Kelvin Kuan

Cup Overflows

2012-01-19T01:37:00.001+08:00

Look, there's always great news when God is the centre of your focus and when you decide to be faithful in the small little things. I noticed when you make decisions basing on God's ideas, somehow His blessings will flow, overflow in fact and you can't really stop it unless you do something idiotic.

With the 3 good news from the previous post,I hereby add another great blessings from the Lord God Almighty. With the imposition of a new title and position, comes greater responsibilities. I can't deny that. In fact, I'd actually want to have way tougher things to work on so that I can grow even faster. Of course, it comes with great reward as well. I'm not entirely skipping and jumping over the increment I got but it's pretty amazing how God did pretty impossible things.

Be faithful in the small little things and He will bless you with greater things. Amen!

Surprises This Year, but More to Come

2012-01-13T11:28:00.001+08:00

What a way to kick off the new year. I remember Ps Ong casting his vision especially for the young working adults for this year, and of course his sermon talking about looking ahead for a better tomorrow and leave the past behind so that God can have room to do new things. How timely.

I was really close to purchasing a Blackberry Playbook online. Been eyeing on Kevin's for the past 1 week. So so close but my parents were making a big hoo haa out of it. Then my dad made a very idiotic statement, "who knows, someone would give you a surprise and get you one for free" and I rolled my eyes.

To my God-forsaken-out-of-the-world-omg-wth surprise, I received an email the next day. "On behalf of...we would like to give you....as a reward for your hard work....". I literally read the email 10 times before I could believe my eyes.

It was a pleasant surprise and it was a very generous gesture. I'm so glad all my hard work paid off. I'm seriously telling you, working your ass off is not easy and sometimes annoying, but with these kinda reward, I think it's sort of worth it. Plus, bonus is coming out today (let's hope it will be a hefty one). And, to top that, the loan has been approved (will tell you about this in later posts).

This year will definitely be a way better year, I promise. Praise God for all He has done and I'm looking forward to what You are about to do.

Oh ya, here's what I got:

iPad 2 ya'll.

14 January 2012
And just an update, right after I posted this email, I got an email from the Human Resource saying that I've been promotednto Senior Consultant level. My target to be promoted in 1 year's time has been achieved. Praise God.

So this is the time...

2011-12-31T23:41:00.002+08:00

So it's the time of the year again, last day of the year in fact. Tomorrow, or to be more precise, 30 minutes more, will be 2012, a new year.

You're probably asking yourself, "What have I achieved this year?" I can't even answer myself that. I felt like I did a lot but it's not exactly a lot. Just in case you didn't know, I've been working my ass of this whole year even right up to New Year's Eve, yes, today. But believe it or not, I actually enjoy it - every ounce of it. If you're hanging out with me now, I would go nothing further than the working world experience than bitching about other things. But I'm not at all close to being boring yet though. (Kudos to Andy if you're reading this now)

What's there to complain? Got a plausibly amazing job compared to peers, a bunch of awesome colleagues, one special person, and a whole lot of stuff to learn in a short period of time. It's almost overwhelming. Sure, there are ups and downs but I guess that's the spice of life.

I think in 2012, I'm gonna strive to have a career that is turbocharged, a work-life balance perhaps and a whole ton of money to earn and save. Not easy to survive with the things I have committed to. You can ask me out but be prepared to be turned down if it requires a lot of money to do that. I'll let you know my crazy commitments in time to come.

Now 2011, you have been pretty good to me. I hope 2012 will be a greater year, and I believe it will. Goodbye 2011. By the way, I hope you had a fun year but let's for a more fun and fruitful year in 20 minute's time. Let me leave you with a song by Lea Michele.

Pray, Will You?

2011-12-27T01:21:00.000+08:00

Hello readers, if there's any. It's 1.13am now and I feel like typing out some thoughts before I bunk in. I know I haven't been writing to you guys for a very long time, only because I was extremely busy. So how was your Christmas? Mine was just hell a lot of TV and lying around.

There's been some mixed feelings about some stuff recently. Decisions, decisions, decisions. I don't know if they are right, but I'm happy. That's all that matters right? Right?

I think I said this before somewhere, I always forget I'm 22 years old. And my mom's constant reminder that I should get married ain't helping either. If you know me well enough, you will know the things I do are not in sync with my age, but I've always liked the fact that I'm sometimes one step or two steps or maybe just half a step ahead of my peers. And I love to be a grown up quicker than anything else. But it can be quite stressful. It's almost to the brim sometimes, but I know God is with me.

I need to pray for strength, wisdom and favor. Will you pray along with me?

Thanks.

Lunches Can Be Fabulous

2011-09-20T01:00:00.000+08:00

Recently, Andy saw my pictures folder in my phone and made a comment about my folder keeping only food photos. But I obviously won't deny it, I love food and I love keeping photos of them.

We went for lunch at Bayernhaus after seeing the promotion price for its pastas. Bet its marketing strategy was successful because we totally did not order the RM9.90 set but instead, the other tastier and more expensive food. But it's all worth it...not only because we didn't have to pay for it but because the food is good also.

I personally ordered this Salmon Steak, because I'm obviously a salmon freak, if you realized. If you see the whole arrangement of the food, it looks really simple but the salmon is so fresh and you get a whole piece of its freshness. The salad and its parsley-tossed potatoes were really tasty.

I tried Jo's Meat Loaf. Ham-cooked into bread-like loaf. It's rather normal though.

But the killer dish is this curry frankfurter ( I don't remember the name). Fries are so crispy and salty enough. Nothing beats the two long sausages covered with deliciously spicy curry-like gravy. Every bite of it gives you enough satisfaction, at least for lunch.

Who says lunch time is boring? Well, no one, but it just isn't.

This place is worth a 6/10 for sure.

Romance Is In The Air

2011-09-20T00:32:00.000+08:00

If you're wondering where to go for a date or simply looking for place to dine for good food, here's where you have to go, highly recommended for dates, though.

Cafe-Cafe is a fine dining restaurant, one of a kind by the way. When I first stepped into this place, I was thoroughly impressed with the Victorian-style setting. It's almost as if I was sitting in for a Phantom of the Opera show.

I was too busy admiring the setting and the menu, I forgot to take pictures of the full set of my menu from their Chef of the Day to its Dessert. But the food-fan I am will at least be professional enough to give you a taste of my main course.

I started off the meal with its bread and butter. You have no idea how good the butter is. Before hitting the main course, I had 6 pieces of bun. Then its Chef of the Day was its pumpkin soup but I'm never a big fan of soups, so I won't comment on that. Also, I tried the escargot. Splendid taste.

The lamb shank was simply tender to the mouth. Its mouth-watering gravy immersed into its soft meat. Flowing into its mashed potato, absorbing every drop of gravy, every bite of potato will make you forget about the amount of carbohydrate you're consuming. But I can assure you, you won't regret it.

After the heavy meat main course, the waiters brought out my choice of Strawberry Sorbet. I don't normally take Sorbet but I loved it to bits. Small but tasty.

I was already full to my nose but the waiter brought out my selection of chocolate cake. The chocolate topping wasn't too sweet but just nice enough to satisfy your sweet tooth. Plus, the carefully baked biscuit crust holding the cake added a special taste to it.

I can say everything can make the tastiest description but you will never believe it until you taste it for yourself.

Personal rating? 7/10

I didn't give another 3 marks because I haven't tried dining there with wine, so I'm keeping it for later reviews.

The Sarawak Experience

2011-08-22T16:50:00.000+08:00

The trip to Sibu wasn't that much of a bed of roses. Oh I didn't tell you about the trip? I forgot because it was so last minute. Managed to book the tickets and hotels thanks to our links with the government, obviously. That also I was sounded for not booking the front seats and executive rooms in the hotel. How in the world would I know that we're supposed to stay in high class rooms for a site visit trip?

To begin with, Sibu's airport was utterly rubbish - run down. I went, "Gawd, why is the airport so ugly?". Andy replied, "We're in Sibu, Kelvin!". I shrugged with agitation. First time being for a business site visit trip, I was dumb enough to pull off a Kelvin. It's a 3-day trip and I packed as if I was going to London for 2 weeks, not knowing that all the things I brought was of no use.

Food there was terrible because it's obviously Puasa month and we are dealing with government agencies. When they fast, we fast! All we had was some Malay food in really small cafes. Wasn't tasty at all. Well, except for the night when we went to this local Chinese restaurant. Everything was up to standard, way nicer than KL food, that's comforting.

You do know that the project that I'm dealing with is on agriculture and aquaculture industries. I can't begin to tell how I hated these two topics because I generally do not give a damn at all about what can be planted in Sarawak. I can't seem to fathom how my boss and some other colleagues can discuss over this issue as if it was a Celebrity news. Call me shallow, but I undoubtedly hate them. It's not helping when you're the photographer and you have to run around snapping photos of ugly ports, useless roads and disgusting forests. Look at me, I came back with different tones of color on my body.

Bottom line, the trip was severely boring. I do not wish to go back there again. Neither do I want to talk about agriculture and aquaculture anymore. But it was a good experience. At least I know that I have to at least bring a cap so that I won't get sunburn. My vanity level only told me to bring my shades along. Make sure you bring some SPVs and tanning lotion along.

On a brighter side, at least I got a ride on a speedboat to Sarikei.

Don't Be Deceived by Old People

2011-08-05T14:32:00.002+08:00

Getting caught up in myths and superstition is by far the most time consuming and most worthless thing ever. None of them are true. I'm a living testimony of that...not in a good way.

When I was young, like really young, I didn't really like eating, ironical, I know. So it takes me about an hour or two to finish a bowl of rice because I don't seem to chew. Plus, I eat extremely slow. Then my grandma and grandaunty use to say, "You'd better pick up your pace in eating, else, you will be very slow in earning money next time". Being the money-minded kid, I trained myself to eat really quickly, and sometimes like a snake, I just swallow.

Myth buster: Some of my colleagues take a really really long time to finish their food and I believe they didn't just start that recently. Look where they are, they are the ones earning the big bucks. As for me, all I gained was some time saving and a whole spare tire around my waist. Thanks grams!

There's also this funny thing about the way you hold your chopsticks. I always hold my chopsticks at the higher level almost to the edge. Then my relatives will say, "Wah, the way you hold your chopsticks shows that you will go overseas to study or work next time". So I happily thought it might be true.

Myth buster: I've seen way too many overseas graduates hold their chopsticks at the lower end. Look at me, I graduated from UCSI in Cheras, Malaysia and working in Malaysia too. It's either my relatives got their facts wrong or they were just sincerely bluffing me.

So, lesson learned, never listen to your old relatives about these crap because they give you false hope. Just like how they say, "It's ok, you should eat more. You're still growing". Then look at yourself in the mirror, next thing you know, you're a fat ass.

Chill Pill

2011-08-03T23:58:00.001+08:00

Tired. More like exhausted. Or is it lethargic? Past whole week has been extremely stressful and tiring for me, dealing with my all time favorite schedule. If I were to break it down by the number of things I do, they don't really look that much, but if you really do them, you'll realize how energy and time consuming they can be.

You know the feeling of being physically tired? This, though, is not as bad as being mentally tired and thank God, I have both. On one hand, I'm really glad to be able to be a part of a team of colleagues dealing with the high level and in-depth strategy thinking, which is something I truly enjoy. One another hand, when you're dealing with these smart and experienced people, I don't know about you, but I tend to be very hard on myself, like, "Kelvin, you have to be on the same level as them, or better". It bites you most when you face some bumps on the journey and some dead ends, that's when you feel useless.

But, how can I always forget that I'm only 22 years old and a fresh graduate, who humbly graduated last month. Then I have my tuition classes that suck up another part of my life. I sometimes look at some of my peers, enjoying life, and I feel envious at times. But I guess, to live up to my lifestyle at my age, I gotta do what I gotta do, since I didn't grow up in a wealthy family like some.

It's good to have high expectations for yourself, sometimes, because when you push through, you'd realize how much of things you have learned. Despite the sleepless nights and horrible pimple on your forehead.

I'd say I really enjoy this kinda stress. Because it builds me. And how do I deal with it, you ask? I'm not that greedy. All I need is a good workout, some occasional Captain America's and time to time dinner and hangout with one or two close friends. Even maggi goreng pattaya would do.

Charbroiled

2011-08-03T00:18:00.000+08:00

Food has always been a top priority sector in my life so I know what I'm talking about when it comes to it. Though, I have never really been a huge fan of burgers. All I gulp in is either Big Mac or Ramlee Burger (which by the way are some of the best burgers in town).

Believe it or not, this was my first time trying Carl's Jr, the burger chain that is deemed to be large-portion, uber tasty and something you will want to go for again and again...or at least that's what reviews say. So, I've decided to give it a go with my friends.

Luck be with us, full of wisdom, the 3 of us decided to share 2 burgers - Portobello Mushroom Burger and Western Bacon Cheeseburger. Frankly, the burgers aren't even big, just slightly more sizable than a Big Mac. Though, the cup of refillable soft drink is rather huge.

Let me begin with the Portobello Mushroom Burger. The mushrooms aren't as juicy as depicted in the picture but I understand, it's a marketing strategy. Then the beef patties were really miserable. Can I please compare this with Oldtimer from Chillis.

So I thought, maybe the Western Bacon Cheeseburger would taste nicer. Well, technically speaking, it does taste nicer but it isn't great. The cheese is almost invisible and the beef patties, once again, were not appealing at all.

Perhaps a good takeaway from this is the cute little seats they provide to their customers. Sad isn't it? The best thing about a food outlet is actually it's seating infrastructure. Let me grade Carl's Jr. with a bit more grace - 2/10.

It's just disappointing to have this quality but being charged for a price that is not worth it. Now I can strike Carl's Jr off my list. You've just lost a customer.

Of Body and America

2011-08-02T12:02:00.000+08:00

A simple, uncomplicated, yet completely satisfying plot is what all movie-goers want to see in a film. Of course there are other factors such as hot hunky or sexy bootylicious lead roles alongside some interesting sideline characters would add to the flavor. In this case, you get all of these from this Marvel-comic-turned-film film, all set to blow your mind - Captain America.

Perhaps the only superhero movie that is more realistic and believable to me, Captain America takes on a whole different tone with an interesting and easy-going plot that one does not need to crack their heads when they get home to decipher what is the literature behind the movie. Plus, a takeaway for most girls, and probably some guys, would be this scene:

Tell me you didn't scream when this happened.

I thought the script was really well written, with a good mix of proper witty punch lines and interesting dialogues. Not forgetting the mind-bogging theme song of "The Star Spangled Man" that sets a good mood despite a heavy action film. I'd say the casting was done really well, especially the all hot and dreamy Chris Evans (portrayed a serious and courageous role really well), Hayley Atwell (who plays Agent Carter, very believable as an army person) and of course Stanley Tucci whose acting was, I believe, the most impressive in the film. Other roles like Tommy Lee Jones, who by the way is utterly hilarious definitely took the film in a different dimension.

Though I sort of questioned the advancement of technology even before World War II. If they were really that advance, the technology in US now must be like way more impressive. What do you expect from a fiction?

With no qualms at all, I would watch this again if someone else asks me to and would definitely say the same thing. Hot and sexy leads, interesting plot and impressive personalities - what's there to complain? Watch it for yourself because I'm giving it a 9/10 grade.

Talk About Decisions, Huh?

2011-07-30T01:56:00.000+08:00

Parents sometimes have that teary-eye when they talk about their children - how they raised the kids, how they managed to pull through sending them to University and how happy they are now that their kids have found a good job or rich husband or something. Bottom line is, as a kid, when you see such a scene, you just feel so thankful for their nurture since young and you don't want to do anything to disappoint them.

So when my dad posted two questions to all the Leaders tonight, "Have you ever made a tough decision and how did you deal with it?" and "Have you ever made a casual decision that has caused a dramatic change thereafter?". And then my mom brought something up, saying, "the decisions that we make, sometimes, need to consider other people around us and how it affects them".

It got me thinking a little. I really think the decisions one make should only be centered upon that decision maker's benefit. But again, I don't know how true that is. I mean, if I have to consider so many people's feelings and opinions, in the end, the decision that I make isn't really my decision anymore.

You should see the look in my mom's eyes when Aunty Celia was talking about her busy preparation for Daniel's wedding. It looks as if she really wants to be the one running around organizing a wedding for her kids, which is my sister's and mine. What if I were to tell her that she only gets to run around, planning for only my sister's? It's a hypothetical question, though.

So does it mean by considering their feelings, I have to just get married because I need to satisfy their need to see their son get married? Food for thought. Enlighten me!

Not Lazy, Just Intelligent

2011-04-26T11:34:00.000+08:00

When I was having lunch yesterday, a colleague was shocked that I'm only 22 and working now as a consultant. Then he said,"Oh it's good. You're like the studios kind. When I was 22, I don't even remember what I was doing..." All I gave was a smirk and said, "You're quite right and not quite right".

Then it got me thinking. I was never the type that was studios AT ALL. I can't even finish a book, for crying out loud. I remember that my whole high school was filled with crappy talking-in-class moments. And in Uni, I cut class and give reasons like "there's no parking", never do my tutorials and of course, assignments done the day before submission. How cool is that? I guess you just have to be lazy, smartly. You know what I mean?

I was reminded of how I finished 3 essays in 45 minutes' time in high school while my teacher was busy lecturing those who didn't finish their essays. Knowing me, I will NEVER admit that I haven't finished my homework. I've always been a model student. Haha! So as she was buys scolding the rest, I was writing my essays right under my desk. By the time she finished scolding, it was the end of the class and I volunteered myself to send the books to her desk. So I conveniently slot in my book as I sent them to the staff room.

I just love these kinda thrill, of almost being caught but successfully sneaked out of it. Call me a rebel! But it's fun. You need a confident amount of skill to pull these stunts off. And when you're good enough, you can even pull this off:

Lecturer: Kelvin, why aren't you doing your tutorials?

Kelvin: I don't feel like doing it.

Lecturer: Then how are you gonna score for your exams?

Friend: But he's been getting full marks for his tests and assignments.

Lecturer: *speechless*

Though, I was pretty sure I was gonna score 100 for my Final exam. I was so sure that she purposely deducted 1 mark just to not let me get a 100.

Awesome and Counting

2011-03-16T23:35:00.000+08:00

Dear Kelvin, happy birthday to you! You're officially 22 this year, still looking young and awesome.

I can't help but to share this thought with you here. When I was younger, I never really have birthday celebrations. It was never a practice with my high school friends and church members. So it has always been a simple dinner with my parents and no gifts (or I got mine way ahead right up till year 2020).

Then came Uni years where classmates were exceptionally thoughtful, throwing celebrations that will last me for a week by different group of friends. It's thoughtful and sweet but I never really saw the need of celebrating birthdays. It's just another excuse for hanging out and do crazy things, all in the name of someone's birthday. For crying out loud, I didn't even want to celebrate my 21st birthday over-the-top-ly like any other 21s.

And here I am, past the 21 rite of passage and working already. Friends have been busy, family as usual with simple dinner, simple meetups with different individuals. It feels good. It doesn't have to be full blown. So thank you all for the thoughtful SMS, MSN messages, Whatsapp, Blackberry Messenger and also Facebook. I haven't read my Facebook messages yet. I'm waiting for the notifications on my BB to reach 200 and I'll reply one by one. Right now it's 172 and counting. Pretty vain huh? And not forgetting a simple cake cutting by my colleagues and a lunch treat by Jocelyn. Awesome day.

Well, here am I saying that I don't mind that people forget my birthday and don't celebrate it for me, which is true. I really really don't mind because it's not much of a big deal. It's very personal and it just means I'm getting older. It's normally for closed ones to celebrate with you. It matters to me that my loved ones do something special on my birthday. It doesn't have to be over the top but simple and sweet would just be good. Yes, it really really matters to me. Everyone else can forget and care less but not my loved ones. So my future partner out there, please note that when it's my birthday, you WILL have to put in some effort to do something for me.

Am I too demanding or what?

But Kelvin, stay awesome, just like what your laptop's wallpaper says!

Between The Lines

2011-02-12T23:43:00.000+08:00

It's just so very hard to tell between right or wrong on certain matters. That's if you really read between the lines. Some say "right is right, and wrong is wrong", clear cut, period. This does not even ring true when you're faced with the situation. Some people would go all the way to fulfill their dreams. Some will change themselves to adapt to situations that they originally don't put up with. While some, will just remain as who they are, and yet still be loved for who they are. So can you differentiate between the right and wrong? Highly unlikely.

Perhaps, when one goes through a series of disappointment because of another person's response, one would really doubt the ability to stay on. But if that someone decides to just put up with it even when knowing these disappointments will continue coming in the time to come, that speaks VOLUME. This is exceptionally true when it comes to someone you really pour out your heart to, and sacrificed various things, not because you have nothing else better to do but simply because you really love that someone. And from a person who loves himself more than anything else, trust me, I'm telling you the truth.

So some of you reading the above would probably just sigh, "Love is blind" and then shake your head. I tell you, love is actually not blind. It's not that you don't see the imperfections, because they clearly are evident, especially when you have went through it the umpteenth time, but you simply choose to accept the imperfections for what they are. Now, this is what I call an almost-unconditional love (I say almost because only God can give unconditional love).

Sometimes you might just sit down, or in my case, lay back and stare at the ceiling, and wonder to yourself, would this someone return with this almost-unconditional love? But because you chose to give it, I guess regardless of whether you get it back in return, does not matter anymore.

So what if it remains questionable, so what if you don't get it, hey, it's a flaw, but a beautiful flaw.

It should just be as pure as this. Call me delusional but I don't care.

Year of Toning Down, or Maybe Not

2011-01-01T22:36:00.004+08:00

Time catches up so fast that year 2010 became history yesterday. I wouldn't label it a good year or a bad year, but definitely a year with ups and downs that changed my life tremendously. I won't close it because the new chapter in the later part of the year has just begun.

Previously, I set a lot of useless resolutions, like be fitter, eat less and nonsense like that. Those things never came to past. Then again, I've always known that resolutions are made not to be fulfilled. I'd rather set goals as things come along and then make it happen.

So this year, I'm going to set another ridiculous resolution:

I shall be less diva and be on time for things

When I posted this on Facebook, people were literally shooting me down, telling me it's not possible. So I guess I shall succumb to their opinions. After all, Mel asked me not to be less diva to keep my fabulousness and the same goes for Travis, who said he disagrees with such resolutions.

But really, this year, 2011, I really want to love God more, love someone more, be less mean and be a blessing to people around me. Of course, I'd really want to jump exponentially in my newly-embarked on career, while working on pursuing further studies.

If you'd really want to know what happened to me in 2010, just go through my blog history. All important events are all penned down. 2010 has been great and I believe 2011 will be even greater, thrusting me to greater heights.

And to kick off the new year, I actually spring-cleaned my room and threw away every single thing that I deemed useless to me, even if it's a new thing. Not very wise, because you'll get scolding from your parents for throwing things away carelessly. Enjoy my new room view.

Here's to start off the new year.

English Rocks

2010-12-23T17:03:00.000+08:00

I've always wanted to go overseas to study, especially in the US. I guess we never had enough money to let me do any studies overseas, neither am I that bright to receive any sort of scholarships.

But something to be happy about. Ally told me that everyone in this company, who are not in my department, has the same set of questions when they first asked about me.

Q1: Hey, where did Kelvin come back from?
A1: Err...Nowhere? He's from Malaysia.

Q2: Huh, are you sure? How come his English is so good? It's impossible that he didn't go overseas. Which Uni did he come from?
A2: UCSI-lah

Q3: Huh, what? UCSI? UCSI's English so good wan ar?
A3: Umm, how I know? Go and ask him yourself-lah.

Hey, at least when I didn't go overseas, I still give people that perception that I came back from somewhere. Haha. Actually, there are a lot of Malaysians with superb English, some of which are even better than the British or the Americans. And I guess UCSI has to pay me royalties for bringing up its name to be known as a Uni that produces good English students, in any case, not that true.

All my friends who are awesome in their English, say yeay!

Untitled

2010-12-22T09:34:00.000+08:00

Angry, mad, frustrated, sad, depressed, anguished, heartbroken...are probably what I'm going through right now.

Why does it have to come so quickly? I was anticipating it to come in 2 years time. Are they really that sharp? I hate to admit it but is God really trying to tell me something?

I can't even sleep the whole night, feeling so heartbroken, I just feel like crying every moment I could. I kinda hate myself now.

What should I do now?

Gawd, my mind is so chaotic I don't know what to do, or what to think, or I don't know. Can I just go for a holiday? But running away isn't the best solution to it. I can't even bring myself to think of the consequences.

The questions came like sharp arrows. For every denial I made, the arrows pierced through my heart. And I hate myself for that. I shouldn't even be denying how I feel. It isn't fair to me? Nor is it to anyone.

Should I just succumb to "authority" or to really stand up for myself? Why can't I just have a fantastic Christmas and a good end to 2010?

Sigh.

True Colors

2010-12-21T10:43:00.006+08:00

Has it ever crossed your mind that sometimes people tend to put on their judging boots (as quoted from Octopus) when they look at you or knowing that you're rather different? If you haven't noticed, you must be living in your own bubble all these years.

All my 21 years, I've been putting what people want and what people think as a priority. I try to please almost everyone in my life just so that I'll be accepted in every way at all. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to think of it as making people around me happy in whatever extent I'm capable of. I have been saying YES to almost everything that people ask me to do. I accept them because I know I'm capable of doing it but when you say 10 yeses to 10 different things at the same time, you would probably sulk at the end of the day, though an awesome product would still be produced.

Then all of a sudden, you've done something and these same people start putting you under a microscope and get all judgmental. Being someone who tries to please everyone, sometimes you just feel so scared and insecure about what people think of you and how people look at you.

I have finally came to a point that I don't care about how people think of me anymore. If that's the way you want to look at me, have fun with it. I believe I am more than what you think and I don't have to prove anything because it doesn't matter who they are as long as you're just happy about things yourself. I'm not asking you to live in a bubble and disregard the world, but just let them be what they are and they'll soon grow out of it after your life has been a fulfilling one.

And you should think the same way too. It's not easy but I guess at the end of the day, you're in the winning position. Keep being awesome! Let me leave you with this song.

Just don't be afraid to show them your true colors.

Saying the 3 Simplest Words

2010-12-21T00:59:00.000+08:00

Something that I always say, "Isn't love about accepting someone for who they are and their imperfections?" But in most cases, it's hard to accept such a simple fact.

I was watching a stage play in KLPac just now and it was a simple message, brought out through a dark comedy approach. You can read about the synopsis and know the storyline a little more.

When I was first went in, I was expecting an awfully sweet and over-the-top love sensation but the whole play proved me wrong. It spoke about what love is all about. When Kevin (Malik Taufiq) knew that Blake (Will Quah) might actually have HIV positive, he freaked out and thought to himself that he might not be able to accept the fact. I really buy in to the idea when Blake asked him, "Do you still love me?" and said that he could at least whisper it to his ears or he doesn't even need to mean it but to just say it and Kevin couldn't. In the later part of the play, where he finally got to know Blake was taken by the "octopus", he finally expressed his feelings towards Blake from deep down and within. I'd say Andy (Nandang Abdul Rahman) and Max's (Jack Lua) roles play an important role leading to the ultimate climax because they were the ones who didn't appreciate one another and broke up because of their "problems", which is symbolized by the HIV positive illness.

Despite the fact that it was a queer-oriented stage play, I believe it speaks to everyone. People should really learn how to just say simple things, mean it and appreciate the person they love for who they are, simply because it was the same imperfection that you fell in love with back then. I'm not condoning that you overkill the words "I Love You" but really, if you actually love the person that you love, these 3 simple words aren't even hard to be uttered and it should come almost second nature. And I still believe in this.

The play was humorous as a whole, with funny moments inclusive of queer jokes that everyone could appreciate but it also brings out the dark elements. Perhaps the most intriguing scene would be the scene of Telegram Mail Boy ala Death Messenger (Edmund Wong) and Kevin, after he found out that Blake was taken away. The scene was so intense that I felt like they were literally looking into my eyes, speaking to me. It was so mind-boggling and thought-provoking that it made me think...a lot...to myself. At one point, I don't even think the "Death Messenger" was bad at all. His role was to remind and to warn this young couple, which symbolizes us, most of the time, to not repeat mistakes of older people have made (this doesn't only apply to live life only.

Overall, it was a pretty good play, that creates awareness, not only to a certain group of people, but everyone for that matter, just to hold on to love and not giving up just because of imperfections. The play was controversial, bringing up issues that I believe the society has to be aware of, but not being well educated enough. One thing though, I think they overemphasized the "f*** you" phrase, in almost every sentence. Amidst all humor, intense shouting and not-very-clear monologue, this is a play that people should take some time to watch and do some thinking to themselves.

All these for a wonderful night. Can't ask for anything more.

Half Past Six

2010-12-20T10:03:00.000+08:00

I constantly tell people that I enjoy my work so much, which is true, but some people might think I'm just having another gush of fresh air and I'll probably hate it in months to come. This, I do not know. It might be true but how can I predict the future right? And they judge me on the basis of me being a gung-ho advocate of the arts and now I don't seem to talk about it anymore...NOT true.

Let me draw your attention "This Is Not Luck" and you'll know why I haven't been talking about it.

I guess not talking about something doesn't mean I'm not interested in it anymore. It just becomes a silent dream after knowing what is to happen. But I'm still as passionate about it as ever. When I watch a movie, stage play or a musical, I would still imagine myself playing the various roles on screen and stage and put in my 2 cents on how I would actually play the role, if I were to be there.

But passion aside, I still put in some hope that one day I'll still make it in the industry. All I need is an opportunity and at the right timing. More importantly, I need God's favor.

Isn't it wonderful to just see a poster or flyer of a play with "Kelvin Kuan" printed in the "Starring" column. Oh I wish that day is today.

Personality Disorder

2010-12-16T11:30:00.000+08:00

Just take a look at the people around you. I believe they look extremely different from one another, well unless they're twins, but even twins have their own idiosyncrasies that differ themselves from one another. Quoting Mala, she said that the way you see a person's look is how that person's personality is. Say for instance, if this particular person looks pleasant, it is only right that that person is pleasant in nature.

But in my case, I really don't understand how this statement works. Wherever I go, I seem to be giving different thoughts to people about how my personality is, just because of my face? To some, I look extremely exuberant, hyped up and overly positive person because I smile the crap out of people. I remember someone asking me if I ever feel tired of smiling. Of course not. It's not like I had botox or something that when I smile my face sticks to an edge or something. It's just me and I'm glad I smile so much.

While to some, my personality is an outburst of fame-seeking chap. Then again, I really really didn't ask for it. It just comes naturally. *Okay I know all of you wants to come and beat me up already*

Then to some, I'm just a weak and helpless son. I remember once during a meeting in school, I kinda screwed up a part of an event and was confronted in the board meeting. I just explained myself and got over it. But to my head prefect, he thought I was going to cry and said sorry after that. Yesterday, when Jo teased me for taking 1 week leave after working for 1 month, Kishen asked her not to saying that I came in with big smiles but now so stressed up. Honestly, I'm the last person on earth that would probably cry over what people say because I don't give a damn if I don't think I'm in the wrong (I said I don't think, so it's a mind over matter for me).

So, really, if your looks show what is your personality, then I guess I have personality disorder.

Is that a good thing? I mean it shows that I can act out so many different kinds of expressions effortlessly right since it's almost second nature to me.

It's probably bad because different people will think I'm a hypocrite because my "shown-personality" differs from one group to another without me even knowing it because obviously it's beyond my control.

So tell me what you think!

What's Happening on Christmas Day Again?

2010-12-09T14:24:00.000+08:00

What kind of question is this? You mean you don't know what's happening on the 25th of December? Let me draw your attention to the most exciting event of the year that I don't think anyone should miss it...at any cost.

PRESENTING.....

Yes, come and join Metro Tabernacle as we celebrate Christmas with an 80-member choir singing to you a choral that rejoices in the miracle of Jesus' birth.

In a spectacular interweaving of song-multimedia-dance, it's truly an integration of art perfection blowing your minds away with the miraculous story of Mary and Joseph, their journey to Bethlehem and a glorious celebration of joy to the world.

Just in case you haven't been paying attention to whatever I said in the above, this spectacular event will take place on 25th of December...wait...to top this up, we actually have 2 days of performance.

18th December 2010: 7.30pm

25th December 2010: 10.00am

Venue: Of course in the one and only Metro Tabernacle, Wisma Philomath

For more details, visit the Facebook page and be entertained by videos, sketches and random chat by our people. Here's a snapshot of how grand a team is our team.

You'd better not miss this, you know why? Because apart from the miraculous story and meaningful message of this grand production, I'm singing in the choir, so that's something you don't want to miss.

See ya there.

Christmas Did Not Come Early...

2010-12-09T12:47:00.001+08:00

...because I'm still waiting for my Christmas present. It doesn't have to be expensive, it doesn't have to be grand, and it doesn't even have to be over the top but this is so not Kelvin right?

I'm serious.

Sometimes, the simplest of gift will make your day. And I think if you actually get it from someone special, even if the person gives you a Mentos, you will feel like it's the best gift in the world.

Well, I'm not the biggest fan of teddy bears with sweets beneath but it's a simple and nice gift I'm telling you. And if you know it is chosen with care, you would actually appreciate it very much.

Merry Christmas.

Nobody's Singing to Me

2010-11-25T10:39:00.000+08:00

You know what they always say? It's even in the Bible. "What you sow, you shall reap" is the phrase that is kinda stuck in my head right now. Or probably I'm thinking a little too much but I really think it's getting to me.

Sometimes I feel like I'm such an idiot for not understanding the ways of myself because it's so me but it's so unacceptable to me. Dilemma strikes every day but to take a step back and think to myself that, "Hey, this is so you, why the hell are you reacting this way?", it kinda leaves me puzzled. Should I just drop it or continue to sulk in misery? But you can't deny your own feelings right?

If you're seeing a mirror of yourself and you actually feel bad about it, that is not good at all. Kelvin Kuan, you have to drop out of it, regain yourself and BE yourself and bring back the game on!

I can't help but to wonder how long I can stand being myself again before I fall back into the mirror image misery.

Now, let me leave you with one song that's playing in my head right now.

Bye Bye, Bye Bye, Bye Bye...

2010-11-09T14:20:00.000+08:00

If you've followed my blog closely, you'd know that apart from wanting to be a celebrity so much, I also enjoy teaching a lot. Having my tuition job since 3 years ago made me learn and grew a lot as a person. I have 6 kids to take care of, not only their studies, but also their growing development.

Despite working, I can't leave them all of a sudden because most of them are having their major exams this year. So it's kinda like hectic for me to rush from work after 6 to quickly go and teach, and sometimes I have 2 sessions and I end up reaching home at 11 at night for dinner. The only thing I wanted to do was to sleep after that. And this is almost every day except for Wednesday. Sometimes, I even have to teach on a Sunday. Just a side note, I haven't even been watching TV, which was something I couldn't live without back then.

Anyway, if I want to perform in my job, I knew I needed to cut down on my tuitions so that I don't have to rush in and out all the time. You would think that it's a big waste because teaching tuition is so lucrative, I don't want to let it go but more so, I really like teaching this bunch of monkeys. One of the biggest achievement being a teacher is not to see that they score A in all their exams (though that would be great too) but more like you want to see them grow in some way or another to become a better person after what you've imparted to them.

I just let go of my Standard 6 student whom I've taught for 3 years. I only told him and the parents that I won't be teaching him anymore on the last day itself. But of course, I planned everything nicely so that I won't leave them hanging. I passed him to my sister to continue teaching him. But on the last day itself, it was pretty sad because I can't believe I'm no longer going to teach him. I've seen him grow so much in terms of studies and as a child growing up.

It's hard to say goodbye after the 1 and half hours but I guess I had to. The mum even asked me to pop by once awhile to talk with him or bring him out for some eating sessions. I still can't believe it's already 3 years. My Form 5 student will also be stopping with me soon after 3 years. I feel pretty heavy when I think of that but to think that I have to rush back from work and teach till the next morning gave me no choice but to let go.

I hope I impacted this student's life in one way or another and hope that he remembers everything that I have told him about being a good student. I pray that he'll grow well and learn the ways of life the good way and be successful one day and then remember that he had a tuition teacher who has affected him somehow, made him who he will be in the future. All the best Shao Hong.

It's Definitely a Career, I'd Say

2010-11-09T12:56:00.000+08:00

In my previous post, I was just briefly mentioning and describing my current job. Let me rephrase, I don't think it's a job, but I'd like to think of it as a career.

Working here is a jump in my life. I'd never see myself working in this sort of environment but here I am, every single day looking forward to go to work.

Even just as an intern, I was given the chance to do many things. Some may find it insignificant or just more unnecessary work but to me, I find it really significant. The fact that I've put my dream of entering the arts world on hold, working here gave me the chance to showcase this side of me. You know I love singing, I love acting, I love media and I get to do all these things despite being in the corporate world. I was asked to host a talent competition, emcee the annual dinner, corporate video editing and also be in the planning committee for our company trip. All these for an intern who has worked for less than 1 month. But honestly, being in a CF committee has prepared me for all these things and somehow it feels really good that your talent and creativity are being appreciated.

When I first came in, I wanted to be low profile and just keep myself to my work. But I don't know why my boss is volunteering me into these things and I end up getting a lot of attention. I mean, I do enjoy it but it wasn't my intention. So, since I love doing all these things, I was very vocal about it and end up producing something nice for them because I need to at least have some standards no matter how unwilling I am...but you know I'm always willing when it comes to the arts, even if I don't sleep. All of a sudden, it's like everyone in the company knows who I am, and yet again, becoming high profile. During the company trip, many crazy things have happened and I mean, really crazy and mind blowing but I shall keep it to myself. If you're interested to know, you can ask me personally.

So after one and a half months working here as an intern, my boss asked me during the company trip if I'm interested to join the team full time. Of course I was jumping with joy, after all the effort sowing. I took some time to consider before giving him an answer though. Not that I'm playing hard to get but there are many things that I need to consider. But anyway, I'm still here so meaning I've accepted his offer and became a permanent staff without completing my internship period of 4 months. This whole thing is part of the crazy thing that happened during the company trip which I will explain even further if you ask me personally.

So here I am, working as a consultant, as a fresh graduate. I'm still quite dumb founded at how God worked when you faithfully submit to Him and surrender everything to Him. Praise God for a good new chapter in my life.

One funny note. I was talking with Ee Ling the other day and I told her I enjoy and love my job very much but she was so surprised and said, "I thought the first thing that would hit you when you first come out to work is your job but I was wrong". Do I really portray myself as someone who can't take a job seriously?

Is It Just A Job?

2010-11-09T12:35:00.000+08:00

If you have been coming to this page religiously and finding out that I haven't been updating and for some reason you're hating me for that, I humbly apologize. But I always have my reasons and you know my reasons are always reasonable.

So what's up these 2 months? I don't even know where and when to begin with. It's like a whirlwind these past 2 months and time flew so quickly I can't seem to catch up with it. Just a quick update though. My previous post, dated 2 months back says that I will start working in September. So if it's not obvious enough, I've been working for the past 2 months as an intern in RSM Strategic Business Advisors, a department under RSM that I happily and proudly mistakenly applied to and then things changed.

I've never imagined myself working in a place like this because all I wanted to do back then was to be an actor cum celebrity (don't get me wrong, I still do but read this post). I kinda always think working in the corporate world would be boring and I won't be able to accept a 9-5 routine but I had to do my internship. Little did I know that I actually love this job so much. Even just as an intern for 2 months, I learned and picked up so many things along the way in this fast-paced working environment. And, I'm not talking about auditing or tax or whatever but this is consulting. Deadlines are tight, workload is crazy but it's utterly enjoyable because I get exposed to so many different projects and they are all equally interesting.

It defies everything I thought about the corporate world. It's not a 9-5 job because my department's work time is flexible but most of the time I have to stay back later than 5pm because of the work. It's not like one of those China man firm where they deprive you of the cyberworld. This job I'm doing requires a lot of creativity and we have to be constantly connected. I'm really happy that my creative thoughts and inputs are valued here and there's space for me to explore into my own creative thinking.

My colleagues are fantastic. I find them really smart, capable and utterly funny at times where I crack up almost every day amidst the stress. Every day of my work, I'll leave the office with something exciting to bring home with. And every morning, I wake up at 6 in the morning to beat the jam of Greater KL. And if you know that Kelvin Kuan can wake up at 6am and get his butt to work, you know he's enjoying his work a lot. I can't even wake up for breakfast usually.

I remember what Pastor Bee Bee told me once. She said, "I believe no matter what you do and lay your hands on, you'll excel and do well". Now I see what she means. Thank you Lord for bringing me into this job that is hectic enough to make me feel useful but enjoyable enough for me to sustain working.

This is a gist of my working world. There's more exciting things coming your way, which I'll be updating you with soon.

This Is Not Luck...

2010-08-31T23:26:00.000+08:00

...You're obviously chosen for a reason - Kuan & Chua (2010) from the musical "Get Lifted".

So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. Galatians 5:16-18

These are the verses that made me change my mind during CPR. All these while, with all the advices people give to me and also things I discussed with my pastors, I was still very set about what I want to do. I know I want it and I seriously want to do it because it's my passion. I remember Ee Ling asking me, "What is God says no?" I remember clearly what I said, "I'm still going to do it. Period!"

But after a few months of trying and different kinds of exposures, it doesn't seem to be going anywhere. And maybe you'd say a few months aren't enough, which is true. But there is so much more to the whole thing itself which made me think. I think this CPR, which is also my last by the way, has changed the way I think of certain things. But really, if it's what my flesh wants and it's not of the Spirit, I'd might as well forget it and move on with a life that God has planned for me and excel and be great at it.

I think one of the reasons I'm not getting what I want is because I'd probably cause a lot of people to stumble when I get a tad bit of achievement from it. You know, like start stepping over people and be snobbish and all. My current diva behavior isn't helping to improve it at all. I guess I'd rather do something I dislike with God in it than doing something I love but isn't pleasing to God's eyes. Come to even think of it, if it's what God wants for me, He would obviously give me something that I will enjoy, somehow.

My mum always shares this with me and the lifegroup, "God will not give you something that you're not ready for". I think it's so true. If you can't handle RM1 million, God will definitely not give you the RM1 million. It will just kill you.

So when I finally decided to give up on this dream, or should I say, put it on a hold for the moment, then I got a call for an interview. This company that I applied for, I didn't even know about it at all and I just applied because it looked like it's something that can fulfill my internship requirements.

When I got to the interview with prayers, everything seem to be smooth and the requirements were pretty much like what I want to do. It took the manager to tell me the same string of words that I always tell my friends about the environment that I want to work in. I don't think it's mere coincidence but I think it's something God wants to tell and He knows the best for us.

To top that, the next day when I got a call to be told that I'm hired, the better news was the pay they are offering. I think it's such satisfying news for me, that rejecting the offer would be rather stupid. And then God even helped me manage my time so well that I can work and still teach tuition at the same time. Trust me, when you're faithful to Him, He'll be faithful in return...a million times more. Isn't God just too wonderful beyond comprehension?

Yes, I'll be super busy during weekdays AND weekends but if it's something that I'll probably enjoy, I don't care. Wish me luck and I'll try to blog as often.

See ya in a bit!

It's Over...or not

2010-08-31T15:49:00.000+08:00

Just when I finished CPR last weekend, it has marked my final stage of University life and a clear indication that I now officially belong to the working world...unless of course I do my masters, which would be different because people work and study masters at the same time.

Just as I was eating my instant noodles just now, I was thinking how much I would miss Uni life for certain things. Not that I'm such a hardworking person that I miss the classes. More like I miss the time when I cut class to go for movies, shopping and what nots.

And one thing that I'll miss a lot is the Christian Fellowship. I always love the people in CF. They are so fun, friendly and always doing different things and to be a part of the committee has been a wonderful journey. For all my 3 years with CF, that was what made my Uni life interesting, participating in events planning, programme planning and the fun random eat outs we had.

Some friends which I just made last semester was so dearly but after knowing them for 1 semester or so, I have to leave Uni already while they carry on their journey in Uni.

Oh well, guess I have to move on. I'm glad that at least my Uni life was pretty exciting with so many things that happened that spiced it up a little. I really thought my Uni life would be going to class and going home from class. And I really don't like UCSI but nonetheless, I still came from there. And because I studied here, this Uni ought to be awesome. Haha!

All the best my friends and fellow committee members in CF. Continue to reach out to the people in UCSI. I'm sure you guys would do well. Let's pass on this legacy!

And here's something I would miss too:

the ultimate "liong" pose...look at the girls

Angels Cover

2010-08-26T00:34:00.000+08:00

So we've been wanting to work on another song. We met up without knowing what song we should do. And suddenly the idea of doing "Angels" came about.

Seriously, we were left with about 1 hour to work on the parts and the parts were quite tricky and we only had time for 1 take. So do rate and comment for this song. You can also check out our cover on Total Eclipse of the Heart.

Hope you like it. By the way, we've been thinking of a name for our group. Any suggestions?

Total Eclipse of the Heart Cover

2010-08-19T02:22:00.000+08:00

After having a nice lunch at Homegrown Cafe, Clement, Sharon and I decided to form a singing group for Youtube. It's funny how this random thought came to us, thanks to Ivy Sam the Oprah of Malaysia, inspiring young talented people like us. Hahaha!.

Anyway, for our first song, and since we're Gleeks, we covered one of the Glee Covers, "The Total Eclipse of the Heart". We hope you'll enjoy it.

It's not perfect, with a couple of flat notes here and there but we promise we'll improve on it further.

Do watch, comment and give us your 2 cents for our own improvements. If you'd like to request a song, do let us know as well. Of course, if you like us, do share the link. We'd appreciate it very much.

Just Updates...

2010-08-19T00:20:00.000+08:00

Here are some of the small but big things that happened these few months.

Let me draw your attention to this young hunk, my homie, Travis' birthday. Three of us, Travis, Palai and I went to Spaghetti Grill for a nice dinner. The food there is pretty damn fantastic. We talked quite a bit, a lot of nonsense occasionally and then indulged in the sin of the cheese sticks. I seriously dislike cheese, but hell I took so many of it. Then, we launched into a full swing of camwhoring. Haha. Anyway, my boy is still single and available and he's absolutely young. If you girls are interested in him, his number is....with me. Send in your resume to apply for a hot guy like he.

Bro, you owe me one for publicizing for you.

Next up, my sister's baptism. It's a joy seeing my sister grow in the Lord and eventually take this step of obedience. I'm so proud of her. Keep up your great work! And by the way, she's already taken, so forget it guys.

It Was Done...with style and midnight oil

2010-08-18T14:22:00.000+08:00

I was so stressed up by the musical that I didn't even have time to do my thesis. And after much planning, I was pretty sure I had to finish my thesis a day or 2 before the musical ends so that I can send in for binding. But I couldn't because I seriously didn't have enough time. One lesson you kids must learn is, never begin important assignments like this when it's due in 2 week's time.

I was practically rushing the thesis but of course with care. Even before I began with my thesis, I was already thinking of how to make it look nicer, as in the arrangements and things I would want to put. My friends laughed at me because I cared about the appearance more than the contents. But why would I care about the content when I know that it's already awesome? Haha...I'm just kidding.

So anyway, I finally finished my last sentence, sent in for hard cover binding and then submitted it. Thank God everything was in time, just like all my other assignments. When I passed the book over to the office clerk, I felt like flying because it's such a huge rock off the shoulder.

Now, all I'm waiting for is VIVA. The presentation is this Saturday. Oh Lord, please help me. I'm targeting to SCORE for my Independent Project.

proud of my hard work...

And now, I'm officially FREE from any kinds of studies until whenever I plan to start studying for anything again.

Retreat at El-Sanctuary

2010-08-18T14:04:00.000+08:00

Amidst all busyness, I decided to join the Campus Action Ministry to a retreat at El-Sanctuary. It's been ages since I join a young bunch of people in my church and I was looking forward to a time of catching up and also a time of rest from all the crazy things in life.

I've never been to El-Sanctuary but I did hear of good reviews from friends and also blogs. I like doing research on places that I'm about to go, just so I know if it fits my standard. But surely, El-Sanctuary is the bomb. It is organized and run by a family. It's a very back-to-the-nature kinda place. The rooms were nice, furnished with beds and fans and also, I think the toilets look really clean and nice. It's the kind of place that I won't mind bathing for a long long time. Not forgetting, the food was nice there too. Every meal was different and they all taste fantastic.

What I really miss is the time we spent together as friends, playing mindless games, or pure talking and chatting. I was chatting with Clement in the room till 5 in the morning. It's really nice to have this kinda outing because being a city boy, I seldom talk with people in a long and personal basis all the time.

I came home quite refreshed although it was just one night. Can't wait for more of these outings and it feels good to be a part of people your age once in a while. Haha.

Get Lifted

2010-08-18T13:52:00.001+08:00

Oh yes, updates, finally. There's a reason why I haven't been blogging since the last post. Basically I was just extremely busy and exhausted to even want to think of signing in to this page. But rest assured, I'm FREE now. Anyway, the past 7 months was crazy for me because of Get Lifted, the Musical. Yes, a musical written by Adeline and I, inspired some awesome adaptations. The practices, rehearsals and the event planning things took their toll on me. I guess the real bummer only came 2 weeks before the musical when I was IN and OUT from so many places, juggling between the musical, meetings, tuitions, church practices, media announcements and also my thesis.

So, after much preparation, sweat and toil during rehearsals, the event finally took place. I almost couldn't believe myself when the event was about to begin. I literally felt like crying, but I won't because I DON'T cry. But honestly, to see it happening and all these preparations made come to live, it's overwhelming.

I guess it was a successful event, thank God. No matter how it went, I'd still say it's a successful event because all of us had put so much effort in, be it big or small, they all matter. The hall, around 7.30p.m., was filled up by the 500-people setting. We had to bring out more chairs for overflowing of guests. The logistics team were so efficient to look into this matter.

When the show was about to begin, and all the actors were backstage, we were so nervous. Rehearsals were pretty bad because we kept on forgetting our lines. Even till the day itself, somehow we lost all our words. It was really scary, to be honest. But no matter what, the show must go on, and we just came up with things on the spot when we forget, which I feel, it brings more spice to it than the original. I'm really proud of all the actors after about 7 months of training and practicing, I think it's all worth it.

As for the music, I think the musicians and singers did such a fantastic job, I feel like I was in a concert or something. These music school students are a talented bunch. We featured some of the most famous songs like, Money Money Money, Fame, Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Fried etc of which they are Broadway songs. I think the musicians did justice to it.

The whole event were filled with colors and excitement. Of course, with the help of Lam and Leslie on the lightings and also a bunch of energetic dancers who danced like never before. It's a full package. True, the sound was a little off that day but these are technical issues, which have nothing to do with the performance.

I did get great feedbacks on how good the musical was but also some negative reviews on the singing and some other issues. But hey, we ain't no Broadway performers and professionals. The fact that we students, who were never involved in a musical before, to pull off such an event on a high note, I think we deserve to give a pat on our own backs.

I really want to say a HUGE thank you to the Lord for supplying all our needs when different problems came. We braved it through with His favor. This just showed me how great my God is and in every situations, when we learn to trust in Him, He'll provide. I believe that this musical has left some kind of impact, whether big or small, in some way or another.

On a very personal note, I really love acting and directing and my heart goes all out for performing arts like this. Thank you, my awesome team of people. You guys are the best!

Greedy Passions

2010-07-08T15:35:00.000+08:00

You know, sometimes, many people try to do different things at the same time. They call these things their dreams - dream job, dream place, dream house, dream education, dream-everything. And these "dreams" tend to accumulate as time goes by, being more and more.

There are so many things one can do in the same hour. If I'm given a choice, I want more than 24 hours a day to do everything that I want to do. And I sometimes think that I'm really greedy in that sense.

If you know me well enough, you know I want to be an actor full time, but at the same time, I want a job that can sustain my current lifestyle, which brings me to wanting to take up CFA and work in a bank and climb the ladder of success. As I climb this ladder, I would like to be a star in the entertainment industry as well. Then I've recently revealed a silent dream of wanting to live in New York, which requires me to earn tonnes of money before I can do so. And if it's not bad enough, I want to learn how to dance after seeing people dance on stage yesterday. At the same time, I want to be involved actively in church, in many kinds of ministry that touches my heart...and the list goes on and on...and on.

So, all these "dreams", are they achievable in one's lifetime? Which is why I said I really want more than 24 hours a day and sleep isn't one of the agenda. People always tell me that there's only so much you can do but is it really wrong to want so many things in your lifetime. You never know when you would die, seriously. Somehow I know it's impossible, but I'm willing to take on it, as far as I could go.

But I guess no matter how willing I am, if not given an opportunity to venture, I wouldn't get it. Or maybe I'm not working hard enough. Or it's simply telling me that there's a difference between passion and practicality.

I can't help but to wonder if one can get the best of both worlds...and in my case...ten worlds and counting...

Sleeping Diagnosis

2010-07-02T00:15:00.000+08:00

I know this would sound really weird coming from a guy but I guess it wouldn't sound as weird if you know how vain I am.

This whole week has been a whirlwind, being sick and yet still had to manage many important things. And it doesn't help when your mum discovers a stone in her kidney and needs extra care. It also doesn't help when your medication has this sleep-in-5-minutes effect on you.

On the first day of my sickness, I slept almost the WHOLE day. You won't believe how magical the medicines are. And I was almost fainting from the medication while I was driving and during tuition. But bottom line is, I slept like a pig.

I forgot what it feels like to be able to sleep early. I don't remember the last time I slept at hours like 10pm. The truth is, I did. And I found out after 2 days that my eye bags became smaller and not so evident, and I came to a point where I believe my rough heels became smoother because I slept in early for this couple of days. Ignorant I know!

But I also came to believe that sleeping early can destroy someone too. Ever since I slept early, I wake up no later than 7am, not because I've already had enough sleep but because I had a lot of dreams, mindless, nonsensical dreams that I don't remember. Once I wake up, I can't sleep till I take my medicine. But Swen claims that it's an effect of switching from your abnormal sleeping time back to the normal sleeping time. We shall see if it's true.

Any thoughts?

Worship in Paradise

2010-06-26T23:53:00.000+08:00

Praise and worship is seriously something beyond human comprehension, if I may put it that way. Mark Anderson from The Paradise Band was saying at the workshop they gave to our Creative Arts and Music Ministry (CAMM), that no matter how tired you are, what you've gone through the whole week but as long as you come together as a church to praise and worship God, it's refreshing.

It's still as true as how I was taught about praise and worship. It was such a tiring day yesterday running in and out, but as they started praise and worship and when you really give it your best, I realized I wasn't tired at all after that. He only said that after praise and worship and it was really refreshing.

And it's the same for today attending The Paradise Band concert held in my own church. It was really an awesome experience because they were really GOOD. From vocals to instruments techniques, they were top notch. I can feel that the congregation of almost 1800 people were really on fire for God as they worship in a concert. How often do you get to do that right?

I felt refreshed after the concert because you're really communicating with God through your singing and it doesn't matter if your singing is good or bad. And it was great to see so many people responded. Praise God for bringing more people to paradise. More importantly, the atmosphere changed where you can feel the presence of God so strong, you don't want it to stop.

Isn't it mind blowing?

Mama's Hilarious

2010-06-23T01:27:00.000+08:00

A couple of days ago, my mom asked me to feed Jack if I'm home early. Yes, I was early but I was lazy, so I didn't prepare food for Jack to eat. And when my mom came home, I was already rushing out.

Mom: Did you feed Jack?
Me: Umm, nope I didn't.
Mom: And why is that?
Me: Ohh, I asked him and he didn't reply to me saying that he wants food.
Mom: Yeah, as if he would know how to tell you.

I laughed and I left.

Today, my parents and I went out early in the morning, separately of course. When I came home early to rest awhile before my tuition, I realized that Jack needs food. But for fun, I just text my mom.

Me: Mom, do I need to feed Jack?
After 5 minutes...
Mom: Unless he asks for it...

Man, I felt the sarcasm running through my spine, almost blushing. I can't believe she is capable of replying this way, in reply to my stupid reason for not feeding Jack. I just laughed for 2 minutes and 21 seconds after reading the message.

But I did ask Jack once again whether he wants food, and he just looked at me and walked away. So I guess he doesn't. So, I didn't feed him. I'm mean, I know.

Don't Stop Believing

2010-06-20T00:26:00.003+08:00

One can experience satisfaction even for the simplest of things. You don't necessarily need to get a jackpot to be extremely happy. It can be as simply as finding a 10 sen coin, seeing a long lost friend, or getting a teddy bear from your loved one. As for me, I feel happy and satisfied when my work is being appreciated.

I've had a really hectic schedule last 2 weeks because it was the school holidays, and I was teaching like 8 hours of tuition almost every other day, BACK TO BACK. I barely had time to rest awhile the whole week and there were other commitments and work loads to be completed. I literally had to carry my laptop and do my work while teaching tuition. Yeah, multi-tasking is my call. I've had a script to write, rehearsals to conduct, meetings to attend regarding musical, submitting forms and anything you can think of. It was 5 days of running around, and only God knows how much petrol I have used.

Then for a moment, I asked myself, "Why the hell did I get myself into all these?". It was just a thought at the spur of the moment, out of tiredom, you know.

So, I was writing this script for a CF skit based on Mary and Martha. Knowing me, I don't really like to do things as it is and therefore I try very hard to bring a different approach. I contemporarized the Mary and Martha scene, tried to add some humor and try to still keep the message behind the story. When I finished the last bit and sent it off to my stars, Adeline and Regina, I sighed relief.

We practiced, rehearsed the day before and on the day itself. I was quite stressed up because I stayed up late to finish up stuff for the musical so that I can launch the things in CF. But what lifted me up was when the skit took place, people actually got the humour and they actually liked the skit. And I had people coming up to me telling me it was a good script. And special thanks to Adeline and Regina for bringing it to live. Great acting.

Seriously, little things like this encourages me and makes me feel whatever I'm doing is worth it. So, all you have to do is press on. I shall leave you with this awesome rendition of Don't Stop Believing by Glee during Regionals. It sounds awesomer.

When In Rome

2010-06-20T00:07:00.001+08:00

So I watched When In Rome in Cherating at night when we had nothing to do. What can I say, it's a good holiday film. Read about the story here.

Kristen Bell's portrayal of the role is just as good as her voice in Gossip Girl. I think she looks marvelous. Josh Duhamel, on the other hand, only used his charm and nothing else. But really, I think their chemistry on screen would garner some favour from audiences who appreciate good looking couples on screen, no matter how horrible the script is. Well, there were some funny parts, but they only pass off as funny at the borderline.

And that's all I'm going to say, or more like, that's all I can say. You be the judge.

My rating, 2 out of 5 stars.

Killers

2010-06-19T23:52:00.001+08:00

I would watch almost anything with Katherine Heigl, not because she's super awesome in acting or extremely pretty but she just has this likable factor, somehow. You can read about the story here.

Let me begin by saying that Ashton Kutcher looks great in this show. I can almost feel that Swen was drooling when he appears. I always thought Kutcher is quite bad at acting but in this film, he appears to be pretty good, especially when he's still in his agent/killer mode.

And Katherine Heigl is as awesome in playing the same old role, single-desperate-middle-aged-unmarried woman. She's always playing these kinda roles even in The Ugly Truth. I'll just give her another thumbs-up for playing this role again perfectly.

And about the show, I thought it was seriously rubbish. I was expecting a tad bit more depth than this. The starting of it all, seeing them running around being killed got me to be a little more serious UNTIL the neighbours start to kill Kutcher. It became too kindergarten that it should be thrown into the gutter. However, some of the lines and scenes are funny, like when Heigl was in the toilet using testing whether she's pregnant or not. All her expressions there are priceless. And let's not forget the scene where she was in the lift and Kutcher started talking to her in French but actually both of them don't know the language well.

Other than that, there's nothing worth mentioning about this show. I bet the show didn't do well in box office. This show is starred by Katherine Heigl and Ashton Kutcher.

My call: 2 out of 5 stars

Spontaneous Cherating/Kemaman

2010-06-19T23:30:00.000+08:00

I was constantly praying for a vacation or some kind of retreat where I can just go there, sleep till whenever I want to wake up, eat and then sleep again. You know, these kinda holidays don't happen normally. The last trip in Bali was a hectic one, though an enjoyable one, but we had to wake up real early.

And my prayer is answered when the three of us decided to go on a short trip to Cherating out of spontaneity, like totally unplanned until the night before. We just packed and left the next morning, without booking any hotels but big mistake. It was almost a 4 hour drive and we've got no place to stay so we had to drive around looking for budget hotels.

We finally found one budget chalet and it costs us RM180 per night. Supposedly with aircond, but when we went in, I hated the place. Nothing can be worse than a room called Polo Princess. The electricity went off and I immediately suggested we get a refund because I can't stay in such a place. Sorry, I'm a spoiled city brat. But I'm willing to pay for a nice hotel since the sole reason of this trip is to rest and relax.

So we went to Kemaman instead and MintZhet's friend, Maggie (nice girl), helped us look for a nice place and we found heaven, well not literally, but it was a place worth staying in. For RM175 (note that it's RM5 cheaper than the stupid chalet), we got this:

Awesome right?

We seriously did nothing except for watching DVD on the plasma TV and go out for food. However, why go to Cherating when you're not planning to visit the beach. We'd be killed if we didn't go out and take some pictures of the beach. Here are some shots:

You know what's famous there? Keropok lekor, seafood, otak-otak and all. I had so much of all these food, I'm suffering from lock-jaw and ulcers right now. I can't open my mouth wide now, and it's torturing. Anyway, it's worth a visit if you're seriously planning to relax. And at night, you can go to the beach and get some beer while doing mindless things and then hit the mamak stall and talk about stupid stuff.

I have to say, it's 3 days of pure enjoyment.

Driving Under Rain

2010-06-10T00:17:00.001+08:00

Driving under the rain is so unproductive.

Yeah, it's like wasting a lot of your time which in many sense, it's equal to money for me.

I don't know about you but I feel totally unfruitful when I'm driving under the rain because of one simple reason - I can't speed. I normally take 15-30 minutes to reach any destination, provided there's no jam and I know the way because I speed a lot.

I don't think I have enough time to waste for driving slow. It's especially annoying when you're in a hurry and then it rains. You can't see the road and you can't go fast because cars in front of you simply slow down. And of course, how can I fail to mention that I'm driving a local car. It's not made to speed. It's just made to bring you from one point to another without you breaking your legs. And if you speed, you'd probably meet your friend, Death.

Anyway, here's what happened to me when I tried to go a tad bit faster during the rain:

Yupe, it's not just once, but twice. It was really scary because you can't steer according to the direction you want to go and it goes out of control. By God's grace, both times, there weren't cars beside or behind me or God knows where I'll be right now. But then again, I've always had near-death experiences so I'm just going to tell people, "I almost died...AGAIN".

This is why I hate driving under the rain. And as I was driving under the rain just now, I just drove on the first lane, casually and singing to Charice. And seriously, this is when I've got nothing to do, so I guess it's a good thing.

I shall pick up on speeding under the rain when I have my Mercedes or BMW, not with our Milo tin cars.

Any near death experiences on your side? Care to share?

Stealing Limelight

2010-06-06T01:46:00.001+08:00

This was something that happened on the last day of our Bali trip where we went to the beach early in the morning for some waves encounter. It was awesome, but we've got something funny captured on camera.

You know how Jason is always wanting to look cool (he's gonna kill me for saying this), so he's trying to have an awesome pose jumping up when the waves come. And with Sammi's new camera, we can capture photos on water, in water, underwater or through water.

And Sammi, who's always standing in other people's photos, totally stole the limelight. As you can see, she was behind Jason when he jumped. Just as he got higher, Sammi's face became even clearer. And when he reached the ground already, Sammi once again was better focussed. And in the last picture, you can see that Jason was gone, covered by the wave, BUT...Sammi was STILL there.

Speaking of stealing the limelight.

Jason was totally uncool about his cool photo being made cool-less. Good job Sammi. No wonder that camera belongs to her. It only focuses on its owner more.

Vacation in Indonland

2010-06-06T01:28:00.001+08:00

Some of you who have been following this almost-dead blog might know that I went to Bali at the end of April. I know it's June now but I'll jot it down here just before I forget about this trip, nonetheless. Honestly, this place is so religious and spiritual in so many sense. There are so many temples to visit but thank God, the place was scenic and picturesque. Not forgetting, we get to be millionaires in Bali. The feeling of using thousands all the time makes you feel great.

Here are some highlights of Bali, if you're interested:

Uluwatu Sunset

Here's one place where dozens of monkeys live in. You'll be forewarned before you reach, to keep your shiny belongings, bottles, all in your backpack because these monkeys have pretty good taste. We're supposed to see the sunset but as usual, we never get to see sunsets. But I really love the ocean and the hills scenes.

While we're busy taking pictures near the cliff, a monkey snatched a guy's shades and he chased the monkey right out to the cliff, pushing people around. Yes, we almost died, but it was thrilling. I love thrills. Lesson is, don't stand to near to the cliff, unless you're half as adventurous as I am. Haha.

Jimbaran Seafood

It's one of the main highlights for a Bali trip. The food wasn't much to be applauded but at least they are edible and with taste. The only better compromise is that you get to eat on the beach, accompanied by sea breeze, but not good if heavy rain is coming your way. Here's our best shot in the dark:

Barong Dance

Here's a traditional Indonesian dance/play. I don't exactly remember the story but it's about the Lion (Barong) standing for righteous fighting the evil. Wasn't paying too much attention to the whole storyline but it was entertaining. Those uncles were funny. I particularly liked the monster that has white hair. I had the urge to pull it while watching. Apparently, all these dancers will do this dance every morning just for the day. And right after that, they'll go back to their daily jobs. How dedicated!

Pacung, Ubud

After approximately 2 hours of drive, we finally reached Ubud for lunch with our butts sore. But it was worth it. We were so after the lunch time that we're the only guests at that time for a buffet lunch. The place was so cooling, almost like Genting, but with better scenery. It's so tranquil and peaceful. You have got to visit Pacung if you're at Ubud.

Kintamani

This place is the volcano area where it's uphill. I can't imagine a volcano in a cooling place. Seriously, it's so cooling, just like Cameron style. I don't mind living there, for a vacation or retreat.

Tampaksiring

Yet another spiritual place. But what's fascinating is the hot spring that comes from underground. You can literally see bubbles coming out from the ground and it is preserved. The water is really clear and there's an area for people to take a holy bath or to wash their face with this "holy" water.

Hard Rock, Bali

One of the most anticipated place in our trip. We had a buffet dinner here right after the buffet lunch at Pacung, Ubud. It's just 3 hours apart. Hard Rock is such a cool place to be in but the dinner was...

Turtle Island + Water Sports

We spent Rp. 300000 for water sports. I wish it was in RM. I gotta say, the activities were thrilling but I expected something more scary but I can make do with it because it was fun. You can imagine flying in the air while just sleeping on a boat.

Once we finish the watersports, we were brought by a boat straight to Turtle Island, without our shoes. Have you ever seen a baby turtle? It's so super adorable like the ones you see in Finding Nemo.

Don't they look alike?

Awwhh...so cute...

Our very own Tomb Raider!

Tanah Lot Sunset

Oh yes, I so want to see the temple above water. We're supposed to watch the sun set again but nope, no luck. But the ocean is just amazing. I seriously love the sound of waves. It's like you're really freed from everything. Little by little, you see the land covered by water. While we were taking pictures, we waves hitting over people standing nearer to the waves. It was so sudden and people didn't even know what happened. I think they'd be blur for at least 2 minutes after getting wet while snapping pictures. We were smart not to stand too close.

Spa

All of us decided to go for a spa treatment, especially after our stressful exams and we're on holiday now. You wouldn't want to imagine who's with who in which room together. Bear in mind, one room is for 2 persons. Now, don't imagine things people. As for the spa treatment, it was...so so. Maybe we were brought to the hotel kind of spa. They should've brought us to the places where they specialize in spa treatments.

Well, these are just highlights I think worth mentioning but they are just the tip of the iceberg. If you want to know more, you can ask anyone of us who went. You do know that tours end at night and we'll be sent back to our hotel right? And you'd probably think we'll go to sleep after a long, tired day right? Nope, we didn't. What did we do? Hmmm...we won't tell you this. Oh and there was another eventful night during the last night, in which I'm not going to pen it down because we wouldn't tell you this as well, just between the 6 of us. Guys, remember, what happens in Bali, stays in Bali.

Anyway, things to note:

1. There's nothing special about Babi Guling because they are exactly the same as roasted suckling pigs served during Chinese weddings. It tastes nice but nothing special about it. I don't know why people recommended it and say it's awesome.

2. The crispy duck also wasn't that fantastic. I'd rather eat duck rice at Sun Ming. Haha.

3. Please bring more money because you don't want to spend alot of time searching for banks or money changers.

4. Do not go for roaming for your phone, especially when it's Maxis. They charge it RM10 for 30 seconds. Some of us came back even more broke because they had to pay for telephone bill. Poor David. Make sure you tell your girlfriend to not call you at all when you're on a trip.

You guys wouldn't know how much fun we had there. Despite some crazy day AND night activities, we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. It's been awhile since I had a holiday but going for a holiday with this bunch of funny buddies definitely made the trip more memorable. Even just going through the photos in search of photos for this post, I laughed so much. Good memories are priceless. Here are some of our best group shots:

I wouldn't trade this for anything else.

For more pictures, visit:
My Facebook
Sammi's Facebook

Declaring His Glory and Power

2010-06-04T02:44:00.001+08:00

Don't you think this blog is almost dead? I'm sorry for neglecting this blog because I was really busy even after my exams last semester.

One of my hectic schedule was because of one HUGE event in Metro Tabernacle, my beloved church - Church Dedication Service, on the 31st of May. Everyone in church is somehow involved in one way or another. We can definitely say that we've put on a lot of hard work, working towards this event.

I, on the other hand, am involved in the choir presentation. We performed an SATB choral piece called "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing". If you hear one person sing, it might probably be a boring song, but when you hear the whole choir, it's a whole new different league. Putting it as an opening act definitely put stress in us because we have gotta be awesome. Even during rehearsals there were so many hiccups.

A choir of 70 choristers. If you think this is glorious, wait till you hear and see the real thing.

We practiced this piece for almost 5 months, in hope that we have perfect-everything. Surely, the guys, especially the tenor parts, had quite a lot of trouble being in the right key due to various reasons. Thank God, during the real thing, everyone was on pitch, perfectly marvelous. We made a mistake, but it wasn't important because it didn't affect the awesomeness. Truly glorious. Praise God.

There were so many other performances from different age groups and from different ministries. It's so overwhelming to see all these people coming together for one purpose - declaring God's glory and power. We worship, worship and worship till kingdom comes. It was one of our longest service, almost 4 hours.

This is the royal procession right after the opening act.

The ribbon cutting ceremony by verious VIPs.

It's such a great honour to be part of a great church, in a great building. It is really through His grace and blessings that we're all so blessed. Proud to be called a MetroTabernaclelite. You know, it was really tiring with long rehearsals and practices for the past few days, but when it happened, you just think it's all worth it. Praise God! And you know what, Metro's really got talent. That day, God's glory was really really declared. I said it on Facebook and I'll say it again.

On a personal note, I really love the lightings that day.

***photos courtesy of Audrey Zephyr.

They're the Man

2010-05-11T22:50:00.002+08:00

According the Facebook statuses, these shows are fantastic and are worth watching. After a long break from the theatres, I decided to follow the "fantasticism" advices in Facebook.

First up, Iron Man 2.

I've never really been a huge fan of metals fighting. Robert Downey Jr. is increasingly annoying, trying too hard to be snobbish. Perhaps the only thing worth watching was Scarlet Johansson. Only the last bits were more interesting. Other than that I can fall asleep in the first 1 hour and watch the last part and not feel like I've missed something.

Bottom line, it sucks! 'Nuff said.

1 out of 5 stars.

Then we have Ip Man 2.

From what I heard on Facebook, it was awesome, fantastic and that people think it's so nice, they want to watch it for the second time.

After watching it, I felt that it was pretty cliche, in that sense, that I so know Ip Man (Donnie Yen) was so going to give his signature simultaneous punch to the English boxer. I didn't think it was as exciting as people said because there is only so much a martial arts film can be.

Donnie Yen just has this wooden face that isn't really fascinating. But it is also this characterisic that made his character look really cool. Everytime he fights, he keeps his cool face on instead of shouting and screaming at every punch.

***added missing texts***

As cliche as the script might be, I thought Ip Man's final sentence in the boxing ring was quite enlightening. I think the exact words or along the lines of

"Hello, I didn't come here to prove which is better, Chinese or Western boxing. Although people have different status in life, I don't believe that one person's integrity is worth more than another's. I hope that we can start to respect each other. That's all, thank you."

I thought he was really sincere when he was saying this. And I thought the same as the anonymous commentator of this post on the fact that some of us belittling our own culture and praise the western culture all the time. I guess what Ip Man said about one person's intergrity is not worth more than another's is very true. But I still stand by the fact of me thinking that there isn't enough depth in the script as a whole. I think more can be done to bring across this message.

***added missing texts***

The only bigger reason why I want to watch was because of Sammo Hung. I've always admired his skills. Being huge and also being able to kick and fight. Now, who says you can't be fat.

My call? 3 out of 5 stars.

If I Ain't Got You

2010-05-07T11:49:00.001+08:00

She's fun, she's loving, she's ever willing, she's smart, she's hardworking and she's...plump...no, not really. If she reads this, I'll probably be grounded for life. Just by that statement alone, you do know she's fierce right? No kidding.

Honestly, I've never met anyone more inspiring. She's perhaps the first. I'm not saying so because the special day is around the corner but because I think she's so inspiring that "inspiring" cannot do just to it.

Recently, she fractured her ankle in church. I laughed at her for being clumsy but I secretly sighed because she's hurt. Seeing her in and out of the hospital but still maintaining a cheerful spirit is what makes me so amazed. There isn't a single complaint. I guess I inherited this part of her genes. People ask if I'm ever tired of smiling, and the same goes to her. But I can assure you, both of us will answer, "No!". It's like if smiling is a career, we would make the best employees ever.

Because she's can't drive, I've been spending a whole chunk of time with her this couple of days, running errands for her. From the first day itself, I began to be annoyed because there's so much running around, turning on and off the engine, walking in and out...you get the picture. But this also shows me one thing - how hard her job is.

She juggles between her business and home. Like what Betty (America Ferrera) says, "You are an attractive, intelligent, confident business woman". To your surprise, her name is Betty too. I don't know how she does it, but it seems so effortless. If it were to be me, I'll probably die of tiredness...and I'm always complaining that I'm tired...it's just incomparable.

I grew up learning a lot from her. She doesn't only teach but nurtures. She educates and she scolds. True, there are times when I was annoyed by her constant nags and failure to understand technology, but hey, which mum doesn't go through that? I also often annoy her, with my impatience and stupidity. We torture one another but we also crack one another. I think that's a healthy relationship.

She's our handyman, she's our go-getter and she's our pillar. I have no idea what I would be today without her. I hope she doesn't read this because I'm secretly a fan of hers but to keep my ego, I'm gonna pretend I'm not. Shh! I'd like to post her picture but she's quite against it. She's way more than a celebrity than me. Haha!

This Mothers' Day, I'm gonna learn how to appreciate her more, how to love her more and how to respect her more. At the risk of sounding really annoying but I'll still say it, "Mom, I love you!". Have I not answered the question? My mum is the best because SHE'S JUST THE BEST!

What question? Oh, I'm joining this contest by Cmate. Since I'm still gonna write a post dedicated to my mum, why not kill two birds with one stone right? Don't know if I'll win but it's still what I want to say.

Blessed Mothers' Day to all the moms as well.

In The Air

2010-05-02T16:09:00.000+08:00

It feels awfully satisfying to know that you're up in the air. As the plane began flying, I can't help but to look out the window of the plane. The feeling is very free and liberated, just like how much I've wanting to be during my exams period.

If you haven't tried the feeling, you've got to fly, I'm serious. The clouds out there speak to you one by one. You know, it gives you a sense of power and control because you're up in the air. The irony of it is, you have no control over yourself at all when you're in the air because you've just placed your life in the hands of the pilot. But to know that you're above everything else, except God, you feel great and everything else just doesn't matter anymore.

If I have to choose, I'd really want to be Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) to fly everywhere, all the time. There's always a feeling of freedom and an anticipation of seeing new things and exploring different arenas.

You know what I mean?

It's My Night...

2010-04-22T22:03:00.000+08:00

It's an absolute bliss when I put the very last "full stop" for my last sentence of the Auditing 2 paper. Like I've said yesterday night, or rather this morning, I don't give a damn anymore. But surprisingly, it wasn't as difficult as we anticipated it to be. The stress level this morning was enormous till all of us had this pre-exam syndrome of vomiting...not really...but more like gestures. This is by far one of the most stressful papers I ever had because of the level of uncertainty. You know how we finance people always learn about risks and uncertainties, it's killing. But I'm glad that when I saw the paper, it was at least answerable, thank God! But I didn't bother to check because I've written about all I known about the relevant topics.

Once I stepped out of the exam hall, I felt totally emancipated...from exams. I can't believe how time flies. This was my last paper in UCSI. I don't have anymore exams to sit for in this university and I'm just too excited over it. Well there's still the research paper, but I'ave always enjoyed doing research and assignments, as opposed to studying. If I ever get to be in the Ministry of Education, I'm going to abolish examinations because I don't see any relevance to it.

Oh well, I have one burden less. For now, it's just my burdens of what's next in my life. I don't exactly have the clearest direction ever in my life right now. Looks like I've got to focus on my thesis at the moment...oh wait...I'll focus on it in May. Right now, I shall focus on my holidays!!!

Anyway, I'm blogging right beside my mother's bed in the hospital. She fell down in church and fractured her foot. So, she had an operation in the morning and it's my shift to look after her now. Since she's gotta rest, it would be stupid of me to not bring my laptop, knowing that private hospitals have WiFi. Thank God for insurance. Haha. Do pray for her if you remember.

I shall think of this whole semester later. Right now, I shall have pure imaginations of things to do in Bali. So looking forward to this trip.

Emancipation Needed

2010-04-22T00:48:00.000+08:00

I shall give you a heads-up warning, this is gonna be an emo post, a post full of rants that anyone can get depressed after reading it. If you do not wish to suffer from depression, I shall ask you to leave immediately.

Anyway, guess what? I have an exam tomorrow, or to be more precise, later at 10am. It's so stressful to study this subject because it requires so much reading. Auditing 2, by the way, needs you to read a whole load of junk. Not to mention the thickness of the notes given by my lecturer. I think only people who are extremely free will be able to finish reading that whole stack of crap. Knowing that I'm not a reading person at all, I had such a hard time reading through the lines. Well, I did make notes, because I trust my notes and I have the tendency to remember my own notes, with no elaborations. I guess I have to really rely on my multi-level ability to cook things up out of nothing for my elaborations.

Just when I called him this morning to ask for a more specific study area,

he insisted that I email him. So I did, and I waited...and waited...and waited for his reply but it didn't happen till 10-ish just now, saying that it's unfair to other students. Oh please, if you would tell me earlier, I would've spreaded the word. I ain't no selfish b*tch, Mr. Chong. So I ended up reading everything from the textbook and his notes. I'm done with writing down notes...but not memorizing and understanding it fully now.

I guess what made me so effecient was the thought of the after-exam acitivites tomorrow. It's the only thing that kept me going, studying this bunch of crap. Then I got the news that my mum fell down in church and she's at the hospital now, which would also mean that I have to send her to her tukang urut after my exams later. Only God knows that I have to send her back, take care of her since there's no one at home. There goes my after exam acitivities. Not that I'm complaining, don't get me wrong, I love my mum, but that's TWO bad news for me. Mum fell down and I can't enjoy myself after my stupid exams.

You must be wondering what the hell I'm doing here, blogging, when I still have to study, since I'm saying it's tough and all. I just need to launch into a rant-fest, bitching about these humdrums of life...maybe not to that extent. I literally had to stop studying and ran down to watch TV, at least 30 minutes. And here I am blogging. The thing now is, I just don't give a damn anymore to this exam. Whatever it is, I'll just go in, write what I can and leave the hall without thinking of it.

Now my focus is on CPR and then Bali. Phewhhh, not so depressed anymore. Thanks for wasting 6 minutes of your life reading this post. It's much appareciated.

Killed By A Piece of Paper

2010-04-20T00:19:00.000+08:00

This is probably the worst paper ever in my entire life. Throughout my 18 years of examination experience, I've never come across a paper where I stared at for a while and yet still not knowing how to solve the problems there. It's like seeing a huge bomb falling before you and you can't do anything about it. Sure, I did the first question confidently,almost full marks, I'm sure. But I guess 20 marks ain't enough for me to get the results I want.

Is it because I didn't study enough? I mean I literally started studying for this subject yesterday night and early this morning. Even then, I was pretty sure of what I was studying. In fact, I was already conveniently thinking of adding another A+ to my transcript. I guess the last minute study is showing its effects, but again, it worked most of the time for me.

Honestly, I'm so extremely tired that I can't even think properly. When my students asked me questions today, right after my exam, I literally needed them to repeat a couple of times before they made sense to me. Sometimes, I'm really amazed with what I'm doing. I could've just gone home and sleep straight after the paper but I had two tuition classes right after that.

As for now, screw the paper. I'm gonna give my lecturer a piece of my mind for not giving the correct study areas. I've got one more to go, a research proposal which I have yet to start. Then there's CPR and last but not least, the most looked forward to event, Bali Trip.

"Coz' it's my night, no stress, no fights, I'm leaving it all behind..." - Mariah Carey (It's Like That)

Dying Young

2010-04-12T23:50:00.001+08:00

Chun How blankly stared at me and asked, "Teacher, do you want to go to Japan?" Of course I nodded in excitement hearing that word. The he proceeded with, "Why do you want to go to Japan? Because the place is nice? Because the things are great?" I simply replied by saying that I want to go to Japan because I love Japanese food. You must be thinking, you can have Japanese food here in Malaysia, but where's better to eat Japanese food than Japan itself.

That's besides the point. "But people say, eating a lot of Japanese food will cause you to die faster, because most of the food prepared are raw, and it's not healthy," he said, giving me the suspicious look.

Guess what I said!

"I don't care. If it means to die young, enjoying awesome food, I'll die".

Haha. You probably might not know, I'm actually quite morbid. I always tell people around me that I don't mind dying young. If I know I'll die while doing a bungee jump, I'd still do it. This isn't the Kelvin you know right? Don't worry, I won't commit suicide! I just have my own funny thought sometimes...

This may come across to you being something stupid, but I always have this stupid thought. It's like, if I die at age 70, will I look like I'm 70 years old when I'm in heaven? If you know me well enough, you wouldn't be surprised if I say, "Well, if I do, then I would like to die now".

Stupid right. But I'm just too vain...

If it's true...

2010-04-09T21:56:00.002+08:00

I had an encounter today, something that I haven't experienced before, almost never. How often do you meet with someone who's a total stranger, but knows quite a lot about you. Today in CF, after praise and worship, when games were going on, a newcomer came over to me, "Hey, I have to go now". Of course with courtesy, I said, "Okay, do join us again (knowing he's a newcomer). By the way what's your name?" We shook hands but he didn't answer me and immediately he said, "Let me pray for you". Honestly, I was quite embarassed and shocked at first but when I hear the things he said, it turned into something more of like a surprise.

Here are some of the pointers that he said that touched me, I'm paraphrasing because I don't remember the exact words:

He said that I'm lazy, VERY lazy. I haven't been spending enough time with Him, praying and reading His word.
He said that I often doubt God when I pray. Since prayer is sealed by a bag of faith, when we doubt, it doesn't reach God.
He said that I am grounded with God's word, I know His ways, I know what to do, but I don't do all these things.
He says that I complain a lot, always complaining. He said that I should be thankful for things that God has given to me.
He said that he can sense from the first his first touch on me, that there's this huge fire burning in my heart awaiting to unleash something, but my flesh is so cold. It's like I know that I have to do something with this fire, but I'm trying to freeze it with my cold flesh.
He can sense that I'm very compassionate about people. He said that he knows I treat everyone very well, almost not having any temper. I have, but I'm not easily tempered.
He also said that I'm doing a lot of things using my flesh, instead of relying on the Holy Spirit. It is useless to do things with my flesh, because he can sense that I am very burned out.
He said that I'm often afraid to speak up because I'm just scared but I need to.

This guy prayed for God's strength to be upon me in everything that I do and that I can learn to rely on Him even more. When I heard all these, I was a little in awe plus a little scared. But since young, I've been taught to never simply receive anything from anyone, especially things that are said to be "from God". But of course, there must be certain things that happened that make me believe that this is actually from God, though I will still keep them in view and be more cautious. I need to document this because I don't get things like this often, and this is for my reference, if needed in any way at all.

Maybe I should set my priorities straight again. There might be a possibility of me sliding away. Also, out of over 30 people in CF, he had to come to me and tell me that he's leaving early. It's a little out of the way by the way. Then he left, with me feeling encouraged. He asked me to thank God not him.

By the way, his name is Rei.

It's 3.30AM

2010-04-09T03:37:00.000+08:00

What the hell am I doing here at 3.30a.m. in the morning? I'm stoning right in front of my computer as I'm typing this utterly irrelevant post. If you ask me, I really don't know what the hell I'm doing right now. I'm busy clearing my things since it's already the end of the semester. It's exam time and I have to prepare all my relevant notes into different files and pick them up as the exam draws near. Oh yes, I'm a freak when it comes to tidiness and being organized - regardless of whether I read them or not - they have to be in different files.

I had such a long day, or I should say, long week that I barely have enough sleep, which is still fine for me because I don't sleep a lot (and you're going yea right??!!). But today was pretty awesome because it was Swen's pre-birthday celebration. You see, I have to celebrate with her a day earlier because I'm actually not free on the actual date, but we had fun. Seriously, the tiramisu is Alexis is one of a kind. When I go there again, I'll definitely reorder that.

When I came back so late, I was quite determined that I should begin on my thesis proposal which is due end of the month, but has to be submitted earlier so that I can "concentrate" on my studies and then CPR, then Bali. Something which I have been procrastinating right from the beginning of the semester. I'm looking at the textbooks in front of me and the dozens of saved journals in my pendrive, but not motivated at all to read them. Instead, I wasted 3 hours of my time editing photos, watching youtube, facebook, chatting and now blogging aimlessly.

It's like I have a million and one things to do, but I just won't do them because I just want to do nothing at this point of time. I hope things will get better tomorrow, and I tell myself that every day. I guess I should be going to sleep now because of the long day ahead tomorrow, again!

I'm Just Complicated

2010-04-08T00:27:00.000+08:00

Some people just don't see things as I do. I have this weird and complicated kind of perception on anything that's placed before me. My thinking can be very distorted and complicated, so complicated that Joanna thinks that I'm a girl because apparently, only girls are complicated. Girl, or not, it still does not change the fact that I have special ability to see things weirdly.

It's like how when I was younger, I always thought that my PC on my table will come to live in the middle of the night and turns into a robotic monster and will eat me up alive. Then I will jump into the mirror in hope of hiding myself from it. When it finds me, I will use my handcream to make it slip from the floor. There goes my sleep, and then I see it sitting on my table again the next morning. Okay, that's a tad bit too extreme. That's because I was young. But till now, regardless of what people say, I still think that animals can talk to themselves in human language, as long as humans aren't around them.

I guess it's really okay to think like an idiot sometimes because it's less stressful. You feel so stupid yet you feel so happy after realizing you're actually stupid. I really have my own kind of mindset for things that revolve around me. They call it self-denial, but I call it self-confidence. Some call it over-confidence, but I call it being full of faith, whether in God or in myself.

As much as I hate the feeling of being rejected, or failure...I just have to think that these things ain't good enough, that's why it didn't happen. But sometimes I really question myself if I seriously have no talents at all, like not in anything. It's way too hurtful to think of it that way, so I'm gonna be full of faith. Haha! Okay, back to the life of many works and I'll continue dreaming of things later.

Period.

Why Life Is Awesome!

2010-03-30T01:12:00.001+08:00

So I've been going through a whole week of rushing assignments due to the fact that I always leave it till the eleventh hour, LITERALLY. It's been quite tiring to the mind although I absolutely adore the stress level, where some people find me freaky for that, but that's how I work. And, not forgetting the consistent disappointments that come facing me because of certain things. I might always come home late at night, feeling worn out and all, but I enjoy every moment of it because amidst all these tiredness, there are still awesome things.

Is it the time spent with Carmen, Lydia and Mel at Haagen Daz? The Belgian chocolate totally killed me, left, right and center.

Most of the time, I was laughing a lot with this bunch!

Or is it the time spent hanging out with this awesome dude? He asked me to put his contact number here and file this post under the gay post of the week category. Haha!

He's like a brother, only with a different surname

Or is it the time spent with a group of awesome friends that no matter how late your birthday was, they would still celebrate for you alongside another friend's birthday.

Tim Burton, please hire us!

I missed all of these things when I come home. It is when times like this that make you think your life, or at least your tiresome week iall worthwhile No, Joanna, at this point of time, I ain't thinking about dying young (something that I shall write it on a separate post to do it justice).

Oh, two other awesome things to note. I got an iPod shuffle and a Sony camera for FREE. And these photos are the courtesy of that camera. Now I can snap anything I want, I WANT!

Up In The Air

2010-03-23T01:24:00.000+08:00

Ryan Bingham, who is a corporate downsizer, in "Up In The Air", is THE man in the film, played by George Clooney.

"To know me, you gotta fly with me". I don't know why this phrase catches my attention when I read the book and when George Clooney says it in the film. Maybe it's his sexy voice, I don't know, but it really caught my attention. Watching the trailer when I was at the Oscars, I knew I had to watch this film.

What shall I say? It wasn't a "Boomz" movie but it's one of those feel-good films that you can just sit down and relax while watching it. Some occasional smart humour the collides with emotional moments that are brilliantly carried out by all the characters. There were moments where I had quite a good laugh.

This part was funny, trust me!

I think the character of Ryan Bingham was written straight up for Clooney, like it's just so him. And as always, he doesn't really disappoint for being macho, sexy and sleek. Yes, that came out of my mouth and I don't say things like these easily. Everything he does in the film was brilliant, from how he fires people, to how he packs his luggage, to how he swipes his cards, they're just sexy, no kidding. Here it is, a lifeless guy, firing people and selling them the idea of a better life, and in his personal life, he's been running away from commitment.

Then comes Alex (Farmiga), a businesswoman whom Ryan claims their relationship as "casual" comes and impact his life a little, making him think of being committed to a relationsionship of some sort. Their scenes were simply brilliant, if I may say. The blend of sassiness and sexiness between them were splendid. It's like seeing them play tennis, only in their minds.

I have to say that Natalie (Kendrick) played her role quite well. If it wasn't for her, I don't think Ryan would ever find his right path. On a side note, she didn't even leave some money on the drawer for the guy she met at the bar. I exceptionally love the scene when 3 of them were having the conversation after Natalie's boyfriend broke up with her through a text message. It's simply funny.

I guess this story goes beyond so much more. As you leave the cinema, as a serious movie watcher, it leaves you pondering on certain questions in life but it doesn't necesarrily give you all the answers you want to know. I guess that's where the movie catches you. It's dramatic, yet in depth. I personally give it 4 out of 5 stars, no kidding.

Go watch it. I even bought the book after watching it.

It's Japanese! What Do You Expect?

2010-03-22T17:10:00.003+08:00

"RAKUZEN" features a menu that maintains its tradition in serving the best of Japanese cuisine by its bona fide chefs from Japan.

Of course I expect awesomeness. I prefer Japanese cuisine to any other kind of food, well except for pork. I've never really encountered the Japanese way of making pork though. It is exceptionally true for any kinds of sushi. I've always had this craving for sushi and sushi alone Japanese buffet, not those kind where you have fried rice, fried mee and all sorts of other local cuisines where I can get in any mamaks. Then, I've been hearing great reviews on Rakuzen (especially the one in Chulan Square), so I decided to give it a try. Was there for V-day with Swen and it has proved its awesomeness just from its ala carte. Buffet should be equally, if not more, awesome.

I'll let the pictures do the talking:

The sushi platter. Just order once. You don't want too much rice in a buffet!

The ever awesome Unagi that I never fail to order, no matter where.

Some kind of salmon salad which I don't enjoy 'coz it's vege!

Awesomer looking Unagi!

Soft shell crab

The salmon platter that gave ourselves a shock. This wasn't the only one we ordered.

Baby octopus. It's so yummy, I can't resist having more.

This is the teppanyaki salmon that came at the very end. We had such a hard time finishing all 3. But it's still very delicious.

8 of us went out of Rakuzen with a big, but satisfied belly. We ordered so many rounds of Sashimi (which was fantastically thick and fresh) that I think the waitress was a little too afraid of us. But it's buffet, you can order the same thing over and over again, in a large bulk, as long as it's in the menu, I'm not kidding. The way Jason ordered his 5 plates of teppanyaki beef over and over again proved this.

We were so close to not being able to come this week because I called late, thinking that there won't be many people going. Man, I was so wrong. It was full house but I insisted that they should let me book. All they could do was to put me on the waiting list, and if someone pulls out, I get to go. Thank God for persistency. If not I would've just said ok and waited for another day. And it's even more pleasing when you're enjoying it with your dearest person, who enjoys Japanese food just as much as you do.

Pros:

The food is exceptionally fresh, tasty and worth your bucks. The ambience is also very suitable for a group of friends to spend time chit-chatting while eating. If you're not up for their buffet, go for their normal lunch hour or dinner time. The quality is guaranteed to be satisfying. It's so nice that places like Zanmai should strive harder and Sushi King should be ashamed of themselves.

Cons:

The air-conditioner is not that cooling. The toilet isn't that clean, though.

So things to note:

1. Call way beforehand as you plan, to book your seats.

2. Do not eat anything before the buffet because you need space, ALOT of space.

3. Wear your lose pants.

4. Order your food in bulk so that you don't have to wait.

5. Add in the fresh fruits order halfway for good digestion.

6. Order ONLY green tea if you don't want to pay for any other drinks.

Details:

KL Rakuzen Japanese Restaurant

Lot B2A, Chulan Square. (the same row with Bangkok Jazz)

Contact number: 03 - 21456200

Buffet is only on Sundays, 12p.m. - 3p.m.

*News is that they are shifting soon. But I don't know where.

Alice In Wonderland

2010-03-21T00:37:00.002+08:00

Alice, oh Alice! In Wonderland. I have to say I wasn't a tad bit disappointed by this film. Yes, it's just very Tim Burton, but it worked. Ignoring reviews about how it's being so-so, how it wasn't nice (by my student) and how it's very Tim Burton, I just had to watch it because it has Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, and probably Tim Burton.

You know, as a young child, I never really liked reading, not at all. I didn't read Alice In Wonderland like every other kid because just from the pictures alone, I thought it was really nonsensical. I get it, she got into the burrow, saw a small door, went into a wonderland, and all I see were moving cards with knights and stuff. I wasn't a fan of these kinda imagery. It's ironical because often times, my imaginations are wild.

With the fact that I never really knew what the story was about and after reading about it again, I have to applaud Tim Burton for making this an enjoyable one for me. Combining both live action and animation, I'd say it was a brilliant mix. As for the storyline, it made so much more sense because the story has linkage, rather than Alice falling from one place to another, experiencing different events. Though a little too dark to be considered a Disney movie for kids, I think kids nowadays are much wilder. Not to forget to mention that 70% of the theatre was filled with adults instead of kids.

I thought Mia Wasikowska's portrayal of Alice was splendid. Every expressions and gestures of her were very underplayed, subtle and you still get her feelings and expressions. I think many actors and actresses have to learn how to be subtle in their acting. It takes a whole lot more skill. And Johnny Depp, as brilliant as ever in his work, he plays the Mad Hatter. Nothing much to say about him, but just a little resemblance of the Jack Sparrow we know, only in a clown form. The only character that amuses me most, I dare say, is Helena Bonham Carter, playing the Red Queen. She was downright hilarious as the Queen. It is exceptionally funny when I actually realize everyone around her made themselves ugly, after seeing the lady's nose drop off. For every time she shouts, "Off with his/her head", I laughed. She just has this wit in her, somehow, very talented I must say.

I think Linda Woolverton did a great job in the writing. Almost every character has their witty lines. It isn't the kind of stupid humour but it's the subtle gestures and their lines which combined really well. Of all the animals, I thought the rabbit was the cutest. It reminds me of my dog (yes, I believe in 6 impossible things before my sleep). And the funniest would be the smiling cat. The fact that it smiles is already funny.

The story wasn't cliche till Alice had to kill the Jabberwocky. It was like any other killing-the-monster moment, which was fine because that wasn't the whole story. I'm just grateful that this version is more relevant and connectable. I like how it's dark, and at least the things in the film are nicer than what I remembered from the original story. I just can't stand the sight, or thought, of ugly things, which might be one of the reasons why I didn't read that story. I give a two thumbs up.

Go Tim Burton, make more remakes. I'd really like to see him remake Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs. I bet he needs to work on who to play Snow White because I think Snow White looks like crap! Just kidding : ) Go watch it if you haven't. Highly recommended by KelvinK, your trustable movie friend.

I'm Officially 21

2010-03-17T00:41:00.001+08:00

Oh yes, the prophecy of my blog has came to past. I'm not turning 21, I'm already 21. This shows how time flies, no kidding. Honestly speaking, my birthday to me is really not that of a big thing. I don't know why there should be such a big hoo-haa about it. But of course, having people to wish you and giving you gifts would be a plus. Other than that, it's just another day, especially when you're being lifeless, doing assignments on your birthday. The only things that I look forward to during my birthday would probably be the huge angpows (it's bigger when you're 21), the thoughtful messages in Facebook, MSN, calls and SMS-es.

You know, people, especially Chinese, would throw a big, gigantic party when they are 21. It's like a big leap into another phase, or so it seems. Some thinks of it as the key to freedom while others think of it as legally legal, as said by Charity. It's not like it's big to me because it's the same. But I accept that belief and just go along with it. No harm right? : ) I didn't throw any parties because I'm afraid it'll be too big. I wanted to have a small one but as you all know, Kelvin doesn't do anything that's small, everything's gotta be BIG and dramatic. Haha! Hence, the decision of not having any parties.

I never really like surprises, because they come from people, and I'm very afraid of people. I don't think I'm making sense but I'm usually scared to death. Yesterday night, before 12am, Swen and a couple of friends partnered with my parents and sneaked into my house and then my room. There I was, being all stressed up by the assignment, they barged in with a cake. I was shocked, like SHOCKED! I can't even say a thing after that. I seriously can't take surprises like this. I'd rather do a bungee jump. Haha. But what they did was really sweet and thoughtful. Never in a million years I expected that to happen.

So anyway, I would not like to think of this as a 21-year old birthday but rather my 21-year old life. I kept on asking myself, "What have I done in this 21 years that are worth celebrating?", "Have I impacted at least one person's life?", "Have I at least stood out to be somebody different?". I don't really have answers to these questions. It's not like I created light, it's not like I found gravity. I'm just gonna document what Ee Ling sent to me, which made me feel relieved that at least I've done something.

"Hey, want2celebrate who u are: d funny canto guy whom always makes me laugh when i talk2u. Thanks4being funny. Hehe. Really! :) ur funniness has lighten up d atmosphere around ppl! :) thank u for being u. May God bless u d year ahead! Happy birthday! :)" (Wong, 2010)

"Lighten up the atmosphere around people"! Hmm, maybe it's better than creating light. I'm glad to be who I am and thankful to God for making me what I am today. Nothing awesome, but awesome in His eyes for sure. God has been so faithful all these years, surrounded me with great people, great blessings and great encounters. These are probably some of the best gifts I can ever receive.

Thank you guys once again for all the thoughful messages. They've truly touched me. Here's to another couple of decades in the future.

It's Just Not The Time Yet

2010-03-13T15:17:00.000+08:00

Sometimes I think I don't work hard enough, for anything at all. Even if it's for the things I'm into. It's very normal for laziness to creep in my veins, which I need to get rid of. I think even if Mariah were to come for a tour, I'd probably be extremely excited and then get lazy to go buy a ticket. See, that's how lazy I am, well, at least it's till the 11th hour, I'll take action, sometimes pretty redundant and a tad bit too late.

But sometimes, just when I have all the passion and energy and finally decide on taking the lead to do something, things don't work out exactly how I thought it would be. It's not that I'm lazy, everything's pre-planned, plus quite a late night preparation and all I get in return is an early morning, McD breakfast, couple of hours on the road and then head home, without fulfilling the mission of the day. Just like this morning, I wasted an hour or so on the Damansara highway, turning in and out, reaching places I've always wanted to go, but not the destination that I intend to reach.

So, that was it. I didn't get to the place I planned to go and I didn't get to do what I wanted to do. At least there was Addy to share half of my stupidity on the road. Come to think of it, I didn't lose my way. It's just that the place is just too secluded that we can't find it. See, it's not that I don't want to do it. In fact, I WANT to do it, but I guess it's not meant to be...or is it?

Giving up? I don't think so...What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Yes Adeline, the couple of times that failed wasn't a determinant of our talent, it's just not the time yet.

At The Oscars

2010-03-08T23:56:00.000+08:00

Well, not literally. I would at least like to think that I was. Thanks to Astro and Mint Zhet for inviting me to the live screening of the Oscars at GSC Signatures, The Gardens. What's a nicer place to watch the Oscars there? The atmosphere would definitely be different if I were to be watching it at home. It was almost like I was there myself and I wanted to clap and give a standing ovation whenever is possible.

It's really cool to watch the red carpet because the stars look splendid and exquisite in their costumes. Of course, this only applies to the ladies. As for the guys, they looks really sleek and decent but as usual, there isn't anything special with their costumes. I think Sandra Bullock looked marvelous, Meryl Streep looked classy, and my personal favourite, Kate Winslet. Not to forget, Sarah Jessica Parker.

I have never been a big fan of the Oscars because they don't really have awesome performances like the Grammys. But this year, I was rooting for Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side. I think she truly deserves the award. It's funny and ironic though, she got an Oscar and a Razzie, both representing the best and the worst. But she was such a good sport. I so love Sandra Bullock right now. I was so nervous right before they announced the Best Actress award.

I gotta admit, the only thing that was worth watching was the red carpet, the hilarious stand up comedy by the hosts, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. I laughed hard at every word they said. And of course, the presentation of the last 4 awards, Best Male Lead, Best Female Lead, Best Director, and Best Picture. I can't believe the anxiety in me during this 4 awards. Congrats to Jeff Bridges, Sandra Bullock, Kathryn Bigelow and also Avatar.

I thought Avatar was going to bag the Best Director and Best Picture award. Apparently not. The Hurt Locker was the big winner tonight. I have yet to watch the film because it's not out in Malaysia yet but I'll watch it soon. So, James Cameron wasted 10 years and lost to his ex-wife. I bet he was expecting to win Best Director and Best Picture. Well, at least Avatar was the highest grossing film in 2010 and a personal favourite of mine. Without the award, he still bagged a lot of money, for sure. Sorry Meryl for being nominated for the 16th time but not winning it. No matter what, I'm still a fan of yours Meryl.

It was inspiring to hear the speeches of how people have been chasing their dreams. I was very very inspired. By the way, I liked the dance performances for the Original Scores. It was astonishing!

Anyway, after 5 hours of watching the Oscars, I forgot I was in Malaysia when I came out. That's probably because almost everyone who attended the Oscars are handsome and pretty, as compared to Malaysians. I'm kidding again. If you haven't watched it, go watch it.

Sounding Bitchy

2010-03-07T23:57:00.000+08:00

For every time I sit in a coffee shop or a mamak, seeing someone smoking beside me, puffing hazardous and stinky smoke, I feel like telling the guy or lady, "Maaf encik/cik, saya tak nak mati begitu awal". There's just this haste but my instincts tell me not to. You know, an act like this can probably "threaten" the harmony of the country and land myself in ISA, considering the people who are smoking like they're eating vegetables. Just like the guy just now, he has like 4 cigarettes in a row, non-stop, no kidding.

I just don't get why people smoke. Stress? Probably it helps, like every celebrity does. Peer pressure? Perhaps, if you want to be accepted in a certain clique. Cool looking? Definitely NOT! This is probably the worse excuse ever to start smoking. I've always wondered if they look into the mirror while they are smoking. It's like they look like piece of crap when they smoke, the gestures, the pose, the everything. They could probably pull off as a great ugly person in a film or something. Not everyone does things like Johnny Depp or Angelina Jolie.

They should increase the price of cigarettes to say, RM20 per pack. Then, those poor people will not be able to smoke. Those rich people can smoke till they become poor. I'm just kidding. It's not as easy because obviously banning people from smoking would threaten the peace of the nation too. People will start robbing for cigarettes like they are facing starvation for umpteen years. I don't even get the point of putting those gruesome pictures in front of the cigarette box because I still see the same amount of people smoking.

All I'm hoping is that there'll be one day their lungs would have some holes, realize their mistake and go into rehab. I always believe that if they want to put their like at stake, so be it, but don't cause people around them to die earlier. I guess they are having the 1 Malaysia spirit, in this case, one die, all die together. At the risk of sounding bitchy, I ain't that selfless.

We Are The World

2010-02-19T00:19:00.002+08:00

So here's the new rendition of We Are The World by all stars, for the Haiti. And when I said all stars, I mean ALL STARS. It's like the invited the whole music scene there. Frankly, I don't like it because it's way too oversung. Everyone's like OTT, especially people like Celine, Jennifer Hudson and MILEY CYRUS (OMG OMG OMG). One plus point, I like the rap part, it's new and current AND, I actually know the people inside except for the fat lady in purple. Totally digg Josh Groban's part but despise Wyclef's part.

I personally enjoy this rendition more because ~~Mariah's in it~~ it's a live performance and there are some great vocals going on back there. At least it was sung by only a few core artist at that time, so it's not OTT. And of course, I just simply adore Mariah's whistle towards the end. Hands down!

Though, I think nothing beats the original. All the artists sounded so sincere in their singing. People like Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie or I hate to say it, Michael Jackson, brought it to the next level. One thing, I don't know most of the artists because I ain't from that era. I'm sure they're like pretty old right now.

Anyway, bad or good in singing, is not the main question. At least they're doing it for a good cause. Enjoy all the three renditions.

Boredom Is Boring

2010-02-16T21:55:00.002+08:00

If you ain't Chinese, you'd probably not know it's Chinese New Year. That's not hard to believe because as a Chinese myself, I don't think I know it's Chinese New Year. It's been such a quiet Chinese New Year for me this year, well except for those Chinese New Year songs played in malls which I call them noise.

Unlike previous years, just the first day of new year alone can knock me out right till the night. And then the following two days would have me wake up early and reach home late as well. This year, everything's tone down till I just went to church in the morning of the first day of new year and then back home to sleep till dinner time. Can you believe it? It's ridiculous, I know.

Things are so toned down till I'm abit worried and depressed. It's usually very happening for me, but it's utterly boring this time. It's not like my friends have time to go out since most of them are back to their hometowns. I can foresee this happening for years to come, crossing my fingers, hoping it wouldn't. It's really depressing to go through this kinda boredom.

It's already the third day of Chinese New Year and all I did for the past 3 days were nothing but a bunch of nonsense which I personally got sick of it, no matter how much I enjoy them. It's practically waking up really late, watching a lot of TV, reading a lot of magazines, LOTSA shopping. I think it's quite depressing to wake up at 12pm and go back to sleep at 3pm. It's fun for the first round, then after awhile, you feel absolutely useless. Like today, I literally lied down on the sofa after I woke up and watched TV till I need to go out, without lunch nor breakfast.

Probably the one thing that is worth mentioning is that I watched The Blind Side, starred by Sandra Bullock. Other than that, I celebrated Chinese New Year with my bed, TV, and my computer. And nope, I didn't do any of my assignments nor studied for my exams next week. Call me lazy, but it's revenge to a boring Chinese New Year.

I hope you had a great one. Share your experience?

P.S: I haven't camwhored for a while now...

The Blind Side

2010-02-15T01:52:00.002+08:00

The Blind Side is a film based on the book, "The Blind Side - Evolution of a Game", directed and produced by John Lee Hancock. The story revolves around an American football player, Michael Oher (played by Quinton Aaron), a linesmen for Baltimore Ravens of the NFL. It portrays Michael's life right from his poor upbringing, to his education in Wingate Christian School, to his adoption by the Tuohy (Leigh Anne Tuohy played by Snadra Bullock) family and his gradual emergence into one of the most sought after football player. This film is based on the true life story of Michael Oher.

This is when Leigh Anne reads the story to both SJ and Michael because Michael never really had anyone to read to him stories while he was young

I guess it's pretty much a straight forward film where it depicts love and care for each other. The very fact that Leigh Anne invited Michael to stay together with her family after seeing him walking alone during one of the nights before Thanksgiving shows this fact because at the risk of being talked-about by their friends - black staying with a white family. It's saddening to see that people actually looked at Michael differently right even before he entered the Wingate Christian School (a direct representation of Briarcrest Christian School).

What touches me most was when one of the teachers actually took time to study with him, helping him out with the quizzes, knowing that he can't really read. Isn't that what being an educator is all about? Helping out students in need. When a teacher is willing to dig out a student's potential, he/she is one the way to becoming an educator.

I love the way how the whole story is portrayed in the show. It is in its sincerest form where every scene of the film depicts true kindness especially in the family of Leigh Anne. What amazes me more is that the film shows something very different from the usual Hollywood family films - that is the high moral values, at all times. I was expecting it to be one of those films where once someone different is taken into the family, there'll be big catfights or sibling rivalry, which didn't happen. That's a plus point for me. he film has a good mix of humour, moving story and a whole load of 2-hour satisfaction.

I think Sandra Bullock did a fantastic job as Leigh Anne. Every move that she makes shows that she's a 101% committed to her role as Leigh Anne. I'm very convinced that she truly loves and treats Michael as her real son. It is no wonder why she took home the Golden Globes award as best actress. Though, I think Quinton Aaron should be recognize for his role as Michael because it is almost believable that he has undergone that much pain and seeing his joy as he slowly becomes successful in life.

All in all, a film that no one should miss. I think Hollywood should come up with more of these films rather than the usual and cliche stories. I'd say I give a two thumbs-up and a 4.5 stars review .There's always room for improvement!

Still Looking

2010-02-13T02:40:00.000+08:00

It sometimes rub me the wrong way when I think of how time flies. It's like you're sitting in front of the computer for a moment, blink your eyes and then 10 years would have probably passed. I dread the moment to think that I'm already 21 years old. Just when I was having a hangout session with my high school mates just now, they had to point out the fact that I'm actually coming out to face the "world" soon.

I can't imagine the fact that I'm no longer studying, really. The thought of me being in the corporate world seemed fun a few years back, is starting to make me feel that I'm entering into a dimension of boredom. When I was younger back then, I've always imagined myself being a highly professional person in the corporate world, managing HUGE projects, and making millions for the company. It was actually something that I want to see myself achieving. Let me mark down the word for you - WAS.

I guess it's pretty much still something I would love to have but it isn't that much of a priority. You'd probably say I'm not even close to bein ambitious but you have NO idea how ambitious I am, right now. Well, just that it's in a different perspective. Just thinking of the amout of boredom that happens when you're sitting in an office, from 9-5, EVERYDAY, just makes me go gaga. If you know me good enough, you should know I'm never able to sit still, not even for a short moment. Hey, I didn't study mass comm or something, I studied accounting. From the word itself, people think it's boring. Though, it's actually pretty challenging in the working world if you want to make it big.

Doing things you love is as important as getting a pair of good shoes that is suitable for your feet. If you're good at something, hold on to it, improve on it, and spread thy wings. If you're just doing something just to satisfy others' will or for the sake of doing it, no matter how good you are at it, you're just gonna hate it and in turn suck at it at a later point of life.

Now, that's how Kelvin sees it.

Indulged in Taboo

2010-01-30T02:21:00.002+08:00

Have you ever played Taboo? If you haven't, I highly recommend this game, because no matter how many times you play, it never gets old, with different people. Here's something that happened in Leslie's house when we played it.

(Taboo game started for quite awhile and the environment is getting noisier with the wild guesses and band hero game going on behind the Taboo game)

Josephine:

(Takes a card and attempts to describe the word) Emm..emm...everybody wants your...

Kelvin:

(On top of his lungs) SIGNATURE!!!

Josephine:

YES! (Adeline bursts out into laughter) Another word for it?

Adeline & Jason:

Autograph

(the game continues)

You might not find it funny. But at that point of time, I can't help but to laugh. I can't imagine the degree of my desperation for fame and popularity. It's like everything revolving around me links to me wanting to be famous...to the extent of thinking and assuming that everyone wants my signature. What's more amazing is that the word can be any other things. Everyone wants my handphone, bags, closet etc. And why would I think that everyone wants my signature? I have no idea. It's just a too-self-indulgent thing. But I wouldn't deny the fact that I do want to be famous. "Remember my name (Fame), I'm gonna live forever..."

Anyway, back to work. Just to give you another Taboo word and the extent of my blonde-ness.

Josephine:

Oh...oh...when your mummy and daddy doesn't work out, the get...?

Kelvin:

FAT!

Esther, Janice, Christine:

A divorce.

Josephine:

Yes. Get fat?

(Everyone bursts out into laughter again)

On Hiatus

2010-01-10T22:09:00.005+08:00

Remember when I said I turned down 2 students here, I actually didn't. In turn, now I accepted both of them. Just this afternoon, I had another phone call to ask if I'm interested to give tuition to 2 more students. I'm like, "Are you kidding me? Of course I'm interested, especially when it pays". But unfortunately, this time I really have to turn the mum down, despite being friends with her. Sometimes I feel bad rejecting her because she lives quite far so I'm not that keen.

As much as I'm superbly happy about getting two more students because I obviously am a couple of hundred bucks richer every month, I sometimes dread to think of it. Having 6 students now would mean that I have less time for myself, literally. All my nights are dedicated to just tuition alone. And of course, I would have less time for my social life. And I'm utterly sorry to my fellow committee members in CF because I have to skip all our committee meetings due to my tuition schedule. This is why I said I dread to think of tuition. It's not as easy as it may seem because I have to prepare my lessons before I go, just so that everything will be more professional and timely. And of course, less time for Swen but she's so understanding, right?

I'm also working on the musical that both Adeline and I wrote for this year's CF, due in July, which means practices would begin soon. Little did I know that handling a musical is crazy and out of your mind. You have to take into consideration of so many things that I think only a new post on it would do it justice. And how could I forget to practices for duty in church where it is all night time as well. And, I was told that I will be leading a smallgroup beginning February. So yea...

And then there are 4 subjects and a thesis....which I do not wish to talk about.

I guess by the time I reach home every day, I'd be in time for bed. So what I'm trying to say here is this blog isn't in my top priority as much as I love it. I'll be away for quite some time from this blog but rest assured it's not dead. I just need to explain to you so that you won't stone me and leave me, really. It'll just be on a hiatus for a little while. Please don't give up on me and do come back once awhile. You might be surprised I do still update.

We're In Malaysia

2010-01-08T17:54:00.001+08:00

I'm sure many of you have read about the news that my church, Metro Tabernacle, was torched this morning at 12.30a.m. when I was pretty fast asleep. I only got to know about the news from my other Christian friends who actually read the papers. Thank God for efficient firemen that came in time to minimize the damage.

If you ask me if I'm sad, I'd say no. But disappointed, maybe, with this kinda inhumane and uncivilized behaviour that some Malaysians have. No wonder people from abroad think that we still live on trees. Isn't this country supposed to have freedom of religion and speech and high respect for the decisions that the court has made? I was rather shocked when I heard the news.

When I sat down just now pondering, I was asking myself, "What has happened to our nation?". Just because of one word, the A word (I don't dare to spell it out just in case they wanna burn my blog or something), something like this can actually happen. I think people who live in caves can think better.

I guess if people use the word "Jesus" in any of their reading materials, we wouldn't make such a big fuss over it. That's because we know our God is a living God and it doesn't prove anything to prohibit people from using the name, of course not misusing it. It is only when people do not have faith in their own religion would come up with something close to crap to have protests and all. If you want to protest, please do it like you're someone with at least a quarter of your brains. You know, people say, empty vessels make the most noise. I'm not mentioning names!

People get insecured about things, which lead to stupid acts and behaviour but I guess we shouldn't judge and point fingers as to who did it. Like what Mel said, whatever evil it was meant, God will turn it around for good. The fact is, what was being burned down was just a mere building, but His people will still stand for Him and shout His fame. For God is for us, who can be against us? Nobody indeed.

I wish people all the best in continuing their acts of stupidity but remember, vengeance belongs to the Lord.Oh God, please have mercy on them because they REALLY do not know what they're doing.

It's Like A Girl Choosing Shoes

2010-01-08T06:32:00.002+08:00

"You want it all but you can't have them all... "

It's already been 4 days of classes (not really since most of it have been cancelled), but I don't really feel like I'm back to the studying mode at all. As much as I'm all hyped up about graduating soon but it's also something I dread for it to happen. You know, sometimes it's just this dilemma in you, you want it all, but you've gotta choose only one. Once I graduate, I have to begin working, which means less time to play!

Initially, I only get to finish my studies in August with 4 months of internship after that. Thanks to my faculty for changing some time slots, I get to finish EVERYTHING by August. I know it's going to be quite hectic for me this semester because I have to begin on my thesis as well. Then, I get to intern in May while continuing on my thesis. Crazy? I don't know. What's the rush? I don't want to stay in UCSI.

In the midst of internship, I will definitely come back to complete the musical for CF. It's like my baby, a growing up one. I think this would be the most fruitful thing out of my 4 years in Uni and I want to see it happen, both for me and God! This would mean, I have to come back after work for practices AT NIGHT. No, I'm not complaining because I'm willing to do it.

I don't know if I'll continue giving tuition once I start working. I just turned down 2 more students yesterday night, which is crazy. I can't believe I allowed another 3 figure to fly away right out of my mouth. As much as I want to teach and want to earn, I can't, just can't. If only I had the time, I would. Teaching at night is crazy, let alone with 4 students. And with 6, I'll probably go six feet under in no time. There's practically no time for self. Yes, I'm selfish. I don't even want to begin thinking about thesis because I have absolutely no idea what to do for it.

And I'm not giving up my dream, no matter what people say. I will try it till I fail and then probably try again. Perseverance, my friends! I'm gonna do whatever it takes. Later, I'll do something again and it's not gonna be easy. It's a mixture of stupidity, funny yet brave...I guess. For some reason, I just want it so much that I'll do it regardless of the consequences, which I know is bad...but I don't really care.

What do I really want in life now? I constantly ask myself that question. I used to be very sure of what I want to do before. Now, there are endless options in front of me. Every decision I make seems feasible but I don't know if it's what I want. I'm just to greedy. It's like a girl choosing shoes, you want it all, but you can't have them all...that's if you don't have what it takes to have them all.

Bull's Eye

2010-01-04T19:10:00.000+08:00

Sometimes it's so hard to do things out of your comfort zone, yet it's something that you've been wanting to do...just that you didn't have the guts to do it. Thank God for having people of the same thoughts and can at least share out the embarassment in case nothing happens. Though I want it to happen.

It just takes 10 minutes to complete what you have to do and then wait...and wait...AND wait! This is probably why it has to remain a secret till something happens. You don't want to blow your trumpet too loudly. Just in case nothing happens even after 3 years, it shall be buried under the grounds of misery...at least people didn't know about it.

I guess I have to try it out a couple of times more so that the probability of hitting bull's eye is higher and the chances of whatever I want can happen. But again, do I have the time? can I actually do it? is it something never meant to happen for me?, that remains an unanswerable question yet.

It's pretty good to have some of your own secrets, at least you don't feel invaded and has this small little devil right inside of you. You just feel so naked if you exposed everything to everyone in the world. What an exciting way to kick off the new year.

Happy 2010!

You've got mail...27/12/09

2009-12-27T23:24:00.007+08:00

My friend sent me a letter today and I've decided to publish it for your viewing pleasure. Here goes:

Dearest Kelvin,

Did you have a great year in 2009? I certainly hope you did. I mean Pastor Ong did declare that this year is a year of new beginnings, and I hope it's true for you. You were so busy this year that you didn't really find time to talk to me and I've heard many things about you and about your happenings this year and of course I'm happy for you.

So I heard you were involved in the drama for your church's Easter celebration as well as your Christian Fellowship's drama in its Easter Rally, for the very FIRST time. I heard it went really great because you wrote the short skit with Mel right? I'm glad that you're gradually going into the field that you love, especially when you use it for God's purpose. Oh oh, just 3 days ago, you were involved in your church's Christmas skit as Joseph, I heard. Apparently, it was very well received and the drama team did really well. I had a good laugh to know about Ivy Sam as the registrar. Praise the Lord! I'm sure the skit has touched people's life and definitely their belly too. =p

It's pleasing to know that you're serving God fervently especially this year. Now that you're in the choir, a singer and also serving in the Media Ministry, I think you're pretty much tied up. Not forgetting the fact that you're in the Christian Fellowship committee where you've got more responsibilities like being the treasurer. Everyone knows handling money matters is not the easiest thing to do. Please remember to sometimes stop and spend some time with both me and God. We need you! Sometimes you get so caught up in serving that you lose the meaning of it. Don't forget to feed yourself with spiritual food constantly so that you won't burn out.

How's your tuition going along? Having 4 students is definitely not easy especially when you are studying and have many other commitments. I sometimes wonder...
...how you actually juggle between your studies and your so-called job. Though, sometimes I love the fact that it pays pretty well for you so that you can live a comfortable life, at least for now. Please don't overspend on things that you don't need. This has always been my advice but you never seem to listen to me. Remember to always be a good steward of your money.

Has studies been good to you as well? I know you've been disappointed and overjoyed for certain semesters because of the results that you got. Of course, how can I forget the lousy lecturer that you got for certain subjects. But don't worry, God will always be with you, all you have to do is just cling on to His promise and you'll be just fine. But I'm really glad that you've been able to cope with your studies pretty well because this is one of the most important things in your life right now, others aside.

Which brings to me, you're graduating in August next year huh? What are your plans? ACCA, CPA, ICAEW, CFA? There are so many professional courses out there that I lost count. Or are you going into a whole different field as compared to what you're studying? I really don't know, but remember to not make decision hastily and learn to ask God to guide you in areas like these. You don't want to make the wrong choices in life and regret it when you're older, especially in your career.

I heard you finally found a special someone this year too. I'm so happy for you! I bet it's gonna be very different for you now. I certainly hope you and her will do just fine. And also, send her my regards and tell her that she's pretty. And I thought you might really die a bachelor. Now that you've found her, I certainly think you don't. Always remember to treat her well yeah? Congrats anyway!

And what's with you and sports anyway? You've started to go rock climbing, mountain hiking and also swimming...oh...and alos gym? Don't you have enough things to do already? And you've never played sports, ever! But I'm happy you're doing some sports. I bet rock climbing is very fun and you even bought your climbing shoes. It's crazy I tell you. Oh, not to forget reading! You're actually READING. That's like the biggest OMG I should give you. It's almost unbelieveable that you're willing to hold a book. Oh I know, you just want to look smart right?

As for me, I've learnt quite some things this year myself. I've learnt how to love people around me more and to dare to dream to do things that you've never done before.You don't have many chances in life to actually go for the things that you want. And I'm glad I took another step of courage to venture into things. In the event if I fail, I can at least tell myself that I've tried...and I'm very happy about it. Without the dream, you'd just be someone walking around in a soulless body. Wish me luck, my friend! And I'm so thankful to have a bunch of awesome friends around me, helping me all year round in any areas that I need help in. They constantly encourage me, give me advices, and remind me of the purpose I'm living my life. It is through them that I can manage my life pretty well. Without them, I would probably be with God already. Oh, how can I live without them. Thanks guys and you know who you are.

What's more exciting to me now is that I came to know that you've just finish writing a musical with Adeline and Eunice for next year. I bet it's gonna come out great when the full production happens. I can't wait to see the musical. You'd better juggle your time well so that you can fit everything into your tight schedule next year. Anyhow, commit it to the Lord so that everything will go smoothly. It's gonna be life-changing to you and people around you, for sure. Remember to send me an invite next year.

From what I've written above, I can really say that Pastor Ong was right! It is indeed a year of new beginnings. You're doing so many new things that it's impossible for me to deny that it's a year of new beginnings. Slowly and gradually rise into prominence, my friend. That's all I can say. I really want to thank God on your behalf for blessing you with so many new challenges and happenings around you and I'm sure you're as thankful as I am.

I wish you a greater year ahead in 2010 for more challenges that will help you grow as a person as well as in the Lord.

Can't wait to hear from you 12 months from now. Till then...

With love,

Kelvin

Off they go, rollercoaster ride...

2009-12-12T01:55:00.002+08:00

I believe this is the moment where I'm ready to inform the whole world about this new phase of my life - being in a relationship. It's something totally alien to me...but also something close to my heart. I don't know how to tell people but I guess my Vain lil' blog would be a good platform for me to make this small announcement, though a life changing one.

I can't imagine myself being in a relationship a year ago and I never thought I would till I'm probably 23? Or sometimes I even think to myself that I would die a bachelor. It's just mind blowing to me that I'm actually in a relationship right now. True, I did have crushes, I did like people around me, but at that moment, I know for a fact that it wasn't the right time. But this time around, I was quite certain, given the amount of time I spent with her. You know, relationship grows with time.

Having spent a whole lot of time with her since the beginning of this year was a great starter for one. We had the same subjects in Uni, studied together a lot, eaten together a lot, climbed rocks together and other stuff. I never really knew till a couple of months ago...
and wanted to really spend more and more time with her. I didn't know if she liked me anyway. Fast forward till last month where I finally took great courage to pop the question (it was totally nerve wrecking). Everything was like a whirlwind ala TVB/Hollywood style. Never in a million years would I imagine myself doing such things...but yes...it did happen.

Prayers took place, advices from friends heeded and voila! here I am, being with someone I truly adore. I'm still pretty much the same ol' Kelvin where he's totally vain, totally self-absorbed, totally dramatic but also crazy in love with 2 people...God and Swen. And to be able to read her personal blog makes me fall in love with her even more. Swen, you have to know this for sure.

I truly want to thank God for sending someone into my life who is so close to my heart. I'm indeed more than elated, right now, thanking God for tremendous blessings He has given me including her. Thanks to Swen for being willing to take a ride on a rollercoaster with me.

18/11/09 is one of my most memorable dates and DELIcious would be a place I'll reminisce all the time.

Gotta Catch 'Em All

2009-12-09T18:24:00.008+08:00

A Christmas Carol...

When I heard it was Jim Carrey, I was turned off a little. But when I watched it, I actually enjoyed it. Creepy storyline aside, it is after all a classic from the great Charles Dickens. No wonder the story was so familiar. A big bravo to Jim for playing multiple roles - himself from young to old and all the 3 spirits of Christmas. Loved the way they animated it. I wouldn't say I loved the film but I liked it because it brings out the spirit of Christmas, where people should really learn how to appreciate the best festivals of all time. And I always love happy endings. It kinda lacked a certain something in the acting though, but it's Jim Carrey, so 3.5 stars outta 5.

Glee...

My new favourite series. It's a musical series revolving around a bunch of high school students who joined a musical choir club. It's definitely a 300% better than High School Musical because all the casts can definitely sing, and awesomely I'd say. I absolutely loved the voices of Rachel, Mercedez and
Asian Girl. The rest are great as well, they are just my personal favourite. In terms of storyline, I'd say it kinda sucked and kinda boring but the way they arranged the songs totally kicked the original singers in their bottoms. Honestly I need to reemphasize, they are awesome singers. They are on loop in my CD player in the car now.

Ugly Betty...

I have been following this series since the very beginning of it. Down right hilarious. As we go into Season 4, it gets rather dull in its storyline. Although I must say, I'm still in love with Amanda because she is dumber than a dumb blonde. She should win an Emmy for being a dumb blonde. Well, season 4 is still in the progress so I can't really comment much. I'll still always be a fan.

Desperate Housewives...

Probably guys shouldn't watch this series but I don't care because I just love gossips and dramas. What I love most about this series is not only the fact that the casts fit in real well in their role but it's actually the narration. Mary Alice's voice and lines are so simple yet so mind blowing. Thumbs up to the writers of this series. It's always good to look at drama on TV because you just don't get that much in real life...isn't that what TV is all about?

Yupe, I'm still chasing after my TVB series but there are too many for me to list. Do watch the above shows.

New Things Make Me Go High

2009-12-08T00:24:00.004+08:00

How many of you dislike new things? Now raise your hands and hand me all your new things from now onwards. I bet no one would put up their hands. I always LOVE new things. It makes me go high...like crazy high...at least for the moment. What's new today?

Closet...

My new closet has finally arrived after a million years. Once I stepped into my room just now, I leaped with joy because I've been wanting it for such a long time now. If you look closely, it's actually bigger than my ex-closet just that the inner part is covered so I couldn't get a picture of it. It's so not messy now because I can actually categorize my clothes into their functions (not colours though).

If it wasn't for this closet, I had no idea how many clothes I have, some of which I've never seen before (or rather I don't remember having them). The funny thing is when my mum was helping me, I looked at some clothes and asked her, "Is this mine? I don't remember having this". She totally
rolled her eyes and gave me the you-bought-too-many-clothes look. And, there were those that the price tags were not even cut yet. It was another spring cleaning session where I got rid of a whole plastic bag of clothes, which includes clothes I hate, old, thought-to-be nice when I bought them and also those that don't fit anymore (in a thin way).

The most loveable thing about this closet is the fact that it has a MIRROR. This has been something I longed to have since 20 years ago. I can't stand the fact that I have to go into my parent's or sister's room to comb my hair or to see if my outfit that day looks ok or not. Now I can have all my time and all the space to myself.

And right behind the mirror is another compartment where I can put more things. When I said I love things being simple yet nice in Mon Chambre, I was lying and I need to repent. I guess humans are never easily satisfied. I need more watches to accompany my two awesome watches and way more sunglasses to accompany my lonely one. Of course I need new ties, new belts and new everything. I've got a little too much space now so I need to fill it up. Since Christmas is around the corner, please take note.

Chalkbag - Deuter...
Rock climbing is probably one of my most recent sports addiction. Not superb at it but I do get a hang of it somehow (considering I'm not a sporty person). Just recently I've invested in a pair of climbing shoes. It's time to get a chalkbag but they're so super expensive...not till I found this online.

It's only RM38 and I get to collect it from the seller in Bangsar. He was so kind to send it over to Subway for me since I was having my dinner there today. With that, I actually saved cost for shipping. I bought 5 from him...should've asked him for a discount but anyway, it's still vry cheap.

I'm taking this color because it's the nicest there. Haha! Sorry Mel, Carmen and Churn Haw because priority is given to the first person who sees it i.e. ME. Anyway, with this chalkbag, I don't have to waste money renting chalkbag. Next up, belaying device...which is way more expensive.

I just absolutely LOOOVVEEE new things.

Oh Grandma

2009-11-28T01:45:00.003+08:00

In my previous post, I mentioned that I love weddings, absolutely adore them. On the contrary, I hate funerals or deaths. Not that I'm afraid of dying but it's just the vibe you get from people around. It's so saddening that some people break down and cry, some remains emotionless, some are just normal while a minority would probably be happy about it.

I wouldn't say I'm going through a rough patch, because I'm not. Just on Monday, my great grandmother passed away. Through 3 days of wake, I didn't feel like I've missed someone. Well, probably I never really had like a close relationship with her. But right on the day of the funeral, all immediate family cried, including my manly cousins. I've never seen them cry for such a long time. Nope, I didn't cry but there was a feeling of someone missing. The situation worsen when my granduncle pressed the button to send the coffin down at the crematorium, her sons and daughters really cried very badly. So I've concluded that, no matter how not-close you are to a certain someone, having them to leave your life forever would evoke the sad emotion within you.

I was reminded of the time when I secretly disliked her for the things she said and the things she did to her sons and daughters of which I find them really selfish. But I'm reminded even more of the good things she has done for me. I remember the times when I was sleeping and she covered me with a blanket, times when she would give me extra pocket money to buy food and times when she taught me how to fold paper birds (which I've forgotten). I would miss her for sure.

And what's more creepy is chinese funerals. From past experiences, I've seen bohmohs swallow fire, spitting fire, running around fire, chanting like tomorrow's doom's day. Then there's the endless burning of paper money, houses, maids and anything you can imagine. Nowadays, it's more relaxed and I don't feel the creepy vibe anymore. I guess they are more civic minded nowadays because burning all these would cause pollution.

Right after the funeral yesterday, I was told this morning that my grandmother fell down from the stairs and is going to the emergency unit. My heart just fell. For a moment, I thought to myself, "What, I'm gonna lose my grandmother whom I loved a lot too?". I prayed instantly. Thanks God she's fine now.

"Oh Lord, please continue to cover my grandmother with your mighty hands. I pray that You'll protect her from any danger seen and unseen and help her to recover fast. Amen!"

27 Doors

2009-11-23T00:54:00.002+08:00

B: Kelvin, you'll be opening the door for my husband tomorrow yea?
K: Oh okay, sure!
B: You can totally bargain for your angpow. If it's not satisfying, don't open the door.
K: Haha! I will.

This is the umpteenth time I'm asked to be the door-opener for the groom to pick up his bride on their special day. It's some sort of custom or practice that the Chinese has. I've always thought that only kids could do it and the kid has to be the cousin to the bride. Well, I'm the cousin but I'm definitely not the youngest. And throughout my years of experience in door-opening, I wasn't the cousin to many of my relatives but still I was given the "task". I guess it's a good business after all because I can get money from it. If Katherin Heigl can star in 27 Dresses, I would probably be a great star in 27 Doors.

Anyway, I love weddings, especially weddings in hotels. Well, apart from the waking-up early, withstanding the enormous smoke from their joss stick, drunk cousings and the lousy make-fun-of-the-groom games that the sisters planned (and this time, the head of the sisters was a guy...hmm). I absolutely can't stand weddings in Chinese restaurants because the place sucks though the food is awesome. Hotel on the other hand, has great ambience but poor food. Can't they hire good chefs in hotels? It's like they can't even cook better than hawker stallks and they call themselves chefs.

Not forgetting, I get to see my cousins and other relatives from my dad's side of the family. I think the last time I saw them was probably 4 years ago. I literally can't recognize my cousins and their children. Neither do they recognize me and my sister, given the fact that I'm already much thinner. Haha! And of course, having a wedding dinner in a hotel can totally prohibit people with bad singing enter the stage and start singing songs from a million years ago. If they could sing well, it's ok, but with their toad voices, it's really disturbing.

And of course, you get to camwhore with nice backgrounds. Imagine yourself in a Chinese restaurant, it looks so awful that I don't even feel like going into it, what more taking pictures. Once again, I shall stress the point that Chinese restaurants have awesome food. Even the toilets in Chinese restuarants have bad lightings.

It's really funny today to observe certain things. I saw this old couple walking into the ball room. They look like they were going into some Latino dance competition. It was so over the top that I almost laughed out loud. Also, there were moments of Partners-Showdown. Aunties and uncles were taking turns introducing their children's boyfriends and girlfriends. Luckily I didn't bring mine to save the hassle of walking around.

I so love weddings because they are so dramatic. From the decorations to the entrance song of the bride to the entrance song of the food, oh it's so dramatic. It fits my theme so super well. This is why I love weddings in hotels. You can be as dramatic as you want it to be, as long as you have money. I would probably want my wife's entrance to be from the top of the building slow escalating down and reach the stage, like some concert. I would probably need to be filthy rich to fulfil dramatic weddings like this.

Maybe I should discuss with her. Wait, you mean there's a her?

Congrats Robbie and Sam!
May this be a happy and everlasting marriage to the both of you~

"God Knows Kelvin Doesn't Cry Often..."

2009-11-17T17:37:00.006+08:00

It's my first movie since my November holidays started. Can you believe it? When the trailer of 2012 came out, I knew I need to watch this film at that point of time.

So was it good? Or was it bad? I would say neither. I believed the film did justice to what the film was about. I know Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 5 out of 10 stars and only 39% of its sample gave positive feedbacks. But who cares?

Right from the beginning, I've expected it to be really cliche, in a way. And I know the only thing there is to be appreciated is the visual effects. They were really fantastic. Maybe I'm not some graphics experts but to get me to feel like I'm in the aeroplane while they wer crashing is good enough for me to give them a thumbs up. I know it's the typical apocalypse film where every part of the world will fall apart, everyone dying and as usual, the White House would always be wiped out. Can't they show Malaysian's Parliament being wiped out instead.? It'd be so much more appealing.

Oh, not forgettingt he typical moments in the ship where something goes wrong with the doors, the main hero would swim down trying to get it fixed while his stupid son would think he's so smart and starts bringing more trouble. Thank goodness, this time, the son really contributed to saving everyone. Don't get me started on how they are about to die, knowing that he can save others, but waste 10 seconds of the show kissing each other. I know I'm supposed to be sensitive but there were like tonnes of people in the ark in your hands, and you're kissing there. Uggh...typical.

Other than that, I think there's something to learn from it. Ok, I always believe that as crappy a movie should be, there will somehow be moral values in it. I guess I'm not that concerned or afraid that the world will end in 2012 but I'm more worried about my loved ones, my close friends and family members. There were several occasions where people were totally wiped out by the Tsunami. Before Satnam's family died, holding on to each other was such a magnificent scene of love portrayed in it. I can't imagine what I'll do if I'm ever in that situation. Don't you think we should appreciate our loved ones more now. Whether or not the world will come to an end by 2012, nobody knows and nobody can tell. What's more important now, I believe is, to start thinking of your loved ones and get them saved. I know I'm thinking about it now. Just the thought of losing them, basing on the context of the movie, makes me really sad. I had moments that my eyes had tears and God knows Kelvin doesn't cry often and for no apparent reasons.

I enjoyed the film. Not like I'm jumping all over it but it's worth watching if you're a graphics fan and an avid chaser for lessons in a film. So I do recommend this film.

And for that, it's gonna be 3 out of 5 stars. Enjoy!

My First Time...

2009-11-15T23:13:00.002+08:00

...writing a script
...directing a drama
...acting on stage
...editing a video (so it's kinda bad)
...uploading videos on Youtube.

This stage production is written by Melalyn and me. It's for UCSI CF Easter Rally. I strongly believed that the message in this play has impacted the crowd at large. It has been a great time working together with the cast. They were all such a good sport, going all out for Jesus.

I hope next year's musical will be even better. Oh how I love acting...

In case you don't know, I have my Youtube page where I'll be working on something in it, in days to come. So do subscribe and check it out whenever you can. Don't forget to leave comments!

The New Add(ict)ition

2009-11-14T23:52:00.007+08:00

After months of climbing, and calculations show that having a pair of climbing shoes are way more worthy than to rent it every time I go, I finally made the decision.

Since I ain't no awesome professional rock climber, I just went for the lower range so that I can practise and train my techniques using it (while saving cost). It's not that cheap after all but it's just RM180. Though I would really love a pair of Evolve or La Sportiva, I don't have enough cash or rather I'm not willing to invest in these Rm300 and above climbing shoes YET. Yes mark my words, it's just YET. I will get one of those one day.

So here it is, my new addition to my shoe collection - Cragsdance.

I so love climbing. It's not just a sport but it's a sport that I can actually be dignified in considering I totally suck at all the other sports. Plus, I don't even have to compete with anyone but myself. All I'll break is my own barriers...probably hands and legs if I'm not careful. But I've got insurance, so I'm not worried. Haha!

I really really treasure this pair of shoes now. Climbing using it for the first time today was really fun but superbly painful. You know why? Apparently it hasn't got into your foot's shape yet. Give it a few more rounds, it should be fine. And millions of thanks to my most beloved mum who is willing to sponsor me partially. It makes this pair of shoes more valuable.

Love you mum!

Lost and Climbed

2009-11-13T15:07:00.002+08:00

Being the extremely adventurous us, we decided to try out the Putrajaya Challenge Park's rock climbing. Even Mel isn't clear of the place, what more me - a total road idiot. Anyway, we didn't really get lost but....the roads and sign boards in Putrajaya are just simply amazing. It took us about an hour before we found the place.

This is how it should be when you are lost somewhere, especially when roads look like they are leading you to some God forsaken place.

Look for Pelan Lokasi~

We thought that we shouldn't be too kiasu, so we stopped by Pollman hotel in hope of finding directions. Just sidetrack a little, Pollman hotel is one of the most marvelous hotels I've ever seen in Malaysia. When you walk in, it's like royalty meets exquisiteness. We aren't the guest of the hotel but the people there were so fantastically friendly and helpful to show us the way to Putrajaya Challenge Park. Two thumbs up to the people there!

Long story short, apparently, Google map put it as Presint 5 because it's more obvious but the actual place is in Presint 20 which is more secluded. And after a journey of visiting dead people along the way, we saw it and it was Presint 5. Isn't it amazing, like serendipity?...NOT! When we arrived, it was like we found the Promise Land. We were actually finally there. Such momentous event can't happen without penning it down via camera ala camwhore.

Such serendipity~

Forgive me. I only had 10seconds to run from one end to another~

Okay, basically, the place is amazingly huge. And I mean HUGE! It was quite jaw-dropping to see the high walls but no one inside. We didn't even know where to register ourselves and all. Finally, we found people. The price is so crazy cheap. As a student, I only paid RM15 (which includes harness, belaying device, shoes, and chalk). As for Mel and Carmen, it's practically free for them because they have their own shoes. I so need to get my own shoes already.

Isn't it just huge?
By the way, we thought that the little table was the registration counter!

The walls there are so high and new that it was so challenging. Bouldering at the bouldering area wasn't even easy. It's either it's really difficult or we kinda lost touch because we haven't been climbing for awhile now. I would say, there are walls that I don't even dare to think of climbing. But it was a fun experience though, apart from the fact that it's so darn hot in there and also the non-men and non-women friendly harness. The girls were complaining that the harness could help them get abs.

This is the wall we tried~

We didn't even touch this except for Carmen. Go my Twin!

Anyway, it's too far to go there often but I don't mind going there again. What's fun is, you get to experience different walls, climb differently and of course with good company. And, getting lost on the road is even more fun when you've got Mel and Carmen in the car. Can't wait for our steamboat and shopping session. Set a date alright?

Musical In Progress

2009-11-11T00:28:00.002+08:00

Holidays are so super awesome.
I've been going out almost every day, definitely spending alot of money.
But I totally enjoy it.

So here's a spoiler.
I'm writing a script for next year's CF Musical.
Yes folks, it's gonna be a musical, hopefully.

What is it about?
I don't really know now.
But all I can say is,
It's gonna be like a story,
But it's not like a story.

Make a wild guess?

But why?

2009-10-31T21:42:00.005+08:00

Do you know the way it feels when you hear shocking things? I know and I can testify to that. For the past 2 days I've been exposed to certain happenings that really terrified me, in a way. It's like quadruple shockers today. When I heard it, my heart seriously sank. Though I'm not even involved in any part of it but I feel really sad. It's been bothering me, to be frank.

If it were to be someone else, I wouldn't have felt so bad. But it happened to people that I esteemed highly, as a role model. Not just one, but many. I still can't comprehend the condition till now. It's like something that will never ever happen in a million years. And I thought it was something pure. Why must it happen to someone I care, I respected and I was closed to?

I guess I'm in no position to pass any kind of judgment at all because I have my own share of guilt in my own life. But sometimes I rather they'd murder someone than to do that. Well, I do understand the fact that even the greatest of man fall. David, a man after God's own heart fell; Samson had his big fall as well, if I may name a few. God did ask us to forgive our brothers and sisters. I have and I won't judge at all because who am I to judge them right? But there's this unanswerable question passing through my head, "But why?". I guess I'll never know the answer. Who knows, the same thing might happen to me some day(hopefully not). No wonder non-Christians perceive us Christians as hypocrites and I'm guilty as charged.

I hope things would get better and I'll definitely pray for those who are involved. My heart goes out to those who were hurt and also the one that caused the hurt. I can't deny the fact that I'm quite bothered. I don't think I can ever see things or people the same way again. The innocent barrier has been broken.

Oh well, at least I had good fun today getting lost in the whole of KL, having lunch with my dearly beloved sister, having a good laugh and a good talk, eating Jerk BBQ, looking at baking equipments and materials, drinking 7-11's Nescafe as well as practising drama for Christmas. I thank God amidst all the bad news, He still blessed me with amazing things.

A nice scenery I took from my Broga trip~

Climbing Love

2009-10-31T02:36:00.003+08:00

Just the thought of going for rock climbing excites me. This time around, I was pretty determined to get my own pair of climbing shoes and also to get passes. Both these decisions will really save money for me. And as all savings plan would work, you need to fork out some money and then it becomes worthy.

Anyhow, I don't know which I should buy. Should I get a cheaper one and like what Christine said, get a better one when I become more pro? Or should I get a really good one and last forever...almost forever? As usual, cheaper things just don't seem to look nice but nice things don't seem to be cheap as well. Dilemma to the max. But judging from my empty wallet, I guess I'll go with the former.

I'd really like to get something like this:

...nice but causes a bomb!

***The one that I might buy is RM180. Christmas is near though. Anyone?

I'm On Holidays (FINALLY!)

2009-10-29T01:14:00.003+08:00

So I know I haven't been updating this page for some time. As you may or may not know, this semester is a short semester. Taking 2 subjects in a short semester can be considered a killer, especially when you're in Year 3. And when you're taking Financial Accounting 3 and Multinational Finance, it brings you extra pressure. Anyway, today was my last paper. This was by far the most stressful subject for me in my whole UCSI study life. The fact that I can't balance ALL my accounts today didn't even bother me because I can't wait to get out of the exam hall.

And so I treated myself with sushi. I just spent about RM30 for sushi, it's not expensive right? Or is it?

Anyway, I'll be having a 2-months break from studying. Can you believe it? I never had that before and I'm going to savour every moment of it. Though I still want to get something to do to earn extra disposable income but definitely not a 9-5 job. I think I would even be busier than during the short semester studying. And you're asking what do I have to do? Let me see.

2 scripts to memorize and learn
write a musical for Easter next year
a couple of articles to be submitted to some random person
planning for TOUGH team outing
attend Public Mutual training every Monday
tuitions almost every other day
setting papers and preparing notes for tuitions
Christmas skit practices
worship practices
choir practices
rock climbing
working out
catching up with my TVB, Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives, Glee, 30 Rock
*I'm gonna learn how to make sushi

Not gonna be as nice as these but at least I'll try.
If they don't taste good, I'll ask others to eat.
If it's nice, I'll make it every other day and only for myself!
I've always been a big fan of sushi!

Looks like there's a lot to do but one thing that's really important, I ENJOY doing all of them without any hesitation. It's definitely more fun compared to income statements and balance sheets.

I'm just gonna make use of my 2 months doing fun yet meaningful things, then there's no regrets.

*It's just a possibility. Not even sure about it.

Detour to...

2009-10-29T00:31:00.002+08:00

...my second home - MetroTabernacle - WELCOME!

Doesn't it feel good to be a part of a great church? Having the privilege to tour around the new building even before we move in is such an honour, seriously. After uploading the pictures in Facebook, everyone's response was "Wow", "Whoa", "Awesome" etc. Those were the exact same words that I uttered when I reached the place. Just the front part itself amazed me with God's greatness. The other time I went for media shooting, it wasn't even this nice and look at it now.

Since you weren't there, I thought I should give you a pic-tour through my blog. Let's begin...

...with the lobby:

I can't believe we're actually having lifts and escalators. This floor comprises the King's Kids hall, classes and the Language Hall. There are various empty slots up for rent. Rumours said that one of the tenants would be Gloria Jeans. I don't mind having Starbucks in my church.

Next to the Language hall:

This is where the chinese congregation meet, or the NexGen-ers. Not forgetting there's a baptismal pool on the stage covered up and used when necesarry.

Now to the King's Kids hall:

You know, I seriously don't mind becoming a kid again, worshipping here. It's so huge. And right inside, they have 24 classes and a library. Imagine if I'm the kid in one of those big classes, I'd be so fruitful in learning.

Let's take the escalator to the 3rd floor and here we have...

...the badminton court:

Pastor said the very first thing that can be done in the new building is to play badminton there. It's up for booking NOW! Even as unsporty as I am, I feel like playing badminton already.

And the most exciting of all, the main hall:

From the side of the hall~

From the stage~

I still am not over the fact that I'll be worshipping here every Sunday. It'll be such an awesome experience being in the hall. Able to fit around 2400 people, they have this upper hall to accomodate more people. I think I'll sit there for every service.

Some things that got my extra attention:

This is the cry room for babies. Totally soundproof and cushioned~

The lounge outside the main hall. I have a feeling there'll be too many places
to just chat and talk~

Basement parkings. Means can go to church in any weather condition~

Knowing that I played a role in building a church makes me feel so proud of both myself and my church. It's truly God's blessing upon this awesome church and we'll make sure His name is shouted LOUD and CLEAR using this blessing He's given to us. As we've been singing lately,

"Greater things have yet to come,
Greater things are still to be done in this city..."

Mon Chambre

2009-10-15T23:11:00.004+08:00

I've always have this dream room image in my head but due to laziness and lack of money, I just put it aside. So, with my Wondermum's initiative all gung-ho wanting to paint my room, I'm totally game for it. After all, I promised her for quite awhile but have been postponing it.

Waking up early, getting prepared for the big day, I was pretty excited considering I don't even do such things. We decided to paint my room in 2 tones, ocean blue and pearl blue. Can you imagine, after having dim sum in the morning, we didn't eat till night because we were so into painting and working things out. If you don't believe me, check these out:

It's alot of shifting and moving~

See? There's newspaper. It means we're painting.

You won't see any pictures of me when I'm painting. It's totally unpresentable! Thanks to my neighbour and another neighbour's son for lending a hand in carrying my bed out and shifting it away. Bed? You will know in awhile. If it wasn't because of them, my mum and I would probably be dead standing and might not even finish till 100 years later.

Anyway, here's a gist of how my room is right now. It is still far away from my own standard, but making do with what I have, I'm quite satisfied. There's a definite difference from before and after.

The old one~

The new one~ Doesn't it look way neater?

Now I can explain the bed thing. I've been sleeping on a double decker bed all my life. It's so nice, I don't want to give it up but I can't stand having a double decker but only one person is sleeping on it. I've been meaning to get rid of it and buy a new bed. After much consideration, I can just remove the bottom part and put two mattresses on it and it'll look like a nice single bed by itself. I even changed the bed sheets. I think it looks rather trendy now, not so dead to be exact. Mind the ugly curtains, I'm changing them soon. It's so comfy now that I can just fall asleep once I'm on it. I bought this quilt comforter and it's really comforting. You should get it.

Then I shifted my study table to the other end because it's nearer to the switch. Plus, I can finally use the shelves I bought the other day to put my books so that I ~~can look smarter~~ have the motivation to want to read. I can now have more space for my files (I do have a file fetish).

Then there's my wardrobe. It's been a faithful cupboard for more than 22 years but it's just too small for me now. I can't wait for my new wardrobe to arrive. This time, I can buy more clothes and fill it up. And, I found a new spot I'd like to call it my Bags Galleria. I welcome more bags to be given to me from sling bags to backpacks to handcarry to whatever.

But they have to fulfil these criteria:

Branded
Looks nice
Multipurpose
I personally refrain from using pasar malam bags

And if you notice, even the light's different. I find it more suitable for reading and better for eyesight.

I'm really satisfied with the hardwork my mum and I have put in to make this room a better room for my own sake. Whenever I come into the room, I just want to thank God for giving me good things. It is only simple things (maybe not that simple) that can make me real happy and satisfied with my life. Things just don't have to be too lavish, though I wouldn't mind for sure. I can't wait to sleep every night now. =p

I can now officially call this room MY ROOM.

Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel

2009-10-05T22:03:00.004+08:00

The ins and outs of Memoirs!

I gotta admit that the very first time I heard the album, I had some doubts of it's performance. After the second round of listening to the album, I gotta say, it's a great effort from Carey. She released her very 1st single, "Obssessed", a song response to Eminem and though it's techno-fied, it has a catchy tune.

What amazes me is that the whole album is like a story, a true account of life, hence the title, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel. She kicks start the album with Betcha Gon Know as a prologue to the whole album with the line, "Welcome to a day in my life, memoirs of an imperfect angel". I'm believing that many fans would love to be in her life, for at least a day. Yours truly craves for that too.

It makes me happier when I realized that she's bringing back her effort during the 90s where her songs are so amazing. I wouldn't equate this album back to Daydream or Music Box but it's a fusion between Butterfly and Charmbracelet, if I may say so. The top half of the song list were parts where her past was represented. You can feel her past from songs like H.A.T.E.U (my personal favourite, it stands for Having A Typical Emotional Upset) and probably Standing O and Ribbon. Then the other half about her finding love and got into the love river.

Of course, she ends it with an 80s cover of Foreigner's "I Wanna Know What Love Is" which concludes the album with her wanting to know what love is. It's a brilliant concept I would say. You can personally relate to her experiences if you listen carefully to the lyrics. Also, she has added quite a number of preludes, interludes, reprises that connects the songs. If you listen closely, Languishing (Interlude) plays the intro of "I Wanna Know What Love Is" at the end of the interlude and slowly emerge into the full song. I find that quite cool, in a way.

If in any case you don't trust the album, I would recommend that you listen to the last 4 songs. Then move on slowly to the whole album and you can discover certain things where Carey is best at. She always gives surprises to her fans. It's like everytime you listen to her song, you'll find something new, be it skill, lyrics, or even emotions. This album has proven that she is more than a vocal acrobat.

Why buy the album? It's cool. As you can see from the above picture, it has a Mimi Elle magazine inside. Imagine an Elle magazine with a full album and her re-pose of her older album covers, you will find it an album worth your money. I bought it the first day it reached Malaysia. Don't buy the Malaysian edition because the difference in price is only RM10 but you only get her cover.

All in all, it's an album that speaks of her being in love, out of love and finding love for her future. This effort just made "Imperfect" seem perfect.

Here's her performance in Today show. Listen to the last part of her signature whistle register. It was jaw-dropping.

Worth Your Watch

2009-09-19T22:08:00.003+08:00

It's been awhile since I watched another movie. I've been looking forward to this movice since I saw the poster all over the theatres but I never really had the time to watch it. So it's a great Saturday where the crazy fellas are out with me to catch it.

It's Katherine Heigl by the way. She's really pretty for a start. The beginning was rather exciting to have Katy Perry's "Hot N' Cold" as the introductory song. Slowly, it progressed into something really hilarious, like laugh-out-loud-ness from almost the beginning till the end. Not forgetting their sexy and snappy conversations, with multiple catch phrases that just makes you burst out into laughter. What amused me more in the beginning was the direct translation of our Malays Language for the movie. The Ugly Truth - Kebenaran Yang Pahit. Give me a break translators!

When Gerard Butler speaks on The Ugly Truth, I can pretty much relate to it. I guess it's really a guy-thing to just want to look at the outward appearance. I mean come'n, if a guy is not even attracted to your outward appearance from a distance, I don't think there'll be a high chance for him to know your inner personality. And, I personally think that it applies to girls as well. Which girl doesn't want a hot and good looking boyfriend right?

Frankly, the catch phrases are funny but definitely obscene. Eg. fake orgasm is better than no orgasm (that's when Mike was teaching Abby how to get Colin). Almost the whole show is about giving a sex education, putting guys in a perverted place but did you see the desperateness of Katherin Heigl after 11 months? But at the end of the day does true love really exist, surpassing all the outward appearance? You tell me.

Anyway, Katherine Heigl is hot but she's been playing this kinda role since a million years ago. Don't get me wrong, she's good at acting like those desperate middle-aged women, can't get a boyfriend and end up being an old woman with 9 cats. I can't imagine her playing a role like jumping down from an airplane, chasing terrorists or something. But what else do you expect from a romantic comedy right? Try the trailer.

So fellas, the show is worth your watch if you want some laughter. I think I laughed too hard I almost got a heart attack (inclusive of the 3 hours of non-stop laughter before the show). One setback is that they censored too many parts where it's really obvious. It's either Malaysian censorship board improve on their censoring skills or they don't censor at all OR let the film industry in Malaysia die of totally because I'm promoting downloads and pirated DVD nowadays.

It's been an awesome day of eating, climbing, talking, laughing, watching and laughing again. I feel extremely exhausted now but am loving it! Oh, now I just need a break for both myself and my wallet.

It's The Hike ala Broga Hill

2009-09-13T20:53:00.004+08:00

Adventures are always out there to get me. For some reason, I ain't anyone sporty who goes for futsal or basketball in the middle of the night. Neither do I swim as often as any athletes but I do enjoy outdoor challenges like what I did yesterday MORNING. Yes, you heard me! I woke up at 4am in the morning to go for a hike at Broga Hill. Ok, I didn't even sleep, that explains how I was able to be there at 4am.

My awesome bunch of high school friends~

Seriously, the hike up the hill was pretty challenging especially when it was pitch dark. Thank God for friends who brought torchlight because a diva like me would probably think that they have street lamps up the jungle. Previous experiences taught me to not hold anything or to keep your hands occupied. I just carried a backpack with my bottle and some clean clothes. A camera is a must-take though.

Being a rock climber(beginner only), I am quite proud to say that the simple skills I learnt helped me hike up the hill without feeling tired. It took us about 1 and a half hours to reach there. On the way, I was so hyped up that I keep on singing while hiking up. Guess what's the song? I can almost see it, the dream I'm dreamin' but, there's a voice inside my head sayin', you'll never reach it...(queue Miley Cyrus's The Climb).

I gotta say, the view and atmosphere up the hill was just breathtaking and picturesque. It's like you need to be there to see the nice view. We were anticipating for the sunrise, getting our cameras ready. Time goes by and all we see was the sky getting brighter and brighter, but never saw the sun. I guess we were on the wrong side of the hill. Nonetheless, it was still a great view when everything's brightened up.

I didn't get to take a lot of pictures because my ~~camera sucks~~ I was busy enjoying the atmosphere up there. So here are some of the views:

Sky at 6-ish

It's getting brighter~

Isn't this view just breathtaking?
I sang The Hills are alive with the sound of Kelvin~ =p

This looks like some TVB scenes.

I can't wait to go for more of these kinda activities because I really enjoy them because I love challenges. Now I can be proud to say that I've conquered a hill, just a small one. Good memories huh?

I love the backview~

I had to camwhore~

And we saw Mariah up the hill~

Maybe I should start training for Mount Kinabalu....or a hill higher than Broga Hill for a start. Can't wait for more adventures!

Me Love Rock

2009-09-08T23:48:00.004+08:00

Rock climbing, me love.
One of the best sports ever.
1st picture ever since I started rock climbing.
There's nothing to break, except for barriers.
Challenge yourself!
Let's go someday together?

Proper Closure

2009-09-08T23:25:00.003+08:00

The last whole semester was just mindblowing. It's like there's so much to do, juggling between everything and anything else, but the semester just flew past in seconds. I'm sure you've read my post on the post-exam fever, or not, but I just felt so lethargic.

Finally, I can officially have a proper closer to last semester because I guess everything from last semester has been done and over with. Apart from the heavy and stressful studying, I had to continue giving tuition classes. Here's a short breakdown:

August 1 - 21: Studying and having exams like mad
August 21 (night): Nicole's birthday party
August 22 - 25: Living Faith Camp
August 26: MediaPresenter/Replacement of tuition classes/Steamboat with Fishes
August 27: Tuition replacements
August 28: Orientation
August 28 - 30: CF CPR
August 31: Merdeka!

It was like back to back events and to-dos. Honestly, I had fun doing everything on the list. Being tired the fun way is just so amazing, just that I wanted some rest though.

This semester's CPR was one of the most nostalgic ones. There were cries, there were laughs, there were transparencies and all. It was a good time for the committee to really share with one another. It was just very awesome, to me. I'm believing as we take up a new challenge this semester to do something outta our comfort zone. Committees, stick close yo!

The main reason why it took me so long to close last semester was because of the inefficiency of UCSI to release the results of my exams.

I know the results are good at all. Remember I said I was really lazy last semester (or did I?)? It's like something has gotten into me. Maybe it's just the amount of things I needed to do. But again, that isn't a good excuse at all. I take the blame for being lazy and I still thank God for these results because I don't think I deserve them, frankly speaking. Ask me if you wanna know!

However, I can explain International Business. The lecturer was a pure dumbell. I just can't find any words bad enough to describe her. Not only she doesn't teach, but she is just a piece of crap. After checking with almost all the students in this subject, she just barely passed us in our Finals. That means whether you completed your paper or not, she would still give you a pass. So I'm not guilty at all for getting this results. Screw that piece of shit (again, please don't insult shit).

But anyway, I shall not care too much anymore because she's gone for good. Hopefully she won't be hired in any other places to destroy people's life. Yeah, her name is Yap Pei Ling (such a stupid name for her).

And, I shall focus on my new semester, which is equally tough since it's in a short semester. 5 chapters a day is no joke, especially when you end up not knowing what is being taught. But I shall persevere and continue praying for God's wisdom and guidance.

...so proper closure. Thank God!

Living Faith 2009!!!

2009-09-08T22:52:00.002+08:00

I know I'm too lazy to dig out the tonnes of photos we had in camp (thanks to the overflowing of photographers we had) to write a proper blog post about this fantastically planned camp. Special credits to the committee and all glory to God (this is my latest praising God phrase). Anyway, the camp was in Golden Sands Assembly, Port Dickson.

The planning was fun because we always laugh too much during our meetings. But then of course we still get things done. It was really by God's grace that the camp went along smoothly (except for the sudden hiccups, but it's fine) because all the committee members were extremely busy last semester. Thank God we still find time and take responsibility.

People behind the scenes~

Anyway, the camp was a blast. Everyone that went enjoyed themselves a lot. It's like there's this special bonding between all the campers. We stuck pretty closely even after camp. The post camp syndrome was madness, from the facebook status updates + comments to the uploads oh photos + comments as well. People nowadays can just comment on a picture and after 50comments, almost every comment after that has nothing to do with the picture. But it's really nice to see everyone enjoyed and learned something after camp. Praise God again!

So here are some of the pictures that I took from my Facebook page. There are millions more in my laptop but I'm too lazy to look for pics. Enjoy some of the pictures because they speak a million words.

My awesome "Flip" group whose performance I deemed to be the best~
Go Flip!

Apparently she's Lady JaJa~

Last few shots for the camp before we left~

And finally the groupy~
What's with the pageant-y pose in front!

I hope everyone who went enjoyed themselves because I did. I personally find it a very meaningful and awesome camp. I met quite some new people and then got closer to some of the older ones as well. I love camp.

Oh, by the way, after camp, I realized I have a film coming up. I'm in the midst of creating the whole storyline and script it. Any suggestions?

Promo poster~

Photos courtesy of ClickerEditor/NallyWoo/Henry/Joseph***

Shopping Made Meaningful

2009-09-04T00:41:00.003+08:00

"Wah, Kelvin, you're off today? So free?" speaks with happy voice.

I've been spending a lot of time with friends, activities, TV and other things but family, and it's definitely not healthy. I purposely dropped everything today just to spend time with my mum and my grandaunty whom I missed a lot. I don't even visit her and my grandma and I feel extremely guilty about that.

My grandaunty loves shopping...in a hypermarket i.e. Tesco. It's so not my cup of tea but she likes it. So I shall accompany her no matter what. It's been quite an experience because I don't even bother going to the supermarket to get anything.

I don't even know how to choose onions and garlics...or watermelons. I kinda learned some techniques today. Oh, how could I forget the fact that I didn't know where they put the cooking oil. I went around the whole Tesco and still I couldn't find it. Luckily there were salespersons. Did you know that shopping in a hypermarket takes skills? You need to know what were the prices previously to see if the things are worth buying or not. Not forgetting the skills to look for the things you need.

One thing I learned was that shopaholicism is in my genes. It's like every family member of mine enjoys buying stuff. When I see the happiness in my grandaunty's eyes buying her fish, chicken, onions, garlics, I see myself buying things and in my case - clothes and other stuff. It's like she doesn't have to think when she buys. "One packet of maggi mee? Maybe I'll get two. Oh, there's the Kimchi flavour, should get two more. What about the Tom Yam one?". And then, all of them went into the trolley.

I had fun shopping with my grandaunty, spending some time with her. Well, I know, shopping in a hypermarket is so unclassy, but hey, it depends on who's doing it - ME!

I shall fulfill my new goal beginning this semester.

Signs, Patrick Hughes

2009-08-26T02:47:00.003+08:00

I was introduced to this awesome video in Youtube. The shots were amazing and the storyline was good. Enjoy :p

If only I'll be able to produce something like this. It would be even more amazing if I can act in something like this.

All Posts Break Loose

2009-08-22T01:10:00.004+08:00

I know I haven't been updating my blog. "Here are the highlights for this week" (queue MetroNews)

Where Have I Been?
It has been an amazing journey for the past 2 weeks. I know I haven't been active in my chatbox as well as my blog but I was still quite active in my Twitter and Facebook (or maybe not). Even when my MSN is on, I obviously wasn't in my room. So where did I go, you ask?

Yes, due to the crazy exams for the past 2 weeks, I had to study in the kitchen. Imagine I have to study in front of the PC, I would probably remember my chat logs instead of the study areas. I think the toughest papers were yesterday's Company Law and today's Operations Management. There's simply too much to read. I was so stressed these few days, I couldn't even sleep well tonight. Today, during the last paper, I finished at 5.30pm. When I heard the proctor said, "You are free to go now", I can't help it but to say a big Hallelujah. Now that it's over, I am so relieved. I almost died waiting for the proctor to collect the paper. The feeling is just too indescribable.

But, despite the exams, I still have to teach tuition like 4 days a week. But I do enjoy it.

Movies
Throughout the whole semester of busyness and then the exams, I still managed to catch some movies. No I didn't watch The Proposal, neither did I watch Up, nor did I watch G.I. Joe. I didn't even watch District 9. All these shows are the shows that I want to watch. But I watched these 2 shows:

These are pretty good shows that depicts good moral values and they are funny too. Both by Mandy Moore, and I enjoyed them thoroughly. By the way, the DVDs belong to Mel.

Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Just before the crazy stupid week of the exams, I managed to go for MPO's Preservation Hall Jazz Band performance with the fishes. It was so awesome that I felt like dancing whenever I was listening to them sing. Their performances were practically flawless. Their singing is so awesome that most of the time, I will feel like standing up to dance.

The awesome Fishes~

It's amazing how I thought I wasn't a fan of Jazz but I actually enjoyed it. It was such a blessing that we were sitting right in front of them and you can enjoy every part of it with no obstacles. They were all very talented. I personally like the part when they were playing with each other with the instruments. They are all so cheeky and funny. Too bad we couldn't take any pictures of the event.

Fitness
I joined:

And I'm enjoying every moment of it when I'm there.

Rock Climbing:
I missed it thoroughly.

Camp
Now that exams are over, I am looking forward to Camp which is tomorrow or rather later in the morning. I can't believe time flew so fast and now I'm going to camp already. I'm looking forward to get relaxed and destress.

See you guys when I'm back in 4 day's time. I'm planning to go for a movie marathon watching all the movies I mentioned above. Anyone up for it? Like back to back ones. Let me know if you're interested.

"That's all for this week. Have a great night. Goodnight to all of you". (Queue MetroNews)