Monthly Archives: September 2009
Question Mark
I’m here at Changi Airport in Singapore. It’s a weird feeling… all sorts. But mostly sad, sad, sad. Is grandma still waiting for me? Can she cope with the pain and the waiting? Is it no longer an is but a was? It remains a big question mark to me. Are you still with us grandma?
I hope I’m still able to see her and she me.
On the other hand… there is that other feeling… nervous…
Grandma Arlinis
I am coming home again for the second time this year. The first time was in July to see grandma and dad who were ill (dad was admitted in the hospital). Now, to see grandma who is in a critical condition in Kota Kinabalu. Her doctors told my family to ask all her close family to come home already.
My grandma, who is a 4th generation of Wong Loong descendants, is the eldest daughter or Mr Ligunjang from his second marriage and the mother of my father.
During my visit in July, I have made several photos of grandma. These 2 below are my favourites.
My grandma Arlinis Juliny Ligunjang
This shot was taken in Papar Hospital when grandma had to go for a check-up. This one is with a smile (after I made face or said something that made her smile or even laugh). 15 July 2009
Grandma and her daughters. Aunt N, Aunt B, Grandma and Aunt A
This shot is my favourite of the many pictures I have taken at Aunt A’s home in Tambunan. As usual, I had to do something to make grandma laugh. I am the eldest granddaughter in the family and I am close with my dad’s younger sisters. When grandma wanted to see someone in Keningau, we ladies had a small reunion in Tambunan. 26 July 2009
A Dream
Looking up at the blue sky while sitting at the veranda of my parents´ house, I felt so calm. I knew I still had things to do: finding some specific photos from my old albums. The photos of a person whom had ruled my heart from ages ago when we were still teenagers, more than 2 decades ago. But I thought the searching could wait, so I closed my eyes.
The memory of last night´s dream hit me. Why? After all these years? Why was I shown that specific face? Without words, without a smile nor a tear. The face. Why was it so calm? It showed thousands things but also showed nothing at all. I wanted to ask, I wanted to say something but my tongue was numb. I failed again. Then I turned to Him up there. “Dear God, what is the meaning of this all? What are You trying to tell me?” It was quiet. I heard nothing. The face, I couldn´t forget. It was so calm. He was calm.
I opened my eyes. I remembered the dream last night. I missed the face. It had been one and a half decades after the last episode. “How is he doing now? Does he still hate me? Does he know that I´m still alive? Does he care at all?” I looked up again. Felt like shouting but I couldn´t blame Him. I couldn´t blame myself nor him. What did the dream mean? Why did he come again after all these years? Until when would this torture end?
I looked down and saw the greens. I thought to myself, it was nothing but a dream. So, I got up from the seat and went to start looking for those precious photos of my dear one.
Friday At Last
Ah! It’s Friday again!
Who doesn’t like Fridays? Well! Not me. At least I DIDN’T!
I was not ready to enter the senior citizen world yet. So I didn’t like weekends. It does sound weird (doesn’t it?) since my weekends mostly were occupied with events, things to do, places to visit, people to entertain or simply just to sleep-in till noon. The thing of living in this country is: there is really NO exciting expectations but to grab the wet sponge and start wiping the windows or cleaning the toilets and bathroom. Not to mention going to the supermarkets to get the groceries for the coming days or week and then getting in a long que to finally be able to pay.
That’s what those who work full time, Monday to Friday, do in this country on their so exciting weekends. It’s natural to do the housechores and shopping groceries on Saturdays. The reason is the discounted gas price during the weekend. In fact, it is also applicable to the weekdays but only from 11.00pm onwards till 7.00am the next morning. If you were obsessed with the less-bills-to-pay, you might want to do this at night during the weekdays and enjoy the weekends for your social events.
But doing the cleaning, polishing and vacuming work after a hard and long day work? Indeed! A big NO NO to me.
So, I got annoyed when during my “trial and error”of getting at least a decent few hours of sleep at night, I got to hear all sorts of noise. Although not so loud, I still could hear it. A realisation: I would gain another sleepless night and look like a zombie-awaken-from-its-sleep.
Although the house has a good insulation, sometimes I feel like living in a very old and cold house with the feeling of kicking out the neighbours since they do the laundry work at night. I might exaggerate as it was my own fault not to fall asleep before it was 5am.*sigh*
Where was I?
Right! The Fridays. It was THEN! (That I did not like Fridays!)
Now, I can hardly wait for Friday to come as it has some medicine that can cure my wound.
TGIF!!!
Have a safe and wonderful weekend to you! 
Free Sites Dilemma
(To my family, relatives and friends out there.)
My Space, Facebook, Friendster, Twitter, Linkedin and the list goes on.
Questions of how safe the sites are have been going on for quite some time. But no one knows (in my ring of friends and acquaintances of course) what the damage it can do to one.
Sharing your personal information to these sites might get you into trouble: hacked, spammed, scammed, etc. The last thing you know, you can’t even enter your account with the special-password-only-you-know because it got hacked.
Being the curious person as I am, I don’t mind setting up an account on Facebook, Friendster or even Linkedin.
So tonight I had my Linkedin set up. But after a few minutes, I thought of checking how secure Linkedin is. Well! This is what I’ve found out. Or you can also read another article at eweek here. I guess you know by now what’s my next action was.
Indeed! I disabled the new account. (What a waste of time setting it up! Alright, finger’s pointing at ‘moi’.)
Next!
Well! Since I’ve deleted most of my photo albums at those free sites, now I’m going to edit the profile and also delete the remaining photos still displayed there. The next move will be to remove my name from all the tags of friends’ photos.
Why all these hasles, you might ask.
Simply because I don’t want my photos being used by those parties (whom I’ve agreed on their terms and condition upon signing up in their sites that I may allow them to use any of my photos without my consent.)
Another reason is just because I don’t want to sabotage my beloved family or friends’ faces by putting up their photos on those free sites when suddenly you found out that their beautiful faces or even caught-in-the-act photos are attached to a site that I-don’t-even-dare-to-mention.
I’m not giving you a bad idea but just think and act before it damages your (perhaps) wonderful life.
Further: check out all the terms and conditions of all the free sites you are using including those photos site. Unless if you don’t mind sharing your work (i.e. photographs) being used by other parties without giving you any credits.
Jason Manjaji’s Knockout Kick
The knockout kick by a Wong Loong Clan member. Thanks uncle David Manjaji for sharing this video.
“Just to share with you Jason’s awesome back kick. Jason is in the Blue. The guy is OK and has a bruised jaw! Click on the link below and have a look! Hopefully we will see Jason at the London Olympics!
Cheers
David”
Thanks to electricmanja (Jason himself) of Youtube.com
One Monday Morning
Good morning world,
It has been a while that I come to update you all in the morning. It’s morning indeed at almost 7 am on Monday in September.
I love Mondays. I just hate Sundays (as I have to think about waiting for another week for my little devil action) but Mondays are definitely my friends in terms of counting down the days. Not that I get to get back to the corporate world but because of a reason that only God knows what will happen.
For another reason, I am really excited to welcome another new member in the family in October. It’s either a fourth nephew or a second niece. It would be a joy to be back home and to be welcomed by this tiny sweety.
It’s almost half past 7 and I am still in n0-way can provide you with more updates. My mind is still in its dreamland but there was one special need to drag me away from the warm bed and on to the cyberworld.
Wish you all a wonderful day or night and be safe.
Wet and Cold Summer
3 Sept 2009
Believe it or not, we were entering the autumn season although it was still 18 days away from the 3rd.
My red umbrella was a bit damaged, I was cold and wet, not to mention the hair as if it was attacked by an eagle (copying my friend’s Cher expression). That was between my office building, near the Central Station, and the Plaza. OK, it was a short “heavy” rain on its way to God-knows-where with a strong wind that almost blew me away.
I guess we have to wear autumn-jacket now. I miss the summer already.
