I missed all of you! After being out 3 days I am happy to be back!

This week in Spanish class: May 4th- May 8th

Monday: Review of clothing vocabulary in Spanish.

Tuesday: More practice with clothing vocabulary.

Wednesday: Weather, weather, weather!

Thursday: More review of weather and seasons.

Friday: Test on body Parts, Clothes, and Weather!

Question of the week

¿Qué tiempo hace hoy?

Conjugate the verb llevar

Use the verb llevar and create 3 sentences

I'm Dissatisfied!! (-__-)

I could not accept this harsh reality. I am not sure if I am cursed or not, but I cannot tolerate this happening anymore. My handphone is spoiled/ rosak(Malay) /ruseq (Melanau)/ huai le (Mandarin)/ pai liao(Hokkien) and in foul language, it is %#!#*%$@~!!! This feeling is indescribable yeah. I know, my reaction should not be this extreme since I could survived my first 20 years on earth without my own handphone, but now (since the day I started tertiary studies) I could not survive without handphone anymore. I mean, there are a lot of precious messages inside that handphone which could not be replaced. There are a lot of phone numbers that I could not remember using my own memory but Mr Sony the 2nd (yeah, that's the name of my handphone, fyi) could help me remember them even with his limited brain size (512 MB, fyi).

Well, it's not like I am some businesswoman who's on the phone 24/7 or that I am a social butterfly who got 20 messages perhour, but handphone has its own special role in my life.
These are the ways I used my handphone to make my life complete.

1) I had a hard time remembering new people's name. So, I use my handphone to keep track of people's names. When I forgot somebody's name (people whom I met before, but had not gotten their numbers), I will say to that person "Urm, I haven't got your number, so mind if you give me your number.. (purposely did not mention the person's name cause afraid later that person will know that actually, I already forgot her/his name) and I do not know how to spell your name (of course, since I don't remember, hehe) so can you spell it for me? (handing my handphone to her/him.) " After she/he finished adding her name and phone number to my handphone, then I will take a look at the name. "Ah, so this is how to spell your name, Anonima (example only).."

2) I can pretend to be busy during my idle time, especially during a gathering. Yes, this is truly important. I am always idle during most of the gatherings, especially a gathering where my parents made me go reluctantly. During this kind of gathering, my parents who were always the 2nd last person to leave the venue of the gathering place (maybe too many stories to be shared), would had a nice time chatting with their friends, while me (the social caterpillar in this kind of gathering) will be left at the corner doing (only God and me know what) with my handphone and deleting some previous messages (instead of smsing, too thrifty to be true). And during this kind of gathering, some of you who's lucky enough to send me message during this time of the day, the reply to your message will come faster than you say "Supersonic", though I am a slow smser.. If my handphone could not function anymore, I would have to busy myself with something else like eating or trying to interrupt my parents and her friends' conversation (which is kind of rude, I think) , so let's just settle for eating. Huhu~

3) My handphone is my alarm clock. So without my handphone, it would be hard for me to wake up on time. (At least, now I can blame it on Mr Sony if I am late to attend any important events.)

4.) My handphone is my camera. If I see anything interesting out of the blue and want to capture it, Mr Sony is there to the rescue. But now, haiz.. You're in ICU, Mr Sony..

5) My handphone shows my taste in choosing something. (Ahem..) I know this might be a bit shallow but the way we choose our thing, it just shows our taste, right? And Mr Sony is worth showing off, though it might not be the best looking boyfriend, ei, handphone. Got carried away..


So, please wake up Mr Sony. Remember, you are needed urgently!!!

[Interframe: Mr Sony is just a new handphone, age 6 months = one semester. --> Maybe should name it Baby Sony instead. So, suggestion to buy a new handphone is automatically denied since it's still in warranty. Furthermore, there are a lot of precious memories inside Mr Sony the 2nd that makes him ,as Beyonce sang it, irreplacable. ]

I'm Dissatisfied!! (-__-)

I could not accept this harsh reality. I am not sure if I am cursed or not, but I cannot tolerate this happening anymore. My handphone is spoiled/ rosak(Malay) /ruseq (Melanau)/ huai le (Mandarin)/ pai liao(Hokkien) and in foul language, it is %#!#*%$@~!!! This feeling is indescribable yeah. I know, my reaction should not be this extreme since I could survived my first 20 years on earth without my own handphone, but now (since the day I started tertiary studies) I could not survive without handphone anymore. I mean, there are a lot of precious messages inside that handphone which could not be replaced. There are a lot of phone numbers that I could not remember using my own memory but Mr Sony the 2nd (yeah, that's the name of my handphone, fyi) could help me remember them even with his limited brain size (512 MB, fyi).

Well, it's not like I am some businesswoman who's on the phone 24/7 or that I am a social butterfly who got 20 messages perhour, but handphone has its own special role in my life.
These are the ways I used my handphone to make my life complete.

1) I had a hard time remembering new people's name. So, I use my handphone to keep track of people's names. When I forgot somebody's name (people whom I met before, but had not gotten their numbers), I will say to that person "Urm, I haven't got your number, so mind if you give me your number.. (purposely did not mention the person's name cause afraid later that person will know that actually, I already forgot her/his name) and I do not know how to spell your name (of course, since I don't remember, hehe) so can you spell it for me? (handing my handphone to her/him.) " After she/he finished adding her name and phone number to my handphone, then I will take a look at the name. "Ah, so this is how to spell your name, Anonima (example only).."

2) I can pretend to be busy during my idle time, especially during a gathering. Yes, this is truly important. I am always idle during most of the gatherings, especially a gathering where my parents made me go reluctantly. During this kind of gathering, my parents who were always the 2nd last person to leave the venue of the gathering place (maybe too many stories to be shared), would had a nice time chatting with their friends, while me (the social caterpillar in this kind of gathering) will be left at the corner doing (only God and me know what) with my handphone and deleting some previous messages (instead of smsing, too thrifty to be true). And during this kind of gathering, some of you who's lucky enough to send me message during this time of the day, the reply to your message will come faster than you say "Supersonic", though I am a slow smser.. If my handphone could not function anymore, I would have to busy myself with something else like eating or trying to interrupt my parents and her friends' conversation (which is kind of rude, I think) , so let's just settle for eating. Huhu~

3) My handphone is my alarm clock. So without my handphone, it would be hard for me to wake up on time. (At least, now I can blame it on Mr Sony if I am late to attend any important events.)

4.) My handphone is my camera. If I see anything interesting out of the blue and want to capture it, Mr Sony is there to the rescue. But now, haiz.. You're in ICU, Mr Sony..

5) My handphone shows my taste in choosing something. (Ahem..) I know this might be a bit shallow but the way we choose our thing, it just shows our taste, right? And Mr Sony is worth showing off, though it might not be the best looking boyfriend, ei, handphone. Got carried away..


So, please wake up Mr Sony. Remember, you are needed urgently!!!

[Interframe: Mr Sony is just a new handphone, age 6 months = one semester. --> Maybe should name it Baby Sony instead. So, suggestion to buy a new handphone is automatically denied since it's still in warranty. Furthermore, there are a lot of precious memories inside Mr Sony the 2nd that makes him ,as Beyonce sang it, irreplacable. ]

Oops I Did it Again! (Didn't I?)

Interframe part 1: The first pronoun "I" in the title above is referring to me (Maureen) and not her (Britney Spears).

I guess I have a mad habit of pretending that I do not understand Mandarin when consulting a stranger. I mean, Mandarin speaking stranger. There are reasons behind these actions.

1) I speak broken Mandarin.
2) I don't look like Chinese. (Before they speak Malay to me, I speak to Malay to them first so that both parties would not feel awkward.)
3) I am afraid people will speak to me in a jargon/deeper/fluent Mandarin. (Choose the correct adjective. Sorry my English sucks/is pathetic/needs emergency help)

Today, I went to Sungai Dua to print the pictures of my club's activities at the developing photos shop . Well, I had to rush to print out these photos because back in Sibu, the price to print one 4R size photo is 60 cents but at here, it is 50 cents and below. Yes, 10 cents count, my dear, especially when I want to print more than 10 photos (and also especially when I am a cheapskate).

When I arrived at the printing photo shop, I noticed the taukenio is a Chinese. So, spontaneously, I spoke Malay to her because I guess, if I speak Mandarin to her, she'll speak to me in a jargon/deeper/fluent Mandarin, and I may had a hard time pretending to understand though I just had a few clues about what she might say. So to be on the safe side, I did what I did --> I spoke Malay with her. It's easier to pretend that I do not understand something that I understand than pretend that I understand something that I do not understand, right?

She looked at me and smiled, and she said that she thought I am Chinese. I was speechless. In my 21 years on this earth, I could count with my one hand that only a few strangers who would thought that I looked Chinese when I do not walk with my Chinese friends. Yes, one hand. So, probably under five people.

Not that doesn't look like a Chinese is not a good thing, don't get me wrong. But when someone from a race thought that you are from the same race as them, you will feel honoured, right? You are indirectly being accepted into their clan, their clique, their family (okay, maybe I think too much) because you share something in common with them. I felt honoured too, last time when two Siamese girls thought that I am Siamese because they thought I looked like Siamese. I mean, when someone finds the similarities between him/her and you than finding the differences, you will feel that you belong to that similarities, right? You will feel welcomed right?

So, here, there was this mixed Chinese+Indian = Chindian girl working there and she is Mandarin speaking. I tried my best to cover my Hokkien slang when speaking in Malay with her. Yup, I had the typical lah, lo, etc, etc, at the end of my sentence when I speak Malay and this would make me terkantoi that I am actually Chinese. Thank God I can always say that I am a Bumiputra from Sarawak (which is half truth actually) if they asked me why I do not speak like Malay. After paying and promising her that I would come to get the printed photos around 6pm to 7 pm in the evening, I went out from the shop and went back to my sister's apartment.

Phew~! --> part 1. Mission half accomplished.

* * * * *

Around 6.45 p.m.

I went to the developing/printing photos shop and met the Chindian girl to take my photos. Now, it was another woman (not the taukenio) who was seated at the counter arranging photos with the Chindian girl and the taukenio was nowhere in sight. I asked for my photos from the Chindian girl by giving her my receipt. Then she gave me my photos complete with a photo album (just the simple plastic album which we always took for granted back in Sibu, fyi).

So, I thought photos with photo album was a common thing at any printing photos shop. I asked for my receipt from the Chindian girl and the woman (not the taukenio) said in Mandarin that "Actually hor, if she only wanted to print 19 photos, she has to pay RM1 for the photo album. Only those who printed 30 photos and above is eligible to have the photo album for free." and added " don't just simply give people photo album, it costs RM1 you know!" The way she said it, it was as if RM1 is the most valuable possession in the world. And the way she said it, was not as polite as the way I paraphrase it in here. She was mean to the Chindian girl for the sake of RM 1. RM 1! I know, I am a cheapskate too, and RM1 is big yeah, but scolding your employee [not sure if both of them are employees or the woman (not the taukenio) has a greater authority or not] in front of a customer is not appropriate, whether the customer understand the language or not. [I am glad I understood it.. ;) ]

I was quite surprised at the policy there, but since I pretended that I do not understand Mandarin, I had to hide my surprise and give my blur look (which is easy for me, and I can give a blur look as natural and natuREAL as possible since I am good at being blur). Don't believe? Ask me a Math or Geography question. Hah, add in History question too. You will get a blurrest look (trademark look of yours truly) from me ever!

But appropriate or not, I am glad that the woman (not the taukenio) did not demand RM1 from me though I took the photos with the photo album. Maybe if I gave them an impression that I knew how to speak Mandarin earlier, then I would have to give up my photo album since that is the appropriate thing to do because I know what they are talking about right? Oh, now I believe that some things do happen for a reason. I am glad I did it! :P

Phew~! -->part 2. Mission fully accomplished.

Interframe part 2: Actually, I don't know how to call a kedai cuci gambar in English. So, I just translate like in the post above. So bear with me.

Interframe part 3: Suddenly, I thought of learning Tamil so that I can do well in the English tongue twister challenge.

Oops I Did it Again! (Didn't I?)

Interframe part 1: The first pronoun "I" in the title above is referring to me (Maureen) and not her (Britney Spears).

I guess I have a mad habit of pretending that I do not understand Mandarin when consulting a stranger. I mean, Mandarin speaking stranger. There are reasons behind these actions.

1) I speak broken Mandarin.
2) I don't look like Chinese. (Before they speak Malay to me, I speak to Malay to them first so that both parties would not feel awkward.)
3) I am afraid people will speak to me in a jargon/deeper/fluent Mandarin. (Choose the correct adjective. Sorry my English sucks/is pathetic/needs emergency help)

Today, I went to Sungai Dua to print the pictures of my club's activities at the developing photos shop . Well, I had to rush to print out these photos because back in Sibu, the price to print one 4R size photo is 60 cents but at here, it is 50 cents and below. Yes, 10 cents count, my dear, especially when I want to print more than 10 photos (and also especially when I am a cheapskate).

When I arrived at the printing photo shop, I noticed the taukenio is a Chinese. So, spontaneously, I spoke Malay to her because I guess, if I speak Mandarin to her, she'll speak to me in a jargon/deeper/fluent Mandarin, and I may had a hard time pretending to understand though I just had a few clues about what she might say. So to be on the safe side, I did what I did --> I spoke Malay with her. It's easier to pretend that I do not understand something that I understand than pretend that I understand something that I do not understand, right?

She looked at me and smiled, and she said that she thought I am Chinese. I was speechless. In my 21 years on this earth, I could count with my one hand that only a few strangers who would thought that I looked Chinese when I do not walk with my Chinese friends. Yes, one hand. So, probably under five people.

Not that doesn't look like a Chinese is not a good thing, don't get me wrong. But when someone from a race thought that you are from the same race as them, you will feel honoured, right? You are indirectly being accepted into their clan, their clique, their family (okay, maybe I think too much) because you share something in common with them. I felt honoured too, last time when two Siamese girls thought that I am Siamese because they thought I looked like Siamese. I mean, when someone finds the similarities between him/her and you than finding the differences, you will feel that you belong to that similarities, right? You will feel welcomed right?

So, here, there was this mixed Chinese+Indian = Chindian girl working there and she is Mandarin speaking. I tried my best to cover my Hokkien slang when speaking in Malay with her. Yup, I had the typical lah, lo, etc, etc, at the end of my sentence when I speak Malay and this would make me terkantoi that I am actually Chinese. Thank God I can always say that I am a Bumiputra from Sarawak (which is half truth actually) if they asked me why I do not speak like Malay. After paying and promising her that I would come to get the printed photos around 6pm to 7 pm in the evening, I went out from the shop and went back to my sister's apartment.

Phew~! --> part 1. Mission half accomplished.

* * * * *

Around 6.45 p.m.

I went to the developing/printing photos shop and met the Chindian girl to take my photos. Now, it was another woman (not the taukenio) who was seated at the counter arranging photos with the Chindian girl and the taukenio was nowhere in sight. I asked for my photos from the Chindian girl by giving her my receipt. Then she gave me my photos complete with a photo album (just the simple plastic album which we always took for granted back in Sibu, fyi).

So, I thought photos with photo album was a common thing at any printing photos shop. I asked for my receipt from the Chindian girl and the woman (not the taukenio) said in Mandarin that "Actually hor, if she only wanted to print 19 photos, she has to pay RM1 for the photo album. Only those who printed 30 photos and above is eligible to have the photo album for free." and added " don't just simply give people photo album, it costs RM1 you know!" The way she said it, it was as if RM1 is the most valuable possession in the world. And the way she said it, was not as polite as the way I paraphrase it in here. She was mean to the Chindian girl for the sake of RM 1. RM 1! I know, I am a cheapskate too, and RM1 is big yeah, but scolding your employee [not sure if both of them are employees or the woman (not the taukenio) has a greater authority or not] in front of a customer is not appropriate, whether the customer understand the language or not. [I am glad I understood it.. ;) ]

I was quite surprised at the policy there, but since I pretended that I do not understand Mandarin, I had to hide my surprise and give my blur look (which is easy for me, and I can give a blur look as natural and natuREAL as possible since I am good at being blur). Don't believe? Ask me a Math or Geography question. Hah, add in History question too. You will get a blurrest look (trademark look of yours truly) from me ever!

But appropriate or not, I am glad that the woman (not the taukenio) did not demand RM1 from me though I took the photos with the photo album. Maybe if I gave them an impression that I knew how to speak Mandarin earlier, then I would have to give up my photo album since that is the appropriate thing to do because I know what they are talking about right? Oh, now I believe that some things do happen for a reason. I am glad I did it! :P

Phew~! -->part 2. Mission fully accomplished.

Interframe part 2: Actually, I don't know how to call a kedai cuci gambar in English. So, I just translate like in the post above. So bear with me.

Interframe part 3: Suddenly, I thought of learning Tamil so that I can do well in the English tongue twister challenge.