Time after time

Er... actually, I do not have any intentions to blog these days. I am too preoccupied with assignments (especially the Korean Universities' Entrance Application and my school Korean language exams) so I think i would have to forsake my interest in blogging for a short time, maybe a month or two. In a span of only two weeks, I had travelled to the capital (Seoul) twice and one of the trip was sponsored by my university or the Korean Government while the other comes from my pocket (Ouch!). We had a university exhibition on the 15 and 16 this month.

As usual, it's quite interesting to see how the Malaysian KGSP scholars have changed (both physically and mentally), some remained the same, some grew wider (hehe), some grew thinner. But what that doesn't change is that we still treat each other as if we are family, maybe this is one of the reasons that birds of the same feather flock among themselves. One of the funniest memory that I can remember is that some Malaysian KGSP people cannot recognized me, maybe I change a lot, I don't know. Change is part and parcel of life, and I hope I change for the better. Hehe.

After that exhibition thingy, the next week (21 December), I went back to Seoul. I went there to hand in my university application directly to the university. I have no choice back then, the dateline for one of the university (Yonsei University) falls on that day itself and yet by sending my application through mail, I don't know wheather the parcel will reach them on time especially during this christmas season.

OH YA, MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR! DEAR READERS!

For the university application, I had applied for :

1st choice: Yonsei University
2nd choice: Kyungpook National University
3rd choice: Inha University

I have no high expectations on entering Yonsei and Inha, maybe this is because I felt applying to good and well-known universities are quite a risky move but oh well, who cares? I think I stand a better chance in getting to Yonsei than Inha because from the piles of Inha applications that I had seen (stacks and stacks of applications and Inha University is my third choice)

At Inha University, We met Bilqis (another KGSP scholar, our senior), I was kinda suprised to see her, she looked so different from the last time we had met. Just so different. More like Arnold Schwarzenegger than Bilqis. (Hehe - just joking aight!) Anyway, she helped us (Malaysian KGSP Scholars) a lot but I couldn't talk to her much and eating out together because at that time after we had submitted our Inha university application, I had to go back. I'm staying in Daegu (the Southern part of Korea) while Inha (in Incheon that is in the Northern part of Korea) and it would take lots of time to go back and that time, the sky was already dark.

Thanks Bilqis.

A few days later, on the 23 and 24 of December, we went to Muju Ski Resort. Before going there, we had a slight detour to POSCO steel factory (the second largest steel maker in the world) to listen to some talks. As usual, our minds were not into another boring talk or something like this, we are all into SKI. Period.

We went skiing. I skied, snowboarded and tried sled. Of all, snowboarding was the hardest while sledding was the easiest. Not much pics because I did not bring my camera during skiing.

I hope I will be updating my blog often. I dont have much time like last time to update my blog so frequently. I love writing but sometimes when there's other things/commitments, I have to prioritize. Till next time, more pics to come!

Kyle

Autumn in Korea (PART III)

Autumn in Korea, and in this series, it's the continuation of this post - Summer in Korea (Part II).

I always want to experience 4 seasons but there's a part in me that prefers the joy of going back to Malaysia, meeting my friends and family. it's gonna be 7 months.

Ilusi

Pertarungan kian sengit
semangatku makin pudar
emosiku berubah
aku menyerah kalah
tiga tahun lampau
Zaman kegemilangan
Zaman kementapan

Tiba-tiba…
aku ditidakkan
dari diri sebenarku
Mengejar kegemilangan yang bergelora
Dalam jiwaku
Aku tahu…
Aku mencuba sekali lagi
Aku mengejar impianku
tetapi adakah sekadar ilusi?
Adakah sekadar memuaskan hati?
Adakah aku ikhlas kemukakan soalan,
Mengetepikan prasangka orang.

Burung bersiul sayup kedengaran
Aku mencuba
Aku tewas…
Kekalahan membinasa hatiku berkecai
Berkat semangat jitu,
Ia tidak berjaya
Kini nostalgia dahulu menghantuiku
Namun diakhiri dengan satu kesudahan,
Game over…


P/S I wrote it in Form 5 (Year 2006), i was checking my files and stumbled upon my old Malay poem.

Capitalism – The Rogue of Society?

We have learnt that wealth creates more wealth and when unequally distributed, will sow seeds of hatred and discontentment among people. Dear readers, capitalism is when the wealth of a nation is in the hands of the fortunate few. Do not get me wrong, I am not opposing capitalism in totality. Rightly so, people who work hard should be rewarded for their labour. But I feel it is kinder and fairer that the wealth of the country should be shared by all and not confined to the lucky few.

Basically capitalism is created based on scarcity and demand. Due to scarcity of a commodity, demand will increase, prices will hike. In a layman’s term, it will lead to higher value for a particular resource or product. Eventually, our paper money will become worthless. 1000 Won does not equate to 0.85 USD (as of October 2, 2009) forever. Actual value fluctuates.

Recently, we are exposed to the destructive nature of capitalism. A case worth mentioning is the collapse of the Lehman Brothers. It was not because of company mismanagement but rather greed and unsupervised market trading. Overnight, it transforms a millionaire to a pauper.

With capitalism, anyone can participate with or without money. People borrow money to participate in the system and when the person loses the money and is unable to settle its loan, it creates a Domino’s Effect. One by one, each and every sector will be affected, private lenders, banks, companies, governments and right at the bottom, the man in the street.

Since the last recession, United States (US) has now been so heavily indebted to the Chinese and Japanese Government, and to a lesser extent, the Korean Government as well. These countries bought the US Treasury Bills. When US literally runs out of money, it keeps printing the notes. When money lacks demand due to oversupply, this will depreciate the value of the currency. With currency depreciation, inflation sets in due to the high cost of buying products especially imported ones.

Some might argue that democracy and capitalism complement each other like butter and bread. However, in ancient Greece, the birthplace of democracy, there is no presence of betting on the value of resources or goods which allow prices to go up or down. Usually, countries that benefited from natural resource like oil have higher corruption or are alleged to be sponsoring terrorism.

On the other hand, in this millennium, socialism is no longer applicable though it has existed until now. There are no socialist countries that subscribe 100 percent to socialism because socialism basically cannot support a State. What I am suggesting is Creative Capitalism similar to the idea initiated by Bill Gates. In my opinion, creative capitalism is really about innovation as the prime mover.

Human population is projected to grow from approximately 6 billion in 1999 to 9 billion people by 2043 (Source: US Census Bureau). If this is true, why do capitalists worry about not profiting? Innovation will be the only way out in this saturated market. I believe trading of foodstuffs that are a necessity for human survival should be prohibited in international market. By adopting such policy, prices of essential food will be maintained.

If food prices are to remain constant, how can agriculture companies profit from it? With research especially through biotechnology, food production can be hastened. Professional jobs too are created along the way while profits will now be based on how productive the farms are and not be determined by international market. Hunger will then be eradicated.

For certain resources that can be traded, hedge funds should be discouraged. Hedge funds are collection of funds from investors that invest in stocks and will eventually disrupt market value. The funds will be withdrawn once it finds that it can make a tidy profit but it comes at the cost of small investors. Stocks that are invested should not be allowed to be sold immediately. This is because stock movements are often not based on rational thoughts. Usually many investors get very emotional when they see the prices moving up and down.

People are easily swayed by greed when they see their stocks rise substantially but continue to wait for better yield. This is how stock “bubbles” form. When the “bubble” bursts, panic takes over and everyone will start selling the stocks. This is what makes stock trading market volatile. In capitalism, not everyone will benefit from it. The poor will continue to be poor while the rich will become richer. Wealth disparity gaps widen.

In the advent of a brand new technological age, we need a system that will allow everyone to benefit. Creative capitalism, I believe may provide the answer. With creative capitalism, innovation will be the main driver in our ever expanding thirst for natural resources and wealth. With innovation, we can seek the unexplored, explore the unknown for the benefit of mankind. The final question is whether we will have the courage and political willpower to adapt to a newer type of capitalism. The benefits will be long term for all of us.

“Capitalism has improved the lives of billions of people — something that's easy to forget at a time of great economic uncertainty. But it has left out billions more. They have great needs, but they can't express those needs in ways that matter to markets. So they are stuck in poverty, suffer from preventable diseases and never have a chance to make the most of their lives…” Bill Gates


Kyle Tan Jin Soon

P.S. Will update sometime in the future (not that long lah), this is one of my I-Have-Too-Much-Free-Time to write post, so why not post it? When I'm young, I wanted to be a doctor, an entrepreneur, a scientist, this and that. Eventhough I'm a science student, I think, I'm much more inclined to business. I like writing too. My right brain is better that my left, i guess...

Pepero Day?

My first post for November. I have many things to write but I have so little time. The problem is not because I need more time to study but I need more time to sleep. Usually I have less than 6 hours of sleep daily.

For your information, I don't study, I review. It works wonder. Hopefully.

Back to the topic, today is Pepero day. This is weirdest day because Koreans just love to make every date that have nice number a special day. What is Pepero Day?

"Pepero Day is an observance in South Korea similar to Valentine's Day. It is named after the Korean snack Pepero and held on November 11, since the date "11/11" resembles four sticks of Pepero. The holiday is observed mostly by young people and couples, who exchange Pepero sticks, other candies, and romantic gifts..."

Sourced from Wikipedia

I will remember this day because it was the day where I had to treat my whole classmates (I got full marks in my quiz so I'm top in my class) with Starbucks Coffee. Imagine how it burns your pocket when treating all your friends (all together 16 people) with expensive coffee, lolz. Okay la, honestly, I felt good for being able to treat them once in a while...

I received chocolate sticks (Pepero stick) too but I was hungry at that time and it's now lying in my belly. So no photos.

But...





My next post might be on KLPT exam.

erm, my exam is on this Sat so this post might be kinda structured... everytime i think of something, I just type it down.

E is for the way Exam Ends (partly)

Mid-Term Exam OVER!!!

One word- glad.

But KLPT is 2 weeks away.

Had to study hard for it, "focus!" *Reminds me of my bio teacher that used to say this to a particular classmate of mine*

To learn Korean,

Try listening to the song above, slow and understandable, it comes from Stairway to Heaven Korean Drama.

"Bo go ship da", 보고 싶다... it means, I want to see you...

I think listening to Korean songs might help.

I prefer to write my blog in English because it will enable readers to understand better than in Korean, and also because I think my readers can understand English rather than Korean.

I'm always curious until now on why there's so many people that wants to learn Korean language, why not other than Korean?

요즘 난 생각이 많아... 친구 때문에 제한국 생활이 좀 힘들어서 말레이시아에 가고싶어 왜 이렇게? ㅋㅋ

*again, remember to pause the annoying background music to listen to the song, gonna remove the first song (my sassy girl) soon*

Er, stop la...

Will be taking quiz, speaking test and mid-term exam this week. I overslept yesterday night. Dunno why, but I felt unwell yesterday, and was tired throughout the Korean lessons.

But, I woke up at 12 am (had to, no choice) and then started doing my homework until 2 am plus... no time for revision. KLPT exam is like so near and yet, I do not have the time to do any revision.

Yet, I have quiz today.

This is my FINAL POST for this month

Wish me luck :)



*chak*

All the best, fellow KLPT takers...

Outing, again!

Last Sunday, I went out with friends (2 Koreans, a Finnish and a Japanese) to 수성못 (a lake's name but 못 means pond) and also to the same Indonesian restaurant. We (except for the Koreans because they do not live in the dormitory) got bored at eating in the 학생 식당 (students' cafeteria)

Tried Nasi Gulai (Curry rice) again, wanted to try others but it would not be a good idea if I eat something that will make me sweat like hell in front of a "pack" of photographers.

Luckily, I can speak many languages, if not even the Nasi Gulai had to be cooked by myself, which I don't even know how.

We tried Nasi Goreng Ayam (Indonesian style), Soto (an Indonesian delicacy) and of course, Nasi Gulai (Lamb curry with rice)

Here's the pic (taken from my friend's Facebook),





My next destination will be, 영남대학교 (Yeungnam University) for KLPT.

One more thing, right now, I'm in a bit of dilemma.. should I participate in a Korean speaking contest or not? Hmmn... it sounds like a "big deal" to me and yet my korean proficiency is still not at its peak yet. I lost a bit of confidence lately, hmmn... some personal issues.

haiz

Knocking on heaven's door?

Nice song. Simple and repetitive yet I like the melody. The original song was sung by great music legend, Bob Dylan.

"The song describes the feelings and impressions of a dying deputy, who notices that it is getting dark around him as he is knocking on heaven's door. He realizes that he will never use his badge or his guns anymore..." taken directly from Wikipedia

I love when musicians play their guitars.

Have a great holiday (Koreans will be celebrating Chusok, also known as the Korean Thanksgiving this weekend)

While the Chineses (Malaysians, etc ones) will be celebrating Mid-Autumn festival, I miss the time when I'm young, the time when I used to play with lanterns and sometimes being a lil' mischievous (when I were a little boy, I like playing with fire, imagine starting a fire, and listening to the sound of twigs and leaves cracked to a melodious tune) Lucky no cases of my house got burned down ever happened... *touch wood*

I miss mooncakes too, here in Korea, mooncakes are available but only in chinese shops and its too bland, not delicious and without the duck yolk and lotus paste.

Anyway, I'm going out with friends on Fri (tomorrow), Sat and Sun.

Busy me.

But I will definately be studying. KLPT is getting near, argghhhhh... *clanks*


*Do remember to pause the background music before playing, erm, the girl is cute too*

Ahead

Dear People,


Next month will be my KLPT exam.


Hence, I will temporary stop blogging, hopefully I will... ~~


Fighting!


Que sera sera (Whatever will be, will be)


Take care,


Kyle


P/S. Currently listening to "I Gotta Feeling" by Black Eyed Peas, no ummphhh...


"I asked what truly is logic, who decides the reason, long hidden I am because of you, you are the reason I am, you are all my reasons..."

~A Beautiful Mind~


Nice right? You should watch the movie.

Short Updates

Went to an Indonesian restaurant in downtown with friends from Russia, Japan, China & Msia.

I think my hair is kinda weird in this photo. Of all things.

The weather is getting weird these days, sometimes cold sometimes hot, but its windy all the time.

Wanna wish Muslim readers a Belated Hari Raya... Oh ya, got to add, I ate raya cookies in Sumaya's house... chocolate, pineapple tart, etc...

Halfway Through

Next month, I will be taking KLPT (Korean Language Proficiency Test) and I hope to do really well... who doesn't right? Somehow, I'll try to put my full attention towards achieving good results. My last shot to a clearer and unobstructed future.

The exam is to be held in 영남대학교 (Yeungnam University) on the 25th of October. To reach this university from KNU (Kyungpook University), One will be needing to take train, subway and bus, quite far...

I hope I can really get good result. Other things are now secondary. I hope. Will be buying a few books especially some english books for my reading pleasure and to write an article for my university magazine (It's that I'm have been so distracted lately and I could not put the adequate attention to my writing)

Bought a KLPT book yesterday... going to read it today or tomorrow. Oh ya, I'm 6 months in overseas already, the experiences are priceless yet they bring out the best of you when the going gets tougher...

I will, I must, I can.

I am also hoping that my other friends will do well too. 우리는 장학생인데 좋은 점수를 받아야해서 열심히 공부하세요!!!

Cheers!

Smelt like shit

Went out with classmates yesterday..


Played billard, norabang, eat at some chinese restaurant...


Drunk so much (6 mugs, makes me ting tong tiang this morning)


Played tiger tiger chicken, ah... whatever... lame game okay.


They smoked like hell, I smelt of nicotine went I went back...


Went back a 2.30 am...


Smelt like shit even until today...


Need fresh air...


Most chineses smoke like there's no tomorrow.


F.

Untitled.

I felt lonely today. In fact lonelier than all these days since I arrived. There's also some part in me that felt a little envious towards someone.. Ah... F la... I need a friend that I can really talk to right now. But I felt that I would be wasting my friend's time.

I need a matured person that I can talk to..

These days, the weather especially at night has become colder and colder (about 18 degrees now, i think) and that makes me lazy to go out.. Ai, I don't have any Malaysian peers too that I can be able to share my thoughts without having any communication problem.


I felt so alone.


I hate today, I hate being lonely today. So much homeworks and revisions need to be done and yet this feeling is disturbing me.

I had to write/type it down. Usually, when I write, it would make me feel better. Damn. I hope I'm now back in Malaysia...


"What day is it? And in what month?
This clock never seemed so alive
I can't keep up and I can't back down
I've been losing so much time

Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to lose
And it's you and me and all of the people
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you

All of the things that I want to say just aren't coming out right
I'm tripping on words
You've got my head spinning
I don't know where to go from here..."

"You and Me" by Lifehouse

*I'm just like any other guy*

재미있는 노래!

*Translation from Korean: Interesting song (This is the theme song for "Windstruck")*

My holiday will be over next week... haiz... Still I need to complete an essay/article for the University magazine and right now I have no idea on what to write (listening to Trouble is a friend by Lenka)

Remember to pause the background music too... Oh ya, the actress (Jun Ji-hyun) is cute too... lol.

Baby One More Time

I have another week of vacation!

Well, this measure was undertaken by my language institute to "curb" the spread of H1N1 (selsema babi, swine flu or whatnots) in Korea.

I prefer having lessons because I would have something to do but when it's holiday, usually I would waste my time (a lot), walking without any destinations (imagine walking to downtown without taking any bus or taxi), sleeping, going library with friends but ended up doing nothing, etc...

(*^#^%$!%^!!



Damn boring




I hate this holiday




this one...




Oh ya, now is autumn... the weather has becoming cooler and colder... grr... but I'm planning to visit Apsan again, this time I want to go there alone...



missing...

Room sweet room

Having lived in Daegu for more than 5 months, I often hear that the best way to learn some new things are by tasting and experiencing the lifestyle of a Korean.

My dorm, my room is right next to the fire-extinguisher...

My room

I hate memorising so many numbers... bank card no, main gate no, this no, that no... sigh...

My Mattress- smaller compared to the one in my house but it's okay... comfortable will do... :)

A common bird in Korea, so common that i can see them flying here and there everyday

Grapes are very cheap in Korea, only 1000 Won (about RM 3) for a basket.

Sports thingy - Usually i will spend my time playing badminton, it's quite inconvenient to play football here...

I have no roommate (for now - but hoping not) so why not utilise his (future) table first?

*I'm feeling so distracted these days...*

Summer in Korea (PART II)

Summer in Korea, and it's going to end soon. This part is the continuation of this post...

p/s Will start blogging after a brief stop. Being too preoccupied.

Cultural Learnings of Korean Food For Make Benefit of Glorious Nation

Ingredients of Gimbap.


The chef.


Bulgogi.


Your's truly.


Gimbap, looks like sushi and tastes like california rolls.


Beware of this lad...


You will never know...


Ka, Na, Da, Ra... Mu sen mah ri? uh ri nen moh reh ket soh yo! (Translation: Ka,Na... What are you talking? We don't understand!)


My coursemates. (Btw, can you see Adam Lambert look-alike?)


"Time grabs you by the wrist
directs you where to go.

So make the best of this test
and don't ask why.

It's not a question
but a lesson learned in time.

It's something unpredictable
but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life..."

Time Of Your Life by Green Day

Exam Rambles

Dear readers,

Sorry for not updating. I will be taking my final exam on August 8 so most of my free time will be channeled towards studying, what to do, under pressure to pass it this time... this will be my last post for this month...

oh ya, my review for my university's magazine will be published on September... that's all for now....

cheers,

kyle

p/s here, in korea, the weather is like in sahara desert, hot, hot and hot... even when it rains, it's still so hot that i sweat in that weather...

p/ss bought a new Olympus Camera Pouch, my old one has "Bulgogi" dish smell already... it happened in my class trip to learn how to cook "Bulgogi".

Gyeongju - One day in our lives

Some emperors' tombs during Silla's kingdom


Weeds yet so eye-catching


Insects were everywhere


Summer


*click to enlarge*



They were so eager to practice their english


Here, you have to pay 500 won to enter this small place



*I believe i can fly*


The place is/might be called (i think) Kyongju too because in Korean Hangul characters, sometimes Kyongju can also be pronounced as Gyeongju.. Lots of confusion..

Of Shrimp Burger & ...

After a short absence from the blogging sphere, I'm Back! These days i am very busy, doing things that I am not supposed to be doing, packing stuff which in the end i have to unpack them again.

My daily schedule is actually very regimental but it allows me to explore more of my city, Daegu. For the first time, i manage to walk from my university to "Homeplus" hypermarket, here, it looks more like "Tesco", it "sounds" like "Giant" [their advertisments were more like "Giant" ones but with lots of people dancing]

Usually, it will take more than 15 minutes by foot, but it's worth the effort because if I take taxi, it will cost about 3000 Won which at that price, I could buy... *jeng jeng jeng*

Shrimp Burger

Not found in Msia, Spore, etc

3300 won after tax

Tasted nice, it should coz every first must be memorable, if not, then why there's hype on first kiss, first love, first crawl (when we're baby), etc.


p/s 3000 Won is equivalent to RM 8.25, with that, i could buy a McD™ Quarter Pounder in Malaysia. Missing Malaysia for that. LOL.

Now, it is summer and the weather has becoming hotter and hotter by day. I had already resigned to the fact that I am gonna continue my studies right here in Korea. Well, Korea is actually a nice place to study (honestly) but when you were chucked into a university that has few people whom you share some similarities, it can make you lonely at times.

Oh ya, my university entrance risk-taking attempt had backfired (damn!) but who cares about it right (as I'm now in korea)? but still a part of me felt a little bitter against the government... *m*leh lu c**bai l*ngch**o* they gave me "ciplak" course la... i knew there's already a high possibility of not getting good courses because i had put two critical courses (you need not know, just guess will do :P) on my first two choices in IPTA (public university) application. but still...

Went to Gyeonju last Saturday too... will be updating a new one soon. if i have the time.

Why help them? Help us

M’sia willing to help where Malays are minority, says Najib

MELAKA, Dec 23 — Malaysia is willing to offer help towards the advancement of Malays in countries where they are a minority, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak.

(How about minorities in Malaysia, a full fledged Malaysian? Are you going to just leave them by themselves and let them to rot? How are they going to fund the training? using our parents' (the taxpayers) money? Lemma, this idea is absurb la, first you talk about 1Malaysia then now you talk about helping only the Malays [and they're not MALAYSIAN in the first place!!! wth...])

He said Malaysia could be a gateway for this through the Dunia Melayu Dunia Islam (DMDI, Malay World Musim World) Forum to help Malays in countries like in the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Cambodia, South Africa and southern Thailand.

(Not all Malays are Islam, only in our country that overzealot religious groups enforce it... moreover, it's in the constitution, whoever is a Malay MUST be a Muslim, now this is not freedom of religion... What I am saying is when one embraces a religion, that feelings must come from the heart and soul but not from the set of rules written by somebody that have no rights to tell us what to do. Stupid isn't it?)

“Of course the Malays in these countries must be realistic. They cannot expect us to support them in taking up arms for a revolution to establish Malay governments in them,” he said when opening the DMDI's 9th convention at a hotel in Bandar Hilir here today.

(Do you think Chineses here in Penang wanted to have a revolution to create a chinese majority state? [if it were to happen, it will happen long long ago...] And do you think they even want to ask for Malaysia to help them when the politicians here themselves are so corupt that they will also ask for "duit kopi*" (bribes) for every good things that they have done)

Also present were Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam and Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob. According to Najib, the DMDI could play constructive role in bringing about peace in southern Philippines and southern Thailand.

(How could it bring peace when what the Muslims here in Thailand only wants to be properly assasimilated and being given the same treatment like the rest of the population? While in Philippines, the problem is not with the government but the rebels, honestly, what would you expect the government to do when you (the rebels) loot, pillage and strike terror to those who doesn't embrace the same religion as you (the rebels). But they (Thailand and Philippines) do not have policies that silently discriminate the citizens. Anyway, it's just another waste of money and time organisation, and whose money did they used? ours.)

He said Malaysia had played an active role in southern Philippines towards ending the Moro conflict though the peace process there had encountered some obstacles lately.

(But Malaysia pulled out when the peace talk collapsed...)

He added that the DMDI should do all it could to portray Islam as an ideal religion which strived for the advancement of all peoples.

(Yes, and it should be fully adhered in our country and certain policies must be removed and only help the person that really in need regardless of race, religion and political affilations for THE ADVANCEMENT OF ALL PEOPLE!)

At the function, Mohd Ali, who is also DMDI president, presented Najib DMDI’s Mansyur Shah award which is a special recognition in honour of the Melaka empire during the reign of Sultan Mansyur Shah.

(Another self praise by our countrymen and I don't think the participants knew who is Sultan Mansur Shah, the fourth sultan of Melaka... and what did our PM do to receive such an award?)

Over 500 participants from among others Malaysia, South Africa, the Philippines and Indonesia are participating the convention which ends tomorrow. — Bernama

(Another holiday sponsored by our government...)

* not all politicians are corrupt, just my general view.

This is what Malaysia has become... just another of my random comments on some articles that caught my attention.

I need inspiration...

"My will shall shape the future. Whether I fail or succeed shall be no man's doing but my own. I am the force; I can clear any obstacle before me or I can be lost in the maze. My choice; my responsibility; win or lose, only I hold the key to my destiny"

-Elaine Maxwell-

I am so frustrated. I need inspiration!!! help.

Apsan Hike - 30 May 2009

The starting of the trail... the further we climbed the steeper it gets.


Pine trees are everywhere


A Buddhist Temple at the foothill


Entreprising lady selling Ice-cream at 1000 won (approx RM 2.50) each


Daegu city, Korea, it's the forth (or third?) largest city in Korea. It's a landlocked city surrounded by mountains.


Breathtaking view...


An Eagle soaring.. not easy capturing this pic but thankfully with the right camera and right hand *ahem*


Plan to go bungee-jumping at that Daegu Tower


Nike. It is able to survive even from the most of the toughest climb


Helipad... for lazy people that are too lazy to climb and also for emergencies la


Maureen, Sing Muk and me


Buddha statue


*random*


Some Korean War memorial


Tank used during that war


*click on the pic to read*


Mural


Map of the entire area...

I'm letting the pics do the talking, if more explainations needed. =)