It's My Life ...

I will switch on the TV - tuning in to the Italia MTV channel, by default - once I step into my residence unit. The noise adds a little atmosphere - to indicate some human existance - despite the silence, cold & stagnant vicinity.

Despite its released years ago, Bon Jovi's "It's My Life" MTV was aired out frequently on the channel this few days. Probably due to the fact that MTV provides an additional media for human's sensory i.e. graphical visualisation, as to compare to listening to the song over the radio, and undeniably the message sent out through the MTV clip i.e. the revival spirit of youths today to live their life in their own way, still burried in my mind until this very day.

I think I am fortunate to live a life as of how I want it to be. Prior to that, I owe my gratitude to both my parents having to bring me up to learn to be discipline, independent and assist me to know myself better each day.

I remembered my 1st year in college, where I stayed away from home for the very first time - living under the same roof with my 2nd elder brother, who is a lot of a strict fatherly figure to me than of a brother:P He once uttered the following to me when I want him to call my father to come (20 minutes drive) to take me home as I was terribly sick despite his friend offering to sent me to the nearby clinic:

"How can you prove to parents that you are independent to live on your own feet when you can't even take care of yourself?"

He has definitely make a strong statement; until this day, I can still remember every single word! (I think I need to add him in my thank-you list too:P) I certainly took his words seriously and started to think of what a person I want to be and what a life I want to live.

I am blessed that along the way, I met wonderful people who assist me - in their own unique way - to discover more about myself (especially, identifying my strength & weaknesses) in order to know what I want at different stages in life. Not forgetting Him who is always watching over me:D

One of my Sunday school teacher once taught us:

Hand your life to Him, and you will see that He makes wonders with it!

I hesitated when I heard this, since I am a person who is of little faith of myself, so not to mention about having faith in others:P But, unwittingly, I will always keep it in my prayers during the times when I am doubtful of the decisions I make in life which comes with unforeseen possibilities.

Even to my own surprise, indeed He does has His way of 'making wonders' with it, which very often gives people a false impression that I know what I want in life and how to get it:O

I realized that I maybe the one who has the will power to make decision - by putting it into action - on what I want in life. While He will always be the one who pave my way in life:D

Nostalgic Memories ...

I dreamt of being back in Penang island - the place I spent the past 1+ year - in my sleep last night. Those joyful memories still continued to linger despite me not being physically present there.

How much I longed to visit the Teluk Bahang's man-made dam again! The following is a recollection of the memorable trip:

As I am not much of an adventurous person, a kindhearted Penangnite took me on a driving course along Batu Feringgi's narrow & tortuous road - undulating up and down, winding in and out of the natural curves of the north shore of Penang island - and weaves our way up to the dam. As I recall, the day was windy & with grey cloudy sky above - an indication that it will rain soon - but with vivid rays of sunlight still in view.

From the security house located at the entry point, I stood - rooted to the spoot - and gazed at the broad view of the surroundings that the nature has to offer. I was fascinated by the untouched mountains' greenary which surrounds the gigantic man-made dam. It is certainly an ideal place to clear our mind off the hustle and bustle of our daily life and let our thoughts soar!

As I walked along the straight stretch of nicely paved path, the panoramic view of the mammoth dam instantly reflects the contrast of how tiny & insignificant I was despite the fact of being one of the most unique creation of God. The thought makes me realized that I should learn to share and enjoy life and not be calculative and self-centered. It has certainly open up my view into something which I have not discover before!

Crank calls?

God knows that I feel so sleepy now :( I was awake by crank calls from unknown SGP numbers (I noticed that the first 5 numbers are the same) for two consecutive nights at around the same time i.e. 3:3X a.m.! I managed to answer one of the call today, with an unconscious mind i.e. half asleep & half awake condition. It was a male voice - speaking in English on the other end. Before I can barely figure out what he is saying, I told him that he had dialled the wrong number & I hang up!

Since I was wide awake then, I called the specific number i.e. the number I had received the call from with the purpose of finding out who that person is and what is the person's purpose of calling. However, no one pick up after a few times of trying. I wonder ...

The Confessions of Max Tivoli Me ...

Yesterday I was so determined to finish reading the last 10+ pages of the science fiction novel entitled "The Confessions of Max Tivoli", I make myself a cup of hot + strong + concentrated cup of coffee to avoid falling into the sleeping spell:P Indeed, I did managed to finish the last page, at last!

After putting away the book, it was almost 12am then, as I closed my eyes, I found my mind wide awake:O Oh no! That cup of coffee really did went up to my brain:S As my thoughts still linger over the book I have just finished reading, I was pondering on the crucial sentiment of the book: an infant living inside an aged body and progressing to an elderly living inside a toddler's body.

It reminds me of my childhood years, growing up with 2 elder brothers, which make me behave more like a guy than of a girl:)) I remember, everyday, I will invite my eldest brother for a 'daily-must-have-boxing-match' and my 2nd elder brother - as always - will be standing by the side to be our referee:P

People who were newly introduced to us often mistaken me as elder sister to my 2nd elder brother, as I have a larger body structure:P Even my mother used to say that God has probably physically mismatched us=)) Until this very day, I still think that I am a male living inside a female body:">

Hibernate in Bed ...

As I recollect the images of autumn - quiet green palette of summer foliage transforming into the vivid autumn palette of reds, oranges, golds, and browns before the leaves fall off the trees. However fall has marked its presence even before summer 'retreated' last week.

Yesterday, I was 'hibernating' most of the day time - covered underneath few layers of blankets - gradually drifting off to sleep after a few minutes of reading:-S I thought that only animals hibernate during winter! Am I turning into an animal too when it is only fall now:O

I even went to the extend of making myself a cup of 2-in-1 Nescafe (with more creamer than coffee extract, I guess) to keep myself awake. Oh gosh! I still fall back to sleep like a PiGGie:P


I am trying to figure out what had cause the 'sleeping spell' which took over me subconsciously:-? Would it be because of me having low metabolism? Or the low temperature? Or I am just solely a sleepy head:))

By the way, I attended 'virtual' mass for the very 1st time i.e. via TV which live telecast the whole procession of a typical Sunday mass in Italian:P

Self-discovered Remedy!

As I was experiencing muscle aching on my right shoulder since last week, and I have been gooGLing for ways to relieve shoulder's muscle ache. My findings were massage & stretch technique to relax the aching muscle, hot/cold shoulder wrap and lots of other machine & devices on the market. But I have discover on my own - without actually realized it - the remedy to cure my shoulder's muscle ache:p My self-discovery process goes like this:

Last Tuesday, when I entered the bathroom to take a shower after returning from work, a sudden spark of an idea popped into my head i.e. why not try out the bath tub?

I filled the tub with warm water and I soaked myself in it. I felt pampered & relaxed by warmness of the pool of water. When I massage my shoulder's muscle, I felt that the muscle underneath the layer of my sholder's skin is as if releasing itself from stiffness:)


From that day onwards, I learn to enjoy the relaxation effect of warm water to our body muscle:D Today, my shoulder is almost 85% recovered from the aching!

I hope that by sharing this little discovery of mine might shade some light to whoever out here who is experiencing muscle ache like me:D

I catch a CoLd @ FLu?

The weather is getting cold - with more frequent cold breezes and increase in humidity - as summer is giving way to fall. I noticed people on the street are covered with an extra layer of warm clothing e.g. leather jacket, wool woven fabric, scarf around the neck.

I woke up a few times in the middle of the night yesterday due to the fact that my nose is blocked:( That is the usual symptom of the beginning of my so-called 'flu-inherited-from-my-mum' which runs among us i.e. me & my brothers & sisters. I cannot remember the last time my nose 'erupt', but it certainly will be a 'disaster' when it starts:S

Eventually, it did start when I woke up this morning! I have difficulty to inhale air through my nose and I started to sneeze:( That is when I recalled my eldest brother's everyday 'preventive-best-practice' - have a warm shower every morning. However, the morning cold sensation dismissed the idea right away. So, I put on the kettle to make myself a hot cup of tea & hope that it helps; at least a little:S

Surprisingly, probably due to the office's good air circulation, my nose did 'behave' - under control - throughout the day without 'erupting' i.e. continuos, heavy flow of nasal discharge which requires boxes of tissue and I will end up with runny & red nose! A few of my colleagues (probably heard my sneezing:P) who passed by ask me whether the drop of temperature has affected me & suggest that I visit a doctor if my condition worsen. Luckily I managed to carry on the day with periodic mild sneezes and itching & watery eyes;)

Miss ItaLia PaGeant

I have been following Miss Italia - LiVe on TV - ever since the semi-final started last Friday. It takes 4 full evenings to crown the 'ultimate one' out of 101 finalist. Guess what? The special guest for the final was Bruce Willis! It must be a long time since I last saw him on the media, although he is still with his bald head but he seems to look a little exhausted & aged quite a bit. The crowd seems to love him albeit the pauses between the language translation; for he do not understand nor speak Italian like me:P

Personally, I do not like watching beauty pageant, as I think that it focus mostly on exhibiting female's physical beauty (which I think I do not have much:P) e.g. in swimsuits, bikinis & thin-and-scarce-materials. Although the candidates are being tested on their knowledge & intelligence as well, where most of the questions being asked are pretty standard & repretitive ones. I bet all you guys out there must be pounding your fists on the table - objecting!

As Noel was asking me yesterday - "Have u manage to 'catch' an Italian boyfriend?":)) I doubt that I give people the impression that I go around 'catching' guys >:P I was telling him about the conclusion made by my housemate i.e. Italian guys ONLY have eyes for their own kind. Among the Europeans, undeniably Italian girls have the most distinct face's features e.g. a pair of deep & hazel eyes, long sculptured nose (not pointed until it looks like a hook!) and thin & translucent lips. I think you guys out there should visit Italy (at least once in your life) to see with your own eyes in order to believe:P

Moving out... Moving In...

Yesterday morning, I have moved out - with a heavy heart:( - from the company's apartment to the residence hotel, as my housemate had return to another company's office. This time, I would have a whole unit by myself:D

As I did not managed to observe - in detail - how my new 'habitat' looks when I moved my luggage in that morning & rushed off to office, upon my return from office yesterday evening I found that it was after all a nice place:P

Although I do miss my bedroom window view of overseeing the leaves of an oak tree, the boisterous parents sending their children off every morning to the kindergarten located directly opposite and the continuous roar of passing vehicles in front of the road, I think - from now onwards - I would appreciate some peace & space after returning from work in the evening;)

RaiNinG CaTs & DoGs - Part I

Every morning I will be waken to 'answer nature's call' at around 5 am due to low temperature at night. Then I will lazed around for a while (since I am already wide awake) before trying to drift back off to sleep. Last Saturday, I told my conscious that I will need more rest to recover from the shoulder pain - what a reason to give myself!. So I slept until 10:30 am:p

FYI, Saturday is a happenning day in Venezia, where most of the people will be swarming out to Shop! Shop! Shop! All shopping outlets (except eating outlets e.g. cafes & bars) will be closed on Sunday. On the contrary, Sunday is meant to be a holy day (or called Sabbath day, where they will visit the church) & family day (where they will relax at home, stroll in the park or piazza). Sunday is definitely a relaxation day for them. One can hardly see people walking on the street as if it is quite like a dead town!

According to my weekend plan, since I am on the lookout for a digital camera, I am to visit MediaWorld i.e. a large warehouse specialized in selling electronic & electrical appliances which is located in a wide, newly developed and deserted industry area.

~ For God knows why I had spent last Sunday's afternoon, which happened to be my birthday, walking underneath the blazing hot sun for about 3+ hours (to & fro) to check out the route to MediaWorld by muzzily tracing the direction illustrated on the map and also knowing that it will be closed on Sunday:O All thanks to one of local colleague who told me that I can't reach there by any commute! ~

With my on foot journey last Sunday, I had figured out that I can walk for 10 minutes from the apartment to the nearest bus stop and hoop on No. 3 bus to Auchan i.e. a large supermarket. From there I would need to walk around 200 km in order to arrive at MediaWorld. After all, my 'wild' adventure had reward me in some way!

The weather was at its best - with warm sun above my head:D While I waited for the bus, I called home as my youngest brother - David - is celebrating his 12 years old birthday in advance! Over the years, we have been celebrating for him at home, but this is the very 1st time that he is throwing a birthday party of his own i.e. invite his classmates & friends. He was quite upset by the fact that although he had invited 30 friends on his list & only 5 did turned up:( My mum was worried that her 3 big pots of friend mee hon will be ending up in the dustbin!

Shoulder pain :(

Getting up this morning, I noticed that I have developed a severe muscle ache on my right shoulder which I think it is due to my computing position i.e. I have not let my lower back to be fully pressed up against and supported by the back of the chair.

I am dreading to lay down on a comfortable sofa or bed now :((

2 weeks mark

As days goes by, it has been 2 weeks since I have been here. After all, as I mentioned previously, it was certainly a rushed take off, which left me with no time to research for prior knowledge about the people i.e.Italian whom I am going to mingle around with for 2 months:(

The very 1st Italian word that I learned was ciao which means both hello & goodbye. Later I realized that this word is commonly used as bye while communicating using online messaging tools! To my foolishness, I actually thought that Ciao Giorgia is a person's name while I was reading a cc email; which in actual fact means Hello Giorgia:p

From then onwards, I have make it a point to learn-a-word-a-day, as of carried out during assembly every morning back in secondary school's days;) Don't be surprised at all that I actually picked up most of the Italian wordings at PAM i.e. while shopping for grocery:p Below are some of the most common Italian words - until today - (which a few is very similiar to English) that I have learned:

• good morning = buon giorno


• thank you = gratzie


• excuse me = scusami


• wait a minute! = aspetta!


• how much is it? = quanto costa?


• then = allora


• hot = caldo


• cold = freddo


• salt = sale


• sugar = zucchero


• rabbit = coniglio
  (I nearly bought it as hamburger's meat slice:O As the texture was so similiar to of chicken!)


• chicken = pollo


• beef = bovino


• park = parco


• church = chiesa


• Saturday = Sabato

FYI, the locals i.e.Italians are genuine Italians, meaning that they only communicate in Italian! One can hardly find an Italian who understand nor speak English:( Thus, foreigner who needs to survive on this land will have to learn their language. As I find out later, children are taught English at 2nd year of primary school i.e. Standard 2. However they do not have the enviroment to practice it, since they converse wholly in Italian!

Personally, I don't think Italian is an easy language. That somehow explained why I went hunting for English novels last Saturday as I was craving for English materials. To my luck, I found this small corner i.e. at the bottom of the shelf at the one of the bookstore outlet (without seeking help from the sales people at the counter:p) which contained about 50+ English books only:( I ended up buying 2 although each cost € 10.50 i.e. about RM 50! Never in my life, I have spent that much to buy a novel:p

Take it slow...

Previously (when I spent the 1st night at the hotel located in central of Mestre) I have found 2 TV channels, namely BBC & CNN i.e. both news channels (as anyone can easily identify) which are broadcast in English. Ever since I have moved in to the company's apartment, I have found 1 particular channel that I tuned into very often i.e. channel 21 = All MuSiC which airs MTV 24 hours around the clock;)

This morning while I am having my breakfast - sitted in front of the TV, after watching the local news channel & switch to channel 21 - this particular MTV's chorus which is repeating itself caught my attention! As I faintly recall, it sounds something like:

we will take it slow... take it slow...
we are just ordinary people...

At the bottom of the TV screen shows that the song title: Ordinary People & I happened to forget the artist's name. So, I went online to check it out & I found the song's lyric ! To my astonishment, I did not know that the song is related to male-female relationship:))

Ever since my mother had once pointed out to me that I should learn to control and manage my emotion wisely, having noticed that I have this vast emotional fluctuation at a certain period of time.

When I am high-spirited or excited about something, I tend to give my way all-in i.e. to be absorbed within the atmosphere and can't seems to have enough of it! E.g. when my mind clicks onto something that catch my attention at that particular moment, I have the tendency of being agressive (over, sometimes:p) and extensively contented in approaching & extracting the gist out of it.

Contrastively, when I am occupied with thoughts, my mind will start to think of the wild possibilities that subsequently lead to a whole lots of negative perspectives:( With people, I can be so warm, friendly & easy-going when I am in a good mood, but on the other end I can be so cold & expressionless when I want to be left alone;(

Thus, I think that I do need to learn - to take it slow & relax as I am just any other ordinary person!

My Birthday?

When I was watching Serendipity on TV (FYI, the movie was totally in Italian except for the background songs; luckily I have seen the movie before - thanks to Kevin's previous recommendation:p) last Saturday night, I heard 'di di di...di di' on my personal handphone! It was around 2+ am Malaysia time then. When I checkout the SMS received, it was from my long-time-missed piano teacher - Erica! - who is more of a close friend than a teacher to me:) I did not realized that it was 11th September 2005 (in Malaysia) until I got her birthday wishes:O GoD... I am certainly losing track of time on a foreign land:S

Honestly, I have this very bad feeling when I get birthday wishes from my friends:( One should be happy indeed, right? This is because I am not good in remembering and keeping in mind people's birthday, which makes me feel terrible whenever someone remembered mine!

"A thousand apologies to my fellow friends:"> My best wishes are always with you all at all times - no matter it is an ordinary day or your a special ones."

Surprisingly, I did not expect to receive more birthday wishes in the middle of the night i.e. from HouseFly & Noel who woke we me while I am drifting my way to dreamland:p Indeed, I feel warmth and blessed that I am remembered although I am far away:D

Having to know that when I wake up the very next morning, it marks the 24 years of living on this earth ever since I was given birth by my lovely mother:p Most females are taken back when one asked of their exact age; but definitely not me:p Before I go into explaining the "abstract number" teachings by one of my ex-lecturer, I would cut it short - age is after all an abstract figure:p I am glad that I am still in a piece, despite the hundreds of people being sacrifice innocently in the 911 disaster on this day. May my prayers always be with them and their family members.

I thank God for bringing me into a family, where I am blessed by a pair of superb & loving parents, 2 elder brothers, a younger sister & a younger brother. They had make me who I am today & continuosly giving me the guidance & support I need no matter how impossible I am in times! I am near to my tears now... Not forgetting my paternal grandparents & maternal grandparents(who had lay to rest) who had shared with me valuable lessons i.e. to be a rightful & truthful person from their years of experience. The list continues to my friends and people who had cross my path in life and make me a better person I am today. Thanks for all the JoY & LoVe that everyone has filled me! Oppssss... I am making this as if I am giving a speech upon winning an Oscar award =))

p/s: This is specially going out to my remote guardian, who has - without fail - be there for me at all time.

Mind went off wired...

I am in a melancholy state:S Probably what people say about "The truth is cruel" turns out to be true - at least for me at the moment. Sometimes, it is better not to ask for the truth and rather remained innocence - like Tom Hanks in Forest Gump - and let nature takes its course!

I love watching historical movies e.g. The King and I, My Fair Lady & etc which magnifies the purity of human relationship. As we are moving in the fast paced technology age and towards globalization, humans are - in general - being more complicated! Humans are building walls around themselves, in order to shield, to protect and differentiate themselves? Probably everyone has a 'space' of their own; built (whether intentionally or unintentionally) to snoop into (usually during moments when one is on their own) when one can be completely truthful to his/herself.

Recently, someone shared this with me when I posted the question (which I later find that it sure sounds a serious one:p)

"How you release yourself when you are placed into a situation which is off your own limit?"

To my surprise, his reply was that he will close his eyes and enter a dark space (I think it is something similar to a black hole), where he can contain his own thoughts within that space - and only he can, but no others. At first, I thought it was a silly idea! But when I actually put it into use, I think that when one is contained inside that virtual space, where one can be self-centered to focus & identify situation in clearer terms, and move away from other factors e.g. the people involved, the commotion & etc that make the situation looks at its worst. It had indeed added a thought or two to mine:)

It is interesting to learn why some people can manage situation in a completely calm and analytical way, which I think requires a pretty high EQ to achieve that (way to go, BLT!). As I come to know that he spent most of his time during the weekends reading science-fiction books!

Personally, I did not read a single science-fiction book before! I cannot be blamed as science-fiction materials are known to be banned items to me - thanks to my standard 6 school teacher who instill that mindset in us:p She would actually ripped it off from those who are seen reading it! Solely because she thinks that science-fiction materials will bring our mind no where or into an imaginary world, which affects our concentration in our studies. Probably now I should get myself one or two to increase my EQ a little:))

Weather turns CoLD!

Yesterday after work, on my way back to the apartment, I headed to the wet market located next to PAM i.e. local supermarket - fear that it might be closed. Indeed the stalls selling raw meats & fish are all closed, but luckily the fruits & vegetables stalls are still in business! I bought bananas, peaches (lots of varieties & I love it!) & oranges. Then I went over to PAM to pick up a bottle of fresh milk & fruit juice, my favourite broccoli, spaghetti for € 0.22 - it's cheap!, tomato puree, minced marinated beef & Lipton tea bags. The list amounted to only € 7 - it is equivalent to the price of dining out for a proper meal!

Speaking of the locals i.e. Italians being hygenic, while I was picking up the broccoli at PAM, a lady with her hand movements (my remote guardian: it is certainly true that Italians, in general, express themselves through sign languages instead of words!) indicated that I should put on the plastic hand gloves provided to pick up vegetables or fruits instead of using my bare hands! Even at the wet market last Saturday when I was buying fruits, I was told by one of my Asian colleague that I am not supposed to physically touch any of the fruits and examined it!

Although it has been less than a week since I am here, I am already sick of eating out:S Further more, dining in requires a compulsory service charge ranging from € 1 - € 3(until now I am not quite sure how they determine it:p) which is included on the bill - so, definitely no escape! Guess what? I was in the kitchen cooking spaghetti for dinner yesterday night! In fact, I have not been cooking for the past 1/2 year or more. That explains why I got the spaghetti overcooked in the hot pot:)) After all, I get to enjoy some warm food at last!

Today - it is the 6th day since I landed on Venezia, Italy. I sensed the changed of weather i.e. from warm to cold when I stepped out from the office yesterday. The MD here has 'warned' us (those of us who are from Asia Pacific office, where we are used to the warm weather back in Malaysia/Singapore) that cold weather is ahead despite the reported warm weather will persists.

I am putting on warm clothes & stockings, although the locals here are still in their end-summer outift. It makes me feel that I look a little weird - walking on the streets looking a little 'thicker' - as to compare to the others:p But I can't help it when the cold breezes of wind sent chills down my fingers!

I am trying my very best to keep myself warm by consuming hot beverages & water. At the same time, I am advised to take a lot of fruits which is rich in Vitamin C to avoid catching a cold or falling sick. Any other advise from you fellows out there?

Moved into Apartment...

Upon my arrival, I have been told that I will be shifting - on Friday - to the company's apartment with another colleague (addressed her as S) after a night stay at the hotel. As I come to know from S, a European guy colleague who is occupying the apartment will switch place with us.

I cannot believe my first night moving into the apartment - it was a nightmare! The sheets & sofa smelled, no air-conditioner, the hallway & my room was dim due to spoilt light bulbs, out-of-order washing machine, toilet cannot be flushed & the floor is uncomfortable to walk on.

Probably you may think that I am exaggerating the situation and I should count my blessings that at least I got a roof above my head. But, it is certainly a vast difference having to compare to the residence hotel where the rest of my colleagues (from SGP office) are staying i.e. with cosy living room, kitchen, toilet & bedroom - all by oneself - which I have noticed upon visiting them during the weekend.

I felt that I was not given equal treatment! I got emotional about it and I 'rain' over the phone when my mum sensed that there is something wrong through my voice:(( 我真没用! 少少委屈也受不了:S

Where am I?

At first, I thought that I will be taking gondola around Venezia:p However, since I landed on Venice's Marco Polo International Airport last Thrusday i.e. 1st September 2005 and took a taxi to the 'school' and was given the local map, only then I realized that I am on Venice's mainland e.g. Butterworth instead of being in Venezia e.g. Penang island.


The 'school' is situated in Marghera, whereas I am currently putting up in an apartment located in Mestre. Today, I have calculated that it takes about 30 minutes single journry walk between hotel and 'school', which really does a number on my feet (luckily I bring along a pair of good walking shoes:p)!

The Journey Begins...

FYI, I have recently joined a 'school' where its development center is located in Venice, Italy; although I am 'registered' with the Singapore's Asia Pacific 'branch'. Thus, for training and project development purposes, I will be in Venice for a duration of 2 months or more.

The take off was definitely a rush one - being told that the air tickets are fully booked from 1st Septmber onwards - with only 2 days to shop & pack before hopping on the plane from KLIA to SGP to meet up with a new colleague of mine, where together we catch a connecting flight to Frankfurt, Germany and catch another connecting flight to our final destination i.e. Venice - indicated in pink circle.