Another Chapter has begun

Ah, the new year excitement. The air is filled with new hopes and dreams; goals set and target acquired for the coming year.

2009... man was a year that was jam packed with fun and interesting moments. But looking to 2010, I can foresee that it'll gonna get tougher. Final year of uni, church and uni cf group is gonna be a full on load. *God, I'll need to bigger plate and the strength and wisdom that comes with it.'

Strangely, nothing much to say... maybe it's because I slept at 5am last night; waiting for Malaysia's countdown.. haha... anyway, till nxt time.

Finally got back to posting

Where am I? I've been away from blogging for such a long time that the last post seems like a note from a history book.

Anyway, the past few weeks from the day uni ended was quite eventful to say the least. SLC was great, found out a lot about myself and made a few more new friends. On top of that, I've been made the secretary of OCF. Long story short, God sort of gave me the green light and here I am in this positions. (there is a testimony there somewhere but I'll get to it in another post)

My whānau came for a holiday. Awe man how I miss them. It was a good 2 weeks of family fun and bonding time. I crying my heart out when I got back to my room after sending them off to the airport. But my sister came online that afternoon from Brunei airport, that made me feel much better. (now you see the softer side of me.. )

Been busy with OCF and Church stuff since then. Worship leaders networking on Mon, tried to attend the bible training course in the chapel but work took longer than expected so I only managed to listen to 15min of it.

Finally got a little breather... but not for long...

Rainy Bus ride

Finally after how many countless hours of studying for test, they are all over. (Now it’s just a matter of time till exams period rolls over). I’ve been going to uni at 6.45am almost every day since holiday ended, and I sort of got the hang of it; getting use to the routine. So I’m gonna try do this till I finish my exams. (hopefully this will pay off with dividends :-p)


Forecast for today, rain (all day I reckon).Every wonder why rain is always associated with sadness; gloom and doom? Maybe poetry and literature through the years has something to do with it, I don’t know. I always find rain has this calming effect on me; romantic to some extent. I still remember when I was a kid, I would go out with my bike and ride outside my house. Occasionally my bike will ‘accidentally’ splash on the puddle of water and my bike will be muddy and the back of my shirt will be stained. My maid use to not like me going out to play with water or mud. Ah the good old days of being a ‘kampung boy’ in that little housing area on the out skirts of Keningau.






Gonna arrive at uni soon. Will have a few stuff to do today, mainly to finish off my MYOB assignment. Just for the record, MYOB is not mind your own business (well at least it’s not in a literal sense in the accounting world), it’s an accounting software that businesses use to keep their books (books as in accounting records). Hopefully I’ll have time today to catch up on lectures that I’ve not revised. There seem to be a ton of work that I need to finish off but I reckon there are other people that are doing more work (or has a heavier work load than me). Well, I guess it’s a good way to practice being in work.

Bus ride blog

I just realised I can do something else on the bus. I can blog… :-p


Bus rides then to be my time to plan, reflect on things and day dream. Some of my great, wonderful and sometimes crazy and wacky ideas comes when I spend time alone on the bus. It’s amazing how I can spend 40min (times 2 for a round trip) on the bus, just doing by doing… well, at most dreaming… (I sometimes read a book or study but that depends on the bus, older buses then to be like a donkey ride)


For the past few days, as I work through my assignments and study for an accounting test tomorrow. I often wonder if this is the right choice for me. Sure, I well know that accounting is not the 1st choice on my list of commerce majors but that is what I foresee as being the most useful of all the other majors. Would I be better off just by staying with management and international business, even though I know the job prospects and usefulness is somewhat less flexible? I don’t know. But I’ve made my choice and I am gonna stick by it. Just have to push though this sem and next year’s 1st sem. By then, I hope I’ll start to enjoy uni even more as I start stage 2 of my management major.. :-) . Bus has arrived, time to head to uni and study… out…

Sabahan Slang

Here is the list that I've found of the Sabahan slang that I offten used, and never knew it was a slang till I am talking to someone out of Sabah... haha... **and some ont he list I've never heard of.. might be diff part of Sabah...

1. tuuuna/ saaaana - points with the lips - (there-- at a distance)
2. limpas (to pass/walk by - Maaf, saya > limpas dulu? Excuse me, can I passby?
3. palui (stupid, duh! )
4. tapuk (to hide )
5. bida (ugly)
6. bubut (as in proper malay- "kejar", to chase)
7. sakai (ignorant, uncivilized, "hoosier")
8. andang-andang (that's how it is)
9. sapak (kasi campur/gaul -- utk masakan-to mix as in cooking)
10. inda/tia (short form of "tidak" - not, no)
11. wicin (another brand of msg as in "aji-no- moto" - a seasoning or food enhancer)
12. talampau (proper malay - "terlampau"- too much)
13. takajut (proper malay - "terkejut" - shocked, startled)
14. siorang (proper malay -"kami"/ "saya-orang" - us, we)
15. ngam-ngam (proper malay "kebetulan" - exact, at that time)
16. mangkali (proper malay "barangkali" - maybe, perhaps)
17. kamarin (proper malay "kelmarin" - yesterday)
18. kanapa (proper malay "kenapa" - why)
19. gia (__expression - "is it?")
20. bah (__expression - "ok!")
21. ah? (question, "Apa?" What?)
22. kici/kicil (proper malay "kecil" - small)
23. basar (proper malay "besar" - big, huge)
24. siok (__expression/description, proper malay "seronok" - enjoyable, great, etc-)
25. urang ("orang" - people; sometimes used "diurang" - them, they)
26. karing ("kering" - dry)
27. umban ("humban, lempar" - throw)
28. kana ("kena"- got ie--"kena umban" --got thrown)
29. padih ("pedih" - as in "Mata saya padih/pedih!" - My eyes stings, painful)
30. numbur ("nombor" - number)
31. gali ("geli" as in squeemish about something, or "gali"--gali lubang - as Dig a hole.)
32. dorang ("dia orang/diurang" - them, they - Dorang pigi tamu. They went to the market.)
33. panat ("penat" - tired)
34. katawa ("ketawa" - laugh, laughing)
35. lanjang (a.k.a. "periuk /belanga " - pots/pans)
36. putung ("potong" - cut, slice)
37. Buduh ("bodoh" - stupid)
38. tongo/bongo ("stupido" - same as above )
39. kabaru-baruan ("kebaru-baruan"- new to something)
40. giuk (proper malay "ulat"- worm)
41. Sikui (Tembikai - watermelon)
42. Santut (Underwear)
43. celana/salana (Seluar)
44. gipit (to grip...)
45. kanapatan/kadapatan (caught red handed.. or as the malays in kl say..'kantoi')
46. kebangkalan (choked while eating.. proper malay = 'tersedak')
47. ketulahan (bad karma)
48. bahai (plastic bag)
49. uinnaaa! (used to express various feelings, mostly when surprised..)
50. ging (derived from the word gang.. means kawan/member)
51. Tontolou = Mr. Willie
52. Pantat = Butt<---tp di semenanjung,lain tuh kan ? eee... ya ba pula.. Di sabah .. belakang .. tapi di semenanjung di Depan pulak .. silap .. LOL
53. Cula = Coke or Coca-cola...lol
54 Torrrrrbaik = The Best...lol
55. Bikin panas = feeling angry...HHAH - HOt kununlah..
True to my roots.. I have one to contribute
56. Tembirang = Don't lie.. (eg. Jangan kau tembirang)
57. Sabak ---- means baru ko tau... in english = I TOLD U...
58. Kotoh ---- Means as same like Sabak...
59. Lakas = Lekas/Cepat (Faster)
60. Bobot = Vagina
61. Balabak = Scrotum
62. Kalatiak = Ketiak (Armpit)
63. Duiiii dogo! = My goodness!! / Oh my!!
64. Seluar Katak - underwear
65. siring siring - side / on the side
66. taapun - a phrase used when unable to get the things desired
67. palis palis - touch wood
68 tachut - our version of touch wood
69. gostan - reverse
70. gohed - forward
71. ayuk - swinging movement of the arm in the marble game. can also mean to masturbate
72. taiih - shit / feaces / or just a curse word
73. kogutan - hangover
74. Sepuluh Tiga (10-3) - RM10 for three cans of beer (well in those days lah)
75. muhau/mulau - crazy
76. takana - hit (BM is terkena)
77. tekuis - same like like takana
78. kapayas / tapayas - papaya
79. api api - kota kinabalu
80. (sia) bilang - said
81. skijap - soon / in a short while / later
82. tinguk - (tengok) to look
83. hari satu - monday
84. hari dua - tuesday
84. hari tiga - wednesday
85. hari ampat - thursday
86. hari lima - friday
87. hari anam - saturday
88. SOT - crazy (like me)
89. thai lingong - worse than buduh
90. karan – electricity
91. seluar katak - underwear
92. Gete - Ham Sap

Merdeka...!!! Merdeka...!!! Merdeka...!!! Merdeka...!!! Merdeka...!!! Merdeka...!!! Merdeka...!!!

I watched the youtube clip of the day Malaya got it's independence. As I see the Malaysian flag being raised and the national anthem being played for the 1st time, my heart felt a a surge of national pride. Those chants of 'Merdeka...!!!', rings in my ears, a song of freedom. I release from forgiven powers, a new path has been opened, a new journey has begun. How we have gone so far, to get to where we are today.

As I watched more Malaysia and Merdeka related clips, I start to think about the future of Malaysia. I start to wonder the decision that I have planned, to go back to Malaysia to serve my country. Is it just a romantic dream, have I been brain washed by 12 years in the Malaysian education system? Or is it some thing that is worth wild going for... Can a kampung boy from a little town of Keningau, be a ripple of hope that is to come to Malaysia? We'll see when the time comes.

It is strange, how, one will only feel such a sense of national pride, when he is out of the country that he is from. It is how, you won't miss something till it's not there. It's the same with being in Malaysia. I have always had a sense of pride to be an 'Anak Malaysia'. But this pride, has a stronger impact when you are away from the country.

As I sit and ponder about this day, I hope that the answer, of to where am I suppose to be in the future, and where am I suppose to serve, will be reveled to me. I want to go home, to serve, but people around me say that there ain't a bright future back there. I see that glimmer of hope.... I want to fan that little flickering flame, to be a roaring furnaces. To burn bright on top of the mount, so that people will see that, Malaysia can do it... 'Malaysia Boleh...!!!'

Is it worth it?

At times I wonder, if all of this is worth it? I''m trying my best to keep on top of things but at times (like now) I feel as if I'm holding everything together by the thread.

This thought came to me during this week, around Thursday, when one of my cousin ask, 'How do you do it, doing all these stuff?' ' We go out at 10pm to have a drink with friends and you go out at 10pm to send stuff to the city for OCF (Overseas Christian Fellowship).

Honestly I don't know how I am keeping up with things. At times I even doubt that I am on track. I don't know if this is a false sense of confidence or is this strength from God. I'm doing 5 papers every semester, so I can finish my degree as fast as I can, to ease the burden on my family. Also, to make things easier for me to move a head in what I want to do, but, I really doubt if I can pull it off. I already failed one paper last semester, I don't know if I can change that this time round. I actually promised my self that, if I were to fail, I would slow down my degree to a normal pace and just do what everyone is doing, but I took on 5 papers anyway. mmm....

2 test 2 assignment due next week, and I haven't finish any of it, nor have I started revising for any of it. It's already 8.30pm (Sun). Can I make it though this week? (God Help me)

I requested for a week off from music ministry because I was getting really tired and I don't want to not give my best when I serve. (I was suppose to worship lead next week). Today we painted the youth room and I was washing the paint brushes late in the evening at home. My cousin was with her bf and was about to leave the house, said hi and stuff. But it kinda got me thinking, there they are, all dressed up to go out and stuff, and here am I, in an overall, with paint stain all over, washing brushes. The sun has nearly set and it was still raining...

So, is it worth it? Is this really how I wanna live my life in NZ? I work hard play hard but I'm getting really tired. I think it was the same feeling I got around this time last year as well, where I found myself nearly at the edge of burning out. There was a point last year,(around this time) where I was in church every night, practicing for one event or something else to do with church.

Well, I'm gonna try to pull an all nighter tonight to revise for my test and to finish off an assignment that is due tomorrow and the day after. God, please give me strength to pull through this. I really don't know if I can pull it off, but I really think I need the time. ( This is kinda a time waster to begin with but I really want to vent it out). Amen...

Ok, here I go.. study...

Maori Lady

Today was interesting...

I was walking to uni and this old lady came out of the car and yelled out 'boi..!', with her hands waving me to her... (I was quite a distance away from her)

So I went, thinking there was something she wanted to ask or needed help with something. When I got close enough, she started talking in maori (or at least that's what I think she was talking, because I only understand 1 word from the whole 5 min conversation). She just kept talking and pointing, I start to get a bit worried, thinking she needs help with something, because the word I heard was 'fanu', which means family.

As I was standing there, listening, I start to look around and, thank God, 1 lady with 2 kids came towards the car. The lady asked if the old lady was asking for directions, I just said I couldn't understand. She laughed and hopped on the car.

As I walked to uni, I was thinking of how much the maori language sound like dusun. I felt this sense of, lost-ness in my own culture, because the old lady really looked like a dusun 'inan' (=old lady) and it could have been in Sabah and I'll be just as lost.

This thought, this sense of urgency, to learn dusun keeps coming over me time and time again. I know I'm only 1/8 dusun, but still, the only person in the family that knows how to speak it is still my grandpa, and I'm really scared that one day, that part of our family, that history, the culture, will be gone forever.

I had a thought, of maybe, I could learn dusun from my grandpa through the internet. My Grandpa is getting good at it and is able to call people on skype these days. Should I spend like, an hour a week, to learn from my grandpa?... I'll look into it... see how it goes...

The Saga begins

Well today is the start of week two of my 2nd year of Uni. For the past week, I've been organizing the OCF booth and getting stuff sorted out. Only had a 2 nights of good sleep. Jeff (the elder in charge of OCF and the other christian groups in campus) said it was the best organization of the booth he had seen. In my mind, it wasn't even up to my own acceptable standard, I made so many mistakes that I've already knew I should have not done or I should have planned in detailed.

O well, that's the problem of being out of a position of leadership for too long, you'll lose touch with your elements and have to take time and a few more practice project to get back into the game. Hope I'll have other projects in the near future, I love organizing stuff, the days in Leo Club and Prefectorial board back in Sec school were the best. O how I miss the feeling of the job well done after a project is completed. It's a high, a rush, a sense of completion, that I could not explain.




The saga begins. Stage 2 papers now. No more mucking around. I saw the load I have this sem and is at least 50% more if not twice the load of last sem. This is gonna be a hard sem for me, thus, I'll slow down on other actives to concentrate on this, don't want to fail any papers anymore.

Week 5 is gonna be my hardest week (or rather, week 4), as I have 2 assignments and 2 test on that week. I don't know what I got myself into, should I ever have took up that challenge to take 5 papers? I've failed one paper last sem, should I have just stuck to the normal plan, of 4 papers? mmm....

Failed

well, I failed stats208.

I'm not to bummed out about it; it wasn't my core paper. So now I'll need to change my major from Marketing and Accounting, to Management and Accounting. Thank God I passed my accounting paper. That was my main major for this degree. The other major can be anything.

When I told my dad about it, he gave me this ans.

"YA HEARD IT FROM MUM...WHAT TO DO.. HA IT'S JUST LIFE"

When I heard that, I was like... Dang, that is exactly what a friend of mine will say. Well, I did try hard out but I guess I needed more than that. Next sem, I will need to be a super geek to get myself back on track.

It's been a while

O my goodness... My last post is still about CNY.

Well, I guess I need to sum up my whole sem in this post.

Been a challenging and fun 3 months. Taking 5 subjects in a sem is quite a challenge but I reckon it could have been much easier if I were to spreed out the work. Well, I'll try and do that this sem; I'll be taking 5 subs again.

My b'day was awesome..!!! I now have the barging rights to say that I have jumped off the Auckland Harbor bridge..!!! I went to Rotorua for white water rafting, do remind me to take the most challenging course the next time round, because the trip was fun, but the rafting was some what boring. (All my cousins agreed on this as well)

Exam are over and now preparing for my 10 days road trip. It's gonna be fun but an epic journey. Can't wait, 3 more days before departure. Hope the conference will be fun and interesting, paid quite a bit for it.

Do check out my business blog. I have posted my course work and essays, which has my sweat and blood in it. :-p, just hope you guys won't be too bored.

Chap Goh Mei...

Chap Goh Mei again..... food food and more food.. haha.. Grandpa came up from KK just for this. He cooked all of this... was awesome... Kampung Chicken, Shark fin soup and sea cucumber..

when I was young

my.. o my...!!! look at my hair...!!!!! gosh..!!!! Need a super hero Hair stylist.... come to think about it, need a new hair style, any suggestion?

look at my friends, gosh, all with baby faces.... and now all of them will be 21 years old this year.... man, how time fly....

This is my friend's Birthday... I'm guessing is 9 years old. Look the shirt...!!! like 'lao ah pek'














Birthday boi is on my right, closest to the cake, and also the provider of these pictures... thanks mate...














This is 2000, Standard 6, January. Look, puffy hair...!! hua hua....
The guy with the thick dark glasses is my friend, the Birthday boi for above.

My Labuan Holiday

Labuan was my 'home' for a year while I was studying in Labuan Matriculation College but I did not have the chance to go round the beautiful Island.

I've been making annual trips to Labuan ever since I left that college. I've always loved that charm of this little island and, thanks to Christabel, hosting me, I'm able to come back agian this year.

Dancing... ah, was the 1st time I ever had a dancing lesson. It was nerve wracking and fun at the same time. Really enjoyed it. Even got a picture to prove it. (ok, Elaine you can stop laughing)





















Food.... really good food. Non-stop eating from the time I arrive till the moment I leave. Too bad I didn't take the pic of the 1st dinner. The Crabs was awesome. (but Bel said there is another place that is nicer.... next trip?... :-p)

This is my Capati... yummmmm..!!!!

















erm.... just notice something... this is actually Christabel's breakfast.... ah.. close enough... (it's still food... )















went to the beach on Sunday for satay. Quite nice... (again, forgotten to take pic, I think I need to give the camera to bel more offten.)

Kampung boi climbing a coconut tree... :-p.

































Godric, Christabel's brother, whom I shared the room with. Nice guy, hope he didn't over hear what ever I have said in my sleep :-s




















Well, it has come to the end of my trip. Don't know why but I somehow feel a bit attached to this place. Could it be the memories that I had there, the company I know there, or the warm and loving family that host me,or the food? :-p anyway... if there is a chance given to me to go back again, I'll be on the next flight/boat to that island. Bye Labuan.. see you soon...!
















Thank you note.
Christabel Hong Fang Ling (It'll be very formal, so.. tahan saja ah... :-p),

1st of all, thank you for inviting to stay in your house. Your family was wonderful and fun to be with. I had a lot of fun during the dance lessons, thanks for bringing me there. (hope i didn't step on you too much... haha...) Thanks for being my tour guide, bringing me round Labuan, and also for being my navigator/GPS for Labuan.

Really can't thank you enough. I really enjoyed this trip. Can't wait for the next one. Do hope I'll see you soon. You take care now. Send my regards to your family.


















P.s. Thanks for the new display pic...

Bruno Welcome....

Well, I just got back from my trip from Labuan... (I shall blog about it soon) Even before I open my front door, I can hear Bruno barking away.

Took me a while to unpack my stuff.. but Bruno keep barking, I think he is manja or something....

Eventually let him in...

Can't even use the laptop... as if he can use it... :-s

















Come time to bring him back.... ah... there u go, hiding under my table....