convocation

JULY 5, 2007




2 tickets only?? stingy!!


I have never attended any convocation despite being the eldest among my cousins. Here am i on the 5 July, accompanied by brother, and few friends, attending MY convocation. I still remembered it has been rainning cat and dog for the whole week. I stood there worried about the weather and hope it wont ruin the event, the photographing session and meet up with friends who will be going back for good. will it be gloomy? or rainning? or possibly sunny afternoon? I stood there asking myself if i did well enough for my family to feel proud? or am i proud of what i've achieved? I accepted the result and there is nothing that i can do to make it better. Life does not end here. This is where it begins.




l-r: han ping, william, me

This is not a ceremony where i receive my certificate on stage and go back party. On the contrary, it reminds me of my student's life, what i have been through, my studies, friendship and relationship, part time job and responsibility towards my family, how different am i compared to few years ago. how much i have changed?



teddy bears!!!

after today, i wont be thinking of exams when i have my dinner, i will miss the time we have to stay up late to burn mid night oil, watching football while doing assignment, reading notes while chatting on the net.. those are the days. well, never know when i will go back to study again!




it was indeed a very exciting day. be it as graduate or visitor, watching your colleague stepping out of uni (the proper way la!! :p) will never be a dull moment. end of uni life is the beginning of working life.

update

guys, been too busy lately and here are some updates from me...


photo courtesy of jason


life is so good so far and i am currently working at primark. this is the place i have been depending on for 3 months and shamefully i have to say the only place i must depend on. since i had graduated, i promise to be independent and try not to seek allowance from my parent. i am happy to earn some money, on the other hand i am sad to not work as what i should. there are plenty of events to jot down such as my convocation, my awesome 22nd birthday, and my sweet heart's birthday celebration, and now awaiting for christmas which is less than 2 weeks from now.wow!!

good news is that i was offered a job as graduate engineer starts in mid january...finally. i always believed that i am very unlucky because some of my friends had already started to work while i m still jobless. i actually have so much time this 3 months to come out with a new equation which isaac newton or einstein failed to discover. (peer pressure+family pressure+working pressure= total disastrous). it doesnt help when u have to serve awful customer everyday, showing cocky face and throw the items and money on the counter. all you can do is keep on smiling and hold your nerve. on the positive side, this will definitely make me to be more appreciative of what i've achieved. i walk this path a hard way and this feeling is so priceless and contented and my heart pounding ferociously.

now i promise to improve my family lifestyle. if it is mediocre, i'll make it good. if it is good, i'll make it better. i would like to thank my girlfriend especially for being so supportive. u know what you did and i need no say more. and also my buddy who prefer to remain anonymous. million thanks and i owe u.

bro at aberdeen

2 years ago, bro and me............

Bro pays me a visit on the 2nd June. I was so excited about it because he came here not just for my graduation, but most importantly he brought a bank draft and peanut pastry for me :) hehehe.. to my surprise, he hasnt change much, except for him tummy, i guess he had plenty of good foods back home. he is still that funny and daring. We (han ping's parent, jane, bro, and me) tour around St Andrews, Edinburgh, Manchester, and London during his 2 weeks travel.


St Andrews Gold Club. I thought you said 'golf is for old ppl'???


Edinburgh- on the way back from castle

if you ever wonder what other places look like compared to where i studied.. most people will say 'more happening than aberdeen'. i wondered how could i survived for this 2 freaking long years in aberdeen. anyhow, it's almost time to pack and now i m reluctant to leave.

next, we went to london for 2 nights. arrived at good time because it's summer sale. bro went for shopping most of the time. he could shop like a girl, walking for non-stop. luckily it wasnt boxing day or else i had to get a scooter just to accompany him. overall, i found out that it was quite an enjoyable trip at london. more shopping complexes, more night life, good foods..... 3 thumbs up (if i ever had three)!!!


jane at convent garden

if you happen to bump into this fake guitarist, please would someone kindly bash him up for me :) he refused to let her go until i gave him money. this is kidnapping...


she almost fooled the tourists to donate while faking some performance


the real street performer... he should cut her throat out for molesting.

this guy made alot of money coz ppl will just throw some coins just to see him move every 10 seconds. guess he earned at least 100-200 pounds a day. last but not least is manchester (how could we ever forget about manchester united). got to stay for 4 nights at jane's apartment. very convenient location, close to a chinese restaurant that sells good supper and cheap dimsum. i gained 3 kgs after the trip.


ronaldo and rooney kick some ass next season. my money is on your side....

and liverpool, also known as merseyside. visited the stadium and beetles museum
(yeap they are from liverpool)


han ping with his over exaggerated expression. he is happier than the players. i guess he won the betting last time

bro flight was delayed due to technical prob (steering) and had to stay in a hotel for 2 more nights. finally got the chance to bring him along to view aberdeen night life
( coz it rained most of the time). after that sent him to the airport and time to say goodbye. got his call half way, the flight delayed again and asked for 6 volunteers. reimburse 400 euro for 1 night but bro chose to fly bk with business class?? hello.. 400 euro for 1 night do you get the correct calculation.


after 2 years. didnt change that much....

graduation dinner

On the 1^st of July, we had our very own graduation dinner at Marcliffe Hotel, Aberdeen. Very nice food and I am very much pleased with the decoration. After dinner we headed to the balcony to take some pictures and back home when the taxi arrived. Subsequently, to Coopers court to gamble and games and of course lots of alcohol, making sure ah wei MUST vomit since it was his birthday. Is a sweet revenge for what he did on my birthday. hehe cheers........



yummy food


happy birthday ah wei. don play so hard ok!! :p


group picture

me and brother

me, piggy ei leen, and yit cheong

farewell

Have not been updating for awhile. Here I am, writing this entry on the train to Glasgow and head for London in less than 5 hours, meet up with my brother and friends whom arrived earlier this morning. Yesterday was my graduation day. It was such a wonderful journey to be given this opportunity to study here in Aberdeen. Throughout my journey, I met many new faces, some leave and some still here; my new buddy and good friends now. I am thankful enough to have met you guys although it is a very short time.

Ah Lam and On Yong, even though we are from the same college, I never had the courage to talk to you until we study abroad…. and now you are departing to Malaysia in 7 hours. I will definitely miss the time we spend together, teasing each other, and of course your cooking rocks!! I would like to apologize if I ever upset both of you during your stay here. From today onwards, going back to Bedford road will never be the same again without your presence. We debated. Debate which location would be a better place to make a fortune and you chose to go back to Malaysia to start your career. It is sad to hear that we have completely different perspective (hate you for leaving us :p) but I wish you all the best in your career. Good luck guys!

3:30PM 6 JULY 2007

very....very nice day

has been quite a while since i felt so occupied and happy. it was on tuesday 19/6, bunch of guys decided to head for esplanade for golfing session with ei leen. as usual we started off by waiting for caleb to make up and shower, followed by waiting for sivaraj since he dont hv coins for bus ride AS USUAL. CHEH!! had lot of laughter teasing each other. group one consists of me, caleb, yit choong and group two we have sivaraj, ah lam, and ei leen. 18 holes all together. we have two winners : (yupe tat's me hehe)

and two losers :p

head to the beach after dinner. lam's trademark on the sand, i wondered what was that
and how could he possibly come out with this stupid thing :P also not to be forgotten, ei leen and her 'enutnut on the sand'

and finally at night, did something only drunk ppl will do. caleb is too sissy to climb, ahhaa.

final stage of assessment

-: final result will be out next week, so is the result for assessment. good luck guys.

passed the first stage interview. and yesterday i went through an assessment from 9-5. of so many candidates, there are only 8 of us remain. there are ppl from glasgow, edinburgh, rgu, newcastle. realizing most of them are Msc and master student, i felt the pressure all over. pretty tough day i would say. and here goes the summary of what i have done throughout the day.

technical interview - i think i did pretty well for this section. :) PASS
iq and numerical test - average. 45 questions in 20 freaking minutes
verbal test - average. slightly worst than iq and numerical test
team discussion - pass
team assessment - bad
and finally presentation on case study - average.

all in all, it was one hell of great experience. i am thankful enough to be given this opportunity to perform in this assessment. hopefully i will get this job (finger crossed)

my life and people around me

regretfully, i couldnt make it on the previous group meeting as i have to settle with my own problems. sum yee, i hope that you dont mind at all. i am writing here to tell you that i am very glad that i have met you here in aberdeen. i came here all alone, not knowing much to do until i attended the cell group. and from there, my contacts just blossom to what it is now. the cell group that you and your siblings set up, not only enlighten my friday night, but also a weekly break from my hectic study life schedule. ultimately, i learnt alot from the meeting and i hope to apply it in my everyday life and people around me. i am touched that you prayed for everyone, people around you or other malaysian students who are coming abroad, hoping that they are free from any problem. it is sad to hear that you are leaving aberdeen this wednesday. you will surely be missed in the future cell group meeting. i wish you success in your future endeavour in durham, and i hope we could meet someday..

final exam ^_^

-: 9 days away from my very final paper..

to think of it, i had been studying for more than 14 years yet it seems like yesterday. i am one step closer to the working environment in less than 2 months. reminds me back during the old days, i used to sleep and wake up at anytime, i used to ask myself if i will ever miss my student life despite my disfavours in attending morning lectures, non-stop assignments, projects and exams.... yes i will, and i will definitely miss it.
on the positive side, i should be very lucky to be able to study until now while others couldn't make it through, be it financially or health reason, or do not have the opportunity to study abroad. i am lucky enough to be given this opportunity and i shouldnt ask for more. mum, dad, sis and bro, i am very thankful for your continuous effort in supporting me all the way financially and mentally. despite of my frustration every single time exam's approaching, you will always ask me to take it easy and have the confidence in me, this is the strength i need to strive for excellent. and i hope that i will make you proud this coming convocation.

and to all my friends whom will be sitting for this final, let's do our very best, let us end this with a smile...

happy birthday mum :)

-: i tribute this post to my lovely mother in conjunction with her birthday...

invariably 30 april would pop up in my head, i would always panicked, thinking that me and my siblings must do something as a repay of what she had sacrifice for us. in fact, it could never be paid, the debt is always there. it is always hard to figure what to do for mum's birthday. i recalled, 13 years ago, i would certainly buy her something that i would enjoy playing instead of her, hoping that she will give me eventually. and yes she did it. how childish i was....
9 years ago, i will be this little good boy who do all the house chores and keep the house tidy. mum and i will shopped for groceries and stock up the fridge.
5 years ago, we celebrated her birthday in grandpa's house during daytime, and went out for dinner at nice restaurant.
3 years ago, we brought her dining in a hotel, bought mum her favourite black forest cake and celebrated with uncles and aunts, and blow the candles with younger children...
today, mum called me and reminds me of her birthday. i had totally forgotten. all i did was explaining how busy i was with exams and projects. she accepted it happily as always. a happy go lucky mum. optimistic mother. i could lied the whole world but not myself. yes, i lied. i remembered i had planned it since two and half months ago to deliver a special gift to her door step. i saved by eating pasta most of the time. i had a tremendously bad week and completely forgotten about this important event. i am completely out of focus. i felt so sorry for her. i am so useless and irresponsible. i had never imagine myself to be so hopeless nowadays, as a friend, a student, a housemate, a couple and as her child, as the youngest in the family. regretful. i hope is never too late, happy birthday mum. and i love you. i never say this on the phone, it sounded so weird but i meant it from my heart.


pic taken @10 September 2005

job interview

-: i do not need an alarm clock nowadays. used to woke up at 6 and lately i had this same dream that constantly wakes me. not good. not good at all.

2 years ago when i was in college, i have made up my mind to study abroad, obtain a good result and eventually settle with a job around scotland. yesterday, i looked up my inbox and i received an email regarding a job interview this thursday. i should be very happy to get this offer after going through so many attempts, so many rejections from big companies but strangely enough, i do not feel amazed even to bit.

most people would be happy to settle in UK, earn in pound sterling, gain oversea experiences, and come back with seven times richer than usual. seven times faster to own a property, supercars. and seven times bigger their wallet. who wouldnt want it? i am a stingy money minded. ask my friend if you think i am joking. :p

for the last 6 months, slowly, i was taught that money is not veryvery important although it is fundamental to build a healthy family- free from debt and financial issue. there are much more important things in life such as happiness and family. i would like to thank you for changing my perspective and view of life.

to think of it, money is not/never be the utmost highlight why i wanted to work around Aberdeen so badly, i tried so hard to nail for every single opportunity not because of any of the factor listed above.... now, i am not certain if working here is the best choice anymore, but i certainly wont be so upset as previous attempts if i ever fail this interview, it seems as though i am no longer motivated to work here. i begin to miss home, miss everyone, i hope to find and start a new life back in kl. perhaps somewhere around england or south of scotland.... :)

happy birthday!! su mei

-: pui li and grace, thanks for your company. really nice. and i feel blessed to have known both of you...

last night, we celebrated su mei's birthday at Ash Vale. been there quite regular but not on birthday occasion.

we met at approximate 7.50pm. grace and pui li brought the present all the way from home, they sailed all the way to ashvale...

we ordered plenty of things. too bad there was no certificate of achivement that night. you will have to eat 2 plates of ashvale whale to obtain the cert. reminds me the first time when i stumbled upon this place, han ping and on yong desperately try to finish 2 plates and in the end we got 2 certs. they had phobia eating fish afterwards...and lasted for 1 month.

birthday girl and her cake. su mei wasnt expecting any cake :) .i was a bit surprised to see that cake. bought it few days back and it was exactly the same, somehow i didn't use it. such coincidence, i think that god is testing me to the limit.

we made the present for su mei. to be honest i just cut few piece of white cardboard :) pui li and grace did the whole decoration while i was sleeping. thanks for being there and keep me busy the whole day. i appreciate it. and i really really need it.

david, tan en and adrian. it has been quite a while since i last met you guys. hope you are doing alright. looking better and better :)

Last but not least, also present were su mei's flatmates nikki, rob, darh (hope i get the spelling right). all of us in the picture(click here to enlarge). i always enjoyed eating at ashvale, all it takes is a good company from special group of friend. i meant 'weird' people. hihi.

han ping and jane. thanks for taking care of me these few days by cooking delicious mouth watering exotic dishes... exaggerating enough :) and cleaned all the dishes. all i did was sleep and make you guys worry. i hope you dont mind at all. my hand is slowly recovering. i could move more nowadays. Also not to be forgotten, sivaraj, you tried so hard to make silly jokes, i might not laugh that time, but i know your intention. ppl who text me, advise, and drop comments. u know who you are. many thanks

'colours'

-: white is what i am looking for, not red, not pink....

during my stay in aberdeen, fortunate or vise versa, i met this girl, *Mel* on the 30th august 06. her impression to me was a happy go lucky and loves to party girl. knowing her better, deep inside i found that there is this maturity lies in her, the way she looks at things and words of advise that is. amazed, i hv never thought of breaking up as before, i am glad to proceed even closer than 'friends' boundary, a much more intimate relationship.

moments of ups and downs, the first break up occured due to misunderstanding. yes, it was solely my fault. how i wish the first break doesnt occur, our relationship should be sailing smoothly. i never gave up. i decided to start from the beginning. stubborn i am. during that period, little did i know, i had fall for you very very slowly..

i knew it would never be an easy journey. i have done everything and hope to be appreciated not now, but one day. if red is a color of love, i would describe *Mel* as white. I felt all its presence, all the colors that blend together which form this pure white. all ups and downs. bitter sweet... maybe i didnt tell you, i am so happy when we get back together, the happiest in my entire life. I never expected this moment to be too short, too shame to be mentioned. u know what i have done for you. more than words could describe. i have failed to express how you trully meant to me. i have no intention to say more. cant i even leave just one slice of mark in ur heart? am i that lousy?

'is so hard to forget a person, why not impress her, touch her heart, let her know i still care, i am always there'. thats what i wanted to show you if i were given one more chance to prove. yet, u turn me completely down with another news. i have given you a pair of wings, but you never return..

'sorry'

-: Sorry is a taboo. that's the last thing people ever wanted to listen or say...........

little did i know, i had gone through my first phrase. love. sound sweet yet poisonous. the memory that haunt me for as long as i lived. i dont know how long i could stand before dropping my tears again. yes, if the word 'sissy' came across your mind, i dont mind. because i m proud, proud of looking what i hv been searching for since the day i encountered the word 'love'. i know what i m looking for, and i knew it a long time ago.

during my school, college, or uni's life, i hv been rejecting all the chances to begin a relationship. call it puppy love or teenage love. all i got was letter of hatred, curse, and bad public comment. i dont mind at all. i do not want to start it because there is a doubt strike through my mind. my apology, that is the best possible way to stop because you are the one to be hurt in future if breakup is what is going to happen.

it will never be good to begin with something that will end..