Posted by
Alex
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
examination periood, there`s always a strong craving for holiday trips.
I went through hours/days/weeks of thought before deciding not to go for AUDC (despite me screaming at Benjamin for deciding not to go for Australs). Definitely not a choice I wanted, but rather, a choice I had to make.
As a result, come this holiday, I don`t have to study for supplementaries. Which also means I can put in all my effort in preparing for the upcoming tournaments. 3 weeks of holidays and there are filled with national level debate inter varsities.
So, here`s how I plan to spend them.
Week 1 : Holiday with ex-classmates.
Week 2 : International Humanitarian Law debate and Mom`s birthday. Going to take her out of something.
Week 3 : UiTM Arau Inter varsity (way up in Perlis) and I`m thinking of stopping by Langkawi.
The only thing that needs planning now is getting my ex classmates who are scattered across Malaysia and some abroad. I`m also torn between choosing two places:
1) the cooling highlands of Cameron Highland

those hills are so tempting..

tea plantation

Or!!
2) The island of cheap liquor!!! Langkawi


It`s been 4 years since I last met some of my classmates. I really hope I can make this trip happen.
*at the same time, I felt like I`m the only one that want the trip... belehh....
Posted by
Alex
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
I stayed in the examination hall for 1 hour.
35 minutes of it is spent staring at one fill-in the blank question.
I know I know the answer, but I can`t remember.
I kept staring at the question.
..............
Ironically the questions only account for 1 mark out of 60, which will then translate into a mere 10% of my total marks. Which literally means, that the question which I spent 35 minutes of unproductive thinking is only 0.16 marks of my overall coursework.
..
.
In the end, I drew smileys on the blanks :) :) :) :)
Posted by
Alex
Monday, April 28, 2008
Posted by
Alex
Sunday, April 27, 2008
for chinese food.
to play a new piano piece.
to complete all my assignments.
to the next socials (wherever that maybe)
to the end of my examination
to travel to a new country...
I hate my monotonous life
...
I need some changes.
...
suggestions anyone???
Posted by
Alex
Saturday, April 26, 2008
I`m horribly lazy to update my blog with all the assignments piling up. Here`s a few pictures of socials last Friday, taken from Jing En 's blog. I like her captions :) :) visit her blog for more pictures.
The Africans, Indians, Pakistani and Malaysians. Voices is one of the few clubs that can truly claim a multiracial representation.

The Indian Poker Game. *all those with spade, put a pin cloth on your nipple. Gasp.

another one, * all those with face cards smack each other's ass.. cruel game indeed.

there`s no better place to take group picture than the kitchen`s entrance. swt.

Jing En`s a lot 'shorter' than me. :P :P :P :P :P

Dale and food. It`s only natural.

Looking forward for the next one...after the exams.
Posted by
Alex
Friday, April 25, 2008
What I say here might not make any sense to some people. (though it doesn`t really made sense in the end anyway.)
I was in a thermodynamics class learning reacting mixture when I suddenly had an epiphany. Many of the power cycles flashed through my head and I thought of utilizing water as fuel.Right now, there are already available means of harvesting energy from hydrogen. And since you can get hydrogen from water (through electrolysis)....
Say if we draw water from rivers, conduct electrolysis process to hydrogen and oxygen, run them through a combustion chamber, use the air expansion in the first turbine generate electricity for the electrolysis process and the remainder of the air expansion in the second turbine can be use to generate electricity.
It almost sounds too goo to be true. It is not a perpetual motion machine (mechanical students should know this) because it does not violate the law of thermodynamics since water is lost in the process and the energy produced is a result from the lost of chemical energy through combustion. Since water is free... we get free energy.
BUT!!!!
I soon realized that`s stupid. The energy used in electrolysis will be more than the energy harvested during the air expansion. There's a fundamental flaw in my assumption. The atomic compound of the fuel (i.e water) will be exactly the same after those processes. It`s a redundant work of converting water to hydrogen and oxygen and then changing it back to water through combustion. No water is lost during the process and thus, even if the efficiency is 100%, you`ll only get back the same amount of energy spent during the electrolysis process.
Like the saying goes, if it`s too good to be true, it`s probably false.
Posted by
Alex
Thursday, April 24, 2008
It`s been quite sometime since I last had a bbq at home. And it was good :)
It was a little expensive this time cuz we overspent on buying food. Though, as a result.. we had plenty of them. Lambs, chickens, sausage, corn.... (since I`m quite sick of chicken, I took mostly lambs and corn :P )
*look what`s cooking..
I`ve talked to a bunch of people who I don`t usually mingle with. I don`t remember the last time I laugh at stupid jokes and certainly, this party brings back those nostalgic feelings.
Putra attempting an erotic post
Thanks Aaron, Ivan, Muharram, Ben, Putra, Kay Lyn, Hui Yin, Yi Chong and those I'm unable to name. It was a great night.
Posted by
Alex
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Posted by
Alex
It`s crazy how assignments (henceforth; the ass.) can pile up easily. All of a sudden, I have 6 due this week. More than 1 for each day.
Monday
- Measurement and Instrumentation long report - 15 pages.
Wednesday
- Thermodynamics Cooling Tower lab report - 8 pages. (of calculation.. gasp)
Thursday
- Thermodynamics: Design a power cycle. - 10 pages (of calculation and DRAWING!! double gasp)
Friday (dooms day)
- Engineering Design assignment : 5 pages
- Cyberprenueship Financial Report : 10 pages.
- Measurement and Instrumentation Tutorial Assignment : 12 pages.
Really, lack of coordination in the administration causes this. You should never have 3 due dates in a day and 6 in a week. This is discounting the fact that I have a mid term next Tuesday and finals is like 2 weeks away. Better get my ass. moving now.
*I heard some had midterms and quiz this week too. Poor them.
Posted by
Alex
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
It`s nice isn`t it? (die if you think otherwise)
Took quite a lot of effort. I burnt the midnight oil searching for templates- Juli can testify to that. I finally figure out how to use the Beta blogger template (I`m currently using the classic one) so my options for template multiplied.
After screening hundreds of template, I found one that I like. Then I realized that, shit, I`m not familiar with XML codes. So I spent time reading about them, about expanding widgets and blah blah...
and I still don`t understand them.
So I gave up and revert back to classic. Hours later, I stumbled upon this template. I loved it. Since I'm working on a familiar platform, I added a few things. There`s a RSS feed and that recent reader widget looks quite cool. I also update all the old blog links and added Kay Lyn, Benj, CP, Sully and Kristine's blog.
Done.All that took me 5 hours in total. Hardly worth it... but so as long as I`m happy... looking at my new layout. Please tell me you like it too? wink wink wink
Posted by
Alex
Monday, April 21, 2008
Moreover, on a blissful Monday morning.
Tweety bird says : I saw, I saw... a clown?
WTF????? what is a clown doing here in MMU? ( making balloon doggies to solve the stray cat issue??)
Posted by
Alex
Sunday, April 20, 2008
While 1/3 of the world goes to bed hungry, it`s ironic that some of us have so much food sometimes.
Yesterday, the Student Publication Board had their appreciation dinner at my house. My virtue of being the president`s house mate, I get free food, not that they can finish anyway. Here`s the amount of food left after the party.
8 boxes of large pizzas, one bucket of KFC, and few dozen of sausage, nuggets and fries.

Since a lot of these food can`t be kept overnight, the few of us who's still around struggled to finish it. Then I thought of something. If only we can invent machine that can transfer leftovers immediately to the hungry. We really might solve the world hunger issue.
The problem does not only stem from lack of production. In fact, I believed the world wide production can sustain everyone. In only someone can work out the logistic, and set aside economic and political gain... pity those children who`s longing for a bowl of rice. *and Alex continues to stuff himself with another sausage.
Posted by
Alex
Friday, April 18, 2008
I couldn`t pull myself to blog. More like, I just don`t feel like doing anything. Classes have become very stressful as I suddenly become an object to be picked at. Apparently I was label 'having a bad attitude' and 'acting 'over smart' because I asked the lecturer to speed up a little. (I thought spending 1 hour on 1 question which can be solve within 15 minutes is too long).
Tensions between me and lecturer escalates. It`s not like the first time I piss some lecturer off. In the past, I had read a book, read news, play need for speed, slept, answered the phone... all in front of the lecturer while sitting on the front rows. But most of the lecturer didn`t mind and in fact, most of them are quite close and are willing to help when I seek them for favours. (not bribing or exam tips)
Though, the one I`m currently pissed at is a pure asshole. The world will be better if we have lesser of these type of people. And I really mean it. Being completely unreasonable, I file my complains all the way to the associate dean to override his decisions. Though, I`m still extremely depress that I have to resort to this.
I suppose this is what people called a pyrrhic victory. Even though I got what I wanted, but all the commotion caused is not worth it. I really should had opt to drop the subject instead.
Posted by
Alex
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
10 Apr, Thu | 41 | |
11 Apr, Fri | 56 | |
12 Apr, Sat | 40 | |
13 Apr, Sun | 45 | |
14 Apr, Mon | 57 | |
15 Apr, Tue | 186 | |
Why is there such a big jump of visitors?
The only clue I have is that they were all searching for the picture of Audi R8.
Damm, more random ppl are visiting this blog.
Posted by
Alex
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
is that it`s f$*%ed up.
Last minute one of the debaters in the final pulled out because he's sick. And I don`t know who, why, and how I was suddenly force to replace him.
With no preparation at all, I had to debate. Lousy crowd, lousy motion and no motivation to debate... I went up as government calling for the abolishment of student union in Malaysia.

It came as a surprise that my team (comprising of Jasmine and Daniel) won over Dale's (with BC and Yi Ling. A lot of the arguments was form during the debate itself... and I didn`t know how I pulled it off either.
Just glad that it`s finally over and we can focus on partying future debates instead :)
Posted by
Alex
Monday, April 14, 2008
Since I have nothing new to blog about, lets post random pictures of what happen last week. (apart from the fair)
The International Business students staged a play. A story about how some people who got stranded in an Island rediscover the elements of trade and currency.
That`s Kat, playing the role of Mr World Bank. That was suppose to be a dramatic entrance and a parody of Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Carribean.
Another group of people is doing something in campus also. The International Students were organizing an event called Around the World in 3 days. Though, when we say international students, it`s usually the Arabs... It`s really more like Around Middle East in 3 days.
I think that`s an Iranian Dance.... or something along those lines.
Speaking about dance, the things that people do for RM 200 bucks... includes dancing and sucking on bananas in public.
Hey people..it`s literally a banana... not 'banana'. Actually there`re two (bananas) there in the picture (one guy each.)
Why was I there? I don't know. At that point in time, I felt like being anywhere except home. So, when I came to know Siraj is going to Pure, I just jump in. As random as I maybe, it`s no surprise I randomly met people also.
And randomly taking their picture. (that's Siraj`s friend, whose name I obviously don't remember).
And by random chance, I met Suria. It was her birthday. And it was her that gave me presents (free drinks cuz it`s ladies night). Heee.... As a token of appreciation, Happy Birthday once again Suria :P
and that concludes a random post from a boring person who`s bored because he have nothing to do but be random again tomorrow.
Posted by
Alex
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Well, another weekend passed.
I spent it on debating again. Voices was requested by ILMU, the english department of MMU to organize a debate tournament. In exchange, we get some cash and if we win the prize money, the club can have more cash to spend on future tournaments. (yes... we do channel it all back into the club).
This tourney, we called it the Malacca Invitational Debating Tournament, aka MIDT. It predecessor are the MMU closed, which turns out to be quite disastrous in the past 2 years. Lousy participation, lousy debaters, lousy show at the finals. We had a glimmer of hope this year that it will be a better tournament since we`re allowing our club members to participate, where last year had rules that kept the seniors away last year in order to maintain a fairer playing field.
In addition, we suppose to have 3 other participating institution, until 1 of them pulled out because a gay model who recently took a taxi ride to space decided to visit their institution. Another institution withdraw probably because they chickened out. That leaves us with only UTeM, who sent 1 team because the rest decide that it`s better spent their weekend at their home town.
It turned out quite fine. I can see all the days spent on training actually paid off. The juniors deliver better speeches and some were quite entertaining. For me, it was a decent way to spent the weekend. Free food, some drinks and socials in the night, a movie after the end of the tournament and more importantly, great friends.
Only problem is, tomorrow`s Monday..... and did I forget to do my assignments again? damm.
Posted by
Alex
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Posted by
Alex
Friday, April 11, 2008
The summary of the 3 crazy days.

The tents were set up from 2am till dawn. Yawnssss...

The rest of the people decorate their booth from 9am and after. Some stalls are really creative (like installing a 'windmill' )

some are crazy, like the one above. I still don`t know who`s the guy behind the paper bag. I only know for certain he`s one of the guys in my class....

I thought that was actually quite funny. :P

A total of 60 stalls, approximate 600 operators, and thousands of customers (during lunch time especially)

Poor Alex got sunburned. I became significantly darker in just one day.

But at the end of the day. it`s worth it. Despite all the complains and ruthless people.... it`s all part of the experience. For now, I`m glad that it`s over and I can finally start recuperating. (sleeping)