joie de vivre

Farewell Blogspot!

2011-03-26T09:18:00.000-07:00

This blog has moved to Eidetic at Wordpress. Why? Because I dislike the layout, and Wordpress is rather minimalist and clean. And yup, I'm bad at HTML, so I failed at trying to improve this site's layout. :(

So with a heavy heart, I bid farewell to 3 years with Blogspot.

Hello Eidetic.

ENTS - Enjoy Till Sick

2011-03-20T21:33:00.000-07:00

Back from ENTS - ENjoy Till Sick. Yeah, we were just facillitating but a little sorethroat and a sexy voice turned into a full-blown flu.

This is what happens when you sleep for 9 hours in 72 hours, play basketball at 2 am and chor dai di till 4. Not exactly a good combo.

But the company of friends, that's always priceless. Right now, sleep is highly welcomed.

Is a DSLR really worth it?

2011-03-16T02:43:00.000-07:00

If there's something that I ~~need~~ want is a better camera than a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S2000 of 10.1 MP, 3x optical zoom and not very good indoor/night shots.

Not good when almost all my assignments are indoors, poorly lit, or at night. Or with royalty (whom I can't get close enough to) around, or when a flash is unwelcomed. Or when professional photographers with intimidating DSLRs butt me out of the way with their big backpacks (or derrieres).

I need my MONEY $HOT!

So I did some mathematics to determine if getting a new camera is really worth my money:

Oh wait. There's a calculation error! It's actually 19 months worth of photos!

NO. Maybe not.

That's Yi Wen on The Job

2011-03-10T03:13:00.000-08:00

Does not exactly sum up my working experience because I'm mostly plagued by ineptness in forming the basic-est of basic interview questions.

Other than that, I enjoy this job. But as a career? Maybe not.

Naturally Stiff

2011-03-08T09:58:00.000-08:00

Despite the fact that stiffness is an inborn thing for me, I enjoy watching 'So You Think You Can Dance'. On and off though. So there's Season 7 right now, and my favourite is Alex Wong.

A ballet dancer, he was certainly a cut above the rest. He wowed the judges with his contemporary dance, Hallelujah with Allison Holker, and the hip-hop dance he was dreading with Twitch. Mom, Dad and I loved the hip-hop routine so much, we caught the repeat. AMAZING!

But, I found out he withdrew from the competition because he snapped his Achilles tendon during practice for a Bollywood and foxtrot (which I wish I could see!). Kinda defeats the purpose of watching SYTYCD. :(

I've been thinking (for a very long time now) of learning how to dance. And voilà! Inspiration!

But at 19 going on 20, the only dance experience I have are ballet at 3 for a few months (I cried and complained), some jumpy "I Love Jesus" dance as a kid, some embarassing dance in CF and 2007 Grad Night, and again in the following Grad Night. And my feeble attempt at mimicking my brother, which resulted in Mom laughing till she wanted to pee.

Badminton training resulted in me realising that I can only manage a 90° split. But at least I can touch my toes for a good 3 seconds. Some great dancer. I think I'd ROFL watching myself in the studio mirror.

I'm hoping to learn jazz. Think Broadway. But then again...

What Me Worry

2011-03-03T06:43:00.001-08:00

If there's one thing that I'm dreadfully worried about, it would be university application. For some inexplicable reason, I used to enjoy university applications. Perhaps it was the impending prospects of a brand new surrounding and challenge. But right now, #%@! applications.

Just two nights ago, I told God, please open only one door - the door He wants me to take. And the next day, I realised that the application for LLB and Bachelor of Arts (Literary Studies) double degree programme at HKU had closed early and they do not accept late applications because it is a very competitive course (only 20 students are selected). I missed it by two days.

And then, I checked City University, HK. The LLB applications closed, two days ago.

If it was God's doing, he certainly was very fast.

But it leaves me with a headache. I've only got local public universities and the SCP Singapore Scholarship to place my hopes on. International and European Law at The Hague University is definitely tempting at 7600 Euros per year; plus, the ICC is there. But, it does not seem feasible. Last resort would be an 2+1 LLB at BAC and UK. But even one year in the UK seems selfish.

Worries are plaguing me - how would financing the 3 of our studies be? Where would I go? Would I actually get to go?

Faith is necessary, but extremely difficult.

Dankbarkeit

2011-02-25T01:33:00.000-08:00

Whenever public examination results are released and the top scorers' faces appear in the media, secretly, every student hopes that it would be him/her someday.

When it does happen, it's so surreal that is it almost hard to comprehend. Is this for real?

I think I was left in a daze that lasted for days. After all, these are the things that happen to the crème de la crème, the cream of the crop - something that I'm definitely far from.

I praise God above; the God of providence, the impossible, and great blessings; so much that it overflows. It would have never been possible without His favour. All glory goes to Him!

Mom and Dad: who spent hours and money teaching me, and instilling the love for reading at a young age.

The MUET teachers of ACS: especially Ms Foo (priceless debate training), Pn Lim (buckets of encouragement)

The insane Karjie: for getting a Band 6 and making me go 'kiasu'.

It was a journey of many years to obtain this, thus, many lent a helping hand in one way or another.

Thank you all so very much!

STPM was better than expected. And I'm to grateful for inspirational teachers like Pn Lee Kim Yoon. Irreplaceable.

A Tiger or 4 Men?

2011-02-24T00:04:00.001-08:00

I can finally say I have been to court!

Today, I followed my boss and photographer Ed to Tapah to cover a court case involving several Orang Asli men who allegedly shot a tiger in a forest reserve. I met with the defense counsel - Augustine Anthony and Amani Williams-Hunt, fondly known as Bah Tony to the Orang Asli. (Bah Tony is the first Orang Asli lawyer in Malaysia.) The two of them filled me in on the case over tea.

About 60 Orang Aslis thronged the Tapah Magistrate Court. During the journey, I strongly believed that the men should be charged. But I completely changed my mind. Each men would face a maximum penalty of RM 15000 or 5 years of imprisonment if convicted. I realised how important it was to champion the rights of the impoverished and the marginalised.

The court proceedings covered two PTPTN loan cases, and then only the Orang Asli case. The director of public prosecutions (DPP) questioned a witness but it was rather difficult to hear because they were speaking softly.

The interesting part came when an exhibit - the shotgun - was handed over to the witness. Something happened (long story) and it was a contempt of court, as argued by the defense.

I must say that I could do this (be a lawyer) for a living. Championing the rights of the dispossessed is something I feel is important, but at the same time, the continuity and preservation of wildlife species is equally vital. The government should take note of the UNESCO award-winning Nam Ha Ecotourism Project in Laos.

Collin Michael Hall in his book, Pro-Poor Tourism: Who Benefits? Perspectives on Tourism and Poverty Reduction, states, "...its (NHEP) external reviewers were unequivocal that it had been a 'tremendous success in providing a model on how tourism might be used for development in rural and largely subsistent villages and as a mechanism for promoting forest conservation' (Lyttleton & Alcock, 2002:5)..."

The Lantan or Indigo People of Laos who have benefitted from the NHEP. Photo courtesy of trekearth.com

Next, I'll be heading for a talk by the Perak Academy titled 'Democracy and The Constitution' by Dato' Dominic Joseph Puthucheary. That'll be interesting too.

In the middle of the night...

2010-11-28T01:38:00.000-08:00

Check out http://www.matthewgraygubler.com/webpage/ or http://www.matthewgraygubler.com. :)

Does the Sun Not Shine?

2010-11-04T10:07:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the old man
In the closed-down market
Kicking up the paper,
with his worn out shoes?
In his eyes you see no pride
And held loosely at his side
Yesterday's paper telling yesterday's news

So how can you tell me you're lonely,
And say for you that the sun don't shine?
Let me take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of London
I'll show you something to make you change your mind.

Streets of London, Ralph McTell.

I don't think they saw. Maybe they did. But if they did, I think the significance of it was different for everyone who saw it.

Everyone impatiently waiting for their turn to place their lunch orders. The endless queues and the hassled cashier girls. Teenage students lazily munching on their burgers and fries. Everyone for his own.

Then, he walked in. Dressed in nondescript clothing, his face was immemorable. But you could tell he hadn't washed in awhile. Nobody noticed him as though he was just part of the interior of the outlet.

Was he wearing a pair of canvas shoes or slippers? I don't seem to remember. He wore something brown; knee-length capri shorts, I think. But it just escapes my mind.

He came from the end of the corridor, where the sink was; probably washed his hands. But I never saw him come in.

"French fries, french fries," he said aloud to himself in Cantonese.

He picked up some cold fries on a tray left over from a meal of two boys in school uniforms. Swiping some from the tray, he happily gobbled them down. He shuffled around, his eyes searching. Approaching a man in his 60's who was certainly more well-off than him, his body movements radiated excitement. You could tell he was happy.

"Fries."

Hesitatingly, he asked the man who wore a beat-up navy blue canvas shoes, "Are you going to have these fries? Do you mind if I have them?"

The man with the blue shoes grunted, barely casting a glance at him or the stale fries left uncleared from a previous patron.

Gladly, he grabbed handfuls of the meagre meal and carefully dropped them into a french fry box. Thanking the man with sincerity, he ambled off leaving the man with the blue shoes barely affected.

And then, I stared at my now-empty mealbox, and I looked at my life; how I'd wished our family had just a little bit more cash so that we can get into varsity; how I've always had a full belly; how I'd spent; how I'd perceived it to be mediocre, average, 'not bad, not good'.

All of a sudden, it seems so indulgent.

World Sight Day

2010-10-17T00:17:00.000-07:00

Mom spotted me squinting in front of the telly one afternoon when I was 6 while she carried the sun-dried clothes in. And that was the start of 13 years of short-sightedness.

Glasses then were less than attractive, plus, they were very expensive. I was so afraid my glasses would drop and I got upset when a boy in kindergarten ran into me and my glasses were knocked off my nose. Grandpa also called me Professor. ;)

It was pair after pair of unattractive glasses especially since Mom couldn't afford the nicer ones, which explains my terrible primary school pictures. =__=

My lens power has risen steadily over the years to a high -6 dioptres (negative sign denotes myopia). -6 D borders between medium myopia and high myopia. I also experience floaters, which are shadowy shapes like worms that appear to float in my line of vision. This is usually experienced by high myopes. Worrying, huh?

Wearing glasses is also extremely bothersome; I can't see when I swam, I lost my glasses in a dark wave pool, sweat blurs my view during badminton, foggy glasses while eating hot food...

But my nosebridge was finally 'liberated' by contact lenses! (Which I still find troublesome, and it opens your eyes to potential plagues of infections.)

Despite all that, I'm still grateful to have sight.

Thank God that you are able to read this.

Happy World Sight Day.

Mission Accomplished!

2010-10-04T01:00:00.000-07:00

So.. my family and I went trippin' to KL for two days some time ago while a vast majority of STPMers devoted hours to their books. I did study chemical bonds in the bus though. Guilt aside!

My drummaddiction cost Dad a whopping RM 124 at Bentley. I was about to pay, but.. he said it is an investment. Oh well. Since my old Antler stick bag decided to go alligator on me (the zipper split open), I got a new brandless one for RM 25. Pretty cheap, relative to the ones sold in Ebony. It's big and can fit about 6 sticks. :D

And, I also got a Boss Dr. Beat DB-30 Metronome! It's palm-sized and besides being a digital metronome, it works as a tuner as well. It's got the tap function and it can play odd time signatures. Plus, it's only RM 99 and it came in only last week. But it's been in the market for several years already.

Mr. Salesguy Darren asked me to take up courses in Bentley. (They've got an AUDITORIUM as well!) But surprise, surprise, I'm from Ipoh. :(

Karjie also got me a pair of Vic Firth rutes from Hong Kong! And it was air-flown. It made her about HKD 160 poorer so, thank you, Beester! :)

So many new toys and no time to play with them.

.........................................

I've been spending hours over Math and I can say that I DO NOT DISLIKE MATH ANYMORE! I actually enjoy it. What an accomplishment. All thanks to my 'hell-like training' mates - Benjamin, Bubu and Weng Hong. REALLY. Now, it's time to get the Math "Jump In" Award! I guess it would work as a morale booster. ;)

Weight.

2010-08-10T06:03:00.000-07:00

3 months.

Everyday, fresh realisation dawns upon me that if I fail to achieve stellar HSC results, I can't get into varsity.

And I know that we cannot afford private institution fees, or even a partial scholarship to anywhere overseas. And then, there's Sean.

Very disheartening. Not getting into varsity is not an option.

Not being able to solve questions despite intense study and failing to understand lessons are very dispiriting. Then, there's the literary & oratory award that I can't qualify for just because I'm not a boy. And the infuriating selfish bookish people.

There's more to boot.

I'm very frustrated. I need to go for a jog. :/

I need God.

Escapism

2010-08-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

A regular mundane Tuesday would just have seen me leaving school for home, lunch, a nap, dinner, then homeowork.

But a form of escapism for the Tuesday bore came in the form of Ee Ern; a good excuse to go out on a weekday!

Picking him up from MGS, we headed to the famous Kai Si Hor Fun place in old town, but, my terrible navigation skills made a simple journey into a trail around old town. Good food (at least to me) and a conversation after a year, afterwhich, we went to Jusco for Inception.

I must say that Inception was mind-boggling and interesting, no doubt, living up to all the praises by critics. The play of architecture by CGI was amazing especially during Ariadne's maiden dream manipulation; and the explosions were done using high-pressure nitrogen. Very cool. Graphics were good, and the movie kept me thinking for two and a half hours. Certainly not a no-brainer movie like Transformers. An attractive Joseph Gordon-Levitt in three-piece suits as Arthur the Point Man added some more decor. ;) And there was this zero gravity scene where he did without the help of CGI or green screens! I must stop spouting spoilers. It's definitely a must-watch masterpiece.

It was home, dinner and pasar malam. A day of eating, really. But that's what Ipoh is all about. Authentic good food, mostly.

When asked what is Ipoh famous for; the answer: food. When asked what do I do when I go out with friends; the answer: eat. You make my social life seem to unhappenning and porky lah! Haha.

Oh, and ulu me finally went to De Garden, although it's a stone's throw from my place, to check out the modern architecture that I've been very drawn to since it's construction. I like the play of lights, usage of water and foliage on the walls, and the minimalist designs. :) And from my horrible parking, he must've wondered why he had entrusted his safety to this terrible driver. Haha.

It has been a long time since I've had a good time like this, considering what STPM seems to do to us. :( But next up, a Burger King menu exploration! (YES, I have not been to BK yet)

..............................

Call me lazy, but I don't think I can spend 6 hours in school, 2 hours on tuition and 5 hours of study daily. But that's what virtually everyone is doing, especially my Chinese school classmates. The only thing they have to talk about are math formulae, benzene rings and high energy photons.

During my interview of actor Mano Maniam last Friday (yes, I interviewed him!), he said (rough quote), "If a person was a 'nerd', it is most likely that he would be ostracized. There were so many things to do and be involved in in school. Those days we didn't have terms like 'nerd' or 'get a life', but we would've used it."

I think if you "played too much" (like me), you'd be called a 'wild thing' and possibly ostracized. Role-reversal, yes. I think there's more to life than just studying. Skills and experience (NOT experience answering exam questions), for one, are so valuable to me. But most of them would see it as an excuse to not study.

I see vast differences between the mentalities of English medium school students and Chinese medium school students. But hey, there are some exceptions of course; I'm not generalising.

Everybody comes rushing to ask me things when we have MUET. Nobody bothers to inform teachers who've lost track of time, but they expect me to notify them. When someone finds a pencil, they expect me to announce it to the class when they bloody well have their own mouths. They take their own sweet time packing things to head to the labs, making me the last to go because I have to lock the doors. They need to be pushed like stubborn mules to join competitions. They don't do things to benefit the community.

Awesome shyte right? But there are exceptions.

This table needs more using.

So messy.

HIGHPRAISE 2010: O Praise Him!

2010-07-10T06:57:00.000-07:00

After a year of planning and months of work, HIGHPRAISE 2010 was a resounding success!

The kopitiam meetings, the fun practices, the rush. I miss all those, as busy as we were.

Adopting the theme Renewal, Revival, Revolution was certainly God's choice, as High Praise was a leaping stone for revival among Christian youth in Ipoh.

I can never forget
how I woke up at 8 to finish four banner proposals in an hour before leaving for Pesta the same day;
the launching service in MYC;
the crazy drive to CGBC for practice only to find out I'm the earliest;
the McD outdoors with Siew Toong and Eugene;
Kay Lynn's fear of balloons;
the rain that fell after Sarah sang Rain Down;
the geniuses Weng Hong and I were (HAHA);
the very tiring jumping;
the honey and lemons for all the sorethroats;
and how God was so real and evident throughout the planning and High Praise itself.

The turnout came up to about 260! The performances by the two dancers, Jerome and Jeremy Goh got the people clapping. Emceeing the night was a tough job, and I worked up a lingering sorethroat from my recent bout of illness.

But the main purpose was to praise God. And the Holy Spirit was indeed moving in Elim that night. People were singing praises to God, jumping, dancing and just worshipping Him. From the stage, it was simply amazing. Despite the fiery sorethroat, I managed to lead I Could Sing of Your Love which would've been impossible without God. Praise God!

Pastor Clement is an anointed speaker without doubt, and he got the crowd in stitches with his jokes. But, jokes aside, through the message, 19 people came to accept Christ into their lives and countless others rededicated themselves to God. Praise God!

We poured so much into High Praise, we've seen the Holy Spirit move, we've witnessed God's power, and we've also gained something in return, whether we've realised it or not. I know I have; the joy of seeing people coming to Christ, the friendships strengthened, the new friends made, the experience.

I really wish this group of people could work together again!

OH. An interesting thing: The Koreans came in as they needed to set up their stuff for their gig. The next night at Wesley, one Korean man recognised us and said that maybe we could collaborate next time! :D I was in [SUPER EXCITED STATE] that night.

BB PESTA: The Best Ever!

2010-07-09T02:15:00.000-07:00

The 19th National BB Pesta was SUPER beyond description!

This is a rather delayed post because this SUPER event landed me in bed for 4 days with a bad fever, chesty cough, sore throat and other whatnots. The doctors suspected I had dengue so I was sent for a blood test that almost made me kiss the floor. I've got a low white blood count so I was subjected to another test which wasn't very assuring but I'm well!

But on to happy topics!

Drill "courses" with WO Ph'ng! (With chapters. Haha. We graduated.)

We left Ipoh by train to Parit Buntar where we spent the night at PB Baptist Church. On the way, we watched Vertical Limit, a 9-year-old movie that my childhood friends and I invented a game based on it while in Cameron Highlands. I finally watched the movie. We practised marching on the empty street near the market. I was too excited to sleep.

The bulk of the event was held at St. Xavier's Institution while I stayed at the architectural beauty called Convent Light Street. All the Primers were made squad leaders so we were all naturally nervous, but, responsibilities were minimal and discipline-wise, Pesta was relatively relaxed and punishments weren't meted out, but a high standard of discipline was maintained by all. We watched the drill competition which was good, then in the evening, we made our way to the Penang City Stadium for the Opening Ceremony. We represented Perak in the state contingent march and were required to stand at attention for (very) prolonged period of time. Dato' Seri Ong Tee Keat was there to officiate it. After the march, the Perak State Commissioner said the Primers did well! :D The National Band Competition was an eye-opener. Brass bands of 100 doing formations and dances; even the Thriller!

(Photo courtesy of BBM Facebook)

The next morning, we had a sort of 'dancercise' led by some professional dancers. We were so far behind so we couldn't see. Some crazy Sabahans did their own moves. (One of them shot to 'stardom' on dance night. Haha) We were separated into platoons, and to my utter dismay, the main language of conversation is Mandarin! My squad officer from Bintulu can only speak Chinese. I could've cried. Haha. But I tried as much Chinese as I could and by the end of Pesta, Lt. Wong Siew Chuong said I have improved! My other officer was WO Pornpimon Stapleng who was really so cuddly with me and gave me a huge box of lobak!

Part of my squad after the closing ceremony. (Photo courtesy of Tiew Siong)

The Interplatoon Telematch was cancelled due to rain which a few of us were caught in. Thankfully this guy held an umbrella over me! :) But some of us got to play the games when the rain stopped which was great. Another eye-opener was the National Singing and Dancing Competition. BB just gets better. I mean, this people sing and dance simultaneously! And the dancing competition was professional.

Youth Concert turned out to be like a Sunday service in Dewan Sri Pinang, with added excitement. The pastor from City Harvest Church was great, and the translator guy was so cute and funny!

Squad leaders and officers with the CHC team. (Photo courtesy of 19th National PESTA)

The most tiring thing was the Treasure Hunt which covered the whole of the Georgetown Heritage Trail. I finally explored much of Penang on foot. It was tiring but our group held together in the blazing heat.

Squad C2! I had an Vanessa, an Indonesian sergeant as assistant. (Photo courtesy of BBM Facebook)

At night was the Fun Fair and B Idol - well-organised without a glitch. And guess what? Team BUBU (that's Bubu, CK, Weng Hong, Ben, Wei Han and myself) won a futsal match against an all-young boy team 2-0! I scored. Woohoo!

The MANY MANY MANY coupons! (Photo courtesy of Weng Hong)

For Explore Penang, I headed South West to Balik Pulau with Sarah to the nutmeg factory and the famous durians. They were good, I tell you. But I got carsick on the way. Too bad "Sabah!" was in the other South West group; if not, it would've been crazy. We had Air Itam market laksa and some desert, and tapau-ed muachee for supper.

Then, the highlight of Pesta: the Route March! Penang Road is one of the busiest roads in Penang, both day and night. But the road was closed for US to march all the way from SXI to KOMTAR Dome with policemen on duty! Tourists and locals all gathered along the road. Some snapped pictures and others cheered and clapped. Two brass bands accompanied the 1700 marchers which attracted more attention. Even people from Trader's Hotel couldn't help but peer through the curtains! It was a proud moment for all of us.

(Photo courtesy of Weng Hong)

Half-heartedly, we went through the motions of the Closing Ceremony. True to the theme of "Go Green", lighting was minimum, no plastic bags or styrofoam boxes were used throughout Pesta. Pesta started off with perfection and ended similarly. Bubu and my platoon was 1st runner up! :D

Spot us! (Photo courtesy of 19th National Pesta)

Syok sendiri-ing with Primers from Penang. They wanted us to take a pic for them, but we ended up taking it with them! (Photo courtesy of Adam Lai of Penang BB)

Day 5: Fellowship and goodbyes. And, then, food at my family's favourite place - Joo Hooi! Mmm. We caught a Rapid from KOMTAR to Queensbay and watched 'A Team' there. Got us in stitches. Then, more goodbyes to my 1st Ipoh mates as I met up with Momma, Papa and Sean. :(

Waiting for our rocket to come.

I love you guys and Pesta!
(Photo courtesy of Zhen Yick of Penang BB)

Pesta has really changed my perception of BB and it has showed me how one body of Christ can lead on to the transformation of the lives of its members. BB is a good ground to work at, something you know that harvest can be reaped from hard work. And though, the harvest may benefit only others, the satisfaction of it is a reward itself. I'm considering to serve God through BB. Why not? :)

BB and JOHOR PESTA 2012, I'M COMING!

All Too High

2010-06-09T08:24:00.000-07:00

Are you ready for HIGH PRAISE 2010?

High Praise is an annual event organised by ACS CF.

Renewal, Revival, Revolution is the theme. Revolution seems to be the word for the year, from what I see and our CF is headed towards life-changing revolution. What can be a better way of revolutionising your life than thru the love of Christ?

Music has a way of reaching out and touching the lives of people. And that's exactly what High Praise is all about. Music, praise and worship, and the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

It doesn't matter if you're Christian or not. Come, and experience renewal, revival and revolution in your life! :) See you there.

.........................................................

I've been immersing myself in music since the hols began, especially the High Praise songs. Practice has been great and productive. But, we need prayers!

Please pray for:
- Sarah. The worship leader. Pray that God's anointing will be upon her and that God will use her to bring the people into a greater time of worship.
- The singers. Lukas, Adrian, Siew Toong, Mei Kei and myself. That our voices will be preserved (and strengthened) and that we'll be able to sing together in harmony.
- The guitarists. Stephen, Samuel and Eugene. That as they work out parts and practise, they'll be able to work in sync.
- The keyboardist. Kay Lynn. That she'll be awesome on that day! (She already is XD)
- The drummer. Benjamin. That he'll provide a solid foundation for the band.

- That all will be focused on God.
- Good health.
- Ultimately, PROTECTION from the plans of the evil one. Especially for those who'll be going for the BB Pesta. That nothing that is not of God will befall us.

- And for all those who are working hard in the planning exco - Benjamin Yong, Jonathan Yeh, Edberg and Weng Hong.

BB PESTA is tomorrow! How ever can I sleep? :D

Command & Conquer

2010-06-06T08:23:00.000-07:00

Break! A time to set accomplishable goals.

1. Clear up my organised-mess desk
2. Intense studying (ie. finish Physics)
3. Attend High Praise practices
4. Complete High Praise banner
5. Edit my publishing ladder
6. Math homework
7. Get my car washed and vacuumed
8. Pack for Pesta
9. Berpesta!

Sounds good. Accomplishable? Yes!

Work starts now.

I shall conquer you, STPM! *warcry*

Excitement because the Boys' Brigade Pesta is just around the corner! Although it's Mr. Foong's first time going for a camp, I'm just as excited as he is. It's our first ever Pesta and we're made squad leaders because we're primers! I hope all goes well. But yes, I'm extremely excited! :D

MUET Muses

2010-04-27T06:38:00.000-07:00

Adieu, Band Six.

Everything was relatively fine except for the writing component which is my strong area. Personally, I'm not satisfied with my essay and my MUET trial essay seems better written. Then again, what's done is done. But, then the kiasu-ness in me whispers "English is the language you've first learnt, first read, first written and spoken everyday for the last 18 years!"

Shame on you, Yi Wen.

And then, there's the expectations to perform from people.

KJ said before she left for HK, "Perhaps you'll beat my score."

Uhm. Not likely.

But, it's never pleasant to wallow in regret. Oh well.

:)

More Than Conquerors

2010-03-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

I've added more pics to my previous post God Encounter.

If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth htat you confess and are saved.

Romans 10:9-10

I think it answers the question in CG discussion last Sunday. Read also Revelation 3:16.

........................................................................

Dad left his Bible in my car. I happened to flip it open while I was getting my bag out of the car before school. And behold! Romans 8:37. It gave me reassurance of the love of God the whole day.

I read Romans 8:28-39 that night. How could I keep from falling asleep with a smile?

V28: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

V35: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

V37: No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

V38-39: For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Times of difficulty may come, but, God's love is always present. Situations may blind us to is, thus, we must always keep ourselves in God's love (Jude 21)!

If neither death nor life can keep me from His love, STPM will not hinder me! Unfavourable situations will not hinder me!

Because of His love, I am more than a conqueror. I shall conquer you, STPM!

I like this. Coffee. Joshua? :)

With Your love so great, heal these hands that serve you; wash away the pain. Heal these feet that are used for Your purpose. They hurt, they hurt so much.

God Encounter

2010-03-15T08:20:00.000-07:00

As promised, I added pics! Photo courtesy of Dr. Chang and Harvey.

The highly-anticipated Change Your World Concert by 1a.m. Relent or the Worship & Music Workshop in church? Well, the workshop won. And I've no regrets.

I was drained after an exhilarating sports day, followed by my 3-hour Math Marathon. The thought of "worship and sharing" wasn't appealing and my mind was drifting to thoughts of STPM during free worship. But, the guitar trio were good.

The anointed team of 12 from Church of Our Saviour (COOS) Singapore was lead by Pastor Eunice Shum and Uncle Paul Seow, who was once a member of CGMC. Their band's pretty tight and there's a lot of variety of styles. I particularly like the 'dragged' Glory chorus.

The worship that morning with the complete band was awesome, though I can't recall what we sang. Everlasting God? We were streamed into our workshops; I in drums under 20-year-old Zhong Guo. He's quite good for someone who doesn't own a set. Clean and neat styles although not as fanciful as QV, but he's a good teacher; managed to cater to a us of different levels. Chris is dexterous on the guitar and Harvey (who reminds me of Mr. Moon from Enid Blyton's Faraway Tree) is very solid.

The team did worship on Saturday night. Great! Their unplugged worship on Sunday's conservative service was... *thumbs up!*

Adelyn and I headed to town to Kong Heng for lunch with the team. Unfortunately, the old limo decided to break down in the middle of a busy intersection. Radiator burst. Problem resolved and to lunch where the S'poreans enjoyed Malaysian food and Ipoh coffee immensely.

Particularly good was the Worship Simulation Session on Sunday where we simulated a worship practice. The audio guy - John Heng (one of the guitar trio as well) - taught us how to do proper sound checks laced with straight-faced jokes. Under the adult band, I was in the first batch together with Patrick. We were quite tensed, because Harvey and Zhong Guo were hovering around us. We did Paul Baloche's Hosanna and it was good. Corrected many errors in my drumming and learnt accents, dynamics and the awesome rimshot! Sean called me a drum warrior. Haha. Roar.

Enthusiasm: Hands moving a sonic speed!

After dinner, we had a Spiritual Spa. Massages? None of that sort. It was a time where we just soaked in God's presence and love. Five stations were set up -

1. Soaking in God's presence
2. Kneeling at the foot of the cross where Bible verses were available
3. Communion with Jesus at the table - just two of you
4. Prophetic words, drawings and prayer
5. Having music sung over you (outpouring)

Psalm 27:10 was what I got. 'Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.' Immensely comforting.

God really spoke to me through the two prophecies. Makes me ponder.

'God will expand your creativity in due time.'
'...living in someone else's shadow. Don't compare. God made you unique.'

And when Zhong Guo prayed over us, he said something like, "...you will be warriors for God." Coincidence? I don't think so.

Truly, He is God. That night, I experienced God like never before. :)

I really enjoyed the whole workshop and I'm expanding my music exploration to jazz and I'm currently hooked on to the contemporary jazz quartet Fourplay and Lee Ritenour, recommended by Zhong Guo. (I went 'huh?' when he mentioned the former.) Bob James' piano solo in Restoration was amazing and the bass riff in 101 Eastbound is funky. ;)

I wish it was longer so that we could've learn more things. But I do pray that this will be a stepping stone to propel our worship to soar to greater heights! Praise the Lord for this blessing!

P/S: I'm planning on getting a new drumstick case (mine split open), rods and a digital metronome for drums with headphone jacks. Any recommendations? Might be tripping to KL for a musical shopping extravaganza! But not anytime soon. Pooh.

Cheerio. God bless. :)

Affinity

2010-03-02T06:34:00.000-08:00

My 300th post! Since June 29th 2007. :)

I'm going to write about my latest music discovery - Tim Hughes.

Yup, I've posted his song Everything from the Holding Nothing Back album. But just recently, I've been exploring his other music.

The verdict: AWESOME.

Hughes, a Christian worship leader and songwriter, is the Director of Worship at Holy Trinity Brompton. The Londoner was asked to lead worship at the Soul Survivor festivals at only the age of 19! He started and leads Worship Central - a school of worship - which has a vision to 'encounter God, equip the worshipper & empower the church'. His song Here I Am to Worship which we sing ever-so-frequently, received a Dove Award.

I like his songs for the powerful and relevant lyrics. Musically, it's good and it has lots of variety, especially the drums. Most of his songs have strong bass. Comparatively, I prefer his worship songs to his upbeat praise songs, but that's because I have not been able to explore them.

Some of my favourites are Everything, of course, God of Justice and Clinging to the Cross which features New Zealander Brooke Fraser who contributes songs to Hillsong Church. (Something Jon might be interested in.)

Hughes plays the guitar pretty well and his vocals are clear and pleasant to the ears too. :)

Do check Tim Hughes's songs; they really are worth listening to. Good for personal praise and worship.

Something random:
I think I have an affinity for anything British.

I like
-Tim Hughes - Londoner.

-Ben Barnes - Londoner.

-The Eurofile column in The Star by Choi Tuck Wo which sadly, ended on Sunday.

-British movies. They're pretty different from American movies and unfortunately, are rarely shown in Malaysia. And the accents, the accents!

-British tidbits. And M&S cereal!

-British accents! (Makes one sound smarter if it's not fake)

Poop Race

2010-02-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

A sports update.

The ETS 4x200m team comprised of Chai Kar Mun, me, Khor Kar Yan and Kasturi. The day was extremely hot and it would be accurate to say the grass was crisp and dry. I think most of us ran faster because the ground was hot.

Muttering a prayer under my breath while Kar Mun turned the last bend, I sprinted as soon as the baton touched my palm. I ran. I was at the frontlines! It felt good.

I could hear the breathing of someone right beside me, bumping into me and trying to overtake me. Sarah. Passed on the baton. Kar Yan to Kasturi. But the long-legged Oldham girl managed to reach the finish line before Kasturi did, leaving us with silver.

My first sprint event win. Memorable. :)

Congrats to Kasturi and KC for breaking school records. KC - 11m++ for triple jump, 5.3m for long jump. Is he a grasshopper or what?

400m race - the anticipated race. Downing a banana for energy, I was placed in the third lane, right next to long-legged Oldham and long-breath Oldham. Pressure. According to Mr Alageasan, the one with the best timing is placed in the third lane. Huh? Me? Must be some mistake. It's long-breath Oldham, sir.

Ke garisan, sedia.. preeett!

We're off. Yee San went off like a bullet, maintaining first all the way through the first lap. Puff, puff. 400m - the longest sprint - was sapping my energy. Lift your knees, Yi Wen! shouts Mr Ravi.

Puff. Go, Yee San! Puff. I'm not sure she heard.

The last bend. Puff. Long-legged Oldham ahead! She's slowing down. There's Dr. K screaming. Puff. Second place, come on! Puff, puff.

Weng Hong cries hoarsely: Run! Puff. I overtake her. Puff. God, why are my legs so wobbly? Puff.

The finishing line! Hurray!

Wait.

Not yet! That's not the line! Run!

(1 second reaction)

S***! Speeds up.

Alas, long-legged Oldham beat me to the finish line by a split second.

Frustration. Acoompanied by immense nausea from exertion. Poop. I'm still sore about it. Gah.

The Highly-Charged Arm Hair Theory

2010-02-21T05:45:00.000-08:00

After going through the chapter of electrostatics one night before bed, I dreamt of discussing physics with Joshua. Call me freaky!

In my sub-conscious state, I asked, "Do you know why when we bump arms in dry air areas, we feel that sharp zap which we usually call 'static shock', but we don't feel it when we bump elbows, if we do?"

I went on to explain that electric charge gathers only on the surface of an object such that the electric field within the object is zero. Plus, the electric field is much higher on sharp points, like this:

When we move, friction between our bodies and the air or other objects cause electrons to jump on to us. Static electricity usually occurs in dry air areas, like air-conditioned rooms, because water in the air helps electrons move off you quickly, thus preventing a large electron build up.

So, back to the sharp surfaces. On our arms, we have more hair than well, our elbows. And hairs can be considered 'sharp surfaces' compared to our skin. That means, there would be more charge build-up on our arms compared to our elbows, like this:

Each of us would be negatively charged in dry air. And as you know, like charges repel. Hence, when our highly-charged arm hairs come in to contact with another person's highly-charged arm hairs, ZAPP! - we repel.

Crazy dream, huh?

Makes me wonder whether my sub-conscious mind is more brilliant than my conscious mind.

But then again, the validity of The Highly-charged Arm Hair Theory can be doubted. Care to expound on this, Physics people?

Talk nerdy to me! :)

Productive!

2010-02-20T00:02:00.000-08:00

Pleasant start for the day: a letter from the Philippines! I got pretty excited that I had to read it at every red light while driving. :)

Bugle practice with Chee Khoon was productive and I got to swap the brass bugle for a trumpet which is easier to play, especially for one with low-capacity lungs. I love it!

What a beauty.

God in my Eating, God in my Fasting

2010-02-19T06:45:00.000-08:00

God in my living
There in my breathing
God in my waking
God in my sleeping

God in my resting
There in my working
God in my thinking
God in my speaking

Be my everything
Be my everything
Be my everything
Be my everything

God in my hoping
There in my dreaming
God in my watching
God in my waiting

God in my laughing
There in my weeping
God in my hurting
God in my healing

Christ in me
Christ in me
Christ in me the hope of glory
You are everything

Christ in me
Christ in me
Christ in me the hope of glory
Be my everything

I first heard this song 'Everything' by Tim Hughes from his Live Worship, London album... while I was doing the jump rope in my living room. Other than Hughes's good vocals, the pleasant tune and the neat graphics on the backdrop, the lyrics of this song captivated my attention. And it got stuck in my head. That's what good songs do to me.

Also, I've started a blog The Shokumotsu Kouhyou which is all about food! The layout's not completely done as I'm putting in effort for a Japanese look. Haha. I'm excited. :)

Quick Wishes

2010-02-12T21:38:00.000-08:00

It holds little meaning for me because why wait till one particular day in a year to show love and affection? It's just a business advantage to business entities. :)

But Happy V Day.

And most of all Happpy Chinese New Year.

Hu nian kuai le. Shen ti jian kang. Xue ye jing bu. Wan si loo yi. :)

CNY - a time for eating. And putting on weight. Hurray! No chance for that with the 4x200m and 400m heats right after the celebrations!

Let Me Run

2010-02-08T06:28:00.000-08:00

Sports. I think I breathe and eat more of it than Art.

3 years competing in badminton, but I never made it into district level, what more, the state team. I'm no Duncan, but Dad's never-ending support made me feel like I was. He drove me around Ipoh to find a good training place as my birthday present. He let me wear his new Yonex shoes but wore my old ones. He bought the best racquet I'd ever play with to spur me on, and did my strings and grip for me. He bought bunches of bananas to fuel me for tournaments. He took time off from writing his thesis to watch my matches and gave me pointers. He played matches with me although they were boring. I don't think I would have ever loved sports if not for Dad's support.

Dad once said "It's your determination in court that helps you win, not so much your skill." Determination. I guess that's me being kiasu - ah, that good spirit of sport.

Satisfaction is another factor I love sports. The sweat, the loosened joints and occasionally the winnings. I can't describe how it feels but you know it's worth the pain.

Cross-country race was awesome. The jogging, bananas, skipping, weight-lifting paid off! But I still struggled. Self-motivation and prayer helped. Thank you, God. All glory goes to You.

Bring Back, O Bring Back

2010-01-19T06:29:00.000-08:00

Are certain people unable to catch music or a tone deaf, or can it be overcome by constant trying?
Are certain people just not good in math in nature, or is it a matter of rigourous practice?

Math. Takes away my joie de vivre.

Stupid. Stupid.

Run, run! Sweat!
Music!

Even if it's playing the guitar for eggs.

Updating.

2010-01-10T05:28:00.000-08:00

Ugh. Since I really dislike my current layout, please bear with my step-by-step editing (which I myself can't bear because of the HTML). Ugh, I really don't like it. Hmph.

Outrage!

2010-01-08T07:40:00.000-08:00

Three churches in Selangor were burnt today; one of it Metro Tabernacle Church, which NTV7 newscaster embarassingly pronounced "Tabernacle" as "taberna-klee" on its evening news. IGP Tan Sri Musa Hassan said that the attacks may be linked to the recent "Allah" ruling. Hm. I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to actually realise that. He told reporters that "this is not a well-planned, coordinated attack so people should not be scared". Three attacks using molotov cocktails in about 12 hours. Not well-planned? Aren't we guaranteed under the Constitution?

There were protests also at several mosques across the nation after Friday prayers, with one of the assemblies participated by about 1000 people. Unlike other protests where the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) or water cannons with chemicals were involved, these protests were spared of violence. Prime Minister Dato' Seri Najib Razak said the protests were allowed as they were held within the premises of the mosques, but the IGP said they were illegal because there was no permit. Home Minister Dato' Hishamuddin said they were allowed, but he backtracked and pushed the responsibility to the IGP. Very messy and vague.

SMSes were circulated, targeting Christians; asking them to keep away Christian things for fear. If I did that, wouldn't I be like Peter? Wouldn't I be cowardly ashamed of my God?

Certainly, this is an outrage! Complete disrespect! Churches burnt, temples torn down, undercover journalists in a Catholic church investigating alleged apostasy, half-eaten Holy Communion photographed for all and sundry to see?

C'est la vie. Such is life. Life in Malaysia, that is.

1Malaysia? Hmph.

PRAY!

P/S: I'm also extremely mad because I was scheduled to go to KL for The Star Education Fair and also a mild dose of shopping with KJ. But no, these people want to demonstrate. I hate having plans interrupted. Basket.

AIEE!

2010-01-03T04:14:00.000-08:00

School. A feeling of dread accompanies the thought of school.

The thought of the dragon lady who breathes fires of non-stop nagging and who generates millions of digits with the swipe of her claw terrifies me. And the image of swinging hypnotic pendulums and colour-changing bubbling potions replays like a never-ending horror movie. Not forgetting the perverse moustachioed man who scolds with profane words. Great. *clap hands Jon-style*

I wanna..
..be less lazy and more serious
..cut afternoon nap time
..study more
..play less
..get fit
..pass all my subjects
..get a top Band 6 for MUET
..gain weight
..make an AWESOME 2010 Voyager Edition
..depend more on Jesus
..GO TO ENGLAND AND JAPAN!

I see my friends finishing college and moving on to university by this year. Varsity seems like a lightyear away; late 2011 or perhaps 2012. Some play but still ace their college exams. STPM-ers play and go die, sort of. Others are still holidaying while we have to go back through the gates of terror.

Oh Jesus, please save me!

Fighting!

2009-12-13T07:29:00.000-08:00

I'm dead tired and all I want is a good night's rest. Been stretching my limits for youth camp games and praise & worship. Really, the planning for games is CRAZY. Phew. We actually spent 2 hours in church and another 2 hours in Woolley, consecutively till 12am discussing the games. Spent another 4 in church today. We're done; just a little techie stuff to get through. Praise & worship is a whole new story though (my first time leading worship in CGMC!). I wish I had my BB Christmas Celebration peeps with me.

Shtoopid shoulder has been acting up again. Hurts. Wish I could go for some back twisting Thai massage or see a doctor. I'm just gonna depend on my Counterpain or heat patches for the time being. =/

I want to throw all I've got on the drums; play some hebat song. Hillsong United's I Heart Revolution's "What the World Will Never Take". That'll do. Ah. Reminds me of the International Youth Rally.

Anyway, I haven't packed, haven't done up a prop for the night games. And I've gotta wake up at 7:30 tomorrow. Awesome.

'Cos when the going gets tough, the tough get going.
When the going gets rough, the tough get rough.
Easy Virtue 2008

ARRR, Yi Wen! Fighting!

Now that you all are back, I really miss those dinosaur years we spent together. Sigh. Come back more often, and visit the lone Ipoh person!

Food & Adventure. What a Combo!

2009-12-11T10:06:00.000-08:00

As soon as I left Penang, I went there again; this time to visit Ah Ma and Yeh Yeh. It was peculiar without KJ and the car felt so empty. This was a makan-filled trip!

We started off with Mom's favourite Tuo Pan which is actually fried sa hor fun with vermicelli in gravy. It's specialty? The fiery sambal belacan! Half-full, we headed to Chai Leng Park's Wai Sek Kai which is something like Ipoh's Tong Sui Kai. There's a variety of food here; from laksa to lok lok to ice-kacang with atapchee and even kuay kak.

I even got to meet Kee Lin (I don't know how's it spelt) - a cousin from Australia whom I've met once 8 years ago. (I do think prognathism runs in our family genes.)

The following day, we had Ah Ma's Hokkien-style dishes like homegrown veggies, stir-fried in chillies and heh bi to give it a belacan-like taste; and also herbal longan soup. We hopped over to the island for a dose of shopping. I managed to purchase a pair of RM 200 Lee Cooper slim jeans for a mere RM 60 at a warehouse sale in Queensbay Mall! Even Converse was selling for extremely discounted prices. We saved Sakae for our next trip to Penang with KJ after Christmas. :)

We popped over to Island Glades for laksa but it wasn't open, so we headed for Air Itam but there was none. But we managed to get a glimpse of the newly erected Kuan Yin in Kek Lok Si from afar. It was huge!

As a last resort, we went to Gurney Drive for food! We saw a man catching chia hu by the sea. The four of us had 4 bowls of laksa, 1 bowl of Koay Teow Th'ng, 2 ice-kacangs, 1 Mua Chee, 1 plate Chee Cheong Fun, 1 small plate of rojak, and 1 coconut. WOW.

Dad drove through town and I savoured the sights of old Penang - from Millionaires' Lane to Chulia Street. Despite passing through these streets many times, the architecture never fails to amaze me and although Penang is soaked in manic development, there's still this old feel to it. Pretty nostalgic. Pre-war shophouses producing rattan, Peranakan town houses with ancestral altars at their doors. It really makes me feel like going back-packing with a DLSR and KJ, of course.

Back at Ah Ma's, Dad took out some ancient photographs of our ancestors; some all the way from China. Looking at them makes me swell with pride because of our rich Baba-Nyonya heritage. Nyonyas in kebayas, complete with traditional headgear and beaded shoes; and Babas in crisp white suits and neat combed hair. He even procured a life-like portrait he did of his Grandpa Sim when he was slightly over 7. Ah Ma even kept Dad's drawing books - How to Draw Heads, Landscapes and even perspectives. They are now in my possesion!

The greatest highlight of this trip happened when we were on our way back to Ipoh. After leaving the Bukit Gantang R&R for quite a distance, Dad realised our car was overheating. Unfortunately, there was a massive jam due to roadworks, so we were forced to pull over by the side. Sean and I tracked back a distance to find a PLUS SOS phone but it was another 250m away so we just took down the PLUSLINE number. A pipe had burst and we needed either a temporary sealant or a new pipe. PLUS wasn't much help and the sky was getting dark. It began to rain but it wasn't safe to stay in the car, in case a speeding car crashes into our stationary one. So we waited under umbrellas. Save for the lights of the passing cars and the occasional streak of lightning. It was really cold.

After 3 hours, our hero, in the form of Uncle Albert the Mechanic, came all the way from Ipoh to the rescue! It was pouring and he risked his life to replace the burst pipe (remember the speeding cars?). However, he couldn't fix the clip due to the heavy rain so we drove on to the Sg. Perak R&R, where he fixed it. Praise God for him! It was all done and we reached home safely at 12am after a BKT dinner, about 6 hours since the breakdown. Thank God!

As soon as we reached home, we found out our water tank had leaked!

Perfect epitome of 'sudah jatuh ditimpa tangga'. What a day!

Trippin'

2009-12-06T06:48:00.000-08:00

Penang. I was a bit "HMM" about going to Penang for an outing because I always go there but turns out, it was a trip to remember.

I must say that I was AWESTRUCK by the Penang War Museum in Batu Maung. It was an unbelievable thing to just be there; I think my mouth just hung open in awe. It was the highlight of the trip especially for a war history fanatic like me! (Here's where Ee Ern goes, "You're so manly!" LOL) But because I'm still gushing crazily over the 20 acre British stronghold. I'll blog about it in a separate post. :)

The photo hunt in the Youth Park was immensely fun as it was great bonding time with my group members, namely, Wen Jun (or Dai Lou), Venisri, Sarah, Wai Hong, Thong Seng, Tan XYZ and a big guy. We tried climbing vines, snapping ass shots, levitating, hanging upside down and getting macro shots. Contributing to the fun was the sudden rain that had us running helter-skelter to our bus. We were soaked to the skin!

Dinner at New World Park was really fun, especially when Sarah, Wen Jun and I got pretty high and started singing to the music that was played and went down to the arena pretending to be rock stars! XD And also singing my favourite With Christ in the Vessel.

I couldn't help but reminisce all the fun times I had in Stella Maris in Youth Camp 2007 especially with my group - Autobots.

You've gotta STOP, DROP and ROLL!
Till the lights go out, till the lights go out. (hands showing blinking movements)
You've gotta STOP, DROP and ROLL!
To the beach, to the beach. (rolling waves motion with hands in the beach's direction)
You've gotta STOP, DROP and ROLL!
In the church, in the church. (hands clasped together in prayer)
You've gotta STOP, DROP and ROLL!
Say what? (hands to ears)
STOP, DROP and ROLL!
Ok! ("ok" hand signal)
STOP, DROP and ROLL!
and again
STOP, DROP and ROLL
DROP and ROLL
DROP and ROLL
DROP and ROLL

a-u-t-o-b-o-t-s, a-u-t-o-b-o-t-s, a-u-t-o-b-o-t-s (chanting while getting into position)

A-U-T-O-B-O-T-S! Represent.

It was an AWESOME cheer.

The Toy Museum was sad to say, poorly maintained and the toys were covered with dust as the shelf casings weren't properly done up. At the Cocoa Boutique, we managed to snag several bits of expensive chocolates. I loved the coffee ground-filled dark chocolate! The seafood dinner at How Kee in Bukit Tambun was superb and definitely much better than previously.

On the way back, us, primers, indulged in some heavy chatting and quizzed the guys - Bubu and Hong - about their preferences. Haha. It was great.

I miss it all.

ReSOUNDing JOY

2009-11-28T08:32:00.000-08:00

With Christ in the vessel, we can smile at the storm,
Smile at the storm, smile at the storm.
With Christ in the vessel, we can smile at the storm,
As we go sailing home.

So simple yet powerful! It's message parallels my motto Bible verse from Philippians 4:13 which says "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Hence, with Christ in my vessel, I'm sure I'll emerge victorious from my treacherous voyage.

I'm a happy creature, well, I prefer to smile than to mope over things, which, I believe, is due to the very presence of God in my life. There is a difference between JOY and HAPPINESS, from what I've learnt throughout my years in KIDS School. JOY isn't an emotion unlike HAPPINESS, which is temporary, but, it is something profound and keeps you smiling despite fierce storms in life. This JOY that I have is certainly from Him alone. JOY that I have eternal life in God. Makes me want to break out into song!

There is joy, joy, joy, in the presence of the Lord,
Singing hallelujah, amen!
There is joy, joy, joy, in the presence of the Lord,
Singing hallelujah, amen!

Because of this, I choose to stay positive amidst the adversities, be they minor or otherwise. :) And surely, refrain from all sorts of emo-ness! Anyway, why stay emo when you smile out sunshine and.. rainbows(?)

It's exciting how I'm progressing with the bugle! It's the first wind instrument I'm learning to play after the... recorder! But that doesn't count, because I only knew how to play Mary had a Little Lamb in staccatos. Mr. Lt. Wong Chee Khoon, who DIY-learnt to play, is my SIFU. It's pretty interesting to see his face tomato up blowing the bugle. (Forgive me, sir! XP) Today, I was fortunate to be able to be taught by Mr. Eddy Khoo who was a bugler in his long gone BB days. His lungs work like powerful wind generators! I managed to learn note progressions in a breath and tonguing. It's not as easy as it seems - summoning air from your diaphragm, lip control. Wind instruments are a little gross. You can't help but sputter potentially corrosive amylase-filled fluid into the brass body. Percussions are way more sanitised! But I do hope to be able to play several calls for meetings before our term in Primers ends!

*Lights Out Bugle Call* ;)

Perfect

2009-11-17T05:31:00.000-08:00

First, I decided that I should do sports physiotherapy. Naturally, you were elated at my career choice. Then I realised that my focus in this field was wrong. I only wanted to tour with sports teams. I could never visualise myself in geriatrics. You were upset.

I decided hospitality and hotel management would be my choice since it wasn't so academic. You said no. You'd never know what kind of people you meet in that line. I vehemently insisted that you'd meet unscrupulous people anywhere. But you still said no.

Fine. Decision change to something more academic; the way you like it. Architecture - science and art combo. You were okay initially, then you changed your mind. Long working hours, deadline stress etc. I tried to show you my interest in construction so you relented a little. But I still knew you wanted me in the medical field.

Now, here I am in Form 6, after a series of failed scholarship applications, producing thrashy results worthy of a garbage dump. Maybe I'm not trying hard enough to work my way through this bloody system. Maybe I'm unhappy, but that's no reason to flunk math and get a CGPA that screams alerts like a heart monitor fixed to racing horse. Or maybe, as I've said, I'm just a naturally-born idiot. I'm not happy with the rotten results, the stupid way things tend to go.

And then you say now: What about journalism? Mass communication? Wait. Weren't you the one who pushed me towards science and all this biology stuff? All your expectations seemed to direct me to the medical field or banking. It was just this strong vibe you gave me. But I'd be living your life, not mine.

Thus, you posed me a dilemma: to leave and splurge a large sum in private institutions for a professional course or stay and face high posibilities of failure in Form 6.

But will I be able to leave? The many things I've built for myself now seems like shacks built on sandy ground. Can I let go of the task of producing a school magazine, of pushing the brigade to greater heights? It seems cowardly; running and shirking from challenges. But at the same time, it sounds sensible; leaving a sinking boat for a sturdy ship.

I see my UK, Japan and all overseas dreams evaporating into thin air.

And I'm good, good, good to go
I got to get away
Get away from all of my mistakes

So here I sit looking at the traffic lights
The red extinguishes the hope that the green ignites
I want to run away I want to ditch my life
Cause all of my mistakes keep me awake at night

....

It just now hit me this is more than just a set back
And when you spelled it out, well, I guess I didn't get that
And every trace of momentum is gone
And this isn't turning out the way I want

....

And I spent all last night
Tearing down
Every stoplight
And stop sign in this town
Now I think there might
Be no way to stop me now
I'll get away despite
The fact I'm so weighed down

All of my escapes have been exhausted
I thought I had a way but then I lost it
And my resistance was once much stronger
And I know I can't go on like this much longer

I just gotta stop running and catch my breath. God I need You.

Caveman's Way

2009-11-14T00:13:00.000-08:00

Form 6 schooling has brought a plague of strange ill health upon me. Last month I had funky nausea spells for one week. Severe gastric attacks and stomach cramps prevented me from straightening up till I gave up avoiding the doctor. Doc's advice: Keep away from spicy, sour and oily food. And that's exactly what I did although I'm a spicy-sour food junkie. I stuck to a healthy diet; fruit and fibre cereal with milk every morning, wholemeal bread, no sour food and less spicy food. I realised that my general well-being improved. I don't feel so sleepy in class and I felt good. But, gastric struck again last week despite eating full and regular meals, and nausea is back. So, I popped by the clinic. Diagnosis? Probably some gut discomfort. :( Tomorrow's the Campers' Badge Camp and right now, my intestines are in knots. Thank God modern toilets are available! Otherwise it'll be the 'use-spade-dig-hole-do-it-like-a-caveman' method. Eew.

Health, Health, how I treasure thee!
Pray, do come back to me!

Hm. Been pondering. Are there such things as naturally-born geniuses and naturally-born idiots? Or is it just a matter of tapping into the 'genius gene' in our subconscious minds? Either, that 'genius gene' of mine hasn't been tapped or I'm just a naturally-born idiot.

Anyway, hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to camp I go! Excited. Reminds me of my scouting days. :) But, I'm having problem packing. Haha.

Quick Bite: Zucchini & Aubergine Spaghetti with Sausage

2009-10-27T06:51:00.000-07:00

I usually have beef Spaghetti Bolognaise from the basic ingredients - beef, tomatoes, onions, tomato puree and spaghetti. But, it takes time to cook. So what could be better when a faster option is presented to a hungry after-school student?

Mom and I chanced upon instant pasta sauce by Barilla that comes with zucchini and aubergines. Most pasta sauces are usually pure mush but this one comes with small chunks of veggies, so, it is a healthier option although a little pricey at RM 11.90. Well, it's cheating but, it's fast and tastes good, so I'm fine. :)

Here's a simple recipe that any non-cooking fan would be able to follow:

Firstly, break spaghetti strands and boil them in water till soft. Add some salt and oil to the water. It takes a while for it to soften so start with it first.

Chop some onions and tomatoes (optional). Cube the sausages. You could use minced chicken, beef or whatever that suits your palate.

Saute the onions and when it smells fragrant, throw in the rest and add several tablespoons of Barilla Zucchini & Aubergine according to need. Mix well.

By this time, your pasta should be cooked. But that depends on your rate of work. So, test it first. If it's soft, drain the water out. Then, throw the pasta into the sauce and mix well.

Optional: You could add some mixed herbs or oregano for extra taste. (You can get them easily from supermarkets.) Use sparingly. Top off with cheese.

And there you have it...

Zucchini & Aubergine Spaghetti with Sausage!

You could also have the sauce with toasted bread or anything else suitable you can think of. :)

The Lazy Chef

Up next: Baechu Kimchi and Kimchi Jiggae!

Forget & Not Slow Down

2009-10-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

"...Cause I could spend my life just trying to sift through
What I could've done better but what good do what ifs do
Oh oh
Oh oh
There's something I should tell you now

I'd rather forget and not slow down
Than gather regret for the things I can't change now
If I become what I can't accept
Resurrect the saint from within the wretch
Pour over me and wash my hands of it..."

Forget and Not Slow Down (2009)
Relient K

It’s hard to forget and move on emotionally, but sometimes it’s better for you. You have to keep the bigger picture in mind. If you’re feeling sorry for yourself or reflecting on things that aren’t good, you’re not being productive. So to move forward is to concentrate on ‘What can I do better?’
-Matt Thiessen, Relient K vocalist

It’s about learning from mistakes and not just focusing on all the things you wished you would’ve done differently. Everyone has those things. What’s important is the knowledge that when you make a mistake, your life is not over.
-Matt Hoopes, Relient K guitarist

Crash Dummy

2009-09-27T06:44:00.000-07:00

The moment I glanced at the rearview mirror after stopping, I knew it wasn't going to be good. The motorcycle was going faster than it should have. The motorcyclist's expression changed to a shocked one all of a sudden.

"Oh s***."

I braced myself and turned around just in time to see the motorcyclist crash head-on into my rear windscreen. It rained glass on Mom and the seats.

"Turn on the hazard lights."

I saw a bloody mess behind my car. The first thing I thought of was the bill. The rider was raining blood from his head, soaked. Flesh hung from his left nostril. His glasses lost in the crash. The pillion rider had flesh ripped off his arm. His eyes popped wide open when he saw his raw chicken-like flesh exposed and cursed aloud.

I called 999 and dispatch was so slow. So were the cops. Damn. The rider was babbling incoherently and going into shock. I shouted at them.

Passerbys began to stop, watch. A Good Samaritan - an Indian woman aided the two boys to the sidewalk and gave them water. I continued to call 999. A young couple with a black BMW offered to send the boys to the hospital since even the ambulance's sirens were not heard. Mom went along as well.

Dad came not long after and so did Aunty Page, Dr Chang and Samuel Hong. Tow truckers hung about like vultures over a carcass. The cops came and eased the traffic but we had to wait for 2 hours for the crash investigation officers to analyse the scene. A fight almost ensued between the rowdy tow trucker and Aunty Page. The cops did not intervene.

The officers arrived and analysed the scene and snapped photographs.

We got home and took our car insurance to make a police report. The glass was jingling all the way home. There was blood, flesh and hair stuck on my car.

I spent hours at the station. Giving a written statement and then a question-and-answer statement. I was mentally and physically exhausted from the long hours. 4 hours had passed since the crash. It didn't help that the sergeant was bullying me verbally and trying to play the guilt card.

Despite this, I have to thank God. It could have been a car instead of a bike. But it wasn't. Mom could've been injured. It could've happen at a worse time (eg. I'm alone at night).A few weeks before this, I kept seeing myself getting involved in an accident whereby I would be severely injured. I would then keep thinking, what if it happened? What would I do first? Because of this, I was rather calm throughout this whole incident. And that suprised me. Dad also woke up at 5 am that morning and had a sudden urge to pray for our safety. And he did. I believe it was the Holy Spirit's prompting. The images I saw probably were to prepare me mentally for this while Dad's prayer surely did protect Mom, Sean and I from bodily harm. Thank God.

Thanks and French

2009-09-22T11:45:00.000-07:00

Things haven't been looking up since the debates were over. But at least there were several things that took my mind off matters.

I've several overdue thanks.

1. Thank you, 6RB and friends for the celebration and all the effort. Thanks for the new racquet (which I know is not cheap). It meant a lot to me (though I didn't cry) since my Finnex was stolen. And for the great cake.

2. Thank you, Mom and Dad for the present you gave. Although I insisted my broken watch was good enough, you guys still insisted. And I'm not superstitious.

3. Thank you, Venisri for the mug and the LOVELY card. Haha. Yes, I'm legal.

4. Thank you, Sok Wai and Yee San for the Chinese dictionary. I'm sure it's gonna help me in my writing a lot!

5. Thanks people for the cards, the wishes and the SMS-es.

6. Thank you, Adelyn for listening to me rant about faith and for your counsel.

7. Thank you, Ee Ern for Skype-ing to try to cheer me up and for all your interesting ways to make people feel better. You had me laughing with 'ee means "good" ern means "cook"' and confusing Louvre with toilet. Must have jumbled up all the French you were studying. Haha.

Je ne penssais pas que c'était possible d'etre amie avec quelq'un que je recontre pour un jour.

"Well meeting someone for so short and being able to click well sounds like a movie."

We All Need A Lil Debate :)

2009-09-21T11:10:00.000-07:00

Debate: My passion, drug.

As mentioned, I participated in the Sathya Sai Baba Human Values Debate recently. We, Naomi, Sarah, Venisri and I, first started public speaking training under Ms. Foo on alternate days along the walkway near the undergrounds. It was tedious and we were really shy at the beginning to do all those seemingly ridiculous 7-second "Ahh's" and "Ehh's". But we realised that our lungs grew stronger as we could hold for longer periods and our voices were certainly much louder!

It was decided that the order of speakers would be I, as first speaker, Naomi as second and Sarah as third. And not to forget our darling reserve, Venisri, who breathe-coached us and kept us emotionally stable.

The Preliminaries: Community Service Should be Mandatory for College and University Students
Olympia vs. ACS

We, in team opposition are not convinced that community service should be mandatory for college and university students because such an approach would contradict, undermine and even negate the basic principles and objectives of community service and any benefits achieved would be merely superficial and cosmetic.
1. The principle of free will
2. The principle of 'no expectations of remunerations' for service rendered

The Olympians seemed calm and composed but they only spoke for a total of 12 minutes for the whole team! They did not prepare at all. While the adjudicators were out, this Datin spoke up and started criticising the ACS speakers. I couldn't help but stand up and defend my team. An informal debate ensued and I heard someone shout at me, "Respect your elders!" But we beat the Datin till she sat down quietly after that. :)

We won!

The Semis: The Sole Purpose of Education is to Earn a Livelihood
Politeknik Ungku Omar vs. ACS

We, in team opposition are not convinced that the sole purpose of education is to earn a livelihood because such a belief is simplistic, myopic and restrictive and it does not do justice to the holistic aim of education.
1. The purpose of education as agreed upon by the member states of UNESCO in Article 29(1) under The Convention of the Rights of the Child.
- development of a child's personality, talents and mental and physical abilities
- development of values and beliefs
- preparation of the child for responsible life in a free society
2. The purpose of education as derived from Socratic thought.
- self-knowledge
- individual moral good
- skill in thinking

The motion fell and into the semis we went! I like the chief adjudicator, a lawyer, Mr. Arthur Yong. :)

Finals: Liberty Should be Sacrificed to Promote Security
ACS vs. Institut Perguruan Ipoh

We, in team proposition believe that liberty should be sacrificed to promote security because in doing this, with wholesome restraint, we are actually ensuring our freedom and also the right to act within what the law permits.
1. Economic security which was affected when heavy deregulation and free market was encouraged in the US.
2. Child security from pornography etc.

This debate was almost unethical as personal insults were thrown at the proposition. How unprofessional. It was theatrical, almost like a joke, making a mockery out of debate. You never see this in the World Schools Debate. It just showed how screwed up the Malaysian debating scene is. The Toastmasters were the judges and they barely gave second thoughts to content. We lost although I thought we nailed it after the reply speech. Real injustice in a human values debate.

Oh. Big fumble of the day! Naomi talked about UTOPIA and the opposition said, "Why are we talking about ETHIOPIA? Are you saying that the people in ETHIOPIA are not cultured?" To which all the Institut supporters cheered. Holy macaroni. These people are gonna be teachers.

It was an immensely painful loss. And yes, I'd like to give myself some liberty to "jump over chairs and start killing people". But I'm extremely grateful for the friends I've made and bonded with - especially Venisri and Foofy. XD Haha. Sarah and Naomi were equally awesome. ;)

This is what I love most about debate. I miss hanging out in the Voyager Room and at the walkway outside the library, the excitement, the trainings, the crazy tricks we played on one another, the meals together. Great times. The best of Form 6 I guess.

To My Karjie

2009-09-07T07:53:00.000-07:00

We grew up together all our lives.

While I was still a small fry, she played with me.

Then as I grew, we played together. I remember blowing bubbles in the porch, playing General Bucket and all our weird games like Rolli Polli. We'd spend hours on Saturday afternoon, washing our school shoes in the porch. While doing that, we'd play with soap and water till our skin turned wrinkly. Sometimes we'd play with our dolls or masak-masak the whole weekend. There was no such thing as homework on weekends then.

I even began to be able to bully her back. :)

But when she stepped into Standard 6, she didn't want to play dolls with me anymore although I kept bugging her. As a kid, I didn't understand why and I got pretty mad at her. Then she got into her emo phase in life so we weren't that close anymore. But, I guess it was after that youth camp in Chefoo that brought us closer again. Thank God.

Presenting...

My one and only

KARJIE!

Heh. Musical talent evident from childhood :)

I miss our late-night talks, head-butting you, our itadakimasu & McD sessions, our Rapid exploration in Penang and your weirdness as well (Beeeee!).

Take care, study hard and enjoy in HK!

-Bubba

Pooh. Shit mood now. Don't get me wrong. The day was awesome. Going online makes me emo.

The Sathya Sai Baba Human Values Debate is tomorrow already! I'm going to be the first speaker and also doing the reply speech. I'm extremely nervous but excited. We're up against Olympia College and they are... old. But we, the all-girl team of ACS are out to kick some butts! XP

Missing & Presumed Dead

2009-08-28T12:30:00.000-07:00

Due to blogging mood shifts, I've barely updated. I'm an extremist, I guess; one moment updating everyday and the next moment, fingers don't tap the keys.

Well, the week before holidays could've been considered as a wreck week. Besides getting very colourful exam results, I tasted a bitter pill of ACS.

My badminton racquet was stolen during the closed tournament. It wasn't any racquet. It was my first personal racquet from my dad since I stepped into court 4 years ago. It was a bronze Finnex Nano Titanium 630, made of titanium graphite and HM graphite, weighing a mere 82g. I asked Sean where did this new racquet came from and he said he went with Dad to stadium and bumped into Lin Dan. Of course, I didn't swallow this unbelievable statement. Eventually, I realised it was a gift for my birthday and I was delighted after realising it was my OWN. It could tell it wasn't cheap, so, for Dad to spend such money, I took it as a form of encouragement from him to train hard and ace tournaments.

I used it for every tournament I was in. I won, I lost. But the racquet remained my prized possession and I took great care of it, making sure the grip wasn't slippery and checking the guard. I trained hard with it. The sound of the frame slicing through the air and the sound of the shuttle hit by the sweet spot were music to my ears. However, after I broke the strings once due to high tension, the remaining tension in the broken strings pulled its frame inwards, resulting in a crack in the frame. I was pretty upset, but it seemed like it was nicer to use after the formation of the crack.

But, now, my love affair has ended as my Finnex is screaming "Help me!" in a new (unrightful) owner's badminton bag.

I believe it was stolen while I was umpiring a women's singles match. Halfway through, I saw a quick flash, like a vision, of my racquet lying atop my bag. There was a nagging feeling that I should go and check on my racquet. Although I pushed it aside, the feeling persisted. But I didn't want to leave my job halfway so, I ignored it. And surprise, surprise, the racquet is gone.

The MYC badminton tourney was my first without my Finnex. It was.. different.

I miss that loud "pow!" when i execute a smash and the soft and delicate "ping" while playing at the net. Wherever you are, my Finnex, come running back to me or just crack your head so the evil new owner will never enjoy your sweet strokes!

When I Go Down

2009-08-28T11:46:00.000-07:00

I'll tell you flat out
It hurts so much to think of this
So from my thoughts I will exclude
The very thing that
I hate more than everything is
The way I'm powerless
To dictate my own moods

I've thrown away
So many things that could've been much more
And I just pray
My problems go away if they're ignored
But that's not the way it works
No that's not the way it works

When I go down
I go down hard
And I take everything I've learned
And teach myself some disregard
When I go down
It hurts to hit the bottom
And of the things that got me there
I think, if only I had fought them

If and when I can
Clear myself of this clouded mind
I'll watch myself settle down
Into a place where
Peace can search me out and find
That I'm so ready to be found

I've thrown away
The hope I had in friendships
I've thrown away
So many things that could have been much more
I've thrown away
The secret to find an end to this
And I just pray
My problems go away if they're ignored
But that's not the way it works
No that's not the way it works

Any control I thought I had just slips right through my hands
While my ever-present conscience shakes its head and reprimands me
Reprimands me
Then and there
I confess
I'll blame all this on my selfishness
Yet you love me
And that consumes me
And I'll stand up again
And do so willingly

You give me hope, and hope it gives me life
You touch my heavy heart, and when you do you make it light
As I exhale I hear your voice
And I answer you, though I hardly make a noise
And from my lips the words I choose to say
Seem pathetic, but it's fallen man's praise
Because I love you
Oh God, I love you
And life is now worth living
If only because of you
And when they say that I'm dead and gone
It won't be further from the truth

When I go down
I lift my eyes to you
I won't look very far
Cause you'll be there
With open arms
To lift me up again
To lift me up again

When I Go Down
Relient K

To know that every tear I cry is precious in His eyes gives me comfort.

Self-Directed Anger

2009-08-18T07:22:00.000-07:00

I wanted to put a bullet into my brain today.

Years of struggling with mathematics and yet I see no improvement. The ghosts of my past experiences with this devilish subject has come back to haunt me once again and this time, somehow it feels like the are here to stay. Private tutoring just for PMR, two Additional Mathematics tuitions. What next? Be gone, creatures of darkness!

Sympathy? No, I don't need any of it. Have you actually experienced so many failures before that you can count your meagre passes with fingers of a hand and still have fingers to spare?

"Try again next time."
"Work harder next time."

Next time? That's what they told me two and a half years ago, but nothing's changed. I've pored over this subject and loss hair over it; which amounted to nothing.

And yes, despite being the first class RB still has B3 and B4 Additional Math students. So, don't be so quick to jump to a conclusion, madame. I'm a B3 student - help me, don't pull me down morally. Class monitors aren't a class above other students in academics. We're just students. And not necessarily the brightest students. Don't just pick on me.

I am angry at myself, most of all.

***

Debate training took my mind off most things and also my 1.9km-in-10:16min jog in under the threatening sky. As I did my warm downs, I looked up to the skies as if for solutions and a mist-thin drizzle fell. Despite that, I couldn't help but squat down on the pavement and watch the drops hit and merge with the puddles on the ground.

- It's not cheaper, dude.. especially for me.
- What do you have in mind?

Because Yi Wen can't drive.

2009-08-15T09:31:00.000-07:00

Go to: http://thesurrealist.co.uk/slogan.cgi
Put your name in, and generate slogan after each question.
Tag 20 people including me.

1. What do you say to yourself every morning?
If you want to get ahead, get Yi Wen.

2. What do you want other people to say about you?
Yi Wen with the less fattening centres.

3. Someone asked you out, your answer is...
There's more than one way to eat a Yi Wen.

4. I don't know what 4 is.
The Yi Wen of Champions.

5. How would you introduce yourself to someone you really like?
The Yi Wen of your life.

6. To someone you dislike?
Bet you can't eat Yi Wen.

7. You're in a conversation and you suddenly feel the need to pee, how would you excuse yourself?
Gonna be a while? Grab a Yi Wen.

8. Your parents ask you why you got home late, you say...
Uh oh, better get Yi Wen.

9. You're failing a subject, you say...
Exceedingly Good Yi Wen.

10. The love of your life asks you to marry him/her, what do you say?
Do you, uh, Yi Wen?

11. Your bf/gf is breaking up with you, you tell him/her...
You'll never put a better bit of Yi Wen on your knife.

12. Someone told you you're an asshole, you tell them...
It could be Yi Wen.

13. What are the best words to describe you?
Oh, hungry? Oh, Yi Wen.

14. If you're going to have a movie about your life, the title is...
Yi Wen: The Other White Meat.

15. Your last words before you die...
Watch out. There's a Yi Wen about.

16. Your message to a special someone..
Reach out and touch Yi Wen.

17. Title of this post will be...
Because Yi Wen can't drive.

Just something I found interesting. :)
Tagged: Sum, Weng Hong, Sok Wai, Yee San, Kay Lynn, Joshua, Yukana, KJ

Masking & Demasking

2009-08-12T10:09:00.000-07:00

In view of the current A(H1N1) virus that is silently but surely inching nearer to ACS, please...

WEAR A MASK
DON'T COME TO SCHOOL IF YOU ARE SICK
SEE A DOCTOR

Don't jeopardize the health (and possibly, lives) of others.

Oh yeah, and PRAY HARD.

Crazy gastric attack the whole day. When will this perpetual problem leave?

- I won't change either. You change to DiGi. The Yellow Man is calling you! D-campus for you will be cheaper for both of us?
- Keychain maybe? Your Chinese name! Haha.

Cheers to Orange for Problems

2009-08-11T03:59:00.000-07:00

1 week. Too many things.

Sum has left. Pretty late I know and my whole blogosphere of schoolmates have ranted about it. So, Sumsum, I guess I've penned and typed so much to you that I think anymore words aren't necessary here. And we still keep in close contact. ;) Bon voyage and remember...

...I'm coming in 2011
...you're kicking out your roomie for me
...you're gonna belanja my first Sarawakian meal and play host
...one more motorbike ride
...LETTERS for me!
...to enlarge area and reduce pressure
...to change to DiGi
...our accident-filled dancing
...that I will owe you heat rub
...to drink more H2O(g)! LOL.
...I'm not a burger
...you're a great friend, right-hand deskmate, all-night SMS-er and I truly appreciate you a lot!

Take care. Miss you loads.

P/S: I'm still finding a way to do up our seashells! XD

Recyclethon was a success and ACS is once again heralded as a record breaker. Cheers!

Oh yes, we won the inter-house basketball competition for the Sports Carnival. It was mainly Ing Ing's effort as she scored all the goals. Surprise, surprise.

And I managed to clinch third place for the essay writing competition for English Week - Going Green. :)

On debate, I was called for the auditions for entry into the Form 6 team for the Sathya Sai Baba Human Values Debate. I was given the topic "This house believes that rich countries should help poor countries." Honestly, I've no idea what I was crapping there for 2 minutes. And yes, I couldn't understand Ms. Foo's long rebuttal. Yew Tuck had to leave but wasn't allowed, so he sneaked out with me when I left and we burst out laughing. Haha. I do hope to make it in as a speaker.

After pondering upon Ms. Chang's essay topic: Advances in technology are making us prisoners of progress, I finally understood exactly what she deeply meant. I realised that her brain's pretty complex with many ideas branching out from ideas. And boy, it sure is deep. I had an enjoyable time digging my mind and brainstorming for valid points and *lightbulb!* the thought of nuclear warfare came up. Although war is negative and depressing, I really enjoy reading about it especially on WWII. I guess this is the first R&D session I enjoyed. Cheers to that. :)

With my newfound knowledge of basic Chinese characters, I may start blogging in Chinese soon! Haha.

We listen and help. What are we for?

Thanks, Weng Hong, for the encouraging SMS. I could hug you at that moment. ;) Wish I had a problem defoliant. I'm turning green. Gotta slap myself into sense.

Burnt Coffee Beans

2009-07-30T08:31:00.000-07:00

I publicly admit: I'm slacking!

Please someone, whack me into shape and sense.

Have I burnt out already? I'm very afraid to burn out like I did in Form 5. It's too early. I need that 4As id I want to make it to UK or The Land of the Rising Sun. Fighting!

Need coffee.

I may be able to hop back into the debating phase again! I've missed it tremendously. The friendship and the tense moments - all part and parcel of it.

Tagged by Sok Wai

2009-07-27T08:36:00.000-07:00

40 Things About Yourself. Be honest no matter what.
If i tag you, you have to do one! Tag back the friend who tagged you so he/she can read what you have written!

1. Have you ever been asked out?
Yup.

2. Where was your default picture taken?
Default picture? Not sure whether it's the same pic we're talking about. So it's either McD Drive Thru or Pangkor.

3. What's your middle name?
None.

4. Your current relationship status?
Single.

5. Does your crush like you back?
That's not for me to know.

6. What is your current mood?
Feeling like throwing chairs.

7. What color of underwear are you wearing?
Is 'forgot' a valid answer?

8. What color shirt are you wearing?
White.

9. Missing something?
Good sleep and being driven.

10. If you could go back in time and change something, what would you do?
I'd start badminton earlier. I'd work harder.

11. If you must be an animal for one day, what?
A dodo. Stupid bird. No. A Siberian tiger that's not in the zoo. :)

12. Ever had a near death experience?
Almost got knocked down by a huge bus in primary school.

13. Something you do a lot?
Overthink.

14. The song stuck in your head?
Softer To Me by Relient K.

15. Who did you copy and paste this from?
Sok Wai's blog.

16. Name someone with the same birthday as you?
King Charles III of France.

17. When was the last time you cried?
.

18. Have you ever sung in front of a large audience?
Yes. As a kid in church!

19. If you could have one super power what would it be?
Photographic memory.

20. What's the first thing you notice about the opposite sex?
Height.

21. What do you usually order from Starbucks?
Only been there once.

22. What's your biggest secret?
Not to be shared.

23. Favorite color?
Blue.

24. Do you still watch kiddie movies?
Nope.

25. What's on your walls?
My baby picture.

26. What are you?
A Homo sapien.

27. Do you speak any other languages?
English, Malay. A little Cantonese enough for survival.

28. What's your favorite smell?
My pillow. Morning air.

29. Describe your life in one word.
Insane.

30. Have you ever kissed in the rain?
No.

31. What are you thinking about right now?
This question.

33. What should you be doing?
Homework.

34. Who was the last person that made you upset/angry?
One of the last person to message me.

35. How often do u talk to God?
Almost everyday.

36. Do you like working in the yard?
Anything outdoors is great.

37. If you could have any last name in the world, what would you want?
'Lim' is good as it is.

38. Do you act differently around the person you like?
No.

39. What is your natural hair color?
Black.

40. Who was the last person to make you cry?
.

I tag:
Those on my link list.

Yearns for heaven. Secretly.

2009-07-25T08:07:00.000-07:00

Many things occurred this week and I can only exhale loudly and thank God the week is almost over.

I thank God for the CF High Praise last Friday which I rededicated my life again to Jesus. 'Rededicate again' is grammatically wrong because to 'rededicate' is to dedicate again. But in this context, it is correct because I have had my life rededicated to Christ but I strayed away and then, returned. So praise God for that and I pray that transformation of my life will happen daily.

On an impulse, I made Not-So-Sinful Double Chocolate Chip Brownies for school on Monday. They turned out dry because the egg I used was too small.

Chocolate melting over a water bath. YUM.

The Happy Smiling Brownie

After being accepted on board The Voyager as crew, I've been more than ready to get to work even at small tasks like mopping the deck. But now, I'm now the one to take the wheel and steer the ship which will be a challenging task indeed. I foresee storms and huge waves ahead but our ship is strong and with my navigator Weng Hong and his compass, we can sail through! Hopefully I'll do a good job or else there'll be a mutiny on board!

Taking to Sok Wai's example, I resigned from being an exco of the badminton club. What a relief! Friday spelt ill news for me as I was appointed Prayer Director of CF. This was the post (alongside Games Director) which I said 'no' to during the interview. There is no peace in my heart and I know my capabilities. How can I encourage others to pray when my prayer life is lukewarm? Hypocritical. I'd rather not have a post than do something I find no joy in or something I am incapable of.

***

People are complex creatures and I can never understand them. I'm greatly affected by the actions of people around me these past week. People take two stands - tell you that it's good, tell another "It sucks!". Sometimes, people don't pick up the words you say correctly and misintepret it and get all riled up and defensive. And most of the time, I feel like throwing chairs. But all the time, I keep it in. Seethe, seethe. What a bitter person I'm becoming.

Thought: Quitting is losing without trying.

Ten green bottles hanging on the wall,
Ten green bottles hanging on the wall,
And if one green bottle should accidentally fall,
There'll be nine green bottles hanging on the wall.

I Want to Ride a Motorbike!

2009-07-18T01:37:00.000-07:00

I can't wipe that smile of my face.

My wish to ride pillion on a motorcycle has finally been granted! It's pretty scary actually. I kept thinking of Physics while on the bike. Especially Newton's First Law of Motion.

"A body persists its state of rest or of uniform motion unless acted upon by an external unbalanced force."

I feel like my body was going to fly backwards off the bike when it just begins to accelerate.

And when we go at corners and roundabouts, I felt like I could just touch the ground already and my knees and calves are going to be skinned raw!

When we went over bumps, due to my (light) weight, I think I jumped off the seat! Any higher and you could probably start calculating projectiles. So, I held on to the back of the bike for dear life. I think I could have crushed that piece of metal.

But, it was enjoyable too and my "chauffer" was being extra careful (I think) by keeping the speed well below 60 kmh!

That's one pin in the bowling lane knocked down. ;)

P/S: Terima kasih banyak-banyak, En. Sum.

Contemptuous

2009-07-14T01:48:00.000-07:00

Put yourself in the shoes of others before you shout.

You may have experienced it before, but, I haven't. So, don't raise hell about the way I deal with it and don't have to tell the whole world. By the way, it's my issue, so you don't have to deal with it for me. Thank you very much.

It's stupid you say right? Well, I act stupid and I like it.

Live with it.

Argh. I get emo and seethe silently real quickly these few days.

Yes, I'm pissed now.

No Touch & Go

2009-07-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

Attending MYF in church has become a weekly chore as the drawing factor - friends - is no more there. The only reason I do go is to spur my brother on and to teach drums at 5. CY9 has split into nothing and I'm floating. Yes, floating. I can't find wholesome worship here because of various reasons.

Just like the weeks before, I was incredibly lazy to go to MYF today and the cold weather compelled me even more to skip it, but, I didn't.

And one small part of it was good. CY9 was resurrected for a week with only three members - Jason, myself and a newcomer from the Philippines, Ee Ern Low.

I'm always apprehensive about talking to newcomers or silent oldies at MYF to make them feel welcome. I hate the idea of bringing up the weather and asking typical how-are-you's. So, I was surprised when Ee Ern said through MSN that I was by far the friendliest person in MYF! I'm not reputed to be the socialite there. But, I did find my chat with 17-year-old Ee Ern very enjoyable indeed. I learnt much more about international education in Philippines and we share loads of interests in common, like sports, physics and our apparent dislike for biology! It's really too bad that he's going back soon but with technology, I'm sure keeping in touch is no problem!

This little new meeting really brightened up my day.

Sometimes the drums need to stay silent too.

Pleasant Shockers

2009-07-11T18:59:00.000-07:00

Speech Day was a bore with the speeches dragging on for ages. Venisri, Navin and I desperately wanted to leave and grab a bite only to be nagged by Ms Chong. Hmph.

I was expecting to receive prizes for 9As in SPM and the incentive prize from the PTA for History only. But two pleasant surprises awaited me: I was also the Best Student in English and English for Science & Technology (EST) award recipient! I thought this was impossible especially with essay genius Ee Xin and one B-grade in EST.

But, praise be to God! He knew the most opportune time to bless. With these four prizes, I scooped up RM 95 from the school! PTL.

Of course, nothing can beat my deskmate who is the best student in MGS's SPM 2008. Congratulations!

***

15 hours of good sleep. Beat that!

Tesla Coil Zap

2009-07-10T07:32:00.000-07:00

It's Serbian-American inventor and electrical engineer Nikola Tesla's birthday as most of you Googlers might know. Thanks to him we can produce alternating current (AC) and not live our nights in darkness!

It's Speech Day tomorrow in MGS and I'm dreading it.

What are you doing now?
Where are you studying?
How is it?
Why didn't you apply for scholarships?
What do you plan to do after this?

The oh-so-famous forwarded questions. I should just wear a placard bearing all the answers to the queries.

And I'm not in the mood for socialising either. And there's this detachment from my former alma mater.

I'd rather attend Boys' Brigade.

***

KC Leong managed to pull me on a guilt trip today. He's pretty psychic.

Idiocy At Its Best

2009-07-08T02:05:00.000-07:00

The Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced today in Putrajaya that the policy of teaching science and mathematics in English in both primary and secondary schools will be scrapped. The two subjects will be taught in Malay in national schools and Chinese or Tamil in vernacular schools.

This will come into effect in 2012.

Form 6 and Matriculation will not be affected.

"This decision is not political, we made the decision not for political mileage. What is Manek Urai compared to the future of our children."
-Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin

Apparently, students had not shown significant improvement in the two subjects. Of course. The policy had only been around for a mere 6 years.

A survey by the independant Merdeka Center showed that 58% of 1060 voters interviewed supported the policy. Yeah, a government for the rakyat.

The measures to be taken:
-Recruit 14000 new English language teachers (There are more than 30000 English teachers currently)
-Lesson duration for English language would will be doubled for lower primary students to 120 minutes a week, from 90 minutes to 120 minutes a week for upper primary students and from 200 minutes to 280 minutes a week for secondary students.

This is idiocy at its very best.

*Source: www.themalaysianinsider.com

Complex Thoughts

2009-07-06T05:48:00.000-07:00

Inferiority complex.

"A feeling that you are not 'up to the mark' or that some how you just don't cut the mustard."

It's just something that I feel from day to day. And no, it's not psychologically severe to the extend of schizotypal personality disorder.

With people around me who can solve math questions in record time, it is a struggle. (Not that I don't appreciate you guys. I really do.)

While they were whistling away, I was worrying whether I'll be kicked to the second class because of my [poor] SPM results. It's easy to tell me to ask them for help, but, the paiseh feeling sets in and I can't be asking questions all the time. After all, they are learning too.

There's also the high expectation for my performance in MUET, which I am doubting too.

What KC Leong said the other day got me feeling guilty. Got me thinking too.

***

Too much unnecessary thoughts. Exhaustive.

What A Letter Day

2009-06-29T05:42:00.000-07:00

Two letters in a day.

One was from the Japan Information Service of the Embassy of Japan. The long-awaited news.

As expected, I failed to step to the next qualifying round because of the written examination. No, worries. I'm going to try again next year and the following year. If I can't get to UK, I'm going to Japan. Cheers to Hope!

The second letter was from God-knows-who. It's a chain mail like those forwards you get online ending with "If you don't send this...". This letter is a photostat copy, asking me to pray to the Mother of Perpetual Help, saying the letter is blessed by St. Jude and asking me to make 28 copies and send it out withing 7 days. And, heck, I'm not even Catholic.

Nevermind about that. But the scary part is "WHO SENT IT?" There's no return address and certainly no signature. The writing of my name and address looks vaguely familiar but it doesn't ring any bells. How on Earth did the sender get my address? That is the mystery.

***

BGR [Boy-Girl Relationships]. A funny topic, enough to make me laugh and choke on my food. Raging hormones. Ha-ha.

***

P/S: Better not be real. And thumbtacks on the board don't prove a thing! Haha. Must run fast!

Crikey!

2009-06-26T04:55:00.000-07:00

One week of the new system has just crawled by. Opinions?

It sucks.

The only thing I seem to be doing is Math homework. All the teachers are extremely punctual and teach with gusto, so, there's no time to take a breather. I've no time to concentrate on other subjects, what more, have my own personal time? The book I got back from Butterworth 3 weeks ago - The Silent Army by Chin Kee Onn about the Japanese reign of terror in Malaya - has been left untouched. I've had to sacrifice watching CSI:NY, especially that seemingly interesting episode about the Bermuda Triangle phenomenon. And crikey! I've got no time even for badminton. Or the energy for a power jog.

OH. I think I've screwed up my Voyager Board interview. I applied for the art and English department. And I should have known better that Mr. Master Debater Krizun is the English department head. I was bombarded about the fact that I've got many clubs in hand and also my commitment. Bang bang bang! I think I've got two 6.35 mm bullets in my head. Keep your Brownings! I've got 2 assignments now - a comic strip that depicts ACS's past, present and future and also an article that can capture the attention of boys even from the lower classes. Me and my crappy mouth. 2 weeks; and I'm loaded with Math homework. Marvelous.

Do I wish things were different? Yes. I'm trying to keep my head above the waves again.

Here's two goodbyes: Bye, Ee Xin! Bye, Steven! All the best in your undertakings and K.I.T.! God bless. :)

Wishes and Creepy Stares from the Stairs

2009-06-24T04:35:00.000-07:00

There are two wishes that I really want to do.

1. Ride a motorcycle.
As a passenger of course. I've never sat on a motorcycle with its engine running or it moving. Pathetic I know. So someone with a motorbike, (who is safe), please take me for a ride!

2. Swim in my school's swimming pool.
Even one dip will suffice. After all, we pay RM 8.00 for the maintenance of the pool and how many schools in Malaysia have swimming pools? That's cool. :)

Sounds childish, huh? But I do want them. Haha.

Flurry of colours.

P/S: Argh, Sum! It won't happen even after you come back after your PhD. Remember my 3 criterias, so cannot. Yucks. Yucks. Eeeh.

I'll have to soldier on without my daily dose of sunshine.

Need.

2009-06-22T05:24:00.000-07:00

Call it emo if you want.

I'm in a depressive mood now. But well, who could have expected the first day of school with the new system to be good?

The morning started off with a futile search for a teacher by all of us monitors.

Then, later, after recess, I lost my cool, blew my top. I haven't shown such a display of anger since I-can't-remember-when and yes, I know it was not a good thing especially in the sense of bearing a good witness of Christ. Thankfully, I didn't go into the shouting phase. I guess Yee San was trying to diffuse the argument but to no avail as both of us were equally hard-headed. I think I shocked the class. I must say that I expected this day to come eventually, seeing his attitude and my resposibility. To have a heated argument with a guy who's capable of sending his konco-konco to beat me up is definitely something new.

Research and development - that's what they call our Monday classes. That's total b***. R&D for MUET is actually identifying our errors in our essays and trying to work upon it. The blame can't be put solely on our MUET teachers as I believe this is a directive from the MOE. Unfortunately, I find this project extremely unbeneficial to me as it does not help me develop except for becoming a good examiner. I do understand that Ms Chang has to cater to the needs of the other students but am I not a student too? How am I supposed to develop on my critical thinking and maturity? I'm not content with a Band 4 or 5 for MUET. I'm aiming for the top.

My car's back. Hopefully, it'll stay like the fiddle it was.

I'm tired and it doesn't help with the nagging about the things that are already a burden.

And oh yes, I'm serious about throwing chairs and hiding in a corner after that. In need of the Saviour. Well, even a friend will do.

Bombarded by philosophies that satisfy the surface
I flee to something deeper at the risk of seeking purpose
How can I hang in this environmental state of being
When everything I'm striving for is nothing that I'm seeing.
-DC Talk

On another matter, I'll be going to receive a prize from Hari Anugerah Cemerlang in MGS. It's my first ever academic prize since I step foot in secondary school, so, this shows how terrible I am.

As an early bird for signing up for Starwalk (I think the 11th in my category), I've received a complimentary movie pass at GSC Ipoh Parade. Anyone game?

Go Figure.

2009-06-20T09:50:00.000-07:00

Almost all the youths in Ipoh congregated at the Stadium for Starwalk 2009. But where was Yi Wen? She was still sleeping soundly in bed at 7:00 am - flag-off time for competition walkers. And yes, I joined the competition. A quick dash to the venue and I had to run all the way across the Perak Stadium to report. It was then I heard the first gun. Then, I ran all the way out and I heard a second shot. Wonderful. So, I started the race behind 2050 competitors and many lost non-competitors who were swept into the competition. I started out alright but after reaching Jusco, I felt like pulling out my gastrocnemius and soleus on both legs.

What irked me the most about Starwalk is:

1. Running competitors. It's a walk. People run during Starwalk, and walk like slow-pokes during International Run and hog up the road.

2. Litterbugs. Throw your plastic cups near the water station where the municipal workers are. Not 5 kilometres away from the water stations!

Thumbs up for brilliant Malaysians!

We had a gathering for the JPA leavers yesterday. Just ten of us. I must apologise for being extremely late due to certain circumstances that popped up last minute and it was the first time I drove in heavy rain in a jam at night. That's no excuse and thus, my thousand apologies. We were quite segregated - the 6 guys and the 4 girls - but that is probably because we've just been schooling together for a month and this is our first outing together. But otherwise it was quite alright. This is actually my first night outing with schoolmates in my whole life. Surprised?

Well, we are starting that blasted new four o'clock tomorrow which is rather enraging because teachers honestly have no idea and no resources from the MOE regarding Research and Development and also colloquium. So what are we to do during those extra hours? To quote our MUET teacher: "You can sleep and do whatever you want." Welcome to Malaysia, where everything is planned out in minute detail and students are lab rats.

Just yesterday, I was saying, "My car is now as fit as a fiddle" after it was discharged from a 3-day hospital stay. However, this morning, it started smoking and now it's leaking oil. My joy is short-lived. With all the money spent throughout the years for this Kancil, I could get a motorcycle. =.= So, no car for me tomorrow and probably the next.

Something tells me that this is going to make sense
Something tells me it’s going to take patience
Something tells me that this will all work out in the end

-Relient K

Long Due "Apudeit"

2009-06-04T06:01:00.000-07:00

Not to worry. I'm back after a long absence from the web. Thank you, Dad, in your efforts to get Jaring to revive the net!

Lots have happened. From the enjoyable Pangkor trip to the 25-essay load to a crazy week.

1. Pangkor - The Sand, Sea and Sun - My favourite combo

It was a nice small group for this fun-filled Boys' Brigade trip; a good opportunity to atune myself with BB and also to get to know the Upper 6s and also my 2 classmates. We had fun snorkeling, kayaking, bobbing in the sea, EATING and sitting on the rempit speed boat. Unfortunately, due to the fact that I enjoyed myself, I didn't bother to snap many pictures. Just check out the others' blogs or FB. I especially enjoyed the rich SEAFOOD DINNER and my stomach was a bottomless pit that night. YUM. The crabs.. I think I shocked the guys. ^^ Yummy ikan bakar but too bad we couldn't eat the jagung!

2. Holidays

Penang. What could be better? I went to school twice to learn how to play the 24-seasons drum. This is a whole different thing compared to rock drumming. Firstly, you have to hit real hard because the sticks are thick and short, and the thick cow's hide doesn't help. Secondly, you have to be positioned in a partial squat to ensure your body is level with the drum. Thirdly, you have to memorise sequences or 'flowers'. Fourthly, it's a prepared group performance and finally, you've gotta have some wushu style. Oops. Oh, and I got to play with a real sword!

3. Second semester

Yes, barely a month into school and we are already in the second sem. Well, so far, I love school. Okay, before you give me weird looks, let me clarify. I'm enjoying myself in great company while maintaining a balanced life. Being monitor to a class where a majority of students are guys and Chinese-schooled is no easy feat especially since I am a banana but, I really love my classmates and my desk-neighbours. However, dealing with my class teacher requires treading thin ice with great caution. So far, so good.

I've changed a great deal since coming to Form 6. A little more responsible, positive, cheerful and sociable. I've become a Suzy Sunshine now and no more moody mornings for me unlike those in MGS. The greatest part is becoming much better in Math. I could barely do any questions for logarithms in Form 5 but now, it's comparitively much better though not the best. Thank you, Sok Wai, for helping me so much.

Unlike last time, I didn't bother about applying to be a prefect. Why? Something different? I don't know. I've applied for the Voyager Board, which is the editorial board. I've been absorbed into BB and I've joined the Christian Fellowship again and of course badminton. Wushu is just a side activity and the monitorial board too. Better not be too active. Studies come first.

4. Crazy day

Yesterday, Thursday, was an incredibly hectic day. School, monitors' meeting, badminton club, Chemistry tuition and the IBIG Korean Praise and Worship. My badminton skills have deteriorated badly and gosh, what happened to my smashes? It was nice to see Uncle Ong and Reuben, one of Mr Lee's assistant coaches and have a decent chat with them.

Kay Lynn and I had dinner together after tuition. Then, as my car is hospitalised, Mr Sum came to pick us up. Thanks. (I know I've said this a million times already. ^^ But, I know that it was really out of the way actually.) The Koreans were fantastic! They were anointed by the Holy Spirit and Pastor Daniel Kim's message was reassuring and empowering. Spiritually empowering. Too bad it wasn't physically empowering because I was dead tired by then! I got to meet Chin Hui after ages. Sweet. And, yes, I was incredibly surprised about it. I think my eyes popped out of my skull for a moment. Unexpected. Seriously.

Fell asleep at my desk on my essay. Well... the introduction of my essay. Two glasses of coffee weren't enough to keep me today. The 3-hour Math Marathon didn't help either. My first BB meeting's tomorrow so, till then!

Be happy that I miss you, Zhi Hui!

Tagged

2009-05-29T08:13:00.000-07:00

1. Besides your lips, where is the favourite spot to get kissed?
-Depends on the kisser.

2. How did you feel when you woke up this morning?
-Like the dead

3. Who was the last person/people you took a photo with?
-Zhi Hui while in KL.

4. Would you consider yourself spoiled?
-No.

5. Will you ever donate blood?
-Yes. A+ anyone?

6. Have you ever had a best friend who was of the opposite sex?
-Yes.

7. Do you want someone to be dead?
-Peace-loving Homo sapien here.

8. What does your last text message say?
-"Hmm. She din mention."

9. What are you thinking right now?
-How the Education Ministry is dense enough to implement the 7-to-4 schooling system.

1o. Do you want someone to be with you right now?
-Yes.

11. What was the time you went to bed last night?
-12:30 pm.

12. Where did you buy the tee you are wearing now?
-A shirt. It's a hand-me-down.

13. Is someone on your mind right now?
-Perhaps.

14. Who was the last person who text you?
-Nyit Yi

Ten Lucky Person to do this quiz:
1. Chin Hui
2. Ee Xin
3. En Jun
4. Janna
5. Nyit Yi
6. Phui Yan
7. Pui San
8. Vic Qi
9. Sam
10.Jean-li

15. Who is no.2 having a relationship with?
-Single and available!

16. Is no.3 a male or a female?
-[Fe]male.

17. If no.7 and no.1 get together, would it be a good?
-The world is upside-down.

18. What is no.1 studying about?
-Nursing, soon.

19. When was the last time you chatted with them?
-School?

20. Is no.4 single?
-Frankly, I don't know.

21. Say something about no.2?
-My classmate in my first year of secondary school and her final year in school.

22. What do you think about no.3 and no.6 being together?
-What's with these kind of questions? NO. Of course. It'll defy the law of nature.

23. Describe no.9?
-Guitar pro eating all the yummy fish and chips in London!

24. What will you do if no.6 and no.7 fight?
-I would whack them into right mind.

25. Do you like no.8?
-Yeah.

WHY FORM 6 STUDENTS SHOULD GO HOME AT 1 PM.

2009-05-29T01:03:00.000-07:00

Edited: Extra point to strengthen my stand.

I believe that most Form 6 students have been fretting about or probably cursing the new Form 6 system. All are not to blame because this so-called wonderful system comprises of several extra tedious hours of school, extending to the late afternoon at 4 pm.

Preposterous, I say.

My caseline stating that Form 6 should NOT be extended till 4 pm are as follows. (And we better hope some big shot up there is reading our grouses and hopefully, take a suitable course of action.)

1. Global warming. As we can see for the past few days, the weather is unbearably erratic - hot and rainy, but mostly hot. Of course, the Education Ministers don't experience this because they are cooped up from 9 to 5 in an air-conditioned room. We, on the other hand, study in open-air classrooms with barely enough fans to ventilate 45 students. Sure, the government can say, "Let's allocate several air-conditioning units per school for Form 6 classes." But, think rationally. Who's going to pay the electricity bills? This poses a problem for semi government-aided schools like ACS. And then, this hefty bill will be pushed to the students (who are still recuperating from buying the overly-priced text books). "RM 1 per month for air-cond!" Utter injustice.

2. It would be safe to assume that most of the people who suggested this ridiculous plan never entered Form 6. So, they would have never known that Form 6 is a mountain of a challenge. If 5 hours of heavy continuous studying in the morning is bad enough to get a elephantine headache, what more in the hot afternoon? STPM is no child's play like SPM. We could actually sleep in Physics class in Form 5 and get a top grade everytime. But, if you do that in Form 6, you might as well quit the rat race now. We still need time to revise and pore over every minute detail after lessons. With longer schooling hours, our revision time is greatly reduced and we would be mentally and physically exhausted. Do the math:

Current system:

12 waking hours - 2 hours for essential daily activities* - 5 normal school hours = 5 hours of individual revision

New system:

12 waking hours - 2 hours for essential daily activities* - 5 normal school hours - 3 extra hours of school = 2 hours of individual revision

* includes meal time, bathing, etc.

3. Extra curricular activities. IPTAs and even foreign universities put extra emphasis on ECA nowadays. They don't just want a booksmart kid who gets hit by balls and nosebleeds every PE lesson. They want all-rounders. Usually ECAs are carried out during after-school hours, but, now, there can be no ECAs for Form 6 students as they'll be sitting in their oven-like classes either a) day-dreaming, b) frying their brains trying to grasp Physics concepts or c) staring out the window watching the Football Club dribbling balls on the green field. So, where on earth, may I ask, can we procure ECA marks? Group all activities on Saturdays? Nonsensical. Here's the math:

Period of Time, t1, for uniformed bodies > 3 hours

Period of Time, t2, for clubs/societies > 2 hours

Period of Time, t3, for sports clubs > 2 hours

Total time, t > 7 hours

We already have no PE classes, give us our playtime too!

4. Tuition. Most Malaysian students (due to the inadequacy in the education system), attend tuition classes and I am one of them too. We have meticulously arranged tuition classes to suit our schooling time, ECAs and other commitments eg. religious events, family duties. This system will throw all our careful planning into a complete mess and what a hassle it will be for tuition centres and tuition teachers.

5. Put yourselves in teachers' shoes too, MOHE. Imagine dealing with a bunch of hooligans every single day, not only in the sense of teaching but also disciplining. All the experienced and excellent old-school teachers might just bail out on you guys by a) opting out early or b) not extending their services till they're 58.

6. Canteen food sucks. No offence, ACS-ians who actually think that the canteen food is great. Wait till you try MGS - 13 stalls. Extra expenses will be incurred on students daily as we'll have to eat the expensive food twice a day - mid-morning recess and lunch. Usually, we get to cut costs, moms cook, we eat. Besides, there's a higher chance of getting a mass food poisoning case. ^^

7. It is incorrect to say that Form 6 is the cheapest option of pre-university studies because unfortunately, it is not. If calculated, books, school fees, contributions to school development funds, food, stationery, uniforms, class fund and other expenses will total up to approximately RM 30, 000 for the entire period of one and a half years. With the new 4 o' clock system, extra expenses have to be included in the expenditure list. For example, food and not to mention, the extra compulsory air-conditioning fee. Money does not grow from trees. I do realise that there are many students even in the first class from families of 5 that rely on RM 800 from a sole breadwinner or just on a minimal pension. How unfair it is to throw a whole family which is struggling to just get food on the table into a mudhole.

8. WE ARE EXTREMELY FED UP OF BEING GUINEA PIGS. I think that this generation of students is a guinea pig generation. Let's see what tests have we been subjected to so far:

Experiment 1: To ensure no more leaping from Standard 3 to Standard 5.

Method: Cancel the obsolete PTS test.

Results: Probably worthwhile.

Experiment 2: To produce better and more competitive graduates in the global field.

Method: Indroduce Science and Math in English.

Results: A good step, but poor planning. And now they want to revert to Malay again?!

Experiment 3: To alleviate STPM results, probably.

Method: Lengthen schooling hours for Form 6 students till 4 pm.

Enough is enough. We're here to study and are not subject to political winds and your whims and fancies. We're human too. We need time for play, rest, family time, personal time. If you are thinking that this is just a mere grouse of a lazy and emotion-driven teenager, come over and see what we experience everyday. Come and taste the life of Form 6. Rethink your plans, Minister of Higher Education, sir. I dare say that this is a futile effort to alleviate the nation's STPM results. You want better grades in STPM, upgrade the secondary education to a higher level. If India's education system is such that 13-year-olds study Biology, Chemistry and Physics, why can't Malaysia do so too? I stand firm that the schooling hours should not be lengthened, because it's just a waste of effort, energy and resources. Just stick to 1 pm, please.

Yours truly,

Guinea Pig.

Change. Yes We Can!

2009-05-28T07:23:00.000-07:00

Dear all fellow Form 6 bloggers who share the same sentiment as I,

Are we just going to sit still and be quiet? For me, I think that I am unable to do so. Let's stand up for ourselves. It's time to put your writing skills to use, bloggers! Write to the papers, be vocal about this.

"Change" - the word of the year. Do you believe in it?

I know I do.

What about you?

Yours truly,

Guinea Pig on Fire.

A Japanese Weekend

2009-05-26T08:54:00.000-07:00

It was a great big Japanese weekend for me. Monbukagakusho exams and late lunch at Sakae in 1 Utama again!

On the exams, it was relatively okay except for Mathematics because I couldn't understand anything! Biology was fine but there were a lot of things that we've never learnt before - presumptive fate, presumptive neural region, gastrulas. No idea. Hotate Kimuchi was wonderfully delectable. Great to say that Zhi Hui was there too. Unfortunately, one of the first things she said to me was, "I can't believe you're the last schoolmate I'll be seeing before I leave tomorrow." Malacca.

I balked.

So soon? Unfortunately, yes.

However, I'm really thankful for being able to spend more time with a different group of friends this year, and this really drew Zhi Hui and I closer together. I enjoyed the intense laughing sessions all the way to Chemistry tuition and back and even those in school and tuition. ACS is certainly much quieter without you! We're gonna miss your jovial nature. Enjoy Malacca!

I had a great lunch with Ee Xin, Yee San and deskmate Sok Wai today. Thumbs up. With lots of scary elements! :)

WARNING!

2009-05-20T05:52:00.000-07:00

Beware! Sexual pervert on the prowl!

Fellow Ipoh-ites, expecially young girls in school uniforms, be alert at all times in public areas. I was unfortunate enough to encounter this mentally-distorted pervert in our very own Kinta City!

After school, I headed alone to Jusco to purchase my (expensive) Form 6 books from POPULAR. I saw a shelf full of dictionaries and naturally, I was drawn to it because I saw "Learn Japanese" and the Monbusho exam is this weekend. While browsing through the (expensive) language books, a Chinese man approached me from behind and started talking to me.

He is shorter than me. I'm about 1.68 metres in height and he's probably a good 5 to 10 centimetres shorter. He has a dark complexion for a Chinese - brown - with a weathered, deep-wrinkled face. I cannot exactly remember his facial features but I think he had a heart-shaped face. He's probably in his 40s or 50s and has a scruffy and unclean look. He wears a white T-shirt, shorts and slippers; all of which do not look clean. Unfortunately, I can produce no composite picture, so do keep these physical characteristics in mind.

At first, I could not understand him as he spoke in Chinese. It sounded like Cantonese, but Hakka at the same time. Mind you, my Chinese is bad and I've heard only Shao Wen speaking Hakka. He kept doing sniffing actions and I thought he was asking me to buy and sniff glue. But, when I heard the word "underwear", only did I realise what a scumbag he was. Beware, he steals underwear. The rest of his perverse "speech" is too 18-SX to tell here but, while you are reading this, I can see a thought cloud above your head, piecing the details together.

It is easy to say, "If I were you, I'd throw the dictionaries at him" or "I'll scream or kick him there.". Truth to be told, when you're in such a situation which you never thought would happen to you, you can't process the information methodically. To add to that, he was speaking in Chinese which totally disorientated me. So, always be on your guard. You never know when things like these happen.

I truly thank God for keeping me away from stupidity from following him (he asked me to) and that he never managed to lay a filthy finger on me. Thank God, I can't understand Chinese. It spared me from listening to some of his disgusting activities.

Wushu, Drums and The Art of Persuasion

2009-05-14T08:44:00.000-07:00

Alright. I'm almost comfortable in ACS especially in the company of wonderful friends! We were streamed into classes and I'm currently in the first Physics class 6RB, which is a giant of 46 students but a dwarf of a classroom and with a towering monitor. But we fit. :)

Today, after the Teachers' Day organising committee discussion in the library, something beyond peculiar occured. Ms Mindy and Ms Chang were at the counter when Ms Mindy's eyes popped wide open upon seeing me. This was the exchange of words:

Ms Mindy: Mei Wen!

Me: Morning, teacher. It's Yi Wen.

Ms Mindy: Ah, yeah, Yi Wen. I dreamt of you last night. See, this intuition!

Me: ... *nervous laughter*

Ms Mindy: I dreamt that I told you not to play drums and be too involved in MADSoc because I wanted you to concentrate on your studies. And now, today, I see you here. Intuition!

Then...

Ms Chang: Girl, you play drums? Come here, come here.

Me: Yeah. *totters over with my school bag*

Ms Chang: We are forming a drum team under the Wushu Club. Would you like to join?

Me: Er. I just play rock but not things like that.

Ms Chang: Nevermind. Can already. It's the 24 inch drum. You know?

Me: *weird laughter*

Ms Chang: The government considered it as a warisan thing already and if a girl plays the drums, fuh! Come for practice today and you can perform on Teachers' Day! So you consider and I'll keep you in mind!

Ms Mindy: Welcome to ACS!

When I said eccentric in my previous post, I wasn't kidding. Maybe it's a "prophecy" to tell that I should not join MADSoc. Haha. (Btw, we were entertained by Nigel and Inuk's gay proposal during orientation!)

Well, I'm considering Ms Chang's invitation. It'll be quite cool, learning something new. But once again, STPM, STPM. And with Balakavitha and Beh trying to persuade us in applying for the prefectorial board, temptations, temptations that come with commitments!

"Buat Sehabis Baik"

2009-05-13T00:38:00.000-07:00

During my early years in MGS, the most frequently asked question directed to me by seniors was, "Why are you a girl guide while you sister is in Girls' Brigade?"

I was an active Cub Scout in my primary school days. Surprised? However, I was completely disappointed at the inactive state of the Girl Guides which made me just slip out of the scene after a while.

I was looking through my Scout log books and boy, I've missed all those years of fun and adventure. I was undecided between Scouting and the Red Crescent Society. But Dad, being a former Scout, persuaded me to take this path that I'll never regret.

My first camp to obtain my Bronze Dagger Badge was a challenge with boy scouts raiding my tent for childish revenge, missing belongings and terribly cold mornings. But, from there, it made me a tougher kid with a passion for Scouting.

I went for another one the following year to attain my Silver Dagger Badge. We had a chance to stay at a brand new school in Buntong - complete with rubberized tennis courts. The same year, I received the Gold Dagger Badge.

The third and final camp for the Cub Scout Lanyard was a state level camp at Ulu Chepor, Chemor and I remember being the only Chinese girl in the whole camp! We raced against time to complete our log books so that we would be able to pass the exams for the highest title for a cub. It constantly rained at the waterfall and we were made to build tripods with coarse wood and rope slathered with wet sand from the rain. It was painful but every knot had to be tight because our tripods would be tested for strength (a big fat guy would stand on the tripod. If it collapsed, you'd have to rebuild). I also fell sick that time, enabling me to head home for the night, then return. It was hard, but, a priceless experience.

My 5 thick log books.

Kinta Troop 123 memorabilia.

I've kept all my merit badges except one which I've lost - house keeping. Haha.

Scouting was an integral part of my childhood. It kept me away from being a softie of a girl. The harsh scolding, sweltering heat, terrible food - these were just minor bits that made up the big experience and knowledge. I still remember the Scout promise and the 10 laws.

Trusty. Self dignity.

Loyal to the King, country, superiors and those beneath you.

Useful and helpful

Friend to all states, race or religion.

Courteous.

Kind.

Obedient, without questioning.

Patient and smiles during difficulty.

Thrifty.

Clean and pure in thoughts, words and actions.

I believe that all these laws apply to everyone - scout or no scout. It's a sound and right way of living. I do think that everyone should have such a rewarding experience regardless of gender. I certainly am thankful to God and Dad for this and I miss Scouting a lot!

~Once a Scout, always a Scout. (But I'll be joining BB in ACS!)

ACS and Singing in Harmony

2009-05-08T19:32:00.000-07:00

London Bridge is falling down,
Falling down, falling down.
London Bridge is falling down,
My fair lady!

Build it up with silver and gold,
Silver and gold, silver and gold.
Build it up with silver and gold,
My fair lady!

Gold and silver I’ve not got,
I’ve not got, I’ve not got.
Gold and silver I’ve not got,
My fair lady!

No London bridges for me to build anymore. Or even in Australia or New Zealand. No JPA. No cash. :( Lesson learnt: Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Off to Form 6!

On a brighter note, I received a letter from the Monbukagakusho scholarship body. So, I'll be heading to KL for the exams. Got to squish a lil' bit of Japanese into my fist-sized brain in the next 2 weeks for added advantage! If that is possible..

Form 6 Orientation has been so far, a great bore. But I must say that ACS teachers are eccentric - not in a negative way, but rather, entertaining. It's really hot here unlike the airy MGS where the buildings are positioned to face the wind. The wind never does seem to blow here. And nothing can ever compare to the wonderful MGS canteen. Also, it feels peculiar to be scrutinized by the prefects when I've been doing that for 4 years! I've already decided what extra-curricular activities to partake in, namely, Boys' Brigade, Badminton Club, Christian Fellowship and the Voyager, but not MADSoc. Sorry, Nigel, you can't persuade me. :) I've barely settled in and I've got responsibilities on my shoulders already! Teachers' Day is on Monday and together with Sum, we're leading a team of organising committee! Two days only. But, the great part is, I CAN SKIP ORIENTATION TOMORROW! We'll be streamed into classes and I do hope to get the first Physics class. Gotta get to work on partial fractions and ionization energy vs. proton number graphs!

Matane!

2009-05-03T06:48:00.000-07:00

I'm never one to get affected by farewells. But now, it's different as people close to me are leaving in droves. We just had a farewell for Jason, Di-yan and Adelyn. It was also an advanced birthday celebration for Adelyn too.

There were many loops and errors here and there or the outing (my bad), but we managed to have a sumptious dinner at MP and as expected, we were the last to leave. We celebrated the trio under the night sky in Polo Ground. It was really nice, to me.

Girlfriend! Di-yan and I had many so-called girl talks after MYF and they were so enjoyable. You're one dependable guy who always notices when something's amiss. I guess that's your speciality and that's why you attract the girls! Haha. It's a joy to have you around and have a great time in TAR!

Jason! I got pretty close to him this year. Cherating brought out the considerate and caring side of him and I really enjoyed our Kampar eating trips too. I'll always enjoy the time when both of us were competing furiously with one another to obtain our driver's license first. Call it a big joke, we ended up having the same test dates, tester, and even getting our licenses on the same day! All the best in KL!

And Adelyn - one of the closest of my girl friends. I totally cherish the amount innumerable hours we spent together and although you're just going to be around on weekends, I hope busyness will not trap us in totallyseparate lives. I'm still waiting for you to be my driver! :)

Night out in Ipoh Padang.

N.E.R.D.

2009-04-26T08:06:00.000-07:00

Call me "NERD".

I have been studying. The only thing that's on my mind is chemistry and pure mathematics. Indices, logarithms, relative atomic masses, mass spectrometer, emission spectrums..

Sounds heavy. But I'm actually enjoying this whole process of studying for the first time. Let's hope it stays on.

Mr Ang of the 3-hour Math Mania Marathon tuition is quite good and his mathematical problems are challenging but sitting on a hard bench for the entire marathon does no justice to my bottom. I quote the Chinese guy behind me: "Sit until my backside is burnt."

Good stuff: I've been offered a scholarship in the form of a 100% tuition fee waiver to study Cambridge GCE A-Levels in KTAR Kuala Lumpur. Undecided.

Bad stuff: I failed to gain a place for architecture in UiTM, which means I have only 5 shots left for my IPTA admission, of which, only 2 are for architecture.

On Friday, I received a sudden SMS from Kay Lynn:

2nite gt infernal affairs le. Ur beloved shawn yue! Nyek nyek! :)

Haha. I couldn't help but break into a huge grin. Karjie and I watched the whole of Infernal Affairs 2 for the second time enthusiastically despite knowing the whole plot. The whole very exciting plot. :)

Sunny Skies Make Good Pics!

2009-04-23T00:51:00.000-07:00

Mel came back to Ipoh just recently and she stayed over at my place which a a great bonus to this long holiday. Adelyn, Mel and I went to the St. Peter's Church fair together and after leaving we hung out for several hours in the crowded Jusco. It's good to have a car and be able to drive. It makes hanging out so much easier. Oh, and I've got Melissa drooling over Kim Beom from Boy's Over Flowers as well! Haha.

Well, I'll be going to Mr. Chin's chemistry tuition in an hour's time and I'm a little nervous because I think the class has started and I'll be lost. Gotta go prepare for now!

Greasy Hair & Empty Roads

2009-04-17T09:49:00.000-07:00

About late last year, I wrote about Infernal Affairs II (and Shawn Yue!). I finally caught the first film of the trilogy today. The 2002 crime-thriller Infernal Affairs is the sequel of IA2 starring Tony Leung Chiu Wai as Chan Wing-Yan and Andy Lau as Lau Kin-Ming. Shawn Yue portrayed the younger Yan while Edison Chen was the younger Ming in IA2. Spoilers ahead!

It has been 10 years since policeman Yan has been sent undercover into the triads and triad member Ming has infiltrated the police force. After the police academy principal Yip died, only Superintendant Wong (Anthony Wong) knows Yan's true identity. The long years have caused a deep longing in Yan to resume life as a normal citizen. A deal between triad leader Hon Sam (Eric Tsang) and Thai cocaine leader is interrupted by SP Wong and his team through Yan's tip-off using the Morse code. It dawns upon Wong and Sam that there is a mole on both sides. They can see the cards of their opponents, but they cannot see their cards. The plot thickens as both Yan and Ming are put in charge of eradicating the moles (themselves).

According to Wikipedia, tonight's film showed the alternative ending created specially for mainland China, Malaysia and Singapore, mainly to please the mainland officers by affirming that crime does not pay.

Overall, it was good but I got bored halfway. The plot was simpler compared to IA2. Plus, there was no Shawn Yue; just mere flashbacks. Tony Leung is a good actor, undeniably. But what happened to the clean and styled Yan despite being a triad member, now? Aiks.

The death of SP Wong was similar to Yip's - sudden and tragic - with Wong being thrown out of a high rise right onto the taxi which Yan just exited. The killings in IA2 were more discreet compared to this but not bloody like Shinjuku Incident. Knowing that Yan died (oops, spoiler!) does not make me excited for IA3.

A scene after interrogation after the cocaine deal is busted.

SP Wong: By the way, whoever loses the game will die.

Hon Sam: Let's see when you're gonna die.

SP Wong: Smiles and stands to shake hands with Sam.

Hon Sam: Ever seen someone shake a corpse's hand?

SP Wong: Laughs.

How morbid.

***

I failed to get into the Matriculation Programme but, I'm happy. I also am not shortlisted for Universiti Teknologi Malaysia's (UTM) architecture diploma interview. So, I've begin studying Form 6 Math on my own. But, I can't seem to get it. Real numbers, closure law, associative law... Hmm.

A mighty applause to the MGS CF for the wonderful Easter Harvest Event on the 17th of April. I wanted to drive to MGS today, but as a new driver, the thought of jams on the way was daunting. Before leaving home, I prayed that God would clear the jam. And true enough, there was barely any cars on the stretch of road all the way to MGS. Praise the Lord! Bruce Almighty parted the sea of cars, God wiped out the sea of cars! As Dad said, "See how much God loves you?"

Shinjuku Accident

2009-04-16T21:08:00.000-07:00

I have never watched a Chinese (or non-English) films in the cinema before. However, by a turn of events, I ended up joining Phui Yan and Yee San for the US$ 25 million Shinjuku Incident with a stellar cast of Jackie Chan, Daniel Wu and Fan Bingbing.

In the 90's, there was a flood of Chinese illegal immigrants in Japan. Steelhead (Jackie Chan) headed to Japan in search of his girlfriend Xiu Xiu (Xu Jinglei). He joins his timid friend, Jie (Daniel Wu) and settles into life as an illegal immigrant in the Shinjuku district. However, he finds out Xiu Xiu has already married Eguchi (Masaya Kato) - a yakuza leader and has borne a daughter. Jie, on the other hand, undergoes a drastic emotional change after he was badly disfigured and loses a hand after being beaten up by a fellow Chinese with yakuza protection. After saving Eguchi's life, Steelhead is drawn into the triad world as Eguchi's alliance. He gains legal status in Japan and power over several territories together with his fellow immigrants. They promised peace and unity in their territory, but as usual, power brings in moral decay.

Comments!: The movie is drama-filled and Jackie Chan (for once) doesn't partake in any show of martial arts. Sure, he does fight, but it was far from kung fu, which created a different twist to it. There was lots of violence - blood and gore - especially the part when Jie loses his hand. They actually showed the bloody stub! I couldn't help but find Wu's Phua Chu Kang-curled hair funny. After his disfigurement, he adopted a sort of Harajuku fashion and become all emo and narcotic-filled. The audience was more tickled by it than anything else.

One of my favourite characters would be Kitano (Naoto Takenaka), a detective who crossed paths with Steelhead several times while giving chase to a group of illegal immigrants. A grudging respect develops between the two of them. With Steelhead's help, Kitano is able to break a major narcotics case involving the yakuza.

Masaya Kato who plays Eguchi - head of Sanwa-kai - has an air about him that makes you unable to hate him despite being the baddie.

Overall - action, drama and blood - this movie kept me entertained for the whole 2 hours. Certainly better than 'Twilight' where I kept checking my watch.

I.HUNGER

2009-04-15T02:28:00.000-07:00

Life is back to normal after the ACS production. Overall, the performance was pretty alright. I would not say that I've learn much from this as drums were kept minimum. However, it was something different playing for a drama. I've made several friends and acquaintances, and most of them are really funny and nice to have around. Unfortunately, I've got no pictures, only this one of the white drums in my little corner.

I'm still searching for scholarships but I can't find any. I guess I've ran through every possible scholarship on the net. I'm even applying for environmental engineering. HMM. Well, I'm pretty positive that I'll won't make it to the UK unless JPA grants me one. Bellerbys and Abbey are way to heavy on the money purse. :(

Since I'm so free now, I'm contemplating attending Form 6 tuition. Chemistry's settled. It's just Math, Physics and (perhaps) Biology. Dad thinks I should take 5 subjects for STPM. He sees a doctor, I see architect (or something else).

On a happier note, I WANT KIMCHI. My initial prejudice towards Korean food due to its unattractive presentation (as seen on TV) is now dispelled because I love the wonderful taste of kimchi jjigae. Dad took us out to Tomi Japanese Restaurant the other day and we had kimchi jjigae or kimchi stew. It tasted exactly like Sakae's Spicy Hotate Kimuchi Soup. (Note: "Hotate" is actually scallop.) Currently, I'm finding out how to make kimchi jjigae but where do I purchase kimchi itself?

KIMCHI!!!
Photo courtesy of http://koreancooking.xanga.com/.

Angel Angles

2009-04-11T09:51:00.000-07:00

The Angel of Music sings songs in my head,
The Angel of Music sings songs in my head..

GET OUT!

I've been busy since my involvement in the ACS play - The Phantom of the Opera: The Musical. Going in in the early hours of the morning and returning late. Being the drummer, it can get pretty boring as this is a classical production but nontheless, it's a whole new experience for me. The songs are repeatedly playing in my head which is quite insanity-inducing. Currently I can hear the cast sing Prima Donna.

Prima Donna,
First lady on the stage,
Your devotees are on their knees,
To implore you..

I just got back from tonight's show which was good, but the Friday show was better. Hopefully, tomorrow's show will be superb! I'm off. Tired and that old shoulder injury is flaming up. Good night!

BIG God and BIG Idiots

2009-04-04T07:41:00.000-07:00

HONOUR GOD WITH YOUR REQUESTS.

If you think God is big, you will have no qualms of asking Him for big things. But if you think you should only ask for small, tiny things, it means God is small to you.

Thus in view of the recent JPA interview, I believe that there is no harm in asking God for the seemingly impossible - studying architecture in the UK. To me, the interview was fine, but, it may be a different story to the panel.

I was striken with a minor stomach ache on the way but by the grace of God, it was miraculously gone by the time I reached. Most of the girls were dressed in baju kurungs. I refuse to conform to the stereotypical Malaysian interview fashion!

I was placed together with Wai Nam (from Batu Gajah), two AMC girls and a Nibong Tebal Malay boy. Our panel was made up of Dr. Sani from UIA, a JPA guy and Ir. Muiz and they were nice. The topics given were:

1. Do you think that toll rates should be maintained or abolished?

Abolish the tolls within the states! For example, toll collection between Seberang Prai and Bagan Ajam - totally unnecessary. But, keep tolls from state to state. Just lower the rates since there are thousands of people commuting using the PLUS highways daily.

2. What do you think about the negative effects of the internet? What should be done?

I believe it starts from the household. Parents should monitor their children's usage of the net or put the PC in a public area of the house eg. the living room. The government should not be the one to impose censorship on the net. Different people have different moral standards. What if those in the censorship board were extremely conservative? That'll be restriction of freedom for most.

3. Is Malaysian sports up to par? How do we make it better if no?

In the case of football, get rid of the prima donna attitude! Don't do it for the big bucks. Do it for the country. Coaches, reiterate it constantly into the brains of the players (if they do have one). In the case of badminton, Lee Chong Wei's first round exit in Hyderabad could have been prevented if the team management was better. When the All-England was held, everyone wanted to go to Birmingham but nobody wanted to go to India. Where's the commitment? Athletes also should know better than to eat outside food too.

So, since my God is BIG, please God, let me go to UK soon!

On another matter, I was driving home from church after service with KJ and Sean. This Malay guy tried inching his way out of Jusco. When I stopped, he didn't move, but, as I moved on, he started moving, so, I veered out of the way. Later before the traffic lights, he overtook me and flashed the finger at me. I almost flashed it back at him, but I thought about my brother in the car. Okay, control. **** you, loser.

To Thumb A Ride

2009-03-31T22:14:00.000-07:00

HOW DO YOU GET FROM THE SG. NIBONG BUS TERMINAL TO GURNEY DRIVE?

Simple. Hop on Rapid Penang Bus 304 and you are on the right course. So, we thought. But travelling from the south-eastern side of Penang island to the north-eastern side wasn't that simple, because, we didn't know which side of Sg. Dua Road to wait at.

Bus, bus, bus...

Karjie and I ended up getting on a rickety bus to Komtar and transitting on Rapid 101 to Bagan Jermal. From there, we followed a McDonald's woman all the way to Gurney Plaza (we assumed she worked there). During the journey, we saw a massive crowd gathering by the roadside. There was a massive accident involving a trailer and a motocycle. The motorcyclist (pressumably) perished and was covered with a white cloth.

Source: The Star, 1 April 2009.

Hunger overtook and we headed for Sakae Sushi for late lunch. And here's the yummy lunch menu:

Tamago Nigiri Sushi

Unagi & Tempura Bento

Spicy Hotate Kimuchi Soup

and my ever-favourite (refillable)

GENMAI CHA

premium green tea with roasted brown rice!

FACES OF SATISFACTION

Note the fish lips. XD

KJ says I look like the Sakae Frog. =.=

The Education UK Fair was very small - 22 universities only. There wasn't much for the SPM-leaver, just Bellerby's and Abbey.

Our aunt picked us up from there and we headed to Queensbay Mall. We met up with our uncle and headed to Dragon-i, a Shanghainese restaurant overlooking Jerejak Island and the Penang Bridge. The speciality - la mian or hand-pulled noodles.

I ordered Hot & Spicy Szechuan La Mian. I usually have no problem with spicy food but this was FUISH! As the word "Szechuan" implies, the noodles were sourish with the famous salted vegetable. The soup was mildly starchy and tasted like shark fin's soup. After a while, I got pretty full with the generous helping! We had Xiao Long Bao - pork dumplings with hot soup inside. But my soup had leaked out. :( The chefs are specially from China and Hong Kong and their open kitchen concept allows the public to see these sifus at work pulling the la mian.

Travelling without supervision is a true adventure - relying purely on public transport. Backpacking around Penang is one on my must-do list. Hopefully, it'll be soon! This trip makes me want to go back to Cherating and Macau.

Macau! Recognise this Boys Over Flowers fans? Ep. 13 I think. :)

With Christ in the Vessel

2009-03-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

The JPA interview is coming up at the end of this week and I'm pretty relaxed at the moment and actually looking forward to it. According to statistics concerning JPA online, in 2007, there were 400 applicants for architecture. Out of that, 154 were short-listed for the interview and 40 were selected for the course. 39% were sent overseas - that's about 16 people. Let me be that 39% sent overseas, preferably UK!

With Christ in the vessel, I can smile at the storm,

Smile at the storm, smile at the storm.

With Christ in the vessel, I can smile at the storm,

Until He takes me home.

An old hymn Sam taught with actions at Youth Camp '06. I think the lyrics are correct..

Source: http://recom.org/forum/showthread.php?t=7789

It was nice badminton fun on Saturday, this time with a different group. Hmm. I noted my terrible play in doubles. Gotta brush up for better agility and quicker reflexes. My exercise partner's gone to KL for a lengthy 2 weeks, so, I doubt my lazy bones are going to start moving again.

Well, I'll be going to Penang tomorrow for the Education UK 2009 exhibition in the G Hotel at Gurney Drive with Karjie by bus. Hopefully, we'll have a safe journey to Penang and especially from the terminal to Gurney by RapidPenang. :)

How Special is Special?

2009-03-25T20:36:00.000-07:00

HMM. Interesting. The JPA wants us 2009 PILN interviewees to do a "Special Examination". Failure to do the test will result in your chances for the scholarship terminated. I'm just curious to know how "special" is this test. Any ideas?

I Fry Mean Eggs

2009-03-25T06:20:00.000-07:00

I'm supposed to be watching my other Korean drama - Hateful, But Once Again (or Again, My Love) but Dad has conquered the TV, so maybe I'll just catch it later on mysoju.

After hearing Steven's stories of the JPA medical career exposure, I wished that I could just go to see it. Not that I'm very interested in medicine, but I just enjoy the process of learning. Concerning JPA, I've been short-listed for the architecture course interview that will be held on the 3rd of April.

I'm vying the Monbukagakusho Scholarship to Japan in 2010. For this, I'm applying for dentistry. Yes, I know it is a total opposite of architecture, but, there aren't many choices in physics for me. I'm game on learning Japanese for a year and I really want it more than JPA (unless they send me to UK!). I may even be able to travel to Korea (muahaha...) and China! God, please, please!

Flowers of Interest

2009-03-20T08:48:00.000-07:00

I've been following the Korean drama craze - BOYS OVER FLOWERS - for the past few weeks. Adapted from the Japanese manga, it is about a poor, spunky girl Geum Jandi who is transfered to Shinhwa High, a school for the ultra rich. She encounters the F4 (Flower Four) - four rich and rather spoiled boys.

Geum Jandi is played by Goo Hye-seon whose parents operate a dry cleaner. One day, on delivery to Shinhwa, she saves a suicidal student. To prevent further furore, she is offered a scholarship to study there. However, she cannot gel well and gets a "Red Card" from the F4. As the whole school starts bullying her, she meets Jihu on the stairs and develops feeling for "the only one who cares". But, Junpyo soons has feelings for her and things get a little sticky.

I can't help being tickled and amused by Junpyo's auntie-style permed hair. Very interesting. :) Although he's mighty spoilt, I really like his terrible usage and misquoting of Korean proverbs and sayings and actor Lee Min Ho's funny expressions.

But my favourite is So Yijeong who is played by Kim Beom (who is one reason why I watch the show!). Yijeong, one of the F4, is a gifted potter and gained reputation for his talent in ceramics. He's a playboy but is pretty warm-hearted and nice, and Jandi's friend, Gaeul, seems to have some affection for him.

Kim Beom!

He seems kinda Takeshi Kaneshiro-esque in this shot. :)

Vroom!

2009-03-17T21:07:00.000-07:00

I'm exuberantly happy today because I AM A LEGAL DRIVER!

I managed to pass my first driving test with a score of 17 thanks to the smooth traffic flow, the great tester and God especially. Indeed He is good!

Congrats to Jason too! He sat for the test with me and had the same tester and a score of 18.

So, you'll be seeing me hit the roads soon! XD

Burn It, Gain It

2009-03-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

I had yet another driving lesson today as my test is coming soon on Wednesday. The early rain and the morning rush got me frazzled but I managed to get to church in time and in one piece.

Finally, after many weeks of liaising and persuasion, I managed to join the guys for badminton. Eight guys and a girl - Hong, Philip, Ste, Dibin, Wayne, Sum, Kok, Jin and I. HM. But it was enjoyable, nonetheless, especially with Philip's constant crapping. I had the opportunity of playing several matches and wahh.. it was very "song" to just sweat it out a little. A lil' comment here: Dibin's game is so good; very clean and powerful. FUH. I wish I could go up to his level.

We inevitably had ais kacang due to Philip's craving and pasembor too. Yum. Then, together with Dibin, "Driver Ali" drove us home. They intended to visit KJ, but, too bad, she was napping. It was a fun outing. =)

Just to add: My thousand apologies, Shao and thanks for the rides home. And HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PHILIP!

Judgement Day?

2009-03-12T03:08:00.000-07:00

I quote En Jun: Today is JUDGEMENT DAY.

The uno numero question that everyone's asking this March 12th is...

WHAT ARE YOUR RESULTS?

Well, my expectation was 8 As minimum. As we entered school, Karjie said, "I'll bet 5 cents that you'll get more than 9 As."

"Huh? 5 cents; so little. But I'll lose that 5 cents."

And...

I lost that 5 cents.

I scored 5 A1s, 4 A2s and 2 B3s. That's probably good - 9 As.

Thank God for the surprising A1 in History and for no Cs.

But, I really hoped for an A1 for BM especially since I got an A1 for trials and also for Bible Knowledge since I worked so much on it. And at least an A2 for that Add Math paper. Probably my chances in getting a JPA scholarship in architecture is much slimmer. So, I'll be depending on my cocurriculum greatly.

But all in all, thank God!

Okay, on a second thought, maybe I'm not so happy with what I've got. But, well, make do with what you have. =/

One of a Kind

2009-03-11T06:21:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon an ancient-looking book at Aunty Page's house during Jo Ann's birthday party. It was yellowed with age and on the cover was a face of a Chinese woman. LADY WU - A TRUE STORY was written. Surely, she must have been a great woman of her time if there was a book written about her.

And true enough, she was. Wu Tsertien was the only female emperor of China and she ruled for half a century. She entered the Tang palace at the age of 14 as a tsairen (a select - of the sixth rank of concubines) to Emperor Taitsung. After his death, she was to become a nun for the rest of her life as did other childless concubines. However, the Empress Wang of Emperor Gowtsung - the son and successor of Taitsung - needed a beautiful concubine to divert Gowtsung's attention from Consort Siowfei. So, she had Lady Wu back as Gowtsung's concubine. But, Lady Wu, like a two-headed snake, managed to defeat both Empress Wang and Siowfei. She had them whipped 100 times and their hands and feet cut off. With their arms and legs crooked behind them, she had them thrown into wine vats where she "let these wenches' bones and marrow melt in drunken ecstacy".

She rose to so much power that in private talks and in official communications, the plural 'Their Majesties' or erh sheng was used instead of the usual His Majesty.

As Gowtsung weakened of illness, Empress Wu gained control over the government. Murder was an everyday occurance for her. To frame Empress Wang, she strangled her first infant daughter. She had poisoned her own sister the Duchess of Han and her niece the Duchess of Wei for they were gaining the favour of the emperor. She killed many of her own biological sons so that she would have a hold on the empire, including the persona's (Shouli, Prince of Bin) father - Prince Shien.

She had two books compiled under her name - On the Proper Conduct of Women at Home (Neitser) and Lives of Model Women. She established the spy system that caused many to perish through false accusations. She established the Zhou Dynasty replacing the Tang Dynasty after Gowtsung died.

She was involved with a Buddhist monk Huaiyi who was bestowed with great honour and also the imperial physician - Dr. Shen Nanchiu. Just as emperors had concubines to satisfy their desires, so did Lady Wu. She was notorious for the harem of paramours known as the Stork Institute.

She was eventually removed from her position and died at a great age of 80.

Gender Confusion

2009-03-09T07:36:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not confused about my gender and neither am I opting for a sex change. Instead, it's me being constantly mistaken as a member of my opposite sex. This happens so frequently that I have even lost count of these recurring events. Here are some 'memorable' confusions so far:

Confusion #1 I guess I was about Standard 6 or Form 1 when I went into the Sentosa Coffee shop to ta pau some coffee. The old lady there asked, "What do you want, leng chai?" After placing my order, receiving it and the change, again she went, "Thank you, leng chai."

Confusion #2 Just in January, I went to the butcher to purchase some pork bones (for boiling soup). And again, "What do you want, leng chai?" Guess he's been seeing to much pork till he can't tell apart guys and girls.

Confusion #3 I went to buy wan tan mee where there was an Indian woman in line before me. Her hand was injured and there was some sort of brown paste medicine on her palm, so she had difficulty fishing the money out from her pocket.

"Boleh tolong pegang?" she asked, waving a 1 dollar note.

"Orh."

She pulls out the rest of her money and I return her the note. She laughs and says, "Good boy, good boy."

O.o

Confusion #4 This just happened today, this evening, to be precise. We were going to have a take away dinner tonight, so, Mom and I went to the nearby coffee shop. While I was taking away my kuey kak, Mom was at the popiah stall. The popiah guy commented to Mom, "Wah, your son is very tall, huh?"

A very girly Korean-hairstyled son indeed.

Yonex All England Open Badminton Championships

2009-03-09T00:04:00.000-07:00

I've been on a badminton streak these past two days with the Yonex All-England Open Badminton Championships that was held in Birmingham. As the English commentator, a former badminton player, mentioned, the All England is akin to the Wimbledon for tennis.

Here are several highlights:

Semi-finals

Chen Jin (CHN) was up against fellow compatriot Lin Dan. The 2-month military training stint done wonders to Super Dan's game, in other words, he was perfect. In no time, he sent Chen Jin running across the court. However, in the second match, succumbed to a back injury and retired from the match, leaving the former military man to march into the finals against the world number 1 - Lee Chong Wei (MAS).

In the mixed doubles event, Zheng Bo was partnered with Ma Jin instead of the usual Gao Ling who had retired. They played against the Koreans Ko Sung Hyun and Ha Jung Eun, a new pair. I was siding the Koreans this match. Zheng Bo displayed bad sportmanship when he hit a wild shuttle into the air in anger at Ma Jin's incompetency. From there on, the foundations of the Chinese were shaken and the Koreans triumphed over them in a short while.

Finals

The highly anticipated match between the two top players in the world was feared to be a repitition of the Beijing Olympic Finals by most Malaysians. However, it wasn't as Chong Wei put up a strong fight against Lin Dan. The fight ended in straight sets 21-19, 21-12 in favour of Lin Dan. It is his fourth All England title and his first tournament since being absent for 3 months.

“I think we both played very well today and really the winner today was the game of badminton. I think we gave the spectators what they wanted and Lee Chong Wei was as much a part of that as I was. I have won everything there is to win in badminton now but I still have motivation to be the best ambassador for the sport I can. Without doubt this is a huge motivation for me,” said Lin Dan after his historic win.

A huge shocker was 29-year-old Tine Rasmussen's (DEN) straight-set loss to junior Wang Yihan (CHN) in the women's singles. The calm and expressionless 21-year old managed to overcome her disadvantage of a short reach to beat the veteran who was probably exhausted after her 130 point semi-finals against Jiang Yanjiao just 24 hours before.

In the women's doubles, disappointingly Zhao Tingting-Zhang Yawen beat their fellow mates Cheng Shu-Zhao Yunlei by an error made by the line judge. The final point was won although the shuttle returned by Cheng-Zhao was in. Trust line judges.

An entertaining match was the men's doubles featuring Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng (CHN) versus Hwang Ji Man-Han Sang Hoon (KOR). The interfering service judge kept faulting Han Sang Hoon for serving above the waist. To avoid further faults, he visibly pulled up his shorts and tucked in the front of his shirt, much to the amusement of the service judge and the crowd. There was an incident from the Koreans where a shuttle was smashed onto the head of their partner. Fu Haifeng, the super smasher managed a shuttle speed of 291 km/hr! The Chinese won in straights, closing the event.

Cai Yun (L) and Haifeng celebrating their win.

Overall, China swept all five medals in the All England - the first country to achieve that after 60 years.

Oh, You're A Holiday..

2009-03-02T06:38:00.000-08:00

CHERATING

The white stretch of sand, the crashing of the waves, the bright moonlight, the chilly breeze, the sunny afternoons, the squaking hornbills, the delicious food, the reggae, the free spirit and the company of friends. This generally describes the beach on the east.

There is too much to say about this wonderful trip, so let the pictures do the talking.

The 6 of us - Joseph, Jason, Navin, Me, KJ and Shao on the beach at 5 am when we just arrived.

Our beach front chalet at pre-dawn.

Sunrise over the hills.

Us chilling out on the verandah.

The coolest place ever by the mangrove.

It was one of the best trips ever and I can truly say that God watched over our party. Our chalet was broken into and a camera and a phone were stolen. But by the intervening hand of God, the villagers managed to recover the lost possessions. Overall, it was RM200 well spent.

KAMPAR EATING DAY-TRIP

On the 17th of February, ten of us packed into Hugo's Alphard to head to Kampar for the sole purpose of eating. With Sam and I seated on the floor, the 45 minute journey was fun and we listened to many Chinese songs. We went to Kam Ling for the famed chicken curry bun, then, to UTAR where we met Hugo's ex-schoolmate who brought us around. After lepak-ing here and there we left with more of the huge buns in the car.

Chiak, chiak, chiak!

UTAR-touring

New Town

KLEDANG HILL

Two days later, to get rid of the fats after the eating spree, we hiked up the hill in the wee hours of the morning. It wasn't the first time hiking in the forest there but it was the first time I hiked up through the forest in the darkness. We missed the sunrise, but the view was beautiful with the mist and sunbeams.

KAMPAR EATING NIGHT-TRIP

Yes, another eating trip. This time, only the 8 of us went. We had claypot chicken rice for dinner with Hugo's friend again (I think it's spelt Singh Yeah) and Ryohei Yamamoto. We bounded to the pasar malam there which was huge and more happening than Ipoh East's, more muhibbah too. After that, we went to the UTAR students' residence - to Ryohei's place. There, I learnt to play mahjong. And talk about my penchant for beginner's luck. Remember my four Di's in Chor Dai Di? Well, after Hugo's teaching, I won 4 out of 5 games! My tiles were beautiful. Ryohei joked that he would hire me to play for him and pay me 30% of the winnings. Just when I was getting better at the game, it was time to go.

Now that Hugo's back in Melbourne, there'll be less outings. But, it was a great time and just nice before the results are out.

'Tis the Season

2009-02-26T07:01:00.000-08:00

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?

The season of farewells is here. I'm kinda slow to speak of this considering the fact that both Miss Jess Loh and Mr. Chin Wai Sam have left. So, I'll say a little of these special people to me, nothing to heart-rending.

It was a great opportunity to be in the same class as Jessica for two consecutive years. We never sat together but we were close enough to chat and gel together. Little did I realise then that this star athlete and I had quite a few things in common, like music. I could never imagine my schooling life without you in it! The good times together. She's a diamond in the rough - one of a kind. She's one of the reasons I go to MYF meetings, and it's pretty lonely if she isn't there. And now that she's in Melbourne, it's quite back here! All the best and I'm sure you'll do great there. I miss you a lot and I really do hope to be around when you get back.

Sam's the proud Meh Meh nickname-giver and needless to say, the most pro guitarist I've ever met. His actions and words are full of child-like wonder but beneath this veneer is a mature, wise ~~old~~ guy. He influenced my music choice a lot - from a church-music-only to a hardcore Relient K fan. His love and constant craving for Cheezy Wedges never seem to end, and the same goes for guitars. He's a wonderful person to talk to and he comes up with the oddest phrases at times. I'm glad I got to go tripping with you and the rest to Kampar. You're a joy to have around, so, I'll miss you. Enjoy yourself in London with all the soft gigantic potatoes! I hope to fly to UK soon too!

And lastly, the guy who will be leaving for Melbourne on Saturday - Mr. Hugo Chong.

I've never been very close to this happening guy, but this holiday, we hung out together almost everyday. He's the Big Mama of AF3 [to quote KJ], making sure all his chicks attend. I really enjoyed the time when, together with Amelia, we spent almost an hour in his car chatting about Rating and Top Fives. Not to mention, the Kampar eating trips and the Kledang hike - they were awesome. He's a talented sportsman, there is not one sport that he can't play that I know of. It was great partnering him in badminton. It was easy to gel as a team with him and we won so many games. It'll be a long time till I see him again and MYF will certainly be MUCH quieter. Bye in advance! Do well in your final year!

So long! And I'm sure we'll meet again.

100 Truths

2009-02-08T06:38:00.000-08:00

001. Real name → Lim Yi Wen
002. Nickname(s)→ Meh Meh, Cicak, Wennie, Wen.
004. Zodiac sign → Virgo
005. Male or female → Female
006. Elementary → Tiny Tots, CGMK, Marian Convent
007. Middle School → -
008. High School --> SMK Convent, MGS Ipoh
009. College School --> Don't know
010. Hair color → Black
011. Long or short → Medium
012. Loud or Quiet → Quiet
013. Sweats or Jeans → Jeans
014. Phone or Camera → Phone
015. Health freak → Not really
016. Drink or Smoke? → Neither
017. Do you have a crush on someone? --> Maybe?
018. Eat or Drink → Both
019. Piercings → Two
020. Tattoos → Nope

FIRSTS:
023. First piercing → Std. 4
024. First best friend → The girl who sat opposite me in Std. 1
025. First award → Co-curriculum Excellence in Scouting
026. First crush → Meh..
027. First pet → Fish
028. First big vacation → Bangkok
030. First big birthday→ Sixth birthday in kindergarten

CURRENTLY:
049. Eating → Nothing
050. Drinking → Saliva
052. I'm about to → Fold clothes
053. Listening to → My brother talking my ears off
054. Plans for today → Sleep? It's 10:45 pm.
055. Waiting for → SPM results to be released and my L license.

YOUR FUTURE:
058. Want kids? → Maybe. Disciplined ones.
059. Want to get married? → Up to God.
060. Careers in mind → Architect.

WHICH IS BETTER IN THE BOY/GIRL YOU LIKE?
068. Lips or eyes → Both. Lips for kissing. (!!) Kidding. XD
070. Shorter or taller? → Taller.
072. Romantic or spontaneous → Both
073. Nice stomach or nice arms → Both. I want an athletic guy.
074. Sensitive or loud→ Anyone.
075. Hook-up or relationship → Relationship
076. Trouble maker or hesitant → Neither.

HAVE YOU EVER:
080. Lost glasses/contacts → No. I tore my contact.. in my eye.
081. Ran away from home → Nope
082. Held a gun/knife for self defense → Yes, my Scout knife.
083. Killed somebody → =.='
084. Broken someone's heart → I wouldn't know if I did. Maybe.
085. Been arrested → No.
087. Cried when someone died → No.

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:
089. Yourself → Sometimes.
090. Miracles → Oh yeah.
091. Love at first sight → No. It's infatuation.
092. Heaven → OH YEAH.
093. Santa Claus → No. I'm anti-Santa.
094 Tooth Fairy --> No.
095. Kiss on the first date --> No. I'll save my lip-ginity for the One.

ANSWER TRUTHFULLY:
097. Is there one person you want to be with right now → Probably.
098. Are you seriously happy with where you are in life → Not exactly.
099. Do you believe in God? → Trully, wholly.
100. Post as 100 truths and tag 10 people → Kay Lynn, Nyit Yi, Chin Hui, Phui Yan, Sab, Pui San, Vic Qi and 3 other people who'd want to do this tag.

AF-Cubed

2009-02-06T05:34:00.000-08:00

Long overdue, but the AF-Cubed had our CNY visitation. We went to several houses, namely, Jason, Daniel, Adelyn, mine and Xing Yao. Adelyn left for NS again that very day but Di Yan joined us. There were so many people that they were like illegal immigrants going to be deported in our my small living room.

I've been addicted to nerdy games like WordChallenge on Facebook and single player chess.

You've got to make this become...

...this, to be considered to have "advanced mentality".

I HAVE ADVANCED MENTALITY!

It was Matka's (Polish for "mother") birthday yesterday. So, Karjie and I decided to whip up a surprise meal for her. The menu:

Appetiser: Potato Onion Soup with Croutons

Main Course: Applesauce Chicken

Side Dish: Honey Melon and Carrot Salad

Dessert: Mango Puree & Almond Vanilla Ice-cream

Karjie working hard peeling potatoes.

Hugo predicted that Mom would go through a "second childhood" for she would have to eat McDonald's instead for her birthday because we would screw up the cooking. But he was wrong!

Soup!

The applesauce was easy enough to make, but my smart sis forgot to peel the skins of the apples. The chicken was a heckuva problem. ISH.

No pics of the yummy dessert though. It was yummy to me.

We had our third AF-Cubed meeting in AGI's house. Shao Wen cycled from his house on his silver antique bike. Haha. We went over a chapter of the book No Wonder They Call Him The Saviour by Max Lucado. After lunch, we were supposed to do the youth camp '08 video, but naturally, we didn't. We learnt up and played Killer Bunnies in preparation for board games week on February 15. It's the most confusing card game to play but very fun. Jason won both sets.

The guys in AGI's.

After most had left AGI's house, there was only Hugo, Kevin, Jason and myself left. So, Hugo decided to teach me Chor Dai Di. Well, I actually learnt it at youth camp '05 but I forgot. While teaching, he and Jason began to debate about their different styles of playing and who was right. It was so confusing but I think Hugo won the argument. We started on the first round and I won hands down because I had all four twos. Beginner's luck. The cards were dealt again. In coalition with Karjie, I beat the three guys again!

On Joy's request, I checked out this. Darren singing in NZ!

Well, Jess is leaving and so is Xing Yao. I'm really sorry I did not make it to your surprise farewell tonight, Jess. And thousands of apologies to Nyit Yi and Ee Xin too.

Cherating's next week, but I'm down with the sniffles again. I hope Hugo goes.

Long over due tag

2009-02-03T08:25:00.000-08:00

Once you've been tagged, you have to write a blog with sixteen random things (16 true!!), facts, habits or goals about you. At the end choose ten people to be tagged (mane nk cari?), listing their names and don't forget to leave them a comment ("you're tagged") and to read your blog. You can't tag person who tagged you so you can't tag me. Let me know when you've posted your blog, so i can see your weirdness :)

1. I LIKE COOKING! I'll be cooking up a storm (hopefully) with my sis on Thursday. =)

2. I dream of becoming my favourite Relient K's drummer in the not-so-distant future. Tour the US! Fat hope. Haha.

3. My room can be extremely messy but I'm a sucker for clean and tidy paper work.

4. I have UK in my sight for studies.

5. I have a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality, I think. One moment, I'm extremely quite and another, I'm talkative. More of the former though. I easily get tongue-tied in front of people, but I can pump up some witty comebacks very much later.

6. I want to learn bian lian (literally "face-changing) that is the ancient Chinese dramatic art that is part of the more general Sichuan opera.

7. About badminton, I'll only be satisfied with the game or training if I wake up the next morning with a terrible muscle-gripping body ache.

8. At about 3 years of age, I learnt ballet, but dropped it after a few months.

9. I hate being perceived as weak just because I'm a girl and I'm skinny.

10. I would go for plastic surgery on my lantern jaw (as medically-termed) if I have the money.

11. Cockroaches are attracted to me.

12. I'm terrified of dogs (after the terrors of Daniel's Mimi) but I think they look really nice at the same time.

13. I'm addicted to nerdy games like single-player chess and WordChallenge on Facebook.

14. I was once told to keep my hair long to look more girlish so that school girls won't fall for me as a guy.

15. I've been called leng chai by the butcher, a coffee shop aunty and...

16. I wouldn't mind taking up some sort of dance anytime soon.

I, hereby tag Kay Lynn, Sab, Joanna, ermm... and whoever who'd want to do this tag.

Ukiyo-e

2009-01-31T21:12:00.000-08:00

For the past few days, I've been scanning through the web. It has been my lifelong desire to study in either the UK or the US. However since the LAM (Board of Architects Malaysia) only recognises architecture degrees from certain universities in Malaysian, Australia, New Zealand and UK, I have to ditch the idea of studying in US. London, Liverpool, Leicester, Bath, Edinburgh, anywhere in UK will do.

For most applications for architecture courses, a portfolio is required. So, I've began work using guidelines from Plymouth. 15 to 25 pieces of art in total with a minimum of 10 hand-drawn pieces. WOW. My first piece is a reprodustion of a painting of four Nyonya ladies playing musical instruments.

My half done sketch.

Another of my inspirations is Utagawa Hiroshige, a Japanese ukiyo-e artist who was also referred by the art name Ichiyūsai Hiroshige. His paintings actually influenced Van Gogh who was interested in Japanese art.

Left: Hiroshige's Great Bridge, Sudden Shower at Atake

Right: Van Gogh's The Bridge in the Rain

I was thinking of Kinryuza Temple which depicts both Japanese art and architecture.

Another ukiyo-e artist and printmaker of the Edo period together with Hiroshige would be the senior Katsushika Hokusai. Comparatively, I prefer Hokusai's style with bright and strong colours. A few of my favourites of his art are Travellers Crossing the Oi River which was one of the 10 prints that were added to the original 36 prints in Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, and also the Drum Bridge.

Travellers Crossing the Oi River, Hokusai.

Drum Bridge, Hokusai.

Red Red Ang Pau's!

2009-01-28T20:42:00.000-08:00

GONG XI FA CAI, EVERYONE!

I just returned from celebrating the Lunar New Year with my family in Butterworth. We made it there early this year on the eve. My grandparents (who are still non-Christians) still practise ancestral worship. A small altar was set up in the hall with burning joss sticks, 5 sets of chopsticks and cups, rice and different dishes. Grandpa tossed two coins, probably for fortune-telling (??).

The reunion dinner was as usual, seafood steamboat. There was Japanese plum liqueur or umeshu, which I enjoyed very much. It was aged for extra years and carried a sweet and sour taste. The 15% alcohol content gave a nice warm, burning sensation. I want more!

We spent a lot of time playing with our 13-month-old cousin Reuben. I'm not very fond of kids but he's an exception. Super hyperactive, curious, smart and observant. I want to take him home!

Dad took me on for drive around Butterworth - the Chain Ferry Road, the Pantai Bersih coastal road, Bagan Jermal and Bagan Ajam, the Penang Port, the site of his old wooden kampung house and the long-gone Assumption school where he studied. All the shops in B'worth were closed and the streets were empty, probably because everyone was home with their families, unlike the chau kai wongs in Ipoh. Outside the houses by the roads were ling heans or giant dragon joss sticks which the Hokkiens usually burns on the first day.

There wasn't much to do in Ah Ma's house except eat, watch TV, sleep, eat, eat. She had to cook for about 15 people. She cooked enough joo hoo char, chicken curry, lobak, tau yu bak and other Hokkien dishes to feed an army for a week - and that's what we ate everyday in B'worth.

Our uncle, the food lover, whipped up three dishes - kam heong prawn and sotong, grilled lamb and shark's fin soup. YUM.

AF-Cubed Chinese New Year visitation is tomorrow!