In Motion

Just the other day, my lecturer asked me if I wanted a son as a first born. She was asking in the context of "Does the Chinese ethnicity view boys as leaders/more important?"  I said yes, I want a son as a first born. Then she moved on to ask another girl. =P I should've explained why I wanted a son as a first born. It's not because I think guys are better than girls. I'd be happy to have all girls too. (Poor dad, though, with no sons to share his manly interests with =P) The thing is, ideally , I'd like to have a son and a daughter, and if I can bear the pain of childbirth, maybe a third child. I also want my son to learn to protect, love and lead his younger siblings. I don't really want my son to be the youngest and pick up manja habits, which, in my opinion, are more suitable for girls. There you have it, my preconceived notions of what a guy should and should not be like. =P  Yes, I think manja guys are NOT sexy. The fact that a guy i...

This semester, I'm learning an interesting subject called "Culture and Learning" (or something to that effect, because the BM name is "Budaya dan Pembelajaran"). Right now we're studying terminology (race, ethnicity, society, etc) and the various different cultures in Malaysia. It's a pain to talk about all the ethnic groups in Malaysia because there are just SO MANY. My group presented a discussion on different ethnic groups and their demography in Malaysia this morning. It took me 4 hours of research and editing last week to put together the slide presentation and my part on the Chinese ethnic group. No kidding. At the end of this presentation, I was left with a clearer understanding of the main ethnic groups in Malaysia -  except my own . I have no idea which ethnic group I belong to. Biologically speaking, I am of the Chinese race . But apart from my fair skin and small eyes and flat features, I really don't know what else in me is Chinese...

I am currently spending a 3-day-long weekend in Kluang. Yay for the numerous holidays Negeri Sembilan takes. Haha. It's been at least 3.5 years since I last visited Kluang, mainly because whenever there's a holiday, I seize the opportunity to go back to Kuching, instead of Kluang. Kluang is dad's hometown and growing up, we kids never saw its appeal. A town so small, so scorchingly hot, and so boring (back in those days, Kluang Mall and Kluang Parade didn't exist)...kids will be kids. I'm back because this might be the last time I see my grandma. It just so happened to be a long weekend, and my aunt proposed this trip down, so I decided to pay a visit. Grandma's condition has deteriorated a lot since last year when she was first diagnosed with Alzheimer's. She can't recognize me anymore. I spend most of the time hiding away from her if I'm alone, because she thinks I'm a stranger and will start scolding me. Alzheimer's is a terrible dis...

Today marks the 10th day I've spent in my new Bandar Enstek campus. Apart from the manifestation of some mysteriously inexplicable bruises on my limbs, muscle aches here and there and a potential pimple smack dab right in the middle of my nose, I'm surprised that I really don't mind being here. Perhaps it's because I save so much money living an ascetic life .=P The air is fresh, cold and clean, and so is the water (although if I find out the water is responsible for the bruises I have, I might just change my mind about it). I feel so...healthy, albeit sweaty going to class here. 10-15 minute walks up a slope which I'm pretty certain is at least a 45 degree incline - I'm going to have a smaller butt in no time. Ideally. Perhaps it doesn't seem so bad to me because my aunt is so eager to get me out of the campus every weekend. Do my circumstances really seem all that pitiful and deprived? * shrugs * Not really, I think. My room's so spiffy, the c...

This time round, the phrase “New Year, New Beginnings” has taken on a whole new dimension. I used to tell people that I study in Kuala Lumpur (and avoid naming my college, because NO ONE can remember a name like IPGM Kampus Pendidikan Teknik, anyway). Now, I have to lower down the coolness a notch and tell people I study in Nilai , not without screwing up my face for the intended effect. This is further elaborated by terms/phrases like “remote”, “ulu”, “in the middle of nowhere”, “scenic view of oil palm plantations” and the like. I know, I’m such a joy to behold. I even got lost on the way to the new campus, so at least I was being honest about how remote it is. =P So here I am, starting off the new year with a new roommate, new room, new facilities (and the very obvious lack thereof), new specs *ahem*, new environment and new village roads to familiarize myself with, new everything – except new baju kurungs. I feel so left out among my coursemates who are all donni...