spring clean

For the sake of Chinese New Year, I did what people normally do - tidy up my room.

This time, it means something to me. It is a new start. One year has gone, after I came back from New Zealand. I packed the things that I've brought back, these things are already been all over the place in my room for a year. Some were for display and they are still as display. Some are for use but I didn't finish up, as I didn't want to. Mainly are things that I don't need to use them here, and I am still seeing them everyday, such as? a half inch thick trench coat.

I admit that, it was because I didn't want to leave my memories behind. They were there to remind myself, to make myself missing what was there so much. In fact, there is nothing solid that I am really missing, it was just ended with some unwillingness plus some unhappy memories.

Hence, I resolute to clean up what I need to clean up, throw away what was supposed to throw, as a start of a new phase of life, use up what I was suppose to use up a year ago.

Winter clothes, jackets, knitted sweater, trench coat, scarfs, 2 pairs of boots, weighted 13kg.

Things that were always there for me, my beloved scented pillow and duvet.

I knew that I couldn't have been through those days without some of my friends that were there with me. Friends that I still see them as friends when some of them might not want me to be their friend or not willing to mention anything about me. I learned that what matters is to do the best for now, and I will not look back.

Heartily, I wish one day in the future, we will be friends again.


bye~!

ten things I miss from New Zealand

my list as below:
01. hot chocolate and meat pie
02. the eftpos service
03. the air
04. walks on streets
05. pace of the cars
06. Sanitarium cereals with Pam's milk
07. the green grass and blue sky combination
08. Glassons
09. boxes ready after check out from the supermarket
10. hokey pokey

I *heart* NZ

i think i miss wanganui

I told people who asked me about New Zealand or Wanganui, I said, you can always see 3 different shades of colors in the sky, either sunrise or sunset.





my school. miss those days. rushing to the class in the morning, stayed up late, or until the morning, shooed by Hazel said that she will call the police if i don't back to the flat and sleep.


view from river side where the Waimarie - the last paddle steamer located at.
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this person submitted a photo in google earth - sunrise in wanganui
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{ wellington.2nd visit }

Easter Weekend. We got ourselves in Wellington, with 3 cars. 10 of us.


Xbase - the back packers place. Good one. New and clean and it just cost us 23dollars a night for a room of four.
[right]: view from our room.


[left]: path towards the peak of Mount Victoria.
[right]: view from the Mount Victoria


[left]: The Parlimen like a bee hive.


On the way back to Wanganui. The best part was the way back home, sea at the left side, mountains at the right side.
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Khap Khun Kaa. Te pa ma Wellington
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{ wanganui heritage weekend }

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Today we were walking down to the town, we saw some unusual events, people dressed up in old english garment. It is Wanganui Heritage Weekend, so fun to see children and people around dressing up and walk along Victorian Avenue, like a family day for the whole Wanganui.
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cool right

{ pleasant and simple bustrip }

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Wanganui River - There is a saying "From the mountain to the sea, I am the river and the river is me". This river seems very important to the Wanganui Maori people. And yes, this is a partial overview of Wanganui.

top left: staircases going up to The Durie Hill Tower, that offers fine views over Wanganui.

bottom: Tunnel after the Durie Hill Elevator, and we got to see some maori carvings along the other end of tunnel. The only earthbound elevator in New Zealand and one of only two in the world.

Later on we went to Kai Iwi, beach side with black sand, they are shinny black sand which I couldn't stop looking at them, but they were shinny and blinking too fast that made my camera couldn't capture any of them.

Last but not least, Virginia Lake, for the second visit. A must visit spot in Wanganui?

How could I forget about this? I can't believe that.
Look what they have did to the poor cow? Painted him in blue? No I was not brave enough put on the "thing" on them. no. I don't know why. May be they are to pityful? We have merry-go-around, but this machine that pushing them go around without merry music, fancy lights and just work for letting out the milk. Yeah, before Kai Iwi, we went to the farm. It was my mistake.
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not a breathe taking trip but a random photo taking trip

{ a yummy day }

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Finally, I had my first ice cream in New Zealand after these days. My first ice cream flavour choice was certainly dedicated to HOKEY POKEY, one of New Zealand famous trade mark, followed by the ALL BLACKS or SILVER FERN, i think. They have everything with hokey pokey flavour - something has to do with honey. Guess what, in the end of the day, I've got another ice cream treat! That was, cookies 'n' cream, and it was 1 dollar only. I was being too pampered, but I am thankful to what I had have.
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thank you to my ice cream provider of the day ;P

{ a morning trip to Palmerston North }

A lecturer from Malaysia was being so kind to bring 12 of us to Palmerston North morning market. With all fresh fruits and vegetables at quite cheap price. We had to get us out of Wanganui at 8am sharp in the morning, so that we could be able to catch the morning market about 74km away. We had bought 4 dollars for 25 apples, and many more.

The part that i enjoyed most wasn't at the shopping in market. I did the must thing that everyone should do in New Zealand. We saw cows and sheeps, all the way along the roadsides to Palmy.



They were so cute and nice, because they knew we are taking photos of them, and they were willing to come abit forward and line up nicely and look into the camera!
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afterall, it was a tired day
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{ my first quake experience }

In the early 9th day in Wanganui, we were having a chit chat session around 1am morning. QUAKE happened. I did not know that was a quake until it took 5 seconds to end and my mates said it was a minor quake. We were stoned at that moment, I was hesitating whether should I scream or run or what, but I did not dare to make a move.

Nothing was being moved either from the wall or anywhere, we were just shocked, and it was our first time experience in life. Quite surprised and abit scared, but after all we cracked that into jokes again, because all of our face expression were funny.
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was that a funny quake, mate ?
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{ valentine's after shock}

We thought we just want a simple dinner after school. SO, we cooked, and it turned out like a 3 person valentine's special set dinner. Aren't they look sweet?
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we always didn't realize that we can do it until we made it.

{ first "dinner", proper one }

It was our first proper dinner in Wanganui. Most of us were in fact didn't eat well and sleep well, and today we finally have the urge of making ourselve feel home.

We had mashed potatoes, mix vegetable, fried cheese and chicken sausages, chicken and potatoes. We had some problems with the chicken and potatoes earlier, we didn't understand how could it be tasted awfully bitter, then we were trying out ways to solve it. Yeah, of course, I don't really know how to cook, I didn't have the talent to solve it, there were some other mates. In the end, it turned out good though. There were 11 of us preparing this dinner and we had fun. It is all about team work and fun, you see.

It was not an expensive dinner, but the joyous of flat attack war in the kitchen and friendship that made this happened was priceless.
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don't worry, look, we take good care of ourselves.

{ it's tiffany in Wanganui, New Zealand }

Its summer turning into autumn in NZ, 6am in the morning, the sun will be getting up from his bed, we could only see moon at 9pm, everyday is a long long day.

My student flat is 10 minutes walking distance away from the computer graphics design campus, fresh air & very little cars on roads.Those cars in Wanganui is not like cars in malaysia, malaysia's cars are like cows, but cars here always give way to us.

My flat has 6 of us, 3 guys 3 girls, so Yin & Yang balanced, with good feng shui. My room, is facing to a green green grass small field, with only 1 cute tree in the middle of the field, guys play football in the field last night. Every morning, when i look out from the windows, I see green & blue.

Here is a small place, a really gooooood place for studies, no clubs, 1 kareaoke, 4 supermarkets ( i think, yet to explore more ), 1 cinema, 1 KFC, 1 McD, 1 Pizza Hut, 2 Subways, what can i do here? But I am liking it.
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I like this life
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{ where the journey begins }

It has been 9 years, since previous travel. I could hardly remember how was it like. The last time I’ve traveled was last week. There were too much of delights and disasters.

I was heading to a town in New Zealand, Wanganui. It would be a year to leave my motherland, Malaysia, my home to pursue my dream.

I have struggled for 3 weeks on packing up my luggage, my room was a disaster, clothes were all over the floor, belonging of mine were too many, and caused me headache to bring them all. Finally, I was prepared to leave. On the day that I have to leave, my mother was too worried about me and she could not stop crying. It was painful for me to see my family and friends shedding a tear for me.

By going through all customs clearance hassle, I got on the airplane finally. I was quite panic, when the plane was taking off. I felt insecure, somehow like a disaster in my heart. I held my mate’s hand tightly until the plane fly swiftly in the air.

On the flight, I was in the economy class. It was impossible to have a good rest in the airplane. Dinner plate was served, I had to struggle again with those well-packed dinner in the limited space on the tray, about 2 compouter keyboards size. It was a little disaster for me again.

I thought I was in heaven, when the plane was crossing over the Australia sky. We saw the horizon of the earth. I never knew that is so wonderful and I felt I am such a small small small creature, disturbing this beautiful nature. I don't know how to explain it in words when I saw it, it is really peaceful to my heart. It is like sometimes we don't need to tell something, or explain, just let the time be and enjoy the very moment.


9 hours and 30 minutes flight. Arriving was truly delightful. The destination was Auckland, in transit to Wanganui. It was a sunny Auckland, with uncountable lumps of clouds, placing nicely over the very blue sky. It was a warm welcome for us. I felt the hope of starting a new life in a new land. I was pleased and delighted to keep myself moving forward on my way.


On my way to Wanganui, in a mini airplane that only fits around 15 of us. cute.

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hello new zealand
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