Expectedly Unexpected

I’m truly blessed. On day 1 of my job, I get to attend a seminar and free lunch at the Banker’s Club, AMODA. Colleagues are great people, really friendly and lacking that unprofessional mentality that many Malaysians have that I absolutely dislike.

The job’s great, learning new things everyday. Well, let’s just say everything has it’s ups and downs. So far, it’s mostly ups. I think I’ll be on this job for quite some time. Can’t wait for my confirmation in around 2 months time. (:

Just last Friday, there was a company Hari Raya Get-Together with some civil servants at Jogoya Restaurant, Starhill. Delicious, mouth watering buffet with loads to choose from. Not to mention the great company through the night. That’s not it. This Saturday is the company’s Annual Dinner at Royale Chulan! 3 awesome meals all within a month! What can I say, I took up this job at the best time of the year! A good start and hopefully to a better future.

What I need now is a new DSLR camera to take pics of all these awesome events! Time to save up some money and hopefully get a Micro-Four Thirds camera by either Olympus or Panasonic. They’re way too expensive though. Will just wait a while longer for the price to drop further. That time will come soon! (:

A swing from my aunt's garden in Ipoh

Today marks the beginning of a new chapter of my life. The longest, most challenging, stressful, but yet most exciting part of life – work life. Got a job offer today and I start work next month! Woohoo!

Finally, I can slowly start to support myself and not rely on my parents financially. Thanks mum and dad! Now it’s my turn to support you!

I still have lots to learn though. Can’t imagine filling in income tax forms. I heard it’s a nightmare! =S

Fireworks in Leeds during the New Year

Went down to London the other day to renew my Malaysian passport as it’s almost due to expire pretty soon. Took a 7.40am train down to London which meant that I had to get up at 6am! Not woke up at this time of day since I left high school 4 years ago! Oh well, 2.5 hours down to London St. Pancras and straight to the High Commission through the tube. I shall not indulge myself with the application process. Nothing to brag about.

Me being down in London, although I am a city boy, I still got a culture shock! There’s just too many people in London. Walking along Oxford Steet and Regent Street was a nightmare! I had to pay so much attention in avoiding colliding into a stranger that I couldn’t really look around for a place to have lunch!

Oh, I met up with Miss Sharon Khoo! Which I’ve not seen in 2 years! Did lots of catching up and eating of course. Introduced me to Ben’s Cookies in Covent Garden Market which is awesomest cookies on the face of the planet ever! Awesome! Before we even knew it, it’s already time to catch my train back to Sheffield. Another 2.5 hours back to Sheffield, a nice shower and straight to bed. 5 hours of solid brisk walking around (not to mention the stress of avoiding people on the road too) totally sucked all the life out of me. Slept for 10.5 hours until the next day.

Good times. =)

Trafalgar Square on a hot summer's day. Look at the amount of people everywhere!

The end of June is approaching rapidly and the end of month spells the end og my housing contract with West One. Will be handing my keys in on Tuesday 12pm but I have a cunning plan under my sleeve. Due to me staying back for another month waiting for my graduation ceremony at the end of July, I’ll have to find a place to crash for that 1 month while waiting and doing absolutely nothing. Hence, I’ll be crashing back at my current room until the end of July when the friend, after next week my room shall be hers, will move in. So at least, no big hassle of moving all my stuff around everywhere like the past 3 years. It was absolute hell.

This is where I live but in a different block

Anyway, 70% of room cleaned and clutter almost entirely removed and thrown away. Now my drawers and wardrobe is almost empty and hollow. And next week, they shall be filled again with my stuff. A small hassle but better than moving to another place entirely.

On a lighter note, Mr Chew has gone to Scouserland i.e. Liverpool for those that don’t know.

A group lavender in St John's Garden, Liverpool

Liverpool’s now a much better city compared to a few years ago. Come to think of it, Sheffield is currently like the old Liverpool – old abandoned industrial buildings, grey coal dust covered walls of buildings. But Sheffield is currently going a giant overhaul of the city and every year new buildings sprout out bringing the city into to 21st century though we’re almost a decade late!

Albert Dock was a superb place to photo taking. Especially the views of the river mouth entering the sea and wide panoramic views of Liverpool bay area and Birkenhead.

Albert Dock

Lovely place.

MEEEEEEERRRRDDEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! This will be that last time I’ll be shouting this word. There’s won’t be a merdeka once worklife commenses. Well, until I retire of course!

This is the view I get every night from my flat. Beautiful.

Happy Chinese New Year!

恭喜发财

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

万事如意

Wan Shi Ru Yi!

主里蒙恩

Zhu Li Meng En!

May the year of the ox bring prosperity and hapiness. Earn lots of money and make lots of babies! Haha…

P.S. I want cookies!!!

WONG JU LIANG

15 APRIL 1987 – 20 AUGUST 2008

A caring friend, bright classmate, happy buddy, great pal and fellow brother.

His fight with leukaemia ends today with him winning the bid to enter heaven. His unfaltering faith in Christ has led him this far and will lead him ahead for the rest of time. I may only know him chronologically for a year but I felt like we’ve known each other for many many years. I wished I knew you better. Ju Liang my brother, heaven awaits your arrival and when you enter the kingdom of God, don’t forget that we will still remember you till the end of time.

“If the people we love are stolen from us, the way to have them live on is to never stop loving them. Buildings burn, people die, but real love is forever.”

Those were the days…