Dunny again

24 hours spent on planes and airports is enough to drive me crazy. A few crying babies make me a panda-eyed crazy woman. I slept less than an hour in more than a day.

Yummy thick toast w/ butter and chocolate @ T3, changi airport.

My favourite dish EVER- butter prawns.
Give me a lifelong supply of butter prawns and I'll marry you.

This time, I decided to bring back some food i.e. packs and packs of asam laksa flavoured maggi mee and bak kut teh spices. As declaration was necessary, I put all food items into one box for easier inspection. Turns out that a FULL and very thorough inspection is needed nowadays. The customs lady took out EVERY single item from my luggage and placed them all on the table.

Imagine how huge my eyes were when she took out my dirty bolster.

So they emptied my luggage, scanned it, then swabbed it (many times) to test for *gasp* drug substances (as "there were inconsistency and we had to be sure"), then sent it away for another scan by the quarantine department of some sort, then helped me repack my stuff. Oh, and I forgot it was still a cellphone-free zone and yapped away happily with my mum UNTIL an officer told me. Ooooops.

After a long hour wait, I was free to go. A caucasian guy opposite my table wasn't that lucky. He was there before me, and was still waiting for clearance as the immigration people suspected that he was going to work in NZ using a visitor's visa looking at the amount of clothes he brought in. Poor guy.

The flight from Christchurch to Dunedin was not as smooth as the last 2. In fact, halfway between Christchurch and Dunedin, the cabin pressure went down suddenly and the pilot announced an emergency landing and that the plane was heading back to Christchurch airport. It was quite a scene: people asking the 2 air stewardess about what was happening, and why. 5 minutes later, the pilot made another announcement about everything turning out alright: that whatever that has caused the decompression has been "fixed". Huh. So no emergency landing thank God, I was hungry and cranky already then.

Upon landing, we were given letters explaining about customer support, i.e. info about who to call and who to complain to. Those who wanted to know more about the incident was asked to stay back and talk directly to the captain. I couldn't be bothered. My guess is: either the pilot or co-pilot accidentally pushed a wrong button and caused cabin pressure to decrease (I was seriously expecting the oxygen masks to appear any minute then).

So my journey back here is definitely one the most interesting yet tiring one yet.

Anyway, I'm here at the new flat now. My room is still not in a livable state yet, so I'm still staying at May's room at the moment. It's a hassle trying to look for things in the midst of the 15 packed boxes in my room. Hopefully I'll get to move into my room sometime this week, after the agent comes by for a flat inspection Monday afternoon and decides whether to do some re-carpeting or not.

Mould is EVERYWHERE. On the curtains, on the pieces of furniture that I was about to assemble back into my shelf.

I know.
EWWWWWWWWW.

And the solution?

Exit Mould!!!
haha.

Now all I have to do is to tidy up this mess and make my room a HOME.

Time, where did you go?

Time has stolen my summer holiday.

2 more days to go in Kuching, 1 day boarding on and off planes (hours wandering in airports), 2 weeks to slack and plan for the parents' arrival, 1 week touring around South Island with the parents, then uni begins. Eeks.

The past 6 weeks back in Malaysia felt seriously SHORT. Sure, I spent long hours (ahem) helping out at the shop, but looking back now it really didn't feel THAT long. In these 6 weeks, I've had some pretty unforgettable experiences including: from drinking snake wine (to be blogged once I get back to Dunedin where broadband is available) to getting an eye infection and had to stop using contact lenses for 2 weeks.

I know. Ouch.

I blame the dusty, humid, and polluted air.
Ok fine, my hands can't seem to stop rubbing my itchy eyes too.

Right now, my right eye is on steroids (anti-inflammatory). I can't believe people still ask me since when I started wearing glasses...

Anyway. Just a few pictures to add some colour to this post.

Julianna & Ching. Looks like a Darlie ad, doesn't it?
2 lovely & very *cough* single *cough* ladies.

Kuching's pride: the special Teh-C peng.
Note: Special is 3 layers.
Between special and super special is 4 layers.
Super special is 5 layers.
(correct me if I'm wrong)

Is it a bird?
Is it a plane?
No... it's erm. a UFO...?
Well actually according to my cousin-in-law aka expert pilot: it's a normal phenomena apparently. Cold air results in condensation as the plane flies up into the air. But really lo, it was a spectacular sight: the plane was flying almost 80 degrees up the sky, leaving almost a semi-circle trail of white smoke behind.

Doing promo stuff for Ian here.
If you're free on the 24th of Jan and happen to be at Kuching, do drop by and support this charity fashion show. More info at the official website.
Oops, I also thought that it will be held at tHe Spring, my bad.

PS. Chyi chyi: congrats on your very wise decision on staying back at Otago!!! (I knew it!!! :P)
big hug, big hug. We can hang around at Starbucks and watch out for more macho policeman next time. Oh yeah you'll need to advice me on traveling around South Island since you're the pro now!

the knots are finally tied

These past few days have been- how shall I put it- surprisingly educational. I'd discovered many facts (and myths maybe?), some just way too weird to type out here. One of which is VERY interesting: I never knew "bendera Jepun" (Japanese flag) actually means menstrual period. Sorry if that was too graphic. :P

Congratulations again to the friendliest and most talented couple I have ever met- Raymond & Michelle, on their (first) wedding ceremony held last Sunday. It must be so hectic for them, registering a few days ago at KL then rushing back for a ceremony before having another ceremony during June. Imagine having to say "I do"s and walking down the isle twice in less than 6 months. haha!

I felt a little down about having to miss the wedding, thinking that there wouldn't be another one in June. Feel pity for a few friends having heard that they missed the wedding as they got lost, but I can't help but feel amused at this irony.

Anyway, reunions have not been as often as I thought it would be. Though having dim sum and later pearl milk tea with a few close friends yesterday was actually really good. While I'm really looking forward to going back again, I actually wouldn't mind spending an extra 2 weeks here, just bumming around and waiting for the new mall to open.

WOW- is it just 7 days to go already?
eeks. I haven't even bought my 1 year supply for indomee yet!

I need a(nother) vacation

Second day into the new year, at least it's not raining anymore. Too bad it's still hot-as here in Kuching, with little wind to take away the heat.

To make things worse, some fools desperate for money decided to steal electric cables right outside my mum's shop some time last night (and sell it for RM15 per kg, no kidding). So power was cut for a few hours this morning (that means NO air-conditioning at all), and we had to turn down a few customers as photocopying was impossible). Thank goodness for 1 ringgit ice-creams nearby.

Time really is a constraint these few weeks. So many errands to run, yet so little time to complete them all. It's always like this during the beginning/end of a year.

Honestly, I can't wait to get back, get things all organised, start earning money again (setting aside funds starting this year specially for travel purposes), and making fun of lecturers with funny accents. With so many things yet to sort out especially with the new flat, I'm a little stressed out about NOT being able to be there and settle things (phone line transfer etc).

Speaking of which. Stupid telecom won't let me reconnect phone line YET as there are MULTIPLE lines at the new flat supposedly, 1 line for every room. Which means I have to identify which room to reconnect previous phone line to, and the exact phone number in each room. And I can't find out all those info since there is NO direct way in contacting my flatmates living at the flat with NO phone line/internet access. Feel so sorry for them, and feeling helpless at the same time. So I contacted telecom again (no toll free number!) asking them to give permission to my flatmates to reconnect phone line and give them the needed info.

Big headACHE.

Thanks Jan for being my middlewoman in solving this problem. =)


Oh. There's DURIAN in the kitchen waiting for me. muahaha!

2008!

Happy New Year ppl!

Hopefully there'll be fireworks tonight. I miss watching those.

Welcome to the city of cats, future Mrs Pancake. :P