Yes, the long awaited and much anticipated switch to the newly built (yet, not complete) Lakeside campus has finally arrived! The past three weeks at Leisure Commerce Square (LCS) have been amazing, so the Lakeside campus has a lot to live up to if it is to even match how good LCS was. True, the fact that it is a campus and LCS was just a building would normally mean that its a no-contest, but I'd beg to differ this time, as LCS was just in a league of it's own.
I've been here at the new Lakeside campus for only 3 days, and I already regret the switch, not that I had a choice in the first place though. Everything here seems to be such a mood killer, and I'm not over exaggerating here, I really mean everything!
It's so bad that the problems start even before we enter the campus! I really do not understand how they can build a campus in the middle of a residential area catering to thousands of students, when there is only one narrow road leading to and from the campus! Seriously, this is the part I hate the most about the new campus. I leave my house at 7.00am everyday, I reach the entrance to the main road leading to the campus by 7.30am latest, yet I reach my seat in class at 8.15am! It takes me upwards of 30 minutes to drive through a road less than 3km in distance, which is a major annoyance and source of irritance for me. I really can't understand how the people in charge of Taylors managed to neglect this aspect when planning the new campus.
On top of the extremely bad traffic conditions, matters aren't really helped by lack of a proper parking lot in campus. I mean, gravel parking lots which are occupied by stray dogs and cows, seriously? And to think that Taylors are thinking of charging the students for parking. Please, we don't mind paying for parking, even though by right we shouldn't be, but the least the management could do is to get real parking bays ready for us. By real parking bays I mean actual tarred roads, no sand and stone coupled with the faeces of stray dogs and the stench of cow dung in the air. Looking at it, the parking lot feels a lot like a slum.
The other source of annoyance is the cafeteria. Let me just put it this way; when you have 100 cows in your farm, with only one small patch of grass for them to munch on, things are going to get messy. Fitting in everyone into that small cafeteria, really daft in my opinion. True, they might say it's just temporary, but then why move us here when the facilities available aren't sufficient enough to cater to our needs? Why not wait another few weeks and have everything ready and good to go? I don't want to jump to conclusions, but I honestly think that everything about this move wasn't properly talked over and was conducted in a rush. Unfortunately, it's us students who have to suffer from all this.
Those are practically the only major downsides of the new campus. To be honest, I haven't had much more qualms as of yet, but maybe with a little more time here, I'd beg to differ. Lets see how the remainder of the week goes!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
End of the Holidays
I've been wondering why its been so hard for me to make a post about my holidays. Everytime I try to create one, I just hit a dead end, nothing comes to mind, I'm totally clueless on what to write about. Lying on my bed with this empty 'New Post' box begging me to fill it up with words, I think I've finally found out why I've been having trouble posting what I'm doing for my holidays. Basically, it's because I haven't really been doing anything at all this whole week, or nothing out of the norm I guess.
I can't believe a week has just passed by, and class starts again tomorrow morning. Don't get me wrong, I'm really looking forward to going back to class, its a welcome distraction, but I can't help feeling like I've just wasted my holiday week instead of making the most out of it. Its like I live a life that's like a CD playing on loop, repetitive and mundane. After a while, you get sick of it and just eject the CD out to listen to whats on the radio. My life has been that same CD for the past 2 years, and it's getting quite repetitively boring.
Of course, my definition of wasting might be quite different from that of a majority of other people's. By most people's standards, I probably did do a lot during the holidays. Movie? Check. Drinking? Check. Out of the house the whole day? Check. Roaming around aimlessly in the car for hours? Check. Hang out with friends? Check. Doing things that go against my better judgement? Check.
So what exactly am I complaining about? I don't really know to be honest. I guess I just feel like I'm capable of more than just that? Everything gets pretty routine after a while, it becomes more of a norm, all the excitement is taken out of it. Frankly, I'm getting bored of everything, really fast. I've done all there is to do, more than enough times to make me sick of it. So, what really is left for me to do that would still give me that adrenaline rush?
I might be going a little out of topic here, but I don't really have much to write about the holidays, since I've been doing things that I already do every other day, be it the holidays or not. Not to downplay the things I've done, but I feel like this week has basically just flashed before me, without me achieving anything from it. The shooting weekend aside, every day of this past week has pretty much been the same old same old, being out the whole time or lazing at home, its a coin toss everyday to decide which one of those I'd do each day, not really much of a variety to the scenario, is there?
In a nutshell, my holidays could be summed up in this following sentence. Hanging out with friends way too much, spending up to five times more money than I should have, doing things I've done before way too many times and things I might not be doing anymore from now on. Yeah, that's basically the perfect summary of this whole week. Now, I never thought I'd ever say this, but thank god class starts tomorrow!!!
I can't believe a week has just passed by, and class starts again tomorrow morning. Don't get me wrong, I'm really looking forward to going back to class, its a welcome distraction, but I can't help feeling like I've just wasted my holiday week instead of making the most out of it. Its like I live a life that's like a CD playing on loop, repetitive and mundane. After a while, you get sick of it and just eject the CD out to listen to whats on the radio. My life has been that same CD for the past 2 years, and it's getting quite repetitively boring.
Of course, my definition of wasting might be quite different from that of a majority of other people's. By most people's standards, I probably did do a lot during the holidays. Movie? Check. Drinking? Check. Out of the house the whole day? Check. Roaming around aimlessly in the car for hours? Check. Hang out with friends? Check. Doing things that go against my better judgement? Check.
So what exactly am I complaining about? I don't really know to be honest. I guess I just feel like I'm capable of more than just that? Everything gets pretty routine after a while, it becomes more of a norm, all the excitement is taken out of it. Frankly, I'm getting bored of everything, really fast. I've done all there is to do, more than enough times to make me sick of it. So, what really is left for me to do that would still give me that adrenaline rush?
I might be going a little out of topic here, but I don't really have much to write about the holidays, since I've been doing things that I already do every other day, be it the holidays or not. Not to downplay the things I've done, but I feel like this week has basically just flashed before me, without me achieving anything from it. The shooting weekend aside, every day of this past week has pretty much been the same old same old, being out the whole time or lazing at home, its a coin toss everyday to decide which one of those I'd do each day, not really much of a variety to the scenario, is there?
In a nutshell, my holidays could be summed up in this following sentence. Hanging out with friends way too much, spending up to five times more money than I should have, doing things I've done before way too many times and things I might not be doing anymore from now on. Yeah, that's basically the perfect summary of this whole week. Now, I never thought I'd ever say this, but thank god class starts tomorrow!!!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Sweating Bullets
Yes, the much dreaded holidays have finally dawned upon us. Before this I always used to look forward to the holidays, a much needed break to have fun and just relax before resuming with the busy life of pursuing 'academic excellence'. Strangely though, I'm really sad to not be having classes right now, since it was such a refreshing change over the usual 'sit at home and grow fat' routine I've been living for the past few months. Nevertheless, since the holidays are here to stay, for the next one week that is, I might as well make full use of it.
Last weekend, I packed my bags, reported into camp and along with around 120 other people, went to the shooting range in Jugrah for a whole weekend's worth of shooting competitions and practise. A little background here first and foremost, I'm in the Reserves for the Malaysian Army, so I have trainings and drills every first and third weekend of the month. Luckily, this weekend's training coincided perfectly with the one week break. I was really looking forward to it, as it would be the first time I actually get to fire live rounds on an M16 assault rifle.
We left for the shooting range in Jugrah from the Sg.Buloh Camp at 0700 hours, reaching the range only 2 hours later. The journey there was quite an experience, with around 20 fellow soldiers seated around you in the three-tonne truck, wind, sand, and even droplets of rain flying into your eyes the whole way. Upon reaching the Jugrah shooting range, we exited the truck and lined up to report in for the day.
Each of us have our own personal M16 assault rifle, which no one else can use besides us. As it was my first time shooting, I had to zero my weapon on the first practise session, to make sure the crosshair is synchronised with where the bullet hits after it leaves the weapon. Adrenaline kept everyone going for quite a while, ignoring the scorching hot sun and the severe lack of hydration. After lunch though, it was quite clear that the weather and dehydration were taking its toll on us. Everyone seemed a little less hyped up and were just trying to reserve our energy for the next shooting practice.
The first day went well, all in all I got a score of 108, with 37 of my 40 rounds hitting the target from 100 meters out. Not to brag, but that was the one of the best records for a first time shooter ever, I checked! I was elated, and went to sleep that night with a wide grin on my face.
The next day, the battalion chose the top 20 shooters from the practise session to go against the officers and trainers in a falling plate competition. The objective was to hit a metal plate no bigger than half the size of a laptop screen, from 200 meters out. As the names were called, mine suddenly popped out. I was in shock, ME? Top 20 shooters, out of around 120 people, most of whom have been shooting before? It took a while to settle in, I really didn't expect that.
There were four of us in each team, us going against the officers and regulars of the Malaysian Army who have been shooting for 30+ years. As the announcer asked my team to step out onto the range, I saw the team captain for our opposing team and my heart just stopped for a second.
"YOU?!" he said.
"Oh my god, I'm against YOU?!" I replied.
It was my father, who is coincidently the Commanding Officer of our battalion, and his team consisted of the top shooters in the whole battalion. What a way to go out, losing out to them on the first round seemed to be written in stone. While we were lining up against our targets, everyone started screaming out my name, urging me to beat my father's team. I was overwhelmed, but still, I didn't let the pressure get to me. 10 minutes later, I was still in shock. My team had beaten my father's team, the clear favourites! It was the upset of the whole competition, the favourite team going out in the first round to a team of newcomers.
As we were setting the weapons aside, my dad came up to me with a sly grin and congratulated me, saying it was in the blood. I laughed it off, I was still pretty sure he threw the match for me, but I'll never know I guess. We went on to lose in the semi-finals to the eventual champion's, but it was a good run for us. All in all, I was happy with what we achieved, being new to the challenge. Hopefully next year, I'll meet my father's team in the finals, and hopefully this time, he'll play fair. But then again, if we do beat him, he'd never hear the end of it!
Last weekend, I packed my bags, reported into camp and along with around 120 other people, went to the shooting range in Jugrah for a whole weekend's worth of shooting competitions and practise. A little background here first and foremost, I'm in the Reserves for the Malaysian Army, so I have trainings and drills every first and third weekend of the month. Luckily, this weekend's training coincided perfectly with the one week break. I was really looking forward to it, as it would be the first time I actually get to fire live rounds on an M16 assault rifle.
We left for the shooting range in Jugrah from the Sg.Buloh Camp at 0700 hours, reaching the range only 2 hours later. The journey there was quite an experience, with around 20 fellow soldiers seated around you in the three-tonne truck, wind, sand, and even droplets of rain flying into your eyes the whole way. Upon reaching the Jugrah shooting range, we exited the truck and lined up to report in for the day.
Each of us have our own personal M16 assault rifle, which no one else can use besides us. As it was my first time shooting, I had to zero my weapon on the first practise session, to make sure the crosshair is synchronised with where the bullet hits after it leaves the weapon. Adrenaline kept everyone going for quite a while, ignoring the scorching hot sun and the severe lack of hydration. After lunch though, it was quite clear that the weather and dehydration were taking its toll on us. Everyone seemed a little less hyped up and were just trying to reserve our energy for the next shooting practice.
The first day went well, all in all I got a score of 108, with 37 of my 40 rounds hitting the target from 100 meters out. Not to brag, but that was the one of the best records for a first time shooter ever, I checked! I was elated, and went to sleep that night with a wide grin on my face.
The next day, the battalion chose the top 20 shooters from the practise session to go against the officers and trainers in a falling plate competition. The objective was to hit a metal plate no bigger than half the size of a laptop screen, from 200 meters out. As the names were called, mine suddenly popped out. I was in shock, ME? Top 20 shooters, out of around 120 people, most of whom have been shooting before? It took a while to settle in, I really didn't expect that.
There were four of us in each team, us going against the officers and regulars of the Malaysian Army who have been shooting for 30+ years. As the announcer asked my team to step out onto the range, I saw the team captain for our opposing team and my heart just stopped for a second.
"YOU?!" he said.
"Oh my god, I'm against YOU?!" I replied.
It was my father, who is coincidently the Commanding Officer of our battalion, and his team consisted of the top shooters in the whole battalion. What a way to go out, losing out to them on the first round seemed to be written in stone. While we were lining up against our targets, everyone started screaming out my name, urging me to beat my father's team. I was overwhelmed, but still, I didn't let the pressure get to me. 10 minutes later, I was still in shock. My team had beaten my father's team, the clear favourites! It was the upset of the whole competition, the favourite team going out in the first round to a team of newcomers.
As we were setting the weapons aside, my dad came up to me with a sly grin and congratulated me, saying it was in the blood. I laughed it off, I was still pretty sure he threw the match for me, but I'll never know I guess. We went on to lose in the semi-finals to the eventual champion's, but it was a good run for us. All in all, I was happy with what we achieved, being new to the challenge. Hopefully next year, I'll meet my father's team in the finals, and hopefully this time, he'll play fair. But then again, if we do beat him, he'd never hear the end of it!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
A New Beginning, Pt.2
You're running through the leaves, bushes and tree branches, narrowly escaping the ravine in your pursuit for a way out. You keep asking yourself the same question, like a broken record it plays repetitively in your head.
"How did I get here?"
"How am I going to escape from this jungle?"
"Why am I talking to myself, and where is everyone else?"
You hear a thud and you end up jolting upwards on your bed, finally awoken from that weird, direction less vague dream as beads of sweat trickle down your nose. You look around and you realise what the dream was all about. The aforementioned jungle was just a piece of symbolism for your jungle of thoughts, your mind, and you being lost in it is exactly what it feels like, hopeless and fearful.
Here I am again, finally got around to doing my second post on this blog. Why the exaggerated intro, you may ask. Why not, I reply. After all, this post is about new beginnings. Its just that, lately there have been a lot going through my mind. On a personal as well as on an academic level, its so new and stimulating that I've still been trying to take it all in.
Lets get things started with the lesser worry of the two, my studies. I'm still in quite a culture shock at how classes are and things are done here. I'm so used to a lecture hall with 150 students listening and taking notes from a lecturer who, in all essence, looks like he hasn't had fun in 30 years. Everything here is so laid back and enjoyable that I don't even feel like I'm studying. It could be perceived as a bad thing by some parties, but not me for sure. I'm confident I won't slack off, not this time for sure. Its really refreshing not having to stay up till 2am every day finishing up Calculus tutorials and end up getting almost everything wrong when discussed in class the next day.
I guess I've finally found something I'm good at, something right up my alley. I can finally get rid of the 'jack of all trades, but master of none' tag that I've been wearing around for the past few months. I'm in my comfort zone here, nothing is going to phase me. Contrary to your thoughts, I'm not narcissistic, its just plenty of confidence of which I only ever really acquire when I know that something is right.
Thats one out of the way, now onto a more personal level. I have to admit, things have been going good, too good in fact. I just hope everything stays the same and hopefully more can be built upon this already good start I've been having. In all honesty though, thats all I can really disclose, because I don't really like spilling personal details out for the world to see.
But yes, as a new beginning, it has been better than anything I could have asked for, and then some. Sometimes things are too good they get you thinking, and when that mind of yours gets going, you come up with all sorts of possibilities. Yes, getting lost in that train of thought in a jungle is annoying when it gets you worked up, but I guess its a healthier way to kill time instead of watching Glee reruns, am I right?
Friday, April 16, 2010
A New Beginning, Pt.1
To blog about a new beginning, quite an ironic theme for my first assignment. Seemingly so it seems, since my last post before closing my previous personal blog was aptly titled exactly the same. Ah, a new beginning, where do I even begin? Of course, at this point of time, the most obvious of changes would be my enrollment in Taylors, my third institute of higher education since I finished my SPM examinations way back in 2006, of which since I have not really had anything to look back to and feel proud about.
Am I sure that I've finally made the right choice? Its definitely too soon to tell, but the initial signs are good, very good in fact. I've never felt such at home in a college, and its only been 2 weeks here but I'm already getting that vibe from this place. Hindsight always has a way of coming back and stabbing me in the back, but I don't think it would be the same this time. They say you know when you have something worth treasuring, and I certainly feel like I do have that exact feeling in mind.
Everything here just fits, perfectly in place like the puzzle pieces to the hardest jigsaw puzzle of them all, my life. Taylors has been the best thing to happen to me in a while. Its always been an 'either or' scenario for me, never do I get the best of all worlds. Saying that though, and from what I've experienced so far, Taylors seems to be the perfect blend of the right place, right course and the right people of course.
Which gets me to my main point, the right people. During the 2 weeks that I've been here so far, I've made more acquaintances than any of my previous two colleges. Of course, I still have great friends and experiences from the previous two, but I just wasn't prepared for the rapid uprising of my social life I guess, after being on the down low for a substantial amount of this year. Certain people have really been a joy to be around, everything just feels so comfortable, like we've known each other for years, wherein its only been 2 weeks in reality. Its great in that sense I guess, it makes life that little more exciting and joyful to live, having great acquaintances. And let me just say, I am loving being able to play foosball again, a passion of mine which was missing for more than a year. Of course, I'm still slowly trying to find my rhythm again after a year's hiatus, but hopefully I manage to regain my form soon!
Thats basically it for now, there has been so much change in my life that I can't possibly fit everything into one blogpost. We'll see how the next few weeks and maybe months go. Hopefully this is just the beginning of an amazing experience for me. It certainly feels like thats exactly what it's going to be!
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