my life story

Leaving on a jet plane

2009-03-03T21:31:00.002+08:00

Finally! In less than 72 hours, I will be embarking on a holiday of a lifetime where I will be spending close to 1 month, 24 days to be exact, travelling in Northern Sumatra. This is the first time that I'll be spending a long holiday without any family members but with friend. A lot of things to look forward to and I will be blog about this trip when I return to Singapore on 28 March 09. Watch this space.

Back again!!

2009-02-28T22:58:00.002+08:00

Hello again world! I am back again after a few months leave of absence from blogging.. And Hell Yeah! After 2 years, I am already out of SP. It has been a short but memorable stay and I am so much looking forward to the graduation ceremony which will be held on 27 May 2009, provided I clear all of my modules which I hope.

Now, I will be looking forward to my overseas trip to Indonesia where I will be spending almost 1 month experiencing the Indonesian style of living..ooooohhhh..I am sooo excited...

X-mas

2008-12-26T20:34:00.002+08:00

Met up with some of my ex-ITE friends for a movie and exchanging of gifts yesterday. We watched Bedtime Stories at Plaza Singapura. A very hilarious movie..LOL.. Before the movie, we went around Dhoby Ghaut and Orchard to snap some photos and the crowd is terrible. Didn't have enough room to move about and suffocation lingers in the air. hahaha...Nevertheless, it was enjoyable. Alright! Here comes the photos :

Great training..

2008-12-23T22:45:00.005+08:00

Other than the usual dreadful days of coming back to school for my FYP, I went for studio training conducted by SP Photographers. Here's a sample of the photo taken :

For more, visit my facebook....See ya..

Great fun..

2008-12-21T17:51:00.004+08:00

I started my day yesterday with a trip to Sungei Buloh early in the morning before heading off to Bugis in the afternoon for photo shoot with my club members. As usual, endless fun and laughter. Alright! Here are some of the photos that I took using my handphone:

It was also my first time trying out the panoramic shot function from my phone and shot a view of Marina.

Woohoo..

2008-12-14T11:27:00.007+08:00

Yesterday, I had a very enriching Fast Track Training Session conducted by my wellness company at Crowne Plaza Hotel(Changi Airport Terminal 3). In this training session, I learned a lot about nutrition and how it can affect your daily life. Other than gaining lots of knowledge about nutrition, personal wellness coaches from all walks of life shared their stories on how they became so successful in the wellness industry. I will post their success stories in my wellness blog in time to come. Guests also had the opportunity to know our company better and how they can achieve the lifestyle of their dreams through our company's strong base network. Alright, here are some of the photos that I took yesterday:

The slogan is "Impossible is Nothing!". I apply this slogan in my daily and whatever I do, I always tell myself that," You can do it! Impossible is NOTHING!"

This will be the new cycle of a human being if nothing is being done to counter this problem.

Right now, obesity is an epidemic and it is getting out of control.

Our company's mentor : Jim Rohn

Very true! For those still having this mindset of getting a good degree = high paying job & job security, think twice. Take a look around you. Companies are laying off staffs due to the financial crisis. Staffs that are equipped with degrees are also being retrenched. With us, you will not only being assured of a job security but also, you can live the life that you've always wanted. It is possible to achieve them when you change your mindset and once you've changed your mindset, your fate will change.

Another inspiring quote from our mentor. Believe in it and I'm certain that you will be successful and will have no worries in times of trouble.

Now, I shall share with you Jim Rohn's video. Every word he speaks has countless meaning and wisdom. He's my source and definitely the world's source of inspiration. You just have to watch these videos in order to believe me.......

Yay!

2008-12-11T22:30:00.003+08:00

Wheeeeee..... My parents came back from overseas trip and guess what? They bought lots of Adidas apparels for me... My god! Love them lots...

Hibernation over...

2008-12-10T22:13:00.002+08:00

Hello once again! Its been ages since I last posted and oh boy.... I've been enjoying myself since my last entry. Here's why...............

Saturday(6 Dec)& Sunday (7 Dec)
I woke up at 5am and after shower and dressing up, I made my way to Kranji MRT. Reached there at around 7am. You might wonder why I was at the station so early. Well, I was watching to catch the chartered which brought me to Sungei Buloh. Yes! I volunteered my services to be part of Sungei Buloh 15th Anniversary. I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed both days of volunteerism and I made alot of wonderful people from all walks of life who came to Sungei Buloh to be part of the celebration.

I started to be a volunteer in Sungei Buloh barely a month ago and I am currently undergoing training to be a nature guide. As a nature enthusiast, I really love this job and I am privileged to meet other nature lovers as well...

Monday(8 Dec)
It's Hari Raya Haji. Quite a monotonous day as I spent my day lazing around at home other than heading to the mosque in the morning.

Tuesday(9 Dec)

Head to school in the morning for the freaking FYP..zzzzzzzzzzzzz.... What a way to spend our holidays : DOING FYP!!!!!!!!!!. Enough said.. After FYP, I made my way to Jamiyah Children's Home which was situated in Eunos to give upper primary school kids some tuition. This is another volunteerism that I am involved in : Helping the less fortunate kids. It was my first time at the children's home and it was a pleasure to help the less fortunate kids to lead a better academic life and hopefully in the future, they will become successful in their chosen field.

Wednesday(10 Dec)

Another day in school = Another day of boredom. ZZZzZZZZZZzZzzzZZ.....

Well, it seems like tomorrow will be no different as I will be back in school once again....

Sg mourns

2008-11-29T14:00:00.002+08:00

Coward, Inhuman, Evil, Heartless...... Those were the words that I used to describe the terrorist attacks that finally came to an end this morning after 59 hours of terror. This dastardly attack in Mumbai had cost the lives of many poeple including an innocent Singaporean, Singaporean first victim of terrorism. Singaporean strongly condemns the acts of terrorism against its people and the death of our fellow Singaporean gave us a wake-up call that the threat of terrorism is real and we should be alert all the time to prevent ourselves from being the next victim of terrorism. Nowhere in this world is safe so long as these evil creatures roam the planet. My sympathy goes the victim's family, husband and in-laws. May god be with you during this difficult period of time.

Battle for Mumbai ends, last militants killed

AFP - 1 hour 52 minutes ago

MUMBAI (AFP) - - Commandos have killed three holdout gunmen in Mumbai's Taj Hotel, bringing an end to a two-day Islamic militant assault on India's financial capital that left at least 155 dead, including 21 foreigners .
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The final attack on the historic seafront hotel was marked by heavy gunfire and loud explosions that triggered a fierce fire, as special forces units moved against gunmen who had held hundreds of security personnel at bay for three nights.

"All operations are over. All the terrorists have been killed," Mumbai police commissioner Hassan Gafoor said, 59 hours after the attacks began.

On Friday, elite troops had stormed a Mumbai Jewish centre and killed two gunmen -- but also found five dead Israeli hostages, including a US-based rabbi and his wife, who were murdered as the commandos closed in.

The other luxury hotel that was attacked, the Oberoi/Trident, was declared clear of militants late Friday, with scores of trapped guests rescued and 24 bodies found.

"They were the kind of people with no remorse -- anybody and whomsoever came in front of them they fired," an Indian commando said of the young gunmen who slipped into Mumbai on Wednesday evening.

The head of the commando forces, J.K. Dutt, said his men were conducting a final sweep of the battle-scarred Taj.

"We are now going through each and every room to make sure it is safe," Dutt said, appealing to any guests still hiding in the hotel to make themselves known.

"They must open their curtains so that our security forces can see inside and make sure there are only guests and no terrorist inside," he said.

Police officials put the death toll at around 155 people, with 327 others wounded. TV channels described the attacks as "India's 9/11."

The 21 foreigners killed included the Israelis, two Americans, two French nationals, two Australians, a German, a Japanese, a Canadian, a British Cypriot, an Italian and a Singaporean.

A government minister said the overall toll could rise as more corpses are recovered.

"Once the bodies are collected, the number of deaths might go up to 200," India's Minister of State for Home Affairs Sri Prakash Jaiswal told the Press Trust of India.

At least 11 militants were confirmed dead and one captured. Indian intelligence sources said the detained gunman had confessed to coming from Pakistan.

One group entered the city by boat, while others were believed to have been inside the city -- stockpiling arms and explosives -- well before the attacks were launched.

The crisis risked escalating into a major stand-off between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan, with Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee saying that "some elements in Pakistan are responsible" for the assault.

A number of Indian officials suggested the militants were from the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba -- notorious for a deadly assault on the Indian parliament in 2001 that almost pushed New Delhi and Islamabad to war.

But Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani insisted his country had "nothing to do with the attacks" and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi appealed to India not to get drawn into a "blame game" that could spark a dangerous confrontation.

The two countries have fought three wars since gaining independence from Britain in 1947.

Survivors have given terrifying accounts of the carnage in the hotels. Many said they hid in the dark for hours, barricaded in rooms or hiding under beds, inside wardrobes or bathrooms.

"I cannot believe what I have seen in the last 36 hours. I have seen dead bodies, blood everywhere and only heard gunshots," said Muneer Al Mahaj after he was rescued.

South African security guard Faisul Nagel was having dinner with colleagues at a restaurant in the Taj hotel when the assault began. They barricaded the restaurant and moved everyone into the kitchen.

"We basically put the lights off in the restaurant just to create an element of surprise. And we armed ourselves with kitchen knives and meat cleavers," he told AFP.

They ended up helping around 120 people escape -- including a 90-year-old woman who had to be carried in her chair down 25 flights of stairs.

Witnesses also said the attackers had specifically rounded up people with US and British passports.

Both the United States and Britain expressed condolences and offered to help investigate the assault on Mumbai, which has been hit by terror attacks before. Nearly 190 people were killed in train bombings in 2006.

US President George W. Bush said he was "deeply saddened," and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he was sending police to help with the probe.

India's newspapers laid much of the blame at the door of the intelligence agencies, which they said had failed spectacularly in allowing a handful of gunmen to slip in by boat and wreak such havoc and devastation.

Hi again....

2008-11-23T21:59:00.007+08:00

Hello again world! Miss me? Lol... It has been nearly 2 weeks since I posted my last entry and oh boy! I missed blogging.

Well, the past few days during my absence is quite routine. Yesterday, I had a karaoke session with some of my friends in Chinatown at night. Got lost finding the place... Gosh.... It's been more than 1 year since I sang and I had sore throats soon after. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the session very much. During the early part of the day, I went for my usual volunteer session at Sungei Buloh and I enjoyed it very much. There's nothing stronger than a heart of a volunteer. Hahaha..

Ok...Next Chapter....

Not many people know that now, I am a Personal Wellness Coach. Currently, I am running a nutrition club with my colleagues to help people lose/gain weight healthily and have a healthier lifestyle. Initially, I started as a consumer but after seeing significant positive results in me(better health, improved stamina,etc), I applied to become a Personal Wellness Coach.

This was how I was before. 95kg & waistline 41.

This is how I am now. 80kg & still losing. Waistline now 33.

I've managed to achieve these great results without even exercising and the good thing is that there are no side effects. Another accomplishment of mine is that before, I have problems running and now, I can't stop running. My stamina has really improved alot. For those who are interested in losing/gaining weight healthily and lead a healthier lifestyle, contact me for a free consultation and body evaluation. Below is my namecard:

Thanks and hope to hear from you all soon.

Another great photography outing

2008-11-10T20:36:00.008+08:00

Alright! This post was meant to be posted yesterday but while in the midst of typing, the page suddenly refreshed itself and the words went missing...DAMN IT! I have to retype all over again now....

Ok, Sunday was another great outing with my fellow friends for SP photography club. We travelled from Chinatown to Raffles Place by foot and took lots of photos along the way. The entire trip by foot lasted more than 4 hours. Although it was tiring, the fun that we had covered it up... Ok, I just came back from school and feeling kinda tired. Now, I shall let the photos do the talking...Enjoy

A change

2008-11-05T19:44:00.002+08:00

Alas...After months of debates between Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama, the latter emerged victorious. I've been following the election closely and I breathed a sigh of relief when Senator Obama was announced as the victor. It's about time that there will be changes to the world. It's about time that bloodshed ceases. It's about time that peace will be bestowed to the world. Congratulations to you Mr Obama! All the best in your presidency.

World hails Obama's 'brilliant' victory

World leaders hailed Barack Obama's triumph Wednesday in the US presidential election as the start of a new era but there were also calls for the global superpower to change the way it does business.

Celebrations erupted in capitals around the world. A national holiday was declared in Kenya -- where Obama's father was born -- to welcome the first black US president.

"Your brilliant victory rewards a tireless commitment to serve the American people. It also crowns an exceptional campaign whose inspiration and exaltation have proved to the entire world the vitality of American democracy," French President Nicolas Sarkozy said in a letter to Obama.

"By choosing you, the American people have chosen change, openness and optimism," added Sarkozy as a flood of congratulatory messages went to the 47-year-old senator on his historic victory over Republican candidate John McCain.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown praised Obama's "energising politics... his progressive values and his vision for the future". German Chancellor Angela Merkel reinforced the importance her government put on "our transatlantic partnership."

China's President Hu Jintao said in a written message: "In a new historical era, I look forward to... taking our bilateral relationship of constructive cooperation to a new level."

Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso pledged to work with the new US leader to strengthen relations.

Indian Premier Manmohan Singh called it an "extraordinary" victory and invited Obama to visit India and Mexican President Felipe Calderon urged Obama to visit the United States' southern neighbour.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Obama's victory was a landmark for equality.

"Forty-five years ago Martin Luther King had a dream of an America where men and women would be judged not on the colour of their skin but on the content of their character," Rudd told reporters. "Today what America has done is turn that dream into a reality."

But European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso called for the election to usher in a "new deal" between the United States and the rest of the world to tackle the global financial crisis and other troubles.

"This is a time for a renewed commitment between Europe and the United States of America," Barroso said in a statement. "We need to change the current crisis into a new opportunity. We need a new deal for a new world."

With wars in Iraq and Afghanistan heading White House priorities abroad, there were also calls for a change of tack on the US "War on Terror" launched after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

"Our demand is the repetition of demands we have had since long ago and that is a change of the strategy of the war against terrorism," said Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

The "'War on Terror' cannot be fought in Afghan villages... Afghanistan is the victim of terrorism," Karzai said.

Obama's election would not lead to a quick US disengagement from Iraq, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said.

"We don't think there will be change in policy overnight. There won't be quick disengagement here. A great deal is at stake here," Zebari told AFP, adding that Baghdad was looking for a "successful partnership" with Obama.

Israeli-US relations have "a bright future," Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Ygal Palmor said. But Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas urged Obama to speed up efforts to reach an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement.

Election parties were held in major capitals around the world bringing together expatriate Americans and people anxious over events in the United States.

Hundreds of villagers in Kogelo, Obama's Kenyan family home, erupted into song and dance. President Mwai Kibaki declared a national holiday on Thursday to mark Obama's victory.

Swinging branches and chairs in the air, men cheered and clapped while women shouted "Obama! Obama!" in the village where his grandmother lives and where his late Kenyan father was born.

In Obama, an ancient fishing town on the Sea of Japan -- Obama means small shore in Japanese -- residents dressed in Hawaiian skirts did a hula dance in celebration, embracing Hawaiian-born Obama as one of their own.

"I'm so excited because Obama shares our town's name. But even if the town was called McCain I would still support Barack Obama," said 44-year-old dancer Masayo Ishibashi.

Random..

2008-11-03T21:05:00.002+08:00

Hi friends! Sorry for my short absence from blogging as I've been too occupied lately.. Last week was another busy week and I am expecting this week to busy as well. Oh dear! Now is already the 4th week of school and I find it hard to understand most of the modules....God save me...Alright! The weather's been very unpredictable lately and it has been taking its toll on me....Having runny nose and headaches...Ok....This post is just sooo random..I will post again when I have the mood... Bye..

Group photos from Bukit Timah...

2008-10-29T22:16:00.004+08:00

Alright people! Here's the group photos from the last photography outing. Thanks to Karil for the photos...Go Green Group! Wahahaha...

SPP outing...

2008-10-26T20:35:00.008+08:00

Well....Well....Another week has left us. School has been quite peaceful so far with little assignments to be done but I expect the worse soon. Week 3 is coming and I'm getting ready to shift to full throttle.

Yesterday, I went for an outing with SPP Club to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. Before that, I went to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve for the volunteer's orientation session. Yeap! You've guessed right. I've signed up as a volunteer. One of my job scopes is to guide the visitors along the reserve. I must say that it was fun to meet people from all walks of life. Since I am a nature lover, I really like this job a lot. After my orientation session, I made my way to the Bukit Batok MRT Station to meet the rest of the members.

When all of the members arrived,we were divided into groups and I was in the green group. After that, we made our way to the bus station to board the bus 852 to the reserve. We were greeted by families of monkeys when we reached the foot of the hill. My group went to the green route for our trekking and photo taking. It's been ages since I've done trekking and although I felt tired, the fun that my group had helped me to get rid of the tiredness. The green route that we went to consisted of rugged terrain with high elevations and we took a lot of pictures along the way. We finally reached the summit after slightly more than 1 hour of trekking. After spending about 15 minutes at the summit, we made our way down and by then, it was close to 5pm.

That wasn't the end of my day YET!!

A few of the SPP members and I made our way to Marina Square to have our dinner at Long after which, a night photoshoot at One Fullerton and Fullerton Hotel itself. We managed to catch a glimpse of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew doing his stroll along the river front at One Fullerton with his bodyguards surrounding him. Outside Fullerton Hotel, we decided to do something creative. We came up with the ghostly images of ourselves and it took us about 1 hour to get that perfect shot. By then, it was a few minutes past 10pm and we decided to call it a night. What a marvellous way to end our day. Ok...Here are the photos:

Green tree snake at Sungei Buloh

Ants busy at work at Sungei Buloh..

My group left our mark at the summit.

Fullerton Hotel

Maybank Tower

Our ghostly photos courtesy of Zul. No photoshop...

That's all folks...

Friendship

2008-10-21T21:37:00.001+08:00

There will be many people who will
walk in and out of your life but
only true friends will leave their footprints behind.

A friend is someone who can see
the truth and the pain in you even
when you are fooling everyone else.

True friendship ought never to conceal what it thinks.

A friend is one who knows who you are,
understands where you have been,
accepts what you have become,
and still gently allows you to grow.

The lamp of friendship always burn with the oil of love.

I asked God for a flower,
and He gave me a garden.
I asked Him for a tree and
He gave me a forest.
I asked Him for a river
and He gave me an ocean.
I asked God for a friend
and He gave me...YOU.

It is a fragile thread that binds us together,
so handle it with care.

When the world gets dark,
friends are the batteries in your flashlight.

A partner in crime, a thief of time,
you will always be there for me in the end,
you are always my dearest friend.

I found a friend who made me smile.
We fell in love, it's quite worthwhile!
For she is mine forevermore;
a friend, a lover, mi amor!

In the cookies of life,
your friends are the chocolate chips.

One of the best feelings in the world is to touch
and warm someone's heart,
whether it be your love or just a friend,
almost nothing can feel better.

An acquaintance is a jewel;
a true friend is a treasure.

My personality report

2008-10-20T20:07:00.000+08:00

Results for Mohammad Firdaus Bin Nor Halis

At a Glance

• Punctual, completes work on time.

• Faithful, trustworthy and devoted in long-term relationships.

• Does not seek positions of power or authority.

• Concerned with prestige, recognition, rank and reputation.

• Sees people as nice and friendly, not comfortable to wheel and deal.

• Practical, prefers to build on ideas rather than generate them.

• Less expressive verbally.

• Needs clear and thorough instructions, slow to act when uncertain.

While at Work

Mr Mohammad is prepared to put in hard work moderately but he may at times prefer to work at his own pace.

Time is a major concern for Mr Mohammad. He is frequently punctual and even early for appointments. When time is critical, he moves quickly and acts promptly. Having a sense of urgency means that Mr Mohammad pushes to get things done when there is a deadline and allocates time properly when planning or organising activities. He can be depended upon to get work done on schedule.

Mr Mohammad generally will persist with work until it is completed but may at times not complete his tasks.

Mr Mohammad is able to produce work that is moderately high in quality but he may at times be careless.

Mr Mohammad is generally objective but may at times be emotional.

Although Mr Mohammad is usually a sympathetic person, he may at times be selective about being involved in the personal problems of people.

Mr Mohammad is friendly and outgoing when he is with friends although he may at times prefer to be quiet.

Mr Mohammad is the sort of person who forms long term bonds and attachments. He is faithful, trustworthy, and devoted in such relationships. He tends to be trusting, dedicated and protective towards those he loves. Patriotism and sense of duty is a significant aspect of his character.

Positions of power, influence and authority are not Mr Mohammad's concern. He does not mind letting others assert authority over him. He is accommodating, laid back and easy-going.

Mr Mohammad is concerned with position and status. He cares about how people view him. Prestige, quality, rank and reputation are important to him. He is likely to be brand-conscious and would attach significance to status symbols. He takes pride in his appearance.

Mr Mohammad sees people as friendly, reliable and honest. He is trusting and believes what people say. He tends to be unsuspecting of people.s behaviour and motives. He is uncomfortable when he has to wheel and deal.

Mr Mohammad's leadership qualities are moderate and he is sometimes able to get the support of people.

Intellectual matters do not interest Mr Mohammad. He is more concerned with practical issues than abstract theories. Mr Mohammad prefers to talk about useful and workable solutions than discuss hypotheses and concepts. He is more likely to build on ideas rather than generate them.

Mr Mohammad puts in effort to plan ahead some of the times. He may at times not be as detailed in his planning.

Mr Mohammad is not an expressive person and may have difficulty expressing his ideas, thoughts or plans. His language ability may not be strong and he could be described as a person of few words.

Being one who needs clear and thorough instructions before he can proceed on action, Mr Mohammad resists when conditions are uncertain. He does not adapt easily to changes. Before he embarks on a new project, expect Mr Mohammad to find out more and probe deeply.

OMG! This is sooooo true...

Almost forgot....

2008-10-19T20:52:00.009+08:00

Ok people! Here are the photos from last week's hari raya outing. Photos courtesy of Faiz..

At Nasir's house.

Rid, Firdaus Cartoon, Me

Firdaus Cartoon & Me

At Rid's house

At Badriyah's house

Faiz's house

Haz's house

And finally, my house...haha

Another week..

2008-10-19T09:00:00.002+08:00

Alas! This week is coming to and end. School has been quite laid-back merely because it's the first week of the new semester and the lectures have yet to shift gears. Apart from studies, I am going to enjoy this semester to the fullest because this would be my final semester. Time really flies and I felt like as if I just enrolled into SP yesterday. I've a very mixed feelings about this final semester and I don't know how to explain the feelings. Anyway, Friday was the release of the results for the project group who made it to Spinnovex. It's comforting to know that my group actually made it and never expected my group to be in Spinnovex.

For those of you who have no idea what Spinnovex is, it's actually an event that would be held in January next year where good projects are showcased to the public during the SP openhouse. OMG... I can't really wait for it. That would mark a good ending to our chapter of life in SP.

For now, I will just focus on studying the rest of the modules and trying not to get too carried away regarding Spinnovex....Laters..

Hello again...

2008-10-13T00:12:00.000+08:00

Hello again people! Here I am blogging away in the wee morning of the first day of school. It really doesn't matter to me as my first lesson starts at 2pm. Alright! Here's what I've been up to lately :

7TH OCT

I went for the photography outing with my club to Labrador Park. It was raining cats and dogs initially and almost wanted to abort the outing but the rain subsided eventually. Only 11 people went for the trip but nevertheless, it was enjoyable. The park was a good place to take pictures of sunsets. Ok.. Here are my photos.

B & W

Grp photo courtesy of Simon.

8TH OCT

I had a casual outing with Riduan, Nasir and Badriyah at Bugis Junction and if I can remember correctly, this is our first outing together. I mean as in only the 4 of us. We had such a great time chilling out and yakking away at The Coffee Connoisseur. It was kind of a last minute plan but the outing turned out well. We didn't take many photos during this outing.

Bottoms up!

Photo courtesy of Riduan.

11 OCT

It was Jalan Raya. I and another 5 of my friends went visiting to each other's home from morning till evening. We started with visiting Nasir's home in the morning and ended with my home around 6pm. Although most of us felt tired, our spirits were high. We sampled a lot of great cooking in every house.:D Ok.. To make it short and sweet, I will let my photos do the talking now.

Sorry for the lack of photos here as the rest are quite distorted. I will post more here when I've received the photos from my other friends. Stay tuned.

I'm back again

2008-10-06T19:36:00.006+08:00

Well, here I am back blogging again after a few days of absence. Lots of things happened over the past few days.

5TH OCT

It was my birthday yesterday and I am a year older now. Can't believe that I am more than 2 decades old now. Guess what I got? I got a keyboard from my parents. A Yamaha PSR-413. Well, it's not that I literally got it from parents but they gave me the money to buy it as they have to work on a weekend. But still, a very big thanks to my parents. Not many people know that I have an interest in music. I used to play piano more than a decade ago and now, I've totally forgotten how to play everything. I've been playing with my keyboard since I unpacked it and now I am trying to master one of my favourite music pieces, "Canon In D". Well, here are some of my keyboard photos :

3RD-4TH OCT

I had a chalet outing with SP Photography Club at Aloha Loyang and it was such an enjoyable gathering. I managed to make some new friends, etc. During this chalet, it happened to be a birthday celebration for 2 committee members of the club. How fun was it for the rest of us to cream and soak them. Hahahaha... It was ironic for me as my birthday was also the day after the chalet but they don't know. They never discover my secret. If they did, I would have suffered the same fate as the 2 committee members. Thus, I just kept quiet and joined the rest of the poeple to sabotage them...Wahaha.. After all those sabotaging, we sampled the cake and continued mingling around.

In the wee morning of 4th Oct, I and a few more people relaxed by the swimming pool and star gazed. The skies were so clear that morning that majority of the constellations are visible. I was even lucky enough to catch some of the shooting stars. Most of us didn't sleep throughout the chalet and we continued yakking. I left the chalet at around 7am and took a bus home. Once I reached home, I took a shower and fell asleep. Only to wake up at 3pm. Ok, here are the photos courtesy of some other members from SPP :

Goodbye Ramadan ; Hello Syawal

2008-10-01T01:31:00.005+08:00

Well...Well.. Here I am blogging in the wee morning of Syawal as I couldn't put myself to sleep. Probably because I am too excited to celebrate Hari Raya. It is a joyous occasion which Muslims around the world celebrate to mark the end of fasting. However, I must be thankful to god that I am able to celebrate Hari Raya as there are some people out there who don't even have a family to celebrate with, etc. My sympathy goes to them.

During the final day of Ramadan, I marked the day by breaking fast for the last time and after which I headed to the void deck for the religious ceremony. During the ceremony, I and the rest of the fellow muslims recited "Takbir".

“Allah Maha Besar, Allah Maha Besar,
Tidak ada tuhan melainkan Allah dan Allah Maha Besar,
Allah Masa Besar dan bagi Allah segala puji-pujian.”

“Allah Maha Besar, Allah Maha Besar, Allah Maha Besar,
Allah Maha Besar sebesar-besarnya, Alhamdulillah (segala puji bagi Allah) sebanyak-banyaknya,
Maha Suci Allah pagi dan petang.”
“Tiada tuhan melainkan Allah, kami tidak menyembah kecuali kepada-Nya, dengan ikhlas untuk agama (Islam), walaupun dibenci oleh golongan kafir.”
“Tiada tuhan melainkan Allah yang Esa yang benar janji-Nya, yang menolong hamba-Nya,
yang memuliakan tentera-tentera-Nya (tentera Muslimin) dengan mengalahkan tentera Ahzab dengan keesaan-Nya.”
“Tiada tuhan melainkan Allah yang Maha Besar, Allah yang Maha Besar dan milik Allah-lah segala puji-pujian.”

Well then! Looks like my eyes are finally going to give way. I will post again at the later part of the day after visiting my relatives. Till then, it's goodbye for now.

Finally

2008-09-29T23:18:00.002+08:00

Finally, after 1 month, tonight marked the last day of terawih prayers. What a month of Ramadan it was. Of all the 30 days of Terawih, I missed 2 days. Before I went for my terawih, I had my break fast at Geylang Serai with Dennis. For your information, it's been 4 years since I last stepped into that place and everything looks so different now. Well, today is going to be a short post as I am too tired to write. Till next time ya..

Lake Toba

2008-09-28T22:40:00.007+08:00

Lake Toba (Indonesian: Danau Toba) is a lake and supervolcano, 100 km long and 30 km wide, and 505 m. (1,666 ft.) at its deepest point, in the middle of the northern part of the Indonesian island of Sumatra with a surface elevation of about 900 m (3,000 feet), stretching from 2.88° N 98.52° E to 2.35° N 99.1° E. It is the largest volcanic lake in the world. It is so big that even the whole of Singapore can fit in.

Most of the people who live around Lake Toba are ethnically Bataks. Traditional Batak houses are noted for their distinctive roofs (which curve upwards at each end, as a boat's hull does) and their colourful decor.

My Personal Experience

I visited Parapat where Lake Toba is situated from 15 -16 June 2008 as part of my 1 week stay in Indonesia from 14-19 June 2008. I had some friends in Medan who brought me to Lake Toba. It was a 4-hour journey from Medan by car. No words can describe my feelings when I saw Lake Toba for the first time. When I first saw it, I ponder to myself ," Am I in Indonesia or in Europe?". The peacefulness, serenity and tranquility of the lake really took my breath away. The hotel that I accommodated in was Patra Jasa and I was lucky enough to have a room that was directly facing the beautiful lake which I couldn't stop admiring. Shortly after settling down at the hotel, we went for a boat tour within lake. The vastness of the lake made me realise that we were so small. We visited Samosir Island, which is located in the middle of the lake, to observe the culture of the ethnic Bataks. It was a wonderful experience for me to learn about their culture.

After nearly 2 hours of boat tour, we went back to the hotel to wind down and take beautiful pictures of the lake and the sunset. At night, we were treated with clear skies where milky way and majority of the constellations were visible and temperature was very cold. Although our stay was short, we enjoyed it thoroughly as we were treated by the beauty that the nature has got to offer. Overall, it was an excellent experience and I am hoping to go there again because for these kind of places, going once ain't enough. I would like to express my most sincere gratitude to Dennis and family, Indah & Sulastri for making my stay in Indonesia a very meaningful one. Now, I will let my photos do the talking.

The vastness of Lake Toba.

Sunset at Lake Toba.

My lovely friends. Thank you all for making my stay in Indonesia a memorable one. :)

It's coming..

2008-09-27T16:00:00.002+08:00

Woah! How time flies! In 3 more days, I will be celebrating Hari Raya Aidilfitri. I'm very much looking forward to it but at the time, feeling sad as the holy month of Ramadan is coming to an end.

What is "Hari Raya"?

The most significant celebration for Muslims, it signifies the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. The celebration is determined by sighting of the new moon on the day, before the next month on the Muslim calendar, Syawal. The words ‘Hari Raya’ mean 'day of celebration.'

Ramadan

Ramadan is the name of the one-month fasting period when Muslims fast from dawn till sunset. During the period of fasting, apart from eating and drinking, Muslims are also forbidden from smoking and having sexual relations. Only the sick are excused from fasting during this month. Muslims are expected to avoid lying, breaking promise or cheating during the month of Ramadan. It is to remind them of the plight of the poor and to cleanse themselves by exercising abstinence and self-control. Even the young are taught to fast.

The Celebration

Muslims starts the day by wearing new clothes and congregating in the mosques early in the morning to perform Hari Raya Puasa prayers followed by visiting the graves of the departed. The young will ask for forgiveness from their elders and have open house for relatives and friends to come to their house. Plenty of traditional Malay delicacies are served during this festive season. Houses are thoroughly cleaned and decorated, and lighting of oil lamps welcomes the angels which are believed to be visiting the earth during the seven days preceding the festival. The celebration lasts for a month but most of the celebration is concentrated in the first three days. Visiting Muslim homes on Hari Raya Puasa, you can expect to taste a wide variety of delicious spicy dishes. Some favorite dishes that can be found in Muslims homes on this special occasion are ketupat, lontong, nasi padang and beef rendang. The Muslims also give packets of money to kids when they go visiting. The packets are usually green in colour and children often look forward to getting these money tokens on Hari Raya Puasa. Overall, Hari Raya Puasa is a joyous occasion for Muslims.

Hari Raya Songs

Of all the Hari Raya songs that I've listened to, I find that I like "Cahaya Aidilfitri" the most. Ok, here's the lyrics :

Bila tiba hari raya
Semua insan bergembira
Tetapi bagiku hanya kesedihan
Yang menyelubungi hidup

Ayah dan juga ibuku
Telah pergi selamanya
Terbiarlah aku ibarat musafir
Yang haus di padang pasir

( chorus )
Siapakah yang sudi
Menghulurkan simpati
Kepada nasibku ini
Agar dapat kurasa
Nikmat di hari raya
Seperti insan yang lain

Ku meminta dan berdoa
Kepada Yang Maha Esa
Tabahkan hati berilah pedoman
Cahaya Di Aidil Fitri

( repeat from chorus )

I would like to wish all of my Muslim friends Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri & Ma'af Zahir dan Batin. Amin.

A great outing...

2008-09-25T23:19:00.006+08:00

Hi all! I just reached home from an outing with a group of friends. Got know to know a few new friends and guess what? My social circle is expanding again..LOL... Anyway, a pleasure meeting you all. I made my way to Bugis from school at around 4:50pm and reached there approximately 20 minutes later. Sorry Lona, for being late. Wasnt intentional. When everyone had arrived, we made our way to Ayam Penyet House which was situated at Fu Yuan building. Along the way, we took some photos. When we reached the restaurant, we sat down and had our ice-breaking session to get to know each other better. Close to 'azan', we began ordering our food and drinks. We are a bunch of photo freaks - took lots of photos before and after our meals in the restaurant. After having our meals and settling our bills, we walked to Arab Street as it's just a stone throw away.

We first went to Sultan Mosque to pray before we walked along Arab Street to take more and more photos. We cracked jokes and produced tonnes of laughter along the way. It was another great night outing for me. Ok, now I will my photos do all the talking..

A partial group shot outside Bugis Junction..

Group photo in the restaurant.

Group photo outside Sultan Mosque.

We're united as one.

For more photos, visit my facebook.. It's goodbye for now..Adios y buenas noche...

Battle of Iwo Jima & General Kuribayashi

2008-09-24T16:19:00.008+08:00

Since young, I've always been interested in learning more about the history World War II - How it started? What were the reasons that triggered World War II? To date, I've watched many documentaries about World War II ranging from the Battle of Europe to the Battle of the Pacific. Of all the Battle that occured, the battle that caught my attention is the Battle of Iwo Jima.

The Battle

The Battle of Iwo Jima took place in February 1945. The capture of Iwo Jima was part of a three-point plan the Americans had for winning the war in the Far East.

By 1944, America and her allies in the Pacific War had the ascendancy. In the west, the Japanese were being turned back in Burma and island hopping had isolated Japanese forces in the eastern sector. Combined with the attacks on Iwo Jima, was America’s desire to finally destroy Japan’s merchant fleet so that the Japanese mainland could not be supplied from the food-rich sectors of South East Asia which Japan still had control over. Linked to this, was the destruction of Japan’s remaining industrial base by the bombing of it by the American airforce.

Iwo Jima is a very small Pacific island – just over 4.5 miles long and 2.5 miles wide which lies at the foot of the Bonin chain of islands, south of the main Japanese island of Honshu.

Despite its size, Iwo Jima was considered to have great tactical importance. There were two airfields on the island – under Japan’s control; they could be used by Japanese fighter planes to attack American bombers on their flights to Japan. Under American control, the airfields could be used as emergency landing bases for damaged airplanes in the bombing raids. They could also be used for American fighter planes to escort the bombers, as they needed smaller runways for take-off.

Knowing that the island was of such importance, the Japanese were determined to keep control of it. There were about 22,000 soldiers under the command of Lieutenant-General Kuribayashi. These men had had the time to build strong defensive positions throughout the island but especially in the north. Kuribayashi knew that his options for launching attacks were extremely limited because of the small size of the island. In fact, his options to do anything other than defend ferociously were extremely limited.

America had vast reserves at their disposal. Iwo Jima was ‘softened up’ by bombing raids for more than two months before the actual amphibious assault. For three days prior to the attack, six American battleships had launched a continuous barrage on the island. Within the region, the Americans were led by Admiral Raymond Spruance – though the overall commander of the campaign was Admiral Chester Nimitz. The landing forces were under the command of Lieutenant-General Holland ‘Howling Mad’ Smith. The bulk of the amphibious attack was done by Marines.

The first day of the landings was February 19th, 1945. The Marines took heavy casualties, as the American bombings had not been effective. What it had done was to churn up the beaches and the immediate hinterland and had given the Japanese far more opportunities to find hiding-holes for snipers. It also meant that American movement inland was hindered as the area had been so heavily bombed. A few well placed Japanese snipers could hold up an American advance for hours.

However, the Americans had cut the island in two by the end of the first day – despite taking over 2,400 casualties. On Day 2, the Marines attacked Mount Suribachi. Here they found fanatical Japanese defence and Suribachi was taken on February 23rd after three days of fighting.

Iwo Jima proved a difficult and bloody target to take – frequently the Americans only advanced at several hundred metres per day. By March 11th, the Japanese were trapped in an area around Kitano Point, the island’s most northerly extremity. By March 16th, the island was declared secure and all resistance had ceased by March 26th.

The tiny island had taken America over one month to take. The Marines lost 6,891 men killed and 18,070 wounded. Out of the 22,000 Japanese soldiers on the island, only 212 were taken prisoners. What the battle did show the Americans was how far the Japanese would go to defend their country – a decision that was to influence the use of the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/battle_of_iwo_jima.htm

Commander-in-Chief

Tadamichi Kuribayashi

Born	7 July 1891 Nagano
Died	25 Mar 1945 Iwo Jima

Tadamichi Kuribayashi was born in Nagano prefecture, Japan to a samurai; in fact, he was the fifth generation of the Kuribayashi family that served six emperors as samurai. Canadian-educated, he was assigned to be a deputy military attaché in Washington DC starting in 1928, traveling extensively. When the Pacific War was able to begin, he was a known opponent of provoking United States into war; "[t]he United States is the last country in the world Japan should fight", he wrote his wife once. He was largely ignored by the decision makers.

In May 1944, the tall and husky Japanese general (he was five feet nine inches, above average for Japanese men at the time) was handpicked by Emperor Hirohito and Prime Minister Hideki Tojo to defend the island of Iwo Jima. Veteran of thirty years with recent field experience in Manchuria and China, he was given the honor to personally meet Hirohito in Jun 1944 on the night before he flew to Iwo Jima. The meeting was an honor rare even for samurai, and he was told by Hirohito that the American "barbarians" must be stopped.

Kuribayashi did not share the optimism some of his peers had, but he performed his duties. He closely studied the island's terrain and decided that he would not fight on the island. He was going to fight from inside the island. Under his instructions, 21,000 men were hidden in 13,000 yards of tunnels. On Mount Suribachi alone there were 1,000 cave entrances and pill boxes. He gave the following orders to his men.

"We are here to defend this island to the limit of our strength. We must devote ourselves to that task entirely. Each of your shots must kill many Americans. We cannot allow ourselves to be captured by the enemy. If our positions are overrun, we will take bombs and grenades and throw ourselves under the tanks to destroy them. We will infiltrate enemy's lines to exterminate him. No man must die until he has killed at least ten Americans. We will harass the enemy with guerilla actions until the last of us has perished. Long live the Emperor!" Knowing the American forces could not be defeated, he could only hope to inflict a casualty rate so high that the Americans would turn back. Among his numerous letters to his family during WW2 was the note "[y]ou must not expect my survival" that illustrated his unfaltering loyalty despite of certain doom that he knew he could not escape, as according to Bushido code.

On 22 mar, Kuribayashi radioed "[w]e are still fighting.... The strength under my command is now about four hundred. Tanks are attacking us. The enemy suggested we surrender through loudspeaker, but our officers and men just laughed and paid no attention." On the next day, he sent Chichi Jima this final message, to be relayed on to Tokyo: "All officers of Chichi Jima, goodbye from Iwo". He reportedly committed ritual suicide, but his body was never found.

"Of all our adversaries in the Pacific, Kuribayashi was the most redoubtable", said United States Marine Corps General Holland Smith.

http://ww2db.com/person_bio.php?person_id=21

Portrayal in film

Kuribayashi is portrayed by actor Ken Watanabe in Letters from Iwo Jima, a film directed by Clint Eastwood about the Battle of Iwo Jima largely from the Japanese perspective. The film was released in December 2006. Eastwood also directed a precursor, Flags of Our Fathers, which told the story of the Battle of Iwo Jima largely from the American perspective. It was released in October 2006.

A tentative title for Letters from Iwo Jima was Lamps Before the Wind, taken from a line in a letter from Kuribayashi to his son, Taro: "The life of your father is just like a lamp before the wind."

I've watched this movie before and it's really emotional that it could make you weep. This movie portrayed the sacrifices made by the Japanese soldiers and their refusal to surrender despite the odds were against them. The unprecedented tactics of General Tadamichi Kuribayashi and his men transformed what was predicted to be a swift defeat into a nearly 40 days of heroic and resourceful combat. Their struggles, sacrifices, courage and compassion live on till today..

Food = Poison....???

2008-09-23T17:26:00.003+08:00

There has been so much report over the past few days pertaining to the tainted dairy products. Yesterday, I happened to received a few text messages from my friends and unknown numbers regarding the specific products that were affected. I breathed a sigh of relief as I have not been consuming those products mentioned in the text for more than 6 months. Now, there is a major recall exercise of the affected products around Singapore.

Now I begin to ponder.. Are the food that I've been consuming all these while really safe? Am I eating what the stuff really is or is it something else? Now, I will let my imagination run wild..

Peektures...

2008-09-22T11:20:00.008+08:00

Ok...Here are the pictures that I took from yesterday's outing using my handphone. As for the group photo, I've to wait for it to be sent to me before I post it here. In the mean time, enjoy..

This was taken in the restaurant itself. Take a look at the second sign. No food and drinks allowed?LOL..

Some random pictures...

Well, forgive me if you find my pictures boring because there was nothing much to shoot and we were too occupied with having so much fun..:P

Hola..

2008-09-21T23:42:00.001+08:00

I just came back from outing with the lads from SPP. Well, it was an enjoyable outing of breaking fast and with endless laughter. We had our break fast at Ayam Penyet Ria at Lucky Plaza after which we headed to Al-Falah mosque which is situated near Paragon. We had our Isyak prayers but didn't stay for Terawih prayers. I feel kind of sad to miss it because it was my first time missing it ever since the month of Ramadan commenced. Oh well.... After our Isyak prayers, we went to Arab Street to have some drinks before we went separate ways. Although the outing was a short one and we didn't take many photos, we certainly enjoyed each other's companion and how I wish that time could stop so that we can have more time to enjoy. But oh well....Time waits for no man and things have to come to an end. Well, I am too tired to upload the photos now and I will post them soon. I am looking forward to our next SPP outing which is the chalet and our self-organised "Jalan Raya" outing.

Tsunami

2008-09-20T23:42:00.005+08:00

Whenever we hear this word, Tsunami, many of us would recall that fateful day on 26 December 2004 where it unleashed it's fury caused by the sudden movement of Indian Australian plate tectonics near Sumatra. The effect was so catastrophic that more than 200,000 lives were lost and billions of dollars in damages were reported. Aceh was the worst hit due to it's close proximity to the epicentre and it was reduced to rubbles in a matter of seconds. It is one of the deadliest natural disaster in history.

We were lucky to be spared from the mother nature's awesome fury almost 4 years ago but are we completely safe? Are we completely immuned? Most of us Singaporeans would take things for granted as we don't experience major disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, blizzards that other countries are experiencing and it's probably due to our geographical location. Occasionally, we felt tremors from the Indonesian earthquakes but nevertheless, we should all be prepared.

What got me interested in tsunami is the article that I came across at the yahoo search engine. Below is the article that I've extracted from the yahoo search engine:

Channel NewsAsia - Sunday, September 21
SINGAPORE — Singapore is not completely immune from a tsunami and should prepare for the possibility, an expert on coastal areas warned Friday.
ADVERTISEMENT

The island—state can be hit by a tsunami generated from three locations and the waves could damage key coastal infrastructure without being too high, said Professor Wong Poh Poh of the National University of Singapore geography department.
"It’s not that we are totally immune. No, we are not immune," Wong said.
He was speaking at a news conference to launch a report, by the aid and development organisation World Vision, on the impact of climate change on poor people.
To cause damage, waves hitting Singapore need not be as huge as the ones that devastated Indonesia’s Aceh in December 2004, killing 168,000 people, Wong said.
Aceh was struck by a wave about 10 metres (33 feet) high.

"We don’t need 10 metres. The problem with Singapore is... we have a lot of infrastructure on the coast. All you need is a very low wave to just come in and hit certain areas," he said.

"Changi Airport will be very vulnerable," he said, adding the man—made island of Jurong which houses a sprawling petrochemical complex is also at risk, and urged the government to commission a study on tsunamis. — AFP/vm

Tsunami strikes Ao Nang, Thailand.

A town near the coast of Sumatra lies in ruin on January 2, 2005. This picture was taken by a United States military helicopter crew from the USS Abraham Lincoln that was conducting humanitarian operations.

The photos and article serve as a reminder that we are not that far from the pacific ring of fire and anything could happen to us.

Just another day..

2008-09-19T19:46:00.003+08:00

Well....Well.... My day started with me going back to school for the pathetic FYP at around 0900 which I ended up going home at around 1500. So much of the "holidays" that I am enjoying at this moment. I reached home at around 1630 and rested for a short while before going for my routine jog. Running during the fasting month has really helped me to shed those extra mass successful although I felt very thirsty after which. I ain't complaining because it's a small price to pay..LOL...Ok.. I am going to pause my thoughts here as I am heading to the mosque for my Ramadan prayers... Till then, it's goodbye for now...

Just For Laughs

2008-09-18T16:36:00.005+08:00

It's amazing how fast I can recover from yesterday's setback. It wouldn't be possible without the support of my peers. LOVE YOU ALL! To forget about what happened, I've been watching a lot of Just For Laughs clips on youtube. As you know that laughter is the best medicine, so yeah! These are favourite Just For Laughs clips. Enjoy.

Depressed...

2008-09-17T00:44:00.004+08:00

Ever heard of this idiom " You reap what you sow"?? I don't quite agree with this idiom after getting back my results early in the morning. After much of "sowing" during the last semester, there isn't much "reaping" in my results. How pathetic despite putting my best effort and burning tonnes of midnight oil for all of my modules. Enough said... Now, for my final semester, I'm hoping for the score that I desire.

Killing Time...

2008-09-17T00:44:00.002+08:00

While waiting for the results to be released via Ichat, I'm killing time by watching a movie. I feel that there is no point sleeping as I won't be able to sleep until I know the outcome of my results. It's crunch time...

The moment of truth....

2008-09-16T22:42:00.004+08:00

Oh my god! Time is really flying at the speed of sound and tomorrow is the release of my exams results. Kind of having a very mixed feelings right now. Excited, petrified and so on. I've done my best and had put in more than 100% effort and I hope I will be duly rewarded with good grades. Stay tuned.

Around the world in don't know how many days..

2008-09-16T11:00:00.002+08:00

Like I've mentioned before, travelling is part of my hobby. Speaking of which, it has been nearly 3 months since I went overseas which was a back to back trip to Malaysia and Indonesia. That was my first back to back trip using my own money to pay for all my expenses( air ticket, accommodations and other necessities). Life is short, that is why I desire to see and walk on every corner of the globe. The 2 videos that I am going to show you really inspires me to travel even more and work hard to achieve my desires. I really aspire to become like the guy in the 2 videos. Whether you have watched the videos before or not, I hope you would enjoy them..

Hi..

2008-09-15T12:40:00.007+08:00

Hi everyone! I am not sure whether anyone will be reading my post but never mind, I'll just post it anyway. I 'm now in school doing my part of FYP since 1000 hours and it has been a tedious affair. I've done pages of calculations to determine the chain speed, tension, rate torque of motors, working torque, chain tensions from starting and stalling torques and the list goes on. The worse part is that I ain't certain whether my final calculations are correct or wrong as I've been calculating the properties based on very limited information and details. Up till now, I have to confess that I'm completely oblivious and I can only ballpark.

My mind keeps on pondering about FYP : whether the final outcome will be successful,etc. Hopefully, my group's FYP will turn out to be triumphant as after months of hardwork, brainstorming, etc, we don't want our effort to go down the drain. This is my only wish but till now, I can only contemplate.

Ok, enough of talking about FYP. I am very much looking forward to graduation in 6 months' time as it would be the closing chapter of my life in Polytechnic and I will spending a lot of my time travelling. There are a lot of places that I would want to go to and the confirmed destination that I will be heading to is Medan, North Sumatra. I like this place very much because the people are very warm and friendly and not forgetting the breathtaking sceneries the place has got to offer. Another likely destination is either Maldives or Palau for scuba diving, provided I could save enough money for it. I've not been diving for 1.5 years due to hectic school schedule and I really miss the feeling of hovering in a zero-gravity deep blue environment where I'm surrounded by schools of fishes and picturesque corals. If I have the means now, I really wish to rig up and dive and be encircled with the enchanting beauty of the underwater world.

2nd post of the day

2008-09-14T23:00:00.002+08:00

Hi! Came back from the mosque about 1 hour ago. I've been attending the Ramadan night prayers, also known as "Terawih", ever since the holy month of Ramadan commenced and I hope not to miss any of the prayers till the end of Ramadan. Time really flies, as tonight is already the 15th of Ramadan and another 15 more days, comes 1st of Syawal. In another words, Hari Raya puasa for all muslims around the world. Really looking forward to it.

Tomorrow will be another dreadful day as I will be heading to school for FYP. For this whole month of September, it's suppose to be a holiday but I've been in school for the last 2 weeks of September doing my FYP. How contradicting.

Back to the weblogging world

2008-09-14T15:10:00.000+08:00

It's been 3 years since I cancelled my previous blog account and I've not been blogging ever since. The reason that got me back into blogging is I really miss blogging itself. So many things had happened to me over the past 3 years. I discovered an interest in scuba diving, learning foreign languages and so on. That's it for now and I will blog again soon. Watch this space...