Say U Lov Me

Open Criticism

2012-02-01T21:37:00.005+08:00

When the substitution of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was made for Andrey Arshavin against Manchester United, the thousands of fans were heard to jeer the manager's decision. Now here comes the killer question: Was the jeering made because it was Arshavin who was sent onto the field? Would the legendary Thierry Henry receive jeers if he were the one sent on that day?

Being under-fire has not helped Arshavin in any way. Time and again he was given harsh tags for his lackluster displays. Some fair critics would admit he is being beleaguered. Indeed, most fans see it easier to blame someone, somebody for the club's decline in form.

Tadaa~ there's our scapegoat. Everyone else, happy?

[Let us not for get the manager, Arsene Wenger is very much under scrutiny too]

On the local front, we see also underhand means to get someone beleaguered, ruining his drastically reputation in the process. It is easy to join in the bandwagon, to condemn him as his opposing counterparts paint him, but never easy to go against the flow to whistle-blow the truth.

Cronyism works extensively to the cause of the opposing party (pun not intended) then, with untruths surfacing left, right and center. Do you side with a group of people because they champion the cause of the people, making the better decision towards a long distant goal, or you side with them because they make short sighted happiness appear out of no where? Time to put on your thinking caps.

Ah morphine, the best drug for guaranteed success.

And of, if you motioned for a cause and supported it, don't whine about the prospect of getting your hand dirty while the cause is being put into action.

If you were to trade units because you didn't like the old one, at least clean the old one first. It is your asset before traded.

And I suppose I'm getting arrested for breaking the law no thanks to SOPA and PIPA for not acknowledging the origin of the pictures.

Ahh well.

50/50 - A Review

2012-01-31T12:10:00.004+08:00

Before going to the movies, I usually sit in front of my laptop checking out the posters of the movie intended to be watched. Sometimes the posters are so badly done I gave the interest up in a mere ten seconds. 50/50, however falls into the other category, of which I was seriously tempted to drive to the cinema immediately.

Hmmm, let's see. We know cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy shave their heads. Some patients find the process of waiting their hair to fall out intolerable, because the cancer drugs used in chemotherapy target quickly dividing cells, and this includes the cells in hair follicles.

However, to shave your own head yourself, is a feat only the courageous can perform. Even with the support of my best friend, I doubt my ability to shave my own head. But then we see Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) doing it with his best friend Kyle (Seth Rogen) and I just can't help admiring this awesomeness.

And then we have the trailer.

The production team came up with a trailer highlighting Adam's response to the news of cancer (schwannoma neurofibrosarcoma, anyone?) using the Kubler-Ross Model (extended) a.k.a the Five Stages of Grief. With a subtle touch of wit and excellence, it left me with no doubt to mark this movie as a must watch.

And yeah, of course, you would want to know if Adam survives.

So, it was a Thursday when I braved the weather and the two-hour traffic gridlock to get to the cinema, by which I was late by a quarter of an hour and frustrated and depressed and in a mood nobody wants to get near me. But oh, it was worth it.

Totally.

Gordon-Levitt put in a solid effort as the likable Adam and Rogen was outstanding as well for being the best-friend-who-has-to-give-support-but-doesn't-know-how-to-communicate. In real like we definitely undergo such situations when we have no idea how to communicate with empathy. This movie totally nailed every small detail and presents it atypical to the normal boring old Hollywood flicks.

It gets what it is like to receive a horrific diagnosis out of the blue, the numbness and the shock of dealing with it, the well meaning of friends and the stupidest things acquaintances say ('Every time I feel sorry for myself I think of you') and the people who are the center of your life as you get on with it.

Then, we have Anna Kenderick putting another stellar performance in as Katherine, a psychiatrist going for her PhD whose third ever patient was Adam. The actress has been excellent since her portrayal of Natalie Keener in Up in the Air and she once again caught the essence of the character.

Besides that, Anjelica Huston who plays Adam's mother deserves a mention as she superbly played the strong woman whose husband has Alzheimer and has to receive the news that her beloved son has now contracted cancer. Better show your love while you can and not wait till the last moment, I'd say.

The director puts emphasis on character perspectives which change along with the development of the movie. Well, we can definitely see how much weight a person's perspective plays in the dealing of an illness. In a brilliant scene, Adam gets bummed out with the sight of ailing people in the hallway of the hospital. After his first chemotherapy session in which weed was consumed, he left the hallway feeling elated despite the same negative surroundings.

All in all, a great movie. The comedy and drama elements were well balanced to the point of perfection. I particularly like the scene where the anesthesiologist almost had to quarrel with Adam's mother to be able to get Adam to the surgical theater.

4.5/5 I'd say. Worthy of an Oscar in my opinion.

Oh and marijuana lovers should like this movie much ^^

痛

2011-12-20T14:38:00.005+08:00

痛，使我瘫痪

无力睁开双眼无能再吸一口气

医生注入了止痛剂

扑通扑通

心脏也稳定了下来

我张开双眼

手术灯刺得我眯起眼来

哦

要进行手术了

医生注入麻醉剂

我心里呐喊的是你的名字

想要再次听到你对我的呼唤

听你为我唱的歌

我的眼皮也渐渐的关上了

脑海里漂浮着你那张笑脸

正在向我挥挥手

掰掰

闻泪声入林寻梨花白只得一行青苔

天在山之外雨落花台我只等你来

祷望梦不再深藏花海我思你的期待

PU Christmas 2011

2011-12-19T15:06:00.016+08:00

Jingle bells, the mother tells.

Do not dis-remember the true meaning of Christmas

for what ever happens,

your father beckons.

Bask in the spirit of giving;

you'll relish in the glory of receiving.

May the Light of the World guide you.

Welcome, to the 1st ever Christmas celebrations held in Perdana University. KABOOM. Second major celebration here.

A reindeer says hi!

Since it coincided with the end-of-semester break, it was termed the 'End of JC1' Party as well. *Sho excited!!!*

Champagne was popped, and

in fact, the Dean and Miss Ann had 2 cakes to cut, symbolizing we'd all get 200% for our finals!!

Such optimism is rare nowadays.

Anyway the event was made possible by the hardworking members of the student council. A big hand must go to them for organizing this celebration.

The event started when, at 2000 hours (Malaysian time), most students arrived. With discipline most participants observed the protocol of not eating until the invited guests arrived but, of course, there would always be people who found their way past this norm.

The guests, Professor Cunningham and Miss Ann arrived at a quarter to nine.

The president of the student council, Kuhan, gave a rousing speech next.

"The joy of the world, we got to be here together.
Loneliness we won't feel as we are a family.

Peace on earth will follow us all

if we just follow the light

our family shines at us."

Then, funnyman Joshua led the skit of the night, on a play "The Boy Christmas Forgot".

It was the story of Ben, whose ambitiousness brought him to desire for the love of Santa Claus. Obviously Santa couldn't give him love, for he wasn't Ben's father.

But Ben was adamant to have Santa's love, and he sought for something he shouldn't, bringing destruction into his life.

Snapshot:

Wendy with her beach ball and three, yes three, boys to play with;

while Santa gets the shock of his life reading Ben's wish.

Moral of the story: Turn back to your Father for love, for his love is the greatest.

The event proceeded next with a gift-exchange activity, whereby every participant brought the present they prepared earlier out to be exchanged with another person.

After two rounds of failed present roulette, Joel finally put his foot down and ordered for a more civilized showing by the participants.

So cards were used to determine who the recipient was, and to be truthful it was a much effective way than the roulette where people tried to keep the larger presents to themselves.

Anyway, much to the grief of many,

the gift most people wanted (Starbucks card!!!) was Peter's to give,

and it went to the girl who got the 10 of hearts,

Vicky.

Awww lucky girl.

To make the long story short, I got a bread magnet which gives off the smell of stale bread, which looks kinda cute. Malar and I got the same thing. *hi-5!*

The eventful tradition of aluba was next, by which I was too tired to run about and settled down chatting about Physiology and stuff with a couple of other people.

I never had any doubt Mr. Chow Kit would be in the frontline.

And as if Turga hadn't had enough fun in his territory,

here he is engaging in bromance!!!

(Noticed the mistletoe?)

The night continues with an infinite number of carols, which the boys got really crazy during one which I can't remember of its title.

It was a good evening but too bad, time makes a fool of everyone.

Santa just visited the local mart!!

Oh he does his shopping himself, hence his slim waistline.

Let us hope for a better Christmas party next year!!!

A Very Merry Christmas, to YOU!!!

Signing off, with love.

Serious, love.

Disclaimer: The blogger wasn't the one with the camera. No idea why nobody took pictures of the decorations and the food.

First Match

2011-12-15T08:49:00.011+08:00

Drizzling light, the starless night.

The baker in Jalan Chow Kit was just preparing to wound up for the day. Outside his shop, the girl selling matchsticks was simply freezing to her death. In another place, 25km away, yeah, Cyberheights Villa they say, lived 30 adolescents who have nothing better in the world to do, other than to read up on how obesity affected the world as a whole, including even the North Pole (HBS13).

Now, it seems a little weird, but as the clock in each and every house struck ten, movement aroused like a sleeping dragon scratching its nose. Discreetly moving so as not to provoke their housemates’ anger, there were 6 of them applying their ninja skills to the test. One by one they hopped into the car, to a location far away nobody knew best.

So, as their colleagues were dreaming about which oblique muscle they had to train for a nice pack of abdominal abs, the car traversed the city of Kuala Lumpur. With much difficulty they came to find, but to their surprise they didn’t mind.
(And oh, nobody lost control of their external urinary sphincter)

At last! After an hour had passed, they arrived at Futsal Challengerz. Yes, that’s right, that’s where the first unofficial futsal match involving Perdana University was taking flight.

There was much hype surrounding them right, for they didn’t want to lose without putting up a fight. The assembly of 6 boys who were in-the-transition-to-men-stage knew that they were against the might, from the best of the country of the foreign side.

The match obviously started with much aplomb, the opponents’ armory being stacked with infinite arsenal. Our heroes’ end of the field was bombarded with shots like rain; but no one else actually felt the pain…of the goalie who tried to stop the bazookas in vain.

Arguably they were lacking of the services of their best general, who had to stay behind to face enemies of another kind. Glucose metabolism its name was, and too bad the other colleagues had to face the wars.

Anyway back to the game, where sheer determination finally got the opponents tamed. The following is an account of exaggerated snide; of the heroes we had on our side.

The Cap’n of the night who led the fight. His technical touches were enough to excite some of the girls at the side. Boom Boom Boom he went, the main weapon to neutralize the snipers from the opponents’ tent.

Another of the gents causing trouble to the opponents’ defense; who else do we look upon for inspiration but the one providing the motivation? An unbelievable chip while being agglutinated by the opponent soldiers proved his value to our ship.

Cheeky shots from tight angles provoked this thought: Are the opponents giving too much leeway for this assassin with shorts? Neat passes, tireless runs and wicked tackles gave him extra spikes in his invisible bayonet.

Solid rock of defense providing the blocks to the shots. An extra shield, like the protective synovial capsule on a synovial joint. Or the hyaline cartilage at the head of femur. Simply an obstacle to the advancing army.

The talk-too-much guy with braces that was enough to make anybody hesitate for two seconds, providing enough time for him to dance away.

‘Cuz baby I’ll catch a grenade for ya…’
Bruno Mars obviously was watching a game like this when inspiration for the lyrics sparked. Responsible for more than half the goals let in; his shot to row Z received the accolade of the ‘miss of the game’, but still managed to keep the score line from expanding TOO much.

It was an extraordinary game with a 21-21 score line. Kinda reminding you about badminton, eh?

This brings us to the end of the account in the battle at the neutral location. Sometimes when you draw all you can do is cry. Sometimes when you draw you can only look to heaven for answers.

But on the 13^th of December 2011, they drew and knew they are simply going to become better.

The Newcomers Welcomed, We.

2011-11-27T13:24:00.005+08:00

Just checking in to say, well, we Perdana have just embraced 10, a whooping TEN new students into the PU-RCSI programme.

Yes, yes we know it's a little late in the semester and stuff, but fret not. These new friends of ours have no doubt the ability to catch up and make their mark in this newly-established university located in the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur.

So, as we extend our heartiest welcome to the group of them, let us not forget our primary motivation for being here, which is to be trained with exceptional drive in line with our goal of becoming outstanding doctors.

May our 5 years together blossom with much relish.

Onward we march, together!

The Boy Who Didn't Know How To Die

2011-11-17T08:50:00.005+08:00

So, what do you do when you are tired, and hungry?

First, we look at the things that would quench the specified weakness in our systems.

- Tiredness, overcame by caffeine, meant drinking coffee.

- Hunger, overcame by carbohydrates, meant eating carbohydrates.

Now tell me, what are the most liked things by college students? Yep, you guessed right.

Coffee.

Instant noodles.

Combine both together and you get the invention of the century.

Lo and behold:

MEE NESCAFE

So, for interested parties, this is the recipe:

Get a sachet of Nescafe Rich and Nescafe Regular each.

Get some dried and waxed instant noodles.

Boil the water and put the noodles in. Next, remove the noodles from the water and rinse it with cold water. Then boil the noodles in water for a second time. Rinse the noodles with cold water again.

Make the soup of coffee and then immerse the noodles in the soup.

TA-DAA~

Enjoy.

Signing off.

Night of Terror 2011

2011-11-07T12:51:00.017+08:00

Finally.

It's here.

Hail,

The first student-organized event held in Perdana University.

The Night of Terror 2011,

in conjunction with Halloween.

It was, a getaway from stress, you could say. Held right after the mid-semester assessment, it was the time for everyone to let their hair down and party hard right to the core.

So the responsibility was entrusted to the Gourmet Club, and to them we put our trust in.

At half-past seven on the 2nd of November, we boarded the bus.

Oh, and I haven't introduce my choice of costume to you readers.

I guess everybody in their right minds would agree I have mixed graduation and Halloween up. Truth was, I did NOT!!

I went as our beloved professor, Professor Tin Tun.

I can assure you, the stylish hairstyle and blazer isn't something you'll see me wearing everyday

Anyway it wasn't filled with any intention to provoke violence, humiliation or anything negative. It must be noted that the writer has huge respect towards the said professor.

Whatevar.

We arrived at 8 p.m. and there was a queue at the entrance to the building. Those who arrived without costumes were sentenced to the artful ingeniousness of Vidianna. For example?

Mutated cat Nain.

Ahh well, the power of lipstick and mascara.

Girl power!

The event started with a short walk down the haunted corridors of Block B. Boo. The place was dark and 'weird' noises came out from nowhere. As we walked past a staircase, a man in a raincoat sprang out from the shadows, thankfully nobody went into shock.

However, as we penetrated deeper into the depths of the building, a ghoul stood requesting for payment (gotta admit I was stunned for....a millisecond. Enough time for ion channels in my brain to leak some potassium ions out).

Anyway, it transpired, most of the lecturers came in costumes.
(kinda sad the students haven't embraced the grace of Halloween haha)

Death and his minion, pontianak pink.

A ghoul strangling Yih Hoong for not putting a costume on.

The food was not bad, prepared by the students themselves with limited budget. It was rather ok. Fried rice was yummy, and the punch was ok.

The girls in Greenfront came up with the fried chicken, and it was just cool.

Fruit kebab and sausages with barbeque sauce. Mmmm.

After the food was devoured and people were starting to chat about soap operas, it was game time. First, it was apple biting, which was an improvisation of the classical apple bobbing. Here, an apple was tied to a string and people were sent to sink their teeth into the apple.

Hmm.

After several rows, tantrums and refusals, the game took off with a bang.

Notice Bryan swallowing the whole apple with his huge chomp.

Prof. Judy snatching the apple from the jaws of Shantini (not in picture).

* The writer did participate but this was a case of brain versus brawn as Prof. Skantha spread a layer of saliva on his hand, coated the apple with it, and the writer withdrew from the contest without provocation.

After the exciting game, it was time for the traditional activity in every other party:

DANCING TIME!!!!!

Tiban break danced to the joy of everyone before pulling Borene in with him.

The professors danced to a romantic tune of 'My Heart Will Go On'.

The student became the mentor in traditional dances.

And the huge flash mob. Macarena PARTYYYYYY!!!

And that draws our Night of Terror 2011 to a close.

It was, absolutely, a success but improvements can still be done.

See ya till next year yo!

Here's a parting gift from the organizers:

Don't catch nightmares ;)

Three cheers for a successful Night of Terror 2011.

Looking forward to next year, when people aren't shy to put costumes on, and more participants (juniors) will be able to join us ;)

Signing off.

Happy birthday Hazel!!

2011-11-07T02:02:00.002+08:00

It's about 12a.m. there I suppose,

so I'd better get this done.

Happy birthday Haz, and continue to grow beautiful o!

The best in life, to you.

I've Changed, Haven't I?

2011-10-30T06:33:00.008+08:00

People change, don't they?

Day by day, month by month, year by year.

Of course, you wouldn't be expecting severe behavioral vicissitude every day. No, no, it's of a much longer process than that. There are many factors that would induce a behavioral change. Banyak.

Of course, being a medical student, the influx of knowledge means nobody can shy away from the inevitable 'medical-student syndrome'. As I was checking psychology out the other day, I just had to reflect on my behavioral alterations throughout the past few years.

Maybe no one has ever realised it; but yeah, I've tailored my life to accommodate a certain invisible being called loneliness.

It means it isn't that difficult to welcome alone time into my life anymore.

I simply revel in the luxury of being alone.

Sitting alone by the lakeside doesn't mean I'm lonely;

I just want to get away from everything else.

Maybe Glynn was right, I have a strong urge to activate a protective barrier on myself. To save myself from unnecessary pain, anyway. Kinda still haven't really mastered the skill of letting go, I suppose.

The only persons I talk to in class are Syaza and Borene. Ahh well.

Anyway I don't eat lunch anymore.

Now Piravin Naidu can testify to that as being a huge change. If there is someone who remembers me eating enormous portions of kway-tiao-in-bread, it's him, no?

Definitely. Gone were the days we turn up late for class after recess. However, I doubt he would forget the bak gwa.

Used to eat this in school. *Sighs*

Another change would be the no disturb rule when I'm in study mode. He who disturbs me shall meet the Maker immediately.

This is so different from the me of yore. What happened?

I used to be so much different, but people change over time.

It isn't a necessity. It's just a part of life.

Of course, if it's important stuff like Arsenal beating Chelsea with a hat-trick by Captain Vantastic, it's different yo!

Poor Terry, another fatal slip which brings back memories of Rome 2009.

Immaturity has always been an issue for me. Now it seems to be getting worse. Apart from Momo, I'm now crazy over Moxiang and Longmao.

I'm bringing Momo here soon =)

Ahh well, people change.

Let's hope I survive the next few years, and we'll talk about getting a Special One to help me share these burdens. Maybe, if my faith is strong enough, you know, maybe.

Till next time, then.

Medical Student, I.

2011-10-24T13:17:00.006+08:00

Life, as a medical student, can be described by a word.

Sad.

It isn't the same for everyone, though. Some people are exceptionally happy. Clearly seen, certain quarters who have found their soulmates were basking in pure happiness.

Which leads to the topic the Debating Society engaged us into in our first ever meeting.
University - a place used to find a life partner.

Seriously?

Look at this diagram of the our heartbeat. Do you think we have time for stuff other than our studies?
Pur-lease!! Lives are on our shoulders. If a bus coming down from Genting crashes with 40 passengers and you are the only doctor in the nearest hospital, what would you do?

*Heartbeat hikes*

By the time we got through all our exams, we are already decayed.

However, my room is still filled with people on Facebook almost every moment in the room. Suppose it's an acute case of Facebook poisoning/addiction. We've got to go into rehab soon.

Two types. Which one would you prefer? LOL.

However, the one thing that keeps us motivated, is love.

The joy that gives us hope;

that brings life to earth:

Love.

That has the power to bring new life into the world;

Love.

However, how busy we were, we are still able to celebrate the birthday of friends, and in this case, it's Adriel's.

In my apartment unit.

In the middle of the night.

Signing off, this is Bobby's and my soft toys, Long Mao and Mo Xiang.

Tata, till the next time.

Big Bad Wolf Book Sale

2011-10-17T15:08:00.007+08:00

The Big Bad Wolf Book Sale was held in Serdang, Malaysia.

Somehow, this book-fest invasion on Earth was rather coincidental, landing just right next to Perdana University.

And oh, how sweet that sounded.

A haven for me to hide into; a safe sanctuary I could feel protected from the messy affairs of the world. Ahhh, life was made simple; but people sought to corrupt it.

For their own benefits! For their own pleasure!! For their own lust!!!

No, I wouldn’t want them.

I would prefer a life comfortable out of love.

(rare books)

Now books, that’s what I love. Perhaps I’ll make a library my home. Maybe I’ll set up a bookstore later in my life. Sounds perfect to me. :D

Here are more awesome books :)

AWWWWW...8 bucks each ;)

LOL

Same. RM8. LOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!

Let’s take on a more depressing tone.
During my frequent forays to the bookstore I managed to witness several…life defining moments.

To save time, a person would walk boldly along a queue, talk to his friends for a brief moment, and then, *poof!* he gets magically absorbed into the queue.
People would take a book, walk around with it for an hour, and place the book on an entirely different table, as if the book would return to its original location on its own.
And a kid giving a book he craved to a senior citizen.

Behind these scenes lie many other short stories. The person who cut queue had to rush for a train. The people who left the books in a different place wanted the books to do some exercises; “walk back yourselves, books! Slim down cut some weight!” The little kid couldn’t read much, anyway.

However, as it always is, the thing that matters most is the moral value that comes with an experience.

Is it so difficult to do what that is right?
Is it not ethically correct to get into a queue in the order of arrival? Sure, you might argue a patient with a more severe injury should get more attention than a less severely injured victim who arrived earlier.
Yes, but it was your own responsibility to arrive early to class.

Is it not wrong to place the things you took earlier in a different place? Would you take your house keys and put them in the bathroom instead of the keys basket at the door just because you were there? So when a fire ravages your home, and you simply have that little bout of amnesia, would you be happy about it?

Death has no favourites, no? At least, not you.

Hmmm…the kid did right. =D
Just go look for another book. There are so many books in this world, why so focused on one? Haha.

Life teaches us many things.
And why cheat, in order to get something that is not yours? Even though it might be yours, it won’t anymore.
Ezekiah 18:20 The soul who sins is the soul who dies.

Ahh, the life in university is starting to get interesting. Sleep more, peeps!

So happy I got to go Big Bad Wolf so many times! <3 =D

Lavida Restaurant with Adriel, Bobby and Samuel.

Earn For Your Life Camp

2011-10-08T11:45:00.007+08:00

The end of September; time to seriously wake up. No more daydreaming. A harsh shake of reality nudges the fact that my incompetency in mastering the language of Physicians would ruin the whole of my life. Gotta buck up.

On the 30^th of September (a distal end of a time period), I attended a camp hosted by the University fellowship of the Serdang Chinese Methodist Church. It was originally planned that Bobby, Irene and Samuel would join me at the camp; however, it was with much regret that they couldn’t make it due to other commitments.

No matter, I went alone. The sole representative of Perdana University. ROAR.

So, for the first time in my life, I went to Taman Pertanian Negara, Shah Alam. Woots. The journey itself was an incredible three hours of traffic congestion. Terrible, terrible. No thanks to the cold jokes our chairman Jason made, the journey was oddly enjoyable though.

(Oh ya, gotta tell you there were about 4 Jasons at the camp. Hugely confusing sort of thing, yeah I know.)

So we arrived, two hours after scheduled time. Imagine my horror walking among a sea of youth whose faces I didn’t recognize. I mean, duh, they’re all UPM students!!!
*gulp*

I was immediately assigned to Group 6. As the huge sea of people got split into groups, my hyperventilation improved. Then, we were given the task of selecting a group name, though we all had to choose from the faculties in UPM.

Guess what? Group 6 became the Med Fac. BooHoo what a surprise.

It was team banner creating time after this, and (I think this is a curse, people in the medical faculty always have no imagination, no?) ours was quite subdued. Hmmm…
A cross, a stethoscope, the rod of Asclepius (Hey, Moses held one!!), Kolej Kediaman 17 (of UPM – for the health sciences students of UPM ya) and an smiling angel adorned our banner.

I like the cross. It was very nice. ;)

It was an excellent showcase of talents from the other groups though. After a good, healthy competition, the people from Reka Bentuk emerged triumphant!

Every participant was given an egg to hold. The egg symbolized the conscience of the holder, and we were supposed to protect it from the evil temptations of the devil (hey, we do that to our conscience in real life yo!).

Mine broke within 30 minutes.

*shakes head* does that mean I have no conscience? :O

The next day, we had a series of games aimed to educate us freshers on monetary issues. It was fun work, each game inducing different set of values in us. Oh, you know, the normal values: teamwork, response, good communication, belief…

Yup, however, that was the easy part. The latter part of the afternoon was dedicated to choice. You choose your own activities you participate in, and you bear the consequences yourself.
Now that is what I call fun.

Everywhere we went, we saw booths offering games. From my narrow perspective of live, I attributed the booths offering games in the form of gambling and butt-licking a branch of the temptations evil has to offer. Sure, you get to earn big bucks in a short time almost effortless, but would you want to humiliate yourself in order to obtain fame, lust and riches?
So you wanna be a slave of the devil huh?

On the other hand, we had other games which depicted good values. Forgiveness, communication skills and such. Given a choice would you choose reciting Bible Verses for 50 bucks, or would you go for a gambling game for 1000 bucks?
Guess what I chose.
Galatians 6:4-5 Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For you are responsible for your own conduct.

In the night, there was a session on heaven and hell. Well, where would you want to go? Suffer eternal torment? Ahh well. Questions posed were: Do you believe in God? Do you acknowledge yourself as a sinner? Why are you worthy of a place in heaven?

Because Lord Jesus died on the cross to take away the sins of mine.

I ended up in ‘heaven’ anyway. Faith leads one to move mountains.

On Sunday, we had a small mass over there. After that, we went to a building called the Four Seasons House, where the inside of the building was planted with the flora associated with a season (we have four seasons in the year, for you all who don’t know, and it’s currently Autumn in the Northen hemisphere).

No idea why I look so happy here. Hmmm…

The temperature was very cool (for someone who couldn’t stand the cold in lecture halls, it was frigid).

And oh, we found a kid too!

Pretty flowers ;)

And there were cute bonsais outside the place. Ahhh well :D

The camp was awesomely fun and I had the opportunity to revise my whole take on life and got to know God’s words better. It was all in all, a great experience, and I managed to get to know a number of UPM students

Thank God for giving us such a wonderful time there, and well, may we not stray away from His words.

Cuteeee peanut souvenir

Phil 4:13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Amen.

Owh look at my egg ;)

So this is it, people.
A happy meal at the end of happy meal.

Jia Chi, Adriel, Sean and Bobby at Old Town White Coffee, Cyberjaya.
Nom nom.

Orientation -- Perdana University

2011-09-24T10:58:00.012+08:00

In a flash, September is ending. It is time to wake up from my lovely dream to the harsher dimension of reality. Indeed, it has been an enjoyable experience.

Now, it's time to get serious.

It was Saturday, the 17th of September when I left for KL. Had a hell of a time dragging my stuff through the colossal complex of Bandar Tasik Selatan.

The next two days were devoted totally to looking for a room/house to rent in the town of Serdang.

Had a few fruitful attempts but no confirmations were made. Decided on staying in the accommodation arranged in the end. Ahh well.

I NEED HOSTEL LIFE!!!!!

The 19th of September. It all started well. I arrived early, registered without a hitch, and it was nice.

The staff looked a little shorthanded though but, there was never really a problem.

Lots of speeches followed; very standard procedure.

Dad brought my stuff to the accommodation after the activities of the day was over.

Really does bring a touch of nostalgia to us EC old boys, no?

A posh residency boasting world class facilities,

Cyber Heights Villa is located strategically at Cyberjaya,

a part of the Multimedia Super Corridor,

a magnificent hub of technology.

Had dinner at an Arabic restaurant at the foot of an apartment filled with students from Multimedia University. Not that bad. Definitely worth the price anyway.

And oh, sharing the same apartment unit with me are Adriel, Bobby and Samuel. You'll probably see me blogging more about them later ;)

Tuesday arrived and went with a breakneck speed.
Again, there were speeches and speeches and speeches. The more hardworking ones would be taking notes down; and the not-so-hardworking ones were 'fishing' throughout the sessions.

(Hey, they are just hardworking students taking a break!!!!!)

Later in the day we were assigned to our personnel tutors. The one who would be taking care of our problems in the university.

I was in group 7. Perfect 7, with 7 others.

And the tutor is Dr. Brian Kirby, who was unfortunately not in Malaysia at the moment so we has a discussion among ourselves only.

Dinner was at an Iranian restaurant at CBD Perdana.

Ariana Iranian food. Not Ariana Dumbledore, though. LOL.

The RM12 pizza Bobby ordered.

Happy people.

We had to brave the rain and angry taxi drivers to get back to the Villa but it was worth it. Had a nice dinner with the guys and very much gratifying.

Wednesday was a day of modules.

However, we were rather late for the first talk on modules. No thanks to the miscommunication between the van driver and us. We'll learn from this experience, definitely.

After that, we were given the opportunity to form our own clubs and societies. To pioneer it sounds rather better. All sorts of oraganizations were formed. From gourmet to editorial; from badminton to Gaelic football, the response was humongous.

Everyone was keen to be a part of the activities and participate in the founding batch of the university organizations.

As we still haven't solved our dining issues, the four of us (Adriel, Bobby, Samuel and Sean) decided to visit the restaurant of the clubhouse.

Yaya, there was a nice, huge mirror in front of us.

Today's Special: Name-Forgotten.

Pretty much yummy. My taste buds didn't say no to it!

We had more talks on Thursday. Very, very interesting. The art of clinical skills is something each and every doctor has to excel in.

Next, it was the Oxford English Language Placement Test. Hope I didn't fare too badly in it. Was incorrigibly careless in it, and the mistake I did was terrible.

Carelessness is chide-able. What if I get careless in the future? It is a matter of life and death!

NO JOKE!!!

As I progress in life, I am entrusted with more and more responsibility. It is time I learn from everything in the past. The noble responsibility of a physician is beginning to fall on my shoulders; and I must not taint it.

We then attended the Freshers Welcome Dinner, which was an opportunity for us to come together before the going gets tough.

(Oooh baby, the going is gonna get EXtremely tough)

Palm Garden Hotel.

(Frankly speaking, why is Bobby in almost every picture of mine? =.=)

Owh yeah, special mention to the excellent borscht served.

Dinner partttttttey!!!

On Friday (oh not again, Rebecca, stop snooping!!), we had a whole session dedicated to IT. Since we are using state-of-the-art teaching equipment in Perdana, we all had to learn how to use them, specifically our laptops, to the fullest.

It was kinda cool. Yeah, and everyone was on Facebook in the IT lab. >.<

Lunch was at the boarding school across the street. The food over there was not that bad (hey, I had a year's training in matrix yea!).

Later in the evening, I went jogging around the lake in Cyberjaya. The scenery was spectacular. Totally awesome.

Ahhh Nature :')

Dinner was from a caterer which Turga arranged. Quite a good meal too. Definitely worth the RM5 paid. Outstanding.

That puts an end to our Orientation week. There was no ragging, and as the pioneering batch, I daresay we would be looking back at this week with pride in the years ahead.

Though we might be scarce in number, and there were many activities for team bonding and stuff, we WILL be cohesive, and be the best of friends as we can, yea!!!

Class of 2016; let's hope we will all succeed TOGETHER!!

Kuala Lumpur is Snowing

2011-09-19T00:52:00.001+08:00

She was never away from my mind. Never once did she leave it.

My life was a piece of white bread, with nothing but sky juice to go with.

As she entered with her vibrant smile, and joyful laughter, my life transformed.

Such vivacity she brought, my plain life with the white background was coloured with the colours of a rainbow. What used to be boring became interesting; what used to be tasteless became sweet.

Yes, and the transformation she brought within me was so vitalizing. She brought me onto the road I should be travelling on. Only she has this exclusive ability.

The one and only, a jewel of many.

How I wish she was an unpolished gem I could claim as my own; though no, she is the magnificent moon, one that belongs to many, and whose light shines for everyone.

I, the lonely woodsman, can do nothing but to look up from time to time, smiling at her, watching her shining for everyone, and yet possessing the bittersweet feeling with the knowledge that she wouldn't know.

Oh, and the adrenaline she brought rushing to my veins! That is almost impossible to be done by a mere mortal. She is, as we call, an angel. Her exuberance infects everyone, lifting me to a greater level then I was of before.

So sweet, so special. There she is,

so pretty, so cute.

Yet I can only look at her,

with the silent prayer she would see my foolish smile one day.

Even Kuala Lumpur is snowing now.

What If?

2011-09-18T00:16:00.008+08:00

You know, sometimes, I just wish I can be the spectator in my life.

Choices!

Ah, what a wonderful thing to behold.

Alas,

nice to see, nice to hold.

Make the wrong choice, prepare to fold.

Every big decision in our path is a temptation in itself. There is definitely a huge longing for one of the choices. An unbalanced attraction towards one definite path.

Usually, the path your heart set its sights on is the one people deem inappropriate. Wrong. Incorrect. Illogical.

And there you go, a conundrum.

To be or not to be, that is the question.

Which path should you step on; which move shall you take? Bear there in mind, there is no turning back in life. No time machines, no Hiro Nakamura.

There is no U-turn.

Why wouldn't I just take the easy way out?

What if, I hadn't hesitated, and said, "yes, I do"?

What if, I had decided not to go competing in Form Five? Would I have gotten Straight A+ in my SPM, and zoomed overseas?

What if, I had just stayed where I was, and not chose to come for the supposedly greener pastures in Kuala Lumpur?

Lots of questions, all unanswerable.

Would I be able to grow so much, had I made the decision then?

Would I be able to lift this trophy in a victorious triumph not many people have tasted?

Would I still be myself, had I not done everything I did in the past?

Just as Percy Jackson, who decided to leave Calypso's island, to face Kronos. Just as Harry Potter, who decided not to die as he should have, and returned to face Lord Voldemort.

So must I make the heart wrenching choice, and make the choice which I believe, would bring me to greater heights.

I leave my heart, sobbing in my wake. One day, it will understand. And I pray that it sows its beats for the same cause, so that 5 years later it will reap what is deserving.

As Charity said,"Faith is not the belief that God will answer my every prayer; but the belief that everything He promised will be fulfilled,"

What you want is not what you need.

The happiest man on earth is one who is grateful. He would look into the Mirror of Erised, and see himself as he is.

And I aspire to be like that guy.

The Short USM Stint of September Thum

2011-09-13T14:49:00.018+08:00

If you say you understand what I'm going through right now, you'd better tell me it's a joke.

Because you would never ever understand what I'm going through.

Let us just relieve a little of the memories. Some 3 months ago, I had this brainchild:

At the beginning, it was something for fun. A platform to make new friends; somewhere to get to know each other before the impending 'doom' of USMKK.

Eventually it evolved to a group where the freshmen of USMKK converged and discussed about life in Kubang Kerian. From gossips to nonsense to serious matters and even to motivational posts, life was seldom dull in the group.

Ahh well, the good old times. Remember Operation Chocolate Mint? Operation DOTA girl? Sweet.

Fast forward to the present. A 16-hour drive from Johor Bahru to Kota Bharu. Then orientation commenced.

Had three AWESOME roomates;

Kok Zhang, Terrence and Tokorro.

Couldn't have asked for better persons to share a room with.

Throughout the orientation, the facilitators were cool. Nothing bad to say about them (pity there was no ragging yea HAHA). In addition to that, we had 'fishing' sessions during the various talks. Pretty comfortable with my life, eh?

Aerobics was nice too. Didn't really get myself into it but dancing in the rain...that's a magnificent first for me.

But then the mischievous clause in God's plan took effect, and I was notified that I would have a choice to take. To stay, or to go? To remain, or to leave?

I didn't know, and still don't. I wanted to stay, out of love. I love the place, I love the people.

Why you people have to make leaving so hard?

In the end, the choice was made from the realization of unrequited efforts from me.

The song composed was done to remind me of happier times.

Feeling reckless, I signed up for a singing performance for the dinner with the Minister for International Trade and Industry, Dato Sri Mustapa Mohamed. It was totally tough, being tone-dearth and all, but after a day of practice, we pulled it through.

Of course, with the talented Ivan and superb vocalist Rayson, not forgetting Max and the girls, we can look forward to more amazing performances by them :D

And yes, my participation in the performance gave me the opportunity to take pictures with the graceful dancing swans of USMKK..

Who can forget this pair of twins?

Later in the programme, we (medical students) were all split into groups. My group was comprised by so many people I know. Phew, quite a nice talk and share session with the professor, and we got to know Glynn's desire to become a doctor. ;)

Let us hail our leader, Ivan Chong whose admirable leadership skills will steer the group, Passion8, to great heights.

We are not afraid to be laughed at;

we take risks, make mistakes, and learn to be better.

Skip the boring parts. Skip...(taklimat 1Malaysia)...skip...(beratur semasa roll call)...skip...and now:

Blood Donation.

It was done in a feisty atmosphere. People queued up like civilised beings (hey, this is the Health campus yea). There were food being given to participants, and it was a first time for quite a number of participants.

There is a Chinese proverb: Saving a person's life is much better than building a seven-storey building.

On that day, we might, or might not did something that great,

however, the intention itself is noble enough.

For you who sat on the chair, gripped the plastic bottle as if your life depended on it,

and those who had to endure pokings by sharp needles time and again,

give yourself a big hand.

You are heroes.

It was rather sad, then, for me to withdraw myself from the school just as the promising new chapter was blossoming into a beautiful story.

You know, it isn't easy to be walking on a path dissimilar with the rest of my wonderful, irreplaceable friends.

No matter where you came from, who you are; regardless of religion, race and creed; irrelevant is your height, weight, and body shape, all I can say is that you people have been TERRIFIC.

Thank you for lighting up the very first week of my university life with so many bright colours, and I'm proud to be able to call you friends.

Even though fortunes may contrast, I do hope we would never ever cease to see each other as lesser than friends.

Take care, and all the best. Anything you need, I'm just a text/email/call/letter away.

MARCH ON

LEAD ON!!!

There Goes My Holidays!

2011-09-04T23:55:00.008+08:00

After roughly four months of holiday, here I am, back to school.

Well, almost. School is starting soon.

For you people who don't know where I'm studying, it's Universiti Sains Malaysia, health campus (Kelantan).

Yay, we've gotten rid of Sean!!! Kelantan is far from JB!!!

Dream on! I'll be back for the holidays!!!!

Well, that's better than a hit on the nose by a rusty poker.

Gosh. I'm leaving; good riddance.

So, let's see what I've done the past few months.

Nothing much.

A couple of interviews; USM then Perdana.

Watched the nationals, then SingMal.

Went to the West coast (Kukup) then the East coast (Desaru)

Watched Arsenal playing.

Piravin finally fulfilled his lifelong dream of watching Arsenal FC in action (live, no less) with me. Not to mention a couple of matches at mamak and Singgah Selalu.

Played futsal and street football.

Wonderful, wonderful experience;

us against seasoned players.

Worked, ate, slept, jogged, cycled, put on weight (untrue) and many other more...

Last but not least, I survived to see Arsenal lost 2-8 to Manchester United, Arsene Wenger buying 9 players in one transfer window, and my brother winning a medal.

(did I mention about the navigator on Facebook chat? LOL what a story)

Ahh well, the holidays have gone now, and a new chapter that will eventually blossom into a beautiful story awaits.

Goodluck to everyone who are making this transition from pre-university life into university life, and may your doings be pleasing to the eyes of God.

All the best, people, attaboy.

Here I come!

I pwn you.

Life's Brief Candle

2011-09-03T21:45:00.006+08:00

Tomorrow, tomorrow and tomorrow,

creeps in this petty pace from day to day,

to the last syllable of recorded time;

and all our yesterdays have lighted fools,

the way to dusty death.

Out, out brief candle!

Life's but a walking shadow,

a poor player,

that struts and frets his hour upon the stage

and then is heard no more;

it is a tale:

told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

signifying nothing.

Macbeth

William Shakespeare

Selamat Hari Kemerdekaan, 2011

2011-08-31T16:55:00.013+08:00

The Jalur Gemilang, or Stripes of Excellence.

the flag of Malaysia.

The 31st of August has always been a special day to all Malaysians. For 54 years ago, on this very day, Malaya attained Independence.

No elaboration required.

After 54 years with its fair share of peace and turbulence, we are all here, once again to celebrate Malaysia's national day.

However, for a country to attain prosperity and wealth, the happiness and loyalty of the rakyat (people) is very important. Say U Lov Me interviewed a few Malaysians to check on their love for the country.

For Malaysia!

My home,

my country.

As we are now in the 21st century, it would be unwise not to check the social networks to witness the waves of patriotism (however minute they may be).

Hey, it's the thought that counts!!!!!

Facebook showed us this,

and Twitter gave us another perspective as leaders and grassroots tweeted to each other. Great technology bringing the people together.

On the international front though, we have:

Terrific job by Google Malaysia.

And for those overseas, *pats pats*

On the negative side of the celebrations, we have pyrotechnics lovers having fun as usual.

Ahhh friends, be careful.

We don't wanna you get

oops let's not mar our National Day celebrations, shall we?

It was 54 years since our national fathers united to free our country from British colonial rule. Without national unity, the 54 years would not have come to pass. Therefore, we must adhere to the good old adage of 'united we stand', and get along well with our fellow Malaysians, for another 54 years of prosperity.

Indeed, it has been a very long, and tiring year, what with a prolonged sodomy trial, a poor attempt at dispersing a public rally, and several religious issues disrupting the image of our beloved country.

No matter. We, the rakyat, have to come together, stronger now in this time of chaos.

And as we come together in this time of uncertainty,

we,

can do ANYTHING.

The future generations are at stake,

so we have to walk the talk.

1Malaysia,

we are.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2011

2011-08-30T14:26:00.011+08:00

In Malaysia, Hari Raya Aidilfitri literally means 'Celebration Day', and is celebrated by Malaysians as a whole.

A month before this celebration, Malaysian Muslims underwent a month of fasting from dawn to dusk, for the simple reason of feeling the hunger and suffering of those who are less fortunate. During this period, Muslims are encouraged to help,

as much as they can, the less fortunate people around them.

However, in a multiracial community, not only Muslims observe the fasting month but the non-Muslims as well.

Just so cool.

Hari Raya, in Malaysia, is one of the festivals which also play a huge part in getting all people, regardless of race, religion or creed, to come together.

Yes, I'm talking about open houses.

The perfect opportunity for Malaysians who love food, to come together, chat over a meal, bond over food, and live the 1Malaysia tag on our shoulders.

The leaders lead by example. They host.

And at open houses, the people indulge with happiness.

Brilliant lemangs.

Ketupats with the nut paste. Yum yum.

And scrumptious rendang.

Merely looking at these pictures made my stomach growl with envy.

Is that all about Hari Raya? Nah. No. The most important thing is to obtain forgiveness for one's wrongdoings. From your family, from your friends. From all acquaintances.

"Maaf Zahir dan Batin" means "Forgive my physical and emotional (wrongdoings)", because Aidulfiitri is not only for celebrations but also a time for atonement: to ask for forgiveness for sins which they may have committed but was cleansed as a result of the fasting in the Muslim month of Ramadan.

Indeed, Malaysia is blessed with a wealth of sorts as we are made up of people of different races. Nonetheless, at the celebration of Hari Raya, it is heartwarming to see people wishing for the Muslim counterparts a happy new year.

Indeed, it is a celebration for Malaysians in a whole.

What are you doing this raya?

(pity the ones studying hard haha)

Enjoy the holidays :D

Let us take this opportunity to come together, and walk the talk. As a 1Malaysia community, we live in harmony and peace. And let us cherish the heritage and culture of every single community of Malaysia.

So,

let us get our cars ready,

put on our new clothes,

and reunite with our loved ones.

So, to all Muslims, Happy Eid ul-Fitr. To all Malaysians, Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

Nanti lepas dapat duit raya jangan lupa belanja aku ya ;)

Here's a word by our YDP-KMNS Sesi 2010/2011

And DOMO steps in too!!!

D-Day Post

2011-08-22T22:43:00.006+08:00

There are many ways to assess a situation.

In an election, you don't really have to be either pro-Government or pro-Opposition. Even though you are a fence-sitter, do not eradicate the abilities of the independents. Just do not attempt the more destructive 'spoiled vote'.

By the way, register yourself.

The elections is a platform to select a worthy candidate to represent the people. meritocracy should be the judge.

Vote wisely.

Everything has two sides to it. Just as there are two sides to a coin; how do you place two random items on a scale and make it balanced?

It just isn't easy to please everyone.

Let us question ourselves truthfully: Would there be anything with all good but no bad? Full of benefits without bane?

Dream on.

The fanatical state of present society has caused moderation to be pushed to the brink of extinction.

And thus my topic of the day comes within sight.

Well, for those who know, August the 23rd stands for a D-day to me.

There basically are two paths right in front of me. Would I be accepted, or not? That is the question.

The Public Service Department scholarship to Perdana University.

People say it's a big deal. It's a huge sum of money to most people. A prestige to be accepted.

Who wouldn't want it?

So tempting it is, it leaves the hard partying, luxury-coveting part of me literally begging for it.

The other part of me, the part that craves for assurance, the part that seeks chutzpah from those whom I already have confidence in, digresses.

Two sides to a coin; both parts of me couldn't be satisfied entirely either path I take.

It has always been a well-fought war between the two contrasting sides of me. Such different figures the extravagant me and the pragmatic me pose.

What is to be done, will be done. All is passed on to the mighty hands of the Lord. May He grant me the strength to undertake this upcoming monumental task. His approval is sought; since all that could have been done by this weak human author has been done.

We'll see when the results are announced.

* * *

New friends are made wherever I go. Part and parcel of life. The circle of friends around me evolve from time to time. Keep in contact with the old ones; chill out with the new ones. Let the acid test of time prove the rest.

* * *

For what it is worth, you run with the hand you are dealt.

As stated in Phi 4:4 'Always be full of joy in the Lord. I will say again - rejoice!'

True. Hand your heart to the Lord as He is ever willing to give the best to you. May He illuminate the way.

Enjoy what you can and endure what you must.

Signing off.

KL 13/7

2011-08-08T22:32:00.011+08:00

Continuing on Wednesday when dad fetched Peiru and Tok to the campus of Perdana University in Serdang. Naturally, I followed. Feeling pretty pumped up (hey, my interview was on the previous day!), I was hyperactive and jolly in the atrium while the other two were sullen and moody.

Being super early that day, we had tons of time to spare and we went to have a walk around the place, which was owned by MARDI. So we walked around, and I tried to soothe their nerves but to no avail. Ah well.

Suddenly, we saw a girl who resembled Qiao Ling from KMNS.

o.O

Yeah don't ask me why. She was Kaesen's classmate and even I would not have expected her to be here. I voiced my opinion and Tok went berserk, waving and smiling at the figures in the distance (the girl was accompanied by someone we assumed to be her mum).

As she walked nearer, we realised she wasn't Qiao Ling and we ran off, embarrassed.

We went back at a quarter to eight. The girls registered themselves and we waited patiently for the interviewers to arrive. A number of other interviewees arrived too (so did the girl we thought was Qiao Ling).

Said hi to her. She's pretty nice. (: from Penang.

Just then, Mr. Mohanadas (for the full story of my interview the previous day, click here <--) came over and noted Tok, the Qiao Ling lookalike and I had braces. Made everyone laugh.:D

Peiru went in for her interview and I waited outside with Tok. She came out pretty fast.

Fast forwarding to two hours later.

An interviewer came out of the room and asked if I was Eiswaran. I shot him a blank look and said no.

Still making new friends with the interviewees, I happened to take a glimpse of a newcomer. He flashed me a smile and I had one of those eureka moments.

"Yeah I know this guy!"

I started to move forward to investigate my idea, and yes, you guessed it right! He's no other than Eiswaran!

Didn't see him for a long time and *poof* here he was, clad in his blazer looking smart. Waited for him to finish his interview and his dad sent the four of us to the railway station in Kajang.

Then the three of us took commuter to the KL Sentral and then to Subang.

(and they went into the Perempuan Sahaja carriage) :'(

An old lady gave Tok a safety pin at the terminal. Wonder why.

So we went to Esquire Kitchen in ~~Skudai~~ Subang Parade for lunch. Then I somehow felt like I had Weldon's appetite for food, which I used with splendid appropriation by finishing the leftovers of the two girls.

It was Baskin Robbins' time after that! Ooooh!

Two scoops of my beloved chocolate mint courtesy of Tok's braces.

Wednesday is pink day at Baskin Robbins' ya!

The two girls went back to their apartment and I went to the hotel at Subang Empire. The shopping mall of the hotel was superb; I like the giant slide.

Had a quick snooze until Piravin Naidu called me.

"I'm wearing the van Persie jersey my uncle got me from London!!!!!" =.=

Dad fetched us to ~~Skudai Subang~~ Endah Parade and then Pira and I walked over to the stadium. The crowd was...overwhelming. Ramainya!

And then I saw a very curious jersey.

VILLA? WE SHOULD JEER HIM!!!

[but we didn't, cos we are civilized citizens ;)]

We fought hard just to get two good seats to ourselves. Pira survived a scare when he thought he lost his ticket and we literally gave away money to traders who made quick killings selling bottled water =.=

Anyway the game was a success. Arsenal dominated the game and trooped out as 4-0 victors. Pira and I screamed until our throats stung and us supporters plead Nasri to stay. Please don't leave us, Monsieur Samir!!

As we headed home, I noticed a very cute signage at a stall. I approached the stall and took a picture lah! However, as I turned back, I misjudged my position and knocked down a board belonging to the stall. Gosh EMBARRASSING sia!!!

Power Ayam Ni.

We walked outside the compound of IMU and finally got our transport back Subang via a taxi at the cost of RM35 after waiting for an hour or so.

And oh, didn't get to meet up with Lai Jie, sad HAHA.

Reached Subang safely but Pira lost his phone. Ahh well, as Pira says, "Pat Rice, Ivan Gazidis and Carlos Vela smiled and waved at me! Worth it man!!!"

We can say Pira enjoyed the match a lot. :)

Signing off

PU-RCSI Interview

2011-08-05T23:48:00.008+08:00

After days of procrastination, I think I should blog. :)

Today's post is on my interview in Perdana University for a place there. The results have yet to come out as of the 5th of August, 2011 but let's keep faith. Confidence stems from the optimistic heart.

My interview was scheduled to be on the 12 of July in the campus. Hmmm, somehow with a touch of coincidence I would be able to enjoy the Arsenal versus Malaysia game with relish the following night.

Even luckier was I as dad had a seminar on Wednesday and Thursday; so I got to stay at the hotel he stayed at. :D

Left home at a quarter past twelve; and tried to reach the campus in Serdang in time for the interview at 4.30pm. Dad drove. Had a simple snack at A&W; then it was back on the way again. Saw this restaurant though,

which provided temporary relief for the butterflies in my stomach.

This is what the X-ray showed.

Anyway I reached with lots of time to spare. Got a little lost on the way but no matter; Wininn directed me to the right building (thanks kuliah-mate).

Registered myself and proceeded to sit and stared around. There was totally nobody (almost) in the lobby. Asked for directions to the washroom and was brought by an extremely helpful houseman-to-be who showed me the facilities of the temporary campus.

A state-of-the-art e-library. WAO.

3-D body part stimulation. WOW.

Feeling dazed I got back to my seat. Dad came in and we were greeted by Major General Doto Pahlawan Dr. Mohanadas (Rtd), the CEO of the Perdana University. Chatted about the traffic and stuff.

Just then, the Indian lady beside me started talking to me.

Auntie: Where do you come from?

Sean: JB. You?

Auntie: I'm here with my son and we are from Ipoh.

Sean: Ooo....where did your son study before this?

Auntie: Matrix.

Suddenly, Swarruben walked out.

Ruben: Hi Sean!

Auntie: Oh you two know each other!

What a small world. To make matters more overwhelming, Deon walked in through the doors. The feeling of friends all around you, you know what I mean? So...nice.

Anyway time punishes the lazybones. In a blink of an eye, it was my turn.

There were two interviewers. An Irishman and an Indian Malaysian. Exchanged the customary pleasantries and my weirdo antics got into the fray almost straightaway.

The Irishman interviewer, to be known as I1 after this, picked my file up. As my gaze followed his hand, I saw the picture of the interviewee after me. It was Koh from KMPk.

Literally screamed. "I know her!"

GOSH *slaps hand to my forehead*

The interview continued with the Malaysian interviewer, I2, told me to introduce myself.

Sean: Hi, I'm Sean (S-E-A-N, yes, the Irish Sean), living in Johor Bahru.

I2: Oh, I'm from JB too. I''m from EC.

Sean: Wha-.. I'm from EC too!

Following that, the usual questions were asked.

Q: What are your interests?

A: Creative writing. Though not so creative yet. First aid (DUH). And football. =)

Q: Why do you want to be a doctor?

A: It's a long, long story. (I2 said,"don't worry about it; take your time) I did take my time, so read the whole story here. For you who have known the story, it's the one about the Five Men In Black.

Q: Any relatives in the medical field? Local or overseas?

A: Cousins, all overseas based.

Q: What do you know about PU-RCSI?

A: LOL. Explained a little, but it was more like a discussion. We discussed about the pros and cons.

Q: What are your plans after internship?

A: Cardiologist.

Q: Why?

A: Cos the heart fascinates me. Look at its myogenic properties; as well as its independence from the brain. It occurs to me that the heart is like a brave captain in an army; without it, the army will fall definitely. In this world of chaos and turbulence, the hardworking heart inspires me to keep working to keep my life on track.

Q: So did you do anything to make sure you be a doctor? Are you reading any books or stuff now?

A: Yeah, I was sent to the Physical stream in my college and I had to appeal twice to switch to Biology. And I'm currently reading stuff on the heart right now.

(I2 laughs,"that would be too early for that; you should be reading up on muscles and tissues but no matter, it shows you are interested")

Q: So what medium does your school use?

A: Er...(due to my complicated past)...I was in an English-medium kindergarten. I speak English at home...

(I2 interrupted, "OK that's enough. I just wanted to know what language you usually speak. If you speak English, you think English, you see")

Q: So tell me (I1) what the differences between football and futsal are. Which is lighter? Are there any differences in the rules and stuff? Who can use their hands to grab the ball?

A: LOL.

Q: Would you want to set up a futsal or maybe even a full eleven-a-side team for the university?

A: Of course! I would relish nothing but to play futsal on a weekly basis. Love it!

Questions?

Asked quite a lot. Would we have any student exchange programmes and stuff. Was getting ready to stem my flow of questions when the door opened and the Dean of PU-RCSI, Prof Dr Anthony Cunningham came in.

O.o for a heart-chilling moment I thought I was doomed (the kind of feeling you get when you're sent to your principal's office, ya).

But Prof Dr Cunningham was a kind guy who answered my questions nicely. :)

And on that note, I was dismissed. I took my file and headed out, but not before the interviewers called me back.

"You've forgotten your bag, son."

Ahh well. Embarrassment lingered in the air but the optimistic say,"it's a good way to let them remember me."

Met Koh when I went out. Said hi and went off to Kepong for (sepatutnya Italian but was, in the end, Chinese) dinner with dad.

No idea what would happen to my application. Thus far; I've been approved by the university. The next hurdle lies in the form of the Public Service Department, for without their sponsorship there is no way I can attend the university.

I am praying for my friends and I, in the hope we can further our studies in PU-RCSI together.

So, would I be thwarted by the PSD for a second time, or am I named Sean for a reason?

Tune in for more.

Disclaimer: This post is accurate to what the writer remembers. A word of wisdom: don't procrastinate. Maybe its accuracy is 50% only)

709 in Johor Bahru

2011-07-23T00:21:00.008+08:00

Right. Guess this is overdue, but no matter.

It was the day all Malaysians braced themselves. Looking for the evidence of democracy on the streets of Kuala Lumpur. Waited with bated breath for what that is going to happen to the Banned 91.

The mass media worked overtime, covering the long awaited event, which the government has done its best to blow up. The detention of the PSM6, the ban, the war cries and the morons talking. Ah yes, the 709 march.

BERSIH!!!

But while we applaud the noble intention of the 62 NGOs and condemn the hypocrites, let us bring our focus to the event which I participated in.

Street Owning.

The Tiger Street Football tournament held in Danga Bay, Johor Bahru.

As the Vice-Captain, I attended the draw on the seventh of July to see that our team, Blue Eyes, were scheduled to play at 1620 hours. So, at 1500 hours, I drove my car into the popular tourist destination with Akmal Kamarudin, yes, my class monitor in KMNS, in the passenger's seat.

Checked out the playing field:

Just a cage for 11 football enthusiasts to play the beautiful game.

Anyway I met Eeling there and we said hi.

Alright, the game started at 1620 hours sharp. There I was, equipped with Bervyn's gloves, Tan's shinguards and old specs between the posts. Yep, the goalkeeper, again.

After a lapse of four years without competitive goalkeeping training, here I am trying to stop the ball from crossing over the line.

We started with Jonathan, David, Akmal, Engeos and I.

Before I knew what happened. Wham! 1-0, Premillan FC led.

I tried to blink my eyes and when I opened them again, it was 4-0 to Premillan FC. What a shock. And suddenly, I felt pain.

The ball hit my face with full force by a young adult.

The ball bounced harmlessly over the crossbar, but I couldn't even pause for a moment to pick my specs up. The game was too intense.

A dude shouted, 'your specs is just behind you, bro.'

*Thumbs up*

Good guy.

Anyway Engeos had a penalty and he shot it straight to the opponent goalie. And it was half-time.

After 2 minutes of short relieve, the game continued. Akmal and Engeos went out for Justin and Marc.

David pulled one back for the Blue Eyes with a sublime strike to the far corner, and Marc gave us hope of a comeback with a powerful strike to make it 2-4.

However, it was never to be as Premillan rifled in two more goals to put the result beyond doubt. Towards the end I made yet a diving save; pushing the ball to one of the goalposts.

Special mention has to be done to Jon's two sliding tackles, and one which almost earned him a yellow card ;). The same goes to Marc's sliding tackle, which resulted in a free kick to the opposition.

Overall, it was a good game. We will be back one day. We will.

Congratulations to Premillan FC which went on to take the runner up spot to Devil's Brew and the two teams will be participating in the Nationals.

Ahh well, a good game is always appreciated. Even though we didn't make quite a big impact (or even made it to attend bersih), we did enjoy the experience well.

Blue Eyes, ROAR.

From left: Marc, Jon, Sean, Justin, Engeos, David and Akmal.

2011-07-11T12:56:00.001+08:00

See you at the ballot box people. If you haven’t registered yet, there are people braving tear gas, arrest, and in one sad instance, death, to remind you why you should.

True.

Blue Eyes.

2011-07-08T11:29:00.007+08:00

It was to be held in Lazio Bar.

There was an empty parking lot right in front of the pub. Once, twice, trice I atempted to park my car right, but I couldn't. It was at the forth attempt that the car slotted in right.

It was 1845 hours when I entered the bar. The people all over the place looked pro. You know, almost 90 per cent of the attendees were taller than me, buffed up and had the look of hostile on their faces.

I responded with the most arrogant look I could muster - a useful souvenir from the old St. John days.

I walked all over the pub searching for the organizers. Couldn't find them. Went to the manager who directed me to the right place in the restaurant.

So I went to a guy in pink to mark my attendance. He was talking on the phone in Mandarin so I said the usual 'Hi'.

When he finished talking, he looked at me with a confused expression, probably wondering if he should use English or Mandarin. He eventually decided on English, 'You're Blue Eyes?'

To which I responded, 'Yup'.

The next 55 minutes was an errant waste of time, which I watched tennis on ESPN.

Johanna Larsson of Sweden overcame LOURDES DOMÍNGUEZ the Spaniard in three sets 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.

Back to the main topic.

At 1945 hours, when representatives of all 16 teams have arrived, the event began.

The rules and regulations were briefed to everyone.

Basically it's the same as normal football, although the ~~yellow~~ cards don't function as they normally do--they resemble red cards in a normal football match.

However, the rest are more or less the same, I suppose.

Then, the draw commenced. We were the sixth team to hand in our registration form so I was to draw the numbered ball sixth.

Bearing in mind our team is called Blue Eyes and I drew the number 15 from the balls, meaning the last match of the Round-of-16 is ours. Will be playing at 1620 hours on the 9th of July (can't go BERSIH then) in Danga Bay.

Come support us!

Our team consists of:

Captain Justin Tan

Vice-C Sean Thum

Jonathan Si

Roderick Marc

Engeos Chai

Akmal Kamarudin

David Ng

Here's hoping we'll go far in the tournament, and do justice to our performance in addition to bring glory to God's name. :)

Gonna give our best shot against the veterans of street football. We, the debutants, will not disappoint.

To the GRAND FINALS we march.

Blue Eyes

Momo, Love

2011-07-04T21:20:00.003+08:00

To the brave teddy bear, in my case a Domo called Momo.

ROAR on!

Orientation Yo~

2011-07-01T21:52:00.002+08:00

Taken from http://lifulifu.blogspot.com/search/label/%E5%85%A5%E5%AD%A6%E5%87%86%E5%A4%87

恭喜各位可以顺利进入大学的大学生！！

你们准备好迎接大学生活了吗？

以下是建议理大学弟、学妹们入学时携带的物品：

迎新周

上课日

1.Formal服装（建议3或4套，其中一件需是白色长袖衬衫）、便装

2.包鞋，皮鞋和袜子( 迎新时须走远路，建议带多几双袜子)

3．拖鞋（冲凉穿）

4．衣架，衣夹（晒衣服会用到）

5．文件（正本和有签证的副本），个人照（建议10张）

6．布，水桶（报到第一天须打扫房间）

(理大校内也有卖水桶)

7．枕头，抱枕，被单，及床单

（提早到的学生也可以在理大校内或附近购买）

8．药物，医药证明（如有）

9．雨伞

10．日常用品，如肥皂，毛巾，牙刷，牙膏，洗发剂，梳子，厕纸、

11．手机充电器

12．文具，水罐

13. 干粮(迎新周不可外出，准备一些以便晚上饿时可以食用)

14．提款卡，现金

（建议 RM100，迎新周比较少花钱）

注意：理大有提供短期贷款

（最多RM500，以帮助新生解决短期的经济问题。）

15.洗衣粉、洗衣剂

1．PENDRIVE、HARDDISC

2．JACKET（讲堂都设有冷气，会很冷）

3．TUPPERWARE（理大提倡环保，及禁用塑胶袋，希望各位打包时可以自备tupperware）及餐具。

4．书包，背包，手提袋（装上课所需物品）

*当然还有文具，及自己认为必要的物品。

*以上只是我们的建议，如有雷同，纯属巧合。

*新生们也不必太过担心，一些日常生活用品都可以在理大校内或理大附近的杂货店和商场购买。

*身上带有现金、照相机、手提电脑（laptop，记得带charger）、MP3、手机等等贵重物品的新生也要注意自己和物品的安全，因为orientation的时候早上时间都不在房间的。

那有什么东西是不可以带的呢？

所以的电器（学生最爱的吹风筒、电饭锅、电水壶等等。。。）都是不可以带进宿舍的哦！若被校方发现就要被罚款！请学生们注意～～

理大宿舍都有电烫斗，饮水机，洗衣机，所以大家不用为了不能携带电器而操心啦。

祝各位开学愉快！我们理大见哦.

Meet Arsenal in Malaysia!

2011-07-01T14:45:00.007+08:00

As everyone certainly knows (again, those who don't have clearly been residing under a rock for the past quarter of a year), Arsenal FC is coming to Malaysia!

Arsenal will play against the Malaysian XI at the Bukit Jalil Stadium in Kuala Lumpur as a part of its Asia Tour!!!

Are the fans screaming? Let's beat the Twihards! Louder, LOUDER!!

Here, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger speaks of the tour to Malaysia and China. Woots, this is the second time Arsenal is coming to Malaysia, a whooping 12 years since they last visited in 1999.

Watch the video: http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/free-video-wenger-on-the-asia-tour-2011 (beware the French accent) ;)

According to Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis: "Everyone at Arsenal Football Club is excited to be visiting bothMalaysia and China. We enjoy huge support in Asia and this will of help bring the Club Closer to our fans in both countries".

To be honest, I don't really watch football. Hard to do so when you've got no Astro at home; though I watch the occasional odd game online and do follow the games via newspapers.

My best personal memory was the 2011 Carling Cup final which I watched in college with Lai Jie and Saddam.

Imagine the shouting we had, and the emo that followed. Wouldn't be forgotten for a long, long time.

The tickets have been on sale for quite long, and I believe that it is quite sold out.

Piravin, Lai Jie and I have gotten the RM108 ones and we're gonna catch the match, LIVE!!!

This is gonna be the very first time I'm watching a big game live and it's gotta gonna be cool; imagine the crowd and the atmosphere. Wheeee!

Wanna watch the match with me? :) LOL

Tell me why you wanna watch this match. Suscribe to me or follow me on Twitter. We might even go to watch the match together! ;)

Arsenal fans, unite!

Ahoy Mate!

2011-06-29T10:16:00.015+08:00

Wouldn't be fair to the dudes if I don't finish documenting our trip. So here it is ;)

Note: The title of this post is a favourite exclamation of a friend.

We departed from our rendezvous point - Perling Mall at 3.30p.m. with Ashwin driving Ram, Piravin and Jethro in his black Myvi. Nash and I hitched the ride with Jonathan in his (black also) Wira.

Along the way, we saw a lot of things. The weather wasn't really relenting, with drops or rain hitting the roof of the car along the way. Apparently it rains everyday on that stretch of highway.

The newly constructed bridge on the highway. Somewhat resembling the Penang Bridge but not.

We arrived close to 5 p.m. and checked into our room numbered 316 in the resort called Pulai Desaru. God's words have to be listened by our hearts ya.

Room was spacious, enough to fit 7 people in a room meant for 3. Shhhhh...

The rest of the day was dedicated to futsal, beach volleyball and counter strike. Dinner was settled at a restaurant far from the resort, after which Pira retreated to the bed citing fever.

Hmmm. Suspicion arises.

WHAT'S UP WITH THE BOTH OF THEM!!?

The nighttime activity then proceeded without Pira, as the 6 of us trooped across the beach to Lotus Desaru (yet another resort) and acted as if we were customers there (watched Home Alone 2). Brought drinks and intended to participate in the bonfire. Ended up purchasing a flying disc and Jet unleashed his long-suppressed inner child.

The next morning, Jet and I went for a jog down the street. Jogged all the way to the Korean restaurant where he befriended 3 dogs. Unintentionally the dogs followed us back to the hotel, and had to be brought back by the security. Tsk tsk.

Doggie fan Jet.

Breakfast with Jon and Nash proved to be an in-deliberate entertainment.

The rest of the morning was another unending session of Counter Strike until someone had the senses to insist upon going for lunch. It was a 45-minute drive to the pier of Sedili, and the RM122 lunch was quite cheap with fish, prawns, squids, crabs and stuff on the table.

(Inclusive of a huge RM35 bowl of tomyam)

In the afternoon, we went down to the beach. Let the pictures do the talking.

A discovery before the activities started. Pre-historical find?

Piravin just fell from the sky as the shadows of the trees took center stage.

Jon and the flying disc. What a sea.

After swimming, and water-poloing, and monkeying around, Nash poses for a relaxing shoot. (Jet was behind ya)

The 7 of us, with Pira the odd one out wearing a different uniform.

It was another neverending session of Counter Strike after that. =.= come to think of it we had little life there. However, buoyed by Jet's insistence of building his own bonfire, we got down to the beach in the middle of the night.

Nash found a lighter in a cigarette box, with cigarettes in it. Somebody took a puff and didn't like it very much <3.

Jet and I went to the lobby to get a copy of the day's newspaper and we burned.

Quite destined to fail until we managed to get it right, and our tripod burned.

The next morning, Ash, Pira, Ram and Jet went for the breakfast whilst the other 3 went for prata.

Then it was Counter-Strike again until checkout time. Went to the table tennis room for some quick strokes, and then, we played pool.

Jon,Nash,Pira vs Ash,Jet,Sean

Look at the intensity, the concentration. *A deep breath* and "BOOM!"

The white ball flew off the table.

Now, this has class and skill.

Ashwin slotting home the winning ball.

We traveled back the usual way -car, DUH-.

Had lunch at Pira's restaurant, the GIANT Caterers.

Huge, huge nasi beriyani.

Thus ends our 3-day trip to Desaru. These dudes were my closest friend in EC and I'm sorry to see this trip end. However, every meeting has to be adjourned and the memories left will always be remembered.

[not to mention the thing Nash did when the rest were sauna-ing]

Looking forward to the next trip in, oh, a few years time when everyone gets a Lamborghini or an Aston Martin Vanquish ;)

The writer hopes when he graduates as a Doctor of Medicine somehow he'll get enough money to get a Rolls Royce.

A Game of Soccer

2011-06-21T21:15:00.008+08:00

Football. Or soccer, whatever. The game that leaves millions crazy.

And unless you have been hiding under a rock or in a dungeon for the past quarter of a year, you should know that 3 of the traditional Big Four of the English Primer Leagueare coming to Malaysia *screams!*.

Today, we went for a game of futsal with the old EC gang (plus two guys from SSI). ;)

Haven't played for quite long; the game was like an elixir to me. Gotta get my lazy bones to shake off the rust. I suppose the calcium in my bones has been oxidized when I slept too much.

Ahh well.

So a game was required. And we had it thanks to the dudes who heeded Pira's call for a game. Jon fetched Justin and I to City Plaza and we were late by ten minutes, although the new road along Jalan Skudai was awesome.

Let's just say the two UK-bound dudes were practicing (notice the Cambridge guy openly declaring his love for NY).

The game was fun, with most of us losing our stamina of yore after not playing due to other commitments. Final score, infinity vs infinity. Nobody kept score anyway haha.

Personal favorite goal was the one that resulted from my one-two with Kapten Amirul. The ball was lifted using my left leg to Amirul and his return pass was not cleared by Netaji. And I whacked the ball into the bottom right corner.

Ahh well, not sure when we can play together again.

But it was a nice game =)

And so, here's a sport we love and hate. Which Arsenal fan isn't frustrated about the six-year trophy drought? Who isn't envious of Barcelona's domination over the sport? Who doesn't dream of beating the Spanish trinity of Xavi-Iniesta-Villa?

It's all for the love of the game.

Let us sit back and (for the fans), enjoy the next season!
Let's watch the Malaysian tigers roar in the matches!

It's Time For Chocolates!

2011-06-17T11:28:00.003+08:00

It was a Saturday. Mid-June, the year 2011. No war was ongoing. No earthquake hit Malaysia. The Titanic was sunk some 99 years ago.

So I was there in Hotel Seri Cempaka by a host of people from SSI, excited about the commencement of the 28th Singapore-Malaysia First Aid and Nursing Competition.

It was a nice day hanging out with those friends of mine, some whom I haven't met in years. The day was fine, but when the night came, it just got better.

At approximately 2345 hours, just as Kelantan scored a last-gasp own goal against Terengganu in the final of the FA Cup (we were watching it on tv), Liang Hui and Jian Wei entered the room saying, 'we saw an-Elvin Ng lookalike!'

O.o

Elvin Ng.

Singapore Artiste, who has featured in a number of nice drama series.

Being his fans, the girls went positively gaga. Plans were then made to obtain his autograph and at least to get a photo with him.

However, like Malaysians, the thoughts were spoken out, but there was nobody to carry out the plan.

All was doom and gloom until...

Superman arrived.

His name is protected due to copyright reasons, but his deeds would be remembered for a long, long time. Superman marched right to the doorstep of the room of the lookalike and pressed the doorbell.

*FuYoh!*

Once. Twice.

The lookalike did not open the door, and we all were disappointed. However, it was a very nice experience for all of us and we hope to learn from this experience, to be able to act, and not talk only.

It's time for chocolates (吃巧克力时间到)!

A New Update, Finally.

2011-06-16T12:31:00.006+08:00

Right, I know I have been neglecting my blog nowadays. Gotta buck up man! And gotta learn nursing. Wonder if there are still any nursing friends of mine who are free. Hmmm.

However I've got no energy to blog too much today due to the uncooperative abdominal cramps and stuff so I'll just let my pictures do the talking. So these were the stuff I've been doing since matrix was over.

So, Directly after Matrix, I took a 13-hour journey to Kelantan for an interview, which you people are able to read in this blog.

A very tall statue. Which I think we who went the BTN camp got scolded for.

This is Ivan Chong, Annie Chua and Tuan Sheng's primary school. Look at the talented people. *Phew*

And here we were, the 8 of us who went for the interview for medicine.

Buat kecoh at the dental clinic LOL.

Well, by God's grace I was accepted into the university and I did the most astonishing choice I've ever done in my life by saying I'll go there. 13 hours on the bus is going to take a lot of my life away.

Next, I went back to JB for a week and back to Kelantan!!!!!

The 53rd Nationals!

Zhi Hao's face is still there for so long. Don't know how much he received from the NHQ.

The Ambulance Cadets from Johor which made us proud.

We won a place in SingMal and that was the best news all of us could have gotten. Congratulations to the lads, they did really great.

So we spent a quiet May, during which I really cannot remember me doing anything special. Getting bored to death is one thing, knowing you are boring yourself to death is another. Played the guitar? Nothing else.

June crept into the picture like an assailant, disposing off May like nobody's business.

So I went for the church camp in Kukup. Had a nice time there, particularly the National Park.

Anyone able to read this? Seen in a temple in Kukup.

The rainforest was pretty nice, and the shades made photography a nice chance. Nice shot.

And the trip was pretty eventful, since the van broke down (couldn't even start) as we headed back to JB.

Then it was barely a week later when I set off to KL for the 28th Singapore-Malaysia International First Aid and Home Nursing Competition.

Everyone from SSI except me. >.<

SingMal.

We were the former winners! Showing off the shirt from the previous edition. Including the injured hand of a Mat-Sikal.

As usual, it was eventful. The tap broke and nescafe ~~cascaded~~ ~~leaked~~ whatever-ed.

So I'll be leaving for now. No idea when I will be updating this blog next, but I'll do it, soon. Tune in.

Inspired to write.

USM Interview.

2011-04-26T11:30:00.006+08:00

It was to be on the 24th of April, in the Kubang Kerian campus, in Kota Bahru, Kelantan.

Wait, before we get any ideas on the magnitude of this problem, let me clarify that I stay in Johor Bahru, which is sort of...one of the southernmost cities in the Peninsular.

So, the journey up North took 13 hours in the bus, and it isn't intelligent to say I enjoyed it very much.

Anyway we reached at 2200 hours, a WHOOPING 13 hours from the 0900 hours since we departed Larkin.

Ivan brought us to his house and we had supper with the whole gang. That was the first birthday celebration for TuanSheng and we succeeded in cheating an ice-cream for that lucky dude.

The next day, Ivan's mum dropped us off across the street and we who stayed at Ivan's walked to the interview. WeiXu, PeiRu, TuanSheng and Gavin went for the interview for Dentistry while the rest of us went for Medicine. Oh did I mention Ignatius went for Dentistry too? Met him.

Ivan, Alex, Sean, PikYang, Mark, JinSheng, SinYen, WinInn, Tok, JooVen, JingFei, ChongXuan and NanFeng were there. Phew, long list. And Kam from KMPK was there too! Han Ming Show....the list never ends.

We were splitted into a few batches and I was in the forth batch. We were brought to our interview rooms and I selected Room 6.Had a nice chat with the girl from KMK before going in.

OK, time flies. In no time, it was my turn.

There were two interviewers, a XY and a XX. Hee. So it started off pretty well, they were glad they finally got a male interviewee after two days. I started off by introducing myself. Told them I was from English College and an uproar ensued.

'Where is your EC tie!?'

'Oops sorry Sir, this is my KMNS tie.'

Always the patriot. Lucky I spent a year at KMNS. Really polished my lisan skills, at least by a bit.

'Tell me about your KoKo activities with relevance to this profession.'

Jackpot.

Showed him my file of certs. SingMal. JPP (Love yourself programme). And a lot more. Then he was like, 'Ah you know first aid! What happens if I get a heart attack? How many compressions? How many rescue breathings?'

Awesome. However, uncertainty set in and when he asked 'So you'll do until I die lah?' I replied 'or until I success'. Major blunder 1. Wrong word used. And I should explain about AED and stuff. ISH!

Then we proceeded with the female interviewer asking me about which specialty I would like to pursue after the MD programme. I replied. 'Cardiology, cos of heart attack being the silent killer and all, I want to know more, in advance, about it and find new methods to overcome it.'

Then, the issue was addressed. Did I pay attention in class?

'What do you know about genes?'

'Well, if you're talking about PSPM stuff I know gut'

'OK! I am XY, true or false?
You are XX, true or false?
Tell me a sex linked genetic disorder.
Tell me another genetic disorder not sex-linked.
Tell me the characteristics of a person with Down Syndrome.'

Major blunder 2. I said, 'aiya, these are SPM stuff.'

Too arrogant. Apparently he thought so too, for he said, 'since it's SPM stuff so answer lah.'

Then we continued with childbirth.

Did I see a childbirth process before? (Chia Chee Yiao you reading this?)
On TV or what?

So did the baby cry immediately?

To which I replied, 'nah, they removed a membrane first, then after a while the baby started crying.' (I think that part requires more conviction so, there exists Major blunder 3)

We proceeded by them asking me what are the things I would learn as a medical student.

The human anatomy, first aid, nursing and I dunno d. What a poor, ill-prepared dude I was.

Next was, what processes would I be expected to carry out. I answered Toilet and Suturing (T&S).

And they were laughing,laughing,laughing non-stop.

'Boy, you are going to do T&S maybe only you are in the fifth year la. HAHAHA '

Oh.

Following that, a scenario was given. At 2a.m., your roommate had a stomachache. What would you do.

'Tell warden.

Assess which part of the abdomen is hurting.'

They were pleased with the second answer. Ok, so if right side pain is due to what?

'Gastric' (Major blunder 4. It's appendicitis. Answered too fast, didn't really think about it. So guys and girls, think properly before you answer.)

Then they asked, 'How about left side of abdomen?'

I didn't know.

I suggested using minyak kapak to ease his pain.

They couldn't stop laughing.

They managed to compose themselves and continued with, 'OK, let's say he had a hamburger before he slept. What caused his pain?'

FOOD POISONING!!

'And tell us what causes food poisoning.'

I answered, 'Plasmodium sp.'

Major blunder 5. That is for malaria. Zzzzz....

They gave me another chance.

Escherichia coli. That was better.

'Interesting, you are the first person to talk about E. coli.'

Then an avalanche of questions came pouring down.

'Is E. coli in this room?

Can we see E. coli?

Tell me the staining properties of E. coli.

Gram positive or gram negative'

I didn't know the answer to the third question but when I told them 'negative' for question number 4, the male interviewer roared 'Congratulations!'

So they asked why I wouldn't wanna go for the twinning programme in India and I said

-cos of my family and my braces.

Then how about working in East Malaysia?

-'If the country requires my services, I'll take the call.'

精忠报国? I love the country, but the policy......I refuse to comment.

'Why didn't you go for PLKN?'

-cos they didn't select me! Whee~

And on that note I was dismissed. I think I didn't do that well but it was a pleasant experience. All now lies in God's hands and I pray and i know He would give me the best I deserve. He'll give me the best and I pray for the strength to accept it.

And yeah I did humour the interviewers throughout the session and walaa who cares!? It's movie time!!!!!!!!!!

Oh I was down with a terrible flu anyway. Haha.

3/4 Gone; Bring on the Last TEN WEEKS!!!

2011-01-22T17:39:00.008+08:00

So, the 30th of November, 2010 came and went, and it was no big deal compared to the fuss it made.

Puh-lease.

It has been pretty busy, with a mountain of activities all crammed in a month. Nobody had the time or energy to celebrate their achievement or even to mourn over the demise of their dreams.

No, no. Everyday, it's homework, quiz, more homework, report, major quiz, assignment, more homework, minor quiz...you get the idea.

Whatever.

Three quarters of the excruciatingly painful matrix life has passed. What's facing us is the most crucial of all: You screw up, we say bye bye.

So, I say, study hard, and smart. You wouldn't want to spend the rest of your life regretting the moment of folly in Matrix.

(and of course, there are ten weeks left only, stash your lust someplace safe k!? )

I'm not actually that opposed to it; hey, I'm open-minded~

The thing is, not many people are.

Ten more weeks to go, and the amount of activities are going to be greatly reduced. No more competitions, no more hunts. When March steps in, it would be intensive. The teachers would go on a super-speed mode and you'll DAI if you don't buck up.

Be initiative! Spoonfeeding is of no use anymore. Don't compare yourself to weaklings, but look at those who are of better quality. Take a leaf out of their books and improve yourself!!

Oh and be humble. Don't think you are good enough because, nobody can actually judge you, not even yourself.

Philippians 2:3 Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.

So, what I'm saying is, GET BACK TO MATRIX AND SCREW EVERYTHING IN FRONT OF YOU!!

Let's menyemarakkan our semangat!!!

Though not until the hostels catch fire.

Race to the finishing line...

RAWR (>.

ROCK THE SCHOOL!!

And pay attention to the time. *Shakes head*

The word Ivan (Chong) loves most is nice to be used. Though Louis was the first person to scold Ivan that in the year of 2011.

Now the year of Tiger approaches an end, and the year of the Rabbit looms, here's me wishing everyone a prosperous new year. Be good and nice, if not Santa wouldn't give you a present this year!

Hope everyone gets to TUANYUAN!!

* oh if you've changed your horoscope, good for you (= *

2010, In Remembrance. Part 2

2011-01-19T00:53:00.011+08:00

July

First taste of a major test in Matrix. My class took the test in a Physics lab. Fourth floor you know!? We had to climb up (Note: there's no elevator here, unlike the Matrix in Selangor. Haha).

Sat behind W, and it was pressurizing. I had to perform! *The results would be announced in August*

It was the holidays after that, but I didn't get to go back, unlike most of my counterparts. It was the JPP camp, and we went to Teluk Batik for it!

And let's not forget the tie I acquired ;)

Oops....scandalous~

22/7/2010...

August

Quite a peaceful month. The first week after the holidays, the BiroTatanegara Camp we went. All I can say is that we participants had mixed reactions after the talks and activities. Nice night walk, loads of people screamed =)

Was pretty uneventful after that, but Jin Sheng's birthday bash was my first in KMNS. Lai Jie and Win Inn have their bashes quite well done as well.

And the JPP pentomine during the Ambang Merdeka was good.

Results for UPS1: CGPA 3.67 (very poor)

Sorry, no pictures were allowed. National Secret. Yes, and it's heavily based on the Social Contract. Heavily.

Lai Jie's bash at One Stop.

Win Inn's bash at the squash court.

September

Had a pretty quiet September.

The Raya holidays gave us a well deserved rest, and then it was my birthday. Gembira seh. Lots of presents, and the attendance at my bash was.....cool XD

Then, we had a small gathering for the mooncake festival. Just a small one, eating mooncakes, playing with lanterns and stuff.

The month continued with the Traditional Sports Carnival organised by Kae Sen's class. In the baling tin competition, Cheah Herng, Tuan Sheng, Tun Chen and I finished 3rd. =)

Oh I stayed at Tuan Sheng's room after the Raya holidays.

Even Kuala Pilah snowed!!

Us having fun with leaves from the coconut tree (Liga Upih, in which Jerry, Hong Wei, Weldon and Jocelynn attained 3rd place)

October

I can only say that the only major thing that happened in October was the PSPM. The final examination for Semester 1.

It overshadowed my trip to Perlis for the National level Sajak Declamation competition as well.

Oh and we had a small Biology fair as well. And a futsal competition organised by Ju Enn's class. H4P2 ended 4th!

That's it. October ends. So fast.

At Bilik Tutorial.

At the church!

Aziz performing in Kolej Matrikulasi Perlis!!

The ball game that leaves millions crazy...

The farewell of Mr. Gem Wong. =(
Good luck sir!

November

Tsk tsk. Seriously nothing lo, apart from the talk by the Chief Minister.

Everyone was busy preparing for Mini-KAKOM and the activities of the English Language Unit (ELU).

Quite a buzz.

Anyway the results for our PSPM1 was released and yes, the CGPA of 4.00 was achieved!

No pictures to show~ hehe sorry.

December

Mini-KAKOM commenced.

Didn't participate in anything; got a humble 16th place finish in the 'cross country run'.

The activities of the ELU begun. 2nd in scrabble. 2nd in Spell-It-Right. 3rd in A Capella. The CF dominated the activities participated in, claiming the lion's share of the prizes offered. 3rd in the Battle of the Bands. And quite a few more.

The Winter Solstice was celebrated with hundreds of tang yuens made by us in the Bilik Tutor!!

The Fellowship!

The Battle of the Bands

Piak!

The dumplings~

Lok Yee and Yar Vern's birthday!

Jun Kai's

Joo Ven's

And so ends a year filled with much happenings. 2011, here we go!

(W actually turned up for the countdown!!)

(special feature of Piravin Naidu who claims I've forgotten him. Dude, I won't. HAHA. I love your thighs anyway :D )

2010, In Remembrance. Part 1

2011-01-17T15:08:00.014+08:00

Awww....this seriously is late, but hey; it's better late than never! (I lost my diary =[ )

January 2010

The continuing of a long, long holiday after the "Battle of EC" against the mighty opponents of Majlis Peperiksaan Malaysia. The Quest to obtain good results in the fight had drained many; though a lot of them still had the strength to embark on journeys to look for the 'eye of the heavens' in SUNway and Taylors, among many others.

Aherm. Went north to attend my granduncle's funeral. And Perba's Camp summed up January. Overall, it was OK. Apart from the part I had to be the victim for the stimulation cases. *frowns*

February

Was having a nice rest until one of the Kongs called me to offer me a job. And so I had a ten-day working stint for Seasons at Jusco Bukit Indah to earn a few extra pocket money. Then it was Chinese New Year on Valentine's Day.

Oh I didn't go up to Sungai Petani in 2010, and would not be going there again in 2011. Hope 2012 would present me the chance.

Then there came the District Level Competition.

March

Any incidents, events, activities and every other stuff would have been overshadowed by the announcement of the SPM results. To you, if you still can't figure out what the heck the "Battle of EC" was about, yeah, it's the SPM.

A gory, gory event.

Results were ok, and was enough for me to go for this exposure course at the Hospital Sultanah Aminah in JB. Quite illuminating.

Cool. ;)

Group 7 (My group, minus Nash Teo)

April

The whole month was a relaxing one; with me getting to the HQ to train the team from JB. It was OK....

Didn't really do anything special. The state competition on the 25/4/2010 was sad, with the exit of the Ambulance Cadet team a really down incident.

May

Training for Nationals resumed. However, before we could oversee the final stage of training for the team Johor, Alex and I, just as Bryan Yeoh did in 2009, left JB for the Matriculation programme of the Ministry of Education. Terrible place.

Homesick.

People disappeared mysteriously, appearing in drains the next second.

Was sent to study Physics.

Ahhh, terrible month.

Was chosen NOT to get the overseas JPA scholarship. Instead, to STAY there with the local scholarship.

And Johor did only OK at the nationals. (Kedah won the CFC Cup)

That month was...saddening haha.

June

Chee Yiao left, and so did some others. Yi Xin, Lim Carmen, Wei Yuan, Wei Hoong, Qao Shaun, Jason and so many more.

Er.....I think nothing much happened in June, except for the JPP campaign and my brainless lunge at sensitive issues. Well, I got into Hayat 4, and was placed in the same class as a girl, who dreams to migrate to Korea.

We call her, W,

and she is in the same league as L, the secret agent who uncovered who Kira was.

(Kira is Light Yagami, who used a DeathNote to kill evil people)

That's probably the most exciting thing that happened in June apart from me getting to know SADDAM HUSSEIN was in the same class as me.

OK, in front of 2000 people my legs actually turned jelly.

to be continued......

2011-01-17T13:04:00.001+08:00

Erm, I'm back. Sorry for the overdue posts and stuff; too busy haha. Sumimasen!

Johor Chinese cannot marry Kedah Chinese, myth or fact?

2010-11-26T02:36:00.001+08:00

OK. So, due to the fact that teasing are very common now in the classroom (we get more and more closer as Semester Two rolls on), in addition to the fact that arranged marriage came up as an unexpected question for MUET, my English teacher posed a very....peculiar question in class.

True, most of us have heard about couples broken up, parents forcing their children into arranged marriages and stuff. I mean, they are not uncommon, especially in Malaysia, where the myriad of cultures and traditions tend to add an extra blend of uniqueness into our lives.

Based on historical evidence from a reliable source (the 5 Sejarah textbooks, anyone?) we see that certain clans in Negeri Sembilan disapprove the union of their member and another member from another clan.

This is not the only example, but we will stop here. No way, there are too many examples to show. However, let us return to the issue on hand. Is that a fact, or a mere myth? In this context, I would like to express my opinion staunchly, as I believe it is nothing but sheer myth.

First of all, from the point of view of a Biology student, -hey, no time to be shy or too conservative here- I believe that the fertilization of the sperm and ovum of a couple with the origins from those two states would produce a wide variety of new recombinants since the states are so far apart. The DNA exchange during crossing over of tetrads provides opportunity for the exchange of genes, thus causing genetical variations among the species. Here, we can reduce the probability of producing offsprings with low intelligence, as mating between individuals of the same clan enhances that probability.

Next, walaoeh, we are in the 21st century la. Who still cares about the traditions and practices and stuff? True, traditions must be preserved as they are passed down from generations to generations, however, pruning must be done on whichever practices that ought to be prohibited. Arranged marriage, duh. A big NO, please. A person should not be categorized according to his or her state anyway. Understand?

Following that, I would like to point out that this is a trick question. Who says no means they want to bring two persons from the two states together. Who says yes means they are trying to deny it. So let’s not waste our time on it. *shakes head*

Yes I’d admit. At the age of 18, marriage is a really BIG question. Just chill, and relax. In general, marriage has got nothing to do with the states of origin of the individuals. Puh-lease, get a life. Marriage is the union of two faithful souls, not some plaything of adults. Tyrannical dictatorship does not help in the construction of a holy union, but in fact, only makes things worse. Chill chill. Let your heart say what it really wants; don’t let what other people think deafen your ears to your heart. Wait till you are mature enough before thinking about marriage.

So my conclusion is: No, it is but a myth.

Note: The author of this article is a hybrid between Penang and Johor.

Faith

2010-11-25T02:19:00.001+08:00

Looking back at all the memories,

I smiled at the happiness I've had;

I cringe at the regrets I've suffered.

Had I not made all these negative things happen, I wouldn't be so emo.

Or is it the other way round?

The little mistakes,

my every move and wrongdoing,

made all the difference.

I am unsure about the future;

I have nobody to trust,

but You.

However, You enjoy watching me struggle.

You set me tasks and challenges,

You want to see how they make me stronger.

Yes, what that don't kill me make me stronger,

but I'm really tired.

Please give me a quick, short answer.

Give me the courage to pursue it,

or let it fade entirely.

The temptation is too strong,

though it's all in the power of the mind,

I am not strong enough.

I pray for the strength,

for me to face it gallantly.

Please do stay with me,

make me strong,

give me the courage,

for I do not know when I will belosing my head.

For now, it's all about my faith.

I believe You will be there;

You will provide,

if I seek.

Good Luck. Sem II beckons.

2010-11-06T01:55:00.008+08:00

Everything started, on that day. The 10th of May, 2010.

The day long awaited; the day everything changed.

The first chapter of our Pre-University life. The very first time we step out of the shadows of our parents; the time we enter college.

The first time we enter this battlefield.

The first time we are going to learn what independence means.

Therefore, it wasn't really surprising that we got to see many had prepared their full battle gear in order to face this challenge.

Sung Cheng and her plastic knife.

Hidayat's ever-invisible lighters (this one is huge is size).

and let's not forget the Pokemon cards.

Yes, yes, some were overprepared; and some were underprepared.

Nevertheless, we marched on, regardless of the situation.

And then there came the wave, the tsunami, which caused many broken hearts, as people left the battlefield. And many were left behind.

But we celebrate their leaving, for it is another journey for us and for them, whose comradeship we will miss, in time to come.

Of course, emotions were rather tense in the battlefield. The prime evidence:

The ice-cream Carmen dropped.

The fates were cruel. No mercy was given!!!

Terrible, terrible.

And stress spawned a big, big impact.

Who died in the process, and who did NOT, we'll know, on DOOMsday, 30/11/2010.

Till then, let's concentrate on Semester II. And focus on our goal.

God bless.

Enjoy Semester II. And Sung Cheng, drop your weapon. *roll eyes*

Carmen, don't waste ice-creams as well XP.

2010-11-03T01:15:00.001+08:00

The tranquil and picturesque town of Dalat.

Well no. This isn't exactly the town Dalat which got its name from the bloodbath between the two brothers. This town is situated near Ipoh, and I would love to elaborate on that story had it not been for the time constraints.

Let's return to the story.

Piravin Naidu is a chubby man in his mid-forties. This rubber plantation tycoon is undoubtedly the richest man in the bustling town of Dalat. His magnificent residence is made of brick, and is decorated lavishly.

Besides that, he is the only person who owns a television.

Yes, yes I know. The average teenager nowadays would roll his or her eyes at this statement. Just a television. No big deal because most people have got huge plasma televisions at home. Even the handphones can be used to watch videos! In the 1940s, when Malaya hadn't gain independence, only the rich and the powerful could afford a television.

Kurang memuaskan...

2010-10-17T22:14:00.001+08:00

Give your opinion on the factors that affect the reputation of a family.

Once upon a time, in the faraway land of Duloc, there lived an ogre called Shrek who opted to live a life of loneliness. Why so? Because everyone judged him before they got to know him! Let us now return to reality, where fiction is all but a parody of life’s worst jokes. ‘Do not judge a book by its cover’ goes a saying. However, the cruel truth of reality is that a family’s reputation affects the service they are provided with, as well as the way its members are treated. Indeed, a family’s reputation may take years and decades to be constructed, but it takes just a blink of an eye for it to be destroyed. Read on to look at the many factors that affect a family’s reputation so as to identify the best way to uphold the family name and prevent dishonour.

To be continued...

2010-09-24T19:03:00.002+08:00

Blog shut down due to certain reasons. Please visit my other blog: Undefined.

Thank you.

Fivemeninblack

Biro Tatanegara Camp ’10 Day 3

2010-08-19T00:17:00.003+08:00

With the death of the second day the third day was born, and may God bless all the poor souls who suffered in the wrath Mother Nature had given.

Moral sessions are still boring time-wasting periods which might have increased our efficiencies had the timeslot been wisely used for more productive activities such as resting our eyes. Honestly, you want to cultivate a generation of civilized people by being examples to them; not keep drilling the same ol’ mantra in their heads. Tolerance, acceptance. Tolerance, acceptance. Tolerance, acceptance.

Somebody once said: when you get oppressed, be like a spring. Bounce back bigger and stronger.

I have no desire to get stuck in the swamp of politics; innocence is brilliant.

So anyway we continued with the flag raising ceremony. With the most unfortunate luck I’ve had for years, my row consisting of Kirin, Tuan Sheng and I was given the honour of raising the country’s flag to officiate the events to come. Somehow screwed up the raising of the flag (what happened to the practices I had when I was a prefect!?) and marched like a beginner (I bet even my brother could march better than me. Robot sia)

The day continued with group activities led by the facilitators. The main emphasis? The Social Contract again. Frankly, don’t these guys get bored by this stuff? Put on my poker face; c’mon, we have to be dynamic in the face of bedlam.

Fast forward to the evening activities =>

We, in our groups, had to cross over a wooden log which was 3 meters above the ground. Nobody fell, to the relief of everyone. Then, we had to jump into a ‘puddle’ of mud to look for 2 coloured stones and a fish. As everyone jumped into the ‘puddle’, there were screams from everywhere as the mud was waist-level high, and muddy water rose up till everyone(except Tilak)’s chest.

I was the bad guy who pulled Mei Kee and Shze Yee in. Looked like Sandman campur cement when we came out; smelled absolutely like Mud the Pokemon.

Crawled through a tunnel; pulled ourselves across a lake by a rope. Was extremely exhausted by the time Tuan Sheng pulled me up. Our group of 12 then trooped to a station where we were supposed to build a raft out of wheels and bamboo. Tuan Sheng has a flair with knots and in no time Wininn was sailing on the raft (powered by the rest of us who swam beside her, pushing her to the other side of the lake). Fought against ‘pirates’ to protect the tissues Wininn the Queen was protecting. Mission failed after the raft was overturned by Captain WoodyAllen the Pirate.

Had another group activity, this time another activity which has been seen in almost every camp – decide which 5 people are going to go to Mars cos a meteorite is going to strike the Earth. As I said, get CREATIVE!!! Sheng Fatt, Liyana and I were the isolated ones as we supported the decision to send an 80-year-old lady. Did pretty badly at the presentation. Wei, respect the elderly-lah!!

It was nearing midnight when the activity ended. For those who had hoped to be able to enjoy the softness of their pillows were disappointed as it was announced that the night walk was going to commence after all. The most anticipated activity of the camp.

Let me show you what happened through the eyes of Sean Thum.

‘It’s was pitch black and we couldn’t see anything. Me, with my night-blindness, could do nothing but to subject myself to the leadership of the people in front. Hafiz led the group and I was between Sin Yen and Tuan Sheng. We somehow missed a turn and took a longer detour than the rest; and when we reached the first checkpoint we were actually one team behind.

‘Our first climb was actually a really steep hill which many people slipped here and there. I remember two years ago when the sturdy shoulders of Lim Mao Fong kept me safe but with Goh Sin Yen in front of me it was quite a different story. Surprisingly, she has quite a steady footing in front so nothing scary happened.

‘A thorn caught hold of several participants’ headdress, and my sleeve too. Fortunately, not much obstacle slowed us down after that. True, Tuan Sheng and I lost our water bottles to an unusually steep gradient but all was well. After thirty minutes of hard work, we finally managed to reach checkpoint number 2.’

What happened upon their reaching of checkpoint number was quite straightforward. Being among the last to arrive, our group members only had to wait for a couple of minutes for the last group to reach the checkpoint. Then the participants were released one by one into the oil-palm plantation. Sean, please continue.

‘Yes, thank you. Tuan Sheng and I went straight to the front of the boys’ row and claimed the first two spots. I mean, we were the first and second persons to enter the dark realm of unknown. After Tuan Sheng left, I spoke to Ivan (Chong) about how to keep faith and stuff and it really did work. Three cheers to that guy!’

Woots, being second to enter the plantation must be really challenging. How did you actually feel, since Tuan Sheng didn’t scream and it was your first time being alone in such a dark place?

‘Well, this is a very deep question. I’m sure you readers would be wondering about that question as well. I actually thought about a person, whom I shall address as Charity. Charity’s face filled my mind as I jogged through the winding path, and I did take extra care to follow the lights, and not to take the path not taken.

‘In truth, there were many facilitators who posed as supernatural beings trying to scare us. But I knew that, if I had the faith, just the belief that God and Charity are with me, I could accomplish everything. So I jogged with enthusiasm. However, it wasn’t a smooth jog after all. I was scared beyond words on most occasions, and I got a terrible fright once.

‘That was when I turned my head accidentally to my left and saw a woman wearing a black tudung looking at me. Her head turned as I jogged past her, and a shock jolted through my whole body. I sprinted away from her as fast as I could. Next thing I knew, when I looked to my left again as I slowed down from my sprint, I saw another woman of the same description looking at me. I didn’t talk, but just did an obscene gesture and ran off.

‘But as I jogged I knew I was closer to my destination and I didn’t need any extra motivation. I sprinted until, at last, I saw Tuan Sheng waiting for me there. The rest was history.’

Wow, that was what that happened to Sean. It pretty much happened to everyone else, but his story is the only assessable version at press time. Good for the facilitators to train the participants’ guts. The moral of the story would be: please be mentally prepared when you are facing the unknown.

That wraps up the third day. Quite a long post, thanks for reading!! :D

Biro Tatanegara Camp ’10 Day 2

2010-08-15T10:17:00.001+08:00

We started day 2 with the non-existent moral session. Used to it. You just had to memorize the 36 values to score A+ for SPM wad. Who cares?

We then continued with a marching session. Totally disastrous. Who knows how to march? It was quite obvious that most of the participants weren’t that active in marching during their secondary school years.

== As I said, who knows how to march?

Two talks succeeded the breakfast. The first one was quite interesting; about the concept of a country. A typical talk concerning the country, of course it was filled with the many wonders Malaysians have done. Nobody slept, cos it was nice.

A short break preceded the second talk. It was normal at the beginning, just a little boring. Some people started dozing off anyway. Then the topic shifted to politics and things didn’t go that nice and holy after that. The person giving the talk was so agitated talking about the social contract that he was actually screaming into the microphone. Like we were the ones breaching the contract.

Some people just don’t grasp the concept of times change. Keep staying close-minded and refuse change; say bye-bye to advancement and aloha to backward motion.

We continued with our first group activity. Oops, forgot to introduce you to the members of my group. We had 12 in all; Hafiz (JPP + leader), Izah(JPP), Sal, Saqdah, Jijan, Kirin, Asyila, Shze Yee, Tuan Sheng, Wininn, Sin Yen and I. We called ourselves the A-team, and were Amazing, Active and Ambitious!!!

We did a flag for our group, which I would upload if I can find the time. Too tiring nowadays. Then we had to present it in front of all the participants; just the normal ice-breaking activity in camps. Not that creative also haha. Then we were given barang amanah in the form of eggs and were told that we had to risk our lives just to protect them.

Boring. Anyone remember the polystyrene boxes during prefect orientation ’08?

Had a dancing session at half-past five. Loved the chicken dance but wait, we have always been high during that song. The moral session during the evening was about the 1Malaysia concept and the emphasis was on the 8 values Mr. Lam told us during the orientation week. Kinda hated it.

Then, it was time for our second group activity. Each group had to send someone to invite the facilitator to the classroom. As our custom, the leader went but was sent back. He ordered two girls to go. They too came back, citing the facilitator wanted a pretty girl to go invite him. Kantoi.

Shze Yee was sent in the end (my fault). I tried to follow her but was so unfortunate to meet two other facilitators on the way. Was held up with talks on boy-girl issues and was sent back. Ten minutes later, when Shze Yee didn’t return, I got all worried as an ant on a boiling kettle.

I ran out of the room to look for her. In the meanwhile, Wininn, Tuan Sheng and Sin Yen followed closely behind me. Don’t ask me why cos I dunno why they followed me. LOL. Found Shze Yee being held captive in the canteen.

The rest of the group arrived and we were told to sacrifice a member in order to redeem Shze Yee. Naturally we refused and negotiations begun. We settled on leaving Hafiz’s shoes behind and then we ran back to continue our activity. Had to apologize to the head of the trainers who lectured us on not being a united team. What la.

Slept late again; chatted quite a lot. This sums up the second day.

Biro Tatanegara Camp ’10 Day 1

2010-08-13T23:06:00.001+08:00

Try having an average of 4 hours’ sleep per day. For a week. Just a short week. What would you feel? Doubt you would feel as energetic as the Energizer bunny. Oh your batteries would have long since died. And…you most probably would be In a trance-like zombie state as I was in, anyway.

Add a camp (with the aim of building a united nation) to the end of the exhausting week. Have fun. Don’t groan; don’t whine. Just let go and enjoy :D

So I went to a camp last weekend. Jelebu, Negeri Sembilan was where it was located. Known as one of the hottest places in the country, its low humidity actually dampened our spirits even more (pun intended. LOL)

We set off from the college at half-past six. Had an amazing display of courage (and pigheadedness) by the group of people (who wore shorts) bidding a teary goodbye with some of the participants. So touching. Anyway MeiKee sat beside me and we talked all the way to the campsite. WOW she knows SIGS girls!!!

The world is just so small *shakes head*

What happened next was the same ol’ borin’ camp story. Taklimat, briefing, taklimat. We weren’t supposed to use any language other than Malay there. What else? The Chinese had to disperse off; not to sit together even.

*Closes eyes and gives out a long sigh*

Let’s be positive. The food was better than the food in Café B.

The moon sort of went in after the briefing. The night wasn’t bright; the stars refused to give out light. We carried our luggage to our respective dorms. 22 boys shared a room to ourselves. We had double deckers for bed and I climed on top of Tuan Sheng. Tossed and turned the whole night, giving Tuan Sheng a feel of what earthquakes are like. He woke a couple of times, kesian him. LOL

The washroom is the typical well-equipped camp washroom, with 2 nice kolams which you weren’t supposed to jump into. It was blardy late when I got to bathe and I went to bed straightaway.

That’s all for the first day. 3 more to go. Be patient.

You guys have been decent.

2010-08-05T08:58:00.004+08:00

You guys have been decent.

When I'm down, advices came pouring in. Many of you tried to cheer me up. So many of you did so much just to alleviate my pain. I'm sorry I couldn't give a better performance; I'm just not a good actor.

Especially you, you who has been beside me everyday for 4 months. Sorry for being late, happy 4th month knowing you. I...haven't been bonded so emotionally to anyone for so long d...

I guess it's up to myself to enjoy myself. There's futsal here and if I control my finances better, I will be able to save money. Yeah, I HAVE to!!

And study hard.

You guys have been decent. Thank you.

First Sem Break

2010-07-31T14:31:00.008+08:00

It has been ten days since my last post. Guess I've just been too lazy and too busy enjoying my new found pastime so I'm decreasing my time blogging drastically. I'm really happy nowadays but this is a different feeling.

I'm feeling happy but the feeling is accompanied by a tinge of sadness as well. Aih it's so complex. Might as well throw it to the back of my mind.

Anyway I'll be blogging about the course later. Two words: Crazily mad. Roar. Didn't like it. But then the holidays arrived and life got better. A lot better. Especially after I downloaded Skype. I just have the sweet feeling every time I get into my usual sit in front of the computer.

The feeling of happiness. Of impeccability.

Just a summary of my week:
Sunday, went to watch Eclipse at Pelangi Leisure Mall with dad and Euan. It's better than Twilight and New Moon. Good job, director! LOL. Had Japanese for lunch before that. The buffet was awesome!!

Monday & Tuesday, nothing. Slept and slept and slept. Not surprising, given the minute amount of sleeping time I had in KMNS.

Wednesday, went back to EC (for you guys who have never heard of the name of my school, it's English College/Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar, without the SMK). Erm, had a nice Chemistry period with Mr. Chew. Haha. Was in the same class as Engeos, Kinchong, Weiqing and Chiale. Sweet.

Met the teachers, told them about the life in matrix and chatted a bit. Life's tough, haha. Then I went to watch Inception while Alex and Weixu watched Eclipse. Then we watched The Sorcerer's Apprentice. Came up with the conclusion that the songs Ivan (Looi) like might not be that bad. Haha.

Thursday & Friday, slept. Turned back to my inert state to look for inspiration on how to complete my Bio report. Experiment failed. HAHA. A chat with Justin was great (oh we played soccer on Monday as well ya, forgot to mention)

Saturday, went to Mr. Perba's house in Jet's car; had excellent thosai with mutton and chicken curry, Jet and I fought tooth and nail for the thosai haha. Played Winning Eleven with Perba Jr. and lost 1-3. Haha.

Jet drove me to Convent for the 85th Anniversary celebration which we were too late for haha (P.S. Jet's a shade more skillful than Alex when it comes to driving but....you don't want to be on his car when it's nearing a traffic light == scary). Went to FOA next, had a nice reconnection with the juniors. Met Roderic as well. That guy CHANGED wei haha.

Then it was another typical back-in-JB-after-Matrix-Saturday with a trip to the dentist's. O.o I've got 4 hooks now instead of 2. Woots cool.

I'll be blogging soon, remember to come back :)

And er, I just wanted to say, dear, I love you.

God Bless.

2010-07-21T11:10:00.003+08:00

OK, yeah hey, I am declaring this officially:

THE HOLIDAYS ARE HERE!!!

Woots, as the Bio paper (which was neither tough nor easy) was collected, the whole lab heard me screaming in agony as I miscalculated my answer. Ah well, that's part and parcel of life. I'm no smart genius who scores 100% in every test so....let it be.

true, we have been developed under a rote-learning system which has greatly stagnated our brains. Most of us couldn't get the answer for the KBKK questions asked and there goes our marks.

To conclude my performance, it was a very typical Sean's performance. Should be getting average grades for each paper; inaccurate but consistent. And of course, careless.

Let's just hope for the best, k?

Pray harder, more sincere. Next stop, Lumut, Perak for the JPP course. Hope I wouldn't be back here next month. IN fact, I would love it if I get to start class next week.

God bless.

I Just Dunno What To Say

2010-07-20T12:33:00.004+08:00

Yes, yes I know. Actions speak louder than words. I can spend half of my life telling how great life would be if this had happened; if that had been done. But it will never be, because it has never happened.

Some say it's fame and power I craved; hey why are there so many prefects in schools then? Take my explanations or leave them. True, there is no doubt that I would be gaining much benefits from it.

Nevertheless, I am willing to give it all up if the chance arises. And there is only one scenario which this chance would arise. I believe in miracles. I've been in a few and I know it is possible. For this I can only do my part to my best and hope for the best. I know I am short-sighted but please, just give us a chance.

I promise I will pick up directly and I will do my utmost best to maintain it, to improve it. I just need the chance, and You to be beside me. Please.

Maths was a bore. But I still gave a wrong answer. I am just that effing careless, which means I am no good in Maths. I resolve to ameliorate this situation but please, the root of this problem is my arrogance. I will improve.

I know what to do. Please help me.

For the very best; for the greater good. For Charity.

The Ray of Hope

2010-07-19T20:49:00.003+08:00

I've never been the kind of person who would enjoy a hearty meal of durian + rambutan. For one, I don't really like the smell. Secondly, I still don't like the smell.

So it's like a shock when Faris (my roommate) brought 3 durians and a plastic bag full of red, furry rambutans. (Must give him face rite?) Haha, so I did participate in the eating contest, which I lost. I consumed 6 ulas, while Muqri had 7 and Faris emerged as the outright winner, with 12 ulas under his name. LOL

Anyway today marks the start of our Ujian Pertengahan Semester, and I feel that I didn't do myself justice in English. Scewed the paper up. Heck, no one cares. Didn't do that great for Chemistry as well; hope it is suffice to garner me the A I so desperately want.

And of course, I see another ray of hope shining through. I really do hope that I will get it this time. Please, do help me. I want to study with Pei Shin. Just please do give me a chance. Just one. I will treasure it well.

Hoping for the best. Maths tomorrow; Biology on Wednesday. God bless. I pray wholeheartedly.

Long time no see

2010-07-08T23:51:00.005+08:00

Yo, the busy life here is strenuous. I'm not going to lie. I'm just another stupid fella who wastes his time playing computer games instead o studying properly.

Anyway I'm just here to tell about my life for the past few days/weeks.

Er, nothing much happened. We had a talk about the rules in this country which was handled by the student council. Then we celebrated Teachers' Day on Wednesday morning. The student council handled the event too; and we had to rehearse the past evening (it ended at midnight). I guess it shouldn't be a surprise if I tell you I've been sleeping for less than 4 hours the past few days. Grrr...

Then we had quizzes every week. I kept screwing my Bio quizzes. Unfortunately, I don't have the technique to answer the effing questions. I suppose dad's right, I have to improve on it. And it means more memorizing.

Erm, the Maths and Chemistry quizzes were not quite strolls in the park, but I managed to obtain low A's since the start of the term. It honestly isn't great, but sufficient, if you know what I mean.

And there's this great distraction I''m facing. One that accelerates my heart when I'm thinking of it. It's so sweet yet saddening. It means I haven't grown up a little since Form 3. I have to master myself, be disciplined. But then....

O.o I haven't said about my English. It's so cool. My teacher likes my essays. I suppose my stint as one of the Editors of LDDS helped me much. Woots~ happy.

Life would be much perfect if I get what I desire.

2010-06-30T01:37:00.001+08:00

清者自清

Nescafe

2010-06-28T16:30:00.003+08:00

England lost; how sad.

While I watch the game live from the giant projector at the canteen surrounded by hundreds of teenagers screaming and shouting whenever Rooney missed a shot or when Klose fired in a goal. Ish, the atmosphere was cool.

Add in a cup of nescafe and everything would be perfect.

Alas, stock habis.

Ish. Sad.

Moral of the story: get a cup of nescafe when you want to watch football. Just for laughs. Sien.

My Condolences

2010-06-23T18:22:00.004+08:00

I suppose this is just Malaysia is it? You show the best to the people that mattered. To the rest however, you treat them as if they're disposable. Yes, I know, there's nobody in this world who is indispensable. But watch where you're going, too much of a 'good' thing wouldn't get you much good dividends.

My friend, you disappoint me. Maybe you wouldn't understand what I'm trying to say. I have no doubt that you would be holding your head really high up and tell stories about how much Sean talk cock. So it's up to you to do whatever you want and don't blame me for whatever that happens.

I'll just fulfil my duties and no more. You reap what you sow? I won't bear a grudge against you, oh no I won't hurt myself that way. It'll just make me lose my neurons for no apparent reason. But I won't give you anything more than what my duty requires me to.

Let's just hope you get to learn from what you've done. My condolences.

I Tell You Why I Have Inadequate Sleep

2010-06-22T17:10:00.005+08:00

A short old man.

A short old man with receding hairline.

A short, cranky old man with receding hairline, who mutters to himself and laughs for no apparent reason.

Klausner inventing the sound machine or Sean under pressure, with inadequate sleep?

The latter, unfortunately.

Look, I'm not complaining the way life's turned out for me. Just get along with life, so many people have told me. Maybe this is the best path God chose for me. It's the best path for my future. Yes indeed, we'll leave it into His hands and hope for the best.

Ironically, there is something really...unbearable here. Before I continue into the topic let me ask you a question: Are you able to sleep if there's somebody shouting with enthusiasm beside your ears for say, 20 minutes?

I'll give you a minute to think about it. Let me just carry on about my day before I launch my tirade.

It's just another boring day here. Started with lectures; almost fell asleep had it not been for the 'steroids' I've been taking in the for the past few weeks. Guys, remember Skittles? Yeah, that was what we took every class. Woke us up without fail.

Same old story in the Bio Lab. Have to pass my report up again on Thursday. Life's always this hectic. Thank God I finished my other works yesterday; tomorrow's 3 quizzes are really irritating though. Ish.

Then I played hockey during my koko lesson. It was great except that I didn't know how to play. I used my soccer intuition on the pitch though but it didn't go that well. Twisted and turned everywhere but my stick just couldn't connect with the ball. Ended up 0-3 losers but hey, we'll play again next week.

Right, back to the question above. I require a minimal amount of 4 hours per day (experiment ended with a success in 2009). I respect all religions and the activities they carry out. However, instead of using the speakers of the surau to recite their prayers, they used the speakers in our blocks, which unfortunately are located just outside my room.

And you try to sleep with the person screaming with zest as though he's just beside you. Look, this is just too much. I don't mind if it was aired in the surau or whatever but us students do need the sleep. Please spare us from this...insanity.

So long; hope I don't go mental in the face of all these madness here. Quizzes tomorrow, good luck Sean!!

6th week in KMNS. Or the 7th? Forgot d lol

2010-06-20T01:15:00.003+08:00

Life's just this tough.

You know, I had homeworks, tutorials, quizzes, Q&A sessions, reports and meetings to attend to. 24 hours is not enough.

Oops sorry. I WILL balance my time well. I stand corrected. 24 hours is just enough.

Remember the article I co-wrote with Jlow in Graffiti '09? What does people do when they have no time to spare? Yes, you're right. These 'machines' sacrifice their sleep.

No wonder I look more and more sick everytime people see me. Hope our weekends can be sparred from doing...stuff we don't enjoy so much. I've survived 3 quizzes over the past week. Screwed Maths and Chemistry (both the last question). And for Bio...

A total failure. Expecting to get punished this Monday for not studying hard enough. I still need time thank you very much. Just...please. Life's just starting to get harder and harder. I suppose I'll just have to suck it all up.

Yes, Jethro, thanks for telling me that.

And so we have to hold our heads up high and screw whatever that's in our way. How about the experiments in the lab? My friend broke a filter funnel. I didn't. Wow. Like, for the first time in history? Fuh, what else?

We (my class) found a new type of steriod in the form of Skittles. *Zhu Yen, Samuel, Elaine, Jason, Anna please see*. So I hope I won't sleep during lectures anymore =)

Oh, Anna, my friends like your teddy bear design. Haha.

And I came home this week. Went to Ash's place briefly. Sad I couldn't taste Nelson's spaghetti but I suppose there's always a next time, right!? So chill and let's hope for it. About my following activity, I'll see when to blog about it XD

Signing off. Till the next time. Not enough sleep ma, need it real much. So long. Hoping for a better week.

2010-06-15T00:19:00.004+08:00

You know, I did two brave decisions on the 4th of June. Which was two Fridays ago.

I mean, people would say, Thank God It's Friday! But no, it was the day when I faced two conundrums, each more headache-yielding than the other one.

I first handed in my decision to change courses.

As you most probably would have known, I was studying Physics previously in this college. Bet Mr. Daniel would've liked it but I yearned for Biology. I mean, duh, I want to be a doctor. Since Hazel said she wanted to be a forensic.

Since I held aloft the prestigious trophy.

Maybe what a lot of people say is true. God gives the best to His sons and daughters. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise. As I said, my only regret is that I can't study with Pei Shin.

So I have to be content here. Next, to make my life more enjoyable, I handed in my form to be a member of the Student Council. Bet Ivan (Looi) would like that. Ish, miss you guys sooooo much!!

That was a really courageous (sorry I perasaan) act cos all the candidates had to campaign, give a speech and do their own posters. Here

Yeah I know, the poster's a tad different from what you would have expected. But i would like to thank a myriad of people who helped out in the creation of the poster, namely Pira, without whose camera I wouldn't have gotten this picture. Erm, Jerry and Joycelynn for the slogan LOL. Mine and Alex's roommates for the creative ideas and, of course, Alex whose photoshop did wonders.

So I do hope this is the path God thinks is the best for me, and we'll see. If we're fated, we'll meet again. Pray so, hope so.

Life

2010-06-13T19:37:00.000+08:00

If I ever look back at the course of my life, I would subsequently look at the many failures I’ve committed. Sometimes I just have to be honest with myself, I’m no great hero who did everything right.

I’m just the sucker who managed to scrape past the hardest tasks set to me by the skin of my teeth. I surrounded myself with people of better caliber, exploited their strengths and benefitted from their kindness.

I rue my attitude.

I suppose, as I did when it last happened in 2008, it is time to submerge myself with work yet again. The only way to escape the hard facts of reality is by embracing it. To relish the torture I’m undergoing.

Now I come to think of it, I realize many of my achievements met epic failures first. It seems that God wants to look at the determination; only the strongest prevail while the weakest get eliminated. How strong am I? Too strong.

If my theory about life is correct, then maybe we will meet again. Let’s hope fate brings us together. We will see in the future, who’s fated and who’s not. Just pray that I get to be a doctor. It’s time to get into the post-heartbreak mode again.

We cherish what we have now. Cherish. Cherish. As change is the only constant in this world.

Regret.

2010-06-12T10:56:00.000+08:00

My only regret is that I can't get to study with her.

Life. And her.

2010-06-06T16:24:00.004+08:00

Sometimes there are things in life you wish you don't have to do. You try to kid yourself you can do whatever you want and you needn't have to obey rules.

Then again, you see it's your duty to follow the laws set by the people above you; You, an insignificant dot in the universe, have no say in the commencement of the laws.

How are you to overwrite something that has been well established for years, decades, even centuries? All you can do is to cherish every moment in life, enjoy the little things other people take for granted and hope fate reunites us all.

Thank You for giving me this chance to see how much I care for her. Thank You for letting me to see her smile, hear her laughter and to talk with her once more. I know I may not be able to see her again or what but yeah, thanks for the memories. It's time to get on with life.

So long, my dear. I love you.

Today Was A Fairytale.

2010-06-04T22:33:00.005+08:00

You ever had the feeling that all you really want is to doze off and not listen to the person in front talking about alpha, beta and gamma?

Hey, don’t be ashamed. Let me tell you a secret, it happened to me too.

Yeah. I mean, during tutorial class when the whole class was actively participating in discussions except for you; during lectures when the teachers are droning on and on especially during midday.

You wonder why you subject yourself to this torture when you actually can do other more, erm, fruitful stuff. Then you get stumped because you can’t find any good answers and proceed to blame yourself. You needn’t be ashamed of yourself for that too.

That’s life.

You fight for a while before you start to lose control.

But when you start to adapt you start to open your eyes and see. And it’s then you start to find ways out for yourself. This post is about my day of fairytale.

Well, I’m proudly announcing to the world that I’ve decided to run a campaign of me for the Jawatankuasa Perwakilan Pelajar in my college. Maybe the college would get screwed up under my leadership but I might as well enjoy my time when I’m there.

Sila mengundi untuk Sean Thum, pelajar yang berkeyakinan boleh membawa pengubahan kepada kolej ini tahun persekolahan ini!! Chang is what we need and change is what we want. And so, change is what we will get!!

Just hoping for me NOT to be a laughing stock. Will be working hard for the post ^^

Anyway, as you might have guessed, that’s not the only reason I’m so happy today. Hey, the support I received from my classmates were superb! They were excellently supportive when I submitted my form. Hope all goes well for me.

Finally, there’s another Chinese in my class. Imagine how shock I was when she came to the lab on Thursday. Of course, she being a girl, I was teased pretty much by my classmates. ‘Sean patutnya gembiralah!’

Well yeah, I wasn’t sad when she came along. I mean, my lecture class had only 3Chinese boys and 2 Chinese girls and I didn’t really talk much to them. So there actually was a really good feeling when I saw her assembling together with my class.

Today, I got to go to an extra class for Physics. That was excellent. The second intake students as well as those who got to change courses from Life-Science to Physical-Science were there (Alex was there as well). I got to spend two hours enriching my knowledge in Physics. Great.

After the class, Alex, Pik Yang and I took a bus to Kuala Pilah and another to Seremban before taking a commuter to KL. Then we took LRT to Kelana Jaya to an officer’s place for the night.

As tomorrow’s the 52^nd National Level First Aid and Home Nursing Competition, the three of us would like to wish the participants the best of luck; and see ya tomorrow! LOL.

Oops, forgot to tell we went to a huge hawker centre for food and God, it was extremely heaven-like! Penang food with the likes of Char Kuey Tiao and Chee Cheong Fun, Claypot Chicken Rice, Fried Oyster, Satay……HEAVEN