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

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 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!

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...

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...

Pictures From Our Visit to Our Old House in Ipoh

Hello! Now I will start putting in some pictures into my blog... just to make it 'on par' with others (who also put up pics on the web also... I don't want to be 'left behind'...!!)

To understand the following pictures, you first need to know what happened before this.... I moved to PJ in 2003. Before that, my family and I used to live in this house in Ipoh. This house was rented out while we were staying here in Bandar Sunway... The pictures shown above was how it looked like when we visited them during the December holidays.. They moved out at the end of last year. These photos below are taken when we visited the house again during the March holidays after they left:

There's still a lot of pictures that I want to publish... just be patient... more interesting photos are all on the way!

'Ghost Rider'

Watched 'Ghost Rider' with my grandpa and my younger siblings at Amcorp Mall... My thoughts about it after the movie? Well, the special visual effects, the sound effects were very good... the scenes were a bit too horrific (surprises me that it is not rated 18SG...), but the storyline isn't good enough... Should not be your first choice when you want to see a movie in cinemas...



Well, just my 'review' on the movie... other than that, I just stayed home and did my things...you know, a lot that I have not studied... especially chemistry when you need to know how to convert from this alkane to that alkene to that alcohol to that carboxcylic acid to that ketone to that....arrrrrrhhh! I am getting a headache!!!

Happy Chinese New Year!

First of all, happy Chinese New Year to all!

Plans for this long CNY break? Well, of course the first thing will be attending our reunion dinner at my grandparents' place...which is in PJ (yeap, like 15 minutes from my house...) Then we will be spending the day there on the 1st and 2nd day of new year, and then we will visit our other grandparents' house... which is in KL (yeap, like less than half an hour from my house...) My class is planning on visiting teachers' houses on the 7th day. Can't wait for that. Other than that I guess I got to stay at home and finish up my revision...exam is coming really soon!

So, talking about CNY...I have never felt so excited about celebrating this festival than I have ever been before this... guess it is because it is the last time we will be celebrating it as teenagers. Even last time during the mid-autumn day, myself and my younger siblings still play lanterns and candles for a few nights ('cause according to past experience, mid-autumn nights has always been a rainy night).

Anyway, last of all, Happy CNY (again!)