Tag Archives: University

Summer Days

10 Jul

M1’s first summer is going on well, with classes keeping her busy. Weather-wise it can be hot and sometimes still cold.

Comparing her experience with mine, I came home for my first summer after a year away. Unlike M1, starting as a freshman, I started as a Sophomore, transferring a year’s liberal studies from the local community college. Anyway, Mom and Dad thought I should come home and I did for a whole 16 weeks. Sure I enjoyed the food, friends and family but I felt it was too long. Towards the end of my summer, I was agitated, bored to death and couldn’t wait to get back to college.

So by the time my second summer came around, I decided to continue working at the bookstore and took a summer class. Painting. It was very laid back and fun. Needless to say, I aced it.

And prior to my third summer, I engineered an internship opportunity in New York City. That summer came and I interned with WBMG, Inc. under the watchful eyes of Walter Bernard and Milton Glaser. The exposure and experience were priceless and the best time of my life!

Ahh… Those were the days.

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Don’t You Want A Piercing?

18 Jun

Girls will be girls. But I guess I am not, somewhat. When M1 was six, she had her ears pierced. But it took 13 years before M2 had her ears pierced. All this while, she has been afraid and that’s why it took this long act on it. And we felt the fear and anticipation of the piercing was far more terrifying than the actual pain.

To show her support, M1 accompanied M2 and she (M1) got her second set of piercing while M2 had her first. This was last year.

Two weeks ago, M2 wanted a second set of piercing! Where did the bravery come from? But as M1 is away at university, hubby nudged me to do it, to show my support.

Did I do it? Well, I’d rather have another tattoo than having my ear lobes punched.

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Can I Skip College?

16 Jun

I never expected this but M2 recently proclaimed that she would like to skip college. I was horrified but thank goodness, I did not faint. I thought with M1 now at college, it would inspire her but no.

This came about after her stress of studying and sitting for her mid-term exams. She had been complaining and asking why she has to study all those subjects that are irrelevant to her in her life. What is the point of learning stuff that will never be of use anyway? And in college, this whole process will be magnified even more. Although she’s only 13, coming to 14 soon, this studying business does not appeal to her.

Oh dear. How to deal with this?

So I asked what will she do instead if she didn’t choose to go to college. She said she will help animals. Ah hah… An opening.

I pointed out that if she wants to help animals, all the more she has to go to college. Otherwise where would she obtain her knowledge to help the hapless animals? As animals can’t talk, it would be tough to figure out their problems.

“I can google up!” she exclaimed.

“You can’t trust everything you find on the internet!” I pointed out to her. And we left things as is for now without things getting blown out of proportion. But I can tell you, this topic is still hanging and am pretty sure we will talk about it again.

Stay tuned.

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Summer is Here!

5 Jun

Spring term is ending for M1 soon. How time flies. It seemed like just yesterday when we sent her off at the airport. By the end of next week, she would have officially completed a term at university. But she will not be coming home. It’s too soon as she just left for the Spring term. She will have summer classes instead.

When I went off to university, I started in the Fall semester and by the time summer came around, I came home for a good 16 weeks. However, by my second summer, I took one summer class. Yes, just one – an oil painting class. It was fun. I worked at the bookstore as the in-house designer while also tending to the Counter selling art equipment and supplies, attended classes to paint daily and once a week, went off to the bar with my American ex-room mate for margaritas and buffalo wings. That was my summer.

Well, M1 will not have it so easy like me because she definitely has more classes than I did! But she will be fine and will do okay.

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Where Shall We Go?

25 May

The mid-term school holidays are coming up and this will be the first time, if we decide to go somewhere, it is just the three of us.

The last time the family traveled together, prior to M1’s leaving for university, was to Bangkok, Thailand. It is weird to plan now. Where shall we go?

Bangkok? Again? We were just there. Bali? Nah… Been there. Hong Kong? Too hot. London? Certainly not. Singapore? Hmm…

For every destination that comes to mind, M2 would have a comment and we feel incomplete without M1 around. Maybe we should just stay put and enjoy the comforts of home.

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Finding a Balance

15 May

It used to be when we went out for dinner on Saturday nights, it was easy to order our food once we decide what to dine on. When M1 was still around, with the four of us, we had the numbers to eat what we fancied. Choice was only the challenge rather than portions.

Now that M1 has gone off to university, it has become difficult for the three of us as far as portions are concerned. We are small eaters and it becomes a big challenge especially if we decide on Western cuisine. Two mains and two appetizers are definitely too much, what more three mains? But one main and two appetizers are not enough! How do we deal with this?

We are still trying to figure it out.

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You Want a What?

30 Apr

Whenever we travel, we would buy stuff for the girls. But now with M1 at university, it is just M2 whom we have to consider. At KLIA prior to departure to Thailand last week, we spoke to her, reminding her of the usual study routine before asking what she would like.

Now having been to Bangkok last year in December, M2 knows more or less what we can get. But the cheeky one was very specific. She wanted to know if we will be heading to Siam Paragon. We may or may not because this is a golfing trip and the hotels where we are staying at are off the main shopping area.

Anyway, to entertain her, we prodded.

The usual stationery stuff? Pajamas?

None of the above apparently.

All she wanted was the Rolls Royce that is on display in Siam Paragon.

Hahaha… She is one funny girl.

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A Proud Moment

27 Apr

I can’t remember the last time I went up on stage with an auditorium full of audience. What more to receive an award. Or awards. It was indeed a very proud moment for hubby and I to be able to savor this moment as M1’s high school awarded her with various study awards.

It was a cloudy Saturday afternoon when the Awards Day took place at a music auditorium. Initially hubby and I agreed we would take turns to go on stage to receive the five awards that M1 has achieved. But in the end, it was me who went up to receive all because hubby was on Skype with her for her to witness the moment live. She stayed up past midnight to be with us for this occasion.

Her decorated awards are Best Student in two subjects, Leadership Award as Head Librarian, Best Student for her school year (2014), Best Top Scorer (10A’s) in the 2014 national public exam, SPM, and Overall Outstanding Student of the school. The last award, the Tan Sri Dato’ Asiah Award, is the highest accolade from the school to the most outstanding student for the school year and it was my M1 who took this honor. I had some watery eyes when I went on stage for this final acknowledgment to receive the award on her behalf.

No parents could be more proud than hubby and I are of our firstborn. This must be what good parenting is about. Her achievements are also our achievements. Her glory, our glory. As she is now away in university, the distance has not dampened the moment and we are truly blessed with such a wonderful child.

  

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Snail Mail

10 Apr

There is definitely a reason why mailing a letter is termed ‘snail mail’. It’s more than two weeks and the first letter to M1 has not even arrived! Since then I have mailed another one last week and plan to mail another this week.

By the time the letters arrived, it would be stale news already. Maybe I should write in past tense to coincide with its arrival…

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Just Like Grandpa

9 Apr

Not too long ago I told M1 that her Grandpa diligently wrote me letters when I was in college every single week and she requested that I do the same for her. So I decided to write real letters and mail them weekly to her at university in the USA, just like Grandpa did. Sometimes some things ought to be done the old fashion way. 

There was no such thing as emails back then. Technology was probably at its infancy and for me to even get close to a computer to send emails was unheard of. Moreover, mom and dad didn’t even own a computer! So snail mail was the way to go. I still have all those lovely letters from Dad.

Besides, making phone calls were also very expensive back then in the dinosaur era. Nowadays, we are very fortunate to be so connected with WhatsApp, FaceTime and Skype.

But all in all said for the effort, I find it funny to be holding a pen and writing so much! All these while, with the advancement of technology, one just sits at the desk and type away on the keyboard to compose what they want to say in the email without holding a pen. Now I find myself struggling to pen decent looking sentences that hopefully, she can make out what I am writing!

Then again, I am pretty sure my handwriting will improve with time. For the sake of keeping up with what my Dad did, I will continue with weekly scrawny handwritten letters and snail mail them to her.

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