26 Jun 2008
by irenein Jibber Jabber
That’s how I feel right now.
I cannot believe that I’ve been in LD since March 20th and haven’t gone cuckoo yet! God, how did I survive all these before?
I am tired of the snail pace of life, the weather, my family (sorry… if any of you ever read this, these are my thoughts in real time, not always), the clutter, the smell from the palm oil factory, and bla bla bla I can go on.
Instead of making myself more miserable by writing out what I can’t stand in LD, I’m going to bed to read something more depressing than my current life and try to sleep early.
Tomorrow is another day - Scarlett O’Hara
25 Jun 2008
by irenein Travels
It has been a busy week- Judy visiting, road trips, tickets, the fuel issue (gas stations are on strike today, but that’s another blog), rising food prices etc. And it is hardly the middle of the week…
Between Judy, mom and I, we have 3 cameras snapping up pictures. I am planning to get all these photos together and post them online, adding and rearranging when need to.
24 Jun 2008
by irenein Malaysia
‘Doggy’ belongs to my neighbours on the left. He has short white fur, a mischievous look, a silly bark and is still pretty much a puppy.
At 4.30am this morning, I saw him playing with his own shadow under the street lights in front of my home. He was hopping about, chasing little insects and being very silly.
A few weeks ago, mom and I were strolling along the driveway after dinner. Doggy thought we were intruders and ran all the way from his own house, onto the street in front of my home and started barking. He ran back home when his owner called him, but ran back out and continued barking at us because he wasn’t convinced that mom and I belong where we were that evening. We find it funny rather than annoying.
Doggy reminded me of Rex – the very first dog I got when I was 6. Rex was perfect and the driving force which made me wanting to be a vet when I grow up. I hope he is not too disappointed with how I turn out when he looks down from Animal Heaven. 
22 Jun 2008
by irenein Jibber Jabber
Uncle Raymond is a few years older than my dad. He is also a retired school teacher and enjoys classical music tremendously. The difference being that Uncle Ray taught teenagers while dad taught elementary school where the children are practically still babies. Also, uncle has more hair than dad, but that’s besides the point…
Uncle Ray continued teaching after his retirement. He teaches English during the weekends at a tuition center but before that he taught 17 and 18 year old at a Chinese middle school.
One evening a few years ago, uncle was sitting at home marking essays. He came across a word that he has never seen before and was truly baffled. Went to look up his many dictionaries for the word ‘auw’. Aunt and cousin Celeste took a look at the sentence and started laughing till tears came out. The young man who wrote the sentence: I ‘auw’ in the car, is definitely a Cantonese because ‘auw’ means ‘vomit’!
21 Jun 2008
by irenein Travels
Judy is here after 4 flights. She left New York City on a Thursday and got here Saturday afternoon. A definite ‘adventure’ for a 76 year old!
And boy oh boy, the stories she has about everything! I have not laughed so hard nor have to think like so for months now. I can probably write a ‘judypedia’ after this week, what an interesting character. And how strange to see my family acting shy in front of her. Well, they don’t know her as well as I do and they are not use to having a white person living among us. She’s not the first one to do so, but G is my boyfriend and is considered family.
It has only been a day (half a day in fact), but I can feel my brain cells regrowing with the stuff she said and asked. It is nice to hear the NY accent from someone I do not dislike. Last 2 managers were New Yorkers and I wasn’t too fond of either.
Looking forward to a fun week introducing an old friend to the land I call home. Think today we will go to my uncle’s place on the hill to take pictures of the bay and to do some relaxing sightseeing. Maybe even bring Judy to Janet’s Salon for a hairwash. Will see how the time goes, she mentioned that she wanted to join us for our Sunday 7 am mass. I can just imagine the commotion at church! 
21 Jun 2008
by irenein Malaysia
Guess what? I’ve been here in LD for over 3 months now… and Joun decided out of the blue to buy a new router. And guess what? It has been peachy ever since Saturday morning after a computer geek come help setup the new (yet another) D-Link.
3 weeks before I leave and months after long torturous downloads, we have smooth sailing constant internet. Ah well, at least I will not be burning my life away in front of this old thing anymore.
20 Jun 2008
by irenein Travels
The ticket is booked. I will pay the RM5000 cost with my Malaysian MasterCard this coming Monday, the 23rd of June. Flight will depart on the 12th and arrive at Brussels on the 13th. It is the weekend, convenient for everyone, dropping off and picking up. It also saves me some Euros, to travel a week later than what I have planned.
This will be my first experience on a Middle Eastern airline – Ethihad Airways. Online reviews have been pretty promising and kinda cleared my doubts, I hope they will live up to all the good reviews.
Going home on July 12th to see my love. Lalalalala…
20 Jun 2008
by irenein Jibber Jabber
I have worked hard all my life. Worked hard to be an A student during my school/college/university days. Worked hard at my mom’s life insurance sales agency. I have even earned an English Writing Diploma during the 6 years in Malaysia and secured/developed the lands which were promised to the family.
After my second degree in the US, I worked for Zappos.com for almost 5 years. I earned a good living, saved up enough to have a mini retirement right now and have supported myself well (2 of those alone in Las Vegas). I have also earned a good reputation as a manager and win enough good friends which I still hear from 6 months after my departure.
It baffles me to see young, able bodied youth wasting their lives away with crappy activities. Unable to support their own living and unwilling to change to be able to do so. I have proven myself in my own country and when I was at a foreign land. I admit I did have some help at the beginning and am grateful for that, but to let the uselessness fester on is something I cannot imagine happening to me.
When I decided to come out from this mini retirement of mine, I shall once again earn a good living and be finacially independent. Again this refers back to my earlier post of life being too short to be mediocre.
Live life!
20 Jun 2008
by irenein Movies, Books & TV Shows
Sabah, also known as Land Below The Wind, was made famous by an American author named Agnes Keith. Though her time here was in the 1930s, I can see and experience a lot of the same thing that this land possesses.
Her book (first of a trilogy) documented her 4 years stay in North Borneo which in that time belong to a British company! She wrote about the life in a wooden house bearing the ever present heat and humidity. Her trekking through the rain forest with her husband, of the local people and village rumours etc. A perspective from an educated white woman who had the chance to live and love a land that is so remote and so unknown to her.
Sabah, though corrupted by time and modernization, still holds the treasure that she mentioned in her book. The deep suffocatingly enchanting rain forests, the beautiful sunny islands, fresh fishes, friendly local people… There’s still pieces of paradise left here in the land I call home.
19 Jun 2008
by irenein Travels
I canceled the bookings to Danum Valley and Tabin Wildlife. I am not in the best condition (thank you Zappos for the extra 20 pounds) and Judy is 76 years old.
Exerting ourselves during Judy’s one week stay here does not seem like a smart thing to do. So cancellation of these itineraries will be replaced by some relaxing road trips and more time at home resting and enjoying each others company.
I am looking forward to see a dear friend that I’ve only met once 7 years ago. We’ve maintained this friendship throughout the years via emails. The opportunity to spend some time together might not always be available.
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