SINGAPORE

Hey gang,

I just decided to post my Singapore trip. Needed to reflect about it before I start writing it. After almost a week there, I has a great time of retreat. Well for those who don't know I usually go to Singapore to have my annual retreat. Why the retreat? Hmm I guess sometimes I need to there to unwind, to just be with me and myself. Singapore is the only place where I can walk at shopping complexes without people calling out my name. Seriously I thought KL was but after walking at Mid Valley one day, it was enough to tell me I know a lot of people in KL.

This year around, I spent a lot of time eating (sorry dear). Well here's somethings I need to be thankful for, for this trip

Mummy: She actually sponsored me the whole trip. Because at the moment I'm in between studies and my scholarhsip is almost drying up. So my mum decided to give me S$260 to spend in S'pore. That is about RM 500 and plus the transportation, I think she has sponsored about RM 600 for me. Thanks mum, u're the best....

Kenny: My friend in Singapore who actually paid for everything until I had to say I'll pay for the snacks and the card he needed to renew. And of course how can I forget the manificent Phantom of the Opera tickets he got me. I got to seat at about RM 360 and it was almost to the front. So nice. He also brought me to a lot of nice dining place. The best was the buffet and the tea we had. Actually 2 teas we had. One was a cake shop and the other one was a crepe shop. Both damn nice. The buffet was the place I really overate. Seriously, I couldn't walk after the meal. Had to ask him to hit my back so I could burp. But it was fantastic! Thanks Kenny, you're indeed a papa bear.

XY: He was my second companion during the trip. He is also like me, just graduated and waiting for a job. He was making sure I felt welcomed as he kept calling me to check on me. Thanks dude, hope you have fun in Europe (I wan something)

Phantom of the Opera: My LIFE LONG DREAM. Seriously I thank God for the best time of my life. Now I can check off this muscial off my LIST OF MUSICALS I WAN TO WATCH. And it also rekindered that fire within me that somehow died with the engineering world.

Lastly, God. Without Him, I wouldn't have gone there and experienced so many things.

Will blog more soon

Cheers

TRAVELS

Hey gang, a lot of peopl have been asking me what I'll be doing until my masters...well here's a list of things and places I will be doing.

April 27th - May 1st/2nd : In Singapore to watch Phantom of the Opera (thanks to Kenny who is sponsoring my ticket). Will be watching the last show of the trip in S'pore. Can't wait. Will be seeing my cousins too. Reconnected with them since last year so should be a good boy and visit them. And of course to see my friends in S'pore. They already have plans for me when I get down. Oh yes, you might not be able to get me while I'm there. Only on the internet.

May 3rd - May 11th : Will be in Ipoh most of the time. Have to have the time to read up on literature on my project. Also have to run around JKR to get my materials for my experiment before Dr. Mashitah murders me. May 10th is my dad's birthday. Still thinking of what to buy for him since I always have been buying the same things every year. Maybe it's time to change.

May 12th - June 2nd : Will be in Camp Cameron. A 3 weeks camp that has changed my life 2 years ago and now I'm going back as a helper (Please people are going to call me uncle!). A lot of people were not suppose to know I'm going but somehow or rather people knew. But for those who don't know, I'm going already, so watch out!

June 3rd - June 13th : Going to be in Ipoh or maybe KL see how. Will be doing last minute things of packing again since I'll be going back to campus to start a new life.

June 14th - June 15th : Should be in campus starting my research.

Well there you go all planned out. Actually my dad thinks I'm doing too much. hahah...he says I need a secretary to make appointment with me. I have always been a busy boy. I like being able to do things and not just sit around doing nothing (watching TV doesn't count)

I will be posting about my S'pore trip daily (hopefully) and I hope to post some pictures in it. Till then. Cheers

GOODBYES

It's never easy to goodbye especially me. I always have a terrible time when it comes to say goodbye. I usually end up being very very emotional about stuffs and also end crying most of the time.

This week itself I'm saying goodbye to 86 wonderful people. My coursemates. I really can't believe that 4 years has already passed and that now we are all going our own separate ways. I know that deep within my heart that we will meet each other but I guess the closeness that we once have might not be there anymore. That day Derrick told me that changes is evitable. I guess that's the thing that I'm not ready to do. Maybe I just need to learn how to except it. The feeling of moving on is not as good as it is. I'm going to lose so many wonderful friends which I made during the last 4 years. I know I will still see them and thank God for technology that we are able to keep in touch.

To all my dear coursemates, you guys rock. I will always cherish all the times we had and also all the times we shared. I pray that we will meet again and God willing we will see each other soon. All the best in your future undertakings and forget me not ya. Here's a song for you guys. It's a song by Spice Girls - Good bye

GOODBYE (SPICE GIRLS)

Listen little child
There will come a day
When you will be able, able to say
Never mind the pain, all the aggravation
You know there's a better way
For you and me to be

Look for the rainbow in every storm
Fly like an angel heaven sent to me
Goodbye my friend
(I know you're gone, you said you're gone but I can still feel you here)
It's not the end
(You gotta keep it strong before the pain turns into fear)
So glad we made it, time will never change it, no no
No no no

Just a little girl, big imagination
Never letting no one take it away
Went into the world, what a revelation
She found there's a better way for you and me to be
Look for the rainbow in every storm
Find out for certain love's gonna be there for you
You'll always be someone's baby

Goodbye my friend
(I know you're gone, you said you're gone but I can still feel you here)
It's not the end
(You gotta keep it strong before the pain turns into fear)
So glad we made it, time will never change it, no no
No no no no (You know it's time to say goodbye)
No no no no
The times when we would play about
The way we used to scream and shout
We never dreamed you'd go your own sweet way
Look for the rainbow in every storm
Find out for certain love's gonna be there for you
You'll always be someone's baby

Goodbye my friend
(I know you're gone, you said you're gone but I can still feel you here)
It's not the end
(You gotta keep it strong before the pain turns into fear)
So glad we made it, time will never never ever change it
No no no no
(You know it's time to say goodbye)
No no no no
(And don't forget you can rely)
No no no no
(You know it's time to say goodbye and don't forget on me you can rely)
No no no no
(I will help, help you on your way)
No no no no
(I will be with you every day)
No no no no...

Here's a hug for each of u :'(

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

Hmm recently, I was caught by the musical bug again (maybe because I’m going to S’pore to watch Phantom of the Opera). And I was thinking of telling you one of my favourite musicals of all time. THE SOUND OF MUSIC. The Sound of Music was directed by Robert Wise and starred Julie Andrews (my favourite musical actress next to Lea Salonga) and Christopher Plummer.

Robert Wise, director

This musical was actually my first musical I’ve ever watched. My grandmother (God bless her) was the one who introduced me to this wonderful musical. The story line and the music are the many reasons why I’ve watched this musical more than 100 times (I’ve counted) and I still watch it today. I’ve lost count also the many times I would just listen to the dialogue while I’m doing my work even without watching the picture, I can visualize what is happening.

Why do I like this musical? Well I guess it was the first musical I’ve ever watched, and it is the musical that made me liked performing arts. As a young child, I would put on the music and make my own steps/choreograph the dance sequence (although I can’t dance). I would also sing along and that’s where the hobby of singing anywhere and anytime came about. The songs are easy to follow and catchy.

Although I have watched this musical so many times, it stills give me the goosebumps when Julie Andrews burst into the first song and it still brings tears in my eyes when the captain sings The Sound of Music with his kids and when the reverend mother sings Climb every Mountain.

The Sound of Music has also been tested against time. My niece (about 9) is in Britney Spears era. I have always thought this generation may not appreciate movies like this. But I was wrong. I put on the show for them to watch (told them it was Uncle Aaron’s favourite) and my goodness they were glued. And they liked it. I guess The Sound of Music is here to stay.

The movie version of the Sound of Music is not the same as the stage version. Both have the same songs but the interpretation of the script is a little different. I prefer the movie version cause it makes Maria and Captain a little more realistic than the stage play.

Below are some trivia about the movie that I found interesting out of wikipedia:

1) Many people believe "Edelweiss" to be a traditional Austrian song, or even the national anthem. In fact the song was written for the musical and is little known in Austria. The song was the last that Oscar Hammerstein II wrote.

2) The Ländler dance that Maria and the Captain shared was not performed the traditional way it is done in Austria.

3) "I Have Confidence" is a song that Rodgers wrote as a musical bridge, needed in the movie to get Maria from the convent to the von Trapp manor (as he explained). During that segment, at one point Julie Andrews passes under an archway. As pointed out in one of the DVD's extras, the real Maria von Trapp, one of her daughters, and one of her daughters (Maria's granddaughter) can be seen starting to cross the road at that point. The von Trapps arrived on set that day and director Wise offered them this walk-on role. It has also been reported that Andrews tripped at one point during the filming, a moment the editors left in because it seemed to fit the character.

4) The order of several of the songs is markedly different between the stage play and the film, thanks to the screenwriting of Ernest Lehman. One example is that in the play, "My Favorite Things" is sung at the convent, whereas in the movie it is sung to the children. A couple of the songs were altered. "How Can Love Survive?" (which did not fit the flow of the movie very well) was reduced to an instrumental, one of several waltz numbers played at the party occurring just before intermission. The title song's four-line prelude ("My day in the hills has come to an end, I know..."), sung by Mary Martin in the stage play, is reduced to an instrumental hint during the overture and dramatic zoom-in shot to Julie Andrews on the mountaintop at the start of the movie.

5) Ironically, the movie featured a rare onscreen performance by Marni Nixon, who plays Sister Sophia and is well known to have dubbed the singing voices for many famous movie stars such as Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady. In fact, the producers weren't sure how Julie Andrews would react to her after Marni dubbed Hepburn in a role made famous by Andrews; however, when Andrews first met Nixon, she exclaimed, "Marni, I'm a fan of you!" and the producers were relieved.

A Scene from Sound of Music

Cheers

CHANGE OF THINGS

Dear me, sometimes I marvel at how things turn out to be. If you would remember about my last post that I had some problems with the civil school admin about my master studies and did you remember that there was suppose to be a meeting in my school about graduate studies. Now I didn't want to go for the meeting in the first place. 1st of all if I really didn't think of staying in my own faculty because most of the masters there take about 2 years to complete and I dun think GAMUDA would be too happy to have me take too long to finish. 2nd I am very interested in staying back with my school and to hear the wonderful things about the things happening might make me feel guilty. But in the end I went.

The speaker was our assistant dean of graduate studies in our school, Dr. Mashitah. She explained about the wonderful things happening in the graduate studies department. Man, was my ears and heart broken. Then came the important question. Is anyone of you planning to take mixed mode in civil? I raised my hand. She then said why? She then told me about the mixed mode course in the faculty. And told me to wait for it. I was excited. After the talk I ran up to her and asked about the mixed mode course. She just said, she can't gurantee that it will work this year. But I said I'm desperate. She just said, hmm......why? So I told her everything about my predicament etc. And then she said, see me. I have a project for you. If you want, see me.
So I went back to think and asked her about the details. She said that I would be able to get RM 1300 a month if I work on her project. Hmm.....really tempting. After much discussion with my parents and prayer, I just thought why not hear her out about the project. Yesterday, I went to see her. She first said, you better make your decision cause I'm holding the project for you. She then told me the details and that I need to finish my thesis and research by a year. She said that I need to be very hardworking and I have to finish it. I just sat there and I just said okay. Haha. I didn't even think. I just said yes.

After the meeting, I ran up and down to fill in some forms and behold I'm doing my masters back in chemical school. I'll be starting in June. Called mum to tell her, she said are you sure this is what you wan to do? I still can't answer that. I like the research but not sure did I make the right choice. In a way it will be lesser burden on my parents. They do not have to fork out any money for me since I have enough to support myself now. With the money donated by a kind soul I'll be able to survive a month. Dad was equallly happy cause with the money situation at home, it would be easier on them. So I guess I did make the right choice.
The project I'm undertaking has a lot to do with construction. How to use old construction material and recycle them to make new materials. Well it is a good thing as GAMUDA is a construction company so mayb my research could help them. Anyway I'm glad that everything turn out fine. Just wait for God to do the work.

Here's my new lecturer...Dr Mashitah

MASTER APPLICATION

Sigh after 2 months of applying, there is still no word on my application. In the website it is still IN REVIEW status. I just came back from Civil School to ask about my application. The lady who was in charge was not around but the other lady who was nice to us (dunno why today she wasn't tat nice) told us that (oh ya me and another course mate) that our application is being 'bentang'. Meaning they need to share our case to the whole school in which case we still have to wait for the answer via IPS. Oh ya for those who does not know the predicament I'm facing, let me show you the history of it.

It began in January, when my lecturer suggested me to take up masters. I thought and thought and actually decided why not? Then I applied and prayed. In February me and my course mate (from which here on will be ET...seriously tat's his initials) went to IPS to hand in our forms. We actually went there 1 week before the closing date of the application. 1 week!!!! We sat down with the admin people to see whether everything was in order. We asked whether we need to add anything into our application or did we miss out anything. They all said OKAY, all checks out.

1 month later, still no word about our application. ET decided to call up and lo and behold, they said our application did not get processed because our application is not complete. We were like, but you said it was. Then they said tat we needed to post in our results (which we did, but it states clearly that they wanted only our most recent results but they wanted the whole results from sem 1). Okay so ET and myself posted our results. 2 days later, ET decided to call up again. (by this time at least the website did say our application was in review), they said that Civil school has closed the application and deemed ours as late. WT*, it's not our fault that we were late, you guys screwed things up for us. So off we went to Civil school to see what can be done. At least there are ppl there who told us the same things about not to worry..bla bla bla....now after another month both of us are left in the dark. Sigh.......

God has been gracious though. He actually blessed me some amount of money to study my masters. My company graciously let me take a yr off from work to study. So I'm getting mixed responses. Later in the evening there is a talk from my own school about master studies. If can I don't mind switching again. See how it goes.....sigh..........

NEW BLOG

Heya,





Glad you are able to make it to my new blog. If you guys dunno, it has been a loooonnnggggg time since I've blog. Now trying my very best to blog as much. Thanks to Josh E. and Pui Fern for inspiring me again.

Me and Max

Yeah trying things.......