Thursday

I don't know about you but i never liked Thursday since i had to go to school. Thursday always seem long and tiring and moundy. When i was in primary school, i never looked forward to Thursday though my favorite subject falls on this day. On Thursday we always had to stay back 30 minutes later than usual. my Thursdays get worst if i had to stay back to "bertugas" cleaning the classroom. I was always a victim (i think) yang ditindas. No one wants to sweep the floor and it gets worse since its the day for pendidikan Seni (my fav subject). I remembered the times when i would sweep fast trying to catch up with time as it would already be late by the time i get doen to the church compound. I will than get nags for being late. Okey adults, its not my fault. i had to bertugas on a day that i hate so much. I still do not like Thursdays. i don't know why. it makes me feel grouchy and sick. if i would choose a day to delete from the week.. it would be this special day.

Schones Wochenende

The best thing about being in Europe is how amazing the public transport is. Time will always be the issue in hand. On the 43rd week of the year, i traveled alone across the states of Germany .. alone. I'm fond of doing things that is different and not forgetting spontaneous. I traveled to Hessen alone after less than 2 hours of decision-thinking and processing and lastly making. So that was my weekend. Wait.. i have to thank those whom i made worried. Thanks for being worried. I'm safe in Landshut now.

*Mr Nutcracker Prince in Frankfurt*

*wooden sculptures like in those Christmas Cartoons*

I never knew that these things really existed.
Christmas comes early in the West

I spent most of my weekend in the train but i still had a great time with the girls up north. we catch up on stories, gossips and girl stuff which i don't get here. We attended 2 open houses on Friday and Saturday. mind you that Frankfurt has a lot of Malaysians. So being students, we will surely have the opportunity to have great meals from kind heart ed families here. Well taken care of i can say, but still not enough for the winter warming period. I got to meet people who made it possible for Malaysian students to be in Germany, Mara director, those in charge of foreign students and those from the embassy. Compared to Bayern, those in the north mix more with the adults as there are very few students there.

*Fr Anak Geoffrey and Fr Sim*

*them Friedbergers*

*me and the girls*

We ate, sang and danced... adults with high enthusiasm and fond of their younger days karaoke-ed and the dancing started. we were just sitting by the side as we do not know any of the songs (80's you see.. i was born in the late 80's). In the end, we got pulled by the crowd. It was Malaysian Chef Ismail that started the havoc actually. He pulled us to dance, where i almost fell for avoiding.

going on a trip alone made me observe things that i never realized. It isn't that scary to venture alone. A good guide is God and your heart. have faith that God is always looking after you. to my friends who never go out alone. one day if its an emergency, you'll get lost if you don't practice being independent. Back home, people are always afraid of being alone. you'll know how it feels if you're in a strange land with language that you don't quite understand. during the trip, an incident occur where there was a Korean girl traveling alone. Mind you that she is on a holiday. Alone and she barely speaks English what more to say Deutsch. This girl travels alone guided with a Korean tour book and her camera. She sat on the same row as i was in the train and i overheard her conversation with a German man. with little english that she knew, she told the man about her trip and showed him pictures on her camera. Amazingly she went and visited the whole of Bavaria and Switzerland. hats off to this young lady! Now i can say why Korean is so much forward in comparison to my country. They go all out with no fear of communication whatsoever. Great determination.

On Sunday was the end of the daylight saving for the whole world. well countries with 4 seasons i guess. So Germany went 1 hour back while places like Australia went 1 hour ahead. It was alien to me at first but i guess people here are used to it. I woke up an hour earlier to catch a bus to the train station but found out that i had an hour extra. We can never turn back time but now i know that there is such thing as extra time. nearing winter, the days are shorter now. Its dark and cold by 5pm. Snow expected in a few days. Something I'm not looking forward to. God please keep me warm~

Gone

The part of life that nobody likes or loves to face. Something or someone being gone. Especially those that are close to our heart. Going gone can be in various ways, a break up or the passing of loved ones, this will always affect the way we view life and other perspectives that will bring us forward, may it be positive or negative.

The saddest part of life is always losing a loved one. I've been through it twice and it still affects me until today. losing a father at a very young age is never a dream for a child nor for the mother. and as time goes by, i had to let go of my lovable grandmother who had always been my shelter. I'm not much of a professional on emotions but i still have one. So my heart goes out to you, those who have lost a great someone lately. I believe that God has a purpose for things that happen and that he have planned our life even before we were born.

Losing a friend can always burn a hole inside of us. My mother lost her best friend to cancer last 2 months. and the sad part was that her last wish before she went was to meet my mum. Unfortunately the wish stayed only her last wish and my mum only got to know a week later. A lost friendship of more than 20 years. Just gone in a breaking news. A lesson to be learned to all of us who cherish friendships. We may not know what happens in a second or two.

Age does not make us feeling-proof if there is such a word. When i was younger, i always wanted to be the one who leaves first because the hurt of losing someone traumatizes me. As i grow up, i realized that people will always come and go in life but its always the memories that remains. A really strong faith was what kept my family through and i really thank God for that.

Things will one day be gone.. God will always be there as they leave.

Gone, like yesterday is gone,
Like history is gone,
The world keeps spinning on,
Your going going gone,
Like summer break is gone,
Like saturday is gone
Just try to prove me wrong
You pretend like your immortal your immortal

We are not infinite
We are not permanent
Nothing is immediate
We're so confident
In our accomplishments
Look at our decadence

Gone, like Frank Sinatra
Like Elvis and his mom
Like AL Pacino's cash nothing lasts in this life
My highschool dreams are gone
My childhood sweets are gone
Life is a day that doesn't last for long

"Gone - Switchfoot"

revived tradition

Spending my weekend in Muenchen i learned to see the meaning of our tradition. Not that it was a shocking eye opener but it made me realize no matter how modern or up to date we are in this high tech era, our culture still has a part in us. i saw all this from the eye of a girl sitting on the bed watching all her friends playing bottle caps on her bedroom floor.

the game of bottle caps or locally "tudung botol" is usually played in villages about 10 years ago. obviously that was the time when we were back in primary school. well i myself never played this game before as it was popular among the boys and also because i attended an all girls school.

The situation is now, after more than 10 years not playing this game which involves skill and strategy. a group of 6 guys collected bottle caps and settled down in a circle. masing-masing nak menunjukkan skill. ayam tambatan kampung. that was when i saw how time changes everything. children nowadays don't know how it is without electronic games and the flat liquid screens. with more game consoles in stores, the basic of children life outside the four walls is abandoned. to me, it kills the joy of being a child and most importantly the creativity of one. running in evening breeze and chasing kites or just being outside spinning tops. that's what i call healthy competition, though most of the time one will go back home crying because of a silly fight and game rules. i call that survival skills. that's where you learn.



back to the tudung botol competition. here i am almost asleep when i heard the cheer, almost of a little child playing with his friends. too bad i saw a group of happily playing boys in their 20s. sometimes reviving your childhood makes you happier and relieves the stress of the world today. there's nothing wrong about showing the kid in you!

Same festivity diffrent ground

I would like to wish those who are celebrating Raya back home and not forgetting the ones far from home a Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Being a Malaysian, we celebrate every festive season that is printed on the calander. and we do make the best out of the season. this year we made Raya happen in Bavaria. Im going to acknoledge Bavaria because the frankfurters are having fun at frankfurt eating with Chef Ismail. *blek!*

Event : Hari Raya
Date : 30th September 2008
Place : Rumah En Tajuddin (regens' Msian Hall), Regensburg

This story tells of Landshutters going to Regensburg on the 29th of September. Pioneers and adventurers alike, we went through the place on our own and it took us 2 hours on feet to our destination. Its not that we were not given bus numbers our what to do. but we just had fun figuring out stuff. and that was how we got to know Regensburg on our own.

*figuring out Regensburg*

That night we had our dinner at Abg Tajuddins house and his wife Kak Ain really cooked well. We had tom yam, asam pedas prawns(if im x mistaken) and satay.. nyam2. not bad for being far from home. the gathering gathered more than 20 of us together, all from different batches so we got to know each other despite of the year gap. Late night, we crash in the regenburgers crib to end the night. well mine ended but the boys continued on with poker till dawn. i got the best place to sleep anyway *grins* thanks!

*the fun of being together*

The morning of raya started with a knock on the door with the boys wearing sampin and songkok. and im not even awake. Sleep early wake up late. hihi. so we all got dressed and the boys headed to the mosque while i went to the shopping complex in my baju kurung. Later, i went to Kak Ains house. We really ate malay raya food. Where else can you find nasi himpit, rendang, lemang, satay, lontong and curry in the middle of Europe. But we got it. Before feasting, we had our photo session. look how outstanding i was. taman bunga.

Now to imagine this next scene is quite .. i dont know how to express it in words. after we left kak Ains house we took a bus back. but we had to change bus at the main bus stop to go back. so we waited and we looked like a living Msian Museum. All clad in songket and songkok, the bus stop was filled full by us. yes we do get the stares and also more smiles. not forgetting interview. almost everyone there asked what we were wearing. so welcome to the colder part of malaysia. we do agree when they say we look great though. the rest became models for baju melayu while i went for baju kurung. im the only girl you see.. hmm..

*Msian Students with En Tajuddin and Family*

*Landshutters with the family*

the only rose among the many thorns.. and i got roses! from kind hearted frens that saw how it feels like to be the only eve generation among them. i had to bring the flowers to regensburg from landshut and back. i went with 7 stalks and came back with a pot.. and i really wana extend my heartiest thanks to those involve. they never knew that i loved flowers in the first place. thanks for being so great. ahaks.. ill post the pic of the potted roses after it blooms.

*this was how i travelled*

Its amazing how flowers make people smile. As i held it with me, people passing me smiled when they saw flowers that i held. Its easy to make people happy, just know the simple things in life.