Currencies and the Current recession

Let's talk about money........

Do you know how much Euros used to be?

1 Eur = RM4 roughly
And now……..
It’s 1Eur = RM 5

Not a big change to you…?

1 GBP used to be RM 6.8
And now….
It’s 1 GBP to Rm 5.5

NOT AMAZING?

1 AUD used to be RM 3.30
And now
1 AUD = RM 2.3!!!

Okay what does that mean?

If you had RM 680k (100K GBP) in your bank, it’s now worth RM 550k. (-130)
If you had RM 660k (200K AUD) in your bank, it’s now worth RM 460k. (-200)

So UK and Australia, who's facing the bigger deficit?

If there is one charitable search engine to use, GOOD SEARCH will be it

http://www.goodsearch.com/

Where I work now, my job load has practically decreased from 50% to 0% in the past 3 days. The presence of the team of 20 has diminished to about 8 people. As an intern, I get nothing to do and this is when my “online research” skills is put to test. Good Search is a search engine powered by Yahoo! That gives approx 1 cent to your favourite charity organization (mainly in USA).

I'm helping ONE WORLD YOUTH PROJECT now.

Pick your choice! Search and do good!

Too much carbon: to care or to ignore

This is a website targeted towards Canadian users. It measures the carbon footprint the bank emits. Do you know what carbon footprint means? http://www.carbonfootprint.com/ There is a more colourful website but I definitely cannot remember its name now. It measures how much of carbon released into the air that you are contributing, in other words HOW MUCH IS YOUR PERSONAL CONTRIBUTION TO GLOBAL WARMING. With the amount of cars we drive in Malaysia, I suspect we probably contribute more than you think we do.

The question comes down to this:

Have you ever considered the consequences of your actions?

It could be something as simple as turning on the air conditioning for an extra 30 minutes when you are already wearing three layers of clothes in MALAYSIA.

It could be choosing a Coca Cola plastic bottle instead of the can.

It could be choosing to drive a Toyota or a Ford.

And guess what, it matters.

The weather in Malaysia now is becoming TOO HOT (like in Dubai) for Chinese New Year. But at other times when there's no monsoon, it rains.

DOESNT it SEEM DRASTIC?

HEY. How about SNOW in October as a starter? Avalanches, landslides, typhoons, hurricanes... you pick your choice as the main course.

It's not too late to save our grandchildren, great grand children from this.

If only the point I make is taken........

How to be Fired by Martin Bihl

Think this might come up useful when the economy goes down like now....

Step One: Get Fired
You'd be surprised how many people walk around for a couple of weeks acting like they've been fired before they are actually let go. Freaking out that they're going to be laid off, moping around the office, and then it doesn't happen, and they've wasted all that time when they could've been, I don't know, working maybe. Or looking for a new job. Or drinking. Or anything. So don't sweat being fired until it happens. It won't do you any good.

Step Two: Freak Out
OK, you've been fired. Congratulations. The ax has fallen and it's got your neck all over it. Well, at least that's over. And while eventually it may all work out for the best, right now, it sucks. So freak out. Grieve. Scream. Yell. Throw things. Cry. Drink. Whatever. But get it out of your system. You absolutely, positively have to deal with it now, otherwise you'll carry it around with you for the next 30 years. Which is okay if you don't mind it rearing its ugly head when you least want it to. And it will.

Step Three: Decide on Your Story
"He who controls the story controls his destiny." I think C.J. Cregg of "The West Wing" said that. But it's true, and you have to assume that once you get an interview, the first thing they're going to ask you (or maybe the second, after "Would you please stop shaking my hand?") is "Why did you leave your last job?" How you answer this will reveal worlds about you. Do you say, "I got fired and I have no idea why"? ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Martin Bihl is founder and creative director of 7419, which provides creative and strategy for agencies and clients around the world. You can reach him there to continue this conversation at mbihl@7419llc.com.
That seems frighteningly uncurious and rather disingenuous -- neither of which are qualities anyone wants to hire. Do you say, "I got fired and I hate those bastards and I will spend all my free time hunting them down like the dogs they are"? Hey, at least it shows passion. Either of these are better, however, than just standing there stammering. So come up with something. And then stick to it.

Step Four: Be the Brand
We are in the business of selling brands. Or at the very least, bringing them to life. We -- of all people -- should know how hard it is to be convincing about something that is ill-defined. So why would you go into the job market without a clear brand for yourself? I don't know. And yet, everyone does it.

So after you've figured out what you're going to say about why you're suddenly so darn available, figure out why they should hire you. What's unique about you? Or said another way, figure out why they should hire you and not the ten thousand other yahoos who've recently been sacked because the economy is in the toilet.

Want to be really smart? Take it a step further. Customize your brand to the people you're talking to. You know, like you always told your clients they should do, for exactly the same reasons.

Step Five: Eliminate What You Hate
There will be a part of being fired that you really hate. (I don't mean the being broke part. Everyone hates that -- everyone with any brains at least.) So figure out what it is and figure out a way to get over it. Maybe you hate not having people to hang out with. Then go to Starbucks. I'm serious. Or maybe you hate not having a routine. Make one -- get up, walk the dogs, read your mail, write something, whatever. Or maybe it's explaining to your nosy neighbors why suddenly you're wandering around the neighborhood in your pajamas at 11 a.m. I don't know. But figure it out and get around it. Otherwise you're going to add another level of stress to the stress of being out of work. And who needs that?

Step Six: Embrace Repetition
Face this fact: You're going to be saying the same things over and over again. You're going to have your elevator pitch. Or you're going to have the thing you tell your neighbor. Or the spiel you make in an interview. Work it, polish it, refine it -- but whatever you do, don't get bored with it.

Usually when we're presenting to a client, we only have to do it once or twice -- maybe three times. We're just not used to bringing the same enthusiasm the 10th or 15th time that we brought the first two times. And that's exactly what you're going to be faced with when you're interviewing.

Our natural instinct, of course, is to adjust what we're presenting. Not necessarily make it better, just make it fresher so we can keep the passion in it, because otherwise we'll feel bored by it. But look -- even though this may be the 10th time you've said this exact same stuff, it's probably the first time this particular person has heard it. It's new to them. Make it sound like it's new to you, too.

Because the sooner you learn how, the less you may have to.

50 visionaries who are changing your world.

Take a look at this website.

And THEN, let me know what you think

;)

Where is Somalia?

Do you know where is Somalia? When I was in Bristol, it was very easy to distinguish Somalians from the rest of the Africans... and there were many of them, seeking asylum.... etc

Students in universities like Bristol are really active in charity... So, we see even more Somalians and rally/ provide them food etc...

Today I am painted in a streak of curiousity and I ask, what really happens in Somalia?

SOMALIA CONFLICT: Rampant piracy offshore and an advance by Islamist rebels on Mogadishu have put Somalia in the global spotlight. There are a number of possible scenarios for the country. A local elder says that heavily armed Islamists are searching for the pirate group behind the hijack of a huge Saudi Arabian tanker believed anchored half-way up Somalia's coastline. And in the latest round of U.N.-brokered talks in Djibouti, which are rejected by hardline Islamist insurgents and have done little to end violence, the Somali government and moderate wing the of the Islamist-led opposition have committed to power-sharing and an expansion of parliament as a way of bringing peace. They have also agreed to seek a two-year extension of the government's mandate. It expires next year. Meanwhile, police say Somali gunmen have kidnapped two Western freelance journalists - an Australian and a Canadian - in the northern province of Puntland.

Do you get lost easily in words?

So do I...

How about.....

1 Doctor takes care of 25,000 people (UNDP 2006)
12% of children go to school (UNICEF,2005)
Population with access to safe water- 29% (UNDP 2006)
22.5% children die before the age of 5 (UNDP, 2005)
Average age on death bed 47 years (UNICEF, 2005)

A typical developing country slowing its pace?
Think again.....
That's because I did not include gruesome photos and videos.

Have a good day, and appreciate what you have today. :)

Just for fun: Research on "10 things science says will make you happy"

And this is PRECISELY the reason why I tell you I dont do psychology.........
I am into concrete neuropsych !

1. Savor Everyday Moments
Easy to say, difficult to do

2. Avoid Comparisons
If you don't compare, how do you get to the top?

3. Put Money Low on the List
Tell that to my banker friends, please...

4. Have Meaningful Goals
No comment.

5. Take Initiative at Work
Agreed, but not sure if it makes you happier.

6. Make Friends, Treasure Family
I'm on my way

7. Smile Even When You Don’t Feel Like It
It's called masking your feelings, you moron!

8. Say Thank You Like You Mean It
"Thank you" should be an automatic word.

9. Get Out and Exercise
My guilt is eating me up.

10. Give It Away, Give It Away Now!
Do you mean money? You need to come to Malaysia..

Source: here

One website Malaysians will not miss

Everyone knows that the living standards in UK are high. And this is what One guy came up with MoneySavingExpert.com (and later became a millionaire, no surprise!) and maybe 10% of UK's 60+ million population checks on this website?! (Gross exaggeration)

Anyway if you check out the website, it has FREE financial advice for everything from card loans, loop holes in the financial institutions, shopping, utilities, mortgage, insurance to everything!

When I was in UK, I was checking out the sections about saving on Mobile Phone Bills, FREE samples (I am a real Malaysian), Buy a 5GBP magazine for a bottle of lotion worth 30GBP, how to get a free designer bag etc by signing up for something then not paying for a cent, save on train tickets etc....

This website is obviously not applicable to Malaysian bank accounts and credit cards, but hey we've got more or less the same deals in some sectors.

Question is, why hasn't anyone set up any for the kiam siap Malaysian society? ;)

Glastonbury: The holy place of UK

One of my fondest memories with some of my housemates took place at Glastonbury. I was trying really hard to dig up some photos but I never take any photos, so I rely on my friends' FB efforts.

Have you heard about crop circles?
This picture was taken from www.ufoevidence.org ;)
Contrary to what I USED to think, they do not happen all the time. There are some documented cases, but they usually happen AROUND Glastonbury (more precisely WiltShire) and this place is full of amazing things.


"The Chalice Well is among the best known and most loved holy wells in Britain. Many legends are attributed to its chalybeate waters, which flow ceaselessly at a steady rate and temperature that never varies. Not least among these is that they represent the blood of Christ miraculously springing forth from the ground when Joseph of Arimathea buried or washed the cup used at the Last Supper. For others the waters are acknowledged as the essence of life, the gift from Mother Earth to sustain its living forms and so a continuous spring like Chalice Well is a direct expression of an unbounded life force."


Every house had a charm of some kind. Some wind thing, some teruteru bozu, it doesnt matter which culture the superstition came from. It had a very nice, warm, humid feeling in the air. People were free to dress however they want, but most likely you'll find cloacks, elves' ears worn everyday as an identity, it is a place where people look for ingredients for a magic wand (you know who you are), it's a magical and wonderful place! Imagine it as a place for all pagan/witch/spirit/spiritually inclined.

I love it and I totally recommend a visit, if you ever come to England. After all, it's only 1.5 hours from Stonehenge and most tourists go there anyway. Check out the therapies there! You have everything from Chakra healing to Reiki, Runes, Lympathic Drainage, Flower Essences etc.

I forgot to mention that Glastonbury is famous among music-goers because it hosts one of the biggest music festivals in UK every year called the Glastonbury Music Festival which has sadly been opposed by rain and bad weather for a few years now.... I never get tickets for it because you usually need to register 6 months in advance and I am never that disciplined or willing to part with the ticket fee, 175 GBP.

Why do you blog?

It has been difficult trying to post things up at the blog mainly because...
my day time is taken up by the CIMB internship which has exceeded my expectations for now,really....

My night time has been taken up by One World Youth Project, because we are dealing with expansions at the moment (more on that to come soon....)

My weekends are taken up by friend- times......

So what other times are left for blogs?

You are right, I can still write simple stuff without much brains or research. BTW, This Ezy Connection doesn't really pay off but it does give me a simple enough connection to get online....

What do you think about blogging?
As for today's question, I would like to know about your reason behind blogging. I think blogs that are structured around something are more likely to capture anyone's attention.

AIESEC: Biggest puzzle in my life til now

"AIESEC, the world's largest student organization, is the international platform for young people to discover and develop their potential so as to have a positive impact on society.In addition to providing over 7,500 leadership positions and delivering over 350 conferences to our membership of over 32,000 students, AIESEC also runs an exchange program that enables over 4,450 students and recent graduates the opportunity to live and work in another country. AIESEC is celebrating in 2008, 60 years of activating leadership in young people."

After copying and pasting what AIESEC says about itself, do you understand it?

No?? This is my version.

1. At university, you do crazy things to market your program to university students to go abroad.
2. You wear business suits into networking events, and raise meetings, sell your programs to private organisations. In the office, you do market research, cold calls, warm calls...

3. You attend crazy conferences where you learn about everything so much in a day, meet lots and lots of people and have crazy parties as a way to unwind after learning so much.
6 nationalities in the above photo.

4. At the end of the day, you could go on work exchanges, find that dream job in your life, become a traveller for the rest of your life.... AIESEC-ers go out and do different things. Some try to save the world while others simply become an investment banker. As for me, my retirement plan is to set up an NGO, or maybe more than one.

What has AIESEC done for me?
Friends friends and friends top my list. My housemates and some of the loveliest people are all somehow related to AIESEC. I wouldn't dare say that I'm who I am today because of AIESEC. Also, I now have no problem presenting/ selling something (together with all the other unmentioned things I do at AIESEC ) ;)

Let me hear about your GOOD/ BAD Aiesec/ Society story!

Alternative therapy: Bach flower remedies

What alternative therapy means is that it should be taken alternatively, at your own risk/ benefit after taking into consideration the advice from your health practitioners. Still, I get people doing this (above) to me when I tell them I take them.

Bach flower remedies was developed by a homeopath (tempting as it may sound, it does not equal psychopath), Edward Bach who identified some properties of flowers (like how we derive medicine out of plants) for emotional and spiritual purposes. For a quick answer to which of the 38 Bach flowers fit you most, go to Remedy Chooser or Learning about Bach Flowers.

During the stresses of the final exam, I had a housemate who got introduced to this by yet another housemate, the Bach Rescue Remedy. Of all the concoctions of Bach flower remedies you can get, Rescue Remedy proves to be extremely popular and you can easily find it at a local pharmacy in UK.

Its functions?
Rescue Remedy® has been used successfully on stressful days where we suffer from impatience, tension and pressure. It has also been used successfully with children to stop a tantrum, before a speech or job interview. Rescue Remedy® helps us relax, get focused and get the needed calmness.

Its endorsees?
Jay McCarrol, the winner of the reality TV show Project Runway, used Rescue Remedy® on the show's grand finale. Jennifer Anniston says it keeps her cool under pressure. Cate Blanchett swears by it, and Salma Hayek has been a fan for years. Source: http://www.bachflower.com/

What do I think?
I kept a bottle handy at all times during the exam season and the effect was soothing. I wouldn't say that it works for everyone and this is why...

As my housemate said, the effect was probably more psychological than physical. The bottle of Rescue Remedy took the place of my "sanctuary" when I got stressed up. With one or two drops of Bach flower diluted with brandy, I inhaled properly and imagined all the goodness it did to my body. Result: I got out of my manic final exams alive.

That said, I really want to believe that the cure to human problems (stress, loss of a beloved person, loneliness etc) can be found in nature. The best medicine to cure emotions come from natural surroundings.

How much do you buy this flower story? Share here!

The Picture of Dorian Gray

I uploaded this picture at its original size for the first time although I have no idea who this picture belongs to apart from finding it here. I am not really the reading kind, I usually read only when it's well recommended or has something to do with me at that time.

On what it is about, I shall tell you very briefly without trying to ruin Oscar Wilde's story. Dorian Gray is youthful, naive, confident man etc who had a portrait done of him. He resented aging and as a result, the portrait grew old and showed the real him, while he remained as youthful as he was...... (The one line summary, without spoilers)

It is a total drama from start til end (with not-too-difficult-language) but there are some beautiful phrases in this book.

"Don't squander the gold of your days, listening to the tedious, trying to improve the hopeless of failure, or giving away your life to the ignorant, the common and the vulgar. These are sickly aims, the false ideals of our age. Live! Live the wonderful life that is in you! Let nothing be lost upon you. Be always searching for new sensations. Be afraid of nothing... " Ironically, it is quoted by antagonist in my point of view, Harry.

The genetically- modified suicide

Did I catch your attention?

Well, apparently according to the surveys, genetically modified foods are consumed everyday. The way it was phrased "GENETICALLY MODIFIED" aka GM does not alarm us, but it might just raise a few eyebrows among the you's.

What is genetically modified food?
Taken from wikipedia: Genetically modified (GM) foods are food items that have had their DNA through genetic engineering. In plain words, a gene or two are added into plants to enhance their chances of surviving etc, e.g. SOYA BEAN could prevent heart disease (Telegraph). If nothing is being introduced to stop GM food, this (below) is going to happen.
Picture courtesy of keropok.com

Benefits (from csa.com):
1. Pest and Herbicide resistance, Temperature, PH, drought, etc- tolerant. The bad weeds die + the crops stay alive = Super Crops
2. Nutrition. Normal crops such as rice are inserted with extra vitamins and all the goodness, therefore provides an all-in-one solution in developing countries.
Imagine replacing all the nutrients above with rice and only rice.
3. Easier to produce medicine. Scientists can grow GM crops to extract medicines.


This is why you should be concerned:
1. Harm to other organisms. Pollen from B.t. corn could be involved in the "mass-killing" of monarch butterfly caterpillars.

2. Producing superweeds. Genes from GM could interbreed with normal weeds causing immunity to "everything", thus, superweeds. Watch the Happening for a full blown exaggeration of the picture.

3. Does not benefit farmers. The suicide gene has been introduced in some crops, therefore farmers will have to buy seeds all the time from the big companies. Other examples, when Golden cotton (resistant to bollworms) are grown all at once, it reduces biodiversity in the farms and resulting in less space for personal food cultivation. As a result, big companies dominate farmers by increasing the prices of seeds etc every year.

4. Unknown effects to human health. Everything might be alright or you might end up having intestinal problems like the rats which were tested, which also happen to cancel out Benefits 2 and 3 above.

Does it feel like something is very wrong? For more people on my side, read/listen to what Prince Charles said, who has been called off for not providing substantial evidences to his claim.

Unfortunately, I happen to conclude the same: "A gigantic experiment I think with nature and the whole of humanity which has gone seriously wrong."

PS: I wanted to provide some names of companies that are using GM food extensively in derivatives etc but I need more statistics. Help me if you can!

The Cheapest Flights on Earth

I think Air Asia is doing really well, in terms of customer satisfaction etc, and it really really performs at par/ above par some of the top budget airlines in Europe. I can tell you that because I used to be one of those who wait for 12 midnight to buy online Easyjet/ Ryanair ticket. As you might have guessed, I admire AIRASIAAAAAA and Tony Fernandez' guts to set it up! But well done, thanks to you, With 200RM I can fly from Penang to Bangkok to satisfy my yearly quotient of travelling but also add more eco foot print (= bad eco karma).


Back to the topic, I do not know of any cheaper flight apart from this deal. During the months of November (when it is getting cold, students are studying and people are working), it is low season time and the best time for FREE FLIGHTS TO BE ISSUED!

WHAT?! FREE?!

I'm sure there's some kind of catch, is it a buy1free1 or pay taxes no fare?

Uh uh.

It is FREE. If you consider RM0.07 not close to "free", then I wouldn't know what to say anymore. Ryanair is one of the biggest (if not the biggest budget airline) and they give out certain routes for free. Thanks to their promotional gimmick, I have flown to Porto in Portugal from Bristol (and return) for Rm0.14!


The flight was good, I wasnt discriminated for paying 14 cents, but I did have to wake up REAALYYYY early in the morning to catch it.

Good deal, anyone?

How toilets can get an NGO status

Let us take a reality check on Malaysian toilets. I will have to say that apart from China, we are second to none (countries that are at the same development pace as Malaysia) in terms of toilet hygiene. I do think however that it is improving by centimetres over the years, but the stench from the public toilets at mega shopping malls can still get unbearable.

We however have not faced the worst. One man has decided to do something about the kids, women, men, everyone, peeing in the streets, doing their business in the bushes....... But HOW?!

The government isn't going to fund you. Unless you belong into the category where you earn 5 figure USD, you wont have the money to build mobile toilets...

But this is Otunfa Gadaffi's story... On how he feels passionate about hygienic toilets, employing janitors to give them jobs and hygiene of his people on the whole. Therefore, His Shit Business just turned Real in The Developing World!


Adapted from DMT Toilets Website, an excerpt of his 10 commandments on Why Shit Business is Serious Business.

1. It is our core business and source of revenue
2. It is a business that must be done, we have chosen to do it with all dignity
3. It is a necessity of life that people must "Shit"
4. We employ modern technology in evacuation and disposal of "Shit"
5. Not many people can face up to other people's "Shit"
6. We smell the money, not the "Shit"
7. We help maintain a cleaner and sustainable environment
8. Sanitation, Environmental & Hygiene issues are serious issues that deserves serious attention
9. We create jobs and wealth through "Shit business"
10. We don't discriminate against any "Shit" regardless of race, sex, religion, language, creed, distance and location.

Have a great NGO idea? Share them HERE!

The Have-fun-do-good blog

There is one thing I believe in, and that is I believe that everyone has the potential to do what she/ he wants. However, whether that potential will turn into reality or not depends on a lot of factors, what do you think?

For start,I have been following http://havefundogood.blogspot.com/ and she seems like a very ordinary lady, but who knows how many lives has she touched upon! The things I like about her include she gives free tips on her blog (which are useful!), is a fellow "positive change agent" whom I also aspire to be, and is uber friendly! I also like how indispensable her advice is and how she is a self starter to create the organisation today.


Her tagline: A blog for people who want to make the world a better place AND have fun!

I chose to feature her although there are lots of social consultants because: her messages are simple, easy to follow and committed. Plus I really like her tagline!

The upcoming fashion: EVERYTHING ORGANIC

In the US, Organic Clothes are already a Big Hit. This is One of the many websites I flipped on and saw the Eco Chick. I figured it will land sooner or later in Malaysia with a huge KA BOOM.

How would you like your latest handbag to be made out of aluminium cans? And you are not going to be the only one wearing it, it will be on the next TopShop aisles! (The product above is by Ecoist)

At the same time, I tried to do some research on emmagem because I believe in Malaysian products! And guess what I found...

Organic Cloth Pads
Retailing at 30RM-ish for one, and u can wear and re wash every time, I think you might be able to save a lot of money! Shall I get one? At least if nothing happens to me, the rest of you can consider buying it.... I do not get any commission for promoting it, but I do like the WWF- feel to the website...




Do you truly know what it means to be organic? Share here!

It's a new day in November......

I was previously blogging only about myself.. and I think some of you might have taken this to be one of those personal blogs. I have also written this far, highlighting what I have done prior to university years because I find it frustrating unable to find out how bloggers made it that far in their lives and I want you to know why I chose to blog this.

YES this blog is most personal to me indeed, but it is also a collection of opportunities and people whom I admire for what they do. I write about them, and I hope you will be as inspired by them as I am.

Small introduction: Little things that change your lives

To begin, what is the one event of your life that changed your life to the largest degree up til now?

I invite you to share it with me at cathching@hotmail.com and I promise all emails will be kept anonymous so as long as you want it to be....

Have you ever seen turtles?

Have you got a couple of weeks to spare and you dont know what to do? Well, two weeks is enough for you to get to Malaysia and check out the SEATRU program. From what I understand, Malaysians now pay RM200, board and food inclusive. Foreigners pay USD 150-200 depending on student Status.

All of this for....

1. A private island get away in Redang itself, dreamy starry nights ..... (I actually mean it, the public cannot get access to where turtles lay eggs, that is why it is called a turtle sanctuary)

2. The opportunity to sun bathe and swim with the sharks, explore the jungle, watch hermit crabs.

3. Turtle tagging, learn about conservation efforts but more importantly, save these cute little hatchlings from predators such as lizards and sharks and what not! These are hatchlings that have just survived their first test of growing up, crawling 1 metre plus out of their nest.


I will never forget what an adult turtle's breathing sounds like. It was totally human like and a turtle is huge!!!!! But Ill leave it to you to find out.
Those little piggies in the bath tub: "If you enjoy sunbathing, you'd enjoy our company. See you later mate!"

Smell the roses

Have you ever taken a moment to appreciate where you are and what you are doing now?

I can tell you that my beautiful pictures are always when I am happy ........


and usually in Malaysia....

Balik Kampung

When I was there... something that really moved me in many ways. As a Western Malaysian, I have been to many countries out of Malaysia, to stretch as far as Italy, but I have never been to Sabah. And Sabah is a real darling (even to a person who is allergic to the word "exercise")...

I witnessed kids who go to school with no school uniform because they simply cannot afford it, walk for about 6 hours to get to school from Banjaran Crocker, live without a single highway/ road for a few km in sight, it was overwhelming! Thanks to that, you get kids who gawk at you because you are one of the few hundreds of people that they see every year who do not belong in their village. (Think about it,how many people do you see out of your neighbourhood per year?)

This is my third phase, the community phase! And I probably did quite well getting close to the local Sabahans. We taught English, built boats together, had our baths in the yellow/ brown river of Kinabatangan... and our duty was to clean the lake! Do you even know what it means?

1. A lot of teamwork. You get into mud, you get out of mud.

2. (Usually) The men get into the bog in the water and use a parang (long sword) to chop the "weeds" into some nice pieces.

3. The girls will usually stay on land and help coordinate ropes and the net. Ahoy!

We were pretty pleased with the end result, unfortunately I do not have pictures. Imagine a field of weed as BEFORE and a lake as an AFTER.

Leech notes!
There are buffalo lice in the water (they swim around, YES YES YES!) and like the name suggests, they are super suckers! The yucky part is that they tend to target warm areas of the body... so you know.... its either in your socks or underwear!



The good part is that I've read recently that this buffalo leech is used for medicinal properties, transferring blood and what not during plastic surgeries in hard to get areas such as the ears. There is a market for lice and you can actually breed and sell them like chicken!

Alpha 1! Alpha 2!

Testing survival in the jungle is an uphill task, especially for someone like me because of my allergy to the word exercise *Atchoo* My favourite time was probably MEAL TIME!! This was taken when we were at the scuba diving centre.... You even get a license, talk about a productive gap year!

When we were on that island, life wasn't just always scuba diving and no work. On the OTHER side of the beautiful island with coconut trees and beautiful water, was a very dirty beach called Gaya Beach. I will never forget the name of that beach because I will never forget how 3 hours of picking up rubbish at the beach breaks your back.

However when we get to the beautiful side of that island, it's play time!!!
I honestly do not remember much from this phase except watching Rahim (Sabahan) climb up REALLY REALLY high coconut trees.... a tiny insect bite swelling up to the size of 1cm disabling my whole leg.... plus napping at noon..... or playing with water (I'm almost allergic to sea water btw)

This was also the phase we conquered Mount Kinabalu but I cant seem to find any photos atm. BRB

3 months in the jungle

After my A Levels, I also went on a Raleigh expedition. It was not just an opportunity to get away from Penang, it was THREE MONTHS AWAY from Malaysia! Anyway, I did 2 months + of fundraising, working at a Japanese restaurant... if you are trying to imagine me all cute in kimono and stuff.....

In my first jungle experience, we were cutting down some of the forest wood, to build a strategic walkway so that students and visitors can learn more about the different species of everything in that jungle. As mini as it is, it probably occupied 40k square feet? It was hard work, imagine the hot sun ...... girls and boys having fun shovelling......
Btw, the mugs do not contain alcohol.

After a hard day's work, we usually plunge into the river nearby.... oh and btw we were at the Danum Conservation Centre at Sabah (but I got to see no orang utans, I saw the shadow of the orang utan though...)
A lot of things happened then, love blossomed among few of us.... And we have this nightly ritual to give a train back massage. Some people found the space to bring guitars but you need to make noise when you are living close to wild boars. We eat oats for breakfast and canned food, most of the time.

The most exciting part of Phase I was probably....

I didnt hurt myself doing that, and I was not a masochist ... those are LEECH BITES!!! Talk about having 20 on your legs after a 4 hour jungle walk. I got a fever that night (from the shock)....

Glossary: Pau = Big, Round, White dumpling

How It All Ended

The end result, I did get to know some really bello Italian guys....

But I also gained 8 KG in 2 months! ! ! !


Look at my pathetically small eyes, what a joke! Don't think my face as ever been as "pau" as this! I really dont know how many pau's make up 8kg.....

The next ambitious trip : Parlo Italiano o hablo Espanol?

How it All Began

It was a fateful morning during my school assembly when the usual rattle rattle bla bla bla ....
The AFS (American Field Service- sounded like National Service) would like to know if there is any student who is interested in school exchange program, please come and see me after the morning assembly.
That woke me up immediately! YES! ME! ME! ME!

It took some application, interview, but trust me, those steps were really easy as compared to convincing my parents to unleash me for Italy, 2 months after the 9/11 event.....

I was enrolled in a small school in a small town called Benevento (Thank goodness I had W.P. from Penang to be with me). It was overall a fun experience, the locals stare at you because you are Chinese and your foster family doesn't speak any English.
I hate for this to look really cheesy, I think I would have done well advertising for AFS with this photo but these are MS, my foster sister plus Mattia, a friend whom I'm still in touch with until today.


School was so cool in Italy though. You can eat when the teachers are teaching, you can run around classes, not do homework, chew bubble gums and make lots of noise! And there are the days when you don't have to attend school because it's a "School Strike". *smirk*



I know I should upload some photos of pastas, but I found Rome on a day trip so much more mesmerising. This is Piazza di Spagna where lots of international models come parade their bodies at the beauty pageants. CHECK, big names like Gucci and Prada are just a trot away.

The first trip is the most memorable ....

I was a Girl Guide when I was in Secondary School. Back in Penang perhaps there was not much to do and Girl Guide was the best way to BOND with your friends, schoolmates, etc. Not the most obvious choice but those years were the building blocks of AiChingNess.

And so, my first trip (without my parents) was sponsored by cookie-selling-fundraising (of course it is an exaggeration, cookies back then never sponsored a return flight to Korea) From presenting a dreadful dance in front of 1000 spectators including the late Korean Prime Minister himself, to watching your S**t fall ten metres in the traditional Korean loo...


just when you thought it couldn't get any worse than Malaysian toilets... IT DOES!
I minimised the picture on purpose, so do not click on it because you really dont want to know what's 10 metres beneath that hole.