UK leaves EU

Statistics obtained from The Daily Telepraph, UK

The verdict is out. The voice is heard. European Union officially loses one member as United Kingdom decides to exit. I don't really understand the political and economic reasons behind the referendum, but I think it's sad to see a bloc loses a member especially since it is a revered organisation. Malaysia is slightly affected. Yes, MYR plummeted but it has plunged since God knows when and under Najib's leadership it will continue to drop, so Brexit just speed it up a little and Malaysians generally will shake it off with slight indifference (how sad, that we respond to it as if it's natural). The problem now is how UK is to withdraw its membership, and whether UK can continue to stay as one. The whole of Scotland voted to stay, as opposed to England and Wales, while Northern Ireland is more evenly split. Scotland now wishes to call for an independence referendum again, while Northern Ireland raises wish to withdraw from UK and reunite with Ireland, which is a member of EU. If UK dissolves, it will be another blow. The world is already in shock, please do not give us more reasons to be shocked.

Newspaper

People ask why I like reading newspapers? Ok, why shouldn't I? I get to enrich myself with new knowledge at a price cheaper than a meal every day. I get new entertainment every day and I gain knowledge every day. I also get something to do every day instead of sitting in front of my laptop and staring at facebook waiting for updates from people I barely know. I also like reading other people's ideas in the opinion columns - reading how people establish their grounds and argue their points, and trying to discern how they persuade the readers to concur with them is fascinating and I may be able to pick some skills. But I admit I have developed an obsession for newspapers - I must read, and I feel uneased if I don't a day. I prefer printed paper than epapers, and even though I have subscribed to The Star epapers, I still feel the need to have a printed newspaper every day, so when I was in Sarawak I bought New Sarawak Tribune or The Borneo Post, depending on which day it is. My main reason of buying a newspaper is to go for its supplementary sections, or in Chinese we say 副刊, where I can read about health, arts, movies, travels and whatnot. Another reason may be just because I like to have something new every day. I just love reading newspapers, and don't ask me why. I just do.

Grammar Error in Passport?

I was in Kuching airport waiting for my flight when I got bored and perused my passport for absolutely no reason.

One sentence caught my attention "7. A Malaysian citizen who has become or holding any foreign citizenship could be revoked of his/her Malaysian citizenship."

Now, I'm not an expert in English and I have not really studied or used English for quite a while, but if I'm not mistaken, I do not think the word 'holding' is the right tense, and I think there's a missing article.

It's a complex sentence meaning it can be broken down into two simple sentences, which are: "A Malaysian citizen who has become foreign citizenship....", an "a" should be inserted become "foreign citizenship", shouldn't it?

And "A Malaysian citizen who holding any foreign citizenship...", I sincerely doubt "holding" is the appropriate word.

Any thoughts?

Back To My Comfort Zone

It has only been 24 hours since I came back and I can't really tell how different I am, here in Penang and in Sarawak.

When I'm in Penang, it feels like time really flies. I feel mobile. I feel unrestricted, free, and basically just too comfortable to move.

While I'm in Sarawak I felt that time creeps. I felt a bit claustrophobic. I felt bored. I felt lonely.

Penang is my comfort zone. There is no doubt about it. I have a car, I have everything I kept, I have people I know, I have places where I have fond memories with my friends.

In Sarawak, my hostel room is small. Thus, I felt claustrophobic.

In Sarawak, I do not have a car at my disposal. My movement is severely restrained and I felt restricted. Worse thing is Sarawak's buildings tend to be widely spaced. Security there is also very bad. I dare not walk alone, and walking is also tiring.

In Penang, I feel safe. Buildings are also more densely built and walking is possible.

If I were given a choice, I really would hesitate choose to study in Sarawak again.

I just find Penang too comfortable, I really do not ever want to leave Penang anymore.

The Conjuring 2

The first thing I wanted to do after finishing my final was playing badminton. But preoccupation to that dreadful exam distracted us and we did not make a booking, so what we did instead was to watch a movie, and it just so happened that The Conjuring 2 was released. So we opted for it, without much consideration. Partially because it is rumoured that one of my friends were so scared, his reactions towards the film would magically transform the horror movie to a comedy.

I don't care. I wanted to watch horror movies because I want to be scared, and not because I want to watch someone's hilarious reactions to it.

We bought tickets for 8.20pm yesterday at Cityone Megamall, Kuching. It was full house, expectedly, as The Conjuring is the blockbuster hit worldwide. The first film was awesome! I even rewatched it in the few hours before I went to watch the sequel.

Okay. The Conjuring 2 is itself scarier than its prequel, but it still fails to throw me off my seat and neither has it left me some permanent shadow. Sure, some scenes gave me a few scares, but that fear dissipated in less than a minute. I consider those temporary effects acceptable and favourable but hardly exciting enough to be called a genuine scare.

The storyline is great and it's exciting it takes place in London (British accents sound just....so nice, although neither of those actors are from London, and the mother and Janet are both Australians - I still can't really differentiate Australian and British accents). The intimacy between the Warrens are stronger but I wouldn't blame them. Crossing the boundaries and dealing with the paranormals ought to have brought some nasty attachments that you couldn't easily shake off, and the fear of something disastrous befalling your beloved one is indeed nightmarish.

Lorraine, as a clairvoyant, has premonitions. I wonder why the evil freaking nun would haunt her long before the case in London started, and I wonder whether that nun drew her to the case deliberately. Still, the case, based on a true story, is well-told. The suspicions on the girl is sad but it is an expected response from an atheist (I assume that psychologist is). I never thought that old man is a pawn and a victim himself. I sincerely thought he is the culprit but as it turns out he is a tool.

This movie is, in my opinion, scarier than its predecessor. The storyline grows slow but it picks up pace towards the end. I admire Janet's effort to portray two personalities in the film. I admire James Wan for successfully delivering a horror movie that has an actual storyline instead of producing films with hollow lines.

In essence, I just love the movie. I heard a spin-off that centres on the Nun will be produced. I am looking forward to it. The Conjuring 3 may be produced, but if James Wan is not directing it as rumoured, then I fear I may not watch it. The Conjuring is his creation and the sequels shall be his products, as the transfer of work will result in regrettable lose in taste.

End of Second Year

I've finished all my finals. Thank God.

Design of Steel Structure was quite a disaster. Technical subjects aren't meant to be easy and my lecturer made sure it is not made easy either. I'll just pray to get a decent result.

Topograhical Engineering was actually quite easy, but I couldn't answer questions on theories.

I just hope I can get a decent result.

IPTS, unlike IPTA, could actually dare to fail its students.

The problem with a private university, IPTS, is that lots of people enter the universities by money, not by quality. There are bounds to be people who know nothing and could not graduate eventually, or just couldn't bother to have financial restraint or consequences and they'll just fail if they think they can't do it because they have the money to fork out for a repeat.

I'm not one of them. I'm now in my second year and I've got lots of friends who failed previous papers and are now lagged behind.

I highly doubt I will be one of them but I cannot guarantee in the future.

On the bright side, I have finished my final exam. Yes baby I am a bird now set free!

Halfway down

I'm halfway to the end of my final exam.

This is the first semester in which I have four papers to sit, and the first semester (and hopefully the only) semester where all the units I'm taking has a final exam. All other semesters I would have at least a project-based units which have no major examination.

I've sat for Urban Water Resources. In generic terms, you can call it hydrology. Basically, I learn about fluid mechanics and flood estimation and modelling. It was a nightmare. So please allow me to bury my result in peace and dignity and never mention it anymore.

Engineering Mathematics 3C was the second paper I sat and it's a paper I am very confident I could ace it. In fact, because I love Maths, I aimed for a perfect score. But it's not possible so....what the hell, just gave my best and hoped for the best and yes I am sure I can score.

I'm having Design of Steel Structures on Tuesday. Civil engineering students should know this unit is downright scary.

By the way, I respect lawyers. I do not even know how to function with just an Australian Standard (supposedly a law book an engineer is to abide by when designing a building), and I really admire them being functional on so many laws.

Topograhical Engineering is my last paper, and it's on Wednesday. After that paper, I am free from this torturous journey.

And on Thursday, I am watching The Conjuring 2!

See ya!

Finishing my finals

My final exam is coming and hence I am really busy.

To be frank my life also gets more dull and repetitive because I have to constantly study.

I'll be back after my exam, but I will probably go away again because I've got a part-time job and I was informed I could be very busy.

Well, as you age, you get more responsibilities, and you have less time for yourself.

Life. This is life? Well.....Ok...