Faces

Finals are in a week. It's about time it came although I wish I had more time to study for it. I'm trying to phase out last week's incident but it doesn't seem to want to leave my mind. However, I have something so much more important to look forward to. So winter, please don't kill me yet.

That... feeling

I feel... I mean... It's not like anything happened but... I'm not making any sense... I feel...

violated.

For the love of the game

Sure we all agree that humans are not perfect but would that mean I'm inhumane to love the game more than the actual person.

The chase is all that matters. And I love it.

Thanks for being a sport.

The same is not same

I’m listening to Gary Jules’ “Mad World” and I’m thinking to myself, this is a fucking good song and then I think again and say, this is exactly what the world is: mad

I keep thinking… ONE MONTH. That’s all I need to get through right now. But listening to this song, I’ve realized how I’m not going back to the same things, same people, same life. People move on, people change, things change and it really isn’t the same in the end. As much as I keep telling myself and everyone I know that my best years were in high school, this is exactly why it is the best. Because I lived to become a 20 year old woman to tell the tale. As much as I want to be forever 19, there is no such universe. Life, as they say, is about growing and "finding yourself".

Time waits for no man and we are but on our own. I’ve seen people I know change for the better and also, for the worse but who am I to judge, right? I guess I’ve changed myself (as much as I want to stay the same) . Does it really matter in the end then? The truth is ugly, we all know that and that is why we lie but one day, you got to face it.

Wake up and smell the...

coffee...

Yes, I have been suckered into the commercialised world of coffee. I have drank this same coffee for the past 3 weeks every Thursday with my father (who I might add is the one responsible for corrupting me). Let me tell you something. You have NOT drank coffee until you have taken a cup of latte from the famous Caffe Artigiano. Get a small latte and add 4 bags of brown sugar and trust me, you'll be in Italy. (or at least imagine to be considering it rains so much now).

Definitely a smile you want to see in the mornings isn't it? Talk about clouds in your coffee. This is so much more better. A friggin'smiley face! Hahaha
And then of course, the famous leaf. Pretty isn't it?
Now.. for the good part. We went over to Kintaro which is a famous place for making home-made Ramen. I really want to know why the most dingy-est places have the best food? Anyway, if EVER you are in Vancouver and you crave for some Japanese ramen... THIS is definitely the place to hit right in downtown. The place starts only at 12pm but the line up starts at 11.30. Yes, people line up before it opens. Just shows how good it is.
It was a HUGE bowl but it was so good, and I just had to finish it. Anyone want to join me for lunch at Kintaro's?

My treat =)

Highlights of 291009

I only have 5 weeks left this semester. THANK YOU GOD! This semester is kicking my ass so hard I can't wait for it to be over. I know people say THIS is supposed to be the best times of our lives but seriously... what they forgot to tell you was that it's the hardest time as well. But then again, there are a lot of reasons for you to have a good life or not.

On a lighter note, it's been nearly 6 months since I've been at the Vancouver Aquarium and I was so happy to go back today to help out with the Halloween festival booth. I ate quite a few crickets today because I had to convince the guests that it was perfectly alright to eat bugs considering they are the most abundant of species and were running out of food sources. They come in flavours! Sour cream and onion, Salt and vinegar and Bacon and Cheese. I think I liked the Sour cream and onion the best.

There are new fishies too now, You can't really see it because it was so dark but this is a Red Lionfish and they look so pretty right? I think they do. But I think they are poisonous even to us to eat.

And lookie here, the sea horses are one of my favourties to look at. =) It felt so nice to be back there. After a LONG, HARD week, I felt so relaxed. But of course good times never last. And I had to trudge through the rain. But it was a nice walk for once...
Don't you think so?..

Boo!

The Ghouls are back in town. Pumpkins are out on sale. And Grim Reapers walk beside you. After Christmas, Halloween seems to be the only other celebration they actually seem to celebrate here. It's kinda cool I guess but it's all Pagan celebrations when you think about it. And yet we celebrate it. That's a joke to history because all the Christians ever really wanted to do was get rid of Pagan beliefs and traditions. Funny how that turned out.

So boys and girls, be sure to lock your doors and whatever you do, don't look under your bed.

Side-tracking

My failed attempt to show more or less how my life's been doing the past 6 weeks. I tried getting a shot of that wasn't straight, hence the title "Side-tracking" but I ended up tripping on something (as usual) and this is what I get.

So... it's been a roller coaster of endless assignments and labs and assignments and lectures and assignments and... well, you get the drill. I am a 24/7 assignment do-er. Hell yes, I am a do-er. (But not in the sense I wish I was) In the past month... Okay.. Let's not get into that... In sum, I am no longer working since summer is over, I have 5 courses which I dreadfully regret to have taken on because I am already reaching suicide levels and I have a new place that I call my own. My hair is finally below my shoulder. My eyesight seems to be getting worse. I am not blind yet! So don't start with the names! My room is a mess but that's not something new but rather something random since I am writing this post in my room. Apparently, there are spiders around to whom my housemate is very interested in vaporizing from the face of the earth (at least here, in my little world). Food shopping is fun. Food shopping and having to take the bus is NOT. Autumn is kicking in and my hair stands on end nearly 24/7. I am stressed. I have less than 5 hours of sleep on average on a school day and about 14 hours on the weekends.

I have been terrible at keeping in touch with some of you, I know. But be in for a surprise sooner than later. I will blog more, maybe? I will actually remember all your birthdays without actually logging into facebook to check ? (Like I have all day to look up birthdays) but yeah, stay tune for more topsy turvy with your host... ME.

Blehh...

I will not be returning home for Christmas.
which is really sucky seeing that it will be my 2nd Christmas here with no one to celebrate it with.

Christmas/New Year's here is SO boring. Who would think Asia would celebrate it better?Anyway, expect me home Christmas in 2010, okay? With PRESENTS! Sounds like a long way to go I know but time flies does it not? I've been here a year already! (which is nothing to shout about really)

Sarat: If you are reading this, pray NOW for cheap flights to London from Vancouver during Summer 2010.

I miss home. (Don't think I don't)

Something is not right

I feel quite annoyed with myself. I do everything to get my thoughts away from straying and still when I am exhausted to the bone, it's always there. Which comes to the point that I should not even be talking about this because all it does is remind me of it. (Isn't that humourous?) I thought I should be at least a little cheerful that finals are over. But school kept things at bay. And now it's all back. I seriously should shut myself up.

I feel abandoned like how a dog feels left at home while the owner goes out. Helplessly waiting for the owner to come back so everything is back to normal.

I feel tired.

Yes, that is what I wanted to get at.

I am terribly tired and my mind is all a jumble.

Gravity...

is working is against me

It gets better everytime.

Why?

I thought I should feel relief. I don't.

I thought I should be free. I'm not.

Why?

Why?

Why?

The future seems darker...

than the past.

Why do people say good old times?

The future seems bleak in a lot of ways (maybe)

But isn't there always good things happening too?

Why does time past so fast when were having a good time?

Is everything just a matter of time?

Fireworks part 4 - China

These are the last of the fireworks last week. I skipped South Africa and UK thinking they weren't going to be as good as China (and also because I was trying to study for lab finals) but it turned out that they were the better ones. Who would have thought that UK would be better than the very founders of fireworks?








I thought this was pretty kool. I borrowed these pair of 3D looking glasses from a friend and it was super cool! It would have been even more kool if... well, let's not go there... Mmh, so to those who were concerned, I did not die. I am alive (barely) while trying to study for the rest of the finals. The house is empty because the host family is in Alberta (yAhoo!) and... I got my own place with a friend!

Lots to digest, eh?
Until next time.

Fireworks part 1 - Canada

Finals is really going to kick my butt but how can you resist fireworks? Yesterday, I headed downtown to a friend's place on Pacific and Bute. I love his view. Just a block away from the beach, how can you complain about that even if it is just a one room apartment. I just love the cozyness... This fireworks competition going on right now supposedly happens every year. Thank God there is actually fireworks here. I was beginnging to get worried. So here we are with some of the pictures I got from the 20 minute show by Canada.







Not bad la right? I would upload the videos I took but... I don't know how to. I don't think the video is compatible or something. Weird... It's about 2 am now. lAnd thank God class is not until noon.

Toodles!

Grouse Grind

For the past weekend, I think I was surviving on m&ms and... a lil something something to keep myself awake. I haven't touched my books in a while though I really should start to get worried since finals is in 2 weeks. Shit. But instead, I am having a jolly good time going on a hike after a mere 2 hours of sleep and then going kayaking in the same day. Terrer, right?

There are no pictures of the kayaking I am afraid. (I was a little worried if the kayak toppled over and in goes in Sybil with her camera and my camera is my baby)

The fastest person to hike up this mountain took about 26 minutes. I took 75 minutes (inclusive of picture taking moments and water breaks) So not bad la right? I mean, after a total of 6 hours of sleep in 48 hours is not bad to me. I was expecting at least an hour and a half. But I was happy of making it! Woot Woot!
It's a little like FRIM back home. Lots of stairs to climb up. Vertically, it's about 3000 feet and distance-wise it's about 2000m. I hate inclination but it's really the best way to work out.

The scenery is pretty. It's... green. What isn't here, anyway?

So after a gruelling hike up, I reached the top with everyone awaiting my arrival with cheers and applause for my victorious accomplishment. Well, no... That didn't happen but I had you going there, didn't I?

It was a little foggy that day but a good day all in all...

It's green everywhere here really...

My dad and I got onto the free ride on the ski lift and had a nice rest while looking out to the whole of Vancouver area. A little foggy though...
And lookie here, there were 2 grizzly bears there. One's mother was killed by a car or something and the pup was taken in. It wouldn't have survived on its own being so young anyway. I don't know the other one's story though...

This guy was really funny. He reminds me of Baloo in Jungle Book. He starts rubbing his back on the rocks and shakes around like he's dancing. Then he stands up on his hind legs and starts waving at us. Kinda cool...

And this is the other guy... I think...

All in all, it was a really good weekend. I have tons of fun with no proper sleep. Ahhh... the simplistic life of a university student. (I was being sarcastic)

Toodles loves!

MMR

Okay. I am updating... Stop fussing... It's been a little hectic here with... stuff.... And one of which includes baby seals and a harbour porpoise! Exciting, no? So, now I volunteer with the Marine Mammal Rescue Centre which is also part of the Vancouver Aquarium. Every Thursday, I go down to the docks by Main Street and basically make their milk formulas to fatten them up, clean out their tubs where they eat, poo and sleep in and basicallly, just have fun.

Adorable, no?

Every year, they have a theme to name the seals instead of just calling them by numbers. So, this year, the theme is Famous Mammals?.. So we have Walrus, Lemur, Pika, (I had no idea there were such mammals named that, trust me), Bear and others I can't think of right now...Before you all start thinking this must be awesome fun-ness (which it is) these seals seriously stink. STINK! So, be prepared for the smell if you ever see seals.
And here is Daisy, the harbour porpoise with me trying to get her nearer so I can give her a belly rub. Haha. She's the sweetest thing, honestly. She's been deemed unreleasable so by the Fisheries Department so she is basically recuperating there and playing with her toys.
She feels really rubbery. It's a nice feeling. Every time I come there before my shift, I sit up there and pat her on the head and rub her belly if she wants me to.

So I know this is a really short update but be happy there is one! I miss you all too.

Selamat tinggal! =)

Canada Day!

Canada Day is celebrated every year on the 1st of July. I really did not know that until coming here (and thank God it was a holiday...) I think Malaysians are so used to having so many holidays that it must be such a bummer when other countries have so little... I was actually working that day in the afternoon from 3 to 8 pm at Playland. And here's a little overview of how the Amusement Park looks like...I work at the Kid's Place at the Stunt Cycles (I think my ride is called that, anyway) and it's basically like a merry go round but only with motorcycles instead of horses. It's quite fun because some of the kids are pretty funny or really chubby or smart looking... It's funny how you can just tell by looking at them but then again, I've been told never to judge a book by its cover.

The plan after work was to go to the beach to watch the fireworks but instead, a friend took me to North Vancouver and it was interesting. It's even more nature-y there. Lots of big houses. Small city centres but everything here is on a small scale anyway. And then I got a little trigger happee and decided to take some pictures of random sights...
I believe this is downtown Vancouver? I might be wrong... But it looks like it...
That mountain, we concluded, was SFU (my university). Pretty cool eh?
And then the fireworkds started. Forgive my shakiness. I actually forgot to set the camera properly for dark pictures. So much for 2 minutes... It ended up going on for 20 minutes which was pretty cool for Canada. Haha... I guess I underestimate Canada's potential but then again, Vancouver is full of Asians...


And after the fireworks were over, it was pretty peaceful just watching the night unfold. Time is seriously flying because I can't seem to enjoy my holidays properly. It just zooms by and I'm like... what just happened? Why do good times go by so fast? and miserable times seem to last forever? But I guess that's a discussion for another post.

Good night.

Strawberry picking

It's been a very long while since I last updated and stuff did happen, that's why I didn't update! Duh! On June 23rd, my father brought me to pick strawberries all the way down south in Westhampton or something like that, near Delta. It was quite a lot of work going down on your knees just to find them. I thought they would look a little taller but there they are... It's probably a killer for strawberry-pickers to do this job...

Just rows and rows of them...
And from an upclose view of the plant...
After a grueling hour in the sun, i got my strawberries =]... Some were sweet and some were sour... A lot of people come out to the farms to do this apparently... You pick them yourself and you pay like $2 per pound which I guess is not that bad... Apparently, if you don't wash the pre-packaged strawberries, you just might get E.coli because the farm workers who take a crap out in the fields don't wash after. So... yeah...

After picking, we watched Sharkwater. I suggest everyone watch it because you never know the extent of problems until you watch it with your own eyes. What those people do to sharks is terrible... and so sad... It's not going to stop if this billion-dollar industry doesn't stop! Anyway, watch it! and you'll know what I mean...Ice-cream time! We went to this place which had like 218 flavours. (I know it looks like a Chinese place but it's NOT! It's owned by an Italian) But I guess he's smart to put Chinese characters to attract the Chinese market since Vancouver is full of them!

Okay. this is just one of the events that went on 2 weeks ago. I will be back to write more when I actually have time.

Toodles!