UK Working Holiday Maker changing to Youth Mobility Scheme soon

For anyone intending to apply for the WHM visa, please act quick. Seems like confirmed changing the scheme to YMS, see link below:

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/managingourborders/pbsdocs/statementofintent/temporaryworkersunderpbs.pdf

10+, 20+, 30... Recalling myself

More than 9 years in Penang, one can imagine how much stuffs I have gathered. Really big head while I was packing my stuffs, but it’s a good find – recalling my past. Found some diaries that I used to write down my mood (never since I started working), brought back some memories that I almost forgot.
So many things I wanted to throw away, save the trouble to sort. Then I realized, I’ve almost forgotten some fragments of my past, who I were, so decided to keep ‘soft copies’ of them before I get rid.
I was kinda surprised that I used to have pretty nice handwritings (in my humble opinion, hehe).
1997-1999, writing still kinda childish, well, I’m still in my teens.2001 onwards, wow! That’s the kind of handwriting that surprised myself... Haha!

10+

3 main important sector of life chapter 10+:Girl Guiding, Chin Woo Association & activities in Sam Tet.


Crazy about Girl Guiding during my teens. The best thing of course is the Sherwood 93’ International Girl Guide and Scouts Camp- eye opener and a strong friendship binder (PL, EP, YM & SY –dear friends that I’ll treasure forever).
The vest on the right is part of our camp uniform for Sherwood 93’, sewn with badges exchanged in the camp. This is one thing I’ll never ever throw away, no way! Over my dead body!
Then it’s Chin Woo Association, yeah.. The famous Chin Woo （精武门） of Fok Yun Kap （霍元甲). Don’t ask me about any martial art stances now... I’ve return to the sifu. I’ve only learnt Wushu for a year, then came SPM, and I’m forbidden to spend that much time there. Anyway, the real joy is with the lion & dragon dance troupe. Ah.. I’m not the lion dancer, once awhile be the lion’s butt only, not the head (too heavy for me, or say never spend enough time to practice on that). I only play a bit of drum, cymbals, gong... Emm... Sometimes dragon dance also (any part of the body except the head (too heavy again... Hehe). Love the days we go out on lorries to perform. Those who never tried sitting/standing at the back of lorry in the open air.. too bad. It’s a wonderful experience!

Sam Tet. It’s a boy’s school, ok. But with girls in 6th Form. It’s another level of fun in activities. More freedom, more chances to explore our capabilities compared to earlier years. Learn a lot, played a lot, that’s where I gave up the intention to go for fashion designing and set my eye in architecture....

20+

Life chapter in Penang. USM & work. Mindset changing during the few years striving in university. Lose patience in doing detail handycrafts. Learnt to open one eye, close one eye. Learnt to think differently, in fact, I’m already different in my 10+. Periodically losing directions, losing dreams and had to pull myself back on and off... That’s the importance of old stuffs~ reminding me of my past.
Late 20s, my life was almost like .... (simply plain, tasteless)... Course mates and friend leaving one by one to other places, less and less people to hang out with, except my bf and three two kittens (小猫三两只). Hard to make genuine friends from work, except a few perhaps.

30
Last opportunity for me to leave Malaysia – UK Working Holiday Maker. Most of the process was mentioned in the 1st blog. Going 30, I resigned, and... Some new friends came into my life, been a long time since I’ve made any new friends, friends that I enjoy their craziness. First, thanks to Oscar to bring me into the photography class, there’s where I get to know some friends from the Chinese Cari Forum and also ended up with the Mushroom Gang ( http://mushroomsarts.multiply.com/).
Then thanks to Kaye for introducing me to a forum about hiking, and ended up with a group of hiking friends that are all so nice and friendly. Since then, hang out with them almost every weekend that I’m in Penang, mainly hiking of course. Hike, hike, hike.. Like there’s no tomorrow.. Haha. Well, some of them ended up poisoned with photography.

Besides my old friends, I’m really happy and lucky to know all these new friends that share the same interest with me, and can withstand my craziness. To all my friends, old and new, even if I didn’t mention specifically here, Thank you for being my friend. Though I seldom show my appreciation on my face, but I really appreciate the friendship.
Oops.. Ended up talking about friendship... Supposed to be recalling myself.



After hiking to Mount Yong Yap, was sick for week, slimmed down a lot. Then was in Penang for the past week to pack. Ended up most of the time meeting friends. Photoshooting and Karaoke with Mushroom Gang (photos). My bosses (ex-bosses) gave me a treat, also an angpow with handwritings of their 7 yr old daughter, Karin, a very jovial child. I find it pretty cute, here’s a close up of the writings. One of our clients also gave me a treat at Kirishima Japanese Restaurant, Cititel. Should have taken a photo of the best salmon roe I’ve eaten so far. Sort of farewell with hiking friends, one of them going to Germany for training, I’m going to UK, another in KL going to Middle East.
Every afternoon, I had lunch appointment with some friends. Little time for packing. Anyway, managed to clear most of the rubbish or stuffs I’ve ‘collected’ over the years (no photos, too busy), phew... I swear, no more collecting of pamphlets during travel. One trip in Australia, another in US, is more than enough. Reluctant, but I’ve thrown them away, keeping only a few. Tired of throwing things, so it’s better to collect less.


More to go... I’ve some ‘collections’ in Ipoh. Hope to clear as many as I could, leave behind as little as possible, and recall more of myself.

*the process of posting is disastrous, just can't get the right layout I want, looks like I need to spend some time to learn about html editing... phew...

New Start

I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane... Finally

So it's time to announce to all my friends.

Confirmed flight today, leaving on 3rd June.

I'll be leaving for UK on Working Holiday Maker Visa for 2 years. I'm also trying to take this opportunity to earn enough to fund myself to further studies, a childhood dream to study overseas, well, it's not so much for the sake of earning more in future because that's not likely to work in my field, but it's just a matter of being and seeing different environments. If my plan works well and i'm lucky enough, I'll start studying the following year, then it'll take a total of about 3 years in UK. (Chinese says: 1 stone kills 2 birds, for me it's 1 trip round 2 dreams, 1 of travel, another of study)

Sparks

Thanks to my dear friend Esther, who informed me that the WHM Visa was opened for application again... It was more than a year back when I decided that I wanted to apply for that. Few things that trigger me:

1. love of travel

2. further studies

3. was at a very down period at work due to some very stubborn colleague (been putting a lot more of my time at work to clean other's shit)

4. my sister signed a 3 year contract in local company = she can't go elsewhere... it's turn for me to explore now, at least some one is in Malaysia with my mum. 

It's hard though... most of my friends expected me to leave as I like, but I tell you now, it's kinda hard to get out of 'comfort zone', the place that you're used to. At the moment I hand in my resignation, I'm already getting quite familiar with my work, handling some very nice clients, enjoying designing for them so much... Being rather soft-hearted, I promised my boss to help them while I get my Visa done, so ended up I’ve been working part time for almost a year! Not fruitful in terms of financial and also time... I'm working part time with full-timer responsibility, no one to pass my projects to, actually I can just pat my butt and go.... but wanna do as much as I can, and also the greed to finish off a project for a super nice client (finally had to leave it to others, unfinished, coz my age can't wait).  Finally... made up my mind to put everything to a stop in April. Been dragging too long.... nothing done, going nowhere.  

Being out of job, finally... I can concentrate with my WHM application, and I'm lucky, I got it fast and smooth. Thanks to Esther and Gareth for  supplying some documents, thanks to my mother for great support  (financially and also understanding my decision) and my uncle(erjiu) for sponsoring my flight ticket.

Traveling Alone

Yes. I’m traveling alone. To answer the common question asked by many.

What about my bf? He says he’ll wait for me. He can’t let go of his family. I can’t let go of my dream. Well, nothing unfair to him, I’ve told him that I’ll go overseas in few years time before we get attached, if he can’t accept the distance, we’d rather not start, but he accepted, so… I kept my word (going overseas), he has to keep his (accepting my absence for few years).  As for his family of more conventional thinking, I’m really sorry that I can’t meet up to their expectation as of now. 

At this age, many of my peers are rushing into marriage or making babies. In fact, many are already mothers.  So what? I know I’m not young.  I can’t just follow what the majorities think. I can only walk at my own pace.  

Many may doubt the long distance relationship. Well, I don’t believe clinging tight to each other is the solution also.  My brother and sis-in-law passed the test, distant for more than 2 years, now married. Many couples, sleeping beside each other everyday, still went separate ways somehow.  I always believe what is meant to be yours, it’s yours, what is not meant to be yours, no matter how tight you hold to, it will still slip away. So… if we’re separated for so long and yet manage to keep the deep affection, then this relationship is genuine and we’ll truly appreciate.

Let fate decides.