Sem 2, 2008/2009: Kick-Off

The year began with two pleasant surprises (and some not-so-pleasant moments) on the way to a little more public exposure than I'm usually comfortable with.


Campaign

After much hesitation and deliberation, Amos and I decided to contest in the upcoming Campus Elections (in January).


The painting of Amos's banner.


Amos on the campaign trail. Just a little over a year ago, Chern Zhong was doing the same at the now-defunct Science Fac café.


My team and I taking a breather.


Yng Yng and the banner we set up opposite the bus stop at the Genetics and Microbiology building.


The people who made it happen, the 'fools' God used to surprise the world in a memorable 8-1 victory (we were the '1').

My Nominator, Jefri.

My wakil-wakil calon (candidate's representatives); Rydza, Lukmann, Asri, Shikin, Ke Sin, Yng Yng, George, Suzanne, Ann Gie, Chian Ming.

My College contact, Emi.

My behind-the-scenes team; Kaun and Kang.

My transport and behind-the-scenes manager; Yen.

My indefatigable Campaign Manager, wakil calon and Seconder, Ai Wei.

* * *

In 2007, Amos and I tore banners and manifestos down... This year, we put them up.


Some of the scriptures that followed me throughout the campaign: Matthew 23; Exodus 32, 4:11; Psalm 139:16 (was it Ann Gie who pointed this verse out?); Job 39:11, 40:11, 41:11 (God's reply to Job was my devotional text during the campaign).

Songs like Rebecca St James's 'Lion' and U2's 'Walk On' were a great encouragement.


At some point, during or after the campaign, I wrote this:

Break me, Father, bury my sins
Let them rule over me no more
Purge me in fire, purify me within,
And restore in me your image as before.


I am currently holding office as the Treasurer of the Student Council.

Lord, you have your 10 per cent; one of ten Supreme Council members, one of ten Bureau Chiefs, four of forty-one Councillors.

* * *

MAK

And then in February, I was presented an award at the College's 'prom night', Malam Anugerah Kurshiah at the Summit Hotel, USJ.


Ben and Andrew; what's with black suits and white neck-huggers?


I forgot to reposition the flash unit when Jee Haw shot this. As a result, the flash bounced off the nearby wall, reflecting its woody colour on the picture. It was one of the most serendipitous accidents I've ever seen.


Receiving the award for Overall Excellence (Second Year).


The Bananas of 3rd College.


Rydza and gang, after the dinner. Rydza actually made that costume himself!

Sem 1, 2008/2009: Full-Time

Since I'm heading into the final week of this semester, I think it's about time I tell the story of the last two weeks of last semester. They were some of the most eventful days of my life in UM to date.


3rd Nov


Kaun, Ai Wei, Yen and I went to Starbucks at Jaya One to study. There we stumbled upon Sarah, Uncle Jason's daughter, who was working there then. She treated us to a Rocky Road chocolate-marshmallow cake/brownie!


4th Nov


A view of E311, 3rd Residential College. Chun Hee and How.


Li Ern flew some kolo mee all the way back from Kuching!


Back to Starbucks, this time in SS2.


After a near-sleepless night in McDonald's SS2, we had breakfast in Pelita. And then it was back to campus for my first paper, Advanced Ecology, at 11.30 a.m.


5th Nov


Luke and company sprang a surprise visit on Ai Wei, to celebrate her birthday a few days ahead. That's Luke in PKV's Entangled T-shirt, and me trying out IK's T-shirt, baby-T size.


6th Nov

Ai Wei, Kaun, Poay Ling and I had tea in Coffee Bean Jaya 33 before Kaun joined me and my family for my brother's birthday dinner.


And then Yen had her first that night.


7th Nov


Kaun, Ai Wei, Yen and I (dubbed 'The Gang' by Kok How from day one) had dinner at the underground food court in Section 14. Some of the best satay around.


And then Ai Wei picked up her BenQ compact camera from Digital Mall; Daddy's gift to his 21-year-old daughter.


The first shot taken with the camera. Not the best of first shots (artistically AND technically), but oh well... at least the lens didn't break!


We proceeded to study at the Econs Fac, where we met Shannon, Adrian and Suit Lin. Here's Shannon doing the Joker look with cream from a doughnut.


We had lots of nail polish to add some sparkle to the night (and our fingernails)!


Shannon assumed a variety of postures while studying; this is one of them.


8th Nov


Ai Wei's 21st Birthday celebration. One of my most successfully planned and executed events to date, with a lot of help from Kaun and Yen, and lots of support from the PKVians!


10th Nov


Supper at Wong Kok SS2 with Yoshua and Yen.


12th Nov


A view of D634, 12th Residential College. The sunflower was Rachel's birthday gift to Ai Wei.


The poncho chickenman walked through quite a storm to study at 12th.


14th Nov


Ai Wei came over to 3rd and overnighted at the Bilik Bacaan. Our final papers were scheduled for the next day: her Food Microbiology and my Insect Biology.


15th Nov


How, Prof Sofian (now Dean of the Science Faculty), Shannon and Thary at the entrance of DTC after our final paper.


And then it was off to KL Sentral to meet Kaun and Ai Wei for our journey to Penang!

Penang 2008: A Study in Love

Yesterday I was reminded of how painful some parts of last November's Penang trip were. I have not blogged about it yet, and I think I've finally found a narrative for the pictures and thoughts of the trip.

It was my fault that I did not enjoy it as much as I could (and should) have, for I was a little oversensitive about some things.

Penang. Kaun. Ai Wei. But where was I?

I told Ai Wei I'd keep my hands off the camera, and for most of the trip Kaun operated by Nikon and shot nearly two thousand frames, while I had a roll of Velvia 100 in the Canon.

(T.S. Eliot said this in his banquet speech at the Nobel Ceremony:

"... we must remember the immense debt of every considerable poet to poets of other languages than his own; we may reflect that the poetry of every country and every language would decline and perish, were it not nourished by poetry in foreign tongues. When a poet speaks to his own people, the voices of all the poets of other languages who have influenced him are speaking also.")

Looking back, I find the expression of my thoughts in the photos taken by my friends.

This is an entry about love and friendship, and all the complicated things in between.

* * * * *


Love is about carrying each other, carrying burdens together. Making music together.


Love is cold steel (U2, 'Love is Blindness'). Sometimes communication gets no further than the metal walls we erect between our hearts.


Love is not always honest. Sometimes it is the greatest deceiver.


Love is about growing old together. Stopping at that shade house after a long journey. (Read McLaren's The Last Word and the Word After That and Peterson's The Wisdom of Each Other.)


Love always protects. [ed. 12:42 p.m., 24 April 2009]


Love is rejoicing at reunions. We bumped into the aunty I photographed in May 2007, and I was elated to be able to give her the photo. How surprised she was!


Love is a shadow puppet play.


Love is living in a world of your own while the rest of the world passes you by.


Love is patience and perseverance.


Love is nails. Love is the anchor. Love is the cross. The cross is our anchor.

With Christ in the vessel we can smile at the storm.


Love is looking into a mirror and seeing yourself, past and present.


Madam Justice, where are thy hands? Love is not fair.


Love is the freedom to fly.

* * * * *

A big thank you to some of the people who made a difference in our Penang adventure.


Ibrahim, who sent us back to the Penang National Park headquarters from Monkey Beach in his boat, thus saving us a probable two-hour trek in the rain.

His phone number is stored in my now dead Nokia 3100. I can't recall if I copied it out.


Kenny, a Victorian in the days of Dr G.E.D. Lewis. Then caretaker of 100 Cintra Street, where Kaun and I stayed. One of the most pleasant surprises on the trip.

We will not forget easily the conversation on that last morning! Cambodia. The United States. Raising your 'market value'. Getting away with 'Rasa Sayang' and a guitar.

Three things everyone should learn, and which the world can never take away: Driving, swimming, ballroom dancing.


Us. "Ready, one, two..." *click*


The spell which makes those who never been [sic], wish to go there, those who live there want to stay, and fills those who have spent their appointed hour or two with a longing to return.

-- J.W. Clark. "George Town", in Penang: An Illustrated Guide by Margaret Adams, 1952.

(We saw this quote in the Penang State Museum. Some of the most apt words indeed.)

* * * * *

I listened to 'Faith Enough' among other Jars of Clay songs while putting the pictures together for this entry, and had the introduction guitar line from U2's Boston performance of 'The Fly' running through my head throughout last night and this morning. (It finally dawned upon me that it's the 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' line.)

Now to get back to the parasites. Twenty-four hours remain; here we go!

Waterfalling

Where: Sungai Pisang, 12th Mile, Jalan Gombak Lama
When: Tuesday, 16 December 2008 (incidentally, release date of the Premier Schools stamp series)
Who: Hoc Mun, Lordson, Jeff, Justin, Isaac, Michelle, Jeanette, Melissa, Ben


We took the long way to the entrance of the tunnel, getting 'lost', crossing the river twice and losing a tripod.

(Many thanks to Azrul of Syabas, who came to help us along the way.)


The famous double tunnel beneath the highway.


Shutterbugs, clockwise from top left: Lordson, Melissa, Hoc Mun.


It appears wild boar roam these forests: the messy earth next to the walking trail is a mark of their foraging, with upturned roots and a conspicuous absence of vegetation.


An hour from the tunnel and we reached the falls at last!


Procrastinators: the leaders of tomorrow.


It was cold.


'Harry', whose stall was a most welcome sight at the end of our half-day adventure.



(Somewhere along the way, I recognised the leaves/trees along the river. It was then that I remembered I'd been there before, in 2004, for the Board of Chairmen and Prefects' Leadership Camp. To think I could recognise a place by its vegetation!)