Short Update From Taiwan

Dear pipsqueaks,

As I'm on holiday, I haven't been keeping up with postings simply because of all the traveling. Even so, I do want to do a short recap of my visit here n hopefully spark some interest for others to visit...but that'll have to wait until after my holidays! For now, I wish you all a belated Merry Christmas and a very very festive New Years!
*sending my best wishes*

Cheers,
Jess <3

P.S. to recap: work trip in Queenstown & holidays in Taiwan

Sydney's "Chance To Impress"- Australia 2011- Day 4

Dear pipsqueaks,

The last half day in Sydney- I wanted to make the most of it. Except, I couldn't wake up earlier than 8am *sigh*. Must have been tired from all the walking! The funny thing with humans: we have the ability to complain about everything. Office job? Too much sitting. Non-office job? No sitting. Work? Want to go on vacation. Tired from vacation? Want to go home. Such odd creatures to please! But it's true, one can become "tiresome" of vacation. It's the constant eagerness to make the most out of ur time here/there/wherever that u literally burn out. Like everything in life, balance is key!

So yes, as I was saying, I didn't really have much of a plan today, n this was how the hop-on hop-off bus came in real handy. Just as I exited the hotel after breakfast, I saw a red double-decker stopping at the light, so I quickly ran over, knocked on the door, n hopped on. Please note that this is a dangerous action n should not be attempted by the ill-fit to run zig-zaggidly between cars to reach a bus. Can't say I'm trained but it happens from time to time, lol. But unfortunately, the bus was actually not heading in the direction I thought it were because there was a loop just ahead, so I ended up covering another part of the city that I hadn't previously. I also managed to get decent picture of the famous coca-cola sign at kings cross (actually, it used to be called queens cross but the next reigning monarch- can't remember which one- found it unfitting because it challenged his manlihood- n forever changed it to kings cross). If ur looking for a place to party out Patong Beach, Phuket-style, here's the place to be. LOL! That reminds me of this funny simile (not sure if that the right term to use in terms of english literacy) used on the harbour guards. They were also called pills because they control the berths at the harbour!

Sydney's "Chance To Impress"- Australia 2011- Day 3

Dear pipsqueaks,

The morning was an early one, having to wake up around 6:20am to finish a quick breakfast n be waiting at marriot for the Sydney bus tour pick up at 7:10am. Surprisingly, it wasn't as painful as I had imagined, but possibly because, like a good girl, I was in bed by 10:30pm! Don't get me wrong, there are quite a few areas to go (ex. Darling Harbour, Kings Cross, Circle Quay etc.) but for a fact that the girl's dorm shower was just so inconveniently set up, I took longer than usual to take showers. Staying in a dorm, it's just a matter of being considerate of others. So yes, I called early nights during my 3 sleeps in Sydney.

As I've always been a punctual person- simply because I don't like to wait for others, so I don't make them wait for me- I was standing outside marriot by 7:05. The bus that came to pick us up wasn't actually the tour bus, but rather, these busses pick up all the tour attendees from all over the hotels n meet at The Star casino where the Grayline headquarters are. After we've all split up n got into the right tour busses, our tour begins! That's actually a better idea than to have one bus picking up all tourists per particular tour because that'll mean some busses will have to go to the same hotels for pickups, n that's just silly! With their system, u'd only have to get a few busses to do area pickups n we'll all be on our jolly way sooner than u can say "koala!"

Sydney's "Chance To Impress"- Australia 2011- Day 2

Dear pipsqueaks,

What could possibly be worse than waking up to rain on the morning of ur "The Rocks" walking tour in a couple of hours n an evening harbour bridge climb?! Seriously a traveler's worse nightmare: the uncooperative weather. Oh wells, there're always indoor attractions to visit without the weather's random tantrums. It's ironic that I'm from rain-couver, yet, I'm still quite bothered by the gloomy clouds n their teardrops. Except, I'd mostly be driving my baby when I'm at home, so it's a little different for a fair comparison. Anyways, just a quick morning update. Gotta get ready for rain-dney. Catch up later tonight.

Thinking back, despite the rain, today was a very "tourist-productive" day. With my dinky new dinky 3-fold umbrella (that also broke down during the day- note: never to buy umbrellas in Malaysia), made it to the tube, hopped on, arrived at circular quay n randomly found "The Rocks" walking tour that I was actually suppose to find 25mins later. Oh wells, good to just shake off the weather for a bit indoors before heading out for the 1.5hr walk around the first area that non-indigenous people settled down. Usually, I'm not too attracted by any history ranging less than thousands of years, but I did give this a chance. It was actually quite funny to learn that 2 convicts ended up on australian dollar bills n crazy how the last convict to arrive in australia died in the 1930's. Also, I bet u didn't know that the sydney harbour back in the day was actually more like the east hastings in Vancouver- aka slums- n had definitely upgraded big time since. But yes, it was a rather interesting tour indeed with our traditional australian tourguide in her long red raincoat- kinda resembles an imaginary character. Nonetheless, worth braving the rain for.

(Me in my most tourist form)

Sydney's "Chance To Impress"- Australia 2011- Day1

Dear pipsqueaks,

(To avoid confusion, please read the note on "Queenstown"- even I got a bit disarranged skimming through my trips!)

This morning was so brutal, it wasn't even funny. Apart from the call that stopped ringing when I forced myself to pick it up- around 5:30am- I was under attack by horrendous allergies! How weird that I'm perfectly fine in KL, but when I come to a place with clean/fresh air, I get allergies. Can't say I miss it, but possibly, I'm just not fit for spring. It does match my personality quite well as I don't like changes much either. But yes, obviously, I looked like I could use a month vacation this morning- although, aside from meetings n touching up minutes, I found it quite relaxing. So I'm not too sure why I'm getting all these symptoms of being sick- allergies, breakouts, n soreness. Maybe it's true! Once u've started to hit the gym regularly, ur body'll need that type of burnout in order to function properly. Since I've ran everyday while I was at home, doing absolutely nothing on top of all this excessive eating n stressing out...I guess it could be! Well, I can't wait to get back to gym!

But, before that, I gotta go Sydney n before that, I gotta somehow shove everything back into my luggage. It's one of those very peculiar things, really. I'm not sure if other's experience the same, but somehow, with the exact list of things, putting them back in just doesn't seem to fit. Yet, when u packed for the trip, it all kinda tetris-ly n harmoniously come together in the perfect shape that is ur luggage. Even so, I successfully packed up n headed down for a quick breakfast before finishing up the last few postcards. Yes, I admit I'm addicted to writing postcards! It's just an exciting feeling to share ur adventures with ur friends n to remind them they've been missed. Now that I think about it, I do spend quite a lot on postcards n stamps! But it's all good. I'd think a postcard would be more meaningful than something material anyways. Too bad, that's how Jessy shares her love. Take it or leave it :P

(my 5th currency this trip...confused-much!?)

No More Template Problems Please!

Dear pipsqueaks,

I'm not too too sure what happened, but if u see a "stop sign" at the top n the bottom of the website...i'm confused too, but i'm getting blogger help on it! But seriously, i've been busy all week with meetings in Queenstown that i haven't been able to do any updates until now (more detailed updates will come soon). But seriously, the first things i noticed were those ugly signs!!! what in the world...i haven't touched the template or anything *annoyed*. so if anyone knows how to fix it...plz shout it in the shoutbox...thanks a million in advance for saving me from more stress!!

will update soon on Queenstown visit!

Murphy's law: if something can go wrong, it will go wrong. *facepalm*

STILL On My Way...

Dear pipsqueaks,

To a very long day n a very tired me: still waiting at Singapore Changi Airport for my flight to Sydney. But seriously, no kidding, I should’ve taken a hint that today was just gonna be a very difficult day in general. See, to be completely honest, I wasn’t being fair to myself by staying out late n didn’t actually jump in bed till 3:30am. Even so, I prepared to have a short night, waking up around 8:30ish or 9 to start packing my luggage- yes, I didn’t want to pack the day before just because if I did, I’d end up bringing too much. So I’d like to give myself a short time span to pack everything I need, except, more likely than not, I’ll forget to bring something as well. No worries though, I’ve brought what I need to “wear”- the rest, I can just pick up from a convenient store if necessary.

From the moment I opened my closet n started to think about what to wear to the meetings, there was a feeling of absolute tiredness. Ever since I’ve been traveling with a limit of only a backpack- for a maximum of a weekend trip- preparing for a 14-dayer was just one big headache. Not only do I have to figure out what formal wear to bring, I gotta pick out appropriate casual wear too (can’t just be walking around in my short-shorts n t-shirt; if anything, it’s gotta be at least somewhat semi-formal). For one, even though the events states “casual” or “informal”, u can count on people dressing up anyways. So, of course I can’t be too sloppy on this one. After a mess of almost an hour n a half, I had officially finished packing. By then, it was already past noon. With a flight at 4:30pm n approximately an hour-ride (without traffic) from where I live, I’d pretty much have to be on my way in an hour. But of course, if only things were that easy.

D-1 Before Take-Off

Dear pipsqueaks,

I'm uncertain whether that feeling inside is of anxiety or excitement, but it's literally a day before I leave for my official first “work trip”! Although I can’t decide whether the meeting location- Queenstown, New Zealand- makes up for being claustrophobically stuck with a room full of very serious people for a few meetings spanning over a week’s time, I can’t really complain either. For one, I’ll get some time off after the meeting to explore Queenstown for a bit, then Sydney for a few days on my way back- figured I might as well since I’d already be there n should really make the full use of my flights. Did I tell you that even with the most simple flight plans, from KL to Queenstown still takes 2 stopovers flying overnight- Singapore n Sydney- before reaching? Funny thing that some people actually leave before me, but will be arriving later. I don’t even want to know how they managed their flight schedules. Regardless, it’ll be a hectic week of meetings/events n even more nerve-wrecking, it’ll be the first time for me to meet most of the council members- so yes, I’ve promised my boss I’ll be on my best behavior n, of course, make him proud =)

[2011] Birthday

Dear pipsqueaks,

Thought to share something that I just recently completed. Yes, I know my bday was in August, but whatever! :P

--------------------------------------------------------

Another year flew by fast
Before anything made sense at all
Here I am, solo blast

In a country ever so foreign
Even for someone who's obviously asian
Home can't be further from the equation

The Energy Cycle

Dear pipsqueaks,

Don't be freaking out- this is not ur grade 8 physics class. What I'm about to share is more along the lines of the energy between people. Just like how the wind blows, the windmill turns, n the energy re-used, it's kinda the same theory with people. Have u ever noticed that when ur happy, u tend to crave for a particular someone's presence, n the same for when ur sad? The choice that u unconsciously make is actually based on how the connection is between u n this person. Take, for example, when ur heading for a party night out, u know just who to bring along because u know they'll add to the atmosphere n pump up the party. Vice versa, u know exactly who not to invite because they're not fitting for such an evironment n may probably bring down the fun-erometer. But that person who u wouldn't invite to a party may be the best chat-over-tea-time friend of urs.

Side note: that means, u shouldn't feel too upset about not being invited to an event, because ur friends know better than to put u out of ur element- so what if ur a bubble tea friend? I quite enjoy that too! (Considering if everyone thinks of bubble tea once a day, they will, by association, think of u once a day!)

Literally On The Other Side

Dear pipsqueaks,

Yesterday was a day worth remembering: Jess' first time behind a wheel in Malaysia! Although I can't say it was totally legal, it was probably a better choice than to have a beer-smelling friend drive an overloaded ride- he was definitely sober, but u can never be too careful with Malaysian cops. So yah, after we had our fun in Mont Kiara- a suburb where many expats live- the night was cut short because one of my friend's had a 6am flight to Vietnam. We, all 6 of us, hopped in on a myvii with the decision that I'll take us past the bridge where, if there were one- a road block would be.

Not saying I was completely confident about all this- mind u, I haven't driven since March where I briefly took the wheel of my baby Rav4 for a month- because not only do they drive on the left side of the road, everything in the car was on the other side! Being a habit, I reached with my left hand only to find myself scratching the air because, obviously, the seat belt was on my right side- duh! Then I made another routine move with my right hand for the hand break n gear switch, which were obviously on my left. Even worse, I only realized the signal was actually on the right side of the wheel, not the left when we hit the road...

The Untameable Heart

Dear pipsqueaks,

Tonight, I realized I may have been the most unfair. But, for the lesson we shall learn together, I'll let u be the judge. The story began when a fellow gym mate was introduced to me through a junior that also frequented the gym. Suppose they were friends, I let my guard down to be a little more friendly with my smile (side note: maybe it has become a habit that had evolved from my defence mechanism- I don't smile when I'm alone, so people will be less likely to approach me for anything). But, cross my heart n hope to die, I never gave him an impression of anything more than friends- yes, I was extra careful because I knew this can be dangerous as he also worked out of my apartment building (aka. in-house travel agencies). Except, the one time, I stupidly slipped n agreed to go for starbucks when the junior bailed out (of course, this was in hindsight that I should've just declined). It really didn't occur to me as a big deal because I would also go for starbucks with any guy friend. Too bad for my inconsiderate judgement for showing up that one time, he apparently started to take a liking to me *facepalm*.

Then, another mis-step: I gave him my number, though it was simply because the three of us were all exchanging numbers, so I didn't see that as a problem then. But, boy was I wrong...big time. He started texting...everyday. At first, I didn't think too much about texts, so I replied as usual, with no emoticons (point: it's important to avoid emotions to keep him at a safe distance). Then, it elevated to chain-texting, to the point where I felt very annoyed n stopped replying. After a couple of days being absent from gym- in Kuching- he sent an angry text message questioning why I don't reply him. Of course, I just ignored it. Then, he sent me another looooong text about him going away on a road trip spending how many days where, n by then, I'm just in my "WTF" phase. Honestly, that was the last straw. I replied n told him how uncomfortable I am with his chain texts n that I'm not interested in being more than friends, so if he were okay with that, we can still be friends. Except, I lied.

Proud To Be An 80's Baby

Dear pipsqueaks,

*i came across this message n wanted to put in my 2 cents...

"I was BORN in the 80's. - We are the last generation who learned to play in the street, we are the 1st who played video games, and we were the last to record songs off the radio on to cassettes... We learned how to program the VCR before anyone else, play with the Atari, Super Nintendo & Genesis (not to mention Mario, Zelda and Donkey Kong). We also believed that the Internet would be a free world..... We are the generation of the Thunder Cat...s, Power Rangers, Ninja Turtles, Transformers, Saved by the Bell and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. We didn't have 99+ television stations, flat screens, surround sound, mp3s, iPods, iPhones, Facebook, Twitter, computers or the Internet... but nevertheless we had a GREAT Time! - Repost if you're a 80's baby."

Math Comes To Life: Simplify

Dear pipsqueaks,

Do u remember those math equations where u have to solve for "x"? Oh, what fun, eh? Actually, I do kinda miss that- probably because it comes with easy satisfaction of finding out the answer. But of course, being the way we are, when the equation's full of brackets, multiple commands (ex. PM^2D- plus, minus, multiply n divide), n a sprinkle of "yab"- "a", "b" n "y"'s, it gets very difficult to focus on the "x". So what do u do? U simplify. Get rid of all those layers of unwanted confusion by moving them around n cancelling them out- n what do u know? Ta-da! "x= blah". It just makes so much more sense now that it's by itself on one side of the equal sign, n however confusing the other side looks, at least it's all there n accounted for.

Warning: Don't Upgrade Your GF to WIFE

*This is a share-post- I do not in any way claim to have written this but it's quite funny so I thought to share it*

WARNING: DON'T UPGRADE YOUR GF TO WIFE

Dear Tech Support Team,

Last year I upgraded from Girlfriend 5.0 to Wife 1.0. I soon noticed that the new program began unexpected child-processes that took up a lot of space and valuable resources.

In addition, Wife 1.0 installed itself into all other programs and now monitors all other system activities. Applications such as BachelorNights 10.3 , PlayBall 5.0 , BeerWithBuddies 7.5, and Outings 3.6 no longer run, crashing the system whenever selected.

I can't seem to keep Wife 1.0 in the background while attempting to run my favorite applications. I'm thinking about going back to Girlfriend 5.0 , but the 'uninstall' doesn't work on Wife 1.0 .

Please help!

Thanks,

"A Troubled User"

"Do You Come From Time?"

Dear pipsqueaks,

*spoiler alert: this post will mention the movie "In Time"- if u've already seen it or u don't plan to see it, then read on!*

For a movie that I didn't put much expectations when I walked in, it was surprisingly quite entertaining (another perfect example to expect nothing to avoid disappointment). Of course, not for Justin Timberlake's moves but, as a whole, the story was quite mind-boggling. Feeling like, all of a sudden, I've dropped out from the sky into a world with completely new rules, it did take a few seconds for some references to register (a coffee for 4mins?! Is that expensive or what?). A quick background: it portrays the world where time is wealth in all forms- health, money, status, etc. Time can buy u anything ur heart desires, including more time. What a funky way of thinking eh? Whoever dreamt up this world must have been friends with the person that made up the storyline for "Daybreakers" where Vampires ran the world- it's not a typical fangs movie! Just check it out n u'll know what I mean.

Anyways, as I was saying, it makes u think a lot. Complaints about lack of time/health (in such a case, the discussion's more than just hours or days, but more along the lines of "years", which in turn leads to sickness or simply old-age) n money. But if u really think about it, the two does go hand in hand. On the one hand, u can have all the time in the world, but having no money will be a miserable experience (I'm sorry, I hate to burst ur fairytale bubble, but u can't live on love only. Ur landlord will not take ur paper-drawn hearts for rent, nor will the cashier at the groceries). On the other hand, u can have all the money in the world, but it's nothing u can take with u to the grave (u'll need another currency for where ur going *nod*). So, in the end, it's the two on different ends of the scale. U can't live with one without the other, even more, they have to be in sync, or in mirror of one another.

Random "Muslim 101"

Dear pipsqueaks,

*warning: the following post may come across as slightly offensive, so read with an open mind n heart*

Having woke with a massive headache n just overall discomfort, I'd never thought to make it through a mini tourist day in KL with my frenchies + giant swiss-german friend. To make the most out of what was left of this weekend, I agreed to join the guys for lunch n possibly a visit to the Bird Park or Butterfly Park (around the same area), neither of which I have made the time to go even though they were literally a few stops away. You know what they say, the closer u are, the less likely u'll have the urge to go. That's probably why now that I'm in Malaysia, I'm always looking to go "out". But that's a bad way of thinking, really. I should make the most of being so close to the famous Malaysian beaches n AOI (areas of interests) while I'm here! But, that doesn't stop me from wanting to go Myanmar, Brunei, Cambodia, Vietnam...etc. Just means I gotta travel even more to do both national n international! Good deal for me :)

Ex-Clubber Phase

Dear pipsqueaks,

With my ears still ringing, throat still sore, and a piece of skin scrapped off on my left foot by my sandels, I've come to realize clubbing is really past my time. Of course, it wasn't always this bad to recover from a night out, but at my age, it's no longer that easy. Having slept at close to 6am, somehow, I just couldn't fall back to sleep when I woke at 11am. Mother of pearls. With lots to do on a Saturday, this is gonna be a painful weekend. Even so, I had such an awesome time last night- or should I say this morning- at Zouk that I'll definitely take my visiting friends there for sure!

Being the first time to go clubbing in KL for me, I'm quite glad it was at Zouk. Supposidly, it's the place to be on a Friday- or clubbing- night! Of course, yesterday wasn't just any Friday. It was also 11.11.2011, n of course, u can imagine the crowd of people screaming for an excuse to go crazy (mostly stressed out office peeps like moi). It's like giving a cage full of babies raining showers of pacifiers: u can expect a party for sure. Knowing only that it was a club with four dance floors- n the fact that clubs don't have that much of an effect on me as long as I'm with the right crowd, aka. willing to go full out at the bar n on the dance floor- it was just "hmm" for me when we reached the door. I don't remember much of what happened by then because that was probably when my litre of beer kicked in- yes, I can't take beer for the life of me, n if anything, I'd prefer quick n easy shots.

Chilling in Kuching- Borneo 2011- Day 3

Dear pipsqueaks,

Being given an extra 1.5hr to sleep was compariable to a breath of fresh air in a designated smoking area: sweet! Not that I'm complaining about the lack of sleep, as long as it's worth the sacrifice, which the night definitely was! We had such a blast with the italians- it was awesome that the group chemistry matched ours so well! Too bad we didn't have more time to spend with them. Oh wells, there'll be next time- can always visit them in Singapore! But yah, returning to the hotel around 1ish n finally in bed by 2:30ish, surely u can understand what an extra an hour n a half to a 6am wake-up call meant to me. Good thing I randomly decided to check with the front desk after my shower- almost sleepwalking- when the pick-up time will be in the morning because it went from 7:30am to 9ish. Except, I couldn't get a hold of either of the boys about the change in time- yes, I stood at the boy's dorm door knocking for a good 5mins almost 3 in the morning- so I just left them a text n hopefully they'll read it in time. It would suck being all ready to go sitting in the lobby waiting only to find out departure isn't for a while.

Chilling in Kuching- Borneo 2011- Day 2

Dear pipsqueaks,

Only knowing that I had to be up n ready to leave by 6:20am, I was up by 5:55am to wash up n pack for today's trip (although, I wasn't quite sure what we would be doing exactly- all the guys said were, "we"re going trekking at the national park"). So without knowing, or possibly, wanting to know too much, I prepared the usual. Side note: once again, I managed to lock myself out of the girl's dorm as I wobbled unconsciously out to the shared washroom, only to be reminded when I heard the loud "cluck" when the door closed. "Daaaaaaaaang it!"- unfortunately, no one was at the front desk to help me at the moment, but not wanting to waste time, I went to brush up first. Luckily, when I finished, a girl was at the counter to assist me. Even on vacation, my challenge with automatic locks follows me! So yes, soon enough, I was in my new trekking shoes that I bought yesterday (the guys were definitely right in telling me to buy them, or else today, in flipflops, would have been hell).

Chilling in Kuching- Borneo 2011- Day 1

Dear pipsqueaks,

Holy mother of pearls, I'm officially banning any flights before 9am. Seriously the most dreadful experience having to wake up at 4am to brush up n pack (okay, I figured the less time I give myself to pack, the more minimal I'll be- which was quite right). I was ready to go by 4:40am with time for a quick shake for breakfast. Since I wasn't sure whether the boys would still be busy with getting ready, I sent them a text message asking if they'd pick me up on their way to KL Sentral because I wasn't sure how taxi would be like on a saturday morning. Actually, the plan was to take the public transit, which would've taken me from my doorsteps all the way to KL Sentral for LCC Terminal bus transfer. Except, I hadn't think to check the time for the first train. Eventually, my french connection told me it won't start till 6am (crappidy- it's always such a pain to bargin for a reasonable price when there're really no other options!) But luckily, I ran into a nice chinese grandpa who ordered one of his young one's to take me for RM15 (still a rip off- how did I find out? He left the meter running n by the time we got there, the meter was still showing the jump start price at RM3- but I mean, I wouldn't mind for a RM10, but at such a rushed time, I just didn't have a choice). So I hopped on n bolted to KL Sentral to meet up with the boys. Side note: 15mins taxi to KL Sentral, 1hr-ish bus to LCCT, then the flight? Convenient? Yes. Enjoyable? Duh, no!

As Promised

Dear pipsqueaks,

When was the last time u made a promise? Did you pull through with it, or bailed out epically? For some reason, I get the feeling "promises" have taken on a different kind of importance nowadays. These couple of months, I've encountered several people who have told me, they don't make promises. Of course, being me, I'd ask why. There's the one-phraser, "just because", n the pessimist, "no one makes promises any more", n the joker "promises are made to be broken" (I'd say he's a joker because I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt that he didn't actually mean it...hopefully). But seriously, what's the big deal with promises anyway?

Sitting on the Fence

Dear pipsqueaks,

Have u ever felt like ur going behind ur heart to cheer for someone? It's such an odd way of looking at the situation, but I feel the heart's rather a good timer- it unconsciously sets a countdown on how something or someone makes u feel. I know, I know, ur gonna ask, where'd this countdown come from? When does it begin? It's just a natural response n it begins the moment u come into contact. Remember when u used to love this toy of urs n u swear to god that if u ever lost it, u'd lose the meaning of life, etc? But as time goes by, that feeling of importance dies down. All of a sudden, as much as it was important, u don't feel much for it. Well, that's because its countdown ended, n unfortunately, some things cannot act for itself to keep its place.

Now, with a person, it's actually quite the same. Just as an example- no seriously, an example only- there's a guy that suddenly rose to the playing field. He's amazing n all those other fantabulous things, u know, the full package. U guys can talk for hours about anything n everything; spend days together n do everything n nothing; n just be so unexpectedly compatible. Except, as everything's just going perfectly, it's also going no where far- staying at the stage of simple admiration. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but let me remind u, this isn't highschool no more. Things are never as simple now that we've filled our lives with equally, if not more, important priorities. I don't know about others, but at least for me, I'd rather not waste time on things or people that won't be staying around. It's just too much trouble to go through all that (ex. suspicion, denial, hurt, growth, etc.) n end up right back at square one. Yah sure, some say they can just play around, but deep inside, it'll still hurt, even a little. Anyways, as I was saying, he's mr.incredible, but also mr.treadmill (running on the spot going no where).

Made for 2

Dear pipsqueaks,

(pre-Phuket short blab while i waited at the airport...)

After several attempts to make pre-arrangements for my Phuket trip, I've officially given up on those non-responsive tour agencies. Though, I can't really blame them because it seems the world had unconsciously created a "norm" that's insensitive to single travellers. "tour for 2", "dinner set for 2", "tickets for 2", etc. What are we- the lone explorers- suppose to do with that?! I know it's more cost-effective for them to schedule that way, but seriously, it just singles out the singles even more- thanks for the reminder, guys! *geez* That's quite alright, where there's a will, there's a way. I'll just team up with a stranger when I'm there- done n done!

"Book It To Phuket"- Thailand 2011- Day 4

Dear pipsqueaks,

Waking up to the sound of someone chanting, I definitely wasn't anywhere near home. Try: a muay thai training camp literally in the middle of no where even the taxi driver gave up coming to pick me up- but that's a story for later tonight. On such a morning- well, actually every morning since I've been on vacation- the first thing that comes to mind was what to have for breakfast. After having to pull the most difficult morning call on my friend because he simply refused to get up n hit the shower, we finally got moving.

It was hilarious because usually, they don't have guests n so when they have girls over, it's to deal with their sausage-fest environment. Actually, the term they use is "boom boom", so my friend explained to me that if I walk out from his room (all the rooms look directly towards the training area so every room's clearly visible), they'll definitely guilt him for skipping the morning training session for "boom boom", except we were obviously so innocently accused that I'm not too sure what to do at this point because their training doesn't finish for another half an hour n I'm starving. So, we decided that the truth's all we need n stepped out for breakfast. Surprisingly, I didn't hear a whisper from any of the guys about "boom boom". Maybe its because I don't look that type in my canucks shirt n caprice, n just to clarify, I AM not that type. Anyways, I got the stares all the way out of the center on the back of his motorbike (yes, I got to ride a motorbike in Phuket! Never thought that scene would ever take place, but there we were cruising down the street with the wind against our faces n the sun beaming on top- it was summer time all over again on an October day in Phuket.

"Book It To Phuket"- Thailand 2011- Day 3

Dear pipsqueaks,

Even with a 6:45am wake-up call, I was surprisingly eager to get up n start the day. But as I had to decide how to pack for today- spending most of the traveling on speedboat- everything had to fit into my newly bought dry bag that I got for a bargain price (or that's what fellow travelers said anyways). No really, there's no need to bring my whole wardrobe out, especially when I'll be out on 3 beaches styling in my- drumroll plz- t-shirt n shorts! Don't ask why I didn't hit the beaches in my bikinis; I just didn't. Maybe its the whole getting wet part, but now that I think about it, I would've dried off within 5minutes on our speedboat anyways. Oh wells, that's what "next time"s are for!

"Book It To Phuket"- Thailand 2011- Day 2

Dear pipsqueaks,

For the oddest reason, having slept at 2am didn't stop me from waking up at 8:45am- possibly due to the fact that I didn't get to shower prior to sleeping so the thought of being dirty unconsciously forced me to get up n take one. Actually, I quite enjoyed the cold shower in the morning, although I never had the habit, prefering to go to bed in a "clean" state. So anyways, after I got cleaned up n ready to go, I headed out to the lobby to book some tours. Since I arrived late early this morning around 12:30ish am, the office was closed already. I didn't realize it was a family-owned hostel. We have tons of these in southern Taiwan, where locals just enjoy living in the outskirts , n with such a big house, they'd decorate it with themes n rent them out decently. I do prefer these kinds of stays because it's just a lot more "homey" than hotels. They've got a common room n computers free for use. Other than the fact that they don't do breakfast, overall, I quite like it here; hence my decision to continue staying for the rest of my trip (except tmw night when I visit my friend in Rawai- most likely will just crash at his place as it might be too late for me to get back to Kata area after). Coincidentally, another girl was just done booking her trip n strongly recommend me to do the same because the weather was nice enough for it today. Seeing that I didn't make it for the Phuket Sightseeing tour that left at 8am n it being the only afternoon tour- without much of a lead- I took their suggestion: Phang Nga's (i'll hv to check the spelling later) Sleeping Budda & "City on Sticks"- as I call it- & James Bond Island.

"Book It To Phuket"- Thailand 2011- Day 1

Dear pipsqueaks,

U could say the day started alright- with the sun peeking through the clouds, it felt like a good day to travel somewhere. As time drew near, I started to pack around 3ish pm for my 8:40pm flight @ LCCT. I realized it was going to be a journey just getting from Bukit Bintang area to KL Sentral, then taking the Skybus to LCCT (whole trip looked about 1hr45mins- before my 1hr15min flight to Phuket). But of course, when I stepped out to make my way to the monorail station, it started to pour- big time. Nothing to be surprised of as I've already come to an understanding myself that the weather's never on my side. U could say I've definitely used my money's worth on the umbrella I got. Another non-shocker as I got fed up with a boy that kept pushing me even before the train pulled into the station, n being a person that believes they just need some guidance, I turned around n said to him, "can u NOT push?"- of course u can count on that being served with a death glare, n no surprise, he backed off. It's situations like these that make me wonder what they actually teach in school. Don't they learn about common sense, such as lining up, respecting personal space, n the usual "how to function in the real world 101"?

Chillaxing @ No Black Tie

Dear pipsqueaks,

a sign that i'm getting too old for late nights: total break outs n feeling like jello by 2am. it's all good though cos i had such an awesome time with my frenchies (no, that term no longer refers to the quebeckers that we used to meet up with at national tournaments; it now refers to my group of frenchies that would call me when they hang out- just kinda makes me want to brush up on my french, except i'm suppose to be picking up bahasa! un à la fois s'il vous plaît...) anyways, the nite began with a text message asking if i were interested in going to a jazz concert. personally, i'm not a crazy fan of jazz, but i wouldn't mind, especially when it gets me out of my routine. but nothing gets in my way of gym time, so i hit the gym, got ready n headed out to meet them. the weather wasn't that great- i wanted to dress up a little cos it was a place in changkat (club/bar street in Bukit Bintang, aka. expat zone) n people usually put on something a little more fitting than what i ended up wearing, but seeing that it was raining, just totally killed the mood, so i stuck with shorts n flipflops. nonetheless, it was a good choice cos i almost wiped twice on my walk over n it wouldn't hv been pretty if i were in club-suit.

When To Press "Reset"

Dear pipsqueaks,

On the rare occasion that I feel slightly zombie-like, floating through the days, it is really a sign to "reset" myself. Just to clarify, I don't mean to go back to zero n question all the changes n life events that had happened so far up to this point, but rather, readjust to the new position that I've found myself to be in. Think about it this way, even computers need to re-configurate to "clean up" all the files n make sure they're in order of some form that is understandable to them to allow efficient processing n functioning (yes- I know computers don't actually "think" but u know what I mean). As we're commonly compared with these mighty machines, we do come out the superior- being described as the most sophisticated "computers" in the sense that not only do we store n process data, we have the ability to process them with thoughts n feelings (which usually is what it comes down to when it counts). So, of course, once in a while, we may feel "lost" or "confused" because everything has an effect on us one way or another n it requires a certain method- which differs between individuals- to address these "events".

Rise to the Challenge

Dear pipsqueaks,

I'm sure u'll have noticed the change here, n I'm hoping it's a change for the better cos there's no going back! I mean, really, I couldn't even if I wanted to cos for some odd reason, having downloaded the full template as directed, it can't be uploaded properly. So, yes- I can take a hint- n figured it was the occasion to switch the scene. Hope its easier on the eyes :)

Anyways, having gone through the whole pain to customize a totally different template, I realized- when the situation calls for it, somehow, I always manage to stick it through n whip up a decent finish. (Yes, I know, the stupid music box's sticking out n I'm on the case!) So why is it that we have to be put in such a position to "grow" or "excel"? I mean, seriously, if it weren't for this blog thingy, I would NEVER learn or touch "html", "css", "widget", "sidebar-text align:center" blah. It's just not my thing, except, now I don't really have a choice. It's gotta be learned to be done! But then again, it could be a good thing.

The Fight

Dear pipsqueaks,

*spoiler alert: this post will mention the movie "real steel"- if u've already seen it or u don't plan to see it, then read on!*

It may seem like a really predictable movie where the underdog wins in the end, but i'd like to hint u otherwise. Regardless, the ending wasn't the point- it was the "climb" to the top, the "process" to the product, the "dough" to the cookie, the "fight" to the finish. Have u ever done something ur sure to succeed? How did it feel when u've completed it? Hm, I'm gonna bet it was satisfying, but nothing more than that. Reason? Because u already knew u could do it- there was no doubt, so equally, there was no fight. But, on the other hand, beating a challenge brings a totally different feeling when u finally cross the finish line. Whether that came with victory- is a another story. The point, is that u've made it through, however excruciatingly difficult, every step of the way. U fought with all u've got. That's what counts.

Leftie: Get Well Soon!

Dear pipsqueaks,

(forgive me for any spelling error as i had to either type with one hand on my phone, or 2 hands at an arm's distance from the screen...but i'm sure it can't be that far off)

U know how when u think things can't get any worse, n the moment that thought crosses ur mind, something worse happens? Amazing how life works in mysterious ways, doesn't it? Well, maybe the solution to that is, never say never! 'Tis true, after having to brave the random malaysian thunderstorm with my dinky 3-fold umbrella, ending up drenched even in my mini short to reach homebase, n joining a friend reluctantly in the pool- the day wasn't actually as bad as it sounded- at least its was going in the right direction till it made a sudden left-turn...

After we spent an hour in the pool, with the chilly weather, both of us couldn't wait for a hot shower. But of course, those that know me, I have very strict rules about my place- especially my washroom n bedroom. So when I couldn't withstand his puppy plea, I agreed to let him shower in my apartment. As I usually don't have guests, I spent the first few minutes putting certain things away n making sure it was comfortably prepared for my guest. Except, the whole time I was prepping, I was also dripping water from my hair, shirt n shorts every step of the way. With tile flooring, it was a nasty combo waiting to happen. As I made a sudden turn to put down the mat, my left foot lost grip n the next thing I knew, I was on the floor...in no pain, or at least not then.

Remember To Give Thanks

Dear pipsqueaks,

Just because I didn't write a post doesn't mean I forgot one of the most important reminding holidays we celebrate: thanksgiving. Although it's not the first time I've spent it away from home, every year that very day, I find myself missing my ma n pa. Now that we're literally half way across the world from each other, it makes me realize even more how much we needed "family sundays"- yes, ever since I had the feeling that I'd be leaving vancouver when I was still figuring out where life is taking me, as a family, we made it clear that sundays were family days. We'd do day trips out of town, yumcha followed by coffee in kerrisdale, or just chillax at the office n go for walks just before sundown...whatever was the flavour of the day, we did it together. That's why right now, as much as I miss them, I'm glad I'm not in a state of regret for not spending more time with them when I had the chance.

I guess what prompted me to write this was watching, for the first time, an episode of "the buried life" where four guys have decided to spend their lives checking items off their bucket list, n every time they do, they help a stranger complete a wish. I'm not sure if that's how it usually ends up, but today, the two were very much related. The item was to help deliver a baby n the wish was of a girl that had lost her mother due to infection during the attacks of hurricane katrina. She never had the chance to visit her mothers grave as all infected were quarintined n shipped off somewhere else far away. The news reached the daughter, but because she didn't have the funds to fly there, for years since her mother's death, she had not been able to pay her a visit. So the guys raised the fund by busting tables n got her a flight to see her mom. I dunno...by the end of the show, I was ballin'...

Degrees of Lies vs. Degrees of Truth

Dear pipsqueaks,

Though I've never been a fan of war/training camps sorta movies, "basic" wasn't that bad at all. I promise there's a point, but I gotta give the gist of the story to make sense. So, apparently, during an out-field training run, a team of six somehow ended up with only one alive n one wounded. As the investigation proceeded, u jump back n forth trying to figure out the "real" story that each person involved only spoke parts of. Then the punch line, "it all depends on degrees of lying". Now, the question is, does not telling the truth constitute as lying?

Well, I'm know there will be a wave of disagreements, but I gotta say, no it doesn't. Think of it this way- let's make this a mock gossip session- u were out with a friend's boyfriend for dinner, n the friend calls to see if u guys were still up for hanging out later. But since things were getting a little bit more interesting, u don't feel like leaving just yet. So u tell her, "I'm actually having dinner right now n I'm not sure when I'll be done. I'll call u when I know." See, that technically wasn't a lie as u were having dinner n its true ur not sure when u'll be done. Really, no part of that conversation was "false"- so to speak. Then, where did all this go wrong?

Out of Love

Dear pipsqueaks,

I'm not too sure where this train of thought caught fire. Maybe the last line of gossip girl tonight- "if you love someone, u will learn to let them go"- might be able to explain it. I believe it would be quite fair to state that the one "leaving" a relationship is usually the "guilty one", hence the assumption that the only person hurting was the one that was left standing there. Except, that's not quite right when there is no guilt involved. It was simply time to face the fork road n decide.

Memories rarely fail me, but when they do, I still got my senses to remind me of how something or someone made me feel. The day was gloomy n slightly chilly as we stood to the side of the road. It was a conversation that was inevitable- I made up my mind that a break up was necessary for the both of us. You see, we've practically grown up together in highschool, sharing the same lockers, eating lunch together everyday, n playing badminton together- in n outside of school. You could say, it was easier to count the days that we didn't meet than the days that we did. But it was a rather puppy-love kind of feel, where everything felt right. I don't think I've ever doubted that he was the one, until things got really difficult. Honestly, we grew up, but apart. We were soon on different pages n fighting about nothing.

Far Beyond Hope

Dear pipsqueaks,

Sometimes, people ask me why I would put myself through all this. U ask, what is "this" that I'm referring to? It's the undying hope that people will realize what they're doing is hurting me n could possibly change for the good. Boy, am I wrong when it comes to this. I mean, yah, I'm definitely an enthusiastic, glass half full, positron person- but, even that has a limit. In every way, life finds balance somehow, so even with so much hope, it will run empty trying to feed the dark blackhole of disappointments.

Outside the Box

Dear pipsqueaks,

Oh man, I haven't had such an awesome time eating for a while! I guess that's why a personal preference's hard to change. See, I never like eating by myself, so usually I'd stick to my special diet of cereal or mixed rice. It's just easier that way so I don't get weird glares eating out alone. It's just kinda funny how this babe of mine that I'm having dinner with is the complete opposite. She's a tough cookie- used to being alone n actually prefer to be alone most of the time, while I'm still training myself to be less conscious of the idea of sitting by myself, ordering, waiting, n eating in silence (but it's not too bad cos I got my blackberry or itouch to play with). Actually, now I think about it, I'm probably more concerned with making others uncomfortable cos u do tend to look around more or be staring into space (in a direction where it looks like ur stuck in a gaze- creepy much!- at someone). But as I was saying, it's a learning process, but nonetheless, I do have a very good role model n support. So, as scheduled, tonight was our night out n "plan b" was our plan.

Steve Jobs: iMourn

Dear pipsqueaks,

(written yesterday...)
Today, the world mourned in sync for the death of Steve Jobs: the genius behind the Apple empire. It's odd cos I didn't really intend to write about him, but after watching the news n a special tribute, it just didn't feel right to miss it. I should probably explain that- though I do own an itouch- I've never been an Apple person or a person that's always chasing after the next i-blah. It's probably not Steve's fault anyways- I'm just not a tech-addict in general. Regardless, they're right...whether or not ur an Apple user, u cannot deny the fact that it had changed the world, from the way we communicate, entertain, n, well, function.

You vs. You

Dear pipsqueaks,

It shouldn't come as a total shock when u hear "life is unfair". No one said it would be n really, it's not meant to be, or else we'd all be super smart, super successful, super whatever-u-can-think-of, but in a sense, we'd also all be "equally super", which means technically, no one's really "super" anything anymore. Right? Anyways, what was I saying? Oh right, so life is unfair. Yah, u can stand there n sulk, complain, yell, cry, curse, throw tantrums all u want as long as u want, except, that's not gonna change a thing. The world will just keep spinning n everyone will have moved onward leaving u there to "have ur alone time n figure things out", n when u finally do, u can catch up with the rest of us. That's when u realize, even with the unfair cards u've been dealt with, u can still play the game that we call "life".

Weekend in Little Paris

Dear pipsqueaks,

What a random weekend! It felt a little "Yes Man" for me cos I don't usually just accept invites to gatherings with people that I'm not familiar with, let alone with a group of friends flying in FOP from France of a guy I met in the gym! Okay, maybe he's not that random cos we've at least been apartment-building-gym mates for a month. But the funny thing is, we've never actually planned to hangout or do anything until he's moved out! So now, instead of a 2min distance, it's more like a 15min walk. See how life just works out that way? I also found out he's entirely different from my profiling of him when we used to just be gym mates. With his friends, he's soooooo hilarious! (but no gossip here cos he's not my type- he's more of the silly one in the crowd, surprisingly entertaining but not my bf material) On the other hand, one of his friend from France is, well lol, quite interesting indeed...

Let It Be

Dear pipsqueaks,

Last week was one of those horrendous periods in my life where i felt everything that could go wrong, went wrong, including losing my favourite headphones that my friends got for me for one of my birthdays. it wasn't anything expensive or worth stealing or whatever, but it meant alot to me. I guess that's the thing with presents, or at least how i think of them. it should be given from the heart (okay, not saying that u can't BUY something that holds some importance in ur or their heart, but i tend to prefer hand-crafting the gifts i give cos it's just worth that much more "heart points"). but back to what i was saying, it was one of those things that, when lost, could potentially upset me for days. it's always when u lose it that u realize how much "importance credit" u've apparently forgotten. of course, i'm a very organized person in the first place, so to misplace things, just wasn't my style. yet, i had to bite my tongue cos just this morning, when i put on my pink nike pants, as my hands slipped into the pockets to flatten them, i felt something stringy. *OH MY~ COULD THIS BE?! AHHH!! OMG I FOUND THEM!!!!* was exactly what i screamed out while jumping up n down in my apartment. it was such an crazy moment for me cos it reminded me of a very famous n true saying...

What Should Matter

Dear pipsqueaks,

An incident this week reminded me of a fact that I had to force onto myself a few years back. I won't go into the details of what happened this time (but if ur a smart cookie, u'd figure it out with all my underlining clues as to what had prompt me to write this). Once upon a time, when we were all young n stupid- aka highschool times- I had made a very personal goal: to make sure everyone liked me. Now that I think back, it was just a very immature, naïve way of thinking cos in every situation, there is bound to be opposition. That's "just the way the cookie crumbles!"

Empty Words

Dear pipsqueaks,

There was a very catchy infomercial I heard while I was in the gym today. It was a phone conversation between a guy that was on his way to pick up a girl, but every time he hits the said time that he was supposed to have reached, he pushes back the time for various reasons, n when he finally got there, the girl just walked away. At the end of the infomercial, the pop line was, "say what u mean, mean what u say." I don't know about u, but those words are so well put, there's no better or easier way to express the same. Now, why would something so simple n actually quite "common sense" be on the radio, reminding people the importance of what they say? It tells u a lot about the values being forgotten here...

Confuciously On the Right Track

Dear pipsqueaks,

Its been one of those days where, in a blur, the day ran its course n now its time for bed. Don't take this the wrong way, I was plenty productive in terms of work, but somehow, it felt like I was on automatic, functioning without actually being "here". it's probably easier to describe such a behaviour with driving. U may not be willing to admit- cos it makes u sound like an irresponsible driver if u do- but sometimes when u hop behind the wheel n start the journey, as soon as ur foot steps on the gas pedal, ur mind goes adrift n the next thing u know, u've arrived at ur destination. Don't be so quick to say that's never happened to u. I guarantee that's happened to u at least ONCE in ur life. It's okay tho, driving is kinda automatic. U just "know" how to drive (of course I'm talking about people who've driven for some time) n its practically impossible to forget how to drive. It's just that natural.

Gossip Girl-Inspired

Dear pipsqueaks,

Here's the reason why I don't watch dramas, they make me want to scream cos some people are just so lacking in the intelligence department! With falling into traps n all the miscommunication n carelessness...it angers me to watch Sarina get screwed over even though she may, n I mean that in the fairest sense, deserve it. Regardless, "Gossip Girls" season 4 is still my must-see show every tuesday night. For one, it just keeps reminding me that people are not always, if not never, as they seem.

Pictures To The Rescue

Dear pipsqueaks,

Okay, so I finally caved n chose the photo frame. Last week when I bought new beddings, I got a RM10 voucher that was valid only for a week, n after walking around enough times these few days contemplating in my head whether or not I should just pick something else instead, I found myself right where I started: in the photo frame section with the exact same choice I made the first time around. Maybe I should explain why I was so relunctant to go with the photo frames...

Colouring My Saturday

Dear pipsqueaks,

Not being able to keep track of the days of the week, weekend hit me hard like after chain-shooting 8 shots- what? Its weekend already? What's happening to the days? Confused...but of course, its a training in progress to LIKE weekends (yes, that's right. I don't like weekends cos its just too much free time for me. I could take a 2-day trip to many of the famous beaches, but going by myself just doesn't feel as enjoyable- I like being able to turn around n share with someone my thoughts about something or simply to say something silly or stupid. That's the fun part about traveling with a companion. Though, just to be clear, I wasn't psycho to talking to my backpack during Singapore "Flying Solo") So began my Saturday...which was surprisingly eventful.

Don't "News" Me

Dear pipsqueaks,

Once again, I'm reminded of why I don't watch the news. its hard to explain, but it must hv something to do with the depressing-ness of it all. I mean, I don't expect to hear about rainbows n lollipops or how the world is just fine ( that'd be a total lie anyways), but it's just a real heavy dose- or maybe even overdose- of negative energy crawling out from the tv screen, especially how it's like a full hour of it. Just today, some grandpa fell off a bridge while leaning too far over, but rescue came too late, only in time to declare his death. While the whole story was being told, u could see the body floating face down in the water being dragged to shore, put into a body bag, n carried into the van. Just to be clear, I don't get grossed out by these kinda things cos I'm a crazy crim major n a "crime scene investigation" lover (yes, I also understand that it's totally unrealistic that any crime could be solved within an hour- that's practically the first thing u learn in crim 101) anyways, back to what I was saying, that kinda stuff might be a little too much for the public to see or know for that matter. I'm sure the deceased would appreciate not to be seen on tv under those circumstances.

"Just like a Tattoo"

Dear pipsqueaks,

seriously, could someone plz tell me what's so addictive about these korean/canto/twnese/japenese/u-name-it-nese dramas? u know- wait, there's no way u'd know- but i hv a cousin, whom shall remain nameless, that LOVES dramas. she'd watch them so religiously, its a little scary how much she knows about all these dramas- what time which new episode comes out, who's in which, what's good n what's a waste of time to watch, etc. honestly, i wouldn't be surprised if she'd ace the "world dramas exam"- lol too bad they don't offer such a class in school eh? but that's not my point. i do remember telling her the other day that she should stop watching so "much" dramas (yes, its getting to a point where it's becoming difficult to keep track how many she watched) n go live out her own! yah, it might be fun to watch how all those totally preposterous plots play out, but wouldn't it be so much more exciting to be living in ur own?! it's true that no one's lives can REALLY be that crazy intense, but that's also why u shouldn't get so involved in fiction. it'll blur ur sense of what's real n what's just complete story-tellingly impossible. 

Expect the Unexpected

Dear pipsqueaks,

apparently, it was malaysia day on sunday! (i kept thinking it was the holiday at the end of August, but that was..their confederation day?) they hv way too many holidays here, i can't keep track! it's funny but i don't enjoy long weekends. for one, it gets WAY to crowded in Times Square. on sunday, they had a malaysian day celebration presentation at the main entrance, a martial arts competition on the lower ground open atrium (which is actually RIGHT behind the stage of the main floor presentation, but just one floor down), and some k-pop gathering on the 2nd floor (which was right beside the stage of the main floor presentation, but just one floor up). seriously, who does the planning around here?! there must be some policy that prevents over-occupying the mall with events...cos in that crowd, i can't imagine how i'd make it to the door if an emergency were to occur. but seriously, turning people-phobic here!

The Power of Words

Dear pipsqueaks,

Hv u ever wondered just how influential ur words can be? Here was a situation that reminded me the power of words...as usual, lots of travellers in the hotel/service apartment I'm staying at. So it's completely normal to be sharing a fully squished elevator with a room of total strangers. But today was a little different. In a rush, I ran into an elevator occupied by a pair of arabic mother n daughter. I'm sure u've all seen them before: covered from head to toe with only a pair of eyes showing...somehow, I always feel inappropriately dressed when I'm around them, even in my work clothes!

Why so Absent-minded?

Dear pipsqueaks,

it's official: I've gone mental. Yesterday night, only 4 days since my last lockout, was yet another act of complete absent-mindedness. Truth be told, there was an acknowledgment that I wasn't at my best...maybe it was from staring at the computer screen all day or just feeling flustered for no apparent reason. I even cancelled gym cos there was a high chance of me falling off the treadmill cos I was so out of it. (An embarassing moment that must not be repeated to another living soul: I actually walked into an elevator door. Tho I have to say, it was completely normal to assume the elevator arrived cos I heard the ding, but due to bad sound barriors, what I heard was actually for the floor above =.=) on the bright side, I didn't bruise my forehead...?

Bullied

Note: after watching more than enough bullies caught on videos, I felt it was appropriate to cheer on the bullied. They may not fight back just yet, but they won't take it for long...cos they'll find their way soon enough.


You feel all alone
Trapped by chains and stone
Like nightmares come to life
Except no one knows

You fear their presence
You fear the pain
You fear it worsens
You fear the shame

Now, you must refocus and regain
All that should be yours again
Let those fears guide the power
The strength to make you stronger
You must be your own defender
Know that the day will come
When you no longer fear
You have survived and won

Once again, Culture takes the blame

Dear pipsqueaks,

I'll confess this post may sound more like a complaint, but it's a social phenomenon that still baffles me...now, to be fair, I hvnt travelled to every corner of the world (which I don't believe is humanly possible given that we just don't have enough lifetime to do it), but I've seen enough to do a fair comparison. Back to topic, what exactly is culture? If u've ever taken anything related to sociology, u'd know that the definition isn't as simple as we know it. But for this case, we won't go into a thesis discussion on its meaning.

So, simply put, culture is the habit or norm of a group of people. It's what makes a group unique from another. It's history, practice, n conformity all together in one pot. To be considered a part of something (which happens to be a totally natural human craving- after all, we're social animals), is what we all strive for, even tho most people will argue against that cos they wanna be special, unique n different. But the sad truth is- n don't be surprised- its normal to wanna be "involved" in this world somehow.

Locked Out...Again!

Dear pipsqueaks,

It must be related cos everytime I'm starting to feel bored n wishing something exciting happens, I somehow manage to lock myself out of my apartment. U'd think it'd be easier living in a serviced apartment...think again! Apparently, no one else has access to ur unit except the landlord n maybe the agent. So if u did ever get so lucky as to lock urself out? U better cross ur fingers n toes that ur landlord didn't leave the country (mine does international business so he flies quite often- which also boggles my mind why he even had 2 keys made just in case when he's not even here to cover my bottoms when I need covering!!)

Movie: Contagion

dear pipsqueaks,

*spoiler alert: the following post talks about a movie that’s currently playing in theatres. Don’t read this yet unless u’ve already seen it or u don’t plan to watch it.

Such a movie makes u wonder about so many things. Patient zero. How does something so easily preventable snowball into a worldwide epidemic? U’d think we’d know better by now eh? I mean, really, they’ve been teaching us all these tips since, oh maybe, preschool! Don’t put stuff in ur mouth; don’t touch random things; wash ur hands before u eat; stay home when ur sick...all those years of nagging, u don’t think it’d kick in by the time u’ve entered the real world? Nope. People just don’t care enough. Yes, u’ve got the most important things to do, ya-da-ya-da blah blah. But think about it this way, the whole thing could hv been prevented if the genius chef would’ve bothered to wash his hands.

Highschool Sweethearts

this morning, i woke up to some upsetting news, but surprisingly was a while ago- outdated much! anyways, it brought back a lot of memories, good and bad. it sure felt like a lifetime ago when i was in a serious relationship myself. highschool actually. he was very sweet n just the most attentive person. apart from the fact that he can put up with me (which was already a feat in itself), he always put me first. he made me who i am today.

Weekend: Movies

guess u could say this is one of the bad things about being away from home: weekends get awfully boring! but then again, only boring people get bored (so i read off some girl's shirt the other day), therefore, i gotta keep myself unboreded! now, i get into the habit of watching movies during weekends in KL. for one, it's wayyy cheaper than watching movies in n.america (even if ur comparing to Movie Tuesday deals of $6 a movie) yes, no kidding, movies r about RM12 (so about $4 back at home). but they don't hv things like "scene member" to collect points n stuff...boo!

Make Time

this is one thing i don't get: how can someone honestly hv NO TIME? i mean, yah u can be as busy as heck, but u must hv time. when ur making ur way somewhere, or waiting for something, or taking a break, or whatever. that's time, isn't it? i mean, it may not be the best use of ur "valuable free minutes" if ur seriously one of those people who max out their days (like my awesome co-worker), but u DO hv time. u hv 24hrs a day to deal with all ur "very important" must-do's, minus off ur sleeping time n ur "alone time" that u need to keep ur sanity. tell me this, hv u ever said, "sure! that sounds cool, i'll check it out when i hv time" or "okay. i'll do that when i'm done with this"? but no matter how u do it, ur most likely gonna be pushing n squishing things in between ur busy schedule that u'll  be so overwhelmed. in the end, u'll prob just forget it. that's the problem when u take time. when there's only so much to begin with, if u don't ever set it, u'll prob never get to it. (it's like baking cookies: if u never put it in the oven, all u'll ever get is dough).

Blogspot headache!

oh my, this's like xanga all over again! trying to make things look nicer, but obviously i'm outdated with how things work now. i can't even make the stupid music box (at the bottom) MOVE to the center =.=". i mean, it could be as easy as plugging the word "center" in the CSS, but i duno WHAT to add WHERE. ahh, none of these codes make any sense no matter how much i research. maybe i'm getting too old for this! if u know what i can do to fix it, instructions much appreciated!

that reminds me, i gotta do finish my Singapore Tour journal!

Singapore "Flying Solo" Tour- Day 4

For some reason, the nights seem so much shorter in Singapore…it felt like I’ve just closed my eyes n whoosh, it’s time to wake up already! I do remember dreaming about something, but simply too tired to remember. Apart from the fact that my foot is killing me, my travel companion’s actually quite heavy too (even though I do leave a big chunk of stuff back at YMCA- this is a sign that I’m not fit to occupy a position that requires using a backpack- aka. Student, haha). Anyways, i brushed up n head to breakfast in my PJs since I’ve noticed that no one else bothers to change out of their comfies for breakfast. The fact that it’s literally 15feets from my dorm room kills the idea of changing like what happens to a bug on my work desk (i’m sorry if ur a bug-lover, but if they cross my path, they’re looking for death :P ).

Singapore "Flying Solo" Tour- Day 3

Oh man, I couldn’t even get up for breakfast before 10am, but that’ s prob cos we didn’t go back till 2ish n by the time I finished showering n everything, it was already 3ish. Lol, I had an awesome time last time! Got to enjoy the best view in Singapore sipping on champagne n chillaxing with my friend n his two other friends. Quite funny that none of us knew one another- except for my friend of course- but we still had a good time just talking about anything! Definitely a couple of interesting characters: one loses things, so everything must be extra large- he prob has the largest phone I’ve ever seen; the other has champagne-phoebia (he drank heineken the whole nite) but still finished my champagne for me cos I’m a proud lightweight lol. Too bad one’s off to UK for 3-year law studies…makes u cherish moments like these even more cos the world keep spinning n u may or may not run into the same ppl ever again! I mean, what were the chances of us all hanging out together last night n what are the chances that the 4 of us would gather again in the future? That’s why u make the most of everything n I sure did all thanks for my friend…I had a wonderful nite =)

Singapore "Flying Solo" Tour: Day 2

Can’t remember how many times I’ve woken up in the middle of my sleep cos either someone was packing or someone was showering…I guess that’s the thing with dorms, no one has the same schedule n u kinda just do ur own thing. Luckily, all the girls were showered n in bed by 10:30pm that I didn’t hv to wait to use the bathroom. The room was actually full till this morning when the English lawyer-to-be left for home after her 5-weeks internship here. The other is from Philippines n starting work next week, so pretty chillax at the moment. Both of them are quite nice n talkative, so I don’t think they found me annoyingly loud…or at least I hope they didn’t. the last one, I don’t know how, but I keep missing her. Either she was already passed out by the time I came back or she left before I even got up…so having shared a room for almost 2 days, this person is still a mystery to me lol! Maybe it’s good that we don’t run into each other- she might be the one that doesn’t like me. Hahaha although I’m sure the ratio isn’t that high. 1 out of 4 to dislike me, I think I can do a little better than that, even if they’re girls :P

so yah, I had the room all to myself by the time I got up to catch breakfast before 10am. I like how the main color theme is white…it does have a calming effect, seeing white furniture, white walls, n white doors…that reminds me how much I hate my green carpet at my KL apartment. Ugh…anyways. Having tried to go online more than a bagillion times, I gave up. It was prob a good idea cos apparently there have been cases of asus not being able to use the wifi here…so it wasn’t just my laptop. In any case, I can always stop by a mcD or starbucks to post my stuff later…

Singapore "Flying Solo" Tour: Day 1

Without an honest nite of good rest, the 6:30am alarm clock was a pain to hear, but what needs to be done needs to be done: I got my butt up, cleaned fresh, finished packing, and rushed to Corus Hotel for the Aeroline bus bay. Now, you’d think there’d be alota taxis waiting downstairs at a mall such as Times Square, but at 7:15am on a Thursday morning? don’t hold your breath on that. The one taxi that was there, the driver was so passed out like he had a party last nite (can’t blame him, it was Malaysia day, so most of them prob went hard-core celebrating anyways). Seeing the ONLY taxi there was unavailable for service, I started to panic cos the check-in time for my 8am bus was 7:30 and it was cutting a little too close to take public transit…n just my luck, someone jumped off right behind the sleeping dragon’s ride, n of course I had to hop on. I didn’t really hv any other options or else I’d be late late late n that would ruin the whole trip considering u can’t just hop on the next bus n all. Pre-booking can be easy, but it can screw u over at times.