City vs. suburbs

Just came back from the city after spending close to 4 days there. My God. He works in very strange ways sometimes, now hinting that I should move down to the city as soon as I get the chance to.

In the city, I know that I'll be near enough to all of my friends, then I don't have to run up and down from the city to Surrey Hills.


I can't wait for October to be here, it feels far away still.

Post-calculus effect

Exams -> long lunch -> walking around Camberwell -> back to city -> Fed Square -> Liling's place for dinner -> Hoyts Melbourne Central for The Hangover

The post-calculus effect. It's fantastic. At least it got most of our circle together for a lot of fun. For one, I managed to get some of us to see my side of life, out here in the suburbs. And we also got to try out some good food in Camberwell. Well, finally something I really like - friends coming to the suburbs for some fun.

Fed Square had an interesting art exhibit this time, called Volume by UVA. I was pretty impressed with what they did. Unfortunately for anyone to fully enjoy the effects of Volume, you need to be able to listen to the musical effects as well. The changing colours won't be enough to enthrall anyone.

And a side note on cooking: Once you've been forced to fend for your own self for at least a year, you develop your own style of cooking. Whether it's derived from cooking shows, or your own housemates, the skill will always differ with person and cooking utensils. You can imitate, but eventually you'll develop your own style.

I can't believe a girl suggested that we watch The Hangover. I guess it's better suited to guys, but that's just me, since the show was just lots of swearing and jokes. A little too frank for my tastes, but, well, considering the plot and stuff, it's pretty good for a de-stressing show.

Now I also know how innocent [or lack thereof] my friends are, with them laughing at every single joke The Hangover threw at us. Every. Single. Joke.

You can't choose your relatives, but you can choose your friends.-
-Not me.-

Core

Suggested theory: In any circle of friends more than 6 people, you tend to have a core/nucleus of friends who are the main movers and shakers of the whole gang.

It seems that I've found the movers and shakers for my circle of friends in Melbourne.

1. Jun Yeu
2. Michelle
3. Me
4. Shu Jie
5. KC

You'll definitely see us around anything we organise. We'd call out for something to do, and you'll definitely see the 5 of us in the thick of it.

Camberwell tomorrow. After Calculus 2.

Fun.

Fun.

Fun!

"Proof needed"

Sometimes the problem with teaching is that the concept can be alien. And thus, some people feel that they need clarification on topics you took for granted.

*

And when you get stuff like "Proof needed" in your sample answers you feel like punching the person who gave the answers in the first place. Why the hell bother to give answers if you can't tell us how you arrive at the "proof"?

Anyhow, back to studying. Getting bashed by my friends for not doing much for calculus now.

English?

Wednesday June 10, 2009
Many object to making English a ‘must pass’ SPM subject
By KAREN CHAPMAN

PETALING JAYA: Most of the 500 views received by the Education Ministry as at the end of office hours yesterday are against any move to make English compulsory in order to obtain the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) certificate.

A ministry official said those who contacted the ministry wanted the status quo to remain.

“We started receiving telephone calls from 10am until 5.30pm yesterday,” she said.

From today, she said people could telephone the ministry’s hunting line at 03-7723-7070 with their views from 8am to 5.30pm.

“There are 27 lines and we have enough people manning them,” she said.

People can also e-mail their views to kpkpm@moe.gov.my or send a fax to 03-7710-8880.

On Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had said he was surprised to learn that English was not a “must pass” subject for SPM and wanted public feedback on the matter.

The Education Minister said it was a revelation to him as he had always thought that it was a prerequisite since students had to learn English in school.

He said he was also shocked to learn that national schools no longer taught English grammar.

Muhyiddin said students were now merely learning communicative English.

“This means they are picking up the language for communication purposes only,” he said, adding that almost 70% of students who take English passed the subject.

A pass in English has never been compulsory for SPM. Since 2000, a pass in Bahasa Malaysia was sufficient to get the SPM certificate. Previously, a credit was a must.

Somebody is living in the past here.

Anyway, for once I agree with something somebody in the government has to say. English should have been made compulsory, and yes, we have been learning basic grammar and communicative English only. Anyone will know whether you're Malaysian overseas. You tend to speak in your own brand of English. Which is how I know whether that Asian sitting across from me is Malaysian or not.

Now, who is against this move to make English compulsory for getting the SPM cert?
Speculation isn't really my forte, but if you ask me I think there are 2 main groups who would shout the loudest now - the traditionalist Chinese groups and some Malay groups. Holding onto old things, I guess, how far would that take you?

Chem

I just realised how much the tests cover that the lectures don't.

I don't like that. It forces us to actually use the textbooks. Not fair.

Oh well. Can't complain too much. Back to studying.

In every loss
In every lie
In every truth that you denied
In each regret
In each goodbye
Was a mistake
too great to hide
-New Divide - Linkin Park-

Winter

It's cold every day. Sometimes even the people turn cold. Maybe it's the weather, maybe it's the exams.

Showers.
Sunlight.
Songs.

Ghost of Love - The Rasmus

Does it hurt
Does it burn
Do you know
What you've lost
Are you scared
Of the dark

Now that you've gone
All that remains
Is the ghost of love
Deep in my mind
I hear the dreams
Of the ghost of love

-I didn't come here looking for love, but if I stumble across it here why should I reject it?-
CY

Preston trip

Don't ask me what I was doing up in Preston before exams. I myself don't understand what I do sometimes. Accepting a tutoring job before my own exams? That's really... unusual. Oh wait, it's kinda like me to help others before solving my own problems.

Anyway, about Preston. It's quite a quiet town, I'd say. Not many trees, not much greenery. The main street is High Street, where you find almost all the shops. The other street is Gower Street, which intersects High Street and is where most of the public facilities are.

It's too silent a suburb for me. That might be part of the real estate agent's charms though - "Beautiful quiet suburb". Otherwise there's nothing much to describe about Preston.

Oh, and I did promise pictures, didn't I? Here you go!

Merri? This station, and the next one, Rushall, embody the Aussie spirit of finding weird names for places.

Preston town hall. I bet it's a relic of colonial times past.

Don't you just find the bird logo intricate?

Walking in the rain
so they can't see my tears - random quote

Plans

Creative writing assignment due - must print, must bring previous assignments, must get cover sheet, must attach SAE.
Preston trip - need to get Epping line to Preston station. [I promise pictures.]
Borrowed books - need to return by 6pm to Baillieu or risk epic fines.
More exam preparations - State Library closes at 9pm tomorrow.

Whee.

-It's really good to hear your voice
saying my name
it sounds so sweet
Coming from the lips of an angel
hearing those words it makes me weak-
Lips of an Angel, Hinder

Bored

Finally finished my creative writing assignment.
Now I can focus on my final preparations for Chem, Calc 2 and ESD - although there really isn't anything to study for ESD, just probably going through all the past topics discussed in lectures. I still wonder what the use of ESD 1 is. The way I put it:

If NASA were to use Lego Mindstorms robots in their future space missions, or if Lego needed a remake of the Mindstorms program, only then would Robolab be justified.

But that's just a simplified way of looking at it.

Better get back to studying.

Fear denies faith.
-Space Marine quote, Warhammer 40k-

Forgotten part 4

I need my friends. They spark my life to greater heights.

Going outta my mind
Thinking of you
Random thoughts, random memories of us
Just you and I
Unforgettable
Not now, not ever

I weave in and out
of sanity
Between the poles
of light and dark
Being lonely isn't for us
being alone isn't a choice

Random conversation II

The intricate art of talking rubbish. Useful for jokes and to annoy people. Just make sure that you do it properly so that the victim will still forgive you. Here's an example [you know who you are, and I've modified parts]:

Location: Melb Uni Bookshop

MQ: He's not picking up.

CY: He must be wanking then.

JY: Yeah, "********!" [censored for privacy]
[with appropriate wanking action]

MQ: ... [1 second silence] What the... [starts chasing JY while whacking him]

Stress

Haven't felt like updating much now. Exam stress is upon me again. Why does the State Library close so early on Fridays, 3 hours earlier than usual? At least that's a place where I can study, unlike at home, where all I do is switch on my laptop and start playing and chatting.

Better yet, I just realised that my Creative Writing final assignment is 300 words short of the 1500 word count. Gotta do that up then. So I've got to switch gears, summon my artistic side in to do that job for me.

New Divide - Linkin Park

Whee. New song from Linkin Park, for the new Transformers movie. Have fun!

EPIC PHAIL of the Malaysian education system

The Star, Malaysia
Thursday June 4, 2009
Why 10 subjects is enough for SPM

KUALA LUMPUR: There are many positive reasons to limit the number of SPM subjects to 10, including the fact that it could overcome the shortage of teachers, Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said.

He said statistics showed that almost 90% of students took 10 subjects anyway.

“It all comes down to how we want to manage our education system so that we can produce students who are capable and not only in exams,” he told a press conference yesterday.

Asked whether opposition to the idea would lead to the proposal being shelved, he said:

“There are many who agree and they come from the education system.”

Muhyiddin said by limiting the subjects, the students could focus on core subjects as well as participate in other activities that would open up their minds.

“Apart from this, it can help teachers. With the reduced number of subjects, their energy can be focused on core subjects and the shortage of manpower could be somewhat overcome.”

Muhyiddin said that students also pursued more subjects just to add a few more As to their score.

“There are 111 electives, and some of these are not taught in school but require tuition outside of school. This means only those who can afford the tuition will benefit,” he said.

Producing students who are capable, not only in exams is a dream. As long as you retain the current ailing and failing syllabus, you won't be getting anywhere near achieving that dream of yours.

And what the hell are core subjects anyway? Look at the stuff we get fed in Malay. Your literature has a long history of being good, yes I agree with that. But it doesn't encourage lateral thinking.

"Patutkah Hang Jebat menderhaka terhadap Sultan Melaka?"

When the day comes when we students can say "Patut, seratus peratus patut!" to that question, then only will I say there is an improvement in anything you suggest.

And when you look subjectively at Moral Ed, think. Just think. And I'll prove that you will fail, Muhyiddin. You will bloody well fail if we asked you to take the Moral Ed exam for SPM. Civics is another subject which has practically nil value. How in the world are you supposed to teach patriotism and civic duty when the newspaper is full of stories of corruption and lawlessness? Don't think that students nowadays are so into games and studies that they neglect to look at current affairs. How are you supposed to teach good values when there are so many out there who don't practise what they preach?

And what sort of "other activities" will help to open up their minds? I will not be shocked or surprised to know that 90% of your students have parents who invest in piano education for their children. I have yet to see adequate proof that playing music is good for the mind. Sure, I have close friends who play the piano and consistently get good grades in exams and such. But there are those who don't play any music instruments and still get better grades. And talking about open minds, what counts? Does participating in political rallies count as "open minds"? Does participating in F1 research count? Does being national champion for Under-18 golf tourneys count? Does emerging as the runners-up in SEA DotA championship count?

Gah. And to think that I came from this sort of education system. I'm only lucky that I read outside of the syllabus for enjoyment, or life would be a constant torment.

Relatives

It seems to me that most of the Malaysians I know in Melbourne all have relatives somewhere about Aussie. In fact, I've always wondered why Melbourne is one of the cities of choice for Malaysians to go to.
Quick comparison of 3 major cities in Aussie:

Brisbane: Haven't been there for long, but the tropical weather would most likely suit us, coming from the humid tropics.

Sydney: Milder than Brisbane, but the beaches are more happening, apparently. More evidence needed from my friends in Sydney. More cosmopolitan than Melbourne, and nightlife seems to be better.

Melbourne: For the cold weather. It's good fun here, nightlife is adequate [although I haven't been allowed to go clubbing legally yet], beaches are ok, there's lots of different people from different backgrounds here.

But it still doesn't explain the clustering well enough. Sometimes even asking those who've been here for >10 years doesn't really help.

Revision

I don't feel productive enough. When I study in the State Library, at least I know I'm accomplishing something. But at home, that's a different story totally. Messenger is running, Facebook is active, I'm checking forums. Doesn't sound like I'm getting important stuff done at all. I'm thinking I should spend more time out of my place, so at least I know I'm studying properly.

Facebook quizzes

Now most of my friends are hooked on Facebook quizzes. How accurate these quizzes are, don't ask me. I made mine difficult but doable and still nobody's scored 100 for it yet, which isn't weird - cos I haven't shared everything with most of my friends yet. Proves that you guys don't really "know" me as well as you think you do.

I'm not gloating. I'm just being serious and reflective of the truth.

Engineering

We are the slackers united. How is it possible that compared to the psych students, the commerce and the science students, we seem to have so much time on our hands before exam time? And we thought we were stressed. I have my doubts about uni now. Who actually judges whether a course is difficult or easy? Students or public opinion?

Oh well. Maybe I should enjoy while it lasts.

Slacking/Hyperactive

***Note: this is meant to be a two-part update.***

(15:01) Rach: wad are u up to right now
(15:02) -Kyp Chia-Yang -: slacking and playing bejeweled 2 on fb

This is me. Lazing around, even though exams are up within two weeks. Of course I'm worried whether I'm doing any revision, compared to my friends. They all seem to be studying hard for their own reasons, unlike me. I read textbooks like storybooks, only looking at the interesting parts, hardly stopping to read the serious parts. I wonder where this path I'm on will take me to.

-I hope I'm one of those fellows who can skive off studying and still score well for uni exams.-

***

There are some songs which get me up and going. Like the one in the vid below, It's You. At least I got spurred to get out of the dumps [besides all the help I got from my friends, of course] and get on with life. At least getting over a breakup makes me feel better.

So now I'm hyper instead, which is at least better than emo-ing day and night. I'm now getting stuff done up, so all's good for me.

Friends

I have 3 types of friends - acquaintances, good friends and close friends/inner sanctum. Like the colours of the rainbow, the boundaries aren't clear at all, so don't take anything I say here to heart.

#1. Acquaintances - I know you guys for a short time, haven't really known more about you than just your name and where you stay. Mostly known through social gatherings and introduced through friends. We'd hardly meet in uni or on the streets.

#2. Good friends - I've known you guys for at least 3 months and counting. Probably would have trusted some of you with my history, so you'd know something about me from secondary school, or even further back. Usually people whom I meet at social gatherings, and then bump into regularly at uni. Oh, and we'd most likely sign up for events together.

#3. Inner sanctum - I've been into your house at least once, and stayed overnight at least once as well. Might not know you guys for long, but we see each other regularly enough to be comfortable. People whom I "trust" with secrets, and who trust me with theirs as well. We're gonna rule uni with our ways. And we're the core of any gatherings we plan.

So it is good that I have some amount of people in my inner sanctum to dig me outta the mud I sank into. Thanks to you guys, I'm more or less stable again. I owe you guys one.

What I would give to get a sign from up above
Letting me know that everything would be okay
I wish someone would pull me up from outta the mud
Will anyone out there
Say to me
I'm here
For you
Don't worry
Cos I've got you
I've got you baby
Don't dread
Don't sweat
My life seems to be heading
Over the edge
-Over the Edge, Akon-

Erratic

Lately I haven't been sleeping properly. I'd go to my room, try to read a book, then I'd get my head down on the pillows and sleep. And then I'd get up at 2 am the next morning. Which really isn't very productive at all.
I know I need help, but I can't find somebody trusted enough to discuss this with. Unless....
Any suggestions, anyone listening?

Forgotten part 3

if i were to disappear for a day or two
i wonder
what my friends would do
or what they'd say

since i'm invisible
they might not know to ask
"what's wrong?"
or
"what's the problem?"
i don't wear my heart on my sleeves
so nothing is apparent

but when you're the one suffering in silence
nothing is fun
the day is gloomy
the day is gone
ice forms in your heart and mind
you'd snap at anything that talks to you
or you'd just snap without warning
and rampage through whichever unfortunate
soul standing in your way

Super Junior fever

Thanks to my good friend in Malaysia, and another good friend over here in Melbourne, I'm now addicted to Super Junior, and more specifically this song. Enjoy!

Dead blogs

Blogs don't die out in one shot unless someone decides to assassinate it. Blogs die when we neglect them. And usually nobody bothers to resuscitate it, leading to a painful and slow death.

Somehow the Commerce students seem to have more stuff to do, causing them to ignore their blogs. Or maybe it's just me and them, the difference between us. I don't know, and honestly, I'm not really bothered.

Or maybe I'm a slacker, one of the worse slackers.

Box Hill

Half an hour from my place. I go there regularly now, but so far only one of my friends has been up there with me. Maybe it's just me, but I can say that I love exploring. I've been around quite a bit, and I'm planning to go further out if I can, or get the opportunity to. For one, I haven't been out to Doncaster or Glen Waverley. So I'm gonna find my way around while I still have my monthly passes. Once I move down to the city I doubt I'll do a lot of weekly suburb trips. Maybe once in a while, I'd travel.

But I'm going to treasure this time now while it lasts. Suburbs are quiet, and the scenery is good pending on the suburb.

Sleep - it's optional

I finally broke my awake streak yesterday at 38 hours, by sleeping at 9 last night.

And I still managed to go for badminton today.

So I've confirmed 2 things - I'm solar-powered, meaning I'm a day person, and I'm also a random sleeper - I don't sleep at fixed times.

And I've just remembered one thing - even though I'm staying in the suburbs and I've gotta get up earlier than most of my other friends, I still sleep later than those in the city itself.

I'm just plain crazy.

37 hour run... again.

Hi, it's me again. That crazy impulse to ignore natural sleeping instincts has kicked in again. Oh wait - that's for tonight. Last night was another story altogether. That was "forced" due to us watching Cape No. 7 and also playing Gears of War for the early morning sessions. So I basically had a uber long day - starting on 7am Friday morning, and ending sometime late tomorrow afternoon. Whee.

I'm kinda hyper now, at the same time the lack of expansion room is inhibiting my hyperactivity. So I'm in the middle of a conflict of ideas - emo-ness and overdrive. Both of them together may not be quite as useful as you'd think it'll be.

Anyway, back to my coffee regime and stimulants to keep me running. I think I'm kinda solar-powered, explaining why I enjoy the mornings more than evenings. But that's just a random idea out of nowhere.

Whee.

Forgotten part 2

i am still the Forgotten.

know that well
for what you do shapes me
and who i'll be

i'm still gonna be around
to listen when you wanna be heard
to help when you're in trouble
to cheer you guys up when everyone's down.


but i'll raise my question now:

who's gonna be there
to hear me out
when i wanna be heard

who's gonna be there
when i need help

who's gonna be there
to cheer me up
when i'm down

tell me
tell me now
tell me if you know
tell me if you can
tell me if you will
and just...
tell me all i wanna know

for i am the Forgotten
but i want to be remembered.

Forgotten part 1

I am the Forgotten.

But that doesn't make me forget people
nor does it make me ignore people.

I know people forget about me easily
but I'm still here.

I'm still gonna be around
to listen when you wanna be heard
to help when you're in trouble
to cheer you guys up when everyone's down.

Even when you don't see me
even if you don't hear me
even if you don't know it

I'll still be here.

Human interactions

I find it interesting to note that sometimes what you expect is not what you get, and you don't always get things your way.

Last night I decided to take an early night, so that I could wake up early to prepare my lunch for break time in uni. I left my computer and mobile phone on throughout the night though. So when I got up at 7 today, this is the list of stuff I missed through the night:

1. 3 SMS
2. 1 missed call
3. 2 instant messages

There could be more, but this is quite a bit for me already.


-Once again, everything is relative to our perceptions.-

Exams

There is absolutely no mood for me to study now. When I saw what Michelle posted in her blog I was stunned that everyone [or almost everyone I know] is studying much, much harder than me.


I'm screwed, bloody well screwed.



-People tend to judge you when you feel relaxed?-
-Yes.-
-Psychoanalysis testing-

Freedom

No more ESD workshops for next week.

No more Chem labs for next week.

Hotel 626 to play.

This is one hell of a slack period for me, even though exams are coming up. I'm screwed.

Tuition

Just got back from Box Hill.

Tutoring is not easy, repeat not easy even though you understand the topic well enough. It may be easy for you to understand, but it's the explanation to your student which is slightly harder. But luckily for me I got a student who kinda understands what I'm saying, so I'm fine for now.

-I will not say the words "easy money".-

Winamp + Live Messenger

Toaster - some plug-in I found online.
Basically it's a plug-in for Winamp, which lets Live Messenger read the currently playing song and display it as your personal message in Live Messenger. Which basically is the similar to using WMP to play your songs, and then displaying the Now Playing song in your PM.
If you're like me - anti-WMP and prefers Winamp - then I strongly suggest that you get this plug-in. It works, and it appears to be slightly more versatile than the WMP version.

WMP - replaces your PM with your Now Playing song
Winamp/Toaster - adds your Now Playing song to your PM, as shown below in the red box:Final comments: I like this plug-in. It works with Vista although it's only rated for XP, so that's an advantage for most of us.

-Google is the most useful tool here in Melbourne. 95% of anything you need is online, and Google has 99% of that 95% catalogued, you just need to know where and how to look for what you need.-

Dinner

I eat in front of my laptop. Some people have said it isn't good for digestion. I don't know.

I don't think I'd try either.

Creative writing fail

Ok, this is a piece of short fiction we "wrote" in class today. By saying "wrote", it actually means that 5 different people had a go on different sections of the story.
Try and see what is wrong with it - it should be quite obvious!

***

I am an invisible man. With my magic axe, I disappear behind my enemies' backs, trying to reach the orb of power before it slips away. Skeleton warriors and ents clash furiously, whilst I blend into their midst and head for my enemies. I see the orb of power hanging from his back. The undead general, proud and tall even in undeath, he marched with his troops, his orb glowing bright. I sneak towards him, trying to be as quiet as possible. The crunch of my feet on the dry leaves scattered around the graveyard is masked by the cracking of bone in socket as the skeletons mill around confusedly, trying to find the smell of meat that has awoken them. I am close now, the orb of power is mere feet away. I can feel its otherworldly power drawing me in, the world disappears, fading to white. My energy starts to drain away, I know I don't have much time. If I take too long I'll just collapse in a heap, pray for the scavenging skeletons that are getting ever closer on their quest for fresh meat.
In my peripheral vision my eye catches the undead general's rotting corpse as it plunders around the graveyard. "He knows I'm here" is the only thing that I must avoid. Be decisive, I told myself firmly. There is no room for uncertainty on the battlefield.
Gripping my axe firmly, I slithered forward silently, shrouded from the general by my axe. I held my breath, careful not to give away my presence.
Within striking distance now. I swung my axe high - and then I woke up. Feeling, once again, that I don't belong in this reality, that I shouldn't open my eyes to see through my window the tall buildings and barely moving cars in the streets. I know there is somone out there who needs to be saved from skeleton warriors.

Talents

Talents are everywhere. I've been seeing a lot of it since I got here. Most of my friends can play some instrument or other. Some can talk a lot and make it seem as though they really know what they're talking about. Some like me, write long [and hopefully good] stories.
I'm starting my final creative writing assignment, writing about a crystal shatter-proof sword. I'm hoping the idea actually works out, since some of it is based on the idea of Tiberium. Haha.

-Some people can sing, some can play instruments, some are good at sports, some can write well, and some can do nothing.- 5 random observations

Job applications

I have seen some of the most outrageous stuff on job vacancy advertisements ever since I started looking for part time jobs. My favourite so far:
Location: my house/at my home.

I mean, come on, we know you'd like home tutoring sessions. We'd like to know where your home is, or else we can't go to your place to give tuition, right? Just let us know where you stay. That's what the location means. Horribly sad.

Ski Trip

Argh. Just got off the phone with my parents. Mega ski trip is bloody well cancelled for me, and this isn't an event I can just write off and disappear round their backs for. I mean, they'd know if $540 just vanished from my account. So to disappoint all those hoping I'd go, I can't make this year's ski trip. Parents and money permitting, I'm going for the next one. Bloody hell, I want to go for this year's trip. Don't get me wrong on that.

Resonance

There was a mini-debate yesterday as to why some people tend to join in all, if any, activities or gathering of friends. I must say that I gathered this from the debate:

#1. If you tend to stay further out from your friends, you'll prefer to join in all activities/gatherings planned by friends.
Reason: You're cut off from your friends by distance. You can't just call them for a gathering at Melbourne Central.

#2. If you don't have many classes with your friends, you'll also prefer to join in all activities/gatherings planned.
Reason: You know they're in uni somewhere, but you can't meet up due to classes and timetables. You'll also wanna see more of them.

So there you have it. That's why I tend to join in when anyone asks me to join them for lunch/dinner/games etc etc.

Lunch

It's a good time for us friends to get together. We catch up with each other's weekends. We catch up with our non-mutual friends. We just spend some time together, enjoying each other's company. Eating and chatting brings some sense of kinship and comradeship during these times, especially with tests and exams drawing nearer. We need some protection, don't we? And so we find solace in our friends. Of course. We just kinda have to find a shoulder to cry on, a caring fellow to listen to you and your hopeless problems. It makes sense, doesn't it?

Refer to first pic you see below.

Creative writing

Finally managed to finish writing the nonfiction piece I'm supposed to write for my current assignment. It's due tomorrow, 4 pm. I'm done with the writing part, now I just have to put in the other section on aims and influences, where I'm required to expound what suggested to me to write on whatever topic I've chosen. If that doesn't sound right, its because I'm writing this at 2 in the morning, so that I can catch some quick shut-eye in the afternoon tomorrow.

When committees get together...

Magic happens. Anyway, it was fun. We went down to SK's [IESS ex-president 2 terms ago] place in Maribyrnong. Karaoke session, and lots of food, and better yet, we learnt bridge! Although not everyone likes singing, I was pretty sure I could hear the whole house full of people sing when "Mandy" played. Although I'd wager not all of us sang. It was a potluck lunch, with plenty of stuff to go around. Lots of fried food, as well as pasta. I think that's one of the easiest to cook when it comes to students. As for myself, I brought jelly.
Induction meeting this Monday [tomorrow]. And I'm going to have to finish off my work fast to be able to spend time on that.

Malaysia

No, this is not some soppy nostalgic post about how much I miss that "fair land".

I want to highlight the common perception that foreigners have of Malaysia.

It's a good place for shopping. It's a tourist haven. Food galore!

To tourists, they see more of the scenic part of Malaysia. We see the hopeless side of Malaysia - the constant bickering in Parliament, the idiocy between the two biggest political parties at home, and a myriad other hopelessly useless things we witness daily.

Well, I guess the best thing is that 80% of Malaysians at Melbourne Uni are Chinese. So we get to whine and do stuff we really wanna do, like studying properly, or working.

HA.

Good morning again!

I'm back to my laptop, and I'm continuing from where I left off yesterday. Today looks like the start of a 26 hour marathon. [and the clock's still ticking.] The heater cleaning guy is in the house now cleaning all the heating stuff, getting all the residue from the renovations out of the ducts. The jelly is still sitting in the fridge, waiting for me to take it out to the potluck lunch later.

Anyway, 26 hours is just a start. I'm seeing if I can stretch this to tomorrow night, when I literally crash for the night. So just keep an eye open on this blog. I'll update whatever stuff happens in the meantime.

Morning

Another sleepless night in Surrey Hills. Midnight snack's still sitting next to me [a delectable mud cake], and my laptop's blaring Korean DBSK songs. Jelly's setting in the fridge, haven't checked it since I left it in the fridge. Since I've nothing better to do, I'll start ranting and grumbling.

First off, it's disgraceful how democracy has been perverted in Malaysia for so long now. How can you drag the speaker of the house out, "escorting" him with police? That's disgusting.

And secondly, I'm sure of another thing. The Malaysian education system has been a hopeless failure since some smart aleck decided to start using only Malay in teaching. Now, the conventional argument is to ask, if the Chinese can do it, why can't the Malaysians? Ok, the answer is simple. Look at a simple book like Harry Potter. When the 6th book, The Half-Blood Prince came out, within 2 weeks the Chinese translation was on the shelves. Look at how long it took the Malay translation to hit the shelves. Now change the book from a popular novel to academic texts. Then you tell me how long it'll take a Malay translation to hit the shelves compared to the Chinese translation.
So, Muhyddin, take a hint. You don't need your local and foreign experts to tell you what is going on or going wrong. Ask your students, they'll tell you all you really need to know.

This is Malaysia [not Sparta you smart aleck], and we're just gonna have to demand change or force it ourselves. Which is no longer democracy if we take to the streets like in Thailand.

Study

ESD is hard. Especially when your team members decline to help you out enough. So far only Constantine on my group is helping me to complete the report. Which is good. But the girl isn't doing much.

I'm gonna stop whining and get on with the job. Currently updating my Matlab coding and scripts.

Another attempt at productivity

Whee. My Thursday is going to be another "record-breaking" day. Firstly, I'm going to try and get my Matlab part for ESD done with. That's due on Tuesday. Secondly, I'm going to have to finish off my Creative Writing article, which is due on Monday. And then I'm going to have to try and break the sleeping record. I'm going to sleep soon, so that I'll be charged up for tomorrow morning. Ha. This will be fun, I'm sure. Await my next few posts to see what I'm up to!

For the record

I am not gonna go without sleep for that long again. Because of sleep deprivation, I missed some lectures, stoned all the way to uni and back. But then, on the plus side, I managed to go to Crown, had good food, and got elected into a committee.

37 hours 45 minutes sleepless in Melbourne. Epic.

-Trade offs are difficult.-

IESS AGM update

Ok, I was half stoned when I went into the meeting, all owed to my epic lack of sleep - 29 hours without sleep. So going into that tiny lecture theatrette made for a little incoherence, as well as an accompanying disdain for authority. And so, in delivering my policy speech for the editor's position in IESS, I inadvertedly took swipes at the outgoing editor, Luke. I mean, it wasn't, and was never meant to be, a personal attack on him. *Side note: If this were in Star Wars it would have been the master [Luke] being dug at by the student [Kyp]. *

Jun Yeu also made a similar slip, taking a jibe at the outgoing publicity chief, Daniel. Luckily for the both of us, our outgoing seniors were sporting fellows, who understand what the IESS voting process is like. So for now, we can get along with our seniors and the exco members quite well.

New IESS exco:
President - Kok Keong
Vice - Wai Kit
Treasurer - Eric
Secretary - Luke

General committee:
Activities - David, Rachel
Logistics - Chun Yu
Publicity - Jun Yeu
Welfare - Shu Jie
Sponsorship - Michelle
IT - Kee Ching
Editor - Me

This will be fun. I mean it.

30 hour marathon

Ok, I've been up for 30 hours now. I'm not tired yet, but my mind is playing tricks on me. I'm getting a little blur at times, and sounds aren't particularly clear at times when I don't focus things.

More updates soon to come.

Sleep deprivation

Good morning, guys and girls! I have now gone 24 hours without sleep. Let us examine the effect of this on me throughout this whole day. Watch here for any updates!

Inflation? NO, I don't think so.

It's about the economy, stupid

I must say that I agree whole-heartedly with RPK on this matter. After doing some amount of grocery shopping over here myself, I find that the prices over here are much more competitive. I mean, I stock up on groceries, it only comes out to around $20 a week. At home, doing the same thing would cost me something like RM 60 a week. So pray tell me, who's profiting, dollar for ringgit? Us over here, of course!

How are we supposed to survive at home, tell me? Clever government we have indeed.

Random conversation

.:*Liling*:. says:
- since u insist tht u r unique

Kyp Chia-Yang - God save the good work says:
- then?

.:*Liling*:. says:
- and u said tht unique not equal to normal
- therefore, unique is not normal
- Thus, chia yang is not normal

Kyp Chia-Yang - God save the good work says:
- cool
- i like that

.:*Liling*:. says:
- =.=||

Kyp Chia-Yang - God save the good work says:
- lol


This is me. Random, unpredictable.

the Westlife generation

I'm feeling nostalgic today, hence the title.

Back in Taylor's, I always felt that S4 was the place I belonged, not least due to almost every one of us liking Westlife songs. The Irish band occupied a special place in our playlists - the most played list.
I guess the best one of their songs would have to be 'Flying Without Wings', the one featured in the first Pokemon movie [the one with Lugia in it]. Kids like me back then liked the message in that song.

And then on S4's class trip I remember vividly the whole back half of the bus singing along to 'If I Let You Go'. Well, almost all of us were singing. Those of us sleeping didn't sing, for obvious reasons. I should have brought some of my Westlife CDs on that trip. Dammit.

But anyway, what is past is in the past. Time to look to the future, and to burn the idiot who reinvented the crash helmet in a pit of embers.

Sleep

This is morning. And I'm very sleepy still. Sleeping at 3am doesn't always agree with me. The last time I slept late was at 6am.

So, I'm in a lecture which is kinda boring the pants off me. I feel like sleeping, and my head's throbbing and threatening to take me out.

I'm gonna sleep this one through.

Good morning... not

Technically it's morning now. But the sky outside is dark as night. So what counts as night, and what counts as day? Someone once asked me about that. To me, night is whatever happens before you sleep for the rest of the day. And day is when you're actively doing something. So theoretically I'm now in a time crisis - It's dark outside [thus suggesting night-time], but I'm awake [suggesting it's day].

Paradox?

Interesting conundrum. I'll try and untangle it.

Boredom + Assignments

Assignments and boredom simply don't mix. Imagine this, I have a handful of assignments to complete, and I'm bored. What do I do first? I fire up my games. And then I go to bed at 3 am. Ha. So how the hell do I get my assignments done?

Anyhow, it's time I did something. I should go back and do up my various assignments, but I have good reasons not to do them. Procrastination reasons:

#1. Creative nonfic piece - No inspiration, so I can't do it up this week.
#2. ESD report - Not enough Matlab experience to do it up properly.

So I'm gonna stone for a while before heading back.

KL transport against Melbourne transport

"Wednesday April 29, 2009
Time to revamp KL transport system"

-theStar online, 29th April-

As if we don't already know. Bloody system has let us down since God knows when. Even KTM is worse than Connex, and Aussies consider Connex's train system as bad. Even with >95% efficiency, they aren't happy with that. Imagine Aussies living in KL. They'd kill us first.

Hopefully when I get back I can look forward to improved transport in KL.

Burnout

I think I'm slowly burning myself out.

Seriously.

I mean, I set all my alarms for 6.30 this morning. I got up all right, then I went back for a 10 minute nap. I ended up sleeping for another 2 hours. And this considering I slept at midnight last night, I think I'm seriously sleep-deprived, and burning out. I used to be able to survive on 6 hours or less sleep, but now...

Sleep is good, but not sleeping is better. And no sleep is... FAIL.

Poker night

I sense fail in the air. I spent $9 to enter, and then to enjoy lots of b33r. I also now know that it's not necessarily good to hang out with your cousin's friends, you never know what they do. Oddly enough, there were many higher year students around. Only a handful of first years were around, and if I wanted to make friends with them, I already know most of them. So it's kinda defeated the purpose of looking for new friends. But then I got to know more third years, most of them through my cousin.

Oh well, gotta make more friends. My little gang is kinda like the first years who actually attend most of the events and meetings, so I guess we'd stand a better chance of running for posts in the general committee.

Random quote: Russian search engine ranks amongst top 10 search engines in the world. It's ranked 9th, actually. -ABC radio-

Triple dump

Ok, imma dump all the stuff from the last few days in one long post. Forgive me if it sounds like rambling at the end, I was really emo at that time.

Tuesday:

IESS info session - kinda interesting. On one side of the theatrette you'd find these first years, and on the other side you'd get all the committee members and higher year kids. My friends and I seem to have a good plan for getting posts in the IESS general committee. Let's see:

Jun Yeu - publicity officer [cushy job, all you'd need to do is to get more members for the society]
Kee Ching - IT officer [even cushier, if you're good at web management and Photoshop. All you'd need to do is to maintain and update the society website.]
Shu Jie - welfare officer [as the President himself put it, the big mom/dad of the society - just need to take care of everyone]
Michelle - [crap forgot. for some irrational reason I forgot what she's running for.]
Me - Editor [why I'd run for this isn't exactly clear, but it's kinda apparent to some of us that I can write. Hope so, I'd just be updating the society newsletter.]

We've now gotta write policy speeches, just to advertise ourselves. How to do that isn't clear yet, but I'm hoping somebody would write it for me XD. Two weeks until the AGM, so that's a lot of time still - it's next month.

Yesterday:
Yes, I did what I said I'd do - wake up at 5 am to study for Calc 2. Thank goodness for Coke - the black liquid, not the white powder - for helping me through the morning. Slept at 11, got up at 4am for my study plan. And this turned out to be a reasonably good plan, since I manaaged to spot one glaring error in my workings. Not good if a similar question came out, since quite a number of people relied on me teaching them the right stuff for the test. But I managed to let those guys know about the error, so it wasn't too bad. It looks like it will be worthwhile coaching uni students in calculus, it's gonna be a repeat of SAM.

Afternoon, before Chem tute - I still need to release some stress over this:

Michelle: Where's Camberwell?
Me: Wait a moment... [digs in pocket for timetable, gets it out]
Me: Ok, this is the train line, Camberwell is somewhere... [fingers dancing]... over here.
Michelle: That's far wei.
Me: Ok, if that's far, try me, staying somewhere around... [fingers dance again]... here.

End of conversation. Silence reigns supreme.
I must be some kind of conversation breaker, whereby any one of my statements would just unbalance everyone in the conversation and thus kill off anything anybody can think of saying. I kinda hate it, it makes it hard to carry on a conversation with anyone.

Damn, it's hard being me sometimes.

Early this morning - around 1am to be close:

Emo problem T_T. Started around early last night, culminating in the following conclusion:

One part Wednesday night, one part emo songs, one part kitchen knives, one part semi-depressed state. Stir well until blended. Guess what you get? Suicidal thoughts.

Anyway, my dad's in town for the next 3 days or so starting today. Ohshi- gotta behave like a uni student - wait - what's a uni student supposed to behave like? Just realised that's a good question.

Pray I get to enjoy meself at poker night this Saturday.

Calculus

Sleep is good for the soul.

But not when you have a test tomorrow.

Especially when after your exam you have a bloody mind-splitting assignment for a workshop session.

So I think I shall sleep early, get up at 3 and do things. Otherwise I might just keel over and sleep during the test or the assignment. That would be pure WTF material.

Or maybe I should get up even earlier. I dunno what I'll do then.

Suburbs

There are some good suburbs, and there are some not so good suburbs. Guess where I stay.

Surrey Hills is a nice quiet suburb, yes, that much is true. But after Friday, I've had to reassess my own thinking about my place now.

1. There's no shopping centre nearby, oddly enough. No Coles, no Safeway, no Kmart. Very odd. And so my groceries come from 3 different places - Box Hill, Camberwell and anywhere from the CBD.

2. It's at least 25 minutes to the city by train. If you're late on a weekend, good luck - next train is in 30 minutes time.

I mean, at least places like Chadstone or Doncaster are still liveable - you've got somewhere to do your weekend shopping within 5-10 minutes walking. But I guess the advantage of staying somewhere where almost nobody has heard of is good - not many people are gonna bother you. I've lost count of the number of people asking me "Where's that suburb?" It's kinda repetitive now, I just say "Look it up, it's on the Lilydale/Belgrave lines."

Imma need a new place next year, gonna look for somewhere near the city. Any suggestions?

an art

I can't help but say this: I'm officially a slacker. Not becoming a slacker, but I'm a slacker.

At least some of my friends are hardworking enough not to fill up their Easter week with outings every day of this week. Unfortunately, I'm not following their stellar examples. My Easter week is full of activities, almost every day. Thank goodness I get tomorrow off, then I can spend some time doing things that matter to me, such as revising for Calc 2 [even though there are some people who think I don't need to revise Calc 2].

Anyway, let's see what is upcoming in this week:
Thursday - Lunch, Sofia's in Camberwell
Friday - Lunch + mini-reunion, somewhere in the city
Saturday - Swimming + possible touch rugby

That's three days of stuff. Where's the time for studying? Non-existent, hence making me a slacker.



Quote: Do you like her? - Yes. Does she know? - Yes. Does she like you? - Yes. -anon-

Night out on Lygon

When you want Italian or Greek food, go to Lygon Street. Where else near the CBD can you find good Italian food without breaking your student budget?
And so me and my friends went down to Lygon last night for dinner. There were lots of Italian blokes out to drag unsuspecting customers into their shops. Of course, with such a big group, those blokes would try to catch our group. Luckily we had plenty of will power not to listen to offers of 25% discounts and free drinks on the house.
Dinner was reasonable, pasta and pizza as usual. The real hit was the dessert - ice cream, drinks and poker at one of my friends' place. Luckily nobody took my suggestion to play strip poker just for the fun of it. Instead we used nuts, which was kinda safe and boring IMO.

I think I should invest in a bottle of vodka.

Professional stalking

I'm now blogging from Animal Orchestra with my Creative Writing tutorial group.

Creative Writing is fun. We get the license to stalk people as part of our observation of people project. And the observations and speculations that you get, wow! Anything goes. You can stalk almost everyone and anyone for our project. So, there were people in my group who stalked a couple. The resulting conversation they recorded was something odd I've never heard of before. Pauses, unnaturally long pauses. And some of the other conversations they recorded were weird. Like how some people were flirting, and it was as though they didn't know how to flirt. That was funny as well.

People watching is fun. Watching people is fun. And making speculations is fun as well, it teaches you something about people in general.

Rain

It screws everything up. Especially the trains. I guess that's why the lecture theater is so darned quiet early in the morning. Usually around this time [8.30 am] the theater is already half packed. Anyway, the trains were screwed up this morning. I had to wait something like 10 minutes for a train to Melbourne Central from Richmond due to a power fault at Parliament station. At Richmond, the Connex staff shunted us passengers around. First to platform 3, then to platform 5. Bloody hell. To top it off, it was drizzling, making the temperature drop to single digit regions [I reckon]. It was so cold, you'd see the condensation blowing out of your mouths.

Well, I reckon I have to get used to this.

I-Splat - engineers' way of having fun!

I know this was last week's event, but what the heck, I'll just post about it.

So last week I went for paintball at Oakleigh, just outside of Clayton. Of course I got shot up, quite a few shots, to be honest about it. Partly due to something called Highlander mode, which I'll elaborate in due time. The place is called World Series Paintball, near Huntingdale station, even though it's in Oakleigh. That caused a little confusion when we got on the train to get there.

Leader: Ok, we're getting off at the next stop. [we were at Oakleigh, the stop before Huntingdale]
Someone: I thought the place is in Oakleigh, shouldn't we be getting off here?
Leader: No, this shows you haven't done your research before coming.

Me: OMGWTFBBQLOL

Anyway, we managed to find our way to the place. The inside is damn modern, it looks way better than most outdoor places. There are four different fields inside, with four different layouts for playing. There was only one difference in the playing style - instead of deathmatch, we played normal respawn mode. Which ultimately led to lots of dodging. Anyway, there were quite a few new playstyles I saw that Sunday - money rush [grab bags of cash], poachers [grab furry toy animals], border crossing [like bombing run] and the highlight of the day being the WTF Highlander mode. That mode ultimately led to most of my soreness, aches and pains of the day. Basically in Highlander mode, you become a Highlander who can't die. You can get shot over and over, but if you don't like the feeling, then you can opt to retreat. Like heck we'd retreat that fast. So of course, whoever decides to go in charging, you'd amass lots of bruises and shots. Such as these shots to my forearm and neck.
At the end of the day, the guys gave us these little tags to vote for satisfaction. Guess who was the lone mad guy who dropped his tag into the green box. No prizes for guessing correctly, though. All in all, I think I justified my expenditure for the entire trip. Fun the whole day long FTW.

Rushing

I think I know how the rest of my assignments may go from now on. Take my Creative Writing assignment for example:

Final changes done - 7 am
Printing assignment - 8.30 am
Dropped assignment into chute - 8.45 am

I think this is gonna be a small problem for me. Help anyone?

Some ranting

I now know why the heck some of the JPA scholars complain that they don't have enough spending money for the month. Let's see the breakdown of numbers for them.

Spending money for a month: $1200

Rent: $200 a week = $800 a month, assuming electricity and water are paid for.

Food: $200 a month, assuming that they eat at home, ie: cooking their own food at home.

Phone: $79 - $149 a month for an iPhone.

Total spent in a month: $1079 - $1149, leaving $51 - $121 as savings.

So tell me why they need an iPhone here. Bloody hell. It's too common here. Everyone who can afford one has one, so they think they need one as well. Honestly speaking, since I can't afford one, I don't think of having one. So please don't think that since the government is paying your bills, you can afford to have an iPhone.

Bantering

Try reading some of the emails I get in my uni mailbox. They're a very good way of killing time, especially when the people replying hit the reply button without thinking of editing the recipients. So my mailbox is full of rubbish mail, clouding the real mail from lecturers and tutors.

*********************************

I think IT services in the uni is not good enough. They seemingly can't install Firefox 3. Maybe they won't install Firefox 3. Which isn't any good.

For lack of a suitable title

The life of a university student is quite monotonous, if you only consider what you do in lectures, practical sessions and tutorials. It's the things you do outside of uni hours that actually is the spice of our life.

Here you get all sorts of things to do. Paintball, BBQs, beer parties, you name it, they have it.

*Crap, ran out of ideas to write.*

Signing off first then.

Due to popular demand

Here you go. Guys, this is my room. Bloody dark. isn't it? This is in the morning, as my eyes see it. Just a single sliver of light. Darkness. Complete and whole.

Silent times

I realised something's wrong with
my room.
It's too dark, especially in the morning.
Cause the blinds don't work,
the light's too dim.
It may be good
for playing L4D at 2 at night,
it isn't good for studying
by midnight oil.

The blinds are thick,
it's quite quiet.
Sometimes too quiet.

Now I need the lights on
to sleep. Not for comfort
but for precaution.
Against sleeping in.

***Trying my hand at Creative Writing. Comments?***

***I can't think of a suitable title for this post, so I'll leave that out first.***

There's a lack of coverage of EPL football over here. I kinda miss that. But Champions League is readily available here.

It is kinda crap that you have to be 18+ to play paintball here. Bloody hell, it's not fair. But I might find some way around that rubbish. I hope to do so, or else I'll be missing out on a hell lot of paintball. 4 hours! I'm not going to miss out on so much fun. Not so fast.

Looks like I'm ranting. A lot.

uni life so far

One phrase sums everything up pretty well. Bored but tired.

So far the stuff seem to be a revision of topics from pre-uni level. Which is fine for most, but not for me. Come on, bring in the heavy guns, we need 'em! I mean, A-level students can master hyperbolic functions pretty well. Maybe the Aussie syllabus doesn't allow for hyperbolic functions, so that's why we're learning them again in Calculus 2. Oh well, I've just gotta live with what I've got.

Chem is fine so far, starting with organic chemistry. Isomers ftw. Molecular chemistry should actually go hand in hand with quantum physics, but that's my personal definition.

I think that's about all I can think of for now.

More to come!

More updates!

***A word of warning first: Don't expect massive, daily updates like some of the other bloggers' blogs. I'm now busy, so I can't possibly update as fast as others. And I try to make meaningful posts, so just be patient and wait for updates. Most likely I'll update on a weekly basis.***

Anyway, life in Melbourne isn't as boring as I thought. But it isn't as fun as most of you will think. Living in a suburb with old folks as your neighbours, that's definitely kinda boring. On the other hand, going to uni, hanging out with a couple of friends, now that's fun. Although the windchill gets to me a lot. Don't laugh.

Now I have to go and figure out whether to buy my lab stuff and other books. I think I might not. And yet I still might.

M.I.A. --------------> Revival

Hi friends, I'm back! Finally found some internet access. My cousin disconnected his internet service before he went to Malaysia for Chinese New Year, so when he came back there wasn't any access for us guests. Oh well. So now I'm blogging from the Uni of Melbourne.
Well, I know I've been M.I.A. for 2 weeks now, so it's time for an update on what I've been doing so far. Basically I've been preparing for uni. Packing, making arrangements, saying goodbyes... the list goes on and on and on. Besides that, I've also been finishing off my last days at work. Kinda fun, the whole process. A little annoying, though. And frustrating as well. But it's all part and parcel of moving to a new place, as well as moving on from an old place.
I know some people have asked about my Valentine's Day celebrations, whether anything special happened. Well, the answer is the same - nothing new. Just sitting in the office for the last official day at work, finishing up the records for the annual reports. That's what I did on that Saturday.
Melbourne is a fine city. A bit cold at times, although I'm getting used to it. The clear blue sky, the lack of clouds, bright yellow sunshine even at the tail end of summer, all fun. It's different, totally different from home. At least I'm away from the miserable politics of home.

random things

#1. I strongly dislike Pos Malaysia. Why are there 30 sen postal charges, but no 30 sen stamps?

#2. I'm bored at work.

#3. Someone has asked me to watch Hetalia, whatever that is.

#4. IDP and my office are often mixed up by mailmen, although the offices are 5 blocks apart.

#5. The guy next to me is counselling a student over the phone.

MAS is overrated again

What does it mean by competitive fares? To MAS Airlines, it simply means this:

"How can we surpass all the other regional airlines and make the most profit this quarter?"

Lousy crooks. I mean, MAS has the most expensive total fares in the region. Even Singapore Airlines is cheaper than MAS. And they fly a slightly longer distance to Australia [stopover in Changi compared to MAS's direct flight].

Better still, MAS is also a real con-job. They tell you that you pay less for the fuel surcharges and taxes and stuff like that. However, they backstab you and raise your fares. So in the end, MAS wins. Hands down.

Yet why does everyone still support MAS? Half of my classmates flying to Australia fly MAS, even though they're being cheated epically of their money. The Malaysian mind boggles.


Malaysia is the Land of Boleh.
Yes, under Mahathir corrupt people could murder and get away with it, in a manner of speaking. BOLEH indeed.

Under Badawi you can sleep in front of him and he won't know it.
BOLEH indeed.

Under Badawi you can also literally murder and get away with it.
BOLEH indeed.

We memang BOLEH. BOLEH EPIC PHAIL.

countdown begins again

In about 16 days I'll be leaving this "fair" land to pursue greener pastures. Haha.

Anyway, a simple checklist looks like this:

• Passport renewed? Check.
• Visa granted? Check.
  
• Clothes bought? Check.
• Luggage ready? Check.
• Uni stuff prepared? Check.
• Air ticket? On its way...
  
• Mind intact? I don't think so...

Oh well. Watch for more lunacy from Melbourne as I've mentioned before. It might not compare to the lunatics over here, but it'll be interesting.

Regarding the lunatics here, its all a load of mind games. Anwar and Badawi. I guess Badawi may not be able to stand this. But then the rakyat is being pushed too far. Either plan may backfire, at least that's what I foresee. It's only a matter of time now.

CNY and Kugan

I had a good balik kampung experience this year. Taiping, Penang, both my stops in this country to collect angpau. Steamboat makan for both stops. I must comment that for some reason I am closer to my mother's side relatives compared to my father's side relatives.

On to Kugan's case. Why do you need to bring in the FRU to keep order outside UMMC? I must say that the security guards there can do a good job. Maybe better than the FRU themselves. I don't think that the crowd supports a criminal. They're just protesting against the unfair treatment of criminals in police custody. I mean, if the police think that they can do it against criminals, what about innocent people in police custody? Wouldn't the innocent be hurt, or worse, killed? Not good at all. Such is the situation in this crazy country. How sad.

respect / time

I guess this afternoon told me a lot about the way a boss or leader should be like. You see, I work in an education agency. With the coming Chinese new year, of course, we all start cleaning up. Most other bosses will just tell the cleaning lady to clean up the place, but no, not where I work. The boss actually came down personally to clean up. Yes, clean up. With a broom and dustpan. So, leadership by example is an important aspect if anybody wants to be an inspiring leader. I guess that's why my boss is quite respected by my colleagues.

Next, time is relative. Always.

Whenever you are doing something that you either like or dislike, the flow of time is distorted by one's perception. If you like that something, you'll feel that time passes extremely fast while you enjoy yourself. If you dislike something, then you'll feel that time passes slower than usual. In either case, you'll feel that someone is cheating you of your time. For some unknown reason. Oh well, it's all a feature of the space-time continuum.



-When a pretty girl sits in your lap, an hour feels like a minute. But when an old crone sits in your lap, a minute feels like an hour.- From Einstein's biography

random updates

I think I have found a long holiday break analogous to the Aussie long Christmas break. It is known as the long Malaysian Chinese New Year break. Well, it isn't exactly that long in comparison. But then look at our festivities. We celebrate Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, Deepavali.... and the list goes on and on. So maybe their long Christmas breaks aren't as long as ours in comparison.

It's good that the Pakatan have won over Kuala Terengganu. But they now have a long way to go in convincing me that they are the way forward. Yes, I haven't lost faith in them yet. But that faith is slowly fading away. So, the first thing they need to do is to stop arguing over hudud implementation. Just present a united front, and the BN will have to back down on the hudud issue. So guys, just stand firm, and fight like the Spartans.

Work is now getting quite hectic, what with students' last minute applications, and last minute cancellations, and also not to forget those students with last minute course changes. You know who you are, don't be afraid to admit it. I know I'm one of them, due to my age. [Aussie visa requirements want students under 18 to have a student guardian, and most states haven't been able to solve this problem yet]

Oh well, another update, another post for the count.

a real update

I think I lack the crucial factor required to be a good salesman. After spending most of last week trying to sell my SAM textbooks, I am bloody well tired out. I hate bargainers and hard-drivers and rip-offs. How can you sell calculators for almost 50% off? It's a freaking rip-off. But never mind that.

Melbourne here I come this February. Be prepared to see some insanity and lunacy in the campus of the University of Melbourne. Hopefully some interesting developments will come out from me over there.

That's all for now. I'll be busy for quite some time until February, so this site will be quiet for quite a while.

updates...finally

the Gaza Strip issue

Shout all you like, but shouting alone won't solve the issue.
Demonstrate all you like, in the end all you'll be doing is wasting your breath. Plus, you'll get a nice tan or sunburn.

Then why are all those people do this unwanted things? Is it race, religion, or human rights? I can't tell you now. I'm still thinking.

What I do know is that the Israelis are playing right into the hands of the Hamas. The more Palestinian civilians are killed, the more anti-Israeli propaganda the Hamas gets. And also the more worldwide sympathy is generated for the Palestinians. The only obstacle left in the way of the UN is the US.

New Year wishes

Here are my New Year wishes [not resolutions, I'm lazy to stick to my resolutions]:

Either Anwar takes over, or Najib steps down.
May there be a freer blogosphere. And stop flaming my Cbox please. I don't need a flame war on my blog.
We need better interreligious and interfaith understanding.
I hope I can cure my addiction to coffee, the casual drug.
I need to get off my arse and start studying again.
I need to sell off my old textbooks.
I need to rearrange my eating times.
I need to figure out how to live on my own in Melbourne.


To all the blog readers and bloggers out there and in here,

Have a good time celebrating the entrance of 2009!

religion in this country

There are some people advocating that Malay versions/translations of the Bible should be allowed in our country. I think I agree with them. It would promote better understanding among the different races and religions. Especially if the Malays read the Bible, they would understand the Christians slightly better. It isn't that we don't want to understand you guys, it's just that it's harder for us to coexist if you don't understand us as well as we understand you.

While on the topic of religion, let's look at another interesting development. Feng shui is a mainly Chinese practice, involving changing one's environment to better suit one's luck. [Yes, I believe in this as well] Lately, a lot of people of other races have started practising feng shui as well. The Indians have a similar practice called Vasthu Sasthra. [not sure if the spelling is correct, correct me if I'm wrong]
Now, does practising feng shui erode a Muslim's faith? I wouldn't know for sure, since I'm not one. Yet another good question for the Fatwa Council to answer.


-Revelations 21:6 - I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him that thirsts.- Fallout 3 quote

our problem in the world

I see my Cbox has been filled with comments regarding my idea on cosplaying. I have not much of a stand, since I'm not really into cosplaying or manga or anime myself. I just want to get a rough idea of the situation our country and its people are in now.

Where else in the world do prices rise and fall, oblivious to the global market?

Where else in the world do coalition members disagree with each others?

Where else in the world are we involved in disagreeing to disagree?

Where else in the world are opposition leaders considered to be more influential in the global scene?

I think the answer to all the questions above are the same.

I rest my case.

just wondering aloud

I went to Comic Fiesta in Sunway Pyramid yesterday. Now as it is, cosplaying is very popular around here. I think I saw many Malays around there cosplaying.

Question: Islam says you cannot worship anyone else but Allah. Is cosplaying considered worshipping other idols?

[No offense meant to cosplayers at all]

SAM results out

I still hate TM dial up for denying me fast news. Press one button, and it takes the page a minute to load. So it took me half an hour just to find my results on the SACE page. Bloody hell.

Anyway, ignorance is bliss, but knowledge is pure heaven. I got a TER of 99.65. It simply means that I got a result above 99.65% of students sitting for SAM finals '08. Being in the top .35% isn't too much special. You can't differentiate these students on the road if you meet them.
At least I got an A for English, which is better than my trial result.

Oh well, now I've secured a place to university. Now to cure my DotA problem. This Sunday's gathering won't help it too much. Never mind that then.

thoughts on work so far

Work is simple. Tire yourself out, at the end of the day/week/month you get paid. Then again, its tiring when you have to do data entry and read other people's pathetic handwriting. I found that there are some Malaysians who can't read a simple form properly. My favourite example should be this:

Where did you hear about us from?
[ ] Friends/relatives


[ /] Others - _friends_

So much for coming to an education fair.
At least one thing I enjoy about work is the entire experience. Having colleagues who treat you decently is a bonus. Now I'm considering working as a student ambassador for SAM next year, when the term starts.

Science and Maths in English

http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/15922/84/

This page above suggests the miserable state of our education. We worry about our students, whether they can do Science and Maths in English, and worldwide, others are worrying about whether their students are performing well amongst their global peers. And the Chinese are just as bad as others, infighting over whether Chinese or English is better for Science and Maths. [I'm sorry, I'm Chinese too.]

I guess the single school system suggestion is overdue, although many parties are against it for their own reasons.

Malays: Against single school system.
Why: Not sure, but so many of them are shouting about Mukhriz. Most likely reason: They don't want to lose their "superiority" when the non-Bumis come in and take over everything their students had.

Chinese: Against single school system.
Why: Apparently single school system will erode the Chinese culture. Yeah, like it hasn't been damaged enough with the national school system.

Indians: Not sure.
Why: Cos they haven't been talking loudly enough to be heard.

Ok then. One of the first reasons why the national schools are not widely liked is because of the policies in place. Some of us fear that the national schools are slowly being Islamised. You have all sorts of complaints coming from non-Bumis in national schools.
But there is another reason why not many of us like the national schools. I once joined a maths competition back in primary school. My school team made it all the way to the finals of the district level. Now, the four schools which made it that far were 3 SJK(C) schools and 1 national school.
Ranking after finals:
#1. My school team [SJK(C)]
#2. Some other SJK(C)
#3. Another SJK(C)
#4. The only national school

Guess which school team made it to the next round.



Surprise of surprises, it was the national school team!

I don't remember the reason given, but it was something along the lines of some policy. [don't ask me what] But it shows the miserably poor state of our students from the national schools. How sad.

Bumi vs Non bumi

Taylor's open day this year is relatively boring. However, I guess the spectre of economic recession is not an obstacle for next year's students. It is actually quite enlightening to be a flyer distributor. You get to know what goes on in people's minds when they approach you or ignore you. So I can conclude this:

#1. Indian parents are most concerned about their children's future, hence they will always try to get their kids to go overseas to study.
#2. Chinese parents are also quite concerned about their children's future. But they will try to save money, so when you ask them whether they want to get their kids to study overseas, they will usually say no. After that they will cross the road and go into IDP.

Unfortunately I have to segregate the people by race. Otherwise how would I show this situation in M'sia? Everyone would think that Chinese and Indians studying overseas are from rich families, just like what Mahathir said on Al Jazeera. Rather, these people persevere like crazy. They work overtime. They work 3/4 day on weekends. They work on Sundays. Compare this to "normal" bumis. They work 9 to 5, but from 9 to 10 they have breakfast in the office, and at certain times throughout the day they go for prayers, and they have 4 to 5 for tea before going home. They have the luxury of working half-day on Saturdays. They can rest on Sundays. Why? All because the government takes care of them. More quota in the local universities. More scholarships to go overseas. [Some of them actually take very long to finish an UNDERgrad course.]
I'm not saying all bumis are lazy. Some are hardworking. But most aren't. When we complain about lazy civil servants, the image that comes to mind is usually the tudung-clad lady.

Oh well, such is my country. That's why most of us non-bumis go to private colleges. Then we go overseas for further studies. All because the opportunities locally are very limited. Bloody sad.

oil, oil and more petrol

I think many of us don't like the current trade minister Shahrir. What with lower world crude oil prices and possible economic problems, he is suggesting a FLOOR price for petrol in M'sia. Bloody hell. Others are thinking of a CEILING price and he suggests a FLOOR price, what nonsense is this? Anyway, when has the petrol price ever reflected accurately the current trading price for petrol? When the world price was high, the price here was low. Now that the world price is dropping like mad, the price of petrol here is still massively high.

Only here, can we find such idiocity. How sad it must be for us. No wonder so many of us flee the country as fast as we can. No wonder also that the ministers send their children overseas quickly to spare them from the hell we face here.

national schools vs. vernacular schools

Mukhriz suggests that we abolish vernacular schools. Most likely this means that he wants national schools to be the only schools available, besides private schools. Now, most of us don't actually trust those schools enough to send our children to such schools.
Commonly held notions of national schools:
#1. Malay schools
#2. Overemphasis on Islam, for example reciting Quranic verses.
#3. Little emphasis on Pupils' Own Languages, eg: Chinese, Tamil.
#4. Favouritism/bias towards Malays

So, if the general public believes this, then they should send their children to national schools to learn, so that the true story of national schools emerges. From my experience with my college classmates, the average national school student has more exposure to a multiracial society. Although I must note that national schools don't actually have a dazzling reputation for academic achievements.

Now today he comes out to say that Malay will be the main language of instruction in his ideal school system. Damn, he just lost his status in my eyes. Why doesn't anyone want to emulate the Singaporeans and use English as the language of instruction? Oh yeah, the inferiority complex comes out. Damn, should have thought of that earlier.

Ah, what the hell. Screw those who can't think straight to save a nation from suffering. Screw those who can't think right to think of a systematic way to help the nation's graduates. No wonder the education system here is going down.

may God save us

I believe that many dumb people still stay in Malaysia. God help us, but FOMCA is the best example. Floor price of RM 3 for petrol? That's ridiculous. Yoga being unislamic and can erode faith in Islam? That's another round of hogwash. Although some Christians actually think the same way as the current fatwa council. But never mind them.

Well, let's start to turn this rubbish around. I have a theory that goes like this: Ignoring all previous theories already in place, we can usually find a new idea/theory.
So I thought I'd try it out with my theory regarding the clumpiness of the universe, ie: why the mass in the universe is not evenly distributed.
1. A black hole was formed during the start of the universe.
2. Particle-antiparticle formation led to the black hole losing mass.
3. Asymmetrical particle-antiparticle formation caused more particles to be formed than antiparticles.
4. Thus causing the uneven distribution of mass and gravitational centres in the universe.
5. The black hole evaporated soon after, possibly leading to the big bang.

I'm not sure if this is true, because most of the theories may not be satisfied by this phenomenon. Anyway, I hope somebody appreciates this. Because I doubt the local standard comes near it.