Just checking out some facts about Taiwan

Check out these facts about Taiwan courtesy from www.lonelyplanet.com.

Population (and land area in brackets):

Taiwan: 22.5 mil (35,563 sq km)

Australia : 19.5 mil (7,680,000 sq km)

Malaysia: 23 mil (329,750 sq km)

Woww...Taiwan really has a lot of people, huh?

My friend told me something about Taiwanese toilets which I found pretty disgusting. You can't throw the toilet paper you've used into the toilet bowl. Instead there's a bin next to the toilet bowl where you can. Reason? Something to do with the inability of the toilet system to flush the toilet paper down. Could clog the system.

*eww* Let's see if this is true.

Almost 2 weeks since I started the lab job..

It's been a week filled with a mixture of emotions. And I feel pretty tired and a little sick. I woke up early one morning just to throw up and I had a bit of diarrhoea later on. It was weird. I have no idea why because I didn't even bother losing my sleep over the World Cup.

JX, little brother in our bible study group...had to fly home to Malaysia all of a sudden and defer 6 exams. He even deferred an exam he was going to sit for in 45 minutes. His mum has been admitted into the ICU and is semi-conscious. She had to undergo chemo last year but it seems now, her condition has become worse. I was feeling kinda down that day but after reading JX's email, I can't compare at all to what JX must be going through.

On a happier note.....guess what? I am going to Taiwan this Saturday!! for 3 weeks. It's a study tour kinda thing. To study intensive Mandarin. Actually, I haven't mentally prepared myself to the fact that I am even going. Just made my mind up recently, that's why.

wooo hooo!! a little excited though to be getting out of normalcy for awhile.

Just an update on my job progress

Dear friends,

I'm going to be starting work as a laboratory technician at this flavour and ingredients company. It's a casual job, which means no benefits and not having to come in every weekday. But i'll be working every weekday for 2 weeks to start off commencing next Tuesday. It's actually a simple job, not requiring the academic qualifications I have....and I'll actually be assisting the food technologists in preparing the product samples they need (If you didn't know, I did a bachelor degree in Food Technology, so actually, i prefer their job). In the interview, he was telling me he's looking for someone who would be staying for awhile and not leave after a few months, all the hassles of conducting interviews and training....and I'm like uh huh...okay..... but honestly, of course I don't want to stay like that for too long. Anyway, it's going to be a good opportunity and experience to just learn from the people around me for sure. Being able to learn from my food technologist colleagues without the responsibilities they have.

When people ask me what I'm doing now, I've got a pretty standard answer. Ask me if you want to know what it is.

So saying that, I guess I'm pretty happy at the moment to be finally getting a job in the food industry! (And I don't mean retail or restaurants). Finally.....! something related to my degree. And I can modify my standard answer now :D

Many thanks to a friend of mine who's working there.

Book Review

Title: A Spectator's Guide to World Religions

Author: John Dickson

Publisher: Blue Bottle Books

In this book, John Dickson presents the current big 5 religions in the world: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. He provides a fair and comprehensive account of the history, belief systems and spiritual practices of each religion from their own perspective in very clear and simple English.

I have actually just finished reading this book which belongs to my Korean friend, Hyunju Kim. She actually thinks it's a very good book and so do I!! This book gives a very good foundational understanding of what each religion is about as believed by the believers of each religion.

I was captured by the way the story of each religion unfolded in the course of history. Take for example, when I was reading about Islam. If you've been schooled in the Malaysian Education System, you would know that we had to learn a lot about Islamic history in Form 4. I seriously didn't understand Islam and I still don't understand what it's all about even though I've been brought up in M'sia. Whenever prayers are recited on TV or through the loud PA system from the nearby mosque, I just tuned off.

And about Judaism, the first time I had a deeper understanding about the Jews was when I read a book by Stan Telchin called Betrayed! (This is another really good book but guess it'll have to be saved for another blog entry). I mean, I knew that Jews were brutally prosecuted during the Holocaust and that there's some war going on between Israel and Palestine but those were just... distant facts. Or when I actually visited the Sydney Jewish Museum 1 1/2 years ago. It was interesting history but I was mostly enamoured after meeting these 2 old ladies who are actually survivors of the Holocaust. The other factual stuff displayed just slipped out of my mind even though I tried to read and learn more about Jewish history and customs.

What I'm trying to say is that the clear explanation of how each religion originated and how it progressed and what it's all about provided in this book gave me a richer and clearer understanding. It would be now so much easier to understand where my grandmother is coming from with her Buddhist beliefs for example. And I guess it also helps us when we try to converse with other people with other religions because each religion is so different.

As the book concludes, to remain with the pluralistic idea that all religions are the same but are just different cultural perceptions of the ultimate reality is just an unwillingness to explore each path more deeply. Isn't it easier to just accept 2 different accounts as just being 2 different ways because it's just the path of least effort on our part?

Anyway, this is a really gooooooood booook!!! Need I say more? :)

Random thoughts

Bosses, leaders among us, be it at work, church, uni or wherever...

Sometimes I think they have this level of authority that makes me think they have it all made. They have more knowledge than me, able to handle things better....how can I explain it? They'll be okay in what they do. I just have to listen to them, respect them and that's that. They're somewhat "untouchable".

But sometimes I realise that they're human too and they can go so down and depressed. They may also experience the same stupid relationship or other personal and professional problems. They need support too.

shocked, shocked, shocked...

I just found out today after having a conversation with a friend that our current Prime Minister's wife (Malaysian PM), Datin Seri Endon Mahmood died of breast cancer.

And when did she die? October 2005.

I was so shocked.....

shocked, shocked, shocked.

I can't even remember if my dad mentioned it to me or my mum. If they did, it didn't stick in my head...but something like this would have, so i guess they didn't tell me.

I'm not going to tell my dad this coz he'll ask me why i don't read the newspaper.

Note: read the Malaysian papers online.

Sign up for the 40-Hour Famine!!

What is the 40-Hour Famine?
It is an initiative by World Vision and is a popular annual event to raise funds and awareness in youth. It gets us involved by giving us a taste of what it feels like to go hungry. But it isn't just fasting from food for 40 hours. We can choose to go without anything that matters to us (eg. technology, talking) and then, raise donations for this.

This year's funds raised by World Vision Australia from the Famine will be channeled to East Timor specifically but also to support World Vision's work in Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia and help poor families survive natural disasters like floods, earthquakes and cyclones.

When is the 40-Hour Famine?
World Vision Australia has set it for the weekend of 18-20 August 2006.
(I just realised that other countries have it not at the same time as us - and instead of 40-hours, some have just 30 hours)

What is this about signing up?
Well, the UNSW World Vision Club is running a drive to encourage people to sign up and get involved in the 40-Hour Famine this year!

• When: This week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) 30/5, 31/5 and 1/6
• What time: 11.30- 2pm
• Where: In front of the library .... look out for our banner!

If you sign up with us, you'll get a free gift bag!! (more than a decent amount of nice stuff inside truly) You'll also be given the 40-Hour Famine booklet where you will find information inside on what to do etc..and also where you record amount donated, give receipts to people who have kindly donated and so on. The booklet is important and you will have to give it back to us after the Famine. We're basically doing this as a club and we'll collect all the booklets and donations and give them to World Vision.

For those not at UNSW and those who are but can't make it, tell me if you wanna take part okay? I guess preferably if you are here in Australia, preferably in Sydney. I'll get you a booklet, minus the gift bag (anytime before the Famine starts). We can do it together and spur each other on! Or let me encourage you to sign up by yourself wherever you are. Very easy peasy! Go to the website and follow the instructions. World Vision will mail you the booklet.

Email me if you wanna ask anything :)

This week

It's been a long week! I haven't felt like this in awhile...when last Sunday seemed like ages ago. I worked everyday except Monday when I went all the way to this town called Blacktown which is an hour away by train for something. I had to wake up at "ungodly" hours a lot this week =P (unearthly for me anyway) but ...I really like morning shifts! Leaves the afternoons and nights free which I needed this week. A couple of friends graduated, dinners outside, went for a Christian women's conference (called EQUIP) on Saturday, another dinner where i spent $30 (!!!!) and I think I did my longest bicycle journey ever without stopping, not that I'm going to do it again.

EQUIP was pretty good. I really enjoyed the talks (3 in total) - talks that speak to the heart and challenges the heart to live out the Christian life. I was pretty sleepy during the elective which took place before the talks....shhhh....i feel a bit bad about that....

I felt pretty housewifey this week as well. Cook, clean, wash clothes. I'm trying to be a better sister.

The waiting game

If you'd like to know, my application for Australian Permanent Residency is still pending. It's going okay. I called the immigration office recently and the person I was speaking to said that they were currently looking at e-applications received on Feb 26th. How slow is that? I just lodged mine in before the middle of March. And thinking back, I got back to Sydney from Msia on March 5th or 6th.

Maybe I shouldn't have gone home to Msia at all until my PR thingie was finalised. A batch of people just got their PR application approved 2-3 weeks back after having lodged theirs in at the beginning of the year. But you know, even though this waiting game is taking a bit too long, I'm still glad I went back to Malaysia when I did. Imagine if I just got my PR like these friends of mine recently. Should I then go home now? I think I'd feel like I wished to start full-time work instead and the timing feels a bit off. I feel like I'm in the middle of some life and now I'd have to book a ticket to go home. Going home now would be kinda too late for me compared to earlier.

Anyway, so my brother and I are now waiting..

My brother's graduation today!...and Dor's too!

It was Ching Yung's grad this afternoon. Unfortunately, my other bro couldn't attend it coz he had class from 2-5 pm and he had to do a presentation today but he did come at the end after Yung had returned his gown. Ching Yung doesn't like too many photos and was like, no need lahhh (even to my attending) but today, he didn't mind me taking photos after the initial and occasional no need lahs. Of course I know that his "no need lah" isn't truly a "not important, he doesn't care" kinda 'no need'.....

On the whole, it was a happy happy day! :D

with some of his friends (He goes to UTS by the way --> University of Technology, Sydney)

And a funny coincidence, it was my church friend, Doreen's grad too! that secretive girl.....I didn't know till my brother told me he saw some other of our church friends there. So of course we had to take a photo together! *big smiles*

Busy-ness is just an excuse

Ever get those moments when you realise you've been thinking a bit too much lately about yourself? Or feel like you've been worrying about your things when it hits you that other people are feeling down too?

I just found out a friend didn't do too well last semester and so had to cram all her final subjects in this semester but it was too much, so had to extend another semester. And I didn't even know till now because she appeared okay and always said things were okay when I asked. Most probably wasn't asking enough!

and this is my public commitment from now on.... try me very best never ever to say i'm busy. I sort of had it in my head not to say it because I truly am not busy. If I was, it would be my own fault for not disciplining myself throughout the day and doing things earlier. When i hear about the lives of others, I just feel ashamed for even remotely thinking I was busy.

And i kinda hate the word when it's mentioned a lot especially at work when suddenly the queues get longer and there are more people. They start mentioning that it's busy in the store....or if it's not, they ask if it's been busy. Hate that word.

It's either I agree or deflect it by saying something more encouraging. Or just phrase it in another way.

And the more I use the word at this very moment and look at it, the more i wonder why I so easily see that word pronounced as biziii and not boosi. :P

Zhang Yimou films are fantastic!

How cool would it be if going to lectures every week involved watching films? Not that critiqueing and analyzing them every week would be really fun but we would definitely learn more. Anyway, it just hit me last week when i was talking to my friend, Guan that the Chinese Cinema lectures he sat in for the past 2 years and where he's now helping his supervisor out in the technical sides.....this subject involves watching chinese films every week!! now, why didn't he make it clearer to me then?? I've been under the clouds for 2 years!! and my brother, Ching Hwa absolutely likes classes like this...in big lecture halls where he can just reflect on his own.

I mentioned before that I was attending these other chinese classes that Guan was tutoring every Monday morning. Haven't really been very faithful in attending them every week...Guan called both me and my bro his laziest students hahaha.....and Guan is ever kind, photocopying the chapters for free for me in the chinese department. But I told him to stop the photocopying for now. I'm getting a bit lazy and sometimes, I get lost when Guan jumps from here to there in the readings. Mann...those 3rd year chinese students are not quite good in chinese but put me beside them, and i suck even more. The level of chinese in their textbook is so tough and it's supposedly primary school standard. Well, i know if I put in more effort and don't succumb to indiscipline and laziness, I would improve but unfortunately, i succumb to my negative side ....a lot! .....spank me!!

But well....watching films definitely perked our ears up and the fact that the class is run in english and the films have english subtitles. So I went with my bro today to the "chinese cinema" class and this week, we watched Red Sorghum starring Gong Li. Zhang Yi Mou's first major film - you know, the guy who directed HERO! He's directed a number of critically acclaimed films that have done really well at international film festivals.

In the film, there's this really gross part where all of a sudden, the Japanese invade China. Some of the chinese peasants rebel against them and to squash such rebellion, the awful japanese soldiers force these local butchers to skin those rebels alive. One refuses because the rebel he is supposed to skin is his master. The other is so scared but ultimately does it or else be skinned alive himself. So grosss....such depictions really stir up anti-japanese sentiments in me a bit. You know, after all that world war 2 stories on the brutality of the japs we hear about.

And i can now say "sorghum" in Mandarin!! :D

This morning at work, this chinese guy comes up to the register and shows me his packet of iodised salt and starts asking me questions in mandarin. And I seriously didn't understand what he was asking me about because my vocabulary is so low and i don't even know how to say salt or iodine in mandarin!! Well, I could tell it was something about the salt...probably the iodine or something. I looked around for any of my chinese workmates but none of them had started their shifts yet.... sighh...Maybe I should have pretended to be Korean or something.

It's times like this that i feel my inadequacy and shame of even calling myself chinese. But it does make me desire to improve.

blah blah blah.....gee...what a ramble!! :D

Stroke Identification

A forwarded email from my Dad.
STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters...

During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) and just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food - while she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00pm , Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don't die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead. It only takes a minute to read this...

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Thank God for the sense to remember the "3" steps, STR . Read and Learn! Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke. Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

S *Ask the individual to SMILE.

T*Ask the person to TALK, to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (i.e. . . It is sunny out today)

R *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

{NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out their tongue... if the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke} If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 9-1-1 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

****************************************

Strokes are not just caused due to blockage by a blood clot of an artery leading to the brain. It can also happen because the blood vessel bursts and blood leaks into the brain.

My paternal grandfather nearly got one I think - there was > 90% blockage in the artery in his neck last year. My mum has never ceased to rub the bruises we tell her about so hard till we scream in pain for her to stop. She tells us over and over again about blood clots. And then I remember this real story about how a young woman in her 20s just died because an artery burst in her brain. So sudden.

Well, that's all I know about strokes so far.

The life of Freddie

Another life lost 2 Fridays ago.
I heard he fainted while working at a restaurant early that afternoon. He had some sort of heart disease and blood couldn't flow from his left to his right side or something.

Single parent of a 7 year old boy.
Indonesian.
We knew him as he worked in the kitchen at New College sometimes.
I remember the few short chats I had with him at college. He'd speak to me in Indo and I'd try my very best to respond likewise....there's always this little immediate bond when one is able to speak another person's language. Happens when I meet Indonesians. Not that I speak well enough.

Anyways....

Attended his wake Friday evening.
Justin, his brother came up at the end to speak about him. I knew him from college too.
It was difficult for him and his grief touched our very hearts.

There's nothing like someone talking about the life of a dear one huh?
And realising that I should have spoken to this person more.

The story of the 10 Commandments continued..

So, I've been reading the book of Exodus in the Bible because that's where the story of Moses happens. I'm sort of halfway through the book (40 chapters long) where God is about to announce what his 10 Commandments are.

There's this part that I don't understand in Exodus Chpt 4:24-26. But before that....so far, Moses has been leading a normal life, settled down and already having children outside Egypt in the land of Midian. However, God chooses him to bring His people out of slavery in Egypt as they are suffering under the tyranny of the Pharaoh and Egyptians. Moses is not confident at all because he is not eloquent and wonders why God has chosen him. But God gives Moses the ability to perform powerful signs with his staff. Moses then prepares to leave for Egypt with his wife and sons.

Exodus 4:24-26 - At a lodging place on the way, the LORD met him (I guess this 'him' is Moses) and sought to put him to death. Then Zipporah (Moses' wife) took a flint and cut off her son's foreskin and touched Moses' feet with it and said, "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!" So he let him alone. It was then that she said, "A Bridegroom of blood," because of the circumcision.

Huhhh?? WHy would God want to put him to death?? I don't even understand why Zipporah is doing that. Maybe I need to read it again, especially the parts before this part. But does anyone have any clue or know what I'm talking about?

Talking about the movie. It's strange....in the little bits that I managed to catch of the 2nd half of the film, i distinctly remember this scene where this couple are together in a small pool in the desert when the husband arrives and sees them. A fight breaks out and the husband is killed. Both the man and woman are both stricken with pain and guilt. Later on, I don't know how the whole community finds out about this (as i wasn't watching) and the man is brought forth to the tent of Moses where Moses has to make a difficult and painful decision to punish him. Both man and woman are then stoned to death. Now this all happens before Moses goes up Mount Sinai to collect the tablets where God writes his 10 commandments. My point is, I didn't come across that whole affair and stoning scene in what I'd just read. How did the scriptwriters know that that whole thing happened? maybe they were trying to use their imagination or it appeared in some other historical Jewish book that I'm not aware of...?

Also, as i'm flipping the pages, Chapter 20 starts talking about the 10 Commandments and all the rules and stuff all the way till the end of Chapter 31! Chapter 32 starts off with the people getting all restless for Moses is taking so long in coming back from the mountain that they start building a golden calf to worship as God. When I watched the movie, it didn't seem that long! I guess coz they didn't go through all the rules and stuff....would have been too boring I suppose.

Deelip and his work in India

Had this idea early in January this year of going with my friend to India. She was going to go backpack with her brother but I just wanted to do volunteer work which she was also agreeable to. But there was a change of mind and I didn't follow through with this plan. My friend and her brother did go to India though.

However, I did do a bit of research online previously and Deelip Mhaske emailed me. Only 27 years old and so passionate about poverty and other community issues. And the amazing thing is he doesn't even forget me after I had stopped thinking about India. Check out these webpages:

http://paybacktosociety.blogspot.com/
http://kimfalazari.blogspot.com/

Time whizzes past too soon

I used to love going to the airports when we were sending people off. You know, the feeling of going overseas and holidays to "much more awesome" places. And the feeling of being on a plane....no i'm not scared of them! But when I went to Brisbane, Australia with my dad for 2 weeks in 1992 to stay with my cousins there (whereby my dad left soon after for Western Australia on business and home to M'sia), i was feeling all teary at the airport and my dad was wondering what was wrong with me.

Anyway, I think I don't like airports now. Leaving is too sad. I don't know if I'd rather be the person who leaves or be the one left behind. The one left behind has it worse though I think. They return home, and what was supposed to be there, is now emptiness. Life's a dependency and now we have to be on our own.

Sometimes we don't know what happens after that. Our lives can take such a dramatic turn that in the end what was, is not anymore. The one we love never comes back and desires to forget you. Sometimes, all's well and there are no tears. But I know my mummy still loves me and she arrived home safely, thank God.

I miss my MUMMY!!!!! :(

when will this ever end?

Whenever any such news reaches my ears
suddenly my mood drops
and all I can think about is loss
and other feelings of disappointment

I really hate this feeling of sudden mood shift

All I know is that when I look back on this in the future
I'd wonder why it was so hard to forget

Just ignore what I'm saying....

Moses and the Day of Pentecost

The film "The 10 Commandments" was being shown on TV over the Easter weekend and I managed to catch bits of the 2nd half last night at Aunty Kim's place. It's really long and I always wanted to see it after my former Bible study leader mentioned having a movie night to see it about 2 1/2 years back. Anyway, the movie made me want to go read the Moses story properly. Never really did it before but I just sort of know the overall summarised version. Movies just help me to picture things properly and sort of understand their feelings at that time. I always sort of wondered why on earth did they build that ugly gold idol to worship so quickly and forget God while waiting for Moses to come down from Mount Sinai.

At church camp, we were reading one of the chapters in the Book of Acts and i realised i didn't know what the Day of Pentecost meant. I had to go on the Internet to read up on it which was interesting background information. Before i'd just read through the passage not understanding these little bits and pieces. They really make a difference in understanding the context of the passage.

I'm in the mood for some historical juice now.....History can be really interesting sometimes!

church camp this weekend

I'm going to church camp this long Easter weekend - Friday to Monday so see you after that!

if the week could start getting worse, it did yesterday....i was attempting to lock my bike up at work when I realised that i had taken my brother's keys by mistake!! which means, i didn't have my locker key, which means i didn't have access to my work clothes. And the office didn't have a spare key!!! THey only had a spare shirt. So I had to work in my own pants and shoes.

in all situations, stay calm...it is not the end of the world. There is always some sort of solution. Worse things have happened.