Passed SOA P/1 Exam!!

Yay! I finally passed my first ever SOA (Society of Actuaries) professional paper!! Of course, it is not one grand achievement... it's just the first of a series of paper which we (actuaries wannabes) need to sit for in order to achieve our professional actuary status.... nothing to shout about really...

I'm not trying to brag about myself here but then just some experience... (you can visit as08.freeforums.org to see how the previous batch of candidates fare...) from yours truly...

Just know your prob 1 and 2 well (as well as the last few chapters in the P manual, even though for myself there's no question from Chapter 9 and 10 of that manual) and try to have your mind clear before the exam, relax yourself, don't get panic... then you should be ok. Of course, you need to have ample preparation before the exam, and a bit of luck will help too (I heard my friends got some tough questions....)

I burnt midnight oil for the exam so I'm not the one you look for for any studying advice...=p

Anyway if you are planning to take the exam in future, good luck and all the best!

New Semester

I have finished my Business Law assignment... phew! Now suddenly have an urge to update my blog after such a long time... hopefully it will be interesting=)

Yeap, new semester it is right now. In fact it has been 4 weeks into the new semester. Man it is so hectic. Probably it is because I am taking at the same time the SOA P/1 exam in a few weeks time =0 and I am not really prepared at all at this time!!

Been spending quite a lot of time in my room at my apartment at Setapak... Daily itenery would be waking up, go to lectures/tutorials... come back, eat, drink, study, sleep.... wait! Have been hooked on this Hong Kong Cantonese drama "Born Rich" (fu gui men)... 45 minutes in front of the monitor (without break!) I didn't want this to be the case (ngo hm siong der)... but looks like I am really hooked... 41 episodes leh!!My results took a nose dive last semester. Have been changing the way I do things.. hopefully things change for the better=)

Results

Results are out (long time ago...). Sad T.T

Then again I can only took the blame. I actually expected it... given how I prepared for this final this time around....

Now I am hearing news that if we are to get First Class Honours for our Bachelor Degree then our PTPTN loan would be converted to a scholarship starting next year...

My first reaction was... oh dear... (not even a slight sense of hope or happiness at the beginning... just a feeling full of regretness...)

After calculation... I can only achieve this if I were to get into the President's List for all next semesters... (that is, getting GPAs of around 3.8 3.9...)

Walaoe....

No hope d lor.... T.T

Finals Over

This post should have been earlier but anyway... here it is now...

Finals are OVER!!

What I learnt from this finals? (or this sem...) Well, probably I will leave it until the results are out...

Prob and Stat II

I don't know if the questions are tough or not... I just know that there are many questions on the Prob and Stat II which I overlooked... reason?

(BTW... this one's for those who sat P&S2 this morning...)

The answer was just too long! For the first part of Question 5, the answer which Dr. Toh gave was like a full page of an A4 foolscap paper! I was thinking... Would not come out gua....

And of course, it DID come out... with the wording of the question EXACTLY the same as the one given for tutorial...

(Reminded me of Discrete Mathematics and Application which I took during Year 1 Semester 1... same question for test and finals.... 10 full marks...)

Then again during the last half an hour I was flipping through the question booklet over and over and over again... So unlucky that for each question there is roughly the same amount of things which I could not get the answer to! And yeap, I DID panicked.

No point crying over spilt milk. Need to get over it and start studying for my next subject...

Oh, btw... this time's finals have been terrible so far... but then I don't want to talk about it yet...

Finals

Hey there... It's been so long since I have updated something.... Mainly because I am in the middle of having my finals right now, which will end on 23th September.

And exam = nothing but study study and study... =( That's not really good. And I am not really sure if having housemates whom are not so tensed up as me really helps... Hmmm.... Everytime I leave my room/relax with them I feel relaxed... but after a while I start to worry about it...

Ok... just ten more days...That's not too bad gua...

7 objective questions, 20% of entire grade

This is the first time in my entire twenty-something years of existence in this planet called Earth that I encounter a situation whereby the fate of whether or not I can improve the grade of one of my subjects by FOUR GRADES* comes down to a quiz which consists of 7 multiple-choice questions.

*depends on current grade

Those who are taking TOI this sem knows what am I talking about.

This is a bit too much.

Looking back at Week 12

Week 12 passed. Actually I thought it would be so horrifying 'cuz there's

1. Theory of Interest test on Monday
2. Microeconomics I assignment to be passed up on Tuesday
3. Probability and Statistics II test on Wednesday
4. Oral Communication and Interpersonal Skills presentation on Friday

which have been scheduled for the week.

It turned out...

BADLY in almost all of them.=(

But then again my mind was concentrating on one thing at a time (for example, started studying for Prob and Stat II test only after finishing my assignment....)

Anyway... I don't want to bore my readers with a lot more academic stuff so hopefully I would be able to write something more interesting now that quite a lot of burden have been lift off me....

Oh Dear...

I thought the problem with me was my verbal communication (and I think I have been constantly working on it, since... the day I was born?=) I didn't know that some things that I do that can also be... offensive to others?

I am sorry if I offended anyone with what I said/did (regardless when was it). It was purely unintentional. =(

Moved to Setapak
New places, new life
New beginning, new start

So many things happened
Some good some bad
Some memorable ones some not

Rode bike to yam cha
Big dinners at Dong Jing
Throwing cakes at midnight

Met new people
Became friends with those closest
Others just acquaintances

Tried new things
Played pool went drunk
Sleep late skip classes

Day night hunt food
Tried new places found few good ones
Found good ones got tired of it soon

Classes some from 8 some till 7
Skipped boring classes
Skipped classes with excellent lecturers too

Five more weeks to go
Four more semesters after this
A future lying ahead before me...

Go enjoy life!=)

It was Wednesday morning, when my mom texted a message to me, which goes something like this...

"Grandpa's seriously ill, if you are able to it's best that you come and visit him..."

Of course I immediately phoned to ask what really happened... but it wasn't until in the afternoon when I decided to skip classes altogether (Calculus tutorial and Microeconomics lecture) and took the LRT down to PJ where my mom picked me up. After dinner, our family went to the hospital... but somehow my maternal grandfather was under doctor's care...

In other words, I wasn't able to see my grandfather even though I have travelled so 'far'... hmm...

Well, FYI, my grandfather is in his 80s now, and from the relatives at the hospital in Cheras, they told us that there is water in his lungs, and he could get some kind of illness if this is not cured... Water in his lungs as a result of things such as salivas running down into his lungs when he is sleeping...

Went back to Setapak that night, but I was able to visit him again on Sunday this time at HUKM (he got transferred there...) He was so not like the last time we met him a few weeks ago... he was so weak.... could hardly utter a word... us the family members surrounding him... But then we all know he is strong and he is going to get through this with the help of his family members (including me...=)

Well, wasn't trying to tell a story initially but then the message is clear... treasure your life now or you will regret later...

Watching Transformers for Free??!!

For those of you who attended the U6F gathering at MV two weeks back then you will know what I am talking about... For those who do not, do not get too excited about the title of this post...

Yeap, there's the other 'price' to pay as a result of not paying a single sen for watching the 'blockbuster movie of the year' (as they would call it...) what else but getting a refund after a 'just-make-you-wanna-throw-your-tantrum-right-away' moment at the 'right' time (the climax, that is...)

Here's the low-down:

One activity during our gathering was watching Transformers 2: The Revenger of the Fallen movie (or shall I say, the main and only activity...). Had lunch before that at Burger King. By the way, the queue was so long... by around twelve noon all the seats for all the timeslots on that day (Saturday) right until the early morning of the next day has been fully booked!

Ok.. not surprising at all...

For the synopsis... go checkout yourself... don't want to spoil the mood of those who have not seen it yet (what keeps you from watching it until now wor?=)

The thing is that at the climax (I am 150% sure it was the climax!!) at the desert scene... suddenly the scene started to pause and continue and skip... paused and skipped!!! The sound system also... paused, skipped and then continued.... paused, skipped and then continued...I don't know what the **** is going on on the screen in front of me!! Everyone started screaming and yelling and cursing... Gosh, if I have the vulgarity ability I would have yelled them loud at the top of my lungs too!! I heard someone wanted to cry also... just imagine how the emotions of these avid Transformers movie-goers felt when they are 'treated' with this kind of 'service'!!

Ok, a bit too much over there.... -.-"

You can check this out with my fellow classmates on what happened that day... what a shame for the cinema... I don't think the 100% refund given to us (wait, they didn't even offer... we need to go to the counter to ask!!) did us any justice at all... but then we could understand if they are running on a tight schedule... what to do?

At the end of the movie when the credits were rolling they didn't even on the lights, and no people were waiting at the exits... hmm... I was telling my friends: are they keeping us in here by giving us another round of free Transformers 2 movie? Haha...

Anyway, I still think the first Transformers movie is better.. I don't know... maybe it's what they call it 'sequel syndrom' or something....

Fire Drill

Wow... fire drill today... I don't think there's a single one during my one whole year studying at PD Block in PJ.

Some photos... I also don't know why I post this here... I was thinking: fire drill only ma...=)

My New Studying Technique

Since I fared so badly for my last sem, it's time to reassess my studying method/technique...

** No more will I waste too much time on my tutorials

Wanted to actually put "no more doing tutorials..." but I suspect this might actually land me in hot soup... =S

I will still finish my tutorials on time, just that it will be last minute... that means, I would have completed my tutorials without understanding it... but will spend time studying it after the tutorial myself...

I still think giving answers to us before we start doing the tutorials is more effective for us to learn/study compared to giving the answers later. That means it's better than, for example, letting the students copy the answers during tutorial group without much time for us to reassess our work during that brief one hour.

Here's one interesting point which I want to point out to support my point: Out of the five subject last sem, the three subjects with the highest grades are Probability and Statistics 1, BA 2, and Linear Algebra... And all I did for those subjects was to study other people's answer... =)

Gave it a try starting this sem, and it kinda worked (with Calculus that is... since it was the first subject with a quiz i.e. this week...) Will grasp the studying formula quickly... and apply it to other subjects as well...

I Really Need to Settle Down!!

Week 4 already lo... still not yet settled down le... settle down as in fully in the studying mood...

Monday morning I took the LRT to Wangsa Maju, and then took the taxi to PV10... Nope, no one was awake when I walked in... I happened to woke my housemate up just to ask him to open the main gate for me... because I don't have my key with me... (and I thought they really have woke up much earlier...)

By the time I put my things back to place, washed my bedsheets and clothes, took the dry clothes in and fold them nicely, took the washed clothes out, swept my floor, ate my lunch, washed the dishes... tidy here and there.... That's it! One half day gone!!

What la... that's almost what's happening for many days already... time which can be spent on studying (My 'studying rate' also somehow slower... is it only me or everyone's the same?)

Dunno la...

Unwell =(

I'm not crazy I'm just a little unwell...

No need to panic, no need to be worry about me... just that I have been having itchy throat and phlegm for a few days now... Yeap, went to a doctor at Prima Setapak yesterday... was given some medications... now feeling better.=)

I'm Just Not That Into the Mood Yet

It's already week 2. Tutorial classes for a few subjects have already started this week. Looks like everything is going to be in full swing in just a few days time (next week)... And yet I still have not really settled yet... not yet into the mood yet. I am pretty sure that it's not because of still having the holiday mood... I think it's just that I have not really fully settled down living in my new place, attending classes in a new place and so on...

Then as the 'group leader' (I won't be one when tutorial classes begin...) I am supposed to give out the notes to those under me and collect money... good thing I am not responsible for photostating them... It can be very troublesome when most of us are not taking the same subject combinations...

Believe it or not, I have not started studying at all, do any tutorial... yeap! Am going to try to kick start the habit this weekend... Hopefully since I am staying back at Setapak this weekend, this will help to make me concentrate on my studies... for the first time after such a long time!!

Two weeks have passed by... two weeks living outside from home with friends... even though they have been staying up all night... I have been able to close my eyes and doze off to sleep early. Early as in just after midnight. =) Yeah, I know. If my parents know that my definition of early is 12 midnight they will scold me gao-gao!! Once they found out I slept late, they would give me a lecture while in the car to campus, from Sunway all the way to PJ!!

Okay, so far I have been taking in one day at a time without much pressure. But I know I have to start my routine cuz if not I will not be able to concentrate on my studies. For the last two sems I made a mistake for not putting myself in the study mood early when the semester begins... mostly because of things that I need to do... Now, there's just not much pressure... even though I know I got tons of things waiting for me to make up for!!

My first week at Setapak

So, as all of you know by now, I am currently staying at PV10, which is a condominium off Jalan Genting Klang in Setapak, KL. Am living in a single room, with my housemates whom are all my Actuarial Science classmates...

First let me talk about my accommodation here at PV10. It was okay la... Most of the AS students also chose to stay here... but the thing is that the food here is a very big problem... only got one mamak and one chinese stall leh... I really cannot imagine myself eating here for the next two years! Luckily one of us most probably will have transport from next year onwards... looking forward to that!=)

First week... yet still have not went to the swimming pool... wanted to go there on Wednesday... pool CLOSED!

Next is classes in Uni... Since we have done away with the fixed tutorial groups thingy... I scared things will get a little bit messy. Of course the first (bad) thing which I found out here is that there is no photostating machine/service provided! Why last time got now don't have one? I know last time got vendor... why can't the university look for one and replace this instead of just leaving it like that? The students have the right to access to facilities such as photostating machines, and not put all the weight to one course rep.... I really pity him, but I don't know how to help since I don't have transport and there's no photostating services near my place... I was so hoping that there are facilities here in Setapak after the hell I have been through at PJ... Urgh...

Today is Friday... going back to Sunway straight after our last lecture finishes at 4pm.

Bought quite a lot of things this last two weeks... wah... $$$ all gone like that... My parents did warn me that my expenditure will be very very high if I were to stay at Setapak, compared with travelling all the way to and fro from Sunway... It's either time or money... can't have both=) I chose time, and I shall not regret it...

I am still HERE!!

Hey everyone=)

After such short yet fast-going weeks have passed by, it's now time for me to start my whole new semester (and life... seriously!) in Setapak, Kuala Lumpur. It's now just about half an hour before my very first lecture of the semester -- Theory of Interest!

Wanted to just sit down and type out about what happened to me during the past few weeks, but I guess I just don't have the time! In a blink of an eye, it's time to 'worry' about what's happening next! (Correction: no worries, I want to just study hard, play hard this semester!!)

Oh for those who still don't know, my semester results last semester...

Urgh!!

Ask me personally if you really want to know what did I get for last semester. All in all, the message that those results are giving me is quite clear.... study SMART!!

Wait, wait... let's talk about what's to come..=)

My aim for this semester? 3.6. Yeap, that's enough to make the Dean's List. I have been 'taught' to sleep late by my classmates last semester... go to McD to study for a 10-mark test.... until 1 in the morning! Hope that's not going to happen again! No last minute thingy...

I really hope that I can organize my time much better this sem, even though by the look at my classes, that's quite hard to achieve, not impossible though.

It's going to be the first time that I am living alone... and when I say alone, I mean it... no more grandma cooking dinner for me... I took a lot of time settling myself during the first few weeks of the new semesters previously... This time I guess that will be a longer period of time.... I really hope that I can be in the study mood as soon as possible.... Guys (housemates), please help this 'kid' out....=)

So, a new life awaits me... As usual, I hope that everything will turn out... well, if not perfect. And I wish I could really enjoy my last two years of my university life... (Urgh... too dramatic aren't I??)

Finals: Business Accounting II.... Finals are Over!

Finals are OVERR!!!

Yeap, you heard me right. It's...

OVER!!

Woah! I had this feeling thoughout that this time's exam period is so much longer than the previous one in Year 1 Sem 1... Nevertheless I really liked it... it gave me so much time to prepare for each and every single one of the papers...

Business Accounting II was 'easy'. (I actually was trying to find a better word to describe it... so not to offend those other people...) I mean, come on... AGAIN, there are questions on the exam which was so damn similar to the ones in the tutorials... can we safely assume that this is going to be the case for all the accounting-related papers for the semesters to come?

One paper down... that means left with... NONE!! That was it! Year One Semester Two is over. In less than three weeks a semester awaits us all, in a totally different environment.... Setapak, Kuala Lumpur. I actually can't wait for my new semester to begin in Setapak... I know for sure that for all of us, it will be so different from the way we lived in PJ.

Tuesday went for Paintball session with my classmates and some from T5... (All together twelve of us)... at TT Sports in Subang Jaya. Yeah, RM60 was quite expensive... But what the heck... I had a heck of a good time there... with these friends we got to know...

I actually was disappointed by the way I played that day actually...

I know almost all of us have not played paintball before but I sucked big time compared to the others... Maybe it has something to do with me not wanting to hurt myself... (Yeah, I think I was one of those people who didn't really got badly hurt... YA-Lah... I got scars also ok?! Wanna see??)

I enjoyed it very much. Thanks, you all!!

Will post on my plans and what happened during my semester break later...=)

Finals: Probability and Statistics I

Prob and Stats was quite easy la.. Only after sitting this exam did I come to wonder why now the papers always require us to choose questions to answer. Is it much easier and better for us to do all those as compulsory questions? Or is it better otherwise?

Don't know la.

At least this one I have confident of getting much better grades than the other subjects.... hehe...

Had consultation with Ms Lim my accounts tutor. Quite hard to concentrate... cuz after exam ma... =)

Finals: Fundamentals of Linear Algebra

Those past-year papers preparation did really helped.... helped to tell me that it is just not enough to study enough for the exam... it is vital too for me to have a clear brain for the paper. Paper was at morning. Arrived early to prepare myself... for don't know what... cuz can't really study can only revise and look through...

Aiya... let's just go straight to the point. Of course not good news...

That 11 marks were supposed to be mine la... MINE!!!!

It took me the last few MOMENTS to figure out how to do the questions... If they had given me two minutes I could have got 11 marks more... (wah, that's exaggerating a bit...) Ya what! The proving question is such that you know or you don't know. 11 marks or NONE!!

Couldn't complete the whole thing on time... I think there are witnesses... I actually continued writing after the time was up... on the question paper la of course...

What did I learn from this? Cuz I still had a few questions with three to four marks... but I have a 11 mark question which I definitely know how to do but unluckily got stuck in the middle... I wanted to continue trying for the 11 mark question but no matter how I still got stuck...

Back to the question. What did I learn?

Some days are meant to be unlucky.

^^''

Finals: Critical Reading and Thinking

Walaoe... next time for afternoon papers I will not come early to school and study already... by the time I sat for the exam my brain has already tired out already... really!!

'Cuz I thought coming to school early will enable me to study things and remember much better... instead of burning the midnight oil the night before... So as you might have guessed it... I studied too much (I guess) and as a consequence, the moment I looked at the questions the first thing I remember I did was:

YAWN.... *O*

Next time know la... if morning paper remember to sleep early.. but if afternoon I don't care what time I sleep and what time I wake up... as long as I am not late for the exam!!!

Btw... it is okay, but then because of terrible time management, I only started doing the 40-mark essay 45 minutes before time's up. Not really good that is.

Intermediate Calculus: TERRIBLE

Had my first exam paper for this semester this morning. How was it? Terrible.

The last two questions was easy. Immediately went to do the two questions upon finishing browsing through the entire question paper. Skipped a few parts for the last question... I thought to myself: OK, maybe I can have some time after that, then I will continue doing that question.

Then went to do Question 1. The volume and the surface part was ok. Didn't do the first part, also due to time constraint. Want to thank KY for calling me up the day before to ask me that question. I ended up didn't answer his question, 'coz I don't know also. So, after that I went to try the question and found out the method of answering the question. I think around that time KY smsed to me saying he got it already also. Ta-da! Lucky me!!

I couldn't finish Question 4 also. Stuck!! I was panicking actually at that moment wondering whether to continue with that question or change to question 2. Why the examiner has to consider the WORST 4 instead of the best 4 questions when it comes to calculating the marks??

Forcast result? I should be so SO THANKFUL if I were to pass this subject. Really!!

Year 2 Sem 1 Timetable

So, the timetable has been out there for almost one week already... and guess what? I didn't even went to have a look at it!!

Wait, I did. I actually woke up early on Friday morning before 8am, and I actually can already see some of my classmates online already (yeap, waiting to go into the system and book their places...=) 8am was the time to start register for classess. I wasn't on my computer at the time as I was preparing to go to campus... go back to campus because of two things: One was to study of course, but the more important thing: CHOOSE OUR TIMETABLE!!!

I thought we have already decided that morning we come early to campus and sit down and together choose our times. But at the end, no one turned up!! I desperately called everyone, not because I could not log in, but I just don't know what are their plans... I start to think that all things could be easier if we just sit down after our calculus thing on Thursday and plan over it...

Only when we found out that the classes we want are all booked do I hear some people write on MSN... "Ha?? Thursday one class only ah? Why other people can have all Thursday clear??"

^^''

That's it... 14 weeks have passed by just like that!!!

Today there isn't any classes going on. With that, the teaching weeks for this semester has finally came to an end. Next up is the study week, and then the finals!! =S

To summarize this last whole week... it was just all revision lectures. For the first time also, I have 'managed' to skip Business Accounting II... At first I didn't want to since it was the last lecture for the subject... I mean, you can skip other lectures.... but why on earth out of so many lectures, one would want to skip THE LAST LECTURE of them all?

Instead of attending BA2, we had lunch in Shah Alam at this roasted pork restaurant. Not bad the food.

That's the only outing which I attended this week... I freaked out when Dr. Leong was discussing the past-year questions during lecture on Tuesday... HA??!! Questions like that also can come out ah? DIE LO!!! How to do???!!

Ok... ok... no more wasting time.. (Look at Thursday when you guys spent like... half an hour chit chatting outside when classes have ended...) no more.... need to study...

My target? 3.60 GPA. That means getting on to the Dean's List... Wow... Let's all go for it!!

Week 13 at a Glance

Attended the first Welcoming Concert Committee meeting on Monday. Well, except Shi Wei, Jie Yan, Guan Han... all of the other people who were there were unfamiliar faces, not to mention that I do not know them. But I have expected this from the beginning when I accepted this responsibility as the secretary... I have already preparing myself that I need to work with people whom I do not know before... to get things done...

Talking about accepting responsibility...

I was at Bentong, Pahang to pay respects to my ancestors (Qing Ming) last Saturday. We were waiting to be served lunch when Guan Han called me on my cellphone and asked if I want to be in the committee... Well, after a few questions about my post and a moment of deliberation myself I decided to take it up... also after I knew who will be helping me out in my duties (I heard Shi Wei and Jie Yan both from T6, are also in the committee...)

Ok, back to the meeting. It ran smoothly. I just had to check with Guan Han during the meeting in front of everyone about the proposal things... 'cause I was still very blur. After a few days I received the sample of it in my email.... WALAO!! So long ah!! But if my understanding is correct, then all I need to do is to compile their stuffs and submit them to the DSA... or something like that la...

******

Had our Prob and Stat I lab session on Tuesday. All of a sudden the memories of us having our programming practical every Friday came to mind... except that this time, everyone was like so relaxed and things like that... I was having this feeling that we are having a computer game class or something like that....haha...

There's this stupid thing about the assignment... Weeks ago the lecturer gave us the website address and asked us to download the programme from this website. Since there was still so much time we/I thought we will wait for a while first before doing anything. It turned out that none of us actually was able to download it (not that I know of)... and it ended up that (almost) everyone was planning to finish their assignment in the campus' computer lab.

So, have I done MY assignment yet? Nope, as of Friday evening... and probably won't be so soon either as everyone seem to be planning to do it only on Monday... I wasn't really happy with it at first because it seems last minute to me... But we were able to do things together complete and effectively even though it was all last minute, weren't they? The accounts assignment, the calculus assignment...

******

Wednesday stayed back with the gang for group study at SS2 McD. I know you guys would love to study until late till the wee hours of early morning... but I just cannot tahan neh!! Sorry if I 'forced' you guys to go back early... =) Thursday I had my Toastmasters meeting so I didn't join them all... and guess when I heard that they went back? Around 2am!!

******

Friday was the Linear Algebra quiz/test. It was ok, even though I pretty sure I screwed up the last question about orthogonal component... or something like that... Went to PC Fair also... during my way back alone from KLCC met my CHS classmate whom we have not met for a very long time... Yuan Cui! Wah, her 'story' about taking the LRT every day for like 1 1/2 hours... I cannot accept it though... I guess the time spent was just too much...

Week 12 at a Glance

On Monday went to SS2 pasar malam with them all. Gosh, somehow they are tummyfull just after taking some portions of food bought in the night market. I need to ask them to wait for me as I went to call prawn mee at the famous food court near the pasar malam site. I guess I really need to change the eating habit of mine... I am still that kind of person who, my friends say, "will suffer if I do not miss my dinner..." I won't lie: I really need dinner if not I will not be able to sleep.

On Tuesday a lot went for the buffet somewhere in KL. Of course, I did not join them. At the end kinda felt guilty.... not as in not going for the buffet but just not go up and study upstairs... I just couldn't get what the BA2 lecturer was saying in to my head...

After class went to this sale/bazaar thing at Bangunan Harmodal which is near to our campus. Nothing much which I was able to buy... Not that I don't want to buy...

Wednesday was full of classes in campus but the thing was that I was still able to 'make myself busy' by deciding to go to McD Sect 14, David's house for a while, and then McD SS2... Until the early hours of the morning... Wah!! Cannot tahan... Don't get me wrong... it was not that I don't want to join you guys on the other table... it was that I cannot tahan staying up so late le...

Friday had our Probability and Statistics I Test 2. It was just alright. I hope that my first part of the first question was correct though... if not the whole question one will be wrong le... can't imagine how many marks I will be missing...

Week 11 at a Glance

Let's just go straight to Tuesday. It was my first time eating at this restaurant called Fireman at Jaya One. I was surprised actually why suddenly we will be going there to have our lunch (is more like enjoying... I didn't really eat my stomach till very full...) It's not like we have classes after this... We have never gone out for lunch using transport in between classes... at least for this sem from what I remember...

The food was quite good. Only on that day that I realized that actually there is this 'secret' place underneath the steamboat table thingy that we the customers are able to put our legs in... =)

No pictures unfortunately.

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

Friday was our Intermediate Calculus test/quiz. It was ok... I didn't get the last question though... a few marks must have lost from my hands...just like that...

Week 10 at a Glance

Wah.. this week really spent too much le..

Wednesday. Debate! Luckily it all worked out, even though for my part it was all too last minute. During the debate it was ok ba... I think so la... Immediately after that I didn't think about it... Not that it's not good... just that... there's so many things to worry about... for example the Linear Algebra mid-term...

Talking about that mid-term on Friday ah... SO DIFFERENT from the way it asked during the quiz... proof this la... proof that la... Even our tutorials don't have those kind of things... if not mistaken...

It was only on Thursday that I realize that there's this special promotion every 19th on each month at this restaurant 1901 (hence the date) where you can actually buy hot dogs for RM2 each!! Mmm... yummy! But we were forced to wait for about ONE HOUR!!! Well, by the number of workers there compared to the number of customers who came all the way just for the hot dogs (guess who =) it is not surprising it took so long. While a number of people who just can't wait went for lunch at Esquire, the rest of us just hung around...

Is it worth the wait? I think so... but if it was so long I could have just planned something to do beforehand...

Went to the UTAR Idol on Sunday. Of course didn't go there just to watch those people do this do that la... G-Han performing ma... Arrived I think 1 1/2 late... I saw the signboard...

"Sorry, tickets sold out... Please come again next year!" 0.0

Then I asked the two girls at the ticketing counter. They say they still got some tickets... (Phew...) so paid and just go on lo! Funny thing was that moments later when I came out to answer a call, there's nobody there already! Basically this means that anyone can just go in without paying!! Hmm.. food for thought.

G-Han didn't really win.. but he did put up a great show that night. Didn't caught any photos, neither did a few of his T6 supporters or KJye(so which means only 2 from T7...)

Week 9 at a Glance

No test, no quiz, no assessment, no whatever testing testing.... (for Pengajian Malaysia there is... but why bother? Nothing to do with me also... =) It was so long since I had a week where there is none of these things... why can't every week be like this ah?

Wednesday enjoyed myself watching some of my T7 classmates debating... it wasn't until at the end of the debate when I realized that next week will be our turn... scary =S

Oh, Friday I had a great time myself enjoying with the 'gang'... hope that our birthday boy KJ enjoyed himself too. Immediately after they all took their Pengajian Malaysia quiz/test/whatever... I followed them to Sunway Pyramid, to Red Box for Sing K session. Then dinner was at the Yuan Steamboat Restaurant... (Interesting to note that while the restaurant is so near to my place, I have only been there for one time only before this during my 5S6 reunion dinner in 2007. )

Haha... if I still can recall what happened while we were at Yuan:

G Han introduced to us this game, where the losers will need to clear the dishes on the table... (hey.. what a way to clear the table eh?)

Took photos photos and photos...

And the whole loud cheers cheers thing once every while... ^^"

Will upload photos soon.

Week 8 at a Glance

Accounting project and Calculus mid-term!!

That short introduction summed up what happened this week... The accounting project was to be passed up on Wednesday... but we managed to start and (almost) finished it up on Monday... that's 20-mark project finished in ONE DAY!! Talking about efficient...=)

Well, after classes on Monday (I didn't go for any classes on that day, I came after all classes were over for the day), we went to Y Loong's house to do our project. That's immediately after 2pm when the last lecture finished on that day... straight away went to pick up G Han and then headed to Y Loong's place.

Do... do... and do... Do our project... Of course finished it up just in time la!=)

First time ate in Sushi Station that night... ok lo... not bad. I didn't know that there's this thing as a restaurant serving sushi and provide steamboat as well... at an all-you-can-eat pricing. Hmm... imagine how creative entrepreneurs can be nowadays...=)

Wednesday was our Calculus mid-term... It was okay... I managed to 'somehow' finish it just in time... but I have some problems with the time allocated. It's not proportionate... Consider this: 1st test: 6%; 40 minutes. Mid term: 20%; 60 minutes! The rate was that in the first test, we can spend up to 7 minutes figuring out an answer to a one-mark question.... for the mid-term we are only allocated 3 minutes!! And they don't call it mid-term if the questions ain't harder!

I liked Thursday the most... I only have to attend a one-hour lecture and that's it! After the lecture we went to Prince Restaurant at SS2... then went to Mid Valley and watched Love Matters.

Well, not my cup of tea though...

I am actually surprised at how some people can actually withstand so many hours without food... I ended up eating more than I could imagine when I arrived at PJ that night...

Friday was the CRT lecture and the FLA replacement lecture... and that was it.

One week has passed so fast.

There's another week to look forward to...

Wait...

Stop.

I don't want to think about next week =S

Week 7 at a Glance

It's time for another recap of what happened for the past one week (did I hear someone saying: not again??!)

Funny as it may sounds: we are having three tests and one project to be passed up in within one week....

Friday was Prob and Stats Test 1, followed up with replacement lecture for Fundamentals of Linear Algebra. Actually I was one of the people who kinda agreed that the replacement be held after the test... just because the lecture is just time for us to copy the notes from what was screened on the white board... I know a lot of people disagreed with the time because they need to study for the Business Accounting 2 mid-term test the next day... But I just don't feel like studying straight away... especially after the way I fared for the Prob and Stats test. Anyway going through the lecture after the one-hour-and-ten-minutes test is ok for me, because usually for like me, I don't really fully understand what the heck is going on... and I just didn't bother to look at the notes which I have copied after that... promising myself to take a look at it after the Calculus mid-term on Wednesday.

Saturday was BA2. It was easy actually. I don't know... as in, I would really freak out if I didn't fare good in that. Immediately after the mid-term there's the replacement tutorial class for BA2... and just like the replacement lecture the day before, I really couldn't pay attention what was going on... because... the mid-term is over ma... why can't we rest a bit first??=)

After the class, we hanged around a bit before decided to go to Sungai Wang Plaza. It is actually very embarassing for people like me, who lives in the Klang Valley, but don't know where is the shopping centre... Can't blame me la... so far away from where I stay.. we don't usually go there... and furthermore I don't have proper transport...

Why Sungai Wang Plaza? Well, coz we want to sing K ma... at Green Box. (:0) (First time heard of Green Box... I know got Red Box... got Green Box also meh?)

Another week passed by... thus meaning? Calculus mid-term closer than never....=(

Our Half Day Trip to Setapak

People have been discussing about everything Setapak... life in Setapak... the new (better facilitated, I hope) UTAR buildings in Setapak... accomodation in Setapak... For those of you who have not known by now... my Actuarial Science batch will be continuing our studies in the Setapak campus (Kuala Lumpur campus, for university official use...) So, it is only right that we 'went up there' to look at ourselves our future 'home'...

WC drove us all in his car to Setapak right after the Business Accounting II lecture on Saturday. Well, not exactly straight to Setapak... we kinda detoured our way to David's house, and then we had our lunch at Sushi King at Section 16. By the time we started our journey it was almost 4pm... Adding the chaotic traffic jams in the streets of Kuala Lumpur (I think there should be a faster way to get to Setapak other than Jalan Tun Razak??) It took us ONE HOUR!Hmm...

Ok... better get straight into the topic...

We actually saw a few buildings... forgot the names... one of them I remember was PV10... ('coz one of my classmates have decided to stay there later...) Not bad... But didn't take any photos though =(

So far what we heard is that one unit there is about RM1200... for 7 people... But we are still considering other options...

(Come to think of it... this post is like nothing when there's no photos in, rite?)

Excited about going to Setapak... there's definitely better than PJ!!

Week 6 at a Glance

Wow, time flies and it is now week 6 already!

Notable events which happened this week included dinner at this restaurant in Millennium Square (no, not Millenium Court...) called Picadilly. Nine of us went there after our Accounting tutorial class, which finished at 5pm. But then we didn't really went there straight away after... we kinda go round and round and round... coz we weren't sure where to have our dinner=) I believe this is the first time I have entered a fancy restaurant (may I call it 'fancy'?) since a long time ago...

Oh, it's a very high class place I look at it. Millennium Square that is. But there weren't many restaurants that I saw... maybe I have not walked through the building properly...

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Friday was the 10% Fundamentals of Linear Algebra quiz. Truthfully told I think I did okay only. I wasn't sure about the last question... will update on it when I get the result.

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Oh, somehow I felt like I have been boggled down with a lot of things this week. Don't know why. There have been a lot of talks about accomodation in Setapak. No matter where you go, whether it is in the lecture hall, or tutorial room, or in the canteen or study room, there's a high chance that people are talking about this topic. Who is going to stay with who... where to stay... How much is this? How much is that? etc... etc... Well, a few of our class are going to Setapak to look at their potential accomodations this Saturday (today) after the Basic Accounting II Lecture... Will update on this too... I actually don't ask for a lot... juz that our place should be easily accessible, have all the necessary things nearby... that's ok with me.=)

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Meeting with UTAR Dean and Heads of Departments

On my last post I mentioned about a UTAR meeting which I almost didn't go for... coz I wanted to join the guys for lunch on that day, but somehow because I was busy packing back the projector and laptop to ICTC... so I thought... haih, just stay back la... then I saw Guan Han rushing into the meeting room... Only then did I realize that I was supposed to attend the meeting! Luckily..

Anyway, it was actually a meeting in which we can voice out our opinions to the party concerned... But the people there just told us to complain it using the BQAA (I couldn't remember what does it stand for...)... as in

"Oh, just voice it out using the BQAA form...."

"Log in into the BQAA..."

"Use BQAA to inform us about it..."

"I guarentee that we will reply you in one to two weeks' time..."

At that moment I actually thought that one week's time was too long...

Wanted to voice out about the printing services... Someone asked the question before me.. I guessed I kinda got the answer I wanted to know... i.e. UTAR is looking for a vendor right now.

But the thing is... is that I am pretty sure that the university only started looking at a new vendor company... last week!! I saw the huge mailbox for tenders for the services at the PA block this week only.. with the due date I think was last Wednesday!! Must have overlooked about this area... because only a handful are staying back here? Hmm... something to ponder about...

Aih.. UTAR... UTAR...

Oh ya!!!! Need to post about this one guy who was so... don't know how to describe... the way he voiced out to the UTAR staffs during the meeting...

"Is extra-curricular activities important?" he asked.

"Of course it is.."

"Then what happened to our Activity Day? With our timetable arranged as such how to do things? (he raised up and showed the timetable to the panel...)"

Walao.... must have really caught the panel by surprise...

Week 5 at a Glance

So, another week has passed, inching ourselves closer to the finals.... Wait! Guess now we are all drowned into a pond full of mid-terms, quizzes, tests, assignments, projects... Urgh! How frustrating!! Oh talking about frustrating... how come I have overlooked at a simple question which I have read through in the notes?! I couldn't solve that problem in the quiz this afternoon... It, together with a few silly mistakes must have cost me a lot of marks... (at least, a big percentage of the overall 6 marks).

Classes resumed on Tuesday after the holiday. Break time was spent doing Business Accounting questions (Wednesday: on mahjong paper...) (hmm.. fun!!) It turned out that from now on questions in each tutorial will be handled by each group which will present their mahjong papers with solutions written on it... And then next still need to explain it to the class! (I felt like I was in some kind of public speaking class, explaining why is it better for a company compared to sole propreitorship...=)

Missed a lot of 'class gatherings' this week.. hmm...

Oh, and to cap it all off on Friday(today) all class reps and course reps were to have a meeting with the deans and heads of departments after 12pm. Will blog about it soon.

My Thaipusam holidays

So, what did you guys do during the 'holidays'? (3 days ma... if count Friday then it would be 4 days...) Just barely one week after we had our week-long break, we are (at least for myself) drowned into the 'holiday season' again...

I went back to my home on Friday night (after watching Red Cliff 2 with the guys and girls).... That night I remember I stayed up until like 1.45am... why? I need to catch up with my Idol series (yeap, I am a Idol fan) and Monday's episode of Lost (great show!).

Went to Ikea on Saturday morning with my parents. Luckily the special of the day was our favourite: Meehoon!! For those we do not know, Ikea's Meehoon is only RM1, and it's a reasonable price and delicious as well, got to try it out! Plus since we arrived there before 9.30am, we were offered coffee for free, with free refills too! (Mmm... makes me hungry now...)

Wanted to walk around a bit at the area, since it is not possible for me to get there often since it is so far from my house... But my father brought me to see a dentist, wanted to get me a retainer. Getting it on Saturday morning, so guess you guys will all be seeing me wearing the retainer for quite some time=).

Originally was supposed to watch until the end the Grammys... But half way... no-lah! Better go and study Calculus...=(

Photos: Distant Cousin's Wedding 31/1/2009

(Pics above) Pictures from the Wedding Night

(Pics above) Bride's parents' house

(Pics above) Teluk Cempedak, Kuantan

Photos: Chinese New Year 26/1/2009

A (Distant Cousin's) Wedding

If my memories serve me well, I think I have not been to a Chinese traditional wedding for a very very long time already. So, when words began to spread that one of my distant cousin is getting married and their parents have invited us for the celebrations, my siblings and I were hoping that my parents will agree to travel all the way from KL (or rather PJ) to Kuantan, Pahang. And yeap, they informed the family early about us attending... even though at that moment my younger sister and I still weren't sure if we still need to go back to school for the Friday... (my younger brother graduated, in case you didn't know about it...)

As mentioned, the whole wedding thing takes place in Kuantan. We stayed in Kuantan for two nights beginning Friday. A little bit about my 'distant cousin': Well, I don't think we call her 'distant cousin', but rather just 'cousin', isn't it? My relation with her is like this: My uncle's (father's mother's oldest brother) granddaughter is getting married to an American. The Church wedding in the US was over, but they decided to have another Chinese ceremony here in M'sia (or rather, Kuantan). And yeap, the groom's American parents were also invited.

There weren't many things which happened. We did got together for a large group photo on 2nd day morning, and then the 5 of us family went to walk around Kuantan town (nothing much to see=( and also Teluk Cempedak (that place very nice!)

That night (Saturday) was the wedding dinner in Hyatt Resort. Photos will be accompanied. Check out our attire=)

The next morning was the tea-giving ceremony. Old fashion way, as in the new couple kneeling in front of their parents to present them tea. Not only their parents, but also their uncles and aunties as well...

It was nice to be able to meet with a lot of my uncles and aunties after so long. My family is very big; my grandmother is the 12th among 16 children (go figure why so many!)... maybe it IS a blessing to be born into such a huge family=)

Back to School!! (or rather, university...)

Finally after one week of holidays, it's back to school time!!

I guessed I was just like everyone else, trying to accept the fact that classes start again, and there will be non-stop of classes to attend to (and make up for), tutorials to complete, tests and quizzes to prepare for, assignments and projects to 'look forward' for... and of course, the list goes on and on... =S

There were so many things which happened during the Chinese New Year week (even though the first part of the week was boring, in which all I could remember about was rushing to finish my homework...) On Friday, my family and I went for a three-day two-night stay in Kuantan... will post about it later.

I don't think a lot of people knew about this but I actually screwed up big time the day I went back today.... The notes for the lecture in the afternoon wasn't printed out for everyone!! For my part, it's a misunderstanding, but I would accept that it is my fault, and I have learnt the mistake... Anyway thanks a lot G-Han for helping me out on the notes...=)

Oh, and tonight it is the first time that I am staying away from my parents (away as in not in the same house la...), at least for as long as I can remember. Will be boarding the public bus from KWSP to Asia Jaya, and then hop on the UTAR bus which will directly send me to the front of the PD building... hopefully within this week I will get used to this mode of transportation. =)

Ok, too long for a post for a day, huh?

Happy Chinese New Year!!

As the title suggest, this post is specially dedicated to wishing you all

GONG XI FA CAI!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Today's the second day of lunar new year. And yet now at around ten something I am already back home... hey, I was back home also last night...

Unlike many of my friends, there's no such thing as going back to hometown for me, or for my family for that matter. With both my father's and mother's parents living in the Klang Valley, and with our family visiting them in almost a regular basis normally, there's not much difference about visiting them during the new year, maybe except about the ang pows (ang pows, ang pows, ang pows!!) or the greetings and the snacks prepared for us... =)

I am not even sure if I was the one who is not really overly excited about this new year. While waiting for my family to get dressed and prepare to leave for the reunion dinner on Sunday, I was downstairs, desperately trying to finish my linear algebra tutorial before we leave!! (Come to think about it, there's so much more which I haven't even started looking at!!)

Y1S2-Wk02-D5

I like Thursdays and Fridays... only one hour lecture on Thursdays, two hours on Fridays... lots of free time for myself!

Arrived early in uni, even though lecture only starts at 10am. CRT lecture that is, the only lecture of the day.

A weird feeling though... we had just attended only ten days of classes, and the next thing is that we are going back to our hometowns, enjoying ourselves again!! What about the things which we have studied during the last few weeks?

Immediately upon reaching home, I forced myself not to go to sleep, but instead brought out my Linear Algebra tutorial and continued doing it. Wah... I was so left behind!!

Wait, still got Accounts, Calculus, Prob and Stat x_x

Maybe it's a fortunate good thing that my hometown is here in PJ and KL(Cheras)... I don't need to go here and there like the others... save time...

Photos: T7 Reunion Dinner 21/1/2009

Y1S2-Wk02-D4

It's Thursday... which means I only got one hour of lecture only... ONE HOUR!!

What a waste of transportation fees just to get from home to uni and back home. Maybe from now on would skip that one stupid lecture hour on Thursday!

We went to a chicken rice shop at the ground floor of a flat for lunch. Not bad, but still I think the chicken rice at our canteen is still the best; for only RM4 you will get roasted chicken with rice, with additional one bowl full of rice on top, along with beansprouts to go along in the same dish. It is so big when you look from the outside.... it definitely worth the money.

Anyway, went back home and had a good nap. =)

Y1S2-Wk02-D3

It's Wednesday, and it's of course the most hectic day in the week. One lecture and all five tutorials in one day.. FIVE!!! The only difference this week was that Calculus tutorial has not begun this week.

There have talks about what to do after the last class at 5pm, coz many of us will not be here starting tomorrow until when classes resume one week later. Anyway at the end of the day it was decided that we will be having dinner at New Paris Restaurant in SS2. (Have not been there for like ages....) Before that a few of us went to YY's place and just.... what did I do ah?

Oh yeah, we went there and hung around. =)

No fixed time on when the dinner was supposed to start, but then we went here and went there... by the time we reached there, it was like almost 8.30pm already... but then the food have not arrived yet la...

It was like some kind of class reunion... but then 14 of us, all but one from T7 attended. Anyway really enjoyed it la...

... and was really full when we left.=)

Will update with photo(s)...

Y1S2-Wk02-D2

Now having two-hour break; in Computer Lab.

There's no water for the second day in a row here in PD Block (I don't know about other UTAR buildings...) Thankfully the smart me decided to bring water from home... =p Looking at the current situation, it is understandable if people were to begin guessing how many days will this be the case... hopefully it will not get on my nerves, as well as everybody else's.

No need for me to describe the 'scenary' inside our toilet.... (well, I meant the boys' la...)

Got the notes from Dr. Tan SL, our Calculus lecturer. Ah, another thing... when will the WBLE be set up properly, completely???!!! What is it that takes it so long to be done? This morning after my Fundametals of Linear Algebra lecture I went to see Dr. Tan SL, who graciously helped me to photocopy a set of the notes just for me. He gave the newspaper which he was reading to me, asked me to wait for fifteen minutes (because there's problem with the machine...) and then went in to the office and later came out with one set of photocopied notes for me.

Really a hassle la... what's the use of WBLE then?

Y1S2-Wk02-D1

*Y1S2-Wk02-D1 Year 1 Semester 2 Week 2 Day 1

I realized during our lunch break that nothing much has changed about me... at least in terms of my conversational skills. But afraid not, I am not here to keep on talking about my weaknesses, i.e. I got this problem la... I got that problem la... no nagging here.

Oh, something really really frustrating, and which I really hope will not happen again tomorrow or ever again... what's the problem with UTAR water drainage... water distribution... or whatever you call it... system? This is only the second week and already problems such as these have been cropping out... is this going to be the case for the rest of the semester??!!

Oh, something funny and interesting too happened today, during Intermediate Calculus class. Our lecturer, Dr. Tan SL came in with a surprising hairstyle (wait, read on...) I was thinking that he has already decided on a new hairstyle, a punky one! It wasn't until, I think, he wanted to scratch his head, when only at that moment he realized that he has not combed his hair this morning!

"Anyone got comb ah? You got a comb?" If I am not mistaken he even asked it from a few of the girls in my lecture class. =)

Funny.

Y1S2-Wk01

*Y1S2-Wk01 - Year 1 Semester 2 Week 1

Tada... my first week of this semester went by like a blink of an eye... so fast, and one week has gone!! (or should I say: so fast, one week left and then it's holiday!!)

New semester means new subjects, and new timetable. I am quite happy with this sem's timetable, even though I know a lot of people in my tutorial group would not agree with me. (for reasons such as classes from 8am for Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and classes until 5pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays (excluding extra classes/tests which will be announced later as the weeks progress on...) But for someone who has been waking up at 6.15am for almost his entire school life... from Form Three up until Form Six and during Y1S1, I think I would rather have classes early in the morning at 8am rather than having classes in the afternoon after lunch... There's so many things that I can do in the afternoon when classes are all 'dibereskan' in the morning session...

Since we have classes every morning, it means we can't have basketball games though =(

Okay, enough of the timetable... no matter what also can't be changed...

With classes begun again, I was able to meet back my friends, classmates, coursemates, college mates... almost all of them I have not contacted for the last few months. Did I accustom well after the 1 month/3 month (depends on how you see it...) sem break? I think I did, judging from this week.

Some things don't change... T7 going for lunch/'yam cha' outside/far far away whenever there's chance... Maybe it's because tutorial classes have not begun yet, and so we have much more freedom... Monday was at Old Town near PA Block, Wednesday lunch at Sec 17 and then 1U, Thursday at SP Corner, Friday at McDonald's...

There's not photocopying machine left in all of the UTAR blocks here in PJ Campus... maybe except the one in the library... So, really there's not going to be one, not even ONE, photostat machine in my block??? Does this have anything to do with sidelining us the remaining students here in PJ from such basic amenities... just because the building will no longer be in use soon?? Good that a formula has been worked out between the class reps... we will take turns to photocopy notes to all... that means me (or rather, the photocopy guy in my class =) only need to be in charge one week in three weeks... hmm...

Year 1 Sem 2 Here I Come!!

This is it! After losing myself in the last 3 months, my school life will be starting again!! As I am writing this I am looking forward at what's in store for me in the new semester. I pray that the upcoming months will be a 'safe journey' for me, hope that the new semester would be just as exciting and adventurous like last semester's, if not more. Even though so, I am not putting to high my hopes on both of these things, or on achieving anything for that matter, as this upcoming semester is no Year 1 Sem 1... I expect it to be very much hectic than the last one (thanks to my seniors who scared the heck out of me with their stories of their second semester =p)

My aim this semester? To make it to the President's List! Honestly, I didn't really cared about this list at all (I didn't really know the list exists until I think a few days before/during the exam period when ppl started talking about it...)

One thing I found out during last sem was that even though quizzes, tests, midterms are indeed important, I don't think I should overly emphasize on them... I mean I should just listen carefully during lectures, study my tutorials (I don't think doing it first before going for tutorial class helped... changing strategy: study the tutorials and notes only after the tutors give out all the answers... and also will not copy the notes... will borrow other ppl's notes to save time)

Note: the above method may not be applied to certain individuals... in fact, I am trying out this method of studying this semester...

Sleep early! I need to be in bed by 11pm (I doubt I can close my eyes till 12 midnight I guess...)

On a more personal note, I hope that I can really improve on my character, my interaction with my coursemates. There is one thing that I regret now... I probably should not have taken the LAN subjects for short sem. I should have worked or something like that. Or maybe shouldn't... I don't know. I guess that the three months can really be used to improve my conversation skills but then I think again... can I change within a definite time limit... like three months? I think it takes more than that... it's more like a long term commitment... But I often wondered if I can be more vocal or a bit talkative a bit... ever since I was small, my parents often told others that I am that kinda person who don't really talk much... now almost 21 years old, ppl still look at me as some kind of quiet person who don't like to talk...

I planned to continue to study for my SOA paper but I really doubt I can do it. Lousy as it seems after I kinda knew I would not be able to make it for the Jan 09 sitting of the P/1 paper, I was already thinking of sitting it in 2010!

This few days (today is the day before the 1st day of new sem) I have been staying at home packing for my new sem. It really does help to calm yourself and make sure you are mentally and physically prepared for the new sem. I know the school will be taking a break again just after 2 weeks for CNY... A lot of ppl will not be fully settled down and concentrate during the 2 weeks... can't really blame them as they have just gone through 3 months of holidays... and just when they got the hang of the routine of going back to school, they will be enjoying themselves again after just 2 weeks (*note 'they' as opposed to I... coz I stayed back for the short sem...)

That's for this January 09 Semester. Will thought of it all again when my Y2S1 sem starts in June 2009. At that time, will evaluate my progress again. I may be expecting/hoping too much this sem. I don't know. But it's good to know that I am not here to just enjoy or live my university life, but there's some goals in life which are waiting for me to achieve too!!

Photos: UTAR

Photos captured during Short Sem, after computers are removed from the rooms...

The computer room next to library

Internet Lab

Internet Lab

Moving Out Soon

Went over to my grandma's renovated house in Section 5 and cleaned up a bit, the house which will be my residence for the next four months...

Wah, it was so new... you won't believe this house has been here for like the past forty years or so!

Will update you with pictures... when the house is not so 'empty'...

=)

04.01.09 - Last day of Sales everywhere.... so what?!

Here Sales, there Sales... everywhere sales sales....

Went to buy some stationary, while my Mom brought my sister to buy some things for her new school year (she's Form Five, btw; and my bro is still figuring out his pre-u plans for this year...)

So, actually did I buy anything else? Nope. Nothing very obvious... (such as clothes... watch... etc.) Maybe it's the economic crisis or something... =)

Contact Lenses

Contact lenses have been at hit for college/university students of late. People generally wear contact lenses for about the same reasons... want to look younger/cooler/mature/self-confident.... etc...

Sheng Hung asked his Mom several times before, about why she wants to use contact lenses, even when she's at home. She answered him, that she's old (as in mature) enough, and besides it's not really a hassle (plus, it made her look better... Sheng Hung think she thinks so, and he agrees too!!)

Since even a few of his friends in secondary school have started wearing it, Sheng Hung thought he should have a try at it too! While walking in Sunway Pyramid one day, Sheng Hung decided to ask one of the shops a few questions about contact lenses.

"Hey, is it really troublesome ah?"

"Is it really easy to wear or not?"

Questions like that la.

The lady in the first shop told him to give it a try, by offering a pair of contact lenses for trying out. First of all, she washed her hands, and asked him to do so too. (For hygiene reasons...)

Okay, that's done.

Next, she opened up one of the sealed containers with one contact lens... (btw, his eyes are 450 at one side, 525 at another...)

"Pull your upper lid with this finger (show)... and then hold your lower lid with this one (show)..."

SH tried to do just as demonstrated. It was tough but after several tries he kinda managed to get it right... but as in like almost ten minutes later la...

"Now, put your lens just straight into your eyes..."

Okay, this is the part. SH knew it before that this is going to be hard, in trying to keep his eyes open. No matter how hard, he can't keep it open, just as his finger was about to stick the lens in.

"Okay, let me do the first one," the lady told him. She 'grabbed' his eyelids tight and stuck the lens into his left eye.

O.O

Okay, it's his turn now. Long story cut short. Did he manage to do it?

Nope.

Again, the lady helped him to stick his lens in for his right eye.

Wow...SH can now see clearly!!

Okay, time to take those contact lens off. She first told him the method to do it.

"Just take it out using your thumb and your finger...."

No matter how hard he tried, he just can't keep his eyes open when his fingers were about to touch his eyes.

Urgh... what a 'torture'...!!!

The lady, somehow, got the lens out in a blink of an eye. And till now SH can't seem to understand how she did it.

SH could feel a bit of disappointment. How did the others do it?

"Well, not everyone is able to wear contact lens... it happens that for some are easy, some are hard..."

"I mean, glasses are so convenient..." she continued.

Oh yea... right (sarcastically...)

01.01.09 - First Post for 2009

Happy New Year 2009 (again)!!

In conjunction with the new year, from this day onwards, I will post any entries up to my blog from a third-person view.

"Huh?" you may ask. Basically what this means is that instead of using the word 'I', I would instead use words like 'Sheng Hung' or 'he' or 'him' in my posts.

Oh well, never mind if you can't understand. You will notice the difference later as I post.

Goodbye 2008... Hello 2009!!

Wow, so I have survived to write my last ever post for the year 2008! =)

This year has been one heck of a year, truthfully told. I took the giant step by entering university, marking a whole new remarkable chapter in my life. Time flies and before I knew it, I am already entering my twenties... and that means I am no more a teenager! Somehow, I still feel like one though, and that's thanks to my wonderful T7 classmates, who are a bunch of lively friends (who I missed so much now, and I can't wait to see them come school reopens...), who made me feel young always... =)

Today may be the last day of the year, but it's still never too late to list down some new year resolutions, which I hope I can achieve before the end of next year. One of them definitely would be about my ability to speak, my conversation skills, my communication skills. I'm actually getting tired of being labeled as someone who doesn't speak much, a quiet person, a 'lone ranger'.... I'm not denying it, to a certain extent I really admit myself at being such a person... But I am still trying hard to shed myself from that characterization... I think that I have been trying to do so for as long as I existed... hmm.... Not much progress I have achieved eh?

If everything goes on as planned, I will be moving out in the beginning of next month. Surprised eh? Yeap, I suddenly realized that I didn't mention about it before, but if everything's going as planned, I will be moving out hopefully before the beginning of the new semester next year, and stay in Section 5. Why Section 5 you may ask? Why on Earth Section 5? Well, the simple answer is that there's the place where my grandparents are living right now, so moving with them will kinda like taking care of them in case of anything, as a company for them.... I wasn't been able to stay put there during my last semester because the house was undergoing renovation, but now it has been all completed, and hopefully I will be able to update this blog with some of the pictures which I have taken on the house.

Stepping into the new year means that it's been almost one year since I graduated together with my Form Six friends, and three years since I graduated with my 5S6 friends... (wait, I graduated twice! =) It's really nice to know that I am still able to keep in contact with some of my friends, but I felt like time has changed, and people move on in their lives... I haven't been contacting with them as often as I do last time.... Felt bad actually... really bad... Got to keep in touch with them much more often next year...

Hopefully the coming year ahead would be an exciting year ahead for me (and for everyone). I look forward to face each and every challenges which will be thrown at me, overcoming each and every hurdle which will be placed along my way during the course of my next year, and cherishing each and every moment of it.

I can't wait to start a new chapter in my life, and continue to fill my days with memorable moments, as in during the last twenty years and two months of my life.

I can't wait to continue my never-ending process of bettering myself, to become a better person, and be someone who I really can be proud of myself.

I can't wait to continue my journey, to achieve my dreams of being a respectable and professional actuary.

I can't wait to achieve the various goals which I have set for myself during the course of the next year, to score good grades in my university subjects, and hopefully get on the President's List!=)

I can't wait to achieve the many many things which I have dreamt of before, but have not been able to achive so far.

Hereby, I wish everyone:

Happy New Year 2009!!

Demopower: Aih... I give up la...

For those who didn't know, I actually went for the Demopower interview way back long time ago.... (click here for the post)

Okay.. okay.. so I didn't really go and follow up with them on the interview... mainly was because I was busy for the subsequent weekends, and that school later started again. But during the short semester I tried asking them again. The person at the headquarters gave me the phone number of the person whom I am supposed to contact, and told me to contact him/her myself to ask whether there's any projects available for me.

There's different supervisors for different locations... e.g. Mid Valley, Subang Jaya, Kelana Jaya and so on. I asked for different locations during the multiple times I called up the headquarters, just to increase my chances of getting 'employed' =) I called them up, and all of them told me to leave down my details, and that they will call me up when there's projects...

Somehow none of them really called me up. I understand that they have already a couple of promoters under their hands right now, and I fully understand why they couldn't take me in at the moment. But I really wanted to try my hands at this thing.. I mean, I have purposely walked around in Jusco in Sunway Pyramid, just to kind of look at myself and I have thought to myself... gosh, this is fun!! I got to try this! I can do this! =)

Well, maybe next time!

Photos: Work (Dec '08)

19-28/12/2008 - Job

The very next day after my last paper Pengajian Malaysia, I went to Sunway Pyramid and secured myself a job. After quite a walk I decided to apply for the 'Attendant' position in Sunway Mega Lanes. In fact, it actually stated there: "Part Time Attendant (preferably Chinese speaking)" So I thought I just walk in and ask. The pay was ok only... not that I expected much since I am not like marketing anything or what... The supervisor told me that they need someone to work for ten days from the 19th because there will be a tournament going on and people from the Far East will be coming to play too... so they want people who can speaking Mandarin to cater for this group of people...

Maybe I am the only one misinterpret words here but, look at this: "Part-time" doesn't mean temporary, isn't it? Part-time is like you are doing for only a few hours compared to the other full-timers, isn't it? In this case since I am working for ten days only, it should be temporary, not part-time attendant... isn't it?

Never mind, it's just a vacancy notice that's all, no big deal.

Again, the simple-minded me thought that an attendant's job is to attend to the spectators needs such as on standby for any queries or what... I didn't know that the supervisor was going to put me as a waiter... hmm... got a bit shocked at first, but then I thought... aih, just for ten days only ma... furthermore I have never tried my hands on waitering before, and since so many restaurants turned me down, why not grab this opportunity to do some waitering, even for just ten days?

Ten days is definitely not enough to improve my own skills, such as communicating skills, people skills, etc... it's more like only through this short-term thing I realized that I am so terrible in these areas... and by the time I wanted to improve in these areas, I have to leave my job already, and I have no chance to work on it anymore... =(

Well, tomorrow Sunday will be my last day of work, hopefully will be able to move on to another job before school reopens on the 12th. Just called up Demopower to see if there's any promoting projects for me... have not been able to do it... even though I went for interview long long time ago. Monday will be going to Genting with family... hopefully everyone will be enjoying themselves hard on that day because I doubt with my brother starting pre-u soon we can get another family gathering like this in the near future...

12/12/2008 - PC Fair

After my Pengajian Malaysia paper I waited and boarded the UTAR bus straight to the LRT station, then took the LRT down to KLCC... just to have a look at the PC Fair. Nope, nothing on my mind on what to buy before going there... just went to have a look at some things only =)

Short Sem Finals at a Glance

Tata... the finals were over! I'm not trying to make this thing as though as this is really a huge thing or what... Look: both the grades for the subjects which I applied for this sem i.e. Pendidikan Moral and Pengajian Malaysia, does not count towards our CGPA. So basically I did not really give a damn about what is the outcome of it, as long as I passed!

Unlike all the other papers, both these papers are closed paper (kertas tertutup) which means the papers are not supposed to be taken out from the exam hall. Don't ask what the questions were like... I can't remember them..

06/12/2008 - Wireless@KL e-Commerce Workshop by P1

Actually Dad was the one who told me about this workshop. Basically this workshop (or shall we say a talk) was about the power of eBay in selling and buying stuff, how to start selling, how to be successful via eBay, the people who got a big break just by doing sales via eBay and so on...

I have never been into an eBay website before.... and I do not feel ashamed about it... I think a lot of us have not been there also =) I told myself before going to the workshop that I will probably never do this kinda things... I just went there, followed my Dad with an open mind.

Anyway my father and I have been trying to commit ourselves to one of the dates of the seminar, but we couldn't make it until the very last workshop which was held on Saturday the 6th at this bar called the Apartment at KLCC. It started at 11am, and the atmosphere was quite casual actually. Just a projector, a screen, a laptop and about fifty chairs... and a couple of small booths could be seen set up at the area. Wanted to take a picture of the venue but was prohibited from doing so...

The workshop... well, it was really good actually for someone who is a beginner in this eBay or online marketing thing. I would really recommend people who are really committed in becoming successful in this eBay thing (not really depending to it...) or even people who are curious to try out in this thing. Basically as I have mentioned... she taught us how to start, how to get this PayPal thing, how to buy, how to sell, even how to make good descriptions of the products, how to take good photos of them, how to set the right prices for our goods and so on...

Dad being the optimistic that he is start talking to my Mom, bro and sis about this eBay thing for next few days... haha! He seemed to be really drawn by the whole thing when he looked at how the people got so successful via eBay... I guessed he just got carried away...

It's really for beginners like myself... I think for those people who are self-confessed computer geeks probably already know about this kind of stuff for a long time already. I learnt alot anyway through this talk/workshop... but for poeple like me... the probabililty of me become an eBay frequent user is like... next to zero.. haha...

Short Sem Week 7

Finally... end of short sem!! This week's lectures were quite short actually... On Monday was the presentation... Finally our group (or shall I say, one of us...as the other three only did the background things =) has the chance to give our presentation...

Tuesday and Thursday was about giving back our papers and assignments, and also about tips on what to study for the final... and that was it... heck... the Peng Msia lecture period was only i think 1 hour plus only!

Okay, now it's study week and then the two papers on the 9th and 12th... Actually I myself call it a 6 week holiday... haha... 'coz the two LAN subjects are so lame... haha... Is it possible for me to work for such a short duration? Hmmm....

Short Sem Week 6

Ok, time for another update... Monday and Tuesday Pengajian Malaysia, then Thursday and Friday Pendidikan Moral, then Saturday (today) was the Pendidikan Moral test 2 in PG Block.

Oh, talking about the place where we had our test, I thought Mr. Muthu told the class to prepare ourselves for the cold atmosphere inside the room... coz he said that the class is very cold. It turned out, that the air-con wasn't working. Can't find people to fix the problem... reason? It's Saturday! =O

Reminds me about something... why the toilet water systems not working in the morning??! No water from the taps, no water from the drinking water dispenser... so terrible! The UTAR people... is this because this building will no longer in use in half a year's time?

Short Sem Week 5

Week 5 -- Passing up of the Pengajian Malaysia and the Pendidikan Moral projects. Phew.... a load off our shoulders... Now I can concentrate fully on my studies...

Just to make this thing 'alive'... the past few weeks has been... not too busy, not too stressful but not too easy either.... I know this sem compared to my first year first sem was much much less stressful, but this does not tell me about short sems.... I saw the Y2 short sem people... they seemed to have a lot to study and do.... like they say, all CRAMMED into just 7 weeks... imagine the pace... (but then again less subjects to study...)

Will blog as frequently as possible from now on... but I doubt it since there's tests and the final exams coming...

04/11/2008 - United States Presidential Elections

First of all, congratulations Barack Obama!

Jumping on to the bandwagon (obviously), I thought I should write something about the historical day, not only for the United States of America but also for people from all around the world.

I have to admit... I was really happy to see him winning the presidency. For all those good things which I have read from the Internet and the newspapers I could not agree with them more. I have watched three times already, in two days, the video in which US President-elect Barack Obama gave his winning speech in Chicago. How memorable and historical it must be for the American people...

I don't know how to write a appropriate conclusion for this post though... I will let you readers make your own!!

Geraldine - The Winner's Song

Since I have started posting some things which were out of the ordinary.. so I thought I should post some song lyrics to some nice songs....Check this out on youtube or whatever website... it's nice, and it fared quite well in the UK.. Check out the show in which this song was first performed... it is hilarious!!

Geraldine - The Winner's Song

I started with nothing
Now I have something
I proved them all they were wrong

So glad I kept fighting
And I never stopped trying
Been waiting to sing for so long
My winner's song

I couldn't carry on
I thought my chance had gone
I was ready to stop and give in
I thought I'd give it one last try
Look this moment in the eye
Then maybe who knows, I could win

I dreamed about this for a lifetime
But I could not imagine
What it feels like standing here right now

I started with nothing
Now I have something
I proved them all they were wrong
So glad I kept fighting
And I never stopped trying
Been waiting to sing for so long
My winner's song

This journey's been incredible
Now standing in the light
I hope this lasts for more than one night
One night

I started with nothing
Now I have something
I proved them all they were wrong
So glad I kept fighting
And I never stopped trying
Been waiting to sing for so long
My winner's song
Been waiting to sing for so long
My winner's song

Tagged

Tagged by Chin Ling...

(My first time doing tag...)

1. If your lover betrayed you, what will your reaction be?

Devastated.

2. If you can have a dream to come true, what will it be?

Wealthy... (kinda the reason behind me studying AS now...money money $$... =)

3. Whose butt would you like to kick?

No one. Not that kinda person.

4. What would you do with a billion dollars?

Travel around the world. Maybe start a new business and hopefully will get myself another billion dollars $$... Also will give them to charity la =)

5. Will you fall in love with your best friend?

I won't know.

6. Which is more blessed, loving someone or being loved by someone?

Being loved by someone.

7. How long do you intend to wait for someone you really love?

I'm that patient kinda guy... until I had enough I guess...

8. If the person you secretly like is already attached, what would you do?

Tell her about my feelings and later move on with life.

9. If you like to act with someone, who will it be? Your gf/bf or an actor/actress?

My gf. I think that would be really fun and chaotic at the same time.

10. Will you invite your ex bf/gf to your wedding dinner?

Why not? I'll accept my ex's invitation if she invites me...

11. What's your fear?

Left all alone... (read, same with others)

12. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is?

A loyal friend. She's also a friendly, cheerful and easy-going person.

13. How would you see yourself in 10 years' time?

Happily married... Enjoying every minute of my job... err... not good at this looking at the future thing... =) Embracing challenges that I will face?

14. Would you rather be single and rich or happily married but poor?

Happily married but poor.

15. What's the first thing you do when you wake up?

Shut my alarm and go back to sleep again.

16. Would you give all in a relationship?

100% yes.

17. If you fall in love with 2 people simultaneously, who would you pick?

I hope it won't happen to me. I don't know how to pick if like that...

18. Would you forgive and forget no matter how horrible a thing the someone has done?

I would. A number of people have done that to me, and I am thankful for them.

19. Would you prefer being in a relationship or being single?

I'm okay with both.

20. List 5 people to tag.

Not tagging anyone. =) Anyone who's interested in doing though, you are most welcomed to do so.=)

{Honestly, I have read some of these tags across other people's blogs... I always tell myself that I could not answer creatively to the questions... just as creative as those other people. =) }

24/10/2008 - MPH Warehouse Sale

It was a Friday, and I thought I could do some things before my class which started at 9am. I underestimated, and so entered the class late... At that time I just sat at the front row facing the lecturer... alone... Never do like that again..

Anyway, the main thing which I want to talk about today is the MPH Warehouse Sale which I visited after the three-hour lecture. The books were really VERY CHEAP... (and I mean it in terms of monetary terms, not quality terms.... =) Too bad for a person like me who does not complete a single novel which I have started.... I have not continued reading my Harry Potter novel for like almost one year... hmm...

Anyway, for book lovers, it is still a good place to visit. Just be sure to park your cars at a suitable place (away, far away), or go early before the lunch break... (today is Friday, so the lunch break was long for most people, and most decided to come here to have a look at the books during that time...)

21/10/2008 - (Watching) Pengajian Malaysia Presentations

"Hanya sembilan kumpulan yang bertuah sahaja yang akan menyampaikan presentations pada hari Selasa minggu depan..." Ms Kavitha told the class on the second day of our Pengajian Malaysia lecture.

Bertuah?? Hmm...

Our group was not chosen/picked by the teacher for the session. Wonder what does that mean...

Basically the nine chosen groups need to do a presentation with the help of Microsoft Powerpoint about Kedatangan British di negeri-negeri di Tanah Melayu. Only one from each group will come out on that day to do the presentation (which means the others will do the behind-the-scene things...) Even though so, a few groups have more than one person who came out to present.

Also, the allocated time was 15 minutes. Some of the people finished their presentations halfway through the allocated time. (Actually later after the first few presentations I thought 15 minutes is too long....)

Surprisingly, some of the groups really did a good job in it... I know there's this girl who not only talked about what that was written on her group's slide, but also read some additional notes which were written on her palm. Their group really did a lot of preparation on this...

But that doesn't mean I like this presentation things... I wonder how many more do we need to do...

16/10/2008 - Pendidikan Moral Lecture

Helo once again... this time will be talking about the Pendidikan Moral lecture which I am currently studying for this semester (aside from Pengajian Malaysia)...

So went for my first Moral lecture today. The lecturer was okay... at least it was not those lecturers which will keep us asleep... Ah.. talk about it... I actually was caught yawning in front of him... how embarassing! (really it was unintentional... I kinda closed my mouth but then he noticed it and told the class that I wasn't... sorry... but I was paying attention though...)

It was funny how he called the students to stand up and answer questions..."Mari kita pilih mereka yang memakai baju kuning..."

"Budak yang memakai baju putih dan hijau tu..." referring to me.

So, the lecturer gave some overview of the subject, and later after the break he talked about the Moral project which we need to do as a group... Just like Pengajian Malaysia, the group leaders need to select a question in random for the group to do... The more he spoke about it, the more I trembled inside... so many things to do ah??

Anyway, the class dismissed very early... almost one hour earlier... (just like last Tuesday's PM class) That's good, especially when it's afternoon class and it was raining outside... traffic jam...

13/10/2008 - First Day of Short Sem

It was the first day of my short semester after almost 4 weeks of semester break. Before this I actually went to my faculty office on Thursday to get the timetable for my course and to register for it. I actually find it hard to plan my time when I don't know when are my classes going to be held. I was hoping that they can settle it all down in two days, but it turned out that we are going to have classes for everyday except Wednesday... hmm...

Aiyah... what am I going to do for the rest of the time when I am not having classes? I know that we are going to have some assignments for the two subjects... but I don't think it will take A LOT of time, would it? Some days I have classes in the morning, some in the afternoon (well, 1 only...) How to find a job that suits my time?

Parents suggested to me to study for my first CAS/SOA actuarial paper... and I know a lot of people are studying for it now... Probably I will too...

Anyway, arrived a bit late into the lecture hall, and within minutes the lecturer told us to form groups to do assignments... Wow, that's early (and I kinda couldn't believe that we need to do some assignments also for this...)! I couldn't get myself a group, the people sitting next to me formed their own gangs and so I texted message my former groupmate to see if there's room for a poor groupless person like me... hmm...

There are two three-hour Pengajian Malaysia classes per week... Mon 8-11am and Tue 8-11am. Before this I spent time reading my seniors' blogs about their experience on sitting through the Pengajian Malaysia periods, just to prepare myself for the class. And it was all negative. I expected it actually. What I read was people listening to music on their MP3s, reading, sleeping... those kind of things.

On Monday and Tuesday, there weren't many people doing those kind of stuff. I suspect that it's because those were the first two lectures of the semester. Maybe by the third week people will start to get bored... I don't know... The things that the lecturer taught were all those that we have learned before during the Sejarah periods we had last time in sec school... Heck, I even brought along my Form 5 Sejarah textbook to class on Tuesday!!

Anyway, today (Wednesday) there is no classes, so I got to kinda rest a bit.. =)

16th September 2008 - 12th October 2008 - Sem Break

(Writing this post on 13th Oct, 1st day of short sem...)

Aih, my semester break has come to an end. (gosh, to me and my family, we still call it school holidays -- obviously 'coz my siblings still in sec school only...)

What have I done during the short break? Honestly I have done a lot 'behind the scene' but when I look at it from the 'outside', it was like I have done almost nothing... =( Clean up here and there... and then arrange my docs on my computer... followed my family/accompanied my siblings out for 'hang-gais'...

Everyday woke up, and start to think to myself: Should I go for the short sem or not? What should I do if I were to not go for the short sem? Work where? As what?

Oh, everytime I go and surf the net on my computer, I always got hooked on the United States presidential elections. I found it funny... haha =) I mean, there's so many breaking news about the two candidates from the two major political parties... Those accusations and name-calling... I guessed that that was the case here in M'sia last March... but I just didn't notice about it that much?

Anything else?

Really, I know I did a lot but I couldn't write it down here... coz I forgotten what are the things that I have done already... =)

19th till 21st September - T7 Pangkor Trip

Wow... I didn't post this up soon enough... Okay, hopefully I still remember the 'millions and millions of things' which happened during our trip to Pangkor... let me see...

This trip to Pangkor have been talked about for a few weeks prior to it. But for me... you know la... not really in the mood at that time since there's this final exam thing going on...

The trip was a memorable one to be really REALLY honest, especially for me, whose last 'REAL trip' was with my classmates almost three years back with my Form Five classmates in Langkawi. No trip after STPM. Anyway...

Day 1

The 14 of us first gathered at the McD restaurant at Petaling Street before we made our way to Puduraya. By the way, this is the first time I have been to Puduraya... probably because it was at night, and so there weren't many people at the bus terminal... But my view of Puduraya all along has been that of a very crowded, dark one... Guess you really need to be there in order to experience it for yourself the environment...

Okay okay, should not be talking to much about this... Where am I?...

Oh yeah.. we took off from Puduraya almost exactly on time... 11.59pm. By the time we reached Lumut it was almost 3am in the morning. Some of us went to the restaurant which was still open to customers, while the rest of us just sat at some 'dataran' near the shore and played 'dai-dee'... for me I just watched them playing coz not clear how to play after not playing for so long... (but later I played at night and I won on my first game...haha=) )

We waited and boarded the first ship to Pangkor. Next we went to our hotel by two vans, which was located next to the beach at the other side of the island. It was still very early at that time, I think it was about eight or nine something... a few of us took a nap almost immediately after they settled down their things.

We settled our elective selection, surpisingly, here in Pangkor in our room 0.0 (I just followed what the others chose... obviously...)

We headed back to the Pekan Pulau Pangkor (PPP) for lunch. I had chicken rice btw. (Still UTAR's Chicken Rice is the best... afforable too...) Walked around PPP and I was wrong to think that it is some town exclusively for the nelayan community and the visitors... There ARE people who live there and stayed there for years... I wonder why they want to exclude themselves in this lonely little island out of nowhere... Don't know for others but for me I was surprised to see internet cafes and banks and stuff like that here... no traffic lights here though...

Later that day played a bit in the water. Dinner was at an open air restaurant. After the dinner the few of us who sit inside the van was taken for a 'memorable' ride up and down the hills of Pangkor... closing the car lights while driving... I for one was excited all the way... thankfully we had a skillful driver... haha... will try it the next time if I ever will go there again...

Played cards together in our room later that night. I think I was wrong during my first time as the 'MC'... got to remember so many things and I got messed up =( I think a few of you knew about that...

At night when everyone was about to sleep a few of us went out by van for 'yam-cha' at a shop... It was a very quiet and breezy area, nice place for 'yam-cha' but I didn't try to food though... I ate a lot before that during dinner. And then when we went back we all were so tired that we just fell asleep right away once we laid our heads on our bed..

Day 2

The fourteen of us went for a boat trip, discovering the various places and islands around Pangkor Island. Went for snockelling and banana boat (it wasn't fun at all when you don't have your glasses on... for me my glasses was like 4.50 for one side and 5.25 for another... that's really bad already...) Had lunch, and next was a trip to some temple...

I wasn't sure what did the others do after that, but I followed a few of them for a cycling trip all the way from one island to another... Walaoe... really tiring. Btw, it's RM2 for one hour, and RM6 for 24 hours (Strange eh? Can still get it back the day after.. also, they did not charge like 'wang pendahuluan'... don't they get scared that the bicycles will at the end of the day, be unreturned?)... I don't know about the others, but a guy like me who has not been on a bicycle for like almost centuries... I actually felt a bit of pain after the whole journey.. But I woke up the next day feeling ok...

Oh yeah... during the trip the captain of our boat recommended/suggested that we try one of the restaurants by the beach... which we later did that night. I am not really sure how the workers there felt when they saw us arriving at their restaurants to have a meal there... I mean, 14 of us young adults... arriving as such a big group at a place where only romantic couples and visitors from overseas have their meals... Everyone turned their heads and looked at us as we 'swarmed' the place... haha....=) And not just that... we were quite noisy, in fact, really noisy actually, at least for our table...

Later that night went out for 'yam cha' again at a food stall near our house... wonder whether these guys really do go out so often during normal uni days for yam cha... can't do this on a regular basis la...

Day 3

It was the last day already... felt weird coz I really don't wanna go back so early but then felt like we almost toured the whole island already? Maybe I was wrong... But anyway we had brunch (no breakfast or lunch)... and boarded the 12pm ferry back to mainland. Reached mainland half an hour later, and then boarded the bus back to Kotaraya.

All in all, I had a great and memorable trip. Sure can't wait for our next one during our next semester break...=)

(Wasn't in a lot of pics...)

Final Exam at a Glance

Err...It has been so long since I posted something up in my blog... Hopefully I can still get back to my blogging habit. Anyway...

Thought I should start by telling you about my exam week 'experience'...First time having my exam in such a large hall.. I remember the last time I had it was during my piano exams YEARS AGO.... (during primary school). During secondary school, my school exams and government exams (i.e. PMR, SPM and STPM) were also conducted in classrooms. Since I was so afraid that I will get nervous looking at people answering the questions, I decided to sit 'almost in front'...don't know whether it had worked or not...

Anyway, I have written a few notes about the individual exams on my myspace blog... go check it out.=)

Study Week at a Glance

The week from 2nd September till 5th September was the semester's study week. There's no classes... meaning to say that we actually don't need to come to school (why I still keep calling UTAR a school instead of a uni ah... but call it school is not wrong right?..) But I DID went back to school... to 'study' la of course!! (But I wonder did I really study anything while in the study room with people chit-chatting and stuff like that...hmmm...)

Anyway, I studied with a few people, who later on I identify them as my' 'study group partners'... (I didn't ask them to come, they just come as they wish...) I found it much more easier to study, instead of just studying on my own back in the days in secondary school. There are so many things that, if I study alone, I will not pay attention to. Also, when I have problems or questions, I got an answer straight away at the spot... I guess some/most people tends to study differently when they are in university as compared to during the school days.... guess I need to follow the flow too!!

But yeah... I like the way how study week turns out... They should kinda put more study weeks in between teaching weeks so that we can catch up with the syllabus much more faster and easier... So, that we can study more 'effectively'... A yes vote for more study weeks!!

Week 14 at a Glance

Monday 25th and Tuesday 26th: Finally again a huge burden was lift off my shoulder... the programming project. For this I got to thank my groupmate K.Hua a lot for doing so many things... I practically did nothing... haha... The whole weekend was about doing this thing as mentioned... But with no result... Monday after school they all went for karaoke... of course didn't join them... stayed at home studying the programming things... which at the end of the day was a waste of time since out tutor didn't look at our code, or even asked us to explain, or ask us to modify.... I wonder how many marks do I get...

Tuesday 26th: After our last BPW tutorial class we all went to Section 14 McD for some food... (for some it's lunch for some it's tea-time...) It was so surprising yet so great that Ms Wee, our BPW lecturer and tutor was able to take time to be with us at McD.

Wednesday 27th: After so long I have heard about this restaurant in Section 17, I finally got the chance to have a meal there (particularly at that particular economical rice stall)... RM3.80. Not bad... compared to the one in UTAR..

Thursday 28th: There supposed to be a basketball game but was cancelled because of bad weather... which means for three consecutive weeks in a row I didn't go for any basketball game... wonder when will we be able to play again..

Friday 29th: Last day of class... but the important thing was the Discrete Maths paper... terrible... Just one mistake and I lost a lot of marks... my mistake I admit... because Dr. Chin was right that I don't understand the working (I think there are ppl who just blindly write down what they have memorized in the notes...) That's like three marks off... half a grade gone.. =S

Saturday 30th: Went for an eye-check and my eye power increased. I attribute this to the previous week when I got to do so much on my laptop... Regrets... regrets... Later went for steamboat at Restaurant Telepon near LDP with T7 groupmates (and also some not from T7...)...Why nobody noticed my new pair of glasses ah? Anyway then later followed them to Ikano to celebrate Merdeka together...spent time just walking about Cineleisure... then after countdown all just went nuts spraying each other... haha....

Spent overnight not at home...

Sunday 31st: Study... study... study...

Week 13 at a Glance

Monday 18th: After weeks of awaiting, it was time for our Basic Professional Writing presentation. I, together with all my classmates wore handsome suits and nice dresses for the presentation. Wah... imagine everyday we are supposed to wear like that... Wait, I heard in the Sungai Long campus everyone are supposed to wear like that on Monday... Why aren't we, the Actuarial Science students? Actually why are we grouped together with the FICT? Hmm...

I'll post the photos that we took on that day later... probably after my final exams (Urgh... can't think of nothing else but that...) But I won't be in a lot of the photos... =( what was I doing ah during that time?

Anyway, after the whole thing, we had lunch at Wendy's at the Jaya One place... enjoying ourselves after a whole weekend of work...

Tuesday 19th: No sports in the morning as we have programming assessment. I fared terrible... the marks my tutor gave was quite enough already consider my output....

Wednesday 20th: For this day I forgot where did T7 go.... I didn't join in. (Why T7 also go out one ah?)

Thursday 21st: Basketball game. I was on my way there when the clouds are rolling in, the sky becomes dark, the wind blows wildly.... and later rain poured in. Basketball game was cancelled but I wasn't sure what they were up to after that... didn't join in coz busy studying for programming test later that day.

Friday 22nd: Discrete Maths retest. Somehow I got the feeling that it will be the same... since the beginning... but why didn't I 'memorize' it well? The exact same question came out... I didn't like how he ask... why not new questions?

Saturday and Sunday was spent doing my programming project... I think my eye sight has deteriorate because of that... I am really really regretting over it. Wanted to change my glasses but opted to wait first... coz I think that if I go for an eyecheck at that moment, the reading will not be accurate... I have just stopped doing my programming things barely half an hour ago...

Week 12 at a Glance

A brief day-to-day update on what happened over the past week:

Monday- Had tea for the first time at the mamak stalls outside school with classmates.

Tuesday- Ping pong game... but of course I did not play... a noob.

Wednesday- Calculus test. Don't need to say much about this... I heard for dinner they all went to some restaurant together... didn't do la of course...

Thursday- Basketball game which I did not attend. Later they had lunch at some JayaOne restaurant...

Friday- Discrete Maths... die... luckily got retest but I don't feel good about it either... Must be as hard as the previous one. Then later the gang also went somewhere... couldn't join them also...

This is not my thought... this is like some diary... =S Hmm... no time to think how to write my entry in a very creative way =(

Week 11 at a Glance

Week 11. It was the week where things got easy for the first few days, but after a while things get heated up after the programming practical questions were uploaded... Group members were initially determined by half-ballot method... that is every group will be assigned at least one from foundation. On Thursday though, the next announcement was that we are only allowed maximum three person per group instead of four as previously mentioned by our lecturer. Things got shooked up abit after that... group has been rearranged again.

As discussed before, Tuesday was set as 'ping pong' day, while Thursday was Basketball day. Having a class that starts at 2pm only meant that we have time to 'spent'.... enjoying ourselves at KFC up till the last minute... It was raining and we were all running late for our programming lecture...

Friday was programming assessment... don't want to talk about it...

Update of Previous Class Outings

4th Outing - Mid Valley on 17th July

5th Outing - One Utama on 30th July

29th July - Tutorial Class Basketball Outing

9 out of 14 from our tutorial class... plus one more from T5... wah, quite good eh for a basketball game that I only heard people talked about during the last few minutes in class before we all left school on Monday... (even though I heard about the 'outing' as early as Tuesday the previous week...)

Anyway, it was a reminiscence of the good old days of my youth... not really about basketball... as the last time I really played basketball was during my Form One days in Sam Tet... But rather I am talking about the feeling of being a teenager again... with a bunch of young innocent teenagers (haha...) who want to enjoy themselves together with a group of friends, some of them whom they have never met each other before two months ago...

During Discrete Maths tutorial the tutor told us that about us being a 'more livelier' class (from what I heard)... compared to the other class that she teaches. She did mentioned that her other class has a very high percentage majority of Foundation students. Then someone mentioned about us being made up of people from different backgrounds... thus making it easier for us to 'click'....

Don't know la... all things mentioned above are just my opinions... I am just trying to enjoy myself at this moment as I REALLY REALLY DON'T KNOW what is going to happen when our new semester starts, and how our lives going to be at that time... I am still figuring that part out...

Photos - English Performance Groups (Week 8)

Just some photos taken during Basic Professional Writing tutorial class...

23rd July - First Accounting Test in almost 4 1/2 Years

Urgh... terrible...

Thought I could write something since I have never balanced an account before during exam... But no mood already..

Thousands Apologies to my 5S6 and U6F Classmates

I am very sorry to all my 5S6 and U6F classmates...

It seems that I have not been keeping in touch with you guys as frequently as I should...

And it is a problem, my problem, my fault.

Saying that you'll be all in my heart is just not enough...

But honestly, you guys will always have a special place in my heart,

I'll always treasure the times that we had back then.

Till we meet again... I wish you guys all the best on what's next to come....

20th July - 5S6/2005 Gathering

Ha... finally after almost one whole year in the waiting, we have finally one gathering.... Let's see... almost one gathering per year... 2006 was at Bangsar, 2007 was at Sunway... and this year was at Chee Hong's house....=)

Somehow it coincided with another gathering that I attended barely two days prior, but with a lot more people.. DEFINITELY a lot more... Basically the entire weekend was about gatherings, wasn't it? Haha... Didn't do anything... And still got Discrete Maths Mid-Term, Accounts Mid-Term and Programming Assessment... all within three days!! So 'qiao'...

Again, I'll let photos do all the talking. Here's the website: www.5science6.blogspot.com and it will lead you to the photos.

It was a potluck, and everyone was ''expected' to bring something to CH's house. Then we ate... we talked... we chat... we played games... some like Dom cracked lame jokes... (really really lame I tell you...) Take photos... and also played some games... One game I remembered was the 'One two dum' game... It was a bit funny to hear how they say the word 'dum'... And another game which I was really confused about until this day was the 'Mafia' game. I really forgotten how to play the game as I was typing this out.

"Everyone seems to be the same... didn't change at all..." That was what I heard in the car as KS drove us back. Yeah... That includes me... the same type of people who don't really speak much... wonder will I be able to change?

18th July - U6F Reunion

First of all, thanks a lot Kai Ming for planning the occasion.... We had another U6F class gathering just barely one month after our previous gathering at Wern Chiet's house. This time though, it was a small affair, as a lot of us have went to public universities from all around the country, some of them as far as Sarawak.

So, this time we had a small gathering at the Poh brothers' apartment. Our host, Kai Ming ordered pizzas and soft drinks for us. When I went there about 7.30pm, there's were just a few of us there. Asked Kai Ming on the people who are coming, not surprised to know a few who said will be coming... given that many of us are away.

From what I think, this would probably be the last time that we can gather together for a very long time. From experience, i.e. my Form Five class, after almost two years after we graduated from Form Five we only had like one gathering per year. 2006 was at Bangsar organized by Florence, 2007 was at Sunway organized by Wan Xin, and this year will be on this coming Sunday at Chee Hong's house, organized by Chee Hong, Dominic and Li Ee. (More on that on my coming post.)

But of course, post-Form Six get-together are more often since we are still not studying yet. Anyway, I for sure had a great time at the reunion PARTY.. I think everyone was in a jolly mood that night (was it because of the boozes?)... knowing that we are taking the next step into a new chapter in our lives--university. Felt like we were still young teenagers, who will never grow up to become adults... haha...

All night was about pizza eating, liquor drinking, cracking jokes, chit chatting... pushing people down the pool =)... not some serious stuff though... it was as though we were like meeting up each other every other day... which was really nice to me...

Didn't take a photo of all of us in a picture though.. Sayangnya...

Oh dear... is this the last time we will meet up? I heard someone mentioned something about 31st August... Looking forward to that if that is true..

Aftermath

Why do I feel like more and more people are leaving? Or am I just freaking out myself? I know people will start complaining that the course do not suit them... but I think the few must be feeling disappointed for not being able to go to Kampar.... Don't know la... But for now I still think I can still 'hang on'... I am actually taking it one week at a time...

14th July - Going to Kampar? Not going? Going? Not going?

The verdict: We are not going to Kampar next year, after all. We won't be going there in 2010, or even 2011...

Honestly, how do I feel? Urgh... At one second, I felt like my world has changed. But the next thing that I did was to close my eyes for a while, and then opened them up again. Life goes on, I said to myself. Everything seems to be like normal after that. And I know it has to be.

Maybe because tests and mid-terms are on the way. Maybe I am more worried about them...

7th July - Class 3rd Outing

Class' third outing was at Mid Valley again. Most of those who went stayed back for Hancock the movie. After buying the tickets, we had lunch in Kim Gary (a few of us went bowling though instead of having lunch with us... ) Didn't join them for the movie though... coz I had an appointment later that night. Anyway, will try to join in next time...

28th June - Visit to UPM

It was like any ordinary Saturday morning. I woke up really late... and virtually wasted the entire morning doing nothing... reading the newspaper while eating my breakfast at a speed that is almost ten times slower than ordinary university days. Suddenly, Mom called me on the phone.."Sheng Hung! Are you going for the public u thingy today??"

"Err... what public...oh!!! Today ah?" I suddenly realized that it was the day where new undergraduates of public higher education institutions (IPTA) register into their respective residential colleges today. (No... don't get me wrong my fellow Form Six classmates, I knew you guys were going to be entering public uni that weekend, but I mistook Sunday to be the date...)

It was the fourth Saturday of the week, and my father worked half day that day. So, after picking him up from the office, Mom, Dad and I drove ourselves down to Serdang where my campus is located. (One university but two campuses; the other one is in Sabah.) The first place that we went to was the residential college that I am supposed to register myself in ('unfortunately' I decided not to take up the offer). Yeah... yeah... there were the usual registration booths at the main section but we did went up and have a look inside the hostel. Each of the rooms in it was actually small... two person per room. Wanted to take a picture of it but couldn't. But we did went for a bite at the cafeteria... errr.... like dat lor... what can one expect?

Before we left, we drove around the campus and had a look at the various faculty campuses within the university grounds. Basically what we saw were buses and buses carrying people from all states into the various campuses... students who came with their families, with each of the family members helping him/her to carry things such as blankets, bags, clothes and stuff like that... students bersalam-salaman with their parents... What a sight. (Yeah, it will happen to me sooner or later...)

"SO.... UTAR or UPM??" Mom and Dad asked me as we left the university compound. I did not answer, but rather smiled at them. After 'a moment of silence', we burst out in laughter. The clock finally ticked at 5pm. The registration was now closed. There's no turning back now, I told myself. It's First Class Degree or nothing else.

Myself in front of Kolej Sepuluh, the college that I am supposed to stay in...=)

My name on the list... guess you can't see it...
Doorway
Room 246-- The room that I am 'supposed' to stay in for the next three years
Haha... err..
My parents and I in front of the old building(still being used).
Faculty of Engineering

Faculty of Engineering

26th June - Toastmaster of the Evening

Heard of Toastmasters before? Well, then check out this website then: www.toastmasters.org. Sorry, have thinking quite a while about how to start of this blog entry... but then I thought the websites and the relating ones would give you guys an idea about what actually is Toastmasters..

I actually have been in Institute of Engineers Malaysia's Toastmasters Club (IEM TMC) for about four months (previously just a guest, following my father to a few sessions before joining as a member in March). Presented my first speech in March, and then another one I think in April... Well, I really think that this Toastmasters thing really helped me a lot in my public speaking skills (not that I want you to start wonder if I really am a better speaker, or communicator... or something like that... coz I have know I have a long way to go... I am still that kind of quiet guy... haih...), and I believe it will continue to help me in the future.

Anyway, for this post I am going to talk about my experience being the 'TME': Toastmaster of the Evening. The duty of this person is to coordinate the meeting, handle the meeting so that everything that is on the agenda goes on smoothly. I am in charge of scheduling, confirming speakers, mastering the ceremony a.k.a. MCing the meeting... and stuff like that la... According to my Toastmasters manual, usually the TME would be a quite senior member of Toastmasters... but somehow they all asked me to do... so I just accepted it lor... ahha..

Being the TME I really got to be professional and handle things that way: I got to send out emails to correspond with the members, who are mostly professionals such as professional engineers (since it's being held in the IEM Building in PJ...), but there are professionals from other fields as well, who are like two to three times my age... Got to cooperate with them in order for the meeting to be able to run smoothly.

Being the person who stands out there and conduct the meeting wasn't really hard actually, but you need to be a bit creative and able to adapt to the latest changes and going-ons in the meeting. A script was passed to me beforehand, so I just read through it. The result? Really boring... As though what I have been saying the whole night was like... a program or computer like that just executing the commands that have been entered into the program...

Really wanted to elaborate more on this... but can't because I have so many things that I want to blog about, and so many things that I need to do i.e. assignments (oh yeah, still getting used to the term, we now use 'assignments' instead of 'homework'... guess it's more like... higher class homework? haha...)

For more info on the club that I am attending to, you can check out this IEM Toastmasters Club website: iemtm.blogspot.com.

I'll blog more about this topic in the near future... IEMTM holds their meetings every second and fourth Thursday of the month, and unless unavoidable circumstances, I will usually attend the meetings (which means finished Programming lecture --> Straight to home --> Shower --> Dinner-->IEM Building in PJ until around 10 or 11pm...) Phew...

27th June - Class 2nd Outing

Second class outing within a week!! Understandable... understandable... Somehow this day we do not have programming practical... I mean, how often do we get Friday afternoons off? So, it was only right that we use the free time to go somewhere to walk... and we did. Went to Mid Valley... and then we went straight to the bowling centre to bowl a few rounds. Had our 'really late' lunch at McD, after which we all went back home.

At the bowling centre in Mid Valley

Scores for the Game

25th June - Class Gathering & Wern Chiet's Birthday

I missed you guys so much!! Finally... a class gathering for U6F!!

First of all, thanks a lot Zijie for making sure everyone is notified about the gathering. Looking forward to it ever since I was informed about it. In fact, I was the first one to reach Wern Chiet's house that day! (well, kinda need to reach there early since there's transport only at that time when my siblings are attending tuition in PJ...) Anyway, it didn't take long before people started to arrive. A few of us played Wii while waiting... played tennis, football... stuff like that...

Wern Chiet later arrived and soon we had our dinner. I enjoyed the food very much, but it was the company of fellow Form Six classmates that got everyone in such a joyous mood that day. It was really like the old school days... we chat... we laughed... we gossiped... (without the booze) Made feel younger to be honest... at one time I was like thinking...'Would you guys want to go through this again... I would... maybe without the exams and STPM, haha...'

After the dinner some of us spend time on the computer, but the majority of us just hang out in the karaoke room and just sang our lungs out... haha... or chit chatting la of course... Talk about what leh? Public unis... Questions like 'What course did you get? Where are you going?...' fills the air... (Wah, my English...)

It will be WC's birthday the next day, but since a few of us can't stay back until so late, we sang WC a few birthday songs and ate the cake early. Of course, we did not forget to 'try to' smash the cake into his face... haha...

It was almost like two when a few of us left his house that early morning. Obviously, I won't be able to stay that long had I had morning classes the very next day; my class on the next day only starts at two. I was exhausted and went straight to bed upon reaching home. Felt really lucky to be able to be there... hope we can all keep in touch with each other in the near future!

Oh, and thanks a lot to Wern Chiet for the hospitality that night. Hope you had an unforgettable night!!

23rd June - First Tutorial Class Outing

23rd June was the first time that I have went out with my tutorial groupmates in uni. It wasn't just an ordinary outing... one of my groupmate is celebrating her birthday, and another classmate has decided not to continue his studies after being offered a course in a public university near his hometown, and thus was his last day with us. Someone suggested 1 Utama... and so after our last class ended at 2pm, we 'squeezed' ourselves into two cars (I think, correct me if I am wrong...). Somehow, we ended having one car with five person, and another one with seven!! (Unfortunately I ended up in that car!!)

Anyway, we didn't really immediately went for lunch after reaching there... kinda hesitated a bit on which restaurant to go to. Walked around... before we decided on Old Asia. I had a chicken chop set, which was the one which the majority of the people called.

After our lunch, we went to the bowling centre where we bowled a few games. Wah... it has been like years since I last played bowling... A bowling 'noob' already... I have to agree that bowling is a perfect game when you want to hang out and chit chat with friends... but at the same time knowing that you are not lepaking... yeah rite? You are just waiting for your turn, and not 'doing nothing'...

I left One Utama after the bowling game. I think a few people were still walking around when I left. Anyway, it was a very nice 'first gathering'... haha... I really enjoyed it... Will always remember this one...=) Was thinking: now it's not the question whether we can have another outing... it's a matter of when is our gathering... haha...(I think there's such a saying rite? Don't know la...)

'Why not yesterday... or the day before... why TODAY??!!'

Us at Old Asia Restaurant

Outside of the restaurant

Our bowling scores. Mine is 'S'. (Just for archive...haha...)

Why (on Earth) Actuarial Science?

Why Actuarial Science? I am also not really sure myself. But after a lot of researching on the subject, what I can explain to others about the field of actuarial science is: the application of mathematics especially statistics and probability in the insurance and banking fields to make predictions and forecasts... or something like that...

I don't blame anyone if you guys don't know what the **** am I studying.... e.g. "what kind of science is that? Physical science?" Haha...

Why not engineering? Yeah... that's the thing... had a long long chat until the wee hours of the morning with my parents the other day... and one important point is that I don't really have that inquisitive and technical and hands-on thing... even though I still love physics...

See la... I heard a lot of ppl changed course after one semester... failing rate really high... I am here just to try my luck... Kind of digging my own grave... (no la... can't be that 'cham'...)

18th June - Public University Application Outcome

Just in case you would like to know what did I get for my local university application...

I got:

University Putra Malaysia - PK02 Electical and Electronics Engineering

I have thought about it for a very long time after getting the news.... my verdict?

Not accepting the offer.

Anyway, I hope that my other classmates got what they want. Wish you guys all the best... (just in case I forgot to wish y'all later....)

18th June - In the Examination Hall for the First Time

Oh dear... just because we are having two sessions of people attending the same lecture at different times, we can't have our test during normal lecture hours? Or is it that quizzes and tests must not be held during normal lecture hours? Anyway, I think that the former is true though...

The test at 4pm Wednesday was held at the main hall, and the arrangement of the tables and chairs were exactly like the ones that I encountered when I was sitting for the music theory exams long time ago... Luckily it was just a 10-marks test.. not those STPM coz I will definitely faint.

I chose to sit in front so that I don't have to be feeling nervous looking at the blank seats in front of me... But not really at the first row though... On second thought... I should sit at the area where most of my tutorial group friends sit...

Oh dear... this will be a usual scenerio for the few years to come??!! =S

My University Class Schedule

I have to say something about my uni class schedule (with respect to my tutorial group 7)... Actually I think all pre-university courses are like that... the times for the classes can range from 8am till 5pm... and there will be tutorials, lectures, practicals.... stuffs like that...

It was a MESS! Sometimes we got around four hours of non-stop lectures, tutorials... and stuffs like that... and sometimes we only got one hour in the morning... and I have to wake up early just for that class... sometimes we have up to two hours in between classes... (even longer if the class is rescheduled...)

Aih... I know it won't happen but I really missed my classes back in secondary school. No need to worry if it's tutorial or lecture... no need to have unnecessary breaks in between classes... The time scheduled is fixed:

7.30am start class 1.10pm finish class

My afternoons back then were packed with things but at least I don't have to be 'bothered' about my classes... worry if this will clash with that... that will clash with this... I have the whole afternoon and night for me to plan myself...

At least now I started to get used to it... haha...

Father's Day

It's Father's Day!!

First of all, somehow this year, I feel so determined to give my Dad a special day, since, you know, probably I won't be able to be around next year to celebrate the special occasion with him. So, what did I do on that day?

This may sound a bit childish, but every year since I was in primary school I have been writing a card for my father for Father's Day. Nope, I definitely know it is not from Standard One onwards, but it started when my Arts teacher from don't know which year asked us to do a Father's Day card as an assignment during the Arts period. We were asked to use colourful paper, with some decorations on it using other colour papers and so on... And I really did put an effort to make my card look beautiful (and not because of wanting to get high marks...).

But nope, I am not here to describe my first Father's Day card making experience, but just to tell you all about how the 'tradition' came along. And although I am turning 20 this year, for as long as I can remember, there isn't a single year which I have not written my father a father's day card, and give it to him personally on that day. Yeah.... that's why I say I may sound really childish.

Maybe I should kinda like bring my father (and my family of course) out for a dinner (of course, bill on me) but still have not done it. What a teenage son.... (oh no, I am turning into an adult soon, and it doesn't sound nice especially when everyone keeps telling me so...)

Anyway, I followed him to play table tennis with his friends (I suck in table tennis...). Then, I helped out to prepare a special dinner for our family. Yeap, I agree with you if you think this is not something special... Didn't turn out the way I planned (wait, what was the plan?)

Anyway, I am just glad to have such a loving and caring father and mother...=)

UTAR Talent Night 2008

The Talent Night Organizing Committee calls it "the most happening event this year in PJ Campus!" Yeap. It was UTAR Talent Night 2008, and as a fellow UTAR-ian, I told myself that I should not miss out on this 'special' event. And how glad I was when I got to witness some very interesting memorable performances by the students from UTAR, who came from three different campuses, namely Bandar Sungai Long campus, KL campus as well as our PJ campus.

A brief description of the event: The decoration of the venue (Block D Hall) was fantastically done. It was stated on the flyers that it will begin at six, but it only started one hour later (not that I was surprised, Malaysian time mar...). The stage was averagely sized, but was well decorated. Now on to the performances: First was the introduction by the contestants followed by a short thirty something second glimpse of their upcoming performances later on the night (there are 13 performances, some solo and some are group performances).

Next was their impromptu acting, where contestants need to perform a 30-second play from the keywords that they chose randomly. Lastly, they will get to give their full-length prepared performances to the crowd. Thought I would just mentioned the most talked about performance of the night, which was also kinda controversial and 'sexy' and.... wonder how the audition panel was able to include him in the line up.... hmm...

Anyway, my thought of the evening? It was definitely a successful one for the organizers. But who cares about what organizers... I indeed had a lot of fun watching the performances. And oh yeah, T5-T7 Course Rep G-Han performance was amazing (yeah, it was...)

On an interesting note, why did we need to register to enter the hall when the event was free? Isn't it the more the merrier? Furthermore I think there's still places in the hall...

20th till 22nd May 2008 - UTAR PJ Campus Orientation Week

Orientation. That's more like the reason that I am looking forward for when it comes to entering university. Being the person that I am (for those who knows me well) people especially seniors will highly recommend that I attend all the programmes that are being held during the week, especially the Ice Breaking and Telematch session on the second day. Anyway, more about the event later.

I have not paid up my fees when I went to UTAR the first day. Didn't get anything from the registration counter. Was asked to go into the Hall, and was ushered a seat by one of the ushers. I arrived there quite early, but since I was stuck in the middle of the row, I couldn't really walk around. Had a small chat with the person on the right, who seems to be alone. Found out later that he is just like me, sat for STPM last year. He is going for Actuarial Science. I asked him why does he want to take Actuarial Science. His answer was: "Because I love maths." No kidding. I can remember it clearly; his answer was only four words. No further elaboration. That was it. I felt uneasy by the way he answered my question... I thought these people should at least explain to me to convince me that they really do have a passion for mathematics, not just a liking for mathematics.

The person on my left seemed to be with his friends. Looks younger (and dressed and looked less mature also)... and it did not shock me when I found out from themselves that they are taking foundation in arts. (Students from Foundation in Arts and the Faculty of Information and Communication Technology (FICT) attends the same orientation programme, while the Foundation in Science and Faculty of Arts and Social Science (FAS) students altogether attends another orientation programme of their own.) Talking about foundation programmes: I can understand why people want to take foundation programmes right after SPM in January. But I don't see why people want to take it in the May intake, when they could just go to STPM (It only costs half a year more and it is more cheap too in terms of tuition fees.). Maybe they have their own reasons I guess.

Anyway, there was some introduction of the university, the faculties, the library, the ICTC, the Student Representative Committee and others as well. We were also ushered into separate rooms to meet with our respective Head of Departments and Course Coordinators. I do not really know if this is weird, but everyone seems to be really quiet. No one asked any questions. Anyway, after the thing ended, I went up to the Head of Department and Course Coordinator to ask some 'prepared questions' about the course (reminder: I have not paid my fees yet). I think the both of them must have felt shocked to hear me asking questions about these things when they think: Hmm... this student already applied for this course and now he is asking us these questions that have been asked long time ago...

The second part of the day was the Mass Call Ceremony. Yalah... yalah... the things that you expect to happen. The national anthem, UTAR pledge, introduction of the UTAR officials, a few speeches and then the thing ended. After presentations have been made by the organizing committees of Talent Night, Ice Breaking and Tele-Match, KL Trip and lots more, the day ended.

The second day was the Ice Breaking and Tele-Match. More on that later.

The third day was the PTPTN loan briefing by the Department of Students Affairs (DSA). Have to say something about the presenters of this briefing: The male officer who gave the briefing at the KL Campus while I was there back in January did such a remarkable job in explaining compared to the female officer here who just read out the notes that was shown on the Power Point Presentation. It was at this briefing that I felt such a difference between the people at Setapak during the January intake compared to the students here for this intake... The students over there in Setapak really asked questions that sometimes the DSA officer couldn't give a good answer, and there was a lot of questions which was about how the fees are distributed. The briefing was extended overtime, with many students still crowded around him almost fifteen to twenty minutes after the briefing was over. But here in PJ... the briefing was cut short, the questions asked by the students weren't that many, and from what I heard, the officers just gave simple straight forward answers, mainly to question regarding documentation. Wait, what message that I was trying to convey here??

Anyway, the three-day orientation week ended like that. Culture shock that was indeed. Suddenly realized that I have been such a 'good boy' for all these years... no la, just joking. But I wonder if I am going to be like those kids out of 'college'... punky hairstyle, earings, fancy clothes... hmm...That, for now, will never be me. I wonder if anyone can actually influence me to change drastically. It was an eye-opener really. Oh, I don't think I have encountered this before while I was in Setapak... Explained this to my parents one day during dinner, and what they said were true also... Usually those who came out of STPM are much more wiser in terms of thinking. The people that I met at Setapak were mostly STPM students, those who were denied a course of their choice, in a university of their choice. They waited for another half a year, and they now have to start their bachelor degree's journey almost one year later that those from foundation. No doubt that the people from STPM whom I have met at the two campuses were really mature... and I am glad to be able to know them.

So that was the Orientation. As many would say, it's time to get settled down and concentrate on studies, as the new semester begins for the students... (I am still locked in my house...figuring out my next chapter in my life=(

Fun (working) is over... Now down to business (Studies)...

Worked in Sunway Lagoon for a few weeks around April and May... since I don't have anything to do... getting a few bucks per hour is much more better than just lazying around in the house doing practically nothing... haha...

I am typing this post out after the Orientation Week in UTAR PJ Campus (more on that later... if I am able to find time to blog about it...). To be really honest, I felt very out of place. Yeah... the same thing all over again... the speeches, the mass call, the meetings with heads of departments and so on.... It was the exact same thing that I have encountered before while I was attending the Orientation Week back in January in Setapak. New place, new surroundings.... but why do I felt like I am suddenly awake in a different world? Okay, yeah, this is SUPPOSED to happen after months of enjoying myself, living in a different world as most other students... But the difference was so big... I kinda felt a sense of regret for not really anticipating such a scenario coming at me... I thought I was supposed to be excited... I was hoping that I can fit in but I did not for the first week... I wonder how I managed to get so many phone numbers of the acquaintances on the THREE days alone there in Setapak... I just wonder...

Walked around Sunway Pyramid alone after the PTPTN loan briefing on Thursday. It was a normal school day, a normal working day. Nothing has changed... the mall working people are still checking their stocks, assisting customers, serving them... nothing has changed. It was STILL the same. For them, there is nothing to worry about... except those relating to their work... but still they do not have to worry about exams, assignments, homework... As the new batch of ex-students go back to study in various education institutions at all places, a new batch of students, those who have finished their A-levels, or diploma, or foundation studies, or degree students will come out to 'fill in their shoes'... People come, people go... But life goes on. The show must go on.

Weird as it may seem, I have been excited to enter university in March. But now, I felt the feeling that I missed so much about my 'mall' life (yes, missed my Form Six school life too!)... the place where students hang out after school expecially on Fridays, making me feel so young... During weekends, families came to hang around with children, reminding me of the early months last year (without my mind worrying about STPM) where I usually am 'forced' to go 'hang gai' with my family, upon the request of my younger siblings who just want to escape from their studies in school. There's no need to worry about anything. It is a whole new environment for us young fellas to experience a whole new life apart from just being students. There's so much to learn, yet knowing that we can never stay long here.

Unfortunately I found out that I have taken for granted the freedom that I have been given for the past half a year... always thinking why these people force us to work eight to nine hours per day, leaving us no time to do our favourite things. I also regret not trying out other challenging jobs out there in the city centre, or in other cities trying to survive myself. Yeah, found out that I was really pampered a lot by my family (especially my parents)... eat dinner prepared by Mom, watch TV the whole time, spend time on the computer for so long everyday, sleep until so late everyday (work don't start until 10.30am on a weekday)... Especially the sleep thing... SO don't want to wake up early for college... Now after meeting new people from other places from as far as Alor Setar and Kuching, who is staying in various accommodations around UTAR... living independently... I was so scared that I will not be able to survive if I were to be one of them, or if I were to go to Kampar for this course right now (FYI, I heard that I am going to continue my bachelor's degree in Kampar in January next year.) I got to toughen up now... Of course, I felt blessed and lucky to be able to live in current conditions, where I got to see my family EVERY SINGLE DAY (and it IS a good thing).

There's this saying: All good things will come to an end. Guessed this is it. Partying is over, it is time to get down to business... time to start my journey in university... time for a whole new chapter of my life which I expect to be filled with ups and downs... But I can't wait to see what's in store for me in the future!

Why (on Earth) Actuarial Science?

Why Actuarial Science? I am also not really sure myself. But after a lot of researching on the subject, what I can explain to others about the field of actuarial science is: the application of mathematics especially statistics and probability in the insurance and banking fields to make predictions and forecasts... or something like that...

I don't blame anyone if you guys don't know what the **** am I studying.... e.g. "what kind of science is that? Physical science?" Haha...

Why not engineering? Yeah... that's the thing... had a long long chat until the wee hours of the morning with my parents the other day... and one important point is that I don't really have that inquisitive and technical and hands-on thing... even though I still love physics...

See la... I heard a lot of ppl changed course after one semester... failing rate really high... I am here just to try my luck... Kind of digging my own grave... (no la... can't be that 'cham'...)

Working people in Sunway Pyramid

Usually when people walk in shopping centres such as Sunway Pyramid, they often do not wonder how does it feel to work in one of the shops that they have seen. As a person who frequently walk (not shop!) in Sunway Pyramid, I actually come to imagine myself if I were them, if I were to work just like those people in the restaurants on the tables or inside the kitchen, or even as a shop assistant in shops... These people really work full time and... nope, they do not work temporarily... they usually work like more than two or three years in think la...

Which comes to my point: these people DO really work in shopping malls as their CAREER... (instead of people like us who work for a few months only...) I am not really sure if these people really don't have a dream of getting a real 'career' like a doctor, or an engineer or stuff like that... they would rather stay in their job for a long period of time and become manager or something like that, or switch jobs after a few years (a few years if that job really turns out well... maybe even shorter if they found out that they are not really suitable for the job anymore). Perhaps these people are supervisor of some shops (which I think will come with a very high pay) or they simply like doing these jobs for many years to come as a way of survival...

Anyway, I have walked past almost all the shops... And I can't imagine working at any one of them for a really long period of time. What I am trying to say is that we (yeap, we graduates from sec school) should have aim high in life... and to work hard in whatever that we do, and try our best in whatever that we want to pursue. Life is more that just work rotating around shops or staying and working with one shop for years and years... there's more to that. There's so much out there that we are capable of doing. We are young, and there's so many opportunities out there waiting for us to grab.

All in all, it was still a good experience for me to talk to the people (well, to discuss about salary, ahaha=) ) and look at the shop surroundings to kinda make me imagine how's life if I were to work here or work there... It has been an incredible experience of working in the many shops that I have worked in for the past four months and the four months after SPM... I wonder when we people can work again when we enter university...

Income Tax

These few days my parents have been busy doing the income tax forms thing... I guess we will need to do the same thing when we are adults later on...

Looks really complicated.... haha! But I tried to have a peek... I understand a bit here and there, but also at the same time, do not understand a bit here and there... haha....

Demopower Interview

Last Friday, went for the Demopower Interview. Well, actually it was really for fun. Hehe... Nothing to lose if they reject me... But if they accept I would be really happy... I really wanna try out promoting, just like those in the supermarkets (got inspired by those people while I was in Jusco working...)

So, I drove all the way to the Demopower office which was at Section 16 of Petaling Jaya. Was asked to sit in a meeting room. Then, a woman asked us to follow her to a training room which looks like a classroom. There, we were given a piece of registration paper. Next, they will call out one by one our names, and asked us to follow them to a room. There were two person in the room which I was usher in. A man and a woman.

"Introduce yourself, please."

I introduced myself la, of course. Very briefly.

"What are you doing now?"

"When do you plan to go back to study?"

"Why do you want to work as a promoter?"

"So, you actually work as a sales assistant in Jaya Jusco before?"

"You also worked at Sunway Pyramid as a guest service staff?"

"You worked in McDonald's before also?"

"How much was the pay for the jobs? Really RM3 only ah for McD? RM4 for Lagoon ah?"

Don't need to type out the answers, but I kinda think I answered well to those questions. Weird as it seems, but I think I was not being myself when I answered those questions...

"There's so many people outside, why do you think out of the bunch of people we should take you in?"

"What are your qualities? Why do you think you will be a great promoter?" (Or something like that...)

"Here's three products (there's a milk powder, a shampoo, and a insect killer thing... I guess-lah... actually I forgotten already except for the milk powder...) Choose one and promote to us...

So, I promote la... Actually I think I did terrible for this one. I don't know if it is because the two person in front of me are judging me, or maybe I just not up to the standard that they want... Anyway, hopefully, they can give me a second chance next time when I sign up again... (Oh dear, so fast already know I can't do it..)

After a few thank yous, and a few handshakes, I walked out of the room, and out of the office. The office was really like those typical offices that you see in the movies... and each one of them (if I remember) have an ad stand which helps you to promote your product... I guess each of them are in charge of a certain product...

Didn't time my interview, but it was not too long not too short. Very friendly the two of them. But I don't think I will be keeping my fingers crossed that they will give me the job... But at least I been in there, and got the whole experience of the interview... haha... Anyone wants to go there next time? Can come and ask me for some tips.. haha...

CHS Excellence Awards Ceremony 2008

This post will be very short. Just a short recap of CHS Excellence Awards Ceremony on 21st, Saturday morning...

What happened on that day? Ordinary stuff... not like we have not seen how it worked before when we were in Form Five or Form Six...

Out of ten from U6F/2007 who got 3As and above, only five turned up that day. The other classes I don't know. Anyway, I expected it to be very low key at least for our class....

VIPs on stage, with the banner on the background

One section of the hall (this left section of the hall is reserved for prize winners)

The right section of the hall. The front rows are for the parents and teachers; the back rows are for the CHS students.

One of the performances: "The Possessed Maska" Performance

UTAR Kampar Campus Visit

Last Sunday, my family and I went to UTAR Kampar Campus' Open Day (which was of course, at the Kampar campus!)

Long story cut short... drove all the way there... went for a tour around the campus... took a few photos. Very nice building indeed... or more like: nice environment... nice view... nice surrounding... nice... wateva la....

Can't really describe the tour for you guys... it's best that you take one day off and then have a look for yourself the university that has everyone talking about these few years... (at least within my family...)

Anyway, my thought of the new campus? Exhilarating. Beautiful scenery indeed (as stated above). Not surprising as the new campus was ready just a couple of years ago.. The hallways are very wide... Spacious. The rooms for the talks were big enough... three of the four sides of the room is made of glass... easy for people outside to see what is happening inside...

There's also the talks and booths for you to ask questions... nothing new there...

Final comment? Definitely a good environment/place for one to study, at least infrastructure wise... the lecturers? That one I promise myself to seriously do some research on it... But the talk speakers over there shown to the audience the list of all the names of the lecturers as well as their qualifications... which I think was done to kinda like reassure the parents and their kids that their programmes are really of high standard...

If I may, I want to state my opinion on UTAR. One thing I don't like about UTAR is that the students and even staffs like to converse using Cantonese or Mandarin. When I was sending in my application form there last December, even though I told her about me sending in the form in English, the girl at the counter still speaks to me in Mandarin!! Something like... (in Mandarin) "Send this form to the counter over there..." Come on! I don't blame if she speaks broken English or anything...

Oh yeah, the same thing with the office staff that I worked with while I was a temporary assistant at UTAR. "Do you understand Cantonese?" That was like the second thing that the girl said to me after introducing herself to me. Aiyo...

Front Building

Inside the exhibition hall

Canteen

Food Menus at the Canteen
View from the Canteen (Canteen on the left)

Library under construction

That's me!

UTAR Temporary Assistant

On 4th April I went for an interview at PJ UTAR campus for their temporary examination assistant position. Actually saw the advertisement in the newspaper three days prior and called up to ask when is the appointment. So, took two buses till I got there. Interviewed. Basically, the most important thing was for us to declare that we do not have any siblings, friends, relatives or any other people who are close to us, who are currently studying in UTAR. Informed of the working time: 8am till 6pm for those who chose to work at the PJ or Setapak campuses, and 7am till 7pm for those who wants to work at the Sungai Long campus (with transport being provided as well). Of course the main thing was how much was the pay... FROM WHAT I HEARD, he told us that it is RM5 per hour. RM5. (Maybe I really listened wrongly about it...)

But our working period do not start till 21st, which was almost two weeks away. Was going to look for another job nearby at Sunway Pyramid until I got a call from the same guy, Mr. Lim on Monday who asked me if I can start work the next day. I agreed and the next day I arrived at the PJ campus right on time. After signing in, he introduced me to two of the staffs in his department. Next, was down to business. Basically the job was this: (at least for the two days I was working there) to calculate the amount of examination answer sheets a hall require, and then pack them, and tie them up properly. The three of us assigned among ourselves who do what: one person count the papers, one person do the packing, and another one tying. That was what we did for the first half of the day, up until lunch time.

After having lunch with the other office staffs (for blog posting purpose, I refused to acknowledge them as colleagues... They are permanent staffs and I am temporary... haha..), it's time to continue my work. This time I need to do everything on my own, which was to calculate the correct number of test papers, graph papers, query forms etc. (didn't know there are so many kinds of stuff @.@) for each type of examination and class hall. Then, I need to wrapped them up. (Exactly like what I did before this.)

It was around 4.30pm when suddenly I received a call from the HR Department. The person asked me to go and sign the offer letter. Oh! Went there and looked at the form: RM 26 per day for nine hours!! What? I thought it was RM5 per hour?

I quickly went to meet my supervisor (Mr. Lim), who knew right away why I was looking for him. "Come into the room, I explained to you..." Blah.. blah.. he explained. "At the end, you still get around RM4 per hour, in fact, you will get more than those people, if you calculate also overtime."

No lah, it was all my fault, my mistake again: didn't ask for the offer letter. Then it didn't cross my mind for it: a lot of the shops that I have worked before in Sunway Pyramid don't have this kind of thing... even though Jusco have one.

So, what to do? The next day, I gave 24 hours quit notice. I was thinking all the time the night before how to tell this guy. He is going to flip out, I thought. Yeap, he did.

"What???!!!" he asked loudly.

At that time, I don't really care if I will get paid or not. But then he assured me that a cheque will be given to me at the end of the month. Anyway, all I was thinking about was to get out of there...

Oh dear, my fourth job ended just like that... two days.

KL International Book Fair and PICOM PC Fair

Went to two places within a day. First was to PWTC to visit the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair. First time there so wasn’t sure what to expect from it. It turns out that it was really not what I thought it would be. I mean, it is stated there “International”, but there wasn’t anything ‘International’ about the fair. Hmm…

It was about Malay books… I don’t think I saw English books or Chinese books there… except for a section where they sell magazines (which really surprises me because it was supposed to be a ‘book fair’…sell magazines like Times and Readers’ Digest??) There were also revision books for secondary schools… (Har? What does it has to do with International Book Fair??)

Kinda really looking forward to the Popular Bookstore’s Fair… but that will be like… 2 months away!! I remember my family and I spent the whole day at the Fair once… it was so great, so many interesting books for us to read… I wasn’t ready to go home when it was time to go!!

Spent less than an hour there (have to lor, since I paid like RM2.40 just to detour to PWTC, might as well use the best out of it…). Then made my way to KLCC for the PICOM PC Fair!! Yeap, have been looking forward to it, not that I want to buy anything… (In fact, did not even buy anything, maybe except a small thumb drive…) I noticed that the LRT trains have notices advising customers using its services to buy their tickets early to avoid congestion at the KLCC station. Good thought!

My STPM results

I will be deadly honest about how I feel about my results: I don't feel anything.

Yeah, I'm dead serious.

It does not matter. Up until now I still don't know what that I want to study, where do I want to study. I don't have a clear vision of the future. I am practically as lost as a person can be. I can't see myself in a year's time in university, let alone imagining what will happen to me in five years or ten years time (darn those colleges and universities asking me what do I see myself doing in five years, or ten years, or twenty years, or... don't care also, damn many years la...)

Darn those As... for what? What's the use of pursuing a course like Engineering because one got A for Physics, when that person is not a hands-on person, not someone who are curious about things that happen all around him... My father told me, it's not enough to be able to understand in a snap of a finger, the syllabus of the subject, but continuously be curious about things, to always think out of the box...

Let me see... I don't even really have the urge to learn how to drive early... I mean, after SPM. I passed my driving test, in fact, almost 16 months after my 17th birthday (the eligible age to start learning to drive). I have always been a simple person (tell me, if you heard me talking to anyone about the latest electronic gadgets or cars or stuff like that...)

Maybe civil? But am I the sort of person who likes to go up and down, letting myself expose to danger, able to communicate with contractors, architects and etc. in such an outdoor environment? Or perhaps mechanical or e&e? No way. I am not that person who takes out small gadgets and see what is it inside....

Or perhaps chemical engineer? Hmm.... never really felt excited about chemistry experiments back when I was in Form Six. Never got my results out good. (i.e. always copied my friends' readings... the same goes to the questions... just can't think so fast.. or is it that I am lazy to find out the answer to it beforehand?) And don't ask me to start counting on the number of apparatus that I broke in the lab (come to think about it, no one asked me to pay for them... why ah?)

If the way we study engineering in university is just like how we study in Form Six then I don't have any worries. It is the speakers of the talks, and the people at the education fairs that 'question our interest to study a particular subject' by questioning us about our past... whether or not we are like this, like that...'because if not, you better consider studying something else other than engineering'... they said.

My parents found out about actuarial science and talked me about considering that course also (yeah, pay is a lot, IF you pass the professional papers which passing rate is like 15%...) Somehow thought about my characteristics, and felt like I should just sit down in the office and calculate, and earn money just by doing so... to be an accountant...(But for that I need to start ALL OVER AGAIN... which I am not prepared to do so...)

I am still blaming myself for making the wrong choices that I made after SPM... I know I should be dwelling over it, but I guess that I am now...

Next Step After STPM is?

I have asked before a lot of people from my sixth form class about what course they want to study next after STPM. At that time, we have not sit for the exam yet. Anyway I thought those who have came in to Physics class in Form Six should have already know what they want to study, but a lot of them have not decided yet.

Anyway, I have started thinking about it right after I finished my STPM. I kinda thought that since I like Physics I thought that I should go for a career in Engineering. But liking Physics and scoring good Physics grades aren't going to promise one a brilliant future in engineering (an analogy to that of medicine: interest in biology and fantastic grades in Biology aren't gonna guarantee that person is going to graduate as a medical student and become a doctor...)

The thing is that we kinda need to 'predict' that we would succeed in the field that we choose right now. One might be so interested in course A, and so thought a lot before joining. But maybe two or three years down the road he or she might lose interest and drop out. Not that that person does not persevere. One can't force him or herself to continue studying that course if that person don't have interest in it anymore. Also, not that he or she did not do optimum research in the course or the profession that the person want to take up. I mean: how can one know that what he is seriously interested in right now, will equally interest him few years down the road?

Really REALLY CONFUSED right now what to study next...

Work at Sunway Lagoon

It was Thursday evening at about five thirty when I received a call from someone from Sunway Lagoon. “Sheng Hung, could you come and work tomorrow?” she asked.

I was quite surprised at first, because I remember going for an interview at Sunway Lagoon some one and a half months ago. And I have only received one reply, which was during Chinese New Year (obviously, I did not take up the offer). It wasn’t long before I realized that they need more staff because it’s the school holidays. I returned her call after some consideration, and she gave me more details of my job.

So, all in all, I worked only for two and a half weeks there.

Yeap, I quit so that I have more time to do my post-STPM results things. (Don’t worry, I won’t mention a thing about that…haha…)

Anyway, back to my job. I was a guest service staff there. Basically the things that I do were checking bags and scanning of wristband (to those who don’t know, visitors are to wear wristbands to enter and exit the park). Place of work was at the entrances and exits of the park (there are two of each, one entrance and exit at the main entrance next to J Co, the other entrance and exit can be reached via escalator next to the Pyramid Tower Hotel).

Checking bags. Blah… blah… blah… I think everyone should now know about the procedures… It was not easy at all (not that I ever thought it was going to be easy…). First of all, let’s talk about the contents of the bags. Some of the visitors’ bags could be easily checked. Firstly, for small bags I would touch the outer portion of the bag, and if I want to, I could ask them to open their bag (procedure: the visitors are the ones to open their own bags, not us). Okay, nothing hard there (there were a few who lock their bags with codes… hmm…)

If I am satisfied that they were not bringing any food or drinks inside, I will allow them to pass, and they will move on to the tag scanning area. But if there’s a lot of clothing inside the bag, I would ask them to take out their clothes, and let me check further.

Okay, here’s the tricky part. What if they were caught with food inside their bags? Well, I would tell them to either finish it first, or put them in the lockers in the mall. The problem now was that many of the parents who were bringing their children refused to follow the rule; they insisted on bringing in food.

“This is for my children mah… they are so small…”

Well, I was scolded many times, but usually I would refer to my supervisors (just so that they could be the subjects of anger… haha!)

Not even water is allowed. Empty bottles are allowed.

I have to admit: this rule is very stupid. I did not ask my supervisors about the reasons behind the ruling (forgotten, should have asked), but as a staff I just followed lor.

Why? Water bottles also cannot bring in ah?

Ma’am, you can bring in the empty bottle. You first need to pour away the water. There are water fillers inside the park for you to refill your water bottle.

Water only wor?

Ma’am, (Pointing to the sign) no food and drinks allowed.

Pour it all out and refill again. Why like that? Isn’t it the same?

Sorry ma’am. It’s the rule here.

(Pause) Why even plain water also cannot go in?

I think it’s because there is a pool inside and they don’t want people to pour in… (As I have said, I do not know the reason behind this, I just made this up myself.)

But I am sick, I can’t drink other types of water than the one I cook at home.

It’s the rule here. It applies to everybody, ma’am.

Why got so stupid rule one?

Yeah (touching my head), I know…

Then usually people would go to the front where there’s a drain, and pour out the water. This certainly got some attraction from the other visitors. (One visitor was right when he said that doing so would embarrass him in front of his crowd, but I still don’t have a choice. Of course, he was furious.)

Sometimes, people just got so furious about this food and drinks thing that they would ask for a refund (after I refused them entry).

This checking procedure gives a bad first impression to the visitors, even before they pass through the tag scanning area. But as I have said before, I did it because I was following the rules. And it’s the truth.

I heard from my colleague who was performing the same task, that a lot of people got fired, sometimes on the spot, for allowing people with food to enter. Anyway, I wonder how are the people doing this kind of job gets satisfaction when they are being scolded and humiliated in front of large crowds? Not to mention, the pay is so low…

Okay, so much about this bag checking thing, there’s another task that we need to perform, which was tag scanning when the visitors enter and exit. We need to check whether they are wearing the correct wristbands (there’s two different sizes of wristbands for adults and children, and different colours for different areas that they can enter. There are paper wristbands also for tour groups and online tickets). If they lost the paper or rubber wristbands, they need to pay RM10 or RM50 respectively before they are allowed to exit.

That’s all. How I feel about my job? Well, the part-time staffs are underpaid (there are full-time staffs also). Of course la, what else matters other than the pay?

How I feel? Well, it is a very challenging job… in fact, if they were to conduct a proper interview to see my caliber, I doubt I would pass that one for the job.

Will I work there again? No.

Working Experience at Jusco

It has been very long since I last posted something here. Just to revive my blog, here's what had happened in my life up until now, and what I am up to right now.

I worked 'very very briefly' at Jusco. It was so brief that I did not get any salary from Jusco. Nope, I was not fired, I quit. I could have got my salary by informing Jusco seven days prior to my resignation, but I thought, since I just worked THREE days at Jusco, I might as well quit without any strings attached (correct language?). Actually when I interviewed for the position of sales assistant the lady there asked me if I can do liquor and wine department. I said I would prefer other departments. She then told me to be present that day, and next she will decide then on where should she put me.

So, I reached the Jusco staff entrance at 9.30am, where a Jusco security staff brought us up the lift and into a room. (They are the Blue Waves, some of them wearing just a T-shirt, some of them wearing full security guard uniform) Then, two ladies came in, and they were the Management Trainees. They looked through our application forms and asked for lots of things... SPM results la, Maybank account la, photostated copy of IC la...etc etc. It was a small room with I think was fourteen new staffs, sitting in a circle on sofas.

After all those stuff was done away, they spoke about the rules, conduct, etc... etc... (oops, I think this is going to be boring...) Then it was lunch, then we were told to sign some contract. Then it's time to get our UNIFORMs. Next, I was sent to my department: Liqour.

Okay, fast forward a bit. What I did for the three days was helping to carry boxes, arranging the items properly from time to time, helped out with the labelling, stock up things etc. etc. It did not take me long to realize my perception on sales assistants was wrong: Sales assistants are not the one who talk to the customers about clothes, about wine, about television things and stuff like that. They are the ones who assists with the products, arranging them and that sort of things... HUGE DIFFERENCE!!

So, after three days of hard work, I quit. There were people who came up to me and asks why did I chose to work there, including the lone Chinese worker there who is working as cashier. After a good talk with him, who is two years my junior in terms of age (after SPM), I decided to quit. I actually did not quit properly, and I don't see the need to do so actually. I don't get paid even if I inform the supervisor face to face, or I type out a formal letter and send it to the management office.

Okay, learnt my lesson well. But anyway, life goes on. Will update soon on my new job!

Our New Pet!

Last month our auntie gave us a Silky Terrier! Of course, everyone in the family was excited about the newest member of the family...

Here's a few photos of the Silky Terrier who was given, after a few days of deliberation among us, 'Jackie'... a name which until now I can't figure why was chosen...haha... (I was not the one who suggested it.):

Chinese New Year Photos

Happy Chinese New Year!!!

Okay, first, the fact: Both my father's parents and my mother's parents are in the Klang Valley (One in PJ and one in KL Cheras area).... Conclusion? No long travel needed. To me and my family, there's not such thing as going back to 'hometown'... haha...

Nevertheless, my CNY celebrations was as festive as years before... I'll let the following photos speak for themselves (it happened that my camera does not have enough batteries while I was in my grandparents' houses... oops!):




Picture taken at the Thai Temple along Jalan Gasing on the first day of Chinese New Year. From left: my sister, my Mom, Dad and I. My brother was holding the camera.

Went for a walk in Mid Valley as we really have nothing to do after lunch on the first day of Chinese New Year. This was taken at the concourse area. From left: My sister, my brother and I.

Haha... two photos for now first...

Hmm.. Why Not Department Stores?

Why not department stores?

Well, at first I thought the whole department store thing was too big for me... there's so many small shops around each selling different things, or offering different services... why go to such big stores?

I was having a really hard time trying to adjust my time to the working hours of the small shops... most of them requires me to stay from ten till ten or for four hours at night... The last thing that I want to do is to work at night when all my family members are at home relaxing... furthermore, what am I supposed to do during daytime?

Initially just for information I asked one of the department stores about the working hours and the pay and things like that...(apparently for Jusco, there is only one session when the interview takes place: 3 till 6 in the evening, not like anytime....) Actually the pay was like normal stores, but the working hours can be from 9.30am till 5.30pm for morning shift...

Actually wanted to start work asap but then because of CNY (I asked to take leave but was not allowed because too late notice...). So, she asked me to work after CNY... booked a place, but now with the class visit on the working I will try to get 16th holiday... which is kinda weird. Look: Tomorrow, I am applying for leave on 16th when I only start work on 11th...haha! Wonder how they will deal with this kind of application...

Sunway Lagoon Interview Process

Let's get straight to the point...

Actually one of the jobs that I considered before was Sunway Lagoon Theme Park (SLTP)... why? The other shops so far that I have asked ALL needs me to stay back at night during weekdays or weekends... Hey come on, that is the only time where I can spend my quality time with my family... (And not forgetting, I can't really spend much time with my family when I enter university later... so got to appreciated the time that I have with them now...)

SLTP opens from 11 till 6 on weekdays except Tuesday when it is closed. On weekends it opens one hour earlier. Bingo! No working at night.... furthermore I can work in such a happy merry kinda atmosphere... with family with kids... got to be a fun experience I thought...

Wanted to go to the office on a Thursday afternoon, but was told by the security guard there that the office will only conduct interviews on Monday (he told me that there IS, in fact, vacancy in Sunway Lagoon.). So, on that day arrived there at ten o'clock. I was ushered in to the main office which was surprisingly, situated in the middle of the theme park... like nowhere actually... haha! Went straight to the counter and the lady told me there weren't really any fields of work that I can choose... it is either.... if I can remember... customer service... lifeguard... zookeeper... that kind of stuff...

She said that they need lifeguard... asked if I can swim... I said I can... the woman told me to see this guy for test... the result... haha, don't ask me how I fared...

So this one I failed, went for customer service interview... was asked to wait for this man... but ended waiting for like almost 20 minutes before he was available for us. We were told to go in in groups of three. So, I went in with two guys who just finished their SPM. The man went straight down into business (obviously...)....

"Don't think this job is easy ah... just sitting there and collect money and issue tickets... you need to attend to the customers' needs... you need to check bags... "

Actually the job was supposed to look simple but then he explained to us so seriously as though it is like a job that thousands would want to have but not everyone is qualified for it...

"Okay, I will inform you all at a later date..."

Then we shook hands with the man and went out of his office room. It was a weird feeling....and I was thinking when I gave my pass to the security guard, collect my MyKad and walked out of the gate:

"Okay, so got to keep looking for jobs....again...."

Photos Photos Photos

Since I am sooooo freeeee at the moment, I thought I will post some pics... it has been so long... Afraid that I might forget how to do so if I don't do it often...

Here we go...

My family and I on holiday in Cameron Highlands in December. Picture taken on a hill on top of a Boh Tea Garden situated between Ringlet and Tanah Rata towns. Very nice view up there... got to climb up there and witness it yourself...

My family and I at a beach in Port Dickson.

My family and I at the living room with our Christmas tree... and some of my siblings' soft toys...haha...

My family having a barbecue at our house front yard on New Year's Eve... went out to watch fireworks display after that... so nice!!

Aih... now school started... wonder when can we do these things again in the future...

Any job?

Any job suitable for my consideration? Any job recommendation?

This is very odd... there's so many stores inside Sunway Pyramid but yet I couldn't get a job that 'suits my taste'... (okay la, I know I am choosy...)

Maybe it was middle of the month and the jobs are all snapped up.. maybe in the beginning of February there's people who are leaving and then I can take over...

No transportation (unless in PJ area... my mom will fetch my younger siblings to school in the morning and after school... that way I can come down at those times...)

If there's vacancies in school the better... haha...

'The vacancy was already filled.... FOUR HOURS AGO!!!!'

FOUR HOURS...

FOUR HOURS ONLY!!!!

Aiyoo!!! That's how late I am in getting the last position available... (and I did not even know that it's the last vacancy available...) Actually I could have been earlier but then... anyway, here's the story...

I actually arrived Chen Moh about 4 something on Wednesday (the vacancy I am applying for is a temporary teacher... btw...). I was asked to look for this teacher.. The teacher was saying... I forgot already but she was kinda saying 'I don't think we need more teachers already... we have enough...' something like that lah...

She took down my number... and told me that she will call when there's a job. Then she told me to pass up the form that was earlier given to me TOMORROW to the front desk.... (didn't really take serious note of it...)

Then I left. On Friday I came back to the school to pass in the form to the counter. (In the meantime I walked around Sunway Pyramid to look for jobs...) The person at the counter then told me that she was waiting for me... and that someone came to pass it to her!! I was directed to see a Senior Assistant who told me that the job vacancy was filled....

FOUR HOURS AGO!!!

Ayaya.... four hours only... should have just... four hours late...

ARGH!

Not that it is so very important... actually they told me to look for other schools which are although near but not where I can easily get to...

Some miscommunication there I guess...

Wrong on my part...

Suddenly wanted this teacher's job so badly...

Anyway, life moves on...

If any of the schools need someone to step in... I am available... as of right now...

Not going to find job until February... waiting for those January people to 'step down' and for me to replace them...

I know it's only a couple of months... five months but... I really want to make it memorable instead of just... filling in the time... (Actually that's what I thought about initially...)

TEACHING????!!!!

Teaching??!!

That's like the last thing that I want to do after finishing STPM...

But then later found out that a lot of ppl actually are teaching in primary school...

Went to get one form from a primary school in PJ Old Town the other day... The teacher told me that there's no vacancy at the moment but gave me a piece of paper... shocked in the beginning when I saw that I need to give one month's notice before quitting... but then, I should have known about it... it's not like I can just throw everything aside at the second that I say I want to quit right?

Thinking about the ppl who I know are currently teaching... the way I am... I am not like them! They really suits to be great teachers in the future... not like me who is so intimidated by the students when I saw them again in school the other day... They are so outgoing and... I can't be like them... no matter how hard i try...

I can't remember how do my teachers back in primary school taught me... I don't think my classmates can still recall too.. but then some of their relatives, may it be their parents or older siblings may have taught primary school before... that's why they know what to expect... I can only imagine through reading the blogs... (Thank goodness there are things called blogs...)

Orientation Week (3rd Day) - Ice-Breaking and Tele-Match

This is the most interesting event which I have looked forward to for the past.... wait, I only found myself interested in joining it the day before... haha!

It was what they called 'Ice-Breaking and Tele-Match'. (shoot, forgot where I put my programme book for that day... if I have it now I would have scanned it and put it on the net...) Anyway, arrived there early and registered. I was given a name card with a string which I can hang it over my neck... (after typing that line I went to hunt for this name card also, thinking I should keep it as a rememberance... nowhere to be found.... :(

While waiting for the crew to call us, I had a few chats with some new students that I have just knew in campus... looks like everyone was really in the mood to get to know new people... The students were really from all around Malaysia... I met two from Johor, a few locals, one from Sarawak...

It was not long before we were told to put our bags in a room and then gather at the car park. First it was the speeches by the chairman, the chairperson, a staff from the DSA (Department of Student Affairs)... and then some short briefing by the committee members of the event...

The next event was morning warm-up exercises... you know la... the aerobic stuff with the music on... and everyone was jumping up and down loosen up their body... Kinda felt like young schoolchildren again...

We were then assigned to four groups according to our name tag colours... and the fun then began... Our first station was 'Blind Man Walking'. Members of a team need to line up and successfully walk across a field where there will be chairs as obstacles along their path.... with their eyes BLINDFOLDED! The only person that will not be blindfolded will be the person who is the last person lining up behind. No one are allowed to talk... so the trick here was that the last person needs to give signals in way of hitting the person in front of him... and then the person that was being hit will then hit the person in front of him and so on... so that the message would be able to send across...

Okay, I give up... It's hard to explain... You can't feel the excitement unless you are really playing the game...

Next! We need to search for sweets in a lecture theatre... in the dark! So how to look for the sweets? Well, we were given candles (which are lightened up, of course!). Nothing interesting actually... all the funny places that the senior thought of hiding the sweets... we was able to find them all!!

3rd station was the paper-scissors-stone game... yeah, the one we watch on television... Again it's one team versus the other... and the winner from the battle will get the chance to splash water on the losing opponent... The only way that person do not get wet is to use the umbrealla given to him/her...

4th station was the human link game and the water balloon game... 5th one was about finding sweets from a bowl of flour... the last one was treasure hunting...

I give up... no use describing without photos of the event...

But anyway, just in case anyone of you happened to enter UTAR sometime in the future... then hopefully you will get a rough idea of what the tele-match was all about...

As of now, I am now looking for work... hopefully I can find work really soon... desperate to go out there and do something instead of playing games here at home...

Orientation Week 2008 (First and Second Day)

Last Wednesday to Friday, I attended the UTAR KL Campus Orientation 2008. Now before I go any further, want to note this out first... I discussed with my family and we have decided that:

I WILL NOT GO FOR JANUARY INTAKE

Yeap... this was after I found out from a classmate of mine that he don't know anyone who is taking up bachelor degree courses that starts in January... everyone is waiting for the results in March. Some have decided to do courses that are not available here in Malaysia, some hopes to enter public universities...

Anyway, back to the topic...

I submitted my forms to enter Electric and Electronics Engineering in UTAR in KL. Checked out the website after a few days and saw that my application have been approved. Someone from the office also called my phone about going to the PJ Campus (that's where I dropped my application form to) to collect my conditional offer form.

So on the first day, I took the LRT from Amcorp Mall to the Wangsa Maju station. Then I took a bus to TAR College (As far as I know as of right now there's no public bus from the LRT station to UTAR). Next, I walked for about ten minutes to UTAR...

(Okay, straight to the point...)

1st day

Those who have paid up all the fees are given some freebies and important documents and stuff like that... Since I have not paid up, I am not entitled to these... Next we were ushered to the Lecture Hall. At 9.30am the events started. First it was... er... (Now looking at the orientation programme list in front of me...) a video presentation, then some brief speeches from PIC of the library, ICTC, Dept of Student Affairs, and also student representatives (the guys who put this thing together...), people from the counselling unit, soft skills unit, and a rep from the Institut Integriti Malaysia...

Somehow when one of the student representatives was giving a speech, blackout occurred. Things went on as usual however.

Learnt a lot of new friends... But I think when I first stepped into the school compound my parents and I already kinda knew that I am not going to be studying there right now... It was me who made the decision to study in January because I would probably can't make up my mind of which engineering course to study when it is time to choose anyway...

2nd day

The dean of the faculty gave us a talk... or rather an overview of the rules, general information of UTAR, info about how the courses are like and so on... briefly speaking, the way she talked to us really was how she wanted us to take it... to tell and remind us that we are adults, no longer teenagers or students at school 'that needs to be spoon-fed'... we need to be independent and have the initiative to study alone.. blah.... blah.... you'll get it...

The most interesting, important and major part of the whole orientation thing must be the welcome and mass call event. This was where all the students took their oath (is this the word?) and pledge (something like that la...) as new students of UTAR in front of the VIPs of the university. Even the President was here to deliver her speech... according to her, she and her team of university officials have been to different campuses (UTAR has four campuses) to attend to these mass call sessions. Other high-ranking university officials were also there to accompany her.

Before the mass call session I kinda imagined how it will be held. Glad to have attended such an event. I think all the students must have felt a strong sense of belonging to the university after that.

Anyway, after some slide shows about various topics, it's time for some serious stuff... the PTPTN loan. Heard a lot of it but since it is regarding my tuition fees, it has always been my parents that asked questions or discussed about it... I considered a long time ago that when it comes to financial matters it will be under my parents' jurisdiction (even though we never clarified it... and it's not that I don't want to care about it... they are the ones who told me not to worry about it...)

Surprisingly.... or not surprisingly... a lot of questions were raised during the session. Now I realized how indepedent these students really are... Really humble about that fact... I am such a loser...

Last Day of the Year

It's the last day of the year,

Yet from the moment that I woke up from my bed,

Have been feelin' that today will be kinda like any other ordinary day,

Any other day where I will be lazing around the house doing nothing,

Any other day where there will be nothing really special going on...

Yet, I will not let that happen,

It's the last day of the year,

It's time to finish off unfinished business,

Time to reflect on what had happened during the past one year,

Time to add some final touches on my personal goals and plans for the brand new year...

Bring it on, 2008!

Was Just Lying On My Bed

Was just lying on my bed,

Couldn't sleep well at all for the past few days,

Even though I woke up early this morning,

Even though I did not take a nap this afternoon,

Even though I did fill up my tummy during supper at night...

Was just lying on my bed,

Thinking what a year it had been;

A year full of laughter and sorrow,

A year full of achievements and failures,

A year full of memorable events that marks a chapter in my life…

Was just lying on my bed,

Looking forward on what’s in store for me in the near future,

Excited yet nervous on what’s going to happen in my life,

Planning on what I am going to do as I grow older,

Imagining what will I be in five years time, in ten years time, in twenty years time…

Was just lying on my bed,

Thinking, until I was sucked into a magical dream of mine...

Happy New Year

Wishing all readers a happy new year ahead!

It's Time...

It's time...

But just can't seem to leave the memories behind...

All the happy times that I have shared with the friends of mine...

Friends forever till the end of time!!!

Open Days and PICOM PC Fair

It was the first weekend after my STPM examinations... and I have planned quite a bit so that all the things can be fit into the two days of weekend...

This weekend the first private college that I heard of that was having its open day was Taylor's UC... for three days. I visited the campus myself to listen to a talk called "Project Based Engineering at Taylor's University College" by one of the lecturers... Actually I thought that the title was just something to attract people to listen to the talk... like, instead of putting plain two words "Engineering Talk" as its talk title... to attract people to come and listen and see for themselves what is engineering all about...

But my suspicions were true... it wasn't really about engineering as a field of study. From the very first five slides of the presentation, I could sense that a lot of the parents that were attending the talk must be wondering whether they really come here to listen to all these stuff... all these about what does the students in the engineering department do during their study here in Taylors...

But to me as an STPM engineering student I think it is very beneficial to me... it really gave me a picture of what to expect when I am going to study engineering next year...

The next day I went to the UTAR Setapak campus for their one-day open day. Also listened to the engineering talk, and participated in the campus tour... got to see for myself how the campus looks like. But the tour guide told me that the engineering department is in the midst of relocating to the new campus in Kampar... I heard that it's going to be as early as next year!! Imagine... next year I need to be in Kampar already?!!!

Actually wanted to drop by the FACON Edufair in PWTC but did not have the time... went straight to KLCC for the PICOM PC Fair... A lot of people as usual... didn't really buy anything as I was just there to look around only... (There's so many PC Fairs in a year... and also I don't really have anything to buy also...)...

FYI, still staying at home doing nothing these few days...

Finally... It's Over

It's Over... It's Over... It's OVERRR!!!

Finally... Phew... together we made it through....

Thanks to my classmates who have helped me get through this exam...

This was what happened after the Physics paper yesterday evening:

Some went to sing K... some went to play at arcade... some went to play Dota... (I followed TK, Ben, WK, SL there... have not played for almost one year already... need to catch up a lot...) Some went straight home and settle some things first before joining us again... and some just went home like that after the paper...

After playing DotA we joined the rest of the gang at some seafood restaurant in Puchong... then we headed to a few of our houses... and that included my house. Then 9 of us (TK, Ben, WK, SL, Jo, HC, CW, XH and me) went to some Laundry Bar at the Curve. KH didn't follow us. We joined ZJ who was waiting for us there for drinks... and I mean drinking liqour... I actually drink a lot... but I don't think I was drunk... maybe added too much coke.. haha...

I don't think we really talked about any 'relevant' topic... we just sat down there... keep on pouring liqour and coke and some tea water... and then Han took out a deck of cards and we started played silly games with it... the ones who lose were to drink a certain amount of liqour... haha... Actually this was the first time I have ever been inside these places... what an experience!

By the time we reached that place it was almost 11.30pm... and since it was Monday I think it was the reason why the bar do not open till really late... so at around 1am we left and the ten of us headed to our next destination: some food court near Sri Hartamas. There the most of us were introduced to a new kind of 'thing' (couldn't figure out how should I describe it...)... they pronounced it 'shee-sha' and the restaurant is near the fire station in Sri Hartamas... (I couldn't really make myself recognize of the place because it was so dark at that time!)

According to Jo, 'shee-sha' is like this thing where you suck the gas that was created when the water is heated using charcoal.... that's kinda how I get it. RM 10 for a full thing... don't know la... it's like an alternative substitute for cigarettes... but of course for those who are health conscious la... actually it wasn't really hygienic... everyone uses the some mouthpiece...

Then Ben suddenly saw one of his cousins with his friends at the restaurant drinking beer (I saw close to ten bottles of beer on the table...)... then what I heard was that they 'asked' Ben to drink like the whole jug of beer... and the rest of us kinda just stood there, sat there looking at the 'atmosphere'... WK and a few of us started to get worried about Ben when we saw the amount that he drank... he was supposed to drive us all back!!

It was 2 something when Ben, WK, TK and I left the food centre... and at 3am thanks to Ben, I safely reached home... I heard that the rest of the gang at the food centre left at around 3 something close to 4...

Phew, what a day it was! Then today I need to wake up early again 'cause Ben, WK, TK, SL, XH, YC and I were to play badminton at the Fu Chiu building. Then we joined QX, ST, Eunice and YY for lunch in KL and then we went back... I went to bed immediately after showering and woke up only for dinner...

Never imagine that the two days immediately after the exam will be like this... it was really fun.. thanks to everyone who had made these two days unforgettable to me... really hope the next time we will be able to do this again...

Now I am thinking that maybe I will start working next week... if not the holidays will be so boring... but this week I definitely want to relax first!!

This Is It...

This is it...

All these 1 year and six months is about this... the ultimate exam...

As of right now I am actually feeling a bit nervous... haha...

Anyway, the message that I want to send across this post:

Good luck to all my classmates and friends who are sitting for STPM!!!

I'm Still Here...

I'm still here...

Trying to remember how to draw graphs..... (Maths)

Trying to understand why potential difference across a capacitor decreases when another capacitor is connected in parallel with it..... (Physics)

Trying to remember the steps on how an amide can be converted into a carboxylic acid..... (Chemistry)

Trying to understand those dasar dasar thingy in my PA textbook..... (General Paper)

Still studying... or revising... or reading... whatever you call it...

Thought I will have a lot to write about after graduation... but looks like my mind is all over exam...

Actually that's good...

... I mean that I am focusing on something important...

To my fellow classmates and friends... study smart!!

Graduation Day - 31st October 2007

That was it...

After almost 1 and a half years that we spent together.... we need to bid our goodbyes to each other...

Yaa.. yaa.. I still know that we still got the chance to meet each other during the STPM exams... last year I was also thinking like that... but then my mind was fully on the exam itself at that time and not so much about spending time with the others...

Actually the whole time at Form Six I was trying to build up my character (so to speak... I don't know what type of character but just to be better la...). At the end of the day when I ask people to write in my yearbook (some did write things from the heart...that's what I want...) I realized that I didn't really changed much...

All along I know that I have this weakness that I need to correct myself and have been working on correcting it since I was in primary school... in fact me myself still thinks that I am a very quiet/shy person who doesn't speak much... (actually I was quite surprised why I wasn't voted the most quiet in class...)

I felt like I have been working to be a better person myself and trying to mix with the other people all these 18 months and thinking day by day, I am making progress in terms in my communication and social skills... and now that I have graduated... I felt like I did not do enough, and want to stay on working in these skills...

Anyway, there's always university that we can look forward to... so enough of sad stories...

To my classmates a.k.a. my friends, I will miss the times that we shared together and those times will have a special place in my heart.. I will always remember those times and will never forget you all... thanks for cherishing my duration here in U6F...

Come to think about it... It is so much easier to let out what our hearts want to say to our friends now that school term is over, rather than asked to write down these things a few months before we graduate...

Don't worry, I felt like I got a lot to write on the blog over the next few weeks... at least all of you can have fresh things to read... ahaha....

First Malaysian in Space

Going to witness the event of the first Malaysian going to ISS (International Space Station) on television... A really big moment actually.... somehow at one moment I really thought he would be going to the moon... haha....

Did Nothin' on PMR Week Holiday

To my classmates who are sitting with me for STPM... not to worry...

My first weekend was almost fully spent on sleeping all day...

Then on Monday was in KL in the afternoon until late at night... i.e. tuition and after that badminton and then went straight for my class gathering...

By the way, the buffet was quite cheap and worth it(I mean that in terms of pricing... not the standard... it was like a five star restaurant with five star food...) Maybe I am just not that kind of guy who frequently patron these places... even in the Ramadan month...

Anyway it was great to be able to just spend time with friends during these times when STPM is just around the corner... I think a lot of us there must have forgotten for a while that STPM is just 1 and half months away!!!

Exam's Over.... Exam's Near....

Today we had our last paper...

And that was it... Our Trial Exam...

After the exam I realized that the way that I study is not right... did not emphasised a lot on the right things...

Now there will be nothing that will stand in the way between now and STPM exam...

Probably TV and computer... haha...

STPM Trial Exam

Next week will be my trial exam...

Hopefully my results will be okay....

If not I will feel really pressured... everything will not seem right...

But if everything goes well, then probably I will RESUME playing com games... long time haven't been playing.. haha....

I don't think it will happen though...

Happy Retirement to our Principal

Happy Retirement to you,
our principal, Madam Tan Lin!

Majlis Persaraan was held today in the morning... the usual itinery lah... everytime she received a gift from anyone may it be the teachers or students... she would give them two big hugs... touching....

Somehow many people would rather stay home...

Malaysia turns 50!!!

Malaysia finally turns 50! Yippee!!

Went out to Sunway Pyramid thinking there will be some kind of Merdeka celebrations outside Sunway Pyramid...

There was nothing!

Just people hanging around... lepak... smoking... just enjoying another 'holiday'

Only a few who was holding the Jalur Gemilangs... Must have only realized that there will be no celebrations after all in Sunway...

My Current Life

"Ring.... ring....."

Go back home...

Have a nap...

Wake up, jog awhile...

Dinner...

Go online...

Finish my homework...

Sleep...

Next day...

"Ring.... ring...."

Go back home...

You know the drill...

(Maybe some days have tuition la... but what is it that is interesting about it anyway??)

Badminton

Not really that kind of person who plays badminton...

Used to play badminton for fun while I was in primary school back then...

But after that in secondary school my badminton was really bad...

No one with the same level to play with...

Kinda didn't play after that...

Anyway it was fun to play badminton again after so long...

Yeap, the first time I am holding up a badminton racquet after so many years...

Even though I was so terrible that they probably won't ask me to join them again... haha...

Anyway thanks for asking me to join ya'll guys...

MBPJ Swim Gala

Last Sunday helped out at the MBPJ Swim Gala from 7am until around 5pm at the Kelana Jaya Swimming Pool with PZ, PZ's cousin sister, Ben, CW and WK. Well, arrived late I was (Thanks to my family!) and they were waiting for me there. Were put in charge of handling the participants, and the organizing committee said that we were doing great... I think all of us were there just to get some experience, and I definitely got a lot....

Participants waiting to get some freebies.

The atmosphere.

Registration counter

Having lunch..

Treasuring the Time Spent at School

Somehow woke up and realize that I am not going to see my classmates for one week... well I actually can but then everybody would be busy studying.... Somehow the happy moments I had with my Form Five classmates flashed at my eyes and.... I am determine to enjoy every single second of my time remaining as a secondary school student until the very last minute when I step out of the school as an ex-student... and hopefully we can still keep in touch with each other regularly after exams....

Form Six is more than just STPM and Gerko marks

The title itself is self-explanatory... People don't just take Form Six to get good grades in STPM and high marks in Gerko just to get into university.... I don't think it should be the way... Form Six is more than just about studying for STPM and go into extra curricular activities just to get high Gerko marks... it is about learning about ourselves, gaining experience and knowledge, building up our character... If you don't want to hold important positions which are low and which will give you low marks.... I would happily take on the position.... really...

Cocurricular Activities Marks

This morning the teachers had a meeting... looks like this year's Gerko marks will follow strictly to the guidelines set by the ministry... my marks will be low, and so are the others. A lot of them make a big fuss about it.. that is, not getting high marks, afraid that it won't be enough for university entrance.... But to be honest I don't really care about this... oh, also the MUET thing (if I had achieved a Band 4, I don' think I will sit for it again.)... same story... Can't do anything about the Gerko Marks... now need to concentrate on STPM...