My Answer

So much had happened and I don't even know where to begin.

First, I had a wonderful 3 months in Liverpool with my very very very precious ladies, I got dumped by my 4 years bf, and went backpacking for Europe with him and only to discover he is already in love with someone else later. Flew back to Malaysia, had some up and downs, some I-can't-live-without-you and some I-will-live-better-than-you moment. Pull myself up, got a job in Advertising Agency, got inspired by people around me, some old friends, some online video, some facebook notes, some movies, some music and very expensive ice-cream. Broke down once in a while and finally I am stabilized. I was satisfied and yet a part of me felt void.

I don't remember how it happens and why, but it is a combination of 'Water for Elephant', 'Strangers, Again by WongFu Production', my old Europe pictures and God-knows-what-else. My brain vividly formed the word and I literally say it out - WRITING.

To be very very frank, my language both spoken and written are not very strong. And yet I have always dream the job of a journalist. The sad thing is, I have never really given much thought and effort into realizing my dream. Well, from what I have learn in my jobs, writing is basically the root to all things, and most importantly, I believe it will lead me to where I want to be (even though I can't pinpoint the exact place yet :D).

I am going for this. Pinky swear!

Me in Florence, Italy.
Where I met Markus from Germany and accidentally spent 8 euro on a cone of ice-cream!

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.