Wednesday, October 31, 2007

How Are You?













How are you?

It's been a year.
The couple of months...
... spent exploring each others' worlds a year ago are still fresh.
Feels like yesterday, you know.
The feelings are long gone, though.
I tried recapturing the feelings.
Did you?
It felt real.
So real.
What we had resembles a dream, a wonderland...
... that we did not want to wake up from.
But reality had to set in.
It had to.
The uncertainties made it blissful.
The naivety made it memorable.
Moving on to newer things, better things...
... there will still be little things.
Little things that brought back memories...
... of those months of Spring.

How are you?

Qi

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Very Thai

Went for the Thai Festival @ Russel Square on James Street in Northbridge. According to its official website, the Thai Festival "arrives in Perth for the first time with huge showcase of Thai food and culture in all its forms bringing the taste of Thailand to people in Perth." And boy oh boy did we taste Thailand.

Above: The Spicy Thai Chicken Salad

Above: Baby sausage (tasted salty, sweet and sour... no really)

Above: Thai dude making "Money Bags" for fying

Above: This is like, 10% of the crowd

Apparently I look Thai. A couple of years back, I was at a bus stop when a Thai student asked me if I was Thai. And after going to this Thai Festival, I am convinced I look Thai!

Seller 1: สบายดีรึเปล่า
Me: ???
Seller 2: คุณต้องการซื้ออะไรครับ
Me: @#%*&...

Nut and Joe, my housemates, were part of the organising committee - pretty cool organising a huge event like this I would think. I went with Ricky, Nicole, Cherie and Michelle, and it was good fun. Who am I kidding? Whenever there is food involved, it's going to be fun. I saw Khem - haven't seen in for 3 long years. Caught up with him a bit... he put on a bit of weight I must say. But chubby is cute... right, Nicole? Right this moment, Nicole is nodding profusely in agreement.

After some glorious food, Ricky dropped me by Udub's sports center as I caught up with Mark and the other boys for a 3 grueling hours of indoor soccer.

Bliss. Back to my 18,000-word research paper.

Qi

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Tagged

Alright as a general rule, I do not respond to "tags" - just ask anyone who has tagged me before, like Jing - sorry, Jing. People have tried in Xanga and failed... but today when I went to play soccer, the following conversation took place after soccer:

Diana: Eh qi, I tagged you. Remember to do!
Qi: Don't want lah.
Diana: Must do.
Qi: My blog very serious one leh.
Diana: Why so serious?
Qi: (forgot what I said)
Diana: I don't care arh. Must do arh.
Qi: Don't want.

5 minutes later when walking to car...

Diana: Qi, do arh!
Qi: ...

(Conversations were not recorded - pardon inaccuracy)

Two names you go by:
1. Qi
2. Zu (don't ask)

Two things you are wearing right now:
1. Specs
2. PJs

Two things you would want (or have) in a relationship:
1. Fun
2. No strings

Two things you like to do:
1. Dreaming big
2. Making money

Two things you want very badly at the moment:
1. Home
2. Motivation to complete 18,000-word paper (hereinafter referred to as "paper of the century")

Two things you did last night:
1. Watched soccer
2. Watched Back to the Future

Two things you ate today:
1. Chicken Salad
2. Thai Kueh Tiaw

Two people you last talked to:
1. Mark
2. Nicole

Two things you’re doing tomorrow:
1. Work on paper of the century
2. Prepare for workshop

Favorite day of the week:
Tuesday (don't look at me like that)

Two favorite holidays:
1. Chinese New Year holidays
2. Self-declared holidays

Two favorite beverages:
1. Self made protein shake
2. Prune juice

Two things about me! Things you may not have known:
1. I used to weigh 85kgs.
2. My stamp collection can buy me a few cars.

Two jobs I have had in my life:
1. Legal assistant
2. Japanese restaurant chef

Two movies I would watch over and over: (and do)
1. Pulp Fiction
2. Hitch

Two places I have lived:
1. Kuching
2. Perth

Two of my favorite foods:
1. Japanese food
2. Italian food

Two places I’d rather be right now:
1. Happy where I am.
2. Renderred invalid by number 1.

Two people I think will respond to this
1. I will not put people through the pain of doing this.
2. Whatever you are thinking, Diana, answer is 'yes'. :)

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Racial Tension















*This post may offend certain people. Only proceed if you have an open mind. I take no sides in this post, for I respect everyone as a unique individual.*


This is one thing that has been on my mind quite a lot these days.

Racial tension is at an all-time high, or perhaps we just get exposed to more and more of these hardship because we are at an age to form our own opinions on the issue. Like it or not, the race issue will always be there. It is not something you pass down from one generation to another, though that plays a part. It is not something that just comes naturally either. It is something that stems from our own experiences, and therein lies the problem. We feel strongly about where we stand after we have experienced racial tension, making it impossible to eradicate, and even harder to break down and analyse because what is tension? What is racial discrimination? It is a vague idea. It is sad, but it is the truth - and truth hurts.

"A pluralist culture based on a vibrant and interesting fusion of Malay and Chinese" has been the description used to promote Malaysia, but how true is that? How often do you see Malay and Chinese engaging in a "vibrant" and "interesting" fusion? How often do you see Malay and Chinese out in public together, to do normal things like shopping, watching a movie etc? Of course, these things do happen, but how often? And how many friends from the other race do you have? I never thought about these things, but now come to think of it, it is indeed quite startling. Malaysia have sinked to a point where the damage done is beyond repair - its irremediable. And, there is no fusion, stop kidding yourself.

When I say there is no fusion, I mean, as a whole group of people - the Malays, and the Chinese, collectively. Individually, though, situations can be different.

But, I think if we were to mix them up, both Malay and Chinese, it has to happen from a very young age - not in Universities, surely. You see, if we have Chinese schools and Malay schools, exactly how well would one race know about the other, when they do not understand each other at all? Even in a government-funded mixed schools, the Chinese flock together, and the Malays too. Birds of the same feathers flock together, they say... and it is an apt description here. Back in my high school in Kuching, we had Malay schoolmates, but surprisingly enough, they were all in one class - and the other classes were almost entirely made up of Chinese students, with a couple of Dayak students here and there. I mean, I never thought about it back then, but now looking back it does seem a little odd - if not very. Sure enough, our school was, and is still, influenced by the Teo Chew Association... but if you ask me, if you are going to have a mixed school, then mix them up, for heaven's sake.

I will share my experiences in the next post, and briefly look at Article 153 of the Constitution of Malaysia.

What do you think about all these?

Qi

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Ditching The Old

The Friendster Blog is slowly but surely running out of space...
... and they make people pay for an upgrade.

So, to hell with that, I say.
Most of my mates use blogspot anyway, so might as well make the switch.

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Once - Aku Mau

Kau boleh acuhkan diriku
Dan anggap ku tak ada
Tapi takkan merubah perasaanku
Kepadamu

Kuyakin pasti suatu saat
Semua kan terjadi
Kau kan mencintaiku
Dan tak akan pernah melepasku

Aku mau mendampingi dirimu
Aku mau cintai kekuranganmu
Selalu bersedia bahagiakanmu
Apapun terjadi
Kujanjikan aku ada

Kau boleh jauhi diriku
Namun kupercaya
Kau kan mencintaiku
Dan tak akan pernah melepasku

Aku mau mendampingi dirimu
Aku mau cintai kekuranganmu
Aku yang rela terluka
Untuk masa lalu

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I recommend everyone to download this song.

Qi