Yet another post on college/uni pressure...

Well people, finally as we approach our final few weeks of the finale of this semester, agree with me that many of us are finally all feeling the PRESSURE of COLLEGE/UNI - final projects, final examinations, final submission, final everything -, and like the cycle of every college/uni semester it is at this final point of stage that demands the most out of an individual.


============================================================
Courtesy of my ex-uni friend in LUCT, L.M.Jean, a degree architecture science student, who thinks the school of architecture is killing them softly and silently, writes on her experience:


If you are architecture students you've probably experienced:

• the taste of wood glue
• changes in your vocabulary: homework to assignment, ball to sphere, pass up to submit, teacher to lecturers, etc.
• you don't understand how somebody can spend less than RM20 at the supplies store
• you hate people telling you "go to sleep" or "do you still have a lot of work"
• your friends and you don't have the same concept of work "Oh well, do it right before class"
• you've slept more than 20 straight hours on weekends
• you can easily discuss with authority the effects of caffeine on different drinks
• no matter the effort you put in a project, someone will always say: "Why don't you add this?" or " Why don't you change this here?" or "I think that... but... yeah, it's alright..."
• you've heard all your ipod songs/ library of mp3s in a week
• you aren't seen in public without bags under your eyes
• whenever you get invited somewhere, it is followed by: "...or do you have a lot of assignments?"
• you'll dance YMCA with a choreography without a drop of alcohol in your system
• you are able to write down a quick message with rapidographs, lead holders, markers and ink
• you constantly make up excuses for courses that are not design based like why you didn't do your work
• you have more pictures of landscapes and places than of people
• your worst nightmare consists of, but are not limited to, an uncompleted project
• someone once called you "lazy" and you wanted them slaughtered
• you can live without human contact, sunlight, food, etc, but if your potter/printer's ink runs out... disaster!!!
• when anyone lends you a Bic pen, you look down at it
• you care not about sports cars, you favorite car is the one where you can out in your giant-sized model, and your huge computer
• you design wondrous and spectacular things without considering costs
• you have the modern mark: a blister in the palm of your hands for constantly using your mouse
• everyone tells you how they admire your design and work and yet there is no money for it.
• you've gained the ability to sleep in any surface: pencils, keyboards, backpacks, solid-hard ground, your course mates, food, etc.
• you always somehow have the idea that your project will always be recognized and accepted
• when you finally have the time to go out you keep thinking: "Who was the idiot that designed the restaurant's bathroom?" "What is the concept to this food menu?" "Who bloody designed this ___? [table, chair, lighting, fork, etc.]
• you've been at many sunrises, yet you've never seen one
• you need to read all the above in a online community group, or some architecture student's blog to realize how weird your life is
• Eh.....
  

ps: I believe some of the above applies to many of you
============================================================

============================================================

One issue though in a design college, especially in LUCT, every student will, against their own will, go through the same crap - the comments the lecturers give you - it's like the Simon Cowell of design school, and when you do go through a critic session:
(Below are all testimonies of different students)

The lecturer said to me:
"Anyone got any matches... so I can burn this"

I was actually inking my drawings way back in first year and a studio professor came up to my desk, he stood there for about 3 minutes, trying to brush the lines off my page with his hand, and said to me:
"Too late, it's already in ink."

I showed my tutor my design, then he went:
"It looks like a rat."
He then proceeds to pen an outline of a rat around the drawing, complete with whiskers and tail:
"See?"


A lecturer has one look at this girl's model and tell her:
"It's so uninspiring. It's like a male orgasm, 2 seconds and it's over."


"Your architecture is very shallow...
your's like the Paris Hilton of architecture."


"I think something is missing in your project... Oh yeah! Architecture is missing."

ps: critic session - preliminary submission where lecturers or guest lecturers comment on your pin up boards, model, design, artwork, etc.
============================================================

Yeah... I know it hurts, but when you think about it, it's actually hilarious, and it really does happen to design students, especially architecture students. The lecturers are capable of shooting you from high above to the lowest of grounds. Some poor dude probably spent days drawing, and the crap he goes through. It's frightening...

It makes me wonder, how would I turn out if I remained an architecture student in LUCT? I still am in a design-based college (architecture is also design, building design). And like any other students, I do at times feel like letting go due to our inability to handle stress well.

SURVIVAL, according to Daryl of http://darylization.blogspot.com :
"The main purpose of college is to obtain education and whatever way the individual wishes to manipulate the education for, is up to the person.

College, is also a place where you meet all sorts of different people as well as learning how to work along well with them. Hence, you will be able to witness all the teamwork assignments flooding in.

However, I do not recall college as a place where, you find a group of people you fall in love with, or at least to make yourself think that way, and to stick with them no matter what the circumstances are. To lie, cheat, gossip, act, pretend, neglect or any other "method" to stay in the group.

Frankly speaking, when one enters the corporate world, it's not up to the person to Choose who she/he wants to work with, the employer does. That also means, even if you end up working with a bunch of seniors who push all the workload to you, you have to pull it through too.

Anyhow, to not divert to far away from the topic, the real key element in "surviving", is your mindset. What do wish to achieve in college?Evaluate critically and carefully on those goals, for whom you're doing it for?

Lose your focus and goals and you will find yourself succumbing to peer pressure, doing things that you find yourself dead shocked to only realize you forgot who you really are."

Well, I'm living by God's grace daily, praying for renewal of spirit and mind, so that I won't lose focus on what is truly important of His purpose in my life. Know, my friends, that there is more to a life than of assignments or even of this frightening concept called "our future".

Life is too short to not live, so why don't you take a step of faith and go wherever God leads? Even if it may seem like something stupid and out of your plans, but give it a try, it may lead someplace better.




============================================================
Sam 'Spike' Witwicky: [to Mikaela when she doesn't want to get back in Bumblebee] Fifty years from now, when you're looking back at your life, don't you want to be able to say you had the guts to get in the car?
============================================================

Best of luck.

Just a short post to wish all you guys having your exams all the best. Study hard and see you guys soon!

Flight of the Conchords

Composed of Bret Mckenzie and Jermaine Clement.
They bill themselves as "Formerly New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo".

FotC - 'Jenny'

FotC - 'Leggie Blonde'



Amazing style!!! Enjoy!!!

Overcoming procrastination

Don't get me wrong, positive procrastination is sometimes good. However, generally it is a bad habit.

Lately, I see myself trying to overcome procrastination. It seemed to work out fine so far by God's grace and by my supportive environment. Yet, I feel that I'm slowly swaying away from my focus, which eventually will lead to burnout. After which it will bring forth both physical and emotional stress. As the stress accumulates more and more in the long term, various illnesses might appear.

So therefore, procrastination is bad for health.

I pray for constant renewal of ourselves, and may God bless you.

When I was young...

Continuing the tale...

*flash back*

I was 5 or 6 years old....

...I was young and innocent then...now I am only innocent...

...I didn't know the meaning of embarrassment.

This is the tale of when I dropped the load, answered nature's call, did my business, call it what you may, in my pants. But most would just say : "I crapped in my pants..."

I was really shy then, even a simple thing of asking to go to the WC was tough for me. So, one day in class, I felt the urge, a strong urge, but I held in for as long as I can, till I can no more. Then it happened...

Strangely, it was only then I had the courage to ask to go to the WC. I tried to wash myself up as clean as I can. However, a teacher saw what happened and wanted to help, she stripped me half naked and saw my nuts/family jewels/[insert name for your little brother].

The day goes on with me being half naked on the lower end. Taking a peek on my nuts, my classmates made fun of me. Come to think of it, maybe they were thinking to themselves : "Too short... too small... sure cannot satisfy future wife..."

When it was time to go home, I walked through the main road to reach my old house in SS1 then. As if it wasn't enough for my classmates to make fun of me, I experience my very first indecent public exposure of my little brother.

The weird thing is, I went through the day as if I was wearing a pants. Yeah, those were the days when the word 'embarrass' wasn't in our vocabulary. Sigh...


...to be continued.

Flood

Who knew that Australia could flood too...Haizzzz Even more unbelievable, who knew an apartment on the 20th floor, so ******* high could also flood too. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

It was a Friday night, Aik Sern playing the role of a hot nerd(good looking nerd) carried books up to his apartment. He had just rejected his friends invitation to club, he decided that the best way to deal with the upcoming exams was a locked door and pile of books. He had to seriously increase his brain capacity if he was to even stand a chance at acing the exam.

A hot Italian restaurants and the company of 3 girls and one guy later Aik Sern sat contented in his chair rubbing his one-pac muscle. :D . btw first girl: Naomi, second girl: Ashley Third girl Aik Oui. A friend called, another invitation to club, unlike the first one this clubbing had a valid reason, a birthday celebration (one of the many celebrations which was gonna take place this week) In addition to the valid reason there was a reason of significant importance, this night's clubbing was compliments of the birthday girl, Drinks, entrance, alcohol...everything on the rich bitch. ^^ However steadfast Aik Sern still did not give in to the temptation but then she called on bonds of friendship, it was afterall her birthday party. Aik Sern went clubbing.

Half a bottle of Chivas regal later and after various acts of drunken stupidity, stumbling back to the apartment seemed like a good idea. Saying goodbye to a couple of Hot chicks and not-so-hot chicks and guys of course and then spending the time in the taxi discussing various girl problems with the birthday girl -she's lesbian so that gives us a common topic of discussion- Upon reaching home half drunk Aik Sern dragged his sorry ass up to his apartment. He USED THE TOILET and promptly fell asleep.

The morning was a beautiful morning, one of those days sent by god where although the sun was bright it wasn't that hot. To top off the great morning, Aik Sern woke up early, even after a hard night of partying. Alert and awake, he jumped out of bed ready to tackle various assignments, "splash" the sound of Aik Sern's feet hitting the floor...Floor...FLOOR WTFFF the whole bedroom was awash with water, at least 2 inches of water covered the floor, and all the books and files pushed onto the floor yesterdayyyyyyyyyy AAAAAAA

When the toilet flush button was pushed, it came up again, however the water kept running. There was no hole in the toilet floor (no BLOODY proper drainage system), the water ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran for 6 hrs. The toilet bowl was also blocked due to the "Environmentally friendly toilets" where the flush uses only a little bit of water, not sufficient enough to effectively flush everything down.

Carrying furniture and shriveling under the accusatory eyes if the building manager, a very depressed Aik Sern, with his whole day ruined and his assignment schedule ruined and his study areas awash with sewage.

Currently typing this article, while the carpet cleaners clean and the blowers dry the carpet, with furniture stacked around him.

What a wonderful night, what a great morning, what a FUCKED up day

The 6th of October

How I met ___. (In my P.O.V.)

Well, I am not entirely sure to the details on how we first met, it is all faint memories of the pass. I do, however, remember partially how it happened.

Cheng Sumin :

First met when we were in form 1 (year '01), we only got to know each other better when we were in form 2. At that time the number of recruits-turned-members of our batch were few, Sumin was among the active members of SL(Y)180 then. Since there were not many active and dedicated members of our batch then in year '01 and '02, getting to know her was fairly easy. She always turned up in every major event then, so naturally our friendship grew through the activities.

Lee Aik Oui :

First met when we were in form 1 (year '01), we only got to know each other better when we were in form 3. Very much like his brother, Oui was a recruit when he was form 1, but only turned member in form 3. Before that, I rarely saw him attending our regular weekly meetings in year '01. What made him active? I do not know really. If my memory serves me well, it was either Sumin or Sharon who pushed him to rejoin SL(Y)180.

Lee Aik Sern :

First met when we were in form 1 (year '01), we only got to know each other better when we were in form 3. Very much like his brother, Sern was a recruit when he was form1, but only turned member in form 3. Before that, I rarely saw him attending our regular weekly meetings in year '01. What made him active? I do not know really. If my memory serves me well, it was either Sumin or Sharon who pushed him to rejoin SL(Y)180.

Sharon Lam :

First met when we were in form 1 (year '01), we only got to know each other better when we were in form 2. At that time the number of recruits-turned-members of our batch were few, Sharon was among the active members of SL(Y)180 then. Since there were not many active and dedicated members of our batch then in year '01 and '02, getting to know her was fairly easy. Her participation in activities fluctuates often in year '01 and '02, but she began to be fully active in form 3.

Lim Wei Wen :
First met when we were in standard 6 (SRJK(C) Puay Chai, year '00), we got to know each other better in the same year itself. He was in class 6E while I was in class 6D. It was just another primary school day in year '00, before classes start, I went over to 6E to have chat with a friend, and that particular friend in which I do not remember introduced Wei Wen to me. Wei Wen was a member of our very own 73rd Petaling Scout Troop before he joined SL(Y)180 in year '03.

Winnie Chua :
First met when we were in form 4 (year '04), we got to know each other better in the same year itself. She was introduced to me through Sumin during SL(Y)180's orientation in year '04. Though she was a relatively late addition to our batch, a great addition nonetheless. She immediately made her presence felt through her outstanding skills in dancing and singing, therefore making friends with her was not at all hard.


So, there you have it.
And the rest, as they say, is history.

===============================================
Linguini: Thank you, by the way, for all the advice about cooking.
Colette: Thank you too.
Linguini: For... for what?
Colette: For taking it!
===============================================

McDonalds' Ramadan Buffet

Today, 'twas my first time trying out a McDonald buffet.

"Is there such thing?", this was the question asked by many of my friends when I told them about it.

Apparently, this is the 3rd year since it began, as according to Daryl Heng. Why didn't I know about it before?

The conditions of the buffet are:

• Happens only on Ramadan, hence the name Ramadan Buffet.
• Only selected outlets have such feature.
• RM25 per person, tax included.
• Starts 6:30pm, ends 8:30pm.
• The cheaper meals - unlimited takings.
• The more expensive meals - once only.
• Leftovers will be charged (or so they said).

What did I do:

• I went to McDonald, Mutiara Damansara, with Gary, Daryl and Calvin.
  
• There was hardly any parking, but found one in no time.
  
• The place was quite packed, but many overlooked the empty space at the back of play area.
• Gary, Daryl, and I simply spammed out orders.
  
• We ordered a total of 3 Fish Foldover, 2 Double Cheese Burger, 2 McChicken, 2 Fillet o'Fish, 2 fried chicken, 6 small packets of fries, 13 packets of chicken nuggets, 5 sundaes, 6 apple pies, 6 cups of coke, and anything else I may or may not remember.
• Couldn't finish all of them, so we forced Calvin to have some since he didn't get the buffet meal. But even with him we still couldn't finish.
• Afraid that we might be charged for leftovers, and since we can't just take it away, we threw the leftovers in a bin.
• Weird thing is that the place was guarded well enough, but they overlooked the back area. People tend to exploit the buffet.
• At the end, we couldn't finish about 1 and a half Fillet o'Fish, Half a McChicken, 3 packets worth of fries and some other small and minor stuff.

My comments:

• When it comes to buffet, I always have a policy that I must eat 3 times worth the original price. At the very least, 2 times worth. I felt like I only ate 1 1/2 times worth. Not sure about the others though.
  
• Somehow, I felt that McDonald having a buffet wasn't a wise idea for us consumers, even if you are a big-crazy-mega-huge eater. McDonald is on the winning side most of the time.
  
• In terms of buffet, fast food business can't compare to those of the genuine buffet style. Fast foods are meant to be eaten fast. With it's contents, they are able to make you full with one set meal. What more a buffet? Imagine the amount of calories consumed. I had trouble consuming my second burger after my first, especially when including other side dishes like fries and nuggets, desserts, and soft drinks.
• If I remember well, I ate 1 Fish Foldover, about 4 packets of nuggets, 1 fried chicken, half a McChicken, 1 apple pie, and 2 cups of coke. The others ate more than me.

My verdict:

• I don't recommend it.
• But if you wish to try it out at least once in your whole entire life, go ahead.
• However, bring some friends along, so that you can challenge each other on a eating contest

"Pala pa pa pa... I'm lovin' it..."

...well not really.

Sumin will be wearing braces...

...today.

Let us all be clapping our hands and support her all the way till the removal of the braces and may she get results like this: