The Day of Reckoning

I never actually thought a day like this would ever come.

My parents had decided that now I was 18 and technically should learn to survive by myself, I should get a Medicare Card. Just in case I decided that crashing a car sounded like a good idea. Or that drugs would be the highlight of my life.
It’s a good idea though. Medicare provides a lot of assistance and a 0.01% chance of getting you into a hospital if you’re in an emergency.

Knowing the health system in Perth.

However, I also knew full well that because this was a government initiative, they would scrutinise my entire life and comparatively give me peanuts in return.

Although I didn’t quite realise how detailed Medicare wanted my life story to be as well!

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This, to me, is a pretty hefty price to pay for medical peanuts. Imagine the shock and horror on my face when I saw exactly what it was they wanted from me. I must’ve gone through at least four passports during my entire life. There was (and is) absolutely no way for me to remember the exact dates of when I left and entered each country, especially in my earlier years. It was quite a struggle for me to remember all the years we moved in, and to ensure that I got the spelling for the Phillipines ‘Philippines’ correct. [you’d be surprised how many times I’ve gotten it wrong] University assignments, move aside. I’ve found something better to challenge me.
And to add salt to the wound, I needed to add an extra piece of paper [not photographed here] because they hadn’t given me enough spaces to fill in all the places I’d lived in before.

This is quite an upsetting discovery.

Mishy <3

...On Being Emo

Okay. So I've been kinda sorta depressed for a while. Not that anyone knew that.

Crazy things've been happening, and they're all things I obviously have no control over.

So first up - Ms. Rames's death.
She was the Malay HoD, back at my old school in Malaysia, and she passed away due to a stroke if I'm not wrong.
I didn't know her well. She was never a teacher of mine. But she was a strong woman, who did things with great dignity, and I felt it during my time there. Her death came as a great shock to me, personally. Because I had no idea that she had any medical problems at all. But then again, I haven't been a part of the school for years now. Nontheless, any kind of death upsets me, even though I believe that we all go to a better place when we pass on. I guess it's just the shock that 'so-and-so' woke up one morning, only to pass away tragically. Or another scenario I always imagine is 'so-and-so' going to sleep and never waking up the next day. I get more upset whenever it's someone I know, however distantly related.

Whatever. I just don't like death.

Next up - Australia's kooky weather.
And I take this on a more personal level cuz it's threatening me too! Rising floods in the North East and raging bush fires in the South East. I can't imagine what's happening to everyone there.
Most of Victoria is being destroyed by fire after fire. When I watched the special news reports on raging bushfires in Australia just now, the latest was that an 80 kilometer wall of flame was headed for one of the towns in Victoria. Eighty kilometers. Who's going to be able to escape that quickly now?!
And then there's Queensland, battling wave after wave of floods. And now threats of crocodile attacks in the flood waters? I knew there had to be one con of living right next to the Great Barrier Reef.
And of course, Perth is getting by quite nicely without too many disruptions. [as usual...*sigh*] But we're still getting bushfires, such as the one in King's Park. And the one at Whiteman's Park. [both lit by humans, the buggers] And then the one closeby to my house. My house. I'm starting to freak out, and wonder where I should run and whether I can take anything and what would happen if both my parents are out of the house [which occurs rather frequently] and are unable to drive us outta there quick. Especially since I live right next to bushland! Hmm, better start getting my sneakers ready...

Also there - New immigration regulations against Zimbabweans.
So. I had high hopes for one of my friends, *Monzi a Zimbabwean girl, in joining me down here. I've missed the girls from South Africa, and having even one from the pack around would be thrilling.
But guess what? The government's being difficult now. Apparently all Zimbabweans must now have a sponsor who is a relative and a resident in Australia who owns over AUD120000 in order for the student to come here. And not to be crude, but my friend and I both realised that it was because the Aussie government is afraid that Zimbos will come as students, and then refuse to leave, claiming status as refugees once their education is over.
I want to know...since when Australia has been trying to regulate who comes into the country and who doesn't. Australia, since the 1970s, has been accepting people willy nilly into the country. Zimbabweans should be no different.
Hmm, maybe Pauline Hanson had too much of a bad impact. Boo sucks to her!
But *Monzi's got one last shot at getting here. I'm praying that she does.

On the plus side, *Leow is definitely here to stay for uni. =) *Nish is back from her round Asia tour! :P I start uni soon. I still have a job, and my mates are safe and sound. Which I'm happy about.

Mishy <3

Boxing Day

Today is the 4th anniversary of the 2004 Tsunami which claimed many lives all across the Indian Ocean.
So I can only sit back, and remember those who died...and pray that those new tsunami warnings which were installed immediately after still work, in case of another great tsunami.

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Christmas Day was great. =) I didn't take any shots of my presents, but then again, who would want to see them?

I completely forgot that almost all stores open on Christmas and Boxing Day, because in South Africa and Australia, everything is closed, lol. So when my aunt took us out for lunch after church, I was completely flabbergasted to find that things were actually open.

Yeah, I feel like such a jakun at the moment.

As of now, I am still shopping for last minute presents for people at in Perth. Thankfully, things are cheap in Central Market, but I can't keep going back now, can I? Grr. I need to spend a whole day in there. At least most of the people on my list have been ticked off.
It's been said that Malaysians have created a 'Mega Sale Culture' and I say good for us! What excitement would there be, if we had no mega sales? I feel sorry for other countries who don't have the sales like we do. :P
Also headed to that fish pedicure place. These fish [and I have no idea what they're called] feast on dead skin cells, so putting your feet into a tank of these is literally the natural way to a great pedicure! It's dead ticklish at first I admit, but it gets better after a while. I know I only dared to submerge my entire foot in the water after about 7 minutes. Before that, I only sacrificed my heel or my toes.

My feet have never been so smooth.

Not to mention it's RM5 for 10 minutes in Central Market, so for anyone heading that side: go while the offer's still there!

Central Market's also got a stall selling shirts with incredibly witty wording on them.
RHB Bank- Robin Hood Bank. We steal from the rich AND the poor. -we don't discriminate-
HSBC- Highly Suspicious Banking Company. The world's loco bank.
BMW- Burn My Wallet

Also, my all time favourite: KEEP MALAYSIA CLEAN. Throw your rubbish in Singapore.
As well as: When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping.

OF course, it was RM35 friggin bucks, so I didn't buy it. One day, I'll just go and print out my own shirt, LOL.

Mishy <3

Signs of Equality

He's done it. He's actually done it.

But what does it mean for me? I was asked on tckid.com, and also via an email sent round by Brice.

A TCK made it to the top position in America. Not only that, he's an African American. I'm pretty certain that identifying with the marginalised class doesn't exactly make the walk to the top any easier.
In fact, he probably had to claw.

To me, it means that change and some form of equality and acceptance has finally come to the world we live in. 150 years ago, America was pro-slavery. Under Geroge Washington, the White House was completed by a group of black slaves. 150 short years later, there is a black man in that same White House.
Another idea that astonishes me...is the way he has fitted back into the USA, and the way he's been accepted. His appointment to the leadership of the country shows me that there is a way for TCKs to settle down, and to be accepted. For a tree to find its roots. For a fish to feel comfortable in its water. Whatever metaphor you wish to find, Barack Obama has defeated his demons, and proved that it can be done. [and due to all the good reviews that this book is getting, I really must go pick up a copy of Dreams From My Father]
Last but not least, to state the obvious, a Black man, an African American man has made it to the White House. The very name of the presidential residence says it all. Barack Obama has taken over what was formerly an anglocentric country.

So really...what does it say to me?
One day, I there will be a Chinese or an Indian Prime Minister in Malaysia.
One day, there will be an Aboriginal Prime Minister in Australia.
One day, I will fit back into the country that rejects me.
I just hope I'm arround to see it happen.
Barack Obama is currently placed next to Nelson Mandela on my list of idols. What is ironic is that I'm not even black, I'm chinese! But he serves as a representative of positive change and a united front. I'm just glad that the American people have voted for him, and in my view, they've made the right choice.

To give him credit, John McCain did make a very eloquent concession speech, and even attempted to quiet the booing, hissing audience. So kudos to him. =)

Looking forward to change.
MIshy <3

Murder Me

Seriously. Go ahead. Right now.

I have no idea whether to be happy or not.

I got my mock exam marks back, in case no one can tell. =(

Well, I guess I'll start off with the good news, since, well, it deserves to get out. :P
I got 82% for my history and my maths!! :DD Never been happier for these two. Especially my history. I didn't think I would understand what was happening, and true enough, for a few sources I didn't. But I made it through, and I'm glad. And now I have to make sure I do the same for the finals. =(

For the others, I got in the 60% range. 60% for Human Biology. 61% for Political and Legal Studies. 63% for Chemistry. 68% for Literature.
How much more crap could this get, I was banking on Lit and Human Bio to be at least 70%! I always knew Chemistry would end up somewhere in the 60% range, although I was sort of hoping for above a 65%, seeing as I had somehow managed to convince myself that the paper was relatively easy. [Conto later told us it was actually edging on the hard side]
Still, I think Human Bio was a weird paper, and the top mark was 72%. =/ A scary thought, but at least the whole paper will get moderated up and I'll hopefully reach in with a 70-something% in that paper.
I sent my Lit paper in for remarking because I did a practice essay with the same question I did in the exam, and somehow managed to lose a full 5 marks from between the practice paper and the real thing. =/ Wonderous miracles indeed, but if all works out well, then I will have achieved at least two 80%s, two 70%s and two 60%s. Hmm, 4 A's and 2 C's. In Australia anyway. In South Africa and Malaysia, it would have been 2A's, 2B's, and 2C's.

Much as those marks look really good...it's still not good enough. Or at least not as good as I was hoping for. =/

Dear God, give me the strength to drag those marks up by the ear in the TEE. Amen.

Mishy <3

Where Are You From?

A confusing question.
Where AM I from?

This is not a case of me suffering from amnesia, or any form of memory loss. No, this is an identity issue.

When asked the question, most people would respond with their nationality.
Where are you from?
I'm from England. I'm from America. I'm from India. I'm from Canada. I'm from Cambodia.

How simple.

And me?
I'm from...
But wait. What DO I say?
I could say I'm Malaysian. But am I? Am I really? I haven't been able to speak mandarin, or cantonese or even malay since the day I was born. Some increasingly broken bits of the dialect, yes, but never fluently, and never enough to carry off a conversation. I can't speak the language, I have a different mentality, I've even started to look different...the locals would reject me for even trying to fit back in.
Could I say I am South African? I have lived there. I have been accepted by people there. I have managed to convince myself that that place was home. But hang a sec...I'm not African. I'm Chinese. Yes, I respect Nelson Mandela, but there's no way I could be African if I can't identify with all the history of the people living there, could I?
I lived in the Philippines for two years, and I liked it...but I suppose that's not enough time to claim citizenship either.
Indonesia? You gotta be kidding me, I literally got chased out when I was 7. Even though I have lived there for 7 years. That's the longest time I've ever stayed put in a place, even though I can barely remember some of it. I wonder what it must've been like back then.
How about Australian? The ocker Aussie, living out in the wild? No, not really. I can't identity with the place. Open and acepted racism? Lack of shopping malls? Yeah, I'm not gonna be able to deal with this.

So really...what am I?
By my passport, I'm Malaysian.
Culturally, I am very Malaysian.
But mentally, could I be considered South African? The one place where I've managed to fully integrate?
Physically, am I Australian, seeing as this is where I am?
I lived in Indonesia the longest...seven years...is this where I'm from?

Perhaps my passport is just a badge. Something to force on me so no one else get confused. Personally, I'm confused as well. What am I? Where am I from?

The question remains unanswered. But perhaps you can tell me where I'm from.

Mishy <3

Beijing Olympics '08

This one is being held in China this year. And I must say, I think the Olympic committee made a brilliant decision, deciding to host it in China this year. That, or they were bribed rather well by the Chinese.

08/08/08. Beginning at 08:08pm.
It's really interesting how they've managed to get it on what would seem to be China's luckiest day of all.

Watching the Olympics, I incredibly impressed with the idea of the scroll, and the meaning behind it. The body calligraphy amazed me [because I had no idea how the guy knew where to put down the brush] and the lighting of the cauldron [after all the useless running around] was definitely a highlight. I was also rather impressed with the drums at the beginning, although I didn't actually like the way they gradually started looking more and more like a kaleidoscope than a drumming performance. I looked forward to a dragon/lion dance and, okay, I was pretty disappointed that none came. I can honestly say that it is the highlight of my Chinese New Year, and not having it at the Olympics made me sulk a bit.
People say that China is all for precision. Nothing must be out of place. Everything must be perfect.
But in a sense, I'd say that this is what makes China, China. The precision is a sight to behold, especially in a country like Australia where no one likes to listen to authority. [the year 8s and 9s at every school are proof]

When the athletes came out, this had to be my highlight of the entire ceremony, possibly excepting the lighting of the cauldron.
And many people found it boring because, let's be serious, they only had one country to support, and most probably didn't know the flags of all the countries, much less the names.

I, on the other hand, found it extremely difficult to figure out whom I should be cheering for. After living in these places, who do you say deserves to get your support the most? South Africa, or Australia? Indonesia, or Malaysia? The Philippines, or Singapore? [not that I have lived in Singapore, but I believe they're worth supporting] And of course, should I be supporting China- the place where my roots come from, or Hong Kong- where my grand-uncle currently resides? England- to where at least a quarter of my mates have moved, or Canada- where at least a tenth have moved?
Of course, I didn't actually think about it too much, and cheered for all of them all the same.

My brother and I also stayed up the entire night, comparing team sizes [we have decided that China's is by far the biggest and the best, after having to re-evaluate our opinion of the size of the American team- both in numbers and in height] and trying to figure out where each flag came from. We didn't exactly know every country, nor did we know where they all came from either, but we figured all of them out based on the flag and the costumes they wore.

My mother, after all these years of travelling, still didn't know how to figure out if a country was from the Bahamas or Africa just based on the flag and the costumes alone. Her education has been wasted.

And according to a lot of my South African friends, plenty of people were thinking about me during the Olympic ceremony.
I had only one thought when I was told this: WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT???
In St. Stithians Girls' College, I was the only Chinese girl in my grade. There were more chinese girls in the grades below. But the Boys' College had even more chinese in one grade than the girls college had put together in the whole school.
So really, why am I the one who's being thought of during the Olympic Opening Ceremony??
I know I have [or, well, HAD] a Chinese counterpart in my grade back at Saints, and my counterpart is also an actual Chinese from China. Unlike me, since I am from Malaysia. It made no sense whatsoever. He is more Chinese than I am, he's in Jo'burg at Saints where he can remind them of his presence daily, and I am the one who gets thought of? A friend from the boys college even sent me a message congratulating me on the performance in China. I was incredibly shocked.
I suppose it was a stereotype thing. I'm not concentrating on it too much and I really can't do much except to shake my head in wonder.

Although I can't help but wonder if I perhaps left my mark on Saints a little too clearly.

Mishy <3

The Different Cities

Me and my tute friends [not that many mind you, lol] were discussing Australia and it's history, and it pretty much went something like this:

Stella: You know when I was in Canberra, all the car plates said "Australia's Capital City" at the bottom.
Cynthia: And in Sydney, they'll all go "Australia's FIRST Capital City". XD
*laughs*
Cynthia: And then in Melbourne it'll go "SHOULD-Have-Been Australia's First Capital City"
Me: And Perth, not wanting to be left out, will say: "Australia's Capitally Dull City".

In case you were wondering, in tute, yes we are normally bored, and no, this is not the most outrageous topic that we've ever discussed. :P
Also, no, we haven't thought of one for Queensland, Adelaide, Darwin and Tasmania.

I shouldn't be surprised we discussed this though. Our tute room is the history classroom and there's this massive board on the wall with all sorts of pictures of Australia's history.

Mishy <3