What’s Now and What’s Next?

Tags

BRATs workshop, friends, friendship, future plans, high school, inspiration, life, memories, words for thought

How are all of you doing lately? While most of my fellow friends are busy engaging their hectic lives with college and assignments, I mostly stayed home with a free-and-easy schedule. Well, I’m not even sure if I should address that as a schedule anyway. Honestly, my stereotype routine is nothing seriously interesting. So here is a piece of news I want to update you all about. Today I received an email from Star Publications congratulating and telling me that I’m accepted and invited to BRATs 2012 workshop. Finally, I thought! It has been several days since I sent in my application judging that I was one of the early-birds to have done so. Well, I’m certainly pleased and proud that they have found my essay interesting enough and up the mark to have given me the green pass to participate in this journalism workshop. I have chosen the one that is going to take place in Kuala Selangor on the 14-17th of March simply because the Kuala Terengganu and Johor workshops are going to clash with my college days later. We will be staying at Chateau @ Kuala Lumpur in Rawang and what an irony this is as it totally brings back the feeling that I’m going back to my old home because the place has been where I lived for almost 10 years ago until 2006. Hence, it is not a surprise I couldn’t be more excited to go!

Things that I have accomplished so far this week that I’m satisfied with are thoroughly cleaning up every corner of my room and my wardrobe which took 2 days to be completed. It could look simple but I can assure you it was hell of a time-consuming job plus I’m now suffering from terrible back and nerve aches resulting from it. I’ve dumped away unwanted items which consisted of 2 huge garbage bags and piled up a large bag of clothing to be donated to the temple. And so now I can gladly say that my room welcomes you in!

In the midst of doing so, my mind finally noted that I received the most things that are worth a memory from Amanda. I mean of course I still keep all the precious stuffs that I’ve received from my friends ever since primary school days. It feels amazing to open up my “treasure box” whenever I received anything that deserves to be kept in it. But Amanda tends to be like me and we pretty much handmade anything if we could. Handmade paper bags, gift-wrapping paper full with handwritten quotes, Christmas and birthday cards which are all artsy-crafty, just to name a few. I still keep the chocolate chip cookies recipe which she wrote for me (sorry I can’t find the lemon pie one though!) and even the homework notes while she was absent in school. Come to think of it I definitely did return the effort as well. At least I remembered I folded several stars and filled them up in a pretty love-shape glass bottle which I spent some time hunting for. Oh, and that hand-made photo frame and photo of us both taken at the Taman Herba back in high school. Uh, I don’t need to mention the number of cards I did which I lost count because honestly I didn’t make an attempt to record how many I’ve given out.

And this is something to look back and laugh about: she is the very first buddy that shared the whole Twilight world and its fandom with me. Bear in mind it was the books that we were first hooked into, not the movies. I won’t forget she got for me the original soundtrack that she wrapped them up with ribbon and messages. God, I still remembered how excited I was back then once I got home from school I dashed up to my room to tear the wrapper to reveal the CD. How we would look out for any new merchandise when we both hit the malls back then and report anything we saw. Hey, I got her Rob’s biography book! It was one whirlwind and desperation I could now look back and smile. I’m sure I missed out listing a couple of things because they’re many more which I can’t quite put my fingers on at this time. Sadly, she’s no more into this fandom but I must say I’m forever still the loyal fan and I’m proud of that! It was really a full swing and memorable year of 2009 with her.

Back to the present. While time is in my hands I often drift off and ponder on what my life will be like in the future. Everybody out there wants to be successful. Right now they are so many hopes and achievements I want to accomplish. I feel like I’m still living in a nutshell and that’s quite true. I mean, I’m not even out there in the real world yet! It seems like dreams have turned into reality for some people but at the same time they are even more people that are still lost. I just hope whatever it is I won’t disappoint myself. The future sure is bright. How about the worst? What if out of nowhere, tragedy strikes? There are things that we certainly couldn’t foresee and I fear that. Accidents happening to yourself and loved ones. You may be perfectly fit and fine today but the next day would be the polar opposite. What if then the most basic things like moving and walking appear as a dilemma? That is too much to contemplate and to take in. Suddenly, the world and your visions would definitely be upside down. I’ve read some inspiring and touching blogs out there revealing their personal stories and how hard life has once been for them and couldn’t help but reflect and be in their shoes.

But.

One thing for sure is that no matter how hard life may seem, one should never ever give up hope because everybody deserves a chance and a shot to live a beautiful life. It is really important to have faith in oneself. Follow your heart. Just do what you love and believe in it, and it will come naturally. However impossible it seems, reach out to the other party and feel for them. Sometimes we even need the good ones to make the bad ones see the good in them. I think to have succeed is to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world better, to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.

Well, my sister is mad at me because she wants the laptop to watch her favorite scenes to go to sleep so I have to hand it over to her. Until then, I will write again soon.

Memoirs of 2011

Tags

friends, high school, life, memories, words for thought

Now that the year 2011 has passed, it is time for me to reflect what I have been through last year as far as I could envisage. Time, as they say, is like a giant wheel that never ceases to grind. We have been living everyday almost thoughtlessly so far but there must be at least something significant that we consciously or unconsciously bear in mind, something we wake up to, something that we strive to cling on to, something that once lost and relinquished seems insatiable…  That motivation force behind everything. Yes, life is somehow feckless, void, nugatory without companion and love. We simply cannot afford to disparage anyone or anything at all as long as we encounter it, even if it breezed past us like the wind caressing us or like a clear night untouched by even the dream of a storm, but it does have its cause and effect despite sometimes merely realizing. The point is that we should be obliged to everyone in and out of our lives. And if you know who are the special ones that makes your life all the more worthy and consequential, acknowledge him or her, appreciate them for sharing bits and pieces of their lives with you, express your gratitude towards them once in a while, cherish and never let them go. Because no matter how far life brings us to, they take up and remain a part in our hearts.

The year 2011 was not really interesting in the sense that it was neither a turning point nor distinctive for me. Also it was not woeful, just that it has been a turbulence for my emotions. I realize that I did not blog much last year. Mostly I remembered being so close to the tennis game for the first half of the year and then the next six months I almost did not follow up closely and speaking of it now it has been more than half a year since I last trained but I guess that is okay. And then there is a matter of friendship of course, in fact it consists of most of the part, I dare say. There had been a lot of laughter but it definitely did came with tears as well. Well, what have I been through and grasped? To sum it up in short I shall say that this is the one thing I still keep and remember: “Friends definitely comes above ego, especially when you have such good friends.” Over here, I would like to say thank you to everyone of you who have been there for me, and you definitely mean a lot to me. Needless to say, I am scared-stiff and petrify to picture my life without a dear friend I have known for four years who is currently now at National Service. She has almost been the reason to everything to me and still is. Well, I may sound exaggerating but I swear that I am a hundred percent serious about it. At least that is how it is for me. I have already said so much so I don’t think I need to go into details here anymore. And then there is also this girl by the name of Hoo Xinyi – thank you so much for being there for me during the hard and cold days, for seeing me through and most importantly for taking heart to care for me. You too should already know how much I appreciate what you did but this serves as a little reminder. Thanks for the letters and calls, the comfort of knowing that someone is always there for me. I am fortunate to have them and everyone else in my life. You know, I always prefer being inconspicuous in everything.

So here are a few highlighted events that happened in my 2011. I posted the pictures up according to chronology. I hope you will not find it too dull reading them…

• 1 January 2011 – Sister’s 14th birthday and also celebrated New Year with my family over at aunt’s place.

• 26 January – Traveled to Kerala in Southern India for a week with my uncle. Visited Cochin and Allepey.

• 26 February 2011 – Vivian’s sweet sixteen at Silver Spoon with Mei-Xuan, Xinyi and Natalie. Definitely a night remembered.

• 17 April 2011 – A day remembered to all Robsten fans out there in this world. Relive the moment. It’s the day where our doubts were gone.

• 2 May 2011 – Kiru’s seventeenth birthday at her house. Had loads of fun with my friends and also classmates.

• 7 June 2011 – I call it the Golden Popcorn Day. It’s the first time making popcorn for this little kitten here. Too much laughable memories on that day. Otherwise known as the ‘Red Bean Day’ too. Also watched MTV Movie Awards while sampling our snack. And look, she made a GIF for me.

• 4 November 2011 – High school graduation. Momentous day. I will always remember my school, teachers and my friends and all people I have known throughout my high school life. Thanks for everything these five years have to offer.

• 15 December 2011 – Mei-Xuan’s seventeenth birthday was spent at Sunway Lagoon with Ee Wei and Siew Hui. I guess this was somewhat the best day ever in my entire year of 2011. Definitely a day remembered and also one that I vividly remember, filled with thrilling fun and memories.

• 16 December 2011 – High school prom at Sheraton Imperial Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.

• 31 December 2011 – New Year’s Eve, and also Mei-Xuan’s last day before going off for National Service. Siew Hui and I spent it with her, we went for karaoke and barbeque. Another fun day singing and laughing.

• Class of 4/5 Jati (2010/11) – I am so lucky to be with them for these two years. We are really one and it was such a harmonious class to be in. No dramas, no spices added. Somehow, I still need some extra wrapping to grasp that my high school life has actually ended but you know they say – this is only the beginning. True.

So yep, that pretty wraps my my 2011. Of course, this is not all that happened. There were many more little, funny and definitely worthy of cherishing moments. For example all the sleepovers we had in the month of August and all the cooking, movie-watching, sneaking around, and a several more treasured conversations that do not need pictures for me to reminiscent. They all remain as ever, forever remembered. As the saying goes: we do not remember days, we remember moments.

Happy New Year, y’all! God bless.

One Amazing Creature (Part II)

Tags

Chiang Mai, Elephant Nature Park, elephants, memories, nature parks, photography, Thailand, travel

Looking for something different to do? Consider volunteering. Several animal shelters in Chiang Mai welcome help feeding and playing with abandoned pets. Elephant Nature Park – A conservation-based project north of the city with programs including some mahout training and bathing with the elephants is a must-see in your itinerary if you want to make sure you do not missed out a day’s fun!

Elephant Nature Park is the result of the inspiring vision of Sanduen ‘Lek’ Chailert to create a better world for Asian elephants. Lek is from a little known hill tribe group called the Khamu and has been fighting for the rights of the Asian elephants for decades. Lek has received several awards including ‘Hero of the Planet’ by Time Magazine in 2005 and the Earth Day Award in 2006. Her work has been featured on National Geographic, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, BBC and in print media throughout the world.

There are currently more than 30 rescued elephants living at Elephant Nature Park ranging from calves to grand old matriarchs over 80 years old. The elephants at the park are free to choose a family, form small herds and live amongst people who love and respect them. The uniqueness of this elephant camp amongst a myriad in Chiang Mai is that they are not expected to work or perform. Instead, they are able to wander the park, feeding at their leisure, bathing in the river and playing together in the mud pit. Each elephant has a distinct character, which becomes more evident as they come to regard the park as their home and leave heir past behind.

The park offers an exceptional Eco-tourism experience. Visitors have the opportunity to observe and interact with Asian elephants and learn about their way of life. Volunteers who stay at the park for a week or more work on projects that directly benefit the elephants including collecting and preparing food, cleaning shelters, digging mud pits and bathing the elephants. They also have the opportunity to walk alongside the elephants through the jungle to Elephant Haven and discover how elephants live and forage for food in the wild.

Elephant Nature Park educates both tourists and locals about the Asian elephant and the challenges faced by this endangered species. Each elephant at the park has a mahout/caretaker, who is responsible for the well being of their elephant. Lek and her mahouts are pioneering a more enlightened approach to teaching young elephants by using love and positive reinforcement instead of pain.

It was certainly an awe-inspiring day that we spent the the Elephant Nature Park. All the documentaries and time spent with the elephants was one that was enlightening and never to be forgotten. It is through this adventure and through this first encounter that I really learned about the elephants which I once thought were as normal as every other creature on this planet but ever since then I knew how wrong I was about it. So, I would definitely say it was an incredible, eye-opening experience in which I hope to spread to every one of you out there. Who knows, you might then develop a “thing” towards elephants just as much like I did through this.

Below are the photos taken and I have compiled them. Be sure to tell me what you think!

You can also refer to the first part of this post here about how I came about in sharing my experiences with elephants. And as usual, photos are also uploaded in my Flickr.

Elephant Nature Park – 209/2 Sridorn Chai Road, Chiang Mai 50, 100 Thailand.
Or you can make your booking at one of the town offices required – Charoen Prathet Soi 6, 053-272-855 / 053-818-744.

Fort Cochin Sights: Chinese Fishing Nets

Tags

Chinese Fishing Nets, Cochi, Fort Cochin, Kerala, memories, photography, Southern India, travel

Serene Kochi has been drawing traders and explorers for its shores for over 600 years, and today stands as a living homage to a vibrant past unlike any other. Nowhere in India could you find such a melange; giant fishing nets from China, a 400 year old synagogue, ancient mosques, Portuguese houses built half a millennium ago, all mixed in with the crumbling residuum of the British Raj. The result is an unlikely blend of medieval Portugal, Holland and an English country village grafted onto the tropical Malabar Coast. It is a delightful place to spend some time, soak in the history, peruse art galleries and nap in some of the finest heritage accommodation in India.

We took a 5 hours flight down to Kochi which is made up of a gaggle of islands and peninsulas that includes mainland Ernakulam; the islands of Willingdon, Bolgatty and Gundu; Fort Cochin and Mattancherry on the Vallarpadam Islands. All are linked by bridges amd ferry services. Upon stepping out of the arrival terminal building, we spotted our driver from the Daffodil Home Stay and off we hopped into the four-wheel drive which took us to our first accommodation situated at the Njaliparambu Junction. Since it was already past evening when we arrived, we decided to unpack our belongings, took a shower, walked out nearby for dinner and called it a day.

Next morning, we took a stroll along the streets which featured many local attractions such as St. Francis Church, Santa Cruz Basilica and of course one could not miss the Chinese Fishing Net village. Since I am not writing each and every one of the places we went, today’s post center around the main attraction – “Chinese Fishing Nets” a hallmark of Cochin, speaks of the first traders, who visited this coast during 1350 – 1450 AD. These nets are built using teak wood and bamboo poles. It is where fishermen carry out their daily routine, also some set up stalls along the shore to sell their freshly caught seafood where we actually bought some fish and squid (yes, still raw) and brought them to a nearby restaurant and the chef prepared us lunch.

Here are mostly black and white photos taken from the site of the locals and their boats, and then followed by the fishing nets and us joining the fun, singing to their folk song ‘Hey Jala’ while having experienced using the traditional fishing method, in colored.

Part II of Kerala will be the traditional Kathakali dance and a few sights around Fort Cochin. Stay tuned for that, and then we will venture to part III in Alappuzha (Alleppey) where there will be photos, of course, of the magnificent Kerala backwaters.

Source: Lonely Planet Guide