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If you're finding no more updates here, it probably means I've moved on.
If you're finding no more updates here, it probably means I've moved on.
Any working person would have told you how difficult it is to earn money. But the worst is still to come: how do we KEEP the money we earn? Everything you need requires you to part with your hard-earned cash. You pay for the electricity and water bills of your home. You pay for healthcare and insurance. You pay for fuel and insurance for your car. You pay for food (despite food being a “feel good” factor.) Even though you have the world at your fingertips, you still have to pay for internet access, hardware and software upgrades and accessories. You have to pay mortgage, loans and credit card bills. When you die, you still pay (ok, the money you willed to your beneficiaries to pay for your grave.) So here are a few tips to feel good without spending a single cent... if you do it correctly, that is.
1. Go for a walk in the park or seaside. Or better still if you can borrow a bicycle, may it be from your grandfather or your 5-year-old cousin. Choose a quiet spot or trail and feel the peacefulness of Zen surrounding you. Not before long, you’ll feel your fatigue and worries washed away. Well, almost. Doing it daily would improve confidence as well as physical image. Works best if you encounter chiseled abs or sweaty, voluptuous bodies.
2. Window shopping. Leave your credit cards and cash in the refrigerator and you’ll notice a whole new world! Eat as much as you can from free samples! Read the whole bookstore! Enjoy walking completely air-conditioned! Or just sit somewhere comfy and gossip about the people around you.
3. Socialize. Ask your friends out for a football game, window shopping at a mall, or get in touch with your religious group. Praying for divine help to boost your financial status might also work. However, refuse politely when asked for donations.
4. Love. The greatest elixir for a great life. Companionship between two (or more) people makes you feel amazing, but avoid eateries, malls, cinemas and jewelry shops. Mutual contentment, as we can say, is a problem halved. Or doubled.
So 31st of March has came and went. Now I'm just sitting around with nothing to do at home. But what an eventful day that was... I took my camera there and was snip-snapping away. Unfortunately the pictures can't be shown because "Not enough space on your account," so click here to view them (and if possible, can someone tell me how to free some space to add more pictures... thx)... It was a grand farewell as 4 other helpers were also leaving that day. So after work there's a huge party at the Beginner's Sparkles class (with Mrs. Shanti contributing most to the dishes) and what a sight to behold! There's currypuffs, curries, jellies, cakes, marinated chicken, even ice cream! Each of us also had gifts... mine was a money bag with the words "Put God first" and a key chain with the words "God is love"... the other's are practically the same albeit in different words and packaging. But the best of all is a card with pictures of all the teachers and staff of Tadika Rajawali...^_^
So. 1st of April. April Fool's Day. Well, regardless of the day, I went off to Popular in the morning for the sale... the books are badly misplaced and most of the hugely-discounted good books are practically out the window. (My heart leaped at the sight of a Picoult book at the 50% clearance area... but was sorely disappointed afterwards when I realised there's no sticker.) However, two hours of peeking around netted me only one real gem of the day: a Sophie Kinsella book at 50% discount! And the book, "Shopaholic Takes Manhattan", was otherwise perfect except for a few sticky bits on the cover which are easily removed with fingernails. RM16.45 after discount. My pride really hit the roof... hahahaha.... (Btw, after leafing through a few pages of the book, I finally knew where Jo got her blogging inspiration from...)
In the evening, Edwin suddenly called up asking me to watch "Ah Long Pte Ltd" at Gurney, 4.30 p.m. ... FREE! Originally I thought it's an April Fool joke, but when I arrive, there's Edwin with his brother, sister and his sister's friend waiting for the slowpoke. It was a barrelful of laughs, as expected from a Jack Neo film, but there's nothing really memorable (Fann Wong's acting was a little too wooden). Anyway, thanks for the free ticket...
My Gundam Throne Zwei is complete. But I regretted a little when I went to the Apek's shop at Midlands and saw my heart's desire there: 1/144 Infinite Justice Gundam. For RM63.90. There's even Destiny, Strike Freedom, Akatsuki (both versions), Aile Strike, Sword Impulse, Force Impulse, Aegis... Well, what's done is done. Now have to wait three more months for the next model kit...
- When I decided I wanted to stop working by the end of this month, it was when I feel I could handle no more than was in my hands. Now when the university applications have all been filled and sent, it felt like I’m quitting two months too early.
And there’s always this dreaded question asked by the teachers when they know I’m leaving: What do you plan to do now? Honestly, I have no immediate plans. Yes, maybe there’s one: to enjoy myself to the fullest before the harsh reality of solitary university life sets in. But I just cooked up something, saying I’ll be learning some home-keeping skills (cooking, doing laundry etc.) in preparation. Then advice and suggestions start pouring in; Mrs. Rudra even shared with me some tips to cook rice without the rice cooker. I really appreciate them, I do, but I was always reluctant to get work done. Then I remembered this memory work I learned while in the nursery:
“Commitments are important steps to guard us from disaster.”
I’ve never given further thought to that verse before. I thought it’s just a routine for the children to learn, but whatever the children are learning, I’m learning it too.
- MG Force Impulse Gundam is coming out in May!!!
- I was smitten once, but though there’s no more hope craziness remains... My jealousy was so deep I have to tear away from looking at Raikkonen’s pictures in the newspaper... Someone hit me with a tranquiliser!
- Once I stuck on One Piece I could never really stop... even though I’m only up to Ch239... Latest chapter? 493.
- Got HG 1/144 Gundam Throne Zwei (the one with the GN Fangs) for RM60 at Adrian's... Yeah, another sword to my collection!!! And btw, MG Destiny Gundam is going cheap at RM140... a very good deal, though my parents won't let me buy that one.
The Ptolemaios was destroyed, the crew's almost died out, and everyboby's counting on Setsuna to save the day. And that's with Gundam 00 almost ending it's first season's run. I just wished the death toll will not get any higher in Season 2, as things start to get really depressing... both in real life and reel life.
It was difficult choosing courses and universities to study locally. I would prefer to study at USM (nearer to Penang means less spending on transport home during the holidays) and take something which allows me to contribute to saving the environment (very noble indeed...). However, there's not much choices around here, so I have to settle for Chemical Engineering at USM at my first choice. Looking at quansheng's statistics on past entries, I feel that hope could be no more than a dream... I can take these courses elsewhere, but that means I've to go further away... and more time on the bus. Scary...
When all hope seems lost, I met up with representatives from the National University of Singapore and Nanyang during the recent FACON EduFair at Trader's Hotel... and they say there's no interview for Engineering courses. Phew! The info alone drove me so happily zooming to cloud nine I didn't bother to ask any other unis at the fair (I really dread interviews, you see)... until I hit a snag. EXPENSES! COST OF LIVING! 2.7x!!!! And with my results I don't even dare to ask for scholarships... Sigh.
And don't even ask about Australian or UK or US universities because I'm so not going there. The financial stuff would get you killed the moment you landed there.
So now I'm pondering... Where to? Beats me.
Btw, I'm quiting my job as kindy assistant by end of March. Luckily there's an excursion this Friday to Penang Turf Club that I won't miss out, hehe... Going to see horse!
I've been rather busy these few days... Even though I'm now online most of the time, I'm really busy looking around for info, planning trips and *ahem* reading some One Piece. Supposedly I'll continue being busy for the next few weeks, as I've got to seek lots of advice, so I've no time to express my joy for the new arrival of Gundam model kits, especially the HG GN Arms + Gundam Exia Trans-Am...
This few days you'll need lots of advice, so I suggest meeting up with Ms Pillay to discuss your future plans, or if you're planning for USM, you should ask the people there for options.
And there's no point of me telling you my STPM results coz they really suck... though I would want advice whether to apply for Singapore unis with this dismal results...
# 1 : Ok, the General election results are shocking but not unexpected. Ok, the Opposition won Penang and many other states. Ok, the voice of the people speaks out. Ok.
But don't those Chinese idiots realise they've been fooled? Because of this election, Gerakan and MCA, the Chinese reps in the government, has been almost totally wiped out. Because of this, the UMNO has become the real power behind BN. Now go tell the government we want PSDC scholarships and such. Who's there in MCA or Gerakan that can lend you a hand? The DAP was voted so-called 'to break UMNO hemegomy', but by voting for the opposition, we've surrendered the country right into UMNO's hands. There's no way the opposition could win over Malaysia, with Pahang, Sabah and Sarawak being BN strongholds.
And nobody suspects the real culprit behind all this: Anwar. He deftly twists his allegiance around, and still the people believes him. And most definitely he's gonna come back in. Everyone has been fooled, including DAP and PAS. Now look how PKR has made inroads, though the major wins are through DAP and PAS... I certainly won't want Anwar representing us Malaysians, no thanks.
But on a positive note, I can't wait to see what change Lim Guan Eng would bring to Penang... I hope it's for the better...
# 2 : Many other bad things happened on Saturday. MU lost to Portsmouth in the FA Cup. And Gundam 00 can no longer be watched from Crunchyroll because it has been licensed. Crap. But the worse is yet to come...
# 3 : STPM RESULTS on TUESDAY!!!!!!!!!! (falls to the floor, dead....)
“My name is Pride. I am a cheater.
I cheat you of your God-given destiny... because you demand your own way.
I cheat you of contentment... because you “deserve better than this.”
I cheat you of knowledge... because you already know it all.
I cheat you of healing... because you’re too full of me to forgive.
I cheat you of holiness... because you refuse to admit when you’re wrong.
I cheat you of vision... because you’d rather look in the mirror than out a window.
I cheat you of genuine friendship... because nobody’s going to know the real you.
I cheat you of love... because real romance demands sacrifice.
I cheat you of greatness in heaven... because you refuse to wash another’s feet on earth.
I cheat you of God’s glory... because I convince you to seek your own.
My name is Pride. I am a cheater.
You like me because you think I’m always looking out for you. Untrue.
I’m looking to make a fool of you.
God has so much for you, I admit, but don’t worry...
If you stick with me
You’ll never know.”
- Beth Moore, from Praying God’s Word
‘Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.’ – Proverbs 16:18
I know you hate lamentations, and yes, my colleagues have been stressing the importance of positive thinking (and praising the Lord...) so I'll make it short...
Being stubborn over little matters... Just recently I got into a spat with my mom over only a mistaken order of noodles. Yeah. There are times when my anger suddenly flares up for little reason at all. Somethings irrelevent I felt I need to make a stand like it's Doomsday or something if I didn't. And this, too, was the cause of another spat some time ago over an unreplied SMS (which indirectly involves unrequited feelings on her part^_^;;)
A few hours later I realised I'm in the wrong, but then... pride came in. I refused to admit it's my mistake, and I refused to give in. For pride. A simple 'sorry' was really the hardest word I can say at these situations. So what did I do? I took the most foolish way: Draw myself away. Refuse to communicate. And never getting closer to addressing the 'sorry' to the right recipients. I AM RIGHT SO WHY SHOULD I APOLOGISE?
Then today I read a leaflet distributed by the kindy (the place values staff morale, you see) about Pride. After reading it, I recalled all the things that I've done, in my pride, which I believed was right. No, I was wrong, am still wrong, and will still be wrong if continue on keeping all this errors in 'Silent' mode.
SO PLEASE, PLEASE DON'T BE A FOOL LIKE ME.
One day I'll post the article up...
Two days I went for the Star Education Fair at PISA. Two days I learned two wholly new things. And two days I met totally different group of friends.
Saturday, 1 March 2008:
There’s lots of excitement in my part, because this is going to be the first time I’m taking a bus up to PISA. (As always, I have transport trouble every Saturday.) I was hoping to meet Kit, Hon and Frank there at 2.00 p.m., so I set out from my home at 12.30, took a really crowded Hin Bus to KOMTAR, then continued on a Rapid. OK, all RapidPenang buses with the 300 code WILL pass PISA, but the worrying part is this: When to get out? Luckily I didn’t miss the stop and continue on to Batu Maung. Scary...
So when I reached there, I just made the 2.00 p.m. mark, but Kit said he’ll be there at 2.40, and Hon and Frank’s going on Sunday... So what to do? Walk around first la! The lower floor consist mostly of colleges offering Pre-U courses, so not much interest there... but there’s also a Ministry of Higher Education booth (it’s unmistakable with the globe floating above it... There’s where I got some knowledge about the course application codes and the SSPN) and UTM as well (any undergraduate worth his nut should know UTM is the best local university for engineering courses.) UTAR was crowded as usual, so skipped it... My heart leaped at the sight of Singapore institutions at the fair, but sadly they are only offering pre-U studies... Lonely and desperate, I went up to the upper floor... and guess what? I’m lonely no more... because I met lots of friends! OK, putting nostalgia aside, and now with Lee Kit in tow, we saw lots of local universities’ booths (the people at UPM were especially friendly), and lots of overseas ones as well, but the overseas institutions are mostly offering the arts subjects like hospitality, baking and, of course, art. Lots of nursing and medical courses too, from Lam Wah Ee to Switzerland, they are all there. Only thing missing was, well, representatives from Australian and UK universities... Later, we went for a seminar on funding higher education... together with Eric. And Pn. Doreen. The talk’s mostly on applying for the Star Education Fund and the PTPTN loan. Really invaluable information... especially when Lee Kit and I discussed DOTA strategies after the whole thing endedXD
Sunday, 2 March 2008:
The only reason I returned was to listen to the seminar on engineering. I was supposed to meet Lee Kit and Hon there by 1 p.m., but in the end, everyone’s late and they missed most of the fully-packed-like-sardines-because-it’s-so-good talk. Suddenly I realised being a professional engineer is going to be a lot harder than I thought... after the degree, there’s exams to sit for, and they include... an interview! This immediately came into mind: die diE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE!!!!!!! But at least I’ll face this only after 4 years... Shudder. Then we went around and managed to talk to an UTAR rep... too bad because she’s from the Business and Management faculty while we were asking for Engineering answers. But we managed to dig some info, and after that, guess what? We start meeting lots of friends, mostly in pairs. (Even Hon came as a pair... but you guys already know it right?;)
That gives lots of things to think about... and emotions to keep in check... I’m getting envious of all the pairing up...
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