Itasca Park

Visited Itasca on Sept 16 2006. Was finding excuses not to go (lazy...) but I went eventually. Trip organized by iVCF.

What's so interesting about Itasca Park? It's about 45 minutes to 1 hour away from Bemidji & the park is HUGE! Much much, way much bigger than Lake Titiwangsa. If u walk in there, there's a high chance of u getting lost. Ppl travel in cars to get from places to places in the park, or at least we did. Haha... There's even bears in the park. Imagine that...

Anyway, itasca has this attraction of crossing the Great Mississipi river. There's this place called headwaters where the banks between the river is closest n there are rocks for us to cross the river. So, now i can officially say that i've crossed the Great Mississipi river. Cool eh? Haha...

I think Itasca is a must place to visit during all the 4 seasons. My friends visited the park in summer, while i visited in fall. Gosh! The autumn leaves are just soooo breath-taking. Beatiful! Just amazing! I was so captivated by the colors of nature. Took dozens n dozens of pictures.

Had lunch in the park. Then, we saw the biggest white pine tree, a rily fat tree. Haha.. But of cos comparing to Malaysia's rainforest, this shouldn't account to big. Then we saw the red pine tree. In the end, we climbed up the 1000 feet firehouse. Shaky, but I still managed to reach the top. Proud of myself.. hehe...

Nice trip there. A memorable one indeed...

Will try uploading the photos soon. Maybe try to find a link or stg...

I wasn't tagged but I found it interesting...yet again...

The rules:
Bold the statements that are true to you.
Italise the statements that you WISH are true.
Leave the Fibs alone.
Then, stab 5 people to do the same test.


I miss somebody right now.

I dont watch TV these days.
I wear glasses or contact lenses.
I love to play video games.
I've been in a threesome.
I have been the psycho-ex in a past relationship.
I believe that honesty is usually the best policy.
I curse.
I have changed mentally over the last year.
I carry my knife/razor everywhere with me.
I'm TOTALLY smart.
I've broken someone's bones.
I'm paranoid sometimes.
I would get plastic surgery if it were 100% safe , free of cost, and scar-free.
I need money right now.
I love sushi.
I talk really, really fast.
I have long hair.
I have lost money in Las Vegas.
I have at least one sibling.
I have worn fake hair/fingernails/eyelashes in the past.
I couldn't survive without Caller I.D.
I like the way I look.
I am usually pessimistic.
I have a lot of mood swings.
I have a hidden talent.
I'm always hyper no matter how much sugar i have.
I have a lot of friends.
I'm currently single. (Haha...)
I have pecked someone of the same sex.
I enjoy talking on the phone.
I practically live in sweatpants or PJ pants.
I love to shop.
Enjoy window shopping.
I would rather shop than eat. (maybe)
I don't hate anyone.
I'm a pretty good dancer.
I'm completely embarrassed to be seen with my mother.
I have a cell phone. (in Malaysia)
I believe in God.
I watch MTV on a daily basis.
I have passed out drunk in the past 6 months.
I've rejected someone before.
I want to have children in the future.
I have changed a diaper before.
I've called the cops on a friend before.
I'm not allergic to anything.
I have a lot to learn.
I have been with someone at least 10 years older or younger.
I am shy around the opposite sex.
I have tried alcohol before.
I have made a move on a friend's significant other or crush in the past.
I own the "South Park" movie.
I would die for my best friends.
I think that Pizza Hut has the best pizza.
I have used my sexuality to advance my career.
I love Michael Jackson, scandals and all.
Halloween is awesome because you get free candy.
I watch Spongebob Squarepants and i like it.
I am happy at this moment!
I'm obsessed with guys.
I study for tests most of the time.
I tie my shoelaces differently from anyone I've ever met.
I am comfortable with who I am right now.
I have more than just my ears pierced.
I walk barefoot wherever I can.
I have jumped off a bridge.
I love sea turtles.
I spend ridiculous money on makeup.
Plan on achieving a major goal/dream.
I'm proficient in a musical instrument.
I worked at a McDonald's restaurant.
I hate office jobs. (half-half)
I love sci-fi movies.
I think water rules. (not sure)
I went college out of state. (KL and Klang?)
I like sausages.
I love kisses.
I fall for the worst people. (Celebs?)
I adore bright colours.
I can't live without black eyeliner.
I somehow enjoyed this thingy !!!
I usually like covers better than originals.
I can pick up things with my toes.
I can't whistle.
I can move my tongue in waves, much like a snakes slither.
I have ridden/owned a horse.
I still have every journal I've ever written in.
I can't stick to a diet.
I talk in my sleep.
I try to forget things by drowning them out with loads of distractions.
Climbing trees is a brilliant past-time.
I have jazz in my blood.
I wear a toe ring.
I can't stand at LEAST one person that i work with.
I am a caffeine junkie.
I cosplay or know what cosplaying is
I have been to over 15 conventions.
I will collect anything, and the more nonsensical the better.
I'm an artist.
I only clean my room when necessary.
I like a person of the same sex.
I love being happy.
I am an adrenaline junkie...

I tag Hau Chun, Val, Mel, Deb & Hau Wei.

Beginning of Fall'06

My last semester for my undergraduate degree has finally begun. Summer seemed to have just passed by me; time does fly...

I'm taking 15 credits this sem. Not alot for a semester but the credits included 7 subjects - 4 psych subs, 2 physical ed & 1 preinternship. So far, things have been going on quite well. Nothing much to 'fan' about. Homework has not rily catch up on me, so i still have time to relax & treat my self to House MD (esp my Dr.Chase!)...

Previously, I was in a very huge dilemma. What are my plans after my undergrad? Grad school? Work? Intern? OPT? Rily had a tough time deciding... Initially, I had my target set into entering grad school in fall'07 in US. Then, i found out that there were tonnes of hassle & procedures to go through & I wasn't even sure of wat I wanted to major in. I may very well be intrested in clinical psych, but I was uncertain of what the route would lead me to. Plus, things were too rushing. I wasn't even prepared for my GRE. Visa was another problem. All these hadn't come in mind earlier. So, in a way, it was too rushing... After much much much contemplation, I've finally decided to return to Malaysia, at least for a year or 2, to find opportunities of exposure n experience in the field of clinical psych. Then, from there, I shall decide further whether to continue with masters in this area. One thing for sure, my ultimate goal is to obtain a masters in psychology!!!

Too stupid to own a computer!

This is a conversation that I copied from Neng's blogpage. I found it funny & interesting. Enjoy...

"This is something I got in an e-mail from my uncle. It's about the stupidest things phone operators hear. This one took the cake. Apparently, it's a true convo that was picked out of the archive of recorded conversations between Word Perfect customers with the customer service attendant. According to the email, the employee was sacked in the end for being wise. Sigh. Life."

(Quote: Shang Neng)

Operator: "Ridge Hall, computer assistance; may I help you?"

Caller: "Yes, well, I'm having trouble with WordPerfect."

Operator: "What sort of trouble??"

Caller: "Well, I was just typing along, and all of a sudden the words went away."

Operator: "Went away?"

Caller: "They disappeared."

Operator: "Hmm So what does your screen look like now?"

Caller: "Nothing."

Operator: "Nothing??"

Caller: "It's blank; it won't accept anything when I type."

Operator: "Are you still in WordPerfect, or did you get out??"

Caller: "How do I tell?"

Operator: "Can you see the C: prompt on the screen??"

Caller: "What's a sea-prompt?"

Operator: "Never mind, can you move your cursor around the screen?"

Caller: "There isn't any cursor: I told you, it won't accept anything I type."

Operator: "Does your monitor have a power indicator??"

Caller: "What's a monitor?"

Operator: "It's the thing with the screen on it that looks like a TV. Does it have a little light that tells you when it's on??"

Caller: "I don't know."

Operator: "Well, then look on the back of the monitor and find where the power cord goes into it. Can you see that??"

Caller: "Yes, I think so."

Operator: "Great. Follow the cord to the plug, and tell me if it's plugged into the wall.

Caller: "Yes, it is."

Operator: "When you were behind the monitor, did you notice that there were two cables plugged into the back of it, not just one??"

Caller: "No."

Operator: "Well, there are. I need you to look back there again and find the other cable."

Caller: "Okay, here it is."

Operator: "Follow it for me, and tell me if it's plugged securely into the back of your computer."

Caller: "I can't reach."

Operator: "Uh huh. Well, can you see if it is??"

Caller: "No."

Operator: "Even if you maybe put your knee on something and lean way over??"

Caller: "Oh, it's not because I don't have the right angle - it's because it's dark."

Operator: "Dark??"

Caller: "Yes - the office light is off, and the only light I have is coming in from the window."
Operator: "Well, turn on the office light then."

Caller: "I can't."

Operator: "No? Why not??"

Caller: "Because there's a power failure."

Operator: "A power......... A power failure? Aha, Okay, we've got it licked now.

Do you still have the boxes and manuals and packing stuff your computer came in??"

Caller: "Well, yes, I keep them in the closet."

Operator: "Good. Go get them, and unplug your system and pack it up just like it was when you got it. Then take it back to the store you bought it from."

Caller: "Really? Is it that bad?"

Operator: "Yes, I'm afraid it is."

Caller: "Well, all right then, I suppose. What do I tell them??"

Operator: "Tell them you're too f*%ing stupid to own a computer!!!!!"

Visiting Ms Shin Yee Tan in Goshen

Finally, I have the time & mood to blog further. As I've previously 'promised', I shall blog about my visit to Goshen, Indiana.

My trip to Goshen was a mere 5 days - 2 days of transport, 1 day of being at home as Shin was working, 1 day of my not feeling well, & 1 official day of my exploring the area. Goshen is a small, slow-paced, intact town. Very similar to Bemidji, I would say. The population's bigger than Bemidji though. However, BSU has roughly 4,000 students while Goshen college only has about 700 students (according to Shin). Then again, the comparison isn't fair cos BSU's a state university while Goshen college's a private one (I think). Anyway, I left Bemidji in the morning & reached Chicago airport around 4.30pm. Took Coach USA all the way to Southbend. If I had known earlier that there was a direct plane to Southbend, I wouldn't have bought an airticket to Chicago. Well, I guess Shin & I had some miscommunication in between. What has been done, has been done. Haha... Tiring journey, all by myself... When I reached Southbend, Shin & her friend soooo coincidently reached the bus stop/ airport as well. Erm... truthfully, I didn't feel all that supposed excitement, most probably due to the tiring plane n bus ride. Shin had all the excitement & enthusiasm. My apology on this... Stayed over at Shin's rented house. I wouldn't call it rent at all! Seems that the owner of the house seldom leaves in that huge house (which feels similar to a bungalow) & that Shin & her friends can stay in the house through out the whole summer without having to pay a single cent - no house rent, no utilities payment. All they have to do is just to housekeep the house. Wow! What a SUPERB deal!!! Issh.. I wish I had that (cos I have to so pay for my rent in my Bemidji house..)

Shin had to work the next day. So, I stayed at home the whole day. Watching tv, exercising, eating, reading my Tami Hoag's "Lucky's Lady", my first ever love novel read in standard 6 (12 yrs old). I'm rereading it after 8/9 years? Haha.. Ate at a Korean restaurant for dinner. Nice meal. Loved it. Awesome! The one with loads of vege's mine while the soup's Shin's.





























The next day, we were suppose to take a walk around the campus & do other stuffs (e.g. badminton) but unfortunately, I was down with my once in a while sickness. I have no idea how or why, but I just succumbed to my worst enemy. So, we had no choice but to stay at home the whole day. Did I faint? You guys gotta ask Shin that cos she was there all the time. haha... Played pictionary at night.


Day 4 - We toured around the campus & the neighbourhood. Not bad place. The people there have very strong religious identities. Ate at this Amish pie place. Healthy & delicious meal! Visited an Amish home at night. Amish is a special culture at one end of Goshen (I think). They are quite 'conservative' people who do not use today's technology. No cars, no electricity (including lights, washing machine etc), customary clothings, & NO PICTURES! Weird? I wouldn't say weird.. Interesting would be a more apprpriate word? For the first time in my life, I drank fresh milk milked from the cow! Too delicious to be true!!! Full of cream... I have no specific word to describe that astounded feeling I had when I had my first taste of the milk. Just plain yummy! I sooo wish I had another chance to it. Will be one of the best memories in my life... Had a nice time with the Amish family. Shin & i talked for long hours during the night, sleeping only about 3am. Shin said that she was quite disappointed during her recent trip back to Malaysia cos there was too little time to spend with the bunch of friends. Sigh... She took out the 'diary/autograph' that she gave around people to write during form 5. Such sweet reminiscence. All the sweet memories came flooding back. The days in high school... Precious memories.. Looking at all the pictures, we started with how we got to know each other, beginning the story since form 1 till form 5; our conflicts in between esp in form 2; all the projects that we did together - geography bentuk muka bumi in f2 in my house (the day when i called hc & officially became his friend), wedding project for PMR in f3, biology hand bone stucture using plaster & flour in f4, biology board, Bancruptcy (maths project) which was similar to monopoly, moral banner project in f5 - the times we cried together when were unable to carry out the project as intended and yet we always manage to persist & the outcomes were desirable. My position as ketua keceriaan, suan's as ketua kebersihan & always had to make sure students in charge throw away the rubbish at the end of the day, Cham's position as ketua disiplin, Sze, Deb & May in the prefects board & committee. How Shin, Suan & I quit our prefects' position... How the junior prefects, in particular QYS, were afraid to approach our class esp Suan for our misbehavior... N mel with her chikwando & prayer/sembahyang during assembly time (action of 'chinese god rasuk the body' shown by Shin, haha...) Hanging out during recess time with Pei Khee & gang at the canteen, eating nasi lemak, keropok, hotdog, waffle etc. Also, the girlguide camp that we had in school - how we cooked maggi mee when the fire didn't help the juniors in their meal... The times we ran out of class to take pictures esp during the last few months before SPM... Even as I'm typing all this, all the memories are rushing through my head. Makes me feel old in a way, having to know that we've gone through so much together.

Last day. I had to leave Goshen in the morning cos of my scheduled flight. We both were in the verge of tears, not knowing when will be our next time of seeing each other. With a heavy heart, I went up the bus, waving goodbyes & hugging Shin. As the bus left, I turned back & waved as much goodbye to Shin... Heavy emotions... Very heavy indeed... Well, i guess life's like that. We meet, get to know each other & move on with our lives. I believe we will one day meet again, definitely, no doubt. I even told Shin that when I have children in the future, I want the 7 sisters (6 of cos) to be my child's kai ma. Haha.. Abit too far, yes I know.. But no harm done to have that intention even from now... I think at this point, some frienships do last forever. We don't have to always be in each other's range of sight but we'll always have a place in each other's heart...

One word to Shin (if you're reading my blog) - You're a strong girl, inside & outide. Either I believe in that opinion myself or you don't realize it yourself. I know you'll be able to achieve your dream cos you have that 'Ummph' in you! You're probably the strongest among us 7. Even when you lack of faith in yourself, don't forget that you have your family & us to support you. At least, you'll have me on your back. Go ahead! Step forward! Reach for what you want... Cos YOU CAN!

Pictures of my trip to Goshen can be seen in facebook.com (if you have an account there). I think that page is only valid for those who has an American university's email, if i'm not mistaken. I dunno where else to upload the pics cos friendster's taking forever.... Tell me if u guys have some place for me to upload by just ticking on the pics instead of browsing one by one.

That's all for now. Cheerio!

Still exploring

I'm still very new towards blogspot & I hardly know how to edit my blogpage. I'm even having trouble with my tagboard & links. Dunno whether my decision to switch from friendster's blog over to this site is prudent in the first place. Anyway, what has been chosen, has been chosen. I shall continue with it one way or another. Heck, I'll find out one fine day. It'll take some time but I know I will.. somehow, someday.. Haha...

I mentioned that I was gonna blog about my visiting Shin in Goshen in beginning of August but I haven't even till now. It's been a month already. My, time flies... I shall update regarding that blog soon... Real soon...

As for now, I'm still exploring blogspot while plucking my eyebrows (haha...) & listening to Jay Zhou's new album. Not bad songs, I would say. 'QIan Li Zi Wai' is an interesting song by Jay feat. Fei Yu Qing (a 1960/70s Taiwan singer). A whole new fresh blend of modern pop & oldies.

K... That's all for now. Will c whether i'll have the time to update tmr. Toodaloo!

New blog page

New! New! New! I won't start a new blog entry for now. Just testing how does this site works. Will update soon.. Hehe...