I'm back...

Lucky for me to still be able to sit straight up and blog after an almost 12 hour train from Gdansk to Krakow. It was another adventurous 2 guys' holiday trip for me after the one I had with Desmond to Singapore and conquering the peak of Mount Kinabalu with Kian Joo. The difference now is I'm in a far far away land and everyone speak some languages that do not understand each other....this trip is real "traveller sejati".

It was splendid all the way from Warsaw to Gdynia then to Sopot and finally Gdansk. These tri-city is really a nice place to visit and to relax my mind with some chilly but cooling Baltic sea breeze before begin my medical studies.

I would rather say this trip is not as intense in the sense of tiredness and wilderness compared to my Singapore trip except the train ride back home to Krakow. Basically pictures uploaded in FB explain the beauty of the tri-city and it is really worth all the way up north of Poland which is about 750km away from Krakow in the south.

Nice places, nice food, nice hang out activities at night in some foreign land...this is really backpacking. A brand new experience for my American travelmate, Mike. This is his 1st time going on such exhilirating trip with a friend especially Ng Ming Lee. U can juz ask Desmond Ang or Kian Joo bout their experience...;)

It was the train ride coming back from Gdansk to Krakow that made the climax of the entire trip. It was a whole 12hr journey which begin at midnite. Having backpack on our back, we hopped on to a very cheap train ride. These are the comparison on the trains I took which show why I say the trip back to Krakow was very cheap:-

Krakow to Warsaw (3hr)- about rm80

Warsaw to Gdynia ( 5.30hr)- about rm100

but

Gdansk to Krakow (12hr)- about rm50

The catch is the cheap one is that there is no seat reservations, u have to rush to get on board, squeezing with some drunk,big size, fierce looking people in the middle of the night to get thru the narrow corridor, no bar cart and last but not least awfully dirty toilets( in comparison, I must say even Malaysian public toilets are better...now u noe how bad it is...lol). But we managed to get seats in one of the many full compartments after sitting in the hallway for more than one hour in which a massive drunk guy was sleeping alone in there. Eerie at first but he actually turn out to be a typical Polish guy that trying to get some sleep for a long haul ride. There are many youngsters too actually partying in the trains with alcohol n smokes. This is the real conventional train ride my readers.

After a boys weekend out, me and Mike got safely back to Krakow and ever ready to start the engine for the new semester with 1st session- Anatomy Dissection Class. See you all again.

Cheerio. ;)

Hoping this train to take me home thru the country road or rather railway...enjoy the song posted too.

My first stop...

While I still manage to use internet in Warsaw...yeah...I'm reporting from Warsaw.

3 hrs Intercity train ride which cost 66.66PLN (approx RM80.00) from Krakow to Warsaw brought me to my first stop in my Tour de Polska.

Greeted by friendly seniors...a drop at Hamdan's apartment...off we go to Frederick Chopin Airport...to welcome my old frens and classmated whom juz arrive from Malaysia to study in Warsaw University. What a reunion after months...reli touching.

Same incident..tonnes of bags...tired faces...but still head to Malaysian Ambassador to Poland residency for Hari Raya open house. After more than 3 weeks...finally tasted again some Malaysian food but still better back home...swietnie( excellent in Polish).

Blogging from Hamdan's apartment, will go tour Miasto Warszawa tomorrow after getting out official things done...teraz to wszystko. Do widzenia.

Dedication to My Dearest Grandma

It has been a while since my last post that is when I had just arrived in Krakow from Malaysia.

Indeed I left home filled with excitements, hopes and feeling of success. There is really nothing I could say I have not had left undone back home before I leave. For example set foot on every states in Malaysia including the summit of Mount Kinabalu, had oversea vacation to Vietnam with my parents, savouring many of my favourite food back home,precious time with friends and family, tonnes of good and touching farewell wishes and lots of friends and family sending me off the airport but there is just only one thing,just only one.

My dearest grandma,Mdm Lim Tuan Ha, was ill and had been on the bed for more than 6 months before she peacefully leave behind her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, friends and relatives just today morning Malaysian time. I had expected that I couldn't send her off in her last departure. This is the only thing that I had to heavy-heartedly left behind.

It is indeed a great loss to me but this loss at least comes with an ironic sense of relieve and contentment. It would be a greater suffering for her to be in her state of illness longer. I don't wish to see which the worst which had happened to my grandfather before he passed away few years ago to her also. It is indeed the most painful thing to experience by closest family.

She had been living with me for years ever since I was born. My grandmother is a really admirable one as her capability of running the family business during her younger days and building the family tree to a highly sturdy one...capable in all required skill as a housewive needed from babysitting, sewing, cooking to even ...and what's more...her wits and guts of course. Not many people expect her as a chinese old lady to speak Malay, English besides all those major Chinese dialects so fluently...Just too much to tell for those experiences I had went through with her all these years. I will always miss her.

As a devoted Christian, she spend her life praising the Lord from her younger days till the day she can't lift herself up to go to church. She lends her arm to those who needs without second thoughts.

But I would really say I'm sorry because I had sometimes make you angry and at times make you annoyed. Thank you for all your wishes all these years before you go to bed in hoping your this grandson will be successful in everything. Thank you for all your teachings in everything and those had really brought me through all the way to where I am now. I promise you that I will strive and be able to become a successful doctor. I am really proud to have you as my Grandma and you will always be remembered in your this grandson's heart. Sorry for not be able to be by your side during your last moment. But I am always glad that you will never forget me.

Love you Grandma. May you rest in peace.

Jestem w Krakow

I can't believe I'm actually blogging from another continent of the world from Malaysia. I'm in Krakow! ( *spelled as krakoof)

First stop, KUL-FRA (MH006). After a long tiring but quite a new experience ( compared to AirAsia) 12hrs flight frm KL, 9 of us reached Frankfurt, Germany. Juz a transit of 2hrs n we are heading towards Krakow using Lufthansa Airways(it's a reli big schedule board...not digital...classic!)

Jestem w Krakow!

So, we met up with First Secretary aka JPA officer from Prague, Mr Firdaus in Balice Airport, Krakow. (Man, he's reli great n outgoing person!). The Medical School officer pick us n lead us to our dorm in Grzegorzecka (*pronounced as....well never mind...lol)

For about RM1200 per mth per person( eqv to 1000zl), u get...

We went for a sightseeing tour in Krakow and the buildings there are awesome! The European style and Renaissance mood, what a sight. Those photos are in Facebook...do hv a look.

We'll, tat roughly about me journey from KL to Krakow, an almost 10,000KM away from home.

So, will update more later...stay tune! =)

Benefit of the Doubt

Sometimes it is juz unbelievable when you can get something really good and "should" be expensive at a super cheap price. Guess wat, I'm not talking about the Mega Sales currently launched but a haircut in a professional hair studio!


To those who know me, I'm a down-to-earth guy, low profile, humble ( chewa chewa, lebih lebih pulak eh? lol)....and dun care about my face much wat's more my hair! Muahahaha. But there's this hair studio tat caught my attention and made me real curiouz yet doubt tat it'll be good. Why?


Coz this pro-hair studio called the Team Hair Academy in Melaka where it has a student department which cut hair at very cheap price. Guess wat's the catch? Haha, it's tat WE become the "specimen" for the trainees there to perform their skill before being graduate from the academy.


After days of "fikir masak masak", I put myself into the worst case scenario tat if my hair is cut like s**t, I'll shave it juz like during NS training. Lol. So I give the new place a benefit of the doubt. When the trainee ask me how I want my hair done, I juz promptly say, "a decent and normal but 'in' style will do"...and there he went.


So, after this hint, guess how much this hair cost plus washing k(got head massage too) and also all those wax and spray to make tat...a total of 1hr++ there... :p

My most "in" hairstyle I've ever cut...lol

In total only.......RM4 man! ( haircut- RM2 n hairwash- RM2)

So all the doubts are all invalid henceforth. Even give a pak cik cut hair under the old tree also difficult to get a RM2 one rite?

Hence, the moral is, give it a try to anything u wanted to except all those life threatening ones and juz lay back and feel the outcome. No matter is good or bad, the moz important is tat u'll always gain something...tat is experience tat money can't buy.

Today's quote- Always give others the benefit of the doubt. =)

p.s.- if u dun believe, come to Melaka, find me and I'll bring u there and give it a shot. ;)

Dunno where to start...

After my last post on my trip during the period from my departure from LCCT to Kuching and the first day...i stopped posting. Here are some acceptable reasons...

1) Too much adventures tat I went thru for my trip to Borneo, esp to Sabah so there'll b ALOT to be written...and I'm lazy...lol

2) By mouth, i used about 2 hrs juz to described my Mt Kinabalu adventure to my friends back home! Tat hvn't included my sarawak n vietnam trip! Gosh...hahaha

3)My internet connection is too slow to upload any photos n i hv been workin on it but eventually...sudahlah :p

So, how on earth am I goin to tell all my experience...hmmm...got it. Browse thru my facebook photo album...and for sarawak experience...read Li Yan's. ;)

My Adventure Begins...

Alrite, BTN has came and gone. Too much to be described so rather skip it first. Let me begin telling about my Borneo adventure!

The trip of course started with my first ever flight in LCCT. Full with excitement, I hopped into the Air Asia's aeroplane joyfully( like a kid goin for his first fun fair trip...hahaha) despite waited for more than 4 hours before flight because of some delay. Tasted a RM 4, small cup of Nescafe 3 in 1 belanja by one good man coz of some help I offered him earlier during checking in of luggage...what a fantastic start.

Me and the Nescafe in the plane

After a much anticipated 1 hour 30 minutes flight, me and my gang- Maddy, Li Yan and Fikri reached Kuching International Airport( quite an awesome airport in Sarawak).

Maddy, Li Yan and Fikri about to board the plane...

First stop, Mimi's house and a feast awaited us prepared by her mum.

A feast with exotic Jellyfish...

Next stop, met with Daniel Chong, poor guy, while we juz about to start enjoying ourselves, he gotta go back KTT for new sem...good luck dude. We went to jalan- jalan in Kuching town and went to Taman Sahabat and later yum cha- 5 layer tea( till now, this is the most layer I've ever seen, Semenanjung got 3 only le and Mimi wants 7...lol).

The 5 layer Teh in Kuching in Jalan Song

So this wraps up my first day in Kuching...2nd day...reporting next. Cheerio. ^^

Anticipating...

Finally, all stressful period except for another final one, A2 result period, have over.
Most important and exciting result I've got recently was my successful entrance to Jagiellonian University! It was really relieved to pass that toughest hurdle.
Well, let's get pass all the examination stuff and let's rumble with holidays n fun.
Frenz came visited Malacca last week and I'm now in KL, went to Genting Monte Carlo Casino, again and will meet some BNM frenz in Mid Valley. Tomorrow, will venture into the wilderness of Kuala Lipis, Pahang for BTN with coursemates and juz a day after tat will be my first flight journey out of the peninsular and heads towards Borneo.
A 9 days visit to Sarawak and 3 days to Sabah. The climax is, the hike up the highest peak in South East Asia, Mountain Kinabalu with additional, Via Ferrata ( do check out this website to see what it is- www.mountaintorq.com). Hopefully my legs are strong enough to bring me up to see the beautiful sunrise at the summit.
Will then come back for a few days to rest and another flight trip awaiting...this time to Vietnam! 5 days 4 nights...woohoo.
Finally, it'll be a resting period and spend some precious time with family and friends...hopefully all go well and board the MAS plane to Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport.
So for this coming 3 weeks I will not be accessing to internet as my adventures begin.
Cheerio!

Freshing up...

It's has been really quite sometime since the last date I updated my blog.
Since now exams are totally over and is in holiday mode now...I really gotta dust off my dashboard and continue to be inspired and to inspire.

Before proceed any further, I shall wait for another moment in continuing out my pen on the paper...or screen perhaps. Will be back real soon again.

Cheerio.

For my dearest...

Although this song very "lou tou"( old fashioned in cantonese)- but it's really meant from the bottom of my heart...juz for u Mum.

世上只有妈妈好
Shi shang zhi you mama hao
有妈的孩子像个宝
You ma de hai zi xiang ge bao.
投进了妈妈的怀抱
Tou jin mama de huai bao
幸福享不了
Xin fu xiang bu liao.

世上只有妈妈好
Shi shang zhi you mama hao
没妈的孩子像根草
Mei ma de hai zi xiang ge cao
离开妈妈的怀抱
Li kai mama de huai bao
幸福哪里找
Xin fu na li zhao.

*this is also one of the chinese song that i can sing fully without pinyin and without the lyrics too. :p

Continous celebrations...

What would you feel if your birthday been celebrated more than 3 times in a row?
That's exactly what happen to my classmates whose birthday are in the month of April. So, before April ends today...it'll be appropriate for me to commemorate these. But it'll be just an example of what we always do for birthday boys and girls.

Lucky for them...ALL 5 is always full of surprise. The whole series of event would usually be initiated by my two ever-sporting and responsible cum committed class reps with some tricky ideas. But what to say...lies always come first and names of lecturers will not be missed to be used as tools...which our lecturers actually consent for it. What a happy college rite?

The whole series of event for Aprils started on the 28th with some tricks saying there's a gathering at what time and which place. The best part is...everytime this old tricks works. So a chinese proverb has been justify which says, "It's ok to use old tricks, as long as it works". Hope you know how it's said in Cantonese.

Then, here comes the climax...a full course human dessert. Usually we'll have human muffins or cakes ( flour and water) but ALL 5 has just recently made a new recipe...human syrup! Oh man, the effect and display was really fantastic. I'll try to upload the photo when I got them. Haha. We then had some wars where suppose the birthday boys and girls should be "tricked" but in turn...the rest had also became the victims. What's more when one of the birthday boy is Irfan, my classmate aka cyborg or robot. I was chased by him round the college...but luckily I was quite vigilant and fast, so able to escape at first. By that time, almost all my classmates already "saw red".

However,I was also been bloodied by them in the end. My poor snowy white pants turned pink! Man, too embarassed to snap a picture of it.

Alrite...then we had the cakes and waited for a trip at 8pm to Alamanda, Putrajaya to celebrate( again...second half). We had some Dominoe's and then spend some time in the arcade and bowling centre.

The best part of this second half event was started with a roller coaster bus ride from KTT to Alamanda which we almost crashed to a road divider, a herd of cow and know what...we came to a dead end. What a ride!

After we finally reached, Fikri, another classmate of mine(A Good Samaritan) who earlier negotiated with our college bus driver ( a bit...ahem ahem one) that we'll be in Alamanda till 11.30pm. So, as he sped off, we go on wif our event. As the time ticks, the clock reached 11.30pm. The catch was the class still got half of the ten bowling games to be continued. Our friend here(Fikri) start to panic as he look at time...all the cold sweat and veins...i tell you...fuyoh. Luckily, the driver didn't get mad and we all safely board the bus at 12.00am...what a day. Thanks to Fikri for his negotiation.

Here goes the birthday surprise event series for April. ( There are lotz of other actions like splashing water and throwing some smelly eggs the days before). As the months go by...it'll get more intense I supposed. But i think only the May people can enjoy all this as we'll come to an end of our course early June...A2 exam is the finishing end.

What are important in all these that have been done is the friendships and a good college life memories that are to be remembered. I presume everyone of us with our group of friends will do this. At least, our birthday come with a bang rite? So, get indulge and enjoy.

Perceptions...

Aren't we all so lucky to have good vision though may experience some impairments that sometimes have to be corrected by using spectacles, contact lenses etc? The human eyes are one of the most remarkable organ in our body. You will certainly agree with me after you watch The Incredible Human Body on Nat Geo with episode on human eye. As eerie as it may sound, our eyes look and see beyond ordinary things...don't worry...I'm not goin to talk about "those things that can be seen by some eyes".


Do you know that we don't use our eyes to see but is actually our brain. Believe it or not, it's true. Our eyes which is some marvellous video cam(or receptors to be scientific) are directly connected to the brain and our brain 'see' beyond the physical appearance of objects thus creating a quality analysis on them known as perception. Our brain discriminates every object we see whether is living or non-living ones but also can be done is just a matter of miliseconds-aka snap images- to the extent such that we generate some sorts of personal feelings in our own way of interpretation. We discriminate because something we see is just not the way they suppose to be. (Please be reminded, "discriminate here is not only apply to way we see things negatively, it is also a way of giving something its quality). See how perception works now? Sometimes it may be good but sometimes it just seems so cruel. How? A simple and direct example would be this...

Perhaps everyone should know who is this lady right and what she did rite? Or these options may help you...

A. A farmer/gardener

B. A teacher/some intellectual

C. A psychiatric patient

D. A talent show participant that made the biggest hits in Britain

If you can't get the answer, you must have been locked inside a cave for quite some time! A perfect example to illustrate what I mean. Perhaps, there's no need to further elaborate rite?

Well, this is life...and I believe all of you must have experience this situation. Another excellent example would be the movie which was this year's hitz...winning plenty of award...a movie that was never expected to achieve such success...It could be said that the odds of finding needle in a haystack would be higher...but there you are...an 13 Oscar award winner(hope I did not make exaggerate mistake in the figure)...Slumdog Millionaire. It'll would be too long also if I were to explain how perception applied in this movie...so I suggest you watch it. I'm really regret for watching this movie so late and I'm totally agree for giving so many award to this movie...a must watch.

So as you can see, people understand the adverse effect of perception and they voice out thru supporting both the two subjects mentioned in great majority. Not to mention this which apply to Barack Obama rite? Yet, we also must understand coins always have two faces. So do perception, there are good and bad perception which our brain automatically signal to us when we see sth. But people still hook on to more of the negative one than the bad one. Agree? Everyone of us discriminate when other give negative perception to others but hello...so do ourselves. Why? Simple. It is already in us. We can remind ourselves or others not to have negative perception at that instant but it is only after we realise. What about before you realise it...it is call snap judgement. So how to mend it? You can't for sure if you don't tune up the conscious part of your brain more. But don't get on it too hard because as just said, it's our nature. This is how we survive. Nothing is perfect in this world.

So, although we can't do much when we perceive something but let not our verbal section of the brain directly connected to it. Otherwise, your perception will bring you great trouble in life. We still have to live life with eye open but strengthen your goodwill and consciousness, something terrible may be just as great as it should not be.

What less is more...

The title seems paradoxical but it's very true indeed.

This past week was quite a turbulence not only to myself but also to the people around me.How?

It certainly kicked off with the Earth Hour movement which happened just last saturday. To me, it's nothing but a good act to remind us the importance of minimising the effect of global warming though it seems kinda "ineffective" and "seasonal" where the whole world only amplify on that hour and day. Yet, never forget that it is a call and not a long-haul campaign to ask the world to conserve energy and all sorts. Such "long-term" lies in our hand and no one can scream and shout at us if we ourselves being ignorant and don't practice it at home.
With more and more critics, debates and arguments on the Earth Hour issue, we will not get anywhere near to save the electricity bill in our own home, what is more in saving the planet. Sometime, it doesn't harm doing something that doesn't harm. Please don't just criticise others' good causes or intentions although we may have tonnes of good and intellectual reasons and the right to do so. As the saying goes, "tepuk dada tanya selera". What have ourselves done instead apart from criticising and and discouraging others?
It's not that we should be quiet and not expressing our viewpoints as we certainly can't do that in this democratic world rite? I am also now expressing my own point of views. However, in some situations which are intentionally good, we should just let it be. We may be different in the way of conduct but we are aiming the same goal aren't we? Sometime, less is more.

This is not only subjected to that issue but other matters in life too.

So happen on that same day, something very minor also happened in the place where I am currently at. A small glitches resemble a "match-fire" had turned into a "forest-fire" just because there are some of us don't want to let it be blown off. Assertive is good in some situation but may cause backfire when we go overboard with it. Does it worth to let some petty issues that can be easily solved with a straight talk and some handshakes and lame jokes cost you friendships? Absolutely not. Worst still, other previous conflicts had also been triggered by that. The situation had turn sour not only within a group but the whole lot.
"Little movements" that have been done by a particular person caused disgust among others leading them to condemn and regard it as childish and hypocritical act. There is no point of letting this "fire" continue to spread. It is not a problem at all if we could just adopt the "sudahlah" attitude and let it be. Sometimes in life especially between human to human relationships, we should just let some issue or conflicts diminish no matter how right that we think we are. There's is no need to applaude the negative cascade effect that bring about by us to others as no one will gain anything in the end. Sometimes, Newton's Third Law of Motion just don't apply in human relatinships. Again, less is indeed actually more.
Peace.

Well, there are other minor turbulences that happened as well but I'll just let them be. Let's us sooth our emotions now by enjoying the song, "Let it Be" by Beatles.
Cheerio.

(Video in Clips to Be Shared)

When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be

And in my hour of darkness
She is standing right it front of me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be

Let it be, let it be
Let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom
Let it be

And when the broken hearted people
Living in the world agree
There will be an answer
Let it be

For though they may be parted
there is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer
Let it be

Let it be, let it be
Let it be, yeah,let it be
there will be an answer

Let it be Let it be,
let it be Let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom
Let it be

Let it be, let it be
Let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom
Let it be
And when the night is cloudy
There is still a light that shines on me
Shine until tomorrow
Let it be

I wake up to the sound of music
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be

Let it be, let it be
Let it be, let it be
There will be an answer

Let it be Let it be, let it be
Let it be, let it be
There will be an answer
Let it be

Let it be, let it be
Let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom
Let it be

The end of an hour...the Beginning of the Future

The much anticipated 60 minutes had just flew past us. Yet, it did not just ticked away like any other ordinary hour. Instead, the hour was hailed by millions of people around the world!
As one of the many caring planet Earth citizen, I have done my part to vote against global warming. Have you? Don't worry, this election is no ordinary elections and it's ongoing. It's not an election to expect anything in return but is one in which to save our planet as well as our live from jeopardising effect of global warming.

Indeed, global warming is inevitably unavoidable as each and everyone of us is contributing to it although we did not intend to. Our carbon dioxide footprints are everywhere. No doubt, carbon dioxide have to be generated to enable us to live but it's now far beyond the sustainable level. Like the saying goes, " Too much of an essential will harm us". If we don't do anything ourselves-in this context, not to reduce the emission but actually maintain the deteriorating rate-we may only be left not much days of survival. I'm not exaggerating but you will agree if you watch "six degrees can change the world" in Nat Geo.

I'm also not saying that everyone of us including myself are culprits and ignorants towards global warming issue- an issue that is not recent. As we live together under the same sky and above the same crust, we are like a big family living under the same roof. When there are some of us inducing harm to our home, are we goin to be quiet about it and let our home rot? Certainly not.

This is exactly what Earth Hour intends to make us understand and realise. We are no barbarian to use force in asking those culprits to stop destructing our Mother Earth hence we chose light switches. Something not peculiar to us but we have all this while took it for granted. Not only on 28th March 2009 at 8.30pm it transformed into "ballot paper" for us, it also still act as a daily healing wand to our devastated planet. A simple act by switching off unused lights, an act that undoubtedly able to be done even by a 3 years old child or an 80 years old wheel-chair ridden grandmother, can make a hell lot of difference. This is even more significant when everyone does it together just like during the past hour.

Earth Hour is just the first step that all of us took to walk the path towards a perfect world which still has a long long journey to go but certainly it's a promising path that we'll certainly be able to reach the ultimate dream end. We may not see the impact yet but believe it or not, you did sth great on the Earth Hour day. Let's continue to walk this path together.

Just ordinary...or intriguing?

As I am writing this, my face is suffering from burnt not because of fire or flammable stuff but the blazing sun after an eventful sport's day of my college. I wanted to laugh upon looking at my face in the mirror but I can't coz my skin is all tense up, only able to display a courteous smile. So now, I look even more Malay- real proud of it- or like a construction site worker after a hard day of work under the sun. But all this doesn't bother me at all as I am used to it during my scouting years but my appearance gave a minor shock to my parents (my mum especially) and all sorts of skin care products were queuing up for me to use.

I don't really use all these but I have to, so I chose an aloe vera gel...refrigerated one. Hopefully it can heal me or else really gotta use Olay cream as recommended by Joanna. Haha.

Despite having a tanned skin which maybe will last for a week at least, I really enjoyed not because now I look more like Louis Koo now but efforts that everyone put in bore fruits, making the event more happening. The day started with Larian Mesra aka cross-country to a nearby stadium, decorating pitched-up tent with a Giant octopus (better not to mention what I did with it), blah, blah blah, and finally end with prize-giving session.

Have to salute girls from Blue House as they are really good in track events especially the 4x400M...Gold medal le. Good job to Susu, Syiao Wei, Aqila and Nasehah(if I am not mistaken)...Although the time records of all track events are not comparable to those of standard and professional athletes, this proved that JPA scholars are not nerds and just lock ourselves up in the room studying.

These few months are really jam-packed with events and will last till end of this month as next week will be my college's Mentor-Mentee Day. I am in for cooking event and performance as well. Not to forget is next Saturday, Earth Hour at 8.30pm.

Many questioned the rational of this act (which is to switch off your light no matter where you are for one hour) and asked why we should do it.

Yet, I would rather ask why we should not. There are plenty of reasons for doing it but not everyone will find it convincing. But just believe me and believe your heart that by doing this, we really can make a difference. It is not a "you are not to reason why, but you are to do and die" situation but a good act goes a long way. Not only that it won't cost you anything but by swtiching off your lights will also save your electricity bill. You can even be part of the caring world citizen in giving a hand to give some breathing space for our deteriorating Mother Earth. It's not an act only meant for environmentalist or humanitarian etc but is for everyone including ordinary persons like ourselves. It's a head start for us in living an energy-conscious way. Not only for that coming one hour,but eventually everyday of our life. Causes like this is just one of the many that we can contribute. Why not start from the simplest one with this?

There is a quote that all of us can ponder,

"We do not inherit the goodness of nature and environment from our ancestor but we borrowed it from our children."

I may not able to convince everyone to do this by just mere words but if the good cause is spread from mouth to mouth with help from everyone, I believe we can really make it happen. This hour is just like another ordinary hour in life but it would be a more meaningful one in which we should spend it together with a good cause like this in moving on to the next in life.

It's only a week away...let's start with the person beside you. We can do it together and we'll make a difference.

Next, most of us will face exams and all energy should be diverted into that to achieve success and flying colours. Again, let's move on together and reach our goals! "Togetherness to success". Hurrah!

A Brilliant Conversation Indeed...An Email From My Friend...An Inspirational Dialogue...

An Atheist Professor of Philosophy was speaking to his Class on the Problem Science has with GOD, the ALMIGHTY. He asked one of his New Christian Students to stand and . . .



Professor : You are a Christian, aren't you, son ?

Student : Yes, sir. Professor : So, you Believe in GOD ?

Student : Absolutely, sir.

Professor : Is GOD Good ?

Student : Sure.

Professor : Is GOD ALL - POWERFUL ?

Student : Yes.

Professor : My Brother died of Cancer even though he Prayed to GOD to Heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But GOD didn't. How is this GOD good then? Hmm?

(Student was silent )

Professor : You can't answer, can you ? Let's start again, Young Fella. Is GOD Good?

Student : Yes.

Professor : Is Satan good ?

Student : No.

Professor : Where does Satan come from ?

Student : From . . . GOD . . .

Professor : That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this World?

Student : Yes.

Professor : Evil is everywhere, isn't it ? And GOD did make everything. Correct?

Student : Yes. Professor : So who created evil ?


(Student did not answer)

Professor : Is there Sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness?All these terrible things exist in
the World, don't they?

Student : Yes, sir.

Professor : So, who Created them ?



(Student had no answer)

Professor : Science says you have 5 Senses you use to Identify and Observe
the World around you. Tell me, son . . . Have you ever Seen GOD?

Student : No, sir.

Professor : Tell us if you have ever Heard your GOD?

Student : No , sir.

Professor : Have you ever Felt your GOD, Tasted your GOD, Smelt your GOD? Have you ever had any Sensory Perception of GOD for that matter?

Student : No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.

Professor : Yet you still Believe in HIM?

Student : Yes.

Professor : According to Empirical, Testable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?

Student : Nothing. I only have my Faith.

Professor : Yes,Faith. And that is the Problem Science has.

Student : Professor, is there such a thing as Heat?

Professor : Yes.

Student : And is there such a thing as Cold?

Professor : Yes.

Student : No, sir. There isn't.


(The Lecture Theatre became very quiet with this turn of events )


Student : Sir, you can have Lots of Heat, even More Heat, Superheat, Mega Heat, White Heat, a Little Heat or No Heat. But we don't have anything called Cold. We can hit 458 Degrees below Zero which is No Heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as Cold. Cold is only a Word we use to describe the Absence of Heat. We cannot Measure Cold. Heat is Energy. Cold is Not the Opposite of Heat, sir, just the Absence of it.

(There was Pin-Drop Silence in the Lecture Theatre )

Student : What about Darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as Darkness?

Professor : Yes. What is Night if there isn't Darkness?

Student : You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the Absence of Something. You can have Low Light, Normal Light, Bright Light, Flashing Light . . . But if you have No Light constantly, you have nothing and its called Darkness, isn't it? In reality, Darkness isn't. If it is, were you would be able to make Darkness Darker, wouldn't you?

Professor : So what is the point you are making, Young Man ?

Student : Sir, my point is your Philosophical Premise is flawed.

Professor : Flawed ? Can you explain how?

Student : Sir, you are working on the Premise of Duality. You argue there is Life and then there is Death, a Good GOD and a Bad GOD. You are viewing the Concept of GOD as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, Science can't even explain a Thought. It uses Electricity and Magnetism, but has never seen, much less full understood either one. To view Death as the Opposite of Life is to be ignorant of the fact that Death cannot exist as a Substantive Thing.Death is Not the Opposite of Life: just the Absence of it.
Now tell me, Professor, do you teach your Students that they evolved from a Monkey?

Professor : If you are referring to the Natural Evolutionary Process, yes, of course, I do.

Student : Have you ever observed Evolution with your own eyes, sir?


(The Professor shook his head with a Smile, beginning to realize where the Argument was going )


Student : Since no one has ever observed the Process of Evolution at work and Cannot even
prove that this Process is an On-Going Endeavor. Are you not teaching your Opinion, sir? Are you not a Scientist but a Preacher?


(The Class was in Uproar )


Student : Is there anyone in the Class who has ever seen the Professor's Brain?

(The Class broke out into Laughter )

Student : Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's Brain,Felt it, touched or Smelt it? . . . No one appears to have done so. So, according to the Established Rules of Empirical, Stable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says that You have No Brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then Trust your lectures,sir?


(The Room was Silent. The Professor stared at the Student, his face unfathomable)

Professor : I guess you'll have to take them on Faith, son.

Student : That is it sir . . . Exactly!

That student was Albert Einstein.

Bridges- Dialogue Towards A Culture of Peace with Prof. H. Robert Horvitz, 2002 Nobel Laureate -Medicine

Intro

Today is really a memorable day for me and my friends as we attended a lecture on Biomedical Science, World Health and World Peace in UKM, Bangi by Nobel Laureate Prof. Dr. H. Robert Horvitz (Medicine, 2002).

Ok, let’s dun get too formal(ok the intro is quite formal though).Let me begin with some intro on the speaker.

“He’s a wise man, a double degree holder-Engineering Mathematics and Economics but also the same person who received 2002 Nobel Prize in Medicine as a microbiologist. Feel stunted? I bet you haven’t. A person who discover programmed cell death- an active biological in human body( tell you more later) and illuminate the future with hope in curing cancers, neurodegenerative diseases- just to mention a few. To state strings of award he received- I think this page can’t hold enough words for it (you can go to http://www.peace-foundation.net/ to know more about him). He is also the very person that actually give a one hour lecture on his research which he took tens of years to find the significant breakthrough in a very simple and fun way that made his audiences ranging from medical specialist to biomedical students…also A- level student like me as well as to laymen who just feel free to attend the event fully understand to his topic.

Gee, good to have a lecturer like him and indeed feel awesome to actually sit the very front seat( just in front of him) and listen a lecture by a Nobel Laureate, a Harvard Phd graduate, a member of USA National Science Academy and close personnel to President Barack Obama. Gosh, I think I just can’t stop describing him already.

Alrite, let’s get into the topic and my latest experience sitting like one of the prominent Parliament Senator in the UKM Senate Room and got the best seat there…..awesome.

Chairman of International Peace Foundation, Mr. Uwe Morawetz, an inspired and dedicated man to bring peace to the world by means of dialogue…my idol as well…first greeted me, had a warm handshake with him and a tête-à-tête as well. With throngs of people started to swarm the hall and fill up spaces, I anxiously anticipated my other friends who were on their way from KTT in a Kancil taxi. As I waited for them outside the hall, their seats had been swap and filled by the management so as to fill up empty spaces without me realising it. I really got fumed and feel sorry as Li Yan, Fikri, Phyllis and Hoh had to be seated in another hall. Sorry everyone.

The wood- laden doors then closed and the event began. An intriguing slideshow of UKM achievement and speech by both Mr. Morawetz and Vice Chancellor of UKM welcomed us and followed by the lecture by Prof. Robert Horvitz.

The lecture…

Well, it started off with a bang as the Prof looking man crack a lame joke…you know what I mean.*Laughter* about his daughter and his Nobel prize…a gold medal, some cash as well as a certificate- a “Diploma” according to him.

Then, serious part began.

His explanations on his research works, programmed cell death( apopstosis ) and it’s application were actually really informative and made me realise the interconnection between cell-cell relationship to human-human’s. How, let me illustrate it…

Okay, programmed cell death works in a series of pathway. It’s an active biological process where cellular suicide occur. In normal condition, it helps to control number of human cell to prevent it from too little(excess cell death) or too much(insufficient cell death). What happen if it really malfunction? Well, the former condition can cause disease like Alzheimer, Parkinson, AIDS, just to name a few while the latter will cause cancer eg. blastoma and lymphoma and others. So, it consists of several genes in our body to regulate the process, namely the Killers- BH-3, caspase and Apaf-1 (egl-1,ced-3, and ced-4 in C. elegans) and the Protector- BCL-2 ( ced-9).

In the roundworm, C. elegans…it functions like this…

egl-1 ----> ced-9 ----> ced -4 ------> ced-3 ---> cell is killed
inhibit inhibit activate


So, in other words, egl-1 functions to prevent ced-9(the Protector/ anti-death gene) from preventing ced-4 to activate ced-3(the executor) to do the killing. It’s seems more like an organisation of a murder plot right? The more interesting is after cell is killed, it’s get rid by being engulf by other cell and degrade. In C.S.I. context, it’s actually

1) identify victim ( which cell to undergo apopstosis)
2) kill the victim ( apopstosis)
3) get rid of the corpse ( engulfment)
4) clear all evidence ( degradation)

Get the idea how programmed cell death work? Believe it or not, this is exactly how the Prof explained!

The thoughts…

This also made me realised the relationships that I had mentioned. In that context, we can see that two totally contrasting gene function actually work together to ensure apopstosis occur in the normal way too prevent the diseases mentioned due to their malfunction. They really depend on each other to bring out the desired outcome despite they can be said as rivals. Without the killer, we are in risk of cancer, without the protector, we risk of Alzheimer and Parkinson. Thus, it has come to my consciousness that actually the world resemble the cell in which there are always groups with contrasting view points and they ought to live with each other or they will have no such groups if one of them are missing or stand at the same belief, literally. The molecular world is actually the template to how human- resemble the gene should live with each other. We should make our ultimate difference as our strength to achieve our common and desired goal. However, mankind mostly does not realise this. We need the difference in each and everyone of us to live life better, a constant regulator in our living in every aspect. We may be different and we will always be as that the true beauty of life. We may be different in the way of conduct of our living but we will always looking and heading towards a common end. The ultimate goal of life is not made from same belief and stands but the unity of our difference. This is the fundamental of world peace.

A quotation by Prof. H. Robert Horvitz to me,

" No gene is an Island"

I daringly put the Prof research work in my analogy and ask his opinion on this in front of the videos and cameras’ lens as well as the audiences comprise of high ranking personnel, prominent and biology intellectuals, doctors and specialist, lecturers and university students of medical and sciences field as well as the Vice Chancellor of UKM herself, YBhg. Prof. Dato’ Dr. Sharifah. I thought I’ll be a laughing stock of the whole Senate Room but it turn out to be the one of the best moment in my life. Eye-to-eye Q&A with the Prof replying positively to my rather absurd question, highlighted by the Vice Chancellor in her closing speech and listened by so many field specialist and intellectual, it’s really an unforgettable experience for me.

This may be my last Bridges- IPF event this year and I'm satisfied and have no more regrets.

Certainly I am looking forward to attend next event on the topic- Contemplating The Universe in Putrajaya...but Pre A2 is coming as well.

In the next post, I will share with you analysis from the Bridges-IPF event.

Adios for now...

We care...let's do our part

It's a common to hear others asking and telling u to play ur part in saving the environment as well as the world.

It's also true that we are no superman that have some super power to hail such move.So, big and significant move we can't do, small and petty actions we condemnded. These are quotes say by many when being approached to do his or her bits in the context.

Yet, we ought to realise that saving the world and the environment are no Herculean task at all and can be done in many ways and extent. Here's an opportunity that virtually every person on Mother Earth regardless of age,gender,race,religion, and background, what's more our EPL team can do to give her some sort of CPR that brought to us by Earth Hour.

Advertisements have been projected throughout the world in almost every form of media. We juz have to make our mind conscious enough to realise it. What's next? Let's hail it.

When I say that all of us can actually save Mother Earth for one hour and all u have to do is to juz move to ur light switch point and turn it off for that short period of time on one fine evening, u muz thought i'm either crazy or too obsessed with actions in saving the environment.

But, this is certainly true and i'm calling all u guys and gals out there to join me on the 28th of March,2009 at 8.30pm to do it. Let's do it together!!!

p.s.- believe it or not...u can noe more by log in to www.earthhour.org.

I'm back

Greetings to everyone,

I'm back once again to the blogging world.

Previously i did blog but stopped for quite sometime...perhaps kinda busy with studies and stuff or just giving excuse to myself to get away from writing too much "controversial" comments that may cause some sparks to people and i may end up in precarious state....haha.

So, i think i will change a little in my style as well as keep myself updated with friends and other bloggers.

Let's the new era of kancil90-Rich begins!