Bellflowers and Palamecia Roots

Finishing this year (2013) and also my fourth semester in my Degree, I have to say that it was... Mortifying. Agonizing. Dreadful. MAD, yes. It was totally mad. It drove me up the wall several times, having me feel like a strangled fowl. It doesn't take a genius to see that I have been doing horribly in the finals of the semester. Sure, the semester was good and all - the assignments and project were dreadfully tiring but it was doable. What bothered me was the finals. Yeah, the finals. 

So anyway forgive the randomly allocated post name. It was just something I thought up like three to four seconds before I started typing these long meaningless paragraphs of words.

Year 2013 wasn't the best year I have seen, but certainly it couldn't be the worst I will see. I have caught on news about many people that I know by name - and a number of them has passed on, on this year itself. I have no idea if I only became more aware of things happening around myself recently, or there really seem to be some force at work. I would choose the latter though, I am usually ignorant during the previous span of my life.

I got to meet many interesting people, and also made some enemies out of people. I am sure that with my double-edged sword personality - carefree at times and really dead on serious instantly at another would annoy people and get them to rethink their friendship, but yeah. I have been trying really hard to stick to one, but it is hard because this has sort of become a habitual instinct. I would even like to apologize, but by the time I finish we would all be old enough to crumble at any second.. So I would leave it at that.

I have abandoned a lot of my friends because of my own pride and attitude. First, I want to be the top in class. And then I feel like it would not be bad to be at the bottom. At times I feel lonely, and then I am not. I at times really miss someone. And then I dont. I sometimes make light of my friends and spend my time completing my seemingly endless assignments and projects - even though I really could do them earlier, I procastinate. And then when I am invited out by my friends - I have to reject them.

As I got busier, I suddenly have to help organize a large-scale event in February next year (2014). As it coincided with me needing to find a new scholarship to substain my education and also helping out to move to a new house, I was busier than ever - and also stressed out. It was not the fault of the club's. It was mine and mine alone - and this all stems from my inability to say "NO" and also my incapability of seeing myself happy alone while everyone else around me have to suffer. And this leads to me having to again reject invitations to outings from my friends.

If my friend, in any way gets hold of this post and read them - I want to apologize from the bottom of my heart. I am really sorry. 

Also, I am sorry to make my family worry so much about me. I am this type of person that won't ever forgive himself for mistakes done - and so during exams I would be ripping my hair out stressing myself and secluding myself from the outside world. 

What I want to approach in year 2014 is to be a more carefree person, and spend 50% of my time having fun with my family and friends and strictly 50% on work and education. I hope not to have my work and education taking over my life and making everyone worry about me, and having me worry about myself - I want to learn to love myself and give myself a treat. And with that I have quitted the Debater's Club. I sure won't want to organize any more events and become the President - although it is a good thing - it is just not worth my already limited time. 

I want to learn not to give a fuck about other people's wants except if they are family, or if they are really important. I don't want to be taken for granted, and so I don't want to care. 

I want to be able to confidently say "NO" if I am really unhappy and voice out when I am in disagreement, because I found out that is where my problems stem from.

I want to be a person that is there for my family and friends, and most importantly be there for myself.

Most of all, I want to be a person I can be proud of - not a person others want to be.

Sunshine, Festivals and the Lion [DAY 3]

Day 3 was an amazingly delicious day. I woke up to sunshine through the windows, and probably also the cold temperature as I entered the washroom to wash myself right up. Even though I was tempted not to bath I bathed, and then washed my face for the day. The water was freezing cold.

My sister brought us out to a Chinese Restaurant, called Hao Ge. As I entered the restaurant, the scent of food was already tickling my brain through my nose. It made my stomach growl, and we couldn't wait to order. We ordered chicken legs, meat and also Pai Kut Ong (Some bone king, didn't know how to spell it :x). We also had Dim Sum and the most delicious Egg Tart I ever laid my tongue on. The portion was okay, and the food was so tasty we literally almost licked the plates scott free.

Food from Hao Ge. Look at the Dim Sum :P Yum Yum

After that, we went for an outing with my other Siblings. We walked along the Brisbane River and I took a picture of the city. It was a day full of sunshine, and the sun was scorching hot, but there was a constant breeze of cool air, so it was standable. Nearby, there was a chocolate factory themed cafe called Max Brenners. The menu consisted of chocolate, chocolate and even more chocolate. This sure would alter my weight a little but it was worth it. Chocolate dips, Chocolate waffles, Chocolate ice cream, this new concept could be applied for Breakfast and Lunch, and we had the sweetest lunch ever.

It was a very long day. We took a walk around Brisbane Square, and saw the old bank. It looked really classy, as if we are strutting down the streets of London, but yeah; back to reality. Its Brisbane and its the 21st century right now :3 We also went to the lookout at Mount Cootha. And guess what? I saw Park Tae Hwan, the famous Korean Swimmer! He was with another lady, though. Didn't want to disturb them so I just fled to the sidelines and watched.

Yeah as you can see, my fingers seem really reluctant to type essays about my amazing experience. I will just caption the pictures I have taken and end this on an amazing note.

CHOCOLATE

Brisbane City, and Brisbane River. Also, candid of Su Min. (That I didn't notice until after I checked the photos back in Malaysia)

The Max Brenner's Chocolate Love Story. tl;dr

Chocolate Waffles, Ice Cream, sweet snacks to dip into chocolate dippings. Both Milk and Dark Chocolate. Full of Chocolaty goodness :3

Brisbane Square! Sorry random people dragged into my inconvenient phototaking timing skills.

Planetarium. Closed when we arrived though. :(

Mount Cootha lookout.

WHOO!! tl;dr

Brisbane's map? :x I really have no idea what this is.

Delicious vegetarian food, there were other dishes too during dinner that day; but I only took pictures of this San Choi Pau :(

Sunshine, Festivals and the Lion [Day 2]

We slept really soundly the first night. When we woke up that morning, it was daybreak. Briskly packing our stuff, we took one last glance at the hotel room and bid the place goodbye. We had a quick breakfast at a local eatery and called a cab to bring us to Changi. We checked into Emirates, which personally is the best flight I had ever been on in my life. Everybody were dressed so formally, men in formal attire fit with matching ties, and women with red headpieces that make them look damn elegant. It was like a flight fit for a paradise on earth.

The flight was seven hours long, so I popped a motion sickness pill half an hour before the flight. Seven hours may be a long stretch of time, but for me it wasnt. It wasnt enough, Emirates had too much things to do that you easily lose track of time. There was a touchscreen device located in front of you, which you can use to watch movies all over the world of different languages and also subtitles, and also various songs. Nolstagic songs I have long not heard of. These include

• Love Story wa Totsuzen Ni
• Kaze ni Naru - The Cat Returns
• Tonari no Totoro - My Neighbour, Totoro
• Doraemon no Uta - Doraemon
• Moonlight Densetsu - Sailormoon

And of course, exciting series like Family Guy and TBBT (The Big Bang Theory). It was the best flight experience every. The stewards/stewardesses were polite and efficient with their job. The flight had blankets and pillows you can use to make yourself more comfortable. The flight was amazing on many levels that cannot be explained with mere words of my standard. It was stable, the take off and landing were amazing that you won't fill a tad dizzy or nauseous. It was great. Five stars, but if I could give more I would chip in extra stars.

The Emirates Flight. Best flight ever. Adios to the crew members that gave us the best treatment in the world!

Watching TBBT (The Big Bang Theory) in the aircraft :D Knock Knock Knock, Penny?

We reached Brisbane at about 9:00 p.m. at night. Driving back to my eldest sister's place takes about half an hour, so when we reached we talked for a while. My second sister, my brother; Young and his girlfriend; Su Min were also there, My second sister was helping them pack my brother's stuff. He flew in from Adelaide to attend my sister's wedding - and so he packed his stuff that used to be in my eldest sister's house because he used to live there in the past.

We slept early that day, because we had a lot to see the next day. That marks the end of day 2 :P

Sunshine, Festivals and the Lion [DAY 1]

So yeah; on the 22nd of August 2013, I flew to Singapore and Australia. I had motion sickness (A trait passed down from my maternal side) - so I had to gulp down a pill to qwell the sickness before the flight. About an hour and a half long, the Air Asia flight was okay. I noticed the stewardess' were all wearing jeans, a modern concept maybe?

We stayed in Beach Hotel along Beach Road. A good location indeed, after the limousine driver dropped us there from Changi Airport, the rooms needed preparation - so we had a short stroll, and there was a lot of eateries. Japanese Cuisines, Korean Barbeques, Western Grills, Chinese Food; name it and it will be there. Since it was a location that was technically in the middle of the city, there were people from all walks of life. Students, office workers, the elderly and even high school children everywhere.

The night life over there was awesome, you can see students doing their assignments in cafes, having blasts with their friends or walking happily in a gang. The parks were also a sight to behold. Lovebirds can be seen at many a place and a time, holding hands and cuddling under the moonlight. The eateries were the best. There were rarely enough space for people to eat, so the eateries were always crowded and people had to queue up outside and wait for their turn. The food were quite similar to Malaysia, with a slightly little difference in taste.

Nasi Lemak at a local eatery. Spicy, but the delicious type of spicy.

When the budget hotel was ready, we unpacked and rested a while. It seemed like a long day, but we weren't ready to sleep just yet. We would only be here for less than a day, so why not sight-walk as far as our legs can bring us? Mum's legs were easily exhausted, so she told us that she would stay in the hotel to Watch some TV and also play some games (Candy Crush especially). Anyway, we saved some money by not calling the taxi drivers and we walked through half of the city. The weather was cloudy, it could rain any time - but it never did. The spiral bridge was beautiful, the patterns were surreal. As I walked over the bridge, I felt intensely excited. I was curious, though; as to what those symbols on the ground meant.

The Casino Hotel and also the Arts Museum. Pretty exotic design, huh? :)

No idea what this is called, but I think its the floating stadium. Aren't those colors beautiful?

Water collection tanks, decorated like an upside down umbrella tree. There was a floating garden like this, but I didn't get to go on it :(

In one of the malls. Previously, there was a canal for modern yachts to pass through. Elegant design!

When we got back home, we went out again for dinner. We ate at a chicken rice shop; and yes, we had chicken rice and several dishes to go with them. The food was tasty! We followed up with dessert just a stone's throw away. It was a wonderful day for us and even more blissful a day for our stomachs.

Ais Kacang Singapore. Delicious!

My mum was telling us that she heard someone knocking on her door, but as she peeked through the keyhole she saw no one. This incident only occured when my dad and I isn't in the hotel room. It was certainly strange, but not as mysterious considering that it was still the 7th month then. Besides that, it might be just matters of the mind, or she was worrying too much.

Putting incidents aside, it was a wonderful day in Singapore. I will certainly come back again to this wonderful country.

The Closest Experience to Death

It was a day I would never forget, yet do not want to remember. It stems from my body being naturally slightly weaker for as long as I can remember than the original human being. Many in this world share the same bodily conditions like mine, and it is considered very normal because most people including the victims themselves will never notice it most of the time; even at their deathbed.

I know that I would get sick just by being under the sun for long hours like most people would. However, I had to abide by concurring situations just for the sake to please everybody and maintain a peaceful household. I was living under the roof provided by two people that I love, but the complications occur because these two beloved people of mine are living under two completely different paradigms, two parallel lines that will never meet. No, wait; its two lines that have met once, but have since strayed far from each other never to meet again. These lines are straight, mind you. Under their own paradigm, they have a simple set of rules set by themselves, to themselves, for themselves and subsequently for everyone around them. The rules that intersect include strict propagandas such as "I am always right", "I will never listen to others" and also "If I can do it, everyone can".

Of course, on the other side of paradigm number 1 includes "Friends above all else including family" and on the other side of number 2 include "Sentient Beings  Animals Dogs prioritization". These two loved ones would argue at least once every day based on their paradigm, and both sides on the losing grounds mean that they would take their frustration based on the only thing close enough for them to lay their hands on.

Loved person number 1 has his hobby for tending plants, but also for the same reason the utter destruction of weeds. We all understand that this is a form of gardening that is native to him, but at the same time a huge waste of time. Also, this hobby of his include picking up all the stones you can find in the yard, putting them into plastic bags and throwing them away. Based on this hobby of his, he would implicitly force me to do it together with him everyday. No rests. Every day. Yes, you read that right. EVERY DAY YO. Unless its raining, weather please be nice to me. Departing at around four in the afternoon, we would leave only when the sky is half an hour to darkness. These two loved ones arrived to a consensus though, that we would bring our pets there as well. Although we had to bring the gardening tools in one hand, it didn't matter much as we have one hand free to grab on to our pets.

Doing this "hobby" with my dad proved really tiring when done every day. Soon, my body grew even weaker and I started to get dizzy spurts. I would feel really dizzy sometimes and have a fainting feeling at times. One day,  I told him. "Can I not go today? I feel very tired". His reply was in a sarcastic tone. "I will feel very lonely...", "Sigh", "its up to you... I won't force you..", "You're so useless..?". Yeah, a bit of guilty attacks. Guilt strikes me, but I know my limits. So I told him I will go. And I went.

Another time, when I felt as tired as ever I told him the same thing again. He went on with the same reply like previously, but this time I was determined that I was going to get sick. He disappeared for around fifteen minutes, and came back to demand my attendance. So I had to abide.

It was a lovely Friday morning what the incident occured. 16th of August, when I was 20. Yeah; I still am, right now - but just putting it in a past-present perspective. I am going to be outright honest and tell you all that at the time it occured, I was playing League of Legends as Janna. Strong winds unleash yo! Anyway, halfway into the game beloved person number 2 entered the room after being pestered by beloved person number 1 about the luggage we need to finalize based on our trip the following week. A trip sounds fun, but the pre and pro consequences was and will be very hectic.

I began to feel a sharp throbbing pain in my upper left chest. Followed by dizziness and also nausea. I rushed to the toilet, and sure enough I threw up half of the morning's breakfast in two trips back and forth from the toilet and League of Legends. The third time, I was already so sure I cannot continue like this so I ended the game first. By the fourth time, I kinda thought I ran out of things to throw up because all that came out was dark colored grime. It didn't really help that your two loved ones are doing their own things, one of them upstairs watching some DVD or chatting with his friend and the other playing Candy Crush.

I bet for them, things got really serious when I told them I felt really tired and wanted to sleep (which I really did want to; like just lay my head on the toilet bowl and sleep there cause I was throwing up to the point of being so weak and sitting down on the toilet floor, being a mess and sweating all over with my nose running.) It was a heatstroke, and even with my aunt being there to help me get rid of the heat, it took me until about eight at night to feel tad better. And beloved person number 1 went out to carry out his hobby when I was on the closest verge towards dying.

So yeah. To avoid being like me, sleep well and have a good diet. Dont take too much spicy food and overwork yourself just to please others. Your body is a shrine and your mind is a temple. Take good care of it and learn to say no and insist on disagreeing even if you are afraid to hurt a loved one. Chances are, your loved one may never see you again.


Heatstroke

THINGS NOT TO DO WHEN HAVING A HEATSTROKE

Sleep
- Most people may not know this, but sleeping during a heatstroke will cause you to wake up in the afterworld. You can rest, but do it with your eyes open.

Bath
- You can sprinkle yourself with water at room temperature, but never do so with cold water or even bath during a heatstroke.

Take Shots
- If you go to a doctor, do not attempt to take injections. Taking injections will result in imminent death.

Lying down on the floor
- Yeah, you will die.