A Photographic Trip Down Memory Lane

 

Today, I feel nostalgic. This is my first exam since the end of high school that I’m not with the gang. I texted Dedi while waiting for my bus, half wanting to cry. I told him I missed everyone back home. I remember how we congregate in the cafeteria for breakfast and last minute discussion before going to the exam hall. I remember the victory Tun Jugah trip for everyone after exams are done. Usually for me to eat sushi and for the rest of the humans to eat dinner. Haha. The bus reminds me of Nelson.

And then it hits me…on this journey, I am alone.

Sure, I have friends here. They are cool. Great. I love them all. But no one, no new group can replace my old gang. Particularly because they were my first bunch after high school. College was a milestone for me. I turned 18 in college. I had real girl friends for once in college (and girls that I don’t get disgusted at). I was studying something I actually liked in college, not something I had to go through because the government syllabus says so.

Lots of things.

 

So here’s a trip down memory lane.

 

Hmm…not actually starting with ‘memory lane’, huh! Haha. Sorry, feed my vanity and narcissism for a while. This is me. Hello! Picture taken before going out to….I can’t remember. My bed was messy from all the clothes thrown haphazardly. This outfit was about the fifth one I pulled from my closet and I just simply piled everything else on the bed instead of putting them back in. I love me boots. You know this is taken on summer, otherwise i would have NOT dare to dress up like that. If ever I attempt it on winter, I’ll be Penguin Popsicles.

This was during Kuching Festival 2006. Somewhere in July, if I’m not mistaken. I am wearing my father’s race traditional costume. I forgot what Lucy was wearing. Haha. The second picture is with Dandy and Dedi. I think this was the last semester Dandy was in Kuching. Dedi…as Pak Jawa, hahaha! He really looked the part.

 

This was one of the fondest memories. Some DCAU/DCNZ student gathering for a picnic in Matang. One of these monkeys is an IT student, hahaha. But he gets along well with all of us, very well, in fact. He is one of us. Aaaah, looking at his picture always makes me smile. And wanting to cry at the same time.

 

This is Vanilla. Her name is not actually Vanilla. But she is as sweet as Vanilla. If I call her by her real name, I will feel very weird. This was taken in Gamelan, on Dedi’s birthday. We were classmates in college, now we’re classmates in Uni!

 

This was for Jorie’s birthday! This is taken in the infamous 330 room, where the Penguin, the Monkey and the Baboon resides. Previously there was a Chimp but she went off to study in KL, so she was replaced by the Jorie. Haha. It was a surprised party for Jorie. She actually said she felt bummed because she thought no one remembered her birthday, and she was expecting a surprise the whole day, hahahaha!

(The bad thing about having surprise party for everyone’s birthday is that it no longer become a surprise after a while. I have a funny story where Jorie accidentally thwarted everyone’s plan for my surprise birthday party…it was so funny! But that’s for another entry)

 

Another picture of a fond gathering. This was the semester before Hazel was due to Brisbane, and Tiing Tiing was to head to New Zealand. This was taken in Chillax, which is such a cool place by the way! Sophia, Reening…you guys have got to play around there. It’s near your place what! I’m not sure if it’s still operating now though.

 

Steven, one of my closest friend back home. I miss him so much. I just don’t miss the smoking. Ugh. When I finished college and worked for a while, I stayed in Pleasant Court. He always tag home along with Marine after work, and we’d all have a gossday! Many dinners together!

 

And talking about dinner…this is one of the group dinners we had back in Kuching. Hosted in Bobby’s apartment (Thanks, you guys!). Excellent, I love it (because most of the food I cook, so what’s there not to love? Hahahaha). While cooking, I keep on muching my own spring rolls and only stopped when Lucy told me I would finish it before dinner, and I would ruin my dinner. Dandy made sambal pecel (yum!) and Lucy made ice tea (frankly speaking, only Indonesians can make real good ice tea. I kid you not). This was my first introduction to tempeh, and I have been addicted eversince. Even now in Australia the fridge is never without tempe. We watched Over the Hedge that night during dinner, fun fun fun! I baked Sheperd’s Pie today too, if I’m not mistaken. Did I, Bob? But it was served as dessert, when everyone was already bursting from food. The boys get to save it up for breakfast. Lucky buggers.

 

Hazel the Nut. The nicest girl you could ever meet. I’ve never seen her angry! And her laugh is so sexy. Woo ha. She had half of the college fell in love with her back then, hahahahaha! The Sheperd’s Pie recipe was from her and I tweaked it to have more tomato sauce, more meat, more potato…more everything! Why? Sheesh, can’t you see from the pic? I’m twice (or thrice) her size so I need to eat more, ok? No more questions allowed!

 

Lucy! For some reason we call each other “monyong”. It’s our lovable moniker. Haha. Up til now we still have no idea what monyong actually means. I miss her a lot. She is now in the United States.

 

Prajiv the Giraffe. He is so bloody tall. When he wants to hug me, he needs to kneel. Yes, kneel! I am NOT kidding! He came to see me off in the airport while I transit from on my way to Australia. He packed me off with a Body Shop cream soap, oh yeah! I’m really glad he came, because if he didn’t I would have wailed my head off in the airport.

 Feeling homesick…sigh…