I attended a wedding dinner of my dad's colleague's son with my dad just recently. Attending that wedding was truly a testament as to how my life really is progressing, and how much I have grown in the eyes of my dad's colleagues. Throughout the night, here are the comments that I received..
"Lim! zhe le lu eh zha bo kia a?" - in Hokkien: Lim, this is your daughter?
"Aiyo, girl you look so different now. Big girl already. Tai kor lui joh!"
.... "Haha."
"Got boyfriend already ah, girl?"
.... "No la aunty/uncle. Still don't have."
"Your daddy gave me your blog address. Wah! China seems like a lot of fun!"
.... "Huh? Aunty/Uncle you read my blog? Aaah that's so embarassing. But yeah, China was a very good experience."
.... All the while thinking: W0ah, my dad's colleagues read my blog! o_O
"Your children are your investment la, Lim! Don't need to invest in anything else already!"
.... "Hopefully I made a good investment la!" Daddy says while giving me a swipe on the head.
"So girl, what are you studying now? When are you graduating? What will you do after you graduate? Going to work in the US or come back home and work?"
.... "Studying Speech therapy. I still have one more year to go. Apply for Masters la after I graduate. Not sure where I will work at yet."
Ah.. it was a very interesting night. And it will only keep on getting more interesting.
It is from this day forwards.. at every wedding event that I attend.. I will have to endure questions of whether or not I have a boyfriend. o_O
Who knew this day would come? I definitely did not really expect it to come that fast. Gawsh, then it's going to be "When is it your turn to get married?" !!!
I shudder to think what the next questions are going to be.
It is at this point in my life that I realize that my life is not going to be simple anymore. From this point forward, I am forced to think of bigger things like having a real job, earning enough money to get by (in this bitter materialistic age we're living in), finding a real guy, buying a house, buying a car, taking care of my parents...
Woah, really too much to think about. I want to go back to being a teen again. Being in my 20s is making me slightly panicky about the direction my life is heading in... do I even have a direction? I guess getting into graduate school after I finish my degree would count as a direction right? That's all I got planned for now.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
I can do it on my own...
Reminder to self:
I have to have the faith in my abilities that I can do it.
I have to always remember that NO ONE, no one can tell me that I can't do it.
Remember to be rebellious, and rebel when people say I cannot achieve the result.
I am independent.
I am my own individual person.
That is going to be my mantra for the few months that I am home.
I finally finally managed to get things straighten out with the clinician that I am in touch with. Will start observations in the clinic in July. Have to start observations there in July.
Found the MIND organization online that does work in Malaysia with people with disabilities. I called them, and will hopefully get a call back from them tomorrow. If not, I will call them again.
I will be working hard on my GREs on my own. Gonna have to get the books tonight from Borders.
Now I'm thinking of the cantonese phrase 'tak tak dei' that the characters in the TVB show "Heart of Greed" constantly say. I really have to be 'tak tak dei'.
Today is a new day. Tomorrow has gone and is in the past.
I have to have the faith in my abilities that I can do it.
I have to always remember that NO ONE, no one can tell me that I can't do it.
Remember to be rebellious, and rebel when people say I cannot achieve the result.
I am independent.
I am my own individual person.
That is going to be my mantra for the few months that I am home.
I finally finally managed to get things straighten out with the clinician that I am in touch with. Will start observations in the clinic in July. Have to start observations there in July.
Found the MIND organization online that does work in Malaysia with people with disabilities. I called them, and will hopefully get a call back from them tomorrow. If not, I will call them again.
I will be working hard on my GREs on my own. Gonna have to get the books tonight from Borders.
Now I'm thinking of the cantonese phrase 'tak tak dei' that the characters in the TVB show "Heart of Greed" constantly say. I really have to be 'tak tak dei'.
Today is a new day. Tomorrow has gone and is in the past.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Ever feel like the Universe is out to get you?
That's how I felt last Saturday. That was Yuyee and Suling's worse out of worse days ever.
That was the first day that I actually got the opportunity to see her since I've been back.. and it was a bad day. If it wasn't for each other, I think we would have given up on that day by going home and holing up in our room to wait for the next better day.
She came over to my house with her colleague, Irman who is a very interesting individual I might say.. to finish some office work. Yeah, she was that busy that she had to bring over office work to my house to finish! Finally when she finished, she needed to email it to her supervisor. Don't have wireless in my house, so had to turn on my computer for her. Then we spent a long time trying to figure out her supervisor's email. Was that a . or a - or maybe it's a _?
"Okay, let me call him," she says...
Flicks out her new Sony Ericsson phone that was all the way from Aussie and surprise surprise.. her phone decided to go haywire.
"Insert new USIM," it said.
"WHAT?!!!! I was just changing the wallpaper and the theme of your phone. I swear I didn't do anything!!!" I said. (Shit, did I ruin Yuyee's phone by accident?)
So Irman's phone credit had to be the kambing korban... He called a couple of people to get that supervisor's number after Yuyee decides to send the document to the supervisor's other email.
After all that work drama in my very crammed and very embarassingly messy Study room, I take her to 1Utama to try and get her phone fixed. We sit in Sony Ericsson for awhile, with me staring off into the crowd.. mostly, I was staring at the shoes people were wearing. I don't know why. Maybe it's because I feel like I need a pair of shoes? Anyway, the Sony guy somehow resets her phone and her phone decides that it would not and could not find a network to connect to.
"Must be the Simcard problem. Go to Maxis," the Sony guy says.
So we walked down 3 floors to Maxis.. they fiddle around with her simcard...
"No, it's not the Simcard. Must be your phone. Sorry," Maxis-guy-who-keeps-clearing-his-throat-says.
So we walk back up to Sony. She discusses with them for awhile.. I continue staring back into the crowd at people's clothing choice this time.
Finally, "SuLing I have to either go to Midvalley or KLCC to fix my phone. Let's just go and have dinner la. My stomach hurts," Yuyee says.
We get to our parking lot, pay the RM1 for my parking ticket.. and *jeng jeng jeng* WE CAN'T FIND MY CAR!!
*flashback* while parking car:
"This is such a secluded place. Sure difficult to find. Yuyee, remember *carpark space number*," I say.
I miraculously forgot the carpark space number.. Yuyee vaguely remembers the alphabet and remembers a 2 digit number behind, but not the exact 2 digit number. Me? I just remember that the car was in a secluded 'end of the parking lot' space. So we walk... and walk and walk.. all around the parking lot. Into all corners. TWICE! Sweating like crazy, I finally decide to seek the help of the security guards patrolling the floor. I tell the one on the motorcycle the wrong car plate number. Realized it too late. Told another security guard who didn't have a motorcycle what I did... He walks around looking for my car with the correct carplate number.
10 minutes later.. He finds it. Gestures us to follow him. We walk to the end of the carpark, around the bend which Yuyee and I somehow missed. And, there was my car! Never been so glad to see my mum's battered up ol' Citroen.
We finally head out of the carpark. I insert my parking ticket into the machine. The ticket pops out and the red "Expire" light flashes in front of my face. Damn. Really?!!
So, I held up traffic, put my Hazard lights on. Gets another security guard to help me.
What a Day huh?!
That was the first day that I actually got the opportunity to see her since I've been back.. and it was a bad day. If it wasn't for each other, I think we would have given up on that day by going home and holing up in our room to wait for the next better day.
She came over to my house with her colleague, Irman who is a very interesting individual I might say.. to finish some office work. Yeah, she was that busy that she had to bring over office work to my house to finish! Finally when she finished, she needed to email it to her supervisor. Don't have wireless in my house, so had to turn on my computer for her. Then we spent a long time trying to figure out her supervisor's email. Was that a . or a - or maybe it's a _?
"Okay, let me call him," she says...
Flicks out her new Sony Ericsson phone that was all the way from Aussie and surprise surprise.. her phone decided to go haywire.
"Insert new USIM," it said.
"WHAT?!!!! I was just changing the wallpaper and the theme of your phone. I swear I didn't do anything!!!" I said. (Shit, did I ruin Yuyee's phone by accident?)
So Irman's phone credit had to be the kambing korban... He called a couple of people to get that supervisor's number after Yuyee decides to send the document to the supervisor's other email.
After all that work drama in my very crammed and very embarassingly messy Study room, I take her to 1Utama to try and get her phone fixed. We sit in Sony Ericsson for awhile, with me staring off into the crowd.. mostly, I was staring at the shoes people were wearing. I don't know why. Maybe it's because I feel like I need a pair of shoes? Anyway, the Sony guy somehow resets her phone and her phone decides that it would not and could not find a network to connect to.
"Must be the Simcard problem. Go to Maxis," the Sony guy says.
So we walked down 3 floors to Maxis.. they fiddle around with her simcard...
"No, it's not the Simcard. Must be your phone. Sorry," Maxis-guy-who-keeps-clearing-his-throat-says.
So we walk back up to Sony. She discusses with them for awhile.. I continue staring back into the crowd at people's clothing choice this time.
Finally, "SuLing I have to either go to Midvalley or KLCC to fix my phone. Let's just go and have dinner la. My stomach hurts," Yuyee says.
We get to our parking lot, pay the RM1 for my parking ticket.. and *jeng jeng jeng* WE CAN'T FIND MY CAR!!
*flashback* while parking car:
"This is such a secluded place. Sure difficult to find. Yuyee, remember *carpark space number*," I say.
I miraculously forgot the carpark space number.. Yuyee vaguely remembers the alphabet and remembers a 2 digit number behind, but not the exact 2 digit number. Me? I just remember that the car was in a secluded 'end of the parking lot' space. So we walk... and walk and walk.. all around the parking lot. Into all corners. TWICE! Sweating like crazy, I finally decide to seek the help of the security guards patrolling the floor. I tell the one on the motorcycle the wrong car plate number. Realized it too late. Told another security guard who didn't have a motorcycle what I did... He walks around looking for my car with the correct carplate number.
10 minutes later.. He finds it. Gestures us to follow him. We walk to the end of the carpark, around the bend which Yuyee and I somehow missed. And, there was my car! Never been so glad to see my mum's battered up ol' Citroen.
We finally head out of the carpark. I insert my parking ticket into the machine. The ticket pops out and the red "Expire" light flashes in front of my face. Damn. Really?!!
So, I held up traffic, put my Hazard lights on. Gets another security guard to help me.
What a Day huh?!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Things are the same.. yet different.
I was reading Tales of Avonlea last night, and it began with Anne saying her farewells to the people of Avonlea because she was going to university. I came across these few sentences:
"She was leaving the home that was so dear to her, and something told her that she was leaving it forever, save as a holiday refuge. Things would never be the same again; coming back for vacations would not be living there. And oh, how dear and beloved everything was... all the thousand and one dear spots where memories of the old years bided. Could she ever be really happy anywhere else?"
Ah, so true. So true. It's my third summer back home and I actually feel like that statement is true. I only come back for holidays. And it's not the same as really living here like I used to. I don't know the new places, or the new restaurants, or the new hangouts. My friends who still live here are so busy with their lives... sometimes I just feel like I'm intruding on theirs.
Still, home is as great as ever. No matter that I haven't seen my close friends as of yet. But I'm glad to say that I still remember how to drive to the places I usually frequent. Yay! Still not that fail as a Malaysian yet. haha. When using the back way (Aman Suria) to drive back to my house, I am greeted with my new sights as well as many old familiar sights. There are new shops and new office buildings that have been built within the one year that I haven't been home. But then there are so many other things that are so familiar that offer me endless comfort. There are still the same amount of road bumps. And the same sized and shaped potholes are still around. Like before, I know that they're there and maneuvere around them without thinking just like everyone else. When I brake to slow down to go across the bumps, I look down and see the same types of scratches on those bumps, and the same faded paint smatters just like before.
Some would say that this means a lack of progress and care by MPPJ. Which is undeniably true. But it still makes me smile when I drive through the same roads to get back home. It's like as though no matter how different I am, how much I have gone through or seen, those roads still remain the same. Have to admit though, that a lot has changed since my last time back home. My mum is making me paranoid about my safety at home. I know she does it for my own good, but ugh... and so many of my friends at home have now stepped foot into the working world. It is only me, coming home to 'visit'... while everyone else has their own lives to get on with.
But it's okay. I'm still happy to be home. And wouldn't wish to be anywhere else.
I was looking through my China pictures and thought I'd put up some pictures of the Summer Palace 颐和园。 It really was beautiful. And a beautiful day as well.
The first scenery that greeted us the minute we walked into the gates.
Walking through, and exploring the grounds.. we came across all these old buildings with mighty high walls surrounding them.
After climbing some perilous rock-hill.. we managed to catch a glimpse of what lied beyond those walls.
Isnt this beautiful!
The group of us that scored the grounds of the Summer Palace.
We even put down a 400 kuai deposit to go pedal boating on the famous lake.
The view from the lake.
"She was leaving the home that was so dear to her, and something told her that she was leaving it forever, save as a holiday refuge. Things would never be the same again; coming back for vacations would not be living there. And oh, how dear and beloved everything was... all the thousand and one dear spots where memories of the old years bided. Could she ever be really happy anywhere else?"
Ah, so true. So true. It's my third summer back home and I actually feel like that statement is true. I only come back for holidays. And it's not the same as really living here like I used to. I don't know the new places, or the new restaurants, or the new hangouts. My friends who still live here are so busy with their lives... sometimes I just feel like I'm intruding on theirs.
Still, home is as great as ever. No matter that I haven't seen my close friends as of yet. But I'm glad to say that I still remember how to drive to the places I usually frequent. Yay! Still not that fail as a Malaysian yet. haha. When using the back way (Aman Suria) to drive back to my house, I am greeted with my new sights as well as many old familiar sights. There are new shops and new office buildings that have been built within the one year that I haven't been home. But then there are so many other things that are so familiar that offer me endless comfort. There are still the same amount of road bumps. And the same sized and shaped potholes are still around. Like before, I know that they're there and maneuvere around them without thinking just like everyone else. When I brake to slow down to go across the bumps, I look down and see the same types of scratches on those bumps, and the same faded paint smatters just like before.
Some would say that this means a lack of progress and care by MPPJ. Which is undeniably true. But it still makes me smile when I drive through the same roads to get back home. It's like as though no matter how different I am, how much I have gone through or seen, those roads still remain the same. Have to admit though, that a lot has changed since my last time back home. My mum is making me paranoid about my safety at home. I know she does it for my own good, but ugh... and so many of my friends at home have now stepped foot into the working world. It is only me, coming home to 'visit'... while everyone else has their own lives to get on with.
But it's okay. I'm still happy to be home. And wouldn't wish to be anywhere else.
I was looking through my China pictures and thought I'd put up some pictures of the Summer Palace 颐和园。 It really was beautiful. And a beautiful day as well.
The first scenery that greeted us the minute we walked into the gates.
Walking through, and exploring the grounds.. we came across all these old buildings with mighty high walls surrounding them.
After climbing some perilous rock-hill.. we managed to catch a glimpse of what lied beyond those walls.
Isnt this beautiful!
The group of us that scored the grounds of the Summer Palace.
We even put down a 400 kuai deposit to go pedal boating on the famous lake.
The view from the lake.Sunday, June 7, 2009
About time I change my Blog name...
I'm back in Malaysia now. Been back since Monday.
Ah.. everything before Monday was a whirlwind. My last week in Beijing with my mum, my one week in Shanghai before coming back home. A real whirlwind. Now that I am relaxed and comfortable within the safe walls of my home thinking back to 'those days'... I'm surprised I even managed to stay awake and 'alive' through it all. On my last week in Beijing... with my mum around, I had to play her tourguide, and bring her all around Beijing. I made this grand plan of attending my morning classes and then skipping my afternoon classes to play tourguide. I spend the whole afternoon and evening with the mum... after having dinner with her and sending her back to her hotel... I hang out with my friends till (the earliest) 2 in the morning. That was basically how my whole week was. At the end of the week.. I had to fit in packing the ridiculous amount of things and souveniers that I accumulated throughout my 4 months in Beijing into 2 big suitcases as well. It really was a crazy crazy week. But I would not have done anything differently.
I would not have given up spending time with my mum, showing her all that I learned about Beijing... neither would I have given up going to my last few days of classes... or the late nights with my friends laughing over how we became friends in Beijing. It really was all worth it. Sure, I had to put up with my mum's nagging of how I'm not getting enough sleep and that it's really bad of me to go out so late in the night with my friends. Also, I had to listen to lectures about how "the only thing I learned in Beijing is to DRINK" when my mum was pissed at me. *sigh* Yeah. Really.
I know, I partied a whole lot in Beijing. I admit it. But hey, I didn't skip classes at all even though I partied. It didn't affect my studies. I made good friends that really mean something to me and me to them. I don't drink as much as my mum thinks I do. I let her think that I do, but really... I don't. I didn't just party in Beijing.. I really did see so much of Beijing as well.
Shanghai was a blur and honestly quite exhausting. Between moving my huge and heavy ass luggages around multiple times... and figuring out my idiot mistake of not realizing that Air Asia flies out of Hangzhou airport instead of Shanghai airport... and sightseeing around Shanghai with my mum.... I'm glad I'm back home to take a long breather.
Hence.. I haven't blog in a long time. Plus plus, Blogspot is banned in China now as well. China and its bans. That's one thing I'm not going to miss. Along with the pollution, and the competitive aspect of living there，the spitting, and the bargaining when buying anything under the sun. Despite all that I will not miss, I did love Beijing while I was living there. But it is true that that could have only been because of the people that were with.. the people that helped me learn to live in Beijing. I am going to miss the partying that I did there, that's for sure. haha. Don't know if there will be another chapter of my life when I would party as much anymore. The carefree lifestyle, ah I am definitely gonna miss that too. I will miss the food in Beijing. Chuar, Baos... I can't list too much or it'll just start getting to me. Getting to places by subway, will miss that. The very entertaining PDA that Chinese couples exhibit everywhere. The praises of my Mandarin being very good even though I'm not from China.
Here are some pictures from my last week in Beijing.
The last CIEE lunch. Here's a few of us with our CIEE teachers.
My hanyu class. We were a good mix. America, Poland, Germany, Russia, Italy, Chile, Japan, Malaysia...
And my kouyu class.
Annika and me with our tutor. She cut her hair!! Ah, she was such a doll.. and was thoroughly amused with mum. haha.
With my Japanese classmates and Steph. That Thursday night was one of the nights that I had the most fun.
The night we did our own safe and slow bar crawl. We were the last few who made it to the last stop.
Andrea and I finally had our Strongbows. We made a promise to get them before we left Beijing. And we did..
Our last Friday night together. At Alfa.. where we became old ladies who danced to our fav 80s music.
Saturday morning at 5am, when we finished our 'Friday night'
Last night at Beer Garden.. munching and talking.
Ah.. everything before Monday was a whirlwind. My last week in Beijing with my mum, my one week in Shanghai before coming back home. A real whirlwind. Now that I am relaxed and comfortable within the safe walls of my home thinking back to 'those days'... I'm surprised I even managed to stay awake and 'alive' through it all. On my last week in Beijing... with my mum around, I had to play her tourguide, and bring her all around Beijing. I made this grand plan of attending my morning classes and then skipping my afternoon classes to play tourguide. I spend the whole afternoon and evening with the mum... after having dinner with her and sending her back to her hotel... I hang out with my friends till (the earliest) 2 in the morning. That was basically how my whole week was. At the end of the week.. I had to fit in packing the ridiculous amount of things and souveniers that I accumulated throughout my 4 months in Beijing into 2 big suitcases as well. It really was a crazy crazy week. But I would not have done anything differently.
I would not have given up spending time with my mum, showing her all that I learned about Beijing... neither would I have given up going to my last few days of classes... or the late nights with my friends laughing over how we became friends in Beijing. It really was all worth it. Sure, I had to put up with my mum's nagging of how I'm not getting enough sleep and that it's really bad of me to go out so late in the night with my friends. Also, I had to listen to lectures about how "the only thing I learned in Beijing is to DRINK" when my mum was pissed at me. *sigh* Yeah. Really.
I know, I partied a whole lot in Beijing. I admit it. But hey, I didn't skip classes at all even though I partied. It didn't affect my studies. I made good friends that really mean something to me and me to them. I don't drink as much as my mum thinks I do. I let her think that I do, but really... I don't. I didn't just party in Beijing.. I really did see so much of Beijing as well.
Shanghai was a blur and honestly quite exhausting. Between moving my huge and heavy ass luggages around multiple times... and figuring out my idiot mistake of not realizing that Air Asia flies out of Hangzhou airport instead of Shanghai airport... and sightseeing around Shanghai with my mum.... I'm glad I'm back home to take a long breather.
Hence.. I haven't blog in a long time. Plus plus, Blogspot is banned in China now as well. China and its bans. That's one thing I'm not going to miss. Along with the pollution, and the competitive aspect of living there，the spitting, and the bargaining when buying anything under the sun. Despite all that I will not miss, I did love Beijing while I was living there. But it is true that that could have only been because of the people that were with.. the people that helped me learn to live in Beijing. I am going to miss the partying that I did there, that's for sure. haha. Don't know if there will be another chapter of my life when I would party as much anymore. The carefree lifestyle, ah I am definitely gonna miss that too. I will miss the food in Beijing. Chuar, Baos... I can't list too much or it'll just start getting to me. Getting to places by subway, will miss that. The very entertaining PDA that Chinese couples exhibit everywhere. The praises of my Mandarin being very good even though I'm not from China.
Here are some pictures from my last week in Beijing.
The last CIEE lunch. Here's a few of us with our CIEE teachers.
My hanyu class. We were a good mix. America, Poland, Germany, Russia, Italy, Chile, Japan, Malaysia...
And my kouyu class.
Annika and me with our tutor. She cut her hair!! Ah, she was such a doll.. and was thoroughly amused with mum. haha.
With my Japanese classmates and Steph. That Thursday night was one of the nights that I had the most fun.
The night we did our own safe and slow bar crawl. We were the last few who made it to the last stop.
Andrea and I finally had our Strongbows. We made a promise to get them before we left Beijing. And we did..
Our last Friday night together. At Alfa.. where we became old ladies who danced to our fav 80s music.
Saturday morning at 5am, when we finished our 'Friday night'
Last night at Beer Garden.. munching and talking.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)