The inconvenience is driving me impatient. This blog - bred for about 5 years now - may as well be traded for another better, more efficient-running one. Heck, I can't even insert a chatbox without getting into another entanglement over here! *Now that I actually decide to have a chatbox.*
*Just great.*
I'll try out blogspot for awhile, see how it compares to this over here.
Here are some images of my Cinderella Christmas. It's a brand new year, but that doesn't mean I'm letting the past slip away just like that.
I came across this charming store window as I was wandering round Hartamas with Yann on TTDI's prom night. Such a quiet, pretty sight.
If those candy canes represented the 3 Of Us, I reckon 'nett would be the blue, Ju would be pink, and that leaves red for me. Lol. My hue is green, but green candy canes are generally thought to be unappetizing. Probably that's why they don't make 'em. =/
Dressed for the Diva-event at Shangri-La, featuring Anita Sarawak. Not a speck of make-up on, I guarantee. I wonder at the red myself.
Who better to bring to Mamma Mia than my own mom? Had a great time people-watching, in addition to the awesome musical itself. =)
Christmas Eve
Tea at Delicious with my fairy godbrother, after escaping the clutches of the relatives.
My long overdue birthday treat. =P On the uppermost tier is their famed Banoffee Pie. I think... nothing fantastic, but it was a great catch-up session with someone who's almost always up in Genting studying!
(Christmas Eve) Family Reunion Dinner
The night begins with a jamming session, as always. At my uncle's place, it's always time to jam. Too bad I'm not that into music; in a way, I want out.
But there, it's all over. I'll never have to go back to that detested piano stool again. Music is just so dead.
Perception. If you looked at me, and I looked back; Would it mean anything at all? Would the world fade into a monochrome, And would I stand out in jewelled hues?
And is your heart crimson...
Or simply ashen rose?
Someone's been naughty tonight. Ickle monsters playing with my phone half the night. Only returned it when the batt was like, hanging by a thread. Tqverymuch. =P
Take you for a ride, on my magic carpet We'll soar into the virgin clouds With only you by my side
Ornate railings.
Complexity is a beautiful thing, sometimes.
Love u too.
Poolside party, anyone?
*Santa Claus is comingggg to town~~~*
Check out the feline eyes.
Not even I could evade the unnatural force of the season.
Run, you poor thing, run!!
*Gotcha!* *Dog whines*
My mom dancing like she used to, so long ago.
And finally... Santa's very own son. It's alright, my face would be like that too, if mY mom decided to grow a beard and strap a pillow to her belly. XD
The aunty and uncle who sponsored my rock climbing sessions, all 4 of 'em.
So many of my loved ones are born in December. But I'd rather late than somewhere in Jan or Feb, cos then I don't feel so rushed for present-shopping, hehe.
*Sawadikap* From the men.
The ladies.
When it comes to you...
I've hit every high and every low.
You give me double vision; I see the good and bad of many things. Too many things.
Don't pull the blinds over my eyes. I won't be fooled.
And then the rain stopped rhyming,
Time stopped coursing,
And breathing ceased to make sense at all.
This was how it was, Without you.
Maybe I'm waiting to be taken in once more by your sweet angel lips.
The foyer of my uncle's hospital.
Hallways with wood panelling on the floor.
As you can see, it's located right next to Segi College.
That unmistakable structure; almost a landmark in its own right.
The children's wing.
A closeup of my favourite mural inside.
A whimsical screen for the VIP waiting section. It caught my eye more than the plasma TV did. =P Guess I'm that low-tech, haha.
Charming.
This one's for the Panda.
And one for me. =] Bunnee.
The coordinated-ness of the dresses was very distracting for me. They remind me of the different poles of a magnet.
A child-sized cot. =P
Laugh while you can, honey. Before the big bad world consumes you in its ravenous greed and self-destructive ways.
Taking in the scenic view. To the left is Dragon-Lady, my eldest aunt. The scariest. The most intimidating and formidable opponent you could ever cross. You have been warned. =)
The aforesaid view.
The Christmas tree at the main entrance. Didn't put mine up for the last 2 years; what's the point when there is only one person to do all the work and only one more to sit back and enjoy it? Maybe next year. =)
So take me as you find me, lying damaged at your feet.
You may be wondering where Broga is. Or even, wondering if I mean Beluga. *Which one of my mates did* Well, Broga's a small town somewhere in or near Semenyih; and Semenyih is where my owns a farm and I first learnt how to fish there. =) Enough introduction.
Day 1
This was my first ever hardcore youth camp, where accomodation didn't mean a hotel room or at the very least, an apartment or chalet. It was very primitively, a dormitory which housed all the girls; and a similar space for the guys. Which meant one could walk in and out of rooms as one pleased, and changing pants was done with towels wrapped around waists. That I could accept.
The gravity of the situation began to sink in when we were handed bedsheets and pillowcases with which to clothe our own bedding. And then I found out the showers didn't come with water heaters. And the camp organisers weren't kidding when they asked us to bring 5 litres of drinking water each. Because there was no typical jug kettle waiting to do us service, and that also meant that the Mini Maggi I'd bought on purpose the day before... well, let's just say that my luggage was in no way lighter when I left than when I'd arrived. Aka : That was stupet of me. Hahah.
During the camp, there was barely enough time to drink water; as Amy pointed out. We were immediately split into 4 groups. And I found two people at camp with the same surname as I; which was unusual. =] I mean, there are plenty of 'Ng's, 'Chan's, 'Lee's and etc. out there, but only so many 'Soh's.
My team named ourselves the Orang Pisang. It stands for 'xiang jiao ren' - Chinese ppl who don't know how to speak it. While painting our banner, my NEW, WHITE blouse got stained by FABRIC paint. Brilliant. I don't know just how I get into these scrapes. - -'' Try as I might, who was I to do battle with fabric paint on fabric? The stain remained and all I could do was stare at it forlornly with my hands dripping soap water.
Oh yeah, bunk beds are fun. But these were rickety and rackety... I spent the last minutes of the first night bursting with laughter, listening to the ceaseless creaking and groaning as Giovana settled in for sleep above me. Of course, the rocking motion of the whole frame as I waited patiently beneath only upped the funny meter.
I'm telling ya, these beds are dangerous!
SeeEEeee?!
Falling asleep was difficult - not because of the creaking beds but rather due to the cold air-conditioning. Plus the absolute lack of blankets. > <'
By the end of the first day, I'd made lots of friends; and one of them even told me I was 'outgoing'. Shocker!! I'd always known myself to be reclusive, shy and some even say distant. But this goes to show; when I put myself out to be amiable (with a pinch of courage), it oftentimes works. Awesome possum.
Day 2
Pulled myself off the bed and since my room was the one with the main entrance; people were already moving in and out. The door was open and I practically woke up to beauty. It made me want to get changed, and get out, real quick. There's nothing like the Master Artist's touch to kickstart my day.
Morning assembly was on that large field. It involved, first of all, a lap around it; and later, blindfolds and string. It's been so long since I ran at all, I really miss it. So I ran with vigour.
This candidly taken shot makes the pond look particularly gloomy. The tall structure reflected in the water is the tower from which the flying fox activity begins. Yes, we go all the way across the water. And today was the day.
I joined the first 8 to go up the tower - one by one lahh. Logically, I decided so because wearing the helmets later and thus being drenched in another person's sweat didn't appeal to me. Haha, it was exactly 60 feet above ground, with exactly 60 steps leading to the platform. Counting your steps to the top was an option if you had a fear of heights, but I found looking down to be the best. And looking upwards was frightening, because I saw the wide, blue sky; so wide, I was sure it would never catch me if I fell. And because I saw the yellow steps in stark contrast with that blueness, and they seemed to rise so high above me though I'd been climbing for a considerable amount of time. Giovana counted. But counted wrongly, hahaha I wonder how. I suppose that when she'd reached 60, the platform still hadn't arrived; LoL.
The only truly nerve-wracking part was sitting on the platform before pushing off. 'Cause my ass never made contact with the platform; I felt vulnerably suspended, felt like scrambling against gravity with only the instructor's hand keeping a grip on my pulley. At last the whistles signaled ready, and I debated how long more I should debate going down. Then I looked straight ahead and let it happen.
It felt wonderfully smooth, and my mind felt clear and sane. It was over too soon; but I'd try it again if I get to. The keyword is smooth. Nothing can describe it as well. =)
This was followed by the lowropes course, which I found more challenging. My feet got cramps twice, and luckily Dinnesh was there to straighten them out. Dinnesh's features remind a lot of Viknesh. Heheh. A really nice and helpful guy.
To end the evening, every team had to build a raft from scratch, within an hour. There were barrels (supposedly airtight), sticks of bamboo and plenty of raffia string at our disposal. But what did we city kids know of making rafts? Especially rafts that could withstand the weight of 8 people! Hahaha, my team was gleeful that we'd built the largest raft, sure can fit everyone wan. But our barrels came loose the first. The embarrasment. Ahaaha. Still, we completed the race across that gloomy pond, with lots of wading on the mushy bottom involved. Seriously, the pond-bottom had one of the grossest textures known to mankind. It reminded me of a very soft pillow, the way it ate your foot with every step you took; only, you knew it wasn't a pillow and you DIDN'T know what the heck was really in there.
I met lovely people at camp... My team leader was a really plucky, responsible guy. He did more than anyone else; even with a foot injury, a suddenly-bleeding thumb and sundry other scratches. Plus, he has a cool name. Xp. As in, Windows Xp. =P
Night falls. That's the clothesline in front of the girls' dormitory. Open the door and you'll see my bed straight away. I share the room with 3 others. To the left and right are similar spaces shared by 6 girls each. I consider myself lucky, hehe.
The angel passes softly by... As maidens in cots gently shut their eyes
And all around; it is still. The darkness is heavy as night presses in.
Cast your worries upon Him. I've run, I've fought, against Your will; Still I remain, Safe within your cradling arms.
Then the nightly bout of Twister begins. The accent figure is Dinnesh. Sporting dude of 16; his mannerism is just like those of the machas, so I felt right at home with him. Natural joker. =]
I had my fill of Twister on the first night; second night, no girls wanted to play. So it was no go. Bluek.
Things are just starting to heat up. My favourite episode was with Joe, though. Underwater Jooooe, I'll never forget that; hahhahaa.
I had a blast with you people. No regrets in missing my own youth retreat.
*Ehh don't so bad la, let me joiiiin..* Hahah, this is James Soh. My bruthah from anuzer muthah! A really sporting kid just entering his teens. Very likeable.
And he's in. The blue-collared guy in the background is Underwater Joe. XD
Day 3
This is my favourite picture from camp :
Her name is Amy, also 17. I like her a lot; don't know why. We're definitely going out next year, babe!
This was where our ways parted. Just descended the bus, which explains the untidy hair.
Last nite was like a debutante night of sorts, for this blogger. Pictures will be uploaded later; but for now, all I have (time for) is words. I say debutante because suddenly the folks were all over me, commenting on how I’ve ‘grown up’ and yaddi yaddi ya… Probably had something to do with the night’s outfit as well, haha.We had dinner on the lawn by the poolside; turkey, mushrooms and beef stew were aplenty. Best part for me was, as always, dessert. Pomelo, imported Rainier cherries, two kinds of grapes (just a shade of purple apart, lol), chilled fruits in syrup with nata de coco, and I-forgot-what-else. Okay, I sound like a fruit freak but perhaps I just have a sweet tooth. Haha.
We left my uncle’s place shortly after midnight. That’s when the picture perfect image began to crack. Or in other words; the pumpkin broke down, the mice morphed into men, and my glass slipper slid off. I was Cinderella, and my mother’s alarmingly harsh reprimands reduced my gaiety to tatters. And that was the second Christmas I spent in tears.
Was rudely awakened EARLY this morning, such lack of sleep. She shoved a host of chores into my hands - chores that I usually never have to do. Why today, of all days. Doesn’t she understand it’s CHRISTMAS? I wondered where her heart was. Plus the spirit of giving, and everything associated with this merry season. Hohoho. You can imagine how just jolly I was.
After that I whisked us back to the relatives for lunch, followed by the incomprehensible tradition of sitting around doing particularly nothing for an unnecessary hour or so. Fortunately, I always have my little angel cousins. Not angels, actually. The younger one always reminded me of myself at her age. Sulky, complex creature; sunny most times but unreachable when fallen into the Pit of Despondence.
By and by - when their bottoms were sufficiently familiar with the surface of the chairs - we upped and went for a tour of my uncle’s new hospital, to be launched next year. I won’t say much, but it’s definitely more than you would expect from that misleading word, ‘hospital’. Then I got dragged to see some other relative’s new house - at present little more than a pile of bricks and rubble. Unhappiness threatened to ruin my Christmas, because this ‘tour’ was eating into my time during which I was supposed to be actually, eating. Finally got home in time for hi-tea with my fairy godbrother, at Delicous by Ms. Read. Yesh, we had the tea set with the 3-tier tray of English delicacies and such. The scones didn’t taste very fresh but the chocolate was commendable. Oh, and Anan has a tendency of adding brown things into his tea. Hahah, like… brown sugar. And a little bit of chocolate. Ahahah, by accident of course. But still, that doesn't make it any less hilarious. XD
Rushed home - if crawling in a jam in the rain can be considered rushing - and changed real quick. I was having Christmas dinner with Daddy Dearest, whom I’d not seen for days and days. Okay, I don’t actually call him that *shudder*; I always say ‘Papa’. XD
We called to make reservations at Jogoya, Starhill Gallery but they were fully booked. So we headed to Bangsar instead and discovered a respectable joint called Outback Steakhouse. Their selection of food was pleasantly un-overwhelming, as opposed to certain places that offer dishes just for the sake of quantity… where each dish is just a weak variation of another. I find that really lame. Over here, however, every offering looked solid; and attractively named, too. I had Chicken On The Barbie, plus a pina colada mix called Cool Breeze. Coupled with a long discussion about my career options, it made for a good tuck in.
This time, he actually gave helpful comments; instead of telling me to do as I wish. Much appreciated. As such, I’ve more or less crossed out Pharmacy; I’ll be heading for the Arts. That is, selecting Art subjects when (and if) I do my Cambridge A-levels. Taylors, of course. Haha. Nothing less for my father’s daughter; that’s his train of thought. My brother would sooner roll over and die than enroll there though; he says it’s for snobs. So now I’m a snob? Hilarious. He’s always one for cracking me up. XP
After dinner we did a spot of impulsive shopping at Cold Storage. It’s amazing that our impulses could amount up to RM50. It was just bottle after bottle of lemonade (different brands), packet after packet of junk food, and *oOo, ginger ale! Let’s try that, Papa..* And a can of Dr. Pepper, which I’ve often read of. How I like shopping with him. =)
So there was my Christmas 2008, a gradual change from completely crappy to moderate contentment and appeasal.
Tomorrow I leave for Brogah, which is right next to Semenyih. Gio’s church youth camp! Flying fox, nyek nyek nyek. If I can handle rock climbing, I can this too. *Crosses fingers* *Actually I don’t get the point of crossing fingers.* Be back in a flash.
~Nic~
Home at last from camp, which was G-R-E-A-T, by the way. It does feel nice though, to know you're going to sleep in a comfortable bed with a blanket, and to walk on clean floors without having to climb the ladder of a bunk bed to fiddle with the fluorescent light starter so that it lights up always. That was my job, like a monkey-maintenance-woman of the dorm. More on this Broga camp soon; my schedule is packed still. Ciao! =D
While painting our banner, my NEW, WHITE blouse got stained by FABRIC paint. Brilliant. I don't know just how I get into these scrapes. - -'' 
The embarrasment. Ahaaha. Still, we completed the race across that gloomy pond, with lots of wading on the mushy bottom involved. Seriously, the pond-bottom had one of the 
