Holidays

Holidays in Adelaide. Too bad I don't have Astro here. =P For the first week, I went around the city to look for part time job. I won't give up until I get one! =D I borrowed DVDs from the library as well. The movies I have watched so far:

1. Amazing Grace (This is really nice even though I sometimes don't understand some of the conversation.)
2. Pride and Prejudice
3. Becoming Jane
4. The Princess Diaries 1 & 2
5. The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe

I actually enjoyed Pride and Prejudice. The love relationship during those times were very different from the present ones. I should read the book as well one of these days. To all reading my blog, I recommend Amazing Grace. It's a nice movie and the song "Amazing Grace, My Chains are gone" by Chris Tomlin is actually the theme song for this movie. I just found out recently.

That's enough!!!!

'Malaysians fed up of political bickering' was the headline for The Star online today. I totally agree with it. I believe we Malaysians are really tired with the leaders of Malaysia. We are trying really hard to make ends meet due to the fuel hike. We are trying to make sure that we have earned enough to put food on the table and make a shelter over our heads. Yet our stupid leaders still have time and the energy to accuse one another and saying 'Parti Khinzir Raksasa'. It seems that they have forgotten why they are in those positions. They seem to forget that they are suppose to be making plans on how to improve the economy of Malaysia and how to achieve the 2020 vision. They seem to forget that they are elected by the people to be the representative in the parliament to discuss important issues. The desires of Malaysians are very simple. We want a just and fair judiciary system. We want a government that is free from corruptions and misuse of power. We want leaders who put their selfishness aside and take interest in the people's hardship and not talking nonsense in parliament. We want a country where people from different backgrounds and races live in harmony under one roof. I wonder when will they realise this. Sometimes, I feel like going to them and tell them this (which is not very possible=P). No matter what happens now, I still have faith in the Lord that He is still in control. I believe that God has great plans for Malaysia. Let's all humble ourselves before Jesus and pray for our nation.

What happened to Malaysia?

I have been reading The Star online to update myself with the current happenings in Malaysia. Last week, I read about some Muslim organization in Kelantan telling the women in Kelantan not to put on lipstick or wear high heels as this encourage men to rape them. When I read this, I was appalled by what they have said. Why did they put all the blame on the women? Shouldn't the men be held responsible for rapping a women? Didn't they know that when a person watched too much porn, even if the woman wrapped herself like a mummy, he will still be able to visualise her in her naked body. I agree that ladies should dress decently to help men avoid having unhealthy thinking but putting on lipsticks and wearing high heels have nothing to do with encouraging rape! Think logically, will the noise from the heels encourage a man to rape a woman? Will the colour of the lipsticks cause a man to rape a woman? I DON'T THINK SO!!!! These religious fanatics should really be sent to school again so that they can learn to think critically and logically. Putting on lipsticks and wearing heels make a woman looked more presentable, NOT SEXY!!!! They should be more concerned in improving the moral values of the community rather than picking on women!!!!

Lately, Malaysia has been bombed with another shocking events. Anwar Ibrahim has been accused of sodomising his aide. Sigh.... Ever since the election in March, there hasn't been any good news from Malaysia. Fuel hike, SAPP issues, Raja Petra claiming in his blog that Najib's wife was present at the place where the incident of bombing a Mongolian lady took place, politicians insulting one another in parliament,....The list just goes on. Sometimes I wonder if the politicians of Malaysia knew what they are suppose to do. I wish I could tell them that their responsibilities are bringing up issues which concerned the benefits of the people and solving the problems aroused peacefully without having to insult anyone regardless of faith and race. Lord, may You have mercy upon Malaysia and deliver us from the evil ones!

Dragon Boat Festival

Today is the Dragon Boat Festival in the Lunar Calendar. Normally, people will eat 'zong zi' (dumpling) and row boats on this day to remember Qu Yuan. This year's dragon boat festival is very different for me. I only get to eat ONE dumpling only. It cost AUD3.00 for ONE dumpling. No festive mood at all. =P Anyway, I wish everyone 'duan wu jie kuai le'!!!! Exams are coming up. Argh! All my papers are three hours! The worst thing is my final paper is on a Saturday afternoon! NO!!!! But looking at the bright side, half of the year is gone which means I am getting to closer to going back to Kuching! Muahahahaha....!!!! For now, I have to study for my exams and get a part time job. By the way, the Malaysian government has increased the petrol price. RM 2.70 something per litre!!!! Please pray for our government. They seriously need our prayers. God, please save Malaysia.

Selamat Hari Gawai!

Selamat Hari Gawai to all my Dayak friends. Too bad I am not in Kuching now. Otherwise, I would be following my parents to visitation and stuffing myself with loads of food. =P I could still remember last year's (2007) today. I was sitting for my A Level Chemistry paper 4 when everyone in Sarawak were enjoying the Gawai holiday. It was a 1 hour and 45 minutes paper. But thank God my exam was in the morning. At least, I managed to follow my parents for visitation in the afternoon and dinner at New Hong Kong restaurant. Sigh....I miss Kuching a lot!!!! Boohoo!!!! I can't wait for December! Exams are coming up. I better pay my attention on that first. =( God, please give wisdom and good memory as I prepare for my exams.

Life Seems to be Unfair

Aunty Lynn gave a sermon on 'When Life seems to be unfair' in church today based on the book of Ruth (one of the two books named after a woman in the Bible). Sometimes, I really do feel unfair in life. Why do some people only have to study a little bit and they score 100% while I studied like crazy and only scored less than their marks and the list of unfairness just goes on. Aunty Lynn used Ruth as an example to tell us how we should react when facing obstacles in life. Ruth lost her father-in-law, brother-in-law and husband. In those time, being a widow is not easy. It could be well described as it was better off to die than to survive because basically the widow couldn't support herself. However Ruth chose to be positive and stayed with her mother-in-law, Naomi. She worked hard to support herself and Naomi and even obeyed Naomi. God must be pleased with Ruth's attitude and she was blessed in her marriage with Boaz and with a son. Aunty Lynn also told another story to illustrate two ways of looking at things. Two salesmen were sent to an island to sell shoes. The first fellow went and after looking at the situation at the island, he called back to the office and told them not to send any shoes because none of the islanders wore shoes. The other fellow came to the island and he was excited to see the bare-footed islanders. Immediately, he called back to his office and told them to send a container of shoes to the island for none of the islanders wore shoes and he could sold shoes to them. This story is similar to the half-filled cup. Some say it is half empty while some say it is half full. Rather than self pitying in difficult times like Naomi, it would be better to look at the bright side of the problem and try to make things better like Ruth. Aunty Lynn summed up the sermon with a powerful statement from Phillip Yancey's book which really spoke to me. Everyone, and even Jesus was not exempted from unfairness. Christ did nothing wrong and yet He was on the cross for our sins. I pray that the cross will always remind me of the sacrificial love of Jesus. The more we turn our eyes upon the glory of Jesus, the dimmer is the unfairness in life. It is through unfairness and difficulties in life that God showed His power and love for us. Thank you God for your teachings. May You bless me with wisdom in my words and actions too! Amen!

Edisi Malaysia

China's top women's singles Xie Xing Fang and top men's singles Lin Dan are a couple. Both are ranked no. 1 in their own country and in the badminton world. Both won various titles and even won some of the titles together. Both are also the favourites to win the gold medal in the Olympic. We Malaysia also have a badminton couple where both of them are also ranked no. 1 in Malaysia but not in the world. =D They are Lee Chong Wei and Wong Mew Choo. Haha.... Don't play play. Malaysia also has her own badminton couple. I just got the confirmation by watching My Olympic by Wong Mew Choo on Youtube. I wish this couple the very best in their games in the upcoming Olympic games. 82 more days to go. Can't wait to watch the games!!!! But first I must study, finish my assignments(I haven't started on my essay and maths=P), pass my tests and exams with flying colours and find a part time job before I can really sit back and watch the games. Sigh....

So Near Yet So Far....

Malaysia lost to China by 2-3. We are just this close to make it another final after so many years. When Lee Chong Wei beat Lin Dan in a very convincing way (21-12, 21-14), I really thought that Malaysia could pull an upset over China and prove everybody wrong (a lot of coaches from other country bet their money on China). Even the annoying Li Yong Bo also praised Lee Chong Wei for his good performances. However the dreams of Malaysia entering another finals was dashed when Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong crashed out to Cai Yun and Fu Hai Feng and Wong Choong Hann to Bao Chun Lai. Mohd. Tazari and Mohd Zakry lifted up Malaysia's hope of entering another finals by beating the Chinese pairs but hopes gone down the drain when Mohd Hafiz lost to Chen Jin. Overall, Malaysia did well as a team. Pointless crying over spilt milk now. Let's focus on the path to Olympic and the next Thomas and Uber Cup. Hopefully the Malaysian teams will work harder to deliver good results to the country. Malaysia 'yao jia you'!!!!

Malaysia's Anti-Corruption Perfomances has Improved?

The above statement was said by our beloved Pak Lah. Do you believe him? I don't! =P I hope for a better performance by ACA but I just can't believe that its performance will improve in such a short time. Maybe, there isn't any improvement at all. Sigh.... I still believe that there is hope in Malaysia. Malaysia is such a nice country, rich in resources and beautiful rain forests. Let us all continue to pray for God's anointing and blessings upon Malaysia.

Thomas and Uber Cup 2008

I have been following the Thomas and Uber Cup 2008 for the past few days. I guess my eyes would be glued to the TV if I were in Kuching right now, watching every single match played. Though I can't watch on TV, I am still able to get the live score from tournament software. Better than nothing. =D The games have been quite interesting for the past few days. Korea had deliberately lost in the group playoffs(Korea lost to England? Impossible!) just to avoid playing China and Indonesia in the early stage. Though they were not wrong in terms of strategy, they are definitely wrong in terms of sportsmanship. I personally don't agree with their action. They should give their best in every match they play and the goal should be playing the best games. Anyway, they got their wish and they are now in semis. =P I am a little upset that Malaysia is out of the Uber Cup now but credits should be given to them as the girls have given their best. China's women's team were given a run for their money in the quaters when they were against the unseeded Netherland. Xie Xing Fang and Jiang Yan Jiao lost while Lu Lan had a hard time playing against Judith Mulenjediks before wining the first point for China. It seems that the title for the women's singles in the coming Olympics is open. (Yes! =D) Hopefully the Malaysia's boys' team will give their best tomorrow when they play against China. I hope that they will be able to beat China and proof Li Yong Bo wrong. I would love to see Malaysia in the finals. It's been a long time since Malaysia last held the cup. I love Malaysia but I just dislike the way Malaysia is being governed.

Barbeque? =P

I went for the SAPSA barbeque lunch today. It was free!!!!=D Managed to bring back two canned drinks. Muahahahaha.... It seems that barbeque is a popular thing in Australia. Almost all the gatherings I went to were barbeques. Begin to get sick of it. Barbeque is not good for health too. =D During the barbeque, I saw a terrible scene. I saw an Aussie guy throwing onions not into the dustbin but on to the ground!!!! I couldn't believe it. I thought Aussies are good citizens. I guessed it is the same everywhere. There are litterbugs everywhere except for Singapore (I think....litterbugs are heavily penalised). I miss home, miss the food, miss my parents, miss Tubby, miss Astro, miss badminton matches, miss DVDs, miss kopitiams, miss the warmth of Kuching and church. =( I miss everything back home. I want Astro!!!! I want to watch badminton!!!! I want to watch Olympics!!!! I want to watch Singapore series!!!! =D

Labours' Day

Today is Labours' Day in Malaysia. Sadly it is not for Australia. =P Anyway, Happy Labours' Day Malaysians! If I were in Malaysia now, I would have woke up really late, followed my parents' to kopitiam for brunch, watched Astro and toured the city of Kuching. =D Looking forward to end of the year....=D The advertisements in Aussies' TV shows are lame. =P

A year older, a year wiser? =D

Today, I will officially be 20 years old. I am neither a youth nor an adult. I have left my teenager era but have not really got into the adulthood yet which is a good news. =D This is my first birthday outside Kuching and celebrating with friends rather than family members only. Thank you bro and Raymond for cooking the food. Thank you Raymond for the roast chicken. Thank you Goldy and Anisha for the chocolates. I love chocolates! =D Thank you Josephine for the "cow" mug. I remembered that Jane also gave me a purse which is a cow's head. Haha.... Thank you Desmond, Chuen Lu, Cynthia, Esthers (I have a lot friends named Esther), Jacqueline, Judy, Eileen, Jacinta, Emily and Li yon for your cards and birthday wishes. Thank you mom and dad for calling me and wishing me Happy Birthday. Without you two, I won't be able to have a birthday. Thank you Ken for your birthday wish even though you woke me up at 12:30am Adelaide's time. I thank God for all these lovely people. Thank you God for the good things You have given to me. This is definitely one of the best birthdays I have! Thank you God and everybody! May God bless all of you with strength, peace, joy and good health!

Super "Geng"

Today, I am super "geng". I walked in the city of Adelaide wearing only shorts and short sleeved t-shirt with the cold strong wind blowing against me. I even walked from the city back to Bradford Lodge. Everyone was at least wearing long pants or a jacket but I was walking around the place in shorts and t-shirt and I am still here blogging about it. Haha....(I know I am lame =P). "Geng", right? =D

Thank you very much!

I really thank God for His great blessings. He has blessed me with wonderful family members and friends. Thank you mom and dad. Even though you are far back in Kuching, you never fail to be involved in celebrating my birthday. Thank you bro for willingly plan out my birthday. Thank you Elliot, Jane and Sylvia for your beautiful birthday cards. Thank you Audrey, Jason, Florence, Michelle, Sze Wen and Yu Wei for surprising me today with a lovely cake. This is my first time having friends surprising me with a birthday cake. Thank you Amy, Audrey and Patrick for your birthday wishes. Thank you God for all these wonderful moments. I never thought that I would have such a wonderful birthday in Adelaide. I am really touch by all your actions. Though I have sugar rush now (due to the fact that I ate a big piece of white chocolate), my heart is really warmed by all these. Thank you for your kindness everybody! May God bless all of you! =)

Olympic Fever 2

I can't wait for historic event to be uploaded on the website. Only manage to watch the introduction by the Star online. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnJomIWeL1E

Olympic Fever

In another four more months, the Olympic Games is going to take place in Beijing. What an exciting moment. I am now in the Olympic mood. LOL. The Olympic torch has arrived in KL and the torch relay will start at 2:30pm(Malaysian time) from Dataran Merdeka and end at the famous "Twins Tower" KLCC. According to the news, about eighty torch bearers will take part in the relay. What an exciting and honourable moment. Too bad I am in Adelaide now, so far away from Malaysia. Anyway, I hope to watch the event on the website. How I wish Astro Super Sport is here in Adelaide. They broadcast almost all the events that will take place in the Olympic games. Hopefully all goes well in the torch event later in the afternoon. Can't wait to watch it online. =D 108 more days to the games!!!!

2020? What about it?

During the era of Dr M in Malaysia, we have always heard of Visi 2020 which simply means Vision 2020 in BM. Ever since Dr M stepped down from his post, we hardly hear about the Visi 2020. Lately, the Australian PM, Kevin Rudd has come out with the vision 'Australia 2020'. LOL. I wonder if he has copied the idea from Dr M. =D Anyway, I just hope that Malaysians will remember the Visi 2020 and give their best to the country to make this Vision 2020 come true. Walk the talk, Malaysians!

Time flies

Time really flies. Without realising it, I have been here for more than two months and tomorrow I will have two weeks of break which means that half of the first semester is gone! Two months of not entering a kopitiam, no kolo mee or laksa, no Astro, no parents' nagging(I actually miss that =D), no home cook food (I admit that my cooking is bad=P), no Tubby to pet, no seafood and many more. I deeply miss all these but Thank God, I still survive despite my homesickness. Adelaide is good. Most of the Australians here are friendly and the weather is getting colder (getting dark earlier too and it's quite depressing at times). I think most people will smack their foreheads when I say this but I had to. After being here for two months, I found out that I prefer the weather in Kuching. *you may smack your forehead now LOL* You don't have to worry about wearing layers of clothes to keep you warm in Kuching. The weather is so humid that you won't get dry skin or lips. Ouch! My lips crack again! By the way, can sweat in Kuching during hot days which makes you feel better=D.

Coming to Adelaide actually taught me to appreciate the luxury life I have in Kuching. I have to thank God for this great lesson. When I go back end of this year, I must enjoy the good food and fellowship in Kuching. There is no place like Kuching!!!! I love Malaysia a lot but I just dislike the government but to complain and criticise them doesn't help and it's not pleasing to God either because God has commanded us to submit to the government. Therefore it is the responsible of us as citizens to fast and pray for our country and leaders. I urge Christians around the world to pray unceasingly for Malaysia. I would love to see Malaysia experience revival.

FOOD!=D

I searched for Kuching in Wikipedia and found these four familiar food and drink. KOLO MEE, LAKSA, TOMATO NOODLE and 3 Layer TEH C PENG!!!! YUMMY!!!! I just realised that I have not smell the aroma of all these food for more than a month. Sigh....I suddenly feel like eating all these food. I want to eat kueh chap, pork leg rice, lok-lok, Yeo's green tea, ice kacang, jagung peng and lots more. Regretted for not eating enough before I came. =P I am going to stuff myself with all these food once I go back! FOOD!!!! I LOVE KUCHING FOOD. I LOVE KOPITIAM! I LOVE SEAFOOD!!!! FOOD!!!!

SUPER HOT!!!!

It's 40 degree Celsius today. I'm almost burnt. Before coming here, I used to think that I could stand the heat in Adelaide since Malaysia is a tropical country. However, I was WRONG!!!! I cannot stand the heat here. It's already autumn but the weather is still hot. To make matter worst, the air here is dry. Hot + Dry = Disaster!!!! No wonder there are people here who got dehydrated. Unlike in Malaysia, you hardly can sweat here and therefore, heat cannot be eliminated from the body.
The weather has made me depressed at times. Apart from that, after knowing that none of our Malaysian players made it to the final in the All England Super Series also made me disappointed. Sarawak is still Taib's dynasty after the election yesterday. NO!!!! Why on earth did Sibu vote for the SUPP candidate? How come Kuching city is the only area under the opposition party? Sigh....Looking from the bright side, the election for 2008 was the worst election for the government and the best for the opposition. At least BN lost some states to the opposition parties which hopefully they will realise what went wrong with the system. Compared to the statistics for 2004, the number of seats for BN has decreased and the number of seats for the opposition parties increase. I really hope that Malaysia will be a better country after this election. NO MORE CORRUPTION! NO MORE MISUSE OF FINANCE AND POWER! NO MORE EMPTY PROMISES! NO MORE NONSENSES AND INSULTS DURING PARLIAMENT MEETINGS! NO MORE LEAKING ROOFS! =D

Food and Wine festival at Norwood

On the way back to Bradford Lodge from church, Sister Irene and Brother David told us that there was a food and wine festival going on at Norwood. So at around 3:30pm, together with Gillian, Ken, Clarence and Iona, I went to Norwood. It was approximately 20 minutes walk from Bradford Lodge. When we reached there, I was surprised by the place. Along the street, there were a lot of food and wine stalls. There were some stages where bands performed. There was also a clown performing in the middle of the street. It was really crowded with a lot of Aussies sipping from their wine glass or their beer mug while chatting with friends or family members. I have also noticed that Aussies in Adelaide loved Asian food. I saw quite a number of Thai stalls and one sushi stalls. The food there was not cheap and it actually cost more. We weren't very impressed with the wine and food. Therefore we ended up in Coles and Foodland supermarket. Coles in Norwood is much better than the one on Grote street but I still prefer buying in Woolworths if I want to buy meat. After buying some instant noodle in Coles, we headed off to Foodland. As soon as we entered the supermarket, we saw something that brought joy to our stomach. Roasted chicken(whole) for only $4.99=$5.00. Normal price is about $7.89. The price was reduced as the supermarket is going to close. We grabbed one of the chicken. Yay!!!! After that, we went back. The weather was really hot! =P Anyway, it was worth visiting Norwood and the Food and wine festival. Got to see the Aussie culture AND finding out another place to shop for cheap stuffs apart from Central Market!!!! Haha....

You have been so good to me

God has been good to me. He has blessed with me a lot things which I don't deserve. He has blessed me with the opportunity to study abroad. He has been patience with me even though I took Him for granted at times. He has blessed with me good parents and friends to support and encourage me. He has provided me with my everyday needs. I needed second hand text books but I didn't pray about it but God is still kind to me and He knows I need them. He has blessed me with second hand books which helped me to save a lot. Looking back at my life, I really thank God for His amazing love and blessings. I may not have a lot of money or a lot of cool stuff like MP3 but I have a God who is so good to me. The grace and love of God really humble me. Accepting Jesus into my life is the most correct decision that I have ever made in my life. The goodness of God reminds me of the song "You have been so good to me" by Paul Baloche.

You have been so good to me
You have been so good to me
I came here broken
You made me whole
You have been so good
You have been so good
You have been so good to me

You have been so good to me
You have been so good to me
I came here mourning
You gave me joy
You have been so good
You have been so good
You have been so good to me

How can I thank You
There is just no way
How can I thank You
Lord how could I repay
For Your kindness
For Your tenderness
For Your constant presence here with me

You have been so good to me
You have been so good to me
I came here broken
You made me whole
You have been so good
You have been so good
You have been so good to me

I want Sarawak LAKSA!!!!

Yesterday the Nyonya kitchen at my residential cooked Sarawak Laksa. When I saw the students eating laksa and when I smell the fragrance, I realised that I really miss the food back in Kuching. It also made me think of teh-c-peng, kueh chap, kolo mee, char kueh, chai kueh and the list just goes on. =P I think when I get back to Kuching, I must stuff myself with all these food. =D Last night, I went to the BBQ gathering at Josephine's church which is New Life Christian Community(NLCC *sounds a bit like KLCC*hehehehe....). The food was amazing. There was fried mee hoon, fried rice, satay with peanut sauce(super delicious, yummy), salad, barbecued sausages and chicken breast meat(super delicious too as the chicken is sweet and tender). The adults were very friendly and Pastor Chris and Auntie Sue went around serving the peanut sauce and satay. After food there were games and quiz about our knowledge on world history and Aussie History. Overall, I had a great night. Met a lot people who are friendly. Praise God for them.

Orientation for pharmacy students

I went to City East Campus for the last two days. Got to meet more Malaysians(there are 44 students doing pharmacy under JPA scholarship), two Australians and a Taiwanese. On the 25th Feb, the school gave us a briefing on the security, the services provided by Learning Connection and the library which were a repeat of last Tuesday's orientation. Later on was free BBQ lunch at Reid Lawn courtesy of the School. I thought there will be chicken wings, sausages, beef or lamb. To my surprise, there were only sausages, slices of white bread, BBQed onions, slices of something =D and canned colas. Better than nothing. After lunch was a tour around the Campus. I cabut after the tour as I have enrolled in my courses. The next day of orientation was pretty much the same as the 25th of Feb. The course coordinators gave information about the course they teach. There was a tour to the biology and chemistry laboratory before heading to Reid Lawn again for lunch. This time, the lunch was courtesy of the South Australia Pharmacy Student Association(SAPSA). Had two slices of pizzas and a can of Sunkist. Pizzas are were nice. Yummy.... At 1:30pm, I headed to Playford building to attend a workshop on how to make full use of the computer barns in UniSA. For my session, I think I was the only Malaysian present. =P That concluded my orientation in UniSA. No more honeymoon for me as I will be in a war starting next week. Please pray for me to have strength and wisdom from God. May I graduate with super flying colours and bring glory to God and my family!!!! Hehe....

Free Air Condition?

On the way to church today, somebody asked my brother and me whether we are getting used to the food and weather in Adelaide. Our answers were , of course, positive. =D(Asian style, I think, you only give good comments and hide the bad ones...hehe) Then the person commented that we can take the cold weather here since we are adapting well and he even added that the cold weather here is free air condition. Hahahaha....quite true actually. In Kuching, we have to pay to get a cooling atmosphere. Here, it's FOC!!!!(Free Of Charge) Shall enjoy the cool weather but the air is too dry. =P The only good thing about dry air is that your clothes get dry faster. Apart from that, there is nothing good about dry air. My lips and my skin is cracking. Looks like ah mah's skin. Have to put lotion everyday....

Clipsal 2008

It's so noisy outside the hostel since yesterday. Loud rock music and the drumming of the racing cars. Yeap, Clipsal event is going on in Adelaide. It's an annual event which is supposed to be held sometime in March but was carried foward due to many interstate events which will also be carried out in March. I will not be going to the event because :

Reason No.1: The entrance fee is too expensive. =P It's more than 50 dollars. Let's say it's 55 dollars per person. $55 X 3=RM165!!!! TOO EXPENSIVE!!!!

Reaspn No.2: To me, it's not worth watching. It's like watching F1 racing. You get to stand only at one place to watch the racing. You won't be able to see the whole process of how the car get to the final point. I totally agree with court Disney buzz which I watched when I was a child. It was a debate between football and F1 racing, whether which one is worth watching. Yeap, football won the debate. Even the people debating on behalf of F1 racing loves football. You can watch the whole process in football but not car racing. The car just "whoosh" in front of you and that's it!

oooo....The music is really loud outside. Thank God it's only for a few days, not a few weeks! Hallelujah! =D

Happy Chap Goh Mei!

I want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Chap Goh Mei!!!! May we all have a great year ahead. Let us continue to work hard and smart this year after 15 days of celebration. May we grow deeper in love with Jesus.

Another day of orientation

Today's orientation was in City West Campus again. =P I took a bus from the hostel to the city and then a tram to City West campus. For those who haven't been to Adelaide, the tram that moves around the city area is free of charge. =) Today was colder than yesterday. Weather forecast here is accurate, unlike the forecast in Malaysia. I met a lot of Malaysians at the orientation. Is it a good thing or a bad thing???? Thankfully, I met a girl from Denmark. A real Danish with blonde hair. First half of the session was about adapting to the culture and lifestyle of Adelaide as well as how to make new friends. There was also a quiz on the meaning of the phrases used by the South Australians. After that was tea break. Didn't get to taste many food as I went to the toilet. Three quater of the food was gone when I arrived the place. But I still managed to try a piece of cake and a cup of orange juice. When tea break was over, it was time for a talk on taking care of your health. There was also a talk on sexual health. It was mainly to help those who have questions on sexual activities, pregnant or suspect of STD. I almost doze off in those talks. I'm showing a bad example. =P Lunch break again at 1pm. No lunch was provided. *Bleh* Second session was about finding a permanent accomodation and what to be aware of and a workshop on managing your money. These two workshop were quite informative and yeap, I didn't fall a alseep. Hehe.... At the end of the day, I find that managing your money was the most interesting workshop. From the workshop, I actually learn how to "play" with your money which means how make your money in the bank grow. Apart from that, I found out how, where and when to shop for cheap but good stuffs. Overall, the orientation today was not boring as compared to the one on Monday. Was super hungry again today. Tonight, I didn't have to cook as Kim's father, Uncle Vincent, came and invited us to his apartment to have dinner. Yay!!!! Early Chap Goh Mei dinner.

Orientation at UniSA

Orientation. Started yesterday at City West campus. The orientation this week is mainly for international students. I went to City West campus together with Mimi(a nice lady doing PhD in City west campus and is also living in Bradford Lodge) Thank God for sending her to me. If not, I will be lost in the city. =D First half of the session was welcoming, briefing us of our visa, UniLife and a society ('paiseh', forgot the name) which organises student activites. It was boring that I actually fall asleep while they were talking (only for a short while=D). I hope no one caught me sleeping. Hehe.... Lunch time at around 12. Lunch wasn't provided. =P Was super hungry when I got back to the hostel. After lunch, the orientation continued. The second half of the orietation was about our safety in Adelaide. A policewoman and a life guard(I think) gave a talk on that topic. Once again, I fall alseep again. =D The weather was really hot and it's boring even though it's informative.

Orientation today was at City East campus. I was again lost, not knowing where to go. Thank God that, there are seniors to bring me to the venue. I had my Student ID card done. YAY! Now, I'm officially entitled to the privilege of a concession holder. Means half price for my bus tickets and certain entrance fee. Got a goody bag and a red bag which every new international student has. The uni briefs us again on our security. Found out that we can actually get the security guards to escort us to the bus stops if we have to go home late at night from the uni. Cool! The uni also briefs us on the library, Learning connection, Campus Central and studying in UniSA. Lunch break at 12. Today, lunch is provided. YAY!!!! HAd sandwiches, cakes, cookies and orange juice. Yumm.... Went back to the hall again. Finally, the JPA students arrived. They all looked tired. Must have not slept well in the plane. The second half of the orientation is about how to get help when we need to and listening to the experience of some seniors. The girl from China is really brave and confident as she speaks a lot even though her English is not very good. Sallute her! After that, I went back as I have already enrolled on my courses. It was really hot yesterday and today. Hopefully the weather forecast is true that it will be cooler tomorrow.

Election in Malaysia

After so many guessing and analysing from the public and the leaders, Pak Lah finally set the date for election. 24th Feb 2008 for nominaton and 8th March 2008 for voting. How I wish I can watch 'Evening Edition' now. Hehe.... The reporters deliver news in advance. May God bless every voter to vote wisely and may God bless the leaders with humility and wisdom as they start the campaign. Let us pray for Malaysia. I still love Malaysia even though I sometimes complain about the governing system. =D

Bread anyone?

Bread....Been eating bread for the last few mornings. I still have one and a half loaf of bread in my fridge. =P Begin to feel sick of it. I now yearn for a bowl of kolo mee or laksa or kueh chap or the char siew pau from "Xiao Pa Wang" for breakfast. Is there anyone who would want to trade his or her bowl kolo mee with my my loaf of bread? I miss Astro! I miss the privilege of gaining access to unlimited internet which I can download songs and watch youtube! =P

Yesterday, while waiting for my brother at Eyenesbury College, I saw a dad carrying his daughter's bag once she came out of the college. I also saw a lot of parents waiting for their teens outside the college in their cars. It reminds me of my parents who always send me to school or tuition. Ah....I miss those days. Now I have to catch a bus to go to uni or walk to uni. In Kuching, you just have to walk a few steps to reach a coffee shop or supermarkets. In Adelaide, you have to do a lot of walking. I begin to aprreciate my comfortable life in Kuching. For now, I have to be strong. I have to persevere. May God give me the strenght and courage to go through the circumstances in life.

Oh yeah, went to the common lounge just now because there was a filming going on. I thought we might be able to see the process. There were quite a few of us waiting for the surprises. To our dismay, we didn't get to watch the process as they had to shut the door. We were told not to make any noise at all when they are filming. It was so boring to be there. When they say we can move back to our rooms, we were extremely happy. You can imagine how boring we were in the common lounge, doing nothing. Haha....

I miss the food in Kuching

After being here for two weeks, I have already miss kolo mee, laksa, kueh chap, char kueh and the list goes on. How I wish someone can send me a bowl of kolo mee or kueh chap.

Though there are many kinds of food sold here(Asian and Western), I still miss the local food in Kuching. I notice that people here love to drink cola and coffee. Every morning, you can see a lot of people and some students carrying a cup of coffee in their hands while walking to offices or school. The portion served in most food court and restaurants is big. Mcdonald and Hungry Jack(Aus version of Burger King) are famous here but not in Kuching. KFC and Pizza Hut are less popular among the locals but in Kuching, they are.

The weather here can be very extreme at times. Sometimes too cold or too hot. My skin and lips are itching and cracking due to the dryness of the environment. Hopefully can get use to it as soon as possible. With God's help, I CAN!!!!

First Day of "Independence"

I toured around Adelaide with Lillian. I'm so thankful to her as she spend some time to bring me around the city. I went to deposit cash in HSBC and found out that we don't have to fill in forms if we back in cash. Went to get my visa sticked to my passport and applied for Tax File Number. Too bad I couldn't get my work permitt done as I have not started my lessons yet. I also got myself a library card which I can borrow books, DVDs, CDs, magazines and access to internet for free. And guess what, the membership fee is free of charge even though I'm an international student. Can imagine the benefits given to the South Australians. Lillian brought me to WORD which sell all sorts of Christian materials. It's like Crossway or Trinity Bookroom back in Kuching but with more books. I am really grateful for Lillian. Otherwise, I would be bored and not get most of my things done.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for sending Lillian to bring me around the city and get things done. Thank you for blessing my parents with a safe and smooth journey back to Kuching. Thank you for protecting everybody. Glory and honour be unto You!!!!
In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen.

Officially independent....

My parents left for Kuching this afternoon. Seeing them going to the terminal made me feel so downhearted. I'm going to miss them a lot. I'm going to miss their cookings and their nagging(I can't beleive I just said that). There are still a lot of things I am going to miss about them but I just couldn't type it out as I still feel very downhearted. Before coming here, I always wanted to be away from my parents because I thought I will more freedom; I was wrong. Having my parents around made my life so easy. I have them to cook for me, do my laundry, help me solve my problems, comfort me when I am sad and bring me to everywhere I want to go. Now I have to do all these by myself and I have to make sure that I have time for my studies, God and other activities. Still I want to thank God that my parents are with me when I trying to get use to the new environment even for just two weeks. I will appreciate and treasure the times when I write emails to my parents or call them. I must spend more time with my parents when I go home end of this year. Mom and Dad, please take care of yourself. Remember to draw near to God.



Dear Heavenly Father,
I give thanks to You for teaching me to appreciate my mom and dad. Lord, please bless them with good health and positive emotion. Lead them not into temptation but deliver them from the evil ones. Bless my parents with success in their career. Protect them from any danger or harm. Guide them and bless them in their spiritual walk with You. Lord, I committ my parents into Your mighty hands, trusting that You are with them and will bless them.
In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Today's the first day of Chinese New Year. Too bad I am not in Kuching to celebrate CNY with relatives and friends. However I still want to thank God for my parents who are with me in Adelaide to celebrate CNY. Nothing much in Adelaide today. It's still a working day but a different day in Chinatown. Most of the shops invite the lion dance team to their shops to perform. Guess what I saw? I saw an angmoh in the team. He played the drum and the cymbals. Haha.... Angmoh also interested in lion dance. There are firecrackers which are really loud(5 times louder than the ones in Kuching). Most restaurants in Chinatown are full and half of their customers are Australians. This concludes that Australians love Chinese food.
This is my first time celebrating CNY in an angmoh place. Though there's no CNY mood, I still thank God for His blessings as I can spend CNY with my parents. Mnay of the students don't get to celebrate with their parents.

I wish everybody a blessed new year. May all grow fruitfully in the love of Christ!

Out of the comfort zone

I used to think that I'm a very independent person. The minute that I arrived in Adelaide, I realised that, I wasn't independent at all.



It scares me to think of how am I going to survive in Adelaide without my parents by my side. I have to do my own laundries, cooking, cleaning, marketing and the list goes own. At home, I don't have to worry about food, my laundries or even shopping for food. My parents do that for me. All I have to worry about is my studies. But now I have to do a lot of things by myself apart from studying. I also have to go to the university by myself(my mom used to drive me to school). I wonder how am I going to handle almost everything by myself.



Suddenly, I felt so blessed and relaxed at home. I have a big bedroom all to myself. I have unlimited access to inter net. I have Astro, DVDs and VCDs to watch. My parents cooked and do the laundries for me. My parents drive me to school. I have a dog which I can play with.



Now all these are gone. The room that I am sharing with my brother is smaller than my own bedroom. I only get 1.5Gb of inter net per month. Internet is expensive in Aus and I wonder why. I can only watch TV programmes from Aus which are boring. I have to arrange my time in such a way that I have ample study time and to do my daily chores. I have to make sure that I don't overspend and catch the bus on time. I also have to do a lot of walking. (My feet has blisters due to long walks and also because the shoes I am wearing are quite new=P)

Worrying doesn't help. I better commit everything to God and let Him guide me. God is the strength of my heart!!!! Amen.

P.S: For those who are still at home, make sure you appreciate what you have!!!! You won't be that comfortable once you leave home. =(

Malaysia entered 2008 with a bang!!

What a shock for the whole nation!! Nobody would expect the 60-year-old Chua Soi Lek to be involved in a sex scandal. It took only a DVD to destroy the good image he had built over donkey years in the political world; scary, isn't it? He also said that he's not the only politician who's involved in adultery. I agree. Many of our leaders are involved in not only adultery, but also in corruption, mis-use of authority and the list goes on. It breaks my heart whenever I read the papers reporting news like that. Sometimes, I find it hard to love Malaysia. I find it hard to respect the leaders as I know most of them are involved in unclean activities. However God's teaching in 1 Peter 2:13-17 is very different.







"Submit yoursleves for the Lord's sake to every authority institutedamong men, whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governers, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king." 1 Peter 2:13-17







I guess it is not for me to judge the leaders as I am not perfect. It's useless and sinful to just complain and gossip about the leaders. What's more practical is to fast and pray for our leaders and our country. Apart from that, I have to make sure that my life and my everything is pleasing to God.

Greetings!

Happy New Year!!!! May we all have a blessed New Year and may we grow deeper in love with God in the year 2008!