In general, I try not to complain very much (no sarcastic snorting mother), but I have felt that since I have arrived in Malaysia all I do is some form of complaining. And though you are all very patient with me, I do feel bad when I read over a former blog and it is just thinly veiled complaining or frustration. However, this blog will contain none of the above, as things seem to be going...well. :) Somehow I woke up for the past 3 or 4 days and life (though busy and full of stuff) has been very enjoyable.
Sunday I woke up, made french toast with Adam over skype and then watched The Island with him. It was so nice! Last week we had attempted to watch it but I didn't have internet, so I to sit outside and try to hear the movie from our porch. Then, of course, our dvd player caused the movie to freeze, so moving watching last week did not work out well. However it was an absolutely wonderful Sunday morning. I will not get all gushy, but I will say that I am incredibly happy to be in a relationship with this guy.
Sunday afternoon I came downstairs and was immediately invited to "follow after" (they way they say "come along with) my friends Syafyka and Hanif as they were going to a Hari Raya open house! An open house is actually a party of sorts where there is lots of food and people are dressed up in their clothes for Hari Raya and you go to the house and eat and drink. It is not called a party because the actual word seems kind of disrespectful and wild. This makes older generation of families not enthusiastic about it (or so I understand) so it is called an open house instead. It was so much fun!! It was really nice inside, and both the doors to the house were open so it was kind of cool to sit inside and be close to the outside. There was a gold embossed plaque (sp?) of some verses of the quran, which kind of reminded me of how we put Bible verses up on our walls at home. There were also some really cool ceramic things inside this huge cabinet behind their tv. The most notable of which were a pair of roosters, which made me think of my friend Sara Pugh, as she loves them. The lady who had invited (originally) Hanif was an old admin from slb who has a 7 month old son and he is so adorable!! She was very nice and all the food was quite excellent. Best of all, I didn't feel sick after eating anything! And I got to pet a baby kitten as we were leaving and it was adorable. I got a little bit excited about that.
Next we stopped by and visited my friends Catherine (from Indonesia) and Zhu Zhu (from China) in their new house which was kind of hear the open house. It is a sweet house! The couches, kitchen, rooms...everything is brand new and shiny. I do have pictures and I might try to put some in here, but if that doesn't work I am definitely posting them on facebook. They still do not have internet or Astro (cable) but I offered them all my house if they have skyping or just connecting-to-the-world that they would like to do. Anyway, as we were driving away, Hanif (who is driving) asks me if I've seen all of Labuan yet. Of course I reply with a negative, so off we went! We drove down to the beach and we had drinks from a shop next to the beach. Syafyka got an ABC which is a crushed ice drink with rose syrup in it and different fruits. It is quite sweet. Hanif and I both got coconut, which is literally a coconut with the top cut off and the coconut juice inside. For the record, coconut juice is nothing like coconut milk (which I dislike). It is definitely a juice, but tastes kind of like a sweet water. It's really really good. Also, when the coconut is the right level of "youngness" there is a milky film on the inside of the shell that is also really good to scrape off and eat.
Next we were off again and drove around the island some more. I saw some really nice scenery and awesomely colored houses. Pink, blue, green, purple, orange, yellow...they were all over the place. We stopped at another couple beaches a little further on the island (where, of course, my camera died) so I started using my blackberry and it takes some sweet pictures. The other beaches were so nice. They are not like South Padre Island beaches with the white, soft sand, but they are beautiful nonetheless and getting to see the that huge expanse of ocean and possibility...is marvelous.
Finally, before we headed back to my house, we stopped at a war memorial which incredibly beautiful.
And quite sad. It is actually a WWII memorial. Inside the gates are raised up stones placed in honor of the men who died fighting the Japanese in and around Labuan. Seeing the diversity and sheer number of men in both age and nationality that never got to go home from Labuan was sobering and impressive. I found one gunner that was 23. Another footsoldier was 47. And then there were all the graves for the soldiers "known only to God." So many. They came from India, Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand (and those are just the countries I saw) and fought, in what was truly a world war, for concepts, beliefs, and freedoms in a place that none of them were actually from. Oddly enough, I've never really thought about the extensive impact of the the fighting up until now. We always focus on the part of the war that happened in Europe, but there soooo much fighting everywhere else. I want to learn about that now, too. :) For the record, dad, I am so happy you were able to come back from Iraq.
Then, of course, we came home and did my nightly ritual of studying, watching tv, and then talking to Adam before bed. Possibly my favorite part of the weekends, I get to talk to him more than once a day :) And then the week starts!
Kara came in on Monday morning! It really is nice to be able to talk to another American female. I really like all my friends I've made here, however, I enjoy having a somewhat shared past (as in we've been to the same cities and such) with another person. It kind of helps me to relax a little. Also, I am now the most senior d&m FET (field engineer trainee) in the office now that Syafyka is back on the rig in Brunei (I never realize how much I miss a friend til they aren't here anymore). It means I answer a lot of questions. This helps me a little, but at the same time it also frustrates me when I don't know the answer, or my explanation takes 30 or 45 minutes, because that is 30 or 45 minutes I could be studying or in the shop! I made spagetti for some D&Mers on Tuesday night which was pretty fun. It wasn't the most excellent spaghetti, but it was quite good. I am going to try a white sauce this weekend as I have a lot of spaghetti noodles left.
All I am doing now at work is finishing up studying things for my preschool, as well as trying to get shop training in. I am attempting to find that balance between annoying the maintenance technicians and pushing just enough so they will know I really do want to be there and watch things. I'll get there eventually!
I went out and jogged for about 40 minutes tonight which was really nice. Definitely not easy. But I love running so I don't care about the bugbites, car exhaust, my general exhaustion, or people honking their horns and waving at me while I am out there. I am truly happy when I get back because I was able to accomplish the run. I try not to remember when I could super easily run 7 milles...that would be depressing. Plus, I will get there eventually again some day!
I think I might post again tomorrow about some interesting people I have met here so you can "meet" them too, in a general sense of the word. They're all very, very interesting.
15 days!!
Becca
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
In which there is talk of a new computer and sugary donuts
Another week down in paradise, ladies and gents! Fun fact for the day: In New Zealand all the bathrooms say "Ladies" and "Gents." I do quite like that.
I also like the weather today (well.. it is the same every day, but still..); 85-90 degrees, sunny blue skies and an excellent breeze blowing through Labuan. It makes me think of when we first stopped getting recess in 7th grade. I always wanted to go outside and play so badly!! That is how I feel today. I want to go outside and catch a cab to my house. Then take another cab to the beach where I would run, play in the ocean, and lay in the marvelous (and intense) sun for the rest of the afternoon. Bring along some juices and a peanut butter sandwich or two...it sounds like a perfect afternoon :) However this is not to be. I work for 2.5 more hours, then I am outta here! I will ride the bus home and go for a longer run than normal. I might stop along the way to take some pictures of the scenery, cars, and flora.
I might head to a historical museum with my housemate, Syafyka, tomorrow. It is apparently about the history of Malaysia. Should be fun if we end up going. Quite a bit of the time we run out of motivation at the last minute and take naps or watch tv instead. It is always pretty warm outside.
My computer came in this week. It works very nicely and I love it! I do miss my toshiba quite a bit, but I will just have to come to terms with its loss at some point. If only I droppped things less. Thank goodness my ipod is made of tougher stuff than the laptop! Also I really enjoy having interne in my apt!! It make it easier to do things like cook and talk to people or study and talk to people at the same time! Also, I have never had so few bug bites since I've been in Labuan. So wonderful.
I found a bakery shop I like that doesn't make me sick! It is in the mall and they sell cute little cakes and pastries. They also sell these delicious (and extremely unhealthy) donut holes dipped in sugar. I want to learn how to make my own donut holes as I am told it is easy, however, I am afraid if I ever learned I would become an extremely large person in the span of two months. Bread and sugar are my second and 3rd favorite foods after ketchup.
I feel like I am searching for motivation to study right now. My mind is so relieved that I have passed my entrance exam and I am in school, that all it wants to do is blank out and relax. Hopefully after tomorrow I will be able to jump back into work with energy and enthusiasm. I am learning a lot right now anyway. I am working on self training modules, and have started spending time with the techs in the shop downstairs. I love doing hands on things and getting covered in dirt and grease! So much fun :)
Kara (the other American girl) comes tomorrow! I am so excited!! It will be nice to see her.
I miss you all.
Becca
I also like the weather today (well.. it is the same every day, but still..); 85-90 degrees, sunny blue skies and an excellent breeze blowing through Labuan. It makes me think of when we first stopped getting recess in 7th grade. I always wanted to go outside and play so badly!! That is how I feel today. I want to go outside and catch a cab to my house. Then take another cab to the beach where I would run, play in the ocean, and lay in the marvelous (and intense) sun for the rest of the afternoon. Bring along some juices and a peanut butter sandwich or two...it sounds like a perfect afternoon :) However this is not to be. I work for 2.5 more hours, then I am outta here! I will ride the bus home and go for a longer run than normal. I might stop along the way to take some pictures of the scenery, cars, and flora.
I might head to a historical museum with my housemate, Syafyka, tomorrow. It is apparently about the history of Malaysia. Should be fun if we end up going. Quite a bit of the time we run out of motivation at the last minute and take naps or watch tv instead. It is always pretty warm outside.
My computer came in this week. It works very nicely and I love it! I do miss my toshiba quite a bit, but I will just have to come to terms with its loss at some point. If only I droppped things less. Thank goodness my ipod is made of tougher stuff than the laptop! Also I really enjoy having interne in my apt!! It make it easier to do things like cook and talk to people or study and talk to people at the same time! Also, I have never had so few bug bites since I've been in Labuan. So wonderful.
I found a bakery shop I like that doesn't make me sick! It is in the mall and they sell cute little cakes and pastries. They also sell these delicious (and extremely unhealthy) donut holes dipped in sugar. I want to learn how to make my own donut holes as I am told it is easy, however, I am afraid if I ever learned I would become an extremely large person in the span of two months. Bread and sugar are my second and 3rd favorite foods after ketchup.
I feel like I am searching for motivation to study right now. My mind is so relieved that I have passed my entrance exam and I am in school, that all it wants to do is blank out and relax. Hopefully after tomorrow I will be able to jump back into work with energy and enthusiasm. I am learning a lot right now anyway. I am working on self training modules, and have started spending time with the techs in the shop downstairs. I love doing hands on things and getting covered in dirt and grease! So much fun :)
Kara (the other American girl) comes tomorrow! I am so excited!! It will be nice to see her.
I miss you all.
Becca
Monday, September 20, 2010
I passed the test!
Sorry I haven't written in awhile! I have been not feeling well, and trying to study for my entrance exam which was today at 2 pm.
Basically I had about a months time in which to take the test, between September 12 and October 10. I decided to take my time and pick a day in the middle that decreased the amount of pressure I felt while taking it. In reality, it is just a test, 108 questions, over things I've been studying since I got to Malaysia. However, the kicker with this test is that (a) there are no legal previous tests to study from and (b) you have 2 chances to pass it. If you get less than a 70 percent the first time, you have one more chance to pass and you must get either an 80 or 85 the second time to pass. If you don't pass the second time, then you are fired. So yeah, I was a little nervous going into it, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I would've loved to get an A, but I passed with a respectable 81 percent instead. So I am officially going to school!!
All I have to do now is study more theory (of course) but in a more relaxed manner, and spend time in the shop working with the technicians and trying to understand the more practical side of what the tools do. There is still so much to learn I don't even know where to start! However, my goal is to be absolutely preprared when I hit the US so I can get off to a running start and really just conquer this school business instead of struggle during it. I already know it will be a lot of powerpoints and a lot of studying. I can do that :)
I did end up going to the doctor again last friday because I am still not feeling well. I actually went to our personnel manager first because I know I don't feel well and am tired of medical personnel telling me that it's just because I eat too many spicy foods, don't eat regular meals, or that I have heartburn. She listened to me completely breakdown in her office (yes, I did cry like a small child while talking to her) and decided that I needed a second opinion so we were going to a different doctors office. Later that day we headed over to a place called Klinik Permai where the doctor was amazing! He listened to me, gave my gallbladder an ultrasound, and prescribed me medicines that actually seem to be working. My headaches are a little better, stomach feels great and I actually feel like I have energy to do things again!
Speaking of energy...Running!! Syafyka and I got to run again Sunday and it was so much fun! We ran for almost 30 minutes and I wasn't sore at all later. It is so awesome to get to run with her! She doesn't stop, which motivates me to continue running even though I would prefer to lay down on the side of the road and sweat to death. It is neat to see that wherever I go I somehow find great people to run with, even though I never expect to. Sadly, she goes back to college in January, so I will just enjoy having a running partner while it lasts!
Also, today we finally have internet! Walking into our house today after work and seeing the router here was like a great christmas present. I am actually typing this from the comfort of our couch in the ac! This definitely beats sitting outside in the wonderful warmth and humidity that is my island home (hey...I am totally not taking the awesome weather here for granted because I do remember what kansas in January feels like!!) getting mosquito bites. I do miss seeing the lizards running on the rails of our fence, though. They are so cute. :)
It is funny that we got internet the day after I had once of my most frustrating internet experiences here. Instead of practicing patience I just gave up yesterday after Adam and I struggled to get any sort of consistent signal during a skype date and then it completely went out last when I was trying to get on again. I definitely didn't handle it well. So I felt a little ridiculous this afternoon when our internet wonderfully appeared in the house. But I do think Syafyka is right; (and I am paraphrasing) but maybe God allows things to become not so great so we can appreciate the awesomness that much more. And (this is my add-on) maybe this is a slight lesson in trusting Him and that He will take care of me at the end of the day, even if I can't quite see how.
So today feels pretty good. I am ready to tackle the rest of this preschool business. And next week more new people come. A guy from Iraq and a girl from America are coming for D&M. It will be nice to meet another American girl. I hope I can help her transition into Malaysia be a little bit easier than mine has been.
Anyway, I love you all. I hope that your Mondays all start out as well as mine has. Talk to you soon!
Becca
Basically I had about a months time in which to take the test, between September 12 and October 10. I decided to take my time and pick a day in the middle that decreased the amount of pressure I felt while taking it. In reality, it is just a test, 108 questions, over things I've been studying since I got to Malaysia. However, the kicker with this test is that (a) there are no legal previous tests to study from and (b) you have 2 chances to pass it. If you get less than a 70 percent the first time, you have one more chance to pass and you must get either an 80 or 85 the second time to pass. If you don't pass the second time, then you are fired. So yeah, I was a little nervous going into it, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I would've loved to get an A, but I passed with a respectable 81 percent instead. So I am officially going to school!!
All I have to do now is study more theory (of course) but in a more relaxed manner, and spend time in the shop working with the technicians and trying to understand the more practical side of what the tools do. There is still so much to learn I don't even know where to start! However, my goal is to be absolutely preprared when I hit the US so I can get off to a running start and really just conquer this school business instead of struggle during it. I already know it will be a lot of powerpoints and a lot of studying. I can do that :)
I did end up going to the doctor again last friday because I am still not feeling well. I actually went to our personnel manager first because I know I don't feel well and am tired of medical personnel telling me that it's just because I eat too many spicy foods, don't eat regular meals, or that I have heartburn. She listened to me completely breakdown in her office (yes, I did cry like a small child while talking to her) and decided that I needed a second opinion so we were going to a different doctors office. Later that day we headed over to a place called Klinik Permai where the doctor was amazing! He listened to me, gave my gallbladder an ultrasound, and prescribed me medicines that actually seem to be working. My headaches are a little better, stomach feels great and I actually feel like I have energy to do things again!
Speaking of energy...Running!! Syafyka and I got to run again Sunday and it was so much fun! We ran for almost 30 minutes and I wasn't sore at all later. It is so awesome to get to run with her! She doesn't stop, which motivates me to continue running even though I would prefer to lay down on the side of the road and sweat to death. It is neat to see that wherever I go I somehow find great people to run with, even though I never expect to. Sadly, she goes back to college in January, so I will just enjoy having a running partner while it lasts!
Also, today we finally have internet! Walking into our house today after work and seeing the router here was like a great christmas present. I am actually typing this from the comfort of our couch in the ac! This definitely beats sitting outside in the wonderful warmth and humidity that is my island home (hey...I am totally not taking the awesome weather here for granted because I do remember what kansas in January feels like!!) getting mosquito bites. I do miss seeing the lizards running on the rails of our fence, though. They are so cute. :)
It is funny that we got internet the day after I had once of my most frustrating internet experiences here. Instead of practicing patience I just gave up yesterday after Adam and I struggled to get any sort of consistent signal during a skype date and then it completely went out last when I was trying to get on again. I definitely didn't handle it well. So I felt a little ridiculous this afternoon when our internet wonderfully appeared in the house. But I do think Syafyka is right; (and I am paraphrasing) but maybe God allows things to become not so great so we can appreciate the awesomness that much more. And (this is my add-on) maybe this is a slight lesson in trusting Him and that He will take care of me at the end of the day, even if I can't quite see how.
So today feels pretty good. I am ready to tackle the rest of this preschool business. And next week more new people come. A guy from Iraq and a girl from America are coming for D&M. It will be nice to meet another American girl. I hope I can help her transition into Malaysia be a little bit easier than mine has been.
Anyway, I love you all. I hope that your Mondays all start out as well as mine has. Talk to you soon!
Becca
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Letters and Packages...
They got here!! I know we were kind of concerned as to whether they would get lost on the way, but at least 2 of the things mailed to me have arrived! Mom's letter arrived on Monday (Promise I'll send stuff back mom!), and Amanda/Adam's package arrived today! The front desk lady keeps commented twice that it is the happiest she has ever seen me. This is probably a true statement. KETCHUP! A large bottle of ketchup. Next time I go to KFC I am totally carrying in my bottle of ketchup too. They already stare at me. This would change nothing about my life :). Also, I made one of my friends at the office try a nutter butter. Bwahahaha. I'm not sure if she liked it, but she ate it politely. I am eating the rest!!!!!!!!!! Also...the t-shirt is awesome! I am currently wearing it. Siti (our admin) laughed at me when I disappeared into the bathroom and came back out. It fits wonderfully, is legitimate KSU purple, and is funny. GO WILDCATS!!
I am so excited about all of it!! I am saving both mom's letter and Manda's note. For the record, Manda, your note made me teary. I knew I should've waited until I got home this evening...
My life feels very complete today. It is so nice to have just a little piece of Home here. Whether it is oreos in a little package, unpirated DVDs, real ketchup, or a book that someone else loved...the feeling is hard to describe, but it is awesome.
So yes, I am listening to some amazing music right now (Adam...just saying..most motivating music ever. Also distracting as I am now dancing in my seat at work), studying for my entrance exam and am so excited to get home and make some ramen for dinner tonight (no, i never thought I'd type that).
Anyway, other news: I have less than 5 weeks until I will be on US soil again. I will not kiss the ground, however, I want Mexican food!!! Bring on extra-cheesy enchiladas.
I think I am taking my entrance exam next Monday.
I am going running alongside a road this evening. Bring it on crazy Malaysian drivers!
Tomorrow is my friend Megan Bounds' birthday. She will be 24 (from Alaska!) and she is currently working for slb in Equatorial Guinea. She appreciated getting to live vicariously through my package recieving today. I promised her a drink when we get to Houston next month. :)
I almost got a BlackBerry today. As they barely have a 3G network here, and wifi is...not as existent as it is in 1st world countries, we are not sure if I will be able to skype call from it, but I will try. Plus, I've always wanted a blackberry. Hooray for spending money! I am now going to get it Friday instead I think. I have to pay in cash, as that is the trend on this island. It's probably safer with regards to credit card fraud, I guess. Thank you Labuan.
We had a massive rainstorm this morning. It was marvelous.
I love and miss all of you.
Becca
I am so excited about all of it!! I am saving both mom's letter and Manda's note. For the record, Manda, your note made me teary. I knew I should've waited until I got home this evening...
My life feels very complete today. It is so nice to have just a little piece of Home here. Whether it is oreos in a little package, unpirated DVDs, real ketchup, or a book that someone else loved...the feeling is hard to describe, but it is awesome.
So yes, I am listening to some amazing music right now (Adam...just saying..most motivating music ever. Also distracting as I am now dancing in my seat at work), studying for my entrance exam and am so excited to get home and make some ramen for dinner tonight (no, i never thought I'd type that).
Anyway, other news: I have less than 5 weeks until I will be on US soil again. I will not kiss the ground, however, I want Mexican food!!! Bring on extra-cheesy enchiladas.
I think I am taking my entrance exam next Monday.
I am going running alongside a road this evening. Bring it on crazy Malaysian drivers!
Tomorrow is my friend Megan Bounds' birthday. She will be 24 (from Alaska!) and she is currently working for slb in Equatorial Guinea. She appreciated getting to live vicariously through my package recieving today. I promised her a drink when we get to Houston next month. :)
I almost got a BlackBerry today. As they barely have a 3G network here, and wifi is...not as existent as it is in 1st world countries, we are not sure if I will be able to skype call from it, but I will try. Plus, I've always wanted a blackberry. Hooray for spending money! I am now going to get it Friday instead I think. I have to pay in cash, as that is the trend on this island. It's probably safer with regards to credit card fraud, I guess. Thank you Labuan.
We had a massive rainstorm this morning. It was marvelous.
I love and miss all of you.
Becca
Thursday, September 9, 2010
I'M AN AUNT!!!
I find this to be a significant achievement in my life. A fulfillment of an accumulation of years of dropped hints and hours of gossiping with Amanda and James (not sure how this one fits in there, but I needed 2 things here). I feel the need to use my malaysian to-go phone as a mic and begin a long speech thanking many people...I mean, actually...
Congratulations Helen and Ross!!!!! I am so excited for you guys and for Raegan Hannah (did you realize her name could be shortened to Rae?) !!!!!!!!! Yes. I am over using exclamation marks, but I it is kind of exciting. She is a Hari Raya baby! And since Hari Raya is like the muslim version of Christmas, then she is pretty much a Christmas present! I think you should put a bow on her. And it should be orange. Just thoughts. Also, if you ever want me to babysit her for extended periods of time, I will come pick her up and bring her back to Malaysia with me!! Also..might need about 24 hours notice as those plane flights are a bit long for "short notice" sitting.
So that is pretty much the most exciting thing that has happened in my life recently. However I will try to make the rest of this slightly interesting so you do not fall asleep.
First off, I just bought a new computer. As many of you know I get distracted easily and accidentally run into things, drop things, fall down, etc. Well, my computer was already having some problems, but in the past two weeks I have now officially knocked my computer off a height of about 2-3 feet two different times. The computer screen is fine, but the computer itself is constantly freezing, not loading at all, and continually running scripts to try and recover...something. Yes, if this was America I would just take it to Best Buy or another IT place for some diagnostics. However, this is Labuan. The way things work here is if I took it in for a check up to the one computer place in town it would probably take them 3 to 4 weeks to diagnose and fix it, which is fine...IF they could fix it. Then, from my previous experience with commerce and how Malaysians charge westerners, they would probably crazy overcharge me for the service. So best solution for the moment? Buy a new one!! Where at? Well, Best Buy doesn't export. And I am afraid of internationally shipping something as fragile as a laptop to someplaces as kind-of-primitive as Labuan, so I found out there Dell Malaysia! I was able to build my laptop and order it here. It should be here in 7 to 10 days!! I am kind of excited. I hope it turns out to be a good computer.
Lets see, what else?
I have started cooking. I successfully made chocolate crinkles!! At first it took awhile to find the ingredients, but the Chinese shop keeper and his wife at the little shop across the road are super nice and very helpful. Then when I went to make them I realized I had no...measuring cups! Seriously. So crazy. Or measuring spoons. Good thing I remember what approximately 1/4 of a tsp looks like. Then I got my friend Susannah (who is awesome!) to measure out 1 cup of flour in a coffee cup in America and give me the approximate cup amount over the internet. And with that, and the guessing, they turned out ok! I think I will try cinnamon rolls when I get more brave.
I also discovered that rice here has small bugs in it that you have to rinse out before you cook it. When I asked if this was normal, I was told, "Yeah..they're all like that. This isn't normal in the US?" I may've laughed a little hysterically while i controlled my gag reflex when rinsing the rice out later.
I'm still having that pain-through-mid-section-and-back issue. Actually had 2 "episodes" this week, 2 days in a row. I will talk to the medic here about it tomorrow, and we will see what he says. I am not going back to Klinik Wilayah unless they say they are going to x-ray my gallbladder or something cause there is no way this can be heartburn. But for now I am ok, just feeling a little nauseous. :)
My friend Catherine constantly makes my life better in small ways and I am thankful for her. Example: the other day I was talking about how much I miss oreos. Today she comes in from a lunch at the mall, and she found me a small package of oreos!! I am eating them slowly and they are delicious. I am getting used to ZhuZhu. She is also nice, just has small communication issues. I am trying to help her feel a little more welcome than I did at first.
I finished my control cards and OIL cd (requirements for going to Engg 1 next month)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so happy about this! It is a huge weight off of my chest. Now I can go back and really studying the little details of what I need to know. I can also spend more time in the shop with the techs, and I've heard that having hands on experience is very important for school. I am going to be so prepared it will be scary!
I also just heard that my friend Marie from Norway and Megan from Alaska (working in China and Equatorial Guinea, respectively) are potentially going to be there with me. Trying to reign in my excitement about that as well (sometimes SLB likes to change things up).
So yeah, today feels pretty good. Also, there are marvelous clouds outside right now which are distracting me because they remind me of Adam so instead of being at all productive I am thinking about how absolutely excited I am to get to see him again! I mean...over the internet is great and all, but wow...it will be incredible to see him in face-to-face!!
Days like today remind me of why I volunteered for this job.
I love and miss you all. I cannot wait to say hello to my new niece in person. Happy Birthday Raegan :)
Becca
Congratulations Helen and Ross!!!!! I am so excited for you guys and for Raegan Hannah (did you realize her name could be shortened to Rae?) !!!!!!!!! Yes. I am over using exclamation marks, but I it is kind of exciting. She is a Hari Raya baby! And since Hari Raya is like the muslim version of Christmas, then she is pretty much a Christmas present! I think you should put a bow on her. And it should be orange. Just thoughts. Also, if you ever want me to babysit her for extended periods of time, I will come pick her up and bring her back to Malaysia with me!! Also..might need about 24 hours notice as those plane flights are a bit long for "short notice" sitting.
So that is pretty much the most exciting thing that has happened in my life recently. However I will try to make the rest of this slightly interesting so you do not fall asleep.
First off, I just bought a new computer. As many of you know I get distracted easily and accidentally run into things, drop things, fall down, etc. Well, my computer was already having some problems, but in the past two weeks I have now officially knocked my computer off a height of about 2-3 feet two different times. The computer screen is fine, but the computer itself is constantly freezing, not loading at all, and continually running scripts to try and recover...something. Yes, if this was America I would just take it to Best Buy or another IT place for some diagnostics. However, this is Labuan. The way things work here is if I took it in for a check up to the one computer place in town it would probably take them 3 to 4 weeks to diagnose and fix it, which is fine...IF they could fix it. Then, from my previous experience with commerce and how Malaysians charge westerners, they would probably crazy overcharge me for the service. So best solution for the moment? Buy a new one!! Where at? Well, Best Buy doesn't export. And I am afraid of internationally shipping something as fragile as a laptop to someplaces as kind-of-primitive as Labuan, so I found out there Dell Malaysia! I was able to build my laptop and order it here. It should be here in 7 to 10 days!! I am kind of excited. I hope it turns out to be a good computer.
Lets see, what else?
I have started cooking. I successfully made chocolate crinkles!! At first it took awhile to find the ingredients, but the Chinese shop keeper and his wife at the little shop across the road are super nice and very helpful. Then when I went to make them I realized I had no...measuring cups! Seriously. So crazy. Or measuring spoons. Good thing I remember what approximately 1/4 of a tsp looks like. Then I got my friend Susannah (who is awesome!) to measure out 1 cup of flour in a coffee cup in America and give me the approximate cup amount over the internet. And with that, and the guessing, they turned out ok! I think I will try cinnamon rolls when I get more brave.
I also discovered that rice here has small bugs in it that you have to rinse out before you cook it. When I asked if this was normal, I was told, "Yeah..they're all like that. This isn't normal in the US?" I may've laughed a little hysterically while i controlled my gag reflex when rinsing the rice out later.
I'm still having that pain-through-mid-section-and-back issue. Actually had 2 "episodes" this week, 2 days in a row. I will talk to the medic here about it tomorrow, and we will see what he says. I am not going back to Klinik Wilayah unless they say they are going to x-ray my gallbladder or something cause there is no way this can be heartburn. But for now I am ok, just feeling a little nauseous. :)
My friend Catherine constantly makes my life better in small ways and I am thankful for her. Example: the other day I was talking about how much I miss oreos. Today she comes in from a lunch at the mall, and she found me a small package of oreos!! I am eating them slowly and they are delicious. I am getting used to ZhuZhu. She is also nice, just has small communication issues. I am trying to help her feel a little more welcome than I did at first.
I finished my control cards and OIL cd (requirements for going to Engg 1 next month)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so happy about this! It is a huge weight off of my chest. Now I can go back and really studying the little details of what I need to know. I can also spend more time in the shop with the techs, and I've heard that having hands on experience is very important for school. I am going to be so prepared it will be scary!
I also just heard that my friend Marie from Norway and Megan from Alaska (working in China and Equatorial Guinea, respectively) are potentially going to be there with me. Trying to reign in my excitement about that as well (sometimes SLB likes to change things up).
So yeah, today feels pretty good. Also, there are marvelous clouds outside right now which are distracting me because they remind me of Adam so instead of being at all productive I am thinking about how absolutely excited I am to get to see him again! I mean...over the internet is great and all, but wow...it will be incredible to see him in face-to-face!!
Days like today remind me of why I volunteered for this job.
I love and miss you all. I cannot wait to say hello to my new niece in person. Happy Birthday Raegan :)
Becca
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)