A Kuhanic World

Clear Skies On The Eternal Horizon

2012-01-28T00:22:00.003+08:00

Times are good. Work has slowed tremendously over the last few weeks, and life has been quite enjoyable to say the least. The indulgent nature of all this fun in recent times does take a toll on the wallet, but I figure there's no harm so long it doesn't become a habit. What's more - next week is filled with travel plans stretching across the peninsular.

Let there be banter; let there be laughter..

In this stirring quest for fun.. we will not falter.

Hopefully with all this new-found spare time, immortalizing my recollection of the upcoming travails in this blog shouldn't be too much trouble.

It's nice to feel like I finally have some time to spare. Suddenly I feel extremely vibrant again.. a feeling that I last experienced almost 2 years ago in Chicago. Certainly brings back some wonderful memories to mind.

A Bridge Burnt

2012-01-21T20:23:00.013+08:00

I can hardly remember the last time I published a post filled with negative emotions.

Well.. here goes one. It's not one that is forged out of recent experiences, but rather an accumulation of feelings that have tormented my soul for - well for as long as I can remember. Truth be told, despite always trying to portray myself as an open book, I think those who know me a little better can probably tell that there are some issues I hold within and not speak a word of. I guess it is fair to say this post is simply a calculated mollification from one such issue.

Life as a first born may have its perks, but not everyone understands the pressures and pains that can come with it. These pressures and pains are accentuated even further when the next born is an egocentric blob with an inherent selfishness to boot. And when the so-called 'perks' are non-existent, said pressures and pains can grow to incomparable magnitudes. Of course, the saying goes that there is ALWAYS a way out, and even in this case there is. Escaping is really not very difficult once one finds a semblance of balance in this world - it cannot be, so long the will is strong.

As and if one begins to ponder an escape and the lack of agony that awaits, the shackles built from responsibility begin to appear in sight. As I've grown older, these shackles have only grown stronger.. and I simply cannot see myself breaking free in the near future. The other option would of course be to fix the problem itself, but arrogance born from the fear of persecution makes for a formidable barrier. It's been almost a decade since I recognized the source of the problem and began attempting to mend it.. but all I have managed is to find a definitive and exaggerated example of pure selfishness.

Given the options at this moment in time (as the 'calculated mollification' draws to an end) with all things considered - the shackles look less intimidating than the barrier; if only by the slightest of margins. The question then is, do I act on this, or simply continue to wait?

A Nice Break And A New Year Dawns

2012-01-02T23:51:00.004+08:00

Before I begin, let me delve into something I feel will set the tone for the rest of the year.. especially considering I shall never bring the topic up again.

Exactly twelve years into the new millennium. Back then, when we were transitioning into 2000 A.D doomsday predictions were aplenty, and the dawn of 2012 has been peppered in similar fashion with talks about the world's end. This time though.. the recent advent of serious natural disasters along with the effects of global climate change has added substance to these predictions. The question of whether I do believe in any of the predictions, is truly irrelevant. Here's why. There is no way to validate these claims until the predicted doomsday actually dawns upon us, and the reason (or reasons, as a certain movie suggests) manifests itself. If it does end up being true, and destiny deems that it be so - we are all powerless to change anything. So.. there really is no reason for us to change how we carry on with our lives this year.

Hence, I plan to get through this year like it is just another year - even though for me personally there'll be silver overtones to go with it. Last year I didn't come up with a list, so no formal review of resolutions this time around. What I did realize - and should apologize for - is the worryingly low number of posts in the blog in comparison to previous years. For the first time, I went entire months without a single post. Perhaps it is a sign of me committing a little too much at work, as much as it is of me neglecting my passion for writing.

In retrospect, there were a number of things I managed to accomplish over 2011, ranging from zero-medical leaves at work to dishing out favors to the people around me. Of course there was also that small achievement of scaling Mount Kinabalu, one I've managed to document adequately on this blog. What is most important though - is how I have managed to set things up to plan for achievements this year. I believe I've managed to reach a certain comfort zone at work, which gives me a license to pursue other interests, be it work or non-work related.

So... here goes a rendition of things I will attempt this year, given work doesn't take a sudden U-turn to hell..

- Jog at the park/go to the gym twice every week

- Get back in touch with 5 friends I haven't met for more than 2 years

- Complete 5 poems

- Finally watch Lord of the Rings trilogy

- Complete the Haruhi Suzumiya light novel series

- Join Institute of Engineers Malaysia (IEM)

- Attend 3 job interviews (Not implying I'm leaving my current job, but I think it is essential that I keep my options open and have a good gauge of my own value in the market for engineers)

- Play ping-pong (believe me.. tougher than it sounds)

That's about all I could think about for now. As much as I can tell myself that this list is by no means complete, prior experience indicates the chances of me ever updating my resolution list within the year is close to zero. I guess there is a lot more panache' to the items on this years list. Heh.

Have a great year everyone, and here's to my writing growing in quantity and quality. :)

Sabah Trip - Part Three

2011-11-28T18:40:00.005+08:00

Alas.. the chronicle resumes.

After a night at the shabby Ernah Lodge, we were up early to continue our journey east across Sabah. Our first stop was along the journey was Labuk Bay to catch a sighting of the famed proboscis monkeys. As we were approaching the destination, we drove by acres of palm oil plantations that stretched for miles. We even managed to spot a few eagles hovering above the bay on that sunny afternoon. Apparently there were 2 different platforms to catch the lively creatures from, with different feeding times.

Now these viewing platforms were well within the 'sanctuary' where the monkeys live freely, so naturally we had to walk through a wooden walkway into the jungle to access them. Upon reaching Platform A, we managed to spot a few proboscis monkeys sitting atop trees and gazing at us from afar. Now given the self-planned nature of our adventure, it shouldn't be too surprising that upon arrival we were the only ones on the platform. A few minutes later, a horde of foreigners marched upon the platform, along with a guide who began squealing and making odd noises to catch the attention of the monkeys. All of a sudden, throngs of monkeys began appearing and rapidly made their way towards the platform. Soon they were right next to us, as we had a rare opportunity to get up close and personal with these creatures.

After spending about an hour photographing and simply marveling at the fun-loving monkeys, we left Labuk Bay for our next accommodation for the night - the Paganakan Dii longhouses in Sepilok. After checking in at what looked like a really neat place to stay the night at (further accentuated by the awful conditions at Ernah Lodge the previous night), we continued our drive eastward to Sabah's 2nd largest city - Sandakan.

Upon reaching, we decided to first pay a visit to the Sandakan War Memorial, built in the vicinity of the Sandakan POW camp from where the Ranau Death Marches began during the Japanese occupation. To be frank, we didn't have too much of an idea about the death marches until we visited the memorial. Just imagine more than 1000 prisoners-of-war embarking on the daunting march from Sandakan to Ranau (incidentally where we began our journey the same morning, 300 kilometres away!), and at the end of it all only 6 of them surviving by managing to escape during the marches. Emotions aside, the memorial is well-preserved and doubles as a park with a serene jogging trail for the locals.

By the time we were done at the memorial, it was time for dinner and we rode into town to visit the town's Ramadhan Bazaar for dinner. The food seemed pretty over-priced, yet our empty stomachs couldn't wait much longer so we had to settle for it. With food purchased our stomachs could finally be filled - or so we thought until a period of sheer pointlessness ensued as we spent more than an hour simply looking for spoons to eat our food as well as driving around Sandakan to find a place to eat them at. There really didn't seem to be anything extraordinary about Sandakan, as we soon drove back to the longhouses for a good night's rest. And what a sleep it was. Sleeping amongst the natural setting was a nice experience, and the caretakers really do a neat job in maintaining the place. Here are a few photos I managed from what was easily our favorite accommodation of the lot, and for RM30 a night it's definitely a great bargain.

The following morning was our last in Sabah, yet there was one other activity lined up - Sepilok's orangutan rehabilitation centre. With the long drive back to Kota Kinabalu in mind, we couldn't afford to miss the morning's first feeding hour. The experience really paled in comparison to that of the proboscis monkeys in Labuk Bay. To begin the orangutans are much less active, and have a distinctive messy look. What did them in though was the number of orangutans we managed to see - a mere 5 as opposed to the throngs of proboscis monkeys we spotted the previous day. However, I guess I'm not exactly comparing apples to apples as this was a rehabilitation center by name and the orangutans are the more endangered of the two primate species.

With that out of the way, the long trip to Kota Kinabalu to catch our evening flight back to Kuala Lumpur began. Thanks to the light traffic, we managed to reach Kota Kinabalu with some time to spare and squeezed in a drive to the Central Market for some souvenir shopping. Of course, no trip of mine is complete without a little airport drama, and this one was no exception as I accidentally disposed of my "visa" which was issued to me upon entering Sabah like a receipt (frankly even receipts would look a lot more significant.. sigh). The customs officer let me off with just a warning, and I guess that will add to my list of travel lessons learnt the hard way. Heh.

With that another wonderful adventure drew to a close. Despite the packed schedule, it really was quite a wonderfully enjoyable experience for me - and I guess the only possible qualm would be that we didn't manage to catch a glimpse of the world's largest flower, the Rafflesia. Perhaps (just perhaps), another trip down the line is in order.

Sabah Trip - Part Two

2011-10-03T21:51:00.004+08:00

Come the next day, we were up early and cruised by the empty Sunday streets of Kota Kinabalu on our way to the foothill of the majestic Mount Kinabalu. Along the way, we took in some spectacular views of the towering mountain; accentuated by the wonderfully bright, sunny weather.

On the way I also noticed the entrance to the via ferrata route. Having no prior mountain-climbing experience whatsoever, this wasn't something I was going to take a chance on this time regardless of the temptation of adventure. However, I certainly won't rule out the possibility of me doing it at some point down the years.

Soon we arrived at the entrance, and in all our enthusiasm drove all the way up to the Timpohon Gate without stopping to register at the Kinabalu Park Headquarters first. Heh. After making our way back down in a hurry (with Kwong Hann displaying some daredevil driving lol), we met our guide for the climb - Andrew Sundang. We geared up in a jiffy and were all set for the climb. Just before I embarked on the challenge, I purchased a wooden climbing stick for RM3 - be not fooled by its sheer cheapness for it truly proved a worthy companion throughout my ascent and even more so on the descent.

The Timpohon Trail is known to be the steeper of the two trails (Mesilau being the longer and more winded one), but I'd say a little bit of adrenaline and persistence will get you up in no time at all. Along with Andrew the guide, we didn't rush it to fully appreciate the beauty of the trail itself.

Along the way there are a few huts where climbers can stop to catch their breath, or even a bite for that matter courtesy of the 'compulsory' packed lunch provided to us at the park headquarters. In short, I'd recommend any climber to start early and simply take it slow and steady up the mountain - and it'll really feel like a nature walk with fairly well-paved pathways, which in retrospect is exactly what I remember my ascent to the Laban Rata resthouse as. A good 5 hours later, we reached Laban Rata, greeted by a wonderful view of the Kinabalu peaks before us.

At the resthouse, a buffet dinner awaited us. Of course it was all included in the new exorbitantly priced climbing package, and the food was reasonably good. After happily stuffing ourselves, we wrapped ourselves in blankets (did I mention it was freezing cold and there was NO HEATER at the showers!) and went to bed early as we were expected to wake up at 2am that night to continue with the summit climb.

The next morning, after a short breakfast (again, part of the package), we were off to the summit on a dark, moonlit trail that only got steeper. I had my torchlight with me, but I didn't really have to use it since the light from the moon and stars was more than sufficient. Anyway, I once again began walking up at a quicker pace (I guess I'm just a fast walker by nature), leaving the guide and Kwong Hann behind. Some of the rope sections could prove to be a little challenging, but I'd say as long as you keep your head up (eyes on the rope, NEVER LOOK BACK) and never let go of the rope, you'll do just fine.

To be frank, the trail to the summit was much less of a challenge than what I expected it to be. I only made two short stops on the granite phase to munch on some frozen Snickers that I carried along. Getting my teeth to sink into the snack bar though was incredibly difficult! Nonetheless, I reached the peak with a few foreigners and waited for Kwong Hann and Andrew, as I sank my teeth into another Snicker trying to build some heat. The temperature wasn't all that cold, but the chilly winds that constantly hit my ears were really killing me softly, very reminiscent of those bitter Chicago breezes during winter. What's more - I spent almost an hour sitting at the peak waiting for the rest of the trio to turn up. The two of them timed their ascent quite well though as they arrived just in time to catch the sunrise.

The swelling glow of sunlight warming the cold granite formations is really a spectacular sight. I'd even go so far to say that the sight alone makes the entire climb worth the effort. After a few photos at the peak (so I can legitimately brag about reaching the highest point in South East Asia for the rest of my life wtf), we began our descent, with much help from the climbing stick and the trusty Adidas Kampung. The shoes' grip on the slippery granite trail is really incredible. Not once did I lose my footing in my entire journey up, nor down the mountain. The fact that the shoes came at such a low price only goes to prove that pivotal lesson in life that the best things don't necessarily have to be the most expensive.

After a short stop at Laban Rata to grab our stuff and check out, we were headed back to the bottom with a sense of accomplishment (and for Kwong Hann a sense of pain in the form of blisters that troubled him all the way down). Upon recognizing Kwong Hann's pains, our wonderful guide Andrew actually helped Kwong Hann carry all of his stuff all the way down. If this wasn't enough, it began to rain heavily halfway down, upon which he gave Kwong Hann his raincoat and used his climbing stick cum umbrella instead. Along the way he even offered to take my slightly off trail to catch a bunch of pitcher plants growing in the wild.

Upon reaching the foothills our legs and feet were way beyond tired, so much so even walking on the flat roads around the park headquarters proved difficult. After running on adrenaline for over a day, the effects of the long and arduous climb finally began to tell. We spent quite some time at the restaurant next to the headquarters where we were provided with one final buffet lunch as we waited for the rainy clouds to pass. One thing that we did know thanks to our prior research was that the climbing pass also entitles us to a free entry on the same day to Poring Hot Springs. Ahhhh... exactly what we needed at that point, as the rest of the body began to ache as well.

After soaking our legs in the spring water for a little over an hour, we checked into our nearby accommodation for the night - Ernah Lodge. The lodge was the cheapest of our accommodations, and accordingly the most disappointing in terms of basic amenities. There wasn't much of a choice though at that point, as we uneasily slept through constant sounds of rats scratching the roofs above us.

Such was the Kinabalu adventure - but the story doesn't end there, in fact, it stretched further eastward..

*To be continued*

Sabah Trip - Part One

2011-09-17T17:28:00.004+08:00

A month later, here I sit recollecting my wonderful experiences during my trip to Sabah with Kwong Hann. What was conceived upon knowledge of cheap air tickets to Kota Kinabalu ended as an experience worth infinitely more..

We arrived at Kota Kinabalu late in the evening and checked in at the Borneo Backpackers Lodge, a relatively cheap hostel for backpackers like us. The place is neat, and the people at the desk are very helpful. Now we had already drafted out a rough plan of what our itinerary for the trip would be, and our first stop was a restaurant in Taman Foh Sang for Seafood Porridge.

The next morning the car we had rented arrived at the hostel, and I figure this is when the trip really kicked into gear. After a short stop for breakfast and grabbing my Adidas Kampung at KK Central Market (more on these shoes later), we began our drive up north to Usukan Cove for snorkeling. Expectedly, it was a bumpy ride with potholes and landslide areas. Now I'm not much of a swimmer, and the thought of jumping into the open sea with no protection messed with my mind for quite some time; up till the point the people at Usukan Cove Resort told us it's COMPULSORY to wear life-jackets while snorkeling. *Relief*

After a few hours in sea sprawling around the surface belly-down, we drove away from the cove and headed further north - all the way to Borneo's northern-most point at Tanjung Mengayau! Thanks to the GPS, the final section of road to the tip was a gravel track of incessant bumps.

It was drizzling for most of the afternoon, even as we arrived at the Tip of Borneo against the dying sunlight. Nevertheless, we got our cameras out and worked with whatever light remained on that cloudy day.

After that came the long, long drive all the way down to KK; we had to jet down the way for fear the restaurant would close, but at the same time the wet, bumpy roads coupled with the lack of streetlights raised a serious safety concern. Thankfully we made it to the restaurant just in time and feasted through the night (note we didn't take lunch for the day.. lol). I can simply say - this was the BEST seafood I had in recent memory, and perhaps even my entire life. The prawns, fish and crabs had freshness oozing out from every bite.

With our stomachs pushed to the limit, we slowly made our way back to the hostel for some much-needed sleep - what's more, the climb up Mt. Kinabalu was lined up the very next morning! Good fun.

*To be continued*

Trippin' Back To Victorian Times

2011-07-23T23:06:00.007+08:00

In truth, there is usually a unique combination of factors that shapes each an every individual. This is no different for me, though I will still contend that a major influence on who I am today originates from my teenage days in Victoria Institution. I've been back from the US for over a year now, but it was not until last Saturday that I finally paid my alma mater a visit with the VI Scouts' Campfire as an excuse.

I was surprised by the noticeable changes in the school, but at the same time also by the lack of them. I did hear some time back that the scout den caught fire and burned to the ground, but it was only when I visited that I saw the new Bengkel KH that had been built over the ground. As for the scouts - well like most other extra-curricular bodies in the VI today, they've been pushed to the brink with limited allocation of the school's resources; they now share a small room that used to be the Red Crescent Society's sick bay once. It was certainly saddening to listen to the current students' accounts on the state of matters in VI today.

Regardless, I was there to witness the Campfire - a traditionally annual event that has thankfully survived all this madness. It began with the usual lighting of the campfire by the Guest of Honour, and interestingly enough it was a familiar old face who did the honours - Mr. Othman a.k.a Semang.

The performances were very typical (frankly, hasn't changed since my days.. haha) - the sketch was cheesy, the dances were cool and the Rescue Act was as thrilling as ever. What was disappointing though was the turnout, which was poor to say the least. Perhaps part of the reason was Malaysia's football match against Liverpool going on at the same time in Bukit Jalil. Despite the poor crowd, I still managed to bump into some old faces like Miss Shanti, Miss Nirmal and surprisingly two of my APD seniors - Darren Lo and Low Jun Fay. We spent the night catching up on old times, and it was nice to learn that the two of them are doing well, yet they've managed to keep their characters pure and unchanged. Staying true to the old times, we headed for supper after the campfire before calling it a night.

If all that wasn't enough, I bumped into Sui-Jon on my way to lunch on Monday. The best part.. he tells me he's just started working in the SAME building as me. Now what were the odds? Anyway.. as one would easily predict, it was a few more trips down memory lane over a couple of lunch sessions that followed over the week. Frankly it seems we could organize a pretty big Victorian meetup sometime soon, with Naqiuddin working in the same department as me and a few others from our batch working around the area. We are after all in the middle of KL, aren't we?

Of Movies & A Wedding (Plus A Sh**load of Work)

2011-06-18T22:12:00.004+08:00

The last week or so has been pretty eventful. Last Saturday in particular was a long one. It began with me going to work to finish up on some outstanding work. From there, I followed a few colleagues as we took a drive to Subang to attend Farah's wedding (I missed the bride's ceremony in JB, hence I made it a point to attend this one although it's the grooms' side's ceremony).

I guess this is where I spare a few words for the new bride. She is certainly a very bubbly character, and life at work is never dull with people like her and Dason around. She makes a wonderful colleague and above that a great friend.. CONGRATULATIONS Raja Farah! :)

After the wedding I returned to the office where I spent another hour on a project that doesn't seem to be going anywhere; at least not yet. Working blues aside, the rest of the Saturday was basically a plan to relax and keep my mind away from the thoughts of work. With the company of Kwong Hann and Ziyu, I must say the plan worked to perfection! We started off burning more than an hour at a shoe store in Pavilion where Ziyu.. well I guess that's enough said. :p

After that we were on to the main event for the day - X-Men: First Class at Pavilion's GSC Theatres. Personally, I didn't find the movie all that great. It wasn't boring by any stretch of the imagination, but I guess I just had higher expectations for the movie. Next up was dinner, and once we were done with our usual deliberation (something I'd almost consider a ritual now.. lol) we ended up at Capricciosa on Ziyu's recommendation. The taste of Italian pasta only brought back memories of the times back in US when home-cooked pasta was pretty much staple for Kwong Hann and me. The food wasn't too shabby (I'd recommend the seafood pasta and salmon spaghetti) but I'd still have to say the food was overpriced - then again pretty much everything in Pavilion is over-priced.

Come Wednesday and I was out watching movies again - this time 2 movies after work hours with Alvin. First we caught Kungfu Panda 2, which I chose simply because I really enjoyed the first one. It turned out to be pretty funny as expected, but it paled in comparison to what I recall of its predecessor. We then had a good hour and a half to kill before the next movie and decided to have dinner at the Manhattan Fish Market. To put it simply, I will not recommend this restaurant to anyone nor will I be stepping foot into it again.

Our second movie for the night was Super 8, a Spielberg production that wasn't exactly a unique storyline, but still very enjoyable. The cast wasn't star-laden, but the acting was something one can appreciate. The ending though was very, very reminiscent of Spielberg's productions from way back (think ET..).

I guess I've been a tad indulgent over the last couple of weeks, the effects of which become immediately apparent when I take one look at my bank balance. Lol! So.. I guess it's back to the long hours at work with not too much to look forward to? Ah... think again. Next weekend I'll be participating in our company's Inter-Department Futsal Tournament. An then there's the plan to ascend South East Asia's highest peak.. More on that one another day! :)

The Random Trip To Singapore

2011-06-18T20:45:00.003+08:00

There was this crazy plan that I schemed up a few months back. Basically, my colleague who sits right next to me - Raja Farah - was getting married in Johor Bahru and invited me for the wedding. I figured since the wedding was to be on a Sunday afternoon and it was a longer weekend thanks to the king's birthday, I might as well take a trip to Singapore for the weekend and meet up with some faces that I hadn't met for quite some time.

As much as I'd love to have planned the trip better, it just so happened that I didn't. Anyway, I ended up calling Nita Aunty a day before my trip to inform her that I'm coming down. Pretty crazy, but the amazing part is how they readily accommodated me on such short notice. After a drive down to JB with Dad (he was attending another wedding that evening but wasn't intent on entering Singapore), I walked by the checkpoints and took the bus to Kranji MRT where Selvam Uncle picked me up.

The sun was way below the horizon by the time I got to their Woodlands home where I spent the night. Dinner was great, especially in the company of some familiar faces that I hadn't seen for a long, looong time like Devi Aunty and Sentha Aunty. After dinner we picked up Hamesh who's currently serving his compulsory National Service, and we had a chance to catch up on lots of things that night.

Funny thing is come the next morning, the rain was so heavy that I had to call off my plans to attend Farah's wedding in JB - which oddly enough was the primary reason I took the long trip down for the weekend. Hah. My sudden plans coupled with my short time there meant there wasn't too much activities planned out, but I it truly is amazing how Selvam Uncle went out of his way to make my trip memorable. He drove me out to the Marina Bay Sands, Singapore's latest addition to its list of urban attractions. The rain was a bit of a bother as my adventures were limited to the indoors, but I still managed to explore the mall. It truly was a pretty high-end place, and at least for now (considering my meager income and this annoyingly strong sense of responsibility) I had to be limited to window shopping alone. The casino looks neat, though it doesn't compare to the likes of Venetian and Wynn in Vegas. Oh, and I guess it is pretty unfortunate how Asian casinos don't serve up free drinks to patrons, which is pretty much the main reason why I'd always rank the Vegas experience higher.. Ahhhh. Those amazing strawberry daiquiris!

After that Uncle picked me up for lunch at Chinatown. Dinner, breakfast, lunch - I was pretty much stuffed to the ribs despite only being there for a few hours. What's even more amazing - my wonderful hosts did not even let me spend a single cent. I truly cannot be more grateful for having come across such incredible people in this life. A recurring topic during our chats while I was there was those nostalgic moments during our family trips in Singapore and Malaysia more than half-a-decade ago. I can only hope we could plan another trip like that again - would be far more difficult though with everyone's busy schedules these days.. Hmmm.

IIT Commencement - A Year On

2011-05-15T00:36:00.005+08:00

It really doesn't feel like it's been that long, with the memories of that day still vivid in my mind. Just hours before the graduation ceremony, I had slogged till midnight looking to clean-out the apartment for the next day also happened to be our move-out-date. Understandably I was a little panda-eyed at the ceremony on that beautiful morning. Such weather was a bit of a rarity in Chicago, and it only made the whole ceremony all the more memorable. I remember looking out trying to find my uncle throughout the ceremony, although I only got a chance to catch him at the end of the ceremony (with all the rules and restrictions we graduates had during the ceremony).

Truly poignant moments in my life.. and although I did share it with some wonderful people that I have been blessed to come across, it would have been perfect had my parents been there. For that.. for that reason at least I can assertively say I will continue my studies at some point.

The day marked the official end of my time as a student of the university. It's been some time since we parted, and I truly miss walking amongst your walls. Thank you IIT for all that I've gained through you.. the knowledge, the wisdom, the friends, the acquaintances, the experience..

New Tide At The Workplace

2011-05-14T23:42:00.003+08:00

Since about a month ago, there's been a fair bit of changes ringing around the Process department. What catalyzed it all is the multitude of projects that Aker has taken upon itself within an incredibly short time. From the one major Kebabangan platform project (which mind you is only 'almost done'), the department's minute manpower has been barraged with one new project after another. As of now, we are handling 6 parallel projects and maximum overtime week-in week-out is quite frankly the norm these days.

A few new faces have been added to the fray to aid us in even having a chance of seeing all six projects through in time, and there's to be a few more. A few of us are even working on multiple projects. As for me, I've got the Cendor FPSO Phase 2 Detailed Design project to keep me up for the next half a year. From day one, the project has spelled trouble, but I feel it is truly a challenge that I relish, and getting through it would simply make me.. better. The responsibility is a little daunting at times, but I feel with that little extra effort which I am still able to afford at this juncture in my life - things should be alright.

Here's hoping I don't burn out with the massive hours I clock in every week (id est 12 hours a workday on average).

Filling The Growing Void of Emptiness

2011-05-08T20:11:00.006+08:00

Yet again I abandon this barren space. Thoughts are plenty, but my indifferent nature coupled with my overt contemplation of the impact of what I write results in.. well, next to nothing being written here. Why am I so indifferent about so many things? Sometimes it really seems life would be so much easier if I just picked a side on issues without too much thought, yet that really would be out of the realms of my character. Whenever an argument for one side of a debatable issue is brought up, I immediately tend to argue for the other. Perhaps it's a product of my seemingly constant need to appear self-righteous. After all, I have been exposed to and been highly appreciative of such ideals throughout my years growing up.

Perhaps it is this indifferent nature of my thoughts that in fact manifests into my fickleness. When my mind is unoccupied, it is cavitated by thoughts of all the 'what-ifs'.. all those roads that just went by without me ever knowing what life could have been.. and I cannot help but blame my indifference.

Ever so often you might catch me gazing into nothingness, barely a twitch of the eyelids as I contemplate the many things in life. Random thoughts that cover a rather wide range of things. That constant need to know - so often I see its virtue in how it has and continues to shape me as an engineer. If I was to advise another engineer the first thing I'll probably tell him is to never be afraid to think. Yet in retrospect I do realize that there is a tendency to 'over-think' and in effect make things a lot more complicated than they should be. Then again, if it is possible to see those very things in such complicated manners, then perhaps they aren't as simple as we may assume them to be..

Ah, what a beautiful yet torturous dilemma.

P.S: A more 'relevant-to-real-life' post on my new project at work coming up soon. :)

Friday!

2011-04-01T22:43:00.006+08:00

A week ago I listened to Rebecca Black's 'Friday' - and like most other normal people around the world (I mean normal, not 'I-beg-to-differ-coz-I'm-cool-like-dat' morons like Simon Cowell), I found a new low in today's music industry. Today, I've been reminded that nothing can really be 'all bad,' as it provided the inspiration for Stephen Colbert & Jimmy Fallon to come up with this wonderful parody of the song. Here's the vid!

Brilliant! Brings back memories of some other wonderful parodies on American late night shows not too long ago. Anyway, here's the original video in case some of you may have missed it.

Earth Hour - A Point of View

2011-03-28T20:32:00.007+08:00

Over the weekend people around the world celebrated Earth Hour, an annual celebration since 2007 where everyone turns off their lights and electrical appliances for an hour in an effort to raise awareness on climate change. On first sight, the idea certainly seems to be a noble one, perhaps even brilliant. In fact, it truly appeals to the masses of simpletons who are tired of hearing about the imminent advent of climate change and see an opportunity to play their little parts in saving the world for the future generations.

So.. an hour without light or any form of electricity. Certainly the light from the moon and the stars wouldn't suffice for today's city-dwellers. For those who decide to just stay indoors - out come the candles. There! There lies one of the major flaws I see in our celebration of Earth Hour. Do we actually think about what we are emitting to the environment by lighting up those candles? Carbon dioxide apart, the low temperature burning of the candle produces a variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).. after all, most candles are a product of paraffin wax which in turn is a product of crude oil.

Then there are some who just can't stay indoors in the dark and decide to go out for a drive under the moonlit skies. Unless they're driving some high-end electric car (which come to think of it would defeat the initial purpose of turning off the lights in the first place), that quite easily translates to even more emissions of carbon dioxide to the environment and they'd have played their little parts in welcoming Mr. Climate Change.

Some cities around the world (my home city Kuala Lumpur being one of them) tend to organize mass gatherings during Earth Hour at a public location. On the bright side, they certainly make a stronger statement to the rest of the world in raising awareness.. and perhaps the masses that join can worry a little less on the advent of crime during the hour of darkness. Again candles are lit in the hordes, and there are probably even a few fiery performances (literally, with the fire dancers and fire blowers) just to entertain the crowd. The funny part about all this, is that barring the usage of electricity - we've done almost everything else we can during that one hour to hasten the process of climate change.

Now I'm not going to crunch numbers with some arbitrary assumptions to prove my point. Of course being an engineer I couldn't be satisfied without preliminary calculations, but that I had already done while sitting through one of my environmental lectures back in Chicago. The point I want to make though, is for everyone to simply think for themselves and perhaps even do a little bit of research on the facts rather than just following the hordes..

If you really think about it properly, perhaps you'll see a whole host of alternative ways we can make a difference in mitigating climate change. For example, why can't we celebrate Earth Hour during the day instead? Or better still, make it HOURS. There wouldn't be much of a need for candles, plus we could be cutting down on the actual power guzzlers such as air-conditioning systems. Or how about switching for some time to basic renewable energy sources like running appliances on solar power (and not complain about their intermittency) or travelling on bicycles for a week?

The real point though (at least in my opinion), is that our current over-indulgent lifestyle is taking its toll on the Earth, and the sustainability of our modern-day advancements for the future. It is simply time for all of us (or at the very least, those of us privileged with an education) to think of the future generations, and do what is best over the long run - because short-term (and short-of-thought, if I may add) ideas such as Earth Hour just aren't going to cut it.

The Weakend

2011-03-27T23:10:00.005+08:00

Been long since I walked home from work under sunlit skies.. months to be frank; till yesterday. Ah, but yesterday was a Saturday.. It would seem that my string of 5-day work-weeks had come to an end, but little did I expect to be walking into the office on Sunday as well.

Gone the week, gone the weekend;

A draining streak, as I lay weakened..

Perhaps it was incredible subconscious foresight; perhaps it was purely coincidental luck. Whatever it may have been, I have ended up with the Monday as an off day. I desperately needed the break. Working 12 days straight is unthinkable, at least for now. There is learning - lots of it. Then there is more learning, and it never seems to end. It's an uphill slope - but I won't lose hope.. Hope that these pains be appreciated, and bring forth the gains.

The Excuse for Unpaid Hours

2011-03-20T23:43:00.005+08:00

The usual error, the usual excuse. I really can't seem to start blogging on a more regular basis, let alone fix any form of blogging schedule. The days really seem to be pretty random. Not that I am complaining, as that bit of variety in life is simply a wonderful thing to have. Work days haven't changed much though - the usual 12 hours a day, 5 days a week.

Ah yes the 12 hours a day on average. Some stare in disbelief, some question my sanity. I've offered a host of different responses (mostly on a lighter note) but the truth is there are just so many reasons that I don't know where to begin. First there is the fact that I learn so much more by just spending those extra few hours per day at work. I am also able to get more stuff done and as a consequence get more work assigned to me, which simply means so much more experience in a shorter period of time.. Perhaps I overwhelm myself a little at times, but it is those moments that I can look back at and take pride in having traversed.

Next by staying late, I am able to exude my true commitment to the team, as I've always attempted to no matter which team I've worked with. I just feel that much more satisfied when I've given it that extra bit of effort. A happier stroll back home, and a sounder sleep at night. Speaking of happier strolls back home, the fact that I travel by public transportation to and fro plays a part in the equation as well. By going to work a little earlier and leaving later, I escape the hordes of people rushing in and out of the monorail as well as the buses. I usually refrain from pushing myself through crowds to get into the trains even if that's what almost everyone else does, so the whole thing just translates into a shorter, more peaceful journey home for me. :)

If that isn't reason enough, there is the quieter office environment to work in as well as a better opportunity to get to know some of my colleagues who stay back a little better. In addition to this, there is my boss who tends to stay late with us to make sure things get done. Despite everything I might have against her style and manner of management, her commitment to the work is truly exemplary, even without considering her relatively debilitating disability - rheumatoid arthritis. Of course to go with all this, getting back early just means extra hours on the TV and lazing around - at least for the time being (goodness I so need to find myself a LIFE).

Despite all this, one might easily tell me I'm not getting paid for putting in those extra hours every day. True in the short term, and if you only consider the salary as a 'payment.' When I see things in the longer run though, my thoughts become clear; and any doubts on my intentions disappear..

Muffled Voids

2011-02-15T18:09:00.003+08:00

Another year and yet another empty, meaningless Valentine's Day. The only thing that bothers me though is my curiosity, but this I can definitely live with. After a week-long break from the depths of work, life in the office suddenly seemed dull. Something was certainly amiss, and my characteristic drive to work was a mere shadow of itself during the first few days after the break. Things have picked up since, but if my intuition is anything to go by, I can expect a joyride down the hellhole over the next few weeks.

Ambiguous assertions aside, I feel the need to up the ante in my quest to affiliate myself with the world. I spend way too many hours at work these days, yet there isn't much value in those hours for the alternative would simply be more hours watching TV or surfing the net mindlessly. I've always thought of myself as an introvert, and as such have figured that I should have no problems pushing myself. Then why all this procrastination? Why do I lack motivation?

What happened to those days when I went to bed knowing I'd made the most of my hours? I miss that feeling... satisfaction.

Here's To All Wabbits!

2011-02-03T15:29:00.007+08:00

Rejoice, for it is that time of the year again! Happy Chinese New Year everyone. This year is a rather special one for me though, for my zodiac sign happens to be the rabbit! To be honest, I haven't overtly affiliated myself with rabbits even through my childhood (well except for one bunny that goes by the name Bugs), but since it is our year, I figured.. why not join in the fun?

The little online-reading that followed (with all the excess time I have these days.. *shakes head*) was quite interesting. I realized that most descriptions of people born in the Year of the Rabbit fit me pretty well (or at the very least, they describe me in the way I'd like to be described as). Take this one for instance:-

If you know me well enough, you'll see that it really is quite apt, and it extends beyond just those words I've underlined. Hehe. Perhaps I should consider putting my zodiac down on my resume (I kid I kid!).

And naturally at some point I was drawn to the relevant Wiki pages, where I found a few more little surprises.

A good point to start would be the gemstone.. since I was small my favorite has always been aquamarine. Then comes the big one: The roughly equivalent Western sign is Pisces, which I am. Coincidence? Anyway, the season and month (which kinda corresponds to my birthday) kinda go along the same lines as this. Lastly there is the 'ruling countries' (whatever the heck that is supposed to mean..), which my home nation is one of. How bout' that?

Regardless of what any of that really means (if anything at all), I look forward to an excellent year ahead, and wish everyone else the same. :)

The Little Things

2011-02-02T21:52:00.003+08:00

Sometimes we tend to take the little things for granted. The fact is that it is these little things that have and still keep instigating the greatest things in life. Take for instance the knots, holding up a hammock; Or the dots, peppering a novel.. Perhaps even the thoughts.. ah yes thoughts: the foundation of ideas; the core of every change that we humans have brought upon this world.

If only we could all live recognizing the true importance of these little things. Spare a few seconds to observe, and simply appreciate the details that make up our environment today - be it a design of mankind or nature.. And suddenly, life would seem so much more beautiful. In our pursuit of happiness, we'd come to realize what the journey represents. And perhaps.. we could even do away with some of those 'sophisticated' and overrated art galleries (Sorry I couldn't resist the temptation. :D). When we do make it a habit.. and dwell a little further on such a line of thought.. maybe we'll see how humility is not a trait that is too difficult to fathom anymore, regardless of time and age.

* * * * *

I guess I could make an addition now to my 'New Year' resolutions: To be more appreciative of the smaller things that pass me by. Hmmmm..

Sowing Seeds

2011-01-30T21:50:00.005+08:00

The last week really had been one of my best ones in recent times. Perhaps the last time I felt so light-headed was during my final few days in Chicago.

I think I'm really getting used to how things operate in Aker. The last workweek seemed to be a rather good one, although I foresee my factors of motivation declining very soon. I must keep going though, no?

Then there was the insurance dilemma that finally came to an end with a couple of neat decisions (well 'neat' in my point of view, but time shall judge if it was the right move). I finally feel like I'm beginning to pull my weight in the family. Perhaps.. these few strides will take us a long way.

And just when all was beautiful, He sent me another painful reminder of the impermanence of life. I've also been reminded of the invisible web that I've been living in. If there ever comes a time I need break past the web to move ahead, would I forsake my dreams? Adapt, perhaps?

I simply hope I'll never come to such a juncture..

Resolutions Reviewed

2011-01-20T10:16:00.005+08:00

A little late on this, but here it goes anyway..

Last year I made 7 resolutions around this time of the year. I guess it's time to reflect on them. Here's the old list, along with my take on how well I've stuck to each of them.

1. Financial independence by the year's end.. as much as I hate making a fuss about money, this seems to be at the top my head for reasons more substantial than myself.

I think I managed this to quite an extent, although I only really achieved it by the end of the year. Either way, I'm making strides on doing my bit for the family and I'm bent on continuing to do just that.

2. Lead a healthier lifestyle - healthier food, more active lifestyle

I started out well on this regard, with frequent jogs along Chicago's scenic Lakeshore Drive as well as trips to the gym for some extra cardio. Perhaps it's time I push myself again physically.

3. Blog more frequently.. in comparison to the past years

Amazingly, I didn't fulfill this nor fail. By count, my number of posts for the entire year of 2010 were exactly the same as the previous year.

4. Visit all of Chicago's attractions - yes 'all attractions' implies vagueness, but heck it's hard to put this in a better way.

Here's one I HAVE to consider done, for the time being at the very least. I figure I did see my fair share of Chicago, and I really loved the city.

5. Save up enough to buy someone special a full-paid trip to the US

I kinda gave up on this one pretty early. It would have been a nice gesture, but on second thoughts it really is much too early. Hopefully, a little more maturity shines through, in actions and thought.

6. Be able to converse confidently in Spanish - Yes I'm picking it up..

I feel I can converse the language in a basic manner, although there is so much more to learn and I also need to put my learnings to practice.. Seriously, any Spanish speakers out there?? Or better still, someone else who's bent on pickin' up the language!

7. Remember and wish good friends for their birthdays

I did pretty well on this accord (I think.. lol). Facebook's notifications certainly helped, but I think in hindsight they just devalue the fact that I even remember those birthdays. Hmmm..

I ain't gonna make another formal list as such. I think I could still work with the same set of resolutions for now (minus a couple that don't apply anymore). Perhaps I shall 'bitch' a little less about my job and look at the bright side of things. Either way.. here's to another wonderful year ahead.

To A New Year - 2011

2010-12-31T23:24:00.006+08:00

Just a few more minutes before we usher in a whole new year. I wonder what this really says about me - sitting home and blogging a few minutes away from New Year's Day. As I sit here pondering, mental pictures of my experiences over the last 365 days flash across my mind in relatively random order.

2010. It really has been a very different year in my life. After spending the last 17 years in formal education, this year began with me being officially unemployed: no more the student; just a jobless graduate. It started out with much excitement, as I looked forward to my first job and giving it my all. Things however didn't go according to plan (quite naturally), and I ended up spending a good third of the year pursuing a lot of non-academic interests. I began experimenting quite a bit with my cooking: from the chicken lasagna and masala chicken to the lemon tarts and vanilla pudding. I also began concocting cocktails, where I truly found an enjoyable hobby and am able to express my creative side (which really is quite limited though.. lol). I also began learning basic Spanish, although I figure not having another Spanish speaker to practice it with hurts my progress (damn where are those senoritas when you need em'??)

Then came the trip back home, where I really ramped up my search for a job. After a short stint with my dad's friends' company, I began formally as a process engineer at Aker Solutions. And lo! Gone were the days where my mind ran free while time seemed to creep ever so slowly. Suddenly.. I began to miss my unemployed days in the US, when everything just seemed so much simpler. In retrospect, those truly represent my halcyon days.

The highlights.. The beginning moments of the year at Las Vegas with Julian, Cheng Khang and Kwong Hann. The surprise birthday celebration in my apartment with a few rounds of Dominion. The totally unexpected fine dining experience at what is now America's No. 1 restaurant, Alinea. The graduation ceremony under rather pleasant Chicago skies. The few hours layover in Istanbul on my way back from Chicago. The dozens of interviews where I had a chance to meet some outstanding individuals. Last but certainly not least: The return to where I was born.. the place I call home.

Goodbye 2010.

Happy New Year everyone!!

A Towering Afternoon

2010-12-30T19:59:00.006+08:00

There hasn't really been a dull moment at home for the past couple of weeks, and a lot of it (if not all) has to do with my grandma and cousin who are visiting from India. I haven't been able to spend as much time with them though, mostly due to the long hours at work. Hence, last weekend on Christmas day I seized the opportunity to take them around KL - namely to visit the towers that have defined the city's skyline over the past couple of decades.

We decided to travel by public transport (no cabs), and I must say we managed to cover quite a bit in one afternoon. We started off with a walk around KLCC, before heading over to Pavilion to take a look at their wonderful Christmas decorations.

Along the way we also passed by my workplace.

Finally we headed uphill to KL Tower, and went up to the observation deck for what is arguably the city's best vantage point. My only qualm would be the hazy weather which affected the clarity of our view. Nevertheless, I had to make the most of it and quickly flipped out my camera to take a few photos of a few places around KL that mean something to me. Here are a few of em'!

Personally, I enjoyed being their guide for the afternoon along with my sister. It really was quite the experience - totally different from my previous walks around KL of which there are many. Their visit this time is a short one though, and I'm definitely going to miss em' once they fly back to India come next week... But life must go on, eh?

Good Tidings For Christmas!

2010-12-25T19:22:00.005+08:00

It's that time of the year again! The days left unchecked on the calendar may be few, but these days are to be savored. I've managed to finally get in touch with quite a few long lost friends, and that in itself is enough to keep me smiling till the new year dawns. As it has been every year in recent memory, the virtual playlist of Christmas songs is playing in my head once again. Spirits are sky-high again, ironically as another year approaches it finite end. I do wonder what it is that makes the head a little lighter, the tongue a little softer, the hands a little gentler, the heart a little warmer come this time of the year..

Yesterday I spent my Christmas eve at Bukit Bintang with a few high school friends and our dear teacher, Miss Shanti. We started off watching a solo-act at the Actor's Studio on Lot 10's rooftop - a 'Malaysianized' adaptation of Frank Capra's 'A Wonderful Life.' I haven't watched the original version but I thoroughly enjoyed the heart-warming performance which depicts a man who sacrifices so much in his life for the others around him. He does so much without expecting anything in return, so much so he even saves another man's life without hesitation when he is at the point of suicide, driven by his own woes. At this point he questions the purpose of his life, upon which with the help of a god-sent angel he is able to realize how much lesser the world around him would be if he weren't born. It's amazing how such simple stories capture the heart with ease.

After the drama Miss Shanti treated us to a sumptuous dinner at Esquire Kitchen. The streets of Bukit Bintang were immensely crowded with people and they only grew in numbers as the night aged by the minute. By the time we finally decided to leave, the massive junction between Jalan Bukit Bintang and Jalan Sultan Ismail had turned into a stage for a foam party! Regardless, I am truly enjoying these festive days; much like I have enjoyed them in the past years with wonderful people. With that, I wish you all a merry, merry Christmas.

My December

2010-12-19T18:00:00.004+08:00

Another two weeks and another year draws to a close. Nothing has really changed with regards to my job, except perhaps that I'm getting used to the constant pressure that can drive one nuts (it seems that is just what happened to one of my colleagues.. sigh). The general advise is for me to stay on for a couple of years or so, but I can't help wonder if I would be much better off leaving as soon as possible. After all, the imminent effect such stress can have on my long-term health is a worry. Either way.. time shall tell.

On a more positive note (yeah you have to wonder if there is to be any significantly positive note on my job lol), tis' the season to be jolly.. I guess it's nice to have a much warmer December after 4 winters in the US, although the lack of an end-year trip does bother me. There was New York, California (LA & San Francisco) and last year's trip to Las Vegas.. ahh, they bring back such sweet memories. Nevertheless, one can never complain at the chance to end the year with the family at home.

It would appear the blog is devoid of images - perhaps a lot of it has to do with the lack of time I spend these days with the camera (which my sis seems to have taken ample advantage of lol). There haven't been too many outings though for me to capture moments of, but on the bright side it makes me appreciate every meetup with old pals all the more. For instance last weeks randomly planned meetup with the APD guys: Hoong Kit, Vincent & TS for some dinner and bowling..

I haven't shed much light on my wonderful colleagues at work here. Remember.. my problem with my current job mostly stems from the boss, and in all honesty I've met a few gems of characters amongst the people I work with. A proper writeup on them is due, though given how many times I've said things in similar fashion without any action to follow - I wouldn't blame you for taking them with a grain of salt. Anyhow, these are jolly days, and I'm not about to let any troubles (like that darned boss of mine lol) suck the joy out of it.

The Bhopal Disaster

2010-11-14T15:54:00.005+08:00

More than a year ago, a certain professor brought to my attention the worst industrial disaster the world has ever seen, to date. He only provided the class with a brief description, yet it was enough to pique my interest in the matter as I went ahead and looked further into the matter. At times, it was painful to read. Sometimes I asked myself if 'progress' at the risk of such irreversible catastrophes is really.. progress at all. Anyway, I leave you with a rather recent video on the tragedy.

For now, I can simply spread the word on the issue, which sadly many are still completely ignorant of (including myself over a year ago). During the AIChE National Conference last year we were asked a question regarding this disaster and I was the only one on my table who even had a clue..

Ketchup - Fire & Aftermath

2010-10-27T22:04:00.004+08:00

Since I began working, quite a few other things have happened to date. I met a few old friends around my workplace, and even got my driving license (again.. wth). One event though stands out like a thorn among roses - the top floor of my home catching fire from a short circuit. One room was blazed with quite some extensive damage to the ceilings, walls, furniture and stored stuff. Fortunately no one was home though when the fire broke out, but perhaps even more fortunately we were all in KL when it occurred and got back as soon as we could to a house doused with water, powder and smoke (especially since we traveled away from KL the weekend prior to the fire).

I guess there really isn't much to say, except that its impact was quite profound as we were pretty much restricted to the ground floor of the house for the following 2 weeks (even now I spend 99% of my time at home downstairs), and a lot of the electrical wiring still needs to be worked on around the house. I guess it serves as a good lesson for us, and thankfully the damage was limited by the quick-thinking of our neighbors and immediate action by the firemen. Personally, I lost quite a bit of my collection of nostalgia - a box-full of miscellaneous things I've held on to for most of my life. Perhaps it's a sign for me to move on, and hold on a little less to the past..

It's been 3 weeks since the fire.. I've began to see it as a gentle reminder of the things we tend to take for granted - electrical safety systems (the obvious one), familial bonds, neighborly love, and the plain and simple fact that 'tomorrow' remains an unpredictable entity - to say the least.

Ketchup - Worklife

2010-10-27T20:55:00.005+08:00

So a month and a half it's been, with no update whatsoever ever since I began my job. Frankly, a LOT has happened and naturally I'm finding it quite difficult to single-out a starting point. Perhaps chronology would make a good guide..

I began with Aker Solutions on a rainy morning. The first half day was pretty relaxed, though not many employees were at the office since they were away for their extended Hari Raya break so I wasn't able to make the most of the time to socialize. Anyway, come the afternoon and I was hit with my first load of work. The instructions from my boss were very vague, but I managed to figure out the job slowly thanks to the help of some colleagues. As some of you are aware of by now, my initial impression of the job isn't really a positive one - which is definitely a worrying sign. I generally don't like to whimper, and tend to be quite adaptive to any environment I'm thrown into.

Then what is the problem here? Well for starters, and perhaps most importantly, I'm finding it quite impossible to gauge my boss' actions and reactions. The snide remarks by people from other departments don't do me much good either. Then there's the 'expectation' to work for longer hours without getting paid for it, which isn't a problem except that new engineers like me won't get our overtime hours sanctioned for pay, and I frankly am not sure till when. Either way, crazy long hours have become a norm for me now week-in week-out. What bothers me most though, is the negative environment that the department operates in. Everyone seems to work to avoid problems, rather than to achieve something. To put it bluntly - negative reinforcement. You do well; life goes on. You screw up; you'll never hear the end of it!

Of course, there are the occasional exceptions to the norm, but if my month-long assessment is anything to go by - then my description above isn't too far off. On the bright side, I've met quite a few wonderful individuals at my workplace who have been easy to get along with. I also don't sense any internal politics within the department, but then again there wasn't much room for internal political games in the Nazi administration under Hitler either. Hah!

Having said all that, I don't mind the long hours for now as I don't have too many external affiliations other than family and friends (yet.. lol). Perhaps it's about time I look to explore new hobbies, or rekindle some old ones. I shouldn't lose sight of this blog though, and I hope I can find more time to update more frequently (especially considering it's one of my resolutions! lol). I can't say much about what I'll do in these coming months. Two companies that I had applied for earlier have re-contacted me asking that I reconsider their offer one with an offer equal to Aker and the other potentially better in terms of pay (with fieldwork which is awesome but it's a less-recognized local company which is perhaps my only qualm). I ain't no quitter though, so I'm gonna keep going down this path for now, and learn as much as I can. Perhaps, better avenues lie ahead..

Embarkation

2010-09-12T23:04:00.011+08:00

Tomorrow, I shall begin as an employee of Aker Solutions. Needless to say, first-week jitters are aplenty. Part of me is excited at what awaits (or could await me, for that matter).. Part of me is nervous for not knowing what it is that awaits me. I guess time will tell.

You can certainly expect an update on what my work is like soon. At this point, I simply want to thank all who prayed for me, inspired me and believed in my potential to this point. I shall not let you down, nor forget how blessed I am to be amongst such wonderful company.

Till more moments fill this sweet lifetime of mine..

Avanzar

2010-08-31T00:50:00.009+08:00

As you can see, I've made quite a few changes with regards to the blog's layout. I started off with a new header background; finally one that has a little more personalization. My background to date primarily lies with the two institutions that are pictured in fading grey, so I figured it would be a nice play on the dual-meaning of backgrounds. The pictures are set against a photograph I took during my trip to LA on Santa Monica Beach.. basically it's the Pacific horizon at sunset. It really was quite a sight - perhaps the most lasting image from that Californian winter trip. Of course, the symbolic nature of the horizon cannot be undermined.

I guess I am at the starting point of what could be a defining career, and it is definitely significant enough to warrant these changes - a commemorative act, if I may say so..

Oh and Happy Merdeka Day, fellow Malaysians! I see a lot of words being strewn and cast all over the social media.. words that give me hope that perhaps that 'bright future' I envision can be achieved much sooner.. If only everyone would simply practice what they preach. Patriotism shouldn't be something that lights up for only a day, or even a month every year. May we hold on to this spirit and move forward in unison, towards a future that keeps getting better..

A New Path Paved

2010-08-31T00:12:00.004+08:00

Finally.. after much awaiting, and perhaps surprisingly a lack of drama - I am officially employed. It was quite the wait, but I believe it was well worth it.. then again, only time can judge the truth in that statement.

So to break it down in a compressed manner.. 16 interviews, which is inclusive of 3 2nd interviews; and as a result of that 3 job offers. I did cancel 4 of them though.. some due to diminishing interest, some due to the fact that I already had job offers. Either way, I will begin working with Aker Engineering come Mid-September. It's basically an oil and gas consultancy and I believe it'll provide me with excellent learning opportunities. As some of you may already know.. I am NOT looking for stability.. I am not looking for easy money.. I want a steep learning curve; a challenge if you may, for I believe this is when I am primed to learn and grow as an engineer - something I made pretty clear during all of my interviews.

Finally.. an opportunity to prove my worth. This is by no means a reason for overt celebration. A brand new journey begins here, and it is time for me to prove to myself (and the company) what I am truly capable of..

Incepting Inception

2010-08-06T23:26:00.004+08:00

It began as a normal Thursday. After spending the preceding weekdays completing the interim claim for my current (temporary) company, I figured I could take the day off and catch a movie with Ben and Sui Jon - no other than the crazily-hyped Christopher Nolan film, Inception. It was set to be a cracking day.. to make sure things stayed smooth I even planned to reach Mid Valley almost 2 hours earlier to grab the tickets, and the best seats.

Just then my phone rang.. my boss had some last minute work for me. Of course, it took precedence and I figured I still wouldn't have trouble making it to Mid Valley in time. Once I finished up, I got dressed and headed out under overcast skies. About a hundred meters later, the clouds let loose. "No biggie," I figured. A short trip back to grab an umbrella and I was on my way again. Now as some of you may know, I do not drive yet since my probationary license expired when I was in the States. Hence, the KTM Komuter was to be my best option. Then again, I had forgotten how badly the KTM could screw my plans over. Upon tons of waiting (both inside and outside the train) I only managed to reach KL Sentral at 1.35pm, and the movie was to start at 1.45pm! The only positive was the price of the ride - 1 Ringgit (which should in fact give you an idea of how short the trip should have been). At this point I figured waiting for the connecting KTM train would most definitely end my hopes of making it for the movie in time, so I decided to exit in KL Sentral and switch to the Putra LRT.

I took the LRT to Bangsar, which was still quite a distance from Mid Valley. The time was 1.45pm. Not to mention I hadn't had my lunch yet. I glanced once at the station's exit - no buses or taxis in sight. I really didn't want to miss the movie. No.. not Inception. I wasn't going to depend on things out of my control anymore. It was time to take matters into my own hands. So.. I simply reverted to the infallible way of getting there - on foot! With the clock ticking on, I practically sprinted from the Bangsar LRT all the way to the Golden Screen Cinemas in Mid Valley. There was no hunger nor lethargy in my thoughts. In fact there was nothing in my mind, apart from the prayers for the pre-movie trailers and advertisements to be extra long. I managed to reach the theatres at 1.55pm - panting, yet somewhat proud of what I had just accomplished.

As we entered the theatre - myself still trying to catch my breath - we realized the movie had begun 5-10 minutes earlier. A minor setback though, for I was still able to follow the storyline, and truly enjoy it. What a movie it was.. A really simple idea when you think about it, yet the way Nolan brings it all together and presents it is truly wonderful. A masterpiece. Finally, a movie that is generous on food for thought.

There have been a few movies I stop watching halfway through (e.g: A Bee Movie).

There have been a few movies I watch to the end and repress the fact that I watched them (e.g: Monster House).

At the end of most movies I tell myself it was a movie.

At the end of some movies I tell myself it was definitely worth watching (e.g: The Prestige).

At the end of a select few movies, I tell myself it is one for the ages, forever remembered for what it was..

Of all the movies I have managed to catch at the theatres to date - Inception easily tops the list. As for my adventure that preceded the movie - I can say it made the whole thing all the more memorable..

Final Days In Chicago

2010-07-27T23:29:00.005+08:00

It has been some time now. Almost two months to date. The memories still remain; freshly chiseled onto the inner walls of my cranium. I figure the purchase of my ticket back home aboard Turkish Airlines would make a good starting point.. The beginning of the end of my days in Chi-city.

Once I purchased the ticket, everything began to move fast. My roommates and I decided to use a freight service (IQ Global Logistics) to send most of our stuff in the US back home. Quite a price we paid for it - certainly a bad decision on our part. Either way, after more than 2 months, the shipment finally arrived last week, upon which we had further problems and necessary payments before we could grab our boxes. Then there was the moving-out phase, and how apt it was that our stipulated move-out date was 15th of May, 2010 - the exact same day as our graduation ceremony.

Alex was the first to leave on his final tour of US cities, before Kwong Hann's parents arrived and he practically evacuated as well. With that I was left with my Iranian housemate, Ehsan to clean up all the general areas of the apartment. I slogged for almost a week on clearing the place up before we finally handed the key. What does disappoint me, though is the fact that our landlord, Mr. Soontorn Sucksuphan refused to return our deposit that added up to almost US$2000. I personally found it even more painful given how hard I worked at cleaning the messes of previous tenants who were there way before we moved in. Sigh.. All is well.

The next morning was our graduation ceremony, and I guess I was a little tired after practically working up to midnight on the apartment the previous night. Either way, the ceremony went pretty well. The weather was on the chilly side, but that's about as much as one could complain about it. Here are some photos, mostly courtesy of Wai Kit's camera phone.

A Bachelor's Degree in Chemical Engineering. Finally, I am in possession of a deceivingly humble piece of paper that certifies my abilities and competency as a chemical engineer. Of course, the magna cum laude honors didn't hurt either. A part of me wishes that my parents were there, but another part of me knows they will be there when I complete my postgraduate studies in the future. My uncle and cousin made it, though and I am truly grateful to them for everything.

Right after the graduation I was off on my uncle's car to West Liberty, Iowa where I spent a couple of days with the family prior to my departure. After spending two days primarily with my cousin Kalai and tending to Dovie and Flicka, I took the Megabus across the state to Des Moines, where I visited Julian. It was nice that I finally managed to explore downtown Des Moines on foot, and had a wonderful two days there. I am really glad I made the trip to Iowa prior to leaving the US.. I especially appreciate both my uncle and Julian taking days off from their jobs to entertain me..

Another Megabus trip later, I was back in the windy city. I really enjoyed those final days. Joe, Kyle, Bing, James, Xuan - thank you so much for playing such an integral part in making my final few days in the city all the more memorable. I am certain we will meet again at some point in our lives, and boy do I look forward to those times.

With that, I bade goodbye to the city of Chicago.. a truly wonderful city. The soothing breeze, those bitter winds; the blooming buds of spring, those dying leaves of fall. A city that never failed to lighten my mood - even in the most bitter of snowstorms.

Life must go on, yet these roots I will always cherish. A few more photographs, if to merely conclude this chapter in my life with a sugar-coating..

Perseverence

2010-07-13T21:28:00.002+08:00

Alright.. so it has finally come to my attention that there has been no update with regards to my last days in Chicago, let alone my one-day stopover in Istanbul - especially considering it has been a month since then. Before I get to that to appease some of you, there are a few updates with regards to.. well, Me.

I recently lost my right to claim unemployment, although it wasn't exactly in the way I had imagined I would. For starters.. it is hardly the starting point of a career. Having said that, I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity to get off my ass and actually do something useful. I am.. a clerk for a road construction company stationed at the site office in Temerloh, Pahang. The town is truly an ambient and peaceful one, untainted by the many things that pollute cities like KL.. And yes, I do expect you to read between the lines here. I've got a really nice work environment though and the benefits are pretty cool. Oh and the best part is I can opt out of the job when I get a better one and am also free to take off for interviews. You shall hear more about this newfound affiliation of mine soon.

Now then.. I am still technically jobless, and am actively looking for a job. The wait is killing me.. I really do wonder... what do You have in store for me?

Me, Defined

2010-07-02T14:33:00.004+08:00

Here goes a list, that shall grow with every fact recalled, and slowly clear that cover of shrouding mist..

Principles and Beliefs

I generally stand strong by my principles because I believe they define me, and forgoing them would mean that I'm basically losing myself.
I do not enjoy imposing my beliefs on others because I believe everyone has a right to their own unadulterated opinion. Preaching facts, on the other hand is a different matter on its own.
I always put myself in others' shoes whenever I can (not literally wtf), so I can attempt to understand what underlies their actions.
I believe in helping people, regardless of their social and biological background.
I feel human greed underlies the problems and inequalities in this world, and am vehemently opposed to its fruits being disguised as methods of survival.

Likes and Dislikes

My favorite color is blue - it always has been.
I am a fan of many sports, and enjoy indulging in it both visually and physically.
Food that I am aversive to: Eggs, Milk
I enjoy poetry, and am a big fan of Shakespeare and Wordsworth.
I enjoy photography, but more so of the environment rather than people.
I like to analyze how people think and act.
I enjoy all types of music, except techno.
I like to people-watch when I have a few minutes to spare at a crowded place (malls, cafeteria etc.)
I dislike beer, although over the last few months I've grown fond of cocktails.
My favorite movie genre is comedy.
I am a sucker for history, especially European and early American history.

Character

I tend to come off as quiet on a first-impression, although that would change once you get to know me better.
I love challenges, and am driven by them.
I always strive to do my level best at everything I put my foot into, and believe that patience and persistence will pay.
I am always up for adventures, and have a rather good sense of direction.
I often go into deep thought, and it would seem I am in a parallel universe.
I have never been in a romantic relationship, to date. I still wait for that one person, expecting what some may see as a fairytale.
I believe that I can be, perhaps to the surprise of many who know me personally - quite hopelessly romantic.. but then again, I haven't had a chance to express it.
I used to read a lot as a kid, but stopped because I began to develop my own style of writing, and didn't want it to be compromised by the works of others.
In general I am not calculative when it comes to money amongst friends, but I also try to make sure I am not underpaying in any way.
I cannot dance. I am simply horrible at coordinating my bodily movements.

Random

One day I hope to publish an autobiography entitled "What's In A Name," alluding to my long name that has been the subject of much external interest throughout my life.
I dream of building a home for my mother at some point in my life, with a garden feature and a rambutan tree. :)

* To be updated from time-to-time *

The Precipitation of Character

2010-07-02T14:09:00.006+08:00

Thinking back, one of the things my blog (or at least what you see of it) has been lacking is personality. I always figured anyone interested in delving into my character simple needed to.. well, read between the lines. Yet thanks to a few comments, I've finally realized that it just isn't enough, and this blog is seemingly deprived of my character.. my true self.. a chance for the reader to know who I really am.

Now of course, the fact that this blog is public has probably subconsciously played a major role. Then again, a narration of my experiences through an apathetic channel would be..a narration, and nothing more.. devoid of life and emotion. Plus it isn't like I have much to hide, or that this blog is even remotely popular. So, I guess from here on I'll do my best to.. ermm.. keep it real.

Now then, where do we begin? There are lots of things that come to mind when I try to think about random stuff that not many people know about me. Hence, a random list of them is in order.. a living one of course, that grows (and perhaps even morphs) with the passage of time, and more importantly thought. Lo and behold, the list is born.

This oughta' be good.. I hope.

If

2010-06-25T14:32:00.004+08:00

A symphony of words strewn together with admirable boldness, and perhaps a window to the man I strive to be..

If you can keep your head when all about you,

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, or talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;

If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with triumph and disaster,

And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken,

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,

And stoop and build em' up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings,

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings;

And never breath a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew,

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you,

Except the will which says to them: "Hold on."

If you can talk with crowds, and keep your virtue,

Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;

If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute;

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -

Your's is the Earth, and everything that's in it,

And which is more - You'll be a Man, my son.

Starting Anew

2010-06-16T13:48:00.003+08:00

The days away from home are over.. for now at least. Perhaps I'll change those words that has underlined my blog's name for almost 3 years now. Perhaps not.. if my career is to begin away from home, that is. Either way, I have been starved of that perfect job to kickstart my career, so much so I'm even contemplating some wild compromises in my dreams.. Ahhh.. how I wish it wouldn't have to go to that. I must say that pride and ego of mine (or whatever's left of it) has taken quite a beating over the past half a year.. I tend to wonder if I am even good enough..

Tough days these, and such thoughts don't make things any easier. I'll never forget these days though.. and I hope that somewhere in the near future, they serve but to keep my feet firmly on the ground. I will not wilt though.. no, not now. Not ever.

On another note, I owe quite a few friends a round of apologies.. I have been back for quite some time yet I haven't contacted any of you, let alone met up with. Well, partly my pride deems that I get that all-important job first before coming face-to-face with ya'll.. On the other hand, I don't want to deepen this hole I've been digging each passing jobless day through my family's coffers. Heh. How bout' that for some resolve? Call it stupid.. call it a manifestation of my repressed ego.. doesn't change a thing.

Whatever it is the future may hold..
I will not fade, I will not fold..

Perhaps a little on the somber side, but these slow days call for such notes. I promise you a much, much happier post, sooner or later.

Goodbye Chicago

2010-05-22T00:40:00.004+08:00

Some of you may be aware of this this.. and some of you may not. I am returning home to Kuala Lumpur once again - this time, perhaps.. for good.

I never thought it would become difficult for me to bade goodbye to this wonderful city that has been.. well my home away from home for the last 3 years. Looking back, the cliche phrase "time really flies" immediately comes to mind.

Memories.. so many of them. I have barely a few days left before I leave this city.. but I will be back here.. sooner or later. There are just too many memories: too many reasons to come back someday. Some of the amazing individuals I've met here though; perhaps we'll never again cross paths.. that in itself is difficult.

But life must go on.. this habit of holding on that has been assimilated in my blood, I must forgo.. and look ahead instead to the promise of more.. yet forget the diverging past I shall not. I WILL not.

Goodbye Chicago.

Capital Trip - Part Three

2010-05-01T05:17:00.009+08:00

Day Five - Philadelphia, The Old Capital

Since we planned a one-day trip, it was essential that we started early, and we sure did as we took a cab at 4.00 am to the Megabus terminal. We arrived at Philly's 30th Street Station early, and perked ourselves up for the long day ahead with a couple of donuts and some coffee from Dunkin Donuts. Then we made the decision to purchase the Philly day-pass (which gives us 8 rides on the bus/subway) and took the subway straight to the heart of Old Philadelphia.

After a little sightseeing along the old structures along the streets, we went to the Independence Visitor Center to get our timed tickets to enter Independence Hall. Now Independence Hall is as historic as our trip can get. What's more -we had an excellent guide who provided us with a wonderful explanation of the significance of the building, as well as a lesson in history. It really is amazing how well these buildings have been preserved, and how fortunate I had been to stand within those four walls.

Our next stop was the Liberty Bell Center, where we saw the actual cracked bell; an international symbol of liberty and freedom.

Unfortunately, the original U.S Mint (which was located in the same area) was closed since it was a Sunday. There was a lot more left though, as yet another mini-adventure of mine led us to Ben Franklin's grave. Now this man is someone I revere as one of the greatest to live, and I have only the utmost admiration for a man of such stature and diverse abilities. His body (along with his wife) though lies in a relatively humble graveyard, alongside a few lesser-known signers of the Declaration of Independence including Benjamin Rush.

After that, we walked westward across some beautiful parks, all the way to Logan Square. Along the way we came across the City Hall, a gothic-style building that exhibits wonderful architectural features.

We then turned back and headed for Elfreth's Alley, one of the earliest residential street that has been preserved almost as it was centuries ago when the city of Philadelphia was first developed by William Penn.

Upon this we went to yet another park (there really were quite a number of them within the city, not too far from one another) in the form of Franklin Square. It was only about 4.00 pm, and since we had pretty much seen the best of what old Philly had to offer, we decided to take a nap on one of the benches facing the fountain as we were 'serenaded' by the repetitious tune of the carousel behind us. After almost two hours, we finally got up to make our way to South Philadelphia aboard a bus so Kwong Hann could taste the best cheesesteak - Philly's trademark food.

We then returned downtown under cloudy night skies for some night shots of the incredible buildings (as well as my dinner at.. you guessed it - Mc Donald's). With no restrictions on tripods in the city, we took shots of the City Hall, LOVE Park as well as Independence Hall before catching one of the last trains back to the 30th Street Station where we waited for our early morning bus back to DC.

Day Six - Botanical Gardens, Arlington Cemetery, Iwo Jima and Departure

Our final day of the trip began with.. well, our departure from Philly to be frank. After a few frenetic moments as doubt was cast in our minds with regards to the actual location of the Megabus terminal, we finally made our 2-hour journey back to DC - this time on a more crowded bus. There were some problems with the arrival at DC though, as a number of roads in downtown Washington DC had been blocked off for the Nuclear Security Summit which began on the same day, and our normal terminal was unfortunately within these high-security areas. Hence, our bus took a detour to another subway station, and by the time we got back to the hostel the sun was already blazing through the morning skies. That translated to no sleep for us, as we reached home, took a bath and checked out so we could make the most of our final hours. What helped us was the fact that the hostel's caretaker, Antonio allowed us to leave our luggage at the hostel till later in the day.

Without further ado, we immediately headed to the National Botanical Gardens, which if you recall was closed by the time we got there on the first day. It wasn't much to shout about, though they did have a varied collection of wild orchids.

Soon we were jettisoning off to Arlington Cemetery - the nation's most sacred burial grounds. The cemetery covers a massive area, and much to our dismay, the tombs of some of America's famed sons were scattered around the place. From US Presidents Kennedy and Taft, to war veterans of the major American wars, to the justices of the US Supreme Court; an aura of greatness engulfs the cemetery. What's more.. there is the historic Arlington House, before which Confederate General Robert E. Lee is buried. The view of DC from the house is simply spectacular..

A short walk away was the iconic Iwo Jima Memorial.. and no, no matter how tired our legs were we could not afford to pass on it.

With that, we were pretty much out of time. We headed back to the hostel for our luggage bags before shooting for the Ronald Reagan International Airport. With that, yet another truly memorable trip drew to a close..

Capital Trip - Part Two

2010-05-01T03:58:00.003+08:00

Continued..

Day Three - Art Gallery, Archives, White House, Kennedy Center

We began with a train to the Navy Memorial stop. The initial plan was to start with the National Archives that houses some of the most important and famous documents in the world. However, there was quite a crazy queue that went around the building, so we decided to go somewhere else first - the National Gallery of Art.

Now the last time we went to an art exhibit was in San Francisco (SF Museum of Modern Art), and we were left perplexed yet never excited by any stretch of the imagination. We prayed this wouldn't turn out to be such an experience, and fortunately we weren't left disappointed. The massive building has an excellent display of paintings from different ages, including the works of Rembrandt, Raphael as well as one Da Vinci piece - the only one in the Americas (and it is a two-sided one).

The gallery did quite a collection of sculptures as well, but they certainly pale in comparison to the artwork. Next we headed over to the National Archives, where the crowd had subsided to an extent. Make no mistake though; the small size of the building meant not many people could be inside at one time so the queue can be deceiving, although ours was relatively shorter than it was earlier that day. Almost an hour's wait later, we were finally admitted into the building. This is where my eyes set sight upon a few famous original documents, that till today remain sacred to the nation, and the world for that matter.. The Declaration of Independence, The United States Constitution as well as the first few amendments to it, known as the Bill of Rights. It was certainly a moment to revel in for me. The only drawback was, albeit a significant one - the no-photography rule within the building as a means of protecting the documents from light, that destroys the documents over time.

Within the archives I also saw a few actual Supreme Court decisions that I had researched and referenced in my Philosophy of Law class during my final semester. It really was a shame that I have no photographic proof of ever being in the presence of such powerfully written words, yet we wouldn't want to deny the future generations a chance of still being able to read off these originals..

After that we headed west towards the Kennedy Center. It was a long, long walk yet there were quite a few interesting stops in between..

We reached the Kennedy Center just in time to catch the Taiko Drummers from Tamagawa University perform as part of the ongoing Cherry Blossom Festival. After the performance, we headed out to the balcony to view the Potomac River.

The weather began to get really chilly, as we walked down to the Lincoln Memorial against the setting sun along the long memorial pool. We finally managed to deploy the tripod for some night shots of the Lincoln and Washington memorials, before we headed back for Pizza Hut near the hostel.

Day Four - Sakura Festival, Memorials

We started the day with the Cherry Blossom Festival Parade - a two-hour long event that was amazing, plus the huge sidewalks around the National Mall area and the distance covered by the parade meant that everyone got a great view of the proceedings (unlike a certain St. Patricks' Day Parade in Chicago.. hmphh). Here are a few photos and vids for your viewing pleasure. :)

(Videos)

Right after the parade we grabbed lunch at Mc Donald's (we're cheap like that wth) before heading over to the Sakura Street Festival which was a display of Japanese culture, at least to the American eye. They pretty much had everything 'Japanese,' including mangas, Cosplay, sake, samurais, ikebana, origami and J-Pop.

After that we walked down south to the Holocaust Museum, though unfortunately the general exhibit tickets were out so we could only go for the special exhibit: The Rise of Nazi Propaganda. After that we walked further down along the Tidal Basin to the Jefferson Memorial and the thousands of cherry blossom trees planted along the basin.

After that we walked through the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, and finally reached the Lincoln Memorial for some daytime shots of the incredible building.

With the little time we had left, we walked back east to the Air and Space Museum to finish touring the exhibits. With that, yet another long day in DC drew to an end, as we went home to prepare for our one day trip the following day to - Philadelphia!

Capital Trip - Part One

2010-04-24T02:23:00.009+08:00

A note of warning before I begin - most of this is really going to be 'for-the-record.'

Day One - Arrival, Capitol, Library of Congress

We left Chicago early in the morning, amidst weather concerns. Despite the clouds that loomed above us, we reached the O'Hare airport safe and dry. A sign of things to come, that was.. Upon arriving at the Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI), we purchased the wrong pass (Maryland MTA!), although it didn't cost us too much. We soon figured out the right shuttle, and a short train ride and loooong walk later, we arrived at our little hostel. Inside we met one of the caretakers, Antonio who was pretty helpful throughout.

We didn't waste much time, as within half an hour we were off to downtown DC - namely the Union Station. From there, we walked a block south to the US Capitol..

We spent quite a bit of time walking around the building on a hot & sunny day. The US Supreme Court was just across the street as well. It wasn't too long though before we were desperate for some hydration, and our saving grace came in the form of the Grotto.

We then made our way to the Library of Congress - the world's largest library. It truly is a thing of beauty, and they also house quite a collection of the personal works of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. One thing that did bug us though was that every time we deployed the tripod, a park ranger would come up to us immediately and tell us that tripods are not allowed on the premises. Of course, we found out later that we could acquire permission to use the tripod on those grounds from the authorities, but we didn't bother to trouble ourselves over it.

Just around the corner is the US Botanical Gardens, which unfortunately was closed by the time we got there on that day. There was an external park, however so we ended up walking through the plethora of flowers that swayed to the afternoon breeze.

By the end of all that it was time for dinner, and we had our meal at Chinatown (after a typical mini-adventure on foot inspired by yours truly). Quite a bit of walking on the day, but we were still taking it easy as it was our arrival day. Long, long walks would typify the following days..

Day Two - Museums, museums, museums..

One of DC's main attraction is its splendid national museums, which are made all the more appealing by their free admission. We definitely weren't intent on missing out on those, as we spent our second day walking around the massive museums. We began with the Smithsonian Castle, an old Smithsonian building that now serves as the Visitor Center.

Of course, there wasn't much to see in it, but it does have free wi-fi within its compounds. We began our tour of the museums with the National Museum of Natural History. I thought New York's Natural History museum was incredible: this one just blew it away. They had excellent exhibits - ranging from stuffed wildlife, to the actual skulls and bones of ancient human beings. the highlight though was the Hope Diamond, which was displayed in all its majesty within the museum. There is so much history and lore that surrounds this finely-cut blue diamond, and I stood gawking along with a host of others at the marvelous jewel.

Our next stop was the National Museum of American History -which is basically a group of massive galleries that tell the entire story of how this incredible nation has become what it is today. I myself was able to learn quite a few things along the way. The highlight of this museum though is the original Star-Spangled Banner that fluttered across the skies at Fort McHenry as Francis Scott Keys composed the nation's national anthem.

Next up was the National Air and Space Museum: a huge gallery with giant spacecrafts displayed within the building - mostly suspended from the ceiling. Again, it was an honor to relive the history of aviation and space exploration. As time ran out, we didn't manage to complete all of the exhibits before the museum closed at 7.30pm. What awaited us outside though was daunting - dark, dark clouds that spelled troubled as clearly as they could.

Somehow, despite the crazy rain that ensued while we were on the train headed back to the hostel - it stopped for a bit just as we reached our stop, giving us enough time to complete our considerably long walk back to the hostel completely dry before pouring down once again. Seriously, I must thank the Weather Gods for a wonderful favor! Such were the first two days, but there's more.. much more.

A Journey Through American History, And Much More

2010-04-20T13:05:00.006+08:00

I did have my laptop with me during my trip to Washington, DC, yet I never did find the time to post anything on this blog as I had planned - there was just that much to do in the capital. Here begins my attempt at recalling the best parts of the trips - which can be likened to picking out diamonds amongst rubies: there's a clear difference yet one can easily settle for the other parts of the trip.

How it all began

It began as an idea that arose during a discussion between Kwong Hann and myself. I was however contemplating between the budget trip and a ticket to watch one of my favorite band of musicians - the Trans-Siberian Orchestra live at the Chicago Theatre (which just took place last Saturday, by the way). After much thought, I finally figured life in any country cannot be complete without a trip to its capital. Of course, it was to be a true budget trip, very different from our excursions to Vegas, LA & even New York.

We started by booking our accommodation at the Washington International Student Center, a really cheap hostel meant for backpacking students. At the same time we also booked the cheapest return flight tickets to DC, and our mix-and-match approach ended with us arriving and departing from different airports. With that, I began planning our itinerary for the 6 days, when I suddenly recognized the risk of running out of things to see and do (which in any budget trip, would really suck). After a little bit of research online, I finally made one change to the trip - a one-day excursion to Philadelphia. The cost of the return trip from DC: $4, I kid you not. All hail Megabus, the most amazingly cheap system of inter-state land transportation, but there's nothing cheap about the bus-ride itself: Nice seats, clean lavatories, AC power receptacles and free wi-fi connection. I only hope the company remains in business, and doesn't hike the rates up down the road.

With all the free time I had, I went one step further in the planning process by employing the 'Street View' function on Google Maps to take a virtual tour around the National Mall so we could get around much faster when we're there. With that, we were all set for an exciting trip. The significant points of each and every day are chronicled in the following posts, so stay tuned!

Football Fever!

2010-04-02T12:02:00.001+08:00

I can hardly wait for the exciting round of football fixtures spread over the next week. It's coming down to an epic finale in all 3 major European leagues, and all my teams are in with a real good shout!

Roma - After beating Inter at home last Saturday, they're a mere point behind the Nerazzurri, and both teams are on a collision course in the Coppa Italia.

Manchester United - They're actually leading the table, albeit by a mere point over Chelsea whom they face this weekend. Oh, and they're also hosting Bayern Munich on the return leg of the Champions League quarterfinal come Wednesday. Mouth-watering? You betcha!

Barcelona - In what could perhaps go down as the greatest two-horse race in the history of the Primera Liga, Real Madrid and Barca are separated by mere goal difference with both teams holding incredible home records. Then there's Barca's match against Arsenal at the Nou Camp in midweek. I sooo hope they win so I can at least be spared of my housemate's outbursts during midweek. Lol.

With Chelsea and Madrid out of the Champions League, I'm truly loving this years contest on the European stage. The draw was perfect as well, with a rematch of last season's finals on the cards again. If that does happen (and God I pray it does), my pick once again will be Barcelona, because I believe it's the least they deserve for the beautiful, entertaining football they play. As for United, well like I said at the start of the season to some of my friends - they've got a team good enough to win the Premiership, but not the Champions League. Open the checkbooks, Fergie..

To The Capitol

2010-04-02T11:19:00.002+08:00

The weather has finally warmed up, though probably a little too much over the last two days. Either way, the city's finally springing to life, but sadly so will the crimes, which means I gotta start being more careful during my strolls outside. I haven't got a job yet, but I believe it's perhaps because God has better things in store. After all, to quote a certain someone's blog title - the good things always take a while.. Optimism? You betcha.'

A little while ago Kwong Hann & I finally made the decision to take another trip - this time to Washington D.C. It's a real budget trip though with cheap flight tickets and hostel accommodation, and not to mention the free admissions to the city's top-notch national museums. Come to think of it - the next time you hear from me on this site I'd probably be there. Other than the museums, I doubt it's really all that exciting, but hey what is 3 years in a country if I don't even visit its capitol? Oh an perhaps if we do run a little thin on entertainment by the time we're done with our trip, we have the option of taking a half-day trip to the historic Philadelphia.

Well, here's me looking forward to that, and more! ;)

ALINEA

2010-03-20T07:46:00.015+08:00

If that title doesn't ring a bell, then I respectfully suggest you take a look first at the longest paragraph in this earlier post of mine. Not that I have by any means described the magnanimity of the word in itself, which on that note I figure would be a good start..

Alinea, comes from the Latin phrase a linea which translates to "off the line." In a normal dictionary, you'd find it defined as typographical character - one that denotes a new paragraph (a pilcrow, as some of you may know it as). The word, then typifies Chef Grant Achatz' personal venture which resulted in him opening his own restaurant in Chicago in 2005. Within half a decade, Alinea has ascended through the ranks of world-class restaurants, and is currently ranked the 10th best restaurant in the world. I hope that suffices for an introduction to the amazing experience I shall attempt to describe now, mostly in photos though for words quite simply fail me on this account.

*** Following on from where I left off ***

With the formalities out of the way, we were all set for a truly memorable meal; to say the least. First came our table's decoration - a centerpiece of sorts which the waiter simply described to be "for decoration purposes, at the moment."

We were started off with the chef's version of Char Roe, infused with plantain, ginger and papaya wrapped in a "plastic" shell, which was in fact edible cellophane made of hazelnut syrup. This came along with our first pairing for the night - a cocktail of Aubry Brut with Chartreuse, Akvavit and Orange Curacao.

This was soon followed by our appetizer. To set our taste buds for what came next, we were served a distillation of Thai flavors in a shot glass. Then came our make-it-yourself spring roll, with our centerpiece being brought in as part of the meal. Julian and Kwong Hann had pork belly while I had cod in curry (pictured below) as my meat base. An interesting thing we noticed was how our wrappings were in fact embedded with vegetables in an artsy manner. The fillings we were allowed to mix-and-match with (clockwise from top-left): Black smoked sea salt, cucumber balls, fried shallot, banana with curry powder, lime, coconut, red onions, cayenne pepper sauce, cashew nuts, cilantro and vinaigrette..

Next up was a dish simply called "Lobster," served with Melville's 2008 Estate Viognier. "It's really hot," our waiter says as he warns us against touching the odd-shaped bowl we were served in. "Consider yourselves warned," he then chirped with a smile before walking away. The parfait in this dish had a multitude of flavors

Once we were done with the parfait, the odd bowl finally began to make sense to us, along with our waiter's advice as the top part of the bowl was removed to reveal another dish beneath - a simple yet delicious lobster salad.

Brewing at the bottom of our bowls while we enjoyed the dishes above was our Masala Tea, which I must note was very creamy and definitely nothing like the normal masala tea I've had back in Malaysia, but it was pretty good nonetheless. Of course, being part of the 'Lobster dish' meant that it had to be infused with the rich essence of lobster.. really, I'd consider it more of a soup.

This was followed by another seafood dish, this time in the form of sturgeon - and boy was it amazing. This course was paired with some fine Spanish white wine in the form of the Avanthia Godello Valdeorras 2008.

For the following course, my inability to consume beef resulted in me being served chicken instead, which was excellent in itself. Never had I eaten chicken of such intricate flavor and delicacy. Julian and Kwong Hann meanwhile feasted on a delicious beef dish - called simply Filet de Boeuf.

At this point, we were already awed by the sheer genius of Mr. Achatz, but dinner was far from over. The next dish was Goose, served with juniper for aroma. A rather short course this one, but one to ignite the senses nevertheless.

Once we were done with the goose, our sommelier served us ruby-red Italian wine in an eye-catching glass goblet; namely Donnafugata's 2005 'Mille e una Notte' Contessa Entellina DOC from Sicily. Just the presentation of the wine gave us a feel of the strong flavor and complexity of the upcoming dish. The was no complexity whatsoever, though, in our waiter's description when the dish was finally served - "Duck, duck, duck and duck. Any questions?" he asked in a rhetoric manner, leaving us to an indulgent dish which left us wishing we could lick our plates clean as we scooped away the final drops of gravy off the plate.

After this I was served with Egg Nog - which incredibly lacked the smell of egg, let alone its aftertaste.. perfect for an egg-hater like myself. I never had eggnog before (again because of the mental correlation I've drawn between the word 'egg' and my lifelong aversion to it), but if they were in general anything close to being as good as Alinea's, I really wouldn't mind having them again. Meanwhile, Julian and Kwong Hann were served with a slice of bacon, presented in the best way possible.

With that came my favorite portion of any multi-course meal - the dessert. Of course, at this point I was reminded of the exquisite warm chocolate fondant I had at Picasso, and I was ready to pit Alinea's end-meal against what I believe to be a truly worthy opponent. First we were served an earl gray-infused dessert with lemon crackers, pine nut and caramelized white chocolate. It truly was amazing, tangy in flavor and rich in texture. Yet I really found it difficult to draw a comparison to the fondant - they were, effectively different types of desserts. Of course, the Earl Grey's flavor was accented by De Bortoli's 2006 Noble One. Oh, and did I mention how the dessert was balanced on a pillow infused with lavender perfume that dissipated around us as we were eating the dessert? I guess not.

We were not done yet with the mouth-washers.. oh no, not by Alinea's standards. The previous dessert was followed in quick time by a wonderful chocolate dessert. As I sank my lips into the incredibly delicious dessert, the image of the warm chocolate fondant began to fade away - slowly but surely. Rich in flavor, firm yet silky in texture; I was left craving for more of it. The sweet wine that was served with it - the 20 Year Ramos-Pinto from Tawny Port, was the best drink I've had (and I just noticed it's also the most expensive.. lol) to date.. period.

Here is where I was delighted by yet another pleasant surprise (yeah, a surprise within a surprise).. Our waiter for the night brings out one plate, and a single spoon to go with it while reciting the first two lines of 'Happy Birthday.' One the plate lied a simple, yet elegant-looking chocolate ball. The waiter then proceeded to pour hot white chocolate on the ball as it began to "unwrap" to reveal a scoop of ice-cream on the inside. If the presentation was splendid, the dessert itself was.. well, heavenly. I felt light-headed as I divulged into the divine treat, scoop after scoop. Within minutes, I had found yet another "best dessert to date," and it was not to be beaten that night, let alone at any point in the near future..

Finally, we were all served with clear tubes filled with hibiscus, creme fraiche and a bubble-gum flavored substance which were all to be sucked-up in one go. We ended the night with a single shot of Espresso, to make sure we stayed awake that night to recall and rave on about the amazing moments we had just experienced.

As we were catching our breath at the end of it all, our waiter comes up once again and hands out to us black folders with a sheet of paper listing our respective meals. It very much felt like a certificate for the accomplishment of having dined at a restaurant that goes beyond imagination.

The price, as you may have already expected - was astounding, yet not for a fraction of a second did any of us think that it was not worth it. An experience like this will last in memories forever, and to have shared the experience with a couple of amazing individuals you'd never give up - PRICELESS..

UPDATE: Alinea is now ranked the TOP restaurant in the entire North America, and 7th in the world.. Well, well, well.. just when I thought it couldn't get sweeter than those desserts.

St. Patrick's Day 2010

2010-03-18T12:14:00.006+08:00

Green was the color as Chicago, along with Irish populations all over the world celebrated St. Patrick's Day weekend. Now, the actual St. Patrick's Day is to fall on the 17th of March every year, yet given the fact that it falls on a weekday this year, celebrations were brought forward to the weekend before. On that wet, yet lively Saturday morning - Chicagoans from all corners gathered along the downtown portion of the Chicago River to witness the city coloring it green. Now this certainly was not my first St. Paddy's experience, but the only other time I had actually been to the river-dyeing event was during my first few months here in Chicago when I was still, quite frankly fresh off the boat..

Anyway, this time around Kwong Hann and I grabbed our big-arse cameras (well less so in my case.. lol) and headed downtown to witness a once-in-a-year event. The weather did threaten to play spoilsport, yet there never really was a droplet big enough to create a splash that morning. As we got there, the river banks and bridges were crammed with people, not to mention the cops on the bridges who refused to allow people to stop, let alone take photographs. it wasn't too long though before Kwong Hann and I found a nice spot along the river from where we clicked away. After that we decided to grab lunch before heading over to catch the parade, or at the very least what we could see of it. Regardless, here are some shots from what could really be the last time I celebrate St. Paddy's Day in Chicago..

The Week That Was

2010-03-18T02:15:00.009+08:00

The element of surprise - is a masterpiece of an addition to anything. A string of pleasant surprises, stacked one after the other allowing little, if any time for the reality to sink in is nothing short of, well.. heavenly. For some time I was trapped in an invisible bubble, packed with a disturbing uncertainty and devoid of inspiration. Not after what promulgated in the last few days.. filled with events that shall be etched deep into my memory, hopefully till death do me part..

It all began on an innocent Monday night. At the stroke of midnight, I was surprised (you'd be seeing this word repeatedly, for the lack of a worthy synonym) by a few friends with a cake and well wishes. After the formalities, Harry took out his new, award-winning board game - Dominion. To all those who snide at the mention of board games, just wait till you get addicted to this one. With the ability to change the elements of the game through a seemingly infinite number of combinations, there is no one strategy that will work every time. Those of us who played that night were so excited, that we can't wait to get our hands on the game again.

The following day was peppered with wishes from all over, and a long trip to Indian town for some good food and groceries. It, was, to put succinctly, the typical birthday. By this point, I had agreed to write a history essay for my friend, on the two lives of Charlemagne. Up to then I knew very little of the Middle Ages, but I was certainly enlightened by my research on its greatest emperor. It really wasn't too much work you see, for a Jackson. The next couple of days, I spent quite a bit of time building a couple of tables for another friend.. building from almost scratch that is. The last time I did any significant carpentry was back in high school for our Living Skills project (Kemahiran Hidup.. lol). The work took a small toll on my arms and legs, and not to mention the sawdust; but it was all good fun.

Then came the weekend. It started with the St. Patrick's Day celebrations. Kwong Hann and I went downtown to catch the dyeing of the Chicago River as well as the parade, or at least what we could see of it amongst that crowd. The photos we took, on that misty day should be sufficient though, to tell the story and that is precisely what I'll aim to do in my next posting. After slugging it out at the parade, as well meeting a few familiar faces along the way, we finally returned home. Upon our return, i found a package at my door addressed to me. I didn't recall making any online purchases in recent times, and hence it had to be a gift. Upon opening the package, I was treated to not one.. but two gifts!

They came along with a message that only one person could conjure - Julian Tan. I guess this calls for my venture into world of bartending.. That evening, Julian himself paid me a visit at my place. Now his visit was supposed to have been a surprise, but somehow that didn't quite work out. Lol. Anyway, having him here at Chicago for the weekend was exciting in itself. We were to go for fine dining at a restaurant downtown that night - Vivere. Now I did get the feeling it was a classy restaurant, and thus agreed to dress formally for the occasion complete with my blazer. We finally got into the cab, and Julian gives the cabbie an address that didn't sound 'downtown' to me. Somehow, I didn't bother to think any more of it, and just went along. Just as the cab drew to a halt, a small signboard caught my eye. Now it was not so much of the signboard as it was the collection of letters that was spread over it. It read - Alinea.

A guy gets the door for me, and asks me "Alinea?" At that very point, millions of thoughts were rushing through my tiny head, as I couldn't have been bothered to answer the man, and just stepped out - very much in shock. Julian and Kwong Hann followed suit, and while patting me on the back, said - "Happy Birthday!" I still cannot recall much of my thoughts during those moments - it was like I was elevated to a level above, without the use of substances, of course. What I remember of the exterior, though was something very simple, with a mysteriously inviting door. As soon as we walked in, before us was a neon-lit pathway that was seemingly infinite. A few steps down the way though, and a sliding door opens up to our left. Inside, a lady invites us in, and proceeds to ask for our reservation details, which obviously I had no idea about. We were early, in fact half an hour early for our reservation. Lol! After about five minutes, however the same lady returned and told us they had a table available for us. We then ascended into heaven, literally, up a glass staircase with stylish steel frames. Awaiting us was our table, surprisingly bare-topped yet simply elegant. As I was seated, I couldn't help notice it was made of the finest quality of wood. A waiter then comes up to us and asks if anyone has any restrictions on meat, to which I mentioned my total lack of appetite for beef and pork. He then proceeds to ask us what type of water we would like, to which we ended up choosing Perrier's sparkling water. The next question that was put forth was if we would like to pair our dishes for the night with some fine wine. After a slight deliberation, I figured.. why not? With that out of the way, we were set for what I am absolutely positive should lie as my most amazing dining experience for years to come. After all, this was a top 10 restaurant.. IN THE WORLD!

My my.. that has to be one of the longest paragraphs I've written, and I haven't even got to the juicy parts yet. Now I don't mean to play the spoilsport, but I believe my attempt to recapture the rest of that once-in-a-lifetime experience deserves a blog post of its own. So I should leave this story, dangling if you may, for the time being.

The next morning began with a trip to Chinatown for some dim sum, which really for some reason was depressingly unappetizing (Hmm.. I wonder why). Upon this, we finally bid goodbye to the troop from Iowa. The following day, I received yet another gift in the mail.. this time the official coin collection from the recent Vancouver Winter Olympics. This one had Kwong Hann written all over it.

Oh and that reminds me of the sporting end, where it was pretty grand as well (at least for me.. heh), with convincing wins for United and Barcelona during the weekend as well as a massive victory for Manchester United in the Champions League; and Barca are running away with the match as I am writing this. Then there was the opening of the 2010 Formula 1 season, which started off with a Ferrari one-two.. bliss!

Seriously, I have to wonder if one could ask for a more fulfilling week. It was - and by no means am I looking to exaggerate here - almost the best portion of my life to date.. The best, of course would be the many incredible people I have been blessed with in acquaintance..

Words Worth, A Little Thought..

2010-03-15T11:45:00.003+08:00

They stretch'd in never ending line,

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Outdid the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company..

Such days couldn't have been scripted any better. The beauty of it all still fresh in my mind.. Yet, I am to take leave for now, for I am - unbelievable as it may seem - pre-occupied at the moment. A host of words I need conjure, on the almost mythical two lives of one great king. A minor bump, or a jump if you may, before I could put those sweet, sweet memories to words - for the lack of a better preserve.

Then, and only then.. shall my heart with pleasure fill, and dance away with the daffodils..

March-ing On

2010-03-02T05:56:00.003+08:00

Opportunities.. what more do I need before they come knocking? Impatience is finally setting in, but I cannot give in. Here's to a more positive outlook..

A couple of weeks ago I went skiing, for the first time. A whole day of it, and I'm still pretty bad at it, especially given how I almost lose control of my left leg at times.. odd, but true. It's tons of fun alright, especially the falling.. Ahh, the joy of falling onto the pure white snow that blankets the mountain. I lost count of the number of times I fell, but I did acquire a sense of control of my skis somewhere along the way. Then there was yesterday's musical at school - the Fantasticks, and old and simple play that is relatively open to interpretation. I was a quarter of an hour late for it, and hence missed the best part of the musical - the rendition of "Try to Remember." Anyway, I thought it was pretty well-staged given the props and infrastructure at their disposal and the fact that they were all students. I still yearn, though to watch a professional musical, and live through that magical experience.

I had also been following the Winter Olympics at Vancouver over the last two weeks. NBC's coverage was pretty disappointing, and the obvious bias in their commentary didn't help matters. Yet the event itself was a great one. This was the first time I really followed the Winter Olympics, and it was quite the learning experience for me as I picked up on the rules of sports such as curling, the dangers of the luge and bobsled, the absurdity of the biathlon, the pure speed of short-track skating and the violent adrenaline of ice hockey.

It's finally March.. is it too much to ask for a little green?

Wilting Spirits

2010-02-17T15:43:00.004+08:00

Middle of February.. two months into this period of idleness and true enough, not much has really changed. The weather is still chilly, the city is still draped in snow, and the lack of life continues to drain the fraction of hope that remains.. I can't wait for these surroundings to spring back to life.

I'm still devoid of a true affiliation, as the hunt continues. What's more, there is the element of laziness that sets in every now and then. Every night I tell myself to live tomorrow to the fullest, but tomorrow always ends up the same as today. Perhaps I need a schedule, an organizer of sorts. Perhaps I need a mentor, who'd guide me through these dark times. Perhaps I need someone to kick me in the butt and keep me on my toes. Whatever it may be, I need change. And the damned winter that's been bottling me up indoors better ease off soon.

I miss school. I miss classes. I miss mind-boggling assignments.. Assignments. Yeah, perhaps I should give myself a few of those, and then more. To be frank though I have quite a few things lined up in my to-do list, but they all somewhat involve significantly warmer outdoor temperatures. A life of idleness had always tempted me, way back since my early years of schooling; yet now I am beginning to realize that such a life is just not my cup of tea. Holidays were always nice, but now I'm glad they never were too long.

On a more positive note though, I have been spending a lot more time cooking and learning up a variety of recipes. Ah and then there's the Spanish, that doesn't seem to stick. I guess I need someone to converse with in the language. Hmmm... time for a Latino girlfriend perhaps?

Umm.. and I hope this isn't too late, but here's tardy me wishing you a Happy Chinese/Korean New Year and Valentine's. That was quite the eventful weekend, wasn't it?

Las Vegas In Pictures

2010-01-26T06:35:00.012+08:00

Lo and behold..

Aboard the Ford Mustang

.....

Harley Davidson Cafe - where we had our final lunch in Vegas

View from the Hard Rock Hotel carpark

Stratosphere

The Strip - past midnight

Bellagio

The Bellagio lakefront

Caesar's Palace

Inside my favorite hotel of the lot, and by far the best joint on the Strip - The Wynn

Group Photos

......... Cest' la vie .........

The Vegas Experience

2010-01-18T11:44:00.006+08:00

Now, I could just tell you it was an awesome trip, throw you the cliché "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" and walk on, but that's just not me, so here's a summary of my week-long experience at Las Vegas, Nevada!

As much as Vegas lingered on my mind for months before my trip whenever I thought of a place for the winter break, it never really got stuck until the day Julian sent me a message with the flight and hotel details of our trip.. it really was quite out of the blue, but some slight adjustments to my break plans and I was all set for the City of Sins. As usual, no trip of ours is complete without a stopover at Des Moines, so once again I began with a half-day bus trip to Des Moines. I barely spent a couple of days there before we were off to the airport. A short transit at Detroit gave us some time to grab some lunch at McD's (how typical.. lolz) before we were got to Las Vegas.. oddly, we had none of the usual travelling blues this time around.. the trip really was a pleasingly smooth one.

Within a minute at the airport we were at the slots. Lol. A great idea I'd say.. slot machines at the airport.

We had an interesting cab-drive to our resort for the trip, Luxor (the big black pyramid with a beaming light shot to the skies that some say can be seen from space wtf).. Our cabbie parted some advise, which I guess can be summarized as - stay away from the strip clubs! :p We checked-in and got into our room before heading out for some dinner at Mandalay Bay. We then took a short walk outside along the Strip for some photography before Kwong Hann and CK slept off whereas Julian and I made our way downstairs to the casino. Heh.

We soon decided on some video poker, and a while into our game we had a waitress come up to us and ask us what drinks we'd want.. In a flash Julian says "Margarita, please" and 'quick-thinking me' says "I'll have the same." Lolz. We were there for quite a while you see, so it was only natural that another waitress dropped by to take our orders and this time we went with the Strawberry Daiquiri, a drink I had heard about on That 70's Show (lolz). The margarita was ok, but I have to say the daiquiri was splendid. We did order the same cocktail at other casinos later on in the trip, but none came close to Luxor's.. A couple of bucks lost, before we finally called it a day.. I mean night.

The next morning Kwong Hann is up early and takes a walk along the Strip with his D40 while Julian and I.. err.. sleep through the entire morning! Well anyway our day finally got going and we were off to Excalibur's food court, a good place when you're looking for some cheap bites since the prices around the Strip were quite inflated. Well I guess this really isn't turning out to be much of a summary, so I'm going to skip some.. and then more. Anyway, I'll be putting up another post right after this one with photos, sans the words; especially for those of you who hate reading..

The Mirage buffet the following day was really quite forgettable, except perhaps the dessert. Then we went for Terry Fator's final show for the year of - A Very Terry Christmas. Finally, I had witnessed a ventriloquist in action, and it was quite fascinating.. It is really quite hard to appreciate the fact that it is really ONE person talking all through the showQuite a big portion of the trip was really sightseeing, and the occasional casino splurge. I tended to restrict myself quite a bit on the gambling though, perhaps a little too much.. Anyway, the best part of our Vegas trip centered on one single day - the 27th of December 2009. The day began quite normally, with us grabbing lunch at the Excalibur McD's before we waited for CK and the car we rented for the day. Now, we looked around for the cheapest cars online, and rented it the night before. Here is where it all began..

The 2010 Ford Mustang.. a Top Gear moment indeed. First we were off to Stratosphere to purchase tickets to Bite (a topless revue), and then the Hilton and Hard Rock Hotel which were quite a distance off the Strip. Now we never did get into the Hard Rock Hotel, as we were simply mesmerized by the view of the Strip from the car park. A few snaps later we were back at Luxor to change into more formal attire for our big dinner.. at the 2-Michelin Star Picasso, one of the top restaurants in Vegas, and all of the US for that matter. We were soon all snazzed-up and good-to-go.. it was only valet parking from then on for us.

The dinner itself was exquisite.. as I constantly drew comparisons to my experience at the KL Mandarin Oriental's Pacifica with Henry (where the Sultan of Selangor dined on the table next to us.. woot!). Anyway, as far as appetizers go, Pacifica came out tops, but that was as far as it went.. For the main course I had venison medallions, which were succulent with an exquisite taste and texture. And then came the best part of it all - the dessert.. A sweet chocolatey dessert- a blend of a warm cake oozing with chocolate and malt ice-cream.. The Warm Chocolate Fondant; orgasmic, to say the least.. Perhaps the best dessert I have had to date.

Now, for me.. in a day filled with the most spectacular parts of the Vegas trip, delving into the Chocolate Fondant in Picasso was the highlight of it all.. This however was not the case for the rest of the troop, as they dropped me off at Luxor before making their way.. err.. somewhere else. A little time alone gave me a chance to have another go at video poker, and this is when I hit the Royal Flush, winning myself 15 bucks! That's really quite an amount given the small denominations I always play on.

A couple of hours later and I was still in the absence of company, so I decided to take a walk along the strip with my camera. After walking for more than an hour, I was way past the halfway point of the Strip, and finally received a call from Julian. As we spoke on the phone, he suddenly tells me to "come down with Kwong Hann's tripod," assuming I'm sitting in our room back at Luxor. Before I could correct him, a very familiar car turns the corner right before me.. WTH! It was them! What were the odds huh? Well, this was Vegas after all..

After picking up the tripod, we then went back to the Hard Rock Hotel car park to take shots with the Mustang before the amazing view of the Las Vegas Strip. And with that an amazing day drew to a close. The next day we had the Rio Buffet, which was much, much better than the Mirage Buffet but this time the desserts were frankly quite terrible. The following day was about Downtown Vegas, and the Bite show at Stratosphere. This was followed by our final day in Vegas, which we spent visiting all those casino resorts we'd failed to visit up to that point.

It was an excellent trip all in all, and by quite a margin the cheapest for me. Despite our exploits, we got quite a lot of rest on this trip, with about 7-8 hours sleep on average (which is amazing in comparison to what we had in the previous trips). I have to add though that you don't really need too much time to see Vegas, and around 3-4 days would actually suffice. Then again, it wouldn't be as relaxing as what we had. At present it doesn't look too promising, but I really hope this isn't my last Winter Break trip with the gang.. Reminiscing back, I had so much fun through it all - from the commute-crazy NY trip, to the ventures in sunny California, to our sinful exploits in Las Vegas (well kinda since gambling qualifies as a sin)..

Kabhi alvida na kehna..

From herein.. lest not we say goodbye..

A Brand New Year, 2010

2010-01-18T10:36:00.006+08:00

Hey there.. Yes it is been quite long since my last update, and no i haven't been occupied with much lately.. except lazing of course.. :D Anyway, here's to the new year, and one of my resolutions will be - to blog more often. Howzzat?!

Resolutions.. I can't remember too many of those that I've made before, but I'm pretty darn sure I've been makin' em' for at least the past 10 years. Yet I tend to forget them by the dawn of February, so I figured I'd make this list one to remember - literally by putting it up on my blog's sidebar (so I could remember them but more importantly so you guys could laugh at me if I fail at them and I'd naturally work on doing better come the next year.. heck I'd probably even review it at the end of the year..). Then again, there's an air of uncertainty about my near future, so perhaps some of these resolutions could become irrelevant. Hmmm..

Anyway, here it goes.

1. Financial independence by the year's end.. as much as I hate making a fuss about money, this seems to be at the top my head for reasons more substantial than myself.

2. Lead a healthier lifestyle - healthier food, more active lifestyle

3. Blog more frequently.. in comparison to the past years

4. Visit all of Chicago's attractions - yes 'all attractions' implies vagueness, but heck it's hard to put this in a better way.

5. Save up enough to buy someone special a full-paid trip to the US

6. Be able to converse confidently in Spanish - Yes I'm picking it up..

7. Remember and wish good friends for their birthdays

Yep, seven's sweet; looks neat.

And now to live up to them..

Happy 2010 everybody.

Undergraduate No More..

2009-12-17T08:24:00.003+08:00

After 15 years of classes, assignments and examinations - I'm finally prepared to take on the challenges of the outside world, or at the very least I hope that is the case.. :s

This final semester has provided me with a befitting closure. This includes me accepting my introverted nature, and how it is hardly the "great deficiency" I have been trying to overcome all these years. Perhaps I would write on this in greater detail, but this is not the post for that.

This is indeed a critical point in my life, and as much as I would like to reminisce on the bittersweet moments that have spiced-up my life as an undergraduate at IIT, I have a whole new frontier before me to tend to. It is finally time to puts the bits and pieces together, and stride toward achieving my humble goals.

I will not wilt, I will not bend,
Till I see through, this journey's end..

_________ . _________

I really need a full-time job now. These next few weeks are gonna be crucial, yet somehow - I'm goin' to Vegas next week! (WTH!) Oh well, I guess a short break would do me some good, and heck.. If I could make a good load of the greens at the casinos, then I wouldn't even need a job, would I? :D

Then again, who am I kiddin'.. It's not in my nature to ride my luck so I doubt I'll be betting insane amounts at any point. I haven't even won a lucky draw before! *cries*

That's about it for now, folks!

Fins Aviat!

I-Fest 2009!

2009-11-22T05:33:00.015+08:00

Thanks to the Bowling Death Match, I missed the entire 1st Rehearsal for I-Fest. No worries though - I made sure I was there for the 2nd and 3rd - the latter where I brought my tripod along.. hehe. It's amazing how much difference a tripod can make in the range of quality pictures one can capture.. Anyway, here are a few shots and vids from the 2nd and 3rd rehearsals, before I get to the main event itself!

Krishna on the flute (how apt.. haha)

Bhakti serenading us with a classic

The most awesome emcees eva!

French Student Association - These guys were hilarious!

The Indian Students Association - Certainly lived up to their high standards

Xuan!

IIT Chem E Class 2009.5.. lolz. I'll miss these two fo sho.

Lookie here! - Some of our awesome board members

Our very own reigning IIT Idol givin' a rendition of her winning song

Emcees Rob and Fazeel working the Chicken Dance!

This was just sooo random.. Anyway, you've just been Rickrolled! :D

Then came the big day itself.. unfortunately I was wayyyy too busy during the afternoon's Taste of IIT event (which certainly deserves a mention for the sheer volume and variety of people that it drew together) so I couldn't even think of slipping my camera outta' its case. I did manage some shots and videos during the evening event though. Here are some of my picks amongst em.'

Rob & Fazeel all dressed up

Global Spice

Our guest performers for the event

These guys were simply awesome.. apparently they even performed at Lollapalooza.

The Fall 2009 ISO Board (Minus Yao & Fazeel; plus.. k I won't mention him) - Excellent job guys! I'm gonna miss all of you!

The ASO Performance: Sleek; Smooth; Silky..

The International Superstars - In my opinion (and perhaps many others), this was the highlight of the night. A fitting finale..

_________ . _________

And so it drew to a close... I certainly enjoyed every bit of it. If my epilogue on the last post was saddening, this one borders on depressing. It was the last event I organized as an ISO board member. Suddenly so many memories are rushing to my head.. It's quite difficult to leave a group I've grown so fond of.. A place I've instilled within me a 'sense of belonging' to.. Brings back memories of my last few days in the APD Board in VI..

Thanksgiving break is coming up, but not before an exam right before it (wth..).

Bless..

AIChE Bowling "Death Match" Against UIC

2009-11-22T04:59:00.005+08:00

A long week is finally over. At the end of it all, I'm left exhausted, tired, empty - yet begging for more. It was fun while it lasted. Let's take it from last Friday (the 13th.. heh), when I visited the UIC campus to participate in the AIChE Bowling Death Match against the UIC chapter. We played two games, and though the pinfalls weren't all that great - the fun we had certainly was. So we did lose the 'death match,' but I guess we gave it our best (plus they had home advantage.. :p). Anyway, here are some random shots off my S5IS.

With the UIC chapter's team (they outnumbered us like crazy)

Team AIChE IIT!

IIT.. and god knows what Michael (right) was holding up.. lol

Good times.. Sadly it seems like that would be my last AIChE outing.. Next up, I-Fest 2009!

Southern Comfort

2009-11-12T20:49:00.013+08:00

The weather's proving to be quite interesting this year. Almost halfway through November and we're still experiencing relatively warm temperatures.. Chicago's weather last weekend was excellent (or so I've heard from many), but I wasn't here in the Windy City to enjoy it. I was 400 miles south of it - in Nashville, Tennessee. So here's the lowdown on why I was there, and what I thought of it.

I've been a member of my school's AIChE chapter for quite a while now, and I've finally attended my first (and last) National Student Conference. I was pretty excited about it from the moment I registered.. after all, I was heading to the home of Country Music! One thing that did make me laugh though (at least before the trip) was the name of the resort where the conference was happening - the Gaylord Opryland. A hilariously odd name I must say. So it was a group of 10 traveling from IIT (evenly distributed gender-wise), and after a short flight we were in Nashville. From there, we were chauffeured to our resort.... on a limo! If that wasn't enough to put me over the moon, the resort was B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!

It was like a city within the resort. The attention to detail was impeccable. After going 'gaga' over the interiors for a while, our stomachs finally demanded some food, so we had dinner at a sports bar within the resort.

Come Saturday, and we were up and rolling early (well 10am is early for people like me.. heh). The whole afternoon was filled with talks by industry experts on various topics. I attended a few of them, but I wasn't all that enlightened by any of them. They certainly seemed quite basic - perhaps I'd be more intrigued had I been a freshman or sophomore. I did spend a significant part of the afternoon snappin' away frenetically around the resort. Heh.

Anyway, come dusk and we were off to downtown Nashville for the Bash at the Wildhorse Saloon. As we walked in we were greeted by a group of girls whom I immediately recognized as Malaysians! After much deliberation (put Wai Kit and myself together and you expect quite a bit of it - especially when it comes to socializing), we finally went over to the group and greeted them as fellow Malaysians. I spent the rest of the night watching line-dancing, and a dance-off competition. Well despite the diverse crowd of students from various US universities, they generally stuck to their own group.. which made my attempts to socialize all the more difficult.. Ah heck, who am I kidding? I'm just not a natural socialite. Anyway, I did have my camera to keep me company for the night. Lol.

Once the event ended, Wai Kit and I walked out of the Wildhorse Saloon - to this!

I still have no idea what was going on (I still don't think it was a flash mob as Wai Kit had assumed), and after giving up on figuring it out we took a stroll down the street to the City Hall.

A short bus trip and we were back at the Gaylord - expecting to do something fun for the night. Well it was certainly not to be - and after 2 friggin' hours of deliberation (and watching someone hang on the phone), I finally decided to go to bed. Sunday morning began with a Speed-Networking Brunch, where I met quite a few students from across the country. We had a inter-table trivia competition and my group did fairly well - still don't know if we won though since I didn't attend the long-and-boring awards ceremony. Instead Wai Kit & I headed to Opry Mills - for glow-in-the-dark mini golf! Well it was my first time playing mini-golf, let alone in the dark and I enjoyed it. Kinda wish we could play more but we had to rush back for the Graduate School & Sponsors Fair - which really was of no use.

Lunch, a limo ride and a short flight later and we were back in Chicago. It was a short trip (well rather than a conference I'd like to look at it as a weekend getaway.. lol), but it's definitely one that goes down memory lane..

Cuídate!

Flight of The Conchords

2009-10-26T13:06:00.009+08:00

Here's to one of my favorite bands - funny part is I don't think I've mentioned them to anyone before.. Well now I have.. so.. umm.. yeah..

I've pretty much got the whole lyrics/conversation memorized. Maybe I should do a cover sometime.. of course I'll need another person.. Here's another anyway.

_________ . _________

Windows 7 is finally out, so I went ahead and looked at the procedures to receive my 'Free Upgrade' for my laptop. Apparently I could have friggin' ordered it much earlier but heck I'm not complaining. What does bother me though is the bloody 17 USD I need to pay for shipment. Other than that twas' a rather relaxed weekend this one (incredibly uncharacteristic of weekends at IIT)... haven't been too productive. Calm before the storm perhaps? I truly enjoyed the solitude though.. Bliss!

Khuda hafiz.

Sand Animation - At Its Best

2009-10-23T06:31:00.008+08:00

This morning I came across an interesting video on Youtube (yes that's pretty much a general pastime of mine - browsing videos on Youtube - unfortunately), and figured I might as well share it here.

This emotional performance is basically about World War II and the German invasion of the Soviet Union, of which Ukraine was one of the most affected. Kseniya Simonova's performance on this year's edition of Ukraine's Got Talent (which she eventually won) practically left the audience speechless. Her simple heartfelt story and sand animation captured a universal chord where emotions run deep, entrenched in a war that has generational wounds. It's not necessary to understand the culture.. just the atmosphere and humbling of the people touches the heart. By the way, the final words mean 'You're always near.' I personally felt it was a truly amazing performance, and though there have been a few other sand animations I've watched (by the very few skilled artists that exist), I haven't really come across something as captivating as this.. There's also another video of her performance for the finals of the show which is almost equally amazing - a simple story peppered with deep symbolism.

__________ . __________

Finally I'm at ease - after 2 weeks of being bombarded with a torrential mix of exams, assignments and presentations.. I know it won't be for long (given I'm at IIT.. lol), but I'm going to savor it while I still can. Everything looks pretty bright this semester, with the exception of my job hunt. By the way, I-Fest 2009 is coming up in a month! There's a lot of work to do, but I'm going to once again enjoy every bit of the process. Heh!

The Long And Winding Road

2009-10-08T23:49:00.008+08:00

Ola!

The semester finally got to me, and once again I've turned into the disorganized lunatic I was during previous semesters. My diary updates have become sporadic, but its still not as bad as my frequency of updates on this blog. Oddly enough, it's the extra classes (Philosophy of Law & Learning Theory) that are draining most of my time..

Anyway, there's always something significant during the weekends, and here's an update on what the past few have been like..

2nd weekend of September

Trip to Six Flags Great America - my 2nd time! Twas' a lot of fun, although we rode less rides this time. Memorable moments include Alex Ong's constant "Why am i here?" quips as well as Esa's application of Physics II to coaster rides. Oh and of course the Roaring Rapids where we all get wet but some more than others.. heh

3rd weekend of September

This is the weekend when I finally got the T400 out of the box for good (Yeah despite it arriving earlier). There was also a nice little dinner and afterparty at HK's new place (I guess you could consider it his housewarming although his hall was as empty as a karate dojo.. lol)

4th weekend of September

It was Homecoming Week at IIT, and it never is complete without its awesome Homecoming Carnival which was no less awesome this year, despite being held indoors due to weather concerns. Seriously, I was having way too much fun I couldn't be bothered to stop and take photos.. To add to the games there were also a lot of take-home souvenirs this time around, as I got myself a sweet little dogtag and.. *deep breath*.. my first caricature!

If that was not fun enough there was a housewarming party at Harry's place right after. That's where I got a chance to meet some familiar faces (some who I had even mistakenly assumed left the school) and discover how much fun Beer Pong can be!

1st weekend of October (oh heck that would be last week)

Our good old friend Sam paid us a visit from Wisconsin. We had dinner at a nice Italian restaurant, although I ordered something quite ordinary. Kinda wish I could have spent more time with him though after such a long time, but hey.. it's a small world after all ain't it?

As much fun as it has been during the weekends, my weekdays have been quite the opposite as my only claim to entertainment lies in that very series that has kept me going in the past - Bleach! (Speaking of which the subbed version of the 3rd Bleach Movie - Fade To Black is finally out and I must say it is quite awesome.. serves as quite a reminder of what Bleach was in the beginning, and what it always will be)

On a side note, I'm still on the lookout for a job, although my hopes are slowly fading into that bleak gap that is creeping towards me. Uncertainty is annoying, even for a fickle mind. Why am I getting this feeling that my environment is slowly shifting back to a not-so-distant past? It is almost like I'm anticipating déjà vu...

Great! Now that I'm done with this post, you won't be hearing from me again till the semester's end - or you will. Either way, there's still a long way to go before I can even think 'end of semester' and 'winter break'... Goodness gracious me! I don't have a plan for the winter break!! Ah just keep me posted if there are any good, economical plans I could join, although I'm already having this vision of a poor, drab me sitting at home, still scouting for jobs.. *sigh* As for now, I shall return to ponder over my pathetic fall break (and life's irrepressible ironies wtf)..

Hasta' luego!

Meet My Soulmate, T400

2009-09-20T17:45:00.005+08:00

After much ado, I had finally decided on the Lenovo T400.. a relatively costly investment, but definitely a bargain given what I was getting myself. For more than a week I cracked my head over the laptop issue.. After some basic streamlining I was still left with the following choices:-
- Dell Vostro 1520
- Dell Studio XPS 16
- HP dv6t
- Lenovo Thinkpad T400
- Lenovo Ideapad Y550
- Some Toshiba Sattelite (forgot the exact model)

Price-wise, the HP, Toshiba and Dell Vostro were quite appealing. However I wasn't too crazy on their performance and online ratings. As most of you may already know, I'm not much of a gamer so I didn't need one of those extreme-performance laptops. However I did want something that would allow me to multitask and leave programs and windows open without too much of a compromise on speed. Of course, I was also looking for something that would last me for a long time. Suddenly the Dell XPS and T400 were on the top of the pile... And I finally chose the T400 for:
- Its amazing reviews (It was voted best laptop for 2008 on notebookreviews.com)
- I wouldn't really have to worry about overheating (just check its reviews on heat)
- It's sturdily built, although I am not really planning on dropping this baby anywhere
- Its legendary keypad
- The P8400 Processor it comes with, which was the best among all my options

Yea it was slightly above my budget, but I decided to just go with it anyway. Unfortunately I haven't really used the laptop yet, just turning it on once since it arrived to test if it was working properly.. partly because of my busy schedule.. partly because I just didn't have the heart to shove it into my bag at times - at least not until my sleeve for it arrives.

Here are some photos of my new toy snapped upon its arrival..

That's it for my first of what I'm sure will be an array of posts from my T400. Till then..

Ego vobis valedico..

World of My Own

2009-09-07T03:48:00.005+08:00

First two weeks of school have been rather relaxing, quite surprising given how I expected a torrid semester filled with activities and assignments. I'm still prepared for the worse, though. As soon as I got back my new apartment, the bed bugs wasted no time in greeting me with a couple of bites. Hence I've been a little occupied with sending these resilient creatures to the afterworld. Other than that, the new place is really nice, although I must admit my room feels kinda small.

It was nice meeting some familiar old faces around school suring the first week, as well as making a whole lot of new acquaintances and friends among the freshies. My job however has been a drawback - I only get to work 8 hours a week given the new system, which must have come up when my supervisors popped a couple of moron-pills. Now there's a serious dent to my plans come next year. What is even more ironic is that I have been on quite an online-shopping spree since I got back.

I finally decided on my laptop - which I'm hoping would last me for quite some time - the Lenovo T400. The positive reviews online certainly aided my decision, plus I had quite a discount thanks to a friend (owe ya' one). I also got Sanyo Eneloop batteries for my camera, some of the best rechargeables there are in the market. Again, I went for quality and resilience. There are also another couple of accesories I'm planning on purchasing - A Zeroshock III cover for my T400 as well as 2GB of DDR2 RAM for my desktop.

Pictures from the Architectural Boat Cruise and ISO Fresher's Camp are due, and I'll probably have them up next week from my new laptop - I certainly can't wait for it to arrive!

Summer's End

2009-08-27T04:09:00.003+08:00

It seems I didn't manage a final post prior to my departure from KL as I was overwhelmingly swamped with all sorta stuff- from outings with friends and visiting relatives to packing my luggage and trying to keep it within the weight limitations. Twas' with a heavy heart that I had to leave my loved ones yet again, my tears held back by the mere knowledge that I would return to them - sooner or later.

The flight back was nice, but it didn't seem as great as my initial trip back home. A one-day stopover in LA gave Kwong Hann (who was traveling with me) and me a chance to revisit the City of Angels, but little did we know that randomness would prevail.

As soon as we arrived at LAX, we were looking to store away our luggages for a day, to no avail. This resulted in us having to book a room at some hotel called Hacienda, albeit at a really cheap price ($60 for both of us) thanks to a lady at the airport. From there, the plan was to revisit Santa Monica, and perhaps walk along the beach spread against the setting sun - all the way to Venice Beach to catch some of their street performances. After quite some deliberation in search of change for the bus, we finally got onto the bus - only to realize a little while later that it was headed the wrong way! I knew that the other terminal which we were headed towards was Long Beach - a place we failed to visit on our last trip. Hence, we decided to stay on the bus and go all the way to Long Beach, passing through the southern suburbs of LA. What we didn't expect was for the trip to take more than an hour!

Either way, we got there and had no clue as to what attractions were around, especially since we arrived to the city under twilight skies. Unfazed, we simply walked into the nearby Renaissance Hotel and grabbed a booklet to look for attractions and more importantly - a place to eat. To our pleasant surprise, the city around the lagoon is peppered with tons of award-winning restaurants. What perplexed me though was the lack of people around us. The place is really beautiful, and is well-maintained, just how a tourist attraction should be. Yet there was a certain emptiness around us - a rare tranquility within landscapes tamed by mankind.

After walking around and about for half an hour, we finally decided dinner was top priority and decided to hunt down a restaurant, although we were determined to avoid burning a hole in our pockets at one of those award-winning restaurants. After much deliberating (we did that quite a bit that day), we finally decided on Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que. We never heard of the place before but apparently it's a franchise all over the US, stemming from the Midwest! As much as I would love to gloat on and on about this gem of a diner, the bottomline is that you get massive portions of food that you'd probably feel is worth more than what you're paying for - and it tastes incredible! The best part is their original barbeque sauce, which is the best I've tasted all my life. They also have the 'Devil's Spit' which is a spiced-up version of their original base. These sauces make anything they serve taste incredible, plus we had a really nice and friendly waitress to make our dining experience all the more pleasant. Loved it!

During dinner, while flipping through the guidebook from the Renaissance, we found a familiar name in the Queen Mary - holy crap! The much-famed Queen Mary was docked at the lagoon right in Long Beach, and we hadn't the faintest of ideas! After dinner we walked around the lagoon so Kwong Hann could get some nice shots of the spook-ridden ship, but it was way too late for us to get onboard onto the famed decks, let alone catch the Paranormal Tour and other exciting stuff.

From there, we boarded the Metro Train back to the hotel for a few hours of sleep. Indeed it turned out to be an amazing adventure, albeit a short one. Regardless, it was the perfect end to a rather long summer break. Now, I'm onto the final hurdles of my undergraduate days....

Come what may.

Be Yet Wiser

2009-08-14T11:49:00.003+08:00

~ Let us now with thankfulness, praise the founders of our school ~

There are a select few things I take pride in, few greater than being a Victorian.. 5 years within the historic walls of the school - an ocean of memories.

To this institution, I owe a big part of who I am today, and who I always will be..

All who pass through this our school, leave with the simple knowledge that - nor this school just roof and wall..

Happy Founders Day, Victoria Institution. May your glory live on for eternity.

~ Let us lastly pledge ourselves, ever to uphold our school ~

Reboot

2009-08-11T22:05:00.007+08:00

Less than a week to go before I jet off back to the States, and suddenly an overwhelming list of things to do has popped up, and it keeps growing. Unlike last summer, this year's trip home has been rather laid back, as I've been able to put all that time into appreciating the simple pleasures in life. I haven't gone out and met too many friends this time around, let alone relatives. I have been keeping myself up to date, though, on a number of issues - ranging from the H1N1 outbreak to pre-season football scores. I've also done some research on energy efficiency and reducing carbon footprints, trying to see if I could implement any such measures at home.

The Camera Blues
It's been confirmed that there will be no DSLR for me, at least for the time being and I'm not complaining. The Canon I've been using seems good enough for me, and I don't wanna be just another kid getting carried away by the current DSLR hype. Seriously.. way too many people carrying those 6 pounders nowadays! (I just heard a voice reminding me of the 'fox and grapes' story.. or maybe I've just been watching wayy too much House these days)

The Future Blues
A few more days and I'll be starting my final semester. "What then??" - that's the question that has been plaguing my mind in recent times, and will continue to do so till the year's end, unless of course I find a job. What worries me is that I still don't have a vision of what I'll be doing come next year, and it scares the crap outta me. The unemployment rate that's expected to keep rising isn't helping either. This uncertainty is killing me. Help me..

Community Shield Match - MU vs Chelsea

2009-08-11T21:16:00.006+08:00

I wasn't in KL when the match was played, but I sure did catch it live. The game started well with quick exchanges on both sides. Very soon United went ahead with Nani drilling into the corner past Cech, and United certainly seemed poised to extend their lead on multiple occassions in the first half. Still, a certain Ben Foster looked shaky throughout the half. I was wishing Ferguson would bring Kuszczak on for the second half, but that didn't happen. Anyway, Foster's fumbles cost United the lead, and almost the match if not for Rooney's classy finish at the final whistle. He shouldn't have had to let in Chelsea's second though.. Mr. Foy deserves to be sacked for his countless blunders, none greater than failing to blow the whistle for a clear foul on Evra (which of course lead to the 2nd goal). Ok I'm gonna spare my arteries the blood pressure and not delve any further into that.. With Mr. Foster in goal United were never gonna win on penalties, and they've thrown it away at the very end once again after losing the Audi Cup to Bayern last week in similar fashion.

Conclusion - the United team looks good enough for the Premiership (certainly not the Champions League), and I feel rather than trying to fill in the void left by Ronaldo and Tevez, we really should focus on finding a replacement for van der Sar; and it's certainly not Foster at the moment. Of course the right flank is quite suspect as well, but that's not of immediate concern with the Dutch custodian out for the next few weeks..

United In Malaysia!

2009-07-27T04:01:00.009+08:00

After a long wait, I finally got more than a glimpse of the Manchester United players who came down for their Asian tour - I watched them live against a Malaysian XI. Their play though was below expectations, as the best moment of the match was Malaysia's first goal, a beauty-chip above a clueless van der Sar. Regardless, the atmosphere at the Bukit Jalil stadium was amazing. From the occasional applause to the 'oohs' and 'aahs' (not to mention the Wave!), I enjoyed every bit of it. I also got a chance to put my Canon Powershot's IS and Ultrazoom to the test (and late in the match it's low-light performance). I attended the training on Friday and the actual match on the following afternoon. However, I decided to turn down the chance to watch them again since the match in Jakarta was cancelled due to the recent bomb blasts. 'Twas already more than enough for me..

Training

Match (Ended 3-2 in United's favour)

Snapshots - Downtown KL, Recreation Park & VI

2009-07-27T02:55:00.014+08:00

Not from a DSLR, but for now I'm content with the ultra-zoom Powershot despite the visible noise (hmmm.. if I wasn't talking about cameras that phrase would make an interesting paradox). You gotta love the Image-Stabilization feature..

Bits of Kuala Lumpur (note the hazy skies)

Recreation park around my place (used to jog here bout' 8 years back.. the place sure has changed)

My trip back to my alma mater, Victoria Institution

C'est La Vie

2009-07-27T01:58:00.005+08:00

Hello again! Can't believe it's been more than a month since my last update. I figure I was pretty pre-occupied these past few weeks.. Ah heck that's never gonna fly so I might as well own up and admit my laziness. I stay up all night watching TV and wake up past noon on most days.. life sure is good. Now there's just another 3 weeks to go before I return to the US, and all of a sudden there's a whole lotta things I wanna do before I go.. Funny how I never thought of doing any of it all this time when I just sat watching the time tick away (quite literally at times).

A lot has happened though since my last blog update.. while Michael Jackson's death hogged the headlines across the world, Roger Federer won an unprecedented 15th Grand Slam title at Wimbledon and a few more stars faded into the 'White Hole' in Madrid. As for myself, I managed to catch Manchester United in action right before my eyes for the first time when they came down for their tour of Asia last week. I also gave up any hope of getting a DSLR now, and started toying with the Canon Powershot S5IS that has been collecting dust at home for some time now.

I've also been exercising a little, trying to keep myself fit.. but a few days ago I lost a chunk of my motivation. A man I've loved and respected through my life passed away quite abruptly from a heart attack. Very few people I know are as active as him in sports, yet.. *sigh* C'est la vie... I'll miss him dearly.

On a sidenote, I've been made aware of quite a number of deaths recently (including the King of Pop) and strangely all of them have been caused by heart attacks..

I hope this string of posts makes up for my absence. Shalom!

Gone Too Soon

2009-07-27T00:25:00.008+08:00

I was seven year's old when I first began scavenging through the audio CD's at home, and the very first album I listened to was MJ's 'Dangerous.' Then, I didn't know how he looked, or who he was in person. The only clue I had was his eyes on the cover of the album. The CD, of course came with a booklet that contained the lyrics to every song in the album. As much as I enjoyed the beat and liveliness of Jam and Black or White, I was heavily influenced by the lyrics of Heal The World and Gone Too Soon. I would listen to the CD all day and sing slong, eventually memorizing the flow of words. Soon after I caught his music videos and concerts on TV, exposing me to his holistic talent as an entertainer. I idolized and hailed him.. then as a great entertainer, now as the greatest ever. I never had much of an interest in his personal life, and never will. I believe artiste's (with and without the 'e') deserve only to be judged by their art, and on that basis alone - Michael Jackson epitomizes the 'complete artiste.' He was well and truly a master of his art; the art of entertainment.

Consciousness expresses itself through creation. This world we live in is the dance of the creator. Dancers come and go in the twinkling of an eye but the dance lives on. On many an occasion, when I am dancing, I have felt touched by something sacred. In those moments, I felt my spirit soar and become one with everything that exists.

I become the stars and the moon. I become the lover and the beloved. I become the victor and the vanquished. I become the master and the slave. I become the singer and the song. I become the knower and the known. I keep on dancing and then, it is the eternal dance of creation. The creator and the creation merge into one wholeness of joy. I keep on dancing... and dancing... and dancing, until there is only... the dance.

'The Dance' by Michael Jackson (from the inner front cover of 'Dangerous')

A Rant Against KTM Komuter (Long Due)

2009-06-20T21:12:00.005+08:00

"Posted: 2008-08-12 by Thepublic
It's all the bad remarks that you can give to an organization; no efficiency, no protocols, no professionalism and of course with an outstanding remark of an Awful Public Transportation service. At least 6 times a day, the train is late, at least 10 times a week you're stranded in the middle of your journey... it's always "we're sorry for the inconvenience" tone with KTMB. All their sorry's are being washed down the sewer. Something has to be done or it's going to cause KTMB great and it's a total humiliation to our tourism industry.

Wake up KTMB, wake UP!!!" - comment by a noticeably distressed commuter on Complaints Board.

That certainly tells quite a story, but being a regular user of the KTM Komuter service I'd have to classify it as quite an understatement with regards to the current situation.

First let me establish my credibility by detailing my dependence on the KTM system through the years. I began using the KTM during my time at Inti College Subang Jaya. As I live in the northern regions of KL, the most reasonable route was to take a KTM Komuter from Sentul to Subang Jaya. I did this on every weekday; week in-week out, to and fro. Train delays were quite frequent, so I often left home early (friggin 5.30am), normally getting on the first train that leaves the station. My return trips were generally on trains packed to the point of breathlessness, so much so I've seen a woman faint once during the ride.. all that didn't bother me too much though.. I figured the fares were cheap, most of the delays weren't beyond 10 minutes, plus there was a lot of construction going on at the stations and on the tracks.

More than a year of the same story, before I left to the US to pursue my degree. Almost 2 years after that (summer last year), I was back in Malaysia for an internship at Freescale Semiconductors in Sungei Way. My workplace wasn't too far from the Setia Jaya KTM station, so once again I was to depend on the services of KTM. 2 years on and not a single bit of improvement on their services! Train delays were even more frequent and longer. The fares though were still the same. During my 2-month stint, I was late to work a couple of times thanks to the "amazingness" of the KTM Komuter.. my return trips home - I don't even want to get started on it. At this point, I guess I'd honestly describe the services in a similar manner to what 'thePublic' has done above.

This year I'm back in Malaysia again for my summer break, and yes.. I'm yet again dependent on the KTM Komuter, mainly to get me to MidValley and Subang Jaya.. and here I was a year ago thinking it couldn't possibly get any worse. Surprise surprise! They've certainly cut down on the train delays these days, by simply CANCELLING THE ENTIRE TRAIN that's scheduled to run. A year ago they lady on the PA system used to announce the train delay and apologize for the inconvenience (like what the comment above mentioned). Nowadays, the lady simply tells us the train is cancelled, and the next train would arrive in 20 minutes!! I only use the KTM when I'm going to MidValley or Subang these days, and I can swear I've experienced a train cancellation on every trip! Oh and it doesn't stop there.. chances are the next train could be cancelled as well, as I and a quarter of KL's population experienced at the MidValley station once.

It sure seems like the staff of KTM Berhad need an introduction to common sense, because after they cancel the train, they don't even bother to run an extra train, and I guess they believe they've solved the problem by hiring traffic officers at every station who help stuff a few more passengers on every carriage. If you're waiting for a train during peak hours, you better be ready to force your way into the carriages like it's a bloody gold mine, else you would almost certainly be stranded at that station for hours to come.

For God's sake, the least you could do is run a special service between MidValley and KL Sentral (one station, just 2 minutes apart) every time a train get's "cancelled." At least you'd reduce the hordes of people at the stations. If you are indeed cancelling trains purposefully as a cost-cutting measure, then screw you KTM Berhad! I'd rather you increase the bloody fare than do that. I'm sure a whole lotta citizens are willing to pay more for the rides, as long as you provide proper service. We're talking about arguably one of the most extensive public transportation systems in the Klang Valley, so your every action casts quite an image on our country's identity. Not to mention, I've heard numerous foreigners complain about your services at the stations.

There! Alas I've finally ranted out all that pent-up anger and distress. Now I can sleep peacefully, till the petulence and indignance start building again come my next trip on the KTM Komuter..

P.S : I'm still surprised I couldn't find too many online rants against KTM though.. the one I posted above was the only one on Complaints Board by the way.

30 Minutes of Idleness

2009-06-20T20:28:00.004+08:00

I got off the train, finally.. after a journey that I'd define as long, on all dimensions. The intermittent stops certainly didn't help the cause. It was one ride too many for me.. I began to walk towards the fading light, without a thought in my head. Every now and then I skipped a step on my path.. no idea why.. I just did it.. much in the same way I don't know why I kept on walking without crossing the road. Any other day, I'd have crossed over to the other side.. but not on this day. It was too predictable.. I felt the urge to escape that aura of inevitability. So I kept on walking, as the blues were banished beyond darkness. Familiar sights caught my attention at times, yet for most of the walk my gaze was set on the skies before me. "Sure is nice to take a walk like this every now and then," I thought to myself.. and before I could get to the end of that thought, I was home.

- I FREAKING WALKED HOME FROM KTM SENTUL -

Bumming

2009-06-08T12:56:00.004+08:00

Quite a couple of weeks it has been.. not too eventful, but I guess I'll take it. I'm still devoid of an affiliation for the summer, and just might be so for the rest of it... I do have a couple of options though... unfortunately they don't seem to scream 'excellent learning opportunities' which is what I'm really looking for. I seriously won't mind just volunteering, as long as I'm able to learn something new every step of the way. Then there's the opportunity to volunteer with an NGO, but I'm still keeping that as a last resort.

My plans for the DSLR - still on hold. For now I gotta be content with the Canon point-and-shoot that I've yet to get a handle on. I'm also on the lookout for a good laptop.. I'm not a gamer so the graphics don't really have to be mind-blasting, but I do want something that's gonna last me for quite a bit. Any good deals around? (No Macs pls.. :p)

Oh, and I just finished watching Federer win his 14th Grand Slam.. his first at the Roland Garros. A remarkable run to the final, capped by a stunning display of tennis that reminded us just why he is already a living legend. Awesome stuff! Goin' back a little, Barcelona were crowned European champions in Rome, but I guess all my excitement over this year's Champions League was done with at the semi-finals stage. Still, I hope both Man U and Barca would continue to be a class above the rest next season.. it wouldn't be too much to ask for Roma to join em' as well, now would it? *grins*

I'm still yet to meet a lot of ya guys in Malaysia. Just hope we don't end up with a repeat of last year where I didn't get to meet up with some of ya.

Au revoir!

Yes Man

2009-05-22T12:34:00.004+08:00

Finally I'm home guys.. long trip, but no quarantines etc. as I had feared. Either way, here I am sitting at home without a single thing to do. Just watched the Lakers get beat at home by the Nuggets.. bloody depressing. Damn the refs. :p

I don't wanna be lazing around at home. I don't really have an internship.. but I really wanna commit myself to something over the next 3 months. So, if you got any activities (charity, volunteering, events etc.), juz gimme a call at... WTF! I don't even have my own number now. This sucks. I need a life. Somethin to do. I wanna keep doing stuff, even if it makes the least of differences. Ideas anyone?

P.S: Those of you in KL, let's go yumcha sometime soon, as soon as I can get a few bucks into my coffers.

"Boredom is like a pitiless zooming-in on the epidermis of time. Every instant is dilated and magnified like the pores of the face." Charlotte Whitton

A Sinusoidal Fate?

2009-05-07T09:05:00.004+08:00

Before I begin.. 2 more weeks and I'll be home!! Wheee!

Alright.. so a LOT has happened since my last post. Wai Kit & I joined a poster competition for the first time.. didn't turn out too well though (we finished 2nd place.. out of two.. wth). We still ended up with a $50 gift card which we're still yet to use.. hmm. Timeline check, this was 2 weeks ago. Now... mark my words.... It only gets interesting from here on.

The following week was pretty good from an academic viewpoint, but the week ended with me left in tatters.... On that fateful Thursday afternoon, my residence was burgled. Gone was my dying laptop, and a pair of earphones. My room looks pretty trashed normally, and ironically this pretty much saved a number of my personal belongings from being taken away as well. My housemates lost quite a few items as well, and the attempts of the cops to lift a trace off the house later in the day proved futile. Oh and did I mention, no sign of forced entry. Either way, we got the landlord to change the locks the very next morning.

But it didn't end there.. The next day, Wai Kit sees a black teenager with yellow eyes knock the window right outside our backdoor (which means he's ALREADY WITHIN OUR COMPOUNDS since we have a backyard), making gestures as though he should open the back door for him.. WTF?? Luckily he walks away after a while. If this was a sign the burglar/s were comin' back, then I figured my desktop which they left untouched would probably rank pretty high on his/their list.. My solution? Pack it up and send it away some place safe.

Since then, I've been left pretty deprived of a computer let alone internet connection.. Life sure isn't the same without it (it sucks o be frank). Hence, my sudden disappearance from MSN, and most forms of communication with the world outside IIT. Terrible times, these.. especially with the finals furiously approaching.

Then came the light at the end of the tunnel (at least that's what I'd like to read of it). The stage is finally set for my dream Champions League final.. Manchester United vs Barcelona in the Eternal City, Rome (which is of course, home of my other favorite team, AS Roma). Tons of drama to precede, but I'm finally going to be able to truly enjoy a dream of a finale when I get back to Malaysia..

Given the pattern of recent events, I'm already preparing myself for another catastrophe.. lol. God willing, I shall get through that and get back here to tell the tale.. Till then... abschied.

Into The Blue

2009-04-17T04:40:00.003+08:00

The walls are closing in.. The pressure's now really on. "I gotta work hard from now on.. gotta pull out all the stops.. and I might still be in with a chance." The monologue keeps playing in my mind from time to time.. yet my actions are always contrary. Homeworks left all the way to the midnight hours.. Semester projects? Not an idea in place. What's more? I've been behind in a couple of classes for quite some time now, yet I've never bothered to really catch up.

At this point, I can only sit back and contemplate why it is so.. Amidst all this, I manage to find time to enjoy myself.. ping pong, long nights at the Bog, movie nights, Japanese anime, dramas, soccer (both playing and 'fanboy'ing) and so on.. So I guess it's not that I don't have the time with the 19-credit hour load for the semester..

Do I just not care about my academics anymore? Don't think so.. that's certainly not me. Not with all that effort I end up putting into every assignment, albeit during those very last moments. Grades.. well in this regard there's been a significant change.. I don't care as much about my grades as I used to a couple of years ago.. It's more of what I really end up learning, and if I really think it's useful or piques my interest.. I don't know if it's for better or worse though, but judging by the current slide in my grade potential, this is probably gonna mess me up. That still doesn't explain why I leave things to that very last moment.

As I continue to wander pointlessly about what is really up (wasting precious minutes with which I can get some things done), I come across a message I randomly put up on my Gmail 'status' some time back.. "Kuhan loves the thrill of last minute work."

The spiral of thoughts comes to an end.

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." - Winston Churchill

What The Heck Is Going On?

2009-04-11T05:02:00.002+08:00

I guess I've been so caught up with school and my priorities here that I've gotten quite behind with regards to the ongoings back home in Malaysia. Suddenly I felt guilty of "just ceasing to care." Still I figured I'd just catch up with everything in due time.. after all, I'll be home come summer! Woot woot! Today I was browsing through Soccernet like I usually do. On a side note, sometimes I think I'm a little too addicted to sports news.. oh well, can't help it coz even as a kid I always began reading the newspaper from the back up to the comics section in the middle.. and stop! :p

Anyway, one of the article titles (top of the 'Global' section) caught my attention - "Malaysian club hit with season-long home ban." Interesting. I figured it must have been for horrible pitch conditions, financial reasons etc, although a season-long ban sounds a little harsh for those reasons. Anyway, as I read I learnt the club in question was Kelantan F.C (wow.. what are the odds).. and the reason for the ban? FREQUENT FAN VIOLENCE! Quote from the article: "..several vehicles were damaged while a police four-wheel drive was overturned and set ablaze." Holy crap! Now I know it happens in football games around the world, but in Malaysia? Heck I looked up 'Football Hooliganism' under Wikipedia, and Malaysia wasn't even on the list of countries.. Guess they might as well add it now. *Sigh*

Oh and about the recent change at the political helm.. I never really liked the guy way back since he was the Education Minister, but I figure.. Yea, lets cut the guy some slack and give him a little time before passing comments or judgements.. *fingers-crossed?*

... And there ya go (ala my P. Chem lecturer, Dr. Cage :p ), that's proof that I still care about the stuff that goes on back home. Heh. Back to the cozy little shire I've built around myself in Chicago... with my buddies, ISO, 19 credit hours and an unwanted guest called Thermodynamics.. Oh well, can't ask for too much.

Ta!