I'm a unique guy. In good or bad way that would be up to you to judge, but I have a very different personality and I think very differently on matters concerning lives.
I have been exposed to scores of people from different backgrounds. There are a lot more I've yet to meet and yet I have so far fit none of them.
First of all, and I think I mentioned this before, I am a ridiculously un-materialistic guy.
I pay no attention to technology updates or anything pertaining to it. I show zero interest in watches, cars, smartphones, electronic devices, even fashions. I recognise no cars - I don' know how a Honda Civic looks like, honestly. I don't know how to pick a smartphone, so I go for the cheapest one and rely heavily on online reviews to pick my smartphone. I don't have a particular liking for any brands - Padini, Hush Puppies, or whatnot. I buy shirts that look nice and feel comfortable and I don't give a sh*t about what brand is it nor do I care whether that shirt could allow people to hazard a guess on my financial status. I buy shirts based on comfortability and most importantly, price. Any shirts above RM25 is out. Trousers are exceptions. I have only a few trousers so those must be good.
I don't enjoy chasing or indulging in fictional things. I enjoy watching television programmes and theatrical movies but this is because I admire the way the crews behind them brought something fictional to something so convincingly true to the point the audience can relate the emotional feelings displayed in the shows. I don't get obsessed with any characters in a movie, nor do I develop a crush on any actors/actress and begin stalking them and watch all their subsequent movies.
I don't enjoy characters of fictional creation. I enjoy stories that are fictions solely because I enjoy how the writers could beautifully deliver a masterpiece so wonderfully.
These are why I don't fit in in any groups of people.
Besides that, I have paradoxical characters.
I enjoy western programmes and like to have western way of livings, but then I prefer to speak Chinese and live in a Chinese-speaking environment.
I love to read a lot but I am only a partial nerd - I could still join people but I don't talk about things I show no interest in. I can't join complete nerds because they are hard to talk to while I don't really join those who are not nerds because, well, I am a ambivert (someone who is an introvert but also an extrovert.)
One thing growing up in a partially broken family taught me is to be fiercely independent.
I know how to make myself happy and I like doing it. There's nothing that feels better than to fight for what you want and savour the moment you get it.
I have contradictory personalities I have no idea how I fit in this modern world equation.
But one thing I do know: I enjoy being alone, but I also crave a companionship.
Monday 29 February 2016
Thursday 25 February 2016
An Assault on Media Freedom
 |
| This is what you see when you attempt to visit The Malaysian Insider in Malaysia. |
Yes, The Malaysian Insider is pro-Opposition and is known to be critical of Najib. But to block it from being accessible by Malaysians is a show that Malaysia is teetering on the brink of dictatorship, where the current regimes would not hesitate to silence those who are not in agreement with them, let alone go against them.
It's funny that MCMC finds TMI "a threat to national security". How disruptive to the national order a news portal could be? You can question its journalism ethnic, but it's incumbent upon journalists to dig and reveal while keeping their sources anonymous, as long as the facts are straight. Our governments have consistently failed to prove TMI wrong, and in turn only pathetically denied the allegations and called that a wild assault without having the balls to sue or produce evidence to counter them.
The Malaysian Insider is among the top 50 sites viewed in Malaysia. The move to block such news site reveals that the government has things to fear for and is afraid the truth would leak. This is an assault on journalism in Malaysia, and another nail to BN's fall in GE14.
Tuesday 16 February 2016
What is E1119?
A lot of people have reached my blog asking me about 1119.
Okay, here's what you need to know about 1119. I don't know much myself but I know these:
1) It's SPM English Essay graded according to British standard. If you get 2A, it means your English is equivalent to grade 2A in British O-Level English paper and you perform better than a British who got a 3C for his O-Level English in the UK. I highly doubt the 1119 grade is strictly according to British standard but that is how it is supposed to be graded and perceived.
2) Grade "6C" is the de facto "passing grade". There is no actual passing grade for 6C. G is considered as a universal failure, true, but normally people take grades higher than 6C as "pass". Most universities overseas will accept 6C as the minimum grade for their English Language Requirements. There are also a lot that don't, so it's best if you check with the university you're interested in. If you get above 6C, you're quite safe. If you get below 6C, get IELTS/TOEFL. If you get 1A, you're good. If you get 7D, you failed.
3) It's a lousy indicator of your English proficiency. Your proficiency in the English language cannot be graded solely based on your essay. Writing is only part of a language. 1119 did not assess your ability in speaking, listening and reading Enlish. You can argue that 1A is going to get your accepted to many universities in the UK, but once you get accepted, you'll suffer greatly. A more reliable English test will be IELTS or TOEFL. To be frank, I believe even MUET grades better than 1119. The only sad thing MUET is not accepted overseas is because MPM is not in any way affiliated to any organisations or parties that are from English-speaking countries, unlike 1119 which is graded by the British Council, supposedly, thus MUET lacks severe credibility as English is not even an official language in Malaysia. So don't get complacent or cocky with a 1A. It's really nothing much to worth being proud of.
4) It's possible 1119 grade is much lower than your SPM English. An A+ in SPM English but 6C in 1119? Don't worry, you're not alone. It's common.
5) Proceeding from Q4, what does that mean then? One thing you need to know is that 1119 and SPM are two entirely separate things. Each of them has no bearings on the other. 1119 will have its individual certificate which you'll get much later than your SPM certificate. 1119 grade is not an independent subject hence it does not affect the number of As you get in your SPM. In fact, as mentioned, 1119 is not even part of SPM. It simply took what was part of SPM out to be graded separately for something entirely different.
6) Is it useful? Well, it depends. Overseas universities may recognise it as a valid English proficiency test, but last I heard, you still need IELTS/TOEFL for student visa application. That being said, even if you've got 1A you may still need to sit for IELTS. You may want to inquire further information about this with the universities you wish to apply for. As for local universities, as long as you're a Malaysian, you MUST take MUET. MUET is by law a mandatory subject for all Malaysians studying in universities on Malaysian soil. Branch campus universities like Monash and Nottingham are the only ones I know that receive exceptions. Other universities, regardless of IPTA or IPTS, are all bound by the law and ergo MUET is mandatory, even if you have taken IELTS/TOEFL. So, in my opinion, 1119 is not very useful. But since it costs nothing, just keep the certificate. If you get 1A, you can flatter yourself by saying the British give you the highest possible grade they have in their system for your English.
7) It has a validity of only two years. Most universities will only accept it as a valid proficiency test within the two years of its release. It is useful if you proceed straight to the UK or any foreign universities after your SPM to undertake pre-university programmes. 1119 will be useful then. But if you take A-Levels or any other equivalent pre-university courses in Malaysia and intend to apply for foreign universities, your 1119 result may by then be invalid, as completing a pre-university course in Malaysia normally requires 2 years which would render 1119 invalid.
Feel free to ask any questions if you have any. I'll do my best to answer them.
I must also stress the facts above may no longer be correct as lots of things have changed since I sat for it. Some basic facts should remain unchanged but others may vary depending on the government's regulations.
Okay, here's what you need to know about 1119. I don't know much myself but I know these:
1) It's SPM English Essay graded according to British standard. If you get 2A, it means your English is equivalent to grade 2A in British O-Level English paper and you perform better than a British who got a 3C for his O-Level English in the UK. I highly doubt the 1119 grade is strictly according to British standard but that is how it is supposed to be graded and perceived.
2) Grade "6C" is the de facto "passing grade". There is no actual passing grade for 6C. G is considered as a universal failure, true, but normally people take grades higher than 6C as "pass". Most universities overseas will accept 6C as the minimum grade for their English Language Requirements. There are also a lot that don't, so it's best if you check with the university you're interested in. If you get above 6C, you're quite safe. If you get below 6C, get IELTS/TOEFL. If you get 1A, you're good. If you get 7D, you failed.
3) It's a lousy indicator of your English proficiency. Your proficiency in the English language cannot be graded solely based on your essay. Writing is only part of a language. 1119 did not assess your ability in speaking, listening and reading Enlish. You can argue that 1A is going to get your accepted to many universities in the UK, but once you get accepted, you'll suffer greatly. A more reliable English test will be IELTS or TOEFL. To be frank, I believe even MUET grades better than 1119. The only sad thing MUET is not accepted overseas is because MPM is not in any way affiliated to any organisations or parties that are from English-speaking countries, unlike 1119 which is graded by the British Council, supposedly, thus MUET lacks severe credibility as English is not even an official language in Malaysia. So don't get complacent or cocky with a 1A. It's really nothing much to worth being proud of.
4) It's possible 1119 grade is much lower than your SPM English. An A+ in SPM English but 6C in 1119? Don't worry, you're not alone. It's common.
5) Proceeding from Q4, what does that mean then? One thing you need to know is that 1119 and SPM are two entirely separate things. Each of them has no bearings on the other. 1119 will have its individual certificate which you'll get much later than your SPM certificate. 1119 grade is not an independent subject hence it does not affect the number of As you get in your SPM. In fact, as mentioned, 1119 is not even part of SPM. It simply took what was part of SPM out to be graded separately for something entirely different.
6) Is it useful? Well, it depends. Overseas universities may recognise it as a valid English proficiency test, but last I heard, you still need IELTS/TOEFL for student visa application. That being said, even if you've got 1A you may still need to sit for IELTS. You may want to inquire further information about this with the universities you wish to apply for. As for local universities, as long as you're a Malaysian, you MUST take MUET. MUET is by law a mandatory subject for all Malaysians studying in universities on Malaysian soil. Branch campus universities like Monash and Nottingham are the only ones I know that receive exceptions. Other universities, regardless of IPTA or IPTS, are all bound by the law and ergo MUET is mandatory, even if you have taken IELTS/TOEFL. So, in my opinion, 1119 is not very useful. But since it costs nothing, just keep the certificate. If you get 1A, you can flatter yourself by saying the British give you the highest possible grade they have in their system for your English.
7) It has a validity of only two years. Most universities will only accept it as a valid proficiency test within the two years of its release. It is useful if you proceed straight to the UK or any foreign universities after your SPM to undertake pre-university programmes. 1119 will be useful then. But if you take A-Levels or any other equivalent pre-university courses in Malaysia and intend to apply for foreign universities, your 1119 result may by then be invalid, as completing a pre-university course in Malaysia normally requires 2 years which would render 1119 invalid.
Feel free to ask any questions if you have any. I'll do my best to answer them.
I must also stress the facts above may no longer be correct as lots of things have changed since I sat for it. Some basic facts should remain unchanged but others may vary depending on the government's regulations.
Sunday 14 February 2016
Purpose of Life?
Wanna know what makes me living?Like everyone else in this world, I want to be happy doing what I like most.
But unlike many people, I do not really like to fight for what I want.
So I resort to the easiest way to gain happiness, and find a purpose in my life.
I resort to taking what most people do not want, and then I work my way to make sure I could prove to them that their choices were wrong.
In other words of saying it, I take the abandoned and transform it to something meaningful.
Taking what other people do not want means I don't have to fight for what I want.
Turning something people discard into something meaningful allows me to utilise my creativity and give me chances to innovate.
And successfully doing it and impressing people is my motivation to continue my habit.
That, my friend, is the way I live happily.
Human's Nature
My cousin has two children: one is 2-year-old and another is almost two-month-old.
Her two months old baby is adorable, though a bit plump for his age. He weighs almost 6kg, and he consumes only dairy milk. It's shocking he grow this big so fast.
The bigger one is now 11kg but the problem with him is he's way hyperactive. He eats very little but he has enough energy to wear out all adults around him. One thing he definitely is good in is his observations.
And that leads to what I notice.
I begin to notice babies who are incapable of walking, or even children under the age of 5, and those who are old enough to think independently or process the happenings around him, exhibit the basic human nature's God moulded into us when they brought us to Earth.
Look at babies - the first thing a baby does when he is brought to this world is sleeping - though undoubtedly he would first cry when he first utilises his lungs to independently gain oxygen - and continuously and unfailingly ask for love from his parents. Most babies cry very badly when they are not carried around, and most love the hugs of their parents to the point once they are separated from the warmth of another body, they would cry again as if the comfort of their lives have been forever snatched away.
Babies are a natural wonder that is the purest creation of humans. They are not smeared by the dirty politics of the society, they are not corrupted by bad characters and they are not polluted by the contamination of the environment and they certainly are not poisoned by the complicated world of the society. They have no wants for human creation - they do not crave for television programmes or technology and they have yet learnt to be picky on food and could easily get satisfied with basic milk that give sufficient nutrients for survival. They ask for nothing nature cannot provide without human interference or creation.
As they grow they learn to utilise their five senses. They explore. Some kids are ridiculously observant - they watch everything around them. And once they get hold of them, they frolic with them - and this is a manifestation of human's basic curiosity. Humans are born to be curious as this is why we have all these developments. The next thing you could see from a baby is his innovation. A simple, blunt fork may seem harmless to you, and it certainly appears useless and dull, but once a kid gets hold of it, he could play with it in any way possible and what he does with it could throw you off.
Kids can be creative. And I have always wondered where has this creativity gone too when they grow up? Why have adults lost all the creativity they have possibly shown when they were young?
Certain babies exhibit interest in certain objects they were exposed to and slowly developed to become an obsession. That probably is what will prompt them to incline to certain subjects or topics in their lives which would be the centre of their adulthood. What the kids are exposed to when they are young have considerable bearings on their future lives. Parents need to be careful with that.
I like kids a lot. They are innocent. They have not learnt to cheat, nor have they learnt to be cunning to gain what they want. They are the simplest form of humans and they have not been corrupted.
No wonder the Malay proverb says kids are like white clothes. They would turn out the way you paint them, and it is essential you paint them with proper tools, and with colour so that they shine bright and nice.
p/s I realise my English has turned from bad to worse. I've got no time to improve or maintain my English level as I do not major the language. I will strive to improve, I made that promise to myself back then and I definitely will fulfil it.
Monday 8 February 2016
Happy Chinese New Year
It's officially the year of the monkey!Wishing you guys a prosperous new year and may the monkey bring joys in your life - however annoying they can be.
祝大家新年快乐，万事如意，身体健康。希望猴年是个好的一年。祝福大家。
Wednesday 3 February 2016
STPM: You Get Your Full Result Even Though You Opt For Ulangan 3
Recently a lot of people have privately messaged me here or somewhere else to ask me whether opting for Ulangan 3 will adversely affect their applications to UPU, other universities and available scholarships out there.
The simple answer is no.
You need to realise that opting for Ulangan 3 does not mean you will not receive a physical result transcript or certificate. It also doesn't mean you will get your full result later than those who don't opt for Ulangan 3.
If you opt for Ulangan 3, your full result will be released at the same time as those who don't take Ulangan 3. The only difference is that you don't get a physical transcript. The online result could still well be used to apply for UPU, scholarships and any other universities out there.
If your result is satisfactory, the relevant universities of which you apply for may grant you a conditional offer only solely because the lack of a physical transcript poses a technical problem. Universities have policies that dictate only the authorised result transcripts of the exams they recognise can be taken as the concrete proof that you've met their requirements. Forecast results have been used for conditional offers as well, so a full result released by MPM is safe to be used.
Once you get your full result (which you'll get normally around late April), send it to them, and the conditional offer will be automatically reverted to a full offer. You won't get rejected because your final overall result could not be worse than your initial overall result (before U3) because only the best among them is picked. If your U3 result is worse than P3, P3 result is taken, and your original overall result which you get around March stays.
If you get rejected initially and your final overall result (after U3) improves, send your application again as you may have now passed their minimum threshold and thus are eligible for admission.
You should be reminded that once your final overall result is available, you should immediately send a copy of the transcript to the relevant authorities so that the scholarship/offer could be upgraded or evaluated as soon as possible. If you don't do it within the time frame they set, you risk losing everything, and it is your responsibility to ensure you heed the advice they give.
I should also emphasise that you will eventually get a physical result transcript and STPM certificate. Ulangan 3 doesn't take away your chance of getting a proof that you survive one of the scariest exams in Malaysian examinations.
For UPU applications, you need not submit your STPM result because UPU will get your results directly from MPM themselves. There are two phases: fasa 1 and fasa 2. Fasa 1 closes before your final overall result is released (after U3) so you must apply for UPU before Fasa 1 closes. Fasa 2 will be opened for those who got that U3 result to make relevant amendments if they want. Back in 2014 when I applied for it, however, you'll not be able to apply for interview-required courses in Fasa 2 (medicine, law...)
Do drop a comment if you have any other inquiries. I'll answer if I can.
The simple answer is no.
You need to realise that opting for Ulangan 3 does not mean you will not receive a physical result transcript or certificate. It also doesn't mean you will get your full result later than those who don't opt for Ulangan 3.
If you opt for Ulangan 3, your full result will be released at the same time as those who don't take Ulangan 3. The only difference is that you don't get a physical transcript. The online result could still well be used to apply for UPU, scholarships and any other universities out there.
If your result is satisfactory, the relevant universities of which you apply for may grant you a conditional offer only solely because the lack of a physical transcript poses a technical problem. Universities have policies that dictate only the authorised result transcripts of the exams they recognise can be taken as the concrete proof that you've met their requirements. Forecast results have been used for conditional offers as well, so a full result released by MPM is safe to be used.
Once you get your full result (which you'll get normally around late April), send it to them, and the conditional offer will be automatically reverted to a full offer. You won't get rejected because your final overall result could not be worse than your initial overall result (before U3) because only the best among them is picked. If your U3 result is worse than P3, P3 result is taken, and your original overall result which you get around March stays.
If you get rejected initially and your final overall result (after U3) improves, send your application again as you may have now passed their minimum threshold and thus are eligible for admission.
You should be reminded that once your final overall result is available, you should immediately send a copy of the transcript to the relevant authorities so that the scholarship/offer could be upgraded or evaluated as soon as possible. If you don't do it within the time frame they set, you risk losing everything, and it is your responsibility to ensure you heed the advice they give.
I should also emphasise that you will eventually get a physical result transcript and STPM certificate. Ulangan 3 doesn't take away your chance of getting a proof that you survive one of the scariest exams in Malaysian examinations.
For UPU applications, you need not submit your STPM result because UPU will get your results directly from MPM themselves. There are two phases: fasa 1 and fasa 2. Fasa 1 closes before your final overall result is released (after U3) so you must apply for UPU before Fasa 1 closes. Fasa 2 will be opened for those who got that U3 result to make relevant amendments if they want. Back in 2014 when I applied for it, however, you'll not be able to apply for interview-required courses in Fasa 2 (medicine, law...)
Do drop a comment if you have any other inquiries. I'll answer if I can.
Tuesday 2 February 2016
Stephen Colbert Nails Donald Trump
Saw this video on facebook. It's freaking hilarious!!
I don't know much about US politics and I could care little to follow up, but Donald Trump is a person you couldn't have missed due to his controversial and inflammatory remarks that send waves on a global level.
Trump avoided a presidential debate, and seizing his absence as a potential audience attraction, this smart late night show host decided to highlight Donald Trump's flip-flop policies and stance by creating a virtual debate between Donald and Mr. Trump.
This is brilliant! You've got to watch this!
Monday 1 February 2016
Justin Bieber - Love Yourself
I don't normally listen to Justin Bieber's song. I am a boy but I didn't jump into the bandwagon to hate him for no reason as well. I simply had no reasons to like or despise him.
But this song changes me a bit. I first listened to this song on TV and didn't realise it was Bieber's. What particularly attracted me was the two dancers in the video. My god their dances are amazing!!
And this song is nice. It has some elements of Ed Sheeran in it, and that's because he is part of the song. He co-wrote it for Bieber. And Justin Bieber sang the song nice. I've always enjoyed songs like this, and this is just another beautiful masterpiece.
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