Home* - Michael Bublé

This is my country. This is my home. Happy 54th year of independance!!!!

This is really really brilliant!

*One of his best known songs.

Hooray! Hooray! It's a Holi-Holiday* - Boney M

The long holidays have started! I made the big mistake in deciding to go into a Malay area on the beginning of the holidays - last Saturday.

It was jammed packed!!!!

People and cars alike, it was almost like Boxing Day sale madness all over again (see here) - there were human traffic controllers inside the shopping mall!!!

People were taking advantage of the weekend before the Eid celebrations to do their shopping - i had to go there for a final fitting before my big day!

Still, despite the madness of it all, spirits were not dampened - it was after all the start of a long holiday! And for me, it's really really long!!!! =) (altho i'll be back in office some time this week to sort out some stuffs before a much deserved break!).

*Their hit in the late 70s - yes, i still remember singing to it back then! The tune is adapted from a nursery rhyme - Polly Wolly Doodle!!!

Anything but ordinary* - Avril Lavigne

London, Reading, Avillion PD, Rajes, Ho Chi Minh City, Dining, field trips, Joseph, moot, judge, Sunitha, appearing on newspaper, LawAsia, Palace of Justice, Programme Director, Human Rights, Taj Mahal, Law Ball, KLIA, TV appearance, Lakeside Campus, Thaatch, Jessup, Champion, Runners-Up, Kajang Prison, Family Law, Markus, carpark problems, ducks, Moot Administrator, banner...

It has been a very happening and most unforgettable 4 years! Praise God for bringing me thru.

*Taken from her brilliant debut album, Let Go.

Drive* - R.E.M.

I got me license to drive!!!! All over the world! =)

Din take me that long to get - altho i almost decided to procrastinate doing it. Thank God i listened to tGiF's advice and waited.

*Lead single and first track of their 8th album. Did not do too well in the US but was a big hit in the UK!

A better man* - Robbie Williams

As we shared prayer items, i was glad when someone said that they he is not asking for a stress-free week!!!

After all, stress is good - dun u think so? Of course too much of stress can be bad - and it can break a person as well as families. But a stress-free life IMHO may not be a good thing.

If we get too comfortable, we tend to become complacent. We were talking about the DUMC incident and a fren was sharing that the members there are all getting close together and praying more. I jokingly said that perhaps what we need is some persecution so that our members would all "wake-up"!

At the end of the day, we will be forced to improve when "stress" comes in - looking back, stressful times has really molded me and helped me develope patience, humility, strength and taught me dependance on God. People can share also that in difficult times, families draw closer together. It is only when times are dark that light can shine the brightest!

In the book of James, it is written:-

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4)

*One of my favourite songs of his!

If I ever lose my faith in you* - Sting

I was out jogging when this 'auntie' (older lady) was jogging in the opposite direction and heading towards me. I did not give much though about her until she came close. As she passed me, she said "Good morning"!

=)

After being frustrated with those who work in the same place as me, who see me almost everyday but yet do not bother to acknowledge me but instead look away (see here), this total stranger renewed my faith in people here! It reminded me of those days back in London when strangers used to greet me in the parks.

*One of his classics which has been remade by many people.

For the first time* - Kenny Loggins

This post commemorates LFC's first win of this season!!!

The night started with some pizzas.

Then the match! Together with tGiF, my brother and my nephew. As usual, watching LFC play is a frustrating process - and tGiF was feeling it. My nephew too. Welcome to the real world of LFC.

We all had the wonderful experience of watching LFC play live locally here last month. There were 9 goals altogether! It was a great match to watch and the atmosphere was simple awesome!!! On top of that, as LFC were playing Malaysia, all the spectators were winners - whichever team scored, we celebrated like crazy!!!!

But i had warned tGiF that in the real world of the EPL, it will not be as entertaining to her as the live match was. Sure enuf, the first match against Sunderland on the 13th was a frustrating experience.

Thankfully, last weekend's match was not as bad.

To me, the signs were good - especially seeing Kenny Dalglish put on his rain coat at the start of the 2nd half. All of us were wondering why he was doing that as it was summer and surely it wasn't that cold. Shortly after that, we realised why - it started to rain. Only after that did Dalglish's counterpart, Arsene Wenger put on his rain coat.

This simple observation which was prolly missed by most people showed me on thing - Dalglish was one who looks ahead and prepares himself. Wenger reacts. Harsh conclusion? You would think so if you're an Arsenal fan.

Anyways, Dalglish finally put in Suarez who was involved in both LFC's goal - scoring the 2nd one. The celebrations in my house was rapturous!!! =)

But eventually, both my nephew and tGiF will have to experience the pain of losing - but tt's part and parcel of being a LFC fan!

*This version was used in the movie One fine day.

Story of my life* - Bon Jovi

A student wrote this on the fb wall of another:-

"planet of the apes" soon ok! or "horribble bosses"..i heard its also good...

For a moment, i thought she was referring to my life at work!!!!

*Taken from their Have a nice day album.

Look away* - Chicago

I'm just so mad!!!!

It may seem to be a small thing but perhaps this is the straw that breaks the camel back!

The staff room i'm in is not that big. We've all been here, some for almost 20 months! We all know each other here - even if you just joined recently.

The corridors are not that wide - there is hardly a gap of 6 inches when we walk pass each other.

What irks me is that these people (no, not the Law School lecturers, of course) can just walk pass me and look away!

Is it so hard to say "hi", or "good morning"? Fine, even if you dun want to say anything, will it cost you so much to just smile? Or even look at me and give a formal nod???

I feel like an idiot, looking at them with a wide smile and they just look away and pretend i'm not here.

Sure, i'm not a white guy - but that just shows how shallow certain lecturers can be - they'll be so frenly with my expat fren but totally ignore me cuz i am a Malaysian!

Is it any surprise that their students are some of the worst mannered ones on campus?

Pathetic!

But i'm not gonna let them win - i'm gonna be even more proactive, perhaps even standing in their just to stop them so that i can greet them. But is this gonna be worth the effort? Sigh...

ADDENDUM

I checked with my expat colleague and i stand corrected. He tells me he experiences the same too, people just looking away. Sad-eh?

*Quite different from their other hits - lead vovals was Champlin, not Cetera, and it did not feature much horns. Still, one of my fav Chicago songs as it was a hit during my form 6 days.

Nothing lasts forever* - Maroon 5

Further from my previous post earlier (see here), i read a verse this morning which echoes some of the sentiments voiced there - and it came from the wisest man ever lived.

I have seen something else under the sun:

The race is not to the swift
or the battle to the strong,
nor does food come to the wise
or wealth to the brilliant
or favor to the learned;
but time and chance happen to them all.

Ecclesiastes 9:11

So i may have the best team in the competition but that does not mean i'll win. Similarly, winning the competition does not necessarily mean that we were the best team!

But what was Solomon trying to say? Well, i submit that he is basically telling us that the things we achieve in this world are not important. After all, they are all temporal in nature - nothing this world offers lasts forever. What is important are the things that we do which will last for eternity.

And he confirms this in his penultimate verse from this book:-

Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments.

*Track 6 from their 2nd studio album.

Why don't you write me* - Simon & Garfunkel

And I've been keeping all the letters
that I wrote to you,
Each one a line or two
I'm fine baby, how are you?
I would send them but I know that it's just not enough
My words were cold and flat
And you deserve more than that

Michael Bublé, Alan Chang, Amy Foster-Gillies

As i was singing the above song the other day, i started thinking of the days when we used to write letters to each other. Letter writing is such a lost art these days.

But it was such a wonderful thing back then. We used to go and look for nice letter pads (do such things still exist). Or the cheapers ones will seek to buy aerogrammes. Dun knwo what is it? Google it!

I remember those days long ago when i would specially set aside time and sit down to write, pages after pages. Using all kinds of paper that i could find - even using the tray papers from McDonald's or Coffee Bean.

Letter writing can be done anywhere! I remember a letter i wrote in the laundry room at Marley Hall while waiting for the laundry to get done.

There is this freedom one has when writing - not confined to the four corners of an email these days. One can write, scribble, draw, glue - and attachments are real things literally attached to the letter.

Once the letter has been composed, it is not the end of the creativity! One then can choose how to fold the letter - and then choose the type of envelope and address it artistically, even leaving small notes on the envelope, sometimes to the postman!

Then off ot the post office to queue up for the stamps! Finally dropping it into the post box, leaving it entirely by faith in the hands of the postman, that soon, it'll be dropped into a letter box, sometimes half way across the world, bringing warm greetings printed on a nice coloured (and sometimes scented) letter paper.

On the other end, receiving mail is one of the greatest joys of student life. Going to the post room is so fun - filled with the anticipation and hope, which culminates in great joy or bitter disappointment. Looking out of the window of yr house as the postman approaches, hearing the "clunk" of the metal letter slot of the front door indicating that letters have been pushed into the house... =)

Why dun we write anymore? Sure, we have e-mails these days. Text messages. But sending a letter seems more meaningful at times. Why? Well, it's perhaps because of the trouble it takes to do so - and the receipients realises that they mean something when the sender actually took the time to send them a letter. reading one's handwriting is so much more nicer than reading words off a PC screen, no matter what nice font you use.

One of the nicest letter writing stories i've heard was a colleague of mine who told us that just before he left to the UK to finish his studies, he hooked up with a girl here in Malaysia. While he was away, she wrote to him EVERYDAY!!!!!! Ok, altogether now - Awwwwwww..... how sweet! =)

*Taken from Side B of their 5th and final studio album.

Some guys have all the luck* - Rod Stewart

Manchester United was the only big team to win last weekend in the opening weekend of the EPL season. They won thru this goal:-

Yes, it was not just a deflected goal - it was a DOUBLE deflection!!!! How "lucky" can they be??? But this seems to be their story - well, not all the time, tho but a lot of the times. They always seem to get the best of luck.

Still, i know that in football, teams do "make" their own luck. Credit must be given to them and it looks like they will win the premier league again this season.

But while some people seems to have the good luck all the time, others seem to have bad luck all the time!!!

Maybe it's me! I'm the "curse". But i'm referring to the Law School's moot teams.

I've always refused to believe in the concept of "luck". You are either good or you're not. But since taking part in moot competitions, i've realised that luck plays a HUGE role in determining the outcome.

Take for instance, your team ends up in a group which consists of the competition whipping boys (the team that everyone beats) and another team which failed to turn up. Surely then topping the group is a foregone conclusion!

Or how about your team having to face a judge who fell asleep during the competition? When threatened, the judge decides to give more marks to your team - so what turned out to be bad luck initially became good later!

I've grown to accept it a lot - after all, it happens in any sport. In the prelims, if you end up in a "Group of Death", your chances to progress will be slim.

But in the recent competition, we were again the victims of cruel luck! There were more new judges taking part and these people think it fit to award mooters marks like 98% and 99%!!!! Ridiculous!!!! That is close to perfection!!!!!

We're not talking about maths where if you get the answer correct, you will get the full marks! Even in law exams, getting a 70% is considered exceptionally good!

So it was really painful in the recent competition when 2 of our teams won all their moots easily. They were unbeaten. Unfortunately, there were other teams which also won all their moots - so to decide who to proceed, the individual marks were used.

Unfortunately for us, although the judges sang the praises of our mooters, they were pretty conservative in their scoring - and rightfully so. We had the opportunity to moot before experience judges. However, the other teams had the luck to moot before judges who had no qualms to award maximum points on almost all categories - so naturally, the marks they acquire clearly were more than the marks we did.

We never got the chance to moot against them so we never really knew how good they were. However, i must say that my mooters were really really good. Even a judge of a well known international moot competition thought one of my teams were among the best he has ever seen.

But that's how it is.

Last year, we missed out by half a mark. This year, we missed out despite winning all our moots and doing well. I felt so bad for my mooters. They of course were not too thrilled!

But thankfully, they recovered from it faster than i did.

A good lesson in life, tho. In future, they will experience many situations when they have an airtight case and they submit it perfectly - but at the end of the day, it all depends on their luck of who will be their judge they are appearing before.

C'est la vie.

*A hit for him back in 1984

Enjoy yourself (It's later than you think)* - Doris Day

Sometimes we get too caught up with the demands of life - that we just forget the simple and important things in life. We forget to live! And enjoy.

Jesus said that he came that we may have life - and have it to the full (John 10:10).

So let us all learn to enjoy - no, i'm not saying that we become irresposible and frivolous. But even in what we have to do, we can learn to enjoy it!

Here's a brilliant clip of a wonderful legand (if i may call her that) - i like this recording cuz it has the "old" sound to it, like we're listening to an old radio. =) Enjoy!

*One of the many versions of this popular song in the early 50s. I just found out that the refrain was used in the HK "Enjoy Yourself Tonight" variety show! No wonder it sounded so familiar!!!

Let's have lunch* - Cast of Sunset Boulevard

Last week, i decided to have lunch with my colleague for a change. After all, term has ended, office hours were a little bit more relaxed.

We sat right at the end of the food court - it was wonderful!!! The breeze was blowing constantly, the weather was lovely, we chatted about our lives and made plans for a possible future visit to Paris while enjoying the view of the lake.

And we saw them - ducks!!! And geese! I dun know why i was so thrilled to see them! Maybe it brings back memories of the lakes in the UK when i was studying there - be it on campus or in the lovely parks there. There would always be ducks and geese swimming around.

The next day, we sat right next to the lake - this time it was a bit warmer but still nice. Like a summer day.

I think i'm beginning to enjoy having lunch on campus - not just eating my own packed lunch in my cubicle bout outside, enjoying the fresh air and seeing life pass by. So much so that altho i was the only one around late this morning, i decided to go out for a brunch on my own.

Sitting there by the lakeside, reading, listening to Michael Buble and just enjoying the scenery... Nice!

Little pleasures in life are not underrated! =)

*The first song of the musical where we were brought to the movie studio - i loved it as it captures very well the busy-ness of life there.

So far away* - Dire Straits

More than a year ago, i posted this up on this blog, complaining how far i had to park my car. Here's the picture from that post.

Well, things have gotten worse!!!! Today, i had to park my car so much further away, you couldn't even see the spot from the photo above!!!

Still, i din mind. I saved RM3!!!! Hehe. That's quite a lot edi!!!! You can buy something from the Dollar Shop in the US!!!! =)

*The first track from their brilliant Brothers in Arms album!