Do You Know What I'm Thinking?

I'm just bursting inside. Coz I just can’t wait! Yes yes i know, it is not till many MANY months away but hey, that doesn't mean a girl can’t be excited!

So, do you want to know what am I thinking of? Let me let you in a teeny tiny secret into my head of dream land... Tadaa

I'm also thinking of this...

... this...

and this...

And where exactly am I dreaming about?

Here!

Melakans in KL

It was Ah Dan’s Birthday yesterday and we melakans who are now based in the Klang Valley got together for a small celebration to mark another year for Ah Dan dear. The same gang that hangs out in Melaka is now here, in a different state, chilling and having a great time. Change of location was just a matter of time as most of us are based here.

We still do hang out in Melaka but none of us go back religiously when the weekend comes by with the exception of a long weekend/ public holidays. It was awesome meeting up. Blur Blur joined us with his friend, Pau Pau who is literally in KL full time was also there, Budak Cerah too.

You know who’s missing – Sakura, Ah Ken and the very faraway Ketam. So, next time you look or change jobs, you know where to go yeah.*hints*

We had steamboat at Yuen’s Steamboat at Mentari Sunway. Getting there was a cute experience with Budak Cerah and Pau Pau came armed with a map. We still got lost (yeah la, Melaka only have 2 flyovers k) but arrived in good time. I ate, ate and ate and it took awhile to feel full. But it didn’t last, as I was going to bed, my stomach groaned in hunger. Poor me slept with hunger pangs.

A Place to Call Home

I know this post is long overdue but here it is.

Looking for a place to call my new home was an adventure. I did stay in KL while I was doing my internship, however because I didn’t have the luxury of time and money, I settled very quickly for an old flat 15 minutes walk from the station. It was quaint to add character to its brown walls, parquet floor and aging plumbing and wiring.

That place where I stayed for 8 months was never home. It didn’t feel like home, I had no sense of belonging or want in that space I shared with 2 classmates, a girl from Vietnam and another from Mozambique. For me, that place provided me shelter from the sun and rain and bed to sleep on but still, it lacked that attachment we all have to home.

Therefore, this time around, I wanted a place with an element of home to it. Of course, no place can replace my home, the place I grew up in, had all my treasured memories and where old friends are always at the corner.

But I was looking for that magic factor, one that beams at you the instant you step into the house / condo/ hut or whatever it is people live in. It has to feel right, like I’m welcomed there, cosy and the warmth of the place exudes from the very walls of the rooms.

Thus began my house hunt.

I decided to go for 2 locations, Location A which is pretty near my soon to be workplace. And Location B which is further but where I have most of my friends living there.

The search began on Friday and I viewed 3 places, with one possibility. On Saturday morning, I saw another 2 more in Location A, and one completely stood out like a knight in shining armor reaching out to me saying “Pick me to call your new home”. It had all the right elements, the price was right, the owner very pleasant and as a bonus, it comes with a swimming pool! The major downside, I’ll be all alone here coz none of my friends live anywhere nearby. So I decided to continue my search before making my final decision.

Friday Evening: Went over to Location B via LRT and I had no luck with places. As I was about to leave, I bumped into an ex-uni mate at the station. She heard my story and wanted to help me out. So she got her car over and brought me around the whole area, visiting several 7-Elevens to get contact numbers and showing me places suitable for rent.

I was really touched because here is a girl I barely know, we’ve only met say 5 times (since we’re not classmates and uni is a HUGE place), and she still went all the way out to help me, a person who is practically a stranger to her to look for a place to stay. I consider myself exceptionally blessed to have bumped into such a kind person. You know the saying; a friend in need is a friend indeed. She wears that badge proudly.

The next day, I met up with a senior from Uni who also helped me took for a place to stay in Location B. we went to countless places, circling and searching but I couldn’t find one. So I figured I would stay in Location A at the place I really liked. On my way back, my friend called me to say a housemate is moving out and I can take over the room.

I was ecstatic! Coz I’ve been to my friends place and it definitely feels like home. And the room, it’s much bigger, more comfortable and guess what, they cost the same. So yeah, I got everything I wanted in my new home and more, I have friends nearby to boot.

Blessed is quite the understatement to all that have taken place recently and for that I’m exceptionally grateful. I have a decent job in the location I’ve always wanted and now I’ve got a fantastic small lil place to call my own. I have friends who care and go the extra mile to assist me. Fellow bloggers and acquaintances also chipped in ideas and gave some very useful tips and guides. There were some random strangers who spotted a lost girl looking right and left, and pointed me to the right directions.

To every single one whose path I crossed in my journey for a place to call home, I thank you very very much. Words cannot express my gratitude of you helping a small town girl in a giant metropolitan city.

I am truly blessed. For that, I thank You.

A City Called Cat

I was in Kuching not too long ago for the Rainforest World Music Festival or fondly refered to as RWMF. You can read about my adventures *here*, *here* and *here*. During my 5 day stint in Cat City, I took loads of pictures of the beautiful city. The sights of Kuching is nothing like the ones I've seen before. While Melaka do boasts a host of historical buildings, Kuching does a pretty good job at that too but with a different taste in archicture. So armed with a camera with me trying to absorb the colours, textures and structures, here's Kuching through my eyes or lenses in this case.

The Hainanese Building along Carpenter Street

The new government complex to be completed by the end of the year

Fort Margaritha (i think). Taken during the River Cruise.

Forts to protect Kuching from invasion

You pay RM0.40 to cross the river with these boats

Brooke Dockyard. When Bee and myself saw Brooke Dockyard, we were so excited because during my internship, the company had a large project with Brooke Dockyard where the fabrication of a now running platform took place. But we were so surprised at the state and condition of the building. No way my company was going to let a place like Brooke Dockyard which looked like it was falling into pieces to handle such an important task. We later learnt that they have relocated and this was a very very very very old site. Phew....

We see children playing and taking baths here

The state Mosque. I love the picture because the granduer of the building is futher accuented with the dark clouds and water

Kuching Hilton

A really expensive service apartment which i forgot its name. Superman was not impressed with the way it was designed.

Khatulistiwa Cafe

Buddha on the pillar of a Chinese Temple

Look at the intricate sculpture

The altar

A completely random picture. Look at the number of summonses piling on up the car windscreen!

Rainforest World Music Festival Part 3

RWMF Day 3 & 4: Saturday 12^th & Sunday 13th July 2008

You can read Part 1 *here* and Part 2 *here*

This time around, i'll let the pictures do all the talking.


I call this the Fish Bone.



Myself walking through the "Bones"

Ah Nee sempat berposing some more :P

I love the backdrop of the place. It's actually a bar which opens at night with the cutest plush pillows thrown all over the place. It has a very welcoming, cozy ambience with really simple decor. I guess Less is More.

Being Miss Paris Hiltons with Ah Hua



Check out the dude's hair! I bet he used an entire bottle of gel to get that look!



Thank god i had a fan with me, comes in really handy with the sweltering heat!



With the Hair Dude and the musicians from Kasai Masai



With Duggy!! That's the amazing part about Rainforest, it brings people together. I've known Duggy for almost 2 years coz Mr G-5 talked about her quite a fair bit. We're on each other's Friendster and Facebooks but have never seen each other face-to-face until here in Santubong! How cool is that?!



Right before getting my tattoo! Oh and the tattoo artist was really friendly and we were chatting away. Pity Ah Hua coz her artist was literally mute!



Ah Hua getting her henna tattoo done


How her tattoo looks like

I'm in love with a VJ - with Dominic!! Aiyoh, this woman ah took forever to go up to him to ask for his picture. But its totally worth it. Ah Hua couldnt stop smilling for the rest of the night!

Booking seats. We get to the field area about one hour before the show starts to get fantastic Gold Class Seats :)



The Rainforest Balloon. Doesnt it look like a moon? I want one for my room too!



Ah Ren and Ah Hua



This dude was actually sleeping while waiting for his turn to perform during the Accoustic Guitar Heroes workshop. It was so funny seeing him nodding off while in full view of everyone in Dewan Lagenda!



Oooh, the so very sinful Coffee Bean Mocha Frappucinno. It kept me pumping till the wee hours of the morning. I dont know whether it was just me (coz i havent had coffee in forever) but the coffee there tasted extra EXTRA good.

Audiences were invited on stage to learn the Kelabit Dance during the Drums and Dancing Workshop. It was the most happening and super packed workshop i attended. Even i couldn't resist from thumping my feet and eventually joining the rest on stage to dance :)

With Su Ann of Pink Pau.



With Kenny Sia. I tell you this fellow, he was so freaking shy to dance when we were near the stage dancing that night. Dancing not his thing he claims. Hehehe. I pulak dance like crazy!!



With our new friends Esther and Sabena



Near the stage where all the action was taking place



The whole entire big gang!



The Dancing Kaki.

Right as the music was getting more groovy, it started to rain so the whole gang quickly rushed up to Dewan Lagenda for shelter. But after awhile, i got really agitated just sitting there. I spent good money coming here (ok la, technically my parents paid, but still!) and I dont plan on going back without dedicating a decent amount of time to dance. So i kicked off my shoes, and passed all my valuable belongings to dearest Ah Nee for keepsake while i joined the crowd in the World Festival of Mud. Here were the bunch of people i went with while the rest were squirming about the rain and mud. But guess what, i think i must have been superly lucky coz within minutes of being out, the rain completely stopped! Yippee!!!

The rest joined the dancing but at a different corner from Sabena, Yazid, Superman and myself. While dancing, we made more friends and guess what, i had no idea we all stayed in Singgahsana until the next morning when they were checking out. Small world indeed! Yazid squeezed and squirred his way through all the way to the front with me following him close behind. We were right in FRONT of the stage during the last dance. The adrenaline rush was exhilarating!


Verdict: The music played got better over the days with the best night being Sunday. I think if i were to come back again, i'll probably skip Friday's show.

Ultimately, i had an amazing time in Kuching and Santubong. Meeting up with my friends, the yummylicious food and the addictive Teh C Peng Special which i totally miss, the company of new friends i made everywhere i went, the atmosphere people share over beautifool music, all these add ingredients to a very savoury holiday.

Like the dude from Kasai Masai says, "I love this beautifool place, with its beautifool people and beautifool music." (yes, he says beautiful sounding like fool at the end of the word). Aawwww