When life is a cycle, the mind wonders

-picture taken in a restaurant between Atlantic City and New York, 2012- 

I have started working for almost 4 months. Getting to know how others work and trying to adapt to the working culture, I think I have a good start. For me, my work life is not as tiring and intense as my student life which is something I thought I will be happy with or at least satisfied with...until I realized that most of the fun is taken away as well.

Like it or not, I am starting to miss my life in Michigan. Even though I have to juggle between studies, projects, time with family (on Skype) in the weekends and my social life, my days were filled with excitement, anxiety, stress and discovery. Everyday is unlike the other. At that point of time, I didn't really like it because I could not be certain of what could happen next...but after having to work and knowing that my life is filled with the same cycle everyday, I realized that I didn't like it either.. In that case, I can only agree to the statement, "we just have to feel it, to know it".

I guess it is sort of a trade off (fun and stress vs. mundane and content). Work, work, work. There is really nothing much to look forward to besides lunch time and getting off work unless there is something interesting going on in work. Life goes on.. no complains, just thoughts :)

It's time

Finally, I have completed my last class in UMich and the next phase is about to come. Work. Thinking of it makes me feel old and knowing about it makes me emotional. Well, move on is what I am about to do. The past 4 years living away from home have been one of the most exciting part of my life so far. When I think of myself today and compare it with myself in freshman year, I know I am a different person.

A lot of my opinions, beliefs and principles in life have somewhat been altered and changed. I used to be conservative in many things and reluctant to try new things but now, trying something new is not intimidating to me anymore. I think this has got to do with the people around me, those who were adventurous, loud and convincing. I have to admit that you would need to have these people around to spice up the situation and making it closer to having a fun time.

I have learned to loosen up a little and be less rigid. Make more effort to know people and get myself out of the comfort bubble. It is hard at first and probably, confusing at times when things that happened conflict with my beliefs or principles. You know you might think it is easy to adapt because you know the culture due to media exposure but in reality, it is very different. As time passes, it gets better and easier to accept and slowly, it becomes a norm. Somehow, I think I have learned to accept differences and try not to be judgmental about them.

There are some choices that I have made did not turn out to be the best one. I might have regretted and was upset about them for a while. Choices definitely affect whether times are good or bad but eventually, they will turn out okay and hopefully, for the better.

I wouldn't want to change one thing ever since I came to the states. I am proud of myself to have made it this far! :)

How it all started

To think of it now, I started this blog years ago, almost 4 years if I am not wrong. I started it off so that I can write my own opinions on anything around me but mostly, updates on my life..but as you can see, it is not working as how I envisioned it to be..and now, it got me thinking what it is supposed to be then?

I used to see this blog as a platform for my sister and I to voice out our opinions and talk about things around us since we were very VERY shy people. We weren't the most extrovert people you know. Honestly, we might even be considered boring and naive people when it comes to a lot of things such as the best books to read, fun things to do around friends, talking to people who we know but aren't that close with...and the list goes on. Because of that, we choose to be quiet..very quiet to the point where other parents think that we are the "goody" kids..haha. Yes, we were those kids who wanted to play with the other kids so badly but both of us were too afraid that we choose to sit on the couch quietly together. Unlike other kids who chose to run around the house and break the rules, we followed the rules and dare not break any of them.

As we grew older, we took notice of things like making friendly talks to people, entertaining other people by responding to them and starting conversations with people around us. We weren't good at all these and mostly, the both of us would even take turns since we are always around each other. The world seemed to be bigger than we knew it and we realized that we had to break out from our comfort zone (being together all the time).

Around the time when this blog started, my sister and I had the chance to break apart from one another. I wasn't used to it at all when we went separate ways. I guess we both realized that it is nice to have someone around all the time even though it might be boring because everything we talked about is more or less the same thing..haha. However, it is different now, we have our own stories to tell and we often looked back to those times. We don't even talked to one another all the time anymore. So, this blog turned to be our secret hide out..haha...shhh..

This blog started off with me being the active one and it slowly turns to be ours and now, my sister is the active one. By active, I mean the blog posts that are posted...;p It is funny to think of things you initially started and how it has turned out to be now.

There I go again

It has been a long time since I wrote a blog post. Thanks to my sister, this blog is constantly updated. I have been busy for a while. This semester is going to be busy like the previous semesters..-.-
Oh well, classes here are time-consuming and plus, I am not so bright myself..lol. I am scared of what is going to come, you know graduating, getting a job, working..and as for me, I have another an important decision to make. I have been told that I will have to face it one day for so many times. It is tough for me because I have form my own opinion on a lot of things. I hope we will come to an agreement of some sort.

Maybe I should stop procrastinating now. Alright, bye for now.:)

Here's a video on what I have been doing last semester:

Reasons people give

You know those times when you say you are busy and you ended up not doing things you actually want/like/wish to do? Yes, this happens to me all the time and I bet it will occur more often for the coming two semesters..lol. Even my reasons seem legit enough for me to excuse myself from doing those things I wished I had done instead, these past few days, I begin to think that they (in this context, I meant the legit reasons) could all just be reasons..

Honestly, I do not know what will become of me in the next 10 years. Everyone wants to be somebody and so do I. Knowing that I will be starting off my career in Malaysia is not as 'motivating' or 'satisfying' as I thought it would be when I was 18 years old. I think this is mainly due to the fact, I know a lot of people who started on the same platform as I am are aiming for greater things.

I know about the 'braindrain issue', giving back to the country and all but how about putting yourself out there to do things that you never thought you would do and challenge yourself to do stuff you have always wanted to be a part of? I believe if 'that' place in which I am settling for is giving young people like me those two factors, we would have not think that we settled for it but we own it.

Just so you know I am not complaining for what I know is ahead of me. Apart of me believes that anyone can start something great regardless of where they started off working. In the end, I think it is up for me to decide which are the 'legit' reasons for me to be where I would be in the coming years.

So challenge yourself or just settle what you have got?

Alright that is all from me rambling...:P

have a look at this video..:)

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/

Coming few days

Yes, I am done with finals and I am going to start my senior year very soon. :)
Well, as for these coming few days, there are a lot things to look forward to.

As for my country, there could a memorable historical moment for this coming 13th general elections. I look forward to watch the results live and I am sure that is what most Malaysians all over the world will be doing.

As for my myself, I am going to be around Ann Arbor taking classes in the spring semester. I can't wait to start cooking and of course, lose some weight (lets hope it works out). The weather now reminds me of Malaysia, warm and sunny! Also, I will be going for the Malaysian Midwest Games in Kalamazoo.

There is just so much things going on. :)

More cooking ;)

See..I told you there are going to be more pictures of food to be posted..haha!

So, this dish is 'Bak Choy Stirred Fried with Shiitake Mushroom' and it is not my dish because it was cooked by Ji Chuan. Still it sure does taste as it looks! :)

Well, this second dish was inspired by my very own mummy and grandma. My mummy cooks the best peanut soup with the soft peanuts and pork ribs and my grandma cooks the best 'Ling Ua' soup aka 'Lotus Root Soup'. I hope I make you both proud. It is definitely not as good as my mummy's nor my granny's but still not too bad. ;)

The last one was prepared by myself with some innovation. Well, I was trying to get rid of my 'Chi Kut Teh' and thought of a terrific idea of using the soup for the noodles. I like 'Chi Kut Teh' better with rice but still, not too bad for a leftover meal! :)

This could be all for the time being..Sad but true, I will be too busy after the break to prepare all these yummy looking asian food. However, I will be cooking right after the semester ends again. So watch out for more then. :)

My dishes

Well well..look what we have here? Yes, I cooked all of them. Unbelievable but it is true!

The first picture consists of Spicy Sze Chuan Tofu and Garlic Stir-Fried Kai Lan :)

As for the second picture, I think you can tell it is something to do with baked goods and it is my very own Bread Pudding! :D

The three picture doesn't look appetizing but it sure does smells good. What else smells better than 'Chi Kut Teh'? ;)

I hope some of these pictures make you go hungry...haha! Btw, watch out for more pictures of food.......:P

'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!

Friends

Well, I have been watching Friends again and again and so, I thought I might as well post something about it. For me, it is the BEST sitcom ever even until today, there is no other sitcom that is funnier and more authentic than Friends. I was a fan of Friends since when I started watching it in high school with my sister..hehe. I wished that it could be re-filmed again..it's impossible because the actors and actresses have aged but who knows? :P

I even have a poster of Friends in my room. I don't think I will ever be bored of watching it again and again and now, I am caught up with Friend's memes in 9gag...this is real addiction..phew....

One of my favorite scenes of all time..LOL!

Updates!

Clearly, both my sis and I were busy with our own studies and stuffsssss and that explained the emptiness of this blog of ours..:(

Anyway, I am here now to update some of the things going on in my life.  I bought a new laptop recently..a dell ultrabook..not so fancy as any macbook but so far so good! :)

Here's a picture of it:

 I was busy with lots of assignments, projects and midterms these couple of weeks. Just like any other sleep deprived college student, I was draining myself with caffeine to stay awake.

Oh ya, one more thing, I got a new hair cut last Friday and these were the pictures  to show the difference in length:

                                    BEFORE                                                                        AFTER


I feel so much healthier with the new hair because I finally got rid of all the split ends and dryness of my hair!

That's all for now! :)

Wind and Mr.Ug

Found this amazing video on mobius strip. I think this is worth sharing! :D

New look

For these past few days, I was trying to get a new look for this blog but I can't just take the old template out..It was supposed to be easy but I guess it is default now..Oh well, I think it looks simple enough now. Now that the semester is coming to an end, I will be having some free time before my work starts. I have a lot in things in mind that I want to do. For instance : -exercising (purpose is to lose weight) -reading some nice books -shopping (for summer wear..everything is just so hot now and most of my clothes aren't suitable) -watching Grey's Anatomy (this in inevitable..lol..maybe I will try to find mai-hime and watch it again) -cooking (purpose is to save money as well) -a little bit of travelling (to somewhere nearby..not too far) -catching up with family and friends I guess that is all for the time being but I am planning to get at least most of these things done. Oh ya, I have a wonderful news today! I finally got a B+/A- range for my essay in which I only spent one whole day on it..and I do mean literally one whole day, 24 hours. Alright then, that is all I want to write on this post. Shall keep updating later. :)

It has been a while..maybe too long

The last time I posted something on this blog was like months ago and now, everything in blogspot has changed...A bit more tidy but alien to me, obviously! Oh well, life goes on and so does my blog. This semester has been the least stressful and surprisingly, a slow semester as compared to the previous two semesters. A lot of things were going on and hence, no postings from me..only from my sister..and I was the one who dragged her into blogging with me! Sorry, sis! I have been addicted to Grey's Anatomy lately and I have finished season one and in the middle of season two now. Watch it if you like drama or if you like to hear about any interesting medical conditions and advises about life which sometimes you might find them relevant to your's. Oh ya, I found a job as well..my very first paying job after tutoring for a day..haha! I am going to help out with orientation for the new international students in the university. I can't wait to start, to be honest! That's really all I can think of writing on this blog..:P Alright then, time for me to sleeppppppp. :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Yes, it is the 'LOVE' day today!! :)
Anyway, this will be a short post because I have an exam tomorrow!

For the past few days, the 'Mulan' song was singing in my head..then I started listening to other songs in that movie..later, a friend suggested more Disney songs. And here goes, the 'Aladdin' love song in which I find it very suitable for today. <3





Enjoy the video below too y'all! :)

Busier than ever

It is pretty obvious that I don't write as often as I have used to..and honestly, it has been like this ever since the last semester. I blame the amount of work load that I have..though entirely was my fault for not allocating some amount of time for writing..lol..for most of the days, the time that I have besides going to classes were always filled up with something to do..projects, assignments and quizzes..not to mention I think I might be sleep deprived at times...that is not surprising because it was expected. At least, I got something going on and thus, being busy is not all that bad. After all, it is a good sign is it?

Just for updates, I am going to have my exams from next week onwards till spring break..and then, I will be going to Guetamala. Not going there for fun obviously..it is an international service trip organized by the rotaract club in the UofM. Can't wait to go there and get myself a handful of experiences. :)

Alright, back to my Chinese characters. bye! :)

21!

21 is not just any number. To think of it, 21 in blackjack is a win. Without the number 21, forever 21 will not exist. Besides, 21 is practically the legal age for a lot of things and turning 21 means that you have lived for more than 2 decades!

Yes, I am 21 this year. Not so excited about the increment in terms of my age but I do hope that it will still be counting! :D
It's 10th of January now in Malaysia and 9th in the US..So, I am younger than my sister now. Sorry ching! :P

Glad that I have called my sister first!! She made this video of us and it was so touching for me though I find it childish..haha!

Thanks, Ching! Happy Birthday! You will always be my number one. :)

Hell-o-ween..

After one hellish week of exams, one project, one quiz, one presentation and assignments, I sort of 'wasted' my weekends..lol!
Yes, I barely touch my notes or books. Had a pretty nice halloween for my second year here. Dressed up as an egg..(of course, in a custome). Walking out in the cold, looking fat and getting comments from people as expected. My legs were tired after the long day..haha! The next morning, I went for my very first football game. The weather was cold..:/
Nevertheless, it was pretty cool to be in the stadium being one of the audience cheering for UofM. It was a game against Purdue and we won! That's all for now, I guess. :)

Post its in action!

I saw this cute little mario when I was about to walk down the stairs in the Undergraduate Science Building in UofM and this reminded me of the movie that I have watched on the plane back to the states!! All thanks to post its!! This is like a coincidence..pretty much made my day..haha!

Mario made out of post its:


There is a part in which the guy had made a smiley out of post its!!