I miss this, I miss that not.

Today's the day where this Christmas tree - MY Christmas tree - is FINALLY stripped of all her glorious ornaments, sparkling ruffles (can't think of what you call the little long bushy caterpillar-lookalike thingy) and her majestic lights. Muahahahaaa. Into the attic you go.

Usually, we I put the tree away by the second or third week of January. Work is keeping my sister busy. School is keeping my brother "busy". Hence, I get the honour of keeping the tree away (with my mom, of course) cuz I'll be on summer holidays at this time every year. However, this year, I didn't get the tree down at the usual time cuz I'VE BEEN WORKING LAH! Gimme a break. Let me sleep. Leave me alone.

Every once in a while, the imams (from the nearby Mosque) would walk around my neighbourhood, dropping by to visit every Muslim family. They identify Muslim houses by observing their frontyard, i.e. avoiding houses with idols, crosses, small temples or anything that would symbolize religions other than Islam. My family, although Christian, has never practiced hanging up crosses in any part of our house. Religion is, after all, the matter of the heart not actions.

That's probably why the imams always (and I mean ALWAYS) mistook my house for a Muslim's. Even with this Christmas tree shining so brightly from my house in the evening, they still rang the doorbell and shouted "Asalamualaikummm..." with me standing just several feet away from them in my frontyard, looking at them with utter wonder if they couldn't see the Christmas tree in the house. Or... are Muslims setting up Christmas trees in their houses too this season? Heeheehee. Too far-fetched.

After staring at my face for a while, the imams finally figured I was a Chinese. Thank God I still look passable for Chinese... passable since it took them so long to figure me out. I was beginning to wonder if they were gonna ask me, "Are you a Baba Nyonya?". I would have been speechless.

Anyway, they were very nice about their mistake and apologized. But I couldn't help but laugh. At myself. Sigh. Now I'm beginning to miss the tree. Sigh.

These hands in this picture *points to the picture below* are my hands since this morning, right after a visit to the doctor.

Had an appointment with a doctor today for a blood test (I usually need to do one anually). Nurses and doctors have always complained about my invisible veins on my elbows and how they are sooo very, very fine. Thus, the great difficulty of getting enough blood from me. So far, only two person have been able to draw blood from my elbow - a government doctor who took my blood to test for Thalassemia disease, and the Blood Bank supervisor (head of dept.) during my industrial training. And they only needed one try.

Today, I got poked in four different places. Four needle puncture marks. Three plasters. And still, NO blood. I have bring these miserable hands to go back there in two weeks' time for another try. ARGH!!

I hate needles!!

For life.

Reporting from Shenzhen (v1.2)

Well, I could actually blog from here.. I can't and I won't cuz I can't even view my own blog.. BUT I can log into blogger.com.. BUT even if I could view my blog, it wouldn't be interesting if I wrote about my day because there'll be no pictures to accompany the post. And if you know me very well, I'm not the type to write super long entries. I rather post pictures cuz a picture's worth a thousand words. Plus, it's so much easier to elaborate from pictures. Heeheehee. Spoken like a true lazy person. Bleh.

I'll blog more about my days in Shenzhen probably the week after I return to KL. Would definitely need more than just one entry. Have about 3 film rolls of pictures. Yep, using the good old traditional Olympus camera while the digital camera lies idle at home.

Just a few golden rules of survival in China. My dad calls them Sun Tzu's Art of War: The 21st Century.

Please watch your steps at ALL times. There is a probability of 97% that you will step on either urine or vomit or spilt stuff or food or shit or human. From there, there's a 50-50 chance of stepping on a combination of more than two listed above. Note to self: Please remember to wash my boots.. can't endure thinking all those disgusting stuff I've been trampling on. Eeewwww..

Please watch the people around you and be careful especially when you hear anyone nearby you clearing their throat. Walk far, FAR away and stay clear. You might just get spit on :) Just imagine 1 million people walking along the same street and spitting at the same time. Yuck. You start to wonder whether you are walking along the street or you are caught in the middle of a football field with an ongoing match between Manchester United versus AS Roma.

During festive season, stay clear of young unpatronized children with fireworks. They might just throw one at you. Read: Not NEAR you, but AT you.

Worldwide, "ladies first", "children first" and "elderly first" may be common practices. But here, it's the "ME first" culture. Pushing and nudging are two extremely necessary skills to polish in order to survive here. If you can't fight them, join them. Hahahaa. Yeah girls, remember to guard your assets too. Just remember to switch off pushing-and-nudging once you're out of here. It is NOT a nice, at all, mannerism to adopt.

Don't smile too much, the police may render you suspicious.

Beware of peeing toddlers. They do their business anytime, anyhow and anywhere. And I mean it. Into the garbage bins in the subway station, drains at the side of the road or middle of the sidewalk, etc.

Please check the doors of toilet cubicles before you decide to use it. Sometimes the doors may not lock. Sometimes the floor may be puke-fied. Sometimes you may find the "contents" of the rubbish bin exposed with really disgusting stuff. Sometimes there is NO DOOR! Sometimes there're even no cubicles.. so pleasure doing business staring at one another. However, the last two do not apply to Shenzhen though cuz it's a planned city (bandar terancang).. thank God! The last time I went to upper north of China, I was told to bring along an umbrella - big enough to cover my butt - in case I need to do my business cuz in some areas where toilets don't even exist! Unless you count areas behind bushes and trees.

Beware of people who try to trick you into paying for them. We were at this 2 yuan shop, where all the stuffs sell for 2 yuan lar as you can tell. Decent stuff selling for ridiculously low price. You can imagine what the crowd was like in there. This is where nudge-and-push culture is at large rather annoyingly. Anyway, my mom bought a whole basketful of stuff and was paying up. Then there was this "nice" lady whom we shall refer to as Kee Kuai Zha Bor (Miss Weirdo) for the remaining of my story.

You see. As my mom was taking out money to pay AND the cashier was NOT looking, Miss Kee Kuai Zha Bor, holding a few items of her own, threw her items into my mom's basket thinking that my mom nor the cashier wouldn't notice and my mom would pay up for her items as well. You know the trick - mix your stuff with others, let them pay, then run off with their items as well as yours. Unfortunately for Miss Kee Kuai Zha Bor, she thought my mom was one she eh sai tipu one. Who would be dumb enough to try mess with my mom and her two brilliant *cough cough* daughters? My mom did tell the cashier which were her stuff and which were not, much to her dismay. Padan muka! Can't believe how cheapskate people can get.. I mean this Zha Bor had only 5-7 items in her hand which would add up to RMB10 to RMB14 (RM1 = RMB 2) and she wouldn't even pay for it?? Geez.

Beware of desperate salespeople. Think Malaysian salesmen/women are bad? Try the Chinese. Yes, you do stand an excellent chance of getting dirt cheap prices for just about everything. But once you start bargaining on an item, you better get it. Or risk getting pulled by your clothes/hands or even blocked from getting out of the shop. Forever.

Here, you also have pro-active beggars. They would walk around with bowls, chasing after people for about 50 yards for money. Oh yeah. You not only have professional accountants, lawyers, engineers and doctors.. you have professional beggars. My dad told me once that some would find easy money by throwing their food into the dustbin and eating from there while carrying a toddler or two. All these to squeeze money by manipulating the public's compassion and kind hearts. Just like a story, right? I thought so too... initially. Until one fine day, my dad, my brother and I actually caught one "professional" beggar doing exactly that. The things people would do for easy money.

What joy to be going back to civilization this Friday.

Me very happy.

Me had Me last day of work today.
Me finish industrial training.
Me hApPy, tired and [ r e l i e v e d ].
Me now back to student life.

Me also marvel at how time flies.
And Me will definitely miss the staff and fellow trainees at work.
But Me hApPy cuz Me now can wake up later than 6.30 am.
Heeheehee.

Me really need time off before new semester starts anyway.
So, Me thank God for holiday.
Me need to have a life now before monash rob Me of Me life later.

Me want to do a LOT of things.
Me want to go swimming..
Me need to go watch movies.
Me want to laze around chill out at home and with friends.
Me want to pray to God for Me destiny and direction.
Me hope me will find a great church to settle down.
Me pray that me energy and mind will be fully replenished and STRONG.
Me also pray the same for Me family and friends.

Oh, and Me pray for lots of angpow money this CNY! :P

And Me hApPy cuz Me flying to Hong Kong-Shenzhen tomorrow to see Daddy.
And also to go shopping and to be lazy!

Oh no! Me forgot that me have something important to do.
:( Me have to go now.
Cuz Me just remembered Me haven't started packing for the trip.
So Me have to say bye-bye.
Me dunno whether Me blog or not when in Shenzhen.

In advance, Me wishes everyone Happy Chinese New Year!

This is Me, Daesi, signing out.

Movies - to watch or not to watch - in 2006

MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA

I'm a big fan of Gong Li, Zhang Ziyi kicks butt and we have our very own Datuk Michelle Yeoh in it. More than enough reasons to watch it right? I've always wanted to read the novel though, ever since Ashley recommended it to me (which was ages ago while we were still trotting around in school uniforms). But I've never gotten around to doing it. That's why I wanna watch it. And maybe read the novel after that.

My decision: Watch it at all cost! Gonna watch it on Feb 4th with Suzan and Madhu.. where else? Sunway Pyramid-lar.

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

I LOVE the book to bits. Therefore, I must watch the movie! Plus, Suzan (friend from university) gave it a thumb's up. If you didn't know her, she's one tough chick who rarely gives good rating.

My decision: Should grab hold of Michele somewhere in February and go watch this movie.. that is if she hasn't watched it yet lar. And if it's still showing in the cinema. Is it still showing after CNY?

SUPERMAN RETURNS

This new Superman has quite an uncanny resemblance to the late Christopher Reeve, doesn't he? Just out of curiosity.. if this story supposedly takes place after Superman returns from years of hiatus, how come he and Lois Lane seems to be getting younger and not older? Bluff people one. Hhhoooorrrr.. Superman went for plastic surgery ar?

My decision: Watching superhero flying around flashing his underwear with underwear worn on the outside.. Do I love Superman so much to go watch the movie?

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN

I want to watch this one!!! It's got Heath Ledger in his award-nominated role and a possible nod for the Oscars too. But this award-winning movie is not coming to Malaysia. Even if it does anyway, I seriously doubt it'll even pass the censorship boards.

My decision: Guess I'll have to wait until the Sri Petaling VCD rental shop comes out with the VCDs for rent.. which will be months later. Waaaa..

JAMES BOND 007, CASINO ROYALE

I loved Tomorrow Never Dies. I liked The World is Not Enough. But the 10 bucks I paid to see Die Another Day was just purely wasted. Now, I'm not sure I would watch James Bond anymore. Imagine him would say, "My name is Blonde, James Blonde."

My decision: Eeeessshhhh. See first-lah. I won't watch it on the opening week. Get opinions from those who watch it first. If it's good, I'll consider it. I like a good action-packed movie that makes me think and has a good plot. Not just merely tembak-tembak-here, tembak-tembak-there, everywhere-jump-jump, roaring loudly and thumping chest. Oops.. it's James Bond, not King Kong).

THE DA VINCI CODE

Read the book already, but wasn't a big fan of it. I preferred DVC's prequel "Angels and Demons" *two thumbs up*. Just makes me wonder how they are gonna portray the dead man in the beginning.. is he really gonna be nude as stated in the book? Kinda significant cuz it holds the key to all mysteries behind the main plot. But I still wasn't really surprised at all by the plot of DVC, the bad guy turned out to be EXACTLY who I thought it would be. And the girl who was Jesus's supposedly great-great-granddaughter (how many "great"s were there eh?)? I'd guessed it from page one.

My decision: As much as I'm a [ H U G E ] fan of Tom Hanks, I may not watch it. But we'll see.

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST

Why should you watch it?
>> One: Captain Jack Sparrow.
>> Two: Johnny Depp.
>> Three: Orlando Bloom (for the ladies) / Kiera Knightley (for guys)
(Select where applicable)
>> Four: Smart-alec quotes.. darn good ones too.

"Me? I'm dishonest, and a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly. It's the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when they're going to do something incredibly... stupid." - Jack Sparrow
My decision: Whataya asking mate? It's Captain Jack Sparrow.. savvy?

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 3

No offense to Tom Cruise and his legions (?) of fans, but I just don't like him. He annoys the living lights out of me. Period.

My decision: If you like MI movies, I have one mission impossible for ya - Try and get me, Daesi, and my lazy butt to watch MI3. Like sponsoring my movie ticket, for example *hint hint*

A day that I'll never forget

"God has a word for you. He says that lately you've been praying and seeking Him for many things in areas and aspects in your life. He just wants you to know that He's listening, but you are not being firm in what you want. God wants you to be specific and ask for results. Remember that God loves you and wants to bless you, but He's asking you to be specific."

This was God speaking to me through Pastor Amos AT A SMALL LITTLE MAMAK SHOP in Masjid Jamek!! Really, it was an extraordinary and AWESOME experience altogether. You know, all these while, I hear preachers testifying at the pulpit of how God speaks to them in ways you could have never imagined, like on the streets by strangers. But I have never dreamt that this would one day happen to me. I've always thought that God would only speak to me in my private time and when I respond to altar call. And there it was, a stranger releasing God's revelation for me to me while I was having my dinner (puree..yummies!) in a mamak shop with my friends. Pastor Amos was someone I didn't know before that and he didn't know me EITHER. And yet the words he delivered to me were so close to my heart. Isn't God mighty and awesome?

For these several months, I felt myself drifting further and further away from God.. even though I still do pray everyday. A part of me just felt [ e m p t y ] and [ d r y ]. Walking around like a living "spiritual zombie". Many times I've been to services where the preachers would call for altar call and sometimes call for people with specific needs they want to pray for. I was one of those with needs and wanted to be prayed for so badly. But my legs refused to budge.. stayed frozen in place. For once, the motor neurons in both my legs were not listening to what my brain was telling them to do. I feared responding to altar calls. Afraid of what God has to say to me. Afraid of what people might think of me. Afraid of being open. Maybe I was just simply exhausted.. spiritually and mentally drained.

I mean, can't a Christian be spiritually and mentally exhausted at some point of their life? Or just because he/she needs some time off to seek the Lord makes him/her any less a Christian than others? Or that there is always something wrong with his/her relationship with God? Must we be SO judgmental of others that we forget they are also humans with limited capacity? And then, forget that each of us are individuals.. unique and DiFfeRenT from each other in our own special way. If each of us are unique, then why are we judging others because they are not doing something the same way that you are? Why are we condemning others simply because they are not like us? Having said that, I'm talking in the context of common human relationships, NOT promoting murder, rape, robbery, and any other act that is wrong by law.

It is true that I have been praying lately to God for several things, such as clear directions for me, my dad's business, my mom, improvement for my results and some other personal stuff. And those words were like a W-A-K-E-U-P call for me! A refreshing revelation from Him. It was just what I needed right exactly at the time I needed it the most. Simple, but yet profound. As you probably noticed, there were several words I bold, which were not being firm and specific. When you ask something from someone, you have to be specific right? For example, let's say you're asking your parents for money, usually you'll ask, "Dad, can I have 100 bucks? Cuz I'm broke and need some money to buy school books", or "Mom, can I have 30 bucks for lunch?". For me, I have been asking God like this, "Dad, can I have some money? But if you don't have or don't want to give, then it's OK". See the difference? I guess I was just afraid of being disappointed.

It was just yesterday that I decided to follow my sis to her church for Saturday night service, instead of following my mom to FGA on Sunday morning. It was a sudden decision. Even Romuald (my sis's fiance) and Macrina were like, "Why suddenly coming to The Rock for service?". I just shrugged. Now I know that I was not there by mere coincidence, and that God wanted to speak to me through Pastor Amos. Praise God for Pastor Amos. Praise God for He NEVER forsakes us! Praise God for He knows our hearts' deepest desire. Well, if you will excuse me, it's about time I get specific!!

All Access: A Sneak Peek into My Life as a Lab Rat Technician Trainee

If you all didn't know yet, I'm currently in Histopathology and Cytopathology department and will be here until the 17th (Tuesday). For those who do not know what those mean.. respectively, they are studies of the human tissues (cysts, tumors, organs, etc.) and studies of cells (Does PAP smear rings a bell? Or maybe vaginal/cervical smear?). Yeah. Basically in this department, what we do is to prepare slides of samples for the pathologist to examine. Samples go through process of fixing, embedding, slicing, staining with tons of reagents (not kidding) and mounting.

Today was rather interesting. Most of the specimens that came into the lab were specimens for biopsies. Think that was all? Think again.

I saw, with my own eyes, the pathologist sliced up a uterus from a woman in her forties or fifties. Never in my entire life had I thought I would come face to face with a REAL uterus. And a real BIG one too, about the size of a slightly-above-average-sized papaya. A normal uterus would only be about the size of a fist. This uterus had abnormality attributed to tumor and fibroids in the wall. And this poor uterus was cut up into 4 pieces. Really.. I can't imagine MY uterus being cut up into pieces. Even more, I can't even imagine losing MY own uterus. Touch wood. Nobody.. and I mean NOBODY is touching MY uterus.

Besides that, I also witnessed a twisted intestine being sliced up as well. How badly twisted? Twisted bad enough that the physician had no choice but to take it out of the patient. Twisted so bad that it blocked oxygen from flowing into the intestines, ultimately causing autolysis (cell death). The intestinal walls of certain sections were so thin like paper (and I mean it.. no exaggeration). Briefly, your intestines contain bacteria that do not affect you while in the intestines but becomes otherwise when outside the intestines. So, imagine paper-thin walled intestine.. if it ruptures. Ouch.

Then there were the breast lumps (very common specimen). The surface of the lumps is usually dyed black so that the pathologist can identify the lump borders. These lumps are commonly examined to see whether it is cancerous OR if it is cancerous, how much have the cancerous cells develop inside the lump. Lets say that under microscopic examination, cancerous cells were detected at the edge of the lumps, i.e. near the borders, then it is most likely the cancer has spread beyond the lumps and are affecting organs.. interesting? Hahaa. Those pieces of sliced breast lumps were dark-blackish on the edges and normal meat colour on the interior.. looks like char-siew. Not kidding. Think char-siew. ;)

Lucky I had my lunch an hour before. If I hadn't eaten, I would probably felt woozy. But they weren't all that disgusting or stinky as I had thought they would be. Kinda intriguing in a way. Just had to give extra brownie points to my supervisor, you know. Not everybody can sit through the whole thing and watch the organs being cincanged hacked cut into pieces while being pregnant, like she did.

Right now I can only think of one person who wouldn't mind working in this lab for life! Hahaa. Do you know who?

That's been my day so far. Haven't seen nothing much right? :P

Reflections on 2005

Glad to see 2005 go?
Yeah. Always happy to welcome a new year. The old has to go before the new can come, right?

Age turned in 2005?
Twenty years.

Did you change your hair in 2005? How?
I've had this really long hair since high school. Just a month back, I chopped those long locks off. So now it's layered around shoulder length. And my bangs are back after 5 years of MIA. Planning to dye my hair sooner or later this year.

The best part of 2005?
Mmm.. how about FINALLY completing my freshman year? Or maybe going carolling with my sister's church team in TimeSquare? Watching Greg Sanders finally becoming a full-fledged CSI on the field? Cheesy. Hahaaa. My brother getting straight A's in his PMR? Oh, ooohhhhh. I know! The best part was when my sister announced her engagement!

The worst part of 2005?
Writing four lab reports per week. Results for my reCent semester.. was nothing Close to inCredible and hardly satisfaCtory.

Did you make any new friends in 2005? Who?
Yeah. They were mainly classmates whom I didn't get the opportunity to know better last year. And then, there are the lab senior staffs and fellow student trainees in Assunta Hospital.

Any new crushes in 2005? Who?
Maybe.. that's for me to know and for you to find out.

Do they know?
Hahaa. That's for him to know and for me to find out (???)

Who will you never forget?
Well, I'll never forget those I'll never forget. Those that I've forgotten are already forgotten.

Who did you wish you did not meet?
Have no idea.

Did you fall in love in 2005?
Yep.. I fell in love with this baby!

Toyota Lexus!
Find out all about it here!

Did you catch someone in a lie in 2005?
Yeah. But well, it isn't right to call him a liar. I'm not so sure about the whole situation either. Maybe part of his character was cunning. Had to make me feel guilty by getting scolded by him even though it wasn't entirely my fault that I couldn't make it to the seminar last minute with the lecturers all fixing replacement classes on the SAME date at the LAST minute. Told me that the fees were already paid by him and that I had to pay him back whether or not I could make it. Then, my brother called to tell me that it wasn't paid at all. And what did I do? Just shut my mouth up and not say a word. Shocked I was.

Did you call them out?
Nope. I let it go. Furious, I was. But all is forgiven. Don't wanna make issues worse than it already is.

Did you get caught in a lie? What was it?
Hehh? Don't think so. Heheh.

Funniest moment of 2005?
I know there are plenty. If only I could recall any one of them. Hehehe.

Most embarrassing moment of 2005?
... Not quite sure if I had any.

The funniest thing you saw on TV in 2005?
Mmm. I doubt I would be able to recall any funny scenes in particular. But I could tell you that I had my most laughs from watching Everybody Loves Raymond, House, Scrubs, Monk.

The funniest thing you heard on the radio?
.......................................................... if only it was memorably funny.

Did you take any vacations in 2005? Where?
Hong Kong, Sibu (going back to hometown counted right?) and Genting (getting really, really, reeeeeaalllllyyyyy bored of it).

Any new hobbies of 2005?
Messing around with my dad's digital camera..

Did you get a new job in 2005?
Well, I started my current "job" at a hospital lab in December. So that's my job. More like, that's my first EVER job.

Did you lose a job in 2005?
Nope. They can't fire me cuz I'm not paid and I'm only a student trainee. They could however give a bad review about me to my lecturer. Then I would be a fried fish when I return for my next semester.

Did you host a party in 2005?
Nope. 2005 was rather a quiet year for my family and I.

Did you get in any car accidents in 2005?
No. So far my record's pretty squeaky clean.

Did you get a ticket in 2005?
Naahhh, never gotten one in my whole life either.

Were you ever arrested in 2005? Wanna say for what?
Nope. Eat your hearts out.

Where did most of your money go?
You kidding? My university fees lar! What else? Hehehe. Christmas shopping.. either for presents for close friends and relatives or clothes for myself. Hahaa. Oh yeah, and also birthday gifts ahead of time. Heheh.

What song will always remind you of 2005?
"Lonely no more" by Rob Thomas and "Dare you to move" by Switchfoot.. gotta love those songs! Prob listened to them the most times.

What do you wish you'd done more of?
Sleep. Study.

What do you wish you'd done less of?
Procrastinating. Noticed that this post is dated Jan 2, but is only posted 2 days later?

Thing you were really good at in 2005?
Typing, typing, typing. With all those lab reports and assignments to do every week, I think typing is my only "skill" that was really polished.

Thing you wish you were better at in 2005?
Wished my results for the second half of the year were better than it turned out to be.

In 2005, did you lie to miss a day of work / school?
Come to think of it, no. I wouldn't lie to miss my classes. I would just feel like not going and then don't go. Get any one of my friends to sign in for me if the lecturer's taking attendance. As for work, I haven't missed any of my work days except for the leave I took for Christmas celebrations.

Did you have a sleep over in 2005?
Nope. I'm a dull person. I don't like sleepovers. Hahaha.

Did you make-out in public in 2005?
Nahh..

Did you drink too much in 2005?
Drink water? Hahaa. I know, this reply is getting kinda lame over time. But questions musn't be ambiguous.

Did you go to any concerts? Which ones?
Went for the "Heal the nation" concert in Glad Tidings PJ, Cheras Christian Youth concert in IYC Cheras.

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005:
I learnt that some people aren't always what they seem in the first place. I learnt that people can be nice to you to your face and at the same time, backstab you in front of your friends. I learnt to stand up for myself and say "no" when I mean it.