One last CNY update.

Time flies and it's already the 15th and last day of Chinese New Year (元宵节) or Chap Goh Meh (literally 15th night in Hokkien) as it usually known as in Malaysia, the very last day to burn off all that remains of the firework munitions, hopeful (Chinese) singles throw mandarin oranges written with their contact information and wishes into the river (or sea or whatever water formation) in bid to find prospective future lovers (I doubt many do this these days but hey, it's tradition so might as well make a mention about it). Me? Sitting alone in my room watching the full moon from my window, typing away on my laptop. Yes, for those who are sensitive about my whereabouts (through Facebook and such), I am back at Pearl Island on the 11th day of CNY celebration to face reality. *sigh* Anyway, let's pick up where we left off the last time just to wrap up all that happened for the last 15 days for CNY.

Miscellany local food update:

It seems to me that whenever Kuchingites went back to Kuching for holiday, they will make a mental checklist of all the must-have local foods before heading to back to reality.  Same thing applies to me when I ate my bowl of hearty Kueh Chap tapao-ed from my local market stall! Look at those tasty pork innards, served with flat rice noodles in dark soup, zest up with a pinch of lime = HEAVEN!

Homecooked Tomato Mee as breakfast on the very day I come back to Penang! I was ecstatic when I woke up for this placating my lingering pre-departure depression (this comes up quite often for the last two years.). As far as I know, tomato mee/kueh teow is strictly Kuchingite/Sarawakian fare and it's made of deep fried noodle (almost the same thing like yee mee here over Peninsula) and served with thick tomato flavoured broth. The best way to eat tomato mee is when the noodle is slightly soaked up and soften but not too soggy to retain that cruchiness. Oh, Kuchingite local food I love you. And ooh I did had Sarawak laksa too but it's either not the best one or I forgot to took pictures of it. Consider the quota for local food almost fulfilled! Do I miss anything?

The fateful day: Sunday 13th of February, the 10th day of CNY, the day that I landed back to Penang. *sniff*. 3pm flight from Kuching, reached Penang at 5pm.

Gate 1 at 2:15pm. Pretty deserted.

Here comes the plane, most likely an inbound Penang flight.

I got an aisle seat this time and upon settle down on the plane, only then I discover that this flight will be very light. In fact, the plane is less than half filled and row upon rows of empty seats. The flight is so light that the usual AirAsia take off roll (which is already too powerful for my liking.) feels like a rocket shooting up into the sky reaching flight level 350 in no time. One weird twist of random seat arrangement though: my row 17 DEF is the only row that's fully seated with me seated at the aisle. (thanks random fate for that. Freedom of movement!) WTF. It was so empty that the inflight meal service is done without the meal cart and the FA's just making round of walking asking for orders.

I mean, just look at this! This was taken when I went to washroom answering nature's call. I was so tempted to change seat to one of these empty row and claim all three seats as mine. But then, the flight attendant had folded down the lunch tray on aisle seat of each of the empty row, effectively making an obvious signal to all prospective seat changers: STAY IN YOUR ASSIGNED SEATING. WTH?! I was torn through the whole flight whether I should make the seat change or not and I made it not too long before the plane started descending. Just when I was feeling cozy with my new seating arrangement, one flight attendants who went past (I remember her name, Zureen. Grr.) remind me to go back to my original seating before landing. FUCK. My mood is fouled and I was so tempted to answer her back but I might be detained for inflight rage so in the end, I went back to my original seat when the plane is making it's landing approach. Grr. I am still fuming.

One of the few pictures that I manage to take from my new seats before being reminded to go back to my seat. Back to the part of Malaysia where the sky is murkier and land less greener. Overall, this is also one of the smoothest flight that I had until now. Could've been better I had changed my seat earlier inflight.

Landed in currently under expansion Penang International Airport and immediately picked up by my cousin to go to his GF's Church group CNY gathering potluck! Even though I never liked Christians and their church activities/gathering very much (duped/enticed into a few couple of times.), I don't mind anything that had food in it. Hey, at least I can save my dinner and had something else besides instant noodle! My cousin's GF's church group is a very diverse bunch with pinoys and expatriates besides local Christians but everyone gathered for celebration of their god. And that's why as an agnostic/atheist, I feel very awkward and the waiting time until the event begins is kinda excruciating, being introduced to people and talking about whatever I am doing. I guess a sociophobe like me will never be used to knowing new people anymore. But never mind about that because...

...they have Yeesang (鱼生)! Jusco's Yeesang is good enough for celebration and all the materials piled up on a plate, mixing it up can be a really messy affair with all the "HUAT ARR" when we mix up all the stuff together. Besides Yeesang, someone brought chicken from Jusco, my cousin and his GF brought Domino's Pizza, another one brought home cooked fried noodle, someone tapao lots of chu cheong fan, there's a bowl of pork leg stew and such. Pretty full but I overheard that the pinoy table behind me have chicken adobo! So tempted to try! After everything is done (including a chaotic make the longest line game), I gave them the huge bag of frozen siobees and dragonfruits and guavas that my cousin ordered from Kuching (with me as messenger) and I bid them farewell. That's all for CNY, I guess.

What's left for Chinese New Year for me.

Mom packed mandarin oranges and a box of cookies for me to brought over. Initially she wanted to pack more (cakes and more cookies) but I ask her cut it down because I don't want to have too many containers here. I still have the containers from the previous Chinese New Year holidays! She packed six (or is it eight?) mandarin oranges for me so this one is not the only mandarin oranges here.

So for the past few days, I had been eating slightly healthier by bringing fruits (in the form of mandarin oranges) into my otherwise unhealthy MSG packed instant noodle diet.

The cookies are for me to munch on whenever I feel like it. It's chocolate and peanut cookies and it's delicious enough to attract ants to the empty wrappers within minutes.

Less than two hours before Chinese New Year celebration officially ends and that's all for me, folks. Expect more post in the future about whatever things that happened in my life. Hint: underwhelming campus events and SISTAHs!

Epilogue: Research updates: More comments from my supervisor and co-supervisor which brings more doubts into my proposal. What's the difference between research methodology and theoretical framework? Do I make enough explanation about Polysystem theory? Where do Descriptive Translation Studies fall then? This is a setback indeed and I hope I can see my supervisor soon to clear up whatever snags about those part.