I am 22 years old this year. It's already November, and 2010 is a stone throw away.
Where have I been all these years?
Well I was born in 1987, in Miri. It's the second largest city in Sarawak after the capital, Kuching.
The hospital where I was born was the same hospital where my mother worked. My two sisters were born there too. So there we were, a family of five living a modest life in a government quarters not too far from the hospital itself.
As far as I can remember the quarters that we lived in was on a small island called Pulau Melayu. There was a beach, and it was within walking distance from our where we lived.
We were there until I reached the age of five before we moved to Sibu. And in 1993 there was an addition to our family. My mother gave birth to my younger brother. He is now sixteen. I could still remember how cute he was back then. I even did the task of preparing the milk for him.
Education takes me places. I really lived by my family's side for only 12 years. When I was 13 I was sent to a school in Miri, but I found the school too uncomfortable, so I asked my parents to get me out of there. So I was back at home for a while before being sent away again, this time to a school in Kuching.
And there I was, 13 years old, and having to manage myself, surrounded by unfamiliar faces, getting homesick and wanting to go home. But soon I had learned to stand on my own, though not still, but I stood nevertheless! 5 years of my life was spent in Kuching, although I returned home 5 to 6 time a year.
When I finished school I worked at McDonald's for about 5 months. It was a great experience. I earned my own salary. I used the money to buy a mobile phone and also a Swatch.
Like I told you, education takes me places. In July 2005 I managed to land an offer to further my education. It was a great news for my parents and I, but for that, I had to go to Penang.
Off I went, young but not innocent, away from again. It was quite something, to be far away from home. I was homesick for the first couple of months, and after that I was okay, although occasionally I felt like I should be home, not in Penang, being around new faces, speaking a language I could not really speak at that time.
It has been about 4 years now since I first came to West Malaysia. I have about a year left to finish this course I am in. I am thinking of applying for a post in my hometown. I want to serve my people. Enough of spending my time in a land far from home.
Young, and not innocent.