Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
(...actually it's more of Ken Rhee's Series of Unfortunate Events)

For a long time, I always believed that everything is either a cause and/or is an effect. This sentence is a neutral statement, compared to say, "There is always a silver lining," or "What goes around, comes around." This belief of mine I think is something in line with karma. Something always happen for a reason, whether it's something good, or something bad. In a conceptual world, you do good you get good, you do bad you get bad. However, real life isn't always like this.

But still, the sentence still holds true. The only thing is that you DON'T know what is the cause or the effect. The event could be something that happened as a result of something. Best illustrated as you get punished for something bad that you have done. Or could be rewards reaped from the field you have sowed. When something wrong happens that you cannot explain, and you have not done anything bad in your life, there is only one thing that is left to hold on to. Faith that things will change for the better.

It could be a test, to see how you will come out in the end. A test that will make you stronger. A test that can make you find yourself.

(Lost comes back to mind...)

Now, coming back to my title: A series of unfortunate events has occured to me. More like ill news all the way. Everything isn't going my way, everything isn't turning out to my benefit. And there is nothing that I can do.

It started quite some time ago. I don't know when to start. For one, I have not yet recieved my student visa. I applied on the 21st of December. Others have applied and gotten theirs by the time I applied. The next day, I went to the doctor to get my medical checkup. They found haematuria. And because of that, my medical fees was RM300 for the additional tests.

I was hoping that it would not interfere with my application, but it did. They refered the medical report back to Australia. And due to the holiday season, I only got a reply on the 3rd of January. They just recieved the reports and are reviewing it now. There was another e-mail, from the University saying that they have reserved a place for me in the temporary accomodation, comfirming that I do NOT have a place in the campus. So I have to go look for my own place outside.

I finally got a reply on 6 Jan. They needed to contact my doctor. Fine. Another mail on 9 Jan saying I should go see my doctor. I was supposed to fly off on 9 Jan. The rest flew off on 9 Jan. Why am I still here. I went and I had to go see a nephrologist. Fine. I tried to make appointments, but Tuesday was a holiday. The next available one was Wednesday. FINE.

Wednesday, I also get an e-mail stating that my friends who were already there decided to rent a place together and I will be alone. I have not felt so betrayed... But they have valid excuses. There was nothing I can do anyway. Not only I have to stay alone, I most probably have to miss the entire orientation. I might not even make it for the first few lessons.

So, now, I have problems with my visa, problems with my health, problems of accomodation, problems of settling in. I can only what events will occur next.

And I do not have a clue on what is the purpose of all these, only why it could be happening to me. Neither gives me comfort.

T-minus 1
(well it should have been if not for my health...)

What scares me is now is that I am watching the series Lost. It's about a plane that crashed on course from Australia to Singapore... It features a bunch of survivors who miraculously survived the crash. They all survived, and the main cast all have a tale to tell, and they are actually in fact, emotionally and spiritually... Lost.

So begins the story. Miracles happening and all that. Every episode will star a character, and the problems he/she is facing for the day, and at the same time, will reveal his/her story which he/she will have to relive and find themselves to get through their stay in the island.

Then enter the shamanistic character, Locke. He was a cripple, and the crash made him able to walk. After his episode, he became this sort of a preacher. He believes strongly that the island is filled with mystical powers which brought all those who survived there for a reason. He started taking it like a duty to spread this knowledge, teaching everyone. In the beginning, he was the righteous one. After a while, I felt a tinge of evangelistic sentiments being weaved into the show.

When I look back, Christianity has always been beside me almost all the way of my life. Though I am a Buddhist, I have asked questions about the religion. I feel that I do know much about Christianity, but then, so did Lucifer. Anyway, I am also reading a book "The Case for a Creator." The first few chapters already is shattering my beliefs in Darwinism. I held to the Theory so much because it was the most logical sensical fact in my life. I am still mulling over whether I still hold on to it because I am stubborn or because it is true...

The part which scares me is that I am in this period of not believing anything. Nothing has been going my way these couple of weeks. And I do feel Lost. And an interesting discussion I had yesterday, about the 7 deadly sins. I am committing all of them at this very moment and I don't know what to do. Evelyn tried showing me the other good 14... but I can't see any of it...

Anyway, that's just a gist of what is going on in my mind now. Back to being lost.. I mean, watching Lost

It's been a long time since my last post... so this is a summary of what has happened:

Studied for End of Semester Exams
Sat for EoS
Passed EoS => can go to Australia
Applied for Visa - Spent AU$420
Medical Checkup - required for visa - spent RM 300
Got back report - good news, I dont have AIDS. bad news, I have haematuria.
Bought Air ticket - spent RM 2656
Finished the Convocation Magazine. Didn't manage to add in the trivia questions to every page.
Stayed up for more than 24 hours. finishing the magazine.
Planning on starting a cd version though...
Watched Extended Edition of Lord of the Rings. By that I meant all three movies.
Finished watching Desperate Housewives.
Watched Narnia and King Kong
Gave a friend a Gundam Model and got one back.
Help make a Gundam Model
Painting my own Gundam model
Playing Black and White 2, The Sims 2 and Chronicles of Narnia
Started watching Gensomaden Saiyuki. Hope I can finish it before I leave