2009, summed up.

I really like taking walks down memory lane, and now's the best time for this last entry of the year, so here's my 2009 in a few words.

I knew 2009 would be awesome, how could it not be when I kick-started the year with an awesome, ultra yummy Vermonster at Dempsey with the Pri Sch Clique. And the year sure started on a good note, a few in fact.

First up, we received our free laptops from the school. A little problems with the lappy here and there initially, but I got that sorted out and am now happily typing on it.

In 2009,

Finally got started on doing something that I had been thinking about for a long time too: SALSA! I signed up with JJ's, and the lessons were great fun. I met a group of really enthusiastic classmates and we started dancing regularly at Union Square. I'd stopped salsa dancing for awhile now, but I'm hoping to put those dancing heels back on when school starts.

And it was in January that I got my driving license; I can still remember those knee-shaking moments in the car with my tester and how I still wasn't able to breathe properly even after he announced my results. I hogged the car most of the time after I'd gotten my license, and it sure beats having to take public transport, most of the time (noticed I didn't say all the time).

In 2009,

I took part in my first windsurf competition this year, and the race results have been nothing short of depressing each time. I screwed up big time in most of the races because I was so afraid of disappointing and placed such great pressure on myself. No more pressure in 2010, it's just all going to be learning experiences, I hope.

In 2009,

I am finally a PADI-certified Advanced Diver. I had my first visit to Pulau Tioman with Sunnycove, David & Amelia and we dived the first dives of diving season. Amelia was my dive-buddy for the second time, and the visibility was great because there were so few divers around! Visited Tioman a second time round with Sunnycove with a couple of other windsurfers and it was good too. Welcome to the world of diving, dear friends.

In 2009,

I got the iPhone. It was fun at first, but now everyone's got one so it's not such a big deal anymore. Found out that I'm not a big fan of touchscreen phones, but, I'll be keeping it until the contract terminates. Mum will probably give me another round of her lectures if I were to change to some other phone so quickly.

In 2009,

I tried to go on a Subway Veggie Delite Diet, in an attempt to lose some weight. I was totally comfortable with eating salad sandwiches, but everyone else didn't seem to think so. Anyway, it was a bad case of diet-phail, as it's always been the case for me.

In 2009,

I went through the big J hoohas, and learnt that infatuations are just phases in life and will pass when you pay little attention to the subject whom you are infatuated with. We are still good friends, thank god.

In 2009,

I was extremely lucky that Mingle helped me get a set of hardsail and shortboard so that I could start to learn how to plane across the surface of waters. I learned to use a harness with the help of walkie-talkies, but sad to say, I've not been a very promising student. I hope I'll be able to do so much better in this new year.

In 2009,

I got my first epilator and was introduced to the world of silky smooth and hairless legs (and sometimes hands too).

In 2009,

I had my first picnic in 473120384 years with the bimbos at Botanical Gardens, under the giant tree. I hope we'll get to do it again in 2010!

In 2009,

I attended Beerfest with the windsurf guys! We saw David get drunk real bad, and they had fun playing all sorts of orientation games ON me. kanasai.

In 2009,

I made a big decision, did what I'd wanted to do for a long time and cut my hair really short. I enjoyed the days of having really short hair, but it wasn't as fuss-free as I thought it'd be, with all that styling that you need to do. I like my short hair a lot, but sometimes, I find myself missing the long hair I used to have.

In 2009,

I ventured out of South East Asia and visited Hong Kong with the girls! We ate, and shopped, ate, and shopped, and had Kwunhok bring us around too. I bought 10 pairs of shoes, and they started calling me the 'thousand-legged worm'.

In 2009,

KTOWY had our first overseas trip to KL. It was not easy to make the trip possible for everyone but somehow, we did it! We had fun slapping make-up onto the boys and going up on some of the rides at the themepark up in Genting.

In 2009,

I did what I'd always wanted to, and got inked for the first time. I got it done on my birthday at 8 Volts, and my parents are still in the dark about it till now. The colour's somewhat faded now, due to the constant exposure to the sun and body rejection, so I'll need to go get it touched up once the big competition's over in February.

In 2009,

I turned 21. I didn't throw a big party to celebrate, but had a few gatherings with a few close friends. I had the durian buffet at Carlton with the pri sch clique, and a big sushi feast with KTOWY at ECP; they made me the most unique 'cake' I'd ever seen in my 21 years. Thank you guys for all that you've done for me!

In 2009,

I went diving somewhere further than Pulau Aur and Pulau Tioman; I took a 9-hour bus ride and headed all the way to Pulau Redang. The trip was kindly sponsored by Mumsy as my 21st birthday present; and I can't say how thankful I am to her for that. I used the underwater casing that KTOWY got me and took my very first diving underwater pictures.

In 2009,

I organized my first windsurf orientation with Shiqi, Titus and Shunxiang. & Mingle and Gerald and all the other seniors who were so kind to help out in one way or another.

In 2009,

My new roomie moved in! Bestest roomie that I've had so far, and we did so many crazy things together. I'm so looking forward to the new semester that's about to start soon!

In 2009,

I had Hives again WTF. It was funny how I was freaking out when red patches started appearing all over my body and my eyes started swelling. Thanks for the late-night chauffeur service so that I could go get a late-night jab, Gerald.

In 2009,

I went somewhere even further than Malaysia to dive. I visited Lombok on my own, and got to know so many awesome people on the trip. I learnt to appreciate all the simple things that I'm always taking for granted in my life, and people too.

In 2009,

I met up with the two bimbos in Bali! They made a super spontaneous decision to come to Bali, just before the exams and I'm so glad they did, because we had so much fun eating, shopping and surfing! I'm so thankful for their company and words just cannot describe how happy I was to be able to finally have someone I know to speak to at the end of the big, Bali break. Love you girls la!

In 2009,

We had the annual surf camp. I'd like to say a big thank you to the girls who did all the planning, everyone who turned up, and everyone who'd helped out in making it a successful 2-day thing. We did not have the biggest turn-out, but I hope everyone who did turn up, had fun.

In 2009,

I visited Lankawi, and then Koh Lipe in Thailand with David, Titus and his friend, Cheryl. It was a very unplanned trip that turned out just fine. I was sick, and passed the virus around the group. Really am sorry for all that coughing I made you guys go through!

In 2009,

I visited Malacca with Jiamin, Tracy and their friend Joan. It was a super spontaneous decision, and thankfully, we had Jiamin do the planning for the trip. I had fun taking walks along old shophouses, eating chicken rice balls, chendol with thick gula melaka, and shopping. Thank you girls for asking me along!

In 2009,

I've done a lot of things that I've always wanted to do, experienced so many things that I've never experienced before, and got to know so many wonderful people who all played a part in making my year a great one. The year's been awesome for me, and I hope it's been that way for all of you too.

2009's been awesome, 2010 will be even better!

Going solo.

I have a million and one ideas about how I will be blogging about the most awesome 11 days I've had in Bali and Lombok, and so, I guess I'll most probably be splitting them up into a few different posts. Anyway, I've debated with myself about coming clean with my parents for having travelled solo for the first leg of the trip, but I decided against it after dinner tonight. I hate keeping the truth from them, but I've come to understand tonight that, they're never going to be supportive of what I've done, or am going to do. And it's also not like they haven't been worrying enough about me. So, if you're reading this now, my friend, never ever tell them that I've been travelling alone. Please.

Getting back to the main topic, travelling alone on this trip has been a real eye-opener for me. There was a lot of getting used to initially, especially when it was my first visit to that part of Indonesia. I wouldn't lie and say that it was all easy-breezy, because it was definitely not at some points in time, but I wouldn't trade anything (and I do mean anything) in the world for that experience I've had, because it was amazing and fantastic on the whole.

What I thought made everything really tough at first, was my unfamiliarity with the place. I knew that I should have taken a Blue Bird taxi, but I didn't know that Blue Birds were not supposed to pick up passengers from the airport; you'll have to walk out of the airport in order to get one. I knew I was headed for Poppies Lane 1 but I didn't know how narrow the street was going to be and what it was like there.

And if you don't already know, I am not exactly the most sociable person around, and I found it really intimidating to strike up conversations with random strangers. I kept to myself for the first two days in Bali before flying to Lombok; and it was the most horrible feeling, me needing to speak but there was nobody in sight that I was comfortable enough to strike conversation with. Okay, that's exaggerating, I was really just shy.

By the second night, I'd felt so terrible about not being able to speak to anyone, I was desperate to start talking to anyone. Only I didn't. I headed back to my $25/night room with a McSundae in hand, feeling just a little better, but things didn't really pick up when I couldn't sleep; I ended up watching Animal Planet (I know I've said this many times, but I do love Animal Planet. Truly do.) and Superman on cable TV till 5 a.m. before waking up at 9 for breakfast. You should've seen my bloodshot eyes at the breakfast table.

Anyhow, that not-talking part of the trip kinda stopped before I boarded the plane to Lombok. An elderly Indonesian gentleman and his wife who were also waiting for a flight (to Surabaya though) asked me for the time, and we started talking. He claimed he wasn't really proficient in English, but I understood him entirely... while he was telling me about the rest of his family in Surabaya, and how he was in Bali to visit his brother then. We had a nice conversation going back there, and it instantly made me feel better about the whole no-one-to-talk-to thing. Things definitely picked up from there, because I also had a great time chatting to the American lady sitted beside me on the flight to Lombok. She summed up her life in the past year for me in a short 20 minutes, and I was full of envy of what she did and was going to do soon; volunteering in Chiang Mai and starting a business in Lombok, and staying there for good, hopefully.

And after I was finally able to start conversing comfortably with random strangers, I came to realize that sometimes, I do appreciate alone time. Alone time where I don't have to spend talking when I don't feel like it, alone time for me to read (I've read Gerald's Kite Runner 6 times over during the trip, no kidding.) and alone time for me to do whatever I feel like doing. I is犯贱or犯贱, always wanting what is not.

Anyhow, I think I learnt to take better care of myself while I was alone. I had to think about safety issues, health issues, money issues and blah blah blah. I planned my budget daily, took care not to overspend, and hydrated myself with as much water as I could. And since I was travelling alone, I couldn't really afford to stay in luxurious rooms. While at Gili, I stayed at a 130,000 rupiah/night home-stay; that's roughly about SGD20. I could probably have bargained it down for a little less, but I wasn't too good with haggling, so, SGD20 it was.

For 4 nights, I stayed in a non air-conditioned room with no fresh water, only cold showers, and electricity that was only generated from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. I would wake up automatically at 8 a.m. every morning because it got so stuffy in the room when the fan stopped spinning, and head out for my daily activities. I learnt to deal with cold water showers and despite all these little gripes (which I didn't really mind), I really enjoyed my stay there.

And while there were plenty of eateries around, most of them weren't so budget with all the western taste-buds they were catering to. I settled most of my dinners and some lunches at this local warung called Kiki's, and had 15,000 Rupiah vegetarian nasi padang meals everyday; while I had almost the same dishes for every meal, I'm not complaining because everything tasted so good. I could eat the same savoury pumpkin, tempeh, lady's fingers, bergedils and vegetable tempuras with rice, over and many times over.

My favourite post-dinner activity turned out to be chilling out by random beach bars with new friends whom I've made at Kiki's and the dive school. Bintangs (the local beer) are cheap at 10-15,000 Rupiah per bottle (that's about SGD2.50 or a little lesser), and ALWAYS served cold in the night even though most parts of the island do not have electricity during the day. What is really cool about the island (if you're a fan of parties) is that the different bars take turns to host parties on different days of the week, so you get to check out all the different places on different nights.

I had the chance to meet several nice Dutch visitors, and a Japanese dude who's been living in Mataram, Lombok for the past 3 months. My new friends have such great travel stories to share since they've been travelling for the longest time ever, and their travel tales make me feel as though I've yet to experience so much of the world.

Rene, me, Mandy, and Rene's neighbour Jack at the Blue Marlin Bar.

Rene's quit his job back in Holland and sold his house to travel around the world since August this year; and prior to that, he's also done his fair share of travelling, with Indonesia being the 42nd country that he's been to. Makes me wonder if I'll ever hit the 40th-mark. He showed me the photos in his D90 and I showed him those in my G10 too; it was such a joy hearing him talk about all the travels that he's done, home-visits in India, school-building in Kathmandu, Nepal and so many more. Anyway, he should be in India celebrating Christmas right now.

And Mandy, she must be the very first Dutch I spoke to on Gili T. She was my dive-buddy for one of the six dives I did on the island, and she is such a nice person. She's been on a 3-month long holiday, and had been to most of the South-East Asia countries that I could think of by the time I met her. We met Rene at Kiki's for dinner together for the last 2 nights of my stay on the island. Last heard from her on Facebook about a week ago, she's back safe in Holland some few weeks back and she's probably enjoying a very white Christmas now!

This is a little klomp from Holland from Rene. After having our drinks at Blue Marlin the night before I was to leave Gili T, Rene walked us girls back to our rooms respectively but before we got back to my room, he said that he had a little present for me and so, we walked to his room and he pulled out this little klomp from a bag in his room. I thought that was really sweet of him, and while we hugged and said our goodbyes at my doorstep, I was really touched by the kindness shown to me so far from all the people that I've met. And just when I thought things couldn't get any better than that, I met an even nicer couple the next day.

shy, little islander.

Having read so many reviews about the aggressive touts found at Bangsal Harbour, I was terrified of having to go through them on my own when the boat finally reached mainland Lombok. I scanned the boat that I was on and saw this elderly couple sitted opposite to me. Just as we were about to get off, I asked if the lady if they were headed for the airport in Mataram, and if they don't mind, we could share a cab because I was afraid. Turned out, they were headed to a beach resort in Senggigi, and it was along the way. They insisted that I follow them to their resort on the same cab, promised to get me a metered taxi at the resort, and refused to accept my money for the ride we shared. I was so touched by their kindness, that I almost teared on the cab while making smalltalk. So they were from German, and have been to Lombok at least 8 times in the past 10 years. Throughout the cab ride, in broken English, the gentlemen was telling me about how expensive things have become over the years and what are some of the other places in Indonesia worth visiting, with Flores being one of them. When we finally reached the resort, the lady made me put my backpack down while the cab was on its way to pick me up, and had the gentlemen show me around the resort. I was even more touched. Hugged and kissed goodbye when the cab finally arrived, and I thanked them for their kindness.

Those were the last few moments of my solo stint in Bali and Lombok, before I reached the airport 2 hours early and had to wait an additional hour because of a flight delay. So there you have it, my first-ever (really) solo travel. I really enjoyed the whole thing, and guess what (no prizes for guessing right), I'm definitely going to do it again soon.

ps. I'm sorry I took such a long time to finish typing this entry; there were plenty of distractions in between (SATC being the main one, and the Langkawi trip, surf camp, Melaka). This entry is dated 08 December, but it's already Christmas now!

Thankful.

I'm sitting here in a rather empty internet cafe on Gili Trawangan, an island that's 40 minutes away from mainland Lombok. The experience so far has been nothing less than gratifying; I'm so thankful for all the nice people that I've met, and all the beautiful things that I'm seeing.

Just had a local lunch that cost me 15,000 rupiah, I guess I'm going to take a walk along the beach now... maybe take a short nap before my next dive that's going to happen at 2.30 p.m. I love island life, thank god for holidays.

Driving.

I'm not exactly the most confident driver around but I've come to develop a love-hate relationship with driving ever since I got my license some 10 months back. I can't deny that it's brought about so much new-found convenience, but... at the same time, there are also so many things that I can't stand about driving (and, drivers in Singapore).

My top 5 driving peeves:

1) Drivers who don't signal when they're changing lanes.

What, you waiting for your signal lights to turn on by themselves?

2) People who can't park properly in the designated lots.

Do you really have to take up 2 lots?

3) Drivers who speed up to keep you from changing lanes.

I've missed a couple of expressway exits because of people like these; I swear like crazy when this happens.

4) Lane-hogs

Keep to the left if you're going slow please.

5) ERP gantries and expensive parking

I'm sure I'm not alone on this; my heart sinks a little every time I hear the beep from the reader when I have to go through one of the gantries. Most expensive parking fee paid? $12 at SMU; my jaw dropped because it was supposed to be a per entry fee of $3 after 8 p.m. Something must have gone wrong somewhere!

The list is non-exhaustive for sure, you probably can't wait to add things like "people who talk on their mobile phones or text while driving", "rude drivers", "pedestrians who cross the roads as though they're walking on their grandfathers' roads", and something not entirely really related to driving like "people who say females make bad drivers"... and so on.

Speaking of which, I think it's also really unfair to say that all cabbies are bad drivers. The reckless ones, they just happened to give a bad name to cabbies on the whole.

my new driving companion.

And while there are so many things I do not like about driving, there are also many that I do enjoy. I like to sing along to the songs that are playing while I'm on a drive, because no one will hear how horrible I sound. I like cruising along empty and long stretches of roads in the middle of the night because it takes my mind off issues that may be making me sad/moody. I like being able to get that extra 30 minutes of snooze-time because of a much shorter travelling time. I feel independent when I'm out alone on the road. There are also actually plenty of nice drivers on the roads too.

Anyhow, all this wonderful and frustrating experiences would not have been possible if Mumsy had not asked me to go get my driving license a year ago. I'd never, for once, stopped counting myself lucky because Mumsy decided to let me use the family car most of the time, even though I'm staying in hall.

Pretty Bun and photos of lunch today

After the Math paper that G and Bun had today, Bun dropped by our room... hid behind the cupboard and jumped out with roomie when I came back from a quick hair-flattening shower and gave me a good wake-up scare; I screamed like mad, again. Our neighbours are probably damned annoyed with us for always making such ruckuses at odd times of the day.

I've got shaky hands...

We settled our hotel accommodation in Bali online, after it started raining heavily and we couldn't leave the hall for lunch. The place looks good from the online pictures, beach-front with an awesome pool, but then again, don't they all usually look so fabulous in pictures? Let's just keep fingers crossed that we're getting our money worth for what we're paying.

After the rain has stopped, and Bun's got her brows plucked, we left for JP.

Best roomie in NTU! She brings orange, she peels orange, and I eat orange haha

Popped a Britney CD into the player and we all started to sing to her really old songs, and talked about how slutty she sounded. While I got lost on the way to JP. Anyhow, we ended up at the teppanyaki version of Ichiban - only to realize, we ALWAYS end up at some Jap restaurant, when we do meet up for lunch.

Okay, here's what we had!

Part of the sets that were ordered. G shot this and I tweaked the contrast a little.

Can't remember if it was grilled or what. They both ordered the same thing.

Any idea why they placed them on a piece of bread?

Chawanmushi, served in an onion.

Saba; I've been eating a lot of mackerel without realizing it's mackerel recently...

anything is yummy with a lot mayo and fish flakes.

Spent the entire afternoon relaxing, but I'm catching up on revision now. Mum's called twice to ask when I'll be back home, but I don't really feel like heading back (because I know I won't study for sure!) now. I think what we're studying is really (like really really!) interesting; learning about language changes around the world, between the two sexes, etc... but trying to squeeze all that information into our minds, can result in an overload..

ps. I love my G10!