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Tuesday, September 30, 2008

my current part-time job

i have been working for 7 days already.. how time flies!
yes, i am temporarily earning my own money..
not that much but should be enough for this few months.. XD

my job now is an admin at Student Admission office..
since i am still new to the job, all i do is
data entry, filing and photostatting.. hehe..
although my department head allows me to answer calls
and entertain prospective students and their parents..
i haven't done so yet as i am not familiar with the courses!
so yeah.. i'll just let the phone ring till someone picks it up..
or just ask those who walk-in enquirers to have a sit.. =P

basically the data entry is the most tiring to me..
facing the computer for the entire day has strained my eyes!
i prefer filing.. don't ask me why.. my colleagues hate it..
may be cos those data entry are from oh-so-long-time-ago..
while filing has familiar names and faces in it? haha..

wanna know the best part of this job?
i get to spot hot / better-looking guys every now and then..
my department is one of the most frequent by students..
and we are situated with the Student Affairs Department..
so obviously right? >.<

other than that, is my colleagues who are quite out-going..
their never-ending stories and jokes always made my day!
i mean it is so cool for their children to have such mothers..
they are not the aunty-type la.. mostly in their early 30's?

oh, the tea/ coffee/milo machine in the staff common room
has one of the tastiest tea i ever had..
i mean like 2nd-placing after my dad's.. hehe
and i get free refills whenever i like.. muahaha..

i am definitely the youngest there..
but some of them actually thought i finished a degree!
i was like what??? do i look that old?
i am your future student la!

and i seriously need to start changing my wardrobe..
to something more suitable for formal wear..
cos like 98% of the students dressed like that..
so far, less than 10 people i saw wore jeans.. *gulps*
i think only i wear jeans to work EVERYDAY.. -__-

anyway, i am pretty happy now..
cos i am work-free for 5 days in a row..
took leave on friday! my first-ever leave..
that's an achievement! =)

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Sunday, September 28, 2008

movies of the week!

i haven't been watching movies in the cinema for ages now..
since june i guess? that was when my exams ended.. haha..

anyway, i went to watch this moviel.. i bet you know of it!

released on my birthday but i watched it last night.. hehe..

it was a very entertaining musical..
it has all the elements needed to be worth watching..
giving a glimpse of laughter, romance, misery at times..
pretty adventurous and spontaneous.. haha..
their singing is quite awesome..
Meryl has this powerful voice.. whoa!
but Pierce's was just so-so.. may be he should just be 007!

so basically the summary of the story is like this..
an independent, single mother who owns a small hotel
on an idyllic Greek island, Donna Sheridan (Meryl Streep)
is about to let go of Sophie (Amanda Seyfried),
the spirited daughter she's raised alone.

for Sophie's wedding.. what Donna did was..
inviting her two lifelong best girlfriends..
practical and no-nonsense Rosie (Julie Walters)
and wealthy, multi-divorcee Tanya (Christine Baranski)
from her one-time backing band, Donna and the Dynamos!

L-R: Tanya, Donna and Rosie

but Sophie has secretly invited three guests of her own too.

Sophie trying to keep Bill, Sam and Harry away from her mum..

on a quest to find the identity of her father..
well, to walk her down the aisle..
Sophie brings back three men from Donna's past
to the Mediterranean paradise they visited 20 years earlier!

yes.. they are Sophie's possible fathers..
Bill Anderson (Stellan Skarsgard),
Harry Bright (Colin Firth)
and
Sam Carmichael (Pierce Brosnan)..
very risk-taking of her right?

over 24 chaotic, magical hours..
new love will bloom and old romances will be rekindled
on this lush island full of possibilities!!
it's interesting and unexpected at the same time.. haha..

Donna and The Dynamos performing on Sophie's bachelorette night

and of cos the three possible dads enjoying the show.. =)

Donna walking Sophie down the aisle with bridemaids Lisa and Ali

what's with Sky's and Sophie's expression during the wedding?

want to know more? go watch it for yourself then! hehe..

next movie that i am going to recommend is..

a 2007 production that i watch this afternoon..=)

it is the story of an idealistic teacher's attempts
to make a difference in the lives of her at-risk students..
Located in gang-ravaged Long Beach, California..
Woodrow Wilson High is a hotbed of violence,
due to a voluntary integration program..
which brings Black, Latino, Asian, and White students together!
from juvenile delinquents, gang members, and poor students..
all hoping for nothing more than make it through the day!

the fresh-faced and literally unknown cast of youngsters..

rather than creating healthy diversity like expected..
this program breeds constant war between all parties involved..
the result being daily gun shots,
constant racial slurs, and gang violence.. ouch!!!

arguments in class..

fear while being on the streets..

the freshman class 203 where Erin Gruwell (Hillary Swank)
is sent to teach is both naïve and wise beyond its years..
while never having heard of the Holocaust,
these kids are well-versed in the pain of poverty,
the legal system, and death..

despite being up against unthinkable violence,
devoted first-time teacher Erin never gives up..
but slowly bonded with her class of at-first unreachable pupils..
breaking down their tough exteriors..
and getting at the real people beneath.. so nice of her!

the question is how?

starting from the "line game"..

in the classroom, Erin brings in music and literature
from another kind of ghetto, The Diary of Anne Frank etc..
with these simple tools she opens her students' eyes
to the experiences of those suffering intolerance
and struggles of those outside their own communities..

dancing to the music in class..

unfortunately, the teachers who were not supportive!

knowing that every one of her students has a story to tell,

Erin encourages the students to keep a daily journal
of their thoughts and experiences.. =)

a toast for change! they began reading books they can related to..

class participation from those at-first uninterested increased

integration barriers were reduced..

Erin gained trust and respect from her students..

a strain is put on Erin's marriage as her student involvement
gradually takes priority over her personal life..
the intensity with which Erin relates to her work
threatens her husband Scott (Patrick Dempsey),
who in seeing Erin's transformation,
is reminded of his own stagnancy.. aww, how pitiful!

happy marriage no more.. =(

but after sharing their stories with one another,
the students see their shared experience for the first time..
and open uo to the idea that there are possibilities
in life outside of making it to the age of eighteen!

and guess what? it was based on a true story..
the students' writings were compiled in a book..

yup, this one..

the original Freedom Writers..

it's definitely good to watch! i promise..=)

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Tuesday, September 23, 2008

tags.. 2 at a go!

like i said in the earlier posts.. where are my pictures???
it's not likely that my camp mates are going to read this..
i am afraid that they possibly don't know how to e-mail..
which makes me kinda sad and frustrated.. =(

anyway, here goes two tags..
i won't tag anyone though.. cos tags are crappy..
but i just want to blog about something! *whacked*

1st tag from yoong wei, who is now in Brighton, UK.

1. If your lover betrayed you, what will your reaction be?
dump the loser.. should be as easy as ABC!

2. If you can have a dream to come true, what would it be?
may everyone that i cherish stay happy and healthy always!

3. Whose butt would you like to kick.
currently no one.. want to volunteer? =P

4. What would you do with a billion dollars?
you mean if i really have it? travel around the world, buy houses
and cars for myself and my parents, change my wardrobe,
invest, save the money and donate some to charity!

5. Will you fall in love with your best friend?
i doubt so.. i don't believe in best friends.. only good friends!

6. Which is more blessed, loving someone or being loved by someone?
BEING loved!

7. How long do you intend to wait for someone you really love?
until the age i think i should be married.. *don't laugh*

8. If the person you secretly like is already attached, what would you do?
get to know my crush.. who knows may be she'll ran off!

9. Is there anything that has made you extremely happy?
knowing that somewhere on earth, someone cares for me!

10. What takes you down the fastest?
failure in something i pursue..

11. How would you see yourself in ten years time?
successful soon-to-be engaged pharmacist.. =)

12. Who do you miss the most now?
studying! no, i mean it.. seriously!

13. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is?
a happy-go-lucky, funny long time no see old friend of mine..

14. Would you rather be single and rich or married but poor?
surprisingly rich and single.. i'll still have my mates!

15. What's the first thing you do when you wake up?
drag myself up from the bed to the sink..

16. Would you give all in a relationship?
i don't know.. depends on how i feel la..

17. If you fall in love with two people simultaneously, who would you pick?
you.got.to.be.kidding.me.

18. Would you forgive and forget no matter how horrible a thing the someone has done?
so far only minor incidents.. so yeah..

19.Do you prefer being single or having a relationship?
haha.. so far i am satisfied being single..=)

20. List 5 people to tag.
tag.yourself.if.you.like.

2nd tag from yun xin, a good friend of mine..=)

Two names you go by:
1. yean
2. yean yean? meng meng?

Two things I'm wearing now:
1. pyjamas
2. shorts

Two things you want really badly at the moment:
1. time for playing and resting
2. money for holidays and shopping

Two things you did last night before bed:
1. send some sms
2. read magazine

Two things you ate today:
1. freaking expensive "chap fan".. rm4.50 for 3 vegetables?
2. very salty pork

Two people you just spoke with:
1. my mum
2. my dad

Two things you are doing tomorrow:
1. work
2. eat

Two longest car rides:
1. from Mount Kinabalu to our hotel?
2. going to Singapore?

Two favorite beverages:
1. ice blended drinks.
2. milo kosong ais

2 person chosen to do this meme:
u. la.

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Saturday, September 20, 2008

my National Service stint part 2

sorry for the long wait..

i was waiting for my friends to e-mail me more pictures..
and they are still not in my hands yet.. sigh..
so i shall just go ahead with the pictures i have..

what should i be typing here?
or where do i start? *wonders*
WARNING: loooooong post ahead!!!

if you don't already know..
my camp is called Kem Jugra.. *click here to see*
and it's located in Banting, Selangor.. very near huh?
why didn't you visit me then? T__T

it's ok.. i made more new friends there.. =P

basically for the first week..
we did nothing more than eat, sleep and talk..
life that week was relaxing and boring at the same time..
do you know it feels like not having any access to
the outside world other than using mobile phones?
bear in mind, the line there was terrible!
so it was quite annoying not having internet connections..

i really did miss watching my drama series..
and looking at my oh-so-H.O.T. Chun..
especially each time i open my locker door!
those who have been into my room should know why! XD

that was back then.. but i got used to it a while later.. haha..

in camp, guy trainees are known as Wira..
while the girls are called Wirawati..
i supposed it meant heroes and heroins?
the trainers are called Cikgu..
for those with higher posts we call them Tuan..

we sing this song, Wira Wirawa
ti every morning!


anyway, this is my timetable for weekdays in camp:

5.45am: on dorm lights, start to wake everyone else up
yes, this is my job every morning..
if i overslept, so will my group members.. haha..

6.30am: line up at the Padang Markas and exercise
trainees start to arrive later as time passed..
every day we saw people doing push-ups.. usually the guys!
initially we did a lot of running in the mornings..
as in one big round outside the camp!
sometimes it's Senam Seni which is exercise with music on!
i had good stamina then..
but on 3rd month, it rained nearly every morning..
so it meant longer bed time and "tau fu fa" returned! XD

7.30am: breakfast in the canteen
8am: dorm cleaning session on Fridays cos of spot checks
sleeping session for the rest of the days.. haha..
9am-10.30am: classes
10.30am: eating time during break
11am-12.30pm: classes
the modules includes Character Building and Kenegaraan..

12.30pm: lunch time
2pm: physical activities in the Open Hall
4.30pm: tea time
5.30pm: sports
6.30pm: dinner time
8.30-10pm: religious classes on Thursdays and Fridays
9pm: gather at the Open Hall for other days
10.30pm: supper
11pm-12am: bedtime (which changes everyday)

on Saturdays and Sundays we can wake up slightly later..
as we gather only at 7am.. doing some light exercises..
we don't have classes on weekends..
sometimes we have talks on Saturday mornings..
i don't know what they do from noon till the evenings..
Buddhists go to the temple known as 东禅寺 in Jenjarom..

at the temple, we meet trainees from Kem PLKN Paya Indah..
where we have prayers for the first hour..
continued by all sorts of talks.. thankfully one talk per visit!
after that we get to have vegetarian dinner..
i usually eat a lot here cos there are more choices..
and it's Chinese food, much tastier than those in camp..=P

the lovely and huge Buddha statue we pray every week..

me doing calligraphy? it's called 抄经..

the first time we ate there, we ate in this really quiet hall..
where we were supposed to finish whatever served to us..
a plate with 3 dishes, soup and rice.. using just chopsticks!
you know how i suck at them? i couldn't scoop my rice! T_T
no talking or eye-contact to others, just focus on eating..
it's not a mental torture according to the sifu..
it's for us to relax our minds and eat happily.. WALAO!

luckily we got to eat by the stairs from that week on..
both camps take turns to serve and wash plates!
usually the guys set the buffet-liked table..
while the girls washed like more than 100 plates, bowls,
utensils and the metal containers used to store our food..
guess how we washed? the kampung style..
with 4 big pails filled with water, one with washing liquid!
there's once we tried to switch jobs.. lots of "arguments".. =P

books on Buddhism.. lend it from me to read ok?

anyway, talking about classes..
after every module which takes about a week to a month..
we have to do some performances in front of everyone..
i missed the CB one cos i was on leave for my interview..

the 2nd performance was for Kebudayaan..
i wore baju kurung that day for the first ever time in my life!
but unfortunately there's no photos of it..
cos Cikgu Radi, some teacher from outside the camp..
who happened to be my class teacher and photographer..
promised that he would send us the CD of the photos..
2 months have passed and yet no news.. sigh..

colourful books for our classes..

but i do have a picture of me in sari..
we had our first meeting with our camp commandant
and we are supposed to wear baju kebangsaan..
so another first time for me.. all in a week! haha..
that night, we got discuss our likes and dislikes with him..
Major Zainol bin Awang is a very friendly guy..
wonder why the teachers are afraid of him?

L-R: me, Baagis, Buanes and Ching Yi

the next first time is.. *drum rolls*
it'll be my last time too unless i decide to join the army..
yes, it is about the gun i have held.. M-16!

M-16.. the lightest gun ever made! quite heavy for me la..

we had theory lesson taught by people from the army..
we took down notes as they talked about the gun
and safety measures when holding the gun..
we were told that every gun has a ghost with it..
so we cannot point the gun at anyone unnecessarily..
the bullet can go as fast as 990.6 mss! whoa~

we get practice holding the gun without any bullets first..

the next morning, the whole camp in 5 buses headed to
Lapang Sasar Jugra, the shooting range..
we are the first camp in Malaysia to shoot for this batch..
on 29th July 2008, a Tuesday.. nice!!

i am the 8th shooter from Retail 18..
and we get to shoot 20 live bullets each.. woo hoo!
each of us have a guide with us.. from the army of cos..
no fitting in the bullets or setting the gun to semi-auto..

all we did was aim and shoot.. just like in the picture..

there's no picture of me with the gun though.. =(((
which is pretty sad cos it's a once in a lifetime thing..
my phone was kept away and i didn't bring a camera..
so i'll just keep a photographic memory of the experience!

anyway i scored 75 out of 100 points..
second highest among the girls, Bulat scored 85 points..
while the top shooter is a guy from Bravo with 95 points!
he must have missed the first bullet only.. geng!

before kayak-ing and rakit-ing, we had water confidence!
which meant wearing safety jackets and shoes
and jump right into the lake.. it was fun! XD
after getting to practice kayak and rakit few times..
we had an inter-company water competition..
it was a very tiring, fun and body-aching day.. haha..

we also had to go through Kembara Halangan..
go over the vault, climbing over a 3 meter wall,
walk on a high wall, do the monkey rack and Tarzan jump
and finally the commando crawl..
so obviously most of us got dirty, especially girls.. haha..
only like 3 girls made through all the challenges cleanly!

Wirajaya, where we camped overnight in Bukit Jugra..
is my least favourite among physical activities.. reasons?
i went for a seminar in KL (more about it later)
and by the time we climb up the hill which took an hour..
it was already 9pm, freaking dark and i saw cemetry.. err..

Cikgu Wati didn't allow us to take partcos we are "too tired"..
so all i did there was eat packet food and slept on a slope..
and next morning climb to the top of Bukit Jugra..
to take a good look at KL.. Kuala Langat, that is.. haha

i climbed all the way up with a heavy backpack without help..
to not set up tents, or learn first aid stuff, no picture taking,
no games, no jungle trekking in the dark.. nothing at all! =(

Kem PLKN Jugra went green too!
each company was assigned to a plot of land..
we had to do gardening and water them daily..
Charlie's sawi grew the fastest.. no pictures though..

ploughed the soil with our bare hands.. =)

for the community service module..
i had experience twice only! they should organise more..
the very first was visiting Institut Latihan Perindustrian..
the blue building 5 minutes from camp..
they introduced their programmes.. boring~
provided food and we visited part of the campus.. that's it..

next visit was to Tabika Perpaduan Banting..
it is a very small kindergarten with 25 kids and 2 teachers..
but it needed a lot of bush-clearing, new coat of paint
and decorations for merdeka celebration..
we trainees did all those.. plus play with the kids..
it was oh-so-lovely! no pictures though..

the third visit was to the handicapped children home..
but i didn't go cos i was home for hungry ghost festival..
i heard the press was there.. aww.. missed it!

we also participated in other activities outside camp too..
like a visit to Royal Malaysian Police exhibition in Jenjarom..
it was some anti-crime campaign.. weapons were scary..
the dog-sniffing-out-for-drugs show was the best!

another one was a seminar on Human Resources..
it was held in MATRADE Exhibition and Convention Centre..
and officiated by Dato' Dr Ng Yen Yen..
the 2-day event made us leave camp at 6am..
and arrive back at camp around 8pm due to traffic jams!

this is MATRADE in KL.. looks pretty nice to me..=)

with the event poster..

with Dato' Dr Ng Yen Yen

the seminar was conducted mostly in English..

L-R: penghuluwati Mira, Bravo assistant head Nana and me..

my Daddy and Mummy in camp: Cikgu Azami and Cikgu Wati

they are not married to each other, why do i call them that?
Daddy cos he's the head of Charlie company..
anything to do with Charlie, he's in charge..
Mummy cos she's very motherly, strict and very loud! haha..

we participated in Perhimpunan Siswa Merdeka 2008!
it was held in Stadium Tertutup Nilai..
basically we are like cheerleaders for an entire day..
rehearsals after rehearsals and then the actual event..
we used pom-poms, handkerchiefs, flags and a big hand!
good exercise for our hands.. haha

have a look at the event.. took from YouTube..


we also had Malam Gemilang Kem PLKN Jugra..
to celebrate the victory of our volleyball team..
our girls are the champion in the entire Malaysia! =))))
and we had seni budaya performances too..

Kem PLKN Jugra volleyball teams..

not forgetting Malam Penghayatan Kemerdekaan..
5 teachers from Dewan Bahasa and Pustaka (DBP)
taught us about Malay literature for 3 days..
and i was to perform sajak "Anak Jiran Tionghua"
together with Chai Fen.. scary for a first-timer! haha..
and guess what? i won a hamper!!
for being the best non-Malay presenter.. shocking?

oh ya, we were supposed to perform senam-seni
in Stadium Tertutup Titiwangsa on 5th Sept 2008..
it was for some Rakan Cop thingy together with
the closing ceremony for PLKN Kumpulan 3/ Siri 5 2008..
but then they canceled our performance at the last minute!
as in right before we were due to perform!!!

screw the organisers and Najib who is the VIP for the event..
all our preparation, anticipation and starvation
for entire 3 days was for nothing?
it was just an 8-minute performance..
you heartless people could have bloody waited..
we left our camp at 6am and arrive at 4pm, 3 days in a row..
with only 2 tiny packets of noodles for 9 hours..
thinking about it.. all those tears.. ishhh..

anyway, CHARLIE (my team) is the overall CHAMPION!!!
plenty of hampers to open during the last night at camp!
we got to hold and kiss the trophy cos we had to return it..

our flag.. during the painting in process.. haha

my prizes from camp: silver for kayak double,
silver for marching and Outstanding Wirawati.. =)

i kinda miss looking at this on the door to my dorm..

i miss these.. cos i don't have to think of what to wear!

but not the food.. this is our last buka puasa dinner!

washing dishes for the last time in camp.. hehe

overall my National Service stint is like a holiday camp..
not the army-like camps in other countries like Singapore!
you get to know more about other cultures,
be friends with people who you won't mix with elsewhere..
spend time with the same people for the entire 3 months,
slim down due to the not-so-delicious food,
have good stamina cos you need to move around a lot,
be more confident of yourself , learn how to cooperate,
and tolerate weird behaviours of others.. haha..

if you want to see more pictures, come over to my house..
cos they are in a photo album! no soft-copies.. hehe..

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Saturday, September 6, 2008

officially back from National Service

hey hey hey people!!!

missed me loads huh?
i think i'll update on my National Service stint soon..
definitely not today though..

my eyes are freaking swollen..
thanks to the tears which were shed whole night..
first during the closing ceremony last night around 11pm..
when we hugged and shook hands with our teachers..
then during 3 a.m. when we sent our Sabah friends off..
followed by 5 a.m. for our Terengganu friends..
and finally at 9 a.m. for those the Selangor friends..
our Sarawak friends will only leave the camp at 3 p.m.

so what they said were true..
first you fret about getting chosen for NS..
then you cry till you have no more tears when leaving!

hi and bye.. there goes my 3 months!
more later.. hehe..

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