Happy Birthday JT!

Happy 19th Birthday Noeru-kun!

May the Good Lord bless you!

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Congratulations to all who are freed from exams!!!!!!!

Let's enjoy the HOLIDAYS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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I broke my record----pulled an all-nighter and stayed awake most of the next day.

I did pull some all-nighters before, but I always had a few hours straight sleep from sunrise-noon or something like that.

This is the first time I stayed awake without a long sleep...from 8.20am on Wednesday...with some nap or naps (can't remember) during the day, a 15 min nap at 1am, a 1 hour nap at 9.30am, a 1.5 hour nap at 6.30pm................

O_O And i wasn't even studying for exams (i finished my last paper Econs on Wednesday morning) I wouldn't dare to pull an all-nighter for exams...too risky >.<

Anyway...

O_O Guess what I did?

O_O Sth lame

O_O The latest(?) thing American teenage girls are crazed over

O_O I dunno how popular it is in Malaysia, but

O_O You might have heard of "Edward Cullen"

O_O Or not

O_O Vampires suddenly became the most popular thing under the sun (nooops they burn under the sun)

O_O And you had to have a weird American teenage girl whose image I really cannot fit with how she is describe/describes herself in the book. I just CAN'T emphatize with Bella. Really. Of all things an American girl being not confident (sorry i love to stereotype). Besides, I had watched Saturday Night Live parody Twillight---where Bella was flirting like the most annoying valley girl ever. And here Bella was all low-self-esteem + i-hate-where-i-live + i hate having boys after me + and here am i drooling all over *BEEP* + and *BEEP* drools over me + and we soon turn into the most romantic/flirtatious/furiously kissing couple ever.

Reminds of a certain couple. You know. TAMAHOMEEEEE~~~~~~~~~~ MIAKAAA~~~~~~~

But Bella x Edward is not so bad la. I like Edward. He's interesting. But I can't understand whether he's young or old (in mentality). Like a high school kid and then like mature adult the next second. I just wish Bella wouldn't gussshhh all over him to excess- i prefer her being mad at him (but well, i would probably do the same if he was as gorgeous as depicted. I am a great appreciator of beauty.)

And the vampire thing. Sorry but it's not a new thing for me. Karin has already converted me lol.

And the romantic plot seems cliched to me (one who has watched kind of similar plots in anime/manga... a whole bunch of BL manga with the oh-so-gorgeous-and-mysterious- and i-am-so-dangerous-and i-love-you-so-much-i should-stay-away-from-you but i-cannot-control-my-primal-instincts-so-i-eat-you-up-anyway (typical rich gorgeous powerful seme) + i-am-weak-and-ugly-but-i-love-you-and i-hope-you-love-me-too-so-i'm waiting-to-be-eaten up-*swoons* (typical naive little uke) Oops was i too detailed =.=|||

But I do find Edward's behavior intriguing. Much better than the typical seme. Or maybe coz it's not BL. But the pattern does appear in non-BL plots too. His micro-behavior interests me.

(bakaka, you can just admit you want to become a fangirl.) Uh no. I haven't become fangirly over Edward. Save that for Bella.

O_O Hence was my review on "Twillight" by Stephenie Meyer, which I managed to finish in probly 6 hours. When I should've been writing my essay or sleeping. Should i say that the book was so good that i was stuck to it that i would throw away all sensibility to finish it? Hmm......it has movement, suspense.....but......something stops me from saying sincerely the book was good. Lack of the kind of prose I like? Lack of endearment to the main character?

To my current roommate Natalia:

I WISH you were here so that i will behave more sensibly. >.<

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WEATHER REPORT

I LOVE SNOWWWWWW~~~~~~~~~

But the wind is so chilly that my hands and feet still get cold even when i shut all the windows and turned the heater on to 4 (highest is 6).

Bottom line. I love snow.

It's Almost Thanksgiving!

and the main point is... HOLIDAY!!! Yay!! Hurray!! Freedom from the evil torments of the quarter system (Temporary only) But also sad...coz it signals the end of the quarter...coz my favourite class had its last class today :(

I really like the ppl in my class, we have kind of the same 'wavelength', even though we have different opinions. This class allowed me to express my opinions ( I love Americans coz they dun pandang serong at me when i spoke some really terrible english).

This class also allowed me to learn more about environment and nature and biodiversity and ecological stuff that I wouldn't have been really able to explore in Malaysia. Environmentalism is more advanced in USA, and ppl take it more seriously here. In contrast, most msian students (incld me) just memorize stuff so we can bullshit in our essays. I have always been interested in this kind of things (nature bla bla), but i was afraid to express it bcoz i was scared ppl would scoff at me, and call me unrealistic. Biology provided me a way to compromise my interests with the norm. Of course I also find human and cell and animal biology interesting.

^ if the above paragraph was an essay, it'd get a D for organization n spelling lol.

Bla bla bla. Anyway I am SOOOOOOOOO GLAD that i chose this freshman seminar. Totally no regrets, no matter how apprehensive i was at first bcoz it was 'discussion based'. I actually found it qutie relaxing, as compared to other classes where you have to listen/take notes/try not to fall asleep.

Not to mention i simply love Prof. Walsh!! He's laid back, really nice, funny, and encouraging, concerned about his students, like to listen to what we say, and passionate about his field. He also likes to make animal sounds, and enact scenarios.

And I get to learn about stuff i like, i get to learn neat things that happen in ecological relationships in great depth, i get to go on a lovely field trip, i get to read great books (i really like Edward Abbey), i get to write essays I like about topics I like, i get to know people, i get to hear them talk and give their opinions, which are really good, i get to laugh at funny stuff in class (Idil's carrots and Eric's disrespecting elders lol!)....!

And i finally noticed that one writes best when he is writing about stuff he's interested in. I think Prof. Walsh overrates me lol. I better tell him my confusion over what language was my first language.

This is Prof. Walsh! With Sara Lee Premium Choc Cookies...he brought them to our last class for us >.<>

Members of my fall quarter freshman seminar. Olivia is missing though! =( I shud've taken it the week before, when all were gathered. And i wish Prof. Walsh was in this pic too...

I'm now even more inspired to head in the direction of environmental studies while majoring in biology. Just the other day, I realized---how glad i was to be studying in the US-- if not, it would be really really hard to do environmental studies in Malaysia, with discouragement coming from every corner. It's actually fulfilling one of my childhood dreams. I've never thought of becoming a scientist, but i did imagine doing stuff to save the environment. How did I ever get here? I am indeed very very blessed, too blessed, to have received the JPA scholarship.

To those who are struggling with STPM now, I believe that you guys will become stronger and more resilient because of the tougher road you guys took. Have a little faith, and don't completely give up on your dream, even though you are sure it's impossible to achieve. Just as you believed in me when I did not believe in myself; I believe in you, even if you don't believe in yourselves. As Gabai Baachan (from book "佐贺的超级阿嬷" or "Saga no Gabai Baachan", i blogged about it previously here) insisted,

“到死以前都要有梦想！没实现也没关系，毕竟只是梦想嘛。”

"You must hold onto your dream until the day you die! Even if they are not fulfilled, it's alright, because they are just dreams anyway."

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P/S I've uploaded some pics on FB. not much. sikit saja. but better than nothing rite!

P/S For all ppl facing finals soon, GAMBATTE!!! I also have my finals on 7-9Dec.

Irony...

It's ironic...because I know I've settled down in this new environment...and how do I know?..."~Lax" 's the word! The return of the craving for manga and anime and other forms of entertainment, the return of the impulsive behavior of staying up late knowing the consequences, and the feeling of wanting to join an activity, knowing that I will be welcomed.....

Of course, I'd rather not have the first two signs of feeling 'at home', coz they interfere with my schedule and studies. And it's so weird that I'm not feeling anxious about the final exam (so weird they have a major holiday Thanksgiving like one week before finals)...

And I will be studying Econs for tomorrow's quiz. I mean now. Now. Now! Whee~

Don't be too lax...my dear...be balanced =)

The Sky and the Dawn and the Sun

Presenting...Celtic Woman

Celtic Woman is a group of 5 female Irish artistes (4 vocalists and a violinist (a fiddler, to be exact). If you didn't know them...well now you know.

I first heard them (not this song) on an album I bought for my father (Voice 2008 or sth). I was immediately attracted by their clear high vocals, not too classical (that the diction gets blurred), but not too contemporary.

On the looooong MAS flight from KLIA to USA, I flipped through the music in the in-flight entertainment, and found Celtic Woman: A New Journey. "The Sky and the Dawn and the Sun" was the first song in the album, which won me over immediately.

(enraptured) *_*

I love this song...it's soothing and refreshing at the same time. It's beautiful and simple and yet is deep and rich. There are so many layers to the song: multiple layers of vocals, the instrumentals, the thought-provoking lyrics and the imagery it evokes.

And the violin. OMG. I've never seen such a performance bursting with energy, passion, enthusiasm, and pure happiness! So natural and yet ethereal. I really did think of a fairy dancing when I was watching the violinist. The power of Mairead Nesbitt...(and her dress)

Btw, this video is a live performance. The full song can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4Nn2_01oAU

Awesome.

*runs off coz she has a freaking calculus midterm the day after tomorrow and SERIOUSLY NEEDS TO FOCUS lol*

Do check out the song, guys. Esp. when you're about to fall asleep from studying. It helped to sustain me =)

The Sky and the Dawn and the Sun

Songwriters: Downes, David; Graham, Brendan;

High is the moon tonight
Hiding its guiding light, high

Heaven and earth do sleep
Still in the dark so deep
I will the darkness sweep

I will the moon to flight
I will the heavens bright
I will the earth delight

Open your eyes with me
See paradise with me
Awake and arise with me

I am the dawn, I'm the new day begun
I bring you the morning, I bring you the sun
I hold back the night and I open the skies
I give light to the world, I give sight to your eyes

From the first of all time, until time is undone
Forever and ever and ever and ever
And I am the dawn and the sky and the sun
I am one with the One, and I am the dawn

I am the sky and the dawn and the sun
I am the sky and the new day begun
I am the sky and the dawn and the sun

Live Life, Love Life

To live is to die and to laugh is to cry.

I think this is about the 3rd or 4th time i'm writing about life and death.

A friend from my JPA batch at INTI, Boon Jim, who got into Cornell (as mentioned in a previous post), passed away last week, in his room. Due to accidental/natural causes (not suicide, no foul play).

Read that his body was flown back to Malaysia and will be buried today.

I'm sad for him. I'm sad for his family. It's only been 2 months since he came to USA, life's just started! I think his parents really sayang him, coz I always see them with him during US app events.

Also scared for myself and other friends here in a foreign country. This is the first time someone so close to my age, who I personally know, that has passed away. I never ever expected this. I'm not particularly close to Boon Jim, but I definitely knew him, shared a few classes with him (Calculus 1, Sociology, Chem 101, Malaysian Studies), laughed at him when he was so afraid when he was coming down from flying fox(?) during BTN camp. He really worked hard to make it into Cornell. I never managed to ask him what kind of anime he watches.

Grateful that I'm in a double room now. Grateful for my roommate Natalia (gotta make more effort to get to know her). Must be more careful. Inform a friend whenever I go anywhere.

Don't want my parents to taste this kind of grief. There's a saying that goes like: It is a blessing for a father to be buried by his son, rather than have to bury his son. Morbid, but I agree.

When life is good, love it. When life is hard, embrace it tightly so that we won't lose it. Death comes to all things; it is the natural course of life. Death is also necessary so that we won't crowd the earth for new life to grow. But in general, we hope that death won't come too soon. We want to live life to the fullest, long and robust. Actually a meaningful life can be achieved early in life, if we try hard enough. If we can do everything we wanted to before we die, that would be so wonderful! I'm sure we wouldn't mind dying then. But if life were cut short- at the beginning? right when we felt so full of life? Is it fair? If death is a natural course of life, do we have the right to feel cheated?

There have been so many unfair, unjust deaths in the world. Wars, bloodshed, murder, fire, starvation. At the very least, I hope my friend was fortunate enough to have died in peace.

Rest in peace. God bless you. And may God console your parents and all who are grieving for you.

Kimagure no Post

Kimagure Romantic ~ by Ikimono Gakari

Introduced to this by my bro Josiah =D

Really like it (& the mtv! the newsreader part...lol)

Finally got a song to practice (and get back my singing abilities) I haven't been singing much :( Partly owing to the bad weather which affected my nasal cavities and voice T.T

So my singing is becoming rotten T.T

So much so when there are so many amazing singers in chapel every Sunday.

----distracted argh distracted -----

Should'vve gone to the library and let Tee Jin pressure me to concentrate on homework. Damn!

Econs midterm on monday and math midterm on thu. Midterms count for a lot on the grade, so i should buckle up.

I'm sure you guys want to know what's up right? Wazzup man?

Apple Picking last saturday was fun! though cold brr... Chinatown food was also great! thank you super seniors!

Prof Joe Walsh said my second essay was good!! We both know that the essay definitely needs trimming though. Need to slim down my essays lol. I think i use commas and semicolons to excess- need to find an alternative way to make my point. Ugh.

I spent like >20 hours in total for the essay. Slept at 5am on Tues, 2am the next day [had 2 quizzes on that day] and asked Prof for extension and was granted! then slept 4am that night. Finally had 9hours of sleep this morning.

I'm really behind in math, i think. I'm struggling. PPL ARE GOING TOO FAST vs I AM TOO SLOW AT DOING HOMEWORK AND STUDYING. not to mention my terrible procrastinating habits. Ugh. Yeah...blogging my last post was the cause of me not finishing 9.2, 9.3, 10.7 which piled up on 10.8.

(see, everytime i blog sure got sth to rant about. great!)

the american phrases 'good.' and 'great!' are starting to catch on me. heh!

Econs. Due to the strong foundation built in Mr.Adrian's Microecons, I was able to slack off in the first few chapters somewhat. But I'm kinda worried...... COZ MIDTERMS IS ON MONDAY and i better not screw up my first midterm

i screwed my 2nd quiz in math 230. 9 out of 20 points! WT! so midterms is really important. must not screw my math midterm.

plus they curve the grade. to get A i have to be AT THE TOP PERCENTILE of my class. man.

bye!

a happy post, for once

"[I] inspect the "sanitary facilities," where all appears to be in good order: roll of paper, can of lime, black widow spiders dangling in their usual strategic corners. On the inside of the door someone has written a cautionary note: ..." Edward Abbey. 1969. Desert Solitaire: A Season in the Wilderness. p.37

"When I write "paradise" I mean not only apple trees and golden women but also scorpions and tarantullas and flies, rattlesnakes and Gila monsters, sandstorms, volcanos and earthquakes, bacteria and bear, cactus, yucca, bladderweed, ocotillo and mesquite, flash floods and quicksand, and yes-disease and death and the rotting of the flesh." Abbey, p.208.

------------------------------------------------------------------BEWARE

the above extracts may be something you're going to read if you want to major in Environmental Science/ Conservation/ or just plain interested in Nature.

I kinda like Abbey. Lol. I have to read some books and some journals and stuff and talk about them in class for my freshman seminar, "VALUES OF BIODIVERSITY". It's actually quite fun, (except when you have 2 quizzes+1 long lab report+1 long essay due on the same day). I like my classmates, the lecturer is laid back and can be adorable lol. It's a casual setting, 17 of us (incld lecturer) and we feel free to express our ideas. Yeah even bashful little me. Even though my explaining skills kinda suck. And I MUST prepare for it lest my tongue gets tied. =& like on the 1st day of class.

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

Anyway, Happy Things~!

My professor praised me for my essay!!!!!!!! KYAAAAA~~~~~ ^O^

I'm so happy! I'm so happy!

But I will not expect much for the grade. Besides it's like only 10% of the whole grade.

But I'm really happy to write something that I like and people like! Even Papi said it was good! I'm kind of surprisingly elated =P

and btw, i have another 1000 word paper due next thursday! oww..

Other Happy Things:

Apple-picking with Cilipadi (Kumpulan Budak Sekampung) in Wisconsin this Saturday!

I like the Malaysian Group.

Fiona (senior from INTI) is super helpful...she accompanied me all the way to downtown without asking for the reason (i needed to get medicine for my rashes),

Yoke Peng was a wonderful host, letting me and Tee Jin tumpang at her place for free!, brought us around, and even let us feast on her cooking (twice!);

Alicia Mama is the "Iron Lady"- type, blunt, sharp tongue, great organizer, naggy, independent, and altogether adorable- dun tell her i called her mama though :P;

Yee Hoong Papa is funny and a wonderful senior- i haven't seen enough of him though;

Tong Wei, Chyuan etc.....and oh, Tee Jin. XD. Thank you Tee Jin for not complaining when i haven't paid you the phone bill until now...

Lazy to describe more.

"Easy Writing is Hard Reading". I agree and I don't care!

Next happy thing:

MEIV Small Group (MEIV= Multi Ethnic InterVarsity Christian Fellowship) Esther, the leader of the Small Group, is really really freaking out sweet and adorable. The way she speaks reminds me of Anna, her looks remind me of Mei Yee, and her personality is bubbly and bursting with plus energy! She asked me out for dinner (out of the blue- we only met through a Msian gathering- she's Fiona's friend- and we hardly talked, yet!) and she allowed me to blab on and on about myself (yes maria actually loves to talk about me, me and me) and...man, she made me cry by praying for me. Just hit my sore spot~~~

[Jia Lerd also almost made me cry in KLIA by praying for me through the phone. T.T]

I really like the small group members. I just feel comfy with them. Though we don't really know each other. Dunno why. And today Brianne prayed for me and I for her. She's so sweet.

Ok, gotta go~ (OMG my math homework and chem lab and math reading!)

p/s I'm gradually liking my roommate more and more. Her name is Natalia. I like the way she suddenly smiles- so cute! She's tall and has a gorgeous well toned body.

(Ah Miao get ready lots of tissue when you come to US -- scared you'll keep getting nose bleeds when you see all the girls here LOL)

garh

"...perhaps...things hoped for have a higher value than things assured."

Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac p.57

argh.

seems like the only time i blog is when i'm sorely stressed and want to complain.

1st weekend after 1st week of classes. argh. i'm verry in debt. deeply in debt.

chem assignment 2 (problem sets online) due tomoro 7am

readings for freshman seminar and prepare for discussion questions tomoro

econ online assignment 1 due tuesday 11pm

chem pre-lab assignment/first part of lab report incld title, objective, procedure that you MUST NOT COPY and forced to write from scratch (cries) due wed 4pm

chem assignment 3 due thursday 7am

chem lab report 1 due thursday 4pm

chemistry quiz 1 on thursday required to memorize almost whole periodic table

math 230 (like calculus 3) quiz on thursday

750-word "Observaiton" essay for freshman seminar due on thursday

DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE~~~~~~~~~~~

i seriously haven't realized the severity of the situation. coz ytd i "enjoy" morning, afternoon and evening. today i napped and dawdled my way in the library through the evening. and i am now complaining.

i haven't completed ANY of those things written above.

MAAAAAAAAAAAATIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII~~~~~~~~~~~~

Garh. Quarter system no kidding.

and i was going to tell you guys my adventures as the dumbest kid in America. urgh. uek. bleh. gotta finish the stupid chemistry and gotta write at least 700words tonight. urgh. REALLY REALLY MUST DO IT LIAO!!!!!!

Last Minute Thoughts (emo /baccklogged post)

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At 1a.m., Sept 7, Maria wrote:

Red Packets: Wishes for a Smooth Journey, Health and Peace

KIRA KIRA hikaru seishun LINE wo bokura wa ima hashiridasu yo

tsunagu omoi wo yume no saki made

Ookiku Furikabutte OP2-Seishun LINE, by Ikimonogatari

Received so many red packets.So many good wishes.T T

It must be a sin if I don't feel grateful.

I could have never become what I am today if I am alone.

Thank you...

I was living the pig's life quite foolishly these few months...eat, sleep, watch anime, play computer...not using my prime of youth to do more sustainable good. Too lazy to even upload photos to Facebook dutifully.

So actually i'm now afraid of going back to studies, since it's been pretty long since i've studied seriously. Besides, the American system is really gonna be different from Malaysia's. T.T Takut sikit... coz i'm no good at speaking Ingrish. I even find writing essays a big challenge. So...why the heck did Northwestern choose me???

Ahhhh...no matter what i have to do it la. Be kiasu kiasu abit, it'll help me to move foward. Even though it's not the 'best' way (the best way, IMO, is to keep moving foward on my own initiative, without needing a rotan cane or a looming approaching deadline to push me to do my best. This is something i haven't been able to achieve yet)... being kiasu is what has pushed me to certain things i normally can't do in the piggy state i'm now. So so so, I'll

do my best. Push my butt off the lazy chair.

And uh, i must lose weight. T.T I must lose weight before 20. Oh dear i don't wanna be a fat young lady. Why does everyone tell me i'm gonna grow fatter in the US Iyadaa Iyadaa Iyadaa

"Let us go instead where there's no path and leave a trail." (Japanese proverb)

Anyway, the time is now 12.45am, September the Seventh. and I have to wake up at 5am and reach KLIA by 7am.

Thanks again, everyone! I pray that these blessings will stay with me and that I shall deserve them by doing my best wherever i can. I must feel as grateful as I felt when I first received the JPA scholarship, first received my acceptance email from UWash and Northwestern.

Everyone, take care~! I'm off!

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And after finishing that line, I went to sleep, woke up, blablablablabla, and

thus, I've arrived in O'Hare International Airport on Sept8, 12.30am.

Of course this wasn't written in real time.

I am in USA O_O

Hello Readers,

Maria here. It's 8 Sept, 9.58PM CST here in Evanston, Illinois.

Thanks to all well wishers. I am safe and jetlagged in America.

Becoz i need sleep to cure my jetlag, I hope this will be a short one.

KLIA- thanks to Michelle, Clare, Norman and Shaun for coming to send me off! Clare even has class at 10am!

MAS- plane started to fly at 10am, had lunch of curry chicken and rice and nice cake, stopped at Taipei, got on the plane again about 3.15pm, then began the looooooooooong journey to LA. loooooooooong. in-flight entertainment? yeah watched some documentaries and listened to some albums. had dinner at 5.30pm, and at 1 or 2am it was bright daylight again! Time for breakfast/lunch/supper again. and somehow we managed to reach LA about 1pm LA time.

LAX- Flight was delayed by 1 hour T.T boarded the connecting flight to Chicago at 6pm LA time. Reached Chicago about 4 hours later, 12.30am Chicago time. Pn Rozita & En Rahman picked us up and we reached Yoke Peng's apartment about...2am i guess. Lunged the giant luggage bags up 3 floors on creaky wooden stairs (it was nearly impossible for me to carry by 28" bag on my own, and Yoke Peng had to help. Pn Rozita carried the 22" bag for me). Luckily i only had 1 big luggage...if not ah, sure die~

We had supper(??) of Home-cooked-rice-and pedas chicken curry and kuah with potatoes and sayur-cooked by the Ustaz's wife. I was hungry coz American Airlines didn't serve free food in the short(?) flight. After that...tried to switch on laptop but the adapter didn't work (BECAUSE I DIDN"T PLUG IN THE MAIN SWITCH LOL). very very mabuk dah. Want to sleep then start not nice then thought better switch on my laptop and send email to pami notifying my safe arrival. then feel ok then went to slep abt 4++am ...........

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2nd DAY woke up many times in the night. but finally got up at12.15pm. too cold coz i didn switch off the fan. i told u i was too mabuk until couldn't think logically.

the rest was modified from the email to my parents.

Dear readers,

The pharmaton adapter works! (with my laptop). yesterday forgot to plug in the main plug...too blur already

Today senior took us to the International Office to check in, the Malaysian Students Department (MSD), and downtown Evanston. The weather iss clear and cool, like a more windy Genting Highlands. Had to wear jacket also. Me and Tee Jin signed up for a mobile phone contract (family plan) with AT&T, and got stylish-looking handphones (LG CU920)for USD19.99. But we have to pay a deposit of USD500 using credit card (so sorry pa >.<) but they will refund the USD500 next year. My senior who bought the handphone last year just got her USD500 back. The total amount paid for the hp using credit card was about USD572..i think. The store where i bought my new handphone (Radio Shack) sells an international adapter for USD10.

And I've gotta say the worker really went all out to serve us. Really really impressed. Spent few hours just catering to us.

After that we went to Barnes and Nobles, one of the biggest bookstores. 2 storeys, and they even have spacious restrooms. Yeah I know that coz i got stomach upset (probly due to curry) and deposited my droppings in the spacious restrooms. But i dun like those wide gaps from the floor to the cubicle wall. Can see ppl's shoes. No privacy la...want to squat on the floor also paiseh.

Yoke Peng belanja us dinner at Lulu's, serving some asian cuisine. I ordered "Chinese Ramen Soup"...doesn't taste much like ramen and it's yellow in colour...quite a big bowl. And they served plain iced water free. When I asked for warm water...waiter looked blank...then he asked whether i wanted boiling hot water or room temperature water (laughs). Air suam takde..

After dinner we took a route through the Northwestern campus. The campus is not like in Malaysia, where you have gates and fences enclosing the school grounds. It's just an area concentrated with university buildings, mixed with some other buildings and houses. Some of the buildings are bungalows, and a lot of them are old-looking with ivy leaves growing on the walls. There are a lot of trees lining the streets.

Lake Michigan is reeeeally big, seems like the sea. saw ppl on yachts. The main library is very big, 3 or 4 blocks, as big as a shopping mall in KL.. Also walked by the chapel (senior said it's very beautiful inside) and the Sheil Catholic Center. Evanston is very big...the campus is also very big..... we walked from downtown Evanston to Sargent Hall (my dorm) using the scenic route by the lake...walked until feet sour. I think I'll need to invest in a pair of good shoes. >.<

It's still quite bright at 6pm. The sun starts to set around 6 sth (sth=something). 7sth quite dark already, especially with so many big trees. Yoke Peng says they don't really have much nightlife around here, so it's quiet.

Oh yeah, about meal plans. I was automatically enrolled for the Weekly 13 Meals Plan, but Yoke P

Anyway, I'm getting along fine. I have some ringing in my ears, maybe due to wearing the headphones for too long during the MAS flight, but it's not affecting me much, dun worry.

Photos i probly just upload on facebook. Later. =P now need to get my sleep so i can walk walk walk walk walk tomoroooooo. GOOD NIGHT~~~~

Sincerely,

Maria Mei Hua Wang (peliknya)

nothing beats being "fei4"

me ga sameru hodo mabushii asa no hi yori mo atatakai

owari no nai kagayaku hikari no kisetsu ni dakarete...

~ Hikari No Kisetsu, Asatte no Houkou OP

This is a low quality post just to fill time.

AAAAAA i'm gonna fly away soon T.T Away from home, away from home...5 hundred miles (or more) away from home...

Okay, my flight, confirmed, Sept 7, 9.40am. For those who wanna send me off...uhh...jangan paksa diri. I have to be there very early. Minimum 2 hrs beforehand. Perhaps 6 sth a.m. ZZZZZ

WAWAWAWAWAWA

I've been drowning myself in feel-good-anime, particularly this past month (i mean August). Alot of them are summer animes :P

Summer is ending.... T.T

I finally kinda understand why ppl like summer so much. Lol.

AAAAAAAABAWABAWABAWAAAAAAAAA

(Introducing May Wong from Kaleido Star)

IYADAA IYADAA IYADAAAA <- denial stage

After being soothed by lovely anime...

Ah, i got a dental appointment tomorrow so see ya. mitai na.

[||||||||||OMG I was supposed to get enough sleep WAAAAA||||||||||]

^ moldy:this is punishment for trying to fill time. ady not enough time left still wanna waste time |||| aaa i hate gastric and wind in the stomach and not getting enough sleep

^ moldy: it's your own fault la, baka.

Visit to Yok Eng (backlogged post)

I wanted to go to visit Yok Eng, my kindergarten and primary school in Pasir Mas, for quite some time ady. I haven't stepped foot in there since...2005, when i participated in the 6km jogathon to collect funds (and emerged champion!!! in the secondary girls category which only had 4 girls =P)

But all these years i didn't go...(not bcoz scared of teachers la! =.=) Just that i feel awkward coz i dun have a legitimate reason; besides, many teachers i knew had transferred/pensioned. Now i'll soon be leaving for US, so i felt it proper to go and visit at least once! Plus when i jokingly ajak John to go together, he said ok!

Actually...i'm scared of breaking the rules! Dun dare to simply go in without permission. That's why need some company. To infiltrate the school! (just simply push open the main gate and walk inside lah)

Young schoolchildren... in sschool compound.

The pejabat is situated in the "new block" which was completed during my first grade. 1 Merah was on the ground floor of this building. I think it's still the Std 1 classrooms until now.

Office corridor.. I really like those hanging green plants... they weren't there during my time..

Big old tree =)

Corner outside the teachers' office. They didn't have a sink when i was there.

Love the green color =)

Anyway since i was so scared of being a villainous infiltrator, i wanted to find Ms. Ong Lee Hea, the Penolong Kanan first. Went to the Pejabat. We sat and chatted for quite some time. She showed us the latest School Magazine =D

And I found out that our batch set the UPSR Straight As record...six students with 7As!! It's the highest number since my 2nd bro's year in 1994 (four students)... I feel so proud =P

Ms. Ong said that my class teacher, Mdm. Ong Seok Lee is a record-setter. When she went to Peir Chi, 14 students from her class got full As!! ^O^

Ah John with the ever gorgeous looking Ms. Ong. Btw, Ms. Ong was also my eldest bro's class teacher =P

She likes taking photos =3. This is a structure built after my time. if it was there during my time i would probably nap there.

Ci Ai...'s little sis Ci En! She's the head prefect, following in both her elder sisters' footsteps. The stone table is old, but the pot plant is new...

Queueing up for the food! I used to "jaga" there as a prefect =P

New building. In place of the old science lab.
They pulled down the science lab and built a dining room for teachers.

Reminiscing about the science lab.... it was a dim dingy room, with a lot of mosquitoes T.T My group were seated at the innermost corner...where mosquitoes reigned like mad T.T The first thing we did after we got into the lab was to clap CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP!!! to get rid of the mosquitoes.

I still remember the most disgusting experiment we did=it was about food, well yeah... maggots in food in plastic containers after a week! =A=||||

Mdm.李梅珠. I think she was one of the teachers in charge of dance troup, with 胡老师.

I love blue skies~!

Another new structure behind the teachers dining room. i bet the teachers bring students here to brush their teeth.

WASHROOMS~!!!!!

Scenic view outside washroom. This is the ground floor girls toilet.

Pretty clean, but a little smelly. When i was in Std4(?), classes would take turns to clean the toilets after school. You can be sure that the toilets were pretty clean then. XD~

OUR TOILETS ARE VERY BEAUTIFUL~~~~

Later the school hired a cleaner. I think they're still hiring.

There are only 6 toilet stalls for girl students; 3 on the ground floor, 3 on the first floor.

There are even fewer toilets for staff =P

This is a washing basin (?), for more "dirty" stuff, like washing our inks and brushes, paint, clothes for cleaning the windows etc,. and filling the pail...

Pretty Plant: Ah!! Maria is harassing me becoz i'm pretty!

Storeroom for sports equipments. As studetns, we rarely step into this place except for gotong-royong/spring cleaning/大扫除. That's the deepest impression i have of the store.

It looks brighter and cleaner and tidier than my time lol. We played with the mini diabolos (i dun recall having those last time), but i failed terribly la, of course =P

Maria: Did we have this kind of modern looking body building equipment?!

This is one of my favorite spots in the school. I like it coz it's surrounded by nice plants and trees. Odayakana~~

The little side stage. Punishment for naughty little boys. XD~

The staircase near the canteen. This block has existed since my bro's time... but the railings have changed since my time.. looks good. And i'm not sure whether the mirror was there yet, hmm..

That's Mr. Handsome Cikgu Khoo, one of the rare breeds in the school. Know why? There are only 3 male teachers in Yok Eng, hahaha. It's the normal case to have only 2-3 male teachers in my school lol.

Standard 3 classrooms above the canteen... Used to be computer labs around here..

The Library!! is still in the same location, but the arrangement is a bit different. And i see there are more books (but still very little). I was a librarian in Std3 =D.

That is a palm tree? In the school compound, we also have interesting trees like one which has leaves that look like 'tails', another one which will give bloom to lovely yellow flowers every year...
That is a the netball/badminton court, which was set up, erm, in the later years when i was in school. Basketball court... there used to be a small basketball court behind the canteen (which was also teachers parking lot), but it was cemented and a computer lab built in place of the little patch of green.

Anyway they now play basketball in the multipurpose hall opposite the school (you can see part of it in this photo). It was built in place of the old kindergarten. Took many years to raise funds and build the hall. It was completed after I entered secondary school.

Corridor of the "center block", outside the library and meeting room. I really like those hanging green plants ^^ Wish they had those during my time.


This is the First Aid Room/ Bilik Rawatan/ 保健室. It is actually very dark inside, but my camera flash was very powerful.
John remembers being here for asthma attacks, and I remembered being here for, uhm, a big bruise on my knee =D

That's the crossover bridge. It also leads to the multipurpose hall. I wish it was built during my time. Then I could've walked home everyday from school. Gosh my house is sooo super near the school. Yet i've only walked home from school (alone) ONCE. My over protective parents...

Infiltrating an empty classroom! We found a lot of cute stuff at the back of the classroom. Toothbrush and toothpaste and cups, artworks (making octopus out of paper cups), excellently done homework on the board =3

And finally...!

A trip to Yok Eng wouldn't be complete without her lol.

Managed to catch her outside the pejabat! She recognized me at once, and immediately said my full name "汪梅花！" (whee she remembers me~ :P) but she couldn't recognize John. Guess what she said? "不要跟我讲那是国祥(mybro)!?"

Really LOL. But John does look different from when he was in primary la.

This is 卢老师, the ex-PK Koku and now the PK Hem of Yok Eng, also my Science teacher from Std4-6, and one of the teachers in charge of the choir. She sings! At our choir competitions, she will perform alongside other "fat ladies", but i forgot what their group is called.

Well, this teacher is one of those teachers whom students love to talk about-- She will remain in many students memories for being the strict, sarcastic, sharp-tongued teachers who loves to torture give students lots of homework [and possible other things I might've forgotten]. Oh, the many interesting phrases she'd use to scold and insult! Out of respect for my teacher I won't repeat them here (but you can ask me in person la). Although I had heard many horror stories about her from others, personally I haven't had that much of a bad experience with her, and it's been so long ago, I can't tell you much.

Just one particular incident i like to remember. In Std6, after UPSR, our class were punished for (not coming to the science lab or being noisy or what i can't remember liao), anyway we had to stand on our stools in the science lab and listen to her lecture and the wonderful variety of names she dealt on our heads (你们都是软体动物！通通都没有脑！！) I, instead of feeling guilty and sorry for my sins, I found it very funny and had to try very hard to stop myself from laughing :P! Very unfortunately, she saw me! And thundered,

"汪梅花，在那边偷笑！！"

Ahahaha!! I can't remember what happened after that, whether i was punished or not.

[If 卢老师 or anyone who knows her reads this and feels offended, I apologize. If you inform me I will remove the offending portion. ]

Now looking back, I no longer see her as the horror teacher (just like how you see Professor Dolores Umbridge). And looking from a different perspective, I kind of respect her now. I see her as a character who doesn't like to dilly-dally and waste time, with high expectations of herself and others, thus her brusque manner towards everyone.

One of the things she told us, has remained in my mind until now.

"靠山山会倒；靠水水会流；靠人人会跑；靠自己最好！"

I didn't quite agree with that and I still don't fully agree with that. But I now understand better what she means, after experiencing the difficulty of working with people. It's hard to strike a balance when I expect something done a certain way, but when I ask others to do it, what they come up with just don't meet your expectations. Sometimes I feel that it's less time-consuming and simpler to just do it myself. Hence the "靠自己最好". But some things just can't be done on my own, and in fact will be better if everybody can contribute ideas and their own special abilities. Mitai na~ =)

"The longer I live, the more I realize that there are so many different perspectives from which one can view a thing." said Maria Wang.

I think that 卢老师 actually liked my bro very much. Hence his torturous days..perhaps she intended to polish out his brilliance? I dunno. Just my own unsmart guess. Gyahahahaha!

*****

Later mami brought us out for more visiting. We went to Ainul's house but she was in UIAM, doing a computer course. Then we went to Cikgu Mat's house. Cikgu Mat was our BM tuition teacher in primary, and Form1 and 2. He also gave my two brothers BM tutition. He has a very loud sonorous voice, very jolly, and really pro in Sejarah. My BM really improved because of his tuition ^^. But he has really lost weight (coz of diabetes), and age may be creeping up with him. =( Hope he will be healthy and hearty as before.

^yer the proportion of writing given to different teachers seems so unfair mitai na. But I thank my teachers. I really do like Cikgu Mat a lot. But somehow, seeing him 'shrunken' and 'tidak bermaya' like that, makes me feel...sigh.

Time does pass, whether we realize it or not.

Taggu-

1. Besides your lips, where is the favourite spot to get kissed?
i......dunno.

2. How did you feel when you woke up this morning?
"i wish i had a better sleep"

3. Who was the last person/people you took a photo with?
Miss Loo Ai Cheng (or more commonly known as Lu Bak Chang, sorry teacher >.<). Was my Science Teacher from Std4-6 XD

4. Would you consider yourself spoiled?
Yesh...mother pampers me too much. Luckily i'm not rotten.

5. Will you ever donate blood?
(ya know, the only time i'm glad i'm overweight is when i'm going to donate blood X.X) I donated twice, and would like to do it as many times as possible without endangering my own health.

6. Have you ever had a best friend who was of the opposite sex?
Hahaha...not counting my bros, i have two!

7. Do you want someone to be dead?
No.

8. What does your last text message say?
can't remember...

9. What are you thinking right now?
"why i dun feel good" and "how am i going to get rid of this not-so-nice-mood?" and "should i sleep now?" and "should i watch some more anime or?"

1o. Do you want someone to be with you right now?
Erm. I suddenly wish for Ken from Kaleido Star to come and cheer me up lol. But i think i'll get too excited and cannot sleep pulok.

11. What was the time you went to bed last night?
12-something? hard for me to fall asleep last nite..

12. Where did you buy the tee you are wearing now?
free! among some old clothes that a friend gave away.

13. Is someone on your mind right now?
Anime characters. T.T among them Ken who is suuuuch a nice guy lol.ah. i'm wondering wat will happen to Sora in the next ep of Kaleido Star and the so many chara in School Rumble 2 is messing my head up.

14. Who was the last person who text you?
Ah John. i ajok him to go to Yok Eng, our alma-mater this morning.

Meh. I hope i can sleep well tonight and my cough can be cured by tomorrow. T.T I think i have to tell Dr.Wee that i'm not imagining that i have sinusitis T.T

Oya, today we went to Yok Eng, my primary school, me and my childhood friend and good friend. Yok Eng is really small!

hey, wait- STOPPU STOPPU! i get the feelign i'm gonna ramble on and on and on lol. okay! thanks to my not-so-good-mood i finally get to write another lovingly loooong post, yay! (blog readers: yappari...= =||||)

A Mother's Prayer

[The mother of a good friend has passed away. I don't know what I can do for her. I pray for her mother, as well as herself and her family. May her mother's soul rest in peace, and may she and her family be strong.]

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A Mother's Prayer

I pray you'll be my eyes
And watch her where she goes
And help her to be wise
Help me to let go

Every mother's prayer
Every child knows
Lead her to a place
Guide her with your grace
To a place where she'll be safe

I pray she finds your light
And holds it in her heart
As darkness falls each night
Remind her where you are

Every mother's prayer
Every child knows
Need to find a place
Guide her with your grace
Give her faith so she'll be safe

Lead her to a place
Guide her with your grace
To a place where she'll be safe

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Many of us, including me, take our greatest blessings for granted. The very fact that we were born into this world is a great blessing. And the one who brought us into this world, bless her. And for all the people who brought me up to be what i am today, bless you and thank you. Forgive me for the times I've hurt you and ignored you. I wish we'll always be together.

Stan's Time Sharing Agency!!!! (TAGGED by Aqilah)

****I FORGOT TO TAG PPL. MUAHAHA****

1. F.Mei Qi

2. Noeru

3. H.Miao Miao

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

Copied this from my facebook :P
Low quality post to boost post count.

RULES:
1. Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.
4. Tag as many friends.
5. Everyone tagged has to do the same thing.
6. Have Fun!

juz give it a try.....=)

1. IF SOMEONE SAYS 'ARE YOU OKAY' YOU SAY
river flows in you - Yiruma
[T...T]

2. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
Silhouette of a Breeze - Ryou Kunihiko (Emma A Victorian Romance OP)
[becoz people can't see me? but the song is too lovely to describe me lar...]

3. WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Glory - Jim Brickman
[O.O... oops no. Me wants the Glory, and will be jealous if my partner gets too much of it. Hmm..but actually what Jim Brickman meant from 'Glory' is God's Glory. So do I like to see God's Glory in a guy/girl? Hehe...]

4. HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Minute Waltz - Chopin
[O.O i feel like a puppy running around chasing its own tail today??? Hope i really do feel that frisky..]

5. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE PURPOSE?
Zutto Kimi No Soba De (Always by Your Side) - Masuda Yuki (Flame of Recca ED2)
[i was hoping for an ambitious title...ah =A= well...maybe i'm more romantic than i thought?]

6. WHAT'S YOUR MOTTO?
Waltz for Emma & William - Ryou Kunihiko (Emma A Victorian Romance OST)[HAR?! = = maybe i should reduce the amount of lovey-dovey tracks in the list]

7. WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Love at First Sight - Ryou Kunihiko (Emma A Victorian Romance OST)
[if that really happened...LOL!!!
and maybe i really should reduce the amount of lovey-dovey tracks in the list]

8. WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Taiyo no Te ~ Avant Title - Taku Iwasaki (Yakitate Japan OST)
[Taiyo no Te= Solar Hands/ the Sun's Hands... hmm...more like the other way round...I think of my parents as Taiyo no Te...]

9. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Lucre Town - Escape from Monkey Island OST
[Ooh...I think of $$$$$ and how to make lots of $$$$$$ on a nice little lucrative pirate island in the middle of Carribean....]

10. WHAT YOU ALWAYS DO DURING TAKE 5?
Baby Low Tension - meg rock (Peach Girl OP)
[Ooh yeah~ Low tension, BABE~! ]

11. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Ikenai Taiyou - Orange Range (HanaKimi Drama OP)[If it means what i think it means (i think it means "Forbidden Sun")....ahahahahamuahahahaha....*evil cackles*] Well currently I don't really have A 'best friend''...but anyway...i should get going...i dun wan any angry bfs chasing after me with a parang...gyahahahaha!

12. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
IKEMEN Boogie - HanaKimi Drama OST
[My life story = IKEMEN = GOOD LOOKING GUYS!!!! Ahahaha...i wouldn't mind that LOL]
* but the music is actually very nice

13. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Touch My Body - Mariah Carey
[=A=!!!! I never expected this when i added this track to my playlist...LOL. But i wouldn't mind being a great singer like MC =3]

14. WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?DRAGON SCREAMER - Da Pump (Captain Tsubasa OP)
[erm. i dunno wat to comment. perhaps it means i want to SCREAM whenever i see the person i like lol]
"DRAGON SCREAMER!! DRAGON FEVER!! NO QUESTIOOOON~~~~" yup that's how the song goes...

15. WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Saikou No Kataomoi - Tainaka Sachi (Saiunkoku Monogatari ED)
[Not bad hehe. It's a soft but intense love song...but the meaning is a little off. if i'm not mistaken if means 'The Greatest One-Sided Love' =p]

16. WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Medaka no Mita Niji (The Rainbow that the Killifish Saw) - Kozue Takada (Ookiku Furikabutte ED1)
[Hahaha...hope that there'll be a rainbow at my funeral..]

17. WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST??
scarlet - BRACE;d (Karin OP)[MY HOBBY IS SCARLET!!!! I SUCK BLOOD!!!! MARIA THE VAMPIRE!!!! MUAHAHAHA!!!!!] that aside, the song is very nice and so is the anime.

18. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
Never Alone - Jim Brickman (feat. Sara Evans)
[Erm...I'm afraid of being never alone?? i dun think so...]
But I really really like this song, esp. the lyrics...just so meaningful without being too cheesy =)

19. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Main Theme - sunny side up - Tomita Motohiro (Aishiteruze Baby OST)
[my biggest secret is that i secretly like eggs-with-the-sunny-side-up??? or does it mean i have a loli-complex hohoho~]

20. WHAT DO YOU WANT RIGHT NOW?
Arigatou - Bon'z (Kyou Kara Maou ED2)
[Yay please say ARIGATOU to me for entertaining you with this lame post]

21. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Jambalaya Map - Escape from Monkey Island OST
[means i think my friends are like the lovely sunny carribean beaches? *__*]

22. WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Stan's Time Sharing Agency - Escape from Monkey Island OST
[Oooohh....this track did really come into use....for those who dunno what MI is, Stan is a suspicious businessman who appears in every MI game with his own theme song]

FYI, the 23rd track just happened to be Seishun Line (Line of Youth, for lack of better translation) by Ikimonogakari, which is also Ookiku Furikabutte OP2.... I really like this song!

Always feel energized after listening to this song...even though the melody sounds too familiar to be original...a different arrangement and different voice and lyrics and story makes for a enjoyable listen~ =)

Phew, finishu!

Bon Odori 2009! & etc...

I know you guys like picture loaded posts right? Hehe. But I still like to write junk lol.

This is junk. Friday nite/early saturday morning (like 2 or 3am). Me and my roommate packing and packing and packing. I started packing first. She read Harry Potter & HBP until 1 or 2am before starting to berkeluh.

The left side is mine. the legs are my roommate's.
My roommate stuffing her clothes.

Saturday morning. was woken up prematuredly by the sound of my roommate whining and sarah coming in.

IMBASAN KEMBALI--------------- (do i hear someone saying "oh no, here we go again!" :P)

FRIDAY 17 July 2009. Finished our MPW exams, and was officially kicked out of INTI-UC. Went to eat dinner at Little Seoul with Sarah, Shi Ning, Suk Sien (roommate) and Yih En. After that went to MyBox for 2 hr karaoke session. After that yamcha at Auntie Jenny's. Sarah and Shi Ning wanted to belanja us for all these. Feel touched and also awkward. Actually we should be belanja-ing them, since we got to fly early T.T We paid back our share for the karaoke though..

SATURDAY 18 July 2009. Bro Joshua came to pick up my barang to dump at Taman Tun temporarily (sorry Aunty Mary!! ^^;) Afternoon, Suk Sien's mum and 2 younger bros came to help her pack and pick up her barang. Suk Sien's mum is really friendly, the elder younger brother good-looking, and the younger younger brother also friendly and very quick to respond to the camera :D

888888888888888888888888888888888BYEBYE INTI8888888888888888888888888

Anyway the main topic is actually...

BON ODORI!!!

Since we volunteered to be kicked out of the INTI bus going to Bon Odori since the bus was full (thanks Yih En for temaning me). We used PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION to go. T.T

PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN MALAYSIA is *cries*

We started off at 3+pm, squashed into the KTM around 4+pm, reached KL-Sentral 5+pm. And then we had 2 choices: take KTM to Shah Alam and take the shuttle bus to the venue; or take rapidkl bus to Shah Alam. Yih En wasn't fond of the idea of being squashed the 2nd time, so we chose the latter (though honestly i really prefer KTM lo. coz a few bad experience with rapidkl and horror stories from my bro x.x)

Horror story really started. Walked to the bus stop. Waited in the hot, dusty, smoky, sweaty environment for the U65. I nearly went berserk and had the impulse to start screaming and going into hysterics but fortunately I controlled myself.

Finally after almost an hour, U65 came. The driver was an old man who merely nodded when we asked him questions. I like him. :P Anyway we had to stand T.T and got squashed as more and more ppl got in. Luckily i had the 'privilege' of standing right under the TV and there was this "Kan Cheong" Cooking Competition program on 8tv showing, which was about 2 ppl who cannot cook, but had to cook, with only the intsruction from a cook through a monitor and headphones. And within a certain time limit too. They cooked beef salad noodles if i'm not mistaken. The judges were Amy Mastura, Nita from MI2 and some guy. I couldn't see the show properly coz of the angle from where i was standing (too near), but the audio was clear enough. Kinda interesting.

It took 45 mins to reach Panasonic Sports Complex (actual name: Komplex Sukan Negara, which was situated near Panasonic :P).

Prelude to the crowd walking towards the complex.

I'm attracted to black yukatas. Yeah esp the one on the right with white and pink flowers XD.

As Migo (aka Mei Qi)mentioned in her blog post, the ingenius method for getting a clearer view of the stage.

A more artistic shot of the Boy-on-Boy. Muahaha.

After a bit of dancing the Ondo, we went to the food stalls. Mei Qi, Mei Qi Aneki Mei Gui, Yih En and Me- were very easily separated in the crowd. Mei Qi was lost in the sea of ppl. Me and Yih En met Mei Gui and their parents at the garbage bins. Mei Qi was lost. I decided that it would be much simpler to go our own ways and buy whatever we wanted then meet later at someplace.

First thing I tried was the Dark Choco icecream. It tasted just like regular choco icecream, well, tastier than Nestle/Walls/common brands (no offence). I think Yih En's green tea (Macha, like Mei Qi's) was a better bargain. It has a pretty strong green tea flavor :)

Well, lost sight of Mei Qi and her other family members soon after. Received her sms saying that she had to go back.. shouganai. Luckily we took a photo beforehand; if not, i will really regret it, coz the last time we met we didn't take any. Plus I'm not sure whether I can meet her again b4 i go to the US.

Back to Bon Odori. By that time I had already lost track of Yih En. Instead I met: guess who?

Michelle & S.Hoe!

Those two =.= well earlier in the week he said he may be driving there, then they had a quarrel during the period between friday night and saturday noon, and she told me they'll probably won't go coz she wants to study, and then later i got an sms asking what time does BO start. =.=

Sudah dlm jangkaan beta bahawa mereka akan turn up after all. What makes me (=.=#) was that they reached here about the same time as us, using only about 2 hours, compared to our sweat-&-dust-drenched long & arduous journey of about 4 hours. T.T

But I wont complain anymore lah, since we went back with them. LOL. Thanks anyway Sik Hoe and Michelle!

Now for photos.

A photo with girls clad in Yukata! I'm staring curiously at them.

They're not Japanese girls though, they're our friends, Desi and Iva, from Indonesia :D

But hey...what are 4 CSS members doing in Bon Odori?!

The most left is Michelle. We're happy Catholics~ LOL!

THE DUST on my camera lenses. <>.<>

The last time I saw this big a crowd was at Thaipusam, Batu Caves. O.O
A Malaysian Multi-Cultural Dance Performance! I liked the Peacock ^^

Then we met some more familiar faces. I dub them the CCS (Chinese Cultural Society) A-Block Guys gang.
For some reason, I find this photo extremely amusing that I can't stop giggling.

A proper photo of the CCS A-Block Guys Gang. Francis, Jia Jing, Mern Jie, Jing Hao, and Chun Ping. Actually I didn't know that Jia Jing and Chun Ping were JPA scholars in my batch before... very recently T.T

Group photo!!

Ber-romance...as P.Ramlee would say. XD. Sik Hoe looks verrrrry happy, the way he keeps grinning in subsequent photos, which shall not be on this blog due to privacy purposes. Heh :P

The Mini Mouse...and the Tall Mouse. We complement each other~ Ahahaha!

Michelle's my really good friend.

And the fan is really well made. Really good for fanning. Lightweight and creates a lot of wind.

'The Little Runaway Girl'. Nope those circles of light are not photoshop effects.

Suk Yee, elusive as always. She runs away like a cat whenever she sees a camera pointing at her. Haiyo. I'm going to leave INTI liao lo. Must have your photo so I can remember you mar.

The text is not in sequence, but anyway, for memory's sake.

After getting separated from everybody, I went on a 'shopping spree' for food. Bought a plate of Yakisoba from 宗像 stall (since i dunno what to buy, and Yih En said 宗像 food was pretty good) which was pretty normal, tasted like normal fried noodles with japanese pickled shreded veggies. And also Unagi Sushi from Sushi King. *_* i love unagi *_* Also bought mochi with red bean and fresh strawberry. Then went to sit down to watch the Malaysian Multi Cultural Dance. Soon I saw Yih En walkign up the stairs and I quickly caught her and she said she was looking for me everywhere (i guess my sms saying we walk on our own first n meet later, didn't reach her). Good timing too, coz she bought a Pokka drink and won 2 carton drinks in the lottery. So i got a free drink to quench my thirst!

Later Mich and S.Hoe joined us. Mich bought me the Mouse ears XD (i would have bought the devil's ears though, coz i "du lan" Mickey. But the mouse ears ARE cute! Thx Michelly) And we went down in the middle of the 2nd last Ondo dance, the Tokyo Ondo. Which was quite funny, had some backward steps, and those "I'm a sad & lonely guy" kind of poses.

The Last Ondo was "Ohisama Ondo", meaning "Mr.Sun's Ondo" which was quite easy to follow. Let's see, if i remember correctly, first, wave hands up in the air, right, left, right, left; down right, down left; then run 3 steps foward. Turn to the left, with your palms facing fowards and arms up, bring them slowly down. Turn behind, cross your hands and bring them down. Clap-clap-clap. Turn to the left, wave your hands up in the air while running foward. Repeat again and again. Something like that la. Haha.

I do enjoy these type of dances. Like the Moral Dances at Children Camp. I suck at other types of dance though. But I'll willingly do silly dances like the Chicken Dance and the Banana Song.

*ERHem* Don't derail la, maria. Anyway after the Last Dance, the Festival was coming to a close...which means...all the shops gotta hurry up and sell off all their food...which means... PRICE ELASTICITY INCREASE!!!!!!! Muahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!

Wahlau eh! The Temaki Sushi which was RM5(?) for one became RM10 for 3! Almost all prices went down... from Buy 5 free 1 to Buy 1 free 1! I bought mochi, temaki, and a drink. Yih En bought alot more stuff, like tempura prawns, meatballs, fishballs, chicken, and temaki set. I think I have photos of those, but find them in facebook later. lazy to upload again.

this is one of my favorite parts of Bon Odori, other than the food and Ondo,

I present to you...the MOBILE TOILETS!!!

The toilets are so cute! Plastic booths, with the arrangement like the train/airplane W.C.s. Quite clean XD. and to turn on the tap you have to step on a pedal at the side, and water will come spurting out *laughs* To flush you have to step on another pedal (but i couldn't find it). So cute!

The memorable toilet...

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After Sik Hoe sent us back (wheeee~~~ thank you!) to Block S....it's the After Party!

We bought the food to Sarah & Shi Ning's room. Chloe was there collecting signatures from ppl for the JPA magazine (I dun really get the fuss about sigs though...usually i won't be able to read the names from the sigs, much less remember them! Better get hand written notes or photos)

Here are selected pics from the small party..

This is Lim Yih En, the hungry cat walloping her food...

Very funny when her (elder) bro called her, and she put it on loudspeaker, and we could hear every single word her bro told her....incld all the hillarious insults, like "ask mum to let out the dog to bite you", "better go to sleep lah if not tomorrow you'll be crying like hell after you miss the plane", "i buy for you but use your money la"......and when Yih En said "5 girls are listening to every word you're saying right now.." Wahahahahaha!!!!

I met Yih En's bro before, during Penang Trip. He's really quite concerned about his sister la, but you know lah, he only shows it in an indirect way.. But that was fun lah...although sorry Yih En aniki :P

Next, Shi Ning and the Cat with mouse ears and a "Hmmph!" expression...ahahaha

Yih En, Chin Wei n me. Chin Wei is very cute, sporting, cool but cute girl about the same height as me, who calls my roommate Sifu (n i dunno why). They just came back from one whole day shopping at KL.Yih En is lording over how tall she feels over us. x.x

After finishing the food, Sarah and Shi Ning went out to meet Li Yue (nice friendly n interesting girl from China). Leaving Chloe inside the room to do something. Jia Lerd came by with Madonna and we pulled them in for photos!

This is Madonna (yeah that's her true name), of Iban+Chinese descent. She has really interesting features, attractive. But wait till you see her Room. [It's like another dimension altogether *stares into space*] Btw, she's Yih En's roommate.
If you can see behind us, there's a real Guzheng 古筝 behind the bed! It's Shi Ning's. She's going to take Grade 8 in Guzheng =) And just for the record, she's a really good singer, with a easy-listening voice that you'll never get tired of hearing.

And this is Jia Lerd, the real Mouse! She's a close friend of mine, a very lovely girl with a good, strong, balanced character. I shall miss her...

Well....after that, Michelle came to my room, bringing with her a present from Anna and herself. A necklace with not 1, bbut 3 earrings! T.T I really am speechless... thank you guys...

I passed some CSS barang to Michelle, the sheep and the signboard (i shall upload it later if i talk about CSS). Then i continued packing T.T packing T.T until 3.30 am....................

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Was pondering whether I should ask for some help to get my big heavy luggage bag down the 3 floors. And then came Sarah T.T So many thanks to Sarah and Shi Ning, who carried down my big heavy luggage bag, weighing 21kg, down the 3 floors, and then accompanying me all the way to the bus stop, and waiting with me until the bus came.

They probably didn't have enough sleep last night, coz early this morning, they (n Xiao Shuang) went to send Yih En (with her 6 super giant luggage) b4 her 8am flight, and then send my roommate Suk Sien b4 her 9am flight.

THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH!!!!!!! Shi Ning & Sarah!! I hope i have time to belanja you guys when I go back to INTI for the CSS Camp.

Yep, I'm going back to INTI this Thursday, for the CSS Camp (Fri-Sun). Hehe.