Birthdays are always so fun. =)
I have no idea why so many people choose to have babies during Feb and March. Planning birthday parties/surprises and spending money on presents can get pretty tiring. heh. From mid February til today, there has been more than 10 birthday celebrations. Which means hundreds, who knows even thousands of text messaging and yapping around asking for plans for surprises.
I had never really enjoyed a meaningful, worth remembering birthday when I was in Malaysia. Well, except for once when my friends bought pizzas to school and had it smuggled in thanks to my biology teacher. But that's about it. The presents are predictable: decorative things, cheap jewelery, cards, and the occasional funny gifts from aunties etc. Nothing special stood out.
Everything changed when I came here. Apart from my 18th which I spent very miserably in Christchurch, the past 2 years have been too awesome for words. =) My last birthday was the best so far: my friends compiled home-made, silly, yet very touching videos and made a movie for me. I also got the most expensive gift ever: a brand new ipod nano 3G with personalised engraving! Most importantly, I was just lost for words at how blessed I am to have such great friends. :)
Getting a bit emotional here. Hehe.
Anyway. I wanted to make the point that the birthday presents and surprises are upgrading every single year. From the basic cards and cakes, we're now buying each other cameras, cell phones, expensive mp3 players, game consoles, etc. And from just the basic midnight surprise with a cake, we'd even gone to the extent of organising treasure hunts, beach bonfires plus mafia nights, surprise potluck dinners, and dinner at fancy restaurants. Who would believe that students can afford to do all these? The downside is, we're running out of original ideas for birthday surprises...
Getting to the point of this blog post...
You're 21, Yan!!!
So glad that you're my flatmate this year. Gosh, it is really random thinking back about how we managed to get you to sign the lease. Hehe. You bring a certain kind of joy that no one else can, and I can't help but to smile/laugh along with you as yours is soooooo incredibly contagious. =D
Seems so empty without any photos. Will upload some soon.
Scam alert
Lighthouse Fellowship's first ever meeting this year was held last night. New flat, new faces, new testimonials to show how much God has blessed us! We had expected about 27 people to show up, but some couldn't make it. It was great, nonetheless, with about 20 people turning up (it is a LARGE number for a humble cell group which started out with just 5 or 6 people just 2 years ago). We're like a mini-church now!
I received a very dodgy phone call yesterday. I'm about 99.9% sure that it's a scam.
Lady on the phone with weird American accent: Hello, Miss Choooo-ah?
Me: Er. Yes...?
LOTPWWAA: Do you do international callings?
Me: Yes... sometimes.
LOTPWWAA: Where do you normally call to?
Me: (hah. I'll just play along here) US.
LOTPWWAA: Oh good. I'm calling from Global Telelinks, are you interested in our super cheap prepaid calling phone cards? The rate to call from NZ to US is blah blah per minute. blah blah blah about free minutes blah blah.
Me: ...
LOTPWWAA: ...do you have a Mastercard or Visacard?
Me: (holds the receiver away to laugh) Oh, I'm afraid I don't have one.
LOTPWWAA: (silence. a very faint sigh can be heard) How about a debit card?
Me: (hah. not gonna work, lady) Yes, I have applied for one but it's still processing, might take a few weeks before I actually get it.
LOTPWWAA: (another awkward silence)
Me: How about if I get your bank account number to do an internet banking transfer?
LOTPWWAA: Huh?
Me: (repeats question at least 3 times)
LOTPWWAA: Oh. Ok. The account number is 262-XXXXXX-M.
Me: Is this a NZ bank? (obviously NOT since no NZ bank code starts with 262 and ends with a letter)
LOTPWWAA: Yesssssss.
Me: Hmm. But I'll need to know which bank it is...
LOTPWWAA: It doesn't matter... blah blah blah.
Me: So how much does it cost?
LOTPWWAA: NZD25 for XX hours, but I'll recommend the 50 dollar one for longer hours.
Me: (RIGHT) Ok, I'll go for the 50 dollar one then.
LOTPWWAA: So I'll call back in a week's time to check if the payment has gone through.
Me: Sure. No problem. Oh just out of interest, where are you calling from?
LOTPWWAA: Philippines.
Me: Ooooooo. So where did you get my number?
LOTPWWAA: (obviously not so smart as she gave this info away) From the NZ phonebook! (sounds quite excited as well)
Me: I see. You sound quite young...
LOTPWWAA: Yes, I'm only 18!
Me: (very surprised) Wow. You know, actually I have a friend from the Philippines!
LOTPWWAA: REALLYYYY? (very excited and high-pitched)
Me: Yes. I know some words, eg. selamat
LOTPWWAA: Wow! chatter chatter chatter...
And so we ended up talking like old friends. I never ever would have thought I would befriend a tele-scammer.
I had no idea how I managed NOT to laugh the whole time.
How random is that?
I checked out the website that she told me about, click here. Looks like a proper company to me, but who knows what people can do to make things believable these days. One more thing: as shown on the website, it's based in the US, so why call from the Philippines all the way to NZ to get customers? Isn't international calling expensive? Ah, the irony of it: a company selling prepaid phone cards calling me (playing along with the scam to get their phone bill up teehee yes I'm a bit cruel I know).
But it's sad, really. An 18 year old girl in this industry. Does she even know that she's not doing the right thing? Based on my personal judgment, she's not particularly smart (or could be just new at work), having gave out information like WHERE she is and HOW she got my number. Professional scammers would have known I'm not falling for it and was interrogating them.
Apparently this is not the first time. My flatmate got a call last week about her winning a lottery prize for a holiday to Hawaii. And when she told Mr Scammer about not having a credit card, he just hung up the phone. The funny thing was, he was looking for a Miss Chooo-ah (is a surname that hard to pronounce? it's CHUA, people), but my flatmate answered it, her surname being very similar to mine.
Now I'm wondering if my name even got listed on the phone directory. And even if it is, how did someone from another country got hold of a NZ phonebook?
Ah, the funny things in life ;P
I received a very dodgy phone call yesterday. I'm about 99.9% sure that it's a scam.
Lady on the phone with weird American accent: Hello, Miss Choooo-ah?
Me: Er. Yes...?
LOTPWWAA: Do you do international callings?
Me: Yes... sometimes.
LOTPWWAA: Where do you normally call to?
Me: (hah. I'll just play along here) US.
LOTPWWAA: Oh good. I'm calling from Global Telelinks, are you interested in our super cheap prepaid calling phone cards? The rate to call from NZ to US is blah blah per minute. blah blah blah about free minutes blah blah.
Me: ...
LOTPWWAA: ...do you have a Mastercard or Visacard?
Me: (holds the receiver away to laugh) Oh, I'm afraid I don't have one.
LOTPWWAA: (silence. a very faint sigh can be heard) How about a debit card?
Me: (hah. not gonna work, lady) Yes, I have applied for one but it's still processing, might take a few weeks before I actually get it.
LOTPWWAA: (another awkward silence)
Me: How about if I get your bank account number to do an internet banking transfer?
LOTPWWAA: Huh?
Me: (repeats question at least 3 times)
LOTPWWAA: Oh. Ok. The account number is 262-XXXXXX-M.
Me: Is this a NZ bank? (obviously NOT since no NZ bank code starts with 262 and ends with a letter)
LOTPWWAA: Yesssssss.
Me: Hmm. But I'll need to know which bank it is...
LOTPWWAA: It doesn't matter... blah blah blah.
Me: So how much does it cost?
LOTPWWAA: NZD25 for XX hours, but I'll recommend the 50 dollar one for longer hours.
Me: (RIGHT) Ok, I'll go for the 50 dollar one then.
LOTPWWAA: So I'll call back in a week's time to check if the payment has gone through.
Me: Sure. No problem. Oh just out of interest, where are you calling from?
LOTPWWAA: Philippines.
Me: Ooooooo. So where did you get my number?
LOTPWWAA: (obviously not so smart as she gave this info away) From the NZ phonebook! (sounds quite excited as well)
Me: I see. You sound quite young...
LOTPWWAA: Yes, I'm only 18!
Me: (very surprised) Wow. You know, actually I have a friend from the Philippines!
LOTPWWAA: REALLYYYY? (very excited and high-pitched)
Me: Yes. I know some words, eg. selamat
LOTPWWAA: Wow! chatter chatter chatter...
And so we ended up talking like old friends. I never ever would have thought I would befriend a tele-scammer.
I had no idea how I managed NOT to laugh the whole time.
How random is that?
I checked out the website that she told me about, click here. Looks like a proper company to me, but who knows what people can do to make things believable these days. One more thing: as shown on the website, it's based in the US, so why call from the Philippines all the way to NZ to get customers? Isn't international calling expensive? Ah, the irony of it: a company selling prepaid phone cards calling me (playing along with the scam to get their phone bill up teehee yes I'm a bit cruel I know).
But it's sad, really. An 18 year old girl in this industry. Does she even know that she's not doing the right thing? Based on my personal judgment, she's not particularly smart (or could be just new at work), having gave out information like WHERE she is and HOW she got my number. Professional scammers would have known I'm not falling for it and was interrogating them.
Apparently this is not the first time. My flatmate got a call last week about her winning a lottery prize for a holiday to Hawaii. And when she told Mr Scammer about not having a credit card, he just hung up the phone. The funny thing was, he was looking for a Miss Chooo-ah (is a surname that hard to pronounce? it's CHUA, people), but my flatmate answered it, her surname being very similar to mine.
Now I'm wondering if my name even got listed on the phone directory. And even if it is, how did someone from another country got hold of a NZ phonebook?
Ah, the funny things in life ;P
Stupid for you
Some of you may have even heard about this multi-instrumental super talented, and *gasp* drop dead gorgeous singer- Marié Digby. If you haven't yet, watch these videos below.
Stupid for you
Oh, how true that is. *blushes*
Unfold
The album "Unfold" is coming out on the 8th of April, and pre-ordering can be done at her official website. Can't wait for it to be delivered in 2 months time!
Stupid for you
It's not everyday
that i find a person quite like you
perfect every way
i finally found the nerve to confess that it's you - that i want
i don't care if i act a fool
i would damn near beg for you !
put aside, all my pride
so don't keep me hanging here
cause this girl is falling stupid for you..
stupid for you..
the proper thing to do
is for me to act like a lady and wait
for you to make the first move
but i don't think you're getting the point
that it's you - that i want
i don't care if i act a fool
i would damn near beg for you
put aside, all my pride
so don't keep me waiting here
cause this girl is falling stupid for you!
oh, oh stupid for you
why's it always feel like i am
chasing love when nothing's there
and here i go just making the same mistake...
i've fallen stupid for you..
Oh, how true that is. *blushes*
Unfold
The album "Unfold" is coming out on the 8th of April, and pre-ordering can be done at her official website. Can't wait for it to be delivered in 2 months time!
My life so far
Goodness- it's been almost a month since I last blogged!
I've been busy, which is good since eat and sleep was all I did back in Malaysia.
Celebrated Canai's and Luvani's birthday, which makes 3 straight days of celebration including Valentine's. Bought cameras for both of them, planned surprise dinners and even a surprise treasure hunt ala Amazing Race style for May. I had never texted so many times before ;P. Planning events are never easy, when you see that smile and satisfaction on people's faces, it's well worth it.
During that time, I also took up my 3rd job that time working as a temporary uni staff helping with course approval. The pay is gooooood, and I'd prefer data entry to serving grumpy/drunk customers anytime. Just today, I worked my last shift for the motel, my longest job so far here in Dunedin (Dec 06 to Feb 08). I felt so bad quitting, as Michael and Sally are just the best employers EVER, not exaggerating at all. But I'm putting my health first; my nose is blocked more than ever, having to grab a tissue off every unit I go into. I have no idea why I'm getting more and more sensitive to dust.
Just 2 weeks or so ago, I was asked to start working for Domino's Pizza. That came as a surprise, as I'd passed up my CV before I went back to Msia and haven't heard from them since. Work has been erm... interesting :P The occasional drunk people can cause quite a scene, some funny and some just darn silly. Racism is a sure thing; I'd answer calls and get those harsh comments, but I just brush those aside. This particular (drunk?) guy even offered me his number and an invitation to his place in exchange for cheaper price pizzas. Thank goodness for a super awesome store manager who came to the rescue everytime. haha. Too bad he's leaving soon. So we're stuck with a Chinese manager after next week. Sigh. We'll miss you, Chris. I'll remember you as the manager with the prettiest blue eyes ever.
So uni's starting next week for most of us. Timetable's out, and I'm surprised it's a pretty flexible one. Labs involve more group work than ever, so I'm quite anxious to see how those full day labs would turn out to be. Can't believe I'm a 3rd year uni student now; seeing all those first years enjoying orientation week (drinking, puking, burning couches etc.) makes me wish I could somehow knock some sense into them. Til now, I still don't get what people get out from seeing couches getting burnt (and getting arrested then)...
My parents were here for a week during CNY, so we took a few days to go on a road trip to Queenstown and Te Anau. Milford Sound was amazing, though I wish I'd remember to bring my seasick pills. We even saw bottlenose dolphins, seals, and a double rainbow about 2 metres away just in front of a waterfall. That was the closest I'd ever gotten to a rainbow, and for me, that was the highlight of the whole cruise. The prices were really cut-throat though; $140+ per person for the cruise plus cruise connection. We also visited the glowworm caves at Te Anau, it was actually really good. Imagine getting into a small boat, floating into the deep depths of ancient caves. All is silent, except for the sound of flowing water. Darkness is all around, but when you look up, you're surrounded by hundreds of twinkling fluorescent lights. It's like stargazing on a boat in a cave. haha. Well worth a visit. Plus, the sunset view back home was sooooo pretty, I must have taken 50 pictures alone of the sun disappearing behind the mountains.
I <3 sunsets.
Hundreds of vineyards along the way.
Rainbow(s) sighting.
Clear-as stream. It's actually purer than mineral water.
A mini avalanche in action- snow falling down.
During the winter those baby snowfalls turn into huge avalanches.
I'm all settled into my new big-as room. hehe. Having a couch for visitors and my own tv is a luxury I didn't have last year. Also, my own bathroom! *jumps with glee* I'm very proud of my ensuite bathroom, ok. Amazingly, though the room is quite big, heats stays in, and I'm actually gonna sell one of my heaters I'd bought last year. Either that or I've grown more accustomed to cool weather now.
New flatties too this year- Yan and Sharon. So here we are, 5 girls flatting together. hehe. With really cool neighbours too, might I add. Plus those in unicol, of course, we'll come by often enough for dinner. =)
I can't wait for this year to actually BEGIN. I know it's end of Feb already, but everything's just starting to fall into place. Home cell is about to begin again, I'm all set for 3rd year, and I can't wait to see how year will turn out to be. Eg, where will I work at the end of this year (for my summer work placement, I'm hoping for either Spore or Oz), whether or not I'll be doing the long or short (hard or easy) honours paper next year, etc. Also, a Queenstown ski trip that I'm looking forward to mid this year.
Chyi, if you're reading this: can't wait for you to get back to Dunny. Your stuff is still here (safe and sound), don't worry we didn't sell but half your stuff. haha!
Very long-winded, but oh well since I don't think I'll post very often now this year, I'll just make my posts long and less frequent.
I've been busy, which is good since eat and sleep was all I did back in Malaysia.
Celebrated Canai's and Luvani's birthday, which makes 3 straight days of celebration including Valentine's. Bought cameras for both of them, planned surprise dinners and even a surprise treasure hunt ala Amazing Race style for May. I had never texted so many times before ;P. Planning events are never easy, when you see that smile and satisfaction on people's faces, it's well worth it.
During that time, I also took up my 3rd job that time working as a temporary uni staff helping with course approval. The pay is gooooood, and I'd prefer data entry to serving grumpy/drunk customers anytime. Just today, I worked my last shift for the motel, my longest job so far here in Dunedin (Dec 06 to Feb 08). I felt so bad quitting, as Michael and Sally are just the best employers EVER, not exaggerating at all. But I'm putting my health first; my nose is blocked more than ever, having to grab a tissue off every unit I go into. I have no idea why I'm getting more and more sensitive to dust.
Just 2 weeks or so ago, I was asked to start working for Domino's Pizza. That came as a surprise, as I'd passed up my CV before I went back to Msia and haven't heard from them since. Work has been erm... interesting :P The occasional drunk people can cause quite a scene, some funny and some just darn silly. Racism is a sure thing; I'd answer calls and get those harsh comments, but I just brush those aside. This particular (drunk?) guy even offered me his number and an invitation to his place in exchange for cheaper price pizzas. Thank goodness for a super awesome store manager who came to the rescue everytime. haha. Too bad he's leaving soon. So we're stuck with a Chinese manager after next week. Sigh. We'll miss you, Chris. I'll remember you as the manager with the prettiest blue eyes ever.
So uni's starting next week for most of us. Timetable's out, and I'm surprised it's a pretty flexible one. Labs involve more group work than ever, so I'm quite anxious to see how those full day labs would turn out to be. Can't believe I'm a 3rd year uni student now; seeing all those first years enjoying orientation week (drinking, puking, burning couches etc.) makes me wish I could somehow knock some sense into them. Til now, I still don't get what people get out from seeing couches getting burnt (and getting arrested then)...
My parents were here for a week during CNY, so we took a few days to go on a road trip to Queenstown and Te Anau. Milford Sound was amazing, though I wish I'd remember to bring my seasick pills. We even saw bottlenose dolphins, seals, and a double rainbow about 2 metres away just in front of a waterfall. That was the closest I'd ever gotten to a rainbow, and for me, that was the highlight of the whole cruise. The prices were really cut-throat though; $140+ per person for the cruise plus cruise connection. We also visited the glowworm caves at Te Anau, it was actually really good. Imagine getting into a small boat, floating into the deep depths of ancient caves. All is silent, except for the sound of flowing water. Darkness is all around, but when you look up, you're surrounded by hundreds of twinkling fluorescent lights. It's like stargazing on a boat in a cave. haha. Well worth a visit. Plus, the sunset view back home was sooooo pretty, I must have taken 50 pictures alone of the sun disappearing behind the mountains.
I <3 sunsets.
Hundreds of vineyards along the way.
Rainbow(s) sighting.
Clear-as stream. It's actually purer than mineral water.
A mini avalanche in action- snow falling down.During the winter those baby snowfalls turn into huge avalanches.
New flatties too this year- Yan and Sharon. So here we are, 5 girls flatting together. hehe. With really cool neighbours too, might I add. Plus those in unicol, of course, we'll come by often enough for dinner. =)
I can't wait for this year to actually BEGIN. I know it's end of Feb already, but everything's just starting to fall into place. Home cell is about to begin again, I'm all set for 3rd year, and I can't wait to see how year will turn out to be. Eg, where will I work at the end of this year (for my summer work placement, I'm hoping for either Spore or Oz), whether or not I'll be doing the long or short (hard or easy) honours paper next year, etc. Also, a Queenstown ski trip that I'm looking forward to mid this year.
Chyi, if you're reading this: can't wait for you to get back to Dunny. Your stuff is still here (safe and sound), don't worry we didn't sell but half your stuff. haha!
Very long-winded, but oh well since I don't think I'll post very often now this year, I'll just make my posts long and less frequent.
Sunny Dunedin
Now I know it can get VERY hot and sunny here in Dunedin. Not forgetting windy, too. For the past week, the temperature stayed between 18 and 28 degrees in the morning. The ideal temp for me is still around 20, though. And NO, I don't miss the extremely hot and humid weather in Kuching.
My room is looking more like a room now. Yay! Thanks heaps Ray and Mich for helping me decorate and orientate my furnitures. Pictures will be up soon. There's even a mini living room area when you first walk into the room: a couch facing a shelf, with a sheepskin rug in the middle, and the tv just to the right. Awesome sundeck/place to dry clothes. My favourite part of my room has got to be the bathroom. :P It's the best bathroom ever: great view, lotsa sun in the morning... and the best part is that it's all mine! muahaha. Thanks mysterious guy/girl (whoever you are) for the beautiful cushions for the couch!
Started work on Thursday through to Saturday. Gosh, I'd forgotten how tiring work can be at times, especially when the sun's shining and all you want to do is have a big scoop of chocolate ice cream. Anyway, I'm applying for another office job at the moment, the test is on Tuesday. Wish me luck! Better pay and less physical work awaits me if I get this. *fingers crossed*
Dinner last night was AWESOME. Was shopping at New World and suddenly saw a kg of pork bones for 3 bucks. Ridiculously cheap. It was totally random: we decided to cook together as a flat and have Bak Kut Teh for dinner. I feel kinda bad for Rachel as she's MSG intolerant and couldn't have a taste of it. But yea, it's been a while since we had the chance to cook and eat together as flatties. Alex, Sam, Janice, Sally: wish you guys were here la! Come back soon and we'll have the best reunion dinner ever! =)
Went to the movies to watch Sweeney Todd last night. I have to admit: it is one of the weirdest movies of all time. No wonder they requested for IDs before we bought the tickets. Not for the faint-hearted. Probably many didn't expect to see a half musical. I heard swearings going off once in a while when one of the characters started to sing. Artistically speaking, the movie was brilliant: the dull background throughout most of the movie creates the gloomy mood, flashbacks were in colour. Musically speaking, the songs were easy to sing along to (not that anyone might want to sing "There was a barber and his wife..." in karaoke) and quite catchy. Most people are shocked at how graphic it was: blood splatter everywhere, throat slashing, the fingers in the meat pies etc. Yeap, it was definitely very bloody and grotesque. And nobody moved an inch when the movie ended (also very bloody): IT WAS JUST TOO MUCH for us to handle. Oh well. Truly a movie I won't forget anytime soon. Up next: Alvin and the chipmunks!
Michael Buble's everything is stuck in my head now. It's such a lovely song!
My room is looking more like a room now. Yay! Thanks heaps Ray and Mich for helping me decorate and orientate my furnitures. Pictures will be up soon. There's even a mini living room area when you first walk into the room: a couch facing a shelf, with a sheepskin rug in the middle, and the tv just to the right. Awesome sundeck/place to dry clothes. My favourite part of my room has got to be the bathroom. :P It's the best bathroom ever: great view, lotsa sun in the morning... and the best part is that it's all mine! muahaha. Thanks mysterious guy/girl (whoever you are) for the beautiful cushions for the couch!
Started work on Thursday through to Saturday. Gosh, I'd forgotten how tiring work can be at times, especially when the sun's shining and all you want to do is have a big scoop of chocolate ice cream. Anyway, I'm applying for another office job at the moment, the test is on Tuesday. Wish me luck! Better pay and less physical work awaits me if I get this. *fingers crossed*
Dinner last night was AWESOME. Was shopping at New World and suddenly saw a kg of pork bones for 3 bucks. Ridiculously cheap. It was totally random: we decided to cook together as a flat and have Bak Kut Teh for dinner. I feel kinda bad for Rachel as she's MSG intolerant and couldn't have a taste of it. But yea, it's been a while since we had the chance to cook and eat together as flatties. Alex, Sam, Janice, Sally: wish you guys were here la! Come back soon and we'll have the best reunion dinner ever! =)
Went to the movies to watch Sweeney Todd last night. I have to admit: it is one of the weirdest movies of all time. No wonder they requested for IDs before we bought the tickets. Not for the faint-hearted. Probably many didn't expect to see a half musical. I heard swearings going off once in a while when one of the characters started to sing. Artistically speaking, the movie was brilliant: the dull background throughout most of the movie creates the gloomy mood, flashbacks were in colour. Musically speaking, the songs were easy to sing along to (not that anyone might want to sing "There was a barber and his wife..." in karaoke) and quite catchy. Most people are shocked at how graphic it was: blood splatter everywhere, throat slashing, the fingers in the meat pies etc. Yeap, it was definitely very bloody and grotesque. And nobody moved an inch when the movie ended (also very bloody): IT WAS JUST TOO MUCH for us to handle. Oh well. Truly a movie I won't forget anytime soon. Up next: Alvin and the chipmunks!
Michael Buble's everything is stuck in my head now. It's such a lovely song!
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