♪♫☺ The Optimist's Profile ☺♫♪

It's been a while...

2013-10-21T08:49:00.000-07:00

Well well well. It's been a while.

This phrase was being used frequently by me lately.

It's been a while since I worked.

It's been a while since I did my manicure.

And I just did it yesterday. Haha.

It's been a while since I update this blog. Oops.

I was busy. Really busy.

Being a final year student is not easy! NOT EASY!

FYP and assignments are enough to kill 2 months worth of my personal life, social life, fun, relaxation and sleep. And hobby. And blogging. And the list goes on and on.

Never having me knowing, it's already October.

In the past few years, October has been the month that I anticipate the most.

I'm an October baby.

And I turn 21 this year.

Anticipation was not high until the day came, as I was busily rushing for assignments and FYP.

And I had my last exam paper on my birthday. Haha.

Anyhow, I received a lot of wishes, celebrations and blessings from my beloved friends, my boss (JERRY LING) and my colleagues.

Appreciate it a lot <3 p="">

Special thanks to my family for the golden key (yay I'm legal!) and JsKee for the planning and preparations of my birthday celebrations.

Imma happy girlfriend. Hehe.

Bag and card from my beloved friends and colleagues

Vincci purse from Jskee (left) and golden key from my parents (right)

TimTam from Australia by my rock gym friend, Shen

P/S: To-do: Register as voter. PRU 14 I'M COMING! Rawr.

Banana Fever

2013-08-04T10:25:00.000-07:00

Out of a sudden, an unknown species named MINIONS became famous. You see them around on Facebook, on Twitter, on Youtube, in McDonald's, on the streets, in the cinemas, in your smartphone... etc etc etc ETC! If you love the song above, you may make it as your ringtone! I use it as my daily alarm ringtone though.

Ahhh.. Despicable Me. Talking about Minions, I guess it i going to be ranked as the creature of the year 2013. Everyone is crazy for it, including me! Thanks to the release of the sequel for Despicable Me, Despicable Me 2.

Because of Minions, McDonald's Malaysia gained a huge amount of profit, selling out Happy Meals that came with the collectible Minion toy.

Because of Minions, a new language popped out of nowhere, called the Minion Language (Bello! Papoy... Bee Do Bee Do). Meaningless words becomes a language.
Because of Minions, WeChat, Whatsapp, LINE and KakaoTalk lost the first place to Minion Rush in the 'Top Free' chart on Google Play Store.

No doubt, Minions ARE cute! And annoying sometimes. Haha. BUT...

Because of Minions, food were wasted. There were people who bought the Happy Meals, kept the Minions and threw the food away.

Because of Minions, Malaysians are labelled as "stupid". In Africa, people queue for food distribution, and in Malaysia, people queue for toys that are smaller than a palm, and then throwing the food that comes with it away.

Because of Minions, you see the dark side of humans exploitation over goods. Some queued to buy Minions for their own collection, whereas others queue for a huge amount of profit, which they expect to earn by selling the Minions they have, after the limited edition Minions run out of stock.

If Minions do exist in real life, they surely will laugh at us. Hundreds of people queuing in front of McDonald's in the middle of the night, fighting with each other, just to get hold of a toy which size smaller than a palm??!! Hilarious.

NEUTRALITY, people. Neutrality.

Disclaimer: I did not mention that liking (or falling in love with) such cute creatures is a sin, but wasting food, fighting with each other, destroying the doors of McDonald's for it, this is too much. Macaroni! Spaghetti! Meatball!

Enjoy people! Entertain yourselves with the Minion videos that I have compiled below, if you had a bad bad day! =)

If you haven't watch Despicable Me 2 yet, you should. It made me laugh my lungs out. Hahahaha..

Bello! XD

7 in 1

2013-07-16T07:29:00.002-07:00

It has been a long time since I had the ample time to set my fingers on the keyboard and started typing away in my blog. Really missed blogging so much.

Where have I been then? After that day I counted, I can't help to feel so impressed and shocked. I was managing 7 things at the same time. 7! (Assignments, FYP, Mid Autumn Festival preparation, articles writing, Maths & Science Week, work & Charity Bazaar) The lucky number in Harry Potter. Haha. I did pay the price for them though. The price was, no time for dating, less time for my personal leisure, sacrificed a lot of sleep and got a completely exhausted and dried out body instead. Phew.

Anyhow, those 7 things are now behind me!! (Not completely though. FYP, Assignments will follow me till the end of the year, and Mid Autumn Festival preparations will last until September, article writing will follow me till I die! Haha.) Just retired as the Maths & Science Club Vice President last week, and enjoyed a meal at Shogun after that =) Good Luck to my juniors who are managing the club from now on =)

Oh. And I have attended the June 2013 Graduation Ceremony in my university as well. One more to go in December, and then it's mine! Looking forward to it, but also sad to see that it is coming =(

I promise. I will write something better soon =(

LG Google Nexus 4

2013-06-09T10:22:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I bought my new phone, and I think it deserves a little write-up on it XD
So. I've upgraded my LG Optimus One to LG Nexus 4. I never thought that I will go back to LG again, yet at the end I did. Haha. It was not because of the brand, it was because of the OS - Android (cute little robot! ^^).

I'm really bad in mobile technical stuff, so let me just talk about the basics. Will focus more on the user experience though =)
When compared to other high-end phones such as Samsung S3, iPhone 5, Blackberry Z10 and so on, Nexus 4 is definitely on par with its quad-core processor and 2GB RAM. Camera wise, of course, it can't be compared with the Nokia Lumia 920 (That camera is INSANE). Otherwise, if you are not a professional photographer, then the camera is sufficient. Hmmm. What else. Oh. The battery. This highly depends on the usage. The screen and Android OS kills the most though. My friend keeps on encouraging me to root my phone (it's like Jailbreak in iOS), but NO WAY SHEN, I'M NOT GONNA ROOT IT. Muahahahaha.

Reasons why I chose this phone:
1) My main reason of changing a phone is that my Optimus One cannot cater my usage of apps, as I was always low on RAM and memory. In short, it lagged a lot. I love to use heavy apps like Instagram and some other photo editing apps, as well as social networks like Facebook. However, in my previous phone, I had to think twice and calculate the remaining memory space I have before downloading it. Nexus 4 has 16GB internal memory (no SD card slot, just like iPhone). And it is really sufficient for me. Note: I have installed over 100 apps in my phone up-to-date. Whoops. And finally I can play Subway Surfers! Without lagging! Haha.

2) I seriously love the Google and Android combination. Some may say security breaches may occur, but I do find it very convenient and useful. As long as I don't put too much of my personal location and information online. Imagine the world without Microsoft. I can still live! The world without Google? Gosh. Disasters will happen. Therefore, I always stick to using an Android phone.

3) The sleek design. One thing I love about Nexus 4 is the full-glass design, and makes it look so elegant. Using it always makes me think that I'm using iPhone 5. Maybe it's because of the glass? I love pebble-shaped phones. And I never liked Windows Phones and Xperia series because of that.

4) Price. Compared to the other phones that are on par with Nexus 4, this phone is considered as cheap, as I bought it just for RM1529, with free flip cover and screen protector. Samsung S3 at that time was 1899. HTC One S was 1999.

Why I did not choose others?
Before setting my mind on Nexus 4, I have considered Samsung S3 and iPhone 5 as well. Samsung S3 has many HCI features that Nexus 4 doesn't have. They are impressive, but honestly speaking, I just want a phone to make calls, use apps, send SMSes, read news, check E-mails, and play games that I want to play. Looking at the price and extra features, Samsung S3 is too much for me. I don't have that much of free time to explore and use the HCI features in Samsung S3.
Meanwhile, the main reason of rejection towards iPhone 5 is the PRICE. MONEYYYYY. I always love the performance of Apple products, from iPhone to iPad. Never lags. Unless you Jailbreak-ed it or installed to much of useless things, of course. It has great design, vibrant screen colours, and many other value-added features. Some say Apple is selfish. Yes it is! Accessories are so expensive, and exclusive! Grrr.

User Experience till now:
Well I've been using this phone for a month. As I stated above, I've installed a lot of apps, and it did not lag at all (unless when it changes from WiFi to Mobile Data, or vice versa). Camera is sufficient for me, and the vibrant colours really pleases me. The single thing that I hate about it is the temperature. It heats up too fast, when I'm charging the battery, it easily goes up to 40 Degree Celcius!

Holiday?

2013-05-25T08:07:00.000-07:00

Poof. Time flies. I'm gonna go back to my student life. As a FINAL YEAR STUDENT. Oh no. Stress. =(
How long was my holiday again? 1.5 months.

In this 1.5 months, every single day was passed busily, with a huge load of work, events and happenings. Such a contented holiday hmmm. A quick summary of what I did during the holidays maybe?

1) Work
Haha. I'm not a workaholic, but this comes to me when I am on holiday. Helped out Madeline at the Reception for a month, and seriously, I kind of respect her endurance. I mean, how did she manage it all alone? A great experience for me, and my multi-tasking skills leveled up drastically. Haha. No joke. Other than that was helping out for MathXplorace as a Checkpoint Manager (also had a small catch-up session with my VAD5 PBSM teammates after that), Open Days and school visits as usual.

2) Fun
Well. I'm not a workaholic! Haha. I did enjoy myself during this holiday okay.. The trip to Legoland was one of the places that I went to enjoy my holidays. =) Then I went to a short trip to Melaka (again... I can be the tour guide of Melaka already. 5 times in 2 years. SERIOUSLY???) Other than that was short movie outings, gathering with friends and such. It's important to strengthen the bond between friends! Oh and I attended several 21st Birthday celebrations. Still waiting for mine to come.. On 8th October *hint hint!*

A quick review on Legoland:
It is located somewhere quite far away from the main town of Johor Bharu, and you will have to pass by pieces of (still) deserted land before reaching the place. Overall it is a place where you can spend a whole day, quite fun and worth the price. However, if you are looking for extremely EXTREME rides (like those in Genting), you may end up disappointed, as Legoland's main target market are kids and families. Good for sightseeing and relaxation. Prepare your camera battery and get impressed by the mini sculptures of KLCC, KL Tower, Singapore Flyer, Taj Mahal and so on. Oh and bring a hat, a pair of sunglasses, and apply sunblock if can. Johor is at the Southern part of Malaysia, and it is nearer to the Equator. Which means, MORE SUN. =.=

3) Others
1.5 months. Of course, there are more! Participated in several self-enrichment activities and club activities in uni as well. Firstly was the Interview and Career Management Techniques Talk organized in APU. Read about it here. Then it was the IT QR Seek Competition organized by IT lecturers in APU. It has been a while since I participated in Amazing-Race kind of competitions. Haha. I didn't win anything though. =(

Lastly, was the TRIP!!! Hooray!! Organized another trip to National Science Centre under Maths & Science Club again!!! Thanks to the 'upcoming' committee ( I am gonna retire very very soon... ), I did not have much to do other than planning! Hehehe. Thumbs up to MYSELF, JsKee, Li Kien, Sam, Leng Xuan, Wei Qi, Alex, Queen and other committees, who have helped a lot in making this event a great success! I feel so satisfied when a student who went to the trip came to post a Thank You note at the Maths & Science official page. View it here =)

So that was my holiday. Signing off,

FINAL YEAR STUDENT

Saving General Yang 忠烈杨家将

2013-04-19T07:02:00.002-07:00

It has been a while since I entered the cinema for movies. FINALLY, I had the chance to do so few days ago! Got a very good comment from our good friends, Cristin and Brian about this movie. So there we go! Saving General Yang, it is.

Here's the synopsis: (taken from moviesexclusives.com)
Saving General Yang is based on the legendary Generals of the Yang Family. An epic tale about the renowned Song Dynasty's military defense headed by the clan of Yang against the nomadic Northern nation the Liao, sometimes also known as the Khitans in accounts of ancient Chinese history. Head of the Yang clan is the charismatic old veteran general, Yang Ye, who is also the father of seven sons, namely Ping, Ding, Ang, Hui, De, Zhao and Si. The seven young men possess different temperaments and characters, but they have to join forces and wits when their father is taken by enemy forces.

Score: 8/10

Frankly speaking, I am not a fan of Chinese movies in the cinemas. To me, a lot of them, when compared to Hollywood movies, the standard of Chinese movies is incomparable. The main reason for driving me into the cinema to watch Chinese movies is either due to recommendation or due to the high popularity. This time, it's due to recommendation from both my good friends. And it turned out to be a very great movie!

The entire movie is in Cantonese, featuring hot Asian male actors such as Wu Chun, Ekin Cheng, Raymond Lam, Vic Chou (Zai Zai) and so on. Girls will definitely go crazy over the muscles demonstrated by Wu Chun in the first scene. Or maybe the cold glance by Vic Chou when he releases his arrows. This might be the first reason why people chose to watch this movie, especially female spectators.

Other than that, for those who are looking at the story line,“忠孝仁义” –loyalty, filial piety, humanity and justice are the main values and the entire theme of the movie. I, personally, am touched to see these traits demonstrated in the 7 sons of the Yang family, as these are also the traits that are lacking in mankind nowadays. The Yang family legend has been popular among history, as well as in the Chinese culture. The entire story line and the actors/actresses have successfully portrait these traits among General Yang and the 7 sons of Yang family. In order to preserve these values, all of them were willing to die for it. Although the 7 sons have different traits and personality, preserving these values and bringing their father back home became their common goal.

Now that it has a sad ending, it is time for us, modern people, to think about the values that have been thought by our ancestors, and to think how to practice and preserve them across different generations.

Spoiler:
The Yang mother got this prophecy from her adviser: 七子去，六子还 (Seven sons will depart to save their father, only sic will return). However, the prophecy turned out to be untrue. Only one of the seven sons survived. Guess who. I do realize the seven sons have their own traits, that make them different from each other:
Yang YanPing (Ekin Cheng) - The natural leader, eldest among the seven sons. Has a strong sense of loyalty and justice, and is willing to sacrifice anything for the family.
Yang YanDing (Yu Bo) - The knight, has a strong sense of humanity and love towards horses and his brothers. Will not let his brothers suffer to death alone, and will work hard to defend them.
Yang YanAng (Vic Chou) - The cold thinker. His actions speak louder than words, is a powerful bowman with accurate archery skills, also a savior for his brothers during the fights.
Yang YanHui (Li Chen) - The playful brother. Has a strong addiction for areca. Has powerful strength (because of areca, i think), always the joker among his brothers.
Yang YanDe (Raymond Lam) - The healer. His healing skills are way better than combat skills. Has high concentration in whatever tasks he does, and accomplishes it, without being distracted by external factors.
Yang YanZhao (Wu Chun) - The loyal son. Has a lover since young, the Princess Chai. Loyal to his love and his father. Has a strong sense of hatred towards his enemies and people who are trying to hurt his family or beloved.
Yang YanSi (Fu Xinbo) - The hot headed son. Being the youngest in the family, he is inexperienced and hot headed, who intends to solve everything on his own, but in the end, solves nothing.

What a great SURPRISE!

2013-04-12T07:01:00.000-07:00

I returned home exhausted after work, and I turned on my Facebook, WOW!

This is the first time someone did something like this for me.

WOW WOW WOW.

I really like the surprise from you, Ali!

Thanks for the support and appreciation given by my teammates and the readers who read and liked my posts on the Media Arts blog: http://www.apumediaarts.com/blogs/

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Now I have another sweet memory in APU!

P/S: I'm really touched and happy ^^

Interview Techniques & Career Management Talk @ APU

2013-04-11T09:40:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I participated workshops and seminars organized by my uni... Thanks to assignments and exams! >.<

FINALLY, today I managed to take 2 hours off work and attended this seminar, which I think is VERY important for me next year.

So, here it is! The Interview Techniques & Career Management Talk!

The crowd in Audi 3

The organizer: Bridging Talent Solutions, a company that focuses on recruitment and training

The speaker, Mr. Adi. He has a really powerful background! 11 years of experience in the HR industry, worked for companies like Maybank and DHL! A very good presenter also.

The seminar started with a Chicken Dance (duh~~)...

There were also fun filling sessions such as creating your own Facebook page by hand, this is mine:

Some information hidden! Haha

The most important part is, there were a lot of techniques and interview skills being taught by Mr. Adi in the session. Although it is not a long one (around 1 hour +), but I've managed to know a lot of things that seem to be "common" with graduates nowadays. Now I have a little bit more of knowledge compared to the other 79,999 graduates out there! Yay.

Just to share some of them:

1) When you are asked to assess your own weaknesses in an interview session, avoid personality flaws and suggest improve-able weaknesses.

2) Be aware of body language

3) Don't apply jobs for the sake of applying, understand the company, the job scope and the background of the job.

4) Don't try too hard to please interviewers.

5) Send a thank you e-mail to employers after interview.

6) Grooming is EXTREMELY important.

7) The main reason why do Malaysian graduates fail in interview sessions: POOR ENGLISH. So, mind your language!

And yup I took notes during the session!

Hope what I got from this seminar really helps me in job applications next year! (I have no choice, I have to accept the fact that I AM graduating next year. Sobs)

1 Year Anniversary

2013-04-03T17:29:00.000-07:00

Exactly 365 days ago, I started my first day as Student Ambassador in APU.
Time really flies. I am now 1 year older, and have gained another year of working experience. Before this I was working at APU as well, as Student Helper. Exactly on this day last year, I challenged myself to another limit my picking up this role and more responsibilities.

Although this is not the first working experience I had, as I've helped my mum in her company before, but this is the longest, most interesting and the experience I will always remember throughout my life.

Throughout this year:
I've gained a bunch of interesting friends from different countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Mongolia, Djibouti, Indonesia, Pakistan, Iran and so on (list is still increasing!).
Other than my biological family, I have another family here, that consists of the staff, whom they treat us as if we are their own children or siblings. APU is my second home, I always said. I spend most of my time here throughout this 3 years.
I've earned my first promotion, my first name card being printed, which makes this year so meaningful to me as well.

Now that I have done with my exams. After giving myself a rest after all those stress, i'm going back to work tomorrow, to meet my family members and friends. Although compared to my friends from the same intake, I do not have much time to "enjoy" after exams, but I also gained the valuable experiences that they will never get. When you gain something, you have to lose something as well. Life is fair!

P/S: I still have 1 more year to go. Counting down, sadly. If God grant me 3 wishes now, the first one in the list will be: STOP THE TIME FROM MOVING! =(

Forever 21

2013-03-23T08:52:00.000-07:00

I just came back from a 21 year old birthday party. What a nice way to meet up with friends, food and wine after my assignments and before my exams XD Came back, logged onto Facebook and realized that another 4 friends of mine are having their 21st birthday as well! ^^

So. Majority of my friends and I have lived on this Planet Earth for 21 years. Wow. 21 years old also means that we are now totally adults, no more teenage dreams *sob sob*. We are legal now. We can sign up for credit cards, register as voters, enter casinos and do whatever we always dreamed to do "when we grow up" while we were still kids. We can make our own decisions, but at the same time, be solely responsible and independent for everything that we do.

I will only turn 21 after 8th of October *hint hint XD*
For me there are a few things that I must accomplish after I turn into an adult. I will definitely do them after I am legal. Hahaha. Apparently I have done some of them already.

1) To register as an organ donor. Checked. This was done when I was 18! How healthy my organs are, this I really can't guarantee, because I'm too unhealthy! >.<

2) To register as a voter. Not yet checked. I still have to wait after 8th October! Grrr.
3) To have my own bank account. Checked. This was also done when I was 18. Thanks to PTPTN. Haha.
4) To spend my self-earned money. Checked. Although I am not earning thousands now, I still feel the sense of achievement and satisfaction when I spend my own hard-earned money. This helps me to appreciate the value of money. Not to spend it like water.
5) To work. Checked. Although not full time, but I am right now adapted to the office working environment and professional requirements. Thanks to my university's environment, and Student Ambassadors.
6) To invest in own properties. Not checked. I still need time to do this.
7) To travel to other countries on my own. Not checked. I have the permission from my parents, but not my purse T.T Anyone can sponsor me? =(

Of course, it is not just the goals or values after being 21. It is the mentality. A 21 year old must be more mature, no more fooling around with life, and planning for the future becomes a must. Under certain circumstances, I will still remain my young personality and active lifestyle. Because I don't wanna be old and be called "Aunty"! Haha.

Anyways, Happy 21st birthday to my friends who are celebrating this year!

Parental Education

2013-03-11T08:37:00.002-07:00

Just taking a break from all my assignments. I have 2 more submissions to go! Fighting all the way with high spirits!

As the Chinese saying goes, "People's first impression is determined by their attire, their behavior and their speakings". The way you act reflects who your parents are, therefore if you act rudely, people will automatically derive that your parents are rude people too. This brings up to your family education and your parents' inability in educating their children. Fortunately, so far nobody has said that my parents failed in parental education (if you get what I mean XD)

My family with a tour guide (centre) during our trip to Bali last December

As I was queuing at a shop today, I observed the surroundings while waiting for my turn. Vulgar words came out from a guy as he cursed his friends for making fun of him. i am NOT, NEVER a fan of vulgar words, and when these words came out from my friends' mouth, I will try my best to stop it. Looking at this, can I have a perception that the guy is exposed to an environment with people speaking vulgar words everywhere? Since young, in his family, perhaps? I feel sorry for his parents if there are people who have the same perception as I do.

The queue was long. Whoops. A girl came to the queue and pat on her friends' shoulder. "Can you help me to queue?? Pleeeeaaaasssseeee". Ahem. People who were waiting behind looked at her, as though she was an alien from Mars. Undoubtedly, she is pretty. With her heavy makeup, of course. Looking at this, can we derive that this girl was educated on how to put on makeup more than being educated on how to respect others and to queue up?

Finally it was my turn. I completed the task, with a "THANK YOU" to the person who served me. This is how I am educated for 19 years. Say Thank You to appreciate others. Never jump queue. No vulgar words. Cheers =)

Buying parents expensive items is not a way to show how much you love them, but behaving politely and make them proud of you gives them a huge sense of achievement. In short, if you love your parents, behave properly, and make them the best parents in peoples' hearts. You will see the glow and satisfaction in their eyes.

Miserable. I have to Stay Strong.

2013-03-04T08:58:00.004-08:00

Although the weather is hot and sunny for these few days, it is definitely not a day to play outside for some of us. Up to this point of the year, I do think that this year 2013 is becoming worse and worse for me. For everything.

The Sulus came to Sabah to reclaim their so-called land, and they refused to surrender, despite having the chance to leave Sabah safely before. The press are getting more and more miserable by reporting the number of casualties, showing photos of families crying over the sacrificed policemen's dead bodies, writing about the scary atmosphere that is engulfing Lahad Datu and Semporna in Sabah. Malaysians who once think that our country is free from war and natural disasters, witnessed the cruel assaults by Sulus to Sabah. Sabah, once a beautiful piece of land, turned into the land of fear. The Grim Reaper brings away dead souls everyday, leaving behind fear and sad mourns among the Malaysian community, especially among Sabahans.

As I pray for the safety of Sabahans, I received a news from my family. My grandma was admitted to the hospital due to suspected blood vessel blockage in the brain this morning. In the midst of rushing for my assignment due dates. I thought I am strong enough to manage everything, but it ended up that I am over confident. Life becomes more and more miserable for me.

My grandma is a caring and nice lady. Very dedicated, she is. She loves and cares for her grandsons/granddaughters a lot. Recently, she often asked me when is my graduation. I told her, next year June, Mama (This is how I address her). Whenever she replies me, "I don't know whether I can live long enough to see you in graduation robes", I feel really sad. Even when I'm typing this I feel a jolt of pain in my heart. She just asked me this question yesterday. When we were walking in the shopping centre. She complained to us that her legs feel numb recently, and we fear that it is a symptom of stroke. Now she is admitted. I know I shouldn't be negative, but I can't stop myself from thinking about those words she said to me.

I have no specific religion, because I believe that religions provide faith and encourages us to do good deed. This time, I have to have faith in God, please let everything get back to what it seems. Meanwhile, I just need a shoulder to rest on.

Chinese Cultural Week 2013

2013-02-28T09:53:00.001-08:00

18th to 21st of February 2013 marks another achievement in my university life, as I have accomplished several personal achievements again! ^^ I was waiting for the official photos, so this has caused delay in the updates >.<

I was part of the Chinese Cultural Week 2013 organizing committee, and this time, I challenged myself by taking up 3 roles at the same time: Sales and Marketing team, event emcee and dancer. The real challenge was on 21st, the main celebration event, as I had to (almost) non-stop talking for 7 hours, and to challenge my costume-changing speed from my emcee costume to my dance costume! I did it! Yay! ^^

Second emceeing in event with my emcee partner, Chris Kai Yuan. Great partnership!

Is Cheongsam supposed to make my arms look fat? >.<

Before the celebration, there was also a Chinese Debate Showcase, and so happened that I became one of the timekeeper for the debate show. Mr. Goh, was the President of the General Assembly. The debate title was "Should we keep fit during Chinese New Year". Interesting huh? The showcase ended with a draw by the way.

About the CNY Celebrations, you should regret if you did not participate in it! It was really fun and happening! We had:

Lion dance performance

I really like lion dance performance. The lions are just too cute!!! ^^ Awww~~

Dragon dance performance

Wushu performance. Their flags actually swept the stage deco onto the floor. >.< Imagine if it slaps you. You will be knocked out for sure! Don't play play!

Chinese Musical Performance. Came all the way from Kajang.

CNY songs performance by Music Club

Spotted me there? At the back, right hand side of the stage. have been practising this for 1+ month! Glad to see the outcome! It was great!

The full video:

If you think our dance was awesome, this dance is VERY AWESOME! Charles, our dance instructor performing the fan dance. Stunned when I saw his performance. >.<

As I always say, an event brings a group of people together, and establishes friendship and tighter bonds between them. I am glad to be one of the organizing committee of this event, and I was really satisfied with the outcome of it. My experiences as an emcee (although not the first time in APU), a dancer and a committee really riches my life more. One week has passed, but I am still looking back to the sweet and bitter moments we had, while organizing the event together.

Somebody very manly looking after the PA system ^^ *hugs*

My teammate, Huang Lei from China

Six Golden Flowers who were dancing

Us with our instructor, Charles

Pose...

Say cheese!

The event ended and the committee went for a dinner at Taiwan Dami after that. I am really glad to participate in such activities, credits to everyone who has supported this event (especially Mr. Chong, Mr. Anis, and all the other Student Services staff who stayed until the end of the event.. Thanks a lot!)

Thanks to Charles for being our hairstylist, instructor and makeup artist =)

Thanks to APU for giving me this opportunity to discover my potentials further! ^^

Valentine's - Season of Love

2013-02-18T07:49:00.001-08:00

Celebrated Valentine's for the third time as a couple with JsKee this year ^^

Hope to have more to come!

Valentine's Day is the day when couples, families and friends celebrate their love, and learn to appreciate each other more. There is a saying in Mandarin, if you've loved the right person, you will treat everyday like Valentine's Day.

Due to time constraints, I burnt a few CDs for him as someone just got a new set of HiFi! XD Hope you like it..

Couple watch from him. <3 nbsp="">
Love is when you have each other in your hearts every second, every minute, every hour and everyday!

Presents from him <3 nbsp="" p="">

Gifting flowers is a common thing to do every Valentine's Day, and I do admit that I love receiving flowers! I've got a bouquet of synthetic flowers last year, and this year's a real flower! The meaning of gifting 1 rose is "You are the only one". Yup, I'm greedy! I want all his love! Only me, no others! Muahahahaha.

Thank you ^^ I <3 u="">

One more thing to mention: We have been passing by this Mochi Sweets stall in Gardens every time during our visit, and we were wondering whether to buy or not. On this special day, we tried Green Tea flavor and Sakura flavor. That was AWESOME! Although a bit pricey (around RM3 to RM4 per piece), having it occasionally adds a little sweetness to your life! If I'm not mistaken, it has branch in Pavillion also ^^

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! ^^

P/S: Nadeje cake shop is FINALLY open in PJ! Oh yeah!!!!

“No matter who you are, no matter what you did, no matter where you've come from, you can always change, become a better version of yourself.” ― Madonna

2013-02-11T07:25:00.000-08:00

The first month of 2013 has passed silently. It's time for us to look back and see what have we achieved. Maybe I should do this every month? =)

I'm not afraid to DREAM! =)

I've became one of the official blogger of another blog, APU Media Arts. This was introduced to me by one of my good friend from Pakistan, Abubakar. This is a platform for students to get to know about the latest events and happenings in APU. So now, I have one more blog to update! 4 blogs in total including this blog! Amazing? =) Writing is my interest, and is also my passion. I'm trying hard to make it my career. Readers' support is my greatest motivation to move forward ^^

Next, it has been over 10 years since I last danced. This year, I have picked up dancing again! Chinese traditional dance, it is =) For Chinese New Year! ^^ If you are interested to see me dance, do come and join the Chinese Cultural Week, details as follows:

Date: 18/2/2013 - 22/2/2013 (The performances will be on 21st night)

Venue: APU Foyer @ TPM

Me and my dance partners (Except the guy >.<)

Banner designed by my dearest JsKee and I ^^

Proudly hanging the banner at the foyer ^^

Last but not least, this may seem small matter to you, but for me, this is still a milestone in my life. Just before the Chinese New Year holidays, I received my FIRST EVER business card in my life! ^^ Feel so happy and proud of it. I gave the first piece to my family, as without them, I will not be able to gain such success and achievement in my life.

Ta-da!! ^^

Happy Chinese New Year everyone! ^^ May all your wishes come true and have a prosperous year ahead! Ulala!

The Island of Gods

2013-01-01T00:24:00.000-08:00

In conjunction with my Christmas holidays, my family organized a trip to Bali, Indonesia. Being able to travel around the world is a big eye-opener for me, as I am able to understand and learn more about other cultures. =)

WARNING: Lengthy yet informative post ahead!

Self-vain photo Number 1. Me in front of a temple in Bali

Overall the trip was nice, despite having some irresponsible tour mates (i was joining a tour, with a tour guide leading us around), who are noisy (keep on shouting in the tour bus), uncivilized (a bunch of bad words came out from their mouths) and selfish (dragged the whole schedule by being late to meet up almost every time).

Fun Facts:

Bali is the meaning of Island of Gods. It also refers to a material that they contribute and display in front of their altars or doors everyday. Bali people are really religious. Every house has an altar. Everyday, Balinese pray to their gods three times by making a Bali and place them in front of their doors. They believe almost in everything, from stones, metal, wood to water, air and food. In my History textbook, this is called animism.

Unlike other islands in Indonesia, Balinese practices Hinduism, rather than Islam (only 5% of their people are Muslims). They, too, believe in the three Gods of Hindu, Brahma (the Creator), Vishnu (the Protector) and Siva (the Destroyer). There are a lot of statues around the island, each one commemorating somebody or something.

Balinese respect their Gods very much. Buildings in Bali are not allowed to be built with the height of more than 5 storeys, this is because according to them, God is above the coconut trees, and coconut trees are almost 5 storeys high. Therefore, human buildings should not be taller than where the Gods are. (The tallest building in Malaysia has 88 floors. Oops.)

I'm fortunate enough to see a group of women making Bali. These are the materials

A completed Bali

This is found in front of the door of a shop

This altar is set up in my hotel

This is set up in my hotel's reception counter

This arc design can be found everywhere. There are statues of gods around the frame. According to our tour guide, the purpose of this door is to block any evil spirits (using the Gods) and only allow good spirits to enter

This statue is found nearby my hotel and the airport.

Found in the Ria Water Sports Arena

This is seen in one of the temples I have been to

Other than being religious, Balinese are very environmental conscious as well. At night, there are very few lights turned on in the island. I can't get use to the darkness, as I stay in KL, the city that never sleeps. Darkness makes me feel insecure, despite how the tour guide reassures us that Bali is the safest island in Indonesia.

Guess what! Bali also has a very special festival, called the Silent Day. It falls on March 13 every year. During this day, there are no activities, no lights, no celebrations, no flights in the island. The whole island will look like a dead island on that day. People are not allowed to go out, talk, play or whatsoever. Sounds scary. Haha. However, Balinese have been doing this for 1937 years. Wow.

1 day before the Silent Day, it is also the Ghost Festival in Bali. Every village will make a ghost model and parade around the village. Their saying is to attract small demons in each house to follow the big ghost model and leave the house for good. The ghost model that has the best design will be kept in the village as an honour, while others will be burnt.

In terms of environmental preservation, Balinese government has done a great job. Other than mainttaining the environment, the animals are taken care of as well. There is an island in Bali named the Turtle Island. Here, they protect turtles, just like what we are doing in Terengganu in Malaysia.

From Turtle Island

Baby turtles

These are around 20-30 years old. They actually allow people to carry the turtles and snap photos, but when I saw how the turtles struggle when people carry them, I did not do so.. Poor turtles >.<

The tribe leaders. 60-70 years old. Haha

The other inhabitants of Turtle Island

Dad, Mum and Hornbill

Tempat Penetasan Telur Penyu.
Turtle Eggs Incubation Area

View from LCCT Airport

Other than Agriculture and Handcraft, tourism is one of the major activities that contribute to Bali's economy. Every year, there are almost 10 million of tourists who visit Bali (the island's total population is 3.5 million), including tourists from Australia, China, Japan, Malaysia, Korea and Taiwan. These are the top 6, by the way. Whether they are attracted by the sandy beaches or the rich and intense culture, Bali is really a nice place for adventure, romance and sightseeing.

Taken at Nusa Dua seaside

Tourist attractions:

Speaking of Bali, there are several specialties owned by the island (exclusively) that attracts such an amount of tourists to visit it every year. In my list, of course, the first attraction will be the SCENERY. Maybe I've lived in a concrete jungle for too long, when I saw all these, I just can't control from being impressed by the beauty of nature.

Look at the BLUE water!!! Taken from the cliff at Uluwatu Temple

Spectacular

Green

For me, such scenery only exists in documentaries or movies. But now, I've seen it with my own eyes!

Sunset by the beach

The beach with lots of water activities

Panaromic view of the beach at Ria Water Sports Village

The water

When I was in a boat

Beach again

Paddy field. Reminds me of Sekinchan in Malaysia

This managed to impress me a lot. The natural arc. In Nusa Dua

Panaroma

View from above the arc

Above the arc

Feel the greatness of the waves:

Splash!

Taken near Kintamani volcano. Bali has two volcanoes, Kintamani is the second tallest, while the Agung volcano is the tallest.

When the mist is cleared

The famous Kuta Beach

The next thing that impresses foreign tourists like us will be the CULTURE and the Legends behind them. In my 4 days trip, the destinations that I have been most are the temples in Bali. As I mentioned above, Balinese are very religious. Every temple has a story behind it, and our tour guide were very kind enough to share the legends with us throughout the journey.

Uluwatu Temple - This temple is built by the cliffs, whereby in the 11th century, there was a Hindu monk named Empu Kuturan stayed at the cliffs. One night, the villagers saw lights coming out from the place. They followed the light and saw Empu Kuturan, an old man whose lights came out from his body. They listened to him about Hinduism and became followers of him. After some time, when the villagers are familiar with Hinduism, Empu Kuturan disappeared from the cliff, with the lights surrounding him again. To commemorate him, the villagers built the Uluwatu Temple by the cliff lived by Empu Kuturan.

The entrance of the temple

I'm supposed to capture a photo of the monkeys. Those monkeys inside the temple are well-trained monkeys, as they snatch tourists' sunglasses or belongings, then some local people will ask for money to get their belongings back. I witnessed it! Scary monkeys.. This is how humans use animals to generate income...

View from the cliff

Stairways to heaven

They enclosed some areas which are strictly for praying only.

Altar

The next temple I went was a very magnificent temple. The Tanah Lot Temple. This temple is built to protect villagers who are out there in the sea. It was once built on a cliff as well, but 500 years ago, the piece of rock sank and the temple separated from the mainland, making the temple only accessible during the day (when the tides are low), but not the night (when the tides are high, water surrounds the temple and makes it inaccessible). This is also where I found the stone arc.

The temple, separated from mainland, only accessible when tides are low

Some random wall I shot at the Arc

When tides are coming in...

Panaroma view of the entire island and its separation from the mainland

Next station would be the old palace, which was once occupied by a king in Bali.

Entrance of the palace

Some places are prohibited because there are still people staying inside

Other than temples, Bali is also very famous for its Arts and Crafts. What I can say is, Balinese are born with natural talents in arts. Almost everywhere you can see extremely detailed sculptures, drawings and so on.

Taken at Tanah Lot

Sukawati Art Market

Who says Art Studios must be luxurious and air conditioned?

Handmade wooden crafted chessboard. 1 million rupiahs. Only RM300 ++ MYR!!!

Very good if I buy this on my Honeymoon trip

Aha! One more thing I must mention. As I say, Balinese are born artists. Therefore, the tour guide told us, in every house, there is a place called the "Pondok Bingung" (Booth for Empty Minds). When the artists cannot find inspiration for their pieces of art, they will sit there blankly until they have inspiration to produce another piece of art.

This is how a Pondok Bingung looks like

Other than that, Balinese dance is also very special. During my last dinner in Bali, I got to watch cultural dances in the restaurant.

Done with the culture and the scenery, now with the FOOD. I did not try much of Balinese food, because I was on a tour, and was just following the schedule. Moreover, due to the flies attack in almost every places, I don't dare to try typical local roadside foodstuffs.

Third day's lunch. Dirty Duck, they call.

If you see cute ducks in the middle of the paddy field, so sorry, I ate one of them =( Sorry duckies

First night's dinner. Seafood BBQ. By the beach.

As I mentioned, Bali is dominated by Hindus, therefore, they DO serve pork over here. The famous Babi Guling (Rolling Pig) is one of the specialties here. BUT, I don't have the guts to try. FLIES ALL OVER THE PLACE!! >.<

Local people seem to favour it >.<

Another thing that is EXTREMELY famous in Indonesia (not only in Bali), is the coffee. Indonesia is well-known of producing the best quality of coffee in the world.

This cup of coffee has the exact taste as Starbucks, Coffee Bean or whatsoever. Guess what. It is only the second worst quality among Indonesian coffee beans.

This is the second best quality of coffee beans. Look at the beans, it is round and full, without any damage.

Coffee lovers will know. The true aroma of coffee can only be tasted without adding any sugar or creamer.

There is one type of coffee, called Kopi Luwak. It is the best coffee in the world, of course, the most expensive. It is made of nothing other than the feces (yes!) of wildcats. These wildcats ate coffee fruits with other fruits, digested the fruits, and excreted the seeds of the fruits. Those seeds, are known as the coffee beans of Kopi Luwak. This also explains, why Kopi Luwak, when drank without any sugar or creamer, is not bitter compared to other types of coffee. It has a fruity smell though. The price, of course, is high enough. One cup of Kopi Luwak costs around 65 USD (Around MYR 200). Starbucks only costs RM18 per cup >.<

1 cup of Kopi Luwak = 10 cups of Starbucks. Ouch!

Unprocessed Kopi Luwak beans. Ahem!

When you purchase Kopi Luwak, you should be given this

Taking about the price, this box costs around 400 MYR. Two packets of Kopi Luwak, with the certificate, and a souvenir

Kopi Luwak in the form of powder

Grinding station. For visitors who bought the coffee beans, they provide free grinding service

Some fun facts about coffee

Malaysian food on the plane to Bali XD

Malaysian food again on the plane to KL XD

If you have read such far, a big HUG and THANK YOU! I do hope this post increases your knowledge of Bali, which I myself had during the tour.

Signing off,

P/S: I used 3 days to finish this post. A really big THANK YOU if you finished reading it!

Self Reflection for 2012 - Through the Learning Curve

2012-12-20T08:47:00.001-08:00

Time just flies. I just can't agree more to that.

This makes me sound like I am old, but in fact, I have walked through almost three-quarters of my university life.

Another year has ended. Time for some self-reflection. What have we done in the past year? Did we perform well, or there were many mistakes? Are there anything to improve?

Talking about my year of 2012, I have experienced a lot, especially in my career. April, I have been elected as a Student Ambassador and November, I have been assigned to a higher level. This is really a great experience and opportunity to me, and I ought to appreciate it no matter what. Half a year down the road, I have enjoyed every single moment working in Student Services, Marketing and Admin, especially alongside the staff whom I treat as a family. Although I have been working since the first month I joined APU (still UCTI at that time, June 2010), how long am I in APU, that is how long am I working as a Student Helper or Student Ambassador; I still think that I have a lot to learn. Mr Visva, a senior staff, told me, we should be like a sponge, never wanting to stop absorbing knowledge and experience. Take only the good and leave the bad aside. I have accomplished personal goals in work, and will continue to accomplish more, I guess ^^

Other than that, in my personal life, I went through a bumpy road, because of my certain personalities and traits. I am a self confident and aggressive person, and this trait brings me good and bad impact towards my personal life. I guess I should always practice the rule of a Libra, which is to balance everything to a neutral manner, never slant or bias to anywhere or anyone. As I say, there is still a lot to learn. I am still 20 years old. I am still young =)

In terms of study life, there is no major problem. However, I foresee that I should learn more in terms of time management. In August and September, I once struggled in life and time management due to the lack of balance between my studies, work, health and personal life. When I was sick during my assignment due date, I was lost and thought that I had lose control to my life. Now, I am in the progress of learning how to balance my life properly. 24 hours is not enough, seriously. But what I can do is to plan and to manage in an effective way. I am still learning!

In year 2012, I have slightly improved my involvement in activities in my university, compared to the previous years. I have helped in organizing events for my Maths and Science Club, became an emcee in events, attended various countries' independence days and multicultural events and learnt more about other culture, thanks to the never-ending events streak in my university (Every week we have events!) and my talented international friends. Such environment is hard to be found in future, therefore I shall promise myself to enjoy the most out of it, and continue being confident and active in participating them =)

Year 2013. Here I come. Though you will bring me challenges, I shall promise myself to make the most out of it, absorb as much experience and knowledge as I can, and ENJOY!

Graduation Dec 2012

2012-12-03T07:31:00.003-08:00

We undergo birth, full moon, graduation, marriage, childbirth and of course, unavoidable, funeral in our lives.

Graduation Ceremony is one of the most important ceremonies in one's lifetime.

With such great honor, I get to participate as a crew in APU's first Graduation Ceremony (previously was UCTI Graduation) and to work in a Graduation Ceremony for the second time.

(Photo credits to Spotlight and Myself XD)

My tag. To identify myself. =)

This graduation ceremony was held in Renaissance Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. The previous one was in KLCC, and judging on the environment, I do prefer KLCC more. However, there is also the cost factor to be considered as well.

The Grand Ballroom, Renaissance Hotel.

Graduates seats.

Graduation Booklet. My aim is to have my name appear in the "First Class Honors" section

As I always say, working with the team is always fun. Over here in APU, there are no barriers between staff and students. The staff are so friendly and the working environment is AWESOME.

Li Kien, Sin Hui, Mr. Visva and myself. Mr. Visva is a very dedicated senior staff who has a handful of experience that are to be shared. He is my mentor and my father in APU, who has given me a lot of advice in life =)

Team of usherette in the event. We are responsible in taking care of the queue, checking tickets, and lead graduates to where they should be

Darya, a Student Ambassador like myself, from Kazakhstan

Michael, Syakirin, Ai Mun and Kelly. They are all very friendly Student Services staff in APU.

The two beauties and myself.

The whole team of staff that organized the Graduation Ceremony. In this photo, only few of us was ready. Haha.

Nevertheless, US. <3 td="td">

Working in Graduation Ceremony always brings me loads of feelings. I am looking forward to my own graduation, but at the same time, I miss student life in APU and also the experiences that I have here. Such contrasting isn't it.

I still have 3 semesters here. Anyhow, I shall appreciate the time I have here, and shall AIM for the awards. =) First Class Honours, here I come!!!

♥ Rainbow ♥

2012-11-29T07:39:00.002-08:00

It was raining cats and dogs this afternoon, what else, my shoes broke this morning before I entered class. What a day. =(

HOWEVER, when I went to IOI Mall to shop for new shoes, I saw this. Made my day =)

Taken @ IOI Mall Rooftop Carpark

Mother Nature loves us, and is willing to give us surprises when we need them. However, if we don't love her, how is she going to provide us with beautiful scenery?

K-POP Fans Look HERE!!!!!!!!!!

2012-11-28T06:05:00.000-08:00

If you are a K-POP fan, DO NOT MISS THIS~~

Ticket Price is RM20!

This concert is in aid of Birthright, a social work established by Grace Community Services to provide crucial help to pregnant teens and young, unwed mothers who have no other means of support.

SUPPORT SUPPORT!

For those who want tickets, please message me in Facebook! Thanks

Around the World in One Night

2012-11-28T05:37:00.003-08:00

Reading my title, you may think that this blog post is about travel. Oops. You are wrong. Haha.

Well. To understand and to adapt to cultures are not easy. This is why the word "culture-shock" still exists today, despite globalization is happening, and the world is becoming smaller and smaller.

HOWEVER, as mentioned in my previous posts, thanks to my uni, I have friends from different parts of the world. Without having to travel around (i don't have the budget to do so, anyway), I know that:

Yemen people owns a knife called Jambiya that follows them since small, and it costs easily few hundred thousands. They are not meant to used for weapons as when you show your Jambiya to anyone without reason, you may be penalized

Jambiya is the knife tied to the waist of a man in Yemen

Iranians celebrate their New Year by arranging 7 items in a corner of their house. Each of those carries a meaning. I've personally seen them in my Iranian best friend's house!

Mongolia is divided into Inner Mongolia and Outer Mongolia, which according to my friend, has different cultural influences.

And lots more.. But that's NOT ENOUGH! =) To celebrate the muticultural environment, Multicultural Night is always the largest annual event in my uni APU. I attended it last year, and did not miss it as well. Dances and performances that are only to be seen overseas are brought here, in APU itself. Let the pictures to the talking!

Ticket. Costs me RM15 but at the end what I got from the event is priceless =)

Let's see what I've got from the event =)

Cha-Cha

The Comedian, Daniel Ebong. One of my international friend =)

Drama Club Members

Breakdance performance by Iranian students

Hip Hop by Malaysians

Camera not clear, but one of our lecturer, Ms. Ping Yin participated, as well as one of our friends, Chu =)

Music Club. One of my favourite clubs in APU =) They formed a band with different nationalities. And they are united as one! Love this

Somalian performance

Sudanese performance. Daniel and Noory were in =)

Malay Dance.

OMG. This was the most interesting part. Not long ago, there was a PALMA Award singing competition. Our students participated, and of course, won! Guess what. The most impressive part is not winning, but the winners are international students singing MALAY song!

My good friend, Noory

Te Amo. Always impresses people with her amazing voice.

Wushu performance.

And who says only Chinese can perform Wushu? =)

Latin dance

Performance from the Indian students

Personally, I do think that the arrangement of the event has some flaws. The Emcee kinda announced that students can go to Zouk as an after-party just before the last performance if they claim their tickets. Ended up almost all students queued for the Zouk tickets and neglected the last performance from the Indonesian students. I kinda pity them, as only less than half of the audience watched their performance. Arrangements could be better, if the Zouk announcements can be made after the last performance. Performers need to be respected.

The pity Indonesian performers

What else did I get? Only performance? Nope!!!

This was also the night of gathering with some of my friends, who are about to graduate and leave APU soon. Just by looking at the pictures, you will know how diverse are our university, housing students from 107 countries. Let me introduce you,

Misheel from Mongolia

My lecturer, Dr Maen and his wife, from Arab

Noory! President of Music Club, from Sudan

With Li Kien, Chu and JsKee..

Cholpon, from Kyrgyzstan. Love her dress! This dress has special meaning as well!

Ho Kian Shin, from Malaysia. HAHAHA. He's one of the organizing committee! Thumbs up to him, being able to multitask between studies, Student Ambassador duties and Student ARC job! AWESOME fella!

Daniel, the Comedian, President of Drama Club.

My boss, Manager of Student Services.

The team. Love this photo the most!!! Look at the diversity!

Last but not least, US <3 nbsp="nbsp" p="p">

After an enjoyable night...

Goodie bag I got for purchasing my ticket

Snacks inside!Snickers, Twisties

AND... Another T-Shirt for my collection!! Last year I had the T-Shirt for Multicultural Night 2011 as well, but too bad they did not have the right sizes, and I got M size, which I have no choice, to only wear it at home because it looks floppy on me =(

This year, FINALLY, they have S size! Can wear it anytime now!

Front view

Back view

Thumbs up to our Student ARC, for organizing such an AWESOME event! Will come again next year, FOR SURE! =)

For those who missed this event, your loss. Haha. Join in next year! =)

T-Shirt

2012-11-20T07:53:00.001-08:00

Have you got it? No? What are you waiting for?

See you in L1-3 from 10am - 6pm, Monday to Friday, until 7th Dec 2012! Just fill in the survey and get this now! XD

Here are some pictures of the super high quality Polo T-Shirt =)

Yep! APU T-Shirt!

Super high quality embroidery

Our partner! Logo on t-shirt as well

Our website

Staffordshire's website

Go get yours now! (Only for APU students)

Opinions Heard

2012-11-19T08:15:00.003-08:00

There are times where organizations should always listen to opinions from stakeholders to improve themselves. Only successful companies realize the importance of opinion collecting.

Glad to know that APU is one of them =) We, as students, get to raise our voices about the facilities, services, and quality provided by the university.. Rather than complaining among friends, let's just do something more practical to raise our opinions! What's more, freebies come along! XD

Interested? APU students only. =) Click here to raise your opinions!

Photo courtesy of APU

Achievement

2012-11-19T08:10:00.001-08:00

Yet another achievement accomplished.
Being a Student Ambassador was an AWESOME experience in my university life. However, the AWESOMENESS has gone one more step further from today onward.

A very big THANK YOU to all who have supported me, especially my family (for enduring the late night returning), my friends (for apologizing me for not joining gatherings so often), my colleagues (for guiding me and correcting my mistakes in work), my supervisors (yes, Mr. Anis & Mr. Chong & Jerry, for giving me the opportunity to this experience in my university life).

The first job promotion in my life. An ACHIEVEMENT badge for myself? More to unlock! XD

Titanic

2012-04-19T06:32:00.001-07:00

Kindly play this song (the Youtube video) while reading.

The first time when I watched this movie, I was still a kiddo. I remember my dad bought pirated CDs and I watched it. 3 CDs. A 3 hour movie. I had no patience towards it and it seemed so so so boring to me. I THINK i didn't finish this movie. I only remembered watching the scene where Jack drew Rose's potrait.

Time flies. 10+ years has passed in a blink of an eye. Nowadays, movies are coming out in 3D, thanks to James Cameron, the director of Avatar, and also this movie. Of course, now it is re-released in 3D form. Alongside with the 100 year anniversary of the Titanic tragedy, this movie is shown once again in the theaters.

Now, after 10+ years, I've grown up from a kiddo to a teenager (soon-to-be adult in few months). I have more life experiences and feelings. Just yesterday, I went into the cinemas with my love, JsKee. I predicted that I will cry and wet his shoulders while watching, because I already wanted to when I re-listened to Celine Dion's 'My Heart Will Go On' while watching the movie trailer.

My favourite scene

I really cried. Not once, but thrice. Up to now, there is no such movie that managed to make me cry so badly. Not even Harry Potter, when Dumbledore died. The regrets of Jack and Rose made me cry. The tragedy made me cry. Seeing cruel things happen to human when we don't have the ability to defend it made me cry. Seeing the true love made me cry. When I saw Jack lying to Rose just to keep her safe into the lifeboat, I cried. When I see them reunite, I cried. When I see the musicians playing together, I cried. When I see the old couple hugging together in bed and waiting for the time to go, I cried. When Jack died, I cried badly.

Other than crying, I sighed. I sighed more than I cried. When I see Jack running so happily into Titanic, I sighed. I was wondering. If Jack knew that he will die on the ship, but he will find his true love beforehand, will he still board the ship? When I see people being killed by the water, I sighed. Compared to Mother Earth, humans are so small, tiny like a flea on an elephant. When the elephant decides to kill the flea, where can it run to? Unless it leaves the elephant's body, of course. However, space expedition nowadays still does not allow humans to leave Planet Earth whenever they want.

Now even looking at the picture, I want to cry.

After the movie, I kept quiet for a long long time. This movie surely had a psychological effect on me. Haiz. I kept thinking about things happening around me. There are a few lessons that I managed to think of:

1) There are loads of people wanting to be together with their loved ones, but unexpected circumstances happened and they can't do that. While I can do that, APPRECIATE is the only word I must remember. After seeing Jack and Rose, I told JsKee. No more arguments. No more cold wars.

JsKee, let us stay together until death do us apart

2) Never be too arrogant. The moment you think you are best in the world and nothing can get worse or topple you over, that is the moment where you fall badly. Based on the movie, the sinking of Titanic is actually caused by an arrogant rich man who ordered the ship to travel in full speed, despite the warning of the captain of Titanic. I myself had some life experience about this, and I do agree with it so much.

Who would expect the 'unsinkable' Titanic to sink on its debut?

Last but not least, I would really like to give credits to James Cameron and the cast. A great team, they really are. Every detail in the movie does carry a meaning. 3 hours has passed without me realizing it. Cameron is really a genius, really. Titanic is a piece of art, a classic, rather than other commercial movies. It managed to stay at the top of the list of most earning movies although so many years has passed. Thumbs up too, to the cast. Leonardo DiCapirio and Kate Winslet are really really good actor/actress. Not too outstanding looks but they have managed to establish a connection with patrons' hearts as Jack and Rose. Celine Dion, she really has a very beautiful voice, who sang the theme song with so much of feelings and skills. Just the MV of the song already makes people cry. Thumbs up.

Tribute to the 'unsinkable' Titanic, and the 1500 people who sank with it.