Alright, I couldnt think of a proper title. Anyway, finally a decent post.

I'm exhilarated me and princess worked things out like mature people =)  Inshallah, the bond is now stronger than before. I've got to work on the goals that I've set to be a better person =)

Semester started, and I'm officially in my 3rd year of my Communications Engineering degree. The subjects that I undertook are quite motivating, cause Im under the tutelage of some of the greatest professors Ive ever met. I believe its also time I start planning on my final year project. I thought I had some ideas, but I didnt realise how vast the communications field can cover. Now I wonder if Telecommunications (which I believe was what I was doing all along) is really a subset of Communications ;) CrazyEngineers, a kick ass forum if I may add, was my original place for seeking ideas. But its still in its infancy, with many lost souls like me looking for a project to do. The problem I have is that I have an interest in a lot of things and perhaps TOO ambitious. Going to the Engineering Exhibition recently at my Uni didnt really help. It only expanded my ideas, such as MEMS and DSP stuff. I must be realistic and choose only one theme.. or else my final year project would fail miserably.

Some of my colleagues are going to do their internships soon. Im only doing mine in the 4th year. MIMOS looks like a great place to start. Of course, multinationals like Intel and Siemens are on the potential list too. After many months of browsing through the Job classifieds of newspapers, it seems that a  R&D or hardware design position would suit me best. Some companies are quite explicit on the job requirements for a specific engineering position, like stating "must have knowledge of RF designs.." or "proficient in C++ and MATLAB". This is quite a useful tool to use so you know what to focus on in your studies. Speaking of Matlab, my Digital Signal Processing class will make heavier use of it compared to last sem's Signals & Systems. That prompts me to start learning Scilab more.. since its quite hard to procure Matlab for personal use (legally, that is *grin*)

Supposed to have Taekwondo class today. Its part of my credited co-curricular subjects, so its not really a serious class thingy, more intro than anything else (and I doubt I can increase my lowly belt level there anyway). Anywayz, nobody turned up. Maybe I should have opted for Cooking Skills instead, lol!

Houston Rockets are not doing that well. Arsenal lost their first game in the EPL last week. It set the tone of a terrible week, but its over now thank goodness.

Ok, till next time!

*phew* Am currently typing this in notepad while im upgrading the Windows Live Writer to Beta 3. I see they streamlined the upgrading process for the Live products, including Live Messenger. So far its going really slowly.. hmm.

I kept telling myself that I'll blog when im free. Funnily enough, despite me being free for a couple of times in the past 2 weeks, im only blogging tonight. And guess what's tomorrow? a frigging Microprocessing exam *sigh*

The NBA season is almost here. Rockets are doing moderately OK in the preseason.. They are 3-3 atm. Perhaps coach A is just testing his whole bench? regardless, I cant wait until the regular season gets underway. In the meantime, Arsenal are doing awesome! Yea, not really the diehard fan compared to the Rockets, even though I have supported Arsenal since 1996! I like coach AW's (Short for Arsene Wenger..haha, why not?) philosophy of having a young & talented team to play good footie.. akin to the Argentine team of the recent World Cup. 

Anywayz, don't really want spend time posting a long entry. Lots of events have passed (eg Ramadan, hari raya, Robocon competition, etc) so I'll blog about them in a few weeks. Heck, might as well update my ashytized too.

Okayz, Live Messenger and Live Writer is booted up. Looks pretty nice so far ;)

Adioz!

Great, Im going back to Uni 2mr *sigh* I just checked my timetable.. so friggin packed.. also got early mornin classes =( I guess Im thankful I did the welcoming prog as a "warm up" to force me off the bed in the mornin. This is going to be a tough ass semester for sure *gulp*

Good news though, met up with my sweetness Puteri earlier this week =) Thanks babe, had a great time! =D

This morn had a bball meet with some old GIS friends.. Xin, darryl, chang and sadiq. it was so damn hot. Reminded me of the time me, hazim n his bros played at the Marina courts in Kuwait. We met up at the usual hartamas residential court. There were some boys doin some trainin.. n I was invited to join to play a practice match while I waited for the others to arrive. It was funny cause they played full court, which I havent done in like more than a year. Instead of killing myself running up and down the court, I ended up just defending and passing the ball into the paint =P I think our team won.. but it was great to see the boys being confident and driving and shooting the ball. Full of energy man! I was like an old man compared to them.. *sigh* The rest of the GIS dudes came, and we ended up having a GIS vs some of the boys n 2 seniors (i think. one of them was coaching the team). Since Xin was there, I though we were going to whoop ass. but it was the other way round =P The main excuse for all of us? We havent played bball for aaaages... let alone as a team AND in full court. After Xin sorta reprimanded us for not moving around much, i tried to push myself to go up and down the court.. I guess it was foresight I did some jogging in uni last sem ;) We werent playing so serious after we realised we werent as prepared and rusty as hell compared to the other team, so we just tried to have as much fun as possible! I was in the paint most of the time.. xin usually whips in a nice pass, but I also usually botch my finishing =P I didnt really miss the shots entirely.. just rimed it *ahem* I guess thats what I need to work on now.. my finishing. I didnt try to drive in as much, or do many jump shots as I did back in Kuwait. Anywayz, I think darryl, the "hulk", played damn good today. He dominated the board most of the times, doing some nice Tim Duncan moves =) sadiq and chang were the usual comic characters =P We werent done there.. we played a couple of half court games too. I tell u man, these bball meet ups are a pretty good workout. u'll end up sweating to the max!

Oh, Im using a new beta version of Windows Live Writer. Looks neat =) It looks like the new beta of Live Messenger.. sorta bluish and all.

Yoooooo people!

Time for a quick update.. Just finished the Welcoming Programme. I was contemplating whether I should blog a big ass post abt it like last time, but im so darn exausted. In summary, it was a blast.. worked with a GREAT committee and the new students were cool too! Br Suli gave me the job of Programme Coordinator (as opposed to the PR post I orignally thought), and it proved worthwhile cause I got to.. well.. coordinate with everyone =P Getting to know the whole committee was the best bit about joining the programme.. secondary was the satisfaction of seeing ur hard work actually paying off. As with last time, we had to work long hours.. 15 hours a day average. There was one time I only slept for less than 20 mins =P anywayz.. Would love to post more about it next time ;)

Ive been waiting to watch Transformers since it was first announced so many months ago.. but now everyone EXCEPT me has watched it *sigh* It kinda sucks to have ppl telling YOU how gd the movie is.. instead of the other way round =P Now that ive got this week to chill before next sem starts, I'll drop by a cinema to catch a screening of it. I plan to finish shopping for new apparel this week too.. theres still that cool navy blue Reebok collared (sans buttons) shirt to get hold of, perhaps some new khakis.. and also scout for a new pair of bball shoes. There wont be that many new RBK kicks cause that'll clash with its parent company's (Adidas) product line. But theres some still some nifty ones to look out for.. the black/white "RBK Lift" and S. Carter BBall IV =D

Thats enuf for now.. catcha later ;)

Yo peeps! =D

Just finished exams, and they were gd. Now my hols start.. and ends, uh.. by next week

*sigh*

I joined the welcoming commitee again, so i'll be busy during hols. Its alrite.. this weekend me going to stay in a hotel with my family, so i'll be using that time to chill.. or rather recouperate in preparation with the upcoming Welcoming programme and the start of the semester =) So er.. Why would I sacrifice part of my precious hols? Well.. I think im just gonna burn time NOT do anything productive. Its only 3 weeks anyway.. not enuf time to get a part time job. But I tell ya, I cant wait to have a loooong summer break. It'll only happen in my 4th year though.. next "summer" break will my industrial training =( Im told my position for this Welcoming programme is Public Relations. Should be interesting ;) I hoped to gun for Treasurer tho.. *shhh*

My jogging is back now. I find it easier to motivate myself to jog at the nearby athletic track than jogging around the whole campus early in the morning, haha. In fact, I was so motivated I even jogged at night.. only the heavy rain could get me off *grin*

I got to play a bit of bball with a friend after doing some laps around the track (it was the only time I had the opportunity to play this whole short sem). I was glad I could actually still shoot and do lay ups =D But my jumpers felt a little unnatural.. I believe I should do more of 'em.. akin to oiling some metal joints, hehe.

<Warning: Boring stuff about computer starts here>

=P

I downloaded Settlers II Gold Edition last week and got super addicted with it! I used to play the demo version about a decade ago in the UK, when I always bought the PC Gamer mags. I still remember the blue "pay for the  full version to enjoy more!" prompt =P But now its free.. with permission from Bluebyte, I hope (im implementing this personal ethical policy against pirated software.. but I'll talk about that some other time). If you dont know, Settlers is a unique kinda of strategy game.. set in a Roman kinda timeline. You dont control the movement of workers or soldiers.. they are automated once you give them an order. All your buildings are linked by roads and flag poles in which all units traverse upon (you decide where to build them). The empasis is placed on creating a sustainable economy and expanding your borders. Give it a try! its like 15MB big only =)

http://www.bestoldgames.net/eng/old-games/settlers-2-gold-edition.php

Because its a dos game.. it may not run properly in a fast modern computer (the speed of the processor would unstablize the game) you may have to install this unique Dos emulator called DosBox

http://dosbox.sourceforge.net/

It ran fine on my Pentium 4 laptop without DosBox tho.. an error can pop up, but just click "ignore". Remember to set up the sound before launching the game the first time!  The 1024 x 768 resolution setting looks sweet =) Be warned.. this game can really be addictive. Hours could pass without you realising!

Darn.. I know I shouldnt be talking about computing on this blog.. but I cant resist. Theres more! Im a big big fan of space simulations.. my first foray was a starwars demo called X Wing vs TIE Fighter. Then I bought Wing Commander Propecy with Space Ops. I absolutely loved that game! Mark Hamill (aka Luke Skywalker) plays as Commander Blair in the cutscenes.. but he's old and gained weight =P  The manual was interesting too. Then I played Homeworld 2, Freelancer (both pirated.. unfortunately). Top class games =D

Theres an upcoming game called Sins of a Solar Empire. It'll be like Homeworld.. but at a more massive scale =D I actually would like the original ;) Of course, I need to upgrade my rig before doing so.. new gfx card, extra RAM, extra Hard disk. But by the time it'll come out, those hardware stuff would be more affordable =D

Official Site:   http://sins.stardock.com/
Gamespot preview:  http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/sinsofasolarempire/index.html

Anyway, the whole point is that theres now a free online space combat sim called Allegiance. Ya noe, i'll just quote from the official website:

"Allegiance is a free, online, multi-player space simulation game. You pilot spacecraft, flying in a team with other players, defending and attacking sectors in space. Allegiance challenges your tactical ingenuity, your ability to function in a team and your prowess at blowing stuff up. Experienced players take command and lead their teams to victory or defeat"

http://www.freeallegiance.org/

=D

I discovered it when I browsed through a wikipedia article regarding open sourced games last month. I got really interested and dug into it more. Microsoft were the developers many years ago.. but the sales werent good due to lack of marketing and a steep learning curve. The source code was released later and a small dedicated community worked on it. It has now grew.. it even has a sorta Academy with a Cadet program that teaches new players. What makes it unique is the emphasis on team work, the variety of ships and roles to use and the expanse of the maps. Theres also an active community. However, the downside is that you need to invest ALOT of time in this game to learn. But since I love space combat sims, Im giving it a go =) Ive downloaded it (the game setup file is only 70MB big, but you also need Microsoft Net 1.1 Framework installed (version 2.0 is a different thing, apparently). You can download from the Microsoft Website or from here:

http://filehippo.com/download_dotnet_framework_1.1/

So, head over to the Allegiance website, download the game and create your callsign! Mine's "SuperCat", ehehe.. I wanna create a logo soon =)

Ok. THATS ENOUGH about computer games. I'l talk more about them next time @ Ashytized, inshallah.

<end boring computer stuff>

So, whats my targets for next sem? Well, pushing up my CGPA is my top priority. Ive managed to organized my study system this short sem, so i'll hit the ground running come July 9th.

Next is the continuation of my bball training.. since I got my jogging and gym back in gear, it'll be a smooth transition from barely any bball workouts to full training. Need to create a timetable to fit both study and bball in my study times. Also gonna try joining the Robocon club.. it'll be an interesting experience ;) My debating is absolutely stagnant.. and im afraid it'll remain so next sem *sigh* I guess I could just debate with Puteri during lunch or after classes ;) If she doesnt mind, hehe. Also, I have to brush up on my knowledge & presentation skills in TTC. If I dont, Br suli will roast my hind =(

Ah, me going to hotel now. Adioz ppl ;)

great song =) now for updates.. so far Im only managing incremental updates over time, not one of those big ass post =P

Ive just done with midterm.. and I didnt do well for Arabic =( NEARLY passed.. but, oh well, hehe. I conscripted my friend to help me study the right sections and all. Theres just too much to memorize.. being a language course, thats obvious I guess.

I went to the gym a few times now.. it feels great! I was supposed to play bball this morning before class to test out my shooting, but I overslept again *sigh* I have no idea why I cant drag myself off the bed when I want to. Come on, what greater incentive is there than playing BASKETBALL??!? *grin*

Speaking of bball, Jeff Van Gundy got fired =( But he'll be replaced by Rick Alderman.. which I also respect. I guess I'll post more about it on my ashytized blog tomorrow. Also, TM Net is offering a 4mbps package, just under RM 200 bucks per month =)

Am starting to jog again.. and it feels good. Im actually eager to do laps over and over again, lol. The MASUM games have just finished (the official National university games). IIUM won gold for cricket (congrats guys!) but I havent heard news from the bball team yet. Hope they whooped some ass! Next sem for sure I'll make time for bball trainings. Inshallah I'll be fit by then ;)

Can't wait for this short sem to finish.. wanna tackle part 2 of my 2nd year major subjects like Microprocessing and all *rubs hands* Theres some kind robotics event going on in one of the grand halls. I think its part of the Robocon club playing around with their robots on wheels.

Finally.. the weather is crazy. During the day its like SUPER hot.. then it was like monsoon in the afternoon when I was walking back to my dorm. I know Malaysia is known for its tropical seasons, but that day it was very abnormal.  El nino man..

ok, thats it for now. check out Ashytized soon =) (eh, nothing wrong with promoting my own blogs here ok!)

Ahh.. in contrast to my last post, i'll keep this one short =P Updated my other blog at http://ashytized.blogspot.com, taking about portable freeware.

Thurs was a holiday, to commemorate the crowning of our new King, the Sultan of Terengganu. He's only 40 something! Next tues and wed could be holiday too.. while hols is obviously a good thing in general, missing a day off in short semester can prove detrimental, since a whole semester's syllabus is squeeze into 3 months.. one day of intensive classes covers alot of material *sigh*

Not many new international students applied for engineering.. I think less than half a dozen (out of the 70). Not sure about the local intake.. I gather its alot more. anywayz, I guess i'll stick to Communications Engineering. Lost interest in Mechatronics ;-)

and.. woke up this morning expecting a good match between Houston Rockets and Utah Jazz.. but alas, Rockets got shriveled 81-67 =( Only four starters scored! No bench points AT ALL.. unbelievable. Oh well, I bet JVG grilled and roasted the team after that loss.. ala Coach Carter, ehehe.

K, thats it for now =)

... but just for less than a week =(

Granted, the sem break is only 3 weeks long.. but Ive been pretty busy with uni programmes, mainly the ISD Welcoming one. It was quite funny.. cause I wanted to distance myself from any orientation programmes, since I went through a really bad one when I first came. This time, I was approached by the programme co-ordinator to see if I wanted to join the committee for the International intake. I heard the international one is more fun (I went through the "local" orientation programme.. plus, this time that particular committee would be doing a "pre" orientation for internationals, while another committee will be incharge of the combined orientation for local and international students. um.. did you all get that at all? lol ), so I said "sure, why not?" Cant be that bad.. I had initially thought.

Unfortunately, since this is the first time I've joined a committee in charge of week long programme, I didnt really know what effort and dedication was needed. I dont know how the previous committee did it.. they had only 10 people and had to deal with more than 200. We had 17 members dealing with only 70 students... yet it was SO stressful. Why? I dunno.. perhaps some of us take their job lightly with so many members. I was assigned as Special Task along with another guy, Yushri. Our basic job is pretty technical.. just create the name tags and also the certificates. We were also given the more important roles of being PIC (persons in charge) of different programmes in the pre-orientation week. 

Man.. I feel so exausted thinking about it. Oh well, show must go on.

The registration day was on the morning of the 10th, in which the international students arrived and met with different department officers (finance, admissions, hostel etc). We had our own table, in which some details of all the students were take for use in the pre-orientation programmes later that week. My job was to give each male student their programme itenary and describe each of the 10 events they would have to attend. The rest of the team was scattered in the registration venue to insure all students were at the right places and tables. For this, we used walkie talkies.. It was the first time I ever used one (and also the first for some others). That resulted in some members singing indian songs into the channel when there wasnt much to do, haha. One of them, Rumman, was dubbed "Rumman FM" =P While I didnt sing, I still had to talk.. alot. My throat was so sore from repeating and clarifying the details of each event to the students. I requested for water and Strepsils over the channel, but only water came =(

 We finished by lunch time I think.. with the students settled in their dorms. We then had a group meeting, planning on what to do for the rest of the week. It was only then that our advisor Br Sulaiman said I have to do a speech on Malaysian Culture in a few days time, cause one of the speakers couldnt make it. I was quite aghast at first.. but I was too tired to complain. I WAS the only local on the committee after all.. the rest of the committee were internationals. After a few more discussions, we retired for the night. I think, lol.

The next day, while the students did placement tests, the committee had some practices of sketches, since we had planned a "Integration Night" on the 12th. I was one of the PIC's, so I took part in creating the scripts. Ah yes.. now I remember. I did stay up late the night before typing up the script, haha. We had a few hours break before we gathered again for "Group Binding" later at night. Here, the students are split in groups and have to go through an Ice Breaking session. We had some group activities and games.. it was quite fun. However, during the "post mortem" after the programme ended, our advisor chided us for being unprofessional, cause some of us were fooling around, taking pictures of ourselves while the MC and advisor was addressing something to the students, hehe.

At night, I had started working on my speech.. since I rarely do any speeches, let alone something to do with lots of facts.. I got stuck for a long time. Putz contributed with some stats.. and later in the mornin I called my mom to confirm some famous names. I only slept for a few hrs.. so was pretty tired when I went to the venue. I dressed up all nice, wearing a tie and all.. and when I arrived, it turned out to be a semi-formal kinda programme, lol. Sure, the guest speakers did wear tie.. but I was just a student. Anywayz, it went alright and all.. had a good time connecting with the students. But credit to Marshal (another committee member), who came after me while we waited for the next speaker to come..  he was the one who bonded well with the students, full of humour and all. I wish I can work on my impromptu skils more =(  

After that, we started preparing for Integration night.. and thats when a major prob hit us. None of the PICs for this prog (inc me) planned anything! aiyo.. Me and Hamzah, the other PIC, brainstormed like hell.. asking others for ideas. We didnt even place an order for the refreshments yet. We still needed to buy the supplies needed for that night *sigh* total stress man.. anywayz, we still managed somehow. I was given the task to create the masterplan, along with other bits. Me and hamzah later went off campus to get food supplies for a Fruit eating competition. We just barely made it in time. Again, the even went pretty smoothly.. the students enjoyed watching our plays, and then had a great time with more activities. The students were split into the same groups as in Group Binding.. and each group was given different tasks to do. Some were given something to "promote", of which one was Lipton Cellphone, haha. Others included skits, fashion shows (in which the group was given only garbage bin bags, newspapers and masking tape to use) and finally the fruit eating competition. The durian smell was niiiice =D but some people didnt get used to it ;) Oh, the guy in charge of catering, Hamzah Samosa (hehehe), did a great job too.. we were supposed to give him the menu of the refreshment a DAY before the event, so the supplier can be notified in advanced. But he still managed to secure an order for some nice food at the last minute =)

Knowing that I was totally at fault for doing a last minute job, I immediately apologized when my turn came to speak in the post-mortem in this program. Better to be humble =) I had to work so hard just to patch up mistakes before. If we would just plan, prepare and finish things early.. we can relax after. Thankfully, our group leader and advisor forgave us =D We retired for the night around midnight. Adnan had asked me to be the MC for the next morning's programme (Briefing Session). Thinking it would be an easy job, I decided to sleep early for the first time.. hehe.

Woke up around 8.. though at first I thought it was at 10 (was supposed to be at venue at 9:30). So I was jumping around in panic, knocking down the ironing board and all to find the phone (cause I dont have a clock). Quite relieved I still had time.. hehe. So I went to venue, then did a mental preparation. The briefing session will have officers from different departments, to explain its respective procedures.. such as Finance, Legal, Admissions and finally Mahallah. My job was just to intro these people. But... I still panicked, haha. At the beginning, we were supposed to have a Quranic recitation before inviting the speakers. But I just invited the first guy without calling on stage the quranic reciter. I felt so foolish! After the speaker went up the stage, I went straight to Yoseuf, the committee member who was supposed to recite the Quran, and I was like "Bro im so so sorry! omg, It was really bad of me. so sorry!" and he was like its ok.. but I could see the disappointment in his face *sigh* 

The prog ended well.I wished I could have practiced being the MC.. since Ive never done that before. Oh well.. now I have, I better learn not to panic so much.

At night we had the biggest programme of the week.. Grand Dinner! The Rector came.. heads of the ISD also came. It was absolutely great.. well organized and all. I was assigned to guide people to the dinning hall venue along with Hamzah Samosa. At this time we were playing around with the walkie talkie for a while =P Knowing that there would be great food, nearly all the students attended this programme.. unlike the other times ;) ehehehe.. We started off with speeches from the VIPs.. including the Rector, who I havent seen for a loooong time, let along listened to a speech of his. Then we played a video/pic presentation of the whole week. Me, Adnan, Wusley, Rumman and Yushri worked on that presentation earlier.. but my contribution wasnt as much as the rest of them. There were some pics that had funny captions. It was hilarious =P After that, we had dinner! actually.. only the VIPs and students ate. We poor committee members have to wait until the end of the programme before we could dig in. When people finished eating, we presented the certificates for committee members (which me and Yushri created), then that was it for the night. We had a post mortem again.. but it would be the final one of the week. Each of us said their comments and also thanks to everyone.. it was gd experience. I was a bit emotional when I said my thanks to br sulaiman (our advisor).. *ahem* ehehe. 

But that wasnt the end of it! The next morning we had a KL Tour.. which only just consisted of the trip to putrajaya and Berjaya times square. At first I thought that wasnt enough.. but with the time limit given, it was more than enough. The trip to Putrajaya was gd.. we gave the students freedom to roam around fior a while after we got off near the Mosque. The committee members decide to try out the boat cruise.. lol. We got hold of this 6 person wooden boat cruise.. costing RM12 (student discount) for each person. We had 3 boats and went touring around the lake. Unfortunately, my boat sorta had an engine prob.. so we had to get on another one. Anywayz, the views were nice.. but the weather was super hot.

After praying at the mosque, we went to berjaya times square. Again, the students roamed around.. the committee was also split. most of them wanted to go to the theme park (including sis Sevgi and her sister, haha). Me, Ismail, Yushri and a student named Tauregh roamed around looking at shops, and just burn time. After a few hours, it was time to leave.. but not before we had a problem with the bus driver. br Sulaiman had an arguement earlier because the driver dropped us in the opposite side of Berjaya Times square.. which meant we had to cross the bridge and all... not easy thing to do with a group of 80 people. The driver assumed br Sulaiman was an arab (he's an Indian, FYI) because.. i dunno. Perhaps theres a stereotype of Arabs being aggressive and being one dimensional. After the students arrived back in UIA, the driver started talking to me (as I ended up being the last passenger, just to make sure everyone got off alright) Driver says that "arab" guy didnt think clearly of the whole picture.. how the driver was right all along. It was a bit funny.. cause he kept saying how arabs are like this and that. I didnt wanna ruin his spot light by saying "oh.. but he's actually an Indian" =P oh well, whatever.

I think thats enough for this entry.. am so tired =(

... but anywayz, as a conclusion, joining this committee has benefited me. It was an interesting experience...  Learnt how to give commitment, to work under pressure, how to deal with lots of people. Besides that, I have also made lots of friends in the committee too! It was great knowing everyone there. I realised some of them are basketball players too, ehehe. Also, I was able to prove my worth to br Sulaiman and sis Sevgi.. hopefully they will include me in other programmes in the future =)

I would also like to wish happy 2 months to Putz.. ehehe. Hopefully u arent too tired after reading this long ass entry =P Its great being with u =) Will write more in the next entry..

kk.. adioz ppl!

Ya all betta check out Nutting But Stringz's "Broken Sorrow". It-kicks-ass! Fusion of classical instruments and hip hop tempo's. The perfect combo =)

Anyway.. had a relatively tiring day. Finally was able to apply for that LIDV thing so that I could stay on campus during hols. There was a miscommunication at the office.. a few days ago the lady said I dont have to fill form and just come on the day of check-in. Today , armed with a new haircut and contacts lenses this time, I went again to confirm and she told me to fill in the form. Imagine the hassle that would have happened if I didnt.. Id prolly be fined. I suppose thats how things work in UIA.. its your own responsibility to check a couple of times that THEY are doing the right job, lol.

Then went shopping. Hash n his sis wanted to shop for stuff to bring back to Riyadh and I sorta accompanied them along with Harun. It was a long process, but atleast I found out some potential clothing id wear for next sem or two *grin* There was a sunglasses sale a few days ago.. unfortunately I didnt have the time to go =( they had Fila ones.. I wonder if they had this one in particular:

model SF8300.. looks niiiice =) Me want!

A few hours ago I had a computer glitch.. last night I accidently deleted NTDETECT.COM from the C drive, thinking it was a darn virus. I had a good reason.. new viruses nowadays put NTDETECT in USB drives and stuff. Anyway, today I booted up the comp for the first time today and.. after 10 seconds of booting up, it immediately restarted.. and looped forever. I was going through some agonizing headaches at the same time.. so when this happened, I was just thinking of obliterating the stupid Dell computer. But anywayz, I noticed the computer flashed some sorta "Ntdetect failure" for a fraction of a second.. which I only realised after a dozen or so loops of restarts. Right, so I finally figured that ntdetect.com file was valid after all. Just a matter of booting up the Windows XP CD and going into Recovery Console, typing ur admin password and.. well. Another obstacle. The PC came preinstalled with the OS, plus I dont have passwords on this family comp. But the RC insists there is and I must put it in before it allows me to mess around with system files to copy into C drive. So I sat there , dejected.. again.. haha. Thankfully I had my laptop with me.. so I managed to download some bootable utility that changes RC settings. It claims to reset admin passwords etc etc.. all that jazz. After going through quite alot of processes (which would double the length of this post if mentioned in detail), I finally managed to boot it up and bypass the admin password. And there u go. Another silly and unnecessary event I had to go through just because I acted all "smarty-pants", thinking I can delete any file *sigh*

Haha, despite that.. it was a great week in general =) The highlight of course was dinner with puteri and her family =) I had an amazing time.. her parents and bros are really cool and fun to get to know. I clicked really well with them.. just like I did with putz ;) oh, food was great too, hehe. Hope to meet them again soon inshallah =)

*sigh* putz.. miss u loads.

I better get some rest. My ashytized blog @ http://ashytized.blogspot.com is finally getting some substance (and a reason to exist). Im trying to slim this blog more so it can load faster.. hence the removal of some modules. Once I can push off the posts that contains the youtube vids, it can load faster. Maybe I should make use of that Media player module after all.. hmm

K, adioz!

EXAMS ARE OVER BABY!!! LETS PARTAAAAAYYY!! =D

*ahem*

So.. now my hols have started. But since I've opted (again) for doing the short sem, this holiday will be cut from 3 months down to 3 weeks. Only when Im comfortable with my studies and can afford to squeeze in extra credits during normal sem, I can have a loooong holiday.. *sigh*

Exams went pretty alright.. not as great as I've hoped. I set some realistic targets, but Im afraid I'll fall just short of them. But at least I've done better than previous sems. If I can keep this momentum up, I can grad with honours =)

Plans for this hol? I joined the Welcoming Committee (or rather.. I suspect was conscripted discreetly by the ISO) for the international student's intake next sem, so i'll be quite busy for a few days. Then i'm gonna revise for subjects i'll be taking.. and also Electronics, since I wanna tutor for that subject in the long sem. Am also going to do house chores.. organize my room (like finally) and most importantly, exercise! Need to make up for all the bball trainings I've missed (I only attended ONCE).

... so.. wheres the fun bit? Lol, I DO wanna hangout I guess. Will ask Putz what her plans are and see when she has free slots =) .... (I hope she does.. *prays*)

Oh, I watched Step Up the other day. Its quite a good movie I must admit. I didnt noe Mario acted in it man.. he really looks like a high school kid! Got lots of neat dances. The two leads can dance really well (of course.. the female one is a dancer afterall. But she can act decently too) There was also a small bball match segment, haha. I hope they integrate bball more and more in movies ;) I did some (note: just a little ok!) digging and found out the male lead, Channing Tatum, was also in Coach Carter too! Will watch in again to see where he was at.. and in the future, he's going to be in a movie that involves parkour! =D parkour kicks ass man. I used to download so many parkour vids =) but had to delete them cause ran out of hard disk space =(

Speaking of movies.. this summer is gonna be great. Pirates of the Carribean 3.. TMNT, Transformers, Spiderman 3.. and more. Cool =)

And for EN-BEE-AAAAAYE. Am glad Rockets have secured a playoff spot. Now they only need to fight for homecourt advantage against Utah Jazz. The cool thing is that the final NBA match before playoffs is Rockets Vs Jazz, haha. It was funny to see Lakers lose to Grizzlies at home. The NBA is an elite league.. but Grizzlies are still the worst amongst the elite (I think they have only won 18 games so far. Dallas Mavericks, who are currently leading, has won 60+ games in contrast). Man..  Lakers have Kobe Bryant, who has been dumping like 50 point games previously. It goes to show that you can never underestimate anyone *sigh* 

Actually I wanted to blog alot more.. but my mind's sorta frizzled (as usual). I dont think I can post long entries these days, hehe. Unless I was super inspired or something. I wanted to add a youtube vid, but forgot which one..  *scratches head*

Adioz for now =)

•  The best: Loving her more =D
• The good: Classes are ending next week =)
• The bad: Revision period is short =|
• The ugly: Exams too packed =(

.. my glasses broke again =( despite my fears of it being ultimately obliterated in a basketball game, it got stepped on accidently instead, hehe. Could be a blessing in disguise.. might warrant for some nifty contact lenses =D Though, my mom seems against it for now. I'll sway her to my side soon enough ;)

aaaanywayz.. I think there might be some mushy elements to this post. So you all have been warned =P

In a few more days time it will be monday, which would mark the second week since me and puteri have been together =) Yes, I finally said that online. Im in a relationship. If my last few posts havent hinted enough, I im in looooooveee...

.. Alright .. you can stop acting all sick now, please =P

Some of you might remember I was on an anti-girlfriend/fall-in-love crusade for a while..  Its been about what.. three years since my last relationship? Its not that I became bitter or anything... its just that the "one" should really be that... the one. Why fool yourself over some brief crush or infatuation? Are you really deprived of some sorta affection? And what the heck is love anyway? Theres no way in hell you can truly love.

But alas,  It was her who brought me down to earth... unexpectedly =P Its great how things turned out Alhamdulillah. lots of things happened.. but thats between me and her =) She brought along more than love and care.. she really changed things in my life. My studies have actually become more.. interesting! Im getting more close with my family too. Its all coming so naturally.. and puteri's the inspiration. I dont know how.. but its really nice =) Its only been a week now.. but just like how we clicked so well as friends in the beginning, we clicked even better as partners.. (lol, putz, that brought back the memory of that time u told me abt Momin's query on us being "partners"). Cant wait for what the future brings for us, baby ;) *hugs*

*ahem* So.. exams are coming up this month =P And I have a good feeling about it for the first time =) As long as I invest this weekend to create a study plan that is, lol.

Puteri has a debate selection day tomorrow for a competition in indonesia.. gd luck on that, girl! oh, she is a REALLY awesome debater btw. The way she can shrivel the opposition to oblivion.. *grin* I bet she was about to do that to me too if I remained in that anti-love shell.. =P

In the world of sports.. Arsenal arent doing too well.. losing to chelsea and blackburn =( Rockets lost a few games too.. but its a relief that they had atleast surpassed the total games won last season =P Go T-Mac!!

My dad's going to Japan on sunday. I wanna go too! do some "tokyo drifting"! ehehehe.

Ah damn.. I have so many thoughts to blog, but I cant structure it well this late at night. Perhaps tomorrow =)

Till then.. adioz!

".. and I know what I've got to be."

.. a sudden bright light consumes his vision.. and as it slowly fades, an alluring presence greets him. Her ethereal aura strikes suspense into his throbbing heart and he couldn't resist the temptation to gaze at her beauty. He does not have to see her lips curling up to know the answer: for her glimmering eyes tells all!

In that single instant all worry, sorrow and pain that has plagued his heart transforms into hope, happiness and love. How lucky is he? Perhaps this is not luck. There is something more substantial between them, in which he is still unsure of. There is plenty of time to find out later, however. To this he smiles.

She takes his hand and he slowly grasps it tightly. That touch conveys his silent thanks, as well as an insurance to her that he is fully commited to serve. Together as one, they turn towards the horizon...

=)

Today, went to the 2nd day of the TTC workshop. It was pretty inspirational, so inshallah I'll join the group soon. It will complement with my beginner debating classes too, actually =P

The West team won in the All-Stars game, 153-132! There wasn't much emphasis on defence, so players had their chance to impress the crowd with some shooting extravaganza. Kobe Bryant bagged the MVP award. T-Mac had a pretty quiet shooting affair, perhaps to preserve his back. But he dished out a game high 11 assists, so thats cool enough =) 

That's enough for now. Lots of things buzzing in my mind, but theres only one person who can help me set it straight =)

Till next time!

"Baby, now I need to hold you tight, I just wanna die in your arms.. Here tonight."

At his feet lay a track with a fork of two paths.

One drops into a chasm that reaches to the darkest depths of the earth, where light struggles to penetrate the shadows, cloaking the unknown and the unexpected that lurks within.

The other seems to stretch endlessly towards the horizon, where the sun hovers with grace. The sky is painted with an ambient of tangy red light that signifies its acquiescence to happiness and passion. Beneath this are the lands that take nourishment from those essences and sprout out life..

Life, that he had been yearning for eons. He looks behind him and sees that the road he had just traveled upon fade into the ground. Soon, he will not be able to reach back into the past, only to be left with two directions that lead to the future.

Life maybe what he yearns for.. but the life of the person he cares for the most takes precedence above all. That person's life is tied to the path he steps on, for either one may preserve it.. or destroy it.  But whatever path he is shown to take, he is prepared. Through obstacles, trials and tribulations.. he has reached this far, hasn't he?

Thus, he waits at the crossroads. Waiting for the divine hand that will guide him..

Ooo.. next week's going to be a treat!

Star Sports (channel 82):
16 Feb 0900 Dallas Mavericks vs. Houston Rockets

ESPN (channel 81):
18 Feb 0900 NBA All-Star Saturday
19 Feb 0900 NBA All-Star Game

=D

*hugs Astro*

Oh.. Valenti.. uh, I mean.. Friendship Day is comin up on the 14th =P Unfortunately, I'll be too busy to celebrate anything that day *sigh* And sides.. we guys usually have a silent appreciation of each other's friendships.. ;) If not, a punch or two usually hints that theres a problem, lol.    

I heard a comment by a DJ on the radio (the AT40 show I think), saying V-day is known as "single awareness day", ahaha. And.. Im not sure about this, but I remember there was this bit in the book Rule of Four that explains the more darker meaning of Valentines Day (or was it cupid?) hmm..

anywayz.. gotta go!