A NEW SITE!!

AS PROMISED!!

THE ADDRESS FOR THE NEW SITE IS HERE!

http://our.coffeestops.net

Happy New Year!!!

PS: Just click the name of the author on the right side of the new site if you just want to view posts from a particular author!

Hi and BYE! (MY LAST POST)

Hello dear readers (if there's any left),

First and foremost, I owe everyone an apology for my long and uncharitable absence. Apart from being tremendously busy hopping from one state to another and finishing piling work thanks to my detrimental procrastication genes, I was just LAZY to blog. It's not that I have lost my penchant for blogging. It's just that I just can't find the motivation to blog, especially when I'm in the midst of MANY responsiblities. I am tired.

NOW I KNOW THE FEELING OF JUST WANTING TO GET AWAY.

Don't be alarmed. There's nothing wrong with me save a little pinch of fatigueness. But I have news for everyone. A little history if you may bare with me for a little while. This blog came into existence thanks to a little nudge from a VERY close friend of mine. It has served me well. This blog has pretty much gone through up and downs. I clearly remembered the torrential backlash I received from various people, even from those whom I don't know, regarding a post when I was still Head Boy about the "freedom of speech". I was introduced to the verocious killer appetite of the masses out there if one treads on "controversial grounds". But nonetheless, we (the blog and I) weathered it all.

But just like everything in life, there's a time and place for everything. It's time for this blog to come to an end. If your mind promptly jumps to the conclusion that I am retiring from the blogging world then you're wrong. I am still interested in blogging. However, this blog no longer has the capacity to serve the new priorities in my life.

Just like how plants grow, each phase in its growth entails special hurdles and challenges. When I left secondary school, there's this gap that exist in me. But through the vault of time, I moved on. Meeting new friends, new challenges, new responsiblities......soon the gap was not so "visible". But it's like a cacophony, muted but still audible. After 5 months in INTEC and receiving news that many of my friends are now spreading their wings to various parts of this land, I finally realised that the challenge which I face now is not to scout for the NEW but to preserve and protect the old from being decayed by the acid of time. I'll be leaving for America in 9 months time. Sounds long to you? Think again. 9 months is a matter of a few winks.

"I'm leaving on a jet plane.....

.....Don't know when I'll be back again."

Thankfully, few of my friends are experiencing the same feeling as I am (probably because they are leaving earlier than I am). So we have decided a month ago to embark on a new journey.....together. We decided that we will all use one blog but with multiple authors. Directing all our combined traffic to one spot, we hope that our new site will be a "one-stop-center" for all who seeks to retain their contact and friendship. This new site will consist of 8 authors, each pursuing different courses and from differing locations. One will soon to be from Kampar (Ngai Wei Ling); one from KL (Irna); one from America (yours truly); two from reputably 'the most rigorous' accounting course there is: ACCA" (Nicholas Wong and Siah Ying Wei); maybe one from UK (Christopher Ho); one from SEGI (Khor Kok Kuan); one from INTI (Sarven Shan); one from Taylors (Yeo Yao Siang), we hope to bring an almagam of experiences from various parts of this world.

So yeah....to make things simple: I'm moving my blog.

We will launch the new site on the 31st of December 2007 to mark the end of the year and a begining of a fresh one. The new site is currently under-construction. The link will be provided soon.

I won't be closing down this blog though. It holds too many memories for me. I would love to visit here once in a while - flipping through the memories stored within the maze of the cyber world. So, it's time for something new!

Before I end my post, I would like to give out a few thanks: Thanks to Kai Jie for encouraging me to start this blog and to Pei Yen for designing this blog's 3rd skin.

And thanks for all you "faithful readers" out there (if I have any) and I humbly invite you to our new site.

BYE!

Carpe Diem! Memento Mori!

Seize the Day! Remember you are only mortal!

Every new year starts with new resolutions. Although, by general convention the New Year begins on the 1st of January but I guess this time I have to make an exception. The past few days were really refreshing and entertaining. I basically did nothing much save to read story books that have been long due and blog hopping. Plenty of time were allocated for me to reflect and think ahead on the plans that awaits me in the future.

My aim for next year is simple:

Carpe Diem!

Mood: Jian Wei is on the roll!

I survived.

"Life is an error-making and an error-correcting process, and nature in marking man's papers will grade him for the wisdom as measured both by survival and by the quality of life of those who survive."

Survival...........what a concept isn't it? It is so hard to imagine that in our pursuit for excellence we unconciously and indirectly create a magnet that drags those around us into a vortex of competition. Some shrink from the confrontation, some gallantly march forth, some are indifferent. But the matter of the fact is we can't escape competition - no matter how hard we try. It is in the competition of life that we are simultaneously the judges, players, reserves etc. We assume all sorts of roles but yet the irony is how seldom we choose to dictate the flow of the game. Well, I know I am creating a grave error by over-generalising but at least it applies to me....for the second half of the year.

I went into INTEC with the notion that the program I enrolled in is a matter of fun. After all, what can be worse than ACCA? I was wrong. But that wasn't my greatest error. My greatest error was that I shielded myself from the "sinking ship" with walls of false security. Optimism blinded my eyes. I prepared and envisioned the best but I carelessly forgot to prepare for the worse. As workload after workload began to pile up coupled with my penchant for procrastination, the storm that engulfed my life last two weeks was just too much to bear.

I wouldn't say I did well for SAT 1 though. Neither do I expect much from my SAT 2. And my finals too. I started off the wrong foot and didn't regain my balance when I had the opportunity. The sum of my mistakes finally let to what we call a crappy ending to a dull start. A poor ending to the series of crecendos. What a shame isn't it?

Despite all that I have mentioned, I survived.

I survived because after every fall I told myself that I am still alive. And it is with this notion that I pushed myself hard everytime I was slammed into the corner. "There's always tomorrow!" And I will learn from the mistakes that I have made.

Trust me: Next year, I won't make the same mistakes again.

Barely surviving.....

The storm nearly wrecked me........

The worse is yet to come......

"STAY POSITIVE"

"It's hard to do so when things don't look to good......."

"Just do your best...."

"What happens when the best isn't enough......"

Well.....look on the bright side: AT LEAST I AM STILL ALIVE!!

Being alive = being able to do something!

wish me luck.........

Back to INTEC

Going back to INTEC soon.....

Trust me.....

This time it will be a hell of a storm.

see all of you soon.......

Thank You!

It is really a miracle having great friends. My holidays are coming to an end soon and I think I will do it no justice if I do no list down a few memorable incidents that have left me pondering into the mysteries of life as well as made me richer as a person.

Camaraderie

If we view our memories one by one as isolated incidents in our lives, we can never fully experience how impactful they are. But when we really take the time to sit down to reflect, extrapolate our thoughts to the vaults of memories and only then will we realise that everything happened for a reason. Our lives are just like several complete orchestrated performances with one small event leading to another. Or maybe several infinitesimal isolated events that lead to the gargantuan impact on our lives.

It was during the last few days of my holidays that I realise how much I have gained from my previous alma mater: SMK USJ 12. I came in as one person and came out as a completely different person. Many people have their innate traits and behaviours traced back to the infant ages. It's all matter of nurturing them. But my experience in SMK USJ 12 is more like a complete eradication of the previous traits and replacing it with a completely different one. And the latter has defined the person I am today.

I leave this school with more than just knowledge, pride, and a satisfactory collection of certificates. I also left this school with a set of friends who I'll cherish till death. And the events for the past few days have left me feeling so satisfied that I have gained more than I asked for.

It was on a Thursday night, 11.53 pm.....

when I opened my mail box only to find that one of my teammates have sent me the posters for our Monday's presentation. We are required to do a short presentation, which includes 2 posters and one short movie ad on the theme Global Peace. Due to some technical error, I cannot accept the 2 posters given to me. Considering the time and the moment, I was feeling very desperate. Skimming through my MSN list, I immediately asked for help from my 2 previous colleagues from SMK USJ 12's ed board: Ooi Ferng Lin and Ng Pei Yen. I asked them whether they can fix the posters......

but they gave me more than what I asked for.

We stayed up will the wee hours of the morning, with Pei Yan clocking out at 4.25am and Ferng Lin also at that time but resumed working at 6 am. I can never do enough justice for their act of kindness during that night. They gave me their all and asked nothing in return. The least I can do is to say this:

I am very glad to be from the same school as you two. And I am now, even more proud than ever, to have worked along side with the both of you. You are an amazing product of what our Ed Board can really offer. And both of you are the representation of what I believe we hold so dear in the Ed Board: informality, friendship, teamwork and talent. I am sure, in one way or another, Pn Shirley will be very proud to have you on board.

To Pei Yen (in no order of preference):

pilfered from her blog......

I like this one a lot.....

I am sure you'll do very well. And do tell me when you're coming down to Selangor ok! At least we can meet up before I fly to the States.....AND DON'T FORGET YOUR PORTFOLIO!!

Thanks so much Pei Yen!

And now to Ferng Lin (the Chief Editor of SMK USJ 12 Ed Board for the year 06/07):

I realised that we have taken many pictures. And I seem to have some trouble finding them. But I promise you that this tragic shortcoming will soon end. I will do you justice by allocating you a small space in my blog later in the future. =)

I apologise.

Nonetheless, I really think that you're a highly talented person with remarkable skills at your disposal. And I am very glad that you have been elected the Chief Editor of this board. I know that life has been full of up and downs for you, but don't let the sad moments become the defining moment for you. I am sure you will do very well in the future.

Salute! Prod Emeritus Lepreachaun Ooi Ferng Lin!

I really thank the both of you!

Seriously......you made me realise that regardless whatever our school has and will turn out to be....and regardless of my opposition to some of the school's policies now, if I were given the chance to change a single bit of what I've gone through.....

MY ANSWER WILL BE NO!

I'LL TAKE THE CURRENT PACKAGE!

OMG YAO SIANG!!!

I'll let the pictures do the talking.....

(click to enlarge)

He IMed me at 1 am just to tell me this.....swt.....

And he claims that this will never surface in the net......

ENJOY YOURSELF YAO SIANG!!!!

@ COURTESY OF ANG JIAN WEI AND CHRISTOPHER HO!!!

THOSE WERE THE GOOD DAYS PRODUCTION