memoirs of the secretaryman

losing it.

2007-06-16T11:04:00.000+08:00

One more exam to go. Gaah. Can't wait for it to be over. Starting to lose it. So bad that I'm procrastinating from my usual procrastination of going through the student network with blogging.

Chaser's War on Everything (Wednesdays, 9 pm on ABC) is such a funny show! Funniest show in all Australia!* I was watching some of the earlier episodes of season two on the network, and there was a parody on the "Lose yourself in Melbourne" advertisement.

This is the original Ad. Slightly pretentious little thing, but in a really (really) charming way. The girl in there is kinda hot too.

And click here for the parody. The Chaser boys in an Ad RoadTest segment (where they take an advertisement's premise and see how it plays out in real life. good stuff.)

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*Doesn't seem take a lot of effort to be the funniest show on Australian television. Everything else just seems bland. Or so I thought at first.

Then I discovered Wilfred (series about a girl, her boyrfriend and a talking dog who's really a man in dogsuit but only the boyfriend seems to notice this). Absurdist and funny as.

(as? as what? I saw this phrase in a JB Hi-fi catalouge :"cheap as." Just that. cheap as. period. is that an Australian thing? comparable with the filler "like" and "uhm". Or a shortened version of a phrase so common [cheap as chips?] that it need not be said in full? Or perhaps a sanitized spelling of ass, cheap ass! cheap ass? yes, please.)

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I hope by this time you've seen the two loopy videos. If not, please do so now.

Meanwhile, I spy a massive Bloomsday group outside my window. Its that James Joyce fandom thing celebrating his links with the Jesuits. Here I am trying to study and they're bloody singing and dancing.

Noisy as. Would love to see them get lost. Somewhere else.

selections of exemplary penmanship.

2007-05-18T02:07:00.000+08:00

Hey guys,

Here are answers to your colourful queries.

1) New Deadline for list of participants : 21st May
2) Hazeril's question : Yup.

Referring to the table provided in the Pre NCG Booklet, am I right to assume that the upper one is the first day (i.e. 1st July 2007) followed by the day after? Correct me if I'm wrong, on the night of 30th June '07 there'll be a lecture/seminar; 1st July night AGM of MASCA National to be called to order, and 2nd July will be the closing ceremony-cum-Malaysian Night ?

3) T shirt Colours : The spinning bottle has spoken.

Committee - Red

QLD - Green

SA - White

WA - Orange

TAS - Brown

ACT - Dark Grey

NSW - Light Blue

VIC - Dark Blue

4) Futsal
a) Futsal will not clash with netball. Same day, different time.
b) Futsal is 2 male teams and 1 female team (website was mistaken, woops.)
c) Futsal is 7 a side (7 players per side in court at one particular time)
d) Two leagues - Round robbin. Top two from each league will play in semis

5) Accomodation.
a) Late arrivals. Call the Quartermasters (Anthea : 0421392999; Umar : 0424377980) on the day. Prior to games, please indicate in spreadsheet so arrangements (meals etc) can be made.
b) There are no curfews (except for veleong. boo.), although self-restraint is advised when enjoying the Melbourne nightlife. Especially if you have a game the next day.
c) Room allocation will be done during registration, and done by state. Males and females are to be kept separate. Especially if you have a game the next day. heh.

6) The $180 cost. I am told (correct me if it was not so) that Sydney charged $190 and Canberra charged $160 (add $40 for Malaysia Night). Our $180 includes Malaysia Night, superb accomodation, unparralelled location and food you will call home about. For all these and more (we are in the world's most liveable City after all! [joint first with Vancouver]) we believe the price is more than reasonable. We applaud the state committees for their support and understanding. We also appreciate the concerns put forth, so we are currently working on the available options to cater to special cases. Await a reply latest by Monday.

7) Malaysian Night Venue is yet to be confirmed. Seating arrangements will be announced once we confirm your numbers. Tentatively it is free seating, but requests can be made during registration in Melbourne.

8) Only Malaysians are allowed to participate. And make sure they are students. We'll know.

9) Venues. Albert Park is not confirmed. But to answer your question, Luqzan, it would be quite a challenge to walk there. Due to the drought experienced by the 'garden' state of Victoria, rugby/soccer fields are hard to come by. Supposing the final venue is a considerable distance from the accomodations, we will be providing adequate transport for the players. Supporters may hop on the buses once all the players have been transported.

10) We have hired St. John's Ambulance to be available during contact sports. Transport will be provided to our many hospitals (Royal Melbourne Hospital, Royal Children's Hospital, Royal Women's Hospital, Royal Dental Hospital. Take your pick) which are all between two to five minutes away.

11) Hazeril's question : Exactly what we had in mind =)

I was made to understand that each state are to send two teams for Soccer and Futsal. As the whole championship runs on points basis, it is best that despite having two teams each, points will only be awarded based on the order of state-wise i.e. Let's say for Futsal, the champion is Victoria A, runner-up Victoria B, 2nd runner-up QLD, and third runner-up NSW; Points tally will be considered as VIC,QLD,NSW instead of VIC,VIC,QLD (Bear in mind that this doesn't affect medal presentation). This is to ensure a fair go for all visiting states which have to consider players availibility and selection disadvantages.

12) Masca Idol : One performance per state. Group or solo. You are welcome to perform interpretive dance, trapeze acts or even syair recitals, but we really (really) recommend songs. 7 minutes per group. Microphone(s), stage and speakers provided. Musical instruments are available on request, though it would be best if you provided your own (where possible).

13) All participants will receive certificates (but of course!)

14) Supporters. In the cost breakdown sent previously, you can see that we hardly charge for the games themselves. The $180 covers accomodation, welcome pack (shirt etc), food and Malaysia Night. Hence, supporters and players enjoy the same benefits at the same price. If money is still a problem, perhaps they could just come on their own and cheer the team. We don't charge admission. =)

15) Netball - 10 per team (7 + 3 subs)

16) The cost ($180) covers 2nd of July Night Stay and 3rd July breakfast. Checkout time for the 3rd of July is 12 pm (no lunch).

I guess that's it for now. We look forward to receiving your namelist by Monday the 21st.

Feel free to ask more questions if you feel the itch.

Sincerely,
Hazwan Razak
NCG 07
MascaVictoria
www.mascavictoria.com

ma description (honnête) de l'egypte

2006-12-12T00:42:00.000+08:00

Its been two weeks to the day since I arrived in Cairo. And boy, do I have stories to tell. But we'll go over them bit by bit. As I type this, am looking over my back lest the egyptian secret police jump me from behind. Like this poor sap.

The basics (one) : Money and Living

The currency here is the Egyptian Pound; Guinea to his family and friends. The cents are piastres. In my whole two weeks here so far, i have only seen a piastres coin once. Its mostly in paper currency and they're usually so dirty and that they're definitely on my list of Things That Can Unceremoniously Kill You In Egypt (TTCUKYIE). Coincidentally I found a 5 piastres note (which is supposedly really rare) and I intend to bring it and all its middle kingdom germs back with me.

One Australian Dollar is equivalent to about 4.45 Guineas. One Ringgit is roughly 1.60 Guineas.

You could survive a day on one Fu'ul (beans) sandwich per meal, which would set you back 1.00 Piastres. Food is cheap like Malaysia, which is endearing to the heart and the tummy. For those craving a bit more, there's the Shawarma, Kofta or Kebab (basically meat sandwiches), which at 5.00 Guineas, is a real bargain.

The Big Mac index (you nerds) : 12.50 Guineas for a small value meal. But don't eat that pro-Zionist garbage (in front of your pious arabic teachers) if you know what's good for you. An anecdote I shall leave for later.

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This is later. The following is a patched recollection from my visits to various museums and memorials and they may bore you. You have been warned.

Anti-Israeli sentiments are moderately high in this region, despite Egypt's 1979 acknowledgement of Isreal's right to exist. These two nations have quite a thing going on with their wars. Click here to read more. The last war which was the Yom Kippur war or Ramadhan war began as Egypt attempted to regain the Mt Sinai - Suez area that was occupied by the Israeli forces. Asleep yet?

There's a big expensive tribute to this war called the 1978 war Panorama to commemorate the glorious might of Egypt's Military forces. The irony is that they didn't actually win in the end. Ooh, the minor details.

Mr Hosni Mubarak (Egypt's current president) was a general during this war, and came to power shortly after the then head of state (Sadat) was killed by a progressive element (ixnay on the erroristtay) during a parade. The reasons for his assasination : A fatwa on his head for betraying the Arab League's stance on Isreal (by acknowledging it).

What we can learn from this episode is :
a) Don't mess with Israel
b) You don't really have to read every single thing at Museums and Monuments. Its best to just go "ooh" and "aah" and move along. Especially in a country with 40 Centuries of History. I now know too much.
c) A Fatwa goes on the list of Things That Can Unceremoniously Kill You In Egypt (TTCUKYIE).
d) Being at the right place, at the right time and having your immediate superior die from the TTCUKYIE can be a catalyst to success.

ahlan wa sahlan!

2006-11-26T10:09:00.000+08:00

packing's a drag.

In a few hours, am heading off to Egypt for a month of Arabic classes. Packed with a guidebook, some cash and a travel buddy whose idea of immersing in the rich culture involves a bevy of cute egyptian locals (and a bathtub and handcuffs, but lets spare the details), I can't help but wonder how I got myself into this mess.

Aside from the arduous Visa application process, the flight ticket arrangements, the dealings with the language centre and a large helping of 'yeah-why-not?'-ism, this trip actually did just happen by itself. At least that's how I will remember it.

Here's to a trip filled with good pleasant memories. Good and pleasant being the operative words. I'll have none of that horrific, therapy needing aftermath (likely to happen if i ever ended up in a bathtub with handcuffs and a sexually repressed Izzy al-Hashimi) thank you very much.

Flight path : Melbourne - Dubai (a 4 hour wait) - Alexandria -(and by local land transportation [hoping this does not mean camels]) - Cairo.
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Micheal Blackman wrote a reply to the many supporters (and a handful of dissenters) to his article. It can be read here.

telling it like it is.

2006-11-18T22:35:00.000+08:00

I present here two articles that are worth a read :

1) While Malaysia Fiddles, its Oppurtunities are running dry. by Micheal Blackman from theage.
Blackman's assesment of the state of our nation hits straight to the point and presents arguments that are hard to deny. But alas! as a true red-blooded patriot, it is my duty to denounce this evil evil man for coming up with his unsubstantiated fantasies.

(On the Petronas Twin Towers) "Malaysians are very proud of these towers. Goodness knows why. They had little to do with them. The money for them came out of the ground and the engineering was contracted out to South Korean companies."

See what i told you. LIES! LIES! The foreign media has called in a hit on the nation's credibility. Its a global conspiracy as they are jealous of our numerous achievements. We are standing in the eyes of the world!

"Next year, a Malaysian astronaut will go into space aboard a Russian rocket — the first Malay in space. And the cost? $RM95 million ($A34.3 million), to be footed by Malaysian taxpayers. The Science and Technology Minister has said that a moon landing in 2020 is the next target, aboard a US flight. There's no indication of what the Americans will charge for this, assuming there's even a chance that they will consider it. But what is Malaysia getting by using the space programs of others as a taxi service? There are no obvious technical benefits, but no doubt Malaysians will be told once again, that they are "boleh". The trouble is, they're not. It's not their space program."

There's more where that came from. So if you know what's good for you, DON'T READ this well-written, insightful and often humourous article. DON'T be swayed by the stubborn things called facts. Have faith in the Government for they are rich, wise and knowledgable!

2) Bangsa Malaysia: From The Perspective Of Today's Youths by Widyawati Sharkawi, a close personal friend, writing for Bernama. The title says it all. Definitely a must click. Especially if you happen to be a Johor Idiot Menteri Besar. =)

"The brouhaha over Bangsa Malaysia erupted when Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman, during the state Umno convention recently, denounced the concept on the reasoning that it implies no more than a 'mishmash' of races and puts the special position of the Malays as enshrined in the constitution in a limbo."

Hail Glorious Leader! Hail His Wisdom! Hail Hail!
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A note on sarcasm poisoning: This entry has been rated 0.5 on the Sievert scale. It contains enough sarcasm dosage to cause mild sarcasm sickness with headache and increased risk of apathy due to disruption of brain cells. Temporary male sterility is possible.

"I, I, I, I'm still alive."

2006-11-17T20:14:00.000+08:00

Yep, alive and well, but the stuttering speech belies an excited state that only a dose of highly illegal (in most places) narcotics can produce. or at least that's what a combination of dramatic license and bad acting has taught me.

But drugs can kill you. And I'm planning to live forever. Well, so far so good. (And since we're talking about longevity, here's a funny harry potter spoof that has nothing to do with it. Its just funny and I thought I'd share it.)

I am pumped cause I just came back from watching Pearl Jam live. Having kicked back on the caffeine and with sleep still in heavy deficit, I was awake on pure adrenalin which they amply supplied. Admittedly, I wasn't that big a fan (only knew the lyrics to probably four songs.) but even i wanted to throw eddie my hypothethical panties. Yeah, they were that good. Much better than the analogy.

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Isn't it always the case that you always have got so much planned for the holidays, these plans being made in the midst of a hectic studying period that include everything from learning how to divide by zero to feeding your cat, that when the holidays do come, they pass by just as quickly and the only thing you actually end up doing is the least important one (i.e. feeding the cat. and that only to prevent the more annoying task of having to get rid of a dead one.)

Well, to my dearest holidays (or the various assorted godly creatures that govern space and time, particularly the creatively named father time. and his civic union partner father space.) you're not going to pull a fast one on me this time. I'm going to do the things I plan to do and I'm not even going to cheat by making the list short. Gonna finish that list of important stuff.

You know, stuff like facebooking and catching up on the latest season of Grey's. While awating each week for another installment of Heroes. =)

Now wishing I had gotten tickets to the MakePovertyHistory concert as well. Dangnamit.

sometimes courage is the little voice that says "fuck this, i've had enough."

2006-11-16T14:09:00.000+08:00

i'm done. my last exam was today, and surely no other end was more anticipated, well, except for that time i read through AngryMedic's more personal entries. (yes, Aaron, NOW would be appropriate for that *bada-bing* soundeffect. heh.)

The exams were good-ish, and its just a great relief to cap a week-long marathon of sleepless nights, frantic protestations of imminent failure and enough coffee brewed to put starbucks to shame.

And finally the holidays.

Will be blogging more as the caffeine withdrawal symptoms subsides. In the mean time, today's Archived-Suprise-Twist-That-Everyone-Saw-Coming is brought to you by the my wikipedia addiction : Britney and Kevin are splitting up.

*So* didn't see that one coming. Just like that time the NSync dude turned out to be the curve to the tangent. (nudge nudge wink wink say no more)

bored?

2006-10-16T02:41:00.000+08:00

the ultimate showdown (of ultimate destiny). best flash music video ever. click here!

Here and here. a different sort of showdown, but perhaps more relevant. especially if you're a muslim (and just happen to consider yourself a malay. the old, and no longer reliable, test of certainty was to check your pants. yes even the ladies.)

Don't be alarmed after reading them. Remember, it's Malaysia afterall. The country we all love in our heart of hearts.

And what better way to show this love than by attending Melbourne's biggest Malaysian event, the Open House. Coming to you this 28th of October.

That cool chrono-scrolling flash applet.

2006-09-25T23:35:00.000+08:00

An inclusion of the flash calendar thing-y above is as much of an update as I will commit myself to for now. The pictures posted below are from my new phone (it may be just a month old, but it has already started exhibiting the tell-tale signs of careless ownership), having just discovered the wonders of phone-blogging (and its subsequent impact on my phonebill. $1 every 4MB!)

Happy Ramadhan =)

At work

2006-08-14T11:15:00.000+08:00

Tap tap tap

2006-08-13T21:34:00.000+08:00

so where the BLOODY hell are you, haz?

2006-04-04T21:15:00.000+08:00

Believe it or not, 'where the bloody hell are you' is a tourism campaign initiative by the Australian government. Bloody cool, ya reckon'? hehe.

well, what's more interesting is that the ad campaign was initially banned by the UK government. Imagine that! the same country that is home to obscene things like FCUK (especially to dyslexics), little britain and david beckham (especially to, uhm, everyone on the planet).

but that's not all! the ad campaign was also banned by Canada and as of time of blogging, it is still banned.

Canada's reason is not because of the "bloody" word, however but its opening line: "We've poured you a beer." According to news sources, 'This line was ruled unacceptable by the Canadian regulator, as it refers to an unbranded beer.' Go Wiki!

Now it appears to be a trifecta, as the US is very eager to join the "let's show them what hypocrites we are" race. The American Family Association is going ahead with a campaign of protest and boycott. Here are some soundbites:

"It's a shocking phrase because we're not familiar with it." said a lady from the stone age.

"I guess they use it all the time in Australia, but it's a foreign language here so I think it'll have a negative impact rather than positive." said her cave-mate.
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Personally, I can understand the UK. I mean, if MY colony of MY convicts whooped MY ass in MY games, I'd get pissed too. Uhm, same goes for ol' Canada. (Official Gold Medal tally : Aus 84; England 36; Canada 26. Malaysia? 7. uhm, yeah.)

But the US?! I mean, do they have to be such pricks in everything? geez.

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So where the bloody hell are you, haz?
Well, I'm studying here, staying here, and my blog is still here.

What's it like, haz?
its great! apart from having to see joko like everyday, that is. kidding! hehe. oh, they call him IZZY now. ain't that right, izzy? fo' shizzle, homie! funny thing, i tell you. =)

What's going to happen to this blog then?
Well, I'll still update when I can. hehe.

Yeah, right! You're just lazy, you know that!
Alright, alright. I'll update often!

Liar!
Uhm, o-kay. This is just wierd. Bye!

Haz would like to thank the guys who tagged and those whom have been visiting this site since he last blogged. He is very much alive (unfortunately) and your concern has touched his heart and other bodily organs, it has been processed by his liver, gone through his loopy gut and out via his anus. Then he flushed. placed the toilet seat down, and proceeded to blog somemore. After washing his hands, that is.

R I P (retrogression in publishing)

2006-02-11T05:47:00.000+08:00

In what is probably the biggest censure of the free press, not seen since, well the last time someone was held under the ISA for opening his trap, Sarawak Tribune (local 25,000 copies daily circulation newspaper) was banned indefinitely yesterday. Click here and here.

On Saturday, the little paper that could published the controversial (what isn't these days) Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) caricatures in a little corner to accompany news on some embassy or other being burnt down. And they didn't actually publish the pictures like how the Western Media (in the spirit of solidarity and free speech) reprinted them; they just printed, again in the little bottom left corner, a blurry miniaturized picture of the Danish paper's page that carried the caricatures.

It was really to give its readers the opportunity to judge whether these caricatures are worth killing innocents over. Don't get me wrong, I protest against the publication of the caricatures, and tribune reprinting them was probably not the smartest move, eventhough it was done with good intentions, but really, to ban a whole paper over it? Isn't that a bit severe? I'm sorry, but I read the article, and saw the accompanying pictures, and in all the squinting, and trying to decipher the illegible danish punchlines (and giving up soon after), i actually lost all my desire to burn any danish pastries.

You could easily get those pictures from the net. I won't link them here, 'cause I hear the Government's gonna clamp down on the bloggers next! Shudder! I won't even tell you that you could easily google those pictures. Nope. I will not participate in disrespecting the muslim sensibilities of the country. not me, baby.

For those of us who subscribe to the paper (me!) we received the Utusan Sarawak (sister malay language paper) instead. And no, those guys didn't reprint the caricatures. Not even a picture of of tribune's picture. But even if they did, I doubt they'd get in trouble 'cause nobody friggin' reads their paper!

What does this mean for the two million or so inhabitants of Sarawak? From an intellectual standpoint, with only every 80th sarawakian reading it, not so much, really.

While in the spirit of patriotisme (but Sarawak is not a nation in its own right! not yet ...) and nostalgia, I do definitely hold a soft spot for the paper, and to be honest, its a pretty decent paper, but since when has the banning of a government mouthpiece been such a bad thing? Besides, they have a lousy cartoons page (the peanuts and garfield variety, except they have none of these. just really cheap unfunny ones); humanities and varieties articles that seem to have been bought from other newspapers; and the laziest bunch of editors ever! They love typos so much that they would purposely put one or two in if they think the article's too perfektly written! Just ask wid.

I only feel for the editorial staff and all those who owe their livelihood to the paper. The "junior" editor in charge has already resigned! And the editor-in-chief resigned as well for good measure. What more do you want?!

Oh and this banning just means that the traditionalists amongst us (read: those too old to learn how to use the net) will just have to make due with the muck and rubbish that washes ashore from across the South China Sea.

We'll survive. yeah, yeah. =)

the red cape and blue spandex.

2006-02-01T13:54:00.000+08:00

I would blog more often, if I had anything particularly spectacular to blog about. While I didn't have any recent sweet reminiscence about maggi goreng ayam bijan, or made my first batch of gravy, I did stumble upon this funny-as-hell website.

It mostly ridicules old comic book covers (a majority of them on Silver Age Superman). Wait, no, the comic book covers (and page pullouts) do most of the ridiculing themselves. Click here for a sample.

www.superdickery.com

While we're on the subject of superman, here's a neat little write-up on the man of steel's procreative challenges. I mean, if you've ever wondered about how supes gets it on, if he does. The elaborate study does shed light on Clark's inhibitions in getting intimate with Lana. The fool! (Season 5 in ALOT of episodes).

Lana: (to Clark) Okay, so when you said "Let's get together and study", you actually meant to study.

Its been going on for five whole seasons. At first, we were rooting for the guy. Lana was with the high school jock and Kent was just some dumb noob getting in touch with his inner Krypton. And after a hundred episodes and about as many of Chloe's (blonde, bestfriend, very much in love with Clark) heartbreaks later, he's still a dumb noob who's not getting any action (besides the time when he became human. woops, spoiler.)! Its SO frustrating!

But its also the reason why millions upon millions of idiots still get attached to the series. Life is cruel.

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And before I sign off, to quote Jon Stewart, 'here's your moment of Zen' :

(Lt. Gordon from Batman. He's right. I don't want to know what's on his mind.)

donuta non grata. no, grata!

2006-01-22T18:05:00.000+08:00

Was surfing one day, of many days, and came upon this heart-warming hallmark type newsbyte. A mother buys her five year old daughter a doughnut shop. The kid's special because "...doctors weren't sure whether Alyssia Hudson-Grayer, who was born six weeks prematurely with a number of serious health problems, would live to age 5."

awwww.

A good story to take your mind off the sickening current events and a whole lot other stuff you can read here. and here. You know what, why don't you just go visit hann's blog more often. Lots of very good updates. Especially about the things that go on in our wonderful democratic and peaceful motherland. fatherland (haha. i can hear old Germans going, "zat's a good name!"). waterearth. whatever. Get your vomit bag ready.

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Hann's log also has updates on food. Thanks to its resident culinary expert, maz.

Here's me taking a leaf out of their book. page out of their tree? no?

Donuts. Doughnuts.
I like Bavarian Creme. 'Cause they have cream inside. And they don't even call it cream but creme. Well, I call it creme. (pronouned KrEm). How very chichi of me.
Creme.
Creme.
Creme.
I just like saying it.
(NB : the first 'e' is supposed to have a grave accent. yeah the downward squiggly. but i haven't figured out how to make it show on the blog.)

Oh, and 'cause they're Bavarian.

I looked up a map the other day and couldn't find Bavarius anywhere. Come to think of it, I couldn't find Malaysia anywhere either. All that's there is one big island on the back of a giant tortoise.

Even if Bavarius did exist, Hitler (the baddest old German of them all) would've probably wiped it out off the face of the earth a while back. The bastard.

And all we have left as testament of their glorious culture are spongy cream-filled donuts. Sounds like a fair enough trade-off. =)

that wretched new year's eve post.

2005-12-31T17:46:00.000+08:00

...and lastly, i will try to blog more often.

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Starting a post with the line which was supposed to end it. the entry, and the year.

2005, summed up in a word, for me would be groundbreaking. Or heartbreaking. Well, something certainly didn't remain in one piece.

But it wasn't neccesarily all bad.

I won't recap the year's hottest events and news from around the world. That I leave to the pros.

I won't even lament or elaborate on the broken bits. Just to summarise, I fell short of some of my goals. Like losing weight, or meeting my conditional offer, or keeping my room clean. Got my heart entangled in a relationship too many. You know, that old nutshell. Can't say much, otherwise I won't have enough fresh material for my autobiography, due quite a long while from now. heh. But I don't feel too bad. I mean, I know some football clubs who are feeling much worse than i do.

(speaking of which, lets take a mental detour. There are quite a few clubs who share the affectionate moniker by being called the "REDS'' or the "BLUES" which can be quite confusing. sure, it seems they have different nicknames when they are faced with opponents dressed in the same hue. but can't they have a permanent colour-inspired tag? like maybe 'the cranbarries' for arsenal? or maybe be more specific, like 'teal', 'ultramarine', 'beryl', 'azure', 'maroon', 'scarlet', 'magenta' and the more locally flavoured 'biji saga'. Personally, I think this will single-handedly help revive the Premiership to its glory days as the most watched exciting league in the world. FA, you might want to look into this.)

But it doesn't mean I have nothing to show for the past 12 months. I have grown to learn more about myself more in this ending year than I have uhm, in the first 12 months of my life. But really. I never knew I had three legs. If it weren't for that incident back in April...

But really, really. I think I am still pretty well off cause I have super cool friends. They're here through the good times and the bad. And I really can't thank them enough for being here, there, everywhere. And that's what I'm really trying to say. This post isn't about my new year's resolution (but i'm trying to fit it in wherever possible. Ooh, there's a space right there.). Nor solely about my hopes and regrets. They're about my friends. And that I love them very very much.

Regrets of 2005? only ones I can remedy. like not keeping in touch with my friends enough. wait, no one's uhm, permanently uncontactable through mortal means yet right? heh heh.

There are a few emails I haven't replied. A few phonecalls. Heck even a few testies, for you friendster addicts. Don't think I'm ignoring you. I'm sorry if I've seemed distant. I'm just. lazy. heh. But that will all change come the new year (Yep, there's a resolution, fitted in quite seamlessly, eh? I'm not really a listy-list person)

Here's the proverbial glass raised, to my friends. Couldnt have gotten through the year without you. I congratulate you on your fortunes, I sympthise with your misfortunes. (another way of saying, I share your joys and sorrows, but classier. you dont think so?) May 2006 bring you happiness and contentment. I pray our paths will continue to intertwine. Cheers. =)

*gulps down non-alcoholic beverage* aahh...

Mountains and Minds.

2005-12-08T03:05:00.000+08:00

I've been meaning to blog for quite some time now (did i use that line in the last entry?). But (as i'm sure other bloggers will attest to) sometimes you just get lazy.

L-A-Z-Y. Fortunately this only applies to my blogging habits. Haha. Or so i'd like to believe.

What have i been up to since I finished my resit? Volunteering at the Red Crescent office; Working as a telemarketer; Xercising and training; Y? climing the top three mountains in Sabah starting tomorrow; and Z is for Zebra. haha. a mural (depicting badly drawn animals) i helped to paint at the General Hospital's paediatric ward. Although I have to admit, I simply suck at art. but those sick kids aren't any better, so they shouldn't complain. heh.

Anyway, since I'll be up in the mountains for a bit (which means another prolonged absence of posts), I shall leave you, my faithful readers (there are at least two out there, I'm sure) with these blogs of note to peruse at your leisure!

kenny sia
-some kuching guy.
afdlin shauki
-some funny guy.
imran idris
-some medic guy.
hazwan razak
-some lazy guy who can't really think of any other blog urls from the top of his head. and who couldn't be bothered with writing proper descriptions of the links provided. except for the last one. but that leads you back here, so what's the point? haha.

'nuff. my flight's in a few hours and i haven't packed! eek.

no man's an island, unless you're part of the quartet in L-21.

2005-10-17T14:45:00.000+08:00

Most people have been wondering what I'm up to back in college, why I haven't been updating, and most importantly, who is the super-senior jerk going after their junior girlfriends back in college.

The answer to all three burning questions are intertwined. Well, all, except for the last one. ;)

I have been meaning to update about my situation here in college, what life is like and the people. I've written several really funny posts too, which are mostly incomplete, and by virtue of me harping on the humour factor, have thus unwittingly renderred them unfunny.

What I will talk about today is My Chalet (L-21) And The Amazing Thing That Happened On This Idle Monday Afternoon.

(Yes, my chalet is on the girls' side, surrounded by girls' chalets and facing the road. To be more precise we're actually surrounded by a 6-foot white fence, to protect us from the onslaught of females I suppose, and with a gigantic blue sign that says KEDIAMAN PELAJAR PEREMPUAN right at our doorstep. Probably Admin's idea of a joke. Well, ha-ha.)

So there I was, sitting at the edge of my bed, doing some papers (yes, I have been studying, thankyouverymuch) when I heard these loud crackling sounds. A whole succession of not-really-deafening-but-close explosions. I could feel the ground shake. My first thoughts were that the Amazonians living around us have finally attacked (quite an imagination, I know.) "I'll fight till from my bones my flesh be hack'd.
Give me my armour," I wanted to shout.

Then I turned to the floor and saw that the tiles seemed to have given way. They were cracking along their connecting lines. Right before my eyes. I instinctively leaped out of the room. From the window to the door, the cracks stretched. It was as if someone tried to squeeze the floor together. Try to imagine tectonic plates and the formation of mountains. Yep, you've about got the idea. Maaan, that has got to be one of my wierdest college experiences. In semester five.

So, when the floor gives way, in your neighbourhood, who you gonna call? Mr Warden, of course. I didn't really know how to explain it to him, so I just told him my floor gave way. He (naturally) joked, "Did you gain weight, Hazwan?" Considering my inactivity these past few weeks, despite it being Ramadhan, I thought dang!, maybe I did. Mr. Warden promptly came to inspect the damage (his suprised expression worthy of a Mastercard Priceless tag) and thereafter left to report the matter to the Admin.

Perhaps its a sign that I've been holed up in my room for too long. I really need to get out more. And considering the fact that they're probably going to declare my room a disaster area and seal it off, I would have no choice BUT to get out. more. permanently.

Here I sit, in the common area, having been compelled to record this incident. Waiting for the help Mr. Warden promised would come. Waiting. Waiting.

Though I suspect, like FEMA, they're probably going to take a while.

blogworthy.

2005-09-20T14:42:00.000+08:00

This just in.

best in world
-biology james kho
-mathematics sin fang en

best in malaysia
-chemistry james kho
-economics lucinda peng
-history nurul izza idris

highest total score for 3 a level subjects
1st james kho
3rd sin fang en

Congratulations! There are probably other awards in the top ten, but I'm not too sure about them. Oh, and James also wins two open scholarships (chemistry and physical sciences). What a great birthday (23rd Sept) present, eh James? =)

-----

Following the success of the James-Fangen Partnership, the college is rumoured to be introducing couplehood liscences in the near future. The liscences will allow the couples unlimited usage of classrooms during the nighttime. There is also a Couples Awareness Week planned. The requirements, though, are set at 4 A's, at the minimum for both parties. The college could not be immediately reached for comment. :P

=== EDIT===
haha. okay, okay. that last bit isn't true. so stop flooding the Student Services with requests for forms already! =)

secretaryman lives.

2005-09-19T17:06:00.000+08:00

In an unprecedented move, defying established laws of physics (and maths and econs.), the secretaryman returns to college to resit his papers.

check back soon!

Hibby-Jibbies.

2005-07-26T22:46:00.000+08:00

Results are around the corner and many of you may be contemplating on skipping the whole alumni-resultsday traditional meet-up if you expect your A-grades to be in short supply.

Thanks to the wonders of technology, it is possible to receive our results prior to the official paper-slip receiving day. I am referring to the Mr B manned results via-email service. For superstitious reasons, we really ought to refer to this hardworking man as Mr A. AnywAy, not everyone has signed up for this service and I believe it is still possible to do so.

Your 1-2-3's are :

1) Create new mail and put your NAME and ID number in the subject line
2) Put the SUBJECT NAME, SUBJECT CODE and AS or A level in body. Repeat for the appropriate number of subjects.
3) Send it to exam_results@kyuem.edu.my

Your subject codes are the ones that appear on your latest statement of entry.

Here are the more common subject codes :
9709 MATHEMATICS
9708 ECONOMICS
9702 PHYSICS
9701 CHEMISTRY
9700 BIOLOGY

But really, I think you need to add some alphabet at the end of the subject number to specify whether you're resitting and stuff like that. So go refer to your statement of entry! If you have lost your statement of entry, click here to retrieve them. Or go to the CIE subject list site.

How much earlier will we be getting the results? Some say by about a week. Some specifically stated on the 8th of August. Btw, Alumni Weekend's scheduled on the 12th according to the SC.
-----

Let us pray for excellence for the whole batch.
Hoping to see you at alumni/results/soon. =)

Bonne Anniversaire : Encore!

2005-07-22T21:15:00.000+08:00

Hey its our second anniversary and nobody remembered. I guess its the state of being away from college that makes all events held within less relevant. Not that its a really bad thing.

Granted, last year, only one person remembered (lovely lovely Jia Yi) but she alerted the whole college thanks to her handwritten note on the board.

One year ago I had this posted. Our celebration, thanks to Taj and some others rushing out to get the cakes and whatnot, was mediocre at best. But it was perhaps a beginning since they've never done it before, to the best of my knowledge.

This year I hear they turned it up all the way to 11. They even made the juniors perform. Check out VeritasOnline for details.

Well, no matter. They still have their frantic UCAS form filling and A-levels to overcome. hehe.

Anyways, fellow super seniors, Happy Anniversary. Wishing all of you the best for your results. =)

Here's a picture to kickstart your journey down memory lane. greeting cards sold separately. ;)

p/s: smiling faces and dining hall food. did someone photoshop this picture? hehe

a new dawn.

2005-07-21T10:26:00.000+08:00

"'midst malaysia's verdant uplands".
So begins the bilingual college signature tune.

Its been a couple of weeks since the college received its new hoard of over-eager over-achieving brats. Two weeks since those we fondly called our juniors began their new tenure as the big cheese of the college (mr small, pn rog, bursar, teachers, staff, janitors and monkeys aside.)

Two weeks since I planned this posting and saved it as draft. hehe.

Okay, we have a bit of catching up to do. So what has happened? There was induction week.
Details of which can be found here and here. Oh and there was Samurai. Click here. Hann also has a good write-up on it which can be found here.

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Then there was the PETRONAS PANDEMONIUM. To summarise, its the whole farce about the WONDERFUL Petronas Management changing their minds last minute and shipping all the UK bound KMB petronas engineers to Australia and New Zealand. Now for the record, there's nothing wrong with Australian or New Zealand education. Its just that Petronas simply pulled the rug from under them a few days before our BTN. It was Madness.

And Petronas didn't even tell them personally. They only found out they were redirected to Aus and NZ when the good people of IDP (and I suppose its NZ counterpart) called them up to "congratulate them on receiving unconditional offers to so and so university in Australia".

Imagine the shock! Now the thing is, the same could happen to Petronas students from KYUEM and KTJ. Click here for some FAQ's by good ol' Fez. There are conflicting stories about what's to become of us since Petronas, being the super fortune-500 professional company that they are, doesn't seem to be able to get its story straight. It seems like even they don't know what's going to happen. Yup, that's our pride and joy right there. Malaysia Boleh! haha.

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I do miss college right now. The juniors seem to be made up of very very fun people, just the thing the valley needs. Thanks VeritasOnline and Nickypang for keeping us updated! =)

"not on one nation, but on all nations."

2005-07-08T11:55:00.000+08:00

Receiving the news of the blasts halfway across the world, in the comfort of your one's own home, (or at a BTN camp, as some of my JPA friends are) one cant help to feel detached from that shocking and terrible event.

But a terror attack such as that and its repercussions, taking innocent lives as it did, can not and must not be ignored. The attack will indeed affect us, as civilised people firstly and as citizens of a muslim country. The world at large has not yet forgotten Sept 11 and the unrestrained accusations that came along with it.

My prayer goes out to the innocent victims and the folk of london, especially to our seniors studying there right now.

May God's grace be with you.

For us, particularly those bound for UK, only time will tell how deeply the turn of events will affect our future.

game over.

2005-06-20T01:04:00.000+08:00

well, we graduated, got our leaving certificates, yearbooks, veritases; said our goodbyes, so longs, farewells; sought forgivenesses, love and our missing stuff.

its over. this is the end.

though the concept of it having ended hasn't sunk in yet.

but it'll hit me. i'm sure.

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Can't really update now as I'm heading for Tanjung Rhu, Sepang for my BTN (Brainwashing The Nation) camp. Followed by the Petronas Pre-departure Briefing at the same place straight after.

The Petronas scholars will be joined by the scholars of MARA and PNB from KYUEM and BANTING.

And off I go. I shall be back on the first of July. Who knows, perhaps by then I'll be blogging about the reasons why I love the Government so much.

hooray.

-----

Okay, I better sign off before college nostalgia creeps up on me.

the beginning of the end.

2005-06-14T15:59:00.000+08:00

Its the last week of college. The week began as soon as the LAST PAPER OF THE A-LEVELS JUNE 2005 was officially declared over (economics paper 3 Friday 4.00pm).

watch this space.

Milestones.

2005-05-13T16:04:00.000+08:00

Recently the college celebrated its 7th milestone. It was a modest affair, but exciting and well organized nevertheless, considering exams were right around the corner.

The event left a lingering sensation in me. Especially in my tummy. I think it must've been the million slices of domino's pizzas. Oh, and the secret recipe cakes. yum. =)

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It got me thinking, "WOW!" You're already 7 years old, dear college. You have seen so much. The teachers who came and went (and those that have stayed since the beginning: the "pioneers"), the many different batches of students, each one having been shaped and moulded by you; and the metamorphosis of your physical self, KMYSaad, KMYSatu, KYUEM, whichever.

Having been here for almost two years, its hard not to notice the footprints left by the previous people who have (forgive the cliche) walked through your hallowed halls. No, scratch that. Let me try again.

Having been here for almost two years, its hard not to notice the footprints left by the previous people who have lived, learnt and and grown to love you. Like the many little artifacts (Ecotrip 3d map, drawings, batch photos) they have in the RC (I just saw some scribblings behind a picture frame in the RC the other day. Pretty sweet. Note: I am not condoning vandalism); To the many traditions of the houses; And the oral legends, anecdotes passed down from batch to batch about "the super senior who did this", "the teacher who was like that.." and "there was this one time a long way back..".

Its things like these that make you feel really really insignificant. That you don't really measure up. Especially if one prominent super trooper senior writes : "There's this perception among the older batches - which is natural - that the newer batches of KMYS / KYUEM students do not fit the bill of well rounded individuals the way the older ones are."

Alas! Fear not, my fellow seniors. As we are facing our own milestones: the final no-chance-to-resit its-now-or-never A levels, and the completion of two whole years of bittersweet memories in these Outlands, perhaps its time for a change of perspective. We're going to be inducted into the alumni soon. We're going to be super-seniors to a new batch of students. We, my friends, are going to the other side. We, and I say this with every bit of ego-restraint, have pretty much left our own set of footprints. We have already proven our worth. And we're going to be legends in our own right.

Now its up to the juniors who are soon to be seniors, to prove themselves.
-----
A note to the KMYS alumni that will be accepting us into their fold : Us now. We have it good. We've got Astro in the cafe which opens 7 days a week (closed half day on Sundays), we've got and almost always working Wi-Fi connection on our new chalet computers. Plus, we've got something else you didn't have back then: fame throughout the land (thanks to the college's intensive advertising. you may have come across it.)

Which reminds me of a quote I read from the "Pioneer yearbook": "When we got here, it was like a wasteland (albeit one with an almost resort-like look to it) - there were barely any trees, you could count the number of books in the Resource Centre with one hand, and - worst of all- no TV or Internet!" - Editor, Yearbook 1998/1999

Kinda makes you drop to your knees and count your blessings, doesn't it?
-----

Rumours abound of a truckload of milestones heading our way soon: an inevitable major change in the college structure. That student intake numbers are increasing beyond the 220 mark set by the current junior batch. That the college is building a new wing (or a whole new block) to facilitate its introduction of AUSMAT sometime in the near future. With this, comes new teachers, new chalets, and probably a more commercialised and saturated educational institution.

What, you didn't think they're advertising the college just to help you explain to your friends where you're studying, did you?
-----

I can only hope that all these changes are for the best.

Here's a toast to you, My 7-year-old KYUEM.

From all those whose hearts and minds you have touched.

we're all made of stars.

2005-05-02T23:40:00.000+08:00

Last week, the college was very honoured to have Professor Jocelyn Bell Burnell, a visiting professor from Oxford University, to give a short talk on her field of expertise : Astrophysics.

Now, my dear friends, this living legend is no ordinary guest speaker. (to be fair, none of the last few guest speakers were ordinary. There was that 9 language speaking gentleman who's current fascination was with lion conservation; and then there was the Irish Ambassador to Malaysia). This scientist helped discover pulsars! Pulsars, for the uninitiated or too bothered to click the wikipedia link, are "rotating neutron stars that are observable as sources of electromagnetic radiation." She discovered them while doing her thesis work at Cambridge in the 60's. Groovy, baby!

The talk was very informative and lovely, and she is definitely a master educator from the way she was able to express all her ideas clearly to the GH audience (which included non-science stream students as well as people who scored very low for their astrophysics A2 option.)

And sidestepping into the realms of astrology, it was probably no coincidence that she came on the third day of the week, and gave a talk during block three (which was incidentally cancelled college-wide, to allow every student to attend the talk.)

Professor Jocelyn came with an entourage comprising of the reps from the British Council along with some students from KTJ, and others. After the brief talk, students with actual interest, guests and nosy people in general had a more technical session with her in the lecture theatre.

She ended her session by declaring that "We're all made of stars!" What a nice thing to say =)

-----

Many more master educators were stars in their own right last Friday. I'm talking about the wonderful teachers in KYUEM, and the Teachers' Day Celebrations.

Now, I'm not sure when Teacher's Day was first celebrated in college, but I can safely say that this year's was among the best in recent memory. I judge this on the basis of having shifted through all the college yearbooks. Beg to differ? mail me.

In any case, I certainly had a great time. Kudos to the SC members! =)

There were some performances from seniors and juniors. The juniors came up with a radio drama (which had some sentiments of college bashing. oh I think inserting the phrase "college sucks!" was no mere artistic decision. but since it was done by lit students, it probably had a deeper level of satire altogether. hehe), a choral speaking performance, and a nasyid. The seniors presented a wonderful medley comprising of kompangs, sajak-poem and some talented singing people.

The best bit of the celebration definitely came from the teachers. They were subjected to games ranging from cake decoration to blindfolded drawing with the tower building of induction week fame thrown in for good measure.

They (this is the awesome-est bit!) also had a sketch (so much better than last year's! And that was good too!) where the teachers dressed up as students and it was the funniest and craziest thing since, well, since ever! I laughed till tears trickled down my cheeks. There was Mr. Hayten as a big bully with Ms. Sree as the ever-so-cute victim. There was Mr. Hamdan and his cowboy machoness, Mrs Parker and her history books bucket, Pn Kat and Mdm Magdeline and their fashionista personas. The best ones for me would have to be Puan Rog's character as a school rebel (oh sweet irony!) and the Bursar's WiFi joke (he had a huge TV antenna in his hand! Brilliant!). Oh and not to forget, Dr Foord's character as a physics student late for class (more irony!). Having been late once or twice myself, I am sure I wasn't alone in recognising some of the excuses he gave for being late, to the point of wondering whether I had used the exact same one!

It's so nice when teachers can have a go at poking fun at themselves and their students. Coupled with a display of pictures from their previous lives (that being pre-KYUEM.), the day has made the teachers that much more endearing in their students' eyes.

As another thumbs up to the SC, the inclusion of Pn Rog, the Bursar and Ms Kasturi into the celebrations is an ingenious move. All three have played a great part in educating us students from day one in induction week, and we wouldnt be where we are without them. The equal stress on academics and non academics education is what makes this college so wonderful, in my opinion. =)

To all the Master Educators of KYUEM, we salute and we thank you. We may all be made of stars, but us students are mere neutron stars and you educators are the supergiants.

There can never be enough blogspace to help express how much we love and appreciate all that you've done for us.

May you continue to shine and inspire many more generations of KYUEM students.

God bless you all. =)

Retribution.

2005-04-28T11:00:00.001+08:00

The college is engulfed in turmoil. Not since the times of Blake's vengeful Gods have we seen a catastrophe such as this. There have even been sightings of Plague, Death, Famine and that other horseman, galloping around the college grounds (much to the dismay of the cleaners. can you imagine how annoying it is to collect horsedung?)

That's right. Ladies and Gentleman. You know what I'm talking about. The MOCK exams are over. Many were not prepared. Hence, one heck-of-a retribution.

(*thunderclap*)

And to think the A-levels are but 3 weeks away.

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To all those sitting for their A-levels, especially my fellow seniors, GOOD LUCK! woohoo!

Now stop reading this blog and get back to your books! =)

a stretch.

2005-04-12T14:00:00.000+08:00

Students and teachers college-wide are experiencing the Overdue Trial Examinations, or "mocks", as they are affectionally known.

The final stretch of the obstacle course? not quite. The last hurdle perhaps, for we have not yet come to the final exertion bit. That being the actualy A-levels examination.

Failure to stretch prior to a sporting event can be disasterous. Similarly, failure to revise for an examination, any examination, will bear identical consequences.

"Stretching" for the trial exams usually includes, but not restricted to, overnight perusal of the syllabus without any real hope of completion. Most students are never really prepared for the mocks. This upsetting reality is remedied by the faint promise of actually completing their revisions by the real exams.

Motivated by a dismal (or heartbreaking) performance in the mocks, the promise of better preparation for the real exams are easily kept.

However, for the really desperate, there are certain loopholes overlooked by the college authorities concerning their mock exams: More often than not, they use the immediate past year papers. In this case it was the November 2004 examination papers.

While most other colleges, particularly Taylor's, prepare their own mock papers based mainly on targetted topics, our college took the high road of making the students study everything in the syllabus. It's all about the education after all. Way to go, college! =)

Disregard the fact that some students have easy access to these papers. And that usually the questions that have just recently appeared most probably won't appear in the proceeding paper.
Again, it's all about the education. Oh, and trusting the students. The same trust they have of us taking care of the chalet computers ;)

(If you didn't get that, here's the scoop. We now have NEW chalet computers. Woohoo! And two astro receiving TVs in the cafe! But that's not the point. The point is all the computers in the chalets don't have administrator statuses. So that means even with 80GB worth of hard disk space, students can't install anything. Or at least, that's what they think... hehe)
-----

Reviewing my last entry, the one regarding the college blogosphere, I seem to have stretched the truth, or rather reported a stretching of the truth. The phrase "corporate culture" was probably never used by the BOGs against Fez's blog. It may not have been uttered by them at all.

Fact is, the BOGs, BOTs or whoever owns this place has no problems with the students expressing themselves in any way, with limitations of course.

"NO student or student body is allowed to regulate or instruct another student in what he/she should do or how he/she should conduct himself. The college firmly believes each student should be allowed to take responsibility for their own learning." -- Dr Ikmal on college policy, as quoted by veritasonline.

However, this does not change the fact that the college administrators (those that run the day-to-day management of this place) did call him up to tell him how unhappy the BOGs were with his blog. Hmm... that is peculiar.

Its an understatement to call that stretching the truth on the college administrators part. Selling the BOGs name like that, it was more like *gulp* ... lying.

ADDENDUM : It would be lying, if they DID do it. Considering that this isn't a perfect competition market, I therefore do not receive perfect information. I hereby accept all responsibilities of truth stretching on my blog. =)
-----

In any case, the best stretch in recent memory is undoubtably last assembly. We had four (4) different speakers enlightening the students on topics as wild as "lions rehabilitation in Afrika" to something closer to the pocket, "the Bursar's (or rather the college's) spending on cool new stuff"; something about college policy (read above) and finally; something worrisome, "Exam Etiquette" Read more here!

After sitting through the longest and most draining (emotionally and physically) assembly ever, nothing gets the ol' circulation going like a good stretch. *yawn*.

I miss college. really.

2005-03-29T21:37:00.000+08:00

a view of the college from the water tower.

WMD not found.

2005-03-26T20:43:00.000+08:00

That's right. Give up your search. You won't find any Writings of Mass Displeasure (WMD) anywhere on this site. I should know, since I just combed through it a few hours ago.

A pre-emptive defense maneuver, no less.

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A week back, my very very good friend's blog was raided by writing inspectors from the Teaching Staff of the college. One of his entries was found to be highly insulting to some and he got in really hot soup.

I heard that one of the teachers saw the article, printed it out and showed his co-workers.

It apparently went all the way up the chain of command. To the Board of Governors.

To them, it tarnished "the Corporate Image" of UEMW.

To make matters worse, Pn Rog informed his sponsor, PETRONAS, about the incident.

Now they're all asking for his blood.

I'm probably overdramatizing everything, but this goes to show how blogging can get you into a whole lot of trouble.

And that teachers have nothing better to do during the hols than read students' blogs. Oh I mean that in a joking manner by the way. No insult intended. Really. =)

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The incident sent shockwaves through the blogging community of KYUEM. We thought these things only happened in the US. Not so much because we're a more open and accepting society (haha. far from it, IMO.), but more because we're naive enough to believe that nobody cares about what we write in cyberspace.

So what DID he write, at this point you will wonder. No, he DID NOT write that VERITAS article that sailed a thousand warships. I will not touch the subject matter since he himself has deleted the said entry.

All he did was voice his opinion about certain things in college. His PERSONAL OPINION. As far as I know, he did not engage in anything subversive worthy of an ISA-detention. Nor did he break any college laws regarding blogging ethics. Wait, the college DOES NOT have any laws regarding blogging, or any other net services for that matter. (unless you count the notice which bans surfing for pornography on the RC computers. heh.)

See what I mean? where does one's induction into college life (or should I say Corporate Culture?) end and personal space begin?

My buddy does not hate the college, I can guarantee you that. Heck, we've had the greatest times of our lives here. But it so happens that the college isn't perfect (a fact I've repeated myself many times before). And that he happens to have an opinion on those things. And he posted those opinions online.

I may not even agree with what my buddy wrote. And in fact I have contrasting opinions on some issues. But that's the beauty of free speech afforded to us by the internet. I don't have to agree with them. I can have MY OWN opinion and post it online as I darn well please.

And I don't agree with the college punishing us for what we write either. They can snoop around all they want. That's right, by all means, read our blogs; that's why we bother to write anyway. Read till your eyes fall out. But dooce* us, never.

Remember that these are our personal opinions and they are posted on our personal blogs. If you think any different, go publish your own. (blogger.com is a good place to start.)

Otherwise, just. shut. up.

*the term Dooce means to get fired from your job because of blogging. More! I wonder whether anyone has ever been kicked out of a school because of blogging. haha. In all arrogance, I'd certainly like to see them try. =)

ignorance as a coping mechanism.

2005-03-18T15:02:00.000+08:00

Some quick facts :

In less than 9 weeks, 173 students will cease to be members of the college.

The Yearbook 2005 is only approx 65 % complete.

Tomorrow, the two-week mid semester break begins.

I have not blogged for exactly a month today.

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There is usually a spike in activity on this site nearing the hols. Because that's about the only time I bother to blog anyway. Don't get me wrong, I haven't started to get tired of blogging. Just that it seems tiresome to report about every single thing that goes on, as towards the end, they now seem so trivial. Besides, you can be better informed by visiting here.

We're taking the batch photo today, and everyone from the batch who is still a student here will be there.

It's so nice when everything comes together, don't you think? =)

Here's a SHOUTOUT to those who left: Ugun, Azita and Johan. May our paths cross again.

Sing like nobody is watching.

2005-02-18T08:47:00.000+08:00

Our in-house Superstars, Rendra and Shereen managed second place in that duet talent search (like Malaysian Idol, but less famous) finals last weekend. It wouldn't have really mattered but for the presence of their biggest fans, the people of lembah beringin, who braved the wilds to show support for their fellow locals. That's the kind of college spirit that we seriously need.

Well, it helped that they are now RM 6000 richer.

Anyway, congrats guys :)

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The Music Club is hosting its own talent search, prefering to call theirs Battle of the Bands 2005. Having seen the rehearsals, one could conjecture that they will have to search long and hard for talent.

I'm kidding of course.

The event will involve 8 bands, including a group made up of the dining hall staff. Which has caused some people to ask: "Will we be having dinner tonight?".

Other interesting snippets from the line-up: There'll be a girl singer, a teacher drummer, a turn-table expert, an expected winner and two of the coolest emcees this side of the DH queue.

Your interest piqued? Then don't be late. Friday (that's today!) 8.30 pm. Great Hall.

full circle.

2005-02-10T20:50:00.000+08:00

" I missed it! I missed it!
My blog anniversary! It was the third of february and... I missed it!
argh! "

-----

Trivial celebrations aside: a handover, 371 days and 6000 blog visits later, I am hereby no longer the secretary of the student council.

Which brings up the question, am I still the secretaryman? or does the self-established moniker belong to the post and not the person? considering my successor himself is of the male persuasion.

I will dwell on this dilemna later.

-----

Indeed, we have come full circle, our tenure as Student Council members of QM (Kyu - Em, KYUEM, geddit? haha) has ended leaving nothing but happy memories, new found freedom and no excuse not to hand up that assignment on time.

The handover itself, conducted by the venerable Mr Zaidi, was fulfilling in its attempt at closure for the old board and an introduction to the fresh faces and their equally untainted drive.

It consisted of the naming of the old board (where we get our certificates and metal paper weights with our names engraved on them), followed by the introduction of the new board (where they get their letters of appointment plus a special gift from the outgoing SC), then a speech by our out-going president, Mr Ahmad (Zawawi) and lastly, the final Student Council movie.

Personally, I thought the movie was somewhat of a letdown compared to the others, and I duly apologise if I hadn't met your expectations. For one who usually thrives on last minute work, this time I just didn't have enough. Maybe I am getting too old. Thankfully this handover didn't come soon enough. ;)

And oh, each student received a free calendar bigfatcup/mug (the mug had the full 2004 calendar of events printed on it) courtesy of the Student Council (we supplied the design), AliHussa sdn. bhd. (they ruined the design. and overcharged us) and the college (they footed the bill.)

This was Friday, the vote counting was on Thursday, the voting itself on Wednesday and the Manifesto Nights were the Monday and Tuesday of that same week. As always between the vote counting on Thursday night and the announcement of results on Friday afternoon, the news always manages somehow to slip through the cracks of secrecy.

My response to the line-up? Overall, I am pleased in the assurance that this group of 15 will contribute greatly to the college. Althought a small point of contention does arise in the fact that they only boast 4 female council members (one less than ours) as opposed to the overwhelming majority of damsels to dudes in college. Again, it is a very small point of contention, and any arguments about it is pointless as this disparity arose from a democratic voting system.

Gladly, calls for a recount, rumours of vote manipulation and the spread of money politics were absent in this election. It was all clean, all fair and all dull. =)

-----

Now relegated to the ranks of the back-benchers, I do wonder what I've got to show for a term's commitment to the blue book (that being the college logo, if you've been paying attention).

Perhaps its the long-lasting friendship of 14 students who shared the same unique experience and perception of college as I did.

Perhaps its a well-paded personal statement, a stepping stone and catalyst to greater things (as shallow as it sounds).

Perhaps its a different outlook (am trying to avoid using 'paradigm shift'. goodness, can one get more cliche?) on how things work and reaffirming my decision for a life of service (that may not be a cliche [yet] but its still vomit-inducing, i know.)

In any case, thank you my fellow council members: awie, taj, akmal, beng, ibu, muKRish, ash, hazim, ijah, ise, ken, johan, liza and capek. Thank you friends, people of QM (I like the sound of it, so sue me.) and Blogger.

Finally, thank you to the Readers of this Blog! (especially to you, you, you, you, you and you. and no, I didn't forget you either! and those people who constantly tag!) Your deafening shouts of "update, you lazy bum!" is what motivates me to post, post and post somemore! woohoo! love ya all!

And as a reward, I hereby commit myself to keeping this blog alive. (until further notice. heh.)

secretaryman, out.

of pakguards and perceptions.

2005-02-09T16:40:00.000+08:00

Just last week, another theft was reported in college. Another laptop had gone missing.

But this was no ordinary theft. No sir, unlike the others, this one was done by professionals.

The criminals came in, dressed up as TNB workers, drove past our unsuspecting pakguards at the entrance, went to a chalet, tricked a student into going somewhere else, then drove off with the goods.

The student, suddenly realising something was amiss, ran to the entrance, told a teacher, went on the chase, but the criminals were already long gone.

The police came, did their routine CSI thing, interviewed the witnesses and left, assuring the college community that they will do their best to apprehend the suspects.

And that was that.

Some questions were raised following that incident :
1) What the heck were the PakGuards doing the whole time? We have more PakGuards per square metre than monkeys, and still these things happen. Pak Guards subject parents and students to all kinds of verification excercises (just short of doing a full body search), and when it comes to supposed Electricians making an unplanned unscheduled suspicious visit to the college, they let them pass without the slightest hassle.

2) Were the previous thefts really done by students? Have we been wrong all this while and pointing the finger in the wrong direction?

-----

In any case, lets take extra precautions with our belongings and lock our doors always always. Who knows, the next disguise the thieves might use is that of a Government employee! But then everyone knows that the Government's just brimming with crooks anyway ;)

of memories and madmen.

2005-02-09T16:28:00.000+08:00

To paraphrase George Santayana: A college without a memory is a college of madmen.

A great many memorable things have passed since my last entry, each one another fine addition to the history of our infant college.

I would like to start with the Great Sapphire Landslide Victory of Bangsawan 2005.

This amazing house went home with many an award for the night, including best props and backdrop, best costume, best script, best actor, best actress and the most coveted prize of them all: best drama. This came as no suprise since Sapphire's offering, to me, was the personification of Bangsawan. It was a tale of forbidden love, faithful servants, royal curses and of course the meddling of foreigners and their deceitful ways.

Having sat through their impressive offering, some may ask why they didn't make a clean sweep of all those hampers.

The answer would be that Sapphire, although adjudged the best overall performer, still had some strong contenders. This came in the form of Diamond, who collected the prizes for best director, best lighting and sound and best supporting actress. If Sapphire had beaten Diamond, it was probably only a marginal victory since their Diamond's drama still managed to captivate the audience despite starting at the sleepy hour of 11 pm. The premise itself is unique (at least to me) as it told of a vengeful bride princess, whose husband was killed on their wedding day, who seeks to reclaim her sovereignity. Between the excellently directed opening fight scene and the heart-wrenching final battle, our princess goes about disguised as a man, and accidentally wins over the heart of the daughter (the role that won best supporting actress) of her hubby's killer.

Not to be outdone, Topaz, last Bangsawan's big winner, managed a best choreography award and best supporting actor award, for which they are very thankful for. Topaz went on stage and performed what was suspiciously a similar plotline to previous bangsawans. They argue reinterpretation and continuity, I argue 'where's the originality?'. hehe. Their trademark silly antics, ridiculously funny lines and sixties pop music went down like a house on fire with the judges (who were affiliated with TV3's somewhat funny comedy troupe, scenario).

The only low point of the whole Bangsawan was Garnet, or rather Garnet's cold dismissal from the awards sheet. What was touted as the most entertaining Bangsawan in recent memory didn't bear fruit for this house as they came back empty-handed, quite unjustly so, as many would agree. But the Garnetors themselves didn't complain as they left the hall in the knowledge that they had done their best. Stand proud Garnetors =)

-----

Referring back to George Santayana, an occurance that would want to be erased from recent memory is the case of the madman. Or rather, the case of the madman who allegedly urinated in the male TV room.

Talk about paradigm shifts. The deposited liquid is allegedly a student's. The motive, in response or retaliation to the warden's disagreable ways. And the result, total shutdown of the TV room until further notice. Not to mention the cleaning up and disinfection of the room.

The thing is, the teachers and staff were so quick to jump on the conclusion that a student did this in protest. Maybe its my sense of goodwill, but I cannot imagine that a student, especially one of ours, would do such a thing. If they had made a song to mock the warden, I would have believed it. If they made jokes about the warden, I would have expected it. But to urinate in the TV room as a show of protest ? Come on.

Besides, I've personally witnessed a cat marking its territory in my room one idle sunday morning and it smells as bad as our toilet. Why can't it be a cat, or one of the many monkeys that have started a new wave of invasion who did it ? Why must the blame be on the students automatically ? Heck, why can't it be the Warden himself who did it. Its no secret that the Management is unhappy with the students constant "abuse" of the TV rooms. (Apparently "abuse" in their definition is well, actually using the TV rooms. Go figure.)

Its also been heard that our hardworking mr new warden goes around looking through every nook and cranny to find even the smallest dust particle so that he can tell off the students. Now that dude's a certified madman.

Not suprisingly, so far no parties have come forward to claim this act of terrorism.

the burning passion.

2005-01-29T08:47:00.000+08:00

Passion is spending all your house's money to build props for some two-bit inter-house drama competition.

Passion is screaming endlessly at your very best friends on the littlest of hickups during rehearsals.

Passion is memorising a gazillion lines of script while your A2 notes lie untouched.

in short, Passion isn't just the fruit.

-----

The aforementioned inter-house drama is of course Bangsawan, the annual time-consuming, funds-reducing, stress-inducing Cultural Club's main (and only?) activity.

And its tonight.

-----

Passion can also be displayed through the act of spending one's money on glossy SC Election posters. One's parents' money to be exact. While we did not impose a cap on the funds allowed to be used by the candidates, for a simple college election, some students bring a whole new meaning to the word overboard.

But really, if he is willing to 'give it all' for the college, that can only be good for the seniors. And our Students dinner at the end of the semester.

I'm calculative, I know :)

The other posters are simply inspired. Its impressive how despite Bangsawan and the scare of the seniors' A level results, these kids still manage to put up a good campaign.

Save the littering of posters on the walkways thanks to the forces of nature, the campaign trail has remained relatively clean =)

-----

There you have it, a detailed analysis of the burning passion of KYUEM students. On the subject of burning, there's a little bush fire just opposite of the college and it has been so since Thursday. I don't know whether its the result of the flaring tempers, or the ominious indication of exam results gone up in smoke (or even the Veritas people's fate in the everlasting bonfire for their 'insightful' articles online. KIDDING!) but its definitely choking the life out of our students.

And there we thought just being in this college was suffocation enough. heh. ;)

tinta mas.

2005-01-15T21:24:00.000+08:00

Bangsawan fever is spreading! For the uninitiated, Bangsawan (the great Malay drama interhouse competition) was moved from July of last year to January, and it shalt be so henceforth. (Unless somebody can miraculously change the B's minds)

So much hype is put on the Bangsawan, which is scheduled to be on the 30th of January, that it almost eclipses the SC nomination day.

Every house is putting in their all to ensure a win, and it looks to be a tough fight. I hope it will be an entertaining one as well. Imagine having to sit through 4 plays of about half an hour each. Presented in archaic/royal malay. On a school night.

-----

As for the SC nomination day, rumours have long started to circulate on the possible contenders. Unfortunately most of the buzz center around the Top three posts, or as Awie puts it, the "Top Guns".

It has also been heard that some juniors have formed coalitions and parties. This is bad. bad bad bad for their batch.

We'll be sure to remind them. After the nominations. Yeap, sure will.

At least there'll be many more contenders this year as compared to last. To ensure no posts are won by default.

-----

BTW, am blogging this in Saad square. The WiFi reception here is excellent! I wish I could say the same thing about the reception in my chalet. Sigh. I feel cheated by the college.

makover part duex

2005-01-14T18:18:00.000+08:00

One week has passed by. Quickly, I might add. In the bowels of Lembah Beringin.

A few augmentations to the college are noted upon arrival. They are :-

1) The installation of the ceiling fans in the boys chalet rooms. Its not the BIG ceiling fans, but rather the small framed one that can oscilate its directions while it spins. (if that makes sense.)

2) There are three new trees in Saad Square. Recall that Saad Square was once populated by only the beautiful palm trees and some nice grass with white flowers at its base. Then they chopped a few down. Now, they've added three more. No offence to the three trees, but lets just say they don't quite fit in with the original vegetation. For some reason, the College decided to plant three fully grown trees (they look like the ones in front of your chalets) at three seemingly random spots in the square. And these trees, they shed like its autumn! Who knows, maybe they were actually aiming for that four season's feel, but it's just not working.

3) The new members of College.
i) The new Male Warden. Nice guy, really. Met him on the first day back and he's really helpful.
ii) Dr Graham Parker. A combination of Mrs Avis Parker and Mr Graham Hanson? Not quite. But he does teach chemistry. He does look younger than his age (50+ but looks 30-ish) and with red hair and beard. Has that dashing look, especially when he sports his rose tinted glasses.
iii) Mr John H-Something. Can't quite remember his name, but a fitting description would be that he looks like Mr. B in a way. Except that he is taller. And his belly is less pronounced. Teaches maths.

4) The Admin department looks a bit different. Abg Fauzi now has his own room just opposite the Admin door. But nothing really interesting about that.

What will be more interesting, I expect is the Student Council Nomination, which is this monday! (hurrah!)

admin : we've got what it takes to take what you've got.

2005-01-07T10:14:00.000+08:00

I am on an updating spree. I guess this sort of makes up for the long delay of no updates!

-----

So what's this entry about, Haz? Well, dear reader, this one's about the wonderful changes you will probably notice once we get back to college. I bet you can't wait!

1) Classroom Lockdown Law. - As of January 2005, all classrooms will be locked after Academic hours. For purposes of studies, club meetings and general revelry, a written permission must first be sought from the Administrative Department and a form filled out. At least two days in advance. To make matters worse, only a select few classrooms will be available for booking as a majority will be kept permanently locked after hours.

Before you start cursing the college, you've got to understand that they have very good reasons for doing this. For one thing, students have been very naughty lately. (I don't mean naughty in the you-don't-get-a-present-from-santa way, but naughty in the sense that students in pairs made up of opposite genders being caught in compromising uhm, positions in classrooms.) Its probably not that they're getting naughtier now, just that the Pak Guards have been extra vigilant in trying to crack down on classroom abuse. Furthermore, the electricity bill has gone through the roof! What with the a single student in a single classroom with the full lighting and aircons switched to maximum blast. KYUEM students are a wasteful bunch. Sigh.

On the other hand, punishing the whole college for the acts of a few is unacceptable. Besides, our students are famed for their resourcefulness, hence the "naughty" students will just find other places to commit their "naughty" crimes. hehe. Seriously, I believe the liberty of choosing a place to study is a contributing factor to the college's success thus far. Don't all the great boarding schools have some form of prep time at night in classrooms?

Don't tell me they expect us to study in our CHALETS??!? Or even, God forbid, and OVERCROWDED RC ??!? And they say they want to increase the student population by a greater margin. Diseconomies of scale, anyone ?

Just what are they doing in those GREAT MANY STAFF/SENIOR MANAGEMENT/BOG meetings anyway? Thats what I'd like to know.

-----

You're probably wondering now "Hey, since you guys are in the SC, didn't you guys bring it up during the many meetings you guys had? "

Well, truth be told, we found out the same day the other students did, during assembly. The Last Assembly of Last Semester. An announcement by Puan Rog. I mean, she didn't even tell us anything about it. What more to ask for our agreement. You know, I guess its just one of those things that make you feel under-appreciated (and that's and understatement! Heck, the SC isn't even mentioned in the college website. How come the House Committees are named? I don't really want to say anymore about this before I sound like a whiner. Heh).

-----

2) The new song.

I'll get an expert opinion on that soon and the background story to boot. To summarise (I think i mentioned in an earlier post) the new song just isn't Billboard Top 100 material. If you know what I mean.

3) The departure of a Mr Bryn Muller. The chemistry teacher.

You know the one with the boat. And the hugely entertaining jokes. or so i've heard ;) He will be replaced by a Dr. Parker. Whose teaching methods are considered different from Mr Muller's. (I think its a polite way of saying he's better, don't you? hehe) In any case, Mr Muller will be missed by students and staff alike.

-----

Changes. Changes. Changes. All this and add the fact that the College scored a greater number of Oxbridge applicants this time round. So far its nine nerds and counting. Alas! they might actually be led to believe that their new "lets fix what ain't broken" policy is the catalyst for all the success!

Uh Oh.

watch this space.

2005-01-05T17:16:00.000+08:00

I was surfing today and I chanced upon some excellent blogs by our seniors and their seniors and their seniors ...

Click here to find an excellent list compiled by the good people of the alumni. I assume since these blogs' links are published that the authors won't have any qualms about their writings being publicly viewed. I apologize in advance for taking such liberty.

Absent from this list are blogs owned by any current student of the college. Well, obviously because they are not part of the alumni. yet. And my SUPER PLAN of listing the ULTIMATE list of college bloggers will have to be put on hold.

'Cause I'm just too lazy at the moment ;)

anyway, of the long list of blogs, the ones i've actually read are shown below. In the ascending order of random:

NikNazmi - Who? Batch of 2002. SC president. Law. Finishing his last year in King's College, London. Activist. Writer. Master debater. Also the Alumni President. Excellent blog for those who want to be constantly in the know. Visit often! :)

NizLaili - Who? Batch of 2004. Topazian. That's reason enough! hehe. Medic. Uni of Glasgow. Awesomely friendly and a role model to many. :)

Black's - Who? Batch of 2004's SC president. Medic. Studying in Cambridge. It doesn't get any better than that, baby!

I think these are enough recommendations for one post. I'll put up some more as the semester passes =)

and a quote from Nizlaili's blog :

"KMYS, a college

that holds a dear place

in my heart..."

5 days and counting.

2005-01-04T19:51:00.000+08:00

Yep, that's about as much time we have before we go back to the ugly routine of 8.30 to 4.10 every day (save the half day saturdays).

Can't believe the 6-week freedom given to us flew by so fast. Now, on our last legs, feverishly trying to finish the holiday ascension, we begin to wonder, "What the heck have we been up to anyway?"

Well, at least that's what I'm wondering.

-----

Some people went traveling. Some buried themselves in books. Some stayed home and delved in horizontal jogging (luxury indeed!). Some kept on blogging. Some contemplated on whether to run for the SC. Some were working hard in motivating themselves to start that darn computing work. Some were anxiously awaiting the Oxbridge results. And some joined talent shows and became famous on national TV (yes, I'm looking at you Rendra and Shereen. Catch them on SUPERSTARS every friday night. Primetime. Only on your feel good channel.)

While we were all busy with trying to be productive, unbeknownst to us, the college was well alive with activity. Well, not the teaching department, but surely the management and student services side. The counseling room is practically flooded with letters and letters and letters from the various UK universities our students applied to. They'd need extra help just to begin opening all that mail.

Then there's the management team and the BODs. Rumour has it that the college is looking into serious expansion. Rumour has it that we're going to build new academic blocks. more chalets.

We're probably looking at a student population figure, close to 800. Again, this all is just hearsay. But man can you imagine that? Are we emulating KMB now ? More students means more teachers right ? Are they going to expand the Dining Hall too? The queue's too long as it is.
I hope they know what they're doing. sigh. at least its not going to happen in our time, eh seniors? ;) haha.

Laughter in the Dark - a review.

2005-01-03T01:30:00.000+08:00

Doing a review more than a month after the actual show has its setbacks. Like sometimes not remembering what the show was about.

Thankfully, I have a super-duper good memory. And I remember pretty much most of it. There were some people on stage, right? and they were talking i think. heh.

alright. We'll start with the props. It was by far the most elaborate set I've ever seen in college (well, minus CP and bangsawan sets. I mean for a drama set, its really good. ok, I've only seen one other drama stage set. heh.) They had a staircase, the inside of a spooky mansion and a little fireplace.

Next is the acting, and it was superb :D Having a crew of mostly juniors, one senior and two stalewarts (Misters Hanson and Cranwell, also the director and producer of the play respectively, and the propmasters, and the costume renters... well they basically run the whole show.)

The sypnosis is some rich old guy dies and leaves a fortune to the next of kin. (cant remember their names now. but what the heck) This dude's a loser who's pretty much tied to his wife's g-string. You know the type. (no, i will resist the temptation to draw a parallel to a married couple in college.) So he comes with his family to the mansion (which contains a butler played the awesome mr hanson), and according to the lawyer (hizami was made for this role. or this role was made for hizami. or.) they have to follow some rules set by the deceased in order to inherit the fortune. Then some people come over. Its christmas. There's a snowstorm. They're trapped and forced to stay the night over. Throw in a sultry air-head, a deranged red indian (aaron in his most memorable performance since Basil Fawlty) and some ghosts and you'll get a most entertaining production.

The play is filled with risque jokes and enough innuendoes to make even me blush. I'd say its a refreshing change somewhat :)

Overall, i loved it. Hopefully we'll see more plays like this in the future productions of KYUEM PLAYERS.

I give it a 4 out of 5. :)

an update. for real.

2005-01-02T22:14:00.000+08:00

Yes, I am still alive. Albeit just barely. heh. Thank you to everyone who has smacked me upside the head asking for updates. Well, its the holidays people. Don't tell me you still want to read about the college now?!? Come on, like get a life.

KIDDING! I bet everyone's missing college so badly. Can't wait to get back to good old Lembah Beringin, eh? What with our Uni application results waiting; Our November A-level grades around the corner; and medic interviews all ready to knock the lights out of our future doctors. ;)

Yes, its is a new year. And with it, comes a new SONG for our college. Thats right, a new SONG for our college. Can't believe it ? Then let me say it again : a new SONG for our college!

Well, okay. It's more like a digitally remastered uber uncool techno version. Like how Don Mclean's American Pie was covered by Madonna. Only worse.

But more on that later. First, I've got to do an official summary of the June-Nov 2004 Semester :)
------

july
13 induction week and some sponsor-based parties.
august
1 sunway physics trip 2 islamic aspiration week 14 alumni weekend 20 cultural performance september
1 interhouse debate 11 chess invitational 17 british high commisioner visit 25 evening with topaz
october
3 KMB friendly match 3 mooncake festival 4 health awareness week
november
11 deepavali dinner XX the UEM buka puasa 24 swimming gala 25 hari raya open house 26 drama "laughter in the dark"

------

Now for the official commentary on the last few weeks of college. Let's see, there was the swimming gala. Which was actually just a smaller scale gala. Can't even be considered a gala. More like a little Swimming picnic. Heck, there wasn't even much swimming involved.

Water polo dominated most of the game period. And it wasn't even water polo by the rules. Then again, nobody really knew the rules. Not even the referee. ;)

The other events were some marble collecting race and row-your-butt-in-a-lifesaver-to-the-end-and-back game. Which was actually pretty fun.

Naturally, there was a seperate session for boys and girls.

-----

The HARI RAYA OPEN HOUSE is actually a combination of the semester dinner + hari raya celebrations (u-duh.) Suffice to say, it was "very much better" than last year's effort. (sorry dear seniors. hehe). But there is a story behind all that effort. It is not a happy story. It is a sad one. A depressing tear-jerking heart-wrenching struggle of the little guys (us the sc) against the evil forces of THE COLLEGE MANAGEMENT (echo: THE COLLEGE MANAGEMENT!).

Here's how it went: At first, our "BIG IDEA" was a grand finale for the year. A closing of 2004, exams, Hari Raya and out SC tenure, right? Naturally something as big as this ought to be held in the Great Hall. Plus, considering we DIDN'T have a great hall dinner like last year. (The UEM buka puasa dinner was a dissapointment. Dining Hall. Nothing Special. We even had to queue up for our food. No performance. Not even a speech by our new UEM bigshot.)

Then, the first snag : No Great Hall. The College Management (TCM) said it was because of the Exams (but the last paper was on the day before!) Then TCM said it was because of the Drama (Which Mr Cranwell denied. Besides it was on the DAY AFTER!). TCM told us to organise it in the Dining Hall. Considering we were still having our exams then, arguing with them didn't seem like a very productive idea. So we relented.

Second Snag : The Dining Hall people (led by the mario-lookalike Abg Zul) refuses to serve the food. He says that he's understaffed. We were upset. And we knew the whole student population would be too. I mean, would you want to dress up in your spanking new raya clothes only to queue up for an hour to get your food? NO WAY. Plus, this would seriously cripple the atmosphere of the event, not to mention the programme. This time we argued, and Mr Mario said "ok, but find your own caterers." And we did.

Third Snag : This event wasn't bugdeted for. The semester dinner was (slightly above average food. an extra dish or so. and that's it) but a Hari Raya celebrations wasn't. Why? because they didn't think we'd organise an event for Hari Raya. Didn't see it coming they said. We went WTF? (whiskey tango foxtrot) You mean to say a college that organizes super-productive calendar meetings every other week to plan and revise events made a silly mistake? the same college that emphasises Islamic values forgot the one most popular Islamic holiday in the country? we were astonished. No, no, we were dumbfounded. well, you get the idea.

Fourth Snag : We came up with our own caterer. Then suddenly, Mr Mario says that he wont allow it. Yes, you can guess our reaction (waste treatment facility?). He says that he can't allow the students being at risk of food poisoning at the hands of unaqcuainted caterers. I guess poisoning students is HIS job (Yes, there was a case where a majority of the non muslim students had a bad case of diahorea from having lunch. Apparently the lunch was a reserving of sahur food. And not to forget the incident where a student found a maggot in his chicken. When he complained, he was just told to get another chicken. The nerve!). Anyway, so we told him that we'll do the serving ourselves. The first excuse he gave was that "we students would get it all wrong like not putting the correct number of servings on the table and stuff." What kind of idiots does he think he's dealing with anyway? THEN his SECOND excuse was that they didnt have enough plates to serve all of us. How ridiculous is that ? For a college that's planning to take MORE and MORE students, that's pretty silly, even by his standards. I mean, geez.

(pause for breath.)

I bet you're pretty tired of hearing me complain. I'm pretty tired of complaining. To cut a long story short, we argued with tears to make that night as special as we could. With some help from Puan Rog of course (hey, she's not as bad as you think she is.) Abg Mario-Zul conceded, the budget was approved, and whatever second thoughts we had about joining the SC almost a year ago vanished when we saw all the happy faces of our friends at the dinner.

no, seriously.

I guess these are the little things that really matter. =)

NEXT UP => a review of "Laughter in the Dark".

updates updates !

2004-12-06T21:31:00.000+08:00

they're coming soon. don't worry. a bit tied up now i am.

want to hear about the new college song? heh. stay tuned. :)

time flies.

2004-11-16T18:29:00.000+08:00

forgive the oh-so-obvious entry title. Its just that I haven't been updating as I should and yet so much has happened that I fear I may miss out some notable events. Forgive me if I do :)

Heading back to college in a few hours. Had our raya break. Not much of a raya considering most of us still have our AS exam papers to deal with upon returning back to the valley. A majority will be taking Physics paper 2 on Thursday with the mostly medic bunch taking Biology and Chemistry hereafter.

We've been having dinners upon dinners during the past month or so. It started with the UEM BUKA PUASA. It was us students, some teachers and UEM bigshots hauled up in the dining hall with some extra nice food. No speeches. No performances. Nothing like last year's grander event. What happened ? Probably the college has realised that Ramadhan should be a time to be moderate and have long changed their wasteful ways. (wishful thinking! haha.)

Then there was the House-specific dinners where each house would book a particular day and would occupy a particular niche in the DH to have a gathering-cum-breakfast together. How sweet.

The last one we had was the Deepavali Dinner which was by far the grandest dinner this side of Ramadhan =) way to go Indian Cultural Club :) plus, they had tosai, which is a rarity if you happen to live at the edge of the civilised world. yum yum.

-----

We're nearing the end of the semester (wow. already?) and still no sign of veritas. hmm. What are the junior editorial board doing ?

Hehe. I don't blame them. We seniors who're in charge of the Yearbook (which is a million times more important than that silly ol' tabloid still) haven't come up with anything substantial.

Oh well. What can we say? AS exams! sigh.

A day without light is like, well, night.

2004-10-29T20:18:00.000+08:00

Darkness enveloped the college last Sunday. It was by far the longest (4 hours +) blackout in recent memory. And it was raining heavily too, greatly augmenting the post-apocalyptic effect.

Conveniently started right before Maghrib (and the subsequent fastbreaking) all the way till near midnight.

Dinner was a romantic affair, with tables illuminated by little red candles and the odd car headlights from the dining hall kitchen. The most interesting bit was when groups of people decided to loiter about the acad blocks after dinner, enjoying the cool breeze, playing with their eveready powered torchlights and listening to the meditative pitter-patter of the last surviving raindrops.

Of course, with the lights gone, the guards had a harder time of monitoring the students' nocturnal activities. Which is worrisome considering the escalating reports of students involved with the notorious 'Couples' (in the words of Saruman, "I'm not referring to a pair of forces of equal magnitude acting in parallel but opposite directions"). Petty things aside, what was even worrisome was the AS Thinking Skills paper the next day and the aforementioned Oxford interview. With the power out, how were these students going to revise? *sob* *sob*. (if you must know, they didn't. since they couldn't. Some lucky kl-dwelling buggers actually went back home because of it. sissies. heh.)

Reports later showed that the blackout extended all the way to Kampung Kubu Baru (wherever that is).

After that major power failure, there was only one other blackout, but it was just a brief lapse no longer than a minute on Tuesday. So far, its bright lights all the way now.

Oxbridge hopefuls.

2004-10-29T19:53:00.000+08:00

Two weeks ago, on Thursday, the halls of KYUEM were graced by the arrival of dignitaries from one of the more distinguished palaces of academia, Cambridge.

They were here to interview 20+ hopeful applicants for a variety of courses: mostly medics, engineers, maths, econs and law (in that order).

There were four interviewers, the most notorious one being Dr. Nava (famed for having made someone cry last year. Someone from this college.)

Maybe it was the Mr. Small hospitality, or maybe it was the dining hall lunch, but luckily the interviews went suprisingly well according to the survivors. (a good interview is where no one comes out crying.)

According to Mr. Small, the interviewers commented that they enjoyed the sessions with the students here. That's got to be a good sign, right ?

Looks like we're probably going to have to erect more pedestals for the lucky ones who get in.

-----

The Oxford interviews weren't as exciting. What do you expect from an interview centre dubiously named Quality Hotel. (of course, to its credit, the place is reasonably beautiful, and a few minutes walk from Sogo) To those that remember, yes it was the same hotel that served our royal guest last semester. The lunch with the embarrasingly ungraceful cutlery use. ;)

This interview was also much smaller, with only 7 bold applicants hailing from this college (1 medic, 1 maths, 2 engine, 3 econs).

-----

Not satisfied with torturing us with interviews, the great brains of Oxbridge have also decided to break our will with extra tests. The Thinking Skills Assessment was unleashed upon all Cambridge-applying engineers last Saturday at Sunway College. The Maths and Econs people were handed their equivalent subject papers then too. Their Oxford counterparts have their own tests or essays later on.

AS for the Medics, they will be sitting for the BMAT paper next week. Horrors!

All in all, the results will be known by mid-December, early January. Ah, they just won't stop torturing us.

Fiddling with Fidelity.

2004-10-19T15:18:00.000+08:00

The Wi-Fi craze is back. Well, its been back for quite a bit now. All chalet computers now come refurbished with a wi-fi network card (that queer looking rubber antaenna behind your cpu).

Actual internet connection is, however, optional.

For those lucky enough to be blessed with net (that all-important link to civilisation) they have found that despite the wonders of 21st century technology, the wi-fi still adopts certain characteristics of its ARPANET predecessor : The occasional annoying downtimes. The downtimes are occasional, but the annoyance, all the time.

The IT department claims that in time, the connection will be fully operational. They're just fixing a few bugs here and there.

Right. The biggest bug, I believe, is the one buzzing in the IT Exec's room. Don't mind me though, I just don't like insects very much.

On a slightly more joyous mood, I just remembered the URL for the College temporary website.
-> www.kyuem.edu.my/tempsite <-

Go on, give it a click. I know you want to.

as i was saying.

2004-10-15T07:06:00.000+08:00

Sapphire has their own website.

http://sapphirekyuem.cjb.net/

See? told you they're moving up. At light speed. :)

-----

BTW, there was yet another literature trip to the Actor's Studio, Bangsar today (Lit + Mr Fellender = the coolest thing to ever hit the college. Yes, even better than Western Wednesdays.)

We watched Life ... sdn bhd 2 and wow. It was really really funny :) I totally agree with their tagline "If you don’t see another play this year, you must not miss LIFE... SDN BHD 2". So true! Perhaps it was a trip OUT of college, but I haven't had this much fun since, well, the last literature trip. Heh. ;)

But, my point is really, that on the way back (at the infamous Sungai Buloh stop), one of the juniors following us (actually the only junior) was stopped by a bunch of people. They asked whether she was from KMYS. To which she answered in the affirmative. Then they asked whether she knew Pn Ain. To which she answered in the negative.

Two things struck me. Do we KYUEM-ians (bloody toungetwister.) project a certain instantly recognizable vibe? Is it the been-too-long-in-the-jungle look that is so positively a college thing? Or are they just psychics?

(logically, they probably saw mr. fellender with us, but that conclusion is not as interesting as the jungle-look theory. heh. )

Second thing. How can a current student not know Pn Ain. This is embarrasing. Admittedly I sometimes (still) get confused between Pn Ain and Pn Shiela and Pn Ju. But at least I know they're there. And they're our teachers. Lovely teachers.

Perhaps we should have a Teacher Awareness Week. =)

big shoes to fill.

2004-10-14T10:13:00.000+08:00

Sometimes, I wonder whether the current students of KYUEM will ever live up to the expectations put on us by the teachers and the ALUMNI.

I worry that we'll never live up to their legacy. That we'll never be momentous enough to fill their shoes.

Sometimes I worry that we just don't care enough.

-----

Perhaps its just pre-exam stress, but things are in dissaray. Nevermind that the Great Topaz house is in decline. Or that people are taking out books from the RC without registering them. (Personally I do not doubt this ever happening before, but the fact that the staff are actually checking every book that is taken out goes to show the trust they place in the students.)

Mr. J (housemaster of Topaz) has been widely dissapointed in the performance of the Topaz members to a point where he canceled a house meeting because he feels that "the students don't have enough commitment."

A consolation would be the ray of light that shines forth from Sapphire House. Arguably, after a sweeping victory of the IAW (Islamic Aspiration Week), they've been on a a winning streak ever since. A statement from Veritas Induction Week Edition ( college newsletter, or tabloid really) could possibly explain their sudden meteoric rise : "... Sapphire hardly pools its great resources...". I guess they were out to prove the writer wrong. OR the current team of Housecaptains Izza-Azrin have a very very good future in human resource management.

As per Garnet and Diamond, they too are gaining prominence but not as obvious as Sapphire. Topaz was actually second in last week's Mini Marathon but nobody remembers second places.
And, I digress, despite being of a higher quality (resolution and artistic wise), most people were of the opinion that the previous year's movies were more substantial in their impact.

With SC and House elections coming next year, some teachers already worry that there is no obvious choice for SC President among the juniors. Heck, they claim that there even isn't any probable short list. This, they cite, is a far cry from the times of Black (play imperial march.mp3) and Nik Nazmi (he's running for King's NUS rep. Good luck Nik!) where the words SC PRESIDENT were printed on their foreheads since they stepped into college. Heh.

Well, anyhoo, its the Ramadhan Break now. A 3 day weekend. College is half-empty (or half-full or twice bigger than it need be. pessimist, optimist and engineer respectively.).

Happy fasting all!

p/s : The association formerly known as AKMATYS has a new website. Here. There's lotsa links to SUPER (to the power of n) seniors' blogs etc.

p/p/s : As for our own college website, it should be www.kyuem.edu.my but is currently under construction. Saw the testsite (but I forgot the URL! argh.) and it was alright. For a college website. :)

eat well. keep fit. die anyway.

2004-10-10T19:15:00.000+08:00

After a really long and horrible 7 days, students of KYUEM released a collective sigh to mark the end of the HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK 2004.

The event, which had a happy cat for a mascot, saw many activities lined up almost everyday just to make our hard-working students busier than they already are.

Week-long activities included the notorious "healthier" food in the Dining Hall, where salt, sugar and all other anti-health things were kept at a minimum. For some reason oil never made the list. In fact, the chicken and beef slices seemed to be drowning in that stuff as opposed to just wading as they usually do.

Then there was the daily quiz and exhibition, which included, among other things, health issues.

On Tuesday our college was visited by Dr Ismail Mohammed, who gave a speech on "Youth Health and Nation Building".

Wednesday and Thursday was the 3 on 3 basketball. The futsal-on-the-field was held on Friday and Saturday.

Also on Wednesday, MUSCOM organized a blood donation drive. In the great hall. Unfortunately, the air-conditioning still had not been fixed (since the Mock Exams!) thus probably ensuring the donators lost as much sweat as their blood. heh.

On Thursday, the Student Council dedicated cereal boxes to every chalet. Yes, for free. Why? Because we care. We do. :)

Friday, during assembly (the air-con was finally healthy again.), we showcased the entrees for the interhouse health-themed movie competition. The judging was done by 4 Sc members (one from each house), Pn Rog and Abang Lan. Topaz was adjudged the best movie (again), Diamond (which I personally thought should've won) second, followed by Sapphire and Garnet.

Topaz, Sapphire and Garnet touched on obesity (with similar themes: fat boy likes girl, loses weight and either dies, grows thinner or fails exams.)

Diamond outshone the others because their movie was about mental depression. There were two characters; an optimist and a pessimist, and how they go through life in college. It is by far the most impressive movie i've seen made in this college. Way to go, Diamond. =)

Prizes for the quizes were also given out during assembly. Besides the normal hampers and cash prize money, the winners also walked away with return tickets to Midvalley and/or Tanjung Malim courtesy of Student Services. =)

Then Sunday, the supposed highlight of the Week, was the Mini Marathon. It was 7 km of tarmac and muddy trail. Roughly 65% of the students participated in this uber-exciting activity. Although most would just prefer to be martials (sit in one place and jot down the participants' numbers. no sweating involved.)

Sapphire won both Healthiest house (number of runners finishing the race with the earliest times) and Most Participative House (number of runners. hum. duh.)

That's that really. A-levels begins this Thursday (or was it Wednesday?) with Chemistry AS practical. Time flies when you're having fun, eh?

The F word : Femininity.

2004-10-02T08:57:00.000+08:00

Garnet succesfully defended their title this year with a stellar performance from an all-junior cast against the more experienced 2/3 senior Sapphire team.

Garnet was comprised of CP director Abby, Iman and Hizami-Earl-Jones.
Sapphire fielded Dan (the junior), Izza and the great Aaron.

Not suprisingly, Aaron Singh, having lost miserably last year, came back with renewed gusto to win the coveted Best Speaker award. Not unlike Wilson Tay of last year.

While Sapphire was strong on style, delivery and composure; Garnet led with the points. The judges final decision was a 2-1.

As cliche as it is, last night was truly a heated debate. Literally. We were not blessed with the services of the Great Hall's airconditioning services as they were down since the mock exams.

We were only able to provide a meagre replacement in the form of table fans (about 20 of them) placed strategically around the hall.

Audience turnout? Better than last year. Much much. :)

Health Awareness Week starts Monday.

am still alive.

2004-09-30T10:29:00.000+08:00

And so is this blog.

The Inter-House Debate is coming to a close after three rounds.

First Round :
Motion : This House Believes in National Service
GARNET (won) V SAPPHIRE
TOPAZ (won) V DIAMOND

Second Round :
Motion : This House Disagrees with the Previledges Accorded to Oxford and Cambridge
GARNET (won) V TOPAZ
SAPPHIRE (won) V DIAMOND

Diamond was therefore out of the running for the finals. Garnet got in automatically. Both decided to cancel their debate.

Third Round :
Motion : This House Believes that the Monarchies are Still Relevant to The Modern World
SAPPHIRE (won) V TOPAZ

It was generally agreed that the third round saw the best in both teams and the "most interesting and well-argued debate I've ever judged" according to Dr Foord. Quite true.

This means that the Finals will see defending champions GARNET V SAPPHIRE with the motion :

THIS HOUSE PREFERS FEMININITY OVER FEMINISM.

The debate will be held tomorrow 1st October 9.00pm at the Great Hall. Don't miss it. :)

Entry Long Overdue.

2004-09-14T14:36:00.000+08:00

Boy. Its been one heck of a first week back from the holidays.

So much had to be done that this little blog was relegated to the bottom of my to-do list. And remained there for quite some time.

The main hurdle last week was the UCAS & Oxbridge forms deadline. You could see students congesting the ITlabs throughout the college printing (wasteful) copies of their Personal Statements. I was among the guilty.

The crazy thing was that we had to print our PS's directly onto the two-page UCAS forms. So piles and piles of sample runs were wasted. And not to mention the amount of printer ink.

But even with a thousand test prints, we observed that if a printing error occurs it ALWAYS happens on the REAL UCAS forms. Thus abiding truthfully to Murphy's Law.

Admittedly, the printer isn't the only cause of errors. One student had to fill up 4 UCAS forms before getting it right. Thus elevating Ms. Khasturi' s wrath to new heights. The poor lady. To think she's still recovering from an operation. Oxbridge applicants, you animals! The whole lot of you.

Glad its all over now. For us. Next come the onslaught of the Medics. Fortify your office, Ms. Khasturi.

Weekender Special.

2004-08-22T10:24:00.000+08:00

Its the mid-term holidays now. A two-week stretch of forseeable idleness, if anything.

And what's more, the Oxbridge applications are due three days after we come back, 8th September. At a time most crucial for fixing your sloppy personal statements, inquiring about problems with the UCAS form and the occasional meeting with your referees to influence their write-up of you, the holidays seem far from being godsent. Granted, the stress levels were rising back in the little valley, but two weeks is just two long! One week is more than what we need (although probably unassuming juniors would disagree). Then at least we have a week in college to prep up our applications.

Heck, we had only a one week break last year and nobody complained.

-----

Dedications have started again, thanks to the GreenThumb Club. They sure must be making lots of profit from those Cameron Highland roses. Won't be long before more like-minded groups jump on the bandwagon to get a piece of the pie. And knowing the students of KYUEM, most would encourage these enterpreuners with their fat scholarhships and undaunted spirit of giving. Merry X'mas.

Am I bitter? Well, until they come up with a singing telegram dedication, yeah, pretty much.

Heh. :)
-----

June A Level 2004 results ? It's official. We have 73 straight A's, slightly less than the 77 of last year but impressive nonetheless.

Congratulations Seniors!

Any surprises or upsets? Well, there supposedly was one student who scored straight U's. Don't ask me how, I never thought it was actually possible. I'm not even sure I believe it.

On a more pleasant note, all 5 Cambridge bound students cashed in their conditional offers with their string of straight A's. This piece of news, I wouldn't have believed it if it was any different. :)

-----

The Batch of 04/06's Cultural Performance 2004 ? Its over. 'twas held on the 20th of August and it was spectacular. Well, it was for the most part humourous, and full of "culture". It seems that they tried to put in as much "culture" as possible into every single scene. Thus, we ended up with 5 different dances in one scene (and one of the first scenes at that), one after the other. This scene was supposedly an international culture fair or something. Clever, very clever.

Entitled, "Allaedin and the Magic Lamp", it was a reinterpretation of the classic Disney's Aladdin, but set in China. Among the more memorable characters for me were Jaafar (played by a very deep-voiced junior); the lovely Princess Jasmine (played by a real-life "princess", no less.); the the All-Blacks inspired Javanese Pirates; the two genies three gargoyles and other magical creatures; the Siamese Prime Minister and an Indian Street Merchant (both played by the CP president himself, Mr. Joey)

But they were all good, really. The first thing we noticed was the backdrop. It was something. And the props. Wow. :)

So much hard work has been put in by the juniors to come up with last night's performance and I congratulate them.

In the words of Mdm Kat, the teacher advisor, "Your induction is over. You are now full-fledged members of the KYUEM community."

Overall, I really enjoyed myself. Brings back lots of memories of my own CP a year back. Which we still think is the best ever. The same way they would probably disagree. :)

Homecoming Revisited.

2004-08-17T23:33:00.001+08:00

They came, said: hi; hello; how are you?, and promptly left.

One minute its all good and nostalgic, the other, its already Monday. I guess time does fly when you're having fun. Sigh.

So the verdict on the Alumni Weekend ? A success. :)

Here's a summary of the many events held during the wonderful almost two whole days:

1) It was decided during the alumni's AGM by a two-thirds majority that the name AKMATYS be changed to AKYUEM (pronounced Aa-Qeoom) to coincide with the equally ugly new college name.

2) An alternative prospectus produced by UKEC was distibuted containing students' views of their own university, particularly to issues pertaining to Malaysian's students needs. These include the Malaysian Games Carnival, best places to get halal food and the many Malaysian Students Societies available.

3) Having met some of the super (super x n) seniors from the London universities, a majority of my batchmates have converted and shed their misconceptions (really?) of the many perils associated with big city life. In the same vein, a few others have either confirmed or retracted their decision to apply to Oxbridge. Thank you Seniors for the University Talk.

4) The students lost the Football match against the Alumni but got back their pride with a comfortable win in b-ball. The other matches that were played included Badminton, Netball and Table Tennis.

5) The Weekend culminated with the Alumni Dinner (of which the Student Council were invited, and subsequently felt out of place. But I guess we're probably going to be joining them next year anyway.) This is where the teachers and (ex-) students can sit down and catch up on old gossip. Like who's married and who received that first class degree. You know, things like that.

6) Speaking on marriage, 3 senior couples tied the knot on Saturday (which was why there weren't any activites on Saturday night.) And two of the couples had met here in this college. How sweet. :)

7) Did I mention I met some of the coolest seniors ? They came in all shapes and sizes; some spoke with funny accents, most had long hair (especially the guys) and almost all are top students in their respective varsities. There were great SC presidents, everlasting couples, certified geniuses and the odd troublemaker or two. All have been touched by this melting pot we call home (which others still adamantly refer to as KMYS.)
------

As I said earlier, it was a success. Kudos to AKMATYS (or rather, AKYUEM)! Thanks once again and hopefully we'll see you guys next year :)

Homecoming.

2004-08-15T01:03:00.000+08:00

AKMATYS (Alumni Kolej MATrikulasi Yayasan Satu/Saad) is holding their AGM later today. They are currently made up of 5 batches of ex-KMYS students and they meet up every year around this time in college. Talk about being homesick. :)

Besides the AGM, one of their other reasons for being here is the University Talk. Its where the presiding seniors of the college get "real info from real students in real time.". Its also one of the few instances where we humble pawns get to breathe the same air as the Demi-Gods and the Legends that we've been hearing so much about. There's too many to name right now (plus its past midnight and I can hardly recall any names. heh.)

They're staying at the Block F apartments. I'm there now. Its good to meet them. It really is.

-----

The IELTS was yesterday. It was a whole day of torture. Glad its over though. Say hello to free blocks. Yeah.

But for some reason, I do believe some will be resitting for their IELTS. It wasn't exactly easy this time around. *sigh*

BioHazard : Outbreak

2004-08-11T00:43:00.000+08:00

You may not have noticed, but there's some sort of chicken pox (or "Pox Ayaaim" as mr cranwell puts it) outbreak in college. At least 3 people I know have caught it and been sent home for a week (much to their delight.) since the semester started.

But it doesn't stop there. The aformentioned KYUEM male songbird, Aman, and Computer Whizz Mr Faez have both caught the measles and they both are currently on "forced vacations". The school apparently has a no-compromise policy about health issues. Not that we're complaining, of course :)

Seriously though, getting chicken pox, the measles (or any sickness for that matter) at this time is very risky. This week's the Alumni Weekend AND about 53 students are sitting for their IELTS this Saturday. Would be a great shame if they miss those.

Any band nine hopefuls ? most certainly. But then again, nine's a Holy Grail (another mr cranwel line). It all depends on your luck that day. Besides, does it really matter? Come on, does it REALLY REALLY matter?

(the answer should be no, but it sure would be nice to get one. hmm, yeah.)
-----

Last Sunday was the IAW closing ceremony. Sapphire bagged most of the prizes and (surprise, surprise) was adjudged the best house. As a point of interest, most of the Muscom members and both SC religious excos are from Sapphire. Of course, I'm not suggesting anything. Its just an interesting coincidence is all. :)

The Sapphire Nasyid group did an encore sans Aman (measles, remember?) as part of the closing ceremony. But even without Aman's great vocal presence, they still managed to put on quite a good show. Way to go Sapphire :)

-----

Another outbreak (and possibly a more fatal one) is the RESULT FEVER. For the uninitiated, the June 2004 A-Level Examination results are out. The slips will be officially handed out on the 19th this month, but if you're like the many that just can't stand the anxiety, send an email to mailto:examresults@kmys.edu.my with your ID, Full Name, Subject Code and Subject Name.

Good Luck, Comrades! =)

"What the hell was that?" -- mr jamal

2004-08-06T01:37:00.000+08:00

Just just now was the Male Nasyid competition. The Female's was yesterday night but boys aren't allowed entry because as we all (should) know, the female voice is an aurat. But i'm pretty sure we didn't miss much. Their nasyid show couldn't have outdone the male's as there are certain boundaries of dignity that I'm sure our girls would not lightly overstep.

Case in point : The Topaz Performance. It started out very very promising (They came on stage with the old candle-bearing trick). Excellent choice of songs and so was the execution. But well into the second song, the Great Joko came on stage and did a rap number. Somehow, the juxtaposition didn't quite work as had been hoped. Plus, his rap message didn't get across since his words were barely audible. Regrettable, yes but a worthy effort nonetheless.

Which warranted the "What the hell was that?" comment by Mr Jamal (referring to the Joko bit). Oh, the judges had a comment session after every performance ala Malaysian Idol. A very nice touch.

Topaz were third to come on after Diamond and Garnet, whom were mediocre to say the least. Well, to their credit, they were probably good, well above average, but the last two performances wiped out all memory of theirs.

Which brings me to the last group : Sapphire. They were superb. Yes, I'm actually typing this to be published. I just have to hand it to them, they stole the show. They even did a little sketch at the end which was really cute. Aman the lead singer (and probably the most prolific male songbird in the college) has just succesfully expanded his fan base.

And the icing on the cake (or the salt on the wound, depending on your house affiliation) was that 2 out of 3 judges said that they were the best performers that night. So much for anticipation for the results come Sunday night for the closing ceremony.

Heh. Again, congratulations Sapphire. :)

Revert to the VIRTUAL path.

2004-08-05T00:23:00.000+08:00

I am typing this on a metal bench outside my chalet in the Topaz compound.

The wonders of WiFi.

I am not kidding. We are now connected. Though its only a one month trial period according to the Bursar. Its amazing, it really is. Forgive the over-enthusiasm, but if you've been deprived of a quality connection from your room for about a few months or so, this is God-sent.

And with every other hallmark of college-life, I'm blogging this.

The people responsible for the WiFi installation have been seen around college (doing some research I suppose) since the first week of the new semester. One of those hub thingies is around the girl's chalets. Another one is in the Academic Block I think. Over here near the boys' side, if you tilt your computer the right way, you could still get very good signal strength. So it's not so bad.

Again, this is just a one month trial period. But I don't mind it one bit. :)

-----

This week is Islamic Aspiration Week (IAW), an event organised by MUSCOM to, well, increase the aspiration for Islam. I guess. heh. The whole week is packed with activities galore, from nasyid to talks to an elocution contest to mosque building. Everyday they will give out these little pamphlets that contain some info on Islam and other relevant stuff. The motto? Revert to the virtuous path. Funnily enough, the motto implies that we are not on the virtuous path. Of course, nobody would dare claim that he is ON the path, but it would be a bit more positive and encouraging to say Stay on the virtuous path, no? heh. In any case, they're doing a very good job. Especially last night's talk by Brother Shah which I found very enlightening :)

Ironically, just today, the third day of IAW, some students were shouted at by Mr K for straying from the virtuous path. Apparently they were still busy with basketball at 7.30 pm, half an hour after they were supposed to have stopped. What's worse, it was already Maghrib, and the Azan could be heard clearly from the surau. Shame on them! Tsk. Tsk.

------

Speaking of basketball, today's matches were Topaz vs Garnet and Sapphire vs Diamond for the boys. Topaz and Diamond won their respective matches. For the girls this time it was Garnet vs Topaz with the Garnet girls proving that they are the better team.

And so ends today's report. Before I sign off, I would just like to remind my dear readers (or to whomever who just happened to drop by) to take heed and revert to the virtuous path. Amen.

An everyday story of country folk.

2004-07-30T23:37:00.000+08:00

Life in the country is SO exciting. No I mean it.

Just last sunday, a student almost flew off a bus when the emergency door right next to him burst open. He wasn't injured, thankfully, but all his shopping goodies flew out.

This happened right after the bus driver got slightly lost on the way back to college from MidValley.

Its really these little gems that make life in Lembah Beringing that much more interesting.
-----

The OxBridge applicants had a little session with the principal some time last week. There are 30+ students applying for Cambridge as opposed to 5 for Oxford. All the best guys!

-----

Topaz had their house BBQ last Friday, Diamond's and Garnet's was tonight while Sapphire's having theirs this Sunday. These events are aimed at promoting a closer relationship between the housemembers etc. etc. yada yada. you know, the usual.

Also this Sunday, the Physics Department will be organizing an Educational Trip to Sunway Lagoon. Around 50 A2 students will be participating. Fysics = Phun. :D

-----
Last wednesday saw the start of the new inter-house basketball season with the first three matches: For the guys, Garnet vs Diamond and Sapphire vs Topaz. Diamond and Topaz won their respective matches. For the girls, there was only one match which Diamond won against Sapphire.

Here's more bball news. The INTEC team came over today for a friendly match. It was a good one. We put up a good fight. We always do. And we also always lose. Heh. Sorry guys!

On a positive note, there are lots of promising new talents among the juniors. This will ensure that we will always lose by only a small margin to any relatively decent team.

Another tradition to be upheld. Yeah.

-----
And the other notable news:

The Roteract Club of Bernam Valley will hold their installation high-tea tomorrow. At Melia Hotel, Jalan Imbi. 2.30 pm.

Last Monday the KYUEM Film Club had a screening of Priscillia, Queen of the Desert. The previous week; Trainspotting. Mr Cranwell's in charge so that explains the colourful choice of movies. :D

Lastly, the juniors are busy day and night with their Cultural Performance. As we don't have Bangsawan(the inter-house malay drama competition) this semester, their CP better be a good one since they now have a WHOLE MONTH to plan and execute it. Good Luck.

And here's where I reiterate that life in the country is indeed exciting. Cheerio.

The World's Greatest.

2004-07-26T16:28:00.000+08:00

Report on the Induction Week 2004 :

Batch of 2004/6

Total number of students : 217
Girls : 132
Boys : 85

JPA : 61
MARA : 50
Petronas : 28
KPM : 22
Private : 16
PNB : 13
YTN : 9
Telekom : 7
BNM : 6
RGSTF : 5

This figures are correct as of 23rd July 2004. (Well, NOW they are. Sorry about the earlier mistake.)
-----

Yeah. There's a lot of them. Medics amount to about 120-ish. But they're not all going to UK. Some medics are bound for IMU. Others Australia. And its not just the medics. The RGSTF (Renong Group Something Trust Fund?) scholars are all heading to Australia.

Which leads me to today's rant : Why the heck did the wonderful sponsors send their students here? Perhaps we can understand Renong doing it, since they sort of own the place, but IMU-bound JPA students? What with all the university talks, IELTS, UK-alumni coming back (mid-August) these kids will definitely feel left out. The place is filled to the brim as it is. We don't need anything else that could harm batch unity.

Oh, and so far one student quit. I guess he prefered form 6 to this place.

Bugger.

------

The World's Greatest - a reference to one of the songs used for the artistic appreciation activity. Its the one by R. Kelly. The other two were Bukan Kerna Nama by Ramli Sarip and the stalewart Standing in the Eyes of the World by Ella. The last one was specifically chosen by Mr Zaidi since he said it was one of the more meaningful songs last year. It certainly is.

To elaborate more on the induction week since my last post, I must say the juniors are really a handful. There's close to 50 more of them than the current senior batch. That means more groups and more members per group. But with greater numbers come greater variety. Which in their case is a good thing. A lot of students shone (read: hogged the mic) and we were quite impressed. But I'm sure there are a lot more in that 217-odd whom have yet to show their mettle.

The culmination of the whole program, Samurai was an unrivaled success (despite some trouble with the speaker early on). This time around, Mr. Zaidi merely assisted in the handling and handed the rite of story-telling to Aaron, my very good friend. No one else could've pulled it off as he had. That's right, Aaron, you did great. Lets hope that continues as another tradition. :)

Oh and some seniors, super-duper seniors and the mighty first batch (whom according to Pn Rog are already married and working.) came to witness the ceremony.

I guess it goes to show what a lasting impression this college has made on their hearts. May it do the same to us and the juniors to come.

uhm, yeah. :)

Saturday Blues.

2004-07-25T02:02:00.000+08:00

Saturdays are the best.

If I could choose any day of the week (during a stay in weekend), it would be Saturday. After the 12.30 pm imaginary last bell rings, we're practically free for the rest 1 and a half days. Eventhough arguably we have a whole 24-hours of freedom on Sundays, Saturdays are nicer because you don't feel rushed to do anything. It's the ultimate lazy day (or half day, if you must). Got that assignment to finish? Oh, we can do it on Sunday. Clothes need washing? Push it to Sunday. Clean up the room? Sunday.

There's that safety cushion you can rely on which makes Saturdays the coolest whereas when Sunday comes, you can't procastinate anymore since Monday is lurking around the corner. In fact, Sundays seem to be the day that time runs extra fast.

Especially if you're one of those Midvalley Mallrats. By the time you come back, it will already be 7.00 pm. Then you'd wish you hadn't gone. But, oh too late.

-----

Heh, anyway, there'll be three buses to Midvalley later today. According to our Welfare Exco, Capek, "Never in my entire career have I handled this many students. Those juniors. Tsk."

Can't blame them. Its their first weekend out. Well, enjoy yourselves. :)

Bonne Aniversaire

2004-07-23T16:21:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, 22nd July, was the first anniversary of the KYUEM batch of 2003/05. But for some reason, nobody really remembered except jia yi who put up a self-made note on the board. Then again, we are only going to have two anniversaries here anyway (if we're lucky.)

Three cheers for Jia Yi! :) To celebrate the occasion, the senior batch is organizing a get-together dinner for ourselves in the dining hall at 7.45 pm. We'll have cakes and a special treat by the dining hall staff. The only thing that will hopefully be missing is the juniors. heh.

-----

The juniors are probably going to celebrate their own milestone, that of surviving one week of classes in this college. After the induction, it has been quite a busy week, I must say. The juniors (official figures state that the current number is 217) can be found EVERYWHERE. They're at your favourite bench in the Saad Square, stalling the line in the dining hall, making the loud noises YOU should be making at night and taking all the attention of Mr B away from you (Well, that's actually a good thing). I know we're supposed to be one big happy family, but this is sibling rivalry to the nth degree. :)

Now I wonder whether our seniors (that's super-seniors to you brats. hehe) felt the same way about us? Can someone say K-A-R-M-A? hum.

-----

Today's Garnet assembly had two video presentations (and two performing musicians in the form of Grace Sr. and Beng2). Video one was by the Student Council summarising the events during the induction week, while Video two was the long-awaited forestalled KYSM Computer Club job attachment footage.

Personally I think Video 1 is nicer. (thank you, thank you.) Because it involves all the juniors, the accompanying song (Ella - Standing in the Eyes of the World) is more meaningful and it brings back memories to us seniors of our own induction program exactly a year ago.

*sigh*

So how was induction week? Well, it was fine. Actually it consisted mostly the same activites last year (and probably the year before that, and the year before that .. ). I guess the college held firm to the maxim "If it ain't broken, don't fix it." Heh.

-----

Tuan, Maz, Azizul and a couple of other seniors (again, super-seniors to the juniors.) came last night. It was nice seeing them again. Tuan gave a very inspirational speech in the Mussolla and it brought back memories of the junior years (or the good ol' days, as some have come to call it.)

Heh.

Having reached this far in the blog, you must be thinking that the seniors hate (too strong a word?) the juniors or something. On the contrary, we love them, we really do. Most of us just wished that we were in Diamond house, that's all. So that we can show the juniors just how much we love them. Hehe.

Didn't get that? You probably shouldn't. :)

First Night.

2004-07-14T08:19:00.000+08:00

Juniors came.

An estimate of their numbers are as follows :

Total students > 200
of that Girls = 120++ and Boys = 90++

This is by far the highest number of students ever taken in at one time. And because of that, some of the boys have to stay in block F (The staff apartments) due to unsufficient chalets.

The last time students stayed in block F was a couple of years back when the student body consisted of the Seniors, the January Juniors and the June Juniors, all at the same time. This system of two intakes per year was scrapped soon after.

-----

The juniors had a briefing after their registration, the introduction of houseparents and heads of departments. Then a briefing at the MPH.

The night activity was ice-breaking, handled by the facilitators. Lasted 'till 11.30 pm. *Yawn*.

Nik Nazmi and his fellow SC president of a different batch (whose name escapes me at the moment. heh.), came over last night and gave the juniors some pretty good advice about life in the college.

Oh, and the layout of the Specially-For-Juniors-VERITAS looks awesome. As always. Way to go, Fez! :)

Brace yourselves.

2004-07-13T01:55:00.000+08:00

The juniors are coming.

Later today. And boy, have we got things lined up for them :D

Click here to read about what what some of the juniors are thinking about the college. How some of them are so excited to get here.

It's cute, it really is. I just hope they won't be disappointed.

------

A special edition VERITAS will be published to coincide with the induction week. The printing hit a snag earlier today when the Bursar halted it. He wasn't happy about a few articles where the author used delicate sarcasm and humour which he was afraid "some people who aren't as opened mined cannot take". Whereas he was supposedly the epitome of open-mindedness. Yeah, sure.

Thanks to the presence of Mr Fellender, all things were solved in no time. Three cheers.

------

The SC, the HouseCapts and the MUSCOM (now collectively known as the Facilitators) are all busy with the induction week preperations. Let's hope it meets the objectives set (you know, the one about building a foundation for well-rounded students.. that old nutshell).

During the meeting yesterday, Mr Zaidi gave a very (very, very) touching speech about how this induction program is as much about us the facilitators as it is about welcoming the juniors. We as seniors should guide them for we have a hand in the formation of their batch almost as much as they themselves.

So yeah, good luck to all. And if you're a junior reading this, congratulations for making it here.

P/S : I know I should have a report up for the Student Dinner et al. It's coming. It's coming. :D

Otto - The Greek God of Football.

2004-07-05T05:23:00.000+08:00

I am writing this after witnessing arguably one of the more amazing (for the greeks at least) games of EURO 2004.

Amazing because it goes to show that in life, anything goes.

I remember the EURO fever in college towards the end of last semester. Thanks to the fully air-conditioned TV room that we have, students had the opportunity to stay awake until the early hours of the morning to catch their favourite team play and subsequently miss the morning classes.

Even if they were able to wake up, staying awake would've been another great struggle. The seniors didn't have a problem since they were practically just bumming around biding their time. Occasionaly coming out of their rooms
for meals, sports and the odd club farewell party.

For the juniors, well, having just finished their AS exams, they weren't in any particular mood to study. Who studies during the final week of the semester anyway?

Apparently, the teachers think we should, evident when Mr J (probably under strict orders from you-know-who) raided the boys' TV room and demanded that everyone go back to their chalets and get some sleep. His concern is really touching. Really.

Heh.

He said that we actually have a curfew in college. That's news to me.

In any case, at least there aren't any curfews during the hols.

One week to go till the New Semester.

Semester End Report Part 1

2004-07-01T22:23:00.000+08:00

I think I should apologise for this late entry. Yes, I should.

Sorry. heh.

Okay.

Nearing the end of the second week of a three-week semester holiday. And what should've been posted a long long time ago was the report on the (really-really packed) final week of the Semester.

Let's begin.

Friday, June 11th.
Final A-levels paper: Economics A2. Seniors came out of great hall, some emotionless, some dazed (and thankfully) most just chattering away. Exams may have been over, but there's still loads of packing to do. Some seniors were even going back that day, returning only for the Student Dinner or Awards Day. Weekend saw a very dead college. The SC were mostly decorating the hall for the College Dinner, some of the girls were busy preparing the cute seniors' gifts for the Student Dinner. (Yes, the were handmade my dearest seniors. Shows how much we love you. Future juniors take note!) Two buses left for midvalley on sunday.

Monday, June 14th.
College Dinner. Great Hall. 8.00 pm. Theme : Euro 2004. The hall was decorated into what could pass as a football field, with an authentic goal-post to boot (carried it all the way from the field, we did. Notice that there was only one goal post. Do you know how heavy the thing is?) Started with a unique, if not captivating footie skill display. Food was great. It was all balls that night. From the commentator style MC-ing (shelby and abu bakar attan respectively. only half-convincing though. the real abu apparently speaks mainly in BM.) to the dresscode (strictly informal. if there ever was one.) The highlights were games galore (dribbling, juggling, scoring-blindfolded-against-three-goalies, an interhouse FIFA computer competition). The prizes? Original football merchandise including the Official Replica Euro 2004 ball, the Roterio. Despite starting with a bang (or should we say a goal, compliments of the once-England international super-sub Mr Richard Small), it ended prematurely as there was hardly anyone left in the hall come prize-giving time. They were probably still hung-over by England's defeat to France that morning. Whatever the reason, that didn't stop the college from celebrating Student Dinner the next day.

Which will be covered in the next post along with the Play, Awards Day and whatever else that comes to mind.

Right now, I'm off to attempt those holiday assignments. (Unbelievable? Believe it.)

The Horizon Beckons.

2004-06-17T06:44:00.000+08:00

As I was on my way to the this morning, I caught a glimpse of the gleaming highway. Across the unlevel football field, over the outer fence and beyond a few trees, there it stood, the North-South Highway.

How beautiful it was.

And I was reminded of our mortality. Forgive my sad excuse for poetic musings, but don't you think it's oddly appropriate our college is situated right smack in the middle of nowhere, where the only way here is the highway and away from here is also trough the highway.

So the highway is kind of like life. The Highway of Life. Our college is just another pit stop along the grand road. Soon the seniors will make their way out. To continue on their journey. Make more stops along the way.

They will find that they will have to leave so many things behind. So much to miss. Too many to name.

To quote Tolkien, "The road goes ever on".

But we are not alone; there will be other people on the highway, going one way or the other. And it will certainly be hard for us to get lost; the highway is illuminated by electric stars and signs. They are our guide, but they only light our way. Should we choose to follow it, is entirely up to us.

Don't be too reckless on the highways. Accidents won't just harm you, they will also inconvenience others around you. Don't be too careful either. You may not be able to reach your destination before you run out of gas.

-----

And as I was on my way back, I took one last look at the horizon. The first streaks of light were shining trough and I knew that soon the college will receive young eager faces and here our paths will meet.

The Day Before Tomorrow is Today.

2004-06-08T11:59:00.001+08:00

The semester is wrapping up neatly. The seniors are enjoying their final week, ending it with a host of celebrations : The College Dinner (the one held in college), The Students' Dinner (the one held at Concorde Shah Alam) and finally The Awards Day (aka Graduation).

-----

As for the Juniors, we are celebrating too. To mark our survival of one-heck-of-a-year in KYUEM. We're also celebrating a transition to become Seniors. Finally.

-----

The College Dinner (Dinnertime, Monday, 14th June) will be themed Euro 2004. What's that? Click here to find out more! Heh. That means you go there dressed as a footballer, you know, jersey, jockstrap and whatever else footballers wear.

There are lots of prizes to be won, from t-shirts to footballs to souveniers! (and all original!)

Not that I'm trying to advertise the event, but if you're thinking of going back this weekend, do consider coming back by next Monday. Wouldn't want to miss out on the fun, right? RIGHT ? ;)

-----

The Student Dinner 2004 now has roughly 230 people going and counting. Tickets are still available, but probably only until the end of the week, so hurry!

I do realise that some people still question why we can't combine the two events (college and student dinner) since they have the same aim (to celebrate the memories, together).

Well, they did use to hold the college dinner outside, where everything was paid for (I think). Until they realised it cost too much, the staff were even charging the college for their transport (toll, petrol et al). So in the tradition of the great dictators, Mr Morris decreed that it should be held in college, and if the students want to partay outside, they would have to cough up their own funds.

Even when Mr Morris is no longer here, the cost of an outside dinner is still pretty dear.

And that is why you have to pay RM 55 for the Annual Dinner tickets. :)

But think about it RM 55 = Good food, Great Place and Gosh!, its OAG!

Don't miss out.

Out with the Old.

2004-06-01T23:32:00.000+08:00

Pak Ali has left the college.
One of the most prominent figures of the college (prominence based on the number of songs dedicated to them. Again, we have the Bataks to thank for). His contract ended and he didn't bother to renew it.

Oh Pak Ali. We are going to miss your little yellow post-its on our chalet doors, your gruff greetings of "Hello, hello! Ni aperr chalet bersepah ni", your careful measuring of our hairs during assembly.

There's no one quite like you. No one can scold us like you do. And arguably no one we take pleasure poking fun at (endearingly) more than you.

We know that under that tough no-nonsense exterior, you're really one of us. The things we do, the pranks we pull, the racket we make. We know deep down, you don't really mind. Because you are one of us.

You will be sorely missed.

-----

It's funny that they never announce anyone's going in this place. When Mr Evans left, there was no news, no notices, no farewells, nothing. One day he was there, and the next he was gone. He just left.

Similarly with Pak Ali. Most people still haven't a clue.

Maybe he was just eager on being rid of us. heh.
-----

Along with Pak Ali went the Old Pak Guards of the college. Now we have a bunch of New Pak Guards. Most of them are yound enough to be called Abang Guards. While the Old Pak Guards have always been very lenient (about us walking about in the early ours of the morning for example) these newbies seem a tad too enthusiastic with their jobs. But its still too early to say.

-----

Changes. Changes. Changes. A prelude to the Senior's graduation (and eventual passing into the realms of tertiary education) ?

"Change is not made without inconvenience, even from worse to better." -- Samuel Johnson

The worst is yet to come.

2004-05-26T17:03:00.000+08:00

The statistics paper's over. Which marks the end of the June A levels Examinations for some juniors.

For the seniors, there's still a lot more to plough trough, particularly the Further Maths paper which is incidently the last paper of the whole exams. 11 June. D-Day.

-----

The college is alive with stories of the Student Dinner 2004. Concorde Shah Alam. 8.30 pm. 15 June. RM 50 (add RM 5 if you're following the air-conditioned busses from school). Tickets available at Dotco, every Sunday to Friday.

Well, to be honest, its not really a prom. But if people fancy it as such, it's fine by me. At the very least, that'll boost ticket sales. hehe. Yeah. There's even an offer. Two tickets for only double the price of one.

-----

We finally had our hearing with the Bursar and the IT Exec. Concerning the Internet condition. Here's a summary:

1) The cause of the net downtime is (according to them) that the underground cables were unfit for external use. When they are exposed to the elements (Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Ether. If you're into ancient alchemy.) they become spoilt. Besides that its the oh-so-not-reliable hubs.

3) A team of IT experts will conduct a feasability study in our college for the switch to a wireless networking system.

2) The Bursarman has put up a proposal to have a new network system installed by the next semester. The project is expected to cost RM 350 000.

3) There will be a new IT committee meeting which will comprise of the two Welfare Excos (from the SC), a Computer Club member, a teacher from the Computing Department and it will be chaired by the IT Exec herself.

4) Our college website is expected to be up by, well soon. No dates were set, as the Board of Governers have yet to select the (best? and) lowest bidder for the project. All in the name of transparency and accountability.

5) The chalet computers will be upgraded next year.

Not bad for a first meeting. Now we're getting somewhere.

-----

On a side note, the MPH is again temporarily off-limits as it is currently under repair (having finished its upgrade two weeks ago.)

The root of the problem it seems is the not-quite-a-hairline crack under the new expensive soft rubbery floors. Apparently the contractors didn't do a very good job on the foundation. Luckily the thing's still under warranty. Still, it is quite a shame as we were getting used to the impact-absorbing international standard mats.

Oh, well.

The College isn't big enough for the both of us.

2004-05-18T16:18:00.000+08:00

Exam fever is running high. Have you caught it ?

The symptoms of severe infection (nerdius alevelingitis) include headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, and paralysis. It is estimated that approximately 1 in 150 persons infected with the virus will develop a more severe form of disease. Symptoms will generally last a few papers, although even some healthy people report having been sick for the whole exam month. Symptoms of severe disease may last several weeks, although neurological effects may be permanent.

Confused ? Go see the Matron or a Medic student near you.

-----

Dr Ikmal has been visiting the college quite often as of late. Word has it that he's not too happy about the pool and internet (or lack thereof).

Well, its ABOUT TIME.

Its been going on for ages. (The net at least.) The last time I brought it up with Puan Rog (The fact that some students complain that the sponsors paid for the pool and internet and they're not getting their money's worth) she fired back with a "Then I will tell the sponsors that these students have not been performing." Pretty mature reply eh?

-----

Speaking of firing, TERAS, the company that was supposed to set up our elearning system has gotten the boot. The college reportedly spent RM 30,000 on the project and its all down the drain.

Hah. ha-ha!

This isn't the first time the college has flushed large amounts of money down the toilet. But no one dares to question these things, especially not the teachers. Any noise coming from them that displeases the Admin, they'll be sent packing come contract renewal time.

A teacher shared his view on the Internet condition today. According to him, the IT Exec is being scrutinized for her work performance. It is said that her leave-taking is ranked amongst the highest in the college. Minimum 30 days a year, he said. I can't confirm this, but personally I wouldn't be surprised. Just hang around her office and you will hear mp3's blaring (maybe its just an IT thing.) and she'll be chatting away on messenger. And lets not forget her hourly morning breaks, from 9 to 10 am in the cafe.

The teacher attributed her work performance to the fact that she isn't married. He said, "Back in India, when a female elephant grows older, she must be paired of with a male elephant, otherwise she'll become crazy and cause trouble." Perhaps there is some truth in the wise sayings of ancient India.

He was joking of course. (or was he?)

-----

Alright folks. Enough with the surfing. Get back to your books. Now!

I can come up with a better title than this.

2004-05-15T23:07:00.000+08:00

Semester Exams are over! woo.

A levels has started, with History paper being history! Last wednesday! Lets hope History won't live up to its name and repeats! Haha LoL! a pun! a pun! *snort*

heh. Too cheerful for my own good.

-----

Something I've always wanted to discuss : Birthdays.
It seems a tradition in boarding schools everywhere (correct me if I'm wrong) to seriously give the birthday person the royal treatment (usually with eggs, or flour or coke or all three.). An altogether delicious affair.

But its really great to be bombed (besides the cleaning-up part. But thank God we have the super efficient laundry service.) It makes you feel loved. It makes you feel accepted. And it ensures that the tradition is kept alive for you will surely return the favour to your friends when the time comes. Isn't life beautiful ?

-----

Moving on, the net hasn't shown any improvements over the past week or so. In fact, I have a feeling its getting worse. Despite all the promises made by the Big B. The Bursar, not Mr. B (who is the OTHER Big B. Oh there's also the IT Executive who's the third Big B. But her B stands for something far more insulting.)

-----

The IELTS writing, reading, listening mocks were today. The MUET speaking is next week. A level exams are till next month. The net problem will be fixed like, never. Optimistic aren't we?

Good luck and God bless.

happy sixth birthday.

2004-05-10T19:55:00.000+08:00

Our college is six. SIX!
The birthday bash was on saturday night and turnout was superb. It wasn't surprising because we withheld their dinner and only served it at 8 as part of the birthday celebrations. Cunning, aren't we? ;)

Jokes aside, I think people really enjoyed themselves that night. Saad square was just alive with people. And not to forget tha bands, especially the Seniors Ensemble who really captivated us that night. I think its because they're about to leave, that they start to miss this place already. The love that they have for the college, its infectious.

-----

The food wasn't bad, but that wasn't the point of the whole fiesta. It was to celebrate this college, now six, reputable for its high achievers and well-rounded students.

To quote the little movie for the occasion (every college activity warrants a movie nowadays, thanks to last year's SC and Tree-Studio), "The College by itself is just a building. Our teachers, our friends: We make it come alive."

The footage showed pictures of the school from 1997 when it was still under construction. It all began as Tan Sri Wira Halim Saad's tribute to his father. So much love from a son.

Then the scenes changed by the years. Our extablishment as Kolej Matrikulasi Yayasan Saad in 1998, then to Kolej Matrikulasi Yayasan Satu in 2001. Now we're Kolej Yayasan UEM. With a new logo to boot.

I think whatever we're called, whomever pays our bills, the college really really belongs to the students. Past, present and future.

Its times like these that make me feel extra lucky to be studying here. *sigh*

"What potent blood hath modest May." --ralph w. emerson

2004-05-06T20:45:00.000+08:00

4 groups. 3 days. 2 peaks. 1 heck of a journey.

Thus is the summary of the DoE Second Silver Expedition Training held last weekend.

Oh, and we're all pretty much back in our own respective singular pieces. Nothing much happened besides this being a much much easier route. Plus we hardly walked on the first day as the bus broke down on the way up. (This should've meant a longer route, but Mr. Hanson and gang were nice enough to chauffer us all the way to the campsite. Which in another stroke of bad luck, wasn't booked for us. So we camped on some nice patch of grass outside the main camp area.)

Nevertheless, it was much more fun than the last one. Yep, most definitely.

-----

The mock IELTS Speaking section starts this week, which means no English classes. Oh what joy!

-----

Everyone seems to be having parties nowadays. Marking the end of the semester. Marking their last formal club meeting. A chance for reconciliation. A chance for the juniors to say their final goodbyes to seniors. A chance to eat and be merry. For the exams are upon us.

Just today The Greenthumbers had their barbeque. And no it wasn't strictly vegeterian. I guess having planted all those vegetation, the last thing they'd do is eat them. heh.

-----

Speaking of parties, the Student Council is organizing a Teacher's Day Celebration tomorrow during assembly. We're expecting neat performances from some very very talented teachers and students (well, a least we hope they're talented!). Besides that, there will be a video presentation of excerpts from interviews with teachers. You'd be surprised at how the same english teachers who expect nothing short of a band 8 for the IELTS speaking test perform in spontaneity.

But we cut out most of the ugly bits as we wouldn't want to embarrass any teachers. Especially not on Teacher's Day.

heh.

-----

A curious little notice board was just put up the other day in front of the admin. The header read TENDERS . All the tenders that the school receives will be put up there I suppose. *Gasp* Could this actually be a move towards transparency? Hmm. Why all of a sudden? Could the Bursar actually be cracking under all that pressure. hah. ha-ha!

-----

Get your discount beverages from MoKHa Cafe!

The four day weekend and then some.

2004-04-30T07:54:00.000+08:00

Saturday is going to be a Holiday. Sunday has always been. And by virtue of Saturday and Sunday being holidays, some really nice people decided to throw in Monday and Tuesday for good measure.

I guess things are looking up.

------

Hardly sore about the subject of the previous entry. Heh. ANYWAY, Garnet's Evening last week was pretty good, despite the fact that the turnout wasn't as satisfactory as Sapphire's last semester. Garnet did an excellent job with the decor and activities. Congratulations Garnetors! :)

------

MABECS came today, giving a brief but informative lecture on Oxford and Cambridge (or collectively known as Oxbridge.) Looks like lotsa people are applying this year. That's good, right ?

------

Oh, by the way, about the New College Logo. I have here my own copy of it, based on memory. That means its not 100% accurate, but it'll do. I think. Check it out.

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The second leg of the DoE silver expedition under Mr. Hanson starts today at 12.30. Lets hope I make it back alive to bring you more updates about this college. But just in case I don't; Here are some things to look forward to :

1) Today's assembly where there'll be a presentation on the Computing Job attachment in KYS
2) College Birthday celebrations.
3) Semester Exams
4) Teacher's Day celebrations.
5) Sports Carnival.
6) MUET Speaking Test
7) Annual Dinner
8) Drama King Henry 10th
9) Student Dinner
10) End of Semester Holidays.

While this is not a comprehensive list, it at least highlights the important ones that I do remember (and I usually only remember important things. I think.)

Having said that, it appears I've forgotten to put in A LEVEL EXAMS which is a mere 12 days away. Best song for the occasion : Muse's Time is running out.

My College.

2004-04-29T19:46:00.000+08:00

My college is a place where there is freedom of speech.

My college is where the community gets along well together.

My college is where the students have an equal say in the running of things.

Ah, wishful thinking.

-----

Many by now would have heard of the Shout Out - Shout Back incident. It all began when the secretaryman, moi, replied (Shout Back) on the SC notice board to his fellow students' complaints (Shout Out). In merely doing his responsibility (addressing the student's complaints/suggestions/opinions), he inadvertently irked some fellows in the administration by his perceived convictions (or according to them, his accusations.).

This is the controversial paragraph :

"...Ladies and Gentlemen, the College is not as rich as you think. It’s so important that I get it through you I have to say it again, THE COLLEGE IS NOT AS RICH AS YOU THINK. We just barely get by. To be honest, I don’t know where all the money went, be it somebody siphoning money out of the college, overspending on certain BIG projects like a second water tank which is USELESS, big fat pay checks for executives, sky high electricity bills, mishandling of accounts, I don’t know, we’re just not very rich right now. ... Sure we have a right to demand for certain things. But we cannot bombard the admin with an endless list of demands. We need to distinguish between what we NEED and what we WANT. What is necessary and what is a luxury." Click here for the full version.

Now, the reason that they were ticked off so much is not because I made these "accusations" (which I deny. Come on. Have they ever heard of the delicate skill called sarcasm?) but because there exists some degree of truth in them. There have been official complaints and investigations on the dealings of the Bursar (fat. ugly. thinks he runs the college.). So the things I just made up as I was thinking of ridiculous destinations of the college's money were actually (to a certain extent) true. Well, pardon me for not knowing. SO SORRY.

The outcome, I was censored (Pn Rog personally took down the shoutback) and I (along with Zawawi and Akmal, pres and vicepres respectively) had a little session with the Bursar where he explained not without excessive smiling what a nice guy he is. Hah.

-----

All the shoutouts (little column on the notice board where the students post their various complaints) came down with the Shoutback. They didn't "make any sensitive accusations". So why did they come down?

Apparently Pn Rog isn't too happy that the students are complaining so much about the Administration's (Wardens, IT services, Student Services, Dining Hall) lack of commitment and incompetence. It makes them look bad, she said. When they look bad, their superiors don't give them high marks and they don't get their monthly bonus for a job well done.

EXCUSE ME ? If they're not doing their jobs, then they don't deserve the bonuses. Aha! So, THAT'S where all the money went.

Geez. What the HeLL is wrong with this place?

I say keep the Shoutouts coming. If the complaint is justified, keep posting 'em. You're fighting the good fight.

-----

Being an SC is a thankless job.

Open your eyes.

2004-04-23T19:11:00.000+08:00

A new chapter has turned in the history of KYUEM. Ladies and Gentlemen, I am proud to announce the new college logo. While I don't have a picture of it, I can at least describe it.

Its a sketch of a book. Dark blue in colour. With the words KOLEJ YAYASAN UEM under it. Can't say I hate it, just need a lil' getting used to is all.

The new logo was presented in today's assembly. This description was displayed beside it :

Design Rationale

An open book.
An open door.
A gateway to knowledge.
This modernistic logo simplified the 'open' concept and is minimalistic in nature.

-----

Tomorrow the juniors are sitting for their MUET test.
The papers tomorrow will comprise of the listening, writing and reading segments.
The speaking segment will be held later in May.

So tomorrow will be like a pretty long english class. Nothing new. All english classes seem to go on forever anyway.

-----

And tomorrow night's Evening With Garnet, themed Spooky and Hilarious. A wonderful way to wind down after a day's worth of tests.

Boo!

The two month stretch.

2004-04-19T16:09:00.000+08:00

Day one of college begins with nothing new. Semester exams are 3 weeks away. A levels exams are the the week after. The pool's closed because there's no water in it. To quote (and paraphrase) the notice, "the Bursar's not sure when he can fix that". Man, This is one major water-retention problem.

Its overheard that the college wants to do some maintenance to the pool but doesn't want to foot the bill. I don't know what kind of policy the college advocates, but back where I come from its the person who calls for the service who pays.

Looks like the much-hyped swimming gala will be postponed. It'll be hard to organise it later due to the exams. All our hopes have sunk. In an empty pool.

Sigh.

A college away from college.

2004-04-17T07:27:00.000+08:00

Here I am (or actually, there I was, since I'm back now.) in our ex-sister school Kolej Yayasan Saad, Melaka (KYSM) . Yeah, you know, the school we used to share a name with right until they decided to give us away for adoption. Seems we were too much to handle. Only financially. I hope.

Physically, the school is larger and more s p a c i o u s. It takes longer to walk from one end to the other. They have much much better facilities. Like a 300m swimming pool. According to a newspaper clipping that they prominently display in the foyer, the pool is the only one in a secondary school in South East Asia.

They also have a fully equipped music room. Enough instruments to make up a whole orchestra. Which, incidentally, they do have. Very well known too, so I heard.

The college's education system is built on these five pillars : Academic, Character Development, Music, English, and Rugby.

Academic : From what I observed, they're really serious about that. Not enough for having school hours which begins at 7.40 up to 4.20 (longer than us, and they're JUST in secondary school! And they also have Saturday classes. So what are we complaining about?), they also have compulsory prep sessions (self-study in classrooms) every evening from 8 to 10.30 pm. No wonder they've been named the top school for SPM and PMR for a few years now.

Character Development : I think this translates to "Get a life". But I could be wrong. heh. Clubs/Societies, Visits to places etc.

Music : Watching MTV all day long. JUST KIDDING. They have music lessons fitted into the timetable. Or something like that.

English : Speaker's Corner, Workshops, a Veritas-like magazine called ARGUS.

Rugby : huh? yeah, I was pretty surprised as well. It doesn't seem to fit in with the other pillars. What's up with Rugby anyway? not everyone can play that game. Half the school population doesn't (it's a co-ed school, see.). They could've used Sports in general, what with the really long pool, squash courts, gym and nicely trimmed hockey field but NOOO, Rugby is THE sport to play. Could anyone be more prejudiced?

Someone mentioned that Rugby is a favourite pastime of Tan Sri Wira Halim Saad. (He's the school benefactor. Notice the similarity between his name and the school's? And he gets his own little bungalow in the school compound. Neat.) Great. So to produce future citizens who are really rich and successful (and earn or buy a few accolades in the process. "Tan Sri Wira". That's a really cool title. Kinda reminds me of the Commonwealth 98 mascot.) they've presumably decided to literally emulate every aspect of his childhood. That's for the boys.

What about the girls then? Oh, I guess they can emulate his wife. I'm just guessing here, but something tells me she doesn't play Rugby. Oh what's that? "Which wife?"? The one he married over the weekend in Singapore of course. Can't possibly be talking about the foreign ex-wife who took away his kids (and almost half his assets). Now, she, on the other hand, is definitely rough and rugby material. That's why they're in the scrum to begin with. Heh.

I'm digressing here. I personally have nothing against (Tan Sri Wira) Halim. I think he's a great guy who has some little problems. But then, who doesn't? I myself wouldn't want to politicise anything. The politicians are already doing a good job at that. Google him to find out more. Back to the topic on the college shall we?

The school population is around 290 students. That's about 60 students per batch. Of which, 10 per batch are non-bumiputeras. I have met some and would like to say that I am very impressed. Not only are they intelligent and accomplished, these students are far from being proud or snobbish. They're just polite and sweet and nice. Almost perfect. Even their ex-students whom I have for classmates now are of the same calibre. :)

KYS is a private school which provides free education. To get in, you have to go through a strenuous selection procedure. Past year statistics show that there are usually 66 students applying for 1 place. Good luck.

-----

What was I doing there in the first place? The computer club organised a job attachment with them. The whole Computer Club went (that's 5 members.) We fiddled around with some computers, wires, software and a 2 mega bytes per second line. For five days. While everyone else were fully utilising their time to revise and consolidate their notes in light of the ever-approaching A level examinations next month. Gulp!

The wisdom of the ages.

2004-04-09T09:51:00.000+08:00

I've been meaning to mention this for quite some time. About the life in college. That wonderful place we don't really want to call home.

Every facet of college life is shaped by our seniors and their seniors. (and their seniors before that, and their seniors before that . . . )

Like the houses. They only came into being for but a few years. Before this we had the now redundant amethyst and some other precious-stone-themed house. Many of the clubs we have were only recently formed. Just the other day at a Rotaract Conference I met one of the founders of our college's roteract, Sanjiv. He's in UTP now, president of Rotaract there. (how he ended up in UTP is another story; detailing the fragility of scholarships, rendering us to the whims of our sponsors). Not to forget some dead sites littering the net. I saw a Veritas website featuring an online edition.

Perhaps not just the large obvious things like clubs and constitutions that are significant, but also the little things; the urban legends, if you may. The Flabby Ricky song for instance. The story goes that someone knows a senior who knows a senior who's chaletmate was the famed very-convincing-impersonator in that song. And it follows that none of the Segerombolan Batak gang went overseas. Of course, I don't really believe it, but hey its legend. These guys have become legend.

And are very talented. I just love the Craig David's 7 days parody.

We shouldn't also forget the guy who almost scored full marks for a history paper. a history paper! 99 or something. Or one super-dee-duper senior who went to oxford for engineering who was a mensa member. Or the great 1 month long induction program. Or the fact that there used to be two inductions per year, one in january and the other in june. (and we actually had ragging then) Or that our seniors were not just sent to UK, but also to the US and Australia. And that SC president who was asked to step down, you know the one who had a lasting quarrel with our ex-principal Mr Morris. (But I hear, then, everybody had a quarrel with him)

Our college isn't that old, but a mere 6 or 7 years of existance has created such legends shows the capabilities of our students past and present. Think of the great limitless possibilities open to you. Go ahead, start that club you've always wanted. Make that song. Do what you love, and love what you do.

And leave your mark.

Uplandish Underground Undertaking.

2004-04-06T18:44:00.000+08:00

Battle of the Bands was a roaring success. Period.

Everything about it was purrrfect. The Bands were awesome. The technicals were accurate. The audience was lovely. And the MC's, boy were they cool or what. (heehee.)

A nod to the organizers Liza and Khalid for working their bums off for this. (Especially Khalid, who not only had a sore bum afterwards but also a sore throat, having screamed and shouted in fury during the ill-paced rehearsals.)

The victors were a senior band called NVB (no vision boys). An all black-outfit bunch that performed Swing-swing and Highway Star. And whose singer (the great Apu) looked totally in his scene. (Read: Crazy, Drunk and High). They really had showmanship; One of their guitarists came on stage with a huge ridiculous-but-no-doubt-very-hip wig. A real spectacle.

Second came an almost all-girl band called Bleach with the organizers Liza and Khalid on guitars. And our lovely SC Vice President Nadiahtaj on drums (who incidently won best musician. which not everyone found acceptable. way to go, taj!)

In third place was Ze Flying Walrus who performed an excellent rendition of Muse's Time is Running Out.

The other bands were very very good as well, like Bulat (the band formerly known as equinoxx; formerly known as WC) whose frontman won best vocals. Then there was the electrifying Pillow Fighters whose performance of Cake's I will survive, Stroke's 12.51 and Foo Fighter's Times Like These really won the crowd. Even their lead vocals looked and sounded sufficiently stoned for the part.

Oh, and then there was the staff band called The Real Stuff (Or wassit The Right Stuff?) made up of the Dining Hall crew. They were seriously very strong contenders, and probably would've won something if the majority of the judges understood any BM (Mr. Fellender, Mrs Parker's husband uhm Mr Parker, Mr Dant and two members of the specially invited Jeapordize band.)

The not-underground-not-yet-mainstream Jeapordize delighted us with two beauitiful songs whose names I can hardly remember. One of them was called My Girl I think. These guys are just oozing with potential. Look out for them in a record store near you. :)

-----

Housetrips should be over by now. Mine was enthralling. Glad I went. I hope everyone felt the same way. Enjoy the rest of your holidays. Or your time, in miserly frozen London. :D

News in Random.

2004-04-03T10:38:00.000+08:00

During the course of the week, The Taekwondo Club had its Upgrading Test (everyone passed, I think) and the Garnetors are preparing for their Evening With Garnet. The theme is spooky and hilarious. Its going to be held the week after we come back.

The Swimming Club will hold a Swimming Gala for the boys, on the wednesday also the week we come back. The girls' will be on wednesday the week after that.

Assembly was organized by Sapphire with a presentation by Mr Small. He urged all of us to adopt healthy scepticism. Hmm, suspicious, no?

Veritas finally came out. Caused a lot of fury, especially the Blackadder bit. He (Mr. Blackadder) had a sackful of ammo and he fired everywhere. The SC, the House committees and even the Rugby Invitational organizers. Even Pn. Rog's not too happy about it. Things like these can cause college disunity. I just hope people realise that Veritas and Blackadder are two totally separate entities. My poor editor, having to worry about the consequences. Supporting you all the way, Daya. :)

But otherwise its a nice bumper issue. Something to read if one gets bored in the coming two weeks. Speaking of which, today is the last day of college. Housetrips will begin today. Most houses are leaving this afternoon. Topaz is going to Cherating. Garnet too. Diamond to Langkawi and Sapphire to Pulau Kapas.

And I have to start packing.

You've gotta be kidding me.

2004-04-01T22:42:00.000+08:00

You fell for that? haha.

Maan. Seriously! How would I know where your entry statements are. Go look for them! Go! Shoo!

heh. well. click on the back button to return to the current post, bozo.

lol =)

Ladies and Gentleman, the Prince has left the building.

2004-03-31T13:28:00.001+08:00

One of the perks (or the drawbacks, to some) of being an SC member is that you get to know and see things firsthand in the college. The day before his royal arrival, the SC had to help with some final touches in the hall. And did it ever look more marvellous, the setting, the decor, the plants (pride of the greenthumbers.).

That night, people were still busy going about the place looking important. I wouldn't be surprised if they were combing the carpet the right way. I could see my reflection on the pink foyer tiles. They were that thorough.

The day finally came and I guess people were excited. Its not everyday that a prince tagged as the "most eligible bachelor" pays a visit. His visit started with a short presentation by Mr Small in the meeting room. This was followed by a royal tour of the college, visiting key places (of which I believe the chalets were excluded. For obvious reasons.). He was walking with Mr Small in front while the crowd of UEM senior officers followed closely behind, with the royal bodyguards, royal umbrella bearer, royal yes man and some random college notables.

Having worked up his appetite walking about the place, it was time for lunch. The students, being our good selves were already in the hall when he came in. Unfortunately there was a brief period of embarrasing silence when he came in without anyone offering a sembah despite repeatedly being told to do so before.

Well, tough. Lunch was bearable. We had expected generous hints of grandeur, but were terribly dissapointed. Most agreed that our dining hall people can come up with a much better menu than these hotel folks (And at a cheaper price too. I mean RM 45 per head for this mediocrity is inexcusable.) But I can't blame a hotel that calls itself Quality Hotel. What are they trying to prove?

At least the dessert was lovely. Sagu Gula Melaka. MmmmMmMmMm....

Throughout the meal, we were entertained by the lovely Ms. Jo and Grace on the piano. Delivering waves and waves of Final Fantasy songs. During the intervals, we were entertained, much to the embarrassment of Mr Small, with the ungraceful loud clatters of utensils on the plates.

Lunch was cut short because, according to protocol, we had to be done with eating when the Prince leaves. So, no coffee for us. The Council, along with the UEM bigwigs followed him to the office building for a tete-a-tete. There he interrogated, pardon, graced us with conversation. We sembah-ed, said our name, subjects we're doing and our intended course. We even lined up for this. How more mechanical can he be?

Boy, glad that's all over. Looking forward to a normal last week of school till the two week break. Yeah. :)

Let it rain.

2004-03-29T18:34:00.000+08:00

The water(less) situation has worsened. People are getting desperate. (Not that they weren't desperate before). hmm.

The pool has been closed indefinately. It has to, seeing that its barely half empty. (Or half full. But at times like these, its hard to play the optimist). Plus the fact that the water pump doesn't work. Well, how can it, there's no water to pump.

Even the tank at the surau has gone dry. And the Academic Block toilets. And the pool toilets. And the RC toilets. And the MPH toilets. Going next is probably the Great Hall toilets. If they're not gone already.

I miss the good old days when one could take a piss and be certain that it will flow directly into an underground sewage tank. I've always wondered why my mum insists me to flush the toilet after use. Now, I know why.

Just just now I finally saw water. Yes water. Clear as crystal. I could almost taste it. I would've had not I realised that the water was on the floor. Spread all over. Buckets and buckets of it. Purposely spilt. On the tiles. All around. Wasted. Cleaning the stupid stones while we students are left dry and dirty. Is this a show of the college's priorities. Ooh. Make the Buildings look nice and shiny. Let the students rot. Well, you can take your nice and shiny school and shove it up where some shining is needed. Grrr.

We can't last long in this condition. Think of the stench. Think of the suffering. Think of the possibilities of deseases spreading. Right here in the middle of nowhere.

Help!

Count your blessings.

2004-03-29T12:42:00.000+08:00

Its always that we only miss something when its gone. Like water. Gone are the days of 3 hour showers and massive cloth-washing. Now, things are different. Now, being able to flush the toilet is a luxury.

All this started friday when the showers didn't work. Water pressure was really low. Nobody was really worried for we thought it a temporary condition. Then saturday, rumours started to spread of a state-wide water shortage. People started to get slightly anxious. Night came and there was totally no water save what's left in the chalet tanks. Nada. Zilch. Nothing. We were doomed.

Sunday passed with most having gone on the RM 13 bus to KLCC while the rest lay here waiting the advent of death. Okay, not that grim, but not dissimilar. Thankfully the Dining Hall were still able to cook our meals despite the shortage.

Now its monday. The prince is coming tomorrow. Hopefully he doesn't find a filthy dead college in his midst. Some say he's staying for dinner. That so? Why the heck for? Reminiscing one's fond college memories? Go ahead. But bring lots and lots of water.

----

And finally, there's the net problem. I've been meaning to update since last friday (no, really!) but alas! Net was nonexistent in the boys' side for the past week. I went on behalf of the SC to see the IT executive. A complete waste of time. All I got was bureaucracy and red tape. I'd probably have to sign some forms in triplicate just to even suggest for her to speed things up. Blargh! Luckily Mr Small was much more sympathetic. He promised (a gentleman's word, no less) that he will get to the bottom of this. He even hinted that we might be seeing wi-fi sometime soon. But don't get your hopes up. These thigns take ages. Bureaucracy. Tsk.

----

In another unsurprising turn of events, Battle of the Bands has been postponed AGAIN. This time to Friday the 2nd of April. Apparently some seniors have classes that wednesday night. So Friday it is. But then there are (again) rumours of letting us off earlier for the break i.e. before that Friday due to the water draught. I won't count on it though, since we have our housetrips AND the water shortage isn't going to last very long. Well, not a week long. Please.

----

Last Friday was a very interesting assembly with the Banting winners receiving their prizes and a (neat!) video presentation by the SC. Turns out we lost to the KMB (or MCB as they prefer) by one point overall. One miserable point. They won because they sent at least two teams for each sport. The points were 3-2-1 for first to third. If we get first, they can always match us by winning second and third. But I'll stop my gripes here lest we be known as sore losers. The only thing that should be sore were our sun-burnt skins and fly-filled stomachs.

BTW, for KYUEM Students, you can get the video by visiting my computer (POO - "don't click here" // MyMovies) under MALECHALET in the students' network.

----

Come to think of it, with the Prince's visit and all, the water shortage could be a form of tulah (Royal Curse) received from insulting the Banting people too much. God Forbid.

There is no royal road to learning.

2004-03-24T12:49:00.000+08:00

The College is about to experience and honour of nonpareil. It is with great pleasure I announce the Royal visit of His Majesty Raja Muda Perak Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah on the 30th of March 2004.

This remarkable man studied in both Cambridge and Oxford (and I thought going to one was already such a great feat). He then went on and received his Masters or PhD in Harvard (my mouth seriously fell open the moment Mr. Small announced it during assembly. I mean WOW!). He's currently the Chairman of the Oxford-Cambridge graduates society of Malaysia or something.

And this man, this great great man is coming over to visit us.

(pause for dramatic effect. let it sink in.)

In an unrelated development, the Battle of the Bands has been postponed till Wednesday the 31st of March. Or maybe it is a related event, since the earlier booking of the hall was revoked since preparations are being made to refurbish it in light of the royal visit.
The prize money has also been altered to RM 150 for first place, RM 120 for second and RM 80 for third. Then other prizes include best vocals (RM 50) and best musician, a mixed category of guitarists, keyboardist, drummers, bassist etc. (also RM 50). Good for them.

We are nearing the end of this half semester, with the 2-week break looming in the horizon. After that, it would be intensive preps for the exams. Oh there are the housetrips during the break. Though a few people have voiced their discontent with the organization and many more are not going. Tough.

As for the university talks, to quote Mr. Small, "...they will tail off next week as the residue of the British Education Fair subsides.".

Paper or Plastic ?

2004-03-22T19:22:00.000+08:00

The Student Council now have their own notice board. Ta-Duh! :) Its really swell, with 7 compartments on the 1 x 2 m space. The most right displays the organization chart, followed by the Council notices, then the Student Services notices, highlights of the month, calendar, dining hall menu and a shout out column, similar to the tagboard to your left. waay coool! heh.

Recently, the dining hall have switched to plastic pink plates rather than the compartmental blue trays. What's the story? Maybe they just don't want us to take too much food and waste. Or, they for once want us to feel more civil rather than like inmates. Personally, I'd prefer the trays since I don't really fancy fruits mixing with my curry. :P

And the most not really surprising news of all (don't hold your breath too long) : The Monkeys Are Back ! Reports were initially treated with ridicule (Owing to the confidence the school has on the expensive exterminators), but recent sightings have put the whole school on the alert. Watch your clothes and undies, gentlemen, the monkeys are back with a vengeance.

Highlight of the week : Battle of the Bands organized by the Music Club. Friday. 9.00 pm. Great Hall. Casual Decent. Free Admission. Lots of Prizes to be won (by the competing bands.) :)

No, try not. Do or do not. There is no try.

2004-03-20T19:22:00.000+08:00

The lifesaving test is over and everyone passed (yes, even lil' old me.).
16 people took the Bronze Medallion while 4 others took the Bronze Cross (which is a higher level).

The lifesaving candidates would like to express our highest gratitude to Mrs. B, the Foords, the very kind swimming examiner (Mr. Tan?), the senior lifesavers and all those that helped us to keep afloat. :)

-----

The Greenthumbers are at it again. Landscaping or whatever it is they're doing to the cafe-RC path. Looks promising, with a dry water-fountain and stray pebbles that keep digging into your soles. Have fun gardening. :)

-----

Tomorrow's the UK education Fair. Remember 11 o'clock in the morning the bus leaves. And we're coming back at 7 pm. 6 hours of browsing through Pictures and Prospectuses? I don't think so. And they told us "No Shopping.". Tsk.

"7 Days", said the cold raspy voice.

2004-03-19T12:41:00.000+08:00

Monday, we had a mass presentation by the University of London. All four of their sub-universities came (King's, UCL, LSE and Imperial). An interesting insight into life in the City.

Tuesday, the oh-so-wonderful Incubus Concert Trip. Well, okay it wasn't that great. OAG (*swoon*) and Pop-Shuv'it were the opening acts. It started late, as expected. When it was going back time, some people turned up late, clearly imitating their artiste-idols, but Mr. Fellender wasn't amused. He called for the bus to leave without them (at 11.45 pm. That's roughly a half hour allowance from the time the concert finished at 11.15-ish pm). It caused a minor ruckus back in college. Some people weren't happy. Which pissed some others. It was brought up during the staff meeting. Seemingly died down. Came back to life for a brief period. Gone, but not quite forgotten. The life-cycle of College issues. Geez, people. Can't you just adhere to the hour set, for once. Discipline yourself. Mr. F's kind enough to have petitioned for us to go out in the first place. I mean you don't get this in Banething (among the many-many areas that we're better off in). Please, please don't take things for granted. Please.

Wednesday, a seemingly ordinary day. The after-class period started with a University Talk (Birmingham; complete waste of time. And I think Warwick came in the morning for lawyers.). Dinner was a (not quite so) pleasant surprise of spagetti. Still needs some improvement, but the intention of switching from the tiresome trio (chicken chop, burger and chicken pieces) was very much welcomed. Ahh, wonderful western wednesday.

Thursday, another University talk, this time for the medics. Which? I can't remember. Sapphire's Hotdog (or Dawg, as they prefer to call it) is simply delicious. Topaz's not-quite-a-Pizza Massala ? I have no idea whatever happened to it. The choir practices began today, led by our beautiful Ms. Jo.

Friday is today. Today is Friday. We have an assembly every Friday. Therefore we have an assembly today (Gee, thinking skills does come in handy afterall). After that is the cleansing Bath University Talk. Bath? Oh, its only THE most prominent university for engineering. Nothing to boast about.

Saturday, will see a bunch of kids going for the life-saving award. Don't Drown.

Sunday, will see the same bunch of kids, plus lots more to go visit the UK Education Fair in PWTC. Remember, the bus leaves at 11.00am so don't be late. Except if you're the bus driver. We've anticipated his lateness, that's why we told him to come at 9 am. Haha, okay we didn't. But I think its a good idea if we did, considering their blemished-like-a-kid-in-puberty record.

Have a great compulsary stay-in weekend, KYUEM :)

the wheels of the incu-BUS go round and round.

2004-03-16T13:24:00.000+08:00

what? The Concert.
what concert?? The Incubus Concert.
WHAT?!? when??? Tonight.
WHAT?!?!? you're going???? Yes.
WHAT?!?!? WHAT?!?!? How????? Its a school trip.
lucky bugger. Deaf bugger.

-----

The Great Banting Experience.

2004-03-15T09:16:00.000+08:00

They got back almost midnight, some after. The MidValley bus broke down and well, one of the Banting buses had to take a detour to salvage them. Obviously that bus was packed like a tuna can and according to many, it wasn't an experience they'd like to relive any time soon.

And that was after the Banting entourage ended up in Seremban while on their way to Banting on Saturday. Thanks to the world's most efficient bus service.

Banting itself was a different experience altogether.

I wasn't there personally, but I did gather soundbytes [some translated] from those that went :

"In one word : Charity-case" --tasha

"For the first time, I couldn't wait to get back to college." --ren

"What's for lunch? Oh, its Fish and Flies. Again." --aman

"They have good sports facilities. But the whole corridor where we stayed [stretches his arms] was quite dirty. Got rubbish here and there one. Then the room no power-socket. Very sad you know." --yong

"Our supporters rock! I think we pissed them off, ha ha ha" --rapek

" [Content not fit to be published. Roughly it was about the Bus Driver being described in very colourful language.] " --taj

More later. :)

Talk the Talk.

2004-03-15T07:30:00.000+08:00

One day I woke up and realised that having a blog requires a certain degree of responsibility and commitment.

To update frequently.

Well, well. Its been a week since the last entry hasn't it? Time sure flies when you're often trying to maximise the utility of every hour. I mean we only have so much time to study, go for a meeting or some other, go for sports, watch anime, etc. But enough with that rant. All this talk about being overworked is getting a bit tired.

Speaking about talks, the ones by them university speakers were, well, interesting. Those that presented were Edinburgh (its in Scotland. Think Sean Connery. In a kilt.), Imperial (Very Good. Better still if you have 300 pounds to spend a week. That's just for accomodation.) Southampton (Claims their extensive optical wires research paved the way for the internet. Well, in that case I've got a bone to pick with them about our net.) and Bristol (No Comment. By the time I decided to pay attention it was already over.)

They were all the same; 1) They speak only good things about their universities (ratings, student-educator ratio, research), 2) They speak good things about our seniors (and how good their results were in that university), and 3) They almost almost always end up by saying it doesn't really matter which university to choose, since our sponsors (JPA, MARA, PETRONAS, PNB, TNB, KPM, FAMA) and our college (KYUEM) will only let us apply to the good ones.

So, what did we learn from going to 4 similar talks a week of roughly 2 hour sessions (though it feels like never-ending) ? Except clever marketing skills (You have to be funny and interesting. And you must show us nice pictures. But even that's getting routine.), well nothing new. And even if we somehow missed any of the talks, we can still find out about them at the UK Education Fair this weekend (which I think is strongly recommended for all juniors to attend. in other words, GO!)

At least that was my summation of the talks, from an engineering point of view. I'm not sure about the medics, but theirs are probably along the same lines ( "To be honest, its really really tough to get in. After all, you only have four spaces in your UCAS form. But we'd be honoured if you'd waste one for us. It makes us look good." )

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As I was typing this last night, the MidValley trip people still had not returned. They're probably having too much fun and didn't want to come back.
Turns out the Banting people weren't back yet either. Maybe they too were having too much fun. Hmm.

Misinformation Superhighway.

2004-03-07T00:26:00.000+08:00

It is with deepest regret that I submit this correction to an error from a previous entry :

Banting never came. :(

Oh, well. Its really not that big a thing. Too bad for them, not being able to know what joie de vivre means. Ehem. It means the joy of living. heh. (Which reminds me, whatever happened to Mr Small's French classes?)

But fear not people. If Banting can't come to KYUEM, we'll bring KYUEM to Banting. Next weekend with a crew of 120 strong. You know, the KMB Games Carnival thinggy.

Next week will see university talks, university talks and more university talks. Imperial College, Birmingham and Whatshisname. Did I mention there'll be some university talks next week? Its really great to have the university representatives coming all the way down to meet us. Though, there's that nagging feeling that they look like a bunch of tourists visiting the national zoo. Us being the rare primates exhibit.

Here's to another idle KYUEM weekend. Cheers.

Who turned out the lights?

2004-03-04T00:18:00.000+08:00

When the only thing worth blogging is a blackout in a little outpost settlement deep in the lush Malaysian jungles, you can just roughly imagine what exciting lives we lead.

Sadly, thats how it is here in Lembah Beringin. Except the fact that the little blackout meant more than just a little light bulb gone kaput.

A blackout means, among other things :

a) Depressingly hot chalets. You don't have to worry about not being able to cook in your chalets when the whole building's one giant toaster oven.

b) Even more depressingly dirty swimming pools. If you haven't figured it out yet, EVERYONE pisses in the pool once in a while, not just you. There's a reason why pool is spelled with a P (yes, that was a pun). The pool cleaning mechanism won't work without good ol' electricity. Hence, the whole place smells like one giant toilet. Wow, what an excellent companion for your extra-large oven.

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Mocks are over for most juniors. They have just begun for the seniors. It wasn't so bad, myself having survived a most interesting Econs paper today. This whole week has been really quiet, especially since seniors are given a study break. The juniors in general declared their own holidays. Ahh, the beauty of living in a democracy.

KMB is hosting a Mega-Sporting Event thing next weekend. There'll be hundreds and hundreds of people from various colleges partcipating. Or so I hear. Our own college is sending a hundred students, and we can only leave on Saturday after classes. Great. That means we'll have to play as soon as we get off from a most amazing 2-hour bus trip. Personally, I think its a splendid idea. (the Mega-Sporting Event, not the leaving on Saturday bit). Especially to our students. It would have the same effect of visiting the orphanage to realise how blessed you are to have loving parents. Heh :)

Oh, and I also heard that some of them (our KMB counterparts) are coming over this weekend. Let's give them a traditional KYUEM welcome. Yes, I'm sure there are other ways to make people feel welcome without the samurai game. Though the thought is tempting. Especially after what they (and every other team) did to our rugby squad.

Well.

To all MOCK takers, KMB game players and the people in Admin who are responsible for settling our electric bills, BANZAI! uhm, yeah.

See you again next year.

2004-03-01T13:02:00.000+08:00

So ended the KYUEM Rugby International, woops i mean Invitational Rugby 10's. Though a debatable success, it left lots of things to be desired. For one, is it called invitational or international, though the banner displayed both? One would probably stick with invitational, since there was nothing international about the whole event. All teams were from KL and the surrounding districts. The only thing remotely international were our dear friends Gilbert, Canter and Carisbrook. Rugby brands all.

Maybe it was the rules that were international. Which must mean we locals play with a different set of rules. Ours probably have a less emphasis on physical contact or any unneccesary brute force. We are afterall a race of caring and polite Malaysians.

As for our college team, lets just say we weren't on fire and blazed through the event with amazing skills and prowess. Any flame at all was but a flicker and put out soon afterwards.

Eventhough the college team did their best and tried reaaallly hard, even almost scoring once or twice, it was pretty obvious that we didn't have enough balls to pull through. Some buggers stole our school owned rugby balls, you see. Yes, the ones with the serial numbers.

KMB, KDU, KTJ, KKK and those other Angry Mobs were simply amazing. Most impressive of all were the Bukit Jalil School. I have no idea what they feed 'em there. Would you believe it that the school sent a bunch of form 5's to join the Under-20 category and another batch of form 3's to join the Under-18 category. And, they, them, those athletically engineered superbeings still managed to win in both categories. Champions for the Under-20 and 1st runner-up for the Under-18. Truly an appropriate time to gape and exclaim your WTF's. :)

If you're still wondering what kind of a game Rugby Union really is, then read on. I went there with a slight misconception of the game. I know not of any Rugs in the game, but I suppose when you're being tackled it does feel like the rug's just been pulled from under you. By the bye, a tackle is an action a big muscular guy does to another big muscular guy. Though not in any romantic way. unless they're masochistic. And gay. And whats with the name Rugby Union? Whats so unifying about the game? Besides big sweaty bodies being piled up on top of each other. Ugh.

After two days of roughing it out on the field, the players (and the hardworking organizers, though they should've been focusing their hard work towards their studies. Heh, to each his own.) finally blew the final whistle to mark the end of the tournament. What good came of it, I know not. If fame was what we sought, it certainly paved a name for our College Rugby team. Yep, "KYUEM, The Team To Beat". (If you can't even beat us, you might as well just go home.) I know, I know, I'm being mean here. They boys were actually quite wonderful. Especially the seniors, who sacrificed quite a bit for the college. I salute you all, and may you show the same tenacity in your A-levels. InsyaAllah.