Lobotomy

Half way there

2011-11-24T14:56:00.001+08:00

Exams are over and 2011 is coming to an end. Many are finishing uni. I'm just half way there. Just 3 more years... Hopefully.

About Time

2011-10-16T22:26:00.001+08:00

How I Met Your Mother. Many people have been telling me about this TV series but I've never gotten around to watch it. Until now... and I love it. It's funny, down-to-earth and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Also made me think about the things I'll be telling my kids in the future. Whatever it is, it better be a bestseller!

For what it's worth

2011-10-09T23:34:00.000+08:00

I miss her

Hype

2011-10-05T11:50:00.001+08:00

Stayed up till 2:45am last night following live blogs reporting from the Apple October 4th event. It was disappointing, to say the least. But then again, that's how Apple rolls. The iPhone 4S was revealed. Came with a couple of improvements. Much of which I don't really need. Except for the 8MP camera and 1080p video recording.

Honestly, I cannot see myself talking to my phone just to reply a SMS unless I'm driving. Apart from the A5 chip, 8MP camera and Siri, every other new feature is just iOS5, which would run just fine on the iPhone 4.

Apple knows how to get its fanboys (and girls) hyped up with their advertisements. Admittedly, the iPhone 4 is a great phone and there's nothing wrong in improving it a bit just to keep the flame burning. But I wouldn't upgrade my phone just for a couple of new features. Unless you're filthy rich or just love buying new things absent-mindedly. Waiting to see what the iPhone 5 has to offer.

MTB

2011-09-27T14:18:00.000+08:00

Sequence shot of a contestant doing a tail-whip at one of the biggest humps
at the Goat Farm

It's the mid-semester break again and I've been having a hard time juggling between play time and studies. Went mountain biking with my flatmates on Saturday. Had a great time trying out sequence shots and practising lens swapping on the run. Lugging a medium-sized tripod in my bag pack wasn't as fun though. Especially when you're on a bicycle.

Oddly, I'm glad things are getting busier. Gives me the chance to take my mind off things I shouldn't be thinking about any more. I shouldn't be thinking about her any more. I mustn't.

Aches and Pains

2011-09-10T11:19:00.001+08:00

Hanging by the Thread

She still means the world to me. I yearn to be by her side. There is no one else I'd rather share my life with. But she can never find it in herself to remotely care about me. I don't blame her. If it's not there, it's not there. Letting go of someone you hold so dear isn't meant to be easy, I know. I just hope I'm taking the right steps towards it. Maybe one day, I can break free from this spider's web. Completely.

Accidents

2011-08-29T23:05:00.001+08:00

We all make mistakes.

Stars

2011-08-21T15:29:00.005+08:00

It was a clear, cloudless night.

Inspired by breathtaking shots of starry nights by other professional photographers, I thought I'd give it a shot.

Myth: "Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars"

Depends how far you'd like to stretch your imagination! This is a 30s exposure of a plane fly-by.

Inspired by the winner of the 2011 NatGeo Travel Photo Contest.

Someday, I wish I'd get to do what he did. It looks like a lot of fun.

The Milky Way.

It's not very clear, probably because of light pollution. A pro on Google+ did a 360 panorama! Go look him up. Neil Creek. https://plus.google.com/115586898390417250687/posts

It was good fun. Admittedly, it would've been better with company.

Twisted

2011-08-10T22:53:00.005+08:00

'POP!'. The pain was instantaneous, but it left as soon as it came. Now my right leg was numb and throbbing. With a face full of grass, I managed to let out a muffled "...fuck". I crawled towards my water bottle and laid beside it for what seemed like hours.

Just minutes ago, I dribbled past two defenders. The third was bearing down on me. Adrenaline coursed through my veins. A quick change in momentum sent him running past.

There was a tightness in my chest. I looked up and realised I was the last man left. With the goal 100 metres away, I decided to play safe and make a run for it. I wasn't very confident of my goal scoring skills, you see. And chances like this were hard to come by.

Sweat trickled down my forehead. I ran as hard as I could. My legs started to feel like dead weight. Everything except the goal became a blur. I stretched out my left arm for balance. My right leg was cocked, ready for the strike. I shifted my body weight. Then came a sliding tackle from behind.

'POP!'

I wish that was how it happened. Actually, I slipped on grass and twisted my ankle while practising a footwork drill by myself. There was an audible 'pop' but swelling and pain was minimal so I didn't think it was a fracture. Should have gotten it checked out by a doctor but it's all better now. Thank God

Pages

2011-08-06T11:33:00.005+08:00

To the girl I fell for all these years,

Just like our friendship, it's not the best. It's not perfect. But I hope you like it.

Red flowers on a tree,

I see you blossoming,

Moon came out early,

Half-heartedly smiling.

So far away you are,

Distant you'll always be,

Lit by a nearby star,

You shine ever so brightly.

My heart you stole,

Without ever knowing,

Turned it to coal,

Then set on fire everlasting.

For years it burned,

With an unquenchable flame,

It is you I've yearned,

But you never came.

Patience and solitaire,

They are one and the same,

Until you fell for a debonair,

How I hate this game.

My Love, my Love,

You'll always be fine,

Like the perfect dove,

In Song of Songs 6:9.

Now for certain I know,

Now I see,

Together we don't go,

We're just not meant to be.

So here I am in the end,

What's left in this reservoir,

You'll always be my friend,

Au revoir.

Time and Again

2011-08-02T10:50:00.002+08:00

Uni just started yesterday. In my 2nd semester of the 3rd year now. I was greeted with 6 hours of lectures. Very intimidating. Anyway, here's the timelapse of Kuching city I've been working on during the holidays.

I left my heart at home. My iPhone earphones too.

Kuching City

2011-07-22T13:39:00.004+08:00

As promised, though a little late, here are some of my favourite shots taken with the Panasonic DMC-TZ7 from the photowalk around Kuching City.

Merdeka Palace Hotel. It's architecture is a fusion of cultural influences.

Kuching Waterfront and the Astana in the back drop. The Astana used to be a palace for the White Rajahs.

Sampans are the best way to travel across the river. Students living north of the river use them to get to school in the city.

Kuching city skyline as viewed from the Waterfront.

I'm planning a timelapse project of Kuching city. First session today! Sure hope all goes well. Dear God, please don't let it rain this evening.

Couldn't sleep

2011-07-19T11:30:00.004+08:00

I couldn't sleep last night because I took a 3 hour nap in the afternoon. And the spectacular light show just outside my bedroom window isn't helping. So I decided to break out my new Nikon d5100 and capture lightning photos.

Night clouds. They're just like the ones in daytime!

A crack in time and space. Anyone a Doctor Who fan?

Fun fact: lightning (30,000°C) is about 5 times hotter than the sun (≈5500°C)!

There're not very good as they were all handheld. I'm gonna get myself a good, sturdy tripod soon.

Angry birds

2011-07-13T19:47:00.002+08:00

Angry birds!

Up for a challenge, my brother and I set out to photograph birds in mid-flight around dusk, at home. It was terribly difficult, but we managed to catch this pipit in action as it launched itself off the roof. Doesn't it remind you of a certain popular mobile game that involves destroying structures and swine?

On another note, I went for a photo-walkabout with a couple of my friends around the Waterfront on Monday. Still editing my way through the hundreds of photos we took. Will be up soon!

CLEAN 2.0

2011-07-08T20:34:00.006+08:00

Tomorrow there will be an "illegal" rally in the capital of Malaysia. A rally for a better electoral system. Something that would ensure all Malaysians their birthright for democracy. One would think a pro-democracy government would have no problems with such a rally. But not ours.

Building the perfect society is not a simple task.

But if ants could do it, so can we! Right?

Here's to hoping no blood will be spilt tomorrow and that there will be justice in Malaysia.

Cunning, if not dirty, tactics were deployed to dissuade the coalition responsible for the rally. Much of which saddens me. I have grown up believing in the government, hoping they would be better than this. What's worse is that there are other political parties joining in the fray to supposedly counter the pro-democratic movement.

I guess politics is where adults act like immature children.

Hanging on the line

2011-07-04T11:05:00.004+08:00

Humans are social creatures. We long to feel connected to people. And being connected through relationships is a wonderful thing. The most valuable assets to me in this brief life, are relationships.

Some of us might have taken this for granted, or worse, avoided establishing meaningful relationships with people in fear of being hurt. It's only natural to protect ourselves by creating distance between everyone else and us. But it is also our primal instincts to love, care and trust others.

So this is to you who fear the pain relationships have brought you.

Relationships are beautiful and dynamic, like the living creatures they connect.

Sometimes, relationships can get overcast.

When they do, it's worthwhile to remember that clouds clear up over time.

After all, it's a relationship on the line.

I wear my heart on my sleeve because I want people to know how I feel. It's easier to relate to someone, when you know they have feelings just like you.

Liberty, Magnificence and Perspective

2011-07-02T23:17:00.004+08:00

A certain rally for an electoral reform in Malaysia has been making its way to local headlines recently. In my honest opinion, I don't see what harm can come from such rallies, especially when the organisers have stressed countless of times that it will be a peaceful protest. Much more, Malaysia is a democratic country! Shouldn't peaceful rallies for the betterment of the democratic system in the country be more than welcomed by the government?

Running a country is no easy task, what more to ensure its continued security and development? But if History has taught me anything, it's that freedom is an indispensable requirement in governing a successful state. People want the freedom to choose their leader, to speak and to access information. Of course, pure freedom unleashed on an unprepared nation could wreak havoc and be counter-intuitive. Maybe the current government is thinking along those lines, I wouldn't know. After all, Malaysia is only 48 years old; relatively young in 'nation-years'.

The 'Birds of Paradise' plant (genus Strelitzia) symbolises liberty, magnificence and good perspective.

All of which I hope Malaysia will have one day.

In general, I think our government's doing a pretty decent job at the moment. The country's growing at an acceptable pace, we have a literacy rate of 88.8%, an average lifespan of 64 years old, and 7.8% of Malaysians are living below the poverty line. Sure, there we may have a few idiotic, 'racially-challenged' bigots in the country, but there are a lot more brilliant and intelligent Malaysians out there! The problem is, most of these model Malaysians choose to emigrate from the country. If the government is willing to rectify this problem, our country will join the ranks of the other multiracial first world countries within the next few decades.

1Malaysia is a noble concept. But that's all it is - a concept. There will be no 1Malaysia if we aren't treated equally irrespective of race, i.e. just as Malaysians. Getting over this hurdle will be a crucial turning point for Malaysia. I hope I'll see this in my lifetime.

Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

2011-06-27T18:58:00.004+08:00

I'm back in Kuching for the winter break again. It's refreshing to feel the cool, damp tropical breeze on your Australian-sun-dried skin. The 5 hour flight home this time round felt relatively shorter than the previous times. Maybe it's because I had plenty to think about on board the aeroplane. Or time is just moving faster lately. Who knows?

I took this photo on board the flight to Kuching.

Looking out the window of an aeroplane is still magical

Each flight home marks the end of a semester, which I have come to define as 'a 4-5 month period abroad closely associated with learning'. With every semester, comes new lessons to learn. Some are important, others are trivial. This time, I've learnt to let go.

Many times, I am denied the things I desire the most. I get bitter and start wondering why life is so unfair. Once this becomes chronic, it's easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. A man consumed by desire is never a good thing. You start building your life around your obsessions. And this drained me, up till a point where it becomes overwhelmingly ... empty. It took a lot of Sense to step back and see the mess I've made.

Life is beautiful. There's no need to spoil it with needless obsessions. So I've let go of this one desire I've had for a long time. Freedom! Finally.

Boys are Stupid. Girls are Stupider

2011-05-08T18:49:00.002+08:00

We've all heard girls say "boys are stupid" at one point in our lives. Well, I have a hypothesis.

Most girls between the ages 16-26 who choose to date, naturally go for bad boys. A couple of months or maybe a year into their relationship, they fall out of love and the bad boys start treating them badly or cheat on them (since girls come easy for bad boys). The girls now stereotype (as humans instinctively would) all boys as stupid.

Now, if the girls have been smarter and dated good guys instead, wouldn't they have avoided the whole issue in the first place?

Autumn

2011-05-07T20:57:00.003+08:00

(500) Days of Summer is still one of my favourite rom/coms out there. With a plot so bitter sweet, it makes you laugh and weep at the same time. Admittedly, it's not a movie for everyone. Especially those who love fairy tale endings.

There is something about the protagonist, Tom, that I find I could relate to very much. Maybe that's why I like it so much. Or maybe it's the hard truth about relationships the director has done an amazing job at capturing.

Love at first sight is plausible, but love at first try seldom happens. Fate is a convoluted mess and trying to figure it out is akin to trying to pin point particles in a Bose-Einstein condensate. You'll meet different people along the way. What you make of it is entirely up to yourself. Arguably, the best part of the movie was when Tom met Autumn.

Totally made me smile.

Purpose

2011-04-09T12:14:00.002+08:00

Many people, especially Christians, claim that everyone has a purpose in life. For life to have meaning, we need to find our purpose. There may be some truth to it but I beg to differ.

Purpose, to me, does not give meaning to life. It gives you something to strive for. Something to try and attain. It basically assigns a job to you.

Love, however, is different. It gives you something to live for. I don't want a "purpose driven life". I want to love and be loved.

Back to School

2011-03-07T15:05:00.002+08:00

It's only the second week of uni and my coursemates are already on 'study for exam mode'. Every 3 weeks we'd be assessed on our clinical skills, which really puts the heat on this semester. So far things are manageable.

Socially, much has changed. Most of my friends are either dating or actively pursuing a partner this year, which meant we hang out less often.

Football on Thursdays and weekends are still on. It's tennis every other day. So, that's where I get my daily dose of endorphins. Better than getting it from the thrills and heartaches of falling in love? Probably.

RM299

2011-01-15T11:46:00.003+08:00

My MacBook charger burnt out yesterday. I thought it was the fuse at first, which led to a wild goose chase around Kuching city for a 3A Bussmann fuse. In the end, I realize it wasn't the fuse but the adapter that was busted. There goes RM299. If there's anything I dislike about Apple, it's their overpriced products. I was saving up for a decent Razer gaming mouse with that money. Oh well, tough luck.

P.S. don't ever buy Apple products from Apple stores like Switch in Kuching unless you're willing to spend extra.

Starcraft 2

2011-01-09T21:07:00.002+08:00

Took me a while, but I finally see why people love this game so much. Some even treat it like a sport. According to Wikipedia, a sport is "an organized, competitive, and skillful ~~physical~~ activity requiring commitment and fair play".

If you overlook the 'physical' aspect of the definition or consider pressing buttons in front of a computer screen 'physical activity', then I guess, Starcraft IS a legitimate sport. Not convinced huh? Just watch the way they do commentaries for Starcraft matches online.

MMXI

2011-01-03T10:02:00.002+08:00

Woohoo! It's the new year!

One year closer to 2012, but who cares? I have new resolutions to fulfill; things to put right with other people. 2010 was an 'educational' year for me. I've met many people that I'll remember forever, took in breathtaking sceneries, and done things I never thought I was capable of.

Okay, enough talk about the past. 2011 will be even better. Hoping to meet that special somebody, but hey! it's all in God's hands; or Fate; or Destiny. Whichever, there's no way to know till you do. Nothing you can do till she does too. Love's crazy complicated. So is Life. And I'm learning more with every step I take.

Bring it on, 2011. Bring it on.

God, are you there?

2010-12-09T11:55:00.003+08:00

Sometimes I wonder why God doesn't let everyone have a fair go at life. Take congenital birth defects and genetically predisposed conditions for instance. Christians are taught that God is just. So why does God let these things happen?

Not much of doing much

2010-12-04T15:51:00.002+08:00

The past week has been bliss. Good food, great company and amazing video games. Internet is a bit patchy but I'm not complaining as long as I get my daily dose of Facebook. Dad had a tennis court made next door, so I've been getting my share of exercise for the holidays.
Can't ask for more.
Things to do for the next 3 months: Win a game in StarCraft 2 multiplayer. I suck so bad I lost my first practice match.

Home

2010-11-26T22:28:00.002+08:00

It always feels great to be home.
Now I'll have time to think things through.
They say God fills up that emptiness in your heart when you accept Christ into your life.
Mine's pretty empty right about now.
Gaah! Think no more of it!
I'll have kolo mee for breakfast tomorrow. Nothing cheers up the heart and soul like a bowl of fresh kolo mee and a hot cup of Kopi O!

Sadness

2010-11-21T22:23:00.002+08:00

I've never actually felt sadness like this.

Not when my pets died. That was pity, I think. Not when I failed a Bahasa Malaysia pop quiz in Primary 5. That was disgust. Not when IMU and Monash University Malaysia rejected my med school applications. I knew that was stupidity on their part for not converting my Foundations score to TER. Not even after the countless rejections I've faced in highschool. Because those were childish infatuations.

Today I am sad.

My mind tells me it'll be over soon. My heart, however, is drowning in the abyss, struggling with every gasping breath to breathe again. It feels like I've lost a part of myself which I can never get back. Nothing I do can change this.

I don't blame her, whatever her reasons maybe. The feelings aren't mutual and there's nothing I can do about it.

3 more months before we could possibly meet again.

Maybe we could try being friends once more.

Not a good idea

2010-11-19T23:32:00.002+08:00

Two and a half years of patience and prayer ended with a simple answer: "I don't think it's a good idea. There's no nice way to put it. It's just not a good idea".

It hurts now but I can't say I haven't been expecting it.

Was it worth it in the end? Yes, definitely.

I have no regrets for trying.

I just hope she realises how much she means to me.

Sincerely

It's Done

2010-11-15T14:43:00.002+08:00

Exams are over! I still have to make the decision. Hours are ticking away and I still can't make up my mind. Should I be realistic? Or should I ignore all sense, trust my intuition and hope for the best?

Decisions

2010-11-14T20:48:00.003+08:00

Tomorrow will be the last day of exam for the 2nd years. One more paper before we hit the road down south to Albany for 4 days. Right now, my mind is preoccupied with only two things. The exam and deciding on what to do afterwards.

This one life-changing decision will make all the difference. One misguided choice and I will have to live with the consequences for the rest of my life. Like navigating a minefield to reach a goal, each decision to take a step on uncharted ground can possibly cripple and maim. But with each successful attempt, the goal comes closer within reach.

Now if I can only decide

Too Few

2010-11-13T20:04:00.003+08:00

Group 13

Med school is starting to take its toll. 2 years down, 4 more to go. From what I've heard, it only gets worse from here. But I just can't wait till the practical years. At least things get interesting then.

Yesterday marks the end of the basic human anatomy, physiology and biochemistry modules with the infamous NS200 exam. All that study on the human body made me realise how fragile life is. You cannot imagine the number of things we take for granted that can go wrong. One little gene mutation is all it takes to ruin a Man's life.

Our days are numbered and they are too few.

Driving Force

2010-09-01T22:25:00.002+08:00

The only things motivating me to put this whole darn thing behind me are the people back home. I'm old enough to know this will only hurt momentarily. Thought we were good friends and shared something special. But we misinterpret these things. Maybe, to you, our friendship just wasn't worth the time and effort to sustain. It's almost 3 years.

Everybody was right. You are not worth it.

Under the Weather

2010-08-10T16:21:00.002+08:00

Woke up feeling groggy today. A little groggier than usual. I know this feeling. So I decided to give the morning lecture a miss and go back to sleep. Can't be the flu unless it's a new strand. It would be rather unfortunate if it is, because I just got the flu vaccine a month ago. At any rate, I still feel like shit. Guess it's my turn.

Surprised Surprise

2010-07-07T21:29:00.006+08:00

My plans to pull-off an epic surprise farewell dinner for an old friend failed miserably last night due to inadequate planning and poor timing. Creating a Facebook event on the day before the said event is bound to be a recipe for disaster. Seeing as only two guests 'might attend', I decided to scrap the plan and make it a normal dinner, maybe celebrate Carrie's birthday along the way if she was going.

So after we've eaten, we waited for William to finish his second round of dumplings. Just as I thought that was all we were going to do for the night, a waiter brought over a chocolate cake decorated with lighted candles.

Everyone started singing the 'happy birthday' song so I chimed in. Upon reaching the part where you insert the name of the birthday boy/girl, I sang "Carr-rieee" with such gusto only to be stupefied by Eunice saying it was for me too! I was dumbfounded and a little embarrassed that I suggested we head over to Bing to get Carrie a cake moments earlier over dinner.

The sweetest thing anyone did for me in a long time. And how ironic it was to have been surprised by the old friend I was planning on giving a surprise to!

Time

2010-06-22T01:05:00.002+08:00

Spent the past few hours reading a friend's blog posts from 5 years back. I should be watching football. While skimming through posts, I wondered what I wrote for my first post. So much has changed. Don't even remember blogging about most of them. But I do remember how it felt like to have a crush. This certainly is no crush. Need sleep.

An App

2010-06-17T18:12:00.002+08:00

You are to me like an app is to an iPad.

Without you, my life would be boring.

Picture taken from the-ipad-blog.com

Steam

2010-06-12T10:05:00.005+08:00

This time next week, I'll be busy packing my things and getting ready to leave PERTH.

Kuching here I come!

E3 is coming up right after my last two papers on Monday and I have Steam on my Mac now.

I know how I'm gonna spend my winter break. :)

Lips

2010-06-04T23:10:00.003+08:00

Spent the whole afternoon cooped up in the histology lab staring down a microscope at things like THIS:

It was a good 3 hours and 30 minutes before I got off to play some tennis. Highlight of the afternoon was when we tried to identify the cervix. It looked just like a slide of the lip and we had trouble differentiating between the two.

While my friend was hard at work trying to come up with a way to tell the difference, I was trying my best stifle my laughter. Don't you find it amusing that what you thought was a lip turned out to be the cervix? Hilarious.

Image was obtained from Blue Histology. Great resource, that. Thumbs up

Lost in LOST

2010-05-28T15:20:00.003+08:00

It is done. It has been a good 6 years. Watching it end was almost like closing a chapter in my life. I remember the first time I heard about LOST. It was through a great friend who shared the same interests in all things nerdy as I.

He was telling everybody in the class about a new TV series of a group of people stranded on an island trying to survive. Initially, I thought it was just another Survivor spin off.

But when he told me about a fat man winning the lottery and the coincidental appearance of the winning number EVERYWHERE, I was pretty much taken in at that moment. What I loved most about LOST were the characters and the relationships they shared.

The producers, the cast and the accompanying soundtrack never failed to make me feel what they felt. They've managed to bring me on a journey to this polar bear infested tropical island. Sure, it was long and convoluted and confusing at times, but it was well worth it.

If I have to describe LOST in one word, it would have to be EPIC. As for the ending, I think I might have to re-watch the whole 6 seasons over the winter break to understand it.

Unhealthy

2010-05-25T14:18:00.001+08:00

This persistent desire is like a malignant cancer spreading through my soul.

No more shall I let it reign. No more shall she have my heart in the palms of her cold, delicate hands.

I have a purpose in Life. And I intend to fulfil it with or without her by my side.

Now to perform the virtually impossible, cure cancer.

Ain't Love a bitch?

Over You

2010-05-09T19:45:00.003+08:00

For a few months now, I thought it was finally over. No more mooning about her right before I fall asleep, no more waking up from a dream with her in it. Days would pass by without a single thought of her running through my mind. Life was good.

Now, I'm not so sure anymore. The Problem that has been driving me nuts for years, giving me moodswings only girls get once every 28 days or so, is back. God, help me. There is no certainty that it is her I'll spend the rest of my life with. But as sure as she is beautiful, I like her. A lot.

The odds that this feeling is reciprocated, however, is close to being nonexistent. I understand her position on relationships. Plus, none of us has the time to spare for romance. Where I'm headed, it would take a superhuman to juggle between studies and "love". Her course isn't any more forgiving either.

Maybe somewhere in the future, it'll all work out. God has my heart. May He lead it as He see fit. As the faithful say, insya-Allah.

P.S. Wish we can be friends, as always.

FORK YOU IDIOTS

2010-01-21T13:09:00.002+08:00

*BREATHE*

Okay. Kuching, I really love you and all, but you seriously have to purge those ignoramuses you've let loose on your roads. Nobody follows the bloody law around here. Use the signal lights when you're turning and changing lanes. I'm not a bloody psychic you know?

I was so furious at their idiocy I WISH I was a powerful mutant psychic like Jean Grey or Prof. Xavier. THEN, I can give them a piece of MY forkin' mind.

And about 1Malaysia... I'm in it with the whole idea of a united, peaceful and prosperous nation where church bombings and racial segregation (no matter how subtle) don't exist 110%. The leaders are all wondering why it's not really working. Well, here's a little shoutout from an insignificant fellow Malaysian: "RACIAL EQUALITY". As long as we're born in Malaysia, we are Malaysian. We should all have the same rights. You know, like America. I don't care if this takes you a century to digest, RACIAL EQUALITY is the ANSWER.

Priorities

2009-11-08T18:01:00.002+08:00

Christians, how would you arrange the following in order of decreasing importance?

God, Loved ones, You.

Most of you, if not all, would simply answer, "God, Loved ones, Me". Personally, I'd agree with you.

But consider this: an obsessive serial killer, Mr. Z broke into your house, overpowered you and your family members, tied everyone up and threatened to kill you slowly if you do not denounce you faith in Christ. Each time you refused and chose to stand firm in your faith, he sticks a toothpick under your nail and pry it off your finger.

Mr Z saw that his chosen form of torture wasn't working as well as it should so he grabbed your father, mother, brother, sister, wife or husband (has to be one or the other), son and daughter and started torturing them to death when you still refused to denounce your faith.

What would you do if you were, unfortunately, caught in such a situation?

Who would you love more?

Would it be wrong for me to say I denounce my faith at that moment for the sake of the ones I love?

What if I lied? Surely God can forgive me for that.

In church, we sing of how much we love God and how much He loves us (which therefore means, He would not let such things happen to those who love Him; but you know how sick this world is). How far are you willing to go for Him?

Also, Jesus said that those who do not love Him more than his father and mother cannot follow him. I love my family as much as I love God. What does that then mean?

I would really love to hear your take on this, so put it in the comments section wherever it is..

Funny how

2009-09-25T19:35:00.002+08:00

Funny how some non-Christians are so much more like Christ than most other Christians

Funny how people you love most as friends often desert you and friends you often desert love you most

Funny how saying something's made in Malaysia degrades its value and more often than not (exceptions are the food and the people!) it degrades Malaysia's value

Funny how I love Malaysia more than ever when I used to hate her to the core

Funny how I've made more Chinese/Asian/Oriental friends than the number friends of any other race I have combined.

Funny how I yearn to learn Mandarin & Bahasa Sarawak now when I used to be so pro-West

Funny how I felt like I've made the very mistake I've hoped to avoid without even making it,

Funny how I've forced this friendship into a silent deadlock when all I wanted was to know you more

Funny how I tell God to take this away and it's still there.

Funny how I can't do anything that won't make things worse for you if not for me.

Funny how things turned out.

Funny how most if not all the international med students are not attending med ball :)

Reason

2009-09-23T19:29:00.002+08:00

To all you budding doctor-to-be's out there,

Here are a few words of wisdom and advice for ya

These are things I've learnt from God, wise people, friends, strangers, lecturers, and basically everyone else involved in my life.

1. God comes above all else. Faith, belief and spirituality. Important aspects of life that should not be ignored.

"Abbot Zerchi smiled thinly. "You don't have a soul, Doctor. You are a soul. You have a body, temporarily."" - Walter Miller in his Canticle for Liebowitz

2. Know your reason for being or wanting to be a doctor. Don't worry if it sounds cliche. Everybody wants to be a hero and save lives, that's all good, but it's the heart that makes the difference. It is YOUR heart that will determine the extent you'd go to save a life.

Recently, a friend from church once asked me my reason to be a doctor. I hesitated, rummaged through memories of the few med interviews I've been through, then gave her a generic reason any med student would tell you - "I wanta help people". You can imagine how stupid I felt at that point. It felt like God gave me a BIG knock on my head to remind me not to forget my reasons. I'm doing this only because He has called me to do it, to love His people, to let the world know there is hope, to let them know faith saves. Without a solid reason to serve as a doctor, chances are you'd drop out of med school eventually. That's what she told me. She's right.

First thing they taught us in Clinical Practice - It's NOT like House.

3. It is not your intelligence but your character that makes a good doctor.

Try as I may, I can't remember where I've heard or read this. We're not the smartest people on earth. Engineers are smarter. No, wait, theoretical physicists, those people are brainiacs. We just have a desire for the sick people to get well. And you need a good character to be good at it. Not one of my stronger virtues, but it's good to be learning.

4. Make sure you're fit to serve before you save others. Go home and recharge your battery first. Be positive- Professor René Zellweger (MD, FRACS, FACS) Listen to his lecture during the Global Health Short Course. It was amazing.

5. Prepare yourself to study like you've never studied before! Not that you don't already know that.

My=Malaysia

2009-08-31T11:56:00.003+08:00

Never thought I'd see the day when I finally learn to appreciate my country. It took me 18 years to understand why Malaysia's the way she is. If anything, we should be grateful she's managed to pull off "democracy", "freedom" of speech within limits and racial tolerance within 52 years of independence.

Of course, if Malaysia were to get into a competition with Singapore over who's better, Singapore would win hands down for sure. But think about the governments and citizens as enzymes that catalyse the following reaction responsible for development:

Though the Singaporean enzyme might be catalysing the reaction at such an astounding rate, there're only so much substrate for them to catalyse before they run out. Malaysia on the other hand, has too much substrate and too little enzymes, ergo the slow progress.

Well, to the ol'gal who deserves it, 52 years is not long at all.

Happy birthday Malaysia

(and to all you merdeka babies)

Proud to be your enzyme.

Will keep praying for you.

Hairstyles

2009-08-01T07:24:00.000+08:00

Over the years, my looks have never changed much... sigh

2004?

It has always been the coconut/mushroom/kuai kia/nondescript look

2007

2007 - yes... I know... how vain right?

2007 - before I left high school

Sunway 2008 - that's my long lost sister

I had it cut really really short.. enough to last me 10 weeks

Still 2008 - it grew long because haircuts in Perth are EX

Early 2009 - CNY... hence the hair cut and the red shirt

Mid 2009 - Guess where we took this picture

Mid 2009 - Damai; where I had a FAUX faux hawk

Now 2009 - Vwalah! (recommended by D.Y.)

the only thing that didn't really change much was my BMI -.-

To my dead blog

2009-07-29T19:13:00.002+08:00

"Till the end when we part

I will give you my heart

And I promise to love you with all that is

And I'll promise to be there whenever you need me

Because you'll always be my best friend"

-Relient K-

Meesha back now in home baacha baachaa...

2009-06-23T08:56:00.002+08:00

Hello my piggies..

I'm back home in Kuching again. Changed my mobile number again. If you call my old numbers someone else might pick it up. Apparently, DiGi resells your old numbers. So yeah... no love messages to the old numbers please guys. :)

Dang... Streamyx... How did we survive the dial up times? oh bubbling guppies! I can't imagine how we could have survived the Dial Up Era... Can't!

And people in Kuching can't drive properly... -.- seriously... JPJ needs to rectify this prob pronto.

Exam's Over

2009-06-19T00:58:00.001+08:00

Winter break is HERE!

And I'm migrating to the equator once again.

See you piggies back home.

June 19th

2009-06-09T15:20:00.004+08:00

Hello people...

For those of you who didn't believe me when I said that Apple's releasing a new iPhone this year... HA! HA!

Behold... the iPhone 3G [s].

They say the S stands for speed. I think it stands for "stupid".

Okaaay... so it has a better processor, and a 3mp camera, and a video recording support, and a compass. Yes... a compass.. -.-

But hey! Who needs all that when they can get the iPhone 3G for only $99 US?? That's RM702.77 as of today (June 9th) boys and girls.

How much did your N95 cost you?

On a much brighter note, Apple announced an upgrade for the Mac OSX... The Snow Leopard.

For you windows users who still think windows "rock", open your eyes and SEE! It does not rock, it IS A ROCK!

Snow Leopard.. Purrr... I love that name...

For you non-techies out there, the Snow Leopard is Apple's answer to Window's Vista update called Windows 7. And best of all... it's priced at $29 US (RM 102).

The family pack costs $49 US and can be shared between 5 Macs. So if anyone's interested, I'd gladly share a family pack with you (meaning it's $10 US each).

Go read about it yourself.

I've told you the good news. Now it's your personal decision.

P.s. Muummm... I want an iPhone =)

Chimps

2009-06-08T18:05:00.002+08:00

An interesting fact for all you primates following this blog:

"human females have well-developed breasts, a feature shared by no other primate. ... the penis of the human male is very large when compared to that of other primates"

Hah! Suck on that chimps!

No pun intended.

That's why they call us Homo Sapiens. (Although Homo "Erectus" would have suited this post a lot better)

Kudos

2009-06-05T17:06:00.002+08:00

I never knew "kudos" was a word.

Before, I thought it was just another one of Mel's special way of saying "congratulations, you've finally met my standards."

Kudos to all you who didn't.

It's actually a word..

Assassin's Creed II Venice gameplay walkthrough

2009-06-03T19:53:00.002+08:00

I was watching Sony's press conference on E3 when the Ubisoft team came on stage. I thought they were just gonna reveal the same trailer. And then... one of the guys picked up the controller somewhere on the stage. My heart raced (yes... I'm such a nerd). And true enough, it was a demo! I can sleep soundly tonight.

Haaarh??!

2009-05-29T17:17:00.002+08:00

Believe it or not, I was totally oblivious to the fact that my nation's PM is now Najib. Yes, less than 4 months in Australia and some Malaysian I turn out to be. When Obama had to pick a first dog, I knew. When Kris Allen won, I knew. When Star Trek came out, I knew. I also knew that Ashton Kutcher's the Twitter king, but it took a Singaporean friend to tell me that Badawi left office in April.

In a state of disbelief and much embarrassment, my cynical self rushed back home (if only I had an iPhone) and Google-ed "Malaysia's Prime Minister".

Lo and behold! It's true! On the 3rd of April 2009, Malaysia's got her sixth PM. Najib's now incumbent (means in power. Never knew till I saw it on Wiki). Congratulations *note the sarcasm/italics*.

Father of Independance

Father of Development

Father of Unity

Father of Modernisation

Father of Human Capital Development

I've also noticed how the Prime Ministers' sobriquet (another word I learnt on Wiki; means nickname) was synonymous with what the nation was going through until the human capital part. That's just ridiculous. My own dad has a cooler nickname than that!

So I was wondering, what next? Father of Conspiracy Queller Development? Father of the National Service Abolishment Act? Father of Financial Assistance to All Malaysians in Need Regardless of Race or Country of Origin? Father of Non-racial Biased Education System? or just maybe, the Father of Pure Democracy?

What do you think?

Tweet tweet

2009-05-25T18:28:00.002+08:00

Yeah, you know what's coming. I've just been sucked into another ever growing vortex of social networking... and of all the people in the world, by my Mum!

I've just signed up 3 minutes ago, and I'm bored. Twitter's an over-glorified personal message posting site and I plan to ditch it starting... *types on Twitter, "I am posting a blog post".* now.

Okay. Enough about Twitter. Firstly, apologies to all those faithful blog readers who followed my blog 24/7. While I was away, my blog has been depicted as...

KaNa: zats righto!! ancient archives of Malaysian/Australian History Records

3 May 09, 23:03

Nat: Wow, I wont be surprised to find this blog amongst a pile of Egyptian mummy tombs. So ancient and un-updated XD XD

19 Apr 09, 21:07

neece: *knocks*... and all i get is a gust of wind. =( gimme words and pictures pls haha

Ancient. Super... -.-

Apologies, guys.

Great! Now that you've forgiven me, I can't promise I'll be frequently updating my blog, as the next few weeks are going to be an epic feat of studying for me.

Chow for now.

I never knew

2009-04-04T16:18:00.002+08:00

That Noah's ark was discovered near Mt. Ararat in 1987 or that they found remains of the Egyptians in the red sea.

Still, if you've watched the YouTube videos on Noah's ark, why did the tomb stones have 8 crosses on them? It doesn't make sense that Noah knew how Jesus would die crucified on a cross back then.

I think too much...

Changes

2009-03-12T23:37:00.002+08:00

I've no idea what's gotten into me... I think I've become some overzealous freak.

I actually feel upset when ppl don't go to the church I go to but instead goes to another church which is still a perfectly normal church (that's 3 churches in one sentence. See what I mean?).

This is just not right.

The Church is universal. It should not have boundaries made by men. We belong to Christ. We ARE the Church.

ugh... here I go again..

On a lighter side... Here's a conversation I had with Alvin a few minutes ago regarding his pride:

"i just wanne noe who deleted me 12:27


tsk tsk Albert @ 12:28 such pride 12:28


wads this Alvin Tan @ 12:30 v = √2eV/m 12:30 pride? 12:30 ever since i came to perth 12:30 all my pride was swept away" 12:30

Hmm... What's Alvin without "pride"?

Watchmen

2009-03-04T11:14:00.003+08:00

5 minutes into the past I was reading the last page of Watchmen, gawking at the fact that "nothing ever ends"...

10 minutes into the future, I'd be posting this on my blog hoping you'd go pick up the entire comic collection, which isn't much, just 12 issues... so we can both get excited about it.

How in the world did no one ever tell me about this a long time ago?? Not even you Daniel... I am disappointed. But even if anyone did... I won't have understood it either. In other words, the Watchmen movie came out at the right time. All this hype about it brought out the "kepo" in me. So I decided to Wiki "Watchmen" and subsequently obtaining the whole 12 issues of Watchmen from "a source".

My review: Go read it. Or alternatively watch it (which I'll be doing this Friday night) but I doubt it'll be as good as the original "graphic novel".

For those of you who don't know what Watchmen is about, here is the link to Wikipedia because I'm just too lazy to blog a synopsis of it. In a nutshell (more like one sentence), it's about this group of lunatics running around New York city in their pyjamas and goggles busting crime with no superpowers whatsoever, while trying to justify the fact with deep, down-to-earth personalities, stark philosophies of life being all too overtly insignificant, state-of-the-art gadgets, flame-throwers and sex. Yes, sex.

I have never read any costumed-hero story/comic that so vividly and successfully portrayed themes that you'd usually only find in say... Shakespear? I don't know much about Shakespear but I'm just making a point here.

Just read it will ya? Or at least watch it.

"Who watches the Watchmen", they ask... I'll have the answer after Friday.

15 minutes into the past, I was hyped up after reading the finale of Watchmen.

15 minutes into the future, I'd be having my lunch at Broadway still hyped up by Alan Moore's masterpiece of a graphic novel, Watchmen.

UNI

2009-02-24T22:46:00.004+08:00

After two weeks of orientation which culminated into a day concerts, white tents and I assume, lots of booze. It was a ritual only to be performed once in a life time and I didn't bring my camera to any of them. So I have nothing to show you guys except a picture of the flat I'm currently staying in.

Yes, I am no longer being pampered like a spineless prince with rickets in Dewan Kari, being served 3 wholesome *cough* meals a day and have his room cleaned by a team of professional err... room cleaners (was trying my best to avoid using a derogatory term).

In fact, believe it or not, I tried to fry an egg and an omelette three times... but decided to have them scrambled instead. I am a terrible, horrible and vegetable cook. So girls, don't expect any culinary delights from me anytime soon. I assure you, my cooking will not be for the faint hearted.

Today was the second official day of Uni. Half the time I've spent on looking for the lecture theatres, labs and tutorial rooms. Most of the time, I end up spotting a course mate (or a group of them) and follow the crowd till I reach the designated venue of higher learning. That's Uni for you! Plus, since the Uni wants to have well rounded students (no... not physically round but quite the contrary), they make us race across the campus from one end to the other on Monday mornings.

And guess how I started my first day of Uni.... ?

I got my ass kicked out of the lecture theatre 'cause it was too full and had to attend the repeat in the afternoon. But it was all good.

In terms of the people here, it's just fascinating to meet new faces, listen to new accents and try to fake your own at the same time so you won't have to repeat yourself. Interesting stuff that.

The books here are overly priced in my opinion. I've just paid AUD 118 for a Psychology textbook which I overheard two Singaporean dudes in the library reserve debating about whether to get the book or just hog it at the reserve section. It went something like this:

A: *Singaporean accent* Eh, here is the book.

B: I heard they sell it for 70 dollars back in Singapore.

A: Yalo... The books here aaa... Damn expensive sia!

They borrowed the last two on the shelves. I couldn't wait for it to come back so I got it at a blood sucking, pocket boring, wallet thinning price of AUD 118. There goes those Converse shoes I've been eying online for quite sometime now.

Life's gonna get a lot busier from now on. But I'm gonna make it. 'Cause I know I can do all things through Christ, my Lord, my God. Call me religious and I call you blind.

Ah... I have quite a few things to blog about. Surely you can't read more of this now can you? I'll try my best to keep updating this blog. No promises though.

FYI, I'm currently studying Med in the University of Western Australia and can't be any happier and thankful to God, my family and all of you who've prayed for me. So before you congratulate or tease me about this, stop and ponder. Hopefully, you'd see God's hand in all this.

Because there I have no doubt this is what I've been called to do.

Stay close to Him guys.

No Internet...

2009-02-11T16:36:00.001+08:00

No internet for me until umm... I dunno... Hmm... Got cheated by Currie Hall.

Time to grow up, huh?

2009-02-03T17:17:00.002+08:00

I've just realised Uni starts in umm... 2 weeks and my brain feels like it shrunk to it's infant stage. That's too much high-def gaming for you.

Man... I'm such a bum.

Back

2008-12-26T22:17:00.002+08:00

The year's finally over and I'm back in Kuching... again..

I sure do miss IMC... Perth's weather... all my friends old and new... Singapore's shopping malls...

And most of all..

That very special girl

Things Change

2008-12-17T10:48:00.003+08:00

2008's almost over and Christmas is just around the corner. My blog reeks as usual. sorreee...

I haven't had the desire to blog or facebook for the past few weeks. It's either I'm too lazy or I'm just fresh out of ideas for a decent post.

Anyways, updates on my life as a Taylors College Perth graduate (and I stress Perth because of it's "unique" experience...psst: don't come here!) ...

I'm waiting for her and she's waiting for me... :)

I'm letting God lead us so..

whatever He thinks is best for us goes! :D

Pray for us please

Alvin finally took a picture together.

Oddly enough, I actually miss him. :P

You guys were great.

First two friends I met

All three: Answered prayers.

I'm in love with the church here liao :)

Super awesome bunch of people here. Great to know it's growing fast!

Here's proof the our God works in wonderful ways.

Note my change in opinion towards this church.

If anyone's coming over to Perth, give IMC a ring.

They are a blessing and they make a difference

(psst: got good homecooked food too... yumm! Couldn't have survived the year on Currie Hall food)

Finally...

No more college for me!!!!!

Wooohoo!

That's Wayne in the pic btw.

Now, where was I... oh yes!

No more college for me!!!!!

Wait... let me rephrase...

No more Taylors College for me!!!!!

But I'd surely miss some teachers there... DB, DE, EH, IH etc..

Sorry.. I think I got carried away on the last point. Oh well.. Now for the results. I sure hope I get into UWA. Yet it's not for me to say but it's up to the Lord. Ahh... to all those people going for D'Encounter, enjoy yourselves! I sure did last year! Too bad I can't make it this time round.

Chow for now...

P.S. I had the worst graduation here ever. Period. Worst. BL did a lot better with those long winding speeches, ethnic performances, the armoury of hampers and trophies not to mention the enthusiastic audience riddled with proud *cough*kiasu*cough* parents. I miss the way they make such a big fuss over some small achievement the way Malaysians always do.

A Note For All Boys

2008-11-24T00:22:00.002+08:00

Guys...

Just a little heads up before it's too late:

Learn to iron your clothes.

It's either that or buy anti-crease shirts.

Dang. Now what did my mum tell me about ironing clothes again?

Why?

2008-11-02T12:59:00.002+08:00

"The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature." - Luke 8:14

I'm feeling a lot like that seed now. I've always told myself to be the 'seed sown on good soil'. But it's hard. Harder than I've imagined.

Just as I thought having faith as small as a mustard seed was easy, it wasn't. I can't move mountains. I want to. But I can't. Which only means my faith is smaller than a mustard seed.

Though I know even the disciples struggle with this and asked Jesus how to have more faith, the question remains with an answer I have to give myself.

We know many things but never do them.

Why?

Why can't I stay away from the things I know I shouldn't do? Things I shouldn't say?

And the things I must do, I don't. Why so?

If I'm free from sin because of what Christ has done for me, why then do my sinful self always get the best of me? It's my fault then isn't it?

'Spiritual ups and downs' they call it. A pastor used to say his spiritual life was like a yo-yo. And I used to think it'll never happen to me. But there're many forms of ups and downs you can never foresee in life.

I'm scared. I worry a lot and I'm having a good time here. God has been so good to me I'm afraid I'm losing touch with Him. With Jesus especially.

I miss You, Lord. I miss Your Love. I miss that clarity I had when You first opened my eyes and everything seemed so... clear.

Now, I have doubts. Questions that God will answer in time. I've forgotten how God answers my questions.

I'm comforted.

Mark 11:22-25.

Update Downdate

2008-10-29T19:03:00.002+08:00

I'm sorry I left this blog to rot for the past few weeks. For a start, I shall wash out all those rancid emo-ness and replace it with some more emo-ness fresh from the bottom of my heart. :)

I'm in a state of uncertainty now. You know those times when you just have to "step out in faith"?Well, yeah... It's one of those states. I've just had my interview at UWA for a place in the MBBS course they're offering last week. Yes, and now you're all curious to know how I did, right? How I wish I could just tell you I did OK, but unfortunately, I think I screwed up. BIG time. :(

Hence my uncertainty.

I've stayed in Perth for almost 9 months now. I've never intended to stay. I've always felt like going home. Yeah... Until you realise there is a possibility of this becoming your second home. At least for another 6 years. Yes, I owe you my many thanks IMC, especially IMYF, though you might not realise this. Oh yes, and there's the part of not having to suffer runny noses every morning.

If I don't get in to UWA, I'd most probably pursue my aspiration in Tasmania or back home. Which would mean that I'll never see any of you ever again for a very long time. Right now, this just won't do. It just won't.

Then, I heard Auntie Christina's moral lesson from Samson and Delilah's Bible story... something about letting the desires of your heart get in the way of God's plans for you and choosing temporal longings over eternal blessings. Which made me think again. And then I went back to square one - uncertainty.

So I'm praying.

I'm trusting God.

I will step out in faith. I have to.

This much I can only do now besides doing exceptionally well in UWAFP.

Again, I need Your help, Lord!

P.s. I won't usually be on MSN on weeknights (except when I'm lazy) and Currie Hall's internet was screwy for the past few days (so many TIMES!!!) which explains why I'm out of touch with so many MANY friends. Yes, you too Dan :)

Worship Ain't About Us

2008-10-11T11:40:00.002+08:00

A friend of mine shared this video of worship with me and I thought it was good... Go ahead and have a look. It's just 3 minutes long. oh yea.. and there was the "Charlie bit my finger" video on my facebook profile. Go check that out too.

Damn

2008-10-07T23:41:00.002+08:00

Ever heard "Crush" sung by David Archuleta?

Go look for it.
Dang.
Who the heck wrote such a thing?

Breathe, Albert...Breathe..
I'm not gonna get emo tonight.
I won't.

Shit this hurts

2008-10-06T22:48:00.003+08:00

If there's one prayer I desperately need right now, it's this:

That I can get my freakin' mind off of her,
That I can restrain myself from making the same mistakes all over again,
That I can patiently wait on God's plan/timing/everything without having to be tormented day and night with the thought of the possibility of this actually working out,
That I can just let this go...
That I can just TRUST Him...

And if I can,
if I can rid myself of all these nonsensical swooning over you,
if I can get through one simple day without thinking about you,
if I can not let my judgements be clouded by your mere presence and sweet, oh sweet words,
if I can just go with the flow
and still 'tis fire for you burns bright even after an eternity

I suppose you're worth the wait.
I don't want you to be another crush.

Of Sand Bars and Flower Pops...

2008-10-05T21:02:00.004+08:00

Oh, I'm in such a good mood right now... My internet connection's working again!!! Thank You God!!!

Phuahh...

Well, I'm back in Perth again and I'm eager to get Taylors College over with.
Anyways, I joined IMC's youth group for their second outing (right? ) yesterday and I never regretted a single minute of it!
Pics up on Facebook people...

I'm really really lazy to blog properly so... the pics will have to do for now.. Chow!

Routine

2008-09-25T10:11:00.002+08:00

I'm bored out of my pants. Just finished a cup of McD's "Premium Roast Coffee" (I'm saving the last drop as an excuse to stay on using up their free WiFi). Interview's this afternoon. Hope I'll ace it.. if you can, "ace" an interview that is.

I find it really hard to wake up these few days. Not sure if it's because I can't or I don't want to. Maybe it's both. Or it could be those dreams I keep having. All of the sudden I feel like being Eri Asai from Murakami's After Dark. Argh! Accurssed English 4 Literature!

Still haven't actually contacted my high school friends yet (soorreee...). huh... Should I go back to Perth? Or vie for an opportunity to go someplace new? Ohhh.... God.
My reasons for staying in Perth could be arbitrary. But it's not for me to decide, now is it?

But what if I'm sure of this?

What if this is "it"?
What if... uggh... I think too much.

Guess I'll just "go with the flow" as I somehow remember a friend telling me.

Speak My Mind

2008-09-13T18:46:00.002+08:00

Nothing but a chemical in my head
It's nothing but laziness
'Cause I don't wanna read the book
I'll watch the movie
'Cause it's not me
I'm just like everybody else my age

I think I'd rather play around
And I think I'd rather watch TV
'Cause I don't wanna face my fears
I'll watch the movie
'Cause it's not me
I'm just like everybody else (I'm just like everybody else)
I'm just like everybody else

Because
I don't wanna be here
I don't wanna see this now
It's all wrong but it's
Alright
And I don't wanna be here
I don't wanna study now
It's all wrong but it's alright

~ Chem 6A by Switchfoot~

Grraahh... off to crunch up some Chemistry now..

It Irks Me

2008-08-30T11:38:00.002+08:00

Gosh, it's been a while since my last post. Aug 31st is just tomorrow (gonna be one heck of a special day). Time flies when your having fun (either that or it's the ginormous heap of work to do).

With the 3rd term break just around the corner, my to-do list grows with each passing day. It has grown to the point where I doubt two weeks of "rest" will be enough. Sadly, there's nothing I can do about it. I've been lazy enough. Guess I don't deserve any "bonuses" this time round.

Since this is my first post in a long long time, here's a little juicy announcement for you to circulate around using humanity's most efficient RSS service - gossip : I've been selected for Malaysia's pointless National Service. Yes, the horror, I know. Thank God I'm not a girl. Along with that, I'll also answer one of your FAQs : Yes, I am going for it, given it doesn't interrupt Uni.

Somehow, I have this tingling sensation at the back of my neck that the Almighty has His reasons for this. But hey, He has His reasons for every happening, every occurrence, every historic moment, every single "it" that happens. And this is definitely an "it".

Oh Malaysia, won't you ever learn.. Selfishness and the greed for money and "power" won't get you or at least us anywhere. The Malaysian NS system is so bugged that it's a disgrace to the nation. A humiliation. Why in the world would you randomly, and I stress RANDOMLY, select 17 year old children who are already using their time to pursue tertiary education to waste 3 pointless months "serving the nation"? 3 months? Singaporean males kick ass with their 2 year NS program. That's serving the nation. My point? Use a selection system that's NOT random so it's fair for everyone. And puh-lease... No girls. Why the *#$% do you need girls in the army? Unless they themselves volunteer to risk their virginity to join the NS, I don't see the need for girls to be selected. Beyond that, I have nothing else to say about the camp until I've been through it. Then, I'll have my fair share of criticising this whole abomination.

Serve the nation? Sure thing. Malaysia's my home. The people I love live in Malaysia. My roots are buried so deep into Malaysian soil there's no way I will ever let my country fall into eternal damnation all because of incompetent leaders. I'm a 17-year old but if there's one thing I know a leader should do, it's this - GROW UP! We serve the nation out of our own love for it. It referring to the people making up the nation.

A big pointer for all Malaysian politicians especially the PM - Watch "V for Vendetta".

And I quote my dear friend Daniel who quotes from the movie, "People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people."

Read This

2008-07-23T00:35:00.002+08:00

"KUALA LUMPUR: A man who caused the death of his 87-year-old father by strangling him with a belt was sentenced to four years' jail for manslaughter." - The Star (Tuesday July 22, 2008)

"The Reuters article said that under Malaysian law, sodomy carried a penalty of up to twenty years in prison." - EDGE (Tuesday Jul 1, 2008)

Murderers should be charged with a life sentence by flagellating in my opinion. 4 years is just not enough. Where's the logical justice in this??

People who just want to have a "good time" on the other hand should be exiled to live in Sodom with nothing but sackcloth. What makes the authorities think those sexually-driven hooligans won't just sodomise other prisoners? It happens. I saw them happen in lots of movies depicting the life of a prisoner (refer to Prison Break for example).

Conclusion: Malaysian law must have ranked dignity as more important than life.

Excuses

2008-07-20T14:20:00.001+08:00

Summer's dead and the White Witch came...

I need warmth.

pfft...

Excuses.

Troubled by Sin?

2008-06-30T21:12:00.002+08:00

We all know deep down inside that stealing is wrong and nobody likes it. If that's not enough, God strictly forbids the act of stealing:

"You shall not steal" - Exodus 20:15

Right. So now do we all agree that stealing is sin?

Since buying pirated CDs or DVDs, downloading music, software, movies... etc. over peer-to-peer or bit torrent clients (Limewire, Azureus and the lot...) and sharing songs by passing the files themselves to others is stealing, are they sin too?

I know everyone does it. No Malaysian can escape from the seductive pirated DVD vendors lining our poorly constructed roads, offering the latest movies for only Rm 5. That's $1.25 AUD per DVD. Can we really be blamed? They're just trying to make a living in this still poor nation and there are no original DVDs to be found anywhere on the face of Kuching. To look for one would be like searching for the Holy Grail!

Illegal downloads on the other hand, are a teenager's best friend. Who can beat such a perfect deal? Free music, movies and software all for the affordable price of a broadband connection.

Unfortunately it's stealing. Everyone does it.

What's troubling me is that we can't stop.

Pastors, how many of you steal?

* * *

Still think you're not a sinner?

Back Home

2008-06-25T22:34:00.002+08:00

As soon as I stepped out from Kuching's International Airport, water vapour hammered down on my dry skin. I finally felt my sweat pores re-activating after spending the last 10 weeks in the crisp, Eucalyptus-scented, dry, cool air of Perth.

Right, now that I'm back in Kuching, I'm going out to chow down some good Kolo Mee tomorrow morning for breakfast with some old friends, I can finally take cold, refreshing showers and I get to fondle my electric guitar after 10 weeks being stuck with my lovely Santa Cruz acoustic. It feels good to be home. Brings back memories.

They say I've grown. As in BIGGER. Yes, I gawked in disbelief as well.

On the other hand I missed the freedom I had in Perth. Back here, I don't have the transportation freedom to roam around the city. And I've come to realised, that IMC has been the first church I actually am involved in actively? (for my standards at least. It's complicated stuff. A long story, as I've told some). Well, yeah...

Where oh where?

2008-06-25T07:31:00.003+08:00

Right, I'm in a 12-hour transit now with nothing better to do than this. Thank God for Singapore's free wireless internet access at Changi Airport.

Today, I emerge victorious in finding a flaw in the Singaporeans!!! Changi Airport does not sell XBOX 360 games. It's as if Sony bought over all the shops here and forced them to sell their poor ol' PS3 and its games. Damn it.

Oh, and I saw a Buddhist monk and two nuns today. Guess what? The monk flew business class, and the nuns were using a sleek black Motorola Razr. I've read somewhere also that the Dalai Lama himself uses a Mac. Here's proof:

If you look close enough, you can see not only Dalai Lama but his awesomely sexy MacBook Pro. I'm quite sure his followers uses Macs too. Dalai Lama most probably won't hesitate to patiently teach them the new ways of a Mac operating system. But I was just curious what they would need a Mac for. Publishing Buddhist podcasts maybe? I can't imagine a Buddhist monk rock band using GarageBand to make Buddhist music.

"Or maybe Steve Jobs' a Buddhist! Could be a marketing feat."

Now the Tibetans would all be using Apple's "revolutionary" 3G iPhones up in their mountain caves of meditation while we Malaysians get left behind (as usual) with our jailbroken iPhones of the last century.

It intrigues me to wonder what the Pope uses - Mac or PC? I hope Steve Jobs' a Catholic too.

Ughh... my head... I feel so woozy now. It's 8 a.m. in the tropical morning and I'm gonna check into the transit hotel now. I'm coming home but now my heart's torn between two places.

Oh where oh where will you bring me next , my God?

2008-06-22T20:34:00.002+08:00

"When I got tired of running from you

I stopped right there to catch my breath

There your words they caught my ears

You said 'I miss you son. Come home'

And my sins, they watched me leave

And in my heart I so believed

The love you felt for me was mine

The love I'd wished for all the this time

And when the doors were closed

I heard no I told you so's

I said the words I knew you knew

Oh God, oh God I needed you

God all this time I needed you, I needed you"

-RelientK-

Happy Birthday Larry!

2008-06-15T21:20:00.006+08:00

You're officially 18 today! Which means you are eligible to buy alcohol and cigarettes legally! Not that I'm suggesting that you would. It's been umm... 6 years? Since we first met in BL's notoriously dirty yet expensive canteen?

Right, so because I've just run out of credit to send an international sms to wish you a "Blessed 18th birthday!", I've decided to kill two birds with one stone:

1. Wish you a "Blessed 18th Birthday!"

2. Post up a new blog entry

As much as I would like to combine them all into one neat collage, I don't have Photoshop on my Mac yet.. So, there they are.

Memories of old.

I especially like the one where Dan was cuddling you.

It is a symbolic act of friendship that will endure the test of time

Oh, God! Where are you bringing us next?

Narnian Pancakes

2008-06-13T23:56:00.003+08:00

One thing so satisfying about Narnia is the fact that the love described so beautifully by C.S. Lewis is real

It's the only fantasy that's a reality

There's an Aslan here with us

There's a world like Narnia

There're people chosen to inherit Narnia

Peter, Susan and Edmund doubted Aslan's existence because they didn't see him

while Lucy had faith because he chose to reveal himself to her,

Sound familiar?

Brain Degeneration

2008-06-11T16:38:00.003+08:00

Can you tell that I'm stressed?

Do you see those sinful packets of Skittles Sours and Maltesers?

And this plastic bottle of 200 Vitamin C tablets?

These are the signs of the end time.

The end of the term is near.

There'll be headaches, colds, flu, coughs and sickness beyond description.

The people will cry out in agony while the diligent cram salvation into their brains,

And then there'll be bliss...

One day, stress will become a neurological disorder which can be inherited from one generation to another. Then, we shall find a cure for it.

I got my ISAT results back.

*horror music plays*

Why Aren't You Coming?

2008-06-05T17:46:00.002+08:00

Tomorrow night will be the night when over a hundred and fifty plus international students strap on their best mask and strut their stuff to show the world they are beautiful while enjoying themselves in a pandemonium of rapture.

So, Albert, why aren't you going?

I hesitate before answering that question every time.

"Err... I have a church youth meet on Friday nights."

Typical reactions to what I've said would me a cringed up face with the words 'Can't you just miss it for once? It's not like God will condemn you to hell for not going to youth once. Pfft! What a Jesus freak' written all over. If only they would understand (refer to previous post).

"I don't have a date."

Then the guys would say, "I don't either but I'm going. *ughh...what a lame excuse*"

And the girls would go, "You don't need one to go and have a good time."

Okay, granted. Bad excuse *cough* I mean reason for missing out on the ball.

"It's $50 Aussie smackeroonies! Rm 150 for a ball??"

The school administration would counter that statement with a million POIs and a budget list as long as Swan River itself with a great big "In your face, Scrooge!"

Right. Now how many of you would drop a new, crisp $50 AUD note into a donation box (for a good cause) without so much as once it's rich amber silhouette ever flitting through your generous mind one last time? $50 dollar ticket and a handsome $200 new suit plus a good $3 dollar mask adds up to err... I don't know... $253 AUD? Must be easy for young adult students to fork out that amount of cash for an over rated prom night. I guess they've been saving it up by photocopying all those textbooks they've been ever so reluctant to buy?

"I'm no prom material. I'm not going to enjoy myself. I'm just gonna end up wasting time."

And the peoples say, "It's only once in a lifetime!"

Deduct your age from 70 years. That's the approximate time you have left. Tell me again how this is once in a lifetime?

Life itself is once in a lifetime. That's how we came up with the term 'lifetime'. I don't intend to be caught by the Judge carousing at 3 am in a hotel room with a bunch of drunkards and a truck load of alcohol after the ball.

Since it's so hard to give a reason I'm not attending the intended-to-be-masquerade ball, I've decided to simply say, "Because I don't want to go."

But then, they would repeat their question... again.

Have a great time at the ball people!

Alone?

2008-05-31T19:02:00.002+08:00

Every week after church or youth group meet, I can just sit in the corner and watch the whole church erupt into a feeding frenzy as tea and snacks are served without being approached by anyone.

'Oh great I feel a great sense of belonging here,' I thought.

Occasionally some kind aunty would :) and maybe talk to me for awhile to make sure everything was all right. It has been that way ever since I stepped into the church premises for the first time. Last term, I avoided church mainly because I felt left out by them. I also disliked the cliché sermons and the seemingly dead congregation.

My relationship with God went downhill. I began to doubt Christianity if it meant anything at all to those people. Why all those denominations? Why all those people in the Middle East dying? Doesn't God love them? If so, then why let them suffer? Why this church?

But God is faithful. I returned from the term break with a renewed determination to tackle Foundation year. I knew God placed me in that church for a reason but I didn't feel good about it. I wanted to benefit from going to church but the sermons aren't beneficial so far. Then the thought struck me, what if God didn't place me there to take but rather to give? What if God placed me there to be a Christian even if I thought others weren't?

I've been judging them, criticising behind their backs everything that seemed un-Christlike so much that I forgot to look in the mirror. I was just as bad if not worst. I should've been approaching them instead of being approached; love instead of expecting love from others; give instead of hoping to receive. I should have been a Christian instead of waiting for others to change their ways.

Now, I make sure I have time for church. If I need time to get to know them, so do they. They need a change but it has to start with me. Unity in the Church (which is another issue I have with church denominations; I do not get how the Church will benefit with such things as United Methodist something something?) will never happen until we can learn to love others. It's easy to say, but not so to carry out.

I still feel alone in church but not as bad as before with the new perspective God gave me. All I'm trying to figure out now is how to talk with them.

As for those questions, God is answering everyone of them one by one in many ways.

I might leave that for another day but if you're interested to know, read Romans chapter 9. For those of you who are seeking answers but can't seem to find them, keep looking and ASKing. Be persistent.

Don't give up on God for He will never give up on you.

I sat the ISAT

2008-05-24T15:31:00.002+08:00

100 mind-boggling questions in 3 hours straight cannot be good for your brain.

This is a solemn tribute to the brave brain cells that gave themselves up to uphold the greater good.

Big Bully

2008-05-17T23:47:00.003+08:00

Who could've imagined I was a big bully??

The autonomy of being the elder brother

The best example of 'conditional' sharing

Raymond ended up being my sidekick;

I CALL THE SHOTS

And that's what keeps us together

Simple symbiosis:

I love you and you love me

One heck of a batch

2008-05-16T23:45:00.002+08:00

Congratulations to all of you who've managed to grasp the immensely sought after JPA scholarships! 7 from BL, or so I've heard from my "source". Just remember, SPM is the dumbest exam ever. So, work harder.

'Singaporeans can literally smack our sorry dumb asses with their high IQ back to the Jurassic Period without moving a muscle.'

As for all of you who are going for Medicine or Dentistry, may God be with you. Get ready for a hell of a life slaving our asses off to save other less fortunate asses. Forgive me for my vulgar usage of the term 'ass'. It's just one of the many ways I take to vent off my stress.

To fall for it and realise you can't stop till you hit the ground and crawl back up a hill of thorns SUCK. But I just can't get enough of the falling.

Am I going nuts?

Infatuated

2008-05-13T17:51:00.002+08:00

Tests... Tests... and MORE tests... Most are of academic nature, but the important ones are of the spirit and heart. Did I mention they're all equally 'life-changing' ? If I fail any of them, all will eventually lead to my death. Agreed?

Take for instance(s) I fail:

Academically. I won't get a job, I'll be poor for the rest of my life and die of some curable disease. It would probably be the bill that comes after the treatment that kills me
Spiritually. Need I say more? God will be so disappointed.
Heart-ually. If I fail my heart, I'd fail myself. This will lead to long-term depression and deep self-resentment or schizophrenia. Either way, I'd unintentionally kill myself.

"Oh, what with all this talk about death and killing yourself! Rubbish! " You say?

Damn right it is. Which leaves me with only one option:

I musn't fail

Why must natural selection be so... merciless? *sigh* Am I falling for it again?

Name Google-ing

2008-05-13T16:57:00.002+08:00

I've just realised how easy it is for intelligence agencies to find a 16-year old, Malaysian Chinese, Albert Tan. This personal blog is actually second from the bottom of Google's first result page for keywords Albert Tan. That, with all those pictures... The obscenity of personal pictures in the sight of the public.

By the way, Daniel's blog is ranked 3rd with keywords Daniel Chong and Larry's 1st (astoundingly) with keywords Larry Ellee but no results turned up for Larry Elle. This only proves two things:

There are more Daniel Chongs out there than Larry Ellees
My blog sucks

Lamentations do not make an attractive blog ornament.

Au Revior, My Friends

2008-04-18T10:10:00.006+08:00

*sweet memories flash before me*

*dramatic* Oh, cruel world! Why, oh why must I be bereft of the ones I love so soon??

At 9 pm tonight, I'll be on a plane heading back to Perth to start Term 2 of the UWA Foundation Program. Many things I will have to leave behind and many people I might not get a chance to ever see again. Yes, this is really happening, not that anyone intends it to be this way.

But our lives are indeed paths laid out by our perfect Creator to serve a purpose. Whether they will cross again, only God knows. Telephones, E-mails, IMs, VOIPs, blogs and letters can only do as much. It will never be the same as being around you again. We're all moving on. Soon, we will meet new people to lavish our love upon. New people to care for. New people to keep oneself occupied. New people to fill in the gap which was once US.

"No matter how much one tries to "keep in touch" it'll never be the same again. "

For me, this day, this very moment, has such significance that it will change the lives of everyone who has been in my life and I in theirs. Whether gradual or abrupt, none can deny it. My childhood is lost. Lost in the murky depths of time and responsibility never to be recovered. We are all stepping out from the comforts of our little, idealistic teenage world into what we all call realism. Our world will never be "a better place" no matter how many Miss Universes say they will make it become. We are becoming aware of the responsibilities,*dramatic* oh, the weight of the WORLD!

Now there'll be work, and soon kids. Childish gestures of love where one goes 'I like so and so'and another 'I love so and so' and break up the following month are now viewed merely as foolish acts of growing up. Practicality starts to creep into your once ideal view on romance no matter how hard you try to rub it out. And if you're mature enough, you'll come to realise that love and romance are actually two different things.

*sigh* ... *long sigh*

We all have to grow up. I guess I'm no exception. But the hardest part is accepting the cold hard facts. I'm not going to see a lot of you anytime soon. Some maybe not ever. Let's just pray God will let our paths cross one another.

For now, au revoir my Friends.

Hopefully, our fond memories may linger on to eternity.

You have my love.

Sincerely,

Albert

NOTICE

2008-04-09T00:01:00.002+08:00

I'm back in Kuching again and eating hearty Malaysian meals everyday, people!

Just a notice to all you guys out there,

I'm still using my old 016 Digi number when I'm in Malaysia.

Balik Kampung!

2008-04-04T21:25:00.008+08:00

After 10 long amazing weeks being deprived of good home-cooked Malaysian food here in Perth, I'm eager to get back home. But of course, the humidity is another problem. You won't believe it but my nose doesn't run here at all! Western Australia is so dry that even the mucous in my nostrils are sucked dry of their moisture. Heh!

Over the past 10 weeks, many things had happened...

#1. I have long hair now... Disturbingly-girlish long hair...

#2. I am a tanned Tan now. Pun intended.

#3. I've sat on railroad tracks...

#4. Cycled to Perth City Central from Currie Hall along Swan River (approx. 15 minutes if the wind's blowing in your direction)

#5. Ate Malaysian food in Perth. Taste nothing close to it! But it's the best we can get our hands on

#6. Ate Nando's for the first time, God knows why in all places Australia!?

#7. Seen heart-shaped fireworks synchronised with music from a local broadcasting station

#8. Met a LOT of Singaporean friends...And YES, all of 'em are smarty pants :)

#9. Had lots of junk food everyday, especially instant noodles, chips and Shapes.

#10. Watched a cheesy movie (Jumper) at one of the best cinemas I've been to. Oh, what better irony? 12 bucks too!!@!#%

#11. Walked to the blue house on Swan River.

You see, Perth isn't much different from Kuching. It's the 'ang-mo' version of Kuching. We have Sungai Sarawak, they have Swan River. Only difference here is the colour...

We have a port, they also have a port.

We have a white dome structure called the planetarium, they have Gingin's Gravity Discovery Centre's white dome structure too.

Kuching is is Sarawak, Malaysia's largest state. Perth is in Western Australia, Aussie's largest state!

#12. Had an excursion to Gingin's Gravity Discovery Centre where a gravity wave detecting device is being built

#13. Learnt to play Bridge while on a cramped moving bus to Gingin. Damn psychological man!

#14. Experienced life as a hobo... Heh heh... Well at least as one who live on Currie Hall's lawn. The stars were amazing that night

#15. I swam in the middle of the night in a swimming pool... Will never forget the cold wind... Never!!

#16. Grow a little fatter... Not the pot-belly type but, you knw.. Won't wanna be scrawny now would I?

Number 16 never happened...yet. Aha! Eating too much indomee would result in the above situation depicted by the photograph due to MSG overdose and coagulation of oil supplied by indomee.

See you when I get back home people!

Exams, Addiction and Time (E.A.T)

2008-03-29T00:20:00.002+08:00

In 8 days time, I would be on a plane heading back to Kuching for my first term break. Exams are on now. One down with three more coming up. Sometimes, I really wonder why I even bother to do this or even SPM. I feel wasted here.

The teachers here are all human. They're no superhuman. And like all humans, some are lazy, procrastinating, money-sucking *place animal of your choice here*. But there are also a few amazing, experienced, responsible, hardworking ones too. Somehow coincidentally, the teachers I have now all resemble the traits and characteristics of my Form 5 teachers back at BL High.

I know, I'm in no position to complain. I don't even have the right so as to give the slightest fuss about all this. I am thankful to God for my parents, for this chance and opportunity to pursue tertiary education without the need to worry about scholarship applications. But all that for this? The quality of education here isn't what I imagined it to be. Somehow, I long for a challenge. Something new, maybe. Something that isn't a re-run from last year's arduous SPM. I want to be accepted into a tertiary education body for my achievements and abilities NOT my bank account.

Experience is what I need. So far, I've learnt more from the whole journey than from College. But yes, this is just the beginning. Far more uncertainties and challenges lie ahead of me. I guess I'm just beginning to taste the reality of the world. The amazing clarity of life's winding journey. A journey I've chosen to take with Jesus Christ.

My addiction to 'Prison Break' has cost me much time which I'll have to make up for tomorrow. Good news is, daylight savings ends this Sunday. Which means an extra hour in life. Amazing how time can be stretched and bent. Einstein was a genius!

I so need to learn to manage time more wisely. Discipline is what I so desperately need now. Oh, God! Where are You?

D-DAY

2008-03-12T17:08:00.002+08:00

Today was exhilarating. I had my first Physics presentation and it went exceptionally well (for our standards) all by God's grace. The night before I've been practising my presentation in Deborah's room, and all thanks to strict Ms. Si Hua, I've managed not to move about distractingly while presenting my speech. :)

About 20 minutes before it was our turn (Nabila was my team mate), my mum SMS-ed me my results. Elated-with-a-tinge-of-disappointment is the appropriate adjective to describe that feeling I had. Oh, not to mention the butterflies in my stomach as each minute of someone else's presentation passes by, drawing my turn closer and closer. I was as nervous as usual. My jaws shivered, upper torso twitched and lower leg literally vibrated involuntarily. The only thing I could think of doing at that moment was pray. Latter, everything went on smoothly with me remaining less twitchy than I usually would be in such situations. Nabila handled her part professionally. I was impressed.

So, Deborah, Wayne, Si Hua and I went to Gelare and some other shop up at Northbridge, ate waffles and drank bubble tea to celebrate the end of SPM officially. Man, do I miss you guys back home...

That's the counter at Gelare. The waffles were great... With ice cream topping!

Anyway, I promised pictures so here they are... Some of them at least. That's the back of the college I'm going to. Taylors college. It used to be Edith Cowan Uni's campus but UWA bought it over. The front's nothing like this.

That's me. My hair's long now... I need hair cut.

That picture is taken at Cottlesloe beach down the highway. It was taken quite sometime ago. I still cannot get over the fact that it's already March. I'm coming home in April guys! 6th of April. Mark your calendars... :P

Cheers!

Facebook...

2008-03-11T21:17:00.002+08:00

Sorry I haven't been updating my blog much. Was pretty much overwhelmed by things going on here. I just don't have enough time... Err... Sorry, it was more of have-enough-time-but-didn't-use-them-properly kinda scenario.

This week is going to be hectic. So is next week. Every week, it'll be assignments, assignments, assignments... TEST. I miss my XBO 360 back home... My computer games... Kuching FOOD! Oh, and the free time I had back home during the "long" break after SPM. BTW, it's D-Day for us 2007 SPM students tomorrow.

Ugh... about photos on this blog, I'll post em up right after I resize em.

Oh, one more thing. I have FACEBOOK now. Feel free to add me.

That's all for now. Damn lame post la...

Let's Dissect Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T21:25:00.004+08:00

Hello People..

I've done my first ever dissection in Human Biology class yesterday. At first it looked like a daunting task but it actually turned out to be extremely interesting.

And so, I put on my gloves, wrapped the apron around myself, took up the scalpel and sliced that piece of meat. It felt so much like cutting beef back home when I was learning how to cook from Mum. The brain is actually more interesting than you think it is. I mean, imagine a piece of meat-looking thing with the capacity to process, store and integrate information exceeding the performance of even the best of all supercomputers.

An inferior view of a sheep's brain... Look at that thing!

After slicing my way through the thing...

The brain actually consists of 5 lobes : Frontal, Parietal, Occipital, Temporal and the Insula which is located somewhere in the brain... And guess what that "hole-space-looking" thing is?

A ventrical!

Cerebrospinal fluid is produced there.

Johnny and I with the brain...

That's actually a piece of the sheep's puny little brain. See the white part? That's the white matter. The "pink" stuff is the grey matter.

Anyways, Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Life Here

2008-02-09T23:38:00.000+08:00

Every weekday, I'd have to wake up at 6 am to get to the shower before the other students wake up, go for breakfast at 7 am, rush to the bus stop outside Currie Hall at 7.30 am, catch the bus...

That's how it looks like in the bus. Fully air-conditioned, clean and efficient (you don't see black smoke belching out from the exhaust).

After the 5 minute bus ride to Goldsworthy Road, we would walk for 5 more minutes to College. From left to right, Alvin, Dilys, Johnny, Nabila and Wayne. This picture was totally random.

That's our Math3 teacher. I tell you, he's temperament, teaching style and experience is reminiscent of Mr Fong's. So, we'll be stuck in school from 8am to 3pm on normal days. Some of us have free periods on certain days allowing us to either go back early or come late to school. After school, we'll plod our way back to Stirling Highway and go across to the "return" bus stop. This happens everyday. We would usually reach Currie Hall by 3.30pm or 4pm if we missed the earlier bus.

Almost everyone goes out on weekends... Friday and Saturday nights are especially quiet here in House A Currie Hall.

I went shopping for food last Thursday night with Dilys, Nabila, her mum and Wayne at one of Perth's few shopping malls.

Dilys and her $8.80 AUD plate of Chinese food. It was Chinese New Year, you see. I ordered a plate of $8.90 AUD Kuey Teow. And Wayne got a larger $9.90 AUD version of what Dilys took. At this point, Mr Ang would, without fail, slap his forehead and exclaim, "SickENING aRR!!!! Dunia, Dunia!!!"

Then we went shopping for "stuff". I got a Pyrex bowl, 3 packs of Maggi Mee and a pack of 18 cans of Coke. I cannot solely survive on Currie Hall food. Other than that...

Life here isn't too bad.