Friday, December 19, 2008

Free cable and lessons...in your dreams

You’re the third person to be hearing this from me; my dreams are so real! It’s like whatever I wanted to do or never had the chance to do in real life, I get to do it in my dreams. Cool, huh? It brings a whole new meaning to the phrase “in your dreams, sucker”. Yes, I’ll do it in my dreams, thank you.

This only happened recently. I was supposed to pass a message to someone but never quite had the chance to, but I got the message through in my dream. And then there was another time I thought, hmm it’s been some time since I asked my friend out and guess what? I asked her out in my dream that very night. There are a bunch others but you don’t want to hear them.

Lately they even come in complete storylines. It’s like a script carefully written for the screens. Really, my dreams have never been so real and interesting before. It’s got the protagonist (usually me, ha ha ha), the climax, the ending, etc. How cool is that?? This is one of the reasons I love to sleep. Who doesn’t? Heh heh.

Man, if they’re real, it’d be dating the likes of Fukuyama Masaharu and Kim Jae Won and living in a mansion (Now, that’s what I call dreaming while you’re awake. These don’t happen in my dreams. They’re pretty down to earth, too bad). Earth calling mars. Come back Runawaycat.

Now, the problem is this. Because I have realistic…Wait, so it’s realistic now? I thought it was supposed to be an interesting TV drama? Fine, so they’re both interesting and realistic. Wow, this could make me big bucks in Hollywood. Ok back to the problem. You see, I can’t tread water like really tread water. What?? I move around when I try to tread water. That’s not really treading water anymore is it? That’s swimming -_-“ It’s probably coz I make significant arm strokes…whatever you call it, at the same time. But that’s swimming! I know that you idiot. If I don’t move my hands I’ll sink like titanic.

So now, the problem is… What? Another problem? I think I can tread water already. Or so I think…It’s pretty clear in my mind that I’ve already learnt it but the thing is, as far as I can’t remember, the last time I entered the pool was like 2 years ago (That’s how much I hate the water. Makes me wonder why I throw a shitload of money to learn scuba diving. Sigh. Youth). I would never remember it so clearly if it happened 2 years ago. So you see, the yin of having realistic dreams is that it’ll mess up your mind. I’m not sure if I learnt it in my dreams (which isn’t really learning) or I can tread water without looking like an idiot now. Which is it??

Only way to find out – jump into the pool! But that’s not likely gonna happen.

500 words just to make a point.
.
.
.
Wait, how do I tread water again? Okay, I’m waking up. It really must have been a dream.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Almost birthday post

You know there was supposed to be a birthday post. I was looking forward to write one a couple of months ago, about how perfect 2008 was and how enlightening life being 22 years old was.

I was going to tell you about the things I did this year; improved my photoshop skills (though still crappy), subbed the Japanese TV show Tensai! Shimura Doubutsuen (that was tough job so I’ll never do it again anytime soon), finished reading all my japanese study books…wait I’m sure there are more…traveled the most? Yea, yea, probably. What else? Man, I should have made a list.

And I was also supposed to tell you how I bought a cake and ate it whole with a spoon, sitting on my car hood, watching the plane fly by above me. So Taiwanese drama. Ack.

And then the day came. And then there was total silence. I got lazy and spent most of my time on the bed. Right. That was how it all went. Who cares? It’s just another day.

And right now, I want to eat a cake. And I want udon. My two friends actually celebrated for me 2 weeks earlier in a Japanese restaurant. Yummy. I want fattening food. I don’t care, I’m getting donuts this Sunday.

This is starting to sound like a blog which I would never write – a diary.

I got a mail yesterday. As in, in my letter box. The one made of steel, where you can open it with a key. No, not the one where you open with your index finger and a mouse.

It was by dmail2u, whatever that is. I’ve never heard of it. Funny thing is they know my surname, and that I’m a girl (deduced from the fact that they addressed me as Ms.), my birthday and my address. If they were randomly sending out mails they wouldn’t get all these details right, would they? I googled it and still couldn’t comprehend what this is all about. I checked their website which was of no help. Check it out yourself.

Anyway, in this mail was a booklet of adverts with offers valid during your birthday month. I didn’t go through it thoroughly because the offers were like expensive spas, hotel stays, steamboat, etc which pretty much doesn’t suit a cheapskate like me. You know what they should send this kinda stuff to the friends and family of the person with the birthday. Don’t you just agree?

Well, that’s all from my almost came true birthday post. Let 23 be an even better time!

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Bugland

What’s the first thing I hear when I step out of the room in the morning?

“Crunch, crunch, crunch.”

You wouldn’t have guessed. It’s the sound of dead beetles being squashed by my Japanese slippers. It doesn’t get any better when you actually walk out of the hostel into the corridors on the ground floor. There, you see them plastered all over the walls and piles of them on the floor. They actually remind me of the black pickled beans (is that what you call it?) you eat with porridge. And the smell. Oh the smell!

Well, the beetles are more of an annoyance than a danger. Then, what’s danger?

People, let me introduce you to Charlie.


Oh that’s one on my bed. Yay!

See the present they left me on Charlie Eve.


One on my arm.


And one on my thigh.


Oops. It’s dead. That’s my gift back to you. Have fun in hell.

A few days ago there were so many Charlies I could fill a cookie jar if I collected all of them. Every night about 20 of them will die in my hands (Bwahahahaha!). Killing every Charlie I see is not a hobby you know. I’d pray that they stay away from my room every day. But I have to admit. I did think of making a collage of Charlies. Perhaps an attempt born out of desperation? It started as a collage of bugs when I first came to this place. But I got lazy. And when Charlie infested my room, I thought, why not? They’d actually make a nice piece on the wall. Might even sell for a hundred bucks. No?

After that it started raining every night and they disappeared. There’s always one or two, but never 20. That’s when the beetles came. They stink so don’t even bother about beetle collage.

And now, it’s back to sunny days. Charlies are coming out to play. There are Charlie juniors and even mutated Charlies. The mutated ones have big butts and look like they cross bred with big ants.

Oh hullolejah. I’m now a certified entomologist. Had fun with my lecture?

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Updateness

Finally, here’s some updatenes. I figured I shouldn’t abandon this place just like that.

I was walking in the rain again. We waited for like 3 hours earlier but the rain just wouldn’t stop. For some reason the sky loves to take a leak whenever we go out for our dinners. This is already the second time. But this was better though. The first time, the rain was heavier and we were totally soaked and it was 2 am.

I also had the experience of pushing a car. We rented a car and when we got back I switched to the driver’s seat because I wanted to try a manual car. I drive an auto car. The last time I drove a manual car was like 5 years ago. It was exciting and I was circling the school over and over again until when I was doing a three point turn, the engine died. We ran out of gas. Thank god we were in campus grounds. I got out and together with another friend, pushed the car all the way to the hostel. It was midnight.

I have to admit, it was fun. I mean I’ve wanted to walk/run in the rain since I haven’t done it for a longggg time. And to run out of gas and push the car, not everyone gets to do that. Call me weird. It was sweet memory.

So now I have 11 more days here before my exam finishes and I go back to Penang. I don’t really have much to complain really, except for the slow connection, but that too, I’ve got used to. Another thing is bothering me though. There’s this bug we call ‘Charlie’, or the ‘Nike bug’ that’s quite harmful. You don’t get sick or anything but you get a big papule with pus coming out of it if it bites you. The version of Charlie in Penang can cause this just by walking on your skin. No papule, just pus and ugly. But there aren’t many in Penang. You only see them once in a blue moon. They’re everywhere here, especially in my room, on my table, lately. My friend was bitten on her arms and her nose. I’m just waiting for my turn. Can I be left alone? Please?

You know how I was really sad about what I study and how I’ll be bonded to the government for 4 years? It’s amazing how things take its course. Now I have alternatives and life is exciting again. I was thinking, it doesn’t really matter what you do, there will always be new opportunities. So it’s best to follow your heart, even though you are advised against it for ‘practical’ reasons. Even if your dream doesn’t have good prospects, you need not worry. There will always be opportunities, good ones, and you just have to look for it. It’s like treasure hunting. Sometimes I do regret spending 4 years studying this, but hey, it’s not that bad. I’ll just have an extra road to walk on.

There, I’ve cramped everything in one post. I have more to say, but that will be after I turn dreams into reality. Wish me luck and courage.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

They love Bush

so much that they would come up with this



Honestly, whoever did this has got some creativity up his sleeves. Do they get paid? Coz if they do, they'd be rich.

Monday, September 22, 2008

The Glass Castle

As far as I can remember, I never liked reading memoirs. How can it be any more interesting than a textbook? The only memoir I’ve ever read before The Glass Castle was about our former finance minister (are your eyes falling out of its sockets from reading this?) That’s if it can even be regarded as a memoir. If I didn’t remember wrongly, it was more like his life told from the perspective of a third person. For all I know, I only read it after submitting to the requests of my history teacher.

But I was glad I read The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. The author wrote about her past without an ounce of self-pity. What initially attracted me to this book was that her parents were homeless.

Her dad (other than the drinking and gambling) reminded me of mine, who would sometimes teach me random things kids my age never knew. The journey of reading that book was filled with laughter and tears. Best of all, she could describe it all using simple English unlike some writers who gives you a headache by using bombastic words and sentences of a hundred words long.

I think it’s too soon to make any conclusions, but what the heck, I think memoirs are cool coz they’re about progress and not about the ending like most fictional novels and you don’t really look forward to the final chapter or to finish reading it. What’s more, these are actual happenings, and thus making it even more interesting.

Reading the last page, and then looking back at its title, The Glass Castle, sent a pang of sadness through my soul.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Tutup sepenuhnya

Wanna know what that means? It means ‘Fully closed’. This was the words I got when I reached the doorstep of the library a while ago. I had purposely set the alarm at 10 am (though I only woke up at 10:30) so I could make it in time to borrow another novel before they close for prayers at noon.

But surprise, surprise! From 18th to 30th September, the library will be opened from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm from Sunday to Thursday and will be FULLY closed on Fridays and Saturdays. And it’ll be fully closed again during the Raya celebration and two days after that. If you’re wondering why it’s open on Sundays and not Fridays, that’s because the week starts on a Sunday here and Friday is their big day. I’m trying my best not to be sarcastic.

So now, HALF closed makes complete sense to me. If they can say things like FULLY closed, half closed should be a regular word for them.

Now I have to make sure I carefully hang on the what quarter of The Glass Castle I have left for the weekend. I don’t know if it’s just my luck with the library. I think I’ll just take it as a morning stroll.

I promised I would tell about the toilet here. From what Malaysians know, Kelantan is a place where different sexes must line up in separate lines, and there are no cinemas, or karaoke, or whatever. Well, they’re partly true. I still haven’t come across any ruling which segregates different sexes. But what I did come across was a unisex toilet!

There’s one in our hostel café. It’s a lone unit with a label ‘Tandas’ on it which means ‘toilet’. When we saw men and women going in and out, we were intrigued. I knew I had to at least go in that Ally McBeal toilet once.

When me and my friend were done, one guy walked in and was shocked to see 2 girls there. He made a 180 degrees turn, paused and made another 180 degrees turn back and into one of the cubicles. When he got out of the toilet he started to investigate its door for labels other than ‘Tandas’. Man, that was funny.

There’s also one unisex toilet on all the floors of the sad two-storey library. However, I suspect it to be staff toilets because they’re squeaky clean. Or maybe it’s because the library is a ghost town. The staff toilets in the departments in the hospital are a disappointment. This shows what kind of staff they hire.

And last night I discovered that this place transforms into a scary world at night. Me and two of my girl friends walked out of the campus for supper and on the way back around midnight, there were motorcycles passing by that would call us out, and one even slowed down beside us. That was freaking scary. After that fella, another car drove up next to us. My friend saw him roll down the window and smiled a mischievous smile. Other cars honked when they passed us. I’ll never go out for supper here with just girls ever again.

There’s nothing positive here to brag about except the intriguing toilet.