On this Christmas day we pray,
Lord be in our hearts to stay.
For the year ahead may he guide our way,
For the days ahead may we not be astray.
We see the babe in manger lay,
Where cattles feed and donkeys bray.
The King of kings clothed only in hay,
The Lord of Lords in such lowly array.
He is the answer to our sins of yesterday,
He is the answer for our troubles today.
Lord help us remember we are but clay,
And mold us into what you may.
Lord, on this Christmas day we pray,
That Christmas begins in our heart today.
A Christmas poem I wrote on facebook and decided to archive it in my blog =)
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
My memo for my English class LOL
English – Not only for Academic Writing =)
The first day in 76100 class was interesting – there was the usual introduction among instructor and students, briefing of the course syllabus, and the … ABSENCE OF A STUDENT?
Coincidentally, I happened to be the said student who was impertinent enough to skip class on the first day. Either you should believe that or there was another legitimate reason for my absence. Of course, the latter is true; being an international student, visa issues delayed my arrival to Carnegie Mellon University and it was not until the second week when I finally showed up in class – totally suffering from jetlag.
In retrospect, I was initially furious to be required to take the English Placement Exams. I had my SAT and TOEFL results and was my school’s valedictorian. What more did CMU want? Overestimating my abilities, I took the placement test lightly and I only have myself to blame for being placed into 76100 (or rather, failing to be placed into 76101). Harbouring thoughts of bitter resentment, I entered the 76100 class thinking it was inferior. Boy was I wrong.
As one could probably infer from my present structure of writing, I am no fan of serious scholarly writing. Puh-lease, those are for the high-and-mighty, pompous professionals who pontificate profound phrases profusely and ignore pragmatic prose to present … okay you get the point. However, there was no escaping from the clutches of 76100 – and it was probably a good thing I stuck through the whole semester because I learned a lot of things I thought I already knew.
See that thing on the upper right-hand corner? Yep, that was one of the few things I learned in this 76100 class. NO I did not learn how to COUNT! @@ *faints* That is part of the MLA formatting style which is used often in academic writing. (It IS reading and writing in an academic context!) Prior to this class, I had no experience whatsoever in using the MLA style of writing. That is because I am an international student and English is taught as a second language back in my country Malaysia. Of course, SAT and TOEFL did not prepare me for this, so I, being the ever-so-concerned-about-only-anything-on-exams Asian I am, never bothered reading anything about MLA formatting. Fortunately for me, 76100 rectified this problem before it became nasty.
On the discourse of nasty things, that term could only be applied to the readings we were forced to endure throughout the semester. If only it were something about mathematics, quantum mechanics or string theory, I would have gladly embraced the piles of processed pulp. But no! We had to go through a series of (seemingly irrelevant) debates spun by authors regarding the digital generation, ie the generation who uses facebook daily, studies while MSN-ing, derives random new words such as in the previous clause, and attaches an emoticon to every available and possible sentence =P However, upon further reflection I realized that 76100 has forced me to include academic reading into my genre of fantasy and science fiction. At least now I can successfully read through a 50-page research paper (without yawning too many times!).
Having a second look at my previous paragraph, I am sure Mark Bauerlein would say that I am full of “puerile sentiments” and disagree with my conduct vehemently. Oops, I better put a (Bauerlein 132, par 2) behind those quotation marks! And this incidentally brings me to the third thing I learned from this class – citing sources. Back in Malaysia, we never had to write a formal paper, and thus citing sources was never an issue. Of course, I am now a university student and hopefully would have the chance to write a thesis paper one day. It is impossible for me to have no link from external sources. “Rome was not built in a day”, inasmuch as I would have to build upon the findings of others, there would be others who will use, God willing, my findings to expand a particular field. Regarding this matter, I surely would be upset and angry if those who used my findings did not acknowledge my contribution to the field. Hence, I have realized the importance of citing sources appropriately to avoid plagiarism.
As the semester comes to a close, I am satisfied that I have endured the torture of writing four academic essays yet I am reluctant to leave the warmth of the classroom. As I write these last few sentences of my 76100 course, I realized how wrong I was to think that it was only second-class. In my opinion, the readings were harder than those from 76101 and we even had the chance to perform a social science research! So to those who are taking 76100, if you ever get the chance to read this, I say, 76100 ROCKZ!
Best,
Mark Wong
P/S That does not mean I am looking forward to 76101 =P
The first day in 76100 class was interesting – there was the usual introduction among instructor and students, briefing of the course syllabus, and the … ABSENCE OF A STUDENT?
Coincidentally, I happened to be the said student who was impertinent enough to skip class on the first day. Either you should believe that or there was another legitimate reason for my absence. Of course, the latter is true; being an international student, visa issues delayed my arrival to Carnegie Mellon University and it was not until the second week when I finally showed up in class – totally suffering from jetlag.
In retrospect, I was initially furious to be required to take the English Placement Exams. I had my SAT and TOEFL results and was my school’s valedictorian. What more did CMU want? Overestimating my abilities, I took the placement test lightly and I only have myself to blame for being placed into 76100 (or rather, failing to be placed into 76101). Harbouring thoughts of bitter resentment, I entered the 76100 class thinking it was inferior. Boy was I wrong.
As one could probably infer from my present structure of writing, I am no fan of serious scholarly writing. Puh-lease, those are for the high-and-mighty, pompous professionals who pontificate profound phrases profusely and ignore pragmatic prose to present … okay you get the point. However, there was no escaping from the clutches of 76100 – and it was probably a good thing I stuck through the whole semester because I learned a lot of things I thought I already knew.
See that thing on the upper right-hand corner? Yep, that was one of the few things I learned in this 76100 class. NO I did not learn how to COUNT! @@ *faints* That is part of the MLA formatting style which is used often in academic writing. (It IS reading and writing in an academic context!) Prior to this class, I had no experience whatsoever in using the MLA style of writing. That is because I am an international student and English is taught as a second language back in my country Malaysia. Of course, SAT and TOEFL did not prepare me for this, so I, being the ever-so-concerned-about-only-anything-on-exams Asian I am, never bothered reading anything about MLA formatting. Fortunately for me, 76100 rectified this problem before it became nasty.
On the discourse of nasty things, that term could only be applied to the readings we were forced to endure throughout the semester. If only it were something about mathematics, quantum mechanics or string theory, I would have gladly embraced the piles of processed pulp. But no! We had to go through a series of (seemingly irrelevant) debates spun by authors regarding the digital generation, ie the generation who uses facebook daily, studies while MSN-ing, derives random new words such as in the previous clause, and attaches an emoticon to every available and possible sentence =P However, upon further reflection I realized that 76100 has forced me to include academic reading into my genre of fantasy and science fiction. At least now I can successfully read through a 50-page research paper (without yawning too many times!).
Having a second look at my previous paragraph, I am sure Mark Bauerlein would say that I am full of “puerile sentiments” and disagree with my conduct vehemently. Oops, I better put a (Bauerlein 132, par 2) behind those quotation marks! And this incidentally brings me to the third thing I learned from this class – citing sources. Back in Malaysia, we never had to write a formal paper, and thus citing sources was never an issue. Of course, I am now a university student and hopefully would have the chance to write a thesis paper one day. It is impossible for me to have no link from external sources. “Rome was not built in a day”, inasmuch as I would have to build upon the findings of others, there would be others who will use, God willing, my findings to expand a particular field. Regarding this matter, I surely would be upset and angry if those who used my findings did not acknowledge my contribution to the field. Hence, I have realized the importance of citing sources appropriately to avoid plagiarism.
As the semester comes to a close, I am satisfied that I have endured the torture of writing four academic essays yet I am reluctant to leave the warmth of the classroom. As I write these last few sentences of my 76100 course, I realized how wrong I was to think that it was only second-class. In my opinion, the readings were harder than those from 76101 and we even had the chance to perform a social science research! So to those who are taking 76100, if you ever get the chance to read this, I say, 76100 ROCKZ!
Best,
Mark Wong
P/S That does not mean I am looking forward to 76101 =P
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Cheer Up, Mark
C heer up, Mark, why looking so forlorn?
A fter all, let bygones be bygones,
L ife is more than getting an A,
C herish the time you are here to stay,
U niversity is only a part of the journey,
L ooking ahead, what's a B to your story?
U nless you're dead, there's always tomorrow,
S o cheer up, Mark, do away with your sorrow!
A fter all, let bygones be bygones,
L ife is more than getting an A,
C herish the time you are here to stay,
U niversity is only a part of the journey,
L ooking ahead, what's a B to your story?
U nless you're dead, there's always tomorrow,
S o cheer up, Mark, do away with your sorrow!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Cheer Up ~~
K now that you aren't the last,
R est assured that we chose you for your past:
I nitially entering out of curiousity,
S oon we all could see your loyalty
T herefore do not think yourself undeserving,
I believe that there's none more willing!
N ow garner your courage and face the future,
E ventually you'll succeed, be steadfast and sure!
H e is better? Why do you care?
O nly burdening yourself with more things you can't share
O thers will not compare
X yphoid thoughts shouldn't be there,
I know it's hard for you to bear,
N evertheless, remember that you're never on your own,
G od blessed you with friends so you'll not be alone.
R est assured that we chose you for your past:
I nitially entering out of curiousity,
S oon we all could see your loyalty
T herefore do not think yourself undeserving,
I believe that there's none more willing!
N ow garner your courage and face the future,
E ventually you'll succeed, be steadfast and sure!
H e is better? Why do you care?
O nly burdening yourself with more things you can't share
O thers will not compare
X yphoid thoughts shouldn't be there,
I know it's hard for you to bear,
N evertheless, remember that you're never on your own,
G od blessed you with friends so you'll not be alone.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Mod Chem
Dear Blog,
I'm so upset about today. (well, technically, it's yesterday). I totally flunked my modern chemistry test. It was such a BUMMER. Although people say getting <90 for the test isn't the end of the world, getting good grades is part of MY world. It is a source of gratification for me. Actually I really only have myself to blame as I did not even bother to review the past year questions. Most of the questions were derivatives of the past... I, with my snobbish self-confidence, thought that my STPM A would suffice to account for everything in modern chemistry. Of course, if I had not left everything to dust for 8 months that would probably still be true, but unfortunately that's not the case. I still managed to finish major parts of the paper, though my logical sense was gone and I got wrong for a question I could have got right. The main worry is that A is >90... and that's very very bad because we only have 4 exams. I really hope I can get 100 for the other exams - that's the least I could do to prove that STPM standard is as good as any other A-levels.
I'm so upset about today. (well, technically, it's yesterday). I totally flunked my modern chemistry test. It was such a BUMMER. Although people say getting <90 for the test isn't the end of the world, getting good grades is part of MY world. It is a source of gratification for me. Actually I really only have myself to blame as I did not even bother to review the past year questions. Most of the questions were derivatives of the past... I, with my snobbish self-confidence, thought that my STPM A would suffice to account for everything in modern chemistry. Of course, if I had not left everything to dust for 8 months that would probably still be true, but unfortunately that's not the case. I still managed to finish major parts of the paper, though my logical sense was gone and I got wrong for a question I could have got right. The main worry is that A is >90... and that's very very bad because we only have 4 exams. I really hope I can get 100 for the other exams - that's the least I could do to prove that STPM standard is as good as any other A-levels.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
无题
相见时难别亦难， 东风无力百花残。 光阴似箭， 一瞬间离别的时候快到了。 虽然才来到了国大不久(仅仅一月)，但是我却有千万个不舍得。。。也许只是我吧 - 国大的生活不回应我的离去而有多大的改变。 黄祥凯只是书中的一页， 戏中的一幕；只是放慢了速度(，)， 但不是句子的结束(。), 也不引人注目(！)，更不是个神奇人物（？）。一周，一月，一年，眼不见，心不烦，一年后的我们，是会一见如故，还是漠不关心？
一叶浮萍归大海，人生何处不相逢？也许把下半句改成”人生何处会相逢“也挺有意思的。。。幸亏有了网际网络，要么以后回来只能感叹年年岁岁花相似，岁岁年年人不同。
虽然如此，我还是很感谢国大朋友我们之间的这份友情。桃花潭水深千尺，不及你们送我情。若有过犯，本人在此道歉。
悄悄地我走了，正如我悄悄的来，我挥一挥衣袖，不带走一片云彩。
*对不起这是我第一次用汉语写日志。。。很不习惯*
一叶浮萍归大海，人生何处不相逢？也许把下半句改成”人生何处会相逢“也挺有意思的。。。幸亏有了网际网络，要么以后回来只能感叹年年岁岁花相似，岁岁年年人不同。
虽然如此，我还是很感谢国大朋友我们之间的这份友情。桃花潭水深千尺，不及你们送我情。若有过犯，本人在此道歉。
悄悄地我走了，正如我悄悄的来，我挥一挥衣袖，不带走一片云彩。
*对不起这是我第一次用汉语写日志。。。很不习惯*
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
NUS
N ew life, new friends, new challenges
U tterly new environment and faces
S o it began, a new chapter
N o bed sheet, no pillow, no blanket
U nless I buy from the market
S o it began, a lonely night
N ice block, nice lounge, nice hall
U gotta see to believe it all
S o it began, a lovely sight
U tterly new environment and faces
S o it began, a new chapter
N o bed sheet, no pillow, no blanket
U nless I buy from the market
S o it began, a lonely night
N ice block, nice lounge, nice hall
U gotta see to believe it all
S o it began, a lovely sight
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Who am I?
Who am I?
Can I condemn myself for eternity,
Pretend I'm not in agony,
This incident which ends my days,
And brings me to another place
Who am I?
Can I conceal myself forevermore,
Pretend I'm not the boy I was before?
And must my name until I die,
Be no more than a guy gone by.
Must I lie?
How can I ever face my fellow men,
How can I ever face myself again,
My soul belongs to God I know,
I made that bargain long ago.
He gave me hope when hope was lost,
He gave me strength to carry on!
Who am I?
I'm Mark Wong!
So you see it's true that I'm much ready to go through.
Who am I?
Who am I?
6181!
To the tune of "Les Miserables" Who am I - Jean Valjean
Can I condemn myself for eternity,
Pretend I'm not in agony,
This incident which ends my days,
And brings me to another place
Who am I?
Can I conceal myself forevermore,
Pretend I'm not the boy I was before?
And must my name until I die,
Be no more than a guy gone by.
Must I lie?
How can I ever face my fellow men,
How can I ever face myself again,
My soul belongs to God I know,
I made that bargain long ago.
He gave me hope when hope was lost,
He gave me strength to carry on!
Who am I?
I'm Mark Wong!
So you see it's true that I'm much ready to go through.
Who am I?
Who am I?
6181!
To the tune of "Les Miserables" Who am I - Jean Valjean
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Birthday
B elieve it or not, time really flies,
I am already two decades old,
R eally, from a babe who cries,
T oday I'm grown and bold,
H enceforth shall I step into a new chapter,
D angerous, yet fun and exciting,
A nd what's in store for me I wonder?
Y es, God has His own planning
Thanks be too thee O God in Heaven for showering me with abundant blessing
Thanks be too thee my dearest parents for raising me and always enduring
Thanks be too thee my bosom friends for dwelling with me ne'er wavering
Thanks be too thee my faithful teachers for shaping this young li'l fledgling
Thanks be too thee my biological sisters for helping me in par-setting
Thanks be too thee my spiritual leaders for guiding me through my doubts unsettling
Thanks be too thee my beloved students for illuminating my life with meaning
Thanks be too thee though thou not spoken, for God is always perceiving!
I am already two decades old,
R eally, from a babe who cries,
T oday I'm grown and bold,
H enceforth shall I step into a new chapter,
D angerous, yet fun and exciting,
A nd what's in store for me I wonder?
Y es, God has His own planning
Thanks be too thee O God in Heaven for showering me with abundant blessing
Thanks be too thee my dearest parents for raising me and always enduring
Thanks be too thee my bosom friends for dwelling with me ne'er wavering
Thanks be too thee my faithful teachers for shaping this young li'l fledgling
Thanks be too thee my biological sisters for helping me in par-setting
Thanks be too thee my spiritual leaders for guiding me through my doubts unsettling
Thanks be too thee my beloved students for illuminating my life with meaning
Thanks be too thee though thou not spoken, for God is always perceiving!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Mixed Feelings
So many things have happened in just a week...
Getting angry with my students, getting disappointed with them, resigning my post, watching BB Sunday as a spectator for the first time, Mrs Simon Chan coming, friends' outing... Ah, they all seem to weave an incredible web of emotions... I feel like I can't let go of today, yet yearn to see tomorrow...
Friday (26 June) was the first time I cried as a teacher... Owh, don't be fooled by my stern looks outside, I'm very very fragile on the inside haha... a bit sissy you may say (but at least not as bad as my substitute LOL). My students disappointed me, and the mere thought of leaving them was heart-rendering... What would become of them (or rather, their Sejarah) when I leave them? Not intending to sound arrogant and taking all the credit for my own, but I do worry about their academics once I stop teaching. Their recent accomplishments were mostly due to my constant forcing, pushing and... CANING. What would happen when this motivational force is removed? It is only my hope that they would continue to excel, not only in the subject I once taught them, but also in every subject that they take.
Then there was the incident whereby 4S7 just had to go for some "NILAM" thingy during my period... when their recent topical test SUCKS LIKE HELL... cmon lar, I just took the questions from the May semester paper and even told them that the questions will be from the paper... and they did worse than the exams... hell lotta encouragement for me. Probably I'm not a good teacher, but at least show some effort to study, can't you? Anyway, I hope you all will be happy with your new teacher (which I, personally speaking, am not)
Saturday came earlier than expected... After signing the "surat penyerahan tugas" I duly packed my things and left my table... My last period in 4S1 was better than previous days, though most were yet to know (or probably, believe) that that day was my last day teaching them History... I had yet to reveal the exact date of my resignation, and most lived in bliss as though I were invisible. I do thank a group of students for giving me a farewell gift and card. It is an invaluable treasure that I would keep forever... And I will hold you all to your promises =) Good luck, Jordan Tan, Ling Wei Huong, Kallen Yek, Wong Lin Han, Lee Mei Yee and Poh Wee Hau!
4S7 was ignorant towards anything that was happening, and I made sure my emotions were concealed... The last lesson passed as though nothing happened, and I left with no regrets... 悄悄的我走了，正如我悄悄的来。我挥一挥衣袖，不带走一片云彩。
To anyone who is in school, help me keep an eye for my students, reminding them to work hard for their own future.
As for BB Sunday, it is beyond words for description... the standard, the commitment and the discipline. They can't be compared to the former 1st Bintulu Company I once proudly joined. I only hope Lord, Bless the Boys' Brigade...
And now, with my heart filled with an assortment of sentiments, I end my pen.
Getting angry with my students, getting disappointed with them, resigning my post, watching BB Sunday as a spectator for the first time, Mrs Simon Chan coming, friends' outing... Ah, they all seem to weave an incredible web of emotions... I feel like I can't let go of today, yet yearn to see tomorrow...
Friday (26 June) was the first time I cried as a teacher... Owh, don't be fooled by my stern looks outside, I'm very very fragile on the inside haha... a bit sissy you may say (but at least not as bad as my substitute LOL). My students disappointed me, and the mere thought of leaving them was heart-rendering... What would become of them (or rather, their Sejarah) when I leave them? Not intending to sound arrogant and taking all the credit for my own, but I do worry about their academics once I stop teaching. Their recent accomplishments were mostly due to my constant forcing, pushing and... CANING. What would happen when this motivational force is removed? It is only my hope that they would continue to excel, not only in the subject I once taught them, but also in every subject that they take.
Then there was the incident whereby 4S7 just had to go for some "NILAM" thingy during my period... when their recent topical test SUCKS LIKE HELL... cmon lar, I just took the questions from the May semester paper and even told them that the questions will be from the paper... and they did worse than the exams... hell lotta encouragement for me. Probably I'm not a good teacher, but at least show some effort to study, can't you? Anyway, I hope you all will be happy with your new teacher (which I, personally speaking, am not)
Saturday came earlier than expected... After signing the "surat penyerahan tugas" I duly packed my things and left my table... My last period in 4S1 was better than previous days, though most were yet to know (or probably, believe) that that day was my last day teaching them History... I had yet to reveal the exact date of my resignation, and most lived in bliss as though I were invisible. I do thank a group of students for giving me a farewell gift and card. It is an invaluable treasure that I would keep forever... And I will hold you all to your promises =) Good luck, Jordan Tan, Ling Wei Huong, Kallen Yek, Wong Lin Han, Lee Mei Yee and Poh Wee Hau!
4S7 was ignorant towards anything that was happening, and I made sure my emotions were concealed... The last lesson passed as though nothing happened, and I left with no regrets... 悄悄的我走了，正如我悄悄的来。我挥一挥衣袖，不带走一片云彩。
To anyone who is in school, help me keep an eye for my students, reminding them to work hard for their own future.
As for BB Sunday, it is beyond words for description... the standard, the commitment and the discipline. They can't be compared to the former 1st Bintulu Company I once proudly joined. I only hope Lord, Bless the Boys' Brigade...
And now, with my heart filled with an assortment of sentiments, I end my pen.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Blood Donation
Wow, long time no post... you can guess how busy I am XD
Still undecided about my future education, though circumstances have shown me that it probably will be NUS... I just got my campus today, Kent Ridge... is it good?
Anyway, had a totally hectic week in school especially regarding marks -.- I will skip the details =)
After a tiring 5 days at work, I finally had a breather today and was thinking of completing my Buku Rekod, when Puan Hajijah came finding blood donors... well, since I was old enough, I went =P
My stats:
First blood donation
Blood type: B+
Weight: 55
Haemoglobin count 14.9 (don't know the unit)
Sys/Dia (mm Hg) = 118/68 (I hope I'm healthy, I remember 110/70 being the norm)
Pulse rate = 71 (increased... probably due to my lack of exercise... used to be 65)
The whole process took around 30 minutes... (Madam Kong told me it will take about 5-10 -.-) so my plans were a bit disrupted... but nevertheless, a good experience =)
1 pint for a vampire
2 eggs for a donor
3 stickers to be used
4 your blood color
5 things they checked
6 periods of 300 seconds in all
7 days before your result
I hope I'm healthy overall!
Still undecided about my future education, though circumstances have shown me that it probably will be NUS... I just got my campus today, Kent Ridge... is it good?
Anyway, had a totally hectic week in school especially regarding marks -.- I will skip the details =)
After a tiring 5 days at work, I finally had a breather today and was thinking of completing my Buku Rekod, when Puan Hajijah came finding blood donors... well, since I was old enough, I went =P
My stats:
First blood donation
Blood type: B+
Weight: 55
Haemoglobin count 14.9 (don't know the unit)
Sys/Dia (mm Hg) = 118/68 (I hope I'm healthy, I remember 110/70 being the norm)
Pulse rate = 71 (increased... probably due to my lack of exercise... used to be 65)
The whole process took around 30 minutes... (Madam Kong told me it will take about 5-10 -.-) so my plans were a bit disrupted... but nevertheless, a good experience =)
1 pint for a vampire
2 eggs for a donor
3 stickers to be used
4 your blood color
5 things they checked
6 periods of 300 seconds in all
7 days before your result
I hope I'm healthy overall!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Misc...
Remember my blog's title... well here's something that really fits it...
You get shortlisted by Khazanah, applied for unpaid leave for 10 days, pay RM 2k to go to KL, go through all the hectic regime just to get informed that
"We don't sponsor candidates to Carnegie Mellon University"
Oh hell c'mon, why can't you say so earlier? Why say now when I am already at the third stage???
That's the D-U-H-est D-U-H I've ever got... Feel so bad now... Only Stanford is my last hope... Need to get that waitlist into an admission (I'm acting as if I got Khazanah already. Maybe Khazanah should send a rejection letter into my face)
Anyway... Enough of disappointment, let's move on to some action movies =)
Your star:
MARK WONG!!!! (boo!)
*sorry, clicked wrong button... Take two and... action!
Your star:
MARK WONG!!!! (applause!)
I woke up today at 9:00 and was immediately mortified... I HAD A PLANE TO CATCH AT 1:40!!!! (Big deal, but I had other things to do...)
I quickly packed my things and proceeded to check out from Tune Hotel. Then I took the monorail at Medan Tuanku to KL Sentral... (I had to go to Cheras and my friend who once lived there told me I could take an LRT from there)
Unfortunately, he was wrong... I had to take a cab to go to Cheras... to Institut Perguruan Ilmu Khas so that I could retrieve an important certificate of performance for His Majesty YDPA.
AND THE CAB LEFT ME AT THE WRONG PLACE!!!! Time was ticking, and it was already 11:00... Gritting my teeth I had to walk 1 km to the place, AND THE MUSIC BLOCK HAD TO BE THE FURTHEST FROM THE GATE!!! Oh well, no complains (yeah, right). I finally found the person who had my certificate and luckily he offered to send me to...
CHERAS LRT STATION...
11:10 I arrived at the LRT station.
11:15 still no sign of an LRT. Malaysia's Public Transportation sucks...
11:20 Finally, an LRT
11:24 Reached Hang Tuah station, changed to KTM Monorail
11:31 Finally, a train to KL Sentral
11:36 Arrived at KL Sentral KTM station. Ran all the way to KL Sentral Station... Unfortunately, LCCT Bus already gone bye bye... I'm in hot soup now...
12:00 LCCT Bus left station... Normally it takes one hour from KL Sentral to LCCT. Remember that my flight was on 1:40? AirAsia policy strictly requires you to check-in 45 minutes before departure. I even checked with the ground staff which was boarding the same bus as I was...
12:50 Arrived at LCCT airport... Rushed like a madman to the self check-in counter... FAILED!
12:53 Checked the screen for the check-in counter. RUSHED TO THE COUNTER ASAP
12:55 Managed to check-in on time (talk about craziness)
12:56 Went to check the screen, the counter changed its status to "CLOSED"
Talk about a close shave! However, I was toally famished as I did not even manage to eat a single thing throughout the whole morning... As I was queueing for MacD, announcement was made informing me that MY FLIGHT WAS GOING TO DEPART SOON... Sometimes, you really hate AirAsia for its delay... and then they start leaving early ...
Arrived home at 4:00, EXHAUSTED!!!! Interview again next week @@
You get shortlisted by Khazanah, applied for unpaid leave for 10 days, pay RM 2k to go to KL, go through all the hectic regime just to get informed that
"We don't sponsor candidates to Carnegie Mellon University"
Oh hell c'mon, why can't you say so earlier? Why say now when I am already at the third stage???
That's the D-U-H-est D-U-H I've ever got... Feel so bad now... Only Stanford is my last hope... Need to get that waitlist into an admission (I'm acting as if I got Khazanah already. Maybe Khazanah should send a rejection letter into my face)
Anyway... Enough of disappointment, let's move on to some action movies =)
Your star:
MARK WONG!!!! (boo!)
*sorry, clicked wrong button... Take two and... action!
Your star:
MARK WONG!!!! (applause!)
I woke up today at 9:00 and was immediately mortified... I HAD A PLANE TO CATCH AT 1:40!!!! (Big deal, but I had other things to do...)
I quickly packed my things and proceeded to check out from Tune Hotel. Then I took the monorail at Medan Tuanku to KL Sentral... (I had to go to Cheras and my friend who once lived there told me I could take an LRT from there)
Unfortunately, he was wrong... I had to take a cab to go to Cheras... to Institut Perguruan Ilmu Khas so that I could retrieve an important certificate of performance for His Majesty YDPA.
AND THE CAB LEFT ME AT THE WRONG PLACE!!!! Time was ticking, and it was already 11:00... Gritting my teeth I had to walk 1 km to the place, AND THE MUSIC BLOCK HAD TO BE THE FURTHEST FROM THE GATE!!! Oh well, no complains (yeah, right). I finally found the person who had my certificate and luckily he offered to send me to...
CHERAS LRT STATION...
11:10 I arrived at the LRT station.
11:15 still no sign of an LRT. Malaysia's Public Transportation sucks...
11:20 Finally, an LRT
11:24 Reached Hang Tuah station, changed to KTM Monorail
11:31 Finally, a train to KL Sentral
11:36 Arrived at KL Sentral KTM station. Ran all the way to KL Sentral Station... Unfortunately, LCCT Bus already gone bye bye... I'm in hot soup now...
12:00 LCCT Bus left station... Normally it takes one hour from KL Sentral to LCCT. Remember that my flight was on 1:40? AirAsia policy strictly requires you to check-in 45 minutes before departure. I even checked with the ground staff which was boarding the same bus as I was...
12:50 Arrived at LCCT airport... Rushed like a madman to the self check-in counter... FAILED!
12:53 Checked the screen for the check-in counter. RUSHED TO THE COUNTER ASAP
12:55 Managed to check-in on time (talk about craziness)
12:56 Went to check the screen, the counter changed its status to "CLOSED"
Talk about a close shave! However, I was toally famished as I did not even manage to eat a single thing throughout the whole morning... As I was queueing for MacD, announcement was made informing me that MY FLIGHT WAS GOING TO DEPART SOON... Sometimes, you really hate AirAsia for its delay... and then they start leaving early ...
Arrived home at 4:00, EXHAUSTED!!!! Interview again next week @@
Friday, May 8, 2009
Robotics
R eally, I had quite enough,
O f this Robotics Competition stuff,
B oasting and bragging fills up the club,
O ften you hear backstabbings rub'd,
T hrow that gal away! They say,
I don't want her, she's no good, nay!
C onscience of soul, none can I find,
S cience befouled, self comes to mind.
R ude and impertinent, your action says all,
O verly confident, pride comes before a fall,
B ombastic and grandiloquent, humility's an alien,
O vertly intransigent, toleration's not craven,
T erribly, horribly, vegetably self-centered,
I ncredibly, incredulously, incessantly ill-mannered,
C ondescending to all, we're just second class,
S ometimes I really wished you all were last.
A congratulatory note to our Robotics Team (directed more to Upper form, Lower form guys are exceptionally unpolluted). Do think more of your character. Competition is one thing, personality is another. Unfortunately, the impression and atmosphere from the club is as though you are the "elite group". I'm especially disappointed with the way insults are hurtled and how people are termed "useless". Then comes the part where "they could have won if blah blah blah", "we could have won if bleh bleh bleh", "Kick that person away because s/he does nothing". And the way people talk is as if everything is attributed to him/her...(they know who they are)...What do SMK Bintulu people think about the Robotics Club?
P.S. If they were more humble, I would be very happy for their victory. As such, they aren't...
O f this Robotics Competition stuff,
B oasting and bragging fills up the club,
O ften you hear backstabbings rub'd,
T hrow that gal away! They say,
I don't want her, she's no good, nay!
C onscience of soul, none can I find,
S cience befouled, self comes to mind.
R ude and impertinent, your action says all,
O verly confident, pride comes before a fall,
B ombastic and grandiloquent, humility's an alien,
O vertly intransigent, toleration's not craven,
T erribly, horribly, vegetably self-centered,
I ncredibly, incredulously, incessantly ill-mannered,
C ondescending to all, we're just second class,
S ometimes I really wished you all were last.
A congratulatory note to our Robotics Team (directed more to Upper form, Lower form guys are exceptionally unpolluted). Do think more of your character. Competition is one thing, personality is another. Unfortunately, the impression and atmosphere from the club is as though you are the "elite group". I'm especially disappointed with the way insults are hurtled and how people are termed "useless". Then comes the part where "they could have won if blah blah blah", "we could have won if bleh bleh bleh", "Kick that person away because s/he does nothing". And the way people talk is as if everything is attributed to him/her...(they know who they are)...What do SMK Bintulu people think about the Robotics Club?
P.S. If they were more humble, I would be very happy for their victory. As such, they aren't...
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Ruy Lopez - Closed
For the Morphy's Defence - Closed Ruy Lopez
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bb5 a6
4. Ba4 Nf6
5. 0-0 Be7
Now Black is threatening to play 6. ... Nxe4 (remember that 5. ... Nxe4 does not work due to the pin of Re1? Well, now it works since Be7 blocks the pin. Therefore White has to do something about his e4 pawn, and f3 is just weakening the dark squares around White's King. Therefore, the move played is:
6. Re1 b5
This move is played to chase back the Bishop. If instead 6. ... 0-0?! Then 7. Bxc6! dxc6 8.Nxe5 nets a pawn for White.
7. Bb3 0-0
This move order let's Black maintain options between playing the Breyer, Chigorin or the Marshall Attack
8. c3
This move is played for a few reasons:
(i) The Bishop on b3 maybe attacked by a future ... Na5 and thus needs to be preserved
(ii) c3 supports a later d4 advance to stake the centre
(iii) The pawn on e4 maybe attacked in the near future via ... Bb7 (fianchettoing the Bishop on the long diagonal and enveiling a threat on e4). Therefore, it is important for White to be able to play Bc2 to defend the pawn.
(iv) Bc2 takes a hidden aim on h7 and hides some ideas of mating threats and tactics AND also the Greek's gift
Up till now play has developed without a single exchange! (Normal in GM games and also high level chess to avoid drawishness). From here on we have some main branches of play:
8. ... d6 (also can be reached via transposition of 7. ...d6 8. h3 0-0)
8. ... d5!? (The Marshall Attack, giving up a pawn for a strong initiative and ferocious attack. Note that White's Queenside Bishop, Knight and Rook are still on their original squares...)
8. ... d6
9. h3 (D)
This is the only reasonable move. By denying the Bishop the g4 square White prepares to launch d4. If however, 9. d4? Bg4! (Bogoljubow Variation, -/+) And White finds himself in a deadly pin. 10. h3 Bh5 11. g4? Nxg4! 12. hxg4 Bxg4 and White has too much compensation for the sacrificed piece and a dangerous attack. The pin is still there, meaning black can regain his sacrificed piece with interest...
After 9. h3 we branch into some mainline defence:
9. ... Nb8
9. ... Na5
9. ... Bb7
9. ... Nb8 is the Breyer Defence
I will explain the ideas in a different post
9. ... Na5 is the Chigorin Defence which continues
10. Bc2 c5
11. d4 Qc7
9. ... Bb7 is the Zaitsev variation
And thus ends our lesson for now
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
This is taken from my post in my school's website http://forum.smkbintulu.net
Well, now's the time to learn some openings. In international chess we normally follow some general principles. These are thus:
(i) Control the center
(ii) Knights before bishops
(iii) Castle early
(iv) Do not move a piece more than once in the opening
(v) Do not move your queen early
Of course, if the opponent violates the opening principles, you should also punish him/her. Sometimes this may involve violating the principles yourself...
Today we'll be learning an opening called Ruy Lopez or also the Spanish Opening/Spanish Torture
The Ruy Lopez occurs after the following positions:
1. e4 e5
2. Nf6 Nc3
3. Bb5
The Ruy Lopez is a very positional yet potentially tactical opening. By moving the Bishop to b5, the Bishop attacks the sole defender of e5. From here on, we have three main continuations:
3. ... a6
3. ... Nf6
3. ... d6
... a6 is Morphy's defence
... Nf6 is Berlin's defence
... d6 is Steinitz defence
Of course, after 3. ... a6, White cannot win the pawn on e5 as demonstrated below:
4. Bxc6 dxc6!?
5. Nxe5?! Qe7! skewering the Knight and pawn (or 5. ...Qd4 forking)
6. Nf3 Qxe4+
7. Qe2 Qxe2+
8. Kxe2 -/+ due to Black's Bishop pair
Therefore the only logical move would be 4. Ba4 (The moving of the Bishop twice in the opening is in response to Black's weakening of the Queenside and is thus justified)
4. Ba4 Nf6
5. 0-0!?
Black cannot hold onto the pawn in the long run and faces serious attacking chances from White... eg
5. ... Nxe4?!
6. d4! exd4?
7. Re1! pinning the Knight to the King
Note that 6. ... Nf6 then 7. dxe5 regains material
I will post the others in a later entry =P Got complained of overdosage >_<
Well, now's the time to learn some openings. In international chess we normally follow some general principles. These are thus:
(i) Control the center
(ii) Knights before bishops
(iii) Castle early
(iv) Do not move a piece more than once in the opening
(v) Do not move your queen early
Of course, if the opponent violates the opening principles, you should also punish him/her. Sometimes this may involve violating the principles yourself...
Today we'll be learning an opening called Ruy Lopez or also the Spanish Opening/Spanish Torture
The Ruy Lopez occurs after the following positions:
1. e4 e5
2. Nf6 Nc3
3. Bb5
The Ruy Lopez is a very positional yet potentially tactical opening. By moving the Bishop to b5, the Bishop attacks the sole defender of e5. From here on, we have three main continuations:
3. ... a6
3. ... Nf6
3. ... d6
... a6 is Morphy's defence
... Nf6 is Berlin's defence
... d6 is Steinitz defence
Of course, after 3. ... a6, White cannot win the pawn on e5 as demonstrated below:
4. Bxc6 dxc6!?
5. Nxe5?! Qe7! skewering the Knight and pawn (or 5. ...Qd4 forking)
6. Nf3 Qxe4+
7. Qe2 Qxe2+
8. Kxe2 -/+ due to Black's Bishop pair
Therefore the only logical move would be 4. Ba4 (The moving of the Bishop twice in the opening is in response to Black's weakening of the Queenside and is thus justified)
4. Ba4 Nf6
5. 0-0!?
Black cannot hold onto the pawn in the long run and faces serious attacking chances from White... eg
5. ... Nxe4?!
6. d4! exd4?
7. Re1! pinning the Knight to the King
Note that 6. ... Nf6 then 7. dxe5 regains material
I will post the others in a later entry =P Got complained of overdosage >_<
Friday, May 1, 2009
Sejarah
So long I did not post an entry, and so I decided I should finally pen down some of my feelings =)
This is more on 30th April's happenings haha.
As you all know (or some of you may not, whatever. An example of a useless sentence you should avoid when writing an essay...), I work as a Sejarah and PJK teacher in SMK Bintulu (for now hehe). Recently, I have earned the title "Cikgu Gila" from 4S7 and 4S1 students. From the information I gathered from my colleagues, I found out that they were horrified with my presence in class... another period of agony and torture. I mean, who would like sejarah? XD
NOBODY
Well, that's exactly the problem which I faced when I first took over the class. More than half of 4S7's students had beatiful red colours for their papers and needless to say, 4S1 was quite hopeless. According to the students, the teacher never taught them in class AND they never brought their textbooks and/or used them (quite different from our generation). They just copied notes on the blackboard day in day out and when it comes to answering questions, half of them didn't even know what to write -.-
All of that was to change the moment I got my hands on the classes
MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA
First rule: Those who don't bring Sejarah textbook will have a punishment of 20+5(n-1) times of push-ups, where n = the nth time violating the stated rule.
Second rule: Study Sejarah everyday because I may spring a surprise quiz anytime anywhere.
Third rule: Do not do something you would regret... I am known for my sarcasm and sharp words :)
Fourth rule: Topical test EVERY Thursday. 2 structure and 2 essay.
Fifth rule: Those who fail the topical test will be punished by (40-n) times, where n = exams marks and n <40
Sixth rule: Passing mark for 4S7 is 60, for 4S1 is 40
Seventh rule: All Sejarah textbooks are to be put on the teacher's table prior to examinations. Sitting arrangements will be reshifted to avoid "accidental stray sideway glances"
Eight rule: I will almost go in any single sit-in period available for me to continue teaching the syllabus and/or giving surprise quiz.
Ninth rule: If anyone forgot the name(s) of important historical figure(s), I will change his/her name into that person's name so that s/he will NEVER FORGET IT. Right now we have Nandiswara Wong Soon Fook, Amir Koh, Zaid Goh and Alaq.
Want me to teach your class Sejarah? Maybe you should think again =) But my stringent regiment does have its merits. From the mediocre 2 passes I got from the first topical test from each class, I now have 14 passes from 4S1 =)
And there's even a 98 scorer from 4S7 by the name of Kong Chan Hum
I feel so happy that they are finally starting to study Sejarah... I must admit, I love teaching this subject... And I never really hated it haha... (weird guy -.-)
History is important as it gives you a free A1 lolz... Good luck to everyone sitting for Sejarah SPM...
This is more on 30th April's happenings haha.
As you all know (or some of you may not, whatever. An example of a useless sentence you should avoid when writing an essay...), I work as a Sejarah and PJK teacher in SMK Bintulu (for now hehe). Recently, I have earned the title "Cikgu Gila" from 4S7 and 4S1 students. From the information I gathered from my colleagues, I found out that they were horrified with my presence in class... another period of agony and torture. I mean, who would like sejarah? XD
NOBODY
Well, that's exactly the problem which I faced when I first took over the class. More than half of 4S7's students had beatiful red colours for their papers and needless to say, 4S1 was quite hopeless. According to the students, the teacher never taught them in class AND they never brought their textbooks and/or used them (quite different from our generation). They just copied notes on the blackboard day in day out and when it comes to answering questions, half of them didn't even know what to write -.-
All of that was to change the moment I got my hands on the classes
MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA
First rule: Those who don't bring Sejarah textbook will have a punishment of 20+5(n-1) times of push-ups, where n = the nth time violating the stated rule.
Second rule: Study Sejarah everyday because I may spring a surprise quiz anytime anywhere.
Third rule: Do not do something you would regret... I am known for my sarcasm and sharp words :)
Fourth rule: Topical test EVERY Thursday. 2 structure and 2 essay.
Fifth rule: Those who fail the topical test will be punished by (40-n) times, where n = exams marks and n <40
Sixth rule: Passing mark for 4S7 is 60, for 4S1 is 40
Seventh rule: All Sejarah textbooks are to be put on the teacher's table prior to examinations. Sitting arrangements will be reshifted to avoid "accidental stray sideway glances"
Eight rule: I will almost go in any single sit-in period available for me to continue teaching the syllabus and/or giving surprise quiz.
Ninth rule: If anyone forgot the name(s) of important historical figure(s), I will change his/her name into that person's name so that s/he will NEVER FORGET IT. Right now we have Nandiswara Wong Soon Fook, Amir Koh, Zaid Goh and Alaq.
Want me to teach your class Sejarah? Maybe you should think again =) But my stringent regiment does have its merits. From the mediocre 2 passes I got from the first topical test from each class, I now have 14 passes from 4S1 =)
And there's even a 98 scorer from 4S7 by the name of Kong Chan Hum
I feel so happy that they are finally starting to study Sejarah... I must admit, I love teaching this subject... And I never really hated it haha... (weird guy -.-)
History is important as it gives you a free A1 lolz... Good luck to everyone sitting for Sejarah SPM...
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
One Day More
To the tune of Les Miserables' One Day More (please google it on youtube to fully appreciate this blog)
Mark:
One day more, another day another destiny,
This never ending road to victory,
These friends who love to sing and rhyme,
Would surely win a second time,
One day more...
Benjamin:
I did not believe until today,
How can I live when we are parted...
Benjamin and his voice:
Tomorrow you'll be worlds away!!!
And yet with you, my song has started.
Lee Yi Fang:
One more day he's on his own.
Benjamin and his voice:
Will we ever meet again?
Lee Yi Fang:
One more day with me not caring.
Benjamin and his voice:
I was born to be with you!
Lee Yi Fang:
What a life I might have known.
Benjamin and his voice:
And I swear I will be true.
Lee Yi Fang:
But those boys cant leave me there...
Samuel Tiong:
One more day till we perform.
Benjamin:
Do I follow where she goes?
Samuel Tiong:
At the stages to our stardom.
Benjamin:
Shall I join my brothers there?
Samuel Tiong:
When our ranks begin to form.
Benjamin:
Do I stay and do I dare?
Samuel Tiong:
Will you take your place with me.
All:
The time is now, The day is HERE!!!
Mark:
One day more!
Joshua Ong:
One more day to competition we will nip it in the bud
I will join these little schoolboys, they will win their foes like fart (LOL)
Grace + Derrick:
Watch them run their queen, catch it with a pin,
Never know your luck when you can win the KING,
Here a little fork, there a little luck,
Most of them are goners so they won't miss much.
All:
One day to a new beginning
Raise the flag of stardom high
Every man will be a king
Every man will be a king
There's a new world for the winning
There's a new world to be won
Do you hear the people sing?
Benjamin:
My place is here, I sing with you...
Mark:
One day more!
Benjamin and his voice:
I did not believe until today
Lee Yi Fang:
One more day all on his own.
Benjamin and his voice:
How can I live when we are parted?
Mark:
One day more!
Benjamin and his voice:
Tomorrow you'll be worlds away.
Lee Yi Fang:
What a life I might have known.
Benjamin and his voice:
And yet with you my world has started.
Joshua Ong: (Overlapping)
I will join these people's heroes I will follow where they go
I will learn their vict'ry secrets I will know the things they know.
One more day to competition we will nip it in the bud,
I will join these little schoolboys.
Grace + Derrick: (Overlapping)
Watch them run their queen, catch it with a pin,
Never know your luck when you can win the KING,
Here a little fork, there a little luck...
Mark:
Tomorrow we'll be on our way, tomorrow is the judgment day
All:
Tomorrow we'll discover what our God in heaven has in store.
One more dawn,
One more day,
ONE
DAY
MORE!
(all modifications are meant for lolness with no harmful intention to any party. Please continue to support SMK Bintulu Choir Club!)
Disclaimer: One Day More is not, in whatsoever form, a property of SMK Bintulu Choir Club. We want to thank the composer and lyricist for such a powerful and meaningful piece to add to our limited repertoire.
Mark:
One day more, another day another destiny,
This never ending road to victory,
These friends who love to sing and rhyme,
Would surely win a second time,
One day more...
Benjamin:
I did not believe until today,
How can I live when we are parted...
Benjamin and his voice:
Tomorrow you'll be worlds away!!!
And yet with you, my song has started.
Lee Yi Fang:
One more day he's on his own.
Benjamin and his voice:
Will we ever meet again?
Lee Yi Fang:
One more day with me not caring.
Benjamin and his voice:
I was born to be with you!
Lee Yi Fang:
What a life I might have known.
Benjamin and his voice:
And I swear I will be true.
Lee Yi Fang:
But those boys cant leave me there...
Samuel Tiong:
One more day till we perform.
Benjamin:
Do I follow where she goes?
Samuel Tiong:
At the stages to our stardom.
Benjamin:
Shall I join my brothers there?
Samuel Tiong:
When our ranks begin to form.
Benjamin:
Do I stay and do I dare?
Samuel Tiong:
Will you take your place with me.
All:
The time is now, The day is HERE!!!
Mark:
One day more!
Joshua Ong:
One more day to competition we will nip it in the bud
I will join these little schoolboys, they will win their foes like fart (LOL)
Grace + Derrick:
Watch them run their queen, catch it with a pin,
Never know your luck when you can win the KING,
Here a little fork, there a little luck,
Most of them are goners so they won't miss much.
All:
One day to a new beginning
Raise the flag of stardom high
Every man will be a king
Every man will be a king
There's a new world for the winning
There's a new world to be won
Do you hear the people sing?
Benjamin:
My place is here, I sing with you...
Mark:
One day more!
Benjamin and his voice:
I did not believe until today
Lee Yi Fang:
One more day all on his own.
Benjamin and his voice:
How can I live when we are parted?
Mark:
One day more!
Benjamin and his voice:
Tomorrow you'll be worlds away.
Lee Yi Fang:
What a life I might have known.
Benjamin and his voice:
And yet with you my world has started.
Joshua Ong: (Overlapping)
I will join these people's heroes I will follow where they go
I will learn their vict'ry secrets I will know the things they know.
One more day to competition we will nip it in the bud,
I will join these little schoolboys.
Grace + Derrick: (Overlapping)
Watch them run their queen, catch it with a pin,
Never know your luck when you can win the KING,
Here a little fork, there a little luck...
Mark:
Tomorrow we'll be on our way, tomorrow is the judgment day
All:
Tomorrow we'll discover what our God in heaven has in store.
One more dawn,
One more day,
ONE
DAY
MORE!
(all modifications are meant for lolness with no harmful intention to any party. Please continue to support SMK Bintulu Choir Club!)
Disclaimer: One Day More is not, in whatsoever form, a property of SMK Bintulu Choir Club. We want to thank the composer and lyricist for such a powerful and meaningful piece to add to our limited repertoire.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Streamyx
(to the tune of Harry Potter's Double Trouble)
X tremely slow and unreliable
Y ou never know when it's unusable
M any times the line's unstable
A nd you hate that lousy cable!
E very month you pay but how come
R eally slower than a snail it becomes!
T ell me what's the problem TELEKOM!!!
S OMETHING LOUSY this way comes!
P.S. Read the first letters revers XD
X tremely slow and unreliable
Y ou never know when it's unusable
M any times the line's unstable
A nd you hate that lousy cable!
E very month you pay but how come
R eally slower than a snail it becomes!
T ell me what's the problem TELEKOM!!!
S OMETHING LOUSY this way comes!
P.S. Read the first letters revers XD
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
SUMO
I read an interesting article from SUMO written by Paul McGee today...
Sometimes in life we just have to Shut Up and Move On! (SUMO). Here's the humorous excerpt (no, not your bone!)
The most unfair thing about life is the way it ends...
I mean, life is tough. It takes up a lot of your time and what do you get at the end of it? Death.
I mean, what's that, a bonus? I think the life cycle is all backwards. You should die first, get it out of the way. Then you move to an old people's home. you get kicked out whe you're too young, you get a gold watch and then you go to work. You work fro forty years until you're young enough to enjoy your retirement. You have fun, party plenty, then you get ready for senior school. Then you go to junior school, you become a kid, you play and you have no responsibilities. You become a little baby, you go back into the womb, spend your last nine months floating... and you finish off as an orgasm
lol -.- Some food for thought for ya
Sometimes in life we just have to Shut Up and Move On! (SUMO). Here's the humorous excerpt (no, not your bone!)
The most unfair thing about life is the way it ends...
I mean, life is tough. It takes up a lot of your time and what do you get at the end of it? Death.
I mean, what's that, a bonus? I think the life cycle is all backwards. You should die first, get it out of the way. Then you move to an old people's home. you get kicked out whe you're too young, you get a gold watch and then you go to work. You work fro forty years until you're young enough to enjoy your retirement. You have fun, party plenty, then you get ready for senior school. Then you go to junior school, you become a kid, you play and you have no responsibilities. You become a little baby, you go back into the womb, spend your last nine months floating... and you finish off as an orgasm
lol -.- Some food for thought for ya
Friday, April 3, 2009
Humility
H umility is something I am lacking
U nless I learn this thing
M y future's but nothing
I know it's no use just realizing
L ess only just sit and talking
I 'll only learn by changing
T o stop self-praising
Y es, no more self-gratifying
U nless I learn this thing
M y future's but nothing
I know it's no use just realizing
L ess only just sit and talking
I 'll only learn by changing
T o stop self-praising
Y es, no more self-gratifying
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
University applications
I told myself I will NOT be tempted to switch on the computer, but somehow the bedbugs were on strike and decided they wanted to have something else besides bedsheets to chew on. A sleepless night soon passed by and I was fidgeting every few minutes.
Probably I did get some winks but it was soon 4 o'clock in the morning and that was when the restlessness really kicked in. Where was my blanket? *toss* Where is the pillow? *scratch* Oh my aircon is switched off! A bit stuffy, better switch it on again! *fiddles for the remote* Oops, gotta go to the loo! *walks to the toilet and goes back to bed* It's so itchy! *scratch again*
Amazingly, it was suddenly 5 a.m. I told myself I will NOT BE TEMPTED TO SWITCH ON THE COMPUTER!!! Unfortunately, mere mortals can't possibly resist their inquisitive character. So it was on with the system unit and soon I was browsing Mozilla Firefox...
For Porn... yea right -.-
FOR ADMISSIONS DECISIONS! Will Cornell decide I was suitable? Being a Brunonian is equally exciting...
And then it came: Harvard: REJECTED!
Oh well, I expected that as I did not even get an interview. (still my cheerful self)
The second blow came harder than expected:
Cornell: REJECTED!
But why??? I thought I did well for the essay? Cornell was, in my opinion one of the more reachable Ivies, but I guess that's apparently not.
In the midst of my frustration I suddenly forgot my Brown and Princeton password. Totally disconcerted from the two application results, I went to school with a glum face. Reminding myself everything is in God's hands, I tried my best to break the news to my teachers who helped me with the apps: all their efforts were for naught.
But better news was in store. Using my colleague's computer, I finally managed to access CMU's admissions page. At first I didn't notice anything different than the other times (which mounted to a hundred) when I went to the "Where am I in the process?" page. Then two "accepted" words suddenly caught my attention - I WAS ADMITTED INTO CARNEGIE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND MELLON COLLEGE OF SCIENCE!
Just then another email came in from Stanford University. Filled with euphoria over my FIRST EVERY ADMISSION FROM US, I decided that some can be spent on rejection letters =)
To my surprise I was waitlisted for the university I spent the least time on my university apps (does it imply something?) [I thought the prospect was bleak so I just applied for fun]
Those news were probably enough for me to survive my last two rejections: Princeton and Brown. Looking back, I only got admitted into CMU out of my 7 universities I applied. Am I disappointed? Of course! But I am also thankful for the admission AND the waitlist.
Ironically, I prayed to God during my applications. I told him that whichever you give me means you want me there, pursuing that degree. God does a great job relieving my burden to choose =D So I guess CMU it is! Look out, here comes Tartan Mark Wong!
Probably I did get some winks but it was soon 4 o'clock in the morning and that was when the restlessness really kicked in. Where was my blanket? *toss* Where is the pillow? *scratch* Oh my aircon is switched off! A bit stuffy, better switch it on again! *fiddles for the remote* Oops, gotta go to the loo! *walks to the toilet and goes back to bed* It's so itchy! *scratch again*
Amazingly, it was suddenly 5 a.m. I told myself I will NOT BE TEMPTED TO SWITCH ON THE COMPUTER!!! Unfortunately, mere mortals can't possibly resist their inquisitive character. So it was on with the system unit and soon I was browsing Mozilla Firefox...
For Porn... yea right -.-
FOR ADMISSIONS DECISIONS! Will Cornell decide I was suitable? Being a Brunonian is equally exciting...
And then it came: Harvard: REJECTED!
Oh well, I expected that as I did not even get an interview. (still my cheerful self)
The second blow came harder than expected:
Cornell: REJECTED!
But why??? I thought I did well for the essay? Cornell was, in my opinion one of the more reachable Ivies, but I guess that's apparently not.
In the midst of my frustration I suddenly forgot my Brown and Princeton password. Totally disconcerted from the two application results, I went to school with a glum face. Reminding myself everything is in God's hands, I tried my best to break the news to my teachers who helped me with the apps: all their efforts were for naught.
But better news was in store. Using my colleague's computer, I finally managed to access CMU's admissions page. At first I didn't notice anything different than the other times (which mounted to a hundred) when I went to the "Where am I in the process?" page. Then two "accepted" words suddenly caught my attention - I WAS ADMITTED INTO CARNEGIE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND MELLON COLLEGE OF SCIENCE!
Just then another email came in from Stanford University. Filled with euphoria over my FIRST EVERY ADMISSION FROM US, I decided that some can be spent on rejection letters =)
To my surprise I was waitlisted for the university I spent the least time on my university apps (does it imply something?) [I thought the prospect was bleak so I just applied for fun]
Those news were probably enough for me to survive my last two rejections: Princeton and Brown. Looking back, I only got admitted into CMU out of my 7 universities I applied. Am I disappointed? Of course! But I am also thankful for the admission AND the waitlist.
Ironically, I prayed to God during my applications. I told him that whichever you give me means you want me there, pursuing that degree. God does a great job relieving my burden to choose =D So I guess CMU it is! Look out, here comes Tartan Mark Wong!
Monday, March 30, 2009
One Day More
Only one day more
Nearer to the destiny in store
Leaving the crossroad before
Yearning to see and to explore
God what're your plans for me?
O Holy Spirit what do you foresee?
Darkness and despair or happiness so free?
Know not what tomorrow holds
Need not what tomorrow brings
Only God is my refuge and stronghold
What else do I seek? What things?
Better a poor godly beggar
Empty in wordly possesion
Satan would love a gold lover
Then you'll be doomed of salvation
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)
Nearer to the destiny in store
Leaving the crossroad before
Yearning to see and to explore
God what're your plans for me?
O Holy Spirit what do you foresee?
Darkness and despair or happiness so free?
Know not what tomorrow holds
Need not what tomorrow brings
Only God is my refuge and stronghold
What else do I seek? What things?
Better a poor godly beggar
Empty in wordly possesion
Satan would love a gold lover
Then you'll be doomed of salvation
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)
Monday, March 16, 2009
Disappointments
You thought getting 2310 in SAT 1 was a good result,
You thought getting 2400 in SAT 2 was excellent,
You thought getting 5As and MUET band 6 were perfect,
Unfortunately, you're wrong...
MIT still doesn't want you (for two years in a row). You're stucked at a hanging thread uncertain of where you are heading towards in the future. Having no mood to apply for NTU and NUS, you wiggle through www.recom.org, only to find even more exciting news which do not have you as the main character. You wished you could rejoice with their achievements but envy and jealousy tries to poison your mind.
You shake away thoughts of "God, that's unfair" and "Why not me?" but somehow it gets the better of you. Sinking deeper and deeper in the depths of despair, you found yourself gasping for breath. You were trapped. It was all over.
Until God told you that He was still in charge of everything. You finally resorted not to believe in what you thought was best. His was the perfect plan, and the main obstacle blocking your view is that superbly magnified ego of yours...Spiritual diagnosis says that you better fast on self-gratification if you want to remain a healthy person.
I guess I will just have to see what God wants on 1st of April. Thy will be done.
You thought getting 2400 in SAT 2 was excellent,
You thought getting 5As and MUET band 6 were perfect,
Unfortunately, you're wrong...
MIT still doesn't want you (for two years in a row). You're stucked at a hanging thread uncertain of where you are heading towards in the future. Having no mood to apply for NTU and NUS, you wiggle through www.recom.org, only to find even more exciting news which do not have you as the main character. You wished you could rejoice with their achievements but envy and jealousy tries to poison your mind.
You shake away thoughts of "God, that's unfair" and "Why not me?" but somehow it gets the better of you. Sinking deeper and deeper in the depths of despair, you found yourself gasping for breath. You were trapped. It was all over.
Until God told you that He was still in charge of everything. You finally resorted not to believe in what you thought was best. His was the perfect plan, and the main obstacle blocking your view is that superbly magnified ego of yours...Spiritual diagnosis says that you better fast on self-gratification if you want to remain a healthy person.
I guess I will just have to see what God wants on 1st of April. Thy will be done.
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