Min.D On Life

Proud to Be Malaysian?

2009-01-12T10:49:00.002-06:00

I have been attending university in the United States of America since August of 2007 and this is my first time back in Malaysia since I left. I leave again in four days, which explains my frantic attempt to bring as much of Malaysia with me as I possibly can. As I shove packets of Mee Maggie(Asam Laksa Flavour) and Kuih Bahulu into my luggage, my mind starts to wander and I find myself thinking: What are Malaysians most proud of? What do we think makes our country special and different?

It is no secret that we have our fair share of political strife, crime and violence, as well as economic struggles -- just like any other country. However, I am confident that there is a lot that we can be thankful for that sets us apart from the rest of the world.

Since I take my responsibility as a Malaysian very seriously, I feel it is my civic duty to act as an unofficial ambassador of Malaysia. So, I love sharing stories about our cultures and traditions to people from other parts of the world -- although I must admit it is hard to explain things like what durian tastes like and how we manage to speak Manglish so fluently!

Here are the two things I ALWAYS mention when talking about Malaysia:

Proud to be Malaysian! = Proud to have amazing food!

Any Malaysian who has been away for a great length of time will tell you that they miss the "makan". From the moment I left the airport, I feel like I have been on a 'seefood' diet. Where I eat everything I see! Whether it be Chinese, Malay or Indian, I felt compelled to taste as much as possible.

Proud to be Malaysian! = Proud to be able to speak Manglish!

As I was busy stuffing my face, I realized that my friends gathered around me were Chinese, Malay and Indian as well, which made our discussions all the more interesting. As is commonly heard, our conversations were along the lines of: Aiyo, I so tired until mau pengsan la!

As I prepare to leave Malaysia again, I run through the images in my mind indexing the interesting anecdotes that I will soon share with my friends at college. I know there are many college students out there who are planning to further their tertiary education in foreign countries as well.
I am curious to know: What would YOU highlight about Malaysia? What stories would you tell?

Leave a comment!

To all Malaysians: Take it from me, the "makan" here is still the best! ;-)

Fight the current OR go with the flow?

2009-01-09T15:57:00.004-06:00

"There are more than 100 million blogs in the world, with about 15 million of them active" - Sarah Boxer, The New York Review of Books.

It was probably a little geeky to start of with a quote but I thought it was rather thought provoking. See, this blog of mine has been one of the 85 million that have been inactive (i.e. dead), taking up all that internet space/URLs or whatever it is useless blogs take up!

I've been back in Malaysia for bout 2 weeks now and found out that practically everyone and their mom has a blog now (MY mom hasn't admitted to having one, but you never know)! My sis, bro, cousins, friends blog...blog...blog...

I will admit that there are certain informative blogs out there that have provided me with much solutions to petty day-to-day problems. My question is: Do we really need to be updated everytime one of our friends decides to try a new drink at the local coffeeshop or discovers he/she can roll his/her tongue???

Plus, I might just be paranoid but do you really want complete strangers reading about your personal life - schedules, loved ones, irritable bowel movements?

But then again with social networks like Facebook, Friendster and whatever else is out there, we (meaning teenagers and the computer savvy) willingly broadcast our life whether people give a crap about it or not.

So...
I truly welcome comments on this post. Your opinions will determine whether or not this blog will be "revived" from its long loooong slumber. Do you suggest I be 'alternative' and delete this blog OR go with the blogging trend and entertain you with my life stories?

To all bloggers: Blog safe! Blog interesting!
=)

PS: Here's the link to the article in the NYRoB (where I got the quote)
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/21013

University of the Ozarks !

2007-08-24T14:52:00.000-05:00

Hey..hvnt blogged in a super loooooooooong time..cos i've been bz. Im in Clarksville, Arkansas, USA now...classes hv started and i've been job hunting..settling down..shopping at Wal-Mart..eating at Arby's and making loads n loads of frens..u can c pix on my Facebook..anyways..here is a few of em...

JP & Zi Jian on the plane

Me & Steffi ( dunno WAT im doin! )

Byknya beg !..Mati lo...HEAVY!..

Guy who searched my bags n stuf wen i set off the metal detector..

3 TIMES in San Francisco airport..sigh..i was body searched too..*blush*

Brittany(me room mate) and I

i got loads more pics comin up..wen i find the time to blog again..not enuf hours in d day la.. !

Party ! !

2007-08-06T11:10:00.000-05:00

MENG KO... Thx for The Simpson's (my 2nd round)..Popcorn..and Bowling !!!!

DIONG WEI HOONG ! ! !...Thx for helping me out with my Streamyx problem !!!!

Nthn much happen today..went for movie(The Simpson's..Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da) with Meng ko and Mimi [ wei xin wanted to stay home study..he now PMR trial ah..so harworking my bro.. =) ]..den bowled a game..den came bak d lo..

Hoong help me fix my streamyx prob..tel me reinstall cd..den magically can use d..[so smart la my cuz... ;) ]

Ohhhh..n i add my other cuz..(y my post 2day all bout my cousin bros??) Wei Wei on msn today..(hi!..waves at wei wei..wen he reads this blog)

Er..so far my packing has been coming along..my check in luggage weighs approx. 50~kg!..(eva yap dats like almost double wat u weigh la!!!-PS. thx 4 dropping by my blog..FINALLY!!)

I still hvnt got my carry on luggage yet..sigh..soooo last minute...

Today Im Craving : Some decent sleep tonite..(hvnt been sleeping well for weeks now..quite drained la..)..

Oh yea..i had my 'going-away' party last weekend ( 4th Aug )..

Shout out to the special ppl in my life who came :

Babes : Eva, Charlotte, Andrea, Carol, Jules, MW, Yenn, Weng, Cat ... Suba, Nelly, Sharifah, Lynn, MichL ... Ilya!

Dudes : Resh, Vind, TL, Phua ... Michael, Sri Jone, Chester ... Yue Chuen, Darryl, Matt, Jeremy!

Send me pix from ur cameras or phones!!...

Hope i din leave anyone out!...

OH..n wei hoong of cos..4 being thr both days..(sat & sun)

Countdown Till I Fly For USA :

6 Days!

The Simpson's Movie

2007-08-02T11:12:00.000-05:00

Aha-Aha-Aha-Aha-Aha-Aha-Aha-Aha-Aha-Aha-Aha-Aha-Aha-Aha-Aha-Aha-Aha-Aha-Aha

Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da

'Spider pig .. Spider Pig .. Does wtv a Spider Pig does .. Does he swing from a web .. No he doesn't.. he's a pig...look out..here comes the Spider Pig ! ! !'

I HEART The Simpson's Movie...absolutely loooooove it !!

I laughed from beginning to the end..i wont even bother adding spoilers to this post cos EVRYONE should watch it...

Just wanted to recommend it to evryone and anyone..

Its good...reli reli good...just expect to repeat the above phrases many many many times after u leave the cinema...and a long while after that...

Hey eva...: aha-aha-aha-aha-aha!

Today Im Craving : A sound clip of either the Nelson boy in Simpsons' "aha-aha" or Homer singing Spider Pig...

*Check out the Spider Pig Clip in my Media Space*

My Streamyx LIVES ! ! !

2007-08-01T12:23:00.000-05:00

MUahaHaHAHAhahAHahAhAHaHAHaHahaha . . . ! ! !

Guess wat ... i was all freaked out over the Ethernet Port for NOTHING !

Daddy *kisses dad on cheek* drove me all the way to 'digital mall' in Section 14 to get this Ethernet Port / PCI card thingy..after much screwing ( woi..suci fikiran ok?! ) and prying open and a bit of cursing (by me of cos)..TA-DAH ! ! me using Streamyx now..for the 1st time to blog comfortably in my own home...

Whoopee ! ! ! ( Does a little jig and bangs knee on computer table edge ~ouch-ieee~)

Newayz..all is good and well in 'Mindy World' * Dun u dare in any way tie me in with ~Mawi World~Uggh.. make me sick*...no more sulking and stuf goin on in d house..

Hoping to see the new Simpson's Movie tmr with my buddy..( Eva Yap = Cellmate )...another one of me buddies, charlotte goin up 2 Genting this Fri..sigh..looks like Carol,Jules,Vind,Resh n i have 2 make do w/o her...*big heaving sigh that can be heard all the way in Genting*

So..its uber late..n i gotta get 2 sleep..gonna sign off now..

Today I'm Craving : The Simpson's Movie ( Spider pig ... Spider pig ... Does wtv ... a spider pig does.. )...Haha..Homer cracks me up...but Bartholomew a.k.a Bart will ALWAYS be my fav!

You've Gotta Be Kidding Me!

2007-07-31T08:21:00.000-05:00

OH ... MY ... (words i shan't use)

For the love of all that is good n pure!...

Okay..evyrone knws dat im like one of d few remaining ppl who stil use dial up instead of Streamyx…

So..my dad..FINALLY caves n gets streamyx..im all happy n smiling..n I plug in all d wires..den I realize…my hse pc DOES NOT HAVE A ETHERNET PORT ! ! ! ( sum port whr u plug sum wire 2 d cpu which connects it 2 d modem)

Basically dat means..my cpu is sooooo freakin old..dat wen it was manufactured..thr wasn’t even such a ting as Ethernet!.... So now...i hv Streamyx...(smiles)...JUZ THAT I CANT BLOODY USE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(breaks down in tears),...daddy better do sumting!..he has 2 pay evry mth..which includes this mth..n it wld b a total waste if we cant use it rite???!?...

Im so incredibly pissed off…n..d worse part is..i hv no one 2 b pissed off with..except..myself…y did I not chesk 1st??......its impossible dat dad is gonna buy a cpu in 2 weeks time b4 I go…dammit….dammit….DAMMIT!!!...

*bangs head on table*

*moans 2 self- ' sigh...jia lat man...*

*hugs Streamyx modem and sulks while shooting death glares at my 'Dino era' cpu*

Review : Transformers + Harry Potter Book 7

2007-07-24T11:50:00.000-05:00

WARNING :

SPOILERS FOR TRANSFORMERS MOVIE & HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS BOOK. PROCEED ONLY IF YOU HAVE ALREADY SEEN/READ ABOVE MENTIONED MEDIA OR ARE TOO LAZY TO DO SO AND JUST WANT TO KNOW THE GIST. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Transformers

My bro has been bugging me to watch d movie since he saw it..he was heel bent on getting the whole family 2 d cinema 2 watch it..(plus he wanted 2 watch it again)..newayz..yesterday (Monday-23 July 07).. i took him and my sis 2 watch it at TGV,Kepong..(u knw..d one on d roof of Metro Prima, Jusco?)..n guess wat..IT WAS GOOD!!

It starts off with this dude (Shia Lebouf a.k.a Sam) buying a yellow Camaro..which ultimately is actually a transformer who cant talk ( his voice box was broken in a war)..with the cool name : Bumblebee.

Sam is totally hot for this girl..*dam i dun rmmbr her name*..is it kate?..nvm..she's not important..so he gives her a ride home..after she walks of frm her jerk jock bf..

Sam tinks his car has been stolen wen it drives off in d middle of d nite..naturally he gets on a bike (as in bicycle..not motorcycle) n chases his car down..den sees it transform..

So..some other bot comes n has a wrestling match with Bumblebee..who is trying 2 protect Sam..Story is sam is descendant from this explorer who was d 1st 2 c a transformer ( a.k.a Megatron leader of the Decepticons / the bad side la..)..his great great grandad is Captain Witwicky..who sailed the arctic circle..fell into a hole..found Megatron frozen (imagine cryogenic freezing in austin powers)..accidentally activates d bot's navigation thingy..which causes sum laser 2 input d coordinates of 'The Cube' in2 d captains glasses..oh which also blinds him btw..

So now..Sam is tryin 2 auction off his grandad's glasses ( tsk tsk..heritage la)..the Autobots lead by Optimus Prime see d glasses on ebay n have come for the cube..*sum cube that has freaky power and can change any mechanical thing in2 sum missile aiming..machine gun shooting maniac transformer*..so..they wanna protect Sam and his gal and find d cube..

Megatron is kept frozen by a secret group started by President Hoover ( a prez of USA)..its called Section 7..so..of cos..b4 d Autobots get 2 d cube..the Decepticons come and unfreeze their wacko leader..*who wants 2 create an army of transformers and wipe us humans out..frenly guy this bot dun u tink?..*

So..its d final showdown..bots figh here n thr..amazingly on a bust street..n wen their parts fall off..it NEVER falls on a person..even tho they runnin around evrywhr..evry ammunition on d face of d earth (and outer space) is shot around..again..not hitting any civilians ( these ppl got special force field round them or wat?!)..

Finally Sam takes d cube..plunges it in2 Megatron's chest and finally causes the bot to 'Shut Down'..permanently..(the cube is uber powerful and d sudden surge cant b contained by the bot)

Ending : Autobots save d earth ( except for one of em who dies in megatrons hands - Jazz- a cool Solstice car transformer). All Decepticons die. Sam gets hott girl to lie on top of him while they make out on the hood of his Camaro ( Bumblebee..how perverted).

Thats d gist..now my review..

Its a great blow this up, blow that up movie..however..the fact that i keep forgettin stuf like dat girls name means dat..d tokin n facts part of this movie..is completely abysmal. Leceh la..listen 2 d humans tok.. i wana watch n hear d Transformers doin sumting!..PLus..d action sequences kinda drive u insane..all u c are sparks wen metal hit each other..half d time i dunno who's fightin who!..d camera juz goes round n round..u get glimpses of things transforming..n dats it..wen d movie ended i was like..huh?..its a very entertaining movie tho..so park ur logic n sense at the entrance of d cinema..its a summer movie..designed 2 entertain bored teens who crave sum violence and dun wanna admit they still love playing with toys that switch from bots 2 cars n bak..So..i dun mind watching it again(me goin with eva on thurs)..juz dont get ur hopes up and dun get hung up on d story line..juz enjoy d loud 'bang bang' sounds..n Josh Duhamel..who's all gritty, sweaty and a hott riled up army guy..

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows

Let me juz say..J.K.Rowling has outdone herself..in d droning department. I read the 1st 3 books ( Harry Potter and-The philosopher's Stone, Chamber of Secrets & Prisoner of azkaban) wen i was in Std 6..Waaaaay b4 d whole franchise phenomenon started..my mom's fren ( auntie Ranjit) bought them 4 me frm singapore..wen i was reading em..ppl were like..wat?..nvr heard of it...now its like harry potter=best ting since sliced bread.

Book 7..last book..also most long winded book. wen i 1st saw it..i was like..oh..its shorter than book 5 and 6..so i got it on sunday and i stayed up d whole nite..startin frm 2 am till bout 8 am..2 finish d ting..now normally im a pretty fast reader..its jz dat she toks bout one ting 4 almost 50 pgs!..i would reach a semi-interesting point and den wen she starts droning..i force my eyelids open (physically holding em open with my fingers)..n keep on slugging thru it..u mayb..y she so hell bent on finishin d book if its boring d life outta her..d ting is..i was a fan of potter long b4 anyone else..possibly in dis country was ( rmmbr my 1st 3 books r from singapore)..i have a sentimental value towards the characters..and keep hoping dat d book will get better.

Frm d beginning..ppl start dropping like flies..Mad-Eye dies..his body nvr uncovered except for his weird blue eye dat harry plugs out from Umbridge's office door..Tonks and Lupin die..leaving behind ther newborn son-teddy..harry's god son..tonks' dad also dies..gregorovitch(sum other wand maker) dies..Snape dies..n i 4get who else..oh..yea..voldemort dies..all 7 of him dat is..oh..n harry potter dies n comes bak 2 life! ( i knw ur tinkin-huh?)

So..HP goes lookin 4 d other horcruxes..ron n hermione drop outta sch 2 help him..d whole ministry is practically being taken over by death eaters and all hope seems lost!..the 3 of em end up camping in various fields all over england..2 hide frm death eaters..they also stay at 12, grimmauld plc 4 awhile..oh..n they can apparate..like evry few seconds..(ron gets splinched twice in d book)..harry ventures in2 you-know-who's mind evry few days 2 check up on his nemesis..u knw c wat he's up 2..who he's killing/torturing..

Harry realises that thr r these deathly hallows..3 of em..the Elder Wand..The Gaunt Ring and the Invisibilty cloak..he has 2 outta 3..the ring hidden in d snitch dumbledore left him..(dumbledore leaves hermione a book bout d deathly hallows and ron, the put-outer)..thr's lotsa angst and teen love..

finally thrs a showdown at hogwarts whr d final horcrux is stored..*ravenclaw's diedum-its kinda like a tiara la*..so..all out war starts..*bang bang*..oh yea..percy comes crawling bak 2 his parents..FINALLY admitting Voldy is bak..oh..n Fred dies..tragic huh?..(in d beginning..george's ear gets blown off)..

ron n hermione go get a bunch of basilisk fangs from d chamber of secrets to poke sum horcruxes and after settling d ravenclaw one..harry realises he is d last one..d 7th horcrux..so he surrenders 2 Lord Voldy..who..duh..kills him..Avada Kedavra and all dat..so..harry is in this limbo..not dead or alive..he toks 2 dumbledore..a heart 2 heart..den comes bak 2 life..neville kills Nagini ( the snake-6th horcrux)..harry kills Voldy..hurrah!! the end..

Fast fwd 19 yrs later..harry and ginny are hitched with 2 sons ( albus and james ) and a daughter (lily)..ron n hermione also tie d knot and have a son (dun rmmbr his name)..teddy is already at Hogwarts, cos he's older than d rest of d kids..oh..n draco's son is named Scorpius..*lame-o rite?*..

Sigh..can i say i hate d ending!..its so cliche...i..along with evryone else who understand d whole HP saga..hv reasoned out and expected him 2 die..but nooo....he has a 'soul-takes-short-vacation-frm-body'experience...

Dissapointing..J.k.Rowling used 2 b one of my fav authors..and altho i dun like d ending..i hv come 2 appreciate it..cos..we readers reli hv no say in this..harry was born frm d mind of Rowling..however she imagined it..is how it is supposed 2 be..she started it..she ends it..besides..i blame the thirst hungry readers and movie-watchers..(btw..i dislike d whole harry movie saga)..how d heck is she supposed 2 write with us all breathing down her neck?!..

To all die hard fans of potter ( who will nvr appreciate him like me..cos i read his story b4 all this movie ting came bout)..Deathly Hallows is a must read..becos..the open tied ending of happily ever after is a gift from Rowling. the none conclusiveness of it..gives us a chance 2 get our imagination bak frm d mind-snatchers a.k.a the ppl who started d whole movie nonsense..i knw i will nvr again imagine harry potter w/o seeing daniel radcliffe in my mind..but at least now..i can imagine the story of Lord Voldemort's clone baby strikes bak vs Albus Potter ( harry's son)..in my own way..with my own faces of the characters..thank u Rowling..for returning us d essence and soul..of Harry Potter..

Joke..

2007-07-24T11:27:00.000-05:00

My mom told me a real funny joke today..n i jz thot i'd post it..u knw..cos i love..LOVE..ELL-OH-VEE-EE..lurve..making ppl laugh!..Rmmbr..it takes more muscles to frown den 2 smile..so read on..n this joke will help u not only emotionally*relese stress ma*..but physically as well..*oooh..tak payah SK II facial mask la..look young enuf d la..*

Joke :

A guy goes to his doctor for his yearly check up. He's reli disturbed because he's fren just died at the age of 35!..So..he asks his dr..

Guy : Doc..i wanna live longer..wat do i do?..
Doc : Hmm..do u smoke?
Guy : Yea.
Doc : Well then..stop smoking.
Guy : Oh..so u mean if i stop smoking..i'll live longer?

Doc : Well..*pauses*..Do u drink?
Guy : Yea.
Doc : Well then..give up drinking.
Guy : Oh..so u mean if i give up smoking and drinking i'll live longer?

Doc : Erm..*thinks*..Do u enjoy sex?
Guy : Yea! *starts to get nervous cos he kinda knws wats comin*
Doc : Well then..Stop having sex.
Guy : Okay..so u mean if i give up smoking, drinking and having sex. I'll live longer??

Doc : No.It'll just make ur life seem like an eternity.

*ba dum dum..dish*..-dats drums if u din get it..

haha..funny rite?..mom told me this..

anyways..nthn interesting 2 post about 2day..mayb tmr..

A new day brings new possibilities..oh..n read my review on Transformers & Harry Potter and The deathly Hallows..*yes i finished d book d..muahahahahahaahaha*

Today I'm Craving : A miracle medicine that cures flu and stops ur nose from in under a second..*can u tel im cranky n sick?..dats y mom told me d joke..2 cheer me up*

D-Day = 13th Aug 2007

2007-07-21T12:46:00.000-05:00

Well..its final..i leave M'sia on the 13th of August 2007 (Monday) at 10.50 pm.

The travelling time is pretty crazee..wen steffi ( this reli cool babe who's also goin 2 d ozarks) n i saw d travelling time we were like..wat?!..

We leave KLIA..n reach Narita Airport, Tokyo at round 6.55 am. Den we wait 11 hours .. yup u read rite..11 hours in d airport for our connecting flight to San Francisco,USA. Then..@ San Francisco we wait again..bout 4 hours i tink for our connecting flight to Chicago!..And then we wait bout 1 and 1/2 hours to connect frm Chicago to Little Rock Arkansas..Den..they'll pick us up from Little Rock and take us to Ozarks (Finally!)..whr d 4 of us (Jian Peng, Steffi, Zi Jian and i) will ultimately b jet lagged and fall in2 a deep sleep...haha..if only!..

We reach thr on August 14th ( we are kinda like travelling bak in time..M'sia is 14 hours faster then Ozarks)..d next day we gotta go out n buy our stuf..(bed sheets, curtains and wat not)..the nxt day, 16th of Aug..orientation starts!...

How m i suppposed 2 b alert and upbeat and participative if im gonna b a walking zombie?!..sigh..nvm..its ok..i hv a solution..(i tink-steffi u better listen 2 this..it mite work for both of us..for all 4 of us!)..i shall stock up on loads n loads of sugar..n pump myself with loads and loads of caffeine in d morning!..

sigh..its real now..im leaving home..leavin d nest and all dat..gonna miss d ppl here like crazee..d food..

okay..getting depressed again..still cant sleep at nite..im starting to sound reli maudlin..gotta stop..

Today I'm Craving : Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows...yes again..my sis's fren bought it 2day 4 us..but i wont get 2 read it till tmr..sigh..

Green= ppl goin 2 ozarks with me
Turquoise=Places i need to transit to get 2 ozarks

07-07-07

2007-07-18T01:28:00.000-05:00

Hey..sry for the great abscence from posting..i do have a vry good valid reason tho..

"They took my appendix!!"

Here's how it started:

Thursday Nite (05-07-07)

Daddy bought satay from Nasi Kandar Sedap(dat mamak @ Ara)..mom said it wasnt reli fresh..but i was hungry and craving satay..so i jz tidak apa..n sapu onli la..Dat nite i had these pains in my lower abdomen..it felt like period cramps..so i jz took those little pink Panadol pills n sleep onli la..( i so smart..tak de period but tink got period pain..Note To Self: Do not become a doctor!) Whole nite i kept waking up..hurt like crazy!

Friday Mornin (05-07-07)

I woke up and cld hardly stand..so..being the incredibly intelligent doctor dat i m..i diagnosed my self as havin food poisoning.(cos of the funky tasting satay lo..).i was rolled up in a ball..wen mom came in d room..i was all whiny n manja..(we all do it wen we're sick..so dun judge me!)..ask mom 2 sent me 2 d doctor (with a medical degree unlike me)..i managed 2 get dress..crawled down d stairs n went 2 d doc...

Dr. Ruby pressed my stomache here..n thr..n it hurt both here n thr..she diagnosed food poisoning..cos i had a heavy head..despite me not having 'the runs' or vomiting..She gave me an injection cos i wanted sumting fast so i can help mom take kong kong 2 d hospital..obv..mommy loves me way 2 much..so she asked me 2 stay home n she handled kong kong all by herself..

Friday Nite (06-07-07)

I slept d whole day..(dat injection worked miracles man!)..den got up at nite..ate dinner..bathe and got ready 4 bed..den..it started 2 hurt again..dis time 100x d nite b4..i reli cldnt take it d..so i went 2 mom n dad's room moaning n groaning n curled up in a ball..it was bout 12 mid nite d..n dad said if we go 2 d hospital its gonna b GPs thr..so..mite as well go tmr mornin..mom gave me sum morfin..n i slept 4 like an hour..n den suffered thru d whole nite..

Saturday Mornin (07-07-07)

I fell asleep round 7.30am and woke up round 9.30 am. Dad took me 2 Dr. Ruby again..dis time she press press my tummy and said..'i tink its appendicitis'..i was like omg!..so she wrote me a letter and we rushed to Damansara Specialist Hospital.Another doctor press here n thr..n said..'i tink its appendicitis'..by dat time i was almost passing out frm d pain..but they cldnt give me an injection..cos the needed 2 do a sonogram..(d ting pregnant moms use 2 c their unborn babies..yup..dats d one)..

So..they gave me loads of water..(which i threw up..while waiting 4 the stoopid ppl 2 take me 2 d sonogram room)..den wen we did d sonogram..she pushed so hard on my appendix..it was real agony..

Finally they gave me a shot..i blacked out..n woke up in the Cardiothoracic I.C.U..y?..cos all these moms wanted 2 do c-sections so their baby wld come out on this date..!

Saturday Afternoon (07-07-07)

Round 2.30pm..they finally prepped me for surgery..(i had 2 wear those robes dat open at the back n ur butt is showing)..den..they roll me into the corridor of the surgical wing..n leave me thr..!..den this nurse starts calling all kinds of ppl..cos thr is no one to deal with my anesthesia!..evry anesthesist is 2 bz giving epidural 2 all those c-section moms!..i lay thr for wat seems 4ever..im so sleepy n feel like drifting off..but i dun dare cos im afraid they tink they alrady gave me anethesia and wen they cut me open i wake up!..(i knw..im paranoid)..

Finally..Dr. Abby comes n rolls me into d operating theatre..its bright yellow..n freakin scary...those huge bright lights n shiny sharp stuf..they strap me 2 d table hands out..*imagine Jesus on the cross*..d nvt ting i knw..i wake up in a hospital room!....its over...they took out my appendix!...*joy...!*

So..spent d next few days in d hospital..watchin d Disney Channel..special thanks to eva and maria..thanks so much 4 visiting me u guys..means a lot 2 me..=)..got discharged on monday..moved round slower than me grandad 4 a few days..

Now i can drive..i did my Visa..n..these past few nites i hvnt been sleeping well..(no i didnt grow another appendix-dat cant happen rite??!)..its cos in 20+ days..i'll b leavin 4 d states..its freakin me out..im so excited and terrified at d same time..guess i just wanna make these 3 weeks mean sumting..
newayz..this is a reli long post..

i'll put up pix of d buttond d Dr. used 2 sew up my wound in my next post..

Today Im Craving : My appendix back!

Pay It Forward

2007-07-02T06:38:00.000-05:00

I saw 'Pay It Forward' starring Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt and Haley Joel Osment today. Its a great movie, dat i tink evryone shld watch at least once in their life.

Its basically about an idea thot up by a 7th Grader (Haley J Osment) for an assignment given to him by his Social Studies tchr (K. Spacey). His idea is, if he does sumting good for 3 ppl..and those 3 do sumting to help another 3 ppl..and if the chain goes on and on..ultimately..it will change the world. Cos, in the end..evryone will be doin sumting good for sum one else..while they r also receiving kindness frm others.

He tries this idea out on a homeless junkie..and even tho it seemed in d beginning dat his chain didnt catch on..it actually did..cos d junkie went on 2 save a woman from commiting suicide..
See, instead of sayin ' i'll pay u bak' wen sum one helps u..u help sum one else and say ' pay it fwd'..to keep d chain goin.. The really tragic ending is reli sad..but i wont spoil it 4 u..wanna knw den watch la!..

This movie is reli old and i bet millions of other ppl hv seen it..and tried the 'pay it fwd' idea..nonetheless, i wanna give it a shot. Even if my pay it fwd chain doesnt catch on beyond d 3 ppl or more, dat i will help..i will knw dat i at least made a diff to those 3.
So..im starting my pay it fwd chain..rite..NOW!

Thus, if anyone ever helps u den says ' pay it fwd'..pls let me knw..cos i wld love 2 try n track the chain 2 c if my efforts played a role in changing ppl's lives..

* I love inspirational shows..so im gonna suggest a few 'must-watch' movies *

- John Q. ( Denzel Washington )
- The Replacements (Keanu Reeves)
- Coach Carter ( Sam L. Jackson )
- Erin Brockovich ( Julia Roberts )
- Sister Act 2 ( Whoopi Goldberg )

That's all i can tink of 4 now..will add more..wen i rmmbr them.. =)

Today I'm Craving : The 7th Harry potter book. ( Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows..Avada Kedavra!..Muahahahahaha..I am She-who-shall-not-be-named! )

People Matter

2007-06-30T03:46:00.000-05:00

I was watching Grey's Anatomy yesterday and thrs a phrase that keeps swimming round my mind : People matter.

I din hv time to post anyting last nite cos i went out mamak-ing til like 12.30 am. Ppl thr : Charlotte, Carol, Jules, Drea & Harvind. ( yea i knw, harvind onli guy..AGAIN!) Anyway, it was a pretty good session. We were laughing and being crazy cos high on sugar ( for me it was teh o ais limau). Anyway, suddenly in d midst of it all, i just looked round me and felt this pang in my heart. In bout a mth and a half's time i will be leaving all of em behind. Sure, its exciting and evryting, meeting new ppl. but still..the ppl here, my ppl..im so gonna miss em.

The people in ur life, matter. They help u in such subtle ways dat u dun even knw wen they're doin it. Eva has been bz with coll life, and usually wen she's free, im not. slowly..we start drifting away and sumtimes it gets awkward. dat sux cos, if dts gonna happen while we're stil in d same country..hows it gonna b wen we r miles n miles apart?..

My sis had been sulking recently cos im leaving b4 her b'day (27th Aug). We've been getting closer n closer this yr n its tuff 4 her 2 imagine sleeping alone in d room (we've shared a room since bout 4 yrs ago).

Nthn matter more to me than the ppl round me. So, big thx to all u guys n gals out thr who've each added sum colour in my otherwise bland life.

*I think i'm in a vry emo phase of my life rite now..all my posts so depressing..*

Today I'm craving : Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream ! ( Can u sense the calories involved?! )

Flashing Red !

2007-06-28T12:07:00.000-05:00

Okay .. i hv so far nvr explained y i chose certain backgrounds for my post. However, i feel d nid 2 explain this one. The brick wall is supposed to represent my muka tembok-ness.

Today, i wore a super-like-hot-flashin u in d eye-red panty. I wore a simple t-shirt and grey shorts. Now, d reason im telling evryone this is bcos, probably half of bdr sri d'sara already knws all of dis. I went out 2 buy sum groceries n stuf..walked up down from Berry's (bakery) to Grand Union ( Supermarket ) den to Guardian ( Pharmacy ). I got home, n juz b4 i sat on d couch my mom said : Min ah, u wore those shorts out juz now ah?

So i was like : yea...y?

Mom : Thrs a hole in em.

I was like...wat?!..so i checked n sure enuf, sumting like a hanger or sumting muz have ripped it, cos d hole is rite on top of d left butt-cheek and my red underwear was paraded up n down 4 at least half an hour dis morning.

Sigh..so u c..if im not muka tembok a bit..how 2 survive?..lotsa ppl knw me in BSD..im not being perasan or anything..its juz a fact..

Oh yea..n 2day..i tel u ..this white myvi almost rammed in2 my metallic green wira. Those living in BSD..u knw d junction from LDP u go up d hill. At d traffic lite u turn left is Shell and Jalan Ara. Turn rite u go 2 Kenanga and d BSD club rite?i turn rite..n cos u can go straight from ara side 2 kenanga side w/o stopping at d traffic lite..thrs a double line on d road. This psycho car, crossed d double line in2 d 2nd lane(my lane) and went 2 d 3rd most rite lane..!Crazy rite?..my bro like din breathe for 2 secs cos he saw d car miss us by centimetres k? Freakin cms!! d double line is thr 4 a reason la!!

Okay, besides being bout me...kong kong is able to walk w/o a walking frame d!!..well, yea he has 2 hold mom's hand 4 support..but its a totally positive improvement rite!?!

Newayz its gettin kinda late d..so i better hit d sack..thx 2 u guys who bothered 2 read this new blog of mine. A grand total of 9 ppl, so far ! =P

Im humbled by all of ur interests!

oh yea, im adding a wat im craving part 2 d end of my posts. juz 4 fun..pls pls check out my cravings a few days b4 d 4th of Feb 2008 k? So, u'll knw wat 2 get my 4 my 19th! Haha..

Today I'm craving : The song Candyman - Christina Aguilera. ( If u hv it , i wan it ! )

Don’t Know, Don’t Speak.

2007-06-27T10:03:00.000-05:00

Is anyone out there completely non-judgmental? I don’t think so. I think no matter how much we want to give ppl the benefit of the doubt .. Deep down we already have some conceptions as to how and why ppl do or say certain tings.

As it has been, a long standing tradition during mamak sessions with frens, we will took about sch ( well, now coll life ), latest music and movies and then the juicy sordid details of who did wat, whr, wen and why. Recently it has mainly been about 2 ppl, who I shall not name. Needless to say, I’m not really on good terms with either of these 2. Most of my frens don’t realise this, but wen they star verbally bashing these 2, I clam up and juz occasionally flash a tight smile. This is becos, I used to be quite close with one of em. I looked out for that person and was concerned of that person’s where abouts and well being. Though, since we now no longer speak, I guess my concern was not appreciated.

True, I don’t say much or throw in insults after evry ‘story’, does it make me a better person? Almost nobody likes those 2, but does it give anyone the right to talk bout them? I’m a little confused, about how I feel. I know I shld stop ppl frm talking bout those 2, but at the same time it gives me a certain satisfaction hearing about the diff ppl who have come to hate them. I knw, I sound like a horrible, terrible witch. But, honestly, dats how I feel.

On Monday, Jared asked my out to One Utama this Friday. I said I cld go, den he asked me if I’ve seen ‘the-person-I-had-a-falling-out-with’. So, I had to tell him we weren’t speaking and dat if we all went out as a group, well, it wld be unpleasant to put it lightly. He den asked me to try talking and approaching that person, so we cld patch up. I muz admit, I kinda lost it den. I did try. I complimented that person on a job well done even though, that person had not said one word to me in weeks, and I got shot down. I keep getting bashed on that person’s blog and hear rumours that ‘said-person’ had been talking about me to other people who I hve nvr even met! So, I just wanna clear this, so that innocent ppl like Jared don’t get their heads bitten off by me : I gave it my very best and tried to work things out. Its been 6 mths, and we’ve still not spoken to each other. So, if you have any advice on how to patch things up btwn 2 ppl who’ve had a falling out, all I’ll say is this. You can take that advice and pass it on to others, becos its not needed here. Leave that matter alone. Jangan ungkitkan lagi benda tu, cos I tak minat nak ckp atau fikir pasal tu lagi. Faham?..

To all those well meaning ppl out thr, I apologize if I seem crabby. If you are trying to bring together two ppl and make them frens again, I suggest you stop it and leave them alone. True frens will be able to work tings out on their own any all ur fussing over them won’t help. In the end, if they don’t speak to each other ever again, either their friendship was bullshit or one of them did sumting reli reli bad.

If you Don’t Know wat’s wrong, Don’t Speak your mind bout it.

1.55 AM, June 26 2007. ( Wed )

Mayans vs. Us ..

2007-06-27T09:42:00.000-05:00

I saw Apocalypto today. It’s that Mel Gibson movie about the Mayans. it’s a well known fact that I cant stand blood and gore. Therefore, if you’re like me…I suggest you not watch it. However, if you are really interested in history or anthropology, then watch it. I hav found a balance btwn the two.. I’ve watched half of it .. Haha =) . It is archeologically and historically correct, the acting and cinematography is pretty good and the violence does give it a realistic feel of how primitive it was back then. There is a lot of nudity, which takes sum time for you 2 get used to. But once the story starts picking up, you hardly notive that at all, because theres so much stuf goin on, onscreen that it just is not significant anymore cos you’re concentrating so hard on the story.

The movie addresses things like pride and honour, paganism, survival of the fittest and love. In the beginning, thr’s this really horrible scene whr the main character ( Jaguar Paw ) ‘s father is forced to stand up and has his throat slit by a member of the raiding tribe. There was no fear in the older man’s eyes and he said, “My Son” before he dies so he could look into his son’s eyes one last time. As warriors, they belive that they most be proud even till their last moment and not show fear.

Paganism is a main theme in this movie, whr the men of Jaguar Paw’s village are brought to be sacrificed to appease ‘The Gods’. The fittest tribe captures the men from weaker tribes and bring them to their death, which shows a Predator vs. Prey kinda scenario.

The love Jaguar Paw has for his pregnant wife and son is also very touching. He tries his vry best to save them even while a man is charging at him, trying to kill him.

I would say this is a film you have to watch at least once. Yes, it will shock you and give you nightmares for a few days. But, when you see the scenes of children being killed and women being raped, you cant help but think that all this is still goin on now. We are more intelligent, supposed to be more evolved . However, these tragic things are still happening today. Is the world backtracking? Instead of becoming more civilized, are we becoming barbaric and primitive??

Let me know if you are involved in anything that addresses the issue of violence towards women and children. I would love to be more active in fighting this plague of violence. To all reading this, thanks for taking your time to hear my views and opinions.

June 25 2007, Tuesday

Just A Thot ? …

2007-06-27T08:35:00.000-05:00

Here’s an interesting statement that I read sum whr, sum time ago :

“If I think, therefore I am. Am I just a thought?”

You always hear, “Put your mind to it!”, “Imagine yourself succeeding and you will one day!”, “ Believe in yourself. If you think you can do it, you can!”. You’ve probably heard variations of those 3 sentences, but even though lotsa ppl say it, it doesn’t make it true.
I don’t like to think of myself as arrogant .. just confident ( you’re probably thinking all arrogant ppl say dat =P ). I always thot I was a pretty good writer. I thot I had a pretty excellent standard of English. I thot I was creative, witty and destined for literary greatness. You might realize I used ‘was’.. past tense. I wrote an article and sent it in to The Star last nite, quite confident that I did a good job on it ( it took me 4 hours to complete ). Today I opened up the paper and read an article about the same subject I had written about. I can honestly tell you now, I feel my work was really mediocre and juvenile. After 4 hours, what I came up with was not half as inspiring or engaging as what I had read. So really .. Is the fact that I’m a good writer just a thot? Me wrapped up in my own little world?

I know dat sumtimes I can get really long winded and drone on and on .. But I also believe that I do have a pretty good sense of humour. Maybe all this while I’ve been duping myself into thinking that I’m good enuf, and am in fact below par. So, instead of wallowing in self pity, I have decided to improve myself. Renovate my writing skills, if you will. When, i start coll, I’ll def take creative writing for one semester. I’m sure my fellow classmates and lecturer will be able to tell me exactly how good / bad I am. I’ll keep everyone posted until I finally get a review by those fore mentioned. So stay tuned k? .. Check back evry few weeks ..

Anyway, its 12.59 AM, June 27, 2007 (Wednesday) while I’m writing this. Couldn’t get online so I just wrote this in Microsoft Word first. What can I say, I sumtimes get an uncontrollable urge to write.

PS : I would really appreciate it if maybe a few of you readers cld leave a comment, maybe containing pointers and tips on how I make your reading of my blog a lot more enjoyable? Compliments and criticism welcome. Thanks ..

Fear ..

2007-06-23T05:49:00.000-05:00

Everybody's afraid of sumting. Some ppl have petty fears .. like fears of

>arachnids (spiders and stuff ) > cockroaches

> nuts > bees

> being single for more than 6 mths.

But, are these fears really so petty?..

> thr ARE like a dozen species of poisonous spiders

> cockroaches r freaky cos they will likely be d onli ting dat can survive a nuclear holocaust > lotsa ppl r allergic to nuts n die cos they didnt knw

> more ppl die of bee stings than shark attacks > sum ppl r really alone like ppl orphaned at a young age and need companionship..

So. I'm saying, dun underestimate others n respect them less if they show fear. Fear is wat makes us human, its an instinct .. like hunger and thirst.

I'm just thinkin all of this cos, Im afraid of leavin this aug. I knw its a great opportunity and i cant b more relieved dat i got the scholarship, but im afraid..i'll go thr and be all alone...dat sumting mite happen bak home to my grandad..dat my sis or bro need me for sumting personal..

I just have a lot of doubts and fears rite now..cant sleep at nite..so im leaning a lot on my frens..they've been great just lending me an ear (or two)..but at d same time i hve this facade..acting brave and confident..so my parents, grandad, siblings and frens wont worry..

I tink..a courages person is not someone who has no fears..but someone who succesfully hides his/her fears to give strength to others..

PS : A special msg to a certain sumone..don't b afraid of not being accepted by people..u keep trying to hard to impress ppl.. and they're not impressed..cos the way u act and speak..its actually driving ppl away from you..pls..change..for ur benefit..good luck..

The Beginning ...

2007-06-13T11:10:00.000-05:00

Well .. The sun's rising on my life as an adult .. and setting on my life as a teenager.

I've grown and matured thru good and bad experiences. Truthfully, I think i've developed more this past 2 mths compared to the past 2 yrs.

I used to have a blog on frenster .. but i haven't posted anything for awhile and when i look back in retrospection .. i see thru my words as being childish and narrow minded. So, i decided to start anew .. I'll be recording my life as a teen beginning from now, on this blog. Don't worry, I won't delete my ex-posts on frenster and evryone is welcome to peruse it .. those posts will always be compared to the newer me .. just to remind me never to be infantile again.

The important stuff that has happened to me that deserves mention :

1. Finally realising how pointless and low it is to curse and swear. Peer pressure played a part, but its no point blaming others for your incapability to control yourself. I'm proud to say I don't use such obscenities as frequently. Words still slip out when I'm enraged and such. Thus, my next mission is to be less emotional.

2. Finding a true friend who has stuck by me. Eva Yap, thanks for being there, for making me laugh when I really needed to, for spending time listening to my aimless rants and for never rolling your eyes when you didn't understand me.

3. Realising that having grudges will just shorten your life. Forgiveness will truly set you free. Charlotte Gan, I never said it in public, so now I am : I'm sorry.

4. Ah Tai passed away last yr (2006) she was 92 I think. I went to KAC even though she was weak. The very nxt day after i came back from camp, I went to visit her at my granparents' plc. I was tired so i went to my cuz's room to nap. less than 2 hours later, they woke me up and told me .. she was gone. She was my great-granma ( dad's grandmother ). I guess she wanted to see me one last time. I will forever remember her, as will all the people in my extended-extended family. May she rest in peace.

That was a really confusing time for me .. due to an aspect that I cant discuss publicly .. yet .. I was slapped with the reality of immortality. people you love will leave you .. so cherish them while they're here instead of mourning them when they're gone.

Things that have happened to me these past 2 mths :

1. I went to KAC again. My family was supposed to go up to penang. They were gonna pick me up from the campsite on the way. On the last night of camp, mom called. She said kong kong is admitted in hospital. My grandad ( mom's father ) has never been admitted into hospital. before he was admitted, he cld carry rocks and flower pots that i couldn't even move an inch. So, i was shocked, and mom refused to tell me what happened. I broke down when unc. jimmy asked me why mom called. If you all ( Unc. Jimmy, Unc. Alan, Abel Kor Kor, Jeen Yi, Foo Weng ) are reading this. Thanks again for all your support and prayers.

Anyway, kong kong's home now, he's kinda an invalid but we're hoping he'll soon be stronger. e's goin for physiotherapy and stuff. Mom's struggling, so I quit my job so i cld help her cope for now.

2. I was told I got my scholarship to the States. So, I'm basically gonna be alone miles and miles away from home, family, frens .. mamak .. =P I have to buck up and think more, plan more, help more ..

This is a really long 1st post. So, I think i'll just sign off now ..

Oh.. and Happy Father's Day to all !