The Tables Have Turned

2 years ago, people laughed at me for choosing to study environmental science. 

I still remember, about 2 years ago, when I was busy applying to UK universities through UCAS, I was still doubting my decision to choose environmental science as my undergraduate course mainly because I am not sure if it's my passion. Secondly, I was put down by many, one even scornfully laughed at my choice, saying, "What can you even do with environmental science in Malaysia?" My reply: "I will be the one to kickstart the development of this field in Malaysia." although deep in my heart, I wasn't sure if Malaysia would ever go green like other green technology countries.

I got into University of Glasgow, secured a place in Environmental Stewardship. Long story short, I didn't have the money to go there.

So I got into the University of Science Malaysia (USM), currently studying Applied Biology and will get into my major in my Second Year. And this is where I was rest assured that I didn't make the wrong choice to study environmental science.

If you say there is no more hope for Malaysia's nature, I'd say as long as you have me and my team of environmentalist friends, she still has hope to stay alive.

After 4 months in university, I somehow became the project director of an upcoming environmental volunteering project. Through this project, I met Quek, my senior, friend and assistant director. Through Quek, I was exposed to all kinds of environment-related projects and got inspired to pursue my passion. It is also through this project that I became closer to seniors from entomology and zoology, who share their respective knowledge even though I would sometimes frown at scientific terms which I have never heard before. I also landed myself in 2 more environmental projects, both to be carried out next semester.

Just when I thought I already had enough encouragement, today's final Genetic practical session gave me another push to move forward. I told my Genetic lab demonstrators about my ideas for Shell360Ideas competition, which had to be halted due to unavoidable problems. This is what they told me:

"Just chase after your passion, continue developing your ideas until they become true. Hang peduli apa orang lain nak cakap apa? (Don't even care about what others have to say about your passion)."

All this happened in one month, 4 months after being questioning myself in university.

2 years ago, I wasn't even sure if environmental science were to be my cup of tea. 2 years later, I am back on the right track - environmental science.

12 More To Go!

So I've got some peeps asking me to list down the other stuff I discovered in university. It's quite bitter and sarcastic, so you may not like it but were we go...

12 More Things I've Found and Learnt In University

There's still more...

1. Carnivores rule!!!
Since my hostel's cafeteria is located at the central of the campus, many students, lecturers and staff stop by there to have their lunch. I don't know about other cafeterias, but this cafeteria prepares at least 2 kinds of vegetables and a lot of protein/fat sources (5 types of chicken dishes, 5 type of fish dishes, 2 types of egg dishes, 2 types of tofu dishes etc). Judging from the ratio of vegetable : protein/fat dishes, logically, the vegetables would be gone faster than the other dishes. Errr...the opposite happens frequently actually.

Whenever I pay for my meals, I always find myself the only one with vegetables on my plate. Out of 15 people queuing up to pay at the counter, I am the only one with greens while they don't have any greens at all!! Sometimes, I feel like saying, "Yo, don't you eat your veges? How can you eat such a meal, just meat only??" I see a lot of screwed up food pyramids going on here.

2. A-level versus STPM.
I don't mean to be offensive, nor discriminating but I do find a vast difference between A-level student and STPM student in terms on how we study. A-level is more to application of knowledge, whereas STPM is more to memorizing. I sometimes pity my STPM friends who aren't still used to reach the lecturers' expectation to apply knowledge. I remember once, my lecturer told us that university level of study requires us to apply our knowledge compared to memorizing. That's when I saw the pale faces of my STPM friends.

Then, there's another time when my lecturer asked if we'd prefer tests or assignments. I guess I was the only one shouting "ASSIGNMENTS", only to be drowned by the united pro-exam supporters' voices. And in my mind I went, "Don't you know that it's easier to score through assignments, rather than doing exams? Free marks yo!"

However, I do understand them because I was exactly like them before entering A-levels. I'm not blaming them because obviously, we all know that the Malaysian education system is all about MEMORIZING. Nevertheless, I admire how they set their priorities right and how capable they are to study smart. They're not nerds. In fact, quite a number of them are active in campus activities. And mind you, STPM is one of the most difficult exams in the world, so kudos to those who did well!

3. You're from a Christian college?
Oh, everybody gave me that one particular shocked look whenever I told them that I'm from METHODIST College Kuala Lumpur. Some even asked, "How can a Muslim study in a Christian college?" Well, why not? We're there to study, that has nothing to do with religions.

First of all, despite being a Christian college, MCKL's focuses on pre-university education: A-levels and AUSMAT; and tertiary education: Diploma in Early Childhood Education. Nope, these programmes have nothing to do with Christianity.

Secondly, although they practise Christianity, they have never tried to convert me into a Christian, nor do they condemn other religions.

Thirdly, we have a number of pious Muslim students there, not mentioning the Buddhists and the Hindu believers. Hence, we sometimes have inter-religious forum to deepen our understandings in each other religions. MCKL is a Christian college that has believers of all religions living together in harmony.

Last of all, nothing can change my faith in Islam.

So please, don't give me that look. I am a proud Muslim MCKLian.

4. We are our own alarm clocks.
My hostel mates have a unique way to wake each other up, especially the peeps on my floor. Most of us are the loud and noisy ones, hence we end up shouting at each other's rooms, across the balconies and coridors just for a chat. My Chindian friend, Shan, would sometimes just open my door and walk straight in, shouting, "Babe! Wake up!! Class in 30 minutes!"

I have a senior staying opposite my room and my, she has the most shrilled voice among all of us. When she wakes up, the rest of us would find ourselves crawling out of bed dreamily, waking up to her kiddy-like voice. BEST ALARM CLOCK EVER!!! =D

Nevertheless, I'm a heavy sleeper, it's still hard to wake me up. Shan can verify this statement.

5. Running Man fans everywhere!!
Enough said. #TeamMondayCouple

6. That one international genetic pool.
I noticed that the international students are quite isolated from the local students. No doubt that there are those who mingle with us, but I still see international students hanging out among themselves. It's such a waste, you know. Everyone's missing out on cultural sharing. Being an international student once, thrown into studying in a Japanese high school with another Belgium guy, I truly understand how awkward it is to be in somewhere new and different. It's pretty natural to feel homesick and happy whenever you see another international student being in the same boat as you, hence you all just stick to yourselves. But honestly speaking, mix with the locals because it's not often that you get to live with us and witness our lifestyles, something that may be different than yours. And dear local students, take the first step to be friends with them. Welcome them, let them feel warm and at home. You too, get to learn some cultural knowledge from them.

7. Cross the road and we'll drive even faster.
Something's wrong with this mentality. Not all, but I've seen many drivers who pressed the accelerator pedal even harder whenever they see students crossing at the ZEBRA CROSSING (really?)!! Jeez...did they not read the Undang Book? How did they even pass their Undang test, what more the driving test?

8. Young entrepreneurs.
I guess it's just me but I'm amazed by how well the students can run their own small business. I've a lot of friends selling scarfs, perfumes, clothes, fruits, nasi lemak, printing service, just to name a few. It's my first time seeing young people selling things in university! I know I'm being a jakun, but allow me to applaud my friends' and seniors' entrepreneurship. By the way, I did a personality test, and my entrepreneurship level is the lowest. That explains my awe.

9. The basement of my hostel became a lake.
We've been having heavy thunderstorms in the evenings and nights. I once reached my hostel just to find a flood at the basement. Thankfully the water level did not reach the rooms there or else things would have gotten worse. Someone opened the basement's entrance door, so the flood water flowed out. Seriously, I could swim a few laps in that 'lake'.

10. We don't really care if you attend lectures or not.
I'm sure this is very common in universities. Most lecturers don't take the students' attendance. Even if one does not attend lectures, they don't care because they aren't the one who are missing out on the important stuff. Students are ones. So if you're lazy to go for lectures, feel free to oversleep. Just make sure you score well in tests and assignments.

11. Send my regards.
If you want to get to know somebody, you'll introduce yourself (though it may be awkward) to that person right? I have no idea but some peeps approached me, asked about person A's, B's and C's details and then say, "Can you send my regards to him/her please?" I'm really sorry, but I find this weird even though I see this happening everywhere many times. Is this a win-one's-heart method? I did them the favor though. The result: Just shrugs from the people they are interested with.

12. Freshman got lost!
I got lost a few times actually. And asking other students did not help much because they too, have no idea where the lecture rooms I was heading to, are. Once, I practically ran from north to south, only to find out later that my destination is on the west. Right, after sweating gallons of sweat. Inspired to not be the blur peeps, I actually brisk-walked and rode the shuttle buses around campus. I even studied the campus map. So I now roughly know where is where. Anyone's who free and have the urge to test me on the locations, be my guest. :)

Ciao, for I have assignments to attend to.

Twenty!

20 things I found and learnt in university. 

There's more than these actually...

1. Staying away from parents, with a stranger.
So I'm staying in a hostel, sharing a room with someone from Terengganu. The first few weeks were probably a bit awkward for me (maybe for her too) because I'm not used to staying with someone I didn't know. I was in my defensive bubble, taking good care of every step and action I did. Just in case, it might offend my roommate. I even tried my best hiding behind the bed to change clothes, who knows it might blind her? Anyway, it's been 2 months and we're already comfortable with each other till we behave normally, like how we behave at home.

2. No MCKL vibe.
You just can't find any MCKL-like people here. Not even one. I'm still adjusting to this non-MCKL environment. Enough said.

3. Sharing can be a pain in the @$$ with irresponsible and selfish peeps.
Here in dorms, we share bathrooms, toilets, pantries and washing machines. I don't mind sharing, but surprisingly, girls are as messy as guys. Here's one: Someone stuck her soiled pantyliner onto the bathroom wall. (ewwww, GROSS!) Like seriously, you're a university student and you expect our cleaners to clean that after you? Grow up with some responsibilities! Here's another: Some people are just too lazy and selfish to flush the toilets after their poopy business. What more can I say?

4. My Malay speaking skills improved!
Raised in an English-speaking family with Chinese background but still scored well in Malay-writing tests, I speak in Malay language with a Chinese accent. Mind you, I'm a mix with a Muslim name, but due to my name, we have some peeps who expect me to speak like a typical Malay. Not sure if I'm complaining but I get to improve a language. Being in university forces me to speak in Malay wherever I go, because most of my friends now are Malay. Good thing is I get to learn different dialects from Penang and Kelantan. And I started tweeting in these dialects!

5. University elections
So I've experienced my first campus election. Interesting but more to an annoying thing. Since I joined many of my university-related Facebook groups, my news feed was filled with so much campaigns. It was so annoying to the point that I nearly deactivated my account. But I couldn't because a lot of important things are announced through Facebook. There was also a candidate who went all the way to sticking stickers in bathrooms and toilets to gain votes. Now that is also annoying unfortunately. It's still interesting to see some of my seniors working hard to earn the students' trust. They gave away notebooks, bookmarks and even lollipops while campaigning!! Lollipop's too sweet by the way.

Let me share on how this election works.
Basically there are 2 categories. The first being the general constitution and the second, faculty-based constitution. 12 candidates (mostly 3rd year students) run for the general constitution whereas each faculty will have 2 to 5 candidates (mostly 2nd year students) running for the election. Each student can vote for 6 general candidates and 1 to 2 candidates for his own faculty, for example: I vote for 6 general candidates and only 1 candidate for my faculty. I can't vote for other faculties. Candidates who won will form the Student Council. Of course the general ones will be the Top 6.

6. Walking and running is part of my daily life.
I don't own a car, a motorbike or a bicycle in campus. Which means that I have to go for lectures and events by foot. Not a problem for me, because my hostel is 5 to 10 minutes away from lecture halls and the main hall. However, I somehow, as usual, managed to land myself in all kinds of emergencies, hence finding myself running up hills under the scorching Sun and sometimes, showers of rain. I didn't lose much weight though. Mum, I do need a bicycle.

7. Swim all I want.
My campus has a swimming pool. I am a happy child. FULLSTOP.

8. Bless my Organic Chemistry.
I love Organic Chemistry but I don't enjoy the lectures and tutorials mainly because my lecturer and tutor are not passionate in teaching. No, don't have to spoon feed me, A-levels has taught me to be independent enough but for God's sake, teach us with a slight passion. That would make Organic Chemistry more interesting. Gosh, I miss Ms Ng.

9. Nightlife in campus is not always quiet.
True, many students shut themselves in their rooms to study but I sometimes tend to explore outside and find interesting stuff. Every Tuesday and Wednesday nights, I'll be having meetings and dance classes. Other than that, I've got a good friend who so far, had miraculously brought me out for dinners, night market and a long walk in campus, only to stumble upon a group of jovial guys practising Dikir Barat. I also attended a few theaters and cultural events. I mean, life shouldn't be so boring right?

Theater - Chainarong.

10. I get to dance almost every week.
Thanks to ADIKARMA who organizes traditional dance classes, I get to break away from modern dance and learn something that I've always wanted to learn. And hey, who wouldn't feel happy to see such a long and huge mirror in the dance class?

11. Green is my thing.
My campus is just green. Look to your left, right, front, back, up and down, it's all GREEN!!! Nature is what I always see before going for morning lectures and labs. How relaxing...

12. No cooking in hostels!
Say what?! Yes, my university does not allow cooking in our hostels. The best that we can 'cook' is cup noodles. Oh dear me...don't ask me why we have pantries. I don't have the slightest idea at all. Thankfully, the cafeteria in my hostel sells food at a cheap price. My meal that usually consists of rice and 2 to 3 types of vegetables, only costs at a range of RM1.80 to RM2.50. Cheap, no?

Late-night supper with hostel mates.

My hostel mate knew I didn't have dinner, so she dropped by to share these!!! How sweet of her.

13. Doing my own laundry.
This time, I do my own laundry. I have 2 types of clothes: the hand-washed and machine-washed ones. To save up on the expensive detergent, I hand-wash my clothes twice a week because I wash in bulks. Same goes for the machine-washed ones. I pile the clothes up until weekends, then I pay RM3 to have the washing machine operate and do the laundry. Drying the clothes is another headache. I've got the bad luck following me everywhere. When I see the Sun shining so brightly, I quickly wash my clothes and tadaa!!! It starts to rain. Then my room would turn into a place to dry my clothes. It's like I decorate my room with hanging clothes.

14. Same race, same group.
Sadly, I see many students mixing with those of the same race. Generally, Chinese with Chinese, Malay with Malay and Indian with Indian. I'm lucky enough that my hostel community is the smallest, hence most of us mix with each other regardless of race and religion. But still, it feels sad that there are not many multiracial groups of students. They only mix with each other when it comes to projects that require them to be in groups of 2 or 3 races. How disappointing.

15. I can speak Tamil....0.1% only.
I mix with these Indian and Chindian friends who taught me Tamil. Basically, I just shout "Kaaadi" whenever a car approaches us.

16. Free from cigarette smoke!
My campus is a tobacco-free campus, meaning that you're not allowed to smoke in the campus. Nevertheless, there are a bunch of stupid, selfish and ignorant people who still smoke. Yet, I have never inhaled this much tobacco-free air!! My dad is a smoking dragon and imagine me breathing in air filled with cigarette smoke for 21 years.

17. No plastic items!!!
My campus is going green, so the administration is encouraging us to use eco-friendly bags and containers. All students were given a free eco-friendly bag each, kudos to my university for a good start! And trust me, when you ask for a plastic bag or plastic container from the counter in the cafeterias or shops, you can just dream on. They'll never give you one.

18. Why you no read properly?
A lot of students have been making me laugh at them, not in a mean way, but I'm really amused by their lack of reading. For example, an announcement complete with the date, time and venue was posted in Facebook, yet many students asked, "What time is the event? Where is it?" Like excuse me, wasn't it clearly written in the post? Did you all just not read it properly or did you all not understand? This is why I love MCKL for forcing us to read notices properly. It naturally trains us to be more alert.

19. Too many attention seekers.
I don't know if it's me but I find way too many attention seekers on Facebook. Basically, they post weird and useless stuff to gain attention. Another annoying problem flooding my news feed.

20. I begin to appreciate things in life by being far away from home and being independent. :)

Choreographed a simple Chinese fan dance using shadow effect.

While practising for Malam Variasiswa, before Genetic class.

My hostel cultural team won 3rd place and best technical skills during Malam Variasiswa. It is through this event that brought all races and religions close to each other.

Till then, ciao!!!

Infinite OGS Malaysia Concert Tickets Burned Holes

 Infinite OGS Malaysia concert tickets are up for sale TODAY!
Ticket price:

1. VVIP & VIP: RM683
2. Rock Zone Free Standing: RM583
3. PS1 Numbered Seating: RM583
4. PS2 Free Seating: RM483
5. PS3 Free Seating: RM383
6. PS4 Free Standing: RM183

HELL. Are you kidding me?! I'm sorry, but from a reasonable mind, RM583 for Rock Zone & PS1?! Aren't they terribly expensive?

Latest update, all tickets except for Rock Zone and PS4 are SOLD OUT.

I'm aiming for PS4 online. Heck, I just want to watch them live since it will be held at Stadium Negara. It is claimed that you can still see them clearly from the top. But is it even worth going? I can't guarantee if I can make it because I'm not sure if my university will have events. I know mum's discouraging me because it's like I'm throwing my money away. But I worked extra hours for this and I am dying really want to go. 

To buy or not to buy?

And I really hate pushing around while lining up for the concert. 

Elecoldxhot Made Us Proud!

SHOUTOUT to Elecoldxhot for winning bronze HHI 2013 World Championship!

As a Malaysian, I can't help but feeling proud of them. Yes, we finally show to the world that we have great hip hop dancers as well. Congrats!!!

I just can't stop raping the 'like' button on this video. Impressive, synchronized and fun.

奈美楽の生活アップデート

もうちょっと大学始めます！緊張しているよ！

そうそう。。。やっと私大学生になるね。やっとね。

엄마, 당신은 행복?

ところで、大学はイギリスとか日本の大学じゃないです。残念だ、本当に。ペナンのUniversity of Sains Malaysiaっていうの大学です。マレーシアの一番よい大学って～。

へ～？何の勉強の？環境生物学の勉強です。

どれぐらいか？３年ぐらいです。

奈美楽は卒業したら、日本の大学でpostgraduateと研究したいです。今年の９月から、頑張ります！日本の生活、待ってね！

My Future New Home For The Next One Year

My university just updated their offer letter to me and I found out which wonderful hostel I am about to spend a year in.

Desasiswa Cahay Gemilang.

A 30-year old apartment.

In which Matthias said, "At least it's not a 30-year old FLAT." True that, be thankful.

So I tried searching for pictures of this hostel and I couldn't find much. Turns out that many of the freshmen are lucky enough to get other hostels; half of them got into Desasiswa Aman Damai which is also an old hostel (count your blessings). I was lucky enough to stumble upon a senior's blog about her room in Cahaya Gemilang. I gotta admit, the room ain't as bad as I thought, except for the HANGING MIRROR IN FRONT THE BED! I'm not that typical Chinese with those ancient beliefs but it feels weird to wake up in the morning and the first thing that I have to stare at in the mirror, is my horrendous and sleepy face. I'd probably sleep the other way round.

On a brighter note, my hostel is near the swimming pool and the faculty, so thumbs up for that. I may need to walk a long way to the cafeteria, hence I guess I might be bringing a bicycle or a scooter along. I think I'll look ridiculous riding a scooter, dear Lord.

Cahaya Gemilang is situated in zone H (dark olive green area) whereas my faculty is in zone G (blue area). The swimming pool is in zone A (green area). Quite a large campus, eh? Alright, maybe I will look ridiculous riding my scooter around the campus. But, YOLO.

I'm looking forward to this. *trying to get into the mood*

BUT!!!

I am truly excited for this!!! My guys are coming. 3 years of waiting for this to happen. 3 years of waiting to meet Yeol!!! This is one Saturday that I am prepared to sacrifice. I promise to be active in the hostel community activities. Just let me go to this one concert.

My Least Expectation - Sexual Harassment

I'll go straight to the point. I got sexually harassed by a pervert. Physically. Not raping.

Honestly, I've never expected this to happen. Once in Japan, someone tried to harass me sexually but ran away when I threaten to beat him up with my umbrella. Today, in my own country, I became a victim. Although I am well-determined to seek for revenge, I admit that I am traumatized. Mainly because I thought I could protect myself with my fighting skills and courage but I failed to do so. And this leads to my concern about  my own safety, my family's safety, my friends' safety, EVERYONE'S SAFETY.

Police? The court? Law? Come on, we got to admit that not much is being done, at least in Malaysia. Justice is no more justice. A rapist who married his victim was found not guilty...because he married his victim. Where in the world is there logic in this ridiculous case?! If the court could let go of this rapist, what about this sexual assaulter? We all know that if I were to report this man to the police, the most that they would do is fine him a few hundred ringgit and send him to jail for a few days. Then, when he is released, this guy will come back to me for revenge, either becoming a eunuch or raping and killing me. What happens if he succeeds in raping and killing me but failed to be caught by the police? What if he changes his target to my mum? My loved ones?

Is there any other ways to stop sexual assault doers, preventing them from committing more serious crimes? Can we actually trust the law enforcers because clearly now, most of us have begun to doubt their vow to seek justice and keep us safe. Do we have to settle things the street-law way instead, where out here, we become the jury, the judge and the executioner?

A little sexual harassment has traumatized me. What about the rape victims who survived? I cannot imagine the pain, humiliation, and anger they are going through. One of the rapes that caused a huge global uproar - the gang rape victim who died in India. I truly dare not imagine her feelings. And till now, I wonder if the rapists even realize what they did and how they felt about it. I really salute the victims who are actively in societies having war against rapists.

Rape is never the same as making love. Rape is forcing an unwilling person to have sex with you. Making love is having sex with each other mutually. Forcing someone to have sex with you is not like forcing a person to do labor for you. Because whether the victim is a virgin or not, sex affects the person not only physically, but also emotionally, spiritually, mentally and socially. It affects their pride and lives. You rape someone, you take away everything from them. You actually kill every part of them. I'd like to quote something from this article:

This harmful environment takes a toll on girls – in particular – resulting in increased absenteeism, trouble sleeping, and decreased productivity and academic performance. As Melissa articulated, it also gives the girls a clear message that has a ripple effect on their lives in general: “There is no place for me. I have no say over my body. I do not have power over my life.” 

Teen-sexual-harassment-What-you-can-do-about-it-in-your-daughter-s-school

I know, humans are weak whenever it comes to sexual stuff. But are we that weak to be so strong to hurt a person just to satisfy ourselves? Weird enough but true, there are those who enjoy harassing people; we call them sick psychos. But how and why did they become like this?

If you get sexually harassed,

1. Scream for help. Run to someone and tell them about it.
2. Kick the pervert in his balls or if you have a pepper spray with you, give his eyes a taste of it.
3. Make sure you remember the pervert's physical features so that you can describe him when you make a police report.
4. If you're in a secluded place, get out of there and head to a more crowded area. 
5. Call your parents or guardians so that they know what has happened and they will tell you what to do next.

I should have crushed that pervert's balls and pushed him down the stairs. I don't trust the police or the court enough to punish this bastard. And yes, I am still hunting for him because I want to make him into a eunuch. At least, he will have to think twice before harassing or raping someone.

Stay safe.

INFINITE - Destiny [Full Album]

My current playlist!!! Infinite jjang!!!

That Feeling Before You Enter University

I am leaving my family!!! FOREVER!!!

To university.

Right, I'm lucky enough to get into 2 universities - one in Scotland and the other locally. Forget about Scotland, since I don't think anyone would sponsor me to go abroad. Plan B everybody, that is to the local university and then to Japan for my Masters and research!! (Y)

Somehow, I feel scared to start a new life in university. Although I'll be only 4 hours away from home, it hit me real hard that this time, I will be alone and have to be independent. Okay, not exactly alone, but without parents within a meter away from me. I've always been having nightmares of me without my parents and wondered how I will ever survive? This is different from my life in Japan. There, I stayed with host families hence, almost everything was taken care of. Ain't nobody has time to attend to my troubles in university!

I don't know if I will ever get used to the culture that I am about to be exposed to. This has got to do with my ethnicity, religion and background. Here in MCKL, most people don't see me as a Malay (it's true that I am not a Malay, nor Chinese), rather they see me as one hell of a Chinlay (Chinese-Malay) mixture. And I'm comfortable with that although I prefer to be known as a Malaysian. I'm not sure if my future university mates will accept me for who I am. I really hope that they won't categorize me as a pure Malay and expect me to be a typical Malay Muslim, because honestly, I'm not any of these. I hope to meet those who understand my life as a Muslim and how I devote myself to Allah swt.

Nevertheless, I look forward to the beautiful campus and yes, the beaches. Ok, my university is situated on the busiest island in Malaysia. Oh and did I mention that there is a swimming pool in the campus too?! But I'll only spend my time there if there aren't any perverts lurking around.

It seems I'm the only MCKL-ian in this campus. The rest are stuck in the Kelantan campus. Pfftt...medical students. Why did you choose medicine eh?

MCKL 30th Anniversary is over. I've gotten many good reviews and positive feedbacks regarding my videos. At last, those endless hours of video editing job paid off! Thanks to my boss who never fails to squeeze all my brain juice by asking me to keep changing the video. But seriously, thank you.

Speaking about video editing, I'd better install the software before going off. Who knows, I might have my own super mini studio there.

I'm finally 21 years old by the way. Thank you to those who remembered and celebrated.

Countdown to university: 42 days.

Things I Didn't Expect

I am dead for July's JLPT N2.
Honestly.
Here's my typical weekdays schedule: 9am - 6 or 7pm: Work
                                                          8pm: Reach home, dinner, bath, sleep. Because I am DEAD TIRED!
So I only study during weekends. And I take a long time to process the higher level of Japanese.
I am definitely not going to pass. There isn't much time to prepare but I'll still study on my own pace to prepare for the December's exam. This time I am going to pass the exam.

Anyway, I'm enjoying my work a lot. Yeah, things go sucky at times but I'm learning new things. I've just released the third trailer for my college's 30th Anniversary. Ok, it's not exactly a trailer since it's too long, about 8 minutes plus. It's more to the lecturers and staff giving their messages to their former and current MCKLians. Click on A Message: See You There!! to watch it, alright? I'm in the process of completing 4 videos in one time; one of them is the second part of A Message: See You There!! So MCKLians, watch out for more of the top guns of our college appearing on YouTube in a fabulous way!

Have you watched Kurt Hugo Schneider's videos? This guy is a genius in music! A talented composer, musician and director. I love his Maroon5 Medley!! Genius work. Challenging but his team pulled it off beautifully. I'm inspired to make a video like this. I just need to finish up my work, then I can focus on getting the necessary materials for this video. :) Feeling excited and pumped!!! I tweet him almost everyday just to thank him for inspiring me with his music.

I did a personality test and the results showed that I am an introvert. Of course my friends refuse to believe it but truthfully, I am. It took me a long time to approach my seniors just to ask them to help me with some recording. Yeah yeah, I was in student council, was popular but really, I am shy. I don't even know what to talk about whenever I'm with strangers! I remember some time ago when I had lunch with my best friend and his university mates. Man, it was awkward. They are nice people but I don't think we have anything in common, nor do we understand each other's topics. I can only be comfortable once I get to know people better, perhaps the third time talking to them?

My Canon camera is back from the 'hospital'. I'm happy because I can finally take good pictures and record videos. Speaking about videos, I'm planning to get myself a camcorder. AND!!! An iMac. I think my parents will kill me. Either an iMac or I buy a video editing software. Mum, if you see this post, please don't freak out and kill me.

Lastly, happy #3yearswithInfinite!!! I purposely got the music player for my blog just to play Infinite's latest song, Man In Love, to celebrate my 3-year loyalty towards Infinite. Proud to be an Inspirit!!

Cheers!!!

p/s: I'm loving my short hair!!! And I love this picture so much! It's friendship beyond race and religious differences. 

Disappointment is part of growing up.

Disappointment is part of growing up.

As painful as it, the statement above is true. 

There is so much contained in me yet, I just want to bottle everything up. Because who can understand but me and God? Although I often let everything out to Him, I still feel like as if everything, everyone is against me, even myself. I am my worst enemy.

I want to just scream it all out, but I know I can't. I want to complain but it's better if I seal my mouth shut. Because who can even understand?

Nevertheless, I am looking forward to life. Because my disappointments towards myself and others are slowly turning into motivation. Growing up.

Throw Eggs. And Korea Vlog.

Hi hi hi hi hi hi HI!!!

Throw eggs at me  for not updating but before that, I'll break the good news to you all. I've got a job. Dum dum dummmm.. Ok, that's why I am too busy to blog. Right, now throw the eggs.

Confession: I did not make a video on my Sarawak trip. Instead I made a vlog on my trip to Korea.

Travel Vlog: Korea Trip Part 1 - Jeju Island



I'll write more on the Korea trip when I can find the time to do so.

And yes, I have a lame YouTube channel. You can check it out and make it more fabulous by subscribing. BECAUSE!! I'm currently leaning some cool video editing skills through my job. I have a iMac yo. Well, until I stop working.

iMovie 11!!

Oh yeah, about my job. I'm now working as a project staff/marketing staff in my college. I dare not vlog about my job because err...Asian parents are just too weird. Anyway, I go through two kinds of working environment. As a project staff for my college's upcoming anniversary dinner, I'm in charge of making videos, trailers and getting sponsorships. So, basically, I'll be up and about to record videos, then back to my work station and iMac to create good videos and trailers. While doing this, I call people to persuade them to sponsor the event. At the same time, as a part-time marketing staff, I deal with random people from different backgrounds. I usually counsel prospective students (most of the times parents too) about their next step in tertiary education.

Ok, let me share this with you. I once counseled a quarreling family. They were too busy arguing that I found myself watching a frightening drama despite trying to cool things down. Cause of argument: Child wants to study A, parents want him to study B. Then father couldn't make up his mind whether to support mother or child. Father quarreled with mother, mother scolded child, child became angry with father. One happy family!!!

Alright, it's actually normal, especially for Asians. Even I argue with my mum when it comes to education and career. And future boyfriend/husband. Asians. I'm not being racist. I'm merely stating the fact.

Cheers!!! No more eggs.

Current Update

Hello, I'm sorry I haven't been blogging for quite a while. The past 2 weeks have been hectic yet exciting and memorable. Sleepovers, Orientation Ball, Malacca trip and finally a one-week trip to Sarawak.

I'm currently making a video on the Sarawak trip besides compiling and editing pictures of it, so it'll take me some time to finish up everything since I am also busy applying to universities.

About my Edexcel results, I'm pretty disappointed with my Biology. The grades for each unit improved except for Unit 4, hence I couldn't pull through with an A. Why Unit 4?! Nevertheless, I'm still thankful for my other subjects, all praises to Allah SWT. I have been having nightmares about my results prior to result day. I guess He prepares me well for all kinds of challenges. I'm still thinking if I should resit a few Biology Units and Chemistry Unit 5. I want to get an A for Chemistry Unit 5. I must get that A. Grrr...

Cheers for now and all praises to God.

Friday Macha: Tannan and Matsubara City

Matsubara City. Not many foreigners know about the existence of this city since it doesn't have any tourist attractions. But it's my second home, where i lived for around 6 months, graduated from high school and met many amazing friends. It's also where I cycled around and walked my dogs a lot during my free time. 

Matsubara City is situated south of Osaka City. By Kintetsu Line, it's one and only one train station, Kawachi-Matsubara station  is 20 minutes from Tenouji. Tenouji is 15 minutes away from Yodobashi Station, Osaka by Midosuji Line. In total, it takes around 40 minutes to go to Osaka from Matsubara, including time taken for train transfer. 

This is the map of the subway lines in Kansai Area of Osaka. The red line is Midosuji Line which has Yodobashi Station. As you can see, it's super duper convenient to travel around Osaka using the subway lines. You can use any line and end up at the same place in Osaka. The difference between these lines is the stations, hence travelling time. 

Then we have the complicated yet convenient JR lines that connects Osaka to Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Kobe and Kansai Airport. 

I'm sorry I can't find the Kintetsu Railway map, so i can't show you the line connecting Matsubara City to Tenouji. 

I stayed in a neighborhood called Tannan, situated right next to Mihara Ward and Tanjo neighborhood, It's mainly a residential area with paddy fields, small shops, convenience shops, factories and coffee houses in Tannan. Surprisingly, for a city girl like me, I found and still find Tannan very entertaining because it's a whole different ambiance to me. Plus, it's safer for me to cycle around and explore neighborhoods. I've cycled over to Mihara Ward many times to check out the houses and shops there. 

My home.

A view of Tannan from the balcony.

Tannan Community Hall in front of my home.

Paddy fields in Tannan.

Among the house in Tanjo, the neighborhood next to Tannan.

Sunset view in Matsubara City from the balcony of my house.

Walking the dogs around Tannan.

Outside a departmental store near Kawachi-Matsubara Station.

The main road of Tannan.

It took me around 10 minutes to cycle from Tannan to Kawachi-Matsubara station. The road I took is just a long straight road, so I didn't get lost easily. To go to my high school, Matsubara Senior High School, I would have to pass the train station and go straight to Miyakehigashi, which is where my high school is located at. By bicycle, it takes me 30 minutes from my house to my high school, hence I could afford to wake up at 7.30am. 7.30am is considered quite late in Japan. By 6am, it's already bright and sunny.

From Tannan, I can cycle to all directions, 360 degrees. Hence I would end up either at Kawachi-Matsubara Station, Mihara Ward, Kita Ward, Higashi Ward, Matsubara City Office, Miyakehigashi and anywhere along the way. So, I can say that it's a pretty strategic place since I can easily cycle to almost anywhere in Matsubara City.

I would say that Matsubara City is more of a residential area, unlike Osaka City with its bustling streets and shopping centres. There are actually tons of schools in this city itself. A few entertainment and shopping centres to avoid its residents from boredom; offices, hospitals, clinics, police stations, post offices, restaurants and shops for convenience. Nope, there is no cinema, sadly, so you have to travel to Tenouji or Namba to watch movies. 

Matsubara City Office usually organizes events to bring the community members closer to each other. One of the major events is Matsubara World Fiesta. My high school is actively involved in this event because 2 exchange students are sent to this school every year, hence allowing cultural experience sharing. The main reason this event is organised annually is that there are many foreigners staying in Matsubara City. Since it's convenient to travel to Osaka City yet affordable to reside at, why not? The World Fiesta provides tons of opportunities for its community to mingle around with foreigners and learn more about other countries. 

I'll talk about my experience when I participated in Matsubara World Fiesta in another post. :)

For your information, if you want to be a resident of Matsubara City, permanently or temporarily, you can handle the official documents at the Matsubara City Office. It is near the Matsubara Central Hospital, 5 minutes bicycle ride from Kawachi-Matsubara Station.

Address: Japan, Osaka Prefecture, Matsubara, Ao, １丁目１−１

Contact number: +81 72-334-1550