Okay, so I'm not going to include another Charlie the Unicorn video in this post; but I will include some sparkly photos. James, Jay and I went up the mountain earlier this evening to launch some fireworks and play with some sparklers to celebrate Guy Fawkes Night. It was very very cold outside, silly me for just going out in my BDSSW jumper... should've put something warmer on.
Jay was going to take me to the Community Farm today but it was raining. I'm kind of disappointed because I was really really REALLY looking forward to petting some sheep. But I suppose we could always visit the farm another day. Plus, I'd feel a guilty dragging my boyfriend into celebrating my birthday when really I should be doing my work and with the funeral coming soon, I shouldn't be begging to be the centre of attention. I don't want to be selfish.
My Facebook wall is full of birthday greetings though, so I'm glad that people remembered, at least. I do know that Facebook displays reminders but even if they only remembered just then, at least they didn't hesitate to greet me. And it is refreshing that my family made an effort to call me this time, instead of it having to be the other way round.
I didn't get anything that I wanted from my wishlist, but to be honest I'm not in a materialistic mood today so it doesn't matter *grins*. Plus, I'll be going home soon so they're just things that I wouldn't mind bringing back home despite the limited space I have in my suitcase. Or in my freight space, for that matter - I can only use up to 40 cubic feet of space and with the stuff I've collected over 4 years, that might just be enough for the stuff that I have now and nothing more.
Anyhoo... I think I'll have a nice birthday rest now. I'm going shopping tomorrow... For family gifts. Don't even think about scolding me!
I realise that I haven't been writing much about art lately. Maybe, no, obviously it's because I've been focusing more on personal matters rather than those of the academic- as you do. I spent some time on my own today thinking about some of the things people randomly ask me - one of them was the difference between art and design. I know the difference but it has always been difficult for me to explain it- whereas art is something someone creates originally, a design however is usually something someone adds to a creation.
Searching for a good answer to the above question, I came across this website. I hope it answers your question.
I really enjoy looking for answers to art-related questions. If you do have a query regarding something that is based on art, send me an email. It's a good way to exchange knowledge and opinions.
I found out from Team Vox that today is Blog Action day for Climate Change. I am not exactly the most environmentally conscious person in the world, and I have to admit I can be pretty ignorant about the environment sometimes (I like driving, and I tend to go on the computer for hours and hours every day) but I do know a thing or two about eco-friendliness, or the lack of it, in my home country. So I decided to write a post on climate change.
Just in case you don't know me already, I come from a country called Brunei, which is situated on the Northern part of Borneo in Southeast Asia. My father was born and raised in a village Kampong Ayer, which is the Malay term for Water Village. He grew up in a house on the river, and sometimes had to swim to school because he missed the (water)bus.
When I was younger, I hated going to the Water Village. I used to think the place was stuffy and dirty and I couldn't understand why people considered the place a tourist attraction. But as I grew older, I began to appreciate the place. Especially now that I'm not in Brunei, I long to walk the wooden jetty to my late grandfather's house, just to say hello to everyone who still lives there. Actually, I'm not even sure whether anyone still lives in that house - the last time I went, the place was falling apart. I haven't been there in five years... for the obvious reason that the relationship between my mother and my dad's side of the family has been cut off after my dad passed away. I do drive by the place a lot when I'm in Brunei, but that's only because my father's resting place is outside the village. I don't really go inside the place.
Anyway, I grew to love the place simply because I could imagine living a simple life there. The only thing that I still can't get used to is the amount of garbage being dumped on the river every day. There is no denying that the direct disposal of rubbish into the river has been a habit for the people of Kampong Ayer, because when I was a kid I asked for a rubbish bin and my aunt just laughed and said 'it's there, out the window'. I used to think it was fun to throw empty plastic bottles on the river and watch them float. Sometimes I'd put a note in the bottles and pretend that I needed rescuing. I would have to admit, seeing a bottle float away like that is a beautiful sight, but that's only when the tide is high. When it isn't, the river tends to look like this:
Growing up, I've witnessed a number of cleaning campaign events in Kampong Ayer, but the place just seems to be filled with the same amount of rubbish, and sometimes even more, within days. This is obviously heartbreaking, but it is difficult to blame the residents because most of the time they have no choice. They would either have to let the rubbish accumulate in the homes, or just dispose them into the river. And even if new communal bins have been introduced and there is a house to house rubbish collection service (click here), this might not change the awareness the people of Kampong Ayer have over protecting the river.
Children in schools have been taught how to maintain cleanliness and not throw rubbish into the river, but being in a culture where the child always listens to elderly, and rarely ever vice versa, it could be difficult for them to convince their parents to reuse and recycle products. I know this for a fact because when I was younger it was difficult for me to get my parents to drive me to the recycling plant in Muara to drop off our old newspapers, my old exercise books and some scrap metal. The reason? Because they were too busy. Yeah. Right. More like lazy :P
Laziness is a common problem among Bruneians. Trust me, I am one of them and I know I can be very lazy. I know I would rather go to the Mall and sing on the K-box with my friends than scoop out the garbage sitting on the banks of the Brunei river. I would rather stay indoors, preferably in an air-conditioned room and do whatever, or drive around in my car, which is also air-conditioned.
I know it's bad. But Brunei is a hot and humid country and I don't exactly like to sweat when I don't intend to. And I know a lot of Bruneians prefer an air-conditioner over a ceiling fan. Sometimes they use both. But air-conditioners pollute the air; they emit CFCs which deplete the ozone layer; contributing to global warming. So it really is ironic that while you're trying to cool yourself off, you really are just making the world hotter than it was initially. Perhaps we should all invest in CFC-free air-conditioners the next time they need changing? That would be expensive, obviously, but isn't it better to sacrifice a few extra bucks than to have the entire planet destroyed in the future, right?
And speaking of driving to places like the mall, a lot of our natural forests have been cut down to make way for roads as well as buildings, which really isn't good for the ozone layer either. Sure the country needs development, but most of the time these new buildings are made for businesses. Do we really need more shops? If I were given a chance to vote, I would say no to more shops and yes to more schools and institutional buildings, centres for the disabled or even interactive learning centres. Just imagine a Techniquest in Bandar. One doesn't have to drive all the way to Seria just to visit the OGDC, so even less carbon will be used up. So yeah, if we really do need to cut down more trees to develop the country, we really need to make way for something that can truly benefit the country. More shops will definitely promote competition between businesses, but this will not necessarily be an advantage to the economy... I often notice every time I come home for the summer that the shops I visited the year before have gone out of business.
There needs to be a balance between infrastructural development and natural environment. Maintaining this balance, however, is very tricky. I don't really have the power to stop the people from cutting down the trees to make way for shops, but perhaps I can try limiting my usage of air-conditioners.
Maybe next time I switch on the air-conditioner I will imagine the consequences. It could actually work, this time. Despite the current state the Brunei river is in, I still think Kampong Ayer is beautiful... but it won't be for long if global warming causes it to sink under the rising tides infested with garbage and pollution.
I know I shouldn't be expecting these things, and whatever people give me it doesn't really matter because it's only the thought that counts. However, I went on a web-frenzy today and realised that now that it's only 5 more days till I'm 23, that it's time for me to update my Boxedup wishlist. Some of the things I put in my wishlist have been there for a while, but I've also put in a few things, which I know I wouldn't get for myself because of how pricey they are. There are some cheap items in the list, of course, which I have been too lazy to get for myself. Okay, maybe not lazy... I was thinking it would be really nice if someone else got me those things instead. I'm a bit of a weirdie that way, but hoping for something never hurt anybody :)
Oh and by the way, I've also joined 43 Places and All Consuming, which are both sister sites of 43 Things. 43 Places is where you can list the places you want to visit, or intend to visit - perfect for those who want to travel the world. All Consuming is for those who love to share their current interests, be it music, books, food, anything. Just check out the links if you're interested.
Strange that I've been interested in listing stuff lately. Could this be a sign of procrastination?
I came across this site last year but I forgot about it, and I've only just come across it again today... 43 Things is a great place for you to organise your goals and possibly share them with other people. It's also a good way for people to understand you better; hence I decided to make myself an account.
Basically it lists out your life's goals and you can arrange them depending on their priority. There is also reminder tool which lets you set a date on which they'll send you an email asking you if you've achieved your goal. I tend to forget what I set out to do, so the reminder tool on 43 Things is a pretty good idea. You can even post an entry about your goal, pretty neat huh?
I have yet to find out if I can actually invite people to join the site, but for now, if you're interested, just go to the above link; and I would love to know what your life's goals are, so don't forget to email me your account as well. Well, if you don't mind sharing that is.
I managed to save my bank account from overdraft charges... silly me for not transferring some money from my savings into my current account in time for my direct debit. Oh well, it's settled now so I don't have to pay the GBP 38 charge. I've learned over the years not to indulge in my spending habits... so thankfully I have just enough money to survive in the UK for another two months... although this means that i'm not desperate for money, a part-time job would still be great; It is always a good idea to have some extra just in case something happens... plus, I don't like coming home empty-handed.... I promised to give my siblings a little something from Aberystwyth... Never mind, if I can't do that... I'll just buy them something when I receive my first paycheck.
I have decided to take the day off today. I woke up with an extremely sharp pain in my chest, but since it's a Saturday, I doubt any GP clinic would be open today. Never mind, if I end up passing out from this someone will just have to ring an ambulance. I'm kidding... it's not that serious. Yet. It's tolerable at least... if I don't make any major movements it doesn't hurt.
I met up with my lecturers a few days ago and we all agreed that I should stay here for another two months to complete the dissertation because they know I can do better in the work and really, I need to keep seeing them so that they can keep up with the progress. But now that I know I that I am definitely staying, I will have to look for a job to get some cash, because there is very little hope of me getting extra allowance from my sponsors - it's a bit too late for me to ask for it now.
I've been sending out some CVs around a few shops in Aber; I know the chances are very little but hopefully they will consider my application for a job.
I'm getting quite desperate here as I'm tempted to ring my mum and ask her if she could lend me some money. But I know that's out of the question... as if she hasn't got other, younger, kids to worry about. I hate borrowing money from people anyway - it's very... embarrassing. Yes, I don't like letting people know that I can't take care of myself. Unless it's one of those occasions when I haven't got any change (I tend to ask mum if she has some one dollar notes to buy nasi katok because I usually have my bank card with me).
I want to earn the money- that way, no one will complain. Plus, having multiple job experiences is always good for the CV. I will definitely keep checking to see what kind of jobs are out there. But for now it's stay-in-bed day, listening to some more songs by Yuna. If you haven't heard of her music, try this one: