No snow

It's been such a mild winter. We had the snow storm that one week a month ago. And now we're back to rain and more rain. It didn't even snow on xmas so a lot of friends I spoke to were upset. I suppose it doesn't feel like xmas when there's no snow outside.

Anyway, I've been lazing around some more at home. I've occupied myself with learning how to use Adobe Premiere. It seems like such a neat software to create videos with. I haven't finished the chores that I'm supposed to have finished a few days ago. I had planned to get everything in order - clean out the closet to throw out things we don't need and arrange our clothes into our new dresser. All this I wanted to finish before my trip back to KL. But now it looks like my trip may have to be canceled due to bureaucracy issues. Soooooooooooooooooooo malas lah jawabnya.I can't get excited at all and I'm feeling very unmotivated. I've gone through all the avenues to ask for advice but it looks like if I know what's good for myself, I shouldn't take unnecessary steps which might jeopardize my status here. I can't wait for everything to go through and get approved. I always say.... takpe. No matter how hard it is for me, orang asing kat Malaysia tuh lagi susah nak dapat permit. At least over here there's a transparent system.

I miss hearing from sunshine my best friend. She just had a baby and is spending her first month at her mom's place. So she doesn't have internet access. Not that she would be able to write long emails and chat with me if she did have an internet access. I keep thinking about calling her but I don't want to disturb her. I know for sure she'd be so busy with her new baby. I can't wait to see pictures of the baby. No one has been able to send me any coz they're all busy. And the one other friend I can normally depend on for up to date pictures, is not in KL either. She has family obligations out of KL.

So I don't start my full time job until February. Till then, ugh, I hope I don't get too bored.

Back again

So, here I am back again at the computer without any pressing work with deadlines. How odd it feels. After the in-laws left I spent my free time doing the multiple loads of laundry while watching tv and taking breaks in between for a drink or a meal. Life has gone back to normal almost too quickly and no matter how much I loved the celebrations I had with the in-laws and hubby over the weekend, I feel like I cut the celebrations off way too soon.

It feels so odd that I didn't have a bigger celebration at the end of my graduation. Oh sure, I went out with hubby and the in-laws for a celebration but I was missing something. I kept thinking that if I was back in KL I'd be celebrating with my friends with dinners night after night. I just realized that I've kept to myself so much throughout my years at the university that I didn't have any real close friends to celebrate with. The one or two close friends that I have already had other plans in place. Some of them have decided to go traveling what with the winter break. That just shows how close our friendship really is. I've kept away from being too close to anyone coz I've spent most of my time with hubby. It's just been easier coz hubby always has an agenda and it's hard to get others to join us for an outing. Things just take a little bit longer when the number of people increases in an outing. More people equals more minds which equals to more ideas on what one wants to do. Rather than taking the time to agree (or in some cases relent to what others want to do), hubby would rather do what he wants to do. And sometimes he lets me decide what I want to do. We just know each other's needs and habits that we end up being more comfortable just spending time with each other only and maybe visit one or two friends once every two weeks.

So now that I want to celebrate my successes I can't expect anyone else to want to spend time with me since I almost always turn down their invitations to a movie or a dinner outing. Can't blame them really. Can't blame myself either. Most of my friends at the university are single and sometimes being the only couple doesn't help. No one likes a pair of lovebirds who can't help but stick to each other even when there are so many other people around them. Can't help it ok. When a Cambodian husband and wife couple were around, it was fun hanging out with them. Hubby was also happy to spend time with the couple. But now they're back in their home country.

I shouldn't be complaining. I have to start my little project I am doing for my brother's wedding that is coming up. But I just feel sooooooo lazy. Ugh.. bad Leo... bad bad Leo!

Oh alright, I'll go do that now. Better than writing mindless entries into my blog. :p

What a weekend!

Boy this weekend flew by really quickly. My in-laws flew in on Thursday after I finished up the last of my duties at the GA office on campus. I rushed home at noon to clean up the house coz I had no time at all in the past 2 weeks to clean anything. Seriously, we had worn every single clothing we had, the bathrooms were starting to grow mold and mildew, there was an inch of dust on top of the dining table, the floor and the coffee table, and the fridge was filled with weeks-old food that needed to be thrown out. I scrambled to get as much cleaning as I could. The guest room had to be scrubbed, vacuumed, mopped as well as the guest bathroom. the kitchen was relatively clean coz that's the only room in the house that I can't let go too badly. It's too disgusting for me. Anyway, after scrubbing away, I realized I had to quickly go to the airport to pick them up. Luckily the in-laws are very understanding and I get along very well with them. Mum in law actually helped cook later that night. Hubby was helping out too, by attacking the laundry that was piling up. Our own bedroom though was a different story. It was in a complete mess! I literally shoved all the junk that was in the guest room into our own bedroom so we had tons of files, papers, bags and what-not.

Anyway, it was just nice having them around. My parents were unable to make the long journey from Malaysia to attend my graduation. At least I had some family here. The ceremony itself was great - it went off without a hitch, except apparently I walked too fast on stage that hubby said he couldn't get a picture of me. Yeah rite. This picture looks absolutely fine to me.


Anyway, the rest of the weekend was filled with antique shopping. MIL loves to shop for antiques. Kita ikut sajalah. Tak reti nak appreciate. All in all it was just a whole lotta fun. I'm just so happy that I managed to finish my masters and I have a job offer waiting for me. I really couldn't ask for anything more.

I kind of wish that my family could've come over to watch me graduate. At first I was OK with them not being around. But then the night before the ceremony I felt really lonely. I didn't have my really best friends around me to celebrate this achievement with. And I didn't have my own family either. They made up for it by sending roses the day of the event though. It was a really pleasant surprise.

Now that I'm back at home from sending the in-laws to the airport, it's back to normal for hubby and I. Now I gotta make sure I have all the necessary paperwork to proceed to the next chapter of my life.

I'm going to be a corporate lady! wooohoo! And maybe now we can think about having children? heeeeeeeeeeee

Another milestone in my life

I just got a call from the company I interviewed with last week and I've been offered a job there! I can't help but feel so good about it. I've been so stressed out over the job hunt and I've been rejected by so many other companies. This company seemed like the last choice I had. I was going to have to rethink my career plans coz if I didn't get this job, the whole visa issue would force me to leave. Anyway, I'm feeling really good because this is the only job I really really wanted. The company is one that is performing well in this area, the job responsibilities are exactly what I like (read: no programming!), the benefits are great, the pay is great and most of all, I did it without pulling any strings or use any contacts. All my life I've always had someone (read:daddy) help me get a position in a particular company. Or I always had to do something coz daddy wanted me to do it. And if I didn't take the opportunity, I would be left with nothing. This time, I had to work on my own, prove my worth on my own and go through all the stresses that one goes through all by myself.

Of course the experiences I had at the companies that I got into because of my dad helped in my job search too. So my dad definitely opened some doors for me. I'll be forever grateful.

Alhamdulillah I thank God so much for giving me this opportunity. For rewarding me so greatly and for keeping me strong throughout the process that crushed me to pieces.

(hoho.. dramatic lah pulak)

life and death

As the life of a newborn baby arrives in my circle of friends, a death in the family occurred in another.

And as a close friend, I can only give them my support from afar. But it's hard when you don't want to impose on their time as they share the good and bad with their immediate family.

Kinda feels odd to be watching this from afar and from the outside.

I suppose with the fact that I'm thousands of miles away, it cannot be helped.

Last week of the semester

Argh one more week to the end of the semester.

5 hours work on Monday
Exams on Monday
Project due Monday
Individual paper due Monday
Exams on Wednesday

In-laws flying in on Thursday.

House in mess! No sleep for me this week. :(

What else could go wrong?

I had my 2 day interview event yesterday and today. A combination of things happening in my life just made the whole experience more interesting than I would have wished for. There was a snow storm, I was trying to finish my projects and study for my exam and prepare for the interview at the same time. It was so stressful.

I needed to leave earlier than anticipated to take the snow storm into account for the drive. Snowstorms here really make a drive anywhere longer than usual. The roads are icy, your vision is decreased and sometimes the winds can be really strong. Did I leave on time? Noooo.. of course not.

I had started driving when I realized I accidentally left the directions at home. I turned around to get that. Once I got my directions I had to fill up gas but the fuel tank opening was frozen shut!!! I tried to scrape the ice off but was worried that I'd key the car on accident, I took my gloves off and started picking with my fingers. That didn't work, either. And in my excitement to get the ice off, I nicked my finger. I didn't realize it at first until I saw blood oozing down my finger. I wiped it away thinking that it was a small cut and proceeded to ask for help to get the fuel tank open. The guy who helped me just banged on the door so the ice could dislodge. And woop dee doo, the door opened and I could start refuelling. But the finger was still bleeding!! I couldn't believe it. There was so much blood. I swear there was frozen blood all over the little knob you twist off to refuel the car. I didn't have a band aid nor did I have any paper towels in the car. I wrapped my finger up with a piece of cloth that was in the car and started to drive away coz I was really going to be late. I realized after a full two minutes that I really needed to get a band aid on my finger coz it wouldn't stop bleeding! I saw a motel and actually drove in to ask the front desk if they had a band aid. Luckily they were nice enough to give me one. So ok, finger still intact, now the drive.

And oh my goodness what a drive it was! Everyone was driving slow coz the roads were just so slippery. Then my windshield got so dirty that I had to hunk down in my seat to actually see through a clearer part of the windshield. When I got to the hotel the company put us up in, I was given a smoking room, which was NOT what I asked for. So I had to spend a little bit more time switching rooms. Finally I managed to settle down and freshen up. phew. The rest of the night went well, just had our dinner with the managers and other candidates. Couldn't really eat much coz you're trying to talk at the same time. I actually went to bed feeling quite hungry but I didn't want to go out to eat. It was still snowing really heavily!

Anyway, while preparing to turn in for the night I realized I had left my suit for the interview the next morning at home!! I swear I'm losing my mind. I seriously am. I don't know why I'm getting so absentminded. Hubby had to drive in the snow to send the suit over to me. Poor guy. I was just feeling really down that so many bad things had happened. But I thought, it couldn't get any worse.

The sleep wasn't all that comfortable. I woke up at 6am to get ready for the full day interview activities at the company. That part went well though. I actually had quite a lot of fun meeting the other candidates and doing my interviews. We got a tour of the company too and got to speak to new college-hires. But it was draining. We were shuttled from one room to another and stopped briefly for lunch. I gotta say though, the company treated us all really well. I can't believe how much they spent to put us all up at the hotel and to shuttle us to and fro in limos. Giler you.... rasa macam celebrity! Even if I don't get the job, I know I managed to learn more about how other candidates handle themselves at interviews and it's good to see the people you are up against in the flesh. And to think that we were all able to get along despite the fact that we were competing for the same job.

Anyway, tonight hubby is working the night shift. sucky.... Two nights alone. sob.....

You got the white xmas you wished for!

So two days after the first real snow fall of the season, we are now under a snow storm watch. That means you're supposed to stay indoors if you don't need to venture out and if you do venture outside, drive carefully. The snow plows are out in mighty numbers and I think I see the snow plower dude who does our area plowing the snow for the second time today! And it's only 11:30am.

Looks like someone's making extra money this winter. I've never seen the snow plow contraption on an SUV before. Normally they're on trucks!

Normally I don't care too much about snow storms. I just stay indoors and fire up the kitchen to stay warm. Nothing like a good pot of stew on a cold day like this. Plus I don't have to switch the heater on coz I'm already warm just standing in front of the stove.

Anyway, today is a different story though coz I have to actually attend a two day interview at a company about 40 minutes away from here. Yeah yeah, so they're putting us up in a hotel and paying for our travel expenses but I'm so not looking forward to the drive!!! waaaaaaaaa! :( I went out for just a bit this morning and already I could feel the car tyres not having enough traction on the road when I make turns. It looks like I'll have to leave an hour earlier to make sure that I can make the slow but careful drive there. It's going to be weird being away from hubby tonight. We haven't been apart from each other other than when I went to visit Malaysia alone two years ago.

So I hope the interview won't be too much of a disaster for me. It's so horrible to spend so much time preparing myself mentally and physically for these interviews. When I get a rejection it breaks my spirit. So it's supposed to be a learning experience. But it just makes me feel so inadequate when I get the same "we do not have any current opportunities for you".

Well, just gotta move forward. Next week I have 3 final exams. And then my graduation ceremony to attend. How come everyone else is happier than I am that I'm graduating? Maybe it's coz I don't have a job yet.

It's a boy!

Congratulations to my best buddy Sunshine and her husband on the birth of their baby boy on Dec 5th 2006. Sigh.... the birth of a baby is always a happy occasion! I just wish I could've been there for them. Alas I live thousands of miles away. Luckily we have another close friend who was able to be at the clinic during the birth and sms me with updates. I have so much admiration for Sunshine. She has had to endure a painful surgery about 4 years ago and it made having babies a little bit complicated. We even had a joke that if she couldn't carry a baby on her own, she wanted me to carry the baby for her. hohoooo masa tu sanggup buat apa saja untuk kawan! Actually I would probably still do it if she needed me to be a surrogate. But, I think I would ask her to wait until I've had my own child first. But she did it all by herself! She had to go through surgery to get the baby out coz the doctors said it was too risky delivering it naturally, but she did it! I'm so proud of her. She's going to be such a great mom. I can't wait to see the baby when I am back in Malaysia.

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It's still snowing. Can you tell?

The first real snowfall of the season arrived today. We were so ill-prepared that we couldn't find the snow scraper that one uses to push the snow off the car and then scrape the ice of the windows of the car. Hubby ended up using a broom. Thank goodness it was dark and nobody saw. hehehehee it was hilarious! Today we'll have to rummage through the garage to locate the snow scraper.

Big Feet

It's so hard for me to find shoes that fit well and look nice. I have really big feet for my body size. I remember when I was growing up, all my uncles and aunties would say that I would grow up to be a really tall young lady because I had big feet. Aiyoo...even at that age my feet were already disproportionate to my body. On top of having big feet, I have this weird short toe. My third toe is shorter than my second and fourth toe so it looks really odd. Apparently it's some medical condition, I can't remember the name at the moment. But it's not detrimental to my health.

Anyway, searching for shoes is such a challenge for me!! Length-wise, I'm a size US7 or US7.5, but width wise, I feel like I'm more a size US8! Basically I have to look for wide shoes in 7.5 but it's not as easy at it seems. With so many choices of shoes out there, its still hard for me to find a pair that looks nice and feels comfortable. Yesterday I tried shopping for shoes. I can't believe it took me a whole half day trying to look for a nice pair of 'interview' shoes and another pair of 'dinner' shoes. Especially now with the pointy shoe trend.... oh gawd! I can't even fit the widest part of my foot into the opening of the shoe. I really think that the shape of my feet are weird too. When I wear those really high heeled shoes, it's hard for me to find a pair that will support the arch under my foot. If that part isn't supported, there is no way I can walk many hours in the pair of shoes. Even when I do find a comfortable pair, sometimes I still feel like my toes have been pinched, even when the shoes are actually comfortable. Maybe there's just something wrong with them.

When I try to get strappy high-heels, it's even worse. The bones on the side of my feet jut out and if the strappy parts aren't weaved in the right way, the bones will somehow make squeeze through the holes from the patterns in the strap and jut out a little bit more than it really should. Such a horror for me. And don't tell me to get a bigger size coz when I get a bigger size, it's way to big and the whole shoe starts flopping around and threatens to fall off my feet when I walk.

See what I mean about the jutting bone?

I really feel like getting my feet surgically corrected. Not because I want it to look nice, but because I want to feel more comfortable after standing on my feet for hours. Someone told me I should get expensive italian shoes coz those are the most comfortable. I doubt it'll be comfortable for me though. Anyhoo, I'm just being silly and asking for things that I don't even really need. heheee

Chr!st!an News Network

Yesterday as I was surfing through the different channels on tv, I came across a news program. The newscaster had just begun to talk about the birthrate of muslims in Germany. "Interesting," I thought so I stayed on that channel to listen to what the newscaster had to report. I didn't realize at first that it was one of those chr!st!an channels. I only started being suspicious when the news item of the increasing birthrate of muslims included a view about how the population of muslims will be of multiple times the number of chritians in Germany by mid-century. "Urk? Apa objektif berita nih?" I thought to myself. The news than turned to some kind of preacher or host of some talk show and he went on to say that if the ever rising birthrate of muslims are allowed to happen, the western world could be in danger as Germany as a country is capable of nuclear power and invading other countries. He asked all his viewers to imagine what the country would be like if muslims took over a country that had been for many many years, unofficially chr!st!an. He said that they could not let that happen and that things need to be done to stop such an 'invasion' from happening. Oh my gawd!!! Why so extreme? I couldn't close my gaping mouth. I knew that there were some really intense and almost very closed-minded religious people here. And I am sure they watch the type of news that I came across all the time. The media can really distort a person's view of something. And to think that they think that our religion is extreme?! It's so sad. Really it is. I was just so shocked that I had to get it out of my system and onto my blog.