After Registration

Registering as a Nottingham University student is easier than I thought, so all my 5 housemates including myself successfully registered as Nottingham University Engineering students last Monday. Well, Tuesday was induction, where CEO, President and Head/Manager of different departments give speeches. One of them is Ali Kader, my boss when I’m a student helper in Nilai University College. He transferred to Nottingham and now held the pose “Sports Manager” of Nottingham University, wow. However, me and Ali didn’t pay much attention to the boring speeches, we spent most of the time sms(ing) each other.

Canteen in Nottingham is small… there’s not much choice of food and they’re expensive (at least RM5 per meal). Heard that it’s temporary because it’s puasa month for the Muslims and seems like there’s construction on something new in the canteen.

Since, Tuesday is the only induction we had, me and Audri went back to Nilai again, while the rest of my housemates went back to their respective homes. So we went to Seremban on Wednesday because I need to go to Standard Chartered Bank and Audri wants to go to Bank Simapanan National. Later, we saw TM point and went in to apply Streamyx for our house. Sadly Streamyx only covers until TTS4, we’re staying in TTS5, but they’re trying to register us, so we need to wait.

Uncle Chan offered us to stay in student house near Nilai Uni College, so we can hang out until Sunday for church service. We went to KTT(Kolej Teknologi Timur) to lead worship for their CF (Christian Fellowship). It’s been months since I played for worship, but still OK I think. Most of the KTT students went to Passion KL 08, so “God of the City” is such a big impact to them.

Spend almost whole night chatting until Tze, Emily and Audri are asleep:

The next day, we went to Bank Islam to open an account as told to apply PTPTN. Guess what? I lost my IC, it’s not in my wallet. When I told Audri, he’s like worrying and shouting… but I’m quite sure the staff in TM point yesterday didn’t return it to me. Luckily, Ivan and Tze were free to drive us to Seremban, kind of happy cause get to see Ivan again, it’s been a while since we talked and he slimmed down a lot. We reached Seremban again and my IC was just on the counter as how it’s placed there the day before, funny is it? Then we went to Jusco and have our “lunch + breakfast” at 3p.m. It’s a Hong Kong Restaurant 又一城. Oh my, I love the special drink 家有喜事 which is Ribenna + Soda + Lemon. Audri bought a new bag too. Thank you very much, Ivan 哥哥 and Tze.

家有喜事 and Audri's new bag:

The same day at night, we’re having bible study in the student house. Most of the Nilai students came and there’re about 20+ people. It’s a good thing knowing that the bible study is growing and because Colin is such a great help, I believe things will be OK around. Oh ya, I told Cheryl that I lost my IC, then she told me she lost hers too, haha, but she haven't found it back, that's bad. Saturday we did gardening in Uncle Chan’s house, that was really really fun! Then we had worship practice in the evening. Too bad Shaun can't join because he's in exam mode.

Shaun is so worked out after studying even sleeping in the bus when we're going to pasar malam:

These few days with the Chan family, I noticed they really have good relationship with each others, I guess this is what people say house of love, especially Cheryl, she did everything well and is so responsible, but at home she’s so “girl girl” (my adjective). Aw… I don’t want to admit that I’m envy, but I think there’s more molarity of respect in my feeling.

Well, it’s Sunday, but was so tired. I spent the night before doing Lumush and Grace’s farewell video until 3a.m. However, nothing stop my joy of serving the LORD! So damn happy to rejoice with all fellow church members again, I think that’s the best place I can ever be in my life. Uncle Tome and Khai Seng was there too, so after service, they picked us back to Semenyih. Sad that didn’t spent much time for fellowship, and I LEFT MY KEYBOARD PEDAL IN NILAI!!!! Arggh!!! Never mind, there’ll still be chance to be back to that place, what’s important is I have to be ready to start a new chapter of my life in Nottingham!

Here comes my daily chapter reading again. Psalm 130, something catchy is “From the depths of despair, O LORD, I call for your help.” There’re a lot of difficulties while class starts, and I’m facing it now, really need to call for help. My prayer is, I hope Shaun can do his exam well which is flooding him these few weeks, Cheryl will soon find her IC back, Eeyi just told me he got some relation problem, hope he can go through it. Nilai Sunday Wroship are growing in numbers, there're about 70-80 people now, huuray. May God shine his light upon all of us, Amen!

Back Again

These 3 days, it’s like a war for me to declare freedom once again. Wednesday is the day of my flight to West Malaysia, which means… Yeah! Holiday is over. The flight number is AK5123 at 7.15a.m. Since the flight is THAT EARLY, I have to wake up at 5 in the morning. That really is nostalgic as I remembered seeing the dark sky with cold wind breeze often during school days. Well, my mum is going along too, to clean up my new house. Honestly, I thought it would be hard for me to wake that early because my average waking time throughout the holiday is 10 morning and watch Animax the whole “morning”. Besides, I thought I won’t be able to sleep that particular night because of being too excited.

So we arrived LCCT around 9.30 morning and get a KL Central Express to Mid Valley to check in Citytel. It’s my first time ever using KL Central Express bus. I slept about 80% of the journey, haha. There are two funny messages that I received when I switched on my handphone. First was Audri, he asked me “How’s the house?”. Oh brother, I just arrived and Semenyih is not like Nilai from LCCT. The next one’s even funnier, Shaun messaged me a birthday wish… but it’s not my birthday.

After having lunch, we go down to Kajang by KTM to meet Eugene. I’ll give all credit to him by doing a lot of hardwork finding us a house that’s so near to the uni. We get a taxi to go to Taman Tasik Semenyih. The house is quite OK but just messy and dirty. I’m not living in campus or with their hostel because the rooms are small and you have to move out after staying there for 1 year.

The next day (Thursday), my mum and my auntie drove to the new house and do their job… I mean, our job. We brought in my things from Nilai that I stored in my auntie’s house, and also clean up my room. That took us the whole afternoon, until evening. Then Friday, after the breakfast buffet in hotel, my mum will go to KL Central and take the bus directly to LCCT to fly back. I’ll take KTM to Nilai and back to college. Yes, I’m on my own again!

This is the night vew of KL from my room in Mid Valley:

Waiting for KTM to Nilai:

Reached Nilai College around 2 afternoon, want to find a place to put my stuffs and look around. So first I went to Tze’s room, he’s not in. Nevermind, I’ll go 3rd floor to get Ivan, but his door's locked. I have to walk around with my stuffs. Until I decided to try Matthew, he’s in, and what’s best is he even let me stay at his room over the weekend cause he and his roommate are going back to hometown. Then I’m on my way to DSA to check out Mui Fan after a little music exchange session with Matthew.

I met Joyce, Joanne and Ovinis in front of President Hall. Hey, they’re preparing stuffs for a band performance? I went to check it out, and end up guys screaming my name from inside President Hall. I acted cool again but I was quite overwhelmed, it’s the band! Tze, Shaun, Sam and another new face. There’s gonna be a band performance for the Mooncake Festival later. The Chan’s family’s here to help too. I quickly go to Mui Fan so i can join them to helped. Have a nice time chatting with Mui Fan, one of my spiritual resource, she gave me a book too. Wow, I knew she promised me a book but she kept it with her every time and reserved it for me.

I’m back to the band and tried to help the new keyboardist with the songs. The new drummer (Sam) is good and he plays Jazzy piano. The new face (Colin from Tawau) plays very stable bass. Good to know that the band is not out of shape yet. I guess it’s my fate to help in Nilai’s events, but I’m happy to meet Carl again! I hug him the moment we saw each other, haha. Funny to know that most of the KTT girls misrecognize me as “Audri the guitarist”… Great to see Chris and Rebecca too.

After the event, we have some time at Al-Salam and I had Roti Bom. Glad to be alive again, Uncle and Auntie Chan are doing well. I feel so good throwing Shaun around and seeing Tze as tough as ever. Carl’s still outgoing and Charles remains his calmness. Nothing can beat Cheryl’s leadership. However, I knew I won’t have chance to hang out like this with them anymore. Just thanks a lot that God put them to my life, sharing me their light.

Today it will be Psalm 117, saying “the truth of the Lord endures forever.” Maybe this kind of joy won’t last long on Earth, but let’s keep it for eternal life. I pray that Sunday Service in Nilai will keep on growing and let all their hardships tremble down like sand rushed by water. I pray for Tze to be able to make this semester the best as it’s his final semester and for Carl’s journey mercy, he’ll be flying back to UK on Sunday. Let these great people have great blessings. Amen!

Birthday?

So I guess I made up my mind to start a blog. Well, today is just a day where I just gone through exactly 20 years of life. Kinda curios which human on Earth started the concept of “Birthday” where people celebrate anniversary of their birth. If I trace back to the tradition of birthday celebrations, western celebrate by having cakes (what they called cream mix with eggs and sugar) and Chinese do it with red eggs (eggs and red dye). Hey! I do found a similarity is it? Eggs have something to do with birthday!

Haiz, I don’t have a good feeling about birthday parties (or you can say I hate it) since 2 years ago. Don’t ask me why I just don’t like the feeling. I’d really love to not show up in any birthday party or just act like a chameleon. It’s just crazy how people celebrate birthday nowadays and they have to make it 12 at the midnight, I wanna sleep man… and it will hang on til 2 or 3a.m. What if I have early class? What if I have assignment? However, this year it will be better cause I’m in a place where NONE of my friends can get me. So I’m free from the birthday sadness!

Eiks, but for some important people, I’ll just wish them. For pass few days, I wished Carl and Charles (2nd Sep), Audri (3rd Sep) and Xiu Mei’s Dad (4th Sep). Yeah! Good news! Xiu Mei was the first one wish me birthday ^_^ yesterday, and she wished me again today, makes it 2 times! Others would be Jeany, Cleo, Jin Yi, Grace, Siew Rui, Chico and Diana. Girls' wishes are better I think. Some boys too, Audri, Jason, Chee Kong, Velcon, Boy Boy (Raggy) and Dominic (I don't really know this guy but he has exactly same birthday with me!). Its not my style to reply sms and frienster comments, but thanks anyway.

Anyway, something that caught my interest about birthday is the “Happy Birthday To You” Song. According to “Guinness Book of World Records”, this song is the world most well recognized song in English Language followed by “For He’s A Jolly Good Fellow” and “Auld Lang Syne”. The song “Happy Birthday To You” is translated to at least 18 languages. Originally, the song is composed by an American kindergarten teacher, Mildred J.Hill with the title “Good Morning To All” in 1893 and lyrics by her sister Patty Smith Hill. Both of the teachers are composer/pianist/organist. They taught in Louisville, Kentucky and they used it as a morning greeting song. The lyrics are:

Good Morning To You,
Good Morning To You,
Good Morning Dear Children,
Good Morning To All.

Sing it just like how we sing “Happy Birthday To You” but replacing the 2 syllabus of “Happy” by a single syllabus “Good”. Don’t you feel how good it is being able to compose a song that the whole world know, but its kinda impossible for me. The song is then changed to “Happy Birthday To You” by unknown around 1912 where Summy Company registered the copyright in 1935. Here’s the exciting part, in 1990, Warner Chappell bought the company with the copyright for US$ 15 million where the copyright of the song alone is estimated as US$ 5 million. The copyright won’t expire until year 2030 and do you know what it means? We actually have to pay for royalties for any public performance of that song.

Well, actually my 5 weeks holiday is about to end soon and my mum “suggested” me to clear up the mess that grew on my head for these 4.5 weeks. So, what’s in my mind is a little change… it’s just what I did in Jan 08, so no big deal. This is what I look before I go:

After 3.5 hours sitting in the place, the outcome is as below:

I know, it doesn’t feel like there’s any change… But I like it.

Finally, today's chapter is Psalm 110. The most striking verse is Psalm 110:1, The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit in my honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet." My prayer now is, I hope LORD will bring peace and joy to my new house in Taman Tasik Semenyih 5 with my 5 other housemates. I pray so that there's no argument among each other and any hardship will come to a solution, I will try all my best to maintain harmony in that house, give me strenght and wisdom Lord! Amen.