Welcome back to college, people.
Guess what?
The pair of shoes that I left in the common room was gone!
What a pleasant surprise.
What a great way to start my day.
Haih.
Random Thoughts on a Saturday Afternoon
When you've spent hours browsing through your friends' albums on Facebook, you know there's something wrong with you.
Siapa kata orang Malaysia tidak gemar membaca?
Cuba lihat di bahagian majalah-majalah di MPH - kebanyakan mereka di situ!
Membelek naskhah-naskhah di antara rak-rak, kemudian meletakkannya kembali sesudah membaca.
Mudah lagi percuma. Bernas bukan?
Sometimes when I come across simple questions like "What is your favourite food?", "What is your life motto/principle of life?" or "Pengalaman yang tidak dapat anda lupakan", I get tounge-tied. I really don't know what to answer. Can a simple "ntah" be accepted? Sigh.
Maybe I should prepare a set of answers, you know, for future references.
Are you obsessed with death?
I don't know if it's an obsession, but lately I've been imagining myself meeting the Grim Reaper whenever I do things, like crossing the road, holding a pen, or even reading a book. Scary, I know. No, it's a suicidal kind of thing, but more of accidental type.
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When you've spent hours browsing through your friends' albums on Facebook, you know there's something wrong with you.
Siapa kata orang Malaysia tidak gemar membaca?
Cuba lihat di bahagian majalah-majalah di MPH - kebanyakan mereka di situ!
Membelek naskhah-naskhah di antara rak-rak, kemudian meletakkannya kembali sesudah membaca.
Mudah lagi percuma. Bernas bukan?
Sometimes when I come across simple questions like "What is your favourite food?", "What is your life motto/principle of life?" or "Pengalaman yang tidak dapat anda lupakan", I get tounge-tied. I really don't know what to answer. Can a simple "ntah" be accepted? Sigh.
Maybe I should prepare a set of answers, you know, for future references.
Are you obsessed with death?
I don't know if it's an obsession, but lately I've been imagining myself meeting the Grim Reaper whenever I do things, like crossing the road, holding a pen, or even reading a book. Scary, I know. No, it's a suicidal kind of thing, but more of accidental type.
The Little Things
A great friend of mine sent me a poem last Tuesday.
It is of her own writing.
"The Little Things", the title read.
I was planning to post it here, but after giving it a thought,
I decided not to. It was meant for me, after all.
Plus, it'll be more special that way.
It is a simple poem.
No heavy applications of
paraphrasing,
anaphora,
repetition,
or enumeration.
Just words to convey the messages,
and clearly they were projected before me.
It struck me.
Sometimes we are too busy doing things we do,
too occupied with tasks and jobs
that we tend not to notice
the little things that have actually
done wonders to our life
and making it more meaningful to live in.
We are too enraptured
in chasing dreams
and fulfilling needs
to notice the details in the fabric.
Because sometimes
little things give us away.
Thanks for making me realise:)
Last Monday Night
So Monday was awesome. Six of us - Nea, Ei-Jean, Aainaa, Faris, Shahir, and me went for berbuka puasa at KGSAAS. Yes, Shah Alam, I know. What a great location to have an outing with friends. The food was nice, although I must admit that some of us were expecting more. Don't get me wrong, we were actually very grateful that someone was kind enough to foot the bill for us. So thanks a lot, we really appreciated it (you know who you are=). After berbuka, Shahir suggested an activity -firecrackers and bunga api. So off we went to a lake nearby the PKNS building to relive our childhood memories, well at least in my case. Personally, I'm not a big fan of firecrackers and bunga api, partly because of the fear that I may not sleep at night in one piece anymore, and partly because of this one story in which I was very much involved in.
That's why I don't fancy them that much. Anyways, it was really fun hanging out by the lake. Thanks Aainaa for saving the day by bringing the camera along:)But um, I must point out that it didn't really feel like Ramadhan when we went out that night:P
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So Monday was awesome. Six of us - Nea, Ei-Jean, Aainaa, Faris, Shahir, and me went for berbuka puasa at KGSAAS. Yes, Shah Alam, I know. What a great location to have an outing with friends. The food was nice, although I must admit that some of us were expecting more. Don't get me wrong, we were actually very grateful that someone was kind enough to foot the bill for us. So thanks a lot, we really appreciated it (you know who you are=). After berbuka, Shahir suggested an activity -firecrackers and bunga api. So off we went to a lake nearby the PKNS building to relive our childhood memories, well at least in my case. Personally, I'm not a big fan of firecrackers and bunga api, partly because of the fear that I may not sleep at night in one piece anymore, and partly because of this one story in which I was very much involved in.
It happened when I was in Form 1. Well, if you're wondering, this story has nothing to do with me getting involved in an accident where I lose three of my fingers in an explosion caused by home-made firecrackers or anything of the sort. Now let's keep this simple. It was the 2nd day of Raya and I was in my grandmother's house in Ipoh. We stayed there for a couple of days. My cousins and I had a great time doing things relatives normally do everytime they meet during festive seasons. It was just great. So one afternoon, one of my cousins asked me out to get some supplies of firecrackers at a stall nearby. I agreed, and we both went there together. He must have collected a lot of duit raya beforehand, because that afternoon he was shopping like mad. I didn't say anything that moment- as long as it's his treat, I'm game. Plus, it's not that I will ever buy them using my own money anyway. It's like burning your own money.
Later that night, after the family barbeque, we burnt every single firecracker we bought at the stall. Took us hours to finish the whole pile. I just tagged along. After all, it was his money, remember? I thought I had the last laugh.
So the following day, when my family was busy packing and preparing our stuff before we headed back to Kemaman, I noticed something amiss. My duit raya was gone. The whole bunch of it. Little did I know that it was my cousin who took it while I wasn't paying attention that afternoon, using them to buy firecrackers for us to enjoy that night. Let's just skip the part where I found out that he was the one who did it. Trust me, I had no idea he would do such a thing. I thought that I must've misplaced it somewhere and the thought of the money being stolen by my own cousin never crossed my mind. Sounds like betrayal to me. Well, in the end, he confessed to one of my aunties of his crime. I was indeed betrayed.
I still had the last laugh, but I figured it was not that funny anymore.
That's just sad, ain't it? But it was ages ago, and we're now in good terms. I guess.
That's why I don't fancy them that much. Anyways, it was really fun hanging out by the lake. Thanks Aainaa for saving the day by bringing the camera along:)But um, I must point out that it didn't really feel like Ramadhan when we went out that night:P
Wall Street Is Burning, But These Fat Cats Will Be Just Fine
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Martin Sullivan (AIG)
Former AIG CEO Martin Sullivan netted more than $14 million last year, including a $1 million salary, $3.6 million bonus, $921,876 in stock awards and $2.4 million in option awards. As generous as this sounds, it was actually a bad year for Sullivan, who earned more than $21 million in 2006. But don't worry too much about Sullivan, whowas replaced by Robert Willumstad in June 2008. A new executive severance plan announced in March keeps Sullivan covered with salary and bonuses for 30 months after termination. AIG's 2007 fiscal year ended on December 31.
James Cayne (Bear Stearns)
Bear Stearns' former CEO James Cayne raked in $38.3 million in 2007, including a $250,000 salary, $17 million bonus, $14.8 million in stock awards and $6.2 million in "other compensation." Cayne was outsed as CEO in January 2008, when Alan Schwarz, formerly the president, took over. Schwartz sold the company to JPMorgan Chase in March, after it became clear that the investment bank couldn't survive the ongoing mortgage crisis.
Kenneth Lewis (Bank of America)
CEO Kenneth Lewis, who earned more than $24 million last year. Lewis led Bank of America to buy Merrill Lynch this week after acquiring Countrywide Financial in January. Last year, Lewis earned $1.5 million in salary, $11 million in stock awards, $4.5 million in options and $4.3 million in non-equity incentive plan compensation. His pension earned another $3.2 million, and he got more than $200,000 in other compensation. Meanwhile, industry analysts anticipate thousands of layoffs stemming from the recent Bank of America acquisitions.
Daniel Mudd (Fannie Mae)
Former Fannie Mae CEO Daniel Mudd garnered $11.6 million in total compensation in 2007. He started with a salary of $986,923 and saw a big increase with stock awards of $6.8 million. Mudd also earned $576,492 in option awards, $2.2 million in non-equity incentive plan compensation, and $863,749 due to changes in pension value and nonqualified deferred compensation earnings. Earlier this month, the Federal Housing Finance Agency named Herbert Allison the new CEO of Fannie Mae as part of the government's takeover of it and fellow mortgage financing agency Freddie Mac.
An article I read in the internet which I found very interesting. Thought I should share it with you. It's amazing how much financial CEOs got paid to ruin their companies.
Read more about the article here.
20 Missed Sahurs
BREAKING NEWS: My 20-day streak of missing my sahur since 1st of Ramadhan ended today when mum did wonders in successfully waking me up. A historical occasion it was. Let's hope that this will last to the end. Just 10 more days baby.
I went out with Mira today. Said she wanted a shopping partner.
Well frankly, I just wanted to see her.
It was fun following her around the mall from one outlet to another - occasionally offering my humble opinions when needed - although I must admit they weren't as helpful as I would've liked them to be. I blame my fashion education for that. Then, after hours of walking around the place, your tummy starts making funny sounds. Here comes the overture! Behold..."The Perutchestra". A beautiful serenade to remind you of the fact that you have run out of energy.
I almost went for a jog around the neighbourhood with a cross country champion after I got back from One Utama in the evening. Almost, because it seemed that she had bigger a commitment to the family. Takpe, family first right? Jogging can wait. So maybe tomorrow then.
Remember the video that I mentioned in my earlier posts? Well, here it is.
(This is a request from Wiri)
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BREAKING NEWS: My 20-day streak of missing my sahur since 1st of Ramadhan ended today when mum did wonders in successfully waking me up. A historical occasion it was. Let's hope that this will last to the end. Just 10 more days baby.
I went out with Mira today. Said she wanted a shopping partner.
Well frankly, I just wanted to see her.
It was fun following her around the mall from one outlet to another - occasionally offering my humble opinions when needed - although I must admit they weren't as helpful as I would've liked them to be. I blame my fashion education for that. Then, after hours of walking around the place, your tummy starts making funny sounds. Here comes the overture! Behold..."The Perutchestra". A beautiful serenade to remind you of the fact that you have run out of energy.
I almost went for a jog around the neighbourhood with a cross country champion after I got back from One Utama in the evening. Almost, because it seemed that she had bigger a commitment to the family. Takpe, family first right? Jogging can wait. So maybe tomorrow then.
Remember the video that I mentioned in my earlier posts? Well, here it is.
(This is a request from Wiri)
And So It Ended
So Hamlet was murdered yesterday. Hooray. I mean, finally the play is over. No more practices, no more stage managing, no more "not studying" at night. I'm not interested in describing the event last night in great detail, but overall I felt great because finally the burden was lifted off our shoulders. There was a slight change in the initial plan, as some of us would probably notice last night which concerned me and Faris, making it a kind of a big deal to us. Dressed in peasants' costumes (which were actually girls' tops with a little modification to create the "peasantly" look) as well as heavy make-ups applied on our faces (which apparently did not create the illusion of paleness, but rather the drag-queen look), I bet Athirah (the make-up artist) really enjoyed every second of it. Haha. Even Nonel and Ainaa took the opportunity to voice out their "opinions" regarding our looks. Thanks for the feedback folks. Really appreciated it. I don't quite know what the audience thought of the play as whole, but what I do know is that everybody had played their part quite well. So bagus ar.
I forgot to mention this in my previous post, but I think it's still not too late for me to congratulate our debating team for their efforts during the interhouse debating competition which ended last Tuesday. The final round was quite disappointing though, seeing such a promising team of able debaters only managed to settle in the 2nd place after three straight wins in the earlier rounds. Great efforts nevertheless. Congratulations.
In a few hours time, we'll be going home for Hari Raya holidays. Yippie.
So Happy Holidays people:)
Read more
So Hamlet was murdered yesterday. Hooray. I mean, finally the play is over. No more practices, no more stage managing, no more "not studying" at night. I'm not interested in describing the event last night in great detail, but overall I felt great because finally the burden was lifted off our shoulders. There was a slight change in the initial plan, as some of us would probably notice last night which concerned me and Faris, making it a kind of a big deal to us. Dressed in peasants' costumes (which were actually girls' tops with a little modification to create the "peasantly" look) as well as heavy make-ups applied on our faces (which apparently did not create the illusion of paleness, but rather the drag-queen look), I bet Athirah (the make-up artist) really enjoyed every second of it. Haha. Even Nonel and Ainaa took the opportunity to voice out their "opinions" regarding our looks. Thanks for the feedback folks. Really appreciated it. I don't quite know what the audience thought of the play as whole, but what I do know is that everybody had played their part quite well. So bagus ar.
I forgot to mention this in my previous post, but I think it's still not too late for me to congratulate our debating team for their efforts during the interhouse debating competition which ended last Tuesday. The final round was quite disappointing though, seeing such a promising team of able debaters only managed to settle in the 2nd place after three straight wins in the earlier rounds. Great efforts nevertheless. Congratulations.
In a few hours time, we'll be going home for Hari Raya holidays. Yippie.
So Happy Holidays people:)
Tuesday, 16 September
A fellow blogger who does not wish her site to be found, Lili, shared her thoughts about my blog yesterday. She said that it's a cool blog, but sometimes it's scarce on materials. Haha. I know. I've not been inspired lately. Nothing that interesting to write about. I don't do gossips, if that is what you're suggesting.
Just so you know, I'm currently involved in a drama production. Yep, the one entitled Hamlet which will be held this Thursday at 9pm. I don't even know how I ended up in the team to begin with. Obviously I did not volunteer nor attend the audition. I wasn't that excited and overjoyed, instead it was quite the opposite - I kinda hated the fact that I'm actually in it.
Owh, let me make myself clear - I'm not acting, although I must admit that the last time I played a role on stage was during the Shakespearean Night back when I was in Form 4 (menang Best Actor kot. haha. maybe xde org lain yg lagi eligible to accept the award). Anyways...no, I'm not acting. I'm just the stage managers alongside Faris and Nonel. So in the beginning, when we attended the first few practices, it was...lemme just put it this way - not quite a good first impression? We regretted the fact that we're in the production even more. At least, when the play is on this Thursday evening, me and Faris will be backstage, covering our faces and denying our affiliation with the drama.
But soon I realised that we're all there for a reason and that we have responsibilities to carry. We didn't do much really. Lepak2. Borak2. In fact, it's Mr Hanson who has been doing most of the stuff with the props and all. So tu la, it's not that nice of you to to be a free rider when other people are doing their jobs, don't you think?
So we began doing our parts in the play.
Preparing the props before the start ofevery rehearsal.
Kemas2 the props after the end of every rehearsal.
Tolong sket2 here and there.
I still don't enjoy it though.
But a stage manager's gotta do what he's gotta do.
Right?
Read more
A fellow blogger who does not wish her site to be found, Lili, shared her thoughts about my blog yesterday. She said that it's a cool blog, but sometimes it's scarce on materials. Haha. I know. I've not been inspired lately. Nothing that interesting to write about. I don't do gossips, if that is what you're suggesting.
Just so you know, I'm currently involved in a drama production. Yep, the one entitled Hamlet which will be held this Thursday at 9pm. I don't even know how I ended up in the team to begin with. Obviously I did not volunteer nor attend the audition. I wasn't that excited and overjoyed, instead it was quite the opposite - I kinda hated the fact that I'm actually in it.
Owh, let me make myself clear - I'm not acting, although I must admit that the last time I played a role on stage was during the Shakespearean Night back when I was in Form 4 (menang Best Actor kot. haha. maybe xde org lain yg lagi eligible to accept the award). Anyways...no, I'm not acting. I'm just the stage managers alongside Faris and Nonel. So in the beginning, when we attended the first few practices, it was...lemme just put it this way - not quite a good first impression? We regretted the fact that we're in the production even more. At least, when the play is on this Thursday evening, me and Faris will be backstage, covering our faces and denying our affiliation with the drama.
But soon I realised that we're all there for a reason and that we have responsibilities to carry. We didn't do much really. Lepak2. Borak2. In fact, it's Mr Hanson who has been doing most of the stuff with the props and all. So tu la, it's not that nice of you to to be a free rider when other people are doing their jobs, don't you think?
So we began doing our parts in the play.
Preparing the props before the start ofevery rehearsal.
Kemas2 the props after the end of every rehearsal.
Tolong sket2 here and there.
I still don't enjoy it though.
But a stage manager's gotta do what he's gotta do.
Right?
The Bigger Let Down
Hey all.
I went back home last Saturday with the sole intention to let off steam, after two weeks of question papers and whatnot. Economics paper 1 was my last actually, and I was exam-free for three days before that. I wasn't really under pressure I guess. Anyways, let off steam I did, by relaxing at my favourite spot in the house - in front of the television, laying comfortably on the floor after berbuka with my family for the first time this Ramadhan. And if you need me to clarify myself, yes I had performed my Maghrib prayer first before that. It had been a while since I last watched a football match at the comfort of my own home, so the match between Manchester United and Liverpool that night was something delightful to look forward to. I was, however, devastated by the result. What a let down. Normally you wouldn't expect them to play like they did that night. And thanks Brown for the contribution. At least O'Shea won't feel embarassed with himself anymore. Don't worry, I'm still a fan though.
On Sunday I was already bored to death. So I spent the whole afternoon watching the latest season of Gossip Girl. Aainaa was right. The script for the latest series is indeed shorter than the previous one, partly because this time around there are more making-out scenes than actual conversations taking place. Perhaps the actual plot lies in the "oohs" and "ahhs" rather than the usual dialogues. On my way back to college, our car was stopped by a guard and a small crowd by the roadside just outside the college area, not far from the guard post. Apparently a lady fell off her motorcycle in the dark. She didn't look so good I must say, nasib baik the guards had already called an ambulance. Then it struck me. Last year one of the top dogs in UEM Group bragged to the audience in his speech during the 10th Anniversary of KYUEM about how they had spent millions of ringgit to upgrade the college's infrastructures. Yeah right, many of the upgrades pun actually were on landscaping and unnecessary stuff. I mean, they even planted trees along the road to the college so that it would look more...inviting. What about lamp posts for safety purposes? Why were they not in the list as well? I bet many parents and visitors had complained about this before (and even SC had asked the management to consider the option), but so far, nothing is being done. I'm not being ungrateful here. I really appreciate the fact that our college now looks more elegant (if that's the right word), but you know. Dah la our college is located in the middle of nowhere, gelap pulak tu at night. Unless the lamp posts are set up to shed some light on us the poor souls of Lembah Beringin, in the dark night we dwell. Hoho.
And today I faced the music. The moment of truth. Many of us got our testpapers back today. And darn, my Economics result was so heartbreaking. It still is actually. Discussing the questions in class was a bitter experience, especially when you're the odd one out with such marks - at least that's what I thought, until a good friend of mine offered her words of advice. Nothing extraordinary in her words actually, nothing new. In fact, it is the same thing that I've been telling myself over and over again. But it's amazing how another person who tells you the exact same thing could actually convey it differently - and making it sound more interesting, more comforting and more memorable. And hence, I would not weep silently under the blanket nor putting on a long face all day long to commemorate the bad results. Lagipun, I know exactly why I didn't do so well this time. Complacency, my friend, is the keyword. My terrible mark for Econs Paper 1 was a clear reminder for me to not just feeling comfortable as if you're all set and ready to roll. The truth is, Encik Alif, you are still not! That's why you were caught underprepared in the exam hall that Saturday. But whatever. What's done is done right? At times like these, I totally understand that many of us would be so hard on ourselves. Go ahead, blame yourselves for not doing your utmost best, or cry if you must. But after that, please acknowledge the fact that it's now time to start anew.
(P/S: Jangan la sedey sangat Fatin, wokeyh?)
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Hey all.
I went back home last Saturday with the sole intention to let off steam, after two weeks of question papers and whatnot. Economics paper 1 was my last actually, and I was exam-free for three days before that. I wasn't really under pressure I guess. Anyways, let off steam I did, by relaxing at my favourite spot in the house - in front of the television, laying comfortably on the floor after berbuka with my family for the first time this Ramadhan. And if you need me to clarify myself, yes I had performed my Maghrib prayer first before that. It had been a while since I last watched a football match at the comfort of my own home, so the match between Manchester United and Liverpool that night was something delightful to look forward to. I was, however, devastated by the result. What a let down. Normally you wouldn't expect them to play like they did that night. And thanks Brown for the contribution. At least O'Shea won't feel embarassed with himself anymore. Don't worry, I'm still a fan though.
On Sunday I was already bored to death. So I spent the whole afternoon watching the latest season of Gossip Girl. Aainaa was right. The script for the latest series is indeed shorter than the previous one, partly because this time around there are more making-out scenes than actual conversations taking place. Perhaps the actual plot lies in the "oohs" and "ahhs" rather than the usual dialogues. On my way back to college, our car was stopped by a guard and a small crowd by the roadside just outside the college area, not far from the guard post. Apparently a lady fell off her motorcycle in the dark. She didn't look so good I must say, nasib baik the guards had already called an ambulance. Then it struck me. Last year one of the top dogs in UEM Group bragged to the audience in his speech during the 10th Anniversary of KYUEM about how they had spent millions of ringgit to upgrade the college's infrastructures. Yeah right, many of the upgrades pun actually were on landscaping and unnecessary stuff. I mean, they even planted trees along the road to the college so that it would look more...inviting. What about lamp posts for safety purposes? Why were they not in the list as well? I bet many parents and visitors had complained about this before (and even SC had asked the management to consider the option), but so far, nothing is being done. I'm not being ungrateful here. I really appreciate the fact that our college now looks more elegant (if that's the right word), but you know. Dah la our college is located in the middle of nowhere, gelap pulak tu at night. Unless the lamp posts are set up to shed some light on us the poor souls of Lembah Beringin, in the dark night we dwell. Hoho.
And today I faced the music. The moment of truth. Many of us got our testpapers back today. And darn, my Economics result was so heartbreaking. It still is actually. Discussing the questions in class was a bitter experience, especially when you're the odd one out with such marks - at least that's what I thought, until a good friend of mine offered her words of advice. Nothing extraordinary in her words actually, nothing new. In fact, it is the same thing that I've been telling myself over and over again. But it's amazing how another person who tells you the exact same thing could actually convey it differently - and making it sound more interesting, more comforting and more memorable. And hence, I would not weep silently under the blanket nor putting on a long face all day long to commemorate the bad results. Lagipun, I know exactly why I didn't do so well this time. Complacency, my friend, is the keyword. My terrible mark for Econs Paper 1 was a clear reminder for me to not just feeling comfortable as if you're all set and ready to roll. The truth is, Encik Alif, you are still not! That's why you were caught underprepared in the exam hall that Saturday. But whatever. What's done is done right? At times like these, I totally understand that many of us would be so hard on ourselves. Go ahead, blame yourselves for not doing your utmost best, or cry if you must. But after that, please acknowledge the fact that it's now time to start anew.
(P/S: Jangan la sedey sangat Fatin, wokeyh?)
The Big Let Down
I have never been a big fan of politics.
I don't know why.
Maybe it's because we're not meant for each other.
However, for the past two weeks, I began paying attention to the current issues.
The American Election never lacks interesting stories to tell.
Obama's speeches are always inspirational.
I think Biden will make a good VP...
...and it seems that McCain is no maverick after all.
Apparently, Samak is not in the mood to resign yet, despite facing mounting pressure from the people.
I appreciate the perseverance, but dude, don't you think it's time?
And Malaysia, negara tumpahnya darahku.
An interesting (depending on how you look at it) time we're having now.
Sigh.
Our local political scene made me realise exactly why I had no interest in politics in the first place.
It's disappointing.
Read more
I have never been a big fan of politics.
I don't know why.
Maybe it's because we're not meant for each other.
However, for the past two weeks, I began paying attention to the current issues.
The American Election never lacks interesting stories to tell.
Obama's speeches are always inspirational.
I think Biden will make a good VP...
...and it seems that McCain is no maverick after all.
Apparently, Samak is not in the mood to resign yet, despite facing mounting pressure from the people.
I appreciate the perseverance, but dude, don't you think it's time?
And Malaysia, negara tumpahnya darahku.
An interesting (depending on how you look at it) time we're having now.
Sigh.
Our local political scene made me realise exactly why I had no interest in politics in the first place.
It's disappointing.
Another Incessant Rambling
The trials will start tomorrow!
Mr Mahadzir gave us a set of S1 questions in class just now.
How did I fare, you ask?
Badly.
I didn't have class the whole day except for block 1 and 2.
What have I been up to during the free periods then?
Um, you think?
We did a timed essay in History class on whatever topic we feel like doing.
I did an essay about imperialism which I've prepared beforehand. Well, a bit ar. But still.
Did I manage to finish the essay in time this time around?
Unfortunately, no. Urgh.
Mr Conquest liberated us from the three periods of Economics this afternoon.
He really hoped that we did our own revision during the free lessons.
I, on the other hand, was stuck in front of the computer, writing this post.
Realisation had hit me. But it's just not hard enough.
That's why I am still here, committed to the computer.
I will start something. Soon.
Three Missed Sahur(s)
Hello. Today is the third day of Ramadhan, which also marks my third day of fasting without sahur. Somebody has to wake up earlier soon. Asyik bangun mase subuh je. An intense game of squash yesterday had taken its toll on me last night. I was pretty drained out after terawih wo.
I figured that I can be easily distracted by random stuff revolving around me, especially throughout the period of this week when the priority is to finish my revision. It seems that up until today, it's still nowhere completion. I'm juggling between my Econs notes, Afif's Rubik's cube, this addictive application on Facebook called Bowling Buddies, the novel We Need to Talk About Kevin which I borrowed from Aainaa, and the follow-up to Sarah Palin's controversial story. All at the same time.
I only have Block 1 and 2 for today. Yippie.
Selamat berpuasa everyone.
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Hello. Today is the third day of Ramadhan, which also marks my third day of fasting without sahur. Somebody has to wake up earlier soon. Asyik bangun mase subuh je. An intense game of squash yesterday had taken its toll on me last night. I was pretty drained out after terawih wo.
I figured that I can be easily distracted by random stuff revolving around me, especially throughout the period of this week when the priority is to finish my revision. It seems that up until today, it's still nowhere completion. I'm juggling between my Econs notes, Afif's Rubik's cube, this addictive application on Facebook called Bowling Buddies, the novel We Need to Talk About Kevin which I borrowed from Aainaa, and the follow-up to Sarah Palin's controversial story. All at the same time.
I only have Block 1 and 2 for today. Yippie.
Selamat berpuasa everyone.
Panic No More. I guess.
Last week was pretty awesome to me I guess. Besides having a hell lot of fun playing paintball with Topan & Co and watching a jazz performance with Aainaa and a few others, I managed to get my Malaysian and Islamic Studies coursework done. That's quite an achievement right? Especially for a boy who rarely gets anything done during the holidays because he is a strong advocate of the stance "Holidays and homework can never co-exist. NEVER." Hoho. Anyways, I was in a panic trying to complete my UCAS form during the last two days of my holidays. Gile ar. I've sent it yesterday in such a hurry, only to realise that we still have the rest of the week to make any amendments to our personal statement and the application form. Phew and sigh. It was done in such a hurry, so memang it won't be that awesome la. I've sent mine for revision to a few teachers and hopefully it's not the worst personal statement that they've ever read so far. Most probably it will require major corrections and all, but that's okay.
I'm beginning to feel a little peaceful and organised these two days, which is great, compared to the last few weeks before the holidays started. My schedule was a wreck. My life was a mess. (Chey sj je, it kinda rhymes). Now that I have more time for myself, I'm finally able to catch up on my revision. The trials will commence in two weeks time.
I think I'm happy.
IAW 2008: The Symphony of Unity
Last Friday marked the end of IAW 2008: The Symphony of Unity. Garnet did not emerge as The Most Islamic House that night, but we did come close that. For IPN, both male and female category, we secured the 2nd placing. I have no comments on that as the judges may have their own reasons based on what they saw. We got the 1st prize for the comic competition, thanks to Faris Bangbil & Co. However, luck (as well as the judges) were not on our side with regards to the video presentation. And so we endured another blow. I don't know what else to say. Like I said, some people just don't get it, but that's okay. I guess. Sigh.
Owh, happy holidays everyone!
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Last Friday marked the end of IAW 2008: The Symphony of Unity. Garnet did not emerge as The Most Islamic House that night, but we did come close that. For IPN, both male and female category, we secured the 2nd placing. I have no comments on that as the judges may have their own reasons based on what they saw. We got the 1st prize for the comic competition, thanks to Faris Bangbil & Co. However, luck (as well as the judges) were not on our side with regards to the video presentation. And so we endured another blow. I don't know what else to say. Like I said, some people just don't get it, but that's okay. I guess. Sigh.
Owh, happy holidays everyone!
UEM Live! 2008: The Finale
No Solution!
Yaya, concentrating on the keyboard.
Luqman and Nea
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No Solution!
Yaya, concentrating on the keyboard.
Luqman and Nea
Watching ourselves on the big screen. Our moment of fame.
Last Wednesday, the organiser called Nea informing about our luck with the competition. We didn't manage to get to the final stage, but...we were invited to perform as the opening act. Hm, I guess we weren't really excited nor too sad that we didn't get to the finale, perhaps it was a mixture of both. So after giving it a thought, we decided to perform.
It was quite a grand event, I must say. Personally, I was freaked out because we really2 didn't have enough practice! Dah la I was having a severe sore throat. That night, we performed three songs...straight. I don't know about the crowd, but we were satisfied, although we could've done way better if we were given more time to prepare. Takpe la, it was a great experience nonetheless.
And thanks to Sha, Adli and Bob for showing their support:)
It was quite a grand event, I must say. Personally, I was freaked out because we really2 didn't have enough practice! Dah la I was having a severe sore throat. That night, we performed three songs...straight. I don't know about the crowd, but we were satisfied, although we could've done way better if we were given more time to prepare. Takpe la, it was a great experience nonetheless.
And thanks to Sha, Adli and Bob for showing their support:)
Erk. I think I caught a flu. This is bad.
Declare this an emergency!
Owh, finally Tiger and I managed to finish the video for IAW. I guess we'll hand it in later.
I know that we have been receiving mixed responses regarding our works. Some are full of praises saying that we dare to be different and creative and all, while others may be a bit sceptical with our direction. Some even took it to an extreme, claiming that we don't deserve to use the name Garnet House in our videos (Minggu Citra Budaya was a good example). Don't get me wrong, I do admit that some of these claims are indeed valid. Yes, we do admit that most of our videos did not involve the participation of Garnet girls. Yes, most of the times we did not consult others for brainstorming and ideas. Our bad, we admit. We promise to rectify these mistakes in the future.
However, to say that our MCB video is crappy and laughable is something that we cannot accept.
"Yes, we appreciate the effort, but I don't think people are gonna watch it."
That was one comment I received which I can never forget. It's not just a video about a box wandering around the college ground you know! There are subtle messages that we wish to convey through the video. Some people who truly understood the video find it very entertaining (ade je yg suke the video because the box is kinda cute), but what about those who don't get the idea? If there's one thing that we can see in KYUEM audience, it has to be their inclination to cheap laughs in videos. I'm sorry, but some of you must have the same view as me. I mean, it is absolutely fine to make videos which are comedic and funny, but please make it intelligent! I really don't mind if you include all the hottest guys and girls in college in the video so that it'll be more appealing to the viewers, tp don't la make it an embarassment. Erk.
One thing that I've learnt from the experiences we have in making videos is that we make videos to educate, not just to win the first prize. Hm..(words of a loser huh?:P)
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Declare this an emergency!
Owh, finally Tiger and I managed to finish the video for IAW. I guess we'll hand it in later.
I know that we have been receiving mixed responses regarding our works. Some are full of praises saying that we dare to be different and creative and all, while others may be a bit sceptical with our direction. Some even took it to an extreme, claiming that we don't deserve to use the name Garnet House in our videos (Minggu Citra Budaya was a good example). Don't get me wrong, I do admit that some of these claims are indeed valid. Yes, we do admit that most of our videos did not involve the participation of Garnet girls. Yes, most of the times we did not consult others for brainstorming and ideas. Our bad, we admit. We promise to rectify these mistakes in the future.
However, to say that our MCB video is crappy and laughable is something that we cannot accept.
"Yes, we appreciate the effort, but I don't think people are gonna watch it."
That was one comment I received which I can never forget. It's not just a video about a box wandering around the college ground you know! There are subtle messages that we wish to convey through the video. Some people who truly understood the video find it very entertaining (ade je yg suke the video because the box is kinda cute), but what about those who don't get the idea? If there's one thing that we can see in KYUEM audience, it has to be their inclination to cheap laughs in videos. I'm sorry, but some of you must have the same view as me. I mean, it is absolutely fine to make videos which are comedic and funny, but please make it intelligent! I really don't mind if you include all the hottest guys and girls in college in the video so that it'll be more appealing to the viewers, tp don't la make it an embarassment. Erk.
One thing that I've learnt from the experiences we have in making videos is that we make videos to educate, not just to win the first prize. Hm..(words of a loser huh?:P)
An Afternoon With No Solution
The other day, a band from Splugg, the organising committee of UEM Live! 2008 Battle of the Bands Competition came over to KYUEM to promote the event by having a showcase in the dining hall during lunch time. How strategic, I thought. Some were actually enjoying the performance, while others thought it was ruining their lunch. We were already informed about the performance beforehand through the posters advertising the event which were placed on college walls and notice boards. We didn't know that the event was even open to the students as well (because in the poster it stated that the competition is open to all UEM staff members) until the frontman of the band told us so. After giving it a thought (approximately a few days later, and a few days before the the application is closed), we decided - yeah, why not?
It was really a relief when we finally made it to the entrance of the UEM Academy that Saturday afternoon practically because of many reasons. Among the reasons include:
-Ihsan couldn't make it! He had to join the Duke of Edinburgh expedition to Kerling that Saturday when we were supposed to perform. Ihsan, as the lead guitarist, plays an integral part in the band. We had no idea what would happen to the band without him. However, being optimistic, Nea tried her best to find a replacement. After Jeshua and Dominique rejected the offer, finally our talent scout spotted Luqman and quickly made him a new member of the band.
-We had difficulties in choosing the right song to perform! On Wednesday afternoon, Nea and I discussed all about it and after getting the confirmation from other members, we decided to perform "Don't Look Back In Anger" by Oasis on the basis that we had performed the song once during Cafe Night Out last semester, so it shouldn't be as difficult in preparing ourselves for the big day.
-We had very limited time! With the busy schedule holding us KYUEM students in the chokehold, we could hardly find time to practice at all. In fact, the real practice session we managed to have was on Friday, the day before the event took place. Even that was not enough.
Anyways, that Saturday, we were the last band to perform. Hence, we got the chance to watch the performances by other bands as well. They were pretty tight I must say, although the choice of songs really reflected the maturity level of the contestants. Haha. From Footloose to Rock Kapak to Guns N' Roses, I believed that it was our job to return the audience back to the present world after a trip down the memory lane. And so we performed.
We did our best, that's for sure, I hope the judges would agree with us as well. We're keeping our fingers crossed until the announcement of the results this Wednesday. Erk. Cuak gak ar.
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The other day, a band from Splugg, the organising committee of UEM Live! 2008 Battle of the Bands Competition came over to KYUEM to promote the event by having a showcase in the dining hall during lunch time. How strategic, I thought. Some were actually enjoying the performance, while others thought it was ruining their lunch. We were already informed about the performance beforehand through the posters advertising the event which were placed on college walls and notice boards. We didn't know that the event was even open to the students as well (because in the poster it stated that the competition is open to all UEM staff members) until the frontman of the band told us so. After giving it a thought (approximately a few days later, and a few days before the the application is closed), we decided - yeah, why not?
It was really a relief when we finally made it to the entrance of the UEM Academy that Saturday afternoon practically because of many reasons. Among the reasons include:
-Ihsan couldn't make it! He had to join the Duke of Edinburgh expedition to Kerling that Saturday when we were supposed to perform. Ihsan, as the lead guitarist, plays an integral part in the band. We had no idea what would happen to the band without him. However, being optimistic, Nea tried her best to find a replacement. After Jeshua and Dominique rejected the offer, finally our talent scout spotted Luqman and quickly made him a new member of the band.
-We had difficulties in choosing the right song to perform! On Wednesday afternoon, Nea and I discussed all about it and after getting the confirmation from other members, we decided to perform "Don't Look Back In Anger" by Oasis on the basis that we had performed the song once during Cafe Night Out last semester, so it shouldn't be as difficult in preparing ourselves for the big day.
-We had very limited time! With the busy schedule holding us KYUEM students in the chokehold, we could hardly find time to practice at all. In fact, the real practice session we managed to have was on Friday, the day before the event took place. Even that was not enough.
Anyways, that Saturday, we were the last band to perform. Hence, we got the chance to watch the performances by other bands as well. They were pretty tight I must say, although the choice of songs really reflected the maturity level of the contestants. Haha. From Footloose to Rock Kapak to Guns N' Roses, I believed that it was our job to return the audience back to the present world after a trip down the memory lane. And so we performed.
We did our best, that's for sure, I hope the judges would agree with us as well. We're keeping our fingers crossed until the announcement of the results this Wednesday. Erk. Cuak gak ar.
Japanese Cultural Night 2008
Last Thursday (7th of August), the Japanese Cultural Club held its first grand event of the semester, the Japanese Cultural Night 2008. Held at the Great Hall, this year's JCN was quite a grand event with VIPs like Dato' Zakee as well as Mr Small attending as well. Anyways, it started at 8.15pm with the interhouse Ikebana (flower decorating) Competition. Then, after a short speech by Mr Small and Attiyaa, the attendees were treated with a traditional Japanese dance called the Masturi Bon Bon by the club members. A cute dance it was. Feeling tempted, some members of the floor decided to join in as well.
The hosts that night, Faridq and Kun-kun, later proceeded to the next agenda which was the Interhouse J-Rock Band Competition. Topaz was the first to perform, followed by Garnet, Sapphire and Diamond ater a short interval. The Garnetors, which consists of Tiger, Nitty and Isa performed their own original song. Isa wrote the lyrics while the other two worked with the music arrangement. For a fifteen minute work, I would say it was a good attempt. Haha. However, it was Sapphire who won the hearts of the judges with their song, also an original work, called "Sushi". It was the most entertaining performance of the night, I would say. Siap dengan back up dancers lagi.
The Iron Chef competition was entertaining as well. The contestants of all four houses all came up with different courses, even though they were provided with the same materials. However, nothing beats experience and reputation when it comes to preparing the best meal that wins the heart of the juries, as proven by Garnet representative, Naqiuddin. As the President of Culinary Arts Club, he provided Puan Halijah, Ms Rena, Miss Aida, and Mr Azman with a taste of fine dining experience with his food presentation. Congratulations Garnet:)
Besides the interhouse competitions, there were also other ongoing activities throughout the event as well. At one corner of the hall, there were people sweating it out, boxing each other on Nintendo Wii. Some of them were showcasing their killer moves on the dance mat with Dance Dance Revolution. Among other booths set up that night include manga drawing, goldfishing and buzzwire. Owh, there was Istana Takeshi as well! It was basically a maze house in which every visitor has to find their way out in the darkness, occasionally avoiding traps set somewhere in there. It did attract many visitors, but it could have been better with proper planning though. Outside. there were food stalls selling dorayaki, sushi, sparkling water and sausages.
On the whole, it was a successful event. A post party (of major cleaning up on stage and water gun shooouts) took place soon after the event ended. Memang penat gile, but it was worth it, I guess. Thank you so much to the organising committee members for doing your part, the crowd for attending the event, everyone. Thank you all, thank you.
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Last Thursday (7th of August), the Japanese Cultural Club held its first grand event of the semester, the Japanese Cultural Night 2008. Held at the Great Hall, this year's JCN was quite a grand event with VIPs like Dato' Zakee as well as Mr Small attending as well. Anyways, it started at 8.15pm with the interhouse Ikebana (flower decorating) Competition. Then, after a short speech by Mr Small and Attiyaa, the attendees were treated with a traditional Japanese dance called the Masturi Bon Bon by the club members. A cute dance it was. Feeling tempted, some members of the floor decided to join in as well.
The hosts that night, Faridq and Kun-kun, later proceeded to the next agenda which was the Interhouse J-Rock Band Competition. Topaz was the first to perform, followed by Garnet, Sapphire and Diamond ater a short interval. The Garnetors, which consists of Tiger, Nitty and Isa performed their own original song. Isa wrote the lyrics while the other two worked with the music arrangement. For a fifteen minute work, I would say it was a good attempt. Haha. However, it was Sapphire who won the hearts of the judges with their song, also an original work, called "Sushi". It was the most entertaining performance of the night, I would say. Siap dengan back up dancers lagi.
The Iron Chef competition was entertaining as well. The contestants of all four houses all came up with different courses, even though they were provided with the same materials. However, nothing beats experience and reputation when it comes to preparing the best meal that wins the heart of the juries, as proven by Garnet representative, Naqiuddin. As the President of Culinary Arts Club, he provided Puan Halijah, Ms Rena, Miss Aida, and Mr Azman with a taste of fine dining experience with his food presentation. Congratulations Garnet:)
Besides the interhouse competitions, there were also other ongoing activities throughout the event as well. At one corner of the hall, there were people sweating it out, boxing each other on Nintendo Wii. Some of them were showcasing their killer moves on the dance mat with Dance Dance Revolution. Among other booths set up that night include manga drawing, goldfishing and buzzwire. Owh, there was Istana Takeshi as well! It was basically a maze house in which every visitor has to find their way out in the darkness, occasionally avoiding traps set somewhere in there. It did attract many visitors, but it could have been better with proper planning though. Outside. there were food stalls selling dorayaki, sushi, sparkling water and sausages.
On the whole, it was a successful event. A post party (of major cleaning up on stage and water gun shooouts) took place soon after the event ended. Memang penat gile, but it was worth it, I guess. Thank you so much to the organising committee members for doing your part, the crowd for attending the event, everyone. Thank you all, thank you.
Garnet House "Red Letter Day" Welcoming Party
Today's entry is long overdue. So last Wednesday on the 6th Aug, all houses held their own welcoming party at their respective venues to welcome the juniors into the families. Garnet held our party at the cafe. It went quite well I guess. Maybe there were a few hiccups here and there, but on the whole, it was great nonetheless. Congratulations to the committee for making it possible.
Personally, I think the best part of the party was the food fight and the sacred ritual of water splashing which had gotten all house captains into trouble with Puan Rog (well, not all, if you know what I mean. hehe.) I really hope that the juniors enjoyed it as much as the seniors do. After all, this whole party thing is dedicated for them kan.
An Ugly Duckling
This week, like the past three weeks, has been a busy one for me, particularly because there's just too much going on lately that I find myself barely able to keep up. Petang tadi, our shuttlers made the house proud after defeating Diamond players with the score of 3-2. Yippie. Congratulations to all players. Let's hope that the spirit will continue to prevail in the games to come. Owh, also, tomorrow we will be having another basketball match. In case you haven't heard, basketball is a game in which Garnet is consistently good at. therefore I really hope that tomorrow's result will justify my claim. Then at 8.15pm tomorrow, we will be having our Red Letter Night, or a welcoming party for the juniors. We'll see how it's gonna be.
Also, on Thursday, the Japanese Cultural Club will be conducting its first event of the semester, which is the Japanese Cultural Night (JCN08). Preparations have been made to ensure that the event will turn out to be a success like we had planned. Sigh. Attiyaa and I had a talk about how unorganised our lives are currently (or has it always been like that all this while? I'm not so sure either). Erk. if she had not shared her concern about her choice of subjects if she chooses to drop Further Math, then I wouldn't have realised mine! Warwick requires the applicants to take at least 3 and a half subjects, and unfortunately Thinking Skills is not considered as an AS subject. My combination of three subjects most probably will not be considered. Sheesh. I should've known that ages ago. So there goes my chances of getting into Warwick. Tapi biase la. Ignorance is bliss. Bagus betul. With many things going on right now, I feel like letting go of everything and let things be sorted on their own. If only it was that easy.
I just wanna break free.
Care to take me away with you?
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This week, like the past three weeks, has been a busy one for me, particularly because there's just too much going on lately that I find myself barely able to keep up. Petang tadi, our shuttlers made the house proud after defeating Diamond players with the score of 3-2. Yippie. Congratulations to all players. Let's hope that the spirit will continue to prevail in the games to come. Owh, also, tomorrow we will be having another basketball match. In case you haven't heard, basketball is a game in which Garnet is consistently good at. therefore I really hope that tomorrow's result will justify my claim. Then at 8.15pm tomorrow, we will be having our Red Letter Night, or a welcoming party for the juniors. We'll see how it's gonna be.
Also, on Thursday, the Japanese Cultural Club will be conducting its first event of the semester, which is the Japanese Cultural Night (JCN08). Preparations have been made to ensure that the event will turn out to be a success like we had planned. Sigh. Attiyaa and I had a talk about how unorganised our lives are currently (or has it always been like that all this while? I'm not so sure either). Erk. if she had not shared her concern about her choice of subjects if she chooses to drop Further Math, then I wouldn't have realised mine! Warwick requires the applicants to take at least 3 and a half subjects, and unfortunately Thinking Skills is not considered as an AS subject. My combination of three subjects most probably will not be considered. Sheesh. I should've known that ages ago. So there goes my chances of getting into Warwick. Tapi biase la. Ignorance is bliss. Bagus betul. With many things going on right now, I feel like letting go of everything and let things be sorted on their own. If only it was that easy.
I just wanna break free.
Care to take me away with you?
Yawn
I just got back from a function at PWTC just now. We met Mr Imouzegar and Mr Shamsul again. And of course, Dato' Saifuddin as well. It has been a while, so it was great meeting them again. I bet Aainaa couldn't contain her excitement when her eyes caught the sight of Mr Imou:) The first thing I asked my chaletmates was how did Garnet fare in Minggu Citra Budaya. I was so anxious to hear the answer. However, it turned out that the answer was something that I can be proud of. Hooray. Actually, I'm very happy with the results, even though we could've done so much better overall. Nevertheless, this will be the starting block of something even greater ahead. Trust me. I will take a look at the detailed account of our achievements tomorrow morning before I can actually comment about Garnet's performance so far.
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I just got back from a function at PWTC just now. We met Mr Imouzegar and Mr Shamsul again. And of course, Dato' Saifuddin as well. It has been a while, so it was great meeting them again. I bet Aainaa couldn't contain her excitement when her eyes caught the sight of Mr Imou:) The first thing I asked my chaletmates was how did Garnet fare in Minggu Citra Budaya. I was so anxious to hear the answer. However, it turned out that the answer was something that I can be proud of. Hooray. Actually, I'm very happy with the results, even though we could've done so much better overall. Nevertheless, this will be the starting block of something even greater ahead. Trust me. I will take a look at the detailed account of our achievements tomorrow morning before I can actually comment about Garnet's performance so far.
Let Bygones Be Bygones
Hello people (if there are any).
I think I'm feeling better today. Finally able to stand up again after yesterday's agony of defeat. I was never in so much pressure like yesterday for quite some time now, so that was a very important reminder of practically everything. Lesson learned. So today, I started keeping a planner just to keep things organised and easy. I blame myself for not starting to use it earlier. Things could've been better now. But that's okay. It is a good start.
This afternoon, Aainaa and I will be going to PWTC for a function with Dato' Saifuddin. Mr Shamsul (or someone else) will take us from the college at 4.15pm. This will definitely relive those moments. I hope. And...this also means that I won't be able to be at the closing ceremony of Malay Cultural Week tonight. It's a big opportunity cost, I know. I really2 hope that our Boria dancers will put up a good performance tonight. Enough with the criticism already! I don't care if they win or lose, what matters most is that they do their best and enjoy every bit of it. Although I must admit, it'll be a great satisfaction to win the competition. Ada a sense of accomplishment.
So go Garnet go!
I just figured out that there is a link to my blog from Haqqa's page. I'm finally discovered!
Anyways, thanks for noticing:)
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Hello people (if there are any).
I think I'm feeling better today. Finally able to stand up again after yesterday's agony of defeat. I was never in so much pressure like yesterday for quite some time now, so that was a very important reminder of practically everything. Lesson learned. So today, I started keeping a planner just to keep things organised and easy. I blame myself for not starting to use it earlier. Things could've been better now. But that's okay. It is a good start.
This afternoon, Aainaa and I will be going to PWTC for a function with Dato' Saifuddin. Mr Shamsul (or someone else) will take us from the college at 4.15pm. This will definitely relive those moments. I hope. And...this also means that I won't be able to be at the closing ceremony of Malay Cultural Week tonight. It's a big opportunity cost, I know. I really2 hope that our Boria dancers will put up a good performance tonight. Enough with the criticism already! I don't care if they win or lose, what matters most is that they do their best and enjoy every bit of it. Although I must admit, it'll be a great satisfaction to win the competition. Ada a sense of accomplishment.
So go Garnet go!
I just figured out that there is a link to my blog from Haqqa's page. I'm finally discovered!
Anyways, thanks for noticing:)