: notes to self :

besok mo mainan apa?

i'm off to bali in t-minus 3 hours!

yeah baby!!

jakarta has been interesting. peoplecarsstoresfood fill every available inch of space in this city. i'm not sure if i want to return... but perhaps bali will 180 me.

it's been awesome realizing i'm part of this huge extended network of kin...and of course a bit tiring and taxing on the ol' stomach.

oh yeah, the two most obvious things i have acquired during my romp through malaysia and indonesia..

1. weight (oh how i miss japanese food. i nearly crumpled to the floor in relief when i saw a fast food place that was selling a salad)
2. a tan

the latter seems to be of great concern to the female members of my family. when my aunt first saw me at the airport, she bemoaned the loss of my "putiiiiih!!" (white/fair) skin. bc of HfH, i have become a "right browner" as amanda would say. i have never been this dark before! hehehehe.... and it's not just a farmer tan either! hats off to beach time. a few times, when i have been introduced to kin or friends, my aunt has thrown in an addendum explaining that i'm not usually this dark, that because i was doing volunteer work and had to labour outside, i became this dark. i'm usually fair.

sigh.

it's fun being tanned, although, by the second day of lazy beach time, and having to deal with a very sunburned back, i was over the whole self-bake process. i'm also peeling like crazy now, and it's not v.pretty.

i'm so brown!!!!!!!!!



anuty: mama mo kagiet lu!!! itemmm sekali!!!
(your mom will be so frightened! you are so dark!!)

hhehehe.

malaysia

so i'm here =)

i got into Kuala Lumpur on the night of the 28th and hung out with auntie sok wah and uncle bung poo for a few days. we cruised around KL and Kajang, took in all of the typical touristy sites, and ate like there was no tomorrow. i had one of those stupid days, where you just eat, and rest before moving onto the next eating venue =) hahaha... they are really sweet.

it was funny cuz the first couple of days i was homesick for japan... for osaka, my grandparents, family, Namba =)... but luckily i had a bunch of pics on my dig cam to tide me over during the mini-waves of homesickness.

and now i am in kuching, with my HfH group...

i am loving it. i am sunburnt, stuffed, tired, and so incredibly happy i am doing this. this is the best way to spend a vacation. i'm addicted. i'm helping someone realize their dream of owning their own house, something that would not be possible under normal circumstances.

i love it.
the group is really cool... i was nervous to meet them, but i feel really comfy and natural and happy. iiina!

believe it or not, but i have poured concrete, hoed/shoveled tons of clay dirt, pushed a cement truck out of a muddy ditch, created a v.genki dance while trying to level ground, painted... and there are two more days of building left. sigh. i LOVE this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i am so happy. ureshiiwa!

thank you to everyone who sponsored me and wished me well. i hope to do you proud.


love youse.

hope everyone is having/will have an awesome time on their travels!


pictures soon =)