Gearing up for 2015

    First off.. pardon me for not updating as promised. I haven't the chance to access my laptop these few weeks and all the drafts in my phone disappeared when I upgraded to Iphone 5 (long story) 

    Unfortunately 2014 hasn't been the most pleasant year for me. I suppose you could say the fortune tellers and feng shui masters won this match (not to say I lost it on purpose) but they have warned me about how it was a bad year for me in a way that seemed as if I would crash and fall in every dreadful way possible no thank you very much. Putting that aside.

HOORAY for making it out alive in this bloody mess ! I'm having mixed feelings about 2015 but I suppose when you're at your worst, the only way left from here is UP! which is why I figured I should start prepping for the year to come since it's better safe than sorry.

  Oh wait before that.. LOOK WHAT I GOT :D

Big cat and baby cat leisurely pondering about the green
dragonfly it attracted due to it's light
 (look what I planted outside the window )

The study plant outside my window.
If I don't study/water it, it dies.
 I suppose it gives me reasons to be near my study table.

leather bag and new wallet courtesy to my 2nd and 3rd sis.
(Yes, the leather bag looks hard. To put it bluntly...Campak anjing terus mati doh)

Lastly...No Geek is complete without stationaries to sate the canvas seeking inspirations and ideas

exploding at hand

(dem feels that the leather cover notebook gives..*squels*)

There's a reason why our eyes are placed in front.

               It's so that we look ahead instead of what's behind us.

Hopefully 2015 would be a pleasant year :') 

My awesome grandma =]

    Wanted to post something bout her for a while now :) (Grandma from Mom's side,wai po 外婆)

Though I'm not as close to her as one of my sister, She is still someone I look up to and respect . Despite her age, She is a fine lady who always looks prim and proper and a highly principled person.
   
Fun fact - She's the reason I forced myself to learn Hokkien. Yeah yeah, I was once those stubborn kids who refused to speak Hokkien even though I understood it. (Mom was pretty frustrated..haha) Did  grandma whoop out a cane and forced the gold out of my mouth? (Chinese folk tease you for keeping gold in your mouth if you don't talk) Nope, but where did the gold go? T^T .. Anyways, I ended up forcing myself to speak Hokkien because I THOUGHT my grandma didn't understand mandarin. Till one day after around 10 years I hear my cousins speaking to her in mandarin and my grandma
SPOKE MANDARIN. 

AFTER SO MANY YEARS SOMEONE JUST SHOOT ME . 
There you have it, I got owned by my own grandma.
At least I could converse in hokkien now thanks to her.

Green fingers. I'm still waiting for the pumpkin to turn into a carriage(okay maybe not)

("IN YOUR DREAMS!" )

And.. a tour of GRANDMA'S HOUSE!

Just how many grandma's have a rainbow pavement? How many? 

dem feels 

Hall of fame? Nope. More like hall of marriage.  (There's another wall.. Hall of grandchildren..)

And we must not forget the complimentary drink.
(Be prepared to see a fort built out of these during chinese new year)

Another fun fact. Okay more like Funny fact. Her conversation with my mom is always something like this..

Mom: "Did you cook the meat properly?" （肉有煮好吗？）

Grandma: "YOUR OLD MOTHER AH, of course I cooked it properly. "（你老妈！煮得好好！）

(Take note, this is super funny if you read it in chinese. Or even better, Hokkien)

Scouting makes life dull

  Would you consider joining scouts? It would make ordinary life seem dull. You just walk into amusement parks like.. I've done worst than that.

All because of..... scouting.

It spoils trips to amusement parks or team building courses. Who could blame you? When scouting offers activities such as abseiling, rock climbing, camping, fire making, dancing and so on. First aid lessons from scouts are so RPG. Plus the addition of a shrieking scouter covered in blood which could probably rival a ghost in the haunted house , it's no wonder scouts are trained to be fearless ( to some degree) 

  Not to mention the fact that you don't get to live a high school life filled with typical drama where you fight over who's the better friend or who used the wrong end of your eraser (which is pretty annoying) scouting makes one somewhat more mature to not care about such matters. Granted, who worries about which person drank your water when you are having a crisis on how to save your tent from ending up in Atlantis when there's a flood? Scouts couldn't care less about insignificant problems. They are forced to find a solution. Which is a pity on how they seldom get to experience  immature dramas that arise for the sake of drama.

    Not only that, people think you're weird since you're pretty much used to unintentionally cutting yourself up. Oh and you think knives are pretty which  pretty much places you somewhere along the same hierarchy as a serial killer. 

(Who in the world spends their free time fixing and sharpening knives? ...I do..)

So before you join scouts...

Think carefully,are you prepared to have scouting make your ordinary life become dull in comparison? 

quick update

 Since its holiday, expect frequent post about totally random stuff. My labels are totally messed up right now (will fix it soon). I'm considering changing the blog address since the new blog address in the poll is really cool.

toolimforyou.blogspot.com -- (totally means too lame for you but hey, lame in a totally cool way)

Anyways, take your pick. I'll change it depending on the poll or probably might just decide on it myself. But if someday you can't access to the blog. It's probably changed to toolimforyou.blogspot.com or any other one in the poll :P

There are loads of drafts that are yet to be completed.

If you're waiting for updates for my short story -- Only Time

Bless you and may you have patience to bear while I bang my head against a tree and wait for a durian to fall upon me. The next chapter will be out soon. no promises though :P

Have a nice day and remember to make time for what you love.

Unity among Malaysians

    "Malaysia merupakan sebuah negara yang berbilang kaum , Oleh sebab itu perpaduan haruslah dijaga demi kedaulatan negara.." 
 
   "Malaysia is a country made up of different races, which is why unity is so important for the sake of the independence of the country.." (direct translation from malay, pardon the slight un-sync)

  The above is probably the most common introduction for an essay for typical Malaysian student when given an essay about unity. The points are almost always the same.

1. Send kids to sekolah wawasan.
2. Synchronize the education system used.
3. Create opportunities for unity building (i.e sports, festival celebration,PLKN etc)

 In all honesty, Half the points we usually give in essays for the precious A+ fail to work in reality. I'm gonna start with the 1st point, sending kids to sekolah wawasan. I have friends who come from sekolah wawasan and it's basically putting SJK(C), SJK(T) and SK together in one place and the only time the students from respective school meet is during assembly where students are asked to shut up or risk the wrath of the teachers. Pray tell, how does this boost unity?

 Students should at least be involved with each other during after school co-curricular activities or maybe if they could, during P.E.  Sometimes kids learn better from kids, do it whilst they are at the age where they don't know the meaning of race. Let them spend time together, play together and take part in activities together after school. That's the least they could do if they really want to build a strong base for unity. Have you ever worked on a project with a total stranger before and you guys ended up having this strong invisible bond? If not I urge you to take part in life more, life isn't about me. Its about we. (yes, I'm indirectly saying you're lifeless,so there =P)

  The second point, synchronizing the education system. There's been frequent uproars to abolish chinese primary schools since it THREATENS unity. I suppose it does contribute a bit to the problem but to say that it threatens unity is a bit too much now isn't it? Are chinese teachers brainwashing students to take over the world with chopsticks and calligraphy brushes? ( On second thought, that sounds kind of cool) . To abolish chinese schools will take lots of work and persuasion as the chinese of Malaysia worked tirelessly and paid a huge price to protect our right to learn chinese even after moving out from China. ("pack yo bags, I smell nasi lemak in the south east") 

  Let's say they do abolish vernacular schools. The students would be spending lots of time together, that's a given. What about the subjects? I'm sure everyone knows that language isn't a read the facts and score A subject. It requires daily input which points to the next problem. What happens to the language subjects? I suppose they could switch classes when it's time for the language subjects.

   During my time, I had to learn the same subject in two different languages. Maths and science in mandarin and english. What about now?  Are the classes conducted in Malay? or  English? (I'm excluding mandarin since we're taking the example of a school after abolishing vernacular schools)
I honestly think that the textbooks should be in English. The class can be conducted in dual language depending on the teacher. I mean, c'mon la. English tu penting tau. Time to show the penjajah-penjajah tanah melayu that we can whoop their ass in their own mother tongue.

  Face it, Though Bahasa Melayu is the beloved national language of Malaysia. What happens in Malaysia stays in Malaysia. You can't expect to turn on CNN or BBC channel with a reporter speaking in Bahasa Malaysia. To go international and for the sake of globalization, this is a must . Let everyone speak english. Not only the rich. Not only the kids from urban areas of Malaysia. You'd be surprise on how people who don't speak english react to the ones who do. They don't reflect on it but get cocky and make it a century old fact that they can't speak because they're not good enough.

   The mindset is already fixed in their mind that they can't because they're not good enough. This is why a school that offers education in english is important. It provides a platform for kids to learn English at an environment where English is the only way to talk to people around. When you have no choice, you adapt. 

  This had worked wonders for me who came from a typical chinese family which spoke no english at home. And yet, because of school and the people I spent time with. My english didn't falter just because of my family background and habits. At home I spoke my mother tongue which is actually sufficient to balance and prevent our own mother tongue from disappearing. Let there not be discrimination among each other for the grasp of languages we have but for the good and bad deeds we have condone.

   Unity among Malaysians isn't gone nor is it weak. Its just shadowed by the doings of a small group of people who happen to be lifeless. Unity among Malaysians can't fully shine unless action is taken on these particular group/type of people who fail to realize the real meaning of unity. It is not the language you speak or the clothes you wear, it is the heart that brings all of us together. Unless we change our mindset, we'll forever be stuck as the rumored country between Singapore and Thailand in which the people lived in trees and spoke only of themselves.

the heart matters
(credit to the one who owns this adorable cat)

Just a thought : Your self, your soul.

   I just melt when I meet sincere people. There's just that genuine look in their eyes that makes you at ease. What's their secret? I wanna know. How do you be so sincere and genuine in a world where people no longer have trust for each other even for the most insignificant matters? Suppose they might let you down or the other way around. You never know when one will end up stabbing you from the back or take advantage of you. Perhaps its no secret.

Perhaps all one needs to do is to just doubt less and let go of things that you can't control. 

Be sincere,
         Be true.
No one can be more you
                    than you.

Well, Compare the time when you were a kid and now.
 Every. Single. Cell . in your body is replaced. 
Your teeth drops out and changes, your red blood cell killed in the bone marrow, your hair falls, and replaced with new ones.
Every single cell you had from the start is GONE.

So WHAT do you cling to? 

" You think yourselves as humans searching for a spiritual awakening,when in fact you are spiritual beings attempting to cope with human awakening. Seeing yourselves from the perspective of the spirit within will help you to remember why you came here and what you came here to do "  -The Group

Just a thought - Success and a Meaningful Life

 Success

What does it mean? More precisely. What does it mean to you?
Does it mean owning something expensive? Does it mean achieving the highest ranking of some organization? Does it mean earning loads of cash? Is it materialistic or is it based on spiritual needs like finding the love of your life or having a happy family. Frankly,everyone is crazy about it but what is it?

Think about it. The moment you die (or before you die), when you reflect about your life and reconsider.. was it meaningful? What is meaningful to you? What have you done when you had the time? the idea? the energy? Were you fulfilled? Did you succeed in what you believed?

 Think about it. While you go to school. Then attend college and perhaps university followed by getting a job interview. Being accepted and perhaps get married. What's next? Have kids and wait for retirement and death? Aren't you no different than a processed product from the factory? Even a processed product has longer life span than you and what do you do with that time? 

  Think about it. You have time and yet you have no time. What are you doing with it while you still have it? What are the wonderful things that could happen if you utilize it? Take Steve Jobs for example, he said that remembering the fact that you are going to die one day is one of the most useful tools for success. Sure he changed the technology world I suppose, but what's more important is the fact that he changed lives. He changed our perspectives (well some of us). 

  What is your definition of a meaningful life? Materialistic things don't follow you when you die so what's the point in that? What did you do while you were given the time?

Humans are incredible. We can soar in the skies and dive in the deep blue oceans even though not biologically equipped so. We can communicate with people on the other side of the world without traveling there. We can capture moments and keep them in still pictures as if it was printed from our eyes. Take all that and show it to humans a few centuries before and they'd chase after you with a burning torch screaming "WITCH!!"  

 The thing is, we humans are incredible. Incredible beings and yet what are the most of us doing with our lives? Are you happy doing what you are doing now? Are you driven to live to the fullest? What's your purpose?

 You don't know when is your last day. But you do know that it will come. And when it comes, have you lived up to the life you wanted? Or did you waste it by living someone else's dreams?
  There is no such thing as impossible. It may be hard but it is definitely not impossible. We may not be fully equipped with the "supposed" recipe for success like money, fame and publicity. But we are gifted to be resourceful . Not to mention to be fully equipped with determination and faith which most of us don't really utilize.
Look at the wright brothers.
They flew. 
Man with two legs and no wings.
Flying. 

I don't see no reason why we can't do the same for our lives for what we believe in.
Love all you can, Give all you're able to, and most importantly. Live.

(Some sources and examples are from the TED vids. Check it out. Very inspirational. Others are just me having sleeping problems and the urge to get all the stuff out of my head and in to the blog :P )

STPM woes

  Got my monthly test results earlier today, had to pass it to guardians to sign. 2.75 CGPA not including MUET(english) which I got 89 marks = Band 6. Studied pretty hard for monthly test and the only thing I can say is that I actually did my best already. Studied biology so hard and I almost failed because teacher made the paper according to one sub topic which I apparently was just so LUCKY to NOT study due to time restrictions. Just my luck. Next was Chemistry, I understood revised consistently for it as well. But the thing is.. understanding and applying are totally different things.
TOTALLY DIFFERENT OKAY!

   Pengajian am aka general studies, I only revised a couple of times a week and managed to get A-. But I suppose I was lucky there wasn't essay for this test else I'd be doomed. Mathematics T? no comment. The darn thing is too overwhelming for me, I had to give my tutor a distress call and even he was astounded by the compact-ness of the new syllabus. Its just too overwhelming. Teacher doesn't even stop to revise because of the time restriction.

 I can only say that I feel like crap right now.

   I looked through the matriculation text books while in the bookstore and was pretty bothered by the vast difference between our syllabus. It probably fueled my dread even more to think that we STPM students are competing against Matriculation students who obviously have it so much more easier syllabus wise, for placement in university. One look at their Biology Chapter 1 and I could easily point out all the details and diagrams that weren't there, how detailed our syllabus is compared to theirs. Is it fair? Perhaps on some level since they don't get to go back to the comforts of their homes. But honestly? I don't think that is such a big deal. Being able to live alone comes down to your level of independence and level of maturity. 

  I've read all available informations about matriculation before I got rejected from it, after enrolling into form 6 and being able to compare between the two. I've become somewhat disheartened of my chances against them. Our co-curriculum grading system is totally different. It takes so much effort to score 10 whole points here and in matriculation.. competition between campus is counted as national level if not mistaken.

  All in all,  When something goes wrong, you have three choices. Let it break you, Let it define you or Let it make you stronger. Take your pick. As +kellyclarkson's song go.. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger :') 

Note** sources are from my own views as a form 6 student going through it and after reviewing lots of blogs written by matriculation students. I even emailed them personally before. Understand before you judge, this is my point of view.

Just a thought: To kiss a frog

  We all know in the story of the frog prince, An evil witch turned the prince into a frog and the only way to turn him back to his royal highness form is nothing grand but rather priceless, it was a kiss from a royal princess. 
   
   Princesses are usually brought up to be prim and proper and unless it was snow white, I doubt any princess would simply kiss a frog. Well perhaps maybe cinderella since kissing mice wasn't a problem and don't you even start about belle from beauty and the beast okay? (They were fuzzy furry mammals) I'm talking about slimy gooey little creatures with jutting eyes and bloating throats called frogs. 

  Touching one is pretty much asking me to peel my skin off and disconnect all my touch receptors, What more about kissing one? (some rather gruesome images best not shared with all of you in case of copyright intentions to commit suicide)

    I grew up reading the original version of the story by the Brothers Grimm where the princess throws the frog against the wall instead of kissing it and the somehow being tossed at the wall turned him back into his handsome human form. There was another version where the frog would just ask to sleep on the princess's bed every night and somehow that worked as well. In both these versions, the princess is rather reluctant when it comes to returning the favor of the frog who has oh-so kindly picked up her precious golden ball from the well.

   In all honesty, I feel that most of us girls would be as well. I mean, most of us in general can't even stand looking at them and would probably throw the frog against the wall or perhaps some of us who have higher tolerance would actually bear with having a frog sleeping next to our pillow with lots of borders and fences separating us in between.(fortress made of pillows?)

  In the end, no one kisses the frog. Lets switch it up a bit.
In real life, what if the frog represented some underdog person who is not what he/she seems to be. He or She may be the one true soul that sings the same song as yours, would you kiss the frog if the opportunity arises? (frogs are rather blunt people at times now aren't they? asking for a kiss directly shouldn't be much of a surprise) or would you throw him/her against the wall in disgust ? (which probably means getting a restriction order)

  What are the chances of them revealing their true form? or perhaps what's inside isn't far from what's on the outside. And as the old saying goes "You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your handsome prince " . Not a very efficient "trial and error" method don't you think? But it all comes down to one thing..

To kiss or not to kiss? That is the question.

Arthur Rackham's illustration to the Fairy tale of the
Brothers Grimm's Frog Prince.

Life purpose

   On this rather normal Sunday night, I decided to try on some clothes and perhaps pretend that I was preparing for some event instead of watching movies, reading books and studying. I do it once in a blue moon, suppose it was to satisfy my feminine side and kill boredom. On this particular night I decided I ought to see what I should wear for my cousin's wedding as an excuse to play dress up. I took a few dresses out of my wardrobe and draped it on the bed and put on one after another. I put away the ones which weren't suitable back into the closet and whilst doing that, the lab coat hanging in there caught my eye and I took it out absent minded. I put it on and looked straight into the mirror at myself wearing a lab coat.

  Does this feel right? No. Not quite. I pulled up my long dark hair into a ponytail and stared at the my reflection again. How about now? Still.Not quite. But I feel much more like myself now,not like some porcelain china doll. I tried to picture myself working at a field wearing a lab coat. Hmmn.. Not very attractive but it'll do I suppose. But not quite. I read somewhere earlier today that talking to yourself actually makes you smarter, and so I did. I couldn't remember when was the last time I had a one on one with yours truly, but it started out quite entertaining I suppose. My usual hint of sarcasm wasn't here this time as I started listing the things that I love out loud as I read the sticky note I placed on my mirror a long time ago that says "what are you grateful for?". Perhaps I was answering myself and also questioning myself the same time.

    As the list went on, I had mixed feelings about every thing I listed out. Some were honest and genuine, some were just materialistic things that made me feel somewhat empty. I walked around the room still in a lab coat, listing out things I love that came to mind and looked around for inspiration. I love books, I love stories, I love knowledge, I love to write, I love to make people happy, I love chocolate, I love the smell of rain and wet soil, I love to lie on my back and stare at the sky, I love romantic things like love letters and candles,I love to make use of limited resources,I love to make things look brand new, I love to play with make up, I love to tell stories, I love to travel, I love traditional clothes, I love cultures, I love tarot cards, I love cats,I love my family, I love scouts, I love my friends,  I love my cats, I love to.. protect.

   I thought about the Tedx vid I watched recently labeled

How to Know Your Life Purpose in 5 Minutes by Adam Leipzig 

I couldn't answer any of it except for the first one then.

 The idea was simple. To figure it out , just ask yourself. 
Who are you?
What you did?
Who you did it for?
What those people wanted or needed?
How did they change after getting it?

I silently answered those with flashbacks and memories of myself staying true to myself and honest with what I felt was right. I loved and gave my all to what I believed. I offered protection for others,my friends, my family, my cats, in different ways but for the same reason. They needed protection in the form of company, in the form of love, in the form of honor. In any form at all. How did they change? They were relieved. They were happy. They were proud.

I thought back about my beloved late cats. All of them. Especially my blue eyed Siamese who showed and taught me so much. I realized.. I've failed to protect him. Perhaps all of them as well since I remember all the tragic deaths and disappearances of my cats. They were family and yet I've failed to protect them from being kidnapped, failed to protect them from being starved by mean people who wouldn't give them back no matter how I cried, failed to protect them from fleas, failed to protect them from poisonous rats, failed to protect them from stray dogs. Here I am in the middle of the night with tears streaming down my face pathetically even though I just recovered from my crying fit earlier. I'm so sorry, so sorry I couldn't protect you.All of you. I love you so much I miss you everyday.

I miss your comforting presence. I miss looking forward to get home from school to see you. I miss calling out for you. I miss having you by my side. I miss hugging you like a teddy bear when I sleep and you'd carefully slip to the corner after you know I'm asleep. I miss your company when you know I'm sad. I miss you so dearly.

You've protected me countless times in your own way. You were like a body guard ready to act when needed, lizards and insects which terrify me were taken care of because of you. You protected my childhood. You protected me from being afraid to love. You protected me in many,many ways.
And yet I've failed to protect you. When you came home all thin and starved, My heart shattered into a million pieces when I saw the state you were in. Instead of comforting you and giving you reassurance, I felt like I was the one receiving it as you tried to calm me down from my sobs whilst seemingly saying "it's okay now, everything is fine now."I suddenly remember I swore to protect you and others with the same fate in the future . I promised.

              I live to protect, to protect the ones, the things, the causes that matter to me.

It hit bulls eye for my life purpose/goals for now I suppose. How do I actually do it? I haven't actually figured it out yet but perhaps the most suitable career that would enable me to protect whilst make a living would be veterinary. I'll figure it out one way or another since, I promised.

Chapter 4 - Only time

  The breeze of cold air from indoors led me to take a glimpse inside, Elderly people with their offsprings tailing behind them as they spot for eligible candidates as spouse for their child. Wait a minute.. Could he be here in seek of courtship? Right that moment, I had an epiphany of what my action could've done. I stopped and stared at him,

"Hey umm.. You don't have to do this if you don't want to." I fidgeted. There was confusion in his eyes as he ran over what I just said. I continued on about how I wasn't intentionally forcing him into this and the fact that I might be in the way of his quest to seek for courtship. There were like other girls out there he might want to take a chance with . On went my endless muttering till he started laughing again like the ignorant guy he was.
   He offered me his arm after he recovered from his laughing fit as I fumed at him, confusion overcame my frustration as I gave in and linked my arm with his.

"What's wrong ? I think we make a great pair since apparently you're a trouble magnet and according to you, I'm a trouble seeker." I couldn't resist hitting him on the shoulders for that. But he just brushed it off and continued on " Besides, can't you see the match making war going on inside? I'm too young to die." I scoffed at that.

 *cough* "not young" *cough* , He gave me a glare which I returned with a cheeky grin.
"C'mon old man, we gotta report for duty." I said as I dragged him indoors by the arm while ignoring the fact that he was probably glaring holes into my back by now. Perhaps I really read the whole situation the wrong way.. my bad then. Since the misunderstanding was cleared up, I felt so much more light hearted now.

   My heels clicked as we made our way insides, passing under the glistening chandelier in the grand hall . Aunt Amy should be here somewhere ..probably basking in the glory of having such an "amazing" niece. Not far from my sight, Someone was signalling me to go over to that group of women. Yep.thats her alright. 

 
 "Looks like you're up for auction." Chase nudged me,seemingly amused by the situation. I ignored him and set my gaze at the evil hag beside my aunt making him look there as well. 

"Pray tell,would you be the highest bidder or should I put you up for auction as well ?"  Chase contemplated for a while and replied

"The latter is no different than commiting suicide now don't you think?" I didn't get to give him a reply as we neared the group of ladies arm in arm . We simultaneously flashed a smile at the group and let my aunt do all the introductions. 

  "What a lovely pair, fantastic performance earlier.I shall love to see both of you dance again,reminds me of my younger days." Exclaimed one of the ladies with a bonnet. "Well of course, Kate here has been taking classes since she was a child after I talked her mother into it. " claimed aunt Amy. I simply nodded while reminiscing the times when I was forced to attend dance lessons even with two streams of tears down my face.

  "Which reminds me, We need to take pictures for the charity album. Ohh! There's the photographer over there. Wait here while I go get him." exclaimed aunt Amy whilst she yet again disappeared into the crowd. Sigh.. Why does she do this every time? She left us to fend for ourselves against a bunch of old ladies who'd sink their teeth in the moment they know our relationship status.
 "My, my. Young man you have a great eye. Make sure this young lady is yours to keep." yep, there comes the first attack.
      Continued with other successive attacks which we simply defended with a nod and thanks. But the boss level monster of the game has just arrived, the hag dressed in her blinding black sequined dress made her move.
"Chase, Your performance was great! do you think you can teach me how to dance later? I'm sure I'll get the hang of it if you teach me. " said the hag with her usual annoying voice with a hopeful tone whilst she completely ignored my existence.

    I couldn't help but picture them both dancing together, the look of discomfort in Chase's face as the hag "unintentionally" gets closer to him than needed with a contented face. I smirked with the picture in my head and with a failed attempt, tried to cover it as soon as possible before Chase catches me laughing at his mishap.

   Probably tired of getting harassed, Chase pulled me nearer to him by the waist all of a sudden which made me stumble into his side. If not for his firm grip, I'd probably end up on the floor. 
  "I'm sorry, I already made a promise to accompany this lovely lady here for the whole night. It would be bad to break a promise , no?" He replied in the most gentleman-ly way possible making it look like I'm the culprit for messing up the hag's chances with him. 

 Under normal circumstances a normal girl would be blushing due to such close contact with a man but hell, I wasn't a normal girl by any means. I was too busy plotting on how to murder the hag and perhaps give Chase a lecture about treating me like a soft toy.
"Its okay DEAR, I suppose just one dance wouldn't hurt . I'm the selfish one for keeping you all to myself. "  Chase went slightly pale at my reasoning.
"But SWEETIE, A promise is a promise. I'm a man of my word. Besides, I'm the selfish one who can't bear to see you dancing with anyone other than me."
This may look like some everyday lover's quarrel to the others but from our perspective..
THIS.MEANS.WAR.

   The "lovers quarrel" was cut short with the presence of aunt Amy and the photographer. The hag reluctantly retreated but I doubt she is anywhere close to admitting defeat . Aunt Amy instructed the photographer to take pictures of the both of us and later including Uncle James and her as well.
 "C'mon sweetie, It's gonna be a waste for charity if you don't put a smile on that pretty face of yours for the picture." "Oh gee,thanks for being so concerned for charity dear , the world would need a lot more pictures of us to be a better place." I exclaimed and both of us simultaneously flashed a smile at the camera in amusement.

   After the picture-taking session,we made our way to the dining area for some snacks and to escape the wrath of the evil old hag whose been eyeing Chase the whole evening and glaring at me every chance she gets.
"Ya know Hun, She's pretty desperate for you. Even stalked us all the way from the main hall to sneak a peak... scratch that. openly ogle you from the next table. Careful, She might even knock on your door tonight." I bluntly stated as I took a bite out of my chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream. "Tch,troublesome woman. Don't worry darling, I don't open my door just for anyone." He continued  while ignoring the hag's attempt to catch his eye every time he looks at my direction. ( She chose to sit behind me, how convenient for her.)
"hmmn.. really? how fascinating. I'm totally interested in your affairs with hags dear." And another bite out of the cake. Gawd... melted chocolate oozed out from the center. I feel so lucky for managing to get the last piece of chocolate cake to even care about the war going on between tables. That sense of contentment vanished as Chase ate the last bite of my cake out of my fork to ward off a group of elderly  women looking for a son/daughter-in-law from our table.

"Oh dear, what an adorable scene.Young lady, that cake looks absolutely delectable.Of course not as delectable as this young man here. Where did you get it? " Said the elderly woman humorously.
"So sorry to tell you this madam, but unfortunately this is the last piece from the dessert section. I have no idea where this young man came from as well. Perhaps he too, was from the dessert section?" The group of elderly women roared with laughter at my statement and joked about heading for the dessert section for more delectable "goods". As soon as they left, I crossed my arms and leaned back and glared at him. "You owe me lots of chocolate. And ice cream too." I know it was unreasonable but hey, anything to cover up that embarrassing statement of him coming from the dessert section earlier. I was expecting him to start ranting on how it was unreasonable that he should get me treats but instead he nodded and agreed. "Hmmph.. I still won't forgive you for taking the last bite of my cake." Yep. Me being unreasonable due to the sudden flustered feeling. Perks of being a girl huh?

"Kate, the president wants you by her side for the closing ceremony now." Guess who interrupted our lovely conversation over a cake? Yep. You guessed it. My aunt's evil secretary. Perhaps one can't really dodge the inevitable huh? I got up from my seat and bid farewell to my date for the night.
"Duty calls,thanks for putting up with me old man." I joked with gratitude.
"No big deal. Till we meet again troublemagnet."   I'm sure he was slightly annoyed by the "old" statement but heh, "Till we meet again trouble seeker."

I tailed behind the hag as we left the dining area to aunt Amy's whereabouts. The hag kept a steady pace to keep a distance between us. Seems like someone is a bit on the jealous side tonight. If it weren't for the crowd we were in, she'd be clawing me if not less to stay away from her prey--Chase the golden bachelor.  The event ended with fireworks and me rushing around making sure everything is in order while Aunt Amy thanks everyone for coming at the exit.I didn't see Chase after that but I suppose he left early to set up booby traps in front of his room for the hag. Who knows? I'd do it if I were him.
My day officially ended when I stumbled into my hotel room barefoot and free from the killer heels. I practically sprawled on my ridiculously comfy bed the moment I got in. I was like that for I don't know how long till I finally convinced myself that I needed a shower really bad to actually get up from bed.
   Frustrated with myself for being such a good and lazy kid, I reluctantly got off the bed . And that was when I noticed a package on the table. Was that there before? I don't recall. Taking a closer look at it, I notice the box looked damn classy. With gold inscriptions and sapphire blue casing. Next to it, was a note.

To Miss Troublemagnet,

Chocolates as promised for compensation for the last bite of cake. Don't worry,I still owe you lots of chocolate and ice cream. I'll clear my debt in time  (if I happen to be in the dessert section)

Sincerely, The Trouble seeker

What on earth arghhhh... Part of me is annoyed for being teased and the rest of me is like "CHAWKLEEEET!!!"OMG HE GAVE ME CHAWKLEEEEEEET." I can't deny the fact that I was overjoyed by the gift , perhaps overjoyed was an understatement . My mind wandered to Chase the trouble seeker?  Not bad. Not bad at all. I actually look forward for the ice cream and chocolates from him in the future, the hag would probably assassinate me if she knew but hey, chocolate is to die for. I retired to bed that very day feeling over the moon after packing the box of chocolate into my rucksack. Till we meet again old man. Till we meet again.

18th Birthday

 My 18th birthday was peaceful. Was having exams the week of my birthday so celebrated (which technically means had dinner with family) earlier so I can concentrate on exams. Kind of sucked since I've been turning down opportunities to go out 2 weeks prior exam and been studying quite consistently (I slack for a few hours before actually getting serious bout studying). But sacrifices should be made I suppose.

   10/8/2014, Dinner with family was on a sunday night and monday was exam. I've been so stressed about exam for 2 weeks now and it just hit me on saturday that the point of a test was to see what level you are at and so you could fix your weakness. I had the best sleep ever since then and while everyone was busy doing some last minute studying. I just stopped and went to bed. Yep ._.

   The epiphany eased my worries big time. And it kinda sucked that it the realization only hit me 2 days before the test whilst I've been losing sleep for 2 weeks plus over it.

Birthday celebration in advance. CELL-fie-ing with my niece.
(was studying bio prior to the dinner, explains the lame bio joke huh?

             On 13/8/2014, I was kind of surprised that most of my classmates knew of my birthday. Even the usual ignorant ones. Even my bio teacher wished me after class while I left the bio lab.(awww...thanks cher :') ) Truth to be told I was busy doing bio notes to hear him so instead of saying thanks, I said "Bye cher! thanks (for the lesson) :D"  

After I left the lab I asked my friends "What did Mr.Charles say?"

friends:"He said happy birthday Kai Syn " 

 awwww....shit ._. I said bye. heheheh... oops?

    The rest of the day went on quite peacefully I suppose. I almost got hit by a volleyball twice. Actually got hit by it once while watching a interclass basketball match. Got fed up with basketball, learnt how to play volleyball. Went home. Passed out. Couldn't hold chopsticks during dinner since my hands were shaking from volleyball. Yep. It was peaceful :)

      14/8/2014, I got a box from my King's scout bros from the next class during recess. I was so zombified that day I skipped recess and stayed in class instead to do maths. Then this two fella came in with a box in hand. As you can see from the box, There's a story behind it. Only those who went through king's scouts can understand. To others, it'll look like some random sketch but haha, it's so deep I can still feel it in my bones.

   They were so adorable.Hahahaha, since they felt so awkward. They thought I'd open it at home but instead I retrieved a craft knife from my pencil case and started to cut the cellophane tape. (That lead to to some lame dissecting jokes since I was a bio student) You should've seen them trying to decide between staying and leaving while I opened the present.

cat lady indeed :3

They spammed the H since apparently adding H everywhere makes up for
wrong spelling.I have no idea what the carbon ring is doing there. xD

First thought: "CHAWKLEEEEET!"

MORE CHAWKLEEEEEEEET OMG AND PENGUIN!!!! :D

 

Needless to say this is still holding the record of best birthday present ever. I love my Bros (T.T)

But I suppose the whole thing was sort of awkward for them but they still went through with it. They've been working on the box for the whole morning (from what I heard) from people who asked me about the contents of the box.

  When I said they gave me chocolates it was sort of awkward as well ._. Since usually guys don't give girls chocolate out of the blue? I don't know. whatever. I HAVE CHOCOLATE. Thats all that matters. :D 

saw this few days before my birthday on twitter. I suppose my chocolate box
is close enough to the cat box :') *content*

Baju Kurung - The good and the bad

  This post would be about the baju kurung (commonly known as traditional malay wear) but from a perspective of it as a school uniform for Malaysian public school girls. Baju kurung consists of 2 pieces. A long skirt and a white long sleeve top. A camisole is usually worn under it to prevent people from staring at your somewhat exposed bra under the sheer white top.

   I've been wearing it as a school uniform for a couple of months now and still getting the hang of it for now. So lets get it started...

The good :-

1. You feel/look/appear more lady-like. 
Is it magic? Perhaps. Traditional clothes always gave off that timeless elegance somehow. Not to mention I can sit however I like and still look appropriate. Sometimes during talks or assembly Malaysian students are to sit on the floor(usually cross legged) and when that certain activity goes on for what feels like FOREVER, we start feeling as if we lost our leg (I mean restricted blood flow in the leg causing numbness) and opt to switch sitting position. Since it's a long skirt, no matter how you sit. One still looks ladylike. Not to mention being able to protect our womanhood from being out in the open which sadly is what happens when you hug your knees while wearing a pinafore.

2. Great for rainy days/cold days.
You know that feeling of contentment when the temperature is slightly chilly and you have this layer of warmth around you as if you're being cuddled? (exaggerated much but yeah) 

3. No tie! :)
No more ruckus of searching for a tie every monday morning just for the assembly.

The bad :-
1. Mobility (lemme rephrase that in Malaysian language.. KENNOT WALK LA DEI.)
Even though there are folds in the skirt to enable one to expand their step , the darn folds won't open every single time. One time I almost fell into a drain because I overestimated how far I could put one foot in front of the other. Not to mention the fact that I can't cross obstacles like platforms that are a whole foot higher without hiking up my skirt. I also risk falling every single time I accidentally step on my baju kurung.

2. Bad for typical Malaysian weather.
Hot and humid air plus the number of layers of clothes can literally cause trauma if not for the invention of fan. Basically, you'll be sweating like a dog .

3. Sleeves in the way.
The long sleeves are a nuisance when you want to write unless you fold it up.

These are basically the main pros and cons but honestly, what I can tell you is that its basically a double edged sword. It may be great for rainy days, but you'll have to worry about not getting it wet since the skirt will probably get soaked with the wet floor. It may restrict your mobility when walking up the stairs since you risk stepping on your baju kurung but no doubt at times you feel like some modern day cinderella , hiking up her skirt to rush away from the prince to class.

Chapter 3- Only time

Mornings are supposed to be relaxing and pleasant. And someone ought to tell that to my aunt who barged in to my room this morning and literally dragged me out of my bed while muttering some stuff about being late for free breakfast . Great, messy pony tail, T-shirt and pants and I'm out in public. I wonder if my aunt notices my drag state. She throws me a glance as we were in the lift and said "we'll have breakfast in the meeting room. Only a few committee members will be there." Yep..she totally noticed my underdressed state. 

  We arrived at the meeting room in no time for the sake of free food.My aunt introduced me to the ones around, most of them around my aunt's age. I greeted everyone of them politely and flashed a good kid smile. They were rather friendly folk,unlike my aunt's secretary who sneered and scorned at me . Yep, remind me to stay away from people who judge a book by its cover. She rolled her eyes and continued on the phone with a minister using a voice that sent goosebumps down my spine. I've decided to call her "hag" as calling her a woman would disgrace the female race. Perhaps it was my underdressed state or was it just because I was the prized niece of Amy Ma --you've got to give it to my aunt, she really does know how to brag. In someway, she reminded me of those evil stepsisters in fairy tales who were mean and full of themselves .

   Breakfast was great despite having to bear with the hag's annoying voice . I was trying to figure out how the hag possibly existed or survived when my aunt disrupted my thought.
 "Kate, I'm gonna leave you with Jen while I prepare for tonight. Make sure you're ready."
 Before I could even ask what I was suppose to be ready for, she was already out the door muttering yet again about being late for something.
 "Great.." I was abandoned ... again.
"Miss Kate, my name is Jen and I'm in charge of assisting you with your attire  today." I spun around and saw a polished lady standing before me. Well, at least she looks friendly unlike the hag. Confused, I stared at her questioningly, what's wrong with my attire? Okay perhaps I am really underdressed now but did aunt Amy seriously hire a person to tell me that? 

    

  As she read my expression, she explained how tonight was a big night for me and aunt Amy. So I ought to look more than presentable. I don't know why but something doesn't seem right about it. Do I seriously need to look so extravagant that when I asked her whether or not I could wear the maxi dress that I brought , she simply waved it off saying
 "no,no,no.that will never do." In her no nonsense voice.

    If that didn't do? What did ? 

Apparently manicures,spas and etcetera did. She took me to a spa, I had to admit it felt so damn good I almost fell asleep. Next was a trip for a facial plus a manicure . I mean all this is sort of nice and all but something still didn't click.Why would aunt Amy invest on all these? But then again ,I suppose all these is free which is why she wasn't letting it go to waste by letting me enjoy it since she was oh-so-busy. Yep. That's right. 

    I was pampered from head to toe from morning till evening. Just when I thought we were done, Jen brought in a beige ball gown with slight floral prints that was so simple and yet elegant that I couldn't resist but stroke the material . She helped me put it on and urged me to sit down so she could do my make up. And for the first time since forever,I trusted someone to do my make up. I believe I was in good hands since Jen apparently had great sense of style . She even put my hair up in a simple up do with a hair stick that had pearls at the end. 

  

   When she was done, she moved away so I could take a look in the mirror and damn. "Who are you and what have you done to Kate ?" I chuckled as I stared at my reflection. The gown was absolutely to my liking,not to mention what a great job Jen did to my hair and make up.My jade necklace which was a family heirloom  surprisingly went well with the whole outfit. I looked at Jen gratefully, and hugged her for what she did. A bit overreacting but hey, it's great to know that even I can look like this .

  "It's nothing miss Kate, was a pleasure working with you miss. All the best for your performance tonight." I stared at her blankly.
"What do you mean by performance?"
She shrugged and said that's what aunt Amy told her,that I was gonna perform tonight .That was all. 

 "Crap.crap.crap.. What in the world does she mean by that??"
Just as I was about to make a distress call to aunt Amy, she burst into the door already dressed in her cheong sam and signature pearl earrings.
 "Oh my, you look wonderful my dear. Now,the event is gonna start soon so we best make our way to the venue now."
Before she could yet again drag me along,I managed an
 "Excuse me,but Jen said something about me performing something? Or I probably misheard?" Hopefully I really did misheard . Aunt Amy looked back at me and said in a matter of fact tone
"Didn't my secretary tell you? You're gonna be the leading the first dance tonight."  I stared at her disbelievingly and sighed.. Evil hag was behind this. Great. It's too late to escape now, aunt Amy is already dragging me by the arm to the venue with a death grip. 

   I stared back helplessly at Jen who bid me farewell as I was dragged further and further away. Fingers crossed u don't have to dance with an old man who can't keep his hands to himself ,that would just be.. Unthinkable.

   As we neared the entrance of the venue, I replaced my shock with a friendly facade .This means war you old hag . I'll show you what happens when you judge a book by its cover.  Our presence was acknowledged the instant we stepped in. Basically everyone was up for a meet and greet Amy Ma and my genius for an aunt was using me as a magnet to attract attention and envy from the fellow attendees who were mostly middle aged people from the upper class.
"Heh, might as well play along since she paid for my spa." Time to let the lady to surface and be like one.Lady-like ways to talk, walk and breathe. Most of it drilled into me by my mom from an early age. I couldn't help but think that she was actually preparing me to be the perfect bride when I grow up but heck, that's just weird in this time and age.

   After they finally and thank god dispersed thanks to aunt Amy , I swear I couldn't take anymore people trying to match make me with their son or nephew. I just can't.
"Spit spot, We need to hurry!" Aunt Amy lead me towards the VIP area and there stood a group of people . From a distance I saw the hag there ,she was apparently harassing someone with that voice of hers again.There was a elderly gentleman there who my aunt referred as James. I was introduced to James (more like sold) by my aunt. From the fliers around, It's obvious that sir James is the biggest sponsor for this event. "crap.. does that mean I'm gonna dance with him?"

"What a fine young lady, I'm honored to have my son lead the first dance with you." And with that, he nudged his son who was apparently the person being harassed by the hag to greet me. The hag was disappointed that her conversation was cut short, disappointment was quickly covered with dismay as she saw who the culprit was.

  

   I could hear the hag mentally scowl at me in disbelief when she realized who I was whilst I cheerfully smiled at her. Well who knew revenge was sweet?  Turning my attention back to sir James' son, I realised he was staring at  me. Or was he gaping? He did look familiar actually..have I seen him anywhere before?
"Trouble magnet?" I heard him whisper .
"You?!" HOLY CRAP ITS HIM.
Why does he suddenly look so handsome? Holy crap was I that blind before that I didn't see those mesmerising eyes behind those boring specs of his?
"KEEP CALM KATE.KEEP CALM." I ran the mantra over and over again in my mind just in case sirens went around in my head panicking . Apparently everyone in the group saw our little "reunion" and uncle James and aunt Amy was elated to learn that we have met prior to today . The old hag didn't seem happy with it though.

  "Chase, what are you waiting for? The music is about to start. You better escort this lovely lady here over to the centre court now in time for the dance" said uncle James . He recovered from his shock and nodded at his father's statement. At least I finally know his name now, Chase huh? if I recall correctly, chase meant hunter. 

**Scene music in the player -- it's called the score.*

   Chase extended his hand to me and I accepted it . We made a beeline to the centre of the ballroom,with my hand in his as he lead me. We shared a few looks of confusion, agreement and understanding as the crowd started to clear away from where we were. Giving us space to lead the first dance. 

    The music began and so did we with a bow and curtsy we struck our position. I knew instantly that this man could waltz by the way he held me.As we took our first steps, I felt his clear lead. We smiled, realizing how well we spoke to each other without saying a word. Then he lifted his arm for a single turn and I spun effortlessly. He smiled again, and I could see his mind turning, either thinking of new moves to try or trying to figure out how we ended up here.

  

  I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy dancing with him even though we had an audience. His shoulders were broad and firm and with the help of heels, I fitted perfectly with his height. I felt this wonderful chemistry between us as we continued to glide and spin and twirl with grace around the floor.

  As the music softly ended, we both beamed with delight. I was breathless with exhilaration. He had shown me how beautiful a dance the waltz can be.The crowd slowly joined in and danced. Both of us looked at each other and silently agreed to get out of there to talk ASAP. 

  He lead the way and we ended up at the balcony .
"Typical place to stay low profile eh?" I chuckled.
"Yep.Just like the movies."
We enjoyed the silence for a while and he finally broke the ice.
" We should get this sorted out right? " he asked.

"Why should we? Isn't it nice just the way things are for now? I had an adventure today, I was dragged out of bed. An evil old hag didn't inform me that I was leading the first dance . I panicked about dancing with an old man who can't keep his hands to himself and I ended up here in the balcony with you." He just looked at me with disbelief.. And started laughing with me too.

"I'm gonna take a good guess and say that the evil old hag is that secretary earlier." I recalled the look on her face earlier and just couldn't help but giggle. If I remember correctly, she was boasting about how  rare it was to see her in a dress which was suppose to mean that she looks drop dead gorgeous now, But I doubt the dress does much difference with her ugly personality now does it? 

"BINGO,congratulations you win a prize." I said as I  gestured and handed him an imaginary prize. It was albeit a bit childish thing to do but he actually pretended to accept it.

"You look beautiful " I looked behind me,making sure it was actually directed to me .
"Thanks,You don't look too bad yourself."I beamed. Can you believe this ignorant guy started laughing at me because of that?
"You don't get compliments like that often now do you?"  

"From old folks with bad eyesight? Plenty. From a guy who looks for trouble? Not till just now." I said whilst trying to cover up the blush.
 "Perhaps we should head back in before my dad and your aunt go sending for a search party." He suggested.
 "Yeah.. Wait. Can we collaborate and be partners tonight? I doubt you wanna dance with evil old hags that view you as an eligible bachelor and I want to avoid pervy men."
I stared at him, waiting for an answer.
"So what makes you think I'm not one those pervy men?" He smirked.
 "Really? Fine. I'll tell the hag you're interested, I'm sure she's keen." His facial expression changed and we finally came to an agreement to go as partners for the night.

**authors note ---wheww...that was long.so what do u think?**