Holiday!! -pause- REWIND <<

After a long, hellish term at OxfordtheLandofNerdsGeniusesWackosAndNotablyCoolPeopleHereAndThere, it’s finally the holidays!!! HolySonOfaCrap. You can’t believe how at Oxford (or perhaps Cambridge for that matter), they push you like shit during term time, that when holiday finally arrives, you actually feel like crying tears of joy. Seriously. Oh,God. You survived! Can you believe it? The only thing stopping this particular Oxford student from crying out of joy is that the joy is partially killed by the fact that on the first week I get back from hols, there are COLLECTIONS (a sort of exam). The old me would just say, “Screw exams! I need my holiday!”. Unfortunately, at Oxford, screwing up your exams = getting your ass kicked out = shame to last a lifetime. As you can plainly see, there’s a pressure to perform 24/7, and it doesn’t let up even during the holidays. Complaining to the tutors would result in them saying the default, pre-rehearsed answer (in my case,anyway) , “This is Oxford. This is what you signed up for. Deal with it”. In other words, “Too bad,fool! Suck it up!” Haha! So now i gotta change my mindset. It shall be, “Screw exams! I need my holiday! Umm…okay. Maybe i’ll find some time to study. A bit.”

Cor blimey! Is Oxford, THAT BAD? Well, before that, are there any Oxford (or Cambridge) hopefuls reading my blog? Perhaps not. Truth is, Oxford isn’t as bad as THAT. Maybe i’m exaggerating. As far as i remember, I spent this term skipping lectures, watching movies, playing video games, doing a bit of rowing, handing in crap essays, and generally having a good time. Not really stressful,is it? So seriously, if you have good time management, it won’t be THAT bad. Unlike me, of course. Procrastinating at Oxford will come to bite you in the ass like a rabid rottweiler. Heheh

Regardless, i’m genuinely glad its the holidays. December, the month of festivities and celebration! Most of you would probably think of Christmas, but lets not forget Eid Aidil-Adha Mubarak tomorrow! (of the time of writing) 

So, whats this post actually about? A mish-mash of random stuff I find interesting really. Things I can’t really be arsed to write a single blog post about, but of course, deserves mention. Enjoy! 🙂

The return of ESQ???!!

Before us scholars of PNB were allowed to fly off, we were made to go through a series of ‘pre-departure’ programs to prepare us physically, mentally, and spiritually. Now while some would complain of the crappiness of it all, I thought it was all pretty fun and useful. Outward Bound School taught me the meaning of perseverance, BTN camp taught me to be a patriot (sort of..haha :p), while Kem Rohani enabled me to get in touch with my spiritual side. All the while I had a great time. And then, there was ESQ.

ESQ stood for Emotional, Spiritual, Quotient. It was a motivational program that originated from Indonesia. It was…how shall I put it….a very, ‘different’, experience. PNB scholars would of course relate to this immediately. It involved a lot of singing, dancing, and some pretty weird exercises. This cheerful man is the brains behind the whole thing.

Pak Ary Ginanjar Agustian

Before I go on, though, DON’T GET ME WRONG! ESQ is a GREAT idea. Using the 5 pillars of Islam and 6 pillars of faith as a way to motivate is a brilliant method. The problem lies with the EXECUTION. Maybe they should cut down on the dancing and the weird exercises. What exactly am I talking about? You have to experience it for yourself, really. That, or you could ask any of the PNB scholars (and plenty of others who’ve gone through it). I guess my portrayal of it is rather unfair. Suffice to say, the whole program made me feel like a little kid. It was as if I had joined kindergarten again. Seriously. The songs. The singing. The ‘cute’ mascot. The extraordinary exercises and chanting. But I guess it wasn’t that bad. I mean, i’m just 20. I could still afford to be a little childish. But then, one day, while I was skyping with my Dad, something shocked me beyond belief.

Do you see what THAT is? An ESQ card! My Dad has joined the ESQ Alumni! Holy crap! I asked him, “Did you do all the dancing, singing, and stuff?” And yeah, he did. Apparently even 47 year-olds are not spared from ESQ. I don’t know why his employer (JKR) thought they had to send him there. Jeezlaweez. And I thought I had it bad. Thing is though, my dad enjoyed it. Well,i think he did, if this picture is anything to go by.

Remember this? Jujur, jujur, jujur! Haha :p

I didn’t ask for it, but my dad was showing me the hand signal for ‘jujur’ (honesty). ESQ espoused seven positive characteristics (if I remember correctly). For each characteristic, there was a hand signal. My Dad would later go on to show amanah, kerjasama, and gigih hand-signals. He remembered all seven! Haha! Oh dear. But wait.

Later I got to thinking; maybe there is a reason they presented the whole program in such a supposedly childish way. You know, nowadays, guys especially, we all control-macho & shit. Yeah, but why should we? Controlling macho (or cun, for girls) is actually a sign of arrogance. It’s thinking, “I’m too good for this shit. I’m BETTER than this crap.” Maybe, by doing it in such a format, we’re forced to shed our arrogance and accept humility. We’re all born the same as humans, with everyone equal in the eyes of God. In that sense, ESQ’s execution is not only not weird, it’s actually PERFECT. Cor blimey.

(Damn, I’m good! Alright ESQ, I’ve given you your defense, now where’s my payment? Just kidding :p)

Now do yourself a favour and go sign up for ESQ. HAHAHA!

 

The three things I miss from KYUEM (problems & solutions)

1. Movie-Making

I heard from Syira that Kyuem was doing some sort of Movie Awards thing. AN EVENT ALL ABOUT MOVIE-MAKING? That’s a dream come true for me! Back when me & Muzzein ‘BigSmoke’ Malek were busy producing movies under Keep it Real Productions, the whole thing was a oft-overlooked event. Usually, each event in Kyuem would be accompanied by a movie-making competition, but it was never really serious business, with most houses churning movies just for the sake of it. Maybe guys like Rodhi are an exception. For me, it was a passion. Whenever there was an opportunity to make movies, I’d volunteer, regardless of academic workload. And me & BigSmoke would go out of our way to make our movies a cut above the rest. Seriously. So, for me, having a Movie Awards kinda event is a freaking awesome idea! Unfortunately, it had to happened while I’m here, a loooooonggg way away from Kyuem 😦 bummer.

However, i guess i’m glad Alif ‘Oggy’ Nurhaziq & Aiman ‘Tiger’ Rashad are keeping the movie-making love alive. Too bad i’m not there to experience it.

The solution: Slowly, i will integrate a culture of movie-making here in Oxford. And look at the possibilities! There’s a wealth of potential actors & actresses, from all parts of the world! Keep it Real goes international, baby! I’ve seen them, they can act, especially when drunk. Haha! :p Time shall be an issue,though

2. Basketball

Basketball provided me with hours of fun during the evenings at Kyuem. I’ve never been freaking awesome at it, but I loved it nonetheless. Here at Oxford, the only sport they really care about is football and rugby. And so far, the only chance I had of playing basketball was when I represented Oxford during The Nottingham Games 2008. Even then our team lacked manpower, and had to import players from other unis. Shows how sad the state of basketball is for the university.

 

More of this, please

 

The solution: Spread propaganda that in reality chicks really dig basketballers, and that playing football and rugby increases your chances of turning impotent and getting Erectile Disfunction. It can work. Brilliant!

3. Rapping

Shit, without a doubt, I miss this the most. I don’t think Oxford students would appreciate rap. They’re all into classical music and shit. The other day, I accidentally went into ‘gangsta talk mode’, and a bunch of girls laughed at me. They said it was ‘cute’, but what the hell? Who ever heard of a ‘cute’ gangsta? Aww hellno!

But seriously, for those of you who still don’t get it; this whole gangsta thing is a just a joke,okay? It’s all just for fun, and I know I’m a malay boy. Ye ye, saya tahu. Haha :p

Much love to Michelle, Josephine, Naim, Sani, and Ei-Jean for being my partners. And of course, Dj Muzzein ‘BigSmoke’ Malek.

Holla at KYUEM ft SuperSmooth Playa Naim

 

Keep it Real Productions on our last song

The solution: I do believe i’m holding myself back by ‘assuming’ that these Oxford students don’t like rap. I should just give it a go instead of being such a wuss. And again, the potential for rap collaborations! Damn, i’m so excited now! Alright!! MC Surefire is coming back! 😀 (time will again will be a major bitch,though)

 

Time to enjoy the holidays! And to look forward!

I think it’s time to stop living in the past. Kyuem was great, with movie-making, basketballing, and rapping; but who says I can’t do it at Oxford? 

Anyhow, at the moment, all I really wanna do is just enjoy the holidays. My sweetie’s coming! Yeahay! 😀 haha

Let the good times roll!

Retrospective ( Part 1:Malaysia,LiftOff! )

Sometimes, you’ll come to a stage of your life where everything changes…

Some of these stages, though life-changing nonetheless, are pretty predictable. Going to boarding schools, living & supporting yourself, getting married, getting your first child, becoming grandparents, to name a few. The majority of us will experience these things (or maybe not. Do I have to quote my sources? Goddamn law teaching. Haha)

Some, only a handful will ever get the good fortune (or horror?) of experiencing. It’s these kinds of life-changing experiences that will truly test your character, and you shall emerge either broken, or stronger than ever after it.

Maybe I’m being a self-indulgent bastard by saying this, but in this year, 2008, I think I’ve gone through more life-changing experiences than my whole life before this. And I think I’ve had to mature and develop more in this year alone than ever in my life. Now that’s either saying this year is totally awesome (or shit) as I make it to be, or my life has been so damn boring up until now that even a relatively normal year like this seems so insane. Haha!

Right. Now that the obligatory opening bullshit is done with (heheh), lets rewind to the remarkable events of two-thousand-eight! Holla! 😀

24th JUNE, 5.20 a.m, Bandar Tun Hussein Onn: The sweetest ever ‘YES’

The night was not young. It was practically morning. Then she said “Yes“. Woohoo! And I was feeling of happiness of unprecedented levels. ‘Infinitely happy‘, was the word. Happiness that is lasting even until now. What the hell am I talking about? Seriously, I wish I could go into details, but that might become too nauseating, and Keep it Real does not write nauseating blogs, aite? (unless that someone gives me permission? umm…never mind :p heheh).

Suffice to say,the late night car rides, cruising the traffic-less roads, coloured by the orange lights; i miss them.

(Oh yeah, that was a VERY sweet ‘yes’, but there’s actually a sweeter ‘yes’ to be had. The truly sweetest. You all know what i’m talking about,right? Heheh)

The Oxford Fairytale: From Joke to reality

I still remember it. I was in Form 1, MRSM Kuala Klawang, Negeri Sembilan. I had just won an elocution competition at MRSM Muar. One of the spectators, someone I didn’t know, came to congratulate me. So we had a nice chat. Then the topic later came to studying. I told him where I was studying.

I asked him, ” Abang ni upper-form,eh?”

He said, “Taklah, abang dah kat Uni dah pun”

“Oh, Uni mane? UIA? UPM? University Malaya? Haha”

To which he replied, “Tak, University of Oxford”

Later, my teachers & friends came to congratulate me, and the guy just suddenly left. Frankly, at that time, I didn’t give a shit. Oxford? Where’s dat? Somewhere overseas? I know there’s the Oxford Dictionary, but I’ve always thought he was a guy; a professor of some sort. So he has a university to his name too? Cool. But who cares.

Back at MRSM KK, I brought up the story with my teacher out of sheer boredom. She would later extoll & proclaim the various awesomeness of Oxford University. Holy crap. That place sounds gangsta! In my lower form years I always knew I was a bit of a brag. Proclaiming myself to strive for ‘Oxford University’ would be the claim till Form 3. Then Form 4 came and I discovered friendster. My poyo-ness went online, as can be seen under the college/university listings here.

But deep down inside, I knew it was all just a joke I’ll play around with until I finally reach Uni. Or maybe not.

Because then came KYUEM.

Here, the geniuses of Malaysia gathered. Students here went to Oxford every year like a ritual. Later, when the Oxbridge applications opened up, I thought it’d be cool to sign up. You know, try out this shit everyone’s been talking about, see how hard the interview really is. I would later make a rap song about getting into Oxford during teacher’s day.

Not the picture of THAT rap song. That was with Michelle. But nobody took pictures then, so these'll do :p

Being a lazy, class-skipping, homework procrastinating student however, I didn’t put much stock into it really happening. But apparently God had other plans. But even after getting the offer, with the kind of donkey-brained grades i’ve been getting after each trials, I wasn’t picturing myself getting there at all. But well, here I am. St Peters College, University of Oxford. Alhamdulillah, of course.

To think it all started from some dude I met in Form 1. Who knows? Maybe he was actually referring to Oxford Brookes (haha). But I never did ask. And it doesn’t really matter. I’m here. Somewhere millions of other people would love to be. Better not make a fool of myself, I guess.

The Parting

I didn’t think it was coming. The time after college was the best time of my life so far. But yeah…sooner or later, it had to end, and I had to go.

The Family – Being the only boy in the family, I guess my sisters all depended on me a lot (or maybe not :p they like to say i’m pretty useless. Haha). Who will help my mom with all the heavy chores? Who else is my Dad is gonna be gangsta with if not his only boy? And my little sisters, who’ll both be all grown up by the time I get back, but I won’t be there. Those two little ones always send me postcards here. Haha. I should be the one doing that! None of my family members would show it, but I know they’ll miss me (haha! perasan sial). And I’ll miss them. Fo sho. Stay strong my dear family, I’ll make you proud yet 🙂

Full Army Support!

The Homies – A guy is nothing without his pals, his bros, his homies. Some of them will stay in Malaysia, others will go to other universities. But no ones gonna come with me to Oxford. Sure, I can make new friends, but there’s nothing like the homies you know and love.

Topan: Master of Poyo

Naim: My Ruggedly Sophisticated Buddy

Nain & Mot : Together,Forever. HAHAHA

Plenty of other homies deserve mention here. Dj BigSmoke Muzzein Mullah, Hazman ‘Gaylord’ Sabri, Fitri ‘Pac’ Ismail, Johan ‘CambridgeBoy’ Safree, Wan ‘Basketball’, Mior ‘Playa’ Luqman, and Rashidah ‘Ede’ Abdul Hamid. Yes, Ede is my homie. HAHAHA!

The Sweetie – Yeah, we’ve always knew it was coming. But now, as I finally go long-distance with her, I still felt like I wasn’t prepared for it. But at the time of writing, it’s already been two months+ already. Maybe I’ll gradually get used to it. Perhaps not.

Hey! Hey! Smile? Please?

As the plane took off, I sunk into my seat, feeling slightly empty. Deep down inside however, a new sensation was slowly taking over. Excitement and anxiety mingled into one. My life, good or bad, would never be the same.

How about you all share your experiences before flying off? For those that flew off that is. Or perhaps the feelings you felt when these people left ( a thinly-disguised pathetic ploy to garner more comments. Haha! )

( Next up: Part 2, London,Touchdown! )