Resolution.

Happy New Year everyone!

First post of the year, on the 1st date of the second month, February. Better late than never, right?
Thing is, I started a .tumblr, (mizzijam.tumblr.com) for the tail-end of my trip abroad, so that (possibly combined with laziness) is some kind of an explanation to my lacking blog presence.

Needless to say, this blog has been left abandoned for far too long...as you'll see from my tumblr & facebook pics that I've been out and about immersing myself in a couple of the amazing places (Kunming, Dali & Lijiang of Yunnan, leaping Tiger Gorge, Shanghai & Harbin) China has to offer, since finishing my semester at Peking Uni.

What has prompted me to write and reignite this blog, and I'll be honest here, is stumbling across a friend's blog -also a student on exchange in China- about his travels and experiences. Frankly, I am awestruck and inspired by his writing style, impressed by his descriptions and well, eating a bit of vinegar ( 吃醋chicu 'eat vinegar' meaning 'jealous') that I was no way near as consistent, dedicated or even as observant as he makes out to be! Mike, if you happen to ever be reading this, AMAZING work! Your stuff has seriously encouraged and inspired me to jump back into what I should never have paused for so long, or even at all.

So, here's a list of my New Year's Resolutions I've been brewing in my head for a while, and not yet poured onto a page (virtual or otherwise), PLUS -unlike other year's- HOW I endeavour to achieve them.

In no order whatsoever:

GET FIT.
That is, be able to run 5km in under 60mins.
Increase flexibility, something hopefully close to the splits by the year's end. ACHIEVABLE.
How?
Insanity with Shaun T. Daily exercising (min 30mins) and stretching before bed. Sign up & have a shot at Bridge to Brisbane!

EXPAND MY VOCABULARY.
Chinese AND English.
How?
Read an article, or SOMETHING Chinese everyday. Before bed. Remember RIBIT? (Read In Bed, It's Terrific) YEAH! ENFORCE IT!
As for English -news each day, and a complete a novel every 1-2 weeks.

DISTINCTIONS for Uni.
Namely, 6's. Nothing lower than 5.5. Why? Usually I'm not bothered by marks but I'm graduating this year and feel it a) IS POSSIBLE and b) want to work hard and do WELL. I'm here to learn, right?

SIGN UP FOR A PHOTOGRAPHY CLASS.
So that I can get my skillz up and running and hopefully get a portfolio of some sort up and running!

RENEW MY RSA.
Responsible Service of Alcohol
I'm keen to try this student by day-worker by night thing, and being a bartender would be an interesting job I feel.

GET AN INTERNSHIP/WORK EXPERIENCE.
Gotta think of the future, duh! Nah kidding, well only half. Opening doors and potential careers etc!

VOLUNTEER.
With Vinnies, Red Cross or Red Frogs. Mater...

READ AT CHURCH.
So I pay more attention to God's word. Gain more confidence in reading out loud. Greater understanding of the Mass. There's no way I'd go up there and read it halfheartedly, you see. THIS IS THE PLAN.

PICK UP THE GUITAR/UKE.
Knock on the guy's door across the road and ask for lessons. Worst he can say is no.

TRY PAINTING. CONTINUE DRAWING. ART ART ART.
Cos you love it. Cos you really shouldn't keep stopping like this. COS HOPEFUlLY IT'LL ADD TO YOUR PORTFOLIO THAT WILL GET YOU INTO GRAPHIC DESIGN IN THE NEAR FUTUREZ.

BUY A CAR.
nuff said.

SAVE MONEY.
So I can travel.

JOIN A UNI CLUB/SOC
You know you always wanted to and never had the guts/time/commitment
It's your life, you make it what it is.

EXPLORE BRISBANE/AUSTRALIA!
Cos you've seen more of the entire globe than your own backyard, silly!

COOK MORE.
Like, once a week, for the family.
Benefits all around, YOU KNOW!

Okay, I think I've covered it all. I think they're all quite realistic. Now to find the time for it all... Haahahahaa, shall need to borrow Hermione's time-turner fo sho!

Love and sweet dreams from Malaysia!
-Mizz

Be careful what you wish for.

And everything is perfect, as it should be.

I think it's time.

Considering enrolling. Either first sem 2012 or 2013!!!! 

Weeeeeeooohewwwww! The more I read about it, the more I feel something fresh and new and right tugging and tugging...! Hopefully this hunch isn't delirious!

Chocolates And Cigarettes

still too young to fail,too scared to sail away,but one of these daysI'll grow old and I'll grow braveand I'llgo...

-------

I love it when it rains here.

Rinses away the haze and reveals a sky reminiscent of home. Blue, with the addition of a mountainous backdrop.

The sun always shines afterward. always.

Archery.

Today I went to the Sunway Pyramid Mall with Ben.

It's hugeeeeeemungous. Has a theme park connected to it, a hotel as well as um.. a mall SEPARATED INTO TWO PARRRTS!! :O:O:O

Photos to come shortly..when I get them resized  hehehe, 18 megapixels = longer upload/more net usaaage etccc.

We did some archery. YES. ARCHERY. IN A MALL.
and then watched Cowboys VS Aliens.
Surprisingly, it was actually quite good (we both had zero expectation but there was nothing else to see)!
Annnnd yeah, I would definitely recommend it!
Harrison Ford. Daniel Craig. Very goood.

(PRETTYGIRL SAYS HI BTW)

...................blergh. Shall update/edit/insert pics laterrawr!

<3 exxxoh. Mzzz.

The Dream

Dear future Me.

When you read this, I want you to remember that this upcoming list is something you’ve been musing mentally, and even verbally to a select close few over the last month or two.

Wherever you are now, probably home after an extremely long and overwhelmingly crazy and fantastic and interesting 6 months overseas, I want you to know that despite how you feel (up in the clouds, buzzing, maybe experiencing reverse-culture shock, bit lonely, possibly wanting to run away and just thirsting for more) your feet will eventually come back into contact with the ground and by then, perhaps. Hopefully, hopefully, you will look to this list and it will put things into perspective for you, and have you chasing after something again :D.

You may have seen or heard or experienced things that have changed your mind slightly since writing this, but hey. As of today, 18th of August 2011, this is what you ideally would like to see in the near (immediate)future.

In short:

Go to Malaysia (check!), study in Beijing, come back in one piece, move out, buy a car (preferably/hopefully grandpa’s), get a journalism related internship/work experience, fix a regular volunteering position somewhere, study super hard and graduate end of 2012, work and save save save (while paying rent) so I can travel post-graduating!! :D.
In the meanwhile, don’t forget to practice and continue drawing, possibly take art classes.
Ditto that a la photography, and instruments. Piano and flute. Possibly start violin.

Rargh. You know you’ve wanted that about the instruments for aaaages. Hopefully moving out will = more time for that.. or something. But then that will = more finance needed. Which = more work? MEH! BY NOW YOU’LL HAVE FIGURED IT OUT MIRIAM :D.
And don’t forget, follow your dreams and your heart. No regrets. Don’t worry about what other people say (why is it so easy for me to give other people advice but so hard for me to take my own.) cos if you truly love and have a passion for something Miriam, that drive will help take you there! Have faith in yourself. Trust! (:(:(:

[Insert parable of the oil lamp and mustard seed here.]

As for all your other (teeny) concerns right now... don’t worry too much. In 6 months, you WILL know. The Universe knows! Just have fun. Live life. (:(: And most importantly, stay true.
Seek authenticity.

All the best senorita.

Keep swimming, keep that chin up (:!

-Mizzzz

Sydney.

So it's been four weeks since my last post. . .

It's been an absolute whirlwind, and I don't in the slightest apologise, either :P.
I've been filling the time with working, hanging out with friends, spending time with family...all because it's been the last four weeks I can do so, at least for another 25 weeks, technically almost 6 months!

I'm currently writing from my cousins, the Lee's house.
Arrived in Malaysia yesterday, spending some time/holidaying with the cousins before I embark on my trip to Beijing, China for a semester of uni exchange!

I week prior to that I spent four days in Sydney too. Also to see family and a few of my friends before I headed off.

Beautiful Stephy 8).

Touch-screen order Japanese restaurant and Karaoke Bar with childhood buddies, Alex & Ben and Frenchie cousins, Will & Geoffrey <3.

Geoff, Will and Laura <33

 

....and climbed THIS badboi!

I've realised that I've traveled more than any other period in my life this year. Malaysia, Hong Kong and China Dec-Jan. Malaysia (yes again) in February. Sydney in March. and more locally Theodore and Mt Tambourine in June and July! :O Lucky lucky ducky is me!

As you may also be able to detect in the above photos (aside from the last 3) I also have acquired a new camera. A Cannon 600D. My first SLR! A digital one, at that!! Happy Early 21st Birthday to meee! Love, Mum and Dad. LOVE LOVE LOVE!!


I do hope to be able to fill you in on what I get up to each day! And kind of in turn.. practice/up my writing skills... Bit lacklustre atm, huh?

I've been dreaming a lot.... but it needs to be put into action to actually mean anything so...WATCH THIS SPACE!!


All my love! xxoo Mizzzzz