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February 24, 2005
Elective -- Day 7
About half way though our stay in Chennai... My previous post was for day 4 when we had a look at what CMCT was doing for Tsunami relief.
Nothing much happened since, I guess. We visited more slums, bought punjabi suits (gonna wear them tomorrow.. *grinz*) and I guess the main highlight will be the 2 medical relief camps we went for. Not really a camp where people stay overnight, but well, they call it a "camp" so a camp it is.
We didn't do much the first time 'round. Let's just say that taking history through an interpreter is terribly difficult, one that doesn't know why we're asking certain questions just makes the job doubly tough. Typical OSCE type of history (ala 5 minute histories) is impossible in this case, I guess. Hee, one thing old ladies here and old ladies in Malaysia have in common is their love for telling us young people stories. No wonder they call it "old grandmother stories". :P
The next medical relief trip was earlier today. It's a lot better, I think. We went to the countryside, saw some farming methods that geography textbooks will say "in the past..." but the air is much better and made me a lot happier. *grinz* Took more BP today than I've ever taken in my life. :P Yeah, even more than we did during charity run. And erm... taking weight of people that look pretty heavy, but finding out that they merely weigh 50kg, that's a first for me too, and the kids, erm... all the below 10 yrs old kids weigh below 20Kg! Actually the adults are no better. Hmm... bet there are no anorexia problems among these people.
Posted by yeepei at 08:54 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 21, 2005
Elective -- Day 4 (Nature's Big Wash Out)
We visited a village hit by the Tsunami, no one from this particular village died. Due to a fortunate coincidence no one was out at sea but they lost almost everything.
The beautiful sea, with gentle lapping waves paint a very beautiful picture. It is truly unimaginable that this is the same sea that robbed all 210 families of their livelihoods. No one died, but some may say that being alive with nothing is a fate far worse than death.
CMCT is giving them rations, clothes, boats and medical aid. However, living at the mercy of charity is not something the proud villagers truly want. The social workers tell us that villagers are constantly saying "For how long can we depend on rations, we need to depend on ourselves!"
The plates decided to move, the earth decided to vibrate, the sea decided to create gigantic waves, the water decided to go too far inland... Somehow, they decided that it was a good idea to rob people of their property, their livelihoods, their pride and in other villages, their lives... Doesn't this give a whole new meaning to "life's never fair"?
Posted by yeepei at 10:24 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
February 20, 2005
Elective -- Day 3
Still posting from Chennai
Went to Church in the morning and will be going to look at their Sunday school later. Didn't understand a thing 'cos everything's in tamil and to top it off, I'm not even Christian!
Mmm... let's just say that it's a different world out here. If I compare to what things are like at home, it's the world of the rich vs the world of the poor. Very simple stuff, chairs at home vs mats here, bands vs just voices here, projections of lyrics on screens vs tattered and torn songbooks here...
Tomorrow we'll be going to do some Tsunami relief related stuff. It'll be interesting I guess. :) Think the 14 days will be spent looking at poverty, poverty and more poverty. Hopefully one of these evenings we'll have time to go to some major shopping centres and see how the rich lead life. Oh ya, eating some meat will be good too... :P
Posted by yeepei at 04:12 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
February 18, 2005
Elective -- Day 1
Posting this from Chennai
First day at CMCT*...
Mmm... We were kinda treated like royalties. *grinz* Saw what CMCT does and I must say that the works they are doing with children and women is truly impressive.
The highlight of the day was the visit to one of the slum area CMCT is working with. Looking at the living conditions, the state of poverty the people were in, somehow, I just don't know what to say. What truly strike me was how we walked from the non-slum area into the slum area. Just 2 steps and the surroundings are entirely different, they even smell different! The tiny room that house an entire family, compared to the 3 stories high buildings just a short distance away!
The kids really really love our cameras, you know. Heehee. I think they are in love with Elena, who'll snap away at their request. Me leh... erm... ah... *goes into unkind mode* :P Snap a few only lahz, I'll post pictures when I get back home, no way to do it here. As for Grace... she's knocking me on my head as I type... her camera... er.. *no comments* *wink at poor Grace* ;) (Grace sniffing away in the background)
We'll be doing stuff in the CMCT office, going to the slums, helping out in the soup kitchens etc. (and attending Chapel.. 'cos Christian organisation mah, I dun mind but heehee, it's going to be kinda weird for me. Last time I attended chapel was in ACJC 3 years back.) Going to get back to Malaysia with a lot of stories to tell.
CMCT = Christian Missions Charitable Trust
Posted by yeepei at 09:18 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 17, 2005
Another Flight
This time to Chennai. :) I'll be going with Grace and Elena, it's our elective, you see. My luggage bag is full to bursting, I just hope it stays intact for 15 days more. Heehee.
Gonna turn off the commenting system again. All for the sake of the spammers. Sighz...
I (or I think, we)may try to sneak off to some cybercafe now and then. heh heh. So mm.. anything, just leave me an email lahz. :) I'll be bringing my phone with me.. but dun call lah.. just sms k?
Posted by yeepei at 01:54 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
February 16, 2005
Reporting Back
Landed safely at Changi Airport at 19 00hrs on 15th Feb 2005 on AF 256. Got back home to JB at 21 30 hrs because of mix up with the transfer guy.
Over the last few days, I've been to Rome, Vatican City, Prague and Paris. *grinz from ear to ear* Went to many interesting places that I've previously only seen in books, magazines, postcards and on TV. :) Mmm... 1 week just isn't long enough!!!
Posted by yeepei at 01:26 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
February 08, 2005
Just Before Take Off
Posting from Changi Airport
Mmm... Last post before I take off. Gonna miss the blog.. yupz, look like I'm kinda addicted to blogging. Bloggie bloggie.. be good k?
We just travelled across the causeway, then to the east of SG. Feels kinda weird to be passing through the immigration as a tourist. Still remember the days I used to go through the same procedures, but carrying a students' pass or access card. Hmm... that didn't seem so long ago eh? Bah... getting old.
Anyway... Bye everyone... will post again on the 15th.
Posted by yeepei at 10:09 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
So I'm disappearing for some time...
I'll be disappearing for sometime, I know I've repeated this over and over again. But well... :P
Next post will most probably be after 15th Feb, when I get back from Europe. :) 'Cos I don't want to end up spending days deleting spam, I'll disable comments before I leave, so if there's anything, you can leave a comment on my tagboard or drop me an email. Send it to my gmail account... if you know me, you'll most probably have my email address.
In the mean time, here are some mandarin oranges for CNY...
Happy Chinese New Year!!! 祝大家新年快乐，身体健康，万事如意! 恭喜发财!!!
Posted by yeepei at 02:05 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
A Little Prezzie For New Year
I just got this today, so it's a little present for CNY. :) CHiQ and I have been looking for this for ages, not that they are hard to come by, just that when we popped by Sonystyle at KLCC last month, the guy told us that they only have the black version on Malaysia. Since we're going to use it with our ipods (the yPod and CHiQpod respectively), we wanted the white version. I asked Kor Kor to bring it back for me when he come back in May, but Ma's friend (well, the son actually) who's a sony dealer managed to get it for me.
Introducing the EX-71SL...
*winks at CHiQ*
Posted by yeepei at 01:48 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
February 06, 2005
Chinese New Year -- 农历新年
With Chinese New Year just around the corner, I thought I'll have a post about it. :) This will be the first year I'm spending CNY overseas, but normally it'll be spent at home. This means a lot of visiting, good food, red packets, gambling and meeting up with cousins I haven't seen in eons.
CNY at home starts on new year's eve where we'll have reunion dinner. Long time ago, my relatives on my dad's side will come over for dinner 'cos my grandparents stayed with us. Somehow, over the years, it became a reunion dinner of our little family of 4 only. Then Kor went over to US, it became the little family of 3. Food remain wonderfully good though. heehee.
First day of CNY will see us visiting Ma's aunts (aka, my grandaunts) and later in the morning, Dad's side of the family appearing at our place ('cos Grandpa and Grandma stayed with us mah..) There used to be lion dance troupes too! 2 groups, 'cos there're 2 types of lion dances mah, better known as the northern and southern lions (南狮`北狮). Fav act among us kids was whacking the lion's ass.. muahaha. :P They'll perform all sorts of stuff... pretty good to watch initially but when I grew older, it became kinda boring. Then there're firecrackers too, those red ones that go a few metres long. Mum will light them when the troupes are here. Mmm... last time lahz.
I prefer first day afternoon and second day actually... that'll be the time when we visit my eldest aunt on Mum's side and on the second day, Mum's siblings and their kids will be over and we'll either have a huge buffet at home or go have lunch at a chinese restaurant. :D That's also when all the card games and mahjong starts. Heehee. Since I'm closer to this group of cousins, it's understandable that I look forward to time with them right? :)
After the second day, there isn't much anymore. Sometimes my parents will have an openhouse on the first saturday, sometimes my cousins will pop by or we'll go over during the evenings for some mahjong/black jack sessions. But school starts on the 3rd day, so there isn't much time to do anything anyway.
Now, how do you normally celebrate the Lunar New Year?
Posted by yeepei at 07:27 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
February 03, 2005
When Am I Going To Die???
Ermz, that's very old isn't it?
Posted by yeepei at 04:48 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
February 01, 2005
Update
I'm going to assume that everyone's very interested in what I've been up to. *Grinz* Ya, I know... persasan right? Too bad, my blog. *Smirk*
1. Changed the template for this blog... although it'll most prob be a temporary one.
2. Added stuff to the AMSC KL '05 webpage... although it still isn't 100% done yet.
3. Shopping... for the Europe trip and just for the sake of shopping
4. VMU meeting... I'll update when I know more of what's confirmed.
5. Headache over regos... *hugz Sheena* My head hurts, does yours?
And what will I be up to???
8th Feb to 15th Feb -- Europe Trip
17th Feb to 5th March -- Chennai Trip
7th March onwards -- Life as a Sem 4*
*'Cos 3 of us will be off in Chennai and only landing in KLIA on 5th March, can some kind soul help us check the timetable please? Sem 4 lectures are the 2.45pm ones right? Can someone just check out if there's CSU or PBL or whatever earlier than that? PLS...
Posted by yeepei at 10:02 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack