Me is Back

Hello! I'm back from my long absence....

The good news:
I have completed my course!
My FYP titled Laser Sheet Illumination of Rushton Impeller Stirred Tank won me a HD, plus a Merit FYP award =).

I have purchased 20 inch monitor so my laptop lcd problem is somewhat 'solved'

The not-so-good news:

I don't have a job.
I realised winning a 1st class honours degree leads to nothing significantly better than anyone with a 2nd upper:
I'm not getting hired sooner than them
I'm not getting offered more than them (in fact the only offer I got was below what my friends earn)

My DELL INSPIRON 1420 is showing some kinks, which leads me to think I might have to start living without it sooner than expected. Moral of the story: BUY EXTENDED WARRANTY.

During my absence from this blog:

I visited Bukit Tabur, both East and West trails - on separate trips - thanks to William and Chong Hoong and Kah Liang and Ben and Peck Yoon. The East trail is less crowded and more scenic, but has a crappy and dangerous trail. If you're as in love with rock climbing as I might be, then the West trail is apt. The views from the West trail aren't bad too.

I became part of the Monash Exchange Club, Sunway (MONEX, or some call us, More Sex! But I didn't get any of it, anyhow). We had a lot of fun with out 'unofficial' activities.

I attended the Monash Ball 2010, unexpectedly, after someone offered me a discounted (almost free) ticket with free transport and optional 'free' date and had a most exciting 48 hours. I'm sorry the dress makes me look so skinny, it's not mine. If anyone would like to offer me tickets to a ball with free transport and 'free' date, with advanced notice in future, I will dress up very nicely =).

I bought a soprano ukulele, haha!, maybe 2 months after I got inspired by Kevin Too and his ukulele. Will post when I can play something properly.

Asked a guy I fancied to watch a movie with me, and got rejected. Now now now, if you have rejected me before it doesn't mean I fancy you, it could be anyone =P. (I first started writing this post MONTHS ago, so we did go for a movie in the end. AGAIN, if you have rejected me and ended up going for a movie with me in the end, it doesn't mean i fancy you, still, it could be anyone)

Dressed up super nicely to watch an orchestra at the MPO and ended up in a Korean restaurant after being disappointed by sold out tickets! (And worse, missed the next concert i intended to go to by GOTAN PROJECT)

Flew Emirates into freezing Europe (like it was minus celsius everyday). I reckon it was better than flying MAS. Price can somewhat be cheaper than MAS if you book during promo, and there's a perfect transit in Dubai after 6 hours. Bonus, you get to see the famous man-made palms from your window seats =). Service is excellent! (I'd tell you how the stewardess of another leading airline left me thirsty for ages before my stranger seatmate went to get a drink for me).

Chatted up the strange men in Switzerland, and Paris. They're very into the brown skin, black hair thing =P. Will save up money to be in Paris just so I can try this rum soaked cake again

More pictures on facebook =)

Also attended a very painful graduation. I don't know bout you, but I found it super boring and overhyped. I even wrote a complaint letter to Monash afterwards, venting my dissatisfaction at graduation! My advice to anyone graduating in future:
1. Graduate in absentia. Then just hire the robe and pose there =P
2. If you must hire the robe/ hire the robe for extended hours, start harassing the officers for it EARLY! Like weeks and months in advance. Make sure they remember you!
3. Girls, anchor your hood to your bra with a ribbon. Prevents the hood from yanking your shirt up and out.
4. Make a fuss out of bad service by the official photographers.

I got my photography done for RM 250 (3 poses, 2 11R prints, 1 8R prints, 6 3R prints) at another studio. So much for FUGLY stage photos costing RM80. I am not forgiving you, foto prime.

Anyway, not much nice things to say now. Just thought I'd finish what I started months ago.

jiayeng @ 11:52 PM Comments (0) READ

Post Exam Rant

So exams are over? Yes...

Excited? Not much.

There's a post slacking semester to recover from.

My final year project (FYP) is going dead if I don't revive it.

I want to watch movies, series, download music at an obscene rate, make a MATLAB code to solve sudoku, no hahaha, scared you just there!.

BUT my laptop screen is almost dying. The screen shake and flicker problem has grown beyond tolerance. Initial consultations tell me the remedial costs is anything from RM300 (DIY job) to RM1000 (to have Dell extend my waranty and replace the screen).

The best part is my laptop is below 18 months old. Hallelujah!

Am currently living on the older baby, who's now supposed to be dad and mum's computer now. So that cannot go on forever, especially when I need more RAM to run MATLAB =P and multitask.

Expect minimal blogging in the near future- oh well, not like I was extremely blogactive anyway - but you get the drift.

Now, I was supposed to sleep in and celebrate the end of semester yadda badda dadda.....but I woke up early. I think I might have an OD of Adrenaline and Caffeine yesterday.

So I guess I'll start putting things away, for the semester.

jiayeng @ 8:36 AM Comments (0) READ

Hanoi in April

So....actually I have like a gazillion of things to blabber about but I guess I wont for now.

A few pictures and things about Hanoi, where I spent a few days in April. Yes, I know, it's June already, highlighting how 'behind' I really am now.

Halong Bay Cruise

Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam (not Saigon a.k.a Ho Chih Minh City, if you've forgotten your geography), is the gateway to UNESCO's World Heritage Site Halong Bay (which is a long 4 hour van ride away!). Yadda yadda, please pick up your lonely planet books and read up yourself.

Doing the pirate thing......

First noticable thing of Hanoi would be the mysteriously frequent honking on the roads and some vehicles even have some special horns installed. Press once, and it goes BEEP BEEp BEep Beep beep......

Hanoi's old quarter

Crossing roads in Hanoi's old quarter was quirky. If travel books are anything to live by, all you have to do is, have faith that the bunch of motorcycles moving in random directions, will somehow miraculously avoid you. DO NOT RUN. MAINTAIN YOUR PREDICTED TRAJECTORY. IT IS YOUR JOB TO AVOID THINGS IN FRONT OF YOU. DO NOT LOOK LEFT AND RIGHT.

Besides making the awesomest coffee I've ever tasted, the Vietnamese are seemingly very industrious. The concierge would be there every morning at 6 am, and remains on duty till 10 pm (and perhaps beyond). Almost everybody's about my size. Oh wait, that's the men. The women are typically very petite, I feel myself towering above the locals. FAT people? Nowhere to be seen.

Food is deliciously simple. Nothing too flavourful, more of harnessing the natural flavour of vegetables. Didn't manage to try any of their famous beef, since it's a family/religious thing.

Where Ho Chih Minh rests

Apart from Halong Bay, we went to see Mr Ho Chih Minh, sleeping peacefully in his mausoleum. He's been embalmed, just like the other communist guys, Mao and Lenin and....some other people. Then we went to see his house, and admin buildings,....... The other attractions were pretty much usual Chinese city stuff, temple, old universities and lake.

The water puppets who breakdance ;-)

We watched a very unique water puppet show. Only problem was, none of us had any idea what they were singing about =P

I guess that's it. Lazy to talk already lah..........just trying to keep the blog alive.

Exams coming! Gotta go study!

Sigh, I'm at this point where I'm scared to death of getting out of uni into the workplace, but also dying to graduate because I felt like I've been in uni since, forever. And ever.

jiayeng @ 12:28 AM Comments (0) READ

I AM HOME

An overdue declaration now, "I AM HOME"

I'm not coping too well with this something called reverse culture shock, whatever that's supposed to be.

The heat-humidity combo. It gets me like it never did.

Throw in a bit of low standard of living but escalating costs of living, I'm stressed to limit.

Dissatisfaction aside, it's good to be home. The food is delicious and cheap (nevermind the price hike). The parents are as always, accomodating. You know the "I'm home" drill.

Stories, I've got quite a bit to tell. Don't know where to start.

Hmm, it's gotta be dead obvious that the blog layout has gone through some 'upgrading.' As with the theme, well, let's just say I'm a fun loving skeleton, trying to be sexy, sporty and smart. I'm utilising the sidebar for some random, sexy things i find around the net now.

Introducing the Rebel's Manifesto! Oh no no no no no, not that digital rebel camera thing! Did I tell you the story about how a convince-dad-that-I-deserve-a-DSLR-conversation became a Dad-thinks-I-want-an-iPhone conversation?

Oh nevermind, stop getting distracted, Jia Yeng!

Back to the manifesto, here it is......ON THE SIDEBAR!
Stuff that rocks my mind...

Speaking of camera, my camera is still, unusable. =(

Oh, I had a haircut! I look like this now.....

I guess that's all for now. Better spend time filling up the sidebars and doing my law/OHS assignment, which is such a pain in the buttocks.

jiayeng @ 5:30 PM Comments (0) READ