Weird names are cool =)

9/1/12 -- heads (or maybe just one head) will roll

2012-01-09T01:42:00.003+08:00

You know what's really sad? When people talk about the possible verdicts of Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy case today, the discussion is usually centered around weighing the pros and cons the government would face if Anwar were convicted or acquitted, because we all know that the judges involved are certain to choose the outcome that is most favorable to the government as opposed to what is fair and just. It just says a lot about how bad our judicial system really is.

The judiciary is not only supposed to BE impartial, but also (and more importantly) BE SEEN by everyone as impartial. Whatever tomorrow's outcome may be -- even if the judges do the right thing and free Anwar -- as a (admittedly not particularly brilliant haha) law student I am very very disappointed.

*

Btw don't even get me started on the ridiculous list of demands the police made regarding the people supporting Anwar that want to stage a peaceful rally thing in front of the court (read about it here), because I'm pretty sure I'll end up wrecking my dad's laptop haha.

Big sigh Malaysia, BIG SIGH.

P.S. yes I am operating on the basis that he (Anwar) is innocent based on what I've heard or read regarding the case haha. I may be totally wrong, in which case I agree he should be dealt with according to the law IF he's so-called 'guilty'; but I just cannot bring myself to accept politically-based verdicts and injustice. Grrrr...

So I think I'm sorta addicted to political rallies now...

2012-01-05T23:09:00.002+08:00

Okay, WOW. It was a bit more intense (for lack of a better word haha) than the 'parties' I'm used to, but what an experience my first political rally was!

If I was asked what struck me most, I'd probably mention 5 things.

Firstly, the fact that practically 95% of the people there were male. And there were a LOT of people, definitely more than a thousand. I felt slightly out of place!

Secondly, the atmosphere. We parked at the main road and walked inside. Along the street there were people cheering and waving the PKR flag, and even stalls set up like a pasar malam! There was this happy buzz in the air and it totally felt like a carnival! It was hard to feel scared even when we walked by a big group of uniformed men (they sort of looked like police), and one of the men even smiled at me when he heard me tell my dad that everything was 'SO COOL!' :)

Thirdly, courtesy. The crowd was predominantly Malay (even though it was in a Chinese community area), but everyone treated everyone else with respect; passing out sheets of newspaper so we could sit on the ground while listening to the speeches, and offering up seats to the older folks and helping the ones on the ground get to their feet. No racism, no segregation -- just a bunch of people interested in hearing what these politicians advocating for change in our country had to say. Also when the whole ceramah/talk ended, almost everyone gathered up the newspapers they'd paved the ground with!

The fourth thing that stood out to me were the jokes. These people giving speeches were really FUNNY! And it wasn't the 'let me crack a joke just in case I'm losing your attention' sort of lame joke, their jokes were effortless and flowed smoothly with their speeches. It was sort of like watching a comedy in the cinema I guess -- the jokes always seem extra funny when everyone gets it and laughs together :)

Last but not least -- cigarette smoke. Yes, slightly strange haha. It's hard to describe, but sitting there in that clearing among so many people (there must've been thousands!) in the dark, listening to fiery speeches from passionate people wanting to change the country, with the moon and stars up above, a soft night breeze and seeing curls of cigarette smoke trailing upwards from the crowd... you can't help but FEEL something, you know?

I won't bore you by describing everything in excruciating detail (a bit late for that haha!), but I just thought I'd give some loosely translated quotes (forgive my rusty BM) that struck me the most:

***

Anwar Ibrahim:

I'm not out to destroy the special position of the Malays. No way. But what I DO know is that the rights of the Chinese, the Indians, the Kadazans, the Ibans... basic human rights HAVE to be upheld. The Malays hurt, the Indians hurt, the Chinese hurt, we are all humans! UMNO doesn't get this. UMNO has deviated from what is right. Corruption, bribery, injustice... we as Malaysians CANNOT stand for any of this.

People tell me, 'Anwar, you've been beaten -- remember that. Don't let there be a day where when you're in power, you forget and turn your back on the people.' I've been shunned. I've experienced extreme poverty. I've been beaten, i've been hospitalized. I've experienced all this, and so I understand. I can sympathize with all the hardships the Rakyat are going through.

It's our money, this is our country, our kids go to school here... we have to change -- this is what we can do! Indonesia has done it, the Phillipines have done it, why can't Malaysia do it?!

One time while my wife and I were campaigning, we walked by a group of youths wearing Barisan Nasional t-shirts. They greeted me, I responded, and was about to leave. 'Look at us sir!' they said. Inside I thought, 'aw shucks what do these kids want'. Then all of them lifted up their shirts. Under their BN shirts were shirts printed with my picture. I smiled, and they said 'UMNO paid us RM 10 to wear this, but don't worry -- the heart to vote, how we TRULY feel, is inside us.' These young people were smart. We are servants of God, not servants of money, not servants of people, and definitely not servants of UMNO!

We have to be brave, brave enough to make a change.

***

Listening to all these things being said, it's hard not to get fired up and passionate about trying to save Malaysia. It's so easy for us to try and stay neutral, sit on the fence and let other people fight our battles for us; so easy to want to avoid facing any hardships, so easy to not make a stand. Still, looking at these people and the things they've given up and sacrificed, the things they've had to suffer to try and get our country back on the right track -- is it too much to ask that we the Rakyat do our part as well? Is it too much to ask that we be brave enough to stand up against evil and injustice and instead vote for change, vote for what is right?

Some people say that Anwar gives a good speech, and that is very true. I saw and heard him firsthand, and I can tell you that he is eloquent, he is reasonable, and he knows how to handle a crowd. Those same people say that is all he can do though, that he is just all talk and no substance. And you know what? He may end up disappointing us. Certainly he isn't infallible, and we cannot expect that he will never ever stumble and fall. But to me, in the end nothing is more eloquent than the truth, and there is truth in what he says. Our leaders may fail us, but the message that we are trying to uphold will always remain the same.

Who knows when the next general elections will be held, and only God knows what the outcome will be for our country; what I do know however, is that when the time comes it will be up to US to decide -- whether we are brave enough to hold firm to our ideals and vote for what we feel is right and fair and just, or whether we allow ourselves to be bought over by greed and money.

Staying neutral is not an option anymore -- it is time for the Rakyat to make a stand and choose what path we want to take, what kind of future we want for our children and the generations to come. I can only hope and pray with all my heart that we make the right choice.

*End*

P.S. on a slightly lighter note, I fully intend to be more well prepared at the next rally I attend -- I shall bring a large stack of newspapers, drinking water and definitely a gas mask ;)

The 11/11/11 Wishlist, full of lofty goals and dreams... or just another form of Procrastination -- you choose ;)

2011-11-12T07:22:00.007+08:00

Edit: I put this as my Facebook status yesterday, and I know it's no longer 11/11/11 anymore (at least, not in this part of the world) but still :)

*start*

The Law Student Disclaimer: This is extremely long... so if you are illiterate, read only one book a year, really need to pee, or all of the above -- I suggest you skip this. Also, I bear no responsibility for any form of brain damage suffered if you attempt to read the whole thing ;)

A very wise English teacher of mine once told me, ‘When you think about it, EVERY day is special... because you’ll never have two days that are EXACTLY alike.’ And I heartily agree :)

I have, however, decided to get into the spirit of all things 11:11pm, 11/11/2011 – and so... I've come up with a Wish List!

1. The childhood wish:

It was a tough call between meeting Roger Federer and being able to fly, but I've decided to be realistic -- I've watched him play (*swoon*) but I hope to one day be able to meet Roger Federer in person!

2. The selfish wish:

That being not-skinny will become the next enduring fashion trend! :D OR that I will one day have my friend Priscilla's amazingly shapely legs hahahahaaaaa

3. The clichéd wish:

To one day find that someone special and love him with all my heart... okay I’m cringing as I type this but it’s true haha

4. The noble wish:

That Malaysia will have a bright future -- either because the current corrupt-evil-completely-HORRIBLE leaders of the Malaysian government are forced to resign due to being cursed with a particularly disgusting, VERY long-term form of constipation; or because we the people put aside our differences, come together in unity and love for each other and our country and actually bother to take responsibility for our the direction our country is heading in and give Malaysia a much-needed bath to get rid of all the greed, corruption and injustice...

OR that exams will one day (preferably very soon?) be abolished, and mosquitoes will become extinct :D

5. The near-future wish:

To experience less socially-awkward situations and weird tram conversations/encounters. I swear, I seem to be a magnet for weirdly strange and strangely weird people... and I'm starting to consider the frightening possibility that it's because I am weirdly strange myself :O haha

6. The before-I’m-25 wish:

To travel around the world at least once, and write in my spare time. AND graduate of course PLEASE GOD LET ME SURVIVE MY LAW DEGREE SO I CAN BECOME A LAWYER AND SUCK THE LIFE OUT OF MY CLIENTS MUAHAHAHA

7. The life-experience wish:

50 years from now (will I REALLY be 70??!) -- I want to look back, love the life I have lived and not have TOO many regrets :) It is preferable that this reflection be done from the balcony of a beach house overlooking a gorgeous sunset with the gentle sound of waves in the background, surrounded by friends and family ;)

8. The technological-advancements wish:

That by the time I get married, childbirth will be painless – or even as simple as going to the hairdresser for a haircut! Or that flying cars will become a reality... OR food will no longer be fattening :D

9. The self-improvement wish:

To be more disciplined in EVERY aspect of my life... like seriously :(

10. The close-to-my-heart wish:

That the people around me – relatives, friends, loved ones -- will one day come to know and experience the wonderful, life-changing relationship that comes from making God your best friend. OR that grammatical errors on Facebook become a thing of the past ;P

11. The last-but-not-least wish:

That I will continue to be surrounded by wonderful family, friends, and delicious food forever and ever, wherever God (and life) takes me. Amen ;D

Making these wishes today won’t make them come true, and the deepest desires of your heart should probably be kept private (this was just for fun please don’t judge me on the list above, i DO have wishes that are less shallow I SWEAR hahaha) but really, now’s as good a time as any to evaluate your goals and future plans right? ;)

So Happy 11.11pm, 11/11/11 everyone! :)

*end*

P.S. I arrived home after pulling yet another mind-numbing, body-aching, why-do-i-do-this-to-myself all-nighter in uni (with its own very dramatic story haha), and when I recovered Wenxian and I made spontaneous plans to buy potato chips from Coles and go to the fountain in Victoria Square, where we decided we would make a wish at 11.11pm, attempt to cram 11 potato chips into our respective mouths in one go... and maybe hop around 11 times on one leg.

Then by the time 11pm arrived we realized we were too lazy to actually leave the comfort of our own rooms, and so... we Skype-ed Linh in the UK, at 11.11pm (Australian time) on the dot!

Afterwards I had an hour-long Skype-session with my wonderful (not always, but most of the time lah *cough*) family... and I can't really be bothered with all the hype but really, I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend 11/11/2011 <3 :)

Trust me, vending machines are not what they seem.

2011-06-11T22:38:00.002+08:00

When I'm stuck in uni with no food and only horrendously overpriced junk in vending machines are available

I tell myself that vending machines are actually cute, starving alien creatures from another planet

enslaved by cruel humans

and each time I drop my precious coins into the coin slot of a vending machine, I'm giving ONE vending machine a much needed meal.

That makes me feel slightly better :)

P.S. Am I the only one who didn't know about PIZZA vending machines?? Admit it, a pizza vending machine is cool. Slightly disgusting, but cool nevertheless :)

Btw I've officially entered Exam Season, that time of the year where everything I eat goes straight to my waistline because all I do everyday is superglue my bum to a chair for hours on end, trying my best to absorb my notes at the same rate that I absorb the bottles of coke, M&Ms and other various forms of junk food around me.

My fingers are crossed that I'll make it out alive, preferably not morbidly obese :)

All the best everyone, my prayers are with you guys!

A month to remember :)

2011-05-01T22:21:00.001+08:00

Disclaimer: VERY SHORT UPDATE. You've been warned :)

Two AMAZING things happened over Easter break this year:

1. I went for OCF SA Easter Camp, and it was transforming in so many ways.

2. I finally, FINALLY fulfilled my dream of watching Wicked the musical, after MONTHS of waiting! Very patiently, I might add ;) It was amazing, amazing, amaaaaazing!

Both these occasions deserve proper blog posts of their own. Whether or not I actually manage to muster up the discipline to sit down and bang it all out is another matter, but keep your fingers crossed! For now, I'll leave you with this:

See that happy smile? It has moved in permanently over my face ever since, and refuses to leave :D

Life. is. absolutely. GREAT :)

Nonsense -- what you get when you mix boredom, procrastination, insects, risotto and mint M&Ms together

2011-04-09T22:29:00.001+08:00

Wow, for once it HASN'T been months since I updated! Haha... Should I give myself a pat on the back? ;)

Anyway. As per usual, I'm writing this because... I'm procrastinating. I have a pile of law-ish articles that i'm supposed to chew on, digest and regurgitate for an Equity assignment (the question is CRAP btw), but i'm much too lazy to actually sit down and start reading.

Oh no, I just remembered my mother occasionally visits this blog. Hey mum! I'm... um... just... taking a break from a day of hard, hard work!

Man, now the things I can write about are SEVERELY limited, haha.

But anyway. Just as an update, a lot has been going on.

For one, I'm learning French this year, and it's actually pretty cool learning a new language! Aside from the graded weekly assignments and quizzes, which can be quite a pain. But no pain, no gain right? And besides, this gives me a reason to start pestering my dad to give me a holiday in France ;)

Not that he'd ever agree to something like that. Still, I plan to get a part time job this year and if i'm lucky maybe in 20 years time i'll have saved enough to actually go there :D

Although by then, the world as we know it MAY be swamped by fire and brimstone and larva and tapeworms and cockroaches (i hear they're super-hard to kill), but if that happens i'll be in a place 10X greater than Paris anyway right? :)

Back to the subject of a lot going on. Um... I've been job hunting (sort of), keeping my fingers crossed that someone will actually be crazy enough to hire an inexperienced person like me! Haha. For awhile I toyed with the idea of sending regular stories to Readers Digest and mooching off the money i'd make that way, but the thought of doing something REGULARLY was too off-putting for a work-commitment-phobic person like me.

That, plus the fact that Readers Digest only accepts PROPER stories.

OH btw today I discovered MINT-FLAVORED M&Ms, and I was almost as excited as the time I found a packet of ORANGE flavored M&Ms! Who knows what flavours they'll come up with next -- Lemon Cheesecake? Bacon? Nutella?

The no-fun-at-all part of my brain just pointed out to me that Nutella flavored M&Ms would be redundant (chocolate-coated chocolate? seriously?), and I've always hated the thought of being redundant. :(

I've also always been curious about thoughts. Like, how is it I know what I'm thinking to myself? How do I 'hear' and understand these thoughts?

Also, why is it that we can 'feel' it when someone's staring at us? And why didn't God give us superpowers, like... brown hair, blue eyes, can read minds? Wouldn't that have made life so much cooler and way more interesting?

But I digress.

Actually, i'm NOT digressing, seeing as this post is about pretty much any random thought that has popped into my head for the past 20 minutes.

Like how come I only seem to attract bugs, and not human beings. For example, I swear this weird flying insect has been stalking me ever since I sat down in front of the TV to have my dinner. It won't leave me alone. And that other time when a mosquitoe violated my lips without my permission for 2 nights straight. Why insects and not humans, I ask you, WHYYY??

Sorry. You know those old ladies in storybooks that sit in front of their fireplaces 24/7 rocking in their chairs and stroking their cats? And if you so much as mention their cat they start telling you the history of cats since the dawn of time and go into excruciating detail about their cat's life? I'm that way about my turbulent relationship with insects.

ANYWAY. I made bacon and mushroom risotto tonight. It's yummy, and it's nice having proper food (as opposed to instant food and pasta, which I've become something of a connoisseur of) to eat. I also found out how to properly microwave corn on the cob! Thank you, Google! I wouldn't know what to do with myself without it. (Not true, I SWEAR. I'd like to think i'm really resourceful, I mean -- I saved myself from a potentially life-threatening situation once by using earphones to close an open door! read here. As brilliant as that was, I can't believe I tagged it as 'pure genius' haha)

Wow. The digressions are really getting out of hand! AND it's starting to rain. I think I'll put an end to my rambling (and put YOU out of your misery) by switching my laptop off, curling up in my warm bed and reading those articles that I should have read hours ago.

I'm willing to bet $50 that I fall asleep before reaching the end of the article entitled 'Garcia -- surely it's not just about the sex!'

Hah I bet THAT caught your attention ;) But get your mind out of the gutter and bear in mind that it's law related, meaning it's more likely to be boring than scandalous.

Okay I'm off to immerse myself in reading about women getting conned by their worthless husbands. I hope you have a good week!

P.S. I'm gonna tag this post as 'pure genius' again, just for fun :)

I don't want Life to pass me by

2011-02-21T12:43:00.003+08:00

I'll be completely honest with you -- I suck at updating this blog.

I think almost every blog post I write has an 'I'M SO SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED THIS BLOG IN AGES KILL ME SLAP ME YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT'
Hey, it saves me the trouble of thinking up an opening paragraph right? :)

Before writing this post, I was Google-ing Blog Themes. Why? I wanted to find a dusty, spider web covered theme for my blog because that's what it deserves, seeing it's practically prehistoric now.

Mission status: Unsuccessful, pending further action.

Seriously though, my last post was in July 2010... and it's now FEBRUARY 2011. How did time fly by so fast? I know I have a ton of pictures but why didn't I document it properly in words?

Charlene recently told me that she re-read my blog posts on college and it made me really nostalgic, so I had the sudden urge to do that too:

I had over 60 posts in 2009, and I only started in April! Not to mention the countless unpublished drafts lying dormant at the bottom of the seabed of my blog.

I read about 10 of those 60 posts. I laughed, I teared, and I felt a pang for the old me -- the me that tried as hard as I could to document each high and each low of my life back then. Where did I go?

When did I grow so old? Why didn't I notice? And:

When did the World get so messed up?

It's like that cartoon where Sherlock Holmes' body was frozen and a gazillion years later they unfroze him with some weird technology and he woke up in an era that was completely new to him.
just in case you're interested
(side note: the theme song of that cartoon is horrible. It sticks in your head and even now 'SHERLOCK HOLMES IN THE 22ND CENTURY' is playing on Repeat in my head aaagghh)

I feel out of touch with the outside world. I don't relate to most of the songs that are being played on the radio at all (drugs, drinking, partying, sex, is that all that you people can sing about?) unless I switch to an Oldies radio station. AN OLDIES RADIO STATION. That's how old I've become. I don't relate to a lot of the newer shows on TV too, especially reality shows like Jersey Shore and The New Housewives of EVERYSINGLESTATEINAMERICA. How did shows like that get on TV anyway, and why do people watch them?

There's bad news everyday, so much bad news that it overwhelms the good and it's like the world is bursting at the seams with bad stuff.

It's like people are sidelining the things that ARE important in life and focusing on materialistic things that won't last. In the midst of everything, we tend to neglect our relationship with the only One who is matters, GOD

Confession: sometimes I get swept up in all that too.

I toyed with the idea that maybe my lack of blog posts now is co-related to my happiness level. Adelaide has been good to me, and far better than I expected BUT am I as happy now as I was in 2009? Maybe that's why I haven't documented it here as much?

Or maybe I've put 2009 up on a pedestal.

I think I need to recognize that there are different kinds of happiness, and that doesn't necessarily mean one kind is better than the other.

Adelaide has been... great. I love it there, really. Studying Law, the people I've met... Maybe I just love it in a different way? Just like my documentation method of choice now is updating my Facebook status, instead of this blog?

I think my problem is I like routines. Patterns. I like it when things stay the same -- i WANT things to stay the same. I used to tell God all the time that I didn't want to grow up, that I wished my family could stay exactly the way it is now, that no one would die. In fact one of my fears is that something will happen to them while I'm in Adelaide and i'll be left all alone
(Yes, I have a lot of fears. And phobias. AND i'm easily paranoid. I'm working on it, but it's hard)

Maybe I need to stop comparing, stop dwelling in the past, and start actually living in the present. I have amazing friends in Adelaide, just like I did in college. I love them all to bits, and they've all been a blessing to me in their own ways.

I think I worry too much. I also think this post is going nowhere, and I've asked too many rhetorical questions. My thoughts are like chap fan (economic rice): so mixed up that sometimes you can't tell WHAT you're eating. In this case, I don't have a clue where I'm going with this post.

Now I have less than a week left in Malaysia before flying off to Adelaide again to begin my second year in uni.

MY SECOND YEAR.

Two years ago, I used to think uni students were ANCIENT. Am I ancient? My brothers probably think I am haha. I've caught myself using 'During my time' quite frequently, just like my parents used to (cue gasps of horror)

I think I've matured since 2009. I may be a little less carefree, I may laugh with a little more restraint, I may be a little bit more cynical and a little less idealistic, but my horizons HAVE been broadened. Maybe that's the price you have to pay? I wish it wasn't so expensive though.

I just hope that by the time I'm 50 I won't have lost my sense of humour, OR all my hair.

I shall end this slightly emo, extremely pointless blog post on a happier note:

Here's to new beginnings, 2011! :)

P.S. and here's to more frequent blog-updating, hopefully!

THE LIST.

2010-07-21T02:10:00.000+08:00

I have been a very, VERY bad girl. No blog posts for over a month?! That's unacceptable.

UNACCEPTABLE

See, i changed the font to the largest possible, bolded it AND made it red. That's how unacceptable it is.

So... here i am :) fulfilling my duty as a blogger.

Um.

Yep.

Okayyy. This is ridiculous. My brain is so rusty.

How about this -- I'll give you a sneak peak of my To Do Before I Die list!

Oh come on. Don't tell me you don't have one. EVERYBODY does. If you don't, you're either a) strange, b) disorganized, or c) really REALLY optimistic.

You probably didn't catch this, but strange is in pink because... well, i dislike pink so I figure only strange people like pink, right? Hahaha... Please. Don't kill me.

disorganized is in purple because I'm disorganized and I happen to think purple is a GREAT colour. And this is MY blog, after all. heh.

really REALLY optimistic is in this extremely painful shade of yellow because... it's just stupid to be THAT optimistic. And it's for people who think that kissing THIS yellow frog

will turn it into

and we all know that's not gonna happen. Sadly :(

For those of you who don't know who this is (HOW CAN YOU NOT) he's from Vampire Diaries, and he's quite possibly the hottest thing to watch on TV at the moment so I had to find some way of adding him to this post ;)

You're welcome.

But I digress. Back to the topic.

I really recommend making a TDBID list. It's a lot of fun :)

Oh, and obviously the photos in this post aren't mine. Sorry, typical law student mentality, i don't want to risk getting sued haha. Hence the disclaimer.

Anyway, here goes, in no particular order:

-visit a crop circle

SO COOL

-do something extreme like bungee jumping or skydiving or sticking my finger into a cat's mouth. maybe all of the above!

-learn to drive. please, don't rub it in

-ride in a helicopter. or be involved in a high speed car-chase!

preferably with no sharks involved.

-cook an 8 course meal. an EDIBLE 8 course meal. with no food poisoning complaints

-change somebody's life (this is a probably the toughest one?)

okay i KNOW this picture isn't really related, but it's funny!

-gatecrash a fancy wedding

-find a boy (man? OLD man?) who does something sweet like what Shane West did for Mandy Moore in A Walk To Remember where he figured out how to help her be in two places at once (it was on her list). that way i know he's sweet AND our kids won't have to rely on me for brains! :)

sigh. look at that. he is very highly ranked on another list of mine ;)

Of course there's more. But I can't type the WHOLE list here, some things have to be kept personal! Like the one where I want to get married and possibly have babies.

Oops.

:)

Hello,

2010-06-13T21:53:00.001+08:00

my back is killing me, and this is why:

It was a GREAT night, and i have so much i want to write about it but i shall leave it for another day :) Oh but i HAVE to say this: a bunch of us baked carrot cake with cream cheese icing and it was a HUGE SUCCESS :D

Which reminds me, this will probably be how i update my blog, by posting my Facebook statuses here and maybe elaborating a bit. It saves time and helps me remember what i've been up to! =)

Edit: changed my mind, it takes way too much time covering up names -___-

Oh and yes, i've changed my blog's layout. I'm not really that into it though, so i may switch it around when i feel the urge to procrastinate. It's more productive than wasting precious hours of my life watching shows like "I Survived A Japanese Game Show" anyway.

MY EXAMS ARE IN A WEEK'S TIME, AAAAHHHHHH! :(

Ooooh the lights just went off. Cool, a powercut! :D how romantic.

Anyway i gotta go because technically i should be listening to my Contracts lecture recordings.

The life of a first year law student is no picnic, let me tell you. And apparently it gets worse as the years go by, so yay i have that to look forward to! Hahaha...

Ooooh the lights just came back on. TNB i dare you to restore power that quickly.

Have a great week!

P.S. Today i went to the supermarket and bought enough food to last me through the exam period (and the rest of my law degree, from the looks of it). Now there's so much instant food in my room it looks like i'm staying in a bomb shelter.

P.P.S. I know so many spells from Harry Potter that i'm starting to worry that makes me a nerd =/

P.P.P.S I've decided I don't mind being a Harry Potter nerd.

P.P.P.P.S. I get to see my family and friends in about 3 weeks time. I AM VERY EXCITED :) :) :)

Just so my blog doesn't look completely abandoned...

2010-05-06T20:48:00.000+08:00

I'm sorry for not blogging more often. Assignments are killing me. The other day i had to go 20 hours without sleep.

I'm exhausted. But you know what? By the 15th of may i shall officially be free. For at least a week!

I can't wait. I'll blog properly then :)

And then i can reply your email, Mariel. And your card. And send the postcards that i've been meaning to send since I came here. And write my mother a letter.

Sometimes I really hate how I postpone everything. Procrastination. Forgive me, i'm still working on it :(

Till the 15th then! =D

Oh but I may make an exception and blog about my sister whose birthday is in 2 days :)

I hope you guys have a great week while I slave away!

There's no satisfaction in winning if you cheat

2010-04-25T15:04:00.000+08:00

I'm working on an update, but at the moment i HAVE to blog about the by-election happening in Hulu Selangor!

Voting has been going for quite awhile now (supposedly more than 60% of the voters have turned up) and i'm sooooo nervous! I really really want Zaid Ibrahim to win (and NOT the BN guy, whose name i can't even be bothered to type).

Humanly speaking though, chances of Zaid winning are really slim. Lots of money has changed hands, haha... and most of it hasn't even been covered up!

I don't have time to air all the dirty laundry here (i will when the results, whatever they are, are out!) but here's hoping God will work one of his miracles and let Pakatan Rakyat win! Because NOTHING is impossible with God =) And besides whatever happens will be God's will anyway :)

Aaahhhhhh i'm still extremely nervous though! Keep your fingers crossed!

It's so hard to say goodbye

2010-04-10T03:22:00.007+08:00

I just found out a few hours ago that a friend of mine passed away in a motor accident in Johor.

We weren't best friends, or even really-close friends. I've only known him since Form 4, and even then we were in different classes. But we got along well, I knew his cousins, we went to the same church; and he was such a funny guy. Always ready to joke around, with a great sense of humour.

The last time I met him was at my school's 50th Anniversary fundraising dinner last December. Towards the end of it a group of us ended up at one of the empty tables, and I was next to him. We talked, and I remember it was easy. fun. No awkward silences. He was an easy person to be around.

A bunch of them had performed in the choir (singing off-key christmas songs) and I remember the small, chubby boy in the group had his own canggih camera and asked to take a picture of the two of us. So we smiled, posed and the flash went off.

It wasn't a bad picture.

And I remember from the balcony above our table one of the younger girls from school asked him (gesturing at me) if I was his girlfriend. We both laughed so hard over that, and he fake nodded, pretending that I was. It was all in good fun.

Now he's gone. And I never got a copy of that picture.

I still can't quite believe it. He was my age. 19. How can someone so young, with so much ahead of him be taken away so soon? Where's the fairness in that?

I don't understand death. I don't understand why some people have to go, and not others. I don't understand the timing of it all. How do you choose, God? Is it random? Part of your great design? I don't KNOW.

I don't want to know.

I've heard of this kind of thing happening before. A student involved in an accident - death. But it's never happened to anyone my age whom I've known personally before.

It's painful. It makes you realize that even if you're not close to that person, or haven't been keeping in touch, that it hurts. There's this ache in me right now that just won't go away.

It's also makes you realize that life is short. Too short. And it's made me think about what would happen if I passed away. It's amazing how Death changes your whole perspective on Life. Am I ready to go? Is anyone ever ready to go? What have I done with my life? And the most important question of all: Do I know where i'll end up? Heaven? Hell?

The answer is, I do know. I can say with confidence that when I die, i'll be going to heaven, a better place -- because I believe in Jesus. And I urge those of you who don't know Him to at least think about this, and find out more.

It's so easy to go on in life and not think about all these questions because they scare us. It's only natural. No one goes around thinking 24/7 "Gee, what would happen if I died in 5 minutes?". Like so many of life's problems, it's so much easier to brush it under the carpet and turn our attention to other things like classes, assignments, family, friends, movies, music...

But if you're reading this, I want you to think. Where will you go if you die? Do you know for sure? Do you want to know?

Rest in peace, Romeo Sigal.

Gone Too Soon

Like A Comet
Blazing 'Cross The Evening Sky

Gone Too Soon

Like A Rainbow

Fading In The Twinkling Of An Eye

Gone Too Soon

Shiny And Sparkly

And Splendidly Bright

Here One Day

Gone One Night

Like The Loss Of Sunlight

On A Cloudy Afternoon

Gone Too Soon

Like A Castle

Built Upon A Sandy Beach

Gone Too Soon

Like A Perfect Flower

That Is Just Beyond Your Reach

Gone Too Soon

Born To Amuse, To Inspire, To Delight

Here One Day

Gone One Night

Like A Sunset

Dying With The Rising Of The Moon

Gone Too Soon

performed by Michael Jackson.

Cherish your loved ones while they're still with you. Don't wait till it's too late to say "I love you". Don't regret.

Pa, Mum, Che, Shing Yuan and Shing Ye, I love you all.

More than I can say.

March has been good =)

2010-04-05T23:53:00.003+08:00

Procrastination is my middle name... these should've been posted up since the end of March haha

Anyway, update time!

20/3/10

OCF Carnival

it was hot, but fun! more photos on Facebook =)

And then Mamak Night after that! =D

It was great! We paid $8, and we got Nasi Lemak, Roti Canai, Curry Laksa and Teh Tarik!

supposedly I look evil here. WHERE GOT LAHHH =D

some... hightlights? =)

yes we had nothing better to do, so we wrote labels on duct tape =)

we vandalized the mamak poster =)

this

became this =)

you so funnay lahh =)

the roti canai was the best BY FAR =)

teh tarik!

It was such a fun day =)

And that was also the week where I had weirder-than-usual dreams! I dreamt of contact lenses the size of my palm

I also dreamt I was a spy!With a gun. And I got shot.

We also went to the zoo!

27/3/10

One of my friends, Kuhan, is a real panda freak. It's quite disturbing, actually haha. Anyway he planned this trip to the zoo, because Adelaide Zoo is the home of 2 panda celebrities -- Wang Wang and Funi =)

stretched out fur of a red panda. the zoo person was very quick to assure me it died of old age =)

the backbone of a snake! =D

wang wang, celebrity #1

he had a very dirty butt

Funi. she was a very lazy panda

Kuhan the panda fanatic (left), and LoUis

I <3 this group picture =D

riding the pandas -___-

they're weird =)

the porcupine! one of my favourite animals =D

A "selamat datang" sign in Adelaide!!! jakun sial, haha...

lion. huge. cool in a scary way. sharp teeth. glad there was a fence.

because it's cool to carve your name onto bamboo shoots haha

er... no. i don't know them.

somehow i just LOVE this bird -- it looks so deliciously puffy =)

fat malaysian tapir. emphasis on FAT

After that we had lunch at Hungry Jacks! Incidentally my first Hungry Jacks meal. I had the Bacon Deluxe, and it was GOOD! =)

Oh, and apparently Hungry Jacks = Burger King in malaysia. But in australia someone got the name first =)

disgusting tomatoes

SERIOUSLY disgusting tomatoes. yuck.

And right after that, it was Earth Hour! =)

I was really disappointed! Not many people living in my area switched their lights off =/

this was how I was supposed to spend Earth Hour

then I found out I forgot to buy candles, so the matches were useless.

and THEN I realized I'd gotten AA batteries for a torch that uses AAA batteries -____-

so i spent EH eating my pasta in the dark with only my iPhone for company =)

OHHH and that reminds me of the whole Tenaga Nasional Berhad scandal =) this so-funny-you'll-pee-in-your-pants site (Nose4news.com) published an article about TNB sue-ing WWF for holding Earth Hour. There were really obvious disclaimers saying it was a fake article, but loads of people believed it and got super pissed at TNB. And then TNB got pissed at the site.

Anyway to cut a long story short, the site took down the article, and wrote an apology which was probably the funniest "apology" i've ever read =)

http://nose4news.wordpress.com/2010/03/26/hassan-skodeng-says-sorry-for-sounding-real/

BUT i read the article before it was taken down, and so i was able to Print Screen it =)

if you havent read the article yet, i suggest you do so. it's hilarious!

29/3/10

I added an extra '0' while paying my uni fees. It became $30720. Thank god I looked again before I clicked send =D

31/3/10

I had AB today! It's an australian mamak-style dish, and AB actually stands for Abortion =)
Yes it's called abortion. Either because it LOOKS disgustingly messy (like an abortion), or because it's sinful. Not sure haha

Meat (lamb and chicken) + fries + mayonaise + barbecue sauce = YUMMY =)

So yeah. That's how March has been =)

this is me, saying I miss you guys =)

P.S i've noticed lots of smileys in this post. that's a good sign =)

My blog turns 1 =)

2010-04-05T23:44:00.003+08:00

It's April Fool's Day today

which also means it's the 1st Anniversary of my blog! =)

Yes, i've been blogging for a whole YEAR already!

So, how is today any different from April 1st last year?

Well I got a mild case of food poisoning. Nothing serious, but serious enough that I have to stay at home. Yes, on April Fool's Day.

And you know what? People thought I was joking. So i got no sympathy, hahaha... that sucked =)

Still, i managed to April Fool people anyway!

The highlight? I pranked my parents on Skype, telling them (and sounding VERY repentant btw) that I'd said a very bad word. The F-word to be exact.

Which may be nothing to some of you, but not me. I don't swear -- there are better words to use. if you're smart enough =)

Anyway they fell for it. And i could tell they were freaked out that Australia was turning me into a potty-mouthed person. It was really funny -- the line went quiet for a long time, then finally my dad tried to act all understanding and cool about it. Their faces when they found out were priceless =D

So anyway, here's to another fruitful year ahead, hopefully in which I manage to overcome my laziness and blog regularly =)

The Ultimate Phone

2010-03-22T02:28:00.000+08:00

I can't believe i'm only blogging about this so LATE, but...

Am.

Now.

The.

Proud.

Owner.

Of.

An.

iPhone!!!

I got the 32 GB white one on Thursday, and i love it! =) I couldn't stop smiling the WHOLE day, hahaha...

"The Ultimate Phone" phrase was my dad's reaction when I told him I got the 32 GB one =)

I think...

2010-03-15T01:22:00.001+08:00

Alice. In. Wonderland. Is. A. Great. Movie.

Go watch it =)

And...

One of my favorite characters -- the Cheshire Cat.

The creepiest, cutest kitty EVER =)

Adelaide =)

2010-03-13T11:08:00.005+08:00

I know, i know. I haven’t updated in a long, LOOONNGGG time. I’m sorry =(

*blows the cobwebs off my blog page*

Oh btw i’ve just “discovered” terbalik smiley faces!

For example, (: instead of :)

Isn’t that cute??!

I’m guessing your face right now is like this: -_______________- ‘’’

Hey, small things make me happy =)

So anyway, here is the much awaited update on Life in Adelaide!

Brace yourselves, this may be long (if you know me, you should know how i tend to ramble and go off topic. If you don’t know me, you stalker! Stop reading my blog! Hahaha)

This reminds me, I promised my mother that I’d give her my blog’s address on her birthday (17^th of March) because she desperately wants it.

I know, i still can’t get my head around the fact that soon my mum will be reading the stuff that I write, but hey – a promise is a promise right?

*Mum, I know you’re reading this, so Hi! =D My only condition in giving you my blog address is that you don’t leave any comments, AND don’t say to me “I read on your blog the other day that...” Oh, and you can only read it once a month haha *

Also, i actually used colored font in this post, but that got cancelled, and i'm too tired to do it all AGAIN, so yeah... not much colour this time. Sorry!

Back to the subject – update time! =)

*Btw Charlene if you’re reading this, STOP! Coz the stuff I say here will be uncannily similar to the stuff in the letter that i WILL be sending to you! *

ANYWAY

Adelaide. Is. So. Cool! Literally and figuratively!

Not in the beginning lah. When I first came, it was SOOOO HOTTT.

Summer can be like that sometimes i guess =D There was a day when the temperature went up to 40 degrees! I blame the sun here for making me darker . Someone even thought I was a Malay, or a Nyonya person -___-

Not that I have anything against those people. It’s just, you know, i’m NOT.

Nowadays though, it’s really breezy and cold because it’s basically autumn. With golden (sounds much better than brown huh) leaves falling from the trees and all that.

The downside is that it’s SO HARD to get up early in the morning, like for my 8 am or 9 am lectures -- especially when i’m cocooned in my cosy, warm bed!

I’ve lost count of the number of times my teeth have randomly started chattering really badly, and they only do this when i’m EXTREMELY cold! I used to blast my aircon 24/7 at 16 degrees in Subang, and i was totally fine! It’s extremely embarrassing when this happens btw.

Hot Australian Guy (HAG) : Hello, my name is Hot Australian Guy. And you are?

Me: Brrrrrrrrr!

HAG: Er... gosh, look at the time, seeya!

Person X: So, what do you think about the Neighbour Principle proposed by Lord Atkins?

Me: Wha—whaa—what the he—he—heck?

Not that I say what the heck in real life, but you know – these are just examples =)

So yeah. The weather is a really important subject here! In Malaysia we only talk about the weather when we have nothing better to say, and it’s usually really boring but HERE, it’s like... a BIG DEAL. And it’s contagious! If it rains, I get totally excited and I even mention it on Facebook!

Right.

Oh and let me just say how much i LOVE the wind here. It’s super-duper strong, and you can feel it literally PUSHING you along. It’s fantastic! The only problem is I have to be really careful when I wear skirts, or i’d end up doing a Marilyn Monroe =/

The University of Adelaide’s campus is beautiful =)

The lake near campus =)

There are ducks and swans on the lake. Proper DUCKS and SWANS!!!

When I first got here and my cousin gave me a tour, I thought I’d NEVER be able to get all the buildings straight. They’re beautiful old buildings and that’s great, but the problem is they tend to look the same!

This, combined with my infamously bad sense of direction... well. Let’s just leave it at that.

I haven’t gotten too lost so far though! “Too lost” being the key words, haha

Uni... hmm. There’s so much to say about it. Classes have been great. I’ve had Law classes, and International Studies classes too, and I’ve decided to drop International Studies – at least for now.

It’s been really stressful overloading all my double degree classes, and i’m only in my first year! So yeah, i’ve decided to postpone that for now =)

For Law, i have 3 subjects – Foundations of Law (pretty boring so far), Torts (which i really like!) and Contracts (which i THOUGHT would be boring, but isn’t!) Lectures are cool – they’re really held in halls and lecture theatres that are SO uni-like!

Lecturers here are cool too, but it’s weird coz they expect us to address them by their first names and that’s a real culture shock for me!

We also have seminars (like... tutorials) for each subject, and so far that’s going really well too! I must say, i REALLY like my seminar group for Foundations. The people (about 6 of us) are really nice and friendly, and we all get along well!

We were asked to draw up our group’s Constitution, and in it one of the punishments for being absent with no valid reason (so lawyer-like) is a $2 fine so we can have a meal at the end of the year =)

Also, as you can see from the new title of my blog, over here I was told Suet is the fat of animals taken from the liver, and is used in Christmas pudding.

Yep, Christmas pudding.

I’m so famous, I even have my own mix, which i stumbled across while grocery shopping! =)

There I am, right next to Queen's Vanilla Extract! =D

So anyway, I’ve met so many different people over here! There are, obviously, Malaysians. Tons of Malaysians doing law btw, most of them smart JPA people! =) They’re a fun bunch to hang around – if I can find pics of them i’ll try to put it up =)

I’ve also met people from Hong Kong, Macau, Sri Lanka, China, Singapore, Australia (duh) and... i can’t think of the other countries but there’re loads more! It’s been pretty interesting, haha... Especially at OCF (overseas Christian fellowship) which is a really fun club to be a part of =)

Speaking of clubs, I’ve joined the UN here! UN -- for those of you who are somewhat less informed then the rest of us (in other words, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN) -- stands for the United Nations. I’ve always wanted to join!

Anyway I went for a MUN (mini UN) meeting on Wednesday, and it was the COOLEST thing EVER! It was like a real life UN conference!

I couldn’t follow ALL the lingo they used (Point of personal privilege? Point of procedural enquiry? Moderated caucus?) but it was seriously SOOOO COOL!

I’m so glad i decided to be a member during Orientation week, and i’m really looking forward to next week’s continued debate (on the Taiwan-US-China arms crisis). I may be representing Malaysia along with Yun Wei (another smart JPA guy haha) if we get around to researching the topic properly =)

On another note, some of you guys have expressed shock over the prices of movie tickets over here – a whopping $17! Which is like... RM 50, give or take a few ringgit.

Students get it cheaper at around $10 (with a free drink or popcorn), but STILL. That’s RM30! Haha... The other day a bunch of us went to watch Valentines Day (which I liked, btw) and it was a good experience.

We had ice cream at Gelatissimo too, and it was really yummyyy! I had lemon, and peppermint chocolate =) Lemon flavoured ice cream! This is one of the reasons why i LOVE Adelaide so far hahaha

That brings me to food. Hmm. I don’t eat out as much as I did during my Subang days, mainly coz it’s pretty expensive – at the food court a plate of mee hoon can cost you $8 [RM 24!!! Yes i’ve been trained by my parents to convert the price of everything].

The sushi here is really good though – Gee (another JPA friend... i’m just surrounded by them aren’t I? Haha) brought me and Hueh Ching (my sister’s classmate in St Davids! The world is TINY!) to this sushi place called Maki Maki.

The. Sushi. There. Is. To. Die. For.

Especially the smoked salmon with cream cheese one. I’m salivating all over the keyboard now just thinking about it!

Okay i’m not lah. That would be... you know, disgusting. But that just shows how good the sushi was!

I buy a lot of groceries here. The supermarket I go to, Coles, is like my FAVOURITE place to hang out! Hahaha... yess i hang out at supermarkets =) I went through a period when I first arrived in Adelaide where I went to Coles everyday for a WEEK! Is that an obsession or what? =)

I’ve cooked a few dishes with my cousin (usually on the weekends), and there’s been no accidental fires yet! *touch wood haha* In fact, our food (if we do say so ourselves) is GOOD! =) We’re just, you know, NATURALS =D (i can imagine my mother sniggering haha)

Steamboat! =)

Posing proudly with our food, hahaha

Sadly these look better than they taste, hahaha

So yeah. The food here’s okay lah. NOTHING compared to Malaysian food though – I miss char kuey teow and nasi lemak and roti canai and curry laksa and... yeah. Pretty much everything, haha.

OHHH there’s this great bread place in Central Market though, called Nanna (weird names mean good food! Haha) and their bread is also to die for! Haha... especially eaten fresh. They have curry buns, coconut swirls, sambal ikan bilis buns (SAMBAL IKAN BILIS BUNS!), pork floss buns... you name it, they have it, haha... And the prices are so reasonable!

Central Market is cool. It’s kinda connected to Coles, and Chinatown. You can get all kinds of fruits there! Australian fruits are great. Grapes, watermelon, peaches, apples... especially the grapes! They burst in your mouth!

Look! Durian! They have durians here!

Chinatown is pretty cool too, with loads of Chinese food shops and stuff. That was a stupid sentence – it’s Chinatown, of course there’s a lot of Chinese shops. Sorry!

I just realized, i could’ve just backspaced the stupid sentence and saved myself the risk of looking stupid.

Yeah.

Anyway the other my cousin and I went to Cafe Kowloon in Chinatown to yumcha (Jun kiat’s favourite word! Haha) because it was a public holiday, and their dim sum was really good! Better than many shops in Malaysia, haha... and they had Mango pudding that was... indescribable =)

Enough about food. It’s making me hungry, haha... I’ll talk about something boring like... transport.

Transport. Yes. They have free trams (trams are the babies of buses and LRTs – you know, like a hybrid mixture) and buses all around the city here, plus you don’t have to wait too long!

Tram rides can be pretty interesting – especially if there’re drunk (technically i should say “drunken”, but malas lah) people on board! Let me explain about drunk people and their connection to trams:

Drinking, as far as I can tell, is Australia’s national pastime. Really. Like... at uni, to get people to go to events, they put in BIG, BOLD letter, FREE ALCOHOL! The people here talk about getting drunk and clubbing like it’s an everyday thing. And to them it’s “uncool” not to drink.

Well, i’m destined to *cough cough* remain uncool then – I have neither the ability (allergies!) nor the inclination (who wants to puke and get hungover?) to drink.

But seriously, the pubs and bars here are usually PACKED at night! And these drunk people, thankfully, do not drive so they take the tram. They’re usually harmless – they just come up to you and ask for money.

Happy drunks are the funny ones.

On Monday (the public holiday) I went to Glenelg beach with my cousin (it was amazing btw, super strong wind, super cold, super cool surfers haha) and on the way back, the tram was filled with lots of really drunk well dressed people back from the Horse Races.

There was this party of 4, a husband, wife, daughter and son-in-law who were right next to us. They were talking really loudly and swaying here and there, and the son-in-law pulled out his phone halfway through to answer a call. His wallet dropped out of his pocket, and landed at my feet. I picked it up gave it back to him, and saw it was FULL of money – like seriously, $100 bills. And then...

~~~~~~~~

The mom: *starting to stroke my hair* Darling, are you the one who rescued his wallet?

Me: Er... yes? *stroking continues, despite me shrinking away slightly*

The mom: Well, aren’t you just gorgeous? Thank you so much for saving him, he’s too drunk! *enthusiastic stroking continues, while my cousin sniggers in the background*

Son-in-law: Hey, at least i’m not the one randomly stroking a stranger’s head.

The mom: Pay no attention to him. He’s been drinking all day!

Daughter (as in the wife of the son-in-law): * interrupting* Yeah, he’s a really bad influence!

The mom: And besides, we’re not strangers anymore, look we’re practically friends now! Aren’t we, darling? *smiles happily at me while continuing the hair-stroking*

Tram jerks, and mother loses her balance and falls on an unfortunate girl on the nearby seat.

~~~~~

So yeah. Harmless drunk people are entertaining =)

My cousin is great btw. She’s really funny, and she doesn’t make me clean my room, so that’s a plus! I have to clean it anyway though, coz sometimes when I skype with my family they say “ooohh let us see your room” and try to catch me when it’s messy. She’s brought me to so many places! The highlight being IKEA of all places, haha... but only because i LOVE ikea =)

This was at her birthday party recently =)

Oh and kangaroos! Can’t leave them out of this post, haha... Jerina and I (she’s my friend from Penang) and some of the other Malaysians went along for this trip to Victor Harbour organised by the International Student Centre, and there was this wildlife park where we got to feed kangaroos!

You may not know this, but kangaroos SLOBBER. Their salivary glands work overtime! That’s the only explanation for the amount of kangaroo-saliva i had all over my palm, haha... they lick the food off your hand, so you can just imagine.

They ARE really cute though! We were told, “you can pet them, but don’t try to hug them. They don’t like it – it’s nothing personal. If you see someone trying to hug a kangaroo, RUN AWAY!” =) Apparently the last time someone tried that, he got punched -- and kangaroo punches are no joke =P

We also got to eat the famous Fish and Chips there! Definitely more chips than fish though, haha...

look at tiny piece of fish! Haha... really yummty though =)

and we were stalked by hungry, vicious seagulls! It reminded me of the horror movie “Birds” trailer which i accidentally saw when i was young. SCARY.

They made a ring around our group and kept advancing slowly! To kacau one of the guys who was eating with us, Jerina and I kept tossing chips near him (well actually... i did the tossing, coz Jerina’s not that mean hahaha), and whenever I did this the seagulls would fight VERY AGRESSIVELY for the chip and the guy kept screaming (very femininely) each time =)

Come on, we all like to have fun sometimes don’t we =)

Oh, and Jerina introduced me to a very special treat called – Toffee apples!

Toffee apples are basically apples on sticks that have a hard layer of candy over it. Trust me when I say that toffee apples are the most difficult things to eat. I’ve never struggled so much with any type of food in my life, really!

It took me AGES to get to this stage:

I was SO PROUD when i finally managed to break through the toffee to the apple. And it was really really good! Being the toffee apple eating expert that I undoubtedly am now, I will have absolutely NO TROUBLE eating one again. And again =)

So... my eyeballs hurt, and my fingers are getting sore. If you’ve made it this far, I am IMPRESSED =)

Some random pictures --

The screen of one of the shopping malls - near Target i think. Really cute pictures!

One of the famous Rundle Mall pigs!

She reminds me of the Bird Woman in Mary Poppins!

This is from the festival Northern Lights of Adelaide, where they project designs onto buildings -- VERY VERY COOL =)

I like this place! It's full of strange performances. Lots of already drunk or getting drunk people there though, haha

This was when my cousin and I went to Glenelg beach (super super SUPER strong wind, it was AMAZING!) and the evil seagulls were out in full force. A scary but beautiful sight =)

These guys are so cool! The waves were massive and wild, and they were just so... cool! The surfers too! haha

This was taken dyuring our scholarship "ceremony" where we got free sushi! =D

So anyway there are loads more pictures, but i'm to malas to post them here lah -- Facebook is much more convenient =)

The End (for now)

PS. I miss my family =(

P.P.S. If you haven't watched Glee yet, GO WATCH IT!!! It's a GREAT show, i have all the music videos playing on repeat on my laptop! =)

I have bits of strawberry flavored oreos stuck between my teeth

2010-02-26T01:23:00.001+08:00

Written on Wednesday, 24 Feb 2010 (but not posted immediately because i procrastinate like that haha)

Yes, they have strawberry flavored oreos here. How awesomeee is that? =)

Anyway, I watched Valentine's Day today

and

I really enjoyed it! Really!

It was funny. And not too predictable. And there were some really memorable punchlines =)

Go watch it yourself, and we can compare which lines we thought were the funniest!

A mild warning though (fuyoh, haha), it's more of... a girl-type movie? So guys (that pretend to be macho) might not like it

or they may PRETEND to not like it, to keep up the illusion of their macho-ness =D

You know what? Taylor Lautner is in it, and I know that alone will get MANY girls to watch it. Can't blame them, really. He IS kinda hot *.*

And you know what? My Hong Kong friend (who's a guy) liked it, so guys may like it too =)

We watched it at Palace Nova, and it's an okay cinema =) not exactly MILES better than cinemas in Malaysia or anything.

OHH and they have SALTY popcorn!

Weird.

Before the movie we (Jerina, Sammi, Ruzzanna & Johnny) had ice cream at Gelatissimo (I got Lemon & Peppermint Chocolate) -- really yummy! Then we went upstairs and hung out, and I totally trashed the Malaysian government to them! Told them all about all the scandals hahaha... it was fun -- nothing gets me going like dirty politics =)

So anyway i'm tired now, but i have like a whole stack of my course's Outlines to read -- Torts, Foundations of Law and Contract Law =/

We'll see how that goes. And there's So You Think You Can Dance (Australia) on later! =)

I may end up not reading up on everything haha.

I still miss Malaysia a lot. For one, all the shops here close at 5!

Lazy people, haha...

I'm kidding. Really, I am =)

*when i have the time, i shall add some pictures to this post =) and maybe some colours?*

They have blue roses nowadays =)

2010-02-13T20:40:00.001+08:00

So anyway it's almost 11 pm here, and I'm probably signing off soon, and hence:

Happy Chinese New Year!

and

Happy Valentines Day!

Personally, I think V-Day is overrated, commercialized AND a total waste of time and money

Did I mention I think it's overrated? =)

And no, i'm not bitter that I'm single.

I'm single because I want to be single.

Still,

I agree with my friend Rachel that love should be shown EVERYDAY

BUT

it IS a good day to shower that extra bit of love and attention on your loved ones (Valentine's Day is NOT JUST FOR LOVEY-DOVEY couples!)

just don't waste a million dollars on those overpriced roses, chocolates, teddy bears, camels, whales...

you get the point.

express your love in a letter

or just be NICER to your loved ones (it's the cheapest, most economical AND thoughtful thing you can do!)

then again, Australia is famous for its delicious creamy chocolates right?

There's no rule saying I can't buy chocolates for MYSELF =)

So anyway here's what I think would be way more meaningful than roses that last only a week:

1. For that special someone(s) --- As mentioned, write a beautiful, heartfelt letter of gratitude (be sure to check it for spelling errors!)

2. For your dad(s) --- Wash his car(s), but make sure you don't ruin his custom faded leather seats!

3. For your mum(s) --- Clean your room. Yes, that means clearing enough junk off the floor that she'll actually be able to SEE it (the floor).

If however you happen to be a neat-freak (no offence intended with the word "freak" of course) with OCD like some people I could mention (but won't, since it's CNY and it's "bad karma" haha) then... cook your mother a meal. It would of course be better received if it's not BURNT =)

4. For your sister(s) --- Unless your sister is like mine, a simple hug and "I love you" will probably suffice. If she IS like mine however, a 20 minute massage, along with a pair of earrings would probably be the way to go =) If you're unable to do all the above, then... just stay out of her way and give her some peace and quiet =)

5. For your brother(s) --- These are the best, they don't ask for ANYTHING =) Just give them an extra hard squish (squish = hug). This only applies if they're still (like mine) in the cute, cuddly stage. If their voices have broken and you have to look up to them, DO NOT hug them. Especially not in front of their friends.

6. Anyone else --- Just leave a friendly note on their Facebook wall =)

Now, i'm extremely unhappy I'll be missing out on all the CNY festivities, food and fun this year (fun = angpows = money = shopping = yay), but i've resigned myself to this.

And besides, my cousin and I will be attempting to have a steamboat! And we'll even make dessert! (recipe taken from a Kid's Cookbook, but that's totally besides the point)

If we don't burn the house down (technically that would be impossible, seeing we're using a rice pot, but YOU NEVER KNOW), pictures will be up documenting our triumph =)

Oh, btw I used to think blue roses were only possible in shows like Sailor Moon (why yes, I am a Sailor Moon fan haha), but not so!

Behold the miracle of science!

Haha... this isn't an actual blue rose. If you're interested though, click here

cheers! =)

The nightmare before CNY

2010-02-13T17:32:00.001+08:00

So... I know I owe you guys a blog post on how Adelaide has been treating me this past week

BUT

that will come in time =)

Instead, this will be about...

*imagine me saying that in a really spooky, creepy way*

my recent NIGHTMARE

The following was typed just after i woke up. I think it was on... Thursday?

Gosh.

I just woke up from a nightmare. An EXHAUSTING nightmare!

I mean, when you sleep it’s to rest so you’ll feel all fresh and rejuvenated when you wake up in the morning right?

Well I feel like CRAP right now!

And it was a pretty scary dream too!

I know i don’t usually document my dreams on my blog (some of them are WAY too weird and embarrassing! Haha) but i’m hoping writing it down will help me realize how stupid and un-scary this dream was so i can go back to sleep

So anyway, it started with a “cops chasing robbers” scene.

Then there was this evil girl with really silky long black hair and gray eyes who was running away from them.

She ran into this dark building with loads of high tech machines, and she removed this computer chip from a huge computer. Then, as the cops surrounded her, she did this really cool backflip and burst through the glass door entrance and escaped to... a supermarket.

Up until now, it seemed like some kinda cool movie. Like those spy shows with skinny blonde russian girls right?

Then the supermarket part started and it became... weird.

Maybe coz that was when i entered the picture?

Anyway I think i was a cop or something. A security guard? I was chasing that girl lah. But she’d disappeared! Instead there was this grocery guy at the cashier, with a HUGE pie in front of him.

Yeah, a pie.

I don’t know how, but i knew that girl was inside. I think i had X-ray vision or something.

So anyway i bashed open the pie and she jumped out and I began chasing her around the shopping mall. Then suddenly my brother (the youngest) was running with me, and we were running AWAY from her

-________-

So anyway I had this gun, which i kept firing at her but she kept coming and coming! And i know it was a dream, but she felt so evil! And she was so irritating! I was firing at her head point blank, and she just wouldn’t die! And she kept saying “Missed! Aaahh you missed again. And again!” and “Do you even know how to reload that thing?” (I did by the way. Which was kinda cool =D )

Anyway I got so so so angry! So i grabbed this huge sharp butcher knife from a stall nearby and threatened to slash her, but then SHE grabbed a knife and started chasing me and my brother again.

Then we came to a computer room, which looked a bit like an Ikea showroom. There were lots of squishy fat tables, and the weird thing was that there were lots of orange-colored ruffles everywhere (like... party ruffles made from sugar paper. You know?)

Kinda like that.

Anyway.

Somehow the floor was super smooth and i just slid (like seriously, he just glided over the floor! No friction!) my brother under a table to hide him. Here comes the insulting part. When *I* tried to slide under a table, I got stuck!

Is my brain trying to tell me something subconsciously? Haha

Anyway she spotted the upper half of my body sticking out, so she came running after us and i had to slide my brother out from under the table so that we could run away again.

Then (and this is the weird part) we reached the meat section of the shopping mall, and (my weapons having disappeared mysteriously) I grabbed a string of nearby sausages (smart move huh) and swung it around my head like some kinda cowboy lasso to intimidate her.

And the weirdest part? It worked! She got so scared (only god knows why) the tables were turned and now (my brother disappeared at this point too i think) I was the one chasing her again.

So anyway we reached cashier again, and again she disappeared into that stupid gigantic pie.

I smashed the pie and stamped on her until she was like... flat.

Which sounds disgusting, i know. But she was evil! And she became a poster spread on the floor, so it’s not like i REALLY squashed her or anything right? She was already flat, like... paper

I think the cashier was her boyfriend.

Coz he started crying, like REALLY crying when he saw her as flat as a pancake. And the whole supermarket was starting to get flooded. As in the water (his tears, EWW) was up to my ankles.

And that’s when I woke up.

Phew.

Okay i’m not a nervous wreck anymore.

I mean, that girl’s been squashed flat, and drowned in tears.

Right?

*after re-reading the above*

Man i wish i didn't have such strange, disturbing dreams.

BUT

I think there's an explanation for it

See

On the tram that day, there was this really pretty girl with black hair and gray eyes. Maybe i was subconsciously jealous of her, hence making her the evil person in my dream? =) Haha... very possible.

And the supermarket part -- well, i've been going to the supermarket here practically EVERYDAY. So that explains the venue.

And as for the crying cashier boyfriend?

Well. I blame it on all the watermelon i've been eating.

P.S In case you didn't know, the title's my take on the movie Nightmare Before Christmas haha

P.P.S. I want an iPod

P.P.P.S. Backstreet Boys songs are so great. Corny, but great =)

This is the first time i've posted an incomplete post =/

2010-02-06T02:06:00.000+08:00

An update! *gasp* How rare is this?!

Hahaha.

Anyway

I like putting disclaimers in my blog

And so here it is:

Disclaimer: I am about to go into excruiciating detail about my weekend. If stuff like that bores you to tears and makes your eyeballs hurt, well... you've been warned. Don't sue me =)

Sooo.....

Haiyo it's so hard to blog right now coz i have two songs stuck in my head: Beat It by Michael Jackson, and (I never promised you a) Rose Garden by Martina McBride

Do you know how annoying it is when the lyrics of these two extremely different songs get jumbled up together?!

Anyway.

I had a wonderful wonderful weekend!

On Saturday, I met Wan Dien, Rachel, Alicia, Jeremiah and Fook Zhen at Melaka Central

I say "met", but that sounds too leisurely and organized. In truth it was more like... well, lets just say I'm lucky the bus didn't leave without me =D

I happen to possess a horrible sense of direction

I get lost really really easily!

Lke, I swear I can get lost in a house with more than two rooms. That's how bad I am!

So yes, I got lost at the bus station.

But I'd rather put bad memories behind me =)

The bus ride was interesting! Which is more than can be said for most bus rides right?

In the first place, the bus (KKKL i think? or was it some other company?) had the COOLEST tv i've ever seen on a bus

It was totally flat screen, LCD like!

And they were showing this movie (english! bonus points for them! haha) called Man of Steel, which is really a lot like Iron Man, only less cool

The movie... well. I guess it was okay. If you like cliched movies with really... lame punchlines

Like, the main guy (the so-called "man of steel) fell into a garbage truck from a building

And the female-genius-sidekick of his was asking him if he was okay, and he brushed rubbish off and said "I'm okay, just a bit trashed"

HOW LAME IS THAT?! -______-

It reminded me of those stiff Arnold Schwartzeneggar movies which are totally lame!

The only cool thing is that the guy is huge. And i really mean HUGEEE! He freaking towers over EVERYONE in the movie by like at least two heads! And he has this really huge hammer (really really hugeeee) which does cool things like shoot out laser beams, and can become a magnet that sucks the bad guy's knives and gun.

Other than that it was lame.

Maybe I enjoyed the movie more than I thought, because for some reason I was the only one that didn't fall asleep on the bus (oh let me just say here that the TV is retractable. RETRACTABLE! A retractable LCD tv on a BUS! Soon these babies will fly I tell you)

So, being the sly, cunning creature that I am, I managed to get embarrassing pictures of my 4 sleeping travel buddies =D

and this is to be continued.

sorry rachel! =/

Some people have an awesome family, some have awesome friends. I've been so blessed to have BOTH.

2010-02-06T01:21:00.002+08:00

I'm leaving soon, in about 20 hours time.

It still hasn't quite sunk in yet... but I have this horrible feeling in my stomach, like I did when I sat for my SAM finals =/

I know i'll cry at the airport. And on the plane.

In a way that's a good thing. If I didn't feel sad about leaving, SOMETHING WOULD BE VERY WRONG WITH ME.

I'm going to miss my family so so much, and all my friends too. Still, this is an amazing opportunity, and I'll make the best of it!

Besides, I'll probably be back in around June/July... so what's a few months right? =)

Pray the plane won't be hijacked, haha.

*no seriously. please pray, haha. And God, help me not get stopped at Customs, haha*

My next blog post will be made on Australian soil!

=) + =( ---> =I

P.S. I'm Leaving On a Jet Plane by John Denver is stuck in my head.

P.P.S. Another difficult thing about leaving is keeping within the 35 kg baggage limit -__-

THE FOOD LIST =)

2010-02-05T00:00:00.000+08:00

So before I go to Australia (where I will undoubtedly starve myself on salads. uh huh, hahaha), I decided to "store up" on my favourite foods for winter. Sorta like camels store water in their humps. I'll probably end up with a horizontal hump on my waist! =)

1. Spaghetti Arriabiata, from Armada

2. ~~Lat Jiu Pan Mee, from Jojo~~

3. ~~Roti bawang & Roti kaya, from Neela's~~

4. Pumpkin Wan Tan Mee, from that roadside stall with no name in BB

5. Curry balls and goreng pisang, from... somewhere in Bukit Beruang haha

6. Scalloped potatoes, self made! haha so bangga =D

7. Garlic Chicken Mee, from Noodle Station

8. Strawberry and Mango Ice, from the 100 Yen shop

9. Char Kuey Teow & Fried Rice, from Bei Zhan

10. ~~Mien Fen Gao, from Jia Jia~~

11. ~~Maggi Mee Goreng~~

12. ~~Bak Kwa~~

13. ~~Fried Cigu, by my grandma haha~~

14. Nasi Lemak

15. Curry Maggi Mee

16. Dim Sum, Batu Berendam

17. Hot and Spicy Rice, Johnnys

18. ~~Spicy Chicken McDeluxe, McDonalds haha~~

19. Ipoh Sa Ho Fun with tauge!

20. ~~Satay~~

21. ~~Dukong~~

22. ~~Watermelon =)~~

23. Chicken Rice

24. Satay Celup, Bunga Raya somewhere

25. ~~Mee Rebus~~

-to be continued-

Meet my new favourite fruit! =)

2010-02-03T23:31:00.003+08:00

I'm working on a pretty long blog post at the moment, but in the meantime....

Feast your eyes on my new laptop! =D

My dad got it for me because when I went to his clinic I survived 2 fillings without screaming! Which is a big thing because I have a phobia of dentists =)

This was my reward:

At first I thought red might be a bit too flashy, but I swear the more I stare at it, the more I fall in love with it =)

And obviously it wasn't really a present for my good behaviour during the filling lah, haha...

(although my dad WAS very relieved I didn't embarrass him this time! =D )

It's actually a "congratulations on your fairly good results!" + "you're leaving us soon! =( " present

Yay!

P.S. I've named her Watermelon. She just could NOT have been named anything else =)

Bronchitis, and some resolutions

2010-01-24T00:31:00.000+08:00

So.... guess what?

Go on, guess!

Okay fine, i'll tell you.

I have, get this, BRONCHITIS.

Honestly!

Haiyo.

Charlene says i'm the most prone-to-sickness person she knows, haha.

That's probably true. I used to be healthy! I don't know what happened =/

2009 and 2010 (so far) have been real milestone years for me.

I mean, I got DENGUE last year. And now bronchitis!

I used to think people who got these would DIE.

Well, I survived the dengue episode, and so far i haven't died from bronchitis.

I just realized how stupid that sentence is.

SO FAR i haven't DIED from bronchitis. Is that the stupidest sentence or what?

Anyway.

14 more days left till I leave for Australia.

Eeeeek.

Packing has been a hassle. I have to roll up every single item of clothing before it can be placed in the suitcase..

WHY do i have to do that? It's so time consuming, AND tiring!

All in all, packing is NOT going well.

Sigh.

Anyway dinner tonight was nice! We watched Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (i think that's what it's called) as a family, and it's really rare that my parents allow us to eat in front of the TV

The show was really really good! Funny, and with lots of twists. After that we watched Get Smart which was really good as well!

Note: My mother is worse than me when watching movies. She screams and shrieks even when there're no scary scenes. Psshhh! Now i know where i got it from -_______-

That reminds me, i've decided to make a fun resolutions list that i will ENJOY completing.

So far:

1. Go ice skating on a proper frozen pond

2. Send in a story to Reader's Digest

3. Have a movie marathon (plus homemade popcorn) with my two adorble brothers, and my sister if she's around

4. Take the KTM/train/subway/airplane on my own to some destination and NOT get lost

I don't know if you know this or not, but i have a hopeless sense of direction. Really, REALLY hopeless. My eyes glaze over when people try to give me road directions.

5. Read 6 books in one day. I think it can be done =)

6. Prank call one of my friends. I won't say who yet!

7. Lie down in the middle of the driveway and spend the day cloud-gazing. Hopefully no mosquitoes will be involved.

8. Get a job

9. Fill a photo album with pictures of my nearest and dearest to bring with me to australia

10. Label all my blog posts properly =)

11. Do something artsy

12. Eat all my favourite food before I leave

--> Spaghetti Arriabiata, from Armada

--> Lat Jiu Pan Mee, from Jojo

--> Roti bawang & Roti kaya, from Neela's

--> Pumpkin Wan Tan Mee, from that roadside stall with no name

--> Curry balls and goreng pisang, from... somewhere in Bukit Beruang haha

--> Scalloped potatoes, self made! haha so bangga =D

--> Garlic Chicken Mee, from Noodle Station

--> Strawberry and Mango Ice, from the 100 Yen shop

--> Char Kuey Teow & Fried Rice, from Bei Zhan

okay i have to stop, if not i'll go on and on and on haha

13. Lie down in the middle of a road. A real road. Oh, and not get run over haha.

14. Get an iPod touch with my own hard-earned money. No charity!

15. Get a new haircut. Preferably with a streak of blue in it. Pretty please mom? =)

Okay that's all for now, i'm feeling really sleepy even though the night is still very young! =D

I'll blog about my re-sitting of the driving ceramah (ie. TORTURE) and visa stuff another time.

Goodnight!

P.S. God loves you.

This is what happens when you eat at a place that sounds sinful

2010-01-10T01:25:00.031+08:00

Today I touched a worm. A green worm to be exact.

It was pretty much the highlight of my day, and NOT in a good way mind you.

I mean, it was a pretty normal day, other than the fact that I GOT UP BEFORE 8 AM (gasp that's almost as rare as pigs turning blue and flying *inside joke*, REALLY ask my mum she'll totally agree)

but then i went back to sleep until around 12. So... =)

oh and i got to eat really yummy Mee Rebus for lunch and I sat under the shady ciku tree in the garden near the hammock "bonding" with my mom until mosquitoes got the better of me

AND i spent practically the whole day contending with my (i say MY, but it actually belongs to the family) desktop. I swear, that computer's more stubborn than I am. It either refuses to start, or it refuses to let me go online. It has a mind of it's own, and it HATES me. It's practically a baby, HOW did it get so rebellious, so fast?! =/

Oh I helped my dad prepare his PowerPoint slides (he's worship leading tomorrow and is endearingly clueless about technology) and got hit repeatedly on the head by him because he was jealous that i could type so much faster than him.

=D

btw i taught him Ctrl C = copy and Ctrl V = paste and i THINK he got it! =)

Anyway we were invited out for dinner with Uncle Francis and family, supposedly a going-away dinner for me (but really, it's coz my parents refused to accept money when we lent them our car and they're just using me as an excuse sheesh) at Xin Garden Restaurant.

I love that place. When you say the name people immediately think you're going somewhere cool called Sin Garden =D

So, the thing about that place is it's kinda surrounded by really tall, leafy, shady trees. Which is really good, considering we need more trees to counter global warming and all that.

BUT

trees = breeding ground for creepy crawlies like stupid worms and caterpillars etc etc

So... maybe it's my fault for hanging out under the trees for so long. I was playing a game with my brother and he REFUSED to back down! So i MAY have spent longer than necessary under the trees whilst persuading him to give in.

Anyway inside the restaurant we were eating (really really yummy food btw), and i looked down at my black shirt and saw this rice grain thingy stuck to it.

I say rice grain because it was kinda curved, or curled, AND it was stuck there the way rice does sometimes. The only thing was, it was green but i kinda ignored that fact (i'm used to seeing weird things because i usually don't wear my glasses and i forgot i was wearing contacts)

So anyway i grab the so-called rice grain in my finger

AND

THEN

i looked down at it, thinking, "strange, it really IS green".

That's when it started SQUIRMING. In between my FINGERS.

And i realized i was actually holding an honest-to-goodness WORM.

I'm not really squeamish about insects and stuff, but that was really TOO MUCH TO HANDLE

You just WAIT till that happens to you, then you'll know (not that i'm cursing you or anything, i'm just saying)

so i did what any girl (and guy, probably) would do:

I flung it away from me and SCREAMED.

I think it wasn't that loud. It was probably a really soft, muffled scream.

I hope lah.

It WAS loud enough to get the whole table's attention though, especially when i ducked down and kept peering around to make sure that worm wasn't crawling up the legs of my chair, or (god forbid) my actual legs.

It was pretty embarrassing actually. Uncle Francis actually got up and came all the way over to my side of the table and bent down, saying "what is it? where? what?"

And then the hostess of the restaurant comes over too, and she started asking if I lost anything. And when she found out it was a worm i was looking for, she gave me this really amused smile and said she'd look out for it when she swept the floor later.

Me? I just sat there and smiled. In a this-is-so-shameful-but-eeek-the-worm-might-still-be-ANYWHERE-please-help-me way.

Like i said before though, the food was really good.

This issue goes beyond words and debate - Marina Mahatir

2010-01-09T01:38:00.001+08:00

I was having a good day today.

I woke up early for once, meaning my mother and I did not get embroiled in a fight.

I had a healthy breakfast under the shady ciku tree.

I helped prepare spaghetti for lunch.

Overall, i was feeling pretty good.

Then i logged onto my computer and saw the headlines on MSN.com

First I saw this:

and I thought, Hmm.

Then I saw this:

and i thought, what's new.

Then this:

and I thought, that skirt's pretty ugly.

AND THEN, i saw this:

And well, i think that just speaks for itself.

So, being the kepoh person that i am (i prefer to think i like to keep myself WELL INFORMED haha), i kept reading article after article related to these incidents

and

I couldn't BELIEVE some of the things i read.

I'm sorry Mr Prime Minister, but i find it hard to believe how "powerless" you people are, when you certainly called out the big guns (literally, did you SEE the size of those water canons?!) during the anti-ISA protests.

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has also called for calm although he also said protesters have the right to rally within the confines of mosques.

"We cannot stop them, as long as it is confined within the mosque area," he told a press conference.

(http://www.malaysia-today.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29476:kuala-lumpur-church-firebombed-over-allah-issue&catid=19:newscommentaries&Itemid=100131)

Somehow I think if, say Buddhists rallied in their temples to protest against Islam, or Christians grouped in churches, or if Indians congregated in their temples, the government would find a way to get them out and probably imprison them, or tear-gas them into submission.

On a side note, my dad was sitting behind me on the sofa playing his guitar and I kept complaining and complaining to him, until he eventually got up to come see what i was nagging him about. Score! =)

Anyway back to the subject. I think it just shows what the government's priority is. I mean, all those 1Malaysia slogans are well and good IF they're actually being put into place. These incidents just SHOW that it's just all talk, and no action!

Here's some background on the issue, just in case you live under a rock or do not have a computer (god forbid!), and hence do not know WHY they're burning churches:

A while back in December last year, a Catholic newspaper (The Herald) was given permission by a court ruling to use the word "Allah" in their newspaper, provided the newspaper was distributed to non-muslims ONLY.

Well, lets just say that released a mini-tsunami of tension.

Lots of protests by lots of muslim groups etc etc.

It was pretty routine stuff, until these church bombings happened. 3 churches have been attacked so far.

This is just my personal opinion, but WHAT is all the fuss about the word Allah?

I mean, honestly why are people so worked up about WHO gets to use it?

Sure, it's mainly used by Muslims, but outside of Malaysia, i can assure you many non-muslims use the word Allah as well.

To the people that are so upset about it, are you honestly that insecure? Do you honestly believe that by using the word Allah, The Herald newspaper will be able to brainwash muslim people, *snap* just like that?

Have more faith in the Muslim people, for goodness sake. They're not stupid. They won't get converted from just the use of a word.

Why feel so threatened and insecure?

Take, for example, The Da Vinci Code published by Dan Brown. Sure, it defamed Christians and their beliefs by throwing lots of controversial, blasphemous stuff about Jesus Christ and Christianity in general.

There were lots of protests by leaders of the church and they asked people to boycott the book, but did anybody burn Dan Brown's house?

I read the book, and even though i didn't like some of the things written, i certainly didn't let it influence MY faith in God.

Protests are good. I believe that to be a truly democratic country, protests should be allowed, provided they don't get out of hand. Peaceful protests are beneficial for everyone, and it's a good medium for the freedom of speech.

On the other hand, i think acts like throwing explosives into churches in the dead of night then speeding off are COMPLETELY COWARDKY and underhand.

I actually think the muslims who held protests in mosques are allowed that right. They didn't do anything physical or violent, they were just expressing their opinions and they're entitled to that (so were the anti-ISA protesters by the way, but of course THEY weren't allowed to protest).

Sure, some issues are sensitive, which is why they should be handled properly, where people are allowed to express their opinions in the proper mediums of communication.

Sweeping these issues under the carpet by NOT allowing people to discuss them will lead to cases such as church burning, mosque burning, cow head stamping and the like.

To those people who are responsible for the burning of those churches, don't you realize that instead of upholding Islam (as you may THINK you're doing), you're actually tarnishing Islam's reputation?

Salahuddin Ayub, a leader from the Islamic opposition party PAS, also condemned the attack, saying Islam does not allow followers to destroy houses of worship belonging to non-Muslims.

"Even during war, those who seek sanctuary in houses of worship cannot be killed or the buildings itself destroyed," he was quoted as saying by the Malaysian Insider website.

(http://www.malaysia-today.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29481:government-powerless-says-najib&catid=21:special-reports&Itemid=100135)

I especially like the way this group of people put it:

[Extract] The cowardly and utterly senseless act of a group of misguided, chauvinistic bigots in torching at least three churches in the Klang Valley this morning must be condemned in no uncertain terms by all peace loving Malaysians.

Oh and gosh did you know what happened to the Malaysian Judiciary website?

It got hacked into, and the hacker posted this:

Board of Directors

Muslim Professionals Forum

Dr. Mazeni Alwi

Dr. Shaikh Johari Bux

Haji Mohamed Ali Ghazali

Dr. Jeffrey Abu Hassan

Dato’ Dr. Musa Mohd. Nordin

Click on the picture if you can't read it. It includes a description of the picture the hacker put:

The hacker, using the handle “Brainwash,” defaced the site with a bright-red headline saying “TakeDown by Brainwash!” and what can only be described as “creative” use of the English language.

Blazed across the page in huge letters was “Mess with the best, die like the rest.”

The hacker also wrote: “Allah only restricted to Muslim only. Dont touch us as we dont touch you. Unless ....”
It was followed by a threatening postscript at the bottom of the page “To the court, Brain know you postponed it but if you wise enough then you should drop it.”
The hacker also posted a picture of a woman, bent over suggestively, apparently “washing” a brain.

(http://www.malaysia-today.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29462:judiciary-website-hacked-over-allah-issue&catid=19:newscommentaries&Itemid=100131)

Even The Herald website has been hacked!

Anyway it's late. I'll just list down some websites if you're interested in learning more about this issue:

(btw at this time I can't seem to access Malaysia Today anymore, maybe they've been hacked by the government again? haiyo)

http://www.malaysia-today.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29481:government-powerless-says-najib&catid=21:special-reports&Itemid=100135

http://www.malaysia-today.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29481:government-powerless-says-najib&catid=21:special-reports&Itemid=100135

http://www.malaysia-today.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29462:judiciary-website-hacked-over-allah-issue&catid=19:newscommentaries&Itemid=100131

http://art-harun.blogspot.com/2010/01/our-failings.html

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/48874-kl-church-torched-

http://infidelsunite.typepad.com/counter_jihad/2010/01/3-malaysian-churches-attacked-in-allah-dispute.html

These are particularly good:

http://dayakbaru.com/weblog08/2010/01/08/what-does-burning-the-church-mean-to-you/

http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/political-news/157085-politicians-condemn-church-attacks.html

http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/political-news/157114-a-quiet-protest-despite-much-hype.html

http://themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/48583-home-ministry-bid-to-stay-allah-ruling-in-court-tomorrow-

Oh, and THIS article, by our beloved government-controlled newspaper The Star, is just about the most RIDICULOUS thing i've ever read:

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/1/5/nation/5412738&sec=nation

I'll just leave you with these two pictures:

and

Instead of saying the chinese people are immigrants and should leave Malaysia if they're unhappy with the way things are (as was said by a certain politician last year), why not deport these people who like to burn stuff for no good reason?

I think Malaysia would be a better place without them.

Here's something my friend Tracey wrote on Facebook that i agree with completely:

Church burning? Is this 1Malaysia? I am deeply sad, angry and hurt. It is not worth it. We don't need to fight for anything cos we know our God can certainly fend for himself. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Oh, and by the way my good day was almost completely ruined. Thanks a lot.

END.

I am having a Converse Crisis!

2010-01-04T23:53:00.067+08:00

Right now i am confused.

Very, VERY confused

I know, you might be saying this isn't exactly an unusual thing

in fact, you may be saying "it's quite common, actually!" (why thank you. really)

The thing is, i usually get confused over normal things like road directions. North South East where? Which is sugar and which is salt. Watermelon vs Chocolate. Johnny's Hot and Spicy rice or McDonald's Spicy Chicken McDeluxe.

I don't usually get confused over.... SHOES

I mean, i'm usually pretty clear about what I want, whether for sport shoes or heels or slippers or whatever

But then, today i decided i needed sneakers, which i've never tried before

and

it's opened a whole new WORLD to me!

I officially LOVE converse now.

And, i just CAN'T decide

It's terrible. Really terrible.

Right now, I want... more than 6 pairs

so niceee

this is transparent btw. HOW COOL IS THAT, HOW COOL?

i LOVE this colour

AND this colour

and this

this too

and this is one of my faves

AAAAAHHHH.

How?

I think i'll splurge and get... 2 pairs. Maybe 3?

Donations are most most MOST welcome. Think of it as giving to charity =)

P.S

*_* my face when i see the sneakers.
$.$ my dad's face

i think i'll have to buy them myself.

The end of my love affair with water =(

2010-01-03T00:44:00.001+08:00

My mother just oh-so-kindly let me know that i am in for a BIG culture shock when I go to Adelaide

and

I kinda wish she HADN'T told me, coz now i'm dreading going! =(

See

Adelaide's near the dessert or something like that

so they have water shortages etc etc

and hence

they try whenever possible to conserve water AND electricity

and i'm totally supportive of that, and ALL for it!

Really!

Save the environment and all that... stuff. Whoo!

BUT THEN

my cousin told her mother who told MY mother who then told me

that

YOU ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO HAVE 5 MINUTE BATHS.

every

single

day.

I am going to DIE.

I love water! I really do.

That's why I take 30 minute showers, so I can have heart-to-heart, I-love-you-so-much-muah-muah bonding time with the water in my bathroom.

Now you're saying I have to cut my bonding time with water down to a paltry 5 minutes?

='(

I have no idea how they enforce it.

I mean, they won't arrest me if I overshoot and use the water for... say, 5 minutes and 50 seconds right?

or even... 30 minutes? *hopeful face*

My mother wants me to start practicing at home. Like those Olympic runners you know?

Coach Mum: *hammering on the bathroom door* Come on yoong, YOU CAN DO IT! Shave off 20 seconds from your time. Come on! Go go go go GO!

Me: .... are you TIMING me?

So that's Horrible Thing #1.

HT#2 is that they restrict your internet time too!

Apparently lah.

Like, internet there is expensive, not like here in Malaysia. So i might not be able to feed my Facebook crave as much as i'd like! Oh, and keep in touch with family and friends too haha.*

*That's totally on the top of my list of Internet Priorities =)*

So yeah. I don't know how i'm supposed to survive the homesickness without the Internet.

No Skype?

No facebook?

No email?

~~*dies*~~

Haiyo. See, this is what happens when you go to a foreign country.

Oh and another thing. Apparently if you're watching TV there, ALL THE OTHER LIGHTS in your house MUST be switched off.

And you know what? I LIKE that. Coz it means every time my cousin switches on her TV, well, i'm OBLIGATED to switch off my lights (enough studying) and go teman her right? =)

Just goes to show, there's always a silver lining, if you look hard enough =)

Someday...

2010-01-01T00:07:00.000+08:00

I will be rich enough to have my own fireworks display, and it shall last for HOURS, not like the crappy jusco ones that are over in like 5 seconds.

=)

Clean slates are wonderful. Try not to dirty yours too much this year =)

2009-12-31T23:06:00.000+08:00

In 10 minutes, this year ends

2009 ---> 2010

meaning we have 2 more years before a huge asteroid crashes into earth and everybody gets fried! =)

Isn't that a JOYFUL thought, haha

At the beginning of each year, we all make resolutions. It's natural.

It's also completely natural to completely disregard all the said resolutions after a few days.

Or in my case, a few hours =D

Soooooooo.....

THIS YEAR

I have decided that I shall go against the flow

stand out in the crowd

be the thorn among the roses

bla bla bla

BY:

actually KEEPING my resolutions! =D

AND I shall post them here so you people can hold me accountable (wait. that's scary though! oh no!)

Resolution #1

I shall procrastinate less (this will probably be the hardest to keep)

Resolution #2

I will learn to cook and bake very well... or at least better than at the moment haha

Resolution #3

I will do all my assignments ON TIME in uni (which sorta ties in with Resolution #1) and I will do VERY VERY VERY well in my exams

Resolution #4

I will share Christ with as many people as I can

Btw let me start here: Jesus died for YOU on the cross, to forgive YOUR sins. Let's face it, we're all sinners. You, me and the milkman who lives down the road. Still, Jesus loves you, and if you believe in him YOU will have everlasting life, in heaven, with HIM.

Resolution #5

I will be less messy. I will TRY to be less messy. I will... Haiyo. Um. I will not leave mountains of junk on my floor & bed, and I will have a clothes cupboard that is as obsessively neat as Charlene's.

Okay scratch the charlene part, because that is IMPOSSIBLE =(

Resolution #5

I will save more money.

Does it count if I work and earn money and spend that so that technically I will be saving the money my dad gives me?

Okay yes it does. I think.

Resolution #6

I will not lose my temper too often. I will learn to harness it and channel it into more... productive areas. Like kick-boxing! Enough said.

Resolution #7

I will keep in touch with my close close friends. And even the not-so-close-but-still-quite-close ones. I will forcibly force (?) them to come on Skype even if they are having so much fun in uni and do not want to Skype with me.

Resolution #8

I will read the bible more. i WILL finish at least HALF of the whole bible by the end of 2010.

Resolution #9

I will find a way to make my brothers' voices NOT break so that I can still squish them when I come back for Christmas and I will not be freaked out by their new manly voices.

Hmm.

Okay scratch that. I will be a better sister, and daughter.

Resolution #10

I will be a living testament for God, in everything I do or say. And I will grow in my walk with Him; and really, that's the ULTIMATE resolution to have.

12.01, HAPPY NEW YEAR everybody! =)

P.S. I love fireworks =)

Christmas isn't christmas till it happens in your Heart =)

2009-12-24T23:19:00.000+08:00

Purple christmas tree =)

Yay i'm here! Blogging! Before christmas! =)

I managed to suppress the procrastinator in me, if only for a moment, haha

Which reminds me, i just counted, and i now have 18 drafts, up 7 from the previous 11

Crazy right

Anyway, it's Christmas in approximately... 25 minutes time

and i have a whole pile of unwrapped christmas presents

hey, at least i got the presents okay

-___-

Well, i gotta go wrap them, or my brothers will kill me tomorrow

I swear, their sad, puppy-dog-eyed faces will guilt trip you so much you'll literally DIE

I also have to make cheesecake squares for our Christmas Dinner tomorrow

here's hoping it's successful =)

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2009 everyone, and remember, it's called CHRISTmas for a reason

Thank you, God, for sending Your son Jesus down to earth for us, to eventually die on the cross for the sins of the world. MY sins.

I pray that this coming year, I will grow more and more worthy of Your scarifice.

And I pray that Your will will (double "will"s! how cool, in a really lame way! -_-) be done in my life.

I shall requote the Christmas SMS i sent out last year to everyone:

During this festive season, may God protect us from all the sinfully delicious christmas delicacies available. Enjoy your christmas everyone!

This supposedly-more-grown-up-and-hence-mature 18 year old finds making decisions HARD =(

2009-12-24T01:55:00.000+08:00

I feel very guilty whenever i see blogs that are frequently updated.

WHERE DO THESE PEOPLE FIND THE TIMEEEE??!

Okay, maybe they just don't procrastinate as much as i do =(

It's christmas eve today =)

I have a lot of christmas presents to buy

"Very last minute lah" you say?

well

christmas isn't about gifts anyway, so a gift would be a BONUS right? =)

Ah the heart is so deceitful.

Anyway i will definitely update tomorrow

DEFINITELY.

Because

my cousin from australia is here with her parents and my grandma (who is also HER grandma, but nevermind)

so we will be (read: have to) waking up early to bring them out for a nice, Malaysian-ish breakfast

probably Roti Canai

so since we'll be up so early, i'll have plenty of time to update my blog. i hope =)

OH that reminds me we ate nasi lemak for dinner just now!

At this stall called Nasi Lemak Ujong Pasir, which is AMAZING

i was honestly so so SO full, in the i'm-gonna-explode-if-i-breath kinda way

Highly recommended =)

The mosquitoes there feasted on me and my cousin though.

Why do mosquitoes exist?

Anyway. I finally went through with something i'd been dreading doing for the past few days, and it turned out to be better than i thought! =)

Just goes to show, you know?

Oh i'll be blogging soon about my Finals results (it deserves a post of it's own)

Also, I got nominated for the Law Scholarship i applied for at the University of Adelaide, which is a really exciting thing, and will really REALLY help if i accept it

BUT

the email came exactly when i'd FINALLY made my decision to go to UWA!

So now i'm confused again.

UWA or UA

UWA

Haiyo. It'll be so much easier if i just go to MMU -_________-

Please God, help me to decide where YOU want me to go.

I have to go now

NOW

i don't even have time to add colour or pictures to this post

the mosquitoes in my computer room are eating me ALIVE =/

itchy

scratch scratch

ish

bye =)

JUST IN CASE i don't update my blog soon,

MERRY CHRISTMAS! =)

Failure is NOT an option

2009-12-15T13:49:00.000+08:00

SAM results are out tomorrow

That is EXACTLY how i feel right now.

AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I will be up by 6 to check it

http://www.ssabsa.sa.edu.au/results/index.htm

AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I hate you, inventor of exams =/

Anyway

now it's time to offer up my sacrifices (the modern day version)

Dear God,

melted chocolate?

a chocolate keyboard!

expensive looking chocolates

a chocolate HOUSE (trust the japanese haha)

even MORE expensive looking chocolates

this covers milk chocolate, white chocolate AND dark chocolate; in case you have any particular preferences =)

round, egg-like chocolates

AND LASTLY

chocolate dogs

Now tell me, who can resist chocolate dogs?

=D

God, i swear this is the last time i will attempt to bribe you with chocolate.

I'm kidding lah. I'm not bribing you God, because really, who am I to bribe you

*Also, you probably have more chocolate than you know what to do with in heaven*

Because DUH there is chocolate in heaven =)

Anyway, God I just pray that you will be merciful, generous, and MOST OF ALL

you will give me results that are better than what i deserve.

Amen.

hello =)

2009-11-30T00:23:00.000+08:00

ARGH I have so many unfinished posts saved as Drafts

it's NOT EVEN FUNNY

I promise to TRY to finish them ASAP

*I procrastinate a lot*

sigh

okay i shall go finish them

now

maybe

or... you know, later

hehe.

Edit: I just counted, I have 11 drafts.

11

*crawls into a hole*

I see a SAMPAN!

2009-11-09T17:01:00.000+08:00

A while back I said I was stuck on an island... the Island of Preparation for Exams, to be exact. And now i'm saying a ship is approaching

What is it with me and all these beachy themes?

Anyway

the end is near

i see the light at the end of the tunnel

etc etc

because

Chemistry is my absolute last paper, and then I will be DONE with SAM!

It is an exhilarating thought

but at the same time it's scary

and very emo-inducing =(

By the way doesn't emo-inducing sound so cool? I mean, instead of saying like, "oh i'm so emo", you can say "I am currently in a state of emo-ness which has been induced by the end of SAM". heehee =)

I REFUSE TO BE EMO UNTIL FINALS ARE OVER

THEN

you can expect a very very very very very long post whining about how life is so unfair, and i don't want to grow up bla bla bla. I can gurrantee it will be bursting at the seams with emo-ness.
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Actually

Right now i'm supposed to be studying chem, but i think i deserve a break right?

Since I *cough cough* hardly ever take ANY breaks. Hehe.

So i'm planning the itinerary for the upcoming MELAKA TRIP (yes i have to use CAPITAL LETTERS because i'm just SO EXCITED okay i shall stop now) with lots of help from Wan Dien

and also i'm planning birthday lists! Or rather, Presents Lists. Of stuff I want to give people either as birthday presents, or we-are-leaving-and-i-will-probably-never-see-you-again-for-at-least-5-years-so-here-you-go presents.

Wow that was long.

Have i mentioned before that I <3 making lists?

I think I have =D

And i'm also emailing my mother my Birthday List (NOT that i'm advertising that my birthday is on the 16th of November or anything like that of course. haha) and Cake List

Cake list: (preference ranked out of 5 stars)

Lemon cheesecake. ****

Oreo cheesecake ***

Chocolate cake ***

Lemon meringue pie ****

Lemon meringue cupcakes ***

Apple strudel from Singapore ****

Apple crumble with ice cream ***

White chocolate cheesecake **

I realize that some of them are not cakes. But still. You might notice the word "lemon" crops up a lot.

Because... well, LEMONS. Need I say more? =)

The Bio paper today was okay. Not emo-inducing anyway. Not like MATHSSSSS =(

I'm hoping Bio will salvage what's left of my TER, haha... because ESL was SCREWED UP by the-stupid-letter-I-wrote-that-upon-further-reflection-makes-absolutely-no-sense.

Sigh.

God, it would be very nice to get a TER of above 90.

Pretty please?

*I've tried bribing/sacrificing/offering you chocolate, it doesn't seem to work. So no chocolate this time, i'm keeping it for myself. hehe*

Anyway, i've finally found a term for the cesspool -- wait no. cesspool is the wrong word. For the extremely mixed-up and random thoughts I have.

I have economy rice thoughts! Otherwise known as chap-fan thoughts (in cantonese).

To those of you who DO NOT KNOW what this means (shame on you, haha... i'm kidding), economy rice is where you get a plate of white rice, and then you can choose from like 50 different dishes.

So yeah. You should get what I mean.

My eyes hurt.

I'm tired.

Being high and laughing non-stop (in a supposedly creepy way) the night before an exam is NOT a good idea =(

i STILL blame the R.O water that Shu Sim made me buy

I should've known better lah. She drinks it all the time, and look at the state she's in.

Hehe. I'm sorry Shu Sim =)

Actually, i'm not.

Randomly, Shu Sim thinks she is 1/2 Jesus (Jun Kiat is the other half) because she thinks I am Mary.

And apparently I am Mary because I gave birth to both her and Jun Kiat even though I am a virgin.

Honestly. For the last time, i picked both of you up from the dumpster!! =/

The person to blame for this?

Charlene. Because she sat next to Shu Sim during church last week. And should have taught her better.

On the bright side, Shu Sim is now interested in reading the Bible! Haha...

Shu Sim: *after she read about the woman who touched jesus and was healed* Nobody can touch me! Because if they touch me i will lose my power!

I don't think i will be bringing her to church anymore.

Alice in Scaryland

2009-11-06T15:05:00.000+08:00

I read in The Star quite a long time ago that Tim Burton was filming a new version of Alice in Wonderland

This was very exciting, because AiW is one of the strangest books I have ever read

And I happen to like strange books very much =)

Then today I saw some of the pictures of characters, and all I can say is:

SCARRRYYYYY lahhh!

If I met these people, I'd probably die of a heart attack. On the spot. Especially Johnny Depp. He looks like he came straight out of a nightmare!

But OF COURSE i'll still be watching the movie =)

I enjoy living in Denial

2009-11-06T14:13:00.000+08:00

I have two more papers next week - Bio and Chemistry

and yet here I am.

As always. haha

In fact, i'm making a list of things to do AFTER Finals

and Finals aren't even over yet.

I <3 making lists. It's an unhealthy addiction I have. Along with my tendency to lust after shiny new sheets of wrapping paper that crinkle in the nicest way.

=)

I'm also working on ideas for the "new-and-improved" class video Rachel and I are doing (i just give her the ideas and watch while she does what she does haha)

Any ideas for songs? I came up with a whole long list while I should have been studying Physics on Tuesday.

Hmm. I think that says a lot about me =(

okay I shall tear myself away to go mug Bio and Chem.

It all ends on the 11th. I can't waittt =D

A message in a bottle sent from someone who is stuck on the Island of Preparation for Exams to the Other People in the world who are Disgustingly Free

2009-10-30T16:12:00.000+08:00

This is going to be the shortest update -- if it can even be called that -- in the history of all my updates =)

- Shu sim is still staying with me, and i'm happy to report we haven't had any catfights. yet =D

- Finals are in 2 days. ESL, then Physics, then Maths, Bio and Chem.

AAAAAAHHHHHHH

- The melaka trip is officially ON =D

21 out of 24 of my classmates are going. Yay =)

Satay celup. I can't wait =)

- I still haven't bought anything for Prom

- I have found out how to have colours and different font sizes etc in my posts.

Hehe so sua ku rite

- Um. I have a lot of pictures to upload. but i can't =(

- I had a bathroom fight with Michelle, which Charlene documented on her iPhone

Memorable quote of the day from Charlene:

I'm amazed at the weapons you two can come up with in this
relatively harmless bathroom

In case you were wondering what "weapons" we had, Michelle had her shower sponge, I had a toilet roll and the shower head.

Of course I won =D

So yeah. That's it. Don't expect anymore updates for two whole weeks.
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Unless I crack under the pressure.
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If I do, you can expect a super, SUPER long post detailing the horrors of S.A.M.

P.S. It is so typical of me to be fascinated with changing the font sizes and colours, it's disgusting

P.P.S Go read Malaysia Today! (google it)

Write "you're so handsome" on my wall

2009-10-25T07:31:00.000+08:00

I just came across this draft in my archives, and it was soooo long ago i'd forgotten to post it up! It's a conversation between Jun Kiat and I at the library, back when i hadn't become his so-called "Moooomm" yet =D

We were both NOT studying and instead using the computers =)

Jun Kiat: Eh eh, write "you're so handsome" on my wall!

Me: But I don't like lying. Hehee

Jun Kiat: Yer! Fine, come lets take a picture!

Me: No.

Jun Kiat: You're rejecting me AGAIN?? *making a puppy dog face*

Me: Yes. I'd have thought you'd get the hint by now =P

Jun Kiat: You're so evil!

Me: Why are you repeating yourself? It's redundant.

Jun Kiat: You're so bad!

Me: You need a wider vocabulary.

Jun Kiat: Huh!!! I'll curse you in my sleep!!!!

And so on.

Hahaha oh man those were the days =)

I <3 all my library conversations with all these special people.