TV Programmes

I've been very busy these few days, but however busy I am, I always make time to watch some television programme.

I'm pretty sure all of you are familiar with Descendents of the Sun, the hit K-drama that has miraculously materialised on my facebook feed few weeks ago and has now taken control of my news feed. They say it's famous because the show is nice - but we all knew it's because the guy looks great and girls are swooning over him and that's how the show went viral.

Well, I haven't watched a Korean show for ages (I think the last I watched was Dream High, or whatever the name is that is about a group of aspiring singers going to a singing school), so I decided to give the show a try.

Okay, the show is nice, plot is well-written and undoubtedly the characters are good-looking. The guy is handsome, admittedly, and the lady looks awfully young for a lady in her mid-30s. Well selected, director. Good selection of actors! The show plot seems quite ordinary though the fluidity deserves praises. The cinematic effects seem exaggerated and those climaxes and suspenses about you-get-shot-and-I-save-you and you-got-kidnapped-and-I-rescue-you are overly dramatic and fictitious.

It reminds me why I often avoid Asian drama - they appeal to the viewers' fantasies by sensationalising and exaggerating events. Unlike US drama that is often educational or at least realistic, Asian drama often portrays the characters as seemingly invincible. How can Yoo Si Jin survive all those war and catastrophe? Even if he survives, how could he escape unscathed? Look at his skin - there is no damage!

Anyway the show content is fine. If the two main characters aren't this good looking I highly doubt it can garner the ratings it does now.

By the way, I just read that Step Dave, the first and only New Zealand television programme I've ever watched, is not renewed for a third season, and is cancelled for good. What a disappointment! I love the show and I really hate to see it go. Apparently New Zealanders aren't happy either. Anyway, may Dave and Cara stay happy together forever!

Restaurant Street

The once famous game, Restaurant City, made a miraculous revival on January 2016 this year, but it was plagued with multiple bugs that rendered the game literally unplayable. After a mere two months, it was taken down from Facebook for alleged copyright violations. Rumour has it that the current developer has no affiliation or association to EA, the original developer, and is running the game without prior permission. After several claimed negotiations and compromises, it's now back and renamed to Restaurant Street, running on a site independent of Facebook. I played the game back in January until it was taken down, and I just reopened it and continued my development. The old bugs are all still there. Lots of old interesting features do not make their comeback. It's disappointing. But at least I get to relive my childhood. Let's hope this current developer does actually take some effort to improve the game, instead of continuing to give excuses and demand for patience.

A little updates

My life is still as busy as expected and will get much busier soon. When you go up the ladders, you can expect more work and responsibilities and less freedom momentarily. I'll be updating my blog much less, maybe I'll totally disappear.

Sarawak's state election is due to begin soon after its state assembly dissolves on the 11th of April. There's nothing exciting about Sarawak's state election. The one people will be interested in would be GE14 where Sarawak has crucial significance in Najib's survival. 

BB1M will soon be distributed to all students in my university. This year's bookstores' promotions seem much less exciting than previous years. Popular never changes its promotion. Borders have scrapped its promotion that offers Starbucks card. MPH is the last bookstore I will spend my book vouchers at due to some undelightful experience.

It's sad that some of my friends are gonna trade BB1M for cash illegally. To me, people who do not value books are people who have wasted their lives. You don't have to love them, but you shouldn't dismiss them.

Anyway, back to being busy. See ya'll when I'm free, whenever that may be.

A little dull

My life has been a little dull recently. Nothing exciting has happened that is worth recording.

I'm now in Penang, having a short getaway from Kuching. Penang is as hot as people complain right now due to the peculiarly strong El Nino phenomenon. On the other hand, Kuching experienced rain on a daily basis.

Still no girlfriend, as expected.

Still no major breakthroughs or achievements I long for.

Goodbye.

RIP, The Malaysian Insider

Courtesy of The Malaysian Insider

It's sad that The Malaysian Insider has to cease operation due to financial constraints.

It is one of the fairest and liberal news organisations. It reports without fear or favour, and they are strictly impartial though slightly aligned to Opposition.

The Malaysian Insider is the first newspapers I read, the newspapers that caused my to fall in love in reading news. I have TMI apps at my phone and I read it the moment I opened my eye, I open it every time I feel bored. It's a much more reliable source than any other printed newspaper out there.

The closing down of The Malaysian Insider is sad. Its untimely demise is uncalled for.

The Malaysian Insider may have gone forever, but the news portal will forever be alive in our hearts.

I wish the staffs in the Malaysian Insider a happy future ahead. You guys did well and helped transformed Malaysia to some degree, and your contributions will forever be remembered.

LOL

It's very hard not to laugh.

這次罵吉大哥跑來泛舟欸不是!!跑來主持約會節目到底又會發生什麼事情呢!?( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Posted by 鬧一波大師 on Saturday, 11 July 2015

Had I Made the Right Decision?

Someone once told me studying engineering is a mistake because my talent lies somewhere else and studying engineering suppresses it. Two years ago my interest and something I have a little talent on has been eroded and gradually being erased. It terrifies me that I'm taking something I have not much interest in precedent to what I actually like simply because I am preparing myself to survive in my future competitive world.

I'm someone who has an active soul. I resist man-made stuffs and that sadly is everything engineering is about. I hate cars, I don't like smartphones nor do I like computer games. I use a computer solely for its basic functions - I don't go for the elaborate features.

I instead like exploring the world, I like to know about people's lives. If someone is willing to regale me with their life experience, I am all ears and I listen intently. I like to walk down the streets looking at everywhere from food to souvenirs.When I go somewhere I don't go for the shopping malls, man-made parks and man-made entertainment centres like casino or theme parks. I walk on the streets and I try to find the difference between that place and my home.

I like to know other people's lifestyle and I want to know different cultures. The world is a huge place and my soul is keen to leave its presence every place where it doesn't call home.

My characters and dreams is the complete opposite of what engineering could offer. Engineering is about machinery that is lifeless and devoid of variety.

There will be a time when we question the decision we made to walk the path we are walking. I merely opt for Engineering simply because I see no desirable future had I chosen my first choice. So I don't get to regret it much, I made an informed choice after serious deliberation.

The good thing is that though I don't show much interest in it, I don't reject it so it's pretty much a neutral acceptance. At least I could get by Engineering without flunking it badly. But having no interest is actually a big issue. In this competitive world, simply being good at something is not sufficient - you have to go higher and go above others and you can only do that if you have the creativity to come out with what other people can't, and that require interest which I currently lack of. This shortage of me may cost me my life in the future.

In a few years I'll question the decision I made - whether societal dictates triumphs personal interests. You could say I bow down to the former because I care more about survival in this society, but is surviving in a society without doing the things that make you happy worth it? Doesn't that reduce us to an operating system equivalent to a machinery just like what engineering is all about?

I don't know, and for now, I won't know. Until I realise the true nature of my current predicament, I can only march on in doubts, battling the paradox engineering inserts in my life.