Life is like a dream...

1 Down, 1 More To Go

2007-04-24T15:30:00.000+08:00

finally submitted my ELC assignment today! i fulfilled all the requirements needed for the assignment without much advanced features. i have no time for that and partly because i am lazy too. luckily i managed to upload my web application into the local intranet and run it without much problem. That was my final assignment and there is still one thesis left to go.

it was a huge relief when my supervisor finally came back from medical leave. i was really worried about the progress of my final year project prior to seeing him. moreover, i have stopped doing my thesis for 1 week now due to the ELC aassignment. however, i did manage to cover most parts of the documentation for chapter 3. i dunno why, but he did give me a peace of mind everytime after meeting him. at least his responses showed that i'm still on the right track!

the user testing gave me a big headache over the weeks. he requested for at least 30 test subjects but where can i find that amount of people who are willing to spend more than 30 minutes for the test? everyone was basically rushing for their own projects and assignments. guess i was lucky to have found 22 respondents so far. for the analysis part now, it is all about statistics. i need to digest all kind of alien terms like cross tabulation, statistical difference, p-value, t-test & α threshold value etc...

there is still approximately 1 week plus to go before the due date of the final year project. though, i have to finish the documentation write up by this sunday for one last round of amendment. my prototype is still stuck at the print screen function with an IllegalArgumentException. i really need help for debugging the exception caught...

currently, i'm leading a very unhealthy lifestyle by staying awake in the middle of the night and sleep during the day. with the exam week just around the corner, hopefully i won't get sick any time soon...

Hail the Red Devils!!!

2007-04-11T22:45:00.000+08:00

Manchester United 7 - 1 AS Roma

Glory glory Man United... The scoreline was unbelievable as Man Utd bounced back strongly after 2 consecutive defeats! even though they have a long injury list and with fringe players like Fletcher and Smith starting the game, they fired all cylinders to clinch a spot in the Champions League Semi Finals.

Carrick finally justified his 18.6 million pound price tag with 2 beautiful long range efforts. Smith's stunning strike also showed that he is back to his old self after being struck with career threatening injuries. even Evra put his name on the scoresheet having just return from an injury lay off. the sizzling performance demonstrated by United's attacking trio of Ronaldo, Rooney & Giggs ripped the Roma's defense apart.

recalling how Totti taunted Ferguson to remember his name in a press conference just before the first leg, i hope to see his expressions after the final whistle of yesterday's match. serve him right, and i hope he DOES remember all the United players who has played a part in the classic match!

i missed yesterday's match due to loads of assignments and my thesis. thanks to my friend, Sam, who messaged me the good news right after the game ended. it really did light up my day after going through a stressful night dealing with all those paperwork and testing!

with MU & Chelsea through and Liverpool leading 3-0 from the first leg, the prospect of having 3 English teams in the Champions League semi final is really high. this should be a proud season for English football since they overpowered the clubs fron Spain & Italy!

the big win against Roma should inspire me to work hard against all obstacles. you may be down now, but you can always bounce back higher! Hail the Red Devils!!!

Nottingham Sports Week

2007-04-09T23:39:00.000+08:00

Hurray, our table tennis team, the Purple Primates, has got 2nd place in the league! it was a close call since we were tied on the number of matches (win & lose) with the Blue Buffaloes. after a strenous calculation, we pipped the Blue Buffaloes to get silver as we have won more sets.

our 3 games against the Blue Buffaloes, Red Racoons and Sassy Snakes were tough ones. we won 3-2 against the Red Racoons and lost 2-3 to the Blue Buffaloes after a close match. Sassy Snakes were a class above as they virtually won all their matches. i was more happy with my performance today although i lost all my singles matches. i just couldn't hit a right shot last thursday but still lucky enough to win both matches.

i think it would now be unrealistic for the Purple Primates to win the Nottingham Cup. the Orange Orangutans are really strong in most of the events. however, i heard that the Red Racoons are currently topping the charts. whatever it is, i just wish we don't end up last. although our CSIT community is small, but we showed that quality means more than quantity!

in addition to winning the squash event last monday, i now have a gold and a silver. not a bad way to end my sports life in uni! hope i still get a chance to play this much of sports when i enter the working life. currently, i have decided to stop going to the sports complex until i have submitted my thesis. i am so behind the schedule and hopefully my supervisor will be back on the 16th of April!

Lack of Concentration + Motivation = I'm Doomed!

2007-04-05T11:06:00.000+08:00

what is wrong with me, i don't seem to be able to concentrate lately! i have tonnes of assignments & a thesis to work on, but i just slacked off all my precious time. this really doesn't sound good! my pc has too many distractions (series, movies & games) causing me to do something else when i should be doing work. lack of self-disipline is one of my worst enemies.

i lack motivation too. i'm now wondering how my supervisor is coping with his illness. he should be back in 10 days time and i truly wish he'll recover by then. please, don't abandon me at this crucial moment or i'll be left struggling alone in the open water. knowing very well that i can't swim, give me something to hang onto! i don't wanna drown, not now!

the due dates are getting nearer and nearer. at least i have finished the IAW assignment. i vow to finish DDB by this week! i have to or i'll be as good as dead... oh yeah, blogging is another major distraction. here i am wasting my time blogging again! maybe i should refrain myself from spending so much time on the blog.

extra note: *sob *sob... MU lost to Roma last night and Scholes was sent off. You have to fight back in the return leg at Old Trafford. this will provide me with extra inspiration ^_^

I did it!

2007-04-02T23:27:00.000+08:00

i finally managed to exact a sweet revenge against my opponent, who knocked me out of the open tournament last monday! back then, i knew i have lost to her even before the match started. i didn't know what was on my mind at that moment, but i lost most of my confidence when i was drawn to play her in the 1st round. although i have beaten her before, i knew our standards are really close because i couldn't really keep up with her at times during training.

this time around, i knew i can and badly needed to beat her in order to redeem myself after the failure last week. this proves one thing, that negative thoughts are silent killers. think positive, and you will eventually succeed. whatever the mind can perceive, it can be done! winning the sports week squash event didn't make me that happy. but by beating her, it boosted my morale and self-esteem.

a lesson is learnt, and i should stop complaining about my final year project! work hard and i know i can achieve what i always wanted! thank you, my guardian angel... you once again lead me back to the right path!

A Week of Mixed Events...

2007-03-23T22:15:00.000+08:00

Monday:
as i had to see my supervisor today, i have been trying to do as much as possible, let it be documentation or prototyping, in order to have something to show him. i was really nervous before our meeting as i was afraid that he will lecture me for doing so little since seeing him 2 weeks ago. he set it on monday to see the progress of all his tutees. luckily, he didn't say much after viewing my prototype. he just asked a few technical questions, which i somehow managed to justify my explanations. i promised to send him chapter 4 by next monday, but i have yet to really put into words till now...

i was relieved after our meeting ended. went back to my room as there was still an hour to go before the DDB class starts. asked my friend to install the dvd writer i have bought last saturday. the installation was successful and i instantly burnt my first dvd just to test it out. i was really happy when everything went smoothly without glitches. finally, i can store all the tvb series i have downloaded into dvds and lessen the load on my pc harddisk. got a ride back to kl from my friend after class ended. i have to go home as i have something to settle at the bank.

Tuesday:
life at home is really good. what else would i do other than eating and watching tv? moreover, i get to eat my mom's cooking after stuffing myself with outside food for the past week. i also get to see Desperate Housewives on 8TV, which i don't get to watch in campus.

Wednesday:
woke up at 6am so that i could get back to semenyih by 9am. i had a lab class in the morning, which isn't compulsory for us to attend. i went there anyway just to start doing my IAW assignment. i knew i would have wasted that morning if i choose to come back in the afternoon. i was struggling as i am not that familiar with xsl. yet, i still managed to do something at least. i have to finish this assignment asap because i have 2 other assignments plus my thesis to deal with. the due dates are getting nearer and nearer...

went for badminton at nite with my coursemates. we played for almost 2 hours and had a nice sweat out. it somehow released some stress after struggling with my assignments earlier on. played a little squash and ping pong as well.

Thursday:
i have heard a rumour that may land me in hot water if it is true! it seems that my supervisor have some health problems and he's taking 2 weeks off for some reason. the scariest part is he may not be back anymore should anything goes wrong! i was taken aback when i heard it. i am really worried if this is true, meaning that i will be assigned to another supervisor, who has no idea on what my project is about. my supervisor later sent us an email asking us to meet him next monday. everything will be clarified by then and i hope it is just a normal meeting.

went for squash training later at nite. it was still raining at 8pm but then slowed to a drizzle by 8.30pm. i called my coach to see if the training is still on. apparently, both of them were there but no one else turned up. they persuaded me to join the open tournament, which will be held next week. i don't really wanna join for a few reasons. i am not confident in winning and really afraid that i may be knocked out on the 1st round. my coach told me he wasn't confident also and it's not all about winning. had a chat with a friend later at night and she said i should not refrain myself from joining just because of one person. both of them have their points and they did inspire me to view this in another angle. still contemplating at this moment.

Friday:
i have locked myself in the room for the whole day trying to finish the IAW assignment. there is only one part left but that is the most difficult part as well. i am really frustrated as i have been stuck for quite some time now. called my friend for help but the problem is yet to be solved. have to try my luck again and i believe i can overcome "you"!

thought about the tournament again and i decided to join anyway. this is my final year and i don't get this kind of chances anymore. i should challenge myself to think more positively and rise to the occasion. who cares even if i get beaten in the first round?! maybe i'm lucky enough to win the lucky draw, which offers a squash racquet as the grand prize! :p

Monday Blues

2007-03-12T23:50:00.000+08:00

"I hate Mondays!", a quote from Garfield. i can truly feel what it means by now. i hate mondays, only because of this semester's timetable. i have a morning class at 9am, which means i have to wake up at 6am and leave home around 7am just to beat the traffic jam in order not to be late for class. worse still, i usually stay up quite late on sunday night due to various sports or tv programme being aired at the most bizzare hours.

yesterday, i went to bed at 1.30am as i was watching the All England finals. i must say that the Malaysian pair of Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong did really well to win the title. their partnership is only 6 months old but their chemistry is superb as they cover for each other well. in the 5 tournaments they have entered so far, they emerged as champions in 3 of them and reached the semis and final for the remaining 2. a very impressive statistics indeed. hopefully, they can keep our national flag flying high in other competitions.

since i didn't get enough sleep in the previous night, i was particularly sleepy in class. my mind couldn't think right and i felt as if my soul has left my body resting in somewhere else. then, i went to the Career Fair held in the Great Hall. not many booths cater for CSIT students as most of the companies are looking more for engineering and business students. later, i attended a talk by this company called Xyratex. i was interested to apply for a job there but was put off by the company's location, which is in Seremban. while i could finally get out of this jungle in semenyih, why would i jump straight back to another jungle in N9? it just doesn't make any sense...

after class ended at 4pm, rushed back to my room to get Seek Yin her reference letter. My coursemates and i then executed our grand plan of giving Alvin a belated birthday surprise. i somehow managed to lead him to the pool side when Shidi and Emil pushed him into the pool. Sam was the mastermind behind this plan as we made sure that he didn't have his phone and pendrive with him when he fell into the water. Ling Wei was there to capture the whole process and she said the clip shall be featured in Youtube soon! there were some moments that may cause him to suspect something amiss but luck is on our side when everything falls into places. Well, happy belated birthday, my dear son!

then, i saw friend playing squash. haven't seen her for a really long time as she hasn't been attending the training as usual. had a chat with her and then decided to play for a while since it was already 5pm. the coaches came a little late and we started playing by rotation. as my coach has taken back the usual racquet that i always use, i couldn't find a comfortable grip with other available racquets although some of them are way costlier. i didn't play well as i was not in form at all! that friend of mine is still as sharp as ever. i may not be able to beat her if ever we should meet in a competition. this is reality check! maybe i shouldn't play on mondays as i was freaking tired after the game. i definitely need more sleep!!!

i have had two monday blues for two consecutive weeks. please do not make it a hattrick!

The Pursuit of HappYness...

2007-03-04T13:56:00.000+08:00

surely anyone would have noticed the spelling error here. i thought the movie title was spelt wrongly too, until a sub-plot revealed why the word "happiness" is spelt this way.

before watching this movie, i have gone through certain comments and criticisms. one of my friend said it is a sad and touching movie. there are mixed reactions from the online movie reviews where one claimed it's not worth watching while the other ask you not to forget to bring along a handkerchief when you watch. i seriously dunno what to expect except to hope that it can turn out to be something decent at least!

Disappointed, is the word to describe my feelings after leaving the cinema. there was not even a single element that can lead me to happiness! the whole movie showed how a family struggled to make ends meet. they owe the government a lot of taxes and have months of unpaid rentals. the wife left the family as she can't take it anymore and the poor man gotta take care of their little son alone. he worked really hard to become a stock broker so that he can breakaway from poverty. in the end, his perseverance paid and he excelled and even set up his own company. typical plot that you can expect to have a happy ending. i did not shed a tear nor did i laugh during the entire movie. it is depressing as you will get to see how poor some people could be. although they worked hard and are considered to be educated, they just can't earn enough to have a decent life.

the moral of the story? Money is the solution! Money leads you to happiness! Money guarantees that you can live a comfortable live without having to avoid anyone (debtors especially) and need not worry that you might have to spend the night in public toilets!

what exactly does happiness mean? is it something that you can share with your friends & loved ones? or is it money (in a more concrete form) that can solve most of your problems in life? there is a chinese saying, which goes, "Money isn't everything; but without money, you can't do anything!"

the only plus point is that after watching this movie, i felt lucky about my life. while my family is not rich, my dad still manage to put enough food on the table and provided us with a roof over our heads. Happiness is when you appreciate what you have got and be grateful that you were not born in poverty-stricken families...

A Cute Little Card

2007-02-15T22:38:00.000+08:00

a friend of mine sent me this card for my birthday. it is really cute so i would like to share it with all of you.

thank you, my dear kai sin! i know you'll be going to australia soon. do update me on your mobile number there & keep in touch. miss you dearly!

Thank You Everyone!!!

2007-02-15T22:13:00.000+08:00

Thank you Ling Wei, Eddie, Adil, Sam, Billy, Tze Hui, Shidi, Geetha & Alvin! i was really delighted to receive such a thoughtful gift from you guys - a box of Patchi chocolates!!! i checked the website @ http://www.patchi.com/ & saw loads of chocolate in it! the chocolates are handmade and aestheticly-dressed. after unwrapping the present, i tried one piece as i couldn't resist the temptation anymore. and boy oh boy, it is SUPER delicious!

Ling Wei, it must be your idea for writing that cheeky note! haha... i really appreciate you for being so considerate and attentive. one more thing, i have counted and there are 22 pieces of chocs in the box reflecting my age. is it pure coincidence or did you purposely buy that amount?

once again, a million thanks to all of you for all the wishes and gifts! not to forget, i do value your efforts in trying to get me the Golden Ticket!

Scrumptious chocolates in a nice box!

A Trap That Trips

2007-02-10T13:40:00.000+08:00

have you ever fallen into a trap? i'm sure most of you have. the issue lies whether you are able to pull yourself out of the trap... and most importantly, not stepping into the same trap AGAIN!

talking about traps, i have got myself into a dilemma by now. should i continue with something i am good at? or should i venture into a path, which challenges and possible outcomes are unknown to me? the former option may trap me into a monotonous cycle in life doing the same thing that i am good at doing; while the latter may cause me to trip and fall flat on my face or send me to greater heights beyond my imagination.

to be honest, i am not an adventurous person. in fact, i hate changes to my routines or things that would affect my life immensely. nonetheless, sometimes these changes bring more positives than negatives. based on my apprehensive personality, i know very well that i can never be a successful businesswoman or an entrepreneur.

there was once when i fell helplessly into a trap, which i know i should have never fallen into! maybe my mind was not clear enough then, causing me not able to see things beyond it. as time goes by, i tried very hard to pull myself out of it, bit by bit. just when i thought i am finally able to free myself, another force came pulling me back into it! is this a joke or something? or is god trying to test my perseverance? whatever the reason it may be, i know i will recuperate as my guardian angel will point me to the road of recovery and time would be the best medicine.

people say you grow from every fall in life. hopefully, these trips can make me stronger and be better in my judgement so that i will not fall easily into a trap that looks so tempting from far.

Surprise! Surprise!

2007-02-06T22:38:00.000+08:00

lately, 2 of my friends who had graduated paid me surprise visits. it was kinda strange since they came back only in the 2nd semester. anyway, i am really happy to see them again!

firstly, my dear Tai Kar Cheh, Seek Yin, came visiting during the semester break. i was really glad that she came since i was bored to death in campus then. it was really pathetic of me having to return to the campus doing my final year thesis while many others are enjoying their semester break. for the first time ever, i went swimming in the pool. i wanted to learn how to swim since i'm planning to go to Perhentian Island for a vacation after graduation. currently, i'm still learning how to float. i would be greatful if anyone can teach me how to swim in a limited time period! i'm expecting to see her again next week as she has to get some reference letters from her lecturers. your arrival is greatly anticipated, welcome again!

secondly, my "jue jue", Corina, visited me yesterday. i was surprised to receive a message from her on that faithful afternoon. apparently, she and her family came to kl from penang during the Thaipusam holiday. i last saw her when i went to penang during my semester break dated back in June 06. Thanks for the dinner although it was only cafe food :p i'll keep that photo of yours nicely and it is useful as a bookmark as well! do come to kepong next time and i'll spend you "tong sui" as promised ;)

their unexpected visits are truly a pleasant surprise! wish i can do that after graduating from unim. any juniors to welcome me then?

My Wishlist

2007-02-03T14:27:00.000+08:00

My wishlist is actually a list of things that i would like to have, but in reality hard to get. Then why wish for them since i'm not going to get them anyway? haha... well, most of us harbour certain things deep inside our hearts but it is not necessary for us to own them. these wishes motivates me to get on with life and appreciate the alternatives more.

Squash Racquet

this item is not hard to get at all. however, there are certain issues bugging me that keep me from buying it. 4 months to go before graduating and i may have no access to squash after that! moreover, the racquet ain't cheap and a decent one may cost around RM200+. is the investment worth it? if only i can gurantee that i still have a chance to play squash after i leave the uni...

PDA Phone

i'm quite fond of gadgets but the prices are too steep for my pocket for the current moment. a PDA phone gives you the functions of a normal PDA plus you can make calls with it. not forgetting to mention that some of these devices have Wifi capabilities, which allow us to browse the Internet. the design is pretty cool as well from various vendors like O2 & Dopod. these gadgets carry a price tag of RM 2k or more. i may get myself one after started working... or i may not need it anyway!

A Season Pass to Old Trafford

any football fan should know where Old Trafford is. it is the home ground of my favourite team Manchester United! having a season pass means i can watch all the MU home matches in Old Trafford for an entire football season. but, it can only materialise if i'm working and living in Manchester. not to forget the ticket price is really costly if i am to purchase it using MYR. i would be ecstatic if this dream is ever going to come true. anyone from Manchester, please hire me!

A Golden Ticket to Wonka's Chocolate Factory

i have a sweet tooth as i love candies and chocolates. wouldn't it be nice if i can get a chance to visit Wonka's chocolate factory? definitely yes! seeing that everything in the factory is edible, inclusive of the chocolate river, candy grass and lollipops hanging on the trees... i'd be drowned in sweetness! i also relish meeting Willy Wonka and his Oompa Loompas, although they seem a little peculiar anyway. all i need is the Golden Ticket! Can anyone tell me where to get the Wonka Bars?

Doraemon's “Dokodemo Door”

this is my greatest desire of all! travelling needs money and while backpacking can save costs, it doesn't come for free. i will be able to go anywhere at anytime using the Dokodemo Door regardless of time and money. imagine that you wake up one day and suddenly feel like visiting the Great Wall of China. Just open the Dokodemo Door, and you are there! It will save the costs of getting there by plane or coach; as well as the time needed to reach your destination. you can also save on the accommodation since you can always go back to your room to sleep and embark on a different journey the next day! i don't think i am that greedy since i am just asking for the door instead of Doraemon... :p

Missing again...

2007-02-01T15:35:00.000+08:00

the 3rd post of the day... a record for me!!! maybe i'm too free and bored in my room. or maybe this is one channel to vent my anger and frustration.

for the second time, i lost my food that were kept in the fridge. i used to think that the cleaners might have thrown them away when they were cleaning the fridge. but no, this time it is different. other food stuff are still in the freezer compartment except for mine. my food was stored in a container and wrapped in the plastic bag. it was no where to be seen when i went to retrieve it from the fridge yesterday. i have another can of 100 Plus and a packet of Milo in the fridge as well but they are all safe and sound. just made me wonder what kind of sicko is that to have taken my cooked food! although i have lodged a complaint with Vincent, he can't really do anything about it. i suggested installing cctv in the kitchen so that whoever that "takes" from the fridge or messes up the kitchen can be caught! either my food is now in the dumpster or in someone's stomach!

i was really pissed off that i wanted to whack someone or something at that moment. finally, got to play squash with my coursemate at night to have a good whacking, on the poor squash ball of course! i couldn't care much about my foot anymore as a plaster should do the trick. we played table tennis as well. i was surprised when a number of my coursemates also showed up in the sports complex. some of them are not that active in sports so it is a rare occasion that they all turned up. we had a great night playing table tennis and squash together. too bad i left my camera in my room!

we left around 11pm. i was really tired by then but enjoyed myself thoroughly. when i removed the plaster, the wound has discharged some fluid. i guess it hasn't healed properly and i might have to nurture it carefully so that it will dry up by next week, when the squash training resumes. can't hardly wait...

finally, don't ever let me find out who you are... or i'll whack you from head to toe! MARK MY WORDS!!!

Down with option-phobia

2007-02-01T12:54:00.000+08:00

some people complain that they are forced to do something because they have no option; while some people complain because they have too many options that they don't know what to choose! i think i fall into the latter category as i am having a major headache in choosing the right subjects for my final semester.

my timetable for this semester looks very packed and i have classes almost everyday! i can pick 4 optional modules from a list of 6 offered by the CSIT school. basically, all subjects have coursework except for one. i already made up my mind for taking 3 modules but still struggling to choose the 4th subject. DDB? OPS? AIM? CEP? ... and there goes the list!

DDB sounds interesting after attending the 1st lecture on monday. nonetheless, the lecturer is quite demanding and the coursework is about setting up a plan to start an e-commerce website. sounds easy? NO! the plan is really business oriented plus we need to add in technologies to enhance it into digital business. OPS is a technical subject by all means. but i have no faith in the lecturer as he is not really a technical person and he craps a lot in class. my friends wanted to take his subject since he likes to repeat questions in exam. this is a pro and because of this, i am considering this subject as well. it is very unlikely for me to take AIM since the classes fall on saturdays. it will be really pathetic if i have to attend classes during the weekend, which is a time for me to recharge my batteries. however, i wouldn't close the door on this one as it may be my last choice if other subjects weigh more cons than this.

i am allowed to take a maximum of 2 subjects from other schools with conditions. the dean said the purpose of choosing external subjects must be to widen our scope instead of taking low-level subjects just to pull up our average. how true, that was my main intention! moreover, business subjects mostly have 1 hour lecture per week, plus tutorials classes at times. the load is definitely lighter compared to CSIT subjects that has 2-4 lecture hours per week. asked one of my friend from the business school for help since i couldn't locate the nubs course structure in U drive or the Internet. she suggested CEP since the exam is 20 mcq + 1 essay question (50-50). it does sound very tempting! however, i am a little worried on how to write an essay worth 50 marks in the exam. another classmate of mine is also interested since he has studied in macroeconomics before. we have informed our dean and it is up to him whether or not to allow us to take this subject.

if only the results are out before we need to submit the MEF, i would have known about my DBC results which will in turn allow me to be more well-informed in making a decision on DDB. hopefully i won't make the wrong choice or the consequences will be dire... sometimes, having no options seem to be the better option!

Welcome back!

2007-02-01T12:12:00.000+08:00

i so happen to revisit my blog after leaving it idle for quite some time. shocked to learn that my last post was dated @ 15 October 2006! haha... i knew i couldn't keep this blog alive for long. it is scary though as time flies and now i'm into my final semester.

feel quite lazy to maintain this blog actually. but found out that an old friend posted a comment in one of my previous post. i was surprised that she does read my blog anyway! so, this triggers the revival of my blog... thanks pal!

"welcome back" - a note to myself after going MIA for nearly 3 months...

let's see how long can i keep this blog alive! nevertheless, i know i won't be posting as frequently though.

Glory... Glory... Man United!!!

2006-10-15T11:46:00.000+08:00

"Glory... Glory... Man United!" Haven't heard this song for quite some time already but now i'm all ready to chant along in each Man Utd game! Yes, the Red Devils produced a captivating 2nd half performance to earn a comeback victory after going down 1-0 at half time...

Wigan scored a remarkable goal very early at the 5th minute. That shaken the team as well as the fans! Although MU managed to create chances here & there, they just couldn't convert it. Rooney even hit the post! Overall, Wigan's flow was much better & they successfully contain most of the MU attacks. I was really worried if MU would lose this match seeing their current performance...

Then Giggs came on the start of the 2nd half. The formation changed with Giggs & Solskjaer playing on both wings. It seems that Ferguson's half time hair-dryer session has worked & MU stepped up a gear. Solskjaer & Saha missed a couple of chances before Vidic finally headed in the goal from a corner to draw the game level. That was Vidic's 1st ever goal in a MU shirt. 4 minutes later, Rooney's cross found Saha. With a superb first touch, he scored the spectecular second goal. MU was back in the driving seat after conceding that 5th minute goal.

MU could have added more goals to the scoresheet through Rooney, Saha, Giggs & Solskjaer. Giggs had a valid penalty claim ignored by the referee as he signalled play-on in MU's advantage. In injury time, Solskjaer added icing onto the cake by scoring the 3rd MU goal in style. He brushed off a couple of challenges by the opposition defenders before slotting the ball into the net. The goalkeeper didn't even make a move as all watched the ball rolling into the net.

The result is one reason to be happy with as MU will continue to stay on top of the league table. With great performance in the last 2 games, Wigan (3-1) & Newcastle (2-0), the team's confidence should be at a high point going into next week's Champions League fixture. Moreover, Rooney rediscovered some of his old form during the 2nd half of the game against Wigan.

I can feel the passion in the team once again after a few trophy-less seasons. I hope the team can carry on the current form for the rest of the season. Winning trophies plus playing entertaining football would certainly increase the fan base. Till then, i think i need to look for the lyrics of the MU theme song...

back from Shanghai...

2006-10-03T17:46:00.000+08:00

well, seems that i haven't blog for quite some time already... the lazy worm has been biting me all this while & i hope that this blog can be kept alive in future :p

came back from shanghai, or more specificly Jiangnan, last friday. the trip was fun but there's no place like home! i got sunburnt when i was at the Lingshan Buddha, Wuxi, snapping photos of a performance. it was quite worth it but my body has now 2 obvious colours... enjoyed the food there although some were a little too salty & oily. my favourite pick remains the infamous Wuxi Porkrib. seeing that i mentioned Wuxi twice already, that city gave me quite some impression. moreover, the local guide from Wuxi is quite pretty & resembles Gong Li! haha...

talking about beauties, Suzhou used to be a place famous on this aspect. however, just like what my friend Eddie told me, i can hardly spot a pretty lass on the street! how dissapointed... the china guide told us that most beautiful ladies have moved to other cities to work etc. the new place to see pretty girls would now be Chongqing & Dalian (origin of many chinese models)!

meanwhile, Nanjing is a historical city being a capital of numerous government/dynasty in the past. i just loved listening to all sorts of interesting stories told by the guide. anyone who has heard of the famous Nanjing massacre should be aware of this event. too bad the museum was under renovation & i couldn't dig deeper into the facts & pictures! sigh...

my favourite city of all would be Hangzhou. the West Lake & stories of many well-known people in the past are closely related to this romantic city. the Dongpo meat is another scrumptious cuisine (minus the fat!). this city is also the origin of Longjing tea, which is equivalent to green tea. it taste good but costs dear.

shanghai comes last on my list. it is a well developed city, more developed than KL i should say. u can see sky-scrappers everywhere in Pudong or even the old town in Puxi. nonetheless, i think it doesn't have much chinese cultural influences anymore. the most scenic place one must not miss would be the Bund. the old style british buildings along Huangpu river really stand out especially at night. seeing the Oriental pearl Tower across the river with the night view is truely captivating...

not forgetting to mention that books in china are really CHEAP! a hardcover book may only cost us around RM10... unbelievable?! haha... due to constraints in luggage, i only bought 2 books, which are already heavy enough FYI.

trips to china has always been fun. china is so big that you can only travel to 1-2 provinces at a time in order to visit the POIs. some of the places are given a go since time is limited! to date, i've only visited the province of Yunnan, Guangxi, Jiangsu & Zhejiang. my next destination will hopefully be to Beijing (Forbidden City & Great Wall), Xian (Terra-cotta) & Hongkong (the food & shopping paradise). :-)

The week before Year 3 starts

2006-09-19T21:08:00.000+08:00

Finally moved into the hostel on Monday. wow, climbing 3 floors up carrying heavy stuffs is really a task! thanks Sam, for offering to help me carry the things! never thought i have that much things to bring... furthermore, i left out my pot & pan! gosh, these 2 cooking utensils mean the most to me as i'll starve without them :p the thought of eating every meal at the cafeteria sends chills to my spine!

the fan in the bedroom is fixed on the wall directly above the double decker bed. so, it has to be repostioned or else Tze Hui wouldn't be able to sleep at nite! i still have to go back to the campus for registration on thursday. hope to see my roommate by then to settle the matters.

i'm going to shanghai this thursday nite for around 8 days. Yeah! at least i can go somewhere before starting 3rd year. but then i have to skip a week's class. well, teaching won't start so early & maybe i won't miss many things! Dear friends, please do keep me informed of anything important in Unim! i'll try to get you people something as souvenir! haha...

as i won't be in for the 1st week, hopefully everything is settled when i return to the campus... till then, happy returning to the campus! ;)

A Big Fat Orange surprise!

2006-09-07T15:46:00.000+08:00

well, expectations play a really important role on how you see things! after reading thru not so good reviews on Garfield 2, i didn't hv any expectations on the movie. i just went because i promised my younger sister long long time ago that i'll spend her this movie. frankly speaking, it turned out to be quite entertaining. at least it provided more laughs than the 2 movies i watched a day ago...

a nice movie followed by sushi feast as dinner! what more can i ask for? haha... sushi king is having a promotion for its member by selling every plate of sushi on the kaiten belt for only RM2! this is one nite that i've eaten a lot of ebi tempura, scallops & salmon sushi! Oishi... i wish they'll have another round of promotion in near future!

Lame movies...

2006-09-05T22:50:00.000+08:00

i made a trip to midvalley with my friend today. we went for 2 movies which are The Break-Up & Monster House. both movies are nothing spectacular but not too bad as well. so, the final verdict is... LAME!

The Break-Up is obviously meant for couples. you learn about how to live with someone else through give & take. no impact on me since i'm still single! just makes me wonder why does love make people suffer? and yet many people fall for it! sure there are times of sweetness but not many of them last. thus, love is no game for one who long for freedom... i still hope for the best for all couples out there!

meanwhile, Monster House is no kiddie movie. It belongs to the horror genre but not horrifying enough (for most people)... it is also not "childish" enough to sustain kids' interest. well, sorry to say that i yawned throughout the movie! i just can't believe that a spirit can possess & control a house like that... cracks are automatically healed??? i guess it is only possible in cartoons or animation! not even the name of Steven Spielberg can save this...

it has been a long long time since i'm really touched by a movie. the worst thing is i couldn't remember when?! CG animation used to be a hit with Toy Story, Shrek etc. but they are now lacking fresh ideas. the main storyline or theme seems to be repeating over and over again.

maybe i should lower my expectations for the definition of a "good movie" or should i just wait for the next masterpiece to appear?

Good old mates

2006-08-29T09:19:00.000+08:00

Strangely, i've dreamt of my primary school classmates recently! It was such an odd feeling to have suddenly "visualise" these old friends. Some of whom that i have not met since graduating from primary school 9 years ago... One of the more peculiar aspects, is that we went for a cruise trip together in my dream! Was it because i harbour too much on a cruising vacation? Or what did i do to have brought back the fond memories?

well, i still see my ex-classmates in their childish looks in that dream. just make me wonder how have they changed through time. i only kept contact with a few of them. the "contact" includes get-together for movies and yamcha session, not merely hi & bye. i do hope to meet the others if only there is a chance.

humans grow in stages and they have a different pool of friends in different stages. i find this statement, made by my mom, very true! we cannot hang on to the same pool of friends forever... we have to let go when the time comes. although the neighbourhood is small and you know exactly where your friends live, you may never bump into them on the street! how contradicting... sometimes when you see someone in the mall, you know that you knew that person! but just unable to recall their names or even how you have met.

in the end, only fond (and sometimes blur) memories are left for us to savour.

Last minute AGAIN...

2006-08-28T14:13:00.000+08:00

finally handed in the revised version of chapter 1! phew... quite a relieve!

but then again, why? why do i always leave things to the last minute??? i hate myself for that... why couldn't i just buck up & do things more quickly?!

i always make a resolution at the start of every semester, so that i would not inflict the "last minute bug" again. however, every semester ends the same way! that shows how "determined" i am...

anyways, 3 more days to go before my internship ends... HURRAY!!! i'm dying to go for movies... wait for me! i have too many things to do before sem starts but too little time.

i'm relishing on the Genting trip, are you guys really serious? keeping my fingers crossed...

EPL 06/07 is ON again!

2006-08-21T09:08:00.000+08:00

finally, the EPL season kicked off on 19 August 2006! i've been awaiting this moment for 3 months...to be able to watch my favourite team, Manchester United, play again!

i personally do not find world cup that great as national teams seldom gels as a result of players playing for different clubs in seasons long. thus, u can hardly see the actual capability of a player. u still remember how ronaldinho flopped in the previous world cup although he's been awarded the World Player of the Year in the same season?! there are also players who shone in the world cup but flopped at club levels... so, i still prefer to watch club-level football that continues season after season as you can see changes & improvement in clubs, rather than wait for 4 years for some knock-out competition!

the 1st day of EPL did creat some upsets, in my favour obviously ! first & foremost, Liverpool was lucky to have escaped with a draw against Sheffield United. The premiership newcomer was on course for victory, until the referee awarded Liverpool an unlikely penalty. Arsenal also left it late before finally equalising against Aston Villa at their new stadium. Imagine the 1st goal scored in the Emirates Stadium was by the visitors team!

Manchester United played on a sunday afternoon fixture against, imho, their bogey team. Fulham has always created problems for MU even though they are considered as a mid-table team. I was quite worried if MU is ever gonna claim a clean sheet against Fulham. Worry not, MU is back with a vintage performance where they have gone 4-0 up by 18 minutes of play! With goals from Saha, Rooney(2), Ronaldo & an own-goal completed the rout as MU demolished Fulham 5-1 at the final whistle. Seeing that all attackers managed to put their name onto the scoresheet, MU is still lethal up front though without van Nistelrooy. The team did relax after leading 4 goals to nil, & that resulted to Fulham clawing back a goal. The shot by Helguson would not have gone in if Ferdinand did not stick his head out & deflected it into the wrong side of Van der Sar. Other than that, Evra finally proved why Ferguson bought & defended him after his dismal debut last season.

Chelsea, who kicked off moments after MU's match, also won their first fixture of the season in style, romping to a 3-0 victory. Undeniably, Chelsea has many great players (thanks to the billionnaire Russian owner) but the pool of players may not gel. another year of domestic domination will do EPL no good, unless they prove they can also conquer the continental glory!

so glad that MU has got off a great start! it'll be worth waking up in the middle of the night this coming thursday to watch the game against Charlton Athletic!

Travelling dreams

2006-08-14T13:40:00.000+08:00

i am an avid traveller who wish to travel around the world before i die. however, 2 factors prove to be the main obstacles in preventing me from fulfiling my dream at this moment.

i) $$ Money$$
- travelling eats money. unless i'm born rich or get some sponsorship, else i can only afford the air ticket plus survive for a few days before i become broke. another option will be saving the expenses while working. i wish to do so too but i still have 1 year to go before graduating! working part-time while backpacking can keep me going too!

ii) My Dad
- or maybe i should put this factor above anything else... i hinted to him that i wish to have a break & go backpacking for a year after graduation. His immediate response was a big NO-NO ! haha... i should have anticipated this actually. not many parents would agree to this anyway!

how i envy Tai Kar Cheh since she's enjoying herself now in Grand Canyon! waiting for her photos but i only get to meet her in october! do miss her alot...

a friend of mine promised to go travelling with me after my graduation. however, since she's pregnant now, i don't expect this promise to materialise anymore. she now has new obligations & i can't expect her to leave her family & go backpacking with me, rite? best wishes to her & her baby!

currently my no. 1 wish is to backpack to Hong Kong. i have a few plans in mind & hope that this trip will materialise... Until then, my travelling dream will remain a dream for the time being.

how i wish i have Doraemon's “Dokodemo Door”!

first blog...

2006-08-10T09:21:00.000+08:00

Prologue
hehe.... this blog seems to come a little too late! i wanted to start blogging in may, right after my final exams. thought i could get my blog going during this summer holidays... well, dunno what happened?! managed to update a few pics of me & my housemates & tada... the space is left to rot!

Penang Trip (1-7 June 2006)
to be honest, i'm quite `busy` in this 3 months break . i spent 1 week in penang @ early June. gotta thank my friends, Corina & Alvin, for spending time to bring me around Penang. other than tasting good food, i finally found something i've longed for, the dvd-set of Return of The Condor Heroes 95! imagine i've searched thru kl, but found the boxset in penang . actually, i failed in my searching mission as this series is nowhere to be seen in most of the malls, e.g Perangin Mall, One Stop, Bukit Jambul etc. thx to corina's sister for getting me this boxset from the market near her house (Bkt Mertajam). A million thanks!!!

after the penang trip, i still had about 1 week++ to relax before starting internship. well, i spent most of the time watching tvb series that were collected during the semester. too busy then to watch, thus i have a huge library of tvb series waiting for me! i'm still wondering if i should keep them or to discard them? these media files are really eating up my harddisk space. gosh, even the external hdd is already 95% full .

Final Year Dissertation
Just before our final exam, we were told to start preparing for the final year project. I've talked to a few lecturers, including daniel su, payam, & michael chung. the more people i talk to, the harder it gets for me to make up my mind. i just dunno what my interests are... finally, selvaraj sent us a list which shows the assignment of supervisor for those students who have yet to find one. guess what, i am assigned to daniel su! since he is one of the candidates as my supervisor, i decided to go along with the list. i like his style of pushing & giving deadlines before deadlines. i don't hope to repeat the scenario of SE project, where i did so much work in my final week of the semester! haha...i can only blame myself for that

Internship
16 June 2006 - the 1st day as an intern. The pc for me has not been set up yet, so the boss gave me 2 books to read. "Sam's Teach Yourself MySQL in 24 hours" & "Linux for Dummies". Wow, reading the MySQL book reminds me of exam as most of the contents are exactly similar to that of G52DBS. Phew...why do i still have to read that book?! its just a pastime for me to fill up my 1st day of work! BORING...

i only got my pc on the following week. i get to disassemble & assemble my own pc, with the help of my colleague of course. my task is to build a website for the company using php & mySQL. had to learn php in order to complete the task. its quite similar to other web programming language, but syntax holds the main difference. not a big problem for me as i have done websites before in ASP. however, designing a professinal website remains a headache to me! i must admit that i have no artistic flair to be able to come up with something attractive. i can only guarantee the functionality part; design-wise...

Accommodation
Sigh... this is 1 issue where i regretted the most! i totally ruined a friendship!

dear ling wei,

if you so happened to read my blog, i must tell you i'm sorry once more!
i know you have been thru a tough time.
although you've said the problem has been settled, i think i still owe you on this.
really sorry!

the accommodation office finally gave a reply regarding the application for the studio. i am really glad they have approved the application coz i'd have like to stay on-campus due to various reasons. however, my suppose-to-be roommate decided to stay off-campus. her mom even tried to persuade me to stay with her! i'm doomed coz i've gotta find myself a new roommate when most of the people have settled their accommodation problem. it must be punishment from god! i was quite worried for a few days...

i finally went back to Unim @ 1 Aug as there was a feedback session with daniel su. George, under the same supervisor, also went that day, and he brought along a friend, Tze Hui. She just came back from uk a few days ago. we went to see Selena & Donald & hope that they would allow Tze Hui to take over my rommmate's place. thank god it was approved & luckily i've got someone i know as my roommate! thx to george too but i just don't wanna say it in front of him! haha...

Epilogue
i guess that's more than enough for my 1st blog. the above written is a summary of what happened to me in the period of June, July & 1st week of August. hope that i can continue to update this blog as frequently as possible. till then, adios...