When I was in my teen I have so little to worry about, the goal is,

Study, get into good university then you will get a good job=good life.

That's it! No one will be there to tell you the exact way of how to get to there but yet your parent has it for you. The "ultimate solution" that will get you through life which you probably will never regret. At least they think it is "the way"

So I didnt have much speculation of how my future life will be back then. I attended school, hang out with friends, do a lot of homework exercises, and of course eat a lot of rice. Whether you do good or do bad, you have to finish what you have started, then only you can break free from the cycle and do the things you like.

Because "the way" is fixed, what you can do is whether to do it in a faster and easier way, or take it the rough way. There is no option, either you go to university, or you are a failure. It just matters so much to parent for their children of this generation to have at least a degree.

Having a degree means more money, more status and most importantly more stable in a sense that no one can deny its mere existence, albeit of its not-so-clear-utilities.

Sadly it is now more like a have-to-acquire thing rather that a want.

I once was a kid and all I had was a dream.

But when I walked further down the road, I question myself is it the A4 size paper with my name that I seek for, or is it the knowledge that I gained on the way acquiring it?

Is it how much you know or how many marks you get in a test that probably you won't even remember 10 years from now that matter the most?

I wonder. Education happens when there's interest, and I think many had drawn into this quicksand that ate up all those academic passion and love.

"Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself."

2011 was a year of fear and growth.

It was a good and bad year all mix up. But the goods definitely out win the bads.

It started with the San Francisco new year eve count down, which was well spent with Mr Jay Chou.

San Francisco was great, its a city so rich in culture and heritage.

Before San Francisco was the painful 8 hours plus drive from LA to San Jose. The entire 8 hours was peaceful with some snoring sound from the back of the car. It was a tiring drive but my music kept me well awake. The journey was smooth with some short stop for naps and coffee break. It was a night drive with barely any traffic, but occasionally some aggressive truck did pass by. The darn straight long road never seem to end all the way to San Jose.

It was a little scary when you are the only one awake in that space. It was a feeling more than just lonely. When the clock ticked 8:35, we reached our destination safely.

Jan

School started, back to old business, decided to move back to campus since taking an hour bus ride to campus is too much a of a pain. Classes was good, the weather was nice and not so much snowing like the previous 2 years. Met this wonderful girl in Jan and never look back ever since.

Feb

Feb was a month of nothing special other than going to lectures and tests. Haha, but the most important things to mention here is, I adopted the habit of brushing teeth every night before i sleep (no judgement is needed here). Back to Seattle for the Spring break and have the dim sum. One of my best friend got into relationship, which surprised me, and here I gave my best wishes to them.

March

March actually passed too fast without me even noticing it.

April

Was in exam period. Struck by the news of grandpa became really sick. Feel so helpless at that moment. Wrote a blog post about it but never published it. Its a bad timing but that's life, things just happen. My childhood memory with him is not clear for me. Except the time when me and my mum went to pass him the money and the simple greeting when we got together for a dinner. Life was never easy at his time, with Japanese occupation and needing to feed seven mouths.

Good news is he is perfectly well now, and I am really glad for that.

May

May was a month of big feast and catching up with friends and family. Went for karaoke session with family once I reach the airport. Had lots of fun and feel safe with the people you love around you. Had been missing too many good food that I have to take it all back within the four months window that I have back home. Met the girl of my life for the first time once I get down from the plane. Will never forget the way she looked at me the first time. Love is just something that you cant explain by words. Perhaps crazy is the word for this month.

June

June was a month of travelling, so was July actually. Went to Hong Kong, Macau and Bali for the second time. Caught a glimpse on where my future will be headed towards. Finally got to take a good picture Hong Kong night scene, still the best I have ever seen in my entire life.

July

This is the moment when I decided to cut the angel's wing not allow her to go back to heaven or to anyone else.

I was kinda tired of just existing before her arrival, I wanted to live. Sometimes before this I feel like my existence is merely for others. These questions went through my mind over and over again till I reached the point of not wanting to wake up from the dream that felt so real to me.

Later the India trip became an important transition point in my life.

You cant to be something that you are not, you have to be you.

You intensely love novelties in order to hate them more intensely afterward. Don't go chase for so many things that you didn't own. Cherish what you had, treasure what you possessed.

India was a trip of soul finding, and I found my way there. Was only browsing in Air Asia website then suddenly stumble upon the ticket and booked it. Not much thoughts was given that time but later it proved to be the best trip of my life.

Perhaps things are all in harmony all along before us, then money, power, and evil intention came in and destroy every best things in life.

Visited Korea in this month as well. The BBQ meat there is just too heavenly good.

August

August was about taking things slow and enjoying life as its best. Traveled in my lovely car with the love one. Stocking up things so that I wont be die of famine when I fly back to the cold country. Been trying out hotel in Kl as well. Found back some old photo and realize I was really fat back then. Like seriously fat.

Sept+Oct+Nov+Dec

These four months was all about stuck in the northern hemisphere. Spending most of my life alone here figuring out whats next in my life. Was trying to make a map for my future. Back to the gym routine, start to do exercise seriously. Got a guitar as my birthday present :D

was whining how i never got the chance to learn a musical instrument all the while but guess I go no reason to say no now.

Been working hard for my final years. Looking back everything just seems surreal to me. I have reach this point with a few regrets but much gratitude.

Also a dream kept haunted me early Novermber.

I frequently have this dream about me going into an elevator with only 13th floor and 17th floor button which strangely resemble the building I lived in now. I always refuse to step into the elevator because it seems too dangerous to me. And everytime when I take it, it will brought me to some place else.

I always take dream quite seriously, till now I still cant explain the content of that dream.

Am officially 23 in few hours time. I hope the year of 2012 will be a fruitful and rewarding year.

Always have this thought of writing something here but end up forgetting it

Will write something here, something about these years that I had and everything that I did.

To be continued....

ben ben de face

289 days back, on a dull afternoon, i hit the approved button for the friend request sent by the special one.

Who would have thought that she is mine now?

She is not just another one, she is the one :)

Happy birthday to the Angel!

am born 21 days before to wait for your arrival in this world :3

When friends heard we were going to India the first reaction they gave was asking if we were serious, or did we mixed up India with Indonesia, true story. And the reason is often because people like us don't go to India. By like us i mean people who are in their early 20s, which perfectly define us. And who would bring your girlfriend that you just met for like half year to India?

And of course I have got some negative comment from her bff on like "why your boyfriend so not romantic one". But that's ok, because the trip itself proved them wrong. It was a great and worth mentioning trip.

Before me and my girlfriend went on the trip, we were told that many people don’t enjoy their first trip to India. Rather, it takes most people multiple trips to get past the point of feeling overwhelmed so that they can begin to enjoy and even fall in love with the culture. That’s not true, we both fall in love to the culture right away once we touched down in Delhi airport. We love India, every single bit of it.

The first thing we noticed in India is children are left running on the street on their own. Literacy rate became our first concern when we saw those kids walking on the street bared foot and some without pants. This is certainly a huge problem, we were furious about the literacy rate there so we talked to some people who were benefiting from the education and skills training provided by the government. Sadly, government did provide education but many are too poor to afford it. Many were wandering around the street begging for money. They would follow you everywhere once you have given them something. I felt that what these children really needed was our attention, and our ability to play with them and make them feel special. Once they got the feeling from you, they will start following you because it feels good to them. Instead of giving them money, the pretty one suggested that we bought them pen instead. Well at the end we didn't manage to give it all out but yea, we tried.

Throughout the trip, we did faced some long day and anxious moment where we buck up out awareness and do our best not to be cheated by the local because of those ugly stories we were told. And at one point we came out from one of the attraction in Udaipur only to realize that our driver is gone and all our luggages and passport are in the car! Not forgetting those awkward photo requests by the local, they treat you as if you were something that worth gazing on. Walk fast, no eye contact is definitely one of the first thing you will learn when you are at India. Most importantly, hold your hand tight.

India is a country full of contrasts – where the old and new, good and bad, rich and poor exist together, side-by-side. But It was incredibly inspiring to see how determined some were to take advantage of the opportunity to build a successful life for themselves and their families in that kind of situation. You see modern Delhi metro at one staircase away but yet down there men are unzipping their pants and urinating along the street wall. On the other hand, despite of its poverty, everyone on the street is wearing shirt and long pants. And perhaps most people there are living base on this principle, “Don’t worry, be happy, eat curry” (Which is true as we ate curry every day for that week). We were having a fantastic time in India, all the hotels and english-speaking guides have been top-notch and the food is second to none. What we want to say is these cities we visited were aesthetically a mess. But they work, sort of – at least for the people in them so judging is not needed here.

Its probably true to say that You can’t describe India, you can’t fully understand India. You have to feel India. Despite of how desperately I want to tell you my experience in India, here I will stop myself. The Taj, the people, and the culture in India is something one have to be experienced first-hand

And yea, we once thought we will be the one in hundred who doesnt get stomachache after the trip. But we were wrong. We did get stomachache, but still, it doesnt kill the fun. Not to mention the painful 8 hours on the plane where the angel got so sick and we have to request for seat changing so that she can lay down and rest.