The Chronicles of Bxnjamin

Pesta Babulang 2010

2010-06-06T21:48:00.008+08:00

Pesta Babulang is a traditional Bisaya Festival, celebrated right after the Gawai Dayak. Bisayas from all over the country would congregate in Batu Danau, some 25km from Limbang Town. Now that its a big hit, the celebration spans for 3 days. I was there on the morning of the 2nd day. It was a mistake wearing shorts and flip flops, it was burning out there! Here are some moments to share, courtesy of yours truly.

May Day

2010-05-15T13:19:00.004+08:00

I like the depiction of the photo above. On the right you see a modern 4 story block, while in the middle, the corner section, you have one of the oldest building in town. It was supposed to be demolished and form part of the new commercial block but the owner rejected the deal. So this is how it all finally ended. I also bangga because I took this photo :p

It's been a lazy blogging year. Almost the middle of the year and my blog posts for 2010 is still in single digit.

It's a humid Saturday afternoon. Had the gotong royong sempena Hari Guru thingy this morning. Kontrak the Bilik Kemahiran Hidup with Ustaz Suwardi, Aziz and Nordin.It maybe just one room, but it was alot of work. On the way home, stopped at the Plaza to get something for our Teacher's Day gift exchange on Monday. The deal was anything above RM10. I bought a stationery holder, cost RM11.90. I hope I get one on Monday, as I don't have one myself.

About 2 weeks ago, I had my interview for my lantikan into service. I was asked questions regarding school environment, problems in T&L, how I solve/attempt to solve the problems, usage of ICT in T&L. Those, I did well. Then I was asked to recite the FPN, which I did flawlessly. It was the next 2 questions that troubled me. The interviewer asked about EIC and NKRA. I guess my answers were average to say the most. Could have elaborated more on NKRA as I've done my homework on that, but don't know why I just gave a general explanation.

The staff have been playing football friendlies every Thursday for 3 weeks now. We're fortunate to have 2 new male teachers posted to our school this year, plus Suwardi has returned from his year long course. So we have enough bodies to play the game. Last Thursday however I ended up injured, had bruised ribs. Haven't been sleeping well since, although the past couple of nights have been better. It's an annoying injury to have. You can't laugh. Cough. Or even burp. It will hurt! Despite carrying that injury, I still played on Thursday, but not as goalie. Ada alasan because my injury does not permit alot of upper body movement.

Tomorrow is the 16th. My birthday. If it's not a problem for ya'll, I would love to have a Canon EF-S 18-135mm IS lens, or better still if you love me lots, an EF-S 18-200mm IS. I promise you I will use them to do good.

Operation Brunei

2010-03-06T22:13:00.004+08:00

I was over the border today, in Brunei. It was an outing with my 2 colleagues, Aziz and Nordin. While there were missed and wrong turns, it was still a fun outing, better than expected even.

After a brief breakfast in town, we drove to the border and straight on to Bandar Seri Begawan. I decided to park the car at the Yayasan Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and make it our 'center of operations'. Took some snaps in front of the large picturesque mosque. Then to cool off, we 'toured' the Hua Ho Departmental Store, before our next stop, the waterfront.

The waterfront or riverside was buzzing with speedboats. We ended up taking a ride in one. The boat owner took us along the river until we reached a spot where we could see part of the Palace. Then he proceeded to take us on a tour of Kampong Ayer. It was an interesting boat ride. We passed hundreds of houses over water. Every now and then we get a friendly wave and peace sign from kids and school students, with our cameras it was obvious we were 'tourists'. It was interesting to learn that there are more than 10 schools in the water village!

The boat ride took about 40 minutes. The boat owner quoted us a total fare of B$25 (RM 60) for the tour. I guess it was quite reasonable, RM20 per person. The 'official' boats for sightseeing of the water village would have been more costly. Here are a couple of snaps to share.

First For 2010

2010-02-01T18:48:00.007+08:00

Wow, it has been weeks, months since I last made a post here. First it was due to the fact that my laptop decided to die after over 2 years together. I was hesitant, or felt less cool blogging on laptop hak kerajaan Malaysia or my Mum's eyesight challenging 12 inch laptop.

So I finally got hold of my new desktop pc on the 13th of January. So I thought, the plan was to continue blogging after getting the new rig, but I really enjoyed having my new awesome baby that blogging was forgotten.

But here I am. Thanks to a comment that I need to approve or reject.

Today is the 1st day of February. The first day of the second month of the year. Time really flies this year as compared to the previous. In a fortnight, it will be Chinese New Year. I've learnt not to make new year resolutions, so this year I've made a simple one, which is to work harder. I guess so far I've worked harder than I did this time last year. But I found out, hardwork alone is insufficient if your time management/planning is bollocks. Well, we all learn from mistakes.

I've been very ill the past couple of days. My dad has been telling me to go to the doctor but I just shrugged his advice off. That was until lastnight. After the Arsenal - United match, I went off to bed. I had 3 precious hours to get some sleep before I needed to get up for work. All I got last night/this morning were at most 30 minutes of 'sleep'. I was coughing all night long. Sort of a dry cough. That really sucked. So this afternoon, right after work I went to one of the clinics. I have probably mentioned before that I dislike going to the docs. But the thought of having sleepless nights really bothered me. Plus it's just past payday, so I can afford the private clinic.

Turned out I probably have something related to asthma or some sort, while not the exact thing. So I took the meds and it had an almost immediate effect. I could enjoy an hour of afternoon nap before I started to cough repeatedly again. I'm hoping the second intake of meds tonight will do more wonders. Oh, and I almost lost my voice again. Though at times it will break up a few times during a conversation, which made me sound funny.

I wanted to install some tint on my car's windows, but again I had to call it off. Unless the shop accepts credit card, I might reconsider. To end, here are some pics.

Before the unboxing.

After the unboxing and installation.

Facebook-ing, Yahoo Messenger-ing and watching an episode of Southpark without
opening and closing windows :D .

That Thing

2009-10-23T19:27:00.002+08:00

My students keep asking me if I was married or not. Everytime they asked, I gave them different answers, because they keep asking. Usually I'll get replies such as 'Tipu lah', 'Benar kah'. Just the other day, a couple of my students from my class came to the staff room to pay some fees.

I was writing some stuff then, so I told them to wait. While waiting, one the 8 year olds asked me if I was married.

Without looking up and still doing my work, I answered,'Yes'.

If yes, then where is your wedding ring?

Still occupied I blurted, 'No ring'.

But if you don't have a ring, ladies will think you are not married, and they will like you!

Now that she got my attention, 'Really?'. I found that really amusing, and almost laughed. But I just put on a serious front.

Yes! So you better get a ring quickly.

How do I do that?

How do I know, I'm just a little kid.

Oh, now she says that.

Today I got free advice on the time for one (a guy) to get married. This time from a guy. All year long, I've been listening to my female colleagues pestering me about marriagedom. So today, it was a dude to dude thingy. He's actually a longtime friend of my Dad. A retired teacher who is on temporary contract in my school. Some of the guys were hanging around my table during recess and the topic of me+marriage came up. The guys were telling me almost the same thing I got from the womenfolk. But my Dad's buddy had different opinions. This is what he told me.

No doubt your age is ripe for marriage. But it is not wrong or a bad decision for you to wait a little longer. Because then, you will be a more experienced person in life, being more prepared thus being a very good prospect of a husband. You will be worth so much more than you are now.

Wise words. How can you not be convinced when someone with his hair totally white tells you this. My grandmother told me I should save money for the time when I have a wedding reception. What if I told her, I'm saving money...for an iPod Touch :D LOL

Any questions?

2009-10-19T22:05:00.003+08:00

Wow, it's a new week. I had a real hectic one before this. Averaged less 4 hours of sleep for a few nights, starting Sunday night until Wednesday. Worked very hard and really put in as much effort as I could. One of those times when I don't hold back. And again I see how much I could do when I step into 5th gear.

The reward for my tireless performance was a very relaxing and most importantly, uninterrupted weekend. I had the whole weekend for myself, of course there is church on Sunday morning lah, some God time there. So I had some good recovery and refreshing time, although another extra rest day wouldn't have hurt.

After the assembly, I had to recap the whole thing to my kids (students) later in class. One of the responsibilities of being a class teacher. Plus they always bug me with questions regarding what were mentioned during the assembly. My class, 2 Cerdik, are really cerdik as the name suggest. They are way ahead compared to the other 2 classes in the same year. They are probably even comparable to the Year 3 classes, I can say so because I teach 2 of the Year 3 classes, including the best. There is no doubt among the teachers that they are very good in their studies. I think they're really bright kids. Very sharp. Very inquisitive. They have a say in anything that is to be said. They ask me silly intelligent questions all the time. You get what I mean? The kinds that you first dismiss but then pause and think, "what the..", yeah that kind. There is no way you could bulls**t these kids, because they'll just keep coming at you with the same questions, until you answer them seriously. The only time they 'believe' my bluff is during story time, when I add up, make up things.

Anyway, back to what happened today. So I was going to finish the recap with the last point being announcing that there will be a collection for a student whose father had passed away on Saturday. I told them that they could give any amount they want, as long as they are sincere with it. Working with kids, you need to repeat bah. So while I was going through the points again, a girl asked something. I wasn't paying attention, so I asked her to repeat her question.

"Did her father go to heaven or hell?"

What the..

"Could you please say that again?"

"Did her father...go to heaven...or hell?" With expressions that showed she was annoyed by having to repeat the question.

"Well..."

That is a difficult question to answer, considering the situation. Plus, it's not a question you get to answer everyday.

"If he was a good person, which I'm sure he is, then maybe he did go to heaven, but it is better to ask God (i did not say 'your god') this question because He knows so much more about this."

Girl smiled. Phew!

I want a massage

2009-10-13T00:22:00.003+08:00

Monday. We had another briefing, we've had lots of those lately and will be having some more. It has been tiring. Mentally and physically drained, though I was stressed out until I had brief moment just an hour ago when I finally cracked due to problems with the printer. Anyway, here was what I went through during the briefing today.

This is not an emo post #2

2009-10-07T00:51:00.002+08:00

The previous post probably came as a shocker for some, well, it was for even myself. I revealed a part of me that I believe I’ve never showed, yala, I have to deal with emotions also bah.

It also sort of threw me into some kind of retrospective mood, or something like that. I am pleased to say I am really a happy person. Having to carry something like that for a long time doesn’t make me feel miserable. Although it has somehow made me a bit hesitant to even try to be in a relationship for the consequent years, I don’t feel bad for myself.

Life has taught me many lessons, some of them the hard way. I guess everyone goes through that. Sometimes it is so trying, so tough, that people give up in life. That’s probably how the phrase “Life’s unfair” came up. I believe that’s partly true. The world in an unfair place. But if you believe in a just God, then things will be okay.

I’m thankful I went through shit in the earlier part of my life. It has been a big help in building up my character. It’s like joining the army, where they break you down, in order to build a stronger you. I was plain stupid, very self centered and…stupid haha as I approached the end of my teen. For those couple of years, I’ve wasted that part of my life away. I’ve disappointed so many. I let myself down. But by grace and the will to finally listen to my God given conscience, I am what I am today. I keep thinking back to those dark days, but not with regret, rather with a heart of full of gratitude. Most importantly, I can smile and feel happy that I had gone through all that.

So yeah, I am happy. I am happy that I have a wonderful family. I am happy to have nice bosses at work. I am happy that I have friendly colleagues. I am happy that I can still keep in touch with awesome and great people I call friends. I am happy to be this blessed.

Are you happy? Why lah? Don’t worry, happy lah. Just like the song bah.

This is not an emo post

2009-10-05T22:42:00.002+08:00

I am a rather selfish person, I can say that honestly. I don’t know what people really think, but I feel I am selfish. It’s a bad attribute for a person to have. But for a selfish person, I have made selfless decisions in life when usually one would be selfish. One of those decisions have been haunting me ever since. It is perhaps the one right thing I have done that I have regretted. I like to think that it isn’t a regret. I tell myself all the time that I’ve moved along. Whether I’ve really got over it or not, I don’t know.

Letting someone go is one of the hardest things in life. Especially when you have so much affection and hopes for them. But when I was facing that moment, listening to her, for me to let her go, it didn’t take much for me to say alright. I was holding on to the saying that if you love someone, you must learn to let them go, if they come back to you, bla bla bla. I also wanted to respect her wish, and not force her to do what she doesn’t want, and I told her that. I was told that one day we would have the possibility of starting over. I assured her I will be alright and she doesn’t have to worry about me. I was thinking of that day we could start over again. I held on to that hope. Apparently it never surfaced.

I’m not sure if it is her that I can’t get over with, or maybe why it turned out this way for me. There have been times I’ve wondered, and asked God. I believe I’ve done the right thing. It was a decision made solely for her sake. I had nothing to gain. I keep thinking maybe I still have a lot to do, to atone for all the wrong I’ve done before I met her. Sometimes I feel I am still unforgiven,something like that. Perhaps I have yet to find vindication.

If you ask me what I would do if I could turn back time and return to that decisive moment, I will tell you this…I won’t change a thing.

Meh

2009-10-02T00:09:00.002+08:00

Before starting your day at work, it’s important that you arrive with a pleasant and positive mood. I feel that my drive to work should be a nice one at that. I hope that I don’t encounter more than one a$$hole driver (being realistic, you’re bound to bump into at least a couple everyday). Another thing would be the music played on the radio. Well, I prefer tuning in to the radio than putting in an mp3 in the morning because I like the feel of listening to someone talking (the deejay lah) through my speakers.

I normally switch on the player when I’m about halfway to school. This morning, as I pressed the ‘ON’ button, this came on:

"Time is waiting"

No. Not this song, please.

"We only got four minutes to save the world"

Damnit, Justin! I’m less than 10 minutes away from school. What the heck is this saving the world business in 4 minutes??? This is the sort of song that I can do without at 6.35am, on the way to work. A song that’s pointing out some urgency and time. Radio deejays should have better song selections at that hour of the day lah. They should play some cheery, happy and uplifting stuff. No doubt this song is upbeat, but, please lah.

"No hesitating
Grab a boy
Go grab your girl"

Oh, come on now! I just turned 28, wearing a batik, and is driving to work! Why in the hell would I want to do that?!

"Time is waiting
We only got four minutes to save the world
No hesitating
We only got four minutes huh four minutes"

*changes the station*

Monday Eve

2009-09-27T22:36:00.002+08:00

It's 10.45pm on a Sunday night. Earlier this evening, I spent about an hour reading, browsing through my whole blog, from the first post, back in 2005. Oh? Going through nearly 4 years of blogging in only an hour? That was short! And I thought I was taking too much time doing so earlier, sheesh. A song came to my head after all that. It's a rather old song lah, so you kids layaning Lady Gaga would most likely not know the song, or the band even. This is my favourite song from the band, Competition Smile, by Gin Blossoms.

This is not an Eid post

2009-09-26T18:33:00.007+08:00

First stop, I would like to wish a Happy Raya Aidilfitri to all my Muslim friends and relatives. This year's Raya was just decent for me. At least this time I went to triple the number of houses I visited to last year. Yes you read that right! Triple! Last year's visiting statistic was more or less, two houses.

I feel that I have wasted my one week break. I have done nothing really productive or interesting, Raya visiting aside. Also, it's like I almost wanted to waste the week away by purpose. I think so. Perhaps I could have done the many things I wanted to do. Before the break, work's been really busy that I don't have the time to do certain things in my nonexistent to-do list. My break started last Friday, and I still haven't ticked any of the boxes in the to-do list. Maybe that's the problem, of having a to-do list, that doesn't exist, technically. So yeah, I guess there's a solution to this. For the next school break, all I need to do, is to create a to-do list, on paper, and stick it somewhere prominent. I'll just put this in my to-do list, the non existent one.

It's back to work on Monday. Tons of work waiting for me as well. Being the guru data, I've got to update the EMIS, SMM, STS, look into the ICTL and HRMIS. As a class teacher, I deal with RMT, SPBT, OMGIHAVEALOTOFWORK. It's all about dealing with acronyms. So much so that I don't feel like an English teacher anymore. I've got so much responsibilities on my hands that I've lost that something. Teaching it seems, have faded into something secondary. Students are bored during my classes, because I show little interest these days in the teaching & learning process. Can't really blame them. In fact, I feel for them. I want the class to be exciting, interesting, like how they were, earlier in the year. I'm really looking forward to next year's school year. I know I won't be a class teacher anymore, so that's like one third of administrative related duties gone.

Before that though, there's this trip that I really look forward to. A roadtrip with my man, Dennis. I think it should be cool, it's been years since we last hung out. So I suppose this trip would be nice, before either one of us ties the knot. And I know it ain't gonna be me man! LOL. Basically, it's going to be a 2 man team operation. Driving my own vehicle, we would be able to travel heavily equipped, you know, extra undies and all that. I just hope Big Daddy Najib would be giving out my bonus. For the sake of the 1Malaysia concept (whatever it really is), please lah, give us the bonus we deserve.

PS: My Mom's on Facebook, now she has found the joy of chatting with friends and relatives through the site. Go mom!

Birdie

2009-09-09T15:59:00.001+08:00

Took this pic from my room's balcony, with my new lens of course :D. I was half a second too slow in capturing this, else bird would not be too far at the edge.

Wake me up when September ends

2009-09-07T00:28:00.002+08:00

Not that I've been sleeping alot. On the contrary, my daily average sleeping hours is less than previous months so far. In the same month last year, I made a wish list for 2009. So since it has been almost a year, let's see how things have gone.

#1 New mobile phone
In March, I got myself a Sony Ericsson Xperia. Ownership was shortlived as I decided to sell it off to fund my dream of getting a DSLR. Verdict: Wish achieved.

#2 New multimedia player
Sold my Zen Vision a couple of months ago, also part of my plan to raise DSLR funds. Kinda miss it. A replacement has yet been acquired. Verdict: Wish not achieved

#3 New pair of shoes
Thought of replacing my stolen Adio with the same brand. But I got myself a sleek looking pair of Nikes. Very very light and comfortable. Verdict: Wish achieved

#4 New pair of working shoes
2 pairs within 6 months, enough said. Verdict: Wish achieved

#5 New G-Shock
Decided that a new watch is not really what I need or even want at the moment. So next year maybe. Verdict: Wish not achieved

#6 DSLR camera
WooHoo!! I got myself a Canon EOS 1000D last month. Finally, finally I have one. Soon, I'll have even more fun as my 55-250mm lens will arrive in a couple of days. YAY! Verdict: Wish achieved

#7 Car
I had guesstimated that the earliest I would be getting a car will be around Christmas. I got it much earlier than expected. Instead of being a Christmas gift, it turned out to be a birthday gift. Not exactly the car of my dream, but still, I really liked the Proton Persona even before it was released. When the Gen 2 first came out, I thought it would be really cool if they made a sedan version of it. A couple of years later, they did. So what if its a Proton. The most important thing is I got it with my own money. So you punks showing off in your Japanese sedans bought my your mamas can just kiss my ass. It's not perfect, but I truly enjoy driving it everyday and I'm glad to say it is definitely my pride and joy :).

SIALCOM

2009-09-03T14:37:00.003+08:00

This is my 3rd month as a Celcom Broadband Advance Unlimited user, the RM 98 per month package thingy. While I never really buy all the penis size bragging that Celcom does about their broadband service, i thought if I can get just only 1/3 of the 3.6MBps speed offered, I would be happy enough. I was almost converted to Celcomism when I experienced awesome surfing and downloading speeds, so much better than our home's 512Kbps STreamyx connection.

But the good times ended after about 3 weeks as I exceeded the data cap. As stated in the T & C, or FAQ regarding the data cap / fair usage policy, I should be getting top speeds in the next cycle, like the menstrual cycle la. However, I never enjoyed the cool speeds, though it was still more than decent. But lately, it has been shit. The speeds or connection I am experiencing is absolutely ridiculous. For the Rm98 that they charge, it is like paying the price of a Toyota Camry for a Kancil!!! (No offense to Kancil owners).

Malaysia's No.1 mobile broadband? Nah kau! No.1 taik asuk la.
Just like the 1Malaysia concept...bollocks!

Being responsible for certain things in school that requires me to have convenient access to the internet, especially at work, I can still bear with this sh*t. But not at home. "Go get wireless streamyx connection la you lousy f**k!", you might say. Well screw you. Having a 512Kbps connection with 3 users, 2 of them heavy users, you are, the lousy twit. So earlier after school, I stopped by TM on my way home. The dude gave me good, bad news and the worst news. The good news is, there are no extra charges in the process of upgrading my package, I only need to get a wireless router. The bad news would be, the need to fill in forms. The worst news is, even if I managed to survive filling in the form, my area might not have the capability to serve me the 1mbps speed, with the 512kpbs package being the standard offered here.

I love my town, but these are the things I hate about being here. Politicians and corporations don't give a shit about providing the good stuff (I'm not talking about the cool shit that only major cities have okay???) to the nice people of Limbang, who have for years and decades showed them unwavering support . Maybe one day there will be a by-election here, and the government will definitely campaign by offering the stars and the moon. Then, I can hope that maybe, just maybe, TM will make available all its Streamyx packages.

Shrimp'd

2009-09-01T20:17:00.008+08:00

Late lastnight, I saw KFC's ad on tv about their new dish, the shrimp thingy. It looked really tasty on screen. I am also a shrimp / prawn lover :p. So I decided I'll check it out for lunch the next day (today). There I was at the counter, saw the image of the meal, a set meal in fact, 2 sticks of the shrimp thingy with 2 pcs of chicken, mash potatoes, coleslaw and an air sirap. Not bad for Rm 12.80. In fact, the size of the shrimp sticks on the pictures really are attractive. Generous in its size, with the prawns showing if you take a bite off it.

Something else was going on as I had my order taken, the guy behind the counter was being 'timed' and evaluated by the supervisor. I noticed she had a stopwatch hung round her neck, and she was also putting ticks and crosses on a questionnaire-like sheet. So my order was done and dusted in 2 minutes and 5 seconds. Not bad. But it was the dude's last touch that screwed him up. He had punched in the wrong amount for the money that I gave him, therefore resulting in me getting the wrong change. Sucks for you man.

My verdict on the meal?

The main cast were a bit disappointing. They did not appear to look as nice and large as the ads had depicted. They were tiny, no fatter than my thumb, no longer than my index finger. I wanted to take a picture of the stick measured alongside my fingers, but that would make me look like a weirdo. While I would still give it good marks for taste, the size and looks made it almost a flop. They do not deserve the main role given, more appropriate as supporting casts to the chickens.

Bon Appeteeee

2009-08-26T19:52:00.004+08:00

I did something last night. Since it is the school holidays, I figured I had too much time to waste, why don't I revisit the kitchen? And I mean expressing my culinary-ness beyond the norm. It has been a long time since I last tried to cook or prepare a fancy/new dish.

Before embarking on my kitchen adventure, I had already pictured the dish that I would prepare. I have to be honest, I really think it was a very mouthwatering image. So off I went. While I'm no chef material, I do know how to find my way around the kitchen and stuff, so I'm no beginner when it comes to cooking. The process wasn't long, not to mention me enjoying some 'appetizers' while waiting. So this is what I managed to produce.

Well, didn't really turned up the way I had imagined. Not even half. I guess it's just like going to those eateries where the menus have pictures of the food. So you order something that looked really attractive. When the dish arrives, it does not look as cool as the picture. Yeah, that was what happened to me last night.

Selamat Berpuasa

2009-08-22T17:27:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was the last day of school, for the month of August. It’s going to be a very normal and ordinary 1 week break for me. No plans of going anywhere, partly due to financial constraints. For the past 2 to 3 weeks, I had conducted an asset/financial restructuring operation in order to get my hands on a new earthly possession. While technically I suffered a huge loss, I finally got myself a DSLR camera. Just last week I struck a deal to purchase a Canon EOS 1000D. It was safely delivered on Monday by the Poslaju van driver. Apparently this delivery was different from the others.

Poslaju dude : “Makin lama, makin besar ah.”

It probably crossed my mind, for a split second, that I first thought he was commenting on the part of my body above the waist. You see, I was only covered in my towel about to take my shower when the Poslaju van arrived and honked.

Then he took a box and passed it on to me. Memang besar. It was a Dell Notebook box, slightly smaller than the one when I got my Dell Inspiron 2 years ago. Anyway, the unwrapping process was really special. I’ve never felt so excited/touched/emotional/________ (fill in the blank) when unwrapping a package. I guess it’s because of after all those few years of desiring to own a Dslr camera. Heck, I can honestly tell you that it even feels so much better compared to the time I went to the EON showroom to get my car. Ah, I actually intended to write about something else, but being me, it turned out different and unorganised.

I think I have just completed my wish list for 2009.

Safety First

2009-08-04T21:40:00.003+08:00

We're definitely feeling the 'heat' of the H1N1 these days. Anyway, I guess I started something good by providing soap for the kids of my class a couple of weeks ago. A few days after that, some other classes have begun doing the same. So stay safe peoples. God bless.

Plan C...what plan C???

2009-08-03T21:13:00.002+08:00

Okay, here's what happened. I was already typing 2 paragraphs of a new post, entering the 3rd, when I did something, which, caused everything that I had typed to disappear, forever. Feeling a little pissed, I decided to take a drive and enjoy the airconditioning in the car, at the same time go buy some supplies. On my way home, I thought of another thing to write. Upon entering my room, I moved the mouse to "wake" the laptop from its sleep mode. The dang machine didn't respond. So I had to restart it. After all that, I logged back into blogspot. Having the great memory that I have, I forgot what I had wanted to write about. So here we are, with no back up topic for the back up topic, no Plan C. I'll just probably type whatever that's crossing my apparently cluttered mind.

I have two "main" tables in my room. One for my laptop and stationery mess. The other is for my 3 in 1 printer thingy and my few toiletries, namely my perfume, deodorant and facial foam. The last time I applied facial foam would probably be the day after the Gotong Royong Perdana Sekolah Zon A thingy, sometime in June. Maybe I need to put it on later before I sleep.

I've been swearing a lot lately, in the car. I don't know if it is just me or there are more less than average drivers out there. I don't usually do that in the morning on the way to work, but I've been doing so for the past few days, since last week. It is disappointing that the targets of my foul mouth are people who are sending their children to school. While I admit it's not nice thing to do, swearing at other drivers (even if they don't know it), I only say bad stuff at those that drive stupidly. I mean, you are sending your kids to school, aren't you supposed to show them to be good road users? Also, just because you drive your huge luxury cars, it doesn't give you the right to drive like Lewis Hamilton on busy routes on a school day morning. You have no right to drive like a maniac at the expense of the safety of other road users. Screw you people. It is because if sensible and careful drivers that d**kless pea-brain people like you are still alive. Screw you.

Talking about rights. I had my lunch at a hotel's coffeehouse today. It's not as posh as you think it is okay. Food is just slightly more costly than the normal cafe. It is also a place where now and then, some group of Ah Bengs would be there as well. I guess it's a convenient place to meet up as it's adjacent to the shopping mall. I don't really care if a guy would dye his hair outrageously. Wear outfits that have awfully striking colours. Always putting on the "I'm bad" look. I don't care. What annoys me is that these people are illiterate. Yalah, siapa suruh masa skolah dolok sik mok belajar membaca. I can ask my 8 year old students what a particular sign means, and they can reply 'No Smoking' without any doubt whatsoever. But these adults who have gone through puberty, do not understand what the 'No Smoking' sign means. It's okay if they do not know how to read. But what's so difficult to comprehend when you see a picture of a cigarette and a line crossing over it at a 45 degree angle?If they had wanted to hang around, have some drinks over a few smokes, why can't they just walk over to the dozens of coffeeshops across the street. Besides being illiterate, these people are also emotionally sensitive. Touchy. A waiter might politely tell them about the no smoking policy, and they will almost definitely act like you had just flirted with their girl.

Goodness, the weather must have got to me haha.

Conversations with the Conscience fellas

2009-07-30T01:45:00.006+08:00

I've experienced so many firsts lately. During my brief trip to Miri last weekend, I've bought a couple of stuffs for the very first time. I also just realised that my blog has got its first follower, thank you Musa. Today I completed my first online sale, after sending off my Creative Zen to its new owner earlier today. I'm glad to say that all these "firsts" are quite sentimental to me. One of it is finally fulfilling a childhood dream.

Anyways, I've managed to get my hands on most of the stuff on my wishlist this year. One interesting item on the list is getting a DSLR Camera. For my recent trip to Miri, I planned to check out some of the DSLR models available, with no solid intention to make a purchase.

So I there I was, walking around in Bintang Megamall on a Saturday afternoon. Saw a couple of DSLRs, with one particular model that really got my attention.

The Canon EOS 1000D. I've done my homework on some of these DSLRs and the 1000D is one of them. You could say it's a nice entry-level DSLR. So there I was, standing, eyes fixated on the camera. The fact that none of the salespersons approached me gave me a whole load of fantasy-time. That also caused me to ponder on the possiblity of purchasing it there and then. As mentioned earlier, I have no plans on making a buy on this trip. But when you have plastic pals named either VISA or Mastercard going with you, tempting thoughts are bound to come up.

Still standing and gazing, my brain began its Business Meeting. There were some calculations going on up there, definitely. And the meeting was leaning towards making the decision to purchase the camera. Then Conscience barged in the meeting. You know, like what you see in cartoons, when the character has an angel on one side and a devil on the other?

When you have nobody beside you to ask for a second opinion, your conscience is your best bet. This is the best depiction of how we came to the final decision:

Angel Ben : Hey, this wasn't in your travel itinerary.

Me : I know, but I can afford this now.

Angel Ben : Perhaps you're right, but you ARE rushing into making this decision.

Me : I'm not.

Angel Ben : You are.

Me : As long as I can afford it, it's alright.

Angel Ben : Yes. But it will just add up to your card's debts in a short time span.

Me : I can afford the monthly repayment.

Angel Ben : Sigh, you're a ****head.

Me : So, do I get a 'Yes' or 'No' from you?

Angel Ben : Definitely a NO! Are you dumb? I just gave you valid reasons not to buy.

Me : Whatever man, the devil me would vote 'Yes', and that would mean 2 'Yes' votes to 1 'No' vote. So, devil me?

Devil Ben : What a ****head! Do you even need to ask? Go for it!

Me : *grins*

Yeah that was what happened. But it didn't end there. A few moments after ending that conversation, I walked away from the shop and did not look at any more cameras after that. As I was walking along:

Angel Ben : Hey, what happened back there? I thought you were going to buy the camera?

Ben : Nah.

Angel Ben : *smirks* So, you realised I was right afterall, huh.

Ben : Nah.

Angel Ben : ****head.

Devil Ben : ****head.

Moral of the story? You tell me.

Creative Zen Vision M 30GB FOR SALE!!!

2009-07-20T15:31:00.004+08:00

I took a few minutes to think on how to start this particular post. I couldn’t think of any ideas so I’ll settle with this:

I’m putting up my Creative Zen Vision M 30GB (white) for sale!

This is not a drill readers, or should I say, potential buyers. This is real. The reason I’m selling my beloved and evergreen Vision M is that, I need to raise some money to make a big purchase. For the past couple of weeks, I have also rarely used the Vision M. In fact, I can tell you frankly that I have yet to use it for at least a week now. It used to be my best gadget buddy. I listen to mp3s on it, sometimes I watched movies on it and of course the occasional times when I tune to the FM. This device is about 3 years old.

Okay, I’ll now start my product introduction or description. As I have already mentioned, the item on sale is a white Creative Zen Vision M with 30GB of memory space. It is comparable to the iPod before the Touch generation. It’s direct iPod competition would be the iPod 30GB (5th Generation). The size is almost similar, albeit the iPod being the much thinner or slimmer device. The Vision M is almost twice as thick. While the iPod’s back is made of metal, the Vision M is plastic all round. Having said that, it is still very sturdy.

That’s the physical comparison. The iPod will certainly trump the Vision M in terms of brand recognition and sleekness of design. However, take serious note that the Vision M or Creative is not some China made imitation wannabe. The sound quality is up there with the iPod. The question of which is better would be quite subjective. But the area that the Vision M comes on top over the iPod is the display quality. The colours are richer. You can see the difference by looking at comparison pictures of the Vision M and iPod side by side (google it). So your movie/drama/music video watching experience is more pleasant.

Another plus of the Vision M is its ability to play various formats of music or videos. This is especially useful if you would like to watch movies on the device. Seldom will you have to convert the video format in order for it to play on your Vision M. I personally download movies from torrents in the AVI format and I have viewed them on my Vision M many times.

Lastly, you do not need any software like iTunes to manage your songs in your Vision M. You can just delete any song directly from inside the player if you become sick and tired of listening to that particular tune. However, should you want to create a playlist, you will need a software. I do not require playlists, so I have not explored the methods.

Now we move on from the general view of the product to a more specific description of this very Vision M that is on sale. I will make this brief and as clear as I can.

Package includes:
1x Creative Zen Vision M 30GB
1x Original Creative earphones
1x Philips SHE 9700 in-ear phones
1x USB cable/charger
1x 3-pin wall charger/power adaptor

Price: RM 370 (Negotiable)

Delivery charges: FREE Delivery method: Poslaju, courier services
Payment:

Maybank2u or over the counter transfer to my Maybank account.

**A brand new unit is retailing at around RM 900 - 990

NEGATIVES
- No warranty, of course.
- Low battery life (due to its age). You might need to do some research on how you can get its battery replaced. At the moment, you can watch 2 hours of a movie or around 4-5 hours of listening to songs.
- Some scratches, nothing major, I think.
- No manual booklet (although I think you don’t really need one)
- No car charger

POSITIVES
- Still in very good working condition.
- Screen has been protected by the plastic/sticker protector.
- Apart from a USB cable/charger, you also get a wall charger/adaptor. So you can plug it into any 3 pin power socket if the batteries are low. You can also solve the short battery life while watching movies by plugging the adaptor at the same time.
- I’m throwing in my old Philips SHE series in-ear phones, besides the original Creative earphones (which sucks to be honest). One side of the Philips is having some problems anyway, so I guess you need to shop for a new pair of earphones if you don’t have one.
- Besides the player itself, you will also get a total of 3400 songs already in it. Yes, you read that right, 3400 songs!!!
- Besides more than 3000 songs, you also have 2-3 movies included in the player. I would provide you with the list of movies that I am able to include should you require that.
- Free shipping/delivery.

What I recommend you to do should you intend to purchase this from me:
- Find out if you can get the batteries replaced. If you can do so, I think this Vision M will be a steal. As for me, I live in the far corner of Sarawak in a little town, so it’s tough for me to do such things.
- Get a new pair of in-ear phones if you do not have one yet. I recommend Philips if you want something that produces nice quality sounds at an affordable price. You can easily get a decent pair for about RM 80-90.
- Read various reviews of the Creative Zen Vision M 30GB for more product knowledge.

All that for RM 370. But I’m a reasonable guy, so the price is still very much negotiable. The transaction or process is pretty much Lelong.com.my standard. Just in case:
1. You email / sms me that you are interested.
2. We agree on the price.
3. You give me your mailing address.
4. I pack the item.
5. You complete the payment.
6. I send the item.

So should you be interested to know more, email me at bxnjamin@yahoo.com or sms me (hp number will be given upon request). Thank you.

2009-07-12T19:48:00.001+08:00

I've been wanting to have my windows tinted, according to JPJ specifications of course. But one thing that have been bugging me is the law of another country. Their law prohibit vehicles from having tinted windows. This is one screwed up dung. I mean, I want to tint my windows according to the specifications that my country permits me. But, I also can't because a foreign country prohibits such things on vehicles travelling on their roads.

Why would I give a dung about that foreign country you might tell me. Well, I live in a town that is almost separated from the rest of the state and country, being sandwiched by an oil rich country. I will need to drive through that sultanate should I wish to go to Miri and beyond, or Lawas/Kota Kinabalu and beyond. I do not want to end up at a roadblock on foreign soil having some foreign cops telling me to tear down the tint or even pay the fine in their currency which is more than twice the value of ours in the exchange rate.

Therefore, I will have to drive without tinted windows that would be able to keep the interior of the car a little cooler. But you can put up blinds what? Or you can also use a RM15 Rayban immitation what? Blinds will put up more blindspots and gives you a lesser all round visibility and a RM15 Rayban immitation, well I think I don't need to say much about this one.

I do not know what this country aim to achieve by making tinted windows illegal. Their citizens drive like they have 9 lives. They can't park their car for shit. This is the truth, is it so hard to manouver your vehicle into a 45 degrees angled space that is more than reasonable for one car? Do you actually need to have your car parked in two bays? You are depriving people like me who have our constitutional right for a vacant parking bay.

So I hope one day the government of this neighbouring country will come to its senses and allow cars (Malaysians at least) to drive on their roads with tinted windows. God bless you.

Resident Feline

2009-07-05T17:26:00.005+08:00

Most workplaces such as mine, seem to have their very own resident feline. A cat that roams/stays in the school compound. And to some extent, a cat that is 'officially' taken care of by the school.

My school has a resident cat. The name's Garfield. Don't get too excited as the only resemblence to the famous cat from the comics is its habits, that is sleeping and eating. Come to think of it, it does share some similarities with myself.

This is Garfield.

He is seen here sleeping on the cement floor, beside where I used to sit.

This is Garfield, again.

Here, you can see that he is, sleeping, again. This time on the sofa in the staff kitchen/dining room.

Garfield is a big sized car really. Weighs about 2kilos. My colleague, Nadira feeds it everyday with Friskies, and she's also the cat's unofficial mother. And the two of them does have a unique human-cat bond. That is all I have to write about Garfield.

2009-06-09T19:44:00.003+08:00

You, the sunset and me

Whinerpool

2009-05-16T11:49:00.003+08:00

That's right. The Liverpool story this season has been full of whinnings, led by chief-whiner cum manager, Rafa Benitez. They weren't whinning when for a time they were leading the league for a while, earlier in the season. After being caught and overtaken by the Red Devils, you see them whinning til kingdom come. Being such bad whiners, you can expect no creativity from them. There was a stage where Rafa accused referees of awarding favourable decisions to Man Utd that resulted in his sorry-arse team being leapfrogged.

Towards the end of the season, they have been talking about Man United being all money. That is, the mark of losers. Winners need not look for faults in others. When the Chelsea revolution first began, and Man United beaten to the league title for a couple of seasons, I don't recall reading the United players and staff saying Chelsea won because they spend big. In fact, Sir Alex said Chelsea had set a much higher standard in order to win the league.

This season, as it comes to a close, you read about Rafa Benitez saying Man United is top because of the money spent. Bollocks you gay Spaniard. We are on top, and will most probably win the league, because we are the better team this season.

Bolafoot

2009-05-04T17:53:00.008+08:00

Back when I was still doing my teacher's training at the teaching institute, I played football almost every evening. It was cool that I was doing something I love and also it keeps my health in check. That's one of the many things I missed about life in the institute. It's funny because during our time there, we used to bitch and whine.

So, back home, I can't really satisfy my desire for a kickabout. No mates. And I don't have a field within walking distance from where I live.

But I had this problem solved. Though not as ideal as I hoped it to be. Now I get to play football twice a month. With 10-12 year olds.

It's not as easy as you think though. Those little devils are charged up when they play against someone much older and obviously, bigger. The second the ball arrives at your feet, you will have at least 3 pairs of legs snapping at your heels. Makes you want to fall down, roll over and do a Ronaldo. By the time you get to blow the whistle to award a freekick in your favour, the ball is gone far. Why bother.

Old tradition = make a line and say out '1' , '2' alternately. As the teacher, I would be joining the team with less players, or the weaker side.

Game on. Some of the kids are really good. Some are so good, sometimes nobody bothers to get the ball from them.

Then there are those who are not so good that they need instructions by others.

But at the end of the day, just like back at the institute, it's not about how good you are. It's how much you love the game. Coz thiz iz ma crew, and thatz how we roll yo! *shows some peace sign thingy with fingers*

Hotelling

2009-04-28T20:24:00.001+08:00

This is me getting ready for the big day tomorrow.

These things I'd never say...

2009-04-26T01:24:00.003+08:00

Unfortunately they are not foul words, for I have uttered profanities before, and I can't promise I won't say a foul word in the future.

I don't know why i suddenly thought if posting this. Probably due to listening to dedications on the radio during my drive to and back from Lawas this weekend. So these things I'd never say to a girlfriend:

#1 I think of you every second
#2 I will do anything for you
#3 You are my everything
#4 I love you forever
#5 I cannot live without you
#6 You are my number 1
#7 We are meant to be together

I can honestly say that in my past relationships, these words have never been mentioned. Except for one :p. Okay, so I'm not a romantic guy, i get it.

Oohh..my mademoiselle

2009-04-08T14:32:00.019+08:00

We've been together for more than 2 weeks already. Our shared time has been wonderful.

Gambar hiasan

Now this is what I'm talking about.

Miss Sony Ericsson Xperia

While not as model thin as Miss Apple Iphone, to me she's just fineee!

And unlike Miss Iphone, this piece of beauty can do this!

Miss Ericsson-Xperia's mugshot.

She boasts a 3.2 megapixel camera. While possessing the same resolution as my Nokia N73, this Swedish angel captures better quality photos.

So now, let's take a look at qualities that constitutes her inner beauty.

A satisfactory amount of simple yet fun games.

Bejeweled!

Games aside, Miss Xperia has decent Internet browsing capabilities. Internet Explorer is installed but the Opera browser provides a much smoother net surfing experience.

Blogging is only a wifi connection away.

Catching up with team news? As the Swedes would say...No problemo! Well, you get my point.

Anywho, another quality that makes her beautiful is having a built-in GPS. The retailer have also been kind to install Malsing Maps in my set.

Kuching! Woohoo! This one is showing the location of my crib....4 years ago. Too bad no map for good ol' Limbang. I guess this town is too small for a GPS map thingy. But hey, some people still do get lost around here sometimes.

Well, there is one other attribute of hers that at least shows Limbang in a way or another.

Google Maps!

Woohoo! Limbang! Unfortunately though, this is the closest zoom I can get for Limbang town. No rooftop view of my house for me then!

But who cares about some zinc roof when you could watch dvd quality movies right from your palm!

Miss Xperia? Bond, James Bond.

Okay, back to the basic stuff. I don't really know what to highlight here. I mean, you make phonecalls the same way you do on other phones. One thing I like is the SMS system. It arranges your inbox based on the people you have received/sent smses. For instance, all my smses to/from my Dad will be in one 'folder'. I think it's pretty cool.

Conversations with the father. As you can see, these are smses from the 3rd, 4th and 7th of April between me and my dad. So it's abit like an instant messenger interface.

If you were hoping for a comprehensive review, sorry to disappoint you. But in short, what I think of the Sony Ericsson Xperia or X1 is....

BEAUTIFUL!!!

It is here!

2009-03-28T13:22:00.001+08:00

I've finally got my hands on this baby! My dying Nokia N73 can finally retire in peace....

Thoughts

2009-03-11T15:54:00.003+08:00

It's exam week at the workplace. I had the last hour slot with my own class. So to keep them occupied while I mark the exam papers, I gave them each a piece of paper. Their task, draw whatever they want, as long as they don't turn the classroom into a zoo.

Below is what a student of mine drew. Still 7 year old, Nur Arifah. One of the tiniest student in my class, if not the most, but has one of the loudest ear piercing voice. Thank goodness she only uses that to say, "SIR!!!!" or cover her ears and shout "NOISY!!", when the class becomes a zoo.

The Art

The Artist

Tips for KPLI (1)

2009-03-01T12:18:00.003+08:00

I noticed recent visitors arrived here after searching for KPLI tips. My friend Gramman called me just the other day that the iklan is already out. So it is my duty as a fresh KPLI graduate to assist those trying to get into the programme.

The first step is application. Filling in the forms online, and before that purchasing your PIN number at the nearest Bank Simpanan Nasional branch.

Second. Choosing the right course. Do your SWOT analysis here. I took English. #1 Because I had accumulated more than a year of teaching English as a temporary teacher. #2 Because I can't speak the level of Bahasa Melayu needed in teaching. #3 Because I like English. #4 Because I graduated with a degree awarded by a UK university. #5 Because I feel I have a very good (not excellent) command of the language. So based on all that (and prayers), choosing English was an obvious choice.

Third. If your application is successful, you will sit for the mTest. Yes, some people do not get to sit for the test, even after paying for the PIN and the hassles of filling up the online form. My advice is to get sample questions or past editions test papers. Not to study or revise like your younger years in university. But to familiarise yourself with the type of questions in the test. If you suck at Maths, I tell you this, forget opening up your old SPM Math books. I suck at calculations, even simple fractions. The math/add math paper was very tough for me. It was so tough that I reached the last question in probably 10-15mins....that is, without able to answer 95% of the questions. As for the 5%, I was sure I did correctly for half of that. Okay now I'm going to tell you something important, so read carefully. There will be a paper called INSAK, or something like that. It's like a personality quiz, with questions touching on your tendencies and stuff. Try to answer them as honestly as possible. Do not think too long for each question. Spend an average of 30-40 seconds ONLY for each question, for you are only given about half an hour to answer close to 150 questions. Based on what one of my lecturer told us, I'm telling you to maybe lie a little, regarding questions on physical and mental fitness. Show the selection panel that you are always positive and physically fit. It's been 2 months after my posting, and I can tell you that you really need to be positive and physically fit to be a teacher!

Also, please wear the appropriate clothes when sitting for the test. The safest bet for a girl/lady would be a baju kurung. Guys, pakai office wear lah. Plain shirt (it is better to wear long sleeves), put on your tie, slacks (not jeans or even soft jeans, NO NO!!!), and your kasut kulit. They place very high importance on how you present yourself when coming for the test. I have seen with my own eyes, candidates get scolded and some even turned away because of their dressing. It's only half a day, so bear with the formal wear lah.

This is all for now. Next, I'll be touching on the next step, after the test.

Hidden Agendas

2009-02-01T14:12:00.003+08:00

I won't go into the details, you guys can read more in the news and also Malaysia Today.

Here's how I see it, for the past few months groups mostly involving people of the ethnic majority have been calling for the teaching of Science and Mathematics to be reverted back to Bahasa Malaysia because many children, especially those not living in the cities are not proficient in English.

Then, we have another issue, a totally different one. People from the same ethnic majority have been questioning the use of Bahasa Malaysia Bibles and a certain word in particular. A minister even went to the extent of saying Christians have a hidden agenda of doing so.

My take; time and time again, federal leaders from the peninsular have showed not their deep understanding, but rather total ignorance and knowledge about the culture and people in the Borneo states. It's does not matter what religion or culture you practice, it's either their way or the highway. So this is what I predict of what to come in the future:

1. Citizens will be prohibited to write their text messages using shortforms. So instead pf typing 'Wtf'...we must type 'What the f..", well you get my point. It is said that this malaise is the work of the Mossad, though we are not told what specific threat it poses, we are assured that they have a hidden agenda.

2. Malaysians will have to spend 70% of their television watching time to watch local programmes (Astro suscribers included). Your decorder will automatically be deactivated if you violate the time limit. This is to make sure that our minds are not polluted by the evil Americans, and to some extent, the Brits. It was said that the decline in Malaysian football was caused by the popularity of the English Premier League shown on weekends. The Brits are said to have a hidden agenda.

3. Dictionaries will only have those that are Malay to Malay translation. This is to instill patriotism and also to ensure that the younger generations would not be colonised. Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka will guarantee that the Malay translation will show what the English translation would be like, get me? The Home Ministry announced that they have evidence that Oxford and Cambridge have sinister motives in publishing English dictionaries. While we are not told what those devious intents are, we can be confident in the Home Ministry's explanation that it is a hidden agenda.

Any other ideas?

What about us?

2009-01-24T13:57:00.002+08:00

The Malaysian Government has always been very outspoken in voicing out support to the plight of the Palestinian people and condemning 'astrocities' of the Israelis. The past week or so, we have read about the Government calling for sanctions, boycotts and even for the Israelis to be tried in an International Court. Looking from one angle, it is heartening to see a country standing up to defend another.

But, the question is, WHAT ABOUT YOUR OWN PEOPLE??? This country may not be at war, but there are alot of crap that the CITIZENS or RAKYATS have to endure and put up with in this country. Do we need to change citizenship and get a Palestinian passport to be heard and get help, justice and equality? (No disrespect to the Palestinian people)

It's Over

2009-01-18T12:22:00.002+08:00

My weekend is coming to an end, just like that. Didn't really spent the time the way I had planned. I had thought of having a really relaxing weekend the moment the last bell rang on Friday morning. I pictured myself laying down in bed, watching the half dozen of so movies that I have downloaded.

Oh well, there's always next weekend.

2 weeks down, another 45 weeks or so to go! Go me!

2009-01-17T23:54:00.002+08:00

This is not an awareness campaign. This boy was being punished. His sentence was to read that poster until I tell him to stop.

Feedback : Boy knew why he was punished and said he won't repeat his misbehaviour, and at the same time, gained some knowledge about Hand Foot & Mouth Disease.

Sir, may I go to the toilet, please?

2009-01-07T16:21:00.002+08:00

That's the most heard phrase for me since I started teaching on Monday. Well, at least that's what I'm training them to say when they want to go to the loo.

The one thing I dread the most happened. Being appointed a rookie class teacher to a Level 1 class, a Year 2 class to be exact. If they were just 2 years older, I would have less pain in the...wherever. Managing a class of that age is challenging. Not to mention the fact that being a class teacher means having extra responsibilities and more paperwork. These things they don't teach you in training. And there is no task description, list or whatever. Guess I will have to try very hard to adapt. Godspeed!

Before I forget, again, I would like to wish my faithful readers (rasa kedak celebrity blogger la tek) a very belated but a very happy new year and merry Christmas!

Locked and loaded

2008-12-30T15:40:00.002+08:00

So I'm posted near home, well back home.

The school I'll be going to, a big challenge. A place where my abilities will be tested to the max perhaps. Pull no punches, throw everything even including the kitchen sink. People don't give KPLI graduates much credit. We have to work twice as hard, twice as good in order to be equally recognised. We were already being doubted even when we were still in the institute. Already facing accusations of wrongdoings that we did not do. We were already seen as failures and unwanted in the profession. We are nothing, just worthless bunch of thrash who are wannabe teachers. Back in the institute, we were despised due to us belonging to the 4 letter acronymed programme. Administrators, lecturers, the degree KIDS and etc. Basically it was us against the world.

I've been reading some stuff being said about us by the ijazah pendidikan graduates in the internet, and it is surprising and downheartening to see graduates having such shallow thinking. We are graduates too, albeit of different fields. But we do not have such narrow point of view. Perhaps it just shows that those kids doing their degrees at the institutes are not exposed and lack depth. One word of advice to you kids, grow up! (okay, two words.)

On a different front, while I appear to bash individuals in the ruling party and etc, I would not say I am pro-opposition. In fact, I think both sides can be such jokers, even those in the opposition. One side talks too much crap, and the other side questions too many stupid issues sometimes. Malaysian politics is a circus.

Untitled

2008-12-18T11:14:00.002+08:00

I'll know where I'm gonna be posted this Saturday. I'm altogether nervous and excited!!! Right now, every single plans I have goes out the window. I need to know where I'm posted, before I start picking them up again. I made a wishlist for 2009 a couple of months ago, there will probably be changes to it, depending on my posting. I know 1 thing that's for sure, I need to get myself a new pair of casual/multirole shoes.

My Adio got stolen the day after I got back from my BTN course. Then there's Sudirman (not the late artiste) who lost his football boots. It is disappointing to know that this happened in a teacher training institute. We KPLI have been getting dissed and screwed now and then, but we don't steal stuff, especially not from fellow trainees. But these kids who enter the institute after secondary school, they need to get their sh*t right. So anyways, I'll definitely be getting a new pair of Adio. Their designs are very very cool. Not too fancy, not too cheapish... just great!

Be going off to Kota Kinabalu with the family later today.

2008-12-14T22:32:00.000+08:00

A couple of days ago, I read an article on Malaysia Today. It was a satirical interview with our dearest Home Minister. It was clearly stated that it was just a satire, and a very funny one.

Today I read that the Minister concerned was angry with Malaysia Today about that.

“It is very irresponsible and the article misleads the people,” he said, adding that the article was written to make him look stupid.

A real mature grown up guy would have taken the mock interview lightly or at most, with a good sense of humour. That type of man would have responded in an intelligent manner or probably even crack a joke himself. I would have done that, definitely.

But that quote was the response from the minister. That's totally childish and made him sounded like a 6 year old crybaby being laughed at by a 3 year old girl.

Back in town

2008-12-11T04:44:00.004+08:00

Gosh! The last time I posted was Raya. I guess this post is long overdue.

Well, I've just completed my training. I'm back home, bumming and being unproductive. Actually I am being quite productive. Ever since I got back, I've been sh*tting frequently everyday, beyond my usual output. I won't say I have diarrhoea because my droppings weren't the watery types that is associated with that sickness. I have been producing proper decent looking crap. Hmm, that was gross.

Anyhows, so I have been back for 4 days now. Strange but I am adjusting to life back home. I now have access to luxuries that did not exist back in my hostel. But at the same time, I am missing some things. I miss walking to the bathroom with my pail for my bath. I miss hanging out with Pang and Ig in their room, talking nonsense, discussing and debating, and watching our weekly selected drama series on Pang's television set (the only room with a television set). I miss my hostelmates, especially those on my floor. I miss my classmates. I really miss playing football in the evenings. Obviously there are a whole load of stuff that I am missing.

Well, that was the end of another chapter. Now I wait for my new adventure. I will be able to know my posting sometime before Christmas. Very excited! I am actually hoping to be posted in the interior. People would probably doubt that. But as long as I don't have to travel using rivers, I won't mind at all. I have been setting my mind about this during my last month in the institute. I am pumped up and ready to go. But my gut feeling tells me I might be disappointed when posting comes out. All I leave to God. He knows best. I've been told my family members (not my parents) to pray hard so that I will be posted nearby. So obviously I'm not praying for that, nor have I been praying for my wish to be sent to the interior. Oh well.

Oh, last month I went for a course, the Biro Tata Negara thingy. Very tempted to share what went on. But then I am bound by some Secrecy Act, and I would be risking alot if I spilled the beans LOL.

It's 5.10 in the morning. The Manchester United - Aalborg match is almost ending. I'm hungry. So I'm out!

Rendang Ketupat Satay

2008-10-01T01:58:00.002+08:00

Woohoo! It's Raya!

Not that I celebrate it, well in a way I am.

Raya is the time when I look forward to enjoy awesome kickass homecooked Malay food.

My last Raya was disappointing. I only went to my neighbour's house. One house. Only one house. Hardly satisfied my cravings.

Anyway, this Raya will be a good one I hope. I'll be going to some friends' homes as well. But I will have to push back my visiting hours. Call of duty, transporter. My grandma, of all the days, wants to go to town and buy chicken (meat) tomorrow morning. Shortly after that, I need to drive my uncle to the airport. I received both these news after I woke up from my evening nap. I had an evening nap because I wanted to stay up for the United vs Aalborg match. It would be a small matter if Manchester United did not have their Champions League match scheduled for 2.30am, which is in another 30 minutes. This, is an important event for me, every United match. Back in Miri, I had to forget watching these early morning matches in order to conserve energy for classes etc. But well, people won't understand anyway.

I guess I'll always be deprived of sleep, holidays or not. Which brings us to another topic. I just completed a very hectic 3 months teaching practicum. Some people probably downplay the workload that trainee teachers have during that period. Well, screw you lah. Try doing a minimum 3 page lesson plan everyday, you will also add the preparation and creation of teaching aids to that. So yeah, screw you again. Sometimes I wish I could go somewhere else during my holidays besides back home. If only I had enough money that I could go somewhere else for my holidays. A place where I could just relax. Away from the phones. I admit I am being a little bit selfish here. But then again, I have yet to embark on such vacations and have never failed (almost never) to answer the call of duty (transporter etc). So I am only selfish in my thinking, but not my actions. Which still does not vindicate me. So what the heck.

Before I forget, here's wishing all my Muslim friends and relatives a Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

So there I was...

2008-09-21T12:38:00.003+08:00

thinking...in a way

Everybody has their wishlist. Things that we would like to have or own. So I am no different. I've thought of a list of things I'd like to get my hands on next year. Some if not most are stuff that were in my 2007 & 2008 list, but I could not afford them.

1. A new mobile phone - My cell has a screwed up display screen. I'll probably be aiming for a Sony Ericsson Xperia or a Nokia N96.

2. A new multimedia player - I would need to replace my ageing Creative Vision M. Top of the list is the iPod Touch, I guess I need to accept the fact that it is easier to find accessories for iPods compared to Creative.

3. A new pair of shoes - Adio, without a doubt!

4. A new pair of working shoes - whatever's thats decent and durable.

5. A new G-Shock for the more extreme conditions

6. A DSLR

7. Last but not least, I aim to get myself my own set of wheels by Christmas next year. It'll be the bestest Christmas gift I've ever gave myself! (pathetic kan?)

Anyway I'll be having my final week of practicum at the school where I'm at. Part of me can't wait to get over with all this. The mornings of waking up at 5.15am will be gone. But then I'll miss the kids. My lecturer mentor and guru pembimbing recommended that I go for the Guru Pelatih Cemerlang award. Which means that as a nominee, I have to prepare the perfect lesson plan and teaching aids almost everyday because the evaluation panel will come anytime unannounced. When my lecturer asked me if I'd want her to nominate me, I said no.

Yeah, I know. I'm stupid to reject the opportunity to spar with the best.

God bless

I

2008-09-15T01:43:00.003+08:00

I was afraid. Afraid of old hurts. But I went on. I held my breath. Anticipating, almost welcoming the impending pain. It did not come. I did not feel it. I felt no pain. A smile. It came from the heart. The hurt is gone. The bitterness is absent. I was happy. I am at peace. Today I can say, that I am no more afraid.

September 15th, 2008

One Country, One Big Messed Up Country

2008-09-14T17:49:00.002+08:00

There will be 2 parts in this post. If you want to read about politics, please....oh what the hell, just read the whole damn post.

First of all I would like to express my utter disgust regarding United's defeat at Anfield lastnight. I would have been frustrated of we played well and but not win. I would have been content if we played badly but still win. But to lose in the manner that we did lastnight, I am lost for words! Even John O'shea would have looked like a dazzling Zinedine Zidane if he had played.

Watching the lineup at the begining was mouthwatering. I had high hopes. I expected a lot. But my hopes died when Van Der Sar decided to be generous. It died a second time when Giggs was brought in instead of Fletcher or Nani (or even O'Shea!). The corpse of my hope was turned into ashes when Giggs in all his experience and wisdom decided to play the fool at place so near the goal. Finally, the ashes of my hope rested in pieces.

Okay now to the issue that I had originally intended to write about. There is a news in today's (Sunday) New Straits Times titled Police stop march for Orang Asli rights. Some weeks ago we saw certainly more than 150 Uitm scholars demonstrating, shouting and displaying banners that are ridiculous. I have nothing against Uitm. Only that particular group who happens to come from a particular ethnicity. Watching the protests or whatever they called it on television was sick. They acted like their very lives were threatened. They shouted with so much vigour and such. But when 150 natives just want to march peacefully in their colourful traditional to deliver a memorandum to the palace, the police did not issue a permit.

3 individuals were recently arrested under the ISA. The reasons for their arrests were absurd to say the least. I am not against ISA, I just believe it is a law that should not be misused. Now we all still remember a certain individual from Penang who stirred up anger among the Chinese community. I find that equally if not worse than what the 3 detained persons had commited. How come he only received 3 years suspension? Suspension means not being in prison or even house arrest.

WE ARE MANCHESTER UNITED

2008-09-12T20:31:00.002+08:00

It's the big game against archrivals Liverpool tomorrow, a match every Liverpool and United fan will look for whenever the season fixture is released.

This post is also to promote a web-blog that my buddy and a few others have set up. It's a blog or site where the fans of United can contribute articles or whatever. I am one of them. I am posting my first article, a preview on tomorrow's battle at Anfield. So if you are a United fan, you are most welcomed to the site and support it as well.

I'm in love again

2008-09-06T13:40:00.003+08:00

I made my debut at the Institute's football field on Thursday evening. That was after almost a year and an increase of around 10 kgs.

My pair my Lotto boots were still wrapped in newspapers, in a plastic bad, just the way it was when I first arrived in January. I decided it was high time I returned to the sphere where I find joy and the occasional cussin' and pain... the football field.

Not surprisingly, the guys were surprised (probably an understatement) when they saw me coming to the field. I also caused similar shocks to those who arrived after me. Take William for example. He stopped in his tracks, a good 200 meters away from the field, extended his head to the front as if he could zoom in to see if it was really me.

So I did some warmups, a little kickaround with some of the guys, and when the match was going to start, I felt I had enough already. It's like I already played a full 45 minutes of a half. After a long absence, a good first touch is vital. It is as important as your first date with the girl that you (currently) like.

Game on. Somehow the ball was going my way, where I was the last man. The opposing striker was nearby. I took a touch. The guy was probably thinking, "Big fat slow 27 year old who is playing for the first time, should be easy." So he ran towards me. I thought of making a pass to Harrison on the right wing but the boy was quicker and he closed me down. I ran a little to the right. Boy looked to be going for the ball. Moved my left foot to the ball, but stopped short of touching it. With my right foot I moved the ball further right and made a pass as the boy was rooted earlier by my initial move. Not a bad start afterall. Looking forward to play again.

Merdeka

2008-08-26T21:10:00.002+08:00

Yesterday we had our weekly school assembly. The Headmaster gave his speech and announcements as usual. Nothing interesting as usual, of course! But there was this one moment, when he said, I quote:

"Tahun ini, Hari Kemerdekaan jatuh pada 31 Ogos."

You didn't get it? Here's the subtitle:

This year, the National Day falls on 31st August.

So, it means that, next year, Merdeka day would probably be in September or something. I don't know if you find it funny or not. But me and 2 of my fellow trainees, Hasliza and Yvonne had a good laugh about it. It as I looked at the others, it seemed that the 3 of us were probably the only ones who noticed. But then we were seating at the far end, away from the eyes of the students, so we could joke and laugh about it.

The things we do sometimes

2008-08-24T00:54:00.002+08:00

You're at a mall or hotel. You want to go up. You arrive at the lifts. You press the button. You wait. Lifts aren't down yet. You press the button again. You wait. You see the lit up button. You press it again. You press it again. And again and again and.......

Have you ever done something that you know wouldn't work, but you still do it? Of course you do, you idiot! What the heck, I do it too! My handphone freezes or is taking a long time to switch applications etc. What do I do? I knock its sides gently. On the extreme side, I shake it.

There are alot of instances where we do dumb things such as the above.

But there is one case where a whack does come good. My old computer's monitor. It sometimes turn greenish or pinkish by itself. So in order to get the united colors of benetton back, I simply slap its side. Though sometimes it takes more than one slap.

Spit

2008-08-22T14:03:00.000+08:00

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone. Someone who isn't close to you like a friend that is.
So when you talk, your spit comes out and lands on the other person. Have you ever noticed that? And you don't say anything. I mean, you saw what happened, but you don't say anything. Why? Because you're embarrassed! Why didn't that person say anything then, you ask.

So now think back of a time you were in a similar conversation but this time, the other person's spit lands on you. You definitely saw and felt it. And you better bet he/she knows it as well. But no one says anything about it...again. I bet you have never mentioned it to him/her. I've been there. Funny thing. I mean, he/she spits on me, and I'm worried about his/her feelings if I say anything about it.

2008-08-20T10:44:00.002+08:00

Is there a new government policy to 'domesticate' institutions or religious bodies going on that I do not know?

Apparently the Catholic Church here in Malaysia need not refer to the Vatican anymore. Now they can do that at our very own Home Ministry. So instead of Pope Benedict, they'll have ....... :p

UiTM rocks

2008-08-18T20:25:00.002+08:00

It must be cool being a Uitm student these days. You could skip lectures, go out protest and join demonstrations against someone's mere suggestion. If I was a student there, what I'd do is a daily protest. I won't get into trouble for missing classes, nor will I get arrested for illegal assembly. BUT, fortunately I'm not. First of all, I'm not a Bumiputera, even though the majority stakeholders of my ethnicity is Bumiputera (Lun Bawang, Bisaya, Malay), but the Government says I'm not. Second, even if I was a student at Uitm, even if I'm not A-student material, I do not have sh*t-as$ brains. I would not display my stupidity, unlike what those students did.

It is also cool to have a VC that talks like he's a gangster. So when people want to mess around with you, you just tell them you're from Uitm and you have the VC on your speed-dial.

PS: Another reason I feel less Malaysian by the day.

2008-08-10T20:54:00.000+08:00

I’ll probably always remember the 2^nd day of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Not because of the Games itself, but for something that happened to me personally.

It was something that I can say has shaken me, mentally.

On 09.08.08, I, Benjamin Yeo Ee Seng, had been involved in my first ever accident as a licensed driver. For the record my driving license is still valid until November 23^rd of this year.

I, Benjamin Y.E.S., at around 8 pm, the night when the whole Miri had a blackout, knocked a Ford Ranger from behind with my mother’s Kancil. I guess you should have a good guess of the outcome.

The damage was not that bad though. The guy had a dented bumper and I had my front area half-f*cked. I’m thankful I made it safely to dinner. The guy was cool, so we settled it there and then that no payments or compensation were needed.

While I am thankful that nothing happened to me seriously or no serious damaged happened, I was still asking God why that happened.

Today we had replacement classes for Raya, so I went to school on a Saturday morning. But I went extra early, around 5.50am. I have never ever driven off from home/work or wherever that early. I was early because I was doing a favour to drive Nancy and a fellow trainee to SK Senadin.

At school, I had no lessons to teach because my class was involved with a health talk. After that I was on duty to watch the students as they go about having fun at the simple demo by the Police, Fire Dept and Army. I even went on after my ‘shift’.

I also did something, something that I myself would not expect of myself. I finally talked to the pretty young teacher.

When school was over, I helped a teacher reversed her car from a difficult position.

I went off to have lunch, without breaking any traffic rules, and paid every single cent required of me.

I went back to my hostel, and knocked myself off to sleep.

I woke up and the electricity was out, so I thought I’d get out of that. But soon found out it was the whole city in darkness.

I can’t recall doing any wrong actions etc. So I asked God, why, at a time when I’m borrowing money from my parents as our August allowance is held up, when I am going through a physically and mentally tiring period, did He allowed the accident to happen.

But I then realised, everything could easily been very different. It could be some Ah Bengs in an outrageously pimped car with heavily tinted windows that had I knocked. And you know Ah Bengs don’t take shit from people who are not Ah Bengs. So it could have been a violent scene that followed the accident. Yeah, those punks would have ended up in the hospital.

Or worse, it might have been a fatal accident where this post would not have been written.

So God, I am grateful everything’s alright. Come to think of it, my knocked up wallet is already that bad. I mean, my finances are already on a deficit. The only hurt I have is a bruised ego. I now have an accident on my personal driving ‘record’.

2008-07-31T13:40:00.002+08:00

It's been ages!

So much to write, but so little enthusiasm and battery life. So I'll make this brief:

1. Had my first teaching observation a couple of weeks ago. Aced it! HOOAH!

2. Calderon and Real Madrid can go *$%@ themselves.

3. The Gomen or should I say ruling party has been a complete joke recently. Do they still think that we are that dumb?

4. Due to recent events that concerns me personally, and also reflects the overall situation in this country, I ask this once more, "Are we not Malaysians too?"

5. Right now we really need more schools, not new education policies and programmes. Maybe those higher ups should try teaching in classrooms that averages more than 40 kids.

6. What has Dr. SMS or Dato or whatever his title his, done for my benefit and well-being?

God bless!

2008-06-29T01:04:00.002+08:00

YAYS...I'm back in Limbang. Well it sucks actually that I will be leaving in a few more hours. Planning to leave by 8.30 in the morning later. Before leaving I desire to indulge myself with the best Wantan Mee in Limbang, and probably in the nation.

Arrived here late Friday afternoon from Miri. Tagged along with my classmate Fiona, so I saved some bucks. With the petrol price hike, the van sapu could have cost me 60 bucks. Came home to take mum's Kancil. No, my mother does not have a mousedeer pet. My search for a cheap car rental in Miri have been futile. So Dad suggested or offered that I use the Kancil instead. The reason I need a car is because I will be starting my 3 months teaching practicum on Monday. The school where I am assigned to is quite far from my place. And I need a car so I would not have to be dependent on others, which is very important during practicum.

Well, it will be tough for my parents to go back to the days of sharing 1 car. I feel bad about that really. Hopefully they could cope for 3 months LOL. On the bright side, they'll be sharing petrol costs for only 1 car now, so they'll be saving some. I'll also be chipping in for the Kancil's monthly payment. Speaking about payment, I hope we'll see an increase in our allowances. I've heard from my friend that a trainee from another institute said they received a RM 200+ increase in the allowance. I am hoping I will see that next week.

The past 2 weeks in the institute has been nice. My schedule was relax/rest-friendly. Assignments are over. Some classes' credit hours have been completed. It was like college days all over again. All in all it was a great settling in period after a long break.

We had a mini sports last weekend. I entered the shot putt event. It was fun. There were guys of all sizes. Some bigger than me, and mostly smaller. I guess most of us did not really have any training. This was evident during the course of the event when we witnessed various styles from the contestants, some funny, some weird. I can safely say that out of at least 15 contestants, only 3 had experienced in that sport, excluding myself. Well, I made it to the final 8, but just wasn't strong enough to challenge for the medals.

I guess I should be going to bed now. Get a few hours of sleep before the journey tomorrow.

One more thing, I will miss the weather here in Limbang. It has been scorching hot in Miri ever since I returned from the semester break.

PS: Wish the Rabbit luck!

Men are arseholes... I'm proud to be a man!

2008-06-09T02:08:00.004+08:00

I came across something in an issue of Reader's Digest that made me realize something. Advice columns. I can't recall reading an advice column written by a guy. I mean, in the papers and stuff you will normally see "Dear Abbie", "Dear Stella", and all those female names. But you don't see a "Dear Tom", "Dear Kassim" etc. Guys just do not write these stuff! And the piece I read in Reader's Digest probably best explained why:

Dear Steve,

I hope you can help me here. The other day I set offfor work leaving my husband in the house watching the TV as usual. I hadn't gone more than a mile down the road when my engine conked out and the car shuddered to a halt. I walked back home to get my husband's help.

When I got home I couldn't believe my eyes. He was in our bedroom with theneighbor lady. I am 32, my husband is 34, and we have been married for 12 years. When I confronted him, he broke down and admitted that they had been having an affair for the past 6 months. I told him to stop or I would leave him.

He was let go from his job six months ago, and he says he has been feeling increasingly depressed and worthless. I love him very much, but eversince I gave him the ultimatum he has become increasingly distant. He won't go to counseling and I'm afraid I can't get through to him anymore. Can you please help?

Sincerely,

Maria

Dear Maria,

A car stalling after being driven a short distance can be caused by a variety of faults with the engine. Start by checking that there is no debris in the fuel line. If it is clear, check the vacuum pipes and hoses on the intake manifold and also check all grounding wires. If none of these approaches solves the problem, it could be that the fuel pumpitself is faulty, causing low delivery pressure to the carburetor float chamber. I hope this helps.

Steve

2008-06-02T20:18:00.009+08:00

I'm back in good ol' Limbang. Been home for the past week. All I've done is sleep, sleep and sleep. It's like sleeping's a new found sensation. Other than that, done nothing much, not even eating. I guess I need to start stretching my legs for the remainder of my break.

I'm broke, but it's alright because I'm home, and I'll also be getting my allowance by next week. But I won't be able to spend much as I've got lotsa payables to settle. They say we are lucky to receive fat allowances, but they just don't understand how much we have to settle our dues. Some trainees are husbands, and even fathers, so I guess they have more dues to worry about. Every month, after deducting all my payables and "fixed costs", there's about 300 bucks left. There's not even enough for me to save. Been wanting to get a new digital camera for months now. AARRGGHHHH!!!

Anyhows, last month, my classmates gave me a surprise on my birthday. I disappointedly went to the classroom where we were supposed to have a replacement lecture, which should have been a free time for us to go out have lunch and still time to enjoy an afternoon nap. So in the class, I waited for the lecturer together with most of my classmates. I had my laptop on, trying to get online, and b*tching about the lecturer being late. Then we moved to another room as we were told that the class would be held there instead. So I grudgingly packed my laptop and stuff and b*tched again on why we should change rooms as we were the only poor souls to have lectures that time. When I entered the other room, went to the back and got my laptop on again and wondered aloud why the heck is the lecturer taking a long time.

Then my mates started to sing happy birthday and they brought the cake with candles and stuff. It was weird. I was pissed because of the long wait and then the surprise. So the change of emotions was, I don't know. Haha. But I was touched, I've never had a surprise birthday before. Those bloody people, and I mean this in an affectionate manner, they really got me. They played the whole replacement lecture thing really good. It was so good that after gobbling up the cake, I had to ask if we really did not have a replacement lecture.

It was very sensitive of them not to put up all 27 candles. HaHa. The cake was delicious, I must admit I wanted to have more. Ah, sik malunye aku!

"Dengan ini saya merasmikan..."

What I got myself for my birthday. Skateboarding shoes. I don't skate. But one thing I like about skate shoes is the comfort they offer.

Esok birthday aku!

2008-05-15T20:44:00.003+08:00

It's gonna be my birthday tomorrow. As it stands now at Thursday, May 15, at 8.51pm... it will only be a few more hours away.

I had a wonderful early gift as Manchester United won the League on Sunday.

I have absolutely nothing planned for tomorrow. Maybe do a bit of packing.

Next year, on the same date, I'll probably be somewhere in the jungle or highlands.

God bless.

A happy birthday to friends celebrating their birthdays today, Bong, i don't know where you are right now. And also to Cammy.

Happy Teacher's Day to all teachers too.

Used to be him

2008-04-26T12:26:00.002+08:00

It's a Saturday. A real Saturday.

The worst is over. I hope. It has been a hectic week to say the least. Rushing to complete my assignments that are due. Extra lectures. Crap extra curricular activities. Sleeping late. Waking up early. It was really bad that I literally thought my head was going to burst, literally. Shows you sometimes the pressure is so tremendous that you would actually believe something like that could happen. But I got through, safely, with my head still intact :p.

I don't know if I've mentioned this, but in lectures, my name has been synonymous with sleep. Back when we just started the course, I found it really tough to be sitting through lectures for 5 straight hours etc. So there were a couple of times where I fell asleep in some lectures.

I don't have a particular thing to write, just glad I could write/type. Going to get a haircut after this. And something happened very recently that has made me really happy. Something that sometimes leave me smiling to myself. Guess it has made me a happy idiot.

Here's a thought. Most people, young people, don't dig patriotic songs, myself included. Some people despise the government etc so much that they even make fun/hate the national anthem etc (I'm not referring to that Malaysian dude in Taiwan). I believe we should give respect where it's due. There are just some things you just have to draw a line to. If one would just listen, and I mean listen, our National Anthem is actually a beautiful song. I was actually glad the reverted to the old slow version instead of the upbeat one. In fact, the slower version brought more meaning to it. Maybe one day we could see the words in "Negaraku" would come to past. Our Sarawak's state anthem is also a nice piece. In fact I think it is an amazing song to sing to. The lyrics, the melody, just beautiful. I don't believe the other states' anthems would be even half as wonderful.

It's the make or break match against Chelsea tonight. God speed!

2008-04-03T10:13:00.003+08:00

Finally! Finally, finally, finally. Finally I'm able to blog. I have been bogged down with gigatonnes of assignments, projects, tasks and awful wireless internet connection for the past 1-2 weeks! There were dozens of things to do that I honestly had difficulty keeping up and even to the extent of forgetting to do a couple of assignments. Then there is this problem with the f*cking wireless internet connection that we have here. We have access to free wireless service provided by a local company, but it is inaccessible for most of the time. Then there's the wireless service provided at the library, but is also inaccessible for most of the f*cking time. SO as you can see, our internet is pretty much f*cked to say the f*cking least.

I'm able to blog now because this week has been a breath of fresh air as most lecturers are away, so we have dozens of free periods. And, we are able to spend more time relaxing and also right now, blogging. At the moment I'm at the top floor of the campus where the wireless signal is strongest.

Ever since our monthly allowances had been released, non-academic life has been so much better. We can now afford to enjoy cafeteria food with less b*tching about the unreasonable prices. We can also indulge ourselves with more costly meals. As for myself, I've made some big money purchases over the past 2 months. They may not be as costly as what others have splashed their cash on, but at least I spend within my means and with my own money. Now if only I could hire someone to tidy up my half of the room.

I'll be going to a school for what they call school-based experience, for 2 weeks starting next Monday. It will be extremely nice to be out of campus, even if its only for half of the day. And the best thing is that I won't have to attend lectures as well, woohoo!

I asked a friend to take a proper picture of me the other day. I guess it's the only proper picture of me that I've taken in the past months or even years! So I avoided making any stupid poses that I would definitely do usually. I wanted it to be good. Not perfect, but decent enough. No stupid faces, no silly gestures, no nonsense. So this was the result:

Maybe it's just me, but I think there's something silly about that picture. Hahaha

In one's shoes

2008-03-15T01:00:00.009+08:00

Ever wonder what it's really like being a superhero? I mean, seriously, what we know are from movies, and movies aren't real, they're just acted out by actors. Sometime last year though, I was given the opportunity to have a sneak-peak of one of the more well known superhero.

Yup, I'm talking about Spiderman. But not the one acted by Toby Maguire though. I'm talking about the real deal here.

Anyways, as we all know, thanks to excellent education from the media, Spiderman, behind his suit, is a normal person. So when he wears his suit, he becomes Spiderman. So the first thing Spiderman does before going on to save the world and what nots, is to put on his spidey-suit.

The spidey-suit is Spiderman. Without it, Spiderman just isn't Spiderman. The suit provides the much needed protection for his human body against blows from the bad guys. And unlike Superman, Spidey here wears his undies inside.

Next, Spidey or just about any other superheo needs to be physically fit. He doesn't need the body of Goldberg or John Rambo, but just enough muscles would do.

Yes, enough muscles to scare any kindergarten bully away. Besides being able to project a macho image, a superhero or Spidey here to be exact, needs his muscles to do what he does best....

Climbing up walls.

Money Matters

2008-02-28T22:17:00.003+08:00

Help

We're broke

Some trainees are starting to stock up instant noodles

The sucky thing is, we are not allowed to cook, so we can only "soak" our noodles in hot water.

Please release our allowances in March!

No, we are not being money-minded or whatever

Just imagine having your salary held back for 2 months....

Yeah, I rest my case.

People actually need money to continue living....

2008-02-17T19:41:00.003+08:00

Ever come across a serious news report that is as hillarious as watching Kung Pow? I just did.

MALAYSIA's Information Minister Zainuddin Mydin has said that the government will not be affected by blogs and other Internet forums that may be created during campaigning for the upcoming elections.

Mr Zainuddin insisted that while the younger generation are tech-savvy, they tend to believe newspaper reports over comments made on the Internet, China Press reported.

He added that the Internet is used mainly to book budget airline tickets or to get entertainment news.

He claimed that he is not worried that blogs and forums critical of the incumbent Barisan Nasional coalition would affect its chances of winning the election.

Somebody shoould tell the old man that the internet is also used to surf porn, and Facebook, though some people still stick to Friendster and Myspace.

Come to think of it, this comes straight from the Minister of Information. Oh for the love of mother nature! If I was one of the reporters there, I bet I would not be able to put up a straightface after hearing those comments. God have mercy on my country!

KPLI Tips

2008-02-17T19:07:00.002+08:00

No, this is not about how one could pass the MTest and interviews.

I'm just doing my civic duty to let aspiring KPLI applicants on what they should do or expect after they get through the screening process.

First of all, you would need to save a lot of money. And when I say a lot, I mean A LOT. I'm talking 4 digit figures here. You would need a figure that could last for at least 3 months. You'd never know when your allowances will be released. Don't believe them when they say it would be settled as soon as you hand in your completed agreement forms.

Your budget for meals would probably be around RM 300 per month. There's also the RM 300 registration fee that should be paid on the day you are to register. As a trainee teacher, you will also be involved in co-curricular activities like sports and uniform units. If you're lucky, you'd get to pick your choice. Then you will have to cough up a 3 figure sum for your uniforms and accessories for the uniform unit. Mine almost hit the RM 300 mark. Being assigned to a cheap sport like ping pong does help a little. I mean, you can easily find a ping pong bat as cheap as RM 6.90, like mine.

You will also need to come up with over RM 100 to buy equipment and accesories for the Bina Insan Guru (BIG).

Money matters aside, you should have about 20 passport sized photos ready. It doesn't matter if they say they only need 5 in the letter they sent you.

So, add that all up to your other commitments like your car, credit-cards, loans etc.

Yes, of course we get a handsome allowance (rumor is that it has increased to around RM 1,600/-). But please bear in mind that you will have to wait for 3 months to get it. And before you get it, you have all sort of things to pay/buy.

I hope this helps. So start saving now!

2008-02-04T23:39:00.000+08:00

Inmate F207A

At this very moment, I am listening to songs, doing a full-scan for viruses on BitDefender, downloading Avast! Home edition...another antivirus software, waiting for some videos on Youtube to finish loading, chatting on YM and last but not least, blogging (finally!).

I've been back home since Saturday for the holidays. On our way back, he Unser was knocked from behind by a Bruneian family's Pajero, and I'm suffering from an irritating cough. Nevertheless I still went to have laksa for breakfast this morning together with cousin Alveen who's here on a short visit.

It's good to be back home. Especially when your savings have dried up. Hopefully we'll be getting our allowance soon. I really do need the money. For both wants and needs.

I won't be wearing any new shirt or any new piece of clothing for that matter, for this year's Chinese New Year. I just did not have the budget even when the Durban shirts were on discounted prices like nobody's business.

Institutionalised

2008-01-22T20:21:00.000+08:00

I'm in prison at this very moment. At least that's what some of us call this place. A correctional institute rather than a teaching institute, due to the stringent and also some unreasonable rules and regulations. I sincerely believe the conditions in our prisons are better, at least the one we have in Limbang. Over here, we have a watercooler at our hostel block, but without any filter. So we are basically drinking water that is of the same quality as the yellowish water we use to bath. We basically eat at an airport outlet, not that it's at the airport, but if you look at the price, you would think you're at the airport.

All that aside, everything else is okay. The English subject lecturers seem to be fun people. Fellow KPLI-ers are cool with each other. The bedroom's not bad. Wi-fi coverage sucks though. I guess that's all for now. Will post up some pictures next time.

Sex Sex Sex

2008-01-02T20:06:00.000+08:00

The Minister of Health, Dr Chua has just announced his resignation from all government and party posts as a result of the dvd thingy. The guy has balls, to admit it straightaway and to do all the necessary steps. You can't take that away from the man.

So what are the rest of the politicians waiting for? The poor guy screwed around, was obviously a set-up, and was let known to the public. What about the other bigshots who has abused the power, the corrupted etc? Just because there weren't any dvds being distributed about their misdeeds, they are safe to continue with them.

I will be going for a medical check-up soon. I noticed in the form, there's a test called "Pemeriksaan Uro Jantina". I have no idea what 'Uro' means. Dictionaries didn't help. Someone said it's something like checking on one's manhood. Why would they need to do that??? To see if its real??? Imagine someone who failed to get a job because he failed the penis test.

"Sorry Mr X, the government can't hire you, it seems you do not have a full set of testicles."

2007-12-20T00:14:00.000+08:00

Just got back from Kota Kinabalu a couple of hours ago.

Cilakaknye, banyak sales but my budget sik cukup. I wonder what did i blow my previous month's salary on? Regrets, regrets.

Anyhows...I GOT INTO KPLI!!! WOOHOO!!! I surfed the Ministry of Education's website as early as 5am using my mobile phone after waking up to go pee. So I'll be registering for the course on the 14th of next month at IPS in Miri.

That time of the year

2007-12-14T18:38:00.000+08:00

No, I don't mean Christmas.

I'm talking aboout Manchester United vs Liverpool. The big game will be on Sunday night at Anfield. As a devout and extreme United fan, this is the fixture you look forward to whenever the season fixtures are released. And this season's fixture couldn't have come at a better time, about a week before Christmas. The rivalry is so huge and intense that the result of the match could either make or break your week, depending which side you are rooting for.

For myself, this game could influence my mood for the following week. On the 19th, I will know whether I have successfully enter the KPLI programme. So I'm hoping for positive results for both events.

This weekend's match will be really big compared to those for the past couple of seasons. Liverpool in all its stinkiness, looks to be a more formidable this season with Torres upfront. Torres, how I have dreamt and fantasized about him joining United before he broke my heart. No, I'm not gay, I'm just a football fanatic, so mind the corny language.

As a team, I don't really know how good they are because I don't watch Liverpool games, they are mostly too dull to endure.

On the other hand, I am confident that United will be able to triumph if not match the Scousers on Sunday. In Hargreaves, I have never seen such a dynamic midfielder who has tremendous energy, physical presence and decent technique in a United shirt for some time. With him and Anderson, they will be more than a match for Stevie G in that potential midfield battle. Talking about Anderson, I just love that kid. He had a poor start to his Old Trafford career, but the Wigan game seemed to be the turnaround. His performances has been so consistently good that I don't miss Scholesy.

At the back, we're very solid with the Vidic and Rio partnership. Both very quick centerbacks who are also very comfortable with the ball. Upfront, we have the Trinity of Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez, good enough to take on the world's best defences to say the very least.

As for my prediction, like Ndru I would say it will be a very close game, with United winning 3-1.

2007-10-26T13:01:00.000+08:00

It's been a really long time since I've last crapped here. Procrastinated as always. Well today I thought I better write something before I embark on a sleepfest, which happens every Friday afternoon til night.

Anyhows, today also marked the end of the 4th School Examinations. So it comes the time where my eyes will be strained reading the hundred or so essays.

I bought myself a laptop. A Dell Inspiron 1520 to be exact. Very nice specs at a very reasonable if not low price. It will arrive next week, YAYS! And that purchase was made possible by cutting "budget allocations" for other purposes LOL.

I've been sick for the whole week, sucks.

Peace out peoples!

Sue me?

2007-09-29T22:50:00.000+08:00

Yesterday I had a class with 2E in the 3rd and 4th periods, the class thats all talk, literally. They don't just talk alot, but when they do it they seem to wanna let the other classes know. For the boys, if they aren't talking, they'll be sleeping.

So there's this boy, we'll call him C. He is a sleeping machine. Together with boy A, they ought to be the undisputed sleeping kings in class. However, boy A usually finishes his exercise before dozing off. As for boy C, I don't really remember ever having a conversation with him. When I'm teaching, he's sleeping. When the rest are doing their exercise, he's in paradise.

Yesterday's weather was pretty chilly and gloomy with a little drizzle. You'd expect half the class to be dozing off. But everybody was looking pretty energetic when I came in. Boy C was alive and arm wrestling with some of the boys. So I chided him that since he was full of energy that day, I expect him to copy down the literature notes that I'd be writing on the board. If he was to fall asleep, "Saya ketuk palak nanti."

So after giving 2 chapters of notes, I turned around to see boy C in his usual posture, head on the table, sleeping. So as I was walking over, his buddies were trying to wake him up to no avail. Standing right beside him, he woke up and looked up at me for a second and went back to sleep. So I "tepuk" his back once. Nothing. Another "tepuk". The dude woke up, looked in front for a while and went back to his sleeping posture. So what the heck, 2 more "tepuks", to which he raised his arm pushing my hand away.

Boy C then said in Iban, something like "Stupid, why hit people, so nice already i sleep." Maybe the little thought I do not understand the language. Bad call. So I told him nicely of course, "Itu bukan pukul, itu supaya kamu terbangun la." He went on in Iban, "Stupid, that was painful." (Notice that he mentioned 'Stupid' twice, or to be exact "Belik", which is Iban for stupid la.)

Me: Aiks?! Pandai pulak kamu complain.

Boy C: Sakit bah! Kalau mau bangun orang, cubalah picit-picit.

Me: *WTF* Macam lah saya tidak pernah buat macam itu dulu dengan kamu. Awal-awal tadi sudah saya warning yang saya tidak mau tengok kamu tidur. Sudahlah satu perkataan pun tidak salin.

Boy C went on about picit-picit.

Me: Ah, siapa suruh kamu ni lembik.

Oh the weekend..i can see it from here

2007-09-27T19:49:00.000+08:00

First of all I would like to express my sadness and anger on the death of little Nurin. The description on how she looked like when they found her, was sickening to the stomach to say the least. To her parents, my deepest condolences and *censored* you too for being outrageously irresponsible. SHOCKING! They sent their own daughter to her death. And eventually, dragged the education system into the mess. Our PM now wants a single-session system for all schools. I would probably be drained if that was to happen now. I mean, with mental torture already in place from 7 am to 12.40 pm, you gotta endure another 3 hours or so of physical endurance. Woohoo!

Had a chat with my 2F boys today during the last 2 periods. They asked me stuff about myself. I talked about college life. Movies. How to improve one's English in a less dull way. And ultimately, why they should always tuck-in their school uniform.

I told them I understand partly why they like to leave their shirts out. To look cool. The rocker image etc. They questioned why should there be a rule to disallow them from doing so. So I picked a boy who was in a total mess and called him upfront to be a prop. Then I told him to tuck in his shirt, which he did. I asked the boys whether he looked less crappy. They all thought so. I also added, the combination of colours of their uniform doesn't look good when they leave their shirt out. Which was partly horsesh*t :p.

2007-09-16T20:30:00.000+08:00

The Poslaju guys came and gave me this!

Yeah baby yeah! (the Austin Powers way). Finally I am a proud owner of this sexy thang! Next, the 07-08 Manchester United Home Kit!

It's back to school tomorrow. I guess I don't really dread the idea these days. Even if I have to wake up before 5.25 am every weekday. Check-in just before 6.45 am almost every weekday, no matter how early I get in the car. Somebody's probably fixing my schedule without me knowing. School's fun. My desk and seat aren't the cosiest, not to mention my view. Canteen's more than 100 meters away, and when you get there you don't have the luxury of even a fan to keep you cool. The kids can be such pain in the arse, they being ignorant and arrogant when your're trying to help them. What the heck, I don't even know where I'm going with this piece.

I miss my buddies. Money ain't nothing without them to share it with.

Anyhows, here's a random conversation I had with a student.

Me: Mackinney, why did you write these as your answers?

Mackinney: Why? What's wrong, sir?

Me: All the answers can be found easily in the passage. I want you to redo this exercise. And read the passage for the answers.

Mackinney: But teacher, my answers, itu semua dari hati saya.

So how was everyone's weekend? Not too bad I hope. Well wish you guys a wonderful week ahead.

Spiderpig..sleepypig

2007-09-08T20:52:00.000+08:00

Spiderpig, Spiderpig, does whatever a Spiderpig does. Can he swing, from a web? Not he can't, he's a pig...LOOK OUT! Here comes the Spiderpiggg.

It was in the news a couple of days ago. Not spiderpigs. But a standoff between alleged illegal pig farmers and the authorities.

Spiderpig....damn I love The Simpsons!

Grandad, he's in great spirits and good shape. You won't have imagined he was awfully sick in the hospital bed some weeks ago. His smile says it all. In fact, I think he's never looked as good looking as before! LoL

Anyhows, it's the end of a hectic week for me. Have been awfully busy with schoolwork that I forgot how it felt to have a decent evening nap, let alone a wonderful goodnight's sleep. Was so deprived of sleep that during my free periods spent in the staffroom, I've had to fight off the urge to fall asleep.

There was one instant, where I just closed my eyes, and *poof* I went straight to dreamland! Right at my desk! I think it lasted only for a few seconds, because I woke up as my body was slowly tilting into empty space.

For once, I actually wished I had a full daily schedule for that week. Being caught sleeping at work would definitely give me a bad rep. Even worse if I would snore. God have mercy on my colleagues if that would happen.

In fact, I think the staffroom setting didn't help as well. Unlike my time at SMK Kubong where we had cubicles, it's open here, as you can see in the picture. And to make matters worse, I have a crappy view from my seat.

So on Friday afternoon, I took a well deserved nap. I think the word "Nap" is an understatement. I dozed off by 3pm, and woke up sometime around 9.30 at night HaHaHa.

Take me away

2007-09-06T17:03:00.000+08:00

It's 5 minutes after 5 in the evening. I just woke up from an almost 2 hours nap :) . Finally I have no exam papers to mark and most importantly my exam analysis etc is done and dusted! That is why I can afford the luxury of some sleeping time. So finally today, I can get on with real teaching in the classrooms.

There are just so many things to write about actually.

I finally have some identity on me now. I've got a new driving license for starters. But it bloody cost me RM 50. 20 bucks worth of fine, and the rest for a 1 year renewal. earlier my wallet was already 30 bucks lighter when I went to apply for a new IC. To help myself feel good, I keep reminding myself its all worth it. I mean, finally I will look different on my IC. A more decent, nice guy look. No more paikia aka samseng photo lookalike. So I guess God has answered an unprayed prayer. If I had not lost my wallet, I would not be getting a new IC. HaHa.

Talking about God, I think I have given everything unto Him. I mean, I have put my complete trust and faith in Him regarding what I do, what I will do, what will happen etc. It feels good. I have no more worries about what would happen in the future. My hopes and my dreams, I commit unto Him. He da Man!

I miss playing badminton. Haven't been playing for almost a month now. Gonna go this Friday. Hopefully they're still playing lah.

Also I would like to take this time to welcome a new addition to the Yeo family. No I did not get married. Zephyr Yeo, newborn son of my cousin Jeremy & dearest wife Leonora. Who next? HeHe

I've just downloaded an excellent rip of The Simpsons Movie.

This is my little cousin Litad. My mom's namesake. She turned 3 in April. This picture was taken last year when she was still 2. She reminds me of Maggie from The Simpsons hahaha. I can say that Litad is my cutest..most adorable cousin!

Can't wait for the weekend to arrive! Sleepfest! As a matter of fact, I've already set plans to sleep the whole evening tomorrow ngehehee.

Merdeka Eve

2007-08-30T16:36:00.000+08:00

Grandpa Kong-kong is so much better. He was discharged from the hospital last week, and we had a thanksgiving dinner to celebrate his homecoming. Today he looks like the good ol' Kong. His legs are still weak, but at least he can now move around the house better, even without the walking support thingy. God is good.

I FINALLY made a police report regarding my lost wallet yesterday afternoon after school. I've never made a police report or anything before, so I was abit excited also lah. Upon entering, I was attended to immediately by a friendly police officer. Turned out making a report ain't much fuss as I had expected. So I would like to thank Lance Corporal Freddy Peter for his pleasant service. Today I went to JPN to apply for a new IC...and had to fork out RM 30 for the fees, dammit! I did not have enough left to get a new driving license from JPJ. Well, at least I have some identity now LOL.

School. It has been a hectic week. Working double-time to finish marking the exam papers of 6 classes. Mission completed lastnight. Tonight we'll be having the Ambang Kemerdekaan celebration at the school hall. I must say the teachers here memang bersemangat kemerdekaan yang tinggi. So bersemangat that I feel left out LOL.

Merdeka. Tomorrow will be the nation's 50th year of independence. Are we really there yet?

Happy Merdeka peoples

Picture of the Week

2007-08-19T18:29:00.001+08:00

When all else fail, read the manual

Sticking onto Nothing

2007-08-19T17:58:00.000+08:00

Grandpa "Kong-Kong" suffered from some complications on Friday. It was real bad I heard. I wasn't there then. But thank God he's getting better already. Everyone's been encouraging him, including the doctors. Kong just needs to have that will power to go on. Hopefully he's getting on to that now.

My other grandad, Grandpa "Ipu Balang" is also sick. He's going to Miri to see the specialist. Whether to proceed with the operation or not, we will know soon. Sigh.

My tonsil's been bugging me all week, though not as shitty as it was last year, but still annoying. And now I can't find my wallet. Either I misplaced it somewhere around the house or it slipped onto the car's floor which later dropped off the car when the door was opened. Today I conducted a SAR Ops in my bedroom and living room, but it was nowhere to be found. So it is highly possible that it's somewhere out there. Probably on the road, at the edge of a drain, lying on green grass, covered with sand, soaked by the rain.... I don't know. Probably some dude found it and kept it to himself. Nothing much in it. A Rm 1 note (see how broke I am), Identity Card, Driving License, ATM Card, discount card, some name cards and receipts. If someone had found it, I really expect him/her to return it.

Why. I only have a buck in it. My MyKad is screwed. My driving license expires in 3 months. My ATM card is worthless, I only have Rm 6.17 in my account. Discount card is useless in this part of the country. I just don't want to go through the hassles of reporting the loss of all those things and getting new ones. I don't want no bureaucratic bullshit! And most importantly, I want to cash my paycheck tomorrow...in peace.

Strange, my irritating tonsils and missing wallet creeps into my mind now and then, but sometimes I forget about them. I just can't stop thinking about both my grandads.

Dum spiro, spero

2007-08-15T17:15:00.000+08:00

I'm sick, have been sick for sometime now. Mom's sick. Grandad's really sick. No more fever and annoying flu for me, but am starting to cough on a more regular basis. Went to see the MA yesterday after speding sometime with Grandpa. My Dad's giving tuition to his son. MA gave me kick-ass medications compared to the ones given by the MA that examined me last week.

When I was with Grandpa this afternoon, Dr Yap came by and said the test reports showed good signs and they will be doing some more stuff to validate the results. And also I would like to thank him for the 2 days sick leave last week :p. I knew I put him in a difficult position when i asked for 2 days. He was like, "2 days ah?" "2 days...." "i dont normally give 2 days you know" "you want 2 days..." "2 days...." "i'm sick myself and only had 1 day off" "hmmmmm..." "2 days..." "but i guess it's more difficult being a teacher right" *fills in my sick leave*. A doctor friend is pretty handy I must say :p.

Back to Grandpa, he had his first ever ambulance ride on Sunday. I guess it kinda shocked my aunts & uncles when the helper told them something about him being carried to the ambulance. It wasn't an emergency situation. Grandpa had been feeling really weak since Saturday, especially his legs. Even by helping to support him walk was a tough task for me and Dad as he was heavier. So Dad asked my aunt Marianne, who's a nurse whether we could request an ambulance for such case. She said it would not be a problem and better still, it's FOC as Grandpa is a pensioner. So the ambulance came and Grandpa was comfortably stretchered downstairs.

Onto school matters. I arrived during exam week. A good thing for me to bed in, but i found out later it was sucky at times. Turned out, the teacher I was replacing was also a GSTT. And she had some work left undone, and gave me the honor to finish them. The question papers she prepared were behind schedule due to some "technical problems". So to cut the story short, yesterday morning was chaotic in the distribution of my question papers. I had not put down the names of the teachers responsible in invigilating the papers (I partly blame the teachers who went home on time the day before and the lack of written information available). And I had also forgot to attach the OMR answer sheets. I thought this was the biggest screw up in the school's PKS 3, until 'disaster' struck again, this time even a bigger pile of sh*t. It somehow made me feel better, even more so as it was the Head of the English Dept's mess :p.

Last Friday when I reported for duty was also the first time I set foot in the school. It was actually smaller than I had imagined. There were only 2 blocks of classrooms, 1 block for labs and then the administrative block which houses a cramped faculty room. The faculty room is just average in terms of comfort, and that's a compliment! I particularly dislike the seating arrangements. The teachers' tables are set classroom style, with rows and columns facing 1 direction. I was also surprised that due to limited classrooms, some forms had to take up buildings that were meant for other purposes. The most surprising was a class that was set up on the ground floor of a staff quarters. One element I find missing there are "jokers". Back in the previous school where I taught, there were always people who had something to say that would crack up the others.

I probably sound like I'm complaining haha. But I'm adapting. I just wish this cough would be gone real soon.

Looking forward to a nice weekend.

down with the sickness

2007-08-07T09:33:00.000+08:00

I'm very sick. Not the chronic type lah. Flu, slight fever and a sorethroat. The complete package. I've been sick since Saturday but it became worse day by day. I hope today (Tuesday) there will be some improvements.

Anyhows, yesterday I had my KPLI interview. Me & Dad started our journey from Limbang on a Sunday evening around 4.30pm. The timing was a big mistake. When we arrived at the Tedungan-Kuala Lurah border around 5pm, the queue was about a kilometer long and very slow moving! We got held up for almost 2 1/2 hours at the border. Brunei Immigration sucks!

So we arrived in Miri city just before 10pm. My interview was supposed to start at 8 the next morning, but I still had to complete my Borang Pernyataan Hasrat. There are 3 questions: 1) Why do you choose teaching as a profession. 2) State your experience in teaching. 3) If chosen, what will you contribute to the teaching field. I finally went to bed after 12.30am. Supposed to wake up at 6 but i didn't hear my alarm, and my Dad's alarm did not go off too. So we were up 20 mins late.

So I finally arrived at Maktab Perguruan Sarawak 10 minutes before 8am. When I got there, they were just starting to prepare the place for the interview, dammit! All the rush for nothing. There were supposed to be 6 candidates for the 8am slot, but 1 didn't turn up. So the 5 of us then sat for a table test, 30mins essay writing. After that we were told to wait in the hall while the interviewers do their stuff in the room. I thank God those 4 other candidates were the nice types. We got to know each other, joking etc. Alu sik nervous agik lekak ya. The next activity, we were to go through a group discussion, on the lack of civic-consciousness among students in schools for 30mins. No problems, nobody monopolized the discussion, everyone got their fair share. Perhaps the "bonding" thing worked haha.

Later on came the final stage, the individual interview. And I was the last one. The interview was pleasant to say the least. Formal of course but in a very relaxed atmosphere. I wasn't asked any general knowledge questions, which is cool. They mainly asked about my experience in teaching, the challenges I faced, the best moment etc. They then excused me, my hand was already holding the door knob when the chief interviewer called me again.

Chief: Benjamin, I must say that I'm impressed. Your English is very good!

Me: Oh, thank you madam.

Chief: So tell me Benjamin, how does a boy, born & raised in Limbang (i specifically said "born & raised" at the beginning of the interview when they asked me about myself) have a very good command of English?

Me: *still standing at the door* Well...

2nd Interviewer: Sit down Benjamin

Chief: Yes, come take a seat again. So, tell us...

Me: Television

Of course I mentioned other stuff like reading etc, not to mention both my parents are English teachers. It went on for a couple more minutes and then I was excused, but somehow I had forgotten to showed them my original IC, and they too forgot to ask me for that. So again my exit was delayed. I gave the chief my IC, she took a look and told me to state my IC number. With the birthdate, state code and 4 unique numbers. I did so, and remarked "Teacher's Day" at the end. Yes I was born on May 16. She smiled. Her smile was, I dunno. It was like a sign. Unless she was just mucking around with me haha. Will just have to wait til December 19.

I'll be teaching again tomorrow, at a secondary school. I hope i feel much better later today. Else might ask for MC.

Registration

2007-07-30T21:34:00.000+08:00

If the government were to proceed in requiring bloggers to register, I am definitely going to myself as a voter for general elections man. But realistically I doubt this can actually be done lah. Though a statement of the deputy minister concerned is rather amusing.

Asking bloggers to register with the government is not the same as censorship, Deputy Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor said yesterday. Perhaps aware of the criticism heaped on him in cyberspace after he announced the possibility in parliament on Wednesday, Shaziman was at pains to explain what he meant. "I only said ‘maybe’ we would do it (registration). I never said ‘censor’," he told reporters after launching PosLaju’s "Putrajaya Express", a same-day delivery courier service to the city and Cyberjaya. "We just want to know the number of bloggers, how many are active, how often they update their websites, and what kind of info is posted. It has nothing to do with censoring."

So if it's not about censorship, would they be interested in reading my dull blog? So these people would actually want to know what we do in life? What happened to us the day before? The latest gadgets we bought? A review of a pathetic movie?

Like what Marina Mahathir mentioned, our politicians don't know sh*t about blogging.

Okay so this will be my last say on this politicians vs bloggers thingy.

I'm starting to fall sick, i can see it coming. When I wake up tomorrow morning, I will have flu and a slight fever.

Blog War

2007-07-26T20:48:00.000+08:00

If politics brings you boredom that could be fatal to you, I suggest you stop reading at this point and view my photo gallery in the link provided on the right. But honestly, it's not about liking politics or otherwise, it's about being sensitive and conscious on the things going on that could have a huge impact on our lives as ordinary Malaysians.

Yep, any issue-sensitive Malaysian would know what's going on lately. The main governing component party is "at war" with bloggers. So for the past couple of days I've been surfing a number of blogs and websites. I came upon the website of Kelab Penyokong Maya UMNO, and this particular post caught my attention. After you have read that, now read the blog mentioned in that post here. What do you think? I've asked a couple of Muslim buddies about this and they thought it's nothing really. It's all political man!

I'm not gonna write more here, else might get myself in trouble :p. For the record, I'm not a member of any Opposition Party, not affiliated in any way. Nor am I a supporter of BN. I have no political affiliations.

F.E.A.R.

2007-07-25T13:18:00.000+08:00

If you have played the PC Game FEAR, it's an awesome game!

On a heavier note, lately there have been a lot being said by those in power about bloggers. Politicians have been ruffled by some of the things written in blogs. Some of them have suggested and warned that action be taken against these bloggers.

I smell fear.

ONLY THE FEARFUL WILL TRY TO INSTILL FEAR ONTO OTHERS!

My allegiance is to King & Country. Not the hypocrites that make up our politicians!

Lamak sik update blog (Long no update blog)

2007-07-21T14:30:00.000+08:00

Have you ever been so hungry that you did not want to eat?

Yeah, me neither.

I woke up pretty late today, at about 12.30 in the afternoon. I actually woke up much earlier, but I felt it was too early so I went back to sleep hee hee. But before you slack me off, I went to bed just before 5am okay? It was partly the coffee's fault, power man! Speaking of which, I've "formulated" a "hybrid" coffee that kicks ass! I am a coffee addict. And I live in a small town where top-notch "coffee infrastructure" such as your Starbucks etc is non-existent. So one could only be content with the various 3-in-1s, 5-in-1s of Nescafe, Ali cafe etc apart from the coffee shops. And so far, none of the shops here serve a wonderful cup/mug of coffee.

Having the experience of living away from home, having to prepare my own meals at times, with limited financial resources, I am very familiar with 2 these important words: "Modify, Improvise". So with that philosophy deeply ingrained in my mentality, I as I mentioned earlier, "formulated" a kick ass mug of coffee. If I could be vain in anything, it would be my F&B skills, even if it's actually closer to crap. But I'll just share this one with you:

What you need:
1 sachet of Ali Cafe (the one with sugar)

1 sachet of Nescafe or Ali Cafe (without sugar) note: I'd recommend Nescafe

1 tea spoon of Milo

2 tea spoons of milk powder (I think any milk powder would do, I used my mum's Anlene :p)

Instructions:
You know the drill lah. And I think it doesn't matter which one you put in first. But strangely I mixed mine in the order above. Served hot or cold. The above is recommended for 1 serving only (if you are using a mug).

Note: I strongly suggest you use the brands I've mentioned, except for the milk powder. You could probably try using other brands if those aren't available.

I hope you will like it. I love it! I think you'll love it. If you think it's crap, maybe you missed an important step in preparing it. Or you just don't have it in you as a coffee maker.

PS: I was really annoyed by a man driving a van this afternoon. I had side parked the car initially so that my grandad would have an easier time going to the pharmacy. When we were about to leave, I turned on the signal to indicate I was going out. But a van came from behind, so I had to let it pass first before I could turn into the street. But the bugger stopped his van at our side but abit to the front, right in the middle of the lane, thus blocking our way. If I was alone, I would have cursed. It's not that I'm being impatient. But the van driver was being totally unreasonable and incinsiderate. So what if he's stopping there just for a couple of minutes, he could have parked the van infront of us as there was more than ample space. To make matters worse, he didnt even had his signal light on, and you should know that people who do not give a damn about switching on their signal lights is a pain in my ass.

The reason why not all stupid & dumb motorists have had an accident or get killed is because there are smart & wise ones.

2007-07-11T23:34:00.000+08:00

As usual I was online lastnight until 4 in the morning. Hanging around in Yahoo Messenger with a couple of my buddies. Listening/Reading Bifi's lamentations or insecurities about his gayness and helping Jerome abit with his presentation preparation. At the same time past midnught, I kept going to the Ministry of Education's website every 20 minutes or so to check if the results have been released. But when it was already 4am, I thought the Ministry would only update the website during office hours.

So I passed the KPLI MTest...

WOOHOO!!! Yeah God is indeed merciful and true. The Man!

So the interview will be held on the 6th of next month, so I still a couple weeks to read up on stuff. And the good news is that those who applied for English will be interview totally in English, now thats a relief! On the flipside however, I might have to miss the English Football season opener, the Community Shield between Man Utd & Chelsea which is on the 5th, at 11pm. DANG!

PS: Screw the Premier League on trying to block Tevez's move to Man Utd!!

Malaysian Football: Still no light at the end of the tunnel

2007-07-03T14:18:00.000+08:00

Alright, does anybody care about our local football scene?

Yes I am a self-confessed Manchester United fanatic. But as a quote I once came upon years ago goes something like this, "A true football fan will always support his home tea." Home team meaning your local team." I believe in this. No matter how sh*tty your local team is, its your team, man. While I'm not much of a Sarawak FA fanatic as I am a Devil, I still follow the team. I'm happy when they win, disappointed when they lose. I keep up with the team news. Proud to be Sarawakian.

Okay when I went on NST's site earlier, I found out our National U-20 team was thrashed in their tour of Thailand. That sucks, really. I may have second thoughts being proud of this country at times, but I still support our national team. Anyways, as i read on, I came across a statement by the FAM Deputy President himself, the son of the Sultan of Pahang, regarding those thrashings.

The squad, coached by FA of Malaysia technical director Robert Alberts, was thrashed 8-0 and 5-0 respectively by Osotspa FC and Thailand International University in a playing tour of Thailand and the FAM is shocked.

FAM deputy president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah said: "I am shocked and Robert should be held resposible for these defeats."

I sympathize with Coach Alberts. But this isn't surprising. Nothing new. This is FAM. Always looking for a scapegoat. Always looking for someone to blame. Everytime the National team fails, it is the coach that gets the stick. Even more if the coach was a foreigner. Then they'll say local coaches can do as good if not better than foreign coaches. But then the pressure on foreign coaches are always higher and to some extent unreasonable. Just like feminists :p.

And if you are in the FAM hierarchy, you automatically get the privillege of blaming others when the National team screws up, the coach being the most convenient, heck you could probably even blame the FAM bus driver who drives the team bus. And the only people that would not be blamed is you and your fellow administrators and big wigs. The Secretary General, the Vice President and the President. Nobody blames them. Which is just understandable. How could the coach issue a press statement blaming the President? He'll definitely be given the boot.

FAM has been amusing and annoying Malaysians football fans for a long long time. It is a joke. A body that is run by clowns and jokers. Amateurs. In fact they should change their name from Football Association of Malaysia to Forever Amateur Management. Unless a complete overhaul of the leadership & administration happens, we'd be in the tunnel for a long run.

I'm blogging on a Monday...again.

2007-07-02T20:10:00.000+08:00

What's with me and Mondays? No idea

I had ice-cream this afternoon. Nestle's something-stick with Tiramisu flavour. Good value for the Rm1.20 though. Weather was fairly humid today.

Was supposed to go jogging, but somehow I got stuck editing FM 2007. Even the Editor is addictive, damn.

The KPLI Mtest results will be out tomorrow. Bit nervous about that. But with God's grace, everything will be smooth, I'm holding on to that in my nervous-ness. LOL

Peace out

Empty Conversations

2007-06-20T23:44:00.000+08:00

A random conversation on Yahoo Messenger that I had with my mate Bifi aka Fifie (still chatting at time of writing) He's dio_kereen. Here goes:

siR doNkey: damn..im having soda susu

dio_kereen: why?

siR doNkey: just wanna try

dio_kereen: owh...

dio_kereen: is it good?

dio_kereen: is it make u feel like 'high' heels?

siR doNkey: i dunno abt d high heels part

siR doNkey: but it is good

siR doNkey: isnt it an indonesian invention?

siR doNkey: abit like fantasi tat u order at point one

dio_kereen: yaya

dio_kereen: i know that

dio_kereen: but its cannot make high heel

siR doNkey: does it know u?

dio_kereen: yeah

dio_kereen: we're familiar with each other

siR doNkey: cool

siR doNkey: now we're same gang

dio_kereen: a kind of family connection la

siR doNkey: really?

dio_kereen: yeah

siR doNkey: ur mum or dad's side?

dio_kereen: my stepfather one

siR doNkey: oh

dio_kereen: did i mention u that my stepfather is a man?

siR doNkey: nope

siR doNkey: tats interesting

siR doNkey: how long has ur stepfather been a man?

dio_kereen: its been a while...

siR doNkey: how did ur mum react?

dio_kereen: just sometimes he changes to woman or half if he feel kind of want it

siR doNkey: so its a self-controlled sex change

dio_kereen: yeah

dio_kereen: he some how can transform into a different person...

dio_kereen: u know what

siR doNkey: what

dio_kereen: when my stepfather and my mum make out to create me

dio_kereen: my stepfather use saifu apek face...

siR doNkey: damn

dio_kereen: yeah

siR doNkey: but how come ur face like silvestre?

dio_kereen: now u know why my face like this right?

dio_kereen: is it?

siR doNkey: ur face isnt like saiful apek

dio_kereen: not my face man

dio_kereen: mystepfather face...

dio_kereen: its not his real face one

siR doNkey: damn its very complicated

dio_kereen: he just made itthat way

dio_kereen: my stepfather

dio_kereen: he is differet...

dio_kereen: he is the special one...

siR doNkey: when he is a woman..what do call him?

dio_kereen: now he do research in India with Dr.Mohindar Suresh..

siR doNkey: I know that doctor

dio_kereen: do u know Dr.Mohindar Suresh?

siR doNkey: from clinic khaira rite? near Bcb

dio_kereen: khaira?

dio_kereen: ya ya

dio_kereen: kind of that

siR doNkey: cool man

Amazing how such conversation can go on.

It's Monday again...

2007-06-18T20:34:00.000+08:00

It banjir-ed again in school this morning, on my last day. Which meant no classes the Year 1 & 2 kids, damn. On any other day, like last Monday it would have been a cool thing, having only 1 period with Year 5 for the whole day. But today was my last day, I wanted to have class with them little buggers for the last time, even if they piss me off, as usual. Oh well, so now I'm waiting for the call from my previous school should the English teacher post is still vacant. There's actually a vacant post at my mum's school starting today. Mum & her colleague asked if I was interested. But then I would be teaching Bahasa Malaysia, which is something I would really suck at. I mean, I don't even know what ayat majmuk or ayat tunggal means. And being colleagues with one of your parents is not a cool thing, not that they're not cool, it's just weird HaHa.

I finally got my Surat Pengiktirafan Kelayakan from JPA last Friday. As promised they Pos Laju-ed it, not that it was urgent, but I needed it to get my salary from my previous teaching stint processed, else they'd be paying me the SPM scale, and that's a huge difference from a graduate scale, probably around Rm 1,000 per month!! And you are right Andee those guys/gals at JPA do have a strange system. I called last Thursday evening to ask about my letter again, and told the person on the line that I was previously told my letter is done, just waiting for the officer to sign it. But when I told them this, they were kinda surprised, and they were asking each other about the status of my application in the background. Finally they forwarded my call to a superior, who told me that actually there's no letter yet as my application is still under consideration (Dammit, means I kenak bulak lah when I called previously). I told her I kinda need the letter next week, so she said they will send it by Pos Laju.

I slept for almost 5 hours earlier this evening. Damn.

Oh before I forget, I would like to wish my Dad a Happy Father's Day & Happy Birthday too!! Thanks for being a wonderful father, and may God continue to bless you.

Easy on Monday morning

2007-06-11T19:40:00.000+08:00

Woke up to a rainy Monday morning today. In fact it had been raining since lastnight. Secretly I was hoping I would get a call or sms saying we won't have to go to school today because it was flooded *grins*. I did my routine while hoping for that to happen, but it did not. And even the road to my school which is prone to flood was clear, damn.

Approaching the school, I saw a few cars by the roadside. Some were of my colleagues. See, we teachers don't park our cars by the roadside usually. As I drove closer, the school was flooded! The field wasn't to be seen. The pathway from the entrance to the school was invisibly underwater. YAYS! But turned out school was to go on. SIGH! So everyone had to walk in the water to the school. Good thing I had brought along my slippers, smart. So I began my walk in the water. The students probably loved it. Especially the boys haha. I thought it was a cool thing too. It was nothing to grouch or whine about. Damn I even wished the pathway was abit longer. LOL

SO the Year 1 & 2 students were told to return to their homes, while the rest stayed on to study. Which was a cool thing for me, initially. Supposed to have 4 periods with Year 1 and 2 periods with Year 2 today. My Monday is really long. So because of the flood, I only have to enter Year 5, which was only for 1 period. The rest of the day was dull. I did not bring my earphones so no music for me. I passed the first hour going through my lesson pla for tomorrow. And then, total boredom. Spent the rest of the day reading the novels from the Pusat Sumber. I must say they have much cooler novels these days, very contemporary.

Teacher & students walking in the water together-gether.

Then they stopped for a pose. Uztaz Fairuz & gang.

Ahh, the joys of going to school. Yours trully getting his feet wet.

Going back to school lalalalaaa

2007-06-10T19:16:00.001+08:00

When the school holidays first started, I set out complete 2 tasks. One, to get my daily lesson plan done (2 weeks behind :p), and to go jogging at least twice a week (due to badminton being cancelled during the school break). Due to my constant procrastination, I have not achieved any of those objectives. Dammit.

So it's back to school tomorrow, no more going to bed at 3-4am in the morning. No more waking up at 11am.

Photobucket.com is pissing me off. It's awfully slow. I mean really slow. And even that's an understatement. A snail would have completed a meter and photobucket would not even be showing my album page after logging in. Any ideas on other alternative websites where i can store my photos?

Peace out...and selamat kembali ke sekolah to students and teachers.

My Celebrity Look-alikes

2007-06-09T02:03:00.000+08:00

According to a website, these people look like me...

I've tried a couple of photos and Jet Li turned up in most of em. So can we conclude that Jet Li looks like me? HAHA. Some other interesting results from different photos include Evander Holyfield, Denzel Washington, SUHARTO!!

Fun stuff, go try it

Monday..boring Monday

2007-06-04T16:01:00.000+08:00

It's past 4 in the evening and it's still a dull Monday. Hopefully there's badminton tonight.

Anyhows, I suddenly had a thought about past-life theories, not that I believe in that. But I took a test, out of fun...or boredom. Here are the results of my past life diagnosis:

Your past life diagnosis:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't know how you feel about it, but you were male in your last earthly incarnation.You were born somewhere in the territory of modern Poland around the year 1700. Your profession was that of a trainer or holder of fine animals, such as birds..
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your brief psychological profile in your past life:
Person with huge energy, good in planning and supervising. If you were just garbage-man, you were chief garbage-man.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The lesson that your last past life brought to your present incarnation:
Your lesson is to learn humility and faith in spiritual principles. You should believe in higher reasons.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Do you remember now?

Pretty neat eh? LOL.

Then I found another test. What would be my best quality?

What's Your Best Quality? Your Result: Out-Going Your best quality is out-going! People like you because you are fun to be around and no one ever knows what you will do next. Also you are not afraid to say or do whatever you want.
Sense of Humor
Intelligence
Ambitious
Loving
Personality
What's Your Best Quality? Take More Quizzes

Out-going??

So I decided to take one last test/quiz...and I decided to see if I am datable enough.

Are You Datable? Your Result: You are Datable According to the results, you are ready to go on Dates and have all the benefits that come with it :) Go out there and find that someone superstar before you end up wasting your skills and have no one in your life..
You are 50/50 Datable
You are Not Datable
Are You Datable? Create MySpace Quizzes

Damn I'm datable....LOL

It's June

2007-06-03T21:49:00.000+08:00

Firstly, a belated Happy Gawai to my Dayak buddies.

Secondly, congratulations to my cousin Clarence on his wedding yesterday.

I just realised today is the 3rd of June. Just got back from Lawas earlier late afternoon. My Cousin Clarence got married yesterday. Well, had a really nice time, despite not having everyone there. The Kuching 'crew' were missing, except my Uncle David.

Met some new people. A particular new and interesting person (Ndru, i told you about this one). Wonderful stuff about that person. But upon reaching a point, I would have slapped myself or smack my head because of that. Then there's the feeling of guilt. The feeling of ashamedly breaking the unspoken code of men. Dammit hahaha. I let myself in deeper I'm afraid...not my fault entirely. It's gonna be alright, gonna be okay. *talks to self* "Must resist the Force!"

Anyhows! The Immigration & Customs checkpoint (I think you call it CIQ?) at Pandaruan was operational last Friday. Ok, now I just realised I didn't take any pictures. It is now more convenient for our Bruneian friends from Temburong who visit Limbang, or those from BSB, KB who are going to KK. They won't have to stop in the middle of town to get their passport stamped. At the same time easing the traffic conditions for us locals.

Another week of holidays for me. And it's really a holiday. I've settled the report cards for my kids (when I say kids, I mean my primary 1 students) before the holidays started. My stint in this school will end on the 18th. I'd probably be teaching at my previous school straight after that. One of the English teachers will be transferred, or maybe she's already left. Apparently the English Dept had my name recommended to the Principal as a relief teacher, unless a new teacher gets transferred to that school lah. Well, I guess it would be cool to get a month or two. The money would come in handy.

Also last Saturday I sat for the KPLI examinations. 5 papers: Analitikal, Kuantitatif, INSAK, BM & English. The INSAK paper is something like a personality test, interesting. But 30 minutes to answer 135 questions??? It didn't help that I always blacken my answers carefully, and thats time consuming! The Bm & English paper were okay. What troubled me were the Analitikal & Kuantitatif papers. Analitikal was something like an IQ test. But the style of the questions were redundant. So I felt it was not so intelligent of them to do that. My arch-nemesis...Maths have always proved to be a tough nut to crack. In this case, the Kuantitatif paper. 25 questions in 30 minutes. No calculators allowed. How on earth would someone who suck at numbers perform decently??? Out of the 25, I would honestly say that I could do only 5 the most. The rest were, well, faced by a "firing-squad".

Therefore I would like to voice some grievances here (not that it would matter). I applied to teach English. So couldn't they just give us papers that are related to the course that we applied for? Okay, so English teachers might be asked to teach Maths. But the Kuantitatif paper was more like University level math! Or Secondary school stuff at least. And this particular KPLI intake is for Primary School Education. Why would someone who applied for a BM course have to take the English & Kuantitatif paper? Just doesn't make enough sense. What if that someone who's brilliant in BM, and would make an excellent BM teacher fails the Kuantitatif & English paper? It won't be fair man. Are they looking for candidates who is a Master of 1 skill...or a Jack-of-all-trades? Okay enough whining LOL.

For the rest of my holidays, I'll try to finish of my season dvd of The Simpsons. And I need to get on the ass of JPA about my surat iktirak kelayakkan. Well Cuz Andee, I actually applied for that letter last month. No, it was April, before the interview for the Guru Pemulihan thingy. About 3 weeks ago I called, was put on hold for nearly 10 minutes (this is no BS), if not more. Then they probably forgot I was on the line, and they hung up on me. The following week I called, and they said the letter is ready, "Tunggu pegawai sign jer." Does it take that long for them to sign stuff??? Are they short of officers? Then they should have hired me when I applied for the PTD post last year. Are they short of pens at JPA? If so, then the salary increment would enable them to buy pens.

Talking about PTD, last week I engaged in a thread in the forum at Cari.com.my regarding employment. Specifically about firms who prefer to hire people who knows Mandarin. Then an idiot who is said to be a PTD showed up, his posting showed that he's a government officer. He began to insult the Chinese, calling them/us dogs, babi etc. One of his quotes was something like this, "...suka makan babi...patutla perangai macam babi..". Hurling racist statements is one thing, but coming from a government officer, a PTD lagik is a big thing. I replied, with good humour, and did not forget to highlight that I was proud to be a pork-eater LOL. I can't give a link here because those postings were deleted by the mod hehe. Mine included :(

Peace out!

SARAWAKIAN FiRST!!...all the bullsh*t second

Overdue

2007-05-29T22:58:00.000+08:00

Been a while since I've last updated this blog. It's the school holidays now, so I'll be having so much time, with so much to write (overdue/expired stuff mostly) but sadly so little desire. One reason being difficult to upload photos onto Photobucket. I've made up my mind that every post should have a photo/picture. Like the ones in tabloid mags with the caption "Gambar hiasan".

Anyhows I suppose i'll write about a couple of stuff in this post.

1) SCHOOL-LEVEL TEACHER'S DAY

Our school had our Teacher's Day celebration on May 19, a Friday. We didn't have it on its actual day because exams were on then. It's a really special occassion for me. Honestly I was excited. Well, because it was to be the first time celebrating that special day as a teacher. For once I will be appreciated *grins*.

SO first on the programme was an assembly. Then the reading of the speech from i don't recall who, but i guess it's either the Minister of Education or the Director. Didn't matter anyway *smirks*. Then the student rep gave a short speech...or was it a poem/sajak. Darn, just shows that I wasn't paying attention.

It became more interesting next, when it was the time to do the Poco-poco! So we had 4 students to show the rest of us how it was done. I guess we were doing ok for the first minute or two, and then we began to lose our steps...and finally everybody just stopped and just watch those 4 students strutting their dance moves. What was meant to be an exercise became a show haha. They were good though. Darn, now that I think of it, should have taken a video!

After that, it was time to get down and dirty...for us boys...those small boys and us big boys. Football! So the 5 of us men and a couple of students went against the whole boys (including unlimited subsitutions la). From the kick off the ball was passed to me, and in dash, 3 kids were around me. All i should do was make a simple pass to Uztaz Fairuz. But like what any real men would do, I tried to do the extravagant. There I was dragging the ball away from the 1st kid. Dummied the other. Turned the ball on the third. Ok time to pass. Swung my foot. SPLAT!!! Zidane-wannabe fell on his butt. SO it occurred to me...futsal shoes aren't meant for the field...especially a muddy and wet one. Studs matter. Scored a goal and we won the game 6-3...and had mud all over me.

Then I spent some time with my kids. They had brought some gifts for me. I lost count. Because they were all for the tummy haha. Some bottled drinks. Chocolates. Keropok durian (I despise durians but i didn't want to disappoint the kid who gave me that, so I told her I'll eat it at home....which I didn't la). There were some cakes and sandwiches. Good Lord, these kids really know how to feed their teacher. So here's a photo of my class kids, them lovely little buggers:

Front L-R: Franklin, Vanessa, Filicia, Sophia, Carberinie, Ronia, Francisca
Back L-R: Darriene, Fazzira, Flora, Calvin, Micky, Steward
Not in picture: Nur Syakirah (apparently she hates taking pictures)

2. GLORY GLORY MAN UNITED

I'm a Manchester United die-hard. Always have..always been..always be. It doesn't trouble me that a vast majority of my cousins & uncles on my mom's side are Liverpool fans. In fact I'm probably the only serious MU fan.

Anyhows, despite my devotion to this club, I've never owned a jersey. I did have one when I was around 8 or 9. I wasn't a fan then, that was before i fell in love with football.

So last month I bid for an MU away jersey on Lelong.com.my. Somehow some problems came up and i ended up receiving the jersey almost 3 weeks late, on a Saturday, just in time for the FA Cup final...which we lost though.

The Loves of my life, God...family...Manchester United, in that order. Heck, i think even during the times I was in relationships, my girlfriends weren't even placed above MU...LOL...sorry babes.

May 16

2007-05-16T21:48:00.000+08:00

Happy Teacher's Day to all teachers especially my Mum, my cousin Andy and his wife Linda, my mates Nijan & Deli..new teachers on the block.

And happy birthday to myself, haha.

Create your own Friend Test here

You're Beautiful

2007-05-10T22:14:00.000+08:00

Okay, so the content of this entry has got nothing to do with the title above, at least not in an objective or obvious manner.

Well, this has been a hectic and fairly stressful week for me at work. The primary 1 kids have been driving me crazy, but not to worry, my temper is still under control. They can be adorable and cute at times, and in a minute turn into an evil child that wants to be our biggest nightmare. The illiteracy rate doesn't help things for me. But its all good lah, they're just kids who are just 5 months into school life. As proof, the primary 2 kids are fine.

Even for myself, i'm still adapting to the new environment. Its very different from the previous school that I taught at. So much smaller...everything. The school, staff, students. So much farther from home as well, some 12km compared to just under 2km for my previous school.

Time flies really fast though, spending just 30mins per period. And when I am free, its really dull. No cafeteria/canteen to hangout, enjoying a cold glass of teh o peng as I always do previously. On the brightside, I don't have to face rude motherf*cking ahbengs, mat rempit wannabes etc of the secondary school. It's a different kind of stress here.

Next week will be exam week, so it would be quite relaxing. And I won't have to mark 150 essay papers here!! I had to crack my head abit to come up with the question papers though. Just earlier I just finished compiling questions for English Year 2 & 5. There's the Moral for Year 2 left. The Year 1 BM paper, I will source it from my mum's colleague :p , networking bah, save my time, plus I have no idea on how to set that one.

I'm gonna burn a huge hole in my pocket (thats already filled with holes) though, bearing the costs of photocopying all those exam papers, cause somethings wrong with the machine at the school, damnit!!

Well I thought I deserved a break this evening after photocopying the master copies. So I bought some bishop's nose and another chicken part, went to the Esplanade/Waterfront, and chilled, enjoying the sunset.

I really liked this one, dunno what its called though.

Liverpool - United Final?

2007-05-02T12:10:00.000+08:00

Wasted precious hours of sleep when I decided to watch the Liverpool - Chelsea Champions league 2nd Leg semi-final.

It wasn't really dull. But it was uninteresting. Nothing spectacular.

I was just checking some comments on BBC's website about the match. It's just normal that Liverpool fans are estatic. But most of them went to extent of describing the match as fantastic. And that they were the better team. For once I'll agree with Jose, you weren't the better team scousers. On both legs. Dirk Kuyt played one of his best games for Liverpool? What did the man do? Maybe its in the nature of Liverpool's fans to exaggerate stuff. Fact is, the match isn't even half as exciting as the MU - Milan match lastweek. The lack of goals I can except, but the way the games were played.....BORING

So tomorrow morning will be a big moment for Man Utd. I'm disappointed I have yet to receive the jersey that I bought. Else I might just stay up for that match for the first time wearing the shirt n watching this team that I adore. Win or lose, I just want to see a superb effort from the team. But of course I really want to win the cup haha.

New assignment, new haircut

2007-04-24T14:10:00.000+08:00

Lastnight I received an sms from my former BM cum form teacher and former colleague, Cikgu Mahda. He requested my help with his Masters assignment. Coming from him, i just can't reject. And this morning my Uncle Robert came and asked me to go to the Education Dept to settle my posting at his school, to relieve a teacher on maternity leave, who happened to be my Aunt Josephine who gave birth to a baby girl lastweek. This assignment would be different as I'll be teaching primary school kids. A new challenge! Primary One class teacher lagik.

I got myself a haircut after the trip to the Dept and breakfast. A crewcut at the oldskool barber shop.

After that I went to the mall to buy bathing soap and fabric softener. I bumped into Deli, and he said he didn't know Mawi is in Limbang. Curse him! At home, after my sis arrived, she asked why did I get a Mawi haircut. ARGHHH!!!