Cass's bday was last wed but a group of us celebrated her bday on thurs instead..it was a fun day indeed.

It all started with Ian gathering people available to celebrate the special day. He then began planning on how to carry out the 'activities' of the day...
Ian, the Mastermind...


Danny, a fellow 'conspirator'..haha!



Jane was responsible to accompany Cass for some makan and to tag along with her wherever she went in uni. When we received news that they were in the Religious Centre for some prayer, the group of us made our way there to prepare the cake and to spring out a surprise.

Soon, Cass and Jane made their way out.

An oblivious Cass (on the left)



And then we ran up to her with the bday cake!


Obviously, Cass was very surprised to see us...


After singing a bday song, we made our way to the Meeting Point in the campus centre for some lunch. On the way, Danny took out my water bottle full of water from my bag. Apparently, the sabotage is about to begin.

Danny opened the bottle and appeared to drink some water from it. As he did so, he inched his way closer to Cass and when she was off guard, Danny did the honours of pouring the water onto Cass!

A drenched Cass..


Me busy explaining "I had brought the bottle purely for drinking purposes only...was not meant for sabotage.." haha!



After some 'wet' time, we finally went for lunch during which Cass cut the cake..


But of course, plan B of the sabotage has just begun..haha! Some of us took some cream and wiped it on her face!


Kind kind Sylvia then helped to clean Cass's face..


After all the fun, laughter and sabotaging, we ended up the celebration with a prayer for Cass. All in all, it was indeed a fun-filled day fitting for relaxation in the midst of exams!

Acknowledgements: Thanks to Antonius for agreeing to let me post the above pics taken by him. Antonius is an avid (and amatuer) photographer and if you are interested in seeing his works, you can go to http://www.pbase.com/astha2

Being bored...decided to take a photo of the Kakashi toy i bought long ago..hehe!



kawaii rite?

The furore in Aussie for these past few days: an Australian (origins frm Vietnam) is about to be executed in Singapore for possession of 400grams of drugs.

Brief summary of case:
>Aussie was about to fly off from Changi Airport to Sydney in 2002. He was caught having 400 grams of drugs strapped around his body and in his luggage.
>Aussie admitted guilt and cooperated with all police authorities to help nab an international syndicate.
>Sentenced to death (In singapore, if one carries more than 15 grams of illegal drugs, the offence carries a mandatory death penalty.)
>Appeal for clemency has been rejected by the President of Singapore.
>Having exhausted all diplomatic channels, Australian lawyers, parliament and opposition party have rallied together to publicly appeal to the Singapore cabinet to spare the aussie's life.

My personal view is that saving this australian's life is rather bleak. why? coz i cant recall a case whereby the President of Singapore did provide clemency. Earlier this year in Singapore, an Indian was executed for possession of drugs despite a huge uproar from the public and repeated pleas. U guessed it rite, the president of singapore did not give clemency to the Indian despite the pleas.

Singapore has always been tough on its laws...especially when dealing with illegal drugs. Their mandatory death sentence is meant as a deterrance. It instills fear in people, so that they will avoid the conduct of possessing drugs. As a matter of fact, the law has succeeded in instilling fear. This explains why NONE of the executed convicts ARE drug syndicate BOSSES/LEADERS (this may be subject to rebuttal). Even if it is a sweeping statement, one cannot deny that majority of the executed are merely scapegoats..In other words, the death penalty has not eliminated the root...the sprout is still growing.

I must say that I am rather appalled that clemency was not given to the young Australian. This is based on the fact that the Singapore Consitution actually provides room for clemency should the convict provide invaluable assistance and help to the police authorities. This was what the Australian did! He never denied his crime. He was forthcoming in his crime and had provided full cooperation, revealing invaluable information about the drug syndicate he was smuggling the drugs for. Has singapore turned a blind eye on his cooperation? I dont know as i do not know the exact facts..but from wat it seems, u can guess...

As I write this, I have a feeling that as the international pressure builds up on the Singapore Cabinet to spare the young man's life, the tougher the Cabinet's stand gets. The Singapore govt has always shown itself to be not swayed by any superpower. This was evident in the case when Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong procceded on with his private visit to Taiwan despite huge protests from the China government. Hence, should the Singapore Cabinet change its decision due to this mounting pressure, it may open a floodgate that may have unimaginable backlashes. Moreover, should Singapore proceed with the execution of the Australian, it would be able to send a very very strong signal that there's no way of escaping punishment in Singapore should you be caught with drugs. There's no way in hell that you can be saved....

If you ask me whether the Australian should be hanged. I would only say "Give the man the due punishment and no more than that." I am in no position to debate over whether Singapore should execute the Australian as it deals with so many issues which extend to the political and economic level.

I pray and hope....would i be surprised if the Australian is not executed? I would be surprised to find myself say 'yes'...

In this time of stress, let me tell u a joke...it's a true story that Ian told me just now, but will just modify a tiny winy bit

There was a tourist who was driving in the busy streets of Kuala Lumpur. Unfortunately, he got lost and called his Malaysian friend for help.

Tourist: "Help! I m lost!"

Malaysian:"kz...don't panic..where r u now?"

Tourist: "i don't know!"

Malaysian:"ok, wat road r u on? look for a sign that says 'jalan' something."

Tourist looks around and found the sign..

Tourist:"Yes i know where i m now. I am at Jalan Sehala...."

Malaysian: -_-'''

THE END


NB: Jalan Sehala means "one way only"

Tomorrow is the official last day of my 1st semester in Clayton. Come to think of it, i think tt i have been blessed this semester. Aside from having no Asian shows to entertain me as i have back in malaysia, i have come to know many great frens tt have made my stay here so far a very memorable one. i must admit that life here has been better than i had initally thought it to be.

Lectures and tutorials here are of a higher quality than back in Monash Malaysia, but one thing about lectures and tutorials in monash malaysia is tt they are of a more 'friendly' atmosphere. some may beg to differ but this is just my personal opinion.

Currently having flashbacks now..time really flies.touched down here on 4th july. had to rush to find a place to settle down and having to cope with the huge expenses on buying necessities. not to mention being handicapped with no internet connection at home then.

Looking back on my 13 weeks of stay here, i should give myself a pat on my back for a job well done. i think that i have done an excellent job in adapting to the new environment here and i have delivered what was expected of me (from myself). i think i have managed matters in a matured and sensible manner (well, most of the times..) come to think of it, there's isnt anything i think i did bad...maybe the cooking part larz...haha! my housemates can practically guess wat i m gonna cook everyday now since i have limited dishes to cook..lolx! i'm just lazy to cook those dishes tt require a lot of prep during this period of time...since i m busy with preparing with exams.

Talking abt preparations for exams...3 weeks ago, i thought that i was a goner...3 weeks later...i have this to say "BRING IT ON MATE!" I am glad that i have managed to stick to my timetable (though there were some hiccups here and there due to re-doing of assignments) and come through. i couldnt have asked for more and everything is falling into place. getting better at handling exams i think...in terms of the physical preparation and mentally.

All in all, it's been a hell of a ride for the past 13 weeks and i enjoyed most of the times here. i m really blessed with good tutors and lecturers this sem...guess i will miss them...maybe i will see some of my stats tutors in future..but most prob not...going onto more complex stats next yr liaoz..

Gambate!

AUSSIE! AUSSIE! AUSSIE!

attended caregroup last nite at ivy's place..been a weekly activity and i must say tt i m liking it more each week

yesterday's teachings was abt forgiveness. as usual, ivy said something tt struck me (or else i wouldnt be writing this entry..lol).

During our primary schools "Don't wanna be your fren already" was a very common sentence we said (admit it! i did!). if our frens did something to upset us or if our frens did not do something we ask of, we always threaten to be "not your fren anymore".

i have always thought i have grown out of this childish thought...but hey, think again...though we dun say this sentence anymore, our actions today actually reflect this. in other words, our "dont wanna be your fren already" is done in a very adult fashion. how many of us here avoid frens coz we cant stand them? how many of us here pretend that we dunno certain frens coz these frens have hurt/betrayed us in the past? i m guilty of it...and i know u r too...

hence, although we no longer say "i dun wanna be ur fren anymore", our actions have actually not grown out of this childish sentence..sad isnt it?

truthfully speaking, i dunno where i stand now. i have hated ppl b4...really hated them..to the extent that i hoped that they vanish into thin air. however,as ivy was teaching abt forgiveness last nite, i was reflecting upon my life so far.

i have come across frens tt betrayed me, frens tt avoided me, frens tt really put me off, frens that walked over my head, frens that pretend to be frens...only to stab u in the back when u least expect it...u may think tt i m cursing them now as of today..but the amazing thing is...as i went thru those reflections, i dun feel a single sense of anger. i m already numb towards them. is this forgiveness? i dunno...all i know that there's no point in bearing grudges against them...coz wat's important is the future and not the past.

many of u have heard abt me complaining abt shariah (some of u know) b4. this person has pissed me off in many occasions and made my blood boiled endlessly..but now, i actually feel sorry for him. i no longer bear any grudge against him although he has done things tt insulted my integrity...

i dunno if this is forgiveness or a sign of 'cant be bothered". but i m sure of this. i m a changed person....for the better...cant really explain in words, but my changed thoughts have made me realise a side i never thought i had...amazing? maybe...

this week has been rather an excrutiating week..no..not frm the study of exams..but frm my ankle.

after my shower on monday, when i stepped out of the shower place, i experienced a sudden and stinging pain on my right ankle that nearly caused me to lose my balance. since tt moment, my ankle would be under extreme pain whenever i stand or walk. the best part of it all, there's no visible sign of swelling or bruise..neither is there much pain as i twist my ankle here and there. the pain only exists when i walk and the longer i walk...the greater the intensity of the pain, till it reaches the maximum. when the pain is at its maximum, i can only drag my right foot home..literally...

seen the doctor in uni..she couldnt diagnose the exact cause and referred me to get an xray and bone scan. under my dad's advise, i went to see another doctor to get a 2nd opinion. indeed, the 2nd doctor also recommended me to get an xray. however, the 2nd doc felt tt a bone scan was unnecessary. therefore, an xray i did...costed me AUS$71.90. will try to claim frm my health cover...results of xray will reach my referral doc on monday..

let me summarise wat the 2 doctors think the cause of the pain be:
1. bone fracture
2. bone infection/virus
3. bone tumour (which the 2nd doc says occurs in 1 in a million...)
4. nerve problem (only cure is to rest the leg)

as for now, i can only bear with the pain as i walk..m wearing an ankle brace now..but doesnt seem to help much..maybe i should consider renting clutches...haha!

thanks a lot to ivy, rachel, junwei, susan, thomas and ian for your love/care/concern...haha! esp to ivy...feel so paiseh to bother u when u're still busy wif exams..thanks a lot guys

hopefully, i will recover as soon as possible and start kicking again! haha!

as for exams...i m totally on schedule..so no worries abt preparation now...

God willing, i will overcome all these

should be focusing on my exams now actually, but somehow i have been thinking what i want to do after graduating...afterall, i m approaching the end of my 2nd yr in uni (yes..time flies...at the speed of light.)
been searching for answers and i finally found my answer....i was speaking to my econs tutor (who is doing his PHD degree now) after class today abt life after bachelor degree..he offered me very helpful advice and now i just confirmed it on the monash website

i have decided on wat to do after graduating...yes, papa and mama, take note...hehe!
i will be furthering my studies and undertaking an Honours Degree in Economics/Econometrics. i feel that i m a very lucky person...i m currently majoring in Economics and Econometrics and the Honours Degree in Economics/Econometrics is 1 of the only 3 honours degree program available to me! it's like hitting the jackpot!

will have to be very careful in selecting my units next yr as some units are prerequisite units for my honours degree. unable to confirm which units are the ones since the webpage is not available..sianz

yupz, now that i have a goal after the current goal i m pursuing...i feel motivated again...haha! may the journey i m abt to ride be a smooth and enjoyable one.

oh ya, this also translates into being...i will be staying in australia longer than i thought...hehe!

all da best for exams!

"Hardwork beats talent if talent does not do hard work..."

in the midst of constructing a major exam preparation timetable...situation seems brighter now...how abt u? try making one and abide it...

"What is the last thing you want to see before you go blind?"
"The tomorrow with you and I..."

"Everyone should have a good pair of shoes, cause this pair of shoes will bring you to the most beautiful places on earth"

"Your heart is the warmest home I have. May I go home?"

"If you feel like crying, do a double handstand. This way, the tears that were about to flow out will not be able to."

"Love is like a firepit in snow. You want to enjoy the warmth, but am afraid of getting burnt."

"I would rather be friends than lovers. Lovers last for a moment, friends last forever."

"Love is like sand and wind. When the wind blows, the sand follows."

"Secretly loving and protecting someone is like flying a kite. You know that you cannot reach the kite so high up in the sky, but you will never let go of the string attached to the kite."


Imagine if all these phrases were in chinese....this is the power of chinese....

hmmz...i think i m living in some kind of denial, refusing to accept that today's the last day of the hols...sighz...

i know that once tomorrow comes, the pace is gonna be full steam ahead. there will be no room for slacking and not much time left for playing. doesnt help tt my msn contacts are having nicks such as "23 days to exams" , "22 days to exam" and "studying for exams..."

this hols has not been really a hol for me...except maybe frm last fri till monday where my parents were here...those were the happiest time of my hols...followed by the yum cha session in the city and 4 hour badminton game i had on thurs and the caregroup i had on fri..other than that, i was bogged down with studies and assignmentS.

i must say that i m feeling the challenge of coping with assignments, tutorials and studying for the exams. sometimes i just feel all the air being sucked out of my lungs. this was the scenario on wednesday when i felt a sense of despair and dejection that i have since long not experienced. i now remember how it feels like to be helpess, lost and having not a tiny bit of confidence in wateva i do.

perhaps i have been too strong...perhaps i have not allowed myself to be weak...or perhaps, i want to be strong so that i can be relied upon by the others...hmmz...but who is relying on me lehz? lolx...i m still single...LOLX!

anywayz, i m glad tt i have collected all my thoughts and am prepared to face wateva come my way. i shall just stick to my century old principle "Give it ur best and have no regrets"...maybe i will add a twist to it, "i will give it my best..alongside with a superbeing..."

Since i dedicated one blog post to rachel b4, shall do it for ailing too!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO AILING! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

so how's my singing ailing? R&B version lehz....(pauses to wait for applause..)

haha! kkz...anywayz, happy bday...bukan teenager lagi....

"Look ahead, and not look back, for what has passed will never come back again. Only let memories of the past be the ones that accompany you in the future" (Jaszz, 2005)