Singapore!! [And Pulau Pangkor]

I just got back yesterday from holidaying in Singapore with my family for 4 days, and after that an overnight stay at Pulau Pangkor. I don't know whose absurd idea that was, to travel like that; I am so exhausted now, but yet I am swamped by assignments and lab reports and a whole drama "Trem Bernama Desire" to read and write about... but it was a much-needed break from my college life.

Singapore was so very organised, systematic and structured, and the people there are so well-mannered and respectful! On the other side of the [Singapore] coin, Pulau Pangkor was... well, Malaysian. I still can't get over how everything in Singapore was so orderly, from the trains and buses to the queuing up in front of the toilets! Public transport is, of course as rumoured, tried and tested by myself, so very efficient!

But beneath the pristine exterior, there is a culture of competition, stress, and as one may say, a "sterile life". I couldn't possibly live there, as one who loves to relax and take my time, could I? Furthermore, we must be thankful that medical health care in Malaysia is almost free, while in Singapore everything runs as a proft-gaining business. Nevertheless I think we should all learn from our neighbours and adopt the good qualities that they possess.

Oh and Vivo city was beautiful; and I went to Cornerstone on Sunday!! Of course, not forgetting the awesomeness of the Chilli Crab! [which I am allergic to, so I got itchy lips after that, but the taste was well worth the slight discomfort later...] The Singapore Zoo was fun because of the sea lion show at the Splash Ampitheathre... and the penguins were so cute!!

Finally, Pulau Pangkor was... normal. I like Kuching beaches [note the spelling, not the pronunciation] better. XD

"Hey Sam, where're you going?"
"I'm going to SIN!"

Lose My Senses

If you had to lose any one of your five senses, which would you give up?
My answer to this question in Theory of Knowledge (a mind-twisting, confusing and utterly but oddly enlightening subject I have to take) did not take the twinkling of an eye, but after thinking it through, I realized that the decision was not as easy as it seemed.
Let me first order my senses on its importance to obtaining information about the world around me, enjoying life and serving others: Sight, Hearing, Touch, Taste, and finally Smell. That’s right, I would give up my sense of smell if I had no other choice. Why is that so? Because I don’t find any particular joy in smelling something aromatic; in fact, smells overpower me to an extent where I wish I couldn’t smell, for example some noveaux-riches who put on powerful perfumes that could potentially kill someone, or a certain person who smells horrible but doesn’t know it. I could live without smell, definitely. But then I remembered that the sense of taste relies on smell quite heavily. If I couldn’t smell, then I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the wonders of food. But really, I eat to live, not live to eat, so smell and taste are some things I could live without.
Sight? No way, don’t ever take my sight from me (please God, please). I cannot imagine how blind people can survive without some sort of picture of their surroundings. I would be so afraid, so scared. My hearing? My world crashed upon me when I lose my right ear hearing for a few months; I cannot live without it. Touch? I need touch to get around, but what if I was paralyzed?
I must thank God that I am healthy and abled, but I will never take for granted all that I have. And also to think of others who may be less fortunate. How about you? Which of your senses would you give up?

KMB Choir Performance

On the 17th August 09 the choir of MARA College Banting performed for the graduation of the 07-09 batch of MCB students. We had put in many, many hours in practice (for CAS hours, mostly, like co-curriculum marks) and I had arranged the choir parts for 3 of the 4 songs we sang. It was a great experience of learning to work together with other people who may have different capabilities, experience and expectations than I might have, to tolerate and adapt to change at the tenth hour (which happened quite frequently in major proportions), to be punctual, and to manage my time well around the practice hours.

The graduation itself was inspiring. I was quite moved when we were singing “You Raise Me Up” as the graduating students presented their parents with flowers and there were hugs and tears all around. Maybe it was because the solo singer, Asyraf’s voice could melt the coldest hard, but I think the moment and emotions of it all just came rushing in like a blast of warm air that surrounded the grand hall of Dewan Sri Endon, Putrajaya. I was inspired to do my very best to achieve greatness, which I believe is well within the reach of every one of us – not only to go further in our studies but to make my parents proud.

Quite unpleasantly, though, was that I learnt the true meaning of opportunity cost when I had to forgo excellence in tennis for choir. I was dropped from the national competition selection squad because I could not play sports for almost a month due to choir practices which clashed with tennis; worse still when I returned after the graduation; I had completely lost my touch and shot-making abilities (which weren’t all that great before that, anyway) and I was no longer in good stead with the advisor and club president. This, along with the expended time and energy, was the cost of pursuing what I love – music, which will always be a part of me; even when I get too busy to sing, my heart will still have its song.

The Flu Has Finally Reached Me

[written on Friday, 31 July]

These are uncertain times that I am in now. MARA College Banting has officially closed its doors for at least one week due to the recent H1N1 scare that I thought would never affect me, but here we are in such uncertain times. It was only the day before when I heard that there was one suspected case of H1N1. Then yesterday there were four suspected cases. It was such a commotion, as everything was heard from someone else, and no one was sure what was really happening; I heard rumours from the mak ciks at the co-op, hearsays from friends and finally a little more concrete information from teachers; but we were all still quite in the dark, until this afternoon.

At 3 in the afternoon, there was a briefing in the college about the H1N1 outbreak, which cleared the cloud of doubt surrounding the whole issue. An ENT specialist and his professor wife came to give a concise but complete talk about the flu, its causes, symptoms and ways to prevent it. Basically, you would have reason for alarm if you had a fever, runny nose, or sore throat, or a combination of these, or other related illnesses. The good news is, over 90% of those who contracted this disease can recover without antiviral treatment. You just need a lot of rest and fluids for the virus to go away within 7 days. The most important things to do to avoid the disease is social distancing, cough etiquette, not sharing anything, and washing hands regularly. And pray.

Anyway, there were some discrete statistics given to us; there are 1302 cases and 4 deaths in Malaysia so far. 30 students in the college apparently showed symptoms and so are under suspicion of disease; there has been one confirmed case in the college. During the talk, the director said that there was 80% chance that the college will shut down, but I have recently received information that the college is officially under quarantine until 9th August. That is terrific news, until we found out that the school days will be replaced during the December holidays, which means a shorter end-of-year semester break, which sucks. But this is definitely a welcome relief for a hectic past few weeks of lab reports, standardized tests and homework.

I welcome the extra sleep I can get. But I just have to be careful not to get sick. I must not get sick while I stay at my Banting home for the next 9 days with my dad and Evan Sun.

I Quote

"Life is like a piano; the black keys represent the bad times, the white keys represent the good times, but don’t forget that black keys make music too."

"Money won't make you happy... but everybody wants to find out for themselves."
[Zig Ziglar]

"People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily."
[Zig Ziglar]

"Don't frown because you never know who is falling in love with your smile."
[SinVyeSt Tan]

"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind"

"Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose."
[Bill Gates]

"Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often."
[Mark Twain]

"Only kings, presidents, editors, and people with tapeworms have the right to use the editorial 'we'."
[Mark Twain]

"Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it."
[Mark Twain]

"There are basically two types of people. People who accomplish things, and people who claim to have accomplished things. The first group is less crowded."
[Mark Twain]

"What, sir, would the people of the earth be without woman? They would be scarce, sir, almighty scarce."
[Mark Twain]

"Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company."
[Mark Twain]

"A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell."
[C. S. Lewis]

"Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither."
[C. S. Lewis]

"If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning."
[C. S. Lewis]

"Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see."
[C. S. Lewis]

"You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body."
[C. S. Lewis]

Last but not least...

"Christians are supposed not merely to endure change, nor even to profit by it, but to cause it."
[Harry Emerson Fosdick]

It's a BLAST!

It was a dark, dark Thursday night. The junior students of Kolej MARA Banting, still in their first week of their stay, in their formal attire, with no clue whatsoever of what was to happen, were gathered like sheep ready for slaughter, into two groups – one for the rams and one for the ewes. They were then told, by the senior sheep, to remove all valuable items and our bags – in the cold, dark night, under a tall building, with nothing but the faint moonlight to light our path. It was the 25th of June; I should have suspected something was wrong. Yet, we, the juniors, innocently followed ever command from the seniors’ lips. They tied up each group in nylon string, each senior with a gleam in their eyes; we were trapped.

The senior sheep then instructed us to sing Barney’s “I Love You”, with the guise of incalcating unity. He then instructed us to shout “It’s a blast!” to his calls of “IB!” So it went like this:

Senior sheep: “IB!”
Junior sheep: “It’s a blast!”
Senior sheep: “IB!”
Junior sheep: “It’s a BLAST!”

As we, the innocent and helpless juniors, declared those last words with astute confidence, suddenly a wave of cold water crashed down upon our heads. It was a wild chaotic scene of screams and flailing arms as the junior guys started running all over the place. Alas, it was a hoax; a scam; a prank! More water was being splashed upon us, and I was unfortunately directly under the building so I probably got the worst of it.

When the guys eventually plucked up the courage to return to the general vicinity, we realized that the girls were still huddled together in a tight circle due to the nylon bonds that held them. We, the guys, wondered in amazement at the girls’ bravery – that was, until the seniors splashed more water on them. The girls then started screaming and slowly trying to walk away: it was such a comical sight! We then concluded that the girls weren’t all that united; they just couldn’t break free!

“Welcome to KMB,” said the seniors, in a cold, mocking voice that will forever send chills down my spine for the next two years of my life. But it was all good fun; no one got hurt, and we got some junk food later to munch on. After that, all anger and grudges would disappear together with crunchy junk food that satisfied us hungry students who get nothing but a morsel or two of food each day.

Hello, From KMB

I have FINALLY found an Internet connection, after one whole week of staying at Kolej MARA Banting. That’s one of the most annoying things about being here, but I’m quite sure I will find some way to obtain some form of regular connection to the real world.

[Can you believe it? I wouldn’t have known Michael Jackson died if a friend’s friend didn’t tell the friend who told a friend, and then only news travelled to my ears, but I have absolutely no connection to the outside world, how sad is that?]

I love my friends here! There are (as of now, before the 2nd intake students arrive) 37 non-Malay juniors, as compared to only 16 for the 2nd year students. 12 are from Sarawak, and 6 from Kuching. Awesome right? There are also quite a number of Malays who are also from the said city. Kuching rocks!! Sadly, none of them are in my class, but I can cope and make more friends, amen!

As of now, I have my own room to myself (most people have one roommate), and thank God, because the rooms are absolutely crammed and tiny. [I just want to take this opportunity to thank whoever was in room C226 for keeping the room cleaning for me. XD] So I have had the liberty of messing up my room for the sake of convenience. It turns out that this was the case because I was the last non-Malay taking Medicine to register. So, it’s not always bad to be late. XD However I have recently found out that my privacy will soon be invaded by the likes of another student who has been told to move to my room for certain undisclosed reasons. I was so irritated the whole day, but I have come to terms with this turn of events, provided I cannot assert myself to prevent this catastrophe from happening.

To conclude my short update on my college life, (my mind still has not grasped the idea that I am officially and permanently studying in KMB for 2 years) the first week has been an exciting journey, and I’m sure the rest of the two years will be more fun, more challenging, more exciting and a daring adventure in which I can put all my trust in God.

Rainbow Sun

Did anyone see the sun today? I captured these pictures at around 1.30 to 2 pm today, 17th June 09. You see, I was playing tennis by myself, you know, hitting the ball on the wall as I have always done when I have nothing better to do and to lose a bit of weight. I wanted to practice my serve, so I threw the ball up, and as I was about to hit the ball with my trusty racquet, I noticed something peculiar about the sun. Then I saw the rainbow.

I wonder what this means. Is it a natural phenomenon that happens often? Or is it a sign of something to come? I heard my Filipino pastor in Banting say that in the Philippines, this was a sign of an incoming typhoon. But not in Malaysia, I hope not. Hmmm... Anyway I hope my eyes don't get damaged for staring at the sun for quite a substantial amount of time...

What The Lizard

If you're wondering what in the world a lizard-like creature is doing anywhere near my camera, that's because my sister found it wandering around the house a few days ago, and scream she did! Eventually my dad caught it, put it in the container, and so there it lies, awaiting its fate, and wishing every moment that it had been so wise as to listen to its mother's wise advice, but alas, it was too late. My dad said that it's a monitor lizard, but aren't those really huge things? This one looks like a baby crocodile or something. In case you're wondering what happened to it, NO we are not keeping it; my dad threw it out into the "wild" (which translates to: a different part of the neighbourhood to frighten our neighbours), and that creature should learn its lesson by now, to never wander into foreign territory. You know, people in some places actually catch these lizards for food! They include, for example, the Ibans. But this time, the lizard was lucky not to have become our dinner.

A Walk To Remember [Gawai 09]

Hari Gawai: Gayu Guru Gerai Nyamai - I have no idea what that means. But anyway, ashamed as I am for not knowing much about my culture and language, who's up for some exotic food? Here are some sago worms for you!

We had quite a lot of visitors on the first day of Gawai when my family drove to Kampung Seruit. The ride from the main road up the hills and plains for a good 7 or 8 miles was terribly bumpy becaue of road contruction, so I doubt that any of the city dwellers who came to visit had much fun on the road. For example, my very pampered cousins from Kuching who never tasted the rough side of life.


On the other hand, my other cousins staying at the kampung know the area like the back of their hands, and I'm pretty sure even the youngest of them are a lot more hardy than all of YOU.




Some of them really had no clue where they were: They came for the ride, expecting jungles, rivers and insects; they are surprised to see technology far more advanced than their initial expectations of primitive sticks and stones; they then happily seat themselves down to watch TV. Below are the two said city kids.


Then, of course, there's my darling [bitch] Baby, who's growing all the fatter every year, but still loves my family so very much although we abandoned her, left her at the kampung, and only visit her twice a year. That, my friends, is called loyalty, that only a dog can give. "Dog look up to us, cats look down on us, and pigs treat us as equals." XD XD



On the second day of Gawai, my family went to other kampungs to visit people; somehow everyone around the area are related in some way, so my dad kind of knew most people there. There was this cute baby whom Esther (my sister) came to adore. Later my mom commented that the baby looked quite like how Esther herself did when she was that age. Especially the curly hair and cute chubby face. XD


Lastly, to reconcile the strange title and the content of this post, the following picture is a boy who has Down's Syndrome. He's actually my age. He was a part of my mom's research for her PhD, so I can't show his face nor his name due to ethics and confidentiality whatnot, but I must tell you that these special children are really, really friendly and cute. I hope the society can view them as human beings who just need extra care and attention, for they deserve a normal life like you and me.