Foundation In Arts Explained!

I'm in a strangely generous mood lately.So much so that I haven't refuse anyone anything the past couple of days.Maybe that has something to do with my being selected for interview for the School Achievers Scholarship Award,or SASA for short.The fashion in which the news was delivered will never be forgotten,and for good reason.I was told of my selection by none other than Yeoh Jie Cong,a friend I met at the BRATs workshop earlier this year.As a SASA recipient himself,one of the conditions was to work for 148 hours at the HELP University College Marketing Dept.His main task that particular day was to break the news to all successful applicants.

Now this may seem mundane,but wait.It was around noon,almost 1 pm.This being the holidays,I was still in bed sleeping,having a particularly good dream.I was being knighted,when the world started vibrating.It was my phone ringing.

Not pleased with having my good dream interrupted,I showed it when I picked up the phone.There was a guy at the other end,putting on his best formal voice.Though I was still a bit groggy,I recognised it but couldn't placed my finger on whom.Then,he told me I got selected for the SASA interview.An awkward moment of silence later,he broke into a laugh and asked me if I knew who it was.That bastard.

And so,on the 6th of september I am to present myself at the main campus at precisely 12.30 pm.In anticipation,I have started practising my best speech voice,learning from the masters themselves.Our very own politicians.It's a wonder what Youtube can contribute towards your future.

I applied for Foundation in Arts.In honour of my impending awardance of the scholarship(yes,I am that confident),I have decided to help my fellow peers by explaining the programme.

It is a one year programme,consisting of 3 semesters.Each semester lasts 14 weeks.Within the year,I am to learn 11 subjects which differ with every semester.7 are compulsory while 4 are electives.Each subject will have 4 and a half hours of teaching a week.

Semester 1
1.Intermediate English
2.Finite Mathematics-a course conventionally required of business students, in which the curriculum brings together several mathematical topics, including basic probability theory, an introduction to linear programming, some theory of matrices and determinants, and sometimes an abbreviated account of calculus.(I'm screwed)
3.Computing Principles
4.Study Skills-Abilities and approaches applied to learning.Includes removing distractions,time management and notetaking.(wtf)

Semester 2
5.Advanced English
6.Critical Thinking Skills(wow)
2 electives

Semester 3
9.Statistics
2 electives

Electives
Introduction to Business Principles
Introduction to Marketing Principles
Microeconomics
Macroeconomics
Principles of Accounting
Economic Principles
C Programming
Internet Principles
Introduction to Hospitality and Tourism
Introduction to Public Relations
Introduction to Human Communication
Introduction to Legal Studies
Psychology for Personal Development
Visual Basics Programming

I've chosen Intro to Human Communication,Psychology for Personal Development,Intro to Hospitality and Tourism and Intro to PR.Though I am not aiming for the hotel industry,I am not interested in the other electives.Plus,who knows?I might like it and make it full time.

Assessment
Coursework and Assignments 40%
Mid term and Final Examinations 60%

Not bad really.At least it's a better system than the one being used at school,which places more emphasis on exams.Just because you managed to memorise the whole syllabus does not make you good at that subject.

So there you have it.My most rajin blog post.

On a side note,this is the new Green campus which will be completed by 2011.My god,the colour palette is fugly.

Holy Internet Time Dump,Batman!

Thanks to a certain teacher's appalling scheduling skills,my school's SPM trials are after the holidays.Therefore,the Fifth Formers have 1 week of no school to prepare.Most would take this opportunity to revise or organise study groups in order to cover the entire Form 4 and Form 5 syllabus.Some have even offered me a helping hand,to join said study groups given my weaknesses in almost all the subjects.

I spit on that hand.

Tristan Toh is a man of principle.And he has plenty.One of them being not to touch any educational material at all during periods of rest and relaxation.It's the bloody holidays for chrissakes!Lighten up,unbutton your collar,let your hair down,wake up at noon.

And what better way to waste your time than to stare at the computer screen.Better yet,play games WHILE staring at the computer screen!It's double the fun AND you get some exercise too!

A few months back,I found this awesome collection of point and click adventures on Newgrounds.com.Being a sucker for the classic Lucas Arts games back in the day,I was instantly hooked to the dry humour,head scratching puzzles and general weirdness of Reemus's world.It has a talking purple bear,death slugs,giant ants,man eating plants,politicial intrigue,betrayal,and did I say A TALKING PURPLE BEAR?!If you think the Internet is dominated by generic Yahoo Game-types,you're most certainly wrong.The Journeys of Reemus warrants countless playthroughs,just to see the multiple endings and the sheer wit that the creator,Zeebarf incorporated into his work.This series is a definite must play.If you doubt the truth of my words,check out the game's page on Wikipedia.Yes,it has it's own page!In fact,if you're still reading this passage instead of already clicking the links,what the hell is wrong with you?!Isn't the first sentence of this paragraph appealing enough?

http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/439589
http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/459042

http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/471838

http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/501740

Economic Crisis

Contrary to popular belief,I am not a rich person.I may be tighter than a duck's butt when it comes to emptying the contents of my wallet,but that doesn't mean I have the GDP of Liberia stored away someplace.I am a student after all,a student still dependent on his mother's ability to hold her job mind you.I got some savings,yeah,but I have no direct control over where it will go to.The mum's got the bank account book stashed in a secret compartment of her office,and I made the terrible mistake of not memorizing my account number when I receive it for inspection at the end of each month.

And like any other individual in this sad ball of rock and water we call Earth,I have a few special wants.'Kehendak' for all you Ekonomi Asas students out there.Right now,all my allowance is going to my needs,with nary a little left each week to save.And there's plenty of things I wanna get,all equally important.Here's the lowdown on my wish list,for all you sibuk people reading this self indulgent post.

I confess,I have a huge ego.I may like the idea of being an open-minded person with humility to boot,but I am not.I can't bear watching films starring a female lead in a setting where the males are portrayed as sexist,savage and uneducated assholes.I understand that females have been the overlooked and mistreated gender in history,but these films tend to overexaggerate the villainy of the antagonists.And I am a pretty traditional kinda guy.I believe that if a woman can do it,a man has to do it so much better.

So when my friend Avisha managed to climb Mount Kinabalu,I had this nagging feeling that I should be able to do it too.I know I am a prick,but my ego is pretty uncontrollable.With this motive in mind,I roped in a few of my male friends to join me on this quest to prove that males are the dominant species.Lol.

The only obstacle standing in my way is the high cost of such a trip.Without counting accomodation and meals,the trip will set me back about RM300.

Besides that,I do not have the right hiking gear.A simple haversack like the one above is priced at RM200,and that is considered cheap.I also need boots as well.



SPM,let alone trials is not quite over yet.However,I am already planning my college expenses.And one of the key items I must possess would be a laptop.Currently,I own a desktop but naturally it would be difficult to take from place to place.College work definitely requires a lot of project work and presentations,so a portable laptop would ease my burden of having to rely on noisy and unhygienic cybercafes.I don't need a high end one,it just has to be able to perform when I need it.Cost?RM2.5k to 3.5k.



I am also a notorious procrastinator.Though it's been half a year since I turned 17,I haven't even taken my Undang.Since I plan to do some internship during my free time,I'm gonna need a ride to get me to places I have to be.And I require a driver's licence for that.Total amount for Undang plus driver's exam?RM850+.

You know the bulky cameras of yore?Like the first Kodak easyshare above?Yeah,I still own that hulking piece of crap.To add salt to injury,the camera's been battered and bruised countless of times.The battery compartment has to be held down by tape for God's sake!And it is only 3.5 Megapixel!A new slimmer camera?In the RM400-RM600 price range please.
Update!
I got a new camera!Pentax Optio M30!7.1 Megapixel!Sure,it might be a hand me down from my dad but hey,beggars can't be choosers.It's still in tip top shape and really slim.So it's one item off my list,one burden off my shoulders.Thanks,dad.

I don't even wanna calculate how much my wish list is gonna cost me.All I know is I truly want all of them,pretty desperately.In fact,I'm so desperate,I have resorted to joining a variety of contests.To name a few:Red FM's Fourplay(unfortunately already ended),Fly FM's online contests and The Star Power of 9 contest.

And they say only adults feel the economic pinch.Sigh.

The Tao of Algorithm March

Yes,you've read the title right.The Algorithm March is not just some silly dance sequence that you perform when you're bored or fooling around with friends.No,it is DEEP and full of MEANING.And it imparts valuable advice that can be applied to your life!All in one catchy song!Unconvinced?Read on for the explanation,step by step!I'm such a nice guy.

Take one step forward and reach forward

Ippo susande maenarae

The song gets straight to the point,hammering home the fact that you will achieve nothing if you do not just take a step forward and reach for your goals.Everybody has ambition,but not everybody can fulfil them.And why is that?Because people are too afraid to take the initiative.In school,we've always been spoonfed by the teachers and our increasingly overprotective parents.Individualism is frowned upon and you can even get arrested for it as proven by any member of the Opposition.However,you are suddenly thrust to your own means after you leave school."Be Independent!" the adults say,but unfortunately that's all they say to you.And so you live the rest of your life with that nagging pain on your shoulders.What is it called?

FAILURE.

Take one step forward and you're a better person

Ippo susande eraihito

You'd be surprised by what you can achieve when you take that initiative.Want to ask your crush to the prom?Have that dance?Share a ride home?Sneak into the bushes?To quote a very wise man,"Just Do It!".But don't blame me for what happens after you snuck into those bushes.

Turn around and bow to the person

Hikkurikaete pekorinko

Survival of the fittest.It's a dog eat dog world out there.No matter how good you are,there's always someone better than you.And once you've admitted defeat after foolishly challenging that fact,what should you do?You pay your respect!Respect for one's superiors shows character,a key quality sought after by employers.So swallow that pride and bow.

Walk sideways and look around

Yoko ni aruite kyorokyoro

Sometimes,we take too many steps forward.And more often than not,we lose track of our past,who we are.Therefore,it is important to walk sideways to reflect upon your past,all the good times and bad times too.Analyse your mistakes,and rectify them.If you have none,improve upon your achievements.Success is a journey,not a destination.We must always keep moving.At the same time,look around for more opportunities.And once you've found said opportunities,you grab them and milk them for all it's worth.

Wait a little here and do a wide swim

Chotto kokorade hiraoyogi

Ah,but how do you grab those opportunities?Don't forget,there are other fish in the sea,and they all want their prey.There's only one thing to do to counter your competitors.Swim.And don't just swim.Swim wide and fast.

Kneel for a bit and pick up a chestnut

Chotto shagande kurihiroi

Some opportunities are obvious and clear and you do not have to look far and wide to find them.However,so does everyone else.Although it is important to grab every opportunity,sometimes we should tackle those that the others avoid,the ones that are small.There are no such things as small opportunities.They may be tiny and are like finding a needle in a haystack,but they are there.So kneel for a bit and pick them up.Who knows?You might find one with potential to grow.

We'll put air in it.Woosh woosh!

Kuuki iremasu shuu shuu

When you found a gem that noone else knows about,you blow air into it and make it noticeable.Thus,those who had brushed it off earlier would slap their puny heads with regret and agony,which would further enchance your confidence.Technically,you cannot blow air into a gem,but Confucious enjoys using metaphors and in the spirit of this blog post so should I.

The air is inside pyuu pyuu!

Kuuki ga haitte pyuu pyuu

Congratulations!Your tiny gem has grown into a huge ass diamond,bringing with it wealth and prosperity!And it all started from one step forward.The mind boggles.

So grasshopper,you have succeeded in mastering the art of the Algorithm March.But do not think it is over yet.Others might have heard of this little phenomenon,and are busy practising it right this moment!Do not relinquish your lead!Keep doing the march again and again.And if you managed to get your friends to join in the line,all the better.Not only is it more fun,you can share your embarassment with them!If you are new to this,do it now!The question isn't "Why should I?".It is "Why shouldn't you?"

Here We Go A-Marching

Yesterday,me together with 33 fellow students and 3 teachers attended the show KakiBlue playing at the KL Performing Arts Centre.KakiBlue is a comedy musical about 3 friends who just finished SPM and expect a fun-filled holiday.However before they could even relish the possibility of being in bed till 1 in the afternoon,they are summoned in the form of an SMS to attend National Service.Naturally,they have their own conceived images of the camp,and the play's about their adventures during their stint at their Butterworth post.

I first got wind of this while surfing the web for plays to take my peers to.I am the president of the English Language Society and I am ashamed to admit that our club is not the most popular or active club around.Our membership is pathetic,especially if compared to even the Maths and Science Club.The blame has to be put on the previous BOD,who have never organised anything that the whole school could participate in.They only take into account their own members without a thought for the ones who are intersted in the English Language but are too busy to join the society.Therefore,I took it upon myself to organise a trip to KLpac to watch a play and hopefully improve the society's standing.


Once I got the necessary details,I swung my plan into action from the date to the bus and everything.Naturally,things did not run as smoothly with my blur secretary handing the letters to school late and the staggering number of people who pulled out in the last minute.Thankfully,I managed to pull through and make this plan a reality.

On the day of the trip itself,I encountered many problems that were out of my hand.The show starts at half past 8 and I told everyone that the bus would arrive at 7.Although the bus was 5 minutes late,everyone was here,everyone except Sheikh Ammar,a Form 3 student.Finally after 20 excruciating minutes,I was able to pull him out of his dad's car and into the bus.Next,the traffic.I forgot that there was a protest march and it caused major jams in KL.Although we weren't in the worst one,it definitely took a long time.So I managed to breathe a sigh of relief when we reached Sentul with 5 minutes to go.However,the bus driver got lost.after 10 minutes of driving around looking for the entrance,he stopped at a mamak restaurant to ask for directions.When we finally found the way to KLpac,we were 20 minutes late.I was able to get hold of our tickets,but was told that we would have to wait until it was intermission time before we were allowed in.

My blood pressure definitely rose up a few notches that night.

Programme book:RM 5
Badge:RM3
When the woman was walking around with the merchandise,I thought it was complimentary.I was wrong.

Me and my sis posing for a photo in front of the banner while waiting to go into the theatre.

The ones who do not just sat around and mope.

Finally after being bored for 10 minutes,I took the initiative to ask the woman if we could enter.We could,and were allowed in for the last 5 minutes of song and dance before intermission.

Pros first.I have to give props to the choreographer and the musical director for the excellent dance moves and songs,which are parodies of famous numbers from the 50s and 60s.Their acting was also great,though some do not agree with me.The same people are pride themselves as auteurs,you see.Pfft.

And now the cons.The dialogue is unbearingly cheesy and choke full of moral values,as if the scriptwriter wants to force them down our throats.And the ending leaves much to be desired.Really,really abrupt.

After the show,it's the obligatory photo time!

I was happy that although the participants had some complaints about the show,they still enjoyed it and thanked me for organising this trip.I know this is so not Tristan and you are allowed to puke but truly felt touched that my work was appreciated and that made it all the more worthwhile.

Roll Call:

Wilson Wong and his sisters,Sheikh Ammar,Mun Han,Ayuni,Elizabeth Chong,Putri Hayana,Dayana,Izlin,Liyana,Janice Theresa,Ashley,Cheryl,my sis,Balqis,Alysha Khazlida,Aizad,Azielia,Ilham,Ruzain,Bhindia Pooja,Harith,Calvin,Zhafir Zarkasha,Jackie Chua,Chan Siew Jan,Nabil,Faisal,Alifah,Emira,Yin Hun and Sze Munn.

Thank you for coming!