we are all part of the same compost heap

Errrr…. Hi??.....

It has been a while. I mean it’s been long enough for me to be able to reduce a combo of roti-canai-and-teh-tarik-kurang-manis or nasik-lemak-telur-mata-with-kopi-O into packs of ‘biasa boss’ or ‘biasa kak’ and get the precise info across to the receiving end at roughly 90% of the time. Well, there’s a lot of getting-used-to to do after 3 long years.

You haven’t seen and experienced Malaysia until you’ve found the best (though not necessarily the most decent) roti canai, nasik lemak and tarik kurang manis stall for breakfast in town, until you’ve driven up and down the PLUS highway, until you’ve watched a live superleague football fixture, until you’ve experienced KL traffic and THE Malaysian drivers, until you’ve gone balik kampung and went mengail ikan puyu, until you’ve eaten the king of fruits and his sweet maids and hairy knights and dukes and whatever, until you’ve gone chill out with friends at a waterfall, until you’ve enjoyed some good live music and poetry, until you’ve gone strolling aimlessly at a pasar malam and at one of those super-huge-malaysian-malls, until you’ve enjoyed watching and playing some good hockey and futsal, until you’ve done your wuduk at one of the big Jawa-style kolah, until you’ve gotten yourself a silly parking ticket, until you’ve enjoyed the one thing you can’t find in the states- cempedak goreng for tea, and until you’ve joined a convoy complete with police escorts.

If only we Malaysians can translate the kiasu-ness we show on the roads to the other productive stuff we do…….

Well, a lot have changed in 3 years. 3 years is all it takes for someone to have a change in interest from being passionate about his small banana plantation to giving his undivided attention to his longan and mata-kucing trees, and to see once acres of vast yellowish paddy fields transformed into a jungle of mature enough sawit plantation. Thankfully, at least reuniting and getting along with the family after the 3 years was not really that awkward.

Let’s see…. nothing much has happened since the emotional moment at which the jumbo’s rear wheels first touched the sizzling KLIA tarmac…. I’m still jobless and useless…. haha

The first 2 weeks, I couldn’t stop sweating. And there’s nothing poyo about it. Our body is this one complex and intelligent system which has this ability to adapt to changes, and these adjustments take time. And this whole adapting to the temperature of the surrounding is termed the comfort zone in ergonomics. If you’ve been fortunate enough to visit a 4-season region or you’ve been working in a plant producing these smart thermo-sets, there’s a near 75% chance that you can find a ‘comfort zone’ point printed on the device placed in between the HI and LO, but usually placed slightly closer to the HI point. And just so you get the idea, the comfort zone, which is actually a range of temperature, changes according to the season… blablabla… So, yeah, go attend an ergonomics class.

Hmmmm…. And now I think I get the idea of the importance of money, other than the fact that the stewardess in the business class cabin is always much sweeter. I can’t even join my football or soccer or hockey teams for matches regularly because I’m broke. Ok, I wrote my way off to some RM76.12 the last 4 weeks in the courtesy of Sue, and I get some extra cash from the skim-bantuan-penganggur-muda, but the toll alone costs nearly RM80 for a return trip to KL. So, actually, there’s a lot you can’t do without money….
Hmmm…so, this is how it is to live under the poverty level. haishhhh….. Why is it that people are more interested to pay for a game of footie in a small square, rather than playing in one of the public fields, outdoors for free? Friggin pop-culture….

And since the chances of getting the Louisville job is getting slimmer, if I really want to have a shot in the middle class, I think I should start attending job interviews, and to do that, I need to first update my resume.
hmmmmm…. maybe tomorrow....hehhh…. The middle class is a tad too saturated don’t you think? We should all then find spouses from the higher line of order so there shall be evident mobility!!!...

imagine waking up to this every single morning~..... (yellowstone, summer '08)

Kena pergi panjat gunung!!!!!!....
And go have tea with the married poet (-_-)….. again…..

Fun fact:
Out of the 6 receptionists in the 6 offices I went to, 3 are named Su, and 4 out of the 6 are from ipoh.

big shoulders

So, spring break is finally over.

Tomorrow, the sacred boilermaker campus will be swarmed by proud insomniac Neil Armstrong and Brian Lamb wannabes yet again. With the sun shining gloriously after a long hiatus, and the basketball team advancing to the sweet 16 , there’s a lot to look forward to, other than the classes with Korean instructors.

Anyways, it was a well spent-low-productivity-level break. We learned playing mahjong Hong Kong style, played poker, had barbecue, watched basketball games and movies, went to Chicago, played soccer and football, and most importantly, we slept well.


Ok, let’s talk about the impromptu Windy City trip. First of all, Chicago is a very cool big city; the air feels cleaner and the traffic is really not that bad compared to NYC or KL. And if you’re into architecture, you should really go see Chicago (the SEARS tower et al). And what I think I like the most about the city are the cool sculptures all around the city, and the gorgeous parks down the long Lake Michigan shore-line. And just so you know how windy and cold the city is, random local people were talking about how warm and beautiful the day was, when the temperature was at 1 degree centigrade, and the wind was gushing constantly into our faces.


and i've actually upgraded to a point-and-shoot...


And talking about sculptures, at last, I had the chance to see the god bless america sculpture up close. I was excited about the sculpture because I was trapped in a conversation about the American Gothic Painting (which the sculpture was based on) with some guys some time ago, so, yeah, it was cool to see a piece of art and actually knowing something about it.



Btw, I’ve been to Chicago for at least a dozen times before, but being a lousy tourist and all, I haven’t really visited the City of Big Shoulders until recently. And i'm glad i did.


So, if you’re planning to go to the Second City for a visit, you could do the usual tourist stuff like go up the Sears Tower, go visit the Museums and the Aquarium, go to one of the beaches, visit Navy Pier, see the cool stuff in Millennium Park, go to the Planetarium, enjoy the parks, and walk and shop along Michigan Avenue. And if you have some extra cash, go see a theatre or go see the Bulls, or the Bears, or the Cubs or the White Sox play in their respective stadiums. And if you go on St. Patty’s day, you’ll have a chance to see the parade and the river dyed green.


So, yeahh… everyone will miss doing nothing.
The team will play the other Husky this Thursday, and let’s prove Obama wrong.



Wazza, I feel you man… and BTFU!!!!!

flossing

So, other than the other penniless international students who can’t afford to get a ticket home for christmas, and those less fortunate to have an exam on the last Saturday of the semester, the rest of the population has gone balik kampung. WL is nearly empty.

anyways, just so you people know that I’m still alive, let’s get something posted. And yup, like miss aphrodite, say if I die, I don’t want anyone to leave any comments or leave anything on the shoutbox. And I’m fine btw; I don’t think I’m having any suicidal thoughts at the moment. Don’t worry.

hmmmmmm………… OK.
so, feynman is a genius; he is so smart that he uses his brain to charm the ladies. When he was younger, he likes to read the encyclopedia, and he uses the little cool stuff he knows to get to the girls.

But I digress.

anyways, if you’re a knowledge junkie, or if you think that the Feynman way may help you with the opposite sex, this site may interest you. TED. So, basically, it used to be an exclusive club for the very cool people. But thanks to the WWW, now, everyone can enjoy the pleasure of getting their fix of some cool new knowledge of the pineapple express grade. So, through personal experience, I have to say that I didn’t have much luck with the girls, but for the ego and for the ‘feel good’ purposes, this site is surely one of the best. So, do check it out.
But just don’t come running to me tomorrow and start talking like you really know the shit. There’s a very big difference in ‘being informed of something’ and ‘really knowing something’.
Sorry about that, but I just get annoyed when people go all gung-ho with the little new thing they just read out of somewhere, and start making some stupid and simplistic conclusions and arguments that just doesn’t make sense sometimes.
But to the rest of you nice rational people, still, just check it out.

And still to the knowledge junkies out there, or if you’re just someone who is just tired of reading about gay rights, Obama, China, terrorism, bailout issues and India, Mental Floss might be the magazine for you. It’s a fun read, loaded with cool facts and trivia, with a little Freakonomics touch on it. I picked one up a couple of weeks ago, and I literally read every single page in it, cover to cover. So, anyone has any idea where to find free magazine subscription deals?

And yup, since I’ve been fondly ‘collecting’ books instead of actually reading them, anyone kind enough with extra pocket money, I won’t feel bad to find this in the mailbox. hehhh….


adoiii... mane nak pegi cuti ni? We went Bear Grills in Yellowstone last summer. Maybe I should try doing it Samantha Brown’s or Anthony Bourdain’s or Andrew Zimmermen’s way this winter. Leceh betul ramai-ramai ni. Maybe I should take a plane to the Amazons.


-yang pancit main rockband2-

going postal

It was a tough week. It was TOUGH, tough. Everyone was going postal. Everyone was angry, and stressed out, and disappointed and just simply uptight. And multiply those negative moods and emotions with the depressingly still, cold early winter weather; you can just feel the grimness in the air once you set your eyes on the first brown-brick building on campus. It’s very close towards the last day of the semester, crunch time; which means minimal sleep, no weekends, 12 hours in the lab, and 3 hours at home a day kind of week. Heck, everything is due on the same day.

So, what better way to get rid of all the foul emotions? Go hook up with some crazy people.
Here, we have this cool tradition called the Breakfast Club. People dress up in Halloween costumes and get drunk as early as 7 in the morning on game days.
And what better Saturday to at last cross that one out from the ‘25 before you graduate to do list’ than on the last game day of the season, on your last rivalry game as a student here. BTW, I don’t drink, and the slightest smell of liquor makes me sick.
Anyways, I didn’t have a costume, so I went along with a couple of ‘light-drinker’ mates dressed up as King Cantonna. We met up with some friends at one of the bars on the strip I had some coke, left 15 minutes later, and went straight home, back to bed before waking up later in the morning for the game. Sleeping time don't come easy these days...

And heck, it was one of the best games ever. We got them right in the face. What better thing to do after a hellish week than to scream your hearts out for your team on a cold depressing Saturday afternoon along with 68000 other spectators and see the other team get a beating?

The game, it should rank somewhere up there, probably tied for the top spot with the game against Michigan some weeks ago, in my personal all time most memorable Ross-Ade games. It is probably the best clash between two sub-.5 teams ever. The energy was amazing, though more free hugs were given out during the Michigan game I guess.

And the game was the one last one for the seniors, and more importantly, the last one for the living legend, the coach.
It didn’t snow as I hoped it would, but it was one perfect last one for everyone.

one!!!.. two!!!.. three!!!... four!!!... 1st down B***H!!

one for the record books

it was always gonna be a special day, so let's bring 3 of those today... why not?... lol

the bucket is somewhere in there

they took a beating

one for the legend

one last speech...

one last song...from the man who restored the pride back himself

where pride happens

And as football season commences, comes basketball season. The team is in the NIT preseason tip-off final game tomorrow, and everyone is looking forward to the game against the Blue Devils next week.

And yeah, next time, get VIP….

The girl reading Kierkegaard, who are you??...

Hoppípolla

The House of Representatives or the UN should pass a law or some kind of an international policy stating that the purpose of school breaks should be solely for chilling out and relaxing, and the assigning of schoolwork or projects during the breaks should be made illegal unconditionally.
As a friend of mine would say, this is happening because people like ‘us’ are merely watching from the sidelines; we should have more of ‘our kind’ be directly involved in this nerdy business. And until that happens, our species will have to suffer.

Anyways, I was watching Planet Earth encore on Discovery Channel, and I remember watching the kind of documentary during school breaks when I was younger, aired on TV3, during the Alam Ria Cuti Sekolah slot, at 1130 in the morning. As far as I could remember, even back then, at that level, teachers have been violating the purpose and the spirit of school breaks.

Getting back to the documentary shows, I particularly like the series on the Great Plains, especially the savannah and the prairies and also the one on the great Nile. And the animals can be broken down into three categories, the good ones, the cool ones, and the evil ones. The good animal group includes the whales, elephants, antelopes, zebras, buffalos, caribous, rhinos, any kind of bears including the grizzlies, and the hippopotamus. On the other hand, the cool group consists of the lions, the orca, dolphins, tigers, leopards, the big horn, platypus, the silverback, white m furred mountain goats, and at times baboons and crocodiles. And the usual suspects include the great white, sometimes the seals, herring birds, Nile crocs and the ever ugly hyenas.

Besides the animals, the other most interesting part of this kind of documentary is when they fast forward the video to show how the plants bloom when seasons change. First, a lot of rain will flood the barren land, and then after the flood clears up, new greenish life would sprout out from the seeds brought in by the flood or from the ones buried in the ground the whole hot torturous summer, after that, the sprouts would grow taller and bigger, and then beautiful colorful flowers will bloom, and suddenly, in a snap,the boring barren land would turn into this beautiful lush greenish heaven where more lives in the forms of mammals and birds and reptiles will dwell in again, until the next step in the cycle repeats. But technology has made things even more fascinating. In one of the episodes of Planet Earth, this one scene, in which a great white was shooting out of the surface after snapping a seal in between it’s jaws, instead of fast-forwarding, the scence was slowed down to 40 times, because it couldn’t be seen clearly at normal speed. And not to mention that the series are all in HD.

And the nice music arrangement and the cool, macho narration are the glue or the cherry on the icing to the shows. And all credits to the producers, the tireless camera crews, the researchers and the Ah Longs.

geeks~

And I was watching travel channel just now, and indigenous nudity is the phrase of the day.

School won’t start until Wednesday, but the closest to a vacation that i could get is to move in to the apartment downstairs whose tenants went out traveling. The valve is half-way done, the Cadillac thing went pretty well, the GPS stuff is not going so well, and not to mention the lab stuff and the homework all need to be taken care of. and heck we suck in football. Basketball season starts in 2 weeks.

citius,altius,fortius

25 hours drive away

so, we're off to our Yellowstone walkabout....
all pumped up to be awed and inspired by the wonders of God's creation....

selamat bercuti, happy birthday, selamat pengantin baru......

and did i mention the kedai runcit the other day?

will be back in 10 days.......

cheers~

ape khabar org jepun?

This is the current line-up for the fantasy team challenge. The team was ranked at number 239 out of 375,188 teams last Thursday, but not having a chance to make transfers and substitutions on our no soccer day last Saturday, the team dropped down to number 155,967.
My personal favorites, Spain and Netherlands plus the 2 favorite underdogs Turkey and Russia made it through to the next stage though the Romanians and Swiss had to bid early goodbyes. Gus Hiddink is a magician.

So, last week, in an attempt to escape this cruel, hectic and problem ridden world of ledger books, hiking food prices, Obama, the NBA finals, stupid and crazy math equations, Euro2008, and the world’s obsession of black gold, we decided to go on a rather casual, impromptu and short camping trip in one of the state parks nearby.
In short, our endeavor to ‘bersebati dengan alam’ was great, as towards the end of the trip, we literally turned into orangutans.
The smoke from the campfire created a special kind of ambience that made the food we cooked taste a lot like the ones at the kenduri kawins at kampong. The gripping battle between man and raccoon with sporadic crazy shaman dances in between was something to remember. The 15 mile kayaking in the fast flowing creek (due to the thunderstorms a couple of nights prior that has flooded some counties nearby), which looked a lot like the Huang He river that particular day, under the torturous shining sun was great despite not having any chance of saving any drowning kid or soaking the camera to its end like last year. And the pretty unsuccessful attempt in fishing at the tasik berpuaka stuffed with loads of boarding school ghost legends and stories was still pretty relaxing and a lot of fun.
Minus toilet time and the severe sunburn, it was great. Maybe we should do it Bear Grills’ way next time. The Yellowstone National Park seems like a great and a very possible location.


So, there’s another 6 more weeks of summer school to survive. I bumped into Tammy yesterday and she treated me lunch, met some new cool soccer buddies with very sick moves, and I suddenly got this long list of party invitations to go to, and I think I saw Abbas in math class?????



Masih menyesal xtgk game turki vs. Czech. Lakers hampeh... belanja tiket pg london....????