Of packing and moving

Sorry for the unannounced hiatus. I didn't intend to leave it at that last post before going off the radar for a while. It's been a hectic three weeks for me. I moved out from the halls in the first week of June. Not only was it physically taxing, but emotionally as well. After having lived with my hall mates for this significant amount of time, they grow on you. Sure, I'll probably still see some of them in campus or in the streets of Oxford, but its just not the same not being able to walk two steps out from your room and find someone to talk to when you're feeling lonely. Anna, Jimmy and Amanda. I will surely miss them to bits.

Moving out has made me realized that I'm a collector of things. Random pieces of junk, sheets of papers and articles and books (apart from all the clothes, of course). Sure, I'd love to have these worldly possessions with me in the following term, but moving them into storage was a feat which gave me backaches and sore muscles for the better part of my vacation. Needless to day, I got rid of quite a few things.

Packing the remaining stuff was no picnic either. I was pretty much required to sort things into 4 categories: for Storage, for Italy, Self-Care Package while I crash over at a friends' before I return to Malaysia and for Malaysia. It was a sorting nightmare. And couple that with storage woes due to my forgetfulness, transport and financial problems, tight schedule and lethargy, makes for one hellaciously brain damaging experience I want to forget. But I thank all my gods that almost everything fell into place at the very last crucial nerve wrecking second. Otherwise I would have been rendered homeless, with boxes of my stuff on the street curb, plane tickets in hand with no way of going to the airport.

But almost as soon as I left for my vacation, everything turned around for the better and my worries started to melt away in the Venetian waters. More on that later. And now, I'm crashing over at a friend's, looking forward to the concert tomorrow and then back to Malaysia in due time. :)

And by the way, these are previously unpublished photos of my room in Crescent Hall. The room I called home for 38 weeks. It too will be missed.

Wham

Sod off.

2010 | A Year in Warhol-esque Pictures

It seems this is the third time I'm presenting a picture from every month of the past year. Sort of a review in pictures. I like it. It forces me to sift through files of pictures allowing me to recollect all the good times I've had.

But just to add that smidgen of wonkyness to the collection of pictures this year, I've edited them into slightly Warhol-esque pictures by playing with the colours.

January | We were together after such a long time. We need another meet-up



February | We drank the night away, by the beach.



March | We all wore green that day.



April | We took a group picture but in reverse.



May | We finished our crit! And started to part ways.



June | We took to Redang Island, and had the best time together!



July | We went crazy taking pictures.



August | We gave two people a tart.



September | I went abroad, a change of scenery.



October | We had our first few dinner gatherings.



November | I saw some Warhol



December | It snowed and snowed and snowed.

2010 was an interesting year. I'm not all that sure how I could sum it up. It was a mix of ups and downs. Bits I will keep in my mind forever and events I wish to purge from memory. Certain incidences may have messed me up but fuck it, that's just life. Things won't miraculously change for the better, there's a process that we all have to go through.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that just because the year is ending doesn't mean everything will change for the better. We're still in this continuum which at anytime, anything can happen. But it's the effort and the actions we take that can alter the course of our future. So, take charge of your future. Take a chance. And if it doesn't come out favourable, there's always alcohol.


Happy 2011 everybody,
see you next year!

Bad Week

I've been having a pretty bad week. Firstly, the Chinese New Year break ended and I had to get my ass back here to PJ. Then classes started up again and I discovered that my Integrated Project was a catastrophe in the making. Then I got my results for the first assignment of Studio which I had nothing to complain about because I did below par. I really think I was about a week away from pushing my design forward to a much better state, but as fate would have it, time was just not on my side. And let's not forget about the shitty Environmental Science report.

Then I suffered from a cough which still last up to this second. And I'm wondering if I'm ever going to get my voice back. Then two days ago, my eyes kinda got a little swollen for no apparent reason and everytime I blinked, it freakin' hurts. DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES AN AVERAGE HUMAN BLINKS?!?! But it has subsided since this morning and it's getting better.

And today I found out that I got summoned for running a red light back in Penang. Which is absolutely terrible. Good lord, I cannot believe this. It's just been a week and I've been encountering such misfortunes. And I still got so much work to do!

I swear to god, if there wasn't a party at Sophia's or the house visit to Jon and Kairi's, I would have spilled my marbles all over the god damned floor.


Good night. Stay tuned for more.

Roof

| On the roof top of Sunway Pyramid

There are so many assignments lined up. Some of which excites me and others not so much. Yesterday I just submitted some pretty crappy work for Environmental Science. I feel that subject is like the stepchild that I always neglect. I need to sort out my priorities better next time.


Stay tuned for more.

Could Have

My first assignment for Studio is done, presented, critiqued and over with. It was abysmal. I definitely felt I could have done better had it not been a 4 week long project. One more week would probably have given me the opportunity to really push my design to the next stage where it could go. My lack in effort was also to be blamed but then again, I fell completely ill in the critical days before the crit and that really screwed up my timing because I am confident I could have come up with something better had I not been lying practically lifeless on the bed for 12 hours on the day when it mattered most.

I think it was sabotage.

I think i'm paranoid.

No, actually I'm to blame for not eating healthy.

Anyway, It's over now and I'm back in Penang all ready for Chinese New Year. I'm just going to take it easy for a while and take in the festivities for it's only going to be a week before I'm back in the hell hole that i call PJ. Yay!


Stay tuned for more.

Hell and back

Just a little teaser to my Studio 3 final project. My critique was held today and I hope everything went smoothly as I think it did.

I came early to set up my presentation board and models and clear up the studio a little a bit. I managed to print said presentation board and my portfolio AND also construct a simple model all within yesterday. I did not have to pull an all-nighter like I did the semester before (which left me looking like deranged psycopath lurking along the college grounds) and got sufficient sleep yesterday night! It was a good day for me.

As for the week before, THAT was a whole other story. I went to hell and back all within that god forsaken week. Infact, I went to hell, stayed there for a little while, watching my sanity chip off one piece at a time and crawled back to life with my two bare hands. I suffered 17-hour-days in college and only got up to 5 hours of sleep. I was deprived of proper meals (I remember one of my lunches was comprised of a delicious piece of bread...white bread with a good spread of nothing). I was cut off from the internet (it's just so distracting). And my best memory of last week was when I found a solution to resolve the issue of circulation in my gallery bridge by having an adjacent pedestrian walkway.

That was one hell of a week.
Literally.


Stay tuned for more.

Painful to watch

So, yesterday was my Studio internal crit and that explains why over the past week I've been so frazzled and occupied and just oh-so-busy. I've been having late nights and am now sleep deprived. I consider food as that stuff that keeps me going instead of pure bliss like I normally do. Architectural ideas and drawings are all that I constantly see in my mind's eye. And I LITERALLY SLEPT ON MY DRAWINGS AND MODELS. I mean I woke up yesterday and found myself in my bed surrounded and I MEAN SURROUNDED by pieces of crumpled and rolled paper, massing models, scraps, paper bags and an array of stationary. It was just insane. I've never felt trashier than ever.

And to make matters worse. The crit didn't go well at all. During the presentations, the words that left the lecturer's lips include 'awful', 'painful to watch', 'utterly horrible', 'really really bad' , 'worse' and 'terrible'. It was a bloodbath that left us all soaked in despair.

But I know that I've got to just suck it up and do what I need to do to get things done for the external crit which be at the end of the month.


Stay tuned for more.

C-Day

The critique is over. That hellish day when I don't know what to expect and am just left there sweaty palmed, nervous and just thiiiiiis close to hurling all the contents of my stomach which is actually not alot considering the fact that I haven't eaten all that much in the past few days to begin with.

From now on, assignment due dates are to be blamed for my unhealthy eating lifestyle which ultimately ends up with my weight loss and going back home where every family member and friend will go on to say to me "You look damn thin."

Uh huh, Don't you think I know that! Go blame the assignments.

Back on track, this semester, our crit session was held at the Gallery which really was something special as the usual crits are held in the studios. I guess it's because our batch of students are slightly smaller in comparison to the other batches.

- Critique at the Gallery

My critique didn't go smoothly. It was a real rocky journey. One I would definitely most likely want to forget and sweep under the carpet. Almost everything that I thought would go wrong went wrong. Everything I hoped they wouldn't ask, they asked and added even more. So, is this self-fulfilled prophecy or what!?

I'll also blame it on the fact that I got slightly tough crits. But I know I'm probably the real one to blame for not meeting the requirements and not being critical enough on myself and on my design development stages. I need to question myself more. But I did get one teeny-tiny positive remark from the crits which I can only view as a bone that they had to throw at me just because I probably looked like a wounded dog after all of their harsh (but true) remarks. Just a way to make me feel slightly better I think. But it didn't work. While most of my coursemates faired well, I on the other hand can only hope that I get a decent grade for this semester to ba able to move on to the next.

But nonetheless, it's over. Which marks the end of the semester! The wrap-up. The finale of my second year in this course.

- post-crit

Stay tuned for more.

Just my Luck

One my assignments this semester involves rendering a video of at least 30 seconds of a 3D model of a building. As most of you would know I'm far from beaing the tech savvy. And naturally, I found this something of a challenge.

So yesterday I was at the college computer lab preparing to render some clips of my video. I had to make minor adjustment to the model and stuff and when I finished, I took off from college at about 10pm and left the computer on to generate the video. Something that you should probably know: A 10 second clip takes about like 8 hours to render. Insane, I know. But it's true.

So this morning I went back to college to collect the finished video. Walked into the lab...saw that the computer I used had its screen off. Upon further inspection, the whole computer was off. Apparently there was this person who was smart enough to unplug my computer so that she could plug in her laptop although I had clearly written a message, and a big message at that, saying: "DO NOT LOG OFF...RENDERING IN PROGRESS."

But unfortunately some people are just utterly blind and amazingly stupid since THERE WAS ANOTHER POWERPOINT AVAILABLE JUST RIGHT NEXT TO THE ONE SHE UNPLUGGED. And further more, she used her laptop just to use MSN messenger. Needless to say my heart sunk. All those hours I poured into that 10 second clip has just been hurled into the recycle bin. Thanks to that remarkably dim-witted soul, I feel as though I'm useless. I'm like a bird with no wings, a student without a teacher, an oversized man with an XS-sized shirt.

Where is my will to live?

Stay tuned for m.....oh who gives a sh*t.....don't stay for all I care.

- A shot of the house I'm currently rendering.

Left Behind

I made a short trip back to Penang for the weekend just to get some matters settled and ironed out like say, getting a new laptop. I finally decided upon HP Pavilion dv4 series with an overall specification which includes Centrino core 2 Duo processor (2.4GHz), NVIDIA GeForce 9200, 2GB RAM (or was it 4...), 300GB storage. And it comes with an integrated webcamera. Interesting stuff and it comes with a price tag to match.

But don't for one second think that I take it for granted, I'm extremely grateful towards my dad for allowing me to purchase such an item in a mere 2 years after the first purchase. And if anyone is keeping tabs, I'm no longer supporting SONY (sorry Jon).

The weekend was a whirlwind and I'd like to think that I took full advantage of it. But if I could have it any other way, I would have preferred to stay in KL and spend time on my Studio work which has not progressed much and thus I'm feeling very left out during my tutorials.

I'm extremely saddened by the fact that my tutor for Studio this semester is not as, how do I put it.....robust and strict as I'd hope for. I know it's such a contradiction to what I'd normally hope for but the truth is, with an uptight and demanding tutor, I'd be forced to work harder to achieve his/her standards and not slack behind due to procrastination and settle on mediocre work.

This is probably one of the greatest challenges I'm facing.


Stay tuned for more.

Pictures are coming soon.

The Deal

So, this is the deal. The whole full blown story I'm tired of repeating:

So last week, I switched on my computer to do a little work. I left it on while I went out to get some lunch as I was re-downloading iTunes since I just recently reformatted my computer. When I came back, the screen saver was on but it looked kinda peculiar. I moved the mouse and the once light bluish-green wallpaper I had of a leaf had turned into some electro-acid-pop art resembling tie die. The colour white still remains white, while any other colour is tinted with PINK! FUCKING PINK!

I put my hand to my laptop and it felt fine. No over heating or anything as my room was still cool from the air-conditioning. And if you're wondering, I've never dropped my laptop before or mishandled it.

So, I went to the Sony service center which happens to be in Mid-Valley and sent it for repair. They reported back to me that it costs 1300 over ringgit and I'm rejecting repair.

So, I'm officially looking into the option of getting a new laptop since Dad was the one who said that if the cost of repair exceeds 1000 ringgit, he'll allow me to get a new one. Any suggestions? My options are somewhat open. And the brands I'm considering are HP, Dell and maybe Mac?

I need something which has at least 2GB of RAM, more than 100GB of storage, and something which can display good graphics since I like to play around with Photoshop and I plan on downloading sketchup.


Stay tuned for more.

This sucks

Just a quick update for ya'll.

I'm occupied trying to come up with concepts and ideas for studio and nothing seems to be flowing out of my mind. I'm still in the midst of searching for something to grasp on before I actually start working on everything else.

My computer is in trouble. It's been damaged and the estimated cost of repair: RM 1300.
Dad says he'll consider getting me a new one. If you think I'm jumping for joy, you're sadly mistaken. I'm in need of a computer right now. Without it, I can't do most of my work.


Stay tuned for more.

Hellish

I've been having a bad time lately. It's been a string a incidents which has made my life oh-so-crappy and caused me to be hell-iciously upset over every little damn thing. As most of you would already know my laptop problems, it has not yet been resolved and I'm currently trying to delete my Norton which has expired but so far, I've been unsuccessful as it keeps on prompting me to insert the Norton cd. I'm just a few steps away from hurling the whole damn thing out from the tenth floor.

Then just recently, I discovered my Touch n' Go card went missing. Now I haven't any idea how much is left in there, but I've searched high and low for it but to no avail. I've thought about it, backtracked and done just about everything. It's gone. FUCKING GONE.

And as of yesterday night, I'm plagued by a bad sorethroat. As if those two incident above aren't bad enough, now I've got this murderous pain in my throat which continually wrecks my day. Oh, just pull the trigger already.


Stay tuned for more of my fucked up life.

Dear computer.

Dear computer,

What's wrong with you?! Are you feeling okay? Is there something bugging you? Why won't you let me open my pictures. Each time I open them you say that I "can't open this picture because I don't have permission to access the file location."

And you won't let me open some of my other programs as well like Photoshop and AutoCAD. I need these programs! They are very important to me! Seriously!

OMFL.

If something is wrong, something MUST be done. We can't go on like this. I've tried restoring you but you wouldn't respond. I need to seek help on your behalf.

Sincerely,
Tech UN-savvy


Guys, suggestions to fix my problems are deeply appreciated.

Oh God

The finals have started are are going to last throughout the week. So, i'll be keeping myself busy with revisions and studying the night(make that evening) away. I'm putting off work on my studio assignment until next week when the exams are over and done with.

I'm very concerned about my Studio work as i'm not very confident in my design approach. I've still got many things to consider and to work out. My friends have had the benefit of consulting the lecturers last week on Wednesday while I was back in Penang. So, I guess i'll try my best to make do with what I have.

PS: I left my cellphone in Penang. It slipped out of my pocket into my dad's car. So, if you want to contact me, you can't. Leave me a message here or e-mail me. Thank you!

PPS: Someone had better refrain from washing their dirty laundry in public.


Stay tuned for more.

Oral Sounds

I've basically accomplished the main reason why I returned to Penang for. I made a trip to the dentist today. Teeth cleaning and cavity fill. Ouch.

Okay, it's not as painful as I had expected. But then I can still hear the high-pitched drilling sounds......eeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkkkkk. That sound always creeps me out. I would like to propose that dentists give their patients earplugs or earmuffs. Or even club me over the head till i'm unconscious. Please, something if anything to muffle that screeching sound of the equiptment grinding against your teeth. The same sounds which can easily equate to a scene in any horror movie.

As the process continues, the drilling bit hits your nerves and you get little jabs of pain in your tooth each time and you're just sitting there, fully conscious while you begin to taste your own blood. Then, the assistant will start to use the suction to suck the saliva shit out of your mouth. And of course you're not able to watch just what the hell is happening. All you see is the dentist staring back at your gaping mouth as he/she asks you to "open wider."

If you ask me, it's not just the pain alone. It's the whole package, inclusive of the sight, auditory and olfactory experience you're treated to. THAT's my motivation for oral hygiene.


So i'll be heading back to PJ this weekend as next week will turn Taylor's into Exam Central. I'll spend beautiful Monday with Architecture History II and Thursday with Building Construction II. And lastly, I'll wrap up the week with Building Services I on glorious Friday. Three papers in one week. Great.....just great.


Stay tuned for more.

Licking my wounds

The day started off pretty badly today. Jon was UBER-ly late during this critical time in our crit and presentation session. Kairi remained cool as a cucumber while Kar Weng and I were about to tear Jon's brains out until he appeared practically 40 minutes late. But when he finally did show up, we brushed aside our emotions and our feelings dissipated. We fixed the costume on him and were whisked off to the 'runway.'

It poured heavily this morning which further drenched my already soaked mood. It wasn't anyone's fault, not the team and not even because of Jon's tardyness. I guess I felt I could have contributed or rather, worked harder for this project. But what really counts is that we worked as a group and we gave it our best shot.

To make matters worse, things didn't go very well for the presentation session either. When it comes to superheroes, the colision between what's reality and what's fiction can be so great that it sometimes leaves the audience with a question mark stuck in their expression. Only a few groups managed to survive when the axe fell and I must admit that they did a terrific job.

Our lecturers kept throwing questions at us which we could not justify and worst of all, they pitched teams against each other. But apparently this is what is to be expected. So I guess our group must just lick our wounds and look forward the way we do assignment after assignment. I musn't hang on to my past mistakes as they've been commited and they are there for a reason: for me to learn. The same thing applies to not clinging on to my past successes.



I think I ate beef the other day. I was out at Marche, The Curve to celebrate the birthday of my aunt (the uncle whom house I am staying in's sister-in-law). It was a good place to go. A great variety of food. I had a salad, grilled salmon and lemonade. I was also offered 2 slices of pizza. When I was going through the second slice I came to notice a piece of pepperoni poking out. I didn't ask if it was beef coz' I didn't wanna waste food, so I just ate it up :)

Stay tuned for more.

P3

PETALING JAYA: A car exploded at Leisure Commerce Square today at approximately 4:15pm. The cause of the explosion however has not been determined at press time. No casualties nor injuries have been reported. The car was parked at the basement of the building on level P3 and the explosion subsequently caused a fire.

Leisure Commerce Square is a commercial building which comprises the Kurnia company, Taylors college and other small enterprises. Most of the occupants including students were evacuated swiftly after the explosion occured. The fire department arrived shortly after and managed to put off the fire.

- The evacuated crowd.

- Shocked and disoriented group.

- Confused students pointing up instead of down towards the basement.

Stay tuned for more.

What doesn't kill you only makes you Stronger

So, I was cycling down Kelawei road in the evening. And i'm cycling, i'm pedalling, i'mma working my ass off on the fourth gear as I head my way to the U-turn at the end which leads you to Gurney Drive. There are no cars behind me nor infront or me as I speed up. Nowadays, i've been taking to the [bicycle] wheel after work just to blow-off some steam and as part of my effort to take advantage of living so close to Gurney Drive.

There were more cars on the opposite side of the road heading away from town. I approach the turn-off to Gurney Hotel on my left. UOB bank is on my right. Still no cars on my side of the road, but it was a different story on the other. Cars were turning into the said turn-off as I approach. I maintained a consistent speed. One car turned, followed by another, and another. I thought to myself 'okay, I should be able to go now'. There were still cars wanting to turn but seeing as I had the right of way, I should be the one who goes first.

Then, it happened.

This fucking silver BMW made a dash for it. It turned right in front of me. I gripped onto my brake hard as I could. I heard my tyres scrape against the asphalt. I swerved my bicycle to the right and leaned in the same direction. Too little too late. The left side of my bicycle slammed against his car and all I could remember is this scraping sound.

We both stopped. I was still on my bicycle. I checked myself, arms and legs still intact. The bicycle, nothing. I escaped with some scrapes on my arm.

The stunned feeling I had soon turned to anger as I gained composure and made my way to the bastard who had pulled over. And this is the BEST part. He comes out, and IMMEDIATELLY checks his fucking car for damages before even asking me how I was. It was this ang moh kau son of a bitch. All I could think of while he makes a circle around his vehicle, his eyes glued to it was, 'Wow, that's fan-fucking-tastic...you check out your car before making sure this living human over here is alright. You definitely deserve a humanitarian award!'

Oh, and the cherry on top of this god-dammed incident is when he asks me "Did you see me as I was turning?"

WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?!?!? WHAT DO YOU MEAN DID I SEE YOUR ASSOHOLIC FACE. I HAD THE RITE OF PASSAGE YOU INSOLENT OLD BASTARD!!! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!!! YOU COULD HAVE KILLED ME! DOES THAT NOT MEAN A THING TO YOU, YOU HEARTLESS S.O.B.!!!

Seeing as I only sustained some scrapes and nothing major happened to my bike, I didn't stake any claims. He on the other hand, had scratches made on his BMW by the side of my bicycle. All I said to him was "Pay attention and be more careful next time!" While he replied "You too."

And for that snarky comment from him, I think he deserves another scratch on his fucking car. You know what, make that a hundred. Or maybe someone should just gauge his eyes out. I swear, I am bringing my cleaver the next time I go cycling.

As a friend of mine always says...Karmaaaa