Journey mercies

One of the big reasons I'm moving out, besides my new place being cheaper, is because my current flat's internet connection sucks big time. -_-

Do remember I used to spend 70% of my time working in one of the top three IT companies in the world, where speed in doing business was key. And the connection in my home in Malaysia was suitably satisfactory to internet junkies thanks to my brother.

The connection here is so bad that it takes forever to upload something, impossible to download files, and annoying to chat online.

I kept telling my new landlord that I'm not a demanding tenant, except that I have one uncompromising demand, I need broadband.

Then the other day I was talking to someone and it occurred to me that I may not have mentioned that I need wireless broadband.

So when I saw my landlord on Wednesday evening, I clarified with him that I preferred wireless. He looked at me and patted his chest saying, "Don't worry, I need wireless broadband."

Then it occurred to me, South Korea is among the countries with highest broadband connectivity, and another Korean from church complained to me before that the broadband speed in England is very very slow compared to that in Korea!

And my landlord shook his head as he lamented of the deprivation of high-speed connectivity in England. I warned him about the poor connection from my flat's current provider and was more than happy when he declared that he'd rather pay more to other providers as long as he gets the best connection.

Yeeap. Moving in with them is looking more and more positive. We'll get along just fine.

Labels: Friends

I've started to bring bits and pieces of stuff to the new house I'm moving into throughout the last few days (by last few days I mean Sunday and today) so that come Saturday, I can move the main bulk of my luggage with ease and no fuss.

KiCheol and I were in my room talking this evening, and his very loud and outspoken daughter kept calling me trying to interrupt our conversation. I finally looked at her and told her firmly to say excuse me if she wanted to get our attention, to which her father told me to help teach her manners, because she could be quite rude at times.

Then just before we moved out of the room I squatted down to look at her eye to eye and told her very firmly to promise me that she would not touch my things and that when I moved in, my room was off limits to her. She hesitated a bit and her father repeated my instructions in Korean before she said yes. I think that dashed her many hopes to have a 24/7 playmate.

They also had another Korean man as a guest in their house, but he didn't speak much English. As we sat drinking Korean tea he started talking animatedly to KiCheol and wife while waving his arms at their daughter and 4 year old son. KiCheol and wife started laughing and despite not understanding a word he was saying, could easily tell he was describing how the girl's character was a strong one and was not hesitant to charge ahead while the boy was quiet and shy.

KiCheol then described to me that his daughter is like a man while his son was like a woman while he grinned at them.

The very next moment his daughter started fighting for a bag of chocolates as did his son, but their mother was trying to dissuade them from grabbing it, so sitting furthest from them, I took the bag away and his son immediately burst out crying while his daughter dove across the table to snatch it back, and tried to escape the moment she caught it, tangled her legs with the chair and fell down.

Everyone started laughing and KiCheol gleefully pointed at his children and told me how that proved his point.

I've had my reservations about moving in with a family with young kids, but seeing how warm they were with one another and me finally deciding to be a firmer adult with the two of them rather than trying to be too much their chum and seeing them respond, I think it could be quite good after all.

Labels: Friends

I never thought it possible but... I can cook!

Last week, my Italian flatmate, Anto, cooked dinner for me and German Anne, and the food was amazing! She made a dish out of tomato puree boiled with vegetable stock, and boiled sweet potato and salmon with risotto and it was absolutely delicious!

Before she served the dinner, she gave me a baleful look and said that she was still waiting for me to cook and I had to cook before I moved out of the flat.

So last night I decided Monday would be the day and told everyone that I would be cooking dinner. What else would I cook but FRIED RICE. Malaysian enough what.

But my challenge was, we have all started on the food by blood type craze together (don't ask me why, but a big reason is 'just for fun') and I'm blood type O, Anto's AB and Anne's A, so I spent 2 days thinking what kind of food I could prepare that were compatible for all of us. I finally gave up trying to find a compatible meat dish to all 3 of us and decided to make vegetarian fried rice, roasted asparagus and a fish dish.

Not to boast, but as Anne said, it was the best I've ever cooked. Hehe.

Fried rice was alright. I ran out of dark soy sauce because Anto finished it all. Italian nut. And I didn't manage to go to the Chinese supermarket to get an extra bottle, so I got one from Waitrose (supermarket) but they carry an anglicized brand of dark soy sauce which was just plain no good. But luckily I prepared extra garlic and chilli for condiments, which surprisingly went well with everyone (by everyone, I mean an Italian, German, Australian, Spanish and English!)

The asparagus was lovely, and my steamed fish with ginger and spring onions was REALLY GOOD!!! Ok, maybe not REALLY GOOD!!! but really good!

When you consider the fact that it was my first time making it, and Anne who usually doesn't fish loved it, and Chris (who works as a chef) and Anto who are both really good cooks thought it was really good, it makes me happy enough.

The new Spanish girl (who joined us for dinner tonight), will be moving in next week. When the girls first told me that she was confirmed moving in, I felt a tinge of sadness because my time in the flat is really coming to an end. I will really miss living with them, because we all get along so well, and Anto and I basically crack each other up. But the nice thing is they have agreed to let me keep an extra set of keys to the flat so I can come in and out anytime I want.

It's nice that all of us get along well, even with the new Spanish girl though I won't be around too much to need to get along with her. Anto and I get along so well that we end up laughing like mad with one another most of the time. Anne and Belinda are great to tease, and I keep telling everyone I'm moving out because Belinda (her room is beside mine) snores too loudly/too smelly/crazy/laughs too loud/talks too much/doesn't let me watch TV.

Sigh... moving this weekend, I'm really going to miss the girls. And I still cringe thinking of the two mini terrorists (KiCheol's kids) who I'm going to have to live with.

Labels: Friends

The media has always been very powerful tools, channeling commentaries and news that make a difference to the public and shaping the thoughts of people. The power of the pen can be great indeed.

But when one of the world's most powerful media reports on the death of Martha Stewart's dog, it makes you think, DO THE MEDIA REALLY THINK PEOPLE'S MINDS ARE THAT MALLEABLE?!?

I felt almost insulted as I read it.

Labels: Random things

Labels: Friends

Never thought I would be too busy for blogging, messaging and Facebook, but there you go, I can be too busy after all! Being busy bodes well with me. When you have less time for yourself, you begin to appreciate whatever time you get.

Since I'm moving out, my flatmates are starting to look for someone new to move into my room. There was one response to their advertisement of the room and it's an Italian. My Italian flatmate made a face at the thought of another Italian moving in.


Italian Flatmate: I don't want another Italian around!!

Malaysian & German Flatmate: Waaa?

Italian Flatmate: Because I don't want to talk in Italian! I want to speak English!

German Flatmate: Well, yeah, I understand. That's why I don't want a German to move in as well.

Malaysian Flatmate: Yeah, I don't want a Malaysian to move in either.


That's one of the reasons why the three of us get along so well I guess. Although my reason for not wanting another Malaysian moving in had a dual meaning. I did mean to say I wouldn't like to live with another Malaysian, but the other thing I meant was also that I didn't want another Malaysian moving in after I move out because I don't want anyone to come close replacing me!

I've been mulling over the decision for a few weeks, but really dreaded over actually having to make the decision. And I had to give an absolute answer today so I did it though painfully.

I've been living in this flat for 6 months now? And the morning before I came to view this flat, I was listing a few requirements that I wanted the flat I would move into to have and praying about them. Among those requirements:


- Clean, accessible, reasonable rent
-People I get along with & can be a blessing to


The flat and flatmates has been everything I wanted (except the reasonable rent part). But for the fact that they allowed me to give a 30 days notice to move out without having to sign any contract and that they held all the risks in renting the flat, plus having had spent a nightmare of searching for a flat/house before finally settling in the flat, it is reasonable.

I just felt bad because ever since my two flatmates moved into the flat they've had issues after issues that kept them worried and edgy. And now that we've just settled into a nice quiet tempo, I'm giving them something new to worry and it really does seem like they aren't destined to have a quiet life in this flat.

I am moving into the church flat with KiCheol and his family, which means I am at the mercy of his two mini terrorists! But because the church flat is close to the Coach house and 52 (all three houses are managed by the church and boarded by people from church) I'm planning to spend a lot of time in both the houses.

Benefits of living in the church flat:


- Much cheaper rent
- KiCheol's wife is a housewife, which hopefully means I don't have to do too much cleaning (HOPEFULLY!!)
- It's still very accessible
- The house is actually much nicer than my current flat
- It's a minute away from the Coach house
- It's a minute away from the chapel (if I still manage to find myself late for service I will be forever ashamed of myself)
- I've got the BIGGEST backyard in the entire neighbourhood


The reason why I took so long to come to the decision is the responsibility I will have in ensuring I don't stumble the two young kids. Especially the girl, I can sense how she looks at me and sees me. Kids absorbs so much and I don't want her to be absorbing the wrong things.

As Paul preached last Sunday, Christian living is the hardest at home, because that's where we let our guards down, and it's the people who sees us day in and day out for who we really are. I already feel like I'm under a microscope, living in the church flat is going to be a big new challenge for me.