The Suitcase Chronicles

Da bo chi Cymru! sniff

nobody@vox.com(Jannah) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 05:02:19 +0000

It's been a while since I've had such a busy weekend. Every day something new to pack or buy... or receive. I've finished packing up all of my essentials now and have been counting up the kilos (of my checked baggage, mind you :P) and going shopping for travel-sized bottles, vac-seal bags and some bits and bobs so basically I'm all set for my trip to London tomorrow.

Last Friday I went to the Community farm again - though it rained all day I still had an awesome time. I fed the animals this time and boy were they happy to see me... and the little paper bag of treats in my hand. Rabbits and Guinea pigs/hamsters are so adorable; and their fur is soooo soft... Sheep and goats are very greedy... But they are so cute it's really difficult to tell them off. I fed a cow too - she licked my hand and oh my goodness that tickled me to bits! There was slobber everywhere! I had to stop there and then, because I couldn't stop laughing from the tickling. I really enjoyed myself. Click on the photo below to look at more pictures at the farm:

Community Farm 2

During the evening I decorated a door plaque for Naomi's horse, Ruby. She really loved my design... I did too - funnily enough... it was the first time I'd done something like that. I don't know if I did good... I think I did... For a beginner anyway. I should put these pictures in my CV:

Ruby Stuff

The next day I went to Cardiff again to pick up a hard-case for my guitar and to make an exchange on one of my previous purchases. I received quite a lot of presents that day and I must say I did feel very indulged... The first gift, or should I say gifts; since they were given together, were a retro Space Hopper and a Swatch from Nana, then Jay bought me a Sony DCR-SX30 in Cardiff and later that night I received a book from Naomi! Aww... thank you so much! I really don't know how I can repay you for all this...

And as if all of that wasn't enough... we also had a meal at Tenkaichi... my favourite place in Cardiff... Ahh the good times....

The Last Supper

I am leaving tomorrow and I don't know if I'm ever coming back again to study here in the UK but I do know this: this country will always have a special place in my heart.

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I haven't finished my work yet...

nobody@vox.com(Jannah) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:44:02 +0000

..But I can leave the country now... My personal tutor went through the first two chapters of my second draft and she was pleased with the improvements however she suggested that I finish the rest of the work in Brunei because she doesn't want me to rush the dissertation... I wouldn't want to either, seeing that I actually work better under calmer situations (I don't really know many people who can work under pressure, really).

So I spent the last week, after seeing my lecturer, shopping for presents for my family and all the essentials before going back home. Yesterday I spent the whole day in Cardiff with my boyfriend Jay; we went inside St. David's 2; that place is HUGE, well... huge for Cardiff anyway... and it so reminded me of the BullRing - Hey Mel! I found something that my little sister asked me to give; and two things I think my brother would like. The place was pretty busy.... including Borders, which was closing down. A shame really, I liked that place. Well to be honest, I didn't shop for much... And I don't think it would've been good for me to buy so much either - mostly because my suitcase is already quite full (even after pulling up the extension bit).

Which reminds me... what should I do with this blog if I don't get to study in the UK anymore? Should I change the name? Or should I just leave it as it is and make a new one? I haven't really decided yet. It's always good to try something new - but then again, I'm a nostalgic type who likes to cling to old memories. Happy memories though.

Never mind... I'll come up with a decision soon (and yes... I can hear you snickering Mel :P)

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Slow and Steady... wins the race?

nobody@vox.com(Jannah) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:04:52 +0000

I usually get irritated that I can never do things at a fast pace. (except maybe in cooking; because I might end up burning the food if I cook too slow - plus, who the hell would like to eat overcooked veggies?) But this time, I'm actually quite happy that I'm taking my time to do the dissertation... The deadline is October next year after all... I have plenty of time, though realistically I'd like to finish it before the first week of December so that I can have one less thing to worry about before I go home.

The thing is, I can actually see how much of a difference I'm making in my work by not being so pressurised by time. The quality is so much better... when the essay isn't rushed. I am glad my work turned out to be like this - and I hope it can actually impress my lecturers this time. Yet again, I hope I am able to finish it by December.

I believe I can do it. Yes. I will do it.

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Sparkle! Sparkle! The Aaaamuleeettt.....

nobody@vox.com(Jannah) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:44:03 +0000

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.

Sometimes I get scared that the sparks would come and get me

Bonfire Night 2009

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My wish has been fulfilled

nobody@vox.com(Jannah) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:20:56 +0000

Visit to the Greenmeadow Community Farm (27 October 2009)

I no longer have to worry about leaving Wales with regret. Click on the above photo to access my new photo album - my visit to the farm yesterday :)

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I am 23. Yay.

nobody@vox.com(Jannah) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:44:25 +0100

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!

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Back to Art.

nobody@vox.com(Jannah) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:34:11 +0100

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.

http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2009/09/the-difference-between-art-and-design/

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.

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Always in my heart.

nobody@vox.com(Jannah) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 22:06:40 +0100

My deepest condolences

May your spirit live on forever, Jay's granddad. We will miss you very much.
And to my grandmother's brother, Nini Amit Ali, I am sorry for not being there;
you will always be in my memories.

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Climate change in Brunei: a few obvious contributing factors

nobody@vox.com(Jannah) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 22:11:41 +0100

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.

Kampong Ayer (water village) - googled photo

Temburong forest - shimworld.wordpress.com

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:

Pd2097795

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.

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Birthday Wishlist!

nobody@vox.com(Jannah) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:33:25 +0100

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 :)

Boxedup Wishlist

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?

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The Suitcase Chronicles

Da bo chi Cymru! *sniff*

I haven't finished my work yet...

Slow and Steady... wins the race?

Sparkle! Sparkle! The Aaaamuleeettt.....

My wish has been fulfilled

I am 23. Yay.

Back to Art.

Always in my heart.

Climate change in Brunei: a few obvious contributing factors

Birthday Wishlist!

Da bo chi Cymru! sniff