Joycelyn89's Xanga

Taking the Long Way

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 04:24:19 GMT

ok, I know it's been awhile... a long while.

For those who were so gracious to always check in, I thank you, but am truly sorry to always disappoint.

Life has looked up, and God has given me that silver lining.

Here’s a little update on what’s been going on since my last post.

Had the most busiest and last semester in college.

Consisting of my part time job at the Department of Student Affairs in my college. And also successfully pulled off a big event! My college’s Prom Nite. But I’d prefer not to elaborate too much on that subject. All I can say is that it went well, and I came out a more mature person… hopefully. I’m proud of myself and that my hard work was worth it in the end. But I’m glad it’s over!

Out of college!

Yes you heard it! I’m done with college! At least for now… my phase at Nilai University College is over! And it couldn’t have come at a better time. With all the changes college has been having (with both the people and the administration), I don’t think I could have bared anymore of it. What I’m sad about is leaving my beloved friends and Christian Fellowship. God Bless them all.

Foreign Intervention

Been really involved with AFS most of the time, and am finally hosting for the first time!!! I got my parents to agree to hosting a German boy for a year! His name is Kai Jeske aka KJ aka whiteboi aka Guai Lou. He’s fitting in well with the family I guess. I have a feeling he secretly loves my 2^nd bro… The Jay Man. And I’m doing all I can to make this a good experience for his as it was for me.

Played Matchmaker! But failed at my own :P

Yeah, I’m a real crowd pleaser and a sad case all rolled up into one! I introduced 2 very close friends of mine and well… their together! LOL!! I’ve never done this before! Seriously!! And I never dared to, but well, they are both great people whom I love very much, so I really want to see a happy ending for them. (you know who you are! And I want my own special mention when you 2 get married!! Better make me as much part of the wedding!! That’s if you get married la….)

And yeah, lets not elaborate too much into the failing part. Cuz we all know everyone wants to hear only good news! But having said that… I have no regrets! And I’m proud to say that! My God will show me the right person when the time comes.

All work and no play, makes joycey a sad sad girl…

LOL! Wokei, I guess I’ve lazed and played a little too much for my own good (3 weeks) . Because of my super stubborn self, I insist that I WILL go to USA for my internship… and while all my course mates have already started theirs, here I am waiting patiently and aimlessly for mine. So rather than being hawked on by me lovely parents for doing nothing at home, I got a part time job at a Christian bookstore, at Seremban Parade. My theory was rather than being bored at home, I’d rather work at the shop, be bored there and get paid! Hey! It’s not my fault business is slow there! And the manager needs help! Plus I get to listen to all the new Christian albums in the store! AND I’m working for God! How great is that!?

Problem is I can’t really take a day off, and I have to cover the manager’s shift whenever she has a hospital appointment. Well, that’s life. No one said it was perfect. My time there is great for catching up on my long over-due reading list.

Prayers answered! Internship/Work on the way!

I’ve finally been answered! God has been so kind as to finally grant me the chance to go back to US to work for 4 months!! Miami didn’t work out, but I’m going to a Ski Resort in Vermont now!! Now I just have to finish the new paper work and pay 2k (not inclusive of airfare) and I’m well on my way!! I going places babe!! Eat my dust!

Broken Flame

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:19:23 GMT

I have lost the will to write.
The passion and the happiness that came with it.
I have been broken and torn.
The smile on my face is a mask which I must wear.
Life right now has only a small glimmer of hope at the end.
This whole journey of being kicked in the butt is slowly killing me.
It's making me do things I never thought I'd do.
I'm ashamed at myself.
I ask God for help, and more often than once, he shows it.
But the darkness in this world is overshadowing his great-ness.
My only drive right now is now that it'll all be over soon.
And perhaps at the end, it may seem worth it.
But that is the future.
I keep hoping, and wishing and praying
That all my toils will not be in vain.
Pray for me as I too pray to Him.
Because When I do come out of this,
I will glorify His name no matter what.

This is why my blog has remained dormant for the longest of time. It's cuz I've had the joy in me sucked out.
I'm sorry to my friends who check in from time to time.
Perhaps I'll have something better to write after August has past....

Dear Mammy

Wed, 06 May 2009 02:50:23 GMT

It's hard to think that you're not around anymore. Everything is just so raw and I can't imagine what everyone else is feeling back in Texas. When I got the news of your passing, I was in utter shock, thinking that maybe it was a joke. But I know Steph would never joke about things like these. Even now, after I've had a few hours to take it all in, after crying myself to sleep, the world just doesn't feel right anymore.

It was just like 2 days ago that I talked to you on the phone, and just yesterday that you commented on my status on Facebook. And for some reason I saw you online after I heard the news... maybe someone was using your account. But looking at you FB profile, i just can't believe that your gone. If I had known that was going to be the last time I talked to you, I definitely would have tried to say more. But as I think back, what more could I have said? I always said I love you, and I always said that I missed you. Even though I wasn't much of a talker, I loved to just listen to you talk about anything and everything. And I really thanks God that at least I got to talk to you before it was too late.

Mammy's Last Comment

Mammy online?

I guess the only thing I regret not say was thank you for everything. Thank you for believing in me, even though you didn't know me that well. Thank you for accepting this stranger into your family. Thank you for always letting me spend the night. Thank you for everything that you have given me. Thank you for loving me as a granddaughter that was never really yours.

I will always remember the times I spent at your place with Steph and the girls; the times out on the your pouch talking to you (more like listening to you talk); the times I'd ride in your car with you; the times just laughing at whatever crazy things you'd be doing; the time I first met you;the time with the dogs; the time before Prom; the time during my going-away party; the time visiting you in the hospital; the time during easter.... There was never a dull moment with you around.

I was so looking forward to seeing you when I go back to Texas and spending Christmas with you. And it breaks my heart to know that you're not going to be there anymore. Now you can't even see me suceed later on in my career, and I can't even let you try my baking. You won't be able to see me get married, or let me repay you for everything you've done for me. Nothing will be the same without you.

And to think that I'll be going on the Langkawi Island vacation that I was telling you about, in just a few hours. I can't imagine I could really enjoy it now. I'm so sorry I can't be there to pay my last respects, but I just want you to know that you were the best grandmother an exchange student could ever have, and the last grandmother I had. I love you and miss you always, and you will forever be in my heart. For the Lord will look after those who loved him and good people like you. I am going to go and this vacation and try to have fun! Because I know that's what you would have wanted.
"Here I am, wheeling around watering the plants; now I'm entangled in the hose and watering the pouch! Oh! Now I'm watering myself!" - Mammy, while talking on the phone with me.

Judy Newquist McBurney
May 9, 1947 - May 5, 2009
"Because you loved me"

If I was there at your memorial service, this is what I would sing :

There's a land that is fairer than day,
And by faith we can see it afar;
For the Father waits over the way
To prepare us a dwelling place there.
In the sweet
By and by
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet
By and by
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.

With Love Always,
Your Granddaughter, Joyce

random

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:19:29 GMT

I finally went for my first really AFS orientation since my own!

This one was for the Klang and Seremban Chapter's new exchange students! And I'm just so happy and excited that Seremban finally has exchange students after like so many years!

For this orientation, it was held at Fraser's Hill... Which I have never been before. The journey was killer, apparently my head wasn't equipped to handle such tough terrain going up to that highland... But the destination was quite worth it. Fraser's Hill may be a small little place, but at least it still has that back to nature charm and the crisped cold mountain air... Unless Genting highlands and Camaron Highlands.

The exchange students going on this trip were a mixture of both old and new... the old ones being in malaysia for about half a year already and the new ones, only a month.

We call this guy Harry Potter! aka Raffa

Seremban Chapter has 3 students from Germany, and so far, I think their awesome! Really reminds me of the time when I was just like them.

It was really a fun get-together with the students and I really enjoyed getting to know each and everyone of them. And I absolutely loved the misty cold mountains, that actually make your breath fog! sigh... I've missed seeing my breath...

Family Portrait!

Charlie's Angels c'mon!
The Seremban Girl Volunteers

Mr A-Z !

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:06:46 GMT

He sang, He danced, and He rocked hard!
Yes! It's true! Jason Mraz came to Malaysia! And I was there to prove it!!
And to think, just a week before, I was actually thinking of not going... How could I have been so stupid!?
I've known he was coming since January! and I even got a part-time job at my college to pay for the tickets. But for the longest time, I couldn't find anyone to go with... Until the weekend before the concert that my lovey Trisha finally said she was going and helped me get a ticket too!!! I am forever in debated to her...
I couldn't concentrate on my tests on today. Rushed to KL to meet Trisha and her mates at KL Sentral and made our way to Stadium Negara! Even my 2nd bro went for the concert, though he's not actually a fan...

My first concert and It was just awesome!!! We got the RM 138 free standing Rock Zone tickets (I really wanted the RM258 one though). And being short in a free standing area is really not fun. Had to be crushed and on tipped toed all the way... But Jason was amazing needless to say! I knew most of the songs after listening to the new album over and over again for the last 4 days. But there was this one song I didn't know...

The song sequence was :
Make It Mine (love!)
Remedy/ Wonderwall (yeah babe!)
You and I Both ()
If It Kills Me
Life is Wonderful
Live High (his intro to the song was really funny!)
A Beautiful Mess
Geek in the Pink!!!! (OMG! LOVE LOVE LOVE!)
Dynamo of Volition (My favourite song of the day!)
I'm Yours! (Everyone's Favourite)

(Break time for Mraz)

Then he came back with a I KL t-shirt! And continues with...
Lucky! (my favourite song from the album!!!) duet with Penny Tai
No Stopping Us (The one song i didn't know)
(Ending with) Butterfly!

Yes, we were THAT close!

I especially loved Dynamo of Volition because he had these funny dance moves that go along with it, which were just so fun to do! And the way he says "Give me that high fives! And then go down low and see if the ppl at the back will perform their obligation... " OMG! It's just so funny and so him!
Lucky was really disappointing because Penny Tai (whom I didn't recognize at all) was not only late for the song, but didn't really sing that well anyway. I was practically screaming, Pick me Jason! I'll sing with you! Sigh....
During Geek in the Pink, I managed to call a friend of mine (who's almost as much a fan as I am, but couldn't go to the concert), to let him listen to the concert on my mobile phone!!! LOL! It's so fun to have the power in my hands!

ok fine, but we were pretty close.

Mr Toga was there too!

I've been reading a couple of blog post by some ppl, and their saying that he sang Bella Luna, which he clearly did not! I would know cuz that's like one of my favourite songs from him, and was disappointed that he didn't sing it. You can even check the setlist of his previous shows on his official forum and there was no Bella Luna.... During his last song, he also took out a Polaroid Camera and start snapping pictures of his band and finally himself and threw it into the crowd!!! Now I really wished I had gotten the 258 ticket!!

Me and Trisha at the concert!

The show felt so short la! And then after, we left lor. I was disappointed that I didn't get to buy a t-shirt cuz after the show, the stall wasn't there anymore.... And then, I got really jealous when my bro texted me saying that he saw Jason Mraz getting up his tour bus and he got pictures!!!! I regret not bringing my camera... I don't know when I'll get the real pictures from my friend, but I'll be sure to post them here when I do.

p.s. pics are stolen from bro's blog...

Turning older

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:31:12 GMT

Yes, it's that time of the year again! I'm now officially 19 years and 373 days old!
So I had this awesome lunch date with my loveys from my YES 07 batch!! We finally tired this amazing Mexican restaurant called Frontera Bar and Grill at Jaya One in PJ, KL.

And let me just say... I haven't taste real genuine Mexican food since my Texas days.... until now.
We had Taquitos de Pollo, Beef Enchiladas, and a ton of stuff I can't remember, but Chips and Salsa was definitely a must. And we also ordered a round of Frontera's Agave Margaritas, cuz according to Kelsey, they served the best margaritas in town.

The food was awesome needless to say. But the margaritas were a little tricky, cuz I'm not really much of a drinker to tell everyone the truth. I like to taste different types of cocktails and wine and alcohol and stuff, but I can't drink... Seriously! After like a few sips, my face turns red and I heat up, and then I make ppl laugh because I was being my little innocent self, when I laugh at myself saying I'm all red!! Which then makes ppl think I'm starting to get drunk... What's worst, my friends want me to drink 2 glasses because I'm the "Birthday Girl". Well, anyway, it was good to make my friends laugh, and it was great to be with them at a place we all love.

So with my College Mates, what they did was surprise me with a huge "mahjong tile" styled jelly as my cake at the stroke of midnight at my place in Nilai. And it was really cool of them to do that for me, plus I had already chosen my present from them. Then the day of my birthday, we went to Green Box Karaoke to make use of the whole Birthday promotion that they have. It was good, I got to decorate my own b-day cake and all, LOL! Maybe the down side was my college mates only sing chinese songs, and I was the only one singing my English bits, which just wasn't as fun as I hoped...

I also got together with my old high school gang to celebrate mine and Huey Kee's b-day cuz we're close together and all. Missed them so much.

Finally, just want to point out, I love my brothers, no matter what! But I like it that they are unpredictable and always full of surprises. My big bro gave me a limited edition of Jason Mraz's We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things Album!!! 3 CDs in one!! I literally started screaming when I got it!

And my 2nd bro was nothing less surprising when he gave me.... DKNY's Be Delicious!!!! Another screamer for ya!!! Seriously... Do I have the best brothers or what!!??

p.s. sorli ya jaemy bro... it really just slipped my mind.... sorli...

So, that was my birthday for you!

Happy Singles Awareness Day!

Sat, 14 Feb 2009 04:45:01 GMT

Yes, It's Valentine's Day again. And yet again, I'm forever single. What's new?

Valentine's has long been an over commercialized celebration of "Love" and I may sound cynical for saying it.

The only Valentine's I've ever really celebrated was the one I had when I was in US, where friends would give each other valentines just for the joy of it. And there, it wasn't ALL about couples and all that jazz.
Here, there just isn't that feeling... even though we try to say we can celebrate with friends and be happy about it, it just ends up being a gathering of single people, mopping away about the fact that we're single. I myself have gotten into the charade cuz when you start seeing people around you hooking up, and other single people mopping about being single... well, I tend to succumb to peer pressure.
Back in the US, everyone was just happy the way they are, and when good things came along, they just thank God for it (well, most of them at least). I really wished we had that kinda feeling here.

To all the single people out there, I just wanna say, stop worrying about not being with someone. Valentine's Day is about love, and it can be love for anyone or anything. So lets all take this time to give our love to someone or something that deserves it. Like a friend, or a family member, or fictional character , or maybe an activity you really enjoy...
In my case, I'm loving my dogs (aka my babies), cuz I just love them so much. They give you unconditional love and they're always happy to see you. To know that feeling, you have to have a pet for yourself.

Here are some videos I found on youtube that really touched my heart.

So, give your love to a pet this Valentine's, or any Valentine's Day for that matter.
And also remember that God loves you.

farewell

Sun, 08 Feb 2009 09:06:07 GMT

We bid farewell to yet another one of our (by our I mean mine) "gang of girls"....
We grew up together, we were devoted together, and we watched each others lives change in the process.

Jessica Lee Hui Chi (left)
1990 - ?

That last day spent with you and the girls were like bringing old memories back. And creating new ones in the process.

We've known each other since before I could remember (according to you, that's 12 years... but it really feels like more), and we were like sisters from different mothers (but from the same Father)...

Karaoke-d the night away!

Seeing you leave now is very much like saying goodbye, even though I know you're coming back for Christmas and all. But it doesn't change the fact that from this moment forth, things have started to change.

You my dear have started to venture into this dangerous world of unforeseen circumstances....
And too soon will I venture into the cruel working world.

I always thought that I would be the first one to leave "the gang", so I could spare myself the heartfelt goodbyes. Having said all that, I really hope you have a great time in Australia. Show them Aussies that a Malaysian can kick their arse in their own country! (academic- ly of course) And though time may change us and the world around us, our bond will never change. We are sistas 4 life! And I love you, so you take good care of yourself there, cuz I don't wanna have to go over there and whop your arse because you couldn't stay outta trouble!

Chinese "Niu" Year

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 17:36:32 GMT

Ah... Chinese New Year is here once again. With the flaming red everywhere, and the decorations and the constant Chinese New Year songs going on everywhere. The songs can get annoying sometimes, but it's still part of my heritage at least. Funny how Chinese New Year doesn't seem all so happening once you get older.

The food and the family

So like any other year, we had our Reunion dinner at our place with my father's side of the family. Food was good, especially at reunion dinners. Love spending time with the family. I introduced them to the wonders of mixing in their drinks. We had sparkling juice with syrup water (sarsi flavoured) which saved on the juice so that everyone could taste it. The wonders of mocktail making... I miss that subject.

Yes, we eat on the floor sometimes, it's funner that way.

This year was the year of the OX! or bull if you wanna call it that. And it so happens that me 2nd bro is born in the year of the ox. So, he was finally willing to wear the Texas Longhorns T-shirt I bought for him from the US, just to mark the occasion! I love having both my brothers home!

Go Longhorns!

Nothing like digesting it all off with some TV

Then there was the usual CNY visitations to relative's houses and friends. Glad I got to meetup with some old high school friend... and how we have changed.... It was a pretty good CNY, but the turn outs for the ang paus (red packets) were a little low... Blame it on the bad economic downturn, sigh.

My Ang Paus!

Rachael vs Martha

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 17:43:19 GMT

The Rachael Ray Show and the Martha Steward Show....
Both great shows that I love to watch....
But I just can't help comparing them...

Obviously, Martha Steward is the richer (in terms of cash and net worth), plus she's definitely the more popular one... The whole jail thing and the amount of contacts she has in the business world, not forgetting The Apprentice Martha Steward version that Donald Trump helped her with.... She's got enough backing that's going to take her places.

Rachael Ray is definitely someone we can identify with more. The more homely one, with a sense of humour and so incredibly down to earth! She's actually genuine about the things she says and does. And whenever she interviews someone or has a special guest on her show, she actually listens to what they have to say! But no, not Martha, she always has to have the last word, and she never actually listens....

They both have about the same thing on their show, food, home living, decor, lifestyle and all that jazz. Mainly things women, and housewives love. I like Martha's food content because I like baking, but Rachael makes her 30-minute meals look so easy and fun. Rachael is not afraid to make mistakes, and she admits when there's an awkward moment during the show and she always acknowledges her audience. She makes them part of the show rather than the viewers of the show. Martha on the other hand, just rambles on and just doesn't really make a connection with the audience when she doesn't have to. I guess she's just all about the money. And I guess her show is more big production.

Rachael's show has really great "within-our-range" stuff, cuz she understands that most of the viewers don't have a very big income. Maybe Martha's viewers are more willing to spend. And I also like that Rachael is more impromptu, more herself and she reminds me so much of my host-mum Steph when she makes all those funny comments to fill in the silence when she cooks. That's is was makes Racheal Ray's show so special! And she genuinely looks like she's having fun on the show; Marth's fun just looks so rehearsed.

All in all, I'm starting to like Racehal Ray's show more than Martha Stewart's show now. But I do still like Martha's baking segment (I use alot of her recipes) and that she has so many high-profile guest on her show. (OMG! She got Valentino to be on her show!!!)