First post in March!

Prologue: Newsflash for fellow Sarawakians and orientalist history aficionado: Anthony Walter Dayrell Brooke, the last Rajah Muda of Sarawak has passed away at his home, Rumah Brooke in Whanganui, New Zealand. He was 99 years old (1912-2011). Obituary and other relevant information about him can be read over The Brooke Heritage Trust's Facebook page. Another page finally closed on the White Rajah's era. I bet most Sarawakians look back at the White Rajah's era rather fondly with a tinge of romantic nostalgia especially since we are essentially a nation of its own for about a hundred years, a personal paternalistic kingdom on tropical Borneo. HRH Rajah Muda Anthony Brooke would've been crowned as Rajah if it wasn't for the Imperial Japs come invading (Those kamikaze bastards), Vyner Brooke, his predecessor for selling Sarawak's sovereignty's out during the volatile post-WWII era (Chicken.), Vyner Brooke's Ranee Sylvia plotting behind the scene to tarnish his name culminating in Anthony being stripped of his title a couple of time just because Vyner and Sylvia doesn't have a male heir. Anthony Brooke was very active in the early years of the Anti-Cession Movement before finally gave up due to those PARAKU commies being a security concern for the Brits effectively ending White Rajah's legacy in Sarawak and the start of Crown Colonies era before Independence through Malaysia in 1963. Rest in Peace and May He Return Now to His Spiritual Home, the last Rajah Muda of Sarawak.

“Selamat Datang Yang Maha Mulia Ka-Negri Sarawak Darul-hana”- “Welcome, Your Highness, to Sarawak, Abode of Peace”.

Dum Spiro Spero, When I breath, I hope. Haraplah selagi Bernafas. Agi Idup Agi Ngelaban.

Fairland Sarawak.

February has finally come to a close and it's already March!

What else could remind me more of the start of a new month than this neatly packaged reminder: time to pay the rent the again!

What else happen from the last time we left off in February?

Government agency (like everything else in life) follow Murphy's Law really keenly which results in unsavoury SHITS OF LIFE right in my face. Apparently, after months of waiting in agony and countless email spam to JPA, one of their officer finally called me directly on Monday (the very last day of February) just to inform me that they didn't my JPA Postgraduate Scholarship form at all. My reaction: "MUSTAHIL. Saya hantar sama dengan Borang Lapor Diri saya!" The officer check with the unit responsible for lapor diri. Turns out they receive my borang lapor diri! So what does it mean? JPA LOST MY FORM. FFFFFFFUUUUUU--- Apparently their internal documentation/mailing operates in another dimension and things may lost in limbo. Solution: sent again another application...and wait til June. So I have just wasted my time waiting for nothing? It was so frustrating that I almost broke down when my mom called back about my message to her. What else can I do. WHAT ELSE CAN I DO. I am considering other scholarship but that will only happen after my proposal's passed...which leads to another thing here.

Some research update (Oh gosh, I am grinning sheepishly as I am very 心虚 or diffident about explaining whatever I am doing right now):

My supervisor's finally back from her sabbatical leave! Met her for the first time after a very long time to talk about the research updates and as far as I can see, it's screeching to an abrupt halt after a tremendous leap before Chinese New Year. It's all because of about my choice of Polysystem Theory for my theoretical framework (Its idea is lofty at best.) as well as determining my methodology. These questions is driving me nuts because I need to be able to convince my department about the viability of my research and my supervisors has expressed their concern about these two crucial parts. The key month now: April. Looks like it will be hellish. The meet with the question as frustrating as it may be, is fruitful in terms of material. I finally got my hand on Karamitroglou's book which I scour high and low over the internet to no avail! I should've asked my supervisor about it way earlier then I would have been able to present now. I also went to the library (for once) to pick up book related with methodology (mostly because my supervisor used it before for her Phd.). Hopefully can read it, digest whatever information it has and apply it in my proposal to make it sound. April, april.

Random stuff worthy of interest:

PIKOM PCfair2011, this time not over PISA but at KOMTAR instead! Strategy to revive the blighted KOMTAR area? I am still pondering about my external harddisk purchase but in austere times, I should be mindful about my spending too.  Then I contradicted myself in a couple of occasion when...

A couple of guilty pleasures, occasional detour from my usual campus and instant noodle fed diet.

KFC last Saturday, fish ring set or something. The story goes like this: I had a little change of diet plan by shifing instant noodle to lunch and actual food (rice vege and all) to dinner just to avoid the scorching day time sun which has been unbearable these days. Then weekend came and most cafe in campus closed. I went to CG for cheap nasi campur but it was close. Went to Sungai Dua for ShuangXing or Lida: both closed too. The auntie's rice over Excel Point Community Church: not sure if open on weekend and it's running late anyway. Bali-bali: FAR. Then I saw the red color billboard with smiling Colonel Sanders. The end.

ShuangXing Economical Rice (that wasn't economical much). Eggplants in soy sauce, luncheon meat and Taiwanese Pork Sausage. OMNOMNOM.

USM's Chinese New Year which took place about a week after Chinese New Year celebration actually ended. While I am not a crowd person (especially when you're alone. foreveralone.jpg. Now I missed the last time I went to CNY Festival, with SzeSze and *forgot who else lol* in my final semester), I went there to check out if there's any food there and to my delight, there is. Tried the twister potato sticking thing for the first time. Delish but prim and proper eating not an option.

Last but not least, Wantan mee over Plus 2 at Sungai Dua. Went out to do a lil grocery shopping to stock up my biscuits and instant noodles stash and since it's rarely I am off-campus, might as well go back once. I still missed the good time with the SISTAH when we go out in group for breakfast here. *sigh*

That's all from me for now. Will periodically update if I am alive.

Epilogue: I need a thinking hat.