Yup. So I'm back.
That's all I'm going to say.
For now.
Soon :)
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Merry Christmas
I've been counting down events that will lead me closer to the date of going back home. End of school, check. A kinseria (15 birthday), check. Saying goodbye to friends, check. Christmas, almost check.
Can you believe it's almost Christmas?? I can hardly believe it. After Christmas we'll be travelling to another place for vacation, then I'll be flying home. My Argentine Adventure is drawing to an inevitable end.....
Am I happy or sad?
I'll leave it here. This is the shortest post I've ever written.
Cheers,
Ning :(
Can you believe it's almost Christmas?? I can hardly believe it. After Christmas we'll be travelling to another place for vacation, then I'll be flying home. My Argentine Adventure is drawing to an inevitable end.....
Am I happy or sad?
I'll leave it here. This is the shortest post I've ever written.
Cheers,
Ning :(
Friday, December 9, 2011
Books and People
Wow. Did I just put the title "Books and People"? Two things that live at the very different end of my world's axis. I am enamoured with books. I don't do well with people.
Let's talk on the pleasenter subject first...... books. God, I miss my books. I miss my bookshelf that was getting smaller in empty space, I miss being able to walk into a bookstore to buy an English book. I miss the feel of books in my hands and the excitement as my eyes read over each printed word. Forgive me. Writers tend to talk too much about books. I realised that from many books, actually. I think there's hardly any literally writer who doesn't love books.
And when I found out a way I can download books from the Internet, bam, I'm done.
I feel guilty in downloading books, but I swear I'll buy those books that I don't own, as a support to the authors. I don't meant to download it without giving the author some well-earned royalties, but I'm just short of a bookstore. I even got the money, sadly. Something which I don't always have when I want to buy a book. I used to dream that one day I would like to just buy all the books I wanted and dive into their wordy depth. However, I'm sure I'll read it all, however. Which will make me a bibliophilist, not a reader. Oh, well. The greed for books.
Ok, ok. I'll stop my ranting of books for a while. It's just that I finally got access to the book I wanted for so long. I'm sorry, author. I WILL buy your book. Let me enjoy it now, first. Thanks!! You just save me from eternal boredom.
Alright. People. Today 5o people from Spain came to our small town. They're from something for something. Ok. I don't know. Anyway, as the Spanish Association here in San Julian are kind of in-charge to welcome them, I am in too. My host mum belongs to the Association, and I learned flamenco there. So I'm involved, somehow. I will be performing the "Sevillana" - a kind of dance - on Saturday to them. Can't wait!! Which is very atypical of me. But my courage was found on the fact that last Sunday I performed in a gala - 3 dances. It's this year-end even for my dancing school. There's performances of ballet, tango, folklore and flamenco. I'm involved with the last one. I had a Spanish dress and make-up. I'm surprised at myself that I actually enjoyed very much!! Something I wouldn't have thought I would feel. I only pray I won't forget all the moves and my traitous heels won't fly off and hit someone on the head.
Trust me. With my luck it can happen.
But anyway back to the 50 people. We received them today, presented them Argentinean flag scarves and badges. They're a very nice bunch. I'm fascinated by their Spanish, which is different from Argentina's. They had a very pronounced accent - Argentineans not really. They just spoke too fast, or I'm used to their accent. And they uses grammer different from Argentineans. For example, Argentineans don't use vosotros, which proper Spanish do. So when a woman asked me if we'll have breakfast I couldn't understand. But it's really fascinating. Kind of like I'm always fascinated in hearing Taiwan and China people speaking Chinese. It's the same language, but the ways, the accents, the words applied......
Malaysia is, as we called a "rojak" linguistic country. Rojak means mixed or jumbled. It's a typical salad here, with fruits and fried crackers and eggs and cucmbers with spicy-sweet peanut sauce. Oh, I miss it. There's one near my grandpa's house. The rojak is famous. If there's one thing I miss more than books here, is food. I realised we Malaysian's tongues are totally spoilt. Whenever we want we get good food, 24/7. Whether a morning coffee, an afternoon tea or a midnight teh tarik......
People like to ask me if I'm ready to go home. I have a rather strange answer. Mostly will say "NO!!!!" (Like my New Zealand fellow AFSer), perhaps a few "TOTALLY!!!" (???) However, I am ready to go home. I've prepared myself mentally to return on the appointed date. Days before will be unbearable, days after will be unbearable too. I felt I have enough. Not like I've enough enough, like I'm happy that this exchange is coming to an end because now I really know what I want and I want to pursue it. It give me the strength to move on, take the next step.
I'm listening to Michael Jackson's Man in the Mirror now. Great message. Says:
I'm staring at the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his way
And no message could be any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and make that change!
Change is not neccesary a horrible thing. Change for the better. Change for the best. I changed myself in coming, and now I'm leaving a better person.
I really hope so.
Love,
Ning
Let's talk on the pleasenter subject first...... books. God, I miss my books. I miss my bookshelf that was getting smaller in empty space, I miss being able to walk into a bookstore to buy an English book. I miss the feel of books in my hands and the excitement as my eyes read over each printed word. Forgive me. Writers tend to talk too much about books. I realised that from many books, actually. I think there's hardly any literally writer who doesn't love books.
And when I found out a way I can download books from the Internet, bam, I'm done.
I feel guilty in downloading books, but I swear I'll buy those books that I don't own, as a support to the authors. I don't meant to download it without giving the author some well-earned royalties, but I'm just short of a bookstore. I even got the money, sadly. Something which I don't always have when I want to buy a book. I used to dream that one day I would like to just buy all the books I wanted and dive into their wordy depth. However, I'm sure I'll read it all, however. Which will make me a bibliophilist, not a reader. Oh, well. The greed for books.
Ok, ok. I'll stop my ranting of books for a while. It's just that I finally got access to the book I wanted for so long. I'm sorry, author. I WILL buy your book. Let me enjoy it now, first. Thanks!! You just save me from eternal boredom.
Alright. People. Today 5o people from Spain came to our small town. They're from something for something. Ok. I don't know. Anyway, as the Spanish Association here in San Julian are kind of in-charge to welcome them, I am in too. My host mum belongs to the Association, and I learned flamenco there. So I'm involved, somehow. I will be performing the "Sevillana" - a kind of dance - on Saturday to them. Can't wait!! Which is very atypical of me. But my courage was found on the fact that last Sunday I performed in a gala - 3 dances. It's this year-end even for my dancing school. There's performances of ballet, tango, folklore and flamenco. I'm involved with the last one. I had a Spanish dress and make-up. I'm surprised at myself that I actually enjoyed very much!! Something I wouldn't have thought I would feel. I only pray I won't forget all the moves and my traitous heels won't fly off and hit someone on the head.
Trust me. With my luck it can happen.
But anyway back to the 50 people. We received them today, presented them Argentinean flag scarves and badges. They're a very nice bunch. I'm fascinated by their Spanish, which is different from Argentina's. They had a very pronounced accent - Argentineans not really. They just spoke too fast, or I'm used to their accent. And they uses grammer different from Argentineans. For example, Argentineans don't use vosotros, which proper Spanish do. So when a woman asked me if we'll have breakfast I couldn't understand. But it's really fascinating. Kind of like I'm always fascinated in hearing Taiwan and China people speaking Chinese. It's the same language, but the ways, the accents, the words applied......
Malaysia is, as we called a "rojak" linguistic country. Rojak means mixed or jumbled. It's a typical salad here, with fruits and fried crackers and eggs and cucmbers with spicy-sweet peanut sauce. Oh, I miss it. There's one near my grandpa's house. The rojak is famous. If there's one thing I miss more than books here, is food. I realised we Malaysian's tongues are totally spoilt. Whenever we want we get good food, 24/7. Whether a morning coffee, an afternoon tea or a midnight teh tarik......
People like to ask me if I'm ready to go home. I have a rather strange answer. Mostly will say "NO!!!!" (Like my New Zealand fellow AFSer), perhaps a few "TOTALLY!!!" (???) However, I am ready to go home. I've prepared myself mentally to return on the appointed date. Days before will be unbearable, days after will be unbearable too. I felt I have enough. Not like I've enough enough, like I'm happy that this exchange is coming to an end because now I really know what I want and I want to pursue it. It give me the strength to move on, take the next step.
I'm listening to Michael Jackson's Man in the Mirror now. Great message. Says:
I'm staring at the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his way
And no message could be any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and make that change!
Change is not neccesary a horrible thing. Change for the better. Change for the best. I changed myself in coming, and now I'm leaving a better person.
I really hope so.
Love,
Ning
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Counting Down in Weeks
Today is Friday. On Monday it's holiday, and Wednesday is the last day of school. Summer vacation thus begins................
I read a fellow AFSer's blog. I wodered to myself, "What have I achieve here?"
My blog didn't have much about my coming and goings of my exchange. Rather, it's very inner. Isn't it? In a month and half, roughly two months I'll be going home. I don't exactly know how I feel. Am I excited to go home? Yes. Am I sad to leave? Definately. But am I ready to leave? It seemed like the time for my next adventure, almost as an adult, is about to begin.
You know what? I think I am.
I wonder when I return will my family detect a difference in me. Will they feel I'm not quite the girl that had left them? Or they feel the same? I feel the same. I am quite confused. My ehart feels like a magnet pulling in two direction: excitement and reluctance.
On January we'll be going to Mar de Plata, way up in the north with sunny beaches. My kind of place. I can't wait!!!!!! I want to explore more about Argentina. Who knows if I'll be back again? Then in two weeks I'll be off...... thinking about the day I arrived seemed so, so far away. I am eternally grateful I kept a journal. Or a series of journals. Without them I wouldn't remember as well as I should. That will be my greatest achievement here. I'm not entirely sure about Spanish, though...... I didn't speak perfectly as a native. Ok. Admittedly I didn't study as well as I should.
On the 4th of December I'll be performing on-stage for flamenco...... yeah, you read it right. I can't quite wrap my mind around it. I just hope I don't froze at the sight of about 150 people..... it's the year-end gala for my teacher's classes. Everyone will be performing. From kindie kids to secondaries to adults. I have 3 dances... I got them in my head. I only pray that I wouldn't screw the hell up. stage fright...............................
I didn't have many friends, but I made a few lasting relationships; I didn't perfected a language, but at least I got the gist; I didn't finish a book, but I had quite a number of journals that'd last forever.........
Last few weeks of my Argentine Adventure...... treasure every moment.
Cheers,
Ning.
I read a fellow AFSer's blog. I wodered to myself, "What have I achieve here?"
My blog didn't have much about my coming and goings of my exchange. Rather, it's very inner. Isn't it? In a month and half, roughly two months I'll be going home. I don't exactly know how I feel. Am I excited to go home? Yes. Am I sad to leave? Definately. But am I ready to leave? It seemed like the time for my next adventure, almost as an adult, is about to begin.
You know what? I think I am.
I wonder when I return will my family detect a difference in me. Will they feel I'm not quite the girl that had left them? Or they feel the same? I feel the same. I am quite confused. My ehart feels like a magnet pulling in two direction: excitement and reluctance.
On January we'll be going to Mar de Plata, way up in the north with sunny beaches. My kind of place. I can't wait!!!!!! I want to explore more about Argentina. Who knows if I'll be back again? Then in two weeks I'll be off...... thinking about the day I arrived seemed so, so far away. I am eternally grateful I kept a journal. Or a series of journals. Without them I wouldn't remember as well as I should. That will be my greatest achievement here. I'm not entirely sure about Spanish, though...... I didn't speak perfectly as a native. Ok. Admittedly I didn't study as well as I should.
On the 4th of December I'll be performing on-stage for flamenco...... yeah, you read it right. I can't quite wrap my mind around it. I just hope I don't froze at the sight of about 150 people..... it's the year-end gala for my teacher's classes. Everyone will be performing. From kindie kids to secondaries to adults. I have 3 dances... I got them in my head. I only pray that I wouldn't screw the hell up. stage fright...............................
I didn't have many friends, but I made a few lasting relationships; I didn't perfected a language, but at least I got the gist; I didn't finish a book, but I had quite a number of journals that'd last forever.........
Last few weeks of my Argentine Adventure...... treasure every moment.
Cheers,
Ning.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Eighteen and Breaking Dawn
Right. I am officially 18 years old.
So where's my driver's liscence (do you spell it that way??), I might ask?
Sometimes I dreamt that I was driving...... I don't know why. I'm not a car fan, but I wanted to drive badly. It's like a sense of freedom. A real sense of freedom. I used to dream that I would like to drive from Malaysia to Europe, which is possible, you know. Just a really long journey. But a really fun one. Who knows? Maybe once I got back home, have my liscence and off I go!!!
My birthday celebration was a quiet one. At least I didn't slice open my finger and my vampire brother came to eat me. I haven't had a cake in, like, a long time. My family back home wasn't very celebrate-y kind of family. We go out to have an elegant dinner, that's all. Perhaps a present of buying a book or two (my favourite). And it makes me happy already. This year I had more than one present, and invited friends over, which is too, something I've never done before. It felt weirdly nice. The others were like asking me "Did you had a nice time? Did you sing? Did you danced?"
Yes, no, no. Sorry. I have no interest in dancing. Or their definition of dancing.
So...... Breaking Dawn comes out tomorrow!!!!! Cruel!!!!!!!!!!! Once again I am deprived of the chance to see it in the cinema. Which is tragic!!! Even though I still felt the hairstyle didn't suit Dr. Cullen. It didn't do his awesomeness justice. Maybe in January when we go to our summer vacation (please, please, please!!!!!!!!) we can go to the cinema. Hopefully Breaking Dawn is still on screen. Do you know that I just saw Harry Potter 7 part 2 last week? After like half a year!!!!!!!! It's also wierdly-nice. Especially weird at the "19 years later".
Now we're back in cave-man life. No water. The water pipes are broken. It's like a domino: today was this part, the next day the other. It kept falling down and down. Extreme water perserve. The whole town are half dehydrated. No school. Yipee!!!!!!!!!!!!
My thoughts are a little random today. Sorry about that.
Stop here. XOXO
Ning :p
So where's my driver's liscence (do you spell it that way??), I might ask?
Sometimes I dreamt that I was driving...... I don't know why. I'm not a car fan, but I wanted to drive badly. It's like a sense of freedom. A real sense of freedom. I used to dream that I would like to drive from Malaysia to Europe, which is possible, you know. Just a really long journey. But a really fun one. Who knows? Maybe once I got back home, have my liscence and off I go!!!
My birthday celebration was a quiet one. At least I didn't slice open my finger and my vampire brother came to eat me. I haven't had a cake in, like, a long time. My family back home wasn't very celebrate-y kind of family. We go out to have an elegant dinner, that's all. Perhaps a present of buying a book or two (my favourite). And it makes me happy already. This year I had more than one present, and invited friends over, which is too, something I've never done before. It felt weirdly nice. The others were like asking me "Did you had a nice time? Did you sing? Did you danced?"
Yes, no, no. Sorry. I have no interest in dancing. Or their definition of dancing.
So...... Breaking Dawn comes out tomorrow!!!!! Cruel!!!!!!!!!!! Once again I am deprived of the chance to see it in the cinema. Which is tragic!!! Even though I still felt the hairstyle didn't suit Dr. Cullen. It didn't do his awesomeness justice. Maybe in January when we go to our summer vacation (please, please, please!!!!!!!!) we can go to the cinema. Hopefully Breaking Dawn is still on screen. Do you know that I just saw Harry Potter 7 part 2 last week? After like half a year!!!!!!!! It's also wierdly-nice. Especially weird at the "19 years later".
Now we're back in cave-man life. No water. The water pipes are broken. It's like a domino: today was this part, the next day the other. It kept falling down and down. Extreme water perserve. The whole town are half dehydrated. No school. Yipee!!!!!!!!!!!!
My thoughts are a little random today. Sorry about that.
Stop here. XOXO
Ning :p
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
October
October. Spring. Sunshine. At Last.
Yes!!! After seven monthsof staying in San Julian, spring is really and truly here!! Well, even though there are days which rained, and days which wind-ed, I am no longer forced to wear a Michilin-like coat and being coiled by scarf and gloves and hat. It is so nice just walking down the street with a sweater, nothing more.
Well, peeps. Three more months to go! To say time passes quickly...... not really. But neither is it slow. I really did "go with the flow", didn't I? I am up to my eighth book of journal/diary. If there is any big achievement in this exchange, it is I've written the amonut of diary fitted to be a book.
On last week Friday I was shock to receive a netbook from the mayor of San Julian. Yup. A netbook. Ok. I can't bring it back because it's like a motivation for the kids for when they passed the last year of school the computer will give to them like a present. So I'm going to have to leave the computer in the school. But whatever. I already have a perfectly nice computer. Though it is not every day when the mayor come to your school and give you a computer.
I'm very happy today, for I got back my Bioligy exam and I got 9.50 / 10 points!! This is one true exam which I can say I really studied and written in Spanish. No small feat compare to what I was seven months ago, where my vocabulary one extend to "Hola!" and "Si!" and "No!". Today I did Physics (cough, cough) exam and Language. The former I am not sure. The latter I did okay. I didn't study for the exams, since I don't understand those things as they were all about the Spanish, not language in general. I did two texts, and I am again surprised by my Spanish. True, it's crackly in grammer but I can write quite smoothly with only few interruptions for dictionary. The teacher is really nice to allow me to do different questions from the others. I don't know which is easier. If I study and I understand the test would be relatively easy. On the other hand, I am not the kind of person who remember the points and ways to write an essay. I just write them.
So I am quite excited to see what the teacher thinks. She looked pretty impressed - can I use this bword? - by reading my first text, which is a dialogue, since the questions is about things like "what is a dialogue".
Here's a whacky photo I made with my school friends:
You can see we are bored.
So here we go. A stop :)
Love, XO
Ning
Yes!!! After seven monthsof staying in San Julian, spring is really and truly here!! Well, even though there are days which rained, and days which wind-ed, I am no longer forced to wear a Michilin-like coat and being coiled by scarf and gloves and hat. It is so nice just walking down the street with a sweater, nothing more.
Well, peeps. Three more months to go! To say time passes quickly...... not really. But neither is it slow. I really did "go with the flow", didn't I? I am up to my eighth book of journal/diary. If there is any big achievement in this exchange, it is I've written the amonut of diary fitted to be a book.
On last week Friday I was shock to receive a netbook from the mayor of San Julian. Yup. A netbook. Ok. I can't bring it back because it's like a motivation for the kids for when they passed the last year of school the computer will give to them like a present. So I'm going to have to leave the computer in the school. But whatever. I already have a perfectly nice computer. Though it is not every day when the mayor come to your school and give you a computer.
I'm very happy today, for I got back my Bioligy exam and I got 9.50 / 10 points!! This is one true exam which I can say I really studied and written in Spanish. No small feat compare to what I was seven months ago, where my vocabulary one extend to "Hola!" and "Si!" and "No!". Today I did Physics (cough, cough) exam and Language. The former I am not sure. The latter I did okay. I didn't study for the exams, since I don't understand those things as they were all about the Spanish, not language in general. I did two texts, and I am again surprised by my Spanish. True, it's crackly in grammer but I can write quite smoothly with only few interruptions for dictionary. The teacher is really nice to allow me to do different questions from the others. I don't know which is easier. If I study and I understand the test would be relatively easy. On the other hand, I am not the kind of person who remember the points and ways to write an essay. I just write them.
So I am quite excited to see what the teacher thinks. She looked pretty impressed - can I use this bword? - by reading my first text, which is a dialogue, since the questions is about things like "what is a dialogue".
Here's a whacky photo I made with my school friends:
You can see we are bored.
So here we go. A stop :)
Love, XO
Ning
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Spring
Spring is here!!
What a lie. On the 21st of September (Wednesday), it snowed. Yes, snowed. I know I haven't update for a while, and the past few posts was about snow, but really, I am now not too excited about snow. In fact, I wish summer would just hurry along so we can get some quality sunshine and warmer weather.
Well. To make up for my abscence, I guess I should tell something about my life here in Argentina for the past 2 months. It's fine. School is so much better, though boring at times (it can't be help), but indeed the surrounding are much happier and cheerful. It's always nice to be around someone who don't hates the sight of you. I've quite enough of that for the past few months.
Wow. I realised that I've only got like 3 & 1/2 months to go on this exchange. However, I am ready to return. Even though I have so many things that it's so difficult to let go here, but I feel the time is right to return to my life. I've been on a vaccation long enough. I want some passion in my life, and that's university and finally being able to study what I love: literature. I can't say I've done anything progressive in my time here, except writing up a bunch of journals, but each memory stay and imprint in my head forever as a potential idea, or the most precious memory.
I sound so old, don't I?
I am now addicted in watching Jamie Oliver. It's been going on for months now (kinda). I loved his 30 Minutes Meal and now his Jamie at Home. Though let's be frank, I can't actually eat 80% of his recipies; I like to his how he cooks and his reaction to food. It's so nice to have something that you feel so passionate about all your life. I'm itching to try some of his recipies that I've copied down when I get back.
I also love his garden. It's so nice to have a garden and plant all you wanted. One of my wildest dream is to own a farm and raise horses and dogs and just live life my own way. But guess what? I felt selfish if I were to persue this idlic life. If I were a philosopher I'd probably go join the Epicureans, the Garden Philosophers.
I am now trying another way of writing, that's it, to write something that's actually real, which is things like journals and personal experiences. I think I might have used up all my imagination juice, and needed time for some break to let my brain soak up the endless possibilities of ideas. For years all I've written popped up from my imagination, and now is time to free the birds and set it high again. It can be depressing at times that I have a perfectly good idea and not being able to write it out.
I guess I'll stop here. The internet connection is shaky and I have to post this before the connection breaks again.
Not knowing when I'll post again :)
Cheers,
Ning
What a lie. On the 21st of September (Wednesday), it snowed. Yes, snowed. I know I haven't update for a while, and the past few posts was about snow, but really, I am now not too excited about snow. In fact, I wish summer would just hurry along so we can get some quality sunshine and warmer weather.
Well. To make up for my abscence, I guess I should tell something about my life here in Argentina for the past 2 months. It's fine. School is so much better, though boring at times (it can't be help), but indeed the surrounding are much happier and cheerful. It's always nice to be around someone who don't hates the sight of you. I've quite enough of that for the past few months.
Wow. I realised that I've only got like 3 & 1/2 months to go on this exchange. However, I am ready to return. Even though I have so many things that it's so difficult to let go here, but I feel the time is right to return to my life. I've been on a vaccation long enough. I want some passion in my life, and that's university and finally being able to study what I love: literature. I can't say I've done anything progressive in my time here, except writing up a bunch of journals, but each memory stay and imprint in my head forever as a potential idea, or the most precious memory.
I sound so old, don't I?
I am now addicted in watching Jamie Oliver. It's been going on for months now (kinda). I loved his 30 Minutes Meal and now his Jamie at Home. Though let's be frank, I can't actually eat 80% of his recipies; I like to his how he cooks and his reaction to food. It's so nice to have something that you feel so passionate about all your life. I'm itching to try some of his recipies that I've copied down when I get back.
I also love his garden. It's so nice to have a garden and plant all you wanted. One of my wildest dream is to own a farm and raise horses and dogs and just live life my own way. But guess what? I felt selfish if I were to persue this idlic life. If I were a philosopher I'd probably go join the Epicureans, the Garden Philosophers.
I am now trying another way of writing, that's it, to write something that's actually real, which is things like journals and personal experiences. I think I might have used up all my imagination juice, and needed time for some break to let my brain soak up the endless possibilities of ideas. For years all I've written popped up from my imagination, and now is time to free the birds and set it high again. It can be depressing at times that I have a perfectly good idea and not being able to write it out.
I guess I'll stop here. The internet connection is shaky and I have to post this before the connection breaks again.
Not knowing when I'll post again :)
Cheers,
Ning
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