Earth Hour

So everyone's been talking about Earth Hour, and it seems that quite a lot of people are taking part in this campaign.


And that includes me... supposedly. -.-''

My house was, unfortunately, brightly lit during the campaign because my parents were watching the TV and my brother was using the computer. My parents wouldn't wanna switch off the TV. Reason being was, aside from being engrossed in the drama, they thought it doesn't make any significant difference.

So in the end, I gave up trying to convince them and didn't even bother to switch off the lights either and switched on the laptop and fan instead. -.-''

Well, I think they do have a point actually. The only thing the campaign could achieve is raising awareness among all of us, and well, cutting down global electricity usage for one hour. Which is kinda negligible considering the high daily usage, especially the unnecessary ones. If we ARE cutting down irrelevant electricity usage all the time, why limit ourselves to do so in this one hour only and that there's really little significance.

Then again, it's for a good cause and it's pretty cool to see the whole city, or at least, neighbourhood goes into darkness. And I think it goes to show how much we care about climate changes and all the damage we've done to Earth.

Too bad I couldn't join the crowd. Hey at least I have taken the initiative to try, right? :P Perhaps next year I would try harder. Yeah definitely I would.

Oh ya... I guess someone must have thought it was a bit too dark during the campaign that he decided to start a fire in the abandoned unit above mine. The fire must have been going on for 5 minutes before someone noticed and then the residents started to extinguish it before the fire brigade had made it to the scene. Luckily no one was hurt since it's abandoned and the fire wasn't big enough to cause any major damage.

I must say... it's a pretty weird ending for the day. Maybe someone was trying to make a statement that global warming has reached a critical level. @.@

PS : Class Trip to Genting tomorrow!!! Gonna be back on Tuesday. OMG can't wait can't wait!!!! XD

Primary School Revisited

It's been a really really long time ever since I've seen my primary school teachers. Well actually I've never seen them after graduation, so 'long' seems to be an understatement but you get my point.

So since there's nothing else to do after settling my university application and all I could do now is just wait, I've put together a mini gathering to revisit primary school.

And by mini, I meant really mini. -.-''

I guess it couldn't be helped though, since it's a Monday and most of us are either working or studying, and the teachers would only be in school on weekdays. So in the end, only three turned up to see the teachers, out of 50+ classmates. XD Except Robson who refused to see the teachers again for obvious reasons. -.-''

There weren't much changes made after we've left school. Almost everything is exactly the way we remembered. Except the library has moved, the field, and of course, some new faces in the office. Most of our teachers were still there, but unfortunately only a few remembered us. Haha.

The place we always JUMP to from our classroom 3-storey above every time the bell rings... literally

Which is also the place my mom used to work in. Sigh... Recession really hit us hard that time...

Then we would run around the compound playing 'Cops and Thieves'... XD

We managed to catch up with our class teacher and English teacher. And it's really weird to chat with your teachers whom you have gotten used to their yelling and the authoritative tone in class. Plus, I know it's perfectly normal, but it just doesn't feel right when you're now one head, at least, taller than your teachers compared to the last time when you're one head, at least, shorter than them. Must be our head I guess. There must be A LOT of unhappy things happened cause, damn our face must have grown very long. :(

Our face must have grown that long... Or maybe longer...

Oh look... Lame joke. XD

Nobody's laughing. OK fine. Anyway, later that day, I managed to catch up with my Standard 3 class teacher as well. I spoke to her alone since the other two weren't her students. And it was a bit awkward. -.-'' She was laughing all the way, surprised to see her old ancient student came back to visit her. I wasn't anywhere near verbose so she was laughing and I was uh... standing there watching her laughing and trying to find something to talk about. I wasn't sure how long we stood there but I just couldn't stop feeling awkward. Anyway it's happy to see her again after all this while and she still remembers me. :)

That's about our mini gathering. A few more people joined us for lunch, then we chilled out a while and found out some juicy and shocking gossips regarding our classmates. XD And of course we talked about the good o' days worth reminiscing.

Photo of the day...

It's been almost 10 years but I could still remember how it is like in primary school vividly. Definitely carefree and fun. And studying has always been the last thing in my mind last time. :P Anyway things changed and I guess it's all part of growing up, mentally... and physically...

Which explains the long face...

Oh look... Another lame joke. XD

Haircut

Getting a haircut had never been an issue for me. And I mean, HAD never been. Whenever the 'lawn' above grows out of control, I'll just have to head to the barber shop a few blocks away, go in and sit down, then tell the Indian barber 'Bang, pendek.' and he'll do his job. It's so simple, time-saving, and most importantly, cheap.

Except one problem... They tend to screw your hair up down left right. So instead of blending into the crowd, you'll end up outshining the rest and drawing unwanted attention to yourself, well particularly to your head. So things like 'Eh bro, nice hair *giggles*' and 'Walao wtf did you do to your hair? XD' are very much inevitable.

Definitely stir up the same reaction as the above...

Those were the days... Those were the days... when I felt spending more than RM 10 on a haircut only to please the discipline teachers and prefects is hardly worth it. Now that I've finally left school, I think it's time to get a REAL haircut from the pro. ;)

But kiamsiap-ness forbids me from randomly choosing any salon I could find. I have to search high and low for one that offers a price I am willing to could pay. Well in the end I've finally found one that's not quite near my house, but cheap nevertheless. XD

The anticipation to see how it would turn out, the fear that I may pay a higher price just to have the hair dresser screws it out like what the barber usually does, and the awkwardly different picture of it, that is instead of an Indian middle-aged pot-bellied fella handling a 'lawnmower' on your head, now you see a lenglui scrutinizing your hair, telling you how she wished she could have your thick and luscious hair, (No joke! I didn't make this up XD) asking you how you would want to cut your hair and suggesting how your hair could be styled up, finally cutting your hair with scissors delicately without forcefully twisting your head and shaving your scalp with blades, all these are enough to convince myself that I've made the right choice.

10 minutes later, I walked out the shop with a brand new confidence, drove home with the same confidence, and asked my parents how was it with the confidence...

...only to be crushed to zero.

Mom : I thought you went for a haircut?
Me : I did. See? How is it?
Mom : Like never cut before. Why so girlish 1?
Me : ......

Ouch... So I walked away, head down and feet-dragging... Defeated...

Dad : Wah! Salon cut ar?
Me : Ya!! (Finally got someone noticed! :D)
Dad : Ohhh those girls ar? Stand left side to cut right side. *hint hint*
Me : -__-''

Parents! Pfft...

So there goes my virgin salon haircut. Although now I think my mom is right, there really isn't much difference after. -.-'' Then again, anyhow I have to get a haircut or else I'm gonna end up looking like those 80's rock stars.

Randy Rhoads Mok

No photo taken cause I don't wanna embarrass myself in case it looks weird. Apparently my confidence has been squashed to zero. :P

Decisions

Decision... Decision... Decision...

It's that kind of decision-making that could change the future...

It's that kind of decision-making that is nothing like the one we've made before...

It's that kind of decision-making that spells doom to indecisive people like me...

Sigh...

As if the gruesome study hours before the exams and the anticipation after the exams are not bad enough, the reality hit us when the moment of truth has finally come. Staring blank at the result slip, I couldn't help wondering what lies ahead.

I've always been very indecisive. I would spend longer time hovering in front of the counter in McD and deciding what to eat than queueing up and placing my order. So it's very frustrating when it comes to making decision for me. What's more, this time the pressure has been totally elevated to a whole new level when it involves determining my field of interest and ultimately the career path in the future. -.-''

There's so much in my mind now that I could feel the veins within my skull throbbing so hard, probably my brain needs more supply of blood to assess whatever that is clouding my mind. Every now and then, I just couldn't help thinking and confirming whatever final decision that I've come to, only to be denied again and another final conclusion has been made. This cycle goes on and on until I've lost track how many final decisions I've come to. WTH how hard it is to decide dammit?? T_T

And it certainly does not help when heaps of tedious form-filling are being thrown at you. Some even require a short essay especially those involving financial aids. Then another thing is the various institutions offering so many different curriculum of the same course that you don't even know which is which. Then there's this recognition problem of the certificate you would be having at the end of your university years. Finally with so many kinds of publicity going around promoting their own institutions, it really makes me wondered what truly lies beyond their superfluous packaging. Seriously I regretted spending the last few months not doing any research other than 'researching' where to hunt items in RO. -.-''

OMG so many different kinds of certs for the same course out there o.O

Money is another issue as well. Yeah there may be many scholarships and loans out there but hey if we were given a choice of course we would opt for the former instead of finding yourself working so hard just to repay your debts while your peers are happily driving a Benz and all those nice cars upon graduation. With so many people going all out for scholarships, it's a bit like a whole village fighting for a bowl of rice. Everyone wanted to get a free 'bowl' for themselves, ya know the 饭碗 analogy?

If only scholarships are all over the place... Even lying on the ground waiting to be picked up...

But in the end the problem is that I couldn't decide the two options I've narrowed down to. I prefer one over another, but the problem is that it's a bit risky cause if I didn't manage to meet the minimum requirement of the major I wanted to choose in the first year, I would end up studying something I wasn't intended to. So basically that's the dilemma now...

Sigh how nice it is if everything has been planned to us like what it's been like when we're young... Then we wouldn't have to make tough decisions like this. And this problem is indubitably directly proportional to our age it seems... Please let me get this through as soon as possible. Dammit I hate growing up!

On a lighter note, I'm struggling to quit RO. Should I or should I not? Sigh... I guess I'll always be indecisive. -.-''

Of STPM and False Hope

Finally the day has come...

I mean THE 'day' has finally arrived...

But somehow the excitement and emotions didn't kick in until the very second I was holding my result slip. I thought I was just gonna see the result and go 'Oh...' then proceed to '8' others' results.

It's exactly what I wanted to do actually cause I don't wanna put so much hope only to end up disappointed. -.-

So anyway we were told that the results will be announced at 12pm. But in fact it's at 2pm. -.- We had an hour or two in between so we decided to hang out in the school canteen. Had the urge to buy mixed rice from the canteen again since that's practically the only food I enjoy there last time. Ahh very nostalgic... though it's only a few months ago... -.-

After a few months of holiday, some had changed quite a lot, some had never changed a bit like ZX who's still a glutton and wearing school uniform whenever she comes back to school. We were enjoying ourselves in chit-chats and hoo-haas then suddenly news came spreading around...

Rumor says Chiew Wai only got himself 3A 2A-. And apparently there's only one had straight A's in the school. Now that's very surprising because if there's someone who can get straight A's, he's the one you can bet on. The rumor was very convincing that everyone of us including himself thought he couldn't achieve the perfect score. It was quite a let down to everyone.

As a friend, I felt sorry for him. But as a student, I felt relieved. Now even though I don't wanna put much hope on this, a part of me still wondered if I would stand a chance. I really couldn't help thinking I was the one when Pn. Chan suddenly came up to me and congratulated me. That alone was more than enough to stir up my emotions.

So a few moments after that, the results were finally out and we practically rushed to the lab to get the slips. The moment I got hold of my slip, I was praying so hard and the adrenaline started pumping and I couldn't help trembling and shivering and all that. -.-

I was already THAT happy when I was made to feel like I might get straight A. I was having a bit difficulty opening the slip cause my hands were trembling. -.- And you know the result slip, you have to open from bottom to top. I peeked while I opened the slip slowly, I could see A all the way up and I was already getting happier until I was THIS happy. Yes basically I was a happy man for that brief moment of my life.

Until...


...I revealed the top part of the slip. I swear I could imagine myself munching on Cloud Nine chocolate bar on cloud nine then suddenly being sent down crashing six feet under by this... this contract of darkness that sentence me this damnation for the rest of my life. T.T

Instantly I was this happy already. -.-

From THAT :) to THIS :D and finally this :|

I won't say I'm unhappy with my result. In fact I got what I want for the rest of the subjects and I feel good that my effort has finally paid off. I'm just a little frustrated over the fact that PA had pulled my CGPA down. To be honest, I aimed for a perfect 4.00 but because they die die also wanna include PA in the calculation of CGPA so I only managed to get 3.83. And PA's not even close to be an important subject. I despise it so much I feel like munching it like the chocolate bar and spitting it out cause it despised me too much to be swallowed.

In the end Chiew Wai IS the one who got straight A. Apparently he got 2A- for one paper of two subjects, with the rest a perfect A. So this little misleading false information has given me a false hope, turning me into a dulan munching machine chomping two burgers away in McD later in the afternoon. ~.~

Anyway, congratulations to those who had achieved what they've been hoping for in the exams. To those who had slightly off-tracked from their target, fret not, spend a little while chomp away your frustration and start working towards another target. I reckon everyone should be proud to claim that he/she has gone through one of the toughest test in the world. :)

For now, I shall find something to chomp on. Apparently 2 burgers weren't enough to keep my stomach from complaining. ~.~

Part Time

I'd finally lived up my promise to get a job during the holiday. A great achievement for me if you ask me. XD And I reckon this is probably the most productive thing I've ever done during the holiday.

I've never imagined myself going to a furniture fair anytime soon, let alone working in one. Heck I didn't even know they have fairs for furniture, at least not until Daniel introduced us to MIFF, which stands for Malaysian International Furniture Fair.

The job interview was fairly easy and 8 of us, Daniel, CW, Jun, Me, CK, Hannah, Chean and Janice got the job. But CW couldn't make it for the job due to some reasons. All of us wanted to get a 9-day job but only Daniel, CK and Jun got it. Janice got a 7-day job while Hannah, Chean and I got a mere 5-day job. Sigh... Imagine the money fun we'd missed out.

All of us have been assigned to different posts. I worked as an usher. As far as I'm concerned you ought to have handsome/pretty face or good communication skills to fit the job best, of which I possess neither. -.-

Anyway, being an usher is something new to me. And it's a even newer experience to have your classmates becoming your colleagues, which made me feel so old. -.-

Our job is actually quite fun, and interesting, and tiring at the same time. Basically our job is just...


...standing and posing like...


...a staff. It's quite obvious actually cause they even included the job description on our tags.

Pretty self-explanatory

Well, actually our job ALSO includes giving directions, directing visitors to the respective counters, guiding the visitors in filling registration forms, and the toughest of all, stopping children and guys with short pants from entering the fair. It's pretty hard to stop these people, especially those who came in short pants, cause they weren't well informed at the first place by the organizers so we had a hard time justifying ourselves, and that created a bunch of indignant visitors. -.- And when we cannot refute their arguments, they simply throw their tantrums/bitch fits/dissatisfaction to us, ignoring the fact that we're just merely pawns of the company. Yet we have to put on fake smiles and aplogize profusely as if that's entirely our fault. -.- And worse still, some of them actually think that we're giving them a hard time on purpose as if they worth bothering VERY MUCH. Pfft...

Sigh...

And there are people who were very considerate. Some of them actually took the effort to get changed and come back again. Some are polite, greeting us Hello chicken How are you today? while some simply ignored us even if we greeted them or offered our help.

And of course, the people you meet/work with. There are 5 ushers, including me, and Chean, the only usherette working at the main counter. There's Joseph, the always-curi-tulang lengzai, then Kee Seng whom I prefer calling Kissing, Gilbert the over-semangat-possibly-metrosexual fella, Kin Mun the funny guy, and of course Chean who's constantly looking at the clock and complaining about her back. :P

There she goes again towards the end of the day XD

There's this time, which is the ONLY time Chean and I curi tulang took the opportunity to walk around the hall for like 5 minutes. When we came back, we decided to get some free popcorns to eat (Note:) AFTER work. One of my colleagues wasn't quite happy with it and reminded us not to simply leave our station. Well, it kinda irked us because well, he's been doing that all these while. What's more, he's been taking like 4 times the time we took to finish our meal everyday. -.-

There are many lookalikes I've spotted among the staffs there. There are Benny-lookalike, KevinTan-lookalike, KharKeong-lookalike, Lara-lookalike, LydiaTsum-lookalike, Janice's-sister-lookalike, KianHan's-brother-lookalike, MichaelJackson-lookalike, WeiLun-lookalike, LingKeat-lookalike, and some other I couldn't remember. Heck there's even one fella who look very much like me...


Oh wait... That's me. :P

The thing I like about this job is the opportunity to interact with all kinds of people. Getting to meet and speak to all the angmoh's is actually quite fun. It's not really that difficult as I expected. It's in fact, very exciting to speak to them, it even makes me feel like traveling. XD And one more thing, you'll get to dress in formal business attire. I mean, how often does a student get to wear full formal attire? I think I kinda enjoy wearing the coat and all that. XD

I'm sure those who had been following the news know about the flood occurred not long ago in PWTC. It's quite severe as the river overflowed, cars had been destroyed by the floods, two of the exhibition halls have been flooded, and the furniture inside were destroyed. Then there's this minor riot by the exhibitors asking for compensation. Very dramatic but I like cause it's making the job less boring. It's quite a close call. -.- Luckily Chean parked her car in the car park or else her car would be totally submerged under the overflowing water...

The water was much higher before this photo was taken...

...and that I wouldn't be able to go home. Cause I shamelessly tumpang her car everyday to and fro. Hey at least I'm doing a favor to the environment by practising car pooling. :P Well if not for her I would have trouble to get to work and home, so thank you Chean. :)

Things I've Noticed Through the Experience
1. I notice that people are more friendly than I do. As in, they usually say hi to me rather than the other way around.
2. I hesitate alot when I'm speaking to people. -.-
3. I actually felt guilty when somebody's blaming me for something that's not my fault at all except for that particular bitch who claimed that I purposely find fault in her husband. -.-
4. I started to like to talk. XD
5. I have a high level of patience and tolerance... :)

It's overall a very nice experience and seriously I enjoy the week much more than I would have imagined myself to. Even though I felt like I've left my legs in PWTC every time I come home, the high pay experience itself made it up.

One last photo before ending the super long post...

The Kensett gang... except the other two who were missing...

PS : On the last day after we've finished our work, our supervisor came and talked to us, asked how were we doing and all that.

Of which she had finally confessed that the reason we've been selected for the ushering job is because we were kinda late for the interview and if we were slightly earlier we could have landed ourselves a better job.

Clearly it has nothing to do with any of the qualities I've mentioned earlier...

Dang... I should've known better. -___-''