Chinese New Year 2012

It started great; Papa Chan, Mama Chan, Tai Lou (big brother) Chan and "Little" Chan (me :P) all back in Sitiawan for reunion dinner. For the first time I helped prepare dinner (yay!) so I felt proud (cewah cewah) when later at night we all sat around since last year's CNY and had wonderful dinner together.

The bestest best meal I've had since mum stopped cooking after my SPM.

Then we sat down together-gether and watched Ip Man 2, still awesome even though I've already watched it before.

And then we had the usual fireworks, but not as nice nor as many as last year's...

 

But I'm very satisfied with the new Nikon's video recording abilities.

We just chilled on the first day, then went down to KL on the second. It's a lot quieter this time around... Most of my relatives are now overseas working or studying, my ah yee and yi jeong stayed in Tapah while I was in KL, so not much catching up could be done. Then at night me and my brother were supposed to treat our uncle to a Korean BBQ dinner at DaoRae, USJ because he had let us stay in his apartment rent-free. We made it VERY clear it was to be from us, to him. 

 *le BBQ*

Imagine his kelicikan when he persuaded the waiter over to pay the bill with his credit card. WHAT!

Jokingly he and my aunt said "KL is not our territory, so we have no 'right' to belanja them makan" and "I'm still not working so I do not qualify to treat them yet". I bet you've never seen a good deed being 'stolen' like this.

And then the next night, they said THEY wanted to treat US to dinner, because "my mum only goes to visit them once a year now". Farny lah my uncle, can make up any kind of excuse... Anyway this one was a Chinese dinner somewhere in Cheras. So after om-ing and nom-ing I thought maybe my brother could avenge our stolen treat....but no. Didnt even flinch. Maybe he was scared to 'fight' for the bill or something.

After our trip to KL we went back home, relaxed some more, and then came Saturday when Ah Jib Kor came to town for his national open house.

My dad and I went, but our visit was cut short when, after Najib's arrival, my dad noticed his wallet was missing. Not dropped, but stolen. My allowance, his documents, gone. After making the police report the inspector said 11 similar cases happened at the event. Since it's still CNY celebration time I shall not curse. I'll just hope karma does its required job to these people.

A sour way to end my CNY celebrations in Sitiawan...

My 19th birthday.....

Sucked. Here's why:

1) The day before was my practical exam which I felt I did poorly and was worried about jeopardizing my scholarship and making my parents burn RM1000 to repeat the subject. 

2) Early in the afternoon I received news from a certain someone (not telling for privacy), that somebody is having a problem happening to her brain. Apparently he couldnt wait for me to finish enjoying my special day before telling me this. Now I can only pray everyday that she will be okay and recover from whatever it is she's having.

3) My friends Imran and Felix thought of meeting up with me at Lamborghini's showroom in Glenmarie. I had checked with forumers (not a 100% reliable source as I've learned) earlier and a member said it is open to public visitors. While waiting for them to arrive I asked the guard if I could enter. After hearing my reason of "just wanting to see the cars" he gave me a straight Tak Boleh. Why? Apparently only people with prior arrangements with the staff or members of the media are allowed to enter. He gave me the office number; I called them, same answer. So if you dont have any official business with them, you can gEt LoST. Full of confusion, disbelief, and the urge to chop off that forumer's hands and feet I posted my experience to the forum. His reply came that that was the case with their old showroom in Sunway, and was 'shocked' that they apparently have changed attitude.

So then I spent my day doing nothing but being frustrated, bored and worried.

.

Some things did cheer me up a little however:

My two week break at home and looking back on 2011

Which also meant I forgot my new Google Account password, so I couldnt log in to blog until I came back to Subang and made a newer new password.

Well, it's been 3 1/2 months away from home and certainly a lot has changed in Sitiawan:

KFC has a brand new look and grew and extra floor

 One of mum's oldest cacti mati-pucuked

 The roads in our housing area have been tarred!!

 And we got street names now!!!!!

 there was also an office complex under construction, and I've been hearing stories that Sitiawan may be getting its own mall/Jusco/both(?!). Glad to see and hear the place is growing well *sniff sniff*

So yeah, two weeks in relaxing, homely paradise and soaking up all the small-townsy goodness of good food, easy traveling and fresh air, not to mention catching up with my two fellow stooges (you know who you are :3). I've never appreciated the goodings of Sitiawan so much in my 18 years staying here. Shifting to the big city finally made me realise all these.

Reflecting this past year, I really cant summarise it because of just so many things that went on. I got to watch the Tour de Langkawi stop by, had my first job, learnt about the passing on of my badminton coach just to name a few, and perhaps my favourite moment of 2011, this. Maybe 'eventful' is the best way to put it.

 So goodbye indescribable 2011, and hello 2012~

And I shall start off the year on the right foot(wear).