Melaka Expatriate School (MES) dinner at Philea Resort and Spa

25/4/2011 - Monday

This morning I forgot that today was the school dinner. Thank God, Miss Sushiela messaged me and said that she would pick me up at 5.45pm. I went for piano and then quickly came back and changed. The place that we went to, Philea Resort and Spa was at Ayer Keroh and the journey took about 40+ minutes. It's quite a new place (1 year) and its in the outskirts of town. The food was alright and after eating, pangs of guilt came. The dinner was held as a farewell for Miss Hariati, Mdm Kamala and myself. After eating, we went to the karaoke room and sang our hearts out. We enjoyed the time of fellowship that we had.

p/s i was the youngest there :P

 At Philea Resort and Spa

 Me!!!!!!!! :)

 The MES staff

 My desert plate

 Fruit Cocktail

 Marshmallows covered with thick chocolate. The number of calories!!!!!!!

 My version of yummy ice-cream

 The tempting but fattening chocolate fountain

 SS picture taken in the toilet :P

 Group photo

 In the karaoke room

Miss Silva, Me and Miss Hariati

Easter Sunday

24/4/2011 (Sunday) - Easter Sunday

Today was Easter Sunday. It was third day after Jesus' crucifixion and He rose from the dead. Christ is risen!
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, Because He lives, all fear is gone, Because I know, I know He holds the future, and life is worth the living just because He lives.

Went to church at 6.30am for Easter Sunrise Service. The day before, the cross was made with the help of the BB boys, the Young Lifers and the aunties and uncles. After the service, my family and I went to the cemetery to visit both my paternal and maternal grandparents, my mother's uncle and my father's sister graves. Came back and rested awhile. Later, while my brother was at tuition, I went with my mother to Mahkota Parade and bought some Face Shop products and two shirts.

 Lighting of the Paschal candle

 Aunty Cheng Lai, Miss Boon Sit Niw and me

 From left : Nelson, me, my dongsaeng William, Delaney, Minalie and Delea

 Before going to the cemetery in Cheng

Me and my dog, Bruno. The quietest dog ever!

Maundy Thursday and Good Friday

Yesterday (21/4/2011) was Maundy Thursday. Maundy Thursday occurs during Holy Week and remembers when Jesus Christ instituted the Eucharist during the Last Supper, an event that is told in the Christian bible. It also commemorates the practice of ceremonial foot-washing to imitate Jesus, who washed his disciples’ feet before the Last Supper as a sign and example of humility and love. Holy Thursday also commemorates the events that took place on the night before Jesus’ crucifixion.


It was the first time the Wesley Methodist Church Melaka did a foot-washing ceremony. Pastor Thomas invited everyone to wash their feet but it was not compulsory. I felt reluctant to go and wash my feet at first because most of the people that went in front were quite elderly and I felt shy to be the youngest. But after awhile, I could feel God calling me to the front. He granted me courage and I went in front to wash my feet. I sat beside Aunty Susan, the Sunday school teacher. I washed and dried her feet, then she washed mine. I was glad I went up front to wash my feet and another person's feet. That time, I felt that the church was one although we were of different ages.

Jesus washing the feet of his disciples the day before his crucifixion

Today (22/4/2011) - Good Friday


Slept at 2am again and woke up at 7 to get ready. Mum, Will and I went to the Immigration to renew our international passports. Our passports were ready 1 hour after payment. Came back and had lunch (Kway Teow Soup). Yummy!!! Then sat down in the dining room and continued watching my drama together with my unni. :P Yes. I'm a k-drama addict!!! but it hasn't come to the serious stage yet.


Later in the evening, walked my dongsaeng (Bruno my dog) and ran up and down the stairs (for exercise). Got ready to go to church for Good Friday service. Because my mum went to St Peters, I asked my dad to go with us to church. It was also so that I could drive the car :D I need alot of practice especially when it comes to parking. When the service was near the end, the wooden cross was brought in and the congregation were invited to go to the cross and pray. The same reluctant feeling came but out of nowhere, i had the courage to go in front to the altar and pray. While I was praying at the altar, I could feel God's presence among us and tears just ran down my cheeks. I was just touched that Jesus came down to earth and became fully human and then he chose to die on the cross to save us sinners. 
I was also touched when my unni, who is Islam said at the end of the service that she actually wanted to go to the altar to pray and confess her sins. But because I had gone earlier, there was nobody to go with her. But she said she prayed silently at her seat. I pray that she would slowly come to know Christ as her Lord and Saviour. 

Jesus' crucifixion at the "Place of a Skull'.  Jesus in the middle together with the two thieves beside him.

This solemn week has really made me realize how great is God's love for us. We should constantly pray and spend time with our Heavenly Father. He is always there for us especially during times of adversity when you need somebody. Call and pray upon Him and you will find comfort. I'm glad that I have God in my life. 

I'm going to finish the drama I'm watching tonight and tomorrow, I'm going to church for Girls' Brigade. After that, I want to help out with the making of the cross. In the 18 years since I was born, I havent helped out once with the cross. So I made up my mind to help out tomorrow. 

May God continue to work in our lives. Looking forward to Easter Sunday, the day Jesus rises from the dead.

B.O.R.E.D.

Okay its 3.26am. But im not SLEEEEEEEPY? im B.O.R.E.D!!
well for the record, these four months after spm, ive watched a total of 9 dramas. 2 more coming up. im a drama addict i've gotta say :P but what to do, they're so addictive, i can even stay up till 4 am. and the guys.........you get the picture

so, yesterday i woke up at 7 to go jogging because my sense of guilt has been bugging me. i havent been jogging frequently. just walking around my taman. after about 20-25 minutes, when i slowed down and began to walk, i felt like vomiting, my head went spinning. i almost felt like fainting. stamina running low. thank God Eni had sweets with her.

Have i told u how much i "love" cockroaches? they always come to visit me. ah.. what to do. they miss me. :P
On school holiday now for 2 weeks. that's why im B.O.R.E.D!

looks like i'll try to sleep. but i know that as soon as i lie down on the bed, less than 5 minutes, i'll be asleep.
Good night.

My JPA interview experience

12/4/2011 (Tuesday)


Bidang : Perubatan
Tempat : UTeM, Durian Tunggal, Melaka.
Panel : 1
Masa : 2.05-2.45 petang

I had to wake up earlier than usual because I had to go to school and certify my borang pengesahan pendapatan keluarga for my interview today.Then later I went to MES and about 11 my dad came to pick me up from work. He dropped me home and he went off to Melaka Raya. Meanwhile, I got ready for my interview. I could already feel the butterflies in my stomach. They felt like really huge butterflies. :p

 the pink baju kurung that i wore for my interview. borrowed it from iman :) thanks dear!

 from a far view

 me, taking a syok sendiri selca before leaving for UTeM :D

At the toilet of Dewan Besar, UTeM before interview. Sempat ambil gambar lagi hehe

Then at 12.30 we started on our journey to UTeM, Durian Tunggal. It took about 30 minutes to reach the campus and when we went inside we took the wrong turning, going left instead of right. We ended up driving to the exit gate. So my dad had to make a U-Turn and go back to the roundabout, turn right, then another roundabout, go straight to the Dewan Besar where the interview would be held. Upon arrival, my heart was beating super fast but I just kept on praying to God to grant me calmness and wisdom when speaking. I checked my details, my panel, my group members and signed the paper. We waited till about 1.45 and we were asked to go upstairs where the interview would be held.

This wasnt taken by me, I got it from google. But this was where my interview was held and believe me, boy was it HUGE! The hall could accomodate 5000 people!

We sat according to our panels and I got to know my group members. There were 2 boys, 1 indian and 1 malay. 3 girls including me were chinese. The boys and I applied for medicine whereas the 2 other girls applied for dentistry and pharmacy. Getting to know them helped because then during the interview I didnt feel shy and very nervous ( I WAS STILL NERVOUS!) as I wasn't being in the same room with total strangers. My panel had 3 interviewers. All men and all were Malays. They were friendly and started off the interview with a few pepatah Melayu, like tak kenal maka tak cinta. LOL! and they asked whether we had lunch etc.

We introduced ourselves briefly in BM. One advice from my sunbae, when talking about your achievements in co-cu, be brief as they have your list of achievements in front of them. So when it came to my turn, I said my name, school, family background and that I was a school prefect and I was in the Melaka team for the national english language debate 2009. I went on by saying that I want to study in the UK, and suddenly the head interrupted by saying, which university. The first name that came into mind was Imperial College London and he said, do you know how hard it is to get into that college? and how expensive it is? I replied yes I know it is expensive, so I'm satisfied with the best the government can give to me. :p

When I heard the others saying their achievements I was like wow. They are so active in co-cu, but the thing is when they start to list out a LONG list of their achievements, they tend to forget what they are saying and then begin to stutter. So, just make the introduction brief and be sure of the country you want to go to. The girl that applied for dentistry said that she wanted to go to New Zealand. She was then asked, what is the national language of New Zealand, she immediately froze. Sit up straight, dont cross your legs, smile, speak confidently and clearly. These tips I got from the internet We were then asked questions like :

1) bagaimana tahap kesihatan penduduk Malaysia dapat ditingkatkan

2) about 1Malaysia : what would be your immediate response if a foreigner asked you about 1Malaysia and how would you explain the concept to him/her

3) as little ambassadors overseas, what do you understand about being a little ambassador

4) what do you understand about Wawasan 2020.

5) The money used to send one student overseas can be used to send 5 students to UM to study, what do you feel about this

6) What would be your alternative if you didnt get the scholarship for the bidang you wanted?

My panel had many questions and there was one where I couldnt find a reply to the interviewer's response. He asked me, its a tough question right? I laughed and I said yes. They were friendly and I found the interview very relaxing compared to my Sunway interview. I went home knowing that I may and may not get the scholarship, but the most important thing was that I gained an experience which I will never forget.

Of JPJ tests

On the 24th of March, I was so nervous!! It was the date that I went for my first JPJ test. I was number 27 for the 2nd session. It was a long wait for I reached MSDC (Melaka Safety Driving Centre) at 8.30 am!! My turn finally came at around 1.10 pm. I had to start with the naik bukit. I was so nervous that I didnt get into the yellow line, so I had to go down and start again. After I raised my hand to indicate that I was ready to go downhill, I forgot to get into gear 1. That was when my car reversed. Straight away : KANDAS!! in just 2 seconds. I was so depressed after that but I had to gather all my strength for the on the road test. I greeted the examiner with a smile, and tried to come up with a friendly conversation. Thank God I passed this section with 17/20.

On the 3rd of April, that was a Sunday, my mum had to drive me to MSDC for my one hour practice lesson. The next day was my retake of the on the site test. On the 4th of April, I was first in turn for the Bahagian 2 retake. Again at the naik bukit, I KANDAS!! this time it was because I didnt press enough minyak and didnt control the clutch properly. I failed in one minute!!

Yesterday, on the 10th of April, I went for another hour of practice lesson. I kept on practicing the naik bukit section. The whole day of yesterday, I kept on thinking of the next day's outcome. I continued to pray and pray. Today, the 11th of April, I arrived at MSDC at 10am. My dad had to send me all the way to Bukit Katil. I registered and I was number 15. We had to wait for the 1st session and the 2nd session first timers to finish the on the site then only we could go inside the JPJ office to give our L license. When my name was called, I told the clerk that I would like to be last. Before that, while waiting to be called at the waiting room, I sat outside and kept quiet. I didnt talk to anyone because I was trying to keep calm and not be nervous. I kept on praying to God to help me pass this JPJ test, to grant me calmness and so that I wont feel nervous. I even continued to pray when I went to the toilet XD

I waited and waited and waited. So to kill time, I decided to read my book that I brought with me. Touch points for Troubled Times. this verse is one of those verses that i read, i was calmed. Phillipians 4 : 6, "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything."
When I continued to pray to God, I could feel the sense of calmness in me. When it was finally my turn, that is LAST IN PLACE, I got the car which I never wanted, WMA 275. This was the car I got last week, and I failed. This car has a lot of problems especially the clutch. So when I tried to release the clutch, the car would not move, I had to release a lot of it, then only it moved.
Then came the naik bukit part. The part I 'LOVED' the most. When I pressed the minyak, the clutch I had to release so much then only I had the feel of the car getting heavier. I could hear the JPJ officer asking me to keep on tekan minyak tekan minyak. LOL! I heard him and followed his instuctions. Finally my car moved downhill!! after 2 times failing. I did my parking and 3-point turn. When I came out from the car, I was overjoyed.

The best part was when I went to get my kad ujian from the pegawai, he asked me. Yang sedang ambil video kamu memandu itu siapa? Boyfriend ka? I replied with a grin. Bukan, itu ayah saya. LOL! When I went to submit my kad to the clerk my hand was shivering as I wrote my name. I went out of the office without my kad ujian! haha. when I went in back, one of the officers asked me to belanja KFC. LOL! I dont think they've seen anyone react the way I did. I was beyond overjoyed! My heart was literally jumping out! I FINALLY PASSED MY DRIVING TEST!!!! so, by this week, I'll be getting my license. So dear drivers, please be careful, because I'll be driving on the road very soon. HEHE! :P

Here are some pictures courtesy of my dad ;p

 me going into the car. Last in line.

the car which I never wanted to get : WMA 275. but this car helped me to pass =)

I really thank God for answering my prayers. With Him, I was able to pass my test and not be nervous. Thank You God!

its 3am!!!

3AM? its not suprising, I've stayed up until 4+ watching Secret Garden. The next day woke up with eyes that were literally popping out.
Let's see today, i mean yesterday (8/4/2011-Friday) what did I do?

I woke up as usual with a lazy start. Washed up, went to work. Since I havent been updating my blog, I currently am working at the Melaka Expatriate School (MES) as an assistant teacher. Some days, the children can be really noisy and drive me up the wall especially during Maths. But most of the time, they are so lovable and cute. During the four months, I've come to learn to be more patient, responsible, helpful and respectful to the elders. I've come to know many lovely people (the teachers and students) such as Ms Silva, whose class I'm helping with, Mdm. Kamala, Mrs. Lillian, and Ms. Linda. I've got to know some of them even better : Ms Samuel (the principal who is also my GB captain) and Mrs. Sharmini (my piano teacher). When I go to school in the morning, I'm always plastered with a smile on my face because I really enjoy working there. I'm sad that my job there will end soon but the people and the memories that I've created with them will always be in my heart. At least with a job, I spent my after-SPM time usefully and I got some extra cash! :p

The students (Reception 1 and 2, Year 1)

My class (Reception 1)

1st row : Armin Voegeli, Eva Devgen, Park Ye Do, Jack Chen

2nd row : Serena Choe, Kim Jae Yeon, Carl Jerald Miranda, Me and Miss Silva

These are the people that have been putting a smile on my face everyday for the last four months. THANK YOU! YOU WILL BE ALWAYS IN MY HEART! 

After I got off from work early, I went down town to Grand Continental Hotel with my mum for MAHSA College Roadshow. We reached at 1.30, and found out that they were out for lunch. Waited at the lobby till about 2.20 pm. After that came home, changed and got down to colouring. At night, decided to check my email. Then I remembered that 8 april the results for the shortlisting of the JPA interview will be out. So, I went to check, I was so glad to see that it said TAHNIAH ANDA DIPILIH...... something which I forgot.
So, my interview is next Tuesday at 2.05pm at uTeM. I have to seriously update myself with the latest issues for the interview. I'm nervous but I know that God will be my shepherd and He will guide me during my preparation and during the interview. I'm still not 100% sure of what I want to become, but I know that God will guide me and I do not need to be afraid. I have to just trust in Him, the Almighty God. God will open doors for me.

These few months when everything seemed topsy turvy and not right, I'm glad that He has always been there for me with open arms. I've come to realise that all that I've been going through are actually God's way to bring me closer to him. I admit that these few years I've been distant from Him. So during these times of adversity, I searched and felt for Him, and I'm glad that I've found Him again. Eccl.2:26—- God is the giver of joy.. With him, my heart no longer hurts and all my troubles have just like disappeared. For this, I'm thankful to God for always being there for me no matter what. Whatever plans He has in store for me, I completely trust Him. Things havent been easy for me especially these past few months and I dont know if more troubles will come but what I do know is that He will always be there walking beside me. THANK YOU JESUS FOR YOUR UNENDING LOVE! 

It is already 3.45 am! tomorrow I will be having my driving lesson before I go for my JPJ on monday. I failed twice! at the same spot! naik bukit! Jesus, be with me as I take my test on Monday. Help me not to be nervous and I will be able to pass it. Thank you, Jesus.

and here's a GOOOOOOOOOOOOD NIGHT to everyone! =) sweet dreams

Teenagers Today

I was reading the newspaper last sunday which was a rare opportunity because one, I can sometimes be lazy to read the newspapers, two I have to wait for my brother to finish reading the sports section. So by the time he finishes I have gone to do something else. In the end, I dont read the newspapers at all. Okay, so back to where I was. I started reading the newspaper because I wanted to find out if there were anymore university roadshows in Melaka and as I was reading I saw this small tiny section where it said that the deadline for the Impac Dublin Literary Award Essay Competition for Young Writers 2011 has been extended to April 7. I told my mom and she encouraged me to write. It has been 4 months since I cracked my head so hard to write the essay. The topic was Teenagers Today, so here's my essay. Please read and kindly give your comments. Enjoy reading. =)

 “Li..Li..Lisa. Over these past few months, your mother and I have tried our level best to save our marriage. But, things have not worked out. So, we have filed for a divorce and in a few months, I will be migrating to Melbourne, Australia,” said Dr. Tan one night. When the shaken teenager heard this, her whole world came crumbling down. “Divorce? You? This cannot be!” shouted Lisa as she stormed out of the room. Tears from her eyes flowed like a running tap and Lisa sobbed throughout the night.

Despite all the pain Lisa went through, she continued to study fervently and she obtained straight A+'s in her Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) exam results. She was offered a scholarship to study medicine in Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. However she had to do her foundation studies locally and upon completing her degree, she would have to serve the government for eight years. Lisa was over the moon because the five-year undergraduate Monash MBBS degree would enable her to be with her father.

Lisa's happiness lasted only for a few weeks. One evening, her mother told Lisa that she was seeing a man who was four years her junior. “First you and daddy get a divorce. Now you are seeing another man. To top it all, he is younger than you. Can life get any better?” replied Lisa sarcastically. Days passed since the sudden announcement by her mother. The house became quiet as her mother was seldom around and both of them rarely talked.

The black day arrived when Lisa had to send her father off at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). Lisa could not hold back her tears because her father was her best friend. He was the one who taught her how to ride a bicycle and savour the smelly but delicious king of fruits, the durian. “Don't cry, honey bear. Daddy's sorry for causing you so much hurt. Study hard and take care of Mummy. I love you, Lisa.” said Dr. Tan before boarding the plane. He hugged and kissed his one and only precious daughter. Lisa had no idea that that would be the last time she would see her father and hear his voice.

Three days later, as Lisa scanned through her e-mails, she noticed one with the title 'URGENT NEWS ABOUT DR. TAN'. Her hands shivered as she opened the e-mail.

Dear Lisa,

When your father reached the Melbourne Airport after the eight-hour flight, he complained of a throbbing headache but he ignored it thinking that it was just the long journey that caused it. Later in the night, he collapsed in the bathroom and hit his head against the sink. His housekeeper found him lying on the floor a few hours later and immediately called for help. By then, it was too late as he was already dead because of the tremendous loss of blood. Please ask your mother to contact me as soon as possible so that we could make arrangements for the body or ashes to be flown back to Malaysia. My deepest condolences to your family.

Yours truly,

Mr. Hank Smith.

Lisa's face turned as white as paper. Her hands shook and lips trembled; her heart broke into a billion bits and she was devastated. Her father was gone. Forever. That was when she decided to take her life. In her farewell note, this was what she wrote :

Dear Mum,

Do you know how much hurt I have been through since the divorce? Life was not easy at all for me but I studied hard to get the scholarship so that I would be able to go to Australia and live with Daddy there. You then announced that you were seeing a younger man. You come home late at night and I rarely get to see you for even an hour a day. When we talk, we always end up arguing and quarelling. I bore with everything because I knew that I would soon go to Australia. But when I found out that Daddy died, I could not find any reason for me to continue living. So, this is my final goodbye. Take care of yourself, Mum. Remember to eat on time. Do not worry about me as I have gone to a better place where there is no longer any pain and suffering. I will miss you, Mum.

Love,

Lisa.

After Lisa had finished writing her letter, she placed it under the flower vase where her mother would not miss it. She walked towards the balcony and looked down from the 18^th floor. One foot was already on the balcony rail and she was all ready to jump down. Suddenly, a bright light came from the sky and in front of her appeared a figure that resembled her grandmother. A loud voice said, “Lisa, it is not your time to die yet for you have a great future ahead of you, my darling.” A picture of the homeless Japan earthquake victims flashed in front of Lisa. “These victims have really lost everything. Their family, home and friends. They do not have enough food and clean water to consume.” The next picture was a very scrawny-looking boy squatting with flies surrounding him. “This boy is five years old and has AIDS. He has neither eaten nor drunk for weeks. Both his parents died because of the famine. Be thankful, Lisa that you still have your mother, food to eat, a house to live in and an education. Things might be difficult but remember that when the going gets tough, the tough get going.”

Lisa woke up with a start and found herself on the balcony floor in her crying mother's arms. She immediately hugged and kissed her mother. “I will never leave you, Mummy. This I promise you. You are all that I have right now. I have decided what I want to do after I finish serving the government. I want to be a volunteer doctor and go to places like South Africa to help the children in need there. I love you, Mummy. I am sorry for saying these words so late,” said Lisa. Her mother then replied with tears in her eyes, “It is alright, Lisa. I love you too, honey bear. Know that I will always be there for you,” and her mother pulled Lisa close to her.

* * * * * * *

Madam Angie, the college counsellor, held Lisa's hands. “Teenagers today face many problems and sometimes they find it very hard to pull through. I have been through a similar situation as you and I know how hurtful a divorce can be. But, there is a saying which goes, 'the difficulties of life are intended to make us better, not bitter'. Teenagers today should never throw in the towel in times of adversity but keep holding on.”