The Thing Is That....

Salam.

Ok, now I figured out the differences between INTEC and IMU.
After 4 days of watching, I know now.

I have been with government people for my whole life till 4 days back.

Government schools, INTEC UiTM, which consists mainly if not 99% of JPA scholars (I'll regard them as government people too).

I AM NOT TALKING ABT POLITICS. GOVERNMENT PPL HERE DOESNT MEAN PRO-GOVT i.e. UMNO OR MCA ETC.

So, when I stepped into IMU, it feels different.
Because this is a private education center.

I had a weird unexplainable feeling during my first few days.
Now the feeling is explainable.

One word, intimidated.
Well yes, perhaps it is embarrassing to admit but as I always like to say, (Atikah will know this) "Honesty is the best".

Intimidated

So yes, I'm intimidated.
Simply because of the fact that most of the students are there because they PAY.

PAY with their parents' money.
Which means they are well off people.

And I am there because of a scholarship by the government.
And that is what differs IMU from INTEC.

Back in INTEC, all of us are scholarship holders.
Nothing differentiates us.

Except maybe some of us are more well off than some.
But that was such a small issue.

Somehow I felt like the issue had successfully amplified itself here in IMU.
But I'm pretty sure I'll be able to get rid of this feeling soon, real soon perhaps.

So, I must always remember:

"A blessing is a test in disguise and a test is a blessing in disguise"

"Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and, above all, confidence in ourselves. We must believe we are gifted for something and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained" -Marie Curie

"I am there for a reason with a mission. So I should prove that I worth the reason and is able to accomplish the mission"

Ok, enough of boosting my confidence.

Though I really feel like doing more.

Eheh...

Back in INTEC, I always wear my Free Palestine badge.

Somehow, I did not have the courage to do so in IMU.

I'm afraid of the people's reaction towards it.

Muslims are the minority here.

The Exhibition That Opened My Heart

So I did not even once wear the badge in IMU until today, an exhibition caught my attention.
The exhibition was at the lobby.
It was on the attack on Gaza.
I felt so proud and surprised that there is actually an exhibition on it?

I felt bad at once for thinking that IMU students were ignorant about the attack.
Just how shallow-minded I was.

I went back home for lunch today, and I wore my badge for the first time in IMU.

Now

It is 1.00am 27th Feb 09.
The story i told in this post is now literally a yesterday's story.
I need to meet my group members at Bkt Jalil at 10am.

So I don't actually need to wake up early, which was the reason I woke up from bed to write this.

Today

Later today we'll have to go to The Pavilion, KL to complete yet another challenge for the orientation week.

We need to snap 3 pictures of our group members, the whole lot of it in front of 3 different specified shops in The Pavilion.

Then we'll have Indoor Treasure Hunt at 5.30pm, which I feel like not going.

p/s: To Atikah, Ain and Fatin. I really really miss you guys!!

The Ice Breakers

Salam.

Well, I arrived home at around 10.40pm last night, wet, slimy and dirty plus, tired.
So, wasnt able to update. Hehe...

Anyways, yesterday was a FUN but MEANINGLESS FUN. Why? I will talk abt it later.

Well, the climax of the day was the ice breakers activity. Ice breakers?
For 19years, i always hear ice breaking. Ok, never mind that.

We were first gathered at the Lecture Theatre and been shown a short movie, IMU Orientation Committee produced the movie. For me, it was an excellent one. It was the continuity of the first movie we were shown.

Dry & Wet Ice-Breakers

Then we were brought to Chancellor Hall which is a big hall located on the uppermost floor, 4th floor. We played a few games there, which the seniors called "the dry icebreakers".

We were then instructed to go to the basement carpark for a "wet icebreakers".
The condition of the basement that time surprises me.

With very few cars, wet and dirty floor with some already-dirty seniors playing water among themselves.
They divided the basement into a few sections@stations using a rope tied to the pillars.

We were lined up in groups and were given a list with the stations we were supposed to visit and do whatever the seniors there asked us to.

The Games

My group's first station required us to tie 3 of our members leg-to-leg.
The middle one should be facing backward. Get the picture of it?

So, the group need to send 3 triplets for the game and i'm one of them.
Frankly speaking, i didnt know what i'm supposed to do, i was the middle one so they asked me to face backward.

Then i got the hang of it when one of the seniors started to tie my leg to my friend's leg. A boy.

I stopped the senior and pleaded to change with another group member.
I don't want to be tied with a guy.
Eew! So, i changed and become the middle person of the next triplet.
The 3 of us were supposed to walk towards the end of the station, grabbed the scissors and ran back to let another triplet move.

The floor was very very slippery.
We almost fell on our way to the scissors.
And while running back to our team members after cutting the rope on our legs, I fell down.
Really really fell down as i lost my balance, control and grip on the floor.

The members dragged me to the side so that the other triplets can start moving.
So yes, i started my ice breakers with a fall.
Before that, one of the seniors put on some thing on my face.

Very slimy. But i dont know what is it. It looks like peanut butter, but i did not and will not taste it to prove my hypothesis.

We visited a few more stations and I fell once again.
Shampoos, hair conditioners, oil, flour, water, were everywhere. The seniors simply rubbed on unknown stuffs on our faces, clothes, basically anywhere.

I'm very glad that i wore a hijab. At least my hair is very very protected from all that slimy things.

The activity was supposed to end at 10pm but at 10pm they were going to start a new game. So i asked the OO (Orientation Officer) of my group if i could go back early as i have to drive back. Most of the students are residing at the condos there. So he excused me and i went bac home much earlier than other students.

Fun But Meaningless?

Why is that so?
Well obviously, the seniors are having fun poring, rubbing, spraying unknown stuffs to our faces, clothes and all, but when i was in the middle there, took a few minutes to ponder, i realised that all the fun they were having were meaningless.

U dont get anything out of that fun.

From my eye as an observer, they were all laughing, hugging each other (literally), enjoying themselves but then i asked myself a question, "after this?".

Practically, we didnt get any benefit of it. We may say we are able to get to know ourselves better. Well, i believe there are a lot other ways to get to know ourselves. One that does not involves hugging each other of not the same sex perhaps?

Second Day

Salam.

Am I really going to keep posting 3rd day, 4th day, 5th day and so on?
Hurm...
Ntah la, dunno yet.

Anyways, the orientation week started today.

The gimmick was interesting.

The committee started off with a short movie they produced themselves.
The movie was about a virus being accidentally let out into IMU and the virus are actually going to contaminate the auditoriums (we were in the auditorium at that time) and they were trying to scare us etc etc.

We cant help but laugh though we know that we're supposed to be scared.
It was creative. That's all I can say about the movie.

Orientation Grouping

Moving on, we had our orientation grouping and I was lucky that my Head of Orientation Group i.e. the senior in charge of my group was an INTEC student, Johnson.

I know him as he participated a lot in debates under MINDS club.
But he doesn't know me. Ok fine, not so much an insult. I wasn't the type that goes and tells everyone who I am.
Our group members were at first very quiet, and shy.
We started to communicate better with each other during lunch hour.

Whatever it is, most of my group members are staying near IMU i.e. the Vista Condos.
So they'll be meeting tonight at 7pm.
I'm not sure whether I can make it as I'm staying at home, a 20minutes drive, and I'll need to be back home by 10.30pm the latest.

We are supposed to build our mascott tonight and based on my previous experiences, this type of group work will take a very long time.
What else will I want to talk about here?

Oh yah... Ragging!
That's gonna come under one subheader of itself.

Ragging

As we were having our group discussion in a small room, some Indian boys knocked on our door.
The only Indian boy in my group went out, so I was like...

"Ooh, they have their very own meeting here. That's good. Perhaps they're recruiting people for their committee etc"

After some time, my Indian group mate came back and he said,

"You guys are lucky u guys are not Indian. Indians bully indians."

So we squeaked, "Is that true?"
And he said, "See, I lost my necktie!"

Ooh.. Yes.. His necktie is no longer there.
Those bully took it away.
Then he was called out again. When he came back we asked what they did to him.
He said he proposed two girls and was rejected. Hahaha...
Luckily he wasn't being bullied physically. Just some challenging stuff. Pity him.

Anyways, that is all about ragging for today.
I might be able to see or perhaps experience more tomorrow.
Eee...
Ok la, that's all..
Salam.

p/s: My mum said the condensed milk we are consuming now is not actually condensed milk anymore. Take a look at the ingredients and you will realise that it's actually made up mostly of palm oil.

So she said, "We've been drinking palm oil all this while".

Now she came up with the idea of self-do-condensed-milk. I'm not sure how she did it but it seems she blended fresh milk with a lot of sugar to make our own version of condensed milk @ sweetened milk. And it works just fine with coffee. It's just that I can still taste the milk taste. Haha...

First Impression

Salam.

Wow... A lot of people! I don't know them! Where are my INTEC friends?

What should I do now? People are queuing up. For? Should I juz follow them?

Ok, let's queue up.
Oooh.. Need to take lab coat.
Ok, one M size pls. (Luckily I dont have to take L)

Where is Hui Fong? Ok, let's call her.

Waiting for Hui Fong.

Still waiting for Hui Fong.

Waiting....

Naaah, there she is!

Ok la, go toilet.


Can we proceed to the auditorium now?

Oooh.. They separate the parents from the students.
So, where is my father? I'd better find a seat first.

Ok, I have to sit in the middle of new friends. I don't know them.
Oh, I can see my father across the hall.
Hye pa!!

The girl next to me started the conversation. Her name is Amy. Hye...!

Bla bla bla bla.... (Both of us talking)
p/s: She's taking dentistry and she did her PreU in UK.

Welcome speecheS
Oath taking ceremony.
Faculty photography session.

Queuing up again.
This time for student id photography session.
Got a bag, a box file.
Refreshment.

Go back home.

Ok, so far, that's roughly how I spent my first day as an IMU medical student.
Tomorrow I will need to be there at 8am.
Orientation week....

People say the orientation is very very bad i.e. rough!
Dip-ur-head-in-the-drain and pour-butter-on-ur-hair style of orientation. Is that true?

Well, let's see tomorrow!

A New Stage

Salam.

Today, 23rd Feb 09 will be the first day of a new stage in my life.

It's 6.51am and I'm going out to register myself as a medical student at International Medical University (IMU) at around 7.30am.

Cool huh?
Or is it?

Hurm....

Being a human, we must always accept challenges, do our best and move forward.

K, gtg now!
X ready pun lagi.

Btw, i have juz did a recovery to my laptop.
So, i hv no software now!

Eee.. Kosong nye.
Will try to fortify it later when i come back home. (remembering what Raymond said)
Hahaha.

K, Salam..

Gaining Weight Like Nobody's Business

Because when i'm worried, i gain weight.

Hahahaha....

It's undeniable.

Thinking abt many things, then when i can't think of any solutions (yet), i'll go to the kitchen, open the refrigerator, take any edible things, or if nothing grabbed my attention, further my exploration to the nearest cupboards, and start eating.

Still can't find anything?

I'll grab a pack of instant mee, cook it, and eat.

Nyam nyam nyam....

One of my friends posted about how to lose weight.

Well, those methods he mentioned do work.

Experienced it before, plus the fact that we students are staying FAR from home i.e. no food available 24hours. Assignments are always there, activities almost every minute, how can we not lose weight?

But now, since I moved back home, things just go the opposite way.

Food is available 24hours, assignments@tasks just makes me eat more, and of course, adding pounds to the weighing machine the next time i step on it.


My aunt, who havent seen me for less than 2 weeks said, "You put on weight".

In less than 2 weeks time??

What is that?

Am I evolving into a monster?

Yikes!



Ok, i think i talked much (crapped much also) about weight gain.

*A trouble faced and worried by many teenage girls in this era*



Hahaha...

Salam...



p/s: To Atikah: If you read this, this is my latest cerita gempak!

Demanding kah?

Salam....

Well, whose who knows me, or at least read my previous post, will know about the latest project i am involved in.


Frankly speaking, I pity my fellow teammates i.e. the designers, the money collector, and the leaders. Leaders here, i am actually talking abt AMM and HH (those who know will know). One is a former leader while the latter is the current leader.

I am trying my best not to disturb other people's life, not to burden other people, not to worry other people neither to bug other people.

But when some students refused to pay, I need the do something.

Hence, i contacted the former leader thus the former leader told the current leader.

Now, i bet the current leader is very much in stress for what is happening now.

The designers, sorry!

I know u guys worked so very much hard (trying to make it sound real though grammatically wrong sentence) for the magazine. With trial exams just around the corner. I hope u guys can handle it all.


To those who may concern, i am not that wicked.

I dont want you to be in any trouble, but some situations are unavoidable.

So pls, forgive me.

Lets forget our differences and work together for the same cause, the ALManac.

Salam...

Help!! ALM9 students!

Assalammualaikum wbt.

I am now bearing the responsibility as the editor of ALM yearbook a.k.a The ALManac.
It may sound great to some but honestly speaking, I am starting to feel the burden of it.

Some of the few problems faced:

1. The juniors i.e ALM 9 refused to pay.

~hey hey, come on ALM9 students. This is not a single batch annual magazine. This is a magazine for all, i repeat, ALL and every single ALM student. Why aren't u guys supporting our very own project? All the seniors i.e. ALM8 students paid, and I only hear some minor sighs from them but still, they paid. Honestly speaking, i am very very frustrated with those who do not want to pay. RM15 is expensive? Yes, if u're comparing the price with your previous school magazine. My school magazine was only RM10. But there are some important factors you need to bear in mind:

~First, the school is printing thousands of copies of books. Any of you bought anything in bundle before? Buying in bundle, ie huge amount, u'll get a cheaper price. This project of ours, will only print ~430copies. That is 5times less than the school's!

~Second, the school charge RM 1000 for every advertisement page. And usually it is the tuition centres that will give such an advertisement. This magazine of ours, can only charge less than RM500. Can see the VERY BIG difference here???


If i want to be harsh here, i definitely can. But i wont. Because i know, we need to build up healthy relationship and be kind to other people. So people pls, be kind to me?

2. Printing company changed their price out of a sudden

Ok, this is a bad scenario. First, they called me last week, telling me a price, which i agreed with. It was very cheap. And if everyone paid, and we received a lot advertisement contribution, we might be able to give some refund to the students.

Yesterday, they called me again, saying that their staff gave me the wrong price. It is supposed to be a lot more expensive. They said they'll email me the quotation.

Guess what? I juz received the quotation, and the price has been TRIPLED. I received the email half an hour ago and now i am still cracking my head on how should i find the money to pay them.
The money collected and will be collected, is only half the money we should be paying. Can imagine the situation if i suddenly ask the cls reps to collect more money from the students? If i really did that, i think i would really have to walk with very stern and fierce face in INTEC because i am distorting a lot of money from my fellow friends, and i am sure i'll get a lot of curses, whether directly or indirectly from the students.

The reason why this magazine is so expensive is that we are trying to publish a 70% coloured 100 pages magazine. Remember our school magazines? Were they colourful? No, they weren't! Most of them only have certain coloured pages.

3. The authority is not cooperating.

Well yes, this is a very common problem.
To get something done in this full of bureaucracy world, we really-really need to see really-really lots of people before we really-really get the really-really exact answer @ approval.

Sounds great?

Ok, thanks for reading my moderately-emotioanlly-affected rantings. I know i can be more emotional than this. That is a girl's power.

I know i have some ALM9 readers, so please, i hope you guys are not in the refusing-to-pay group. If you were, i hope u understand what i am talking about here, and please do persuade ur friends to pay for the mag?

Your cooperation is very much appreciated~

Love

Assalammualaikum.

In Malaysian language, I'll call myself a kepohchi.
Which means, busybody.
Hahaha....

Lately, I havent got much idea on what to talk about. The idea came, but did not expand. Stucked there. Until now, I wrote two posts for today, but saved them as drafts as i ran out of ideas to continue writing.

So now, perhaps i'll just crap about love.

Love?

My mother told me that there are actually no love before marriage.
It was the westerners who bought the concept of love before marriage in our daily life.
Marriage had been for diplomatic, business or convenience reasons.
And love only come after the marriage.

Centuries back (i'm talking about Chinese Civilisation) or decades back (Malacca Sultanate), princess were sent to neighboring states or countries for the princesses to marry the autocrats there.
So, in this case, marriage had been for diplomatic cause.

Parents arranging their children's marriage because they believe in their own judgement.
They know that the other side will take good care of their children, and them as well.
Some parents were also forced to marry their child off to settle their debts.
I take this as convenience reason.

Business reason?

I think everybody in the world will know.
Marry someone rich, whose family runs a huge business and they will help ur business in return because a valid relationship exists between these 2 families.
But of course there are a lot more examples of couples getting married for business sake, but i'll not mention all.

Since small, i have been wondering, why won't these princesses argue when they were sent to a far-away land to be married to a complete stranger?
If i were them, i would have fought not to be sent out of my country to marry.

But when my mum mentioned about the inexistance of love before marriage before this era of ours, it made sense.
The princesses did not argue, because it was not a norm that young girls get to choose their own spouse.
Marriage had always been arranged.

Then came in "Romeo and Juliet".
Two young adults, falling deeply in love with each other to the extent of committing suicide.
Next, we have Titanic.
Another love story where the guy sacrificed himself to keep his lover alive.


-to be continued. ran out of idea
this time, i dont want to save this as a draft. i'll just publish it.
=p

continued on 18th Feb 09

So, where did i stop last time?
oh ya, love before marriage did not exist once.

one may ask why would we want to follow that, as that the arranged marriage tradition was practised long long time ago?
We should be moving forward instead of staying where we were.
After all, that's life, moving forward.
However, we must not forget that we must always move not only forward, but also to better.
Do you really think the blooming of love before marriage cases are better?

How many premarital intercouse cases we are having now?

How many babies were thrown because the parents are unmarried and is not capable of taking care of the babies?

Can we see unmarried couples holding hand almost everywhere in the world? except for mosque so far, Alhamdulillah.

Are all these signs of improvement?

~The end

Fuh, at last i managed to finish this post.

September 11, 2001

Assalammualaikum...

Yeah, i know...
This attack took place 8 years ago.
After that Afghanistan was attacked as Osama bin Laden, the leader of Al-Qaeda was staying there.
Osama bin Laden was accused as the one of behind the WTC attack.
And after 8 years (now), only I am talking about it?
Where had I been in the past 8 years?
I had my PMR exam, my SPM exam, my A level exam, and only realised now about the plot behind the attack.
Thanks to my lecturer, Mr A.

I watched a dvd, titled "Loose Change 2nd edition" and although before this I've heard some rumours saying that the attack is not actually an attack after all but merely a plan by the US Government to get things to their advantage.

But in this documentary, all proofs showed that Al-Qaeda was not behind the attack.
WTC building had actually collapsed because it was exploded from the inside, the kind of explosion when a building is no more in use, and is going to be demolished.

Love Before Marriage

Assalammualaikum.

Last two days, my mother told me an important fact, which i had never been bothered with before.
She said,

"Do u know that it was the westerns that teach us about love before marriage?"

"Marriage had been arranged by parents or the elderly for diplomatic, business or convenience reasons"

"Hence the love blossoms only after marriage"

Then i started to think, I have been reading a lot of stories about China dynasty, or Malacca Sultanate, princes and princesses have been sent to other countries to marry them with the princesses or princes or the neighbouring countries.

I can't remember any story that happens in our beloved Rasulullah S.A.W era where a couple was in love before marriage. But there are abundant of stories describing about love between husband and wife. The greatest example is of course, the love between Rasulullah himself and his wife, Aishah r.a.

Westerners started off with Romeo and Juliet (i havent done any research but this is one of the 'greatest love story' by the westerners) to show just how great love is.

On a Hiatus

Assalammualaikum.

I have been very2 busy this few weeks, with the ALMANAC magazine project in hand, and only one week of holiday left, i am practically sleeping less, eating more, and hopefully thinking more.

So, sorry for not be able to update this blog for now.
LOADS of things happen, with the Perak scenario etc, but too bad i'm not able to join in the discussion abt it yet.

I'll be writing again when I have time.
That's all.
Thanks for reading!
=)

p/s: The temperature in the Middle East is very low especially at night, let us pray that our Palestinian brothers and sisters can withstand the cold as they are having very little heater to warm themselves up there.