It is mine!!!

"Pictures do speak a 1000 words."

CNY.

It's amazing how a JC is able to find the conscience to forgo curriculum time and celebrate Chinese New Year. (It sounds like I am lamenting, does it not.) Truth is, I find such celebrations purposeful. Not only does it give us a temporal relief from all that work, but also, it the CNY celebration made me really thankful that I am Chinese. Although, my Chinese may not be really perfect (I certainly cant pull off any QinShiHuangnian Chinese (like how we say Victorian English, get the pun!)) I really like the culture, the values, the richness of the whole Chinese society. It is sad to stereotype China and her products as unreliable and her people as loud unruly beings. China is not decadent. The urbanised population may have altered their value systems, but there are parts of China that still holds on dearly to traditional Chinese belief. I really hope to experience the Chinese culture of China soon. So, as Chinese New Year approaches, I am really happy to be able to wish everyone a happy Chinese New Year!

School.

School drains the life out of me (period).

"By the way, happy chinese new year..."

Pinstripe Shoes!

"Paul Smith Toluca Espadrille"

I seem to have something for pinstripes or stripes for that matter. Things that are stripy apparently appeals to me. Well, there goes my Red Packet cash...

Paul Smith... It reminds me of the time when I was in Shinsaibashi, Osaka doing my shopping (bought a coin wallet from PS)... Ran up and down the old street trying to find Comme Des Garcon. I tried asking for directions but the Japanese have no clue if you pronounce it in the French way. You'd have to go 'comb-day-garoooson' to be understood.

Yay or nay?

"Lanvin mirror necklaces"

So to buy or not to buy? $300 for a necklace that says Lanvin in graffiti. Buy online or wait till Lanvin re-opens?

image: http://www.selectism.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/lanvin-spring-2010-necklace.jpg

Blood Donation.

"The Reservoir in front of the Hilton"

"The Long Boat (as in as long as a bus long) Ride"

"Campsite On Day 2"

"Batang Ai Dam"

"The Beaten Path (before the slopes when I had to stop using my camera to save my life)"

Mosquitoes and Leeches...

The Bornean Jungle is not to be underestimated. It is slippery and steep. However, the most amazing facts are that the immense beauty of the forest and the indigenous Iban who has very agile bodies.

Nights in the rainforest is not mean feat. Despite, the alluring fireflies by night, the ever annoying mosquitoes and those frightening fire ants can certainly make one lose a good night's rest. The fire ants grow to twice the size of an average human's thumbnail. However, the strangely pale looking jungle fare had a magnetic effect on us. Cooked over firewood, our meals were prepared in the jungle. Bamboo shoots were certainly the best! Yes, I have had bamboo shoots before (being the Chinese that I am), but the difference is the sweetness of freshly gathered bamboo. Palm shoots was something new. The bitterness of the core did put me off a little. Then there was Midin or Jungle Fern, I have had it once in my Udon when I was in Japan but the stir-fried ferns had a different taste and texture when cooked this way. It was slightly gooey, the kind of goo one gets from eating Lady's Fingers/Okra.

One thing is for sure, the Iban and Bedayu guides sure did save my life a couple of times along the tricky trail. Thorny leaves and termite infested branches aren't exactly the thing you'd want to grab.

The leeches were one of the biggest fear the group had. However, after a few of our group mates fell victims to the painless menace, we weren't very much concerned with the leeches. Actually, the Tiger Leech was still quite fearsome to us because it stings when it sucks your life force and it likes going for very specific areas of one's body (warm and damp locations).

We found heaven when we came out of the wilderness into the luxurious Hilton Hotel. The glass of juice served to us at the entrance was enough to make me call Hilton a hotel of my choice when I travel in the future. (Stayed at the Hilton Mauritius once and I had the exact same sentiments as I do now)

Sarawak.

I am very very very drained right now. I touched down a couple of hours ago after spending 6 days in Sarawak, Malaysia. I trekked for 2 days from camp to camp and visited long houses of the indigenous Iban. I shall reveal the pictures and mention more about the trail once I get the strength to edit the images.