I Was Gonna Post But..

Got two deadlines on Thursday noon so the reunion post will come a bit later.

*check this space for updates*

Running Out Of Titles

The most obvious question now probably is why am I blogging instead of mugging books. Well there's.. no answer to it. I'm having this sort of accomplished feeling after finishing one of my essays, It's like being high after a night of success at the battlefield or something omg my examples are rubbish. Besides, the deadline's 9 days away, and .. I've written.. nothing. But it's still a long way.

Anyway, trivial stuff away.. Ben said this in a chat earlier on.

ben says (6:38 PM):
ur blog doesnt speak on how u spent ur vday
ben says (6:38 PM):
what a fucking loser
HK : teehk.blogspot.com says (6:38 PM):
hahaha
HK : teehk.blogspot.com says (6:38 PM):
i never even celebrated it
HK : teehk.blogspot.com says (6:38 PM):
hence the word boycott
HK : teehk.blogspot.com says (6:39 PM):
and completely ignorance of that day
ben says (6:40 PM):
oh
ben says (6:40 PM):
i want to but cannot celebrate
ben says (6:40 PM):
what a loser

This year I had a strict .. what do you call it .. dogma to follow. I was going to boycott Valentine's Day. It was a success! .. sort of. Nevertheless the day started out with friends wishing me Happy Valentine's Day, but I told them I was boycotting it. Nothing out of the ordinary happened that day either. I had a thousand words to write so my eyes glued to the screen looking at e-journals. Made no mention of it either.. until now.

Valentine's is .. a whole load of false hype. I mean, there's no reason to celebrate it when it's all commercialised and expensive right? Restaurants have special menus intricately designed to steal your spare change, the whole world's suddenly filled with slow, sexy music, flowers start becoming so much more expensive, couples start becoming super affectionate towards each other, even friends wish love to each other.

The point is, why not everyday be Valentine's Day instead of a special day where everyone suddenly becomes a deity of love and sex. Is love sent and received on that day meant to be special? Is the Valentine's Night sex super intense just because it's Valentine's Night? Is a rose sent on VDay not any different from a rose sent on the day after?

It's only when you are single, that you realise how much emotions screw you over. People become irrational (don't speak of the word in front of me I'll go crazy) when in love. People can do crazy things no single bachelor/ette will do in love.

Sigh.

On that day itself, it's also a strong reflection on myself when everyone else is celebrating love. Why la am I still single at 19 years old. But at least I'm still 19 not 29 or 39 =P. Few girls have caught my attention since a big breakup about 2 years ago. The few that have, I've either not dared to approach them, or stand aside and watch as I drift away from them.. somehow.

I've done a lot of self-reflection since the breakup and have constantly questioned my actions before doing it so I don't screw up. It's been somewhat of a help, and I've matured became more boring considerably fast in 2 years. In the case of attraction, I've accustomed myself to being single and lusting after ladies. Besides, certain remnants from the previous relationship is still there, when I have already steamrolled the whole thing about a year ago. Add some other reasons in, and you get a very reluctant and slightly nervous to be attached person. Me.

Ahh, shouldn't be emo-ing now. *stops* Because I am going back to Concord College this weekend! Yays. Glasgow here I come on Thursday and Shrewsbury the day after! =D I can't wait to catch up with other buddies. The Scots are gonna rock CC, all 8 of us.. Shaun, Jun, Steph, Mich, Lindsey, SueAnne and YanMei! .. except Adrian who doesnt want to go =( boo.

To Start Talking About The Pound

Since I've been in the UK for about 2 years already, and will continue to be in for another 3.5 years, national issues have begun to be important already, since money's involved. One interesting political headline is the nationalisation of Northern Rock. It's an interesting issue because firstly it's the first bank run in nearly a century. Secondly, it has damaged the UK, notably the City's reputation, as a financial centre.

After the announcement of the nationalisation bill today, sterling pound's exchange rate fell by 0.5% to the dollar, and on a more relevant comparison, fell by another 0.006% to rm6.28 to the pound. It's been in a sort of a freefall since last October when the subprime issue started affecting Q3 and Q4 performance results in the US.

Comparatively there's also been a slowdown in the UK, (note, when I say the UK I don't include Scotland, no one actually does that) as seen with slowing home sales, and rising defaults. So the Bank of England has cut rates from 5.75% to 5.25% since December. However, a cut in rates and a drop in the exchange rate due to multiple factors has led to higher import costs, raising the CPI. So the wide perception is that the Bank will not cut rates below 4.75%, because of fears of inflation.

Oh well, I hope the pound doesnt fall anymore because I'm going to Amsterdam and I need more euros!! Let it fall against the ringgit hahahaha! It's good for students.

The Things People Say

There is now 17 days left till polling day. I'll be taking a stronger stance albeit on a neutral basis in the effort to lobby for a better future. Points and questions will be made in notes for emphasis, and on a semi-regular basis. (Maybe not.)

Note #1: Ignore issues on race and religion. Just ignore it you dumb religious freaks. Take a step back to clear your head from biases. They affect irrational behaviour. So what the government says is actually true, only from a different perspective. Don't use your freaking emotions to vote. Use your brains. If you can't understand that. You're clearly .. not smart enough to vote, and deserve to vote with your ass of a brain.

Note #2: Are bloggers who dabble in the socio-political scene anti-establishment? Those that write without facts or popular backing, are. Those that provide points, or are part of a bigger social group that's trying to provide a more constructive, and alternative point of view, are essentially, individuals providing their point of view. Should you believe them? It's like when a stranger tells you not to don't play with fire because it's dangerous, while another stranger tells you to wear fire-resistant gloves and play with fire, just because you're protected and you should feel the thrill of playing with fire. Alternative POVs on the same issue, with different outcomes, but you decide.

Note #3: Do you trust your ministers? Do you trust your police force? Do you trust your medical care system? Do you trust the transparency and accountability of all the above?

Note #4: Economy, personal finance and welfare. Do you feel threatened by the stagnating wages of your job? Do you feel that the spread in banks are ridiculously high? Do you feel threatened that as a resource-rich country, we are feeling poor? All these are the down-the-chain effects of mismanagement, and self-greed that's involved with the upper echelons of society.

Note #5: Did the Lingam saga show how deep in, certain individuals have ties to the ruling party? Doesn't it reveal a sense of complacency after a long time being in power?

Note #6: Do.. you think the present Prime Minister has kept up with his manifesto? Or was he sort of a caretaker like Gus Dur / Abdurrahman Wahid?

And that ends another boring post.. that no one will look at. Sigh.

Totally Random

Guess how much this is!
9p!

Yessss it's 9p!

What the freak right? Damn bloody cheap la this yogurt. And it tastes pretty good as well.

But it's gone in about 6 spoons. Hahaha.

N/A

Work has been bogged down by me I've been bogged down by work since the end of January. And February isn't helping either because of the deadlines, so is March, not April either because of exams. I want May now!!

Here's the to-do list!

• 1000-word Loss Aversion essay // due 28 Feb.
• 2000-word Finance essay // due 28 Feb.
• Amsterdam Amsterdam Amsterdam // due in advance of Easter Holidays.
• Busybody society commitments // due these couple of weeks.
• Accountancy Notes // due every week.
• 2nd-year Accommodation // due before summer holidays.

Notice that I've pushed forward the two essays which spells P.A.N.I.C.

But it's a considerable achievement that I'm already starting on my essays 2.5 weeks from my deadline! Last time.. SPM Biology exam tomorrow pun tak study. Anyway, lesson learnt over and over again.. I'll start a month ahead next time. Hehe.

A Foggy Day

I'm ripping off Michael Bublé's A Foggy Day (In London Town) and changing it to A Foggy Day In Edinburgh.

For two straight days, the streets of Edinburgh are like some ghost story dream come true. The city has been covered in dense fog yesterday and not-so-dense fog today.

Let's do a walkthrough foggy-style! Here's how I usually waste 7 minutes strolling to my lecture halls.

Notice most of the cars are hatchbacks.

Boo creepy!

But at the same time.. beautiful.

The red telephone booths are not just a London thing okay!

Tall one's where my Economics tutorial is!

And now.. on the way back!

You could feel the water droplets as you walk through the fog. It's that dense.

Lampu pun dah macam balls.
And this is the Central Mosque! See the minaret?

I'd love to drive in this fog.

There you go! A walk to the library.. and back! Beautiful lehhh! But really, visibility was probably limited to 50m in front or so. The pictures talk for themselves.It was that surreal! I'd probably be flamed if I say.. only in Edinburgh! London/Manchester/Birmingham/Liverpool/Glasgow got or not dun have right! =P

You Know It's Spring When..

It was 5.30 just now, and on my way back from the library I heard the birds chirp. Days ago I spotted a squirrel on one of the high walls behind my flat. This means... that spring has settled in! Well, at least according to the squirrels it is.

On my previous post, there was a solemn tone to everything about CNY this year. Apparently I've forgotten the 10000-year old saying that life has it's share of surprises.

The elusive mandarin orange was spotted for the first time in 3 years.

Here's what happened on Week 5.
Saturday 02/02 - CNY Cookover at Adrian's place.
Wednesday 06/02 - EUSA General Meeting. (emo because no reunion dinner)
Thursday 07/02 - CNY Dinner with 19 others at Saigon Saigon.
Friday 08/02 - CNY Potluck with BuddhistSoc.
Saturday 09/02 - EMSA CNY Dinner at Chinois.

So as you can tell from past experiences, CNY Dinners are usually full of food, noise and shenanigans. And I had 3 consecutive nights of it. There are probably more than 5 photo albums in Facebook currently with pictures of all these events.

The weird thing was.. remember the strong winds that tried to blow Edinburgh out into the sea for a week plus or so? Yeah, it ended on Wednesday. Yep, CNY Eve. Thursday was a good warm day, Friday was warm and overcast. Saturday was warm and clear as f**k.

And today, was fogged up.

And I mean fogged.

Seriously. Very foggy.

But that's another post for another day. Think of it, how can the first 3 days of CNY be blessed with good warm (9-12C, and I really mean it, 12C is warm.) weather?

At the end it was a good CNY, as I've never had this much fun in a while, for so many days consecutively. At the end of it, it leaves me with a good optimistic feeling. I haven't got a good connection so a few photos will come up when it's better.

End point is.. CNY rocks! Moot. Oh oh, the general elections are coming soon as well!

Chinese New Year!

It's getting sad really, this is the 3rd year I'm not home for CNY, and there's another 3 years to go. No!!

Anyway, this year there wasnt any reunion dinner on the night of the eve. Instead, I went to the EUSA General Meeting along with Ang just to experience it.



It.. made me feel smarter at the end of it. Now, let's use the Malaysian Parliamentary Debates to compare it with. The Parliamentary Debates make me laugh. These, make me pay serious attention.

They started off with a headcount of people who came (191 people!), and then proceeded with an introduction, then the motions came. Proposers had to say out their name and matriculation number, then several for and against speeches were called from the floor. At several times there were points of information and questions that were made. All this were done orderly with the raising of the hand along with the matriculation card.

The first 2 motions I thought were rather boring-ish. 1st was to mandate the sabbaticals to press MSPs for the passing of the Graduate Endowment Abolition (Scotland) Bill 2007. Next was the motion to fight for a fairer deal with the university's corporate arm Edinburgh First, which currently charges a high price for students to use university buildings.

The next 2 were probably the highlight of the night. As I found out beforehand, the university has a Fairtrade policy that maintains themselves as ethical investors. Before this, EUSA has been mandated to boycott Nestle products from union buildings. Now, they are pushing for the non-renewal of the contract of mineral water supplier, Eden Springs, whom supposedly is an Israeli company (Mayanot Eden) harvesting water resources in the Golan Heights which were in breach of several UN Security Council resolutions. It was clear that at one side was the Palestinian Society & ISoc members and the other was probably Jews. Against views were focusing on the issue of politicising the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while the For views were focusing on ethical investment policies like in the past with RBS and Total.

The 2nd one was better, it was to reallow The Journal newspaper to be distributed within Union buildings. To keep it short it was a combination of powerful speeches and counter-speeches from various parties including both the editors of The Journal and Student newspapers, and even the current and ex-EUSA President.

In total I voted Yes for the 1st three motions and abstented on the last. But seriously I'd go for the next GM, because I never knew there were such vocal individuals and it never felt so good taking part in student activism.

And today is.. the 1st day of CNY. I'm sitting in my room, compiling notes and touching up on the EMSA poster. There's probably a dinner later tonight but the weekend's bound to be fun. 988's eradio is playing up so much festivity I'm feeling envious of the folks back home. So all you people, I'd echo the Petronas ad that says,"Please go home for Reunion Dinner". Appreciate it a$$holes! There're probably 50,000 of us overseas in various countries that aren't able to go home for CNY for many years.

Anyway this year's theme is probably to treasure the moments with family and friends back home because it never feels the same outside of home. So Happy Chinese New Year 恭喜发财 Gong Xi Fa Cai Kong Hei Fatt Choy!!

NSFW: Not Like Anyone Reads It At Work

We all know the Edison Chen (陳冠希) saga that exploded over the internet. I'll keep this short and just post the links. The rest you can find yourself, it's spread like wildfire.

Links:
Here
Here

When I Say A String, It's A String.

I don't know the reason why I'm blogging today. It was supposed to be strictly Photoshop only. but I had to look for pictures and online tutorials, and strangely enough I ended up here at Lily's Wai Sek Hong looking at food, which is really comprehensive. And now I'm really craving for Malaysian food.

Why, you wonder, am I suddenly associated with Photoshop? Because I need to get the event poster up and running so that we can all print and post them all around. Then after that is event booklets, and ticket sales.

After playing about with photoshop for 2 days, I finally noticed that it's actually simple. Mind you, I have never used it before. I'm not good with art in the general sense. Then tonight there's another meeting again, this time for us poor 1st years who are marshalls in the Edinburgh Super Cup.

Let's see what I have to do..
1. Compile Accountancy lecture notes from Week 3-5.
2. Update blog more constantly because the visitor counts are depressing.
3. Start work on the Economics essay worth 20%.
4. Start work on the Business essay worth 20%.
5. EMSA stuff.

At least, a sense of responsibility gives me a boost, like money to hobos or crack to junkies. Ok la, now that you know that I am not very free/slacky anymore, don't say that I'm slacking ok!

Post #175

I can't think of a title so #175 will do. It's a boring post, so I'll warn your eyes beforehand, but since you're here you're probably bored.

February is off to a great start. It's the -7C on the 1st of February, with a bloody cold weekend.

Some of you might be thinking, wow that's so cool I wanna go and see snow! You know what, it sucks. It's terrible when it snows (but nevertheless cool), and it's cold. and windy. It's been windy for the past week, and I didn't sleep right because of it.

Oh oh, who had 2 fire alarms in a night! I did on the 31st! and it's not fun. Not in the rain. And when you heave that sigh of relief and curse flat 5/8 for stupidly burning a toast and think that you'll finally feel warm and have a peaceful night, but no that's not the end. It rang at 4.20 again.

Apparently some jokers found it fun to break the glass and sound the alarm. But they ended up paying a fine and for the damaged door that the firemen broke open.

The first major DotA LAN party happened on Feb 2, and it was a blast, to me and Jun it felt like reliving the days of Concord again. But as usual, a LAN party will take approx 2 hours to set up. First game lasted about 94 minutes, which was surprisingly long and stamina draining. The next time it happens I'm going to take pictures of people stretching their asses like I did.

And now I realise I have a lot more things to do from today onwards, so I will be really busy for the next week, but I'll crunch some posts out because of a sudden urge to write. It's 1 in the morning and I'm still busy designing a poster so you get the idea.