Shira's Blog

I Can't Think Straight

2009-11-14T19:53:00.003+08:00

The worst time to have your emotions all upset and tumbling all over the place, is right before an exam. Please, please, please make this go away, I don't want it. I never asked for it. Please make it leave me alone, please let things go back to the way they were before.

I can only wish.

I'm Allowed to MBLM Once in a While

2009-11-12T17:01:00.004+08:00

He sent me this last night. And then he was bragging about how he could now drive cars, ride motorcycles, and steer a ship. I told him I'd be impressed when he can pilot a helicopter. =P

It'll be a little over 3 months before I see him again. 24th February 2010, hurry along.

Studying in Stages

2009-11-11T17:08:00.004+08:00

Stage 1: Start!

Stage 2: Working hard...

Stage 3: ... or hardly working?

Stage 4: Lazyyyyyy

Stage 5: KO

Cyber Law 1, Shira 0.

heiiihhh.

Another Website For When You're Bored

2009-11-11T11:45:00.004+08:00

I read about Mystery Google on MLIA today. Not really knowing what that was, I instantly Googled it. And was brought to this site here:

Curious, I typed in something random. I don't remember what, probably something like 'Twilight sucks".

Mystery Google gave me search results for "penis".

Gee Google, that's exactly what I wanted, how did you know? LOL

Anyway, how it works is that when you click on that search button, you are given the search results for the person before you. Go try it, if you're as bored as me. It certainly kills time. =P

Beautiful People

2009-11-10T17:01:00.003+08:00

Reen was showing me this website link her friend gave her.

It's BeautifulPeople, a dating site exclusively for Beautiful People. No, seriously.

Apparently, to apply to join the site, you have to submit your photo and a brief profile of yourself. Existing members will then rate you, and if you are deemed overall to be 'beautiful', you may then join the site and meet other beautiful people.

LOL.

More about the website here.

Siapa berani nk cuba, sila try and then let me know how it goes. I mmg sedar diri x cantik, so I'm not even gonna bother trying. hahahaha

Malaysian Studies for Dummies

2009-11-08T12:36:00.004+08:00

Dear Malaysian Studies textbook writers,

Your book sucks. It is boring and uninspiring. Completely in black and white, has no pictures... pages after pages of words, words, words... Urgh! I'd rather read the Form 5 history textbook. =___=

Your English is terrible as well. Whilst reading, I spotted numerous grammatical and spelling errors. Who the heck was your editor?

And, "bye-election"?? It's "by-election", actually. What is a bye-election? Is that when you elect who you want to say goodbye to? =___=

"From the people, to the people, for the people"?? It's "government of the people, by the people, for the people".

=___=

What are they trying to teach us??

And, again ---> =___=

Eye Spy With My Little Eye...

2009-11-07T10:13:00.002+08:00

I guess some of you don't know.

My glasses broke. They broke on the morning of the IT/IS beach outing. I was rushing to get ready, so I tossed my specs onto the bed. When I returned after my shower, I stepped onto the bed to hang my towel (the towel rack is over the bed), and I heard a very loud 'CRACK'.

My heart fell into my toes.

And there goes the pair of glasses that I've been using since Foundation. heiihh.

I'm planning to get corrective surgery in December, so making a new pair of glasses seems like a waste. But then again I can't permanently wear my contact lenses for the next month, my eyes will be freakin' dry. =___=

So I decided I'd buy a cheap frame for my existing lenses. Basically it was just the specs frame that broke, the lenses were still intact.

When I went back this weekend, I explained to Mum the situation. I suggested making a cheap pair at Taipan or something, but Mum was against the idea. "Who's going to send you?" she said. Mum is kinda anti-Taipan, for some reason. And since she insisted on coming along to pay for the specs, heck no way she was going to Taipan with me. lolz

So instead, we went to KLCC for dinner, and went to get my glasses made right before. As we entered KLCC, the thought occured to me... is it possible to get cheap glasses at KLCC??

We went to the optician's, and asked if they could like attach my old lens to a new frame. It turns out they could, though the cheapest frame they had for that was RM215. T___T murah la sgt. I have to pay back Mum for it later, btw.

'nyways, the guy fixed my new old glasses on the spot, so now they've been fixed to an orange frame. Orange is my least favourite colour, next to neon pink and highlighter yellow, but whatever. =___=

No photos yet for now, because my left eye is suffering from a severe eye infection. It's all puffy and swollen and oozing with pus. It's just positively disgusting.

... Lost your appetite yet? =P

I'm gonna quarantine myself until it gets better. I don't want anyone to see me like this!! My beloved family are now constantly referring to me as 'Quasimodo'. =___=

Ahh, but I'm going back to UTP tomorrow. Shit. How eh? Am considering an eyepatch. But wouldn't that attract more attention? >__>

I can't go back to UTP any later. siao ah, got finals next week. Not to mention I have to hand in my corrections for dissertation on Tuesday, and a job interview on Wednesday. dammit. dammit.

Stupid eye!! Heal!!!

Justification

2009-11-06T20:19:00.003+08:00

Today I read an article about how staring at boobs for 10 minutes daily can increase your life span by 5 years. Something to do about the increase in heart rate, or something like that. Read it here.

I told my siblings this.

"Cool, I should try it!" Hasif said, and then proceeded to look at Nina's chest. "Wait a minute, there's nothing there." He then laughed his head off, whilst Nina aimed a slap at his head.

LMAO.

I also found another study which shows that giving blowjobs and swallowing semen can reduce the risk of breast cancer in women by as much as 40 percent. The article is here.

Umm, again. wha?

People will justify anything. =___=

And btw, if you prolong your lifespan by 5 years from boob-ogling, and then smoke (which reduces your lifespan significantly by 5-10 years), I think it basically cancels out the effect. You know who you are. =P

Of Ode to Joy and Whale Popes

2009-11-04T21:36:00.003+08:00

I'm home!!

After dinner today, which was spaghetti bolognaise (one of my favourites =P), Aris suddenly went over to the piano and started playing.

"What is he doing?" I asked Nina.

"Oh, Aris now plays Ode to Joy after dinner if he liked the food, as a thank you. And if he's really happy, he'll play his 'Chinese version'". (The so-called Chinese version, is Ode to Joy played using the black keys, lolz)

"Yesterday," Nina went on to say, "he nearly played the Chinese version because mum made chili fish, but he didn't like anything other than the Chinese fish, so he played..."

At that point, I burst out laughing hysterically at Nina's slip, because I was trying to imagine a Chinese fish. lolz

* * * * *

We were all sitting around the living room table, each at our respective laptops/books. Nina looked up from her History textbook, and asked me, a smirk on her face.

"Shira, do you know what a 'paus' is?"

I stared blankly at her. "Isn't 'paus' whale, in Malay?"

Hasif came over and laughed, suddenly. "That's what you think. But that's 'ikan paus'. A 'paus' is..."

"The Pope," Nina said, completely straightfaced.

At that point, I imagined a whale wearing the Pope's hat, and again I laughed hysterically.

Home, sweet home. A lot of fishy jokes today. =P

It's The Final Countdown

2009-11-03T22:30:00.004+08:00

Today I attended my final lecture as a UTP student.

And it was at Lecture Hall 1, the same venue we always attended for lectures when we were in Foundation. Just like in Foundation, the lecture hall was full of people from our batch, both engineering and technology students. Let me emphasize again that this has not happened since our first semester in UTP!

As I was sitting there in that lecture hall, I remembered so many things. If rooms could speak, would they remember the numerous jokes we made in lectures, our various antics, the little mini-dramas that happened in our lives?

Four and a half years in this middle-of-nowhere place. A lot has changed since I first set foot here, completely bewildered and feeling completely out-of-place.

Four and a half years, and I realised that the only constant thing that hasn't changed for me since that first day of lectures, is you.

Thank you for being the most awesome friend ever, and putting up with all my bullshit for all that time (although to be fair, I put up with yours too). And thank you for being the one person I could tell everything to, even when we were in the middle of a fight (remember that loooong email? hahahaha). Thank you for keeping a smile on my face every single day (even if it's jokes made at my expense =___=). Just... thank you.

(sappy and mushy all of a sudden. excuse me while I blow my nose. *HONK!!* *sniffle sniffle*)

My final final paper is at Main Hall. Again, another bit of nostalgia for me. When we were in Foundation, most of our final papers were at Main Hall. *sigh*

Part of me is going to miss this dump. Most of me is going to miss all the awesome people I've known here. After that batch gathering at the beach, it's been one wave of nostalgia after another. I feel sad =(

Keep in touch, guys!!

* * * * *

This photo still sits proudly framed in my room.

--- 19 days left in UTP ---

The Amoeboba

2009-11-02T10:15:00.002+08:00

This old pic of me and my foundation-time roomie Fathin is made of win. I died laughing when I saw it. hahahahaha wtf man XD

Monday Mornings

2009-11-02T09:28:00.004+08:00

Nothing bites more than having to get up early on Monday morning to go to a class that you know is canceled, because you've been told to post a note outside the class telling everyone else that it's been canceled. =___=

Next up on today's agenda, Cyber Law quiz at 5pm. Oh yes. Ain't Mondays just wonderful.

At least, I saw something this morning that made me smile. Oh yes it did. XD

One Happy Family

2009-11-02T04:56:00.003+08:00

Semalam kami pergi Ipoh sekeluarga.

Antara sebab utama untuk rombongan tersebut adalah kerana internet di rumah tidak berfungsi, lalu kami sekeluarga bosan duduk di rumah.

Dalam perjalanan ke Ipoh, Papa meleter saya, sebab pakaian yang dipakai dikatakannya terlalu ketat dan pendek. Walaupun saya membalas bahawa seluar jeans saya semua dalam proses dibasuh dah tiada baju lain untuk dipakai, namun alasan ini tidak diterima Papa.

Oleh kerana duit saya tidak mencukupi, saya terpaksa meminta duit dari Mama untuk makan. Kad ATM saya tidak diterima oleh mana-mana ATM di Jusco Kinta pada hari itu, sehingga sekarang saya tidak tahu kenapa.

Atas cadangan Abang, kami pun makan tengah hari di Sushi King. Kami semua kagum dengan gunung pinggan sushi yang dijamah oleh Abang seorang. Oleh kerana Papa, Mama, dan Kakak telah makan sebelum bertolak dari rumah, mereka lebih banyak bergossip dari makan. Saya mendengar sahaja sambil makan oleh kerana terlalu lapar.

Setelah kami makan, kami berjalan-jalan di sekitar Jusco Kinta. Kami dapat juga bertembung dengan beberapa kawan sekeluarga yang juga berada di kompleks membeli-belah tersebut.

Filem yang ditontoni kami pada hari itu ialah Ninja. Cerita ini ialah agak sederhana dan rasanya tidak berbaloi bayaran tiket RM10.

Selepas menontoni filem tersebut, kami pun makan malam di Nasmir. Papa sempat lagi meleteri saya tentang pakaian sekali lagi. T___T

Setelah selesai mengisi perut dengan makanan dan juga asap rokok Papa dan Abang, kami pun bertolak balik rumah.

* * * * *

I am becoming more and more Melayu everyday, no? Rediscovering my roots, you might say lolz

Have fun guessing which Usual Suspect is which in the "family". =P

IT/IS Batch Gathering...

2009-11-02T03:50:00.004+08:00

... was a BLAST!! XD

I had soo much fun running and jumping and screaming and cheering and yelling. And then I happily KO'ed the whole car ride back. lolz

Whoever's idea it was to have a beach barbecue instead of an uptight formal dinner, that was freakin' genius. All the games and activities, both planned and spontaneous were soo much fun. And I know everyone is still having fun tagging and commenting on Facebook, even though it's now 4am. lolz

eh eh, I should sleep. Corp Comm tomorrow morning!

And, in the immortal words of Kanye West:

"Imma let you finish, but ITIS had the best batch gathering of all time! Of all time!!"

No negative comments, because I don't want to start another flame war on this blog. No, seriously, there aren't any because it was just that good. whee~~

And no photos here, because I don't own any. Dammit, I need to get a camera or something. eh, my birthday is in a couple of weeks. Anybody? ... Thought not. hahahaha XD

G'nite ppl!

Answer Sheet

2009-10-31T07:27:00.004+08:00

S:
I wanna get a semi-decent CGPA
Study pulun all-nighter baby crash with me (I love it)
Luck and intuition play a very important part
And after you have answered lets just hope you get some marks

D:
Oh, oh, oh
This question's hard, show me what you've got

R:
Oh, oh, oh
This question's hard, show me what you've got

S:
Can't read my, can't read my
No you can't read my answer sheet

Background:
(She's kiasu like nobody)

S:
Can't read my, can't read my
No you can't read my answer sheet

Background:
(She's kiasu like nobody)

A-a-a-answer sheet, a-a-answer sheet

A-a-a-answer sheet, a-a-answer sheet

S:
I wanna knowledge share a hard pair we will be
A little gambling is fun when you're with me (I love it)
Tembak-ing a test is not the same without a gun
And baby when that test isn't tough it isn't fun, fun

I:
Oh, oh, oh
This question's hard, show me what you've got

A:
Oh, oh, oh
This question's hard, show me what you've got

S:
Can't read my, can't read my
No you can't read my answer sheet

Background:
(She's kiasu like nobody)

S:
Can't read my, can't read my
No you can't read my answer sheet

Background:
(She's kiasu like nobody)

A-a-a-answer sheet, a-a-answer sheet

A-a-a-answer sheet, a-a-answer sheet

S:
I won't tell you answer A
answer B or answer C
Cause I'm covering with my arm and
I'm not lying I'm just selfish with my answers

Just like a chick in the exam room
Blocking your view of her sheet
I promise this, promise this
Check this hand cause I'm marvelous

Can't read my, can't read my
No you can't read my answer sheet

Background:
(She's kiasu like nobody)

S:
Can't read my, can't read my
No you can't read my answer sheet

Background:
(She's kiasu like nobody)

A-a-a-answer sheet, a-a-answer sheet

A-a-a-answer sheet, a-a-answer sheet

{Repeat X3}

* * * * *

... Yes, I'm bored. And blame the Usual Suspects (Rusydi especially) for inspiring this parody. lolz

I can totally imagine the music video for this. hahahaha XD

Assignments are for Suckers

2009-10-30T12:29:00.000+08:00

It's a bright and sunny Friday afternoon. Shira wants to go out and play.

But, no, Shira can't. There is a group Corporate Communications assignment due today.

The requirement is 16 pages. Her group submitted 10 pages to her, in total. So that means she has to contribute 6 pages to the assignment before she can compile it.

She has already finished 3 pages last night. That means another 3 pages to add, in total.

Time to put your bullshit on, Shira. Let's crap all over this paper and get it over with.

And then Shira can go out and play.

Yay~!

Little Miss Lazy

2009-10-28T00:03:00.004+08:00

My FYP II oral presentation is in less than 9 hours, and I've only just started working on the slides. My procrastination at its finest, I tell you.

tralalala~

I'm lazy. Oh so lazy.

Last sem I was rajin. Study notes for all my lectures were generally up-to-date and stored neatly in binders according to subject. Lecture notes were sorted and printed. Work was done generally on time. My desk was relatively neat.

Now? Lecture notes are in soft copy and stored all over the place so I can't find them, and I don't even bother printing them. Study notes are only made the night before a test, and after that they promptly go missing. Work gets done on time still, but just barely. My desk looks like an earthquake hit it, I haven't made an effort to clean it since like... oh, whaddaya know. I've never cleaned it. >__>

In conclusion, this sem I just can't be bothered. I have no mood to do anything really productive. The only time I can get my mind off him is when I'm with my friends. When I'm in my room and supposed to be doing work... I just can't.

I just want to get this sem over with. And then I'm outta here, and I don't have to be reminded of him over every single little thing I see or do.

I'm so not built for long distance relationships. There's a reason why I'm a koala, you know. I'm clingy. =___=

I'm A Gamer, Dammit

2009-10-27T13:00:00.003+08:00

Geram tau bila org ckp I bkn gamer. I may not play PC games, but I've spent countless hours on the Playstation. And granted that I mostly play turn-based RPGs like Final Fantasy, Suikoden and Arc the Lad, but does that make me not a gamer? >__> I still remember playing Wolfenstein 3D on the very first PC my dad bought. And I was in preschool then! That's dedication for you!

But of course, one needs solid proof. How much of a gamer are you?

Try this quiz here.

I guarantee you it's hard.

I scored 56%. Not bad, I suppose. It's a passing score. Admittedly I guessed a lot. I've never played Nintendo games, and I'll be damned if I know what a Sega Dreamcast looks like. tralalala~ I wasn't expecting much, I'm not a pro gamer after all. I just geram that I got the Tetris question wrong! After all the high scores I set I can still get it wrong?? graaaaghhhh!!

ahem. Anyways.

Try the quiz, try the quiz!

I Wish I Could.

2009-10-26T03:12:00.002+08:00

Life WIthout DC++

2009-10-25T19:52:00.002+08:00

(Disclaimer: This entry conveniently ignores the ethical issues of illegal downloading. That particular issue may be discussed at a later time.)

It's been a few weeks now since all downloading networks here were shut down. Previously, if you wanted a song, a movie, or an episode of a TV series, all you had to do was connect to DC++, run a search, double-click, and download.

Some might argue that DC++ is evil. After all, if you have free access to download anything you want at any time, you'd spend all your free time downloading and watching, and you'd never get around to working and studying. It's really a matter of your self-control. Because even if there wasn't DC++ (and there isn't now), you can still distract yourself any number of ways. Where there's a will there's a way, but we will elaborate more on that point later.

In a campus located in the middle of nowhere, where the internet connection is so slow that watching Youtube is impossible, let alone downloading torrents, entertainment is scarce. Contrary to popular belief, we students study to exist, but we do not exist to study. Being human beings, we need some form of entertainment. Everyone knows that you have to balance work and play. But how to play?

Televisions in this place are hard to find. Either fight with other people for control of the lone television in the common rooms (there aren't many), or be content to watch whatever Malay singing/talent program or Malay drama serials or Malay - whatever, you get the picture - that they're playing at the cafeterias.

As you most probably understand, people have varied tastes in entertainment, and such programs might not cater to everyone's tastes. One also gets cravings for series that they have been following at home and would like to continue following. Or perhaps movies that they've been wanting to watch. The nearest cinema is 40 minutes away. Not everyone has the time and the money required to go watch so frequently.

Hence DC++ was created to help students trade and share files easily. For years since it was started, it became an integral part of the student culture here. It even became a sort of bragging point to friends and family, who didn't have access to such downloads. When it was announced that DC++ was to be discontinued due to management crackdowns, the general reaction was one of deep dismay.

So what has life been like without DC++?

Firstly, trading of shows still occurs, although at a lesser rate. It's more or less a style of barter system, people trading things over GoogleTalk, or visiting friends' rooms with their external hard disk in tow. I guess in a way, this is a bit better. People are less likely to get greedy and download for the sake of downloading; they only download things as and when they really need them. Actually communicating with the people you are trading series and music with also helps you become closer with others, in a way.

And when you're bored in your room and you can't think of anything to do, you end up resorting to other means of entertainment. This past week when I was bored out of my mind, I ended up actually taking a brisk walk around campus (I can't jog for peanuts), or going swimming. Healthier? I suppose so. A bit more time consuming than simply watching an episode of whatever for 40 minutes and then resuming work, but healthier nonetheless. Will we see an increase of weight loss on campus? Time will tell.

And like I said earlier, even without DC++, people will still find other means to entertain themselves. Some of my guy friends have started fishing as a hobby. Although in the case of some, I would say it appears to be more of an obsession than a mere hobby. And there's still DotA and WoW, for all those PC gamers. I prefer console games myself, but those are a bit harder to come by here. =___=

The internet connection, however, is still slow. It may be slightly faster, but not by much. And some nights, the connection is so completely unstable that I get logged off every five minutes or so. So much for management arguments that the slow connection is caused by student downloads. Now that the downloading has ceased, the connection is still slow! What excuses now, management people?

In the end though, the demise of DC++ affects me little, as this is my final semester (unless I fail Data Mining, in which case I would be here for another semester - choi!).

So, no DC++. Good or bad? It's really up to you.

Just One of Those Days

2009-10-24T13:57:00.004+08:00

I got up at noon, my head still a little foggy. Plopping myself down in front of the laptop, I did the usual e-mail checking, browsed for blog updates. Bored, I played one round of Plants vs Zombies, read two chapters of Haruki Murakami's Wind-up Bird Chronicles. And then there was nothing to do.

Have you ever had one of those days where you just feel like an empty shell? This was one of them for me.

I lay down on the bed for about an hour, just staring at the ceiling. I thought about some things, some of them random, some of them sad, some of them nostalgic. And then I just stared at the shapes the shadows made on the wall. I suddenly felt like a Matchbox Twenty song.

And then I realised that I have a Data Mining test two days from now that I'm supposed to be studying for. But I just can't get into the mood.

One of those days when life itself seems meaningless. And I wonder if what I've been planning to do with my life is really what I want. But if it's not what I want, then what is? And if I'm meant to live my life some other way, how would I know? How would I know if the choices I make are the right ones? What if I end up regretting them later? What if I waste several years of my life chasing after something that I end up not wanting anymore?

Times like these, taking an aimless walk around campus is nice, if just to distract myself for a while. But then again, it's 2 in the afternoon. It's hot outside! Maybe I'll save it for my usual midnight walk, but it just doesn't work that way.

Why oh why is life so confusing? Or is it just us humans that needlessly complicate it?

Love For A Bunker Boy

2009-10-23T00:10:00.004+08:00

After 4 years of nudging Don to start a blog, he finally started one. It's not about himself, though. Nor is it about his girlfriend.

It's a story blog, a work of fiction very loosely based on a true story. It began as long-ish status messages on Google Talk, and then finally ended up becoming material for his blog. Go have a look at his first attempt at blogging!

I'm glad that he finally found a creative way to express his favourite hobby. I may not necessarily like it, but at least it's not an unhealthy hobby. *coughunlikecancerstickscough*

I am also amused at the fact that this is something that he's doing for himself. For the four years I've known him, he's never once opened e-learning. I manage his PRISM entirely. His friend Lydon and I used to manage his Friendster profile. Just this morning I signed up for a Google Groups for him using his account. And now he's writing and uploading blog posts entirely by himself. I feel so proud. It's like he's finally growing up. *sniffles*

haha wth. Anyways, since my blog is running steadily out of actual content, you may indulge yourself in his story blog. I myself am quite into story blogs now, my current favourite being the Singapore Taxi Driver's Diary, about a scientist resorting to working as a taxi driver to make ends meet after he was laid off from his job. It's an interesting read, and non-fictional too.

tralalalala. Maybe I'll post something, anything, sometime soon. But like it says in my blog header, this is where randomness prevails. I can post a story about green peanuts jumping over the moon to meet Princess BunBuns and her magical entourage of leftover coffee beans from Starschmucks, and it would still fit the blog description. wth. I'm going to sign off now before I say anything else that doesn't make sense. see ya~

Kanye West DIED??

2009-10-22T12:35:00.003+08:00

... Not.

Read more here.

I can betcha that the perpetrators of the hoax were probably Taylor Swift fans. =P

On the other hand, these internet hoaxes are confusing. Like when Steve Irwin died, my reaction was like, "Huh? Didn't he die ages ago??" And when Michael Jackson died, I nearly thought it was a hoax at first. hmmph.

Internet hoaxes aren't funny. I guess.

Don't You Think It's Strange?

2009-10-21T09:57:00.004+08:00

Sometimes, you think you've changed. You think you're entirely different from what you were before.

And sometimes you're wrong, and just one little thing will make you feel like you're right back where you're started.

No matter how much you change, the more you stay the same.

But I still sometimes miss being Little Miss Ami Boba, or Harriet Potter, or whatever else people called her. Her life was a lot simpler.

I'm not anymore, though. Acting like schoolgirls is for schoolgirls. Time to act like an adult! ... Now, if I were a grownup, what would I do in this situation?

... I have noo idea. Darn.

The Book

2009-10-20T11:22:00.002+08:00

My favourite book is one I have read and re-read, cover to cover. Admittedly, one does get bored of it occasionally, but then again each time I re-read it I discover something new that I missed before, something new to love. The cover and its pages are a bit worn by now, but still no other book can compare.

Lately, I've been pondering other books as well.

There's this book that I have read casually several times and never really thought much of, although I quite like it. Of late I have found that I am growing more and more attached to it.

Then there's this book I saw the other day that looks really interesting. Well, at least the cover does. I haven't got the chance to even peep into it, so I don't know what it's really like. I doubt I will ever get the chance to though, it seems really expensive.

And my friends have been trying to recommend me some books as well, but so far none of them have really caught my eye.

But my favourite book is still the best after all. =)