While it Downloads

While I wait for the installation of my new browser (Opera), and the music by New Radicals' You've Got The Music In You playing in the background, I thought it would be great to write about year 2005 - what happened to me this year. Year 2005 which will end in 1 day's time is the best-est year for me. Here is the chronology of 2005:

January - I was selected to join UPM Swimming team!! We went to UUM for the first league. I was selected to join 5 events - 200m IM, 100m & 200m Breast stroke, 100m & 200m back troke. I got myself standing on the podium for one or 2 events but forgot which one.

February - UPM Swim Team rocked the Likas Pool in Sabah! Champions again! I won a couple of events, but again, I forgot which one - usually backstroke. Went diving in Pulau Sapi with team. Sooooooo terribly fun!! Sun- burn. Ended with final swim league in Bukit Jalil super cary cold pool. Won some events - 50, 100 & 200m backstroke, medley relay. End of MASUM.

March - Work day and night to finish-up final year project on Pesticide toxicology. Alas, all done. I spent a couple of hundreds of ringgit of my own money to finish my project. Met my boy-boy - really getting serious of our relationship.

April - So long UPM! Outta here! Relationship with boy-boy gotten stronger. Went to Easter Picnic with boy-boy's church friends. Called by Tradewinds company for an interview. Interview very successful. Manage to impressed interviewers. Hundred percent get job (so they said).

May - Job searching - couple of interviews on - Phillip Morris International had a big interview. PMI did a Donald Trump-like 'The Apprentice' - Didn't get through 3 round of interview. Not sad, cause I can't stand smoking colleagues. Tradewinds called back and said I'm not selected for their job, because I'm a girl (their jobs tooo dangerous for a lady like I). Racist..leh!
BERNAS also managed to interview me - Got the job immediately! Was in a middle of a large accident involving 6 cars at Bukit Jalil. Became witness to accident, but I drove-off from scene of acc.. Thank God - my car and I didn't even had a single scratch. Prof. Dzol said that I can do my Ph.D. staightaway and can skip masters - he will recommend me. Lucky May!!!

June - Start work with BERNAS. Eveyday see rice and paddy and machineries of paddy processing. Did a presentation on Rice Industry in Malaysia in front of bosses.

July to Ogos - BERNAS again.....work work work work. Nothing else. Went to Sekinchan, Tanjung Karang, Bagan Terap. So many friendly ppl there. Met neighbour and we realised we attend same church.

Sept to Oct- Work work work - was posted to Finance Department of BERNAS. And so they thought all chinese must be good in $$ and arithmetics. Ohhh...they are so, so wrong! Went to Kedah to audit the rice mills there. Aikido Camp in PD. Soooo relaxing and gambled (yes, with real money) whole night. Meanwhile, relationship with my boy-boy gets stronger day by day. Neighbour took me their cell group in Taman Paramount. I love the cell group. Everyone speaks Hokkien!

November - UPM sent offer letter to do Ph.D. in Entomology. Put the resignation letter on my boss' desk. He was soooo sad hat I'm going off, but he wished me luck. He asked me if I would stay a little longer in Finance, and asked me was it because of the money...I said NOPE...I answered: Studying is my hobby. Hehehheeee.

December - Start classes. Asked Prof. Dzol. about my project. He's broke, and so is the whole faculty. I forked out RM 2100 for this semester. Nevermind, fee is less then overseas. My parents also broke. Boy-Boy brought me to celebrate xmas countdown at Starhill. Soooo romantic and memorable. Thanks my dear. Love you. Aikido and swimming daily again! My bad habits.

I thank Jesus for all the blessings He gave me this year. I know God has laid the path for me; I will run the race for Him.

Un-motherly!! Kill Me NOW

I was sitting on the table during my Agriculture Faculty Dinner at a hotel in Putrajaya, sooo pissed off with her, that I could just blow my heads off at that very moment. Of course, I just smiled all the way thru the dinner, tried to ignore her loud announcement that my certificate had my name spelt wrong, trying to show off my large mock cheque to everyone, telling the people in my table that the food is little and scarce. Hey, there are 5 other award winners. I am no better than them, can't you see? And you arrived late for the dinner - you VIP or what?! Kill me now...

Imagine sitting with 7 other prominent faces in the academian world, and somebody just embarrassed you in the most unsubtle way! I was proud of myself getting one of the best award from faculty, but she spoilt it all. ALL!!!. Nobody wants to be famous. HOW CAN YOU BE FAMOUS, when there are sooo many famous ppl there, hahhh...Okay, you want to put me in the centre of attention, then do it subtlely. What is it with her that I am so not proud off?? You apple polish for me - telling the whole world that I'm buying books with the prize money. PLEASE !!! I am sooooo not buying any books with the cash money. I will be buying loads of clothings from Zara and MNG and Gucci and loathe on good food. And please, you are not my mother!

Friends indeed!

This week I managed to 'meet' some old faces. When I went to register for my postgraduate programme this week, I met Pui Wah. She was many years back, during secondary school, having same piano lessons with the same piano teacher in Ipoh. Now, she's doing her Ph.D. in Animal Sciences at UPM. She approached me to ask me whether I had a place to stay because she was searching for a room-mate. I was soooo glad I met her.

Then, when I opened The Star paper on the same day, I saw Cynthia Lian's name on one of the ads. Cynthia was this very pretty classmate while in my Form 6 at Raja Perempuan. It was this Inti College ad on their famous Law Programme. Wow...I somehow manage to spot the small print on this ad. Usually, I just flip through pages, ignoring most of the advertisement, especially those on TheStar (they have millions of ads - damn irritating). I like reading obituaries....shissshhh....I also dunno why.

Uniquely Singapore..

I checked my passport and I realised that it's filled with immigration chops and visas!!! Yes, I am a travel bug. Most of the visas were Singapore visiting visas. Since my passport was issued on year 2002, it never rests. Ohhh, wait til you see my parents' passport - it's like 'ham-choi' (salty vege).

Recently, I went to Singapore with my parents. My parents were always wanting to go somewhere every year, especially in December. S'pore was their main choice, as they claimed have always enjoyed the food there (what???!!!), and their x'mas decors in Orhard Road. I brought me along as I was always their ultimate guide esp. in Singapore. While my dad and mum ate and ate and ate, I shop and shop and shop. Bought 2 blouses from a boutique that you won't find in Malaysia. I love their clothings there. Not expensive, even if u convert to RM. I actually enjoyed myself - maybe because I of the 2 blouses that were in my hands. My dad said that Singaporean ladies are super thin/skinny, they wear well, and have good sense of clothings. Despite all that, he said that there are no pretty Singaporean gurls. Sorry Singaporeans (opinion only)! Most of the pretty girls are in Malaysia (he claimed so! He also claimed that Malay girls in Malaysia are the prettiest of them all).

I am just soo glad that I've made it somewhere else this December. Thought of going somewhere further, but the lack of resources ($$) and planning had brought me to the nearest over-seas (or straits): Singapore. Sadly, all will be lost when my Ph.D. starts this coming week.

Eat more mamak lah!

Hah! Something Malaysian won't like to hear - the many reasons why Malaysians keep going back to mamak stalls to eat maggi goreng, nasi kandar, or your favourite roti telur.

My colleague (an Indian) was relating to us what her mother told her when the issue about mamak stores being so good in their business due to kas-kas (poppy seed) blended into food rose a couple of months ago. Well, that's not exactly the hideous part of eating so-called-"drugs" that could lure you over and over again to the mamak. I thought it was the good services, Astro and the variety of food they serve that made you return. Maybe kas-kas could drug you into indulging in mamak food, but listen:

These irresponsible people (dunno who la...but some people) put sanitary pads (red already one), under garments of women or any women 'dirty' substance which are already charmed into the Indian curry, or their sauces or limau ais. They don't exactly put the stuffs inside, but rendam (soak) for a while. In short, they use 'black magic' to curse/charm the food so that you return to them, as well as to beat other mamak competitors nearby. What I can't understand is that women keep returning too, not only men! Hahaha...

Hey not my fault! I love mamak food too....especially sup kambing and tosai rawa. But, I almost choke myself with that tosai when my Indian colleague told me this. Myth or truth..dunno lerrr. I ate soo much nasi kandar in my lifetime liao.

Decision

Yes, I've made up my mind to study my PhD in UPM. I prayed about it whole week. I know there are no direct signs from God, but my instincts serves me well - plan to stay back in Malaysia for at least another 3 years. From the comments (thanks for the support!) from this blog and my alternative blog, as well as the overwhelming phone calls from friends & relatives, their answers were very much divided - some wanted me to stayback in Malaysia, many wanted me to go and grasp the opportunity of a lifetime overseas; SOME ask me to continue working, but not in BERNAS. For some who love me toooo much, the offered me their place to stay! Thanks everyone for their concern and love you guys/gals show. Terharu...

If everything works out well, I will be in UPM on 19th December 2005. Hopefully, I would invent a new pesticide formulation (using microemulsion) for botanical insecticides by the end of 3 years. Have to brush up my chemistry....I am tooooo good in Biology, I lose track of everything else. Will be going back to Aikido UPM, joining back the swimming club in UPM (miss you all soooo much). Will still be staying at my Puchong apartment for the time being. I am still not too busy this coming 6 months, so feel free to contact me via any thing .....

Yvonne, I have been shopping so much this 6 months that MY WARDROBE also overflowing liao....not addicted to shopping but more like kenot tahan if I see something nice. Worst: Most of the time, I don't look at the price :) After studying, won't be buying much. Good luck in your life....I just love reading your blog - Da one and only Yvonne.

I was in Star Paper

I crap a lot with the interviewer. She took everything word for word. Sad, I didn't mention that I love Antonio Banderas.

Click here:

http://allmalaysia.info/news/story.asp?file=/2005/10/26/homepage/12381723&sec=mi_homepage

Am I tooo demanding/ambitious?

I went to Education Fair UK at KL Convention Centre to browse upon opportunities to do my postgraduate. I came back rather disappointed because I know the Pounds are beyond my dad's financial limit. I planned to go to Aquaria, but realised that Beh is not there working that day. I just wanted the discount (got ah?) and personal guide to all the fishes and reptiles there. So demanding, eh? I want to see Beh inside the aquarium, not the fish. Beh, got discount ahh?

Should a woman be soooooo ambitious?? One lonely night, my potential supervisor from UPM emailed me personally to tell me that I got accepted to UPM to do my PhD. Hmmphhh....then, I now was thinking whether to accept the offer...cause, after all the fiasco in parliament (thanks KS Lim!, vote for 'rocket' next election) regarding the diminishing standards of public university in Malaysia, I was thinking twice about my university's reputation. But, it's a PhD, for goodness sake. I applied for it, and now I've been accepted, but now, I am too dumbfounded to make any decision. I love my current job too and my boy-boy...

After thinking for a long time (24 hours straight, including insomnia) (that's long), I decided to take the PhD offer...but, suddenly, my dad phoned and said that he'll take out all the money he has in him to let me go UK to study. Shucks! Another long day of thinking....thinking thinking....thinking...thinking...(still thinking while writing this...)
No decisions yet. Help! Lord, why can't I have it all?

Forever I ponder

Hah...I've always wonder where my colleague got all those free redemption tickets to watch movie at GSC. Now, I know.....thru' TheStar website. But, see-see, he said that have to line up bloody long and wait in the morning to do so in front of Menara TheStar. My colleague here is super rajin in redeeming free stuffs. Once, he had all those goodie bags with really great stuffs.

My office is just a stone's throw away from Menara Star, but, I was wondering if my boss would let me out from office. He piles my head with work, work, work. Ah, then I thought maybe this bulan Ramadan, about 60% of the population would be little bit 'slow'. So, better take advantage now. Usually, I would not be soo 'gungho' running for free stuffs.

But, Zorro and Doom's at stake. I really want to watch those movies!

Hilton vs. Paris

I could'nt believe it. I had a free night's stay at Hilton KL. When I got into the lift, I was sooooo 'kampung' that I didn't know that you have to stick that key-card into the slot before it can move. I was desperately banging on the buttons until I saw the tiny little itsy-bitsy slot. Arggh....really malu man...Luckilly I was in the elevator alone. Cheez, I should have known that hotels as classy this always trick people, because I kena trick before many many times in hotels.

Yes, ALONE, and then dumb + silly thoughts came to my mind. I suddenly thought of the movie "The Eye", u know, the one with the dead, ghostly man in the elevator, trying to strangle u. Dannnggg, my room is the 27th floor (that's a long journey up)......Then, u know what, I realised that I was just being real dumb thinking about all this crap. This is a brand new hotel...! I feel as classy and dumb as Paris....She's really gotten into me.

Hilton KL's theme is Square. Carpets, motives on the wall, decor, whole lobby, rooms, toilets, doors, whatever -lah...also Square. Nothing is bulat there, except the toilet bowl seat. I was very very very impressed with the room. Half of the room is taken up by the bathroom itself. Now, the bathroom could be mind bloggling, for those kampung ppl like me. They have 2 types of shower - the normal one u see at home, and one that falls like rain. I like the rain thingy. You can sit and 'rain' just falls (got bangku also). The toilet has a flat panel tv stuck into a moving mirror, so that even u brush your teeth, take your shower, and soak yourself in the bathtub, u can watch tv. The toilet bowl also can wash your %$# by pressing a button, and your %$#hole with the button next to the former. Easy hah?? But, I still use the toilet paper......because, the water doesnt really targets your #$% properly and shoots at your damn face at 100km/h.

The whole room is soo classy that I dun feel at home. However, the only thing I like about the room is the So-Very-LARGE-flat screen tv + Astro. The pillows are sooo soft, it wraps around your face when you lie on it.....then, u realized u can't even watch tv when u lie on the bed because of the god-damned-pilliows. Silly! (no wonder his daughter is blonde)

Oh ya, the morning breakfast is as good as heaven.....5 types of cheese to choose from before you fold your bread into your mouth, and superb salmon slices lying in roles. Frankly, I hated that raw salmon. A bit too raw, smelly, some kind of taste...(I hate sushi, btw). Millions of food on for the buffet breakfast...but, I only manage to taste 30% of them...I dun plan to be sooo 'kiasu'. Saw some Chinese family binging on almost everything...Sigh, chinese...

Came back to my apartment the next day. I felt like i'was missing something once I stepped into my own home. Oh yes, I miss the classiness i felt back at Hilton. But, I guess, the most important thing, I got back my 'intelligence'.