Childhood 80s & 90s

Sometimes I do think back the times where I was a kid growing up in Ipoh. I mean, like a 6 years-18 years old kid (as far as my memory can backtrack). Although my mother was confirmed a tiger stayed-home mum, she allows us to do whatever we want after school hours (but studies comes first, of course). Despite being strict, she was the kampung-type, so she knew her kids needed some good old' childhood.

What I meant was that we had a lot of (outdoor) freedom back then in the 80s-90s compared to kids growing up in this 21st century. Those days wasn't e-economy, everything was k-economy, and therefore had less foreign workers at that era; people around my taman were mostly medium class; trust was REALLY trust (between parents and kids, neighbours with neighbours); there were no mobile phones; neither did the word social media existed yet (do ICQ and IRC count?). So kids were relatively 'dumb' due to the lack of access to information of the world compared to kids today. 

Here's what I went through knowing that the current generation are 'missing-out' (or are not):

1. Connecting to my first ever internet via Jaring dial-up. Oh mann, it has this dial-tone (the damn tune!) that I could remember to this very day. Dial 1511 and you get to look at internet some pages (using Netscape) which are bombarded with prompts of pornography ads. My computer processor was a 486, and I was so happy my friend Yeong (15 years old, probably) who is a self-made IT genius at his age, taught me to play games on DOS (e.g. Paperboy, Prince of Persia, Dune, etc.), and I taught me to write scripts on DOS. And that is already like damn genius. Worth mentioning is my house phone which was a orange rotary dial-phone and you need to pusing-pusing the entire phone numbers one-by-one clockwise before making calls. 

2. My first mobile phone was at age 20 (!) where I was given my brother's Ericsson BLUE(!) flip phone (no Sony that time, ok). I got this mobile phone all because I needed to go university in KL for the first time in my life. And that time, the trend was to see: WHO COULD TYPE SMS the fastest amongst us all, using ABC, DEF, keyboards. 

3. I will cycle alone the whole of Ipoh Garden East with my BMX. Alone was nothing to be afraid of at that time because many girls around 14 years old also do that. We girls have this biking gang at Ipoh Garden East. My bike was the coolest because it was my brother's bike and it is NOT a girly bike with pink bells and basket in front. I felt like the king of the road and I wore baseball shirt and cap every time I ride on the bike. I bike by my own sometimes to as far as Wooley foodcourt. Last time, there was a game arcade up the first floor of Wooley and I would go see people play arcade games such as Street Fighter 1 and played a game of Tetris on my own. My mum let me because she trusted me to not talk to strangers and there was no such thing as: Indonesia/Bangladesh workers will kidnap you, etc.....NONE. But she said this: Thai people kidnap you to be handicap child beggar at Thailand (that does scare me, ok).

This was the arcade tetris interface way back then

4. I will also bike to tuition at Canning Garden, yes, all alone. I have some girlfriends who could roller blade (I could not) and will drag the back of my bicycle for a free ride on their blades. We girl friends just roam the whole Taman ourselves with no fear whatsoever. 

5.  On some evening, I will walk/bike all the way to the padang at the end of Persiaran Perajurit 2, near Taman Kemuncak. I will go meet my playmate, Liza Oh to play masak-masak at the playground or climb the monkey bars and swings and claim them our own 'territory'. We will also go play at each other's homes. Without any adult supervision. There was no clock in sight so, we just make sure we are home by 7 pm (we can see that when the sunsets, it's already late). Mom doesn't care if I go to playground, but she will scream crazy when I come back late.

6. I will force my mum to buy me cloth and made her make batu seremban out of rice. And made her buy a box of rubberbands or stole those she has collected in the kitchen to make jumping ropes. Those were my muses. Also, I would buy cardboards of japanese ladies and cut-out clothings where I will dress my my 2D paper dolls. My mum loves to buy those cardboard dolls for me from Kampung Simee market. 

I remembered I can't get enough of this. Mom approves.

7. There was a point in my life, 7 years old, where I go up the then on-going North South Highway which was yet to be completed. It was just piles of sand that time. My friend Pei Jet and I will bring our bikes and hike up the sand dune and slide down the slope! We will bring up our bicycle to the top of the sand dune (now the infamous NS-Hiway) and cycled up to Tambun interchange (which didn't look much of an interchange at that time).

8. Those were the days where it took 4 hours from Ipoh to KL. My father, who was a KL-ite, would drop by at Tanjung Malim to eat pau curry/kacang at Yik Mun corner shop. Also, gone were those times where people will use the coastal highway to KL.

9. When I sat on my first MAS flight ever (from Ipoh to KL), my dad said I should dress well. No shorts/jeans because people who gets on the plane are privileged people. wth. Those times, if you can go on a airplane, you are like the luckiest person one earth ok. You must appreciate this privilege by being well dressed on board. Those days, no everyone could fly.

10. Mechanical pencils was an unknown invention until I was 7 years old, til I brought one mechanical pencil from Rashid Mini Market (my brother bought it for me) and I brought it to school at Standard 1. Because no one has seen a mechanical pencil nor how was this going to work better than a staedtler, so I demoed by clicking several times on the pencil top and then new lead pops up. Every dumb friend in my class was wowing as if I was its founder of the most amazing creation on earth. *clap*clap*

11. I remembered walking alone to school (SRK Mahkota Sari) from home in the wee hours of the morning when I was living in Gerik, Hulu Perak . At age 12, I walked 1 km(!), through a lane that farms pigs (sty), to the main roads of Gerik, and straight to school during some mornings and no one kidnap me pun. Like no fear pun. I still wonder why those days are so safe and parents are sooo trusting of their kids. 

I did primary 5 & 6 (1992-1993) here in the once awarded "Cleanest school in Malaysia". SRK Mahkota Sari Gerik. 

12. Most of us girls are shorter than the current generation at the same age. You can attribute it to genetics, but I believe it was the previous formula milk powder that lack of DHA, EPA, etc. LOL! We girls get menses only at 13-14 years of age on average (that's late compared to average 10-11 years old these days). We were late bloomers with small boobs. Nowadays, if you see the 12-13 years old girls, they talk mature like they are 20s and have large boobs hovering over their chest.

13. We are exposed to nursery rhymes and movies like Sound of Music. But today I see no kids know about a single nursery rhyme that I mentioned (maybe I was child genius in English nursery rhymes and Aesop Fables). Nope, dunno Humpty Dumpty, Nope, dunno Jack and Jill. Nope, dunno Jack and the Beanstalk. Nope, dunno who what how a mirror can speak of beauty. Nor do they know what the hell I was talking when I mentioned Do Re Mi from Sound of Music. Hello, what happen to early-school education lately? I see kids being taught the toughest vocabularies and grammar as well as chinese characters as young as the age of 5 with a bunch of meaningless homework. 

Oh well, maybe kids learnt different things now compared to my time. Like how to dance like SNSD, identify suave hair like Lee Min Ho's, how to protect yourself from the Walking Dead, and how to hack into your parent's iTunes password. Lol.

I am just reminiscing the times we had and what our child is exposed to these days. How to give them the best of both worlds: the pre-globalization and the post-globalization times. The time will come and we shall see. 

Ivy-out!

Times have changed

My first post of year 2015 is on February. I know I am getting lazier by the days on blogging because updating a blogpost is actually a lot of hassle relative to microblogging platforms such as FB, Twitter, etc. January was also busy for many people because well, it's early of the year and everyone seemed busy with something new. Second, I was given the task as project leader for a particular project, and that got me a bit jittery and 'busy'. This is my first role as PL, and now engaged in management role that has crept in and I have to give up a bit of my comfort as a hermit in the laboratory. It's a refreshing transition though, but that just means I've got extra responsibilities in the near future.

I am also going into a project that has elements of quantum mechanics and computational chemistry, which means, what I have got to learnt up on stuffs that has nothing to do with chemistry: computer scripts (oh dear!), and physics. And I thought chemistry was all that was needed in my career after studying super hard to be a Certified Chemist. Now this? But again, it's all marvelous for the forever-want-to-learn-everything-in-this-world me. Call me jack of all trades (an insult, actually). ut because of this new computational element in chemistry, or whatever that means, I would have to be attached to a company in The Netherlands to learn up these computer scripting. I am delighted to be, for once, not in China. Lol!! So, Leiden Holland, which turns out to be the birthplace of Rembrandt....here I come!

Self-potrait of Rembrandt: a well-remembered painter that was born in the little town of Leiden, Netherlands.

Keukenhof, the infamous tulips farm and park is located just 15 min from Leiden.

This February would be the first Chinese New Year for me to give out angpows in doubles to relatives, family and friends. Also comes the responsibility to buy all the CNY visiting ('pai-lin') stuffs for relatives/family when going visiting during CNY, ranging from abalone, clams, 'kei-chi', red dates, fish maw, cookies, peanuts, etc, etc. that is somewhat obligatory and part of the Chinese culture. Married life has changed me rather in this sort of context: making sure I am a good wife, to be a good daughter-in-law, and at the same time still the same 'interesting', talkative, fierce daughter to my own parents. Quite a tough job, but I am not complaining; in fact, I am the one who wants to follow back these traditions which is set for thousands of years for our own good, and for good karma (not that I believe in karma, hehehe)

'Pai-lin' stuffs for CNY 2015 for various family members and relatives

I am also reducing running to ZERO (yes, not bluffing you), because I am trying for a kid just recently. Hormone testosterone rages in my body each time I run long distances, so it's natural to give up some heavy running/sports to maintain my beautiful estrogen and still-pretty-amazing menstrual cycle. Yes, people said that's a myth that one must stop doing heavy exercises to get preggers, but old wives tales are something you'd like to know when it comes to pregnancy. I am a scientific person, so, this testosterone vs. estrogen is pretty true, you know. I am willing to give up something to gain something else.

As a woman, we have many limitations but we cannot deny natural demands, and the childbirth ability that deteriorates drastically over time. Many people said I am at a critical age for childbirth which is undeniably true. This instinct to have a kid just crop up all of a sudden. Tell you, this feeling of wanting a baby has never crossed my mind until just recently (after I've nothing to study anymore, bored). And hello, it's not like I've not achieve a milestone of running and sports, kan? I have completed over 40++ races throughout my 6 years of running career, so I've missed absolutely nothing if I quit. Let's just say I have done competitive swimming, marathons, triathlons, duathlon, badminton, climbed up Mt Kinabalu, Aikido, traveled some cool places around the world, meet many people. So yes, I have a whole bunch of things in my bucket crossed out: next is having a child.

Nobody can have it all. But a silver-lining always, always appear even if you think you are in a grey cloud of uncertainty. Hanging up my shoes for good may be something drastic to many, but knowing me, I might go running after having a kid or two.

Til then, Ivy-out.

Study-No-Enough

Many people were asking why would I want to study (again?!) when I've a doctorate that comes with the "head-damage" title. Isn't it enough of studying? If you didn't know, I have taken a series of high-level chemistry course & examination that allows me to be a Licensed Chemist. The question that has been thrown to me a thousand times: "Why do I need to study for a Chemistry License after all the 10++ years of accumulated studies in my entire 20s?"

 

I graduated from a first degree called Bachelor's Degree Bioindustry with a major in Entomology. What that actually means is that I am a agriculture science graduate which does everything else, biology of plants, insect sciences, and how to kill insect pests. In a nutshell: I learnt the best ways to kill pests such as my little brother and caterpillars munching on your sawi. :-P

 

After my first degree, I received a scholarship from Kuok Foundation to do my Ph.D. to continue to find fancy methods of killing insect pests. Yes, best gilerrr to kill insects like cockroaches, mosquitoes, caterpillars, locusts, etc. But upon graduation of my doctorate degree, I was hired into a non-related industry - the Oil & Gas industry. Let me tell you, this studying is something personal that I want to do, without any coercing by my boss or company. It's entirely personal. Actually, my brains is already wired to do chemistry (I do a lot of chemistry work in my Ph.D. dissertation & in my current job), but it's more like ....if I don't get a Chemistry License, I can't sign off any chemistry reports at my workplace. Why? Simply because I am not from a chemistry background. Damn. That does frustrates me that even a Ph.D. is insufficient for the O&G industry! Btw, there's a governing Act for Chemistry that requires that only one from a Chemistry degree could be a Licensed Chemist.

 

So what I did was to take up a whole entire comprehensive course on chemistry - high level Analytical, Organic, Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, and sat for their examination to obtain the so-called "chemistry background". It was very refreshing yet intimidating to study chemistry from zero (e.g. memorize the periodic table, again?!). You know, this is harder than STPM. Imagine fitting the entire STPM chemistry (and even harder) in 5 months, to then take the exam on month-6th. Total: 6 months to get a Chemistry degree.





#Wefie during the practical exam that took us 8 hours(!!) to complete 3 experiments, with the complete lab report.
And the next day, I went to run a full marathon 42km.





President of Institute Kimia Malaysia (IKM) handing me my Chemistry completion certificate.

I am old. Don't appease me by saying I am not. I have so much workload in my company. My hair is turning white literally. To juggle between studies and work is pretty difficult and therefore, am amazed by how some of my colleagues could find time between studies, work and family (kids!). And my handwriting too, or should I say: my penmanship has deteriorated, probably  due to the reliance of keyboards to write reports.

 

I am old because I realised that I could not memorized reactions and mechanisms anymore. Being in the 30s compared to my Ph.D. years (in the 20s) is completely different (180 degrees). My brains couldn't store any information as easily as before. The only strategy was to study last-minute, where I packed all knowledge a week before and spill (read: vomit!) them all out on exam day. Well, to say the least, that strategy worked rather well for some papers.

 

I am now awaiting the results of this exam results, to which I have both my toes and finger's crossed. My worry basically lies on Organic Chemistry where memory is required the most.

 



Article on us by Dr. Sharon. My coursemates at the end of our 4 month chemistry course.

I do enjoy Chemistry because I can relate to my current jobscope. But the truth is, I still enjoy biology more than chemistry, although practically you can't independently separate 'em both. Again, some people JUST LOVE STUDYING. Nothing is more satisfying than solving a problem related to chemistry or biology both at work and in life (think: cooking!)

 

I thank God because He allows me gave me the thirst for knowledge (albeit all the time!), the ability to study well and handle stress alike. I thank God for his grace for getting me through this stressful/sleepless period with ample support for my husband (he is a fan of mine), and family members. I study because I am personally happy for myself for having the extra edge against others apart from my accumulating experiences at work. With all these in mind, I hope to climb up the career ladder and slowly accumulate more wealth for my family and to....errrr...errrr... buy myself a bungalow or a Mini Cooper or anything for that matter - without thinking twice! That's the whole point kan? Far-fetched objective for a cute little lady, many thinks?

 

For years, I have gained or am accumulating knowledge in:

1. Insect science (Entomology)

2. Agriculture

3. Microbiology

4. Pesticide science/formulation science

5. Analytical Chemistry

6. Environmental sciences

7. Oil and gas, EOR

 

Next knowledge to acquire based on my passion:

1. Management (MBA). Planning yah...

2. Psychology

3. History

4. etc.

 

For now, let's just find some time to finish a bunch of novels and fiction....bought from past two Big-Bad-Wolf ago. LOL!

 

What is your Louis Vuitton

When it comes to luxury, I am the last to rave about it. I fairly know about luxury brands and goods but to get them for myself is like me breaking a concrete barrier between me and my purse. I am not boasting; my salary allows me much luxury, but there's always this thought that poisons(really?) me to thinking that so much more important/worthy stuffs can be acquired with that amount $$$$$. The angel and devil argument appears on my shoulders each time I had the urge to get branded goods. People say: it's upbringing to think like that vs. peer pressure.

I have a fair share of luxury items, but having said that, the word 'luxury' has to be defined. In my dictionary: nothing lower than a Coach for bags (No, Guess? is not luxury), and for clothings nothing below MNG or Zara, and for shoes, nothing below Nine West. That's my dictionary. Yours may differ. Like how I love Nescafe 3-in-1 more than some artisan brew: it's personal.

Sigh, why don't people understand that Nescafe is my choice of coffee?! I am not talking about health here, I am talking about taste and caffeine (it's yummy!). That makes me a REAL coffee addict that drinks anything, coffee.

versus

Starbuck's coffee is great too (albeit the stupid plastic-layered paper cup), but it can never give me the same satisfaction as a Nescafe beans.

And then you have to define luxury vs. quality. Though many would swear that luxury goods are of highest quality, it is not always true. Well, 90% true, however there are shoes that are expensive but never has given me comfort. I had this Aldo heels but bruised my pinky toe within 10 minutes of walking. Some bags are expensive to the point of  I-could-just-put-a-deposit-for-a-house, but is flimsy and un-structured (but if flimsy bag is what you want, I have no comment then). Some luxury are pre-loved prestine condition, yet left so much to desire. My first expensive (my standard during those younger days where money comes harder), was a pink Coach faux leather tote I bought from Coach, Pavillion. Mind you the tote was discounted but I love it so much. It was classy, structured and I had it 'til today with amazing condition (albeit the fading colour). this is what I identify as Quality.

The instantly sold-out (worldwide!) Jimmy Choo's featured in "My Lover from the Stars'.

versus

See, I can get-about-the-same luxurious pair from Zang Toi. I wore this pair for my ROM.

And then you have to define taste vs. trend. Think about my size: I am exactly 5 feet, medium built and muscular on the legs, ass. It's genetics (and running). So if the trend gives you a Victoria Secret model sizing, you are definitely not-on-trend. It's not your fault though. For not being able to keep up with the trends (btw, bell-bottom trousers are back!), do compensate with some amount of some taste. Taste means simplicity and fit, which not necessarily from Dior or Versace. Looking through fashion mags may exhaust your taste and blurred the line between trend vs. taste, but never, never ever listen to nasty Joan Rivers on Fashion Police. Do request feedbacks from close friends with similar salary(<--true and="" br="" super="" true="" worldview="">

Worth of an item lies on the upbringing, world-view and monetary ability of the individual. I have an uncle who always say and believe this phrase like a religion: "Good things not cheap; Cheap things not good". Though that is 90% true, the 10% still stands and in statistics, and 10% is still a number. Do you know many items are RIP-OFFS, meaning, you over-pay for what it is actually worth/valued. See, even Kanye West agrees with me = HERE (must read).

I have not gone to the extent of Jimmy Choo's or a Hermes Birkin that puts you at the league of our PM's wife. Maybe one day I will or have the will to: to use my disposable income for something as luxurious like a cute Mini Cooper.

My colleague claimed: When you own a branded good, it is as such that you can never turn back. I have a Balenciaga which means I can't hold a Coach bag anymore? What loads of cr*p. For me, there can be no end to luxury, and you will keep buying because trends (they are called 'trends' for a reason) does not end. Remember, there's always someone better than you out there. And you will keep buying until...well, you have that internal empowered self-confidence to say that a LV bag or a Jimmy Choo is not your confidence-giver. You can still stand head held high with a cr*p bag. That's is true luxury. 

The most expensive brand (besides my smartphone) I've ever bought to this day are 2 items from Ferragamo. 

The Great Expectations by Mum Dickens

My mother always say that she didn't give birth to me. I agree 70%. Cause there's little in common in our characters and being. She's street-smart, I am book-smart; She was prettiest girl in Taiping (my dad vouched), I took the crown of prettiest in Jalan Persiaran Perajurit 2 Ipoh ever since my mum got old(er) and wrinkly; She loves raring chickens and do gardening, I was afraid of chicken droppings and has 'hot' hands (even cactus die under my care).

I despise her fashion sense. She hates mine completely.

But then mathematically, the 30% has some truth: We are both females..duh!; we love to eat anything and everything that is edible + sambal belacan-kinda-spicy; she and I are caring..yup yup...to a certain extent; she and I can never say "no" (kinda bad trait, actually) to any requests; both me and my mum loves flowers; she likes to entertain people, and so do I (e.g. jemput orang makan-makan, masak byk-byk di rumah, suka ber-party, etc.). And this trait, no one can deny: She and I are both super-talkative and opinionated/vocal.

Some China-based flowering plant which only thrive in cool climates, but my mum managed to make  it grow and bloom in hot, humid Ipoh.

Why did I even start this blogpost?


I suddenly miss my mum. No wonder I hate holidays (yesterday). Thinking of nothing makes you think of something. Tak han mou yeh chou. Makes me over-think about things...and worst, I get emotional over it.

So yes...I miss my mum. If I hadn't talk to her in a couple of days, I may suffer, die or stab myself to death. Not that I am dependent on my mum, but she gives the best opinion ever and some how, and I dunno how, her opinion turns out right. She used to pressure me a lot when I was younger to study, music, swimming, and other sports but I understand why....cause I could do it. Since my 20s, I've been buggering (it came to a point that I was WARNING her) her to stop putting any pressure on me anymore in my studies, career...and surprisingly she relented. I know why. When I was young, she thought I was perfect and could do wonders until.... I didn't fare quite well in STPM onwards. Today, my mum probably has come to grounds that I am a failure in many things, and finally it made sense to her: I am only human.

My Ipoh's house is full of plants, crops and flowers maintain by my mum. No wonder I was named after a plant by my mum.

Yup, in spite of all the madhouse, old-school punishments, caning and scoldings I endured....I was given a lot of freedom and most important of all: she trusts me. She allowed me to do and pursue anything I want. I was allowed to dye my hair red (which I didn't), go clubbing every single weekend (in my mid-20s), drink and drunk, buy as much clothes as I want with my teaching-swimming side income, date any guys I want. She doesn't care who I brought back home. But she only warn me of these 3 things:
1. No drugs,
2. No smoking, and
3. Don't get raped.

And her favourite sentence of all time: "Never be kan-cheong in anything you do". But I always feel that she meant otherwise. Cause it's soooo unlike her to say this to me after all the pushing and pressure she imposed to me to do just about everything.

My mum is my best friend. You can see me and her talking in the afternoon and one will never know that's my mum on the other side of the line. We talk like friends... taruh each other, talk loud-loud, scold each other (both of us opinionated marr)...but there's definitely a sense of respect somewhere.

Or maybe I don't have a sister. I do secretly pray each day that I had a sister one day. Father and brothers...ahem...I won't say you guys aren't any good in this earth, but you don't have enough oestrogens to understand me. You guys are really from Mars!


I love you, Mum.


Bla bLa bla bla...Okay, now Mum, cook me some prawn sambal petai!

At Lumut jetty. Mum showing of her 'luxury' salted fish. She had gotten it at a bargain price and soooo proud a...salty fish?!

My wishlish 2011

Tick tock... tick tock...tick tock...*boring giler*....

Half an hour feels like 'forever'. My bags are packed and I'm ready to go...home. Work finishes at 5pm and ....hmpph...I have 'forever' to....hmmphh...maybe fill in a post or two anything:

Let's see. It's definitely way too late to put my NY's resolution, no? Okay, maybe a list of WANTS (TO-DO) this year 2011.


1. A good vacation somewhere faarr. Can't complain in this department. I've got HK in my bag already that automatically come with a half-marathon. But HK ain't too far. I've got a Scuba diving trip this September in Tulamben, Bali. Can I put another vacation in between now and Bali, say...Australia, Siem Reap, Anzac?


2. Bali. Yes, I need to get a good dive package for all 4 of us. Almost forgot.


3. KL Marathon 2011 (26 June 2011) - I am going to push myself beyond my physical comfort for this race. I am aiming for 2:15. If I can do 2:21 in darn cold weather in HK, I can do it in KL (with ample hydration, of course).


4. Set to run thrice a week....towards a full marathon in 2 years time. 


5. Slim down 1.5 kg. I am at my optimal weight now, which consequently means that it's a tat more difficult to reduce my weight even it's a little itsy weeny bit more. To do that, I need to reduce my greediness.


6. Spend more money on anything I want and whatever that makes me happy. Clothes, coffee, vacations, classy food, bak kut teh, make up, perfume, bag berjenama, on family, on shoes, conserving turtles, orchestra, theatres, on plays, on my boyfriend, on romantic dates, on comedy night, spend spend spend spend!!! 


7. ....and with the little extra money I've got, derma them to Japan (via a legal route). You guys need to tell me how to donate, and if my money reaches (or not!). How to know ar? 


and


8.  Drink a whole pint of Guinness draft this year. And why not this Saturday with the girls?! It's St. Patricks Day this whole week anyway!





Now, that's not too bad for a restless half hour. Just about the right time to fong kong or pang kang!!

Hiatus

As my relationship takes a hiatus, I got on track quickly with my career. It was more like a break, and I asked for it: He wasn't PERFORMING. Yah. Monetory-wise. And it was bad timing for him and I too. I went into a quick realisation that with or without him didn't matter at all: I prefer 'without'. I lost myself while with him. No regrets on my decision for the break. I am back to the real me again. With him, I was always always always solemn.

And within a week, I was back on track. REAL QUICK. I finished my whole thesis in 2 weeks! All 5 chapters with references, 130 pages, 1.5 spacing for the draft to reduce paper wastage and the environment (do I actually give a damn!?). So, the real thesis with double spacing plus all the rubbish extras i.e. acknowledgement, appendices, etc. will make my thesis about 200 pages. Which will make my Prof. a very unhappy man as he expects the Harvard rule of any thesis exceeding 150 pages as "sure-a-lot-rubbish and redundancies". It's really up to my examiners now to proofread and criticise my work which could take up to 6 months!!! Wosrt still, my semester fees depends on their diligence in reading my work. As of now, though I have completed EVERYTHING - as long as they don't finish criticising my thesis, I am stuck with paying my semester fees of RM2000!!!

Hiatus on my Ph.D., my relationship: I feel relief nowadays, though I do miss the whole lovey-dovey parts of boyfriend-girlfriend activities and I do miss my Ph.D.-work stress! Cause stress can be quite euphoric for me.

With nothing on my mind, I prepared myself for the interview with Petronas. They wanted a scientist. Let me tell you, I was more excited than nervous! I was working out my Law Of Attraction and praying hard. The interview toook damnit - 2 hours!! Which is good, cause the likeliness of them rejecting an applicant after interviewing him/her and wasting 2 hours of their time is LOW. That's just my bloody hypotheses on HRM. I really really hope I get it. Pls Pls Pls. The interview went very well (again, to my opinion. So, respect it). If I get this job, I'll be sent to Torino, Italy to learn more about surfactant and lubricant sciences (which is quite pesticide related)! I wanna see the Shroud of Turin, but is it kept there?.

I know this is childish. But after the interview, I took advantage of the electronic pass to access KLCC's Tower 1. I went to all the lifts to several floors....then I went to almost the highest point that I dare to reach with my pass. From the 43rd floor, the view was amazing! I think the security would have gotten a shot of me from their CCTV going up and down the lift for no apparent reason. Hope it will not lead to a mugshot! The only complain which I had was the haze, which clouded the beauty of KL City. Another set-back: I had no camera.

I will be in Ipoh from today til Monday. Again, it's regarding my health...and my mum's grumbling. Nothing big, just AGE catching up on me. *wink* "Doctor, I'll pay you lots, just remove the problem." This time more of my money flying off again cause it's a specialist! How to save $$$ arr?