CC1: The Ice Breaker

Thursday, two days ago, I had the chance to give my first speech in the very first toastmaster meeting. Ya, it's called Toastmaster. I know, I know what you guys are thinking. You might have one, if not a few, of the following reactions when you first heard of it:

• Wait, what? Toastmaster? Do you go there to learn bread-toasting skills?
• Oh, I know, toastmaster right? It must be some kind of food bazaar! It sounds fun!
• Hey, my sister likes to cook too. Can I invite her to join the toastmaster meeting?
• Do I need to bring any equipment or extension plugs? Or we get to share the utensils?

Trust me, I've got a lot of similar responses the moment I mentioned TOASTMASTER to my friends. Because of the work "toast", everyone interprets it in their very own way. As for me, I came across this word from a friend of mine on one of his FB status. BUT, I've never thought of anything related to food or cooking in the first place. Weird eh? (Perhaps I never have any interest in cooking? Or, I wasn't hungry at the moment? lol) Before my curiosity consumed me, I google-ed for it. 

" Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people of all backgrounds
become more confidnet in front of an audience. "

Brief Intro: "Toastmasters International, founded by Ralph C. Smedley, is a non-profit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of meeting locations. Headquartered in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, the organization has more than 280, 000 memberships in 13, 500 clubs in 116 countries." (Toastmasters International, 2013) In INTI-IU, this club is formed under the Mass-Com-Club (MCC) by Ms Jasmine Chin, and I, am one of the charter members of this newly-formed club. *proud* XD

Tuesday, I was curious about the meeting and so happened that, I met one of the VPs in cafeteria, let's call her G. I went up to her and asked, "Is there any way possible for me to give my first speech in the meeting?" She referred me to J the President of the club, and J said, three person had booked for the project topic for the upcoming meeting, so I have wait 'till next week. Though I was kind of disappointed, I was actually excited and looking forward to give my first speech. Hehe.

Wednesday, when I was doing my notes for my International Trade Law, I received a call from our Vice President of Education, HK and I was shocked. He said, "I will arrange you for the project topic tomorrow, are you okay with that?" That instant moment, I had a mixture of feelings. I mean, of course I was excited for being given this opportunity to speak in front of the toastmasters during the first formal meeting. On the other hand, it was the uneasy nervousness which spurted in me. According to HK, J asked him to do so seeing that I seemed very eager to give my first speech. OMG! I totally couldn't remember how was my tone of voice when I talked to J the other day. Did I give that impression? Hmm... Anyway, I accepted the offer confidently with honour. :D

As soon as I hung up the phone, I was already not in any proper condition to continue doing my notes. My mind was fully occupied with my first project topic. I knew it should be something about one's self'-introduction. Thus, I tugged a piece of full-scape paper out from my file and started drawing out a mind-map on the areas which I wished to talked about. Basically, something about me, eg where do I come from, which high school did I come from, what course I'm studying right now and so on, some basic information or funny stories about my family, my interest, eg my hobby and some of my favourite sports, and finally my ambitions.

I have class from 8-10am every Thursday for this semester. Directly after class, I went to library for three missions: first, continue my half-way-through notes; second, finish the revision papers on some calculations for my International Trade Finance class on Friday; third, add on points for my mind-map in order to meet the requirements stated in the user-manual, not to mention, I need time and some private space to practice my speech, in terms of tone of voice, gestures, body movements and so on. Thus, I really did not have any time to be wasted on anything other matters. In fact, time has never been enough, to most of us, if not everyone. 

"Time flies" has never been a more appropriate term to describe my situation that day. In a blink of an eye, it was already 5pm and I was thinking: "Hmm, I shall get myself something light to fill my stomach seeing that, the meeting will be held at 6.30pm (my usual dinner time) but I'm not particularly sure what time would it end." With that, I went to cafeteria to get myself a waffle. On my way back and forth, I was practicing my speech and even "hid" in the vicinity after I finished the waffle where no one would see me. Why? Ya, with the reflection of myself on the glass panel of the lecturer's office (it's located at somewhere isolated.. ha), it was the only choice I had because there was no mirror to be found in the campus (unless you are referring to the washroom though.. but still, it's not private enough.. lol).

With a heavy heart, I left the library at 6.40pm (ya, I know, I was damn late) and headed to the media center where the meeting was to be held. Though I wasn't the last one to be there, it was kinda embarrassing to be the last project speaker who arrived. Anyway, the theme of the day was "peace", and the word of the day was "vanquish", due to the free gift we received from the neighboring country. Suddenly, the secretary of the club, M appeared from nowhere and told me that, I should give a title for my speech. I was like, "What?!" I thought it was all about introduction of oneself. After some mind-crunching moments, I named it: "My First Time". (ya, I know, my first blog has the similar title too.. haha) I'm such a person with no creativity at all eh?

Ya, I was the last project speaker of the day,
with J as my evaluator =)

Actually, what I prepared for the speech, hardly had anything to do with any of my first times. In order to suit my speech to my title, I had to make some amendments to it, ON THE SPOT. So, to be frank, though I know it was a wicked thing to do, I wasn't paying FULL attention when some of the table topic speakers were giving their speeches because I was busying cluttering some relevant points into my prepared speech. Trust me, it was unintentionally done and I'm very much a regretful person now.

There, the most significant moment arrived when The Toastmaster of the Evening (TTE), N introduced me to the stage with a warm hand shake. I don't really know HOW to describe my speech in details, but I do know how to summarize my entire experience. First of all, I was nervous like hell, erm, not to the extend of at sixes and sevens okay? I did notice that, however, my voice was a bit shaky at times, especially when I met a bottle-neck in my speech and didn't really know what to say next. In order to salvage the bizarre moment, something amusing crossed my mind. You know what? I talked about my father and it really calmed me down. Besides, I felt more like myself which allowed me to freely express what I wanted to share with my fellow friends. =)

After my speech, there was a 15 minutes break and followed up by the evaluation session. This is where the evaluators give their comments on the speech and suggestions to improve. Ah-counter (the person who counts the speech crutches) , timer (the person who keeps time: table topic speakers and project speakers will be given 2-4 minutes and 4-6 minutes respectively to present their speech) and grammarian (the person who corrects grammar for every speaker) will then present their reports. The general evaluator (GE) will take over the floor to make a general comments for everyone supplemented with encouragements and motivations.

As for me, I had 23 speech crutches throughout the 5.41 minutes of my speech and made some careless grammar mistakes. Hmm.. I should practice more then! (I know my grammar sucks.) However, SK, the GE of the meeting told me that, my gestures and body languages were beyond expectation for first-time speaker and he asked me, if I had given any speech before. Well, though they weren't really speeches, as a business student, it's inevitable for us to have presentations right? In fact, students from other disciplines are required to have at least one presentation in every semester, I reckon. I have spoken in front an audience of approximately 100 people in the lecturer hall for my Marketing presentation back then. Though I didn't perform up to my own expectation, at least it was my first time having the guts to speak in front of such a big crowd. Hehe.

I'm glad that I took the initiative to join Toastmasters Club in the first place and it's indeed my honour to be one of the charter members of the club. I wish to express my gratitude to those who introduced and exposed me of the club as well as those who brought me in to the club. It is a platform for all of us to improve our communicative skills with FREE constructive comments from the evaluators. As what our club advisor, Mr T said, "Everyone communicates, but not everyone connects." It's indeed something which we should ponder upon. I'll keep on improving myself and never give up easily with a spirit of "Embracing the challenges for a brighter tomorrow". =)

Last but not least, please remember, "Life is a journey, not a destination". We shall never stop learning!

'Till next post, cheers. =)

A Wonderful Day

First of all, this post consists of two parts:
Part I: Hanging out with high school besties
Part II: INTI Homecoming Buffet Dinner

Part I: Hanging out with high school besties

As what we've planned, all of us met up at CT's house. However, one of the plans was altered. CT should be the one driving us to Setia City Mall. Suddenly, I was told to be the last-minute driver as her car had been sent for service by her dad. Ahem. Well, fine then. As long as they are willing to "entrust" their life on my driving skills, I'll "honour" this task! Ishh...

We had some conversations on the way heading to our destination. Basically, some typical topics such as studies and semester break, recent endeavours, oh ya, and the hair topic. Ya, its HAIR. ML dyed her hair and had it curled, CT curled her hair too, remaining just LY and me with "ordinary" but NATURAL hair (which we are kinda proud of, left aside how envious we are for their guts to make such changes).

We arrived at around 11am with the help of our honourable navigator, TCT, which you will never get it elsewhere. We wandered around the mall, (well, basically what you do during window shopping, isn't it?) slow and steady, as if we had all the time in the world (actually we had to leave by 4pm because I had to attend a dinner at night). I kinda feel bad because we were there for one and only one major motive, blazer hunting. They were accompanying me into each and every store which I think I could get a blazer with reasonable price. However, I wasn't that bad too. We shopped for shoes, handbags, accessories, groceries, smartphone covers, cosmetics etc. Then, the hunger irritated us.

We went to Pat Kin Pat Sun (PKPS) for lunch. And there, was when the "sampat" moment started. (note: it means, started to chat, gossip, get busy-bodied etc about certain topics, mainly "personal matter") It was "conducted" in an unusual manner. I started the topic by asking ML, then CT took over and asked LY about hers. I kinda had a feeling that ML would be the one "interviewing" me that instant moment. BUT, I was wrong. My part was brief and steady. *Muahahahaha* Anyway, since a picture tells a thousand words, here are some of our food that we ordered.

Top Left: some chicken chop
Top Right: some beef chop with black pepper sauce
Bottom Left: mushroom spaghetti with tomato sauce
Bottom Right: Fish and Chip

We went to a pet shop right after our lunch. There, CT enlightened us with her knowledge on pets, especially her adorable puppy (breed: Shih Tzu) and hamsters (breed: Syrian). They are selling different breeds of doggies, kittens, fishes, hamsters and guinea pigs. I vowed to myself that, I'll get myself a Miniature Poodle one day, especially when I have to stay far away from home in neighbouring country in order to earn a living. Sometimes, it's good to have a pet to accompany you rather than human (in a way, frankly speaking), for, they are loyal and will never betray or back-stab you! Besides, according to CT, Minature Poodle is one of the smartest dogs, easier to be trained up! Hehe...

At the end of the day, oh, I mean our catching up session, ML has gotten herself a pair of sandals at a discounted price with my member card. CT and LY didn't really buy anything, as I could recall. And for me, I was the biggest spender of the day! I've gotten myself a nice-cutting H&M blazer, a cream-colour belt, a purple dinner bag with shiny beads, and mask. Ya, MASK! Not the facial masks that you are thinking of right now. It's the mask that everyone ought to have in order to survive through the thick haze.

Just in case some of you don't know about my country of origin, it's located nearby Indonesia. Its around this time of the year (each year, without fail), mid-June or so, it will be no doubt to receive such "gift" from our dearest neighbour. Teary eyes, soured throat, phlegm from the nostrils, fever and so on, more and more people are getting sicked. Perhaps, some, if not many, of the doctors out there, couldn't help it but to gloat and thank our kind neighbour for, their business has now being brought to a greater heights! zzzz

Last but not least, another photo to end this up (P/S: there is another group photo being with-held by my friend.. Ahem!)

Top Left: A Pets Lover.
Middle Left: Thanks for blocking my pimples off... LOL
Bottom Left: Future stock broker!
Top Right: The radiant smile she epitomizes. :D
Bottom Right: Belated birthday gift, hehe...

Shocked to find out that, we are all single AND available. Ya, through thick and thin, you'll find out who is that person who never leaves, who will always tolerate you, understand you, grow with you and never let go. I'm sure that, women nowadays, are better off without men (in a way) to focus on our career, stand on our own feet and make our dreams a reality. However, for those who believe that, marriage is an inevitable process which everyone should go through, please bear in mind of the following quotes: "Sometimes, the person who will walk with you 'till the end, may not be the person whom you love; he's simply the right person who appeared in your life at the right place, at the right time."

For those who have found their one and only, congratulations! You are the luckiest person alive! Appreciate and treasure your loved one dearest to your heart and never give up :)

Part II: INTI Homecoming Buffet Dinner

I arrived home at approximately 5. Rushing to get ready, dress up and make-up for this fabulous event, INTI Homecoming Dinner. It gathers all the INTI alumnus from the very first batch of students since it's establishment 'till the very recent graduates, former and current lecturers, INTI's stuffs and officers. The theme of the event is "Reunite, Refresh, Re-connect". 

Organized by INTI Alumni Association

There was a mock-tail session followed up by the opening ceremony of the event. Speeches after speeches from Founder and Chairman of INTI Education Group and Chairman of INTI Foundation, Mr Tan Yew Sing, former President of INTI, Professor Emeritus Dr Lee Fah Onn as well as the President of INTI Alumni Association, Raynard Ng. 

People were free to mingle around, make new connections, or catch up with those who once crossed path with us. Take me for example. When I walked towards the table I was assigned to, I didn't know anyone of them except, let's call him Mr. K. He was with three other friends, a smart looking fresh grade, an amateur photographer and a semi-bald student? Ya, I think he is still a student, I'm not sure. Only after a few rounds of conversation, did I know that, he (ya, the semi-bald student) is from the same home town as mine. We went to the same tuition center back then, and he was in the same class with me for two subjects. And I realized, how small the world could be. He knows me five years ago though I have no idea who he was, I didn't even know he existed! Four years in INTI, I've never met him (or, have I?), yet, he knows some of my close friends (doesn't it sound freaky?). From our home town, off to a university in an isolated rural area, back to Subang for Homecoming dinner, only to be engaged in our first conversation. Could you imagine?

Speaking of making new connections, I'm glad that I took the initiative to attend this amazing event. A few photos here to share, expressing how grateful I am to have met them in my life.

Alex Siew, a friendly and humble person to talk to :)

Left to right: A super-high-pitch vocalist;
A soon-to-be graduate in International Business;
An important figure in coordinating the event;
A former member of INTI Concert Band;
A shy acquaintance whom I met.

A person who always looked after me when I was her junior.
Thanks for all the advice and guidance you have shared with me, Jie Jie :)

Life has a mysterious way of working things out when you least expected it. When you think it's bleak, you would always be surprised by the end results. Never lose hope in the world you live in despite of those who make your life miserable. Never lose faith in yourself and become someone who makes the impossible possible. Never compare with others but yourself, and strive to be a better person than you were yesterday. Finally, appreciate and never forget those who have helped you through and lent you a hand when you needed it the most. 

'Till next post, cheers :)

DRAGON-i

I've been bogged down with studies and assignments for the past three weeks. Ever since the new semester commenced, I felt it a must to do whatever I could to make sure that I secure my first class honour for my degree. I was supposed to stay back to attend a family dinner tomorrow night, but I have to head back to my university today and get prepared for my test next Wednesday. It's not just any ordinary subject, it's International Trade Law! Seeing that I've gotten myself an A for Foundation in Business Law in my previous semester, I have to either score better or, at least maintain my record, for law-related subjects.

I felt so sorry for not being able to attend the family dinner on tomorrow night which has been planned way ahead. However, my father understands that, studies will always be the priority for a student and doesn't blame me or feel upset when he knew it was hardly possible for me to make myself available seeing that I have a test coming. I know I'm blessed for having such an understanding and considerate father. Thus, the guilt that spurted in me, made me realized that I should do something. 

Conversation between my father and I:

Me: Ba, would you be free on Friday night?

Dad: Anything?

Me: Ya, thinking of celebrating Father's day in advance seeing that I won't be free on Sunday night.

Dad: You belanja? (note: belanja means, to treat someone)

Me: Yaya, I'll belanja and I'll drive also. Haha. Let's go Setia City Mall!

Dad: Why do we have to go so far? (actually it ain't that far, it's just a 30-min drive)

Me: No worries, I'm the one driving what. So, is the plan ON?

Dad: ON! You drive and you belanja sure must go lar, cannot miss leh! (LOL)

With that, I made a plan to bring forward our very own family dinner instead and celebrated Father's Day two days in advanced. I reserved a table of six at DRAGON-i, Setia City Mall. It was my first time treating my family an awesome meals with the hard-earned money from my semester break a month ago.

A conducive environment for some simple gatherings.

The elegant hard-cover menu.

An exquisite teapot of rejuvenating Chrysanthemum tea. 

The Signature from Dragon-i, Shanghai Xiao Long Bao,
The Shanghainese Steamed Meat Dumplings.

La Mian with Shanghainese Deep-fried Pork Ribs.
(Ya, forgot to snap on the pork ribs. Oops XD)

Sautéed Diced Chicken with Dried Flower Chili Szechuan Style
(I would say, the Dried Flower Chili is a bit too much.. LOL)

Ya, we sort of enjoying ourselves "discovering" the last piece of
Chicken Cube out of the mountain of Dried Flower Chili. Haha.

Stir-fried Knife Sliced Noodle with Seafood.

Shame to say, I've forgotten to jot down the names for the pork (the one on top)
and fish (the one at the bottom) delicacies. My apologies. But, they are mouth-watering!

We arrived at approximately eight o'clock, took our own sweet time flipping the menu over and over again because, trust me, it was no easy task to make up your mind which ones to order. If I had all the time in the world, I would have tried everything! Wait, time is not the only constraint, you must make sure you have the adequate finance too. Haha. I wouldn't say the food here are expensive, but they ain't that cheap either. However, whatever you spent here, you'd know, they worth it. I'm glad that, my father likes it too. 

I know this ain't the first time we celebrate Father's Day, but it was my first time bringing my entire family to a high-but-not-too-high class restaurant to enjoy a lovely dinner together. I've always appreciated everything my father has been doing for me, his stringent upbringing tells me the cruel but inconvenient truth, his constructive advice has always enlightened me, his words of motivation have always allowed me to go further, his unconditional devotion, love and care made me the luckiest girl alive to have him in my life. Ba, love you always. <3

Father's Day appeared to be some sort of an anniversary, commemorates how important and influential a father could be to positively impact our lives. This, however, doesn't mean that, Father's day is the only day to show our appreciation. A small action everyday, be it a call or a short text of regards, makes a difference. Quote: "Don't always say, 'There's still time', or say 'Maybe next time'. Because there's also a concept of 'It's too late!'"

'Till next post, cheers :)

The Mask

"We all wear different masks for different reasons. 

Some masks we put on because it’s truly who we want to be. 

Some we wear because we can’t bear to face what’s really underneath. 

Or because it’s what someone else needs us to be. 

And some masks we wear because we hope to stay hidden. 

But that’s the problem with wearing masks. 

They can be ripped off at any moment."- GG.

"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else,

is the greatest accomplishment." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

There is a reason behind everything. Thus, the reason this topic is chosen, has nothing less to do with my recent encounters. I admit, I am not much of a socialite. Erm, people might define "socialite" differently. Some may say, "A person who has more than 500 or 1000 friends on FB", "A person who will never eat alone in the cafeteria", "A person who gets everyone's attention whenever he/she speaks", "A person who has no troubles lending money from others" and so on. As for me, I don't fit any of the mentioned definitions.

To be frank, I have slightly more than 500 friends in FB, but.. Hmm.. I'll come back to that later on. Though I never eat alone in the cafeteria, but it doesn't mean that I always eat with my friends. When they left me out for some secret agenda of theirs, I always opt to "tapau", or in English, we call it, "take away". Whenever I speak, no one seems to be paying full attention. Erm, maybe FULL attention is too demanding, make it "partial" attention then. Their minds are always somewhere else, as if I'm just some random invisible entity that they can't even feel my presence. Perhaps, I should thank God that at least sometimes, they gave me some unintended nods to acknowledge me. Oh, and their "why-should-I-care" or "whatever-you-like" or "none-of-my-business" shrugs. Money.. Hmm.. I'm fortunate enough to have a lovely father who always asks me, "Do you have enough money to spend? Otherwise, remember to let me know so that I could transfer the cash in for you." (Oh, please don't take it in the wrong way. I'm not as rich as you thought! He just doesn't want to see me starve.) That shall save me the troubles of asking for money from any of my friends, I reckon.

Okay. Actually, I'm not THAT pathetic at all, at least, not as pathetic as it sounds like. It's important for us to have more than one groups of friends. When this group ditches you, you may join the other groups. I'm glad that the moment I started my tertiary education, I seized the opportunities to join as many clubs and events as possible, met and made new friends. Though most of them have now become some hi-bye friends of mine, I'm glad that some of us are still in close contact with one another. There is a saying, "Friends come and go". There is no need to be disheartened whenever people leave you. This is your life, only YOU alone are responsible for the quality of it, no one would walk alongside you from A-Z.

Wait, I think I might have a little bit out of the topic here. MASK. That's what I'm supposed to write about. I think here's where the FB issue comes in. Some of my friends, (to be precise, not those clubs/events friends, they are my classmates!) un-friend my in FB and pretend as if nothing happened. I mean, if my clubs/events friends are the ones who did that, I would have understood. We seldom talk and they might have even forgotten me, thus decided to un-friend me. BUT, classmates? What did I do that they despise me sooo much to the extend that they have to un-friend me? You may say, "Hey, why are you so sulky? It's just FB. There is no need to make it such a big damn issue just because people un-friend you!" Well, there's where you are wrong.

This is not a mere issue of FB, it's the issue of pretense! Why did they un-friend you yet pretend as if you are still a friend of theirs? If they have no longer seen you as their friend, why do they talk to you? (ya, occasionally) There is no need for a whole line of charades at all. This group of sanctimonious people are wearing mask around the campus, wave and smile at you, they even greet you at times. But when you are not with them, there they are, criticizing and gossiping behind your back. The saying goes, "There is a reason why are people talking behind your back, because, they are BEHIND YOU." Well, to answer the question, "Why do they still talk to you?", you will realize, this will only happen when they NEED you!

At first, I found it quite disheartening when the truth revealed. I thought that, I must have done something which brought all these upon myself. It was in a conversation with some high-school friends of mine that made me realized, I'm not the only one who is going through all these. According to some of my besties in high schools, many of their friends are those as described above. When they need you for a group assignment, which will only happen when your results are better than them, only then they will approach you and ask you to join. When your results seem to be on its way down the drain, here's when you'd see their true colour.

If they have any issues or problems with you, they won't tell you right at the face and solve them in person. They prefer to keep it from you, stay away from you, and opt to criticize you when you are not around. However, they can't just totally ignore you and abandon you! They have to wear a mask, at least trying to be nice to you for only three reasons. One, so that you won't notice any unfamiliar or unusual acts from them and thus, won't build your guard up against them, which leads to Two, they could sabotage you easily when you have unconsciously turning into a threat against them, seeing that you are now vulnerable without any armoured shell, or Three, IF one day, you are of more value than/to them, and turn into a better prospect that they could never have found/gotten from elsewhere, they would quickly flock around you because they NEED you!

Since I was a kid, my dad has always been telling me that, the world out there is much darker than you ever thought. As a kid, we were exposed to fairy tales or fantasy stories some, if not mainly, from Disney, whereby, every, or at least most of the stories have a happy ending. Bad guys will always pay for what they have done and the good ones will get what they deserve. Since young, we have been taught to be a nice person, with a whole bunch of list with endless values that we should possess, such as acceptance, appreciation, care, consciousness, devotion, empathy, helpful, honesty, and never ending "guidance" to be a SAINT. But the truth is, in the world out there, these kind of people have almost, if not completely, extinct!

There is a term in Economics which is called "The Invisible Hand", explaining the relationship between demand and supply. This has been made well known to almost everyone. But, how many of you, realized that, the theory of "Invisible Hand" is actually driven by the nature of selfishness? People demand goods that are of the best price, they want the cheapest products which are able to provide them the highest satisfaction. Businessmen, who sell goods at the so-called "market price", are not running their business on a charity basis. They want to make the maximum profit out of it and make sure that the welfare of their shareholders are being well taken care of. Both parties are selfish, their actions are to satisfy self-needs. And this, is the mechanism of "The Invisible Hand".

Hence, there is no need to blame this kind of people or feel disgust to have met them in your life. Instead, you should thank them for, they have made you learn the ugly truth. They are selfish, deceiving, and make use of others. When you are of no value, they leave. I had a thought of wearing a mask too. I mean, if people are wearing mask to achieve whatever they want to achieve without even care for the harm that they have/might have caused to the other parties, why should I care as well? Why can't I wear mask and do the same as what they have been doing? But then I realized, if I were to wear a mask just like them, what makes me different from them? I'll be nothing more than a copy of another MASK. I mean, I don't want to be a mask, I want to be ME, a GENUINE ME! A wise man once said, "No one shall wear a mask, no one but the weak ones."

"Some people come into your life as blessings; others come in your life as LESSONS." For those who have been there, I wish you all the best in holding on to your true belief and never succumb to the toughest of environment. Though there are fake friends out there, remember to treasure the REAL friends dearest to your heart, for they come only once in a life time. I'm blessed for having them in my life despite of my encounters with some so-called "friends" who have taught me priceless lesson. Rest assured, the lesson has been well learnt!

'Till next post. Cheers :)

The Very First Time

Well, everyone says, there is always a first time for everything. Recently, one of my friends has been constantly updating her blog describing how has her sem-break been coming along. And I would say, because of her, I'm getting a habit of "stalking" other people's life. You would probably argue, "Hey, what's wrong with reading blogs? It's one of the ways to keep-in-touch with some 'long-lost' friends. It's one of the mediums which act like some sort of diaries, describing, sharing or expressing some thoughts, experience or feelings etc. If reading a blog indicates a trait of stalking, the world today would have been full with whole bunch of stalkers who read newspaper, or articles from columnist sharing their experience and recommendations...", and never ending arguments. So, I guess, I'm not much of a stalker after all. Hehe.

This friend of mine, sees blogging as a way to improve her command of English. She has been spending her sem-break on a series of novels, The Hunger Game Trilogy (or, is it?), which I would say, Bravo! Well, it not easy to finish-up a book in the first place, at least to me. I'm not much of a novel-addict, but it depends on the story as well. To be more precise, the level of how intriguing the story is, and also the way of writing of the author. As far as I could recall, I bought myself the first novel, not just some random pocket-size novel of course, an one-inch-thick novel titled "Twilight", and managed to finish it in two months. Ahem. Erm, I know it doesn't even worth bragging, which I never even have the intention to, but there was still some sense of achievement back then. I could finish a pocket-size novel in two days, the fastest, when I really got engrossed with the story. Thus, an one-inch-thick novel to be finished in two months, not to mention, when the finals were just around the corner, which mean, I had to schedule my time for studies, tuitions and revisions as well, I would say, the reason behind the sense of achievement was valid. Ha.

Let's not get carried away. This friend of mine, who determined to improve her English, has not only written review on her novels, but movies as well. She will always attach some photos of her favourite scenes, or her favourite actors/actress, before she starts describing each one of them. I would say, I've learn a number of new vocabularies from her review each time I "stalked" her blog. Hmm, I wonder, did she come out with the way of how she describes the movies, or did she refer to some movie reviews from other sources. Haha.

One of her posts was about her favourite destination which she aims to visit, Paris. Some of the reasoning she provided were much of a common sense, includes, the food, the weather, Eiffel tower, the people and culture. Erm, she never forgets to emphasize Paris as "The City of Romance", and followed by wedding photo of a young and lovely couple kissing in front of the Eiffel towel. And according to her, it's not a bad idea at all, (erm let's just put the safety issue aside for the moment) to travel alone which increases the possibility of getting bumped into a handsome French guy who would french-kiss her. LOL

Speaking of Paris, it's one of the cities on my list which I plan to have a visit too. I've always been telling myself that, I'll do whatever it takes to work my ass off, to earn as much as possible, even to sacrifice my sleep or social life with anyone, to take the risk of being accused as some selfish and greedy workaholic, to the extend of being single and unmarried, or whatever price that I have to pay, so that I would have the ability to make all my dreams come true. There is a saying, "no pain no gain." In Economic terms, this is what we called as an opportunity cost, forgo the second best choice for the best. And there is a saying too, "Live with a dream, not in one", which brings us to another quote, "Talk-Action=Shit". Thus, whatever hardships that I'm facing now, I tell myself that, I'll go through it, for, they make me a stronger and better person.

Okay. Done with my babbling and ranting, the very first post of mine shouldn't be one of an emo post.. shoo shoo..

Hmm. Back to the topic. Something I like about this friend of mine is that, she always has the courage to speak her mind out, erm, to the more precise, write! She may not appear to be an outspoken person, nor is she an expert in socializing, but at least I know, she is true to herself. She will never say anything which would hurt the other party, or cause the others to feel disheartened. Whenever people took her for granted, or being untruthful to her, insult or abandon her, or do anything which hurts her, she will not lash her anger and dissatisfaction out on anyone. Instead, she keeps a journal to express her feelings.

She is being herself in the sense that, she doesn't wear a mask to face the world despite the fact that people are getting more deceiving nowadays. She doesn't care of what people think of her, or may be a little. For example, the way she wanted a French-kiss is publicly posted on her blog. I mean, I wouldn't do that even if I wanted to have one. But she did, and that's one of the reason why I admire her, for she possesses something which I don't. She is also the one who encouraged me, (well, not much of an encouragement but more of a "challenge", I would say) to start writing a blog. She wanted to know more of my life too. So now, is that stalking or what?

Seeing that this is my very first attempt in blogging, I wish to dedicate this post to my beloved friend, for, without her, I wouldn't have started this new "habit" and expose myself to the public. I mean, of course I'm aware that, we may set privacy for our blog if we wanted to, but, hmm.. Let's put it this way, I would like to save myself the troubles of approving or resetting the privacy whenever someone wish to read my blog or vice-versa. However, seeing that this new "habit" of mine is subjected to my time management skill, please accept my apology ahead if I rarely update my blog. (I doubt I would have anyone stalking my blog though). Ha. Cheers :)

Be true to yourself and determined for what you want to achieve,

YOU WILL SUCCEED.