Melodies of Life

Welcome to the Cashless Society (Malaysia Edition)

2018-09-23T23:16:00.001+08:00

The place was crowded. You were standing quietly, hands tugged into your straight cut jeans eyes locked on the wide boards over the top of the shelf. There are 2 persons standing in front of you - both larger than you. The first man at the front has been staring at that same wide board for some time now before he started speaking. Your hands began to sweat as you never done this before. You convinced yourself that you are not some hipsters that just got to have overpriced coffee and the only thing stands between you and that green maiden logo was the aroma of the coffee that draw you into the queue. Soon, it is your turn to order, you successfully blurt out a bunch of gibberish words that hipster made cool before giving your name to the cashier in front of you (which most of the time they are going to misspelled it). As you wait for the cashier to key in the last few details of your order, you noticed a small shelf in the place of cardholders at the front left of the cashier's table. The cards has beautiful design which has some sort of transparent design at the edge of the card. As a youth you feel curious and ask about the membership card. After a few minutes of explaining the card's benefit (and maybe a few cute smile from the cashier), you got yourself a card and thought to yourself that benefits you get from the card is actually worth your money. You have taken your first step into going cashless.

Enter year 2018, living off the age of smartphone, it is hard to deny that everything can be done straight off that little computer in your pocket - including paying for your purchases. The smartphone is fast replacing your physical wallet with a virtual one. For the past couple of years, this has become a reality in China. Everyone in China is going cashless (or e-Wallet if you prefer), even the beggars has their own QR code to collect their alms. Over here at Bolehland, it is a different story - but it is a story that is steadily building to become a good one if everyone plays their part. This post is to explain to you what are the benefits of going cashless for you, how secure is e-Wallet, how many cashless merchants are out there in Malaysia, what are the benefits for the merchants, who are the main key players currently in Malaysia, how is Malaysia going to turn the cashless society to a success story.

Benefits of e-Wallet

As a consumer, we must get every right to secure the best deal in the best price we could get. So how is e-Wallet is going to benefit us? Firstly and obviously your physical wallet is going to get much thinner. Do not give me those bullshit that you carry only debit and credit card. Imagine all merchants you go to accepts e-Wallet, the only thing you will be needing in your wallet will be your Identity Card and Car License only. You do not even need a physical wallet for that. Secondly there are various cashback and discounts you could get from using e-Wallet. For example Samsung Pay in Malaysia is using a point system that rewards you points every time you its services. These points can be used to redeem cool stuffs like a smartwatch. Others will be explained later on when we go through the key players in e-Wallet.

The merchants are charging us the same price as we use cash or cards, so how in the world does this benefits the e-Wallet companies? When Apple Pay was launched on year 2013, some analysts did state that for every $100 in Apple Pay transactions, Apple earn 15 cents from that transaction. So it is safe to say that other brands are doing the same thing as well. Other brands like WeChat Pay or AliPay are more towards a prepaid approach where they will ask you to top up a certain amount of money to the app before you are able to use it. This way, before you start using you already give your money to the service provider which adds up to their already huge amount of profits.

So we mention how e-Wallet will benefits consumers and the companies that provide the services. So what about benefits on the merchants end? The answer is data. When one uses e-Wallet function, our particulars will be collected anonymously for the companies and the merchants. Things like your gender, age group, marital status etc. are vital to companies and merchants alike. They can use these set of data to provide you better services in the future. For example like if you own a cafe and from the data gathered most of your customers are female, maybe in the future when you plan to add more to your menu you might want to add more sweet deserts in it?

Key Players

As of March 2018, there are more than 30 e-money licenses (5 banks and 28 non-bank entities) was issued by Bank Negara Malaysia which enable them to issue e-wallets or e-payments system. However many are not focused in e-Wallet and mainly for loyalty cards or petrol cards. That being said, there are a few who stands out in the crowd and gaining popularity. In this section, I will writing 3 main players with different strategies and also some noteworthy contender in the field.

FavePay

Previously known as Groupon Malaysia, it was acquired by K-Fit aka Fave (owned by Joel Neoh who happens to be Groupon Malaysia founder who quits due to lack of support from Groupon USA - talk about Asian Steve Jobs) on early year 2017. Towards the Q4 2017, they introduced FavePay into the Fave app. FavePay mantra was simple, if you visit a shop and pay with FavePay, you will get the cashback up to 5%. That cashback was not given to you in the form of cash but as a form of discount on your next visit. You can even integrate it with your AirAsia BIG membership to collect points or pay with your points. That is not all, you can even get great deals in the app as well. Once you installed the app, tap on the FavePay tab and scan the QR code located at the cashier counter of the cafe and enter the amount you need to pay. You might need to enter your credit card details the first time you use it. If you are a first time FavePay user there is a promo code you can use for discount, just ask the counter for the promo code as it changes every month. Personally I like FavePay as some merchants that offer this service has a FavePay employee standing by to help you and they know a few promo codes that you can get from them for instant discount.

(Get FavePay in Fave on App Store or Google Play Store)

GrabPay

This is a bit confusing. Grab introduces GrabPay earlier of 2018 although before this they already have GrabPay but its only for you to pay for Grab services using your credit or debit card. Now they introduce 'credits', it is like a virtual prepaid card where you top up your credits and pay with them. With GrabPay Credits, you enjoy cheaper Grab fare and also some merchants now support GrabPay will have additional discount when you pay with its credits. Once the app is installed, simply tap the 'G' button on the top right to key in your debit/credit card details and how much credit you plan to top up. Honestly I think this concept is not that good as one day you might run out of credits and you have to face the embarrassment of not enough money to pay the cashier or your Grab driver. The reason why they introduce this system (I think) is to have more cash in hand to expand their business. Since they now (sort of) monopolize the ride-sharing system in South East Asia, they can do anything now.

(Get GrabPay in Grab App on the App Store or Google Play Store)

Samsung Pay

This payment method is only available for certain Samsung phones that support Near Field Communications (NFC) payment. The payment system is simple and works like your credit card. In fact it is safer than your credit card, it involves a system called tokenization where each time you pay for a transaction, the sensitive data element will be substitute by non-sensitive element which we call a token. A token has no exploitable meaning or value hence it is not worth hacking. The token is a reference that maps back to the sensitive data through a tokenization system. In short words, it is safe. Moreover, Samsung Pay rewards you with points system every time you transact with Samsung Pay. Those points can be redeem for great products and services. To activate it, simply from your Samsung phone lock screen swipe up to insert your credit or debit card details. There is no app to install for this.

Other noteworthy mention

Touch N' Go e-Wallet

One of the pioneers for cashless payment, I believe all Malaysian adults should own one of those Touch N' Go card for the convenience of us travelling the highway. Before this you need to carry a card for it, however they are fast catching up with their introduction of mobile app for payment. You can use the app to transit trains or to pay for certain convenient store. It functions similarly with GrabPay where you need to top up credits. However, one disadvantage of the system is that you still need to visit the nearest Touch N' Go office to reload your card/account which is a total waste of time since you still need to queue up to reload making paying by cash a much more convenient way sometimes. What they need to do to get it right is to employ an efficient online transaction service provider for this. If done right, I believe this system will be the most successful among all since it already have the market penetration.

(Get Touch N' Go e-Wallet on App Store or Google Play Store)

AliPay/WeChatPay/RazerPay

These are the major China mobile payments key players. They are the giant in China when it comes to e-Wallet. The effect greatly ripples in Malaysia as we begin to see merchants slowly start to accept these payments. It functions like GrabPay for now where you can store credits in it. Some of it promise the support of credit/debit card system in the future and some can even be used to reload your mobile prepaid credits. However if it is one thing that I still have doubt is that how China stores our personal data. If you look carefully at their terms and conditions you will see they use your personal data for collection and analyze it to give you special rewards that are 'cater' only to you. So the more you spend on certain category, the better the rewards are. In the end, you will be stuck in this vicious cycle of continuous buying and reward.

(Get AliPay on App Store or Google Play Store)

(Get WeChatPay in WeChat on App Store or Google Play Store)

(Get RazerPay on App Store or Google Play Store)

O2O/M-coin/M-phase

Call it whatever you want, this system has be steadily growing in Malaysia. Founded by MBI International, it uses a system that has its complexity which is hard to explain in a simple paragraph. To put it in a simple way, it uses a system similar to WeChatPay/GrabPay/AliPay, however the amount of money you put in will not be the amount of monetary value you get to use as credits. Certain percentage will be used by MBI for investment purposes where after a few months of growth certain percentage of those investment will be transferred to O2O account. This O2O accounts you can only use it on merchants that support its payment. There is even a special mall dedicated only for these O2O payments and not anything else, however items for sale are priced slightly higher than average. As far as I know there is no app for this system, you just have to simply state your membership number and they can cut your credits from there.

Moving Forward

There are many choices for e-Wallet being offered in Malaysia. In fact, there are already too many, since it is only the start of the 'going-cashless-race, we might still need to wait a few more years where a better company to acquire the ones that are not doing so well for a more streamline e-Wallet system. I believe Malaysia is on its way on becoming a cashless society. As a consumer, I believe we can play our part by just participating in any of those mentioned in the above. If you do not like it, try another one. I believe the key to make it successful here is there must be consumers that are willing to use mobile to pay, the wide availability of merchants supporting the system and a good network effect that can consumers can enjoy a seamless customer experience.

XiaoMi Redmi Note 4 Experiential Event

2017-03-20T22:17:00.000+08:00

On the 18th March 2017, I was lucky enough to be invited to Mi Malaysia's Redmi Note 4 Experiential Event held at Monkey Cup Cafe in Penang. Since it is an experiential event, therefore I am going to talk about my experience at the event there. The venue was large enough to accommodate all the invitees and parking spot was easy to find.

Nice cafe feel right?? (Photo credits to Jennifer)

When I first enter the room, I was already given a Redmi Note 4 (3GB RAM + 32GB ROM) to have my hands-on with. For the price of RM 799, my initial reaction before getting the phone was "Hey, it is a budget phone, do not expect too much of it." However, this was not the case. Overall, the phone was build with premium quality with a metal back and a 2.5D curved display glass at the front. When you held it in your hands, the design somehow hold sturdy at your palm. My index finger naturally rest at the fingerprint sensor and the display immediately turns on. The display is AWESOME! For a 5.5 inch display at full HD resolution generating at 441 ppi, I could not believe it with my own eyes when I see how sharp the display was and instantly fell in love with it. Out of the box, it runs on Android 6.0.1 Marshmellow with MiUI on top of it. It comes in 3 colours - Gold, Grey and Black.

Look at that gorgeous screen

That metal-clad back

After the admiration and a few swipes on the phone, I try to change the setting a bit myself. The Redmi Note 4 is the first in the Redmi series to feature a double tap to wake screen feature and so I test it. It was responsive. I even turn on the double press on volume down to launch camera. It was equally fast. Speaking of camera, the camera was decent at 13 megapixel at the rear and 5 megapixel front facing camera. The camera was decent for a phone at this price range. I would recommend to turn on HDR all the time for a better quality photos. I could not show you any sample photos here as the Redmi Note 4 I was given lacked Internet connectivity for me to transfer any media stored in the phone.

Look how fast it responds to my touch

The Redmi Note 4 also feature a speaker at the bottom of the phone (Mi fans rejoice!!!) which I know many fans has been asking for it and XiaoMi is probably one of the few tech companies that listen to its fans. As astounding as the sound coming out from the grill may be, sadly, it has only one speaker but hey, again we are talking about a phone that sells at RM799, to me it is good enough. The iPhone 6s cost double than this and it also has one speaker grill - so no complains here.

One side is the speaker, the other is not. (Duh!)

As for multitasking wise, I had no problem during the event as I try to open as many apps as possible and it survive without lagging. I am certainly impressed by the Snapdragon 625 ability to handle multitasking so well. Not only it handle multitasking well, the battery management was great as well. I started off at about 93%, I opened so many apps, videos and pass it around to other people, by the end of the event it is still at 81% battery left. I was shocked to see not only the chip (which have a 20% more power efficient than Redmi Note 3) but the 4100 mAh battery that is keeping the screen on is also impressive. For those that are afraid this big battery is gonna take a long time to charge, do not worry. I checked the charger output and it is 2A which should do just fine charging around 2-3 hours to full.

This is what you should be getting with the phone. Please check.

Before the event ends, we were given quizzes and this is where things get interesting, for those who answer the quiz correctly were given XiaoMi accessories. Those accessories range from leather notebook to Mi Mini Wifi Router. This was an interesting point in the event as I have never been to any event that gives away free accessories like this. At the end of the event, we were given a light meal before we were dismissed. Overall, the event was good and it is good to see Mi fans from all walks of life to gather around for this event sharing their knowledge and views on Mi products. If given another chance, I would love to attend events like this again.

Hey that's me over way.... behind there.

PS: To those who wants more information click here.

PPS: To those who wants to purchase after seeing me in awe, you can head to Lazada for direct purchase here.

Dear Public Uni Graduates,

2015-09-20T17:43:00.002+08:00

Working for mulit-national corporation (MNC) has been an eye-opening experience for me so far. When I first started working here, I noticed the employees mostly graduated from private universities (from the likes of Monash University, University of Nottingham, UTAR etc.) rather than public universities like UM, UKM or UMP (my uni, God bless) and this makes me ponder on one question - What happened to the ones from public universities? Are graduates there really that incompetent comparatively? Or is it because of their exposure? OK so it is more than one question however, I would pretty much like to know the answers.

Communications

To me, it was several factors, not only the private varsities has more exposure to better companies but better companies are more willing to hire them as well. Why? One, students at public universities has communication problems. Not only they are bad at speaking up, they are bad in English as well (when I say bad, I mean sucky). As much as I hate to admit it but in public universities, if you are a Malay speaking English, your Malay friends will tease you for being 'glamor' now and forgot about your roots. If you are a Chinese speaking English, first thing your Chinese friends will ask is "Are you a banana?" Banana indicates that you are a Chinese but do not know how to speak Chinese which is similar to banana the fruit - yellow on the outside, white on the inside. If you answer yes, then too bad for you, you have to join other groups of friends and too bad for them as they will not improve on their English. For Indians, everytime you try to speak English to them, somehow one way or another they will change back to Tamil, Hindi or whatever mother tongue they have. While in private universities, everyone is conversing in English - even the janitor talks to you in English!

Exposure

In my 4 years of public uni, I have to say the exposure given by the board of university has been (I would not say 'generous') well. There are mulit-universities society like AIESEC or competitions like IEM Plant Design. If you feel you are not up to that level, there are intra-university level like CITREX where you got the chance to publish your Final Year Project for only university students to see or if you prefer something more artistic, the university was open enough to let students held Cultural events. So what is the problem? Two words - No Interest. Students know about these events. It was their interest that was not there. They rather hang out in the hostels and just does not even bother about it UNLESS merits points are involved.

Competency

I have compared the work of public universities and private universities for my course and both universities has similar projects, assignments and subjects. Grading was also similar (except for those that has silly bell shape curve diagram - those are insane!). In terms of educational knowledge I do not think it is much of a difference in it. Furthermore, there are various board of accreditation for various subjects and most courses fulfil their criteria. Malaysian parents who are reading this, may consider public universities if you guys is having financial problems and was worried if which one was better. I have to say a job well done to the education minister ensuring the standard of public universities (Although I unapprove of the switch from English to BM for science and maths).

So for students or graduates reading this, I urge you guys to go out and participate, enhance and sharpen your soft skills before you graduate or before getting a job. Trust me, these skills are more important than your subjects. While you are at it, enjoy it along the way and most importantly have fun. I know I had it.

Silliest Questions Asked

2014-08-01T20:00:00.000+08:00

It’s been 3 years since I worked on selling Apple products and finally it comes to the end of a chapter. Today is my last day working at Switch – the widest Apple Authorised Reseller in Malaysia. For 2 years I have been working in that service line has not only improves my communication skills but also makes me hypothesised that humans are not as smart as you think they are. I think I can say that I have come across all kinds of customers in my years working part time there. Some of them just asked the silliest questions I have ever met in life and today I am here to reveal them.

Note before I start:

-As many of you already walked in to an Apple reseller/store before you already know that they only sells things that are only compatible with Apple products.

-Make sure you know what is an iPod, iPad and iPhone first.

-Last but not least, I want to say a simple thanks to all my colleagues that help me throughout all these years. Thank you.

1) “Where is the latest Samsung Galaxy phone?”

2) “If I put my SIM card on my iPad now, will I still have data after I walk out of the shop?”

3) “How come my iPod cannot make calls?”

4) “Why Apple products are so complicated to use?”

5) “If the body is aluminium, how long will it take before it rusts?”

6) “I have saw the next iPhone.” *show a concept phone design on the phone* “When is it coming to Malaysia? Don’t lie to me.”

7) “If I buy more than 3 iPads, will I get discount?”

8) “My iPad cannot be switch on. What is the problem? I just bought it a few days ago.” Me pressing on the power button, a display asking me to connect to charger is shown. “Ms., you have to charge your battery, the battery juice is out.” “Charge? How to charge?”

9) “What is the function of iPad?”

10) “How many games are there in the App Store?”

Afraid

2014-07-21T22:39:00.002+08:00

Staring at the dark ceiling as I force to shut my eyes - it would not.Turned over to the side of the bed trying to get some sleep - I could not. Staring at my phone, it's half past 3 in the morning what can I do at these times - nothing. These sleepless nights has been dragging on for a week now. It haunt me so bad until I finally decided to blog about it.

As I have just graduated, everyone is getting ready for the job world. The job world has a lot of advantage - you get more knowledge, you earn money to reduce your mom's expenditure and finally you can start saving and treat your girlfriend that fancy dinner you saw on TV that you always thought it gives the idea of romance. However, that was not the case for me. Although there's one side of me being happy and finally given that sigh of I-did-shitzzz-in-uni-and-yet-people-want-me. Yea I am happy with the fact that I secured a job, happier when there are job offers but somehow I feel afraid. The worst part - I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M AFRAID OF.

That was the shit right there. Most fear comes from not knowing. Like why are you afraid of ghosts? Because you do not know whether the ghost can hurt you or not. Why are you afraid of height? Because you are not sure what is at the bottom waiting for you. Why are you afraid of the dark? Because you do not know what is in the dark. Why am I afraid to start work? I do not know. I afraid that the more this prolongs, the more it leads to fear. Annnnnd also to quote Yoda from Episode 1: The Phantom Menace - "Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to ...suffering."

Anyway, after blogging it out I feel much better. Thank you Blogger (and Ada - if you're reading this, give me a wink). What about you? Do you have any solutions to these problems? Please don't give me that don't-go-to-work bull. And to my avid readers, feel free to comment I can see you guys are always reading but leave nothing. Leave something for me. Don't be shy. I won't bite. If you are a pretty girl then leave your number so I can contact you and my problem will be instantly solved. =)

Maturity

2014-04-23T20:34:00.000+08:00

So I stumbled across a friend and he said to me "Wah Admund, I read your blog the other day, you mature a lot." My immediate answer was "My blog got porn?? Where? Where? I wanna see it too..." (Hint: It's right after a photo) Then came an awkward reply "No la, I mean in terms of writing compared to last time. Last time, after a while stop and came back you said you improve and better and new la. All sort of things but this time it's different you just go straight into writing the point and I enjoyed it." Okay so the first thing that came to my mind was "You read my blog since long ago? Wow! How long have I been writing?" Guess what? It's more than FOUR YEARS!!!! I never knew I have been blogging for 4 years already. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my avid loyal fans out there. I don't know how much you read but one thing for sure, I have blogged on almost all my feelings in here before. So thank you blogger for my much needed space. I started drifting from topic again, aren't I?

Coming back to maturity, I'm seeing kids (especially girls) in their early teens already try to act tough or try to dress like what they see in shows and probably too revealing. I'm not saying revealing is not good, as a guy point of view, reveal at such a young age probably I won't be able to see anything also. Sorry. Honest statement. If you wanna be an adult, I think you have to start mentally. Once you are mentally strong, the way you look at things will also change. One view on mental maturity is to stand strong no matter how people try to affect you... well, not too strong if not you will only become stubborn. I like girls who has a fine mind. They know what they want and don't beat around the bush much. I find that sexy~ I'm sure lots of guys find that sexy too.

I also realise that if you wanna be mature, you don't have to tell everyone that you are going to be different and its the new you kind of stuffs. Yea, I used to do that a lot because I always wanna keep changing and when I feel I didn't, I would tell myself that I already changed which is probably the STUPIDIEST thing to do. I'm not saying I'm mature now as I still have much to learn. Maturity don't occur overnight, it occur by experience. The people you going to meet, the people that save your ass and the people that bring you pain. These 3 people are the one that gonna affect how you respond to your growth. You are not going to meet all these 3 at the same time neither 3 people are going to change your mind. You need like 0.1% of the world population to do that. Remember baby steps last log?? Yes, exactly.

The people you going to meet are your first impressions. How you present yourself to them is important. If you fail in an interview, probably 60% is because of your first impressions. We always say don't judge a book by its cover, turns out THEY DO JUDGE. So if you fail, take it as a step towards maturity, there got to be something does not suit the eye the person you just met.

The people that save your ass are one of the rarest of the 3 groups you going to meet in your life. Its the people that you called friends. They know where is your limit and most probably bust you out for those hangover days. Although some will not turn out but its the not turning up that probably makes you a step closer to maturity.

The people that bring you pain are most probably everyone else. Most colleagues and exes belongs to this group. At the beginning, they will try to take your heart, once they have it, they will stab it or crush it away like a used paper. Thankfully, the heart can be patched and it becomes harder to be crushed after a few stabs/crush.

All in all, maturity is something you cannot learn. It's by experience. However, it does not mean you should be afraid of it and refuse to socialise. If you don't socialise, how you going to become someone mature? You wanna be stucked as a Pokemon master like me is it?? (Yes, I captured all 151 Pokemon in Google Maps in less than 24 hours, here's the proof below - it might be the only thing I'm good at) =3

PS: If you're looking for porn at the first paragraph, it's right here. Enjoy!

Self-Achievement

2014-04-19T21:34:00.000+08:00

"Three sentences for getting success: Know more than others. Work more than others. Expect less than others. "(William Shakespeare)

In order to succeed in life, you should put lots of effort to reach that succeeding point. However, do not put an expectations in your effort too high. If you fail to achieve it, you will end up disappointed and demotivated. Now don't get me wrong, not putting your expectations too high does not mean you are not ambitious. You can still set yourself to high goals, just remember - baby steps. You know how baby walks? When they first started walking, they take a few steps then they fall to their crawling position, however they do not give up. Although they did not stand up again but their goal was to reach his/her mother's arms on the other side.

Having lower expectations increase ones life too. Humans are really weird being. We tend to think negatively whenever there's a chance. Yes, its true. If not why you think there's this word "Worst-case scenario"? However there's a way to get rid of this irritating feeling. Researchers have been developing this new high tech stuffs that when you put it in your brain, you will totally feel optimistic. Its called "LoweroExpectoTatio" device. Pretty neat huh? I just make that up. Having lower expectations not only get rid of that worst case scenario thing but it actually makes you happier as well. For example, I wrote 3 logs last year. This is my 4th write for this year. I BROKE A RECORD!!!

Yeah, that's how I feel when I was writing this. Plus happier minds leads to happier life. Research did show (This is real) happier life leads to longer age.

So go ahead, try having lower expectations in life. It may be hard to start off but whenever you come with dissapointment, tell yourself, my expectations is too high. I will try again if there's a chance. Achievement your goal will be faster if you are happier and motivated.

PS: Personally, as a gamer, I will print myself or stare at this logo for a few minutes when I achieved something. I always imagine my life as a game.

You can do it too right here. Hang in there, champ!

Single's day

2014-04-14T09:00:00.000+08:00

Ahh. yes... Black Day (April 14)~ A day where all singles get together and talk about how sad and pathetic their lives are... BITCH PLEASE... Not necessary when you are single you are sad and pathetic. There are lots of things to do out there as single. For 24 years staying single, I have been observing those who are actually in a relationship. Trust me, just because you found someone to be with in your life, does not mean you will feel complete and happy. Being in a relationship has its downside, there's commitment we single people cannot see when in a relationship. What we see its only on the outside, what happen between those two internally might be a different story.

Being single has its perks, you gain more freedom. You can do your personal things/hobby anytime you want without another person bothering you. You have the whole bed to yourself. You can dress as messy on days you are lazy. You can flirt with that cute girl over the counter. You can sleep in the night anytime you want without having to say Good Night to another person first. You can use this symbol "< 3" on any gender. And lots lots more... My personal suggestion for being single? Get out of your comfort zone. Do things you would not have done in your lifetime. For example, if you are a nerd like me, besides reading try something crazy but like subtle crazy. I tried jungle trekking once and I was hooked. I found peace there. Now every once in a while I will lose myself in the woods without getting lost.

So I would like to dedicated this write here to all those single people out there. You may not realise it but be thankful for being what you are right now. Don't be a pathetic person and keep thinking/posting how lonely you are. Go out! Explore! Find out things you truly love, who knows, you might find someone who you can share the love with.

The Day I Confessed.

2014-04-08T00:42:00.000+08:00

Awake upon the realisation that varsity is not a stepping stone is not the only thing I experience during internship period. If you have read my last few writes, I have been seeing someone lately. We did went out for a few dates and I think it is one of those best moments in life yet.

When I go out with her, it is not only happiness rekindle in my once innocent life but I learnt a lot from her as well. When we are on semester, I would travel to Kuala Lumpur to find her. I get to experience things I never thought it would come to me this fast - travelling alone. What's more? I'm on a tight budget. I learn how to be independent and wiser. See, 2 lessons in 1 already. But seriously, although we were from different streams, different course, different uni, yet somehow we clique. We exchange ideas and knowledge well yet we share the same passion for things (not the same things though). I know what you wanna say - "But you guys live like 300 km away from each other..." Well to me, distance is not a problem since we only started seeing each other. Plus its good to have a little own private time to do the things that you truly love. Honestly, I do not really like girls who are too clingy on their counterpart. Yes, you will miss them but think again, if you really love someone, you would marry him/her already. By that time you see each other every day till you sien (tired). The solution for that is a little small advice here: You might not be always together now, but when you do, always leave surprises for your significant other (it might not necessary be gift, it could be some part of you that he/she never knew you had). Take me for example, she loves dancing and always say I cannot dance, little does she knows I dance too.......... Nah, that's one huge ~~bullshit~~ cow dung. I don't dance. Laughing?? Yay, I'm funny. Plus points for me please. =)

So now it comes down to just one question right? "So, Admund, have you confessed to her??"

The answer is yes. But it turns out funnier and unexpected than I thought. The other day I was hanging out with her and her brother, it hits me with the realisation that I wanna be with this girl for eternity. So after I drop them both at her house, I gave her a little call. Toooottttt~~ Tooooootttt~~ The most nervous tone I ever heard in my life. She answers the call.

...

I was suppose to tell her about how I feel but in 0.00000001 seconds I changed my mind of asking her out and tell her directly in front of her. So I asked her out like this: "Amy(not her real name), you wanna go out this Saturday?" She replied it so friendly that she didnt get the meaning. So I ask again " No Amy, I mean do you wanna go out?" The answer was a long one but let me change to men's language - no.

So I thought she didnt understand what I wanted to say, I have to tell her that I have feelings for her. So I try typing out on Facebook. She still don't get it. Finally, I would type I love you. However, the word 'love' as I learnt from friends that it is a word too powerful it will scare a woman away. So I changed it to 'like'. She gives me a long statement which I don't understand, so I asked my friends to translate into simpler language - no. Oh, well I guessed that's that. Although I didn't give up on her, but I know what I must do. Buddha once taught that if you love something, set it free. We did not chat any lesser on the Internet after that but if I could observe lately from her profile, I think her heart already belongs to someone else... and although I would give her my blessings because she deserves her happiness but if it were to be really true, it's going to be hard for me. *start chanting~~ I must not be selfish~ I must not be selfish~ I must not be selfish~*

Well, hello there! Welcome back~

2014-04-03T21:17:00.002+08:00

A little catch up on my life here. Its been almost a year since I write. Yet this entry still feels empty. Not that my life is not exciting as others, it's just less open from others. There's not going to be much visual here so use your imagination well.

When we last stop, I was serving my internship. Although its quite far from home, its one of the laziest journey I ever been on my life. Met lots of new Indian friends and learn things that shocked my life. "The things I learnt in varsity does not prepare me for the working world." For those who is on the path going into university, people around you will tell you that university is like your stepping stone to your real life. I have to disagree with that statement to a certain degree. To me, universities are like schools - CAGES. Food will be given. Knowledge will be given. Shit will be taken. Same routine, same life, everything is the same except the cage is bigger. However unlike school cages, these cages are very unique, they have this dark black holes at each corner of the cage. These black holes are like the matrix. It's good. It's bad. It's neutral too. For those who got comfortable with living in cages will not pursue the hole, therefore it's neutral. For those with the CURIOUS mind will want to find out what's on the other side. Now the hole is like a maze, you might get lost there. Thats the bad news. However, with strong WILL, you will make connections with other fellow maze players - some are playing as New Game+ (if you don't know what does this means, then you never finish a story mode game before - noob~), they know what is going to happen, where is the exit and they are more prepared than you. Make a NETWORK of them so next time when you bump into another dead end, there are people who just give up and there are people who will turn around and start the journey again. Follow the one turn around, when you finally reach the exit, your real life begins. So in short summary, CAGES ARE NOT FIRST STEP, MAZE IS.

I only knew this on my final year after my intern. For those who is on the same page with me, it is still not too late to start the maze now. This semester is my last one, I have been attending conference and do some travelling around. Well, I know what you will say... "But we are only students, how can we find money to travel??" Let me tell you something. There's a glass filled with water to the half. Normally people here will argue about half empty or half full thing. For me, I drink it while you people are arguing. Lesson here is: Don't take things for granted, seize that oppurtunity.

Chill la... It's Only An Internship~

2013-07-11T22:16:00.001+08:00

It's been a while since I last blogged. Actually, I have decided not to blog again already as I feel I lacked the 'magic touch' on these stuffs but somehow there is this something on mind that I cannot seem to get it out from my mouth. So I decided to do it here since now its mostly empty, so I am free to write whatever I want.

Those who follow me on Twitter and Facebook, I'm into my internship for 2 weeks now. Everything seems fine except it's a small factory and if some people are jealous of you, you cannot do anything to change that. The factory was divided into 2 - production and office. Production includes QA and packing while the office is just mainly for business deals and paperworks.

So the first day, I get to know Ms. J, the admin manager, she's been working there for over 30 years already and she is very kind towards us interns. However, we were not under her. We were assigned to QA and lab test department under Mr. S. On my first week, work were endless. I wanted to find Ms. J to do some documentation but she seems to be on the phone all the time. So I sat on the chair and waited, it was not even 3 minutes I sat people already looking for me already.

Every time I visit the office I'm sure to hit with lots of work. On Tuesday, I already begin to feel suspicious, so I put my theory to the test. Sure enough, there were spies around the factory. These spies simply cannot stand me being around with the big guys. Guys please you are old and experienced I know, however I'm young and fresh who knows what freaking idea I might contribute to the company in these 10 weeks?? An why la wanna stop me from seeing the HR manager?? It's not like I'm going after 40+ year old lady... Interns are suppose to be fun and get to meet new people. It's only 10 weeks I'm sure I cannot steal whatever position you are eyeing to get into promotion. So chill, I mean no harm and I would like to enjoy my semester break in peace. Next month I have project already you know?? You want it? You can have it... But must type in English ya... Not in Tamil or BM... I just hope I can pretend I don't know anything for like 8 more weeks then I'm off... Although the office people are nice but a few are not... However I still hope we can get along well this few weeks... Aja aja fighting!!

The rainbow I see the first day I went to work, then I pooped in a petrol station.

A Story of Perspective

2013-03-06T20:39:00.003+08:00

A lot of people says my thinking is different from others. I say otherwise, it is on your perspective. If only you open your mind, I think you will see the endless possibilities to thinking. You see the problem with human is LAZINESS. We are all lazy. If there's a shortcut, we take it while animals like the antelopes when they are being chased they are not afraid to take a big round turn. Actually that's what they were hoping for - to tire the predator. See perspective, they are not stupid. They know their advantage is to run fast. Just like the story here about this smart boy. Although you think he is all smart and show off and all but deep inside himself, he's honest~ Here how it starts~ (PS: It's a bit dirty to those who are dirty minded) Enjoy~

A Filipino boy was very sad in class.

The teacher asked, “KULITS what is your problem?”

KULITS answered, “I’m too smart for the first-grade. My sister is in the third-grade and I’m smarter than she is!

I think I should be in the third-grade too!”

Teacher had enough. She took KULITS to the principal’s office.

While KULITS waited in the outer office, the teacher explained to the principal what the situation was. The principal told the teacher he would give the boy a test and if he failed to answer any of his

questions he was to go back to the first-grade and behave.

She agreed.

KULITS was brought in and the conditions were explained

to him and he agreed to take the test.

Principal: What is 3 x 3?

KULITS: 9, maam!

Principal: What is 6 x 6?

KULITS: 36, maam!

And so it went with every question the principal

thought a third-grade should know.

The principal looks at teacher and tells her,

“I think KULITS can go to the third-grade. ”

Teacher says to the principal, “I have some of my

own questions. Can I ask him ?”

The principal and KULITS both agreed.

Teacher asks: What does a cow have four of that I

have only two of?

KULITS: Legs, maam!

Teacher : What is in your pants that you have but I

do not have?

KULITS: Pockets!

Teacher: What starts with a C and ends with a T, is

hairy, oval, delicious and contains thin whitish liquid?

KULITS: Coconut!

Teacher: What goes in hard and pink then comes out

soft And sticky?

(The principal’s eyes open really wide and before he

could stop the answer, KULITS. was taking charge...)

KULITS: Bubblegum, maam!

Teacher: What does a man do standing up, a woman

does sitting down and a dog does on three legs?

(The principal’s eyes open really wide and before he

could stop the answer…)

KULITS: Shake hands!

Teacher: Now I will ask some “Who am I” sort of

questions, okay?

KULITS: Yep!

Teacher: You stick your poles inside me. You tie me

down to get me up. I get wet before you do.

KULITS: Tent

Teacher: A finger goes in me. You fiddle with me

when you’re bored. The

best man always has me first.

KULITS: Wedding Ring, maam!

Teacher: I come in many sizes. When I’m not well, I

drip. When you blow me, you feel good.

KULITS: Nose!

Teacher: I have a stiff shaft. My tip penetrates. I

come with a quiver. What is it?

KULITS: Arrow!

Teacher: What word starts with a ‘F’ and ends in ‘K’

that means lot of heat and excitement?

KULITS: Firetruck!

Teacher: What word starts with a ‘F’ and ends in ‘K’

& if u don’t get it, u have to use ur hand.

KULITS: Fork!

Teacher: What is it that all men have one. It’s

longer on some men, than on others,

the pope doesn’t use his and a man gives it to his

wife after they’re married?

KULITS: SURNAME!

Teacher: What part of the man has no bone but has

muscles, has lots of veins, like pumping, & is responsible

for making love ?

KULITS: HEART, maam!

The principal breathed a sigh of relief and said to

the teacher :

Principal: Huh! send this Boy to Harvard University!!! Even I got

the last ten questions wrong myself! :D

Colouring Rooms

2013-01-31T13:26:00.001+08:00

Admit it... You miss me blogging some random stuffs here... Well, since Chinese New Year is coming, you might wanna consider repainting your house. What's better way than to blog about it. There are about 20 tips on painting that new colour to that wall of yours. Trust me, colour is a powerful tool that is able to inspire emotions, making space illusions (like magic...) or even set the atmosphere for that particular room. Try some of these...

1) Bright colours to create illusion of space. Have a small house? Afraid of people might get too close for comfort when there's party? Try some bright and vibrant colours like yellows or eggshells to make your home look larger than it really is. Note: Although the common white colour is helpful, but it is not as effective as tinted colours.

2) For study rooms, try not to put colours that are too bright. Colours that are too bright sometimes blind the eyes of the person studying. Also try avoiding colours that are too dull like navy blue or dark grey. Try something like pearl white or forest green. Green is really a good colour for studying (but remember avoid bright colours like lime green or yellow green). Green is also a good colour for work place.

3) For places you wanna have your food, normally you go with red. As you might see nowadays refrigerator comes in 3 distinct colours - black, grey or red. Why red? Red is the colour where you can build your appetite on. When you see spicy food, you get that feeling of saliva coming out from your tongue, this is the psychology played on your mind. Note: Avoid hot red if you have high blood pressure.

4) Use colours of the past. Many colours consultants will tell you that using familiar colours from your childhood that remind you of fond memories (especially in the kitchen) will help bring those memories back and create pleasant mood. This is particularly good when you move into a new place that is far away from your home by making you feel at home.

5) Use relaxing colours in rooms like bedroom or bathroom. Cool colours like blue, green or lavender can calm yourself in your escape rooms. Cool colours can also create a relaxing atmosphere. (That is why you don't put blue in study rooms, it reduces productivity). You may also consider this blend of colours (except lavender, pink or purple) on your workout room as well.

6) Purple signifies wealth and romanticism. Although purple is a very hard mix into your home decor, it is very sooting for you to get a shut eye or when you come home from work.

7) Blend brown for that natural look. If you love to look of wood or leather, try incorporate this earthy natural look into any room of your house. Adding some brown can amplify the appearance. However, brown room can sometimes cause depression in some people.

8) Pink for tranquility. You can use this for meditation or yoga room if your house is big enough for rooms like this. Some sports teams actually paint the away team's locker room pink as it has been shown to cause a lack of energy (Bet you didn't know this huh??)

9) White for bathrooms. White is the symbol for fertility and cleanliness. There's a reason bathrooms fixtures are usually white. It is easier to clean them. Knowing that the bathroom is clean and fresh with lovely white paint can put your mind at ease.

10) Last but not least, my favorite colour - Orange. Orange is good for lively living room as it is often associated with improved lung function as well as increased energy. Putting it in living room actually promotes healthy living. A mild orange can be very helpful to those recovering from illness or with lung problems.

How I Tend to Skip Classes....

2012-12-16T20:00:00.000+08:00

Its Monday again tomorrow... The slightest thought of having a class is so demotivating.... What's more, I have a test tomorrow night and projects and assignments due date... Argh! Give me a break! Sometimes I feel like skipping class. But then again, I play by my rules? What rules? These rules...

50 Things Guys Wish Girls Knew.

2012-12-12T22:00:00.000+08:00

10 months ago, I wrote about 51 things girls may not know about guys but as I went net browsing, I came across this Russian female blogger that write 50 things guys wish girls knew and trust me she writes like a boss. Not only she knows what guys feels, she express it well. How does she do it? Here are the 50 things...

Guys aren’t psychic, mind telling them what you mean?
Guys don’t like to be used as pawns in trying to make your friends jealous.
Guys tend to get serious with their relationship and become too possessive. Better watch out girls.
The biggest turn off for guys is to see girls smoking.
The biggest turn on for guys are the girls who workout.
Girls who don’t want to listen to the truth shouldn’t be asking any questions.
Ending a heated conversation with “Fine” or “Whatever” isn’t considered acceptable.
If you want sex, just ask.
Don’t expect guys to say as many sweet things as they do in the movies. It takes 10 couples to come up with one sweet thing that they put up in the movies.
Only models are able to carry off most of the stuff you see in fashion magazines.
A guy who likes you wants to be the only guy you talk to.
A guy would sacrifice his money for lunch just to get you a couple of roses.
Guys need to be reassured often that they’re still loved.
Guys don’t care about how gorgeous you are, it’s goodbye, adios, and sayonara if you’re being a bitch.
All guys are kinky and willing to try anything that you may enjoy, just let them know.
Guys are more emotional than you think. If they loved you at one point, it’ll take them a lot longer than you think to let you go, and it hurts every second that they try.
A guy would do just about anything to get you to notice him.
Guys do not look into minute detailing. So, if you gave up a quarter of an inch from your 20 inches long hair, don’t expect your guy to know that instantly.
Guys like porn!
Anything said six months ago is inadmissible in an argument. All comments become null and void after seven days.
“The game is on” will be considered an acceptable excuse to postpone any serious conversations.
Cooking makes a girl all the more attractive.
You can’t get mad if your guy refuses to hook up your “ugly friend” with one of his good-looking friends.
Nothing you will ever do will entitle you to operate the remote control, unless operating means handing it to him.
The only thing left to be said after sex is “goodnight.”
Video games have helped men develop awesome finger skills that only encourage them to play more often.
Critiquing a man’s driving is outright unacceptable.
Guys’ night outs are sacred events. If you ask any question about it, you’ll be castigated.
Believe it or not, 99.5% of the time men honestly don’t mean to hurt you.
Guys may be flirting around all day but before they go to sleep, they always think about the girl they truly care about.
Guys hate it when you talk about your ex-boyfriend or ex love-interest.
If a guy tells you about his problems, he just needs someone to listen to him. You don’t need to give advice.
Don’t hold it against your guy if he starts to cry after a good sports movie, and was laughing outrageously last night when the two of you were watching an emotional drama saga.
Leaving a message like “You know what?! Mmm… Never mind…” would make a guy hanging on to that thought all day long and reach a conclusion that is far from what you are thinking. Don’t ever do that!
A usual act that proves that the guy likes you is when he teases you.
Guys love you more than you love them.
No matter how much guys talk about hotness or sex appeal, personality is key.
When a guy says he is going crazy about the girl, he really is. Guys rarely say that.
If a guy starts to talk seriously, listen to him. It doesn’t happen that often, so when it does, you know something’s up.
A guy has more problems than you can see with your naked eyes.
Guys talk about girls more than girls talk about guys.
You like when your guy calls and asks you out for dinner and pays for you, right? Well yeah, guys like it once in a while too.
It’s natural for a guy’s eyes to wander.
It’s not that guys don’t want to make their girlfriends happy; it’s just that sometimes, they don’t know how.
A guy would give his right arm to be able to read a girl’s mind for a day.
Not all guys are jerks. Just because one is a jackass doesn’t mean he represents all of them.
When a guy sacrifices his sleep and health just to be with you, he isn’t doing it all for sex. It means he likes you more than you can imagine.
Even if you dumped a guy months ago and he loved you, he probably still does and if he had one wish it would be to have you back in his life.
Guys love girls with brains more than girls in miniskirts.
A guy would waste his time over video games and football, the way a girl would do over novels and make-ups.

After reading this, if you feel more to reading her blog its www.your-fee.blogspot.com . I feel she's an awesome writer. Her boyfriend must be so happy....

Facebook Stalker

2012-12-02T22:12:00.002+08:00

Have you ever wondered who viewed your updates on Facebook the most? Well, wonder no more, now you can know who is that person who keeps stalking be it silently or openly. Just follow this few simple steps...

1) Open your Facebook

2) Right click anywhere on Facebook

3) Select view page source

4) Press on your keyboard "Ctrl and F" together. A small bar will pop up.

5) Type in that small bar "ordered_list.top_friends".

6) Below that, contains lots of sets of numbers. Select the first set of numbers. For my case it is 1343755749

7) Then, type the URL www.facebook.com/"set of numbers" . For my case, www.facebook.com/1343755749 which leads to my best friend. Yea, he's been stalking me...

8) You can try other set of numbers too, for example the second set is your second most stalker followed by third, fourth and so on...

Enjoy!

I Changed My Ideal

2012-11-15T23:50:00.000+08:00

Deepavali this year was something a little different than what I had in mind. So I went out with this girl whom I know for more or less 10 years now. From McDonalds to Mah Tou Yau, literally I didn't spend a dime that night besides putting on fuel for my car. As usual we had one of these weird conversations when suddenly -

"You think everyone is as good as me?"

This quote came out of nowhere from her. I couldn't even remember what we were talking that lead to this. That night, I went deep thoughts. I thought of everything she did when I'm with her. Come to think of it - she was right. Of all the girls I know, I felt she's the one most honest to me.

How she would say I'm a weirdo whenever I didn't something the way she did.

How she would trust me, held my hand and lead me when I say I forgot where I parked my car.

How she would pinch me whenever she feels that my concept or way of thinking was wrong(brings me back to the right path - everytime).

How she hates me for being late and only angry for a few moments.

How she would grab me tightly by the arm when she told me she's claustrophobic and afraid of any motorists just came in front of her.

How we share the same favorite flavor desert drink.

How different we are yet we never ran out of conversations.

All these years, this girl has been around my social life yet I never take notice till now.

Admund, you are soooooo dumb! *face-palmed*

And just like that, I change my ideal from a long line of alphabet T-A-E-Y-E-O-N down to 3 letters.

I always thought she was bad at singing, until that night as well "Oooooo~". Funny? She's way better doing it than Taeyeon. Recently she even dip dyed her hair pink like Taeyeon(below)... Normally other people I don't really like it (Not even TaeYeon) but to be honest, I kinda like it on her - only her.

"All of my doubt, suddenly goes away somehow."

-Cristina Perri-

Don't Walk to The T-shirt, Run!

2012-11-03T22:09:00.000+08:00

*advertorial* Ever since I came to my current universiti, my favorite pastime is watching Running Man (a Korea Reality Series so addictive that it tasted like BBQ the first time you have it again and again) There are currently 117 episodes to watch right now. So in case you're feeling bored or nothing to do, watch it! I highly recommend it. They gives lots of laughter and ideas for outdoor activities. The famous one was the nametag tearing games. The favorite 7 characters consists of Jae Suk, Suk Jin, Jong Kook, Gwang Soo, Gary, Ji Hyo and Haha each have their own unique nicknames. Plus let's not forget that every episode consists of your favourite Korean stars. List of episodes and stars can be found here. Everytime I watch it really makes me feels like I want to have a piece of the action in the series. Wait a minute~ Now everyone can with these Running Man T-shirts...

From now till 23 March 2013, you can pre-order these unique T-shirts for only RM 27.90* (Price after 10% discount for liking the page given at the bottom). These are some of the few basic details of the T-shirts.

Size (Shoulder) (Length)
S size - Shoulder: 45cm Length: 60cm
M size - Shoulder: 47cm Length: 62cm
L size - Shoulder: 49cm Length: 64cm
XL size - Shoulder: 51cm Length: 66cm
XXL size - Shoulder: 53cm Length: 68cm

If you need any more information, feel free to leave your email at the comment below or you can pre-order on this Facebook page.

*Postage fee are charge separately depending on your area.

Men, Women and Marriage

2012-10-28T00:16:00.003+08:00

Here's a short post forwarded from my friend that I find quite true...

1. A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he wants. A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't want.

2. A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband. A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.

3. A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend. A successful woman is one who can find such a man.

4. To be happy with a man you must understand him a lot & love him a little. To be happy with a woman you must love her a lot & not try to understand her at all.

5. Married men live longer than single men, but married men are a lot more willing to die.

6. Any married man should forget his mistakes-there's no use in two people remembering the same thing.

7. Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed. Women somehow deteriorate during the night.

8. A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't. A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change & she does.

My iPhone Turns 2

2012-10-10T01:18:00.000+08:00

10/10/10 - The day I first bought my iPhone 4, its like the happiest day of my life so far. Why? First, its because its the first phone I really save up to buy one not like others I study hard to have one. (Yes, my parents cannot afford me an iPhone but I love the design so much I just had to get it). Second, the demand for the phone is so high I almost didn't got it (it's the last one among the first batch of iPhone 4 I have in Penang, if you miss it you have to wait for another 3 weeks). Thirdly, it's my first smartphone and my first Apple product. So to celebrate my iPhone's ownership day I decided to interview my iPhone on how ~~she~~ it felt in these two years.

The only picture I took of my iPhone

What do you think of the owner?
Yes, he is Ad. A nice owner. I call him Handsome. (Answer through Siri)

What is the first picture you ever taken?
A picture of my owner's dad with a Digi plastic bag. (Answer through Photos app)

What's the first song you both listen together?
Mandy - Rod Stewart (Music app and iTunes)

What's the longest duration a song ever stay in you and what's the title?
2 years! Tifa no theme - Final Fantasy VII and To Zanarkand - Final Fantasy X Compose by: Nobuo Uematsu (Music app)

What is the first app you ever download?
Facebook

What is your most recent app you downloaded?
AutoCAD WS

What is the first app you ever used?
Camera

What is your proudest app?
Teamviewer

How many apps have you downloaded so far?
111 apps and still counting.

What's the best thing that ever happen to you?
Getting jailbroken. =)

What's the worst thing that ever happen to you?
Unable to return home with a physical button.

Have you been dropped?
None that my owner ever did. His friends? Yes~

What is your proudest moment?
Getting a voice and a name for my voice - Siri

How many times have you been jailbroken?
Countless including iOS 5 beta and iOS 6 beta those were sad times when I was unable to put to sleep. If I would, my owner had to undergo specific operation to wake me up.

How long would you continue to be with your current owner?
Forever. I'm special to my owner.

So there you have it, interview with an iPhone. Though it's a very random post, I'm still that same proud owner of my phone till now. Happy Birthday iPhone.

Aluba

2012-09-19T23:06:00.001+08:00

For some of you not living in Asia, you might not know this but Aluba is a famous 'offering' one MAN has to 'deal' with. This normally occurs to male high school students in Asia and not recommend to perform on a female.

Origins of the name came from Japan, other parts of Asia called it differently like Aruba in Taiwan and Happy Corner in Hong Kong. I'm surprised that they even has a wiki page for this (if you can read mandarin) Here comes the definition:

Aluba is a student prank where you need to gather at least 4 person on pounce on a particular victim. Grab hold of his arms and legs. Spread his legs wide and ramp his groin against something thin, hard, rod-like and able to take a beating of the groin like a lamp post, a supporting cylinder wall or even the edge of a door. Repeat the 'ramping' process until all of you (except the victim) are satisfied.

Sometimes the offering does not ends here, you may offer the victim to your "Holy" rod again after 10 minutes or you can have a reversal offering by choosing one of the attackers and turn him into a victim. As usual you repeat this process of offerings over.

When is Aluba performed?

Normally it's performed on someone's birthday or a bromance farewell party. You can also perform it when you are having 'sausage' fest-like vacation. Occasionally, there are a few sohai people in your life - yes, it is very recommended to aluba them.

Why you performed Aluba?
- To improve bromance. Example, Liang Yit felt much closer to his peers in UMP after multiple alubas during his 21st birthday.

- You can also use it as a conversation starter, example,
"Hey I just met you, and this is crazy, but you look like sohai, so let's aluba-i" (Notice how the 'i' is added to rhyme with sohai)

- To show your jealousy. For example, you're jealous that a person has a bigger ~~dick~~ than yours. If you can find 3 other people as jealous as you then you might suceed to cause psychological trauma to that person if you are able to aluba him.

Now you learn a new word, let's aluba a sei sohai today!!

P/S: As good as Aluba may sounds, it is actually banned in certain countries already because Aluba carries hidden symbol to sex and may also lead to serious organ damage. Don't ask me what organ is it, you know it already. Please try it at your own risk.

7 Ways Your USB Do More

2012-09-04T23:20:00.000+08:00

First of all, I would like to thank everyone on a breakthrough success on my previous post. Never have my statistics hit 3 figures in a single post. So I'm gonna keep working hard to provide you information as much as I can. Plus thank you for all those feedbacks. In this post, I'll post on something more geeky, since I have been watching The Big Bang Theory a lot lately and everyone has pendrives and everyone can try it yourself or even showing off to a friend right? (I know you like that) So here's the question - Have you ever wish you could do more with your USB drive? You can with these 7 ways... plus this is my first post with advertorial parts. Since it's my first, I might as well blog it for my friend.

1. Secret Agent in Us
Ever seen a movie where the secret agent uses a USB drive to unlock a computer? Well, now you can (on your own computer of course). Predator Free is a free software that locks and unlocks your computer when you plug in or out the USB drive from your computer. When you remove your USB drive, the computer screen will darken and password will be required when it's awake. You can download the software here.

2. Give Windows 8 a Try
If you're scare that Windows 8 sucks more than Windows 7 and don't want it to overwrite your current operating system, then you can put it into a USB drive for a run. This is more of a geek's solution so unless you really considering it then you may skip to number 3.

First, you need a USB drive of 8GB or higher. Then you need to install Windows 7 USB Tool and Windows 8 Release Preview. Now run the USB Tool and it will prompt you for your ISO which is your downloaded Windows 8 Release Preview. Then plug-in your USB drive, next click "Begin Copying". Voila, you have a bootable Windows 8 USB. Now all you need to do is restart your computer and it should boot, if not you might need to press F12 while your computer is restarting, then from there select your priority to USB. Any doubts or questions leave on the comment below.

3. Files Security
Nowadays, most USB drive comes with software where you can lock your files and such to prevent theft. I know Imation and Kingston has. ~~You can even keep your porn collection~~ This take advantage if your using Windows 7 Home Premium, Home Basic or Starter which doesn't allow you for folder lock.

4. Install Windows on Your Mac
MacBook Air, Mac Mini and MacBook Pro with Retina Display have one thing in common - NO CD DRIVE! Yes, Mac lovers you are not left behind. If you have the ISO files of a Windows 7 (this website has most of it), and you have Windows 7 product key, you can boot Windows from Mac using Boot Camp Assistant. Just go to the little magnifying glass on your top right corner of your screen and search for "Boot Camp Assistant" launch it and you are welcome to partition your hard drive the way you like it.

5. Chrome, Open Office, Skype
Does the above softwares sounds familiar to you? Wish you can take these softwares anywhere you go and operate it at any PC? Well now you can, thanks to Portableapps.com Platform. It is a software that runs software on your USB drive. Software includes the famous Libre Office, VLC Player and Audacity. You can download it here. All of its supported softwares can be found here (including the download link).

6. Save your computer
Computer hit with virus? ~~Access too many porn websites?~~ No fear. AVG has the solution for you. When your computer is hit with virus you can actually download AVG Rescue Data Recovery for USB/CD. Link here. ( I'll normally go for the zip file). Extract it and run it on your infected computer, it should be able to remove your deep-rooted infections and repair your file systems.

7. Instant gifts
*advertorial* Bored of the normal USB drives?? Then fuss no more, you can actually turn a simple USB drive to a nice gift whether its for your friends or that special someone. Plus it is affordable too. A friend of mine actually runs a USB drive online business selling it in all different shapes and sizes. Your USB drives can be like a Mercedes-Benz car keys or in a small yet cute Coke can.

If you want to see more selections and choices, click here. If you would like to enquire for location availability you can leave your comments below or simply just comment on the album/link above.

So that wraps up the post, if anything unclear feel free to leave any comments below. Feedbacks are welcome as well.

Section 114A: How It Affect You And Me

2012-08-24T23:29:00.000+08:00

Please take some time off to look at this very important message. Recently Malaysian Parliamentry sitting just announced the amendment of Section 114A which enables law enforcement officials to hold one accountable for publishing seditious, defamatory or libelous content online, as long as the allegedly defamatory content is traced back to one's username, electronic device and/or WiFi network.

It means that anything you post, create or even share anywhere in the world wide web, if the Government thinks you're wrong then you will be heading to court. Example, if you share an alleged video of a famous politician having an affair, ~~I'm not mentioning names here~~ but here's a picture of one of the few that supports the ammendment of Section 114A below. If the Government feels this threatens the country, then I bid you good luck.

This guy can be the next Samy Vellu I tell you... For example....

Okay... Back to the topic, despite all this, like most Malaysian's law, there are exceptions one, if you are someone famous in the political world but make stupid remarks, of course they will not include your statement one into this act. If you still don't understand, here's a video to make you understand...

P/S: Because of this act, from now on, I will be writing more on my stories rather than sharing general knowledge in my blog. Sorry guys... It's not my fault... It's....................

The Dark Knight Rises

2012-07-23T20:40:00.001+08:00

This is gonna be my first movie review in this blog. Actually, I have planned to do this long time ago but I'm just waiting for the right moment. When 'The Dark Knight Rises' came out, I was thinking "Why not make a movie review on an epic-ly phenomenal franchise superhero film. The movie is so epic that people thought they hold real guns and shoot everyone else in a theatre is like waiting for Batman to save them. For those who have not yet watched the movie PLEASE DO NOT CONTINUE spoilers alert.

The movie begins set in time 8 years after joker was put away and 2-face under everyone's perception that he is the hero of Gotham City. Bane, the badass appears 5 minutes into the movie as a kidnap victim (I wonder how he got there? Don't people already realise it's him when they take him prisoner? I mean, come on, that mask is huge and obvious). However, I did like how Bane crash the plane like it's from a Bond movie.

Meanwhile, while everyone is rejoicing, our main, Bruce Wayne is sulking over his death of his ex-girlfriend that died 8 years ago. Oh come on, it's not professional man, everyone would have thought you're the Batman that failed to save your girlfriend and killed that 2-face guy. Anyway, on with the review, besides everything I mention above the transition from Dark Knight to Dark Knight rises was smooth. The storyline overall is good although screen time is 164 minutes but it doesn't feel like it, this I have to give credits to Chirstopher Nolan for able to do this almost every movie he made.

The main crisis however did clash with Iron Man's plot. The one where they discovered a reactor on 'clean' energy. Hello?? You found the reactor like Iron Man, Bruce I got 6 words for you!!!

Imagine Batman suit would be able to detonate Gotham City with it's core. End of story. Imagine Batman introduce it to the city, people will join forces and patch the security and safety of that reactor long time ago. But no you wanna take it with your flying Bat and go Boom!!! So that Robin can come out and play with you.

Conclusion, Dark Knight rises is an awesome movie. I would give 4 out of 5 star for this movie.

It really shows Batman fallen and rise again. Catwoman being evil and become good for the sake of Gotham (or maybe Batman). However, why it lacked one star is because unlike the Joker, I don't seem to have a sense of fear for the villian Bane or the girl he protected (SPOILERS!!!!). Everytime I watch Joker act, I don't know when he wants to kill someone. Bane is sooooooo predictable. One question, where is the Joker??

Japanese Ghost Festival

2012-07-17T20:00:00.000+08:00

Are you familiar with these??

If yes, then you probably been to Bon Odori (or Obon). Bon Odori is a fun-filled event with decent Japanese food and kawaii girls. Everything is nice there except the fact that Bon Odori is not an event. It's a dance to honor the spirits of ancestors.

Bon Odori originates from the story of Maha Maudgalyayana (nice name), a disciple of Buddha, who has supernatural abilities (while meditating) to look upon his deceased mother. He discovered that she had fallen into the Realm of Hungry Ghosts and was suffering (Notice how similar it is to Hungry Ghost Festival which is also on the 7th month of the calender). Any food that she touches burst into flames. Disturbed, he went to the Buddha and asked how he could release his mother from this realm. Buddha instructed him to make offerings to the many Buddhist monks who had just completed their summer retreat, on the fifteenth day of the seven month (Notice the seventh month again). The disciple did this and, thus, he saw his mother's release. From the release, he began to see the true nature of her past unselfishness and the many sacrifices that she had made for him. The disciple, happy because of his mother release and grateful for his mother's kindness danced with joy. From this dance of joy comes Bon Odori. So in reflection, I feel we should at least feed the needy first (the ones living and in need) before we celebrate anything for our ancestors.

Explanation part: Some of you asked what has Bon Odori related to Hungry Ghost Festival. Well, Obon is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one's ancestors. The key word here is Buddhist. Buddhism and Taoism are related somehow, hence the show "Journey to the West". However the starting days varies within different regions when the lunar calendar was changed to Gregorian calender at the beginning of the Meiji era. However, seriously I feel in order to honor the deceased, dances should be slow, calm and memorable just like Final Fantasy X: The Sending.

Bon Odori is celebrated every July in Penang at Esplande. This year it's on the 21st July.