My Life | His Way

Meanwhile, at Failures Land...

2012-01-19T01:30:00.004-06:00

Imagine yourself in a room.

This room is roughly eleven by seventeen feet. There is a lovers-seat couch sitting at the far right corner of the room. By looking around the room you’ll find the walls posted with countless photographs. They wrapped the walls of this room like a giant collage. And the faces on these photographs are familiar to you; some of them were taken with your best friends at high school, some with your parents, and some by yourself.

It is almost creepy to look at these photographs as the people in there are looking right at you. Unlike those cheesy pictures that you have posted on your Facebook album recently, these people don’t seem very friendly. They are staring at you, piercing through your restless body, hitting directly into your inner soul. You tried to look away from these vicious eyes, and there you found an outlet – a dusty glass window built immediately next to the door where you just came in.

You couldn’t see through the dusty, rusty window. But you know the only way to get a grasps of fresh air is to open up that very window. You paused for a second, yet refused. You retreat into the lovers-seat, and lay your head down low…

How many times have we looked into our past and wished that we could have done something better to change our life story given a chance to replay the scenes?

How many times have we said to ourselves, “Sorry, but this time you’ve really failed?”

I asked those questions to myself so very often in my little, imperfect life.

As you may have already realized, failure is inevitable. Life is difficult. Yet, no one wakes up each day trying to fail at life! If none of us aim to fail, what are the purposes of the existence of failures?

Failures affect many aspects of our lives. First, it shakes a person’s accountability and integrity. I know, integrity is a big word. However, I believe we all want to be associated with others as a person who can be counted on, trustworthy, and more likely than not, an honest person.

Yet, when failure strikes, we become the questioners of our own character. We start to interrogate ourselves to see if we are actually “good enough” for others.

Failures also affect courage. As Paul Hurckman, founder of Venture Expedition, said, courage differs from bravery. Courage comes from within; it is something that we deal with ourselves first before displaying some kind of bravery in a circumstance.

When we fail, we again question our ability on performing certain tasks. And that courage that was in ourselves begins to fade when we start to believe that, “no, I am not good at doing such and such things.”

Finally, failures hold up our growth, spiritually and communally. Some people may blame the people around from their failures. They blame their friends, the government, teachers, parents and the higher power for their own flops. As a result, the community is affected, the failing person is detached from their societal values and spiritual beliefs.

But, low and behold, we are all good actors.

Every day, we put up our big face and hopeful grins to handle life. My friend, we need to wake up from that lovers-seat.

Even though failure is hatefully inevitable, we need to fail. You hear it right, that is the whole point of its existence. Especially in this phase of our lives, we need to fail. Failures bring opportunities to going further.

Before going further, we need to first open up that dusty window in our tiny room of shame and disappointment. We all have choices. While you used to just keep all the trash in this growing room of yours, now is the time to set free.

Do not suppress what is inside - be it guilt, sadness, frustrations – we need to let the sunlight shine through. And yes it takes a lot of courage to do so. Nonetheless, being courageous doesn’t mean that you’re perfect. It is a sign of enormous strength because you are stepping up to doing something, something risky and that you know has no guarantee for success.

“Success is never final, failure is never fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts,” Hurckman said.

Keeping that pretty face isn’t going to help us stay alive for very long. Open up, because the very broken stuff in our lives may be the strongest drive that delivers us from failure land to liberty. So, this phase our your life maybe the greatest time you’ve had because once you have pushed open that window, you’ll welcome hope and endless possibilities.

Friends, we have all junk. But the element that distinguish a successful person from the keep failing ones, are those who recognize their failures, identify the source of their failures, and take action.

A reflection on the role of failure – Inspired by Paul Hurckman, Venture Expedition

Image sources: karipatterson.com, flickr.com, ventureexpeditionsblog.org.

Learning to Learn, Learning to Apply: The Ultimate Goals of Education

2012-01-15T00:58:00.000-06:00

A Chinese proverb goes, “Three days without reading (or learning), talk becomes flavorless.”

It has been a month of my life at its routine, minus school. Since the graduation in December, it dawns on me that I have not been in direct with anything that has to do with education, be it attending lectures, writing papers, or delivering presentations. All of my life is now revolving around working at a job that acquires the graphic designing skills that I have picked up from the classes I took at school. There was a moment I paused from manipulating the mouse on my work desk and stared beyond the 9-5 window, thinking: is this the reason I have paid thousands of dollars for – to earn a diploma that will help me to set my feet into the door of a company, where I will use only skills from one or two classes that I have attended for my entire college career.

It bothers me further when some relatives of mine from the Baby Boomers would nag at me about wasting a huge amount of money on a piece of certificate (which I have not really received) and end up working at a job that is not directly related to my majors. Well, I must admit that it does make me think about the worthiness of higher education. Nonetheless, I am happy with my experience having confronted all the exciting and beneficial undertakings when I was in school. I think the value of education resides not only on the piece of paper you’ll receive by the end of your graduation, but it’s also seen through the overall development of a student.

In my humble opinion, the definitive goal of education is to impart onto students the proficiency of acquiring information.

We are familiar with the story of a fisherman and his son: the folk realize that it is rather more practical to teach his son how to fish than providing him the fish every day. The same concept is applicable in our education system. We want our students to learn how to retrieve information from the sea of resources and ultimately obtain the knowledge they are looking for. Each day I come into the office and part of my responsibilities is to assist my supervisor in problem solving. This is done with the combination of my knacks and the ability to look for solutions by all means. It makes me appreciate the effort of my professors who have taught me where and how to distinguish credible sources.

Learning to learn should be the central objective of every student and educator. The students are going to leave the school one day and we hope they will take away the skills essential to their professions as well as the aptitude to identify information. When this is achieved, the purpose of education is satisfied.

Note that I mentioned about the need to apply my knacks at the workplace just as much as finding external intelligence. In July last year, Geoff Mulgan talked about the idea of “Studio School” in Edinburgh, Scotland TEDGlobal 2011 event. He presented the findings on U.K. schooling teenagers who are “bored… who just didn’t like school, couldn’t see any relationship between what they learned in school and in future jobs” (sounds familiar?), and also “annoyed employers who are complaining about poor employability.”

The aim is to build the kind of school in which students will be “fighting to get in, not fighting to stay out.” And the organization that spurs this idea, the Young Foundation, has spearheaded many similar innovations in education in the past, such as the Open University, the Extended Schools, the Schools for Social Entrepreneurs and the School of Everything. Mulgan introduces the new kind of school, Studio School, whereby small teams of 14- to 19-year-olds will learn by working on projects that are, as he puts it, “for real.” These kids will work on real projects with real clients and finally get real results from their labor. I am for an education system that works this way.

Likewise, I must say that St. Cloud State has offered endless opportunities for me to get my hands “dirty” by working on things that will help me acquire skills transferrable to my future career. Now, do acknowledge the fact that instructors and professors can only do so much on their end; it is the students’ responsibility to look out for these possibilities that will work around their majors so they, too, can gain useful skills.

“Real education” should help students procure skills they need, teaching them how to apply it in the “real world.” Analogously, successful education is accomplished when the school-leavers are able to continue to learn on their own the ever-advancing trends in their respective industries.

So, to all graduates-to-be: it is not just about the diploma you’re earning for your degree, you have come a long way picking up skills that you’ll use in whichever path you’ve chosen, as well as the capability to discover new knowledge in the future. Provided that you put in the necessary time and effort, you will excel in all your prospective undertakings.

Watch Geoff Mulgan's talk via TEDGlobal here: A short intro to the Studio School.

New Home, New Beginning

2012-01-08T14:45:00.001-06:00

Kudos to my friends and previous residents who have helped with my move-out yesterday. I am finally done with on-campus living and now retreat to a medium sized apartment to live with four other students. After spending all my college years living on campus, I find it hard to leave the place where I have made true friends from. Nonetheless, time has moved on, so must I.

It wasn't easy to cram all my belongings into the tiny room in the apartment all by myself. It took me more than two hours to just try to move stuff and unpack some daily necessities. I was then totally crashed at night. Waking up this morning (or afternoon, to be honest), I realize I no longer have the convenience to dine on campus. Dang, now I had to do grocery for the rest of my living here.

Yet, I am anticipating a new beginning with this new place.

I thank God for the smooth-sailing first week I had with Preferred Credit, Inc. and that everyone seems really friendly at the workplace. Love Minnesota Nice! But the workload is definitely more than what I used to handle at LRS. I strive to be the best that I can, and find favor with my bosses.

The sunlight that strikes through the blinders has created some really nostalgic patterns on the wall. I sense this is God painting a beautiful mural to encourage me for the new phase.

Though it is coming a little behind, here are my resolutions for this 2012:

Be hardworking - A new job requires double the effort to achieve the desired accomplishments.
Be strong and healthy - Eat well and sleep well since I no longer had to worry about exams. And the six-pack should be on its way.
Be loving - I want to connect with people whom I care and be the supporter in their lives.
Be excellent - Get into the graduate school of my dream and embark on scholarly works.
Be patient - Learn to listen to God more patiently and wait upon His plans.
Be influential - Help the Boys' Brigade with their Pesta this summer and create a memorable experience for the Boys.
Be enriching - Read at least two educational or motivational books by the end of the year.
Be creative and daring - Do something I haven't done in my life and be proud of it (pending planning).
Be happy - Live everyday to its best since there's no turning back.
Be me - Be all I can be, no limitations to all possibilities.

Here's to the start of something new, cheers!

3 Tips to Coping with Change Comfortably

2012-01-03T00:57:00.000-06:00

We inevitably encounter variation in everyday life; Change can be a difficult situation for people who are not comfortable stepping out of their C-zone to face differences. Yet, we need changes in our lives, or life itself will be a boring old tale.

To some people, it takes a world to cope with changing environment and circumstances -- a different dorm mate for the next semester, a new school, a new job, a new family member -- all these take a flexible person to cope with new life elements by adapting to situations.

I didn't see myself as an adaptive person at the start - when I had to move out from my dorm after graduation and temporary live with another friend. In fact, my "floating" life began the minute I moved out from the room, travelled along the East Coast with my family, and coming back to Minnesota after a week. My belongings do not have a fixed storage. I was moving things as I cope with the yet-to-settled routine. During the day, I sometimes stare into the blank and ask myself: why the hassle?

But as mentioned, change is inevitable. It's a matter of its degree. I looked back at the past semesters and saw that I have coped with changes pretty decently as I worked at new jobs, met with new colleagues, befriended new residents at dorm, and as a student, I went to different classes every new semester and studied with different professors. Nevertheless, those changes were gradual, unlike the current atmosphere where a high, positive energy is required.

From all the stimulations I have received throughout this changing period, here's what I have gotten out of it:

1. Focus on the present, not the past. As human beings, we are easily swayed by thinking about the good things we had in the past - all the comfortable memories stored in our minds. Yet, these reflections may not be as helpful when it comes to coping with the current situation. The best, and most important thing to do, is to know what you need to do now and next. Let the past be the past, do what you need to do now, and do your best.

2. Be positive. I can easily blame myself for decisions I have made in life. It is especially true when the present scenario isn't the best, comfortable scenario. However, I soon learn that it is the state of mind that I have to adjust. We cannot always blame on ourselves about the bad environment we are set into. Instead, we should make the best out of the worst, so one day we can sit on that rocking chair and share proudly with our grandchildren about how we managed the then lousy life.

3. Cope with support. Again, we are human, not Christopher Reeve's comical character. It is best when hardships are sailed with close company. Good saying goes, no roads are long with good company. When you get the support from friends and family, somethings may no longer seem too difficult to handle. That is one reason I am still living at my friend's room today, even though I may as well stay by myself at an empty studio -- I needed to see people around and talk with them. It loosens up my tension by a whole lot.

Speaking from experience, I can tell that changes are stressful to cope. But with the right mindset and good company, all I can say is that things will get better. We can only do so much, leaving the rest to God and look forward for the best to happen.

Are you an expert in coping with changes? Tell me what works best for you.

Image courtesy of mbsquared.wordpress.com

Personal Zeitgeist

2012-01-01T03:16:00.001-06:00

The clock struck twelve and the balls are dropped at NY Times Square. Everyone cheered "Happy New Year" while I was walking down the snowy street along Cloud town with a friend. It wasn't something special, but rather sentimental.

In the mist of happiness and excitement, I reflected on the 365 days that have creeped by quietly. Twenty eleven has been a year of anticipation, confusion and achievement. The year proved to me that everyone has the potential to be successful, given appreciation for their effort and recognition for talent.

Practice Makes Perfect

The colloquium was a big pie during my senior year. I vividly remembered the day when a close mate handed to me the brochure to the colloquium and asked if I was interested to challenge myself in conducting research. The 3-month process taught me the possible excitement in scholarly research and writing. I was fond with the idea of presentation and pushed academic presentation to a higher level. I spent the entire spring break practicing the delivery and hard work is rewarded when the presentation was named first in the competition. In fact, this colloquium was the springboard to my postgrad interest and decision to pursue Masters & Ph.D. Nonetheless, I want to thank those who are supportive of my work and patient towards my adventurous self - I would never have arrived at where I am without your support all-along.

Look Out For Opportunity To Challenge/Practice Your Skills

College was not about simply cramming notes and doing assignments. Many told me to enjoy my student life, not to stressed out about jobs and other responsibilities. First, my active nature doesn't allow me to sit still. I was very much involved with a couple student organizations on campus and second, I needed money to support my course of study. Having juggled three jobs and several student groups, I realized that it wasn't about just working around the time clock, there were chances to practice the skills I picked up from my classes into real-world business. These opportunities were easy to come by but many do not get hold of them. They can be great highlights on one's resume that could get your feet into the door. My experience tells me that it also produces a decent portfolio from the process.

Trust God

If you keep God out of the picture, you'd hardly find a smooth journey (doesn't mean that God promises a bump-less path). But God would surely keep you on His blueprint and make ways that would accomplish the perfect plan. In all of your ways acknowledge Him, He'll make your path straight (Proverbs 3:6). I was swayed for a semester and realized I needed Him when hardship strikes. How foolish of me to think I can handle it all. God is a comforter. He was my best friend during the darkest night.

Three words for 2011: What a ride!

I want to remember all those who hath loved me, who shared their passion of life with me, and those who have showed me guidance. May this new year be a year of fulfillment, challenge and joy. Give life your best and you will receive similar. Be courageous to tryout the unknown, yet, be genuine to all around you.

Happy 2012, and have a blast.

An Account for the Grace of God

2011-12-27T15:56:00.000-06:00

Best Christmas Present, Ever.

All I can say: Praise the Lord.

God works in miraculous ways that many a time I forget that men could not possibly fully understand Him. I wrote the below entry on Christmas day when I was on the bus, on the way to Boston City, MA. I wrote that with mixed feelings and was troubled by the confusion that was sounding in my mind at the time.

However, God just made my day with a confirmation today that I shall never worry because He WILL make a way even when there seems to be no way, and I just want to glorify Him for His Grace.

Yes, I just received an email from the hiring company that they would contract with me after the first of January. Now I would just settled my mind and try preparing for this new phase of my life.

My gratitude goes out to all whom have remembered me in their prayers and thoughts. I will not be where I am without you, thank you!

Here we go, let's welcome the new year with renewed enthusiasm and a refreshed spirit.

Cheers!

On Christmas Day

The time now is half past noon, Christmas day, and my tour around the east coast is almost coming to an end, with my last stop set for Boston, Massachusetts. I just thought I could better use my leisure on the coach to update the journal.

The past few days were filled with sightseeing and lodge hopping. We moved from one lodging to the next as we travelled north from New York, passing Philadelphia, Washington DC, and back to Niagara City.

I really appreciate the time I got to spend with my parents and brother Benny on this trip. Even though I have been complaining about my disappointment toward the quality of the tour - it's the quality interactions that matter. My parents will be heading back home to Malaysia after the trip, while Benny will be flying to Oklahoma for his new school, and I will return to the ever chilling St. Cloud to wait for an unknown future.

To be frank, I really wished I could start off grad school right away. I have not received any confirmation on my job applications and right now I join the thousands of college graduates who are unemployed. I have decided to remain in the United States because I suppose it will be more convenient for any administrative processes with my grad school admission, green card registration, and so on. Also, I have always wanted some work experience in the States to further enhance my resume. All these could only satisfy, if I were employed for now.

But I believe in God. Like He has never failed me, I trust that He will indeed reveal his plans for me in no time. I know that He will make a way, when there seems to be no way. Two years ago, I was in a similar situation and God showed me that impossible is nothing if I insist on Him. So I am going to do the same this time round.

Through the hard times, I have learned more about myself than ever. I've found ways to communicate with my inner voice, who sometimes may be too pessimistic. If the King of kings is for us, then who could go against us? I have learned to adapt, and ultimately, survive. And before I could go on starting to really live for something, I need to readjust my attitude and perceptions for the purpose of life.

And at this point, I realized that Gracious Lord is having me thinking about these things on Christmas day... What better way to reveal Himself through thoughts and literature?

Ha. I encourage you to devote some time for Christ as we celebrate this beautiful season of love and giving.

Things in life may never stop giving us headache, but hold on tight to the Anchor in the mist of us, for whom will open our eyes to the pretty little things that we often missed out.

Have a Blessed Christmas, folks, and do share with me your season's excitement.

Finally

2011-12-14T17:00:00.003-06:00

Click on image to enlarge.

Thank You for the Memories

2011-12-07T02:47:00.001-06:00

Hey fellow late-nighters, what are you up to?

The past two days have been...

Okay. I guess I don't want to talk about the past today.

I've just finished a final exam today and that was the last test I had to take for my entire bachelors degree. Come to think about it, crazy huh? It was as if yesterday that I was thinking about studying overseas... tonight, I'm laying in the bed that I have slept alone for the past two years, thinking about how soon all these will end.

Graduation is in a week or so. And I just realized that I am not ready to leave. This place has given me way too much memories and friends. I was just laughing about a friend of mine who is an exchange student for this semester and that he was sad that he is about to fly back to Germany in a week. It dawned on me that I am in the same shoes. Just that I have worn those shoes longer and traveled further.

I am not fond for my school, nor my dorm, nor anything that are tangible.

I am happy that I have had so many instances with so many people that I wouldn't be who I am today without meeting them. Words can't express how much I am in nostalgia right now. Words can't unveil how much sour I am feeling deep inside yet with has smile that appreciates all the experiences and memories flashing in frames right now before my mind.

I suppose I am a slow reacting human being.

It always take me awhile to feel what others have been feeling. This time it is the same. And the feeling comes like roaring tide - hitting me hard in the face and remains stirring in my heart.

Ah. The night when I first arrived at the front gate of SCSU flashes before me. I can still find the breeze on my skin.

I just want to thank all of you whom have supported me in one way or another. I still remember how a friend once told me that with 20,000 people on campus, there are people that you'd have only met once, and never seen each other again for life. There may even be some that you have never come across, and never will, in your life.

That makes those whom I have built a relationship with, important. God chose to put us together and be acquaintances. He puts us together for fellowship. He keeps our friendships strong.

So I just want to say Thank You.

Whether I am studied with you, played games or sports, bullied you in some ways, looked up to you, looked down at you, made fun of you, stole your food, gave you food, talked secrets with you, shared your secrets with others, .......

Thank You for accepting me for who I am. Thank you for letting me be me.

Thank You for the memories.

Graduation Giveaway: Five Tips for Succeeding in College

2011-12-04T15:31:00.001-06:00

One more week and we will be out of school, and this marks my last entry for the Chronicle. From a beginning writer to the dominion over the opinion desk, my life is turned around by the opportunities offered to me at the Chronicle. Allow me to hereby thank the paper for its generosity and professionalism.

Now as an outgoing senior (and since I am not chosen as the class valedictorian), I am urged to write about some tips to make the most out of your college years. Here are some takeaways that I would like to offer to current students and the soon-to-be graduates, most of which you don’t find on Google.

Start with easy classes first. Whether you are a freshman or senior, it is always smart to sandwich one or two easy-A classes on your schedule. I am not convincing you to be idle, but down the road of Collegeville you will learn that getting an A is sometimes more important than anything else. This is especially true when your GPA isn’t looking too optimistic.

Nonetheless, challenge yourself with some non-traditional classes like “You, Your iPod – Whose Story?” that is offered through the honors department and “Death, Dying, and the Quality of Life” that is offered through the psychology department. These are courses you may never encounter after graduating from college.

I have much appreciated the “Acting for Everyone” class that I took in my sophomore year; it was one of those that inspired my life more philosophically than any other classes I have ever taken – we played “duck, duck, gray duck” in class! Such light classes are also breathing spaces when it comes to midterm and finals week.

Open up your frame of reference. Most of us have a pretty limited universe of discourse before we come to a diverse university. Not many would have the chance to interact with students from different ethnicity and cultural background. I am privileged to have made friends from all over Midwest and more than 25 countries in the world. Conferences, mission trips and other volunteering activities are great ways to expand your loop. If you are (really) shy to start a conversation with a new friend, Facebook is an alternative.

Opening up your cultural blinders will also help you to be more critical in your crafts. I learned from my communication classes that “different doesn’t mean deficient.” In fact, having a different perspective may even be an advantage to many institutions by adding to a wider span of worldview. The global village is now moving towards the appreciation for diversity and I foresee that it will continue to be heavily weighted for the coming decades. So, it is never too much to make another international buddy.

Live on campus for at least one semester. Better still, live in Lawrence Hall. It is the home to more than 50 international students, community with a unique global focus. If you are financially able, make it a point to experience the on-campus living milieu. I am grateful for the opportunity to be a Community Advisor at Lawrence Hall for the past two years and have benefited from students whom are willing to share their values and beliefs with me.

Besides convenience, you will find that living on-campus is a way to build lasting friendships and support systems. Inevitably you will walk into people who share common understanding with your philosophy and would join you working towards your goal. There is no doubt that on-campus residents tend to do well in their classes and have a higher GPA overall as compared to non-residents.

Buy your professor coffee (or tea, milk and donut). And bribe your professors or advisors with your sincerity and passion in learning. It doesn’t hurt to set up a regular appointment with your class professors to go over the materials you’ve learned and talk about issues related to the course. As an international student, I like adding that “Asian spice” into my conversation with my professors, asking them to adjust their contexts to a global stage. For instance, how would you go about issues related to Wall Street with regard to the Southeast Asian stock market?

Conversations with your professors tend to open doors to the unknowns (at least to you), and it shows the professor your eagerness in acquiring new knowledge. Is that education all about? I have heard from three professors, one of whom is a department chair, that one of the main driving forces behind their profession is the opportunity to exercise intellectual conversations with their students. So go, make friends in your department.

Go above and beyond. I know it is a cliché to say that you should go beyond expectations in all your undertakings. But that is the way it works in most circumstances. You do more, and in no time, you will receive more. If your term paper asks for 10 pages, go for 15; if your research asks for 20 sources, shoot for 30. The “less is more” concept doesn’t really apply in the academic. In doing the “extras” I learned that there are so much more out there in the world that we don’t get to discuss in our undergraduate classes. Going further in your work is eventually an independent study process that will benefit you regardless of your major.

Job wise, don’t be afraid to take up more responsibilities and explore areas that you are not comfortable with. Ask your supervisor to assign more tasks at work because this is the time to make mistakes and not get penalized too severely. Once you are out there, you stand a chance getting fired even if it was a small typo error. Going above and beyond is hence a practice in college for you to excel in your area.

To many of us, college is a one-time experience that should be treasured. Given an opportunity I’d choose to stay in the academia for as long as I could – but the call now is to move on to my next phase in life.

I wish you, faithful readers, all the very best in your pursue of knowledge, wisdom, virtue and profound happiness through your interactions with people, information, as well as your own thoughts.

Good luck on your finals, and happy holidays.

This article is published at University Chronicle, December 5, 2010.

Image sources: susanchambersdance.com, colonyclubvillage.com, mtu.edu, jpgmag.com

Thanksgiving Break

2011-11-26T14:47:00.001-06:00

This year's thanksgiving is rather different compared to the previous two I had with my host family. Since their move to Seattle, I have not really been active with events outside the campus; hence this thanksgiving I have spent most of my time hanging out with friends slash residents in the building.

Nonetheless, I consider the break well-spent as I am getting most of the assignments in hand completed and continued to work on graduate schools application (which is dreadful yet exciting). Time was also dedicated to job search and application to openings I find in the field. My first application is launched towards a copywriter position opened at Ithaca College, New York. I know, dream big, hit it big.

I just cannot imagine that I will be done with school (for now) in about three weeks. Most of my classes this semester are not really theoretically heavy but instead giving me a lot of hands-on opportunities to work with people. Take my small group communication class for example: my final project is to conduct a pitch for a corporate communication consulting account. Such practical experience are equipping me with the knowledge of organizing information and resources, putting together presentations (like we have not done it for the entire course of college), and collaborate with people with different backgrounds. I count the latter as one of the things I learned that are more challenging in the class. Many of you seniors in college may have realized that it is different to work with freshmen and sophomores in a group as compared to working with juniors or graduating seniors. You seem to emerge quickly as the leader and most of the time your groupmates may depend on you to make the final call in whatever given assignment. I simply find it funny when I tried asking some younger members in the group to complete certain parts of the task (it's call delegate, ahem), and I am entertained by the look on their faces that sometimes yell, "wait, you trust me on doing this?"

College is plain fun. I just can't imagine where else can I get such an experience if it weren't for a diverse student body and supportive faculty. As I outgrow my classes - I mean, them seem to get easier towards the last two semesters - I find that education is only purposeful if it is accompanied by intercultural understanding and real apprenticeship during the course of learning. The sum of these elements makes up an all-around experiential learning for a student, which is what most of them should be paying for. I also believe that what you'll get out of college is what you put into it. So, those whom are still ranting about how suckie college is treating you, buckle up and start living like a real college stud.

If I were given a chance to click the rewind button, I will grab hold of all the opportunities that I once let go due to my fear for failure. "Listen to your heart," my Russian friend reminded me yesterday of Steve Jobs last words. Time is passing way too fast for one to make up their mind. So, recognize your intuition, judge with a quick mind, and delight in your decision.

Images: fordschool.umich.edu; cmi-fl.com

Rethinking College: Is It Right For Me?

2011-11-20T20:49:00.001-06:00

Three more weeks and students will be free from the stressing deadlines and boring lectures they have voluntarily set themselves into.

“You must go to college!” is what the majority students today are told, that a college degree is essential for a good job and good life, said Richard Vedder and Andrea Gillen of NationalReview.com.

Now I suppose that most of you who are reading this have made it to college; you should earnestly take some time off your busy “college routine” to re-evaluate if your decision to pull together a college degree is worth the money and effort.

Vedder and Gillen said one-third of all college graduates hold jobs that make their expensive diplomas unnecessary.

To illustrate a better picture: More than 19,000 college grads now work as parking-lot attendants, and 300,000 as waiters and waitresses. Yet students continuously put themselves into vast amounts of debt in low-interest government loans, which now total to an estimation of $771 billion statewide, and a growing number of borrowers aren’t earning enough to pay back that debt, according to the Review writers.

I suppose the questions here are: 1) Do we really need a college degree to be good at what we plan to become? Wouldn’t some people better off practicing their crafts outside the classroom setting? 2) Like how Vedder and Gillen put it in their editorials, hundreds of thousands of college grads aren’t practicing what they learn after graduating from college. I probably don’t want to waste money on something I won’t use – wouldn’t it be more practical to quit college and pick up some life skills, rather than studying, let’s say, rhetorical criticism? And 3) college is for people who know what they want to do; I (the rich kid on the block) am not sure of my desired goal and want to try out something else that are beyond textbooks, assignments and boring lectures. Can I come back to the topic later?

Let’s go straight to the first concern about “practicality.”

Many students realize that sitting in seminars, keeping class notes, taking tests and completing assignments is not their forte. They prefer building motors, dancing over beats, and shooting hoops. I mean, who doesn’t like that? The real problem is when students think they can easily become good at their crafts minus the brutal lectures they have to sit through. Little did they know that those are valuable lessons, given by people who have been under the dirty water, giving them the opportunity to learn from the mistakes without having to encounter them themselves. That’s what you are really paying for – experience.

I don’t deny that there are instances when I can’t wait to get out of my history class and do something I am passionate about, but the practical lessons I received from my classes have saved me from committing the mistakes others have done. I am an advertising major (yes, there’s a major for that) and you can question all you want about what we do in our classes – nothing less practical than drafting campaigns and presenting them to potential clients. And you call that “not practical?” A professor of mine has written ads for biggies like National Geographic and he would just nail me in all my presentations, regardless how prepared I am. Yet, I have learned far more in those four months than ever in my life about standing up for your own ideas, which happens to be the most important skill in the advertising business. And you said you could practice those lessons outside the classroom, without getting penalized for losing your first project?

On a personal account, I remembered my parents leaving the whole college dilemma to my own discretion when they said, “As long as we can afford it.” And “we” here inevitably included me. Then later down the road in collegeville, I learned that it was a 30-70 share of the burden with me on the heavier end. I soon realized the importance of spending money on something that is really “useful” for later in life, because I am paying big bucks on them. And guess what, classes like “Critical Reasoning,” “Human Relations and Race,” “Introduction to Communication” and “Lifelong Health and Fitness” showed up on my list for required subjects.

Basing on the 30-70 count, I am probably paying for three out of four of those classes, which I think, were totally useless to prepare me as an ad man. Crystal Marie, a writer from AWordOrThree.com, wrote, “College has a little something for everyone.” In the typical four (or five) years of a college career, students learn about the fundamental skills that would accompany their core major justly. Imagine folks who want to be a football coach and had to manage a team of sweaty jocks; their communication lessons would come to great assistance. If you were a beautician who has earned a reputation enough for you to set up your own beauty shop, you’d appreciate the accounting classes you hesitantly took in college. I am a strong believer that there will never be a waste in education – what you’ve learned in the College of Arts and Sciences will only earn you a more fine-tuned future.

Now let’s talk about the “uncertainty” question. Many of us come to college at the age of 17 or 18 and we are unsure of what we want to do for the next 40 years at the very least. My friend, that is why colleges are set up in such a way that you have two years to be undecided before choosing a major in your junior or senior years. The question is, have you been partying away those first two years and blaming the college for not giving you enough time to make up your mind? If not, and if you are still not sure about what you want, pick something that would give you transferable skills, like communication and leadership, because the cliché is that the best jobs of tomorrow don’t even exist today. The New York Times also reported that less than half of the recent college graduates land on jobs that require their college degree. So, your major doesn’t really determine your career, your passion does. Do well in college and it’ll reflect upon your job application that you are a responsible and reliable employee. But you don’t want to wait, because the moment you halt, someone is overtaking you from behind.

Therefore, it all winds down to your determination about getting through college. Unless your last name is Zuckerberg, or Gates, or your parents have tons of money to burn, you don’t want to drop out of college so you can start your own business. It probably won’t work. So instead of asking, “Is college right for you?” you should ask, “Am I ready for college?

This article is published in the University Chronicle, November 21, 2011.

College Orientation: Agenda-setting at its Best

2011-11-13T17:47:00.001-06:00

In September, New York Post's Robert Shibley said that college students are being brainwashed by university administrators across the U.S. by turning first-year student orientation into “politically correct re-education” programs.

Last fall at DePauw University, IN, new freshmen were “forced” to watch a realistic demonstration, according to Shibley. At New York’s Hamilton College, male students were coerced into a “She Fears You” presentation, where they were taught the college’s complicated “rape culture.”

Shibley warns parents to ask their children to avoid college-sponsored programs that serve to “reform” students’ thoughts about controversial issues such as race, sexuality and religion.

Alan Charles Kors, author of “Thought Reform 101” on Reason.com, wrote about the Orwellian thought reform implications of today’s college orientation. Both The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal published surveys of freshman orientations in 1991 and 1992. Their reports implied that orientations have been turned into “intense initiations” at some colleges. These orientations involved “delicate subjects like… date rape [and] race relations, and how freshmen, some from small towns and tiny high schools, are supposed to deal with them.”

Are we, as an institution, beginning to ridicule the “political correctness” that drove academic administrators to be more watchful about speaking their minds, or otherwise? Should parents and students listen carefully about the claims and cultures of these colleges before making up their minds about their agendas?

Many of these goals – exhibited through freshman orientation – are guided by “internalized oppression,” wrote Kors. Since studies showed that diversity is beneficial towards the development of education as a whole, such oppression has become a crucial concept in diversity education planning documents of most universities. Administrators want to make it clear that college is the place to practice social justice and glorify diversity.

Tony Tillman, the person-in-charge of Dartmouth’s mandatory “Social Issues” orientation, explained the need for students to address the “various forms of ‘isms’: sexism, racism, classism,” of all which were interrelated, according to Kors.

The question is, is the approach appropriate?

I remember in university-required racial and multiculturalism courses – Human Relations and Race (in America) – I was taught white privilege and how oppression exists in America. I associate the classroom activity with one that was carried out in 1998 Swarthmore College’s dormitories. First-year students were asked to line up by skin color, from lightest to darkest (in my class, it was from majority to minority), and to step forward to talk about how they felt concerning their place in that line. I remembered how exactly I felt in the scenario – uncomfortable. I understand it was the purpose of the “game” to uncover the silent racism, among other ‘isms,’ that are existent on our campus.

Similarly, Kors asked what could students possibly know, compared to those creating programs for offices of student life and residence (and development), about what students truly should feel?

Many of us probably come from places and schools where we are the majority, or at least knowing that we had a role to play in places we originate. Of course, I do not marginalize students who suffer from the society’s oppression. Yet I can’t count how many times I felt a reverse effect when I see separate programs designated for minorities. Oberlin "educated" its freshmen about "differences in race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, and culture," with separate orientations for blacks, Hispanics, gays and lesbians, and Americans of Asian descent. In Kors’ writing, Katherine Balmer, assistant dean for freshmen at Columbia, told the Times “you can’t bring these people together… without some sort of training.” (What are we, puppies?)

Most orientation programs have good intentions as they attempt to introduce freshmen and first-year students to a new environment that requires greater tolerance and celebration for diversity. However, colleges and universities need to re-evaluate the programs that they have installed for these fresh minds – to help them explore the ongoing social injustice, yet not forcing agendas down their throats.

“College is supposed to teach you how to think, not what you must think,” Shibley said.

This article is published at the University Chronicle, Nov. 14, 2011.

Image credit: Wgrt.com, Tbo.com

Veterans Day Break

2011-11-11T12:31:00.001-06:00

This break is by far the one that came at the most-right time. GRE was tough but I managed to get it over on Thursday and pushed through the week with the notion that "I am going to have some time dealing with other work this weekend."

Things are winding down to the final five weeks of my undergraduate career. Still, no news about post-grad employment and so I guess I just have to push it harder at this few more weeks. It is depressing how procrastination just squeezes its way through even when the things-to-do are of high importance. And so this was how I used to face it when I was a freshman; I will list the outstanding assignments here:

Small Group Communication - 1 paper; 1 presentation
Mass Media and Society - 1 paper; 1 exam
Teaching Assistantship - 1 paper; 1 code of ethics

By far none of them that I have embarked on. Three papers, five weeks to go about them.

Well, on top of everything, grad school application is another headache. My experience tells me that you should start applying for them as soon as you get the kick that you want to go to grad school. There are just so many things you need to perfect before submitting them for the admission committee to review (of course you want to present your best).

Also, you need to start making friends with some old and not-so-old folks in your department to share your passion in the field so they can recommend you for the schools you're applying to get into. Of all the preparation, this will be the most time-consuming yet most rewarding piece you'll find.

So lesson of the day: When there are too many things on your plate, take it one at a time - starting with the greens then work your way up to desserts. At the end of the day you not only want to finish your plate but also to enjoy the most out of the process.

Happy Veterans Day!

Steve Jobs vs. The Government

2011-11-08T01:20:00.003-06:00

David Gregory in his Sunday morning show “Meet the Press” in the last two weeks asked at his roundtable, “Why can’t we have leaders like Steve Jobs in the government?”

No doubt, Steve Jobs is a legacy in media communications and computing industry. With his passing, many people began questioning if his leadership style could be adapted and applied into the current government system as the political campaigns began ramping up.

Jobs’ approach to management is different from others. Last May, an article in Fortune magazine described Apple as “a brutal and unforgiving place, where accountability is strictly enforced and decisions are swift, and communication is articulated clearly from the top.” Jobs is said to be decisive and controlling. The “but we’ve always done it that way” doesn’t cut it at Apple, wrote Robert Knisely in a Governing’s article.

Knisely explained that Jobs met with his senior team each Monday to review results, strategies and ongoing projects. On Wednesday, he would hold a marketing and communication meeting. In these meetings, orders are clearly articulated and the “DRI” – directly responsible individual – is identified.

And that was how Jobs did it; he made sure that all important issues are followed up and responded to in an organized fashion. “Sometimes,” Knisely wrote, “saying ‘no’ is as important as saying ‘yes.’”

So what are some lessons that we can take away from this legend whom had revolutionized leadership in world of computing, music and publishing? There are some comparisons we can make between this authentic leader and our democratic government.

Communication. Obviously innovation is encouraged. A more democratic flow of communication is desirable throughout governmental organizations. Knisely criticized former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s “snowflakes” communication – myriad memos asking questions, issuing orders – but were never followed up.

Innovation of new communication tools may help the government teams and divisions to disseminate information more effectively. Tools may include blogs, iPhone apps and other meeting collaboration gizmos such as Skype.

Risk-taking. Mike Murphy, a Republican strategist, said at Gregory’s roundtable that Jobs vision for the revolution of technology and user experience is long term while the government’s vision for the people are usually short term, when compared the two.

Hence, governors cannot treat their people as merely consumers like what Jobs may have done with his business. Peter Senge in his 1990 book “The Fifth Discipline” said that businesses have freedom to experiment what’s missing in the open society. The government, however, does not have such luxury. And Knisely said they must never have the freedom to fail the people.

Authenticity. What seemed to lack in government organizations are the aura, novelty, and beauty in leadership. Jobs is famed by his irony and temper, his signature style and passion. In some many ways, politicians should learn this art of persuasion from Jobs.

“His ability to capture public imagination and engineer surprise; even the black turtleneck… That’s the stuff artists are made of,” wrote Gianpiero Petriglieri, associate professor of Organizational Behavior at INSEAD, on Forbes article “How Steve Jobs Reinvented Leadership.”

As the Republican candidates come face-to-face with Obama, should the nation be expecting more of a charismatic delivery, rather than the traditional presidential debate? We shall see.

This article is published in the University Chronicle, November 7, 2011.
Image sources: Nationalconfidential.com, 9to5mac.com, prateekthapar.com/OliverLaude

Launching: My Online CV + Portfolio

2011-11-05T02:17:00.000-05:00

Dear readers, it is my pleasure to announce my new blog - a site solely developed for showcasing my curriculum credentials, work experience and portfolio. Please click here to visit the site and support my work! I will also be happy to receive any suggestions to improve the site. Leave a message here or at the particular pages over there. Thank you, and have a great weekend.

www.jasontham.blog.com

A holiday treat

2011-11-04T01:46:00.001-05:00

No, I haven't neglected this page -- just that things are piling up again as procrastination finds its way sneaking into my routine.

So now I am making it up. Let me telling a really embarrassing happening:
I was kinda in a mood for decorating my dorm for the holiday season and so reminded of the Christmas lights I had from last semester. After digging into a couple paper boxes I found them and went up to my window to hang them.

It was all good. Until some of the light bulbs were broken due to the improper storage and some left-and-right knocking when I was pulling them out. I saw a small pieces of it on the chair that I was standing on, so my reflex was to kick it off the chair.

SLASH. Dang, I was cut by the tiny broken pieces of the bulb and my toe kept bleeding. So I came down from the chair and went to the basin to let flowing water wash over the bloody toe. As I was doing that I was reminded to lift my leg high up to slow down blood flow. It was really hard to "walk" with one leg with one hand pinching the bleeding toe. I reached for the closest device, my iPad, to actually look up at Google for "how to stop a bleeding toe."

So following the steps suggested on Yahoo! Answers, my toe finally stopped bleeding and I was able to stand up again. I was such determined that I won't want to give up decorating the window just because the deco cut my foot. So I continued with the hanging and stuff. And finally got it done.

Guess what. The light didn't work.

FML.

Regenerate

2011-10-24T23:54:00.001-05:00

Recently, my circle of friends has an interesting topic:Should married couples today have kids?

“I hate kids, they are annoying,” one said.

“I am OK with a kid, but not kids,” another said.

I acknowledge that many instances have proved life today tobe tougher to live (or I should say, survive?) as compared to those of ourparents’ or grandparents’ times: economic downturn, a more competitive market,greater thirst for prestige lifestyle, and the list goes on.

The advancement of technologies, including the invention ofnew scientific tools and devices, communication technologies and media, improvedflow of information, globalization and such, has put our daily routine on awhole different pace in contrast with the 1950s.

While the standard of living is rising, the quality of lifemay not be necessarily so. Many countries in development continue to strive forbetter values in their everyday activities – better education system, foodquality and drugs control, more inclusive healthcare, more systematictransportations, just to point out a few.

With these global economy comes the concerns of many youngercouples today regarding family planning and development.

First, let’s be real and get the facts straight: how muchdoes it really “cost” to have a kid? (Note that I am only talking about ‘cost’here, not the ‘value-added’ option.)

So, as a Google-worshipper, I shamelessly punched in “Howmuch does it cost to raise a child” into the search engine.

Pop. According to BabyCenter (a parenting website providinginformation on conception, pregnancy, childcare, and parents-to-be), the firstfew questions that couples should ask themselves when calculating the possibleexpenditures are: Where do you live, whether it is a city, suburb or ruralarea; are you a single parent; what’s your annual household income; how old isyour child; and will you be paying for your child’s education.

Assume that I am living in a suburb area in the Midwest withmy wife and a newborn, with an annual combined income of less than $57,000, andthat we plan to pay for our child’s education. It turns out that we will haveto spend at least $8,650 this year, up to a total “cost” of $240,050 to raise mychild from birth until age 18, with $78,380 planned to spend on a 4-year publiccollege (statistics are drawn from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2010Annual Report and compilations by The College Board).

That means if I make $24,000 of salary this year, a third ofmy income are to be spent on raising my kid; half, if the load is shared withmy partner.

With that point considered, let’s come to the second concern:What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a kid? While that could bemany subjective responses, I arrive at the following summaries.

The Eastern cultural perspective supports that by having andraising a kid, you are assuming your responsibility as a member of the societywho engender the next generation. Hence, many would see this as the plus pointof having a kid or more; you are fulfilling the expectation of a community,which then brings you recognition and self-actualization.

Also, if you have a partner who shares the same passion informing a healthy family, you are likely to raise an obedience child, who thenadds to the enjoyment of your life (especially when you become older later).

On the other hand, there are some who believe that having akid is basically adding an unnecessary burden to the family. The couple couldhave spent their monthly earnings on brands and materials that would fascinatethem more than another ever-hungry soul in the house. For instance, saving thateight thousand plus dollars a year could allow you to travel to a differentcountry each year.

The most common comment that I have come across among peoplewho decide not to have kids is that they have seen how difficult it is to raiseand educate a child, and they do not want to repeat the same “mistake” theirparents have done.

Coming to think about it, isn’t that silly?

I mean, by saying that, aren’t you agreeing that you werethe “mistake” that your parents have done? As a “mistake,” don’t you sense theobligation to correct from the wrong?

My dad used to tell me, in his steadfast and manly voice,that every generation has the duty to produce the next generation. Many saythis is a cultural influence – I say my dad is being logical. We are living ina space that constantly reproduces itself. One element continuously regeneratesanother element, such as the photosynthesis process that takes places inplants, our respiratory process, the meiosis and mitosis of cells occurring inour body, and the birth and death of a human being.

When everyone begins to think only about themselves, ourhabitat will soon die. You learn that in your fundamental science classes – itis a chain effect.

Therefore, because my parents gave their lives for me, I amobligated to unselfishly spend part of my life building the next generation,which in the end, we all share the benefits of it. Remember, as much as we rulethe world of today, our kids are going to rule our world of the future.

Even “Lion King” teaches us about it – the “Circle of Life.”

That being said, since we are accountable for thedevelopment of human race, being financially stable is almost a responsibilityrather than a choice.

Think about it. Instead of spending so much time complaininghow ineffective our leaders are today, let’s take the time to really plan for ourfuture family and together we construct a better world, one kid at a time.

This article is an opinion excerpt written for the University Chronicle.
Image sources: thebesttoys.com, mychildhealth.net, chinasocialgames.com, blogs.babble.com.

Publication

2011-10-24T23:50:00.000-05:00

Oh yes! My paper is accepted by the Scientific Journals International publication! PTL. It is in process of minor revision after approval of reviewers - pending selection of specific journal to be published in. After all the dirty work, the effort is all worth it.

Just wanna share my joy.

ROAR

2011-10-19T00:28:00.004-05:00

Don't worry. It's not gonna bite you.

I need a stress-breaker now - the stress hormones level in my body is high as skyscrapers. The preparation for GRE is whole lot more complex than I thought it would be. I took the free practice tests and thought I was totally going to flung the test this Thursday.

But on the other hand, I am just as high that my first thesis draft is finally completed, after pausing from the work for about five months. Though it was only 30 pages in length, I think it was a pretty decent piece of academic research for a newbie in the research field. Compared to the 700 pages monster that most graduate students would produce, mine is simply nothing. It is, however, in-press for a publication. Hopefully, it will be printed before I enter grad school next year.

As for now, I am heading back to headache land, join me?

Fall Break

2011-10-14T13:48:00.000-05:00

Hello folks, how's the fall treating you?

I am again writing from the front desk of my dorm reception as I'm pulling off a couple extra hours working during this fall break at school. Being me, I felt obliged to write when boredom strikes.

So, the break marks the passing of half the semester -- meaning only seven more weeks to go before I graduate from my bachelor's studies. This break also denotes that I only have a few more days to prepare for the GRE test that is on the coming Thursday. God save me, please! I reviewed all the sections, and being the odd Asian, I am least confident in the Math section of all examinations. I now regret the hours that I spent sleeping in class when my high school teachers were trying hard to inject those formulas and functions into my tiny ignorant head. Kids, if you are reading this, do not sleep in your Math classes!

Besides the GRE that I am most worried about, I have to crack my head regarding grad school applications and job hunt. It is tougher than I thought about both the matters. There are way too many things I have to prepare for in order to apply for a good school -- talking to professors, researching on schools and grad programs, deciding on a track, getting the relevant documents, application fees, etc, etc. And job hunt, well, not simple because I lack the confidence to step out to present my portfolio. While I am still organizing my online portfolio presentation, I have yet to send in a single cover letter to any company out there. I think the Career Services Center is where I will head to when school resumes on Monday, oh wait, snap, the GRE.

You see, when everything seems to wind down to the end of your college career, come one, come all! That's why they always say that it is better to start preparing for your graduation ahead of time. Now I see that intention -- but I guess it's a little behind time for me.

But I trust God, as always, that He has already mapped out the plans for me. It is me who need to ask Him to reveal His blueprint and see where I am fit.

I suppose for now the best thing to do is to just move along and keep things on track. I wish not to fall behind any scheduled work or responsibilities. And oh, where should the "Happy Fall Break" come into play? I guess not.

Till next time. Cheers!

Photos source: blogs.oberline.edu

Tribute to Grandpa

2011-10-09T16:35:00.002-05:00

It just struck me how vulnerable human beings can be. Grandpa passed away last night and I am surrounded by the questions of life all day.

I have experienced the lost of friends and relatives in the past. Yet, it feels different when the dying person is someone whom has watched your growth in life. I used to travel back to Teluk Intan (or Anson, where my parents' hometown are) during Chinese New Year and meet up with grandpa at least once a year.

I know, we were not that close. Grandpa is like the another close relative of mine. We talked more when I was young. He liked asking me riddles and laughed when I didn't get them right. Grandpa also sets the atmosphere for New Year each time we gathered.

It's been a couple years since I last had a personal talk with grandpa. He didn't talk to me either. He was kind of mad when I left for the states because I didn't speak to him about that. Last summer, I heard that he was ill. He then moved from Anson to KL where we live. Before yesterday, he was still living with my uncle (my mom's brother), about three miles from my home.

Then again I left for the state. I had but a short goodbye with him on the day I left. I can't believe that was the last time we would talk. I remembered the last time we spoke was when he called over the phone to ask me for a US Dollar note. I regret not taking that seriously. I didn't fulfilling his little wish -- probably he just wanted to talk, who cares about the US note?

Sorry, grandpa, for my ignorance. Thank you for your love and care.

I pray that you find peace and rest at your new home. Rest in peace, grandpa. I love you for who you are.

Love those who care about you.
Be steadfast to the goodness of life.
Stay strong.

And the dog watches on...

2011-10-05T00:23:00.000-05:00

Hi folks! It's been awhile since my last personal updates, apologies for that.

Last week was a killer week that I didn't even have time to announce it. Everything just seems to come to acceleration as half the semester is completing soon and Fall Break approaches. Yet today is rather a pit-stop, phew for that!

So I had a huge test last Tuesday (accounts for 15% of my entire course grade) on Mass Media and Society, and I was struggling through that. Monday was the day where I spent about eleven solid hours revising and memorizing the course materials. If my memories serve me right, the last time that "cramming experience" I had was when I studied for biology or chemistry tests back in Segi, 2008. Frankly, I hate to sit at the table for such long hours and not being able to do other stuffs.

Yet, the hard work got paid off as I received my grades today - 16.75% out of the possible 17%.

Hallelujah! I jumped when the professor announced my name as the highest score achiever in class, and yelled "Oh my God!" like Damien McGinty in The Glee Project.

I didn't expect to score that high as there were a few questions that I simply tried to reason things out. The professor then gave me a "diploma" as a reward for effort.

You're right. That's his puppy (did I tell you that he is a Super Dog Lover?). Whatever it is, I posted it on my dorm wall where it faces where I usually do my revision. Though a little creepy, this "diploma" reminds me that persistence and determination will promise fruitful return.

Hence that's a relief from the killer week and now I am preparing myself for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) on October 20, while still juggling other class assignments and work hours.

But this is life, containing infinite possibilities of excitement. The question is, how do you prepare for them?

Have a great week, folks.

Diversity Should Be a Multiple-way Convention

2011-10-02T18:55:00.000-05:00

With more than 1100 international students and thousands of students of color, diversity is well-valued at SCSU.

According to University Communications, SCSU was the winner of the Best Practices in Diversity Award from the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system and received second place in the Outstanding Student Organization Diversity Award category as recognition for initiatives that foster diversity and inclusion within the campus and larger community. These awards were received in June this year.

As an international student, I find SCSU worthy of these recognitions.

Outside of the classrooms, I feel comfortable participating in events and activities that are inclusive of all kinds of students and community members. International students are often invited to celebrate some American festivities such as Thanksgiving Day, Christmas, and even to watch a Super Bowl game together.

The catch is: I sometimes see the lack of enthusiasm from domestic students, staff, and faculty in playing their roles in this multiple-way demeanor of appreciating diversity.

I say multiple-way because diversity is not a single-channeled effort. We are not considered diverse by simply increasing the number of foreign students here on campus. Neither are we varied by organizing several diversity empowerment-themed events whereby only a handful of domestic members were to show up.

You get my point. We all play a part in this whole picture of diversification.

Take this back into the classroom setting, where I find most dissatisfaction due to the insensitivity of some professors. Last year this time, I wrote about professors who should look beyond the U.S. borders by including more international issues and less solely U.S. topics in their syllabi.

Sad to say that having spent another year studying in the state after that mentioned discussion, I continue to experience difficulty as an international student in some of my major classes: I have not been able to participate in a discussion that focuses around the presidency of Ronald Reagan, or Richard Nixon, or the Watergate report, or why Brett Favre should or should not play for the Vikings.

It is definitely fascinating to learn about these topics, after all, the international students are here to receive an U.S. degree. Nonetheless, the lack of prior knowledge to these matters immediately shuts us off the heated classroom discussions.

Earlier, I thought it was just me. After checking with many other international students and observing the patterns of dialogue, I conclude that this is a phenomenon facing many foreign students that takes place in their respective classrooms.

The most interesting topic among all that was hot to discuss last three weeks was none other than 9/11. The question that was repeated raised in my classes was: “Where were you when the clash took place?”

Well, everybody got to talk about how their schools made them sit in front of the TV and watched the news and so on. Yes, you guessed it. Me and my fellow pitiful international classmates sat there and listened to the rest talked. The best thing is, none the professors in those classes of mine bothered to ask any of us international students to describe our experience with the 9/11 tragedy.

Maybe we really don’t have anything interesting to share, or maybe some do. I was probably sleeping at the time of the event. Yet, the professor could have asked us how the incident affected our country and from an international perspective, how it has affected our lives.

It’s time to open up our eyes and ears to the people around us, SCSU. Diversity is not mere numbers and statistics – it is about the interaction that helps promote understanding and unity.

Eleanor Roosevelt said, understanding is a two-way street.

We won’t arrive at a fully diverse campus if some of us are not sensitive about others’ background. We cannot expect diversity to blossom presuming all foreign students to bluntly pluck into the U.S. culture. Both (or all) parties need to play a role in painting this picture. And in this case, the more the merrier.

I deeply appreciate the local families who would host 25 percent of international students at their homes during Thanksgiving holiday (based on national statistic). But that is only 275 out of 1100 international students on campus. Folks, by extending your hands to reach out to more international students this year, you are on the road to building fruitful shared experience.

In short, our academic systems need to be more inclusive by instilling these international aspects into the syllabi that would encourage multiple-way interactions. After all, I see college as an international arena rather than an exclusive U.S. regency.

This article is written for the University Chronicle, published October 3, 2011.

Traditional Classroom Learning Perseveres Despite Technological Advancements

2011-09-25T17:28:00.001-05:00

The National Inflation Association published several articles and a documentary entitled “College Conspiracy” between January and May to criticize the skyrocketing college tuition.

The recent “College Conspiracy” documentary that NIA posted on Youtube received more than two million views over four months and about 20 thousand responses to the video. The documentary argues that college education is basically a scam and that high school graduates are not encouraged to attend college.

Regardless of the scam, NIA identified itself as “pro-education.”

One of the arguments that NIA made was that “any young American who is motivated to become well educated and have a successful career, can become self-educated by simply reading college textbooks and using the Internet.”

The National Inflation Association points out that students could receive the same academic rigor by simply attending online or distance courses from the comfort of their own home.

Despite the many solid (or made to be believed as solid) statistics presented by NIA, I was not convinced that traditional college education could be replaced by online learning experience.

First, nothing replaces the interpersonal interaction that happens in our so-called traditional class setting. As social media and the Internet continue to stretch into a student’s life, students are continuously persuaded that online networking replaces real networking. Many of these social networking site users assume convenience as the greatest advantage of the computer-mediated communication.

In fact, all that is really happening when one “connects” with another person over the computer is a series of carefully constructed and filtered messages.

In traditional classrooms, a student sees the professor and other students and is able to respond to spontaneous situations that online atmosphere could not possibly offer.

“And I recognize in you, my students, a condition that marked my own experiences as an undergraduate: you will not remember most of what you read or most of what your teachers say to you … It is a truism about the educational experiences that occur in most classes … You will remember some of what you read in books or hear in lectures, and those forms of communication may influence you in profound ways. But if you are like me, your most profound moments of education, in class or out, have occurred because of conversation,” said Jeffery Bineham, SCSU professor of rhetoric, in one of his articles entitled “The Practice of Conversation.”

Though today’s online tools may allow real-time conversation over the Internet, they are, most of the time, non-sponatenous or extemporaneous.

Second, nonverbal communication is almost absent in virtual classrooms.

Without nonverbal interactions, messages are easily misinterpreted and users may find it frustrating when all they could do is to make straight-forward comments. We see this trend in our social media and instant messaging cultures today: people begin using “emoticons” and abbreviations to help them with expressions. Yet, mind you, these electronic expressions are not even close to being as effective as to a real face-to-face smile.

Students today are becoming impersonal and should learn the “people skills” that they lack from interpersonal or small group interactions.

If we continue to work only from the comfort of our own home, we will soon become so self-absorbed and individualistic that we no longer accept the views of others. What is the point of education, then, if we are not open to criticism?

In traditional classroom discussions, students get to explore others’ perspectives in a real “real-time” atmosphere and learn to respond in a way that constructs the academic conversation.

For instance, a discussion that begins with Point A argument may end up as a Point B resolution. We all have had experience with that.

One may argue that you can’t really control the flow of conversation in a room full of eager learners. Unlike the online setting, the speaker may not have the luxury to outline his or her arguments when asked to give an impromptu speech.

These processes help students to develop critical thinking abilities, effective listening skills and collaborative problem solving techniques.

Through the process of debate and discussion, students will also learn to respect one another as human beings, not just another electronic profile on their network.

In this crucial time of economic recovery, we need to put even heavier attention on higher education. A good university education, in or out of the classroom, needs to focus on equipping its students the abilities to intellectual acquisition and at the same time provide them platforms for interactive learning.

After all, this is the reason the 690,900-plus foreign students (according to the 2010 Open Door report by Institute of International Education) come to the United States to further their studies – to get hands-on academic experience and cultural involvement.

If it wasn’t for the “presence” that we international students long for, we would have sat in the “comfort of our own home” earning a degree and not spend a fortune coming to the United States.

And as far as I’m concerned, my money is well-spent.

[This article is written for the University Chronicle, September 26, 2011]
Images courtesy of usjournal.com, collegetocareers.com & minnesota.publicradio.org

Graduation Progress Updates: Choosing a grad school

2011-09-17T01:52:00.002-05:00

Because I am such a maniac, I spent hours, no, days, actually weeks -- trying to survey universities that offer a communication program that I find fit to my field of interest. To start of this GPU (graduation progress updates) series, I am going to post the list of schools that I am currently applying or have applied to:

University of Washington - Seattle
Washington State University - Pullman
University of Miami
University of Georgia
Duquesne University
University of California - San Diego

Trying my best to keep the list rigid, I am still open to many attractions out there which I can find. Please keep up with me as I report back frequently about this progress.

Here are what I learn so far, from the thousands of clicks and search I did to these universities' websites.

1. Go to a professional organization for advice.
For my field, I went on the National Communication Association (NCA) webpage and found resources for students whom are looking for grad school programs. Professional associations like NCA can provide up-to-date statistics about these schools, with regard to their program enrollment, course/curriculum, focuses, faculty, et cetera. Dummies like me will find this site an extremely helpful place.

2. Get all your essentials ready in softcopy.
Most schools, if not all, that I have gone to apply have required online application. This form of application with then require you to upload forms, statements, writing samples, portfolio, resume, and even transcripts (unofficial) onto their app-site. So, keep these stuff handy when you are ready to apply for the school. You can, however, save and exit the application and decide to work on it later.

3. Know what you want, yet keep your options open.
I talked to several professor to understand what it really means to go to grad school. I can tell now, that different people has different perspectives on higher education. Most, reasonably, will convince you to follow their footprint in the academia. You should decide for yourself what you really want from this million dollars project. At the same time, look for schools that will offer you an assistantship or fellowship that can help support you through the course of study.

I shall keep you posted on this. For now, I am going to enjoy the long-waited weekend - beginning with the glorious Friday night sleep.

Cheers!

Overcoming self-conciousness

2011-09-15T11:15:00.000-05:00

Somewhere along the journey of growth we learn to be willful of our presence among others - our deeds, our words, and our thoughts. While being self-aware of the situations we are involved in are basic need of security, overt self-conscious may lead to nervousness, indecisiveness, and even insecurity (an opposite to its original purpose).

We all know how it is like to first give a speech in front of an audience:

Our palms begin to sweat, our voice starts to tremble, and some even feels the need to hide their face. Mind you, that in itself is a normal process for discovering your "self." When put in a situation like this, we tend to (quickly) learn that we are opened to judgment; we feel exposed, naked, vulnerable.

My performance studies class professor says the ultimate way to over such fear, is to embrace it. You know you are nervous, that you are not good enough for your audience - learn it, accept it, embrace it.

Last year, I talked about living with a true self. Today, I stumbled across a reading from Martha Beck in The Oprah Magazine at oprah.com that discusses the cure for self-consciousness.

"To claim it, we need to develop a mental dimmer switch," said the O-columnist. According to her, the followings are helpful to overcome self-conscious in given circumstances:

1. Double everything.

Beck shared her experience when she was put under the spotlight in a school play. Her director told her "small gestures look embarrassed, so they're embarrassing. If you're going to do something, and you don't want to look foolish, do it BIG."This is true to a certain level because audience usually expect something dramatic out of a presentation or show. If you are able to pull it off by giving them the big slice of pie, they are going to be very satisfied and amazed at your work no matter how funny you looked. And those "judgment" that you were expecting in the beginning has now turned into "attention."

2. Think through your limits -- not to them.

Two of my personal favorite are, "The only way out is through," and "If you can't work it out, suck it in." Many times when we are faced with challenges, we tend to think they are there to hinder us from succeeding. To some point, yes, they probably serve that purpose. But, the late and respected Dr. Randy Pausch gave his famous "Last Lecture" in 2007 saying that brick walls (challenges) are there to stop others who do not try to overcome them. So, to out-strong your limits, is to out think it and out-work it.

3. Ask yourself the universal question.

This is tricky. We do not usually find good answers to our complicated questions, especially those involving relationships, self-satisfaction, and ethnical issues. "So?" is almost always "Well, when you put it that way..." Beck wrote, "It pushes us into the spotlight, showing us we can survive there and freeing us to act on our best instincts." There isn't gonna be perfect for everyone, every time. The difference between a successful performer and the rest is his/her ability to question "why not?"

So, it is now up to you to decide how you would embrace that consciousness. According to that fabulous performance studies professor of mine, he said that sometimes "self" don't even exist when you are doing what you enjoy - being "in the zone." "It is you dancing with the game," he said.

So now, take a good look of your self in the mirror, and tell him/her that you are gonna be good friends from now on.

Nerdery

2011-09-10T20:35:00.006-05:00

In a blink, one quarter of the semester is now over. I mean, man, that is @#*u$ fast! I suppose the next blink is gonna be Thanksgiving already. Dang, my kindergartner teacher was right -- time and tides wait for no man.

I tried my best to publish new entries here for more than once a week. Right, let's just say I tried. That doesn't mean nothing new is up during the week, it's just that those exciting matters are more time-consuming than I thought they would be: running a couple new tests for my research on social media (remember the colloquium last semester?), preparing my OPT (optional practical training, for after-graduation), surveyed multiple grad schools (and applied for one!), and continue to deal with school. You ask, how much nerdier can I go?

Always remember that.

Nothing spells "nerd" nerdier than spending five hours in the dormitory study lounge working on homework after the earlier two hours at the coffee house decoding my research statistics. Friends, if you haven't come to the university level, this is a preview of your life. Well, mostly.

My past two internships at the advertising industry tell me that nothing that I am doing now is gonna be anything similar to the job descriptions listed in your employment notice. You are not going to write any research papers, or read a 33-page review on physical healthy issue. You probably ain't gonna be taking a group of people to the opening of the football season, too.

But then, again you ask, why do students need to undergo all these "nonsense" when they are not even going to be applicable in your career?

Because these "nonsense" prepares you to the stake that you're going to be placed soon enough in your life, dude. If you are asked to write the copy for a new medicine that is launched, probably your ability to understand lengthy research papers and reviews will help you to get a glimpse of the medication's background. And if you are to deal with the creative department in an ad agency (I should say, 'When you are to...'), probably taking them all to lunch is a good start to your no-turning-back embarkation onto the well needed friend-ship (if you haven't heard of the account team v. creative team legend, that's fine).

What I mean here is that college is the place for pre-apprenticeship. You'll be asked to perform different kinds of tasks with a variety of skills required. There and then is when you will pick up some new competencies -- which are well-required for the betterment of your future career. Now you can tell how much a big fan of the academia I am.

Cheers for the souls in the library tonight! (By the way, take a nerd test.)

Image credit: monstersandcritics.com

Long weekend: Reflecting for the future

2011-09-05T13:36:00.007-05:00

"The empires of the future are the empires of the mind."
- Winston Churchill

"The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of 60 minutes per hour, whatever he does, whoever he is." - C. S. Lewis

Busy as Bee
Due to Labor Day (United States version) on top of the usual weekend, I get another graceful day off my school schedule. This indeed is a much needed holiday as it is the first break that I get to pause for a bit from my 20-plus hours workdays.

School has been busy. Though I am enrolling for much lesser course credits this semester, I am, yet, overwhelmed by the extra work hours that I put into the Dean's Office. With the transition and reorganizations that happen around the university, it is somehow taxing to pick up the work from summer and move forward. But I'll see it as a great learning opportunity: to create a new identity for the organization in response to the changes - what more real-world portfolio would you ask from an advertising major?

The Next Step
I have yet to settle with grad school nor securing my OPT (Optional Practical Training) employment. The struggle now is within my own, in fact. I realize that I am asking quite too much from what a common grad school would offer to me. Graduate assistantships, scholarships, waivers, conducive environment, bigger city, lower living cost... all these seem to either present itself one or the other. And then comes the OPT piece, where I am uncertain of the field of work I would like to mess with. I am grateful, however, that God has connected me with several professionals through my work on campus and professors. They are great resources for me to look for a more "hidden" job in the market.

Sail as it Swings

The plan now is to move on (duh?!). I have registered for GRE and will be sitting the tests in Oct. Hopefully by then I would have known, or at least have an idea if not more, where to land my next footprints. Graduation ceremony will unaffectedly be held in Dec., and my parents are excited about it. Amazingly - though I have been looking forward to complete my Bachelors - I am not very fond with that, at this moment.

For now, continue to work on scoring As in classes, work that 20-plus hours job, plus CA-ing, and spend my Sundays at the university paper's.

Life's good.

Cheers!

Making life decisions

2011-08-30T00:32:00.010-05:00

Are your life decisions often influenced by your surroundings, friends and family? My small group communication class went over this controversial topic on Monday and I thought it was a decent subject matter to think about.

Most of us have big dreams, some real big, ultra desires: Get married to the sweetest girl in school, have one or two really cute children and own a small business, and of course, travel to places when nature calls.

Yet how many of us could certainly achieve that ultimate goal, the ideal life?

Your parents want you to support yourself, hopefully after you have gone to college. And your girlfriend rants each time you decide to split the bill after a meal. Whilst, your brother wants to get the latest iPhone, and you are still wearing that denims that your friends got you for your 16th birthday.

Suddenly that "ideal life" is in a blur.

Don't worry. That little cliche-ish life you have -- everyone does, too. Well, at least those of us who had to work a couple more hours during the week to earn some munch money.

So, what exactly can we ask for? Can we possibly make decisions for our own lives minus the need to worry about the people who are close to us?

In my humble opinion, it is impossible to do that.

I have seen, and experience personally, how personal needs fall short before the necessity of our closed ones, such as parents, siblings, and even good friends.

Take for example: You wanted a bike at college so you don't need to walk that two-and-a-half miles to your classes. Then you decided not to get a bike the minute your sister calls in and ask for your help with her school tuition fees. After all, your sister's education matters more than your bike.

Another one: You had to work 20 plus hours a week so your parents don't have to worry about your tuition, and so your little brother can now choose to participate in a study abroad program.

Those are just two instances. Hundreds of thousands of incidents like this happen in our lives routinely, affecting the bigger decisions that we want to make for ourselves.

You understand, however, that "ideal life" isn't meant to be ideal after all. There are zillions of things you need to attend to before your personal needs and desires come into the picture.

So, the point is that most of us are collective animals. We cannot make decisions without considering the circumstances encompassing us -- and that is perfectly fine.

We just need to know that we are not alone when it comes to not being able to accomplish some desires we have in life. Looking from the brighter edge, when one door closes, another opens.

There are endless possibilities in life that we can look forward to. Hence, don't get discouraged by things you cannot achieve. You are helping others reaching their dreams by sacrificing some bits of your own. That act itself is bigger than our mania, bigger than human. You'll feel even more satisfying helping others succeed than getting what you first intended.

American psychologist and philosopher William James said, "When you have to make a choice and don't make it, that is in itself a choice."

So, no - you cannot make selfish decisions, but yes - you have just made one.

Good luck grasping the "ideal life" of yours. And let me know if you availed.

Saturday morning

2011-08-27T13:23:00.005-05:00

Everything seems to sail smoothly as the first week of classes has completed. My favorite part of the week is to TA the introductory communication studies class.

As most of the students there were freshmen, it mirrored myself when I was there in their place. Though not exactly the same scenario - I didn't have to sit for this class - I find it interesting to experience the anxiety, and some, excitement in them. To me, I simply can't believe that college is almost done in such a blink of eyes.

Looking back at the 18-year-old me who stumbled through my first week of classes in SEGi College... good old days (well, just three years ago).

And this class spurs the teacher in me that I always wanted to educate and teach the younger ones something they haven't already known. It is accomplishing to the soul when someone comes up to you and say they have learned something valuable in your class. That itself is worthy of all the hard work, time and effort put into preparing the class or course. I suppose a lot of teachers would agree with me on that.

With that said I am almost sure to move on and earn a PhD so I can teach in college, with God's grace. Hence I am looking around for grad school that can support me through my masters and doctorate degrees. If you know of some good schools, affordable, please knock me up.

Alright, it's a beautiful Saturday here. I wanna enjoy the most out of the nice weather before it turns into the brutal winter days. See you guys soon!

What is up this semester?

2011-08-24T18:13:00.005-05:00

Mass Media and Society

Lifelong Fitness and Health

Undergrad Teaching Assistantship - (teaching) Introduction to Communication Studies

Small Group Communication

A God who never fails

2011-08-20T21:43:00.006-05:00

The Community Advisor (CA) training from the last two weeks was really draining. I felt so worn out even before the semester starts! Yet, I am liking this job as I get to learn not only about leadership in a foreign country, but also to connect with students from all over the world.

As this is my second year as a CA, my role is slightly different as compared to previous as the rest of my colleagues were new staff, including the director of the hall! As a returner, I get to share my thoughts and experience with the team, hoping the year to roll better than before.

However, that wasn't the main point of this entry.

My biggest joy of the week is my experience of a prayer-answering God: I remember struggling to come back to a brand new semester with nothing much left in my bank accounts. Yes, I came back to school with hope that I can figure out the tuition and fees, all by working extra hours during the semester, or accepting freelance jobs from publishers.

Yet all along I forgot about a God who is bigger than my plans; who already has plans in His mind.

When I returned this semester, I went to my academic department and looked for any outstanding payroll checks that I may have from last semester. Of course, I expected nothing more than a fifty dollars stipend for my summer articles.

God is faithful. I received more than 600 dollars for the works I have accumulated over the summer; and with the tiny bits of leftovers in my accounts and the scholarship I am offered, I am able to pay off this semester. Praise the Lord.

I know you may find this merely my personal issues with financial management... My point is that: Always trust God in what you do. He is a God who never fails!

Take a break, refocus on God.

As the residents move in to their respective halls and quickly kicking-off the semester, I am all pumped to complete this race that I have splinted for three years. C'mon all ye challenges, I am here ready for the battle.

Cheers!

Ninety days later...

2011-08-14T11:22:00.005-05:00

Peeps, I am back!

After such an eventful summer (will update soon!) I returned on Wednesday to St. Cloud to complete my studies. I just wanna thank you guys for being patient with my absence this couple of weeks here since I was really busy with the transition and housekeeping. Three cheers for you guys!

This site will continue be updated as I march towards the finishing line of my undergraduate degree. This semester will be a crucial one - it will determine my short term destination as I venture into starting an Optional Practical Training (OPT) after my graduation. Wherever I land may decide the grad school that I will step into later. So, there's quite a bit to worry about!

Yet, God is faithful and gracious. I love the four Gospels in the Bible for many reasons, one of them being the comforting verses I find there:

Matthew 6: 25-27 "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?"

So I lay all these down before God, just as I laid my decision my come to USA before him two years ago. I trust that God will reveal all these to me in no time. And I hope you do the same whenever you needed help with life.

Alright with that said, I'm looking forward to an adventurous semester ahead!

Never too late to think Big

2011-07-29T04:00:00.005-05:00

I am officially on holidays! These two days have been a bazaar for my parents and I (dad and mom got breaks for work, too!) as we went around town to really "enjoy living life."

From Japanese buffet to dim sum, from facial treatment to foot reflexology, we really enjoyed a holiday to our max. Too bad too sad that all these are gonna cease when I have to start packing for the States and my parents will have to go back to their respective workplace. Yet I thank God for this time that I am able to bond with my parents after some many months in the U.S.

Thanks to Anil, my most deared friend from Nepal who shared this on Facebook today.

It caught my attention and I reflected on how much life has changed from the time I stepped out of high school and entered the world of tertiary education. I met people from (almost) all walks of life, from all over the world, from different cultural backgrounds and societies.

I was just speaking with a girl named Aileen last night at my mum's friend's. This girl is completing her A-level and plans to further her studies in the U.S. I shared with her my experience and some insights to the American way of life. All the time I was asking (in my mind) myself, "what chased me to where I am today?"

Indeed God is the biggest factor I was placed in the States; I think the second main factor was my passion to experience the world. Many of my friends know I love travelling. I have once thought of travelling around the world when I have the ability to do so. But to others, to travel is luxurious and it is a big man's dream.

Hence Bourget's quote strikes me a lot that one who aspire to achieve something big, must first learn to think or dream big.

U.S. was a big dream, indeed.

But God took my dream and turn it into an evident, reality. As time flies, I will be graduating in no time. By December this year I am going to join the thousand graduates walking down that ceremony aisle. I often looked back to 2009 -- when I hesitated about my desire. "What if I didn't take that step to move on?" I will not be here today. Praise the Lord for He has perfectly fitted me into His blueprint of life.

Therefore, do not afraid to think big. If you haven't so, like Paul said, it is not too late. All the best achieving your biggest dream!

Die Hard Workaholic

2011-07-24T20:25:00.004-05:00

'O'-Bar - My hangout during lunch break, sometimes :)

Image source: MMoser

Here's the end of a short - real short - chapter in my early chapter. My stint at Ogilvy&Mather Malaysia is over since my internship was completed on Friday.

I want to thank Paul, a friend of mine from MBS who has helped me to get the contacts during my internship hunt. I also appreciate the effort team DBN has put into helping me learn the industrial procedures in an advertising agency. Also, my lunch kakis from OgilvyPR and OgilvyAction. Man, I never thought I am gonna miss the traffic jam to Damansara Heights on a Monday morning.

Yet, I was soon sorted by my ex-employer at Creative Thumbprint - yes, the same man who stayed overnight in the same camp with me the past weekend - to come in for some freelance projects this week. Oh, that means no holidays for me, yet!

Some jazz + swing the Boys are going to pull off for their performance.

And the cantata preparation camp last weekend was a tiring one. I feel so mentally exhausted (again!) and slept through the entire Sunday afternoon after getting home from church. Nonetheless, it was the most fruitful of all as the Boys have already practiced 90% of the songs we'll be performing in September and the production is very much going into its next phase - the construction of the stage.

I regret much that I will not be able to be there during the actual days since I will be at States already by then. I will however support 1st KL BB in all that it does, by all means, in prayers and in morale support. I am sure they will do well since the director and producer themselves are very satisfied with the Boys' performance during the camp.

So for now, I will enjoy my time behind a copywriter desk again and have some crazy time with some old A.E's at Thumbprint. Look forward to some claypot chicken rice later!

Happy Monday morning!

B-U-S-Y

2011-07-20T12:33:00.004-05:00

I don't feel I have lived this week! Time is passing like... rocket. In two days will be my last day at Ogilvy, and this weekend will be continued with another cantata preparation camp. Hence this post, to declare myself to be fully occupied from now until Sunday.

Yet in the mist of such busy-ness, I find myself enjoying the process of meeting with people and consolidating fellowships. In a way, there is a sense of belonging and accomplishment. Just like Immanuel Kant said, the busier we are, the more acutely we feel that we live.

So, as life moves on, I continue to enjoy my occupation as a busy man.

I can still be reached via my mobile, Facebook, or in person. Just buzz me if you need anything. Leave a comment here below should you need anything and I shall revert to you at my soonest convenience.

Cheers!

Of Fun and Fellowship

2011-07-17T10:07:00.008-05:00

Time - 11:11p.m.

Physically exhausted, mentally worn-out. And my mind keeps reminding me about the "Monday" that is going to take its place in a couple of hours, regardless of anything.

Yet, I contently smile to myself for a successful fellowship camp that was organized to strengthen the bonds between Platoon A squad members of the 1st KL BB company. Looking back at the past 45 hours, there has been nothing less than laughters, stories-sharing, enjoyment and fond brotherhood.

This was the first time I have organized a camp for these Boys solely on the purpose for relaxation and squad building. First, let me thank God. It was He who allowed all the plannings to take place and the opportunity granted to making this camp a reality. In fact, Edward and I were planning on some squad camp about a month ago. And God miraculously made available to us some Sunway Lagoon entry tickets during the last Legacy Walk event.

So, we might as well took the chance to put together a rather fun-oriented overnight camp for the platoon and had ourselves filled with the blessings from each others' accompany.

From bowling competitions to suppers at nights, movie night to Sunway Lagoon adventure, the 13 of us spent the weekend with hopes to take break from our daily routines.

[More photos to come, soon.]

I want to thank here Mr. Edward Tai who has tirelessly supported me and the Boys in all ways possible in making this camp a success; Mr. Lim CM who has added so much more fun during the bowling night; and also Captain Yee who is the man behind the scene, giving us the proper advice to conduct such an activity.

Though it was really time-consuming and energy-devouring, I enjoy every moment possible to be spent nurturing these Youth to be the men and leaders of tomorrow. I cherish the time chatting informally with these younger ones and learn about their perspectives towards life. Coming to think about it, those quality time I got to spend with each Boy attended this camp was the real rewards for my time spent planning this camp. And I praise God for that.

The best part is, great things don't just stop here. I shall see you at the Cantata Preparation Camp 2.0 this coming weekend!

Yours truly, Officer Tham.

Fun @ This Weekend

2011-07-13T09:11:00.006-05:00

Anyone up for some wet fun at Lagoon? 'Cause I definitely am!

After much anticipation, the 1st KL Platoon A outing is finally a go! Boys from three squads of Platoon A will come together for some pure-fellowship times this weekend. Though I no longer consider myself a 'Boy,' I still share as much excitement as they do. I will also take this chance to fulfill my summer-beach-dream that have yet to be fulfilled this year, but close :)

Alright for now, back to reality.

This week marks the second last week of my internship at Ogilvy. It has been a fun period at team DBN and I think this experience will add to my future aspirations. Nevertheless, I still look forward to my last day as I feel I haven't really enjoyed my summer break here in Malaysia. Hence, going all out for the last two weeks of my break here is surely a Yes!

Dim Sum
Bak Ku Teh
Redang/Genting
Sales-sapu
Swimming
Bowling
Outdoor Camp
Run

For those who have yet to catch up, please pick one of the above items and we'll just do it. Think I should let you go now (or let myself cool down from all these excitement for the weekend) before I get insomnia from this.

Cheers, for a much-looked-forward weekend!

Movie Review: Mr. Popper's Penguins

2011-07-11T09:04:00.009-05:00

Yes, Jim Carrey still has it!

For more than a year Jim Carrey faded from the big screens after starring last film, "A Christmas Carol," in 2009. This year, this winner of MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance returns to bring to audience more hilarious comedy, lame jokes and family morals.

"Mr. Popper's Penguins" is more than just laugh bombs; it is a sum of self-expressions, romance, family conflicts, and six adorably troublesome penguins.

Tom Popper (as played by Jim Carrey) is a divorced, professional realtor whose father traveled to many parts of the world when Tom was young. And as a youngster growing up by himself, he portrayed a character that many young Americans will be able to relate today.

As Popper learns about the death of his father, a "souvenir" showed up at his doorstep. Here's where all the drama that Popper has never imagined would take place, took place. Worse still, some miss-communications that take place later add up the number of "troubles" (unwanted penguins).

Whilst Popper tries to adapt himself with the new found pets, audience learns about the rest of his family - the lovely yet divorced wife (Carla Gugino), the wimpy daughter (Madeline Carroll) and the charming son (Maxwell Perry Cotton).

As many might have expected Mr. Popper to give up holding the family together with all its head-aching issues on top of the six annoying penguins, Mr. Popper stuns many with his ability to juggle all problems through his own kind of humorous attitude.

The penguins, nicely balanced of their relevance in this film, have indirectly become the liaisons between the family members.

Not forgetting to mention, British actress Ophelia Lovibond (as Pippi) adds a good taste of funniness to the entire show, with her "P"-accents.

What many viewers can take away from this movie is the traditional family value, a family sticks with one another. This applies, too, to the penguins, where in the end they showed loyalty towards the Poppers.

Even if one wasn't up for any silly jokes cracked by this nominated Teen Choice Best Comedy Actor, "Mr. Popper's Penguins" is still worth the ticket for a time good family bonding.

If you need some break from your stressful routine, this film is "Yep-solutely" the show to go to. At the very least, they have penguins!

RATING: 6/10

Demonstration? Education!

2011-07-09T00:33:00.007-05:00

Source: The Nut Graph - Is the march really necessary?

Let me put it upfront -- I do not support open demonstrations.

Today marks a historical event where Malaysians everywhere decide to show their dissatisfaction towards the current obscured election procedures. Thousands of citizens went onto the streets of major towns and marched towards the Merdeka Stadium to demand for a "cleaner and fairer" election. More info at bersih.org.

It was indeed heartening to find that the citizens are now voicing out their hatred towards bias election processes that may have happened in the past. Yet, while we all know in our head that Malaysia is a country that doesn't validate the freedom of speech and of expression, these demonstrations are basically illegal when it comes to the face of law.

Suppose I am not siding any of the parties, movements, or organizations. I am speaking as a young Malaysian who decides to stay at home just so that he can see the incident from the third party point-of-view. My question is, how effective is this demonstration going to be?

Whether or not the Government is going to take into considerations the eight demands as stated by the steering committee of Bersih, the destruction and inconvenience this incident has cost to July 9, 2011's Malaysia is irreparable. The streets are blocked, the people are arrested, tear bombs were fired, and let's just cross fingers that no one get injured from this event. And it is only half past the afternoon of today.

If we call ourselves a developing country, we should act like one -- doing things in a civilized way.

I know many will criticize cowards like me who sits at home and watch the game, but let me tell you, I am not alone. There are millions of Malaysians who thinks today's march is totally unnecessary. At least people I know will ask me to stay home rather than going out to support such hazy demonstration.

At least 70,000 people supported the event today. If these 70,000 people can stay home and educate one of their younger ones how to be a person/leader of integrity in the future, then 140,000 people will make a better Malaysia...since the future does lay in the hands of the iGeneration -- Way more effective than marching on the road, eating tear bombs and getting into lock-ups.

I believe there isn't one great way to do certain things. And hence I believe that the demonstration today isn't the best way to demand for change.

All we can do now is to let God Himself judge the people involved. I pray for justice, peace and civilization.

Get live feeds on http://anilnetto.com/ or Twitter followers #Bersih

Listen.

2011-07-06T08:06:00.005-05:00

We'll get a day off from BB this Saturday, all thanks to the BERSIH 2.0 rally -- which has planned for a street demonstration in central Kuala Lumpur that day. Though the papers said this morning that the rally was "called off" after some very wise words from the YDPA, I doubt many would really refrained from marching.

Best thing to do? Sit at home and enjoy a time of family bonding with my siblings and parents.

I was caught today a little off routine as I was assigned to send my mom for her orthopaedics consultation at KL Sports Medicine Center near my workplace this morning. So I called for a couple hours off from work and went to the center with my mom.

It was a pretty precious mom-and-son bonding time as we were waiting before and after the consultation. In fact, my mom talked to me non-stop from the moment we hopped on the car, all the way through the half hour journey to Damansara Heights.

I realize, that a lot of the times, parents like my mom only needs a listening audience. Us as children, we sometimes (many times) forget how important it is to simply listen to what our parents have to say. They may not be right all the time, yet, they speak of experiences and stories with great values. Even great than those cliche you'd get at the end of Kung Fu Panda or the Green Lantern.

Just listen, and you might be surprised by how much you can learn about them from their words. As an ambassador for effective communication, I always appreciate the opportunity to practice "real" communications. Not those LOLs and TTYLGTGG9s that many of us use today.

Yes, I admit those are tools assisting interpersonal communication; nonetheless, the best communication may sometimes just be the original talk, vis-a-vis.

Before that, just listen. To further encourage you, here's one of my fav. songs from Beyonce, coincidentally entitled: Listen.

Enjoy.

Movie Review: Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon

2011-07-03T21:38:00.008-05:00

“Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon” is yet another eye-candy for those who love to indulge in Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg’s heavy metal visuals and sound effects.

People say, third time the charm. This third sequel of “Transformers” continued the battle between Autobots and Decepticons with much conflict, cruel fights and a sexy girlfriend.

Since the Decepticons decided to take over planet Earth as a mean to rebuild their Cybertron (an alienated planet where the transformers were once ‘gods’ over there), the human race now play an important role in the middle of this robotic battle field.

Yet, the two-and-a-half-hour story plot of “Transformers 3” isn’t as compelling as its previous masters.

Audience is brought to their conscience that human (in fact, even Autobots) can betray their own packs in the name of “freeing the race.”

The role of Fox is dropped and replaced with Sam Witwicky’s (as played by Shia LaBeuof) new love interest, played by English model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. She did try hard to appear as seducing as, if not sexier than, Megan Fox.

It was interesting, though, that the landing on the moon historic incident was incorporated into the storyline, even making it a part of the title of the series.

Besides, sports cars lovers shall also expect even more advanced cars in this sequel, like the hot red Ferrari 458 Italia and a not-so-shabby blue Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

As Michael Bay tries to blow things up, the scenes where the Autobots and Deceptions battled – with those sky-scrappers collapsing left and right – were worth the ticket to simply enjoy the defined details and extraordinary audios in the theatre. Let’s just say audience should look forward to the Blu-ray version of “Transformers 3.”

The thin, indifferent scripts of “Transformers 3” come to a conclusion when the Autobots finally kicked the ass of Deceptions, and stopped the invasion of Cybertron to planet Earth.

One good value that audience can take away from the movie is that one should never give up or turn their back on their own race.

As portrayed by both the playboy accountant Dylan Gould (as played by Patrick Dempsey) and the ancient Autobot Sentinel Prime, betrayers never ended up staying alive. Hence, teaching us to stay loyal and faithful to our own pack.

Overall, “Transformer 3” is, need not to say, a great production to pleasure the sensory organs but may not be as successful when it comes to its feeble scripts and plotting.

RATING: 7/10

Written for the SCSU University Chronicle. All rights reserved.

The White Coffee Effect

2011-07-01T22:33:00.002-05:00

The insomniac-me is the result of two greedy gulps of white coffee just hours ago. So here's another sleepless soul joining the rest of the all-nighters in the mid-eastern side of Malaysia.

Of a sudden I'm reminded of the kind of restless nights I used to consume when I was in St. Cloud - not going to bed till it was like four in the morning, then struggling through the 9a.m. creative advertising class that I had with an ever-hyped professor.

Boy it's cliche to say, but time flies.

It's already two months since I came back to this homeland for a summer break, and here I am, fully occupied since then.

To be frank, I do miss the type of lifestyle that I've suited myself in St. Cloud; the fully self-managed routine that no one could probably interfere.

Having been back here with family and friends, and work. I found myself living others' timetable very more than often. I'm not complaining about not having enough time to myself, yet I kinda miss the freedom to live according to my own heartbeat.

You know, getting up early everyday to get to work; spending the evening in gym; then dinner with friends or family; finally, concluding the day with some soup operas with my parents.

It then repeats itself the next day.

How I wish to hang around doing nothing but fellowship with my friends from the International Students Association, attending Atwood After Dark with different groups of friends every month, or sneaking out for some Perkins a night or two.

No, I don't consider this a pathetic reverse culture shock like many might have assumed at this point -- these are just some rants you will hear from a trying-to-sleep-guy. Let's just blame it on the coffee. I'd generously name it, The White Coffee Effect.

Nevertheless, I truly miss the States. It's true they say many people love to always ask for what they don't have. I'm one of them, for now...

Good Lord, it's safe to say I'm way sleep-worthier now as compared to some moment ago.

Thank you for bearing my nonsense. If you need some ears, hit me up and I'll be your guest.

*yawn*

Hurray.

Goodnight!

Drown in the routine

2011-06-28T11:03:00.003-05:00

Boy, I am awfully sorry about the silence. Awkward silence. This past one week was pretty eventful, with work and BB. I hardly found time to keep you updated. Sincere apologies.

So, last week marked the half-done of my internship with Ogilvy & Mather, hence leaving me another one month to go before I can finally throw everything behind to enjoy the rest of the summer.

BB, on the other hand, is keeping me very occupied. Not only that I am spending my Saturday with the Boys every week; I also had to do the necessary preparations for its activities before hand. Like many would agree with me, BB takes up not only your weekends, but your weekdays as well.

Yet, I am fulfilled by such a life, and responsibilities entrusted to me. *ohlordmaythispassioncontinuetoburninmeamen*

Alright, more and more interesting events are gonna take place the coming weeks. I pray that God keeps me sustained and energized for whatever He has planned for us. I ask for more fun and fellowship with friends and family for the remaining one month I have with Malaysia!

Movie Review: Super 8

2011-06-21T23:25:00.012-05:00

“Super 8” is definitely a summer blockbuster.

Director J. J. Abrams and producer Steven Spielberg brought together family issues, young love and friendship, with a heavy taste of alien invasion onto the big screen.

From visual effects to sound engineering, the movie is top notched based on a sci-fi theme.

The idea of “metafilm” (a film within a film) is brilliant. As the title of the movie suggests, “Super 8” is actually short of Super 8 mm film, a motion picture format released by Eastman Kodak in 1965.

Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney) and his friends kicked-off their summer time working on their own Super 8 short film, “The Case,” as directed by Charles Kaznyk (Riley Griffiths). They hoped their production will be featured in the upcoming Super 8 film festival.

The thrilling tragedy began when a train clashed with a pick-up truck at the train station where the kids were shooting one of their newly-added scenes. Once they found out the driver of the truck to be their science teacher Dr. Woodward (Glynn Turman), they embarked on a journey trying to figure out the context of this questionable incident.

Much of Steven Spielberg’s styles were observed in the entire movie: the heavy metal background sound effects, suspense, and the transformer-like cubes.

The movie has not only caught the breath of its audience by unveiling the face of the invading alien, but also set them into a mysterious mood regarding the death of Joe’s mother.

As the story moves on, audience learns the struggles between the Lamb’s and Dainard’s. Also revealing is the effort of Dr. Woodward in freeing the alien instead of killing it, as assumed by many in the public and the U.S. Air Force.

While the city is being evacuated, the kids decided to help save the alien-abducted people by researching about the alien in Dr. Woodward’s office. Joe and his friend then arrived at the creature’s nest where it kept all its abductees and “machines.”

An unexplained moment took place where Joe met the creature vis-à-vis at the bottom of its nest. The alien seemed to understand Joe, like a mother speaking to her child.

The whole mystery was finally resolved when the town gathers to witness the blast-off of the alien-built spaceship (using all household appliances “stolen” from the town).

Unlike most movies pushed to large screen this year, “Super 8” doesn’t have strong (or obvious) moral values that audience could take home with. Instead, it gives them a pinch of bravery as shown from within the kids and how they handle family cum friendship issues.

In some ways, the adults in the movie appeared to be pretty vulnerable and ignorant about the whole tragedy.

On the whole, “Super 8” taught its audience the importance of courage and friendship.

Having said, “Super 8” is indeed the movie to watch for a mid-summer sensation.

If not for its compelling special effects, the 80’s nostalgic music and technology shown in the movie may be the other great selling points of the production.

RATING: 8/10

Written for the SCSU University Chronicle. All rights reserved.

Super 8, movie review, "super 8 review"

Brag about Your Dad

2011-06-15T21:01:00.010-05:00

This morning, I was going through my morning routine of checking emails (basically spams), and came across one of my weekly feeds from beliefnet that sent me an inspiration report entitled "Brag about Your Dad."

I knocked my head a little and blame my selfish self for not remembering Father's Day that is already approaching.

Well, this is not the first time. And I know my dad never minded how we used to "celebrate" Father's Day with him - a simple eat-out dinner. When was the last time we ate out...

Oh! Yesterday.

Before I go on bragging how disgraced I am, let's go back to "brag about your dad." My dad.

He hasn't finished primary school. And he wasn't really ashamed of it. When I was young, about 8 or 9 years old, he used to share with me his stories that begin with "those days..." Those days not everyone gets to attend school. Being the second youngest of the 15-children family, he almost didn't have the choice. Yet, he did not give up. Dad sometimes brags about his experience of attending night school (at age 7) when his boss - yea, he was working at that time - was paying for his school fees. And that lasted for like a year.

Soon, dad was messing around in the capital city of Malaysia. As a teenager he came to K.L. to look for better opportunity. At that time, mom was already following this young man, trusting that he'll bring a bright future. Maybe that was the highest hope that most lower classes people can get to.

Fast forwarding the picture, you now see a man with a wife, a house, a lorry, two cars, four dogs, and five boys.

That man, my friends, is my dad. Nothing big, nothing significant that this man has really brought to the world.

But this man gave me the world.

I used to think that dad is a superman without his cape (literally, I asked him when I was young), because he knew almost anything that I can name. And oh, sorry, my kindergarten teachers, my dad made those models.

A stack of styrofoams, color papers and some glue - you'll get a ferrari.
Some leftover plasters and wood sticks, plus some creativity - you'll get a robot.
A phone call - and you'll get to skip the LRT.
A frowny face - and you'll get a treat at KCF.

An empty wallet - and you'll get a cash-filled wallet.

This is my dad. Nothing more than ordinary, but he is the best man I have ever met. He has never failed me, nor anyone in the family. Even things that he cannot do, he strives his best to provide the alternatives. There isn't really big achievements that I can brag about my dad. Unlike those comments that I read from "brag about your dad" - my dad was not the A-15 pilot during WWII; he didn't hold any degree; he is no manager of any named company; and he cannot speak English; he is just my dad.

Yet, he loves us more than he loves himself.

If I must brag about my dad, he will be the most ordinary superman on Earth.

Thank you, dad. And I won't wish him "Happy Father's Day" here, since he can't even understand a word I wrote. But, I know he wouldn't mind. We will still end up having a simple eat-out dinner at McDonald's.

For those whom you share the same touch I had from a father, I pray you continue to love him as much as I do. To all the dads out there (who knew how to read English), have a blessed Father's Day.

happy fathers day, fathers day, my dad, daddy, brag about your dad, brag about my dad

The Big Red Button... is back.

2011-06-15T01:38:00.000-05:00

A Camp Review

2011-06-13T03:15:00.009-05:00

3 days, 2 nights, 1 worn-out me. Last weekend's camp was the first BB I got to attend this year. The aim of this camp was to prepare the Boys for their upcoming production - the church 114th anniversary cantata. While the main focus of the camp revolves around the vocal trainings, we got to sneak in some team building elements for the Boys.

Both Edward (an instructor now, previously a 1st KL Sergeant who left for studies in Australia) and I have been spending days to plan the camp, its activities as well as all the details involved. It was a fun experience as both of us haven't really ran a camp as officers before. So we took out all the past experience we had in camps management and ran it our way.

Aside the fruitful vocal training sessions the Boys had, they also enjoyed each other's fellowship. Considering most of them as "the younger ones," most of them had a good time learning to take lead and work together as teams. Many of the activities planned was to challenge these youngsters to think and participate as a team.

We are glad that many young leaders stood up to guide their younger members. I also observed many sacrifices these leaders made to help their teammates achieve success. BB is indeed a place where you learn to give and receive help from your comrades.

After the camp, many gave feedback that they have learned to better trust one another. I have also personally learned to work with younger leaders.

Overall, this camp was a great springboard for the senior section to achieve greater things. Both Edward and myself believe that teamwork is the ultimate foundation for a collective success. Having gone for a long time, I miss camps. I really look forward to the next camp installed!

More photos here.

Movie Review: Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2

2011-06-07T21:13:00.007-05:00

There is a lot of truth in the movie “Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules,” a follow-up sequel to the 2010 surprise hits. Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) returns with even more hilarious happenings along with his friends and family as he ventures into seventh grade.

The “wimpy,” cool, middle school kid is now confronted with even more episodic moments as his mother, Susan Heffley (Rachael Harris), would like him to bond with his older brother, Rodrick Heffley (Devon Bostick), while she keeps up with her parenting column.

Nothing bothers Greg more with his ambition of staying cool in front of his peers and a girl he admires in his class. Now with Rod interfering his daily activities, he has got to find a way out.

Rod, on the other hand, thinks that his younger brother is a nerd and doesn’t want him to be an embarrassment, especially when his friends are around.

Yet, tempted by the mom’s bucks reward – merit given for brotherly bonding – Rod tries to fake out some “happy relationship” with Greg.

Rod was asked to give drum lessons to Greg, sending and picking him from school, and even staying alone with him in the house while the family goes for a trip.

The brothers truly developed trust and begin to understand one another better during the house party that Rod threw in the absence of his parents.

In order to keep the incident secret from their parents, the brothers began covering each other’s back. That was when the audience learns how real “brotherly love” takes place.

But in the end things turn out negative when the parents finally find that the kids are lying to them, especially Susan, to whom was very upset about her own parenting style.

The brothers were then banned from doing their favorite things – Greg was to stay away from his video games and Rod, sadly, was not allowed to participate in his long anticipated talent show.

Rod begins to hate Greg, and their relationship was again put into test.
Meanwhile, Greg finds chance to talk to Holly Hillis (Peyton List) and finally gets Holly’s attention.

In the end, Greg sacrifices his “coolness” by performing the magic act with his friend in order to help his brother participate at the talent show. The mother sees the mutual understanding between the brothers and at last allowed Rod to play at the show.

As audience sees the bumpy relationships between the two teenagers, many could possibly relate to the family conflicts that take place in their own lives.

“Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2” is a comedy that not only entertains but also reveals the real reveries between siblings. In an exaggerated way, the “wimpy” kid shows us the ways to live with an intolerant brother and a dramatic family.

Though we were once young, we sometimes forget the difficulties brothers (or sisters) may experience as we get older. “Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2” serves well in reminding many audiences about understanding and helping one another overcome challenges in the family.

Living Fruitfully

2011-06-06T21:00:00.010-05:00

Life continues to bring more fun and excitement. Here is a snap of last week:

Last week was a total movie marathon, watching X-Men, Kung Fu Panda and Diary of a Wimpy Kid; hence the following reviews that I wrote for the Chronicle (to earn some summer bucks). Warning: more are coming! Please read them for your own interest, and, do support other writers and editors at universitychronicle.net by reading their articles there.

Gratified by the desired results, I am also motivated to hit the gym everyday, having paused for almost three weeks since coming home.

"You sure this is gonna help us sing better, sir?"

As for this week, 1st KL BB is having its cantata preparation camp. Boys will come to learn skills in singing and performance in order to prepare them for the church anniversity cantata that 1st KL has boldly took responsibility for. We hope that this will be a memorable time for all the Boys in their time of youth as they learn to glorify God through songs and performances.

Also happening this Saturday is Mr. Sim's big day, tying his knot with his beloved in the morning and then 4th KL's fundraising band concert in the evening. Gosh, plus the camp, I shall look forward to a running-all-around Saturday.

Sometimes I wonder if it wasn't for the summer, would I have been this busy with all these activities - many of which are voluntary. Yet, I guess God has everything planned, well-planned. I have never imagined today's life when I was the prefect boy running around school when I was 16 back then. Indeed, God does miracles; it just takes some attention to details to realize that.

Ask not what others can do for you, but what you can serve others with the talents God has given to you. You will find that life, in every aspect, is a whole lot more fruitful.

Cheers!

Movie Review: Kung Fu Panda 2

2011-06-06T03:06:00.009-05:00

[Spoiler included]

The unexpected sequel of Dream Works Animation’s “Kung Fu Panda” now tells the story of a deceived ruler of China, a villain peacock, for whom was not satisfied for being kicked out by his emperor parents.

The previous emperors brought to China happiness with their development of fireworks. Their son, Lord Shen, has found another application of his parents’ invention. With his “unstoppable weapon,” Lord Shen threw the country into complete terror.

The entire story of “Kung Fu Panda 2” revolves around Dragon Warrior Po and the Furious Five who embark on a journey to defeat Lord Shen’s mission of taking over China.

“Kung Fu Panda 2” brings back the A-list voices with Jack Black as Po the Panda, now comfortably fulfilling his celebrity role as the prophesied Dragon Warrior, and the Furious Five consisting of Angelina Jolie as the no-nonsense, hard-hitting Tigress, Seth Rogen as the wisecracking Mantis, David Cross as Crane, Lucy Liu as Viper and the underused Jackie Chan as Monkey.

Also returning are Dustin Hoffman as Master Shifu and James Hong as Mr. Ping, while joining the frontline are Gary Oldman as the chief villain Lord Shen the vain peacock, Michelle Yeoh as The Soothsayer, Jean-Claude Van Damme as Master Crocrodile, Dennis Haysbert as Master Oxen and Victor Garber as Master Thundering Rhino.

Malaysian Dato Michelle Yeoh voiced-over the Soothsayer.

Meanwhile, Po begins to question his identity as he sees visions of his mother abandoning him, of which bothers him a lot.

Po became so disturbed that he could not fight the enemies attentively and finally ran to his so-called father to find out about his real background.

In the end, we learn that Po was adopted and that he was not really the son of a goose (thanks for the clarification!). Po’s parents had to abandon him in order to save him from being killed by Lord Shen’s army. It was then this divine love that Po’s felt towards his parents that later helped him to overcome fear.

The comedy became a mashed-up drama when Master Shifu tries to teach Bo how to discover “inner peace.” Maybe that could be the only part of the movie that is really related to Kung Fu.

Too many things tried to take place and competed to appear as important – including the two jailed Kung Fu masters that come from nowhere – unlike previously, where Po was only taught to trust in himself.

Yet, the funny-ness the furry warrior did not decrease. His clumsiness, sometimes stupidity, and jokes continue to keep audience entertained.

One thing that audience may take away from this sequel is that staying true about one’s self can help them to overcome obstacles.

The ending of the story is a recycle of (almost all) superhero stories where the warrior returns home bringing victory and peace.

“Kung Fu Panda 2” is overall a pleasant story and a visually striking movie for the family.

Movie Review: X-MEN: First Class

2011-06-03T03:10:00.006-05:00

[Spoiler included]

High-tech, bold, and breathtaking.

The newly released X-Men: First Class has put one of DC’s best comic book stories onto large screen, after the successful screening of X-Men Origins: Wolverine in 2009.

The team of absurd mutants was introduced one by one, some with their backgrounds as children. In the beginning one learns about the little Polish boy, Erik Lehnsherr (later known as Magneto), who was separated from his mother and hence revealed his power that is controlled by anger and hatred.

Charles Xavier, who was just entitled professor of genetics from Oxford, well, hits on girls a lot with his theories of mutations. He is a mutant himself, who is referred as the telepathic. He reads mind and control behaviors.

Yet, his kind heart preserved the search for an army of similar mutants around the world, building an army to fight Sebastian Shaw, to whom has intended to evade the Reich allies.
Shaw is another mutant whose ability allows him to absorb kinetic energy to boost his own strength.

Professor Xavier was approached by non-mutant CIA agent Dr. Moira MacTaggert, played by Rose Byrne (she stands out a lot among the mutants for being the normal one), to track down Shaw.

As the story rolls out we find out more about the rest of the mutants: Raven the shape-shifting mutant, Big Foot “Hank” or Beast the smarty pants who later transformed into a frightening looking mutant, Angel with insectoid physiology, Banshee the screaming hypersonic, Darwin who “adapts to survive,” Havok with cosmic blasting energy, Riptide who has the ability to create whirlwinds from his hands, Emma Frost the crystal girl, and Azazel, who has the ability to teleport.

The climax of the movie reaches as the Russians plan to declare war with the Americans. Shaw was behind the Russians to engineer missile onto Cuba. It was breathtaking as the Russian ships move towards the Kennedy-instituted blockade line across the ocean.

The mutant army worked together trying to stop Shaw from his evil plan, which may “trigger a World War III.” Little did they know that Shaw’s ultimate goal was to dominate the world.

As the Shaw-controlled Russian ship approaches the blockade line, Professor Xavier made a last-minute decision, using another Russian ship to destroy the missile freighter.

Banshee then locates Shaw and the fight of mutants begins. Shaw led Lehnsherr into a psychic blackspot but was eventually killed by Lehnsherr using the same coil he gave him in the concentration-camp, where Lehnsherr’s mother was killed.

Nevertheless, Lehnsherr lost control and spoke of mutant pride. The two fleets – Americans and Russians – both fired their missiles at the mutants but failed. Professor Xavier was almost killed by the bullets deflected by Lehnsherr, shot by Agent MacTaggert. That explains his paralyzing.

In the end, Lehnsherr, Raven (Mystique), Azazel, Riptide and Emma form their own squad. Professor Xavier (Professor X) then opened a school at his mansion and wiped clean the memories of Agent MacTaggert. The left-opened ending of the movie calls for a sequel to the series.

The whole movie gives viewers a rollercoaster rides, given its exciting storyline and high-tech effects. Yet somewhere along the anti-climax the story became heroes-directed. Also, the appearance of Jack Hughman as Wolverine during the mutant army recruitment also leaves us to wonder the correctness of the sequence of appearance; since Wolverine is supposedly brought up by Professor X himself.

Still, “X-Men: First Class” teaches a bold value: do not be afraid to be different. Viewers are taught to embraces their differences as Raven/Mystique closes the story saying “mutant, and proud.”

Nick Vujicic: No limbs, yet no limits

2011-06-01T23:49:00.017-05:00

Nick Vujicic has been a motivational speaker many years back. Similar to Aron Ralston, Nick is a hero who has overcome life despites his disabilities.

Nick was born 1982, to an Australian couple, unwarningly without arms nor legs. Nick's father is a pastor and his mom a nurse. They soon became worried about their new-born child, little did they know Nick would turn out to be one happy preacher in this world.

So many times that we question God for whatever plans He has laid in our lives. I suppose Nick has come across this point of moment when I think he will be frustrated about God's design of him.

"God, why am I different than others?"

"God, why don't I have this talent?"

"God, why..."

Instead of spending time questioning God's creation, Nick used it to victor his shortcomings and challenges. Like many others, Nick went to school, completed his Bachelors degree in Accounting and Financial Planning from Griffith University, Australia. At the age of 19, Nick stepped up to share his story of knowing Jesus Christ with the world.

"If God can use a man without arms and legs to be His hands and feet, then He certainly use any willing heart!"

This man of God travelled around the world, enlightened millions of people from different walks of life, from students, teachers, to businessmen and congregations. Watch: I Loving Living Life. I Am Happy.

It is the love from God that has supported Nick thus far.

Now let's look at ourselves. Look at the luxurious life that each one of us are able to live. I admit that very often I will nag about having stressful time in the office, or the mountain of assignments from professors --- I missed counting the blessings God has granted to me and my family.

If you have things you are not satisfied with in your life, remember that God has everything in place for a reason. Keep in mind that we never measure God's will with our little minds.

The master knows his masterpiece best.

While many - especially school kids - are having school breaks now; why not take this time to give thanks for the many grace God has on you. Whichever part of the world you are reading this now, please share with it some one you think needs some motivation and encouragement.

Happy Thursday.

All photos and information are courtesy of lifewithoutlims.org and yuvafun.com. Read more about Nick Vujicic here.

Nick Vujicic, Nick, Vujicic, life, motivation, peace of mind, life, encouragement, I am Happy, life without limbs

21 - BlackJack!

2011-05-28T11:28:00.006-05:00

THANK YOU for all for your wishes, you have really made my day!

For the past I have been listing my birthday wishes for the year. This year I am urged to do something different - I would like to count my top 10 blessings:

A God that is always listening and answering prayers.
Parents who are ever supportive and dependable.
All siblings who love me.
Kar Hoe, Sai Hong, Simon, Edward, and all friends who are always there when I needed help.
1st KL BB, for molding me to be who I am today.
A university that grants me education.
An internship that gets me the experience I require.
A car that gets me around.
A laptop that gets my works done.
A disaster-free country that allows me to live healthily and safely.

__________________________________________________________________

This Saturday has been much fun-filled. My morning was occupied with lots of stamping and war-cries. It was the Selangor State annual drill competition where I was invited to be one of the judges. It was enjoyable to look at other companies outside the KL State and learn from their professionalism. It was worth the morning also to meet some officers of those companies whom I have not met before.

The afternoon BB meeting was then visited by the 34th Singapore company who were on their Malaysia trip. They joined us for Parade, praise and worship, games and fellowship. It was interesting to learn the differences from a BB company in Singapore and exchange comradeship. I'm looking forward to their next visit!

As the Boys' school holidays are approaching, I am excited as well to plan and organize some squad bonding activities (teasers!):

- Squad outing and overnight

- Camp

- More fun!

I'd like to echo what our Honorary Captain, Mr. Cheong has always reminded the company's leaders - that BB is only as fun as we'd make it to be. It is all up to the members to build that excitement week in and week out. And now I am on a mission for making 1st KL a fun place for all who come. All I ask is you to come and share the fun moments with the funny people around here. Really, I can't tell you how much fun it would be, until you'd come and experience it for yourself.

[I apologize that this post is all mashed up... as I am writing it under superlowconsciouslevel here as I am already falling asleep after a tiring day...]

Have fun for the rest of your weekend!

Week in review

2011-05-25T22:21:00.005-05:00

Diverting some minutes off my desk so I can bring you a short update on the week.

This week was more of a back-to-serious-mode since the internship at Ogilvy has begun. Bukit Damansara is an alien place to me so I am still getting to know what's around. First thing first, food, nice food (ok, when is lunch?). Anyways, I guess it may be early to say but this internship experience is different than the one I had in last summer, nonetheless I am looking for more things to do and learn in the weeks to come.

As for BB, the 34th Singapore BB Company will be paying 1st KL a visit this Saturday, reminding me of the 31st Singapore visitation that took place in 2006. I remember being the worship leader for that day, which was held in the Youth Center (now torn down for a new bulding) and coincidentally this time round I was assigned to be in-charge for the praise and worship session again. Oh wait, and that was five years ago?! I guess I should probably get back in touch with the back-then-Sergeant, whom had I collaborated then to complete my BB International Relations badge.

Also on Saturday morning, I have the honor to be one of the judges for Selangor State BB footdrill competition at Subang. Hopefully the weather permits and things will run smoothly there.

I am guessing things are moving along pretty smoothly now, only thing is that I regret not spending enough time lazying around before this. Alright, back to work.

Cheers!

A "White" Perspective

2011-05-21T12:33:00.006-05:00

Didn't realize that this week was flying by extremely fast (and furious) when I got to meet up with old college friends and BB comrades. It was really fun to catch up with these peeps, trying to understand how their lives have been.

I consider myself going back in full force to 1st KL as things begin to roll out pretty smoothly. The company is functioning as usual and I look forward to more exciting events to take place every week. Being there physically reminds me of the challenges I used to take up when I was a member and it tells me how luxurious I'm living my life now:

No longer am I suppose to report to a parade Officer about the company attendance; no longer am I assigned to monitored all company activities; or attending meetings, etc. So many things that we once "suffered" through as a young leader in the company are now no longer applicable, realistically.

However, dressed in white, I see the company from another angle during parade, activities, and dismissal (literally!). Sometimes it makes me wonder if I am still the sergeant that boys like to hang around with those days when I was still "on the same boat" with them, or am I now one of the officers whom boys should salute every time they see me.

Today, I find that it is neither.

Being a new officer I learn that this generation (I try not to make myself sound too old) of Boys are preferring a brother-leader. They do not want a boss who tells them what they are doing is right or wrong; I think they need a friend who can show them what is the better ways around things. And being the youngest officer in line, I felt obligated to perform that role.

A Boy threw at me a dozen of questions regarding the basics of Christianity today at the praise and worship session. It was as if he has been keeping those questions for a long time and waiting for the right person to ask these questions. I am not afraid to deal with the situation, yet, I am concerned why hasn't he approached any other Officers whom may be more knowledgeable in this area? Are we doing a good job building the rapport and relationships between Boys and Officers? With the Grace of God, and Wisdom and His Guidance, I hope we are moving towards the right direction.

The Boys' Brigade is indeed a perfect ground for all to learn, regardless of our age. As Boys learn to grow up to be Men via the activities designated for them, Officers learn to be better leaders and servants in the ministry.

No one company is perfect with all its functioning, I believe. What we need to achieve is building the bridges for Boys to reach their role models and Christ, which is reflected clearly in the BB Object. I salute the current Officers for all the time and efforts sacrificed for the sake of the company. I have never seen anyone worked that faithfully for something that doesn't pay nor reward in any material way.

While we are in the business of preparing Boys for their Menhood, I think another focus will be going down to the Boys' level and trying to understand how things work with them. We were once Boys, just that as we grow, we tend to forget how things were for Boys.

And I still believe that Boys will always be Boys. No matter the so called generation change or any differences in that concern, being Boys is a unique phase at its own. As Officers, we can make that phase a significant, memorable, and most importantly, a Godly stage for these young men to grow - all that tend towards a true Christian manliness.

boys brigade, boys, officers, 1st Kuala Lumpur, Boys' Brigade, BB

A sign of times

2011-05-14T08:18:00.004-05:00

After nine months, the place I called "second home" remains embracing to me as I return to 1st KL Boys' Brigade today: the same sanctuary, same office, most importantly, the same members of the Brigade who are faithfully attending the weekly activities.

I enjoy how most Boys were excited seeing me appear at the premise yet were shy to talk to me. Oh, I see how fun this next three months is going to be; we have so much to bond.

I was sitting in Mr.Chan's Bible study class this afternoon, listening to him teaching the Form 1 Boys about prayers. I find it fascinating to "relearn" what was taught to me a dozen years ago, only finding it fresh to notice how some terms we used back then were switched to today's language.

Don't get it? For instance, I was taught a prayer was conversation with God; today, a prayer is illustrated as "hotline" to reach God and Mr. Chan referred to these prayers as "wireless" connections to communicate with God. I'm just amazed how the times have swifted and kids today are not the same with the era before. What a perfect moment for the time-honored saying: those were the days!

I trust that more great things are installed for the rest of this summer and I anticipate to encounter these thrilling things to take place. For now, I will roll on with teaching the senior section communications award and serving in the year-end musical planning committee.

Sweet childish days, that were long as long... As twenty days are now. - William Wordsworth

Have a great weekend. Cheers!

Year in Review: 5 Things College Students Should Know

2011-05-08T02:06:00.008-05:00

School is out. Students have moved out from their apartments, most returned home for the long awaited break to spend time with family and some with work.

Having been in school for four years (here excluding the somewhat boring high school days), I see every school year as unique - there ain't two identical years that I could recall. I believe what has happened each year impacts every individual in their special ways.

This year has been quite a ride; here I would like to reveal some little experience of mine that are valuable not only from courses taken but also the everyday curriculum that has helped shape the semesters.

1. Trust your guts

I was a TV journalism major before fall 2010. Though I have taken several pre-req classes to the sequence I have intended to pursue, I find it intimidating to walk into almost anyone at anytime to conduct interviews for stories. While I can do it with pen and a voice recorder, I find that TV reporting may just not be my cup of tea. I hence quickly research for other options and switched to an advertising sequence in the first week of classes. Not every important decision needs to be made under an Ah-Ha moment. Most of the time, you guts feelings are sharp.

2. Time is gold

Your kindergarten teachers were right: time and tides wait for no man. It is important to keep track of your schedule and try your best to keep things organized. Albeit a planner, notebook, calendar, etc., just find the most appropriate - if not personalized - method to help you keep the days going. I find it this all the time in college that keeping things on track will also help boost your motivation to achieve goals - procrastination has no place to sneak in.

3. "Networking"

I swear I have heard at least ten times from ten different personals who said, "It is not what you know, it is who you know." The last person who told me that was the cashier lady at JCPenney department store. My point is, the society knows it, you know it, why not act on it? I thank God for a student worker position offered to me, which was introduced to me by an instructor of my ad class, who then referred me to the particular specialist to this position. What is true to many graduates is that you'll need a dozen of contacts ready in your hands at the time you are hunting for jobs. Though the knowledge part of your field is important - it is the foundation to you profession - the channel and vehicles to help you arrive at your desired destination is crucial, and networking does that.

4. Dare to be different

This somewhat relates to "trusting your guts" but going further knowing that what you do may be different than the next door kid, yet having the courage to keep doing that. Many friends of mine said college is the best time to experience what it can offer. It indeed is true. Never keep to studying textbooks, revising papers, and reading every updates on Facebook. You need to do what others do not have the dash to accomplish. Like stepping up to be an University Ambassador.

5. Practice makes perfect

Many hate me for making this statement. I do accept the fact that "no one is perfect" and "perfection is merely slow death." What I intent to prove is that extra effort is required for any mission wanted to be achieved. Social media specialist/speaker Jesse Dee reports the average number of hours that Steve Job puts into every keynote he delivered is 90 hours. Imagine going through all the materials, ensuring the method was of most effective - all that effort that is put into a mission. This year, I participated in the annual Student Research Colloquium and participated in the paper and presentation competition. I daresay I have rehearsed the presentation materials (with myself and with some poor guys who had to listen to me) for at least 10 hours. Trust me, that was the minimum effort that ensured a winning presentation. The point is, there isn't free lunch.

There is a lot more I should learn from the people I know and people I have yet to know for the remaining semester I have in school.

I have always said that school is the best ground discover yourself and learn more about the future that lies ahead. Therefore, don't take things too lightly when you're here just because this is not the "real-world." Believe me, now is the time to excel.

"I'm not going to buy my kids an encyclopedia. Let them walk to school like I did." - Yogi Berra, American Major League baseball manager.

I hope you find this helpful.

Excitement building

2011-05-03T21:18:00.005-05:00

It's a week from now that I can finally see my friends and family again back in Malaysia. Things are rolling out kind of slow this week -- you know, when you are anticipating something, time seems to pass a lot slower.

Since there isn't any final exams to attend to, all I have been doing this week was eat, sleep, TV and sleep. Well, I also spent time working more at the Dean's office since I had to finish off a project before I leave for the summer.

Ahhh... I guess I should start packing and stuff. Just don't feel like doing so, wonder where is the motivation. All I care now is to quickly get back and attend Saturday's BB parade. Also, I feel that God is directing me towards a second internship this summer. For now I am looking at Ogilvy and hope that I get accepted soon as I step back on my motherland.

This made my day. The email came early afternoon and my supervisor at work was kind enough to circulate this announcement around the department; I'm glad many staff there were concerned and came to congratulate. How very often would I get a "Cool!" from the Dean? I feel that all the hardship is worth the experience.

Alright, I find that I'm beginning to speak nonsense since my brains ain't functioning normal as it should. Just pray that things go smoothly for this entire week and look forward to a warmer week ahead.

Cheers!

A Journalist's Passion

2011-04-30T00:38:00.009-05:00

I saw fire in every pair of eyes that night - not just the reflection of the bonfire, but because they were all flared-up about the allegory each person has to offer...

We don't do bonfire very often in Malaysia - it is a Minnesotan culture. Well, I guess it is probably due to the innate desire of Minnesotan to "get outside" after surviving six- to seven- months of winter each year.

I consider it an honor to attend Professor Mike Vadnie's annual bonfire recently at his very own mansion. This annual tradition started in 1988 when Vadnie began as the advisor for the University Chronicle. Since then, the bonfire became a "must-do" gathering for all old and new Chronnies, as well as their friends and family. I had no idea what the "ritual" was all about when I first arrived there. The entire party, I would say, was more like a social night. I got to meet some outgoing editors who have been with the Chronicle for more than two years, as well as to take this chance for bonding with new editors for the next year.

Like all other parties we had food and beverages. Everyone seemed pretty comfortable hanging around Vadnie's place. The real ritual began when the 30-some people - all related to the paper in one way or another - sit outside around the fire while MJ, Vadnie's wife, kicked off the night. We go round giving everyone a chance to say something, especially for those who are going to leave after graduation.

I was particularly inspired by Tim Hennagir's sharing about us being in a circle, echoed by Vadnie about the passion each journalist should take pride in. Tim was Vadnie's first editor-in-chief when he first advised the paper. It was fascinating to listen how these fine men who had gone through the test of life and shared with us their career stories. Speaking about stories, I would quote Vadnie's saying that

every person we encounter our lives has a story, it is up to us to find it out.

As we struggle through the institution's reorganization as well as the recent budget situation, it is fair to say that we, journalists and editors alike, are not well-paid for the hours we put into the craft we do. In my case, as an opinions editor, I cannot foresee how tough it would be to tell my fellow writers that we never pay opinion articles. It comes right down to me that what keeps a columnist/writer going is the passion to write.

Though I am an advertising major, I have been writing for the Chronicle for the past two years. I didn't surprise me that Tim, who maned the paper back then, was a public relations major. This makes me feel proud to be one of these "mass comm kids" who don't mind crossing the borders, going above and beyond what is expected of us. But I'll never say it is going to be an easy task.

As I'm pretty motivated to edit the op-ed section next year, I'm inspired to put in my very best so to leave a legacy in this school. At least 10, 20, or 50 years down the road, when we alums come back to visit, we will be proud of the marks we left in the archives -- that will be kept as long as men can read.

Journalism should be fun, let's keep it that way.

How important is your GPA?

2011-04-25T19:28:00.006-05:00

I begin hearing rants and complaints about the school, professors, exams and assignments as the final week of classes' approaches. The most thought-triggering comment of all the remarks I have heard was how important (or unimportant) a student's GPA is.

I have always argued that a student or a scholar needs to put studies as priority. Yet, I see that many students - especially those who perceived GPA as irrelevant to their future career - have not really looked at this issue from a professional viewpoint.

"The short answer to this question is, 'it depends,'" said Heather Huhman, a career expert, founder, and president of Come Recommended, a career and workplace education and consulting firm specializing in young professionals. On examiner.com, Huhman wrote that the level of importance of a student's GPA depends on the industry, the level of entry, and even the hiring organizations themselves.

"For example, consulting and major public accounting firms seek candidates with strong GPA - 3.6 and above - whereas other business-related roles may not be as particular, some sales professions, said Dale Austin, director of career services at Hope College.

"Got my application?"

Don't be relieved, this does not mean that students can get away with an okay performance at college. Huhman remarked that most organizations "simply need (legal) ways to weed out" the hundreds of applications they received for any one position. A student's GPA becomes very crucial at this point.

So to me, it is not about the skills and leadership qualities you beg to offer; it is about competing with hundreds of thousands of candidates out there who claim to have the same skills and qualities. What motivates your potential employer to pick up your resumes, from the thousands that are sent in each year? What makes you stand out? What helps you to jump off the page?

Answer: Your ability to be persistent, which is reflected upon your GPA.

Karen Nethersole, Esq., CEO and founder of Full Circle NY said the GPA is "not the be-all end-all."

"It is important for a student to show that he or she takes courses seriously enough to do whatever it takes to achieve the highest grade possible. This shows the ability to work consistently and persistently to achieve excellent results," Nethersole said.

It tells me something when a student is able to retain a 3.9 GPA while working 20-plus hours a week, volunteering on three different organizations, nailing several scholastic awards, and keeping a girlfriend/boyfriend happy.

"It is about what you are bringing to the table," Nethersole said. I have always observed some classmates of mine who claim that they do not need to take things "too seriously" since they are not into the "real-world" yet.

Let me tell you, my friends, "real-world" is just an excuse you give yourselves to have a little more time monkeying around. There is no "real-world;" it is now. If you don't plan to take things serious enough at this point in life, I have no confident that you are going to be any better in the near future.

Hence, stop alleging GPA as nonsense. Especially to seniors out there who are looking for an internship or entry level position, your GPA is the key to accomplish that.

"Without a long resume or professional accomplishments, employers have few criteria on which to judge potential new hires... the GPA may be one of the most important factors potential employers look at when evaluating their candidacy," Kristen Campbell, national director of College Prep Programs at Kaplan Admissions, said.

So, let's drop this rant and move on working on your grades. Good luck on your finals, and have a great summer.

Read more from Heather Huhman: Just how important is your GPA?

GPA, students grade, academic performance, important, Heather Huhman, Kaplan admissions, employers, hiring, internship, grades

Towards the finish line

2011-04-20T22:40:00.006-05:00

As the semester comes to a final sprint, things begin to coalesce - due deadlines, exams, projects, etc. Yet I am happy that it is almost done! I cannot imagine how fast this semester has gone, from the freezing cold December till the sunny spring now (though it snowed this morning). I am grateful for all things that took place this year.

I am not going to list here all the works that are awaiting completion - who isn't struggling now? I just want to take this chance to reflect on the approaches I have taken on to deal with this semester, and how it has affected the overall performance.

Every semester I tried different methods to overcome difficulties and challenges. Last year it was all about the planner, marking dates on calendar, highlighting events, and even blog posts. Did I mention the planner?

This year, I made a weekly time table on my own and realize that it is whole lot more convenient when it is customized. It is also more eco-friendly since I fit three weeks' schedule onto one sheet of paper, making it last at least, well, three weeks. I also find this approach better then a regular planner because I can see for myself what is going to happen for the next week or two (depending on where I am on the paper).

I am reminded of the 1st KL BB training of NCOs that a Lance Corporal must foresee/plan ahead what is going to happen next week, Corporal next two weeks, Sergeant three, Staff Sergeant the entire month, and Officer the month after. I hope my Boys are still practicing that now in the company. I find that planning ahead is almost the best way because you get to react faster and more adequately if undesired events come up.

It is why I pride myself for not having to cram my assignments last minute. While many are juggling two or three major papers, I get to focus on simply proofreading my works that were completed earlier the semester. I am not being arrogant or whatsoever, I am trying to make a point here that a a well-planned project can lead to quality work. When you are trying to finish up two to three assignments at once, I can assure you that none is going to be the best work produced. It is like hunting three deers that are running in three different directions. Like the below MV suggests, it is best to go one step a time.

Music relief: Step-by-step (New kids on the block, yes 90's rock!)

Here, I wish everyone the best of luck as we march towards the finish line. Eat well, sleep well - let's wrap it up well.

Cheers.

new kids on the block, homework, spring, stress, planner, ahead

Intercultural communications foster international understanding

2011-04-15T00:53:00.011-05:00

I love how my communication theories class in this semester is revealing the multifaceted human nature via communications and relationships. While we the students are trained to look at issues "via different lenses," I find it interesting to observe human behaviors.

So the professor of communication brought up a debatable topic last week when we were learning about theories in intercultural communications. This area of study has been one of my favorite since I have experienced two very distinctive cultural backgrounds - the collectivistic Asian culture and the individualistic Eastern culture.

As an international student, it is amazing to find out how customs and practices can be totally opposite than one's origin. This does not limit only to students from the other side of the globe - even some of my Latin American friends find it extremely deviating with some of the living styles here.

From my observation, people from an individualistic culture are more likely to celebrate individual differences than a collectivist. For instance, I have heard it lots that domestic students would say, "I think you are a creative person..." rather than, "The students in our class are so gifted." This is merely an example. However, thinking about the differences in premises of such communications, it is generalizable to most everyday conversations.

Now, could this be a major issue? Maybe.

Many of us international students are "not prepared" for a different culture before we come to the United States. The best teacher of the "U.S. lifestyle" is often the films or movies showed in our respective countries. Hence, I often hear foreigners grumble about not seeing the "Vegas streetlights" or "California beaches" in the whole of U.S.

This makes me think about the importance of freshmen or new international students orientation. The recent survey (very recent, sent out just Thursday) from the administration to international students asked about their experience of first-week orientation. I applaud the fact the university is concerned about the new students' perception.

Having lived in St. Cloud for close to two years, I have seen - as well as participated in - numerous orientations for the new aliens. I find there are areas for improvement in terms of educating these new students about the local culture(s).

While the administrative works are important, we cannot neglect the fact that these students are like new born babies to this land. We know nothing about the people, the way of life, and the kinds of relationships between different groups here. In ESL 151 - Administrative Orientation and ESL 150 - Cultural Orientation classes, I find that the issue of intercultural communications and relationships were not completely addressed.

I cannot speak for all, at least I was not fully exposed to the lifestyles here during my first year of study. I suggest the coordinators for these courses to look into this issue and design a more practical curriculum that attend to the need to understand intercultural communications.

Yet academically, I want to commend the ESL Department for they are doing an amazing job in getting students learn about the differences across countries and cultural groups. That helped students to appreciate the value of identity and celebrate diversity.

Whether you come from a collectivistic background or individualistic, it is always beneficial to test some new water and experience the distinctiveness of other cultures. If you have the opportunity, go ahead and study abroad. Throughout the process, you will also learn to appreciate your own cultural identity. There is a common saying among communication scholars, "We don't know who discovered the water, but we're pretty sure it wasn't the fish."

intercultural communication, communications, international students, international, identity, diversity

Facebook is evil, not?

2011-04-07T21:01:00.007-05:00

I've made myself a button that says: Full-time Facebook user. And I wear it proudly. Though I don't conform that everything on Facebook is perfect for communication purposes, I cannot deny that Facebook has been the social networking tool that has changed how things work here on planet Earth.

So I came across this article posted at stevepavlina.com, from a friend who shared it on my newsfeed about two days ago. As a communication advocate, I disagree with how the author disparage the functionalities of Facebook as a channel for communications. The following lays the argument, my reactions in red:

It’s been about 30 days since I quit Facebook, so I wanted to share an update on what that’s been like. Many others also quit the service last month, and many more are on the fence as to whether they should do the same.
Facebook communication is mostly low-priority noise.
When I dropped Facebook, I noticed that the communication volume in my life dropped significantly. However, I felt no drop in the level of significant and meaningful communication. What I seemed to lose was mostly a lot of noise.
Generally speaking, communicating via Facebook is a shallow experience. You read streams of brief messages from a variety of people, but the messages don’t contain much depth. Most are trivial and mundane. Some are clever or witty. Very little of the information you’ll digest on Facebook is memorable and life-changing. Using Facebook can still give you a feeling of connectedness, but the long-term benefits are negligible.
Saying communication via Facebook as a shallow experience is purely subjective. It is the choice of the sender to create and maintain the forms of messages he/she puts onto Facebook (i.e. comments, photos, videos, etc.) It is mentioned that these messages don't contain much depth, well, because they're not meat to be so. Joseph Walther's social information processing theory states that computer-mediated communications work four times slower than face-to-face does. Hence, the role of Facebook (and Twitter, too) in this context is to provide a space that allow users to "chop down" the length of messages, forcing them to communicate in a more concise manner by eliminating unnecessary distractions/redundancy. For example: Status like "I love U2!!" communicates the user's fascination over the U2 band, short and sweet. Unlike a blog, Facebook doesn't give the luxury to express statements like "I love the band U2 because they are awesome and they came to perform at our campus last week...my friends and I enjoyed their songs, especially..." So, when information are concise, the time required to get the message across is shorten, hence the functions of Facebook.
Impulse sharing comes with a price.
In the weeks after quitting Facebook, I still felt the urge to share certain things with my online “friends”. I’d have a clever thought and feel, I should post this.Or I’d take a really cool photo and think, I ought to share this.
In the past I’d have shared those tidbits out of habit. Then I’d check back in later and read through a few dozen comments people left. And there would be a little emotional reward in having that sense of connection.
But without the option to impulse-share during the past 30 days, I allowed those feelings to come and go without acting on them. I noticed that there was a consequence to sharing in real-time. I wasn’t being very present in the moment. While things were happening around me, I was off thinking about my online posse and what I might wish to share with them.
When I stopped acting on the desire to impulse-share, I become more present to what I was doing in the moment. Instead of being distracted by thoughts of connecting with people at a distance, I did a better job of connecting with the people right in front of me. I felt more immersed in my experiences. That was a subtle change at first, but it feels good.
Whether or not one feels "present" to what he/she was doing, it is the state of mind. One can be physically present in a classroom with his mind enjoying the sunlight in Hawaii. In fact, after using Facebook for more than two years, I find that conversations and impulse-sharing that took place on Facebook open up the platform for day-to-day interactions.
I suppose many of us agree that it is more comfortable to write (depending on seriousness of issue), than to talk vis-a-vis to another person. Therefore, Facebook is here to create that "first step" for us. It aids us to create a topic of common interest with people that we don't usually say "hi" to when we are on the way to respective classes. Let's put it in this way: if conversations are bonfire, Facebook is those tiny rocks that help create the sparkles. Using it right, Facebook is a great tool to get to know people of wider horizons. Remember, Facebook is interested in disclosure of width (putting yourself out there to know more people), not in depth (knowing each individual personally).
Friends lose their individuality and become part of a collective.
Facebook compacts so much communication into a single stream, and this can have a depersonalizing effect. As I continued to use the service to interact with people en masse, I gradually began thinking of my online friends as a network, stream, or blob, as opposed to valuing each person as a unique individual.
When I’d post a status update, who was the intended recipient? Which friend was I updating? In truth I wasn’t sharing with anyone in particular. I was simply sharing with the collective.
If I posted something on a friend’s wall, I wasn’t just communicating with that friend. I was communicating with their posse too. If I used the private messaging feature, it was just one message among dozens. Friends were becoming like interchangeable drones.
This is why Facebook is becoming prominent in the Eastern continents. Statistics show that though the United States has the most Facebook users, the most active users lay within people from the Asians and its surrounding countries. Why so? It is a cultural issue. First, let's understand the difference between a collectivistic and individualistic culture: A collective culture is "wherein people identify with a larger group that is responsible for providing care in exchange for group-loyalty, we-identity; a high context culture." While an individualistic culture is "wherein people look out for themselves and their immediate families; I-identity; a low context culture" (Griffin, 2009).
Now, which culture do you think Facebook wants to promote? The American culture is mainly a collectivistic culture, "marching to a different drummer is the rule in the United States, not the exception" (Griffin, 2009). Hence, we cannot judge the pros and cons of using Facebook based on a single lens used by a possibly American-made author. There is nothing "creepy" about interacting collective, maybe some are just not used to it. In many tribes we say, "Sharing is caring." While people are not comfortable speaking their problems with others, Facebook may be one channel to shout their thoughts aloud and others may be of great help!
The feeling that I was interacting with a collective began to feel rather creepy, as you might imagine. I’m glad to be off of Facebook, since I really don’t wish to be assimilated. It’s nice not to feel like there’s an endless stream of other people’s thoughts flowing through my mind all the time. I can hear my own thoughts once again, and they’re a lot more relaxed and coherent.
Facebook creates a false and unsatisfying sense of socializing.
... Being active on Facebook had the effect of filling my social bucket. But it was essentially a false fill, like drinking salt water instead of fresh water. Instead of providing a real sense of connection that satisfies, it made me think I was out there being social, but I’d still be “hungry” afterwards. Facebook activity could never recharge my batteries in the way that face to face interaction could.
Nope, one should not let online interaction overlaps with physical interactions, though I see both as actual interactions (there isn't anything as fake or unreal conversation, there are just being communicated differently). Like I've mentioned, Facebook provides the pebbles that sparkles the fire, it helps physical interactions even more when people don't feel too shy to start socializing with others in social events, since they may already comment about the new Lady Gaga music via Facebook. It is, again, subjective to tell if one's connection with others is "satisfying" or not.
Facebook is computer interaction, not human interaction.
The reality of using Facebook is that you’re just typing and viewing insignificant bits of information on a digital device (computer, cell phone, iStuff, etc).
The next time you use such a service, pause for a moment and do a reality check. What are you actually doing? Who’s with you? How is this advancing your life? What if you do this for 20 more years? What do you expect to gain from it?
You can call it social networking, but it’s not really a social experience if you’re actually alone sitting at a computer. Real socialization is face to face.
There’s a tremendous richness to in-person socialization that just doesn’t translate over the Internet, at least not yet.
Technology develops to assist communications, not create communications. Through scientific research, Walther's hyperpersonal perspective that was mentioned in his SIP theory also proved that interpersonal relationships (family, friends, romantic ties) develop just as well as do face-to-face provided sufficient verbal cues and extended time. Because you don't a person, doesn't mean you can't tell how he/she looks, feels, or experiences. The use of verbal descriptions and "emoticons" are human nature to add to the richness of the messages sent. Think about long distance relationships, they exist, they are real - with the help of technology. If done right, richness of in-person socialization do translate over the internet.
A friend isn’t necessarily a “friend”.
I can be friendly with people from all walks of life, but when it comes to which people are most compatible as my long-term friends, the Facebook pool isn’t a good fit for the kinds of lasting friendships I really wish to cultivate.
The main issue is the age difference. Most of my Facebook friends were in their 20s. I’m sure that’s a big part of the service’s demographic. It’s also a big part of my blog’s readership, and many of my articles are targeted to the needs of that age group. I already have many friends in their 20s, but if I draw too many of my friends from this pool, it comes with a price...
You're right, until you take the first step out to shake the person's hand, a Facebook friend may not necessarily be your "friend." But, know that Facebook opens door the world filled with possibilities. How many people I have come across that has landed on a wonderful job because of the connection to someone they met on Facebook. Your brother's wife's dad may be hiring a junior art director; if you are not there, that position may be quickly filled up by somebody who is willing to spend the time hunting. So, it all comes down to the mentality of Facebook usage. No one forces anyone to use Facebook as the sole resource to meet people, it is just one of the thousands. However, I cannot deny how this resource has become (and still becoming) one greatest way to secure a promising future. It begins with that "like" button.
The problem with Facebook is that it greatly unbalanced the social part of my life, skewing it in the direction of spending lots of time with people nearly half my age. This dragged my thinking backwards in terms of maturity. When I dropped Facebook, my social life began to rebalance itself automatically. This is causing other positive ripples as well. Many problems are easier to solve when you approach them with a 40-something’s discipline or a 50-something’s patience as opposed to a 20-something’s youthful energy.
Ask yourself what your life would be like if 80-90% of your social interactions were with people roughly half your age. Can you see how that might unbalance your social life?
No, you don't have to stay on Facebook all the time. Go get a life, go take a bite on Big Mac with a long-lost grade school friend you have just met on Facebook. Facebook users are also not restricted to befriend only the youngsters. If you don't want to, you don't have to.

So now, take a step back, and see the bigger picture. I cannot agree more that Steve is a great writer. In fact I will start writing this if it wasn't for him, make sense? His words are triggering and mostly timely issue. However, I believe there is a reason behind the success of Facebook. Though I have said in Facebook Dependency that it could a so-called addition of such usage, my point is that Facebook is a great tool and should keep it that way.

After all, this original article (see website) hopes its reader to share it with friends via Twitter and Facebook. Doesn't it say something about all the argument we've just had?

Cheers.

30-day facebook fast, steve pavlina, steve, pavlina, quit facebook

Don't you get it?

2011-04-04T01:59:00.004-05:00

I recently learned that it is really hard to get ideas across to people of different backgrounds and professions, especially when your ideas are idiosyncratic, or subjective.

Working in a team made up of students from different parts of the world challenged me to convey my message via various methods to various people. Because people grew up in different environment, it is really tough to come to consensus quickly if your ideas were not portrayed in a way that everyone could understood.

In other words, it is difficult to bring everyone to the same page.

Yet, I am glad I'm placed into this process, a learning process. It dares me to sharpen my interpersonal communication skills so I can more proficiently transmit a thought. This brings me to think about the importance of learning to deal with others on an international stage.

If this entire project is a play, we all are actors of messengers, each carry distinct ideologies, some supportive while others contradicting. And I believe we get better at communicating to one another in every scene past.

I pray that God continue to teach me the ways to exchange effectively with my friends and colleagues. One thing that I would like to take away from an undergrad degree is the ability to conduct mutual discourse in this diverse, globalized marketplace.

Thanks for the support

2011-04-02T14:10:00.003-05:00

Just a quick shout out to express my gratitude to St. Cloud State University Department of Mass Communications for the scholarship awarded to me yesterday at the annual banquet. I especially want to thank Granite Broadcasting Corp. & KBJR-TV for their generous contribution towards this scholarship.

This award is not only a monetary support to my studies but also an encourage and recognition of our potential. Thank you, for your endless succor.

KBJR-TV, Granite Broadcasting Corp., scholarship, SCSU, Mass Communications, recognition

Ten days later

2011-03-30T01:17:00.005-05:00

I'm swayed. Way too focused on the other aspects in life that I had almost forgotten about updating this site. Forgive me.

There's just too much going on that I do not know where to start off. Classes are going well for now since there's only one month left before the semester ends (woot!). Luckily, I do not have many final tests for this semester as most of my classes focus on assignments and quizzes. But I will still be working my butt off until the final week of school.

Good things first: I am grateful that I was selected as one of the recipients of the mass communications scholarship this year. Hard work are finally paid off, praise the Lord. Also, my submission for the Student Research Colloquium has been identified for semi-final qualification. This means I will compete with the rest of the presenters on April 19 for the $300 best paper & presentation award. Again, this shows that hard work bears fruit.

Greater things are installed for next semester: My position as the communication and design assistant with SCSU Learning Resources & Technology Services is secured, same goes to the CA job. The most exciting thing is that I will begin next semester serving as a Teaching Assistant at the Communication Studies department, teaching CMST 192 (intro to communications) and probably some 100 level classes. These three positions are the ones that I am looking forward most, not forgetting also the possible Editor position with the Chronicle. (Wow, I just realized there's quite a bit on the plate already. But who cares, you only go to college once right? Most people do.)

So, hopefully these are some good news for those who wants to know how I am doing, after missing in action for the entire week. I pray that God continues to sustain me so I can survive the rest of the semester and ends with a bam.

Please do continue to stay in touch and let me know how you guys are doing. Oh, I also want to take this chance to thank you readers for breaking MyLife | HisWay's stats record of 4,000 unique visitors in a month! The readership increased 200% after the publication of Aron Ralston's story. I appreciate that your support and attention.

Cheers!

aron ralston's story, spring, work, life, communication assistant, teaching assistant, fall, scholarship

New Health Insurance Policy caught students unprepared

2011-03-19T15:11:00.003-05:00

It is brought to my concern that the new health insurance policy that is implemented for the coming semester is becoming a burden for many international students at St. Cloud State.

According to the new policy, international students will have to pay or renew their dues prior to the registration date (April 11). Without paying the insurance fees, international students will not be allowed to register for their fall semester classes.

A sum of $908 is not a small amount, what more students will have to get them ready in less than a month. If I have not mistaken, the mass e-mail that was sent out to the students regarding this new policy came only this month, giving students insufficient time to react to it.

Even though we have talked about the restructuring of the policy last semester, it was not brought to our attention that the new policy is going to be implemented immediately for the coming semester.

Hence, I foresee that many students will have to struggle through this month, trying to gather the 900-plus dollars so they are eligible to register for classes.

The previous payment method allows international students to pay their dues in late July so they can still register for classes in early April. However, it was observed that some international students tend to forget about the due date and hence had their registered classes dropped because they have not paid the fees in the summer.

Hence the new policy: to reduce the chance of having their classes dropped, students are now forced to pay the due three months ahead.

In a way, Juliet Ogembo, a member of the Cultural and Diversity committee of Student Government was right. She said that the new policy is almost like a punishment for those international students who are paying the dues on time. Now, they will have to suffer along with those who paid it late last year.

I myself may have trouble fogging out that large sum. I believe that for most of us internationals, it takes time for our parents to wire the money from oversea, not to forget about the value of the currency of United States being greater than most of the internationals' currency value. In my case, $908 is approximately Malaysian Riggit RM2,780. That to my family may be a bit of an issue.

If we were to come up with the money on our own, it could be close to impossible. Given the amount of hours we are allowed to work on-campus, the total of one month's paycheck will not even cover half the amount of the due.

Hence, I strongly urge the administration and authorities to consider creating a way for us internationals to pay by installment. Instead of paying the dues in one lump sum, students may be allowed to pay a "commitment fee" of couple hundreds, before clearing the due in summer.

In this way, students do not have to be stressed about coming up with such a large amount of money in such a short period of time. Unless they do not want us to register for our classes.

So let's cross our fingers and hope for a way out, or else, many of us will just have to come back next semester, trying to squeeze ourselves into the leftover seats in classes we don't necessary need to take (international students must maintain a full-time student status with a minimum of 12 credits registered in a semester).

TV Review - Glee

2011-03-18T00:14:00.009-05:00

Started off as a musical comedy that uses music to advance its plot, Fox's "Glee" has always been a controversial television series: audience either love it or hate it. Yet, today's "Gleeks" may even have to find themselves a reason to keep watching the series.

It has been difficult to follow the episodes of "Glee" after the Super Bowl. USA Today's TV Critic Robert Bianco wrote an interesting review of "Glee" last Tuesday.

He said, "Yet sadly, somewhere around the time Kurt (Chris Colfer) exited the Glee club [at McKinley High School, and joined the Warblers]... the show seemed to lose its way and its balance. What had been a musical comedy with at least one toe dipped in real waters now seems to be an over-produced, overly Auto-Tuned variety show that exists merely to sell downloads of its covers..."

"Glee" used to be a show that advocate for minorities, or people with disability, which has made it different than any other shows. Nevertheless, today's "Glee" is nothing more than an animated jukebox.

The songs (Bianco called them "once the show's saving graces") were basically alright, it was the story that has become ridiculous and hence unbelievable. Audience may also find it shocking in the recent episodes that the Warblers and Blain (Darren Criss) simply dropped in a couple of acapellas in the middle of nowhere.

Sex education, alcohol awareness, homosexual love - just too much. It was almost like a hit-and-run attempt to carry these themes in a 45-minute episode. The overall story becomes irrelevant, episodes after episodes. For instance, Santana (Naya Rivera) is now in love with Brittany (Heather Morris), indeed classic.

Also, some plots are merely recycled ideas (Quinn, Rachel and Finn's rejuggling relationships).

It may be true that "Glee" has become one of those "too hot too fast" shows. With Holly Holiday's (guest Gwyneth Paltrow) comeback, "Glee" has shown a tendency to indulge in getting special guests to spice up their episodes. Let's just cross fingers that the producers are not thinking about doing so.

Not to forget - thanks Bianco for bringing that up - the nasty Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) whose character has become so intolerable. The latest episode showed Sue punching the drunk host at the Regional stage (adding to her history of pushing a teacher down the stairs, throwing students into lockers, attempting to fire Brittany off a canon, and so many more). Have not the producers thought about this question: What the audience are going to take away from those behaviors?

Most audience are not enjoying the violence and absurd incidents portrayed in "Glee." What some audience would like to see is the old "Glee" that makes their hearts beat (faster) when the cast uses music to define their feelings and character, the "Glee" that makes them feel connected to the cast's lives.

GLEE, Glee, Robert Bianco, too hot too fast, Glee sucks, I love Glee, Glee review, life with glee

Prayer for Japan

2011-03-15T21:56:00.004-05:00

Dear Lord,

For what has happened to Japan;

I pray for Your relief,

I pray for Your protection,

I pray for Your guidance;

That the lost may be found,

That the injured may be healed,

That the hurt may be comforted;

You made us realize how vulnerable,

and human we are.

I pray for human to join force and stand strong together

in this time of urgency.

Restore, renew, and reclaim

Your land and Your people.

Lord, in Your mercy - hear our prayers.

Resume

2011-03-14T02:11:00.004-05:00

It's a "go on" for the next seven to eight weeks of the remaining semester. Last week was a total paradise to my college life.

This break has been a blessing; Not only that I've restored the energy that was lost during the restless nights fighting against deadlines, but also strengthened the friendships with many international comrades.

Those nights spent tasting different homemade cuisines of different regions and laughters collected from watching in-house movies are truly memorable. Since many of the exchange students will leave after this spring, I wonder when we could be together and enjoy each other's company again. I guess pizza will never taste the same without you guys.

As I sit back and restrategize my directions for the rest of the semester, I am reminded of the importance to keep striving bring out the best in every area pursued. There should be no excuse to do an okay job while there's potential to achieve excellence. In addition, I hope I can be an example to many friends around me who may not have the right attitude in their course of learning.

Yet, one should never forget to take good care of personal well-being and relational life. Guess I will have to go back to the regular gym sessions and indulge in a healthier lifestyle.

British historian Arnold Toynbee said, "The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play." In fact, I think it is more appropriate to say that it is to blend the line, instead of blemishing them. A blend would be able to show a balance between the two.

So, I take this to be a headstart for the second half of the semester, and wish you many blessings for all undertakings as well.

Cheerios!

"Navigator" gets a facelift

2011-03-10T14:27:00.008-06:00

To commemorate the half-year anniversary since the humble establishment of The Biz Navigator, I decided to give it a minimal, slick and elegant-looking makeup.

Before: Sept 2010 - March 2011

Current: March 2011 onwards. Header and template will remain to secure identity.

Additional links and features are added to the sidebar and footer so readers can continue exploring different areas of my interest as they get done with the page.

Please visit the page to check out the newest entries. Also, don't forget to leave a comment or two so we can chat! Have fun hanging around.

Spring Break - Part 1

2011-03-09T01:32:00.004-06:00

Tomorrow marks the end of spring break part one. I have really been putting myself into leisure and enjoyed the company of good friends, who have also decided to stay in residence during this break.

For the past few nights, we featured different cultural/ethnic food at dinner - Korean, El Salvadoran, Costa Rican, and tonight, Moldovan. Besides, we also turned the basement lounge into movie theatre every night at ten o' clock. It's been fun and fulfilling to spare time with friends whom you can laugh along.

Korean "mix rice"

El Salvadoran beans and potatoes

As for myself, I have been working since the beginning, both as CA and also at the dean's office as design assistant. I wouldn't whine or anything because I am able to earn some extra bucks to spend for the rest of the semester.

I guess this break came at the right time since we all really needed a breather from our hectic schedule. I mean, when else would you get long breaks like this, when you are out working in real business? I'm seriously thankful for this.

Though the snow hasn't melt yet, I am hearing spring - real spring - on its way. I hope that it will turn better out there when the break is done so we don't have to put on those heavy, fluffy winter coat anymore.

For now, just keep taking pleasure beside the heater, tucked into my fuzzy kingdom.

Goodnight, America.

spring break, lawrence hall, st cloud state university

Aron Ralston inspires life, strong will driven by love.

2011-03-03T20:53:00.009-06:00

Aron Ralston

“The most powerful force on earth is the will to love,” said Aron Ralston, a true hero.

I never thought it would strike me that much simply watching “Minute to Win It” like every other nights. It was more than a game show that night, with Aron Ralston’s appearance, who played the game to raise money for Wilderness Workshop.

How many of us have had to make terrible choices in the past?

“Gosh,” I screwed up my last three driving tests. Guess I will have to redo it.

“Gosh,” my girl just broke up with me. Guess I will find a new one.

“Gosh,” uttered Aron Ralston, a regular hiker, nature explorer, and adventurer, who had his arm stuck in between an 800-pound rock loose and the canyon wall.

Guess what, Ralston was stuck there – in the middle of complete wilderness – for five days, more than 127 hours.

On April 26, 2003, the mountaineer went on a day of adventure in the remote southeast Utah. According to him, he did not tell anyone where he’d gone. Little (I bet never) did he know that the trip have brought him to the most horrible choice he had to make in his life.

Personally, I have had some puzzling decisions to make in the past: whether or not to leave my home country and study abroad; whether or not to leave my family behind and pursue my dream; and whether or not to dine at the new “Star of India.”

I must confess that none of them – none of all the decisions I had made in my life – had even been close to the decision that Ralston had to make, after the 127 hours of losing himself in space and time.

Image footage from Aron's video cam while he was stuck.

The instinct of human survival kicked in when Ralston final knew that he will die if he kept waiting for rescue. After much enormous torture of the mind and to the body, Ralston decided to cut his arm off in order to escape from the rocks. And he did.

Not only that he figured a way to rip off his bones and cutting his arms with a blunt knife, he also rappelled off a 60-foot cliff, and then hiked seven miles, before ultimately he was noticed by a helicopter his mom sent to initiate a search operation. My heart sunk having to think about how much pain and suffering Ralston have had to experience.

Now, let’s take a look at ourselves and ask, “What’s so bad, after all?” There are so much things that we have not experienced in life. Who are we to rant about the so-very little discomfort amongst our luxurious life?

It was the feeling of love that gave force to Ralston to keep struggling for survival. He could have just stabbed himself with the blunt knife and bleed to death. He could have died without anyone’s acknowledgement, to end the pain and suffering he’s undergoing.

Yet, Ralston has chosen life. The love for his loved ones and the hope for his future family kept Ralston alive.

Think about students who chose to commit suicide every year all over the world. How bad exactly was your problem? Haven’t you had the choice? While many would have chosen a quick end, Ralston chose to keep battling on.

Aron speaks at several seminars.

This is what made Ralston a true hero. As a man of the family he did not want to disappoint his parents. He did not want his blood relatives to mourn for him. It was love for the family that has given Ralston his strength and determination. I cannot imagine what I would do if stuck in similar situation. No, I don’t even dare to imagine.

We have heard it enough: when life gives you lemon, make lemonade. This saying is just too simple. Don’t be silly, life is not just about lemon and lemonade. We have way too many decisions that we had to make and many of these decisions will not guarantee a happily-ever-after.

Just be grateful for the people around you – family, friends, teachers, and whosoever that crosses our path in everyday life. In the end, you may be surprised of how much these people can help us to generate the power to face every different, challenging tomorrow.

Aron Ralston poses for his book "Between A Rock and A Hard Place."

Seven years later, Ralston turned out to be a motivational speaker, challenging people of many corners of the world to live strong. Ralston also wrote a book entitled "Between A Rock and A Hard Place" based on his experience. His story was also made into a film, starred James Franco, which then was nominated for six Oscar Awards.

"127 Hours" was released last year.

I strongly encourage those who needs a bit of motivation to watch or read Ralston's story.

Aron Ralston, Ralphston, 127 Hours, 127 hours, Between a rock and a hard place, james franco, decisions, cutting arm

Keep on moving forward

2011-03-02T21:46:00.006-06:00

The Student Research Colloquium has really gotten me crazy over the past weekends. I had less than eight hours of sleep from Friday to Sunday, and then the usual weekdays began immediately. Yet I am feeling good for having done my very first complete research. Look for an abstract of my study here. You may also find other competing studies on the project list.

I must thank the University for such an opportunity to conduct a primary research and my research method course professor, Dr. Niaz Ahmed, for his dedication and never-ending support he's given me throughout this period of research. I have never met a professor who is so supportive of a student's work, even when I was just an undergrad without any prior experience.

Many incidents happened last week proved the fact that hard work does pay off. A friend of mine constantly reminds me that success requires double the effort - especially for us as international students. I love how God placed wonderful people around me and kept me encouraged in times of need. Indeed, no pain, no gain. In this case, no pain pain, no gain.

I just want to take this chance to encourage overseas students who may be let down by some of the discouraging incidents happened during their terms of student. Many of us wouldn't see the fruit of the labor until much later. But, rest assure that the work invested will blossom one day - that is for sure.

Keep on moving forward.

Spring Break is upon us and let's take this chance to reward yourselves for those restless nights you have been over just to produce the best work from your assignments. Not to forget, take time to reflect on the positive influences people have made in your life and be thankful for them.

Woot! Two more days to go, let's rock it!

Keeping my head in the game

2011-02-23T09:30:00.008-06:00

Clutching some of the minutes here before attending my first class of the day at 10 a.m.

It's only mid-week but it feels like the end of the month already. Too many tasks and responsibilities are put on my tiny plate and many times I just felt the urge to give up. Yet, God is speaking to me in a unique way:

Keep your head in the game; fix your eyes on the prize, and you'll be motivated.

I have heard this from different people crossing my paths, professors, pastor, and friends. I realize how easy it is to get distracted by the many discouraging incidents, all happened to take place at this time of the week.

Our God is faithful.

I can't tell describe much He loves us because our humane mind could never have understood His way. All I can say is that He is always there. I know, because I've experienced Him.

The journey to completing the research analysis is really tough. I have never imagined the time and energy required to just get things done. Nonetheless, I am loving this experience itself. And with the new position at the Miller Center, more weights are casted on my shoulders and I am foreseeing a transition in my life. The working environment - though I'm only a student worker - is really different after all. Yet I acknowledge that all effort will payoff one day - when I get into an ideal occupation.

Well, I want to thank you all who has bear with me in this though times. Your encouragement and support are my sole pillars. Please stay tuned for many more pieces of my life and hopefully I will be your source for sustenance, too.

Let's keep our heads in the game.

Note: To those who would love to read some of the happenings with the International Students Association at SCSU, please follow the link to the latest edition of our newsletter on this image:

Click on image or here for online PDF.