-Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm-

~Winston Churchill~

They always say life is full of ups and downs, like an irregular sinusoidal function. Sometimes, I really do wonder about the truth of that statement. Nevertheless, reality is harsh, so we just have to suck it up and repeating the cycle of falling and rising. Ever since that day 3 years back, thanks to Churchill's quote, I convinced myself that once I'm in, I'll never run away. It really brings back memories, that day..when I first decided to pursue engineering. Since then, there's been few ups and many downs. Nevertheless, the only way through was to suck it up and convince ourselves that those few ups are worth the fall. 

When I look back at all those less successful moments, I just can't help but wonder...how did I do that? Like seriously? Just reminiscing those moments feels like a pie being thrown to your face.

  A facepalm in disguise

 You just stone there; your brain unable to process anything before resuming the reaction you would naturally give like "what the **** just happened?"

Recently, I once again experienced it; that huge facepalm in disguise. A midterm. Economics. 'Wow...that's it?' You might be asking. Sometimes, it doesn't matter how failure comes to you. A whooping 18%. Wow...it's been a while since I got that...wait a sec, 18%? *Five minutes into stoning at the laptop screen*  What was that? It's those moments where your brain goes blank, everything goes pitch black, silent. You can't see, hear, nor think of anything. An empty dimension. Once I regained my senses, it didn't took long before my brain lost interest in what I was doing; studying. Not a very pleasant thing to experience on a Saturday morning when you have two university-level midterms coming at you the coming Monday and Tuesday. 

So, I stopped studying for an hour, two hours, 3 hours. I just wanted to clear my head for a bit and asked myself that one question I asked myself once before, "Why did I chose engineering?" No answer. While tuning my brain to different frequencies to listen to different channels of my mind, the background abruptly turned all white. Somewhere in the background stood a table, and a chair with a plumpish figure sitting on it. I approached the table and saw Mr. Churchill, enjoying his scrumptious-looking cream pie. Suddenly, a chair stood next to me, facing opposite him. I decided to have a seat and stare at him digging into his feast like a lion that hasn't ate meat for a decade. With specks of cream all over his face, he looked up to me and said three words; Suck It Up.

Just hearing those three words was more than what I was looking. Human beings go through obstacles all the time. The harsher the fall, the better we learn. I got up from bed, and looked at my laptop, at the 100 pages of process engineering texts I'll be reading. Haha, after what I've been through...that's it? Bring it. 

Summer memories

Finally, the Autumn chills make their presence, marking the coming end of summer. It has been a worthwhile 4 month break indeed. For once, I've completed most of the stuff in my to-do list. In short, here's some things checked out from the list.

1) finish my CC#2 Toastmasters speech

•   I've been in this club for about a year now, but I've learned quite a lot. The experienced speakers in the club are all friendly and helpful so it really builds a conducive environment to improving one's communication skills. I've always been one who's close to having a nervous breakdown when asked to give a speech in front of an audience, so this club propelled me to a new confidence and opened my eyes to a world with way more opportunities.

     

The one I go to 

(http://toastmasters.skule.ca/)

*Just a heads up, Toastmasters is not a breakfast making club. It's an international organization where one can improve his/her communication and leadership skills through various activities(presentations, speeches, debates, and many more).

2)  visit the Land of Opportunities and the Big Apple

•  Well, not that I've always wanted to go there, but since I'm just next door, why not? Took a 4 day tour to Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Baltimore and Pennsylvania. Visited places like Harvard, MIT, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Rockefeller Centre and a few more. Overall, the trip felt like a week. We were in the bus most of the time considering the long journey between the cities.

Harvard's Big Library (forgot what it's called =P)

The First Amendment at Washington

The former World Trade Centre, making it way to the top once more

 3) read at least a book till the end

• Never liked books, maybe never will. I'd either space out or sleep before finishing a book. So, I'd decided to give it another shot. Went through my dad's collection of books and some caught my eye. One of it was about palmistry(the art of reading one's palm and making objective remarks or predictions), another about numerology and astrology, and a book called 'Rich Dad Poor Dad'(challenge accepted from friend).

Interesting book, but more like one to motivate rather than educate

•  For once, I'd arrived at the conclusion of a book. And not just one, but two (didn't finish Rich Dad Poor Dad). For palmistry, I learned that signs like crosses, stars, grilles, vertical lines and etc. have their unique individual meanings and that we can roughly estimate our predicted age(best not dwell on that, kinda ruins the spontaneity of life). Numerology was pretty straightforward in that our date of birth belongs to a certain star and that star exerts influence onto our personality. Then, there was 'Rich Dad Poor Dad'. My friend who's studying business in college mentioned that most business lecturers recommend reading this book. Knowing that I wasn't one who likes to read books, a deal was made. If I were to finish reading the book within 3 days, he'd buy me lunch for the next week. Just for the fun of it, I took up the challenge. I didn't finish it though, but it still was an interesting read. Not one I would highly recommend, but surely something to keep one occupied for a while.

4) moving in to a new home

• When I got back to Malaysia at the end of June, little did I realize that I was about to be a labourer, an expensive one at that. Just a week after the touchdown, we got the keys to our new crib and our work began. We bought the house and the furniture lockstock barrreled so there wasn't much room for our old furniture to come in. With a bit of innovation and lots of patience, we managed to get the interior done in a month. Not to mention, we made about 30 rounds to move the furniture from the old to new place. Thankfully, both places were in nearby neighbourhoods.

The dining hall

Part of the garden(used to be a swimming pool)

Front of the house

Main hall

Antique lantern lights

• The exterior landscape took the other month to complete. Despite being quite a hectic job for 2 months, it sure was a worthwhile experience. After all, nothing beats spending the time with the family while renovating a house, not forgetting the satisfying feeling one gets from seeing a job till its 'Mission Accomplished'!

5) obtain my Malaysian driving license

• Maneuvering a vehicle ain't my forte, but hey, why not? Did the first half of my lessons a year back, so I was forced to do the other half this break anyway. Never really understood the idea of the clutch, so it was a liberating experience. Fortunately, I didn't really felt left out since I met Vei Sean, an ex high school buddy on the same exam day. Despite failing the highway test the first time, I succeeded on the second one. Well, at least now I need not worry about being asked for a non-existing license while driving on the road. And also, now I finally know how to drive manual on arcades =D.

6) improve physical fitness

• Well, I guess everyone has this goal. During my 2 months stay in Toronto, I decided to make use of the community gym nearby my apartment. Free membership but limited spot available at one time. Fortunately, I got a spot and decided to visit the gym 2-3 times a week. I guess the rumours were true. The first or second visit is usually the toughest because we're too lazy to get out of our comfort zone. After a couple of visits, it really felt nice to go there and break a sweat. At least, I don't feel that much of a walking stick anymore.

7) catching up with latest movies

• When I got back to Malaysia and started hanging out with my ex high school friends, I realized that I was kinda left out in certain conversations; thanks to 8 months of not keeping up with the latest movies. Due to the tortoise internet provided by my Maxis broadband, I only could keep up with the ones now showing in theatres. Watched a few like the Expendables 2, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen(supposedly British comedy), The Three Stooges(comedy). Have yet to watch Total Recall despite the mixed reviews. All in all, the enjoyable part was having an awesome company to watch the movie with. So, a very special thanks to those who cut some free time to enjoy a movie or two. =D

8) Yumcha sessions

• Definitely a not-to-be missed in the list. Nothing beats having a cup of teh tarik with a couple of friends and chat about life. So, a special thanks for an awesome time to Edward, Chee Boon, Izzul, Hong Zhang, Ashvind, Chee Hong, Sailendra, and Hema. It's great to hear from you peeps again and to know you all are doing well. All the best in your studies and hope to meet you all soon! However, didn't had the opportunity to meet a certain few. Sorry for being held up. I'll make it up to you peeps soon. =)

9) Food

• A visit to Malaysia will never be complete without first enjoying Malaysian food. Didn't get to try everything that is to be offered though, but still, something is better than nothing. Had char kuey teow(fried flat noodles), Kampar fish ball noodles, curry wantan mee, nyonya kuih and nasi lemak(fat rice). Just thinking about it makes me drool. Sorry for the very few photos for you peeps to enjoy though. =P

Hainan Chicken Rice At Hoe Kee Restaurant, Jonker Street, Melaka

Bak Kut Teh(Pork Bone Tea) at Klang

Curry laksa...with cockles(kerang)!

Fried pumpkin coated with salted egg(Two Fatty Seafood SS2, PJ)

Roti Canai! (Grand City Restaurant, Section 11, PJ)

10)  Write about a dream

• Just an idea to improve my writing skills. Had a decent dream a few weeks back about an alternate world. Haven't started writing on the draft yet but the main ideas are there. Will post on the blog once it's done.

11)  Blog about my summer experience

• I've only started blogging this year thanks to a friend who is an inspiring blogger. Hoping that my blog will be of that level soon may be too much to ask for, but I hope to improve my blogging skills and someday, inspire others to blog just as someone has inspired me to do so. Therefore, feedbacks are very much appreciated.

Well, 4 months sure have gone by quickly and my second year undergrad is about to begin. I shall give it my all and hopefully, achieve much satisfying results than the previous term. Aite, that's all for now. Thanks for reading and I hope you peeps have enjoyed this. All the best to those who're about to start their new academic year. Adios.

Au Revoir, Frosh Year!

Well, a good 8 months has passed. Made many acquaintances from diverse cultural backgrounds with interesting perspectives. Throughout this brief yet insightful experience, there were ups and downs and of course, habits to remove and lessons to learn.

1st lesson; procrastination is directly proportional to amount of stacked assignment. Well, this lesson didn't really apply in high school. Last minute studies were still very much possible during those days. Unfortunately, things don't run the same way in university. The first semester went by in a jiffy. Course load seemed rather light at first glance, but with a little bit of procrastination goes a long way; yep, in stacking assignments and projects. It wasn't too tough though since the first semester was full of theoretical ideas such as linear algebra, calculus and some random thermo concepts. However, I really paid the price for it in the second semester; full of course work, computer programming game project, and design project. Many things needed to be completed in so little time. It is at these moments when we truly learn the value of time and learn to cherish every single moment; in other words, stop procrastinating. That means less Skyrim and hanging out. Well, despite learning this lesson a bit too late, I guess I'll just make use of this in the future.

Hm...lesson 2; make the best out of the present and live for the future. Well, just like most other froshies in university, it was quite a shock when I first saw my final marks for the first semester. However, luckily, it was the winter break so there was plenty of time to chill around. Moreover, I had the opportunity to visit harbourfront quite often with a friend to chat about life which was quite relaxing. Yep, isn't it nice to just forget about the rules of our reality once in a while and break loose by talking about all those 'sensitive' issues such as politics, religion, culture, sexual orientation and so on? After some time, I realized that I have to acknowledge the marks I have obtained and live on, giving it my all to further improve and refrain from obtaining the same grades again.

Besides that, coffee isn't really the best way to stay awake; hot chocolate is! With all those last minute studying going on during the last few weeks of the semesters, one can't help but feast on those 'revitalizing' beverages especially coffee. The question is, does coffee really live up to its expectations? Well, your guess may be as good as mine. Not really. It really depends on one's metabolism. Some mention that coffee helps make them sleep whereas some admit to coffee's caffeine effects. Well, I'm part of the former. Coffee doesn't really work on me besides making me sweat by heating my body up real quick. On the other hand, hot chocolate (specifically 'Tim Hortons' or better known as 'Timmies') did the trick for me. Just an extra large from Tim Hortons for probably $2 kept me going for about 6 hours. A definite must have to give that instant sugar rush despite the lack in quality of the beverage relative to Starbucks or Second Cup.

Yummmm.....

Lesson #4: Best food is mostly out of town! It's the unfortunate truth for you city-dwellers. During my high school days in which my high school is located in the suburbs of Toronto, there were plenty of restaurants or food shops nearby. Despite the vast choices that are available in the vicinity, the quality and the flavour of the food is quite reasonable. On the other hand, throughout this past 8 months going for lectures in a downtown university where Chinatown is just next door, the variety of cuisines available was inversely proportional to the quality and taste of the cuisines. All in all, nothing beats home-cooked meals! (Well, most of the time; especially Malaysian cuisine).

Prawn and beancurd in mixed vegetable broth

To conclude, my frosh year in UofT taught me many lessons of which I couldn't encompass all in this short post of mine. I'm sure if anyone was asked to jot down all their life lessons learned throughout their university life, it would take too many trees to chop to write it out or too much electricity to type it out. So, to those of you who have yet to experience your university days, fret not for that day shall come and you should rejoice the moments you have right now for they come once in a lifetime. After all, May 6th, 2012 occurs only once in your lifetime. As for those who are currently undergoing the tortuous life of university or college, you're not the only lone sheep out there in the wilds. Plenty more share a similar experience so make the best out of those tortuous moments and live them to the fullest. All in all, all the best to everyone in their future undertakings and may you achieve your goal or find a goal if you have yet to have one. Finally, to my Frosh year in UofT 2011-2012, I'm sorry that I have to leave you but thanks a lot for being a great teacher. 

Peace out, peeps.

"Live today with the scars of yesterday and the hopes of tomorrow"