3D at San Agustin

Jeepney

San Guillermo Parish Church

Tagaytay

Angeles City

Milk Fish

Your Love Is Everything

A good cover of the song, Your Love is Everything from Jesus Culture.



(Youtube upload by Jayesslee, Dec16, 2010)


Lyrics:

When I am dry and thirsty Lord,
And I'm crying out for more,
I know I can trust in your love.
In the darkness in the night
When I'm starving for the light
I know I can trust in Your love

You keep no record of my sin
and you don't remember all my shame

Your love heals every disease
Your love fulfills my every need
Your love is everything to me
Your love is everything

I will not forget
I won't forget your promises
I will not forget
I won't forget your love

I will not forget
I won't forget nothing is impossible
I will not forget
I won't forget your love

Lyrics source here.

Backdated

Thought I'd update my blog now that the critical moment is over. Just want to blog. Had had enough of my dissertation proposal.

Click here for my backdated posts. Will slowly update this blog.

1/2 Way Mark

Qualitative. Quantitative. Mixed-method. Pilot-testing. Literature review. Research objectives. Limitations / delimitations. Data collection. Data analysis. Theoretical framework. Research framework. Focus group interview. Questionnaire. Transcription. Emerging data...

Writing up my dissertation proposal was an agonizing process. It felt like giving birth - not that I've gone through labour.

But it was just so agonizing. Wondering if I'm on the right path. The more I read, the more confused I am.

"You are going through the process," the dear Dr (PhD) told me.

What process? I just want to be done with my study. I don't want to go through any process... I don't want to have sleepless nights wondering if I'm on the right track, doing the right thing.

Yet there's no answer. Not yet anyway.

"Link it to what's out there."

But what's out there? How much more do I have to read? What's the scope? Will what I find make any sense?

Gaahhh.

***********

I couldn't sleep last night, anticipating my appointment with the Dr today.

Fearful of his disapproval / approval of my write-up.

Thank God he approved, and signed the form for my mock viva.

In fact, I thought he was generous with his comment of my work.

Yet why was I so fearful, anxious? Why was I so afraid that it's not good enough?

*Sigh... the pressure.

***********

I'm thankful that it was approved. I think that was my source of stress - not getting an approval for my work.

Tonight, I can sleep tight.

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

(Youtube upload by miniachilles, Dec 11, 2010)

Say Goodbye (说了再见 )

(Youtube upload by ycm321 June 4, 2010)

Rich and Poor

My Taiwan trip has been a journey rich in:

sight - of the MTR rush, night market culture, and the daily routine life of its people,

taste - the tantalizing textures of every bits and bites of the variety of local food, delicacies, street food, desserts, etc,

smell - the aroma of gluttony and the smell of rain,

sounds - the inviting calls from the vendors, "Huan ying guang ling. Qing kan kan oh." (Welcome. Please have a look.).

Of course, my wallet was a lot poorer...

Our last breakfast in Taiwan: Xiao long bao

Oct 22: Another nondescript but busy stall

I hope one day when I've saved up enough, I'd visit again you again - but minus the rain.

Rainy Day

For the most part of our trip, it was raining nearly everyday except on the first and second day where the weather was gloomy and there were the occasional light drizzles which stopped just as suddenly as they've begun. I was saddened by the fact that we had travelled so far to a different country only to see its dark and cloudy weather, but it did not deter me from enjoying myself.

Next to my traveling companion, the umbrella was my most reliable friend.

The second last day of our trip saw us travelling in a taxi to the county of Yilan. Yilan is well known for its natural volcanic hot springs, fresh seafood, beautiful beaches with brown volcanic sands, homestay farms and panoramic views of mountain terrains.

Alas, it was also the day with the heaviest downpour of rain - non-stop, from the previous day until the next day. 

 Rain, rain, go away...

Oct 21: Yilan

Nevertheless, we ate fresh seafood, dipped in jacuzzi tube filled with clean hot spring water in the privacy of our rented motel units, were treated to some local food by our taximan, tasted Yilan's oolong tea and bought lots of local biscuits and products from Yilan.

We were oblivious to what was happening to the rest of Taiwan as we travelled snugly in the comfort of our chartered ride. It was only towards evening as we were heading back to Taipei that we saw the current news on the mini satellite TV in the taxi.

There were flash floods in the lower parts of Yilan only 20 minutes away from where we were enjoying ourselves the whole day, strong gusts of typhoon wind tearing through Taipei city centre and landslides in the mountainous tourist region of Hualian which  had trapped many groups of tourists in the mountain and took the lives of a whole busload of visitors from Hong Kong.

I was very thankful that we were safe and spared of all the unfortunate events that were happening on the very same day that we travelled the furthest from the county of Taipei to Yilan.

It was just so ironic - there we were enjoying ourselves and there were others who had their holiday, and lives, cut short...

Quaintness

I thought the streets of Taipei are most charming. Rows and rows of shops, with their colourful and unique goodies attractively arranged in the shops. 

The quaint but clean alleyways between the shops are very different from those at home too - but then again, I was an easily mesmerized tourist in my holiday mode.

Alleyway

Oct 20: Danshui

This exudes a sense of peace and calmness - with almost a nostalgic and melancholic feeling to it. Maybe it's  the lanterns. I was most drawn to this specific alleyway.

I Love Wasabi!

Succulent, lip-smacking, taste bud-tantalizing salmon!!!

Oct 19: Wasabi, Taipei 101

=D``````````

These thick slices of salmon were just so, so, so good. Smooth, melt-in-your-mouth goodness!

Had these at a buffet spread at Wasabi Restaurant, in Taipei 101. Apparently, this joint is so famous among the locals and tourists alike. The queue was nearly 30 metres long, snaking along the wide corridor. And that's for diners who have made reservations. I doubt those who just show up without prior booking will be able to gain entry at all.

Lunch time buffet was from noon til 2.30 p.m. at RM57 per person. Service was quick and efficient. Friendly staff.

So classy and exclusive that they did not allow any photography of their impressive buffet stations. There were different stations for sushis and sashimis, tempuras, soups, makis (rice hand-rolls), roast meats, veggies on skewers, drinks and ice-creams.

*BURP!!!

Mighty Rock

On the second day in Taiwan, we ventured out of the city centre and visited a few scenic tourist spots: Jiufen, Yehliu, Jinshan and finally, Shilin night market.

My favourite spot is Yehliu, a seaside geopark. It's a place where unique and natural rock formations were crafted by the forces of wind and waves.

Wish I had more time to slowly explore the place. It is really beautiful!

Stormy waves

Oct 18: Yehliu

My favourite pic of the place. Love how the waves are hitting against the rock. But this is a poor composition. Should have captured less land, more ocean.

Bitter Better?

I was falling sick just two days before my Taiwan trip. Falling - because all the tell-tale signs were there.

It was a trip that I had really looked forward to. Not willing to take any chances, I went to see Dr C to get my bag of medicines, just in case. Didn't want my trip to be ruined.

I really fell sick on the day I arrived in Taipei and the medicine came in handy.

And this was my poor attempt to quell my coughs, the Chinese way - drinking bitter herb. Just too bitter.

Bitter, bitter, bitter drink

Oct 17: Herbal shop, Wufenpu, Taipei

Did it work?

Of course not. Not with all the interesting fried street food, cold drinks and ice-cream that I was pigging myself with as I explored the streets of Wufenpu and Raohe.

Nella Fantasia

Such a beautiful Italian song!




(Youtbe upload by CelticLadies, May 26, 2007)

(Youtube upload by crediatv, Dec 5, 2008)

Nella fantasia io vedo un mondo giusto,

Lì tutti vivono in pace e in onestà.

Io sogno d'anime che sono sempre libere,

Come le nuvole che volano,

Pien' d'umanità in fondo dell'anima.

Nella fantasia io vedo un mondo chiaro,

Lì anche la notte è meno oscura.

Io sogno d'anime che sono sempre libere,

Come le nuvole che volano.

Nella fantasia esiste un vento caldo,

Che soffia sulle città, come amico.

Io sogno d'anime che sono sempre libere,

Come le nuvole che volano,

Pien' d'umanità in fondo dell'anima.

English Translation

In my imagination I see a just world,

Everyone lives in peace and in honesty there.

I dream of souls that are always free,

Like the clouds that fly,

Full of humanity in the depths of the soul.

In my imagination I see a bright world,

Even the night is less dark there.

I dream of souls that are always free,

Like clouds that fly.

In my imagination there exists a warm wind,

That breathes on the cities, like a friend.

I dream of souls that are always free,

Like clouds that fly,

Full of humanity in the depths of the soul.

Source: Wikipedia

Acoustic Version

Found this video which was downloaded by my bro in the Recycle Bin. Glad I heard it.

Here's IU's acoustic version of SNSD's 'Gee', Big Bang's 'Lies' and Super Junior's 'Sorry, Sorry' on Yu Hui-Yeol's Sketchbook. The talented girl is only 15 years old. Admire her guitar-playing skill and vocal.

Just love how an acoustic guitar can change the feel and mood of the usual K-pop music.

Youtube source unknown.

Mister

Am currently listening to a catchy tune by KARA, a 5-member girl group from Korea. I just love the accompanying dance to one their songs, Mister.

Some may shun their routine and question why these sweet young girls, between late teens and early twenties, are dancing so sexily, but I choose to view their dance purely as a form of creative art, matching the current K-pop culture.

(Youtube upload by listenjessi, Oct 2, 2009)

This song which was released last year has gained such popularity in Japan that they have recorded and released a Japanese version to cater to the market.




(Youtube upload by Naituir2007, July 27, 2010)


And here's a dance version of Mister.



(Youtube upload by eeling1, Aug 13, 2010)

La-la-la-la-la-la...

Fruitful Trip

Despite those quirky happenings, my working trip to KL has been a fruitful one. Managed to download some journal articles and locate and photostat most of the hard copies that I need although there are also some which I couldn't gain online access to since I'm not a student of UKM.

I think I've had enough of the the libraries of UM and UKM for now.

The graduate lab where I've been sourcing for more online articles

Computer 15 - my preferred unit
July 12: UKM graduate lab

I know I'd never be able to finish locating all the articles as I've yet to conduct my pilot study so those I've found will have to suffice for now as I still need to review all those articles and include them in my dissertation.

I came to KL with one thick ring file and will be returning with four times its thickness. Hopefully none will be wasted and will be of use.

The good news is that my supervisor seems to be satisfied with my proposal although I'll need to revise my third research question. I hope all will go well and my pilot study and further reviews will take off after my scheduled appointment with him this Friday.

This is only the beginning and I'm bracing myself for the full works ahead.

Dear DD, thank You so much for your providence. I can't thank you enough!

Coffee, Anyone?

A few years ago when I arrived at QQ's house for a 2-week holiday, I was surprised to see a huge, ugly-looking 'equipment' which seemed quite out-of-place in his tiny kitchen. Apparently, it is a heavy-duty water filter which is crucial for filtering KL's questionable 'clean' tap water.

Water Boss

Uncle said that it was necessary to get the water filter because the usual smaller unit is not capable of filtering the amount of dirt found in the piped in water from Selangor's reservoir.

I was quite skeptical of uncle's claim until I saw with my own eyes how much dirt was trapped by the filter system when uncle cleaned his water filter that very weekend.

This time, I managed to snap some pics of the water that flowed out of the filter when uncle went on his weekly routine of back-washing and rinsing the filter.

Dirt water at the start of the first back-wash

Middle of the flow

End of the flow

Like the washing machine, it has a rinse cycle too!

More dirty water at the start of the rinsing cycle

Middle of the rinsing flow

Clear water at the end of the rinsing flow

You would think that the filter is clean at the end of the rinse cycle since the water already runs clear, right?

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Wrong!!!

More dirty water!

July 10: Uncle's kitchen sink

Repeat the back-wash and rinse cycle for another two times before the core filter is 'adequately' cleaned. 'Adequately' because uncle had tried the fourth cycle and still light brown water flowed out from the filter. He thinks that the filter is quite clean after the third cycle because cleaning the filter wastes copious amount of water and time.

Oh, did I mention that you'd have to clean the filter on a weekly basis?

Here's a video of the process.

Laine's 18th Birthday

We celebrated cousin Laine's birthday on July 8, Thursday, with a meal at Sin Kee Restaurant at Brickfields. Yvonne and David skipped their Friday tutorial to be home early. I took the commuter straight from UKM to Central and walked across the street to the restaurant.

The meal was fantastic and I must say that they serve the best 'yau mak' I have ever eaten! The veggie was so crunchy and scrumptious even for a meat-lover like myself.

Lightly stir-fried veg

We headed home at about 7.40 p.m. and KL's traffic was heavy with after-office workers on their journey home. We dropped by Sweetly, a cake shop nearby QQ's house, to pick up Laine's pre-ordered birthday cake.

Chocolate cheese cake

While there, I couldn't help myself when I saw more of  those cute lil cakes on display and decided to get Laine another set of cakes.

'Second' birthday cake

Two cakes

Happy birthday, Laine!

July 8: Uncle's home

Food Galore

What's KL without showcasing its food?

Let the pics do the talking :)

June 23: UM's burger stall - forgetable

June 23: Elaine's home-made bread - yums!

June 25: Fatty Crab - super delicious!

Chicken wings

Satays

Seafood fried rice - seriously delicious that we ordered this again

Chilli crabs and toasted bread for dipping the sauce - four thumbs up!!!

(Unfortunately, not a single pic of the chilli crabs coz the pics were corrupted)

June 27: Chee cheong fun

Prawn noodles

Curry noodles

Noodles in bitter gourd soup

Lunch @ Yo Sushi @ The Garden

Teppan chicken ramen

Teppan seafood rice

Sushis

Stewed meat rice

Durian!!!

June 28: Chicken chop @ The Station - forgetable

Aunt J's home-cooked dishes - fantabulous!

June 30: Asam laksa - memorable!

Spring rolls - yummyness

Fried kuey tiau

Chicken floss bun

July 1: Aunt J's home-cooked meal - *muacks*

July 2: Cheong fun - just ok

July 4 @ Talipn for steamboat n grill

Spoilt for choices

July 5: Ivan's 'tau fu fah' - All thumbs up!

July 8 @ Sin Kee - Yummylicious

Laine's birthday cakes from Sweetly

July 9 @ Chicken Hot Pot, pork ribs - *muah*

Stewed chicken

July 10 @ Ming Yang for lunch

Pan Mee - not bad

Chicken & siu yuk rice

July 10 @ Seng Nam

Bak Kut Teh - deliciousness

And of course there were quite many forgettable food which I did not take pics of.

I've still another four days to go and looking forward to savour KL food before I fly home... :)