I am not gonna talk about the predictions of this year as I am not an astrologer nor a feng shui expert. Instead, I am gonna share about how I celebrate my CNY long weekend. Oh, maybe you might wonder, how come an Iban-Bidayuh girl celebrates CNY. Well, I don't exactly celebrate CNY. We usually just held a small, low key and laid back family reunion dinner because my ama (that's how you call grandmother in Hokkien) is a Chinese. We held this family reunion dinner every year without fail, unless ama is not in Kuching. This year is more exciting because Uncle Joe and family fly all the way from Miri to celebrate with us. Hence, this is why I decided to celebrate my belated birthday celebration with the family because EVERYONE is here. Oh, and I get extra ang pows because it's my birthday! :p

Not gonna write much more, but am gonna let the pictures do the talking!

Funny story during blowing the candles. So I bought my cake at Lof Bakery, Kuching Sentral as the other branch at Jalan Song was closed *almost cried but sapa suruh beli lambat. Dah tauk Cina mok beraya mestilah daknya tutup for family reunion dinner*. While I was waiting for the shop assistant to do the writing on the cake, I was looking for candles. I never used the number candles before but I guess now that umur semakin meningkat, I guess I should just forgo that thought for I don't feel like the age I am. At times I still thought that I was 21 *coughs* and at times, my thinking is waaaaayyyyy ahead than my current age. Anyway, back to the candles story, I was looking for the suitable candle to be used because to be honest, I'm quite bored with the normal candle that bakeries provide. So I found a "Magic Candle", grab it and paid for it. Along with the cake of course. On my way back, I asked my brother Matthew why did they call it the "Magic Candle". This is what he said:

A few minutes before the cake ceremony, Matthew showed me the back of the candle packaging. It said, "to completely distinguish the flames, it must be immersed in the water...", something like that. I was like, what did I get myself into? Haha. But I just said to him, "it's okay. We can do this." So after that papa lead us with the prayer and blessings, and then, the moment everyone (well, mostly the kids) waiting for: CAKE CUTTING!!! Aunty La light up the candle, but stopped for a while because she find it hard to light it up (hint: MAGIC CANDLE) so Uncle Casey continued lighting up the candle. After the candle is lit, they sang the birthday song and then I tried to blow off the candle. It was a success, and 60 seconds later, it relighted. The thought that came to my mind was, "so this is MAGIC CANDLE." The kids on the other hand, are very excited that the candle relighted so they blow their saliva hearts out to blow off the candle. It was a success, but like the instruction says, it relights every 60 seconds so I instruct someone to take a cup of water so I can finally distinguish it. The kids continue to blow the candle and at one moment, Cody (one of the twin cousins of mine) almost took the cup water and throw it at my birthday cake and I think everyone almost had a heart attack because of this. Haha. Lesson learnt: standby a cup of water if you plan to use the magic relighting candle. Lol.

After the whole conundrum, we proceed with our dinner. There were obviously lots of food and of course, ama's signature for every CNY family reunion dinner, her steamboat. Nope, it is not like the D11 steamboat or any steamboat that you find for that matter. It looks something like this:

More or less lah. We talked the whole night while waiting for the clock to struck midnight. And every one hour, Uncle Bart played the fire crackers. 

All in all, everyone was happy. I think this is the first time Uncle Joe and his family participated in the CNY family reunion dinner. My little cousins, Cody, JJ and Chrysantha were very excited that they got red packets for the first time from ama and Uncle Bart until they said to their mama and papa to not take their money away from them. How can you not laugh at that? 

I hope it's not to late for me to wish everyone who's celebrating Chinese New Year a happy, prosperous Chinese New Year and may the horse be with you! 

Sometimes, things go wrong just so we can be stronger when we encounter the same ordeal in the future (although I don't know how many times I will have to crush around until I end up with someone). 

Sometimes, people come and go so we learn how to let go when we are supposed to let them go (I'm still in the process of learning this, trust me. It's not easy, but I'm learning).

Sometimes, distance is created so that we know who remembers us, despite how busy we are in our life.

Sometimes, when you pray to God, but your prayer goes unanswered, it does not mean that God won't give you what you want. It means that He has something better in mind, for He knows you deserve better, and not what you think you deserve. 

2012 pass me by so fast, there are times (especially towards the last four months of the year) that I couldn't catch my breath. People come and go, and it does break my fragile heart, but I keep on reminding myself that these people, who come and go in my life are serve to give me a lesson, in one way or another. While those who stayed, they are my blessings from God. I believe that, very much. I know for sure that I am weird, and I'm glad that these people are willing to be seen with me doing weird things, sometimes even JOIN me doing weird things. Sometimes they laugh at me, sometimes I laugh at them, but in the end of the day, we laugh at each other's weirdness. And that is why, they are my blessings. Everyday I thank God for these people, but sometimes it seems as if it is not enough and there are times that I wish I could do more, than just giving thanks. But perhaps to God, it is indeed enough. Perhaps this is me, overthinking again. 

As I had said before, quotes are my strongest motivator, besides God and my friends as well as family. And I can tell you, these quotes are the quotes that practically sums up my year in 2012:

With a humble heart, I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year 2013. Leave whatever heartaches, happiness, sadness that you had in 2012. If it is a good one, cherish it till your last breath. If it is a bad one, don't let it get into your head and just move on. Close the book of 2012, and start with a clean slate for 2013. Give everyone a chance to change, because you know other people would want you to change for the better. I know I would.

And with that said, I shall bid au revoir to 2012. I don't know where I'll be celebrating my new year's eve, but I'm sure, I will be surrounded by my family. And they are already enough for me. So cheers to 2012 and 2013. May it be a prosperous year for all of us.


With love,

Marcella Helaena Julan. 

Currently taking a break from studying Investment. Still got 5 more chapters to go, and I haven't even started on a few other subjects that also have midterms after the holidays. And I have to study like, 4 - 5 chapters for the other subjects as well. Honestly, one week holiday is not enough. Still wondering how I'm gonna survive this semester. The motivation is there, the EFFORT (yes, surprisingly) is there. But....... the timing? Oh I don't know. Can I just quit studying and become a professional dancer for Rihanna? Is it not too late? I mean, look at the dancers' body, super FIT! Rihanna even has a 6 pack for goodness sake. Whereas for me, my belly is like a jelly and my arms looks like chicken drumstick. Okay, I'm exaggerating but hey, I really should do something about that.

Okay, I was kidding. 

I won't quit being a student, not when I'm in my final year right now. Like Queen said in their song, the show must go on, no matter what. 

But I do miss dancing though. I miss doing flash mobs with the Sarawak Flash Mob Move 2012 crew.  The flash mob in Unimas ain't really a flash mob. It's more like, dancing beramai-ramai. Tidak percaya? This is Gangnam style that we did during the faculty's orientation.

When will I get the chance? Haihhh...

My first time joining flash mob. And I never look back since then.

I think I've had enough on investment for tonight. Shall call it a night. Goodnight darlings!

Remember a few days ago I posted about wanting to know the truth about something? And I imagined for it to be like Chuck and Blair's in Gossip Girl season 4 (if you have no idea what I am talking about, click here). Well, it happened. I finally know the truth about it. And truth to be told, I can say this; things are not what we always assume. That's why it is important to ask. As papa had told me before,

Quote from the Book of Matthew 7:7.

Though Chuck and Blair's scene may be more beautiful, I mean c'mon. Chuck Bass is Chuck Bass, while Blair is Blair Waldorf.  

I have been meaning to update my blog on the happenings between the last week of July and the first week of August but due to the lazy-ness attack, I didn't do so. Lol. No sweat however, I am here to update. Though I think I would let the pictures do the talking more. So,here it goesssss....

Went for ice cream at Sunny Hill ice creams with ze brothers and my 10-year-old cousin, Isabel. After that, Isabel and I went to The Spring for fun as the little girl has never been to The Spring. Well, before this she stayed at Miri, so I feel 'obligated' to bring her there. And being the little girl she is, she was so happy with that journey that she didn't want to go home. Isn't she cute?