Melody's Kingdom

I used to be scared of dogs when I was young and my dad had to return a pup he took in because I refused to walk on the floor, the pup kept wanting to lick my toes. Mind you, I was six back then and quite self-contained- thought the world revolved around me. So, fast forward to almost 20 years later, I have a pet dog and he is my favourite being in the world. I have always been the ‘awww it’s cute’ kinda person with animals and little kids. Not very much with little kids, since the teacher in me comes out more often than it should. Anyway, because I grew up with a dog, I am more dog-friendly than cat-friendly. I have no ill-feelings towards cats but my friend’s cat tried to attack me once. I've been edgy around cats ever since then. Also, the fact that my mum hates cats and has instilled in me that cats can sense that I am a dog person. Coming back to the main point: I have this friend, L, right? He is a lil’ crazy over kitties. I didn’t know how crazy until we embarked on this j...

Back then, people didn’t know what stalking was and how powerful social media is. So, no judgements here as I tell my story of how social media helped my friend. When I was in the second year of middle school (known as Form 2 in Malaysia), this new girl came to my school. Her father got transferred to Penang Island and she joined my school. It is a convent school and one of the most prestigious schools on island. Although I had Chinese and Malay friends, I always hung out with my Indian friends during recess. And all my Indian friends are scattered across the 6 classes in the year. I think it was really good networking we had back then and we’d have each other’s back for homework, class projects and all other stuffs, that is inappropriate for a blog. The fact that we didn’t have to be ladylike to impress any guys made us more rebellious, I guess. Man! My high school days were awesome and I wouldn’t trade them for anything. So, we had this new girl in school, right? Let’s call her P...

This is about one of the most important people in my life. He might not have been the kindest soul in the world but he has influenced so many aspects of my life. He is my motivator and has set a high standard for the kind of guy I want in my life. Not because ‘I want a guy who loves me like my dad’, but more because he has some qualities I never want my guy to have. My mother deserves an applause for putting up with him for the last 36 years and he might not have been the best husband but he is the best dad I could ask for. I choose to think my presence has made him a better person. Need I say more, I am the youngest in my family, even among my cousins. I had a way of using my brightest, innocent looking smile to get away from all the mistakes I made when I was young. My siblings hated me for that and often used me as a shield from my dad. Now, will you join me on a short trip down the memory lane? My dad loves sharing his food with me, even as a toddler. He used to feed me while I...

I try. I try really hard. It’s a battle I have been fighting every single day of my life since the change. The battle is to not be a clingy friend. I dislike having friends who expect me to tell them my whereabouts all the time. To me, I dislike having my movements restricted. I love my freedom and when someone asks my whereabouts too many times, I feel suffocated. Yes, it is perfectly understandable. Pretty sure I am not alone in this world. However, I am beginning to despise myself for being that kind of friend. I have been yapping about my difficulty in making friends and forming bonds with people here. Thank God, I have found 2 friends I am comfortable with, people who I can be weird and crazy with. Well, sometimes it takes time for them to accept my weirdness. Gotta cut some slack for these buddies, I can be pretty random and weird. I said I try hard, right? Yea, so I try not to be that friend who messages every time to ask their whereabouts. I try not to invite myself on ...

So, lately, I have been pondering if “The One” actually exists. I kept falling for people who I thought could be “The One” but there never seem to be anyone. It’s a bit like Yin and Yang, black and white, there is supposed to be someone who complements you, right? Or have I got it all wrong? I can say that what I wanted a decade ago is not what I want now. My idea of “The One” keeps changing. It has evolved so much from what I used to want. I remember reading an article once about finding someone. It made me think, what if the person you think is “the One” isn’t “the One”, and “the One” has been standing right next to you all these time? What if you have just been too blind to see it? The possibility that anyone can be The One is mind-boggling. Then, Katy Perry tells us we also have ‘the one that got away’. What do we do about them? At the end of the day, this all feels like a game of ‘snap’ to me. To like someone and then for the person to reciprocate that feeling. There’s a...

Being an international student in Australia has taught me plenty of life lessons and I am still learning; however, people happen to always touch a sore spot when they talk about how I am leading an easy life overseas and they are all struggling back home. I hate to burst the bubble; everyone faces struggles every day of their life. So, I am here today writing this article to spell out the possible struggles of an international student. The struggles co-relate to one another and might differ from one person to another. Nonetheless, it is important to acknowledge the hardships in order to see your growth over time and I am not embarrassed to say that some days I still feel like I’m fighting a battle. 1. Losing social circle First and foremost, not having my social circle was extremely distressing to me. I did not have my family and friends around me. My support system crumbled down when I came to Australia. I had contact with my family and friends but nothing came close to having them...

When I first joined QUT, we had an orientation week and I saw the banners for QUT Big Lift. Being new and all, I took the literal meaning to the club’s name and walked away from that place, assuming it meant some weight lifting sports club. It did not click to me that it is actually the kind of club I would have fun with, until I spoke to Michael during Global Café event. It appears that QUT Big Lift is a non-profit organization that develops relationship with the Indigenous community through various volunteering and service learning activities. Prior to any association with the club, I joined the Harmony Day events and knew about the history of Australia and the significance of Harmony Day. I still might not have gotten all my facts right, mind you, history has never been my favourite subject. However, I was interested to know more about the Indigenous community. Through the Harmony Day forum, I found out a lot of facts and books to read about the history of the Indigenous community...