Welcoming year 2010.

A brand new year is going to be here soon. =)

I haven't thought of serious resolutions for the coming year yet (though i have decided on some, listed below), but i sure have things to say to and about the year which is about to become history, year 2009.

Year 2009 saw plenty of challenges in many aspects, from trying to keep certain things alive, while my own life was barely balancing on the edge of an elephant's tusk, working hard to keep the balls up and juggling, to witnessing an act so cruel done so deliberately at such a mercilessly strategic time to me. Oh well.

***

Year 2009 sure had a lot in store for me. But i'm ready to forget it all. Living through the year would now just be a dream for me.

I will remember how cruel people have been. And i will pray for them, for i know they will get it one day.

I will miss those who had left the world dearly. I hope that they've found a better place.

I will cherish You.

I will not fall so easily.

Irresponsible words hurled at me, thank you but I'm no longer interested. Eat your words if you want.

I will drink more.

I will spend more time for '*'.

Less calls, more face to face conversations.

Bigger heart. For people around me.

Bake and cook more, for doing these things keeps me at peace.

Keep a discreet life.

More patience.

***

And of course there'll be more from where these came from.

On top of everything, after giving a thought about it for a long time, I will be a changed person in 2010.

Till the day comes, peace to all.

Happy New Year. May 2010 bring everyone blessings. Especially to those who need it.

<3 : What's the meaning behind it?

Well, it could have been coincidental, but it is definitely genuine. I have no explanation as to why these things happened, and i'm pretty curious about them. In fact, my parents had taken interest in the birthmark on my arm quite some time ago.

I was handling something in the kitchen just a few moments ago and got myself wounded. It was before i slipped in the gloves. And the wound continued to bleed till i got a heart-shaped blood stain under the rubber sheet. Kinda weird but it isn't something you see everyday.

The stain: (taken under 2 different exposures)

Regarding the birthmark on my arm, it is actually heart-shaped. Yea, i have a heart-shaped birthmark. Not a tattoo, or an old wound.

The birthmark:

(I think a better camera would give a clearer view)

Tip: View the photos below from about 2 meters away from the screen, then you will see it clearly.

In my younger days as a toddler, there was once when i wet the bed, there was a small heart-shaped stain next to the big wet stain on the bed sheet. Too bad there isn't any photo to show that.

Sometimes i wonder whether these encounters mean anything. Couldn't be too coincidental, could they? You tell me. <3

Updates!

Haha. I haven't posted anything since my first free Saturday. Lots and lots of things had happened. Lol. There's going to be a surprise for everyone soon. Lol if i decide to share. Anyways, holidays seem busier than schooling days!

There's so much to catch up during the holidays. So many things on the list that i intend to do. Time is running quite short for me. I enrolled for summer classes, which takes 2 days off my week, and work about everyday (tiring but enjoyable), played, hung up with best friends, hit the gym, shopped with grandparents, celebrated special days, and the list goes on. And on, because there's still a lot on the list i haven't checked.

Speaking of special days, my parents had just celebrated three special events which fell on three consecutive days last week (in fact on the same week every year) and I was a part of it this year. Initially i intended to buy something for them and it led me to hours of unproductive walk and survey at the malls.

Then the idea of cooking a meal for them came by. The idea dawned to me pretty much last minute. It was 4.30 p.m and i was at Subang. Technically i only had 3 hours to prepare and serve the meal (dinner). Lol. I rushed home and reached at 5.00 p.m. Took 10 minutes to figure out what to cook and buy, then drove to Hartamas to collect the stuff.

Actually to be honest, i didn't know what to cook them. Honey and lemon came to my mind, and i was craving for potatoes, so i decided that probably two of the dishes should be Honey Glazed Chicken and Rosemary Beef Stew. The rest were Chinese Style Steamed Cod Fish and Salmon Sashimi. Haha. Oh yea, i made desserts too, and some Vodka and Gin cocktail.

=) Thank God i managed to serve them just before they were back at 8p.m. I actually panicked in between because i ran out of corn starch. LOL. Some credit has to go to Eu-Juin for suggesting plain flour as substitute.

Two of the dishes (prior to serving):

(the rest weren't taken because my parents were at the door already. lol!)

The Glazed Chicken

Beef Stew

First free Saturday

Today's the first Saturday that i have nothing formal or important to do or deadlines to worry about. LOL. Woke up at about 10, bathe dogs and walked them and then got ready for my lunch appointment with Hsien Hooi.

Was supposed to drive him to 1-Utama but mum called up to arranged some stuff with me, so there was a change of plan. Went to Soho KL instead. Haha.. We were hoping to find some food there but ended up walking around and couldn't decide on what to eat. lol

We left Soho KL shortly and headed straight to Hartamas Shopping Complex. LOL. And we met Kristine there! And her dad, and Kellie, her sis. There's a newly opened TGIF there on the third floor, so we promptly walked in. And we ate like monsters.

The parfaits (desert) we had, greedy us:

Nothing interesting after lunch, at least not for the public to know, as they were all personal stuff. Haha. Sorry for that, i know i've always spilled everything out. I just don't feel like doing it now. LOL. Another day then, good day.

Over the last two weeks..

So many things have happened over the last two weeks and i haven't been able to notify anyone anything about it. My fault . Exams was a more evident reason for this late post. Anyways, despite the fact that the exam fever was on, i had gone thru lotsa life-changing experiences and lol, ended up having fever towards the end of the exam period. But i've learnt well enough.

I did many things during the examination period. Of course, running thru the never-ending pages of notes and tutorials was one of them, but i'd also given myself a break (actually too many breaks) to free myself from the stress prison. I had a full body massage at Thai Odyssey (Midvalley Megamall), went shopping with grandparents, hung out with parents, drank a lil, did paperwork, had foot reflexology, ate 5 tubs of Baskin Robbins and a Strawberry Sundae everyday (poor McD delivery guy, he has to send just one sundae to my place everyday), bought a desktop, clothes and a pair of Nike, and the list goes on...

Haha. I know i shouldn't be doing all these during the most important period of the semester, that's probably why i got sick, the late-nighters and all. But there's one more contribution to my sickness, which i will never forget. Glad that i'm getting better now. But it affected two of my papers. Oh well.

Photos taken:

Thai Odyssey:

The beds:

(Remark: Thai ladies are strong creatures. Ouch.)

Lunch with parents at Din Tai Feng, Saturday:

(This really brings back the memories of me in Shanghai, remember i was at Din Tai Feng (from my previous blog)? I ordered the same thing as i ordered back then with Juin and Chris):

Xiao Loong Bao:

(And many other dishes which we had, lazy to post. LOL)

Dinner with parents at Marche, Sunday:

(Colourful Marche, I love their concept.)

Shopping with parents:

New Desktop:

Hoodie from Giordano:

I think this pair of Nike is unique:

Ranting. Something I wouldn't do unless it saves me from breakdown.

Haha. It's 2.30 in the morning and i'm still wide awake. Gazing thru the window at the newly built expressway outside my house gave me a sense of serenity. There is a reason why i was, and am still awake. Just as when you see smoke, something was definitely burning. The night's stay was more than just something burning in the fire pit. Probably slightly more, but still more.

One logical reason for staying up late is of course to study for the next paper. And another is probably more personal, close to heart, but less substantial, at least from this point on. There is some strength emphasized in the previous sentence, if you noticed.

Sometimes it is disappointing to realize that a person tells you something and then something else happens. The question is, why bother telling? The answer would be : To please the ears that are listening. "WOW," was my reaction when i noticed that. What an answer. I really applaud those who did that.

Some like to keep secrets. They end up being ambiguous. They try to twist their words as though they were trying to screw the cork out of the champagne bottle. Some are professionals. They are quick and fast. And nasty. It's not pleasant to not learn the secrets from the secret bearer himself.

Some damages done cannot be undone. My dad always said that life is an art without an eraser. Which is quite true. If it doesn't work this way, there's sure to be another way that will work eventually. The bottomline is, look forward. Miss one, be ready for the next. Miss the next, get set for the one after next. "Life is a marathon" like what Eu-Juin said.

Well. Come to think of it, i shouldn't blame anyone for the things that had happened. Let's just say every thing is predestined. If stars belong to the day, God would have made the stars shine in the day.

If today i was destined to be late, I'm sure God had purposely made it that way because he has a better plans coming up for me. Well, some words are better left unvoiced. What use could the call 'TAXI!' be of, when the taxi has left the taxi stand? =)

Having read the bible I find that i could let go things more easily. So i have decided. And nothing would change that. Peace. =)

Alcoholic Saturday!

Every Saturday is "Alcoholic Saturday", my very own Saturday Night Fever dedicated to drinks i love. Of course not to the extend of getting myself drunk.

This week's pick is .... Sunset Splash! My very own Vodka Cocktail recipe.

This is the first time i drink while i'm studying. LOL. Great experience though. It heightens the spirit to work harder. LOL. In a way.

Hahaha.

Good to luck everyone in Monash and everywhere else where exams are approaching!

The Crazy Last Minute Day Trip

Haha. This was last Saturday. Close to dawn. In fact, an hour or two pass dawn. Everyone was wide awake and ready to leave. I was still drooling beneath my creases of my warm blanket, threatening to kill if anyone woke me up. (I stayed up late the night before). Someone pushed my blanket aside and tapped on my shoulder. It was dad with his gears. "Let's go out" he said.

"Where?"

"Good Question."

My eyes blinked in disbelief. Nevertheless i got ready and we left at 7.10 am. There was some discussion going on in the car about where to go and what to do for the day, while i travel back and forth between dream and reality. By the time i woke up, we were on our way to Genting. The plan was, 4 hours in Genting, then Strawberry Farm on our way downhill, Mushroom farm and finally shopping at one of the malls in KL.

The trip to Genting was, i would say, country-like. Birds flocked together in the skies, the surrounding was greeneries, and country music was played on the car radio. And nice breeze too.

At Genting, I had to babysit my siblings. Parents had gone dating. If you know me well enough, i'm not the type who fancies outdoor games or arcades, haha, but i had no choice. I can't ask my siblings to spend time enjoying coffee at Starbucks, can I? So I obliged, with one condition; only play indoors. Had hours of fun, at least for my brother, then a game of bowling, and well, fair enough, a venti-sized Java chip Frappucino from Starbucks, met parents at the First World hotel lobby and we were good to leave.

En route back to KL we stopped at the nearby Strawberry Farm and also the Mushroom Farm to buy souvenirs and take photos.

Next stop: One-Utama Shopping Complex.

It was dinner time when we finally got down. And it was too late for our final stops (after 1-U), IKEA and IKANO. May be another week. Had TGIF for dinner and shopped around. I was so exhausted! My gosh. Siblings bought nike and adidas shoes. Ish! So jealous. Only if i had the strength to pick one for myself.

At Genting:

There goes my money:

(Just look at how much my brother could play)

Strawberry /Mushroom Farm & Plant nursery:

Strawberries!

This is how mushroom is cultivated:

(scary though. fungi everywhere.)

Orchids:

(Phalaenopsis lindenii)

The kite shop:

(They have real big kites and kites you thought would never fly!)

And finally me, promoting BIG CUPS! :

Kissed by a sheet of glass.

Kissed by a sheet of glass. How lovely. The day hadn't gotten worse than it should be. Different angles of the kiss, thanks to someone:

8 Gigabytes less!

My total mobile memory (minus my brain) is now 8 gigabyte less, unless if i could retrieve it. I was on the bed when the message came buzzing on my phone. It was Zhi Sheng, asking me to bring my pen-drive to university to check some stuff. Still blur and eyes sleepy, i suddenly got a slap in the head. MY PEN-DRIVE?

Yes, the next thing that came to mind was the memory of it being plugged onto the lab computer that we've been working on the day before. I was wide awake. Made a few calls after that and started blaming myself for the negligence.

Checked with the lab staff but three out of the five said they didn't have it. I still had 40% of chance to get it back. Lol. My third year friend told me that some people actually never find their lost pen-drives back. Scary. Plus, mine's an 8 GB pen-drive, such a temptation.

Well, i guess i will have to get a new one then. Haha. Good luck to the finder! I remember putting a curse to the pen-drive. lol.

Mid-Autumn Festival a.k.a Mooncake Festival

Happy happy happy belated Mid-Autumn Festival to all Chinese around the world, and to some 'sesat' (lost, in Bahasa Melayu) ones who also celebrate this event! LOL. I actually do not celebrate it to be honest. I only want to eat those yummy mooncakes every year and give myself an excuse to play with fire and lantern. Haha. The problem is, i haven't done any of them.

Yup, i haven't eaten a single slice of mooncake and i thought i was too old for lanterns, considering the sad fact that i'm 21.

There is a story behind this festival, as i was told, many many gazillion years back by someone. However, there are many different versions of it, told by the different divisions and subdivisions of the Chinese race (China's big, hence, different parts of China would have different dialects and well, beliefs).

Correct me if i'm wrong. If my memory hasn't failed me, the Chinese celebrate this festival to commemorate the goddess named Chang Er who got sent off to the moon as a punishment for dating General Tian Peng (who turned into the famous Zhu Ba Jie, the pig warrior who accompanied monk Tsang Jang on his journey to the West, in seek of Buddha).

(picture courtesy of www.technicaljones.com)

Another version came from my mum's side, where majority are Hokkiens. I think their version's more logical. According to them, it's about a war against some enemy (i forgot which enemy); it was at night, and it was full moon. Apparently, the strategy that helped them (China) win the war was this 'bright' (lol) idea of sending messages to one and another in cakes. Literally stuffing inked messages into the poor edibles. That explains why we have mooncakes on the mid-autumn festival. Full moon, winning battle/war, with the help of cakes, get it?

Whatever it is, i'm no Buddhist or Taoist, and neither do i speak much of Hokkien. I only look forward to eating the cakes and gathering for a game of cards with my cousins. Haha. This year's celebration at my mum's side was so so. Simple and quiet. Just the way i want it. We left quite early because my dad was sleepy.

Nothing much happened so i'll just let the pictures do the talking. Enjoy viewing!

Top: Part of the feast.

Bottom: Yummy cupcakes. My aunt brought them. I think i've seen them on Kristine's 21st bday party.

Taken by my sis, cousins and i:

Cute lanterns:

At Soho KL with parents!

Soho KL's located just behind my place, with a mere 5 minutes drive from the guard house. Night life there is awesome! So much to see. Look and see but not touch, that is, if you know what i mean. There's a lot to eat too. Ranging from fine dining, to Japanese, to Western, i'm not too sure whether they have fast food there, to Indonesian (Ole-ole Bali), to Chinese, and well, go check them out yourselves!

There were a lot of music and noises around, people singing and chanting their alcohol filled words and phrases, and ironically, there were quiet corners for couples too. Life of many styles were scattered all over the place.

Enough of noises and tired of walking around on our 'makan' trip, we took a short break at Cold Storage, to buy groceries. We ended up buying less needs and more wants. Check the photos out!

This stall's really an irony to the night scene. LOL.

This is funny! You must be wondering why. Rooster lay eggs meh?

At Cold Storage. I wanted to buy Jack Daniels, but dad wants to try Tolon-tolon:

Tolon-tolon, milk and alcohol. Nice.

Korean Ginseng. Funny and weird looking.

Happening! Gonna crash. Hangover at its peak.