Start of Something New?

For most of us, this UK experience is definitely something new and fresh. Being in a foreign country...different culture, accent, weather, lifestyle, seeing ang mohs everywhere, etc. Well, that's the experience of being an international student in a foreign country.

I know I'm extremely lucky & blessed to have the opportunity to study in 3 different countries within 3 years - Malaysia (TAR College), U.S. (Uni. of Alabama in Huntsville), and U.K. (Sheffield Hallam Uni). That's why this experience is not entirely new to me...it's more like a mixture of 2 extremes - TAR College & UAH. This time around, it's like studying in a foreign country but with a whole bunch of TARCians. The "mini tar" has expanded into a "maxi tar" this year coz there are over 1000 tarcians invading this place...try to picture that. =.=

I've always been thankful for being a UGRADer in UAH, but I appreciate it even more now coz the OIPS took care of us very well. I'm not saying that the staff here in SHU are not good, in fact they were all really nice & helpful, it's just that they've got too many students to handle.

I'm still not used to the weather here. It's been cold for the past 4 days and my room is chilly...gotta wear a jacket & hide under my comforter most of the time. I'm also not used to seeing the sky still bright even at 9pm...sometimes it's just so misleading & confusing. =.= 

But one thing that I really like about this place is the people. They are extremely friendly and nice! :) Besides, there are so many good looking people here...and the kids are all so cute!

As I mentioned in my last post, we've been exploring the city and had our orientation yesterday. Here are some of the pics:

Went to the train station on Sunday morning

Sheffield city center

Have u seen ppl blow-drying a refrigerator? Here's a demo of how to clean an extremely dirty fridge with layers of frozen ice. Instead of waiting for it to defrost, melt the ice with hairdryer...haha! :p

OMG...we were like kindergarten kids going for orientation!

Our course - Accounting & Finance. So many people right??

Just 2 pics that I took during the campus tour

Greetings from Sheffield!

I'm finally here with my first update from Sheffield!! I've arrived safely last Saturday afternoon but had been busy all the time, that's why I'm running behind with my updates. And guess what, it's actually 5am now and I've been awake since 3. =.= Don't know if it's jet lag or too much walking...been falling asleep way too early these few days...arghhh!!

Btw, i've just been busy settling down...getting groceries, orientation, bla bla bla...lotssss of walking coz our dorm is 20 minutes away from the uni and city center. :( I don't like walking!! It's supposed to be summer here but we were greeted with temperature of 12 degrees last 3 days...how awesome is that right? So chilly & i can feel my skin drying up already. =.= Worse still, the heater in my room is not working and cold air is leaking into my room through the window. :(

Aight...enough of words...time for some pictures! ;)

June 11(Fri): Mom & dad came down to KL to send me off. Dropped by aunt's house before heading to the airport.

June 12(Sat): Our flight was at 2am..."Fly Emirates". Time for some loads of pictures! ;)

7-hours flight from KLIA-Dubai. Lots of movies, songs, & games but I chose to sleep...hehe! Love the lightings! :)

Roti & eggs...that's all we had for the entire journey. =.= Yea..welcome to UK..more roti to come.

Landed in Dubai at 4.30am...and the sky is bright already??

Dubai airport was crowded with 'transitters'.

This is Dubai airport.

Was hoping to get a picture of the Palm Islands but got these instead - sandy & hazy Dubai.

Paparazzi/stalker pics of the cabin crew on our flight from Dubai-Manchester. That air stewardess on the lower right pic is Joshua's "Victoria"..haha! That shows how bored we were on the plane. :) Emirates cabin crew are really niceee...thumbs up!

Manchester from the sky...we've finally arrived at 12.30pm!! Woohoo!! =)

Oh noo...so many TARCians!! J's happily leading the TAR entourage. :p

The bus that brought us from Manchester to Sheffield. Those 4 were showing their 'impatient' faces coz we've been waiting for 4 hours & still stuck in Manchester airport. So inefficient.

Scenic road along the way to Sheffield. Love the lush greeneries!!

Everyone was getting ready for England's first match against USA..."Come on England"!!

After such a looooong journey...we've finally arrived at 5.30pm!! This is the place that we'll be staying for the next 3 months - Charlotte Court.

Roaming the streets with the 'coolest' fashion for the year...I meant Joshua & JiaRong.:p It's 9pm and still so bright...hmm...weird! It gets bright early & gets dark late here.

My room with bathroom ensuite. Nice?

That's all for now. Will keep the updates coming soon! =)

Goodbye M'sia

I'm leaving home again...this time for 4 months. :( Gonna fly off from KLIA tonight so mom & dad's going down to KL with me. Finished ACCA exam 2 days ago...finally free from exams...well at least for now. Ain't gonna comment anything about the papers though...juz gonna pray hard...hehe! :p

Farewell dinner with grandma, grandaunt, big bro, & Rachel...see y'all again in 4 months! =)

Thought I would get some rest after exams but nope...was busy packing my stuffs for the last 2 days and also watched some tv shows. ;) My room was in a total mess since I came back from KL...didn't unpack my things + books & notes for exams + luggages for UK (illustrated below). =.=

Guess how many bags are there?

Met up with some UGRADers in Penang 2 weeks ago. Had a good chat with all of them. It's always fun to share about our UGRAD experiences. =)

3 'generations' of M'sian UGRADers

ZaoLon, KhaiSheng, Me, GinSeng, ShiEe, Sean, Choon Sian

Alright, time to go. Next update will be from Sheffield, UK...stay tuned! ;) Byeeee!!

Win some...lose some...

Well that's life...you win some; lose some. There's always time when we have to face trade-offs...and I hate making decisions at times like these! :(

I've been studying for ACCA exams for the past few weeks and there's nothing much for me to blog about...yea it's veryyyy boringgg!! Can't wait to get it over with! Wasn't planning to blog anything until after exams but very 'pekchek' now so wanna find a place to vent...arghh!! =.=

My last posts was about results...it's considered good news I guess, but nothing to be happy about coz it's still a merit for me. Well, knew this since last sem so no surprise. Not sure if I've mentioned here that I'll be going to UK for 3-months for a summer top-up degree program. But anyway, yea I'll be leaving on June 12 to Sheffield and will be there till early Oct. Schedule is kinda tight for me coz ACCA exams finishes on the 8th and I'll have only 2 days to pack all my stuffs & gotta go down to KL on the 11th...yea it's pretty crazy.

So, the thing that's bothering me now is the 'trade-offs'. I applied for 3 things earlier on:

1.Got a job offer from KPMG (but can't start work yet coz going to UK)

2.Got shortlisted for SIA interview (but can't attend interview on 19th coz flying off on 12th)

3.Got shortlisted for Denso Youth for Earth Action program (but can't attend interview on 16th coz flying on 12th) http://www.denso.com.my/3/section.aspx/111

Haizzz...why are all the timing so wrong?!?! All good news turned into bad news...wahlao eh!! The first two I don't mind, still can try again after I come back...but I really want to go for the 3rd one!! Click on the link above to know more about this program. It's actually pretty cool, would have been a great opportunity to learn more about environment and use the knowledge to carry out alumni community projects here. That's something that I plan to be involved in after completing my studies and the timing is just right! Being shortlisted as 1 of the 13 candidates for the interview is already one step closer...but...haiz! Requested for teleconference but they said cannot. No choice lo...unless waste more money and fly one week later...still considering this option but lotsa other things to consider still. :(

I'd better stop venting and get back to studies...counting down 4-days!!

Overjoyed!!!

The title says it all. Yup...received a good news this morning that made my day! Was waken up by Josh's phone call around 11 this morning asking if i've checked my results online...half awake told him that I'll check later...then quickly got out of bed, took a shower and got online. Opened college website...clicked on 'College April Examination Results 2009/2010', keyed in my student number and password then waited for few secs...so nerve-wracking...didn't know what would pop up next...then...

.

.

.

.

.

tadaaa...

OMGGGG!!!

Yea...I was indeed very surprised!! I wasn't expecting all As for advanced diploma at all since 3 years ago...plus I've learned a lesson from last semester...better not have any expectations...good things come when you least expect it! :p I was just hoping to get my cgpa over 3.6...anything higher than that was a bonus. =) A sincere thanks to all lecturers for all their guidance.

I'm glad that my final semester in college had been totally awesome...did quite a lot of stuff & cherished my college life to the fullest. Definitely a wonderful ending for 5 years of college life! =)

Alrite...time to get back to studies. This result doesn't mean that I can pass ACCA...so better focus and study harder now...less than 3 weeks to go...ahhh! =.=

Homeee!!

I've been back home for almost 2 weeks now. Finally done with college life in KL and moved back home...yeah!=) I'm done with college exams...but still gotta study & prepare for the tougher and more important ACCA exam in June...ahhh...why do we have to be studying all the time! :( I've been TRYING to study for the past 2 weeks but I'm still slacking...no mood lar! Plus...the weather is always so hottt...makes me sleepy all the time! =.= Here are some pics of what I've been up to lately...

Our 'refuge' area in the living room after emptying everything from my room.

Dad came down to drive back with me

A year ago..moved back from US. Now..moved back from KL. I've been doing the same thing annually since 2007...guess I can turn 'pro' already...haha!

May 8 (Sat): Photoshoot Session

Bro & I followed this couple to 'kaypo' at their wedding photoshoot session. Went to this hidden beach that I never knew existed. We actually wanted to take video and pictures but ended up with some 'kelefe' work...pump and tie the balloons & throw the balloons. It was fun though...luckily the weather was nice that day. :)

Waiting for them to make up and dress up

The photoshoot site

We always see the nice professional photos only...but here are some behind-the-scenes sneak peak.

Siao kia with the balloons & that crazy hat...omg!

On our way to family photoshoot session at the studio...4 ppl squeezing at the backseat+balloons+clothes...proves we're skinny? Haha!! *slap*

May 9 (Sun): Mother's Day

Had 8-course lunch at CRC to celebrate the day for 3 moms!

My creation for this year's Mommy's Day. If I flip over those flowers, they are actually 'coupons' that we made specially for mom to redeem. :)

UGRAD Reflection...

It's been EXACTLY a year since I came back from the States. Throughout this past year, studies had been keeping me busy most of the time and I practically had no break at all! I still remember telling my friends in the States how tough my final year is gonna be...and yes it was...but here I am now, finally done with college!! It's kinda scary how time flies huh!

When I first came back, it took me some time to readjust and get used to things that used to be familiar but yet felt different. I guess it's normal to have the tendency to compare a lot of things between both lands, and also complain about this and that. But as time goes by, reality starts sinking in and the hectic study life here left me no time to 'daydream' anymore.

Recently, I met other State alumni members in several occasions and each of us shared about our wonderful experiences in America. As I shared about my experiences, it reminds me of all the good times that I had within that 9 months. I'll also look back at my blog & pictures every now and then...brings back so many good memories. Now that a year had passed by, I've been reflecting and asking myself..."So what have I learned from my UGRAD experience? How have I changed? Have I accomplished the goals that I wrote down during the Re-entry workshop in DC?" A lot of thoughts have been running through my mind...

Detour of a Lifetime

When I first started college 5 years ago, I've set a road map for myself...just like many others who have been through this path -- complete 2 years of diploma in Penang, then proceed on to 2 more years of advanced diploma in KL, study hard to pass ACCA, then go to UK for top-up degree program, then get a job as an auditor in one of the Big 4 firms. That was the original plan and I would say that I was quite focused all these while...juz like going on 'auto cruise'...it's already programmed in my mind and all I have to do is to follow the 'plan'. But then this wonderful opportunity came along when I received a call from the U.S. Embassy saying that I had been chosen as one of the seven Malaysian scholars to participate in the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of State. So I decided to take a detour and it turned out to be a journey of a lifetime...a dream come true...and a life-changing experience!!

Discover a New You
Traveling all alone to a brand new place knowing nobody and start everything anew...sounds pretty scary huh! Yup...this is exactly the process that every UGRADers have to go through. When you get out of your comfort zone, that is when you really start using your 'common sense' and this is also the most effective way to learn & absorb valuable life lessons. The good thing is...nobody knows who you are, and you don't have to worry about embarrassing yourself coz you have no reputation to lose. It's like pressing the restart button, you get the chance to build a new 'image' for yourself. This new image will be a reflection of every decision that you make over there...whether to change for the better or worse...it's all up to you to choose. But don't forget, everyone back home is still 'watching' you.

Venture Beyond Your Comfort Zone
Most of us tend to get too comfortable living in our own comfort zone that we hardly think about getting out of our shell-confined life. In fact, I was also enjoying living in my shell with my small little victories and achievements. Then I came to this turning point that gave me the chance to break free and explore the world. Leaving part of my life in M'sia and starting everything from scratch in a new environment taught me so much about humility and the importance of being open-minded. Whatever I've achieved in the past do not count..I'm nobody..and I have a lot to learn from other scholars from different parts of the world who have achieved greater heights. Coming back last year, I went through the same process of detachment which allowed me to step away from the limelight, step back, and learned to look at things from a bystander's perspective.

Harmony in Diversity
I went to America expecting to learn more about American culture but surprisingly, I achieved much more than that. In fact, I learned more about the WORLD and also my own country...oh yea...tell me about broadening horizons. For this, I'm glad that I was hosted in UAH where there were hardly any other Malaysians around, and that's the best part about this program. It gave us the opportunity to not only make friends with Americans, but also befriend with people from all over the world. It's amazing how we bonded so well & built a strong friendship despite our differences. We shared about our country, culture, language, lifestyle, and it made me realize how much I didn't know about other parts of the world. Besides, I've also learned to value my home country and culture much more now. I never realized that being able to speak 5 languages is actually pretty impressive...haha! This experience has taught me to appreciate the diversity of the world, keep an open mind, free myself from stereotypes, be less judgmental, and constantly challenge my own perceptions.

Free Yourself from Stereotypes
We Malaysians know that M'sia is a developing country, but many Americans classify M'sia as a third world country. I don't agree with that statement, but well, perhaps that's the reason why our country qualifies for the UGRAD program. One thing I realized about Americans is that they are very patriotic, and that's good, but the downside of this is arrogance. I remember that when I was having my surgery, the ER doctor told me that a lot of Americans have never traveled out of US & Canada, and they think that the world is all about America. That's pretty true! I'm glad that M'sia is much smaller than US...we can easily get to another country within an hour's flight. My view is, you'll never know a country until you've traveled to that country and meet its people. So, never judge a nation or a country based on what you see on TV or internet. Come and see M'sia for yourself...it's definitely not third world at all...haha! :p

A World of Opportunities

The Global UGRAD program not only gave me a ticket to the land of opportunity, but it also opened my eyes to lots more 'global' opportunities. Before this, I've never really thought about venturing beyond this region for studies or work. Coming back this year, I've been looking into scholarships and job opportunities overseas. I've also been thinking about what I really wanna do in the future...perhaps take the road less taken and follow my passion? There are so many great opportunities out there and I wanna grab whatever opportunity that comes along. I realized I'm always attracted by anything with the word 'Global' these days...I guess this experience has definitely made me a bigger fan of the world. I'm inspired to travel around the world to see and experience the lives of others.

Give Back & Make A Difference

I know that I'm very lucky to be given this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live through this amazing UGRAD experience and I'm always counting my blessings. I wish more people can get to experience this as well but unfortunately it's not possible. So the best way to share my experience is by giving back to the community. As a UGRADer, I had the opportunity to volunteer, and this opened my eyes to the spirit of volunteerism among youths in America. I realized that I need to do much more than juz getting a degree and secure a good job with good pay. As one of the UGRAD alumni in M'sia, I look forward to being involved in more community projects and encourage more M'sian youths to contribute their time and skills to these meaningful activities.

Last But Not Least...

Time to wrap up...i'm running out of words. Pardon me for the non-linkage of this long post...I'm just blah-ing whatever that came across my mind. All in all, this UGRAD experience had been the best journey that I've ever had thus far. I've experienced great things, met wonderful people, traveled to different places, acquired new knowledge, exposed myself to different cultures, and built lasting relationships across borders. I've got wonderful stories that I'll carry with me for the rest of my life. My UGRAD journey in the States had ended a year ago but my UGRAD spirit is still burning. I'll keep learning and exploring as much as possible in life, and be the best person that I can possibly be!

P.S. Don't ever shut your own door of opportunities, dreams do come true if you believe it. Dare to Dream!!! Be brave enough to take the first step and you'll make it big! :)

Some Thoughts Worth Sharing...

I've been spending the past week chillaxing...arghh...so not in the mood to start studying yet!! So what have I been doing lately? Randomly watched some movies..."The Blind Side", "If Only", and "Ice Kacang Puppy Love". I'm not a fan of movies but these 3 happened to be pretty nice and meaningful.

I've also been doing some reading...oh yea...it's been quite some time since I read a book (apart from text books). Borrowed this book "Tuesdays with Morrie" from big bro earlier this semester but never had time to read. Now that exam is over, finally have time to sit down and read something...feels good! =) I strongly recommend this book to those who're interested in self-enriching and learning more about living a meaningful life. I've shared some meaningful quotes below that is worth putting some thoughts into...

"So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they’re busy doing things they think are important. This is because they’re chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning."

"We’re so wrapped up with egotistical things, career, family, having enough money, meeting the mortgage, getting a new car, fixing the radiator when it breaks – we’re involved in trillions of little acts just to keep going. So we don’t get into the habit of standing back and looking at our lives and saying, Is this all? Is this all I want? Is something missing?"

"Do you take care of others or take care of your ‘inner child’? Return to traditional values or reject tradition as useless? Seek success or seek simplicity? Just Say No or Just Do It?"

"As you grow old, you learn more. If you stayed at twenty-two, you'd always be as ignorant as you were at twenty-two. Aging is not just decay, you know. It's growth. It's more than the negative that you're going to die, its also the positive that you understand you're going to die, and that you live a better life because of it."

"Once you learn how to die, you learn how to live."

"Do you know how our culture brainwash people? They repeat something over and over. And that’s what we do in this country. Owning things is good. More money is good. More property is good. More commercialism is good. More is good. More is good. We repeat it – and have it repeated to us – over and over until nobody bothers to even think otherwise. The average person is so fogged up by all this; he has no perspective on what’s really important anymore."

"Wherever I went in my life, I met people wanting to gobble up something new. Gobble up a new car. Gobble up a new piece of property. Gobble up the latest toy. And then they wanted to tell you about it. ‘Guess what I got? Guess what I got?’"

"If you’re trying to show off for people at the top, forget it. They will look down at you anyhow. And if you’re trying to show off for people at the bottom, forget it. They will only envy you. Status will get you nowhere. Only an open heart will allow you to float equally between everyone."

"Everyone is in such a hurry. People haven’t found meaning in their lives, so they’re running all the time looking for it. They think the next car, the next house, the next job. Then they find those things are empty, too, and they keep running. Once you start running, it’s hard to slow yourself down."

"The biggest defect we human beings have is our shortsightedness. We don’t see what we could be. We should be looking at our potential, stretching ourselves into everything we can become. But if you’re surrounded by people who say ‘I want mine now’, you end up with a few people with everything and a military to keep the poor ones from rising up and stealing it."

"The truth is, you don't get satisfaction from those things. You know what really gives you satisfaction? ...Offering others what you have to give."

"Invest in the human family. Invest in people. Build a little community of those you love and who love you."

"Death ends a life, not a relationship."

Another book that I read recently, Jerry Yan's "9314 Man & Boy". Yup...I was freakin' crazy to buy this book for RM80+ from Kinokuniya (i'm blaming bro for this)...and I'm so gonna get scolded by mom...whoops! :p But honestly, this book is pretty interesting...mentioned about being grateful and cherishing all the good things that we've received in life...well I'm bias..haha!