MERDEKA! MERDEKA! MERDEKA!

Today is Independence Day. There are lots of ppl on the road and in shopping malls making the most out of their one day holiday. Other than that nothing much is actually happening. Nevertheless, I would like to wish every Malaysian a happy Merdeka Day!~ And I... I have to try and be thankful for what I have...

I just want to write...abt everything

So i went to school today and day before yesterday as well just to fill up my time. I wouldn't have anything else to do at home anyway. Besides i miss my student a lot having not seen them for a whole week. Weird. When i'm with them i wished they would just disappear. My thrid contract actually starts on the 1st of September. The government was too stingy to pay me three extra days. But doesn't matter...whatever la. At least i didn't miss the chance of getting a free medical checkup today hehe. Found out i was low blood pressure, my blood was acidic and i had too much protein in my body. There goes...a MORE healthy diet from now on...

Yesterday i went for my interview with JPA for posts that i applied for with my STPM results. What the heck la...my coursemate was applying with her Diploma results bah so i also la. Fancy them calling moi for an interview HALF A YEAR after i applied. It was a pleasant surprise nonetheless. I thought they had forgotten all about me.

So my beau and i reached there at abt 7.45 and i went in after he said that i could...again what would i do without him (it's cases like these that i realize in spite of all the bad i chose to concentrate on he still has some good). I got myself registered with a nice Chinese man named Mr. Toh (ya, what was a Chinese guy doing at the front desk...i wondered).

He told me that i was overqualified. I didn't care. I came for this interview because i didn't want these ppl to blacklist me because they called me for it and i didn't show up. Ya....so i was number 11 on the interviewee's list so i sat down and chatted with the others there. It seems for some it was their 6th shot at it. I was quite surprised. I was the only chinese and there was this other Indian guy (he was the only guy there). He was really nervous (number 10 so he sat right beside me). I managed to talk to him and got him to calm down. Seems he's been jobless for a while and i started to hope that he got the job. I sat from 8.00 til 10.45 when it got to my turn.

I went in and flashed a BIG smile. There was this malay lady and a malay man. Only 2 of them. So the ususla questions got out. "Tell us abt yourself". When i mentioned i had a degree they were like "Whoah". Then they continued in BM "Did u come knowing that this was for SPM grads?" i said yes. "and yet u chose to come for it? for experience i suppose?" i said yes again (and for not getting blacklisted).

So they continued in BM..."Ok...let me explain this to u..U are a degree holder....with a 3 pointer...a 3.53 pointer...and a 3 time Dean's List holder...These results are "too excellent". U are overqualified for this job (ya i know). Now here's the deal. Either we end this interview right now or we can give you the job and you would be blacklisted when u reject it (this lady was reading my mind). So do you want to continue or not. I pretended to give it some thought and then i said no. She continued "Ya la...bagus Su Yin fikir macam tu. Kalau bagi saya pun saya fikir rugilah" (yay!~ can i go now?)

So i called Danny and he came to pick me up from KOMTAR at around 11 and i was home half an hour after that. They were nice ppl the interviewers. Told me which posts were suitable for me and encouraged me to apply for them and so i did. Besides that, Mr. Toh told me to ask my Chinese friends to apply for gov posts. He said it was wrong to think that these posts were only meant for the bumis. If Chinese dun apply then how do they call us for interviews? He has a point. He said it would be bad for the country too as it would come across that the country was run by Bumis only.

Ya i hope my other application comes through...Need to get a permanent job, that's what i need :-)

OMG!!!

I found this on Kenny Sia's site.I got curious so...

Congratulations Michelle, you are 73% not Malaysian.

That means you're as Malaysian as...


Guy Sebastian !

How Un-Malaysian Are You?

And, again another...

Sien left for UK yesterday evening to continue her studies so that's another friend "lost". Parting was never easy for me no matter who it is. A group of us were at the airport yesterday so it wasn't so bad. Chern, Su Yee, and a couple of other ppl were there. Sien's parents were there too. So we took the necessary pictures although i know it would never be enough to replace a person but at least it will be something we could hold on to until she comes back again. Will miss her so much. No worries Sien. Look on the bright side, you will be finishing soon. You got ur bf there oh....better than me. Enjoy yourself and all the best in your studies! ~Muaks~

ODB online

Am listening now to this radio clip of marriage on the ODB website. Wow it really taught me some things even though i am not married yet. Very educational. Lately, i haven't been too close to God i admit so i went online to look for something to read and technology being technology you can now listen to the devotionals. I have always learned better through listening so that was good.

So ya...Clint and Penny's story and experiences taught me to be aware of a few things before i got married. Marriage can eat someone up even if you really love each other so much. There are some thing that we hide from each other as a couple and that sometimes causes a beautiful reltionship to stumble. So commuication is essential in relationships. I realize it is so important to have church friends and connections; ppl we can talk to when things go wrong. And it is also important to deal with things as soon as they happen. This couple waited 11 years to settle their problem. They divorced and got married again after 11 years. Couples don't have to stay away from each other to settle things on their own but learn to settle things together. And how praying together to God to know if things are according to His will is so important.

Sometimes i think that i have all things figured out just like Clint did but it's all a lie. I need God before, i need God now and I need God for the future. I need God's mercy and grace more than ever. He wants to be part of my life and i...i have been taking many shortcuts in my relationship with Him. But i know now that I have to go all the way coz He went all the way to the cross for me.

I'm sorry God. Forgive me. Wrap me in you arms... I miss you.

Listen to Clint and Penny's story

Pics Mike took for us...

Here's the continuation of the graduation pics... these were taken in Sarah's house by Mike.

The "joker" and moi

The sistas

With the hero (a.k.a. uncle daddy)

This picture is priceless... I'm so glad it was taken. We are most of the time like this. I miss you gals so much already :~( This is how i would want to remember you guys until we meet again... As for now and forever this picture will be immortalized in my heart and in my blog :-) And Sarah these are for you...

How is it?

How is it that it is so hard for people to lose weight when it is so easy for them to gain it? It boggles my mind. i put on 7 kgs since i left Sixth Form and i dun think it's a good thing so i want to lose weight now. At least i'm trying. I cut down as much food as i can and try not to eat supper. But it is particularly difficult when you other half's life revolves around food. Everytime u ask him to cut down he would say things like "i can't, i nearly fainted the other time i tried" or "a bit of it won't hurt" (Familiar? that's what smokers and people who take drugs say the first time they took a whif). What's worst he even tries to control what u eat. He wants you to eat your the way he lies to eat it. So what? U would turn out like him la rite or not? This is sometimes just so frustrating especially when he laughs and makes a joke out of you sincere begging. Or worse still he ignores you while you speak and continue eating! Here u are trying to help him lose weight and there he is trying hard not to. Sometimes he even eats more to rebel against u when you nag at him. Well maybe that's the way MOST guys are wired but sometimes u just decide that ok, if he wants it that way let him have it. Whether he lives or dies has got nothing to do with me. It's not your life that he's wasting right? You can only do so much to help him. If he doesn't listen to you then why stay together? Couples stay together to help each other to change for the better. Not all things can be changed but you can always try to change those things that can. Even if nothing happens you know you have tried right? If things don't work out then there's always calling it quits for the relationship. No point staying together.

I don't know... for me, I've come to learn that FIRST IMPRESSIONS = LIES. your boyfriend comes and picks you up on your first date with a fancy car and flowers and drives so careful because he says he wants you to be safe. And you think he's rich and romantic. 3 years later, you'd be glad if he gives you grass on a dinner date (if he still takes you on one), he is no longer romantic (maybe he has never been; it was all in your head) and he drives you around with a an old car that shivers when it stops at a traffic light and at the sign of green speeds like a mad person! It's just a scenario to illustrate what i mean. Same goes when you go for an interview. You tell the interviewer oh you're a cheerful person with good communication skills...how many times do you see a deskfront operator smile at u when you trade with him?

Things aren't always the way it seems. I find the saying "never judge a book by it's cover" very true in my life. Sometimes i hope things would change. I don't want to depend on others for my own happiness anymore. I'm so sick of it. I don't want to be lied to again. Just too many lies and empty promises. Too many... Sometimes i can feel the masculine side of me taking over. I hear it when i hear myself saying "It's ok. You don't need someone to take care of you. You can do that on your own... Even if you can't there are still many fishes in the sea...why do i have to choose him?"

I just "lost" another friend

:-(
:-(
:-(
It's just so sad but another one of my friends is leaving Penang to go further his studies in Bangkok. We studied together in PFS when i was doing my sixth form studies and since then we've been really good friends and we have kept in touch when he was in USM and I in UNIMAS. He always hosted bbq parties to get all our good friends together to catch up. Now i can't think of who to host parties anymore
:-(
But i am happy that he has finally found a place to do his Masters. He has always wanted this and I wish him all the best in his future undertakings. Will miss you Chern Wern... Don't forget my souveniers!

This must be the longest blog i have ever written

My graduation journey started on Thursday when we headed for the airport at 8.30pm that night. I knew this trip will be one of my “last for a very long time” (I quote my lecturer). I was excited and happy and sad at the same time. Reminiscing the old memories I have of the Cat City I can remember the amount of fun I had with my friends and lecturers alike. Fond memories they are.

I reached the airport at 12 am. I wasn’t very sleepy and Danny was surprised I could stay up that long. We took turns to catch winks and ordered tea and fries from McDonald’s (our makeshift shelter for that night. It was the only one with a reasonable sofa to sleep on). Funny how LCC-T is so bz even though it was the middle of the night.

At 6am we checked in our luggage to be headed for the Kuching. I was excited again. The trip there was fairly pleasant and we caught some sleep on the plane. About 2 hours of it. We landed at 9.15am.

Sarah came to fetch us from the airport together with Felicia. I missed them so much. Seeing them was like seeing angels…which really they were in their own special way. They brought us back to Sarah’s. Danny went to sleep and I went straight for campus praying there wouldn’t be a jam there like Sarah and Jo said there would be as I was tired too and I couldn’t take lining up for hours for my jubah…at least not on that day. Guess what? My prayers were answered and there was no jam! Free! When others waited for hours I settled everything in half an hour! Praise God.

I adjourned on to see my lecturer. I just had to meet him. He has taught me so much that nothing I can do could repay him. That’s how I felt. Like it was ordained by God again, I managed to meet him in between his tight schedule. I was really so happy to see him as he has told me earlier on that he could not make it. We managed lunch together and it was so nice of him to show me round the permanent campus. It has changed so much. Everything has shifted there already. There were so few ppl at the old campus and it seemed that way at the new one too cause it is so big! Dr. Lee took me to see all he lecturers who taught me before. We chatted with them for a while and then left as Dr. Lee had another meeting to attend. Yup he’s a real bz person yet he makes time for everything. That’s why he’s my role model.

So I headed back to Sarah’s house after that and took my starving fiancé for lunch at Tabuan Jaya. Missed the food there. The first thing we had was Kolo Mee hehe. I came back to pack stuff that I had left in Sarah’s house for 3 months and later had dinner at Hui Sing. Sipping White Lady a local sweet drink was like ecstacy. Had some of Sarah’s mee and kiaw (wantan) and some jelly. Ah…missed that. Danny had tomato mee and he was quite pleased with it. Later, at 9pm that night we met up with Mike and his gf Po Yee (hoped I had spelt it correctly) I had asked Mike earlier on if he could take pictures for Sarah’s family as Sarah’s dad could not leave the house and it was so nice of him to agree. We discussed the time and situation over soft-shelled crab burgers and mayang tea at D’Alif’s at waterfront and it was agreed that he would be there on Friday afternoon. Sarah fetched Chris from the airport. So, that was the end of Thursday.

Friday started off with the graduation rehearsal an that took til 11 am. Me and the girls went to Pohonmas to have some food (we had promised to come back here during graduation) and some P.M.S. (pohonmas smell). We met the boys there and chatted and laughed for a while before going to pay for our graduation photos.
At 2.30, Mike was at Sarah’s to take Sarah’s family picture. I was glad Mike could make it as Sarah said they have never had a family portrait before so it was extra meaningful.

Danny and I checked into Holiday Inn after that. Took our baths and went straight to the photo gallery to have our pictures taken. Talk about posing. I thought what I was doing was awkward. Listen to this “ok tilt your head to the right…look down….down summore...ok…chin out….tilt…ok that’s right…good” *click* Try and do that and see if u feel awkward but the picture came out real pretty and me and the girls were really happy with it. So was Danny Chen who was so proud of himself for making it to my graduation.

My parents arrived at night and we took them to the Venue to try the fried oysters there which I totally adore and the tortoise meet there. They didn’t have Midin that night so we settled for cangkuk manis instead. We took my dad to Everrise to buy shoes as he was not very comfortable in what he was traveling in and then we all went back to the hotel.

Saturday morning my mom, dad and bro went for their city tour. It came with the Golden Holidays package. It took them to the Bird’s nest factory, Kuih Lapis factory, Civic Centre and Waterfront. Everything was new to them coz they have never seen anything like Sarawak before so it was pretty interesting.

While they were on that Danny and I joined Chris’s family at some Sup Babi at Carpenter Street. Ahh… we just love it even though the hawker has many times shouted at our faces. We go back for the good food and are amused by the hawker’s antics haha. Danny and I reached at 11am and our food came at 11.30. We were lucky this time. The last time we went at 12pm and we waited til 2pm!!! Lip Khoon was there and so was Kelvin. It was good to see them again.

We went back to the hotel after that and took my parents to Waterfront again to do some souvenir shopping. Mom bought a lot of t-shirts while dad got amused with the size of the cakes and buns that were along the walk. We later went for lunch again as mom insisted of having Kolo Mee. After that we went back to the hotel to drop off my parents and took my bro shopping for stuff for his gf. We shopped a while at Tun Jugah and walked over to Sarawak Plaza for sushi. Must say the standard of sushi has gone up…much more delicious now. Good on ya Kuching!

Dinner was at Sarah’s. Chris had planned this and catered food in since sarah’s dad couldn’t go out. She ordered home cooked food. Midin, paku, pork leg, bamboo shoots, kacangma and asam fish. Sarah’s mom cooked wild boar. We had a feast and the food was fantastcic. The boys came over and so did David and his son Dylan, the boys and Mr. Tay and of course the four families: Grace’s, Chris’s, Sarah’s and mine. It was tonight too that sarah presented all of us with our gifts. It was orang asli baskets and hats. How beautiful they are as gifts to remember the family by. Sarah’s mom has been the most patient mother to her children, husband and me. Sarah’s bro was really a good boy and Sarah….words cannot express how she is like but I assure you they are all very good things. The sacrifice the family makes to stay strong together is amazing. The hats had patterns that corresponded with our Lun Bawang names. Chris’s is Liung (no particular meaning), Grace’s is Mungak (flower) and mine, Gituen (star). We went home early as I was tired but the guys and Chris stayed back and drank sup harimau (Tiger Beer) all night long!

Chris, Grace, me and Sarah with our hats and baskets

Sunday. G-Day! Finally! We all left the hotel by 7.45am as instructed by Sarah. Snatched my parents off their free buffet breakfast and headed for Sarah’s house. She said we were to leave in two cars and so we did all dressed up and looking fine with smile from cheek to cheek. Upon reaching we got our line up numbers. We all got a free breakfast snack which would fill the corner of my stomach but along came Danny and said he was hungry. So I gave him half of my cake and the rest of the box of the goodies. 8.10am came and all of us lined up and by 8.30am we were all in the hall.

Felicia, Sarah, me, Audrey and Ah Mau all prim and ready

In the hall, we sang our uni song and I couldn’t help but to feel a pang of sadness. They did tell us that we would only sing the song twice in our life. Once during orientation and another during graduation. I was singing the song for the last time. Unimas Gemilang. The dignitaries entered the hall after that together with the cokmar followed by Pehin Sri. After the speeches we went up to get our certs. It was the best moment of my life. I had finally graduated. After proudly walking up the stage and receiving my cert in front of so many ppl I walked down again enjoying the 1 minute of fame that just past hehe.

After that, was a period of rush all the way. Took pictures with friends and family, went back to the hotel to check out, had lunch (I had 4 layer teh si peng = gula melaka + milk + wheatgrass + tea, lui cha, rojak, kuih chap and salad chicken rice) and by 2.45pm we were already at the airport. I reached back in Penang at 10.30pm. Fin.

Me and mom

Me and dad

Soo Bee, Win Sen and me

Danny and me

Sarah, the boys and me

Lui cha and 4 layer teh si peng

Stay tuned for more photos of my graduation