Staying Positive

Taken last Sunday in the car in SP. Beautiful clouds. Came back to Penang after that to haze and rain.

At times like this, it's difficult to stay positive.

Especially when your close ones are not helping.

Lots of self-hating, self-loathing, frustration and anger.

And then I am reminded of what I told my students in Sunday School.

"Is our God BIG?"

"YES!"

"Is our God GREAT?"

"YES!"

"Is there anything our God can't do?"

"NO!"

"Can God help us with our problems?"
"YES!"

"What must we do when we face problems or difficulties?"

"PRAY! TALK TO GOD!"

Yet here I am, trying to do all things MYSELF, relying on my own human strength.

Of course God works in wonderful ways, ways we never imagine or even thought of.

He may not work the way we expect Him to work but His plans never to destroy us.

I can only do so much myself, but with Him, I know He will bring me to where He wants me to be.

Need to stop being a hypocrite. Telling my kids how wonderful God is and yet I myself struggle to understand this simple thing that God wants us to do.

Our God is a GREAT, BIG GOD who created all things wonderful. Just look at the clouds!

He who can create all wonderful and powerful things can help me.

And He who creates the sharks, the crocodiles, the beautiful clouds, sunset, sunrise,

all types of fish, birds, animals, the sea and the land, the ENTIRE UNIVERSE from NOTHING

is willing to walk alongside with me, guiding me. 

God who is willing to go BEFORE me and bring me with Him will never fail me.


ps: A good and very comforting article
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/life/5-lies-every-twentysomething-needs-stop-believing

The Negativity

I try not to show this part of me on facebook cause I don't want to be judged. But at least I have a blog that is bot famous that I can write on and rant and then go to bed and not have to worry that I will wake up to a I-used-to-like-you-but-you've-changed kinda comment. Don't know how the famous bloggers do it..where do they vent their anger and frustration.

Today is a day where everything goes down the drain somewhere in the morning and then had a neutral point and then went down again. Sometimes all I want is just support and encouragements from people close to me,people who really matters..but time and time again,it felt like they matter to me but not me to them. Sucks big time. And I hate that I am so dependent to a point that it makes me hate myself. And I hate to think that the only person I can and really should trust, rely and depend on is myself. Cause it is not true!!!God is my refuge. But arghhhhh hate this negativity so much I want to cry but that will lead to more questions that I really don't need now. =((((

Support

Sometimes I wish I get a little more support.
Sometimes I wish I get a little more approval of what I do.
Sometimes I wish people don't criticize or put me down ever so often.
And most of that sometimes, I wish they are not people who matters a lot to me.
Yet most of that sometimes, it has to be people closest to me.
Who can I turn to?
I can turn to God, but who in human flesh can I turn to?

Maybe at times like these, the only one reliable is God.
Cause he is ever ready to console, to comfort, to build me up and to give me that extra little push forward when everyone else I pulling me back.

Hatyai Day 1 - Evening

If you have missed out on the previous post, click Hatyai Day 1. That post was until we went back for nap till 5pm.

We got the van company we booked to drive us around on Day 1 evening as we had not been to the places we want to go and we did not want to risk getting lost at night in Hatyai on our first day. We paid RM10 each which total up to RM100 to the uncle to bring us to Floating Market and Tesco Lotus. It was rather worth it cause there's air-cond and we get to sit comfortably in the van and laugh at jokes the uncle made. And we did not get lost or get separated.

So Day 1 evening was Floating Market day. Before you get to the floating boats, you can already see rows and rows of shops selling awesome stuff like snacks, accessories, knick knacks and clothes.

Mandatory first picture before everyone went in their smaller groups

Boyfriend and I

Fresh Lotus

Fried Quail Eggs- Swee Win's favourite!!!

Bugs galore

choosing sunnies

 Finally the boyfriend bought one sun glass after searching for it in Bangkok, Penang, Phuket and Hatyai.

My favourite part of the day!! Choosing accessories

Give me MOARRRRR

Spoilt for choice and ended up bought a little only. Brrrr

Can you see tiny boats behind us?

Ah Yau center of attention cause so tall!!!!

Boyfriend and I with Diana and a dog photo bombing us

 

Food sold on boat

Clay cups

each got one. SUPER EXTREMELY SWEET drinks. Can get diabetes.

Us

With Yi Lin

Roti Canai with condensed milk

Coconut ice-cream, really wanted the chicken but mum and boyfriend didn't like the ice-cream.

I didn't manage to get this chicken clay thingie from the shop as boyfriend and mum didn't like the coconut ice-cream. So we decided to walk around the area and found this shop!!! ALL CLAY CUPS AT THB10. Which is RM1. Shouldn't have bought so much of the drinks till I get sick from the over-sweetness. All because we want that cup. So I got my chicken clay thingie from this shop. Happy. They sell lights and other awesome clay stuff too. I think if you have a big house, you should consider the stuff here cause they look pretty nice and it's pretty cheap.

Siew Mai. No meat one, only skin. -.-

After we nom-ed so much. Boyfriend, mum and I decided to slowly walk back to the van area and rest. Cause I was getting sick from the sweet food. Next, we head on to Tesco Lotus.

After buying what we need like lays and interesting sweets, we went to have our dinner (only mum, boyfriend and I). And we had ice-cream there. This cost about RM11. Not bad. It's nice.

After that about 9.30pm Malaysian time, our van driver came and got us back to hotel. We rested and bathed and change before heading out for supper. I skipped supper except for a few sausages and bought some stuff from 7-11.

Note: Check out prices of chocolate (especially Snickers and Ritter Sport) in 7-11 and Watson before you buy any from department store or Tesco. From what I see during my trip, chocolate are cheaper in 7-11 and Watson compared to the department store. Can cost easily up to 2x the price in department store.

Snickers are mad cheap in Thailand, like THB20 in Hatyai for the long one that cost about RM3.80 in Malaysia. Almost half the price!!!

Humungous prawns. To see, not to eat. =P Cause mad expensive.

That's the end of day 1. Some of my friends went for massage while some just go back to the room and slept the night away. More coming up on Day 2 and Day 3.

Note also: Go to Lee Garden's Boots and look at the toiletries like lotions and hair products and tooth paste. Some can be 1/2 the price of that in Malaysia.
 

Hatyai Day 1

Planned for this trip like 2 months earlier. Went with the girls, my boyfriend, Nana's boyfriend, my mum and Win's mum. Yes, I brought my boyfriend and mum to the same trip and imagine how awkward it is to sleep in the same room with them.. HAHA But the boyfriend is ever so accommodating and takes good care of both me and my mum. Thinking of it makes me want to buy him his digimon. No..not really.

Anyways, I shall write down our itinerary because I think it's quite essential especially when you are going in on a Friday and you don't know what to expect or what to do there. Mine has always been a 2 day 1 night trip but this time around, we decided for a 3 day 2 night trip since we have a holiday. And yes, I bravely went there one week before my proposal presentation. No regrets though.

Day 1
We left Penang at about 6am, got into a horrible human traffic in both Malaysian immigration and Thailand immigration but managed to get out of it quick enough because we have awesome van drivers.

And at about 11am our time, which is about 10am their time we reached and checked into Asian Hotel. Mad love, super near the malls, has newer and nicer rooms than Lee Garden and serious, I love this hotel every since I went there few years back. Will definitely go back again cause it's very convenient and nice. Not too expensive either, about RM110/night.

Note: We booked using www.booking.com

Thank God for safe journey and super keng van driver cause we managed to arrive early and the hotel has rooms for us to check it as early as 10am!!! Was mad happy cause I was so tired after my futile attempt to sleep early the night before. Another group of people whom we saw at the borders reached about 1 hour and had to wait another hour for rooms.

So after we were done with resting and fussing over our rooms, we walked to the next road to the mall beside Lee Garden for our lunch. Sizzlers for our first meal, a girl could splurge a little right? Especially when she has her mum with her. =P Born cheapskate.

Interesting hotel card

My favourite girls in the whole wide world

First meal. Don't ask me why both our mummies are standing with Yi Lin!

Pretty and colourful hair pins. Mad expensive though.

Just cause Swee Win says it's the OLDEST BOOKSTORE OKAY?

Mad cute!!! Boyfriend didn't tell me. =(

Psy waiting next to our hotel for buyers.

 V neck, bright colours. CONFIRM FOR GAY LOR, according to the list given la.

Then we went back room to nap and rest till 5pm! Will update that on another post! =)

Upgraded

Since Jamie, my Thermomix came to my house (like 2 days ago), I've stopped cooking on the stove (COMPLETELY). I've been cooking rice, stir-frying, blending, making soy drink and kneading bread with my Thermomix. She has officially cooked at least 5 types of food by now. Not bad for a beginner. Trust me, I've only been to the demo twice (like recently, don't talk about 2 years ago okay?) and I've managed to make so much.

Proud of Jamie and myself and the boyfriend. =P Just showing what I've been cooking for the past two days.

Day 1 - Rice with Stir-Fry Vege cause we bought Ayamas. Just came back from training. Too exhausted to cook.

Day 2 - Eat the same stuff as the day before. Freshly fried vege and leftover ayamas. T_T

Day 3

Rice, Sweet Sour Chicken, Stir Fry Broccoli and Carrot

Soy Drink

Wholewheat Sausage Croissant

Never had such juicy, crunchy sweet broccoli and carrot. I've never been good with broccoli cause I always ended up under cooking it, making it taste bitter. Or over cooking it and make it turn yellow. But Jamie does it best.

Forgive the excessive sauce. Was trying to cook my usual dish with Jamie, my Thermomix. It worked, just a little too wet. But it taste AWESOME.

Soy Drink. With all the fiber, VERY HEALTHY

Wholewheat sausage bun with cheese (some only) for the boyfriend to bring to KL. And also to bring home. Free from preservative!!

This marks the end of my week 1 cooking as I'm going home tomorrow!!! Stay tune for next week!!! I'm very proud of myself, the boyfriend and Jamie. Thank you God for blessing us with Jamie, our Thermomix!

 

 

 

Tip Tap Tip Tap Rain is Falling

Raining is pouring outside and I'm here, listening to songs and trying to finish up first chapter of my dissertation draft, hopefully to get approval from the lecturer. Have to submit tomorrow. So expect late night.

But the rain is not helping. I wish I can dive into my bed now to sleep but diving means making myself comfortable which will definitely lead to a good night's sleep. And a good night's sleep is not something I deserve now.

Brought the boyfriend to watch cooking demo of Thermomix. Will keep you updated about this beautiful baby that cost us RM5k. Will share recipes and pictures and make you salivate cause this RM5k baby is definitely worth it. Will make it worth it no matter what.

The boyfriend made sushi roll yesterday night. I prepared all the ingredients including the rice and he rolled. He is one talented sushi roller. We "hai, hai" each other the whole night. He is Master Roller. I am Master Chef. What? I did prepare the most part of the dish which are the ingredients. No ingredients no sushi, just seaweed. HAHAHA My sushi rice damn nice okay? Just right of the vinegar and all. ^^ I iz cleber.

Mad love the sandwich the boyfriend made for my lunch.

The boyfriend has been such a sweetie to cook and bring food to library for me before he goes to classes or library. The day before he cooked rice with fried vege, fried egg with onions and steam tofu. Awesome much. Then he made this awesome sandwich that I can't seem to get over. LOVE IT MUCH. Cling wraps or aluminum foil donations are welcome. Just send me an email at pinkyblue88 [at] gmail [dot] com.

Master Roller rolled these sushi and cut them up. Now I need that Thermomix knife for better and more precise cutting next round.

Okay, above are what the boyfriend has been cooking. When our Thermomix comes, even greater food stuff will appear in this blog so come back for more alright? Anybody interested to know more about Thermomix can email me at pinkyblue88 [at] gmail [dot] com. Anybody interested in a Thermomix cooking demo in Penang can also contact me for further information.

Where to go in Hatyai?

The girlfriends and I have decided to go to Hatyai for the end year holiday as one of our friend have not been there and has been suggesting it over and over again. So after setting the date, Diana and I began the whole planning with van and hotel bookings and also itinerary planning. Next time, someone else will take our responsibility as we relax and chill (I hope =P).

So after got our van booked, we booked our hotels through booking.com (much cheaper by the way). As a request for someone to volunteer to plan for itinerary was not replied (due to busy workload and inconsistent usage of facebook), Diana the master of all came up with a list of what to do in Hatyai.

This time around, as they requested for a three day two night stay, we have plenty of time in our hands and not so much places to go. We are skipping all the temple visiting as none of them are religious enough I think and Daniel and I are Christian. I mean they would like to but it's often out of the way which requires us to take extra tuk tuk to go.

So the tentative itinerary is this

Day 1 :  (Friday)
-----------------------
Suntisook Market (big market) - afternoon
Floating Market ( 6 - 9 pm )


Day 2 : (Saturday)
-------------------------
Morning Market - Food
Kim Yong Market - morning starts at 6.30am
Tesco (afternoon)
Walk around malls etc
Petai Market ( 6 - 10 pm)

Day3 :(Sunday)
----------------------
Lee Garden Flea Market (if it still exist)

Will blog again when we finally go there and actually walk around cause this plan is a tentative one and we can change to other places whenever we want to.

Selling fresh grapes

When everyone else are either working or interning or holiday-ing, here I am, sitting in front of my laptop, waiting impatiently for someone to call me and ask me for an interview.

I should not worry. God has His plans. So I shall enjoy my break while I still can. Today I'm gonna sit around doing nothing until noon and see if my aunt wants to bring me to town for a spin. I should enjoy my holiday right? It just feel empty when everyone else has things to do and I'm just sitting around.

Pictures from our lil getaway. =) Got my face only because he got to be the photographer. <3 ze beach and morning sun.