Bridging Fantasy & Reality

I have a lot of pictures. Of Shereen, Shalene and me at our final outing. Of Ben's farewell. Of Mike and Cassie at KLIA (random, I know....). Of my family reunion this CNY in Seremban. Too bad you won't be seeing any of them.... I'm sorry, I just have too many things to do with the limited amount of time I have in Malaysia.

Here's a short summary of how the weekend and a little beyond went. Lunched and watched Meet the Spartans with Shereen and Sha on Fri. Had an awesome time. Balik Kampung on Sat with me driving and Trixie (lil sis) sitting by my side while bobbing our heads to Ben's Backstreet Boys cd.... which I still have with me. (sorry Ben!!!) I had so much fun with the cousins in Seremban. Glad I got to see them again before I leave. We chatted over big lunches and poked fun at each other. And my grandmother kept reminding me that this might be the last time I see her. And I kept telling her "no, no, no". And then she gave me this granny sweater, which made me remember that it's the thought that counts. And then went for Ben's farewell on Sunday where we gambled and indulged in Peach Vodka courtesy of Billy. And I got to loh yee sang for the 1st time this year.

Sent him of at KLIA early Monday morning. It was an emotional affair. But I couldn't cry. I think I have numb tear ducts! I am not emo enough la. I think my romance nerves are stagnant too. I watched 2 very sappy romantic movies and managed to laugh in satirism at both. The first one was Must Love Dogs starring Diane Lane and John Cusack. Dull and draggy. The 2nd one was You've Got Mail starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. I just don't get the Meg Ryan craze.

Packing's getting more intense. I leave in exactly 8 days!!! I've already half packed. Just need to stuff more clothes n earrings n shirts and random stuff into it. Bought lotsa stuff today and yesterday. Gotta run. Loads of things to do.

You know you love me.

xoxo

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From the Files of Tuition Valley, an online tuition portal....
Student' s name :
Dimi
Place:
Petaling .Jaya
Duration of tuition:
2 years

Form 4 Final Exam
Physics : C5
Add Math : B4
Chemistry : B4

After SPM
Physics : A1
Add Math : A1
Chemistry : A1

Comments
Dimi is a hardworking and discipline student. She is the only student under my coaching for complete 2 years. (Form 4 and Form 5) Initially, she is weak in mathematical foundation and concepts after her PMR and causing her lack of confidence in subjects like Additional mathematics and Physics. Another weakness of hers is too nervous and easily get panic during examination.
Efforts put on her are more on counselling and encouragement, conceptual explanation on Mathematics and Physics knowledge.
Due to her persistence and hard work, eventually she achieved excellent results and obtained 11A1s in her SPM examination. Congratulations to Dimi!

Today is day three of me being sick at home... A.K.A torture!!!

After three days, nothing seems interesting any longer. Magazines give me a migraine. Facebook bores me to the ground. Sleeping is so overrated! The tv is an annoying box of idiocy that drives me up the wall. And thinking of any food in particular makes me wanna puke.

Anyways, was browsing through the net....... ok, fine, I googled my name! And I found this site in which my former tuition teacher, Mr Seow, wrote about me! Never knew til today.... Mom's bugging me to register for a uni guide and the international orientation programme.. Oh, and I'm also almost done with my very own self made calendar!! I just have december left to do and I've run outta UHU glue... Plus, three more frames to be decorated after which, I will be finally done with all my home DIY projects.

Will post pictures up here soon for your browsing purposes. Til then,

you know you love me!

xoxo

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You know there's that point in life when everything seems to be going well and you start thinking you're invincible and not a thing in the world can get your spirits down?? I began to think I was invincible about a month or so ago. Like everything was working so terrifically right for me and it didn't matter that I was staying up late most nights and that I was eating only food prepared in the insalubrious premises of the unknown and not drinking enough water but other unhealthy beverages..... Only to be slammed back to reality again yesterday... Sigh.

I finally fell sick. Like it was some sorta karma for being ignorant and not being as in touch with my spiritual side as I should be. And mind you, when I get sick, I really do! It's not some sorta mild influenza that can be cured with a dose of panadol flu or a mere bug that lasts a night. I was literally curled up in bed. Didn't even wake up to eat the entire day. It was just me and the bed and the spasms of pain in my stomach and the deafening migraine that bemoaned my instincts. Sigh. I think my allergies finally kicked in. I've been sporadically testing my limits with dairy products. Guess I was finally set straight. I canNOT eat dairy!!! Am still trying to figure out whether it was the fried bihun or if it was something else that trigered my puke buttons.

Can't seem to figure out how bulimics survive on puking their guts out though. I. Hate. Puking. In fact, as better as it made me feel, I think I've subconsciously developed a fear of puking.

That aside, the past few days prior to my sick stampede was fun fun fun.

Went out with the MPS girls on thursday. Reunited after a LONG time, we spent a short time together at the Dessert Bar, chatting over ice cream at Subang Parade. Yes. This was one of the rare occassions when I put my intolerance to the test. No more! Was fun just catching up and being reminded of the nuttiness that made us tick...

Just us girls.... From far left, me, Wai Yi, Petrina, Puiks, Alison, Natasha n Leez

Then later at night, a spontaneous call lead to a spontaneous outing at approximately 12 am at Bojangles in Desa Sri Hartamas. Nirms, Mike, Nirm's sis and her bf and I hung out while talking over live music. Headed back at around 4 sth in the morning after an extended chat in A&W. Mike left his headlights on and his car batt had to be shocked back into life. Gave us both a slight scare. I was already scanning my brain for a suitable place for him to sleep at my apartment after his third trial with the car failed, when outta nowhere the engine revved back into life.

At Bojangles, in Hartamas...

Despite the late night, both Mike and I had to wake up early again on Friday for lunch with Esther and Jing at Paddingtons in One U. Esther picked me up and we battled the jam to get to One U where Jing had been awaiting our arrival for the past hour!!! Sigh. Had yummy pankeok for lunch!! Try San Francisco!! Very recommendable... The fish is excellent! Walked around One U in a zombified state after that with Esther.... Was just too tired to function.

From left : Mike, me, Esther and Jing at Paddingtons

Saturday morning was our professional development project at Joel's place. Shaun taught us how to cook a three course lunch... Started off with making the dessert, a creamy yoghurt based fruit dish which we all agreed was the best of the dishes. Then was the rich tomatoe broth, made from celery and carrots and butter and water and other things. The potatoe salad was the easiest and funnest to make. Followed by the boiling of the angle hair spaghetti and finally, the carbonara cream for the cream eaters and the tomatoe based special for me... Had a good time both making the food and eating it over our very brief rotaract meeting. Probably my very last one... Made an announcement to the district early this morning where I declared my withdrawal from D3300 and deemed Shaun Liew as my replacement. Sigh. All things do come to an end.

Cassie, Me and Sylvia, pretending to wash stuff....

Saturday night was the January Babies Bday bash at Backyard Pub in Desa Sri Hartamas. Attended the function with Cassie and Leez and met up with Alex and his brother there. I suppose we did have a great time hanging out with them and getting to know them better and feeling the thrill that came with being rebellious. Plus, putting confusions and questions marks to rest. Slept over at Leez's place later that night, I mean morning, considering we only got back at 5 am. I think I was the first one to zonk out while we were gossiping... Sorry gals.

At Backyard, from left, me, Bernice, Cassie and Leez...

So yea, that's pretty much my week. I leave in about 18 days, the final countdown begins.... Going back to Seremban to meet with extended family during chinese new year.... Hope you guys have a great New Year celebration...

Til next time, you know you love me...

xoxo

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Pangkorrrrrrrrrrr! ROAR!!! Was the BOMB!!

A very beach-y affair!!!

So much happened that it's impossible to sum it up into one blog entry. I'll give it a shot, but nothing beats being there and experiencing it for yourself. This trip gave a whole new meaning to adventure.

Day one

- upon arriving, we met with the heap loads of ATC rotaractors who shared our mode of transportation. Little did we know that we were about to be bonded closely for the next three days. Mmhmm, mr. Saleh, Abu Naza was it??? or Umbi as Ben so forwardly put it, BC. All these weird allegories with an underlying history...

- Journey there was fun with truth sessions (which only Ben participated in, with Alex contributing to the endless questions), sharing bus seats with Ben and Cass - terrific experience, interlaced with endless neck cramps and countless rounds of cho tai tee which improved my game *cough* *cough*

Us in the Ferry

- After settling into our rooms, we decided to go snorkelling. We were taken island hopping and snorkelling together with some Port Klang rotaractors and Bernard + hot babe. The boat ride was refreshing! Snorkelling apparently wasn't as good but I had nothing to compare it to so I liked it.... apart from bein attacked by the coral reefs. Oh, and it was the time of the month too. 2nd day to be exact. How the heck did I manage to go into the water??? Don't ask!!!

- Later at night, there was the roll call and District Board Meeting and then this eco adventure thingy. Ben and I ended up walking miles and miles with our group members back to the jeti just to snap pictures along the way. We were required to do this and not merely some psycho people with nothing better to do. So I spent the early hours of my 20th birthday, completely drenched and on some windy never ending road. Sigh.

- When I came back to the room, there was a surprise waiting for me.... Tadaaa! I was genuinely surprised. And happy! Until Ming Yie started playing with the wax and freaking us out.

Sorry, very pixelated!!!!

- For some reason, I felt the urge to do something crazy and the plan was to get drunk. Requested alcohol from Eben and the gang. Soon after, Calvin called, inviting us to their room. And so, we went. I was forced to down this putrid tasting drink, Chivas I think.... Raw chivas, which burnt my troath, yet didn't get me completely intoxicated la. They sang me the rotaract bday song, I think it went "oh y r u born so beautiful, o y were u born at all, sth sth, give up! give up! sth sth n then the verse repeats it self". I managed to see Dinesh and a few other rotaractors in a different light.... Ben was gone after a drop and Cassie couldn't walk straight. Leez was the only sober one.

- I went to bed, still drenched, without a shower and with a dead cockroach lying at my feet. How's that for a getting down and dirty???

Day two


-Woke up and showered first thing. Realized the shower was all for nuts coz there were hunters waiting to throw me into the pool. And into the pool I went, a few hundred times that day.


- Went kayaking and banana boating with the rest of the gang, had a blast, and unfotunately, a tan!!! Like I need one!! Pfft! Kayaking with Ben was crazy!! We had an afinity for the rocks....


- The guys went volley balling after that and the girls chatted animatedly in the room over junk food! Heaven!!! So much fun gossiping about each others lives'!!!

- Later that night was the celebration of Rotaract 40 years together with the January Babies Birthday bash... They got us a cake and sang the rotaract bday song for us. And then the DRR declared the fellowship drinking session and the rotaractors went crazy with drinks.

- Everyone had their personal favorites and I just went around tasting one drink to another and indulging in "bottoms up" moments with different groups of people.

- The night was crazy!!!!!! I saw all my friends in different lights. Was particularly fun seeing everyone slowly evolve into different beings. The laughs never ceased. I was genuinely amused.

- After the dust settled, I did shots over card games with a couple of guys from ATC. And then it was my turn to pass out. Went straight to bed.

Day 3





-Particularly mellow. We woke up late and swung by the beach to capture some group photos for keepsake.

- Then had to pack up and wave goodbye to pangkor. Had a great time on the bus and it was almost too hard to go home......

*********

Nirmal dropped by for a sleepover yesterday!!! Was so fun. We (Nirms, Cass and I) had a late dinner. And then chatted in the car outside Cassie's house for a LOOOONG time before waving g'bye to her. Nirm and I went for coffee to chat more and then hung out by the poolside till it started raining cats and dogs. AND THEN. In the spur of the moment, we decided to go out and play in the rain. It was a completely spontaneous thing! Like crazy people we sloshed around in the rain and ran for cover everytime the lightning struck. So fun! Altho at one point we thought the Gods were playin a trick on us, coz everytime we put ourselves out there, the rain became a lil less heavier. Oh well!

You know you love me!

xoxo

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Fresh starts thanks to the calendar they happen every year --just set your watch to January, our reward for surviving the holiday season is a new year. Bringing on the great tradition of new years resolutions, put your past behind you and start over. It's hard to resist the chance of a new beginning, a chance to put the problems of last year to bed. - Greys Anatomy, Season: I haven't a clue!!-

Been wondering to myself why the start of a new year's always filled with so much hope.... Hope that maybe this year, we'll be able to sail through without the minor glitches, maybe this year, we'll finally meet that perfect stranger that will remain perfect sans the arguments... Maybe this year, everything will fall into place where appearance is concerned. Maybe this year, there won't be even an iota of failure. Thing is, why wait for a new year to put so much pressure on yourself?? Why not make resolutions in the middle of April or on the 28th of October? (...simply banging a date...) Maybe the reason people generally give up on their resolutions so fast is coz they keep telling themselves that there's so much time left to get started on their resolutions and before you know it, we're making New Year's eve plans yet again.

So, I've decided to make a resolution everyday and achieve it to the best of my ability. Not huge resolutions, like "today, I'm going to stop being a selfish b*****"... but teeny, easy to achieve resolutions that evokes personal satisfaction... That way, every day will be emotionally stimulating, especially in a new environment.

Speaking of new environments, I leave in approximately one months time!! And after some self evaluation, I realized the most daunting thing about going overseas to study for the first time is being alone. I will be alone alone! As in, I have completely no contacts in New Zealand. And, I also happen to be someone who cannot live without company. I thrive on company okayyy. And there is no exaggeration there. I've never had a meal all by myself since I was in primary one, no, make that kindergarten.... So I've already come to terms with the reality that the first few months might be tough. But I am not going to make it even tougher for myself by leaving with negative thoughts. I anything but not excited about this trip. I mean, come on! I spent six months thinking about how life's going to be like when i finally get there and making calendars with positive thoughts and stuff. So the last thing I wanna do is let my thoughts be infiltrated with insalubrious expectations. I am afterall the loveable Dimi. I'd like to think that whereever I end up, people will love me.... Fact is, no one is going to love you all the time and I'm going to have to live with that. You either love me or hate me. Either way, I am me.

I just found out that one of the masters students, Melissa, will be on my flight. Pretty grateful. At least the flight won't be as daunting as I expect it to be. Coz if you add my absent minded-ness to the entire scene, I can only imagine the calamity that will befall me on the much anticipated day.

New Zealand issues aside, this week started out fab.... Attended Reshme's 21st on Saturday. Pictures can be found on Cassie's blog. Sunday was a day of much needed rest. Went to Mallacca on Monday. It was so hot, I could've melted and died.... but I survived. Visited Mahkota Parade, Dataran Pahlawan, Jonker Street and the Stadthuys building. Had lunch with Mike on tuesday, complete with engaging conversation. And went shopping with the girls today. We walked around Jalan Telawi from 11 in the morning until 5 in the evening. ANd! We got identical slippers from Novo!!! Gold ones.... Funny story. At first, we all wanted the black ones so we made the sales person fetch us the correct sizes. Then we decided, the silver ones were perkier..... And out of nowhere, the gold ones became terribly appealing. The sales girl must've thought we were a bunch of loonies. We're such kindred spirits! I'll miss u guys to bits Leez and Hua!

Am completely burnt out right now. Thank God there's a 2 hour long rerun of American Idol awaiting me!

] Who gets to determine when the old ends and the new begins? It's not on the calendar, it's not a birthday, it's not a new year, it's an event --big or small, something that changes us, ideally it gives us hope, a new way of living and looking at the world, letting go of old habits, old memories. What's important is that we never stop believing we can have a new beginning, but it's also important to remember amid all the crap are a few things really worth holding on to.

You know you love me

xoxo

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The journey to Seremban

Sunday was bowling for soup day. Well, not exactly. There was no soup involved but definitely lotsa bowling. Destination : Pyramid. Conclusion : there isn't a bowling nerve in this anatomy. I think it's all in the head that I suck. I believe that if I tried to block out all the negative energy, I might actually be a pro at bowling. Unfortunately, the negative energy wasn't merely comin from myself. Thanks to the insistent remarks of surrounding company, I managed to resurrect the humiliation.









Had a fellowship dinner and karaoke session after the rotaract meeting. I ended up having a much better time than I expected. We played pool. And Foosball. And sang, although we were overpowered most of the time. And ate. And attempted to dance. And just had a great time. Yuvraj joined us and yes, nirm, we took good care of him. I know I've expressed numerous times that I'm gonna miss times like these and the people who brought enjoyment to my life but somehow, I feel like I can never say it enough.



Felt a bit nostalgic when the new set of Board of Directors were elected. Everything has been reshuffled. And I guess it's finally time for me to move on. RAC Bandar Sunway has improved and come up so much from the doldrums it once resided in and I owe it to all the rotaractors who stooped to pick up the pieces. Some didn't even know what it was to begin with. But now, they can pass as pros. So much has brought us together and I am so grateful that I was able to do something meaningful with the six months that I had post A levels via rotaract. I am 100 percent positive that Shaun and Leez will only have better times ahead. I don't suppose I have anything to worry about coz I have utmost confidence and trust in them. Sigh.

Oh, btw, do check out the rotaract blog. Leez pimped the whole thing up and it looks tonnes better. So proud!

Attended the pre departure briefing on Monday. Discovered that I still haven't gotten a lot of things done, like sign up for courses and register pick up and bank account amongst other things. Most of the attendees were JPA scholars and clinical students from IMU so I don't suppose I fitted in much. Sigh. Hints of the culture shock I will be facing there..... Random fact : Bungee jumping was invented in New Zealand.

Mood : Waaay excited about Pangkor trip. Plus Mallacca trip with mummy. And there might be a Bentong trip with Ben n those wanting to go if everything goes well. And My bday!!! And Reshme's party this saturday. More trips please!!!

Change; we don’t like it, we fear it, but we can't stop it from coming. We either adapt to change or we get left behind. And it hurts to grow, anybody who tells you it doesn’t is lying. But heres the truth: the more things change, the more they stay the same. And sometimes, oh, sometimes change is good. Oh, sometimes, change is ... everything.

Yep. Change is heading my way so fast, I can feel the momentum.

You know you love me!

xoxo

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Doctors give patients a number of thing. We give them medicine, we give them advice and, most of the time, we give them our undivided attention. But, by far, the hardest thing you can give a patient is the truth. The truth is hard. The truth is awkward and very often the truth hurts. I mean, people think they want the truth. But do they really? - Greys Anatomy, Season 4

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