Moral Studies presentation video

---

For my Moral Studies this semester, my group was required to prepare a presentation on the topic "Homosexuality". Our group decided to create a video depicting the life of a gay - and how it ended in tragedy.

To most of my course-mates in Nottingham University, this might be something you'd seen before, but bear with me because I finally managed to upload this video on YouTube. Hopefully this quality production from us would be worth watching again... and again...


The Video

A word of advice before watching: Due to the lack of narration during the movie, you might not understand what is going on. Feel free to pause the movie and check out the synopsis in the section below before continuing.

The Story

Drew (Kelvin Hiu) was not an ordinary guy. You've guessed it - he was a gay. He even has a boyfriend (Roderick). The story starts with Drew's boyfriend singing in front of his grave, reminiscing the events that led to his death.

Drew's boyfriend is so in love with Drew that he rejected the advances of others, including girls interested in him. Not long after rejecting a girl (Esdelyn), he went to find Drew in his bedroom to have some fun together. Unfortunately, their act was discovered by Drew's father (me).

Drew's parents were concerned about this and went to talk to him in his bedroom, but he was more interested in throwing a tantrum. Over tea, his mother (Sang Huey) asked him whether he is gay. When he didn't answer, his parents decided to bring him to see a priest in a local church.

The pastor (Wei Ping) talked to him and gave him some advice, but this only increases his frustration towards the people around him. The final straw came when he was beaten up by a duo (Sze Wei and Hon Xing) for being gay. He then decided to end his life. Before jumping off a building, he sent a message to his boyfriend, didn't wait for him to arrive.

The story ends with friends and family members visiting Drew's grave. His father hugs Drew's boyfriend, together mourning the death of someone they both love.


Behind the Scenes

Below is another video showing behind-the-scenes footage and the bestowing of self-created awards.

Final Thoughts

Overall, we had a great time making this movie. It would have been better if I wasn't smiling throughout the video... and my voice seem to be drowned by background noise.

As for my opinion on the main issue being discussed, I think homosexuals have the right to live their own private lives. However, they should be mindful of their acts in public as people may find their behavior offensive.


What Others Say

These are blog posts by others involved in the production of this video:

• Of instant stardom and Big, Retarded baby =D by Vivien (Editor)


• Of Homosexuality and Morality by Sze Wei

UPDATE (20/1/2008): Part II (Behind the Scenes) of the video has been removed from YouTube due to copyright issues. It has been reuploaded to Dailymotion.

Cloud, you are busted!

IMPORTANT UPDATE: The person implicated in this post has vehemently denied involvement in this matter. Without complicating matters, I urge everyone to end speculation on this issue. Give all parties involved a break, lest feelings will be hurt. Also, before making any judgements, do take into account the implicated person's view in the comments section.

UPDATE 2: Here is another attempt at guessing Cloud's identity.

A mysterious person has been commenting in my Shoutbox under the pseudonym 'Cloud' for quite some time. All the while I was wondering about his (might be her) true identity when the name Cloud appeared.

The first time Cloud appeared was during the end of August.

Cloud I am new to here.I heard other people talked about your blog and so paid a visit. (2008-08-29 2:24 AM)

When asked who he was the first time, Cloud replied:

Cloud Ah ha.Cloud will pass by.See when I will reveal myself.Haha.Just kidding.Maybe some time I will tell you. (2008-09-01 1:14 PM)

Oh, he wants to keep it a secret... So fine, I left it at that. Cloud did not appear in my Shoutbox again... until last week.

Cloud Yaya.You haven't been updating for a long time.. (2008-12-01 11:50 PM)

Before that, I thought that Cloud had lost interest in my blog. When asked of his true identity the second time, he said:

Cloud Still haven't reach the time yet.By the way,chatting with a person you seem not to know.Doesn't it feels better?Though I know a little bit about you, (2008-12-02 5:10 PM)
Cloud I enjoy talking like this to you.Haha.Close yet far.. (2008-12-02 5:10 PM)

Then I asked: When is 'the time'? He replied:

Cloud haha.i also dunno..jz enjoy lo.not bad ma like this.. (2008-12-06 4:51 PM)

This guy really got me burning with curiosity. A la CSI, I found out that this guy is definitely from Nottingham University. Also, I assumed that this person has not commented on my blog using his real name before. And based on the way he speaks, I seriously considered him to be a girl. This got me racking my brains: Which girl in Nottingham reads my blog but never commented using her real name before? The result: Too many possibilities. I can't know each and everyone who visits my blog.

Then on Wednesday Sze Wei asked me via MSN whether I would like to know who is Cloud. 'Sure,' I said. She gave me two suspects; both of them seem absurd at first, as I haven't considered them before. Then she mentioned that the second person had done the same thing on her blog before. This got me down working. Based on the multiple visits of Cloud to my blog, the pattern corresponds exactly to that person!

Armed with that information, I can say with 99.98% surety (0.02% error in respect of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle) that Cloud is...

SPOILER WARNING: Click to reveal

Benjamin Chang
Author of DGS

Nice try, Ben! You would have had me stumped if you didn't impersonate as 'ying' on Sze Wei's blog!

P.S.: Thanks to Sze Wei for the lead!

End of the year, end of the semester

It's approaching the end of the year, but this year, it just doesn't feel like it. For the past 18 years, year end equals to long holidays and long holidays equal to year end. This year is different.


End of the Semester Rush

Although my semester finals are in January, this time is practically the end of the semester where classes end. Yet, mid-term examinations are still ongoing with me having Electricity & Magnetism and Moral Studies exams next week. This means that for some modules, we won't be learning much between these two exams. There is, however, Christmas break between them, before we face the 'ultimate' exam covering all the stuff we learned in this semester.

The end of the semester is also the time where assignments are due. I still have English, IT and Moral Studies assignments to complete, and I'm starting to wonder why do I have to do all these at the last minute. Well, I'm quite used to this kind of situations given my tendency to procrastinate, but I just hope that the current situation permits me to hand up my assignments on time without affecting my exams.


The Weather

Studying in a UK university is no fun without experiencing UK's weather. But in the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, I'm glad to say that I'm experiencing it partially. Take a look at this week's weather forecast for Kajang (the nearest major town):

Source: AOL Weather

I couldn't find a website which offers weather for Semenyih, but I can assure you that the weather here is colder, though not as cold as in Nottingham, UK which is snowing. But then again, we have the equivalent of snow at the Malaysia campus:

(Where did the faraway hills go? Compare it with the last photo in this post.)

Those photos were taken at 7 am two weeks ago. This place could be a resort if without the mounting pressure...

Oral Presentation: SpaceShipOne

Publish at Scribd or explore others: spaceshipone

SpaceShipOne Revolutionizing Space Tourism Outline • What is SpaceShipOne? • History • How does SpaceShipOne work? • Beyond SpaceShipOne The First Non-Government Manned Spacecraft Three-person vehicle for suborbital spaceflight Designed by Scaled Composites, a company founded by aerospace engineer Burt Rutan Funded by Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft 1996 - Concept design work and some preliminary development April 2001 - Full development program began in secrecy April 1, 2004 - Scaled Composites received the first license for sub-orbital rocket flights June 21, 2004 - First spaceflight October 4, 2004 - Won the $10 million Ansari X PRIZE White Knight carries SpaceShipOne to about 15,000 meters above the Earth. Accelerate almost vertically at 3 g’s. More than 100 km above the Earth. Speed: 3000 km/h Weightlessness The ship's empennage converts (using pneumatic-actuated 'feather') to a stable, high-drag shape 5 or 6 g's of deceleration Parabolic trajectory Turns into a glider at about 16,000 metres above the Earth. Touchdown at 145 km/h. SpaceShipOne now hangs at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C. Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group of companies and Burt Rutan are teaming up to create the world's first civilian passenger spaceliner Virgin Galactic, the company that will offer the flights, will launch them from spaceports in the New Mexico desert May begin commercial flights in 2009 Twice the size of SpaceShipOne Can carry six paying customers and two pilots © 2008 WJ. Revised: 2 Dec 2008.

Those were the PowerPoint slides I used in my oral presentation about "an exciting new invention" yesterday during my English class.

I know I had left this blog idle for more than half a month, so hopefully I can provide you with more updates during this long weekend. We will have an extra holiday this Friday to commemorate the death of one of our fellow students from Nottingham University - he was brutally assaulted by a group of parang-wielding men just a few kilometers away from our campus (read more here). May his soul rest in peace.

Tagged by YY

How you do the Letter Meme:
Dear (the last person who left a comment on your blog).
I don't really know how to tell you this, but ___1___.I think I realized it when ___2______3___ and I saw you ___4___ ___5___. I'm sure you're ___6___ enough to understand ___7___. I'm returning ___8___ to you, but I'll keep ___9___ as a memory. You should also know that I ___10___ ___11___.___12___.
Loves;-
Your name-
P/S: You are so lifeless, ___13___, -The name of the person that tagged you-.

1. What's the color of your shirt?
Blue - Our romance is over
Red - Our affair is over
White - I'll join the monastery
Black - I dislike you
Green - Our horoscope doesn't match
Grey - You're a pervert
Yellow - I'm selling myself
Pink - Your nostrils are insulting
Brown - The mafia wants you
No shirt - You're a loser
Other - I'm in love with your sister

2. Which is your birth month?
January - That night
February - Last year
March - your dwarf bit me
April - I tripped on sesame seeds
May - First of May
June - you put cuffs on me
July - I threw up
August - I saw the shrunken head
September - we skinny dipped
October - I quoted Santa
November - your dog ran amok
December - I changed tennis shoes

3. Which food do you prefer?
Tacos - In your apartment
Pizza - In your camping car
Pasta - Outside of Chicago
Hamburgers - Under the bus
Salad - As you ate enchilada
Chicken - In your closet
Kebab - With Paris Hilton
Fish - In women's clothing
Sandwiches - At the Hare Krishna graduation
Lasagna - At the mental hospital
Hot dog - Under a state of trance
None of the above - With George Bush and his wife

4. What's the color of your socks?
Yellow - Hit on
Red - Insult
Black - Ignore
Blue - Knock out
Purple - Pour syrup on
White - Carve your initials into
Grey - Pull the clothes off
Brown - Put leeches on
Orange - Castrate
Pink - Pull the toupee off
Barefoot - Sit on
Other - Drive out

5. What's the color of your underwear?
Black - My best friend
White - My father
Grey - Bill Clinton
Brown - My fart balloon
Purple - My mustard soufflé
Red - Donald Duck
Blue - My avocado plant
Yellow - My penpal in Ghana
Orange - My Kid Rock-collection
Pink - Manchester United's goalkeeper
None - My John F. Kennedy-statue
Other - The crazy monk

6. What do you prefer to watch on TV?
Scrubs - Man
O.C. - Emotional
One Tree Hill - Open
Heroes - Frostbitten
Lost - Scarred
Simpsons - Cowardly
The news - Mongolic
American Idol - Masochistic
Family Guy - Senile
Top Model - Middle-class
None of the above - Ashamed

7. Your mood right now?
Happy - How awful I've felt
Sad - How boring you are
Bored - That Santa doesn't exist
Angry - That your pimples are at the last stage
Depressed - That we're cousins
Excited - That there is no solution to this
Nervous - The middle-east
Worried - That your Honda sucks
Apathetic - That I did a sex-change
Ashamed - That I'm allergic to your hamster
Cuddly - That I get turned on by garbage men
Overjoyous - That I'm open
Other - That Extreme Home Makeover sucks

8. What's the color of your walls in your bedroom?
White - Your ring
Yellow - Your love letters
Red - Your Darth Vader
Black - Your tame stone
Blue - The couch cushions
Green - The pictures from
LAOrange - Your false teeth
Brown - Your contact book
Grey - Our matching snoopy-bibs
Purple - Your old lottery coupons
Pink - The cut toenails
Other - Your memories from the military service

9. The first letter of your first name?
A/B - Your photo
C/D - The oil stocks
E/F - Your neighbour Martin
G/H - My virginity
I/J - The results of your blood-sample
K/L - Your left ear
M/N - Your suicide note
O/P - My common sense
Q/R - Your mom
S/T - Your collection of butterflies
U/V - Your criminal record
W/X - David's tricot outfits
Y/Z - Your grades from college

10. The last letter in your last name?
A/B - Always will remember
C/D - Never will forget
E/F - Always wanted to break
G/H - Never openly mocked
I/J - Always have felt dirty before
K/L - Will tell the authorities about
M/N - Told in my confession today about
O/P - Was interviewed by the Times about
Q/R - Told my psychiatrist about
S/T - Get sick when I think of
U/V - Always will try to forget
W/X - Am better off without
Y/Z - Never liked

11. What do you prefer to drink?
Water- Our friendship
Beer - Senility
Soft drink - A new life as a clone
Soda - The incarnation as an eskimo
Milk - The apartment building
Wine - Cocaine abuse
Cider - A passionate interest for mice
Juice - Oprah Winfrey imitations
Mineral water - Embarrassing rash
Hot chocolate - Eggplant-fetishism
Whisky - To ruin the second world war
Other - To hate the Boston Celtics

12. To which country would you prefer to go on a vacation?
Thailand - Warm regards
USA - Best regards
England - Good luck on your short-term leave from jail
Spain - Go and drown yourself
China - Disgusting regards
Germany - With ease
Japan - Go burn
Greece - Your everlasting enemy
Australia - Greetings to your frog Leonard
Egypt - Fuck off now
France - In pain
Other - Greetings to your freaky family

13. What is your favorite activities when hanging out with mates?
Gathering for drinks - Ugly pig
Foosball - Silly duck
Shopping - French kisser
Dulging for food - Cranky banana
Movies - Smelly armpits
Snacks - Horny wolf
Snooker - Tiny nipples
Bowling - Sexy grandmother
Outdoor activities - Vain pot
Having a long talk - Nose plucker
Taking pictures - Dumb bitch
Other - Burn yourself

---

Dear ryanne,
I don't really know how to tell you this, but our romance is over (1). I think I realized it when I threw up (2) in your camping car (3) and I saw you ignore (4) my avocado plant (5). I'm sure you're ashamed (6) enough to understand that Santa doesn't exist (7). I'm returning your ring (8) to you, but I'll keep your left ear (9) as a memory. You should also know that I told in my confession today about (10) Oprah Winfrey imitations (11). Greetings to your frog Leonard (12).

Loves;-
WJ
P/S: You are so lifeless, cranky banana (13), YY.

---

Tag Victims:
Sze Wei
Vivien

Historic week - Obama and DotA

What does DotA has to do with Obama? Both are related through just one word: History.

Change has come to America

The victory of Barack Obama as the first black president of the US is a historic moment for the US. Many would agree that this was a positive development in the eradication of discrimination throughout the world. His message of change and hope reverberated throughout the globe, capturing the imagination of world citizens. This once again proves that America is still the land of opportunity - leading the world in terms of democracy, citizen rights and free speech.

Obama addressing the crowd following his election victory. (Photo by Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images)

Thinking of my beloved home country Malaysia (although I'm not a first class 'privilaged' citizen here), I wonder when change will finally come to Malaysia. The issues of race and religion that politicians keep harping on is downright unproductive. Enough said. If I were to get really fed up of all this in the future, then maybe migrating to the US will be an option, but I would rather have the US culture of democracy be brought to Malaysia instead.


The day I got hooked on DotA

This was some sort of historic moment in my personal history. It was just last week that I officially became a DotA player, albeit a latecomer in the DotA scene. Many of my friends started playing DotA when they were in Form 4. I remained largely unaffected by that trend, probably because I don't go to cybercafes, so I had little or no clue of what DotA is all about. Like the Malay proverb, you can't love something if you don't know it (tak kenal maka tak cinta).

For those who have no idea about DotA at all, let me give a short introduction. DotA is not a game on its own, but a modification (mod) of Warcraft III's gameplay. In DotA, you will only get to control a hero, while the rest is taken care of by AI. DotA stands for Defense of the Ancients, which pretty much sums up the objective of this game: defend your 'ancient' and destroy your enemy's. An ancient is just a useless (it does nothing) structure that must be defended at all costs. There are two teams - Sentinal and Scourge, each with their own unique 'ancient'. During gameplay, you can level up your hero, learn new spells and not forgetting buying stuff to enhance your hero's power.

Since DotA is a mod of Warcraft III, it can be classified as a Real-Time Strategy (RTS) game. I used to be a great RTS fan, starting from the days of Red Alert and moving on (in no definite sequence; might miss out a few) to Red Alert 2, Age of Empires, Age of Empires II and Rise of Nations. However, I'd been playing few RTS games lately, the latest being Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, but then I stopped playing after two weeks or so. This is because RTS games have become too homogeneous, i.e. they have many things in common: build a base, defend it, create an army and then overwhelm your enemy. Each game can be said to be different in terms of units and storyline only. DotA brought a new concept into the RTS line, and I can say that I'm finally experiencing the thrill of playing RTS games once again.

How did it all started? I first played DotA when I got a copy of it from Kelvin a few months back. At that time, I didn't really have a clue on what I should be doing in the game. With no training mode, I moved my selected hero round the map, killed some creeps, get killed, finally declaring this game 'moderately interesting' and I never touched it again until last week. That day was Monday, when Soon Yin came to my room to finish up his lab report (we were doing the same experiment). I'd finished it already so since I don't have much to do at that time, I fired up DotA and had him as my 'war adviser'. Once I knew the basics, the fun has begun and there's no turning back.

On Tuesday, Soon Yin together with Kelvin, Wei Ping and I had a 'DotA Nite' together in our unit. Soon Yin appeared as early as 8 pm and we played three rounds altogether until it was past 11 pm (talk about wasting time). Worse, Wei Ping and I had a test the following day, luckily it was just an English test... The next day we had another 'DotA Nite', this time at the computer lab, but we played only one round. Our next 'DotA Nite' is scheduled on Monday, because we except Soon Yin were going back on Thursday.

To master this game, it does take quite a lot of effort like familiarising yourself with the 90+ heroes and various items used in the game. I'm starting to wonder how this is going to affect my studies.


Change has come to America and to my daily routine. The former is beneficial, but the latter?

Tagged by Sze Wei

1. If your lover betrayed you, what will your reaction be?
Well, now I know her true colours...

2. If you can have a dream to come true, what would it be?
Get rich.

3. Whose butt would you like to kick?
John McCain (US elections today; I support Obama).

4. What would you do with a billion dollars?
Put in a deposit account. At 5% per year, I can get 50 million a year, which is equivalent to 4.2 million a month! Then I will buy stuff, invest, buy stuff, donate, travel...

5. Will you fall in love with your best friend?
Maybe... Love is blind?

6. Which is more blessed, loving someone or being loved by someone?
Both.

7. Do you intend to wait for someone you really love?
Why not?

8. If the person you secretly like is already attached, what would you do?
There's nothing I can do...

9. Is there anything that has made you extremely happy?
Happy? Yes. Extremely happy? I will be if I get one billion dollars... Then I can put the money into the bank, and then...

10. What takes you down the fastest?
Stress. Young's modulus too low perhaps.

11. How would you see yourself in ten years time?
An engineer contributing to the advancement of humankind.

12. Who is currently the most important people to you?
My family and friends.

13. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is?
Although I don't know her very well, but she seems to be quite a well-rounded person.

14. Would you rather be single and rich or married but poor?
Depends on how poor is poor or how rich is rich. Also, life is constantly changing so I'm unlikely to be stuck in either situations.

15. (a)What's the first thing you do when you wake up?
Bathe. (Boring, huh?)
15(b)What is your mood now?
Tired.

16. (a)Your favourite weather is?
Cloudy.
16.(b) Would you give all in a relationship?
Most but not all, unfortunately.

17. If you fall in love with two people simultaneously, who would you pick?
Simple: The one I love most.

18. Would you forgive and forget no matter how horrible a thing the someone has done?
I forgive but not forget, because I can't erase my own memory...

19. Would you suffer now and enjoy later or the opposite?
Life is a cycle of suffering and enjoying; but I do love it when it's my time to enjoy!

20. Who are u planning to tag next?
YY (In return for the latest tag).

Life in 2nd semester

Wishing all Hindus a Happy Deepavali!

Time flies... It was just July - summer in the UK - when I first started a whole new journey in the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus (UNMC). Now it's the end of October - autumn, approaching winter - and 3 weeks into my second semester, known as Semester 1 here. Pardon me for not keeping you guys outside Nottingham updated.

Despite the fact that I've grown very accustomed to life here, a new semester still brings its own very unique challenges. For one thing, the campus is now a lot more livelier (crowded I shall say) now that all the students from foundation to postgraduate levels are back from their holidays. In my unit at Pangkor Hall where there used to be an empty room, there is an addition of an African from... well... Africa. I can't even recall his name by the way. Given the influx of so many students, one can imagine how packed the common areas in the university are, namely the student association building (cafeteria and some shops inside), computer labs and sports center. The campus is no doubt quite big, but most of it is made up of empty spaces. In other words, the buildings here are quite small and sparse.

The arrival of students new and old has changed the way things are going on here compared to my first semester. Heck, this is how university life should be, as one of my friend remarked. Clubs and societies are now active with each of them having their respective AGMs. But what is disappointing is that there are not many engineering-related clubs around, so in the end I opted to join the Outdoor Club (only). This club essentially organizes activities which are (obviously) outdoor-based, like camping, cave-exploring, paintball, etc. However fun these activities sound, they do not come cheap. A 2-day camping cum water-rafting trip costs RM200... Apart from clubs and societies, the university is also busy organizing events like "Understanding the Birds and the Bees" last week. Euphemism away, this event is basically about sex education. I didn't attend any of the programmes held, but I heard from my friends that the people there were giving out free... guess what? Condoms. Plus a pack of lubricant. Cool huh? The subject of comdoms became the hot topic of the day. Some even set their own target (not seriouslly) of when and how they're going to use it (must use before the expiry date)!

Academic-wise, the number of modules I'm studying are still the same, albeit harder, because the knowledge from secondary school can only take us that far... Below is an overview of modules I'll be taking this semester.


English Language & Study Skills A (EN0 ELA)

Lecturer & Tutor: Mr. Emmet Whelan (Profile)
Duration: 4 hours per week
Time: Monday, 9 – 11 am; Wednesday, 11 am – 1 pm
This semester is the first time in my life where I have an ang mo (Caucasian) as a lecturer. He is from Ireland and has taught in Taiwan before, so he can understand Mandarin. Apart from the change in lecturer, this module is somewhat similar to ELI in Semester 0, but this time there will be an assessment based on oral presentation. I'd already chosen the topic of SpaceShipOne (I thought of using Nintendo Wii as my topic, but someone has already done it last year).


Light Waves & Electrons B (EN0 LWB)

Lecturer & Tutor: Dr. Khiew
Duration: 2 hours lecture, 1 hour of example class per week
Time: Monday, 11 am – 1 pm; Thursday, 1 - 2 pm (Example class)
The lecturer for this module is the same as LWA last semester. He is the only lecturer who is known to visit student's blog (including mine). This module is getting a whole lot tougher, with Dr. Khiew cautioning us at the beginning of the semester that there are over 80 formulas to memorize. The Physics in this module is mostly about the quantum realm of nature, with stuff like the Bohr model of the hydrogen atom, Compton effect and the Pauli exclusion principle during the last week. This is where the limits of Form 5 knowledge is reached I'm afraid.


Basic Engineering Mechanics B (EN0 BMB)

Lecturer & Tutor: Mr. Tan
Duration: 2 hours lecture, 1 hour of example class per week
Time: Monday, 2 – 5 pm
We have a new Mechanics lecturer, who was previously our lab supervisor last semester. Unfortunately most students have trouble understanding his lecture, especially after the second week. This module takes us deeper into the field of mechanics, starting from circular motion and ending at oscillations.


Foundation Mathematics (HG1 FND)

Lecturers: Dr. Natanael (Profile), Ms. Grace Yap, Mr. Balrama
Tutor: Ms. Grace Yap
Duration: 2 hours lecture, 1 hour of example class per week
Time: Tuesday, 9 – 11 pm; Friday, 9 – 10 am (Example class)
This module differs from others in terms of its organization because it runs for 2 semesters. In this semester itself, we have 3 lecturers, each one teaching us for an average of 3 weeks. So far I'd been taught by Mr. Natanael on the topic of trigonometry. He claims to be the cutest lecturer on campus (you can see his photo on his profile page).


Electronic Information – WWW (XXA C01)

Lecturer & Tutor: Ms. Reginamary
Duration: 2 hours lecture, 1 hour of example class per week
Time: Tuesday, 2 – 5 pm
This module is basically about the internet - how it works and how to create web pages using HTML. Creating HTML pages is pretty basic for me (I started learning it during primary school), but still there are tons of internet jargon (e.g. TCP/IP, DNS, ICANN) which I've to know the exact meaning, although I'd already have a rough idea of what they mean.


Electricity and Magnetism A (EN0 EMA)

Lecturer & Tutor: Mr. Terence Wong
Duration: 2 hours lecture, 1 hour of example class per week
Time: Wednesday, 2 – 5 pm
This is the module where we learn about electric circuits, manipulating current, voltage and resistance. My lecturer is also the Director of Studies for the Engineering Foundation Programme. He is the only Physics lecturer who doesn't use PowerPoint, but rather talk and chalk (this phrase is a little too outdated, because I haven't had the chance to catch a glimpse of chalk after I left school). However, I prefer his style because he starts everything from ground-up, making sure we understand everything that he is teaching.


Moral Studies (MPW2153)

Lecturer: Dr. Tew
Duration: 5 hours per week in one day
Time: Friday, 12 – 5 pm
Many people have the the misconception that Moral Studies will be like what we do for SPM, memorizing all those moral values. I can assure you that this is totally different, in fact, even more mind-boggling. We have to learn a new branch of knowledge called philosophy, which literally means "love of wisdom". We have to study the various theories that are supposed to help us determine what is morally right or wrong. But what is morally right or wrong is so subjective that each theory presents its own flaws. For example, one such theory is utilitarianism, which states that whether an action is morally right is solely determined by the overall happiness brought by it among people. This is quite understandable, but when it comes to a situation where killing someone brings a lot more happiness, then is the action considered morally right? This is something debatable. Anyhow there is nothing absolute when it comes to the issue of ethics and morality. In his exercises given so far, we are expected to list out the flaws in each theory, which means more memorizing...


Lab

Supervisor: Mr. Tan
Duration: 2 hours per week
Time: Tuesday, 11 am – 1 pm
This slot is more or less the same as in the first semester, except that the time and experiments are different.


The arrangement of my timetable is in such a way that for Monday and Tuesday it's all packed. Thursday is the most relaxing day with only 1 hour of class. Friday is supposed to be a day where I can wake up late, but because of the Maths example class, I'm forced to wake up early...

I hope you have taken your time reading this long post, because such long posts filled with text like this are hard to come by in this blog once things get busier.

Postcards from Nottingham (Part III)

The following is a continuation from Part II.

This will be the last batch of photos that I took in Semester 0 of my foundation year in the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus (UNMC).


The UNMC administration building opposite the lake at night.


A closer view of the administration building.


View from across the pedestrian bridge.


More photos are expected to follow, but the bad news is I haven't taken any new photos since those I'd already posted here!


Coming up next: A tour of campus facilities

When a Man Loves a Woman (Tagged by Benjamin)

I can't believe I took half a month to get this tag posted! Sorry Ben. The reason is simple: I don't have enough songs in my laptop to do this tag! Nevertheless, I find this tag interesting, so I got a CD which has a collection of English songs I downloaded in 2005 from home just to get this thing done. I wonder what songs would appear...

---

RULES:
1. Put Your iTunes, Windows Media Player, ETC on Shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.
4. Put any comments in brackets after the song name.
5. Put this on your journal.


1. If someone says, "Is this okay?" You say?
Only You - Cliff Richards & Sarah Brightman (Only you are okay. I'm not okay. Neither is this.)

2. How would you describe yourself?
Endless Love - Lionel Ritchie & Diana Ross (I love everyone endlessly...)

3. What do you like in a gal?
Words - Bee Gees (I like the way she talks... and writes...)

4. How do you feel today?
Strangers In The Night - Frank Sinatra (I'm scared...)

5. What is your life's purpose?
Every Woman in the World - Air Supply (Own every woman in the world... HAHAHA!)

6. What is your motto?
Wedding Song - Tracy Chapman (Yeah... own and marry every woman!)

7. What do your friends think of you?
Silent Night, Holy Night - Frank Sinatra (I slept too soundly, is it?)

8. What do your parents think of you?
Colours of the Wind - Vanessa Williams (I'm great!)

9. What do you think about very often?
For Your Eyes Only - Sheena Easton (Only you can see what I'm thinking...)

10. What is 2 + 2?
All I Have to Do Is Dream - Everly Brothers (I can count while sleeping.)

11. What do you think of your best friend?
The Sound of Silence - Simon and Garfunkle (He is quiet but loud...)

12. What do you think of the person you like?
You're The One That I Want - Olivia Newton-John & John Travolta (Yes... I want you!)

13. What is your life story?
Amazing Grace - Celine Dion (Very high class one...)

14. What do you want to be when you grow up?
Unbreak My Heart - Whitney Houston (My heart is too broken... Unbreak my heart first...)

15. What do you think of when you see the person you like?
Have I Told You Lately that I Love You - Rod Stewart (I hope I didn't forget!)

16. What will you dance to at your wedding?
Grease is the Word - Bee Gees (Slip sliding on the dance floor...)

17. What will they play at your funeral?
Save Your Kisses For Me - Natasha Thomas (Kiss me goodbye!)

18. What is your hobby/interest?
Enchanted - The Platters (I love daydreaming...)

19. What is your biggest fear?
The End Of The World - Skeeter Davis (How true!)

20. What is your biggest secret?
Total Eclipse of The Heart - Bonnie Tyler (My heart is eclipsed... All my secrets are hidden!)

21. What do you think of your friends?
Can You Feel the Love Tonight - Elton John (A little too romantic...)

22. What will you post this as?
When a Man Loves a Woman - Rod Stewart (Hey! This post has nothing to do with human sexuality!)

23. What song would you play during your first time having sex?
Picture - Kid Rock & Sheryl Crow (Take photos!)

24. You tag?
Under the Boardwalk - Drifters (Hey there... those under the broadwalk... you're tagged!)

Postcards from Nottingham (Part II)

The following is a continuation from Part I.

After showing the place where I live, it's time to take a look around the campus of the Universiity of Nottingham Malaysia Campus (UNMC)...


This photo shows the features of all University of Nottingham campuses - a white building, a clock tower and a lake. The white building is the administration block.


A closer view of the administration building.


The back of the administration building, viewed from the Academic Plaza.


The Academic Plaza is enclosed by the main academic buildings and incorporates a fountain and an amphitheatre.

Panoramic view of the Academic Plaza from the administration building (The Brits surely know a good place to position their offices).


The university park where there is a jogging track.


Sometimes ducks can be seen in and around the lake, but I didn't manage to capture that photo. Maybe next time.


Coming up next: Night scenes

Nominations by Sze Wei

1. Put the logo on your blog. 2. Add a link to the person who awarded it to you. 3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs. 4. Add links to these blogs on your blog. 5. Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs.	Rules of the award: 1. The winner may put the logo on her blog. 2. Put a link to the person you got the award from. 3. Nominate 5 blogs. 4. Put links to the blogs. 5. Leave a message for your nominees.
I nominate: Touché by YY The Way by Loo Han @lex's LiFe by Alex THE RED ROLLER COASTER by Sonia Legend by Kelvin 无情人部落格 by Zheng Koon Me n Myself by Sang Huey	I nominate: Touché by YY THE RED ROLLER COASTER by Sonia Appreciate People Around You by Jia Wei There is PURPOSE to life. We just got to keep looking for it. by Vivien noryK eeL by Khuan Yew

Hope this won't take too much of your time...

Postcards from Nottingham (Part I)

Finally, after spending two months at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus (UNMC) and completing a semester, the photos I promised are here... Enjoy!


My room, my second home.


The unit where I live - consisting of 5 single rooms and one bathroom. My room is the one with the door open.


View from the window of my unit. The faraway hills makes this place look like a resort.


Coming up next: Around the campus

Tagged by Sze Wei

Rules:
1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves
3. At the end of the post the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves a comment, letting them know they got tagged and to ask them to play and read your blog.

Starting time: 12.43 pm
Name: WJ
Sisters: No
Brothers: 1
Shoe size: 11 (inches?)
Height: 180+ cm
Where do you live: Melaka (Home), University of Nottingham campus (Study).

Favourite drinks: Fruit juice.
Favourite breakfast: Dim sum.
Have you ever Been on a plane: Few times (only recently).
Swam in the ocean: Ocean? No. Sea, yes.
Fallen asleep at school: Definitely.
Broken some one's heart: Maybe.
Fell off your chair: Can't remember...
Saved e-mails: E-mail storage is big nowadays... I delete only spam.
What is your room like: Normal room.
What's right beside you: My laptop.
What is the last thing you ate: Potato bread.


Ever Had

Chicken pox: Never. I'd been vaccinated!
Sore throat: Of course... and it can cause me fever...
Stitches: Looks like no.
Broken nose: Never.

Do you Believe in love at first sight: Who knows?
Like picnics: Love it.
Who was/were the last person You danced with: I don't dance.
Last made you smile: I smile with just about anybody.


Today did you

Talk to someone you like: No.
Kissed anyone: No.
Get sick: No.
Talk to an ex: No ex.
Miss someone: My friends.
Eat: I eat everyday.

Best feeling in the world: Achievement
Do you sleep with stuffed animals: What would people think?
What's under your bed: Air
Who do you really hate: I forgive and forget.
What time is it now: 1.06 am


Random

Is there a person who is on your mind now: The one who tagged me (thinking why she tagged me with all these dumb questions...)
Do you have any siblings: That was in the beginning section...
Do you want children: Why not?
Do you smile often: Quite.
Do you like your hand-writing: Hope you can read it.
Are your toe nails painted: You'll never see me do it.
Whose bed other than yours would you rather sleep in: My bed is the best.
What color shirt are you wearing now: Light yellow.
What were you doing at 7:00 p.m. yesterday: Bathing.
When did you cry last: (Secret)
Are you a friendly person: Usually.
Do you have any pets: No. My parents don't like.
Where is the person you have feelings for right now: Heaven knows.
Did you hold hands with the person who means anything to you now: No because nobody...
Do you sleep with the TV on: A few times.
What are you doing right now: Doing this.
Have you ever crawled through a window: I don't think so... Windows here are mostly grilled... And I don't want to risk my life.
Can you handle the truth: Nothing more important than the truth.
Are you too forgiving: Maybe.
Are you closer to your mother or father: Equal.
Who was the last person you cried in front of: My parents.
How many people can you say you've really loved: My family.
Do you eat healthy: Tried to.
Do you still have pictures of you & your ex: No ex.
Have you ever cried because of something someone said to you: No.
Are you loud or quiet most of the time: You should know.
Are you confident: Most of the time, but not arrogant.

5 things I was doing 10 years ago
Kids stuff.

5 things on my to-do list
Lots of stuff.

5 snacks I enjoy
1. Kit Kat
2. Twisties
3. Pringles
4. Potato wedges
5. French fries

5 things I would do if I were a billionaire
1. Travel to space
2. Invest
3. Buy big house and car
4. Buy cool stuff
5. Donate!

5 of my bad habits
No need to talk about that.

5 places I have lived in:
1. My mother's womb
2. Melaka
3. University of Nottingham campus
4. My grandmother's house in Penang
5. Many hotels

5 jobs I've had
1. Student
2. Blogger
3. Brother
4. Car washer (at home)
5. Painter (at home)


I Tag

Dead people (those that haven't updated their blogs for a long time):
Hou Ket
Han Way
Wei Di
++ Lazy to mention those who are beyond dead

For heavan's sake, update your blogs!

Government on detaining spree

Another Ops Lalang?

(From left) DAP's Teresa Kok, Raja Petra and Sin Chew reporter Tan Hoon Cheng were arrested Friday under the ISA. (Photo by The Star)

Less than 3 hours ago, Teresa Kok was detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA). Earlier in the same day, Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamaruddin and Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng were arrested under the same act while three Malaysian newspapers - Sin Chew Daily, The Sun and Suara Keadilan - were issued show cause letters by the Home Ministry. These actions by the BN led government is reminiscent of what happened in 1987 (though I don't even exist at that time), where 106 persons under the ISA and the publishing licenses of two dailies, The Star and the Sin Chew Jit Poh and two weeklies, The Sunday Star and Watan were revoked. Whether these latest events are the prelude to Ops Lalang II remains to be seen in the coming days.

What concerns me that made me sacrifice some of my time (tests are around the corner) to blog about this is the way justice is served. What did these three people do that warrant such treatment? Firstly, let's look at the sections of the legislation that are related to the ISA:

Section 73(1) Internal Security Act 1960: "Any police officer may without warrant arrest and detain pending enquiries any person in respect of whom he has reason to believe that there are grounds which would justify his detention under section 8; and that he has acted or is about to act or is likely to act in any manner prejudicial to the security of Malaysia or any part thereof or to maintenance of essential services therein or to the economic life thereof."

Section 8 ISA: Power to order detention or restriction of persons. "(i) If the Minister is satisfied that the detention of any person is necessary with a view to preventing him from acting in any manner prejudicial to the security of Malaysia or any part thereof or to the maintenance of essential services therein or the economic life thereof, he may make an order (hereinafter referred to as a detention order) directing that that person be detained for any period not exceeding two years."

In short, a person must be a threat to national security in order to be detained under the ISA. Are these three individuals really a threat to security?


Raja Petra

Those who read Malaysia Today would surely know that Raja Petra is known for his "no holds barred" criticism of the government. Yes, his articles published in Malaysia Today are certainly the cause of his detention.

Just a week ago, the Home Minister, Syed Hamid Albar said (link) Raja Petra could be charged under the Internal Security Act for comments allegedly insulting Islam and Prophet Muhammad in an article entitled "I promise to be a good, non-hypocritical Muslim".

The million-dollar question: How can insulting Islam and Prophet Muhammad be a threat to national security?


Tan Hoon Cheng

I'm surprised and shocked that a reporter who is merely doing her job is arrested under the same act. She is apparently arrested over her report on alleged racist remarks by Datuk Ahmad Ismail.

A reporter's job is to cover events happening in the country, and Tan as a reporter has every right to do this. If she is negligent in her job e.g. misquoted Ahmad Ismail, then it's up to Ahmad Ismail to take legal action against her. In fact, it was reported (link) that UMNO Penang was appointing a lawyer to sue her. It seems that the government thinks that the courts are not to be trusted and decided to take matters into their own hands.

The million-dollar question: Who is more of a threat to national security? An unrepentant leader continuing making racist remarks even after the reported event or a reporter just doing her job?


Teresa Kok

Yet again, there is no concrete reason for Teresa Kok's arrest. Teresa Kok has been accused of disallowing azan (calls for prayers) from sounding in mosques in Puchong and Kota Damansara.

The accuser was none other than former Selangor Menteri Besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo, who in an Utusan report, urged the opposition Pakatan Rakyat-led Selangor government not to concede to purported moves by “a certain party” to disallow azan emanating from loudspeakers of mosques in Puchong and Kota Damansara (link). The government decided to take the word of Mohd Khir as gospel truth while disregarding the accounts of Kota Raja member of parliament Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud of PAS (link) and even the mosque involved (link). The person who is a threat to national security should be the accuser who has distorted facts.

The million-dollar question: Who is Dr Mohd Khir Toyo?


Conclusion: The case studies above show that the ISA can be interpreted and manipulated to the whims and fancies of the present BN-led government.

Tagged by YY

Since this post is posted on 31st August a.k.a. Merdeka Day, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all MalaysiansHappy Merdeka!
Do take note that the fight for independance did not end on August 31st, 1957. The freedom and rights of the people is still under threat from corruption, cronyism and racism. Together we shall fight for a true Merdeka!

People who have been tagged must write their answers on their blogs and replace any questions that they dislike with a new question formulated by themselves.

Tag 8 people to do this quiz and those who are tagged cannot refuse.These people must state who they were tagged by and cannot tag the person whom they were tagged by. Continue this game by sending it to other people.

1 ) Are you allowed to have a bf/gf?
Probably yes... but is the time right?

2 ) Describe urself in one word.
Serious. What do you think?

3 ) Who would you pick, someone who really loves you, or the one you love?
It takes both hands to clap.

4) Have you ever loved someone BEFORE but never had the courage to tell him/her?
Not really. That isn't real love anyway, so don't bother.

5 ) Does it feel good to love?
What's life without love?

6 ) What's the best thing to do with the one you love?
Depends on who.

7) What will you say to someone who doesn't want to believe you??
Go to heaven.

8 ) Was ever a time that you tried to learn to love someone?
I guess not.

9 ) What's your opinion about someone who's jealous?
Life's like that.

10 ) What would yo say to playboys/playgirls?
You live your life and I live mine.


[[ * PART 2 * ]]

1 ) Best place to cry?
Home.

2) Who do you love the most?
My family.

3 ) Tell us about ur dream last night?
I slept soundly.

4) Ever hated someone so bad?
Yes.

5 )The biggest & most hurtful lie you heard?
No idea.

The last person..
-you had a beer with?
My family.

-you went to the movies with?
My family. Watched The Chronicles or Narnia: Prince Caspian.

-you talked on the cell phone with?
My mum.

-you hugged?
My pillow.

-you yelled at?
My brother (yeah, a long time ago).

In the last week have you..
~Kissed someone?
Nope.

~Danced crazy?
Never.


Think of the last time u were angry, why were u angry?
Can't remember.

If you could do anything OR wish anything, wad would it be?
Live this life to the fullest.

If you could have an all expense paid trip, where will you go?
A trip to everywhere.

Would you or have you ever blackmailed someone?
No reasons for that.

Are you old fashioned?
Sometimes old is gold.

What would be harder for you, to tell someone you love them or that you do not love them back?
Both.

What thing would be the hardest thing for you to give up on?
My computer.

5 Facts About Me:
Friendly
Forgetful
Open minded
Lazy
Thoughtful

5 Things that Scares Me:
Nothing scares me.. except my wild imaginations.

7 Songs Playing in My Head Lately:
Lazy to get songs to listen... If you want to know, listen to the music playing on my blog.

7 Words/Things I Always Use:
"Huh?"
"OK"
"Errr..."
"Uh huh"
"Really?"
"Wa..."
"Eh..."


I tag...

Introducing Foundation bloggers @ Nottingham:

• Kelvin (2nd time I tagged)
  
• Benjamin
  
• Zheng Koon
  
• Sang Huey
  
• Vivien
  
• Sze Wei
  
• Jessie
  
• Who else? Zhi Yang has a blog, but looks dead.

Thousand apologies to those that I've missed out. Do drop me a line if you want to get your blog noticed, especially by Dr. Khiew!

To old friends... I haven't forgotten you! You sure kena the next tag if there is one!

My lecturer visited my blog

Roughly 3 weeks ago, I wrote a post entitled “No easy life in Nottingham” with the sole purpose of keeping my friends informed about life in the University of Nottingham. I chose to tell about academic life here, so naturally my topic revolves around classes and lecturers. Because my friends are currently pursuing their studies taking different routes like Form 6, A-Levels and Foundation, I felt that it was informative to include comparisons between here and elsewhere.

On Thursday, I was surprised that my lecturer for the Light, Waves and Electron module, Dr. Khiew, left some comments in my Shoutbox regarding what I’ve written in that post.

PSkhiew Thanks for the comment. I understand that you are one of most smart student I have and seems like the module is abit easy for you...
PSkhiew Please remember that we need to deal with many types of students that came in with different entry qualification.
PSkhiew Hence, the structures of "A" modules have been designed that they only cover revision on the subjects you have learned in SPM or O-level.
PSkhiew Correct, I seldom discuss about the formula derivation during my class.
PSkhiew This is due to the reason that engineering and physics are two different contexts eventhough they are inter-related to each other.
PSkhiew Engineering is the extension of the fundamental theories to the application.
PSkhiew You are an engineering student, we should train you to use equations to solve research problem.
PSkhiew Due to the time constraint in the class, instead of using the limited time for formula derivation,
PSkhiew I would rather to use it for explaining more on solving problem using the equation/formula.
PSkhiew Mr. Wee is your physics lecturer, the way of teaching physics of course will be abit different compare to mine.
PSkhiew Nevertheless, if you believe that formula derivation is important and you are interested to learn about it,
PSkhiew I would be happy to have the discussion with you after the class.

Firstly, to Dr. Khiew. I would like to thank him for spending time reading my blog, commenting, and saying that it’s OK to have a discussion with me after class. I truly appreciate that. Regarding his comments, I would like to clarify that what I’d written was not a formal complain – it was just a way of me informing readers that the situation here it’s like that and what I think about it – whether it’s a good or bad thing, I leave it up to them to decide. The issue of derivation of formulas may be trivial to many; I brought up this issue only because I feel that the derivation of formulas is an important part in learning Physics. Some may agree and some may not. I don’t blame Dr. Khiew for not teaching derivations, since he already gave his reasons about time constrain during class. In my blog post I’m actually telling my friends that in Form 6 or A-Levels that there is more depth in subject matter compared to Foundation here. As for his comment about me finding his module easy, I would like to say that each module has its own challenges; I wouldn’t dare to say that I know everything about Light, Waves and Electrons. I’m still in the process of learning, and I’m fortunate to have Dr. Khiew as my lecturer because he can explain the subject matter well, hence I find it easy to understand.

Secondly, my post dated August 1 comes at a time when I’m still adjusting to life here in Nottingham. Like they say, the grass is always greener on the other side. Things may have changed, and my thoughts and opinions may be different now. I’m sorry if any other lecturer became the victim of my excessive comparison between here and elsewhere. Like what Dr. Khiew mentioned, each lecturer has his/her own teaching style, so he/she cannot satisfy the needs of everybody. I would cooperate with any lecturer regardless of my personal opinion towards that person. All in all, I’m generally quite satisfied with the quality of teaching here in Nottingham and have no intention to leave this place until I get my degree.

Lastly, I would like to stress that I’m a person that deals with issues, and I have nothing personal against anybody unless somebody gets personal with me – and I really don’t want that to happen.

Assignment: Computer concept map

Computer concept map - Upload a Document to Scribd

Read this document on Scribd: Computer concept map

Computer Concept Map Software Hardware Computer components System unit System software Processor Operating system Memory Application software Input device Output device Monitor Keyboard Supercomputer Data Information Mouse Printer Microcomputer People Personal computer Mainframes Legend Subset of Flow of data/ information Related to Computer literacy For reference only. © WJ. Revised: 17 Aug 2008

What is this? From time to time, I'll be posting the assignments I did here at the University of Nottingham in my blog just to share with everybody my work instead of just showing it to my lecturer, so that my efforts seem more worth it. However, no warranties are provided, except that my lecturer has gone through it. But then again, the only result from passing up our assignments to her are a few ticks here and there...

No easy life in Nottingham

This is the end of my third week in the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus. You may notice that my blog hasn’t been updated for about 2 weeks. Why? The short answer is in the title of this post, while a more detailed answer will follow as you continue to read this post.

Although my short stint in Malacca High School seems like a distant memory to me now, but I still can remember what the teachers there used “brainwash” Form 6 students about how you can have an easy life in college. They say, “If you want an easy life, go college lah! In Form 6, you must be prepared to slog!” (Although I’m technically a university student, but I still categorize myself as a college student, because saying that I’m a university student would give the impression that I’m an undergraduate.) No doubt that life is a little easier here, but in no way that I’m passing my days as if each day is a holiday. To let you have a “feel” of my life in Nottingham, I’ll start off with writing about the subjects (they call it modules) I’m currently taking in Sem 0 of my Foundation in Engineering course.


Light, Waves and Electron A (EN0 LWA)

Lecturer & Tutor: Dr. Khiew
Duration: 2 hours lecture, 1 hour of example class per week
Time: Monday, 2 – 5 pm
This is basically a Physics-related module where we learn about mostly light and waves, for example lenses, interference of waves and so on. Dr. Khiew is my only lecturer with a PhD. We have 2 hours of lecture where he lectures while showing PowerPoint slides and another hour of doing exercises. His lessons are quite easy to understand, but what I don’t like about his lessons is that he refuses to derive some of the formulas we encounter, like the lens formulas. He would say that we are engineering students, so it’s enough to know how to apply these formulas... I wonder what Mr. Wee will say about this.


Basic Mathematical Techniques (HG1 BMT)

Lecturer & Tutor: Mr. Balrama
Duration: 2 hours lecture, 1 hour of example class per week
Time: Monday, 9 – 11 am; Thursday, 11 am – 12 pm (Example class)
This module is taught by a quite experienced-looking man, though I'm feeling that we're moving too slowly. What we learn here is basically what we learn before in Form 4 and Form 5, like indices, inequalities, progression and so on. But the questions given can be quite tricky in such a way that befits our age. It’s like a tougher form of the SPM Mathematics syllabus.


Properties of Materials (EN0 POM)

Lecturer & Tutor: Mr. Chiang
Duration: 2 hours lecture, 1 hour of example class per week
Time: Tuesday, 2 – 5 pm
Fondly (the opposite is true) known as POM. The lecturer of this module claims to be the funniest lecturer in the University, and true enough, he likes to crack jokes. He has something funny to say every few minutes or so, but then some are not so funny… Anyway, this module is a mixture of Chemistry and Physics, but it’s still more related to Chemistry than Physics. Examples of topics covered are atoms, bonding, crystals and gases. And even worse than Chemistry in secondary school, this module requires a lot of memorizing. Well, we’re supposed to know about the properties of materials, and the only way is to memorize them.


Basic Engineering Mechanics A (EN0 BMA)

Lecturer: Mr. Lim
Duration: 2 hours lecture, 1 hour of example class per week
Time: Wednesday, 2 – 5 pm
This is another Physics-related module that everybody who studied Physics before is familiar with. Topics covered in this module are usually discussed at the beginning chapters of most Physics textbooks. It includes physical quantities, vectors, kinematics, Newton’s Laws up to work and power.


English Language and Study Skills Introductory (EN0 ELI)

Lecturer: Ms. Cecily
Duration: 4 hours per week
Time: Tuesday, 11 am – 1 pm; Thursday, 9 – 11 am
English lessons again… the most boring and useless (the study skills part) subject (that’s what I think). The difference is that we’re learning academic English, not the story-telling kind of English but English based on cold hard facts (my emphasis). I can't deny that I learned something more about the English language especially the grammar part, but there’s nothing more to that. And this module is supposed to teach us study skills, which I doubt it will reach its objective. In order to “teach” us study skills, this module requires us to submit a so-called study diary to our lecturer each week. And my lecturer is going on very slowly, so I wouldn’t learn much actually.


IT and Design A (XX0 C02)

Lecturer: Ms. Geetha
Duration: 2 hours lecture, 1 hour of example class per week
Time: Thursday, 2 – 5 pm
The lecturer for this module has the easiest time. A Masters Degree holder currently pursuing her PhD in my university, she spends the least time with us. Her class ends at 3.30 pm at most (so far) and she leaves us doing the exercise she gave us. For the past lessons, the exercises given involved finding information about IT-related stuff. We have to arrange the information we found in a folio, and we have to hand it in the following week.


Malaysian Studies (MPW2133)

Lecturer: Ms. Evans
Duration: 5 hours per week in one day (!)
Time: Friday, 12 – 5 pm
It’s Sejarah all over again during Malaysian Studies. Not everything is about History though, because we also will learn about the Malaysian parliament, government and its policies, kind of like Paper 1 of Pengajian Am in Form 6 if I’m not mistaken. Ms. Evans, a Masters Degree holder too, is a part-time lecturer at Nottingham and she’s the best History teacher I’ve ever had (because my previous ones suck). She knows the history of Malaysia like the back of her hand. It’s quite interesting learning about the history of Malaysia actually, but I shudder at the thought of squeezing all these facts into my head again to sit for tests.


Lab

Supervisor: Mr. Tan
Duration: 2 hours per week
Time: Wednesday, 10 – 11 am
This is not a module on its own, but just a slot in our timetable where we carry out Physics and Chemistry experiments. I can’t comment much here because lab sessions are only on next week.


Now you can see what my coursemates and I have to go through each week. According to our timetable, we have an average of 5.2 hours of classes per day, sort of like the time spent for classes in school if you’re in Form 6. And this does not include breaks. But of course, Form 6 students will have lots of extra classes, and some of my lecturers are “kind” enough to give early dismissals.

Phew, what a long post I’ve written. However, it won't end just yet. Proves that I’ve a lot of free time right? Nah, this is just to compensate for the drought of updates in my blog for the past two weeks. If you don’t believe me, let me show you why my hands are not empty.

1. Malaysian Studies assignment about Home Ministry – 10 pages worth of research to be done by the end of this semester.
   
2. Malaysian Studies presentation – my group is planning to do a video about the Malaysian Parliament. If all goes well, it may be uploaded on YouTube.
   
3. Tests! Next week I have English, Malaysian Studies and POM tests. And I’ve been to Form 6 long enough to know that their monthly tests also fall on August. Proves that we’re moving at a very fast pace (not exactly, just joking). Yesterday I just had my BMT quiz, a small test that was over in 20 minutes. All of these tests will contribute to my final results.

One more thing, for the very first time, I’ll be spending my weekend at Nottingham. I still haven’t thought of what to do over the weekend. Living full-time in Nottingham can be described as living like a frog underneath a well; the only contact with the outside world is through the phone, internet, newspapers or taking a bus ride out of this “well”.

P.S.: The JPA scholarship results for 9A students are out, and I was offered a scholarship even though I stated my institution as Nottingham. Moreover, the ever-you-know-what JPA still keeps people guessing about the details of this scholarship. If they sponsor foundation students like me too, don’t you think that it’s better to do foundation here at a prestigious (again my emphasis) university like mine fully-sponsored rather than studying Form 6?

P.S. 2: A big salute to those who managed to read each and every word of my 1000-plus-words post.

P.S. 3: To those who want to see photos, I would say this: Since a picture is worth a thousand words, therefore I've just posted a very clear picture of Nottingham, don't you think? OK, OK, I'll try to get some photos during this weekend. But then when I'll be posting these photos will be another unknown...

UPDATE: To avoid any misunderstandings especially regarding my comments on classes and lecturers, please check out my follow up to this post.

New HP number

Just to let you guys know that I’ll be switching from DiGi Prepaid to Maxis Postpaid supplementary line. Too bad I can’t keep my phone number. My new number will be as follows:

012-3512XXX

where XXX comes from my previous phone number.

I decided not to post my full number here out of security concerns. If anybody here wants my full number, do contact me by whatever means you have, be it MSN, e-mail or whatever way you can think of – or simply ask somebody who knows.

Anyway here is, just for old time’s sake, an evolution of my handphone number:
016-6977811 (expired in 2006) >> 016-6492XXX >> 012-3512XXX (now)

P.S.: Today is Friday (although it's late)! Like my Form 6 counterparts, I do not have classes over the weekends, so school's out and yay, I'm back in my home sweet home.

A Freshman’s Guide to the UNMC

The writer of this guide is currently an Engineering Foundation freshman who has only spent one night at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus (UNMC).

A Brief Introduction to UNMC

The University of Nottingham traces its origins to the founding of an adult education school in 1798. The foundation stone of the original University College Nottingham on Shakespeare Street was laid in 1877, with a speech by former UK prime minister, William Ewart Gladstone. This building was formally opened in 1881 by Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany.

A large gift of land allowed University College Nottingham to move to a new campus in 1928. This development was supported by an endowment fund and public contributions. The transfer was made possible by the generosity of Sir Jesse Boot, who presented 35 acres to the City of Nottingham in 1921. In 1948, University College Nottingham received its Royal Charter, which gave it the title of “university” and the power to confer degrees. The name changed from University College Nottingham to The University of Nottingham. Previously, the institution’s students received their degrees from the University of London.

The Malaysia Campus of University of Nottingham, at that time occupying the MISC Building in Jalan Conlay, welcomed its first students in September 2000. The Semenyih Campus built later sits on a 101 acre site, 30 km from Kuala Lumpur and 3 km from Semenyih town. It opened in August 2005 and teaching began in September 2005. It is the first purpose built campus of a British university outside the UK.

The University of Nottingham is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 70 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and Times Higher (THES) World University Rankings.


Location Map


View Larger Map

Location map of the Semenyih campus.


Campus Map

Pangkor and Kapas Halls (new buildings) are not shown in this outdated photo.


Facilities

• Broadband access
  
• 24 hours' access to computer facilities
  
• Computer Laboratories
  
• Language Laboratories
  
• Science/Engineering Laboratories
  
• State of the art learning and teaching facilities
  
• Library
  
• Study Area
  
• Health Centre
  
• Purpose built sports facility including gym, basketball, squash, tennis courts
  
• Jogging Tracks
  
• Swimming pool

Accomodation

University-arranged accommodation choices are the on-campus Halls of Residence (Tioman, Langkawi, Redang, Pangkor and Kapas Halls) or off campus at TTS2, TTS4 and TTS5. The University has appointed Pioneer Century Sdn. Bhd. to manage all university-arranged accommodation. Rental rates range from RM330 to RM850 per month. Cleaning services are provided.

Students can also rent rooms or whole houses independently from nearby housing estates.


Food

The nearest place to find food is at the cafeteria in the Student Association building. Food there is usually given low ratings by students and therefore they only eat there when there are no other choices.

One alternative is catering food from outside where they will deliver food to the campus. Another alternative is to travel to Broga or Semenyih town to find food personally.


Laundry Services

Coin operated machines for washing and drying (at RM3 per usage) are located at the end of Langkawi and Redang Halls.

There is also a laundry operator that provides services of washing and ironing.


Internet Access

Most campus buildings except the Halls of Residence have wireless access points for connection to the internet. Internet access via the university network is filtered so chatting and P2P applications may not function correctly.

Students living in the Halls of Residence are provided internet access there if they subscribe to the Student Network Services (SNS) at RM252 for one semester. Chatting applications are supported by the SNS, but P2P traffic remains blocked.

Consumer internet services like Maxis Broadband and Celcom Broadband may be available in some areas. TM Net hotspots can also be found in many parts on campus except at the Halls of Residence.


End note: The writer does not guarantee the accuracy, integrity and quality of this guide. However, comments are most welcomed. More information about the UNMC can be found at the UNMC website.

From the University of Nottingham

This will be a short post because the writer is freezing inside the university's computer lab.

Today I'll be spending my first night at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus (UNMC).

This morning, I went together with Kee Weng in his parent's car to the campus for registration. Quite a number of Malaccans were there getting registered, some of them whom I know through Mr. Lim's Chinese tuition. Also met Isaac Chin there and we had lunch together with his group of friends.

The evening was rather boring. Isaac invited me to play badminton at the sports complex but the 2 badminton courts were occupied. Moreover, I didn't bring my badminton racquet...

Just now, about 4 hours ago, I went together with Isaac's group of friends to Broga to have dinner. One of his friends has a car. Anyway, five dishes of Chinese food and adding a few bowls of rice and the bill turns up to be only RM58 (for 6 people), so RM10 for each one. Quite cheap for a very filling meal if you ask me.

After dinner, I went to, and this is where I am now, the computer lab to try the university's internet connection. My hostel has no internet connection unless I cough up more than RM50 per month, so naturally I would rather not do so. The connection is quite fast, I would say faster than my Streamyx connection at home at optimum performance. By optimum performance, I mean when not many people are using it. Even with mostly Foundation students currently residing in the University now, I am experiencing occasional slowdowns... YouTube failed to load a moment ago. And the university blocks P2P traffic like BitTorrent, so I cannot fully take advantage of its speed.

OK, signing off here because it's cold here [rubs both hands together] and it's late. Expect more about the UNMC after the induction session and when I get home tomorrow.

Farewell, Form 6 and MHS

From 13th of May until 3rd of July (yesterday); more than one and a half months. Those were the days I was a student in Malacca High School (MHS). Finally, I had to leave MHS in search of greener pastures at the University of Nottingham, thus opening a new chapter in my life. Imagine the changing of lifestyle that I’ve grown so much accustomed for the past 11 years: Waking up early in the morning to go to school and coming back home later in the afternoon. No, this is definitely not the way of life in university. And I too am not quite sure what university life would be like.

Whatever the life in university, there are things in Form 6 that I think I would sorely miss there:

• School life
• School uniform (hey, they actually look smart)
• Mr. Wee, first class physics teacher
• PA and Chemistry lessons
• Many friends from SFI

Come to think of it again, it actually despised school life when I first entered MHS (see my Form 6: Malacca High School post). But given the uncertainties ahead, I would be inclined to stick to my old way of life. I’ve also read Jia Wei’s F6 (Wise Choice or Bad Choice) post, and of course I agree with him on some points about the advantages in studying Form 6. Speaking about friends, I would like to say more than 95% of students in the foundation course that I’ll be taking will be strangers. This is far different from Form 6 at MHS where you get a significant population of ex-SFI students.

Enough said about school life. I’m sure I would manage to get over it. Hey, some people even went to Russia and Australia after Form 5. For me, it’s just a 2-hour journey from there to home. What is more pressing would be the quality of teaching and the stuff that I would be learning there. Surely, I would not find lectures as experienced and dedicated as Form 6 teachers in MHS. How I wish the teachers in Form 6 (especially Mr. Wee) would continue teaching me there in a less exam-oriented fashion. And yes, there will be no PA lessons, so I would be losing out in knowledge about the workings of our country. As for Chemistry lessons, it will only be offered to students taking Chemical Engineering next year - other students are not given the chance to take it.

However, no matter what comes out to be in the future, I think I would still be a Form 6 student at heart, at least while I’m still in pre-u. To those in Form 6, I would like to say that since you’ve decided to stay, then by all means have no regrets. Form 6 life can actually be enjoyable if you have a positive attitude. Who knows, I may be regretting soon that I've not continued studying in Form 6. And yeah, to Loo Han, Jia Wei, Nicholas and other Form 6 bloggers, do continue to provide updates about life in Form 6… make me regret that I wasn’t there!

Once again, I bid farewell to Form 6 and MHS. To everybody there slogging towards STPM, I wish you good luck! And I'm sorry I cannot be with you fighting the STPM war...

Tagged by Loo Han

LAYER 1 : ON THE OUTSIDE
Name : WJ
Birth Date : 12 July 1990
Current Status : Single
Eye Colour : Not sure
Righty or lefty : Righty

LAYER 2 : ON THE INSIDE
My Heritage : Malaysian Chinese Hokkien
My Fears : The future, extreme heights
My Weaknesses : Unable to overcome my weakness
My Perfect Pizza : Any pizza + xtra cheese

LAYER 3 : YESTERDAY, TODAY, TOMORROW
My thoughts first waking up : Another day...
My bedtime : 11pm - 2am
My most missed memory : Primary and secondary school days

LAYER 4 : MY PICK
Pepsi or Coke : I would rather avoid them
McDonald or Burger King : Burger King's burgers are the best!
Single or grouped dates : Single
Adidas or Nike : Any brand would do... Quality + comfort matters
Tea or Nestea : What's the difference?
Chocolate or Vanilla : Chocolate
Cappuccino or Coffee : Cappuccino sounds nicer, but haven't tasted before

LAYER 5 : DO YOU...
Smoke : Smoking is bad for health
Curse : Occasionally
Take a shower : Who doesn't?
Have a crush : Yes
Think you've been in love : Not really
Go to school : I'm going to a UNIVERSITY! Currently wasting time at MHS.
Want to get married : Why not?
Believe in yourself : Most of the time

LAYER 6 : IN THE PAST
Alcohol : Occasionally
Gone to the mall : I don't live in a kampung
Been on stage : Yes
Eaten sushi : Yes
Dyed your hair : Never thought of trying

LAYER 7 : HAVE YOU EVER
Played a stripping game : Never
Changed who you were to fit in : Depends

LAYER 8 : AGE YOU'RE HOPING...
To be married : 28 to 30

LAYER 9 : IN A GIRL...
Best eye colour : Brown
Best hair colour : Natural
Short hair or long hair : Moderately long
Best height : Hard to find one taller than me
Attitude : Supportive, not too overly ambitious

LAYER10 : WHAT WERE YOU DOING...
A minute ago : Reflecting about myself
Hour ago : Surfing the internet
4.5 hours ago : Eating dinner
1 month ago : Form 6 Orientation
Year ago : Enjoying Form 5

LAYER 11 : FINISH THE SENTENCES...
I love : This world
I feel : Worried about my future
I hate : Lies
I hide : My secrets
I miss : My secondary school days
I need : To learn to be an adult

LAYER 12 : TAGGING 5 PEOPLE
Those that haven't responded to tags - Wei Di, Kee Weng, Khuan Yew, Jude (I hope he hasn't given up blogging).
Plus: YY