Koko and The Wonders of the World

I have just finished playing this educational, interactive CD-ROM that comes free with every purchase of one box of Koko Krunch (you gotta love them cereals!;) )

It's called Koko and The Wonders of the World, and you as Koko need to travel to the 7 Wonders of the World and answer questions and complete challenges that tests your English, Maths and General Knowledge, in order to get 7 jewels that will help you built a Koko Krunch factory :D

I've successfully built my factory already and I must say it's really kinda fun, this interactive game thing :)...

Anyway, according to the CD-ROM, the 7 Wonders of the World are:

1) Statue of Liberty, USA
2) Taj Mahal, India
3) Great Wall of China, China
4) Eiffel Tower, France
5) Empire State Building, USA (because of the King Kong connections, perhaps :P?)
6) Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy
7) The Great Pyramids, Egypt.

Though I don't think this is the definitive list of the Wonders of the World (I don't think there IS any definitive list :P), I am just...amazed that I have been to 3 of the places on the list in this past year alone.

I don't think I can ever top that in this lifetime, but just for the chance to say that I have done so...I am grateful :).

Revelations

I went for a dinner cum gathering with some secondary school friends last night. After almost 5 years of not attending such gatherings (due to always being in some AIESEC conference or other :P), the elusive Jessica finally appears!

As I expected, I spent most of the night staying quiet :p.

I have never been part of this gang of "happening" people in school. Yesterday's dinner showed that time has not changed that and I still find myself having a hard time talking freely in front of everyone, preferring to have one-to-one conversations with my best friend Ah Ching (the person who convinced me to go), and Bao Shu, who was once my "Tuesday Night Dinner Date" back when I was in UTM :) . He went to Philippines during the holis and both of us were eager to share stories of our travels since I went to Egypt a few weeks ago.

Still, all is not lost. The night's gathering brings me two revelations about myself.

One, I am better and more comfortable when talking on a one-to-one basis. After dinner we were deciding what to do next and I had a chance to talk to Ming Fung, a classmate that I have never been particularly close to, but our conversation flowed easily as I asked him about his studies in Melbourne. Our conversation was cut short as we separated to different cars for our next destination (Karaoke, but I didn't sing much:P), but still, it was easy for me to find something to talk about when it was just between me and him.

Two, on the way home, cruising through the familiar streets of my hometown, I suddenly realized something. From as young as I can remember, I have always been aware that there is an outside world apart from Miri. Young as I was back then, and eager at the prospect of growing up and having a job, house, family of my own etc, I don't think my imagination of my future was ever restricted to within Miri only - to be born, live and die here. I was always, always aware that there are other places and destinations, just waiting to be discovered by me out there.

For some unknown reason, I find that heartening.

Perhaps, I am destined for bigger things after all :).

These faces...

"Dec 1, 2005

一年一度的NLDS,never felt as meaningful as tonight...太多。。。去年回忆让自己好多感触。。。。。一年真的过了，生活上变了多少？。。。多好多。。。不过发觉到身旁的最好朋友还是。。。他们 :). What more can you ask for from 4 years of love and labour in an organization, than the knowledge that you have in return, something that might possibly...last?...陪着你一生的温暖。。。"

I wrote the above during Gala Dinner of NLDS 2005 in a moment of sudden...what's the word? I can't even describe it :P Granted my Chinese is terrible :P, but at that moment I just wrote it as I felt it...the moment reminded me so much of Youthopia, and it just made me realize that a year has really passed...

There was a feeling of fear, that time can pass by so fast, and after one year has gone by what have I to show for it?

There was also a feeling of warmth, because though there have been many changes in my life, I realized then that the ones that I held close and dear to my heart, are still the same people :)...

It's a reasurring thought, knowing that despite all the ups, downs, changes and being geographically apart from each other, I still loved, and am still loved by, the same faces...:)

And when NLDS ended, I felt that there are more of these faces that I can treasure, thanks to the friendships that I made, and some strengthened, in NLDS, particularly in the Faci team :)...

To the Sunnybears, I love you guys, you know it....:)

To the Faci Team, I had a brilliant week in NLDS...It was one of those rare conferences where I had no bad moods at all, tiredness and fatigue yes, but throughout the whole week I was so filled with warmth, energy and inspiration from you guys that it was honestly, a very emotionally fulfilling week :) Ohh, and fulfilling hugs-wise too :P (Thanks Faby & Sandy!:))

Two very different teams...

Two defining moments in my @ life...

All i can say is...

(at this point I am kind of speechless cuz the only words running through my mind now are some Chinese words, but then my command of the language is so sucky I don't think people will get me when I write it down :P)

Hmm...how to explain how much you guys mean to me?

Aww hell, sucky as this may sound I am gonna write this anyway :P

你们填满了我的心 :)

( Literally translated it means "You fill my heart :)", but then in the English language this will make you go "fill my heart with what?" :P. So, basically, just think of all the nice things that makes you smile and feel warm inside, and...that's what you guys fill my heart with :) )

牵着你的手。。。

牵着你的手，是一种难得的辛福。。。

(Holding your hand is a rare piece of happiness...)