***PRAISE THE LORD! He answered my prayers.***

I was driving in the afternoon around 5.30 today when Cher Hao called me and told me that the JPA Scholarship (Malaysian Public Service Department) application results were out.

So I told him my I.C. No. and after a few moments…

“Eh, you got it wei.”

“…wow… serious…”

I actually forgot that I applied for it, mainly because I thought that the chances were pretty slim (especially since I am of the “wrong” skin color in Malaysia) But well, clearly there was some meritocracy in this, and they accepted most if not all of those who gained admission into the Ivy League and Ivy League standard universities (where Berkeley, which is not an Ivy League, stands).

PEMAKLUMAN KEPUTUSAN PERMOHONAN BIASISWA PROGRAM UNIVERSITI IVY LEAGUE / UNIVERSITI TERKEMUKA TAHUN 2008

No Kad Pengenalan: 881220xxxxxx
Nama Penuh: LIN ERN SHEONG
Kursus:

Tahniah. Sukacita dimaklumkan bahawa saudara/i telah berjaya ditawarkan biasiswa Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam untuk mengikuti pengajian peringkat Ijazah Pertama di luar negara di bawah Program Universiti Ivy League Universities dan Setara.

Tawaran ini adalah tertakluk kepada penawaran tanpa syarat (unconditional offer) daripada universiti dan sesalinan surat tawaran tanpa syarat ini perlu dikemukakan ke Jabatan ini sebaik sahaja saudara/i menerimanya daripada universiti.

Surat tawaran biasiswa saudara/i akan dihantar melalui pos setelah Jabatan ini menerima salinan surat tawaran tanpa syarat.

Sekiranya saudara/saudari menerima tawaran ini, sila sahkan melalui pautan Pengesahan Penerimaan Biasiswa selewat-lewatnya pada 3 Ogos 2008.

Sebarang pertanyaan lanjut boleh dikemukakan melalui e-mail di alamat esila@jpa.gov.my atau telefon 03-8885 3412 / 3387 / 3386 / 3403 / 3405.

Terima kasih.

Bahagian Pembangunan Modal Insan,
Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam,
Malaysia.

I am going for it.

So instead of 2.5 years to complete my degree, I will do it in 3 years instead. The remaining 4th year of scholarship I intend to use to study Masters.

I thank God for this scholarship. My parents are extremely happy.

Bond? I don’t intend to get bonded. I will pay back if necessary OR they will release me from the bond because “there are no jobs available for you.”

I think Malaysia needs to get its act right now or risk fuming its citizens such that they leave the country (which is already happening by the droves)

So today I was asleep at 8 am (read: holidays) when my mum called and asked me to come get her from the LRT station. (Light-Rail Transit, the visible version of the MRT of Singapore, and much slower)

The train stalled and hundreds of people are unable to go to work.

Grudgingly I regained my senses and took her car out to the LRT station.

I can only wonder how much the cost of lost productivity and time has been caused by this very unfortunate incident. And not surprisingly, this is not the first time such a thing has happened. Perhaps the monetary value of lost productivity could have generated enough revenue to replace the entire LRT system.

On the way there with the Honda my mum called again and said that the LRT was back in operation. Good. They actually repaired the problem within 30 minutes. Or so I thought. 30 minutes later, my mum reports that the LRT is still stuck in Bangsar, crawling like a snail, moving and stopping along the way. She boarded the LRT at 8.30 am, and at 9.30 am, she is just in Pasar Seni.

Those stupid idiots running the big transportation companies can you stop sucking in the public’s money and halt all this corruption. Stop enriching yourselves. MAINTAIN the DAMN transportation line.

And then there is the issue of the Terengganu Government idiots who are embezzling the public’s money and buying themselves RM 3.4 million worth of Mercedes rubbish to be seen around town looking glamorous and dignified in a black, shiny luxury cars. And the most stupid statement I’ve ever heard in my life is the statement from the Terengganu MB saying that Proton cars are more expensive to maintain that Mercedes. Now it seems that the Terengganu idiots have been robbed in broad daylight when they said that they have been overcharged for their maintenance of the Proton Perdana v6 cars. So they reckoned that buying RM3.4 million worth of Mercedes would “save” them more money. What a bunch of total idiots who think they can get away with it. And now the ACA is investigating the Proton servicers in Terengganu, when in actual fact they should be investigating how the purchase of the Mercedes came about, and where the money came from. The issue is reflective of what is happening in our country under the Barisan National Government (Terengganu) when it is being run by a bunch of incompetent, self-seeking morons.

And then now there is talk of a PAS-UMNO coalition, and PAS has been said to be having secret talks with UMNO about this. PAS proposes to create a unified Islamic Party and unite the majority race in this country. If that happens, PAS should get out of the Pakatan Rakyat. I can tell you what I desire to happen if PAS and UMNO combines. PKR and DAP will remain in the Pakatan and take them out in the next General Election. We do not need racial politics anymore. Stop segregating the function of parties toward one race. We are all Malaysians, be it Malay, Chinese or Indian. We do not want a powerful MALAY or ISLAMIC party now or anytime in the future. Stop racial politics. The Rakyat has had enough, and I dare say that many Malays are not in favor of this PAS-UMNO thing either. They are also fed-up. Yes, you heard that right. Malays are also fed-up with the UMNO.

And I don’t like it that PAS an Islamic State agenda for this nation. If that really happens, it would be the last straw and I will leave this country. It simply cannot happen. Totally outrageous and absurd. We are not a Middle East country full of Arabs. We are a multiracial country. Can’t they have some sense knocked into their heads? Malaysia is not only being resided by the Muslims and Malays but also by many people from other races and religions.

That’s it lah. Abdullah, whatever you are doing, it is still going to cause the BN to lose the next General Election. The Government has not learnt it’s lessons. And I don’t like your choice of successor in Najib. And stop fabricating false stories against Anwar to stop the inevitable. This is a warning to the Barisan. The Rakyat is fed-up. The BN should therefore be afraid. Very afraid. Every year, judging from the no. of people taking SPM examinations annually, 500,000 young Malaysians will become eligible voters. (read: half million) If you still do not get your act right, the young people of my generation who are going to reach legal voting age very very soon will wipe you out from Government in storm and hand it to the rightful leaders who are accountable and competent.

Logged into Facebook today and saw something surprising.

All lined up in one list =.=

Well recently I read “Mars and Venus Together Forever” written by John Gray, the bestselling author of “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.”

Some interesting lessons distilled for the men:

1. When she is frustrated, avoid telling her “You take on too much”, “You shouldn’t be worrying about that”, “It’s not that bad”, “You expect too much of yourself”, “If you are going to complain about it, then just don’t do it”, If you don’t want to do it, then don’t”, “You don’t have to do so much.” Women hear different things though men mean well when they say it.
2. When she is talking or wants to talk, shut up and don’t offer advice or try to solve problems. When she needs to talk, you don’t need to talk. She solves her problems just by telling them to you, so it does not mean that the problem is unsolved if the men shut up. Even if she seems to be demanding for solutions, DON’T GIVE IT TO HER. She will be more upset with you and this makes matters worse. It is wrong for a man to think that by giving solutions they are making her feel better. Doing less, i.e. just listening, is better. When women share problems, sympathy and community are primary, problem solving is secondary. (Looking back, I remember some did indeed get more upset when I try to solve problems and offer solutions without thinking. Men are like that. So we have to rewire themselves. Listening is so important) The writer gave an example of a conversation. The woman did all the talking. All the guy did was say Oh, Tell me about it, Hmmm, What did you do?, Hmmm, That’s good, I don’t know either, Sounds good to me. And the woman was happy. What happens when a man tries to “solve” a woman’s problems: 1. She will claim that “You don’t understand” and “You are not listening.” (ooh, this sounds familiar) 2. He says that he certainly was listening otherwise he couldn’t have come up with suah a great solution. 3. She continues to insist that he’s not really listening to her and he doesn’t understand the problem. 4. He begins to feel frustrated and tries to prove that he does understand and that his solution is right. 5. Argue. “In simple terms, a man needs to remember that even when an overwhelmed woman shares a list of problems that demand solutions, the only one that has to be solved immediately is her need to be heard by someone who is not trying to talk her out of her feelings or solve all her problems.”
3. What a man really wants is to make his partner happy. When she is happy, he feels loved. Men and women are different. A man feels fulfilled when his partner is happy after a long day at work. A woman who returns home to a happy man does not feel fulfilled just because he is happy. She needs communication and nurturing.
4. Women cope with stress through sharing in nurturing relationships, men by solving problems.
5. (For women) Sometimes men need time alone to be by themselves and not bothered by women for a while. Especially after he just comes home from work. Otherwise the following happens: “How was your day?” “Fine” “How did your meeting go with your new client?” “It was OK.” “Did they like your proposal?” “Yes.” “What’s wrong?” “Nothing’s wrong.” “I can tell something is wrong, what is it?” (says nothing and walks away) That’s why we always have dads who like to watch TV and read the newspapers. They use it as some sorta cave to hide in for a while.
6. When a woman is visibly upset, she means the opposite of what she says. Example- Men: Do you want to talk about something? Women: No (but she means Yes, and if men would really care he would ask more questions.) Men: Is everything OK? Women: Yes (but she really means No, so men have to ask more questions and probe further. The worse thing a man can do here is say “Oh OK then” and walk away.)
7. Doing more so that a woman will have less to do is not the answer to making her happy. “A man needs to remember that her overwhelming feelings are released only through nurturing conversation. Don’t make the mistake of expecting her to be happy by solving her problems.” (this, with No.2, which is essentially the same point, will make all the difference for better relationships, says the author.)
8. Men should duck answering a woman’s direct questions if they are provocative, turn the conversation back to her, and keep their responses to a minimum to draw her real feelings out. This is because “Why do you have to buy a new computer? You already have one,” really means “It feels that everything we do is for you and not me. We always do what you want to do, and you always get your way. I’m afraid I will not get what I want.” So “Honey, it’s the Macbook Air for goodness sake! Small and sleek!” is the wrong answer and you will end up fighting. The author says, “Generally speaking, when anyone, make or female, has a strong emotional reaction, it is to a combination of many elements, not just the subject at hand.” So after you have heard her out, then you can say, “This Macbook Air is at 30% discount! It is a great deal that I have been looking at for weeks!” Get her approval, then go “I understand what you want things for the house, so when we get home let’s look at it and plan. Sounds good?” Of course it does.
9. Does it mean men should not offer solutions at all? No. It is all in the timing. When she is upset she cannot appreciate your solutions. The art in offering solutions is to make sure that she is receptive to attempts to help. Women don’t demand agreement, she just wants to be considered. “A woman admires a man if he has the strength to control his emotions and the sensitivity to respectfully consider her point of view as a valid perspective.” This means men should not do whatever she wants and give in all the time, like saying “Oh OK honey, no computer for me then.” The author also says, “The worst move a man can make in discussions with a woman is to invalidate her feelings.” This is like saying, “What do you know about computers? Who are you to comment about computers? I studied computer engineering you know?!” So as a comedian once said, “Be a man, do the right thing.” No need to be right all the time. Do the right thing instead. The more a man says, the more there is for a woman to question, and the more upset the men become. But for women it is the opposite: the more a woman says, the more she feels heard. In essence, delay answering questions by asking more questions to make her talk more.
10. A woman’s feelings are not facts about the man. She is just trying on many emotional outfits (like the way she shops, she tries on many outfits and then walks out empty-handed but happy). Ooh, and unlike math, negative feelings in reaction to a woman’s negative feelings does not equal positive.
11. How to listen well: Remember that is doesn’t help to be upset with her for being upset. Whenever you feel the urgent need to interrupt or correct, DON’T. If you don’t know what to say, say nothing. If she won’t talk, ask more questions till she does. Don’t correct or judge her feelings. Remain calm and lock our gut and strong reactions. (once you “burst out” even once, all your effort is wasted) The author says that during an emotional conversation, a man needs to offer gestures like nodding, hugging and making sympathetic sounds. Maintain eye contact.
12. “The basis of all romantic rituals is a male giving and a female receiving.”

This is getting too long and draggy. And I’m only halfway through the book. But enough food for thought here.

Men and women are very different!

 * * *

Before I begin, I want to tell of my amazing journey yesterday at about 2 pm on the LDP highway from Bandar Utama to Subang and back. There were a few flyovers along the entire stretch of the LDP highway, and there were bottlenecks (read: traffic jam) on 3 of these flyovers:- Flyover 1: Two motorcyclists in an accident, settling their dispute on the road (major jam, everyone slowed down to watch) Flyover 2: Car engine died on and someone was pushing the car (minor jam, not interesting to watch) Flyover 3: A Honda Civic stalled on the fast lane (very annoying jam, nothing to watch but with fast lane clogged, a jam was inevitable) All happened along the same LDP highway at the same time.

So I tolerate. And then on the way back from Subang later on the other side of the LDP on there was another accident involving three vehicles on yet another LDP flyover. Enough said. It’s Saturday, why the need to rush and bang people??? AND STOP WATCHING accidents! (OK maybe I did look too )

OK I’m done complaining.

* * *

These are the frequently asked questions asked by my friends over MSN chat windows, Facebook walls and face to face conversations. The answers reflect my current train of thought which is obviously subject to change as I walk the path of time.

Read before asking me further stuff.

1) Where are you going to study?
I will be studying in University of California, Berkeley in US soon.

2) Study what?
Electrical and Computer Engineering.

3) What’s that?
No idea, I don’t even know why I chose this type of engineering.

4) How long will be there?
Typically the degree course lasts 4 years, but I intend to do it in 3 years or 2.5 years if I can juggle well enough.

5) Are you crazy? Why do you want to do that?
Financial constraint. A year in Berkeley costs USD 50K, i.e. approx. RM 160,000. So doing half a year less also saves up a lot of money too.

The other answer is that I think I am quite old already to be stuck in my degree. So the faster the better.

6) What do you want to do after that?
Well of course this is a big question mark at the moment.

Plans can vary depending on the large variable of circumstances. They include coming home, work, doing a Masters, etc. But the rough plan is to work first and then do masters full-time or part time.

Only God knows.

7) How long will all that expect to take you?
5-6 years.

8 ) Do you intend to come back to Malaysia in the future?
Yes, I certainly want to return home after my years in the States. I don’t want to be there for too long.

9) Why in the world do you want to do that? Most Malaysian kids would dream of running away from this country and stay somewhere else.
I dunno. Home is home. Elsewhere, I am but a foreigner. I like Malaysia.

10) Did you manage to get a Scholarship?
Yes, I secured a FaMa Scholarship (Father/Mother Scholarship)

No, I did not. Shell responded and asked me to go for an interview, but I did not go for some reason.

11) Why not study in Singapore? So much cheaper and NUS ranks high in the rankings.
I don’t really like Singapore. (you can read an earlier post for more details)

12) How many siblings do you have?
I am the only child.

13) Why study in the US and not elsewhere?
I prefer the US system, which is more flexible and provides more breadth, with wide opportunities for its students. And also the best universities on earth are in the United States, so naturally I was drawn to them.

Did not apply to UK at all, not even Oxbridge. Initially my back up plan was NUS and NTU should all US University Applications be rejected.

Australia? Hmmm don’t like. Almost all my cousins studied there. So I don’t want to go there.

Local? Nah, not to my liking.

14) Where did you apply to in the States?
MIT Stanford Princeton Cornell UCBerkeley.
1, 2 and 3 rejected me
4 and 5 accepted me

Chose Berkeley over Cornell due to vicinity to Silicon Valley, the place with the most innovative entrepreneurial activity in the world. And Berkeley is great for Electrical Engineering.

15) Got girlfriend ar?
No. But I have some basic requirements. Malaysian Chinese Christian girl. Younger. Haha

16) What is UC Berkeley? I haven’t heard of that uni before.
The best public university in the world.

17) Why did you “suddenly” become “so religious”?
Well, let’s just say I was encouraged by the church I attended in Singapore during my studies there and grew immensely in my walk with the Lord.

18) Why are you “so confident”?
I don’t think that I am confident. Maybe physically on the outside I look the part as I was a scout and was trained to be poised that way. And maybe my words portray some message of confidence. I don’t know. I am very optimistic and idealistic, some would say.

19) When will you be leaving for Berkeley?
1.15 am, August 15, KLIA, Delta Airlines
Transit in Seoul 8 hours, total flight duration 17 hours, total traveling time 25 hours
Land in San Francisco International Airport 11.15 am Berkeley time

20) Are there other Malaysians going this year?
Yeah, a few others. Many many more Singaporeans. But I only managed to keep be in contact with one other Malaysian who is also taking the exact same flight as I am. Also got to know another Malaysian who was supposed to go but well, Singapore offered her a place in SMU and then she don’t wanna go Berkeley anymore.

21) What activities do you plan to join there?
I plan to go there and look around. But one of them should be a Christian group.

22) Coming back during summer/winter holidays?
Don’t know. No intention to unless I am unable to land any job or internship for the summer. In fact, I bought a one way ticket there. Planning to come home during 2009 winter though.

More FAQ to be added if available.

I think more highly of myself than I should.

If people knew me much better perhaps they would see me in a different light.

I can be a monster sometimes.

I have an anger problem.

I am too proud.

I have an ego problem.

I don’t love people enough.

I shun people. I am shy.

I am too much of “I”s and not “We.”

I think I am so smart, which is wrong.

Too self-centred, too much “what’s-in-it-for-me” attitude.

And the way I am going, there’s too much risk of being arrogant and not humble enough when I “go higher.”

Fact is, I don’t know where I am going and I don’t know what I want to do. I might be one of the dumbest people around. No direction. Lost.

So am I going to go the way most people are going? Make a fortune, get some fame, etc etc etc.

Ain’t that boring and meaningless?

And to think like that when billions around the world are suffering in disease and hunger?

Ain’t that selfish?

Sure, I hope for a dream, something bigger than myself, something which does not lead to self-glorification or self-enrichment. But while I still seek it and pray about it, in the meantime I follow my own personal agenda.

I read about great people who have walked the earth and I ask God for a vision that I could follow too. Not for my own self, but for others.

I have no clue now.

Ironically, people in Facebook have voted me “Most Confident.” I have no idea why. I am not even confident of where I am going. Groping along, perhaps that describes what I am doing right now.

I recently finished a book called “The Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham” and it really taught me a lot on how to live and lead the way Billy Graham did. How to redeem the ego, how to lead with love, how to be meek, and how to draw strength and power from God.

I need to learn how to have self-control. It takes some self-control to brush off incidents when they are not worth fighting over. It takes self-control to not do or say anything back in anger when I am angry. It takes self-control and will to just forgive and forget.

I need to learn how to be meek. Meekness is power with control. I need to learn how to love others with the love that God has poured out on me. We are nothing without love, and not only the romantic sense of the word. To genuinely care for others, that’s more like it.

But, how to fit it all in? Each of us has only got one life. I struggle with the question: “What am I going to do for life?”

I pray, and I wonder if anyone is really listening. Sometimes it seems like a monologue.

Am I weak enough a vessel which can be used by God? He says that choses the weak and foolish in this world to put to shame the mighty and wise. Am I humble enough before God to be used by Him?

Questions, questions, questions.

Answer? Prayer and the Word. And listening from God. Gotta have patience. Be led by the Holy Spirit. But how?

More questions.

*Random*

Mum: Ern Sheong, can you add me in Facebook? My friend got an invitation from her daughter.
ES: You must be kidding me. I am going to be your only friend.
Mum: No, you and this friend of mine.
ES: Urm… No, I won’t. You don’t need Facebook. =.=

It would be very funny when your mum goes “Hi son, add me as your friend on Facebook!”

Did he really commit the alleged crimes? Or was it an elaborate political plot by the cronies in the Government? Evidence featured in the following videos seem to point to the latter.

These YouTube videos shed some light on the topic. Follow “Foreign Correspondent” (Reporter Evan Williams and Producer Virginia Moncrieff) from the BBC as they go around Malaysia to uncover some truths about the Anwar Ibrahim issue.

I strongly think that I will come home at all costs during the next General Election and make my vote count. Enough bull shit.

Anwar Ibrahim - Foreign Correspondent:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6

I want to thank my friends who made it for the drama! (you know who you are!) It was a blast! Thanks so much for the support! I’m really happy about the acting!

And thanks to all for the good feedback! (and suddenly some think that I have a hidden talent in dancing and acting!) Haha

Thanks to Nickey, the drama director, for his patience and prowess in directing! And many thanks to the fellow actors and actresses alongside who made it so much fun and worthwhile.

I also want to thank those who could not make it but supported immensely nevertheless!

God bless you all!

My church is having a campus outreach themed “Potential Unleashed” and…

I am acting in the drama on that day!

Location: Taman Tun Dr. Ismail (refer to map below)
Day, Date: Thursday, 17 July 1008
Time: 7.30 pm - 9.30 pm
Transportation: Provided, can be arranged

You are all invited to the outreach! Food will be provided as well! Please sms/msn/e-mail/facebook-pm me if you can make it!

Flyer:

Map (Click thumbnail below to enlarge):

The place is a shop lot, 3rd floor, located between Maybank and Hong Leong Bank, and next to a “Boston” laundry shop.

See you there! (please confirm with me if you are coming, thanks!)

I went (for the first time after leaving DJ three years ago) to the Majlis Penyerahan dan Penerimaan Tugas 2008 for Prefects (Prefects Handing-over Ceremony) which was held last week at DJ’s Pavilion.

I miss the old school days. So fun.

Some pictures:

Five generations of DJ Head Prefects. From left: Ern Sheong (04/05), John Lee (05/06), Sher Rin (06/07), Ming Ping (07/08) and the newly-installed Head Prefect, Zhu Chuen (08/09)

Hey what’s this? (At the back of the DJ Hall)

I’m surprised. They got the name wrong, again. So I’m No. 20. Nice. I was born on the 20th too!

Ex-DJ Prefects at the makan table.

Well quite recently some third bus(es) and idiot(s) burned the hall stage and a classroom in Block D. I’ll show some pictures here to show the damage.

DJ Hall mayhem. What a disgrace.

Block D Apocalypse.

More pictures can be found in Suh Ming’s Blog (Asst. Head Pref 05/06)

To be blunt, I think that there is a problem with the school administration (especially the one at the most top). This never happened at all during Puan Lee’s administration, i.e. during my senior years in DJ. Change of school leadership needed perhaps?

In the meantime, to all the DJians out there who are planning to do some more damage to the school, you are stupid if you think that by doing all this you are rebelling against the school leadership. In actual fact, you are actually damaging the school’s 25 years of reputation of excellence and you are not doing the school any favor by doing this. There are proper channels like blog reactions and writing to the newspapers if you are not happy with the school administration (or with the single person who is at the helm of the school right now).

I would like to call for the unity of those in DJ right now to continue to uphold the school and shine in all the inter-school and national events. And yeah, do support the school administration in all that they are doing, no matter how you feel about their decisions and actions. This is not the first time something in DJ was burned. It’s just another black mark so move on and do what DJians are respected for, i.e. being among the best of the best in Petaling Jaya and some say the whole Malaysia. At the end of the day, while the teachers are undoubtedly important, it is the students that dictate the success of the school. So throw away all the negative stuff and press on toward excellence in your secondary school lives.

To the DJ Head Prefect and his core team (Morning and Afternoon session):
An important message to the current Prefects is to be sensitive and listen, especially the Head Prefect and his inner circle. Don’t appear to be aloof. Go down there and meet the students, make friends with all of them, and I mean all, regardless of class ranking and race, and not just the Prefects. The Head Prefect label is actually inaccurate and should actually be Ketua Pelajar or Head Student or something. You are not just the Head of the Prefects, but of all the students in DJ. (Bear in mind that giving speeches and reading the ikrar, i.e. being a symbol is not your job. You should be proactive, progressive and productive in your duties, and your job can be anything that makes the Prefects more efficient and the students of DJ more respectable.) I can say that it is a personal challenge, because there are so many ways to improve such that in the past I was extremely excited because there were too many possibilities of improvement. Take the initiative. Go the extra mile. It is never a one man job. It is always the team, though I must say that nothing would happen if you do not drive them to happen. You need to mobilise your team and act quickly. One year is pretty short.

To all DJ Prefects:
During my time I found it easy to “control” the “problematic” people because (I believe) they were treated as friends with respect. Also learn the art of persuasion with courtesy. Once you gain the students’ respect, and you treat them as team players, I can dare say that they would not do anything stupid because you have created in them the sense of purpose that they see you do passionately everyday, i.e. to uphold the school discipline and to do the best for the benefit of the school. Seeing your commitment to that may lead them to think twice before doing stupid things. As I said, DJ is a team, and Prefects must see beyond the discipline stuff and realise that they are indeed student leaders of the school tasked with the unenviable job of uniting the school and create that sense of pride among the students of the school. Don’t be proud and don’t allow the perception that you are arrogant Prefects to seep in among the students (though it inevitable happens lah, as some people just hate Prefects. But if you can win the respect of your enemies, you’ve made it. It’s not impossible. Be sensitive to the needs of the students. Serve them.) Service is what we are talking about. Be relentless in keeping the school rules enforced. Have no compromise on that. Be strict and courteous at the same time. It can work. Use your personal magic to be a great student leaders whom all can respect. I think the Prefects in DJ today have a very challenging year ahead to unite the school and foster esprit de corp among the students once again. All the best to you current DJ Prefects.

If those of you who damaged the school don’t read English, then read this:
Janganlah rosakkan reputasi sekolah kita. Apa yang anda buat it tidak bertanggungjawab and hanya menunjukkan bahawa anda langsung tidak matang. Sekolah tidak pernah berbuat salah terhadap anda, hanya individu-individu yang berkuasa buat sementara waktu yang mungkin telah menyebabkan anda marah. Tetapi janganlah merosakkan sekolah oleh sebab mereka. Mencalar mereka dengan merosakkan harta benda sekolah tidak akan mengubah apa-apa, dan hanya akan menjatuhkan nama sekolah. Nama sekolah itu perlulah disanjung. Jangan buat perkara bodoh. 

Some of you were shocked when you thought that I am going to study Music when I said that I would be going to BERKELEY.

But I knew all along that there was this famous music school called BERKLEE, also in the States, so I was aware of the confusion.

So the conclusion is that the music school is more famous than the university, at least to some people. Anyway to be fair some have indeed heard of Berkeley. But it shouldn’t matter anyway.

Maybe I should have chosen CORNELL haha, being an IVY.
Oh no, wait, then people would confuse it with the Cornell household electrical appliances. Oops. That’s worse. Haha. Jk.

Encountered the first of them while watching TV one day and the other two in Midvalley Megamall during a Friday night outing. Nice. Enjoy!

The Fray - How To Save a Life

Matchbox 20 - If You’re Gone

U2 - With or Without You

Which other country in the world has

• a stock exchange which stalled for an entire day because Bursa Malaysia could not fix a hard drive problem?
• parliamentarians calling each other names and entertaining the people with their antics?
• a very entertaining political scene involving the nation’s most influential politicians?
• people double parking (sometimes triple) in high density areas?
• pirated DVD shops a hundred meters from the police station?
• so many tolls for every single highway?
• the most skilful drivers? (how did we manage that KL to PJ jam again?)
• scholarship holders coming back home to serve their bond only to be released because “no job was available”?
• an ATM machine being stolen by a tractor which rammed through the petrol station and scooped up the ATM?
• (on a lighter side) people queuing up for miles to pump petrol to save a few bucks before midnight strikes?
• and the list is endless…

Nah today I am not complaining. I was just thinking that all these imperfections and non-ideal situations make Malaysia a lovable country. I think we take things too darn seriously sometimes. I do think that if everything were perfect then Malaysians would have nothing to talk and rant about, and things would get very boring. And we love to talk about all this nonsense going on in Malaysia. Makes life in Malaysia so much fun.

The irony of my thinking.

I have settled on my course list for the first semester! (which includes a final 3-hour exam on my birthday =.=)

So I submitted the following course list to be vetted by my Student Affairs Adviser…

Physics H7A (4 units)
Physics H7B (4 units)
Mathematics 53 (4 units) (already enrolled)
Computer Science 61A (4 units) (already enrolled)
Electrical Engineering 20N (4 units)

… and I got the following reply:

Hi Ern Sheong Lin,

… I received your schedule for Fall and it appears to be a bit heavy for a 1^st semester at UCB. Taking five technical courses will be extremely challenging. Most freshmen usually drop down to the 12 unit required minimum. The 1^st semester you will be trying to adjust here. I also noticed that you signed up for Physics H7A and H7B. We do not recommend that students enroll in honors courses. They are designed for students who plan on majoring in Physics. I tell my students at CalSO they should try and enroll in at least 16 units (usually 3 technical courses and a lower division humanities class). This way if one of their technical courses becomes to difficult to handle they can drop it and not go under the 12 unit minimum. Did you AP out of Physics 7A? Last year I was fortunate to have one of my best EECS students (3.7 GPA) assist me at CalSO. He highly recommended students to take Physics 7A even though they have scored a 5 on the MCH C AP exam. Below you will find your advisor code for telebears enrollment. With this code you can now enroll in 10.5 units. You will be able to complete your enrollment during your phase 2 appointment times.

Hahaha… a Berkeley senior expected this to happen. And I was guided to give the following response:

Thank you for your prompt and personal reply!

To be frank I think my 1st semester looks like the way it is simply because I would need to finish <4 years due to financial constraint (self-paying student). To further that argument I have actually gone through JC in Singapore, so I would think that I can handle the load, although of course if it becomes too heavy or unsuitable I would consider dropping Physics H7AB to 7AB or even drop Physics H7B to add on a breadth course. Nope, I did not do Physics AP, but a fellow senior in Berkeley thought that Physics H7AB would be more interesting for an A Levels student, so I thought that I would give it a go.

I really appreciate the time taken to address your concern, but not to worry, I’ll adjust accordingly as the fall semester unfolds Thank you very much for your kind advice!

Yes, I am a bit crazy! Finish in 2.5 yrs! Next semester I am set to petition to increase the maximum units from 20.5 units to perhaps 25 units, depending on results la.

Go Bears!

I apologize.

I really need to let go and let nothing hold me back, but I struggle to do so. It is not easy, as you may know, and sometimes I just wonder what is going on in the other side as well. I feel utterly foolish.

I want to let go but it’s hard and there’s something holding me back. I guess only God can remove all barriers and burdens and carry them for me. Oh God, hold this burden for me for a while will You, I want to be free for the next 4-5 years to learn, see and explore the world.

I don’t know why I am not that gung-ho about leaving the country for Berkeley, even though everyone else seems to have gone crazy in their excitement of their impending university life. I feel a tinge of sadness, leaving home and leaving the people I know.

I need that excitement and my boundless energy back. I want to be free from any burdens.

I worry too much about the future and neglect to live life to the fullest in the moment, thinking about many things which I cannot control. I forgot to live in the moment and not worry too much about what may happen in the days to come.

Yeah, someone pray for me.