I've started reading and exploring other blogs, and there are so many good ones! More importantly, I noticed how this blog doesn't quite resemble other blogs. The usual blog has lots of links, either to articles, older posts, or other blogs. There are also pictures strewn around for good measure.
This blog has very little of all those.
But I'm not concerned. This blog is my work, and I'll keep it however I want to. I do realize, of course, that I'll be able to get more visitors if I traded links with other bloggers and publicized it widely, but as a blogger once said, "I like the fact that a blog is at least semi-private, away from the hectic part of my life. A way of expressing our ideas and feelings without censorship and political correctness..." (Bedtime Stories)
Hey, was that my first link to another blog?
31 July 2005
They Sure Are Randy...
Since the beginning of this semester, I noticed there were Indian functions being held at the hall during certain Saturdays. At first, I thought they were organized by the Indian Cultural Society, but by the 3rd time I knew they couldn't be a college activity. I asked a student Council member, and she told me those were Indian weddings.
Immediately I thought, why do it here of all places? I mean, a wedding reception at a college?!? She said there was no other place as the town's public hall is closed, and we were the best alternative. I guess that makes perfect sense, but I had no idea the Indians here were so productive, ya know? There's always a wedding almost every Saturday of this semester, and all of them are Indian weddings.
What about Malays? They do it at their houses. And the Chinese? Boring restaurants.
Anyway, we went to Pizza Hut for dinner. As usual, I only had the salad. But this time, we were eating in, so I did myself proud by breaking my own record for the highest salad. But I believe that with proper planning, I could get an inch more. The water rationing policy is still in effect, and it so happens that today is one of those 'no-water' days. So Pizza Hut became a children's party - we used flimsy paper plates instead. Thankfully the soup and salad bowls remain.
Immediately I thought, why do it here of all places? I mean, a wedding reception at a college?!? She said there was no other place as the town's public hall is closed, and we were the best alternative. I guess that makes perfect sense, but I had no idea the Indians here were so productive, ya know? There's always a wedding almost every Saturday of this semester, and all of them are Indian weddings.
What about Malays? They do it at their houses. And the Chinese? Boring restaurants.
Anyway, we went to Pizza Hut for dinner. As usual, I only had the salad. But this time, we were eating in, so I did myself proud by breaking my own record for the highest salad. But I believe that with proper planning, I could get an inch more. The water rationing policy is still in effect, and it so happens that today is one of those 'no-water' days. So Pizza Hut became a children's party - we used flimsy paper plates instead. Thankfully the soup and salad bowls remain.
29 July 2005
Zemien... Revealed
Well, I finally uploaded a decent picture of myself. It was taken during last Friday's Installation Nite. Gosh, has it been a week already? Gosh, I sound so fake when using 'gosh'!
Feast your eyes on me, but I provide no warranty of any sort that you will not fall back and die.
Feast your eyes on me, but I provide no warranty of any sort that you will not fall back and die.
The Things They Do...
28/7/2005
..to make life hell for us.
We have many network users in our hostel, and managing the network has been a cause of frustration for the network administrators (let's abbreviate 'Network Administrators' and call them 'Idiots' for the rest of this post). Unfortunately, the measures that the idiots take to control the network is also causing us, the users, much frustration.
To me, the idiots are like pre-school children, grabbing every new technology in sight and forcing them down our throats before doing full-scale testing. With every semester, there will be at least one new hurdle placed by the idiots for us to jump across. The problem is every hurdle is different everytime, so if you were able to jump across one hurdle, you'll only land on your face while attempting the next.
First, it was proxy servers. Next, a content filter that never filtered out legit sites. Then, came some ISA server bullshit that never lasted long. It was promptly followed by some load balancing cow manure. And then today... today is the Holy Grail of all security hurdles: the Network VirusWall. I'm not sure how it works yet, but I believe it is meant to stem the outbreak of viruses by scanning each and every bit we transfer. I'm sure the connection will take quite a hit, but the problem is that it won't let us connect to the Internet in the first place. Trying to access a website will yield the following message:
"Vulnerability Summary:
Vulnerability Assessment requires a reassessment of this computer. This computer may be at risk of a virus infection.
To reconnect to the network, click Reassess this Computer, or contact your network administrator."
There's a cute little rectangular button at the bottom labeled "Reassess this Computer". Being the law-obedient Net user that I am, I clicked on it, hoping to regain network access soon.
Nothing happened.
David seems to be having the same problem. I tested it with Firefox, and the Internet Explorer. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.
There was not a single notice about how to deal with this. There was just a message online earlier about some network maintenance going on, but I didn't guess it was something this huge. Worse, it will probably scare IT-illiterate users that their "computer may be at risk of a virus infection."
I'm infected, all right. I'm infected by the sheer idiocy of some decision-makers in this college.
29/7/2005
Things are finally (almost) back to normal. The security assessment successfully ran and finished, but not before saying that a vulnerability is found. After some initial panic, I turned the proxy server back on, and I manage to go onto MSN.
My guess is that the software was not properly installed last night. If you think I'll finally forgive the Idiots for what they have done, you are wrong.
P.S. I also realized that I'm a slave to the Internet.
..to make life hell for us.
We have many network users in our hostel, and managing the network has been a cause of frustration for the network administrators (let's abbreviate 'Network Administrators' and call them 'Idiots' for the rest of this post). Unfortunately, the measures that the idiots take to control the network is also causing us, the users, much frustration.
To me, the idiots are like pre-school children, grabbing every new technology in sight and forcing them down our throats before doing full-scale testing. With every semester, there will be at least one new hurdle placed by the idiots for us to jump across. The problem is every hurdle is different everytime, so if you were able to jump across one hurdle, you'll only land on your face while attempting the next.
First, it was proxy servers. Next, a content filter that never filtered out legit sites. Then, came some ISA server bullshit that never lasted long. It was promptly followed by some load balancing cow manure. And then today... today is the Holy Grail of all security hurdles: the Network VirusWall. I'm not sure how it works yet, but I believe it is meant to stem the outbreak of viruses by scanning each and every bit we transfer. I'm sure the connection will take quite a hit, but the problem is that it won't let us connect to the Internet in the first place. Trying to access a website will yield the following message:
"Vulnerability Summary:
Vulnerability Assessment requires a reassessment of this computer. This computer may be at risk of a virus infection.
To reconnect to the network, click Reassess this Computer, or contact your network administrator."
There's a cute little rectangular button at the bottom labeled "Reassess this Computer". Being the law-obedient Net user that I am, I clicked on it, hoping to regain network access soon.
Nothing happened.
David seems to be having the same problem. I tested it with Firefox, and the Internet Explorer. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.
There was not a single notice about how to deal with this. There was just a message online earlier about some network maintenance going on, but I didn't guess it was something this huge. Worse, it will probably scare IT-illiterate users that their "computer may be at risk of a virus infection."
I'm infected, all right. I'm infected by the sheer idiocy of some decision-makers in this college.
29/7/2005
Things are finally (almost) back to normal. The security assessment successfully ran and finished, but not before saying that a vulnerability is found. After some initial panic, I turned the proxy server back on, and I manage to go onto MSN.
My guess is that the software was not properly installed last night. If you think I'll finally forgive the Idiots for what they have done, you are wrong.
P.S. I also realized that I'm a slave to the Internet.
28 July 2005
The Perils of Wearing Boxers
Unlike most Malaysians, I wear boxers instead of briefs. I discovered the joy of briefs around 2 years ago, and I never turned back. The feeling of freedom is, well, liberating. Briefs just get in the way, you know? Some of my friends who are still stuck in Brief Land give a myriad a reasons to continue wearing tighty-whities. The most common claim is that they wouldn't want to be caught dead having a public erection, which will be so obvious if they wore boxers. I'm not denying that doesn't happen with me, but I prefer letting it grow and subside naturally rather than trying to squeeze it and conform it to a scrap of fabric. I think having an erection in briefs is more unhealthy in the long run, such as (possibly) odd angles.
But that is not the main danger when it comes to wearing boxers. Only inexperienced boxer wearers will be concerned about erections. Oh no, the real danger comes from those two things under the erection. As the balls can move around freely (and believe me, they do), it might get into dangerous positions. Yesterday while I was sitting, I casually moved my right thigh. That sort of rubbed off on my testicle and I think it twisted it a little. I can only say "I think", coz at that moment the sharp pain made me focus more on my bulging eyeballs, afraid it will drop out as well. The pain went as quickly as it came, but I sat there whimpering for the next 20 seconds, afraid of further damaging the family jewels. All that, just because of a tiny duct that connects the testicles to everywhere else.
Achille's weakness may be his heel, but for the rest of us, there's Testicles.
But that is not the main danger when it comes to wearing boxers. Only inexperienced boxer wearers will be concerned about erections. Oh no, the real danger comes from those two things under the erection. As the balls can move around freely (and believe me, they do), it might get into dangerous positions. Yesterday while I was sitting, I casually moved my right thigh. That sort of rubbed off on my testicle and I think it twisted it a little. I can only say "I think", coz at that moment the sharp pain made me focus more on my bulging eyeballs, afraid it will drop out as well. The pain went as quickly as it came, but I sat there whimpering for the next 20 seconds, afraid of further damaging the family jewels. All that, just because of a tiny duct that connects the testicles to everywhere else.
Achille's weakness may be his heel, but for the rest of us, there's Testicles.
27 July 2005
The Perils of Blogging Part 1
Blogging is not just posting some silly sentences hoping that someone will read it, you know.
OK, maybe it is, but there are hidden dangers related to blogging that I wish to highlight. A few days ago, one blog I was beginning to grow fond of was suddenly removed from the Internet. I found out from the owner that he was forced to do so after being threatened by his company management. Apparently, he had posted some photos of his workplace that did not exactly put the employer in a good light, and someone printed his blog out and showed it to the Boss. His boss summoned him into the office immediately, berated him at length, and asked him ('ask' is too polite) to remove the blog and send an apology letter to everyone in the department. Or else his contract will be terminated.
This is not an isolated case. In the (former) land of glory, the US of A, there has been many cases of workers being fired after their blogs were found to say something negative about the company. Bloggers are trying to campaign for their rights regarding this, but have so far been unsuccessful. My take is, until a legitimate body is formed to represent bloggers, progress cannot be ensured. However, to have a controlling organization goes against the ideas of blogs in the first place, so I guess we are caught in a deadlock.
All this shows that I should keep my anonymity longer. If I publicly reveal where I'm studying, I could get into trouble for criticizing the administration or the staff. I mean, I do love the college ('love' is too polite), but there are times when some ineptitude idiot makes life unbearable.
So, to my fellow bloggers, be careful - you are treading on eggshells. Or if you are a vegetarian, be careful - you are treading on rotten tomatoes.
OK, maybe it is, but there are hidden dangers related to blogging that I wish to highlight. A few days ago, one blog I was beginning to grow fond of was suddenly removed from the Internet. I found out from the owner that he was forced to do so after being threatened by his company management. Apparently, he had posted some photos of his workplace that did not exactly put the employer in a good light, and someone printed his blog out and showed it to the Boss. His boss summoned him into the office immediately, berated him at length, and asked him ('ask' is too polite) to remove the blog and send an apology letter to everyone in the department. Or else his contract will be terminated.
This is not an isolated case. In the (former) land of glory, the US of A, there has been many cases of workers being fired after their blogs were found to say something negative about the company. Bloggers are trying to campaign for their rights regarding this, but have so far been unsuccessful. My take is, until a legitimate body is formed to represent bloggers, progress cannot be ensured. However, to have a controlling organization goes against the ideas of blogs in the first place, so I guess we are caught in a deadlock.
All this shows that I should keep my anonymity longer. If I publicly reveal where I'm studying, I could get into trouble for criticizing the administration or the staff. I mean, I do love the college ('love' is too polite), but there are times when some ineptitude idiot makes life unbearable.
So, to my fellow bloggers, be careful - you are treading on eggshells. Or if you are a vegetarian, be careful - you are treading on rotten tomatoes.
26 July 2005
It Grew!
In an old old post, I wrote about a baby lizard living under my bed. I saw another lizard just now, and if it's the same lizard, it has definitely grown! From a small rascal, it is now a 2 inch teenager! I only hope that once it reaches maturity it will want to leave home and sleep with unidentified partners in other rooms. I'm only concerned that it's a family-oriented lizards that is proud to "return to its roots".
(shudder)
(shudder)
Harry Potter and the Half-Finished Story
I've just finished reading Half-Blood Prince, and I'm pretty disappointed with it. I've somehow guessed who was going to die quarter-way through the book, but still it wasn't a very exciting read, compared to the previous books. It starts off with a bang but quickly slowed down to a crawl, and it crawled it did, through more than half of the book. If you want to read through it quickly, I suggest reading the first 5 and last 5 chapters.
I understand, however, that this book is somewhat like Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. It is placed smack in the middle of an excellent start and excellent ending - it can't do much except to carry the story forward with no real resolution to it. And that's what happened with this book - a lot of things are explained and a lot of scenarios are set up for the final encounters in Book 7.
Some reviewers blasted the book on focusing too much on silly puppy love and Quidditch. However, I think that is an accurate representation of most 16 year-olds. J.K. Rowling has to please a whole range of fans, and I think she tried to balance it too much, ending up nowhere. Gee, I'm still shocked with the ending. Guess that proves how good she is at writing deaths and suspense, but not romance and story telling.
I understand, however, that this book is somewhat like Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. It is placed smack in the middle of an excellent start and excellent ending - it can't do much except to carry the story forward with no real resolution to it. And that's what happened with this book - a lot of things are explained and a lot of scenarios are set up for the final encounters in Book 7.
Some reviewers blasted the book on focusing too much on silly puppy love and Quidditch. However, I think that is an accurate representation of most 16 year-olds. J.K. Rowling has to please a whole range of fans, and I think she tried to balance it too much, ending up nowhere. Gee, I'm still shocked with the ending. Guess that proves how good she is at writing deaths and suspense, but not romance and story telling.
25 July 2005
Grumpy
Something weird happened this morning - I woke up at 9.30am! As silly as that sounds, that doesn't usually happen. I usually wake up around 8am on days that I don't have early lectures. To wake up after 9am, I would have needed to sleep really late the night before, sometime around 2am or so. But I crashed in around 12.30am, which is a little late, sure, but not something I haven't been doing regularly. I remembered having a dream, though I don't recall a single detail. I was never good with recalling dreams, unlike David.
Anyway, I got really grumpy when I went to print my assignment just now. The printing and photostat centre was swamped with students trying to print, photostat, and bind their documents. There were only 4 permanent workers there and you could see how stressed out they are. Some of the students, including myself, had to help ourselves to the printer and collect it manually. It was a horrendous scene and I wasted 30 minutes in that crowded room. The situation is so bad because:
Anyway, I got really grumpy when I went to print my assignment just now. The printing and photostat centre was swamped with students trying to print, photostat, and bind their documents. There were only 4 permanent workers there and you could see how stressed out they are. Some of the students, including myself, had to help ourselves to the printer and collect it manually. It was a horrendous scene and I wasted 30 minutes in that crowded room. The situation is so bad because:
- Final semester students are printing their 200+ page thesis
- The network printing system is down, forcing students to pay for every printout even when there is sufficient money in their prepaid accounts
- They do not have enough people working. Even in the past, when they were just handling photostating services, it was common to have to queue very long. Then the management had to pass the printing service to them, doubling the problem
- Their services are expensive as they have a monopoly. C'mon, RM4 for plastic binding?
When I finally managed to evacuate the area with my bound assignment in hand, I already had a throbbing headache. I'll have to get my own laser printer if this situation continues. Any good models to recommend? Drop me a comment, k?
24 July 2005
Dim Sum
David had to go to TAR College today to attend his good friend's graduation ceremony. He had to start his long journey at 7am, so I volunteered to drive him to the train station. Surprisingly, the other guys (Albert, Joey) and girl (Grace) wanted to go also. So I suggested we go for Dim Sum after dropping David off at the station. They readily agreed.
This was definitely the first time all of us went out for breakfast this early. It was even more surprising considering that it had been raining and was a Sunday, perfect conditions for waking up late. But we came together anyway, and had a nice breakfast. We had a variety of items, including the deep fried stuff (which I don't consider as 'real' Dim Sum). It came up to about RM34 in total for the 4 of us. Pretty standard price to pay here.
P.S. I checked the Ringgit - Pound conversion rate yesterday and it was at 6.5. This is such a far cry from the 7.2 rate I had to use last semester for the university franchise fee.
This was definitely the first time all of us went out for breakfast this early. It was even more surprising considering that it had been raining and was a Sunday, perfect conditions for waking up late. But we came together anyway, and had a nice breakfast. We had a variety of items, including the deep fried stuff (which I don't consider as 'real' Dim Sum). It came up to about RM34 in total for the 4 of us. Pretty standard price to pay here.
P.S. I checked the Ringgit - Pound conversion rate yesterday and it was at 6.5. This is such a far cry from the 7.2 rate I had to use last semester for the university franchise fee.
23 July 2005
Installation Night
The short story - Buddhist Society won 4 awards, namely:
We had many other nominations that we didn't win because we were competing with the Three Towers - Adventure Club (Top Club), STACT club, and Leo club. For example, my own Youth Camp was nominated for Best Event Review category but didn't win. I was a little surprised that it was only in one category. I thought it was in a few other categories... but that's fine.
The long story- We were supposed to start our journey at 6.30pm, which was already late. However, we had to wait for everyone and the 7-car entourage finally started off at 6.50pm... but then we detoured to a petrol station to refill on gas. Due to some glitches, we had left some people behind and a car was sent to pick them up while the others waited at the petrol station. By the time everyone was there and we could start our journey proper, it was almost 7.15pm.
Thankfully, the highway wasn't too crowded, and after some slow driving to keep everyone synchronized, we reached the hotel at 7.45pm. Strolling in fashionably late, we took our seats at the far end of the hall, just in time for the college President's speech. I was relieved that we didn't come strolling in while he was speaking, it would have been rude. But a close call nonetheless.
Not long after his speech dinner started. Buddhist Society, being vegetarian, has an edge here. While others had to rush, push, and juggle plates at the buffet line, Buddhist Society had the pleasure of eating directly at the table as the vegetarian food has been prepared especially for us. The downside to this is, of course, that we don't get refills. The dish portions are not that big, probably only a spoonful for each person. But we can have as much rice as we want, while fruits, dessert, pastry, and mushroom soup can be taken from the buffet line.
After dinner, the first round of awards started. Right off the bat, Buddhist Society won an award. I felt it was a good omen, and that we might finally break our record of 5. As we discovered later, we were close, but didn't make it. At any rate, there was a lot of team spirit whenever our name was announced in the nominee list. Everyone clapped and shouted their hearts out, though admittedly, our hearts were not as big as Adventure or Leo or STACT. But I still think we have come a long way, and despite the club Chairperson's feeling that he didn't do well, but I'm adamant that we did what we had to do.
There were a lot of phototaking sessions throughout the night. In fact, that was what I was doing most of the time. I've included many pictures below, showing, for the first time, myself! But don't scroll down yet, read what I have to write. The event ended on time around 11.25pm, and we didn't waste time going out and taking more photos in the lobby. There is a beautiful staircase just outside the ballroom, but it was already taken by the time we stepped out. I knew we would have to wait ages to actually get to pose there, so I gathered everyone and took them to another side of the large lobby where there was an unused service counter. There, we took photos like there was no tomorrow. I racked up more than 200 photos throughout the night.
We then debated on where to go next. Most of us were high from the night, so we wanted to go somewhere. There were a few suggestions, such as Putrajaya, KLIA, Port Dickson, or karaoke. I wasn't keen on sightseeing at night, especially when there's usually nothing much to see anyway. Plus, it would take much more driving to get there, which I don't fancy at all. I personally liked karaoke - it's been a long time since I shouted my lungs out. But they were planning to go to Red Box, which would require us to go to KL. Immediately, I disagreed. I'm not keen on driving so much so late at night as I know I'll be tired. I suggested a bistro near our college itself. I think most of us have not been there, and it, being an alcohol drinking place, should open till quite late. After a few more minutes of deliberation and still no group consensus, the drivers vetoed the decision and we went to the bistro.
And I am lucky that I suggested the bistro, because within a few minutes we had ordered our drinks, I can see that some of the drivers were already very tired, and so were the whole group. If we actually went to somewhere where we had to walk (PD, Putrajaya, Bintang Walk) or exert our physical self (Red Box), how in the world are we gonna make it back to college alive?
At the bistro itself, there arose some misunderstanding about a pineapple juice that wasn't ordered. However, it was in the bill which I paid for in advance. I only realized it when we were collecting money back and we noticed that error in the receipt. I quickly alerted the staff which were closing up. The manager kindly explained that they could not refund me my money so he asked if they could give me a cake in return. I understood their situation and I got a slice of strawberry cheese cake. I kept that cheesecake for breakfast, and it was the most exclusive breakfast I ever had! Though their cake won't match Secret Recipe's.
We went home, tired and battered, around 2am. I washed myself and I finally went to bed around 2.30am. David was still up as he was playing with his new O2 handphone. It looks pretty cool, plus it has Windows on it, so a lot of customization is possible. Maybe I'll write about his phone some other day. But for now, here are some photos of me and my friends at the society. If you are wondering who I am, I'm the only guy present in all of the following photos:
- Best Religious/Cultural Club
- Best Charity Event
- Outstanding Cultural/Religious Event
- Outstanding Notice Board
We had many other nominations that we didn't win because we were competing with the Three Towers - Adventure Club (Top Club), STACT club, and Leo club. For example, my own Youth Camp was nominated for Best Event Review category but didn't win. I was a little surprised that it was only in one category. I thought it was in a few other categories... but that's fine.
The long story- We were supposed to start our journey at 6.30pm, which was already late. However, we had to wait for everyone and the 7-car entourage finally started off at 6.50pm... but then we detoured to a petrol station to refill on gas. Due to some glitches, we had left some people behind and a car was sent to pick them up while the others waited at the petrol station. By the time everyone was there and we could start our journey proper, it was almost 7.15pm.
Thankfully, the highway wasn't too crowded, and after some slow driving to keep everyone synchronized, we reached the hotel at 7.45pm. Strolling in fashionably late, we took our seats at the far end of the hall, just in time for the college President's speech. I was relieved that we didn't come strolling in while he was speaking, it would have been rude. But a close call nonetheless.
Not long after his speech dinner started. Buddhist Society, being vegetarian, has an edge here. While others had to rush, push, and juggle plates at the buffet line, Buddhist Society had the pleasure of eating directly at the table as the vegetarian food has been prepared especially for us. The downside to this is, of course, that we don't get refills. The dish portions are not that big, probably only a spoonful for each person. But we can have as much rice as we want, while fruits, dessert, pastry, and mushroom soup can be taken from the buffet line.
After dinner, the first round of awards started. Right off the bat, Buddhist Society won an award. I felt it was a good omen, and that we might finally break our record of 5. As we discovered later, we were close, but didn't make it. At any rate, there was a lot of team spirit whenever our name was announced in the nominee list. Everyone clapped and shouted their hearts out, though admittedly, our hearts were not as big as Adventure or Leo or STACT. But I still think we have come a long way, and despite the club Chairperson's feeling that he didn't do well, but I'm adamant that we did what we had to do.
There were a lot of phototaking sessions throughout the night. In fact, that was what I was doing most of the time. I've included many pictures below, showing, for the first time, myself! But don't scroll down yet, read what I have to write. The event ended on time around 11.25pm, and we didn't waste time going out and taking more photos in the lobby. There is a beautiful staircase just outside the ballroom, but it was already taken by the time we stepped out. I knew we would have to wait ages to actually get to pose there, so I gathered everyone and took them to another side of the large lobby where there was an unused service counter. There, we took photos like there was no tomorrow. I racked up more than 200 photos throughout the night.
We then debated on where to go next. Most of us were high from the night, so we wanted to go somewhere. There were a few suggestions, such as Putrajaya, KLIA, Port Dickson, or karaoke. I wasn't keen on sightseeing at night, especially when there's usually nothing much to see anyway. Plus, it would take much more driving to get there, which I don't fancy at all. I personally liked karaoke - it's been a long time since I shouted my lungs out. But they were planning to go to Red Box, which would require us to go to KL. Immediately, I disagreed. I'm not keen on driving so much so late at night as I know I'll be tired. I suggested a bistro near our college itself. I think most of us have not been there, and it, being an alcohol drinking place, should open till quite late. After a few more minutes of deliberation and still no group consensus, the drivers vetoed the decision and we went to the bistro.
And I am lucky that I suggested the bistro, because within a few minutes we had ordered our drinks, I can see that some of the drivers were already very tired, and so were the whole group. If we actually went to somewhere where we had to walk (PD, Putrajaya, Bintang Walk) or exert our physical self (Red Box), how in the world are we gonna make it back to college alive?
At the bistro itself, there arose some misunderstanding about a pineapple juice that wasn't ordered. However, it was in the bill which I paid for in advance. I only realized it when we were collecting money back and we noticed that error in the receipt. I quickly alerted the staff which were closing up. The manager kindly explained that they could not refund me my money so he asked if they could give me a cake in return. I understood their situation and I got a slice of strawberry cheese cake. I kept that cheesecake for breakfast, and it was the most exclusive breakfast I ever had! Though their cake won't match Secret Recipe's.
We went home, tired and battered, around 2am. I washed myself and I finally went to bed around 2.30am. David was still up as he was playing with his new O2 handphone. It looks pretty cool, plus it has Windows on it, so a lot of customization is possible. Maybe I'll write about his phone some other day. But for now, here are some photos of me and my friends at the society. If you are wondering who I am, I'm the only guy present in all of the following photos:
22 July 2005
Just Cocky
In the third part of a series of lame posts about trivial items in my life, I'm gonna write about the wall hook that won't stick.
OK, just kidding.
I have two tests today, from 2-6pm, and I have barely studied. In fact, I just finished reading another 3 chapters of Harry Potter 6. I wonder why am I so cocky today? Or rather, lately? Is my constant stream of A's giving me false hopes, or am I just too excited about tonight?
Ah, yes. Installation Night is coming! It is going to start at 6.30pm sharp in Seremban, but Buddhist Society is only leaving the college at 6.30pm, which means we'll definitely be late. But what to do, as not all of us could go at the expected time, especially since I have a test. I had earlier contemplated on getting dressed up properly before the test so that I can rush to Seremban once I finish it, but it was generally agreed that we'll go at 6.30pm, so I have time to come back and dress up before the big event.
Earlier, I had high hopes of winning an award for the Youth Camp, which I think went very well and deserved recognition. However, I learned from an inside source that the society would not win an award for the camp, but will win several more for other categories. That was a real bummer, but I'm actually still hyped up about the event because I had participated in most of the other events that have been nominated.
Here's wishing that we'll break our record of 6 awards!
OK, just kidding.
I have two tests today, from 2-6pm, and I have barely studied. In fact, I just finished reading another 3 chapters of Harry Potter 6. I wonder why am I so cocky today? Or rather, lately? Is my constant stream of A's giving me false hopes, or am I just too excited about tonight?
Ah, yes. Installation Night is coming! It is going to start at 6.30pm sharp in Seremban, but Buddhist Society is only leaving the college at 6.30pm, which means we'll definitely be late. But what to do, as not all of us could go at the expected time, especially since I have a test. I had earlier contemplated on getting dressed up properly before the test so that I can rush to Seremban once I finish it, but it was generally agreed that we'll go at 6.30pm, so I have time to come back and dress up before the big event.
Earlier, I had high hopes of winning an award for the Youth Camp, which I think went very well and deserved recognition. However, I learned from an inside source that the society would not win an award for the camp, but will win several more for other categories. That was a real bummer, but I'm actually still hyped up about the event because I had participated in most of the other events that have been nominated.
Here's wishing that we'll break our record of 6 awards!
21 July 2005
Liquid Paper
In the second part of a series of lame posts about trivial items in my life, I'm gonna write about the new liquid paper I bought last week.
I've been using Papermate's Liquid Paper for a couple of years now, and I'm talking about the same tube here. I considered these white chemicals as extremely expensive - a few Ringgit for 7ml? So when I finally finished the current tube I went out shopping for another one. At the hypermarket I had a few choices, between the famous Papermate, and other unknown brands.
I had a real dillema in my hands: Do I go with the trusted brand by paying RM5, or do I try some cheaper brand which will probably do the same thing for RM3? I finally settled on Dolphin's Correction Liquid, touted as "multipurpose" and "quick dry". Quick dry I can understand, but multipurpose? What other purpose would you use a liquid paper for? Whitening the peeled-off areas of your wall?
At any rate, it was only RM2.90 for a 12ml tube, compared to Papermate's 7ml tube for RM5.90. It was a purchase decision I regretted today. While there were no problems with the application of liquid paper, the liquid itself doesn't work very well. While it will cover writing errors in a deep white, any attempt to write over it later will scrape it off. In other words, it doesn't work! No correction is possible at all!
If 7ml could last me 2 years, how long would I have to tolerate this 12ml madness?
P.S. I remembered that back in secondary school we would equate sperm to liquid paper, and then giggled sheepishly over it. Dirty-minded bastards.
I've been using Papermate's Liquid Paper for a couple of years now, and I'm talking about the same tube here. I considered these white chemicals as extremely expensive - a few Ringgit for 7ml? So when I finally finished the current tube I went out shopping for another one. At the hypermarket I had a few choices, between the famous Papermate, and other unknown brands.
I had a real dillema in my hands: Do I go with the trusted brand by paying RM5, or do I try some cheaper brand which will probably do the same thing for RM3? I finally settled on Dolphin's Correction Liquid, touted as "multipurpose" and "quick dry". Quick dry I can understand, but multipurpose? What other purpose would you use a liquid paper for? Whitening the peeled-off areas of your wall?
At any rate, it was only RM2.90 for a 12ml tube, compared to Papermate's 7ml tube for RM5.90. It was a purchase decision I regretted today. While there were no problems with the application of liquid paper, the liquid itself doesn't work very well. While it will cover writing errors in a deep white, any attempt to write over it later will scrape it off. In other words, it doesn't work! No correction is possible at all!
If 7ml could last me 2 years, how long would I have to tolerate this 12ml madness?
P.S. I remembered that back in secondary school we would equate sperm to liquid paper, and then giggled sheepishly over it. Dirty-minded bastards.
Polka Dot Keyboard
Tonight is a very windy evening. The cool breeze is bringing in the midnight chill way before its time, something that I'm not complaining at all. With nothing better to do, I decided to rub some Prickly Heat talcum powder on myself. Even if I do not have any itch, I love the sweet menthol fragrant sometimes.
So I stood away in the middle of the room and started applying it on myself. When I was done, I turned around and was shocked to see that my keyboard was partially covered with white powder... it's now a dalmatian! The wind must have blown the powder off my hands before I got it onto my body...
I've just realized that if I had to write posts about my laptop keyboard, I'm really out of writing material. Damn.
So I stood away in the middle of the room and started applying it on myself. When I was done, I turned around and was shocked to see that my keyboard was partially covered with white powder... it's now a dalmatian! The wind must have blown the powder off my hands before I got it onto my body...
I've just realized that if I had to write posts about my laptop keyboard, I'm really out of writing material. Damn.
20 July 2005
Waffle Hot Dogs
As my friends and I were walking back we saw an interesting stall near the college bakery. They were selling waffle hot dogs for RM4 each. And what are they? It's a pretty large chicken weiner which is then dipped in waffle batter and then placed in the specially-shaped waffle maker. So in short, it is a hot dog wrapped in waffle.
For the sausage, there is a choice between cheese, black pepper, or mushroom. And either special sauce or black pepper sauce can be requested. The 'special' sauce is nothing but Thousand Island sauce. I had one mushroom sausage with special sauce, and it was delicious! Pretty interesting concept, I'll say.
However, at RM4, it's something I'll only have once. At any rate they're only opening till tomorrow.
For the sausage, there is a choice between cheese, black pepper, or mushroom. And either special sauce or black pepper sauce can be requested. The 'special' sauce is nothing but Thousand Island sauce. I had one mushroom sausage with special sauce, and it was delicious! Pretty interesting concept, I'll say.
However, at RM4, it's something I'll only have once. At any rate they're only opening till tomorrow.
19 July 2005
Scrap Metal Chef
Cooking is an innate interest of mine, though not necessarily an innate talent. I try to cook at least once for my friends every semester. I did so again today and my main dish was popiah - Chinese spring rolls. These are the non-fried variety and was (supposed) to contain bangkuang, carrots, and mushrooms. However, I could not find a single mushroom in the lame wet market I went to. Yes, it's that bad. I didn't plan to come to this particular market actually. My great-aunt who lived nearby told me that there's a much better market at the next town. She had only given me vague directions, but I decided to try it anyway.
So at 7.30am Albert and I drove towards the place. After almost 20 minutes of driving along winding kampung roads and not seeing 'the place', I decided to make a U-turn and just go to that lame market. I wouldn't want to be driving for another 50 minutes and find myself in another country, so I played safe.
And that's where we found ourselves - the lame wet market. I can't believe how expensive meat costs nowadays! One whole chicken breast is RM4.50! Just as I was finishing my marketing, it started raining heavily. As if the morning wasn't bad enough! We had to dash through the rain to my car, and I got a little soaked.
At any rate, we got back and I took a shower. David was still sleeping then. After the hot shower it was around 9.20am, and I begun preparations. By the time I was done it was almost 12pm, so I called the guys to come round. And we ate.
The verdict? It sucked!
The simple fact is that bangkuang and carrot forms the base ingredient; there must be the extra flavourful kick to make it taste great. Seafood popiah uses seafood and dried prawns, but in keeping with the vegetarian spirit I chose mushrooms. But as I wrote, there wasn't a single mushroom (the black Chinese ones anyway) found at the market. I wonder if it has anything to do with the rainy weather we have been getting lately?
Anyway, I've cleaned up everything. I gave some of the popiahs to other friends, hoping that they don't get food poisoning. I have almost 25 pieces of the popiah wrapper left and I don't know what to do with it. I don't think it can last much longer. My bed is now littered with the utensils I used. I'm too tired now and I can't sleep as the utensils have yet to dry. I can also sense that this post is boring and lengthy.... gotta... rest...
So at 7.30am Albert and I drove towards the place. After almost 20 minutes of driving along winding kampung roads and not seeing 'the place', I decided to make a U-turn and just go to that lame market. I wouldn't want to be driving for another 50 minutes and find myself in another country, so I played safe.
And that's where we found ourselves - the lame wet market. I can't believe how expensive meat costs nowadays! One whole chicken breast is RM4.50! Just as I was finishing my marketing, it started raining heavily. As if the morning wasn't bad enough! We had to dash through the rain to my car, and I got a little soaked.
At any rate, we got back and I took a shower. David was still sleeping then. After the hot shower it was around 9.20am, and I begun preparations. By the time I was done it was almost 12pm, so I called the guys to come round. And we ate.
The verdict? It sucked!
The simple fact is that bangkuang and carrot forms the base ingredient; there must be the extra flavourful kick to make it taste great. Seafood popiah uses seafood and dried prawns, but in keeping with the vegetarian spirit I chose mushrooms. But as I wrote, there wasn't a single mushroom (the black Chinese ones anyway) found at the market. I wonder if it has anything to do with the rainy weather we have been getting lately?
Anyway, I've cleaned up everything. I gave some of the popiahs to other friends, hoping that they don't get food poisoning. I have almost 25 pieces of the popiah wrapper left and I don't know what to do with it. I don't think it can last much longer. My bed is now littered with the utensils I used. I'm too tired now and I can't sleep as the utensils have yet to dry. I can also sense that this post is boring and lengthy.... gotta... rest...
18 July 2005
Harry Potter!
It is inevitable - I have to write about The Half-Blood Prince. I'm already in Chapter 6, and I gotta say, Joanne still has it. Joanne who? Joanne as in J.K. Rowling. What? The 'J' isn't Joanne? Well, I could care less...
Anyway, the English Language Society of my college opened a mini booth to sell the penultimate book in the series. They were giving away some free gifts, if I'm not mistaken. One thing troubles me though - in the flyers pasted around the college promoting the sale, it is written "Something is coming to Hogwards!"
Seriously!
Why should people buy the book from a society that misspells Hogwarts? As a Potter fan, I was seriously offended! (air of indignity)
So I downloaded the pirated e-book off the Net.
Don't give me that look of disgust! There's much that a teen can do with RM90, you know?
Anyway, the English Language Society of my college opened a mini booth to sell the penultimate book in the series. They were giving away some free gifts, if I'm not mistaken. One thing troubles me though - in the flyers pasted around the college promoting the sale, it is written "Something is coming to Hogwards!"
Seriously!
Why should people buy the book from a society that misspells Hogwarts? As a Potter fan, I was seriously offended! (air of indignity)
So I downloaded the pirated e-book off the Net.
Don't give me that look of disgust! There's much that a teen can do with RM90, you know?
17 July 2005
Test of Manhood
There comes a time in every man's life that they must prove their mettle, to show to his peers that he is just as manly as them. To stand up to that challenge and grab the bull by the horns. To step up to the plate and fulfill his resposibility as a role citizen. For me, that time came when I stepped into Pizza Hut.
I'm talking, of course, about the Salad Stacking Challenge.
It's not an actual competition at Pizza Hut, but something that stupid people undertake to show their ingenuity. When you order their salad, you can go to their salad bar and grab a somewhat-shallow bowl and fill it up with whatever you want. No refills are allowed, so one must plan how they want to stack their salad. Theoretically, the space above is unlimited, so all efforts are directed to making the salad as tall as possible.
Some have created some truly amazing feats, according to a casual search on the Internet:
Unfortunately for me tonight, I ordered the take-away. They gave me a measly tupperware with a cover, which means that I'm bounded by all 4 sides. However, I can still get my RM5.78 worth by compacting everything together. And that was just what I did.
The salad was to be my dinner as the others planned to eat at KFC. I'm no longer a fan of meat-only meals so I brought the salad over to eat. I'm not very concerned about the staff chasing me out. After all, both belong to the same parent company in Malaysia. Worse case, I'll just grab David's Pepsi and say that I bought that.
Ah, the cheapness of me!
Anyway, I was sincerely heart-broken to note that of the 3 VCD peddlars outside KFC, 100% had the same hair colour as me. Next thing you know, they'll pull me in as a new recruit. I did a brief research this morning to see if henna can effectively cover my mistake, but I was advised not to do so. But I'll try it out anyway on a few strands of hair and see if it turns green or purple.
I'm talking, of course, about the Salad Stacking Challenge.
It's not an actual competition at Pizza Hut, but something that stupid people undertake to show their ingenuity. When you order their salad, you can go to their salad bar and grab a somewhat-shallow bowl and fill it up with whatever you want. No refills are allowed, so one must plan how they want to stack their salad. Theoretically, the space above is unlimited, so all efforts are directed to making the salad as tall as possible.
Some have created some truly amazing feats, according to a casual search on the Internet:
Unfortunately for me tonight, I ordered the take-away. They gave me a measly tupperware with a cover, which means that I'm bounded by all 4 sides. However, I can still get my RM5.78 worth by compacting everything together. And that was just what I did.
The salad was to be my dinner as the others planned to eat at KFC. I'm no longer a fan of meat-only meals so I brought the salad over to eat. I'm not very concerned about the staff chasing me out. After all, both belong to the same parent company in Malaysia. Worse case, I'll just grab David's Pepsi and say that I bought that.
Ah, the cheapness of me!
Anyway, I was sincerely heart-broken to note that of the 3 VCD peddlars outside KFC, 100% had the same hair colour as me. Next thing you know, they'll pull me in as a new recruit. I did a brief research this morning to see if henna can effectively cover my mistake, but I was advised not to do so. But I'll try it out anyway on a few strands of hair and see if it turns green or purple.
I'm So Vain! Part 4
After coming back I went up to find Albert to lament. Surprsingly, he said it looked nice. Ultra surprisingly, he said he would like to do it also and will share the other application. I of course offered him to do so as I have no intention of dyeing my hair this colour again. Although I feel a bit better after he praised the colour, I wouldn't really value his opinions 100% After all, he did come from a Chinese-speaking background and has all the necessary ingredients to become a full-fledged Ah Beng.
I'm So Vain! Part 3
I believe, Ladies and Gentlemen, that this is my retribution for my vanity.
First, it was too brown for my liking.
Second, it did not work on my grey hair.
In other words, I have hair that is 15 shades too light, and my grey hair has not gone away.
I'm doomed - I have to go to Installation Night as an Ah Beng.
(Note: This is the time for you to give some suggestions on how to remedy this problem in 6 days. Use the TagBoard on your left.)
First, it was too brown for my liking.
Second, it did not work on my grey hair.
In other words, I have hair that is 15 shades too light, and my grey hair has not gone away.
I'm doomed - I have to go to Installation Night as an Ah Beng.
(Note: This is the time for you to give some suggestions on how to remedy this problem in 6 days. Use the TagBoard on your left.)
I'm So Vain! Part 2
After writing the last post, I went to pee. When I saw my hair in the mirror, I was at once surprised, shocked, and flabbergasted! I'm not sure the difference between the three, but it was three times the feeling when I realized that not only did the dye turn copper blonde, but it became REALLY copper blonde! If I don't stop soon and obey the 25 minute time limit recommended, I might just end up looking like an Ah Beng!
So un-elegant meh! How can?
So un-elegant meh! How can?
I'm So Vain!
I love Carly Simon's classic You're So Vain, supposedly targeted at one of her former lovers.
Anyway, I'm not talking about her here. I decided, after more than a year, to dye my hair. I can't exactly remember the last time I bought those DIY boxes, but it was definitely some time back. I had resolved back then that beauty lies deeper than my hair colour so I stopped naturally. But I'm going for it this time, coz next Friday is Installation Night. It will be the first time since May that I'm venturing out of this small town, and I want to look my best. I've already got the shirt, so now it's just the hair. For those who do not know me, I've got a medium concentration of grey hair around the back and sides of my head. And all I wanna be is to look fab when I stroll into the Royal Adelphi, Seremban next Friday.
I wanted something dark-reddish, because I see brown and blonde everywhere. There are no 'famous' brands (Wella, etc) being sold at the 'hypermarket' here, so I settled for ColorPro, an unimaginative brand as it is. I chose Color #6 - Copper Blonde, which seemed about right for me.
When I came back, I took out half of the Developing Lotion to keep for my second application. I have short hair, so usually I can get two applications out of a bottle. Anyway, I squeezed in the Colorant Cream, and then I began shaking the mixture. To my shock, the cream didn't turn copper blonde... it's not even brownish at all! It's purple! A purple hair dye! When I squeezed the cream out I realized that my eyes were not playing tricks on me! I had a slightly sinking feeling when I started applying the cream. What if my hair actually turned out purple? It'll just look gothic! But I had faith in the magic of chemicals, so I continued anyway.
I then remembered the reason why I stayed away from hair dyes for so long. When I started massaging the cream in, I felt suffocated by the hydrogen peroxide. Old memories were brought to the fore - the last time I used one of these, my eyes actually hurt and watered. Gawd... how could I forget that?
(sigh) All in the name of beauty.
Anyway, almost 15 minutes have passed. The leaflet recommended 25 minutes, but from past experience, I'll let it oxidize for an hour or so.
Anyway, I'm not talking about her here. I decided, after more than a year, to dye my hair. I can't exactly remember the last time I bought those DIY boxes, but it was definitely some time back. I had resolved back then that beauty lies deeper than my hair colour so I stopped naturally. But I'm going for it this time, coz next Friday is Installation Night. It will be the first time since May that I'm venturing out of this small town, and I want to look my best. I've already got the shirt, so now it's just the hair. For those who do not know me, I've got a medium concentration of grey hair around the back and sides of my head. And all I wanna be is to look fab when I stroll into the Royal Adelphi, Seremban next Friday.
I wanted something dark-reddish, because I see brown and blonde everywhere. There are no 'famous' brands (Wella, etc) being sold at the 'hypermarket' here, so I settled for ColorPro, an unimaginative brand as it is. I chose Color #6 - Copper Blonde, which seemed about right for me.
When I came back, I took out half of the Developing Lotion to keep for my second application. I have short hair, so usually I can get two applications out of a bottle. Anyway, I squeezed in the Colorant Cream, and then I began shaking the mixture. To my shock, the cream didn't turn copper blonde... it's not even brownish at all! It's purple! A purple hair dye! When I squeezed the cream out I realized that my eyes were not playing tricks on me! I had a slightly sinking feeling when I started applying the cream. What if my hair actually turned out purple? It'll just look gothic! But I had faith in the magic of chemicals, so I continued anyway.
I then remembered the reason why I stayed away from hair dyes for so long. When I started massaging the cream in, I felt suffocated by the hydrogen peroxide. Old memories were brought to the fore - the last time I used one of these, my eyes actually hurt and watered. Gawd... how could I forget that?
(sigh) All in the name of beauty.
Anyway, almost 15 minutes have passed. The leaflet recommended 25 minutes, but from past experience, I'll let it oxidize for an hour or so.
15 July 2005
Not Feeling Well Lah...
I woke up this morning feeling a little dizzy. I have minor diarrhea, which I think is the cause of the problem. I maanged to go through with the test this morning without any problems, and I quickly went back to nap once I finished with it.
Even right now, I feel a little blur. Feels kinda like the onset of flu. I hope it isn't, because it is a long weekend and I want to get as much work done as possible.
Even right now, I feel a little blur. Feels kinda like the onset of flu. I hope it isn't, because it is a long weekend and I want to get as much work done as possible.
Water Cut? What Water Cut?
At the start of this week, I wrote that the state government here is enforcing an alternate 24-hour water rationing, and that my place will be affected. Strangely, there has been no problems at all this week. I attribute that to the college's large water tank - but it is still a strange occurence considering how wanton people here treat water. For example, some bathers will unleash the maximum water pressure when showering, while others leave the tap running (see old post Inconsiderate Bastards).
Well, I know for sure that the rationing is being enforced, as I asked the hair stylist cutting my hair the other day. And last night when I drove by a restaurant, I saw workers hauling pails of water off from a self-made water tank. All in all, I'm just glad that I could still get fresh water here.
Well, I know for sure that the rationing is being enforced, as I asked the hair stylist cutting my hair the other day. And last night when I drove by a restaurant, I saw workers hauling pails of water off from a self-made water tank. All in all, I'm just glad that I could still get fresh water here.
14 July 2005
Sin-ful Enjoyment
I finished watching Sin City. Alex recommended it to me, but I wasn't interested when I first read the two-line synopsis. But I downloaded it anyway after reading some favourable reviews, and I gotta say, I liked it. I didn't like the violence and gore, but I appreciated the fresh camera perspective and artistic black-and-white videography.
You'll see white blood, yellow blood, good ole red blood, heads being chopped off, genitals being mutilated, and dead people talking. This is one of the most violent movies I watched, and I even fliched in some parts. That's pretty gory, considering that I laughed my way through Kill Bill Vol. 1, another excellent gore fest.
But the 3 story branches kept things fresh, especially when the monologue-driven movie starts to get dull. But even if you are not interested in the talking or violence, you might be able to appreciate the pure aesthetic style of the film, which really resembles a comic book. Considering that it is an adaptation of Frank Miller's comic novels, that's a good thing.
You definitely won't find such a film playing in local Malaysian cinemas. Head on to your favourite VCD store now!
You'll see white blood, yellow blood, good ole red blood, heads being chopped off, genitals being mutilated, and dead people talking. This is one of the most violent movies I watched, and I even fliched in some parts. That's pretty gory, considering that I laughed my way through Kill Bill Vol. 1, another excellent gore fest.
But the 3 story branches kept things fresh, especially when the monologue-driven movie starts to get dull. But even if you are not interested in the talking or violence, you might be able to appreciate the pure aesthetic style of the film, which really resembles a comic book. Considering that it is an adaptation of Frank Miller's comic novels, that's a good thing.
You definitely won't find such a film playing in local Malaysian cinemas. Head on to your favourite VCD store now!
Air Conditions?
I woke up this morning to find a flyer on the floor. These flyers are given out illegally, and are slipped in through under the door. They have become a common occurence since the construction of the new apartments next door. Unsurprisingly, it was a flyer for an apartment to let. The landlord listed out all the things that are provided there, such as fully AUTO (yes, she wrote it in CAPS) washing machine, 5 ceiling fans, shoe rack, refrigerator, etc.
What caught my attention was that she claimed to offer "3 air condition"s. Yes! You read that right! If you stay in her apartments you'll get to experience the 3 air conditions? And what are they?
The three air conditions:
I think my sarcasm works better in the mornings, don't you?
What caught my attention was that she claimed to offer "3 air condition"s. Yes! You read that right! If you stay in her apartments you'll get to experience the 3 air conditions? And what are they?
The three air conditions:
- Air of suspicion
- Air of romance
- Air of dirty laundry left unwashed for weeks because the "AUTO washing machine" was more manual than you thought.
I think my sarcasm works better in the mornings, don't you?
13 July 2005
Hair Cut
David and I went for a hair cut this afternoon. But to stay true to my promise of talking more about other things besides myself, I won't elaborate on the experience.
Aw, shucks. I'll tell anyway.
We went to a hair training studio, where the students will cut our hair under the teacher's supervision. The benefit of these centres is that they charge very cheap. The one we went to charged RM4 for a hair cut. David went to another one before this that charged RM5, but includes a hair wash as well. We went there around 12.30pm, and emerged with our hair cut at around 1.40pm. And we didn't have to wait! That means we sat there for more than an hour as the trainees fumbled around with our hair.
Luckily, the trainee who worked on me was a Malay woman so we conversed in Malay. If I had gotten the Chinese dude cutting David's hair, I might have some trouble communicating my needs. My luck extended beyond that, it seems, when she did a better job with my hair. David was quite disappointed with his hair. I think part of the reason is because my hair stylist let me point out my style from a catalog.
Once she has finished, the teacher will come and comment on her work. He helped even out some parts and trimmed away more of my hair. All in all, it looked fine, but a little weird from the side. Thankfully, it will have enough time to smoothen out by next Friday, which is the Installation Night. That is the reason why I went to have my hair cut anyway. If not for that Night, I would have kept my unruly hair through to August!
Aw, shucks. I'll tell anyway.
We went to a hair training studio, where the students will cut our hair under the teacher's supervision. The benefit of these centres is that they charge very cheap. The one we went to charged RM4 for a hair cut. David went to another one before this that charged RM5, but includes a hair wash as well. We went there around 12.30pm, and emerged with our hair cut at around 1.40pm. And we didn't have to wait! That means we sat there for more than an hour as the trainees fumbled around with our hair.
Luckily, the trainee who worked on me was a Malay woman so we conversed in Malay. If I had gotten the Chinese dude cutting David's hair, I might have some trouble communicating my needs. My luck extended beyond that, it seems, when she did a better job with my hair. David was quite disappointed with his hair. I think part of the reason is because my hair stylist let me point out my style from a catalog.
Once she has finished, the teacher will come and comment on her work. He helped even out some parts and trimmed away more of my hair. All in all, it looked fine, but a little weird from the side. Thankfully, it will have enough time to smoothen out by next Friday, which is the Installation Night. That is the reason why I went to have my hair cut anyway. If not for that Night, I would have kept my unruly hair through to August!
It's (No Longer) Personal
Tash Aw seems to be all the rage in Malaysian literary circles lately. I have no interest in reading his highly-acclaimed debut - but I liked what he said in an interview with The Star newspaper regarding autobiographies:
“Autobiographical novels are often very moving for the writer, but really boring for everyone else.
“The break-up of a relationship, for example, might be the most important thing to you, but it might bore everyone else to tears. Likewise, although I think I had a very rich childhood, I don’t want to inflict my memories on anyone else because they’d probably find them really dull.”
As I look back to some of my entries, I enjoyed them immensely. But I realized that some of the personal entries may bore people to death, so I will start writing more about other things and other people instead of me, me, me all the time. I think people will subsist better on gossip than wry life experiences. Of course, there needs to be a balance between writing for myself and writing for an audience. We'll see where this new creative direction takes me to.
“Autobiographical novels are often very moving for the writer, but really boring for everyone else.
“The break-up of a relationship, for example, might be the most important thing to you, but it might bore everyone else to tears. Likewise, although I think I had a very rich childhood, I don’t want to inflict my memories on anyone else because they’d probably find them really dull.”
As I look back to some of my entries, I enjoyed them immensely. But I realized that some of the personal entries may bore people to death, so I will start writing more about other things and other people instead of me, me, me all the time. I think people will subsist better on gossip than wry life experiences. Of course, there needs to be a balance between writing for myself and writing for an audience. We'll see where this new creative direction takes me to.
12 July 2005
The Cost of Petrol
As petrol prices rise worldwide, I begin to see the domino effect in small little items. A couple of weeks back I mentioned that a food joint increased some of their dishes by 30 cents. I found out later that the burger stall at our canteen did the same thing as well. And today when I bought a slice of papaya at the fruit stall, the lady told me I gave her 20 cents short.
Papaya?!?! Costs 20 cents more????
I'll have to find another source of fresh fruit - 80cents for a measely slice of papaya just won't cut it no more.
Papaya?!?! Costs 20 cents more????
I'll have to find another source of fresh fruit - 80cents for a measely slice of papaya just won't cut it no more.
Scholarships
I'm not a terribly rich guy, so I never reject any free money. And one of the legal ways to get free money is through scholarships. I sincerely believe in my own abilities, but I haven't been able to get any real scholarships. Part of the reason is that some scholarships aren't free (as in 0 cents).
Before I started college, I applied for two scholarships - one at the college, the other via The Star Education fund. I managed to get an interview for both - but was eventually turned down. Why? They felt I was too rich. Well, those weren't exactly the words they used, but I get the idea when they related to me a sad story of some underprivilaged kid. I mean, of course I feel sorry for him or her, but if the scholarship was to be given out on the basis of poverty, why call me up in the first place? They have, after all, my father's income statement (Form J) so they knew how much he earned.
But at least I gained some valuable interviewing skills.
That was 2 years ago. Last week, Amy told me that the University of New South Wales, Australia offered a full scholarship for students with academic excellence. She's planning to finish her degree overseas, so she knows a little about such stuff. Of course I got excited! I'd love for an opportunity to study overseas for free! As it stands, Dad doesn't plan to send me overseas, and neither do I due to the exorbitant costs of living and tuition fees. But, hey, if someone's paying for it, why not?
So I headed to the University Placement Office and inquired about it. I was a little disappointed that I had to pay Aussie $50 for the application - and that was just for the application - there is no guarantee you'll get accepted in the first place. I always wondered why they needed so much money to do some simple paperwork? It's not like stamps cost $10! Furthermore, the limited scholarships only cover tuition fees, so I'll still have to shell out the costs of living in Sydney, not exactly the cheapest place in Australia to stay.
The staff assisting me proceeded to show me various scholarships from other Australian unis but I had lost interest by then. None of the scholarships that I was elligible for covered 100% tuition fees and gave living allowances. I know I'm hard to please, but that is the only way Dad will approve of the plan. Most of the scholarships she showed me either gave a 50% discount on tuition fees, full living allowances (but no discount on tuition fees), or just something in between.
I currently have a CGPA of 4.00 (ahem!) which I'm planning to maintain until the end of my course. It also means that I can easily be considered for the scholarships, but I may be wasting a lot of unnecessary money on application fees. Plus, they are not really full scholarships so it's just not what I'm looking for.
Moving on, I'll apply for the Rhodes scholarship from the British Council once I graduate next year. Basically, only one scholarship is offered every year to the whole of Malaysia. It covers everything for one to study their Master's in the UK. I'll be going against some tough nails, but I believe I have what it takes.
Before I started college, I applied for two scholarships - one at the college, the other via The Star Education fund. I managed to get an interview for both - but was eventually turned down. Why? They felt I was too rich. Well, those weren't exactly the words they used, but I get the idea when they related to me a sad story of some underprivilaged kid. I mean, of course I feel sorry for him or her, but if the scholarship was to be given out on the basis of poverty, why call me up in the first place? They have, after all, my father's income statement (Form J) so they knew how much he earned.
But at least I gained some valuable interviewing skills.
That was 2 years ago. Last week, Amy told me that the University of New South Wales, Australia offered a full scholarship for students with academic excellence. She's planning to finish her degree overseas, so she knows a little about such stuff. Of course I got excited! I'd love for an opportunity to study overseas for free! As it stands, Dad doesn't plan to send me overseas, and neither do I due to the exorbitant costs of living and tuition fees. But, hey, if someone's paying for it, why not?
So I headed to the University Placement Office and inquired about it. I was a little disappointed that I had to pay Aussie $50 for the application - and that was just for the application - there is no guarantee you'll get accepted in the first place. I always wondered why they needed so much money to do some simple paperwork? It's not like stamps cost $10! Furthermore, the limited scholarships only cover tuition fees, so I'll still have to shell out the costs of living in Sydney, not exactly the cheapest place in Australia to stay.
The staff assisting me proceeded to show me various scholarships from other Australian unis but I had lost interest by then. None of the scholarships that I was elligible for covered 100% tuition fees and gave living allowances. I know I'm hard to please, but that is the only way Dad will approve of the plan. Most of the scholarships she showed me either gave a 50% discount on tuition fees, full living allowances (but no discount on tuition fees), or just something in between.
I currently have a CGPA of 4.00 (ahem!) which I'm planning to maintain until the end of my course. It also means that I can easily be considered for the scholarships, but I may be wasting a lot of unnecessary money on application fees. Plus, they are not really full scholarships so it's just not what I'm looking for.
Moving on, I'll apply for the Rhodes scholarship from the British Council once I graduate next year. Basically, only one scholarship is offered every year to the whole of Malaysia. It covers everything for one to study their Master's in the UK. I'll be going against some tough nails, but I believe I have what it takes.
Vanity Bag
When I was shaving this morning, this guy came in with all his toiletries stuffed into a plastic bag. A BIG plastic bag.
I was like, "What? Is that your 200 step beauty regimen?"
I was like, "What? Is that your 200 step beauty regimen?"
11 July 2005
Dark Days
It's barely 5pm, but big dark clouds shroud the area in an enveloping darkness... It feels more like 7pm than 5. I'm already working with the lights on in my room. I really hope it rains hard tonight.
As a school boy, I loved these days. They seem to create a pseudo-realm where night and day has interchanged... or that ultimate evil is taking over the town :P Mostly, I love the strong, cool wind and the impending storm. But there have been times where it didn't rain at all. That's quite a bummer.
I've slowly been introducing this blog to other friends back in my home town, but I've still refrained myself from telling my immediate friends here. I'll do that if I really need to drive up my hit counter, but at this point it's already more than 250, so I don't see any problem in it hitting the 300 mark this month.
And if you've not noticed, there's the new TagBoard in the left column. Feel free to leave a message and comment on the posts. And if possible, leave your e-mail or blog address so I (and others) can get to know you more!
As a school boy, I loved these days. They seem to create a pseudo-realm where night and day has interchanged... or that ultimate evil is taking over the town :P Mostly, I love the strong, cool wind and the impending storm. But there have been times where it didn't rain at all. That's quite a bummer.
I've slowly been introducing this blog to other friends back in my home town, but I've still refrained myself from telling my immediate friends here. I'll do that if I really need to drive up my hit counter, but at this point it's already more than 250, so I don't see any problem in it hitting the 300 mark this month.
And if you've not noticed, there's the new TagBoard in the left column. Feel free to leave a message and comment on the posts. And if possible, leave your e-mail or blog address so I (and others) can get to know you more!
Motivation Level = 100
Surprisingly, I somehow regained my drive to excel this morning. The fact that I slept only 6 hours did not deter me. Well, I usually need 8 for me to excel, so that's quite an achievement. I got up, did my work, and didn't get distracted though I watched a couple of shows during lunch. I folded my clean laundry, mopped the floor, and studied for next day's test.
All that motivation, however, is not helping me in my last minute studies. The test will be so freaking hard as there's so much ground to cover. To help me 'spot' possible questions, I downloaded the past semester exams off the Net and looked through it.
It was WAAAY harder than I thought.
However, salvation came in an unlikely form, when a coursemate told me over dinner that the test is postponed. It was posted on the college e-learning forum, which I rarely log in to. That may mean some extra time for me to study, but it isn't an excuse to slack off.
Another worrying thing is the news that the Negeri Sembilan state government will start the 24-hour water rationing tomorrow. It will be done on alternate days and my area is affected. I don't know how long it will be in effect, but I hope it's not for too long as I need a lot of water. I gotta stock up my water bottles.
All that motivation, however, is not helping me in my last minute studies. The test will be so freaking hard as there's so much ground to cover. To help me 'spot' possible questions, I downloaded the past semester exams off the Net and looked through it.
It was WAAAY harder than I thought.
However, salvation came in an unlikely form, when a coursemate told me over dinner that the test is postponed. It was posted on the college e-learning forum, which I rarely log in to. That may mean some extra time for me to study, but it isn't an excuse to slack off.
Another worrying thing is the news that the Negeri Sembilan state government will start the 24-hour water rationing tomorrow. It will be done on alternate days and my area is affected. I don't know how long it will be in effect, but I hope it's not for too long as I need a lot of water. I gotta stock up my water bottles.
10 July 2005
Motivation Level = 0
Saturday was a pretty productive day, no doubt about it, but it was hard to get productive in the first place. I have a ton of work to do (as you know) but for some reason I had no drive. I really pushed myself to work on the assignments, as I have to study for Monday's test.
Part of the problem was created by David's repeated playing of Hoobastank's The Reason, a mellow song that I really identified with and brought back some not-so-sweet memories. Plus, I am a little worried about this friend of mine who have not been replying my SMSes. If that person is reading this, I just want to remind you it's good courtesy to at least send an acknowledgement after I sent you 5 SMSes over the past 2 days. I just want to make sure you're okay, that's all.
I am also a little disturbed by my high-risk behaviour in going out to the mamak stall for three times this week. My last sorethroat episode was barely a week away, and here I am breaking my record of number of suppers per week. Not to mention that I need to maintain my current weight (74kg) - my lowest in, what, 5 years?
Jeez, I'm becoming a total mess! And not the best time of the semester, either!
Part of the problem was created by David's repeated playing of Hoobastank's The Reason, a mellow song that I really identified with and brought back some not-so-sweet memories. Plus, I am a little worried about this friend of mine who have not been replying my SMSes. If that person is reading this, I just want to remind you it's good courtesy to at least send an acknowledgement after I sent you 5 SMSes over the past 2 days. I just want to make sure you're okay, that's all.
I am also a little disturbed by my high-risk behaviour in going out to the mamak stall for three times this week. My last sorethroat episode was barely a week away, and here I am breaking my record of number of suppers per week. Not to mention that I need to maintain my current weight (74kg) - my lowest in, what, 5 years?
Jeez, I'm becoming a total mess! And not the best time of the semester, either!
08 July 2005
It's Finally Over... Or Is It?
The Buddhist Society AGM today went like clockwork - people voted, people got elected. Even I, as the emcee, spoke in such formal and boring tones that I believe I helped speed up the election process.
The only surprising thing was how the new committee also knew the future line-up. I guessed this as I was not nominated even once. Not that I'm bragging, but I was certain that if I wanted to continue, I'll clinch the top position.
At any rate, it's all over now. Or is it? Among regular members, I'm one of only two car owners. The other car owner is leaving by the end of this year. That means that I'll be the main transport provider if none of the new committee gets a car. Definitely not a nice thought.
The only surprising thing was how the new committee also knew the future line-up. I guessed this as I was not nominated even once. Not that I'm bragging, but I was certain that if I wanted to continue, I'll clinch the top position.
At any rate, it's all over now. Or is it? Among regular members, I'm one of only two car owners. The other car owner is leaving by the end of this year. That means that I'll be the main transport provider if none of the new committee gets a car. Definitely not a nice thought.
Graduation
Today was the graduation day for graduants who graduated last semester. I happened to walk among them while I was on the way back. They were all heading to the tea reception after the official ceremony. I feel a certain sense of pride when I know that I'll be in that black garb and weird hat myself, a year from now. I've even started preparing my valedictory speech! I hope I get to speak to the audience and inspire them the way I have been inspired by, well, things. OK, so I haven't gotten to that part yet.
Friends & Co. are going to Sunway Pyramid to catch Initial D. As usual, I'm not joining them so I'll go for a swim now.
Friends & Co. are going to Sunway Pyramid to catch Initial D. As usual, I'm not joining them so I'll go for a swim now.
07 July 2005
Democracy Scam-ocracy
I'm surprised some people don't realize that democracy is a sham. While parts of it exist, I have not seen an organization that is successful because its leader is 100% democratic. I of course believe in the importance of freedom, but I also believe that there needs to be a scope to that freedom.
I know this young lady who tried to organize a small event democratically, and it fell miserably on its face. Every little decision was left up to the 'majority vote'. Not only does this take a lot of time, people tend to lose focus, when not even the leader seems to be leading.
The best example of the incompleteness of democracy are Annual General Meetings, or specifically, elections. When I myself was young and naive, I had believed that the Board of Librarians' AGM was carried out in a democratic fashion. Of course, that idealistic view of mine was shattered when I myself was elected. This trend went on with every committee that I sat on. Buddhist Society is no exception. We have engineered our next term committee, and we have even informed the candidates that they will be chosen! However, the election tomorrow will be carried out transparently, so there can be no tampering of votes. But I believe they have a way of twisting things around...
I know this young lady who tried to organize a small event democratically, and it fell miserably on its face. Every little decision was left up to the 'majority vote'. Not only does this take a lot of time, people tend to lose focus, when not even the leader seems to be leading.
The best example of the incompleteness of democracy are Annual General Meetings, or specifically, elections. When I myself was young and naive, I had believed that the Board of Librarians' AGM was carried out in a democratic fashion. Of course, that idealistic view of mine was shattered when I myself was elected. This trend went on with every committee that I sat on. Buddhist Society is no exception. We have engineered our next term committee, and we have even informed the candidates that they will be chosen! However, the election tomorrow will be carried out transparently, so there can be no tampering of votes. But I believe they have a way of twisting things around...
06 July 2005
I Am Definitely Not OK
I have noticed that I can hardly concentrate in class this semester. Especially true for one lecturer, I'll pay attention to the first 10% of what she's saying and then I'll suddenly start daydreaming. When I realized what I was doing, she would have finished speaking. So generally, I'll absorb the title of the topic, but not the gist of it. I'm really worried as I don't know what is causing it. Is it her Indian accent? Or her monotonous voice? Or the boring, lengthy topic?
This is a particularly difficult subject, and I'm gonna slide if I don't pay rapt attention, especially with the test coming up next Monday.
This is a particularly difficult subject, and I'm gonna slide if I don't pay rapt attention, especially with the test coming up next Monday.
The Nights Are Getting Colder
No, not that I'm lonelier, but the long-delayed monsoon season is finally here.
2005 has got to rate as one of the hottest years ever. There have been countless mornings where I woke up in my own sweat. I thought to myself, "This was not the place I came to a year ago." When I first came to this small town last year, it was a very cool place due to the rolling hills and palm oil plantations all around us. But the first half of 2005 proved me wrong.
However, the past week has seen huge improvements. I stopped waking up in a wet t-shirt, and on a few occasions, I even felt chilly and had to use the blanket. Now, that has not happened for quite some time, I can tell you that.
I hope the rest of this year is this cold.
2005 has got to rate as one of the hottest years ever. There have been countless mornings where I woke up in my own sweat. I thought to myself, "This was not the place I came to a year ago." When I first came to this small town last year, it was a very cool place due to the rolling hills and palm oil plantations all around us. But the first half of 2005 proved me wrong.
However, the past week has seen huge improvements. I stopped waking up in a wet t-shirt, and on a few occasions, I even felt chilly and had to use the blanket. Now, that has not happened for quite some time, I can tell you that.
I hope the rest of this year is this cold.
05 July 2005
What's Up With R. Kelly?
R. Kelly is one sex-hyped man. He's famous for his music, and infamous for molesting young girls. There was a time when he sang such inspirational tunes like "I Believe I Can Fly" and "I'm Your Angel". I'm listening to his new, 10th album, and it seems that R. Kelly has let his inhibitions go. Every song is a sex song, period.
And not just any sex song. He has a way (and fetish, I believe) to sing about sex in interesting places. My favourite song of his, "Ignition", talks about sex in the car. In this new album (TP.3 Reloaded), he has a song of sex in the kitchen, sex on the living room sofa, and sex when high on drugs. There's also the odd song about cheating (Kicking' It With Your Girlfriend).
Seriously, what' up with him?
And not just any sex song. He has a way (and fetish, I believe) to sing about sex in interesting places. My favourite song of his, "Ignition", talks about sex in the car. In this new album (TP.3 Reloaded), he has a song of sex in the kitchen, sex on the living room sofa, and sex when high on drugs. There's also the odd song about cheating (Kicking' It With Your Girlfriend).
Seriously, what' up with him?
Wanted: Translator
In one particular class I have a South Korean and two Chinese nationals. It just so happens that they were together for a group assignment. And during this morning's class, I realize that it's not such a good idea. They were talking to each other in their best English (which wasn't very much). And they had their distinct accent and obfuscations, which made things harder to understand.
They seem to realize the gap too as they struggle and repeat their sentences. But I think they managed to get the message across in the end.
They seem to realize the gap too as they struggle and repeat their sentences. But I think they managed to get the message across in the end.
Bathroom Attire
What do people wear to the shower cubicles around here? From my experience, most will go with the towel wrapped around their waist. That's what I usually do. I'll have my boxers/briefs (boxers usually) under it, of course. I don't bring my shirt along, unless it's a cold morning. Meanwhile, my roommate David usually goes to the toilet with his short pants on, and his towel draped across his shoulder. That is also a common sight around here.
But I've seen the weirdest thing to wear to the showers - jeans. One of the new residents on my floor actually goes into the shower cubicle with his jeans on, and then comes back out wearing his jeans. Does he have to be that reserved and shy? I mean, it's so troublesome to remove a stiff pair of jeans and not get it wet at the same time!
At the other end of the scale, I had this Chinese guy in my old block that usually came out of his shower cubicle naked. And then he'll dry himself in front of everyone present and check himself out in the mirror. Well, I don't blame him, really. He does have the goods, if you know what I mean. ;-)
But I've seen the weirdest thing to wear to the showers - jeans. One of the new residents on my floor actually goes into the shower cubicle with his jeans on, and then comes back out wearing his jeans. Does he have to be that reserved and shy? I mean, it's so troublesome to remove a stiff pair of jeans and not get it wet at the same time!
At the other end of the scale, I had this Chinese guy in my old block that usually came out of his shower cubicle naked. And then he'll dry himself in front of everyone present and check himself out in the mirror. Well, I don't blame him, really. He does have the goods, if you know what I mean. ;-)
04 July 2005
Oh My...
I copied my whole blog into Microsoft Word, replaced words that have not been written by me, and then ran it through the Word Count tool.
I was shocked.
I said a few posts earlier that I had written about 20,000 words. The actual count? Around 30, 365. I know! I can't believe it either! But if I could write so many words, why can't I ever come out with the next New York Times bestseller?
I was shocked.
I said a few posts earlier that I had written about 20,000 words. The actual count? Around 30, 365. I know! I can't believe it either! But if I could write so many words, why can't I ever come out with the next New York Times bestseller?
Gasp!!! The Fog! The Fog!
My windows are closed. The door is locked.
Santa Claus sure ain't coming to town.
Instead, it's the Health Ministry and their fogging truck! They'll stroll past every block and blow out the white gas that helps keep aedes mosquitos at bay. Apparently, it works for humans too as every time they fog the place, you'll see a large group of residents standing outside their block waiting for the smoke to clear out. This can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 30 minutes, especially if they go "all the way" and spray it along the corridors as well. If they do that, the whole place will be oily until the cleaners come and mop the place up the next day.
David has evacuated the building. I am brave enough to hole myself up here and to write this post. Or is that stupid enough?
Santa Claus sure ain't coming to town.
Instead, it's the Health Ministry and their fogging truck! They'll stroll past every block and blow out the white gas that helps keep aedes mosquitos at bay. Apparently, it works for humans too as every time they fog the place, you'll see a large group of residents standing outside their block waiting for the smoke to clear out. This can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 30 minutes, especially if they go "all the way" and spray it along the corridors as well. If they do that, the whole place will be oily until the cleaners come and mop the place up the next day.
David has evacuated the building. I am brave enough to hole myself up here and to write this post. Or is that stupid enough?
Alias = Resident Evil?
I have just finished watching the season 4 finale of Alias, the action-packed (though inconsistent) series starring Jennifer Garner. I have always wondered, does Jennifer Garner have a 1 hour performance limit? Coz she always acts well in the hourly Alias, but suck in all the movies she has acted in. All? Well - what did YOU think about Daredevil, 13 Going on 30, and Elektra?
At any rate, I was a little bored by this season's finale as the storyline somewhat resembled the Resident Evil videogames. It's just so obvious when they are dealing with a water-borne virus that turns people into mindless zombies that travel in packs and attack rabidly. There was also a scene where they had to activate a defunct subway train and travel in darkness. Seriously! 4 years of scriptwriting have obviously blunted their edges. And they even had to write it so that there's a whole family reunion. Sydney, her fiance, her father, her mother, her sister, her sister's father, her sister's aunty... Luckily for us Chinese, family reunions happen around a restaurant table, not while saving the world.
As always, there's always that little nugget at the end to tease viewers. But really, when a series that relies entirely on the suspense of unanswered questions has been running for 4 seasons, Alias will eventually have to rely on secrets that have been pulled out from the ass. C'mon. One season, he's your fiance, and the next he's your sworn enemy. And then the next season, he's back to being your beau. What's the deal with that?
At any rate, I was a little bored by this season's finale as the storyline somewhat resembled the Resident Evil videogames. It's just so obvious when they are dealing with a water-borne virus that turns people into mindless zombies that travel in packs and attack rabidly. There was also a scene where they had to activate a defunct subway train and travel in darkness. Seriously! 4 years of scriptwriting have obviously blunted their edges. And they even had to write it so that there's a whole family reunion. Sydney, her fiance, her father, her mother, her sister, her sister's father, her sister's aunty... Luckily for us Chinese, family reunions happen around a restaurant table, not while saving the world.
As always, there's always that little nugget at the end to tease viewers. But really, when a series that relies entirely on the suspense of unanswered questions has been running for 4 seasons, Alias will eventually have to rely on secrets that have been pulled out from the ass. C'mon. One season, he's your fiance, and the next he's your sworn enemy. And then the next season, he's back to being your beau. What's the deal with that?
03 July 2005
I Am Not For Sale!
While finishing up my assignment just now, I received a call from an acquaintence. He is a fellow committee member in Buddhist Society. Anyway, he isn't a very bright student and he needed some help in drawing some UML diagrams in System Architect, a god-forsaken software that is totally unusable. But we had to use it as it was the official software used in our syllabi.
At any rate, I agreed to help him as he doesn't know how to use it. Why not? Because he didn't go to the lab classes when it was being taught. But kindness doesn't need a reason, so I went anyway.
Halfway through showing them the steps to draw a Class diagram in it, his group mate suggested that I do the work for them, and they'll pay me for it. I instantly declined and said that it was their project, not mine. Who does he think I am? My services are not for sale, and I cannot be bought with money. I instantly lost interest in teaching them, and my resolve was made stronger when he lit up a ciggarette and started puffing away in that small little room. I finished showing them the steps and I got the hell out of there.
How disrespectful.
At any rate, I agreed to help him as he doesn't know how to use it. Why not? Because he didn't go to the lab classes when it was being taught. But kindness doesn't need a reason, so I went anyway.
Halfway through showing them the steps to draw a Class diagram in it, his group mate suggested that I do the work for them, and they'll pay me for it. I instantly declined and said that it was their project, not mine. Who does he think I am? My services are not for sale, and I cannot be bought with money. I instantly lost interest in teaching them, and my resolve was made stronger when he lit up a ciggarette and started puffing away in that small little room. I finished showing them the steps and I got the hell out of there.
How disrespectful.
My College Life vs Their College Life
Their College Life
Last night being Saturday, my friends went to Sunway Pyramid at 8.30pm to catch a movie. Being their usual self, they had no definite plans of what to watch, but their preferred choice was Initial D starring Jay Chou. They went there but was unable to get any tickets, so they settled for War of the Worlds (Tom Cruise). Two of them wanted a midnight movie, so they went for the 12.45am showing. God knows what they did between 10pm (when all shops close) till they entered the cinema. They enjoyed the movie and reached their rooms around 4am. My roommate slept from then till 12pm today.
My College Life
I did some assignments till 11pm. Felt tired. Went to sleep. Woke up at 8.30am. Continued working.
Last night being Saturday, my friends went to Sunway Pyramid at 8.30pm to catch a movie. Being their usual self, they had no definite plans of what to watch, but their preferred choice was Initial D starring Jay Chou. They went there but was unable to get any tickets, so they settled for War of the Worlds (Tom Cruise). Two of them wanted a midnight movie, so they went for the 12.45am showing. God knows what they did between 10pm (when all shops close) till they entered the cinema. They enjoyed the movie and reached their rooms around 4am. My roommate slept from then till 12pm today.
My College Life
I did some assignments till 11pm. Felt tired. Went to sleep. Woke up at 8.30am. Continued working.
Metta Chanting
Metta is the Pali word for "loving-kindness". For those uninformed, Pali is an ancient Indian language that preceded modern Sanskrit and was used around the time of the Buddha. Metta is a universal, selfless love that we give to other beings. There are many ways for us to practice metta, including meditation, reciting the sutta, or chanting it.
The chant of metta is a very popular item among Asians, especially those of Theravada Buddhism. This can be attributed to the work of one person - Imee Ooi, a popular composer of various Buddhist music. Her rendition of the metta chant is flawless, and has attracted many a person to it through its soothing melody and calming voice. It's been around for many years now, but you won't be able to find it at any good music stores. You'll probably have to find it at a temple or Buddhist book store (Sukhihotu is one).
Anyway, the power of metta has been demonstrated by many examples throughout the world. When one is radiating metta to every being, it is indeed difficult for others to hurt you. As for me, I have started chanting this daily since I found out about my friend's sickness. Although no amount of chanting can cure him, I hope it alleviates some suffering on his part, and that the devas (gods) can bless him and protect him.
One whole cycle, if you follow the speed of Imee Ooi's rendition, is 9 minutes. Here is a short excerpt of the first few paragraphs. The first line is the original pali terms followed by an English translation. If you would like to read the whole text, please go to the Comments section for this post. I have posted it there.
The Chant of Metta
Aham avero homi
May I be free from enmity and danger
abyapajjho homi
May I be free from mental suffering
anigha homi
May I be free from physical suffering
sukhi - attanam pariharami
May I take care of myself happily
Mama matapitu
May my parents
acariya ca natimitta ca
teacher relatives and friends
sabrahma - carino ca
fellow Dhamma farers
avera hontu
be free from enmity and danger
abyapajjha hontu
be free from mental suffering
anigha hontu
be free from physical suffering
sukhi - attanam pariharantu
may they take care of themselves happily
(for complete text please click on Comments link just below the line after this)
The chant of metta is a very popular item among Asians, especially those of Theravada Buddhism. This can be attributed to the work of one person - Imee Ooi, a popular composer of various Buddhist music. Her rendition of the metta chant is flawless, and has attracted many a person to it through its soothing melody and calming voice. It's been around for many years now, but you won't be able to find it at any good music stores. You'll probably have to find it at a temple or Buddhist book store (Sukhihotu is one).
Anyway, the power of metta has been demonstrated by many examples throughout the world. When one is radiating metta to every being, it is indeed difficult for others to hurt you. As for me, I have started chanting this daily since I found out about my friend's sickness. Although no amount of chanting can cure him, I hope it alleviates some suffering on his part, and that the devas (gods) can bless him and protect him.
One whole cycle, if you follow the speed of Imee Ooi's rendition, is 9 minutes. Here is a short excerpt of the first few paragraphs. The first line is the original pali terms followed by an English translation. If you would like to read the whole text, please go to the Comments section for this post. I have posted it there.
The Chant of Metta
Aham avero homi
May I be free from enmity and danger
abyapajjho homi
May I be free from mental suffering
anigha homi
May I be free from physical suffering
sukhi - attanam pariharami
May I take care of myself happily
Mama matapitu
May my parents
acariya ca natimitta ca
teacher relatives and friends
sabrahma - carino ca
fellow Dhamma farers
avera hontu
be free from enmity and danger
abyapajjha hontu
be free from mental suffering
anigha hontu
be free from physical suffering
sukhi - attanam pariharantu
may they take care of themselves happily
(for complete text please click on Comments link just below the line after this)
02 July 2005
Mission Complete
Just came back from the night market, and I felt satisfied. I spent RM17 on myself and RM3 on donations. I bought myself a pair of faux "Ray-Ban" glasses, some Fuji apples, a steamed corn, and a glass of sea coconut drink.
One thing about the RM10 sunglasses being sold at such flea markets. Being the cheapskate that I am, I have become an expert at knowing the types of sunglasses to buy. Many of them are very pretty, but if you don't choose wisely, most of them will spoil within 4 months of your purchase. So now, let me enlighten you with the characteristics of good sunglasses that will last years.
Two words: No screws.
From the 6 (or more) sunglasses that I have bought throughout my lifetime, only one survived the test of time. The others broke due to the fact that screws were used to hold in the lenses. This is a big no-no as it weakens the lens integrity and it becomes very easy to crack. Good sunglasses should not use screws, but instead use clamps or other natural hooks that keep the lens in place. I have only realised this after my previous purchase broke. Meanwhile, one particular cheap glasses that I got for only RM5 more than 3 years ago is still with me, with barely any damage after being thrown around, put in my pockets, crushed by bottles, etc. So, I only look at sunglasses that do not rely on screws. I have seen many that are pretty, but 90% of all fake sunglasses out there use screws as a cheap way to hold the frame to the lens. I almost gave up after a few stalls, but right at the end of the pasar malam was where I found my treasure. They had a lot of screw-less choices and I almost decided to buy two as they both looked pretty. Finally though, reason took control and I got only one I like. The ugly "Ray-Ban" is printed over the top-left corner of the lens. I hope that fades away soon.
Another thing that I wanted to buy was a (fake) silver ring. They were going for around RM3 each, and I think having some jewelery will spice up my image somewhat. I like silver/white gold bands the best as they look simple and elegant. I really hope that in the future, I can propose (or be proposed) with a silver ring. I don't need or want diamonds. Simplicity speaks a thousand words. However, after trying on a few 'silver' bands of differing widths, I loathed every one of them. They looked so ugly on my hand! I am beginning to reconsider my preference of a silver ring for my future engagement and marriage.
Regarding the RM3 donation, I gave RM1 each to two blind musicians and RM1 to the St. John's Ambulance Flag Day collection. Regarding the blind musicians who sit on a stool, playing traditional instruments and singing while holding on to a Tupperware as the collection box, I am well aware that they do not work alone. Some syndicates will take some of the collections away from him at the end of the day, and he would be helpless if they took more than their share. However, when I give that donation, I do it with a good intention to help him. If other people steal money from him or treat him unfairly, then that's their karma. We should be mindful that our karma is affected by our actions, not others.
And about the St. John's Ambulance thingy, I have been in their place before. And I know how it sucks to be standing around crowded areas and hoping that strangers will put some spare change into your small Milo tin.
All for a good deed.
One thing about the RM10 sunglasses being sold at such flea markets. Being the cheapskate that I am, I have become an expert at knowing the types of sunglasses to buy. Many of them are very pretty, but if you don't choose wisely, most of them will spoil within 4 months of your purchase. So now, let me enlighten you with the characteristics of good sunglasses that will last years.
Two words: No screws.
From the 6 (or more) sunglasses that I have bought throughout my lifetime, only one survived the test of time. The others broke due to the fact that screws were used to hold in the lenses. This is a big no-no as it weakens the lens integrity and it becomes very easy to crack. Good sunglasses should not use screws, but instead use clamps or other natural hooks that keep the lens in place. I have only realised this after my previous purchase broke. Meanwhile, one particular cheap glasses that I got for only RM5 more than 3 years ago is still with me, with barely any damage after being thrown around, put in my pockets, crushed by bottles, etc. So, I only look at sunglasses that do not rely on screws. I have seen many that are pretty, but 90% of all fake sunglasses out there use screws as a cheap way to hold the frame to the lens. I almost gave up after a few stalls, but right at the end of the pasar malam was where I found my treasure. They had a lot of screw-less choices and I almost decided to buy two as they both looked pretty. Finally though, reason took control and I got only one I like. The ugly "Ray-Ban" is printed over the top-left corner of the lens. I hope that fades away soon.
Another thing that I wanted to buy was a (fake) silver ring. They were going for around RM3 each, and I think having some jewelery will spice up my image somewhat. I like silver/white gold bands the best as they look simple and elegant. I really hope that in the future, I can propose (or be proposed) with a silver ring. I don't need or want diamonds. Simplicity speaks a thousand words. However, after trying on a few 'silver' bands of differing widths, I loathed every one of them. They looked so ugly on my hand! I am beginning to reconsider my preference of a silver ring for my future engagement and marriage.
Regarding the RM3 donation, I gave RM1 each to two blind musicians and RM1 to the St. John's Ambulance Flag Day collection. Regarding the blind musicians who sit on a stool, playing traditional instruments and singing while holding on to a Tupperware as the collection box, I am well aware that they do not work alone. Some syndicates will take some of the collections away from him at the end of the day, and he would be helpless if they took more than their share. However, when I give that donation, I do it with a good intention to help him. If other people steal money from him or treat him unfairly, then that's their karma. We should be mindful that our karma is affected by our actions, not others.
And about the St. John's Ambulance thingy, I have been in their place before. And I know how it sucks to be standing around crowded areas and hoping that strangers will put some spare change into your small Milo tin.
All for a good deed.
01 July 2005
Moe-man-toss dee lah par-sion
Well, all my friends are now enjoying themselves (immensely, I hope) at the prom night. That leaves me, myself, and my left hand.
No, just joking!
I always do it with my right hand.
At any rate, I had two choices. I could wallow in self-pity at my inability to find a date by gouging myself with fast food while watching movies on my laptop, or I could do whatever the hell I wanted to do but couldn't because of my friends.
I chose the latter. That's why I went swimming just now, and I'll be going out to the pasar malam to get myself some food, and treat myself to some trinkets I'll regret buying 5 minutes later. Once in a while, boys just wanna have fun, ya know?
One thing about prom nights. They love to word the theme in a foreign language, like French or Spanish. I presume it is to enhance the glamour of the night, which is what the organizers need after charging each person RM80. This year, the theme of the night is "Momentos De La Pasion" - Spanish (I think) for "Moments of Passion". Seriously, what's wrong with using plain ole English? Imagine the hard time Ah Bengs and Ah Lians have to go through to pronounce the theme to their partners. I imagine they would pronounce it like the title of this post.
Anyway, I ought to be out having some old-town fun.
No, just joking!
I always do it with my right hand.
At any rate, I had two choices. I could wallow in self-pity at my inability to find a date by gouging myself with fast food while watching movies on my laptop, or I could do whatever the hell I wanted to do but couldn't because of my friends.
I chose the latter. That's why I went swimming just now, and I'll be going out to the pasar malam to get myself some food, and treat myself to some trinkets I'll regret buying 5 minutes later. Once in a while, boys just wanna have fun, ya know?
One thing about prom nights. They love to word the theme in a foreign language, like French or Spanish. I presume it is to enhance the glamour of the night, which is what the organizers need after charging each person RM80. This year, the theme of the night is "Momentos De La Pasion" - Spanish (I think) for "Moments of Passion". Seriously, what's wrong with using plain ole English? Imagine the hard time Ah Bengs and Ah Lians have to go through to pronounce the theme to their partners. I imagine they would pronounce it like the title of this post.
Anyway, I ought to be out having some old-town fun.
New Day, New Month
It's a new month - my blog is 2 months old. More than 200 hits later, I'm surprised I have the resilience to churn out the 20,000 words or so that I have written since May.
Anyway, I was delighted to find out that most of my old friends in Form 6 managed to get a spot in USM Penang. That means that I can still see them during holidays. If all of them left, I would have one less reason to go back to Penang. After all, when you get down to it, Penang is not growing... there's hardly anything new these days.
One friend, however, got her 1st choice, that is, in Sabah. She's flying off today, and I just want to wish Faezah all the best! I understand she is looking forward to it, and I'm glad she's so adventurous. I tell all of them that the college/uni years are one of the best of your lives, so just go and experience it!
Here's to all of them.
Anyway, I was delighted to find out that most of my old friends in Form 6 managed to get a spot in USM Penang. That means that I can still see them during holidays. If all of them left, I would have one less reason to go back to Penang. After all, when you get down to it, Penang is not growing... there's hardly anything new these days.
One friend, however, got her 1st choice, that is, in Sabah. She's flying off today, and I just want to wish Faezah all the best! I understand she is looking forward to it, and I'm glad she's so adventurous. I tell all of them that the college/uni years are one of the best of your lives, so just go and experience it!
Here's to all of them.
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