In Omnia Paratus

The Mattress - based on my real life experiences.

2011-09-11T18:20:00.005+08:00

I was standing alone in a well-lit alleyway, not sure of what to do next. The mattress looks almost new in this light, but one can never be too sure. It looks sturdy, propped up against the wall like that, and I wonder what prompted the previous owner to throw it away so unceremoniously. Perhaps it is the typical Hong Kong fashion of out with the old and in with the new. There is even a saying: "The new will not come if the old does not leave". Maybe the owner bought a new mattress, and had no more use for this one.

I looked at the mattress again. Will it fit into my bed? It just might. I have just moved into a small single room in Des Voeux Road West, and the mattress that my landlady provided was a little too long and too narrow for my bed. It is so long that one end just juts out like a sore thumb, hanging over the edge of the bed. The room itself is just big enough for one person to live comfortably, but oddly enough, was furnished with a double bed, with only a single mattress. And it wasn't a particularly comfortable one.

I continue to stand awkwardly, as there are quite a number of people passing by on this Saturday night. I looked at the mattress in front of me, and wondered how I was going to carry it home. Home. That sounds odd to my ears. But that little room on the second floor of a building on Des Voeux Road West facing the tramways is the closest thing to home that I will know for the next two years. That, and the University I am attending.

People are starting to stare as they walked past, and I tried to move towards the mattress, laying my claim onto it, a silent, unwritten contract that binds the mattress to me. Calling dibs through body language, as it were. I drew nearer to the mattress, and tried to lift it, testing its weight, but it was too heavy for me to lift alone. I stood there waiting, looking at the passers-by, giving them a look that said "move along, there's nothing to see here, you're too late, this is mine". My landlady said she'd be here in ten minutes, but she is nowhere to be seen. The wind is picking up.

My landlady was the one who called my attention to this new discovery. She has a knack for looking out and finding things that other people have discarded, and most of these are in very good, usable condition. Just two days ago, she called me as I was leaving my office, to get home at once, because there was a wardrobe discarded on a lane just behind the building I was living in. "It's still so new, and looks very clean. Maybe if you could come, my husband can help you to carry it back to your room, and you can have a proper wardrobe without having to spend money on one", she told me excitedly in Cantonese.

I barely survived the trip, that wardrobe was so heavy. But they said heavy is good. Means that it's solid. Can't understand why someone would throw a perfectly usable wardrobe in the streets. Well, fortunately, they threw it so close by. I was not a strong person, and that heavy thing took every ounce of strength I had. This mattress , though lighter, was slightly further away. I thanked the Almighty that it has not rained, and that the alley is relatively dryer and cleaner than the ones I am used to back home. I was contemplating getting two round sticks to put under the mattress to roll it to my building, when I heard my landlady calling out my name, walking quickly towards me, excited about her discovery.

"You mean you want to roll it to your room? That won't do, the mattress will get dirty. Look at how new it looks!" she quipped, after I told her my plans to roll the mattress. "Why don't I try to get a trolley, so that we can at least push the thing to your room. It's so new, it will be a shame just to leave it here, and my husband doesn't get off from work for hours", she said. I conceded, and she went on a trolley hunt. It took her less than half a minute to borrow one, and we loaded the huge mattress onto the trolley, through the door, into the undersized elevator, where I paid a man 20 dollars to help me lift it to my room. It fit perfectly. I asked the man I paid to help me remove the previous mattress, and he helped me to carry it to the back door of the building, facing the alleyway, and I left the old mattress there, propped up against the wall.

I slept like a baby that night.

This is how my room looks like since September 10, 2011.

Super sucky day

2011-06-20T21:14:00.003+08:00

Today really sucks for me...

First of all, I have an extremely long to do list, which includes getting my semgred all ready and prepared for shipping so that I can get a confirmed offer from HKU. The exams unit previously said that it would be ready on the 20th, TODAY!!!

Then I get a phone cal telling me to pay up, and that the results will not be out until the 27th!!!! I can't really afford to wait until the 27th!!! Those documents must reach before 15 July!!! in Hong Kong!!! Which means that now, on top of everything, I need to fork out more money to pay for EXPRESS POSTAL SERVICES.

And the payment for the semgred was dreadful. I almost died there. There were only 3 people ahead of me, but I had to wait for MORE THAN 30 MINUTES!!! Just to pay RM30 for the friggin semgred!! Which took me only 2 minutes, so I don't understand why I had to wait so long.

And apparently, it takes about 1 month to process my EPF application. 1 MONTH!

And now, there is a problem with the lazy bureaucrats, who either forgot, or neglected to send the letter of my appointment as a research assistant to the bursary AFTER 1 and a half months!!! So now, no letter, no pay!!

And my ear infection has been bugging me the whole day...

TO top it all, my blackberry crashed, and I cannot make or receive any calls or messages even until now!!

Could this day get any worse?

How I yearn for another place.

2011-02-16T22:31:00.002+08:00

This is an accumulation of frustrations that I have faced in the past couple of months. I have been letting out these thoughts in small bits and pieces over that same period, and this is a wish list that I have (that I wish will come true in the very near future).

I wish for a place where excellence is expected out of every student, and where each student strives for excellence, not just mediocrity. I do not want to compete with myself anymore. Let me be a small fish in a big pond, that I may learn more.

I wish for a place where people keep asking for more knowledge, more ways to gain knowledge, and not be content with what they already have. I want to have PEERS for once, people I can talk to at an intellectual level. I hate being unchallenged intellectually.

I wish for a place where people take everything as a learning point. Every hardship has something to teach us. I hate be in a place where everything is spoon-fed, and where everybody expects handouts and spoon-feeding. I hate the spoon-feeders, and I am fed-up with the spoon-fed.

I wish for a place where my achievements are really celebrated. I wish for a place where I do not receive what I do not deserve. I want to earn everything I lay claim of ownership on.

I wish for a place where people are evaluated based on their merit and effort, and not because of their race. I HATE IT when people are given certain perks or privileges based on their race. I AM AGAINST giving people what they have not earned. I AM AGAINST affirmative action programs. These programs make me lose ALL respect for the people whom they assist. I will only respect a person based on merit.

I wish for a place where the non-deserving are rooted out and systematically failed. They do not deserve degrees if they are not willing to work hard for it. You should not be able to pass a course simply by being enrolled in it. That is not how an educational system should work. No wonder people complain about the employability of local graduates. 70% or more are RUBBISH. THEY do not deserve to graduate.

I wish for a place where I can call it like I see it. Words that people consider taboo, like STUPID, or RUBBISH, should be able to be used when they are really applicable, not hushed because they sound harsh. People should wake up and realize that they are not as good as they think they are. They think that the 'real world' is out there, but the fact remains that they will still be in a cradle ( more like a coconut shell) just because they do not want to take the extra effort.

One must not live eternally in a cradle. But there are those who are doomed forever. The imbeciles, the ignorant, the indifferent ones who "have it all" in this country and do not even want to make the extra effort. FIE on you.

I wish I could leave. And when I do leave on 31 August 2011, it will be my liberation from this place. My true MERDEKA. I really wish to leave.

So this is how it looks like.

2011-01-18T22:05:00.002+08:00

Firstly, I have to apologize because my blog post has nothing to do with how something looks. It's just something I came up with randomly.

I have a minor follicle infection, on my eyelid, which I would not have even noticed if it was not for my friend who had to fork out RM500 to pay for the removal of the huge scab on her eyelid the last time she got infected. Am on a regiment of antibiotics and eye cream now. (Eye ointment is blurring my vision slightly, but oh well.)

I have experienced a general sense of moodiness and gloominess all around me this semester. People around me get moody for no apparent reason (that I know of), and as a result, I am also infected with this moodiness. Symptoms include desperate need to shut out the world, to sleep and be unproductive (which is unhealthy), and to snap at whatever dares to cross my way.

That being said, I have had such types of days for more than 5 times this semester (since we are only in week 4, that averages to 1.2 times a week).

And that being said, I would like to comment that this is not even the semester with the heaviest workload in my academic career so far. I am only taking 5 courses. This should be easy to get through. But it is not.

Somehow I am not enjoying my life as much as I used to. My timetable sucks. I feel drained all the time. Dealing with stupid people, dealing with another type of stupid people (who are actually not academically stupid, just a different type of stupid. (You can't always have things your own way. I hope you realize that before your support system falls apart and you limp lifelessly like a marionette without strings)).

There. That's about it for now. So much complaining, not enough living.

Interview Mania

2010-12-08T18:46:00.002+08:00

I think that I have a deep fear of interviews. Maybe because I never seem to do well in interviews as opposed to paper applications.

I mean, just take a look at my track record. I have interviewed for 3 LR positions in AIESEC (VPOGX, NST for ER and VPComm) and failed miserably each time. Once bitten, twice shy, thrice D'oh! And each time I have been told to try again. Well, not anymore.

Anyways, the reason I will not try again anymore is not because of the said interview-phobia, but rather my plans to continue my studies elsewhere. Then again, I digress.

So imagine my surprise when I received not one, but two emails requesting for me to attend interviews on the telephone. The first one was from NUS, and the other from HKU. This is because I have submitted applications to these universities to pursue my post-graduate studies in English Literature.

Once again, interviews are scary. In the middle of my NUS interview, I actually ran out of saliva and my entire mouth went super dry which made it extremely hard to speak.

Anyways. I really hope to gain admissions to at least one good university (along with a studentship) because I wouldn't be able to study my Masters anyway else.

On a side note, I have finished reading John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. It was quite a depressing read, especially the part where the farmers actually destroyed their crops because they would rather nobody got them than people getting them for free, because most of the people were too poor to pay for the crops anyways.

As I read that chapter, I have this nagging feeling that such a thing is still happening today. However, there is no way to prove that.

I will be going to Johor and then Singapore for a long trip from 11 to 23 December. Gonna imagine myself being in a solo leg of The Amazing Race. :P

What are my plans for the next year?

2010-09-14T21:54:00.002+08:00

It has been a few hectic days, because of a new addition to my current plans after I graduate: to study Masters by research, preferably overseas.

Originally, the plan was to apply to the UK, Singapore and USM. I have decided not to apply for UK for the time being because of funding issues. However, only applying to NUS and USM seems to be a thin spread for me. I was actually doing research on other possible locations to do my Masters in English Language and Literature. Countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA and even the Philippines were considered, but scrapped.

Then, the QS Rankings were released, which opened up a new opportunity that I have never considered before (but why, I never know). I have discovered Hong Kong University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong as possible locations for me to further my studies :)

I am not a big fan of ranking systems, such as the QS rankings, because it is sometimes hard to be totally objective in the measurement criterion of something with so large a range as the universities in the world (just as I believe that exchange numbers should not be the sole criteria to determine the strength and sustainability of a local AIESEC chapter, but that is a different story altogether). I was not moved much by the fact that HKU is the top ranking university in Asia (for the second time, if not mistaken) but I was interested by the research quality and some of the output of the graduate students there.

Another point to note: all the universities that I plan to apply to are situated on islands. Penang, Singapore and Hong Kong. All of these locations also have a strong British colonial past, which has greatly affected to architecture and administration of the islands. My final dream is to read my PhD in London, which is located on an island, and the heart of British culture. You can really say that I am an Anglophile :P

So, if all goes well, I will be doing my Masters in August/September 2011, after I graduate from USM with a B.A. (hons) English Language and Literature Studies. That will be what I am working towards from today.

21 books I have to read before my graduation

2010-08-26T23:41:00.002+08:00

Below is a list that I have compiled of books outside my required reading list that I have decided to finish reading before my graduation date.

The reason for this list is because I feel that the current repertoire of read books that I have is by no means extensive enough. The other reason is because then I would have a reason or purpose to strive for in the betterment of self.

The list of 21 books I have to read before graduating (in no particular order)

1. Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol

2. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

3. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

4. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

5. Don Quixote by Miguel de Servantes Saavedra

6. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

7. The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighiery

8. In Search for Lost Time by Marcel Proust

9. The Iliad by Homer

10. The Odyssey by Homer

11. The Aeneid by Virgil

12. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

13. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

14. Madam Bovary by Gustav Flaubert

15. Ulysses by James Joyce

16. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

17. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

18. On The Road by Jack Kerouac

19. To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

20. The Portrait of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

21. Hamlet by William Shakespeare

I will update the blog every time I finish reading a book on this list, and cross it out. The update will include a brief review or my experiences reading that particular book.

If you have any suggestions for me to include in the next list of books I will read, do drop me a comment and I will put it into consideration.

And of course, just because it is not on the list does not mean that I will not read that book. I still have my compulsory reading materials and books like Days of Change by Chuah Guat Eng (highly recommended, by the way), Joseph Andrews by Henry Fielding, Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift and the list goes on and on.

I sure hope that I can finish this assignment that I have laid down for myself.

Homesickness vs wanderlust

2010-08-25T15:54:00.003+08:00

I was talking with a few of my coursemates today, when the subject of homesickness came up. They were talking about how far home was, and how expensive it was to go home, and how good home life was. I wouldn't say that I can't relate, but then I do not feel the same amount of homesickness that others may feel.

I have discovered a long time ago that I have wanderlust, or the opposite of homesickness. I have this urge to explore the world, usually by myself, and not look back.

In fact, I think I still have the tendency to just move on.

Which is odd, considering that I am a creature of habit, and resists change somewhat.

Which is why when change comes to me, it comes in huge waves.

When I left my Chinese school to study at another school, it was one of those big changes that came to me. I left knowing that I will be leaving behind a group of friends and acquaintances, and I did. I never looked back.

When I left RBS, the same things kinda just happened. When everyone else had reunions, updates, get-togethers and what-not, I was just one of those "missing-ones". Until I received a message from one of my dorm-mates Adam today.

When I left Form 6, i also left with the sense that I will probably never see most of the people in my class again. We only had one reunion, and that was about it. If Michele were not in USM as well, chances are that we might not talk to each other as often. I almost never talk to any of them anymore (except Wai Hoe and Michele) and those who I currently work with in AIESEC (Wilson and Yee Leng). I have almost shed my Michaelian identity.

I have a feeling that when I leave USM, I will be facing the same situation. I will remember some of my coursemates, but not all of them. I will totally forget some of them (either through forgetfulness or purposely). I will most likely not be in contact with many of these people. I wonder if my fellow AIESECers will have the same fate.

I am still wandering, looking for a new place to go to. My next target: Singapore.

I am wondering if my wanderlust is due to the sense of not belonging in this country. For some reason, I have never felt any inclination of loyalty to my "homeland". I don't feel the conviction when singing the national anthem. Never being welcome, and never fitting in, I have made the unconscious decision that this is not my home.

I have always said that if ever I could leave, I would never, never ever return. It is apt that my whole life has revolved around that pattern, and I have a strong feeling that this pattern will continue.

...Few know what you are...

2010-08-14T17:06:00.003+08:00

After a harrowing series of events that have happened in the recent weeks, I finally took a small break (by watching a movie that is related to my coursework, how sad). I was rewatching Zhang Yi Mou's Hero (starring Jet Li, Tony Leong, Maggie Cheung and Donnie Yen) to observe the lighting and colour concepts used in the movie.

That is not what I will talk about in this post.

The Qin Emperor, also known as the First Emperor of China, Shi Huang Ti, has always been demonized in the accounts of Chinese Literature and myths that I have been exposed to in school. Sure, he was a great general who managed to capture and unite all the warring states of China, and build architectural wonders such as the Great Wall, but all this came a a great price of untold human suffering and death. Therefore, it has always been concluded that he, like some of the other monarchs and rulers of history, is a cruel tyrant and oppressor.

In The Prince and The Discourses, Niccolo Machiavelli states that: "to reconstitute political life in a state presupposes a good man, whereas to have recourse to violence in order to make oneself prince in a republic supposes a bad man. Hence very rarely will there be found a good man ready to use bad methods in order to make himself prince, though with a good end in view.

"Nor will any reasonable man blame him for taking any action, however extraordinary, which may be of service in the organizing of a kingdom or the constitution of a republic. It is a sound maxim that reprehensible actions may be justified by their effects, and that when the effect is good, it always justifies the action. For it is the man who uses violence to spoil things, not the man who uses it to mend them, that is blameworthy."

A Prince should therefore disregard the reproach of being thought cruel where it enables him to keep his subjects united and loyal. For he who quells disorder by a very few signal examples will in the end be more merciful that he who from too great leniency permits things to take their course and so result in chaos and bloodshed; for these hurt the whole state, whereas the severities of the Prince injure individuals only.

It is essential therefore, for a Prince who desires to maintain his position, to have learned how to be other than good, and to use or not his goodness as necessity requires.

Everyone sees what you seem to be, but few know what you are."

Sometimes, it can be lonely at the top. It can be lonely being a leader. You may be criticised, you may be slandered, disliked, hated, or even rebelled against. But that is the price of being a leader. To take up individual suffering in order that the organisation or institution can prosper. In order to keep order and peace, a leader must instill discipline, and to make all united the leader must be the uniting factor.

Everyone sees what you seem to be, but few know what you are. This rings true and deep to me. It summarizes the whole ordeal I have been dealing with all my life. And gives me the strength to continue in what I have been doing, believing that one day, it will all be worthwhile.

The Qin Emperor might have really been a tyrant, or he was just trying to end a war that has been going on for centuries, and uniting a group of opposing states into a nation of true strength have brought peace to the land for many years to come. There were many individuals who suffered in the process, but it was for "the greater good".

Just something I read today

2009-11-29T20:19:00.001+08:00

The following excerpt was taken from the post-credit thoughts from "The Big Bang Theory, episode 9 of season 3:

"CHUCK LORRE PRODUCTIONS, #269

I have long believed that part of our problem with resolving race issues in America is our inability to accurately name what we are. Aside from the occasional Johnny and Edgar Winter, there are no white people. Any child with a box of crayons can tell you that white people are, in fact, beige. The sickly ones are gray. Following this crayon logic, one can easily see that there are really no black people.They are brown. Or perhaps raw umber. Or maybe, burnt sienna. Frankly, every time I hear someone comment on Americas first black president, I can't help thinking "No, he’s not. He's more like caramel." Which is why I think we should all get in the habit of calling each other what we really are. How can you racially slur a man by calling him beigey or umber? The answer is you can’t. Because that’s exactly what he is. The melanin doesn’t lie. Buy a box of Crayolas and see for yourself We are all members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Can I hear a kumbaya? "

I think it should apply here as well. Instead of labeling people, maybe calling them by what they really are without pigeon-holing or stereotyping them can solve some prejudicial issues. Or maybe it won't.

That's why when I was in school, I never let the "label" of "black hair yellow skin" apply to me... Yellow skin is for jaundiced people!!! My liver works fine, thank you very much!!

So quoting from Chuck, "Can I hear a Kumbaya?

Unexpected Outcomes...

2009-11-23T15:59:00.002+08:00

Almost two years ago, I went under the tutelage of a great sales person. I learned the basics of investment; I learned how to persuade people; I learned how to take risks; I learned what it meant to be a salesperson.

I learned fast. I sold fast. I closed deals faster than I could make new ones.

I was "promoted" to "Sales Supervisor" within a month.

My "salary" was worth five figures.

I sold RM 200'000 worth of "product".

Then I quit. I lost momentum.

Today, I work as the External Relations Manager for one of the largest student-run organizations in the world. I learn how to lead people; I learn how to work in a team; I learn how to approach people in authority.

Yet, I am struggling to meet the targets that were laid down since the last planning meet. I keep asking for explanations, justifications, excuses. Nothing seems to fit.

Today, I learned that the place I learned my skills from is part of an illegal conglomerate formed to dupe people. I am one of those who got duped. Along with all the people I approached, and all the people I managed to convince. Yet it was in this "company" that I learned what it is like to take risks, and to muster the courage to talk to people. The experiences that I gained from this illegal activity, now, in hindsight, gives me the insight and knowledge that I would not be duped by something similar ever again.

You learn things from the most unexpected sources.

Usual events can have unusual outcomes that shock and surprise you.

*P.s. I am sorry to all those that got "duped" because of me. But please remember that I did not know the reality of what I was doing until much later, and that I am a victim as well.

Blablabla

2009-09-21T20:27:00.003+08:00

Almost two months since my last post, been extremely busy lately. not in the mood for long winding prose, so just gonna make this brief.

1. People are idiots. if you sat on a thumb tack for goodness sake stand up and remove it from your ass. Don't keep sitting there complaining about the pain in your ass because you will then become mine. Which means I will have to remove you.

2. I am going to Singapore. As an escort. And hopefully end up with five more days to explore the island ALL BY MYSELF (good luck trying to find enough "free entertainment" to last that long).

3. Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to those of my friends celebrating it.

4. I am an INTP. Deal with it. Or not.

5. I hate evaluations. Some of the criteria do not make sense to me.

6. What to do? what to do?

7. Still waiting for change to come. OR maybe I am resisting change. Or I am exhibiting passive-aggressive behaviour.

8. WIll stop jabbering now.

.

2009-07-25T23:08:00.002+08:00

Nothing much to say seems to be what I am saying a lot lately. Nothing to say, no opinions, just take it as it comes.

But not today. Today I stood in front (actually besides) the student leaders of USM to voice out what seemed to me to be right.

It is easy to be inspired by some of their oratory skills. They are a large group of highly talented and motivated people. But why is there still an "us and they" mentality cropping up in my head?

Orientalism is really getting to me.

And I am constantly in a bad mood now. not enough sleep. not enough food. wondering when I am going to get my loan money.

Infection of my toenail still not well even after seeing the doctor.

These things contribute to my mood or lack of it these days.

WHY AM I HERE?

Sorry if i snap at you when you talk to me, I am just having a bad month, and I haven't gotten a chance to argue with someone that day.

Debate puts me in my element.

I love debate, the great battle of wits between giants. The wile and wit of the speakers.

I also love being random.

Sigh.

The Best Things in the World

2009-07-01T23:40:00.002+08:00

There is a saying: The best things in the world are free. I think so too..

The best gift is one we do not expect, and one we do not deserve.
The best promotion comes as a surprise, not as an expectation.
The results that give the most joy come at the most critical moment, and tuns out for the better despite expectations of failure.
The best food is when you are starving, and suddenly gets a morsel to fill you up.

The best friend is also free, free to hear your problems, free to help you, free to give you a tight slap to remind you, free to urge you to do better.

Oh that all our things become free!

Wo Shi Hua Ren.

2009-06-30T20:39:00.003+08:00

For the past few weeks, during the semester break, I have been thrown a few reminders of how linguistically blessed I have been. I have excellent English, very good Bahasa Malaysia, and 9 years of Mandarin Chinese Education. I speak fluent Cantonese. I also know basic French, as well as many words in ancient Latin and Greek. I am also familiar with some Spanish and Italian words.

Many of my friends have expressed their chagrin at not knowing Mandarin Chinese. Some have expressed great regret at not knowing the language, and others have made efforts to learn it.

I must say that I have not been entirely appreciative of the opportunity that was given to me. I left Sam Tet Secondary after my PMR to avoid taking the Mandarin Chinese Paper for my SPM. My grades for Chinese was never excellent, and I have trouble remembering some of the idioms of Chinese.

I have lost contact with the language for so long that it was not until university that I regained contact with it. Even then, it was not as one who is meeting an old friend. I failed to recognize the richness and depth of the language till now.

I should be more appreciative of the language and culture that I was born into. Just a month ago someone commented that I have lost touch with my own culture, not even celebrating beyond the obvious Chinese New Year. I needed to buy an English book on Chinese Culture to read about these festivals and events!! And I also tried to read Romance of the Three Kingdoms in English! I have read Shakespeare and Milton in their own language but cannot even read the great literary works of my own culture in its natural form!

Maybe instead of running around with other languages, I should re-fortify my knowledge of the Chinese Language, not only as an added advantage in this challenging world (let's face it, how many people with a Chinese education background have excellent English to go with it?) but also as a means to understand and appreciate my own heritage and culture. I am not being a racist here but I strongly believe that racial acceptance includes accepting each others cultural diversity and heritage.

So if any of you reading this has any questions concerning the language, please ask. There is nothing better in learning than to teach. You will be helping me as well as yourselves.

Why?

2009-06-18T22:17:00.001+08:00

Why am I here?

Even though this sounds deeply philosophical, and can take days, if not a whole lifetime to answer, I can see this as a way to re-discover what the big picture is.

I am here because I want to make a difference.

I want to make a difference because it matters to me.

It matters to me because I believe in its ideals.

Because I want to change.

Because I want to learn, not only to win, but also to fail honorably.

Because life is too short to waste away, and too fragile to take for granted.

Because I want to develop myself through developing others.

Because I want to make the world a better place to live in.

Because I want to make a meaningful impact in the lives of others.

Because I am here.

Finally

2009-06-09T23:02:00.002+08:00

After a long deliberate decision making time (which included a few other people), I have decided to minor in Drama and Theatre. The decision may yet change, but at the moment I have registered this in my course list.

I have also decided to take up French level 2... Most people would expect this I suppose.

Anyways, am at UKM now for LCPM and NATCON, and won't be back till next week. Till then,.....

52 Poems

2009-06-02T13:28:00.001+08:00

on Hiatus

2009-05-02T23:47:00.002+08:00

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am now officially back from Penang and am now on break. Emphasis on BREAK. I will break your back if you break my break...

Yours,

Mr man-on-break

Vegetarian food

2009-04-08T22:22:00.002+08:00

To begin with, let me state that I have nothing against vegetarians, or being a vegetarian. I just think that certain types of vegetarian food are sucky.

I love vegetables. And I LOVE meat. But what I don't like is vain attempts to trick people who are herbivores to think that they are eating something that resembles meat but is not meat. I mean, some of that stuff does not even have the texture of meat.

Tonight I had pseudo shark fin soup, abalone, prawns, pork, chicken and a large array of other types of pseudo food. Makes me think of the future when maybe all our food is not really what we say it is or think it is...

Back in Ipoh

2009-04-08T14:52:00.002+08:00

Came back for study week. First thing I did was to update my files... My series and whatnot.

First day was fantastic!!! made much progress!!! but now, hampered by a bad connection..

Sorry Azri and Chee Hui, I got DCed from Garena.

Have I been here before.

2009-03-01T03:04:00.002+08:00

It has been a long time since my last blog post. Much has happened since then. I have missed deadlines, greeted farewell to friends, and estranged others. I have been disappointed more than once. I have learned that you need to let go of things that will hold you back. Things that will corrupt you. People who, if you go out with too often, will lead only to pain and suffering.

People are sometimes too fickle. They say one thing but mean another, they promise one thing but do another, they preach but do not practice, they talk the talk but do not walk the walk.

I sometimes wonder, am I just the same as that, do I do a lot of talking but do not commit any action? But then again, what else is there to do but talk sometimes?

I have prided myself in being to let go. I am always the first to let go, the last to turn back. No, I never turn back. Or so I hope. It has happened again and again. The removal of the familiar. The new intimidation looming ahead with no safety but your own raw courage stirring within, urging you to go on, to stand tall in the face of adversity.

But standing here right now, is more intimidating than usual. I need to let go, but before that, I need to do something drastic. Is it a good deed? Will it be something I will regret?

It's what Tina and I call smoking. (not me, I don't smoke at all).

Fiddlesticks and fortitude.

I love the concept of turning back time. I just don't think it's practical.

Am I being too mean? Too kind? Too impervious? I don't really know anymore.

Should I stop trying?

Is this the end?

What will life be?

I know.

It will be as it was supposed to be.

The theory of parallel universes come to mind.

Ah, you need to be in my head to understand.

I have a lot else to say, but it won't be in this post.

Of Talentime and whatnot.

Thus with that, I publish this sad post.

I need work to do.

2009-01-19T03:50:00.002+08:00

The first half of the semester is coming to an end, and what have I done so far? Nothing!! I need to buck up and actually start reading my reading materials, prepare for my classes, complete my assignments, and start acting like a student for once.

Besides that, I now realize how difficult it is to match a form.

Penang Destinations

2009-01-09T13:12:00.002+08:00

Since I am still in vacation mood, and it is such a pity not to fully exploit the fact that I am living in Penang, I have also decided to compile a list of places I want to go to in Penang..

1. Penang Hill (hike/train/canopy walk)
2. Penang Botanical Gardens
3. Penang War Museum
4. Batu Feringghi
5. Fort Cornwallis
6. Penang Museum
7. Penang Butterfly Farm
8. Penang Spice Gardens
9. Penang Tropical Fruits Garden
10.Pulau Jerejak
11.Jubilee Clock Tower
12.Penang Bird Park
13.Cheong Fatt Sze Mansion
14.Penang Snake Temple
15.Penang Fisheries Department Research Institute Aquarium
16.Bukit Jambul Orchid, Hisbiscus & Reptile Garden
17.Komtar Scenic View
18.Monkey Beach
19.Penang National Park
20.Penang Bridge (on foot)

Let's see how many I can strike off by the end of the year..

Ennui.

2009-01-02T03:17:00.003+08:00

It was New Year's Day.

It is supposedly happy for most people.

It started off pretty fine.

I had a Japanese dinner.

I had ice cream for dessert.

I squeezed with 8000 other people.

I counted down.

I saw pretty fireworks.

I greeted the New Year 2009.

I sang Happy Birthday to some people.

I took the bus, then walked home with friends.

I read a book.

I slept.

I woke up.

I got infected with ennui.

I got bored.

I ate both a Mars bar and a Snickers bar.

I like Snickers better.

I got disappointed.

I got very disappointed.

I Howard Hughes-ed the rest of the day.

I am hoping the next day is better, in fact I am making it better.

I am leaving for KL soon.

I am going to bed now.

ENNUI.

Crashing back to reality

2008-12-15T16:02:00.002+08:00

The holidays are coming to an end, and finally, the weight of the coming semester seems to be beginning to bore down on me too quickly. I need to "depressurize" from this holiday high and start getting back into the real world.

One of the worst things that could happen this week is that I cannot register for my core courses online. So now I need to rush back to Penang the following day after coming back from Malacca to register these courses manually. And I cannot take French level 2 because it clashes with the core course I cannot register for!!!

And I will be taking 7 subjects/ 20 units again!! I wonder if it is healthy to do so?? And on top of that, I expect to be taking on more responsibilities in terms of AIESEC.

Its a good thing, right???

Post MyLDS Reflection.

2008-12-12T11:33:00.003+08:00

As easy as it may seem, it is actually quite hard to put in writing all the wonderful insights that I have gained in MyLDS (Malaysia Leadership Development Seminar). I will share them to anyone who asks because it is more personal that way.

Besides that, I would just like to add that MyLDS was not your typical leadership training camp. You are not trained only to be a leader, but a positive change agent to impact the society around you. This is one of my aspirations now as an @er.

Just would like to share some of the things that have impacted me during MyLDS that have changed my life forever:

In chronological order:

1. Being voted for as Awesomers most outstanding eXchanger
2. Discovering my vision
3. Winning the best Square Dance for LCUSM
4. Losing the elections for LCP in my mock-LC
5. RACE
6. Being nominated as an outstanding delegate
7. Filling out the application form for Mock MCP elections
8. Making a difference in my mock-LC during LC simulation and MyAIESEC.net simulation
9. Being nominated as Top-20 in the Mock MCP elections with Evelyn and Jason
10.The interview for Top-10
11.Thanking the people who have inspired me this whole time (almost brought me to tears)
12.Having Evelyn and Jason stand along with me as top-10 of Mock MCP elections
13.The speech and Q&A sessions
14.Discovering that we are all winners in that aspect, because we know what we wanted and grabbed the opportunity to make a difference
15.Reading the sugar cubes that were written on the bus ride back

There are many more such moments and it would take a long time to list them all down, but these are the ones most significant to me. Just wanted to say to all who read this, I am an ordinary student who has big dreams. I went all out to achieve the goals that I have laid down for myself. Have you?

10 local destinations to travel to before graduation..

2008-11-26T16:55:00.003+08:00

I know it sounds silly and absurd, but I do wish and hope to visit (or revisit) some of these places before my graduation in 2011. Here's the list:

1. Taman Negara
2. Mt. Kinabalu
3. Cameron Highlands
4. Perhentian Islands
5. Tioman Island
6. Redang Island
7. Niah Caves/Mulu Caves
8. Semporna/Sipadan
9. Langkawi
10. Malacca/KL/Penang Heritage Trail

Out of this list, I have already been to 3, 6, and 10. So that means I have 7 more to go. However, I would really love to revisit some of these places again. Means I have to start saving up for these trips, especially the ones on Borneo.

I also have a list of South East Asian destinations I want to visit, probably after graduation.

1. Halong Bay, Vietnam
2. Chiang Mai, Thailand
3. Borobudur, Indonesia
4. Angkor, Cambodia
5. Hanoi, Vietnam
6. Ko Samui, Thailand
7. Yangon, Myanmar
8. Phnom Penh, Cambodia
9. Singapore
10. Luang Prabang, Laos

These will be slightly trickier, and I will most probably do them together on my way north in the BIG BACKPACKING TRIP AFTER GRADUATION so that I can save on travel fees. Who knows?

I lost my phone

2008-11-19T18:11:00.003+08:00

I am too upset now.... I lost my phone.

Because of Madagascar 2.

Because I have to silent my phone.

Before the movie.

Because it is the cinema's policy.

Because somebody decided to make it a rule.

Because most people are not considerate enough to turn their phones to silent.

Because they have brown matter for their brains.

Because they are bought up that way.

Because the society is that way.

Because there is great degeneration in society today.

Because we are not doing enough to educate our young.

Because we are too busy working, playing, instead of educating our young.

Because we lose sight of the future.

Because we cannot prioritize.

Because we do not know what is really important.

Because there are too many distractions in the world.

Because the commercial world knows what buttons to push.

Because they do a lot of market analysis.

Because that is what they are hired for.

Because that is what they do for a living.

Because they need to support their families.

So, they have no time for their families.

And no time to educate their young.

So I will lose my phone...

I lost my phone.

It's a good thing I am not wasted..

2008-11-16T19:39:00.002+08:00

First of all, thank you to all those who wished me for my birthday, and also to those who celebrated it with me, it was truly memorable and special.

It was interesting (to me) how it all went. Well, on my birthday-eve, my friends and I went to Friday's so I would get a special "birthday treatment" from the staff there, and also to play Monopoly. I got a piece of cake and they made me sing a song, only after I've had half a bottle of Heineken... We hit the theaters after that and watched Quantum of Solace.

After that, we headed to Kapitan to go online, and to continue playing Monopoly, until around 4 in the morning.

For dinner, my friends and I went to Seoul Garden for a buffet Korean BBQ steamboat. We stuffed ourselves, and then went to G Spot (in G Hotel, next to Gurney Plaza) and listened to a live Jazz band. I had a Bailey's Irish Cream, and someone got a Pussy Foot (a mocktail). Later, they announced a special 15 minute promotion: Tequila shots for 5 ringgit each!! Two of us went for it and had two shots each. It was my first time drinking shots, I was overwhelmed by the first shot, but the second one went down easier.

Anyway, I downed a lot of water when I went back, so I didn't get a headache in the morning. and so I am here now blogging.

I'm sorry if any of this seems boring, but I think that this is one thing you have to be there to see for yourself...

Happy birthday?? Absolutely.

Rant about stupid people.

2008-11-12T03:10:00.002+08:00

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, there are stupid people in the world. While you may frown at the use of the word "stupid", no amount of diplomacy can discount the fact that there are some humans who are not created equal, and are therefore, genetically under-endowed in terms of intelligence and intellect. I am not referring to dumb people. Everyone had their blonde moments. I am talking about those who are genuinely stupid, people who are too stubborn to be instructed, and would never ever admit their own stupidity.

Why do I say this? During the course of my not-very-long-but-still-seems-long-enough life, I have had to deal with all sorts of people. But university is the place where I have an eye-opener. I am amazed at the great amount of stupid people there. I hope nobody gets offended by this, but if you are, then you probably are not one of the stupid people I am talking about (since you understand what I am talking about). But if you are offended, then take a step back, (or a hundred), and take a swing. Or two. I don't mind. I'm not stupid enough to stand in the way of your punch.

This rant is getting out of control. I think I have said enough and caused enough damage. now it is time to find a secret hideout.

Mid exam lull

2008-11-09T23:23:00.002+08:00

I am halfway through my exam, after doing 3 papers, and right now I am supposed to prepare myself for the next exam, my BATI paper on friday 3pm. Problem is, I cannot seem to bring myself to study for it. Or study my French and Literature, even though I think my Theories of Receptive and Productive skills paper was done quite badly.. le sigh.

On a lighter note, I got an A for my HXE107 Coursework (40%) and an A, A, and A- for my HXE 108 Coursework... And a B for critical thinking. But i don't really want to think about it.

And I already bought tickets for the 20th, on Thursday. My last paper is French, on the same day, from 9 to 11, and my bus leaves at 2 15. Now I should probably start packing for home, and considering the amount of stuff I have, it is going to be a long and arduous task.

That's all for now, I will keep updating as I go along.

I got tagged

2008-11-03T16:06:00.006+08:00

First of all, Don't believe Rubini because I didn't really ask to be tagged. Anyway, I still got tagged so I'm just gonna reply to it.

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. The tagged victims have to come up with eight different points of his/her perfect lover.
2. Have to mention the gender of his/her perfect lover.
3. Tag eight other victims to join this game and leave a comment on their blog.
4. If you are tagged the second time, there’s no need to do this AGAIN.
5. Lastly, most importantly, HAVE. FUN. DOING. IT.

1. A person who accepts me for who I am, but still tries to push me to my peak.

2. Someone who can stand my little quirks and annoyances, preferably someone who knows me long enough to know the reason behind these little quirks. Means new friends don't qualify.

3. Someone I can go shopping with.

4. Someone who is above average in intelligence, but not smarter than me (so that I don't have to explain every joke and sarcastic remark), and so that we can exchange witticisms.

5. Shares the same taste in books, movies, dramas, food, pets etc...

6. Different enough so we won't get bored in our realtionship

7. Someone who is willing to dress up properly for special occasions, use proper table manners etc

8. Someone I think about when I wake up in the morning.

I tag the person sitting behind me, beside me, in front of me, above me, below me, before me, after me and YOU!!!

My exam timetable

2008-10-29T14:59:00.002+08:00

Its that time of the year again, not with pine trees, or even angpows, but with nerve-numbing head-bashing nail-biting and whatnot. It's exam time!!! And here is my exam schedule. My exams will be from the 3rd of November till the 20th of November. There will be six papers.

3/11 - HPW102 Critical Thinking
4/11 - HXE308 English for Specific Purposes
5/11 - HXE107 Theories of Receptive and Productive Skills
14/11- HBT112 BATI
18/11- HXE108 Introduction to English Literature
20/11- LAP100 French Level One

So there you go, my timetable.
Hopefully I will be able to test my mettle and not get melted...

Poisonous ant bite...

2008-10-08T14:07:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, I was bitten by an ant on my arm as I was talking on the phone, on my way to the library from the Language Centre. I yelled in pain. OUCH. It hurt a little, but I was bitten by ants before, so no big deal right? WRONG. The bite started to sting, and in five minutes the whole area as large as my fist started to swell. OUCH.

It has been a day or so now, and the swelling hasn't dissipated. No other ant bite I have experienced was as bad as this. So, I have come to two conclusions:

1. The ant was poisonous. In fact, ants are the most venomous insects in the world, rivaling spiders and bees. OUCH
... and the fact that the swelling hurts to the touch means something...

2. The ant was radioactive. And I will get superpowers... LOL. My friends keep saying the ant powers that I will get is that I will be hardworking... HMMMMMM....

According to the Schmidt Sting Pain Index, I think that the ant is probably a fire ant, which carries the sting pain index of 1.2 .

MAybe when I wake up tomorrow I can be extremely powerful or something.... HEHE....

ONE

2008-09-15T21:21:00.000+08:00

One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do
Two can be as bad as one
It's the loneliest number since the number one

No is the saddest experience you'll ever know
Yes, it's the saddest experience you'll ever know
`Cause one is the loneliest number that you'll ever do
One is the loneliest number, worse than two

It's just no good anymore since she went away
Now I spend my time just making rhymes of yesterday

One is the loneliest, number one is the loneliest
Number one is the loneliest number that you'll ever do
One is the loneliest, one is the loneliest
One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do
It's just no good anymore since she went away
(Number) One is the loneliest
(Number) One is the loneliest
(Number) One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do
(Number) One is the loneliest
(Number) One is the loneliest
(Number) One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do

Update in order

2008-09-10T23:20:00.002+08:00

It has been more than a month since I have updated my blog. It isn't totally due to laziness (it plays a part), but also because of a myriad of different reasons.

1. Assignments

I have a ton of assignments, ranging from the easy to the extremely complicated ones (not difficult, mind you, just complicated). And doing these assignments take time. A lot of time.

I have just handed in my HPW102 (Critical Thinking) assignment today, and to be honest, I am not too happy about it. I feel as if I didn't do it justice. Same goes with my HBT112 (Translation) assignment. sigh.

2. No internet

I have no wireless signal in my room, and I am too lazy to move to a wireless hotspot because to me, it's not worth it. 'nuff said.

3. Actually, I can't think of a third excuse. Maybe I'm just lazy.

Anyway, here is the update:

1. I might not be coming home during Raya break.
2. I got an A for a presentation. Woohoo
3. USM is now an APEX (Accelerated Programme for Excellence) University
4. There was a landslide near my hostel
5. I still hate WUS with all my heart.

That's all for now...

Short Update

2008-08-06T21:15:00.002+08:00

Not much time to update here, what with having lots of lectures, tutorials, assignments, events to attend, fun to be experienced, and life to be lived...

Just wanted to do a short review of life in USM so far.. I am currently taking 7 subjects, which are:

1. Theories of Productive and Receptive Skills
2. Approaches to English Literature
3. English for Specific Purposes
4. French
5. English and Malay Grammar and Editing Strategies
6. Critical Thinking
7. Core Entrepreneurship

I am currently quite happy with my selection of courses, with one exception... WUS or core entrepreneurship is really making my blood boil just thinking about it... Stupid miserable people forcing us to take a course we don't want to.... i would much rather be using the two units to learn Japanese, Creative Writing, Language Ideology and Power, or anything else, because I never envision myself as a businessman or entrepreneur, and I expect to be hired immediately on the word go, just because I am me. (But of course that will never happen in real life , but bear in mind this is only a fantasy of mine). After being forced to listen to mindless business chatter, we were compelled to sit for the lousiest test in the world, and forced to sell mindless junk in a pathetic expo catered to poppycocks and schnitzlefritzes. Anyway, I could talk all day about this, but I will move on to something else.

Tests.. I have one next week, and a few more lined up for the end of the month.. I know I need to study, but just can't seem to muster my faculties to put myself in front of a book. My 'brilliance' has kept me from reading ahead of class so far, and I could easily understand what the lecturer is saying, but I have not started a teeny bit of actual revision. I might need to do that really soon. When I have the time and mental capacity.

Assignments. 7 subjects, six assignments. Most of them due this month or the next. Need to do them, can't seem to find the time. Mostly 6-8 pages long, and needs to be cited. Which brings another headache. Which style to use? There are so many, ranging from the Modern Language Association to the American Psychological Association. And I need to cite references even from the Net. ( I had this question, if I had an article on the Net, and made references to it, do I need to give acknowledgment that I copied from my own work?). Anyway, I hope to draft 3 assignments by the en of the week, which gives me another week to work on them, because I intend to study during the holidays and not work.

That's about all right now, I will e back in Ipoh for a few days next week, but after that I will be back in Penang for a holiday!!!

Rants

2008-07-28T21:42:00.002+08:00

USM Hotspot sucks. There is no equivalent word, in any language or dialect, that can fully encompass the total inefficiency of said Hotspot. Its uselessness is inexpressibly worse than Streamyx! But that goes without saying. After all, all free services not provided by nature is bound to suck. Take for another example, the 'free' bus service (we pay RM60 per semester), which is comparable to an industrial sized tuna can. Especially at peak hours. And that is all fine until you are almost late for a lecture and there is no more space that is humanly possible to squeeze into unless you are Mr. Fantastic or if you practice high-level yoga.

On the brighter side, I will be taking part in an AmazingRace this weekend, where I can finally take a full tour of Penang. I am now a member of PKA (Agape Christian Fellowship) and AIESEC (Association Internationale des Étudiants en Sciences Économiques et Commerciales). Still pondering whether I should take part in Archery, Debate, or some other thing, or nothing else.

On another note, I have a presentation for my English For Specific Purposes class this Wednesday. The topic I have chosen is : English For Satirical Purposes. This presentation accounts for 5% of my final grade.

That's all the ranting I have the energy for for now. Most of it was spent trying to connect to the internet and looking for stuff for my presentation (try refreshing a page a hundred times... It's tiring)So see you guys later!!

Another quick filler update

2008-07-11T21:52:00.003+08:00

I'm now online at Restoran Istemewa, and was hoping to update my blog about the events that took place on my first week in USM, but I haven't got the time to get good pictures of campus yet. Therefore, I'll just do a short update of current events.

1. I was late for a lecture on wednesday and thursday respectively. I was late on wednesday because I couldn't find my lecture hall, and also bus was full and I had to walk/trot/run all the way to the lecture hall, which was near the other end of campus from my hostel, and from a totally different place from where i expected. Fortunately the lecturer hasn't started the lecture proper, but I had a limited choice of tutorials due to this...

The thursday fiasco was due to rain....torrential rain I'm used to , but it was sheet rain (falling in sheets??) with strong winds!! My umbrella almost blew open...

2. I am no longer taking Communications as my minor. In the first place, I went for the first lecture and the lecturer already scared us with an assignment and group presentations.... In the second place, I was informed by a friend of mine who tried to apply for the same thing that I was doing, YKT 102- Introduction to Mass Communication, that first year students from other schools are not allowed to take this particular course... And this was after I bought the textbook!! So now I am looking for a buyer, but if all else fails, I will keep the book for my private collection (it costs 55 ringgit).

I am now pursuing a minor in Translation and Interpretation ( A big thank you to Dr.Azimah, my PA, and Dr. Hasuria, who let me into the class), and language has been something like a pet passion of mine, thanks to House, who speaks in at least 6 different languages.

I am also taking French as a foreign language, and if all goes well, I might take up Japanese or some other language as well.

3. Thanks to the before-mentioned Introduction to mass comm textbook, I am now skint (british way of saying broke, penniless, poor). If I don't find a buyer, I will have to live on bread alone. Sigh, no Queensbay, no new books, no nasi kandar, no life until next month!!! So I'm praying, hoping someone will buy the book from me, because otherwise I will have to dig up my cents and live on them...

4. Speaking of cents, coins are very important and in high demand and short supply here. They are used for photocopying, Washing machine, water dispenser, phone calls, etc etc!! That's why I'm saving my pennies and quarters up. The washing machine costs RM2 to operate, the dryer another RM2, the water dispenser RM0.20 for each litre, yadda yadda yadda, so coins are very important here.

This post is getting longer than I expected, I will stop here, and resume when I have some pictures to show you guys... Thats all for now, au revoir!

My First week in USM

2008-07-08T12:15:00.004+08:00

It all began one fine day, a Saturday to be exact, when a young man's life is to be changed forever. He would enter one of the top universities in the country to pursue knowledge, experience, friendship and at the end of three years, a degree in English Language and Literature Studies.

Ok. Enough with the crap and let me move on to what happened on my first week (as I remember it).

On the first day ever, Michele and I got a lift from Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Lee (very nice people with a very nice condo in Batu Feringghi) Michele was dropped off first at her temporary hostel at Cahaya Gemilang (Brilliant light i suppose) and left to fend for herself. I, on the other hand was give Aman Damai, which is the other end of campus, and also very near the lake...

I got my receipts checked out, got my souvenirs and stuff ( a bag, some books and a tie) and went to my room ( K02/115B) and met my temporary roommate, Wei Yap, who is doing Physics... We got to know each other a little, He's from Malacca things like that. And around 3 pm, we went to 'Dataran Aman' (just a small field) to get ready to go to Dewan Tuanku Syed Putra (DTSP from now on) for a taklimat or something...

I'm so sorry i have to stop here, but I can't remember what went on and I have a lecture soon and (insert your choice of excuse here___________________) So i'll leave this post as a cliffhanger right now, will try to take pictures of some of the locations and stuff... Till the next post, au revoir!!

Final Post before leaving

2008-06-27T06:50:00.003+08:00

Dudes and babes, I am one hour away from departure, and I just wanted to say this before leaving: I will miss a lot of you, and some of you I will miss a lot.

Keep in touch,

Cheng Fai/ Zach

A word on Nostalgia...

2008-06-26T00:06:00.002+08:00

The term nostalgia describes a longing for the past, often in idealized form. The word is made up of two Greek roots (νόστος nostos "returning home", and άλγος algos "pain"), to refer to "the pain a sick person feels because he wishes to return to his native land, and fears never to see it again"

So when somebody is nostalgic, they are in other words, homesick. That's strange considering I have considered myself nostalgic by yearning for the past. But the past I yearn for is not something I have personally experienced. I yearn for the 'good ol' days', when the air was cleaner, the education better, less worries, better lives etc etc... But that type of yearning is not nostalgia. It is merely a yearning for something I can never achieve.

If that is the case, then I am definitely most 'unnostalgic', or as some put it, I have wanderlust, or the strong desire to leave home, which is also untrue. I think in my situation, I am just very able to leave something/ put something down without looking back. Without regrets. Without feeling a nagging pull to my conscience. A new world awaits.

Right now, I'm preparing to leave for my studies in USM, Penang. Granted that it is not very far from home, the logistics involved in such an undertaking as moving off for studies are very complicated. And for the first time, I am feeling a little twinge. I am going to miss some people in Ipoh. Something I have never felt when I am leaving a school, institution, or center...

Anyway, I'll be leaving on Friday, 8 15 A.M. to Butterworth. The time is short. There is almost no time for farewells. No closures. Just like every time. Maybe the lack of closure is the reason I can just put something down, leave it and never look back. Maybe. Just maybe. But I do want to look back this time. I want to remember your faces, your names, you. Even if I don't get a chance to say goodbye.

My bags are packed, my tickets bought, my heart is almost set. We shall meet again. I hope we can be friends again. Put all these behind us and be friends, when we meet again.

Camerons Solo Adventure Part Two

2008-06-19T13:00:00.012+08:00

This is part two of the Cameron Highlands solo adventure series, and I hope to cover the time tunnel in this part..

This was taken at the front... A whole wall of old stuff... One man's trash is another man's treasure??

In the beginning, there were primitive life forms??? What were their lifestyles like? Their way of life??

Ancient Racquets...

Transportation...

And ancient bike/scooter thingy

a tram???

Old motorcycles..

A mini-mini....

A driver's license from the days of the Federation...

Ancient brands that are still available today...

Milo and Cadbury... Milo was marketed as a tonic food drink in those days

Darlie toothpaste, aka DARKIE in those days...

LOL Darkie is WANTED!!! If you do have one, you can claim a reward!!!

A Darkie coaster

Hacks sweet

Seven Up poster

A variety of posters and paraphernalia..

Ancient Pepsi cola still in the bottles! One sip and you really won't ask for more!!

Really really old old newspaper!!!

Another couple of bottles of old drinks.... Tasty??

Old electrical stuff...

And old fan... It looks more efficient than some of the ones we have today (4-blades), but fingers beware!!!

And old gramophone...

This comic was placed near an exhibit:

Wonder if they'll ever make a handphone that has a rotation-dial...

Old batteries, Eveready and National

Money Matters

An old register/calculator combo. Wonder how they made these things to work... This was pre-electronic calculator days lol.

Another one of those things.

This one actually looks like a toy.

Some old coins...

And paper money. I'm sorry it looks like this, i tried rotating them but it doesn't work!!!

More money...

Miscellaneous...

The admission fee was RM5, which i think is justified under the circumstances.... This place is like a museum, but one that lets you touch most of the exhibits... And as museums go, the things on exhibit actually relate to our lives. So it was well worth it for me!

Thanks for reading, I will post the third part soon...

On another note, I will be entering USM on the 28th June for my orientation. So right now I'm just tying up the loose ends and cleaning up my stuff in preparation...

I'm Ecstatic!!!

2008-06-18T00:52:00.002+08:00

Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to announce that I have been accepted into USM's English Language and Literature Studies course!!! Enough said.

I think I am one the few people who actually got their first choice.

Condolences to those who were not given theirs.

USM, here I come!!!

Solo Camerons Part One

2008-06-17T14:10:00.007+08:00

Just so you know, I had another solo Cameronian adventure recently and i just found the time to post up some of the many pictures I took. This is going to take a few parts to finish so please bear with me.

I started my adventure at the junction leading to the tea factory. Decided to walk all the way up and down again....

The view on the way up to Sungai Palas Tea Factory.

A turkey. I hate turkeys. They chase me...

At last, I've reached the Tea Factory!!!

Isn't the background scenery fantastic?

The BOH sign. 'Best Of Highlands'

Another view of the plantation!

After the hike down, It was only natural to visit the Butterfly garden, where I took plenty of pictures...

A large beetle...Chalcosoma atlas. or Atlas beetle

Creepy beady eyes!!

Ugly frog

Snakes!! Too bad I don't speak Parseltongue.

More snakes.

Big scary butterfly. Or is it moth? Can never tell..

A weird looking bug caught my attention.

Large lizards!

Another ugly frog

Does this lizard look like a velociraptor?

This is the end of part one, Part two will have pics from the time tunnel!!

Leaving For Cameron Highlands

2008-06-11T00:50:00.002+08:00

Today I will be leaving for Cameron Highlands. My second last holiday before I leave home to (hopefully) enter the ivy-covered hallowed halls of USM-the "Malaysian Ivy League".

What shall I do there? I hope to catch up with my reading, relax by watching reruns of my favorite series, and work out (the cool climate is great for long stretches of working out). As this is a solo trip, I don't think I'll participate in any of the normal Cameron Highlands activities that I usually partake in.

Be back on Saturday.

Petrol Price Hike and other matters

2008-06-04T22:18:00.002+08:00

It has been announced that the price of petrol will be increased to RM 2.70 by midnight. And being the scrooge I am (along with 750 000 other people) I went on a last minute petrol hunt with my mother.

We departed our house at 8.00 pm, to find a great queue one kilometer long (at least) and four to five cars wide. The whole situation was at such a stage that it was impossible to pull out of the line once you are in it. And that is not the worse case yet. I had to queue for more than an hour before reaching my turn. And I saw something amusing. There was a man in a Kancil, who paid RM 30 for petrol. However, A Kancil's tank is not very big and ergo RM 30 worth of petrol is too much for the poor car to take. Despite the fact that his car's fuel tank is full, this man continued trying to force feed petrol to his poor car. He even started shaking his car left to right, trying to 'make room' for more petrol, and ending up spilling petrol on the ground. After two such attempts, he gave up and drove off, leaving a smelly mess on the floor of the petrol station. Such desperation!!

Finally it was our turn and we quickly filled up our tank (afraid that the petrol would run out just as we were fueling up, such naivety) but we were met with another queue: the outgoing one. You see, the petrol station we filled up in was next to another station, and the queue from THAT station is blocking our way home. So there we waited for another few minutes. When we finally reached home, it was already 9.25 pm. We took almost one and a half hours!!! Insanity!!

And so, that was my experience queuing up for petrol.

Completely random rant about totally unrelated things

2008-06-04T13:24:00.002+08:00

I am slightly frustrated now. Not a lot, just slightly. First of all, because of the uncertainty of my university applications (sure I have been quite confident about my securing a spot in USM's English Language and Literature course, but now I am not so sure). I predict that the results will be out on the 16th of June (that is, next next Monday) and i really hope that the results will be in my favour.

The six-month long wait has finally taken its toll on my language skills. I forgot what a homophone was yesterday (its not a gay phone) and I had to search the dictionary for its meaning! So now I have to hone my brain to sharpness in preparation for Uni life. And talking about uni life, I am not really sure if I am ready or prepared for it. Granted, my motto is 'In Omnia Paratus' (Latin for Prepared for Anything), but I am not so sure now. What if I am not as excellent as I used to be? What if the course is too hard, too difficult, too challenging? What if I was never as excellent as everybody thought I was? Such self-doubt is encroaching and the procrastinator I am can't seem to be bothered to address these issues yet. Too busy playing hobowars and learning French.

Another aspect of preparing for uni is packing up. And cleaning up my room. Because if I do not clean up my room, I might find infestations of every kind the next time I return. Which might be six months from now. And those of you who really know me, and have traveled with me, you all know that I am an excessive packer. I pack to the max. I will bring a suitcase, a large backpack, and hand carry bag for a 4 day trip. Even for overnight stays I bring enough for three people. There is a reason for this excessive packing. First of all, I sweat a lot. And I hate being in sweaty clothes unless I am supposed to (like when playing ultimate Frisbee). So I change a lot. That needs clothes. Secondly, I wear large pieces of clothing. And these large pieces of clothing take up more space than the average person's clothes. My shoes are SIZE ELEVEN for crying out loud!!!
Thirdly, In Omnia Paratus. Means I have to have spares in case anything unexpected happens. Fourthly, carrying lots of heavy bags up and down is a good workout. So there you go, my reasons for overpacking. I have been steadily improving my packing to fewer and fewer stuff, so I hope I won't kill myself trying to bring my stuff to uni.

And about learning French. French is confusing, and there are too many words that have V. Like votre, vous, vos, voila, voici, sil vous plait, au revoir. Votre means your, vous is you, voila, there is, voici is here is etc etc. But if I can learn a smattering of French, it would help when I learn French in more detail in the future!! I will post my progress in learning French in here as I go along.

Thats all the randomness I can come up with for now, Part Two tonight!!! or tomorrow. Or next week.

Errant Lawbreakers

2008-05-31T21:50:00.004+08:00

I caught two lawbreakers recently, ignoring No Entry signs and entering without permission when I was in Penang.

Tsk tsk... Such blatant disregard for the rules.

Actually, just kidding, they are my friends and we were visiting Penang. I had lovely Penang laksa too...

Thats all. I am still waiting for my uni application to get through as always. It seems to be so far away but in reality just 3 weeks more. I must start preparing myself for uni, and some of my friends already started their tertiary education.

I have Photic Sneeze Response!!

2008-05-22T20:14:00.003+08:00

Have you ever sneezed unstoppably when transitioning between dark and light in an instant? If you have, you probably have what is called ACHOO syndrome, or Autosomal dominant Compelling Helio-Ophthalmic Outburst Syndrome.

In addition to the 'many' ailments I have (genetic or otherwise) I have ACHOO too. But it doesn't really affect me seriously, it is more like a sensitivity to light. The only ways it probably could affect me is when I am driving... Maybe I'll be driving sometime, and suddenly look into the sun, and sneeze, and get into an accident.... BAMM!!

No, no, I am not morbid, I am actually taking all this in good humour. I think its funny. People can say they are allergic to so many things, but I am 'allergic' to light! Hahaha!

Anyways, being 'diagnosed' with ACHOO is a way to stop my mother from nagging me when I sneeze uncontrollably. And I sneeze really loud. Ask any of my classmates!

Uni application results will be out in about a month. Only less than a month till my fate is known. I just hope its not anywhere really bright.

my new vaio

2008-04-15T10:51:00.004+08:00

PC fair was last weekend, and I thought, what better time than this to buy the laptop that i am going to take to uni? So I scouted a little, spent countless nights poring through laptop reviews and what not, in search for a laptop that suits my needs and will serve me well in the long run. In the end, there were two final contenders: the toshiba M200 and the sony Vaio CR35. After careful deliberation, I decided to purchase a sony Vaio.

Which brings me to a new dilemma. The vaio CR series comes in six colours: Indigo Blue, Premium Gold, Luxury Pink, Blazing Red, Pure White, and Matte Black. I fell in love instantly with the colours offered, which is more of a curse than a blessing. The two colours i loved the most were Indigo Blue and Blazing Red.

The Indigo Blue has a nice sophisticated blue finishing and a silver interior. The Blazing Red has an attractive head-turning red finishing with a black interior. I finally decided to go with Blazing Red even though I think more people would expect me to get the Indigo Blue model.

That's all for now. I will update the blog with specs and all later...

Is this the longest hour of my life?

2008-03-29T22:22:00.003+08:00

I just participated in Earth Hour 2008, and there was nothing else to do that didn't require electricity, so I messed around with my camera and made a short video...

I am happy that I did participate, even though it was boring and stuff, so please don't take this video the wrong way.

By the way, my first video, Earth Hour 2008 got featured on http://www.earthhour.org/. So I'm pretty psyched. Check it out here.

That's all..

Earth Hour 2008

2008-03-27T20:56:00.004+08:00

This is a short video about the upcoming Earth Hour 2008 (sorry I said Earth Day 2008 in the video)

To find out how you can make a difference in the world, check out http://www.earthhour.org/
and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Hour

Remember to participate!!

Nothing much to update...

2008-03-25T17:31:00.002+08:00

...except I've finally begun cleaning my room, which was more akin to a battlefield or something. I dare not even sing loudly in there in case I accidentally cause a landslide or avalanche. Seriously.

Now the whole place looks better, I've thrown out tons of stuff, and rearranged the whole configuration. I even mopped the place....

Thats all for now, I'll upload a picture (maybe) when I am finally done, right now there are still a few details i need to sort out, like where to put the mislocated stuff.

Finally, I'm in..

2008-03-24T20:32:00.006+08:00

For those of you who read my previous entries, you probably know I was rejected by Maybank in my current account application. I really wanted to get into that "club", you know, because Maybank2u is really useful and everything, especially for online shopping. So I went to Maybank again today, setting my sights a little lower, to try and get a new savings account.

I got it immediately. Well, not immediately, there was a wait and stuff, but at least I didn't get rejected or anything this time around. And to top it all, I got a nice new Visa card instead of the usual black-and-yellow ATM maybankard. It looks like this:

Yeah!!!

So yeah, I'm really excited about my new card and all, its so cool and everything, and I can finally flash my card when shopping and stuff...

Another thing is, I just lost 4 kgs without going to the gym. I won't tell you why until I am sure its healthy.

And today is the last day of Uni applications. I have used up all my chances to kemaskini. So now I can only hope for the best (English language and Literature in USM).

I bought myself another Shell-Ferrari car. The limited edition Black 599 GTB Fiorano is now mine!!! It sold out pretty quickly because it is the only black model. 2 down, 4 to go...

Oh, and I also watched Horton hears a who with Ryck. It was a very funny yet thought provoking movie. It reminded me a lot about the Christ-story, with Easter just yesterday. Christ who was so big still bothered to save tiny specks like us...

One last thing. I started looking at cameras today in hopes of finding the right point-and-shoot. But its not likely that I can buy it soon, so I will start making videos once the zit on my nose subsides.

That's all for now, sorry I have to post in snippets, but my brain isn't working well today, and is meddling with my thought processes..

My Results

2008-03-11T19:32:00.002+08:00

Ok, ok. Even for those of you who don't give a damn about what my results are, here they are:

Pengajian Am A-
Sejarah B
Ekonomi B-
P.Perniagaan B-

These results should be enough for me to get the desired course in USM...

I thought I would fail one or two subjects, so I am really relieved that my results are this "good"

For those who got good results, congratulations. For those who think they did not do well, try try and try again!!

Thats all for now.. Gotta start getting busy filling out applications.

My name is Zachary. Zacky. Zach. ZRE. Zach_RE

2008-03-08T12:54:00.002+08:00

Ok ok. After long deliberation, I finally decided on a name. One that is not too hard too pronounce (every kid learns their ABC's right? This is the last one, ZACH (ok i know its not zek, but zed, but they're close, ok?) ) and that doesn't clash with anyone i know of, and that makes a cool username.

My new name is Zachary. It's hebrew for "remembered by God". You guys can call me Zach for short. Please.

Anyway. I had to reformat my hard disk because a virus my brother downloaded has done irreparable damage to the computer. So I lost all my stuff ( joking. I always back my things up). But even if i hadn't lost any stuff, it's a hassle to reformat your computer, and i hope never to do it again.

That's all, please use my new name...... Thanks!!

Psyched

2008-02-20T11:06:00.002+08:00

I wake up today (at 11 a.m. because I watched some of the old James Bond flicks till 2) and looked at my phone and what did I find? Digi sending me an SMS telling me I won RM 100 airtime because I reloaded online using RHB's online reload. How cool is that? And this is just as I was running low on airtime. (RM 2 left, i know it is a lot to some of you, but I never had my airtime lower than RM10 before).

Thats about it.

Field Day

2008-02-18T16:05:00.002+08:00

Maybank has got to be the worst bank. Ever. I mean, today is the second time I have been there to try to open a current account, but my application was rejected because I WAS A STUDENT!!! WTF!! I mean, do they know what they are talking about?! I got so mad I almost threw something at the idiot teller.

The whole thing began like this. I went to Maybank Ipoh Garden last week to try to open a current account. I was interested because this was an interest bearing current account, which means I can write cheques, use the ATM and do online banking all at once. The problem was, you can't just walk in and open an account, but have to submit an online application 4 days in advance! That was the first hurdle.

Then, when I went back there today to open the account, the teller told me my damned application was rejected, apparently because I was "only a student", but that was not what irks me most. What made me mad was the _ucking patronizing way she said it, like "you're only a student", "this is a serious account", "not for playing around", "what does a student want a cheque-book for?" To throw at your face, apparently!! I mean, I must make more money than this bitch. Seriously.

Anyway, if I didn't need to use Maybank2u I would have learnt my lesson and took my business somewhere else.. But I do need the account, no matter how painful it will be getting it.

Random

2008-02-03T19:43:00.000+08:00

Another month since my last post... Gotta break this habit of blogging just once a month.

Anyway, has anything new happened this past month? Definitely... I got a job, lazed around, worked a little, lazed more, went shopping for new clothes, watched a lot of movies, and lazed.
You must be wondering how I could laze so much when I am working. The good news about my job is that the hours are decided by me... I am a freelance direct sales agent, which means I decide my working hours. Cool? At first, because I thought I can work or not work depending on my mood. But in the end, there are SOME days when not working is not an option.

Anyway, I pity those who work part time for minimum wage. RM3.5 per hour is no low for any job...

About the movies. I have watched Enchanted, National Treasure 2, Alvin and the chipmunks, The warlords, Gabriel, and Sweeney Todd. I liked Sweeney Todd a lot, because it has been long since I've watched an enjoyable musical with clever lyrics and a nice plot. There is just one thing that bugged me. They did not give the ending for Johanna and Anthony. Bummer.

Ok thats all for now.

Blog update from December 2007- Part 1

2008-01-02T21:39:00.000+08:00

It has been rather long since I last blogged (21^st November to be exact) but things have been rather crazy since then, and a blog update is long overdue. As you all know, I have finished my STPM on the 3^rd of December and from then my holidays begin. This is the first part of an account of my adventures since then.

5^th to 8^th December – Cameron Highlands

I have always been fascinated by the idea to travel with all my possessions strapped to my back, but here in Malaysia that seems to be a silly thing to do. Anyway, I needed a break from exams, and was feeling a little adventurous, therefore I decided to travel to Cameron Highlands alone, because I could not find anyone to travel with me.

I booked a hostel room a month in advance, and I checked in on the 5^th, 2 days after my exams. The journey there was bleak, because it was starting to become rainy, and the usually rolling green landscape was completely obscured by cloud and mist. The room I originally booked was an attic room, but I was given a single room instead. To paint you a picture of how small the room actually is, i could stretch out my hands and my fingertips could touch the two sides of the wall. 5 ft by 7 ft. Just big enough for a single bed. I couldn't even take a picture of it ( it was too small) Still, I was only paying RM15 per night so no complaints there.

It rained three out of four days I was there. The first night, I met with this group of backpackers who had come from all over the world and they have been backpacking all over South East Asia. They come from Canada, Slovakia, Greece, Holland, the UK etc. I played Scrabble with some of them that night. It was fun and I managed to play the word QUAY. The weather was particularly cold because it had rained all day. The people who stayed there for quite long said the rain just started, and the weather was fair the past week. Also, the rain meant that there was no bonfire. Tough luck....

On the second day, I paid about RM20 to go on a sightseeing tour, which was a total waste of time and money. It was raining early in the morning and I was alone in a bus full of strangers, taken to places I have been to before. The only attraction on the tour I have not been to was the Sungai Palas Tea Factory.

Later that night, the other backpackers made plans to climb Gunung Brinchang. We also chatted a little about various tourist destinations in Malaysia like Pulau Perhentian and Taman Negara (I have been to neither). They plan to wake up and leave at 7 30 am. I planned to stay indoors to read (again).

On the third day, I woke up around 9 am. I found that the group hasn't left yet (some of them were still asleep). It was still raining. “To hell with the rain”, I thought. I asked if it was okay for me to join them. They didn't mind. We left around 10 30 am It took me almost two hours to reach the summit and I was muddy and soaked through but it was all worth it!

We then made our way down to the Sungai Palas Tea Factory to have some tea. We didn't want to take a cab back to Tanah Rata form the factory (RM30!!) so we hitchhiked to Brinchang and took a cab from there (RM5) my legs were so cramped by the time i reached the hostel I had to apply counterpain. Anyway, I made the owner promise to light the bonfire as the rain stopped a few hours ago. I then went out to buy a kilo of sweet potatoes to roast with the bonfire. We could even see the stars that night.

On the last day, the rain finally stopped, and the friendly group of backpackers were making plans to hit the beaches next. Since the east coast is closed due to monsoon, they made plans to go to Pangkor instead. They invited me along, since it was near my place, but with my leg's condition I had to decline. I returned home to catch a breather, and to start cleaning the house, as I had another trip to catch in less than a week.

Pengajian Am Paper Two

2007-11-20T18:37:00.000+08:00

Today is the day we battled the great monster call Pengajian Am Paper Two. It would be totally unspectacular save one thing... It took me ONE HOUR to reach home from school after the exam. Usually, the journey to and from school from my house will take about 15 minutes, or 20 if there's traffic. Just the fact that it took one friggin hour to go home should have had me pissed and of the roof, but the fact was, I was pretty zen about it. Maybe the hilarity of the paper took its toll on me.

The hot topic for STPM this year was biotechnology. Everyone was talking about it, changing notes and discussing the probabilities at length. I was joking at one such discussion (two minutes before we entered the exam hall) and said too much emphasis is put on the 'kebaikan' of biotech, very little points on the 'keburukan'.. As Fate would have it, one question came out which is "Kebaikan dan Kesan Negatif biotech". I was at a loss at the keburukan and the two points I stated were:
1. Biologically engineered food might contain a new strain of disease and kill everyone who eats them
2. Biologically engineered food which repel insects deprive insects of food, thus disrupting the food chain, driving other species to extinction...

Lamest points, but I didn't have enough time to do the essay properly...

Another thing that bugged and tickled me me was the fact that global warming came out as a Bahagian E question. I was not really prepared to do Jadual because i was not familiar to the format and was hoping carta aliran came out. The fact that global warming came out was so funny ( because I have written no less that four essays concerning the topic for various competitions throughout the year, and did a PA assignment on the subject as well) and I really hope I did the topic justice. The thing that bugged me was it did not come out as an essay.

Anyway, I'm off to revise the other subjects now, hopefully I could finish in time...

Pengajian Am Paper One

2007-11-19T11:38:00.001+08:00

What to say? The paper was supposed to last for two hours (our shortest paper) and I finished kind of early. Can't help but look for answers when I got home to see how many questions I got correct. there are still some ambiguous questions that seem to have no answer...

anyway, tomorrow is another day, another paper, and I better get ready for that too.

STPM starts tomorrow

2007-11-18T17:14:00.000+08:00

For those of you who don't know, the biggest, hardest, most challenging examination in Malaysia begins tomorrow, and some of you might think, why is this guy still blogging on the eve of exams? It's like, having a wedding on the eve of a big battle or something like that. But as the title of my blog goes, In Omnia Paratus... (prepared for everything)

I don't feel particularly well prepared, and I know a lot hinges on whether I pass or fail this examination, yet there is a feeling of calm, as Gandalf describes it in Return of the King, "the deep breath before the plunge"....

Well, I just hope I fare well in this, and at the last hurrah, be able to bid farewell to those who accompanied me in Form six...

Birthday

2007-11-15T20:07:00.000+08:00

Today is my birthday, and I had lunch with some close people. After that, I thought of doing something like this:

Your birthday falls into the Chinese year beginning 2/17/1988 and ending 2/5/1989.
You were born in the Chinese year of the Dragon.

Your Native American Zodiac sign is Snake; your plant is Thistle.

You were born in the Egyptian month of Tyby, the first month of the season of Poret (Emergence - Fertile soil).

Your date of birth on the Hebrew calendar is 6 Kislev 5749.
Or if you were born after sundown then the date is 7 Kislev 5749.

The Mayan Calendar long count date of your birthday is 12.18.15.9.16 which is
12 baktun 18 katun 15 tun 9 uinal 16 kin

The Hijra (Islamic Calendar) date of your birth is Tuesday, 5 Rabi'u'th-Thani 1409 (1409-4-5).

The date of Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 3 April 1988.
The date of Orthodox Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 10 April 1988.
The date of Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent) on your birth year was Wednesday 17 February 1988.
The date of Whitsun (Pentecost Sunday) in the year of your birth was Sunday 22 May 1988.
The date of Whisuntide in the year of your birth was Sunday 29 May 1988.
The date of Rosh Hashanah in the year of your birth was Monday, 12 September 1988.
The date of Passover in the year of your birth was Saturday, 2 April 1988.
The date of Mardi Gras on your birth year was Tuesday 16 February 1988.

As of 11/15/2007 7:30:44 AM EST
You are 19 years old.
You are 228 months old.
You are 991 weeks old.
You are 6,939 days old.
You are 166,543 hours old.
You are 9,992,610 minutes old.
You are 599,556,644 seconds old.

Your age is the equivalent of a dog that is 2.71585127201566 years old. (Life's just a big chewy bone for you!)

There are 366 days till your next birthday
on which your cake will have 20 candles.

Those 20 candles produce 20 BTUs,
or 5,040 calories of heat (that's only 5.0400 food Calories!) .
You can boil 2.29 US ounces of water with that many candles.

But nobody is going to read this anyway...

In girum imus nocte et consumimur igni

2007-11-02T20:30:00.000+08:00

In girum imus nocte et consumimur igni

This latin palindrome (for those of you who don't know, a palindrome is a sentence that reads the same forwards and backwards) means "We enter the circle at night and are consumed by fire", describing the behaviour of moths.

Sometimes, I liken this situation to myself. I am a moth, entering a circle in the darkness, and finally being consumed by the flames. This can apply to two situations.

The first is when I am attracted by vain things that destroy, entering the circle, along with so many others who are attracted by the same things, unaware of the destructive powers of the attraction. Finally, I am destroyed by the thing that attracted me, consumed by the flames of passion.

The second is to studies. The flame is the testing fire of examinations. If I don't study well enough, I enter the circle (exams) in the darkness, and unsure of my coordinates, I plunge into the whole thing unprepared and finally am consumed by the flames of examinations.

Am I a moth? I hope not. Yet time and again I fall back into a familiar pattern that leads to the path of destruction. Can I break free from the circle? Leave the familiar encircling towards a destructive attraction and fly towards safety?

In Omnia Paratus
(ready for everything)

Just an update...

2007-07-23T21:34:00.000+08:00

Haven't blogged since April, so here's a brief account of what's going on since then.

24 March- MCO concert...
25 March- Haircut
28 April- MUET
6 May- Haircut
9 May- MUET speaking
15 May- Gilmore Girls Series Finale
19 May- My first ever accident
26 May- Redang Trip
6 June- MPC camp
16 June- Law Olympiad
16 July- MUET Results--- Band Six
17 July- New South Wales University International English Competition
21 July- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
22 July- Haircut

One thing I noticed, I've had a lot of haircuts for the past few months....

Sorry for being lazy and typing things off my organizer...

Damn Friday 13th !!!

2007-04-13T19:40:00.000+08:00

Today is the much talked about Friday thirteenth and a person who does not miss out on creating an intriguing atmosphere for others, especially when I have the chance, I began speculating a wide range of disasters which might happen on this fateful day.

Nevertheless, I was disappointed slightly because school was absolutely eventless today, and I was bored. The Jinx of Friday 13th didn't get me this time. Or so I thought. for it absolutely went wrong after that.....

Today is also the first day of the PIKOM PC Fair. Pc fair, when we all look forward to purchasing quality gadgets and computer products for cheap prices. well, cheap prices I got, but not the "quality" I expected.

I bought a 4-hub usb 2.0 thingy instead of the 1.1 model. And I paid double for it too... but then the damn bloody device doesn't work. the LED lights up, but that's all it does. I've tried disconnecting it, reinstalling the driver, disconnecting other devices, etc etc etc, but the thing just lights up... guess the country it came from?

I also bought TWO All in one card readers. One for my home use, one for travelling... Both refuse to work too... whose bloody fault is it? I tried all my usb ports, I tested the ports with my thumb drive to make sure they work, I reinstalled drivers I did everything and what do I get? nothing..................................

Guess what the brand is? EDGE...........

Malaysia Boleh....

What a bloody disappointment....... I got jinxed after all.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

OPPORTUNITY

2007-02-04T16:17:00.000+08:00

Master of human destinies am I.
Fame, Love and Fortune on my footsteps wait.
Cities and fields I walk; I penetrate
Deserts and seas remote, and, passing by
Hovel, and mart, and palace, soon or late
I knock unbidden once at every gate!
If sleeping, wake--if feasting, rise before
I turn away. It is the hour of fate,
And they who follow me reach every state
Mortals desire, and conquer every foe
Condemned to failure, penury, and woe.
Save death; but those who doubt or hesitate,
Seek me in vain and uselessly implore:
I answer not, and I return no more.
--John J. Ingalls.

Flying Without Wings

2007-01-06T07:16:00.000+08:00

I can feel my throat soaring up in the sky, flying without wings, but that does not deter me from ordering a large plate of fries. Learnt my lesson? I did not.

Went home, and straight away went to sleep. At 6 in the evening. I woke up at 7 next morning. Talk about being totally drained and burned out...

seconddayofschool

2007-01-04T14:54:00.000+08:00

todayistheseconddayofschoolandiwokeuplateonehourlateand
irushedtoschoolfortunatelyiwasnotlatebecauseiwokeupat620
itwasabadrushthoughanywaytherewasnottoomuchheavylearning
andteachingiamstillquitehappyhoweverthetimeforrestiscomingto
anendbecausethemonthlytestisnextmonthohmygoodnessibettergoand
studynowifnotimightfailasubjectortwoandgetintoahelluvatroublebyebyelol.......

superrandomthoughts

2007-01-03T21:49:00.000+08:00

todayisthefirstdayofschoolandusuallythatisabadthing
becauseitmeansihavetowakeupearlyandgotoschooland
studyanddostuffthatidontreallylikebuttodaywasnotbad
itfeelsgreatbeingbusyagainwhatwiththisyearbeingstpm
yearandallandithinktomyselfwhoonearthisgoingtoreadthis
soifyoudidreadthisandreachherepleaseleaveacommenttotell
methankyouverymuchyourcommentsareverymuchappreciated

BSGC Elim Combined Youth Camp 2006 in Pangkor Island

2006-12-29T22:04:00.000+08:00

It has been one and a half years since my last youth camp, and although I still had a lot of uncompleted work ( Christmas was just over, and December has been the most hectic month with sleepless nights coz of Holiday Club, Family Camp and Christmas outreach), I still signed up for the Youth Camp. Why? Because this is probably the LAST TIME I will be able to do something like this in a very long time.

Anyway, despite all the unfinished and un-taken-cared-for business that needed to be done, I went to Pangkor, in hopes of gaining some rest for the last few days of my precious holidays. Boy I was so wrong.

While the camp was not as tiring as previous camps have been to me, it provided no rest for me. It was like running a marathon, and activities piled on activities, piled on activities, piled on more activities. While I would have loved such a camp as this any other day, December is just a tough month for me. While some people commented that I looked very emo during the camp, and people keep asking me if I am enjoying the camp, I always give a weak nod, grunting something like :"yeah, It's ok, you know"

Anyway, I'll stop ranting for a moment and comment on the camp speaker, Mr. Steven Low. Knowing him when he was still in Ipoh, and having him in RBS teaching prayer, and still I never fail to learn something from him... He was one of the people concerned if I was enjoying myself or not.

So, I'll end here for now. I'll post when I get the pics. A pic is worth a thousand words.....

The Illusive Dream

2006-12-14T01:15:00.000+08:00

Where might you be going this fine day, my friend?
Off along an aimless road that soon must end
Chasing an illusive dream that shines so fair
But when found, isn't there

I can understand your weary sigh, my friend
there but for the grace of God go I, my friend
Come and let Him lead you to your journey's end
Oh, come along and walk with Him

If without the grace of God your life should end
And before the face of God you'd stand, my friend
What would your illusive dream avail you then?
So, come along and walk with Him

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

-What do I really need?-

nothing to say

2006-12-13T16:59:00.000+08:00

ive got nothing to say lo... so ppl ask me update i update lor... see? this is an update............

Post exam slide

2006-11-01T20:00:00.000+08:00

There's like, two and a half weeks more to the holidays, and i am hoping that the holidays come both sooner and later. It is a bitter moment now, to have the time to pause and consider, the event which started the very first link of the chain of iron and of thorns which binds me to where I am now.

I've proved through this examination that i have reached my peak, my "Golden Age" a long time ago, and now everything is in steady decline.

Anyway, I do hope that the end of this year brings an end to many things.

Melancholic Alcoholic...

The Path To The Dark Side

2006-08-09T22:03:00.000+08:00

I sense much fear in you...

Fear is the path to the dark side...
Fear leads to anger...
Anger leads to hate...
Hate leads to suffering...

Who Is Quasimodo's Father?

2006-07-19T16:08:00.000+08:00

Quasimodo, the half-formed, is a main character in the book (and Disney cartoon, and Michaelian School Play) by the name of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. While Clopin did his best to try to explain how Quasimodo ended up in the bell tower of Notre Dame, there are still many questions asked that Clopin did not answer... questions to Quasimodo's origins... and his relations to the other characters in the Hunchback of Notre Dame....

Question No. 1
Who was Quasimodo's birth father?

According to speculation, Quasimodo's real father could very vell be Judge Claude Frollo... Impossible? Think again. Why did Frollo lay a trap for the gypsies? Maybe he was trying to hide the fact that he has a son... Why did he pursue the gypsy woman, Quasimodo's mother himself, when he could just command a soldier to chase her?
Maybe he wants to make sure the secret is safe... He is a judge, so such a sin would have had great negative impact on his career... Then, after snatching Quasimodo from the Gypsy woman, he is surprised that his son is a deformed "monster". So he tries to destroy all evidence... only to be stopped by the Archdeacon... And since Quasimodo is his son, he agrees to bring him up.

Makes sense? lol....

Oh crap...

2006-07-17T20:40:00.000+08:00

I thought I would be happy.

I thought this would make me happy.

But I was wrong.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and little girls, I have officially gotten my transfer to the Arts stream (don't ask how, I myself don't know) and as before mentioned, I thought I would be happy, but I am not.

I had an encounter almost abrupt as this before. The day I left Sam Tet and went to SMI. No goodbyes, no farewells, I just left. (but no matter what people say, I believe and maintain that it was for the best). Now I am about to do the same with my friends in LSS5.

Not that I will never see these wonderful (and awfully hilarious) bunch of people ever again, but the feeling of not being there to see Harpreet being called up to answer MUET questions or Yew Wai giving a lecture on sclerenchyma is a little hard to bear, considering the little but much treasured time in knowing these guys. Thank you very much!!

And as the students in Lss5 know, elder children are usually more nostalgic, and hold on to the past. I hope the friends I make in Lss5 will not be "unfriended" when I go to the Arts stream. Hope to yum char with you guys, watch a movie or two....

And as a sign of moving on, I've renamed my blog to "The Pinnacle of Crapology". I hope the title changing works.

I Hate.

2006-07-14T14:20:00.000+08:00

I hate. I despise. I do not love, for none deserves to be loved. I do not smile. I do not laugh. I destroy, I mutilate.

This is me.

Life is full of setbacks. Do not trust those around you. Your stumbling block is the one you least expect.

I shall not speak to thee... Thou knowst what thou didst, thine face erased shall be.

I HATE!!!!

noob - newest word in the dictionary?

2006-07-14T00:28:00.000+08:00

This is how the dictionary entry for the word 'noob' would look...

noob (nʊb)
noun. plural noobs. variation noobie.

1. A person who lacks skills in a certain field, e.g. John is a total noob in golf.
2. A person who is bad at something, while he/ she should be good in it already, e.g. I don't understand why you are such a noob in English, as you have studied it for more than ten years.
3. A newbie. A person who is new at something i.e. an online computer game, e.g. Take it easy on Harry when you play DotA with him, as he is a noob.

For more information, do a wikipedia search for noob.

I will work on the other forms of noob like nooby/noobish, noobynisation/noobinisation, noobness/noobity on a later date, cause right now I am busy memmorising Jibberish: rama lama lama ka dinga da dinga dong, shoobop sha wadda wadda yippity boom de boom....

The Birth month thingy

2006-07-08T22:07:00.000+08:00

Since everybody was doing this thing, I thought "oh, what the heck". Here goes:

Your Results:

November

Has lots of extraordinary ideas. Difficult to fathom. Thinkforward. Unique. brilliant. Sharp thinking. Fine, strong clairvoyance. make good doctors (lol??? or maybe Dr of Arts). Dynamic. Secretive. Inquisitive. Know how to dig secrets. (be careful...)Always thinking. Less talkative.(Do any of you think so?) amiable. Brave. generous. Patient. Stubborn. hardhearted. Determined. Never quit. Hardly become angry unless provoked. Love to be alone. Think differently. Sharp-minded. Motivate self. Don't appreciate praises. Highspirited. Well-built, tough. Deep love, emotions. Romantic. Uncertain in relationships. Homely. Hardworking. (I beg to differ) High abilities. Trustworthy. Honest. Keepsecrets. (your secrets (those that I korek) are safe with me) Can't control emotions. Unpredictable.

Well, this is only a rough guide, but basically says a lot. Not 100% accurate, coz not everyone is the same (that's where the whole "environment affects intelligence and character" thing comes in....)

Star Walk tomorrow. Hope it helps clear my mind off things a bit, and spend time with my friends...

I'm still alive!!!!

2006-07-07T17:11:00.000+08:00

After four gruelling Chemistry periods, I am surprised that I am still breathing... ROTFLMAOWTIME... (rolling on the floor laughing my a** off with tears in my eyes) So happy to still be in one piece. Of course, Chemistry is only a piece of cake compared to Maths, where the so unfortunate numeric dyslexic (which I am) faints... I just can't grasp the meaning of overly complicated formulae. I can spell supercallifragilisticexpiallidocious without any help but give me any equation with an unknown (or just about anything) and i will not be able do give you an answer. Which is why I am trying so hard to transfer to Arts.

Found out that MENSA Malaysia's test's price has come down to MYR 35... lol.. wanna ask the teachers if they would organize one test in the school. Gotta get 148 out of 180 to qualify.

The nut behind the wheel...

2006-06-30T18:26:00.000+08:00

Just wondering, who is more dangerous, a nut behind the wheel, or a noob behind the wheel? (noob: n. a person who is new/inexperienced in something; a newbie. e.g. I am a noob in DotA.)

A nut behind the wheel is a driver who would not apply stop, look, go at berhenti signs, speeds like a maniac, swerves like a drunk, and always drift here, drift there (be careful not to drift away to the lands of the dead).

A noob behind the wheel is a newbie in driving. This type of driver would be slow on the road, especially near traffic lights. They will usually panic when being honked or when there is heavy traffic.

A nut behind the wheel is always impatient. They despise the noobs behind the wheel, thinking that their "skills" in driving makes them good enough to boss or honk noob drivers. The noob behind the wheel, on the other hand, despise the nut behind the wheel because they drive dangerously, and then boast about their "exploits". The noob also hates the way a nut swerves and drifts in front of them.

There is third kind, typical drivers who drive safely without being a hassle to others. The typical driver usually hates both nut and noob drivers, but may be more sympathetic towards the noob.

What do you think? Which is worse, the nut or the noob?

a blessing in disguise?

2006-06-28T19:56:00.000+08:00

as I am writing this blog, my hands are not touching the keyboard, mouse, or any part of the computer. This is because I have discovered a new exciting technology called speech recognition. I am writing this blog or should I say saying this blog, using only a microphone which I am talking into.

of course there are a few weaknesses in this new technology because it is still new. for example, it does not recognise my speech as well as it should, resulting in the need for me to type in certain words myself. However, it does allow me to command my computer to do certain things like close Microsoft Windows. Heck, it will even shut down the computer if I asked it nicely.

On another note, the performance went really well during speech day( I think) coz the cast and the psalmists ( I mean vocalists) did a good job after all that practice...

Another thing. I was in town today and I needed to call my mum. However I could not find a single working telephone booth even after walking around town for about 15 minutes. What a disappointment. Don't you think they should provide us with better service? don't you think that vandals should be put in jail? Well I do...

Well, I think I'll just have to live and let live...

Ignorance is bliss...

2006-06-27T16:34:00.000+08:00

Horror. The root word for horrible as terror is the root word for terrible. My experience today. Described as below.

"Clarence Choong!" I heard Mr. Karu, our Form Six Moderator call out my best friend's name. I was wondering if I was next.

"Ng Cheon Yuen!" Mr Karu called. My hopes sank. I was still hoping my name would be called, looking eagerly at Mr. Karu, looking anxiously at my friends.

The fact is, Mr Karu is calling out names from a list. A list of those who applied for a transfer from the science stream to the arts stream. Those who supposedly got their application approved. I was still hoping to be on the list, just as everybody else was.

"Goh Cheng Fai" called Mr. Karu. My heart made a little leap, as I walked over to the other side, with a wide grin over my face, and the butterflies gone from my stomach. I hear a couple more names being called. People are jumping up and down, overjoyed to be part of those on the list. we kinda looked like people who just got our SPM results, and who got really good results, commented our moderator.

Oh! now I hope that my name was not called, for those who have been called have had their applications rejected ( or as Clarence puts it: not rejected, merely not accepted only). And so the hopes of those who were planning to go to the arts stream, the exciting chatter amongst those who were called, all came to an end when we found out that Mr. Karu read off the wrong list. The horrible realisation. Oh, ignorance is bliss!!

Now I can only appeal, and hope that it will not be rejected this time round.

On the brighter side, drama practice was good today. Everything else does not matter.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (warning: Spoilers Ahead!)

2006-06-19T18:38:00.000+08:00

I am sick. As in sick. Sick enough to leave school before recess. Thanks to the Looooooooong assembly today.

Actually, can't blame them for making me sick coz i was sickly this morning. But the assembly just made it worse.

Anyway, I have progressed from being sick to being sickly, giving me time to prepare for my MUET assignment. Haha.

BTW I have a throat infection, swelling my lymph nodes to amazing proportions. The interesting thing is, the doctor who treated me was well aware I was a Michaelian, and asked me if there was a school play this year. I told him we are doing the Hunchback of Notre Dame this year and he got excited and quoted parts of the book to me. Lucky I read the first and last chapters of the book ( as well as the synopsis) so I was able to relate to what he was talking about. I told him we are doing the Disney version, to which he said the Victor Hugo version is more romantic.

There are several stuff in Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame that might make monsieur Hugo roll in his grave in the magnificent Pantheon. Here's why:

Quisimodo would never have been able to sing the high high high notes (sung wonderfully by actor Tom Hulce) in the cartoon. Why? Coz he's deaf. He's a bellringer, for goodness sakes. And he was not the King of Fools but the Pope of the Fools.

Here is an excerpt of Victor Hugo's description of Quasi:

After all the pentagonal, hexagonal, and whimsical faces, which
had succeeded each other at that hole without realizing the
ideal of the grotesque which their imaginations, excited by
the orgy, had constructed, nothing less was needed to win their
suffrages than the sublime grimace which had just dazzled the
assembly. Master Coppenole himself applauded, and Clopin
Trouillefou, who had been among the competitors (and God
knows what intensity of ugliness his visage could attain),
confessed himself conquered: We will do the same. We
shall not try to give the reader an idea of that tetrahedral
nose, that horseshoe mouth; that little left eye obstructed
with a red, bushy, bristling eyebrow, while the right eye disappeared
entirely beneath an enormous wart; of those teeth
in disarray, broken here and there, like the embattled parapet
of a fortress; of that callous lip, upon which one of these
teeth encroached, like the tusk of an elephant; of that forked
chin; and above all, of the expression spread over the whole;
of that mixture of malice, amazement, and sadness. Let the
reader dream of this whole, if he can.

The acclamation was unanimous; people rushed towards
the chapel. They made the lucky Pope of the Fools come
forth in triumph. But it was then that surprise and admiration
attained their highest pitch; the grimace was his face.

Or rather, his whole person was a grimace. A huge head,
bristling with red hair; between his shoulders an enormous
hump, a counterpart perceptible in front; a system of thighs
and legs so strangely astray that they could touch each other
only at the knees, and, viewed from the front, resembled the
crescents of two scythes joined by the handles; large feet, monstrous
hands; and, with all this deformity, an indescribable
and redoubtable air of vigor, agility, and courage,--strange
exception to the eternal rule which wills that force as well as
beauty shall be the result of harmony. Such was the pope
whom the fools had just chosen for themselves.

One would have pronounced him a giant who had been
broken and badly put together again.

When this species of cyclops appeared on the threshold of
the chapel, motionless, squat, and almost as broad as he was
tall; squared on the base, as a great man says; with his doublet
half red, half violet, sown with silver bells, and, above all,
in the perfection of his ugliness, the populace recognized him
on the instant, and shouted with one voice,--

"'Tis Quasimodo, the bellringer! 'tis Quasimodo, the hunchback
of Notre-Dame! Quasimodo, the one-eyed! Quasimodo, the
bandy-legged!

An old woman explained to Coppenole that Quasimodo was deaf.

Besides that, the ending was altered terribly. In the book, Dom Claude Frollo (who is an archdeacon in the book but a judge in the cartoon), Esmeralda and Quasimodo all die, Esmeralda by hanging, Frollo fell to his death (graphic descriptions from the book) and Quasi died hugging Esmeralda in her tomb.

Quasimodo was burning to ask him what he had done with
the gypsy; but the archdeacon seemed to be out of the world
at that moment. He was evidently in one of those violent
moments of life when one would not feel the earth crumble.
He remained motionless and silent, with his eyes steadily
fixed on a certain point; and there was something so terrible
about this silence and immobility that the savage bellringer
shuddered before it and dared not come in contact with it.
Only, and this was also one way of interrogating the archdeacon,
he followed the direction of his vision, and in this way the
glance of the unhappy deaf man fell upon the Place de Grève.

Thus he saw what the priest was looking at. The ladder
was erected near the permanent gallows. There were some
people and many soldiers in the Place. A man was dragging
a white thing, from which hung something black, along the
pavement. This man halted at the foot of the gallows.

Here something took place which Quasimodo could not see
very clearly. It was not because his only eye had not
preserved its long range, but there was a group of soldiers
which prevented his seeing everything. Moreover, at that moment
the sun appeared, and such a flood of light overflowed the
horizon that one would have said that all the points in Paris,
spires, chimneys, gables, had simultaneously taken fire.

Meanwhile, the man began to mount the ladder. Then Quasimodo
saw him again distinctly. He was carrying a woman on his shoulder,
a young girl dressed in white; that young girl had a noose about
her neck. Quasimodo recognized her.

It was she.

The man reached the top of the ladder. There he arranged
the noose. Here the priest, in order to see the better, knelt
upon the balustrade.

All at once the man kicked away the ladder abruptly, and
Quasimodo, who had not breathed for several moments, beheld
the unhappy child dangling at the end of the rope two fathoms
above the pavement, with the man squatting on her shoulders.
The rope made several gyrations on itself, and Quasimodo
beheld horrible convulsions run along the gypsy's body. The
priest, on his side, with outstretched neck and eyes starting
from his head, contemplated this horrible group of the man
and the young girl,--the spider and the fly.

At the moment when it was most horrible, the laugh of a
demon, a laugh which one can only give vent to when one is
no longer human, burst forth on the priest's livid face.

Quasimodo did not hear that laugh, but he saw it.

The bellringer retreated several paces behind the archdeacon,
and suddenly hurling himself upon him with fury, with his huge
hands he pushed him by the back over into the abyss over which
Dom Claude was leaning.

The priest shrieked: "Damnation!" and fell.

The spout, above which he had stood, arrested him in his
fall. He clung to it with desperate hands, and, at the moment
when he opened his mouth to utter a second cry, he beheld
the formidable and avenging face of Quasimodo thrust over
the edge of the balustrade above his head.

Then he was silent.

The abyss was there below him. A fall of more than two hundred
feet and the pavement.

In this terrible situation, the archdeacon said not a word,
uttered not a groan. He merely writhed upon the spout,
with incredible efforts to climb up again; but his hands had
no hold on the granite, his feet slid along the blackened wall
without catching fast. People who have ascended the towers
of Notre-Dame know that there is a swell of the stone immediately
beneath the balustrade. It was on this retreating angle that
miserable archdeacon exhausted himself. He had not to deal with
a perpendicular wall, but with one which sloped away beneath him.

Quasimodo had but to stretch out his hand in order to draw
him from the gulf; but he did not even look at him. He was
looking at the Grève. He was looking at the gallows. He
was looking at the gypsy.

The deaf man was leaning, with his elbows on the balustrade,
at the spot where the archdeacon had been a moment before,
and there, never detaching his gaze from the only object which
existed for him in the world at that moment, he remained
motionless and mute, like a man struck by lightning, and a
long stream of tears flowed in silence from that eye which,
up to that time, had never shed but one tear.

Meanwhile, the archdeacon was panting. His bald brow
was dripping with perspiration, his nails were bleeding
against the stones, his knees were flayed by the wall.

He heard his cassock, which was caught on the spout, crack
and rip at every jerk that he gave it. To complete his
misfortune, this spout ended in a leaden pipe which bent under
the weight of his body. The archdeacon felt this pipe slowly

giving way. The miserable man said to himself that, when
his hands should be worn out with fatigue, when his cassock
should tear asunder, when the lead should give way, he would
be obliged to fall, and terror seized upon his very vitals.
Now and then he glanced wildly at a sort of narrow shelf formed,
ten feet lower down, by projections of the sculpture, and he
prayed heaven, from the depths of his distressed soul, that he
might be allowed to finish his life, were it to last two centuries,
on that space two feet square. Once, he glanced below him into
the Place, into the abyss; the head which he raised again had
its eyes closed and its hair standing erect.

There was something frightful in the silence of these two
men. While the archdeacon agonized in this terrible fashion
a few feet below him, Quasimodo wept and gazed at the Grève.

The archdeacon, seeing that all his exertions served only to
weaken the fragile support which remained to him, decided
to remain quiet. There he hung, embracing the gutter, hardly
breathing, no longer stirring, making no longer any other
movements than that mechanical convulsion of the stomach,
which one experiences in dreams when one fancies himself
falling. His fixed eyes were wide open with a stare. He
lost ground little by little, nevertheless, his fingers slipped
along the spout; he became more and more conscious of the
feebleness of his arms and the weight of his body. The curve
of the lead which sustained him inclined more and more each
instant towards the abyss.

He beheld below him, a frightful thing, the roof of Saint-
Jean le Rond, as small as a card folded in two. He gazed at
the impressive carvings, one by one, of the tower, suspended
like himself over the precipice, but without terror for
themselves or pity for him. All was stone around him; before
his eyes, gaping monsters; below, quite at the bottom, in the
Place, the pavement; above his head, Quasimodo weeping.

In the Parvis there were several groups of curious good
people, who were tranquilly seeking to divine who the madman
could be who was amusing himself in so strange a manner.
The priest heard them saying, for their voices reached
him, clear and shrill: "Why, he will break his neck!"

Quasimodo wept.

At last the archdeacon, foaming with rage and despair,
understood that all was in vain. Nevertheless, he collected
all the strength which remained to him for a final effort. He
stiffened himself upon the spout, pushed against the wall with
both his knees, clung to a crevice in the stones with his hands,
and succeeded in climbing back with one foot, perhaps; but
this effort made the leaden beak on which he rested bend
abruptly. His cassock burst open at the same time. Then,
feeling everything give way beneath him, with nothing but
his stiffened and failing hands to support him, the
unfortunate man closed his eyes and let go of the spout.
He fell.

Quasimodo watched him fall.

A fall from such a height is seldom perpendicular. The
archdeacon, launched into space, fell at first head foremost,
with outspread hands; then he whirled over and over many
times; the wind blew him upon the roof of a house, where
the unfortunate man began to break up. Nevertheless, he was
not dead when he reached there. The bellringer saw him still
endeavor to cling to a gable with his nails; but the surface
sloped too much, and he had no more strength. He slid rapidly
along the roof like a loosened tile, and dashed upon the
pavement. There he no longer moved.

Then Quasimodo raised his eyes to the gypsy, whose body
he beheld hanging from the gibbet, quivering far away beneath
her white robe with the last shudderings of anguish, then he
dropped them on the archdeacon, stretched out at the base of
the tower, and no longer retaining the human form, and he
said, with a sob which heaved his deep chest,--
"Oh! all that I have ever loved!"

Phoebus de Châteaupers also came to a tragic end. He married.

This is the last chapter of the book. Very touching ending.

CHAPTER IV.

THE MARRIAGE OF QUASIMODO.

We have just said that Quasimodo disappeared from Notre-
Dame on the day of the gypsy's and of the archdeacon's death.
He was not seen again, in fact; no one knew what had become
of him.

During the night which followed the execution of la
Esmeralda, the night men had detached her body from the
gibbet, and had carried it, according to custom, to the
cellar of Montfauçon.

Montfauçon was, as Sauval says, "the most ancient and the
most superb gibbet in the kingdom." Between the faubourgs
of the Temple and Saint Martin, about a hundred and sixty
toises from the walls of Paris, a few bow shots from La
Courtille, there was to be seen on the crest of a gentle,
almost imperceptible eminence, but sufficiently elevated to
be seen for several leagues round about, an edifice of strange
form, bearing considerable resemblance to a Celtic cromlech, and
where also human sacrifices were offered.

Let the reader picture to himself, crowning a limestone hillock,
an oblong mass of masonry fifteen feet in height, thirty wide,
forty long, with a gate, an external railing and a platform;
on this platform sixteen enormous pillars of rough hewn stone,
thirty feet in height, arranged in a colonnade round three of
the four sides of the mass which support them, bound together
at their summits by heavy beams, whence hung chains at intervals;
on all these chains, skeletons; in the vicinity, on the plain,
a stone cross and two gibbets of secondary importance, which
seemed to have sprung up as shoots around the central gallows;
above all this, in the sky, a perpetual flock of crows; that
was Montfauçon.

At the end of the fifteenth century, the formidable gibbet
which dated from 1328, was already very much dilapidated;
the beams were wormeaten, the chains rusted, the pillars
green with mould; the layers of hewn stone were all cracked
at their joints, and grass was growing on that platform which
no feet touched. The monument made a horrible profile
against the sky; especially at night when there was a little
moonlight on those white skulls, or when the breeze of evening
brushed the chains and the skeletons, and swayed all these
in the darkness. The presence of this gibbet sufficed to
render gloomy all the surrounding places.

The mass of masonry which served as foundation to the
odious edifice was hollow. A huge cellar had been
constructed there, closed by an old iron grating, which
was out of order, into which were cast not only the human
remains, which were taken from the chains of Montfauçon, but
also the bodies of all the unfortunates executed on the other
permanent gibbets of Paris. To that deep charnel-house, where
so many human remains and so many crimes have rotted in company,
many great ones of this world, many innocent people, have
contributed their bones, from Enguerrand de Marigni, the first
victim, and a just man, to Admiral de Coligni, who was its last,
and who was also a just man.

As for the mysterious disappearance of Quasimodo, this is all
that we have been able to discover.

About eighteen months or two years after the events which
terminate this story, when search was made in that cavern for
the body of Olivier le Daim, who had been hanged two days
previously, and to whom Charles VIII. had granted the favor
of being buried in Saint Laurent, in better company, they
found among all those hideous carcasses two skeletons, one
of which held the other in its embrace. One of these skeletons,
which was that of a woman, still had a few strips of a
garment which had once been white, and around her neck was
to be seen a string of adrézarach beads with a little silk bag
ornamented with green glass, which was open and empty.
These objects were of so little value that the executioner had
probably not cared for them. The other, which held this one
in a close embrace, was the skeleton of a man. It was noticed
that his spinal column was crooked, his head seated on his
shoulder blades, and that one leg was shorter than the other.
Moreover, there was no fracture of the vertebrae at the nape
of the neck, and it was evident that he had not been hanged.
Hence, the man to whom it had belonged had come thither
and had died there. When they tried to detach the skeleton
which he held in his embrace, he fell to dust.

Nostalgia...

2006-06-03T20:19:00.000+08:00

I've just returned from the land of tea, scones, and RBS... Cameron Highlands, because of a family vacation. The vacation sucked, but the trip allowed me to re-visit some of the places where I spent the best 3-4 weeks of my desperate life...

The trip took me back to places such as Yong Teng cafe, with its fantastic pancakes and burgers,( they still recognized me, lol) Excellent Food Centre ( where almost my whole family had Mixed Grill) , T- Cafe ( for scones, lasagne and milkshake, coz they ran out of yoghurt, so no lassi :( ... ) among other places, like the padang where we go for games, with its burger stall... and some of the places where we went in search of our Treasure Hunt clues... Too bad I couldn't visit HCC, but I will be going there at the end of the year so never mind...

For my RBS friends, I am still trying to free myself for COPA IBA but there is still a possibility I might not make it. So till we meet again, have fun with your own lives...

The Torture Ceases... For The Moment

2006-05-25T18:46:00.000+08:00

Sorry for such a morbid and depressing title, especially after a long pause between posts, but this is how I feel now... Form Six is already taking its toll on me, and this is only week two. Not that it is entirely their fault that I am suffering, but mea culpa (my fault). Did so "well" for SPM that I got the dreaded Science class. My transfer to the arts stream is still pending, and there is a possibility it might be rejected. Dumb. And I am struggling not to seem rude to the science teachers by doing my economics stuff or business stuff during their classes, so I am studying 8 subjects instead of five, including MUET...

Anyway, the holidays shall begin, and I hope that by then the application is approved, or I will have a hard time catching up. Kyrie Eleison!!!

RBS Starts Today..

2006-03-16T09:28:00.000+08:00

To all friends and relatives, I will be at HCC in Tanah Rata, Camerons for the next month.. Haahahaha... So happy.....

Near Death Experiences

2006-03-12T23:03:00.000+08:00

Add some friends who watched "Final Destination" and another morbid fellow and divide it with a treacherous waterfall and multiply with the danger of being sucked by the current of a river and what do you get? I dunno, but my answer will be a near death experience. Nah.. Just a bunch of crap. Anyway, I almost died today but was "lucky" enough to escape it, only to remember that SPM results come out tomorrow. Out of the frying pan into the fire, eh? (Or is it the other way around in my case?)

Well, This is the deciding point. *sigh*

Darn Malwares...

2006-03-11T22:59:00.000+08:00

Just recovered from "computer flu", as I term it. It seems that my PC just got infected by this Look2Me malware. Took me days to find a cure.

Results coming out soon. 2 more days of bliss before the being hit by a storm of forms, applications and the like. haihz.. just enjoying the calm... for the moment.

Sigh... another awful awful day.

2006-03-04T19:39:00.000+08:00

I shouldn't use the word awful, which means "full of awe", because of the situation, but what the heck, i mean, you all get what I mean..

Well, I broke my glasses again. ( hear shattering sound) and there goes my dreams of getting a brand new bicycle ( hear shattering again)..

Thank God I was not wearing the glasses when they broke, or I might go blind or something.. Yeah, that's right. I put them in my pocket during a captain's ball game this evening. and after the captain's ball I thought I would like to play around with my skateboard a bit. And I took a great fall and my butt hurts because of that. But I didn't know that they were broken until I went home. The melancholy. The terrible tragedy. (sighs tragically)

Bicycles Rock!!

2006-03-04T12:15:00.000+08:00

Rode Vincent's bicycle yesterday after work.. was so fun... even though i have not rode a bicycle in years, can still ride one very well.. I am definitely going to buy a bicycle after i come back from RBS.. no matter I get my own car or not...

Work work work.......

2006-03-02T23:09:00.000+08:00

2nd day at work today.. feel so so so tired coz working full day now instead of half day.. but it is fun though, getting to work with vincent in a place I am familiar in.. haha. Got to drive everyday to work too.. Going to cook next Wednesday for them too...

Results will be out very soon, 13th March I heard. Dunno how I'll do. Hope for the best, expect the worst? Hope i can get into form 6 though..

Then shall RBS come. Hectic month, yea? Just hope got enough energy to keep going..

Rewatching the whole Lord of the Rings again (for the hundredth and eleventh time, but this time with all of the extra stuff in the DVD too)

hehe.. crap.