I never had more fun in Macquarie than the one i'm having at the dikir barat practice sessions that we have weekly in Nisa's place. Seriously, a place where we can just shout out and lontarkan that voice from inside of you without having to try to be demure or anything (because that defeats the purpose, you see)... Di kala I'm having a very severe headache due to the many assignments (satu je but cam banyak), dikir barat seem to be a great reliever of that pain... although i know nisa doesn't agree...
i mean, of course it's fun... You get to be with the whacky set of Cohort 2 people(haaaa.. takleh join kumpulan KOOL ye, it's a private club), the very, very talented MSA people (ehehehehehe.. president best!) and how often do you get to see Shim and Azan sing in Malay, asli song plak tu (shit! did i say their names??.. opps)??!! Plus the occasional scolding from Cik Pengurus Kumpulan Dikir Barat yang very committed to her job and also the chance to laugh at our own clumsiness with my partner in crime, durra-yang-jahat-dan-suke-kaco-aku (yeah, that's her other long full name...)
But then again, come to think of it, we merely have 2 weeks to M-Fest and as the so-called-tukang karut (haha! reveal ka??), the pressure is knocking on my door already. Hand movements tak ingat lagik.. Lyrics don't asklah kan.. Oh well, i guess the progress of the team is getting on really well. Like what Seng Chee said, get ready for an "eye shocking, jaw dropping" dikir barat show, peeps... Ala ewaaaaaaa, ewa buleeeeeee, ewa buleeeee, teraju tigo.....
Sunday, August 20, 2006
My 21st Birthday
What made my 21st Birthday Celebration meaningful???
Wan Aini Nordin~ Nina Samad~ Fifi Sabrina~ Nabil Nor Kamal~ Andy Ariffin~ Ungku Nisya~ Pojie~ Nisa Kamaruddin~ Durra Khairuddi~ Syada Sulaiman~ Tasha Harun~ Majidah~ Faa Aidid~ Fariza Lokman~ Shah Hans~ Raffil Sany~ Nur Hafeez~ Wan Anip~ Carey Hassan~ Souldeliters~ Macquarie Peeps~ IPBArians~ DEREK~ Bavarian Swirl Cream Cake~ Chocolate Cake with Sprinklers~
Wan Aini Nordin~ Nina Samad~ Fifi Sabrina~ Nabil Nor Kamal~ Andy Ariffin~ Ungku Nisya~ Pojie~ Nisa Kamaruddin~ Durra Khairuddi~ Syada Sulaiman~ Tasha Harun~ Majidah~ Faa Aidid~ Fariza Lokman~ Shah Hans~ Raffil Sany~ Nur Hafeez~ Wan Anip~ Carey Hassan~ Souldeliters~ Macquarie Peeps~ IPBArians~ DEREK~ Bavarian Swirl Cream Cake~ Chocolate Cake with Sprinklers~
Rod Lane did it!
Last Thursday (17th of August 2006), Rod Lane melted my heart.. with a simple wink directed to me.. and a simple smile directed to me again... and pricelessly, Syada was there to witness it... Life IS beautiful
Friday, August 11, 2006
Mornings Like This
My day started pretty darn early today... I had a two hour lecture that starts at 9am and the whole stretch of the lecture was filled with George giving us information... Well, sometimes, I think too much for my own liking. I mean, i like George and all. He's good homoured and knows how to interact with the crowd. But the place we chose to sit at this morning was a particularly dangerous one, since we were the ones that are directly facing Encik George.. Not Good, people! Plus the fact that I was watching Bujang Senang and Baik Punya Cilok with Durra when I was supposed to do my readings yesterday, definitely did not boost my confidence to be in that I-expect-an-eye-contact-from-you-position... Booyah!
There's something about George that is so traditional yet compelling, though. Not only did he expected us to attend the lectures even though there is a I-Lecture for this subject (any MacQuarians who doesn't have a clue about this, check the WebCT and see the scary fonts he chose to use to remind us of our responsibilities), he also expects us to be on our guards and be interactive. Well, that is good, judging from the fact that more people can voice out their thoughts and share them with us. I respect his intention and think that it is particularly important to see whether we have reached the outcomes of the lecture. But the minds of very young people like us (hehe) might not have the capacity to listen to another student relating EACH and EVERY experience he possibly has as a Physics teacher to us. Ok, he has more experience and stuff but i sometimes feel that it disrupts the class.
Which brings me to my LING253 tutorials that I'm totaaaaally digging this semester (We Love Nick and Simon!). I know that some people just simply has an immense amount of knowledge and they are sooooo eager to share it with the rest of the world, but if you butt in each time Sue Spinks says a different sentence, I assure you that all you're doing is adding the collection of tutorial mates who will soon decide they should change their timeslot no matter how many redtabs they would have to go through... Yes, I assure you, it's THAT drastic.
I have the Educational Assesment tutorial coming up in less than 2 hours after the lecture... and I am supposed to be reading the loooooooong and dense chapter 1 and 2 from Killen's book. Luckily, i managed to finish reading the chapters twice because Rod Lane (yang comeeeeeel bangat) is not a tutor who is willing to feed you with all the information. He actually scared me when he said that there is no way anyone of you is going to escape his eye... Haha... I wouldn't want to pun. Betul, dia memang comel sungguh.. Tutor yang memberikanku semangat untuk lebih tekun (ewah).. His style was the active participation style and he wants everyone to contribute. I enjoyed his tutorial and this could possibly be among the tutorial I'm going to continue enjoying through out my education years.
To sum up, even though Durra and Syada left me out in their MC trip, i still had fun today even though it started out as an early and blurry one. looking forward to another Thursday in the future... Killen, help me out!
There's something about George that is so traditional yet compelling, though. Not only did he expected us to attend the lectures even though there is a I-Lecture for this subject (any MacQuarians who doesn't have a clue about this, check the WebCT and see the scary fonts he chose to use to remind us of our responsibilities), he also expects us to be on our guards and be interactive. Well, that is good, judging from the fact that more people can voice out their thoughts and share them with us. I respect his intention and think that it is particularly important to see whether we have reached the outcomes of the lecture. But the minds of very young people like us (hehe) might not have the capacity to listen to another student relating EACH and EVERY experience he possibly has as a Physics teacher to us. Ok, he has more experience and stuff but i sometimes feel that it disrupts the class.
Which brings me to my LING253 tutorials that I'm totaaaaally digging this semester (We Love Nick and Simon!). I know that some people just simply has an immense amount of knowledge and they are sooooo eager to share it with the rest of the world, but if you butt in each time Sue Spinks says a different sentence, I assure you that all you're doing is adding the collection of tutorial mates who will soon decide they should change their timeslot no matter how many redtabs they would have to go through... Yes, I assure you, it's THAT drastic.
I have the Educational Assesment tutorial coming up in less than 2 hours after the lecture... and I am supposed to be reading the loooooooong and dense chapter 1 and 2 from Killen's book. Luckily, i managed to finish reading the chapters twice because Rod Lane (yang comeeeeeel bangat) is not a tutor who is willing to feed you with all the information. He actually scared me when he said that there is no way anyone of you is going to escape his eye... Haha... I wouldn't want to pun. Betul, dia memang comel sungguh.. Tutor yang memberikanku semangat untuk lebih tekun (ewah).. His style was the active participation style and he wants everyone to contribute. I enjoyed his tutorial and this could possibly be among the tutorial I'm going to continue enjoying through out my education years.
To sum up, even though Durra and Syada left me out in their MC trip, i still had fun today even though it started out as an early and blurry one. looking forward to another Thursday in the future... Killen, help me out!
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Life is beautiful
When i say that you give me butterflies, you really do... when i say that i can't stop thinking about you, i really can't... when i say that i miss you, i really do... when i say that you make me warm in the rain with your voice, you really do... God granted human being with emotions and affection, making them, above all, unique and sensible... I thank God that I found you and I thank God again for making you see me the way i do... Life is beautiful... alhamdullilah
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Startled to have a glimpse of the Real World...
Yesterday, as usual, i lepak at Nisa's place and decided to laze around watching Dancing On Ice (schmoking!) and later on, Rove Live with Durra, Syada, Nisa and Harvin.... All was well, Rove was crazy (like he always has been) and there was Nick Lachey (Rove called him "Lick Nachey"), Mischa Barton and Nelly Furtado on the show that night.. So, let's just say part of the night was a hedonistic indulgement apatah lagi diselangi dengan kek coklat susu lemak berkrim disukai ramai buatan Nisa dicicah dengan hazelnut blend jenama Home Brand...
But as Syada flipped the channels while Rove was on break, we tuned in to a mini series on channel 7... Judging from the credibility of channel 7, there's always something nice on.. So, Syada checked the TV Guide and told me that the mini series that was on is something called "Human Trafficking". So, I watched it and I tell you, I was surprised at the sincerity and the intensity of the series... It uncovered the international crime scheme that does human trafficking for the sex industry around the world.. Based on a true story, I was startled to realise that this is happening in the world.. A 12 year old American girl is kidnapped in Manila while she on a vacation with her parents and innocent girls from 3rd world countries are brought to either developing or the developed nations, both for fulfilling the demands of the evergrowing market.
Considering that prostitution is, indeed, the oldest trade in the world, the human trafficking business is seen as a guaranteed money maker for the operator. Imagine a woman who is sold for merely USD1500, will be sold over and over again, at least 3 times a day, 25 days in a month for USD150 each time... That ludacrative outcome has been the main reason why the business has never been successfully controlled by any government in the world. Furthermore, many countries, ie Denmark and German, decided to legalise sex industry after seeing the potential of the trade to develop itself and at the same, intending to keep the industry "clean". Hearing this actually made me sick, although I must admit that might mean that I am being entirely ethnocentric... But as far as I'm concerned, prostitution was never admitted as a more in any society and woman should never be seen as a product/item for any reasons at all.
I didn't have the guts to watch the miniseries till the end. I couldn't sleep the whole night. I wondered, is it because we don't care about the issue that it has become such a worrying dillemma in the world???? It is happening everywhere... A girl is sold to a brothel for a mere USD 40 directly after being born by her poor Calcutta parents, a 16 year old Cambodian girl was forced to be trafficked to Malaysia after her father failed to pay the impending debt of USD150, a 17 year old Brazilian who thought she has secured a modelling career in USA left her blind father at home so that she would able to make more money to improve their living only to find out that she is to work as a prostitute in return of the favour of the agent who brought her across the border. And the more gruesome fact is that, the South East Asian countries are the destination for child prostitution.
The issue is not merely a women issue, but rather a question of humanity. If we don't do our part, it will continue to contaminate the world. It is surprising to see that people with positions in the society such as your local dentist, GP, district attorney and teachers being involved and convicted as sexual predators. If we don't try to curb the problem now, maybe we never will and face the possiblity that one day, our children be the next victim when we least expected...
For more information on the issue, here are some links you could surf and a channel to deepen your awareness.
http://www.humantrafficking.org/
http://www.lib.msu.edu/harris23/crimjust/human.htm
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/article359820.ece
http://www.globalrights.org/site/PageServer?pagename=wwd_index_49
Jazakallahu khairan kathiran...
But as Syada flipped the channels while Rove was on break, we tuned in to a mini series on channel 7... Judging from the credibility of channel 7, there's always something nice on.. So, Syada checked the TV Guide and told me that the mini series that was on is something called "Human Trafficking". So, I watched it and I tell you, I was surprised at the sincerity and the intensity of the series... It uncovered the international crime scheme that does human trafficking for the sex industry around the world.. Based on a true story, I was startled to realise that this is happening in the world.. A 12 year old American girl is kidnapped in Manila while she on a vacation with her parents and innocent girls from 3rd world countries are brought to either developing or the developed nations, both for fulfilling the demands of the evergrowing market.
Considering that prostitution is, indeed, the oldest trade in the world, the human trafficking business is seen as a guaranteed money maker for the operator. Imagine a woman who is sold for merely USD1500, will be sold over and over again, at least 3 times a day, 25 days in a month for USD150 each time... That ludacrative outcome has been the main reason why the business has never been successfully controlled by any government in the world. Furthermore, many countries, ie Denmark and German, decided to legalise sex industry after seeing the potential of the trade to develop itself and at the same, intending to keep the industry "clean". Hearing this actually made me sick, although I must admit that might mean that I am being entirely ethnocentric... But as far as I'm concerned, prostitution was never admitted as a more in any society and woman should never be seen as a product/item for any reasons at all.
I didn't have the guts to watch the miniseries till the end. I couldn't sleep the whole night. I wondered, is it because we don't care about the issue that it has become such a worrying dillemma in the world???? It is happening everywhere... A girl is sold to a brothel for a mere USD 40 directly after being born by her poor Calcutta parents, a 16 year old Cambodian girl was forced to be trafficked to Malaysia after her father failed to pay the impending debt of USD150, a 17 year old Brazilian who thought she has secured a modelling career in USA left her blind father at home so that she would able to make more money to improve their living only to find out that she is to work as a prostitute in return of the favour of the agent who brought her across the border. And the more gruesome fact is that, the South East Asian countries are the destination for child prostitution.
The issue is not merely a women issue, but rather a question of humanity. If we don't do our part, it will continue to contaminate the world. It is surprising to see that people with positions in the society such as your local dentist, GP, district attorney and teachers being involved and convicted as sexual predators. If we don't try to curb the problem now, maybe we never will and face the possiblity that one day, our children be the next victim when we least expected...
For more information on the issue, here are some links you could surf and a channel to deepen your awareness.
http://www.humantrafficking.org/
http://www.lib.msu.edu/harris23/crimjust/human.htm
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/article359820.ece
http://www.globalrights.org/site/PageServer?pagename=wwd_index_49
Jazakallahu khairan kathiran...
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Do I need Self-Control??!!
I've grown since i came to sydney... literally. I mean, I added a few inches here and there (some say they can't see A THING) and honestly, I've also reached the dreaded 5okg point on the scale when I got here.. Well, to be more precise, I've reached the 53kg point and now maintaining at 50kg. Yeah, I've been doing some comfort eating considering the fact that it is the only thing that took my mind out of thinking about home and the "demanding" uni tasks but I've never thought that I will see the day that I have the potential of reaching 53kg or maybe 55kg.. huhu...
well, I can only be grateful for the increasing weight.. Don't get me wrong, I do want to gain weight.. Back home, I've tried all sort of things just to gain a few kilos such as protein supplement and stuff but it just doesn't work as well as I expected it to be... Hurrrmmm.. maybe this could be valid reason for me to apply for a PR in Australia.. :"why do you want to live in australia??" "because it's easier for me to gain weight, sir"
haha.. okay, maybe that was a bit too foolish but I haven't had breakfast yet which usually consists of either 6 slices of french toasts with nuttella topping or possibly 3 pancakes with maple syrup or maybe 2 bowls of cereal with milk.. before moving on to the lunch section at 12pm where i can usually tolerate 4 sandwiches or probably two plates of rice would do just good.. For the evenings, i only have a mug of hot drink and some sausages or meatballs or 2 scrambled eggs with bread. And I'll have my dinner at 7pm (usually) after doing some cooking with durra... Dinner is usually the heavy stuff with desserts and my daily yoghurt intake unlike the other meals, of course... That pretty much sums up my daily diet and it does sound pretty okay to me..
Well, it is right?? I do eat heaps more at Malaysia hence the fact that there are more places to dine in and chill at compared to here... So, what's with the gaining effect? Oh well.. Maybe they have more preservatives in OZ foods, maybe they included cheese in everything, maybe they deliberately made the food more delicious so that i am tempted to buy more and more (Nisa, aku dah tak beli cereal lagi dah) or maybe the aliens have a secret mission going on trying to make all of the people in the world become more heavier so that it would be harder for us to escape when they are after us (which would also mean they would not be interested in interesting specimens like Posh Beckham or Paris Hilton.. Huyissshhh)
Okaaayyy.. I'm not going to go all paranoid.. It's just that I find it harder to stay fit.. Just 15 minutes playing futsal on a sekangkang kera punye padang at the back of our houses, I'm already losing my breath and trying very hard to stay focused (but still, that is not a valid reason for Syada to defend my goal when she IS my teammate)... Do I need to get back to my previous weight which is 46kg or do I need to exercise more than the rate I'm doing now and eat the same amount of food while I'm at it?? I'm loving my self now but I wish that my weight gain IS not the reason for my inability to keep fit....
Well, I'll just put on my running shoes and indulge in some jogging activity with syada as usual and if I need self-control, I have Cik Durra to remind me (nanti anak-anak kau pun jadi food machine, kena beli periuk besar sebab anak kau akan jerit "nasi..nasi...") Thankslah, Dur.. You're a Gem.. hehehehehe..
So Oporto will have to wait... until next week, that is..
well, I can only be grateful for the increasing weight.. Don't get me wrong, I do want to gain weight.. Back home, I've tried all sort of things just to gain a few kilos such as protein supplement and stuff but it just doesn't work as well as I expected it to be... Hurrrmmm.. maybe this could be valid reason for me to apply for a PR in Australia.. :"why do you want to live in australia??" "because it's easier for me to gain weight, sir"
haha.. okay, maybe that was a bit too foolish but I haven't had breakfast yet which usually consists of either 6 slices of french toasts with nuttella topping or possibly 3 pancakes with maple syrup or maybe 2 bowls of cereal with milk.. before moving on to the lunch section at 12pm where i can usually tolerate 4 sandwiches or probably two plates of rice would do just good.. For the evenings, i only have a mug of hot drink and some sausages or meatballs or 2 scrambled eggs with bread. And I'll have my dinner at 7pm (usually) after doing some cooking with durra... Dinner is usually the heavy stuff with desserts and my daily yoghurt intake unlike the other meals, of course... That pretty much sums up my daily diet and it does sound pretty okay to me..
Well, it is right?? I do eat heaps more at Malaysia hence the fact that there are more places to dine in and chill at compared to here... So, what's with the gaining effect? Oh well.. Maybe they have more preservatives in OZ foods, maybe they included cheese in everything, maybe they deliberately made the food more delicious so that i am tempted to buy more and more (Nisa, aku dah tak beli cereal lagi dah) or maybe the aliens have a secret mission going on trying to make all of the people in the world become more heavier so that it would be harder for us to escape when they are after us (which would also mean they would not be interested in interesting specimens like Posh Beckham or Paris Hilton.. Huyissshhh)
Okaaayyy.. I'm not going to go all paranoid.. It's just that I find it harder to stay fit.. Just 15 minutes playing futsal on a sekangkang kera punye padang at the back of our houses, I'm already losing my breath and trying very hard to stay focused (but still, that is not a valid reason for Syada to defend my goal when she IS my teammate)... Do I need to get back to my previous weight which is 46kg or do I need to exercise more than the rate I'm doing now and eat the same amount of food while I'm at it?? I'm loving my self now but I wish that my weight gain IS not the reason for my inability to keep fit....
Well, I'll just put on my running shoes and indulge in some jogging activity with syada as usual and if I need self-control, I have Cik Durra to remind me (nanti anak-anak kau pun jadi food machine, kena beli periuk besar sebab anak kau akan jerit "nasi..nasi...") Thankslah, Dur.. You're a Gem.. hehehehehe..
So Oporto will have to wait... until next week, that is..
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Happiness??!!
What does happiness mean to you??? Do you feel happy right now??? How about yesterday??? You think you'd be happy tomorrow?? Let's look at some take on happiness...
The thing about happiness is it is so subjective... it depends on how you look upon life and things. Some people say that money can't buy happiness. Well, that is only true to a limited extent. If materialism does somehow give you a satisfaction inside and contributes to your self esteem (how ever well you experience it), it is an indication that you're happy enough for that particular moment in your life. For me, it is exactly the same as another person who seek happiness by growing plants at their backyard or watching their children mature to be a better person. Having said that, note that human are entirely different from one another and what you do could also affect the happiness of others. For example; telling people to do only what you like and prefer might result in a conflict in your relationship. A dictatorship that dictates one right way to do things also results in unhappiness to some, if not to many.
You ask what makes us different in our approach to happiness?? Your perception towards happiness relies on your gene factors, some people are just born glum as others are born cheerful enough to laugh at their own misery. That applies to about 30-50% on your take towards happiness. The other element that effects your happiness is your concerns and view of life... The choices you make in how you wish to perceive life is particularly important in influencing the happiness degree in your life. This feature could be enhanced and is entirely within your control. This is what exactly being taught in the Happiness Institutes around the world and it is becoming increasingly crucial to attain. This is especially due to the fact that in the current modern world that we're living in, there isn't really room for self-realisation if we're not exposed to it in a wider scale. We need to be educated about happiness and the way to achieve it, even if it means going through a specific course about it.
Another thing about happiness is that if you try too hard to make yourself happy, there is a clear chance that you won't feel happy at all. Now, try to look back at some of the happiest moments of your life... How many percent of it was spontaneous?? Nearly 75%?? Right... The philosophers of the hedonistic school of thought (mind you, stop associating hedonism with absolute ignorance on spirituality) implies that human feel the ultimate bliss when you pause for a second and try to reflect whether you've been happy doing the things you've been doing without planning the exact locus of happiness that you were supposed to feel.
That's happiness for you... It's controllable, achievable and retrievable... Try to indulge yourself in things that you love to do and stop presurring yourself (and people around you) to work according to plans all the time... Be optimistic in life, see the brighter side of things and be thankful for all the wonderful things you have in life. Then, maybe you will see that happiness comes in various shades and it does serve as a clear purpose of life... Chalo :)
The thing about happiness is it is so subjective... it depends on how you look upon life and things. Some people say that money can't buy happiness. Well, that is only true to a limited extent. If materialism does somehow give you a satisfaction inside and contributes to your self esteem (how ever well you experience it), it is an indication that you're happy enough for that particular moment in your life. For me, it is exactly the same as another person who seek happiness by growing plants at their backyard or watching their children mature to be a better person. Having said that, note that human are entirely different from one another and what you do could also affect the happiness of others. For example; telling people to do only what you like and prefer might result in a conflict in your relationship. A dictatorship that dictates one right way to do things also results in unhappiness to some, if not to many.
You ask what makes us different in our approach to happiness?? Your perception towards happiness relies on your gene factors, some people are just born glum as others are born cheerful enough to laugh at their own misery. That applies to about 30-50% on your take towards happiness. The other element that effects your happiness is your concerns and view of life... The choices you make in how you wish to perceive life is particularly important in influencing the happiness degree in your life. This feature could be enhanced and is entirely within your control. This is what exactly being taught in the Happiness Institutes around the world and it is becoming increasingly crucial to attain. This is especially due to the fact that in the current modern world that we're living in, there isn't really room for self-realisation if we're not exposed to it in a wider scale. We need to be educated about happiness and the way to achieve it, even if it means going through a specific course about it.
Another thing about happiness is that if you try too hard to make yourself happy, there is a clear chance that you won't feel happy at all. Now, try to look back at some of the happiest moments of your life... How many percent of it was spontaneous?? Nearly 75%?? Right... The philosophers of the hedonistic school of thought (mind you, stop associating hedonism with absolute ignorance on spirituality) implies that human feel the ultimate bliss when you pause for a second and try to reflect whether you've been happy doing the things you've been doing without planning the exact locus of happiness that you were supposed to feel.
That's happiness for you... It's controllable, achievable and retrievable... Try to indulge yourself in things that you love to do and stop presurring yourself (and people around you) to work according to plans all the time... Be optimistic in life, see the brighter side of things and be thankful for all the wonderful things you have in life. Then, maybe you will see that happiness comes in various shades and it does serve as a clear purpose of life... Chalo :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
