In Motion

As most of you know, I'm all about practicality, minimizing input and maximizing output, and getting the best value for money. As I've discovered recently, though, this trait of mine has its drawbacks. Case in point, as a proper grownup living in Malaysia, I have social obligations to fulfill, i.e. attending formal dinners. While they can be fun, they also go against every fibre in my practical being. Here are some of the challenges I've faced: Problem #1 - I tend to have nothing to wear for fancy functions As mentioned earlier, I'm practical. I like to buy items that I know I'll use at least 3 times a month to get my money's worth out of the purchase. I've always been a minimalist, even before I knew minimalism was a thing, way back before it was cool. In fact, I took minimalism so far that I probably gave it a bad name. =P Evening wear, unfortunately, go against everything that practicality advocates. You can't recycle them too much (because socia

Right now, I'm enjoying my year-end break after a grueling 4 months of work. Perks of being a teacher, but don't envy us unless you'd like to bring work home and work weekends throughout the year. =P I've been meaning to blog for the longest time, but as much as I love writing, it's not the first thing that comes to mind when I want to take a break. The same goes for reading. Nowadays, I find myself scrolling aimlessly through Facebook or watching Youtube videos during my downtime - you know, stuff that doesn't require too much brainpower. Blogging is reserved for times when I have more energy and enthusiasm, like long holidays. Yes, work demands my soul, sucks it dry and spits out an empty shell of my former self. =P I was talking to JW about switching jobs just last night, and he pointed out that no matter what job I was in, I'd probably feel the same way about it. Because I'm just wired that way, to be fully invested in whatever I'm doing. *sigh

Right now, every bedroom in our home is occupied. It's a bit of a change, but not necessarily in a bad way. The house is definitely more lively now, and it helps that both tenants are friendly, considerate and helpful. It's also super nice to be living with my best friend under the same roof. =P Amy's one of the tenants, and she's been here for about two weeks now. Over the past couple of weeks, we've caught up a lot on each other's lives and then some. It's great that I don't have to WhatsApp her if there's something I need to talk about. Talk about instant gratification! Typing on a QWERTY keypad as opposed to just verbal diarrhoea -verbal diarrhoea wins hands down. =P Coming home to good company is really not something I should take for granted. Before this, it was mostly just me and JW, and while JW is great company, female company is rather different. Conversations between me and Amy can go on for hours and we'll still find something t

Throughout the week, I get inspirations for blog posts through all the things that happen at school. Then I wonder if it's safe/wise to blog about them, because, you know, what if someone from work/a parent eventually discovers my blog? I don't know if I'm ready to deal with the consequences of potentially controversial topics, especially if my job is on the line. Not that anything I have to say is THAT controversial, imo, but who knows - one man's harmless comment may be another man's hate speech. I've also found myself posting less on Facebook, because perhaps it's safer that young professionals are seen as not having either a personality or a personal life. To date, I haven't added any of my colleagues on Facebook. Should I keep my work friends and other friends separate? What's the wise move? I don't mean to sound suspicious of my colleagues, but mixing friendship and work is not always the best idea. I've only been at my workplace

Y esterday, I got my first payslip ever! #milestone I know I’m a little behind in all these milestones because of the topsy-turvy way I went about my life. Instead of the standard Malaysian protocol of “Get a job, get a car, get a house and THEN a spouse”, I got a spouse first, gave up my job and am only now beginning my career – at the tender young age of 26.  =P On the bright side, while my peers are already getting disillusioned with life and burnt out at their jobs, I’m still bouncing with excitement at my first pay check. How very grown up, I know. Anyway, today’s post will be about some interesting observations I’ve made about teaching life. I’m sure most of my teacher friends know these already, but not many of them blog so I was unable to glean all these insights before my foray into the Jurassic Park that is teaching. So here goes: #1 If you’re asked to teach a subject on the spot, there will be (many) times you’ll have to apologize for being unsure of some de

It's my third week at work, and now I understand why working adults simply disappear off the face of the earth during the work week and reappear only on public holidays. Weekends are probably fully booked to catch up on a sleep debt. =P I exaggerate. Work does leave me exhausted, but at this point, I don't have to bring any work back so it's not too bad. I also go to bed at 10pm so that I can wake up refreshed at 6am to go to work at 650am and stay there till 415pm, go back home, rinse and repeat. This doesn't give me much time (or energy) to do anything during weekdays, so I leave most household chores and the grocery shopping for the weekend. At the same time, I'm happy that I'm being productive again, so I'm not complaining. Except when school events are held on Saturdays and take up my precious weekends. =P Since I joined the school in the middle of the year, I wasn't assigned a class. Instead, I'm a relief teacher aka Special Duties Teacher,

JW is vacuuming our new home with our new vacuum cleaner from Lazada as I type these words. I love Lazada. Ever since we moved in, I've ordered at least 6 household items and applied two discount voucher codes off it. I'm a convert to online shopping when it comes to household items - what better way is there to compare prices and product specifications from the comfort of your own home? Most of the time I have no idea what the specs mean, so I have to google them and look up reviews first anyway. And going store to store just to hunt down that perfect bargain? Way too much work with Selangor (I know everyone calls it "KL" but I get really hung up about technical details like that, so I'll keep calling it "Selangor") traffic and parking fees. So Lazada is a real life-saver - I get to do my research, compare prices and let them do the delivering. Don't even get me started on how much time it  already  takes me to shop for all the miscellaneous ite

The countdown has begun. With less than 2 weeks to wrap up my life here, I've been trying to decide what to fill up my time with. Surprisingly enough, I generally feel like I've spent enough time with my friends here and there's not much urgency about seeing them one last time before I leave. Maybe that's a good thing - points to the fact that I've invested adequate time here growing relationships and there'll be no regrets. Everything is falling into place, and I am continually amazed at God's providence. Jia Wern got a job in Subang Jaya so we'll be based there for the next three years. When I look back on all the jobs we applied to during the job hunt, God's hand was evident in closing so many doors, either through never hearing back from certain companies or not even getting to the interview stage. Back then, it felt bizarre - why would anyone not consider a Duke PhD graduate for employment? JW even listed a salary way below what we were expe

Ever since I hit 25, I've become very conscious of my mortality. =P Rephrased in not-so-dramatic language, I've started caring more about my physical body because 1) I'm now a proper grown-up, 2) like Logan, my cells regenerate slower than they used to and 3) I have to make sure that I'm fit to carry a child, whenever that happens. I've always had this strange mentality that things have to change once I become an adult. For example, I feel like I need to get fit before I turn 30 because 30 is the point of no return (Why, for the life of me I cannot tell you - you have to ask my subconscious). I also feel like my makeup-free years are over, and now that I'll be a (hopefully) working adult, I have to be a well-groomed and poised professional. Therefore, some of the ways that I've made changes to my life include: -Using makeup more often in public settings to look professional -Spending more on clothes to look more put together. -Using sunblock on my fa

Praise God for answered prayers - Jasmine has finally found a new home. If all goes well, she'll be leaving us on the 14th (this Friday) to go to her new home out in the country.  I'm genuinely glad for her because this new home sounds like paradise. She'll have 4 acres of land to roam around in and a doting owner who'll love her to bits. And she won't have to compete for affection with another dog, too, because this owner's last dog passed away a few months ago. I've always felt that although she'd do okay in a home with another pet, Jasmine can be a bit of a diva and an attention-hog. =P It's all happening sooner than I'd thought it would, but I guess it's for the best. I had a good cry about this yesterday night, so here's hoping it's all out of my system now (I really don't want to start bawling my eyes out and make it awkward for everyone when it's time for her to go). I keep comforting myself with the fact that Jasmi

It's been a while since I last posted, but so much has happened. =D First off, JWern passed his defense last Wednesday - woots! It took a few weeks of cramming and late nights, but it all paid off in the end. While he was busy cramming, I was busy hatching a plot to throw him a surprise party at small group. Everything came together so well! I love the fact that his defense was on a Wednesday and that my small group (that meets on Wednesdays) loves parties, so it came together with minimal effort on my part. After the whole defense thing, we took a week off to celebrate life. We had a delicious dinner at NanaSteak based on recommendations from our friends, explored Jordan Lake, tried Dame's Chicken and Waffles, and went to the Duke Gardens (TULIPS!). In between, I still went about my regular activities meeting up with friends, so I was pretty exhausted at the end of that week. No pictures because they're all on FB. =P Now that JWern has officially passed his defense, we

Last week was a testament to how God provides ever so graciously. At first, I was worried because I had nothing on my schedule and JW had to start working overtime to prepare for his defense. Read: Boring week with no one to talk to and nothing to do except read. But praise be to God, my schedule filled up spontaneously - toy shopping with SoY, shopping with friends, shopping with JW, dinner out with JW and EF. I also made dumplings (gyoza or potstickers) for the first time ever with a few Chinese friends. At the end of last week, I was so happy tired. "Happy tired" can be likened to the state after exercising where you're sore all over but feeling good about it. It's not an official adjective (yet) but it's my favourite state of being. =P This week is another one of those without JW (he will be present physically but absent mentally) as he preps for his defense next Wednesday.  However, I now have a few more goals - compiling my own cookbook (which really mea

I recently finished up my Coursera course and am in the process of waiting for it to be graded by someone from ASU. This also means that I'm not as busy as I used to be and need to fill my time with productive things again. Sigh. Another 3 more months of this (or more, depending on how long it takes me to secure a job in Malaysia). I hope I can stay sane and not waste my time on trivial pursuits. It's hard to refrain from judging myself on the days I spend hours reading some book or engaging in a hobby. =P And there are also those days where I feel like I haven't talked to people in a while and I should , but I don't WANT to, you know? Today is one of those days. Maybe it's just a mood that will pass, but while I'm waiting for it to pass, I should also do something meaningful with my time. Like watch some Tim Keller videos or something. =P It's funny how I can have a super productive morning and yet still feel like I'm wasting my time if I have a f

I spent some time peer reviewing my Coursera coursemates today. That hour or so made me realize how much I hadn't mellowed down in work mode, not even after two years of lazing around. As I graded my fellow peers, some submissions triggered angry rants like "what on earth were you thinking?" and "how can someone submit something like this and still get so far in the course?". Of course my rants weren't just one-liners (they never are) - JW had to hear the whole tirade and my utter bewilderment at how grownups can't even follow simple instructions. An hour later while walking Jasmine, we were still discussing whether I was being a hard-ass or if my reviews were perfectly justified.  Mind you, this doesn't happen every time. I peer review some in my cohort every week when the course is running, but this time 3 out of 6 submissions had problems with them, and when you mark people down you have to provide an explanation and "constructive crit

I feel like I'm a walking contradiction. [Disclaimer: This is a first world problem that probably only housewives with too much time on their hands can relate to. Most people are busy handling real problems. =P] Every time I read up on style tips for my type of body shape, I always come across things that would work to address one challenge, but exacerbate another challenge. Perhaps it's my unique body type, which is not the easiest to dress. Case in point: I'm considered petite (by American dress standards), but I also have B cup boobs and a curvy bum. By that description, you must think I look like a ball, but I'm actually pretty slim with a 27 waist size, also known as a size 4. I don't mind my curves, but truth be told, they tend to make me look fatter than I am. I don't like to wear clingy clothes because 1) they are WARM, 2) they aren't as comfortable and 3) they don't look all that appropriate. Clingy clothes do define my waist, though, and

This happened when I was carrying out my final practicum in SK Taman Rasah Jaya 3 years ago. I was teaching a class of 9-year-olds with low to intermediate proficiency and my supervisor had decided to pop in for my final assessment unannounced. I was taken by surprise, but was relieved that I had borrowed a soft toy turtle and some teaching aids from another friend. Because we were teaching the same grade, we often borrowed lesson ideas and teaching aids from each other.  The topic for the day was pets and my objective was to teach my kids to write about their own pet. At the end of the lesson, I asked different students to share what they had wrote. One student stood up and went: "My pet's name is XX. It is pink and blue." I was appalled. An entire lesson on pets, and this girl STILL didn't understand that a pet had to be an animal? Did bringing in a soft toy backfire on me? And my supervisor was sitting right there at the back of the class assessing me!

January flew by. Is it just me, or is time speeding up as we get closer to leaving? It's been a pretty warm winter if I might say so myself. Thanks to the agreeable weather, I got lots of things done - we bought our final flight tickets home, I read at least 6 books, we explored two new grocery stores, we're doing weekly devotionals, we've been watching Read Scripture YouTube vids and spending quality time with friends and family - all in all a productive January. We're also in the process of finding Jasmine a good home, so any prayer about that is dearly appreciated! So far we have a couple of potential homes, but nothing confirmed yet. Things are looking optimistic though. This little doggie's future has been the subject of fervent prayer for a while now. As the date draws nearer, I'm filled with a sense of urgency to cross things off my bucket list. I know I won't be back for a long time, if ever, and I find myself treasuring things like the amazi

I've never thought of myself as discontented. I love being alive and I like to think I'm aware of the many blessings God has showered upon me, both spiritual and physical.  Recently, though, I've noticed a thought pattern that threatens my contentment. It's so subtle and sneaky and enjoyable to wallow in that I very nearly didn't catch it. With big changes to our lives coming up soon, JW and I have been discussing and planning for our future more, and job prospects in particular are exciting to think about. Along with that comes the thought of the real salary for both of us, and along with that thought comes: Phew. We won't have to scrimp and save forever. At some point I'll be able to buy nice clothes and eat out at places that cost more than a grand total of $10 for BOTH of us. And then it inevitably morphs into: Well, not really. We'll need to get a car, a place to stay, the cost of living in Malaysia is so high, and we'll need t

Durham weather is capital C-r-a-z-y. Just last weekend, there was a snowpocalypse that had us snowed in for a good 4 days, and then a mere two days after that, the temperature went up to 16 degrees Celsius. Today it's a beautiful day out, with temperatures as high as 22 degrees Celsius. It's like LATE SPRING/EARLY SUMMER weather in January. Not that I'm complaining, no sirree, I'm not. =P Tomorrow it's going to plunge back to 7 degrees Celsius so I'd better make the most of today. Gonna air out the apartment, let Jasmine run around a little more, maybe persuade JW to come home early so that we can have a nice long walk before the sun goes down. I love warm days (in winter). This winter hasn't been too bad. I feel like our current apartment is more humid that our previous apartments, so my eczema is practically non-existent (as long as I moisturize faithfully). I've also slowly built up my winter collection of woolly, warm knitwear and sweaters, so

Today is our 9th anniversary. Dating anniversary, that is - but when you've been together for so long, it counts. =P It's remarkable that after so many years, we can still sit down and have long, deep conversations over dinner, or anywhere, really, for that matter. Even at the food court in the Asian market. =P I think it's absolutely wonderful that we still find each other engaging. It doesn't take much to entertain us - just a couch and a good topic will do. The long years of our LDR had at least one good result: the ability for us to delve deep into meaningful conversations and generate an infinite number of stimulating topics to discuss at any give moment. The downside? We're both couch potatoes. =P And over the years, it's interesting to see how our opinions and ideas have grown and changed, honed by each other. I find myself thinking more like Jia Wern, and I catch him presenting my point of view to others often. I am glad that our relationship is