Kris Allen Wins!

Who does the American Idol Season 8's crown go to? It is the dark horse of the competition Kris Allen, the Christian worship leader from Conway, Arkansas, who also plays the piano and guitar - Kris Allen won!!

OK, fine, many people have commented that maybe Adam Lambert the drag queen guy deserved it more on merits of talent and performance, and maybe Kris Allen was straining so much in third and last song, but he probably won because many people in America don't like Adam Lambert's over-doing-it kind of style, and maybe the conservative Christians who used to be Danny Gokey fans now went all out for Kris Allen... but I'm not complaining!


By the way I only managed to watch the second half of the finale in the college's Kedai Serbaneka, I know, it's so pathetic, but what can a loyal fan do? XD


Anyway my gravest apologies if you were waiting for the results show to find out the winner. Xo My favourite song of the whole season: Falling Slowly!!


By the way, did anyone notice a trend for all the seasons of American Idol? I'm not sure about the first 3 seasons because I only started watching from Carrie Underwood onwards, but it seems like the winners were always the one to sing the last in the finale. I wonder if this was the producers' doing... again, you don't hear me complaining!

MARA Vs. KMNS

[I am blogging from the college's cyber cafe. Hullo, this is a happy man!!]

The pot of gold versus the pot of dirt - which one should I choose? You would think that it was such an obvious, in-the-face question that any sane man would answer with no qualms whatsoever, but this decision took a lot of time, thinking, praying, and discussing with friends and family.

The Matriculation course is much easier, with only 3 exam subjects to study for, but with a more limited option of studying locally after that. On the other hand, if I go for MARA, the IB program is a hell lot tougher, with 6 subjects including BM (which I loathe), but it is more all-rounded and guarantees me a place in a university overseas, provided that I meet the exam requirements. After talking to my family and church members, I decided to take the challenge of the harder and more narrow path.

I know, I'll miss my new friends here, but it's not like I would have been able to see them that often here anyway, since we'll all be going to our separate classes and lecture rooms. But anyway, I'll be staying around at Kolej Matrikulasi Negeri Sembilan for another two weeks, until I return to Kuching for Gawai, then I'll restart my college journey at MARA College Banting at the end of June. You ask, why I don't go home straight away? Well I want to hang out with my friends a bit, exploit the facilities more, and also maybe I can learn something new from the first few classes of Maths, Biology and Chemistry. No harm getting a head start, right?

Isn't it just so weird, that all three of the Lis children are sponsored by MARA, all doing Medicine, and all probably going to Ireland? Well, what can I say? It's really God's blessing.

MARA

MARA is being kind to me but someone's not appreciating it, and that's right, it's me.

I know, I should be so very happy and dancing in Cloud 9. I know I should be so very thankful for this wonderful opportunity to do this extremely difficult Pre-U program, and spend two long, hard years to prepare to go overseas. But I don't know, maybe I was expecting it already, and maybe I'm so reluctant to go because my sister makes it sound so very tough and challenging.

But I think the main reason is because I'm enjoying myself so much at Matriculations, I've made more friends that I had expected, and the Matrics course just sounds so much faster and easier. I'd be such a fool to reject MARA. But I don't know. A friend of mine, Gary Buja, who is now completing his IB Program at Kolej MARA Banting, did comment that he liked it better in Matrics because there were more people to make friends with, but in the MARA College people are more kia-su and less humble. It's a dog-eat-dog world out there, you know.

Then there's the question of whether or not I really want to go to UK or Ireland, where people are snobbish and proud, and the white people intimidate me so. Is the prestige worth the cold weather and the godlessness of the West?

But for the sake of my future, my dreams, my ambitions... I'm going stay around in Matrics for two more weeks, and see how it goes. *sigh* Why am I complaining that God is blessing me so much? This would seem, to any other person, such an easy choice to make. But, it's not for me.

But I thank God for the opportunity to choose. Some people don't get to choose. Some people didn't even get Matrics, so I will stop complaining now.

Matrics: My Sentiments

This is quite a momentous ocassion for me, to have survived the orientation week of Matriculations. I am officially a college student, starting a new phase of higher education. I am no longer a child!

What the last week has taught me was about time and money management. The lack of free time because of the hectic schedule has taught me to be more time conscious. Time and tide waits for no man, and once it's gone, it will never come back. That was the topic of one of the mentor-mentee discussions, in which I went on a abstract description that time is a dimension and some absurd thing like that, while others said time was like a river that runs, or like a biscuit that finishes. As for money, I think I'm wasting money on food, because I tend to take too much food but cannot finish it.

I have also learnt to be more sociable, and make friends faster, because I realize that to survive in an environment like this, you really need to make friends and allies fast. A lot of my social contacts here depeneded heavily on who I sat with during the Dewan Kuliah, or in the surau, or during the general assembly. So far I have been blessed with good friends, and I hope this continues wherever I go.

This experience also taught me about leadership, and to take the intiative when you need to. Just so you know, there are nine Christians in the whole group of non-Malays. I decided to take the initiative of asking the Hal Ehwal Pelajar on what the procedure of going to church on Sundays is, because we are not allowed to go out on Sundays. Then I made an announcement to get all the Christians' names and phone contact. Unfortunately I won't be able to continue as the leader, and do you wonder why?

Just some interesting statistics:
Almost all the non-Malay girls are from Penang, and almost all the non-Malays from Penang are girls. Almost all the non-Malay guys are from Selangor, and almost all the non-Malays from Selangor are guys. Get it? There are possible three times more girls than guys. There are just a handful of students who are in Sains Hayat (Life Science), but almost all of those in Sains Fizik (Physical Science) wants to change to Hayat. I doubt that many of them will get what they want.
There are 1953 students in KMNS, and 602 or them are guys. That's kind of sad, isn't it?

KMNS

I'm back for the weekend!! Before last Monday, I would never have thought I would be saying this, but honest to goodness, with every fibre and being of my poor soul, I actually enjoyed being in Kolej Matrikulasi Negeri Sembilan, I really do! I don't regret going at all. [the reluctance and prejudice was mainly because of my sister Hosanna's accounts of her misery in Kolej Matrikulasi Labuan, which probably sucks a lot, wahahaaaa]

The first day of Matrics, 11 May 2009, was quite a mess and a horror, though. First of all was the journey to Kuala Pilah. The trip took about 2 hours and 15 minutes, and we had to pass a streth of road that twisted and turned like mad, really "seperti ular kena palu". That was awesomely scary! When we arrived (my parents sent me, at 2 in the afternoon) I was wearing a striped white shirt. I was told to change to a plain bright shirt, because that was the dress code. But I confidently went in, although a Facilitator (Faci for short) stopped me. Then I met a lecturer, Pn. Nancy Tan, who was like, "Oh, you're Lis' son! I know Lis! He's my friend! We taught together before! I'm from Kuching too!" and I was like, "Wow, seriously? Small world."

It was raining at about 5 p.m. when the non-Malays went to the Dewan Kuliah [DK] while the Malays did their prayer. I was using a pink umbrella; when I closed it, I cut my index finger, and it was bleeding badly; I was so frantic looking for a plsater, and when I found one in my wallet, I was so very thankful that I was smart enough to bring these necesseties with me all the time. Another traumatic experience was waiting to leave the surau, because some stupid Faci was enjoying the power to torture us who were tired and haven't even eaten dinner by 11.30 p.m. but I made a friend at the surau, his name is Cheah Peng Han from Subang, Selangor.






The non-Malays listening to a lecturer giving some boring speech at the DK

That night, I was very tired, very warm [did you know that Kuala Pilah is the hottest and driest area in Malaysia?] and I was regretting coming to Matrics. But it got better in the following days. The only things I hated was waking up at 4.30 a.m. and having to get out of the block by 5, so the whole day everyone was damn tired. Then there's the stupid, stupid tiny red ants that get into all my food if I don't close it up in air-tight packages. Stupid, stupid ants. Surprisingly there are no mosquitoes at all, probably because of the extreme weather. Then there's this phrase that applies to sports attire:

"Baju dalam seluar, [that's perfectly understandable]
Seluar dalam stoking, [that's damnfully shitful]
Stoking dalam kasut." [and that's like, duh]


Cheah and I in the green alien costume


Alex(ander) the greenman from Klang


I forgot this guy's name lah


Wow, look at all the paus!



The blue people


Well we were all very tired...

But aside from that, I quite enjoyed the sessions with the funny female Facis who made us do funny actions and played games. Then there were the cheers, and the war, like "Reload, Aim, Fire!" and "Hidung Tinggi". I also made many good friends, like Alex (Indian guy), Alex (Chinese guy from Klang), Cheah, Lam and Han. The Malay guys I got to know were also really fun, like my roommate Qusyairie (I only have one roommate, thank God), my classmates Yaya, Azar and Najeh, and three random guys from block B4 (my block), called Haikal, Akmal and Safuan. To top it all, my life became bright when I found out that there was a washing machine downstairs that I can use to wash my clothes for RM3, maximum load of 10kg. Alhamdulilah!! [hehehe] I even met a ex-classmate from SMK Batu Lintang, Kuching, whose name is Nur Atikah, as well as a pair of Indian twins from SMK Telok Panglima Garang, which is the school my father teaches in.


My classmates (praktikum)




One of the hotter and prettier Malay female Facis (only the pink one)


Lam and Han


Some silly Facis


Me and some Chinese guys


Akmal [do you think he looks like Obama?], Safuan and Haikal




My roommate; call him Kuchai




Krishna, Nagen and the darker Alex


Jason on the left, and the rest I've forgotten their names hehe

I think I will enjoy the academic program, because it is fast-paced, non-spoon-feeding and self-relying. I was elated when I found out that the exams only had 3 subjects: Biology, Chemistry and Maths! [for Sains Hayat / Life Science] I was so happy that I didn't have to study BM!! The sports facilities here are also really good, with tennis, badminton, basketball, volleyball, squash and takraw courts to use. But with 1953 students, I don't know how I'd get the chance to play...


Sorry for the lameness. XD


The Faci that I hated so much on the first day, but I came to appreciate his efforts to make us more time-conscious... NOT!! May all the thousand bees sting his ass and the thousand armies of ants march up his *censored*...

But I had a feeling that I may have to leave all this, because MARA scholarship results were coming out soon, and I didn't know if I would have to leave KMNS, which I was enjoying thoroughly, and the many good friends I have made.



Right. Wow. Such insightful thoughts.


I use my finger to dig my various orifices


And your lameness overwhelms me



In and out? Aiyoh, go in one ear, go out one ear. Tsk tsk tsk

*SOB*

You know what the saddest part about leaving to Matrics is? Not that I'll be leaving the house for more than three days, or that I don't get my 24-hour Internet access, or that I won't be having my laptop at all, or that I can't watch TV... But the fact that I'm not even planning to stay there for long, and that I'LL HAVE TO MISS THE LAST TWO EPISODES OF AMERICAN IDOL SEASON 8. I hate you.

Kris Allen Rocks

Kris Allen and Danny Gokey are Christians, did you know that? Did you know that? Did you know that? Well now I am a huger fan of Kris Allen. I wished Allison Iraheta would stay longer, but it's three mighty men, and Danny Gokey's getting annoying, and I feel that people are voting for him because they pity him, awwwww, and also (Pastor Vic said) because the Christians are voting for him. Ah well.

My ideal competition: Kris Allen, Allison Iraheta and Megan Joy Corkrey in the final three, and then Kris Allen battles it out against Allison Iraheta, and Kris Allen wins!! But, unfortunately, like I said, it's three men and no girl-power to cheer for. Ah, how I wish Adam Lambert wasn't so talented, then he would be booted out, cos I don't like his screechy songs, and he's so GAY.