thoughts on semester 4 so far

1. Surprisingly, this semester our allowance came in earlier than we expected.

2. I still haven't decide which school to go for my final SBE.

3. I'm waiting for the day when the air-con will be fixed.

4. Funny how much stress is put on the importance of a conducive classroom, yet sometimes we find ourselves crammed in an unfitting space.

5. Cambodia? Would love to see it happen!

6. New tender for cafe needs to happen ASAP

7. I miss Sir Shekar & Mdm. Carmilla teaching us

8. Constant fear of having the other class' lecturer instead, for that certain subject lol

9. New juniors in our dorm. Finally seeing the 2nd floor light up again.

10.  Gala Night / Farewell party is in the process of planning for the TESLian family since our seniors would be leaving soon. So far people are showing 50/50 enthusiasm. 

11. RPH for assignments. yay.

12. I miss calling my father to talk about what's going on here. I really do.

Ramadhan Bazaar | Nasi Kerabu Ayam

Some time during the first week of Ramadhan, I had my first nasi kerabu for sungkai. And I swear it tasted divine even if I didn't have it on a proper plate in a fancy restaurant. My first choice,though, was not the nasi kerabu. The stall, Gerai Makan Lapuasa , in Balung Bazaar that was selling nasi kerabu was also selling nasi lalap ayam madu which Echa and I both had our eyes on but I chose the nasi kerabu ayam at last because the blue rice looked inviting.

No regrets I tell you.

The Nasi Kerabu Ayam was neatly covered and separated inside which is a thumbs-up because you know the person who made this was thorough and careful. Other than that, it makes the food lasts longer.

The kuah sambal tumis is really something special. It's one of those kuah you can eat with plain rice alone; it is that mouth-watering. The sambal cili and sambal ikan compliments the whole meal as well. 

The ulam-ulaman which consists of kacang panjang, cabbage, taugeh, and bunga kantan added the extra flavorsome crunch.

If I were to pick between this and the usual nasi ayam lalap; I would definitely pick this.

However, I couldn't find the stall that sells this nasi kerabu the next time I went to the bazaar. I'm convinced that everything has been bought and we came too late. I hope I get a second dose of this very appetizing Nasi Kerabu Ayam before Ramadhan ends :)

UPDATE:
The evening after I posted this I had the chance to drop by at the bazaar and I immediately went to find Gerai Makan Lapuasa. As predicted, all the nasi kerabu was sold out but I had the chance to talk to the makcik who runs the stall. She was kind enough to give me her number so either me or any of my friends can reserve her nasi kerabu before it finishes again. So nice of her :)

Food Review : Restoran Balikpapan Seafood,Tawau

I intended to post this review some time after the previous food review but something came up so I had to step away from blogging for a couple of months to get the blogging spirit back. I might not recall the correct name of the dishes/drinks since my memory has fogged up a bit. 

***

I came to eat lunch here at random actually. Didn't have any exact places where I wanted to eat but it turns out to be a decent dining experience. 

Es Jakarta. 

Before ordering this, I don't know how it was supposed to look or taste like but the name sounds so inviting I had to find out. It tasted no differently than other ABC but the toppings certainly made a difference. Its a good idea to have plain water on the side because the sweetness might be too much for some people.

ABC Pulut Cendol (name may not be correct lol)

The pulut gave an interesting taste to this dessert which makes it delicious. I recommend this for first-timers to the restaurant especially if you enjoy pulut. 

Ayam Masak Merah.

Not exactly the kind of ayam masak merah that I had in mind but it was good.

Ikan Bahulu (boneless)

Delicious. Especially with lime drizzled on top. Order this individually because sharing might not be enough cos its that good haha

The restaurant is a humble place. Nothing fancy schmancy but their food speaks for their reputation. 

You can find this restaurant on a commercial area at Jalan Budi (in between Jalan Kuhara, if you're coming from the main traffic lights at Jalan Sin Onn-Apas and Jalan St Patrick, if you're coming from the Fajar Complex).

Since its Ramadhan, I think this would be one of the nice places to break fast with friends.

Oh and with that,

Happy fasting to all my Muslim friends :)

Food review: Indo-Taste Restaurant, Fajar

I should at least do one food/restaurant review here in Tawau. I don't think I've done a proper one before since most food posts are updated straight on my Instagram.

Where I dined:

The second Indo-Taste Restaurant branch at Fajar (same row as Maxis Center). Recently opened  on October last year.

The interior and decoration of the restaurant; a nice contrast to its other branch near Giant Tawau. A very comfortable place to dine in with friends or to hangout alone since it is quite spacious and there are plenty of sockets around (to charge whatever devices you lug around). Its a non-smoking restaurant since the place is indoors and air-conditioned. 

Nasi Ayam Penyet.

They serve a variety of Indonesian dishes but I opted for this instead since you can never go wrong with Nasi Ayam Penyet especially when dining at unfamiliar restaurants. 

Avocado sago

It tasted different (milkier maybe, if that's a word)  compared to Indo Cafe's version of this. Maybe it has something to do with the chocolate syrup and chocolate chips but its yummy, nevertheless.

The prices are standard, still in the not-too-pricey range (pricey is what you get at L.A Rooftop). The service is okay, didn't take too long to wait. My first time dining there had been a pleasant experience so far. Indo-Taste's food never fails to be appetizing, this includes my experience dining at the first branch where I ate the best Nasi Ayam Cendawan, in my opinion.

Maybe more food review soon (stress on maybe), since its such a pity to not blog about the food where you can't find its competition at your own hometown.

***

Dental Technology Training offer

During the 2 week holiday, I got a surprise when my mom gave me this letter. 

Turns out I'm still receiving offer from SPA.

This letter sparks that train of I-could've-have-been thoughts since this was the same course that I got when I applied in SPA after I finished my SPM.

Imagine that instead of going to Tawau, I would be experiencing life in Penang (since the only training centre specializing in this course is at that particular state).

I would be getting a monthly allowance of RM835 for 3 years instead of struggling to budget one semester's allowance until the end of my degree.

Not that I'm ungrateful, but knowing how the struggle is and looking at the constant changes in the field that I'm currently studying makes me think that there's something else out there that I could be pursuing.

I feel blessed because of the people I got to know for the few years that I have been here

but at the same time, all the things that I love became the things I can't bear.

For example, this semester I thought I'd be happy learning about Visual Arts, but the opposite happens. 

Stop.

I shouldn't go too far

(because our obedience is worth thousands,no kidding)

Now you have a hint that I feel there's something more to this that I could (and supposed to) be experiencing.
Anyway, my interview is going to take place by the end of the month but I can't attend it, like it or not, because I'm already bound to a contract.
But thank you,SPA, for letting me have the chance even though I have to reject it.
I wouldn't mind getting more offers just to see what I can get.

School Based Experience III

Recently, I went to SK Puun Tunoh for my 3rd SBE. I'm not sure whether everyone has heard of this school because it is situated  far from Kota Kinabalu. Think hills and paddy fields; that kind of rural. There were only 4 of us ; three (2 of them happened to be my secondary schoolmates) from IPG Keningau and then there's me. We went there for a week but I only managed to take decent pictures using a proper camera on the last day we were there.

Somewhere not far from the school ground. The view of paddy fields and distant hills is pretty amazing but I can't imagine the heat one has to endure when taking the shortcut here.

Is it me or there's an eerie charm to old,abandoned buildings? I couldn't resist to take pictures of this abandoned teacher's quarters. I do hope that the school would demolish this building because the space that it takes could be a lot more useful for new classrooms or parking lot. Not to mention the safety hazards will be eliminated.

The view from the school on top of the hill. The panorama is breathtaking from here. If you drive along the Jalan Pintas Penampang, you can spot this school from afar.

Preschool kids. There's always that one kid that has to stare.

"Psst, I heard she called you an ass." "What!"

- An imaginary conversation

You do not know how amused I was when I saw these at the preschool.

Among all the classes that I could have had as class relief, I was given PJ classes to handle (once alone, the other times were thankfully, with my friends). That one time when I was on my own, I brought these Year 5 kids to the field and the boys and girls fought about who gets to used the field since the boys wanted the whole field to themselves to play soccer while the girls needed space to play netball. Thankfully, I managed to let both use the field without having them hate me (I think.)

My angels :) They are so good in terms of proficiency and participation. The little girl in glasses, Aishah, is a good singer. She's the first one that caught my attention when she sang "Let It Go"  for an audition in the school. I found out that she's a mix of Dutch and Bajau after asking one of the teachers 

there. 

I also met her older brother, Hakim, who is in Year 5. Eurasian genes mannn, definitely going to be future eye-candy with that.

A side job for a week at the school.

****

There goes the 2nd update for 2014. I'm on a roll, yes it's slow, but an improvement nevertheless. 

More to come (hopefully).

confessions, lies and half truths

As a comeback for 2014, I made a new header/banner for my blog (and a few other minor changes). No more "blog rabak" for 2014. Felt like forever to finish it but I could say I'm pretty satisfied with the outcome. A better quality than the last header since I used Photoshop CS6 this time rather than Photoscape (it looks less tacky,right).

I still feel the need to change something though. It doesn't reach the same standard as Reese's blog which I  outrageously set for myself and I have so much yet to learn.

So this is AGAIN another attempt in trying to revive that blogging spirit back. Wish me luck that it will last longer.

//TOPIC MIX

As you probably have noticed, I stopped doing the July blog challenge. I didn't even get past challenge #15 which is such a shame because I made the challenge myself. I was caught up in a lot of things (trip,movie nights and assignment) and when I had the time,the wifi threw a tantrum by going at the speed of a tortoise.

So I came to a conclusion that I am not good with being tied to conditions ( and deadlines ) when it comes to writing and blogging. I'll just post according to my whim and convenience from now on. Cos its not like I have followers that demand for regular updates anyway. Ha.

BUT

here's another blog topic mix to blog about. 

There aren't any deadlines this time. No fixed days on when you should post it. Originally from here and the images below are designed by her.

You would probably love this if you're a music junky (like me).

so knock yourself out :)

Something I thought I wouldn't have done in years I did it anyways

Banana-boating

Went to Sapi Island on Valentine's Day with my high school friends and one of the activities we did was banana-boating. Hesitated at first because the thought of being thrown in the middle of the sea scared  me but I went on with the plan since everyone was down with the decision (and we had life jackets). It was one of the most exhilarating experiences in my life and we actually begged for another round. Can't wait to go banana-boating again :D

Five weird things that I like

1. Horror mangas

I don't know since when I started reading horror manga but my addiction reached it's peak during the long holidays circa late 2010. I share this hobby with my bestfriend and we would always give our ratings on how creepy the manga is or imagine how we would react if the same thing in the horror manga happens to us. My favourite author is Junji Ito. I rarely get to open any manga sites these days at campus due to slow Internet.

2. Eating a burger piece by piece

You would see me more often eating a burger piece by piece than seeing me eat it as a whole. I feel more sated and full when I eat a burger like that. Plus, it is less messy cos you have less chances of sauce or mayo to get smeared on you face.

3. Walking barefoot around dorm corridors 

It has become a habit for me to walk barefoot and even leave my flip flops in front of the room that I visited while I return to my room,completely oblivious about it. I only realize that when I need to use my flip flops again. People are usually baffled to see me in my own room when they have passed a room with my flip flops still outside another friend's room.

4. Biting or peeling my dry lips

It is bad and it hurts but there's something satisfying having baby soft lips after gnawing away the dead tissue on my dry lips.

5. Smile for no reason
Wewen explained that I always do this when Archeng became paranoid and asked everyone cos I unconsciously smiled at her for the longest time. I guess it creeps people out cos they expect that I have something that I wanna tell them but turns out I don't. 

Somewhere I'd like to visit (or stay hehe)

Japan.

Always has been one of my dreams to visit that country just like Nicole because our reasons are exactly the same. (Refer to her post here)

I've been following this Indonesian blogger / student who is studying at Japan , for more than a year now. Her life in Japan never fails to make me feel envious of her opportunity to be able to live there.

I always imagined  how my life would be like in her shoes and wonder how it feels like
to see people wear kimono/yukata any time of the year and not feel like they only put it on for a festival or for a certain occasion..
to recognize Japanese landmarks by heart without having to refer to Google Maps..
to buzz around the streets of Tokyo and not feel like a tourist..
to dine Japanese food on a daily basis instead of  just eating them for the sake of trying it out before going back home..
to actually say I lived in Japan instead of just I've been to Japan.

I think all that is impossible so a vacation is good enough for me.
That's better than not going there at all,no? :)

A quote I have lived by

To be honest, I never had a certain or particular quote that I  have lived by.

I've read so much quotes, sources ranging from books, movies, the Internet and even celebrities that it doesn't feel right to be bound by just one. I like to have my quotes vary for every situation that I face. It's like having advices you can switch from one quote to another.

But if there's something about some of the quotes that I have read all my life, it's probably about to not give up on anything I do.

Something that I miss

I miss spending time with my grandmother. 

I realized I haven't visited her as frequently as I should ever since I stayed far away from home. 

It sucks now that she is no longer staying at the place where I have many fond memories of her.

I'm scared that one day her Alzheimer's will take a full affect on her.

I'm scared in the end the only detail she remembers about me is my name.

I'm scared when everything is too late for me to be with her.  

I pray that God looks after her for me.

P.S  I apologize if this is more of someone that I miss instead of something that I miss. 

Something that I'm proud of

It's hard to write this blog challenge without making me feel vain but then what are achievements if you don't get to talk about them once in awhile.

Anyways, last semester we had Cambridge Placement Test and to be honest, I did not expect my result to be good since I got confused during the test and I was not really feeling positive since my semester 1 result was not something I got to brag about despite the gratefulness of being able to pass it.

That's why it felt surreal when Doctor Bridget revealed that there were only 4 of us among the TESL batch who managed to get the highest grade for the test. 

For once,there was something to feel good about (academic-wise)

but

the time to bask in that achievement was cut short because we were told that there will be another new test for us to go through and it sounded like a really big deal since it will "affect the time of study in the institution".

I hope I'll be able to achieve more things, academically or not, in the future :) 

My zodiac

Birthdate: 12th August 1993

Zodiac: Leo

Element: Fire

Gemstone: Amber

Key planet: Sun

For personality,I decided to use pictures from this site instead since I really enjoyed reading how the site describes horoscopes in a visually stimulating way.

I'm putting Pisces as well since that sign is kind of like a secondary zodiac or a zodiac for my alter ego lol (like I said in 20 facts about me)

Five guys whom I find attractive

Updated due to Echa's complain that I'm not doing the challenge right because no.5 (guys who are friendly and funny) is general and not specific

1. Jensen Ackles

2. Pewdiepie

3. Francisco Lachowski

4. Johnny Depp

5. Him :)

I'm 3 blog challenges late due to some events and bad wifi line so all my overdue blog challenges will be brief like this one.