So many many things in my mind lately. Cluttered and too many things running around. Let’s catch some of them and place them in words.

1) Weirdly, NUS says that my application is still in “Application Processing” mode even though almost all of my friends already know of their admission decision into NUS. Maybe they are rejecting me because I told them that I am retracting the NUS Double Degree application (Business & Engin. combined). NTU gave me a spot in the NTU-Georgia Tech program even though I told them that I am retracting my application after they asked me to submit more supporting documents. I got lazy, told them I am withdrawing NTU application, and got accepted. The irony.

The thing is, going to Berkeley ain’t cheap. Half a million ringgit of cash splashed, and I might not even get a high paying job upon graduation, especially if I fail to secure a job in the US and have to come back home to Malaysia. The cost does not justify potential earnings.  I am entertaining the thought of just going to Singapore and get that dumb piece of paper called a degree. On the other hand, job aside, Berkeley might expose one to lots of new stuff and give a wholely different experience that might come useful, in some way, maybe in starting a tech venture. So yeah. A gamble indeed.

2) YEAH this pisses me off a lot. Drivers who fail to signal when switching lanes or cutting into your lane. I might be driving a small car, but please signal la when cutting in. At least when you signal, I know and will most of the time let you through as a reward for your courtesy to signal. DON’T BARGE IN LIKE THAT. (Volvo, BMW tai sai ar) Or I’ll HONK =)

Malaysian drivers.

OH yeah there was this joke my colleague related to me. So one day a listener called Mix FM and told the DJ, “Penang drivers are really terrible la.” Another called in and said (obviously a Penang lang) “Where got, in KL the drivers are also like that what. Bad driving.”

Killer statement by yet another caller, “You know why KL got bad drivers or not. They all come from Penang and drive in KL.”

3) Hmmm in my job, I have been going to a lot of places, including the abodes of wealthier people to do some maintainance. I don’t know, but it feels weird. Big houses, big and nice cars, luxuries that I see, makes me wonder whether this is really what I want to own. If I had a lot of cash, would I self-gratify, indulge in all these nothings and be arrogant and think that I’ve got it all? It’s very easy to do that if you are rich. So dangerous to be trapped like that. Live like a king and all, think that one is so big and awesome. Yeah when I drive in my Kancil I will go “ooooo, wahhh, niceeee” at the Toyotas and Hondas and BMWs etc etc., thinking of when I can have enough cash to get a Toyota etc., but is this really the objective of it all? Materials and all. Many of us would like that.  But if a man were really to be judged by the abundance of his possessions, then there can be only one winner in this world, i.e. Warren Buffet at the current moment. Judging by this, the rest might as well be losers. Of course, this cannot be the case.

Being a Christian complicates matters. On one hand, it is OK to be rich, but be generous givers. On the other hand, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Note: Hard, but not impossible. More discussion on Bible verses about wealth and riches in a later post.) My say is that it is perfectly fine to be wealthy, though many Christians today advocate self-denial and living “poorly” since they say that the Bible says things like “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” But the world screams money and wealth, and if Christiany means that one has to beg in the streets, who would want to become a Christian? The truth is, Jesus’s disciples were very wealthy people. I’ll elaborate in another post.

Even in church, sometimes people give testimonies announcing that God has blessed them financially (yes that’s good and praise the Lord for that) but I don’t really agree with the part that they go on saying that they have recently bought a Mercedes [fill in latest model here] (this is the part that feels wrong to me) as proof that they have been financially blessed. Big deal ah saying you got a Mercedes? A car is a car. What is a Mercedes for if not to flaunt and show off? Sigh. I don’t know. It’s not that I am against people with big cars, but then again who am I to judge anyway? I am not God. But all I want to say in this paragraph is that when someone drives a big car, says he drives a big car etc., my perception of that person, justified or not, points toward arrogance and self-importance. This is the perception I get, to be brutally frank.

This is my stand on riches and wealth: 1) Being rich is not wrong. God needs money for His works too.  2) Tithes and offerings are obligatory and mandatory. God commands us to render to God the things that are God’s. 3) Be a generous giver. One must give in order to receive! But give not to receive but to serve others and shower love on others, especially the needy. 4) Don’t love money, and don’t let money be your God. Now who can say, “I wish to be poor”? The fact is that we all wish that we can have financial freedom, be rich, and not be in lack financially. But how will you live your life once you have all these things? I think how you live your life when you are rich it is more important than having the riches itself. After all, this fact remains: we enter the world with nothing, and we depart with nothing.

The question I challenge all readers to ponder: How will you live your life when you are wealthy? Never forget that it is God who gave the power to get wealth. Give more to those in need? Flaunt it all to fulfill one’s material desires? It’s your choice.

4) Makes me think, I’ve applied to 8 scholarships, only one replied so far, i.e. Shell. Never intended to go into Oil and Gas, so ended up not going for the interview, plus the bond would be unbearable for person like me. Guess I shouldn’t complain about not getting scholarship since I am so choosy. But you get the point. Easier to win a lottery today than to get a scholarship, no matter how good you THINK you are.

[see what months of no intense studying and exams can do to one’s brain. my recent blog posts are proof that the gap period before starting intensive further studies makes me think a lot, some might say too much. but it’s good. sets the priorities right.]

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Some things cannot be rushed.

Infatuation or not infatuation? Perhaps I’ll give a few years to tell the difference. But things will be very different then. Oh, how hard it is to embrace the notion of keeping my eyes on God and serving Him wholeheartedly, everything for Him, doing God’s will at the current moment in my life, instead of dwelling in uncertain hopes and desires that plagues the mind. But today was something lifted. This burden. Maybe now I can give God my 100% attention. As long as I don’t entertain those thoughts. My naive mind.

Maybe it’s still too early to say or the applications are still in process, but I applied to 7 scholarships (TNB, Tenaga, SC, Khazanah, National Infocomm Scholarship (Singapore), Sime Darby, and Shell) and got no reply from any of them as yet. (BNM deadline passed but I couldn’t be bothered applying…And I can’t see myself working for Astro so maybe not…)

Kudos for Malaysian meritocracy. I expected some to respond. Looks like none did, or ever will.

So hard for a Malaysian with dreams to fulfil it. If one has no money, those dreams can go down the bloody Malaysian drain. Thank God for my parent’s EPF. At least I can fulfil part of that dream.

And then I read this article in The Star about PSD Medic Scholars failing to return home to serve and felt better that I did not get JPA or some other Govenment Scholarship. Scholarship holders mentioned in the article have proven themselves to be an ungrateful and self-serving bunch.

But the Government has a lot to be blamed too. Lousy pay with long hours, no wonder no one wants to come back. But its main fault is not being strict with the defaulters. The article lists the years and number of scholars who failed to return each of those years, and then after data collecting for years later the PSD publicizes it and says, “Oh, we think something needs to be done about this. This cannot continue.” This is what I call a lagging Government.

What a bunch of idiots running a country teeming with opportunity.

And no wonder so many of my friends are already thinking about staying overseas beyond graduation. They say, “You should stay on at the country (where you studied) beyond graduation and earn big money.” After my response, they go, “Why?!!! Come back for what??” I also know of one who already has plans not to return. Oh yeah, and many want to return, to Singapore that is.

Buck up, Malaysia. Or you’ll lose me too.

However I am reminded that no matter what goes on around us, the attitude has to be kept right. So let’s put on a good attitude and hope for the best, and strive for the best that is possible within out realm and means. If you are doing business for instance, you can demonstrate the way things should be done, by setting up a great company which can bring Malaysia to greater heights in the international arena. Do things your way. Show the bunch of jokers in the Cabinet how great Malaysia can actually be.

I discovered randomly that the Astro Scholarship is now open for application! Deadline is April 20th, 2008!

This scholarship caters for overseas undergraduate studies as well as for studies in Malaysian universities.

Undergraduate Degrees Overseas

• Bachelor of Dramatic Art (Acting, Design, Production) in National Institute of Dramatic Art, Australia (NIDA) or any other reputable school of dramatic art.
• Bachelor of Engineering, Computer Science or Science related to media and broadcast technology including Computer Graphics.

Haha I think Electrical Engineering has got to do with media and broadcast technology right?

OK can. APPLY!

(I have submitted applications to 8 scholarship providers already. This is my 9th.) =.=’

This is so funny…

Yeah so I asked CIMB whether there really was the purported CIMB Scholarship as stated on their website.

They replied:

Dear Ern Sheong,

We wish to inform that currently, CIMB only offers scholarships to employees of CIMB Group. We however would like to thank you for your interest in CIMB and wish you all the best in your future undertakings.

Best regards

Thanks for the (very late) reply, CIMB. Too bad my father works at Maybank, which offers only local scholarships.

I applied for the National Infocomm Scholarship (half-heartedly, thus I filled up the application form at my whim and fancy) at the urge of my mum here and my aunt in Singapore.

(I’m sorry I posted this a day after the deadline of application for this scholarship but I wanted to just share what this scholarship is all about.)

Firstly, for the overseas programme, the scholarship offers to pay tuition fees, allowances, accomodation costs, airfare costs, medical expenses, etc. It covers many engineering courses such as E & E, computer engineering, information systems, etc. The Overseas Full Scholarship comes with a 5-year bond and if one is not a Singaporean, one has to become a Singapore PR. Is that good?

But here is another take on this scholarship by Jiin Joo, a Malaysian who is currently working in Singapore for the Infocomm Development Authority (former ASEAN Scholar): 9 Considerations for National Infocomm Scholarship

One thing in particular gained my attention from Jiin Joo’s post.

5. Do you know the difference between a salaried job and running your own shop?

Entrepreneurs beware. This is perhaps one of the most un-thought of consequence - the fact you have to run your passion “part time” while “bidding your time” in some government agency. This will be particularly true for geeks and wannabes as they are naturally attracted to NIS. You might say, hey, I don’t really have a passion, but you forget the fact that perhaps after going through uni life, you might hit on THE thing you want to do, and lo-and-behold, it doesn’t exists in Singapore, if not your bonded organization. You can’t be good at something you only do part time.

Ha! That is what I am afraid of! Landing on some great idea as an wannabe entrepreneur and being unable to work on it just because I am bonded to some stupid scholarship! This point applies to all scholarships as well, in fact. This is indeed a dilemma. No one makes it big doing something part-time. But without any scholarship, I will not have enough funds to study in the US in the first place. Is there another way out? How else would I get the money to go there?

Another interesting point regarding this particular scholarship is how Hongyi advised Haoyi not to apply for any scholarship in Singapore. Haoyi was considering applying for the National Infocomm Scholarship but his elder brother Hongyi advised him against it in a letter. (Hongyi and Haoyi are Lee Hsien Loong’s sons, and thus also Lee Kuan Yew’s grandchildren) Even though this account does not hold anything against the NIS Scholarship in particular, it reveals the sentiments that fills the minds of every bonded scholar in town (Lee Hsien Loong’s son notwithstanding)

Can there be another way out? It would be agonizing to get a bonded scholarship and then realizing that there are so many funding opportunities, grants and scholarships waiting for me when I am already there in the US. But the first step would have to be a leap of faith, paying my way there on my own first.

Well, 8 days to Stanford decisions and also those from Cornell and Princeton. I shall wait and see.

(Yes, despite despising the bond that is attached to most, if not all, scholarships, Ern Sheong is embarking on a Malaysian Scholarship ATTACK while ignoring the bond part, at least for now during the application stage. Good thing for him that SPM results were already released, so there are abundant scholarship options NOW. Many of these still accept post Pre-U students (A Levels in my case).

His options, after his not-so-comprehensive and not-so-encompassing research online and input from his dear mummy, are 12 Malaysia overseas scholarships: Name of Scholarship (Deadline)

1. Biasiswa Khazanah Global (26 March)
2. Shell Malaysia Scholarship (31 March)
3. Yayasan Telekom Malaysia Scholarship (31 March)
4. Securities Commission (31 March)
5. Bank Negara Scholarship (11 April)
6. Yayasan Sime Darby Scholarship (31 March, only for selected UK and Aus universities, sorry US ppl)
7. Yayasan Tenaga Nasional (16 March, I discovered this at the last minute!)
8. Felda Scholarship Programme (22 March)
9. Gamuda Scholarship Awards (15 April)
10. Great Eastern Scholarship Award (31 May)
    
11. Astro Scholarship (20th April)
12. CIMB Scholarship (only for CIMB employees’ children)

Yeah so if you guys heard of any other OVERSEAS scholarships around here in Malaysia which is not listed above kindly comment here. And yeah I purposely omitted Petronas and JPA (don’t think they take in A level students anyway, and I was already rejected by them earlier).

Why BNM or SC or CIMB would accept a person intending to do an electrical engineering degree is anyone’s guess. Though with a Management Science or Operations Research course they might still accept me somehow.

Hope this helps those with the same situation as mine too: Want to go overseas but too expensive to pay on your own. ACT NOW!

UPDATED: Yayasan Sime Darby Scholarship added (No. 6); Yayasan Tenaga Nasional deadline and link updated (No. 7); Felda Holdings Berhad Scholarship added (No.8); Gamuda Scholarsip Awards (No.9); Great Eastern Scholarship (No. 10); deadline for BNM Scholarship added; status of CIMB scholarship added; Astro Scholarship updated