Girls Day Out 29/5/2014

木ノ葉焼物語 Akatsuki Animate Restaurant

It was long since the three of us(Me, Vivian and Amy) met and we decided to head out for a lunch date at this Japanese restaurant. I suggested this place and they just followed my suggestion as they have not been here before.

So here we are, Akatsuki Anime restaurant. And just to mention I did all the ordering.

                      

It's lunch time featuring the ramen. Slurp. 

Check out this huge bowl!!!!! *Angle problem only HAHA. Actually it's not that big.

Because it was lunch time, they offer set lunch at a much cheaper price. This special ramen set at RM14.90 comes with two side dishes, potato salad and kimchi plus complementary green tea.

The ramen was quite nice although cannot be compared to Pavilion Tokyo Street's ones. This was certainly one of the best ramen in Sibu. The portion was huge and we had to share.

Spot the tofu dish. Only two pieces left as we were too hungry to snap a picture before eating. The tofu was a bit crispy on the outside and soft inside. Dipped in japanese soy sauce, the flavour was brought out.

       

Meet Amy.

                        

This was also our set lunch which was BBQ meat. This was chicken+beef set. Served with miso soup and rice plus complementary green tea. The meat was marinated and seasoned properly and was grilled to perfection. That was cabbage in the middle. However, the miso soup was a disappointment.

RM13.90 for this.

Vivian and the ramen.

This meal costed us RM32.80. Still reasonable for we were stuffed after gobbling down everything. The interior design is special with lots of anime stuffs. 

木ノ葉焼物語 Akatsuki Animate Restaurant

Check out their Facebook Page by clicking on the link.

Address: No.26, Lot 2149, S/L 10, Lorong Sena 8, 96000 Sibu, Sarawak 

Opening Hours:

11:00AM to 2:00PM Yakiniku & Nabe (烧烤及火锅）
*♥Kitchen Close at 1:45pm♥
6：00PM to 11:00PM Yakiniku & Nabe (烧烤及火锅）

*♥Kitchen Close at 10:30pm♥ 

Blackball

After shopping our time off and trying on heels, we managed to haul some cosmetics. I needed it for dinner nights. Grin. I will make a post about the skin care and cosmetics I use soon. Stay tuned.

So it was burning hot and we agreed to some cooling desserts. Off to Blackball we go.

Banana flavoured waffles with two scoops of ice-cream, RM5.50. Nice as always. This was the reason I frequently visit this place.

Blackball Signature, RM7.50. The weather was so hot that the ice melted just as we started eating. Man :(((

Selfie! 

This was my instagram photo. TEEHEE

Blackball Sibu

Near SMK Methodist, Sibu.

Taobao Shopping

I just switched to a new phone not long ago which was April so I decided to find nice covers for my phone. As all the blogshops sell them at a high and ridiculous price,  I decided to opt for taobao instead.

So here are my hauls.

Sakura a.k.a cherry blossom case, about RM18

This was my best purchase, costing only RM5. 

Chanel nail polish cover. RM22

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.0.0.lfPEXr&id=36217128611

 Here's the link for the item.

Chanel Boy cover with strap. RM12

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.356.dMnviO&id=35758563557

The products are up to satisfactory level considering it's dirt cheap price. I would definitely shop with taobao again.

Sportsmanship

After witnessing a nerve wrecking Thomas Cup competition last night, I had mixed feelings. 

Japanese team rejoiced for they made their mark in the badminton world by creating history, capturing their first ever title.

However, Malaysia team was in despair for they came so close to winning.

Some people may feel angry, frustrated and infuriated by our national team's loss. But guys, can you set aside your fury and give praise to those players who fought hard for our pride? Being an athlete is a hard job. You have to be strong emotionally, physically and mentally. It is hard to have to live up to expectations every time. Winning and losing are both part of the game. Sometime you win sometimes you lose.

Instead of blaming them for their lacking of skills and unforced errors, why not look at their fighting spirit and great determination? Nobody wants to lose. Everyone wants a taste of victory. They are under immense pressure, expected by everyone to deliver. They fought hard, showed their unwavering spirit and gritted their teeth to the last second. They did their best and we must give them our salutations and a big round of applause. Imagine yourself in their shoes. It will definitely be a tall order. It was an uphill battle for the Malaysian team but they showed great sportsmanship and undying willpower. What is more to ask for?

Japan really did prove that they have the skills to win it. They beat traditional powerhouse China. We should also show our highest respect to them, for putting up a good fight and giving a great show. They truly deserved to be crowned champion.

The thing is we feel frustrated because we are so close yet so far to winning. That is our greatest setback. You can see success lingering so near in front of you yet you cannot reach far enough to grab it. This is so frustrating. It was also something I experienced before. So close, yet so far.

Indeed, we did not win but we should hold our heads up high. Malaysians united to support our nation, working hand in hand to make our country proud and cheering for each other without discrimination despite cultural differences. That was a great thing to witness.

Losing does not mean you lose everything. Us Malaysians still can beam with pride for our nation's achievement.

Nostalgia

Seeing lots of friends and classmates leaving one by one, furthering their studies, paving their own future, I could not help but feel nostalgic. Time does fly. Five years just swirled pass in a blink of an eye. Before you can even catch your breath, it is over. If you ask me if I miss my high school life, I will tell you I truly do. There were joyous, exhilarating, tough, glorious, exhausting and anxious moments. Mixed feelings but all were truly precious and unforgettable.

I still vividly remember the first day I stepped into Methodist Secondary School. It was not the first day of school. It was my first basketball training. The humongous compound that could swallow you whole. Full of laughter and chatter during schooling days and immediately becomes barren and lonely during school holidays. It was hard to cope with secondary life, having to adapt to a totally different set of rules and education.

 

During those times, I was still young, wild and free. My main purpose during my early years was to enjoy my high school life. I certainly did not set a goal for myself and did not think far. In form 1, I was the easy going girl just playing around in school. But then, I was amazed that my school's basketball coach wanted me to join the team. Boy, you probably did not know how reluctant I was at first. Seeing my teammates to be being state players since primary school did scared me off. However, I did join basketball team eventually. I myself was dumbfounded. Later that year, I was even asked by netball coach to join netball team. WOW!!! Amazing yeah?? I did not join their regular trainings. However, I did took part in a competition.

Lucky and blessed explains my feelings best. Can you imagine conquering and championing almost every tournament? God the almighty is really great. I was just lucky to be in a strong team. So now you know where my collections of gold medals come from. SMIRK! It was so great to be a powerhouse in my own district and to be feared by so many formidable opponents. Sooner did I realise sports slowly became a significant part of me. I who barely exercised for the past 12 years, became an athlete in high school. That was one status I needed much time to get use to. As I need to focus more on my studies, I had to choose between netball or basketball. In the end, I chose basketball. Lots of people questioned my choice, stating netball as being more suitable for a girl. BUT HEY, I CAN ONLY GO THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL ONCE! SO WHY NOT DO SOMETHING OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE?? Sure enough, I was glad with my decision.  Winning tons of gold medals, representing Sibu, making lots of new friends and being promoted to president were happenings that I never dreamed off. Wonders do happen. Things that seemed impossible may be possible.

Another great part of high school was the exposure and competitions I had taken part in. From the Shell Lalu-lintas competition to International Future Leaders Summit(IFLS) to Kuiz Pelaburan, those were indeed treasurable moments. The Lalu lintas competition was my first competition representing the school aside from sports. We emerged as champion and had the chance to represent Sibu in state level. The most amazing part was I got first prize for my individual category, which was Interactive computer in the state level competition. My heart skipped a beat when my name was announced. That was definitely a nerve-wrecking and eye-opening experience. I even learned how to march through that competition. Sometimes, I secretly wished that I can rewind time. Then years later, after our school rose to cluster school status, we had more international exposures. I definitely did squeal in excitement when I was chosen as a participant for IFLS in 2012. I nearly jumped out of my seat in class. This was an international competition held in Miri, Sarawak involving cluster schools all over Malaysia and a few foreign colleges. Can you imagine how great and unimaginable this was?? I got to converse and take part in competitions with all the geniuses and brainiac.  4 days were definitely too short. Me and my other 5 friends who went together went through lots of first times together. For example, performing a dance during cultural night, singing call me maybe, learning how to make rockets, inventing new products from  waste and giving presentations. Not to mention making friends with cluster students from different states such as Selangor, Terengganu and even friends from Brunei and Philippines. The best part was getting to bond between the 6 of us who journeyed to Miri together. Me, Christina, Siew Foong, Erika, Samuel and Jeffrey. Our friendship blossomed and we formed a strong bond. We sticked together in school pretty often after that Miri trip. Although I did not get the results I wanted, friendship was rewarded to me in return. Then, Kuiz Pelaburan was a tough nut to crack. Me, Zoe and Brian prepared ages before the competition. All those stay-back-after-school moments we endured learning commerce, economics and accounting to improve on ourselves were excruciating. The three of us had to stay back till late afternoon and we even came back to school during holidays to learn and practise. Our end result was not that rewarding as we did not win anything but the experienced made us more knowledgeable and it was worth the trouble. 

Despite being busy juggling all of my extra-curricular activities, studies was still my top priority. Form 1 was like my honeymoon year. Thinking back, now I regretted not studying harder during those times. Back then I just did not have the drive to study hard. But things did change for the better. Every year, I strived harder than the previous year, that was when I saw the rise in my position in school. This made me so thrilled and I wanted to maintain the position so the burning desire prevailed. Hard work was always rewarding. Being able to get straight A's in PMR and straight A+ in my SPM was so amazing that I still have not gotten over them yet. Especially during the release of my SPM result, the moment of truth was priceless. The most amazing part was both of my parents were there to witness that most important moment of my life. No words can describe how happy I was at the moment.

Those times when me and my studied together in class, suffer together through numerous small tests and big exams, sit through endless extra classes, rushing against time to finish our homework and projects, sharing our problems with each other, movie times after exam, consulting each other when difficulties arise and gatherings were memories that I would never forget. Although I do not have a big group of friends,  I have a few close friends who will stand by me through thick and thin, and also willing to go the extra mile to help me and by being a great source of encouragement. Now, we are BFFs for life. I was glad that quite a number of us got bursary to further our studies together. YAY.

High school was indeed an unforgettable part of life. Despite the challenges and setbacks, high school was a transition of time all of us wished to go back to. It was so magical. High school wa the place where we grew and learn, expanded our horizon, learning who we truly are, mastering different skills and being able to be lifter up by peers and to lift people up. It nurtured me well and now I am prepared to soar beyond higher skies, to reach a new height and to nail future goals.

I want to express gratitude to everyone and everything who made my high school life interesting and full of incredible memories. Those who helped me to be a better person I also want to sincerely thank. My wishes are that everyone of you can fare well in colleges and be able to achieve your future goals. 

KC

Time

This post is inspired by the book The Timekeeper by Mitch Albom. I have been rereading this book again. Because I just love all of Mitch's books I can read them for 10000000000000 times. 

This book is about time. It may seem like the most abundant thing in this world but on the contrary it may be insufficient.

During certain times, we long for more time. We need more time, for preparation, for strategies and for any form of miracles. Those period of time, time is sacred and precious. We cannot afford to even lose one single second. The fear of losing time is what makes us treasure time. 

We need more time.

However, sometimes we hope that time will pass faster. This thought arises when we are in pain or misery, under gruesome suffering and in the midst of hardship, challenges and downfall. We secretly wish that we can turn the hands of the clock. To forward time like what we do with movies. The pain of going through tough things for a long period of time makes us fear time.

We do not need that much time.

There is always a reason why we have limited time. 

“We all yearn for what we have lost. But sometimes, we forget what we have.”
― Mitch Albom, The Time Keeper

I am pretty sure that lots of loves to reminisce the past. We want to go back to the past, our childhood time where we live without worries or our prime times where we reached the peak of our lives. Sadly, those times are only part of our fading memory. We cannot go back to those old happy golden days. But, we can learn to treasure them, cherish what we have and not to be calculative about what we do not have.

“And, because of this, man alone suffers a paralyzing fear that no other creatures endures. A fear of time running out” 

― Mitch Albom, The Time Keeper

So everyone, live your life to the fullest.

And!!!!!!! The soundtracks for the fault in our stars which is going to premier very soon are out!!!! I recommend this song which I love the most.

ALL OF THE STARS by Ed Sheeran <3 Listen to this I bet you will fall in love with this song.

CHANGE

Change is inevitable.

As time goes by, everything will change.

People change.

Things change.

Environment change.

Feelings change.

A change is either good or bad. Sometimes things change for the better or change for the worst.

Only years apart, so many things can happen and change.

Everything seems so different years ago.

The people who you are close with may not be close anymore. Those who contact you often may not be in touch. Those who you used to share bits of your life with may not be around anymore.

Even things you used to like then and things you like now can change. 

They say we must not fear change.

But at times it is not change that we fear.

It is the consequences we have to bear after change.

My Wish-list/ Resolution

People normally do resolutions to mark the start of a new year. You may be thinking what the heck am I doing by suddenly coming up with a wish list or resolution in the May. As I have been taking a break for school waiting to go to college in July, this to me is considered as a new chapter of life. A brand new beginning. In less than two months I will be embarking on a new journey, so here I am trying to write down my wishes for a brand new beginning.

1. Settle down well in college.

College perhaps will have a great difference compared to high school. I will need a little bit of time to adjust to the new lifestyle. Not to mention half a year of rusting at home. Getting up early for school and studying till late afternoon though is not foreign anymore. That was exactly how my high school life was like. I am going to stay away from home and live in a completely new environment. I do hope that homesickness won't occur to me. LOL. My ultimate wish would be everything will go well with my residence and new environment.

2. Do well and survive A levels

I made my decision to do A levels at Sunway College. A lot of consideration was taken into account before making this huge decision. So a lot of people said that A levels is a tough thing to handle and a killer to many people. Therefore, I have to work extra hard to cope with the syllables and do well to ensure I can achieve my dream and get into a good uni. That means less procrastination and more self-discipline. Oh well!

3. Make new friends

It is usually hard for me to make new friends. People say that I look cold on the outside and it is hard to approach me. Well, I do look like a super friendly person, do I? And I am also not the type to mingle well with strangers so sometimes it is hard for me to make new friends. So I do hope that I can change a bit and try to be more sociable, which is different from my usual self. It's time for a change!! Ini kalilah.

4. Eat less and exercise more

Many people might not know that I am always struggling with weight issues. It's not that I am fat but I am not satisfied with body. I just wish to be a little bit slimmer. Yeah, insecurities kill! But what to do? Insecurity is part of human nature. I am still working hard to achieve my goal of losing some more weight so I have to indulge less in food. I am eating clean now and exercising regularly. Well, I need to have more dedication in exercising. Sometimes I skip them when I am lazy. LOL. Bad :( And well food is my biggest enemy. I have a sweet tooth thus I especially love desserts. I know it is fattening but who does not love desserts? It brings back childhood memories. What I have to do now is trying to cut down on unhealthy food and junk!! Wish me luck.

5. Travel around the world

Travelling is one of my hobbies. OMG money draining hobby!!  At least I don't spend them on drugs. Good enough, LOL. I cannot wait to set foot on Korea, Japan, Bangkok, Europe, Maldives..... How I wish I can travel round the globe, be to every possible places. Of course this may not happen this year. *Sob. Money is a big issue! Never mind, I will make sure this dream comes true in the near future. If there is a will, there is a way! I just love travelling. It gives me a sense of fulfilment. 

6. Own a wardrobe full of clothes and shoes

Do not judge me!! This is every women's ultimate dream in life. A girl can never have too much clothes. Girls need to be pampered with limitless supply of fashion garments. Dressing up is a vital part of a girl's life. How I wish to have all the nice items to wear so I can be fashionable and look good every single day. Dressing up nicely is not a waste of time, money and energy. Do you know why we need to be presentable? Firstly, it is as a form of respect. You dress nicely so people will feel more comfortable seeing you. Imagine showing up at an event underdressed, wearing shorts and fit flops, how will others feel? Second, people judge you by how you look. This is a fact! If you dress nicely, people will have better impression and perception of you. Lastly, we girls dress up properly to boost up our own confidence. When you feel exclusive in your outfit, you will immediately feel more confident. How I wish......

7. Have my own blogshop/ retail shop/ fashion line someday

I am a really big fan of fashion. I like to keep up with the current trend and explore fashion. So I really do hope that one day I can be involved in something great like this. If possible, in the near future I would like to have my own little shop, selling the stuffs I handpick. And hopefully later in life, I can proudly have my own brand. Like Jimmy Choo!! Internationally renowned!  Who knows?? There is a possibility.

8.Control my temper and be more patient

My outbursts are not intentional. It is just that I cannot control it. The fiery feeling just suddenly overpowers me at that specific moment. I know it is bad but I am really really trying my very best to change. I am trying very hard. It is not that easy you know?? But sometimes at my boiling point, I just zipped my mouth so that I will have no chance to explode. LOL. To me that is major achievement!! Please bear with me a little bit kay?? I WILL CHANGE!! TRUST ME!!

9.Read more books

Reading is such a great thing to do. I should probably get my hand on more self-improvement books. This is to search for the much needed motivation and to chase all of my negative thoughts away. I need to read more storybooks, articles and magazines to improve my English and my writing. Yes, and the very reason I wrote this blog was to improve myself too in both aspects. Luckily, I kept going. Never thought I would make it past that 10 posts mark. *APPLAUSE!!!!!! I firmly believe writing is a very beautiful art and those authors deserve thumbs up. I can be so engrossed in some thrillers till I gave up sleep for them. I used to and of course currently too spend a fortune on books. But I believe that it's worth it because reading makes you more knowledgeable. It is a form of investment.

10. Volunteer

I truly feel blessed with my life. As I witness other people who might not be as lucky as me, there is a tinge of painful feeling in my heart. I do like to help the less fortunate. So i thought of doing some voluntary works to raise funds to help as many people as possible. They say by giving you will gain happiness. It is try indeed. So I made up my mind to spare some time for volunteering.

I do hope that all of these things will be achieved. From deep down in my heart, I believe in myself!! FIGHTING! 

Food for thoughts

I have been spending lots of time thinking about lots of things, the past, present and the future and of course doing some self-relfecting . Sometimes it is good to have deep thoughts and think thoroughly as you seek the purpose of life. What we did in the past, what we are doing now and about what  we should do to be a better person, to accomplish more. 

A lot of people only judge you by your cover. They look at how you are on the outside and think that they know all about you. Well, that is completely false. There are plenty people who always said that "Your life is perfect, Kim!" , "What can you not do?", "How i wish I can be like you.". Yes, sometimes my life do look perfect on the surface but nobody knows what you have been through. This is similar to a situation how people only see the glorious side of a very successful person, but little did they realise how much effort that person had put in or the hardships they had to endure to become what they are. I too am not an exceptional case. 

If you see me with a smile on my face,it does not mean that my life is perfect, it means that I choose to be happy. Life is a roller coaster ride. Not all things will go your way or be in favour of you. So we ourselves have to be the key to our own happiness. I did experienced joyous moments and great achievements. Those things are what lift up my mood, gave me a boost of energy and made life worthwhile. But life sometimes have its downsides too, like giving you a slap in the face at the most unimaginable moments and even having bumps along the way which will either slows you down or make you fall. Even worse, flat on your  face sometimes. During those hard or depressing times, I do feel disappointed and defeated. It even pushed me to the verge of giving up. Luckily, I have amazing support from family and friends for being a source of encouragement, lending an ear for my rantings and negative outbursts and giving me a shoulder to lean on when I am about to collapse. I managed to ditch all the negativities and get back on track. That was the way I learnt how to deal with occasional downs in life. I just have to take it as a painful lesson, learn it the hard way then throw it aside and strive harder to make sure those mistakes do not repeat again.

If you happen to wonder why I can multitask and be involved in many things at the same time, I can only tell you that it requires great focus and determination. I always have to be busy to juggle all those activities. Study, sports, family, leisure and social life are things that I have to divide my time wisely so I can lead a balanced life.( if you know what i mean) As you know kids or students nowadays do not really lead an enjoyable or memorable childhood such as being forced by parents to join tons of different classes to sharpen their skills in various fields since young. Please lah kiasu Asian parents, kids also need life one!! HAHA. One important point if you wanna succeed in many fields is to be extremely self-discipline and have good time management. In the past, I was indeed struggling to keep up with my hectic schedule of having to fare well in my studies by acing every subjects and having to fulfil my dedications as a basketball player and occasional netball player. There were time I fell sick when I was caught in between those activities due to fatigue. Basketball trainings and school exams at the same time, netball tournament right after basketball competition ended and quiz competitions and basketball at the same time. It was hectic to go through the gruelling schedule. But I doze myself with positive thoughts everyday, being thankful to do what I like and to lead a fulfilling life by being who I am. Most importantly, by hanging in there during the hardest time and never let giving up or quitting be an option, I was able to get pass obstacles. Of course not with ease.

 “When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” - Harriet Beecher Stowe

 “Never give up, have the passion. Don’t be afraid.” - Barbara Broccoli

 “Never give up. And most importantly, be true to yourself. Write from your heart, in your own voice, and about what you believe in.” - Louise Brown

Even when you feel like you cannot do it anymore, just keep pushing yourself. That is what I did to myself. It is always worth it because at the end of the journey when you get satisfying results and see the outcome of your hard work, you will immediately forget about all the pain and intriguing moments you had been through as everything you did will be worthwhile to get you to that point of success. You have to believe in your dreams, if you have a dream that is big, you have to do extra work to make it a reality. The sense of accomplishment after your breakthrough will be priceless and worthless.

Another thing which always budges people is the unhappiness in life. Of course everyone wants have a flattering figure, tall and slim. Everyone wants to be rich and clever. Everyone wants to posses branded goods and enjoy luxurious food. Who does not want to lead a perfect life, a life free of worries and everything falls perfectly? But my motto is count your blessings instead of your problems. When you feel that you're not as pretty and slim as some models or celebrities, do not feel down. Cherish your own body, work hard to have a nicer built. If you do not live in a big mansion or  own Ferrari, BMW and Mercedes, do not feel inferior. Instead, be thankful for having a caring family.   Be thankful to have a shelter over you head and the supply of sufficient food to keep you full. If you want a better life, work hard to earn it. You can't blame your parents if you are born poor, you can change the fate of your life and you have a choice but if you die poor, that's yourself to blame. 

You are the key to the happiness and success of your life. You are the person who determines everything. Bear in mind that everyone of you are limitless. WE ARE LIMITLESS!!!! Never set a boundary for yourself or fear mountains that are too hard to climb. Treasure every second while you are still living, do things that make you happy, follow your heart, chase after your dreams and passion, and never ever doubt your own abilities. Learn to enjoy life, be thankful for what you have and work hard to earn the things that you do not have. Shun all the negativities away from your little mind. Stay away from people who pull you down. By taking one small step at a day, you can make a great difference in life.  Treat the tough times in your life as physical exercises, you may not like it, but tomorrow you will be stronger because of it.

KIM <3

My Basketball Life

"WHAT???!!! YOU PLAY BALL??"

This was the reaction I got from most people when I told them that I am a basketball player. Was it that unbelievable?? 

A lot of people do wonder how a person like me ended up being an athlete or a basketball player as I do not look the tiny winy bit athletic. Sometimes, even I always doubt myself. So here is how basketball became one of the most important activity throughout my five years of high school.

So, why basketball when there is netball, a sport more suitable for girls??? 

Way back in 2008, that was when I was a primary six student, I randomly took part in an inter-school basketball competition. After that I just lost contact with the basketball world. My secondary school basketball coach, Mr Toh, who is the greatest coach ever, recruited me into his team when I entered form 1 based on my that 1 time experience. OMG!! Nobody would believe this!! But unfortunately, this is TRUE!! At first I was quite reluctant to be involved in a sport because it requires high dedication and commitment but later on my mum managed to talk me into giving basketball a try. My awesome journey took off to a great start there. I attended training sessions to prepare for the inter-school competition that was to be held during March. I was surprised to be chosen for the final team to represent my school as there were many other strong and experienced players. YEAH, I was eligible for competition!!!! Although as a newbie I wasn't able to play much, our school emerged champion. 

I only took part in 2 competitions for my first year(2009).

In 2010, I was  involved in 3 competitions namely the under18, under16 and under15 inter-school. 

                            

Things kept getting better for me and my team. We started our school's domination in the basketball world this very year. Champion was  ours!! Our glory and honour did not come that easily, we put in lots of effort and hard work like training during school holidays to achieve this. Everyone of the team did not slack even for a little bit. Of course we also had our weekly trainings.

The third year of my basketball career (2011) was a turning point for me. I was the main player for both the under 15 and under 16 team. I had more chance to showcase my talent and abilities. I made good use of both of these competitions not only to prove myself but also to help the school capture the championship title. In the end, we emerged as champions in both competitions.

If 2011 was an amazing year, then 2012 would be spectacular and breath-taking. LOL sorry for exaggerating. 2012 was the most fruitful year as a basketball player for me. I took part in 6 competitions alone in a single year and even represented Sibu. So the first time I got chosen was during the Under 16 competition held in Sungai Antu. The inter-division competition was held in Miri. Prior to the tournament, we had an intensive training for about 2 weeks. First times were always nerve-wrecking! We travelled there by bus and stayed at Park Hotel. Teams like Kuching, Miri and Sarikei were our competitors. That was definitely a great first time as we beat out other strong contenders to become the CHAMPION!!!!

 under 16 interschool

 Celebrating coach's birthday

 Basketball buddy

 Another buddy I got associated with through basketball

Sibu team emerged champion in under 16

Hotel Lobby

This was the second time in the same year going to Miri, this time around it was for the inter-divisional under 18 tournament. This was also unforgettable as I got to know friends from different places that shared the same interest and passion. Even though we could only manage 2nd position, but it was indeed a great exposure and experience.This was already my 4th tournament of the year. It was quite tough to train for inter-divisional competitions as we had to train during exam periods and travel to the destination right after exam to compete during school holidays. Hectic yeah?  I was thankful to be able to go through it of course with some difficulties, but survived it. Get what I mean?? If you see me during those period, I will be like studying my notes, tying my shoelaces, then zooming off to training and packing my luggage for the trip all at the same time. CRAZY I know!! 

These pictures are the Women's Open I took part. The interdivisional one was held in Bintulu. Our teams mostly consisted of teenagers and we had to compete against adults from other divisions. Our result was first runner up. That marks the end of my second last year of high school basketball career. This was a year that was hard to handle for me, having to juggle between the suddenly-become-tough form 4 syllables and this tiring sport but praise the Lord I was able to make it through and live the best of both worlds. 

2013- The year that my career was coming to an end. It was a bit hard to let go of this churning feeling inside of me and it made me nostalgic about many things. I always had this feeling that all wonderful things are going to come to an end so it made me cherish and treasure my last moments even more. To try and fight harder so that I can leave this game with no regrets.

 Sign of victory at Kota Samarahan.

By this year, our school(SMK Methodist) has been raiding championships for a few consecutive years. This made me proud to be a part of Methodist's basketball team. People would just assume you are a great player and a force to be reckoned with when they heard that you are a Methodist basketballer , even though you're not. LOL. At good times like these, basketball also forced me to make the most difficult decision of my life. The big news hit me and I was not able to handle all of that for quite a while. I had to choose to stay back in school to sit for my first term exam or represent Sibu to the interdivision competition in Kota Samarahan. I was torn between which one to choose as both are my priorities. So to go or not go?? Luckily, my coach talked to the principal and worked out a way for me to compete and take the test. The Lord always give me guidance and assurance during my most difficult times. As a result, I did join the tournament and Sibu team emerged champion.

             

The best thing about basketball is the people you meet. <3

The divisional level Women's Open competition in June was my last competition of they year, and also the last for my whole career. Although we only got third, but it was nevertheless a great experience. Oh, and I would also want to mention that this tournament was the first one I had trained and was leaded under a different coach. I learned to accustom to a different strategy of a different coach.

As a conclusion, my basketball years may seem short yet long, depends on how one view it. To me, every moment was very precious and I will always keep them at the bottom of my heart. Typing all these things made me so nostalgic. 

Basketball may just seem like a sport to everyone, but to me it is not. Basketball is all about teamwork. Our teamwork was that good until we communicate through eye contact on court. No words needed. We always manage to work hand in hand by not being selfish to become the top-scorer, but to score to ensure a win for the team. Basketball is about a big family, a family of twelve. We shed sweat and tears together. Regardless of our having lots of differences, we come together as one through basketball. I still remembered how my teammates surprised me with a cake on my birthday once. Basketball is about fighting hard every second. On court, we only have 40 minutes to seal the deal. Every ticking second is priceless. We fought with all our might and that was the time to give all of what you have. Basketball is about joy. Doing what we like together and winning every possible tournament makes us all happy. The best of all is you have lots of people to share your joy with. When feeling down, teammates will help you out of your misery by cracking a few lame jokes. Basketball is about compromising. Learning how to forgive others' mistakes and use them to improve oneself is never easy, but this was what basketball taught me. Compromise with your teammates as everyone makes mistakes, when they miss a shot, go grab a rebound. Basketball is about perseverance. Even on the verge of losing, do not lose hope or sight. We still fight like a fighter filled with spirit and determination ! This is the spirit that every basketballer have. Before the game is over, quit talking about losing.

Therefore, basketball is a great sport. It shapes you into a great person. Of course one of the main advantage is you can keep fit and stay healthy. Trust me, your stamina and sporting ability will no doubt increase by leaps and bounds too. A lot of students nowadays cited lack of time as an excuse to be exempted from sports. Of course it will be tough to juggle academic and sports, but see I had survived the whole ordeal. *Feeling proud!!! It ain't that torturing. After all you only go through high school once and making some wonderful memories in a short span of five years is definitely worth the trouble. Get yourself engaged in sports and never stay in your shell. 

XOXO