Yay-ing Soaring the Eagle!

" The longest journey in life we have to travel is from the head to the heart "

First, you need the people. Then, you need the activities. And lastly, you need to be involved. I had the first two in my STE, and all i needed to make it great was myself- and yes, i made it! A wonderful group of people and amazing activities! The Soaring the Eagle was held at the Agrotek Garden Resort in Ulu Langat from the 7th to the 13th June. It's funny to have it there -when i was in the Moral Club in my school, we wanted to organize a program there but we could not do so due to some constraints. The seniors claimed that STE's boring, but i hereby would like to beg to differ!

The STE was a 5-day program and the activities carried out were based on the Total Well Being diamond. Mainly, we look at and enhance the 6 elements in the diamond- mind, body, spiritual, finance, studies and relationship.

Confidence is something we all have, and all we need to do is to develop it. The activities carried out sharpens the soft skill in us either indirectly or directly. We were made to do group discussions and later present them in front of the class. Apart from that, we had public speaking and the STE Idol as well- as i have said i was involved, i sang!

The winning team, Mach 5!

The STE Idol preliminary round- i didn't make through it but i did my best. Singing Flying Without Wings with Farah.

Some amazing people i met along the way- both UTP students and International Bound students.

KY.

Afiq from Nottingham U.

Some guys in my group.

Graduated from STE with my group leader.

With Elsa...

And Soo...

Fresh 'Grads'.

Each day brings a different theme- Malay, Chinese, Indian, Western, Thai and lastly the Jungle!

Welcoming the night with a performance.

Wow-ing away!

The place is nice. But the rooms still have room for improvements.

The start of STE...

... And the good bye!

All in all, STE was great. Whether or not i will be better, i'm not sure. But for one thing i'm sure about is that i know how to do it, and i know what to do with it. wc09 yays STE 2nd batch!

Meeting up...

" Life is like an egg- so fragile. Nurture the egg like how you nurture your life. And be thankful to those who have nurtured the 'egg', because nurturing the 'egg' is not as simple as it looks, not as easy as it seems. "

It is never easy to organize a get-to-gather reunion with my schoolmates, needing to take into consideration the timetable, but it is worth every effort when we meet- because I will never forget my valuable friends and the great time we had and will have! This time, we met in Cozy House, Great Eastern Mall for lunch. From 5 to 7 to 8 to 4.

Meeting up means catching up too. We chatted and chatted about what we are doing, what we will be doing and who we are with. Cozy...

Group shot at the Pavilion- we went there after lunch.

Jian and I with opposite poses.The Fish and Chips eaters, JH and PL.

Last-met-a-year-ago friends, PL and Sutha. Really didn't see them for more than a year! How much they have changed.

The main intention of going to the Pavilion was to watch movie- Night at the museum 2. But the length of the queue caught me by surprise and that movie tickets were selling out fast- and in time, sold out. So, we debated on our other movie- Terminator Salvation, Monster Vs Alien, and 17 Again but to no avail and finally my friends decided to call off the movie time and headed home. I bought Monster Vs Alien and watched it with my brothers and my cousin, Colin, who was in KL for the holidays.

I will not say i enjoyed the movie very much. It was okay, but i don't think it was worth the price i paid for the ticket. Reese's voice wasn't really spectacular- she sounded monotonous. There were moments in the movie too, but nothing really impact-ful happened that could make me say this movie is amazing- like The Incredibles, The Shrek trilogy and Finding Nemo. The plus side though was that i enjoyed the supporting characters like the scientist, BOB, the caterpillar and the lizard monsters. They helped make the movie more entertaining. All in all, good but easily forgettable. Sorry.

It was another meeting up on Sunday- meeting up for the Soaring the Eagle, batch 2, in KLCC. Before joining my friends, I went with my brother and my mum to the Lego exhibition. It was awesome- they made 5 out of the 7 Wonders with Lego. Since childhood, i am always thrilled by Lego and the creativity coming out of it.

The everlasting love of The Taj Mahal- my favourite in the exhibition.

The amazing Chichen Itza.

The mysterious Macchu Picchu.

Coloseum the Great.

The pretty Petra.

Missing: The Great Wall of China- my favourite wonder of the world, and The Christ Redeemer.

Wow!

Back home in Malaysia is the magestic Petronas Twin Towers.

I can't wait for the Legoland to open in Malaysia!

After the visit to the exhibition, i headed to the meeting point and waited, waited for hours before we depart to our camp site. STE2's coming up next! wc09 glads the meetings!

Change in Makan-makan...

" For you, a thousand times over. " - The Kite Runner, Khaled Husseini

I'm not sure if it is just me, but i am not able to eat as much as i used to. May be i have trained myself to eat less since in uni. May be i have grown to be a more thrifty human being. Or may be i just could no longer digest as immediate as i consume. You know what, forget this! I'm just joking and i can, emphasis on the can, still eat as much as i used to, what more the makan makan trip to Sg Petani. Never would i give in to the good food. Never.


However, this makan makan trip had been different altogether. Still good, but just different- which then led me to ponder much on a question. Would you, if something is already good, risk the change by changing? Lets say you once ate a very delicious meal, a black mee and you like it very much. The next time you enter the shop, would you order the same dish? Or would you risk and take chances by ordering yee-mee instead? I know this is just a small scenario, and i know it happens to everyone, but if you try to think on a bigger scale, what will you do exactly? Are you the adventurous person you tell others and face the differences, or are you the person who would stay in your comfort zone and enjoy what is already good? I did make my at-the-moment decision, and i ordered the yee-mee.

Would you, if something already is good, risk the change by changing?

After being 'absent' in Sg Petani for about 6 months, we realised things weren't exactly the same as before. Change, as i have once posted, is inevitable. We went back to the same old wan tan mee shop and were caught by surprise that she has moved and another lady took over. It tasted almost the same, but we missed her magic touch and style. The char kuay teow we used to order were made by the mother of the present owner. Although the recipe and the methods were similar, nothing tastes as great as the original. Lucky for us, the bak kut teh still remained the Number One.

How important is a title? It is usual for us not to judge a book by its cover, but when it comes to books, the title is my best bet. I have just completed The Kite Runner on the way back from the makan makan trip and, like A Walk To Remember, this title suits the book perfectly well. So this brings me back to the title issue again. Compare The Wedding and A Walk To Remember, The Innocent Man and A Painted House. Which sounds better? Of course, after reading, you get the meaning of the title, and then you smile- like i did with The Kite Runner.

The Kite Runner is a story about a man seeking for redemption. This book has many moments to remember- tender yet unforgettable. I truly felt the loyalty Hassan shows to Amir and their bromance throughout their early childhood. Hassan never betray his loyalty toward Amir- even if it costs him his manhood. Soon, Amir does the unimaginable and they both become separated for years. Years so long that things around Afghanistan change. Amir later receives a call from an old friend, Rahim Khan and he decides to correct what is wrong. The journey to redemption requires Amir to do things he don't do, things he dare not do. Filled with twists and turns along the road to redemption, Amir discovers one big secret that has long been kept that could bring tears to your eyes- it almost did to me! The ending is one that i really like. It ends on a note that leaves you with a smile after battling the bittersweet moments, and brings a new meaning to the kite runner. The Kite Runner is both Amir and Hassan, the heroes of the story and the characters that touches your heart. Yes, i strongly recommend you this book. But if you thought of watching the movie, do so but you'll lack the punch.

My next mission is The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks.

I'm done, happy, with the first week of the holidays. More still in counting, wc09 is simply enjoying life.

Season 2, Episode 12: Yeeeee Haaaaar !

" Freedom is the right to live as we wish " - Epictetus

Finally, the final exams are over! This week has been stressful- although some claimed the exam 'feel' wasn't as overwhelming as the first semester. A review of the exam week.

Monday was Engineering Maths. Calculating non-stop!
Tuesday was a rest day. No exams, but the fever gets higher.
Wednesday was Chemystery. Yes, you read right. Chemystery- short for Chem-is-a-mystery. It has always been throughout this semester. No matter how many times you flip the lecture notes, you can never find the real thing!
Thursday was English, and i like English. It should be alright.
Friday was a double dose of ICIS- memory occupying, and Physics.

Basking in the momentary freedom is amazing. As soon as the Physics paper was collected, i was all eager to celebrate my freedom- the freedom of not only finishing the exams but the completion of my Foundation studies! It's a surprise to see how time flies, because this season really progressed in warp speed and at times, i was like, " Oh, we're finishing Foundation already ". Indeed, the Foundation year has truly been an awesome time altogether, with many unforgettable memories down the lane.

The holidays have just started and i already have plans for the break- surely, a no-study break! Coming up are my 'makan-makan' trip to Sg Petani, Petronas STE in Agrotek and a highly-anticipated vacation with my friends in Langkawi! Apart from the places, i have lots of things to do within this break. If anyone knows when the Transformers 2 tickets are available, please inform me and i'll be the first in line- the wait can't take any longer!

Here i am, the last episode of this season. I'm officially announcing that Season 2 has ended, with much joy! Until then, patiently wait for the Season 3: Undergraduate Year 1 to unfold. wc09 has to leave to start packing his stuff and clear the room... all over again.

Kris Allen takes the crown!

" Seconds hours so many days
You know what you want but how long can you wait
Every moment last forever if you feel you’ve lost your way
What if your chances are already gone
Started believing that I could be wrong
But you give me one good reason
to fight and never walk away"

The world takes on the new American Idol. He is the one and only Kris Allen- the dark horse of the competition. It was tense before Ryan announced the winner because to me, they are both very talented singers.

" Coz hear I am — still holding on!

Every step you climb another mountain
Every breathe its harder to believe

You’ll make it through the pain (or through all your aches and pains)
Weather the hurricane
To get to that one thing

When you think the road is going nowhere
Just when you’ve almost gave up on your dreams
Then take it by the hand and show you that you can"

With his 'Ain't No Sunshine' sung during the final showdown, and favourites like 'Falling Slowly' and 'Heartless' throughout the season, he deserves to win! He surely has come a long way.

" You can go higher
You can go deeper
There are no boundaries
Above and beneath you
Break every rule coz there’s nothing between you
and your dream "

Winning the title, he sings the winning song, 'No Boundaries' and he definitely sang it more than Adam. The judges were right, the song was more suitable for Kris- it's a story in the song.

Adam was really good too. Throughout the competition, his performances were stellar and surprisingly great. He chose 'Mad World' for the finals and i liked the effect- may be because it was theatrical. Anyhow, he was top-notch!



And so be told, we will have to wait until January next year for the new season to come in. And the adrenaline rush too. wc09 wows American Idol 8 for yet another awesome season!

" Every step you climb another mountain
Every breathe its harder to believe "

Can't wait for the Kris-Adam Showdown in Malaysian-time!

The finale is just about to come- and i can't wait to watch. Like the previous season 7, this season 8 is going to be amazing and unpredictable. I have just Googled and the winning song is called 'No Boundaries'. I heard the beginning of the song and kept the remaining for later- i don't wanna spoil the suspense. But i know they'll both do great. Can't wait...

I thought Kris Allen would be singing 'Falling Slowly' but he didn't. Anyway, he did great with the other song, also i knew from Googling it because it is only showing Live in Malaysia at 6- don't forget to catch it, and it's only 2 now. Can't wait...

As i have posted, my money is on Adam to win, but personally, i think Kris would be a better Idol-holder! They both have come a long way, just like Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and the recent David Cook. wc09, can't wait. -No Boundaries-

Season 2, Episode 11: Flashing back to Week 16...

" Two ways to learn: by observation and by experience. Be like an eagle and focus. " - Mr Bala, English 2 Tutor

The first and the final week of lectures share close similarities, yet when being scrutinized at, they are not so same after all. No more lab and tutorial sessions, and not many lecture times as some lecturers have completed the syllabus and decided to not have classes anymore. The major difference is that, the first week, we come in fresh, ready to start the semester and combat the feeling of post-holidays whereas in the final week, we go out beaten by the stress of the coursework marks and we have to combat the feel of freedom so soon we could smell. Nonetheless, time is, and will be, a factor as the final exam is ticking in and the study week is to come.

In a way, i am glad the Season 2 is coming to an end- and soon i will be in my Undergraduate years! Throughout this season, the courses that i undertake got tougher- as predicted. But no matter how tough it could be, we have to get through it. It is now left with the final exams and i can hereby say that i am almost done through.

Wednesday was the last day for English 2 Tutorial and as the class representative, we organized a get-together for the last time. It was fun, with all the pizza- rush, KFC- grab, cake-devouring and Coke- bottom-ups. It was really a time to remember with my tutor throughout this semester.

Written: End of semester... Get-together.

Tutorial Group 1 mates. Fun time together.

Mr Bala and i officiating the get-together. Soon after the cutting, we headed for the food!

The test of all tests is the Physics 2 Lab Test on Thursday. Given enough time, i hope i did well in the lab test as it may help ease the coursework marks too. And the last lecture is the Physics lecture. Ending the class with Nuclear Physics and putting a stop with a review of all the 16 weeks of lectures.

Dr John is a good Physics lecturer, and may be the best among my other lecturers. I will miss his lectures, that's for sure.

On the telly, it is down to the wire for the American Idol 8: Adam Lambert and Kris Allen. I wanted these two to be in the finals and great, they made it and America has the same taste as me! Who should be crowned? Personally, Adam to me is very theatrical and artistic. A very unique singer that can go to the notes many fail to reach. Week after week, his performance is top-notch. Kris has a nice tone in his voice and plays many instruments. He has many magical moments on stage, with songs that captures the heart and warms the soul. Kris, the dark horse, is surely riding high. So, who will win? I don't know. My heart tells me that Kris Allen will be crowned the title, but my mind tells me that Adam Lambert will walk away with it. If i have to choose, my vote goes to Adam Lambert, but i like Kris. Definitely, a must-watch final to really know who wins it that night!

Week 16 is the last week, and soon comes the study week. It is best i make full use of the week. wc09 is glad he made it through the 16 weeks of lectures (stress) and in no time, the final exams will come and go. And go!

3-claws...

" Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs, since the payment is pure love. " - Mildred B Vermont

There is nothing better than to be home after a busy, stressful week. Yes, i have made it through the toughest week of this season, the 3 killer papers! I left my uni early Friday morning, and arrived at Ampang near noon. What i had in mind was minimal studies during the weekend- i was barely sleeping well with all the tests on my mind and i needed time to rejuvenate. Oh yes, i'm glad i had my time; well, in a way, as the weekend itself was a busy one!

Wesak Day was on Saturday and the temple near my house, like always, organizes a prayer ceremony. On Friday night, we joined in the 'walk' as we do so almost every year, prior to Wesak Day.

When we reached the temple, we bought candles before joining the crowd.

The candle and the cup.

WH with his candle.

The crowd was like an avalanche- as we walked, more and more people joined in. However, in my opinion, the crowd was less in number than last year's. Why?

Leading the way were the lions and dragon. I could only capture photos of them at the end of the walk. They were about to stop when i took this blurry photo.

The next morning, we went to the temple again. Like previous years, we bathed the Buddha, made our prayers, and we were given a yellow 'string' and a bag of blessing water to bathe with. First claw!

Mother's Day was on the weekend. We headed to Petaling Jaya on Saturday for my grandma, and on Sunday night, we celebrated for my mother at Shikiya. About Shikiya, it was our first and we did not know what or how to order. It is actually a fusion between Japanese and Thai cuisines. After a long time being indecisive, i settled for the Fried Set. The promotion they were offering was quite alluring- buy one set and get another set for free*. To be honest, the quantity of the set is large, enough for two indeed! However, being a big-eater, i found it not a problem to complete it myself.

The set with tempura and udon is rather worth-for-value. There was a lot of tempura on the plate!

My set comes with rice, and another plate of chicken, fish, prawns and some vegetables. Burp, i was bloated with tasty food. Second claw on the food!

The third claw this weekend is the three-clawed Wolverine. Yes, you're right, i watched X-Men Origins: Wolverine on Sunday.

I'm an avid fan of X-Men, and i find this movie great. The effects are superb- you know, the ones that make you go 'wow' and you wish you could actually have the ability to do that. I'm talking about how Gambit used his stick, Wolverine-Sabretooth-Deadpool's combat, Cyclops' optic laser, just to name a few. The critics commented on the storyline. I beg to differ and i found it rather interesting though i know what will happen in the end. It is not the 'what' that is good but the 'how'.

Fantastically-casted! Hugh Jackman is Wolverine, and no one could play Wolverine better than him. I liked Ryan Reynold- may be he could take over the place of Keanu Reeves and be my favourite male movie actor. I wished he was given a more important role so that i could see him appearing in other X-Men movies. Younger Cyclops. Suave Gambit. All in all, this movie gets my star and i would recommend this to anyone. If you're an X-Men fan, don't miss this!

3-claws! I just came back from supper at a 'mamak' stall near my uni with my friends. Weekend was great, and wc09 wishes he could lash 3 claws and leave his marks as did Wolverine.

Season 2, Episode 10: Busy, stressful week next!

" There's always gonna be another mountain,

I'm always wanna gonna make it move,
always gonna be an uphill battle,
sometimes i'm gonna have to lose...
Ain't about how fast i get there,
ain't about what's waiting on the other side,
it's the climb. " - The Climb, Miley Cirus

I have to admit- i don't like Miley Cirus, but her latest single, The Climb has been really good. Somehow, i feel that the song is connected to what i am undergoing. There will always be an obstacle that i have to face in life, and each time i have to overcome it. Sometimes i may not always be right. But, that's life!

I read an article in NST last Sunday(26th April 09) and i find the article interesting. It is about what makes us happy, and continuous happiness. Some people might go for shopping, buying unnecessary goods to please themselves. Some would watch comedies in cinema or listen to their favourite songs. Or some would go out for a drink with friends. These give us an instant happy fix, an immediate therapy. But today, most of us need to work on a longer-lasting happy fix. This requires effort and we are sometimes forced to choose and make decisions that can change our lives. Like the writer suggested, "To do that, it may involve going to unhappy places first- facing those demons that drive us to look for an instant fix in the first place- but it's worth it." So now, think of what gives, or can give, us long lasting happiness and not a momentarily joy.

This season is coming to an end real soon, with two weeks remaining- two weeks of busy, stressful times. Well, as usual, when the end comes, things get pushy and there is not much time left as they need to compile our coursework marks. I'll be having 3 tests next week- Chemistry 2 Organic Test, ICIS Test 2 and Physics 2 Test 2. Well -prepared?

Seriously, i cannot believe that it is already May! Looking back, i have only wrote 3 posts in April. Sorry, i have been really busy and the Internet connection at my uni is extremely bad. May started with me in KL. And dinner at Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur was, rather, disappointing. The price per person is high and we were expecting some expensive food- you know what i mean. Having said that though, the decor was awesome and amazing. What more, after we had our buffet dinner, we took a stroll to the lobby and again were amazed at it's decor. Simply great!

Near the dessert bar. Just by looking at the variety of desserts, you have to stop to really choose.

Class. A bit dark though.

Tummy's getting full. Real full.

Photo taken at the lobby. It's a class on its own.

Buffet time was until 10.30pm. As usual, we would stay at the place until the very last minute- it's not a common chance to be there.

Argh... Now i need to go back to uni, Week 15! The thought of the 3 tests itself is, i would label as, scary. Going to be real busy, real stressful. And then, it's left with the final. wc09 says yummy- to the food!

Easter, Sunway Lagoon and 21st B'day Partee...

" Raise your hopeful voice, you have a choice, you've made it now,
falling slowly sing your melody, i'll sing along " - Falling Slowly, Glen Hansard

Chemistry Test 2 and Engineering Maths Quiz 4 were very difficult, and i don't want to blog about it. It just makes me unhappy knowing that i have studied hard for it and the outcome may not be as i have wanted. So, instead, this post is about my life during the past two weekends away from my uni.

The First weekend. I left my uni on Good Friday, taking the 8.oopm bus and reached KL near midnight. Coincidentally, or perhaps planned, the PIKOM's PC Fair was in KL and i decided to give it a visit- i have in mind to buy an external hard disk to store my movies and photographs, and study materials of course, and a laptop skin to personalize my laptop. This is my second time to the PC Fair, and like the first, this fair is no exception- a more of a people-see-people than a people-see-things scenario. The crowd was massive. There were eager customers squeezing their way into the booth, enthusiastic salespersons floating amongst the flood of people, and visitors who gave way to the crowd and rested at the side. Met my aunt who was in charge, and slowly moved our way through the halls and the exit. The air was fresher outside then, and i left only buying a laptop skin for RM9.00. Another visit to the PC Fair? If and only if i am in desperate need of that device!

Easter on Sunday, and Great Eastern Mall popped in my mind. Usually, the mall have events to celebrate a celebration.

Bunny made up of balloons.

Dance performances.


Enjoy this video. If you know the background song, please inform me.

The Second weekend. I left my uni at 2.00pm on Friday and arrived in KL at 6.00pm. An exodus! More than 10 people in the bus were my friends from uni, and some took other buses back. It is because Monday is a holiday, and we grabbed this opportunity.

Since most of my uni friends were in KL for holiday, we met up in Sunway and soon headed for the Lagoon. It has been more than 10 years since i last entered the Lagoon. I don't remember how it was the last time, but the Lagoon was fun this time. There were many people on Saturday- i was pleasantly surprised, and most of them were tourists- boosting Malaysian Tourism, good thing. We paid RM 48 for the Water and Amusement Park. We strapped the wristband around our wrist and passed through the bag check before being allowed to enter. We rushed to the locker area and safely stored our bags. The lockers were rather pricely- RM 5 for a per-open. Without much time to waste, we hurried to the Surf Water. The weather was on our side.

Rides after rides- my favourites would be the Water Slides (i don't know their names) and the roller coaster, i had to leave before everyone else. Before bidding goodbyes to my friends and the Lagoon,

Group Shot!

Another childhood friend, Ee Vonn, just turned 21 and celebrated her birthday at her place on Saturday, evening. The food was delicious- i liked the potatoes and the pork chop BBQ.

Little cupcakes guarding the core, with the birthday girl.

Sweet-toothed, yummy! 21 standing magestically.

Childhood friends!

Time to sing. Happy Birthday, Ee Vonn!

Two great weekends. Two weekends off study. And now onwards, i really need to focus on my studies. I'm left with a few more weeks before the uni closes for the study week. But then, must relax also la. wc09 is going back to uni.