Banana, Coconut and Teringai Laut

This is the first picture I took when I reached Kampung Teringai Laut, Sabah. Apparently it wasn’t a trip of 5-star hotel and endless shopping spree.

I told myself not to get lengthy with this post. For me, the trip was way too beautiful, beyond the description of words.

I spent few days in a very poor village in Sabah with 5 other student, Mr Venon - the miracle worker who makes life better for the villagers, Naimah – the loving teacher who gives her heart to the kids, Betty – the shy and kind-hearted native who worked closely with Naimah, and lastly, Gwyneth – a courageous British who volunteers to help out in the village.

Shame, I was disgusted by the children when I first reached there. Their clothes are all torn with dirt and stain, with sand all over their face and nails that I never thought I could tolerate. And the smell, I was guessing shower was not in their custom. I can see bacteria all over the place, literally. I saw how they played around, falling down on sand and wiping their face with filthy hands, eating food that had dropped on the floor.

If it were my 5 five years old cousin, he would have cry running to me and wanting me to caress him and maybe, get him a new toy. The Teringai Laut children just stand up by themselves, and laugh at their carelessness for tripping over a stone. How different.

For the few days, the 6 of us conducted a series of classes for the children. Class started at 8am, and half of them were there by 7am. With kids, we did the usual things – singing song, doing artwork, learning new vocabulary, drawing and painting. They don’t have the privilege of city kids, but they are very eager to learn, and they appreciate things.

A scene in the class room as we were teaching them artwork.

The last day was always the most memorable one. I started to bond with some of the kids there. We were giving out balloons to the kids, wanting them to learn the color balloons. The cheeky me started to draw things on the balloon for them. I drew a ‘happy’ face on Helmid’s orange balloon, “see, ini ‘gembira’. It is called ‘HAPPY’ in English”. The boy beside me (My bad, I don’t remember his name), handed me his balloon and asked, “I want HAPPY.” I took the balloon, and gave him HAPPY, with an extra car. It went on and on, they started to ask for more pictures, flower, butterfly, love, Mickey Mouse and etc.

say hi to the artist!

As I was busy showing off my talent on the balloon, I saw a boy untying his balloon and letting out the air inside, I asked him. He only said “boleh simpan lama sikit”. And the balloon cost us 20 cent.

I would never forget the scene where they left the classroom, and ran off cheerfully with the colourful balloons on their hand. Happiness is just so simple.

Later on, the kids gave us a tour around the village. Pendeling, the mischievous girl who always failed to stick her butt on the chair came beside me and hold my hand. The little hand which I deemed as unhygienic on my first arrival, is now the warm hand I wish to hold again. Normah came later, holding my hand as we strolled around the village.

Forest pigs roam around the village as if it was nobody business, indeed a rare scene in city nor town. We saw their houses, built of wood and bamboo. And yeah, we saw deer too! On our way, we bumped into Pendeling’s mother, she was washing clothes beside the river with some other villagers. The kids definitely have potential to be tour guide, they were so eager to show us around, and teaching us their native language – Rusun. I am a slow learner, I can only remember ‘tasuk’, which means dog in English.

It was getting late and we had to head back to the school. Without my expectation, the girls gave me a hug, a gesture than means more than life to me.

I left Kampung Teringai Laut next day, and without packing my heart.

I hold some of the best memories I have in Kampung Teringai:

Rohesa, she looks like pageant princess!!

Wendi, a shy shy boy who won't join us in the class, but peeping at us through the window. And I knocked my head like **** while handing him the balloon outside the classroom.

My favourite spot of the house!! The hammock where I felt asleep while listening to the splashing sounds of banana and coconut leaves, bringing my mind to the beach. This is also how I got the idea for title, the banana and coconut...

A bowl of RM1 chicken mihun!!Unbelievable right?!

This is what you get when you are staying in a rural village! Endless coconut. Oh, did I mention the kids can climb coconut as fast as a Nissan Skyline?

A long long long long journey to the beach...

finally, after 45 minutes of walk..we are there...ohmmmm.....

no caption, simply acting crazy.

the five star house of Kampung Teringai Laut

cam-whoring while touring the village!

Spiderman crossing the bridge, which I don't have the guts to cross...*shy*

HAPPY simply loving this photo.


Looking up.

It has been months since I last left Teringai Laut, the memory is still dancing vividly in my brain. What I have gained through the journey is priceless, and I don't think I can channel my emotions into words, it wouldn't be as beautiful as experiencing it yourself. Who knows, someday, you might be sharing with me how much you enjoy your stay in an unknown village and drinking lots lots of coconut!

Off To An Unknown Village

At 6.50am later, I will boarding on a flight to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, off to an unknown village with my friends.

First time being away from home for 2 weeks,
first time having to stay in a real rural area,
first time having to cook for all meals,
first time having no handphone network for 2 weeks,
first time having no facebook for more than one day,
first time having no MSN messenger,
first time having no laptop and games for more than 2 hours,
first time having to wash all my clothes MANUALLY,
first time having no cozy bed and blanky for nights,
first time having no aircon for more than one day...

I hope I survive.

See ya in 2 weeks time!

Change

In less than half an hour, I made a decision to cut my hair short. Yeap, finally I am leaving my long fluffy hair at the salon.

I am not dumped by that someone, I did not screwed up my studies, I did not run away from my family, I did not just killed someone - nothing out of the ordinary happened to me lately. The thing is, I wanted a change for no apparent reason, something I want to do for myself.

I sms-ed my mom informing her I were going to cut my hair short. My mom always has the mind set that long fair means femininity. Her replied was short and blunt : It'll make you look fat, don't cry after that k. Ouch...

The salon were having a promotion for hair cut, RM15.90 for all style. Why not then? And there I went, without knowing specifically how my new hair going to look like. The hairstylist assured me that she knew what to do with my hair, I am not a pro in these, so, I shut my mouth and wait for it to happen.



Ta-dah!! I was very much satisfied with my new hair. More than just satisfaction I would say. For the first few days, I felt really bizzare staring at the girl in mirror. For several times, I even freaked myself out when I walked pass a mirror. Guess I were so used to having long hair.

The only problem is, it cost RM30. I got fooled. The hairstylist explanation was:"Becuase we washed your hair for you. That RM15.90 package doesn't include washing hair." Thanks for the clarification ya!! -_-

Confession time, I am very proud of my new hair. Yeah, I look even plumper with my 'Cleopetro hair' (quoted by my friends). But....I am really happy with my new hair mah...*shy*

I felt like I have been sheltering in my shell for so long, never really experience the extraordinary. Even while the phrase was degenerating to cliché in ordinary public use, it still means a lot to me - I only get to live life once, hence I shall move from shells to shells, till I have lived through all.

UP UP and UP

*Ding Dong*
"Good afternoon, are you in need of any assistance today Sir?"

Two thumbs UP, UP and UP!!

I was expecting some real silly and hilarious scene to save me from suffocated by tensions of final exam. I got more than what I have expected. It is definitely one of the few best movies for year 2009.

By the look of the trailer, I was assuming that this is a story about a lonely old man whom is selfish and lifeless, and how he leaves the human land and retreat into an isolated island. The chubby boy, Russell, his 'partner' for the adventure, would eventually changed him into a better person. Well, I guess it is true that we shouldn't judge a book by its cover.

I have to change my stereotyping perception towards animated movie again. The message of the movie is simple, to dream and to soar. And finally, Carl, a grumpy old man, steps up and realizes his childhood dream. I won't want to spoil the story here!! You have got to watch it yourself, seriously.

The movie is presented in such a adorable and heartening content, and yet, within it bares the spirit of adventures and dreams, and how a seemingly impossible imagination/idea is performed to the public.

Perhaps I should really start to dream big and start my own adventure. Ermmm...buuuutttt....I am staying in a 25 floors condominium, how many balloons do i need??

I splurge because of my nose!

I have RM200 in my purse. and I told myself I would save it for the coming month. I really would.

Within the short 0.009 sec I spent at L'occitane counter, I knew I'm screwed.

I splurged on a hand cream. Blame the nose, seriously. Besides, I need to get a new hand cream anyway (hmmm...maybe not). The hand cream smells like the cream I used back in hometown as a child. I can't remember the brand, the packaging, the function of it, but yet, it brings me back to the old time. I have the urge to own the hand cream, I know it is bad. Yea yea yea, I will get rid of impulse buying SOMEDAY k???~~~~

I guess I was looking for something tangible to hold on to my past.

I still remember the smell of body shower I used when I ended my first relationship.
I remember the smell of softlan used on my secondary school pinaform.
I remember the sweaty smell of No 2 bus and the squezziness in it.
I remember the smell od hair cream I used back in Form 1 to 'flatten' my fluffy lion-ly hair. I remember the smell of my mom's perfume when she dropped by my primary school to give me my lunch.
I remember the smell of singapore custome and how my dad was standing behind all the smell.
I remember the smell of my precious bolster which I haved used for 10 years, which was thrown by my mom.
I remember the smell of fried cempedak my mom cooked when I was studying on my study desk.
I remember the smell of my stuffy room when I haved locked myself inside for more than 8 hours.

I wonder how does Sabah smell like now??^_^

The Time Traveler's Wife

Not knowing how to spend my last possible leisure night before I get busy with SOS Earth publicity execution, I tuned to YouTube, looking for some movie trailers that might intrigue my interest. And I got it.

The Time Traveler's Wife

I can hear a ring in my tiny brain. The title seem familiar, as if I have heard of the story. I browsed my bookshelf. I am speechless toward myself, I have the novel. It was still nicely wrapped with plastic and been there since last few months. Gosh...I am such a terrible person.

I found some other novels that I haven't read or 'touch' yet. Hahaha...I guess I must stop myself from buying any more novels until I have finished all of those in my bookself, around 10 of them??(I am guessing more)

Anyway, I recalled why I bought the book, well, it was sold for 50% cheaper, how am I supposed to resist it? And of course, because of the title - The Time Traveler's Wife.


Time is always ahead of me, and I never seem to be able to fully utilize my time. I am one second older every now and then. No rewind, no fast forward, no pause...beyond our control. Wouldn't it be amazing if I can beat the time? :)

Will start reading this book right after The Sleeping Doll by Jeffery Deaver!

The synopsis

The Time Traveler's Wife is the love story of Henry and Clare DeTamble, a young married couple living in Chicago. Their lives together are complicated by a mystifying and exasperating genetic condition that causes Henry to involuntarily time travel. While Clare is left wondering if the man she always knew she would marry is safe from harm, Henry is taken on journies that are unpredictable, and alternately harrowing and amusing. While Henry strains to live as normal a life as he can, pursuing goals that will be familiar to most — a steady job, love, good friends, children of his own — Clare has always known that their love was pre-destined, having already met Henry as a young girl when he would time travel from their present to her past before they met.

Their bizarre life and the challenges they face are the same burdens that ultimately we all must deal with the inability to have control over their lives. However, what Henry's affliction does provide them is a glimpse to their final hours and to the novel's breathtaking ending. The Time Traveler's Wife is a story about adoration, separation, and ultimately about how time defines so much in our lives.

New Moon Officail trailer

Finally the New Moon trailer is out.



Seem like it stays loyal to the novel. The trailer doesn't really excite me though, probably because I have passed the-twilight-obsession-period.

To my astonishment, the werewolf looks kinda cute. I was imagining something real hairy and intimidating. Well, it is still to early to say that.

Definitely will watch it!! :)

Rice Dumpling

Muahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha XD

Finally I know how to wrap rice dumpling!

Okay, I know you are sweating, - it is not right this insane girl can cook the whole rice dumpling. Don't sweat ya, wrapping a perfectly un-leak-able rice dumpling is not as easy as you thought k.

Okay, I am making a fuss here. So what? It is still my blog and I know how to wrap a rice dumpling!

I managed to wrap around 14 dumplings without the help of my grandma!!! *proud*
My precious baby rice dumpling, half of them are already in my stomach now!!!

I only got it right after few (fine, after like 20?) attempts. Even now the the shape of the dumplings weren't quite there. But you can see the triangular shape and it doesn't leak!! Practice makes perfect, anyone want to hire me to wrap rice dumpling for ya?

The ingredients of the day, all fully prepared my two aunties and grandma. We have oyster, pork, dried prawn, mushroom, salted egg yolk, and of course sticky rice. Some of the ingredients are not shown above. I actually took the pic of all ingredients, but haiz, my sucky camera skills, it turned out to be blurry.

A fruitful result of a whole day of sweating, squatting, cleaning, washing, cooking, frying, boiling, wrapping, and etc etc etc.
Seem like a lot of rice dumplings huh? Believe me, in a big family, there is only so little rice dumpling for each and everyone.

Wahahahaha...this is the rice dumpling I wrapped!!And it is triangular!! Am I making you hungry?? XD

Heeley

A dog wags its tail with its heart.

~Martin Buxbaum~

I am never a dog person. Seriously.

But how can you? They are such adorable creature with wagging tails!!

Whenever I see a dog, okay, very cute, and it bites. That's it, I draw my line. I know, I am cold-hearted and all that. Well, I never say I am an amiable person right?

And then there is Heeley, a two months old puppy. The only dog/puppy I have ever caresses tenderly for more than 1 minute.

Only my ever two mischievuos and cheeky 9 and 7 years old cousins could have tought of such a name for a puupy. Heeley was given by a neighbour to my grandma, and then my grandma gave it to my auntie's family who stay in Penang.

I come to my auntie's house on Saturday, along with my grandma. It is sorta like a routine for my grandma to come to Penang and stays with her daughters for some days. This time, I tag along! The first day I arrived in Penang, Heeley just got discharge from a vet clinic. According to my auntie, she is having some worms infection, causing it impossible for food digestion.

Heeley, a small local puppy. Adorable and cute. Then, I spent my whole day playing PSP and surfing the net.

Monday evening, out of the blue moon, I sat beside Heeley's cage and looked at her. She looked so weak and vulnerable. Without knowing how I manage to get over the fear of being bitten by a dog, I opened the cage door and stroke Heeley gently. After all, she is only a puppy. Why on earth would I be afraid of her? She tried to stand up but keep falling off. After several attempts, she gave up and lied her body aside while I caress her tiny body. Not bad huh, maybe I might start to like dog soon. I even thought of keeping a dog for real!!haha...Heeley convinced me not all dogs bite.

Heeley looked so fatigue, and she didn't bark at all for two days. She doesn't have to know human language, anyone with bare eyes would have known she is in agony. I have very little knowledge of dog, the only thing I know how to do is to tenderly stroke away all her pain.

Not long afterwards, my uncle reached home with the kids. He called the vet, Dr Joseph after seeing Heeley is not turning any better. After 5 minutes, we are on our way to the vet clinic.

Heeley did not make any noise on the journey. She just lied quietly there.

Dr Joseph injected a kind of fluid into Heeley's backside, which is suppose to cause diarrhea and hence removing all the worms and toxics in her body. The vet threw alot of scientific terms while explaining to us about Heeley's condition. It has been 3 years since I last exposed myself to any scientific thingy, and so I only managed to grab 30% of what the vet was trying to convey. Based on my understanding, Heeley's body was 'attacked' by hookworms, which mostly is genetically inheret through birth or through 'breastfeeding' from her mom. It is very likely that Heeley was having severe internal bleeding and her organs might be cruelly bitten by all the worms.

The fluid is supposed to bring to defecation, in order words, poo!! We waited for 5 minutes, nothing come out. Dr Joseph increase the dose. While the vet was injecting the fluid to Heeley's backside, from laying there weakly, she become uptight, and she tried to open mouth and bark with her faint body. No voice coming out from Heely. She was too weak to moan for pain. I was hoping at least my caress will make her feel better.

After another 5 minutes, still nothing.

Nothing and still nothing.
Bad news. Heeley might be having mechanical failure. And the survival chance is only 25%.

Two option:
- Take the 25%.
- End Heeley's pain once and for all.

Heeley's gaze never leave my uncle while he was thinking. As if she knows what we were talking about. Does dog really understand what human said? If they do, Heeley was suffering inside out.

After much consideration, my uncle decided to put her down. It was very disheartening, but there is only so little we can do. Even the vet said her survival chance was bleak.

Just as we were about to leave, Heeley poo!! Finally she defecated. We can see all the dirty poo coming out!! And here I thought twist and hope are only meant for fiction. She poo!! and it was alot.

There were alot of worms and digested blood in the poo, which indicating severe internal bleeding. For one moment, I really thought Heeley would get well. What was done was till there. Heeley's survical chance is still bleak, and the pain is with her.

Final decision - Let Heeley goes.

We left the clinic. Heeley still didn't make a noise. I wonder, does she know what is going to happen to herself? What will she do if she get to choose for herself? I looked at her eyes for once lifetime, does dog cry? If they do, I think I saw tears in her eyes...

We didn't talk much in the car. I can't tell my uncle is not having the world most desirable emotion now. If must be devastating to make such decision. I don't know what to think and feel.

I only knew Heeley for 2 hours. Afterall, death is part of life.

I can't help crying in the shower. I have had a ride on emotional roller coaster today, a bad bad bad bad bad roller coaster.

Last Chapter of My Internship

“It is good to have an end to journey toward;
but it is the journey that matters, in the end”
~Ursula K. LeGuin~

I never like the way I feel whenever I am reaching the ending of a novel. Never.

Now, I am feeling exactly the same way. My 3-months internship in Grey Global ended today.

I won't say I have grown mature after this internship, there is no way I can judge myself, of course I would bias myself :) Nonetheless, this 3 months journey had widen my vision, and show me my flaws and all the shortcoming I had been ignoring over the years. After all, I am never a perfect person, and I do not wish to be flawless person in the future neither. Perfect is just simply dull :)

Over the past 3 months, I had been dreadful about having to wake up at 6 every morning, and having to spend whole day in the office. Like a kiddy girl waiting for Christmas present, I anticipated the last day of my internship and I expected myself to be like a freed monkey, jumping here and there. Ironically, the reality always seem to be different with my expectation.

It's hard to believe my internship finally ended, there are so much I wish to do in Grey, and so many people I haven't get to know. Looking back, I have done several(maybe more than that) mistakes and foolish acts. It feels sucks to know you are not doing a great job, but hey, I will learn from my mistake! The next time you see me, I will be better!!

Reading the last chapter of the novel is never easy for me. This is the time I when I usually regretted for not spending more times on understanding all the details and also the characters in the story. But hey, why look back when you a bright future radiating brightly in front of you? I am ready to start a new book, and this time, I learn and will not let myself regret :)

Stay confident and keep smiling!

My grandma and handphone

When a child is born, so are grandmothers.

~Judith Levy~

"Why do you need a handphone?"

"Haiyo, sometimes when I am cooking in the kitchen, you all can call the handphone instead of the housephone mah, then I don't have to run all the way from kitchen to living room to answer the phone lor. Somemore I walk so slow, by the time I reach the living room the phone also stop ringing already lor...."

With all the crystal clear facts given by my grandmother, she won herself a handphone.

It was my mom's old Samsung colour handphone, with only basic function - texting and phone call. No picture message and camera. My grandma was contented.

I grew up in a small town called Gurun with my grandma. For 17 years, I spent my life in a village, with very little space and privacy for myself. I was rather a cocky and ignorant teenager. I thought I am perfect and I have all it takes to be someone significant to the world. I can't wait to get out of that small town and spread my wings. Being in a small house, with 3 rooms, and 'tons' of people, I yearned for my own space. Somehow, the value of cherishing people around you just slip through my minds.

After Form 5, I got what I always dreamt of - coming to a big city and pursued the lifestyle I have always wanted. I lived in vanity for one year.

My sister moved to KL later for her studies. It hit me suddenly, I am not as happy as I thought I would be. It's life, you grow up, and slowly one by one, you leave your old house. My grandma is staying with my mom in Gurun, just the two of them with a maid in a big house that was once so noisy and lively. How irony is that. If only I can travel through time, I would have gone back and slap my old self, punch myself maybe, and hopefully, I would learn to live the moment.

The thought of my grandma sitting alone on the couch and listening to the only sound from radio is unbearable. I hate myself for not giving her the care and love she deserve, I hate myself from leaving the house, and I hate myself for enjoying my life here while my grandma is missing her family whom are always busy with their life.

She wouldn't want to move to KL or Penang(my auntie is staying there). She insists. I am glad my mom is still there to take care of her.

" Hey, I saw my sister's handphone, flip one ler. It looks very easy, I can just open and close the phone like that. Then I don't have to lock the keypad, so troublesome."

"You very trendy ler. Your old handphone cannot use already meh?"

"That one going to spoil soon ler. Sometimes it sot sot dei, I cannot listen to what you all said in the phone."

"You know the flip phone very expensive ar?"

"Cheh, I pay myself lar. You bring me to the phone shop can already. I got money."

To compensate for my guilt, I got my grandma a cheap Motorola colour flip handphone, which cost only RM150. I went high and low to look for the possibly cheapest flip phone. The sales assistants were showing me their f**king scornful face everytime I asked this question,

"Leng chai, you got any first hand colour flip phone below RM200 ar?"

"Leng lui, we don't have such cheap phones lar...RM400 one got, you want?"

.......................

Gladly, I managed to find one that is decent enough for my wallet and also to make my grandma happy. I handed her the phone during 2009 CNY, I can tell she was happy and my heart was contented.

I received a call from my grandma two days ago.

"Pei Yinn ar, I don't how ar, I dropped the handphone in the water ar. It cannot be used already now. Haiz..why am I so careless..."

I tried to assure her that it can be fixed and it's still under warantee. After that, I totally put it behind my mind and enjoy the rest of my weekends.

Until today, my auntie(my mom's second sister) sent me a msn message:

Auntie: Hey, you got any unused handphone or not?

Me: No ar, why?

Auntie: Ah ma's handphone dropped into the water. Not sure why, but she seems to be very sad about it. You got any handphone for her?

My heart sunked, tears twirled in my eyes. I know why she is so sad.

I checked my daily planner. I am taking the earliest bus back to Gurun after I ended my internship.