life in US part II

winter, in florida,was delightfully cooling. it took awhile to accustomed ourselves to the chilly weather, but eventually it felt nice getting around in that weather. sips of hot chocolate warms up the body on cold winter nights, and palm-hugging the mug transferred some warmth to frozen fingers. the apartment's heater was constantly turned on for a warm toasty bed to snuggle in. dressing up in layers was one of the fun part, especially putting on scarfs! occasionally the sun decides to quit the hide and seek game, revealing its full glory for a nice beautiful day. grocery shopping, if i hadn't mentioned before, was a delight. frozen pizza going for a dollar, cakes so sinfully good... i could just walk in a grocery store to turn a sad face to a gleaming one. really.

so yes, although we worked our butt off, we had our fair share of fun. pictures::

#1 our make-shift chinese new year celebration. there were hardly any asians in town so we barely had chinese. Sold my soul to work on cny eve, but came back in time to join a gathering with loads of home-cook chinese dishes. i can still remember how good those pork ribs made by Nina, this girl from China. so. goood.

#2 in search of chinese food again. decided to visit asia fest. the char siew pau tasted so weird. and americanized asian food is heavily modified. but they had some taekwando performances and this golden buddha statue in the middle of the fest. that lil' bit of asian culture i guess.

#3 AWESOME FOOD!! omg looking at this picture itself is making me drool.
care to make an all american breakfast for me?

#4 FREE PANCAKE DAY. ok it wasn't all that awesome. but still it was free. totally drenched the pancakes in heavy doses of maple syrup i'm pretty sure it's diabetic.

#5 Matt.

#6 bowling! (:
i can't bowl for nuts, but at the very least i didn't get last place so hurrah.


#7 pizza buffet at Cici's. $3.99 for unlimited pizzas. awesome deal. their cinnamon rolls. are to die for. like seriously.


#8 americanizing ourselves. had tons of american breakfasts.


#9 baked chocolate chip muffins. ok i cheated all i did was buy Betty Crocker Muffin Mix, add water and egg, put it in the oven and tadaaa!


#10 British Pub. i loved the interior design. and how cozy bars in US can be.


#11 had one two many strawberry shortcakes. lots of strawberries, lots of whipped cream.. not to mention at a fraction of the price compared to here.


#12 St. Paddy's Day!!
all things green and irish beer. ;p
all so jolly and happy.


#13 Hector! at Dolly's for the last breakfast together.
i hate farewells.


#14 more crazy parties. (:


#15 share the loveeeeeee.


#16 Easter Sunday.
Perks of working in Publix. We're allowed to grab leftovers from the bakery!
we had cheese danishes, chocolate chip cookies, apple pies, all sorts of bread, biscuits, cheesecakes... i think we went a lil' too crazy.
totally couldn't finish more than half the food.


#17 Shopping at the outlet mall.
Joy joy joy! ;p


#18 spent easter evening watching sunset by the beach.
I <3> off days.

#19 sneak peek of my room.
it was pretty nice. (;


#20 walk in closet.


#21 ladies night! open barrrr.
mm cran-vodka.


#22 Kat's bday celebration.


#23 sesame chicken with pork fried rice and egg roll.


#24 blissful me.

ok updates on hold.

***

summer, in malaysia, on the other hand, is dreadfully hot. nothing has really changed. except for the fact my room is really pink now. and i no longer share it with my sis. change of status from a student to a working adult. oh, the most drastic change being the change from within. as for now, i'm glad for mamak sessions, and random salsa classes. cinnabon being the cherry of the icing. ;p

things I miss, and crave

I think I need some now.

life in US part I

so, my updates are a lil' outdated. but i've finally stopped procrastinating, sharing experiences on US because right now I'm missing it. Life in US. It's like having a taste of a forbidden big juicy apple in comparison with that normal apple you have in hand. living the American dream for that little bit. or maybe just escaping reality for a short moment. no matter how you put it in words, it was one of the best escapades of my life. Bonita Springs, was the opposite of all I imagined. a quaint lil' town filled with retired community, with no proper public transportation system, it wasn't the best option ever. adaptation did it's job, and having the beach 5 minutes drive away from your apartment isn't all that bad really.

#1 Starting out was never easy. But we managed. We pulled through. and Bonita Beach Road is where our apartment was. The heart of Bonita Springs.

#2 starting our 9km journey of walking to Walmart. yes we were pretty insane, but we made it. and it was a big accomplishment.

#3 Shopping! and dressing up in layers for winter cuz it was so coldd. now that I'm back it's so hot here.

#4 home, for three months. living independently honestly ain't that bad. apart from the house chores, i actually embrace the idea of living as a bachelorette.


#5 Mode of transportation. Never in my life have I biked this much within the short span of three months. Insane.

#6 Shopping at my workplace. Whee.

#7 Never in my life I've cooked so much too. But I have secretly started to like cooking, and grocery shopping, and all things related. Being domesticated isn't all that bad, after all the infamous quote goes the way to a man's heart is through his tummy, ain't it?

#8 clad up in winter attires visiting the beach. it was freezing cold!


#9 Movie and Ice cream nights. having ice cream straight from the tub on bed can be pretty pampering. ;p


#10 cheap beers. chill out sessions.
I love Budweiser, esp when it cost less than 1 buck. ;p


#11 Night lights from the pier.perhaps one of the things I miss the most of Bonita is the sea breeze, and the sound of waves crashing up.


#12 Bonding with J1s over beer. My colleagues! it was funny how we had trouble communicating due to language barrier, all of them speak spanish as their first language. i do miss them though. we did have fun times despite the barrier we had.


#13 most of the J1s. (:

three months of living a bachelorette's life. of attending parties having to hide in the closet at the end when the police came, to cycling, to meeting new friends, and experiencing a totally different culture... i'm glad I signed up for the program.

more snail (wail) updates on US coming!

all things pink

been going through a pink overdose phase lately.

it's just that, pink's too pretty.
and catchy.





bimbo much.
rar, i'm still re-adjusting.

you spoil me silly.

i miss.

s

i long for.

Publix, where working is a pleasure.

"When you wish upon a star

Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires

Will come to you..."

The magical world of Disney. an escape from reality. a fairytale dream come true. my childhood dream came true, at the age of 21, not too shabby ey? (: I love Disney. but i felt like i've grown too old to believe in the magical stuff anymore. the distinction between the younger me who used to believe in happily ever after and forever love, i've now grown to believe what adults do, the complicated world. the only constant happiness in life is Oreo chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. but i'm contented for now, because i know the world is still filled with love. and that lil' heart of mine is still very much loved. afterall, love is what makes the world goes round.

it's been around two weeks since I've left Bonita. just when i get accustomed to the quaint lil town by the beach, it's time to travel. left with a heavy heart, and took alot of memories with me. this is how life is, and it taught me how to appreciate things more than I used to.

So here's where I slaved for three and a half months. I practically live, eat and sleep there. Ok, I'm exaggerating but it's close to being it. this is where I bike 5 miles to work, and stand for 8 hours, pushing carts and bagging for customers asking, is plastic ok? :p Endurance is really the key factor, trust me. but Thank God for the blessings. My colleagues are such a nice bunch, who constantly offer rides home so that I don't have to bike another 5 freaking miles. and alot of other lil' favors that they so generously throw in.

appreciation cake. yes I actually baked.
just cause people have been so nice and generous over here.

this is will. he's the asst. customer service manager.
he's cool like that. (; sho sad he left before me.

linda! (; asst. store manager!!

who's such a darling, super motherly. there was this occasion where me and Venbee were mopping the floor and she goes, "you should twist your hips so that you get better waistline." she's just very very nice. (:

Eric. although he looks more like a Nick to me.
the store's fastest leveler. and i secretly think he looks manly.
haha. maybe cuz of his personality, and his blue eyes. (:

one of the bakery guy who whips up the best looking cakes and pastries ever. one of the contributing factor to my round face now. BOO.

Rikki and Frankie!

Janet, my mamasita.
One of my favouritest (yes it's grammatically incorrect I know) cashier. Heh, although there's some language barrier, but oh i love her. (:

Rikki. The customer service team leader.
Her laughter is seriously contagious. (: heh the coolest team leader ever. Which boss will host a drinking party after work? Rikki. and we'll all just release work stress with beer and the coin game. good times indeed.

Frankie, my customer service manager.
Thank you for always adding hours for us, and for dropping us home and all.
It's been awesome having you as manager. really.

Mary. (:
Remember the incident where I slammed my fingers between the door? That gory image you can actually see if you scroll down. She drove me to the hospital, and to Burger King to get my insurance done, and waited patiently for me whilst I get my X-ray and needle poking session done. she's also the one who take care of those new on the job.

Ann!!! (;
Haha one of the sweetest cashiers ever. She even borrowed me a cake pan for me to bake a cake. We would so often get into conversations, especially on the topic of food. When a customer checks out with a fried chicken in hand or any particular cakes or pastries from the bakery she would always tell me how good they were. Bad influence much!

Leo! ;p
tsk he's funny. going on with his chicken butt jokes and whatnots. He's one of them who never fails to offer us rides home, and that includes bringing my bike along. (: A darling much.

Everett!!

My fellow bagger friend who's already aged old but still as strong as ever. I salute you.

Crisbel!!! <3>

Leveling in process: arranging product brands to face front.
Every single day. It's a crazy OCD job, but I actually like it.
maybe cuz I have a hint of OCD in my blood. just maybe.

Kimmie, who so kindly loan me books to read and every so often would give me chocolate candiesss. ;p

Junior, my store manager. He may look very serious, but he's really nice. (:

Rodrigo and Lupe. My crazy Deli friends. ;p
Sneaking chicken tenders free for me and stuffing my tray so full when I actually ordered something. heh, i heart them so.


More bakers!! (;
Fernando, the guy on the right is awfully sweet.
He's the one who's been feeding me with chocolate chip cookies and offering rides too.
Sigh, I miss them all.

Randy, the Deli manager. :p
haha my partner for slicing his fingers. LOL.

Hector De Jesus. ;p
My silly friend. who do crazy things. and makes me laugh. and for being my guardian angel. and so many other things. Gracias.

I wished I had pictures with the rest of my co workers. ): It's so sad I left so abruptly just like that. It had been a great three months, although the job wasn't the best job in the world, the people made it enjoyable. this is my locker, the lil remnants I'm leaving behind as an imprint. ;p

My working chapter in the US was a crazy one.
One of those fun unique chapters in my life.
with many lil' tales slit in between, I hope I'll be able to remember and share them one day.

Finding comfort in a foreign country

I miss my piano, the black and white keys my fingers used to run along every alternate day. Even though those fingers aren't the most agile ones, they look pretty great together, good enough. Although now if they were to reunite I'm quite certain it might not blend in as well as it used to. Not till they find more time together. The question is.. will they find time? Or will they just let time fade the special bond they once use to have. No one knows. No one will find out, not just yet. Only time will tell..


Been meaning to update this space here since ages ago. Like how I meant to update my thoughts on bidding farewell to Bonita Springs, my experiences in the USA, happy thoughts, travelogues... but I've been procrastinating aside being busy. In short, I think I've grown alot these past few months being here, mental wise. Being a bachelorette can be tons of fun, but with freedom comes responsibilities. For now I'm ready to be pampered again. I miss getting pampered. At the very least we're getting pampered by Ju's aunt now, who's been so hospitable towards us. For once in the US this is the closest we're getting to taste that bit of homeliness. Seeing the day we arrived the temperature in Maryland was freezing, being welcomed by a brimming hot bowl of home cooked Penang Hokkien Mee after a crazy flight was one of the best thing anyone could ask for. :p

Anyway, if all goes according to plan, tmr we'll be going for a massage session (I'm so looking forward to it!) followed by breakfast at the Dutch market, mmm I can already imagine that beef with cheese wrap in a pretzel (Ju's craving for three days in a row). :p That said, we might even be heading down to the outlet malls to do some decent shopping since DC has one of the lowest tax rates compared to the other states we're visiting. I am pretty pumped up for tomorrow's plans, albeit the body is a lil' bit reluctant cuz it's defense mechanism is slowly falling apart at the moment.

Tata for now. I need to do some justice to my body.