Something to cure MY boredom

NEWS!!

2009-09-29T00:11:00.004+08:00

I just love Malaysian news. It so brilliantly captures the worst of our society.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/9/28/nation/20090928201614&sec=nation

"Bruno" is banned. Not really unexpected, but look at the minister's comments. "The board should allow realism to be portrayed" . Well, he obviously has no inkling what this movie is about. "Bruno" is a disgustingly made film with no class and plenty of toilet humour involving body parts. "The board should not also throw the movie out without giving the submitting party a chance to explain themselves for scenes which may be deemed objectionable ". Dude, they were touting it as a sequel to "Borat", one of the most crass movies ever made. Full-frontal penises all over the screen, that's what they are banning. If the distributor is not making any noise, then stop complaining. Either that, or just revamp the system, which is well within your rights,minister.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/9/28/nation/20090928094114&sec=nation

There's a Polygamy Club now? Really? Yay! "For the one-third of the population that isn't Muslim, polygamy is unlawful." Discrimination, anyone? And it tells the tale of a female breadwinner whose jobless husband requested another wife. Shameless, much? Honestly, be a man. You don't have the balls to feed your family and you want to marry a divorcee with children to take care of her using your wife's money? She should have divorced the guy immediately. Personally, there is nothing wrong with polygamy if practised in the correct spirit. Problem is, it is too open to abuse by horny old men, excuse my stereotyping. Not to mention, in the spirit of equality, a woman should be allowed to marry more than one guy. Why don't we all get married in a huge circle of love?

huff puff Is the dust gone yet?

2009-07-12T01:06:00.002+08:00

Wow.

I'm surprised I don't see virtual dust on this pathetic excuse for a blog. Oh well, guess I'm not cut out for regular airing of laundry, dirty or not.

Another semester has officially concluded. Unsatisfactory results have come out, and now the next pre-sem hustle and bustle is about to start.

This has been a semester of trials and tribulations, friendships formed and nearly broken. A semester of slacking and cramming, resolutions and frustration.

Sometimes I feel like a rope in a tug-o'-war match. I'm a uni student, shouldn't I be studying? But what happened to enjoying life? I've become so addicted to living (i.e enjoying myself) I don't want to quit and submerge myself in the sea of attempted scholastic excellence. Yet that comes at a price, as reflected in my grades, and, unfortunately, the piece of paper which I will graduate with will determine my future.

But is my future doomed to be static? Study, graduate, work, occasional promotions, start a family, die? What can we really determine for ourselves, and what is determined by other powers? I'm a humanist, I believe humans can achieve whatever they set their minds to, yet I find myself lacking a drive to excel, and the will to challenge the norms.

Then I ask, what makes you human? The ability to think? But animals have demonstrated an ability to learn, not to mention certain animals are born with an innate sense of how to do certain things, which humans do not have. Take the bee, for instance. It performs a dance to inform its hive mates that there is a rich source of food. Did it learn to dance? Was it taught to dance? If it knew how to dance from birth, does that not mean that it is more intelligent as a species? Does a bird learn to fly, or is it taught? Or was it born with the knowledge of how to fly, yet had to wait till physical maturity to do it?

So what makes a human, human? Emotion? Elephants bury and mourn their dead, what makes our emotions stronger than theirs?

Physical power? Don't make me laugh. Based on physical characteristics alone, "the horse is swifter, the elephant stronger, the butterfly more beautiful" (Inherit The Wind).

So why are we now the dominant species? We breed slower than most animals, we are definitely not the most physically dominant of species, what makes us superior? Our "civilization"?

But civilization imposes restrictions, limits behaviour. Can you walk out naked in public anymore? Not unless you are 5 or have a wish to be incarcerated.

We consider ourselves to have achieved a level of intelligence beyond that of the other billion species that inhabit this planet. But won't that intelligence cause our doom? Fettered by arrogance, conditioned by society, we presume dominance, going s0 far as to claim that the ultimate power created us in His image. So our collective self-destructive instincts lead us into further "development", leading us along the path to destroying the miracle of life granted to this planet, blinding us to the destruction we have wrought, and continue to inflict, upon Gaia and its inhabitants.

No matter how globalised the world claims to be, it is still as fragmented as ever. Dictators rule in several countries, authoritarians move towards democracy, democracies move toward socialism, socialists move to authoritarians, all this traps us in a cycle of governmental confusion. Never at any point in its history, has humanity ever united. Never has there been a universal consensus for any issue, unless it be the existence of gravity.

Our fragile social constructs are moving into virtuality, lessening the ties we have to nature, further fragmenting ourselves. Artificial constructs now rule our lives; money is power, the Internet is our saviour. Why do we need nature? For the gifts that we so arrogantly claim for ourselves and ourselves only. To provide fuel for our artificial means of holding a semblance of society together.

I want to return to our roots, to a simpler existence, to divest myself of the myriad demands of society. Yet I find myself too cultured, too ingrained, too addicted to the various constructs I have denounced as artificial. No longer is Nature sacred, it is a distraction from the new gods of the modern world.

One day, I hope to just..... I dunno, be a tribesman in Africa or the Amazon or something, just live life as it was lived a million years ago, to rid myself of modernity and enjoy a life with less comfort, but more realness.

I certainly wasn't expecting to produce a philosophical post, not when I was bemoning my poor grades. Maybe I should have been an Arts student. *sigh* Unfulfiled fantasies, dreams departed from reality, imagination bounded by ingrained attitudes.

2009-02-14T17:04:00.002+08:00

My 18th Valentine's day spent alone, and I don't really care. Somehow that in itself sounds really sad.

Been chilling out, just searching for album art for my iTunes library so I don't get "unknown album" icons popping out on cover flow. I must say Apple's stuff looks good, hogs RAM and still has bugs. Lots of 'em. Both my iPod and my sister's had exactly the same problem, the iPods completely hanged. We (read:I) bought them in November about 2 weeks apart, I had my problem 2 days after I started using it, and my sister just recently had the same problem. The iPod decides to stop responding to anything, and connecting it to the computer doesn't help. Solution? Let it run out of battery and connect it the next morning, i.e. it goes out of commission for a few hours. Don't know whether this problem is endemic to only 4th gen 16GB iPod nanos or not, but it's still a little disappointing (not to mention panic-causing).

Then of course piracy isn't rewarded by iTunes. No way to use the iTunes store service to search for album art, usually there's little or no album info on the file, thus a lot more work involved in getting good album and artist info and album art. And it's especially a nightmare for Chinese songs with unreadable fonts, lack of Wikipedia entries etc.

But I'm pretty satisfied, most of my 2500 song library is up to standard. And I realised I've got 2 versions of Sweet Home Alabama (one the original by Lynyrd Skynyrd and the other a cover ostensibly by Green Day), Dani California by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and All Summer Long by Kid Rock that sample and rework the classic. Plus Terry Jacks' and Westlife's Seasons in the Sun (which incidentally was from a French song Le Moribund which i can't find) and 2 versions of Leaving on a Jet Plane. And 3 versions of Change the World, all of which feature Eric Clapton with different artistes. So many duplicates-lah.......

Then I find that I really only like listening to about 500 of those songs. I've got stuff like 50 Cent, Kanye West, 30 Seconds to Mars, AC/DC and various soundtracks that I barely listen to. And too many Rascal Flatts, Snow Patrol and Black-Eyed Peas songs. A dilemma, here. Though if I need to 30 Seconds to Mars would be the first to go. A Beautiful Lie was rubbish. The guitars were drowned out by over-enthusiastic bass and drums. Throw in a vocalist (Jared Leto) who has a limited range and loves screaming with an absolute lack of melody and you get crap. They can't hold a candle to the Arctic Monkeys, Muse, Franz Ferdinand, Foo Fighters, or even the formulaic Fall Out Boy. Bah. And to think a friend actually recommended this.

I'm pretty happy with my current library, but I think any additions in the near future will be more likely to be older songs. Songs that have evergreen melodies, or are classics in their own right. Songs like Love Me Tender (can't believe I don't have that). I've got a feeling that most new songs are decent, but are becoming louder and louder, with a beat, but with less focus on a simple melody. And anything with potential to be great becomes so overplayed that it loses all novelty and attraction. Like say maybe David Archuleta's Crush. I heard that song 4 times in 2 hours on the car radio. It's okay, but not that deserving. No song is that deserving, simply because no song deserves to be overplayed.

And to think that 2 years ago I barely listened to any music.

Then there's stuff I wouldn't have on my playlist even if you handed me an autographed copy. Stuff like Fahrenheit, . I find that most of these bands sound the same, all have pretty boys/girls who can barely sing in tune, who all have dance choreographers coaching them as opposed to having a smidgen of dance talent. Good thing about Western boy/girl bands, most of them flop and dissolve after the 1st album (not talking about the 90s here, obviously)

And Mandopop is seriously down the drain now. Random people keep coming out of the woodwork with coloured hair and marketing agents. All formulaic and pathetic. Can't anyone come up with something other than R&B or ballads? Seriously, man, you would have thought that people would stop supporting such crap by now. Leehom becoming a rocker? Epic Fail. Rock doesn't mean funny lyrics with a guitar playing in the background. Rock means having a melody behind all the bass, with guitar solos meant to be guitar solos, not for you to sing along to. One of the lines from his new single goes: "What's wrong wiiiiiiith me" Yeah I want to know too. At least Jay Chou has some variety on his albums, with a rock number and a rap number along with his R&B, which is still of pretty darn high quality.

Wow. This must be my longest blog post ever. And I could make it longer by throwing in some recommendations and my Valentine's Day playlist. I think I'll just stick with my recommendations.

Pop/Rock----------- Franz Ferdinand FTW. Beats Gavin DeGraw and Good Charlotte anytime.
Blues----------------Eric Clapton. No way you can go wrong
Mandopop---------- Do I need to say this? JAY CHOU
Mandarin hip-hop -- Da Mouth. Interesting band. No match for the Black-Eyed Peas yet, but decent
Metal--------------- Disturbed's pretty good, not too heavy. Dragonforce for awesome guitarwork, Nightwish for good melodies
Country------------- Keith Urban's good. Rascal Flatts for lighter stuff.
Comedy------------- Weird Al Yankovic. The ultimate shoo-in. Amish Paradise and White & Nerdy are funny as

Update (at last)

2009-02-12T14:19:00.002+08:00

Arrrrgggggggghhhhhhhhh

Maybe I should just delete this poor excuse of a blog which is currently only functioning as a dust-gatherer.

I'm just frustrated with a lot. 1st 2 weeks of work was promising, now it just sucks. Got nothing to do AT ALL. Which is why I'm here typing this out.

Throughout these few weeks there have been a few things I have a bone to pick with. Let's see:

1) In a time of economic disaster comparable to the Great Depression, our government implements a stimulus plan. Yay!! It's going to save us all!! Not. Only 70% of the stimulus has been freed up for use, in other words 70% of the plan is actually in cash. And the problems? Most of the stimulus is shady and given to Government departments to implement projects. What projects? Nobody knows. And most likely they will be construction projects which wont help a bit because its not generating the flow of cash needed. The economic problem is mainly caused by a lack of credit, so what's the solution? Obviously to get money moving again instead of stagnating in bank accounts. Reduce taxes, possibly duties as well, give loans to businesses that need them, give loans to new startups, pump our R&D (hopefully our unis are up to scratch), etc-lah. But nooooo........, we get money flushed down the black hole that is the Class F contractors' mouths. And a mysterious 2nd stimulus to be announced.

2) Party-hopping is the in thing now, it seems. Limited to only the upper echelons of society (read: politicians in power), thus depriving us poor citizens of the chance to keep up with the latest trends, is blatant disregard of the principles of proper governance. Who knows who their assemblyman or MP is? Malaysians vote for parties, not people, unless you're a screw-upper like Datuk Seri SV, who helps out the opposition as much as they can. Democracy, my foot. Penalising any member who does not conform to the party's stand means that only the opinions of the party leaders count and everyone else is there to make up the numbers.

3) Victoria's on fire. Hope it gets better.

Work's only good for giving me time to do a few things I never really got down to doing, like downloading the Inauguration Day edition of Spiderman with Obama on the cover. Also I finished writing 2 passages of fantasy, one of which is still on paper, so I can't be bothered putting it down here. Might just expand one or both of them to short stories or even novels, if I get the inspiration. Here's one (written in 5 minutes, proud of that although it sounds like I'm ripping off Philip Pullman):

“The knife appeared as if it was merely some toy of some nobleman’s scion, but upon closer inspection one realizes that it is a weapon with no equal, save Excalibur itself. The handle was intricately carved, runes etched into the ebony forming a grip for the wielder. The blade was silver, with delicate designs running its length, bright as the day it was forged although it was a thousand years old. One’s eye would then be drawn to its edge, so fine it appeared to meld into the air itself. But most of all, one could feel that this knife could slice its way through anything its master wanted, be it god, man or demon. Only one person had ever mastered this weapon, though many had wielded it, and that person was the great hero, Ainion the Fair. ”

There the wizened storyteller paused to draw breath. The sudden lull, in which no sound could be heard save the breathing of the listeners, was short-lived, with a fount of questions from the eager young devourers of tales bursting forth.

“Ainion? I thought he wielded a sword?”

“Did Ainion use this to slay the dragon?”

But above all, “Tell us more!”

Fuel

2008-11-27T23:35:00.003+08:00

When I came back to Malaysia, one of the first things that I saw in the papers was talk of a floor price for petrol. HOW IN HELL IS THIS F***ING HALF-BRAINED EXCUSE OF A PLAN GOING TO BENEFIT ANYONE??

The obvious problem at hand is the fuel subsidy. It should never have happened, but now that it has, there is no viable way to regain the funds sunk into the subsidy. Now that fuel prices are similar enough to the actual price, it is time to remove it, once and for all. Even a first-year economics student can tell you that a subsidy's side-effects are negative for the economy as a whole as it involves a transfer of benefits, with a little lost in transition.

And instead of removing the subsidy for good, we might even have a floor price. What hare-brained thought of that? If that person is in charge of our financial policy, I would be very, very afraid for our country. A floor price means that whenever the price of fuel drops below that set amount, the government or the oil companies gain the difference. There is no limit to the heights that oil prices will reach though. Whatever benefits a subsidy has would no longer exist. The fuel market would be restricted in a way that benefits only the government or the oil companies. Neither of whom I would trust.

One argument I've heard is that it is to protect the petrol station owners as they would have bought their oil at a higher price. Screw that, I say. With a proper system in place with the necessary regulations, a free market for petrol is not unworkable. Have you heard of Weighted Average Cost? Use that, idiots. Weight the cost of inventory, work out a suitable profit margin, and sell your products. Of course that would only work in the case that THE PETROL PRICE IS NOT FIXED.

Rawr. Idiots.

Rambling

2008-11-27T22:29:00.004+08:00

Well I obviously haven't been taking very good care of my blog have I? Feeling a little guilty now, problem is that I will only blog when I feel strongly enough about something. Even now I'm feeling guilty about updating because I'm not really thinking about anyhting in particular now.

Enough about guilt then. Onwards!

Back home in Malaysia now (Hurray!! :)) Mixed feelings about that though. When I left IH, I had the privilege of being in the company of very, very good friends. Amazing how a year is enough to create such strong relationships, not that I have not experienced it before (thank you SAM). One, I may never see again. One, I will be living with next year. One, I will be gaming with next year. And one whom I hope I will have the chance to listen to expounding upon his subject of thought again. I will miss your company.

Then again I now know why Malaysia is my home. Awesome friends, the safeness of being close to your family........ things that could never be replaced in Melbourne (or can it?)

Which somehow reminds me of the recent anti-yoga fatwa. When I was out today I counted 5 adverts promoting yoga centers, more than any other type of advert, even cars. The delicious irony........

Oh dear God above........... the slowness of the Internet connection here............. 4mbps is the BEST streamyx has to offer, even then its for companies only, the best households get is a measly 1 Mbps connection............ Not good enough, especially when I have been living with a connection 10 times faster and more stable than this (albeit P2P limited= No pirating....... riiiiiiiight)

Need to go shopping!! Melbourne's largest shopping center, 1 hour (by train) away from the CBD and supposedly the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, is nowhere near as large as my neighbourhood shopping center, Sunway Pyramid, and is 100 times smaller than Mid-Valley Megamall. Even if it's just for the feeling of being in a shopping mall, I need to go shopping!!

Just received news that along with three other really great people, I shall be staying in a premium room in IH. Great going guys! Although the bitchiness caused by the competition to get those rooms may not have been worth it for some, not to mention the feeling that some who did get it did not deserve it. Sigh........ enough for now I think........

2008-09-28T15:49:00.002+08:00

Was wondering about my friends' relationships lately. With many of us flying off to every which where, those with relationships were forced to rethink and decide on new status for the relationship. One was flying to the US with a girlfriend going to Australia. Another was going to the US, same as his partner, but to different universities in different states. Yet another was staying in Malaysia while his girlfriend went to Sydney.

Would long-distance relationships work? Two of the above couples seem to think not. Considering the latter couple got together a couple of days before the girl went off to Sydney, I think that counts as a perfect score as the relationship had not been consolidated yet. That outcome will be worth watching.

A fourth friend broke up with his first girlfriend after coming here, then hooked up with another girl while in Malaysia for the 1 month hols. I won't reveal more details here but he seems to be extremely infatuated with his new girlfriend, so much so I really think this will have a lifelong effect on him.

Anyways, a fifth friend thinks that long distance relationships will be a true test of the couple's feelings for each other. To me, that may have some grain of truth in it, however in order to maintain and develop a budding relationship over an extended period of time with no physical meetings is a hard, hard task requiring massive amounts of effort. It may be possible, but the strain of a long distance relationship may in fact push the two parties apart, especially if the relationship had only just begun.

Still, it makes me wonder what could have been.........

2008-09-27T20:33:00.004+08:00

I've been talking a fair bit with a new guy at IH. He's an introverted science student who seems to have rather strong views that disagree with mine. Sadly, I don't see him convincing me of anything anytime soon.

Issue 1: Existence of God. Me: Freethinker that believes in a higher power but does not subscribe to any religion. Reason: Intelligent design has to be behind human intelligence and the creation of the universe. Him: Claims to be agnostic but seems to be more atheist. Spouted lots of facts about evolution which to me did not explain the reason behind creation itself.

Issue 2: Malaysian politics. Me: Don't give a f*** anymore, however still supports the BN as the only viable multiracial ruling party. Him: DAP supporter because of socialist beliefs. Unfortunately does not realize the political power of the 65% Malay population. And that the DAP has not done anything concrete for anyone's betterment. Although the BN is corrupted, at least they are doing something.

I'm not sure how many more of those conversations I can take. The more I argue, the more I realize how set in my ways I am, and I also realize that I am not ready to let my views go. That's in my more reflective moments. In my more conceited moments, he's an idiot.

And I realize how attached I am to my group of friends. I find myself unable to join in most conversations at the dinner table now, which is sort of sad, considering I used to pride myself on the ability to make relevant contributions to discussions. Or perhaps I just do not find the conversations interesting.

There's a guy I find myself becoming more and more irritable towards. This is becoming worse and worse everytime I listen to a conversation he's taking part in. He like to think of himself as "cool", yet his actions are just plain retarded. If being retarded were cool, the word cool would be used as an insult. Here's an example of his more brilliant moments. With a microwave in perfect working condition 5 metres away, he puts a bowl of cheese and ham in the toaster to melt the cheese, with the bowl, not just the contents. On a night of a day with continuous rain, he is the one person that does not wear at least 2 layers on an outing. At the tram stop, he complains of the cold. When asked why he did not wear a jacket, he replies, "I didn't know it would be this cold". Dude, this is Melbourne, not Malaysia. When it rains here, it's cold for the rest of the day. And you didn't know this after 6 months? And of course there's his (really, really bad) American accent. If you can't do something, realize it when you fail, and either get better, or DON"T DO IT.

Maybe this is why I am becoming more and more introverted. I am surrounded by idiots.

On a different note, I read a friend's blog post where he touched on Malaysian tertiary education and social policies that are race-centric. In all fairness, Malaysian tertiary education is doing badly because of rubbish selection policies. An absolute lack of transparency and apparently arbitrary distribution of the nation's best STPM scholars among "universities" do not contribute in any way to a university's reputation or achievements. I am lucky that my parents are sufficiently well-to-do that they can afford to give me a choice of where to further my education. When a country sends its best students abroad on full scholarships when it has its own supposedly well-developed tertiary education system, it says a lot about the confidence the country has in itself.

And on socially biased policies, it is perhaps ethically justifiable. There has, and always has been an element of bias in any policy. Take scholarships for example. Between an intelligent young person whose family can afford an education, and a not-so-intelligent one who can't, who should the scholarship be given to? Obviously the intelligent one, in which case the policy is biased against the poor. But if its given to the poorer student, it's biased against the intelligent and perhaps more deserving. Meritocracy has been implemented (I hope), so stop whining. Has it occurred to these policy's detractors that the policies may not be racially biased, but that the majority of beneficiaries are of a certain race because they are in the majority, and hence statistically speaking, are more likely to benefit? This is racial arrogance speaking. Not everyone of your own race is competent and deserves a scholarship, not everyone of other races are incompetent and undeserving. True racism is evident not in Malaysia, but rather in countries such as Zimbabwe, where people's possessions are taken from them on account of skin colour. Malaysia, in comparison, is a paragon of unity. As a nation, we have to realize that the only way forward is to stop looking at our differences, and look at what we share as a nation, how far we have progressed together, and how much farther we could have gone without the spectre of racism hanging over our heads. Let bygones by bygones, and stop thinking that you deserve more. Make do with what you have, and make the best out of it. Do not be defeatist, but do not allow yourself to be oppressed. You may or may not deserve whatever hand you have been dealt, but you have to do the best you can with it. Or you don't deserve being dealt a hand in the first place.

I stand by the view I have expressed in a previous post: dictatorships are the most efficient governments, yet the only way for dictatorships to reach its full potential the dictator has to be an absolutely unbiased person, of which there is none.

2008-09-15T20:51:00.002+08:00

First post in a loooooonnnnnnngggggggg time. It's not actually a good thing, just because I have another 400 words to go for my essay which is due tomorrow at 5pm and yet I'm writing this. Procrastination FTW!

So what inspired this sudden burst of blogging activity? A call from a friend to go to the common room to watch something on his laptop. Guess what it was? An amateur porn clip, made in Malaysia, with a very good camera, by Sunway college students, by a Johan and his Chinese girlfriend.

Apparently this video was leaked onto the Net, which is utterly stupid, even more so than posting it on the Net himself. If you don't want to embarrass yourself, bloody well keep it hidden and safe or others will do it for you.

But I digress. The focal point of the invite to watch the clip was not for me to identify the kids (that was the secondary objective), but rather to laugh at the incredibly funny things the girl said during the acts. If anyone's wondering "What's YJ, this really quiet nice guy doing commentating on porn?", please let me inform you that I do not know a single male above the age of 15 who has not watched porn. Anyway, with a really soppy love song blaring in the background, the girl stops performing oral sex on her boyfriend because her throat's too dry.

Wait a minute, that doesn't sound funny enough. Awwww..... guess you'll have to watch it to appreciate the joke.

Or maybe I've just been hanging around b-tards too long. For the unenlightened, 4-chan is an online forum and there's a board on it called b, for random stuff. And by random stuff it means anything that can't fit into the other boards, mostly remotely sex-related.

One of the most dedicated b-tards I know is a medical student, and she happens to laugh most randomly at certain stuff. Maybe that's the beauty of it, your mind becomes so corrupted that anything can be related to procreation and a joke about it.

Procrastinated enough I think, considering I've written more in 15 minutes for this blog post that I've written in my essay for 4 hours. March onwards, my friends, do not let the daunting mountain of work overwhelm you, for the long-awaited saviour of lives and banisher of stress is arriving in 4 days!! holidays soon!! :)

Batman

2008-07-27T21:42:00.002+08:00

The Dark Knight is here! It is MADE of awesome. A very, very good movie, and well worth the ticket price, clocking in at 2.5 hours.

It was a little overhyped though. I mean, how is Heath Ledger's performance worthy of an Oscar? True, he did do a very good job, but Jack Nicholson did one just as good 20 years ago, also as the Joker. But maybe all the movies released this year were so crap that this is the performance of the year.

I have to say that Christopher Nolan, the director is really faithful to the comic. Batman really is this dark hero, willing to do anything short of murder to achieve victory in his one man war against crime. By the way, Batman only used guns in the really early comics, something like the 1950s or so, and even then it was only for a couple of issues. One really minor thing was the Joker's origins, which were not really covered in the movie. And makeup? The only makeup the Joker is supposed to wear is to make sure he looks normal. Oh well, that's just me nitpicking as usual.

This movie drew a lot of inspiration from Batman: Year One and also The Killing Joke. The symbiotic relationship between Batman and the Joker is well documented in the latter. Batman has admitted that their relationship is a fatal one, that he was willing to try to escape it, but it seems as if they never will. Although the Joker is mad, he is neither stupid nor impractical. There have been many run-of-the-mill crimes that he committed, though he leaves a calling card of some kind. One example from A Death in the Family is the Joker replacing medical supplies that he stole with his lethal laughing gas. He tends to go for the spectacular, to fulfil his own ego. Both Ledger's and Nicholson's Jokers were very good, in that they managed to bring out different sides of the Joker. While Nicholson's was more slapstick, Ledger's dark humour is a little more to my liking.

What about Batman himself? In this movie, because of the focus on the Joker, there is less development of the Bruce Wayne/Batman character. Another one of my pet peeves. Then again, how much more could be squeezed into a movie 2.5 hours long?

GO WATCH HELLBOY!!

2008-07-16T22:34:00.003+08:00

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army rocks!! Go and watch that movie. That's an order.

It was actually as good as the trailer promised, which is more than most films can boast of. You've got a rather likeable main character, humour, superb special effects, and best of all, Guillermo Del Toro as the director.

Have you ever watched El Laberinto Del Fauno (Pan's Labyrinth)? That was an incredibly good movie, surpassing all of Hollywood's pathetic attempts at fantasy (excluding LOTR, of course). Del Toro's fantastic creatures in that movie were dark, scary at times, yet felt right, as if all those could be real. His creations are the stuff of imagination, yet brought to life in such a way that one believes such creatures, if they existed, would look like that. His Prisoner of Azkaban was the best in the Harry Potter movies.

Some of the creatures in Hellboy 2: The Golden Army were evidently influenced by his work in Pan's Labyrinth. The Chamberlain of Bethmoora, for one, looks like the Pale Man in Pan's Labyrinth. I personally think that Hellboy's Death is also influenced by the Pale Man.

The action in the movie is really good. It is over the top, like just about every movie nowadays, but since it's done by otherworldly creatures anyway, it's forgiveable. And the action scenes aren't as drawn out as many other movies, making those scenes short and sweet.

At 2 hours long, with healthy doses of humour, action and good acting, and a fair storyline, this film is one of the best I've watched this year. And it's good value for money. Time to look for the Hellboy comics, methinks.

Efficient or Lazy?

2008-07-15T20:16:00.000+08:00

My first semester university results just came out. As I've been telling people, they were slightly worse than expected. Of all subjects, I scraped a top grade on the subject I hated most, yet barely missed out on a top grade for my favourite. Why couldn't it be the other way around?

The arrogant little voice in my head has been berating me for not doing better, in fact I've been outdone by someone I never expected to beat me in a thousand years. I seem to be a bad loser, a worse loser than I thought I was. When I know I have the ability to beat someone, and I put in the effort so as to be able to achieve that objective, I expect nothing less of myself than total victory. It is when I actually put in the effort (which in itself is a rare occurrence), that I demand absolute, unquestionable proof of my superiority over others. However this usually only occurs only when my competition has proven worthy, that they are of a similar ability. When faced with tougher opponents I actually do not have quite the same amount of competitiveness. I guess that these people have already proved themselves superior to me in that area and I realize that I would be unable to defeat them. Also, when faced with inferior rivals I tend to be fairly complacent. I think this might be because of some inborn need for efficiency. Against superior competition, putting in effort is futile as I know I would be unable to overtake them anyway. Against inferior opponents, putting in effort is pointless as I already know the outcome. Hence only when faced with rivals of similar capability would I maximise my ability.

Of course, the above could also be attributed to sheer laziness. Why put in the effort at all, if I am so secure in the knowledge that I am more intelligent than most? Can't really think of any arguments for or against this point of view......... Fingers feeling heavy......... Why am I typing this?........ Zzzzzzzz........ *plonk**headfallsonkeyboard*

Of movies and CGI

2008-07-09T18:10:00.008+08:00

Just came back from watching "Wanted" (the movie starring Angelina Jolie. No idea why people say she's hot. I think she's beautiful, certainly, but not hot)

The movie was okay..... Just the usual shoot em up movie, no real plot to speak of. Then there was that rip-off Star Wars moment. Not going to describe the scene but personally it was an insult to the viewer's intelligence. Then there are the ludicrous scenes where the impossible happens. Some how, after watching Shoot 'em up, no other movie can compare.

A bit sad, really, when I no longer feel these special effects are anything but special. I mean it's cool, but I just don't feel awed anymore. LOTR wasn't great because of the special effects, it was great because of a great script, great director and great storyline. Same for Spiderman (not including the 3rd one, that one sucked)

Or maybe that's because I have been reading too many comics (COMICS, not manga) for my own good. I've got something like 13 GB of comics now. Sadly Heath Ledger died, otherwise I'm pretty sure the Joker would reappear in the next Batman movie after The Dark Knight (the movie isn't out yet, I'm basing this on the assumption that the villain will lose and die. Also, I'm hoping for Two-Face to appear, either in The Dark Knight or the one after it). The Joker is the ultimate villain, not particularly powerful, but absolutely psychopathic and this is what is so scary about him. The Killing Joke and A Death in the Family are two of the most brilliant Batman comics.

But I digress.

There are so many movies that are laden with CGI yet fall absolutely flat, especially those that were first created in other mediums, for example The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (LXG) and the more recent Harry Potter movies. LXG was originally dark and dramatic (well, Alan Moore's comics are all like that) and the movie was trying to achive that yet became so campy it wasn't even funny. And the Harry Potter movies just sucked from the 4th one on. Let down by poor acting and the scriptwriter's poor selection of material from the books (not that the 5th book was any good), the movies are just another moneyspinner. I know the Star Wars movies (the newer 3) were pretty bad as well, but then again the story is so original, not to mention the older ones tend to cloud the viewer's mind with nostalgia.

The Rule of Cool states that the cooler something is, the more forgivable the leaps of imagination required. Best example, Transformers (Brilliant on the big screen). Now I find that its effect on me and my movie-watching experience is lessening so much that I feel sorry for myself. Of course it might be attributable to CGI fatigue, but it still seems rather sad.

Oh well...... I don't think that will stop me from being a sucker for such movies anytime soon, not with Hellboy 2 and Journey to the Center of the Earth coming out. (But the Mummy 3 movie seems too much like a theme park ride to consider buying a cinema ticket.) The Incredible Hulk was pretty okay though, up till the final fight scene which reminded me of Peter Jackson's King Kong which also had overlong fight scenes.

Profanity Laden Anti-Political Posturing Rant

2008-07-08T20:55:00.005+08:00

This post is going to be filled with profanity. I recommend those with an aversion to foul language to avoid reading it altogether.

I am going to contradict myself as this post will be a post based on irrationality and emotion, in absolute contrast to what I had preached about a couple of posts back, where I promoted rationality in the name of efficiency (or at least that was the idea, I might have been rather incoherent).

The profanity starts here.

Fuck you Abdullah Badawi. Fuck you Najib Razak. And in case anyone accuses me of being pro-Malaysian Opposition, fuck you Anwar Ibrahim.

Fuck you Abdullah, for not doing anything to prevent the political posturing from dominating the headlines and Parliament, even though you are the leader of this country, even though you are not directly involved in this farce.

Fuck you Najib Razak, for allowing your good name to be so tarnished beforehand that people believe any allegations against you before they have been provecd/disproved.

Fuck you Anwar Ibrahim, for idly boasting of the ability to topple the government through defecting members of the ruling parties. Fuck you for not having the balls to admit that you have gay, if not bisexual tendencies. Fuck you for shamelessly pandering to the anti-BN gallery and not working your pampered ass off for the people and doing something useful for a change.

Fuck you SAPP for not thinking your actions through. If you have the guts to announce a no-confidence vote, have the balls to try to force it through. If I'm not mistaken it's been 2 weeks since that announcement and now you say you don't wanna do it anymore? You guys had 8 days to at least mention it in Parliament, but noooooo......... Fuck you.

All the incompetent cunts in Parliament right now can go and fuck themselves. If I were a registered voter, and an election were held tomorrow, I would either abstain or send in a spoilt vote, or even stand for election as a candidate. Fuck you self-righteous arseholes.

And all the religious fanatics out there can go hang. If a person is dead, and you take him away to bury him by religious rites when his religion is in dispute, aren't you disrespecting your God, who is supposed to be just (remember what that word means? It's inedible, in case you were wondering) and also the sanctity of the family institution? Does that not go against the very teachings of God you worship? And finally, why do you even give a damn? The poor soul has moved on, for better and for worse, and if you do not know his wishes, would it not, logically, be better to let the people he was closest to decide how to dispose of his remains?

Reminds me of a comic panel I saw in Australia. A Palestinian (presumably representing the current government of Palestine) and an Israeli (also presumably representing the Israeli government) are facing off.
Palestinian: We were democratically chosen!
Israeli: We were chosen 2000 years ago!

I do not mean to insult any religion. In fact I believe that a God exists, however I do not believe in restricting my belief in God to any single doctrine in particular. I just feel that it is amazing how religion has the power to deprive people of rational thought and how easily it can be used to justify morally un-justifiable actions.

Screw all of this. I am just so tired of bullshit. This I think, is why Marx advocated socialism. Because people can just be so stupid sometimes.

Malaysian Politics

2008-07-01T21:37:00.003+08:00

I am disappointed.

I am the type of person who favours stability over free speech in a government. Needless to say, in the March elections, I was a supporter of the Barisan Nasional, even though I was less than agreeable with their government, mainly because I was afraid of that unknown component: the Opposition's unpredictability. At that moment, my view of the Opposition's only contribution to the country was: a) Creating an unfair perception of our country as a backward pro-medieval Islam country through PAS' policies. b) Delaying Parliamentary proceedings as long as possible by indulging in slanging matches.

I do not think I have been proved wrong. 3 months on, the slanging matches are still there, the administration of all States have become much more unstable due to the Oppositions' antics, and the Opposition parties seem more interested in grabbing headlines rather than bloody getting down to WORKING.

Abdullah Badawi is a weak leader. There is no doubt about that. But trying to undermine him in every single decision only makes the country much more instable.

Protest against the reduction of the petrol subsidy, why don't you? Stupid short-sighted people. Petrol prices are going up all over the world. What did you expect the government to do? Give out free petrol? The real problem was that the subsidy has been around so long that everyone has gotten used to the (artificially) low price of black gold. "Kudos to you, if only you had done it sooner." Obviously that would not have been a very good opposition slogan, right? But it would have been the right thing to say. Trying to force Petronas to reveal their accounts are one thing, I agree that there is a sore need for transparency, but trying to get them to give you cheap oil is a bit too much to ask. At the end of the day, Petronas is a company, with its main reponsibility to its shareholders, and not the public.

What else has the opposition done? One of the fools tried to log the forest, saying it was God-given. Well, wake up sir, the world does not just belong to you and your precious State Government. God did not create this world only for humans, otherwise we would not be just one species among millions, we would have been the ONLY species.

The optimal government would be one where there is not only the Opposition and the Barisan, it would be one where ALL points of view are represented, Barisan, Opposition, and Independent alike. We need more people who are truly there to work for the people, and not for mere personal gain. It saddens me that this will probably never become reality, whether in Malaysia or anywhere in the world.

Politics (in general)

2008-06-29T23:52:00.002+08:00

I'm back in Malaysia. And I think I'm finally ready to do a post on politics.

To me, there is no perfect political system, and there will never be one. Why? Because man is essentially an emotional being. When emotion is the main driving force in life, and the key to making decisions, it will be impossible to have a perfect world/administration/leader. Also, every living thing is biologically programmed to be selfish, as a base instinct, so that the species may survive. As the intellect grows, so does the inborn desire to be selfish. What does this mean? It means that there can never be an administration that truly desires to serve the public, out of purely unselfish reasons.

Democracy is a farce. What is democracy? 2 words. Majority rules. The law of the jungle. The law which our ancestors followed while hunting mammoths. There is strength in numbers. Remember the saying "too many cooks spoil the broth"? In a democracy, there is no guarantee that the best, and most efficient solution to a problem will be implemented, simply because freedom of speech and equal rights will give possibly irrational, possibly rational opponents voice, and thus create a society where people muddle along as best they can.

Dictatorships are efficient, but are they equitable? If the dictator were a man who imposes his will with an iron fist, but his policies were equitable and as fair as possible to all, would there be opposition? Yes, from power-hungry opponents. And no man is that perfect. For power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Politics is a game. It has been played by all those who have wanted their say in how things are run, all those looking to seize power, all those who think their opinion is more important than others'. It will continue to be played, so long as man governs itself and does not revert to animalistic behavior. And I think that although dictatorships/socialism can create a truly fair society

Something to think about

2008-06-08T11:46:00.002+08:00

This is just highly interesting blog post by someone else. It happens to encapsulate everything I've felt about religion at one point or another, just that maybe I've never liked to put down someone based on their beliefs, nor am I that articulate about my feelings. This is a must-read. trust me.

http://noworld4tomorrow.blogspot.com/2008/04/religion-debt-repaid-no-longer-needed.html

Many Unexpected Happenings

2008-06-04T13:43:00.004+08:00

First post in a while, mainly because I haven't found anything worth blogging about. As it is, I'm doing this out of sheer boredom, in the midst of trying to figure out economic costs.

There were quite a few things I didn't expect when I came here. One, most recent one, is that people would watch hard-core porn in the TV room (Hopefully this sentence won't lead to dodgy ads appearing on this blog). I mean, this isn't quite your everyday TV show.

I also didn't expect such wonderful inconsistency from our kitchen staff. Sometimes, they can cook some really nice stuff, worthy of being served in a restaurant, and yet, sometimes, they can fail to cook something as simple as rice, so much so that MiG (Indomee Mi Goreng) feels like gourmet cuisine. One of the best desserts I've had was here, a really nice choc cookie cream cake, as good as Secret Recipe's Oreo Cheese Cake. However I've also had incredibly bad chocolate cake, something that vaguely resembles a chocolate brownie, minus the chocolate. Scolarest (catering company) has us at its whim and mercy, explaining why I have overspent on eating out.

What else did I not expect? I did not expect to learn so many new things from the people around me. For example, I learned that Malaysia blocks torrents from overseas, meaning that all the torrents I receive back home are seeded by only Malaysian seeds. No wonder its so slow. I've learned of Saladin, and why he is considered a great leader. I've learned how to be rude in Thai, Japanese and French.

I've picked up new games. Ever heard of Settlers Of Catan? It's the world number one board game, only recently surpassed by some random vampire themed thing, if I'm not mistaken. It really is a very good game, involving intelligence and interaction in equal amounts. Luck, while a factor, is no longer a supreme decider, unlike Risk or Monopoly. I've played Dungeons and Dragons, a wonderful role-playing game where all you need is pencil, paper, dice and imagination. I've learned to play Magic:The Gathering, although I don't own a single card.

Unexpectedly, I've not done many of my favourite activities in a while. I haven't played pool since 2 weeks after I came here, I haven't played badminton, and I haven't been to a cybercafe.

Really, really unexpectedly, I've met an M2 senior. He's part of the class that made the kangaroo-shaped SAM badges. He's been taught by Ms Logesh, Ms Choo and Mrs Goh. He knows all the usual hangouts near Taylors. He is a slacker, but a closet mugger. In short, he is a true M2-ian.

Miss you guys........

IH Ball

2008-04-27T21:43:00.002+08:00

As mentioned in my last post, it's boring here, hence no updates for almost a month.

Anyway, went to the IH Ball last week. $66 for a non-drinking ticket :'(. But when we went there, we found that the staff didn't really care :):):):):):):):) Finished half a bottle of red wine, a glass of white wine and a sip of beer (beer's disgusting, I'll never drink it again). Was definitely drunk by the end of the night, lost coordination, really couldn't even walk straight. At least I was sober enough not to puke, and to stop drinking. Another friend had at least 10 beers and couldn't walk. He was almost kicked out by the bouncers "You can do this the easy way or the hard way". Cliched, but effective. He had to have us supporting him because he was almost unconscious. He passed out on the bus to the afterparty, then puked when the bus arrived. Puked again when we got off the tram at IH. He wasn't the only one, of course. The usual drunkards were wasted as well.

Anyway, enough about me illegally drinking. The ball itself was basically a party. We had a free flow of drinks, nice canapes as appetizers, a main course that was nowhere near worth the price, and cheap ice-cream. The veg and salad tasted better than the roast chicken they gave us for the meal, calling it some weird French-sounding name, can't remember what it was. No entertainment except the pleasure of others' company and a DJ playing dance music after dinner. And, of course, the dance floor.

The venue was interesting though. Called Red Scooter, it seems to be a party/function venue more than anything else (that explains the sucky food). Pool table, bar, projector, dance floor, tables, a small stage and nice deco. Didn't see a menu (drinks menus don't count) at all. Nice concept, wonder whether there's one in Malaysia. There's definitely one in Thailand though.

Thats about it for now. Can't post any pics because I didn't take much, quite sure there's ssome on Facebook though. Ciao!

Easter Holidays

2008-04-03T20:29:00.003+08:00

No idea what to blog about....... Life's actually fairly boring here..........

Easter holidays! The time that almost everyone disappears to other parts of Australia (or the world)........ International House just turned into Malaysian House for a few days, until the others started trickling back in. The only non- Malaysian staying at IH I remember would be.... nope, can't remember anyone besides the staff.

The holidays just came too soon after the start of uni. I'm bloody bored! Finished my 3 assignments in 3 days (even while working on and off). Now I found out that I screwed 1 up only after I handed it in, and I have to redo the other 2 because my original sucked. So much for productivity.

Anyway, went to the Sandringham beach on Easter itself. The water was damn cold, but we probably wouldn't have gone in anyway because of the jellyfish. The jellyfish were basically infesting the waters there so much so that we risked touching a jellyfish if we stayed in the water for 5 minutes, whether the jellyfish were alive or not.

What else did I do? I went into town a couple of times, not really doing anything. I tried Max Brenner's offerings (waffles, chocolate banana pizza). I played Dungeons and Dragons (tabletop fantasy game), Munchkin (great game this, PLAY IT) and Settlers of Catan (great game too, but need experience to play this well).

And I volunteered for the Run for the Kids event last Sunday with about 40 other IHers. This was basically a charity run organized by the Royal Children's Hospital to raise money. I was at Drinks Station 1, just handing out cups with varying amounts of water in them. All for a good cause...... besides the fact that I really didn't have anything better to do with my time.

Koko Black Chocolate

2008-03-14T22:07:00.003+08:00

Had a bit of problem uploading a video for the Moomba Waterfest, so I posted this first.

Koko Black is a chocolatier which has a branch about 10 minutes walk from IH, on Lygon Street. Lygon is actually famous for Italian food and gelato (ice-cream, one even has durian flavour!), but anyway this post is a chocolate one.

So anyway I bought 8 chocolates from Koko Black (mostly dark chocolate) and they are:

Belgian Truffle: Chocolate powder on the top. Creamy interior, a soft (but not too soft)exterior. Great texture.

Mint: Thin layer of chocolate with mint cream inside. Tastes like After-Eight, in fact I prefer After-Eight.

Java Dark: Coffee cream inside, with a hint of alcohol. Nice! the coffee wasn't overpowering, and I could still taste the chocolate. Wonderful combo.

Raspberry Ganache: A bit like Java Dark in that there's a filling and a chocolate exterior. I prefer Java Dark though, because I don't really like the berry taste.

Koko Black 44&74 (I think it's called Pure Black as well): The name's because of the cocoa content. Brilliant!! The "nut" on top isn't really a nut, it's chocolate. The phrase "better than sex" could have been invented for this.

Baileys: Nice creamy filling. The alcohol wasn't bitter, the choc taste was still there, nice warm alcohol feeling after eating. The taste of the Baileys was brought out properly, enough to taste and enjoy, but not strong enough to overpower the chocolate.

Creole Dark: Nice, slight tinge of coffee. relatively average but still better than anything I've tasted in Malaysia.

Hazelnut Crisp: Another highly recommended one. Forgot to take a pic of this though. There's a thin crispy wafer top layer, with the usual creamy interior. There's a strong hazelnut taste in the cream which is really good.

Top recommendations:

Note: If there were 2 versions, i.e milk choc and dark choc, I tasted the dark choc version

1) Koko Black 44&74 (may not be suitable for people who don't like dark choc)

2) Baileys

3) Java Dark

4) Hazelnut Crisp

4) Belgian Truffle (not dark choc)

Moomba Waterfest

2008-03-14T21:35:00.005+08:00

I have no idea what it is. That's the truth. I hear it's because the Aussies celebrate the start of the rainy season but I have no idea whether it's true.

It started Friday or Saturday, 7/8 of March. Apparently there was a waterskiing competition on Saturday afternoon but I didn't go (because of the IH girls softball)............. However I did go on Saturday night, for the first of 2 visits.

It's basically a fun fair- carnival sort of thing. There were food stalls, selling cotton candy, cinnamon doughnuts, lemonade, toffee apples, "Dagwood Dogs" (basically a sausage deep-fried in batter--- tastes horrible), fruit punch etc. The food was ridiculously expensive, even a bottle of water cost AU$3.50, most other things cost AU$4.

Then there were the games where you win soft toys for beating the establishment. There were a few basic kinds:

Type 1: You throw something to hit a target

Type 2: You sit at a table with 9 other people and press buttons to move a cardboard cut-out in a "race"

Type 3: Scratch and win, except you need quite a few tickets to combine their scores

Type 4: You hit a machine that gauges your strength. Above a certain score you win a prize.

All of them cost at least AU$5 for a real chance at winning

There were also the rides. A Ferris wheel, rides that turn you every which way until you are ready to puke, the Sling-Shot (AU$30, this one, but probably worth it), with most about AU$7 each.

And last but not least, the fireworks. I went there again on Monday, 10th March (Labour Day) to watch the finale.

IH O-week

2008-03-08T21:53:00.004+08:00

Life is nice here.......

Michael isnt soft-spoken, he's a wacky dancer in a studious skin. Found that out during Poor Taste Party at IH. He's a great dancer, completely un-self-conscious. The girl from Mauritius isn't Dorm, it's Dawn, and the Japanese girl's Yui, not Yuni (my hearing sucks, so sue me). Met plenty more people here, but I find that the Caucasians mostly stick to themselves, and the Asians do the same. Emir (Indonesian, studied in Singapore) came up with a theory: The Caucasians find themselves outnumbered and feel that their culture is threatened. My addition : the Asians find themselves in an unfamiliar setting, hence they tend to stick to what they know best, their own people. Of course, everyone gets along pretty well here, it's just that we aren't (and probably never will be) as close as M2 (Hurray. go M2!)

O-week was crazy (at IH at least, uni wasn't as exciting). I'm only going to describe the more interesting ones here:

Room Cram. 23/2/08. 11 pm. Greycourt Building. All the freshers plus the O-weekers (seniors who are responsible for the O-week) in one room as big as say....... a badminton court? naahhhh.... smaller than that. About 150 people in there, with the windows and doors shut. And we learned our war-chants (useful during the Magical Mystery Tour, more about that later) under threat of being watergunned by the O-weekers.

Poor-Taste Party. 24/2/08. 8 pm. Junior Common Room. The pictures say it all:

Basically we had to dress up in the poorest taste outfit you could find. I dressed in drag, but I'm not showing you the pics. This is all you get:

Magical Mystery Tour. 26/2/08. 5pm. All the Ih-ers dressed in their fresher T-shirts and ran around Melbourne. We went to Whitley College and chanted: " You live in a doughnut, we eat them for breakfast" (not true, but fun to say). We went to Ormond College and chanted:

"I don't know what I've been told

Ormond pussy's dry and cold

Mighty cold and mighty dry

'Cos they're fucking Ormond guys

Twice and short and half the time (i think)

somethingsomething something something (can't remember the rest of it) "

We went to St. Hida's College, if I remember correctly , banged on their car park doors and chanted:

"Your old man's a wanker"

Then we went to uni and played Ring-around-the rosies in the courtyard. Next we caught a tram (2 actually) into the city, all the while chanting :

"IH is hot to go,

H-O-T-T-O-G-O,

Awoo,

Hot to go,

Awoo,

Hot to go"

Our main chant, this. Then we reached Hungry Jacks' ( a fast-food restaurant) on Swanston Street and demanded chips (got some, too). Next stop, Mcdonalds' further down Swanston, and chanted: "The burgers are better at Hungry Jacks' " (again, not true, but fun to say). We were jogging/running every opportunity we had. We went to KFC as well, and acted like chickens there. Then we played Ring-around-the-rosies at Federation Square, chanted the main chant again and so it ended.

IH IQ test. 2/3/08 4.30 pm. The biggest darn prank ever. All we freshers were warned all week by the seniors to study for this, getting warnings like:" if you get less than 50%, you might get kicked out if the Head's in a bad mood. If she 's in a good mood, she'll just charge you more". And not just from the O-weekers, but the other seniors as well. So we were there ( I didn't study, luckily, because I felt something wasn't quite right) in the Dining Hall, and the residential tutors were there in their gowns, all with solemn faces. And we were actually given sheets of paper with about 8 subjective questions and 2 essay questions. 5 minutes later, they asked us to complete it outside, in the courtyard, whilst maintaining silence and refraining from copying. 10 minutes after the "test" started, the O-weekers came out and sprayed us all until many were soaking wet, but not me *cacklecackle*

That's about it...... Next 2 posts (not in order) Moomba Festival and Koko Black chocolate.

Melbourne

2008-02-22T11:30:00.005+08:00

Just finished enrolment and got my student card. I'm now officially a student of the University of Melbourne.

Arrived here at 10am, Wednesday 20 Jan, and it was raining. Rained until errmmm..... 5pm i think. Then the next day was HOT!! And it's cloudy today. What'll it be tomorrow?

My room here at International House. The Internet here is crappy though. The quota's only 200 Mb per week (and A$0.05 per extra Mb). And I can only go online 5 hours at a time. What else? oh yeah, apparently "action will be taken if this limit is unacceptably exceeded". !@#$%

The House has about 240 students here. At today's breakfast alone I think i met more people than I actually want to. There's Shunsuke and Yuni (i think) from Japan, both exchange students, Michael, a soft-spoken Aussie chap, Dorm ( I think, really unsure how to spell it) from Mauritius, Charlie, no idea where he's from, yet, Alex, an American Vietnamese from Seattle, a Singaporean girl whose name i either dont remember or she didnt say. Damn. I'm not even sure I can remember their faces. And that was only half my table of 8. And there are more students coming. Info overload!

The briefings at the University was rubbish. So boring I fell asleep. Met another (!) Singaporean there and saw a few old schoolmates. But it was mostly a waste of time. At least the accounting lecturer was animated and lively, not the dead-man walking for Econs while the Finance fellow was somewhere in between. Too bored to continue after that.

Gonna nap now..... Until next time....

2008-02-22T11:24:00.002+08:00

Monday 18th February 2008. The day of my driving exam.

Woke up damn early, at 6 a.m., which was already later than planned (5.30 a.m.). Anyway, since I woke up late, I had to go without breakfast. No problem there. Then the instructor came at 6.30 to fetch me to the office, where we were supposed to wait for the gal who was taking the exam on that day too. She arrived at 7.20. I could have made my breakfast, eaten it, and even slept a fair bit more. But the worst was yet to come.

We left the office at 7.30 (or thereabouts). Then we went on the NKVE. And the car broke down.
We were going for a driving exam and the car broke down. If that’s not ironic, I don’t know what is.

Anyways, turns out the bloody car was out of petrol. Something so avoidable, something so basic, and it happens. Murphy’s Law or Sod’s Law, whichever name you use, was at work. “What can go wrong will go wrong, at the worst possible moment.”

The car finally started at 8.20 or so. Next stop, Transport Department Headquarters. Apparently our request to take the exam on Monday was rejected and therefore we had to appeal. Another hour wasted there.

We finally reached the examination center at about 10. Then another long wait.
At 11, I took the on-the-road test. (I’m not admitting to any knowledge of any bribery or anything here.) The examiner was an idiot with an attitude problem. When I was turning out of the exam center, I had to stop at the junction because there was a jam. There was a garbage truck directly in front of me, obviously blocking my turn to the left. And what did the idiot say? “Move-lah!! What are you waiting for?”

Anyway, I was the last person to finish the exam (at about 3) because I was the last to register, due to the bloody rejection and subsequent appeal.

Passed.

2008-02-13T20:42:00.003+08:00

Read a letter to the editor in the papers last week. This Malaysian who had been working overseas was pissed off because he wasn't allowed to bring his nephew and niece in to watch Meet The Spartans. Obviously they were under 18 and thus not allowed to watch it due to the Malaysian 18PL rating for it. In my opinion he was making a mountain out of a molehill. Fool. He said that the impression given by the trailer was that of a wholesome family movie. Idiot. If the cinema people let him and his relations in, he would have complained that he was misled. I haven't seen a movie so full of lewd, sexual jokes in a long while. If he hadn't watched the movie beforehand, why did he want to bring them to watch it? And he didn't check the cinema listings in the papers first. ~speechless~

About that case of the child-porn-possessing pilot, how in the world did they know he had that in his laptop in the first place? Invasion of privacy, that's what it is. Why is there such a fuss? If it was normal, heterosexual porn no one would give a damn. His sexual preferences aren't anyone else's business. Although I agree that child porn is abhorrent and disgusting, the blatant disrespect for his privacy is worse. And don't forget, out of the 3 clips they found, only 1 was child porn. The offence was for that and that alone.

On a lighter note....... WHY COULDN'T JAY CHOU'S CONCERT BE 1 WEEK EARLIER? I wanna go....... TT__TT . It's been ages since he last came to Malaysia for a concert and I have to miss it just because I have to go to Melbourne to start university. The most talented person in the Asian music scene is coming and I'm not going to his concert. WHHYYYY?????

One of my all-time favourite songs (if not THE favourite song) must be Jay's Nocturne. (It's on my playlist, 3rd song). Wonderful tune, combining rap and R&B. Lyrics a little unwieldy, but good enough to bring out the story of mourning for a dead lover. Which reminds me. Sadly, I'm free on Valentine's Day.

WHHYYYYYY?????

Fur trade=sick

2008-02-03T18:31:00.000+08:00

Pledge to go fur-free at PETA.org

This is NOT recommended viewing. This video just shows how sick people can become when motivated by money.

I remember doing a presentation on animal abuse last year, I thought I was disgusted. I was wrong. This is much, much worse than what I came across during my research.

The sick flers in the video can go to hell.

Cynic,Inc.

2008-01-27T23:56:00.000+08:00

Suharto's dead. And what did Badawi say? "We're damn sad"...... I didn't elect him as my spokesperson..... Of course he's sad, without him (Suharto) Indonesia has less political problems. Less problems means less opportunities to take advantage of. Anyway his death was so protracted everyone was just waiting for him to die. How sad. When I go I don't want to go that way. No relying on machines to keep me alive.

We know the election is coming soon. Why don't the BN just announce it and be done with the mess? Set a date and at least we won't have to put up with the hype about nothing. Everyone's already sniping at each other, why not just declare outright war? Or are they scared that they'll lose?

Watched the finale of Amazing Race Asia 1 again. Incredible, not in a good way. Ridiculous, actually. How could the weakest team win? Means that the others sucked, not that the winners were any good.

The Greenpeace idiots protesting against whaling had to turn back because they ran out of fuel. That's the dumbest thing I've heard. Since you guys love the environment, shouldn't you be in a sailboat or something? Not in a ship that pollutes the environment. Then you run out of fuel. Fools. If you want to catch something you've got to make sure you can keep up with it.

Hate first gear, love the third. Of what? Cars, duh! I still don't understand why they need us to learn manual driving. Go look at the stats, probably 80% at least of new car sales are automatic cars. Grrrr.......

To bribe or not to bribe? I can't afford NOT to. I just don't have the time for it. Have to pass before I leave for Melbourne, so I've got 1 shot at the license. Can't mess it up. A shame really, I'd prefer to pass on my own ability.

Suddenly thinking of going to LSE instead of Melbourne. A credit transfer in my 2nd year, maybe? Then I'll get to watch Arsenal in action! :) Any advice?

Pangkor + "Cloverfield" + "American Gangster"

2008-01-24T01:21:00.000+08:00

Back from Pangkor on a trip with my SAM class. Really enjoyed it, too bad the water wasn’t that clear during snorkeling. Guess you cant have everything . Finally got on a bike after, oh, I dunno… 9- 10 years? Still can’t ride one properly, still having problems with cornering/ changing directions .

Almost got drunk on Saturday night, luckily I didn’t push myself too hard. Learned to play a drinking game, definitely more fun than just sitting and talking , but i really not recommended for those with a low tolerance for alcohol.

Lesson 1: Vodka goes better when mixed with Sprite than when mixed with Coke.

Lesson 2: Flavored vodka is actually a waste of time. The flavor isn’t strong enough for my liking after diluting it with soft drinks. Couldn’t taste the difference between non-flavored and flavored vodka.

Note to self: Bring nose plugs when going to the sea. I think I swallowed enough seawater to fill a 1.5 liter bottle. And that was just during snorkeling. The masks provided were leaky, so I ended up having to spit out seawater every 2 minutes. Then of course I sometimes dove a little too deep, so the water came into the breathing pipe, straight into my mouth. How exhilarating. Of course, it was worse during the banana boat ride. But then again, it’s all in the name of fun.

Fishing would have been really fun had there been more time. I’m still sore about not getting a catch! Can’t remember what happened to the fish my classmates caught though. Don’t think we ate them. Poor fish, dying for our pleasure, not even contributing to our energy reserves. Then again, I don’t really care.

Watched “Cloverfield” on Monday. Great CGI, great acting. Unfortunately, it’s a chick flick masquerading as a monster movie. I really felt cheated ‘cos I was expecting a Godzilla style action movie. Guys, don’t watch it unless you are with a girl (or girls). I went in there after reading a review of the show, so I roughly knew the format the movie would be in (video camera style). I just didn’t expect it to be so sucky. Monster? What monster? Couldn’t see it properly for 3 quarters of the movie. Since the movie is barely one and a half hours long, that really rankles with me. And it cost US$ 30 million to make? That’s $1 mil for 3 minutes! But maybe I’m just griping because it’s really not such a bad movie after all, just that it could have been better by:

1) Making it a little longer

2) Having an ending that gives a few more answers (my main problem with the movie)

3) Showing the monster in its full glory, not the tiny glimpses we got

I sense a huge wasted opportunity in “Cloverfield”. It could have been great, a classic, but ended up as a slightly above average movie.

I recommend “American Gangster” instead. The acting is even better and the movie is two and a half hours long. Denzel Washington is really intense in this show. But if “Cloverfield” was too short, “American Gangster” was too long. And it’s so choppy that I almost got seasick (alright, maybe I’m exaggerating). But if you have to watch a sucky movie, at least you get to enjoy the air-con an hour longer. Just goes to show that great acting can’t save a movie from a lousy script. Another wasted opportunity here. We get a turkey from an eagle egg.

Dork post+nostalgia

2008-01-04T00:40:00.000+08:00

Happy New Year! Writing this on 2 Jan, 2:30 a.m., posting it later though. Seems like I'm still functioning on Egyptian time (i.e. 8:30 p.m.).

Got a camera for my birthday. Probably could have gotten one with better specs (on paper) for less money but Sony products always cost more for less. Still, most of us are suckers for Sony. Not complaining here, I got it for free.

Had a nice time using it on tour in Egypt. Thing is, I'm bored of it now. That's the problem with boys' toys. The excitement lasts a maximum of 3 weeks. Then everything's back to normal and the toy ends up in storage, to be used only occasionally. Plus, it's a camera, and:
(a) I'm not a camwhore
(b) I'm not a pro photographer (nor is it a pro's camera)
(c) there's just about nothing to photograph in daily life
(d) I'm too lazy to charge the battery regularly

Getting nostalgic thinking about my toys. Time was when I could while away afternoons playing with plastic figurines... I remember when I was about 6-8, I had 1 Optimus Prime figure (there was another one, but it was too bulky and unposeable to "fight" properly) and 2 or 3 Decepticon figures. Then I could spend hours playacting grand battles which Optimus would always win, sometimes courtesy of Spiderman's or Robocop's timely assistance.

And then there were my Lego bricks. With one big bucket and 1 or 2 small ones, I had an entire space fleet. Built it up, then kept it until I was about 9 or 10. Or was it 8? Anyway, I deconstructed that fleet and built another one, the remains of which are still in my room.

I also had (and still have) this Lego castle with a motley collection of little Lego figures (quite sure I got this when I was 3). I remember mock battles on my bedroom floor during quiet (?) afternoons. That's still in my room, I think I only stopped playing with those in Standard 5.

I could go on and on about my Lego collection. I think my parents must have spent a few thousand ringgit on it. And I don't think even 30% remains. What a waste. Could have become family heirlooms. :p

Ah-ha, I remember when I was 8 or 9, the second (or maybe 3rd) Transformers craze came, around the time of Digimon's first wave too. This time, instead of transforming into vehicles, they transformed into animals! I think I had around 10 of those toys too (including my brother's). Another few hundred ringgit there.

Speaking about Transformers, I used to wonder why there weren't any Megatron figures ( or why I couldn't find any. Or maybe I had eyes only for Optimus). I think I know why now. You see, Megatron used to transform into a gun small enough to fit into another Decepticon's hand. I think those marketing fellows thought it wasn't exciting enough for small kids. Anyway the latest Megatron's a fighter jet (after becoming a cannon, a tank, a dragon and who knows what else), which is easy enough to market.

ADDED LATER: Apparently there WAS a gun-shaped Megatron figure. It was illegal in some Australian states because it looked quite real.

Feeling a little crappy now. The effing Egypt Air flight back from Cairo was delayed by about 1 1/2 hours.(original time:2.50am New take off time:4.15am). The freaking airport was damn small, the airline didn't offer so much as an apology until we were on the plane, and it was 2:20 am when we first found out. Plus there was no announcement of the flight delay.

The flight from Cairo to Bombay was 5 hours, 1 hour plus to stopover at Mumbai/Bombay/whatever and another 6 hours from there to KLIA. Add on another 6 hours (for the time difference), plus 2 hours ( travelling time from KLIA to home+baggage reclaim+Immigration+chocolate/liqour shopping) and I made it home 5 minutes before New Year's Day with an almost dead cell phone battery. Made it to the charger in time for midnight but the New Year SMSes just kept failing to send. Stress after a stress-busting holiday.

2007-12-21T22:08:00.000+08:00

The SAM results are out. SAM's officially, irrevocably over now. I did fairly well and am 99% certain that I'm going to the University of Melbourne next year.

Heh..... The hols have been fun. The mamak restaurants must be making a mint. Been going out with my buddies 3-4 times a week, spending damn a lot too, but it's worth it. Where would I be without you guys? Love you guys.

A couple of them have girlfriends now, it's damn hard to get them to come out with the rest of us. Can't blame them, can I (useless, gutless, fool that I am) ? Not begrudging them anything, not qualified to. Lol.

Still pissed at someone though. To that person : The dislike is mutual. I honestly couldn't care less if I don't see you again.

Passed my undang test, after many trials and tribulations (serious!). The instructor who sent me there got lost in Puchong. Drove around aimlessly for 1.5 hours while frantically calling the other instructor for directions. Then the server crashed once I sat down in front of the terminal. Bloody computerized exam was over in 15 minutes but it took 3 hours to get to it.

Watched National Treasure 2 today. Not bad, plenty of action and car chases (crushing a brand-new Merc-Benz C-class in the process). However, the climax turned out to be the most boring part of the whole show, something I really can't understand. At least the producers have a sense of humour. Still, the best movie this year must be the Simpsons movie. Spiderpig rocks! For a live-action one, probably Transformers with National Treasure 2 a close second.

Driving course tomorrow. Hopefully not as boring as the first. Then it's off to Egypt for Christmas. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

2007-12-11T23:55:00.000+08:00

!@#$%@$ Play badminton also can get injured one. Ridiculous. I think I've suffered more bodily harm in the last 30 days than in the 6 months before that. Started after the spec maths exam. Fell down and bloody cut my left elbow. Then at Sunway Lagoon 6 days later bruised my right foot and it still doesn't feel 100%. Then at paintball the next day bruised my other foot (this one feels fine now). Now at badminton I grazed my middle finger coz I was too lazy to change my racket's grip. Sendiri cari pasal. Now I can't point it at anyone if I'm pissed. Good thing or bad thing?

Undang test on Thursday. Let's see what happens if I don't put any effort in it. Pass/fail?

Too painful to continue typing. The skin came off on the fingertip. But first:

A teacher assigned his Year 4 student to write a topic sentence for the following phrases: "Sam always works quietly. Sam is polite to the teacher. Sam always does his homework."
The student's topic sentence? "I hate Sam."

Does this new injury bother me? YES IT DOES

2007-12-10T00:22:00.000+08:00

Stupid undang course..... what a waste of 9 hours of my life......

Woke up at 6 something because the effing driving instructor was supposed to leave at 7. Then got into a bloody van with a non functioning air con and had to stay in there for half an hour. The really scary part is, the speedometer wasn't working properly. Apparently the van moves at 30km/h even when its wheels aren't turning. And there's no rpm-meter (no idea what the proper name for that is)

Got to the slum (Kg. Kayu Ara) where the center was located at 7.30. And what time did the course actually start? 9.30. Cursed be those who take punctuality for granted.

And thus followed 3 hours of boredom. Then came the lunch break. The mamak stall next to the center's probably owned by the driving instructor's brother or something. Wonder how much they're making? ( By the way, there's a seafood restaurant just up the street from that center, the food's not bad there.)

And after the break, the next lecturer was late. Again. @#$%@#$%

During the ride back, the fler driving the van broke so many traffic rules I wondered how he kept his job. He talked on the phone, ran a red light, etc. And it was friggin' hot!!

Wasted my life there, listening to things I
a) already knew b) didn't care about

Now, I think I'll settle for plain old boredom, it's better than this form of torture.

2007-12-09T23:40:00.000+08:00

Watch this, and remember, Malaysia BOLEH!!! Boleh apa aku tak tau lah.....

2007-12-05T23:45:00.000+08:00

Just read a friend's blog.... http://dqbonafid3.blogspot.com/ ........

Poor fler seems so depressed..... really feel for him.... Had that sort of doubts myself, too, once upon a time. No idea why I suddenly had this conviction that a higher power existed, though. Seems so stupid, don't you think? The major religions (not including Buddhism - it's a way of life, not a religion) such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam all have this seemingly blind belief that there's a Creator somewhere, yet when others challenge their beliefs they can't accept it. They all agree on the one God, but the unenlightened say that only theirs is the true God. And somehow, it's the unenlightened that have the power to change the world with a word. A big fight over nothing.

Bbleeehhhhh....... then we have the classic case of misuse of religious authority, the Borgias. The House of Borgia controlled the papacy for a decade or more, committing incest, adultery, murder, etc. Those who use religion for their own ends should be hanged.

In the end, all theological disputes boil down to the fact that humans are eternally searching for some meaning to life, hoping that some higher being created us for some unknown reason. Hopefully, it's not just because He was bored.

Why am I trying to reason this out? The only real clue pointing to His existence is this question : If life started from bacteria, where did the first bacteria come from? Also, there's the issue of evolution. Evolution's purpose is for the continued existence of a species. However, if a species were under threat, wouldn't it become extinct before it had the chance to evolve? This isn't Pokemon, you know?

I don't even know how I ended up blogging about this. What happens when you're too bored and have an overactive brain.........

2007-12-05T01:29:00.000+08:00

I'm really, really bored......... Doesn't feel like I've done anything since paintball a couple weeks back. Couldn't make it for Enchanted last Thursday because of prior commitments, so I've just been rotting/fermenting. Plus, paintball was DAMN expensive (albeit fun) , RM60 per head, my wallet hasn't forgiven me yet.

Here's my current schedule : wake up at 9-9.30, read the newspapers cover to cover till 11, mope around, bathe, etc till noon, lunch, watch some old movie, read, then sleep till it's time for a drama series (how the mighty have fallen! Me, watching dramas!) Dinner in front of the telly, then computer time. Even then, I've no idea what to do on the comp. There's only so much C&C/Counter-Strike/musicdownloads/Netsurfing one can do. I've even started watching old episodes of Naruto with my kid brother. THAT's how bored I am.

Probably the most interesting thing that's happened in the past few days is this discussion/argument I had with my kid brother. He said something about disliking Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (the movie, with Johnny Depp) because it was too dark. It's meant for kids, it's not supposed to be dark, he said. Well, the story itself was dark already, it's called "faithful adaptation". Need me to prove it? I'm presuming you guys have read the book or watched the movie.

The first kid got stuck in a pipe. The second kid got turned into a blueberry. The third got kicked into a garbage chute. The fourth was shrunk to the size of a peanut. Now, how is that funny? that's dark humour. Sounds horrid when I write it this way, but didn't everyone enjoy it in the book/movie? Sorry if I'm a bit of a wet blanket.

Then, to press my point, I asked : Aren't all fairy tales dark?

Snow White was poisoned by her step-mother. Cinderella was enslaved by her family. (Interesting. Are all step-parents that bad?) Red Riding Hood's grandma was eaten by a wolf. The Little Mermaid died of a broken heart (the original Hans Christian Anderson version, not the Disney one). Sleeping Beauty was put into an enchanted sleep she wasn't supposed to wake from. Rapunzel's boyfriend was blinded. Need I say more?

I then challenged him to list any (kid's) cartoon with no violence or which isn't dark. The only ones he could think of were kiddie shows like Bob the Builder and Dora the Explorer. I rest my case.

Now, on my to do list: 1) Watch Enchanted 2) Watch The Golden Compass 3) take my Undang test (scheduled for nest week, with the lecture this Saturday.)

Hopefully The Golden Compass won't suck. I really liked the books (super dark ones, by the way). If it turns out like Ghost Rider, Spiderman 3, HP5, Beowulf (unspeakably sucky, this one) , etc., I'll never rest until I take over the movie studio and remake it. *evillaugh*

Oh, yeah, my aunt knows about this job. Pays RM 1800 for some organisational thingy for some exhibition. She says the client who's organizing that exhibition is really laid back and that it's buta gaji. Not gaji buta, mind you, buta gaji. And it's only for 2 weeks or so. Only problem is, I fail at the first requirement : Needs own transportation. That's coz the fler with the job has to run errands in the course of his work. Ah well, the price of youth........ Matthew, can I borrow your driver?

Prom......

2007-11-27T23:58:00.000+08:00

Tum-de-tum-tum......... Holidays and I'm BORED!!! Barely 2 days without any activities and I feel like I'm rotting........

Anyway, prom (also known as Corroboree. I actually don't know why. Must be some teacher's idea of Australianising SAM students) was last Wednesday, 21 November. And guess what? The organization sucked.

*Sigh* First, they insisted on stamping the attendees' hands with some stupid Taylors stamp. With ink that 1) dries slowly 2) Comes off immediately once it touches water 3)Stains. So everyone had some blue blotch on one hand. Ewwwww......

Then they gave us a keychain. I actually don't mind keychains, in fact I've quite a few. But their keychain only had some stupid Taylors College logo on it. No prizes for guessing who sponsored those. Couldn't they have given something more memorable? Maybe something with a koala on it? Koalas are cute, right? The Taylors logo isn't.

And then came the dinner. It started off with the most pathetic intro by the emcees. An upbeat performance, dance or something would've been better.

Emcee 1:"Welcome, SAM students, to the 2007 Corroboree, themed *insertfunnyFrenchterm*" (Or something to that effect)
Blank stares all around.
Emcee 2:"That means "Red Carpet Glamour"
Irritated expressions abound.

Wow. You are SOOOO great. IT'S PRINTED ON THE TICKET FOR GOD'S SAKE. WHO CARES WHAT THE FRENCH TERM IS? It's an Australian program. What do Australians speak? ENGLISH. Incompetent bumbling show-offs only succeeded in showing 1) ignorance of the audience's expectations 2) their blindingly big egos

Then the speeches......... Boring....... but at least expected.

Now, all the teachers were invited onto the stage. First pleasant(?) surprise of the evening (Plenty of unpleasant ones already). Ms Ng changed her hairstyle. Almost couldn't recognize her. Really not sure whether that's a good thing.

Next, the food. There must have been around 8 courses or so, most of which sucked. The fried rice towards the end was the most horrible I've tasted. If you told me it was boiled rice I would have believed you. Any coffeeshop fried rice stall could do better. RM 100 for crap? That's life. I think the RM 100 per head must have gone to the service instead. The waiters kept changing the plates, I think the RM 1000 per table must have bought the hotel lots and lots of new china.

And of course, the mandatory performances. I guess they weren't THAT bad, but I didn't feel entertained at all. Power ballads don't exactly help the digestion, especially when the food sucks and the sound's too loud. Where's the comedy skit? Would've done everyone a world of good, especially after the sucky beginning.

On and on it went..... The prom king/queen thing sucked even more. There was a Q&A session to show the contestants' "intelligence". All of the answers were either a) inaudible b) cliched c) illogical. Luckily my table lost the voting sheet. None of them deserved the title.

The performances ( and dinner) ended with a rock (more like metal) performance by 1 screamer and 1 skilled guitarist and a bunch of kelefe. Coupled with the LOUD sound system, it was really nice.......when it finally ended.

The dance floor opened. With what music? Disco/ party music. I thought prom = ball = classical/slow rock? The organizers must have thought prom = party = clubbing-alcohol= LOUD DISCO. How to dance like that? You get everyone dressed to the nines for the last night of SAM, with jackets and long dresses and high heels, and you expect them to party wildly? You guys are geniuses. Half the crowd went outside the ballroom to escape.

In the end, I think the only enjoyable part was the crowd. The performers all took themselves too seriously, except maybe the guy who dedicated his performance to his date/girlfriend.

And I didn't get to go to the bar with the others because of my curfew........ TTT___TTT

2007-11-21T09:36:00.000+08:00

Alright!! The school year's over!! Gonna miss my class though....

Anyway, you guys must have noticed that my c-box has been defiled by the opinions of an asshole calling himself Vision. Well, I can't say much about his vision seeing that he doesn't have the brains to see that this blog is for my own thoughts. If you think it's cat crap that's your business, insult me all you want and don't read my blog. See If I give a fuck. No one's forcing you to read this. But don't insult those who leave comments. WTF did they do to you, Vision?

Vision's definitely a guy (Obvious, really, from the crude caveman language). A poor, demented soul who spends his time masturbating in the privacy of his room while imposing his dirty, sad thoughts on other's blogs, getting his kicks out of insulting people.

Sad, sad soul.

Final Destination (for 2007)

2007-11-04T22:52:00.000+08:00

Finals are going to start. 2 weeks and 1.5 days of hell........then 2/3 months of heaven/boredom!!! (Always optimistic, that's me :p)

Actually, I have no idea what I'm going to do during those 2/3 months. But that's the sort of problem I love. Anyway, it's been a great year (not counting the stress).

Here's a joke I heard a long time ago, the best motivational 1 I've heard. Hopefully this will relax my readers enough to let the take their exams in a good, unstressed manner.

Why Worry?
In life there are only 2 things to worry about. Either you're sick, or you're healthy. If you're healthy, there's nothing to worry about. If you're sick, there are only 2 things to worry about. Either you get well or you die. If you get well, there's nothing to worry about. If you die, there are only 2 things to worry about. Either you go to heaven or you go to hell. If you go to heaven, there's nothing to worry about. If you got to hell, you'll be so busy making new friends that you won't have time to worry!!

Cheers! Good luck to everyone for the finals!!

Malaysia in the eyes of the world

2007-11-02T20:55:00.001+08:00

I got this in an email and I thought I'd post it so that you know what people outside Malaysia REALLY think about us. Clicking on the pic should allow you to see a bigger version. If it's still not clear, ask me to email the original to you. Just give me your address. (the original version was a pdf file. Couldn't upload it here, that's why it might not be clear.)

What I learned today

2007-10-23T00:02:00.000+08:00

Apparently I'm destined to be discontented for my whole life. My mum watched this feng shui (?!) show which was talking about the shape of the ears. Since I don't have earlobes, I can't wear earrings and thus am doomed to a life of discontent. Who to blame? My mum for giving me the defective genes. (Finally, a use for Bio!) If you have earlobes, then you are (supposedly) going to have a contented life.

I found out that the sleeves on the shirt I bought is a bit too short for my jacket (the formal kind). Hopefully they'll let me exchange it for a bigger size, otherwise it's RM 120 wasted. Or maybe it's the sleeves of my jacket that are too long, in which case it's RM 1200 down the drain.

While I'm on the subject of formal wear, I have an announcement to make. I look like an old man when I wear a tie. Hence, I am NOT planning to wear one to the Corroboree (did I spell that correctly?). Support me, M2 guys!

Also, I finally finished my research on ways to go back after college. Bus : wait 20-45 minutes, 5-10 minutes traveling time, RM0.90 fare. Dad's car : Wait till 7.30pm, when he's off work. 5-10 minutes traveling time. Free. Walking : 40 minutes under the M'sian sun. Free.

UPDATE 1 :
I managed to exchange the shirt!! Yay!

UPDATE 2 :
I was rooting through my dad's ties, and I found some that are not bad, actually (they look better than the 1 I bought together with the shirt! Grrr!) . Means wasted RM 70. Or bought an early birthday? CNY? Christmas? present.

Rant

2007-10-09T01:53:00.000+08:00

Kena again from my mum last Sat for staying out too late. Only 15 mins past the RIDICULOUSLY EARLY "curfew" wat....... relaklah.....

Then got lectured. "Your friends don't have curfew ah? No discipline at all. blablablablabla Lucky I haven't grounded you yet. Go out so much for what? Got so much money meh? blablablablablabla Never study want to enjoy yourself aledi, ha? Your exam coming you know? How to go Australia like that? blablablablablablablablablablablablablablablablablablablablablablablablablablablabla"

FYI, my curfew's at 12 midnight. Damn early right? Apparently one of my cousin's friends got grounded for staying out too late with her friends, so my mum's threatening to do the same. And I need a life! Don't tell me I have to sit at home listening to her nagging all day. Money? She knows that that's the only way she can control me..... better be careful otherwise my (already meager) allowance is going to disappear........ And what's the bloody point of exams anyway? Deciding your life in 3 hours (per subject) doesn't sound very intelligent to me. And, if I follow what my mum wants me to do every second of my life, she might as well have bought a robot instead of having a son. When else would I have a social life other than now? I have a whole bunch of friends that I've gotten to know so well over the past 5/6 years, you cant expect me to lose contact with them just like that..... Plus, I'm going off to another CONTINENT next year, so if I don't socialize now, I might not be able to see them for years. After pre-U it's off to uni, then work. What makes you think I'll have time to socialize then? Life is for the living. We live in the present, not in the past or the future.

Then I start wondering Sometimes it just feels so pointless..... Wake up, college, nap, dinner, work (if I'm in the mood), pig out in front of the comp,sleep. Then in a few years time, it's Wake up, work, dinner, sleep. BORING....... Why anyone wants to spend the first 20 years of their lives reaching the most boring, pointless, time of their lives, then spend the rest of their lives trying to stay in that period? It's just so POINTLESS. No wonder people commit suicide. They were enlightened as to the insignificance of our puny human lives.

!@#$%^&@#$%^&*#$%^&*(#$%^&*(#$%^&*(#$%^!@#$%^&*@#$%^&*

"Secret" --- Finally

2007-10-03T21:41:00.000+08:00

Finally watched Jay Chou's "Secret"......... 1.5 months after it came out in Malaysia T.T Shows how hopelessly outdated I am......

Anyway, I thought the movie was quite good. Brought back many memories...... The so-called "secret" was lame. Really lame. But the BRILLIANT acting by the main actress was enough to save the movie and more. The first hour or so was very well done, very sweet and touching. The cinematography was fairly good as well.

I forget, I have a non-Chinese speaking audience as well. Anyway, for the movie is about 2 high school students, Ye Xiang Lun (the guy) and Lu Xiao Yu (the gal). Notice anything about their initials? The guy tranfers to a new school that has a music-based curriculum, meets the gal, falls in love with her. Reminds me of 2005........ Then the gal starts turning up less frequently for school and well, that's the secret : Why she isn't turning up. I'm not spoiling it for whoever is less fortunate than me, i.e those who haven't watched it yet.

The soundtrack is mostly classical, with the title track a rock number. The movie would be a musical if the music wasn't classical, that's how musical the movie is. If I'm not mistaken, in addition to writing the script and directing the movie and acting in it, Jay Chou also wrote the soundtrack. What talent....... So jealous.

It's damn good, take my word for it. Short too, at only 1.5 hours long. So take a bit of time out from your wonderfully busy schedule and watch it. Trust me.

Random Thoughts

2007-10-01T14:13:00.000+08:00

I shall TELL you if i turn into a werewolf. Now go away and let me howl at my moon in peace.

How can a freakin' plate of nasi lemak cost RM 19? To whoever the hell is in charge of pricing for DOME, can I have your job?

Why do people like giving trophies? I'd much rather have the cash you used for the trophy.

HATE cats. Just really, really, HATE them. (except Garfield).

My trial results are going to suck.

Matt, your house is HUGE!!

Pyramid 2's open! Wonder when I'll finally go there.....

I wanna drive!

http://www.humanmetrics.com/index.htm#intro This has a link to a personality test (Jung Typology test). Apparently I'm an ISTJ (whatever that is)

If God created man because He was bored, then do humans create life when we are bored? Does that mean that sex is boredom relief? (No offense to anyone is meant)

Late to bed and late to wake will keep you long on money and short on mistakes. - Aaron McGruder

Haven't played chess/pool/Chinese chess in a while.....

Don't wanna go to uni/work/grow up so fast....

BORED

2007-09-14T23:49:00.000+08:00

Have you noticed that I keep personal information to a minimum here? No photos of people, no mention of people's names, etc.?

That's cos' I'm paranoid. Do you know how easy someone can just access this blog and find out everything about me? No way I'm making it easier for anyone to stalk me.

I know what you're thinking: If you're so paranoid, why have a blog in the first place? For the heck of it, that's why. I don't have to take care of a diary which is damn vulnerable (Right, JC?). And then, since I'm putting it online anyway, I decided to just go the whole hog and expose my inner thoughts to everyone.

Now, those who know me, know me.

I'm Yi Jien, studying at Taylors College, Malaysia. Male. Hopefully that's all you stalkers will ever know about me. So there.

Government servants needed

2007-09-14T20:35:00.000+08:00

I'm interrupting the series on the 7 Deadly Sins for this post.

When I got my SPM results earlier this year, the most common question people asked me (besides "How many A's did you get?") was " Did you apply for the JPA (Public Service Department) scholarship?" The answer was, still is, and if I can help it, will be the same for my kids, NO.

Lucky I didn't apply. What if I had got it? I would have been bonded to an inefficient government for a minimum of 5 years. Malu betul (really embarrassing).

Here are the reasons I can think of to work for the government (not counting working as a minister) :

1. One would get to give contracts to one's own friends/business partners/family and take a cut.Only the Malaysian government can pay up to 10000% more for something.Not too bad, right? Stimulates the economy.
2. The pension
3. No need to work hard, since no one's going to fire you. What's the worst that can happen? Transfer only mah. After transferring, I'll have more people to bully and take br*bes from.
4. And of course, after accumulating huge amounts of coffee, I get to opt for early retirement! And I still get the pension!

Hmm..... feeling pangs of regret. Maybe I should have applied after all. Or maybe politics is the way to go..... hmm......

The 7 Deadly Sins--- Gluttony

2007-09-13T14:11:00.000+08:00

Gula (Gluttony)
Just about everyone who knows me knows I have a weakness for life's pleasures. To me, any food that reaches a certain standard (i.e. tastes wonderful) is a gift of God. Especially chocolate. I happen to agree with what a friend of mine said, " Chocolate cake is always nice, just that there is a varying degree of niceness."

Had this the other day at Secret Recipe. Chocolate Indulgence. Tasted divine, too bad I only had 1 piece as my wallet didnt agree with my stomach. Thanks Jac and WQ for the inspiration.

Reminds me of the choc fountain at Lemon Garden Cafe, Shangri-La Hotel, KL. My cousin hasn't passed me the photo of the cakes there, but trust me, they taste as good as they look. This photo is courtesy of tripadvisor.com. , since I didn't have a cam with me at the time.

Hungry again....... the char kuay teow at Asia Cafe, SS15 tastes lovely........ the fried rice at Restoran Success a few metres away doesnt sound too bad either.........or even better, bak kut teh across the road in SS14. Choices, choices. Trust me, these foods taste great. Oh, yeah, ham dan you yu sou (squid tentacles with salted egg) at Restaurant JO in SS15 is nice too. The Japanese restaurant in Shangri-La (Zipangu I think it's called) isn't too bad, just over-priced.

There are too many nice things to describe here. Anyway, I guess what I want to say is, this is one sin I won't regret.

The 7 Deadly Sins --- Sloth

2007-09-08T14:59:00.000+08:00

Acedia (Sloth)
Another of my failings. It may not be obvious to those who know me, but sloth is a big part of my life.

Many people think that just because my results are better than theirs I must be working harder than them. 1 question: When have you seen me studying? Don't think that has ever happened. The fact is, I only do the bare minimum possible. Extra work? No thanks.

That is the essence of sloth. A degree of laziness that prevents the fulfillment of one's full potential. That is my failing. SLOTH.

The 7 Deadly Sins --- Pride

2007-09-06T21:50:00.000+08:00

This would be the start of a series of posts on the 7 deadly sins, namely Luxuria (extravagance, later lust), Gula (gluttony), Avaritia (greed), Acedia (sloth), Ira (wrath, more commonly known as anger), Invidia (envy), and Superbia (pride).

Superbia (Pride)
Probably the one which is my greatest failing (the title of this blog should tell you that). I tend to have a self confidence which occasionally borders on arrogance. It doesn't help that I have above average intelligence, and others tend to take it as a big deal. Hence an inflated ego.

In life, I believe in not underestimating one's ability, nor overestimating it. Either way it is dangerous. Also, I go around with a "I'm right until I'm proven wrong" mentality. This has not gone down well with a couple of people. However, I believe that I still keep an open mind. You are entitled to your opinion, I'm entitled to mine. If you can convince me that I' wrong, then I'll gladly change my opinion.

I hereby apologize if what I have done in my pride has irritated/annoyed/hurt you.

A Slave to Emotion

2007-08-31T14:28:00.001+08:00

Fact: Humans are slaves to emotions.

I haven't been feeling ANYTHING like myself this past week. So much has changed in these past 8 months. Thanks to college, I shall not be the same person I was before.

I have probably experienced more emotional problems in these past months than I have in the last 16 years. Before, a bad mood could be cured though (a) chocolate (b) TV. Now, my worst moods PARALYZE ME. I become incapable of doing ANYTHING to the best of my ability( i.e. the way I want everything to be done.) And it's happening more and more frequently.

The worst part is, well, I have a crush on someone. But when I ha finally made certain of those feelings, I made a conscious decision NOT to pursue her. Not a day passes now when I do not think and wonder whether I have made the right decision. Yet I still feel it is for the best. I do not need distractions at this time. Also, I will be leaving this country next year, for 6 years at least. She will not. Is it not only fair that I do not narrow both mine and her horizons. Better not to start a doomed relationship.

Whatever optimism I once felt, I feel no longer. I laugh, eat, talk,walk, sleep but I just feel empty. Is it because of that decision? I think not, yet I am not sure. I yearn to see this wold through the rose-tinted lenses of a 3-year-old once again. I await the miracle that will reawaken my passion for life.

I cannot continue in this way. Despair surrounds me. I feel empty, disconnected, unfocused. Going through the motions of daily life, I long to FEEL again. Will the light at the end of the tunnel appear?

I stare at her
Into her eyes
I see reflected there
my despair

To act or not to act
I chose not to
Do I regret?
Of course I do

Now when I see her
I feel a longing
a tugging at the edges of my soul
First love was long ago
but rising from its ashes
comes a new flame
A flame I try to smother
Unsuccessfully

I feel despair
Creeping, creeping up on me
I cannot escape

Spirit in turmoil
who shall calm it?
Let Time work her magic
and we shall see

Merdeka?

2007-08-29T22:01:00.000+08:00

Our 50th Independence day is coming! (for Malaysia, that is)

Do I love my country? I honestly don't know. I didn't choose to be Malaysian any more than I chose to be male. So just because I'm born here, I'm supposed to love Malaysia?
In my book, patriotism is not loving your country, waving its flag etc. It's being here and making the most of it.

So are we REALLY independent now? As I haven't experienced what it is like to be under colonial rule, my opinion can't be accurate.

However, I don't think PROGRESS has been made. Not physical infrastructure, but culturally, spiritually and mentally.

Culturally and spiritually, what has happened is most probably regression. From what I've read, the Arabisation of the Malays has in fact led to more intolerance and the decline of their original culture. Many cultural treasures such as the joget and wayang kulit are in serious danger of disappearing, no thanks to overzealous religion-based political parties. The Chinese aren't much better. They are losing contact with their roots, becoming more and more westernized. Many can't speak Chinese and even more do not uphold the Chinese traditions (yours truly is guilty of this). The same goes for the Indians.

Blogging about this has made me depressed.....Although there's more, I'm just too depressed to continue.......Happy Merdeka Day!! Chocolate time!

Sigh Love.....

2007-08-29T21:19:00.000+08:00

Why are most songs about love? I guess it's because love is the purest and most beautiful of all human emotions. Anyway, these songs are just beautiful. Beautiful lyrics, nice melodies, brings out feelings of "to have loved and lost is better than never having loved at all."

Ye Qu (Nocturne) by Jay Chou (great melody)

Wait for you by Elliot Yamin (Love it!!)

Secret by Jay Chou (Wish I could play the guitar like him!)

Holiday Boredom and Depression

2007-08-22T20:44:00.000+08:00

"IT'S THE HOLIDAYS!!" I shouted on Friday. Well now I'm bored and depressed. Who would have thought I would dislike holidays?

Anyway, I read a book today. Quite a short one (and quite old too). It's called The Time Machine, by H.G.Wells.

It's really depressing. I mean, it's fantastic and all that, being able to travel through time and all (who wouldn't like that?), but the Wells' vision of the future is really sad. He predicted that humanity would decline into Morlocks and Eloi, basically animals with rudimentary language and precious little reason, with the Morlocks preying on the Eloi.

Isn't that sad? Look around you now and tell me that you think it's possible. It may be beyond our imagination now, but take a long, serious look at the world in general and Wells seems to be rather accurate. What animal kills others of its own species in mass? Humans, thats what.

It reminded me of another novel. Must have read this one last year, I think. 1984, by George Orwell. This one is disturbing because of another reason. Wells was predicting something more long term, but Orwell actually set his novel in 1984, meaning that his was a really (relatively) short term vision.

In Orwell's novel, the world is split into 3 parts, with a permanent war being waged between any 2 of the countries against the third. The scary thing is, the government controlling the state he protagonist lives in is a so-called Big Brother government, that controls every aspect of life. If the superiors give an order, it's carried out "for the good of the Party". Want to change history? sure, seeing as we control the only records, no problem. Just change the records. Even sex is made into nothing more than a public service, as to bring children into the world is a service to the Party.

Don't tell me you don't see it happening now. We believe whatever the Government tells us, without questioning.

Scary, isn't it?

BTW, thought this was interesting: http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL2020651320070820

Sagittarius, the Archer

2007-08-19T18:07:00.000+08:00

Heh heh heh...... Got bored so I checked out my horoscope on the Net. This is what wikipedia says, and it really made my day (especially the part about genius)!!!

Characteristics
Sagittarius is the ninth sign of the zodiac and is popularly associated with the keywords genius, optimistic, restless, enthusiastic, adventurous, honest, outspoken, and independent.
Sagittarians have a positive outlook on life, are full of enterprise, energy, versatility, adventurousness and eagerness to extend experience beyond the physically familiar. They enjoy travelling and exploration, the more so because their minds are constantly open to new dimensions of thought. They are basically ambitious and optimistic, and continue to be so even when their hopes are dashed. Their strongly idealistic natures can also suffer many disappointments without being affected. They are honorable, honest, trustworthy, truthful, generous and sincere, with a passion for justice. They may be on the side of the underdog in society they will fight for any cause they believe to be just, and are prepared to be rebellious. They balance loyalty with independence.
Although generally easygoing, Sagittarius is a fire sign, which can manifest itself as having a generally quick temper. Fortunately, Sagittarians are usually as quick to forget what got them angry in the first place,Sagittarians are positive, forthright communicators who love traveling, which can also lead to being restless and reluctant to taking orders."
Sagittarians are known for spontaneous philosophical ramblings and don’t seem to get bogged down in emotional complexities. They have both profound and wide ranging minds, equipped with foresight and good judgment, and they can be witty conversationalists. They love to initiate new projects (they make excellent researchers) and have an urge to understand concepts that are new to them. They think at a lightning speed and quickly make decisions. They are also original,ingenious and often shower the world with bright and altruistic ideas. These people are born intelligent and can be in total control of the situations around.They are strong-willed and good at organizing; a combination that gives them the ability to bring any project they undertake to a successful conclusion. Their generosity can be balanced by their extreme care at handling their resources.
Sagittarians are usually held to have a strong love of freedom, and a disdain for routine. Often associated with frankness, Sagittarians do not hesitate to give an honest opinion, which can seem tactless at times – although rarely is their intention to be cruel. The same mind that shows tactlessness can be a beacon of light in confusing times. Leave it to a Sagittarius to step into a messy tangle and sum up the situation with blinding clarity. They’ll be willing to say the truth when all others hide in confusion. This makes them invaluable friends that can guide you back to the clear path when you need honesty rather than enablers.
Sagittarians have a real genius which is often mistaken for intelligence. They do clever things in wrong situations because of which their superior mind goes unnoticed. Sagittarians may strive for maximum enjoyment in life, but too much of a good thing can be problematic and prudence is difficult for most Sagittarians to acquire. Being overly spiritual or too philosophical, for example, can make them out of touch with the real world. They can also be kiddish and innocent. Though they are blessed with a dynamic mind of high standards they often mistake love for friendship and this is one of the most vulnerable areas of Sagittarius. They often find it hard to tell lies and its better if they tell the truth. As they are creative and innovative they may develop an attitude of degrading anything that is old and traditional. Another negative point about sagittarius is procastination. But they are race horses that start last, yet finish first.When these archers aims straight, their arrows will never miss their targets and pierce straight through the bull's eye perched right at the heavens above.
In astrology Sagittarius is ruled by the planet Jupiter. The Indian equivalent of Sagittarius is Dhanus, the Chinese equivalent is the Rat.

Relationships
In personal relationships Sagittarians are reliable, seldom betraying any trust given to them. In love, Sagittarians are ardent, sincere and straightforward. Yet if thwarted, they may easily allow their failure to embitter their whole lives or they may revenge themselves upon the opposite sex by becoming cynically promiscuous. Sagittarians are more apt than the average to make an uncongenial alliance. If their marriages are successful, they will be faithful spouses and indulgent parents; but their innate restlessness will inspire them to use even the most satisfying marriage as a base from which to set out on their travels. They need to feel free and are often faced with the choice of allowing their careers to take over their lives at the expense of the love of their spouse and family. The ideal partner for the Sagittarian is above all a friend, and a partner in life’s great adventure who understands the needs of a true free spirit.
There is an often reported physicality to Sagittarians that gets them involved in vigorous athletics and bold travel-adventures. They bring this flexibility to the bedroom and this lusty, anything-goes attitude can cause them to take a walk on the wild side.
Generally quite easygoing, Sagittarians make friends with people from all walks of life. They love to laugh and tease, and get along well with both sexes.

Occupations
Their gifts make Sagittarians fit for a number of widely differing professions. They are natural teachers and philosophers with a talent for expounding the moral principles and laws which seem to explain the universe. This gift enables them to be successful churchmen on the one hand and scientists on the other. The law and politics also suit them, as does public service, social administration, public relations and advertising. Sagittarians are found successful in social administration, in public relations, as scientists, and musicians. Travel and exploration naturally appeal to such restless souls and, if their opportunities are limited, they may find something of travel and change of scene in the armed forces.

Body and health
In medical astrology Sagittarius governs the hips and thighs.

Miscellaneous
The following items are traditionally associated with Sagittarius:
Birthstone = Topaz
Colours = Orange, Red, Yellow
Gemstones= Amethyst, Malachite, Turquoise
Metal= Aluminum, Tin, Silver

EMO POST

2007-08-15T22:05:00.000+08:00

Have you ever had the feeling that although you have tried your best, it isn't enough?

Have you ever started something with immense confidence. then finish it in tears?

TODAY HAS NOT BEEN A GOOD DAY.

It's just ridiculous. How can anything go so wrong? Stupid test. No wonder 'Should exams be abolished' is a topic that heats up every few months. Tests cause incredible amounts of stress and there are no positive mental/psychological effects.

Bloody hell......

I KNOW I have the ability to get anything I want, I have an IQ of at least 120, for goodness' sake, but what the f***........ After this I think I'll settle for a nice bar of chocolate.

Hmph. Only 1 thing went right today, I'm now inspired to eat lots and lots of chocolate ( Snickers, anybody?)

My 1st accident

2007-08-07T21:53:00.000+08:00

Got into (and caused) my first car accident on Saturday (4th August). Didn't involve my family's cars (seeing as I can't drive, I don't own a car). Feel a bit guilty though...

This is what happened: I was coming back from a sleepover with plenty of luggage (no idea why it was so much). So I was in a friend's car, in the rear left passenger seat. I checked for cars coming on my side when we stopped the 1st time, in front of BK. Then, seeing as the right passenger door was blocked by a parked car, we drove a bit further forward. I opened the door on my side without checking a second time. BANG!! my door whacked the side mirror off a Proton Waja, seriously scratching the paint and denting the door. The Vios I was in merely had a bit of damage to my door, just a bit bent out of shape. The driver of that Waja made a call (probably to his mom) and seemed to get a serious scolding. Anyway, in the end, we went to a workshop and my dad bailed me out. Kesian the car, though. It was just past its 1st service (4000km).

That's what happens when you aren't thinking clearly. Sleep deprivation+exhaustion= poorer by RM800.

Racism, Corruption and everything Bad II : Apologies and Clarifications

2007-07-29T17:21:00.001+08:00

Hahaha, I was a bit extreme in the last post. Now I've cooled down a bit, let me clarify my position.

1. I AM NOT RACIST. I know many people of other races that I rate as being more mature and intelligent compared to yours truly. What I meant to say is, in Malaysia, what we have now is racial TOLERANCE, not UNITY. We are merely putting up with others' idiosyncracies without truly understanding them.

2. I APOLOGIZE. I made a few generalizations on a certain race. This is not correct and I apologize for it. In truth, race and religion are 2 of the oldest ways that mankind has used to differentiate themselves. That was useful in the Stone Age when everyone was trying to survive and everyone you met from another tribe were your enemies/competitors/threats. It is no longer applicable in today's globalized world and I apologize if I offended anyone.

3. I AM NOT RELIGIOUSLY DISCRIMINATORY. It is true that I do not practise any one of the main religions existing in today's world, but neither am I an atheist. It's just that I get incredibly riled up when people use His name for their own purposes.

Racism, Corruption and everything bad

2007-07-28T19:46:00.000+08:00

This is not going to be a nice post. I recommend not reading it. Be prepared for lots of swearing if you do.Here goes:

Malaysia is a multiracial country and is (officially) proud of it. According to the Tourism Malaysia, Malaysia is " a bubbling, bustling melting pot of races and religions where Malays, Indians, Chinese and many other ethnic groups live together in peace and harmony". Yeah, right. My fragrant arse it is.

Heard of the term Malay superiority? It means giving special rights to people who abuse them. University places, land rights, special preference in most things all go to people who, even after all these artificial advantages and 50 years, control a mere 30% of the country's wealth. And even that 30% belongs to something like 20% of Malays. For heaven's sake, they cant even speak their native language properly. Let the truth prevail. The majority of Malays, especially the younger generation, are pathetic. I am NOT racist. Have you heard of the case in UPM? Some 30 Malay a***holes whacked a Chinese feller while uttering racist insults. You haven't heard? That's because our country's media is all government controlled. These fucking fools have the bloody guts to whack their betters because of the government. Let me tell you, if there was a mass migration OUT of Malaysia when it was first formed, Malaysia would have been taken over by singapore already. To know more about the UPM thing, go to http://superjoelkickass.blogspot.com/, and look for the June 3 2007 post. Racial unity? It's as mythical as Cerberus. Hope the effing pigs meet him.

On to corruption. In the papers yesterday was a story about this cop who has RM 27 million in assets. How the hell did he get so much money? It is a FACT that of all government servants, only high ranking govt servants and ministers have the right to be millionaires. They are all as corrupted as Nixon. Even abdul rahman was corupted. So he was a prince. BIG DEAL. If his genes were that good, his family would have held REAL power instead of giving pieces of land away to the British. The excuse for a clean, modest, humble PM was angry because he was charged toll on the Penang bridge. Pay your toll and shut up lah. Who do you think you are? "I work for the people" my arse.

Religion in Malaysia is a bloody joke. It is a fucking good excuse to catch anybody they like for "going against Islamic beliefs". So I want to have premarital sex ( not that I support it). How is that your business? Let me be punished in the afterlife lah. God- fearing, power hungry morons are put in control of the lives of 70% of the population. We'll see who is punished more in the afterlife, you extremist fools or the people who sleep around.

If I get sued for this, I would still like to say, 'It was fun while it lasted'. If I REALLY get sued, it will merely prove my point that Malaysia censors free expression. Recommended viewing: 'Negarakuku' on Youtube.

Freaky Coincidences.....

2007-07-23T22:20:00.000+08:00

This happened last Thursday and Friday (20 July 2007). M2, if you're reading this, you know what happened.

Anyway, a girl in my class and I have similarly styled shirts, except that hers is blue and red and mine is black and red. She reached class earlier than me that day (actually everyday) and she was wearing that shirt. So our classmates, knowing that we had similar shirts, bet that I would wear the shirt's counterpart. What do you know, of all shirts, I chose to wear that one. No wonder there was such a warm reception that day. Hmph.

Naturally the ribbing started. Normal teenage behaviour. So what? I thought. Only happens once in a blue moon.

Then the next day, the two of us happened to wear shirts with the same colour combination (red and white). Freaky, eh? And the ribbing continues......

Potty about Potter

2007-07-22T18:23:00.000+08:00

He's back. Again. For the 7th (and hopefully last) time.

Who's that, you might ask. HARRY POTTER, that's who.

Honestly, there has been too much hype about him. I've finished all 7 books, and I have to admit, it's been a fun time. Books 3, 5 and 6 were just horrible, but the others were fairly good, with the exception of book 7. This one was great. Still......

Potter's great, but I've read better. Any ardent Potter fans are welcome to send me hate mail, but I still think the Bartimaeus trilogy, by Jonathan Stroud, is loads better. Moving on....

Here's a comment on what happened recently, before HP7 came out. Maybe I'll do a review next time. Here goes:

First, the rumours, i.e purported spoilers and fans' ideas. Some fans' speculation turned out correct, but the majority of spoilers were wrong. These people who post spoilers seem to have nothing better to do besides spoiling people's fun.

Then there was the leakage of the Scholastic version of the book 3 days before the launch. How come this never happened before? There are so many people involved in the publishing and distribution process, don't tell me that God sent his angels down to print the books. With such a massive operation, I'm really surprised this didn't happen earlier (shows the genius of J.K. Rowling's lawyers). I'll have to thank the Time mag for telling me about Mr. Byron Ng. Anyone who wants to download the book, got to The Pirate Bay to download it. It's a PDF file, so everyone should be able to read it.

On Friday, 1 day before the launch, something really unexpected happened. In Malaysia, the RRP for Deathly Hallows is RM 109.90. The major bookstores offered about 10% discount plus some goodies if you pre-ordered the book (I was one of the suckers). Anyway, what happened is that Tesco and Carrefour decided to sell the book at RM 69.90, roughly 30-40% cheaper, and advertised it 24 hours before the launch. Naturally the 3 major bookstores ( MPH, Popular, Times) were pissed off. They paid for the advertising for MONTHS, organised plenty of activities to be held on D-Day, and suddenly 2 fellers drop out of nowhere to hijack all the hard work. So the 3 bookstores decided to throw a tantrum. At 4 p.m, they announced that they were cancelling all activities and sales (except pre-bookings). Now, THAT is fun.

Honestly, this shows the horrible side of human nature. Firstly, the major bookstores were profiteering. I mean, if they were selling at about RM 10 more, I wouldn't complain, but RM 40 more is just ridiculous. Then, the hypermarts took advantage of the bookstores. As it is, the bookstores aren't making much money, now some presumptous people start hijacking their business. AND the distributor says that the hypermarts aren't making money out of selling at such a low price. The bookstores weren't too smart as well, just giving away their business to Tesco and Carrefour. Everyone loses, except the customers who didn't pre-order.

Until next time....... draco dormiens nunquam titillandus

Of Cheese and corn

2007-07-22T17:24:00.000+08:00

What happens when you put 20 intelligent students in the same room as a boring lecturer? Obviously no one will pay any attention. That's what happened in Accounts class last Tuesday (17 July). Everyone was trying to alleviate (check the dict if you dont know this word) their boredom by telling all the cheesy jokes or corny IQ (idiot quotient) questions they could think of. Here's a list:

Q: You are in a room with no exit or entrance. There are 5 running taps in the room. You will drown in 1 hour, but rescue will only come in 2 hours. You have a banana and a bar of soap. How do you save yourself?
A: Turn off the taps

Q: What's the difference between falling from the 2nd floor and falling from the 20th floor?
A: 2nd floor : *crash* *scream*
20th floor : * scream* *crash*

Q: Where on your body can you find both Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck?
A: This knee (Disney)

Q: There were 10 fish in an aquarium. 1 died. Why did the water level go up?
A: The other fish were crying.

Q: A man was tied to a tree in a forest full of tigers. His captors tied the other end of the rope to the ground, then put a candle there so that the candle would burn through the rope and cause the man's death. How will the man put out the candle? (He's too far away to spit, pee or whatever on the candle)
A: Sing 'Happy Birthday'. The tigers will blow out the candle.

Here come the REAL IQ questions (only 2 of them i'm afraid)

Q: You have 1 3 gallon container and 1 5 gallon container (with no measurement markings) and an unlimited amount of water. Using this equipment ONLY, how do you get 4 gallons of water
in 1 container?
A: 1. Put 3 gallons into the 5 gallon container (3+0=3). Then fill up the 3 gallon container. Pour
water from the 3 gallon container until the other container is full (3+2=5). There will be 1
gallon left in the 3 gallon container (3-2=1). Pour away the water in the 5 gallon container,
then pour the 1 gallon into the 5 gallon container. Fill up the 3 gallon container then pour
the 3 gallons into the 5 gallon container (1+3=4).
2. Fill the 5 gallon container. Pour water from there into the other container until it is full.
There will be 2 gallons left in the bigger container. Empty the 3 gallon container then pour
the 2 gallons into the 3 gallon container. Fill up the 5 gallon container. Pour water from the
5 gallon container into the other container until the 3 gallon container is full. Hence there
will be 4 gallons in the 5 gallon container.

Q: A knight had to send a message to someone on a mountain. The journey up takes 1 day without rest and the journey down takes the same amount of time. The knight left on a Friday and did not rest throughout the journey up and the journey down. How did he come down on Friday?
A: His horse's name was Friday.

Blue jokes coming up. This is the last section of this post. Feel free to stop reading now.

Q: What is King Kong's favourite sport?
A: Ta Fei Kei (literally, hitting aeroplanes in cantonese, also slang for masturbation)

Q: A teenager had an affair with a middle-aged woman. They had sex one day. Why did the boy die the next day?
A: He drank expired milk.

TRANSFORMERS ROCKS

2007-07-06T23:48:00.000+08:00

TRANSFORMERS: Movie of the Year

It's just so COOL!!!! Nothing like POTC, where the trailer was better than the movie. Transformers has a great trailer and it's an even better movie!!!

It's a little racist though. Lucky Michael Bay didn't elaborate more on that. Remember the scene where the analysts said no one was clever enough to break into the US defense network (or something of the sort)? I'm sure the Iranians and the Chinese wouldn't mind assasinating Bay.

But who cares?

Transformers is still the best movie I've seen this year. Especially the climax of the movie. You know, the huge battle between the Autobots and Decepticons in the city. BRILLIANT.

Even the first 1/2 hour was worth the ticket price. Must have cost US$50 million for that. Worth every cent.

All in all it's a BRILLIANT movie. I'm not going to make this longer because I'm going to watch it again! Aren't you jealous? Cheers!!

Ode to Homework

2007-07-06T23:09:00.000+08:00

Homework only brings darkness and strife,
Why does it keep coming into my life?

Free time belongs in heaven,
So long as there's homework i feel beaten.

"It's for your own good" they say,
Yet "No more homework" I pray.

I'm waiting for the day,
When homework is gone and I can come out to play.............

Rubbish homework

2007-07-03T23:15:00.000+08:00

Hmph. Here's some news for everyone out there who knows me (or just anyone who is reading this)......I have ZERO creativity. So HOW ON EARTH am I supposed to do my homework?

This is what happened:
For ESL class today, the lecturer gave us this question for homework: "Three Pebbles" Write an outline for a short story.

That's it. Now, what can you DO with 3 pebbles?

NOTHING.

PRECISELY.

So how?

There were once 3 pebbles named SAM, A-Levels and ICPU. One day, their mother, Taylor's College, brought them to the beach. SAM immediately started walking into the sea. Guess why? STRESS and STUPIDITY.

!@#$%^&*!@#@ .......... Back to work..............

Intro to me

2007-07-02T22:36:00.000+08:00

Feels weird writing this......just like a primary school student.......ahh...the nostalgia.........

Anyway, here goes:

Bday: 16 December
Schools: SJK(C) Lick Hung, Subang Jaya; SMK Seafield Subang Jaya

Anything Else?

Oh yeah, I'm currently doing South Australian Matriculation (SAM) at Taylor's College, Subang Jaya. Not a bad programme, actually. Stressful, but what pre-uni course isn't?

I can't drive yet, although I'd love to......I'm just too young!! Is that a good thing or bad thing?

Guess what I love? Take a WILD,WILD guess..........(drum roll)

hahaha...who doesn't love money?
I like reading too...... I'm more into mysteries, thrillers, kids' fantasies, etc.

Until next time.........bye!

Yay!! a new blog to play with

2007-07-02T20:37:00.000+08:00

hmm..... Just decided to start a blog today.......Know why?
Because I'm BORED.Lol.

Really, I have no idea why anyone wants to put his/her life on show for everyone else to see. Guess I'll have to try it out for myself.

Of course, don't hold your breath for any new postings, seeing that I'll probably log on only when I'm bored.

Cheers!!