today...
Thursday, 31 January 2008
Trip to Cameron Highlands
Back track to January 12th, I went to Cameron Highlands with my cousins Chiau Ling and Guan Lai, his wife Wan Ping and their kids Daniel and Celine. It was such a headache getting there with the winding roads here and there...
First stop was the water falls.
Next stop was some Dutch looking hotel where we took some quick snaps.
Next stop was the strawberry farm where we were allowed to pick our own strawberries. That was fun. So we secretly picked and ate when they weren't looking.
After that, we went up a hill which overlooked Cameron Highlands to take some pictures.
My cute niece and nephew, Celine and Daniel.
My cousin Chiau Ling and me... and my baby =)
My cousin Guan Lai, the wife and kids.
Next it was onto the Rose Gardens were we saw flowers and roses a plenty...
and then the Bee Farm which was nothing much.
And our last stop was the tea plantation where we had some tea (teh tarik). Too bad it was raining otherwise, we would have walked down to have a look at the plantation. The view was pretty awesome... so tranquil and relaxing up there taking in the scenery.
And then it was a long journey down... where we just tried to sleep the headache off.
today...
@11:44 am
Wednesday, 30 January 2008
The Dilemma
February 2, 2008.
This is a date that poses a problem for me.
It's the date of my cousin Alex's wedding dinner at the Concorde Hotel.
It's also the date that Jay Chou is coming to One Utama.
It's also the date of the Switchfoot concert in KLCC!
I wanna meet Jay Chou... just to take his picture. Not that I like him or anything.
I wannna go to the Switchfoot concert because I didn't get to go last time!!! =(
As for my cousin's wedding - well that's compulsory...
*sigh*
In other news, today was a good day. Managed to get 3 shirts, 2 heels and 1 bag =) Happy!
today...
@12:32 am
Tuesday, 29 January 2008
IKEA gives me ideas
Ok I'm officially excited! Today I was discussing with Nicholas about 'breakfast in bed' tables since we both just got new laptops and since using laptops while in bed is so much more comfortable. So just now, I was looking through the IKEA catalogue... and just because of getting a new laptop, I've decided to re-do my whole room IKEA style!
I can't wait to go home home, and go crazy in IKEA and buy lots of furniture to fill up my room. I want a new table, and I'm going to buy lots of those cheap colour photo frames AU$4.95 and put photos galore in my room...
I'm going to buy a bookshelf and then buy boxes and books and stack them up like crazy... I would so love to get this bookshelf (AU$327)... but I doubt it would ever fit in my room, and besides I don't think I have nearly as much junk to fill it up!
Yay for green boxes! ... love it at AU$11.95 to fill up my Billy bookcase!
A green desktop lamp at AU$16.95 !
Even a new mirror AU$7.95 to place above my chest of drawers or somewhere...
The bedside table at AU$25.00 will be more for my laptop if I want to use it in bed =)
A new table at AU$79.00 ...
Then some decorations like vases with flowers or something would be nice at AU$9.95.
A new lamp shade for the ceiling at AU$3.95...
Maybe even a cheap $9.95 rug for fun would be nice...
And this green mug at AU$4.95... I liked it the last time I saw it =) so I'll add that to the shopping cart too.
My room will be my little haven and I don't have to camp out in the study room anymore in the freezing winters! All in all, it would cost me $501.60 if I had all that - and if it would all fit into my room!The problem lies in the configuration of my room since I have a wardrobe that's dead set and only one power outlet... and I have a double bed which takes up a lot of room, so I might consider getting a king single bed since I don't even move around a lot when I sleep so then I'll have more space. I don't know, do they trade in beds?
If I make my room too cosy, then I'll never want to move out of home! haha
Damn... I love IKEA catalogues. They give me so many ideas.
If I make my room too cosy, then I'll never want to move out of home! haha
Damn... I love IKEA catalogues. They give me so many ideas.
And all because of a new laptop... I'm going to re-do my whole room - maybe I'm also all talk and no action because... no money!
today...
@12:22 am
Monday, 28 January 2008
Trip to Hat Yai
I went to Hat Yai, Thailand with my cousin Chiau Ling for 3 days 2 nights. The town itself is a really "auntie" town, because all the aunties come to buy nuts, fruit and Chinese herbal stuff like birds nest. I'd even be daring to say that the shops in Sugei Wang are better than here. *gasps*
When we arrived past the border, I got really scared for our safety. The tour guide was giving us recommendations on where to stay and where to go, and then another uncle was telling us not to trust him. So we didn't know who to trust the tour guide or the uncle from Klang. We didn't know who was being more dodgy.
When we got to the tour guide shop the tour guide from the bus told us to speak to Ah Tik, the lady in charge there. As we were trying to book out hotel, there was another man from our bus who came up to us and said that he wanted to book a hotel room with us. wtf. Then as we cross the street to get some food taxi drivers were calling us to go here and there and people were staring. Ok... so now I'm officially really scared of the place! But Ah Tik assured us that everything would be ok and just to ignore everyone! haha
So we checked into our hotel. We stayed at the Lee Gardens Hotel which was an alright hotel... and this is a view of the main street just outside our hotel. Aren't I just a walking advertisment for Nike and Coke. =) I look so retarded wearing that pouch.
Then later at night, Ah Tik took us to see the Ah Kua show... the trannies show!! hahaha... It was alright I guess. Geez...those girls are really hawt from like 10 metres away. After the show, they were all waiting at the stairs hoping to get tips from the audience, unbeknownst to me... they (or in particular one of them which I walked past) was frigging fugly close up!!! They're really super tall and scary tooo!!!! One of them shouted in a manly voice "OIII!" wanting tips from someone...
The next day, we paid for a tour around Songkhla and the Uncle took us to Samila Beach - which overlooks the South China Sea. The whole tour was really really boring. There wasn't much of the town to see. Then he took us to another really auntie place which sold bags and clothes... then he took us to buy nuts where there were even more aunties!!!
My cousin and I at Samila Beach drinking coconut juice.
After the tour we went to get manicures and pedicures for 150 Baht... which is about 15RM... which is about $5 AUSSIE DOLLARS MATE! So cheap. We also got a full body Thai massage. That was a laugh... since I don't like people touching and poking me and I get really ticklish easily... so imagine me trying to get a full body massage without trying to burst out laughing. I tell you, it was a stressful experience for me especially when she first started on my left leg. I had to bite my lip to prevent myself from laughing... and my cousin looked over at me and said, "You have to tell her if it's painful..." ... I said... "I'm trying not to laugh...!" But I was sort of able to relax afterwards and it felt good when she cracked my back and moved me into all sorts of wierd positions to relax my muscles. That cost 300 Baht... 30RM... $10 AUSSIE DOLLARS MATE! Oh and I cut off all my long hair too!... it's about shoulder length now... I don't like it =(At night, Ah Tik (our tour guide) - who practically became our friend took us to a nice seafood restaurant where we had huge oysters, fried squid, grilled fish, crab and fried rice. After that, she said she would take us to a pub/bar to experience Thai culture at night. Getting there makes me laugh... There were three of us and only one motorbike... so we all three squeezed onto the bike. Yeah... you can guess that I was squashed inbetween the two! haha...
We all couldn't stop laughing because she was so scared of being caught by the police and she kept looking around checking for police on every corner. At every traffic light we would burst into fits of laughter, and she said we couldn't laugh because it would make her lose concentration and she wouldn't be able to drive properly. That was probably the highlight for my time in Hat Yai. Just thinking about that makes me laugh. It was even funnier when we had to get up a hill... THAT was hilarious. As you can see, it's already a full house with Chiau Ling and Ah Tik on the motorbike! Where does weiwei sit?
So we arrived at the bar (I don't know the name of it) and they had a live band playing there. They sang really really nice rock songs in Thai. Then the second band came on and they sang It's My Life by Bon Jovi ... then after that we left.
It was an 11.5 hour journey back to KL. They kept making frequent stops which weren't really necessary. Glad to be back home now. =)
So we arrived at the bar (I don't know the name of it) and they had a live band playing there. They sang really really nice rock songs in Thai. Then the second band came on and they sang It's My Life by Bon Jovi ... then after that we left.
It was an 11.5 hour journey back to KL. They kept making frequent stops which weren't really necessary. Glad to be back home now. =)
today...
@3:03 am
Thursday, 24 January 2008
Happy 60 years!
Today is my dad's 60th birthday! Hardcore... 60 is super old man! That is like, grandpa status!
Anyway, I got him some Chinesey gifts (that I hope he'll like) from a shopping mall in Klang.
This is supposed to be a really meaningful poem. I asked my cousin to translate for me but she couldn't. I still have to frame it, and then he can put it on his bed side table! hehe
This one says my dad's name and then something about happy birthday at the bottom. It was really creative how the China man did the drawing. I made a video while he was painting the name - it looks so cool! I might upload it to youtube later...
I bought the two gifts from two different China men because there was a special little pavillion at the shopping mall with all these artistic China style paintings and gifts. So all in all, the first one cost me 3oRM and the second one cost me 45RM. Did I get ripped off? I don't know... maybe? But it doesn't matter, my dad will like it I hope.
So anyway, we had a deal that I just give the money in one shot to one of the men, and he would give what was owed to the other China guy. I gave the China man 80RM which means I get 5RM change right? Then he said, I have to go to the other guy to get my 5RM change... ok, wierdo... So we walk there.... and he also wouldn't give my 5RM change!!!
Then we walked back to the original guy we gave the money to and told him that the other guy wouldn't give us our change. Then he said we were being cheap and HE DIDN'T WANT TO GIVE ME MY CHANGE BACK!!!! Like that also can.... >______>"
So in conclusion - China men are dodgy!!!
and...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!
today...
@2:57 pm
Pick-pocketer
I know I haven't really been updating. Hope to update all about my trips to Kuching, Ipoh, Cameron Highlands, Penang, Hat Yai and Singapore when I get back to Perth... however, just wanted to share something that happened to me today.
Recently I read in the Star newspaper (local Malaysian newspaper) about sexual harrassment on public transport such as trains and buses during peak hour.
Click here to read the article.
When everyone wants to get on the train, you have to squeeze like sardines and there's no where to move. It's particularly bad for women because men can just thrust themselves upon women merely because the train is 'packed'...
So anyway, today I took the train by myself to Mid Valley. I thought it would be ok since I took the train from Seremban to KL by myself and it seemed alright. But still, I was wary of taking public transport in Malaysia, by myself being a girl. As I was lining up to buy my train ticket, I was praying in my head that no one would touch me, that God would send his angels to guard and protect me. At the platform, I continued to feel uneasy and unsafe and was just hoping for the train to hurry up and come. Got to KLCC then I had to change platforms and take another train to get to Mid Valley.
The train to Mid Valley was packed to the max. As I was getting in, there seemed to be this guy behind me who just kept pushing and pushing and pushing me from behind till I nearly fell over, even though there was clearly enough room for him to stand. I was just thinking to myself what's his problem! The train was packed and everyone was standing like sardines. It's only a 3 minute (or so) journey from KLCC to Mid Valley and the whole time I was standing like a soldier praying in my head that no one would touch me. I wanted the train to hurry up and get to the destination. I didn't want to look around too much so I kept to myself. As I was getting off the train, the same guy just kept pushing and pushing into my back. I was wondering what the heck was his problem...then as I exited the door, I felt that my phone had been slipped out of my right pocket. I felt my pocket with my left hand and indeed my phone was gone!!! Shoot! In a split second, I just had this lightning reaction to look to the left of me... I looked at the guy and I said to him in a stern voice, "YOU TOOK MY PHONE, GIVE IT BACK!" I looked down at his hands, and there in his left hand was my phone. In that split second, I thought to myself that if I don't say something now, he's just going to run with the phone (which isn't even mine) - which would make me even more dead meat!!! So I snatched it back from him and walked away. Then suprisingly he said sorry. SORRY?!?!!?!?!? You apologise for trying to steal my phone and get caught red handed!!! !@#@#$#%$^%$^ garhhhh my legs and hands were shaking afterwards and I really wanted to cry!!! Stupid!!!!
I keep thinking about the incident and wondering what if I didn't say anything.. HOW DARE he touch my pocket and grab my phone. The thing is right.. it was so subtle... and he was so good at pick pocketing that I hardly felt anything. Everything happened so fast... as soon as the phone slipped out of my pocket I just had the right reaction after reaction and caught him out!
So an incident like this, I thought would never ever happen to me in my life finally happened. All those stories that people tell me - to be careful with my hand bag, to be careful with my money - don't keep all your money in your wallet, don't let the girl walk on the side of the road where the motorists ride past, never have your handbag on that side of the road... all this... I mean really you have to do it. I never thought it'd happen to me and it did... so be careful ladies, don't be a victim. It's not fun.
I'm so thankful to God that He sent his angels to protect me. I know I'm "lucky" ... the stupid guy could have stabbed me or God knows what. I dare not take public transport alone again. If I do... a guy has to stand behind me. I don't care!
today...
@3:15 am
Saturday, 12 January 2008
Homesick
I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now
Help me Lord cause I don't understand your ways
The reason why I wonder if I'll ever know
But, even if you showed me, the hurt would be the same
Cause I'm still here so far away from home
I miss home.
today...
@1:36 am
bye bye~