The Last Minute Crazy Thing

Ever got a call from a friend to go on a road-trip at that very moment? Or was invited to go for a party at that instant when you didn't have enough time to even pick out an outfit? I guess everybody did. It can be fun but stressful for some. Hey, isn't this the part of your life where you go like, "I am in if you are"?  (Not everybody can take that time pressure, not everyone.:P)

Ling and I did that once on 13 December 2014. The string of events that happened before we arrived were not the as smooth as we thought it could had been but we made through it in the end. I thought it was worth the headache and talking. I realised that this was my first ever meeting someone popular and this isn't even a concert of any singers or bands, just the fellow Youtubers. So, what's the hype about it? I doubted myself about going actually but I guess I managed to take out the doubts at the very last minute and to start believing that I could do certain things. 

We didn't get to meet the big stars but we managed to take a picture with a group local Youtubers. The Ming Thing! It was a humbling experience to meet someone who is known by others. The thing that amazed me the most was them being so humble too. They were the only ones who were willing to come over and take a selfie with us. Aww.. It is a rewarding experience to get to see them in person. I finally got to say I have met some people. :)

This was written way back then on 13th January 2015. 

Jalan Ipoh Ain't Going Away

Hey, my home street made it to the headlines recently. DBKL decided to change its' name to Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah on the 26th of November 2014, along with other 7 roads in KL. Very familiar names like Jalan Duta, Mahameru Highway and Jalan Semarak are all going to be changed to other names. Don't get me wrong by saying that I don't like those new names. Being a Malaysian, it is an honour to know that your home street was about to be named after a royalty. I understand the reason to uphold the names of our rulers. I also understand the reasons for the rakyat to express their disagreement regarding the change of names of the common roads in KL. It really will bring about change in our addresses, name cards and signboards.

Being someone who was brought up in Jalan Ipoh all her life, I feel sad that it would no longer be called Jalan Ipoh. It's just a name of a road but unknowingly, my feelings for Jalan Ipoh meant so much more than I thought. The people used to call it by its' Batu's or miles. Batu Satu till Batu Lima, that was how long the road was. Many places were also named after Jalan Ipoh. The girl school by the name of SMP Jalan Ipoh, the restaurant called Ipoh Road Yong Tau Foo and Jalan Ipoh Club are all going to cause confusion in people.

Maybe the road was too long to have the same name so now at this moment, only part of it remains as Jalan Ipoh. I think it's until somewhere along Batu Tiga. Batu Empat and beyond remains Jalan Ipoh. Still it is a sad thing isn't it? I still feel as if the name carved some sentiments in me. It's like taking away your childhood memory of the really long road you've known.

My family called it Ipoh Road. It used to be a small road with shophouses along the long road. Then, came the Mutiara Shopping Complex and not long ago, River City was established right outside of my home. The HSBC and KFC never fail to be the landmark of Jalan Ipoh since I was born. The ever famous Uma Rani chain of shops will remain as prosperous as usual. The Batu Tiga market will still be as busy as ever.

Despite the change in the name, the people and the food will stay the same. The delicious Hokkien mee, Bah Kut Teh and porridge will still stick around as long as the business is still running. The busy food street in front of red/orange building will keep lighting up the street in the dark. Pak Halim's nasi lemak is not something to be forgotten as well! Some people say the Dim Sum but I say otherwise. Lol.

And whenever anyone ask me where I live, I'll still say it's Jalan Ipoh. :)

Wo Hau Taiwan

Still can't believe I went to Taiwan with these people. After staying in Taiwan for almost 2 weeks, I think it's a nice place but deep down I know I can't survive here. I miss Malaysia when I was there.

I had quite a hard time remembering names in Mandarin and communicating with the locals. Thankfully for the friends who translated very well for me to make sure that I understood what was written and spoken.

We lit up a lantern at Shifen! Got that right! But, I can't remember which day was it already.

I remember spending 4 days in Taipei before we head to Damsui, Beitou, Sun Moon Lake, Nantou, Chiayi, Taichung, Hualien and New Taipei, all in that order. I had to refer to our self-made itinerary to recall these places. Lol.

In Taipei alone, there were so many places. We spent our last day back in Taipei because the airport is there. Believe it or not, I remembered the places better after surveying the magnets Ling wanted. I bought u magnets based on the more popular places I remember. :P

The weather is ever-changing. We were freezing cold when we arrived at Taipei and when we went all the way up to Alishan. It was hot like in Malaysia when we were at Sun Moon Lake. And it finally rained when we were at New Taipei. It was raining when we lit up the lantern. (Shifen is part of New Taipei)

The food was fine. We tasted bad ones and some really good ones. Couldn't really help much in other aspects so I was the one who researched on food in the night markets we planned to go. Not a foodie but yea it was helpful sometimes. I think the milk tea is nice. Other than that, the best foods for me are those I bought from their 7-elevens especially those lunch boxes. They even have pei tan porridge and shu shi in their 7-elevens! The fruit jelly sold in 7-eleven is nice too. They also have herbal eggs boiling in pots in their 7-elevens. I wished those were in Malaysia. I like the ha gau in Hualien too. The siew loong pau there had a thicker skin and I could hardly taste the soup.

Apart from that, I was really taken away by their punctuality and the organised public transport. Although, I had a communication breakdown with the workers there when my Easy Card (it's like Touch N' Go in Malaysia) failed me at one of the MRT stations, I think it's so convenient for their people to travel. They hardly have traffic jams or at least I didn't see any. It's difficult for people like me who can't read. Lol.

It was worth visiting other places I guess. Travelling does open up my mind in certain things. I realised the importance of embracing my mother tongue. I am still learning but at a slow pace. Not many people understand why a Chinese can't speak and read Chinese. When I was there, they spoke to me in Mandarin but sadly, I could only engage in simple conversations. There was this one occasion where an uncle spoke Hokkien to me. I could reply but when he started telling me stories, I couldn't understand anymore. They have this unspoken rule about keeping the left side a fast lane in escalators. They will scold you for blocking their way if you stood there or walk real slow there. Almost everyone there has an Easy Card which saves a lot of time. They will tell you not to drink or eat in the MRT and when I say they, it maybe just a random auntie or a random kid telling you this. I don't know if it happens in other places too but I do see many locals taking out their pet dogs for walks and some are really groomed well.

Are their things cheap? Some of the foods are because they come in small portions. Some clothes are really cheap too but like in Times Square, you can't try them. I think it varies in different places too. You will have to do the bargaining like in Malaysia to get a cheaper price.

Apart from that, if you're planning to go there, don't be surprised to see many Malaysians there. Singaporeans, Japanese and Koreans like to visit Taiwan too. I had Taiwanese thinking that I was from Hong Kong because Adeline was translating the menu to me in Cantonese. I met a Singaporean girl who thought I was a Singaporean too. My Manglish accent sounded like her Singlish I guess. We, Malaysians are so difficult for others to guess where we are from. Lol.

Now that I am back

Yes, I am back for 2 months and I will be going back to Ann Arbor soon in two weeks time. That is pretty damn fast. I am back for an internship in Sime Darby. Although the work here is slow, the people are really nice. I met up with friends from high school and college. And mostly, spend my time with my mum and sister. For the most part, we eat and shop. :P

Hey, did I mention that I was trying to lose weight? I even went to gym but stopped for almost two weeks now..:(  Anyhow, I managed to lose some weight..expected to lose more though. Oh well, life moves on even if I get fatter. Yea that is all from me.

Anyway have a look at this link. I find it true in some ways. :)

http://behindthehustle.com/2013/08/10-choices-you-will-regret-in-10-years/

'Me' time

So now it's spring break and mostly everyone is out having fun in some place warm or pretty and as for me, I am stuck in Ann Arbor with nothing much to do. Sometimes, I wished I could transfer my free time now for the last two weeks. I was pretty much slumped with exams, projects and assignments for the last two weeks and having a little more time could have been great. It is one after the other and as usual, nothing really good comes out of it. I wished it could have been better. Oh well, it is over! And now, I have nothing to do at all. This is the time where I wished people was around. At least, I would not feel so lonely watching movies and eating all by myself but hey, how long has it been that I spent some 'me' time?

So, I have been keeping myself updated with Malaysian politics as the General Elections should be anytime soon...As you all may know, this GE might be one of the greatest moment in Malaysia's history and it is unfortunate that I am not registered to vote. :(
Anyhow, I am looking forward to the GE. Not that I am against or supporting any political parties..but I think like most Malaysians, I want a bright future for Malaysia for all Malaysians. I love this country a lot and sometimes, I get frustrated with the current government. I don't want to live in a country where the media is manipulated to suit certain political group, where corruption is happening within the government itself and where democracy is not practiced. I used to read the The Star all the time at home but now, I no longer read it and instead, I rely on YouTube or other forms of social media to know what is really going on in Malaysia.
Maybe it is time to change for the better. Alright enough about politics, if not my sister will be like "aiyo this girl and her politics...".

Thanks to Duo Ren, I have a list of movies to watch for the coming week...Besides that, I have to clean my room, do my laundry, catch up with my mum/sis...and cook, of course! :P
And then, back to my school work.. That is all I am up to for the time being!

the reason why i smile

Just watched titanic for the second according to my sister. I don't remember what had happened, honestly. I must be too young that time. Anyway, it was one of those movies which I teared out for. I think it was a moving story with emotional build ups and of course, romance. Eventually, I have ended my day while listening to avril's smile..hahaha! and the lyrics just seemed so much better and yes, it was indeed the right way to end my Sunday. :)

Eventually, it goes down to one thing.

I have not intended to write anything to harm or discriminate anyone. This topic might be sensitive to many. Generally, it is a topic that most of us have avoided to discuss openly about and a lot of people have chose to be quiet or be ignorant about it. For some people, it might not be an issue at all. For others, it has been an accepted fact. Well, there are some who are fighting to make a difference and a better future. Ok, I am not talking about BERSIH, our government or anything to do with the leaders of our country. I think as you kept on reading, you might know what I am talking about.

Since my schooling years in a public school, I have been to where most students are of a different race from mine. Most of the students and the teachers as well would mingling with those of their own color. Well, it does include me in a way as I chose to mixed with those who can converse in English better. So, most of my friends are either Chinese or Indians as most of the Malays in my school converse in Malay. I know I might be a little bias as I am talking from only my perspective but at the same time, I do wonder..how come my close friends are mostly of my own race and those who can converse better in English? Why can't I mingling with those who converse in Malay? Is it because of my preference to speak in English? Or is it because that I do not have much things in common with them?

And you know, surprisingly, this situation does not only occur in my school but also, after my schooling years in high school. I do not blame anyone for this to occur but it does affect me to a certain extent even if I choose to be oblivious towards it. One of my friend said that it was because of the circumstances such as the language, food and way of living. I do get it as it is much easier to live with those who have more common issues to talk about and most importantly, to do things without having to explain it again and again. There is a mutual understanding, if you get what I mean.

It is not like I have more friends of the same color as my own and that I do not try to mix around with those of a different color but I think I choose to talk to those who prefer to speak in a language that I am comfortable with. It is not Mandarin, Cantonese or Hokkien but it is English (the language that I would prefer to speak, write and listen to). It is not that I do not like Chinese language but it is more conventional for me to speak in English. And it is not because that I am good in it. Honestly, my English standards are only in the satisfactory level. Well, language has certainly been a factor to me in making friends and thus, I have assumed that language plays a role in determining who we choose to be close with. Probably, it only affects to a certain degree..To be completely honest, I have seen that eventually, people tend to mix with their own kind and I don't exclude myself as well. Another thing that upsets me is that people tend to speak in their own native languages when they are with the other races who do not understand them..not that I disagree with them speaking it but the worst is when they do not care to explain when it happens.

I have taken a writing class for the winter semester. Surprisingly, most of the essay topics that were given to me can be related to racial differences. I did try to think of other topics to write on but only this topic was all that I could talk most about and yes, I have eventually wrote about it. I know its a good opportunity to write freely but as much as I want to..I can't bring myself to do it. I find it unfair as it is only coming from me. Thus, I have ended up writing about it in general terms. There are still so many questions that I have in mind about this issue itself. Is it because of me who is still naive and still wants to be unhappy about it or is it that everyone has understood it silently and not want to create any intense situation out of it?

I do want to believe that some of us can bring a difference, however, a part of me was telling me that it is not going to be easy. I know I might not be the best person to talk about this issue since I do not know what others might think of it and this post is just solely based on my own opinion and experience. Still, I think the truth is we all know that this is happening..perhaps some of you might have faced it much more frequent than I do.

Psychologically, people in general will feel more comfortable with people of the same race and background. In Malaysia, the Chinese people whom I know of have their own perspectives about the other races and I can pretty much assume that not only the Chinese have these stereotype mentalities and racial jokes but the other races have them as well, be it Malay, Indian or many others.

As much as I hope or wish that race to be not even considered as a factor in anything and in anywhere at all, I know I am just relying on the hopes that it might be true one day. It is hard to explain to the older generations, people around me and even some of my friends. I don't expect them to understand that I am frustrated about it. I chose to be quiet because I know it is sensitive. Not that I have nothing to say but it takes everyone to get it to make it happen.

I am not all that perfect myself to even talk about this issue but I want to remind myself at least, in my own blog that "You know..you have mentioned about this before." I don't want to regret in the later part of my life that I have not even raised an opinion about it. I am writing this because I am a Malaysian and I still care about my country.

Worth it!

If you still think that our country is worth to be treasured and to be loved,
If you still want to be a part of this unique country,
If you want to fight for the betterment of our country,
If you are a Malaysian, please look at this and contribute! :D


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