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10 February 2010

Been a whileee.....

Hello all! This will be short and sweet, I hope.

Yes I have not blogged for 9 months now and I think a lot has changed since then. So just before I go all bloggingmania once more, this is just to update people.

  • I am only updating/posting again because someone reminded me I had a blog. Not that I forgot. =)
  • I graduated in Bachelor of Business (Accounting) officially last September.
  • I am no longer a student! Yes, employed and contributing to economy already.
  • Working as debate trainer in Swinburne and Finance Exec in Dad's business. Fancy schmancy?
  • I.am.still.a.CHELSEAFOOTBALLCLUB.supporter.
  • I am now also known as Poohbear, to some.
  • My other jobs are dishwasher (a very slow one), babysitter (apparently only for overgrown "babies"), and pig caretaker (yes only one pig).
  • I went to Singapore last year in July and just came back from Kota Kinabalu a few days ago!
  • I don't quite know what else to say at the moment.
  • I had the best birthday last year in my life. If you were a part of it, thank you! If you weren't then well, you could have made it awesomer!
  • Last year's Christmas and New Year sure was something different.
  • I still play futsal somewhat every week but I'm slower and older now. sigh.
  • Nevertheless, I'm still into futsal shoes. =)
  • Oh yes, I have a bear for a sister and a laksa-crazy-daughter.
  • I am also a honeybaloo and am phalumpcious!
  • OMG CNY IS COMING SOON! Valentine's what??? =P
  • Lastly, I'm not available anymore. =D (yes I know that was unnecessary.)

Signing out.

Pooh.

03 May 2009

Turbulence

For those of you who have flown before, you probably have a good idea what it feels like. For those whom have and never felt it or basically never stepped on a plane before, let me describe for you. Its somewhat this small/big shaking feeling as if the plane's a huge mobile phone under vibration mode, shifting left to right and up to down, whereby if it goes on any longer, you start questioning yourself how much more you can take. At time when it gets very bad, the only thing you can't wait to see is that light at the end of the tunnel, up in the sky of course.

That was how my last 2 weeks were like. Of course I may have not updated this rusting dusty blog-hole for more than half a year already but been suffering short term memory as of late and sides, it'll just get too boring reading about 6 months anyway.

Anyway, this all starts from the 4th Swinburne World Schools Debating Championship 2009, with a (new) key figure in the likes of Dr Sucharit Pongprakyun aka Dr Sooch. The only times I've ever seen/met the man was during my annual February trips to Kota Kinabalu for the Borneo Cup for the past 3 years and throughout those times, he has always appeared to be the most approachable and (more than) capable adjudicator available. It made perfect sense to bring him over. OH yes, and also the likes of 36 participating teams this time around, a 50% increase from the already satisfying response we had last year.

Nevertheless, the 4-days competition and the 2 days of debate workshop trainings we had prior to that are a little too troublesome (and difficult considering how lazy I actually am) to describe so I'll discuss only on certain particular details of it.

Dr Sooch, you were wonderful at everything, being a good indirect yet compulsory wake up call, being good company in the car rides, awesome and friendly Chief Adjudicator, the funny man, diplomatic in anything and everything, always knowing what to do in every difficult situation we had and err, I'll stop there before your head gets as big as your tummy when we fed you with all that lovely KUCHING food.

As for the new batch of Swinburne Debaters' Club (SDC) committee, this comes from all sincerity when I say that the club is in good hands. You've all carried your duties with absolute class, dignity, tolerance and perseverence along with humility as well, never needing to go out there and profess to others what you have accomplished, unlike me. Your bunch of senior debaters have a lot to learn from you in that manner. I in truth no longer see the need to remain on as your Special Advisor, but that has always been my problem, not anyone else's.

The competition on the other hand, for the moment of truth, didn't go as well as desired. True enough we had more teams, the State's Education Department's support and a great CA. Nevertheless, the problems with debate adjudication, food and program-punctuality were telling. The lack thereof adjudicators this year for the necessary 18 debates per round were the most difficult of all, not only in terms of allocation, but of obtaining fair and just adjudication for all those debates. A wise man in the form of Loke Wing Fatt once said, the priority of every debate competition is good adjudication, which the competition could have much benefited from. However, it was more of a quantifiable problem and that of a qualitative one, and though there were issues with some at times, thank you all for assisting in adjudication if you did, but we still need more next year! Rest assured school debaters, Swinburne (Debaters' Club) have taken note of that crystal clear.

The food and schedule sticking problems were also evident and like the adjudication issue, was somewhat out of our control as well. When we don't get the proper funding for such events with high-expectations, then you cannot really expect food with high expectations either. Not that we didn't have Swinburne's backing but hey, when there aren't any registration fees, don't expect free food? =D Oh yes, about the timing, well, entirely tabulators' fault for not being supermen and superwomen to work out accurate and instant tabulation results to provide you with accurate and instant match-ups as well that you wouldn't complain of unfairness. Apart from the all Green Road debate in prelim 5 that is, but you have only yourselves to blame for being the only unbeaten teams left!

Nevertheless, SDC always aims to do better every year and amid all the talk of the disappointment it may have been, I urge and encourage all the schools and debaters who have and have not taken part before to be upbeat of next year's competition, which is still a little less than a year away. Sigh. Also, for schools, don't pile up high expectations over your students to do well and as for students/debaters, don't go pressure yourselves to the extreme okay? *points finger at someone* You know who you are!

Why was it turbulent? Well, for one matter, it was on our mid semester break and from what I can tell you, Swinburne mid semester breaks are more like Swinburne mid semester time-to-study-if-you-even-want-to-pass break. With all the assignments due and tests/exams to study for after it, spending 7 of the allocated 9 days organizing a debate competition that had no bearing over your final grade is never easy, especially when you're not good in studies like I am!

Now that I'm done bitching about that, let me continue about my week after! First up was the Taxation test. 30 freakin percent of final grade, so yes, it was no joke. Open book as it was, wasn't actually hard but the lack thereof time meant I am confirmed only a maximum of 62/80 for that test. If you're good at math, like me, (reaches quickly for calculator...) you'll see that it will only lead to a possible 23.25/30 for my actual grade. THE HORROR! Or like how some might put it the way I like it (disappointingly).... "mid sem tax test.... FAIL!"

That was on Wednesday. Had to deal with that in between rushing for e-marketing assignment and international business law test on Saturday too, which made last week one hell of a week. Who ever said taking only 3 subjects a semester was easy??? Actually, I did, but when you literally don't have a mid semester break, and you're the first person people turn to for debate stuff to handle just because you have less workload compared to others, then yes, it isn't easy.

Anyway, that was my not so little turbulence in life so far this year. It was a smooth sailing flight prior to that but come to think of it there are only 3 real moments you feel good during flights. First being when you receive free stuff by air stewards (!), where in life it is that of the love and care you get from the people that, well, love and care for you I suppose. The other of course would be when you've finally landed and touched down safely at the end of your flight finally reaching your destination, which in life might be when you have accomplished something that you were responsible yet determined to.

The last of which would be in that moment during the flight whereby the turbulent period had just ended, which might constitute the hardships we face in life that contained moments of darkness and doubt until we manage to get past it all fazed, bruised and burdened but yet, victorious. I recently encountered all these 3 things and somehow emerged on the brighter side of it all, with the help of others of course. However, I feel the thanks I owe to them are best reserved to be done in person rather than in blogs. Then again, blogs on the other hand can serve the purpose of...

Introducing someone who has reignited my debate and social spirit that got put out quite some time ago. Everyone, this is Dr Sooch! For those who were wondering, yes, he is indeed a medical doctor, one that saves lives. There were at times a number of comparisons were made and some said he looks as if an older brother to me but I quite believe it is the other way round!


Other than that, these are the only 2 pictures I can get off of Lance on the WSDC 09 so far that has me in them.


This is Jonathan and I blabbering on while the debaters went through their workshop and the other is of the practice round debate room where I adjudicated. -Thanks Lance!










Blogs are also to show how hardworking some people are, very much unlike me of course. These 2 are very much still in Kuching, quite sick of me and yes, like me, waiting for all you other Tralalas out there to come back to where you belong!

Speaking of Tralala, this is sample of the shirt from a hot model for those whom haven't gotten it yet! (picture courtesy of Gloria) Should be Line and Inn left, if not mistaken...


Speaking of her, she was also back for the very very short weekend just to have her hair designed cheaperly over here in Kuching. I don't think it was that cheap in the end and as of the style, it's something fresh and new (chuchumbier!) and she wants you all to see! Especially Daphne!

Last but not least, this blog and bloke would also like to congratulate a certain team whom are now the IIUM Interschool Debate Champions of MALAYSIA! Always remember that as much as Swinburne or WSDC has helped you in any good or bad way, as much advice and encouragement a bear has given you and the loads of amount of support you all had from different individuals, (with respect to them) it was all down to your own effort in the end! So have some pride! CONGRATULATIONS! =)

GREEN ROAD A
-picture courtesy of rawringbunny-

12 November 2008

UPDATE!

Sorry people whom I have promised that I will update but have not. Well, now I have! Been busy and lazy times. When you've got people coming back to Kuching over the summer, well, more like their summer, you tend to spend more time with them then ramble on and on in your blog. =P

Nevertheless, when they all left, until the very last one, whom was Champton on the (checks calendar...) 29th September, it then all went to work work work! At times it was debate, at times the student council and most importantly, studies... Since I've hardly ever (never actually) put up pictures on my blog, I think it's about time! Lazy to time for now... =D

First, in late June, (yes, that long ago) we went to Sematan!


And then early July to Matang for bbq and fun!


The dreaded departure of Yew Inn to Adelaide..
(not so dreaded by him however, as you can see...)


21st Tralalas!


The things Daphne made me do...


Random outings


Still had time for debate!

Swinburne Debate 2008 (mid Aug)

and the Yayasan Sarawak Debate Challenge 2008!


James' 21st bday n bbq

Merdeka celebration getting drunk... NOT!

We had lots of fishing trips too..

Beach Bash with Student Council (early September)

Kolo mee! with Stan and Champ..


Prom Night 2008 (mid October)


Student Council 2008 at Prom

Battle of the bands! (hardly any pics)


Swinburne Sports Carnival 2008 (end October)
- hardly any pics but got stories to tell next time!


Well, that's all for now. Will get the ball rolling more the next time!

15 July 2008

Something Light for the Blight

Apparently I have been a little too serious with my postings so I'll be trying to be more light-hearted with my coming bloggings.

Anyway, as you all may already know, shame on you if you didn't, Chelsea's coming to Malaysia! However, I'll not be able to watch them live and have that dream of seeing my greatest idols in the likes of John Terry aka Mr Chelsea and Frank Lampard. Moments where they score against Malaysia, me standing up next to them for a picture or 2, or letting them autograph my jersey(s) will now not come to life. Unless you can do something about it! And you can! RM700 approximately is all I need for tickets to KL and back along with GRANDSTAND tickets! Haha.. You know where to find me if all of a sudden you felt generous! Thank you in advance!

Considering I'm a huge hardcore loyal Chelsea fan, this would mean the worldest to me, next to actually playing for Chelsea and my honeymoon that is. =D

On to more realistic matters, I have been football deprived over the holidays, not something I have been hoping for. Ever since Euro 2008 ended, transfer window this summer has been so boring and filled with hopeless rumours concerning the likes of Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Gareth Barry. More so annoying is the likes of Inter Milan wanting Frank Lampard also! Go **** off Inter! Jose Mourinho still ok. Also not been playing enough futsal hence all the extra luggage my tummy has been carrying. This is just sad and if I referred to my list of 10 things to do that I made up without thinking during my finals, I'm not in a good position. =P

Holidays been good though, been out with great company time after time which will make me feel like hell when September comes and all is gone. Hopefully I'll be piled with all the lala stuff the student council has for me. Results are out this Friday so all who knows me and wants me to continue to live peacefully for the rest of July, please pray I did reasonably and relatively better than my last semester. Not that it was bad but I kinda really want my cgpa to be hells lots better when I graduate.

Also, next week we are celebrating my friends and I's 21st tralalas altogether so that those whom haves passed can celebrate again and those that aren't here yet can have tralala appetizer. With all the eating going on lately, it is no wonder I'm looking more and more like Pooh, which I am partly known as today. To others, I am Chao Ah Pui # 2. =D It's all been good! For those who still has the O_O look as to what a tralala is, to quote from the Bimbo I think, you don't want us to get started!

Also, Mr Patrick Goh Yew Inn sadly left us, erm, I meant me, early this month for the great glories of Adelaide. Apparently, he's been drinking like mad most of the time there so although he's been away for 2 weeks already, we'll consider it just 1 week, the amount of time he's actually been sober and missing us Kuching people and being emo and all.

As for those who are back, Darren is now the no.1 Kuching ah beng for all you wannabes out there. You shall see absolute horrorfying transformation tomorrow. Also, not-so-pro-wrestler Azlan is back and will make a special appearance tonight. More-pro-looking-wrestler Stanley is MIA at the moment because I have no idea if he's back yet or not but should be during this week itself. Boy we gonna have some funs.

Also, I've had complaints my posts are too long so........ - the end -

26 June 2008

"Human Nature"

Been a while since I last posted something, or not. Just didn't really like the idea of posting something crappy that I wouldn't bother reading myself. Oh yes, I just felt really lazy too. Anyway, stumbled upon this article thingy on the Net recently and felt it was so true and helpful. To make it short, it basically explained how nice guys finished last and why women usually go after cocky guys who treat them like nothing special rather than princesses.

This is soooooooo true I tell you! Well, from personal experience that is. You're absolutely entitled to read through it and perceive it yourself. Link's at the end of the post if it's going to be a long one. As I was saying, comparing what I read and what I've seen, it perfectly explains how guys always lose out when they do everything good there is to do. Funny though if you want to pull it to an extreme. Don't return their calls and you make them want to call you more. Don't tell them they look pretty and beautiful and they'll think you're hot and sexy. Don't shower them with gifts and they'd want to shower with you. Scrap that last bit.

But yes, I quite agree with the logical sense in it. To quote from the article, nice guys are boring and predictable while cocky guys are perceived as more confident and stronger, basically sort of more desirable values. People often look for something exciting and adventurous when getting into a relationship. You're not looking for someone who's going to say the predictable 3 words to you a hundred times in one night or tell you how nice you look in that dress and be willing to do just anything for you. Girls always prefer to have someone like that as a friend maybe because when they say no to him they can still expect them so linger around and offer them a cheering up or 2 when they don't feel great on any day. Once they do, they move on to look for a cocky guy who will.... well, you get the picture.

Totally understood as well if you have someone who's not as easily 'accessible' relationship wise because human nature states that we usually want something we can't have, someone who isn't EASY. It poses greater satisfaction and pleasure going through a phase like that and I mean that in a non-sexual way. To quote once more, "someone who she perceives to be more worthy" which would mean someone who should instead deserve your attention rather than seem all desperado over for you. OR IS IT???

I mean, yeah, there needs to always be a balance. Those who I usually argue with would know how I value balance over others. Nothing is perfect if one sided, especially when it comes to a relationship. I realize after all that though that article may be quite true, it's just crap. What I mean is that, life and human nature is crap. This isn't just some emotion fueled due to past rejections in my life (heh heh) or maybe it is but it makes sense as well.

Firstly, I've known some guys who are like that (cocky) and even girls who prefer them since all they seem to can see is 'excitement', 'confidence' and maybe 'fun', they don't know how they get treated like crap or dirt. They even go to such an extent that they don't care if he cheated on them and such but rather give him chance after chance while clinging on as if their dear life depended on getting the guy. Just coz he's great with words and he knows how to act in front of you, he shouldn't be the one you want to be with more. In fact, the exact scenario a lot of girls go through, when they're afraid to tell a guy how THEY feel and instead wait, should be taken into picture as well. Not many girls know what it means for a guy to pour and admit his feelings to ONE girl and risk almost everything. It's sure as hell more bold than that of someone who builds a layer of egoistic persona and lives behind it. But HEY, if you're not that fond of loyalty, by all means, go the other direction, if you know what really lies there. What you don't know, don't mean it don't exist. The key word used most often used after all was "perceived".

The world used to be simple as well. It was never one as complicated as this nice vs cocky man situation. Oh yeah, and when the heck did getting into a relationship was all about excitement and being all unpredictable??? That's what you call an ADVENTURE! Hellooooo?? If all you wanted was to have fun with the guy and have a good time by all means but don't you dare tell me that was in fact a relationship. If being predictable is all that bad as well, go ahead and live 'loving' him without getting to know him well enough to know his next move, how he feels about you and so on. The only thing that should remain unpredictable should be his romance, which you would know all about if you gave him, the nice guy, a chance.

Seriously too, if you really don't want someone who would care for you day and night whenever and instead go after another who couldn't care less if you just did your hair or you wore a new dress. I'm not denying that all this perception thing that was spoken about is true because I did after all agree with it. I just think its plain stupid because I've seen more than often girls that deserve someone better instead go after thrashy guys who couldn't relationship wise care about them but could hold an act in front of them only to be heartbroken in the end. Then I thought, hey, just like how a religious calling will come in the face of death, they'd realize how meaningful nice guys are when they have broken hearts but I guess not. All I really quite belief right now is yes, that's our nature now.

Maybe they were desperate because they realized what a special person you were. Maybe they would go to great lengths for you because you mean the world to them. Maybe, just maybe, they say they love you not only because they really do, but because they know the other guy won't. Its possibly the type of human nature like this that have developed is a main cause for the increasing divorce rates in our lives. Various studies will cite all sorts of different causes for that but to just be simple, maybe its because many people just don't know what they want in life and love. When there is a failure to know, you should know you're going to fail, in this case, in that relationship.

To make things clear, a relationship isn't something to have fun with and have a great time or an experiential activity for you before marriage or something. It isn't something emotionally meaningless and empty. If you can't see that and realize what a true relationship requires, you'll go after that cocky guy and feel contempt but not happy. At least that's what I think. Many say love is overrated, it's not that special, and that the word or feeling is used too often without any meaning. I feel its underrated because many can't see how meaningful it can be to your life or you've just been with a guy who would say he loves you and just that when he's cocky and wants to look confident and strong. According to what I read, being nice will make the woman seem too valuable and too important. If people really cared for each other, there's never too valuable or important, its either they are or they're not.

Nevertheless, I mentioned balance. Of course its great to have some excitement or interest in a relationship rather than spending the rest of your life saying "I love you" to each other everyday though it should never be all about that like the article seems to portray. Treat her like she's everything but also not like she's something. Don't go saying you can't live without her as well because you will but remind her how she important she is to you. Usually when they're ready, they'll step up. Unlike what's in that site, and unlike what human nature seem to be turning into, friends aren't there to love you and partners there to have fun with. It's the other way around. =) With balance.

LINK to article