Zombie Mode Reactivated
I have to say, I've not been very productive. Read somewhere that guys are horrible at multi-tasking and it seems to be ringing true. The more work I have the less I get done. If only things come to me one at a time. Groan... among the list of things I have in my mental inbox:
1. Finish assignments for Masters.
- one interactive educational website
- 1000 word progress report on website
- 2000 word report on academic evaluations
- 1000 word review on different evaluation aspects, including objectivity, styles, and application.
and that's mostly due in the first week of May... groan...
2. Finish the 500-page LAN documentation by this Saturday. I've done about 50 pages.
3. Prepare the staff for Macromedia Certified Expert training.
4. Resolve the last day of the talks.
5. Prepare CreativeKids syllabus for May.
And on top of all this, there's the usual day-to-day classes, marking, and my parents are coming up this weekend. I am going to die under paperwork... no wonder I'm losing my hair.
Wot u speak?
Student's English fluency is really getting to me. I am making, on average, 1 student cry per fortnight because of my nagging tirades on why they must improve their English. It's getting more than annoying but debilitating. There is simply no way to learn in a class that is conducted in English, in a communication-driven subject like Advertising, and when you have to write reports and proposals. If you ever read of students being thrown down Summit USJ by an insane lecturer, you will know who it is. Muahahahahahahahaha!!!
Anyone wants to teach conversational English?
CreativeKids has been getting a few enquiries on classes for conversational English for adults. I don't have the time to take this class on, so anyone interested? :) If you can spare 2 hours a week and if you feel your 'speaking' is up to par, let me know.
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Sunday, April 10, 2005
Thursday, April 07, 2005
Yawns...
Am sooo sleepy. Been having late nights no thanks to a flurry of assignments. One of them was a group one to develop a WebQuest. What's a WebQuest you say? It's basically a series of web activities to support classroom learning. Anyways, in my group, I was assigned the job of web designing and that was fine by me. In the open critique with the rest of the class, my group was unanimously voted for best web design! Muahahahaha... am so happy... unfortunately good design carries no mark... groan...
One more assignment due tomorrow before I have ONE grand week of rest before the next flurry of assignments shape up. Will be good because I need to plan for a series of talks I'm organising on the 30th. All are welcomed and we will have some of our good friends speaking :) Details to come.
Am sooo sleepy. Been having late nights no thanks to a flurry of assignments. One of them was a group one to develop a WebQuest. What's a WebQuest you say? It's basically a series of web activities to support classroom learning. Anyways, in my group, I was assigned the job of web designing and that was fine by me. In the open critique with the rest of the class, my group was unanimously voted for best web design! Muahahahaha... am so happy... unfortunately good design carries no mark... groan...
One more assignment due tomorrow before I have ONE grand week of rest before the next flurry of assignments shape up. Will be good because I need to plan for a series of talks I'm organising on the 30th. All are welcomed and we will have some of our good friends speaking :) Details to come.
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Respect!
I had my group presentations last night for my class Business Management for Designers at The One Academy. I was expecting a dull half-baked affair where students will regurgitate notes to meet the requirements. What happened instead was just a big WOW!
They did:
1. A broadway musical.
2. A hilarious anime-infused modern Wayang Kulit production.
3. A sock puppet show.
4. A shadow play about Britney Spears and the recording industry.
5. A Blair Witch style documentary.
6. A recorded tv soap drama.
7. The life of an animation company (complete with Maya demo).
8. A choral speaking session.
All about Business Management. It was really a tremendous output of creativity, effort and content. I see The One in a much different light and I can't wait for my copy of the recordings so I can watch them all over again!
I had my group presentations last night for my class Business Management for Designers at The One Academy. I was expecting a dull half-baked affair where students will regurgitate notes to meet the requirements. What happened instead was just a big WOW!
They did:
1. A broadway musical.
2. A hilarious anime-infused modern Wayang Kulit production.
3. A sock puppet show.
4. A shadow play about Britney Spears and the recording industry.
5. A Blair Witch style documentary.
6. A recorded tv soap drama.
7. The life of an animation company (complete with Maya demo).
8. A choral speaking session.
All about Business Management. It was really a tremendous output of creativity, effort and content. I see The One in a much different light and I can't wait for my copy of the recordings so I can watch them all over again!
Monday, March 21, 2005
Tearjerker...
On Saturday night I dreamt of my late colleague. In my dream, it was a regular day in the office after the funeral and out of nowhere, she appeared to me and said,'Goodbye... don't be sad.'
It was such a heartbreaking dream and seemed so real. Even in passing she's worried about the rest of us. Sigh... but strangely, I feel so much better now to at least have had the opportunity to say goodbye, even if it was a figment of my overactive imagination.
Goodbye Yeen... take care...
On Saturday night I dreamt of my late colleague. In my dream, it was a regular day in the office after the funeral and out of nowhere, she appeared to me and said,'Goodbye... don't be sad.'
It was such a heartbreaking dream and seemed so real. Even in passing she's worried about the rest of us. Sigh... but strangely, I feel so much better now to at least have had the opportunity to say goodbye, even if it was a figment of my overactive imagination.
Goodbye Yeen... take care...
Thursday, March 17, 2005
After effects
Work is getting some semblance of normalcy... cremation was yesterday so the funeral ceremonies are finally over for us. Quite touching to see how many turned up. Posted emails to staff and student to gather and over 100 turned up. A convoy of over 30 cars drove in unison to the home. Quite a spectacle, too bad didn't have a camera with me.
Anyways, moving on from it. Being home alone last night was quite an experience though. Am such a big chicken.
On other things, went to AMP Radio yesterday to tidy up college's radio ad. The place is quite impressive and I saw the recording booths for all the stations! Sheepishly waved at Richard Ng and Shazmin though only Richard waved back :) Cheap thrills...
Recording engineer who assembled our clip was darn competent. Fingers flying all over the editing console. Incredible. What he did in 3 minutes I would have taken 30... Respect...
And voice over artist was darn cute... sigh...
Work is getting some semblance of normalcy... cremation was yesterday so the funeral ceremonies are finally over for us. Quite touching to see how many turned up. Posted emails to staff and student to gather and over 100 turned up. A convoy of over 30 cars drove in unison to the home. Quite a spectacle, too bad didn't have a camera with me.
Anyways, moving on from it. Being home alone last night was quite an experience though. Am such a big chicken.
On other things, went to AMP Radio yesterday to tidy up college's radio ad. The place is quite impressive and I saw the recording booths for all the stations! Sheepishly waved at Richard Ng and Shazmin though only Richard waved back :) Cheap thrills...
Recording engineer who assembled our clip was darn competent. Fingers flying all over the editing console. Incredible. What he did in 3 minutes I would have taken 30... Respect...
And voice over artist was darn cute... sigh...
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Transience...
In each of our lives, there are always those who seem to be placed here on Earth for reasons greater than life. They breathe joy into those needing it, stand as pillars of support when all about are in turbulence, and through it all, they seek out the treasures of hope within us all.
My colleague, Yeen, is a person like that. Her presence is not just seen but felt. Her laughter ripples through all the tiredness, stress, and apathy we sometimes feel at work. Her outlook of life raises us up to greatness... a leader leading by light. Sadly, this morning, she has left us... at the youthful age of 28.
It is a very raw moment for all of us, as each of us has been touched by her kindness and grace, and now, her friendship remains but a memory. Like me, she was a graduate of MMU, 2 years my senior. She had plans to marry and she wanted to leave her work to take time to enjoy life. It feels unjustified and unreal and all of us who know her are creeping towards the reality of it all.
Times like these, the transience and fickle nature of life strikes loud and clear... I just feel privileged to have known her and to have the honour of calling her a friend. She will be missed and always remembered....
In each of our lives, there are always those who seem to be placed here on Earth for reasons greater than life. They breathe joy into those needing it, stand as pillars of support when all about are in turbulence, and through it all, they seek out the treasures of hope within us all.
My colleague, Yeen, is a person like that. Her presence is not just seen but felt. Her laughter ripples through all the tiredness, stress, and apathy we sometimes feel at work. Her outlook of life raises us up to greatness... a leader leading by light. Sadly, this morning, she has left us... at the youthful age of 28.
It is a very raw moment for all of us, as each of us has been touched by her kindness and grace, and now, her friendship remains but a memory. Like me, she was a graduate of MMU, 2 years my senior. She had plans to marry and she wanted to leave her work to take time to enjoy life. It feels unjustified and unreal and all of us who know her are creeping towards the reality of it all.
Times like these, the transience and fickle nature of life strikes loud and clear... I just feel privileged to have known her and to have the honour of calling her a friend. She will be missed and always remembered....
Thursday, March 10, 2005
Insanely entertaining, especially if it's true!
Check it out: http://www.zug.com/pranks/powerbook/index.html
Also, Popular Bookshop in The Summit USJ is having a clearance sale and by sale I mean SALE!!! Great books with 90% discounts and the Lord of the Rings box set for only RM29.90! That's cheaper than a single book! Great stuff... in an hour I bought 60+ books for only RM270... most at 90% discount which means I saved RM2500 :) Go check it out... good books are going fast!
My mini library, of which about 80% has been stocked by shopping visits to the Popular clearance sales!
And a snapshot of two of my colleagues :)
Check it out: http://www.zug.com/pranks/powerbook/index.html
Also, Popular Bookshop in The Summit USJ is having a clearance sale and by sale I mean SALE!!! Great books with 90% discounts and the Lord of the Rings box set for only RM29.90! That's cheaper than a single book! Great stuff... in an hour I bought 60+ books for only RM270... most at 90% discount which means I saved RM2500 :) Go check it out... good books are going fast!
My mini library, of which about 80% has been stocked by shopping visits to the Popular clearance sales!
And a snapshot of two of my colleagues :)
Monday, February 28, 2005
I can SOOOOO relate...
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Trekkies Unite to Save "Enterprise"
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Trekkies Unite to Save "Enterprise"
| Fri Feb 25, 5:50 PM ET |
By Sarah Hall
Loyal Trekkies--er, make that Trekkers--beamed across the globe Friday to express their discontent over UPN's decision to axe Star Trek: Enterprise.
Earlier this month, the network announced the show's impending demise at the end of its fourth season, leaving Enterprise devotees facing the prospect of network television devoid of a Star Trek series for the first time in almost 20 years.
Aghast at the realization that the show had reached its final frontier, viewers galvanized a plan to keep Enterprise alive by attempting to raise $32 million dollars to fund the cost of a fifth season and alerting the powers that be to the show's committed fan base.
On Friday, Trekkies held "Save Enterprise" rallies at the Paramount lot in Los Angeles, the offices of CBS and the Sci-Fi channel in New York, the Fox affiliate in Washington, D.C., the offices of the BBC and Channel 4 in London and at Tel Aviv University in Israel.
Tim Brazeal, a systems administrator from Knoxville, Tennessee who is spearheading the project, said that three people have pledged $3 million toward salvaging the show, while fan site TrekUnited.com had raised $49,410 by Friday afternoon.
According to chatter in fan forums such as TrekUnited.com and SaveEnterprise.com, the L.A. rally drew the most participants, with an estimated 200 to 400 Trek enthusiasts voicing their support for the show.
Rather than channeling their inner Mr. Spock, participants were urged to come dressed in normal attire, as a statement on SaveEnterprise.com advised, "Although we think that coming in dress would be great, we also think this would stereotype us all as 'Hardcore' Trekkers and would hurt more than help. Please wear your daily wear."
Most of the rally attendees complied with the dress code, though some could not resist donning Vulcan ears for the cause.
Enterprise, a prequel to the original 1960s Star Trek series, currently draws about 3 million viewers a week, about half the number who watched its first season, and way down from the 12.5 million who tuned in for its 2001 premiere.
As of now, its final episode is slated to air on May 13.
Efforts to save shows headed for cancellation typically fail, though dedicated fans managed to breathe life into past struggling shows such as the WB's Felicity and Roswell and ABC's Once and Again through Internet campaigns.
If the Trekkers fail in their mission to keep Enterprise on the airwaves, money will either be refunded to donors or donated to tsunami relief, Brazeal said.
However, even if Enterprise bites the dust, there's still a bright spot on the horizon for Star Trek fans.
Earlier this week, Variety reported that scribe Erik Jendresen (Band of Brothers) has been hired to pen the script for Star Trek XI, the latest installment in the long-running sci-fi franchise.
The project was reportedly shelved in January, but production is apparently back in motion, though Paramount has not yet set a release date for the film, which is rumored to focus on the Romulan War, which took place before the original series.
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
My faith has been restored!
Last night, the branch manager of Nandos Sunway Pyramid buzzed my door bell and presented me with a full chicken dinner spread consisting of a whole chicken and 4 sidedishes. She also gave me Nandos cash vouchers valued at RM40! I was amazed and very surprised. You must know that Nandos is like my all time favourite eating place!
The reason for the visit was that a week earlier, I visited the Nandos in Pyramid for the first time and had an awful experience. They were swamped and my orders got lost in the confusion, resulting in an hour long wait. Being me, I worded a complaint letter and sent it to them, not expecting very much as most service oriented companies seem to want feedback but then do nothing about them. My views have changed.
At first the manager invited me over again to Nandos so that they could have a chance to right the wrong. I told them in all honesty that I don't know when that will be, as Pyramid isn't where I frequently visit. I told them that I'm loyal to the Nandos in Subang Parade and she instantly said, 'let me change your mind' and asked for my address. I was expecting maybe a coupon for a free drink but a whole dinner and RM40 in vouchers is definitely above and beyond expectations!
I love Nandos... :)
Last night, the branch manager of Nandos Sunway Pyramid buzzed my door bell and presented me with a full chicken dinner spread consisting of a whole chicken and 4 sidedishes. She also gave me Nandos cash vouchers valued at RM40! I was amazed and very surprised. You must know that Nandos is like my all time favourite eating place!
The reason for the visit was that a week earlier, I visited the Nandos in Pyramid for the first time and had an awful experience. They were swamped and my orders got lost in the confusion, resulting in an hour long wait. Being me, I worded a complaint letter and sent it to them, not expecting very much as most service oriented companies seem to want feedback but then do nothing about them. My views have changed.
At first the manager invited me over again to Nandos so that they could have a chance to right the wrong. I told them in all honesty that I don't know when that will be, as Pyramid isn't where I frequently visit. I told them that I'm loyal to the Nandos in Subang Parade and she instantly said, 'let me change your mind' and asked for my address. I was expecting maybe a coupon for a free drink but a whole dinner and RM40 in vouchers is definitely above and beyond expectations!
I love Nandos... :)
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
Post Chinese New Year Blues
You know it's after Chinese New Year when:
- You have gambling withdrawal symptoms.
- Your pants don't fit.
- Your fridge is stocked with leftover cookies.
- The mandarin oranges are no longer lush and juicy, but dry and wrinkly.
- Red becomes annoying, not prosperous.
- You are back at work filling up your blog with tirades.
Got to say though, did enjoyed my break tremendously. It was a good celebration in all for me and will look forward to the get together at Chun's!
You know it's after Chinese New Year when:
- You have gambling withdrawal symptoms.
- Your pants don't fit.
- Your fridge is stocked with leftover cookies.
- The mandarin oranges are no longer lush and juicy, but dry and wrinkly.
- Red becomes annoying, not prosperous.
- You are back at work filling up your blog with tirades.
Got to say though, did enjoyed my break tremendously. It was a good celebration in all for me and will look forward to the get together at Chun's!
Thursday, February 03, 2005
Happy Chinese New Year!
January has been pretty nifty. Not everything's a bed of roses but the momentum has been good. Among the highlights for me are:
1. CreativeKids has 15 kids so my target of 20 seem reachable.
2. Working hours has been changed to only 40 hours a week, including lunch hour!
3. No more work on Saturdays!
4. Got a meagre bonus and increment but it's my first time receiving it :)
Hope things perk up and continue. Eagerly anticipating the results from my second semester now. Hope I can maintain my perfect CGPA from the first semester.
All the best to everyone this Chinese New Year. Those travelling, do be safe yeah. And those who are in Melaka, feel free to pop me a visit :) I'm off to Melaka come this weekend!
January has been pretty nifty. Not everything's a bed of roses but the momentum has been good. Among the highlights for me are:
1. CreativeKids has 15 kids so my target of 20 seem reachable.
2. Working hours has been changed to only 40 hours a week, including lunch hour!
3. No more work on Saturdays!
4. Got a meagre bonus and increment but it's my first time receiving it :)
Hope things perk up and continue. Eagerly anticipating the results from my second semester now. Hope I can maintain my perfect CGPA from the first semester.
All the best to everyone this Chinese New Year. Those travelling, do be safe yeah. And those who are in Melaka, feel free to pop me a visit :) I'm off to Melaka come this weekend!
Friday, January 28, 2005
It's that time of the year again...
Every Chinese male colleague and student are sprouting neatly trimmed hair. There's a certain vibe going about with people humming familiar 'gong xi gong xi' tunes and there are red packets hanging from ceilings and plants everywhere!
No matter how crass and commercialised this celebration can be, and even during the frenzied cleaning and guest entertaining, it really is a fun fun celebration. I got my lanterns and token decorations up yesterday at home and I'm all geared up for a week's break, and a whole lot of eating and merry-making :)
In anticipation....
Every Chinese male colleague and student are sprouting neatly trimmed hair. There's a certain vibe going about with people humming familiar 'gong xi gong xi' tunes and there are red packets hanging from ceilings and plants everywhere!
No matter how crass and commercialised this celebration can be, and even during the frenzied cleaning and guest entertaining, it really is a fun fun celebration. I got my lanterns and token decorations up yesterday at home and I'm all geared up for a week's break, and a whole lot of eating and merry-making :)
In anticipation....
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Warning: Grumpy Dan is about
Grr... am grumpy grumpy grumpy. Having another bout of allergic reactions, so am spotted, itchy, and very edgy. You can't imagine how annoying an allergic reaction can be until you one. Worse still, mine are those long sustained ones that takes weeks to rid. Gah... terrible...
Been quite nasty at work as well, biting colleagues who irritate. No regrets though, some of them deserved to be bitten, muahahahaha! :)
Chinese New Year is coming but it's somewhat lacking in spirit this year. Looking forward to the break nevertheless, and oh, LONG weekend coming up! WOOHOO!
Grr... am grumpy grumpy grumpy. Having another bout of allergic reactions, so am spotted, itchy, and very edgy. You can't imagine how annoying an allergic reaction can be until you one. Worse still, mine are those long sustained ones that takes weeks to rid. Gah... terrible...
Been quite nasty at work as well, biting colleagues who irritate. No regrets though, some of them deserved to be bitten, muahahahaha! :)
Chinese New Year is coming but it's somewhat lacking in spirit this year. Looking forward to the break nevertheless, and oh, LONG weekend coming up! WOOHOO!
Friday, January 14, 2005
Freeze Frame
I'm the kind of person who carries torchlights, basic first-aid and a fully charged handphone whenever possible, just in case. My car is loaded with a first-aid kit, water, and 3 torchlights on top of contact numbers for car repairs, emergency services, and a whole bunch of other stuff. So at home, considering I don't have the budget for a full-fledged alarm system, I've installed rudimentary ones at all entryways. The kind that will let loose an ear splitting 120 decibels of mayhem when the door is opened.
So the other day, I was home alone, in the middle of the night and was walking down the stairs when smack in the middle, the back alarm went off. There I was in my jammies, standing in the middle of the stairway dumbfounded. Should I run back up to the room and lock myself in? Should I go down and explore? It was a weird, seemingly forever decision but after considering the possibilities, I decided a quick venture is appropriate (plus I didn't want to drain the batteries and drive the neighbours mad).
Apparently a cat snucked in and triggered the alarm. If I thought I was shocked, the cat was going berserks. The loud sound probably got to it as it jumped aimlessly, seemed disoriented and was frightened silly. Gave it a smack with the broom and promptly showed it the way out.
Interesting...
I'm the kind of person who carries torchlights, basic first-aid and a fully charged handphone whenever possible, just in case. My car is loaded with a first-aid kit, water, and 3 torchlights on top of contact numbers for car repairs, emergency services, and a whole bunch of other stuff. So at home, considering I don't have the budget for a full-fledged alarm system, I've installed rudimentary ones at all entryways. The kind that will let loose an ear splitting 120 decibels of mayhem when the door is opened.
So the other day, I was home alone, in the middle of the night and was walking down the stairs when smack in the middle, the back alarm went off. There I was in my jammies, standing in the middle of the stairway dumbfounded. Should I run back up to the room and lock myself in? Should I go down and explore? It was a weird, seemingly forever decision but after considering the possibilities, I decided a quick venture is appropriate (plus I didn't want to drain the batteries and drive the neighbours mad).
Apparently a cat snucked in and triggered the alarm. If I thought I was shocked, the cat was going berserks. The loud sound probably got to it as it jumped aimlessly, seemed disoriented and was frightened silly. Gave it a smack with the broom and promptly showed it the way out.
Interesting...
Thursday, January 13, 2005
The passing of time...
Been quite a while since I've blogged, largely because I've been quite tied up and also because it seemed frivolous to blog about daily life when the tsunami tragedy still permeates. Like all things however, it is slowly tapering from the greater consciousness (and Yahoo! has relegated news on the tsunami after-effects to a small sentence link) and life (with all our selfish needs) come to fore.
Work has been quite interesting for me. I came here with the intention of just doing my job and bide time to study my Masters and build up CreativeKids. However, I'm getting more and more responsibilities with very likely promotions in the wake. Not too great time wise since I've maxed all free time on weekdays. Not sure what this will mean but will see.
I've been quite occupied so when I've been asked to do some superfluous work lately, I've been rather biting. Among other things, I:
1. Barked back at the Vice President of the group because he wanted changes in the presentation I was doing which really isn't necessary.
2. Demanded the IT people to unblock Blogger. Barring messenger I can understand. Barring blogs is too much. They complied within 5 minutes.
3. Put my foot down so many times I've probably gave a lot of people sore toes.
It's going to take me awhile to get into the groove but darnit, I am so thankful that Charmed is back on air :)
Been quite a while since I've blogged, largely because I've been quite tied up and also because it seemed frivolous to blog about daily life when the tsunami tragedy still permeates. Like all things however, it is slowly tapering from the greater consciousness (and Yahoo! has relegated news on the tsunami after-effects to a small sentence link) and life (with all our selfish needs) come to fore.
Work has been quite interesting for me. I came here with the intention of just doing my job and bide time to study my Masters and build up CreativeKids. However, I'm getting more and more responsibilities with very likely promotions in the wake. Not too great time wise since I've maxed all free time on weekdays. Not sure what this will mean but will see.
I've been quite occupied so when I've been asked to do some superfluous work lately, I've been rather biting. Among other things, I:
1. Barked back at the Vice President of the group because he wanted changes in the presentation I was doing which really isn't necessary.
2. Demanded the IT people to unblock Blogger. Barring messenger I can understand. Barring blogs is too much. They complied within 5 minutes.
3. Put my foot down so many times I've probably gave a lot of people sore toes.
It's going to take me awhile to get into the groove but darnit, I am so thankful that Charmed is back on air :)