My First MRE

After binge watching MRE videos on YouTube, I made the crazy decision to purchase MREs.
At first, I wanted to buy local Malaysian MREs, but after consulting my Police friend (you know who you are hehehe), I've decided against it.
Reason being, it is more like a nasi lemak wrapped up, and the shelf life is waaaay too short (around 6 mths)
So I imported Chinese Ration MRE from TaoBao.

The package arrived today!!

Just look at how gorgeous this it...
It even came with a multipurpose knife.
Awesome

Quick info:

• MRE = Meal Ready-to-Eat
• First used in US military
• Can be used during camping trips
• Recent MREs include flameless heat packs
• For the Chinese MRE that I have, it has a shelf life of 36 mths (3 years)

Watch my unboxing/taste testing video here.

Needless to say, a nice and delicious experience.
My two cents, I think this Chinese Ration is either a 2 person pack or it can last you for 2 meals.
We finished ours during dinner.
Yummy!

Till next time people!

Signing off
JCG

Meet ups

I think I made a HUGE mistake...

of not taking more photos!

This short post serves as a memory checkpoint. 

I'm fortunate to be able to meet up with some of my friends this Raya holidays.
And I'm really glad to see each and everyone of them.
I really hope I gotto take more photos next time.

I am thankful that I have such wonderful family and friends around me. 

Special thanks to these two crazy peeps who are always game for spontaneous trips! 

Us @ Summit Hotel 

Given the chance, I would hug each and everyone of you that I've met and tell you that you are really awesome. 

To you who are reading this right now, 

Wendy misses you. 

Let's definitely meet again soon. 

Peace & Love

Signing off

JCG

Updates June

It's been ages since I've written.
Lemme give you some updates.
So I've just been to Taiwan last school holiday.
It was as fun as it was a touching journey as this trip was a graduation trip.
I've witnessed both my cousins' graduation and I am really proud of them.
To think, a couple of years back, we were all in our teens, just chilling and relaxing in front of the TV...
Time really does fly.

Fly - get it?

Hahahahaha

I love this googly dessert in 新竹

This is us in 六福村

Right after some roller coaster rides

Yey the famous 2 sided drink in Taiwan!

This is us at Taichung - DongHai U

Only monks here

Made to fit

Bought tonnes of these

Final day buffet was AWESOME!

Anyways.
One of the achievements I'm so proud of is the JSP marathon a few days back.
It was mandatory for teachers (me including) to take part, so my only intend was to finish the 6km.
I'm glad I have a few jogging partners with me, one of them being Angie.
So when the marathon began, I broke into small jogs, nothing serious, but she was already in full-on marathon mode, which surprised me.
So, being the fat ass I am, I started to take this jog/run a tad more seriously.
Well, I'm glad I did, cause I got NO25!
What what?!!

These peeps came by and visit me, was very happy to see them. 

After the race, feeling exhausted

Yey US!

Till next time people, 

Adios!

Signing off

JCG

Melting hard kids

Hey ya pepo!
Short update: I'm now teaching in a secondary school.
Which makes my teaching life waaaaaay more challenging.
Good thing: my voice is not as sore as compared to when I was teaching in primary.
Bad thing: students are waaaaaay harder to control.
What to do?

One of my classes gives me headache the most.
This particular class is a low proficiency class, where students are totally not interested in learning.
They come to school because they have to and they enter class because it's listed down in the curriculum.
What's more, they are more interested in their own stories and personal life to even care about a teacher mumbling in class.
I tried yelling, scolding, talking softly with each and everyone of them...
Well, the only hopes I have is when they grow up, they grow out of this phase.

Today I had a breakthrough.
It's nothing much, but I got them to listen to me, to my stories.
It was just a normal class in which they have to complete assignments using computers.
So there I was sitting at my desk, waiting for them to give me their marks...
When I noticed one of the noisier girls was looking kinda dejected.
Curious as I was, I asked her what's wrong, only to find out that she was given a suspension letter from the school.
After giving her some counselling and help, I then had a relaxing chat with her.
More to my surprise, when I was telling silly stories of my past, more students crowded towards my desk and was sitting on the floor listening to my stories.

Well...
Looks like a good story never fails.
And it looks like, the more you need to help them, show that you care for them...
The more they feel it, the more they understand you...
While this is only the beginning, it feels good to have them be "good students" for a day.
I am totally sure that there's always ups and downs for this particular class, but I am relishing it for a lil bit longer...
I hope that when I'm done teaching them as a sub, they could still remember the efforts I put in to help them be a better person in future.
That's what a teacher's job is right?
To Inspire. :)

Oh ya, another thing I've learnt is, 

if you're eating choc doughnuts, 

remember to bring some fork or sth

elsewise you'll end up with poopy hands...

HAHAHA

Love
JCG

Year of the Hustle

I came across this concept after watching JK Films peeps talking about how 2015 was their year of the hustle.
They explained how they doubled their efforts and their time spent to make better videos and to keep their fans entertained in general, which in return, gives great revenue.
I liked how they introduce this concept and their plans to make everything work.
So I've decided to make 2016 my YEAR OF THE HUSTLE!

I'd summarize my 2015 in one word: confused.
I was pretty lost as I've not set a clear direction as to what I am to do and how am I going to do it.
Being a freshie, I simply don't know what I want to do.
It was a year of finding myself, trying out stuff and generally knocking my head into many things at once.
I made many crazy decisions, all which I had not regretted so far as, well, that's just me finding me. :D

This year, my prime target is to fill my free time doing productive things.
After my tiny fallback last year - not being able to get Masters - I'm now refreshed and back at it again.
Tuitions are now more frequent and I have more 'kangtaos' going on, which is nice.
I'm involved in much more teaching practices and more opportunities.
I'm also trying to applying for Masters yet again, hopefully I can get it this time round.
I hope that this will be the year I get to outgrow myself!

Anyways, I'm still fortunate enough to have time for my friends and some gatherings here and there.
I really appreciate everyone that's in my life now that I'm more occupied and hustling.
I love all of you and thank all of you for your constant support and care.
Let's make 2016 a year worth remembering!

To end this short update, I'd like to introduce my now grown-up chicks!
They are the most adorable thing to me, and they always have a way to make me smile.

Have a nice day pepo!

Smile!

Signing off

JCG

Ending 2015 with a bang - Langkawi 4D3N Trip

Great friends, great scenery, great trip!

One of the highlights of my year is this trip to Langkawi. 

It was a pretty spontaneous trip, I'm very happy to share this wonderful memories with these bunch of crazy pepo. 

:heart:

Pre-Langkawi 

PY had a great idea to bake some cookies for everyone as a Christmas present.

Being the great chef we are (we totally are), this is what happened that day.

 

It's something!

Langkawi Trip - Day 1

We went there by driving directly into Langkawi. our car was ferried by LangkawiAuto.
It was a very nice experience no less. The ferry provided a nice and comfortable passenger deck too!

Upon reaching

Then we checked into our humble accommodation @ Shaka Langkawi. It was a decent place, but would be nicer if there's aircon. There's a delicious Nasi Kukus right beside the Roomah Shaka, which was a major plus point! Then we went about and jalan around the streets of Cenang Beach.

Sunset @ Yellow cafe.

Awesome food, Awesome beer, Awesome scene...
And that's how our first day went.

Langkawi Trip - Day 2

Twas the day we pick up TPY from the airport.
BUTT! Their flight was delayed, we had waaaaay too much time on our hands to kill.
Hence, we explored Langkawi!
Beer / cider in our hands, we started off our journey!

Breakfast @ Red Tomato Restaurant

Road Trip!

Sun & Beach = Paradise

We found this hidden treasure of a nice a peaceful beach near to the edge of Langkawi OTW to Mount Raya.
James made us vowed to go back for a second visit...
Sadly, that visit was never made.
We went to Kuah Town for lunch and bought these cool hats!

Yey!

Anyways, we then went to Mount Raya and Makam Mahsuri to kill time.

Then, it's time to get TPY

Armored and prepared, we were soooo ready to receive them @ Langkawi International Airport...

Only to found out that their plane got delayed (again). 

Armored and prepared

We almost didn't make it to the sunset @ Cenang, hence The Amazing Race Langkawi happened!

Seriously tho, sorry for the shaky video... Heh...

Langkawi Trip - Day 3

Rise and shine! It was not a pwetty day cause some of us are still pretty hang over from the Christmas countdown party yesterday night. 

We had the bestest time burying each other's legs in the sand and dancing around the beach half drunk. 

BUTT, ready we are, to conquer the islands of Langkawi!

Hopped on a boat and off to Island Hopping we go!

We had a great time and after that, we took a rest, got some food in our tummy and bought souvenirs. 

Fortunately, it was a breeze going back the next day.

Our car was not held up by the Custom check and we went back home tired and happy. 

Thanks guys for the awesome adventure. 

Let's go somewhere else next! 

Hopefully, I got time to write another blog post for my previous Cameron trip too! 

2016 started off with me clearing off my previous videos and photos. 

Lots of editing and cleaning to be done... 

See ya soon pepo! 

Signing off

JCG

My Braces Journey - Part 2

25 Nov 2015 - 7pm

The day before I got my braces, I was surprisingly calm (well, the few days prior to this in which I'm reading profusely / panicky about how to handle the first day of getting braces doesn't really count :P)

So I proposed to my friends that we had a night off before I say goodbye to good food temporarily. 

Bachelor party for my crooked teeth before they got Tied Down... AmIRightPeople??? 

(heh, excuse the lame pun)

I have awesome friends... 

They agreed to it without a second thought! 

(Awww, I love you guys)

Love you pepo! 

Even though you guys are a bunch of weirdos :P

My food itinerary goes something like this:

Chocolate Mousse Cake @ Dolce Dessert House

Al-Cabonara Linguine @ Soul Cafe

Hokkien Mee @ Green House Hokkien Mee Burmah Road

In which they are finished in a short span of 3 hours. 

BEST. DAY. EVA!

So that's it!

Au Revoir Ms.Crooked!

 26 Nov 2015 - 9am

Woke up, brushed my teeth, took a bath, washed my hair... (why am I telling you guys all these)
Had a wholesome breakfast which consist of my mom's homemade roasted chicken wings along with Angel Hair pasta. (I'm in heaven)
Went to the orthodontist, aaaaaaaaand waited for my turn.
My mom had her filing done first, then I hopped on the dental chair that looks like the twisted man from The Saw would had so much fun there.

My orthodontist was patient and skillful, and loheng cause he likes to 'zhat' me... hahaha. 

I got Damon braces glued to my teeth, then a wire attached to those brackets. 

Took about 1 hour. 

It was relatively painless (except for that one time the orthodontist hissed and said "Aiya...." and that scared the wits out of me) and everything went quite well. 

I went home feeling well and prepared.....

Lenglui with braces

BUT, I was totally wrong. 

Days before, I prepared myself for the worst, gums infection. 

That happens when the metal brackets scraped the inner walls of your mouth. 

So I was wary enough to ask for dental wax from the orthodontist. (Feeling smart here)

Feeling like I've triumphed, I went home with a crooked and swollen smile. 

Only to realize, that's not the worst part,,,,

After I've got my braces fixed, I felt literally nothing, more like a foreign object on my teeth... 

After a few hours, these 'foreign objects' started to carry their weight... 

Not forgetting that constant pulling of the metal wire that literally Realigns your Jaw!

Towards the afternoon, I experienced a nagging headache... 

Well it went off after some rest. 

In the evening however, it felt kinda itchy! 

Hahahaha...

BTW, I am now on a soft diet, so I'm glad my friends and my mom prepared me for that. <3 div="">

So yea!

That's about it! 

A short update on my journey. 

Perhaps I'll come back when I experience something new.

Till next time lovely pepo!

See also: My Braces Journey - Part 1

Love 

JCF

My Braces Journey - Part 1

In 2013, I made the brave decision to get my braces done...

But it wasn't until 2015 that I gathered the balls to proceed.

I had terrible teeth since I was in secondary school. 

I always thought that a crooked teeth is no big deal as I was not "earning my living by using my face" (靠脸吃饭)

It started to get worse when I was in my uni. 

That's when I got the urge to get braces, for aesthetic purpose of course. 

But that wasn't a good enough motivation. 

Cause right after I got one of my wisdom tooth removed (along with 2 weeks of jaw swelling and the agonizing memory of the dental surgery), I was ready to give up. 

I put the braces thingy aside in hopes that my teeth would "move and straighten itself" post surgery.

Terrible memory of my swollen jaw after wisdom tooth extraction

NOPE, I was sooooo wrong. 

After I grad I started to busy myself with work. 

It was until after 1 year that I realize how annoying my crooked teeth are. 

First, it was hard for me to clean my teeth cause of overcrowding. 

Second, how easy those plaque appear. 

Third, the overbite is getting worse.

Fourth, the times I woke up only to realize I accidentally bitten my tongue while I sleep.

Fifth, those photos that I was tagged in... 

And these were the last straws... 

Got my ass back to the orthodontist's office a few weeks back. 

Boom!

Gone were my other wisdom tooth and 3 other of my teeth. 

Now I'm pre-braces ready. 

Honestly, I don't know if I should laugh or cry when the dentist said I looked like 九王爷

Getting over the extractions was the worse part of it so far. 

You getting woozy post surgery is a piece of cake compared to the after-effect when the anesthetic went off. 

It's like your body is angry at you for getting rid of these teeth, and they are taking revenge on you. 

But I guess the pain / annoyance of missing these teeth is more in my head than actual suffering. 

I took extra care to not piss my other teeth off; eating slowly, brushing slowly, rinsing slowly, moving slowly... 

Basically, I live a sloth life. 

What's next? 

The braces will get on. 

Metals, on my teeth... digging into my mouth... 24/7...

The only upside of it is that I'll definitely be slim... 

Hahaha. 

Let's see what will happen next! 

Hopefully I got the energy for Part 2 in future. 

Love,

JCG

My Green Eyed Monster

After making a quick scroll in Facebook, I had fallen prey to the egoism of social media...

Succumbing to the jealously that arise from looking at what fame or fortune can do to people. 

Looking at my friends being chic, enjoying life, or achieving something, I felt myself envying their success. 

Looking back at myself and what I'm doing, I felt the pang of helplessness. 

I too,  wish for so much more in life, but it seems so far fetch still... 

To think of it from another point of  view, I have yet to actually do something for myself. 

Yet to make changes drastic enough for any observable improvement. 

I need to keep going, keep moving...

But, to where? 

That's the ultimate question. 

I guess that's life. 

You'll never know if you're doing the "right" thing for yourself until you explore everything. 

Here I am, exploring my options. 

At times I do stray, lured away by my green eyed monster... 

Them telling me that it's easier to just start afresh or start somewhere new. 

BUT

I've given myself some time to try out this particular path. 

And I do plan to stick to it for a while. 

Well, if all things do go wrong, at least I lived to say I've tried. 

To be honest, I'm actually quite contented with my current life. 

This lifestyle is just nice, towards my comfort, but it has its ups and downs. 

I wonder if I am able to get through this life for another 3/5 years. 

I wish I can do so much more in life. 

Make a name for myself, be somebody... 

I guess I'll have to leave that to fate to decide when it'll happen. 

Well I guess that's what I call the mid twenties crisis 

Now that I'm in this particular age, I can't help remembering the last time I met with a dear friend of mine, huiyin. 

She told me the same thing, that she was facing this dilemma in her work. 

But to me, she was very positive in her outlook of life, very strong in keeping to her dreams. 

Sometimes, I do wish I have a foreseeable dream. '

Maybe being 'cincai' is not a good thing too. 

Haha...

All in all, I hope this nagging feeling does leave me eventually. 

Hopefully, I can be way more than what I am now. 

I imagine myself, doing stuff that actually impact and inspire. 

I need that day to come to me, sooner or later. 

-end of rant-

Signing off

JCG

Rants on Rabies - Stray Dog Killing Issue in Penang

Unless you're staying in a small cabin in the middle of nowhere, you'd probably know what is happening now in Penang.

Lemme summarise. 

1. Rabies cases in Penang (other cases in Kedah and Perlis) 
2. Government declare killing of stray dogs 
3. Dog loving people pissed 
4. Internet war on stray dogs vs human rights (even to the extend of playing politics)

That's about it. 

My two cents? 

Well, I tried to look from both sides of the situation, reading posts and comments from both pov. 

Sad to say, I can't see any solid points for those opposing the killing of strays. 

No Killing Stray People Say

• Pets have rights too
• There's other ways to deal with this
• Gov being cruel to animals
• NGOs had pooled a big sum of money for vaccines
• There's already no cases in Penang 

Killing Stray People Say

• Stray life vs human life
• It's to protect human and home pets
• No funding, budget, or enough TIME to vaccine strays
• Vaccines in shortage, not even enough for home pets
• Better safe than sorry

Looking back at previous epidermic of the Swine Flu or Bird Flu etc, there are not as much opposition as compared to dogs.

I'd say only business owners like those with pig or chicken farms voiced out. 

Even with that, masses after masses of poultry are killed. 

This proved 2 things. 

One, Penangnites have great heart for dog loving, and I respect that (I love dogs too). 

Two, they don't care enough or aren't educated enough to make any opposition. 

(Aaaaand, social media was not as popular back then as compared to now)

On a separate but related case, I saw a video the other day where a female dog owner holding her pet was which was struck by Rabies. 

It was hard to watch... 

The dog was totally out of control - mad, convulsion, twitches, gnarling and salivating everywhere,  not to mention trying to bite the owner, pooping and peeing and just plain aggressive. 

At first, I was very convinced by the video title saying that this owner is very kind to her dog, standing by it when it needed her most. 

BUT, after scrolling through comments, one comment from a vet actually appealed to me. 

The vet was a UK grad, saying that actually, this is not the best way to "help" the dog, instead, it is putting the owner in danger (as the saliva might infect her too)

The best way, according to the professional, is to put the dog in a dark confinement / room, tend to it only if there's protective gear on you. 

And I actually did a quick search on Google to check for the validity of the saying.

Huh... That totally put things in a different perspective. 

Sometimes, it's easy to get carried away by the touching or warmhearted people's words.
They called it the Grapevine effect (people judging or posting based on what somebody else had said)

While I do agree that they are entitled to their POV, I think the government is only trying to do what's best, financial and time wise. 

Many of these 'posts' and 'comments' are plain emotional, without proper reasoning, without proper education / research, and just downright rude. 

However, if NGOs are trying their best to stop the killing, I do hope they can save as much strays as their ability permits, THEN proceed with the next step of finding suitable owners who are willing to take them into good and healthy homes. 

Or else, that would be another new problem in their end. 

But I like to add, opinions are just opinions, like mine, they are not facts. 

Picture taken from freemalaysiatoday.com

UPDATE

Penang runs out of Rabies vaccine

There's a 3rd case of Rabies in Penang 2 days back. 

Now a total of 82 cases of Rabies in Penang, Kedah and Perlis. 

I wish all the best to our beloved Penang. 

For a better tomorrow.

Signing off
JCG