Everybody is having their say about 2012 and I thought I should join in and write down some reflections (a very poor excuse to stray from revising, I admit!) I don't really understand why people keep talking to months/years/time in general eg. "December please be nice to me" or "2013 please treat me kindly and get me a husband"... It's just a teeny bit weird that so many people are doing it, I thought friends existed in this world and you could talk to them instead of talking to... time. But it's a free country so don't feel obliged to not do it just cause I said it's weird.

"Hey, 12:09 PM, please bring me a good lunch!"

Ok, so may the reflections begin. (I'm kind of a point form person so bear with me.)

The 2012 Top 9 memories are... (in no particular order except #1)

1. The shelter and my 4 puppies - A very great experience, washing bowls, washing poops, bottle-feeding puppies 4-6 times a day, getting free lunches and a free gala dinner. Unfortunately, all 4 puppies passed away due to a viral infection. I did not know cats could be such nice animals until I was exposed to so many of them. Made new friends, people from different walks of life and learnt from them. The shelter is doing its best. I think that this has got to be the best part of my 2012. I love my puppies.

2. College - The hype, the free gym, the free pool, the people, the good, the bad, cool stuff, frustrating stuff, and having to decide what to wear almost everyday. It's OK-LAH. But I can't wait to spread my Airbus (or Boeing) wings and fly across the South China Sea! Just for studies though. I would like to return to good ol' Kuching.

3. Driving - It seems like it has been ages but I only got my license 9 months ago. I try to drive carefully a lot of the time. I drive better than my dad. My mum agrees, but she still thinks she drives better than me - I won't challenge that, considering how many years she's been driving. I drive my sister around quite a bit too, she seems to enjoy it but claims to step on the brake gentler than I do. Perhaps I have a secret ambition to be a driver.

4. Debate - This was an interesting experience. While I intend to never do it again, I am grateful for the people I got to meet and friendships I've had the privilege to keep... although I could count those with one hand. Oh and I learnt how to argue intellectually and confidently while thinking "this is a total disaster AAAHHHHH."

5. My birthday - I turned 18 in 2012 and received the nicest present ever (letters compiled) from possibly the nicest bunch of people in my life. Angeline tells me (in her letter) to read them all again if and when I feel down so that I'll feel cheered up - and it works!

6. Laksa Wednesdays with Ray - need I say more? I only worry for my arteries, I hope they are not clogged up.

7. Went to Indonesia - and we all got sick afterwards. There's not much to say about this trip other than the fact that it was enjoyable and considering the stuff that happened that had the potential to unlock the volatile part of us, we were really very good! Tempers pretty much didn't fly! Haha, it is funny to think of this as an accomplishment...

8. The water incident - Aha, you can read all about it HERE. Always be grateful for water, electricity, Internet, food...

9. Books! - Dad showed me a lotttt of books. I've read some and there are loads more I have yet to read. Finished the Bible once through (my first time, actually). It was a 90-day speedy reading schedule but I took longer haha. Reading is good; reading stuff that has eternal value is way better.

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Cheers to 2013!

I am in a poem-making moooood yaw

If You Like Me (inspired by the quote in We Bought A Zoo)

Before the candle is lit
Before time says too late
While my supper I eat
While feelings fluctuate

Wonder no longer
Pace not to and fro
If you really like me
Do let me know

The Doughnut Hole (inspired by a Big Apple doughnut incident)

Scars that we bear
Like a round doughnut hole
All the crushed almonds
Sad stories untold

But that's not too bad
For doughnuts remain sweet
You didn't see me gobbling
In the back seat

Three became two
Two, yes, for you
You, we'll never tell
Tell and it'd be hell

No flood water has ever succeeded in coming past our doorstep, yet.

But on 8 November, our dining area and a little of the kitchen had water. And we had no idea where this water was coming from. It made its presence known by making mother slip (and yes, she caught herself just in time).

Apparently floods can come from inside your house if your walls have water seeping through it and down to the ground due to a pipe that's leaking because a rat gnawed on it.

Well then, it was a Saturday evening, and no contractors/pipe fixers work for their usual fee after working hours. Guess what the next day was: Sunday. Well you didn't have to guess, I've... already told you. And nobody works on a Sunday for their usual fee either. Maybe 3x more, parents say.

!!!!!! *insert angry face here at people who charge more to work on Sundays*

What were we poor folk to do to stop the water from coming in through our walls then? We turned off the main water supply.

Admittedly, I was so not used to it. This made me realise the importance of having water come from your tap. Clean water, we had; electricity, we had; internet connection, we had. What we didn't have was water coming from a tap. It's a bit ridiculous thinking back how disturbed I was. I know now that we can actually survive without water coming from a tap, as long as you have clean water (you can survive with dirty water as well but it wouldn't exactly be considered healthy).

Ah, then it became easier and just a tad bit exciting to do manual work. Water-collecting times spelled a buzz of activity for our family. The moment the main water supply was turned on, water would start leaking through the pipe in our house and down our walls so cloth had to be put on the floor to soak it all up, and twist it dry and soak and twist... I became the Master S&T (Soak and Twister).

So we got our dishes washed; buckets, tins and tumblers filled (you need water for all sorts of things like rinsing your teeth after you brush them, you know) in record breaking time throughout those couple of days that we had to turn on and off the main water supply.

On Monday afternoon (finally), two not-really-square-ish holes were cut out in our ceiling and a new pipe was put in - water was coming out through our taps again!

Hooray!

Well now, aren't you grateful for the water you've got coming out of your taps?

Tip of the Day: You can flush your toilet one last time after the water supply has been cut. One time only, make it count. ;D