Back

Finally, after 3 months semester break, I am back in class. I cannot believe how much I miss all those lectures and tutorials. Indeed, life without learning is no life at all. It was great to see all those old faces from Inter Jan/April 2007, and also other intakes in the new class, but at the same time, it’s sad to know that some of them didn’t make it.

Anyway, now that we are in Part 1 Finals, the lecturers have all warned us that it is NOT the same as Intermediate, where we can be easygoing and relaxed in our studies. The LEAST we have to secure is 2Bs and 2Cs in order to ensure that we get Second Class Lower to qualify for Certificate of Legal Practice (CLP) in order to be eligible to be a practicing lawyer. But of course, true to our gung-ho spirit, we will settle not for 2Bs only, and that would mean extra extra hardwork.

Here are the subjects that I will be doing for my Part 1 Finals:

Law of Tort

This is a very practical subject, and I think I will thoroughly enjoy it because it is something I can use in my everyday life.

Land Law

I was smiling when the lecturer mentioned the word breach of covenant; because it was exactly the problem I was facing with my landlord, which I settled by using law of contract principles, rather than land law. But anyway, this is another practical subject I can use. Unfortunately however, the English land law is in many ways different than Malaysian land law.

Law of Trust

This subject is notoriously known as the killer subject. It is THE subject with the most failures and referrals.

Optional subject: Criminology

 The only subject where there is NO case law. There were many opinions from lecturers and students on the suitability of this subject for Part 1 students. Some lecturers have said that it would be good to take it in Part 2 Finals as this subject complements Jurisprudence, the compulsory subject in Part 2. Others have said that it would be an ideal subject for Part 1 because it is lighter compared to the other three compulsory subjects. Whatever it is, I am taking this subject because it is simply my type of subject: a study of crime from a psychological, sociological and philosophical point of view.

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By the way Menaka, if you’re reading this, I said that I want to quote from your new top

“Life is not about searching yourself, but creating yourself.”

And indeed, I am in the process of self-creation

The three days of my life

26th August: Mugged (Robbed of my laptop, wallet and very expensive laptop backpack, and bloddy beaten up)

27th August: Venue and date for RAC-ATC Charter Celebration and First Installation Charity Banquet finally confirmed, thanks to Chris. (Best Western Premier Seri Pacific @ 10th October – tickets at RM65 – make sure you guys come!)

28th August: Passed with flying colours

Beautiful Words

Lightning, thunder, darkness and rain dancing in unison

I sit alone, with you my newfound friend at this second

As I explore the intricacies of life, sounds and sights accompanied our liaison

But none more comforting than these beautiful words

 

These beautiful words, they are my voice and sense

Like you my new friend, they are my companions                       

Thank you god for not taking them away from me

Like they have taken my old friend into oblivion

 

But you can’t heal these scars, beautiful words

For that I am glad I have my kin and peers

Thank you and sorry are all I can say with these beautiful words

For your concern, worries and all those fear

 

I am smiling as I finally understand

That this island is not the place I want to live

I am waiting for that yacht to take me to another land

Where my sanctuary lays, a place of solace and peace

 

Thank you beautiful words for accompanying me

You have helped me built this door on these walls

These walls will stand forever as they are my strength and life

But perhaps it’s time to open the door; don’t you think so beautiful words?

 

chiewee

The Price of Happiness

“Many people have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.”

Helen Keller, The Simplest Way to be Happy

Sometimes, it is the simple things in life that make your day worthwhile. Sometimes, being happy is not really so much about making yourself happy, but by making others happy.

You know you have found satisfaction in the things you do when you go home smiling even after having to do “hard labour” for whole morning, plus another 8 hours work.

So, a group of us from Rotaract Club of ATC went to Chrestus Home, the home for neglected and abused children that we have adopted last year to do some painting work, together with the Rotary Club of Ampang.

So, while others are painting the rooms;

I made the children do this to keep them occupied so that they wouldn’t distract the painters. Keeping thirteen hyperactive kids occupied, is very energy-consuming I must say.

But it was fun!

We can’t promise to make everything alright for them…

But we promise to make things a little bit better than before.

Because not only Rotary cares; but Rotaract cares as well!

p/s: I would like to thank all the people who made this happen (including my collegues at Body Glove who are willing enough to take over my morning shift so that I could be there).

*photos courtesy of Daniel

Hell Hath No Fury

For the first time in years, I lost my temper in public last night.

I was doing my laundry after back from work. The apartment I am staying at has two coin-operated public washing machines. The problem is, the machines occasionaly break down, but I have never faced such problem until last night.

Under normal circumstances when faced with such situation, a reasonable person would have just use the other machines or do their laundry on another day but I was not that reasonable person last night. Not when you are out of 50 cents coins, and not when you are running out of clothes to wear. The thing is, the machine broke down only after I have put my laundry, coins and washing soap in. The next thing I know, the words “I need service” flashd across the machine’s display screen and its annoying alarm started buzzing.

Fine, so I went and ask the management/security for help, and they brushed me off, asking me to call the number displayed on the machine. I have been very irritared with the number of unhelpful people I have came across over the last couple of days, and with the sum of all anger I have bottled up in the last few weeks, that must have been the last straw.

So I exploded. I flashed a sarcastic smile, let out a cynical laugh, made my way back to the machine, and uttered the f*** work a few times out loud. After releasing my anger by swearing at the machine, I finally did what a reasonable person would have and should have done at the first place: to call the number displayed on the screen…problem solved.

So, I did overreacted. I should have been ashamed of myself. What happened last night reminded me of the Chiew Ee five years ago. A teenager that was full of anger and antsy. I think my parents had their hands full in tolerating my bad temper then.

Over the years, I have learned to manage my temper. It was not easy, but positive thinking has helped me in nurturing such positive attitude. Learning to forgive and forget, thinking twice about things, letting go, and moving ahead: it has all been part of the process that allow me to be more in control of my temper now.

What happened last night was a step back for me. I have decided to blog about this so that I will always be reminded of this mistake, and I hope that it will at least help me regain that one step that I have lost last night.

Another Three More Ways to Irritate Chiew Ee

11. Ask Hotlink to send her more and more spam messages.

12. Tell her to work on Saturday nights (especially in July and August) so that she cannot attend any Rotaract Club’s Installation.

13. Be selfish, inconsiderate and extremely kiasu. Fullstop.

Ten Top Ways to Irritate Chiew Ee

1. Practice seletive hearing when she is talking to you.

2. Blast some techno songs whenever she’s around.

3. Speak English with American/British/Australian/or any other alien accent.

4. Wake her up before her alarm clock rings (even one minute before that is sufficient)

5. Be a Chelsea fan.

6. Deprive her of her internet privileges.

7. Ask her why she’s still single.

8. Go to the place she’s working now (Body Glove Mid Valley), and make a mess out of the folded tops and bottoms there and then walk out without buying anything.

9. Be a loudmouth; boast about yourself; and stroke your own ego in an extreme manner.

10. Be late when you have an appointment with her.

I am in a state of flux…

metaphorically speaking.

I am a juxtaposition of my other self.

My non-stop endevour in correcting my frailty and achieving perfection sometimes drives me crazy. Yet occasionally, I would leave things unattend, unfinished and imperfect.

I read too much into people’s reaction that I felt as if I am in paranoia. But at times, I can be so ignorant of people’s feelings and I would not give a damn. I can be oversensitive, and insensitive.

I can be full of confidence and self-assured; yet at times, I am insecure and self-doubting.

I like companies of friends, and I do not mind being in the centre of attention once in a while; but, every now and then, I wish that everyone around me would just vanish, and I would turn invisible.

I have dreams, I have visions, I have missions which I intend to accomplish; but occasionally, I can be so unsure where I am heading or where I should be heading.

I am considered to be a responsible person, and someone who takes concern of things that happened around me; yet I can be nonchalant and non-committal. 

I want to stay grounded, I like to stay grounded, and I would like to think that I am grounded; but why do I feel like I am standing in an Ivory Tower at times?

I prefer the night, but I love seeing the sun rise…

I am in a state of flux, and there is only one constant… I am only human