T-minus 13 ?

Salam and a very lovely day I bid to all.

Its been quite some time since I posted anything on my blog. I've been reading up what my friends were thinking about and I have to say, I feel quite refreshed now.

Sometimes, routine (doing different things everyday is a routine too ) can be about as interesting as watching paint dry.

I've been trying to really make the best of the whatever time I have left here in Malaysia.
Been reading up and observing lots of things lately.

Malaysia is a really relaxed country. The land is wide and vast. You can do whatever you want here. Take a stroll, Ride a bike, Climb a hill. Its just so geographically diverse. Coming back from Singapore, I've come with a better or at least balanced view of my own country.

I went to Singapore for the weekend last week. It was great to have an extra man in the family (primarily because he likes to travel and pay for food, haha). Initially, I thought i knew Singapore like the back of my hand, but when i went out and literally got lost in the concrete jungle, I was awed and mystified as to why i've never seen these places in SG before.

The highlight of the trip was the light show at Marina Bay Sands. It was the perfect end for a perfect day for sight-seeing. Seeing how the fine spray of water projecting itself high into the air. The almost holographic like pictures and videos of life in Singapore plus the magnificent view of Marina Bay. I was left with one thing in mind

Will I ever be able to enjoy these things again ?

Please share your toys

As a young boy, i admit i might have been slightly greedy with my things. Like the typical last child
" He always gets what he wants and no has never existed inside his vocabulary"
I remember those days when i used to literally make all my toys 'magically disappear' when my cousins or nephews came to visit.

" Play Station ? mana i ada (when i actually did and it was actually under the table), i datang rumah you je baru main "

"oh okay, nanti kita main dekat rumah aku"

"okay ! "

*does the cheekiest fat kid smile you could think of. imagine how a fat boy would feel when he's falling into an ocean of vanilla ice cream. THAT CHEEKY !

So yeah, i wasn't really good with sharing things.

But you know, 10+ years on, i realized now what it really means to share your toys

Lets take the example of toy story 3


(spoilers, if you haven't watched it. Go Watch it Now !! )

So in the final scene, through all the troubles the toys go through to stay in touch with Andy. Eventually, Andy painfully but willingly donates his toys to this young girl.

Now take a step back and think for a minute
Would I in my life donate my favorite toys to some girl who i honestly don't know and honestly have no idea how she would take care of my toys. She could as well be the meanest girl in the neighborhood and bite of the heads of all my beloved toys ?

But then again,
we have to consider Andy's age. Andy in the 3rd movie is already an adult. He is already going to college. He has already matured as a man and has developed concrete thinking and decision making skills. Would he still require Woody, Buzz and Jessie ?

Would it be fair if Andy had kept the toys and took away the rights of that girl to learn from these toys ?

These toys had served Andy well by giving him happiness,hope and dreams. Since Andy already has all these things with him, why must he keep the toys when other children might need it more than him so that they too would also develop their hope, happiness and dreams.

Friends are like toys. We play, laugh and learn with them. They are our closest companions, the ice to our cream and the chocolate to our chip. They make our hearts shine and our minds open. They gives us hope when Barney has gone home or when Cookie Monster has gone back into his trash bin.However, we must always remember to share the gifts we have. We must give other children the same opportunities we had so that they too will become happy,hopeful and full of dreams.

It is by sharing, that we truly can learn more about ourselves and of others too.

So that is why i believe that:

We must share our toys for the benefit of others and ourselves

Even when it hurts

Realization(s)

Its been a very heavy 5 days. Am literally physically and mentally tired.
So many things on, so many things said
its a bit too much honestly

But, i did seriously learn a lot of things about myself

A LOT

What do we really need in life ?
What is a necessity and what is a luxury ?
What truly is necessary and what is truly just a guilty pleasure ?
What is a real purpose and what is an agenda ?

I found those answers in these 5 days
and im
very very thankful :)

not just for the camp
but for everything
the people
the experiences
the lessons

I find it amazing how people can find happiness in such sorrow

It makes you wonder,
if we already have everything, then why are we so unhappy ?

Literature with those "Aha !" moments intact

"Literature is Boring "

Everyone keeps saying that, and that's probably because;

People see literature normally as a tool to improve language.
"It increases your vocabulary "
What good would anyone in today's planet get by learning the word 'rood', 'hyperion curls' and 'argal' ?
Seriously, if i was born in Shakespeare's time, maybe i could use it to pick up girls but in today's world, the only thing anyone would 'pick up' while reading this is a Panadol and a glass of water because, Shakespeare literally will boggle your mind.

Even with that said, I believe Shakespeare's contribution in the work of English and theater are unparalleled. Who would have thought that the story of 2 'star-crossed lovers,destined to be together but due to 2 old guys who really hate losing, they are meant to be apart ' would make for good storytelling. I feel for the news we are forced to read everyday, its always either;
a)murder
b)conspiracy
c)sex
d) MURDER, SEX AND CONSPIRACY

Who comes up with these headlines ?
Its like these newspaper companies think were all a bunch of hedonists, smoking weed and banging cars and any other object in sight

Getting back to the topic of literature, I find it hard to understand why a book which opens with " I am a sick man... I am a spiteful man. I'm an unpleasant man. I think my liver is diseased " could even be remotely considered as something literary. This is something which you might find in a 15 year old goth chick or goth boy's blog, but honestly,
"I think my liver is diseased " ?
Sir, I believe your opening words can cure stupidity and at the same time cause mental retardation.

If your anything like me, stories are a nice place to get lost. I've been lost in a few exotic places, namely New York, Dublin, Alaska, a communist farmhouse, somewhere in the ocean, purgatory even. You meet so many people, I had a brief chit-chat about ducks with a New York Cab Driver (eventually he got tired and left me on the sidewalk, Jerk !) . Talked to a prostitute (and no, nothing happened !). Met a pimp with an inclination to grab you in the wrong places ( he had issues with me i guess, that's why he did that). Saw a party of pigs hanging out playing poker, eventually regressing into a fight of oinks and beer bottles. Talked to a lion which came from India who for some reason could speak really good French and likes a good Meerkat

So you see, Literature ain't boring. I mean it ain't as boring as, I don't know Quantum Mechanics XD

You just have to let your imagination run wild and perhaps wear protection if necessary :)

Reflection

Its been a week without Facebook. I must say it has been such a treat to be able to leave the digital world for the real one.Honestly, i didnt manage to complete everything on the list but in the end of the day, the effort and intention were more important than some 'list'. It was in these 5 days that i've really learned a lot about myself and others as well. All my past stories, all my past memories were clear and intact, giving me the clarity i needed to share my stories with those lucky few that were lucky enough to see me this week. Being given the opportunity to tell those stories and experiences had relieved me of my emotional baggage into the black hole off peace and traquility. I feel refreshed and much better than before. I suppose I grew up in these few days. Heck, im actually starting to gain weight ! For some reason, my 7 or 8 year old appetite popped up again and now im happily enjoying wolfing down a few plates nasi goreng kampung and ayam tandoori.

I've learned in this past week that, maybe, JUST maybe, i can relearn to trust and love people again.For the past few years, i really lost hope in humanity. I thought no one was going to go out with me, till eventually someone did. And that moment alone, that feeling of being proven wrong really made me think twice about people. I have to say, the last outing must have been personally one of the best outings and one of the most memorable ones i've had. We managed to establish that level of connection which some books describe as ' total isolation from the world '. My tongue was as dry as a desert, I haven't talked that long nor that much to anyone in such a long time.

I believe it was Randy Pausch that once said, " Theres a good side in everyone, you just have to keep looking ". I really couldnt relate to him, till the most amazing thing happened. A very informative text message was in my inbox and the best part was, it was so out of the blue, it was such a surprise to me that someone was looking out for me. Someone was nice enough to send me a text message about really important stuff. I felt that human connection once again, that human feeling. that i got your back feeling. U of T will be the most challenging 4 years of my life but judging from these signs, its good to know that i'll have a few eyes to look out, a few ears to listen out, a few shoulders to lean on and a few hands to hold for those 4 years.

Im ready to smile
Im ready to move forward
Im ready to live again :)

Post Mortem: Sem 2 (Part 2 of 2)

The second chapter of this post mortem deals with what went right, or the things that i believe helped me do well this past 2 semesters

If there was one thing that i'm thankful for, it has to be for my awesome friends and teammates.
In CPU, a large part of our coursework involves group projects. I've done quite a variety of things, opening an underwater hotel, presentation on superglue,creating a complex thingamajig that raises a flag, Shakespearean theater, you want a revolving theatre ? done that too bro. The key to success in these projects and i suppose life in general is, TEAMWORK and COMMUNICATION. Its gravely important to establish that connection between teammates. Rather than focusing on self-interest, always focus on the interest of the group in general. I admit, i am quite keen on controlling things and when i see people doing more than me, i just can't help but feel like a spectator not contributing a thing. However, throughout the projects i did realize that a team has many functions and rather than focusing on a single thing, do others. If one is building, one is troubleshooting. you should do something else, perhaps writing. managing.recording. motivating. hey ! motivating can be a job too you know. morale is especially important in a team. break the morale, break the team. Keep the morale, keep the faith, thus keep the goal in sight.

Throughout all my projects, i've always been very lucky to get very good teammates. My IB group with Jung and Sheng. Chem Team with Bee Li, Shiuh Sen, Mudin, Alvin. Calculus with Akmal and Aaron.Physics with Afiq and Akmal. English with Jiunn Sheng, Bee Li, Kar Yi and Alvin. If there is one thing i must say, it was that all my teammates worked so hard for the team and contributed a lot of ideas for the group. Everything just went so well. All those memories. All the moments. All the friendships formed and strengthened. All the laughs and tears. They were all worth it. Thanks guys :D


Another thing id like to touch on is how important friends are in CPU. It can bring either a positive or negative effect. I've seen how friends can make someone drown their own voice and become a follower. I've also seen how friends can drive a person to succeed and become his own person. It's really up to you, to follow the crowd or to carve your own path. Looking at how optimistic and passionate my friends were in what they did, it made me think, what did i want to do in life ? What was my goal in life ?

My friends were also a great source of knowledge and comfort. Having a confidante, a person whom you could tell anything was such a gift i didnt have in early high school. It was such a relief to let go of some steam, perhaps some frustrations, about assignments or other things. I suppose that in a way helped me cope with the high level of stress you experience in the course. The deadlines in the course are insane. On one day, you might have 2 quizzes and 1 final exam. The next day is your final ISU presentation. I literally was a mess of flesh and bones, didnt eat, didnt sleep properly. Thankfully, my friends were there for support, random joke here and there. It made the experience much more pleasant.

In terms of knowledge, I am thankful to have many of the brightest minds in Malaysia with me. Besides my teachers, i also have to thank my friends for teaching me as well. I was never short of help. Everyone was kind and willing to offer a helping hand. It is true as they say, the hand that gives is better than the hand that receives. One day, I hope to repay the kindness of all my friends. Thanks again guys :)

Day 2

Never underestimate the things you can learn in a supermarket

1. Applying logical fallacies.
Observe the said picture above. "Membantu anda berjimat". Helping you to save.Well, sure, Tesco is one of those wholesale brands that constantly brag about how cheap their stuff is.
However, thinking about it again, the statement itself is an appeal to the wallet. The advert is basically saying, 'save money, spend here'. Which in a way contradicts the whole idea of helping you to save because your gonna SPEND money anyway.

2. Mushrooms are actually from...............China (nowadays)
Ever since I was a child, my experience from mushrooms normally came from
a)Pizza Hut and Pizza places
b)Super Mario
Those 2 experiences alone has strengthened my belief that
no 1. Mushrooms are from Italy
no 2. Red ones make you grow, Blue ones make you shrink, while green ones give you a 1 up.

If you look real closely on the packaging of the cans themselves. Pretty much all those mushrooms came from China, which inevitably made me feel worried about ingesting the mushrooms. I may have been one mushroom away from being paralyzed for life.
Oh well, at least they taste good in Spaghetti Bolognaise (pardon, i dont speak pasta)


Programming is going pretty swell id say
Learned how to make my own calculator. Technicalities aside, programming is pretty straightforward. perhaps i havent been tested on the real hard stuff. But so far, its been pretty conventional. Nothing mindblowing just yet.

int ayam, babi, telur
std::cout <<"enter ayam" ;
std::cin>>ayam;

std::cout<<"enter babi" ;
std::cin>>babi;

telur = ayam + babi

std::cout << " telur is " << telur << std::endl;

return 0;

correct me if im wrong, which probably is because this was what i remembered

Happy Days :D