~ Put a sock in it !

I have moved ... to greener pasture folks!

2010-03-16T14:06:00.003+08:00

Well, hello there my woodland friends!
I have finally got my own space on the internet. Yippiee!!!
For future posts ... just go to http://www.meerakrishnan.com/

Keep on reading! :D

Demise of a miserable vermin (part 2)

2009-09-06T23:28:00.001+08:00

Dear readers,

I am pleased to announce that the war has ended and we, the humans had the last victory. Yes, Richie La Rocha is DEAD.

I was brushing my teeth at the kitchen sink when something fell on my hands and dropped into the sink. It was Richie squirming in agony, no doubt from an overdose of Mortien. My toostpaste filled shriek soon gathered my cousins to the kitchen. Ashi and I let out a tiny girlie scream, not because we were afraid of roaches but simply because we felt it the appropriate thing for a girl to do. Yea, we are drama queens.

Please find enclosed the proof of Richie La Rocha’s demise.

Demise of a miserable vermin (part 1)

2009-09-04T23:15:00.000+08:00

Dear readers,

I imagine as you read the title of this entry, your eyes might have grown wider and your mind possibly conjured up images of kiasu colleagues, demanding bosses, the ticket lady at the train station with the constant PMS, the grouchy cab driver or even your neighbour’s aggressive Chihuahua.

Please be warned that things are not as they seem.

The miserable vermin that I speak of here is a cockroach. And yes, you might say, “But my boss is a cockroach!” and I am sure you have your reasons for such strong convictions. But nevertheless, I mean the creature with the six insecticide legs, the creepy glare and the dirty shade of dark brown plastic skin.

My cousins and I have occasionally seen this particular pest strolling about on our kitchen counter. One cousin (Rina) even had the misfortune of seeing him do the backstroke in her cup of milo. I thought it was hilarious until of course, I caught him snacking on my sandwich. Nobody messes with my triple deck smoked chicken and cheese sandwich. This was WAR!!!

So I laid a trap for our little ‘friend’ and used some soft chocolate chip cookie as bait. For 3 days, he made no appearance. In fact two poor lizards got trapped and died instead. Only after I disposed of the trap, did he make his presence known again, gallivanting on the kitchen counters. That was the last straw! Time for Plan B: Extermination.

I enlisted another cousin’s (Ashi) help and we came up with the notice below. It has now turned personal and we needed all the support we could get!

A promising year indeed.

2009-07-30T23:46:00.009+08:00

Dear readers,

I must apologize for my tardiness. It is already the middle of 2009 and today is my first post for the year! Well, if you must know it has been a very eventful year with restorations of faith, hope and dreams. A very promising year indeed!

But alas, I am 26 today and quite frankly, I'd rather spend the day in solitude, not because I am a recluse but rather to avoid any further mishaps. Truly, I never imagined that birthdays could be so eventful.

2006 - I got hit by a car at the zebra crossing in front of the Masjid Jamek LRT station. Miraculously, I only suffered a concussion and some minor bruises. The car however sustained some major injuries mainly a shattered windshield and a bent bonnet. I seriously thought I was going to die and just imagine, all that trouble, for a double swiss mushroom burger from Burger King. Anyway, it was then that I realized that only God has the power to give or take away my life. It was a mind blowing revelation. I also thanked God for my heavy bones and hard cranium.

2007 - I just stayed at home, to be sure that getting hit by a car was not going to become an annual event.

2008 - Lang Tengah trip with an old school mate, Jadey. It was our first road trip together. Needless to say, we ate and drank like true islanders and blazed through precarious jungle trails with an annoying little guide. Oh, and of course, I almost drowned during one of the snorkeling trip. After that, we went down to Kuantan and met up with another old pal, Joan.

Lang Tengah 2008

2009 - My second last day at work. This marks the beginning of my journey as a freelancer. I have come to this point in life where I am ready to undertake hard work and perseverance in doing something I enjoy immensely. But above all, I am ready to walk in faith and to trust God to guide and provide me all that I need. And He has blessed me too, with friends and family, whose warm hearts and honesty, I treasure dearly.

You only get one chance at life and I determined to make sure that I live mine to the fullest.

Holiday Humbug

2008-12-10T16:34:00.003+08:00

Dear readers,

Yes ... it is that time of the year again, where enterprising businessmen take advantage of unsuspecting holiday makers with silly trinkets and bogus sales.

Christmas deco at the Curve

It is sad how commercialized Christmas has become, with the whole Santa Clause gimmick. Well, I know for certain that he is just a fat guy in a suit. Just so you know, Christmas is about Jesus Christ and Him alone. Anyway, I was going through the internet and found this article about the origin of "the angel" on top of the christmas tree that I thought would make quite an interesting convesation during parties, aside from the weather of course. Enjoy!

The Angel

Not long ago and far away, Santa was getting ready for his annual trip, but there were problems everywhere. Four of his elves got sick and the trainee elves did not produce the toys as fast as the sick elves. Santa was begiining to feel the pressure of being behind schedule.
Then Mrs. Clause told Santa that her mum was going to come and visit. This stressed santa even more.

When he went to harness the reindeer, he found that that three of them were about to give birth and two had jumped the fence and were out, heaven knows where. More Stress.
Then he began to load his sleigh, when one of the boards cracked and the toy bag fell to the floor and scattered the toys.

Totally frustrated, Santa went into the house for a cup of tea and a shot of sherry. When he went to the cupboard, he found the elves had drank all his liquor and there was nothing to drink.
In his frustration, he dropped his tea pot and it shattered into a million pieces and all over the kitchen floor. He got his broom to sweep all the bits up only to find that the mice had eaten the straw off the end of the broom.

Just then the door bell rang and Santa cussed on his way to the door. He opened the door to see a little angel with a great big Christmas tree. The angel said: "Where would you like to put this tree fat man?"

And that my friends, is how the little angel came to be on top of the Christmas tree.

Reflections & Resolutions

2008-12-05T14:30:00.001+08:00

Dear readers,

It is that time of the year once again. It is like having a mid life crisis or perhaps in this case a quarter of a century life crisis. Did I just float along with life? Or did I ardently pursue a path? I just went with the former.

I have lost a number of things this year. I have lost my passion for the many things of God. The events in life have left my soul weary and downcast. Tell me, where do you draw the line between compassion and pity, respect and expectations, love and duty, obedience and sacrifice? I do wonder if my heart has grown cold and numb. Have I compromised my walk with God? Did I let the distractions pull away my focus?

I think love is not loud but silent, deep and strong. And very often it would leave you burnt and alone because love is selfless. Yes, love hurts. Perhaps I should save myself the trouble and heartache and just walk the other way. But how can I deny Him, having experienced His love? I cannot let go of my God.

And my resolutions? To pursue my God. In my abstinence of Him, I have come to realize how His guidance and wisdom taught me to be a better person, how His gentleness instantly quiets my fears and makes me bold, how His humour leaves me laughing and content and how His love and faithfulness keeps drawing me back to Him.

I need to make right with my Lord again.

BEST MC EVER!

2008-11-18T23:23:00.009+08:00

Dear readers,

Ever had one of those days when you just feel like crap? Well, today is such a day for me. I woke up moderately early and prepared to go to work. After donning on my work attire, I just sat on my bed and zoned out for 5 minutes. I imagined having difficulty in breathing and a myriad of other tropical diseases. It's amazing what the power of your mind can do to your body. The next minute, I messaged my team lead and told her that I won't be coming in as I was not feeling well. There was not much to do at work anyway!

I then spent the day sleeping. I was exhausted for pete's sake! I woke up at 1, made lunch and idly passed the time reading a book. At around 5, my cousin came back and asked if I would like to follow her to watch "The Showdown of Champions" in Bukit Jalil Stadium. Hell yea!! We got dressed and headed to Masjid Jamek by 5 p.m to avoid the "working crowd" rush. We then waited for another hardworking cousin who needless to say, got caught in the chaos.

The Usual Suspects

We reached Bukit Jalil in good time and ate and drank our fill of fishball, popiah and orange juice. The game only started around 8 p.m. It was awesome to watch them play. Their fitness level was really admirable. I felt so geared up start my cycling routine again.

For more info on the game, visit my cousin's blog,

http://ashreenapillai.blogspot.com/2008/11/gamesetmatch.html.

She is a way better sports commentator. :)

Lecka Lecka

2008-11-16T23:21:00.002+08:00

Dear readers,

If you have tasted the mango yoghurt ice cream in Mango Mania and thought it was good, well, I have news for you: go out and explore dude! Yes, there is a better one. Where? Lecka leckha of course! Price: only RM6.90. It taste like real mango and I am not freaking kidding or exaggerating. They probably took a mango, pureed it and then froze it. Simply awesome! :D Their sorbet comes in a variety of flavor, some yummy ones being passion fruit, watermelon, strawberry, lime and of course mango. They also have other sinful flavors like oreos, cookies n’ cream … well you get the drift.

(clockwise from the right)

Watermelon, Passion Fruit, Mango

Satisfied patron

Another satisfied patron slightly whoozie from the shisa smoke

Artsy Wartsy

2008-11-13T19:15:00.004+08:00

Dear readers,

I must beg your pardon. This might be a sight of me that you have never seen. I was taken by a whim. Yes, I was overwhelmed by a sudden urge to draw that I offered to help my cousin design a birthday card for her friend. FOR FREE!! I must have been struck with temporary insanity.

Front

Inside

Ah boy, I sure miss drawing! But I need a project ... hmmm ...

My Day Off (Day 02) - Digging for the truth

2008-10-30T01:28:00.010+08:00

Dear readers,

No doubt, Day 01 had been quite eventful, to a point that it even made me reflect on my insurance policy and coverage. As such, I decided to take it a little easy on Day 02. You know, do a little digging in the backyard perhaps. Inspired mainly by the show "Digging for the truth", I set out with my shovel and chisel.

Maybe I'd find some substantial discovery. Find a whole T-Rex. The magnitude of the discovery alone would bring me enough cash to settle my study loan, not to mentioned engrave my name forever in the folds history. I would call him Tibby, after a certain rat I have had the pleasure of making an aquaintance with, back home. Suffice to say, with the intense boredom and hours to kill, I skillfully carved at the cast. I dusted off the debris and after a good one hour, there it was, my fossil, for the world to behold and feast their beady little eyes on.

A Spinosaurus

FYI, in case you are worried if I might be losing it, please take comfort that this whole entry was a result of pure and utter boredom. One I would not wish to even the worst of my enemies. On second thought, why not?

My Day Off (Day 01) - Invite a friend for a dip in the pool

2008-10-28T12:10:00.001+08:00

Dear readers,

Have you ever been stumped on what to do on your day off, especially when you are completely broke to even consider a short vacation? Well, I was initially in this sad preposition when an old friend, Bartholomew dropped by. Now, you might probably know him better as Bart. If you don't, then might I suggest that you get a life and watch some TV for a change. Anyway, Bart is well known for his antics and bouts of mischief. So quite naturally, what started out as a day of chillin' in the tub, turned out to be a near death experience for Bart. Kids, don't try this at home.

Warning: Viewer discretion advised. The next few photos might be disturbing.

Bart chillin' in the tub

Doin' some swimmin'

The Tub

Bart taking it up a notch by attempting a dive

The plunge

What a dive!

Oh dear, he is in too deep

Alarmingly lifeless in the tub

Lifeguard doing CPR on Bart

Please, do not be alarmed, my friends. I am happy to report that Bart is currently recuperating well from the events of the day. It will definitely be some time before he attempts any other water related sports.

Diwali! Diwali!

2008-10-23T23:32:00.001+08:00

That's right ... time to hit the bazaar in KL Sentral!

One of the most complex "kolum" I have ever seen

I followed my cousins who were as eager as a couple of beavers to get henna done on their hands. It's the next best thing to a tattoo. It doesn't hurt and well it's not permanent. I was impressed by the henna artist not only because she is Malay but also because she actually spent some time in India to learn the art. And boy, she was good! Oh, and the price was reasonable too.

Mi-San (RM 10)

Some dude from China (RM 10)

Ashi (RM 15)

Mine (RM 5)

Rina (RM 15)

The groupie: Check 'em out!

Blood Donation (continuation)

2008-10-23T19:47:00.002+08:00

Dear readers,

This is it. The day I bleed for mankind. Now, in case you are wondering if I have somehow gotten myself involved in some demonic ritual involving bloody human sacrifices, let me assure you that there is no need for such panic. It is only a blood donation and the most they can get out of me is probably a pint of blood. I decided to go with a colleague of mine, who suffice to say, has done her fair bit for the blood bank.

Eager Donor 01 (my colleague)

Eager Donor 02 (that's me!)

As you can see, I have a little bit of catching up to do. Anyway, while filling up the form, I realized that I could actually get rejected because of a tattoo I did in March. I consulted the doctor about this and she confirmed that it should not be a problem as it was 6 months ago. However, I was rejected because I took some medication for my asthma last week. I was officially out of the queue then. What a let down! Especially when I was so geared up for the whole event. Ah, another time perhaps.

Blood Donation

2008-10-21T13:24:00.006+08:00

Dear readers,

It was just another manic Tuesday when I received an email about a Blood Donation Drive at work. You know what they say, that “a picture tells a thousand words”. I personally agree with that statement myself. This is what I call powerful advertising.

Simple and straight to the point

I especially like the picture of the blood droplet with bulging biceps. Not only that, the pink shade also signifies a healthy complexion. This dude did not get his biceps by eating protein bars and pumping up irons in the gym. No way! He had definitely done it by donating blood. This has inspired me to be a donor as well.

Well, I will keep you posted on the events on that day. See you soon.

A Day At The Fish Spa

2008-10-19T20:03:00.027+08:00

Dear readers,

No doubt, you would have heard tons of fascinating things about the new craze in town: the fish spa. What you are going to find out in the next few minutes would probably change your perspective of this new and trendy relaxation method. Well, it sure freaked me out.

It was a typical Sunday evening, when one of my cousins suggested that we try something different for a change rather than just bumming around and watching You Tube like a bunch of Internet junkies. She heard from her friend's cousin's friend's boyfriend's sister that there is a newly opened fish spa near our apartment. She even got a coupon for a 15 minute free session, which fitted very well into our budget. So, we decided to give it a try.

The location of the shop was pretty shady but the proprietor (Miss R) seemed friendly enough. She was actually inspired to start the fish spa after watching some locals in the jungles of the Amazon perform their yearly ritual to appease the pagan river god, Kowabunga. She barely made it out alive herself, having seen 2 of her own friends become fish food. Despite the harrowing experience, she decided to do something positive about the whole experience. Thus, the fish spa. A very admirable person and enterprising too.

My cousin was estatic to give it a try. So we enquired about the free trial, just to make sure it was really free. I only brought five bucks with me and my cousin had 10 with her. Miss R assured us that the offer was still valid and ushered us to a cozy spot at the corner of the shop. She even whipped out a contract of non-guarantee that my cousin had to sign. It stated something about Miss R or her establishment not be held reposible for any injuries and that the patron was a willing participant. We though she had a wonderful sense of humor, perhaps a little dark, but it looked harmless.

So, my cousin signed it.

NOTE: The next few images that you are about to look at are a bit disturbing. If you have a weak heart or an uncontrollable bladder, I advice you to close this window now.

My cousin were then told to put her feet into a basin filled with tiny fishes, that begin nibbling at her dead skin. It was ticklish but never felt so good.

The Fish Spa!!

Fishes hard at work.

The fishes were really efficient. I mean kamikaze efficient. Some even died doing their job.

The casualties.

Miss R then decided that my cousin would require a stronger species. One that was considered illegal in many countries. I was not too sure it was a good idea but my cousin said she could handle it. She wanted to get the most out of the free trial.

The procument of a stronger fish.

Yep, it sure worked ...

It feels so good, it hurts.

Mean big arse fish in action!

Divin' deeper for the kill.

I'M BACK!!!

2008-01-12T16:57:00.000+08:00

Whoa ... I can't believe my last post was in 2006! A lot has happened since, some pleasant and well some downright nasty. I have finally passed my Computer Networks. Take that Mr. Sloppy Sadistic Lecturer! Ka-Pow! I got a job too, surprisingly, considering I just went for the interview dressed in a kurtha top and army pants, not forgetting the flip flops. What can I say... they must have been desperate to hire people! The job has been challenging so far but thoroughly interesting, so I can't really complain. Who would have thought that being a computer programmer can be addictive. Yes I am a workaholic.

I have grown much in the relationship side of things as well. One important lesson learnt; people are highly unpredictable and as for loyalty and honour, the definition truly defers according to individuals and situations. I think its wise to keep your opinions of others only between you and God. Trust is a fragile thing. Once broken, you can never gain it back. As for respect, it is given and not earned, contrary to popular belief. I mean if you need to earn respect, gosh nobody deserves it then because let's face it, nobody is perfect enough to be set as the plumbline. Nope, I'd rather believe that respect is given very much like love.

Hometown

2006-06-02T14:33:00.000+08:00

The finals are finally over and it's the holidays now. I am back in my hometown for 5 days and I am bored already.

I have always dreaded coming back here. I always thought it was because I typically end up having a fight with my mom or dad. And then leave with more frustration in my heart than before I came. It gets tiring after a while, up to a point when you realize you have been doing most of the hearing and no talking at all. I don't blame shrinks for charging high fees to their patients at all. Believe me, they need that much because it is not easy listening to people's problems especially if it's recurring and they never heed to any of your advices or suggestions. So, basically they are always stuck in square one and whenever you are near them, they just drag you in as well. Don't they realize I am just a kid myself?

I wish they would stop getting at each other's throats all the time. Maybe it's idealistic to think that as you grow old with someone, your relationship matures with that person, to a point there's no need to say anything much because both has the same level of love, trust and openess with each other. Of course there will be arguments and tiffs but it will be discussed about and settled, never left to fester disbelieve in their hearts about the other's faithfulness.

What can I do my God? This is in your hands. I can only come to you for rest. I am tired. Exhausted.

Lu Cha

2006-04-30T03:52:00.000+08:00

I bought a box of green tea from Carrefour yesterday. Just thought I'll try it out, after hearing so many good stories about it. I am typically a coffee person but lately I've been getting rather bored with it. So I decided to try tea instead.

So far, there are 3 types of teas that I know of i.e. black tea, green tea and red tea (I beg to differ). The differences between these teas are their processing methods. Green tea are not fermented and the least processed as they are simply steamed quickly. Black and red teas on the other hand are partially crushed, dried and fermented. The color of these teas as they are soaked in boiling water, are as their names suggest.

There are of course a variety of teas under each of these genres. The classifications of the names of these teas usually reflect the region of their origin or even based the texture, body and taste of the tea. For example, Nilgiri, Assam and Darjeeling are types of black teas from India. Dian Hong is a type of black tea from China, the Yunnan Province to be precise. There are also blended teas, tea mixed with other plants to achieve a certain flavour or smell. A fine example would be Earl Grey, named after believe or not, the 2nd Earl Grey (whoever that may be).

Why green tea? Well, I have tried black tea all my life and red tea is third on the list. Anyway, there are also some interesting benefits in green tea, with it not being fermented and stuff. Yea, according to researches done, green tea is noted as a powerful antioxidant that reduces the level of free radicals causing cell damage. It is also helps in weight loss, effectively lowers cholesterol, blocks cancer and is a chum in preventing cavities and tooth decay.

The art of tea drinking is so complex and yet I really feel it can be quite enjoyable. From the way it prepared to the type of tea used, every single detail affects the way the tea taste. Unfortunately, I believe this tradition is dying out in the Chinese community here especially among the younger generation. If I had a grandfather to teach me this, I'd gladly jump to the opportunity. I'll even bring my own teapot! This is a hobby that’s going to last me a lifetime and it seems affordable so far.

Destressing 101

2006-04-28T22:06:00.000+08:00

I have my own way of taking stress off. My true roomates (sworn to the allegiance of the A1-0-2 sisterhood) might know of it. It can turn messy at times but it is really calms me down. At this point if some of you are getting a little nervous or uptight, let me assure you that it is something decent. What on earth is it, you might wonder? Why, it's rearranging stuff of course. Every box will be opened and inspected and rearranged; not a single one is spared. These boxes for books, magazines, shoes, bags, toiletries, and miscellaneous items, in turn, will be piled up accordingly. It's somewhat like a major spring cleaning with indexing and proper labeling. Well, at least it is not shopping! Ugh ...

There goes the last drop.

2006-04-25T21:43:00.000+08:00

This is what I detest about staying in the hostel: Water Shortage! How on earth is it even possible, when each wing has 2 huge water tanks? It's frustrating allright!

When I was washing my clothes in the evening, the water supply was rapidly decreasing. An hour later as I was about to take my bath, there was no water in the bathroom except for the pantry. But of course, I can't very well bath in the pantry now can I? So I rushed to the other wing and thank goodness there was water there but you can tell it's running low. It's a good thing I took my bath then, because now the whole block is out of water. Everybody is going to the next block. It's just like the great Exodus, only this time, the multitudes are carrying pails, towels and soaps.

Needless to say, I thought it would be wise to save up some water from the pantry. I have to prepare for the worst. It would probably take them the whole day to fix the problem and I do have an 8 o'clock class tomorrow morning. Better to be safe than smelly!

Rumours of a spotcheck ....

2006-04-05T23:48:00.000+08:00

Well, I was doing my report (I started at around 3 p.m. and was still doing it until around 10 p.m.) today when I was interuppted by my roomate.

"Hey it seems there are gonna have a spotcheck!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, my mind started kicking into action. Off the computer, put everything into the cupboard, lock it and then go have a shower. Yea, wait it out in the toilet. The perfect plan. But wait! Don't get too excited ... confirm with someone if it is for real.

So, I called my friend who was in another wing and asked her to contact me if anyone comes over to her room for a spotcheck. In the meantime, I started gathering my bathroom gears. As I was about to leave, I got a phone call. Yes, there is a spotcheck going on. Someone just came over to her room and did the routine search. Great! By the time I took my bath and washed my clothes, they would have already passed by my room.

When I returned from my refreshing shower, I was informed that nothing happened. Can you believe that?! All that preparation for nothing. It was 11 something and very unlikely for them to continue with the spotcheck. There might be a possibilty of one tomorrow. I definately don't plan on staying in the room.

Off to the library!

The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite

2006-04-04T01:24:00.000+08:00

It's week 9 now and I'm surprised that I still have my sanity intact. Projects hanging midways, midterms around the corner and mild insomnia. At this moment, my plans and thoughts are only for tomorrow and if I have the time, maybe the day after.

We had the regular Monday meeting with our Marketing lecturer(codename: sidewinder) today. By the end of the meeting, he usually leaves us with a lot of things to work on. This time however, we finished our discussions in 15 minutes. Indeed, a very rare and precious moment. He even bestowed upon us 2 weeks to complete the whole website. I met up with the designer after that and got him to cut up the images for the website. I am actually pretty excited to finish this off as soon as possible. There's the debugging to look into as well but hey, that's another story. I never knew programming would actually be interesting.

Hello Goodbye

2006-03-15T14:50:00.000+08:00

I woke up at around 2 p.m. on Monday, feeling rather awful, having slept through my Multimedia Marketing class. It was a rejuvenating slumber though. Anyway, at around 6 in the evening, there was a knock on my room door. I was terrified! Can it be ... the long awaited hostel spot check? Maybe it is the warden, coming to warn me about the complaints she got of somebody singing "We are the champions" late into the night? How did they know it was me?

I was about to open the door when I heard the key being inserted from the other side. The door opened to reveal .... MY NEW ROOMATE!!! I was shocked and she was stunned. After a moment of awkward silence, we regained our composure and introduced each other. I explained that it would be impossible for us to take in a third roomate because, as it is with just the 2 of us, the room is already congested. A third would be a catastrophe! A little bit dramatic perhaps but you would understand if you see my room.

After listening to her story; about how she has been turned away by a few other seniors who did not want a third roomate, the harsh and sacarstic remarks from the hostel management and the dire need for an accomodation, I relented. So it was settled. She would come back later at night with her things but she will be spending the night at her friend's room as we did not have an extra mattress for the third bed.

As soon as she left, I called my roomate and told her about the news. She came back and we tried shifting her cupboard and bed to see if we could actually make room somewhere for a plastic cupboard or maybe a book rack. It was pointless really and we concluded that we will talk to the hostel management the next day and ask them if there is another room available for the new girl.

The next day however, my new roomie dropped by after lunch to inform me that she managed to get another room in the other block after talking it over with the management. I was estatic! Saved me a trip to the hostel office too. And so that was it, the arrival and departure of my new roomate, all in 2 days.

Heart Broken

2006-03-01T20:37:00.000+08:00

My heart is bleeding. My external hard drive is not working! Gone the 9.2 GB of mp3s, project backups and not to forget, other vital documents. Funny isn't it, that hard drive was suppose to be my backup! Argh!

What happened? Well, I had this "window file delayed" ballon on my system tray. So I took out the USB cable and connected it back. That's when things went absolute cuckoo. I saw the blue screen of death! Then suddenly, that awful message "dumping physical memory .... 10%". The number kept increasing and I freaked. So I restarted my laptop again but that was probably not the best thing to do, because now it is not even reading it! WHY?!!!!

I have never been so heart broken before! Oh yea, okay, I felt the same when I lost my 128 MB mp3 player+pen drive+FM radio with a 256 MB SD card inside. The loss of appetite, the intense depression .... Well, I am going to watch 'Harold & Kumar Go To The White Castle'. Hopefully that would take my mind off things for a while.

Fire Demonstration

2006-03-01T01:39:00.000+08:00

It is the College Festival in campus this week and the guest of honor is the Cyberjaya Fire Department. They had a demonstation yesterday afternoon, in front of some makeshift stalls.

I must say, that they have no clue as to how to appeal to the crowd. All they had in their act was some dogs that helped sniff some people out as well as find some hidden items. I admit that the dogs were cute but I always had the impression that these work dogs are usually fierce and move only when commanded. The dogs I saw looked more like obedient house pets, playfully running around, with their tails wagging (almost comparable to the speed a rattle snake's tail, prior to an attack). Their next act (and the final one) was setting a pile of wood on fire and then extinguishing it. Quite lame if you ask me. I can pretty much do that in my backyard (if I had one) with some dry leaves and twigs.

Personally, I felt that they could have won the favour of all present by pulling off a partially dangerous stunt. Yea, that's right! By setting a man on fire and then demonstating the method to put out that fire. Realistic and practical! That is something you might want to know how to do in the future compared to putting out a bonfire. Any dummy can put out a bonfire but if he is an idiot, he might end up setting himself on fire. That is exactly when that demonstation comes in handy.

Anyway, I hope that they come up with something better tomorrow. At least I can have some quality entertainment while I enjoy my grean peas porridge.

Fire Drill

2006-02-28T20:06:00.000+08:00

They had a fire drill last night at around 1.30 a.m. The students were definately NOT pleased about it but the firemen sure were! I guess it was an opportunity to put all those practices into action. The silly thing is that only my block was involved; the other 3 escaped the whole unwanted drama. Crap! That's not a simulation of a real emergency. It's a controlled simulation and seriously, where is the danger in that?

Anyway, as soon as the alarms went off, they switched off the power supply and turned on the emergency lights. Everyone was evasperated and started making their way out of the hostel. What did I do? Well, I decided to stay in the room. My roommate decided to follow in my lead. So, we sat in the dark, quiet as 2 mice.

For the first 10 minutes, we could hear the the students thumping down the stairs. We closed the curtains and sat still on our beds. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. I motioned my roomate to be silent, my heart pounding faster, my mind assaulted with a million thoughts. Did they see us from the window? Did someone tell them that we were still in the room? Were they going to open the room with the spare key? Can I fit under the bed? Or maybe in the cupboard?
10 seconds later, we heard them knocking the next room door. A rountine check! What a relief! Come to think of it, why did they even bother to do that? Who would be dumb enough to open the door?

As we were sitting on our beds, my roomate suddenly whispered to me.

"Hey can you come and sit with me? It is so dark and I am scared."

I was dumbfounded. Obviously, she had no clue what it was like to be in pitch darkness. Anyway, I sat next to her and told her to calm down. She was still nervous and started coughing. Gosh! All I could say was "SHHHHH!!!!!". If this was WW2, the Gestapo would have probably found us and shot our heads. Since her bed was next to the door, I asked her to go and sit on my bed, which was at the corner of the room, quite a distance from the door.

Another 10 minutes passed and we heard boots thumping up the stairs and passing in front of our room. For that particular second, I understood how the Jews would have felt hiding from the Nazis. The thought of being found was suffocating to a point that you dare not move an inch for fear of making a noise that will give you away. What uncanny timing too because that was when my roomate had an uncontrollable fit of coughing. I gave her a bottle of water to drink but it was not effective. Then, I found a chewing gum and asked her to suck on it, to lessen her throat irritation. That worked well and we continued sitting silently for a couple of minutes.

Despite the loud alarms, I started dozing off after a while. So I asked my roomate if she would be okay to go back to her bed as I really want to sleep. She was sleepy herself and went back to her bed willingly, forgetting, much to my delight, her fear of the dark.

So there I was, until the whole thing was over, lying on my bed and staring at the ceiling, wondering when will they have it all done with.

Cruel Cruel Fate

2006-02-21T15:56:00.000+08:00

I cannot believe this! Why does fate have to be so cruel? Why! The first time I took this subject, the coursework was as such:

Test 1 – 15%

Test 2 – 15%

Project – 10%

Final Exam – 60%

I did moderately well for the first test but I flunked the second one. As for the project, I had this sadistic lecturer who failed me without any valid reason. I tried to reason with him but it was pointless. I was so fed up as he would not even listen to any sound reason. How am I to plead my case if I am not even given a chance defend myself or make my point audible? He was so sloppy while marking the project and just rushed off to the next person without even properly ending the current presentation. It was all so confusing as nobody knew if their project was accepted or rejected. My presentation was on the last day, so you could very well imagine the chaos.

The second time I took this subject, the coursework was as such:

Test 1 – 20%

Test 2 – 20%

Final Exam – 60%

I was ecstatic! No project and above all, Mr. Sloppy Lecturer were not in charge of the subject. This time around though, I admit it was my own fault. I did not study for both the test and missed a few lectures and tutorials here and there. Yea, I brought this upon myself. I allowed my vehemence for the subject to overtake the fact that I needed to pass it in order to graduate. A lesson well learned.

So now, I am taking it for the third time and God willing, for the last time. Just so happens that the coursework is:

Test 1 – 15%

Test 2 – 15%

Project – 10%

Final Exam – 60%

The same as the first time I took it. But that’s not all, the real deep shock it that I have to cross paths once again with Mr. Sloppy Sadistic Lecturer.

The session I registered

The blasted announcement!

Believe me; I would have gladly changed my lecture section if I knew that he was going to be my lecturer. It is too late now as it is the third week and I have other subjects to be worried about as well. If only they posted this earlier. AH CRAP!

Mawi Mania

2006-02-17T01:28:00.000+08:00

Have you heard about this new Malaysian pop star, Mawi? I never had the inconvenience of listening to any of his songs until today.

I was on the Seri Indah bus, on my way to KL when the bus conductor decided to entertain us by putting a VCD on. The usual norm would be a P. Ramlee movie or some Hollywood flick. So I geared myself up hoping it would be “Labu-Labi” or maybe “Tiga Abdul”. I was quite fond of P. Ramlee movies, one of the few Malaysian movies that have both a witty script and talented actors.

Unfortunately though, it was a Mawi concert recorded at the Astro studio. The first song left a little sharp pain in my head. The second made me wholeheartedly regret sitting close to the speaker. The third gave me the urge to smash the TV and the VCD player along with that monster of a VCD inside.

I just could not understand the excitement of the audience. The ladies were giggling and singing along, and mind you most of them were probably over 30. The same applied to the men. Even the bus conductor started singing along to one of his songs, “Cinta Pertama dan Terakhir” or something close to that.

The dude can sing but he seems to make it such an arduous task. He was practically screaming over the microphone. Most of the time he sang some really high “aaaaa ….” and “oooo…” that really sounded mildly annoying. He had no stage presence, no unique way of singing and definitely no style of his own. Just another one of those pop stars that will die out, as soon as a new one comes out.

Above all, what I could not comprehend is, why do artist like Manbai, who obviously has the talent, presence and style do not achieve this level of success? What a dreadful waste!

Pride & Prejudice

2006-02-09T22:45:00.002+08:00

Finally, Pride and Prejudice on the big screen! My all time favorite Jane Austen novel. No doubt that there would have been older remakes, both movies and dramas but a newer version is always welcomed.

They have been other Austen movies on the big screen as well, namely, Emma, Sense & Sensibility and Mansfield Park. Personally, Emma was adapted well into a screenplay but Sense & Sensibility was a flop. The book itself, to begin with, lacked some personality and that impeccable Austen humour evident in her other books.

Pride and Prejudice has a set of well developed characters especially the two main characters Miss Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy.

There was a mini series in 1995 if I am not mistaken, with Colin Firth as Mr Darcy. He played the role superbly well, potraying Mr Darcy as a cold, insensitive and arrogant man. He is actually a pretty nice guy but only around his family and close friends. An encounter with Miss Bennet however, opened his eyes to the flaws of his character. He then sincerely wills himself to change in order to gain the affections of Miss Bennet, whose reprove have apparently transformed him to a better man. A guy willing to admit his faults and change all for the sake of a woman?! An undiscovered species really. I wonder if Austen herself ever met such a fellow. A hundred bucks says he was a figment of her imagination, for it would be too good to be true,if such a guy ever did exist.

Matthew Macfadyen played a pretty good Mr Darcy as well in the 2005 movie. Though I personally preffered the Colin Firth version. There is just something about the character of this Darcy fellow that has made him ever so popular among ladies. He even made it to BBC! Go ahead and check it out yourself - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2955396.stm

Anyway, I think the book is always the best version; unabridged. I probably read it 5 times already. My favourite part is when Mr Darcy expresses his feelings to Elizabeth somewhere towards the end of the novel.

"I have been a selfish being all my life, in practice, though not in principle. As a child I was taught what was right, but I was not taught to correct my temper. I was given good principles, but left to follow them in pride and conceit. Unfortunately an only son (for many years an only child), I was spoilt by my parents, who, though good themselves (my father, particularly, all that was benevolent and amiable), allowed, encouraged, almost taught me to be selfish and overbearing; to care for none beyond my own family circle; to think meanly of all the rest of the world; to wish at least to think meanly of their sense and worth compared with my own. Such I was, from eight to eight and twenty; and such I might still have been but for you, dearest, loveliest Elizabeth! What do I not owe you! You taught me a lesson, hard indeed at first, but most advantageous. By you, I was properly humbled. I came to you without a doubt of my reception. You showed me how insufficient were all my pretensions to please a woman worthy of being pleased."

Wonderfully expressed and beautifully written!

Introduction of the Casts

2006-02-08T21:43:00.000+08:00

I initially hoped that this semester would be an easy ride; all I had to do was enjoy the view and the wind from the back seat. But things always do not go the way you planned them, do they?. Well, that is, when I am the one planning, there is without fail, a sharp turn offroad somewhere along the way.

My first lecture, Multimedia Marketing, is a fine example to start off with. I went to class thinking it would be a simple management subject, with high possibilities of scoring an A. However, after the lecturer finished with the introduction, I started wondering if this is an elective that I can drop. It would be a dream subject had it not clashed with my hopes of lazing around this semester. There will be hard work from the beginning to the end. Sadly, there will be no spoon-feeding either. I have gotten quite used to that after being here for so long.

The second in line is Media Law, a promising subject I should say. One with tonnes of reading and arguments, with the law as the guidelines of course. But can there be true justice based on the law on man? I wonder ...

Then there is Introduction to Cyberprenuership, a one credit hour subject. I faithfully went to class today only to be told that the faculty has withdrawn the subject. I later spent the whole day running between four different faculties to register the subject. All that trouble for a one credit hour subject!

Tommorrow will be Computer Networks at 9 a.m., my Achilles' heel. I loathe it with all my heart. Not a very positive attitude to begin with but I just cannot help it.

And finally on Friday, Games Foundation, a subject with interesting assignments and one that I will enjoy no doubt. I just hope that there was no tutorial today as I slept through it. I snoozed the alarm until 11 a.m. Don't you judge me!

Well, that's it then, the ensemble, the casts for this final semester.

The Final Chapter.

2006-02-08T01:50:00.000+08:00

So, this is it ... my final semester.

To commemorate these last remaining days of my University life, I have decided to start this blog. Why now? Well, that's possibly due to my uncontainable joy at the prospect of finally leaving University and moving on with life. *Please God, help me avoid any major screw-ups that would detain me for even a month longer here.

And yes, you may freely express your opinions but please do so civilly.