On The Road Again

After a long break in posting, I've decided to start writing in this humble little blog of mine once more. Not in any part due to fan pressure (of which there is none, I assure you), but mostly from the realisation that there's somewhat of a connection between regularly blogging and writing skill. As much as I like surfing the Internets© and goofing off, neither of those really help in writing. Or motivation, for that matter. In any case, writing helps me keep my communicative edge sharp, even if no-one really gives a damn about what I say. Savvy?

Today's entry...a return to the wilderness.

It sure doesn't feel like it, but I've been studying in this university for two years, give or take a few months from holidaying back home. That means roughly two years of (technically) living on my own, cooking for myself (most of the time), and pretty much juggling priorities and making choices without direct intervention of the parental units. It seemed pretty long the previous two years, but in retrospect it's all been a short, short period time in my life. Yet at the same time, it also felt like the longest, most agonizing stretches of time I've ever been through in certain spots.

For the most part, though, it's been quicker than I've imagined. In the span of two years, I've managed to do so many things I never acheived in high school. I joined a martial art, out of my own volition, and fell in love with it. Even when I come home in bruises and pain, I always come back on motivation I gave myself. I've managed to live more or less on my own in a foreign country, and learned how to operate in a western society. I've made friends who aren't my direct classmates, juniors, or seniors, in ways I'd never expect. I've traveled on my own up and down the country, which I definitely would not have done had I stayed home.

Oh, and I was blessed with a girlfriend. Best acheivement of 2008, I may add, and one I'm constantly thankful for. It's not always a bed of roses, what with a long-distance relationship from the start, or extremely differing upbringing between the two of us, but I figure (as I've discerned through my martial arts training) that things that take quite a lot of effort to do are usually the ones with goals worth getting. So I'll see how this goes on. Maybe it'll work in the long run, maybe it won't, but I'll be sure to take it as it comes and enjoy every moment it brings.

One thing I've noticed since I came back here; I'm different to the person that left home two years ago. People have been telling me this, but it never really registered in my mind what exactly had changed. Looks, probably. Lost some weight here and there. Perhaps gained some muscle mass. But nothing really came to my mind as being different. Until I came back and confidently walked around the campus as if it were my back yard, talking normally to the lecturers I once approached so timidly, and just being sure of myself for once.

One thing that hasn't quite changed, however, is my cooking skill. Despite having a bit of training during my year-end holiday back home, I've still managed to cook up the least appetizing and (especially in last night's case) rather stomach-unsettling. I do realise now that sometimes, it's best to start off with recipes other people have made until I'm completely sure of what I'm doing.

Just as a side note, I cooked orak-arik (green bean and carrot stirfry) last night. And it was horrible. It began normally enough, getting the spices all worked up and smelling good. It was after stirfrying the veggies that it all started to go downhill. To substitute eggs, I put in tofu. To improve taste I added two red chillies, and sweet soy sauce on top of that. Still unhappy with the taste, I somehow decided to add water and Kikkoman sauce.

I do feel it is relevant to say that after eating this concoction, my sleep was plagued by a series of nightmares, one I vividly remember being about living in a house overrun by rats, bugs, and scorpions. Lovely.

[End Transmission]