Reunion Dinner

Whee!! I went to a big family reunion dinner for all the cousins and aunties and uncles and elders from my mom's side. Usually I would be really bored and restless in dinners like these but tonight was different. Guess what? I was in charge of the games! Wheeee!!

I was the "Game Master" for the dinner at the restaurant at MBKS (all thanks to my mother suggesting that I do the games, without my consent...!!). I wasn't very nervous because I've done this kind of thing a few times in youth camps, thus I was prepared. I had to think hard for 3 weeks, I had to prepare materials... But the main problem was: I had to speak Chinese the whole time!!! So of course, as my Chinese isn't very fluent, the verbal ordeal wasn't very smooth and I stumbled on words. Worse still, my speaking is not the clearest in the world. My cousin, who is studying speech theraphy, said she could only hear 50 to 80 percent of what I said. [big *sigh* here]


Me giving instructions...
*mumble mumble da jia qing mumble mumble*


Relatives getting signatures for
"Autograph Sheet"


My cousin "Hiro Nakamura" and his sisters on the right

But I think I did well. I think (or hoped) everyone (about 90 people young and old) enjoyed the games. We played games like "Autograph Sheet", "Who Has The Most..." and "Shopping List". Regrettably, there was some confusion in the last game because I was not very clear in my instructions, but it was a great experience and exposure for me. At least now everyone in the big extended family knows that I exist!!


It was good to meet almost all my Chinese relatives, most of which I had never seen before or only see in big ocassions like funerals or weddings. I dearly hope that I would not be called to be in charge of anything in future gatherings like these, but sadly .... I did a good job tonight.


...a failed omelette I fried...

Let me bore you with some pictures from Chinese New Year visiting...



So sweet right? Hehehe...

before....


after...





My ex-classmates from Batu Lintang



I will miss you all!!

My Biggest Angpow Yet: A History Lesson

I received my biggest angpow just now when visiting a couple from church who are parents of Mr. Mole. Unfortunately for him, Mole was not there; he missed a lot!!

His parents were talking about their experiences with one of their children who was a gangster in school but was completely transformed when he accepted Christ. That in itself is a whole other story to tell. But the big angpow that my sister and I got was the history lesson from my parents and our hosts about the time when communists were at large; all the suffering, hardship and worry that they went through during the confrontation. They talked about how some of their loved ones were captured because they were suspected of cooperating with the communists, and how they survived through the fighting and bombings. Then they talked about their school [my dad and Mole's parents were schoolmates in SMK Serian before!!] and how they went to school everyday and their experiences in post-Malaysia time.

Then my sister and I began to realize, how privileged we actually are because we live in such a peaceful and prosperous time as this! We may not have everything we want, but at least we have the basic things we need. I also realized the importance of History [Sejarah] and how much we can actually learn from it. Oh, how many times have I complained about studying Sejarah and how many times have I grumbled about what I do not have! How valuable History can be, because it is His Story after all. I have also come to realize that we must appreciate our country because countless lives have been lost to defend our nation and we must do our very best as citizens to preserve that peace in our country.

To sum it all up, it is truly priceless to hear the older generation speak about their lives and experiences firsthand instead of reading from books, because there is so much detail and real-life drama that cannot be captured in our History text books. So I urge you, whenever you visit the elderly, listen to their stories because there is so much to be learnt. My sister and I got more than we expected: A lesson in life [for 2 whole hours!] that no amount of angpow can ever match!

Hancock

I just finished watching the movie Hancock at the wee hours of dawn.

The first half of the movie was beautiful, it was almost touching... until the sudden twist somewhere at the middle that made the whole movie completely un-logical, bizzarre and just out-of-nowhere.
The visual effects were entertaining but the plot of the story after the strange twist was confusing and made me go like "... whaaaatt..." after that. But the twist made Charlize Theron look a LOT hotter. Yeah, she's hot.


Anyway, it was a weird movie, but watch it if you have too much time on your hands like me. Then when it starts to get weird (watch for the cue which is when Hancock was about to kiss the woman then everything just blows out of proportion...) you can stop the movie and say, wow what a sweet movie. Or you can just watch the rest for the sake of some cool scenes and special effects.

Of course, not forgetting... Happy Chinese New Year!! May you work hard like a bull, be strong and sturdy like a bull, but not be full of bull!

100 Questions

RANDOM FACTS :
001. Real name: Samuel Kana Anak Lis
002. Nicknames: Kana, Olive, Sam, Sammy, Meww
003. Married: I wish
004. Zodiac sign: Capricorn
005. Male or female: I think it was male, the last time I checked...
006. Age: Eighteen
007. High school: SMKBL (Kuching), MES (Banting)
008. College: Dunno
009. Residence: Kuching/Banting
010. Hair color: Black turned brown
011. Long or short hair: Short
012. Smoke: Nope
013. Drink: Water?
014. Available: I'd say... no...
015. Are you a health freak: A bit. Influence The Great Mother, the nursing lecturer
016. Weight : around 60 or 65 I think
017. Do you have a crush?: I'm not sure what is defined as a crush...
018. Do you like yourself: Of course!
019. Piercings: No way
020. Tattoos: No way
021. Righty or lefty: Righty


FIRST:
022. First surgery: 3 or 4 years old; stitching on my forehead. Is that counted?
023: First piercing: No no no
024. First best friend/s: Jeremy Lim/Ryner Lai
025. First award: Get first in class in primary 2 and other awards like best English, Maths, etc.
026. First memory: There were ducks in my house when I was little
027. First pet: Three little ducklings: Martin, Marto and Martha...hahahaha
028. First vacation: Too young to remember
029. First concert: Part of a Chinese flag dance team for pre-school graduation
030. First crush: Form 1; she rejected me. *sob*

LAST:

031. Last time you went out: Yesterday with my mom

032. Last time you had a good time: Playing badminton with youth on Sunday

033. Last time you cried: d' Encounter 08 camp...

034. Last award: I think it was the Chemistry quiz (Kuiz Kima Kebangsaan) last year
035. Last trip abroad: Xiamen, China in Form 3!!!

036. Last concert: Planetshakers @ City church, KL

037. Last album you bought: I... don't... normally... buy...
038. Last song you played: On computer? Or piano? If piano then I guess it would be the last song we sung for Friday night youth which would be... Lost In You, I think.

039. Last phone call: My mother

040. Last laugh: Last night watching the HappySlip video about Facebook Fever on Anders' blog

PICK ONE:

041. Summer or winter: Winter. I want to see snow!!!

042. Rainy or sunny: Sunny

043. Britney or Christina: Their both b****es

044. TV or YouTube: TV

045. Oprah or Tyra: Oprah

046. McD’s or KFC: McD's.

047. Soccer or tennis: Tennis of course!!

048. New York or San Francisco: New York

CURRENTLY:

049. Eating: Apple

050. Drinking : Milo

051. Wearing: Clothes

052. I'm about to: Publish Post

053. Listening to:My mom lecturing me about doing her work

FAVORITES :

054. Food: Anything goes
055. Drinks: Anything sour like the "San Suan a.k.a Sa-Seng" at Ah Meng's @ Hui Sing

056. Colors: Blue when I'm blue and orange when I'm strange
057. Numbers: 17 or 9

YOUR FUTURE :

058. Want kids: Of course
059. Want to get married: Of course

060. Life: Directed by God, for God, in God.

061. Goals: Live for Christ

062. Where will you live: Anywhere God puts me

063. Buy a house: Hope so

064. Buy a car: Yes lahhh

YOUR PARENTS :

066. Love your mom?: Of course

067. Love your dad?: Of course
68. Are they still together?: Of course, this ain't America

WHICH IS BETTER?:

068. Lips or eyes: Eyes

069. Hugs or kisses: Hugs

070. Shorter or Taller: Wishing I was taller

071. Lean or plump: Lean

072. Romantic or spontaneous: Spontaneous
073. Nice stomach or nice arms: Haaarr...? Can I have nice hair instead?

074. Sensitive or loud: Sensitive
075. Hook-ups or relationships: Relationships duh

HAVE YOU EVER :

076. Bungee-jumped: No

077. Shook hands with someone important: Pastor Chris Long! Hehe

078. Kissed a stranger: No way
079. Drank bubbles: Wat? Teh tarik ada lah

080. Lost glasses/contacts: No

081. Ran away from home: I wish I was brave enough

082. Liked someone younger: I should, right?
083. Older: My sisters?

084. Broken someone’s heart: I hope not

085. Been arrested: No but I can legally go to jail now... uh oh

086. Turned someone down: Surprisingly, yes - there were many desperate girls in Banting... hehehee

087. Cried when someone died: Grandmother passed away a few years ago
088. Liked a friend: Actually, yes.

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:

089. Yourself: Yes

090. Miracles: Yes

091. Love at first sight: No
092. Heaven: Yes
093. Santa clause: No

094. Sex on the first date: No

095. The more you hate, the more you love: Apa?

096. Angels: Yes

ANSWER TRUTHFULLY :

097. Is there one person you want to be with you right now?: YES!!

098. Had more than one boyfriend/girlfriend at a time?: No

099. Do you believe in God?: Yes!!

100. Will you tag 10 people to continue this game: Maybe not

New Hair

I have new hair!! If you can see any difference then you'll know what I did to it. Comments, please? But if you can't then I guess my cousin who is a hair stylist at Eric Design at Third Mile didn't do it good enough. Hmmph.

But if you are thinking along the lines of "Eh, where are Samuel's dark eye bags?" or "Wow, Kana no more pimples! Must be Uncle Mervyn's miracle pimple-remover!" you have been misled (although Uncle Mervyn Song does have a miracle acne-vanisher that I am yet to get), because that would merely be a touch of Photoshopping, which is a skill that I am yet to acquire... so pathetic isn't it, that I have resorted to these lowly tactics of image editting to try to look better on screen. *sigh*

Birthday Blueks

Hi. Happy Birthday to me. I didn't have a big party. Just one small cake shared with other birthday people on Thursday. A badminton game at Winnerscourt instead of a previously planned movie outing. Lots of birthday wishes on SMS, MSN and Facebook but only three presents. But it's ok. I'm not hurt. I mean, I know everyone's been really busy lately. Of course everyone still loves me. They're all kind of broke because it's just after Christmas and there's Chinese New Year to prepare for and then there's school and there's college to go to. Yea, it's ok, really. I'm not hurt. On the contrary, I was quite pleasantly shocked when I received several birthday wishes from friends in Banting whom I never expected would remember. But the people I hoped would remember didn't until someone else wished me. But everyone loves me, right?

I know something that will cheer me up - Australian Open starts tomorrow!! And I have faith that I will be getting more presents soon. From the people who couldn't make it to youth or church on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Believing is seeing, amen? Wait. I suddenly realized that my blog is no longer an epitome of commotion which reached its peak with the production of my SPM song. Like Roger Federer who [though I refuse to believe it] has reached his peak, my blog's days are numbered.

Emo mode: Turn Off

I Am Legal

XD

It's nice to know that I am a man. I can legally smoke, drink alcohol, go clubbing, go to jail, get married without my parents' consent... [all depending on the legal age of whatever country you come from, I'm not sure about Malaysian law though]

I am no longer a juvenile/minor but I have entered the limbo between childhood and adulthood. Adulthood in Malaysia is at 21 right? Hmmph. I'm not a boy, not yet a man. XD The cold weather in Kuching is making me emo.

But anyway, no big 18th birthday celebration for me. I shall sit at home and quietly enjoy my serene passage... to the new world of possibilities. [quote Chris Chung]

God please help me not to land in jail. Amen.

I Wed Thou Not

Tag by this crazy girl. I couldn't stop laughing when I read through hers!

How old are you?
Almost 18!!

Are you single?
Yes. No. Don't know.

At what age do you think you'll get married?
Hopefully between 25 to 35.

Do you think you'll be marrying the person you are with now?
Doesn't hurt to hope, does it?

If not, who do you want to marry?
Brooke Fraser... Rihanna... Ana Ivanovic...

Do you want a garden/beach or a traditional wedding?
Traditional as in... how traditional? Iban wedding?? Bidayuh wedding?? Wait wait I'm thinking too far...

Your ideal motive?
Apa???

Where do you plan to go on a honeymoon?
Paris... London... Sarawak!! Hehe I would love to go to England or Europe!

How many guests do you think you'll invite?
Lots. Immediate and extended family members, church friends, ex-classmates, colleagues - from both sides!! - should make a loooooonngg list.

Do you want an extravagant wedding or a simple wedding?
Simple is good. Extravagant is expensive. But if I'll be rich, why not?

Do you want the traditional vows or something you'd make up on your own?
Personal vows would be more romantic. Traditional vows are traditional. They are legendary. Hmm I've been playing too much Pokemon.

How many layers of cake do you want?
Harr... cake ada layer kah??

Do you prefer having your reception at a hotel or a simple place?
Errmm hotel?

When do you want to get married, morning or evening?
Morning lor... the sooner the better, yes?

You'd rather have your reception outdoors or indoors?
Indoors. It's raining all the time in Kuching...

Do you like a grand entrance for your bride/groom?
Yeah!

Name the song you like to play on your wedding.
...The Wedding March...?? Lose My Soul by Tobymac

Are you a morning person or a night person?
Night. I want to sleep in the morning. But mornings are nice too. Fresher air...

Do you want a solemn ceremony or a light one?
Light. Lighter than hydrogen gas. Chemistry, I miss you!!!

Describe your ideal husband/wife?
Describe?? I wrote a whole essay on it for SPM!! hehe

Do you prefer fine dining or just the normal spoon & fork/knife?
You mean there are other types? Fine dining it shall be!

Champagne or red wine?
Can don't want alcohol ah?

Honeymoon right after the wedding or days after the wedding?
Right after! Heheheheeee...

Money or household items?
Money money money but if you find like really pretty, rare or antique household items then boleh bagi lah!

Who will pay for the bills?
Ermm the breadwinner. The whole reason why I study so hard. Me??

Are you ready for married life?
No. Long road ahead!

Do you think you will still be a virgin until you get married?
I hope. I plan to be.

Will you always be true to your wife/husband?
Forever!!!

How many kids would you like to have?
Three would be nice... Twins would be fun!!

A new house for a newly wed or an old one?
New lahh. Even Bible also say: You need new wineskin for new wine!!

What kind of cuisine would you like for your wedding?
Nothing spicy!! I cannot even begin to tell you the number of weddings I've been to that serve nothing but spicy food... call the fire station!! Oh wait *she* likes spicy food. Oh nooooo...

Will you record your honeymoon in VCD/DVD?
Ermm take banyak pictures lah...

Whose wedding plans would you like to know next?
1. Lik Pin
2. Ivanna
3. Ivanna's husband
4. Leti
5. Corde
6. Anders

Ermmm...

I just had my fifth driving lesson this afternoon at 2. Which was my nap time. So I was kind of sleepy. Almost died because I FORGOT TO LOOK AT THE RIGHT SIDE WHEN GOING OUT OF A ROUNDABOUT... There was a car coming from that direction!! Good thing instructor immediately brake... but then again, it's like the second or third time it happened at the exact same roundabout, so I no feeling liao...

I'll be eighteen soon... But I still cannot drive on my own until my dad come back or I go back Banting. No driving on my own, says the Great Mother.

I'm in love with Kevin Kern's piano music!! *Hint hint* get me his songbook or piano scores please!!!

I want to do something wild with my hair. Dye... Highlight... any ideas? Not that the G.M. (refer above) would allow, though...

The 4-Letter Word

[click to enlarge]

Stop The Rot

These three words are like imprinted in my mind. Stop the rot. Stop the rot. What rot? Government rot? Tooth decay? Rotting vegetables hidden under my bed? (Hmmm, come to think of it, there's this constant strange smell in my room...)

I woke up this morning feeling like I'm rotting away and wasting this long holiday. Hello, can I be a little bit more productive instead of sitting around watching TV and playing Pokemon Pearl (which totally rocks, by the way) all day? I mean, besides helping my mom type out interviews and all that for her research (Which is really hard to do), I am SOOOO not doing the things that I have always always always promised myself that I would do after SPM. That was before SPM when I wanted to do so much but didn't have the time. Now that I have all the time in the world, I have nothing to do.

So I decided, okay! Three days of wasted time is enough. Stop the rot!! Whatever that means. So, I drew out a plan for my everyday activities and listed the things I want to accomplish this three or so months. So far I haven't come up with a concrete and full plan, but "a journey of a thousand miles begins with a good meal". Wait, that's not it. But whatever, you get the picture.

But just let me rot a bit more while I watch a bit of tennis that I never got to enjoy fully last year... starting 19th January, the Australian Open!!

Tagged

[Again, I am quite sure I've done these silly things before, but since I am as free as the free mouse, cooling pad, headset and lock cable I got with my new laptop, I shall bore you with this tag. Xo]

I was tagged by Leti and Gloria.

I tag:
1. Anders
2. Mrs. Molting
3. Lik Pin
4. Erica
5. Ryner
6. Von Von
7. Neece
8. Barack Obama
9. Cicakman

How do you know 1? (Anders)
Church. Youth. A good friend's best friend. My sister's friend's friend's brother.

What would you do if you never meet 2? (Mrs. Molting)
I would never have known what is a port de bras. No, it has nothing to do with ports nor lingerie. Much to do with ballet dancing.

What would you do if 3 & 4 dated? (Lik Pin & Erica)
Attend their wedding. Unless they don't invite me. I kill you!! (a la Achmed the dead terrorist)

Would 5 & 6 make a good couple? (Von Von & Ryner)
*speechless*
Maybe. They both cannot stop talking. They both sing...

Do you think 7 is attractive? (Neece)
OH YES SHE IS HOT!! Hehe, too bad she has a boyfriend already!! ... or is that, like, outdated news already?

Tell me something about 9 (Cicakman)
Wahahahaha how do I know? I never even watched the stupid thing.

What's 1's favourite past time? (Anders)
Cooking, baking, sewing, singing, piano... I don't know which one is his favourite borr...

What language does 2 speak? (Molting bird)
The language of an emo ex-ballerina who falls in love with a talented ex-model.

Who is 3 going out with? (Pin)
Ermmm... number 4?? Haha I don't know.

How old is 4? (Erica)
From the way she acts, I'd say maybe about 10?? XD

When was the last time you talked to 5? (Ryner)
A long, long time. I mean talk as in face-to-face. MSN doesn't count. *sob* Why so long didn't see him hor...

Who is 6's favourite singer? (Von)
Ermmm... Spongebob??

Would you date 7? (Neece)
OH YES SHE'S HOT!! Only that, like I said, she is taken and SO AM I!!!! Wahahaha...

Is 8 single? (B.O.)
Nope. Unless he gets divorced, sorry ladies!

What's 9's last name? (Cicakman)
... ... ... ...
*blink blink*
... ...
I have not a clue.

My New Laptop

Oh, such indescribable joy fills my whole being! I have just gotten my very own laptop! A laptop that belongs to me, only me and nobody else but me! Happy happy happy... The laptop my dad bought for me (thank you paaaa!!!!) is an NEC Versa E6500.

I actually almost got myself a DELL Inspiron 1420, but after looking at both choices I decided that the Inspiron was a bit too flashy for me. This NEC Versa is just right. The anti-scratch leather back is just right. It also has a Touch-and-Go touchpad as shown above from which you can go to the media player, Microsoft Office and also control the music player from the touchpad. How cool can touchpads get? XD






I am so happy!! Dear NEC Versa E6500, I promise, I will take care of you very well. I will guard you with my life. Please please please don't kena virus... Thank God for my new laptop!!! (And thank God I don't have to go back to school tomorrow, instead I shall play with my new toy!!)

Happy going back to school to all you kids!! XD XD