Michele's DIY Realm:Fall Cove (Maple Leaf Bookmarks, Doorknob Hangers, and Decorative Platters)

Hi, everyone! Fall is officially here and I'll be making THREE new DIY projects out of...MAPLE LEAVES!!! I know that it's a rare thing to see a list of DIY things made out of maple leaves but I'm gonna try to make bookmarks, doorknob hangers, and decorative platters (as I call it) or pictures out of colourful maple leaves. Canadians, I don't know whether you notice but when it comes to every fall, the maple leaves would wilt and fall out and they end up buried in deadly snow or being swept away by the sanitary workers. And that's just kind of sad because the trees produce leaves every year and the leaves are not able to stay in their branches forever. This gives me an idea to create something out of maple leaves so that I can experiment my creativity as well as save money to go shopping for decorations! My mom likes to buy paintings to hang on the walls all over my house and that definitely costs a lot of money! So I decide to turn the tables a little bit by using paper plates to stick maple leaves on it and create a pattern of colours. Sounds cool isn't it?

As for the doorknob hangers, I'm thinking of using giant-size maple leaves (there's one tree with huge purple maple leaves outside my house) to make the base and the curve-shape hanger out of cardboard before decorating it with smaller maple leaves. I'm still brainstorming on the appearance of it!

I'll also will be making bookmarks, which is pretty challenging because first of all, I have to press the leaves between pages of a book so that they can be hardened for at least a week. And then, I'll be using a stack of transparent file pages (you know, those transparent rectangles you find in stationery files) to wrap the leaves and close the edges and sides with something...I'm still working on the closing step. I've tried sewing but it doesn't work.

Result: FAIL

I don't know whether you can tell on what's wrong with the product above. The tips of the leaf was torn like graham crackers and the file wrap was cut unevenly, plus the sewing was definitely not as neat as a professional's.

I'll be doing more on these with cardboard boxes,manila card, magazine cuttings, or maybe cloths. I'm thinking of covering the back of the leaf with some sort of base before wrapping the leaf up. Anyway, I'm still experimenting with it! Hopefully my next trial will work!

So...anyway I'm sorry that you're expecting me to write a full tutorial post on how to make both of these things now but, I'm just giving you a heads up on what I'm planning to do this fall. I'm busy with my courses and I'm trying to balance up with my school life and my church life, but hopefully I'll find a little bit of time to focus on these two new projects. So I hope you're excited for fall, have a good semester so far, and I'll see you in the full tutorial below someday soon! <3 you all!

October 2 2014

Hey, all! So I've done a little bit of the maple leaf platter and it turns out well so far! Even though I use a weak kind of super glue, the leaves are dried up overnight so they're successfully glued on the paper. As for the gel-coloured maple leaf picture, I use my new gel pen set I've bought from Dollarama for 3 dollars only. I plan to buy myself a better glue at Dollarama tomorrow, hopefully...Anyway, what do you think of the sneak peek above? Can't wait to finish it by Thanksgiving! So stay tuned for this new DIY project as an idea to decorate for fall!

Maple Leaf Bookmarks
(coming soon)

Maple Leaf Platter
October 10 2014

Hey, all! How's it going? How are you enjoying the fall season so far? Thumbs up if you're excited for Thanksgiving (in Canada) next week! So I've finished my new DIY project called the Maple Leaf platter and it's basically a handmade portrait out of a drawing in the middle and maple leaves on the sides! Let's get started!

The things you need are:

• A pair of scissors
• Glue (I recommend you to use good quality glue that you can find in arts & craft's stores or maybe a super glue. I use my sister's school glue and it takes two hours or so for the maple leaves to stick on the plate! That's why I glue the maple leaves little by little each day these past two weeks. 
• Pressed maple leaves (small and medium sizes) (Before you glue the leaves, you should press them between the pages of a thick book like a dictionary or a bible (I use my bible, it's pretty handy =P They are to be squished in your book for at least five days.)
• A square plate (or a rectangular plate, a round plate might not have enough space for you drawing to be glued on the center. A drawing is optional, you can go ahead and cover the entire plate with maple leaves!)
• Pieces of paper. This is to cover the sides of the plate, easier for the maple leaves to be glued on.
• Colour pencils or any other colouring tools for your drawing (optional).
• An unwanted bag handle or any material you can think of to hang your platter. 

To start with the drawing like the photo above, draw maple leaf shapes all over your paper. I use a blank card torn from a notebook while drawing this. Then, trace the leaf lines on each leaf before you colour them. You don't want the lines to clash against the colour! Think of leaving little gaps for the leaf's detail to show! As for the colours, think of the maple leaf colours (red, yellow, orange, and purple). 

Trace the lines first! 

As for the background, think fall! It sounds a little cliche (or cheesy) but the colour of fall has to be dark but inviting. So to me, dark brown is the perfect fall colour. 

Now you're done with your maple leaf drawing (or portrait as people call it), you can turn from an empty plate to this beautiful masterpiece! 

First, cut your papers into four strips that fits on the sides of your square/rectangular plate. Glue them off to cover the sides. Then, paste your portrait onto the middle of the plate. 

Take out your pressed maple leaves and paste them one by one onto the paper strips. I leave the first row of glued leaves to dry for a while before I cover the strips with more maple leaves so that there is no sight of the white papers. Be creative! Use leaves of all sizes to "design" your frame! It's okay if some leaves end up covering the edges of your portrait, it still looks like a great fall masterpiece!

For the last part of the project, I cut out the handle of a ripped Bath and Body Works bag and wrapped it with a decorative red wire as shown above. I also tie the middle of the handle with a ribbon so that I can stick it on my door instead of using a nail or a pin to drill a hole. You can experiment with anything to hang your platter!

To glue the handle, paste two small strips of cellophane tape together with the handle onto the top back of the plate. 

 And there you have it! Your handmade Maple Leaf Platter! It'll look great on your door or somewhere in your room this fall! I hope you'll enjoy this tutorial! I'll do one more of the platter at the end of fall but this time, I'll make it as a note board! Have a great week, happy Thanksgiving!

Maple Leaf Doorknob Hanger
January 1 2015
Happy New Year! I'm glad that it's finally done! This is something I've never done before, and I'm surprisingly glad by how it turns out!

The things you need: A huge pressed maple leaf with a long stem, a puncher, a stapler (optional) a ribbon to hang, papers (depends on what you would like to decorate the stem), coloring materials (I use gel pens to color the blank paper cutouts, a pair of scissors, and glue.

First, punch a hole at the top of the maple leaf and slip the ribbon through it.

Next, cut out several strips of paper and stick one edge of each strip onto the stem. You can either staple the edges or roll them round the stem before gluing them together.

Cut big bubbles or ovals/ leaf-like shapes out of your papers and glue them onto the strips. Pretend that you're making a tree with leaves on branches.

If the glue you're using is wet, let the paper dry for a few minutes before coloring them. The back of the cutouts can be colored first so that you can mark the colours after you decorate the front of the cutouts. Be creative with the front! Think about what you want your doorknob hanger to tell to others. For example, if your mother sees that you don't want to be disturbed when you are studying, she will leave you alone if you have the study notice on your doorknob hanger! Or if you're up to your personal projects that lead to your future career, write them down so that people can see that you're doing the things you love and they won't disturb you.

Be sure that your writings are big enough to be colored and to be seen. Leave a little space between the letters when you color the cutouts. You can trace lines around the letter as guidelines. When it's complete, you'll feel like you're creating your own font/layout!

By the way, I actually wanted to do a multicolor kind of decoration out of strips of papers that is glued together into a...kind of a flower at the bottom but since it's almost the end of winter break and I don't have much time to finish this project, I decide to cut it out and replace it with the dark green bubble as shown in the photo above. It stands out from the "leaves" of my hobbies and passions above it because it includes a little poem about my fear of being different but I'm telling other people that I'll be okay even though I sense that people are looking down on me (pardon me on my negativity).

And there you have it!

The back

The front

If you like this DIY, give this post a "+1" and stay tuned for another DIY coming soon! Or maybe in my next post! =P Once again, happy new year! 

It's Just Me, So Deal With It (new post on body image/health)

Hey, guys! I know it's been weeks since I've posted a new entry on my blog! I've been really busy with my assignments even though it's not nearly midterm. I like the courses I take this semester so far. The second half of Basic Japanese course gets a little harder because of the new "Kanji" characters. It's like writing Chinese spelling homework back in elementary school all over again, but I know that I have to try my best to memorize those new ones. Another thing I struggle is the conversation lab. It seems that I've forgotten most of the conversation tips I've learnt back in Basic Japanese I. Hopefully I'll find time to catch up with my Japanese speaking skills...As for Creative Writing: Intro to Writing Fiction, I find it as challenging as the other courses I've taken. I'm surprised that I've finally found inspiration to write stories, thanks to Sailor Mon Crystal. So I've submitted my first fiction assignment, and I've posted a copy somewhere in my blog. If you want to read it, you can check it out on my blog archive on the top right corner. Anyway, I find this course an opportunity to set my imagination re-sparked. I'm looking forward to use my new fiction character (Phenile who idolizes Sailor Jupiter) in my future assignments. And finally, Intercultural Communication has been pretty interesting so far. The course offers chances to get to know various cultures in great depth as well as to allow us to explore ourselves in terms of culture.

Anyway, you might wonder why I post the picture above. I got this from Facebook and I know that I have to say something about this picture. Blogilates (Cassey Ho) shared through the photo that she was struggling with body confidence when she was young and she had the same reaction as the girl above, wanting to cut off her belly fat. This is something I can definitely relate to. If you've read my previous posts, you would remember that I, too, struggle with body image and I'm still doing Blogilates' workouts six times every week, Of course, there's no immediate result in my stomach but surprisingly, the workouts really help toning up my  arms and legs! I'm gonna work harder to lose belly fat, oh world, you just wait and see!

Same as the girl above, I have lack of confidence in my body when I was little. There were a lot of people including my family who called me skinny. Even my grandma who was "Miss Perfect" commented on my skinny-ness with a straight face. Trust me, when I was a kid, I was a girl with a small, weak frame. But as I reached puberty, my appetite increased dramatically and I began to grow taller. Unfortunately, an excessive amount of stubborn fat always got in my way. And yes, my grandma and other people ended up calling me fat. So yes, in my whole life, I've never received a single comment that I'e grown slim or pretty. Sometimes I wish I can just go for surgery to remove all that fat, but it's not possible.

As I follow Cassey Ho's Youtube Channel and her Blogilates community, I realize that it doesn't matter on what other freaking people think about me. Life is all about hard work and believe in change. Good moments will come and I'll find my happiness through my own skin. I may still don't have a perfect stomach, but I'm still going to exercise in the proud name of sweat!

Imagine that you are the girl in the picture. Would you realize that life is over or life is a new beginning for you to start a change? Kids nowadays are obsessed with body image, including mimicking skeleton figures from celebrities and fashion models. This has got to stop! Not everyone can be happy when they're being skinny! Why does it matter? To attract bad boys? You don't have to be scrawny or sexy or perfect in order to live your life! Think about what makes you...you! Think about the things, people, and surroundings that make you feel welcome. Body image is something we should not paying too much attention to. If you think Barbie doll figures are worth it and the picture above disgusts you instead of being sympathetic, then you should just move along. I'm not gonna judge. I just want to give a  message to those who face the same issues as I do in terms of finding confidence in physical appearance. You are perfect just to way you are. You don't have to hurt yourself in order to get the change you want. It takes time and love to find the life you want.

If you're jealous of the people around you who have beautiful bodies or America's Top Model figures, that is totally normal. I'm jealous of my sisters' and my girlfriends' hourglass figures too, but I learn that comparing yourself to other people is not too healthy. You just have to be you, and that's even more worthy! If you want change, find the time and inspiration to work hard. Eventually, your positive attitude and infinite hope will inspire other people too!

Sailor Jupiter Moves Out! (characterization scene for Intro to Writing Fiction class)

Sailor Jupiter Moves Out!

I feel like a needle removed from my heart. I am in my room, tyingmy long black hair into a high ponytail while hoping to look like the girl in green in the anime Sailor Moon. Then, I scan a list of things saved in my brain while folding some clothes. Suddenly, I spot an old green shirt. Slowly, I run my black-polished nails on the soft fabric and a flashback immediately appears in my head like a computer being switched on.

I was a twelve-year-old finalist at a national karate competition, and I was afraid that I might lose. My mother saw me practicing at our backyard the day before the competition, and she decided to take me to the nearest mall for a breather.

“Does Sailor Jupiter go shopping when she feels stressed?” she asked.

“I’m not sure…she likes girly things though. She feels excited when she sees a cute dress but she doesn’t have that much money to buy it.” I replied.

“Well, I believe Sailor Jupiter needs a little more than just looking at cute dresses.” she chuckled.

We passed by a department store and my eyes caught a mannequin wearing a green T-shirt with “Stay Strong” written on it. It was a perfect combination of tomboy-ness and girly-ness! I believe that green is a tomboy colour and sequins are a symbol of feminism. Mom seemed to read my mind instantly, because the next thing I knew, she walked to the shelf, chose one of the shirts with my size (medium), and walked to the counter to pay for it! Isn’t she the greatest mother in the whole world or what? I got a little teary when she presented the shirt to me. “I believe that you will kick butt tomorrow!” she said with her dark brown eyes twinkled with faith.And she was right. I felt Sailor Jupiter’s lightning power electrifying my adrenaline as I wrestled to glory.

Mom, if you can hear me, I want to spread my own wings and to build my nest in a whole new world. Not only I want to start a new chapter of my personal memoir, but also to start a journey that will remind me of you. Everything’s okay now. Don’t worry.

I realize that time is running out so I quickly fold the shirt up. After I put the clothes in my luggage, I seean orange feather lying on the floor. It must have stuck on one of my shoes in a cockfight matchtwo weeks ago. As I pick it up, I can smell a faint stench of chicken blood. It is a good thing the cockfight matches my stepfather hosted is banned for good. The eventstill haunts me like a horror movie, but when I move to Canada, I’ll have the guts to replay it.

Another flashback appears that begins with him saying, “A chicken is clueless enough to know when it will die.” I believe he referred this to my mother whom he had murdered the day after the match. My temper meter reached to its peak. I wished I could cry but I was fuming. I snapped back at him, “You’re wrong! My mom’s not the chicken! You are! You want all of the money to yourself and not us!” “Well, you can’t do anything to stop me,” he said, because you’re a chicken too!” He then pulled out a gun from his jeans pocket. He was about to shoot when I suddenly dodged away and grabbed hold of his hand. With a quick move illustrated automatically in my head, I kicked him in the stomach and punched his face with my fist. I then snatched the gun and pointed at him, “I bet you don’t know that I have a black belt in karate, asshole! And by the way, you’re no longer needed!”

Suddenly, my iPhone 5 rings its notification sound that startles me. The flashback stops like a freeze spell. Every part of my body feels like being surrounded by Sailor Jupiter’s “Flower Hurricane” attack, excitedly celebrating with my soul for escaping this place I once call home. The memories of my past may wake me up like a nightmare, but I vow to God that I will replace them with new ones, starting now. Before I get into my friend Solange’sLandcruiser, I throw the feather into the garbage can and watch it sink gracefully down, erasing away a piece of my stepfather.9 

Wings of a Lifetime

Author's Note: Hey, I just came back to Vancouver this morning and damn...the jet lag is killing me but I promise I'll sleep early tonight! Anyway, I begin to like travelling alone all the way from Canada to Malaysia and vice versa. And as soon as I stop by at Narita Airport in Tokyo, I plan that I should do more individual travels to experience unique things of different countried on my own, especially in Tokyo which is one of my dream places to go to. And funny that, as soon as I wrote this poem on a notebook during my flight from Tokyo to Vancouver, a Japanese air-stewardess first asked me in Japanese (which I can't understand because I only have learnt the basics) and then she spotted my poem before she changed her mind to ask me in English. I want to laught it off, but then it might be rude. =P 

Wings of a Lifetime

Written By: Michele Hii

I am in the body

of a mechanical eagle.

It is neither a moist digestive tract

nor a tunnel to a world of darkness.

The body of this bird

is a barrier of metal;

carrying its guests away from natural storm.

Sitting near a window

where one of its featherless wings is located.

I nominate this seat

as my ideal spot.

The aura of excitement that sprint through my veins

connect to the organ beside me

like mesmerizing bond.

The rectangular glass

is my world telescope.

The cities below the bird

are apparently mazes of squares,

glazed by a cluster of electronic stars.

Street lights become a twinkling stream

like a path to a fantasy realm.

As the bird soars,

the earth looks like a miniscule island in a snow globe.

I’ve never felt this alive

as the bird floats beneath the clouds.

With myself as an explorer,

I am ready to inhale

the air of a new country.

Unique treasure I long to see

and I’ll never regret this experience.

Travel is a gift.

Chances are gemstones.

I’ll wait to earn a ticket

to a dimension where I’ll be marking

a future page of my life.

In The Eyes of a Grown-Up (New Poem)

In The Eyes of a Grown-Up

Your Crocs slippers crunches on the grass

that needs the haircut of a snazzy prince.

An old song is replayed multiple times

as familiar melodies travel from your earphones

till you feel like singing in this isolated place.

Your eyes shortly scan around the area

like a security camera spying at 360 degrees.

You will see a film screen appearing in your head;

it shows a series of flashbacks

that is hidden somewhere in your memory for ages

like a lost treasure.

Your conscience will scold you

for not remembering those childhood times.

Good heavens! Don’t you remember the colourful swings you used to sit on?

What about those skinny wooden see-saws?

You had to push your feet to give yourself a boost up in the air.

Or that giant round structure where you liked to spin around like tops

with other kids who smile at you like friends?

How could you ever abandon those glimpses

when your mother stood at a corner

watching you like a hawk

while sharing small talks with neighbours?

And goodness gracious!

Where in the world is that big metal slide?

You used to throw your hands high like a monkey

as your body slid down that shiny silver panel.

And not to mention that incident

when you stood on top of of the slide for half an hour or so

because you were scared of a creature that was eyeing at you as dinner.

Was it a dog...or was it a snake?

Oh! You were so terrified you were crying for your mother

to leap up in midair like Wonderwoman to carry you off.

It’s a pity that the slide is gone…

You will feel an icy breath crawling in your heart

like Narnia’s White Queen’s voice slithering through your skin.

The playground itself is untouched.

Every colour, every single patch of ugly brown rust

are remained on the structures.

The rainbow-painted toys are so good to re-encounter,

but the atmosphere is as dead as Scrooge’s demeanour.

Don’t you see?

Not even a single kid was there to play!

Not even a hint of movement was made!

You realize how fast the clock ticks.

You realize how soon the earth moves.

You wake up to see an invisible barrier above you

protecting the playground for the sake of yourself,

a girl who has grown up

and forget the times you connect with this place.

Waves of nostalgia swishes against you

as your fingers hold onto the chains of a red swing.

You sit on it, and you magically feel like a kid once more.

You have visions of the mini-you

swinging with a bunch of children,

drunken with pleasure.

You never know how long this place would last.

You fear that your childhood stories will be erased from your journal

like an eraser that is under a witch’s spell.

You wish you could stay

but Cogsworth the clock says “It’s time to go.”

Your heavy feet sent you off the grass,

stepping away from the barrier.

You slowly turn your back.

Your song is still playing

like an endless hymn.

You swear that you won’t forget this missing piece

that is stolen from your puzzle in years.

One last glance is all you need

and you would never look back

the pain of being in oblivion. 

Author's Note: So I happened to pass by the playground I used to go when I was a kid and I decided to go there to take a look. Everything was still the same, except the slide which was taken away. This poem is basically about reflecting a piece of my memories, but also something we as humans need to know: we can't travel back to the past but we can only recall of what we did. We wish to have time machines, but we don't know what will happen if we revisit our past or change our past. The past is the past and we can only look ahead. 

Congratulations! 15 years of girl power and faith in Christ!

If you've followed this blog and also my memoir blog for a while, you'll probably know that I was a member of the Girls' Brigade back in my childhood years. Girls' Brigade is an international organization to take girls on a journey to be headstrong women for the future and of course to become followers of Jesus Christ. Through eight years of joining the community, I had learnt so many things that I quite forgot how to cook the dishes I had learnt back then and I am still helpless in tying a necktie. But, without the Girls' Brigade, I've learnt that discipline is important; it is meant to be taught and trained since young. One of the speakers tonight said that marching/drill practice is taught among all girls and even six years olds can learn how to raise their foot up while marching. And imagine that the officers are always there for the girls and they nurture them as godmothers. Trust me, even as an ex-member, I still never forget the love they have summoned in my life.

So, you might wonder what's up with the title of this post. Well, I'm happy to announce that Girls' Brigade (5th KK company) is now 15 years old! I'm impressed that Girls' Brigade is still standing solid. I followed a neighbour who was also an officer of the Girls' Brigade to Shern En Methodist Church, and wow, the church is still the same as before. And as I stepped into the building, I encountered the officers once again after a long period of separation. Well, they still look the same to me. LOL. I was even greeted with open arms when I saw former captain Madame Kiu. Gosh! The feels!

So, the anniversary was pretty much like all other events I had been to back when I was a member. Praise & Worship session, speeches, performances, and refreshments at the end. The theme of this year's anniversary was called "A Better Me" and I think it was to tell us that we as God's people are meant to be built up to become more confident in life or to become more useful for the Lord.

The photos I took with my smartphone are not zoomed in so I won't be posting all of them here. Most of the photos I took are performances by the member of various age groups from kids to teens to ex-members who are having a break from universities. Oh! What do we have here?

I don't know whether this is big enough for your eyeballs but the picture above is when the officers and some honorable guests celebrated with an anniversary cake.

One thing that I couldn't believe was that I hadn't had dinner, so I had to hold on to my growling stomach until the end of the event for supper to come to my rescue. Surprisingly, the mouth-watering cupcakes and brownies and pieces of the anniversary cake was good enough for my hunger to subside. And it was great to have small talk with the officers. It was like visiting the past after travelling through Cornelius Robinson's time machine.

If you're reading this and happens to be one of the people in the anniversary, I just want to say I'm happy to join you all. This event will probably be featured in my memoir (I don't know whether my biographical book will be my first book, but we'll see). And to the officers, I know I don't have the time to say goodbye because it was getting late, but I would like to have a chance to say thank you for having me over and also I hope you enjoy the gift I've left for you and your girls. I'll definitely come back when I return for my next summer vacation. Once again, happy 15th birthday to you, Girls' Brigade 5th KK company! Keep learning new things, growing in life, and pursuing the Lord!

Travel Blog Post? Why Not? =) (summer vacation July-August 2014)

July 8 2014
Omigosh! I'm close to my flight back to Malaysia!!!! I'm super excited and I can't wait to get some gift shopping done as well as a few remaining chores in my house..oh and also packing! But before the plane arrives at the "land below the wind" (Sabah, Malaysia), I'll be staying over at Tokyo, Japan for one night! TOKYO!!! This is actually my first time flying overseas alone, so I'm both nervous and excited, hopefully I'll have a safe flight and not being involved in a heart-wrecking accident like the MH370 aircraft. Speaking of this, the excitement storm of this news has diminished and I don't think there is not a single drop of hope left that the victims are still alive. Okay, I apologize for bringing this tragedy up.

So...in this post, I'll be sharing about my trips to Tokyo as well as several places around Malaysia and also Singapore (which I'm not sure about it because my sisters and I haven't booked tickets yet). I'll be posting food, tourists attractions, and anything interesting or anything that carries me back to memory lane. And man I miss home! I've never knew it has been like two years since I went back! There is definitely so much going on and I don't know whether I've changed or not; I think the people I once know back there have changed a little or perhaps a lot. But anyway...when I see them, I know that I wouldn't want to miss any opportunities on knowing their new experiences and stories in life.

The journey begins....now!

July 18 2014
Here I am, my first time in Japan and my first experience of flying overseas alone! It was at first chaotic for me because my luggage was not on the conveyor belt of Narita Airport but was to be sent straight to the Malaysia Airline aircraft the next day, and then I was all freaked out because I had no idea where I was heading when I board a train to a station where I suppose to meet with a couple of Japanese church saints. Everything was in Japanese (with mini English words at the bottom of the big Hiragana+Katakana+Kanji which I don't know most of it characters) so I had this really bad feeling that I would get lost. But hey, I'm not a child so I asked some airport staff and security guards for directions. At first, I regretted for not jotting down the saints' phone numbers so I had to email them in the airport for some instructions before buying a train ticket. And then when I board the train, Japanese words were all over the signboards that made me feel like I was visiting Mars or something. There was another train moving on the opposite side and I had this queasy feeling that I was on the wrong train. So in the middle of my trip, I got out of the train and looked around that unfamiliar station for 15 minutes or so like a lost puppy. I finally moved my feet down the stairs and get help from a security guard for directions. I arrived at my destination at around 6pm and I was all panicky again when I couldn't find the saints. I searched all around a part of the Tsudanuma town and found a phone booth. But then I remembered that I hadn't had the Japanese brother's phone number, so I had to walked to the nearest McDonalds place, jot down the number from my email inbox, and went back to the phone booth to call the brother...twice. Let's just say I learn to use three 100 yen coins instead of just a 10 yen coin...

Anyway, I'm glad that this secret bad mood of mine had faded because I was relieved when I met up with the saints. We had this dinner at the meeting hall which was not far from the station, and then we sang some hymns. The Japanese sisters were so happy to have me in the blending, and I must say, I was happy that I was there with them. Even though we speak different languages, we have this same purpose of knowing and loving the Lord.

22 July 2014
Hello, Kuala Lumpur! You're still as dangerous as usual, eh? I heard the robberies and murders are still as high as ever. But still, you hold the memories where I first start college.

I have finally found the time to write about my next day in Tokyo (July 19). I didn't get to Tokyo Tower or any tourist attractions, but I get to go to a typical Japanese mall. The church guardian took me to a food court where mouth-watering food was presented before my eyes. I wish I have the empty stomach to try them all. The mochi wasn't the colourful ones in a box like I expected, but it was good. It was white with red bean fillings in it.

There was one Japanese dish that I've heard of but never get to try it. It's this cute fish-shaped pancake called Taiyaki. I wonder whether it tastes like fish? =P

And of course when it comes to Japan, you expect to see the world's famous Japanese delicacy: sushi.

And last but not least, the dish that I was craving for even though I'm not a fan of seafood which was Takoyaki. "Tako" means octopus. And I just love the takoyaki served at this mall. There were several flavours to try like cheese and soy sauce.

So many Takoyaki!!!

Final product! Hungry yet? =P

If I were a food critic, I would rate these two Takoyaki ten out of ten because the texture of the dish was just so soft and the toppings are just awesome. I mean look at the picture on top! The ribbons of mayonnaise will definitely get your taste buds kicking!

I've composed a poem about Takoyaki, and the process of creating this is challenging because I have to think of suitable words to describe the appearance of this dish.

Golden brown spheres sit on a plate.

Their rich crisps are drizzled with accessories

that will melt and dance in your mouth.

Let's say soy sauce coated with an unspeakable energy

and a long mayonnaise snake brings an indescribable inquisition.  

How about a cluster of Bonaito flakes sprinkled with an immeasurable pleasure

or a pool of grated cheese decorated with untamable beauty. 

Two of these makes a great combo,

yet a choir of everything creates a perfect symphony

like a musical fountain serenades in the dark. 

Your magical taste never fail to marvel my heart.

I wonder what is the secret behind your words

like a phrase of an unfinished prose. 

I'll stay in Kuala Lumpur for a few days and hopefully I'll see my friends who are currently studying somewhere around here.

July 23 2014
People says that once you find yourselves back home after a certain period of time of transitioning in another place, you'll realize that you've changed either a little or a lot. I'm not too sure whether this applies to myself but once I return to Malaysia, memories of my childhood start flooding in like a waterfall. I mean imagine yourself walking through a familiar store and then you immediately halt, reminiscing the times you have at that particular place. I believe this brings a good sort of feeling to you, and you will somehow realize that life is too short and you want to roll back the tape of nostalgia.

One place that stores most of my childhood is at Sutera Harbour Resort.
This symbolic statue stands as proud as ever. I'm not familiar with the myth that hides behind the statue, but oh boy, this is one picturesque structure!

I had been to Sutera Harbour ever since I was little and I remember that I used to go swimming with some friends from primary school to secondary school years. There wasn't any tragic events going on during my childhood, except when I accidentally dropped my beach ball down from the first floor of the country club lobby to the big fountain pool at the ground floor. That was unexpected; it was my chubby fingers that got me slipping the ball out of my hands.

When you're in Malaysia, you should take note of this one very important travel tip: try the local fruits! I realized that I rarely get such fruits back in Canada, and it definitely draws a bold line over the fading sketches in my cerebral cortex. For example, I applaud you if you're daring enough to try the king of fruits, which is also known as the badass "durian".

The church sisters, who live in the same house I used to live in back when I was a Canadian Pre-U student in Taylor's College three years ago, brought two containers of freshly-cut durian. That explained the overpowering stench which swirled all over the living room. I guess I fail the "Are you a real Malaysian" personality test because I've never tried a durian and I don't even want to try one. The skunk perfume from that fruit had poisoned my nose! (No offense, durian.)

If you don't want to get your clean hands on the durian, you can try this grape-like fruit called the "Longan". It's also known as "Mata Kuching" in the Malay language. It's composed of a yellowish hard shell with a soft, Rambutan-like texture ("Rambutan" is another Malaysian fruit made out of red hairy shell with soft flesh inside).

I don't get to do anything special today, just walking around the Subang Jaya city and trying out Bubble Tea at the only Bubble Tea store I can find, Gong Cha. Whatever it is, I'm hoping to see some friends here in Kuala Lumpur. It has been three years, for goodness sake! Three freaking years since I came to Kuala Lumpur! There are new stores around the area, but I have to say, I miss the old stores that I used to go to...

24 July 2014
After two to three years of separation, I was overjoyed to see two of my precious secondary school friends once again. My back was all sweaty; even my black cardigan was stained with stinky perspiration. And yes I lived in Kuala Lumpur for six months back in 2011, but I was surprised that yesterday was my first time taking a taxi with a stranger driver. I mean, I usually book a ride with a taxi driver who is my father's friend. So when I found myself walking down to the roadside of Taylor's College (Subang Jaya campus) and called a random taxi to drive me to MidValley MegaMall, I never knew that I was daring enough to do such a thing.

Anyway, before I met up with my two friends, I decided to go to a bank to withdraw cash. And then, when I arrived at the bank and inserted my debit card through the slot of a machine (it was a deposit machine, not an ATM machine. Turns out that the ATM was out of service. Pfft...) , I felt a person standing behind me. I turned my back while waiting for my card to be read, and to my utter surprise, one of my friends was a few feet away from me! She was staring straight ahead, unaware of her sides. I called out her name, and there was a short silence. She looked at me with her eyes bulged like golf balls. Both of us didn't expect this to happen, we laughed for like a minute or so. To me, giving her a hug felt like being transported back to the old days by a time machine.

Despite the broken ATM, we were told by one of the bank staff to try withdraw money from the bank next door. And so we did as he told. We then went back to the mall to meet up with the other friend. It was a sweet reunion. We stopped by a Tony Roma restaurant, a Sweet Chat cafe, and a Oasis food court that day, plus a grocery store where one of us reminded me her constant enthusiasm in food. Speaking of food, I had indulged myself into Malaysian cuisine once again with this fishball noddle soup dish and the famous Milo Ping (or Bing) drink! However, I accidentally deleted the photo of the food...my bad...

It was great that we caught up with each other's lives. College life is what we're currently facing, and I'm positive that we'll get through our conflicts. And it was also funny because my friends smelt the perfume sprayed on their wrists for like two or three times throughout the hangout. Long-lasting is indeed a quality of the perfumes. Thank you, Bath & Body Works!

29 July 2014 
One thing I wouldn't want to miss while returning to Malaysia is looking at a sandy beach and rolling waves. Despite the haze that overcome not only Kuala Lumpur but also Kota Kinabalu (I guess Malaysia is currently suffocating under the curse of harmful grey blankets), the land below the wind never fails to lure me into the serenity of the ocean.

All I could hear is the peaceful, rhythmic churning of the ocean waters that crashes against rocks and subsides at the swash zone of the beach. And the view from the harbour is just lovely. Picture perfect. I should have bought my handmade notebooks with me so that I can sit down on one of those folding chairs and write a new poem.

And nothing gets better when there's local food served in front of you after a long day. I'm glad that I have finally encountered real Malaysian food, because seriously, the Malaysian food I have tasted back in Vancouver are not as "Malaysian" as here in...well...Malaysia.

Tuaran Mee (as shown above) is one of the popular dishes in Sabah. It's composed of yellow noodles with chicken, eggs, and leafy veggies. And trust me, it tastes heaven!

August 5 2014
The first thing that I encounter once I stepped out of Sibu Airport in Sarawak is my grandpa's lucky number. His trusty Toyata car still runs like a machine! I think he owns that car ever since my dad was still a child. I don't know the full brand name of the car. And the whole mobile was in good condition too. I wonder if Grandpa has some tricks in his sleeves of taking such good care of his car.

We had Kam Pua noodles for breakfast which was one of the dishes I love since I was a kid. It was savoury yellow noodles combined with green onions and sliced meat.

You might say that this looks like some typical Asian noodle dish. But to me, this is so far the best noodle dish in the world. Within the home of the hornbills and a majority of Chinese in Malaysia, Sibu is such a lucky genius for giving birth to this marvellous delicacy! I mean, once I eat it, it's like tasting childhood!

August 8 2014
Once I'm on vacation, it is hard for me to catch up with my workout schedule. All I did these past few days was eating out and meeting up with a couple of friends who I haven't met for so long. Good thing I did a couple of pilates workout yesterday! I was relieved when I did the 4-minutes workout to tone up abs and arms. Anyway, I didn't get to take photos of the places I went to but I did take snapshots of food.

One of them is a must on your food list, that is satay.

Satay is one of Malaysia's popular dishes. It's composed of barbecued chicken or beef or pork, and there's a choice of having the coating of peanut sauce or any other seasoning. Sounds delicious or what? =D

Two days ago, an old friend of my mother's was thrilled when she encountered me after a few years. She took me to an awesome "Jalan-jalan cari  makan" road trip, introducing me to Sibu's finest food. One of them is this:

Those round buns on the left are called "Kong Pia" which are freshly-toasted bagel-like buns with sesame seed sprinkled on top. Meat can be inserted inside for a better combo. The middle dish is of course, fried dumplings (Wo Tie). And then the coconut drinks are not to be left out! Aunt Jenny said that these coconuts are imported from Thailand. No wonder they have this sweet juice inside! Such a colourful flavour!

August 15 2014
I know it's been more than a week since I posted details about my vacation in Malaysia, so I'm going to add what it's left in the photo gallery of my phone. Once I arrived back in Kota Kinabalu, one of my former tuition teachers gave me a ride to the nearest coffee shop from my house for lunch. This dish brings back memories!It's called Wan Tan Hor and it's basically noodles soaked in soup-like sauce with veggies, egg, and chicken.

Mouth-watering already? XD
And also, I was taken by a church family to a coffee shop where they had this great buffet ready for locals and tourists. I think it's called Foo Ip? Anyway, the food served was just amazing!

I mean, just look at this!! Tofu, fried fishballs, weenie, fishcake, veggies, and mee hoon (tiny thin noodles) all in one plate! It's like a king's feast! You'll never get anything like this in Asia! And the iced Milo drink tasted as great as ever!

So what I did these past few days was doing chores, keeping up with Blogilates' "GiveItYourAugust" workout calender, movies almost every night, and working on my TMMP series. And also, I went for a sleepover at my best friend's place (just like what we did back in the old days). It's funny that I had this feeling that she's going to take me to this tortilla place called Chihuahua. I mean, I remembered her posting one or two statuses on facebook someday last year or this year that she missed the food there. And guess what? That night, her family took me to the restaurant! I forgot to take a photo of what I had, but it was "Sizzling Lemongrass Chicken Chop" with mashed potatoes (not bad though, but I still prefer the mashed potatoes in Ikea XD).

And I'm not surprised that I'm still an early riser as ever. I woke up at 8am and I brought my laptop to the dining room to carry on with my usual routine of Facebook. Youtube, Gmail, and Yahoo Mail. This is what I do every morning; I always check my social media for updates. Anyway, it had been two hours and I was watching a list of new videos posted by Kurt Hugo Schneider and Sam Tsui, Ryan Higa, and Cassey Ho @ Blogilates (check out her BODYPOP music video! She has launched her own activewear line and I'm so proud of her!) while eating buns for breakfast. And then, the Dell's battery life was about to subside so I had to bring it back to the bedroom to charge it up to reincarnation. Ivy was still sleeping (well looks like my younger sisters are not the only sleepyheads I know) but I didn't care. I continued on watching videos while my laptop was charging, and I took quick glances on her to see whether she's awake. Finally, she rose up and placed her pillow on my bed to bury her face on it. Then,  her hands snaked out of her sleepiness and reached forward to tickle me (It's a long story, I can't escape from her playfulness). But it definitely reminded me of the old days.

We spent that afternoon watching "Guardians of the Galaxy", which I have to admit, it was good. Pardon me, Marvel fans, but you'll probably going to kick me out of earth. I'm not a fan of superheroes, but hey, fairies and Japanese magical girls are superheroes too! Sailor Moon is the first Japanese chick to kick a bad guy's butt! But anyways, the movie was good and Groot touched my heart because of his loyal character. The way he died after sacrificed himself for his friends got me a little teary and his reincarnated self (he's called "Baby Groot" I think) was SOOO ADORABLE!!!! At the end of the movie, Baby Groot was dancing to Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" and OHMYGOSH that was adorably awesome!!!

I don't think I've mentioned here in this blog that I'm not an animal person (except rabbits). I don't know, they just give me the jitters, especially pouncing cats...and dogs. That night after the movie, I had dinner with her family at a coffee shop (yes, another one). There was this orange cat walking casually under my feet. Seriously, that furball triggered my nerves to kick his tail. But I didn't do anything, I just let it lazily linger under the tables. My best friend noticed it and she said the cat's probably attached to me. Or maybe it's because it wants the fish bones I've left on my plate, I thought to myself. The cat walked under my chair once more and I take it as a major creeper of all cats. GROSS.

And finally, she drove me home and gave me a short but good hug. My glasses nearly got squished against her arm but I didn't care. I really missed her hugs!

17 August 2014
Malaysia may be happy to finally see the earth overcame by downpour, but all I'm feeling right now is this gloomy face. Well I'm not that depressed; I take rain as a happiness killer. I know that rain does bring peaceful sleep and relief to dryness, but a whole year of same old rain somehow discourages me to feel positive about life. In my opinion, I like the four seasons better than just years of sun and rain. Different weathers and conditions on earth makes me curious of what's hidden behind each unique season, like snow that will soon turn to ice when you forgot to shovel. And funny that, I actually like winter. Unlike most Canadians who are somewhat sick of blizzards in weeks, I actually like seeing the white gliding and crashing down to earth.

Okay, why am I talking about weathers? I think I'm a little obsessed with the four seasons, or maybe it's mood swings...Anyway, six days left till my flight back to Canada. And I think this is so far one of the best summers I've ever had. And this is actually even better than last time. I get to meet more people who were once poofed away from my memories. And thank God that after I've taken Creative Writing's Personal Narrative class and Memoir Writing class, I've finally had sudden flashbacks of a very important part of my childhood: the Girlls' Brigade. I mean it has been six years since I went to their meetings! Thank God that I've finally meet the people of the Girls' Brigade once again last night. To find out more, check out my latest blog post here: http://thetruemichelehii.blogspot.com/2014/08/congratulations-15-years-of-girl-power.html

And as for today, I get to meet an old friend who will be leaving tomorrow. I was a little annoyed when she and my best friend ate food from KFC right in front of me. Well, I didn't mind, I was too full to eat! Let's just say I ate a little too much noodles at a coffee shop my church friends brought me to after Lord's table meeting. And then, they talked about their college lives and their futures while I was sitting nearby, being the creeper. And then, out of nowhere, they discussed about crashing into my house in Canada for some sort of surprise party. The conversation just gets weirder and weirder...I don't wanna talk about it...

So basically what we did besides watching Guardians of the Galaxy for the second time was walking around the mall. I never knew that I've spent so much this afternoon: more gifts for Canadian friends and a laptop cooling pad. I can picture my parents staring at me with furious flames in their eyes.

I can't believe I am being so forgetful! I had my smartphone with me the whole time and I forgot to take pictures with my friends. Damn..Michele Hii...what the hell is wrong with you??? You're here for five freaking weeks and you still haven't take one single picture of your close friends who you've missed for two freaking years!!!! Somebody just launch me off with a catapult to the island of nowhere!!! I don't know why I say in this way, I think I'm getting a little paranoid. 0.0 Why why why oh just why I can't even set my camera phone on in front of people??? Instead, all I took pictures with was food and scenery.

I get to see everyone with my own eyes, but I didn't pause the moments (faces) on pictures. So yes, call me lame. I can't believe I got so distracted...easily. That's it! I have to stop this secretly-sensitive heart from cracking by reminding myself to take more selfies during my next homecoming, probably...next year...hopefully. It's decided. I want to come back next year.

August 22 2014
My last week of vacation was a little boring because I spent most of my time at home doing chores and sticking to my laptop. But the good thing is, I get to spend a little time with a couple of Girls' Brigade officers and my former tuition teacher. I get to have lunches and dinners with my old "caretakers" and it does feel great to reunite with them after a long time. I vow in my heart that I'll visit them once again when I come back for another summer vacation.

It's a pity that I didn't get to see my friends this week, but I know that they have their own things and the most important thing is I have seen them during the last four weeks of my vacation and that has been ticked from my wish list. I regret of not taking more pictures with them (why I can't even take a break from "Instagram-ing" food?), so hopefully I come back next year to fill up my photo gallery with more face-based photos. And actually, it's weird but the Girls' Brigade officers gave me an idea of what will I do when I return for my next vacation. A volunteer or part time job at a newspaper press like The Daily Express??? Why I never thought of that before??? I'm so in! Well...wait till next year...

Sadly, my vacation must come to an end. I have one of the best summers of my life, and one of them is the people I have reunited with. I pray that I'll have a safe flight tomorrow back to Canada, and Malaysia, hang on, I'll be back soon! I'm looking forward to see the food that I miss, the people that I love, and the places that I reflect in my memories. Selamat Tinggal! Saya akan balik lagi! (Goodbye! I'll be back!)

Blazing Sun & a SHARE bear =)

People from the North, how was Canada Day (July 1)? I had a great time yesterday, thanks to the awesome sunny weather. Yes, I love the sun because it reminds me of home. After that day I got really tanned and I'll probably be even more tanned when I go back to Malaysia in two weeks.

Anyway, the Canada Day celebration was even better than last year's! I have to agree! The setting was more spacious, it was a good thing that the Lafarge organization expanded the event area from the field all the way to the playground and a big part of the parking lot of the Town Centre Park. There were even more activities especially sports (volleyball, tennis, skateboarding, dodgeball, hockey, rock climbing). And due to the intensive heat, I had to quench my thirst with a can of iced tea and a big cup of lemonade. There were this huge number of kids who crowded around the new spray park which was located next to the playground.

This summer, I volunteered for this organization called SHARE Family and Community Services. I was out the whole day actually. I dropped by at the Canada Day celebration after lunch to walk around, and then I rushed to a church sister's house for a video training conference. And then as the message was finished, I rushed back to the park for my volunteer shift. By the way, thanks to the church sister who had prepared a couple of delicious sandwiches for me! It was a good dinner, I felt God's love through her. =) Anyway, when I arrived at the SHARE booth, my leader Michelle Murray (yes, another Michelle, but hey my name has only one "L") and her colleague (I don't know her name =/) were talking to a couple of passers-by. The colleague was relieved when she saw me and immediately packed up her foldable chair. Michelle finished talking and sat on her chair, looking pretty tired. She told me that no other volunteers showed up that entire day! I was the only one who came! I was like...WHAT??? How could they ditch this? So Michelle had no choice but to call her colleague to help out with the booth from 11am till that hour I arrive (6pm). I felt sorry for the colleague, she had to guard the booth all day.

Michelle and I guarded the booth for an hour. She had to grab dinner for a short while, so she left me with the booth. I didn't know much about SHARE but I tried my best to answer questions in case people drop by at the booth. Some did came by, but they just looked at our display of food collections for homeless people and walked off. When my leader returned with a Mike's Burger, a couple of Chinese kids came with their mother. They were eyeing on a pile of SHARE bear printouts (the SHARE bear is the organization's mascot) and crayons on the right side of the booth. We didn't mind let them do some colouring. Michelle explained that they had this colouring contest earlier that day and they pinned colourings at the top of the tent. There were a few more kids dropping by just to colour.

And then, we decided to close the booth down. I helped Michelle to take down the colourings and the crayons as well as tearing down the plastic tablecloths. The thing was, we supposed to have one more volunteer to help us with the unloading. However, he didn't show up. Michelle was disappointed; she was worried that we couldn't carry all of the stuff at once. She then seek help from one of the Coquitlam community centre volunteers to send a buggy cart for us. Michelle had to drive her car to a certain parking area and wait for me with her stuff on a cart which was a little troublesome but it was the only way. I was stuck there for half an hour or so, waiting for a buggy cart to the rescue. I had to hear a performance from a Korean drum academy at one stage and some random rock band from another stage (by the way the music was awful, I would rather listen to Daughtry). The volunteer came to me again and explained that two of their buggy carts broke down, so I had to wait for an available cart to come. After a few minutes, a buggy cart came and carried all of Michelle's stuff on it's trunk. This was my first time riding on a buggy cart, actually! And I loved it! I was sitting on the passenger seat with wind blowing against my face as the driver drove down the stone path. I felt like a VIP or something! We arrived at the parking lot where Michelle waited next to her car. She was thankful on how patient I was for waiting that long. Tough luck, I must say... She also said that the other volunteer just called her, apologizing that he could't make it because he fell asleep. LOL...

By the way, Michelle told me that she used to blog! She used to have a food blog, but she felt that she didn't have the creativity to write. It's true that being a writer takes creativity, but I don't think she should give up on blogging. Blogging is all about passion on certain subjects and expression on oneself. I think if a person has the determination to share her words with people online, he or she will eventually gain confidence in writing more.

A temporary, washable tattoo I got that day. I removed it before I went to bed. 

SHARE information on display..

Overall, the volunteering was a good experience. I get to know a little bit of my leader, including on how she started volunteering at SHARE before working full time with this organization. I guess communication does bring people together, even though I can't think of hundreds of questions like most people do. I can't wait for the rest of summer, especially my flight back home in two weeks! Say hi to my little SHARE bear plush toy here! I haven't had a plushie for years after I gave them up when I was 11! Speaking of bear, we had our bear mascot that walked in the Canada Day parade that morning, and the person in the costume was exhausted because he gave hugs to almost all children who watched the parade. Like I said, it's a bear and it needs hugs! I wish this plush bear would be bigger so that I can cuddle it. XD See you in the next post!