My Trip to Houston Texas & Life Lesson 1

In this post, I would like to take myself to when I was in one of the journey I have made during my young adult time. I was just around 23 years old, female, and that was my first time travelling so far away from home. It is exactly 15,921 km distance between where I left my family and friends to the destination. It was my very first experience catching a flight, making a long journey. I have never felt so excited and scared at the same time, before. The travel that requires me to be away for almost 10 weeks at a place where I have never been to, seems difficult for me to unravel.

I've met some companions along my journey during the transit in Doha International Airport, which happen to be my future colleagues, at that time. There are six of us, all coming from Asia, travelling to Houston, Texas, USA. We are supposed to be trained as an offshore personnel working as Field Geophysicist on-board any fleet that we will be assigned to.

Upon reaching Houston, it was still winter and the weather is nothing compared to where I was from. February temperature in that part of the world is so cold and humid to my Asian body type. I remember being fetched by our supervisor and he took us to Alta Royal Oaks Apartment where we had stayed for 2 months.

The total travelling time was exactly 23 hours and at that moment, I haven't realized that I will have more of this kind of journey as I have ventured into being an International Traveler for another 3 to 4 years. There I was attending class during my 8 to 5 working hours at the office. Learning, studying and preparing for the cause. While at the same time, socializing with all good people around me. It wasn't hard, but it was also not an easy one either. 

This life changing experience that I had really had brought me into being such an open minded person. I remember how I always felt like being sent away alone that had kept me in between the positive and the negative arguments between my-old-self and everything with it against my-new-self and also everything that comes with it. To keep them in balance, to really make sure that I will not let myself astray is definitely not an effortless task. 

I would have listed down all the arguments that I had, the challenges I have faced, and all the happiness, regrets that I may have also had, but I would rather not. Hence, I had chosen to cherish all the good and positive outcome from it and learn from the past experience which I know that was what had brought me to where I am right now. Life lesson no. 1 that I could point out from this life adventure that I had and of course there should be more to it, but this gem that I have kept as my principle is this;

"A failure is not a loss. It's a gain. You learn. You change. You grow. - Anonymous"

It is true enough that I have never scared to make mistakes. Because I know that there are so much that I could learn from it, I will change and I will always grow.

2019 Bucket List Checked

To continue this blog after such a long time.. To have the liberty to access to this account again after such trials.. I am so grateful..

I've read all of my previous post, almost got me to re-write everything and amend some of the posts but I'm letting my past pass through this.. A little bit about myself after almost a decade missing.. 

Well, now I am a mother (to my precious son), a wife (to my very supportive reader, of course), a daughter, a sister and a friend to those wonderful people around me. I have always believed that I have gone through a lot in this life and never tired of getting more of it. I love travel, in fact, that is my dream, to travel without limit, and carefree, discover new places, exploring every corner of the earth, whether it's flat or round I’m sure at some point I’ll landed where it should be. I am an easy going person, love to make friends and sometime choosy at it as I believe there are a lot of fake people in this world.

Why do I ever think of starting to write - again?

It has started almost 10 years from the day I wrote this, I had always travelled and alone in the other part of the world. My interest to write, to share the stories has never been growing larger than ever. There are so much that I’m thinking of, that I want to share with the world. Some stories are great ones to share, while some stories are not but for the benefit of life experiences. Some were for my pasts and some were for my future. I have been keeping this interest of mine in that bucket list long enough that I feel like bursting, hence back to this nostalgic platform. I hope it is the right decision for me to do so. I have a dream that one day I want to put this life story of mine in a book. Because I know I have gone through that “Bilbo Baggins’ @hobbits adventure” of mine last few years and that’s what have become who I am now and me willing to pursue for far more challenging life ahead, I have to keep writing. That’s what I kept telling myself and here I am.. 

On My Journey to South Africa

April 11, 2011 - Changi, SG
Extraordinarily, my 1 hour 10 mins flight from Subang to Singapore was filled with me ended up reading a book I just bought @Subang.. It's just not me.. I mean.. I like to read but not like this.. well I can say I just changed now.. In a good way I suppose.. hey there.. happy for me.. next plan.. to get a mini library in my very own house.. hahaha!

anyway, upon reaching I was clueless.. but now.. I can say I know every corner (well not quite but at least there's a lot of sign here and there) in this airport.. nice and different from other Airport I visited like......... compare to maybe 10 other airports that I had visited in this one year.. (yes, I travel a lot.. right dear.. and u suffer a lot.. huhuhuhu)

anyway, good thing there's malay language here and there so at least I can understand everything rather than have to look into dictionary for some unfamiliar English (I used to do that in Heathrow Airport, London when they use other word for Chapel.. can't remember the word though.. T_T") anyhow.. this free internet cafe for passenger.. (even we have to stand and getting 15 mins free per session) OK.. I already use like 4 session already.. come on.. they playing Terminator 1 on movie theater (free admission of course) and it's so boring!! =p

Wonder what I'm gonna do for the next few hours.. I got like 2 hours more before I can go to the gate.. anyway~ tata.. that's it for now! =)) next stop! Johannesburg here I come.. huhuhuhu..

p/s: Singapore's nice.. so do *some* Singaporean~

Before & After

April 10, 2011- Sri Gombak, MY
It is before.. before my journey.. well.. yet to be started.. I'll be flying tomorrow.. and what am I doing now.. having insomnia.. can't sleep.. awake at this hour.. I was having a thought to write.. like.. I need to write.. as I know there's someone reading it.. so at least I know my dream starts with him.. As he always does.. somebody is listening~ now hear me out..

There's so many things I regret now, before going abroad.. There's a lot of things that I want to redo for at least 2 weeks past..

• my priority pass should be submitted 2 weeks before or months before, so that I'll get the card earlier and I can use it for this time.. (thanks god my employer pay for it) but I can't use it.. even though I'm gonna have like 5 hours time waiting for another flight in Singapore.. or even in Johannesburg.. but, the imprudent me surely lack of awareness of this!! well.. serve u right, ticka ticka tum tum!!
• then, I will make a better cash flow of mine to keep track where my money go even though i know it's almost impossible for a big spender like me.. LOL on that!
• I will surely arrange my journey carefully as I'll be expecting more unexpected occurrence from now on. I'll bring my own printer anywhere I go. I'll drive no matter what.. I mean technically I'll be seated next to the driver as I know I won't have *the permission* to drive. Well.. I think I like it more that way.. Less stress to think.. yeah!!!! =)

That's it as much as I remember. But, anyway, good for me because the things that always stay the same is me.. being frail! ugh.. enough with this balderdash. I'm gonna sleep now.. nite nite bidda bidda boo!

Falkland Island & Me

Salam n praise upon the only dear god on earth..

My come back after one year.. I'm thinking why I'm doing this? why I did not write anything here. I'll list down all my reasons here:

• Consistency problem as always

• When the time comes, I'll write, and here I am.

• Lack of ink to write.

• Nice place to write. Look at where am I while writing this. Such a beautiful place indeed. I’d never even dream of coming to this kind of place.

Enough with all the blabbering, My eyes got caught on a hill having words written with stones. There were 60 metres in height words “written with” painted white stones. (Beagle, Barracouta, Protector and Endurance), referred to four ships of the British Navy, and stones were laid by crews of these ships that sailed around the coast of the Falklands. The first stones were placed at the beginning of the twentieth century. Nonetheless, the islands have been a matter of controversy, as they have been claimed by the French, Spaniards, British and Argentines at various points. More at Falkland History

After a year.. here I am.. neither brag about anything, nor complaining. As my previous post. What will be, will be.. It's on god's will, and it's actually also in our hand. Whether to make/let the thing (anything) happen to us or not.

As I'm here now, standing on my ground (sitting on a bench actually), letting some people get in my life, leave something and go, or I myself getting in someone's life and leave them. Second crew change of mine this time really gives me some thrill. I’m sitting on a bench, just alongside the waterfront, looking at the water current flow. It’s actually quite windy today and chill but still sunny. Even though it’s not as bright as Malaysia’s sunshine, it’s still there with me, wherever and whenever I go. I was watching the Island with such beautiful god’s creation. I wonder how everything has been put in place like this. 

My hand is freezing. But I’ve experienced much colder than this before. So I’ve decided that I’ll stay seated here, continue what I was doing. Letting my hand freeze. Thinking of pretty much everything. Hoping that the breeze I feel won’t froze me in second, or even worse, raining! i wish my laptop will have this water proof solution.

I'm thinking about what should I feel right now.. What should I do and how should I capture the moment. I ought to feeling calm and serene but my head keep pushing me into thinking into a far less-better place. Which i call home. What I meant to say, my home surely not having this kind of weather/scenery but still home is where a person's heart is. At least my heart is right now. :) I wish I have my family around with me at the moment then I'm gonna ask anything no more.