kim and sam, coming out of the first malaysian public toilet encountered in five years...
*look of awe* it was a squatting one!!!
man, i couldn't remember how to use it.
did you face the wall or the door?
i almost didn't know what to do.
did you flush?
i don't want to bring these slippers back to perth.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
so i thought wrong
and we have Streamyx (and ESPN).
Sibu is uncharacteristically cool these days because of the 60 hours of rain over the last two days. Drizzle is perpetually intermittent (go figure).
So this is how it goes:
The seats on the plane are tiny. I'm glad I'm not claustrophobic. I stretched across mum and Sam and slept for ages. When I woke up - my eyes all dry and contacts ready to jump out - I checked the time only to find we'd only been flying for two hours. BUT... We moved right to the back of the pesawat and there were plenty of empty seats there :)
The child sitting in front of me on the plane kept turning around, looking at me, and then giggling. One time he did that, I made an ugly face at him. He let out a little shriek, and turned back around so quickly that he smashed into the seat in front of him.
That was amusing for a while :)
LCC-Terminal has nothing. NOTHING. The five hour transit there was the worst part of the trip. And then there was the checking in...
There is no such thing as a neat, orderly line when it comes to checking in at the airport. There is no such thing as justice for the fair. I could elaborate on the 50 people that cut into the line in front of us at KL International, but the angry little girl inside of me would rage out and then even I don't know what might happen. I also didn't realise you could tailgate someone with an airport baggage trolley. Seriously, I looked down at my feet and I could see the trolley of the person behind me just waiting to bite into my achilles tendons.
KL is humid compared to Perth. KL is dry as chalk in the sun compared to Sibu.
There are longkangs here. I love it. Not the longkangs, but you know that feeling you get from being back to the place you come from? The lack of tar-sealed roads, the houses on stilts, very creative driving ("hey EE, wasn't that a red light?" "yes, it was"), smaller people, coconut trees in backyards, foochow everywhere... I LOVE IT.
I haven't had kampua yet - I haven't actually been anywhere but various homes-of-rellies. But it's okay. I haven't been here 24 hours yet.
I love it (rice dumplings for breakfast oh-yay) :)
Maybe it's cause the weather isn't very terrible these days. I don't know.
I ramble in my happiness :)
Sibu is uncharacteristically cool these days because of the 60 hours of rain over the last two days. Drizzle is perpetually intermittent (go figure).
So this is how it goes:
The seats on the plane are tiny. I'm glad I'm not claustrophobic. I stretched across mum and Sam and slept for ages. When I woke up - my eyes all dry and contacts ready to jump out - I checked the time only to find we'd only been flying for two hours. BUT... We moved right to the back of the pesawat and there were plenty of empty seats there :)
The child sitting in front of me on the plane kept turning around, looking at me, and then giggling. One time he did that, I made an ugly face at him. He let out a little shriek, and turned back around so quickly that he smashed into the seat in front of him.
That was amusing for a while :)
LCC-Terminal has nothing. NOTHING. The five hour transit there was the worst part of the trip. And then there was the checking in...
There is no such thing as a neat, orderly line when it comes to checking in at the airport. There is no such thing as justice for the fair. I could elaborate on the 50 people that cut into the line in front of us at KL International, but the angry little girl inside of me would rage out and then even I don't know what might happen. I also didn't realise you could tailgate someone with an airport baggage trolley. Seriously, I looked down at my feet and I could see the trolley of the person behind me just waiting to bite into my achilles tendons.
KL is humid compared to Perth. KL is dry as chalk in the sun compared to Sibu.
There are longkangs here. I love it. Not the longkangs, but you know that feeling you get from being back to the place you come from? The lack of tar-sealed roads, the houses on stilts, very creative driving ("hey EE, wasn't that a red light?" "yes, it was"), smaller people, coconut trees in backyards, foochow everywhere... I LOVE IT.
I haven't had kampua yet - I haven't actually been anywhere but various homes-of-rellies. But it's okay. I haven't been here 24 hours yet.
I love it (rice dumplings for breakfast oh-yay) :)
Maybe it's cause the weather isn't very terrible these days. I don't know.
I ramble in my happiness :)
Monday, January 12, 2009
this is all you're getting until the 5th of February
Okay, I know I've been slack with the blogging...
and it's about to get even slacker.
This hungry person will be leaving Perth to go to the Land of the Kampua on a big flying machine in about 7 hours, and won't be back until the 5th of February.
I have made the necessary preparations:
Lists of food I shall eat when I go home.
Tiffany advised me to save on the calories in the weeks leading up to the trip, but I have not heeded her advice. I am leaving at 48kg and hopefully I won't be over 50 when I get back. Hopefully.
Pack like, four shirts for the 3.5 week trip. Come back with 50.
Laptop + hard drive with lots of movies/dramas = things to keep me up at night.
(I am unsure as to the Internet capabilities where I will be staying in the Land of the Kampua. I suspect Dr. Dialup or Sir NoInternet).
My "handbag" weighs 4kg.
Okay. Last few hours of sleep before bracing the humidity, the flies, the dengghi...
Big smiles for you till I come back :)
and it's about to get even slacker.
This hungry person will be leaving Perth to go to the Land of the Kampua on a big flying machine in about 7 hours, and won't be back until the 5th of February.
I have made the necessary preparations:
Lists of food I shall eat when I go home.
Tiffany advised me to save on the calories in the weeks leading up to the trip, but I have not heeded her advice. I am leaving at 48kg and hopefully I won't be over 50 when I get back. Hopefully.
Pack like, four shirts for the 3.5 week trip. Come back with 50.
Laptop + hard drive with lots of movies/dramas = things to keep me up at night.
(I am unsure as to the Internet capabilities where I will be staying in the Land of the Kampua. I suspect Dr. Dialup or Sir NoInternet).
My "handbag" weighs 4kg.
Okay. Last few hours of sleep before bracing the humidity, the flies, the dengghi...
Big smiles for you till I come back :)
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
2008
this is one of those reflective end of year posts.
i don't think it will be particularly deep and meaningful.
the OCD part of my brain demands that i make a list.
so in 2008...
1) I have been to karaoke more times than in all the rest of my life put together. Times by two. Mostly around the exam period (not before, definitely after, and sometimes in between ><). I'm not gonna lie to you. It did get disturbing sometimes.
2) I fried an egg. Myself. Perfectly. Once. I kid you not.
Sadly, I did not capture this monumental moment on camera.
3) I failed more assessments than I have - yup, you guessed it - in all the rest of my life put together. In my defense, all of them were Literature essays, and English is NOT (technically supposed to be) my first language. I did fail quite a few of these though.
4) I went to church camp and I learnt how much I really have to be thankful for. I learnt about stepping out in faith, because there is literally nothing stopping me. I learnt about possibilities, and that all I have to do is ask and believe. I learnt about love, courage, strength and so much more.
I also had a heap of fun :)
5) I exercised like... 4 times.
We had to do two sports for school this year, and I picked bowling. Hur hur. Great workout, bowling. Very good for the... umm... something.
The majority (hahah! majority!) of my exercise came from playing strange games at youth created by YJ.
6) I had the best care group. Most. Awesome. Ever. 'Nuff said.
7) I finished my last year of high school. It started out kinda normal and not really very special at all, but it just got better and better (and harder and harder). But it was so good. I didn't want to leave when we eventually had to.
Physics. It was SO SLACK. I can't believe so many of us got away with all the stuff we did (or lack of stuff we did XD). Mr. Lampard is kinda odd... but still cool.
8) I quit my job. This is the first time I have quit a job. Granted, it's only my second proper job, but still. I felt a sense of accomplishment. Now I don't really feel like going back. Now, I can't remember what a 12 hour shift feels like. Now, I also don't have sore feet :)
Oh, I also don't have to sing lame, clearly-written-by-the-manager-himself, "inspirational" songs at staff trainings that take 40 minutes for travel. Each way.
9) I graduated. From high school. I have achieved the WACE. It is a rather boring piece of paper, really. My bank statement is more interesting.
But it's nice to have something to say that the last 5 years of high school - including 18 weeks of swimming, hundreds of assessments, Chemistry, 18 weeks of swimming, Mrs. V, probability, and have i mentioned 18 weeks of swimming? - have come to an end and I must have SOME brains to have graduated :)
10) I did a lot more stuff but I cannot for the life of me remember them right now. My brain could really only process TEE towards the end (and oh, that's another thing I did in 2008).
It doesn't matter, though. The year has been great, thank God, and thank all of you that made it so lovely.
2009's got a lot to live up to, but I have no fears that it won't.
So Happy New Year guys.
Big smiles, God bless, and here's to a great one :)
*p.s. 11) My blogging habits are shocking.
i don't think it will be particularly deep and meaningful.
the OCD part of my brain demands that i make a list.
so in 2008...
1) I have been to karaoke more times than in all the rest of my life put together. Times by two. Mostly around the exam period (not before, definitely after, and sometimes in between ><). I'm not gonna lie to you. It did get disturbing sometimes.
2) I fried an egg. Myself. Perfectly. Once. I kid you not.
Sadly, I did not capture this monumental moment on camera.
3) I failed more assessments than I have - yup, you guessed it - in all the rest of my life put together. In my defense, all of them were Literature essays, and English is NOT (technically supposed to be) my first language. I did fail quite a few of these though.
4) I went to church camp and I learnt how much I really have to be thankful for. I learnt about stepping out in faith, because there is literally nothing stopping me. I learnt about possibilities, and that all I have to do is ask and believe. I learnt about love, courage, strength and so much more.
5) I exercised like... 4 times.
We had to do two sports for school this year, and I picked bowling. Hur hur. Great workout, bowling. Very good for the... umm... something.
The majority (hahah! majority!) of my exercise came from playing strange games at youth created by YJ.
6) I had the best care group. Most. Awesome. Ever. 'Nuff said.
7) I finished my last year of high school. It started out kinda normal and not really very special at all, but it just got better and better (and harder and harder). But it was so good. I didn't want to leave when we eventually had to.
Calculus. Us girls aren't REALLY that short, okay. We're all bending a little bit to make the dudes feel taller. Mr. Whyte tolerated our incessant chattering but for some strange reason, would not tolerate something like 14x39=456 (do YOU think that's worth taking 4% off?)
8) I quit my job. This is the first time I have quit a job. Granted, it's only my second proper job, but still. I felt a sense of accomplishment. Now I don't really feel like going back. Now, I can't remember what a 12 hour shift feels like. Now, I also don't have sore feet :)
Oh, I also don't have to sing lame, clearly-written-by-the-manager-himself, "inspirational" songs at staff trainings that take 40 minutes for travel. Each way.
9) I graduated. From high school. I have achieved the WACE. It is a rather boring piece of paper, really. My bank statement is more interesting.
But it's nice to have something to say that the last 5 years of high school - including 18 weeks of swimming, hundreds of assessments, Chemistry, 18 weeks of swimming, Mrs. V, probability, and have i mentioned 18 weeks of swimming? - have come to an end and I must have SOME brains to have graduated :)
10) I did a lot more stuff but I cannot for the life of me remember them right now. My brain could really only process TEE towards the end (and oh, that's another thing I did in 2008).
It doesn't matter, though. The year has been great, thank God, and thank all of you that made it so lovely.
2009's got a lot to live up to, but I have no fears that it won't.
So Happy New Year guys.
Big smiles, God bless, and here's to a great one :)
*p.s. 11) My blogging habits are shocking.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
in between meals and sleep
i have been catching up on all the reading that i so needed to have done over the last year.
now i feel a boiling, irrepressible urge to write.
but i have no idea what.
rawr.
now i feel a boiling, irrepressible urge to write.
but i have no idea what.
rawr.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Saturday, December 13, 2008
to everyone who was online at 12.03 this morning
i apologise if my MSN sent you a link that gave you a virus.
i hope you were clever enough to not click on it.
please.
no, i did not download the virus.
i want to forgive my cousin for doing this.
she does not know better.
breathe.
time to reformat.
:)
i hope you were clever enough to not click on it.
please.
no, i did not download the virus.
i want to forgive my cousin for doing this.
she does not know better.
breathe.
time to reformat.
:)
Thursday, December 11, 2008
on prayer
boingggg: just to protect myself from getting bashed about this post, i really do mean it. i'm not being sarcastic or critical. i know it may sounds negative or like i'm trying to be funny to some, but honestly, i don't mean it like that.
i have the attention span of a puppy with ADHD and i sometimes find it a little bit challenging to pray for any one thing for prolonged periods of time (in one sitting). not because i get tired of it, but it's like... once i've said it, i've said it.
if there's a barbecue on tomorrow and i'd like to pray for fine weather, i pray that God will grant us fine weather, and please hold the rain until the day after.
if i have an exam tomorrow, i pray that i will remember everything and that i will do well in it.
if somebody isn't feeling well, i pray that they will speedily recover.
literally.
unless i am truly desperate, on a daily basis, my subject focused prayers are basically one liners.
let me give you an example:
Somebody else:
Father God, thank You for giving us this day and letting us come to Garden City. I just want to pray that you will help us find a parking spot that is close to the doors so that we won't have to walk too far, and also in the shade so that we will be out of the sun/rain. Please give us a good spot, Lord, and grant us a blessed trip to the mall today. Thank you Lord. Amen.
Me:
Dear Lord, please give us a good parking spot soon. Thanks!
Me in desperate mode:
Dear Lord, please give us a good parking spot. Please give us a spot, please give us a spot, please give us a spot, oh dear God pleasegiveusaspot... (x infinity until we find a spot). Thanks.
and it just hit me then, when i was lying in bed and saying the until-i-doze-off prayer...
i jumped from one prayer item to the next, to the next, to the next, and then jumped back to the original item and repeated. within about two minutes.
there are people out in that wide and wonderful(ly strange) world out there that can pray for hours on end about the one thing, and i have found that i am not such a person.
i actually felt as if i wasn't saying an adequate prayer, so i tried to buff it up a little, but found myself basically repeating what i'd just said (and there's nothing wrong with that, really).
i am just not one of those long, powerful, non-repetitive prayer persons.
and i'm not making any criticisms about people who say long prayers here. i get that many people do get touched by the spirit and the prayer just comes pouring out from their hearts (wow, it's hard to say that without sounding mocking ><, but i mean it sincerely), and that's really great.
but i do believe i'm not the only person out there who does the one-liners. i believe that for every super awesomely beyond awesome prayer warrior out there, there is an equally simple one.
and it's nothing to be ashamed of.
the Bible says this:
and again, that's not condemning eloquence. it just means even the simplest prayers are heard. Jesus said to go to Him as the children do, simply and honestly. so i don't believe a prayer has to be long or wordy. i think that as long as you mean it, and you know that you are directing your thanksgiving and petitions towards God, He hears it. He hears everything, man, i don't think He'd skim over a simple prayer.
and yes, i know that specifics are important. but i also know that God knows my heart. so if i want a good parking spot in Garden City (almost impossible, but all things are possible through Christ so HAH!) and i just pray for a good parking spot, i trust that God will give me one. (and if He doesn't, He probably wants me to walk off the lunch).
it's not an excuse to say really short prayers. i mean, with thanksgiving and confession prayers, i think it's probably best to go all out and give God the thanks He deserves, and beg the forgiveness you do not.
it's just that not everyone is a storyteller, not everyone is good with words, not everyone has a vocabulary the size of canada, and not everyone is a long prayer person.
so if you find that you are - or can at times be - a one-liner, have faith. your prayers have not gone unheard. as long as your heart is right with God, He will work on it and make it all happen in His own time.
big smiles :)
i have the attention span of a puppy with ADHD and i sometimes find it a little bit challenging to pray for any one thing for prolonged periods of time (in one sitting). not because i get tired of it, but it's like... once i've said it, i've said it.
if there's a barbecue on tomorrow and i'd like to pray for fine weather, i pray that God will grant us fine weather, and please hold the rain until the day after.
if i have an exam tomorrow, i pray that i will remember everything and that i will do well in it.
if somebody isn't feeling well, i pray that they will speedily recover.
literally.
unless i am truly desperate, on a daily basis, my subject focused prayers are basically one liners.
let me give you an example:
Somebody else:
Father God, thank You for giving us this day and letting us come to Garden City. I just want to pray that you will help us find a parking spot that is close to the doors so that we won't have to walk too far, and also in the shade so that we will be out of the sun/rain. Please give us a good spot, Lord, and grant us a blessed trip to the mall today. Thank you Lord. Amen.
Me:
Dear Lord, please give us a good parking spot soon. Thanks!
Me in desperate mode:
Dear Lord, please give us a good parking spot. Please give us a spot, please give us a spot, please give us a spot, oh dear God pleasegiveusaspot... (x infinity until we find a spot). Thanks.
and it just hit me then, when i was lying in bed and saying the until-i-doze-off prayer...
i jumped from one prayer item to the next, to the next, to the next, and then jumped back to the original item and repeated. within about two minutes.
there are people out in that wide and wonderful(ly strange) world out there that can pray for hours on end about the one thing, and i have found that i am not such a person.
i actually felt as if i wasn't saying an adequate prayer, so i tried to buff it up a little, but found myself basically repeating what i'd just said (and there's nothing wrong with that, really).
i am just not one of those long, powerful, non-repetitive prayer persons.
and i'm not making any criticisms about people who say long prayers here. i get that many people do get touched by the spirit and the prayer just comes pouring out from their hearts (wow, it's hard to say that without sounding mocking ><, but i mean it sincerely), and that's really great.
but i do believe i'm not the only person out there who does the one-liners. i believe that for every super awesomely beyond awesome prayer warrior out there, there is an equally simple one.
and it's nothing to be ashamed of.
the Bible says this:
When you are praying, don't say meaningless things like the gentiles do, because they think they will be heard by being so wordy.
Matthew 6:7
and again, that's not condemning eloquence. it just means even the simplest prayers are heard. Jesus said to go to Him as the children do, simply and honestly. so i don't believe a prayer has to be long or wordy. i think that as long as you mean it, and you know that you are directing your thanksgiving and petitions towards God, He hears it. He hears everything, man, i don't think He'd skim over a simple prayer.
and yes, i know that specifics are important. but i also know that God knows my heart. so if i want a good parking spot in Garden City (almost impossible, but all things are possible through Christ so HAH!) and i just pray for a good parking spot, i trust that God will give me one. (and if He doesn't, He probably wants me to walk off the lunch).
it's not an excuse to say really short prayers. i mean, with thanksgiving and confession prayers, i think it's probably best to go all out and give God the thanks He deserves, and beg the forgiveness you do not.
it's just that not everyone is a storyteller, not everyone is good with words, not everyone has a vocabulary the size of canada, and not everyone is a long prayer person.
so if you find that you are - or can at times be - a one-liner, have faith. your prayers have not gone unheard. as long as your heart is right with God, He will work on it and make it all happen in His own time.
big smiles :)
Monday, December 08, 2008
mum
today was your birthday.
and there are a lot of things i could say, but tonight i can only say this:
we joke about the dinosaur thing,
our new favourite phrase is "you're fossilizing!",
and there are absolutely no subtle hints at all in getting you that cookbook.
(the hints are very un-subtle)
but
not for anything in the whole world would we trade you,
or push you away,
or leave you.
because when we were only half a metre long and smelled kinda funky, you fed us and cleaned us and did your best to make sure we were happy.
because when we were really sick, or ripped ourselves open falling down on concrete, you were there to wrap us up and make us forget anything was wrong.
because since our last five hour plane ride, you've worked harder than i think i ever could to give us everything we needed, and so much more.
because even if this was the only 'because',
at the end of the day, we know how much you love us,
and put simply,
we love you too.
so happy birthday, mum.
you are fossilizing very well :)
and there are a lot of things i could say, but tonight i can only say this:
we joke about the dinosaur thing,
our new favourite phrase is "you're fossilizing!",
and there are absolutely no subtle hints at all in getting you that cookbook.
(the hints are very un-subtle)
but
not for anything in the whole world would we trade you,
or push you away,
or leave you.
because when we were only half a metre long and smelled kinda funky, you fed us and cleaned us and did your best to make sure we were happy.
because when we were really sick, or ripped ourselves open falling down on concrete, you were there to wrap us up and make us forget anything was wrong.
because since our last five hour plane ride, you've worked harder than i think i ever could to give us everything we needed, and so much more.
because even if this was the only 'because',
at the end of the day, we know how much you love us,
and put simply,
we love you too.
so happy birthday, mum.
you are fossilizing very well :)
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