Home schweet home...

Back in the 'Burgh after 9 days traipsing around Spain and spending a fortune on senseless after-Christmas bargains. Tonight's Hogmanay and I haven't decided whether to join in the fun. I have an essay to write, three novels to finish (acquired two more en route to Spain. I know. Suicide), photos to edit and upload, stuff to unpack, and souvenirs to distribute. Wish me luck.

Ah-ha, it's over and done with now!

Call it a long hiatus but my desertion of the blog was somewhat justified.

I would always cringe whenever I go to a blog that has a traffic feeder. Not only it's telling the owner who has been stalking them and from where, it also functions as a speedometer to gauge the blog's popularity. But the idea of being able to trace the origin of the readers disturbs me the most. I deem it as a severe infringement of privacy and an intrusion to freedom of accessing information. Of course, it's the insecurity in me speaking.

Anyways, the term has ended with a minor bang. Minor because it has been blighted by an insufferably difficult assessment. To careen myself back to reality, I went to Waterstone's right after the exam and parted ways with a handsome sum of money for four novels. I have no idea when I'm ever gonna finish them. But the splurge was enough to shine some happiness into the bleak creases of my personal despair.

I think I didn't say proper goodbyes nor did I wish some of my friends 'Merry Christmas' at the end of the exam. Although I might have argued that everyone was embroiled in frantic attempts to console each other and recovering from the consensual mindless stab in the dark in the exam hall, there's a feeling of incompleteness in me for not even trying to do it. 

The truth is, I seem to have been trying so hard to blend in but I still need to clock in more miles before they even accept me as one of their peers. The After Exam Party should have been a good start to break through the mould. However, I see it as a futile effort at being more sociable by witnessing some friends numbing their senses with booze and losing me entirely. And I will be at the fringe, unsure of what to do and struggling to come up with some dodgy jokes that these people so like. Doesn't it just defeat the purpose?

So, here I am. The end of term is celebrated with Amadeus and The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. On top of that, I am in the strive of becoming the next Cleanliness Champion and I have 70+ podcasts in Spanish to be endured. Happy Holidays peeps!

P.S: I need a tag to do. Pronto.

I have work to do but doing a tag offers more fun!

I've been meaning to do this tag long ago but there's always something that hindered from doing so.Although I still have an unfinished business in the form of yet another PBL case,I figure that it's best not to wait any longer.I'm not in any mood of studying anyway and in an hour time,I'll be heading down to Princes Street with some of my friends.Blogging is the best way to kill time,methinks.

 

 

Here goes nothing!

 

 

rules:1-the rules of the game get posted at the beginning

2-each players answers the questions about themselves

3-at the end of the post the player then tags 5 people n posts their names,then goes to

their blogs and leave a comment,letting them to know they got tagged and to ask

them to play and read your blog

 

Staring time: 1729 (Isya' is in half an hour time)

Name: Muhammad Firdaus

Nick: Da, thegame, Aus, Along, Muhammad (course mates), and one given while at school which I'm not too keen to share here.

sisters: Nada.

brother: One lil' bro. Very annoying at times.

shoe size: 10/11. Depending on where the shoes are from really...

height: 175 cm

 

Where do you live?

In an attic room with one Chinese,a Scottish and his girlfriend,presumably Scottish. You can hear (fortunately not see) some of the 'actions' sometimes...If you know what I mean.

 

Have you ever been on a plane??

Took Titanic from KL to Portsmouth.Months on it really wises me up.

Swam in the ocean?

I can't bloody swim!!

Fallen asleep at school?

Who doesn't?But I had ways to overcome it.Would go to a certain room for a cup of coffee and some stale gossips to evade the excessive boredom of Sejarah... Now I've got Strand 2 classes to deal with which proves to be almost insurmountable.

Broken someone's heart?

Pobody's nerfect!Made mistakes here and there and hurt people along the way.I'm normal.Top to bottom.

Fell off your chair?

Lemme see...uhm...aah...nope!

 

Sat by the phone all night waiting for someone to call:

Cambitch didn't phone me.Scholarship bodies don't run at night.

Saved emails:

There's a reason why I use GMail...

What is your room like:

Cozy. Much tidier than the previous one. However, the floor is a bit slanted and it can get unbearably warm if I switch on the heater...

What's right beside you:

All the typical student's table paraphernalia. Plus Aqtawar's neoplasia note,iPhone,a mineral bottle, and the blardy heater.

What is the last thing u ate:

The blood clot inducing Mosque Kitchen's biryani.

 

Ever had...chicken pox...:

Thank God I'm immune to it now!

Sore throat:

Duh!

Broken nose:

Living up to the status of being the most passive person in the country which can easily translate that I've never been involved in anything physical,nope.It's fine and intact.Not too aquiline either.

Do you believe in love at first sight :

Oh hell yeah!

Like picnic :

The last time when I went for a picnic was nine years ago.I'd love too though.Frolicking at Meadows on Sunday morning could be a good start.

 

Who was/were...the last person you danced with :

Aqtawar who had the sudden impulse to teach us tango.

Last made you smile :

Uhm,my flatmate's girlfriend?

Last you last yelled at :

Yelled for help in resuscitation workshop two hours ago.

Today...did you talk to someone you like :

Yeah!

Kissed anyone :

Hurm,the mannequin (spelt mannekin at the hospital. Scottish spelling I guess...) which I had to give CPR to.

Get sick :

Perfectly healthy.Alhamdulillah.

 

Talk to an ex :

Whaddaya mean??

Miss someone :

My parents,Adik, and my dearest friends.

Who do you really hate :

This random guy who cursed me in thick Scottish accent. Quite a long list I have here. I know I know. Hating people is a big no-no. Peace not war.

Do you like you hand-writing : 

I can only please myself with my handwriting.

Are your toe nails painted :

Not a Goth.

What color shirt are you wearing now : 

Back to Black. Kinnae contradicting the previous statement I made...

 

 

Are you a friendly person :  

Very much depending on who I'm with...

Do you have any pets :

Used to. I've got a draft to be finished though. Oh wait, that's my pet project!

Do you sleep with the tv/laptop on :

Nope. No way. Afiq's gonna kill me. He's the future Green Party president.

What are you doing right now :

I don't have to state the obvious do I?

Can you handle the truth :

I can't be bovvered!

Are you closer to your mother or father :

Both.

Do you eat healthily :

Have to especially when Aqtawar is around. But I do binge on really unhealthy stuff like Irn Bru, Mosque Kitchen stuff, and Ben and Jerry's occasionally. I'm not figure conscious or anyhting...

 

 

Do you still have pictures of you and your ex :

Ex-schoolmates and ex-collegemates? Yes.

If you're having a bad day,who are you most likely to go to :

Myself.

Are you loud or quiet most of the time :

Again, depending on the situation.

Are you confident :

Yes if I don't have to. No if I desperately need it.

 

 

5 things I was doing 10 years ago:

 

1) Was in Standard 4 after flunking PTS with flying colours.

2) The grand sweep at the end of the year.

3) Really interesting experiments with beansprouts.

4) Getting circumcised

5) I can't think of anything memorable anymore....

 

 

5 things I would do if I am a billionaire:

1. Travel the world.

2. Splurge on worldly trappings.

3. Spend some on the development of medicine and make it available for deprived states. chewah!

4. Set up a business.

5. Establish a foundation.

 

 

5 of my bad habits

1. Procrastination

2. Gossiping

3. Procrastination

4. Complacency

5. Procrastination

 

 

5 places I've lived/living:

1. Pekan

2. Jelebu

3. ASiS,KL

4. KYUEM,Lembah Beringin

5. West Nicolson Street...

 

 

5 people I tagged:

1. Fiqry

2. Hajar Jojo

3. Anwar (For God's sake,enough with cryptic posts!)

4. Warwern and Farah (am considering them as one entity for no obvious reasons)

5. Anyone who's reading this and has a blog.

Snippets Vol. 1

Yes,it's one of the rare days that lecture ends before 10 in the morning and students are then left to their devices in filling in the time before tomorrow's lectures. You can go to the library, do groceries, or work out at the gym. I choose to return to the comfort of my room, away from the frenetic and soggy rush downstairs (it's drizzling out there!)

A lot and not much has happened since I last posted, depending on how I want to look at it. Exam is less than a month away and I am now overwhelmed with unfinished revision. It's crystal clear that I've been left bajillion miles behind judging from the little sense that I can draw on the online academic discussions. Yes, they tend to stray off tangent but that is not an excuse for my lack of even the most fundamental of knowledge. In every sense, I've been adequately inept.

So, recap. Last weekend saw me travelling 7 hours in a cramped bus to Nottingham. While the journey was as uninteresting as the annual health report of the geriatrics in Scotland, the event itself was amazing. Nothing beats seeing Fiqry paving ways to become somebody really important in the future or gossiping with Tyra and the gang or catching up with the boys or gaping in awe at Bazli's ability to dispense lurid jokes. Even the so-so Malaysian food was enough to quench a certain craving. Indeed the trip wasn't really to see people getting sweaty and all in action but merely a catalyst to rewire some (not so) long-lost connections. I also found out that R&R food in the UK is bloody expensive!

Last Tuesday (or was it Wednesday?) saw my first participation in a public demonstration. The Israeli Ambassador desecrated the ground by coming and giving lecture at the university and we were there to express our disgust and contempt at Israel continuous violations of the human rights. Most interestingly and rather (un)fortunately, the non-Muslim Caucasian helm Palestinian Solidarity Society and they are more semangat-ed in showing defiance against Israel occupation of Palestine. I was rather slighted and taken aback to see less Muslims at the demo. This is actually reflected at a larger scale. Muslims are not united enough to stand against the notoriety of the Zionists which is very embarrassing. The lecture was a failure.Most attendees were there to grill the ambassador and dissent with whatever justification he was making. As of now, I'm abstaining myself from venturing into Starbucks... which is kinda difficult but with so many substitutes present, I should not be able to find an excuse.

I was down with fever on Friday. Had a microbiology practical on Wednesday so I might have caught some bugs then. Or maybe I got them from Ilinda. Or Millie. LOL. I had a really dormant weekend as a result.

A 2000-word essay to be done with plenty of references are expected. I'm so glad that tutorial with the intimidating GP is over but I dread the way he's gonna mark my essay. Off to work now!

Just pluck it!

Maybe we shouldn't blame C entirely for his over-enthusiasm and almost paternalistic approach to the weekly session. A reason why he might not be at fault is he's always the first person to project ideas. But he should leave a space for others to contribute and doesn't purge everything out himself. To buzz off the temptation to share everything from his tens of pages of information might be hard though.

We should all pluck the fruit of courage. Or C can share his with us.

Meanwhile, I was chocked on the very fruit today, resulting in a very diminutive role in the group. To make myself feel better, I'd say that everyone seems to get the same information from the same source so there's not much point of echoing others' findings. Ah, whuttahell!

Notts,here mecomes!

It's Bond. James Bond.

In 2008, Bond:

1) Can smash into glasses but emerges unscathed.
2) Bumps, jumps, falls at various places and through many surfaces without fracturing a bone.
3) Doesn't get laid with the primary Bond girl.
4) Dumps a friend (literally!)
5) Owns a phone camera that can zoom in a million times.
6) Has the super cool computer used in CSI:Miami installed in his boss' office
7) Walks through fire without getting an iota of burn marks.
8) Doesn't die of suffocation by smoke.
9) Manages to drive out of the mess with a sleek Ford SUV which appears to materialize from thin air considering that the place he has last been to is blown to pieces...
10) Has Alicia Keys singing the theme song.

Loads of action but the storyline is kinda inept. Surprising coz it's written by Paul (?) Peter (?) Haggis who gave us, not the haggis, but the strangely beautiful Crash.

Anyways,had a long chat under the streetlamp with Wawan and Jal. Somehow, the literature stuff that we learned at school crept its way into our conversation. We compared personal favourites and dissed certain works which we thought were too boring to suffer. Remember 'Of Bunga Telur and Bally Shoes'? Or does Sehijau Warna Daun toll any bells? Can you recall the romantic prose of Sonnet 18 or the bleak atmosphere in There Has Been a Death in the Opposite House? Or how madly boring most of the Malay novels were? Funny that we actually talked about all those stuff. Wawan commented that the Ministry had succeeded in ingraining, however slightest, a sense of appreciation for literary works.

The world is waiting with bated breaths. Whoever wins is gonna shift us to a new direction. That's for certain.

I Wanna Eat You!

I'm feeling particularly snackish now. Went down Royal Mile with Aqtar and Afiq. Aqtar purchased a keyboard which everyone was excited about. Me? I'm tone deaf so I'm not even slightly aroused. We'll see how it goes down the road. Maybe I'll unearth some talents long hidden from the privy eyes of the world. Ah crap! I know I'm just hopeless when it comes to hand-eye-foot coordination. That's why I'm never good at any sports that I play. Which in turns makes me one of the most passive persons in the country.

Practical was cancelled today so there's no 'I see dead people' moment today. I've sighed in relief but I have to bear in mind that they're gonna reschedule it. Am crossing my fingers that they won't do it on Wednesday afternoon because that's when I wanna go see 007. Wanted to utilise the time by exploring Pharmacology in details but thought better of it and joined the entourage to Royal Mile instead.

The shop that we went was located near to Adam Smith's birthplace. For the uninitiated, he's the bloke who came up with the idea of free market system. Which pretty much shapes the capitalist's ideology. He's also the one who postulated the idea of division of labour. Ah, the joy of learning AS Economics!

Anyways, I'm feeling snackish. It's great of I have something to nibble on, which I lack at the moment.

I'm going through an indecisive phase. Went to Farmfoods and had my paws all over Cadbury chocolate variants. A packet of Mars bars. Aero chocolate bar which commercial still baffles me. In the end, I bought nothing. Which is kinda depressing. Because I'm feeling snackish.

I though I'd heard it right but apparently I was wrong. Justin's birthday was yesterday. Not today.

Guy Fawkes' Day in two day's time. Hopefully, I can catch whatever fireworks display they're gonna have on Arthur's Seat from my room window. Who in the right mind wants to climb the hill at night and in possibly subzero condition?

Ah,all the thoughts make me feel even more snackish!

Outta the freezer??

It's ironic to think that how people (read:contemporaries @ old acquaintances) staunchly believe that Edinburgh is one of the coldest places in the UK and how hard they're trying to avoid coming here because of this belief yet the place isn't snowing yet. Not a single flake. Even London which seems a million miles away from here has started snowing...It hasn't even dipped below 0.

Please discard the preconceived notion that Edinburgh is THAT cold. It's not, methinks.

Oh oh oh,had formative this morning. Do-able but I know I really screwed it up. Big time. I'm still trying to seek solace in the fact that it's not counted to the final mark. Note that the operative word used is try...

Nosferatu hasn't aged too gracefully. I wasn't terrified of the long-fingered, pointed-eared vampyre (their spelling) but rather how old the movie was. I bet everyone in the production has long been gone. It's 86 years old! Even older than my Gran!

I laughed, I cried...

I'm too lazy to walk out of my house to search for food. Not especially when it's raining like mad and wind whose force could blow-people-off-the-street-hence-flying-without-the-aid-of-an-umbrella into oblivion raging out there. And the TwF report really is bogging me down. Not to mention loads of indecipherable complexity of Pharmacokinetics and Intercellular Signalling to cover before next Tuesday.Gah,the Strand 2 stuff too which I obligingly avoid like a plague...

Somebody put the link on eemec discussion board. I found it supercalifragilistic-ally hilarious to the point that I could hardly breathe! It's laced with so many inside jokes particularly about my PBL group (more about a certain personality there really). Be forewarned though that it's not for anyone who's easily offended, a saint, a minor, or a sick person contemplating on a visit to a doctor.

Click here

The 'I wanna do the spreadsheet' simply is a gem!

Most wanted!

Alhamdulillah,it finally arrived.

Ah,the joy of spending!

Focused,functional,and fun!

Today,we mimicked people's accent.The Ludwig's one was hilariously unforgettable.Anya's French imitation was also superb.So did Callum's American conviction.

But one thing I can't drive out from my mind is how Freddie tried to wipe off the writings on the whiteboard.Primitive I must say.But it worked.

Role playing is next.Wonder what Josef-Sizi-whotshisname-lagi would think of us once the baton is passed to him...

P.S:Kudos to Ilinda for inspiring me in giving the title.

End Game??

Drained.That's what happened to my ideas. I've got things to share but I've not the will nor the skill to do so. This might be the end...

I really salute those who have the energy, time and most important of all, resources that appear inexhaustable to do the updating daily.

Maybe my life's plauged by monotony.

I can only offer you morsels...

Anyone's planning to do medic,please reconsider.It'll be soon before long that this blog get a fair share of neglect.

1. Damn you,HBoS!Damn you!

2. I'm gonna sign up for gym membership once I get my card back (which,I think,will take forever). Wednesday is the Sports Day for the students at the Uni. Many turn up in appropriate gears at lectures on Wednesday mornings. And they'll party harder in the evening.

3. I'm gonna hunt for the White Tiger, recently crowned with the title of Booker Prize Winner. The excerpts make the novel seem promising.

4. I hate Tuesdays and Fridays. Strand 2 and long hours at school. It couldn't get any worse.

5. My form of entertainment nowadays is Hell in a Cell match. Good stuff I found on YouTube.

6. Went to see my DoS. The hospital where she's working is so picturesque. And isolated. A good setting for a mindless horror flick which relies solely on gore.

7. There's mid-season sale at numerous stores on Princes St. Very tempting but my inability to access my acount is a blithering killjoy. Bummer!

8. I've lost much of my writing skill...;-( Not that there's any to begin with...

Where have you been??

A19-A20 is the coolest PBL group on Earth. We broke the university record for turning up late at a scheduled activity. The latest, according to the GP, was 40 minutes late. We doubled it today.

As a comeuppance of sort, the GP asked us to read 7 long and monotonous articles. A minimum of one-paged summary each on two of the articles is to be circulated among members of the group. All of these are expected to be done by the next session i.e. next Friday. Typical I must say. After all, the GP received his education at Cambitch.

P.S: If I have the means, I would have transfered all my money to another bank...

Uhm....

There' still no news from the bank.A few clarifications have to be made on this issue.a)My account is basically frozen at the moment,b) Allegedly,I've done a retail fraud, c) I'll get a new bank card once everything's resolved. I'm still pissed anyways.

I went to class an hour early this morning. As usual, the Murphy's Law took hold of the rather blissful morning. The bank was opened a half hour later than its usual time on Wednesdays. I got lost in comprehending para/sympathetic nerves and the practical session in the afternoon was utterly baffling.

On the other side of the coin, I played squash for the first time in months! Now I'm contemplating to pay the absurdly expensive gym membership fee (GBP95.I can get a pair of True Religion Jeans at Harvey Nichols with that amount of money). But non-member entrance fee is also steep. 3 quids per entry. But considering that I'm not a gym junkie nor I am a sports buff, the latter option seems rather viable in terms of financial management.

I'm officially a member of a society here. Yay!

X did it again. I shouldn't have taken heart but I just couldn't bear with it any longer so I decided to step out.

A Day in Hell...

I've been robbed.Literally.Now my debit card is sitting (hopefully) forlornly under the counter of Carphone Warehouse.The nascent hope of owning my dream phone was dashed when the purchase was at its final stage.Now I have no access to my bank account,cash-strapped,and worst,I can't seem to figure out what document that I need to produce to verify the ownership of my already encashed traveller's cheques.

Blown to bits!

It really caught me off guard.Not only the communication barrier that I have to worry about but also my underperformance in the coterie!Before,I formed a presumptuous,premature hypothesis that if tested,will prove that I've made a fatal mistake.And it did.

The 'King' in the group really lived up to his moniker by mesmerizing us with the wealth of information he possessed which he happily dispensed to the group.Mr. 'Scriber' on the other hand,had two drawings of the heart in his note.I think everyone had at least two pages worth of findings for the case.Indeed I looked like a blithering idiot, staring at my legal pad which was devoid of anything interesting to share with the group mates.

It's very wrong to assume that they only spend time binging on alcohol at endless string of parties without a single care on their academic responsibilities.In fact,they are much more prepared and much more committed to their studies than I've ever imagined.As a result,my role in the team was greatly reduced to a minute one,almost muted in one corner (uhm,not literally),gaping stupidly at how smooth the ideas and knowledge flowed out of their mouths (and brains).

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!

Something's gotta change and it better starts now.

P.S:I realize that when I'm in the presence of a certain individual,my mouth will just go potty...

Empty headed...

Well,nothing much happened on the second day of Raya apart from someone getting something and a very pointless trawl in the town.But Teah's experience with my flatmates really made my day.I doubt that it's gonna be a private joke anymore due to the intolerable rate of stories transmission and propagation with adequately peppered accounts (guilty on all charges!).Anyways,it made us think too.

My debit card is next to useless without the pin number.The imminent threat of a possible pullout by Lloyds in its takeover deal of the Halifax Bank Group only makes matters worse.My hope of using iPhone was dashed by the lack of information.Heck,I couldn't even apply for the Railcard without the pin number.Please pretty please send me the details ASAP.

Strangely enough,I'm indifferent on the notion of celebrating Raya abroad.Raya delicacies are not as sorely missed as others.Even the utter lack of atmosphere doesn't cause me to flinch.I think I need a head check.

Oh yeah,it feels strange to take lunch for we have fasted for 29 days.

P.S:Thanks Jo for the virtual card you sent to my uni email address.

Post P.S:Echoing Wan,yes,the coldness is bitter.

R.a.Y.a!!

So,today's the Eid Mubarak,celebrated a day ahead of Malaysia.How does it feel,you ask?Frankly,it's all fine with me.

But I do have a fair share of consternation which transpired in the few days leading to today.It'll be blithering idiot to divulge anything here.Nor that I have any energy to do so.

PBL was fun in the beginning but I found myself frustrated over the minimal contributions I made to the group.This is particularly selfish but it seems clearer to me that our education system has failed in preparing students to think for themselves.More often than not,I fail to see the bigger picture.Aggravating this further is the difficulty in understanding their accent.

This is depressing.Anyways,

SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDILFITRI DAN MAAF ZAHIR BATIN!!

Pasca Laserquest...

Iris the EMSA President: You've got a cozy room.

Amalina the EMSA Banker: Mine is 4 times larger.

Azmi the Garnet Senior: "Nice" carpet.

Random comments on the state of my attic room after an impromptu mini EMSA meeting regarding the upcoming Hari Raya Open House.

Donna's the Best!

I should count my blessings now for getting Donna as my PBL tutor.

My PBL session was initiated not in the stuffy seminar room but a bar.While other groups tended to skip the pleasantries and dived headlong into the topic prescribed,we took the first meeting as a social call instead.Which is great coz I don't have to pore over thick and musty literature and crack my head to solve the problems given in the booklet over the weekend.

I hazarded her early in the meeting that a) I don't drink and b) I'm fasting. Illustrating how considerate she is, she quickly mentioned Ramadhan and advised me to sign up for the Islamic Society here so that I won't feel all alone on the Eidul Fitri.She even went to the extent of posing a question to everyone in my group on how they'd feel if they were to celebrate Xmas thousands of miles away from their families.

PBL had a rather pleasant start despite the fact that it's me in a corner, not engaging in the general conversation (they were talking about parties, pubs, and lagers most of the time, fields that remotely interest me).

Oh oh oh,I've got a super kiasu member which me thinks, will dominate all future discussions. The joy of having a Mr. Know-It-All on board...Nah!

Lelaki Atas

A week has passed.Some feelings have not sunken in yet.In all honesty,it's better that way.

Topman has relocated to a new premise.As far as predatory advertising is concerned,the company is very successful in transmitting the news to unsuspecting students with dough to spend by erecting a massive advert in the uni compound.Not one to be left out of the excitement,I braved the afternoon crowd at Princes Street only to discover that good bargain was indeed inexhaustable here.They're generous enough to churn out GBP10 rebate card to anyone who strayed in front of their store.And there were also crazy deals on innumerable items inside.On top of that,I also got student's price slash (15% off the total).I'm now retail therapy happy.

I'll still have GBP10 worth of rebate,obtained from an SMS.This place is good.Really good.

Stunted desire...Or,it's global warming really!

Yesterday,on my back back from the Royal Infirmary,I saw a Wira Aeroback and an Iswara. Interestingly,despite the fact that cars are relatively cheaper here (of course,they aren't taxed 300% of its original value),many opt to drive cute lil' cars. It's no-brainer for me to get a Merc or BMW if my financial standing permit but the locals appear to shy away from the luxuries.

I miss KL and all its idiosyncrasies even though I wasn't a KL-ite...

Oh,I need to get this blardy Voip Stunt working.And all the sciencey lectures start today!Gah!Gah!

A Random One...

Honestly,the ravages of being a medic have started to creep in. Down the road, I doubt that I'll be able to update the blog as regularly. And I have to refrain myself from writing too long (as if anyone has ever been bothered to read a long post). So Jo Tan, I'm sorry to disappoint you for a long account on the journey, given the current stage I'm at, is counter productive. Then again, it might be an excuse not to write long in the first place...


My first day was marred by an accident. A shaving accident to be precise. It had never occurred to me before but I was rather careless in the algid coldness of the bathroom so I lacerated the upper left corner of my lips. It's nothing serious really but the bleeding, which was close to being copious, was really irritating. I had to lie down and stem the flowing using a roll of toilet paper, all the same trying to contact Wan who, for some reasons, was unavailable. It kinda ruin my first lecture because the bleeding only properly stopped when it was about to begin. Panic must have gotten the better of me so I forgot to get a Band-It to cover the cut so it was tissue all the way until the flow was finally breached. Through the lecture, I began to imagine things. Improper care of the cut left me wondering of what kind of dire sickness will I contract. Have all the virulent pathogenic microorganisms exist on this God's green Earth invaded my body? In the end, I lost much of my focus on the day's lecture.

Anyways,I'd like to share a few little things about my current whereabouts that you should know about (and perhaps clear away the misconceptions that most of you uphold)...

#1. If you think that their city is squeaky clean without rubbish littering the pavement, then you're fatally wrong! The people DO litter liberally on the street. Although it's relatively clean at touristy spots, the same can't be said to most of the avenues or pavements. So, stop condemning fellow Malaysians for being irresponsible. However, the cleaning system here is really efficient. So, most of the rubbish end up at proper places...I think this makes all the difference. Otherwise, it's just like home...

#2. High street labels like Zara, Topman, Marks and Spencer are considerably cheaper here. And it's frequented by almost everyone so you don't have to brace yourself for high class,stiff lipped treatment when entering these stores. I got a hoodie from Zara for GBP29. A good bargain methinks. Even the seniors agreed. I doubt that you'll get such item at anything below than RM200 in Malaysia. Topman gives student's discount and at some outlets, they accept your university card and you'll get student's price cut on top of the available discount, if any. A sling bag from Adidas only cost GBP17. At prevailing exchange rate, that's RM 103. The same type might cost you more than RM150 back home.

#3. You can get two tubs of Haagen Dazs ice cream for GBP5. That's roughly RM30. A tub in Malaysia costs RM28. You can get two here.

#4. Classes DO start on time. Back in KY, it's only applicable to the Foords, Mr. Vroege or Mr. Hanson. I know that Mr. Highton would start at a much later time than the slated one.

#5. Cold tap water is perfectly potable. But DO NOT drink the hot water straight from the tap as it contains dissolved materials which can be harmful. There's a reason why you get a heater in your flats/halls.

#6. Don't convert everything to RM. You'll end up buying nothing.

I think this is all for now. So much for a short post eh?

To those who are still waiting (fidgeted-ly!) for their Visa or packing up stuff coz everything's confirmed, good luck and happy flying!

Hopes and Fears.

At 9.30 tomorrow, a new door will open. Hopefully, I'll be able to embrace it fully. And make the most out of it.

7/4

Drafty.Claustrophobic.Creaking floorboards.Skylights.Almost a rotten smell about it.

It finally dawned on me that the flat I'm sharing with Martin and Justin is actually an attic.Or maybe it isn't.I'm on the fourth floor.The topmost level.And a winding spiral staircase that's bound to make people dizzy.The heater is working overtime;it's chilly outside but not as severe.Yet.Although I have to walk around the block to dispense my laundry at the laundry room which happens to be located on the ground floor but we don't have the key to the door that leads straight to the room so that we have to take the unnecessary trip,I'm thankful that Tesco is a few steps away from the door,the mosque is at my backyard, and Halal food halls scatter in the vicinity.The Med School is around the corner too.

In my flat,I'm known as Da.Firdaus proves to be pretty mouthful for Martin.In return,I find his Scottish accent unbearably difficult to decipher at times.Justin's from China but has had the privilege to study in the UK.Thus,his strong accent.That aside,they're all very nice people.

Another Iftar with the Seniors.Hopefully,Wan won't be left behind again.I really feel bad.I do.Even though he slept through Iftar...

Testing...Testing...1,2,3!

Connected.Finally!

It's 5 and very blustery outdoor.

I'm spent.Like hell.

P.S:I.Heart.This.Place!!

Get Set.Ready.Go!!

16th September.

An important date indeed. Will there be a titanic shift in the way the country is managed? Looking at the current situation, I doubt that it's gonna happen. But the future is bleaker still. The collapse of Merrill Lynch (I still remember gawking at its office in Singapore which seemed so high and mighty) and Lehman Brothers could only spell financial uncertainties. The backlash can be felt the whole world over but I pray hard that the economic health isn't suddenly going to plunge to a critical level. Well, it will certainly take a dive but hopefully, it doesn't come crashing coz in many ways, this can affect us as students.

Speaking of money, Wan and I collected our stipend which is meant to last for 6 months. The amount = plenty. But given my confirmed prognosis as a compulsive shopper and a reckless traveller, I'm not sure that I'll have much left by the end of the period.

16th September.

An important date indeed. Oh Allah, give Wan an easy passage to obtaining his Visa. If he gets it today, we'll leave for Edinburgh later tonight. If he doesn't, we're gonna delay our departure. I think the uni will understand. It's not our fault but the Visa people's. The pointing fingers game is officially open...

On a related tangent, Monday saw me scrambling from a place to another, arguing with the guard at the embassy, getting testy with the difficult receptionist, plagiarizing other sponsor's letter to urge them to expedite the process, and begging to the embassy people to let me collect the Visa with Wan loyally trailing along. Finally, I got mine which made me feel somewhat bad coz Wan still hadn't got his...

Enough with sentences that drip with drama and sarcasm.

Anyways, if all goes well, I'll leave at Hours 2340, on Wednesday the 17th (which loosely translates to today!).

Irrespective to my flying out later tonight or not, I would like to


THANK

&

APOLOGIZE TO

EVERYONE WHOSE PATHS HAPPEN TO TRANSECT WITH MINE.

I'm gonna miss you all, the Malaysian rhetorical maladies, the food, the bus rides, the sun, and all the trivial stuff that makes this place really great.

This is probably the last post from here. My feelings? Chuffed, psyched, morose, nervous all form a mixed bag of emotions...

Adieu. Will update if time and circumstances permit.

16th September.

Happy Malaysia Day, fellow Malaysians!!! Let's pray for a better future...

A Bus with A View III

Fro

In the struggled sobriety of the morning, having roused from a scanty sleep, I scanned the sun-kissed valley, looking for the building that has long been a landmark of sort. Disappointingly, I couldn't locate it. Two years worth of stay didn't necessarily mark the site as a beacon...

Back

Whose funny (or rather, foolish) idea to arrange the seats in a fashion of a lounge?? Far from being comfortable, the cabin ended up imitating a stinking belly of a junk. Stuffy, sweltering, and cramped, I would have considered other options but I was too drained to think let alone acting. Ended up dozing for the major part of the journey...




Commuting by bus has been my main means of travelling since I entered ASiS. I decided against taking the train yesterday so as to pay tribute to the journeys I've taken on any number of occasions before. By bus of course.