Jangkar 2.0

If someone ask me to go hiking last year, the answer will be a big 'HELL NO'. But somehow I managed to slide hiking into my short list of hobbies this year. For most of my Facebook friends who has seen the pictures that I uploaded will probably know that I've been to the Jangkar waterfall back in April, but yet I still came back, 5 months later.

Things were a bit different this time around. We hiking up stream via the rocky river, jumping from rock to rock. And this time, rather than just swim underneath and stare up at the giant waterfall, I actually climbed up the waterfall, which was about 3 to 4 stories high. The view from above was SPECTACULAR! You can see the clear sky, the horizon, as if everything was just at the bottom of your feet. Plus, there's another waterfall up there, not as big as the first one, but still a great place to swim.

At the end of the day, we were at exhausted, some even got sunburn, including me. But it was memories made, it was another brand new experience. A big thank to Susan (the girl standing beside me in the pic above) for organizing this trip, I look forward to our next adventure :)

Top of the waterfall

The Bruno Mars Curse

A few weeks ago, I can't stop singing Bruno Mars's It Will Rain, because every time I sang it, it does rain. Maybe it's some kind of curse. I stopped singing that song after a while, part of it is because it's getting a bit boring, and the other part is because I'm sick of the rain. Because when it rains, sometime it floods.

People at the United State get snow on Xmas day, which was today, according to our Malaysian time. But in the tropical country of Malaysian, sometimes we get rain, and that's what my hometown got this year for Xmas. Another flood. Yes, it's not our first time being flooded. It happen once a few years back, it was during Chinese New Year.

The Xmas Flood 2011

The Season Of Convocation

Well, it's not my turn yet. It's just that the fact that I'll be graduating soon has taken a bit of toll on me. This past 2 weeks has been like a roller coaster ride, so much has happen and my blog post can't really keep up with all of these events. Speaking of convocation, I actually attended my very first one last week, as a seated guest with a proper invitation. It was Benson's convo.

At UTM International Campus at KL

A Date With Arts

It was not my typical Sunday where I will mostly get nothing done and just goof around til Monday come. I actually had a date with, drums roll please, yes, with arts. I admire arts and those who associate themselves with art, especially where there's a good cause involved.

At Central Market

I can hear these walls singing 'I'm pretty and I know it' lol

Loves these two painting

During Human Rights Day, which is celebrated annually across the globe on 10th December, an art expo called 'Arts For Grab' was held at one of the art gallery at Central Market in conjunction with this meaningful day. It's not just an art expo, which usually involved starring and buying stuff that you like, you can actually help make a difference by signing some petition to help change and maybe save the life of some people who was unfairly treated and being ripped off their human rights.

Our Collective Memory

Red & White & All That's In Between

When we get older, somewhere in our 40s, we will endure something we call 'Midlife-crisis '. Well, though there's still a long way to go before we hit that milestone, I'm considering the situation that we're in this moment, a 'Mid-graduation-crisis',where we're on the ledge of letting our student identity, but yet trying to hold on to the best of it. So, sometimes we attempt to relive those moments all over again, and we did it yesterday, by going back to the lake. It was 2 years ago since we last came here. We came back.

Going Back To School

On the 2nd day of December, I went to back to school, the school where I did my teaching practice from May til' August, just to get a signature from the principal. I know I did promise a few students that I would drop by sometime but eventually that never happen even if it's just walking distance from my university. Now, that I did went back, there were only a few students there, doing running practice on the field, the rest are now on their holiday break.

Gosh, I remember those days where I thought doing teaching practice was like a never ending unpleasant dream, I wouldn't say nightmare because it ain't that scary, it's just tiring. For 4 months, I've been many things here: an illegal motorcyclist, a raging teaching dealing with some devil spawns, a slave to the school management and so on. Now that it's over, I kinda miss being all those things. Oh yes, the school mention here is called SMJK Katholik Tanjong Malim.

The entrance

Island Life

As November crept in on me, it has became a wake up call that I'll be graduating in 2 more months and there are still tons of places I wanna visit before graduating. So, when Karsly called and ask me if I wanna join her and her bffs for a trip to Pulau Ketam a.k.a. Crab Island, I said yes without any hesitate, plus, Crab Island just so happen to be on my places-to-visit-before-I-graduate list. So, that's settled, we're gonna raid Crab Island.

Karsly, Pei Yin, Me, Jamie & Ruffy

On The Way Home

No, I don't mean me. I'm still stuck here.

But most of the students already went home
for the holidays.

I'd be lying if I'm saying I don't miss home,

but when I was doing my occasional stalking on facebook,

I saw someone posted this picture,

and it looks kinda familiar.

On Broadway

Ruffy, Michelle, Jessie & Me.
Well, only Michelle & Ruffy in sight in the photo.

Technically, it was just a cafe called Broadway.

Just another night out,

before some went back for the holidays,

and some, like myself stayed behind.

The night is always young around here.

Always will be.

2nd Time Around: My Melaka Dream

There's something between me and Melaka, something that I just can't explain. I used to read about it in History class but I never dream that I could one day actually came here, to see with my very own eyes what remains and what it has become. It's pretty crowded with tourists but looking at its bits and pieces kinda make me sad, because who would have thought that a force so powerful in south east Asia would became just a tourist attraction. I guess everything came so quickly for Melaka, but it also ended as quickly as it begins.

While playing tourist there, I kinda really feel sad for Melaka. But hey, when I came here for the first time, I just couldn't get enough of it, not just the food, but the whole place. So, I really wish that I could come here again, and I did. So basically, I'm just gonna show you what I have been up to while I was there. There's no real life adventure, no romance and no people getting killed. Just pictures.

I actually went inside the church for once.

Birthday

Happy Birthday to the 2 guys who probably knew me better than any other guys here. 23 years old. I've been 23 for a few months now, and I can tell you that growing up kinda sucks. There's nothing much to look forward to life: first, there's our graduation. But before that, we still gotta finish our thesis, which seems like a Mission Impossible to me. After graduation, maybe there will be some unemployment for some time. Not to mention your love life will probably still be in the state of Limbo.  I didn't recall signing up for a lot of deep shit that life kept on throwing at me, do you?

21 & 22

Once In A While

Karsly, Michelle, Me, Ruffy & Jessie

Once in a while,

we lose our mind,

we go crazy.

Once in a while,

we give calories our middle finger,

we kick diabetes's butt,

because,

Once in a while,

it's okay to be crazy!

Mount Gading

From where I came from, there was a mountain called Gunung Gading.

It has always been there, never gone.

It watched over the town, changing and rearranging.

But it stays the same.

Food Bazaar

August means a lot of thing:

1. My last 4 weeks as a practical teacher.

2. The Hungry Ghost Festival (Soon, I guess.)

3. 31st August... Firework, parade & stuff... you know.

and this time around, Hari Raya is just around the corner.

But before that, the Muslim will have
a month's time to do their fasting,

Starting the first day of August.

Which means 1 thing to me: FOOD BAZAAR!

Half of the town musta been here.

 Us 4 little practical teachers

pay a little visit to one of the food bazaar here in Tanjong Malim,

Which turns out to be the BIGGEST one in town.

They must have been more than 100 stalls set up there.

Food sold here would fit a whole stadium field (Maybe just a small one)

They taste great if you're a fan of Malay food,

But I guess it's not just about the food,

Everybody's just in a festive mood.

Even me.

I Don't Speak French, But I Can If You Like

I never had french food, and I'm not sure if french fries count.

I can't speak french, the only foreign language I'm good at is English and Japanese,

Well, just English. Japanese? Who am I kidding.

But in this lifetime, I really wanna go to Paris.

Not because of the food, or the fashion, or the Eiffel Tower
(I think it has a twin in Tokyo)

I wanna go there,

Because

People says LOVE is always in the air.

You can fall in love with a sexy french women,
or a handsome french guy

in  a blink of an eye.

I just hope when do fall in love in Paris

There will be no snail on the romantic dinner menu.