Season 4, Episode 9: Expectation, Exams.

" What happens to those who have no choices left? " - Desperate Housewives Season 6 finale.

The exam fever strikes again. It's now two down; three to go.

And i don't get why am i even blogging about them now. I don't want to ever relive the moments sitting for the papers- it wasn't very much a pleasant experience, on the chair squeezing your brain and rubbing your forehead. What i want to say out loud now is that, Vector Calculus and Structured Programming is over for me.

You know, it's always the same thing you say or hear when you exit the exam hall- pass year's papers were easier/simpler/more direct. The fact is, it is, for me. Perhaps it was the pressure holding the pen and answering the questions that made it felt so. Either way, the papers were a challenge this time around. Hopefully whatever i have answered do earn marks and scores!

Expectations? I usually set two bars for myself- one lower than the other making the region formed between the both satisfactory. The higher bar is always set as my ultimate target, one that requires more than effort to achieve. And the other, is set to where i want to be that will provide me with enough self-satisfaction and joy.

Exam isn't everything, right? I have just watched the season finale of Desperate Housewives season 6 and i can tell you, it is worth the watch. An explosive finish to an intriguing build-up of the plot. Even the characters (or the producers that made them so) became so smart. To sum it all up, this is the best ever episode of Desperate Housewives. I wonder what neighbourhood mystery will mystify the residents of Wisteria Lane next.

Interval to my next paper, 5 days. Probably, i should take one day out to heal myself of the wounds from the earlier battles and start preparing for the next when i'm done. wc10 continues to fight and remember, ...

"We always have a choice. Open your heart and mind to find it.
And now, i choose to..."

Season 4, Episode 8: Successor...

" I am not here to show whether the Chinese or Western martial art is better even though there is a status difference. Integrity does not worth more than another, we just have to start respecting each other. " - Ip Man in Ip Man 2.

It's the study week already. My exams will begin next week. Am i ready? To tell you the truth, i'm not sure. Time flies really fast this semester and soon i realised, it's the exams, and even sooner, the exams will be over.

A recap of the final week of lectures. As for this semester, the tests were not bundled in one go on the final week as most of the them were conducted earlier. In a way, it's a relief because i can pay more attention to the exams. Hoping the best in return for the papers that i took.

You may wonder why this episode is entitled 'successor'. What does Iron Man and Ip Man movie franchises have in common? Yes, a sequel. But this post isn't going to be entirely a movie review, instead, i would like to bring another matter onto the table. And that, too, relates to being a successor.

The English Language Club in my uni held an election for the new board and i contended for the president seat. After the votes have been cast, i was elected the President of the club for the next term, 2010/2011. To be honest, i'm rather afraid taking over the role having seen that the previous president had done an excellent job and sometimes, i wonder, if i will be able to rise to the occasion and deliver as i have promised. One thing for sure i have is the passion to do better for the club.

Appreciation dinner in Sitiawan. Had lots of fun while eating!

On the second day release of Iron Man 2, a group of us headed to Jusco, Ipoh to watch the much-anticipated sequel. There is nothing much to cheer about except for it's advanced display of technology and a blast ending. The expo looks amazing, that's for sure. Frankly, the development of the story was verging on boredom and it didn't make much sense to me. Robert D J is a talented actor but i don't seem to be able to relate to him and his character. That alone is another reason i felt this movie was okey. Perhaps i'm not a fan of Iron Man. Thankfully for the ending, it came to save the day and made my money worth spent. Whether or not if it is better than the first, i leave that to you.


Go and watch Ip Man 2. That's the first thing i would say if you ask me about this movie. It is definitely a winner! Donnie Yen has that look that i couldn't put into words. His expression on his face while kung-fu-ing is extremely cool. The action scenes are amazing and with the effects into play, like slowing down movements, left me wow-ing to the end. It started off without much time to waste with its first fight scene. And continued on to one man versus more than 20, table top fighting, and eventually led to a dual between Western boxing and Chinese Kung Fu.

This is not an entirely action movie but rather a drama as well. It has much valuable lessons to learn. Ip Man is now my movie role model. He fights only when there is a need, passionate about teaching his Wing Chun the right way and above all, a family man. It's like the Chinese version of Cinderella Man. He cares for his family dearly. It was heartfelt touching when he said as quoted above, that i felt at one point if i am to repeat what i had with 2012. Rating a nine out of ten. (I never give any movie a ten.)

Well done to the people that made Ip Man. Wondering if there will be a sequel. If you are wondering what movie to watch coming this weekend, between the two, i recommend you to watch Ip Man 2.

Time to continue to hit the books. Finals... wc10 studies...

Season 4, Episode 7: EDX-O in C&P...

" We'll get higher and higher,
straight up we'll climb,
We'll get higher and higher,
Leave it all behind. " - Dreams, Van Halen

Had been caught in the stress-web lately due to the closing of this semester in two weeks time. By the time i'm writing this post, i have only one week of lecture remaining and after that, it's the study week, a pre-honeymoon, as I quote from my Vector Calculus lecturer. I usually call this time the 'second' wave. Whenever i wish to plan for an event, never choose either of these periods: a week before mid-sem break and a week before the study break. I just had three tests and one more coming up real soon. And not to forget, assignments and quizzes!

The tests were really difficult. No joke! It just is so disappointing to know that you have studied so hard for the test and when the paper comes, the questions blind you and your mind. Hopefully what i have done will equal the input i have given in for the tests and pray for the best in return.

Putting all those aside, the final event of this semester is over! Engineering Design Exhibition 25, in short, EDX 25. I have been wanting to be part of this event and i could not have chosen a better time to join. This edition of EDX, we had Tun Dr Mahathir. That alone is one of the reason why i became an EDX Officer.

EDX 25 family, taken here with Tun Dr Mahathir and the rest of the VVIPs. Can you spot me?

He was invited to give a public lecture entitled 'Beyond Vision 2020'. It was an interesting topic, as if he has a portal to see the future of the might-be. I was busy on that day so i couldn't listen much about it. Becoming the human barrier for Tun later, i took the best spot. I stood right in front of him and the photo above is taken by me. What an experience!

Other VVIPs surrounding Tun, including my beloved Rector. Photographers were also squeezing their way in to witness the signing of Tun onto the book.

His signature took one page!

Another close encounter of him. While we were waiting outside our pathway to the Green Room, we chatted amongst our committees as the doors were closed and guarded by the security. All of a sudden, the doors flung open and Tun stepped out with the VVIPs. We immediately hurried to make a way for him to walk through and as i nodded to him, he nodded back! Wow, what an experience! It happened too fast for me to even take out my camera.

I was recruited in the Ceremony and Protocol Department, dealing mostly with opening and closing ceremonies. It was not difficult, just time-consuming as we had to rehearse over and over again to make sure things run smoothly. Nevertheless, i had a bunch of fun people to work with.

Celebrating our success after the opening ceremony was conducted successfully. The banners do make beautiful backdrop. The theme was 'space' and the shinny, hemisphere-shaped object bearing the name of this event is a UFO spaceship. It took us tremendous amount of time to finalize and beautify that thing!

As for the closing gimmick, i was appointed to play the role of an astronaut. Do i look like one here? Astronaut? I thought someday i might be one. Standing beside me is Rani, another committee of my department.

Done with EDX, done with all the events this semester. Exhausting but surely rewarding, this is another exciting ride. However, i'm still tied to other commitments.

And yes, because of this EDX, i managed to watch Clash of the Titans. It wasn't as bad as people have said about it. In fact, in my opinion, it's amazing. Comparing to the other recent Greek god movie, Percy Jackson, which to me is amateurish and no mind-blowing sound effects, Titans has intensity and superb acting. Those who have watched the original will tend to favour Titans too, although it is rather similar to the original, it has with brilliant CGI effects. A good choice of movie to watch.

Time to put my mind on books and focus on my ultimate goal. Final exams are in two weeks time. wc10 reads and writes?

Season 4, Episode 6: Flamin Lips meets The Chronicler!

" Try to put an end to all our doubt. " - Someday, Rob Thomas

The final major event i am involved in the organization is The Chronicler: Pen-a-LOL. This time, i was the Project Director and truly, this event has thought me a lot about organizing and also about dealing with stress!

It is not easy handling an event. As long as it is an event, whether or not if it's big or small, you will have complications. Sometimes things don't go the way you have wanted it to be. But i realized that these challenges are tests, and through these tests i can gauge my capability and work on my weakness.

This is a creative writing competition event and on the Award Night, there was the prize giving ceremony to the winners of all categories. It is a dinner-cum-event night and truly, it has been an amazing time for all. The theme of the night is Humour, and as we have expected it to be, it was a fun-filled night with lots and lots of laughter!

With part of the organizing committee at the end of the night...

... doing the Gaga pose. We're going gaga over Gaga!

Putting behind all the complications earlier before the day, i enjoyed the night tremendously! Having a piece of a cake here in appreciation of the hard work.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the success of The Chronicler.
See you in the next installment!

And...

Not forgetting...

The debut performance of...

Flamin Lips!

Guess what we performed? Heavily inspired by...

GLEE! We performed 'Don't Stop Believin'' with a bit of the Malaysian touch!

Flamin' Lips, this is just the beginning...

The Chronicler is an event that is very dear to me and definitely, it is a memory that i will forever cherish. And when can we sing again? wc10 in jubilation of The Chronicler!

* First Runner-Up for the Poem Category, 'His World'.

Everyone lives in their own little world

And I’d like to welcome you into mine

The world that I grew fond of

And that I would never leave

I see the grass in shades of green

I see the sea in shades of blue

I see the Sun smiling

The moon winking

And the clouds shaping

I tried to fly and defy gravity

But I stumbled upon every attempt

A bird beside me whispered

‘This is how you do it’

And it spread its wings and flew

I learned how to swim

From a fish

He told me it was simple

He will never drown

I’m through accepting limits

They are nothing but a wall

That separates me from who I am

And who I want to be

In my world

The only limit is myself

And if I don’t tear it down

I will never be able to live

The way I have vowed myself to live

The world is a funny place

And if you see it just like I do

Smile at it

And the world smiles with you

Season 4, Episode 5: HOT RSF...

" Anything that's worth having, is sure enough worth fighting for,
Quitting's out of the question, when it gets tough gotta fight some more,
We gotta fight, fight, fight, fight, fight for this love,
If it's worth having, it's worth fighting for. " - Fight for this love, Cheryl Cole

It seems that, these days, my quotes are always from songs. Some songs simply have too good lyrics, that if i don't quote them, i feel that it'll be just left to waste as just a song. It has meaning, it has life and it is sometimes through these songs you gain inspirations and they evoke a sense of passion that nothing other than music can bring!

Resuming uni life after the break wasn't as difficult as the previous ones. Immediately after the rest of slightly more than a week, i had to get busy with events. This simply means that i have not much time to linger on my holiday mood but instead, instantly slipped into my high-speed shoes and get the events to roll.

First of is the Red Sonata Fiesta, RSF. It is actually a sequel to last year's Melodious Rendezvous, organized by my uni's Orchestra Chinese Musical. Having seen the success of the MR, i had thought this time around, i should be a part of it and go behind-the-scene. RSF is an event held to promote cultural exchange, particularly the Chinese culture to the public. As a member of the Games and Activities Department, we had to organize and run an entire night, Battles of the Maestros, that highlights Chinese cultural games such as calligraphy, opera, and chess among others.

Together with my other colleagues, trying to rush for the event night of ours.

I was a man-of-all-sorts during the peak of the event, One Night in Beijing. Here, i was the usher for VIPs as well as guests.

RSF is truly an experience that i will never forget!

Moving on are my other commitments. And for this sem something new hit the pages of my uni, the newsletter Heart of Tronoh, in short, call it HOT; and call us HOTties!

Interesting name for a newsletter, don't you think? And we have just managed to publish our first ever in the mid of March. Second edition is coming out real soon and i can't wait to see the end product of it. As a reporter and being part of this new adventure, the best prize you can certainly get is when your news comes out in the newsletter. Nothing beats the joy of seeing your own piece of writing on a paper that everyone will read. Even the higher authorities are reading and to me, that's an accomplishment for all HOTties.

Jubilant group of people! Fun and laughter blended together as we had lunch in Pizza Hut and a short meeting following the amazing treat! We're all holding a copy of the first edition of the HOT!

HOT is new and there is still so much room for it to continue to grow! I'm glad i have become a member of this exciting ride.

Becoming a member of HOT, particularly a reporter, i have actually gotten the chance to get up close and personal to performers of which i was intended to cover the news for. The most recent of all is FESCO. While the show was on-going, i was by the side of the hall, interviewing and having little chats with some of the performers. I was also given Facebook names and e-mail address to be added so that we can continue to keep in touch.

With performers from Walailak U, Thailand, after the show.

Another event that i attended, this time as an audience only, was the Child-Provision night. It was a fund-raiser cum event night, with on-going donations during the show. We were entertained by Vick, Liyana and Danell as guest stars alongside touching performances of the handicapped playing the harmonica and the disabled dancing to tunes.

In a picture here taken with Danell Lee.

And yeah, not to forget, i celebrated Earth Hour this time in uni together with other ELCians in conjunction with our Mass Gathering. It was lots of fun!

Just before 8.30pm, we prepared candles inside cups to be used when the lights go off. By 8.30pm, we switched off the lights and readied ourselves to join in and support this noble effort. Standing aimlessly, we wondered what we should do for the next hour. So, we decided to take a stroll in the dark to the Chancellor Complex. It's amazing to see that our uni also actually do support this effort too- the lights were off.

We reached the place and found a perfect spot for us to sit and wait. While waiting, we had our toasts to Mother Nature around the circle. Then, we started talking ghost stories- not the best thing to do in uni, but somehow, it kept us occupied and we enjoyed the night until after an hour, the lights went back on. Just in time when my candle finishes!

Cheers to Mother Nature!

These events are definitely worth experiencing and all i can say is that i have learned a lot. You get to meet new people, you get to handle situations that really tests your true capabilities. I have to admit, we are all still learning and from the mistakes that we made, it is what we have to correct and that will make us come back again, stronger!

Returning to hitting the books- these events really do buy time! wc10 smiles in exhaustion!

* Next episode: The Chronicler comes along with Flamin' Lips for a night flooded with humour!

Intermission: Enter the wonderland?

" Do I turn you on at all when I kiss you baby,
does the sight of me wanting you drive you crazy. " - Do I, Luke Bryan

On the night of my Birthday- which was also the start of the mid-sem break, we drove up to Penang's Autocity to have dinner with my family for the celebration. I was fed-up eating uni food and given the first time being in Autocity, i was really spoilt for choice. There simply was so much to offer. In the end, we ended up eating in a Western restaurant. The food was delicious and it was my first time eating in such cafe.

The place really comes to life at night. If we have such places in KL, i bet it'll be crowded almost everyday. If it's during a festive season, i can't imagine the pool of people. Certainly, an ideal hang-out place for people to meet up or have reunions.

We didn't stay overnight in Penang and instead, left to Sg Petani. The next day, we visited the Penang Island. And the first place we visited was the Kek Lok Si temple. We skipped the lower part because we have been there before and straight went up to the higher peak of the temple and laid eyes on the new bronze Goddess statue. It was really amazing!

Dad and i in front of the statue. It is big. There was some on-going repair work so we could not go any further inside.

There were statues of the 12 Chinese zodiac, and mine was the ram or goat or sheep. The garden is beautiful, although i felt that there is a need to maintain and repair some statues. With that, i would place my money on making Kek Lok Si one of the best attraction for tourists to the island, whether you're worshipping or on a visiting tour.

After the Kek Lok Si, i visited my friend who was doing her intern training in Hard Rock Hotel. Might as well take this opportunity to visit the place. Two words, jaw-dropping amazing!

Stepping foot onto the hotel instantly teleports you into another part of the world. You will not feel like you're in Malaysia. There was great entertainment, great deco, great ambiance.

I loved the whole concept of the hotel. Just sheer relaxation and entertainment to keep us all occupied. There was music playing by the poolside, pulling people to dance along. There are cafes inside the hotel and near the beach, serving pizzas. Swimming pool right in front of your doors for the first floor occupants! Wow, i'm overwhelmed in admiration.

I have set my target and raised my mark. I will spend one night in this hotel in the near future! It is expensive and exclusive, yet, with the facilities there are, i'm sure it's worth a one night stay in the Hard Rock Hotel Penang. The next time i return to the hotel, it would be for a stay and not just a visit!

Alice in Wonderland opened in the cinema on Thursday and for the first time, i watched it in the Grand Cineplex in Sg Petani. It is a newly opened cinema but the entrance was impressive. As for the interior, nothing much better to the one in MBO Ampang. Onto the show, it simply has too much Tim Burton and Johnny Depp's signatures, all over the movie. Yet, i thought that given the duo's success in the past, they could have deliver this movie better. Depp's role in the movie didn't differ much from Jack Sparrow, observing the way he walks and speaks. Anna H don't look as pretty as she is in the movie, given her the make-up. I thought they should have promoted and advertised more of Alice instead of the Mad Hatter, with all due respect to Depp, as this movie centres on Alice.

Nonetheless, this movie also has it's moments. Which movie can you hear someone shouting 'Pig!' or watch the cute pair of fat boys? It has a battle scene in the end but it was rather mild. May be it caters more to the less action-packed movie-goers. It has very colourful graphic, although green screen, but i liked the richness in colour of the movie. As for the story-line, not much variation to the original especially the eating of cakes to minimize Alice or drinking the potion to enlarge Alice. All in all, the movie isn't mind-blowing or fantastic, it was just alright, known it's Tim Burton, and it fits more into a mild adventure genre and good humour.

Finally, i completed The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. As many people would claim this book to be his best, i have, no doubt, that it is and it has the best concept or purpose in this romantic tale of two people. But my favourite still remains to be The Wedding.

The Notebook is written in flashback style, from the day he met the girl during a summer break and began to fall in love. They both come from entirely different background and social status. For the summer, they spent most of their time together eventhough the girl's parents were disapproving their relationship. And when the summer ends, they departed to separate ways.

Yet, they still thought of one another and he began to write letters to her almost everyday for years. But what he doesn't know is that the letters were not received by her and she did not read what he had written. Slowly he decided to stop writing. For the next thirteen years, the ghost of her started to appear again, showing up once again in his life. He was determined to have her back but she was then being engaged to a man whom she had also loved. The final choice came one day to her.

The love story in their past wasn't very interesting or nothing much spectacular. However, what i like in this book is how he dealt with her Alzheimer, trying everytime to defy science and believe in miracles. It simply shows his eternal and unconditional love to her. It shows that if we love someone so much, it comes naturally for us to simply do the right thing even if it means sacrificing other things. A beautiful love story.

I shall end here for this intermission and get back on track with my work. If you have noticed, once again, i was caught up and entangled with much other obligations. Now, they are finally over and i promise to go on with my series of uni life. Until then, wait for me, wc10, for time waits for no man!

Season 4, Episode 4: Becoming nineteen...

" Everybody needs inspiration, everybody needs a song,
A beautiful melody, when the night's so long,
Cause there's no guarantee, that this life is easy. " - When I Look At You, Miley Cyrus

The week before the mid sem break was simply hectic and i do not wish to relive that stressful moment. But on the Friday, it was my Birthday and it marked the start of the holidays!

The day before...

It was after our lecture at 3pm when I left for duty for one of my events. Later at 5pm, one of my friends sms-ed me to get ready to have dinner at Pizza Hut in Batu Gajah. She said it was to celebrate and meet up together before not being able to see each other for one week.

We ordered and waited, hungrily, for the new Pizza- the one in the advertisement S. E. is holding.

Big group, 18 people, and we sat in two long tables. This is the other one.

Pizzas arrived, grabbed slices and ate them.

Yummy, the new Pizza is not that bad after all. It's said to have 10 layers of flavour. Interesting...

After makan, we chatted...

Laughed...

And chatted...

And i think my friend purposedly diverted my attention onto talking and boom!

The surprise!

They brought out the cake!

I had experience cake-face and feared i may repeat history. I'm glad my friends didn't do that. Thanks, guys!

Before leaving Pizza Hut, we took a group shot at the entrance. If you zoom onto my hand, that's the card my friends did and signed personally. It was a small gift but it means a lot and i will forever treasure it. It's true, i still have the previous year's card in my drawer!

THANK YOU GUYS for the surprise celebration once again!
It was lovely and very thoughtful of you guys!

THANKS TO YOU too if you have sent me wishes in Facebook, sms or chat! Appreciate them lots!

And to add to my surprise, i received a call from my sister over in Australia, wishing me too. It was exactly midnight in Malaysia when she called, meaning it was about 3 am there. It was wonderful. Although it was just a call, it took her effort and i truly appreciate that.
Thank you, che for the call!

Growing another year older, i reflect back onto my life. What have i achieved? What have i not achieved? What are my dreams? What are my true dreams?

What do i really want?

I'm getting older and my teen life will be over in another year. Yet, i have so many things that i have planned for myself to experience during my teen. Sometimes, i sit back and think, am i in the right direction? Am i becoming what i want to be?

Very often, my answer would be 'i don't know'. I believe that there are reasons for things to happen and i will have to find them out sooner or later.

So, what i really hope for in my final year of being a teen is to continue enjoying life at the same time focusing on my future. Life is a story, and i'm writing mine.

On the day...

After class, i left for...

(to be continued)

wc10 would like to thank you again for the wishes!

Season 4, Episode 3: The rush...

" We need the Megazord Power now! " - Power Rangers (1995)

If you have noticed, i have not been blogging much lately. Time, as many would have said, is too little to be able to do stuffs that you like. Twenty four hours is insufficient. Don't you agree?

Over the past two weeks, or more precisely, the two weeks before the mid sem break, everyone was jam-packed. Everyone set a dateline for preparation of events before the mid sem break starts, and at the same time, tests crashed in.

That comes the challenge. Juggling between the work load of our events and the immense pressure for the upcoming tests. Sometimes, i just wonder how i was able to overcome them. Seriously, with back-to-back tests, day after day, as when now i'm typing these keys, i find it rather an accomplishment and all i want to do now is just relax. I'm not sure how i fared in the tests. As long as i did my best, i believe that hard work pays off.

I have not blogged about my courses yet so i'll take the time to describe them to you. Intro to Petroleum Geoscience. Studying rocks formation and the Earth, and relating these studies to petroleum. Vector Calculus, a unique combination of vector and calculus. RRFP, in short, is studying reservoir rock properties and fluid properties. Structured Programming is about talking in programming language. C++! Thermodynamics is about studying the systems and applying some formulas. Playing Gamelan for co-curriculum this semester.

In essence, the courses are alright. Beginning to like them and hopefully the results will be a motivator. Some lecturers are interesting and good. Very interactive, especially the ones that does not make me fall asleep during classes. And then there were others who just couldn't be bothered with us and all they know is to just come in and pass on the lecture, whether or not if we are following them.

Enough with that, i would like to resume my holiday mood. The holidays have just started and i'm on a mission to accomplish several more things:

1. Complete my The Notebook. It has been rather dry so far, i'm hoping Nicholas Sparks does not let me down.

2. Awaiting pictures from my friends to post in the next episode.

3. Preparing a post for the mid sem break this time. So far, it's Penang and Alice in the Wonderland.

4. Offline work with The Chronicler and Red Sonata Fiesta. DO visit the respective blog sites. Interesting isn't it, using technology as a medium for promotion these days!

5. Pursuing what i enjoy doing most.

Have i not said this- i just watched Power Rangers The Movie, 1995. The movie brought back such fond memories of my childhood. I pity those of today who does not get the chance to appreciate such amazing shows. As i watched, i remembered how much i used to like them, and to a certain extent, imitate their actions. That's when imagination was set free and wild, and children should have the right to express them! What do you get from today's programme? May be you can get one similar to this, but nothing beats the true values and sheer entertainment in the Power Rangers. You may say that i'm being childish, but i always believe that there is a child in every man. And it is that childishness creativity is sometimes sparked.

wc10 survived the rush of stress. The first big wave this semester just passed, and somehow, we should rejoice.

Fifteen...

" I wanted to run away, but you can't run away from your own feet. " - CWACOM

" Adventure is out there. " - Up

I was looking forward to CNY and now, it's over. Fifteen days, but it felt as if it flew by within a couple of days. This year, CNY was a little different. It was different because it was the first year we celebrated the CNY without my sister. She flew off to Melbourne, Australia to further her studies, how nice, early morning on the first day of CNY after the Reunion dinner. For her, it's a whole new adventure- campus life, exhange student; and i wish her all the best in her studies!

Back to CNY, i love the food! Food haven! I can say it over and over again, and i never get bored of it. I love to eat. Not like, but love. To be honest, i have definitely added weight and to my delight, i could fit into my jeans without the use of a belt. Not anymore. Not until i return to my uni and downsize again.

Night after night of scrumptious meals! Don't you like house visits? You get to eat their food, enjoy their decorated home for the CNY, casinos appeared like mushrooms- you get the picture. But what i like most about these house visits is that you have the time to chat and catch up with the lives of those you seldom cross. Friends that you seldom meet.

I have always like the spirit of CNY. Red and yellow. The lion dance. The cookies. The ang paos. The food- again.

Lion dance!

With an interesting twist. If you zoom in, you'll notice the beer can on the ground next to the lion. And here, the lion is drunk!

Meanwhile, the yellow lion entertains the guest with flying oranges!

Grandpa receiving the gift.

Cousin Sue A and I, after the lion dance.

Mother's side cousins. The gap is left for you che. We didn't forget you.

BBQ in Melaka was delicious! Talking about it makes my mouth water. Nasi lemak, sambal, hot dog, BBQ chicken, fish...

Seriously, it was house-after-house and despite being restless due to the late nights, we still enjoyed ourselves very much in every house we went. With the group, you can hardly not participate.

Since it was holiday too, my friends and i watched Wolfman. It was alright. Strong cast, simple story. Met my expectations, nothing mind-blowing though.

I watched Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and Up recently. Pretty difficult to choose the better. Somehow i like CWACOM. Very creative plot and strong family values. It also teaches you to never stop chasing your dreams and believe in yourself even if others make fun of you. Like Up too. Never stop believing! Up felt to me much like Finding Nemo, given they are both from Pixar. No wonder Up has been winning awards- it's an amazing animation film too! Touching yet riveting.

I can go on and on on my CNY but i'd rather stop. It was wonderful, that's for sure. Another weekend with my aunt from Melaka wrapped up the whole fifteen days of celebration. Going back to uni, i need to readjust my direction and concentrate. The big wave is coming soon just before the mid sem break!

wc10 roars in the new year of the Tiger!

Season 4, Episode 2: Where is my concentration- Defying gravity!

" Something has changed within me,
something is not the same,
i'm through with playing by the rules,
of someone else's game. "

Glee. It has to be. You know it when you get addicted: everything you talk about or do is Glee. I completed the whole season 1 and hands down, this is the Best TV-Series ever! Why i get so hooked-up in this show is because it reminds me of my high school time. I felt myself transforming back into the years when we took home district champions for drama- and i can tell you that that is a joy beyond imagination.

" Too late for second guessing,
too late to go back to sleep,
it's time to trust my instincts,
close my eyes and leap. "

Just like in Glee when they are working their way into Sectionals. Another reason why i get so interested in this show is because it shows that singing can unite people. Where can you find the most popular guy, the cheer-leading queen, a gay boy, a self-established diva, a crippled boy in wheelchairs and an enthusiastic girl that dreams to take home a Grammy in the same room? It's Glee, again. Throughout the show, you will learn about putting differences aside and realize that we're not very much different.

" It's time to try,
defying gravity.
I think i'll try,
defying gravity.
And you can't pull me down! "

The third impact is about finding your true friends- friends that will continue to support you even if you have once did bad to them. Glee allows them to be themselves and it's not about pleasing others but to have respect for themselves. Apart from that, it's about the sacrifices we make for our friends, as the saying in the show goes, taking one for the team.

" I'm through accepting limits,
cause someone says they're so,
some things i cannot change,
but i'll try i'll never know."

Watching Glee somehow brought out an opposite self of me, one that i myself have not seen. The immense passion for singing! This, so much so, led to initiating a Singing team in our ELC and we are still recruiting members. If you're interested, come join in and i'm sure it'll be a splendid adventure.

"Too long i've been afraid of,
losing love i guess i've lost,
well, if that's love,
it comes at much too high a cost. "

Last Saturday, my friends and i went for karaoke to celebrate my friend's birthday. It was an amazing time together. Happy Birthday!

" I'd sooner buy,
defying gravity.
Kiss me good bye,
i'm defying gravity.
And you can't pull me down. "

Glee. Now that i have watched the show, i really need to dim the fire and start focusing on my studies. It's already two weeks past and i still find myself not in the mood to study. Everything needs to be reduced. I'm not saying it's gone, the fire will be there, but i just need to lower my 'high' energy and get back on track to something more real.

" Bring me down!"

wc10 needs to find his concentration, but with the CNY in a week's time, he finds his need too high to achieve!

" Oh- ahh ahhhhh!"