You Know You Love Me

Jaguh Kampung

2012-01-27T19:02:00.000Z

They call in 'jaguh kampung' a.k.a the 'village champion' meaning the kind of person who can only succeed in that one place, in their comfort zone; meaning the kind of person who will never succeed outside of the confines of the village borders.

I don't want to be that person.

That disturbing feeling that you will never amount to all that people expect you to be.

Before/ After

2012-01-27T11:09:00.001Z

"Every generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it." -George Orwell-

"Every girlfriend imagines herself to be hotter than the one than went before her, and wayyy hotter than the one that comes after her." -Jas-

;)

Have a lovely weekend, I'm off to London for a belated CNY reunion with awesome friends.

I Hate Everything

2012-01-26T00:42:00.001Z

You know what makes it reallllyyy hard to hate a person? Like reallllyyyy reallllyyyy hard? Facebook. More specifically the Facebook wall. A post from a doting parent, admiring friends, a devoted spouse/ lover... Knowing that at least one person in this world loves them just kind of takes the steam out of things. Because no matter how awful or annoying or just generally non-functional you may think they are, someone somewhere cares about them! (And would report you to the police if you did something bad to them) It kinda puts things into perspective... I mean, aside from the wrench it throws into the elaborate schemes you've cooked up in your twisted, twisted mind... it makes you think that maybe, just maybe, if you could get over yourself that you're missing something.

Maybe.

Sigh... growing up is no fun at all. I much prefer the days of self-righteous angst.

Everyday I'm Shuffling!!

2012-01-24T15:10:00.000Z

Ok, probably everyone has seen this but if you haven't, its about time you did!! This ought to keep you company whilst I go enjoy my own little substitute reunion dinner with frozen fishballs, tom yam paste and good friends. Of course, the latter isn't very tasty so they shan't be going in the pot.

Wherever You Are

2012-01-23T15:06:00.001Z

You don't know, you can't know, not really. Not until you're far away from home on Chinese New Year, nary a firework nor CNY tune to be heard much less the sound of family; you know that sound, the TV running in the background, mahjong tiles clinking, children running and laughing, and always, always the constant chatter about anything and everything (and everyone) interrupted only by the crunching of CNY cookies. Its always noisy. Even in the early hours of the morning there is no real silence; the dishes call out to be washed because there are always dishes to be washed if you're always eating, the old house creaking and groaning under the weight of all its occupants, the joss stick smoldering silently on the altar as your grandparent's watch you grow up from the portrait on the wall... And there's a certain kind of peace in all the noise, one that you don't appreciate until suddenly everything around you is quiet.

CNY 2009

"You won't understand but you will learn someday, that wherever you are and whatever you face, these are the people who make you feel safe in this world..." -White Wine In The Sun, Tim Minchin-

And with that I say, Happy Chinese New Year everyone... wherever in this world you may be.

"I'm A Biochemist"

2012-01-18T22:46:00.005Z

When did we become so drained? So empty? Scrambling for scraps of some elusive feeling, any feeling. I feel that as we are channeled down this funnel of specialization, we are losing something. All our lives we are told that there is one path to happiness and that path is success and the road to success is hard work.

Story of my life: I got my straight A's in PMR and I went to the Science stream like any self-respecting student does, I got my A's in all my sciences doing especially well in Biology, I went to IB and excelled at Biology and Chemistry and so I applied to Oxford to do Biochemistry. It seems so logical. That's exactly it isn't it? Seems logical - one day you wake up and you realise that everything in your life has been logical, right, structured... scripted.

I thought university was meant to diversify us but instead its turning us all into... specialists. And I say that like its a bad thing, though its probably not. Our capitalist economy requires specialisation to thrive and survive. In essence I suppose it is a kind of specialization so perhaps I should say, I thought university would diversify me. But here I am, surrounded by 3 textbooks on immunology staring at an essay of the same topic having come from a lecture on exactly that. And 4 hours later, here I will be.

All I'm saying is that I've never felt more diversified than when I was in high school doing dance and bead-making and amateur photography and playing football of all things, when I could speak (relatively) intelligently on all things instead of just the life cycle of bacteria. I thought being able to say "I'm a biochemist." would be the best thing ever... but its not when its the only thing you can say. Maybe it'd be better to be a Buddhist monk/ adventure travel writer or play in a punk band for children, to quote HIMYM.

What's the point? Maybe I'm jaded, maybe I'm bored, maybe I need to keep working on my Spanish, maybe I need to try another different thing for the summer, maybe I need to stop feeling early panic for finals in 5 months and for the future and the question "WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE?"

But I'm just thinking aloud really.

Oh, Irony

2012-01-18T22:46:00.002Z

Wicked

2012-01-16T19:39:00.003Z

Watched Wicked with some of my best friends ever last week and twas awesome.

Can't stop listening to the soundtrack. Check out some of my favourite songs.

"I don't know if I've been changed for the better, but because I knew you, I have been changed for good."

Zero To Sixty

2012-01-16T19:36:00.000Z

Oxford doesn't believe in starting slow, or easing into things, or going easy on you.

I Choose You

2012-01-09T15:54:00.001Z

(Pikachu?) <-- You will get this if you had an awesome childhood.

When we're teenagers, we fancy ourselves terrible misunderstood; living these tragic, dramatic lives - every parental rebuke, sibling argument, BFF fight and break up becomes the stuff of prime time TV series and many an emo moment. And I get it, I do, because its so much more poetic to be a misunderstood martyr, a tragic hero/heroine. But then we grow up and suddenly that all seems very silly.

Happiness is not happenstance, its not governed by fate or luck (influenced perhaps) but by choice. So I think the average person can choose to be happy. You've just got to stop making those bad choices that deep down you know will never end well - stop fighting over things that don't matter just because you don't want to lose, stop asking someone for more than they can give only to be disappointed, stop stopping short because you're afraid. Because at some point in your life you have to stop feeling sorry for yourself and say "Damn it, I deserve to be happy."

So I made a choice, because...

"Damn it, I deserve to be happy."

Happy Birthday =)

Happy Happy Birthday

2012-01-08T23:45:00.000Z

Pictures of JJ's birthday cake which yours truly baked from scratchhh. Orange blossom cheesecake with pomegranate honey and candied orange slices. Recipe here. I really like this lady's recipe blog, she goes about her recipes in a very scientific manner! You have no idea the begging, borrowing ~~and stealing~~ that had to go into the making of this cake. When your boyfriend's birthday is the day after New Year's, it makes for much inconvenience.

Tada! Took over 6 hours to make.

Sparkler candles =D

Handmade birthday card.

Imma regular Martha Stewart! Anyway, not got much to blog about these days. Term starting in a week, time to kick into gear =/

Resolutions

2012-01-05T13:55:00.001Z

You know what, I don't believe in New Year's Resolutions. I think if you really want to do something you should just get on with it instead of talk about what you're going to do at some point; no matter what day of the year it is.

Why Hello There

2011-12-31T23:59:00.000Z

The last post of the year will be a scheduled one because I'm currently in La Tasca at the Oxford Castle counting down with friends and strangers, sipping cava and eating grapes (Spanish tradition says you should eat 12 grapes, one for every month of the next year for good luck)

The end of the year is always bitter sweet - 2011, you've been good to me and I'll be sad to see you go. But we can't live in the past. And I can't wait to see what wonders 2012 has in store.

Happy New Year everyone! And whereever you are in the world, I hope you're having a good time with wonderful food and even better people who love you. I'll see you in 2012.

Moments Of 2011

2011-12-31T10:01:00.006Z

What a difference a year makes.

2010

2011

Some years its the hair, some years its the face, some years its something completely imperceptible - you gain some, you lose some. Every year adds a new facet, a new dimension, a new wrinkle (or two). Every year is about something new.

This year has very much been about... in a word, adventure. My goal for the year was to travel to at least 5 new countries (Check, btw) which might sound shallow and flaky but I don't think it is. This year has been about going new places, seeing new things, doing new things, meeting new people and in what may seem like a cliche, expanding my horizons. Its trite but its true because I don't think we can really appreciate the scope of our world lest we continue to test our boundaries. I mean, two years ago, my world was Penang and a little bit. Never in my wildest dreams could I imagine where my life would take me, and not for lack of trying mind you.

I think we start off with an idea - the vaguest one, of what we expect and what we hope to achieve. I think we then subsequently set out to disprove them all. And this is how the year started out for me. I never dreamed I would do half the things I did; even when I was right there doing them I could hardly believe it. In fact, this thought occurred to me several times throughout the year - standing at the very top of an ancient Mayan pyramid, playing with sea anemones at the bottom of the ocean or just walking down the streets of Oxford and looking up at the dreaming spires; "How in the world did this happen?" But the reassuring thing is that that question is usually followed by the answer "I don't really know how but I'm glad it did."

I mean, don't get me wrong, I don't live my life in a constant state of bewilderment (contrary to popular belief) but its nice to know that I can still surprise myself. I think that's important, doing not only the things you set out to do but also the things you never dreamed of in a million years.

I hardly think my life is perfect but so far, I think I've been very lucky; in this year, in my life in general. And you know what, I don't really know how it happened, but damn, am I glad it did.

So there you have it, the expected and unexpected Moments of 2011, in no particular order:

Moments of 2011

And I think I've said enough for now.

Come, 2012 beckons.

Winter Wonders: Food!

2011-12-30T19:31:00.000Z

There was so much awesome new food on this trip that I just had to share.

In Munich, dining at Marienplatz, the Augustiner Bierhaus:

Beef goulash which is a rich stew served with potatoes in the background. And a sausage platter with all the different kinds of German sausage. With mash potato and sauerkraut (fermented cabbage - tastes kinda like kiam chai) Simple but delicious.

Dining at yet another Augustiner establishment. The ever famous God's favourite beer. And a pork knuckle with potato dumpling. Yeap, that big yellow ball is a dumpling. I was so confused when I saw it =S A bit chewy for my taste though. Maybe I'm a potato purist. Is there such a thing? Well, if there was, I'd be it.

This is already in Prague at Restaurant U'Sadlu - a medieval style banquet hall complete with a mounted hog's head and faux fur pelts.

Traditional Czech garlic soup described by my very own Masterchef critic as having "A very complex flavour." But check it, its nice.

Traditional Czech roast duck with Marovian cabbage. Again, I have to mention how frigging cheap Prague is! Two gigantic mains, two soups, 3 drinks and only £20 for the whole meal.

Restaurant Hatelsky Dedek. Beef goulash with white bread dumpling which frankly just tastes like bread, except slightly softer I suppose.

A delicious skewer of what was called devil's pork meat.

Here it is just casually being set on fire. Epic.

Traditional Czech crumpets with plum jam and sour cream. Absolutely amazing. Although I'm quite sad I didn't get to try the Czech fruit dumplings which are also a big thing.

Did however try apple strudel which is a big thing both in Prague and Munich. Yummy but I can't tell the difference between it and apple pie.

And now, street food: (abundant due to the Christmas markets)

Old Prague Ham

Kaloste - sausages

Tredelnik! This lovely bun which is hollow on the inside, coated with cinnamon sugar on the outside and grilled.

Its a big thing and costs only 50p each!

And of course, the staple food of both countries: Beer. The big brand in Prague is Pilsner and Budweiser which are quite familiar as it is.

Anyway, this post has made me super hungry so its off to dinner now.

Winter Wonders: Prague

2011-12-30T18:41:00.000Z

Prague was an absolutely gorgeous city and my first venture into Eastern Europe. And let me tell you, I will definitely be going back. A pint of beer for £1? Seriously? An entire 3 course meal for like £5? More on this later. Now, for the sights and sounds:

Unfortunately, when we went, their first president, Vaclav Havel had just passed away. This is the queue of people lining up to see his casket before the funeral. The queue stretched all the way from inside the castle onto the road. People were very upset and if you heard his story you would see why. Vaclav Havel was a dissident playwright turned freedom fighter/ rebel turned first president. He helped free Chezchoslovakia from the communist regime, subsequently retired following the loss of Slovakia but was re-elected as the first president of the Czech Republic.

And so, December 23rd was declared the national day of mourning. There was a nationwide minute of silence where air sirens were sounded. (Had me worried for a little while) Flags were flown at half mast, a black flag flew over Prague castle and memorials like this were found throughout the city. There were banners and posters on some of Prague's most famous building and even an ad that was featured on every advertising board in the city.

Unfortunately, that also meant most of the key national buildings ie. tourist sights were closed. This was taken from the National Museum at Wenceslas Square (one of Prague's main squares). But I don't mind. We got to see the funeral of a great man and leader.

This is the St. Vittus Cathedral on the grounds of Prague Castle where Havel lay in state for several days before his funeral. Its Prague's oldest cathedral I believe and one of their most important.

The back of Prague castle. Prague castle is not like other palaces I've seen, its more of a collection of discreet buildings in different styles than the medieval type castle I expected considering Prague's history.

A very serious looking guard offset by a cheery Christmas tree.

Speaking of Christmas, the Christmas market in the Old Town Square (Starometske Namesti) was sublime! The square itself has its origins in the 12th century and is home to some of Prague's most beautiful sights in almost every style imaginable - Romanesque, Baroque, Gothic. That's the Church of Our Lady before Tyne in the background, another very very old church, the entrance of which is occluded by the buildings around it.

And check out this gorgeous Christmas tree. You can't see it in this picture but they had these blue rods running up and down the branches so you could see little blue lights going down the tree like snowfall.

The famous Prague Astronomical Clock at the Old Town Hall Tower is another famous sight at the Old Town Square. It has the 12 signs of the zodiac on it and has spawned many a tourist souvenir. Naturally, I bought one =D

The extremely pretty Municipal House. The premier Art Nouveau building in Prague, currently a concert hall but it has a long and prominent history. It was built on the site of the former Royal Court Palace and was the site of the proclamation of independence of Czechoslovakia.

Its right next to Powder Tower, one of the original entrances to the Old Town where Bohemian kings would apparently start their procession. So named because in the 1700s it was used to store gunpowder.

And now, my favourite site in Prague: Charles Bridge which connects the Lesser Town (Mala Strana) to the castle. Its arguably Prague's most famous landmark and you can see why. When you're on the bridge, everywhere you turn is pretty as a picture. At any time of day.

At dusk overlooking the castle

At twilight - waiting for the sun to rise

The sun rising behind the clouds and the Lesser Town in the background

Perfect for photographing people too.

And couple shots. (Self timer ftw. Other tourists take terrible pictures.)

AND TURTLES! Yes, Tuddles was in Munich and Prague. So, at the risk of being punny. See you on the flip side.

Winter Wonders: Neuschwanstein

2011-12-28T20:07:00.000Z

Day 4 found us in the town of Fussen, the village closest to the castle of Neuschwanstein. We took a tour from Viator (in conjunction with Radius Tours at Munich Hauptbanhof) - if you're planning to do it, take my advice, don't. Its a rip off - £30 for absolutely nothing. The tour guide was completely incompetent and/or inexperienced. Neither one of which made for a very pleasant experience.

The story: The tour promised a small group trip to the castle with, as the tour guide said '4 hours in and around the castle.' All lies. There were 40 people in the tour BUT it was split into 2 groups of 20 each so yeah, maybe in some world's that's considered small. Either way, the tour guide brought us all the way to the back to the smallest possible carriage (Incompetent? Inexperienced?) where we clearly all couldn't fit so 5 of us were separated to the next carriage, a sad little bicycle carriage ie. for people who bring bicycles/ prams, etc. Of course, this was also the gathering point for people who had no seats so I spent the whole ride with my eyes at crotch level of several people. Anyway, when we got there, the tour said it would be 'skip the line'. Pah, its not skip the line if the guide goes in a separate queue to buy tickets leaving you to wait outside in the cold for 30 minutes. THEN our guide decided that we should go eat lunch at a separate place from the other group because he 'doesn't like the other place'. No questions asked, no choices given. When two ladies who were lost stumbled upon us and asked us where the other group was, the guide said Hotel Muller and subsequently pointed them in the wrong direction. He said "he's not sure because he doesn't go there much." The rest of us however, could tell them where it is (next to the ticket office). (Incompetent? Inexperienced?) Anyway the 4 hours in and around the castle, also a lie - 1 hour spent at the crappy, overpriced restaurant he brought us to, 1 hour spent climbing up and down the mountain, 1 hour spent actually inside (crappy separate tour that we had to pay for ourselves; 20 minutes with 50 people practically running through the castle, 40 minutes spent fighting off crowds at the souvenir shops and toilets) and that final hour? We weren't going to get it because the tour guide wanted to get back in time to lead another tour. We however, weren't going to put up with that kind of awful treatment anymore and relieved him of a train ticket so we could back in our own time. Only to find out that each individual ticket cost them only 6Euros for all transport (Bavaria ticket) ie. less than 1/5th of what we paid for. So again, if you're thinking it'll be hard to get to Neuschwanstein by yourself - don't. Get a Bavaria ticket, reserve admission early and safe yourself trouble, money and wrinkles.

But nonetheless, a horrible guide shall not ruin a beautiful place so here are the pictures:

Neuschwanstein is a 19th century castle built by King LudwigII of Bavaria as a homage to Richard Wagner, famous composer and playwright. Rumour has it that the king swung for the other team. Now, LudwigII is a very interesting man. He was known as Mad King Ludwig, best known as an eccentric who commissioned the building of various art theaters, opera houses and fairytale castles (Neuschwanstein being the most famous). Case in point, in the first floor there is an artificial cave. Just because. But, despite being somewhat off his rocker, he was well loved and he did establish Munich as a centre of art and culture. This castle was the inspiration for Disney's Sleeping Beauty castle.

But its of particular interest to me because when I was younger I had this book called The Book of Everything or something like that (the cover had been torn off ages ago) with comics at the bottom of the page and stories (?), well text, told in a story like manner accessible to young children about stuff like Leonardo Da Vinci, Roman emperors, the Sargasso sea, the Bermuda Triangle, etc AND Mad King Ludwig and Neuschwanstein. That was one of my favourites and I read that book cover to cover like a hundred times. It was kinda like an encyclopedia (read a lot of those too)... I was a sad child like that #foreveralone wtf.

Ok ok, I promise, less talking now:

This is Hohenschwangau, King LudwigII's childhood home. He built his fairytale castle overlooking this. Isn't that cute?

Horse drawn carriage to the top, gorgeous scenery. An option to consider if you don't deal well with slippery roads.

Said slippery road.

It snowed so much, the fire hydrants had little caps on them, twas cute - looked like a Santa hat.

Baby snowman!

Real life christmas tree, can you see the little twinkly lights?

And that's all for now.

Winter Wonders: Nuremberg

2011-12-27T22:22:00.000Z

On Day 3, we ventured out to Nuremberg, a little city north of Munich with a long history extending back to the middle ages but is probably most famous for its role in the Holocaust, both as the place for the Nazi Party Rally Grounds (including Nuremberg rallies and the anti-Semitic Nuremberg Laws) and subsequently as the site of the famous Nuremberg trails. This is the documentation centre or dokumentationszentrum (Reichsparteitagsgelande). Yeah, quite a mouthful but fortunately the tourist centre was very helpful and tram no.9 takes you directly from the station to the centre. We travelled on the Bavaria ticket (brilliant little thing, more on this in another post)

The one thing you have to admire about the German's is the way they deal with their somewhat less-than-stellar past. They even have a word for it, and of course, its a long one. Its 'vergangenheitsbewaltigung' which is actually two words in one. Vergangenheit means the past whereas Berwaltigung means coming to terms with or mastering. In short it means the struggle to come to terms with an undesirable past mostly in terms of the Holocaust. Do they hide it? Try and forget it? Embrace it?

Remember that quote at the bottom of all our sejarah books? "Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it." - Geroge Santayana. Well, I think the German's believe in that and they try and educate their children about the past rather than hide from it or put a spin on it like some countries *coughcough* so that they understand it and know how to keep it from happening again. And their memorials are done very... tastefully. Like the bronze cobblestones on Shirker's Alley - there's no plaque, no explanation but you can easily find out what it is online. Its a memorial as silent and subtle as those who walked those streets in rebellion.

Our guide also pointed out things like how sometimes you will see 3 holes in the wall where the Nazi swastikas had been removed but the holes left as a reminder, or how you would see a large ledge that makes you think "Something should be there." and something was there once, a large Nazi eagle. And she mentioned how a lot of old Nazi buildings were converted into Nazi spaces and apartments and she lives in one of them. And just above her door, if you look up, you can see a Nazi eagle. But people don't look up at doorways too often so its there but its not in your face. And I think we have to admire the germans for their vergangenheitsberwaltigung.

Anyway, perhaps we shall move onwards. More pictures, less talking. The Nuremberg Imperial castle which offers fine views of the city.

And now, some lovely Christmas market snapshots. Nuremberg has one of the prettiest ones in the world.

Its set in the main square, the Hauptmarkt, which offers a fantastic backdrop with its cathedrals and this; The Beautiful Fountain which is surrounded by the Nuremberg Ring. You're supposed to rub it for good luck but because of all the stalls we couldn't reach it. Oh well, no luck for me then.

And all the stalls are such a delight: traditional sweets.

Lebkuchen - a German gingerbread cookie.

Marzipan with a twist. Look at the far right corner, you can see bratwurst marzipan and potato marzipan!

Gorgeous handmade ornaments making me wish I had my very own Christmas tree.

And you have to give the German's credit for their love of alcohol - at any time of the year. This is not uncommon, large temporary stalls with fireplaces inside where you can enjoy mulled wine or hot punch. They're basically portable bars.

Here we are enjoying a lovely warm mug of mulled wine. And yes, I bought the boot-shaped mug. And once again, cheers!

Winter Wonders: Munich

2011-12-26T20:54:00.000Z

Munich was absolutely gorgeous. And reminded me surprisingly of the German part of Switzerland. Perhaps that isn't too surprising in retrospect but I was slightly surprised at how familiar some things seemed. I even remembered some German words from my Swiss trip last year! Although that wasn't too useful because everyone speaks English. Anyway, sights and sounds:

Pictured above is the Glockenspiel or the New Town Hall in the main square of Marienplatz. At 11am and 12 noon every day, it chimes, much to the delight of tourists down below. Now you might be wondering why only 11 and 12, well... the guide explained that its because its not automated. They still need a guy to run up and down the stairs and push a button that says GLOCKENSPIEL GO! GO! GO! (Ok, it probably doesn't say that but you get the idea) So yeah, some times its early, some times its late, some times (read: Oktoberfest) it doesn't go at all.

Funny story about the New Town Hall. This is the Old Town Hall which is newer than the above New Town Hall. Because they built the new one, than the old one burnt down so they rebuilt it. Apparently the people of Munich do not like change.

On the left is another famous building, the Frauenkirche, a cathedral with two green, onion-shaped domes (second one is covered in scaffolding). Munich building regulations state no building in the city centre can be taller than those two towers.

Since the other one is under construction, I shall show you this picture of a rather creative Gluhwein (mulled wine) stall instead!

Anyway, this is inside the church. Up above, the architects who built it sculpted figures of themselves into the ceiling so they could forever watch over their creation. This is a reconstruction cause most of the cathedral was destroyed during WWII.

Check this out, the devil's footprint. There's a cool story behind this: They say the devil helped build this church. It is said that he made a deal with the builder to help complete the church within 20 years on the condition that it contain no windows. This was virtually unheard of at that time, most builders would never see their churches complete within their lifetime. However, the builder tricked the devil by positioning the columns so the windows were not visible from the foyer where the devil stood. When the devil discovered he had been tricked, he couldn't enter the consecrated church so he could only stand in the foyer and stomp his foot.

Of course, the lamer version is that the architect was so proud of his church he left his footprint there.

Viktualienmarkt, just off of Marienplatz. A wonderful place to procure sausages (Omg, the sausages *salivates), fruits, cheeses and of course, beer. In the summer they run a beer garden which features one of the 6 Munich brews in rotation. The Munich favourite is Augustiner which can run out within 2 weeks. The least favourite is Sparten which can stay on the menu for up to 2 months.

Interesting tidbit about Augustiner. Because the current pope is from Munich, that is naturally his favourite beer as well. They refuse to import it anywhere but to the Vatican City, they love it that much. And because it's the pope's favourite beer, it quite naturally has to be God's favourite beer! So it is claimed.

Max-Joseph Platz. A view of the Munich Opera House overlooked by King Maximillian who apparently did not like this statue of him being all kingly but when his son took over, the last thing he wanted was his dad's statue inside the palace so he put it there.

The road to Odeonplatz.

A gorgeous yellow church, Theatinerkirche. You know how I said the people don't like change? Well, I was slightly wrong. They don't mind change as long as everyone agrees on it. Last year a poll was put out to try and decide what new colour this church should be painted. Options ranged from daffodil to mustard.

The Field Marshall's hall (Feldherrnhall) with two lion statues. The one with the mouth open faces the palace and represents freedom of speech against the government. The one with the mouth closed faces aforementioned yellow church and represents silence in the face of religion.

During the Nazi reign, a memorial plaque was erected here to honour fallen Nazi soldiers. All those who passed had to salute it or be punished.

To avoid this, some people would walk through this alley behind the square just to avoid the place altogether. This small rebellion is remembered by the bronze cobblestones. This street is Vicardigasse but it is more commonly known as Shirker's Alley (Drueckebergergasse)

Right next to Odeonplatz was the Royal Christmas Market. This is in addition to the main Christmas Market at Marienplatz and many other little ones around town. Munich Christmas Markets are amazing. So bright and colourful and bigggg. That's me savouring some warm eggnog. Perfect for a cold day. Oh, they give you the drinks in these lovely glasses and cups right but you have to pay a deposit in case you make off with the cup! Its usually about 2 Euros.

Ok, last sight I promise. This is the English Garden which despite my doubts, is gorgeous even in winter time.

A little Chinese style pavilion which shows that the English garden is all accepting. Its built on quite a steep slope which is used as a ramp during winter time. The surrounding trees are padded with hay bales to act as safety cushions! How awesome is that?

Speaking about awesomeee... Yes, he's surfing... Don't even ask me why.

Anyway, that's enough ramble for now. I leave you with a picture of me lunching at Augustiner Bierhaus. Drinking God's favourite beer! Cheers!

P.S. All my Munich knowledge came from a lovely free tour I took with a lady named Liz who studied German History is part of her degree in English and German. This was with the company NewEuropeTours which I highly recommend.

Stay Tuned

2011-12-25T14:18:00.000Z

BACK! Munich and Prague were both awesome. Now pardon me while I prepare Christmas dinner. Updates shall follow shortly.

Bis Gleich!

2011-12-18T10:02:00.000Z

Off to Munich and Prague for a short getaway. Terribly excited about some Christmas markets! There's just something warm and lovely about them - sipping hot chocolate, playing with little trinkets, listening to carols... all under the light of a gorgeous Christmas tree. And Prague is meant to have an excellent one. Regular posting will resume shortly.

Accordion Card

2011-12-17T12:40:00.000Z

In case anyone wanted to try making these multi-faced uber-cute accordion cards, I thought I'd just tell you how I did it. Its really simple and very fun to decorate. A lady at a scrapbook shop described it to me within 2 minutes.

1. Take a piece of 12x12 cardstock.

2. Draw 3x3 squares on the card.

3. Score the vertical lines so they'll be easy to fold. I used one of those sharp steel rulers my parents used to warn me not to play with which are probably a health violation in the UK. In which case I suppose a pen knife or the tip of a pair of scissors will do. Just don't cut the card!

4. You should get 4 rows of 4 squares each. Cut out the rows, overlap the ends and stick. If its too long for you then use only 3 rows. That's what I did.

5. Then you can play around with stickers, stamps, ribbons and tons of stuff really. Scrapbooking is so versatile so you know, go crazy #nolife.

I got tons of ideas from just looking at pictures of other people's scrapbooks online. If anyone is wondering how I made the letters, I didn't have any stamps #cheapskate so I used dry rub on transfer letters I got from the bookstore. WHSmith to be precise.

You Fall Within A Bell Curve

2011-12-16T21:22:00.000Z

I think its amazing that he has a wife who would appreciate this song he wrote for her. It makes you laugh and go "Awww..." all at once. It is a love song, make no mistake. And its one of the good ones!

You might disagree but you wanna know the truth? All that saccharine sweetness of "I love you honeydarlingbaby, you are the most awesome/amazing/fantastical person in the world, without you I would die, my life wasn't complete before I met you, I would scale the highest mountains for you, lalalala" is well... quite frankly bull. For one, its probably not true. I've had boys say that to me; the good and bad about boys is that they'll tell you anything you want to hear. Sometimes because, as our parents continually warned us, they just want one thing. Sometimes because it shuts us up.

But the truth is while most boys say they'll scale the highest mountains for you, they won't even stop to pick up tampons from Boots on the way home. Also, you can be assured that you are not the most awesome/amazing/fantastical person in the world.

Because I am.

But yeah, it doesn't make sense that people get upset when their boyfriends lie to them (about checking out other girls, about how much they really spent on that new gadget, about canceling their WoW subscriptions, etc.) when they encourage their boyfriends to lie all the time. "Yes, honey you are the most beautiful girl ever. No, you are not fat. Of course I like your mother/ gay best friend/ extremely gossipy best friend, etc."

I think Tim Minchin has got the right idea. Be with someone witty, someone who has a (well-timed) sense of humour, someone who makes you laugh. Because all that other stuff - good looks, nice body, money.. they all fade away in time.

But comedy oranges last forever.

P.S. Yes, I do think its sexist and condescending (for men and women alike) to think that girls should be shy, demure wilting flowers who blush when someone tells a crude joke and giggle if someone says penis.

Good Or Bad?

2011-12-15T02:20:00.001Z

Food for thought: Read this story here.

In it, Anthony McGowan asks us if we're the heroes or the villians in our stories. For the most part, in all our recollections we all like to think we are the good guys, fighting the noble cause that nobody understands. This could apply to any instance of dictatorship, religious warfare, etc. that we've seen throughout history. Or rather, something very much on a smaller scale, but ever so personal. And he tells such a story, in which he relates how despite being a nerd, he once joined in the schoolyard bullying of an unfortunate child which made him, to this guy at least, a bad guy.

See, I don't think his situation is unique, I think we all do this. High school is not as tame as one might think, the pressure to conform, the pressure to fit in, the pressure to receive that stamp of 'cool', that nod of approval from your friends... I get it. I've been there. And done things like that. We all have, or maybe we haven't and you are better people than I am. I'd like to think of myself as the good guy but inevitably in some stories, you will be the bad guy. Depending on who does the telling of course. Does doing bad things make you a bad person? Some might disagree. But that's a whole other topic for another day.

Instead, I leave you with this: We are not all as faultless as we imagine ourselves to be. As they say, the flaws that most annoy us about others are merely our own reflected back to us.

Open Sesame

2011-12-15T00:59:00.003Z

Interview season at Oxford is just about over. No more nervous applicants pacing the college halls, running around town trying to get to college interviews. So it seems like an alright time to say this.

So many aspiring juniors have asked me, "What's the secret for getting into Oxford?" And I'm going to say it now, there is no secret. Or at least, if there is one, I'm not privy to it. There is no secret formula, no hidden password, no 'Open Sesame' that will open the Oxford gates. Quite unlike the Lord of the Rings/ Harry Potter no Elvish need be spoken nor blood be shed. Perhaps the first step is to stop thinking that there is one, a secret that is. To be quite honest, I don't like the kind of people who look for 'tips' on getting in as though the admissions people have a little checklist they tick off, as though its SPM all over again and if you just get the keywords, you'll get the points.

I don't think its alright for them to send me their personal statements to correct in the hopes that I can help them find those magical words. Because I don't know them. The personal statement itself has become so impersonal with the hundreds of hands it passes through before it gets to the admissions tutor to the extent that there are now entire companies who just write them for you. In what may have been a move of utter stupidity, I sent my personal statement off without getting it vetted by anyone - parents, friends or teachers. But I think a personal statement should be just that, personal.

Also, I don't think Oxford as a university would succeed very much if they just took in the same type of people all the time. The truth is, all Oxford candidates are very similar - they all have the A's, the impressive track record, the desire, the motivation and it baffles me as much as any other what criterion exactly cause some to make it and some to not. I don't think I'm particularly special, particularly different from other Oxford candidates. I wouldn't say I was the clear choice. A funny story said Oxford dons used to just throw all the applications on the floor and the ones that landed face up, were given an Oxford offer. Perhaps the real process isn't that far from the truth, because it feels just as random. And I think that's the only real piece of advice I can ever give anyone is.

Think aloud. Voice out your thoughts. People want to know you can think, contribute, discuss and make conclusions in a logical manner. You don't necessarily have to be right all the time. If you knew all the answers, you wouldn't have to go to university.

Po-tay-to. Po-tah-to.

2011-12-12T14:38:00.000Z

Potatoes are the most awesome vegetable/ root tuber ever. So versatile and tasty. This is the potato petition:

Potatoes are better at representing love than the current symbol of the flower. There are a lot of reasons why potatoes excel at this. The first reason is that roses only last a couple weeks and that's if you leave them in water. That's like saying "My love for you is transitory". But a potato! Potatoes last for a long time. In fact, not only will they not rot, but they actually grow stuff even if you just leave them in the sack! That part alone makes it a good symbol. But wait, there's more! There are so many ways to enjoy a potato! You can even make a battery with it! That's like saying: "I have many ways in which I show my love for you". Flowers really only exist to be pretty so that's like saying: "My love for you is based solely on your appearance". Potatoes may be ugly, but they're still awesome. So that's like saying: "It doesn't matter at all what you look like, I'll still love you". For these reasons and more, we would like to see potatoes become the mainstream symbol for love and friendship.

So on Valentine's Day, anniversaries, birthdays, and ANY other gift giving occasion: save a flower, give a potato.

So lately I've been experimenting with some cooking and thus I present three useful and completely yummy ways to serve potatoes that does not involve the usual student staple of chips and cheese.

1. Mash

Ok, you might think this would be easy but its surprisingly difficult to get that perfect mash especially in a student kitchen with none of that fancy smancy potato masher stuff.

Ingredients:

1 large baking potato

2 tbps milk

2 tbps double cream

Salt and black pepper to taste

25g of butter (makes it slightly better but also way unhealthy so I skip this part)

Thyme (optional)

Method:

1. Peel potatoes. Cut into even sized chunks. Not too small, I cut them into eights.

2. Steam or boil until soft. Test with a fork, they should be soft all the way to the centre.

3. When they're done, drain and cover the pot for a few minutes to absorb some of the steam. Apparently this makes it better.

4. Add all the other ingredients and massshhh. I usually add the milk and cream slowly because depending on the exact size of the potato, you never know how much you need.

2. Rosti

Delicious Swiss staple, crispy on the outside and full of potato-ey goodness on the inside.

Ingredients:

1 large baking potato or 2 of the little ones (Charlotte, Vivaldi, etc.) I buy whatever is cheapest

1 shallot finely chopped (Replace with some onion if you have to, optional though)

2 cloves garlic crushed and finely shopped (Optional)

Salt and black pepper to taste

Butter for frying

1. Boil the potatoes over fast heat for approximately 5 minutes. Some people don't boil them first because while it does make the frying easier, it makes a grating a bit difficult as you will get a kinda pulpy texture. But I prefer this way. If you have the time you can keep them overnight in the fridge to make them easier to handle the way its apparently done in Switzerland.

2. Grate the potatoes with a coarse grater. I use a clean towel to soak up the moisture. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in shallots and garlic if using.

3. Heat the butter in the frying pan. Use low heat to avoid burning the rosti. Add mounds of the potato mixture and flatten with a spatula. Cook each side for 2-3 minutes until browned. Don't turn over until its browned because the whole thing will just fall apart.

3.Gratin (Individual portions)

These look really cute on a plate and taste fantastic. Although you can just make a whole load in a casserole dish.

Ingredients:

1 large baking potato

1/4 cup grated cheese

1/4 cup double cream

Salt and black pepper

1. Boil potatoes for approximately 5 minutes. Slice as thinly as possible.

2. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celcius.

3. Spray your muffin tin with vegetable spray. Not necessary if you have one of those silicone ones.

4. Layer potato slices and cheese in each muffin cup. Depending on how thick your slices are. I usually add one layer of cheese for every 2-3 layers of potato.

5. Season the cream with salt and pepper. Top each gratin off with 1-2 tbsps of the cream.

6. Cover with foil and bake for approximately 10 minutes

All recipes will serve roughly 2. Double up, triple up, etc. to feed more people. Enjoy!

Pictured: Gratin on the back right. Sorry if you can't see it on account of the fish.

Pictured: Mash in the centre topped with fish and rosti on the right with crispy spinach on the left.

Oh yeah, crispy spinach makes a great accompaniment to rosti. You need some oil for deep frying. Spinach cut up into tiny pieces. Sugar and salt to taste. And sesame seeds which are optional.

P.S. If anyone is wondering why all the dishes use the same stuff its because I bought the potatoes in a pack of 4 and everything else also came in packs and I had to think of ways to finish them.

Masterchef?

2011-12-09T23:40:00.000Z

As mentioned, I've been doing lots and lots of cooking lately on account of all the free time I suddenly find myself with making procrastinating that much more difficult BUT also because I've been following Masterchef: Professional quite avidly this season. All their fancy cooking on the show inspired JJ and I to venture forth and be creative. (Kind of) What you see above are the results of a cooking competition we had a week ago. Fish, spinach, potatoes, bacon, lemon and garlic was the order of the day.

My dish - Spinach fried with bacon topped with cod in garlic butter and a mini potato gratin.

JJ's dish - Panfried/ baked crispy cod with spinach, bacon and grilled potatoes.

This is not so Masterchef. And you are the judge! How fare we?

Also, expect to see very many recipes on here soon as I experiment more.

P.S. Just a filler, going down to London this weekend for parrtay =D

21

2011-12-08T15:58:00.000Z

Birthday lunch cooked by the most awesome boyfriend ever. Bacon wrapped white fish with steamed asparagus and mashed potatoes.

Birthday dinner by the most awesome friends ever!

Presents!

Many rounds of Carcasonne - the board game. The little people are called Meeples.

And German bridge!

21!

And that's how I turned 21.

20 Things of the 20th Year

2011-12-07T15:57:00.000Z

As of today, I'm officially 21. This year, I:

1. Ended my 2nd year at Oxford and subsequently half my degree.

2. Stood on top of the Swiss Alps and braved the Geneva water fountain (with an old friend). French macaroons, German bratwurst, American Nerds, Malaysian psychos - they had it all.

3. Greeted the new year at the London Eye.

4. Saw the better part of Spain - sunset from the Olympic stadium in Barcelona, Flamenco and bull fighting in Madrid, the mosques of Cordoba, the winding streets of Toledo, sherry in Jerez. Sublime.

5. Got to take my parents on holiday instead of the other way around.

6. My mum's dream vacation: seeing the tulips blooming in the Keukenhof.

7. Explored a great number of English castles - Hampton Court, Windsor (twice), Buckingham, St Michael's Mount. And Stonehenge. Which is not a castle but its anyone's guess what it is.

8. Woke up at 4a.m. to welcome the May morning.

9. Saw a boat burnnnn.

10. Hiked the Cornish coast (in ballerina flats no less) and made it to Land's End.

11. Finished my term as VP after a very fun year. And stayed on good terms with the President ;)

This was taken at our final event, a boat cruise down the river Isis. And no paddling for once.

12. Did something amazing for the summer.

13. Survived the most murderous country in the world, chicken buses and life in a convent. All with the help of a few good friends.

14. Walked amongst Mayan Ruins in Honduras.

15. Climbed a volcano in Guatemala.

16. Ran along a black sand beach in El Salvador.

17. Got my Open Water Diver's license after learning how to breathe underwater. And walk like a turtle.

18. Went places in Malaysia I'd never been before.

19. Celebrated 2 years with the best guy I know.

20. Turned 21.

She's So Lucky

2011-12-05T14:24:00.000Z

I sit here listening to Tim Minchin's "White Wine In The Sun", looking out my window as the last leaf falls. Winter is here. Term ended 3 days ago. The end of term is bitter sweet for me. It means some down time after a hectic 8 weeks, it means sleeping in on the weekdays and doing nothing on the weekends. But it also means that everyone leaves; parents come to bundle their children home for Christmas, people hug you goodbye and you wave them off as they leave, then you walk home in the cold. The streets are empty at night and the house is quiet.

People think we're lucky - to have the means and the opportunity. And they're right. We are lucky. My British friends are surprised when I tell them that most of us do expect to go overseas at 18. A lot of them have never made it out of the UK and have little intention to. So I guess in a sense we are lucky. We get to study at some of the best institutions in the world, holiday in Europe, etc. But then Christmas comes around, birthdays and Chinese New Year and you're sitting in your exorbitantly priced room drinking hot chocolate that just isn't Milo. Four years of no Christmas trees, no care packages, no ang pows. And you watch the snow falling outside and miss days when you thought snow was fluffy and fun. Let me tell you something about snow, its only fun for as long as its novel. And its no longer novel.

So to all those BTN-type people who bemoan our generation, who think we're awful for going away in the first place, and ungrateful for not wanting to come home; You think we would go away if we didn't have to? And you really think we wouldn't come home if we could? Let me tell you, I want to go home all the time.

Tomorrow I turn 21. I'm nine thousand miles from home. And I'm thinking of the people who are waiting for me in the sun.

Tim Minchin

2011-12-04T19:49:00.003Z

Last week my college husband introduced me to Tim Minchin and I've been listening to all his Youtube videos soon. He is amazing. His songs can be simultaneously sad and funny and insightful. And they're always beautiful. The piano playing is superb. Like the one below, one of my current favourites, White Wine In The Sun. One of his more melancholy ones but it describes exactly how I feel - about religion, about family, about being far away from home. When I hear it I think about Penang at Christmas and the people I love.

And if, my baby girl
When you're twenty-one or thirty-one
And Christmas comes around
And you find yourself nine thousand miles from home
You'll know what ever comes
Your brother and sisters and me and your Mum
Will be waiting for you in the sun

Also try Prejudice (UK people will find this especially funny) and Rock and Roll Nerd. Another reason to like him, he wrote the songs for Matilda the Musical which aside from being one of my favourite childhood movies, was also a brilliant musical adaptation. Oh and it might just be me but he totally reminds me of Johnny Depp. Not just the hair and the eyeliner but the demeanor in general is very Captain Jack Sparrow cum Sweeney Todd.

Snapshots

2011-12-04T15:01:00.001Z

Anniversary snapshots at Portabello restaurant up in Summertown. Lovely place, can't fault the service although the food I would say could use some improvement. Really yummy but lacking in other areas. Although they do look pretty in the pictures (Been watching Masterchef so I've turned into a super food critic). Anyway...

Monkfish tails with creamed wild mushrooms and sautéed potatoes.

Vanilla creme brulee with Dramboise raspberries

Half of my anniversary gift which I've been working on since summer. Best card I've ever made.

*proud* Will post on making accordion cards soon.

Half of his anniversary gift which he managed to sneakily hide despite my pestering. Oh the suspense =/

Two beautiful years - they've gone by so fast.

Here's to another year ahead =D

Excuse Me If I Spoke Too Soon

2011-12-02T19:12:00.000Z

"Why him?"

There are probably a hundred answers to that question but I think "I'm enough for him." just about sums it up.

See... My whole life I've dated guys who wanted me to be something more - more demure, more religious, more curvy, more willing and as one so succinctly put it "I wish you were less smarter"... And so I tried; I wore long skirts and spoke softly. I curbed the impulse to be sarcastic. I went to church. I wore a push up bra. (Not all at once..) Once, I even tried to stop using words that were 'too hard'. I laughed when it hurt, said yes when I disagreed and smiled as if it all didn't matter.

And you don't realise it when its happening but you're chipping off a piece here and adding on a piece there just to fit into this impression they made of you. Until one day they leave and you realise... you're not yourself anymore.

He lets me wear these baggy T-shirts with the funny sayings on them, say the most terrible, honest or just terribly honest things, wake up at noon, eat dinner while watching TV and hog the blanket. And for once in my life I'm not afraid to do all those perfectly normal, extremely unsexy things because I know he'll still love me in the morning.

2 years =)

Back To December

2011-11-30T22:27:00.000Z

December is many things; frost on your window, a chill in the air, Christmas decorations and hot chocolate with marshmallows. So many lovely things to look forward to - anniversary, end of term, 21st birthday, Christmas...

Hello, December.

I've been waiting for you.

See you soon.

Take What You Need And Be On Your Way

2011-11-29T21:20:00.000Z

The truth is, no one cares about you as much as they do about themselves.

And that's not sad or depressing or a bleak outlook on life. That's the truth. People, in general, just don't pay as much attention to you as you think they do. That zit just off the side of your nose, the slightly crooked fringe from that bad haircut, the little rip in your stocking at that annoying place just below your hemline - we spend our time obsessing over things like this, hoping people won't notice them while simultaneously drawing all the more attention to them by doing things like constantly checking our faces in the mirror, flicking our hair to one side, tugging on our hems. The truth is? People are too busy worrying about their own zits and their own hair and their own problems to care about yours. And maybe we should all just admit that we're not as special as we think we are.

Stop Crying Your Heart Out

2011-11-28T18:46:00.000Z

Continuing on from the last post:

We were taught to keep reaching, to never settle or rest on your laurels. We were taught to never compare ourselves to anything but the best, to strive to be the best and once we were the best, to test our own personal limits by continuously competing with ourselves.

In short, we were taught never to be satisfied. So why does it surprise people that that is what we've become?

Or Do You Still Wait For Me Dreamgiver?

2011-11-23T18:13:00.001Z

I've been mulling on this for a while but never finished it until today when I saw someone's Facebook status lamenting about exactly this. And it got me thinking, what if the Asian way doesn't always work? After all, we can't all be tiger cubs.

I always thought that someday I would be grown up and I would know what I wanted to do with my life, I would just know. But here I am, two weeks shy of 21 and pretty much 'all grown up' and still completely clueless. In retrospect it seems silly but I think its something a lot of us do isn't it?

My parents, and probably lots of other Asian parents always said that you study hard, you go to a good university and then you get a good job. The formula is straightforward and its simple. And maybe for them it was that simple. You know, before university started costing an arm, a leg and your soul, before pretty much everyone had a degree or two to wave around. Our parents got out of school and worked their way up. We've been told our whole lives that if we study hard now, we won't have to work so hard later. That probably isn't true. I think we've been raised as a very entitled generation, thinking that a piece of paper will put us straight out of college, where people have worked 10 years to get.

I hate to say they were wrong but we've lived this formula for 20 years of our lives - Since we were little we've sat still for music lessons, traded weekday afternoons for extracurriculars, given up Saturday morning cartoons for art class. And at an appropriate time, we gave it all up to focus on Science and Add Math like any self-respecting Asian student. Normal Math? Pshh.. We got our strings of A's and a resume longer than our arms. And maybe, just maybe we get to say that it doesn't always work.

Work hard. Good university. Good job.

The formula doesn't mention being happy because when you get a good job, its a given that you will be happy. Perhaps that's the mistaken assumption right there. Will you be happy? Really? After all the things you gave up to study hard and go to a good university and get a good job? I mean, this has resulted in a generation that lives their entire lives in anticipation of something more. Only to be disappointed when it doesn't come along. We've spent a long time waiting for our 'real life' to start. Maybe this is our real life.

Maybe it makes us what we should be, instead of what we could be in spite of what we want to be.

P.S. Don't worry Anonymous, this is just a thought. I'm quite happy. Term is ending and I'm eating roasted chestnuts as I type this.

Brand Building

2011-11-20T13:32:00.000Z

You know when you go onto all those company profiles and they talk about brand building? Really, who better to hire as a brand builder than people of our generation? We were there at the birth of social media, we saw the rise and fall of Friendster/ MySpace. We witnessed the birth of Facebook and its magnificent climb to the top where all social media thereafter clamoured to be. We saw the first Tweets, which undoubtedly were much less poignant than the actual act of tweeting itself. Long before we knew brand building was a thing, we stressed over the words to use to present ourselves, we spent sleepless nights trying to concoct a witty 140 word tweet to express our love of peanut butter toast, we were told to stay away from chatrooms and not post personal information more than we were told not to take candy from strangers. But my point is, through the constant barrage of sometimes unwanted attention brought on by having any sort of profile on any sort of social network, we have become masters in brand building. Or as they say, selling yourself. Which sounds really wrong now that I have typed it out...

Yeah, running through a whole slew of job applications right now. Hence this random thought. Also, you guys get that this is a parody right? I would like to state that I do not actually spend nights concocting tweets about peanut butter toast.

Enjoy the last bits of the weekend! I promise I'll be more coherent soon. Two more weeks till term ends!

Jelly Bellies

2011-11-14T21:01:00.000Z

I love this Kina Grannis video. So sad I missed her when she came down to London.

Notice anything strange about that video? Yeah, its made out of jellybeans.Except for Kina, although at some point she totally is made out of jelly beans. Check out how they did it, its so amazing:

I love her smile. I think its so pretty. Can you imagine the dedication and patience that must go into this? I'm in awe. And OMG, who doesn't love jelly belliieesss =O #easilyexcited. Also, you know why they call it jelly belly? Cause that's what happens if you eat all those jelly beans =D #lame.

The Day Just Gets Away From Me

2011-11-13T22:06:00.003Z

The view from outside my bedroom window today simply because today was a sunny day and we don't get very many of those anymore. The weekends seem to be extra short. I can't believe that in 2 hours it'll be Monday. Where did my weekend go? Made it through 5th week and the blues despite hectic 3 day 9a.m.-5p.m. labs where everything that could possibly go wrong did go wrong. Spectrometers, you are the bane of my life. College really stepped up with the bouncy castles, free yoga and fruit brunches on all week. Also, treated myself to a quick day trip down to London, a little sinful shopping at Jane Norman (perhaps its for the best that the Oxford branch closed down) and a lovely dinner at Hiroba. Sigh... the day just gets away from me. Right now trying to complete an essay on growth factors and the cell cycle. A psychologist just said to me "What? Biochemists write essays? Whatever for?" I wish I knew... I really wish I knew.

OH and to answer a question someone asked me a few days ago, yes I have spotted Emma Watson. Had to do a few double takes to be sure. Its quite surprising how normal celebrities look isn't it? You'd think they'd walk around looking extra shiny or something but they really don't. And then you realise, they really are just people.

Setting Feminism Back 100 Years

2011-11-13T21:37:00.001Z

I'm not really sure who they're trying to piss off here - feminists, other Muslims, Jews, Malaysians in general or what because they're sure doing it and more. Does nobody else find it contradictory that being an obedient wife is supposed to keep your husband from straying but part of being an obedient wife is to let him take more wives? Whether or not its sanctioned by a cert or a duty roster, only the first wife should count. Its offensive to me, the idea that a man would need four wives or anymore than one really. Look, its not hard and miles has been written about this already, so I'll just say it: One woman. One man. Its as simple as that. If we really are equal then that is how it should be.

Stereotype

2011-11-11T22:34:00.000Z

I'm Asian so I must be smart.

I don't have a religion so I must not have morals.

I blog so I must be attention seeking.

I go to Oxford so I must be a snob.

I'm a virgin so I must be a prude.

I speak my mind so I must be a bitch.

We've all done it haven't we? Thought something about people just because of what they look like. Because assuming things about people is just so much easier than actually getting to know them. Which is why I find social media so interesting. Its stalker potential aside, its extremely hard to hate people once you realize how much they're like you. Once you realize that for all that people have assumed of you, you've done the same to them. And perhaps there's nothing we can do about that, being hardwired as we are to stereotype. Perhaps all we can really do is be a little bit more forgiving of other people's shortcomings.

Love Has Surely Shifted My Way

2011-11-09T14:01:00.001Z

I am absolutely loving this video!

Running

2011-11-08T01:00:00.001Z

I think we're never quite as disappointed with ourselves than when we are in our 20s. This is when we're old enough to start caring but not quite old enough to stop. It is at this point that we are most aware of The Race. The race to get to the life we've always dreamt of. Graduate, get married, get a real job, etc... I think its true that we're raised quite differently from Western students. In Malaysia, we're for the most part, not told that we are special little snowflakes but instead that to better ourselves, we must constantly compare ourselves to other people. Although paradoxically, we're also always told whatever you can do, someone else can do it better. That as a consequence has translated into a kind of drive that only dissatisfaction can provide. And I think if we're not careful we become more dissatisfied than anything else.

I'm thinking maybe we don't give ourselves quite enough credit. We've spent our whole lives thus far rushing - When we were little kids, we couldn't wait to start high school and be teenagers. When we were teenagers we couldn't wait to be 18 - to be in college, be able to drive, be able to drink. When we were 18, we couldn't wait to be in university - freedom, adventure and 'finding ourselves'. I remember it all. I wanted it all. These days I can't wait to graduate and start a fresh exciting new life as an 'adult'. Its like I never learn. But as I read in this article on Thought Catalog - "The greedy maw of my ambition can wait to be fed while I try my best to do some actual living beyond the frantic grasp for success that is so common in my chosen profession.... In life there is only one finish line and when I think about it, I'm in no hurry to get there." And then you realise that this race everyone thinks they're in? It doesn't quite matter because we all wind up in the same place anyway.

The Truth Is -

2011-11-05T14:50:00.000Z

- that we are all afraid. I'm afraid. Of a lot of things. I'm afraid of heights, creepy noises in the dark, what happens after they start playing the music realll slow during horror movies. When I was little, I had an irrational fear of swimming because I was afraid the sea monsters in the deep end would eat me. (I was swimming in a country club swimming pool btw). I'm afraid of a lot of things, some with which you cannot identify but some which we all share - fear of pain, fear of failure, fear of rejection. But I'm most afraid of, what I think we should all be afraid of - is not trying. Because that means fear got the better of you.

In my blog header, I wrote "Life an extraordinary life." And that's all I want to do really. I think perhaps that this quote may be apt; "Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, talented, gorgeous or fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?"

Why Can't You See?

2011-11-04T20:31:00.003Z

I think this is such a good article (despite the rather misleading name):
http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-reasons-you-dont-miss-your-20s-when-theyre-over/

I especially liked the part where he said despite how hard you may have thought it all was, everything about the high school system was built to make it easier for you to succeed including giving you an award for perfect attendance (which I got 3 times btw) But like I keep trying to tell my brother; in university its not like that. In university, the reality of life catches up with you. Nobody actually takes attendance anymore. Nobody cares if you show up, nobody cares if you fail. Its on you buddy, the sudden realization that you have all this responsibility.

When I was in school my parents used to say "Your only responsibility is to study." And well, it was true. I was extremely privileged, some might even say pampered - a maid to do the household chores, parents to drive me tuition and extracurriculars and everywhere between here and the moon, my own room, a monthly allowance and a home-cooked meal every day if not twice a day. Coming to university was, surprising to say the least - I had to pick up my own groceries, cook my own meals, clean my own house, pay my own bills and just do everything that for years had been done for me. And guess what? Nobody gives you money for nothing anymore. You have to earn that stuff. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying its a bad thing.

Its just humbling to realize that for years and years your biggest problem was the teacher giving you too much homework - when all this time your parents were doing everything for you to make sure it was your only problem. I think it gives you a new perspective on life doesn't it? A new sense of wonder for how in the world your parents managed it all? When you've always had those things around you don't realize how good you had it and then you grow up and it hits you that unfortunately, fractions will not always be the biggest problem in your life and nobody gives a rat's ass if you fail or succeed. It's all on you. And you realize that even your parents forcing you to wake up early, nagging at you to do your homework even punishing you when you screwed up- all that was a godsend. And then you just want to go back and thump all those kids whining about differentiation and early curfews tell them "You've got it made. Why can't you see?"

J&J Collection

2011-11-01T14:40:00.000Z

The reason I have been ever so distracted and a really bad blogger;

J&J Collection - a website selling handmade bracelets and other bespoke jewelry by my sister and I. Launching today!

I'm terribly proud because despite being what some might call 'technologically inept' I've managed to create this website! Daww.. my baby.

Anyway, do check it out at: jandjcollection.weebly.com

We're currently accepting orders from the UK and Malaysia. And if you key in the code STARTUP you'll get a 20% discount.

Sunshine Withdrawal

2011-10-31T15:11:00.000Z

I strongly believe that in my former life, I was a sunflower.

The clocks have gone back which means currently, the sun sets at 'round about 4.30p.m. which for me is just absolutely depressing having had my internal clock pretty much set by 18 years in Malaysia. I find that even in my 3rd year abroad, I still can't help but smile a little bit more when the sun is out.

Echo

2011-10-31T00:20:00.000Z

The story of Echo is a sad one, a mountain nymph who loved to talk and whether it was chatting or arguing, always wanted to have the last word. One day, Hera, wife of Zeus was looking for him because she suspected he was cheating on her with the nymphs. Echo tried to distract Hera so Zeus could escape. When Hera learnt of her trickery, she was so angry she cursed her to only be able to repeat the words of others, always getting the last word but never speaking first. When she fell in love, she couldn't speak to him and tell him how she felt but instead had to wait for him to speak first. And when he asked her to "Go away." all she could say was "Go away." And away she went, to the depths of the forest where she cried until all that was left was her voice - an imprint, an echo.

Ever since then, echo has meant a reflection, an empty repetition, a poor copy of another.

Don't be someone's echo.

Asian Fail

2011-10-27T13:25:00.000+01:00

I didn't do badly in school. I mean, even when I say I did badly, its in that really annoying way that the people who can't even begin to understand what it feels like to do badly, do. The worst score I ever got in high school was like an 83% or something ridiculous like that. I know now why they have those gruelling Oxford interviews; they aren't trying to scare you or intimidate you or make you trip up, they want to know that they'd actually be good for you. They want to know that you can cope with not being the right, not being the best, because more often than not, in a place like this, you won't be.

If I Has A Gun

2011-10-25T15:36:00.000+01:00

From Noel Gallagher's new album. Oh so catchy!

"Excuse me if I spoke too soon, my eyes have always followed you round the room."

In Retrospect

2011-10-25T15:26:00.000+01:00

People say "Don't look back. Its behind you. Don't look back." But you know what? I think we should look back. Every so often, we should look back. If only to see how far we've come. If only to give ourselves the strength to push forward.

"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever." - Steve Jobs

The History of Feeling

2011-10-24T16:51:00.000+01:00

At some point in our lives we all think that nobody ever in the history of the world has ever felt like we do. But the truth of the matter is the only aspect in which we are alone is probably in our ignorance or perhaps our arrogance. And even then its only in our heads. At some point we've just got to stop and grow up.

I'm Being Followed By Monkeys

2011-10-23T17:12:00.000+01:00

I'm not here to tell anyone what to think. I'm just here to say that as a biochemist, I think evolution is a thing.

The idea of evolution has always appealed to me - little by little we change, out of necessity to adapt, to survive. That's life. I don't think we start off nice and complete and whole because that completely contradicts the concept of personal growth. And I think that to think we are perfect, as a person, as a species, incapable and ultimately rather unwilling, to change, is a very arrogant and very human mistake. I think we are all evolving, all the time, even when we don't think we are. Its inevitable, its survival - as the world changes so must we.

I Am Not A Concept

2011-10-22T15:54:00.003+01:00

Continuing on from my post about the MPDG here - a link to a Cracked article here. Some times I want to yell that out loud. I can't be your soulmate, your salvation, your fulfillment, your one, your anything. I don't want to be your anything. I don't want to be a thing. Period. That sounds cruel and mean and heartless and probably isn't in the least romantic but the truth of the matter is, when we think of someone as fitting into a mould, we'll cut off all the little bits of them that don't fit until they do. Its a self-fulfilling prophecy. I can be yours. If you'll take me for what I am.

Also, quite lazy to blog these days =/ Its cold and there's a lot of work to do. Here, have some good advice:

We think nobody ever in the history of the world has ever felt like we do. But the truth of the matter is the only aspect in which we are alone is probably in our ignorance. And even then its only in our heads.

Breakaway

2011-10-19T18:34:00.000+01:00

You know inertia... we learnt it in Form 4. Newton's First Law of Motion "An object will continue to move at constant velocity in a straight line unless an external force is applied to it." I think a lot of life is inertia, propelled by our initial momentum. I think a lot of the time we start something and then we are simply bouyed along by the currents of consequence because its simply easier to keep doing whatever it is you are doing than it is to change.

And then sometimes we find ourselves somewhere wondering how we got there.

'Cause Its 3rd Year

2011-10-18T12:48:00.000+01:00

Been extremely busy for past week. Recently started Taekwon-do again because I realise I do miss it and want the satisfaction of hitting someone in the head with a perfectly executed kick again, even if I am no where near where I was 3 years ago. Also been piling on the work for the term trying to get in time to write notes between lectures and tute essays. And then there's internships and careers events to think about because we're that much closer to 'the futureee'.

I've been told that when you leave Oxford you can have - a Blue (sports award), a 1st Class or a husband/wife. Pick one. And only one.

Is it wrong to want it all?

I Watched You Grow Away From Me

2011-10-12T19:45:00.000+01:00

These days we go to waste like wine

That's turned to turpentine

It's six AM and I'm all messed up

I didn't mean to waste your time

So I'll fall back in line

But I'm warning you we're growing up

-Turpentine, Belinda Carlisle-

Toucha Toucha Touch Me

2011-10-11T20:31:00.000+01:00

Currently being introduced to the world of touchscreen phones. Whatever happened to simple phones? With buttons? And no internet. Because that's what I asked for and just got a blank look. So I ended up with this instead - HTC Wildfire S. Its a terrible thing this smartphone craze - you spend all your time checking your emails or playing games or just looking down at the screen because you can't text without looking anymore. Also, every time you type something you inevitably end up hitting the wrong key. Makes me feel like I have fat fingers. Andddd because I am paying so much for it, I paid even more to buy all sorts of protection for it - cases and screen protectors and whatnot. I kinda preferred my old phones that I could just carelessly toss aside. On the plus side, having one makes you look (or at least feel) remarkably important. Even if you are just playing Angry Birds and this rather funny new game on the Android market called Fruit Slicer (Although I think I'm the only person in the world who gets a kick out of being a fruit ninja.) Anyway, that's all for now. Back to fruit slicing.

What It Is

2011-10-10T14:58:00.000+01:00

People aren't afraid of heights, they're afraid of falling.

People aren't afraid of swimming, they're afraid of drowning.

People aren't afraid of trying, they're afraid of failing.

People aren't afraid of the dark, they're afraid of what might be in it.

People aren't afraid of death, they're afraid of what comes after it.

People aren't afraid of falling in love, they're afraid of getting hurt.

Someone Like You

2011-10-09T19:57:00.000+01:00

I don't understand people who are looking for someone to be their other half - to complete them, to fulfill them, to give their lives meaning. I don't know about you but I'd rather my life be complete and fulfilled and have meaning all on its own. It might not seem very romantic but really, why shack up with a person who, for lack of a better word, is incomplete? Maybe it sounds cynical and unromantic and ridiculous.

But I don't want someone in my life because I need them. I want someone in my life because I want them. I want to spend time together not because we don't know how else to live but because there's no other way we'd rather spend our time. And you know what, you don't want it either. You don't want someone who needs you to be whole. No one needs that kind of responsibility. You want someone who can be whole all by themselves.

Manic Pixie Dream Girl

2011-10-07T23:48:00.001+01:00

Nathan Rabin coined the phrase "Manic Pixie Dream Girl" to describe that bubbly, shallow cinematic creature that "exists solely in the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful young men to embrace life and its infinite mysteries and adventures." - From Avclub

Ah, truer words have not been spoken. The paradigm shift here does seem to be toward a female protagonist who is no longer other worldly and unattainable but "OMG, IS TOTALLY LIKE ME." ie. still looking other worldly and unattainable but with some carefully crafted cutesy flaw that makes you quirky but not weird ('Tis a fine line.) Case in point, flaws chosen are usually clumsiness, talking too much and singing spontaneously(?) <-- Those are not problems - back-ne is a problem. (But regular people have them so they must be!) It is all very terribly upsetting because when the protagonist trips and falls, she does it cutely... when she says something inappropriate, she does it cutely... when she hiccups, she does it cutely - like a bunny rabbit with a squeaky toy (Like seriously how the hell do you hiccup cutely? I shall admit I hiccup in a most unappealing manner. I sound like a sad hippopotamus.)...when she farts... oh wait, she doesn't. Ok, you get my point. Even when the MPDG does un-cute things like wear that ugly sweater and those terrible glasses... its still cute! Unfortunately real women trip and fall and have to suffer the walk home onhalf a pair of high heels sellotaped together rather precariously while people on the street snicker. (This has actually happened.) And no, prince charming does not show in his horse drawn black cab. And let me tell you, I've been wearing ugly clothes and glasses for years and nobody thought it was cute.

Perhaps this is all best said in the words of Kate Winslet from Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind "Too many guys think I'm a concept, or I complete them, or I'm gonna make them alive. But I'm just a fucked-up girl who's lookin' for my own peace of mind; don't assign me yours." And perhaps what I'm really trying to say is that maybe this has been my problem my whole life.

I will not be your manic pixie dream girl.

October Already?

2011-10-06T20:16:00.001+01:00

Ahhh, this week has been a whirlwind of crazy even though I've done nothing (and I mean literally nothing) but study and eat. Seriously, my stuff is still in luggage bags and yet to be unpacked which makes me feel very guilty because my housemate is extremely tidy. Right, so collections tomorrow, just got to get through that (hah, lies) which means loads of plant biochem tonight. I've been saying "After collections. I'll do this after collections." but the thing is after collections comes tutorials and then more collections and then ... dum de dummm... finals, D-day and at the risk of sounding melodramatic, the day(s) that will decide the rest of my life. Tutor meeting today. He said "This year will go by very fast." And indeed it will but the trick with anything that goes by very fast is not to let it leave you behind =/

Got to sort my life out. And resist the urge to online shop. And wear warmer clothing. Extremely unusual bout of high temperatures and sunny weather came to an abrupt end 2 days ago. Winter is fast approaching =(

Oh and now there is a very large fly in my room and I want to make it go away but I'm scared it'll hate me.

It'd Be So Easy

2011-09-30T18:04:00.002+01:00

It never ceases to amaze me how a singular moment can change your life - for better... or for worse. One choice, one act, one misstep and then suddenly the ground is ripped out from under you and you find yourself... falling. Its like falling asleep at the wheel. One minute you're just driving along minding your own business and the next, you're looking death in the form of a giant truck straight in the face. A moment lost, mere seconds, could be an entire life derailed...

I've fallen asleep at the wheel before, and drifted slightly off course but I woke up in time and righted myself. If only everyone were so lucky to wake up on time.

I'm just saying. But I'm not really.

Once Again

2011-09-30T03:45:00.000+01:00

I get the feeling that my existence is upsetting to some people.

I only wish I knew why. I can't apologise for being alive. I shouldn't have to.

This Is Home

2011-09-24T18:14:00.000+01:00

I'm going back to Oxford in a week and I am dragging my feet, with the packing and with the studying even though I know most people will hit the ground running. Third year is going to be a hell of a year, so much is riding on this and even now I can feel the pressure. There are things that I wish I could take with me, things that, when the frost sets in and the work gets hard, I can take out and savour slowly.

1. Summer sunshine - that feeling of sand on your back and the sun in your face

2. The smell of cempedak

3. The tangy taste of laksa

And so many other things really (usually involving food) , but mostly;

4. The feeling that this is home and these are your people no matter how far you went or how long you've been away, it will always be home and they will always be your people.

Splash!

2011-09-21T17:48:00.000+01:00

Today, my boyfriend drove me all the way to Perak so we could go to Bukit Merah Laketown Resort Waterpark! Like how awesome is that? The last time I went to a waterpark was probably 10 years ago and I've only ever been to Desa Waterpark in KL.

Tubeee float. (Which we had to pay RM10 for so there I am getting my money's worth #kiamsiapmuch)

The park unfortunately, was rather small by any standards with a children's area, a wavepool, a giant bouncy ball, 3 tube slides (only 2 operational) and 5 body slides. Ok, now it sounds pretty big but it really isn't. Its quite funny how much more amazing waterparks seemed as a kid. I could run up and down the stairs for the same ride over and over again.

This was definitely the best ride in the park - The Boomerang. Its crazy stuff, notice the near vertical drop? You'll descend and then ascend again. As you're being pushed over the edge you will scream, probably as we did, "HOLY MOTHER OF GODDDDDD...." Unfortunately, that ride closed at 2p.m. so no pictures of my terrified expression (Probably for the best)

Now, some final shots of us being awesome:

Crazy

2011-09-20T06:42:00.000+01:00

From tumblr.com

Choices

2011-09-20T06:37:00.002+01:00

We think that once we make one choice, that's it, its over, choice made. But the truth of it is that the consequences of some choices will reverberate through the rest of your life. You see, when you choose - a school, a person, a certain way of life - it doesn't just end there. Because every day you make that choice, again and again. You make it when you screw up and you try and fix it, you make it when things get hard and you power through, you make it when other people question you and you defend your decision. Every day you have the choice between staying or walking away. So no, its not just that you have one choice and then every other day after you are simply buoyed along by the currents of consequence, you choose. Every day, you choose. And you are where you are today because of those choices.

And I for one, will not apologise for the way I choose to live my life.

Losing My Religion

2011-09-18T16:56:00.000+01:00

In any relationship there is fear, even if you love and trust someone, perhaps especially so there is fear - fear that they'll hurt you, leave you, look at you and find you lacking... But you know what? When you love someone so much what you're afraid of isn't any of these things because deep down you know you'd forgive them in a heart beat, you'd forgive them anything. And that's what you're afraid of - not of losing them, but of losing yourself.

At least, that's what I'm afraid of.

Rhythm of Love

2011-09-16T13:34:00.000+01:00

Loving this song right now!

"We may only have tonight but till the morning sun, you're mine. All mine. Play the music low and sway to the rhythm of love."

Fear

2011-09-15T17:51:00.000+01:00

Fear; it hides in that moment when you feel your child's hand slip from yours in a crowded store, in that moment when he scratches his head, looks down and says "We need to talk", in that moment when you're half drunk with sleep and you hear an unfamiliar noise, in that second before the pregnancy test turns, in that moment before the page of exam results load, in that long drawn out pause as that other car careens towards you. Fear, its everywhere, lurking in high places, in dark corners, in little pockets of time. It strikes you so briefly you hardly give it a thought but just before you can really forget, it gets you again. Fear of loss, fear of hurt, fear of failure, fear of something bigger than you. A feeling more persistent and perhaps more potent than happiness, sadness or anger - fear, it is the undercurrent that controls the actions of our lives.

Best Boyfriend Ever

2011-09-14T16:35:00.000+01:00

"If you're confused about whether or not its a date, its not a date. If its a date, the guy picks you up, and he brings flowers."

Lo' and behold, no confusion.

Handmade paper flowers, for no reason whatsoever except for a flippant comment over a scene in a movie. Who does that? Nobody does that.

Turns out, somebody does that.

The Worst Feeling In The World

2011-09-14T15:56:00.000+01:00

From Wikipedia:-

"is a Portuguese word that can be translated as "longing, yearning", which describes a deep emotional state of nostalgic longing for something or someone that one loves and which is apart. It often carries a repressed knowledge that the object of longing might never return.

Saudade has been described as a "vague and constant desire for something that does not and probably cannot exist ... a turning towards the past or towards the future".

Saudade was once described as "the love that remains" or "the love that stays" after someone is gone."

Tenho saudade..

Brief Candle

2011-09-12T11:01:00.000+01:00

Before I start this post, I want to remind everyone that this is not my tragedy. There are a lot of people you should feel sorry for but I'm not one of them. If you read the Star newspaper yesterday you may have come across this story; 'He Did It His Way' Read it, its an amazing story. This story is about Terrence Phang, a boy from Cambridge who I had the privilege to meet a couple of times over the course of the past two years. Last week, he tragically passed away at the age of 22.

See, when you're young, you think you'll live forever and you put things off - you put off telling someone how you really feel, telling your parents you love them, spending time with your family, meeting up with your friends - because you can do it tomorrow, you think there's always going to be another day. Youth equips us with all this reckless confidence and a very cavalier attitude towards health and safety in general. There have been studies that show people know all the things that can happen to an 'average' person ie. cancer, obesity, car accident etc. but they are also less likely to think of themselves as 'average'. Everyone thinks they're the exception to the rule "Yeah, that guy died at 22 but it won't happen to me." And I do it too. My parents didn't want me to go to El Salvador or to go diving but I said to them, "I'm 20!" as though that means something, as though youth is any kind of defense against death. I'm not saying we shouldn't do these things like volunteer or dive or bungee jump or take risks; I'm just saying that we think bad things don't happen to us because we're young. Then one day you realize that they do, you might not be doing anything risky at all and yet... And suddenly your entire life is thrown into sharp focus as you realize just how very fragile life is...

And some times you wake up in the morning and you've run out of tomorrows.

Go Your Own Way

2011-09-11T06:20:00.003+01:00

Being an ex-girlfriend is not difficult, once you've got a little way down the road and are over all the crying and heartache and tragedy. In fact, being an ex-girlfriend is probably one of the easiest roles to fulfill in the world, next to Twilight actress, because they both involve doing... absolutely frigging nothing and very possibly showing no emotion whatsoever. How do I get along with my ex-boyfriends? Easy; I don't chat to them on MSN, don't stalk them on Facebook and have never, ever met up with any one of them for coffee/ cake/ painful conversation about the weather. I don't ask about their day, their lives, their new girlfriends or if they've ever regretted leaving me. Why mar the future with the past? Tabula rasa, people. Live and let live.

Wait, at this point, you start to misunderstand me; "Avoiding them just means you're not over them!". So I shall say it now, I do not actively avoid them. But neither do I intentionally seek them out. If I met them on the street I would say hi but I wouldn't call them up and say "Let's grab coffee." Its a big world, two people can live separate lives quite happily. And, I consider it a courtesy, both to them and their more current partners. Let's be honest, nobody likes the ex-girlfriend. I don't understand why people think its good to be friends after they break up, to propagate this fledging half-relationship in order to prove no further point than "We can be friends." I could be friends with an orangutan but you don't see me at the zoo every Sunday trying to speak to someone who just doesn't get me. I mean, usually if stuff doesn't work out, there's a reason. I am in the opinion that exes are exes for a reason and that for two exes to be friends they must either have never been in love or they still are. Maybe that's just me, maybe some people can be, maybe they're better people than I am. But I can't. So...

"We can't go on, just holding on to ties, now that we're living separate lives." -Separate Lives, Phil Collins-

Solitaire

2011-09-08T04:59:00.000+01:00

KK was a capital unlike other capitals, not so much hustle and bustle but more sit back and relax. I think we must all, at some point in our lives, learn how to be alone without being lonely. In fact, it is perhaps, as I once told someone, one of the most important things you can learn - to see yourself not as a reflection in other peoples' eyes. I can enjoy solitude - a good book, a cold drink and the feeling that you have all the time in the world.

Di Bawah Bayu

2011-09-08T04:45:00.000+01:00

So last week I flew down to KK - my first time in the Borneo islands. I'm fail Malaysian. Anyway, I was going for a 4 day dive course with JJ at the invitation of Mel's family.

Day 1 involved very very much studying. What you see there are dive tables, yes, some calculation is required. I know, it feels a lot like homework =/ We went through that whole thick book over by the side there and then a couple of quizzes and instructional videos besides.

Sutera Harbour Resort, where we caught the boat every morning going out to one Mamutik island, part of the Taman Tunku Abdul Rahman nature reserve.

The gorgeous Mamutik island, home to many a snorkeler and Raleigh volunteer. I must say, after learning how to dive, I have lost some respect for the snorkelers who came on their posh little hotel packages and had fancy buffet lunches on the island. Part of this irritation may be due to the numerous extremely fair girls I saw with hats or puffy organza flowers in their hair wearing little shorts and see through tops with little intention of actually getting wet as they pranced around the beach. Another part may be the pot-bellied old men who sat on their chairs in their orange life jackets laughing at me =(

Why were they laughing? Well, to understand that you must first see the gear; oxygen tank, weight belt, etc. Altogether that weighed like 20kgs.

This my friends, is the turtle walk, the kind of hunched over, painfully slow shuffling necessary to manage the weight on my back as I maneuver from shore to sea and back. Ok, in retrospect, I suppose its understandable that they laugh at me - I did look quite quite pathetic.

Anyway, we were diving with Borneo Divers and those were our instructors, Jinnifer and Marilyn, they were extremely lovely and patient. Patience is key when dealing with stupid person who can't let water into her mask. Yeah, that was a big issue for me, once the water got up to my nose it was like "CAN'T BREATHE!" even though the more discerning amongst you would realise that nobody breathes through their nose underwater anyway. But oh well, took me most of the 2nd day to get the hang of that.

But... by Day 4, woohoo; certified Open Water Diver! Its completely legit, I'll have a card and everything. There was an exam. I assert this because my dad still doesn't believe me!

Now that just leaves time for some very funny tanning. The low down is Mel wanted to be tan and I didn't.

Anyway, enough about diving, more about KK.

Lovely view of the waterfront at dusk.

The Filipino market where they exist in a kind of mutualism whereby should you order vege from the fish stall she will go up to another lady, buy her vege and then subsequently sell it to you.

Soft shell crab poking at Kampung Nelayan, the tourist restaurant where everything, despite being nice, is crazily overpriced and tourists are entertained by some 'authentic' local dances.

I leave you with this gorgeous picture of Pulau Gaya in the distance as the sun sets.

The Room of Lost Words

2011-08-31T05:42:00.001+01:00

There is a room somewhere, in a place we cannot fathom, The Room of Lost Words where words, which exist in that small and yet infinite space between thinking and saying, sometimes go. Its like the dead mail room in the post office, a room where words which have no where else to go end up. It is a room full of millions of secrets - unspoken feelings, unuttered sentiments, unasked questions, unvoiced thoughts.

This is where a thought goes when it is lost in that hazy daze before you fall asleep, where a sentence goes when it is whispered to someone who isn't listening, where the drafts of the letter you want to send go when you throw them away. When you enter the room there is a palpable hum in the air as the words not spoken rush past your ear in an effort to finally be heard "Iloveyou Pleasedon'tleaveme I'msorry Icrytomyselfatnight IwishIwasfunny Thesmellofrainremindsmeofyou I'dgiveyoueverything You'rethemostbeautifulgirlIknow I'veneverbeenkissed DoyouthinkI'mpretty? Idon'tknowwhatlovefeelslike"

Some of them will wind up where they're meant to go eventually, whether by happenstance, a stroke of luck or an intrepid messenger - but most? Most will remain, in the Room of Lost Words, their voices echoing on the walls, forever unheard, until they eventually, as we all do, fade slowly into the folds of time.

It Could Happen Tomorrow

2011-08-29T17:29:00.000+01:00

I'm filled with a certain kind of restlessness that I cannot place. This is not an uncommon occurrence, its very much like having words and feelings inside you that you cannot quite place. Its not a bad feeling, contrary to popular belief. Some of the best things ever discovered or invented were probably done so as a result of this very same feeling - a restlessness that cannot be satisfied by something already in existence so much so that we begin to search for something more and failing which, trying to create it ourselves.

Pause.

2011-08-29T15:48:00.001+01:00

Will be leaving for KK and a week long diving trip tomorrow morning with Melissa's family (Yay, Lebanese time ala Glee). I'm quite excited because despite having lived in Malaysia my whole life I've never once set foot on the Borneo islands. Maybe this time next week I'll be a certified diver. Maybe I'll also come back with another seasick story =/

It Starts In My Toes

2011-08-28T09:35:00.000+01:00

When that feeling catches you, its sudden - first a smile snatches across your face, then your lips part, your nose wrinkles just that little bit and suddenly a sound, perhaps a chortle, perhaps a chuckle... before you throw your head back, your eyes closed to savour the feeling, as peals of laughter ring in the air. Your shoulders shake and you laugh so hard, you gasp for air.

And it is sublime.

Its days like these, when you laugh all night long, that are worth it.

Rule of Love; never date a man who doesn't make you laugh

Drifting Further Away

2011-08-27T03:15:00.000+01:00

Contrary to popular belief photographs are not an imprint of what you see. Sometimes in trying to capture a picture of a faraway mountain, a particular expression, a bit of intricate carving you realise people may look at what's in front of them without ever seeing. Other people see a picture of a boy who is pretty much a man, I see the curve of the almost-smile on his lips, the way the wind tousles his hair, the twinkle in his eyes... Its said that to hold on to something, we must sacrifice something else. In trying to capture it all, maybe I lose sight of the best parts. I'm worried that as we broaden our horizons we run the risk of looking so far out that we lose sight of what is in front of us.

The History of Love

2011-08-26T11:19:00.001+01:00

The History of Love, a book lent to me by Melissa just before the summer is easily one of the best books I've ever read. It was as I just found out, shortlisted for the 2006 Orange Prize for Fiction. Its a beautiful book, intricately crafted into little puzzle pieces which start to click together as you go through it. It, and the other identically titled book within the book (you might have to read it to understand) is exactly the kind of book I would like to write, you know, if I could write. Sentimental and dreamy and seemingly random, it very much appeals to me. Some lovely quotes from the book;

"Once upon a time there was a boy who loved a girl, and her laughter was a question he wanted to spend his whole life answering."

"In the same breath you felt the strength of a man, and a self-pity that made you feel small and hurt. Part of you thought: Please don't look at me. If you don't, I can still turn away. And part of you thought: Look at me."

"Perhaps that's why I hoarded the world: with the hope that when I died, the sum total of my things would suggest a life larger than the one I lived."

"Even now, all possible feelings do not yet exist, there are still those that lie beyond our capacity and our imagination. From time to time, when a piece of music no one has ever written or a painting no one has ever painted, or something else impossible to predict, fathom or yet describe takes place, a new feeling enters the world. And then, for the millionth time in the history of feeling, the heart surges and absorbs the impact."

-The History of Love, Nicole Krauss-

All Of The Dreamers

2011-08-26T06:22:00.000+01:00

On iTunes there's this little box you can untick so that your playlist will skip it and your iPod won't load it. Its really useful for when you get bored of THAT song - the one that you used to love but don't anymore? So a while ago I unticked many of those songs because I thought I'd outgrown them. And I never unticked them because I got busy and just... forgot. But just the other day, I heard this one song on the radio that I hadn't heard in a while and I thought "Hey, I know that song." So I started listening to it again and I realized "Wow. Its been 2 whole years."

And this might not be very relevant at all but I realized that the funny thing is, we do that with people too. We grow so accustomed to someone until one day without realising it, we drift apart. And it happens so gradually that you hardly notice it - until you see them again and then, it hits you the familiarity and the strangeness of it all.

But the good thing about old songs and old pictures and old friends is that no matter how long its been, they can still make you smile.

Its good to be home.

Could We Start Again, Please?

2011-08-24T20:13:00.000+01:00

Life is a series of moments.

I have a lot of pictures on my computer, and I mean a lot, everything from food I've eaten, gifts I've been given, haircuts I've hard and times of my life which I now stare at in disbelief. I look at these photographs, stills of moments in my life, and inevitably I remember not just that moment but the moments before and the moments after; all laid out before me like a slideshow of my life.

That was the day he fell in love with me.

That was the day I laughed so hard I fell over.

Here, he broke my heart.

There, they made me whole again.

These were some of the happiest days of my life.

These were some of the best friends I'd ever known.

In this moment, my life changed.

I look at the calm before the storm, the smiles before the fights, the blissful ignorance before time and distance, love and life tore us apart. Had I known those things would happen would I have done it differently? Maybe? I find I don't miss those moments per se but rather the feeling in those moments because at any point in time that is the least innocent, the least naive you've ever been and yet looking into the future, the most you will ever be. I don't think I would do it different, I'm not the kind of person who does that. But I may have said sorry a little bit more.

TravelAid El Salvador: The End

2011-08-24T05:37:00.000+01:00

Sorry to keep bombarding everyone with Travelaid posts. This shall be my very last post on my work in El Salvador in conjunction with TravelAid Oxford. It was as cliche as it may sound, an amazing experience. These kids have so little and yet are willing to give so much - they're so sweet and they love so easily. As we were leaving they made us cards and bookmarks and drawings and origami swans that we taught them how to make. And sillybandz? (the animal shaped colourful rubberbands) that are all the rage right now. Some pictures with the kids:

What happens when you hand a kid your camera. I love all the blurry, crooked pictures.

Class 4A after our last lesson which lets out to break time.

Class 4A showing some love.

My kindergarten kids.

Dance class.

One of my older classes - 8B.

My favourite kid, Carlos.

Jesuit breakdance group. They're a group of teenagers who get together every weekend to play games. As in charades and treasure hunts and what not. And they reflect on their teamwork, their social issues, etc. These are things that we called 'lame' 10 years ago when we got Gameboys and Xboxes and Playstations but its really cool to see 18 year olds who are so wholesome. There's a video of us playing limbo too which shall find its way onto Facebook in due course. And this is all because of the kid next to me, David, who has ambitions to improve the prospects of teenagers like him through education.

And of course, I have to introduce our gracious hosts.

Group photo with the nuns in our house. For dinner, they got us pizza and they only break out pizza on special occasions *sad face* So from left in the red shirt is Sister Rosario who is in charge of our house and was also pictured in the hammock. She walks with a limp, the story behind which we are unsure of but probably involves the civil war in El Salvador which didn't end till 1992. She's really sweet, speaks no English, takes us everywhere even though we're right idiots when it comes to not drawing attention to ourselves. She also loves beans and tortillas, like a lot.

Next is Sister Blanca Rosa who they nickname Blancy, she speaks some English because she's been to Ireland. Next to her is Sister Alba who teaches kindergarten and is the youngest nun there. Next to her is Sister Lucinda/ Lucy who also speaks some English because she spent a year in Ireland (the convent is associated with the Irish chapter) They're all just really smiley and happy all the time. They also seem to find our foreigness incredibly amusing - like the time I ate a cooked plantain skin and all. (In my defence it looked like eggplant) I must say this trip has definitely increased the likelihood of my becoming a nun. Not to say that it is likely, just MORE likely.

Finally, that's Sister Cruz who doesn't actually live there anymore, though she used to, but instead lives in a house closer to the school. She's the headmistress, speaks excellent English, lies to her doctor about going on a diet and when she walks into the classroom the kids shut up while she yells at them to imagine a better future than selling pupusas by the roadside. She has way bigger dreams for the kids, she wants them to get out of there and make something of themselves. People like her make me feel alright about going there for only a month because of the amazing work she does.

I mean, it breaks my heart to try and imagine what will happen to my kids 5, maybe 10 years down the road. I like to think a lot of them will make it, make it out of La Chacra and into universities but I know that despite the likelihood of that increasing with each year, the ones who manage it will be a minority. Some of them will definitely join the gangs, some of them won't, some will end up dead and some will end up 'disappeared' as the locals say - gone without a trace, children left orphaned. Some will be pregnant by 13 or 14, some will definitely be married by 18 (average age for marriage).

Some will lose their families to migration like one mother who left for America and called home to her 8 year old child to say she wouldn't be coming back, ever. That was about 4 years ago. The school did an exhibition on the effects of migration once, they gave the kids cameras and just let them take pictures of anything. One took a picture of a fridge, one of a bed - things they didn't have before their parents left but now do. One took a picture of her brother who has become her surrogate parent. One took a picture of a tree her mother planted when she left, the tree is big now and so is the girl.

All my posts about El Salvador have been rather light hearted and fun because the nuns and the kids have made it so. Despite some very harsh and disturbing realities, they remain perpetually cheerful.Its something that we have no way of knowing but I firmly believe that if everyone were like them, the world would be a much better place. They give me hope. Fe y Algeria indeed.

As a final note, I'd like to thank everyone who bought my chocolates, my doughnuts, my raffle tickets and all the other stuff I tried to hock off on you. Also for donating to my Justgiving page and attending all those hundreds of fundraisers. All that money went towards the school and will be making an impact long after we have left. It was a learning experience, for me as much as for the kids. And for that, I say thank you.

Playa San Blas

2011-08-19T05:07:00.003+01:00

So on our last weekend, the nuns took us for a little excursion, back out to La Libertad which contains most of the city's coastline. On the way to our beach vacation, we stopped by the port/fishmarket just to check it out. There were boats lined up on the deck offering various types of seafood caught that day and some rather tacky ocean themed souvenirs.

There, we got out first glimpse of the murderous waves, check that out. And if you squint a little bit you can see the guy body surfing it. Crazy stuff. I was watching him and I was really worried he would drown.

Anyway, we finally arrived and man oh man are the nuns hooked up. This beach house belongs to a friend. They live in a private community with guards (who have guns, they all have guns) at the gates and a private clubhouse with private access to the best beach in El Salvador. The best beach in El Salvador, they kept telling us that.

And soon we got to see why. We went there just as the sun was setting, there was a light drizzle which soon gave way to lightning but they were just like "Meh." and we continued swimming anyway. When god is on your side, its all cool.

So we just basically spent the weekend chilling out in hammocks, snacking on food. And despite only being there a day we brought a whole van full of food. Totally worth it though, we ate extremely well. For our lunch we even had a barbeque, with beef and chicken and pork sausages and of course, tortillas. They really know how to live =D We even brought board games and stuff. And I got to enjoy Rummikub, a rather interesting tile game that I'm now looking for ways to procure.

It was absolutely sublime and it was days like those that caused me to do a double take of surprise "How did I wind up here?"

Tell Everybody I'm On My Way

2011-08-19T00:58:00.000+01:00

After traversing 3 continents in 3 days, encountering a rather grumpy Alitalia lady at the Malaysian Airlines checkin counter in Heathrow and another full day of flying, I finally made it home only to be met with renovations at the Penang airport, my dad's new car and dare I say it, my brother's marginally increased height. I come home and find the locks on the doors have changed, the dog has grown and we have mountains of muruku in our kitchen for reasons unknown. These little things always get me. last year it was the tissue box holders. We get so absorbed into our little bubbles living away from home that sometimes we forget, life goes on without us. But you know, some things never change...

Within 2 minutes of my touchdown in KLIA I ran into an ex-MGS senior at the domestic transfer gate and within another 2 minutes of leaving customs at Penang Airport I run into my old Uplands PE teacher. Yes, its true, Malaysia and Penang especially is far too small. But you know what? That's what I like about it. And I can honestly say, after all the traveling I've done this year, I've never felt happier to arrive in a place. I even watched the entirety of the Malaysia, Truly Asia video on the plane.

Home at last.

Honduras Day 3&4: The Journey Home

2011-08-18T05:40:00.000+01:00

So after Copan we decided to take the 2 hour bus journey to La Entrada and subsequently Santa Rosa de Copan. This was just the start of our journey home using a series of local buses known as the infamous chicken buses. Why chicken? Quite literally because people get on with chickens. Live chickens. And yes, I did in fact see one. In fact, I was sat next to one. A man with a skin disease (possibly psoriasis) and a live chicken in a bag that at one point I believed he tried to show to me. Solution would usually be to move or change seats. Ah hah, you clearly have never ridden a bus in Central America. In addition to the standard rows of two seats, window and aisle, you get an additional 3rd seat strapped on to the side which can be folded up and down. One person per seat? Psh, you kid. Obviously when there are 3 seats you try and fit 4 people on. Also, don't forget standing room. The area near the door is prime standing room. What about luggage? Clearly, that is tossed on top of the bus protected from falling and crashing into bits on the road by those little guard rails. So anyway, at one point there were about 40 people on a bus built for 20. Welcome to Central America. La Entrada was described as a town famous for narco trafficking and the only reason you'd go there really is to change buses. When we got off we were swarmed by people shouting the names of various destinations. Upon voicing ours we were herded across a busy main road and stuffed onto the bus to Santa Rosa. It was quite worrying cause they took one of our friends first. But all's well that ends well...

And welcome to Santa Rosa de Copan. The taxi driver cheated us. There's an information centre in the town square where the dude doesn't speak English and has an odd definition of historic. You can see where this is going. Basically I was unimpressed with this little stopover town which was described in the Lonely Planet guide as a lovely little colonial town.

The most interesting thing in the town centre is that cathedral up there which is featured in 3 of 4 photos on the tourist map (which costs 10Ls)

The man at the tourist information centre also sent us to an interesting 'historic' fort up on the hill. He forgot to mention it was in use. By armed guards.

Also it was built in 1941. I know people older than that.

Pretty view from the top though.

They also have some crazy electric cables.

This was the historic bridge. I know... After this we just went home and played bridge.

This was the hotel we were staying at, a B&B called Pasado Carlos y Blanco. There's a newspaper article and a portrait inside of the couple who have been married for 50 years. Their daughter runs it now, she's quite lovely and helpful. They made us a great breakfast and then called a taxi which didn't cheat us.

That night we spent in Flamingo, the town's most happening bar. Or rather the town's only happening bar. We did try to get into a discotheque, their version of a nightclub but shorts were not allowed so the boys were turned away. So we returned once again to Flamingo. They do a lovely Pina Colada but the place was entirely too classy. I expected tacky lawn ornaments.

Anyway, the next day we woke up bright and early to continue our journey home. There is no direct bus to San Salvador on the weekends despite a very unhelpful conductor telling us there was to force us on to his bus. Either way, after 3 hours on what was a quite nice air conditioned bus, we found ourselves in El Poy where we were able to cross the border. The Honduran- Salvadoran crossing was much more pleasant, no one tried to extort any money from us. We did however give in to one of the illegal money changers who ply the borders with wads of cash and a calculator seeing as we only had a handful of Lempiras. He gave us a good rate, close to the bank rate which was 19. Now, wondering why he would do that? Because they're crafty. This is how it went down.

"I'll give you a rate of 19. You have 48 Lempira's, (in the calculator) 43/19 gives $2.53. I don't have any coins so I'll just give you $2."

At which point he takes all my L's and gives me back 3L's because he says he can't give me more than $2. Which would be fine until you think that in retrospect he should only have taken 38L's. So in fact he'd given me a rate of 22.5 He later cleaned up on all the spare change by pooling ours together and changing that for dollars. I'm not too fussed because once you're across the border the L's would be worthless but it is annoying I didn't detect the scam sooner.

Anyway that money later paid for my bus fare which was $1.70 for the 4/5 hour journey to San Salvador. Why so cheap you ask? Because it is absolutely no frills. Easily one of the most awful bus journeys ever, I sat next to a window with a bullet hole patched up by a Google Image picture of Easter bunnies on one side and a picture of the Virgin Mary on the other side. Every time we stopped vendors would get on plying wares from pupusas to water to snacks yelling and shoving things in your face every time. At one point a man got on who wanted nothing in return, except to yell about the end of the world and preach repentance in Spanish for about 45 minutes. Good lung capacity. It was a real adventure but I've never been so glad to arrive in one piece anywhere. And that is the end of my week off.

P.S. By the time you read this, I will be on the plane on my way home to Malaysia =D

Honduras Day 2: The Ruins

2011-08-17T13:58:00.000+01:00

Went to Cafe Wallace for some excellent apple pie. Sadly they didn't have their famous bannofee pie that day. Although they did have Copan cheesecake, the sponge cake like Central American cheesecake.

Anyway, enough about cake, on to the ruins. The Copan ruins is a Mayan archaeological site just 1km outside of Copan Ruinas town.

Its also home to preservation efforts for the scarlet macaw.

This is Stella A, one of the large rocks carved into intricate statues. There are several of these spread out around the courtyard usually depicting kings and great rulers.

This is easily one of the most impressive finds of the ruins and loads of effort has gone into preserving it. The Hieroglyph Staircase which lead to the Acropolis.

The main Acropolis. There was an artist's recreation of what it would have been like in its heyday, everything covered in bright paints.

I love how all these stones are like a supremely intricate puzzle. Can you just imagine trying to piece all this together? Where would you start??

Customary group photo. This was in the ruins of the Royal Residences.

While walking we encountered a group of very very scary vultures, at that point feasting on the carcass of dead stray. There are loads of strays in Copan for some reason, this will become important later on as you will see.

But yeah, tree of vultures.

So we were walking another 1km from the main site to get to Las Seputuras, a settlement that expanded there from the main site as the Mayan population flourished.

But to be frank, after you've seen one pile of ruins you've kinda seen them all. It was rather annoying because they didn't have very much information on stuff found there, it was just "this site has given us important insight to the daily life of the Mayans" but no indication of what that insight was.

That was our last day in Copan Ruinas. For dinner, we stayed at Via Via again where I had the most amazing chicken fajitas with cheese filled tortillas. Incredible stuff. We were serenaded by the not so sultry sounds of a guy crooning the Beatles. The Beatles are big here for some reason.

Oh right, the stray dogs... so my friend and I went for a walk. Of course, Copan is a small town and there's very few places you can walk around in without putting yourself in some kind of danger so we were just hanging around the main square. Then these gangs of stray dogs started fighting. Which was all cool, until they looked over at us and started advancing closer. At which point I yelled "RUN!" and we took off winding through various streets trying to lose them. We wound up walking on the street towards our hotel to notice a 3 legged limpy dog following us after which we continued high tailing it back to the hotel at which point we locked ourselves in the room. All in a day's work.

Honduras Day 1: Border Crossing

2011-08-16T18:27:00.000+01:00

Ooo forgot to mention in the previous post, we got the new Room Friend the night before. Turns our he's from Sarah Lawrence!! After mentioning I did in fact have friends there, he asked "Oh, does she look like you?" At which point I replied... "Well... they're Asian." Right, back to the story.

This was the day of The Awful Shuttle Journey. We woke up at 3.30a.m. to catch the 4.00a.m. shuttle. First we got picked up then we picked up an Estonian couple and their child who initially in the dark and the hazy daze of having been woken up at an ungodly hour, we thought was a boy. She was not. Also the mother was actually the father with a long ponytail. Next up, an American girl from the bar the previous night with a nose ring and a nice top. She becomes important later in the story. Last but not least were a bunch of drunk Irish dudes who had just finished work at the Irish bar in town and were going to a music festival on the Bay Islands. However, we were missing one drunk Irish fellow. When we got to his house, he was sound asleep. This resulted in several desperate phonecalls to his housemates to wake him up at which point it was 5.00a.m. and he staggered drunkenly onto the shuttle which was more of a van. Thus began the most uncomfortable journey of my life. 9 hours on the shuttle with the drunk guys yelling, the American girl trying to flirt with them in godawful Spanish and just generally being cramped in what was a moving oven.

At the Guatemala-Honduras border crossing, despite various travel websites saying you don't have to pay we were charged $2 and $3 respectively to leave Guatemala and enter Honduras. The Honduran fee was "Tax for Migratory Services" The Guatemalan fee was a fat man behind a counter saying pay up as he held on to our passports. Apparently, that is legit. We asked for a receipt and he kindly gave us one to share.

But after all that, we finally made it in one piece, to Copan Ruinas, the beautiful little town which is the perfect basecamp for exploring some of the most remarkable Mayan ruins. Ok, after all that talking, some pictures.

The main cathedral.

An exhibition on the Copan Ruins excavation.

A picture of the steep sloping streets of town.

Funny story about this picture, I had to do an impressive sideways leap after pressing the button to avoid getting knocked down. Death by tuk tuk is not a way to go.

The central courtyard of Museum Casa K'inich which is a childrens' museum offering recreations of ancient Mayan life. Also, these cool statue things.

The guidebook said "Children will love this."

In the courtyard is also a mirador, a fantastic lookout point for the city. It also had the most dodgy looking ladder I had ever seen. It took team effort to climb.

Worth it?

Random picture of Honduran money. Lempiras or L's. The exchange rate? 19Ls to $1

We were staying at Via Via Cafe, the most happening bar in town that also has 5 rooms for tourists which despite the constant activity in the bar is surprisingly peaceful. And extremely convenient. They serve a fantastic range of food including nasi goreng. This is gyros gringos, marinated chicken with Turkish bread and several sauces.

We were lucky enough to be in Via Via on what is 'the best night of the week'. Free salsa lesson night.

It was here that I met Other Asian, a Canadian guy from HongKong who was like the only other Asian person I had seen thus far on the trip.

I leave you with a picture of funny and altogether too touchy salsa teacher.

Current location is London having finished my final week and flown several hours. Tomorrow? Malaysia!

Guate Day 3: The Road To Mordor

2011-08-10T04:26:00.002+01:00

The night before we decided to extend our stay in Antigua and the Jungle Party and skip Guatemala City altogether, in part due to the fact that we'd been warned various times by various people that it is not the best place for 4 very scrawny looking Oxford students and also because... we wanted to climb a volcano. So we went to one of the many tour agencies in Antigua, specifically BioLavenderia, a Bio Laundry just opposite our hotel which offered the cheapest rates around (although they are all about the same) The lady was really friendly and booked us in for a 6am tour. Now Paolo, our roommate from Day 1 had climbed it in shorts and a t-shirt but being rather paranoid first-timers we actually suited up with rather ugly flourescent rain coats pictures of which should appear in FB some time soon, among other things.

And so after a 1.5 hour drive, we found ourselves climbing Volcano Pacaya, an active volcano just outside of Antigua. The last eruption was in May last year and it was a big bad one that destroyed all the crops including the maize you see in the picture there.

There was some pretty interesting flora on the way up like this two in one tree. We didn't see many animals, or any animals actually, just some insects but apparently it is home to quite a large number of wildlife including coyotes and armadillos. Also, the black soil was pretty fascinating. It wasn't a particularly difficult hike, we managed to get to the top within like 1.5 hours?

While hiking, men on horses follow you up the trail (not to mug you, we're quite safe on that front because all tours come with a free security guard who is basically a man with a machete and maybe a scar to look intimidating) and they call out "Taxi, taxi!" so if you get tired you can always get a ride with them. I'm not sure how far up the horses are capable of going because the trail does seem a bit narrow for a horse and the rocks are quite loose but I never found out because none of us took the offer and the horses turned back halfway.

The top was absolutely crazy. I was completely awed. This looks like a scene from Lord of the Rings. So much so that I must include a quote here: "Against the powers of Mordor, there can be no victory." #nerdgasm. But yeah, like Guatever (refer T-shirt) There should also be a picture of us wearing our matching, corny Guatever T-shirts here.

But seriously, the harsh environment with the half melted rocks, the craters and the cracks and the ground warm under your feet... it was all quite terrifying and awe inspiring all the same. We couldn't go all the way up to the active crater and there was no lava because the hike got steep and it was impossible to carry on because the rocks were loose and watching them tumble down down down the slope of the volcano... was not encouraging.

On a brighter note, here is a picture of our guide being rather funny and roasting marshmallows at the top. This is apparently something of a big in joke because on our way up we passed a man trying to sell us marshmallows which led to much confusion. It tasted fantastic by the way. The added crunch could have been volcanic rock.

Also, a picture of Volcano Dog. These dogs are at the top and probably belong to the guys who set up some kind of souvenir shack (not shop) at the top of the hill. They follow tourists up and down the volcano quite easily and in one instance when trying to decide the best course of action, Volcano Dog came to the rescue by choosing a path for me.

But that didn't mean I didn't put meaning to the term 'volcano surfing' which may be some kind of extreme sport I have yet to comprehend but at the same time is perfectly apt for describing the hike down when loose rock and gravity work very hard to quicken your pace and you just have to lean back and try and steady yourself as you 'slide' along. Also, if you haven't realised by now, word of caution, volcanic rock is very hard on your shoes.

We wiled away the rest of the afternoon in the artisan market where we procured, among other things, a rainbow coloured armadillo bag for someone's girlfriend and an emboidered poncho/shirt which is local dress.

That night was spent at the delightfully sarcastic Cafe No Se, home to signs such as "In God We Trust (Everyone else pays cash)" and in the above picture to the left, the back of a frame that reads "Very ugly painting on other side" They do excellent food. We tried the chilli con carne, the arroz de Belize and the huevos rancheros - typical Central American fare - and it was all fantastic. And pretty cheap to boot which is very important when you're on your last day in a country and have to work that delicate line between spending as much of the remainder as possible but never over spending. We also met the lovely lady who mans the bar, she came to Antigua on holiday for like 2 weeks and wound up staying 6 months. Apparently this happens alot. Volunteering in Central America has turned me on to the life of a vagabond.

Guate Day 2: Around Antigua

2011-08-07T20:03:00.002+01:00

Day 2 began with a free breakfast at the Jungle Party Hostel which was awesome - Full Moon Party Omelette = omelette filled with beans and cheese and rice served with baked potatoes and salad. Fully fueled up we proceeded to explore Antigua.

Our first stop, the gorgeous baroque style church of La Merced built in the 1700s. Be warned that most of this post will consist of churches. And ruins. For such a little town there are very very many ruins because of two big earthquakes in the mid 1700s.

We explored the adjacent La Merced ruins which also contains the biggest water fountain in Antigua. The view from the top is sublime partly due to the surrounding volcanoes.

From there we actually visited another fine set of ruins which cost us 20Qs to enter of a rather large cathedral that was damaged by the earthquake. It was all quite sad and humbling to realise an act of nature brought down this handsome structure. Bits of the gorgeous arches and columns were strewn around the courtyard and the interior like so many discarded play things. Anyway, there are no pictures from my camera because I ran out of battery at this point.

Next up: Las Capuchins, another set of ruins of a church and convent of Capuchin monks. Again, ruined by the earthquake. What was really funny were the cells we found in that circular building up there which were, according to pamphlet, "cells/bedrooms" They were complete with tiny windows and bars and everything... I don't know about you but I can see a resurgence in this for the minimalist parent.

Speaking about minimalist, I packed extremely light for this trip which means effectively the same pair of jeans for 6 day trip. Also, you will note the ripped jeans? Don't worry I'm not one of those people who buys ripped jeans, its just that I did get an actual rip in the knee so instead of throwing them away I added a few more rips. I call it hobo chic. Basically trying to say "I'm poor. Please don't rob me." And lo and behold, it worked.

Another picture of the interior of the Capuchin church. Note the crumbly walls and roofs supported by metal bars. I personally found the roofs fascinating and took far too many pictures of them. I'm kinda weird like that.

We also spent quite a long time at the Artisan Market which sells all sorts of tacky souvenirs. I procured some T-shirts and fridge magnets and postcards for other people. For myself, I got a Guatever T-shirt (refer next post) The whole team got them actually, matching 'Guatever' T-shirts and rainbow bracelets the shopkeeper gave us for free cause he liked us. I also got a rainbow coloured backpack =D

Sorry, I just had to take this picture because upon Googling Antigua, Guatemala this is what Google Images kept showing me.

We wandered around town only to come across this square which has its own proper name but we called it Couples Square. You can see why - very many underaged schoolgirls and their rather older boyfriends. Oh girls, when you hit 20 you will realise this isn't cool, in fact its illegal.

Our final church of the day, the San Francisco church which apparently has been built and rebuilt so many times that unlike La Merced it has no particular architectural style anymore. Entered and quickly exited because mass was going on.

We went back before dinner only to find we had gotten a new roommate, an Israeli girl who had served in the military for 2 years before moving to Florida to study and after receiving her Masters in accounting then proceeded to buy a one way ticket to Central America after which she will travel till her money runs out. Don't you just love hostels? She was super hard core.

Dinner for that night was at Jungle Party Hostel, a hearty meal of chicken quesadillas with cheese and sour cream served with refried beans and pica de gallo - a fresh salsa of chopped tomato, onions and chillies. Put it on my tab =D

Drinks at the Red Bar. We couldn't resist going back because it was Ladies Night and mojitos were 10Q each! Sadly, as with most Ladies Nights, ladies were scarce and men were plenty.

Our night time trek through town. Its pretty safe in Antigua to just walk around which was nice and refreshing after the whole San Salvador paranoia thing.

Our 2nd bar of the night - Cafe No Se, easily the coolest bar in town. They have an Illegal Mezcal portion which apparently is alcohol obtained from Mexico - two shots before you can buy a beer is the rule. Of course, I was already done for the night. Soo... toodles.

Hello, I Love You

2011-08-07T16:36:00.000+01:00

When you're far away from someone you love, you somehow still feel connected; a tenuous line of words and feelings intertwined with happy memories. This delicate connection stretches out across land and oceans - so that no matter how many miles are between you, you're never truly apart. Some days when I think of you, I imagine you feel that magical jolt and look up from whatever you're doing, if only for a brief moment, to think of me too.