Gathering @ Sri Sayang

Well, i’ll be postponing “Last Week of Uni Life (2)” for something more significant that just happened.

I had just came back from Sri Sayang Apartment and i’m EXHAUSTED. A few friends of mine (10 of us actually including me) decided really really last minute (1 day before if i’m not mistaken) to go for a short apartment stay. So off we go and we managed to get 2 units of apartment at Sri Sayang Apartment near Batu Feringghi. Well, the trip actually function both as a final gathering and to celebrate See Pheng’s birthday too.

Friday
2.30p.m
Yen Chao picked me up from my hostel and we set off our journey to Batu Ferringghi(BF). Bought a blueberry cake (RM10) on the way to BF. The cake’s actually a “stand-by cake”. WE had planned initially to push the birthday girl’s face into the creamy blueberry cake (more on that part later). Arrived at the apartment at 4pm. Checked in, paid the deposit and we were given room 302 and 303.

4.30p.m
GRRR, Sio Hing forgot to bring the paper cups, paper plates, noodles, and the puddings!!! GRRR, luckily she’s quick thinking, somehow she managed to contact See Pheng and asked her to purchase it before they reached. The rest of the girls started the preparation for dinner while i “supervise” lor, eeyer, somehow i felt that i’m more “adaptable” at cutting the ingredients. Hahahah, not bad huh?

Hotdogs, Button Mushrooms, Crab-Sticks, Meatballs and many more

 

Young Corns, “Gold-Needle Mushroom”??

6.30p.m
DINNER TIME FINALLY, walao eh, see pheng’s steamboat pot somehow doesn’t really boil the water, it’s more like keeping it warm. So i took some crab-sticks, fishball and dump it into the rice cooker that we used to prepare the soup. Voila, the fishball were cooked in an instant, look at the difference…

Cooked with Sio Hing’s magical rice cooker

 

Cooked with See Pheng’s warm steamboat pot (can you see the crabsticks? They are still sticking to each other after 30 minutes)

7.30p.m
Charm lor, we couldn’t finish the steamboat… WE bought too many ingredients. So See Pheng’s boyfriend suggested a game. IT DID HELP A LOT. So how does it work?

1. Everyone takes a card from the stack of poker card
2. Put own card on own self forehead
3. Start betting of the number that you got. For instance, Sio Hing got the smallest number in the 1st round, so EVERYONE starts by putting the unfinished ingredients into a bowl. If you’re confident enough that your number isn’t the smallest one, then go ahead and put more.

I really “suay” lor, before this i’d ate 4 FULL bowls of fishball, crab sticks, meatballs etc. Then we played the game for 5 rounds…. And i couln’t believe how lucky i am. I really dunno HOW DID I LOSE 5 ROUNDS STRAIGHT!!!!!!!!! I believe the cards must have cursed me lor….

EPIC “SUAY”-ness, I have to finish all this in one go…

8.30p.m
I also dunno how the girls did it. Somehow they managed to successfully tricked See Pheng to get to the BF Night Market while me, Yik Ling and Sio Hing stayed back to decorate the living hall. We had put up candles and balloons all over the living hall and it look absolutely romantic and nice. Gee, was it my idea? Hahahahha

9.15p.m
So after the diversion, the 3 of us went to the night market and met up with them. I got myself some pirated DVDs (Warlords and the Complete Season 1 of Heroes) too, hahahah

How i wish i had superpowers too…

10.30p.m
Initial plan was to gather around at the beach for a chit-chat session. Plan abandoned, the weather is too freaking hot, everyone was sweating like they just jump into the sea, HAhaha, me included. So we all settled for a game of “Pepsi-Cola”. Haha, old school game, i used to play a lot last time back in my primary school days. Back then we used to play only on Thurs and Fridays. Why?

Haha, simple, monday our shoes are still bright white mar… Thursday onwards our shoes can afford to be “more” dirty. The game itself is pretty fun. Everyone gather in a circle and take turns to “step” on each others leg. The one that got stepped is out. Of course, it all depends on one’s agility and a little of mental trick also…

11.30p.m
Back to the apartment and hence the 2nd part of the agenda takes place. The “standby” cake was first took out and we sang Happy Birthday Song right at 12.00a.m. I think See Pheng suspected our plan already lor… She was really really cautious while she was pulling out the candle from the blueberry cake.

Nope, that’s not the cake, this is the same scenario that happened, only it was 2 years ago, during her 2006 birthday (history’s repeating itself)

Our plan to push her face into the creamy cake proved to be a wrong move… She retaliated!!! Next come a cake war!! Sorry, no pics~ Everyone was dodging and attacking with blueberry cream and it was too chaos to snap pics, hahaha

Too bad not everyone got “attacked”. Yik Ling somehow managed to stay clean (i really have no idea where she hid)… I think there’s a few more also managed to escape, CIS…

12.30p.m
Finally we proceed to 2nd agenda of the gathering, while the birthday girl was busy cleaning up herself, everyone was ushered silently to the 2nd room. Later, we managed to lure See Pheng to the 2nd room and Su Keat brought out the Secret Recipe Choc Cake with the candles lighted. I think See Pheng’s deeply moved =) (got tears in her eyes lor if i’m not mistaken)

1.30p.m
All of us spent the next hour cleaning up ourselves (obviously the cream from the bluberry cake was still all over us…) After the clean up, somehow not everyone was tired. Maybe the bath had woke them after all that happened previously(it was pretty tiring actually, from 2pm to 1.30am, that’s like almost 11 hours of non-stop activities)

So for those who aren’t tired, we all settled down for some a lot rounds of Blackjack. Again, I believe I’m cursed by Cheng Ai’s poker card. My wallet’s ringgit flowed out like water RM2 RM10 RM10 RM10 and RM5, god knows how much i lost until See Pei (Pardon me, was it spelled like that?) suddenly suggested that perhaps my “Feng-Shui” at that time wasn’t that good.

My favorite pair of cards

I was sitting directly at the CORNER of the coffee table. Believe it or not, after i moved the table to face Yik Ling (she’s positioned beside me at that time and she was on a winning streak), my money started pouring in. Feng Shui really works !!!

3.30p.m
Finally, everyone was dead tired and decided to call it a day. Good Night everyone and thanks for the great trip!!

Side Note : During the WHOLE duration in the apartment, i could always hear screams, in fact it was a girl’s scream. It happened every 30 mins interval. Or was it more frequent? No wonder Sio Hing was reluctant to go to sleep until Yik Ling joined her.

I’m not hallucinating due to the alcohol, Su Keat heard it too if i’m not mistaken. The screams were real and i could hear it in the living room up till 4.30a.m (i’m sleeping in the living room). Geez, i swear i was a little afraid too…

Make a Difference – Earth Hour 2008

Lemme see, i never switch off the fan in my room. It had been swinging since last year? I’d been using too much electricity for the past 3 years. In fact almost ALL of use are taking our Uni’s “free” electricity for granted. Finally, WWF launched a campaign which i feel can at least minimize my guilt (if there’s any)

Introducing……….

Earth Hour 2008

Earth Hour, run by WWF, the conservation organisation, is a global climate change initiative which calls on individuals and businesses around the world, to turn off their lights for one hour on Saturday March 29 2008 between 8 pm and 9pm.

It all started in one city last year. On 31 March 2007, 2.2 million people and 2100 Sydney businesses turned off their lights for one hour – Earth Hour. If the greenhouse reduction achieved in the Sydney CBD during Earth Hour was sustained for a year, it would be equivalent to taking 48,616 cars off the road for a year!

With Sydney icons like the Harbour Bridge and Opera House turning their lights off, and unique events such as weddings by candlelight, the world took notice. Inspired by the collective effort of millions of Sydneysiders, many major global cities are joining Earth Hour in 2008, turning a symbolic event into a global movement.

More info from Earth Hour Webbie

About Earth Hour

On March 31 2007, for one hour, Sydney made a powerful statement about the greatest contributor to global warming – coal-fired electricity – by turning off its lights. Over 2.2 million Sydney residents and over 2,100 businesses switched off, leading to a 10.2% energy reduction across the city. What began as one city taking a stand against global warming caught the attention of the world.

In 2008, 24 global cities will participate in Earth Hour at 8pm on March 29. Earth Hour is the highlight of a major campaign to encourage businesses, communities and individuals to take the simple steps needed to cut their emissions on an ongoing basis. It is about simple changes that will collectively make a difference – from businesses turning off their lights when their offices are empty, to households turning off appliances rather than leaving them on standby.

Help SPREAD the word!!! This the least you can do to create a better environment for the next generation, DON’T BE SELFISH!!!

Last Week of Uni Life (1)

Did i mention this week is the last week of my uni life?

THIS IS THE LAST WEEK OF UNI LIFE!!

Time sure flies and suddenly i miss all of my friends back here. Somehow I don’t think I’ll be seeing them for a really really loooong time again. I still remember the 1st day of my orientation, back when i was a freshman. The first person that greeted me was Yen Chao. We were queuing up to meet our Penasihat Akademik (PA) in the current Viva Room, it so happened that we both had the same PA. It was a long line and i’m the only guy in that room. She asked for my name when I was surveying the line. (yeah, i was looking for any cute girls, i’m single that time, so i guess that’s alright hor dear?) (side note : first impression of Yen Chao : Lively and chatty girl, she creates a lively atmosphere wherever she goes). Yen Chao only managed to be in the same class with me for 1 year if i’m not mistaken, we took different majors and so our courses are different. But who cares, that does not weaken our friendship a wee bit~

Back then, shortly after I met Yen Chao, I was introduced by her to See Pheng. So i had already made two friends on that day. If I’m not mistaken, I met her somewhere near the school also while she was filling up the registration forms. We consulted each other on the courses to take and there our friendship started. (side note : first impression of See Pheng, she’s chirpy and full of energy). See Pheng was a close friend of mine ever since we met. Somehow there’s something that “click” between us. Somehow we can chat for hours without running out of topic. She’s definitely a friend that i’ll miss the most!!

I still remembered vividly the disappointment that I got on the first day itself too. I was shoved into the uni’s oldest hostel, Cahaya Gemilang. I believe the building exists way before USM was built. It had survived WW2 and many decades of wear and tear. And? The moment i walked into the hostel, the room was so torn down that I swear I’ll walk out of it. There were debris all over the place, not to mention rubbish scattered all over the floor with a few occasional cigarette buds at each corner. The paint were old and the curtains cobwebs are clinging on every single corner of the room. It’s not meant for human!!!! Yet somehow i managed to went through 3 years of it.

My first year room mate was an Indian and we conversed in Malay only. Me second year room mate was a Chinese, he can only speaks English fluently. My final year roomie was a Chinese and we spoke in Chinese only. So as to say I had a true Malaysian experience for the past 3 years. The 1st year I managed to brush up my Malay, 2nd year English and 3rd year Chinese. My first roomie was pretty okay except for his bunch of friends which were a real nuisance and a pain in the ass. Okay, i myself would never visit my friends at 3AM and on top of that, BANG the door like it’s the doorbell. Hello, i need my sleep too!! It didn’t end there too, during exam period, somehow his friends will all crash to our room and have a group “discussion”….

P.S. still looking for pictures to spice up the post~

Sick

I’m really sick

Throat Inflammation > Flu > Ear Inflammation > Fever

Cause: Stress and Lack of sleep (according to Pusat Kesihatan’s doc)

P.S. Writing a series of post on “Last Week of Uni”, stay tuned~

The Blessing from Above

I was browsing YouTube and found this really heart touching video.

God has its own plans in everyone. Live life to its fullest and never give up.

There are two type of people on Earth, those who dare to try and those that fail to try.

When the media strays…

Taken from The Sun

“More importantly, we will run the government administration free from the New Economic Policy (NEP) that breeds cronyism, corruption and systemic inefficiency. We will implement an open tender system for all government procurement and contracts. We will also practice transparency by uploading information of such tender bids in an internet portal to be set up in future for public access.”– Penang Chief Minister
Lim Guan Eng upon his swearing-in on March 11.

The above paragraph was contained in a three-page statement which Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng read from upon his swearing-in. What came out in some newspapers and TV news bulletins was totally different.

The national news agency, Bernama quoted Lim as saying “that the NEP, which was introduced in 1971 after the May 13 (1969) racial riots to eradicate poverty and restructure society was the source of cronyism, corruption and inefficiency.”

So, how did it come about that the new Penang government and the chief minister in particular, had planned to abolish the NEP?

To all my friends, that’s the mainstream media. I really have no idea how can someone “edit” a story to something that the original speaker DO NOT have in mind. This is literally putting words in CM Guan Eng’s mouth!!! Wake up friends, this is yet another proof of why we should not trust everything we read in the newspaper!!!

Even the usually tolerant prime minister could not remain silent on such a claim and warned Lim to refrain from making statements which could stoke racial tensions. Others, some sections of the Penangites were not so subtle in their reaction. They organised a demonstration, complete with placards and banners which opposed something “they read in the newspapers”.

They could consider themselves lucky. Although there were hundreds of police personnel and trucks with water cannons, they were not used as in the case of previous demonstrations carried out in Kuala Lumpur.

So, did they react to a statement of fact, or some incompetent journalist who misquoted the chief minister or a crafty newsman who twisted and turned Lim’s carefully worded statement to serve certain individuals?

I cannot answer that question, but I learnt many things during my two-day sojourn in Penang last week.
One: some journalists or their spouses were involved in some lucrative “publishing activities”, thanks to their close links with politically-connected personalities.

Two: one or two were too involved with what is now the Opposition, so much so, that unlike the ex-chief minister, Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, they are unable to take defeat as part of the democratic process.

Three: some have chosen to show their dissatisfaction through their craft.
Bernama apologised.

Its editor in chief, Yong Soo Heong sent a note to Lim which read: I would also like to take this opportunity to apologise for the sloppy editing in the news story of March 12, 2008, which we mistakenly quoted you as commenting on the May 13 incident as well. The inclusion of the fact was intended to give background on the establishment of the NEP in 1971. Nevertheless, upon a thorough review, the inclusion of that fact along with your quote may have been inappropriate.

How come i can’t sense any form of sincerity in the apology statement? Or was it the way things were done all this while? I pity Penang’s CM. Dia dipaksa telan kucing mati (In canto)

Well done, Yong, but the damage has been done and efforts were taken to put things right. Some newspapers are continuing to harp on the issue despite being aware that Lim never uttered those remarks. Some cannot come to terms to having to serve different political masters.

Most of the problems arise because one word – communication – or the lack of it. I told the former Selangor Mentri Besar, Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo on Feb 6 that his press officer, a former journalist, was responsible for the state being unable to get across its messages to the masses. I did not mince my words and never spoke behind his back – the officer was seated next to me when I told the bitter truth. I listed the litany of his shortcomings and showed Mohd Khir, who will now sit on the opposition benches, the several SMSes exchanged between us.

But even politicians cannot be forgiven for the lapses of their officers. Take Khir for example. He accused me of being a “racist”. When I retorted that my column does not touch on race, religion or politics, his so-called substantiation nearly caused me to fall off my chair.

“You don’t write about temples on state land. You don’t write about scrap metal dealers occupying road reserve,” he said in apparent reference to Hindu temples and scarp metal dealers in Selangor who are predominantly Indian. “But one Umno container on a playing field you write … We build hawkers stalls on road reserve, you write …”

Firstly, I told him I was unaware of such things, but he retorted: “Tak akan you tak tahu!” Am I supposed to know everything that’s going on in the state, especially with the habit of public officials classifying routine matters as Rahsia or Sulit?

And I told myself that it would be an exercise in futility to argue with someone with that kind of thinking and that level of understanding of the media and the English language.

I have often said in this column, at public seminars and lectures to journalism students that I would not touch on any issue that would give rise to racial tension and I have a good reason for it. I went through the horrors of 1969 and I lost two former classmates who had gone to Kuala Lumpur for their Form Six classes. (In those days, no school in Klang offered classes in the Higher School Certificate and those who qualified were sent to Victoria Institution or the Methodist Boys School.)

I have kept my word and will continue doing so. All of us want a better quality of life for ourselves and our children. We can do it without bringing race or religion into our arguments and in our quest for a government or leaders with integrity. We can have healthy debates and discussions without throwing the race or religious card. That should be our aim and politicians from both sides, aided and abetted by an equally independent media, can bring about this. We don’t need those with vested interests trying to play their own game for monetary gains.

R. Nadeswaran is deputy editor (special reporting) at theSun. He can be reached at: citizen-nades@thesundaily.com

Kudos for R. Nadeswaran on such a fine piece of article! I salute thee… Please continue your effort, tell the world and Malaysia’s mis-informed citizens the truth from both sides and not to write solely because of some “obligation”.