A Slight Delay

The goodbyes weren't easy. The feeling of another summer over, even harder. Saying farewell to Valentina... Well... Words can't describe. If my tear ducts haven't broken down since I was 16, it would have rained 40 days and 40 nights.

Many things have happened during this holiday, and I don't even know where to start. Here's my attempt on breaking down, the "holiday post-mortem"! Thanks to the safe, my pasport is currently locked away and I can't fly tomorrow morning, and here I am, sitting here, not able to do anything at all.

Dad's in hospital... Again. He really should start watching over himself more. Show abit more concern for yourself! OPEN YOUR EYES!

Mum has been weak, but yet always strong on the outside. I respect that mum, for all that she's done and been through.

Chung Sheng... 7 words... LOTS MORE TO LEARN! NGH SANG SENG!

Shaun has really grown up and matured alot. Good job! At least you've changed your mind about insisting a baby boy as your first child! =P

Yun Han: never changing. The consistent Albert Einstein! Only I get to see his vulnerable side while I trap him inside my house playing PS2!

Li Ann, it was short, simple but exciting and very... Errr... Factual and scientific! Was great! =P

Hui Ling, still the same, great fun, great time, great bimboness! =P

Sin Yee (not Xin Yi), the newest addition! =P Great company, often buy 1 get 1 free Hui Ling, always together! Humour rating: 10/10!

Wendy! Thanks for the "fung"! You still owe me lunch, and you're asking for a size 5 Nike shoes? Nice meeting you, somehow I have a feeling, if you stick around Valentina, you'll get another chance to beg me to buy you shoes again! =P

Last but certainly not the least, the most important one of all: Valentina, words fail me. Enough said. No details! =P

PS: Did I miss out anybody? Tell me, and I would gladly contribute a section for you! =P

Feeling Poetic

ME & MYSELF

I often ask myself, the reason for being me.
What was God's purpose in creating me?
Does God see something in me?
Is there a destined path planned for me?

When bad things happen to me,
I ask God why does it happen to me.
I couldn't understand when these things happen to me,
Is everyone going through this or is it just me?

Just when the world seems like the end for me,
I see another me.
The me whom feels and understands me,
The me whom is looking for the same thing as me.

I've found the reason for being me,
Because I'm not the only one being me.
It wasn't till' I met you, I realise the reason for being me.
I'm me, because someone appreciates me for being me.

Chungy
(dedicated to a very special person in my life.)

A Lesson in Children Management

Was just chatting on MSN Messenger with my sister, where she said how wonderful our new rented 2 bedroom flat is. She said I no longer have to keep those kitchen utensils, pots and pans in my room anymore. Thank God!

This got me thinking, I never really asked for those "sa bou lang chang" in the first place. All I asked for was: 1 spoon, 1 fork, 1 pair of chopsticks, 1 plate and 1 bowl. Instead, I got an entire assorted range of utensils, pots and pans in different sizes.

Mother and sister told me, "you'll regret it later". After one whole year, they remain lonely in the corner, accompanied by cobwebs and dust. This just goes to show, daughters and sons are to be treated differently.

My sister and I are brought up under the same mother - the same iron fist disciplinary technique, so it's safe to say we are quite similar. However, we are afterall, different sex, our needs and thoughts would be rather different.

For example, my mother buys loads of clothes for my sister, and she appreciates them alot. I tell my mother not to buy any clothing for me as she doesn't know my taste, as I wouldn't wear them if I don't like them. Similar case to the kitchen utilities: I told them I wouldn't use them much if any, and I din't. We men prefer to just use our hands to eat toast than serve it on a plate, get what I mean?

I wonder, do parents really treat all their children the same? Do they treat boys different from girls? Do they treat the eldest different from the youngest? Any opinions?

Birthday Blues

Just celebrated Valentina's birthday today, had a fantastic time with her... However, as I see her off that afternoon, the laughter and smiles subsided and it got me thinking: How significant should a birthday be?

Valentina spend the first few hours of her birthday being sad and even cried. I know friends whom had promises broken on birthdays. Even myself, my heart was broken just a week before my birthday.

It wasn't until recent years, that my birthdays really did meant anything special to me. Since young, birthdays were all about: dinner with family from father; a cake from mother. My siblings never really gave each other presents, we never really had much pocket money to spend on ourselves rather than spend on each other.

The only memorable birthdays that I can remember are the following 3: my 10th birthday where I celebrated in McDonalds in Petaling Jaya; my 19th birthday where I was in school, and the entire bunch of Malaysian gang barged and packed my room full like a sardine fish, followed by a lil' cake by Rachel and Delaine (my first cake in 4 years); my 20th birthday, where I celebrated in my Japanese restaurant in Manchester, had loads of sake!

Unlike Valentina, I tend to sink into deep thoughts and depression only when it comes to the end of my day. I think about what has been missing, what I miss and what are long forgotten. I know, I'm not the most unfortunate person in the universe, there are people with worst birthdays out there. It just got me thinking, that's all.

The True Hakka Tradition

People ask me what is good food, I tell them: no food beats the Hakka food. When they ask me how I know, I tell them: who else knows best than a pure Hakka decendant? When they ask me who cooks the best Hakka food, I tell them: no one else but my dear old grandmother.

My grandmother, a lady living the grand old age of 80+, is the only one capable of mastering this cuisine.

Her best dish would be her "Wu Tao Kao Yuk" which directly translate to "Yam & Fatty Pork". Oh, how i remember this dish: a must have for every Chinese New Year's Eve. Followed closely behind is her famous rice wine, brewed the way only she would know. The aroma is so strong that it was believe to be able to kill flies... GASP! In return, the rice wine can be used to cook one of my personal favorite: the "Yim Chau Kai" which literally means "Salted Wine Chicken". Below are "pirated" examplew which I found on the internet.

Unfortunately, my grandmother is indeed quite old, and she is worried, that these precious Hakka traditional cuisine will one day, end up with her to the grave (CHOI!). My aunties are now desperately learning the secrets techniques, how far they get, well... We'll just have to see.

Yeah yeah... I'm trying too! Grrr...

Will I End Up Marrying My Neighbour?

Just a thought of the day.

Recent happenings have provoked my curiosity once again on this topic: are relationships in any way related to distance? Li Ann once told me, and I quote, "chances are, you'll end up together with people that are physically closer to you and spend more time with you" (Leow, 2005).

So, I have been wondering: does this mean that a person will most likely end up with their friends, their collegues, their neighbours? What happened to feelings and emotions?

So for example: if a guy meets a nice and charming gal and is attracted to her, but she lives miles and miles away, even taking their own seperate paths in future to come. Does this mean, even if the feelings are right, the relationship will not prevail and will not stand the test of time?

So the conclusion... Is there a point in getting together with this gal? Does everything takes its course based on a theory, but no longer by emotions? Where does the role of fate play in all of this?

Considering I don't even know how many children my neighbours have, its very unlikely that I would get married to them right? =P

There Goes My 6 Months Salary!

I have sweat & bled for 6 months in the Japanese restaurant: 2 months as a waiter, 4 months as a chef. I carried 2 x 20kg rice and flour from the shop downstairs every other day, carried cartons and cartons of mineral water and fruit juices, change the irritating coke and beer machine (get covered in froth once in a while)... All for some meager salary.

Well, its no longer MY money anymore, well... Maybe some loose change. I bought a new laptop!

What a beauty it is: the Dell Inspiron 6000. Take a look at it yourself!

A 15.1 inch screen, ahhh... Gone were the days of scrolling left and right, up and down. It makes watching DVD's a truely satisfying experiece. The processing power is so powerful is beyond imagination. For what? Well, it's great for playing computer gam... Errr... I mean, help me study hard (my mum isn't looking is she?).

Some might say its silly spending my savings on these: so what do you call people like Shaun whom spend his money on modifying his car? I suppose THAT'S a worthy cause (sarcastic)? Eh Shaun?

Oh well, I needed something desperately. I had the money to buy it. I got it.

Now, there's just one thing left to do: Anyone interested in a 2nd-hand Compaq laptop with no warranty, tons of problems and a faulty DVD drive?

Bonjour 2006!

This summer seemed long and uneventful. Boredom struck my forehead like ram banging against the gong. For the first time since a long long time ago: I actually felt like returning to study and work in Manchester. So bored was I, I even launched a brand new blog for the new year.

It doesn't mean I enjoy the life there more than life back in Malaysia, it just mean I have more things to do, more things to occupy myself, perhaps even keep myself from feeling bored and lonely.

On the brighter side of things, I actually had some very memorable moments with my close friends: lunch and drinks with Hui Ling and Li Ann, making sushi with Shaun and his family, playing Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas with Yun Han on the PS2.

What I'm trying to say is: I really do miss my close friends - the good times and laughter we had. Even as we walk our seperate paths now, I wish you guys and gals would spare a lil' space in ur heart for a dear friend. =P

OK, I'm not good at being mushy, so I'll stop now.