Saturday, December 25, 2010

MERRY CHRISTMAS!















Google or Wiki Jesus Christ to find out what it's all really about.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Friday, December 10, 2010

What am I?

I picked up a brochure about organ donation in the UK.

PSI: Do it! Register yourself as an organ donor - it saves lives and seriously your body is just going either rot in a grave or be burnt to ashes anyway. Might as well be of some use after death.

Which best describes me though?


















Surely I'm White/Chinese Asian, cause I'm not a White/Chinese Chinese...

Can I tick 2 boxes?

Or Not Stated - I am Scotinese/Chitish.

LoL.

Thursday, December 09, 2010

People Power

Today the UK government is going to vote on higher higher education fees.

Thousands of students are going out to the streets in front of Westminster to protest against the increase and the changes which wont help the lower income groups.

I long for the day where Malaysian students have such freedom, power and gumption.

To speak out and not be robots chanting "Aspirasi! Aspirasi! Aspirasi!"

When did the word 'Protest' become such a bad word in Malaysia?

The day our government said it was.

Big Brother is watching you.

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

Flawed Logic

In true Shelby fashion, I didn't bother getting a jacket for my trip because I have all my winter stuff here, and figured I'll be in the aeroplane and the airport the whole time anyway so it'd be fine. Someone would bring me a jacket when they picked me up.

The one thing I failed to take into account was the EasyJet flight I was taking from Stansted to Glasgow, like AirAsia flights, and I had to go out onto the runway and walk to the plane!
















So there I was in my short sleeved tshirt and thin cardigan, dashing from the airport gate out into the -2 degree weather, laughing to myself thinking how silly I must look. All the locals probably muttering, "Bloody stupid foreigners..."

When we landed in Glasgow, it was SNOWING (just for me) and I had the pleasure of speed walking through it, shivering in delight.

Moral of the story - When on a budget flight, one must always be prepared. .

Monday, December 06, 2010

How did that happen?

Amazingly, somehow I am back in the UK.

My initial 3month trip back in 2009 became 10months, at the end of those 10months I felt tak puas and decided to try coming back.

So here I am again.

Crazy - yes.
Uncertainty - definitely.
Stability - Non existent.

We'll see how it goes. I'm giving myself 6months and if in that time I fail to find something decent then that's me done.

I figure, if I don't do this sorta thing now while I'm still young and commitment free, then I'll never do it.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Filipino Frennnn

While I was at Compass, I made friends with people from all over the world. There was another Asian girl working there as well, Mel from the Philippines and I we clicked, probably because of our shared cultural background.

When different staff come and go, we always say stuff like, "Oh yeah, I'd love to go visit you Germany/Canada/Australia/South Africa..." but chances are it ain't gonna happen. Which was why, a month after leaving Compass I got the exciting news that Mel was going to make a stopover in Malaysia on her way back to Scotland. Woot woot!

The challenge was, what can I cram into 3d3n without making it too rushed a trip. Also, I was determined that Mel must try as many local dishes as possible.

Thurs : Evening arrival
Night - Banana leaf rice

Fri : Batu Caves, KLCC and Petalilng Street
Breakfast - Nasi Lemak
Lunch - Eggy Fried rice
Random - Rotiboy's Rotibun
Dinner - Petaling Street Beef Ball Noodles

Sat : Road Trip to Melaka
Breakfast - Char siew pau/assorted yau char quai type stuff
Lunch - Melaka Chicken rice balls
Random - Popiah, mua chee, durian cendol, Melaka layered-cake
Dinner - Chinese dishes: lala, toufu, pork ribs, kai lan, fried sotong
Supper - Fruit rojak

Sun : Noon departure
Breakfast - Roti telur and teh tarik

As I scan the list, I think we managed to try lots of different food BUT there is still so much left uneaten! Bah kut teh, dim sum, satay, Indian rojak, kuey teow....and the list goes on. Which is why the next time she's in South East Asia, she said she'll try to come over for a longer visit and try more of the food.

Malaysia Truly Asiaaaaaa...




Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Why didn't you?

The cause of so many headaches - undeclared expectations.
You think I'll do this, and are frustrated when I don't.
I think you'll do that, and am disappointed when you don't.

There's nothing wrong with having expectations, its only natural in friendships and relationships to expect more from a friend. If not what makes a friend any different from the next random person walking down the street?

The problem is always when we do not make our expectations known. Why don't we? Because none of us want to come across as bossy or demanding.

Big mistake, as it only results in one person being oblivious and the other person hurt.

Thursday, September 09, 2010

Home

I'm back.

Its really weird to be home after being away for 10months.
Little things have been moved about; what used to be here is now over there. This drawer now has this stuff and the other drawer has that stuff. My room needs a total clear out of junk.

Today I drove to get something from a stationary shop and I discovered it had shut down, I went to the TTDI post office and was shocked to see it now a KFC Drive-Thru and when I wanted to take the u-turn to get to Damansara Kim, I ended up going over a flyover that wasn't there when I left! So much has changed, and I am not happy with the changes happening to my area.

Damansara Utama used to be such a quiet, nice area, no jams, no fuss. Over the past 10years, its changed so dramatically, but now its just gone crazy being caught between everything, and no developement control at all. Way to many cars squeeze through DU to get to the NKVE and the LDP. Unfortunately, since my room is just one row away from the highway, there is the constant sound of traffic. Something else I've got to get used to after a year of silence at night.

Ah, there's so much I could grumble about, I'll just have to keep thinking of the reasons why I'm home for now.

The 3F's - Family, Friends and Food.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

No different

No different from the past
No different from the rest
No different from the cliché
No different from the change

Some things never change,
like me not remembering
that some things never change.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

His Eye is on the Sparrow

As Christians we always try to make our plans around what we believe is God’s will. Before making any major life decisions, we commit the matter to Him, ask for His will to be done but then have the impossibly difficult task of waiting to hear what he has to say, we wait for the Yes, No or Wait that He is meant to give us.

Its challenging therefore when faced with a situation where once all the good Christian steps have been taken, and we think we’ve figured out what He wants for our lives, suddenly everything gets turned around or is topsy turvy and you find yourself questioning not only yourself but God. But didn’t He say yes to this? Wasn’t that His will for me? What now Lord? Over thinking and over analyzing every single thing we might see as a ‘sign’ from Him. Freaking out that we’ve made a huge mistake and wondering how annoyed God probably is with us.

From calmly walking down the set out path, to a sudden stand-still. We wonder about our own judgement of His will and our confidence in tuning into that still small voice is shaken. How easy it must have been for Abraham and Moses to have God speaking directly to them, telling them exactly what He wanted them to do. Does it mean they listened to God 100%? We think, “If I was told directly by God to do this, or do that, I’d obey – no questions asked.” No, they definitely strayed from time to time, but there’s no denying that we Christians now envy the direct hotline they had to God.

The problem of a mistaken discernment of His will is that we then tend to let our weaknesses take over – anger, frustration, fear, doubt and worry... Everything that is the opposite of being under His wing. We worry because the plans we’ve made, plans that most probably provide security and safety, predictability and stability, are no longer part of the agenda.

The bible talks about worry in the well known passage in Matthew 6. It says in verse 25,
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[a]?
33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

For those days when we are feeling low and wondering if God is bothered with our problems, it’s good to remember that God cares for and looks after the sparrows, a small and insignificant bird. We are worth more to Him than the sparrow.

We are worth so much that Jesus died for us so that we might live. We are worth so much that we were given the gift of the Holy Spirit. We are worth so much that we will one day be reunited with God, the maker of the Heaven and the Earth in paradise forever.

What do we do when we are stumped to figure out His will for us? Knowing the Father is the surest way of knowing His ways and only by reading the Word will we have the knowledge of who He is and what He would want us to do. Sometimes there are no right or wrong answers, but there are right or wrong intentions and motives. We need to check and see whether or not the ‘path’ we thought He had set out was actually designed by us, or chosen to suit our desires and ambitions. Or maybe He isn’t intending a 180 turn in the opposite direction, but just a detour along the way.

At the end of the day, the message is clear: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your strength. If this commandment is kept as the focus point in our lives, we should have no cause to worry so much about choosing the right path or be too overly cautious that we end up doing nothing. Remember that to walk the talk does actually require walking, and as worrying as it can be sometimes, we know that the Good Shepherd is always guiding, helping and walking beside us along the way.

Matthew 10
29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny[d]? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 30And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

His Eye is on the Sparrow

Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant Friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

“Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Refrain:
I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Saturday, June 05, 2010

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Wildly Entertaining












Never really heard about this before coming over here, I mean, it hardly applies to us South East Asians anyhow.

The UK does not take this contest seriously at all, its a joke more than anything but apparently the rest of Europe goes all out to try and win.

Its so cheesy, so cringe-worthy, so strange, so theatrical, so garish, so gaudy and just so BAD that its GOOD!

You have to watch it to fully understand.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Temporary Home

I dunno if I've explained why I'm still in the UK. I was supposed to go back to Malaysia in January, but my cousin here in Scotland is getting married in July and my whole family is coming over for it so we figured it would make more sense to just extend my stay instead of go back, only to fly over to the UK again.

Its funny how when I left 3months seemed like a really long time, but I've been here almost 7months now and its felt like the time has just whizzed by.

Anyhow, I saved up for this trip and my 3month budget was being stretched to the limit. Since I was staying with relatives, I didn't have to worry about food and a roof over my head, but still - didn't want to impose too much.

Everyone said get a job, which I 100% wanted to do but the job situation in the Uk is pretty grim at the moment. So many locals were laid off last year and are looking for work, so its even tougher for a foreigner like me.

Thankfully though, I managed to get somewhere unexpected and have been working the past 2 weeks now. Its an outdoor centre, up in the North of Scotland in an area called Glenshee. It can have up to 70ish guests at one time, mostly school groups during the weekdays and youth groups on weekends. I'm doing housekeeping duties and I don't think I've ever cleaned so much in my life.

My day begins with cleaning and ends with cleaning. Though the pay is just so so, food and accommodation is provided here which is great because now I'm not a 'burden' to anyone.

The centre has people from all over - 3 Germans, a Filipino, an Australian, a South African couple, English folkes and of course some Scots. Most of the housekeeping staff are around my age which is also a relief because it was longing for peer friendship.

So this is what I'll be doing till the wedding date, working and saving and enjoying God's creation.

Wednesday, May 05, 2010

Paris - Day 1.3

1.3 : When In Paris...

After our Eiffel Tower once in a lifetime experience, we met up with our host Michelle at the base of the tower. She's from Cumnock, I met her in December during the Christmas holidays, but has been living and working in Paris for the past 6months.

The best thing about having someone who lives in an area your visiting is that they can take you to the non-touristy places and do non-touristy things.

That night, Michelle told us there was gonna be a picnic at a bridge, a farewell do for one of her colleagues. I automatically assumed it would be on a grassy area at the end of the bridge, but no- it was ON the bridge itself!

Apparently its a local hang out spot. The Pont des Arts is a pedestrian bridge over the Seine and people gather with all their picnic stuff.

I was so amused by it, and a little skeptical. However once we were on the bridge, there were already several groups sitting in circles and had a picnic spread. Tablecloth, baguettes, cheese, ham,wine, beer, juice, fruit, snacks....

Also, because this part of the world gets longer days now, we picnic-ed while the sun set behind us and with boats passing underneath the bridge.

How cool is that?

The thing I loved the most was the atmosphere the whole bridge had, there was a sense of friendliness that flowed from group to group with people going between groups borrowing or asking for things.

For example, one happy looking dude came up to us and asked for salt and pepper! We had none so he just shrugged, smiled and moved on.

Some guy wheeled a big speaker around and was a mini-mobile DJ; stopping beside different groups and DJ-ing for a bit before moving on.

Suzanne and I felt very welcome, thought we 'crashed' the picnic, those we met were great fun. Two Russians, a French couple and 3 Ukranians, all Physicists. It was a blast.
So much so that we made plans to meet up the following night. =)










































































If we did that back home in Malaysia, the police would come and chase us all away.

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

Paris - Day 1.2

1.2 : Hello Mr. Eiffel

Bir Hakeim is the nearest Metro station to the tower, about 5mins walk from it.

The Eiffel tower is really a spectacular sight! It's massive and it totally lives up to my expectations. When I was sight seeing in London, I was so disappointed with Big Ben because in my mind he was much bigger, but this French icon didn't let me down.

Now the number one thing you must have if you want to visit the Eiffel Tower is patience. It is at least a 45minute wait at the base of the tower. Thirty minutes is spent lining up for tickets, and another 15mins to go through security and wait for the lift to take you up to the 2nd floor, thats about 1/4 of the way up.




















Once the lift takes you up to the 2nd floor, you're ushered/pushed out and can walk around for as long as you like...


























Once you're satisfied and have taken all the photos you want, you then join another queue, the one that takes you all the way up to the top. Thats at least another 45minutes. It is a long wait, but if you have a travel buddy its not so bad.

View from the top, the Arc de Triomphe and just imagine all the pictures above, only smaller.























I'm guessing this tiny bar is located all the way up in the sky for those fellas who decide to propose right at the top of the Eiffel Tower, and celebrate her saying yes with champagne.
























Suzanne and I discussed this and I definitely would NOT want to be proposed to at the top of the Eiffel Tower because 1. omg, its a 2hour wait to get to the top and 2. its so packed with people there is no privacy at all! The dude wont even have enough space to get down on his knee... Seriously, the top section of the tower is totally swamped.

Unless the guy can rent the whole tower for the day, I dont think its a romantic idea at all.

While walking round the top, we spotted a toilet sign (they have toilets up there!) and although we weren't needing to we decided to go anyway.

I mean, how many people can say they peed over Paris eh? (prob thousands)



















Get this, even to go back down its another 30ish minute wait. Yes, again we waited but it was worse getting down because there was no respect for the queue and people were going past and joining on near the top of the line. Grrrr.

To keep you occupied while waiting they have a list of countries and their distance from the tower up on the walls...













Negaraku!










Overall, I would say if you are in Paris and have the time then you should definitely go up the Eiffel Tower. I mean, its a once in a lifetime thing, and its not like I'm gonna be going up it anytime in the near or distant future.

The waiting time is sucky but if you go prepared for a long wait then its fine.
Bring a book if you're going on your own.
























Monday, May 03, 2010

Paris - Day 1.1

1.1: Horrible Start

Well, the day finally came, Suzanne (my cousin) and I were off for our weekend in Paris. The whole week leading up to the Friday I would have sudden bursts of, "I'm going to Paris!" and do a little dance, much to the amusement of those around me.

I had booked my flights way back in December, and unfortunately I didnt know where I would be at the end of April. Turns out I was in London, so my journey actually began with an 11hour train-bus-train ride back up to Scotland. Had I known I'd be in London, I would have taken the Eurostar or a flight from there instead of going all the way back up North only to fly back down South again.
















Upon arrival at the Charles De Gaulle Airport, we had to queue up to get a train into the city, but the lines were massive and we spent ages inching our way to the ticket machine.
















Cant understand what took so long because we managed to get our tickets with no problem at all. We were surprised at the size of the ticket the machine issued because its tiny! I felt so cheated, waiting for ages for a tiny insignificant ticket. It reminded me of the scene from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory where the great big machine is making so much noise and you expect great big candy to come out of it, when all it produces is a stick of gum.




















After a 40min train ride to Denfert-Rochereau, dropped our bags off at Michelle's flat and got to the Metro station (their Underground/LRT) to go to the Eiffel Tower.

















At the station i was an active participant in a pick-pocket attempt that I helped prevent but was threatened after.

So I was at the bottom of the stairs leading into the Metro and two ladies were walking down. Suddenly her mobile phone went flying, as well as her purse. Her phone did the battery fly one way, casing fly another so she was preoccupied with that. I saw where her purse fell, and half a second later a scruffyish looking man in his 50's stepped on it. Obviously during that exact moment I just thought, "Oopsy, he's accidentally trodden on her purse." But then I realized he wasn't moving, he was just standing still on it. By then the lady had got her phone together and almost walked away when she said to the other woman with her that her purse was missing.

Automatically I stretched out my hand and pointed to the man's foot and said its there! Unfortunately he had it so well hidden, I had to point and say again, its there under his foot. The lady went over to him and was cursing and pissed cause it was by then so clear what he tried to do, got the purse and walked off.














It was then that I was aware that I was all alone. Just me and the pick-pocketer. My cousin had gone up to ground level to make a phone call. There was no one around us at all. Not good. So I quickly went back up the stairs to the entrance of the tube and he followed up behind me.

He then came close-ish speaking French which I obviously couldnt understand, did the finger-to-lips Shhhh gesture, followed by a I'll-slit-your-throat action. He repeated both gestures with a menacing stare, I nodded that I understood and he then walked off. If you can't get what he did it was basically saying, "Keep your mouth shut or I'll kill you."

Once I explained it all to Suzanne (she thought he was trying to tell me not to go that way, its not the way out... hahaha) and we got onto the right platform, our journey to the tower began.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

S.A.W.S

The best thing about my extended stay here in the UK is getting to experience all four seasons.

When asked if Malaysia has seasons? Yes, rainy season and non-rainy season.

The beautiful flowers and lambs totally make up for the cold winter days.