but there were none around. :( But I gotta say, I think Damai Puri has the nicest, cleanest stretch of the beach. Plus, we went there at an off-peak time, so the beach was not packed and there was more than sufficient space for everyone to pick their own spots. Throughout the few hours, I alternated between splashing around, wading deeper into the water and letting the waves break around me, sitting on the still baking sand to make a cute-looking tortoise (I can say it looks cute because there is no photograph to prove it otherwise), taking photos, and just enjoying the view. Here are the photos before we headed to the pool to wash off, feeling dog-tired (okay, so that was just me and Wei Yiing. Wendy still had plenty of energy in her because she didn't join us in the water... yerrrrh.*gives the look*)

At night, we had dinner at the hotel restaurant and were left unimpressed by the service. The food made up for it, though, because we left for our room feeling stuffed. My chicken teriyaki was really good, although I'd have preferred it to be a bit less salty. After a few pieces of chicken, I felt so full that I kinda dreaded eating the basket of fries that I'd ordered. (My declining capacity sure isn't translating to a healthy reduction in weight and size. That's just plain irritating. Sigh.) After dinner, we came back to a cut in the water supply. I thought that it was just a problem in our room, but a call to the reception desk confirmed otherwise. And what is the last thing you should feel like doing when there is no water? Shitting. Because if you shit, no one else can pee or shit or do anything in the fancy hotel bathroom, thus resulting in not only a terrible smelling room, but also roommates who try very hard to ignore the existence of any sort of excrement.. and, well, that is just a really bad scene. Yeah, I know, too graphic. Deal with it. :P

Since there was nothing else to do, we played cards again. It was a good night to learn more card skills so I won't be such a noob when it comes to card games that just about everybody else knows how to play. Following the card games was a short discussion over who got which side of the bed and how much of the blanket each person was supposed to get. But I don't remember being an active participant in the "discussion" because, well, I just did my signature fusing and that was that. XD

Tuesday

In the morning, we woke up early (and had some hot water - thank goodness) and had a very filling breakfast. After breakfast, it was on to the Cultural Village. Having not been there for, I'd say about 10 years, I'd forgotten the layout of the place, so we just had to follow the brochure that we got. We only got brochures and not the passports that visitors normally get because only visitors who pay the full-price of RM60 for adults and RM30 for children get the passports, while visitors who pay the discounted price for students at RM15 get the brochures. Oh, well. I didn't mind because at least I got to tour around the place at a quarter of the price I'd have to pay otherwise.

At the entrance to the Sarawak Cultural Village

Near the entrance

Wendy and me walking on the Bidayuh bamboo bridge

At the Bidayuh house

Orang Ulu house - look at the motives!

Outside the Orang Ulu house (we actually wanted the guy to get the decorated poles into the photo as well)

Playing the wooden xylophone

The tour around the Cultural Village was good. It was eye-opening, even for myself, despite having been there before and having lived here all my life. It was enlightening and fun to see the different houses that the natives live in. And it's especially neat to see familiar things that we have at home as well. The highlight of the tour for me is the live performance that lasted for 45 minutes. It was worth watching every minute of it. The dancers performed songs and dances from the Ibans, Bidayuhs, Melanaus, Malays, Orang Ulus, etc. It was really cool to watch them onstage. It's the kind of performance that you can rarely get anywhere else because most of the time, the traditional dances that we watch outside are shorter. My favorite part of the whole show is when one of the male dancers climbed a pole that three or four other men held and spun. He actually spun at the top of the pole. Is that awesome or what? :D

Iban warrior dance

Bidayuh dance - gotta love those colors.

The spinning guy

Follwowing the show, we visited three more houses. We stopped for a while at the Malay hosue to play congkak, a delightful game that I hadn't played in years. It was my first time playing congkak with real stones (yeah, like so sakai la). After grabbing some food at the end of our tour, it was time to head back. Evening came and went quickly. And then it was dinner at Fook Xing. YUM. After dinner, we stopped by Friendship Park at Jalan Song.

Representing our own states :)

And then we stopped by Hui Sing Garden to buy some pork satay. I'd been craving for the pork satay from that stall for so long. And eating it that night for supper (yeah, weird but true) was sooooooo good. You gotta taste it to believe it. XD

Wednesday

It was time to bid goodbye to Wendy and Wei Yiing before we meet again in college in a couple of weeks. I had a good time testing out perfumes in the airport. :P And then I came home to crash on the bed and sleep. (I know, how anti-climatic... muahaha!)

So that was the beginning of my holiday! :)

All photo credits go to Wendy. More photos are on Facebook.

Kicking things off

It's been a week since I locked up my luggage bags and made my way home for a long-awaited holiday. Here's a recap of what I've been doing since I got home. I'll be breaking down the contents into parts because publishing everything in one post would be a little messy and very long.

Saturday

It was a day well spent by pigging out and resting after the previous two weeks which were anything but relaxing. I came back with Wei Yiing and Wendy who, not too long ago, planned a short visit. I finally had kueh chap (yes, this point is worth mentioning).

Sunday

First stop: breakfast outside. Then, it was on to the Wind Cave in Bau. The moment we stepped inside, I was surprised at how hot it felt. I'd always expected caves to be cool (this was my first time in a cave). It was completely dark after we ventured some way in, but we were armed with flashlights. We shone onto the groups of bats hanging above our heads. It was a little freaky at first, stepping forward without clear vision, trying not to touch any bat droppings (though I suspect that I might've touched some). We walked inside the cave for about 20 minutes, way shorter than we'd expected. It was cool seeing all the stalagtites and stalagmites, though. Not to mention all the squeaky bats too.

Wendy's evidence #1

The very dark walkway

Hello, meet Mr Bat!

My evidence #1

Three of us

Next up was the Fairy Cave. We had to climb up a tower that was about 5 stories high to enter the cave. Inside, it was dark, and at some parts, slippery. There were more steps inside, including two sets of very steep steps (tongue twister or what). After climbing the steep steps that went up very narrow spaces, we found ourselves in a big opening with... more steps. I was tired and unwilling to climb more steps. Add on my fear of heights, enough was enough for me, so I stayed beside some rocks with Daddy while the other two climbed more steps.

At the entrance of Fairy Cave

Long and winding steps photographed from above

Huge opening into the top of the cave

More steps

Fascinating rock formation

By the time we left Fairy Cave, it was already about 2 pm but we were still quite full, so we went to Tasik Biru (literally translated as Blue Lake).

Tasik Biru

Me and Wei Yiing (yeah, Karyn, that's the debut of my sunnies XD)

Me and Wendy

After our short stop at the riverside and a few stores where they got some souvenirs (because what is visiting Kuching without getting some local stuff?), it was on to the Sarawak Museum for some good ol' ice kacang, a local delicacy that is especially appreciated on hot days. Once refreshed, we went over to the aquarium, which I hadn't visited for years. We saw some cute fishes, which included a really cute patin fish that looked as though it was smiling. On the way back home, we stopped by the famous cat statues so that Wei Yiing and Wendy could have solid proof that they'd visited Kuching. (And you didn't think that the Kuchingnite herself would miss out, did you?)

Being touristy with Wendy at Waterfront

Wei Yiing and I with the new DUN building in the background (I think we look like we're Photoshopped into the background.. ish)

With the cat statues that you see on postcards

With the cats in the city

Meow from Padungan!

Hello!

Here's more solid proof for the both of them...

Outside the aquarium

Look who found her long-lost twin!

By the time we got home, my legs were tired and there was nothing I wanted to do more than just zonk out. But I had to pack because... we were heading to the beach the following day!