Next week's madness!

Understand that next week may very well be a bit out of hand since there are a few assignments to hand up. Odd huh? All I talk about is assignments, assignments and more assignments. I mean, there must be more than this in IMU right? Strangely, apart from handing up assignments, everything else seems like a blur to me. I flit into uni, float from lecture to lecture and then float back to my apartment, all the time in a daze and not soaking anything in. That's just me I guess. Studying isn't priority number 1 although it really should be.

Anywho, it has been a rather long and uneventful week. Apart from someone giving me a very nice shirt. You know who you are, so thank you very much! I really like it, and you can bet your epaulets I'm going to wear it. Loads of assignments and Foundation Pharmacy draft to hand up, so got to pick up the pace!

What would YOU have done if you can turn back time?

I've always wondered how things would have been had things been simpler. What would have happened if the thread I have now taken had never existed? What if I was not meant to come to IMU? Would everything have been different then? Would I be happier? Would my worries be less burdensome than it is now? Sometimes I wish I had the power to turn back time and restart, rewind, knowing what would have happened in the future and perhaps changing ways to prevent these things from happening.

Then I think about my current life versus what could have been. Sure, I would have been in fourth year by now, studying medicine instead of moping about second semester in pharmacy. But would I have been satisfied with my life? Perhaps I would. I did love Liverpool after all. But my social life had been almost nonexistent there. Only a small circle of friends. And small means like 1 or 2. Which means that just perhaps I ended up more complete back here in Malaysia. However, I simply don't like the weather and the political situation here. Sigh, dilemmas.

I don't want to think too much about it, but I do feel sad sometimes. A bit disconnected from the rest of the batch no matter how nice I was being treated and everything. It's simply not right, it's simply not where I'm SUPPOSED to be. I'm 23, I'm not 21 or 20, 19 or even 18. The age gap is there, and you can't change nor hide it. At least not for long. Perhaps the question I should ask myself now is... am I fulfilled here? Do I feel more satisfied here compared to Liverpool? It's a hard question to answer, and I don't think I can answer it anytime soon. This requires some pondering over, and I'm just too tired to care. The question will always be at the back of my mind though, so I guess it'll haunt me till the day I die.

Well, emo things aside, the week was rather tiring. I had to go to and fro from uni to Sunway on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday so I could accompany my family and shop at the same time. I didn't exactly buy a lot of stuff, just a pair of three quarter pants, a pair of jeans, a T-shirt(shirt?) and a pair of Reebok shoes. I did have nice meals though, was quite a change from the usual mamak fare, Indian food as well as the cafeteria food (though I haven't had cafeteria food for some time). Everything went well enough, I'm not sure when we can have another family outing like this. I don't think it'll be easy to do in the future. So enjoy while we can :)

I also had an unexpected call to go for the debate training on Thursday! I tried to forget to go on Wednesday, thinking I'd pulled it off when no one called or anything. Little did I know they changed it to Thursday. And as usual, I got the last minute notice, saying that I should go for the greater glory yadda yadda... As reluctant as I feel I have to do my duty, so off I went. The motion was weird to say the least: The house would like to ban all websites that glorify eating disorders. And we get to be the opening government. Nothing worse than that really. It was hard to set the scene, so we decided Japan, although we realised much later that that was a bad idea, very bad idea. Oh well, my first time at being opening government, so n00bs are n00bs. We were placed 3rd so it wasn't TOO bad.

I also went for Bak Kut Teh after LG tonight. It was quite good, although they ran out of the kueh. One thing though, it was rather pricey for the amount given. In fact, I wasn't half full when I got out of there. Just goes to show the ripple effect of the increasing petrol price I guess. Everything and everyone suffers. Consumers the most especially. Hopefully the price drops soon. I really can't stand the price of things these days. Makes me want to hurt someone. Bad.

The storm has passed, or has it?

Well, the mini storm has subsided somewhat, but who's to say it won't come back fiercer than ever? The point is, Bioscience class test has ended, and although I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch I do want to say that I'm cautiously confident of being able to pass it, and that means less worrying about EoS. Then again, I did specifically say 'cautiously'.

In short, I had no idea anyone can possibly make a simple genetics subject into a paper so difficult 1 hour for 40 questions wasn't quite enough to figure things out. And it was all MCQs! Was a nightmare tbqh, and I didn't go prepared. Well, the luxury only extends so far as to this semester. Next I'll have to work harder or I'm screwed.

Main event coming up soon. I'm going to meet my parents in Sunway later. But it'll have to be later since I have classes till 5. Time to eat nice foods and go shopping (hopefully!) so yeah, it'll be nice :) And plus I get to skip the debate thing so it's definitely a win-win situation.

Wish me luck now! :D

Wedding ceremonies are the shiz?

Bees knees people! And I mean it. It's been an awfully long time since I last updated. Yes, I know it's my fault for being lazy and all, but I was simply too weary these past few days. Not that that statement meant much since I don't really have much to do, but I just feel tired. Perhaps it has something to do with rushing assignments, bringing myself to go for the debate practice and the upcoming Bioscience class test (which I have hardly prepared for and I don't know how in God's name am I going to be able to pass, let alone do well). But that's neither here nor there. All in a day's work really. You get a bit bipolar and manic but try to seek inner peace and calm later. Might work or you might just be wasting your time trying to meditate. Hey, whatever works man.

But back to the main topic. Apparently Fauzi and Izyan are doing the whole formal wedding ceremony thing down in (of all places) Sri Petaling! There is absolutely NO reason for missing this out. So I didn't of course. Strange since they already did the nikah and everything last year. Oh well, I didn't get a chance to go then and now I did yay! I went with Dilin though. She contacted me and everything so I have company. I might otherwise be a bit freaked out to go alone, not knowing what to do. Pleasant surprise when I saw a few of my classmates there too! :D And my IRP group members, how nice. Nida was there, as was Hannah, Aliaa, Goh, Zulaikha et al. I got to say congrats to the happy couple too hehe.

Oh yeah back to grinding for Bioscience now, not much time to chit chat. Pics will have to come later when I can upload from school (connex at vista is shit and you know it!)

Vigilance is key people!

You know, today's been rather... um, free. Apart from the Foundation Pharmacy thing in the morning there's nothing till later on. And yup you guessed it, it's the wonderful BM. The ATM wasn't working and I'm getting broke... great things come in twos and threes I suppose.

Still, nothing out of the ordinary. I had Starbucks last night. The usual Grande Chocolate Cream Chip Frap. I ended up spilling quite a lot of things about my family to Kah Yee. That wasn't very nice actually. Perhaps I should just keep quiet. Anyway. That's all in the past now.

I have to finish my Malay assignment now. Perhaps I'll write a longer thing later. Oh yes, and vigilance IS key. Sleepless vigils too.

Dazed and Angsty

Gosh, so many negative titles I've made in the course of this whole blog. Nevertheless, you can't run away from all these problems, they simply happen. And you have to face it headon sometimes. Even if it's a huge train with an enormous gaping maw about to swallow you up, you have to plant your two puny feet down on the gravelly tracks and brandish that small pocket knife out and have faith.

Last night I debated for the first time in my life. It was just a training of sorts, and the title was Allowing Gay Couples to Adopt Children. I so happen to be on the closing opposition side and I was entrusted with the task of being the whip. It all sounds fine and dandy, with one exception: I have NEVER debated before. So it simply doesn't help that I have no idea what to say, it also makes things worse when I stand in front of everyone and I get this stagefright thing (hence the train analogy earlier). But I did it. I talked for 7 minutes somehow, although I'm pretty sure I didn't understand what I was blabbing my mouth off about. And judging by the looks of the rest of the members, I didn't think they knew what I was talking about either. It's only natural for them to cheer newbies on though, so they said something along the lines of "It was good for a first try and all that" but anyone with half a brain knows that means "Gosh, that sucked. But since you're a n00b, you get to get away with it... for now". So yeah. Next time I'm pretty sure things won't be so pretty.

Oh and things got better and better. I developed this mother of a headache. Plus it didn't wear off the next morning so I couldn't get out of bed and go for English class. I didn't have much of a choice except to skip it I guess. Things did get slightly better with more rest, but there was still this slight dull throbbing pain, which made me slightly dizzy and I've practically been going around with a dazed look on my face. [Watch out, oops! Sorry, didn't mean to do that]

Also we're rushing with the Statistical CAL Assignment. Don't do things at the last minute people! It never pays off. We slaved away in the ELAB 1 for hours with blank faces, trying our best to squeeze any form of idea into our meagre heads. But honestly, how much can you squeeze out of a brain the size of a chickpea? So the next logical step is to put everything we've learnt into some form of coherent data, as long as there's loads of words and numbers it'll do. Relevance and practicality can fly out the window for all I care. In the end we did it though. I really couldn't care two pence what I got as long as I've submitted the idiotic thing.

Tomorrow we're going to be doing the Physio Experiment. I really do hope everything goes well or I'll go nuts. Peanuts shelled by fat monkeys. With chickpeas for brains. And featuring Barbara Streisand with leopardskin hotpants. I think I'd best stop writing for a while. Rambling off without any meaning means that I need rest. Badly.

Stress levels skyrocketing!

Stress? What's that? Something edible? Honestly, I don't even know why I get so stressed out so easily. But I do. Today is the start of a string of busy days. Happy days ahead indeed! Not only do I have to worry about handing up the stats project on Friday, I have to think about the debate thing later. And for the record, I never wanted to join debate. I don't like how it's all bound by all sorts of rules and regulations. In short, there's not much room to voice your opinions out based on someone else's thoughts. Anyway, that's neither here nor there. I also have to worry about my upcoming physio project which is supposed to be done on Friday too. Ooh, and the creme de la creme, the bioscience class test which is going to be in about a week's time.

Really. I'm going to just go back and rest for a while before all the mayhem occurs. Yes, I know I don't tend to take things by the roots and deal with it then and there, and I procrastinate... but I digress. Stress is good for you... breathe in and out...

Passion Kuala Lumpur!

That's right folks! I can officially say with absolute certainty that I have went for the most awesome and happening event I have ever been to. And that is none other than the Passion World Tour. For those of you who don't really know what it's all about, it's actually a Christian event where you get to worship God and listening to a really prominent pastor, Louie Giglio. The best thing is because it's designed for those 18-25, it means that we can all connect to it. One way or the other.

In order to get the best seats, we have to go there early. And we did. Reached Sunway Pyramid at about 11-ish. Did a bit of shopping and went for Japanese food. It was actually rather good. I had Ebi Don Buri, it's basically shrimp tempura on rice. And I finally got to taste Gyoza. It's dumpling with chicken and some green vegetables as filling. Oh and I got myself a pair of shoes. It's not exactly for sports, but it's suitable when I want to go out (no more sandals!). Plus it's a steal at RM85 since there was a 50% discount and it's Puma. Oh and per a certain person's request to be named for her great contribution (choosing the actual shoes) I want to thank her. Here's to Zh Xing, without whom I will still be walking about with some sandals :P

Anyway. Back to the main event. We had to start lining up at 3-ish. They only allow us to go up to the convention centre at around 5 or so. So you can imagine the amount of time spent waiting. There were already LOADS of people :D When we did finally get through and go up the escalator, we had to queue up again in front of the hall doors. The waiting was tiring but spirits were high and everyone was excited. When they finally let us in, we all rushed like mad people for the best seats. I got seats somewhere in the middle, in the centre of the hall. So it's pretty good. Loads of photo taking prior to the event ^^ I'll include some pics later.

When it started, it was exhilarating to say the least. Loads of worshipping by singing at the start. I could feel my voice become hoarse almost instantly. But I enjoyed it greatly. Chris Tomlin and Charlie Hall sang and we basically just followed them. After that, Louie made an appearance and started intro and stuff. He also encouraged us to pray in groups of 3 for Jesus's presence in the Passion event. More singing soon followed XD After that we had Louie reappear for his short sermon. He talked about Grace, about how we are free from sin due to Jesus and that we gained His righteousness in God. He also said that we may sometimes be a little zany due to being awestruck by the Cross :D And that if we're not crazy sometimes we're not really experiencing the true experience... so a little craziness is good for each and every one of us sometimes, but obviously it's good to be sober most of the time hehe. He also shared a very touching story about Ashley, a wild party girl who was living with her atheistic father. She finally found salvation through Christ with the help and love of her housemate, Christa (I hope that's how it's spelled o.O) Although the story had a tragic ending when she died from a car accident 3 months after accepting Christ, what really mattered was that she was saved. So it goes to show that God still accepts and loves us for who we are, even if we deem ourselves falling too far from His grace to return. He will always be there, waiting for us to come back to Him. And it's actually a joyful moment when we do, no matter what we did in the past. We are reborn in His presence. So anyone can be saved. Anyone can still go back to Him. His love does not require us to do anything other than to accept Him as our personal saviour. God is great. He really is. And most importantly, HE IS REAL! He is the only one who rose from the dead, who conquered Death and lives an eternal life. Isn't that cause for CELEBRATION?!

We had more worshipping after that and as much as I didn't want this night to end, it did finally come to a conclusion. But that was the most memorable and touching event I have ever had. And should they come again next year I WILL definitely go again! Their next stop is Jakarta. Time to pray for them :)

Dear Father Lord in heaven,

Thank You for making Passion KL the most amazing event to hit us university Christian students. Thank You for allowing us to come to know You more, to let Your words be known to us through Louie, and for watching over us and making sure that the event went smoothly. Thank You for letting Your only Son die on the cross for us, so that we can be free from the chains of sin, so that we can be reborn in Your mighty presence, so that we can enter Your kingdom through Christ the saviour. Thank you for loving me, even in the midst of all my faults and screw ups, even as I am imperfect in every way compared to Your Grace.

Dear Lord, I would like to pray for Passion Jakarta. I pray that the event goes on without any hitch, that Your message will be delivered and heard by all of the university students, and that they will have their eyes and minds touched and opened by Your presence. I pray that hearts will be soften, barricades will be torn down. I pray that more people will be saved, that they will come to know You, that they will come to realise that You are our saviour, that there is none like You. And I pray that the Indonesians will have a blast just like we did here in KL! I pray that everyone will worship You with a clarity of mind, that they will be able to unburden. Even if it's for a while, it's the first step towards freedom from chains and bonds.

And Dear Father, I would also like to extend my prayer to the students who have yet to come to know You and who were there with us. I pray that you will open their hearts so that they will come to know You, and come to love You. I pray for their salvation, for them to accept Christ as their personal saviour.

Finally, I pray for us, Your sons and daughters, that we may be able to use this event as a stepping stone to further glorify Your name. I pray that we were able to be free from all the weights and burdens of the world. I pray that we will further exalt you Lord. I pray for those who have lost their way, so that they will be able to return to Your arms. I pray for us to have the courage to extend Your kingdom. Thank You for being our God. Thank you for caring for us. Thank you for being our saviour, our redeemer. Thank you Lord.

In the mighty name of Jesus Christ,

AMEN

Isa 26:8 Yes, Lord. Walking in the way of Your truth, we wait eagerly for you. For Your name and Your renown are the desires of our souls