When October Ends

When October ends, exams end.

When October ends, the study ends.

When October ends, freedom begins.

Thank YOU God...Again

Thanks for puling me through again. *hugs*

Check It Out!!

Okay..so this is a special post for a special month occuring in a special year. It's 10.10.10 people!! But that's not why this month nor this year is special. It's because someone very special is turning 21 in October!! Yes, its yours truly. Sadly, exams fall around my birthday so celebrations have to be kept short and frugal. But it's ok. It gives me an excuse to party hard when I get back to Malaysia. That's all for this special post.

JB out!!

Reminisce

For once in a long long time I've touched Dota again and goodness I suck. BIG TIME. Was asked to a lan party at a friend's place and I've gotta say I played really poorly. Well, that's what you get when you don't practice.

Speaking of games, it's really weird that all the love for gaming is starting to reappear and it doesn't help when one of your friends just bought and Xbox 360!! I have an untouched Halo 3 cd in my cupboard and I intend to finish it by next week.

My neck hurts now from playing too long with all that stress building up to my shoulders. Bleh.. think I'll turn in soon.

Ramblings

It's times like these at 2.30am in the morning with a freezing weather outside you just don't feel like taking a bath. Why didn't I take a bath earlier you say? Well let's just say my bathing patterns are not the only things that have changed since the spring decided to go awol and winter weather has graced us again with chilly winds and dropping temperatures.

I used to hear stories when I was a kid of how you don't have to take a bath in winter because its SOOOOO cold. Well it's pretty true. The cold is a very strong deterrent to the notion of taking a bath. Sleeping with a little stickiness seems so inviting than the thought of stripping down bare and braving the cold to the bathroom, AND BACK!! Or it could just be plain laziness. Lazy to take a bath. Yes the cold here does something to your brain and induces you to make poor decisions. How'd you think I'd procrastinate taking a bath till 2.30 in the morning?

On another note, sleeping time has been fluctuating. Sometimes, bed time is before 12am. On other occasions, its at 3am in the morning. A comforting fact to know that lectures are recorded, hence the availability to wake up at 12pm or later. I've found out that I can sleep in cycles of a few hours at intervals of the day.

The math is simple; I have a total of about 9 to 10 sleep hours in a day. The catch is that I would sleep at 6am, wake up at 9am, do some stuffs till about lunch time, hit the sack at about 2pm and wake again at maybe 7pm and have dinner and you get the idea. Cool? SO NOT!! I feel like I've wasted the day sleeping. Well, this is Hobart and you only get to do something when the sun is up. After dark its pretty much a date with the laptop.

Okay, enough rambling for now. My hair is crying out for a bath. Oh the cold!!

The Same Wall

Usually when one hits a wall, he diverts direction to avoid the wall. Even so, there are some instances where knocking at the wall does not cause one to change direction. Instead, the bizarre happens; he keeps knocking at the same wall, not learning from past experiences how to get past the wall.

I was stuck up late at last night again doing my assignment. Once again it's good old procrastination eating away at my study drive. Perhaps something more encouraging; I actually did start the assignment early this time. The only problem was that I had only sufficient drive to read the question and go through some articles before my battery died and left me hanging till about one week before due date. Bleh.. this sucks. Ok, next time I know that I have to just slave through. Wish me all the best :P

Snow

It snowed in Hobart!!

Let it snow, Let It Snow, LET IT SNOW!!

*bells jingling*

*Sigh..*

"If you don't want a person in on something, wouldn't it just be nicer to exclude the person from the said something?"

That's what someone very very close to me said when she felt left out. Funny how you can see the flaws of conduct in other people but you can't see your own when you're doing the exact same flaw to others around you.

And You Ask...

You've asked me whether I think you're hermity or whether people think you're hermity.

I kinda know why.

I Think...

That there's a link between dumping Clarice in the boot of Elvine's car last night and her bad dream on claustrophobia this morning.

Party

It's been awhile since I've last partied at a club and drank booze like fish drinking water. That's probably the reason why I've got this slight hangover from last night's birthday bash at O Bar. Not to mention I had already boozed up before I came and drank some more once I've got there. With the amount of experience I've got with alcohol, I suspected that I needed a break after 7 glasses (I think), which is poor performance on my part (at least 10 glasses before I start getting a bit crazy). Well good thing for the break if not it'll be another Halloween repeat like last year. Come to think of it, I wasn't boozed up during Halloween last year. Bleh.. anyways, I had a good time with girlfriend and our friends. Not forgetting a big,

Happy Birthday Chik Yoong!!

Next party!!

Taking Charge

Ok ok..so I haven't been going to classes. But the thing is that it's all recorded. Now, the problem is that I have not been catching up despite I do have a lot of free time on my hands. It's getting pretty hectic now. Tutes have started and assignments due dates are out. Oh boy.. it sure seems like another repeat of last semester. It's time to stop catching up to work but take charge instead. Yes, taking charge starts today.

Of course that's after I finish my lunch.

Overdue

Can't believe I forgot to put up a thank you post for the next most awesome person ever, Clarice Chan, for being there for me when I needed a hug, moral support, my room cleaned and my water bottle refilled :P

Love you loads!!

xoxo

A Good Good Night

I know this blog hasn't been updated much. Haven't really thought much of putting anything down lately. But here's something worth putting down; the 2010 OCF Convention Fundraising Dinner, which I must say went extremely well. THANK YOU GOD!! :)

Have been planning the programme and performances for the dinner for about a month now I think and it has all paid off even though we had to cut down the number of people attending.

On another note, Clarice, myself and some friends got together to perform for the dinner at it went reasonably well. I said reasonably because I've got a sore throat. Everyone's been getting sick lately. I'm guessing it's the cold. Winter ma. Anyways, had a friend to beatbox which was pretty darn awesome!! Albeit the sore throat, I could sing reasonably well. Heard the replay from one of my friend's camera. Sounded like I was out of breath and I sang quite softly. Not the best but you've got to do with what you've got. Thank God for helping us keep together.

Top the night off with good food, excellent company and a hilarious comedy performance by Jeremy Bay, it was a good good night. Not to forget about the Singapore army talk. Found out that there are some pretty lethal guys in OCF. NO JOKE! You've got a guy whose trained to shoot planes down. Another is trained in chemical warfare. Put a trigger happy medic, a recon guy and a GI in the mix and you've got yourself a pretty well rounded team. Good thing I'm on good terms with all of them :P

It was good playing in a band again. Twas a good night.

The Trip

I have three words about the Melbourne trip:

I LOVE MELBOURNE!!!

Honestly, it felt oh soooo good to be back in a city where buildings are more than 5 storeys tall. The people, the buildings, the malls, the cars, the city atmosphere. I've missed it all. You know you've been away from 'proper' civilisation when you start going goo-goo-ga-ga over every tall building you see and the amount of people there are on the streets.

One of the first few things you notice when you're walking around Melbourne city is that everyone and I mean EVERYONE is soooo fashionable. People just dress so well there. Another thing, is that it's full of Asian people. It's good to be back to a place where I feel somewhat home away form home in a sense that there is a sizeable number of Asian people walking the streets which makes it feel kind off like back home. And STARBUCKS!! It's soooo nice to see that green mermaid again.

You realise what you've been missing out when you're in Melbourne. The shopping was fantastic. I bought 12 items which consisted of:

a) 7 t-shirts

b) 1 shirt

c) 1 pair of jeans

d) 1 pair of boardshorts

e) 2 hoodies. One for me and another for Clarice

f) 2 tops. I call them tops because I have no idea what they are.

The cash-ualty count, $410. Not too bad though out of the 8 of us who went on the trip, I took the title of biggest spender.

Planned on going to a famous club in Melbourne called Seven (7) or something like that. Unfortunately, one of our buddies didn't bring his ID so it was a no go. There was this pretty neat roof top bar that had a very nice view of the city. Went in to check the place out while the guys tried to convince the security guard to let our ID-less friend in. The bright side, we're planning to come back again after the 2nd semester for another round :P And this time ALL with IDs.

Summary of the trip:

1) Love the shopping malls. Chadstone you rock!!! Felt soooo alive after that.

2) Love the food. Roast pork, duck and chicken was too good. Also had teh ais. YAY!!

3) Love the people. Very very pretty girls everywhere. Just an observation.

4) Love Melbourne loads.

A Break and More

It's been a bad exam. Repeating the same thing twice probably proves the point. And of course there's the whole, "It's ok Josh. I'm sure you did better then you thought you did." The truth of the matter is that there are times you know you're really dead. And this exam so happens to be one of those times. I screwed up a major paper and I already know I'll have to take it again next year. The results aren't out but I just know it. Not to mention, this is the first time in my life where I've gone into an exam and cam out not even confident of passing ONE paper. NOT EVEN ONE. What's worse is that I actually tried to study. I prepared all my notes in advance, listened to all the lectures and even read the freakin' text book. But it appears that all that effort wasn't enough. It's all over for now but I know that I'll be needing to face them again in the future. On the bright side, at least I'm a little bit more prepared for the next round.

It's been a real test of character for me I suppose. I'm usually optimistic about exams and stuff, not really caring whether I do awesomely well. Just enough to get by and pass. But with all the effort put in prior, my world just crumbled at the fact that I have to repeat the same subject again next year. It's just such an overwhelming feeling of gloom and despair that I couldn't help but wallow in self pity for a good few hours. I must mention that Clarice has been a God sent to just be there. Guess that's why I love her so much. I didn't make it easy for her in my period of 'grieving' so to speak. But she stuck through and I am grateful for that.

What was pretty amazing to me was the fact that my mom wasn't furious at all when I told her that I failed one paper already. What's more is that she sent me an email saying that there's more to life than pursuing a degree. I didn't pick up the phone when she called twice. I simply wasn't ready to face the music but apparently, there is no music to face, not even a sound to a symphony of anger and fury. I thank God for that and for such understanding (if I can call it that) parents to whom are still going to fund my extra semester.

There's just so many lessons to be learnt, so much moulding of character, and a strengthening of bonds because of this bad exam experience. I really am caught in a dilemma here; whether to be thankful for this blessing in disguise or to just wish that I had gone through no problem. The fact is that it's all past now and there's no other way to go except forward. Things are looking up. I've got a job teaching a kid how to play guitar and a trip to Melbourne with some friends. It's not the end of the world, just that it took a step back than what I thought it would be.

Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him,because He cares for you.

I Peter 5:6-7

Exams

It's been a bad exam :(

First Paper

Corporations Law down.

gotta keep a positive mindset. be optimistic Josh like you always are.

The Best

You're the best la :)

happy 6th

xoxo

Some Free Time

I have found some free time on my hands so I'd best use this time to update my horrible excuse of a blog. Well, I've pretty much got my notes done ready. I've purposely left out some minor touch-ups to be done just prior to the exams. I find that it helps to get my head in gear for the subject if I start out with some sort of work instead of trying to dive straight in memorising the subject matter. As a matter of fact, there's only one subject that requires a sick amount of memorisation which is Trusts. The rest are all open book and I've kind off prepared for the exam sheets for the rest. Currently preparing for Family Law, and speaking of which, there's something awfully dreary about preparing notes for Family. I'm praying really hard that all the popular areas come out for the exams for ALL the papers. **prays hard. PRAY WITH ME!! :P**

Have been living a very sad lifestyle. No surprise there. It IS exams time. Btw, some random information for you guys. Study week here is called SWOTVAC which is an acronym for Study week With Out Teaching Vacation. Right, back to sad lifestyle. Meal times are erratic and what I eat depends on whether I missed meal time because I tend to nap past dinner time. Sleeping patterns times are after 5am. Last Thursday I didn't sleep till 9am. Woke up at 12pm. Pretty crappy lifestyle indeed. But what to do, gotta work hard to pass your exams. Really thank God for sustaining me thus far and I'm sure He's going to see me through this like usual. The only difference this time is that I want to score. Passing is not an option. For once in a long time, I've decided to work my butt off for an exam. The last time was SPM which paid off quite well.

Okay..random posting ends here.

there's definitely more to life than this, it's just the exam period

Roll On

Weekend to recuperate myself for all the late nights and early mornings. Gotta keep rolling on. One more week left.

Pre-Exam Rambles

I know it's been awhile since I last posted up something. Well, the fact is, I'm actually trying to study really hard to score well for my exams. It's a first for me really. A first in staying up till the wee hours of the morning, sometimes to even catch the sunrise, with my head in the books. A first on living on chocolate bars, tim tams, energy drinks and minimal sleep. Thank God this only happens when exams are around the corner. On the flipside, I wouldn't have to go through such rigorous study regimes if I'd actually starting really studying and doing notes from day 1 of the semester. Still having that same old problem of procrastination. Sneaky little parasite it is.

It's funny how all this change is coming to me when I'm so far away from home; where I am not under any supervision or scrutiny of anyone. In hindsight, I always remember my mom telling me how is she going to let me go overseas if I don't buck up in my studies. Studies weren't exactly my forte. Yeah I got through my education so far and in some instances, only possible with I believe, some sort of divine intervention (No kidding!!). But yes, I digress. The freedom of doing whatever I want without ever having to be accountable to a parent would have been a grave and very valid fear based on my easy-go-lucky behaviour. The fact that I'm in Tassie now at least shows that I did not go down the pipes. Still scraping through exams and still living under the grace of God.

I admit that there has been a gradual change for the better since I left home. What I am still struggling to comprehend is the exponential change in my attitude to my studies ever since I got to Tassie. I've always told myself that passing is fine and I don't mind passing and just getting my degree. Karpal Singh wasn't a very bright law student but look at him now. That USED to be my attitude. Now, I really do take my studies on a more serious note; almost to a competitive, short of kiasu, level. I should probably mention that Clarice has been a significant influence in moulding the degree of change that has been happening. My mom would call this a positive influence for the better. I don't know what to call it. I know this is supposed to be a good thing but I do hate this feeling of trying to always look for ways to get an edge over everyone. I have to keep telling myself that this is not a competition and I really want everyone to win. It's a constant struggle though.

Heck, I'm still trying to grasp this new attitude. It's not easy after so many years of living on a "hakuna matata" wave to carry you through college. This is yet another journey of discovery and I do feel like this is going to be one long journey. Guess this is where my thoughts end. The time now is 3am. Getting back to work.

Once Said..

Just remembered this phrase which I said awhile back.

"Fairy tales should just stay in story books."

Don't mind eating my own words on this one.

It's 5.40am and I'm still awake. Not going to sleep just yet. Looks like I'll be catching the sunrise.

So It Begins...

Crunch time starts today.

You're The Man

~thank You God for an awesome friend~

~you know who you are~

Busy Weekend

Plans for this weekend:

1. Accompany Clarice down to her interview.
2. Go for performance practice for the engagement party.
3. Go for the engagement party.
4. Catch up on lectures.
5. Make my notes.
6. Study.

I'll need to have all these done in the next 48 hours. With items 1,2,3 booked for the whole of Saturday, that leaves me with Sat night to start on the next 3 items. That's where the 2 cans of Mother sitting in my fridge are for. With some help, I can do this. *rawr*

And boy it's just freakin' freezing!!

Last One

Done with the last assignment for the semester. No more excuses and procrastination. It's go time with the study.

Procrastination

Gotta stop procrastinating. Exams are coming and I need to get that Family Court Report done. Need a major drive right now. Booo-ness.

Back To Normal

Well first off, THANK YOU GOD FOR HELPING CLARICE PULL THROUGH. Also I'd like to give thank all you guys out there who have extended you're get well wishes and to all the doctors to be and the doctor who have been so helpful in giving advice. You all are an awesome bunch. Needless to say, she's doing fine now and things are returning back to normal pretty fast though her voice is still a bit off but other than that it all seems to be business as usual. Poking, making lame jokes, attempting to make lame jokes, talking, smiling, laughing. Funny how I used to find her laughs pretty annoying and sometimes I still do. But I guess you really don't know what you've got till it's gone for awhile. A new found appreciation for her laugh.

A theory of mine is that everytime you get sick, when you recover, you're not the same person anymore than you were before. Well it doesn't take a genius to figure that one out. The experience you go through does change you a little bit. When I said this theory of mine to Clarice, I had her in mind as the person who had changed. But actually, it's not just her that's changed. Yup, I've changed a bit too. Kan I already said I had a new found appreciation. It's a shame how she has to fall super sickly for me to realise and appreciate her a little bit better. Perhaps the take home message for me from all this is that to really value the little things in life which I take for granted, often overlooked. Gonna have to definitely change that. Anyways, the bottom line: it's good to have you back. Love you loads.

Back On Your Feet

If you're watching a movie and eating dinner, and not sleeping at 10pm and still watching a movie, you'll be back in no time.

Thank God you're getting better :)

OCF Convention 20TEN

Just found out that I'm in charge of the programme of the biggest fundraiser dinner to date to be organised by the OCF here in Hobart. Not to mention I am also helping out in the publicity for the OCF Convention. I don't think this is what I meant by serving again, but I guess someone has other plans for me. It's going to be busy weeks ahead.

5

Happy 5th month-versary baby. Get well soon so I can take you out :)

xoxo

GG

Body status report after basketball game:

- Feet = blister

- Legs = aching

- Torso = aching

- Back = aching

- Everything else = still ok

There goes study time. Bleh..

Laser Tag + Steak Pt 2

Well my tummy is fine now after spending some time on the porcelain throne this morning. The problem now is that yesterday's game of laser tag had me going all commando, eg: crouching around corners, running low. All very tiring moves to be done right after a full meal, and no warm ups. So now, I've got two aching thighs, an aching torso, a stiff back and a stiff neck. Oh stay home and rest you say? I'd do that if I didn't already promise to go for a basketball game in an hour.

GG.

Laser Tag + Steak

Laser tag + steak = upset tummy.

Yes, I was asking myself who was the smart alec who suggested laser tag after having a huge portion of rump steak for dinner. The operative word here being 'was' because as soon as I asked the question, the answer came to me, I was the smart alec. Yes, so I kind off brought a potential indigestion on myself. The bathroom's nearby. Nothing to worry about. Anyways, I've heard so much about the steak and finally I had the chance to try it and I'm not impressed. I could have cooked that. Just needed to buy a big enough steak and pan fry it. Well, I'm not going back there for steak. Maybe for the chicken parma though. Someone from CG ordered it and it looked absolutely delish.

Laser tag was a pretty ok. Wanted to have the Singaporeans on one team and have the Malaysians on another. Well, the Singaporeans all said that it wouldn't be fair because they have less people on their team. Welcome to reality guys. Okay.. so being a bit mean there. I'm sorry but like making jokes about Singaporeans because I know they do the same to us. Or maybe because I'm just racist. But it's all just friendly jokes really. Besides, we're all Christian. If you don't know, that's supposed to be a joke. It's okay if you don't get it. Go watch Borat.

I'm now stuck in my room writing this post with an upset tummy and it's all my fault. But heck, it was worth it kicking ass in laser tag. Heheh.. BOOYAH!

:)

And I'm here thinking how did I get you.

And I hope that's what you've been thinking too.

Heartfelt

When speculations are cleared,

when questions are answered,

when the past is revealed,

when feelings show,

when emotions run,

when tears are shed,

when heartstrings are pulled,

and

when the heart bleeds,

you'll know the love is real.

History Repeats Itself

It's going to be another "Corps" weekend.

It's Not Over

Trust exam might be over but Property assignment is due just around the corner and by just around the corner I mean by this Monday!! Out of the fire and into the frying pan.

Trust

It's not just an exam this Thursday but also what I need to do.

~Trust in the Lord and He will make your paths straight~

Take Me Away

This time all I want is You

There is no one else

Who can take Your place

This time You burn me with Your eyes

You see past all the lies

You take it all away

I've seen it all and it's never enough

It keeps leaving me needing You

Take me away

Take me away

I've got nothing left to say

Just take me away

I try to make my way to You

But I still I feel so lost

I don't know what else I can do

I've seen it all and it's never enough

It keeps me leaving me needing You

Take me away

Take me away

I've got nothing left to say

Just take me away

Don't give up on me yet

Don't forget who I am

I know I'm not there yet

But don't let me stay here alone

This time all I want is You

There is no one else

Who can take Your place

This time You burn me with Your eyes

You see past all the lies

You take it all away

I've seen enough and it's never enough

It keeps leaving me needing You

Take me away

Take me away

I've got nothing left to say

Just take me away

Screwed Up

N86 can't connect bluetooth to my Macbook. I didn't pay so much for the phone to screw up like this!! HELP!! :(

Joshie New

Before I flew to Tassie, I was telling everyone who were willing to listen that I would be flying off with 3 really somewhat kiasu classmates. And one happens to be your significant other. With this in mind, me being me, the happy go lucky vocational student of the bunch, I make a mental note not to turn in the kiasu direction.

That people, was 2 months ago. Today, I am somewhat turning kiasu. I'd like to call it being studious. Yes, that sounds a lot better. I'm actually starting to do my summary notes (something which I've never done before) and actually read and go through really really big text books. Text books that can kill you if I dropped it in you. The reality now is that I am resiling my happy go lucky ways. This is all thanks to Clarice for scaring me early on in the semester by going to the library, borrowing books and printing out articles right after classes. Perhaps my mom was right. Hm..

Now you really have Joshie New!! What's weird is that I kind off enjoy this feeling of being studious; a sense of productivity and accomplishment after doing your notes and going through the text. I'm left here wondering sometimes why didn't I get this study drift years ago. A sign of maturity? Well, I've always been a late bloomer anyways. Better late than never i suppose. Guess all I have to do now is to ride this wave and not let the momentum slide because I'll need all the waves that I can get.

Looks like it's another journey of discovery for me.

God Is Good

If you guys still remember somewhere in a previous post, I wrote about a journey of discovery due to my last minute preparation for my Corporations Assignment. Well fellas, the marks for the assignment are in and I passed with a 55%. *looks up and thanks God*

I know I may be pushing the phrase "God Is Good" to the borders of out-of-context (please don't strike me God), but really, if there is a really good example of God's strength, grace and wisdom is that even after my procrastination and 11th hour crap, He has made me pull through. Yes, it isn't exceptional marks but honestly, God isn't going to give me superduper marks without putting in any effort of my own.

It's a balancing act, I believe, between your own personal effort and God's effort. In hindsight, I've come to the realisation that it has been 10% Me and 90% God in my studies. Sometimes the amount of effort I put in is not proportionate to the marks I get. Now don't get me wrong here. I'm not taking His grace for granted. The point here is that God really is with you in all your endeavours, in this case, studies.

The catch here is that I must first honour God because in doing that, He will honour you. Being a very vocational student, with a "as long as I pass, I'm good" mentality, God does honour me with a pass this time. Although I must say that some people here are making me feel the pinch. In other words, I'm becoming very kiasu. But I'll save the kiasu-ness for another time. Once again, a big shout out to the big G for being there for me, and who will always be.

~the Lord will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore~

Hm..

Speed bumps perhaps? :)

Taopok

Been taopok-ed twice today. And it's not even my birthday. Had cake in my face and hair and the traditional taopok (being pinned on the ground with a pile of people on top). My hair is starting to smell funny and my tummy still feels a bit weird but it was all worth it :P

Lint

I hate lint on my shirts. I hate those minute strands of fabric that sticks to your clothes like moths smothered in glue to a lamp. They just don't want to get off you. This is particularly the case when I wear black shirts which so happens to be the preferred colour for my clothing. Yes, brack black is a very versatile colour. However, with all the pros it carries, one of the biggest cons is that you can see lint the moment it lands on the shirt!!

Maybe it's because I'm a little vain but I really don't feel comfortable with a shirt full of lint. I don't want to walk around with an unclean shirt. I think of lint as dirt. What do you do when you get dirt on your shirt? Yes, you wipe it off. You wouldn't to wear a dirty shirt in public now would you? I didn't think so.

So to settle this little setback with clothing, I have bought a lint roller (why didn't I get one sooner). It's super uber effective that it not only rolls off the lint, but also the fabric of the shirt!! So now my shirt has a fur like feel to it. Well it's not that bad and you can't really tell anyways. Well, here's to lint free shirts

God bless the guy who invented lint rollers. Amen.

My Macbook

I am pleased to announce that I've got a new Macbook to replace my Macbook Pro. A big thank you goes out to mum and dad who have given me the green light to purchase this awesome machine. Pictures to ensue.

Hm..

You can give without loving, but you can't love without giving.

"Official"

Now, her parents know.

I Still Want Mac

I have good news and I have bad news.

The bad news:

My Mbp can't be fixed for free :'( Apparently it wasn't the chipset problem, but rather the video display card problem. Total cost to rectify this, AUS$1211.60. It has cents because of tax.

The good news:

The Mbp can't be fixed!!! :) That means it's time to change Macs. Yes, I had a MacBook Pro which I did not fully utitlize. It was, in honest truth, substantially just a really expensive MP3 player. So this time round, I'm going to be smart and get a MacBook instead. No need to go spend unecessary money. And what's really cool is that the dude at the comp shop can convert my old hard disk from the Mbp into an external hard disk. It's not free though (duh!). It'll cost me AUS$160. Beats having to pay 55 bucks just for the diagnostics. Might as well just save what I can and sell the rest on Ebay. I'm banking on someone to give me 100 bucks or more for my Mbp. It's still worth something.

What I'm looking at now is a the MacBook which is going for AUS$1299 here, GST included. Compare that with the cost to fix my Mbp, you'd want to get a new one too. Stidents here get discounts as well and a free iPod if I'm not mistaken. Makes you want to buy even more now. What's left is that I'll just have to convince my mom to send over the cash and then it's go time. I can't wait. Heeheehee.. :P

Easter Camp 2010

Was at the OCF Easter Camp from the 1st till the 3rd and it really has been another journey for me. The camp was excellent and the food was terrific. Haven't had such good food for awhile. Two thumbs up for the chicken rice. OCF has some really good cooks and most of them guys (only one girl in the kitchen mind you) so keep the blessing rolling guys and girls. Was made group leader for the camp. Honestly I didn't want to because I wanted to be a normal camper. Didn't want to have responsibilities for once. It has been awhile since I've been a normal camper. Always had something to do. You're either leading a group, in the worship team, camp commitee or all three at the same time. Looking back, it was a good learning experience for me. And I thank God for reassuring me during the sermons that what I was talking about during the devotions were correct. I did worry about whether what I said was correct because people were actually taking notes!! Overall I'd say that it was a refreshing camp for me. Didn't really learn anything new because I've heard all those sermons before. But it's good to hear them again because I belive that sometimes we need a good reminder and recently, I've had a lot of reminding. And I especially thank God for touching those that He did in that special way. If there's one lesson that I've been reminded of is that at the point where you feel so hopeless, when all seems lost, when circumstances seem to be so overwhelming, or basically when you've had it with what has been going on, God in His awesome power WILL pull you through, and from experience, literally pull you through. You will watch over our coming and going, both now and forevermore.

Bugs

I think there's something wrong with the IE here cuz it's really messing up my fonts and alignments so I'll prolly be writing in one whole long paragraph till my Mac arrives. Yes, it's still not back from repair yet. Just have to be patient. Bleh..

Retail Therapy

Shopping is a luxury that I don't have here. I'm in Hobart city (they call it a "city" here), where the tallest building so happens to be a casino which is I reckon is 20 storeys max? So when casinos are the tallest buildings around, you're not going to find many shopping malls, period. But it's not all that bad. There's this place called Eastlands and it's the biggest shopping centre in Hobart. If you've been shopping in KL like me for the past 2 years, it's not very big. But beggars can't be choosers so I have to be happy with what I have. Well, I went down to do some shopping yesterday for winter clothing and I AM VERY VERY HAPPY. Black hoodie/jacket, AUS$140. did I mention that it looks excellent on me? Alright, maybe a little too narcistic but hey, I love the jacket. 1 shirt form Jays Jays, and 2 more from Cotton On. Total damage, AUS$200. It feels good to have actually bought something after such a long time. It's quite too bad that some people don't really see shopping as 'therapeutic' as it would be for me. Some see it as very stressing because they can't make up their minds about a particular pair of boots/shoes or a shirt; basically about something they want to buy. And the deliberation process goes on for a week or more. I just take a few hours to come to a decision. Well, I can't blame you if you're a girl because there's loads of stuffs for you out there. For guys, I'd say you're really fickle minded if you take more than a week because let's face it, you're flippin dude!! We're generally supposed to go in and out of the store the first time round with something in our hands. But I suppose every general rule has an exception. Some say retail therapy doesn't really work or more like it doesn't last for very long. Well, I'll just have to enjoy it while it lasts then.

Bug?

The previous post won't show the spacing. Hm..

TNB VS WWF

As the title of the post suggests, it is a fight between Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), your friendly neighbourhood energy supplier against the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), not the World Wrestling Federation. That one if you don't vote for WWF to win you love Malaysia too much. Good thing for TNB that this is not a fight of brawn agaisnt brawn but a legal fight. TNB is suing WWf for organizing Earth Hour.

Yes ladies and gentlemen, you heard me right. TNB wants to SUE WWF for trying to conserve energy and promote coonservasion awareness. The world is clearly coming to an end when altruistic intentions become a pain in someone elses ass. So why is TNB suing WWF? Because TNB president and CEO Dato’ Sri Che Khalib Mohd Noh won't get his fat year end bonus salary this year as he thought he would. Mr Che here says that TNB is losing money in that one hour when lights are swtiched off and that is a waste of energy.

This just shows you how much we care about the conservation of our planet. I mean, you can't turn off the power plants for just one hour? You could send the tech guys a memo to turn them off like A YEAR IN ADVANCE! Last years total net income was RM107.91 mil. Who says TNB isn't making money. You're not making money when you can use your fingers to count your profit.

The TNB CEO says to be pround of our lights. As a Malaysian, I am proud of our lights. I'd be more proud if I knew that every year, I can help mother earth to help keep producing electricity in the future because I had given her the only 1 hour break that she'll ever get in a year. Can someone educate this man on the conservation of the planet please?

The CEO calls the Earth Hour a 'cultural invasion, a concerted assault by extreme liberal forces aimed to destabilise poorer nations’. Hmm..sounds like he's expecting a take over of somekind. I don't know about you guys but to show the whole world that we care about the environment and conservation of the planets resources by switching off for just an hour doesn't seem so bad. What kind of image do you think countries will have on Malaysia when the case goes public, which it most probably will. It's not rocket science people.

"Let’s unite as 1Malaysia, and tell these green terrorists that we will not go dark! We will not switch off! Let’s tell them that we love our lights!" Mm.. Malaysia boleh.

Self Discovery

This past week has been a journey of discovery for me. I have discovered that:

1) I can write 1000 words, reference and research material in one night.

2) I can get through the day with just over 3 hours of sleep.

3) I become very forgetful when I have only 3 hours of sleep (duh..no surprise there).

4) I need to read things more carefully.

5) I need to be very well informed.

6) Energy drinks don't really work on me.

7) I can't seem to fight procrastination. Yes, very sad.

It's assignments like Corporations Law that drives you to embark on journeys of self discovery. Well that's if you've procrastinated fora whole month and only started doing your assignment with 3 days left till the due date!!

I wouldn't say I didn't do any work for that entire month. I did a basic research on the company and a rough idea of the answers. I doubt that anyone could have crunched up 1000 words in a night from scratch. It will be a brave student to do that, and I take of my hat to you if you've done so.

I did say I needed to be very well informed. It so happens that I had no idea that the assignment carried a whopping 40% of the total marks for Corps(e) Law. To make it look worse, a friend of mine told me that it was worth the 40% and he's:

a) not in my class

b) not studying law

c) not even studying in the uni, and

d) I only see him once a week!!

Yes, I have left my brain on the shelf. But the bright side of it is that the assignment due date is today and I have handed it in. This journey ends here and a new one begins...

FAMILY LAW SEMINAR PAPER!!!

Half Way

It's 5.25 am on a Saturday and I am half way through my assignment. Thank YOU God. Now I have to go the bedsies and go sleepsies. zzzz...

2000 Words

Right, Joshie New has procrastinated long enough and is now going to start REALLY writing a 2000 word assignement with only 3 more days left till the due date. God help me.

Finally

The recent decay in posts are all thanks to the demise of my MacbookPro's screen. I had to walk a good 20 minutes up Elizabeth Street before I got to the place. The funny thing is that I didn't imagine the Elizabeth Street would have been THAT long and the place THAT far. Well the good news is that I have sent it for a diagnostics test (after procrastinating for sooo long) and the bad news is that there might not be a problem with the chipset. Your're probably going, "Why the heck would Josh want his Mac to have aproblem with his chipset?" Well the beauty of this whole problem is (if I can say so myself) is that Apple will totally fix it for free. Yes you heard me right. for freakin' FREE!! Ah.. God bless Apple. This obly applies IF the Mac has a problem with the chipset. If not, I'll be paying a hell lot more than free I can assure you that. It's all up to you now God. Let it be the chipset and pwease pwease pwease let the hard disk be fine. I've got a lot of stuffs in there. I miss my music.

Oh Joy! *note the sarcasm*

The Macbook Pro is now screwed. And I have an assignment due in 2 weeks.

Be joyful in all circumstances ~ got it from Sunday sermon. Timely, very timely.

Cookies & Cream Shake

Take this

Plus thisMixed together with this

In this

And you'll end up with this

AWESOME STUFF!!

My Return

Had a chat with my mom on msn and she dropped something on me which I found a bit of something from a movie. She said, "You're father is waiting for your return." I had this image of a young prince who had been wandering the earth in training to one day take over the throne to rule. Just in case you were wondering, no, I am in no way equating myself to a prince. It was just an image, an analogy that popped inside this noggin of mine. I get this feeling of great responsibility and expectancy upon my shoulder when I read that. I know I'm supposed to take over the firm one day but this kind of had a different tone to it. It seemed to me for a moment that Dad won't be totally 100% into politics until I return. I understand why he's getting involved in all this. For the sake of justice and to uphold the rights of the poor, the needy and the oppressed.

The prince carries the hope and wishes of the people when he becomes king. Likewise, I feel like I'm carrying the hope and wishes of my Dad. Yes, I look up to him very much. I remember him telling me once that he wants to see us make it in life and be better than him. Looking back now, I laugh at this statement. He has set the bar pretty high. Too high for my comfort. Now, he's waiting for me to return and take the lead and set a standard. There's nothing I can't handle. Or at least that's what I tell myself when I'm faced with something uncertain. Hey, go in with a positive attitude. I want to leave an impact in people's lives. Leave my mark in the hearts of people. Leave my legacy in the history pages of people's minds. Leave an impression just like what Dad is doing now. And he's getting there with his list of landmark cases on NCR and in the not so distant future, participating in the general elections. The bar just seems to get higher and higher.

Some people don't like living in the shadow of other people. But really, I don't mind.

Procrastilazination

There's something really easy going, laid back, almost peaceful, about listening to rock music with raindrops hanging by the window and the rain softly pelting the grass outside. The lighting in my room isn't helping with the mood either. The general idea for today was to start working on my Corps tute but it isn't really working for me now. Tried working on it last night but was kind off spent. I feel like it's going to be a really slow afternoon today, which is a good thing I suppose. Will probably need all the time I can get.

It's funny how I know I've got to prepare for tomorrow's tute but I just don't sense the urgency in doing it. Some call it lazy, to some, it's known as procrastination. Well, I don't really know what to call it. I didn't procrastinate because I actually attempted to do it but didn't continue on with it for a long time. Maybe it's a little bit of both. Having trouble coming up with a word now. I think it's going to be a pretty mundane routine this semester. I told myself that I would not get really involved in any activities this semester albeit OCF and fencing. Passing this semester is definitely of utmost importance.

The key here is definitely time management. And being the kind off guy I am, easy-going and laid back, I generally take my time at everything and leave most of the work at the end. It doesn't sound too hard to just come back from class and sit down and spend 2 hours reading up on what has been taught in class. It's still a wonder how come I haven't really gotten the hang of it after 20 years. But there has been improvement la. I can't be that hopeless you know. Well, we must perfect what must be perfected and time management is obviously something I need to perfect. Okay, so some of you people reading this must be thinking get your ass off the comp and start getting to it!!I suppose I should. Oh, I think I've failed to mention that I'M ABSOLUTELY INTIMIDATED BY THICK TEXT BOOKS!! Yes, I'm a law student. Correction, I'm a lost law student.

Everything

Find me here
Speak to me
I want to feel You
I need to hear You
You are the light
That's leading me
To the place where I find peace again.

You are the strength, that keeps me walking.
You are the hope, that keeps me trusting.
You are the light to my soul.
You are my purpose...You're everything.

How can I stand here with You and not be moved by You?
Would You tell me how could it be any better than this?

You calm the storms, and You give me rest.
You hold me in your hands, You won't let me fall.
You steal my heart, and You take my breath away.
Would You take me in? Take me deeper now?

How can I stand here with You and not be moved by You?
Would You tell me how could it be any better than this?
And how can I stand here with You and not be moved by You?
Would You tell me how could it be any better than this?

Cause You're all I want, You're all I need
You're everything,everything
You're all I want You're all I need
You're everything, everything.
You're all I want You're all I need.
You're everything, everything
You're all I want You're all I need, you're everything, everything.

Oops

'Oops' is real convenient for melting people's brain. Surprise surprise.

Read The Signs

Okayyy... so it's increasing capacity then. A year late. I'll do my best God. 

This is my cry 

This is my song

This is my everything

To You I belong

This is my life

This is my all

Spirit come take control

This is my prayer

JB©

Comfortably Quiet

Had an interesting chat with a good friend of mine yesterday as we were walking back from the Unigym. He was asking me whether I did any 'quiet time' here since I've gotten to Tassie. Well, the truth is, my quiet time ain't exactly quiet. To each, his or her own way of doing their quiet time. So my quiet time is when I pick up the guitar and start playing a tune and I would automatically start singing something. To me, 'quiet time' is when there's nothing else in my mind except God. A time where I separate all other things, cut off from the world with only God in mind. Yes, it sounds a little mystical and all but it's through the singing that I believe is one way I talk to God. When my spirit just pours out through song.

On the other hand, one might say that you shouldn't need the guitar and the music to do quiet time. Yes, I am guilty of slacking on quiet time without the presence of the guitar. It's just that I've always had a guitar around and it's through music that I find it most convenient and comfortable for me to communicate with God. My friend brought up the history of the song "Heart of Worship" where the song was inspired by the worship team when they conducted a worship session without the music. That's why the first line of the song goes "When the music fades and all is stripped away".

I see the point he's trying to make. My quiet time with God should not be dependent on the availability of my guitar but rather the availability of my heart for God. I find myself challenged because I feel pretty much contented with my level of faith that I have now. I find this phrase constantly on my mind, 'get out of your comfort zone!!'. Perhaps getting out of my comfort zone isn't going out into the mission field or serving in ministries but to increase my capacity in knowing God and to continue to seek Him everyday.

All Over Again

It's the 3rd of March and it's the 3rd month into this relationship. You know what they say about the first 3 months being the 'honeymoon' period where it's the time both parties get to know one another better and it's all a bed of roses for the relationship. Personally, I don't really believe in this 'honeymoon' period because firstly I know of a few people who break out of a relationship well less than 3 months into the relationship. Secondly, I believe that 'getting to know you' period has basically already been done. One and a half years wei (okay, so this comment may be VERY biased). Yeah, there are still things that she does that sometimes annoy me a little for example, there's this victory laugh thingy which she does or kicking my pelvic region via my ass into the pool table (a one off thing).

But these are little things can be worked on. And besides, if these were not present, she would not have been the girl that I fell for. (everyone goes 'Awwww') The bottomline is to look past the superficial or the prima facie I would like to call it. Looking back, it took me one and a half years, and some bitch slapping to get me to just realize what a gem I had all this while and I was too dumb to notice. I know it has only been a mere 3 months and this auspicious date means that tomorrow begins a new phase of the relationship where shit will happen and perhaps more shit will happen. I know we don't live in a fairy tale where everything is all happily ever after. Happily ever after was so once upon a time. It is my prayer and belief that if both of us are to work at it, I don't see why this relationship will not work out for the good of the both of us.

It has been a good 3 months and I thank God for every moment spent together with God as the center piece of this relationship. I know some of you might think that I'm going to play this one out and it doesn't really help that I used to be the class' party boy and "drunkard". I'm in this relationship with all my heart. It's still a long road ahead and I pray that we'll continue to trust, to hope and to love.

Did I tell you how much I love you? I'm falling for you all over again.

Change Of Mind?

Okay..so I've been particularly defensive the last two days of a martial art/sport of mine which I had always wanted to be involved in. I'm talking about kendo and today, I had the chance to see it live, first hand. Yes, I was excited, anxious, and expectant. I entered the hallway leading to the sports gym and that's where they were. I took a seat at the side and watched wide eyed, observing as much as I could.

And Kendo was good. Just plain good.

Yeah, so MAYBE I was a little too expectant because all I saw were people taking their time to make a move and when they did hit one another, they would stop for awhile and then resume. I felt that was a little too unpractical. Nobody is going to wait for you in a real fight. I think that kendo is steeped a little too much into culture and therefore is losing it's appeal on me. I want to learn something practical, something that I could use in a real fight.

The current (and only) alternative now would be fencing. Yes it's still swordplay and yes, I am soooo into swords and stuffs. Maybe an apology is in order here. I may have been a little bit harsh and closed mind about fencing the past two days. So yes, I'm sorry and I'll be more open minded next time. To show my sincerity, I am actually going to go see the fencing practice this Wednesday. Who knows, fencing may be what I'm looking for.

Her

You see her. "What a surprise!" are the first words that cross your mind. You can't help but whip up a smile. She sees your smile and she replies with a smile. You walk up to her, trying to act all cool, calm and collected. After all, it's been ages since you last saw her. You extend your hand for a welcoming hand shake. She shakes your hand and you begin to talk as if you've been the best of friends. Who knew she would be at the beach as well. You ask her if she's alone. Someone like her would not have come alone, even if she wanted to. Yes, she was pretty. Her fair skin gently reflected the sunlight and her dyed brown hair shone under the sun. Her green summer dress hugged her figure nicely, revealing enough to make most eyes turn. Her matching hat cast a shadow that hid her face, almost in a mysterious way.

Someone calls out form behind. A man approaches calling her name. She turns to give him a hug and introduces him to you. "But of course!" rings through your head. Of course she would not have come here alone. You hide your surprise by extending a handshake. Ah.. as you shake his hand you feel a little tugging in your heart. You quickly shrug the feeling away. You know that you have no right to feel like that. They ask for their leave and you bid them goodbye. You wander around the stretch of beach like a lost kid. You are flooded with memories of the past. You can't help but look down to the passing pavement tiles as you recall you and her.

You hear a bell. You look up to see the ice cream man scooping a generous scoop of ice cream for a pretty lady. You take a second look only to find that it's her. You cannot believe your eyes. You quickly go over to say hi again. You tap her on the shoulder. She turns and looks at you. You put on a warm smile but this time she looks at you with piercing eyes that stare deep. A feeling of guilt and embarrassment come over you like a curtain being dropped over your body. She walks away and you chase her, grabbing her hand before she walks too far off. She tugs her hand away and you do nothing but let it go. You desperately ask why she's acting the way she is. You tell her how good it is to see her again but she does not seem any bit interested. You persist with why she's acting up all of a sudden. She was fine a moment before but now it seems like you have done something wrong to her.

It then hits you. Your past looms over like a dark shadow in the night. You feel weak and flushed. You can't help but cover your face with your hand. You hear footsteps and you see the same man that she hugged. She walks off into the sun with the ice cream still in her hand. You ask the man "Is she still mad about the last time?" The man replies "What do you think? Of course she still is."

Just as he finishes answering, you open your eyes. It was just a dream. Is this the past haunting you? You don't know but you get up hoping for the best. Hoping for the best for her, wherever she may be.

First Outing - Tassie Tour

Today was nothing short of eventful and freezing (thanks Jo for organizing!!):

1) A farm visit in Richmond,

2) A barbecue down at the river (don't remember what the name of the river was),

3) Had a long black (4 shots) in Richmond town,

4) Went strawberry picking in Sorell,

5) Had dinner (good chardonnay) and music at the Jazz festival in Hobart,

6) And finally a get together/joke session at Westpoint after the festival.

This is what happens when you spend time with the OCF here in Hobart. I quote a friend, "If you hang out with us guys, you'll do in one semester what other people take to do in two years." Yes, very happening bunch. It's going to be an interesting 2 years here.

Laundry

There's something about laundry in the morning. Now you've got to work with me here with the imagination a little. Picture your laundry when it's just out off the dryer. You get this clean, fresh smell the moment you open the door of the dryer. You take a sniff at your warm clothes, and it just makes your eyes close. Kind off like smelling freshly baked bread or cookies that make you go "mmm". (I know the rest of you people do that too so don't call me weird!!) Okay.. so it MAY just be me that has this weird sensation but you've got to at least try it one day.

Speaking of laundry, while I was having my "laundry moment", I made a new friend. It's pretty interesting that she doesn't really know where she's from. I know you can be super mixed and banana-ed and all but you've got to at least know where you're roots are. Well the low down was that she was born in Selangor, brought up in Singapore, but goes back to Penang. Didn't really ask what she meant by "go back". I think it means CNY or something to that effect. In this case, since she WAS brought up in Singapore, then she's Singaporean. Should probably tell her that when I see her again.

It's been a good start of the day.

Off Guard

Lesson learnt: Be careful when you let your guard down because some people might just take that opportunity to give you a super big wedgie. Ouchies!!

And I Feel Like I Do

I'm falling for you all over again.

Catch me.

Dinner Day 1

Missed dinner time so had to settle for this.

Lesson learnt?

Don't chat during dinner time!!

Day 1

Day 1 of class was a complete "OH MY GOD!! THIS IS REALLY THE DEEP END!!" ... or some sort of end cause I'm feeling like it's the end already :(

Prof Ken Mackie (Corps Law) is driving me nuts with his em... recent and most annoying tragic disability. He speaks from a machine through his throat and his constant clearing of his throat through the mic makes me feel uncomfortable for him! And there's Prof Gino (Law of Trusts), the raving word maniac. My hand writing is going to end up chicken scratching at this rate. Generally a paper kind off person but am seriously considering bringing in the laptop to type the notes considering the circumstances. 

On a different note, the computer lab computers hate me. No access till we were just about to leave for lunch (kena jb-ed by the comp.bleh..) Stupid iMacs. I'm a Mac user too. Went to check the mail for my debit master card and what do you know? I got jb-ed again. Out of the 4 of us who went to check, I was the only one that didn't get the card. And I applied earlier than two of them to boot. 

Well for now I've got this to keep me company:

Oh, did I mention I already have a 2k-3k Corps Law assignment assigned for us?

Yes, triple jb. Bleh...

Weird

1) Laundry makes me feel busy. WTH!?!? :P

2) I've finally after 3 days I think, eaten a proper full meal. Yes, missing food from home.

3) I finally have gotten my hands on a guitar!!heheh.. NOW it feels like my room :)

Simply Because

Don't feel bad. Don't apologize. I do what I do simply because I love you.

Home

I didn't know I'd actually be saying this (so soon too) but you know, I really do miss home the Malaysian food.

You Know

It's weird. You see her smile and laugh and you're really happy for her. For her smile. For her laugh. In the same moment, there's this "feeling". You feel a heaviness somewhere deep inside your chest. Why? Because you want to be the one that makes her laugh and smile that way but sadly, you're not. (Too bad mate) It's a tug of war between the heart and mind, one telling the other what to feel, what to think and what to believe. It's a constant struggle not to let it show, but history shows that my efforts do not suffice.

It's funny. Your mind tells you that it's okay, it does it's very best to rationalize the circumstances and convince you that this is nothing to be worried about. But the heart, this "feeling"..it doesn't budge. It stays on, somewhere inside, often emerging to interrupt the train of thoughts that race across the mind. The heart takes the better of you and you are plunged into a state of self-questioning and reflection. You try to pull a straight face, but it doesn't work. She sees right through. She says, "I love you lah."

It's crazy. Love that is. Michael Bublé has probably stressed that enough. In the midst of the pushing and pulling, you say a silent prayer, hoping and trusting that nothing would go wrong. Paranoia, that's what love can do to you. You think you can handle it, but when the time comes, you fall short..WAYYYY short. Under the cold starry night, you come to a realization, "...love is not self-seeking...love always trusts, always hopes...".

It's cold. The night air and breeze that blows over your face. Cold like the reality of you not trusting, giving up on hope, and being selfish. You quickly repent and curse at your lack of faith in her. You read the words "I love you lah" again. A sense of relief and lightness comes over you. You thank God that everything is alright and you reply her message in kind. As you pick up your laptop and proceed to move, you take a look at her and you know.

Here

It's fun here.

It's different here.

It's a new experience here.

It's going to be two years here.

It's gonna be freezing here.

It's home here.

I'm here.

2+2

This is it. It's great that I'm going with you. It really is.

Oh man...

Don't know how to start with the packing..really, where's your mom when you need her.bleh...

Blogging Again?

Maybe I'll just start blogging again :P

Testing..

The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog.