New Year Resolution

Well, little Calvin may be perfect the way he is, but I'm not, so I've got my New Year ResolutionS for year 2011.

1)Concentrate on my studies and score well in exams:

-pay more attention in class.

-study and revise whenever I have the time.

-put more effort in assignments and projects.

2)Build up my confidence (in progress)

3)Improve presentation and communication skills (in progress)

4)Lose weight and grow taller

-cycle for at least 45 minutes in the evening (3-4 times a week).

-milk, cheese and eggs for breakfast.

-don't eat too much.

5)Manage time

-watch less tv.

-reduce usage on Facebook.

-plan well.

6)Continue writing and reading

-blog during free time.

-read and write during free time.

College Life

It's been a week or two since I wrote my last blog post. Today, I feel like writing about my college life. Well, college started last Tuesday. Basically, my college is more like a tuition centre in terms of size and facilities. It's bigger than any regular tuition centres but much smaller compared to other colleges. It's located in Old Klang Road and there's a police station somewhere nearby. Everyday, I have to wake up at about 6.50 am, take a shower, have my breakfast, and then leave at 7.30 am. My mum fetches me to college everyday since I haven't gotten my driver's license yet. Normally, I'll reach college at 8.35 am and will have to wait for 10 to 20 minutes before the lesson starts.

There isn't much choice when it comes to food. Opposite to the college, there's a coffee shop and beside the college there's another restaurant where I haven't been to so far. Everyday I'll go to the coffee shop with a few new friends I've made recently for lunch, the food isn't very tasty anyway. Lunch break is at 1 pm and it ends at 2 pm.

There are quite a lot of assignments and homeworks and projects in college, and there's no term break for us on March and June, which is pathetic. People used to tell me that college life is much better than when we were studying in secondary school. However, that's not gonna happen to me as I'm attending an intensive course which ends on August. Everyday college starts at 9 am and ends at 4 or sometimes 5.30 pm.

I've noticed that college is a lot different from secondary school in various aspects. We cannot depend too much on the lecturers and expect them to spoonfeed us. We'll have to do a lot of self-study and make our own notes. Besides, most of the assignments are no longer to be written down in exercise books, instead we'll have to do them using Microsoft word or excel.

College life is definitely hectic, but other than the busy life, everything else is so far so good. I'll have to spend more time studying if I really want to get good results in order to make it to Moscow to pursue a degree in Medicine. After Chinese New Year, I swear I'll try my best to reduce my usage on Facebook and spend more time on my studies.

S3SY Farewell Party 2011

15/1 – S3SY Farewell Party 2011

Today’s farewell party may be the very last chance for 48 of us to gather and have fun together. Joey, Jin Teng and I are leaving to further our studies in different colleges, while Wan Ling is transferring from science to art stream. 4 are leaving and only 44 remain in S3SY.

Today’s farewell party is a great one, though I spent most of the time playing poker with a few Gods of Gamblers including Yeng Leek, Lee Hup, Kiwi, Boon Ping, Aik Huat and You Yang. It’s not about the food anyway, it’s about spending time together and have fun together before we finally go our separate ways. After chatting with a few, I realized that 2011 is going to be an extremely busy year for everyone. Senior 3 is UEC year, no doubt, a busy year. As for me, I’m attending an intensive foundation course (Science) in Oasis College in KL. As the name suggests, it’s an intensive course, so I’m going to have a very busy schedule in college. This year is definitely going to be a hell of a year, but, let us work hard together and make our dreams come true. Like Yuen Ling said, the sky is your/our limit!!!

The video made by Wei Shen was great, it brought back happy memories Science Loyalty had for the past 2 year. Well, we really had a great time together and I cherish every single moment of it. Now, I have a few words for my buddies.
~
Kuang You: I know you since kindergarten, and we’ve been in the same class for 9 years since we were standard 3. I still remember the time when we called each other non-stop to discuss homework before UPSR. We became good friends since then. Although we often quarrel and fight with each other, our friendship is still unbreakable, you’re still my very BEST friend. Last year, we went to KDU for a debate competition, you, me, Xin Yan, three as a team. With 3 wins and 2 losts in the prelims, we entered the octofinals. In the end we lost, but that was a great experience. You’re someone who is capable and talented, and you’re an excellent debater. I hope you’ll make your wish come true, you wanna be a lawyer right? Go for it then!

Yong Hwang: I met you when we were junior 1, and subsequently we became good friends. Sometimes I tend to be sarcastic to you when we were juniors, I apologize to you for being rude. You are very hardworking, you’re the one who stays in the classroom to complete your homework or read some books during recess when everyone else is having lunch or playing with others. You are an intelligent person, and I hope you could get good results in the upcoming UEC. Work hard and I’m sure someone of you caliber will have no problem finding your path toward success in the future. Best friends forever!

Kai Jian: If I’m not mistaken, we’ve been in the same English class since junior 2. The first time I talked to you was when we were both attending the 2008 Science Camp held in our school. However, it wasn’t until Senior 1 that I get to know you better when we started sitting beside each other in class. I consider you as one of my best friends. As time passes by, you are becoming more mature and you always have your own opinions on different issues. You are a leader in the Chinese Orchestra and also a talented musician who plays fine music. Besides, you are hardworking and always do a lot of maths past-year papers before exam. Year 2011 is going to be a busy year. Work hard and get good results. I’m sure you can succeed in whichever field you’re in when you grow up.

Xin Yan: Well, you and I have been in the same class since junior 1, but hell, I’ve never ever talked to you when we were junior 1 and 2. Our friendship started to flourish when we were junior 3, it all started when I sat in front of you in class with Kuang You sitting beside me. You are a worthy friend, but sometimes I don’t really like you for some reasons. I heard you are going to pursue a degree in Engineering when you complete secondary school, all the best to you. No matter what happened between you and me in the past, you’re still and will always be a good friend of mine!
~

It’s getting very late now. The clock on my wall ticks at 4.27 AM. One last paragraph.

To everyone in S3SY: It was truly a wonderful time we had together for the past few years. After listening to a few talking about me just now in the party, I realize I’m really someone who couldn’t express or rather show his true feelings properly. Anyway, I’ll work on that, thanks for letting me know my problem. And another thing, I don’t smile when people take photo of me, I know that’s another problem, haha, I’ll work on that too.

Oh, ya, I’d like to give a big THANK YOU to Hien Hui for organizing the party, Suat Xiang for the card, Wei Shen for making the video and everyone else for coming to the party. I’m getting sleepy, one last thing, FRIENDS FOREVER S3SY!!!

PS: Don’t feel sad, I’m pretty sure we’ll meet again someday.

A Book Review: The Lost Symbol

A Book Review: The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

Intro: Having finished reading renowned novelist Dan Brown’s latest installment, The Lost Symbol, I have decided to write a review for this novel. The Lost Symbol is Brown’s third novel featuring Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon who also appeared in ‘Angels and Demons’ and ‘The Da Vinci Code” (both were made into Hollywood blockbusters with Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon). Like the four other heart-racing thrillers written by Brown (Deception Point, Digital Fortress and the other two mentioned above), The Lost Symbol is also a fascinating and fast-paced read.

Plot: Well, the story begins with the protagonist Robert Langdon being summoned to Washington D.C. by his mentor Peter Solomon, who is a prominent 33rd degree Mason (aka Freemason) to deliver a lecture in the US Capitol Building. However, upon his arrival, it turns out that Solomon’s kidnapper is the one who summons Langdon to DC to help him gets his hands on the Legendary Masonic Pyramid in order to get access to the Masonic secrets (aka the Ancient Mysteries). With the assistance of several Masons, Langdon and Solomon’s sister Katherine who is a Noetic scientist manage to escape from the agents of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The encryption on the Masonic Pyramid is successfully decrypted by the pair and the information is given to Solomon’s kidnapper subsequently. In the end, the real identity of the relentless kidnapper is revealed, he is Zachary Solomon (he called himself Malakh), the long-believed dead son of Peter Solomon. The decryption leads Zachary to the House of Temple but he is later killed when the CIA arrives. The injured Peter Solomon (whose hand is cut off by Zachary in the beginning of the novel) guides Langdon and Katherine to the spiral stairway hidden in DC and it is revealed that the Bible holds the long-lost wisdom of the ancient. The Bible itself is the Ancient Mystery.

Pros: The Lost Symbol is no literary masterpiece, but it is definitely an entertaining novel by the great story-teller. I have heard of Freemasons from various sources (including a movie: National Treasure starring Nicholas Cage) but didn’t know much about the brotherhood. From this novel, I learn about their rituals, the degrees within the fraternity and so much else about Freemasonry, and now, I want to learn even more about them. Other than the fascinating facts about Freemasonry, Brown’s tantalizing and thundering style of writing makes the novel an extremely fun and exhilarating ride.

Cons: The Lost Symbol is a good read, but, not as good as the previous ones. Brown’s fast-paced writing style and interesting plot-development are the reasons why readers love his novels. His signature plot-twist is always unexpected, sending shocks to his readers upon revelation of certain conspiracy or the real identity of some prominent figures (Angels and Demons: the chamberlain turns out to be the pope’s son and he is the one who murdered the pope. Deception Point: the director of NRO who is the good guy in the beginning turns out to be the bad guy in the end.). The plot twist in The Lost Symbol is the revelation of Malakh’s real identity. It was suprising and unexpected, who would think that Peter Solomon’s long-believed dead son is still alive and he is the one who kidnapped his own father? The twist is a good one, but, a single plot twist isn’t adequate to satisfy the readers, given that his previous novels often had 2-3 plot-twists.

The character development is weak in this novel. Characters are under-developed and Robert Langdon appears to be skeptical in almost everything, which is annoying. He keeps on saying “I don’t believe this, I don’t believe that, this is not possible”, blah, blah, blah. In the end, everything he doesn’t believe in turns out to be a hundred percent true, making him look like a total dim-wit. Besides, the dialogue is lame and uninteresting. The conversations are repeated from time to time.

A few parts of the plot aren’t logical, for instance, the fact that Zachary Solomon (just got out of the Turkish Prison) went back to the Solomon Manor to steal the Masonic Pyramid when he could simply accept his father’s offer of receiving the “wisdom” (looking after the Masonic Pyramid) instead of the “wealth”. Other than that, Peter Solomon did not seem to be upset when his son died. Wouldn’t a father cry or even pass out when he sees his own son die in front of him? No, not in Peter Solomon’s case, he did not shed a tear when he lost his son and was still able to speak calmly and even guide Langdon and Katherine to the location of the Ancient Mysteries with no problem. In addition, the ending is rather dissatisfying and the revelation of the Ancient Mysteries doesn’t seem convincing either.

Conclusion: The Lost Symbol has its pros and cons. I’d rate it 3.5 over 5. Although it isn’t as good as the previous thrillers written by Dan Brown, it is still an entertaining novel worth buying.

Your Story entry~!!!

The drover ran as fast as he could. The lake! Jump into the lake and I’ll be safe. He turned abruptly and headed toward the lake. Shit! I can’t swim! He quickly changed his direction again and sprinted toward the farmhouse. Behind, the sound of footsteps was getting nearer, the ‘thing’ was nearing. The roof! I’ll be safe on the rooftop. He dashed toward a pillar and began climbing up. Faster! He was reaching for the crossbeam, when, all of a sudden, the ‘thing’ grabbed his feet. He panicked. The next thing he knew he was being pulled down violently.

1st Post of year 2011

It's a brand new year, year 2011. 5 days have passed since New Year Eve, I've been "busy" recently, busy watching television programmes and movies, so I haven't got the chance to blog until the present moment. For most of my friends who are continuing their senior 3 studies, school has already reopened. But of course, for me, I won't be at school (college school) until the 18th of January.

Yesterday, I received an e-mail which consisted of information about the college, including the location map, admission guideline, entry requirement and even the timetable for the course. When I first saw the timetable, my first thought was "God, this is gonna be a hell of a year!".

Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm, subjects are Bio, Chem, Physics, Maths and English. 3 lessons a day, but the duration for a single lesson is 2 hours, which is so damn long. Considering the traffic in KL is kinda jam, everyday I'll have to wake up early at about 7.45 in the morning, and I certainly won't reach home before 4.45 pm. I really hope the entire situation is going to be better than expected, hope so.

I've completed the 6 hours course in the Syah Bandar Driving Learning Centre weeks ago. Yesterday, I started my first driving lesson which lasted for 2 hours and today the second lesson with the same duration. Driving is cool, but, the tiny Perodua Kancil used in my driving lesson isn't. The tiny vehicle doesn't have Air-cool and the air-conditioner isn't cold enough. Besides, a manual car is quite a pain in the ass, very troublesome. Regardless, I'll get to drive an auto car after I get my driver's license and I'm really looking forward to that.

I've decided to blog at least two to three times a week, my intentions are quite simple, to improve my writing skills and to record things that had happened or things that are going to happen in my life. Isn't that killing two birds with one stone?