(Typing in username and password)
Me: C**bai… internet soooo slow….
(Waits ages for the damn thing to load. Rub my eyes and scratch my ass again)

…

Me: New mail from Michelle Suhr… I hope its my offer letter.. pleaseeee be my offer letter….

and lo and behold, I’m presented with this:

FINALLY!!! After weeks of agonising wait… I literally jumped up with joy… pumping fist ala Rocky and then pranced downstairs like a gay lesbian in pink frocks to print it out.

After a long and agonising wait University Tasmania has sent me an Offer of Enrolment. My dream of actually studying in Australia is one step closer. So I have to pay how much?

Wahlan eh…

AUD$14,000 for my studies….*OUCH* a huge blow indeed.

So here’s the checklist for next few things to do before actually going there:

1. Payment of first semester fees to obtain what is called a Certificate of Enrollment

2. Obtain Certificate of Enrollment identification number

3. Go to Australian Immigration website and utilise what is called their eVisa system where students can apply for their student visa online. That means there’s no endless queueing, no travelling. All the items that are needed are your passport particulars and a credit card (another AUD$500 blow…). For citizens of Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia the visa application is hassle-free so those who are planning to further their studies in Australia can take note of their eVisa system here

4. Obtain a medical checkup return form from the eVisa system.

5. Do a medical checkup at their approve medical centres.

6. Mail the medical report to the Australian Immigration Department. (Perth / Sydney)

7. Issuance of a student Visa electronically.

8. Purchase my ticket from Brunei to Sydney and Sydney to Tasmania.

9. Spend countless hours in an airplane.

Today is a good day and what better still to wind down with some nice tea

Thanks to my girlfriend Victoria… her gift to me. So nice rite my girlfriend… jealous or not?

Its expensive but its worth every cent.

Seipokai is finally back!

This so called writer’s block of mind is seriously an understatement. So to kickstart things…

Finally I’m home. After spending two years in Kuching. Time spent was bitter sweet, some things went awry and in admist of being late for class, sleepness nights working on assignments and studying for examinations, I’ve made many friends. Most close and some even closer.

Had the most beer in a single seating…

Just the first tower…

Met one of the best guy (with ridiculously good looking hair that I always eye with jealousy) that saw me through the worst and best of my times.

You wait Dheem! I’ll be joining you there soon!

And of course

She is one of the best things that has happened to me. And I’m thankful for it.

After mom met Victoria…

Mom: She is a nice girl. Very pretty! how did you tackle your girlfren? How you cheat her???
Me: Dun say like that lah ma… no confidence with your own son meh???
Mom: Not confidence… but realistic mah… you so ugly. But your girlfren so pretty??? Got logic meh you say???
Me: Ngaiti~
Mom:You see!!! Her eyes so big… your eyes small-small…
Me: . . .
Mom:She have nose.. you dont have nose… etc~ etc~
Pa, Doris and Jessica laughing in the background…

There are many things I’ll miss in Kuching like the careless life, yum cha sessions and of course THESE BABIES:

Sitting down at McDonald’s and munching on these boooootifuulllll preeeecccciiiooouuuussss fries done to perfection!

I’ll definitely not miss the days of class timetable mix-ups…

After climbing four stories up to copy the wrong timetable

Pant Pant (Going back down four stories then rush all the way to the other side of college (Since I’m 20 mins late)
Me: A306… should be the right class… (Knocks… Open’s door and enter…)
Lecturer: … So the aspects of… (Stares at me in bewilderment) Who are you??
Me: err… this is CSCI 212 right?
Lecturer: This BMT 312… Business… Are you a business student?
Me:err no… (Confused and bewildered and just stares at my timetables)
Lecturer: Let me see your timetable… (Suddenly my lecturer opens the door!)
Me: Sir!
Sir: I knew I find students here… Alex its A308 not A306… Got typo sorry!

A lot of people feel that driving a brightly coloured car with ridiculous neons that makes Genting Highland look shy in comparison, exhaust pipes where you could easily fit in a watermelon, making a racket a half deaf 236 year old man could hear 400 miles away is what makes them cool, part of the ‘in’ crowd. Yob is more like it. ( Yob / Yobbo : British slang for what we locally call such people as ah bengs) Yobbish behaviour like this give the true automophiles a bad name. Instead of observing the quiet, dignified looks and the purity of old Mark II Jaguars, Aston Martin DB5’s, Lotus 7’s; we have people making beelines to the brightest and loudest japanese box. Conversations about cars used to be about the purity of the lines, how smooth the V8 sounds, the feel of the steering and how good body control is instead replaced by half baked technical talks about who has the highest amount of boost from the turbos and how fast the car reaches 4000km/h or how many million watts their sound systems are producing.

They say a man’s car is an extension to his private parts. So is it safe to say that those people driving green Nissan Skylines with blue neon lights underneath have green, neon lid penises making loud noises when they’re in bed?

I for one aren’t fond of brightly lid turbocharged japanese econoboxes with 747 wings strapped on the bonnet. Prefering the purity of British light weight sports cars or unassuming road rockets by the Germans or the ability of pure downright drama of Italian cars. Cars built for a reason, where engineering and passion was not spared. Cars that had soul and purity. Cars such as the BMW M5.

Quiet, dignified and having the ability to snap your neck into two with a simple flex of your right foot at your command. The M5 is one of Germany’s finest example automotive engineering, an epic engine with bottomless reserves of power, the finest handling, superb six-speed proper manual gearbox, fabulous brakes all dressed in a dignified, unassuming dress. Its like having Jet Li in a proper suit, cuffs, expensive watch..what not and yet when he wants to, he could kick you back to the dinosaur age.

Same goes with taste in fashion. I find many the locals here prefer to look like this:

or this:

And I for one think that its silly and prefer to look like this:

or this:

Most people will take my liking as primitive and unfashionable. Well I beg to differ really. I feel that personally advertising yourself with stupid clothing and stupid hairstyle rather uncultured really. Same goes with music as well. I prefer music that was written and sung with passion rather than manufactured just for sake of making a profit, that lot of so called artist Simon Cowell spits out. So naturally I do not like what’s played on public Chinese radio stations.

At times I do feel that much of the people here are rather uncultured and uncivilized. Lacking in humour. Belittling the bigger picture and concentrating in the little nuances of life. Such is trouble I have to go through on a daily basis. Life here lacks passion. Living is just for the sake of living. Materials becomes their passion. Life becomes and endless cycle to attain more worldly possessions and in process the finer things in life are forgotten. Pity really.

Today I discovered piracy is now at another level altogether. While hanging out in Kenyalang Park with my mates Khairol, Nigel and Norman, we went around the stalls and I found this:

Star Sports branded socks!!! The pirates must have met up one day and the conversation went:

Ah beng 1: “Aiya… sii loo (die loo) everything also got… adidas la… LV la.. verchache la (versace)… what to kopi liao??? (copy)”

Ah beng 3: “Aiya!! diam la…. (Shut up la)… limpeh want to kua kiu (watch football) ok or not… ninabeh!”

Ah beng 1 look at Ah beng 2…

Ah beng 1: “Sui la (Nice!)… we make stocking! Star Sport brand… sui bor? (Nice or not?)”

Ah beng 3: “Aiya lu lang suka la (Up to you guys)…! I help market at Kenyalang later!”

And there we have it, Star Sports branded socks! Proudly made in Malaysia! Comfortable & Durable! Long live piracy!

Then onwards to the next few stalls and what do we have here?

Mysterious Gift. Wonder what is that? So naturally I turned over to read the instructions, meaning to find clues to what this “mysterious gift” is.

Extrude water bag from the package with hand, put the place you like, step on it forcibly with feet after toy’s bag is bursted, then lots of emulated stool (!) that are olid and dirty will fly here and there.

It makes every friend who sees it want to vomit.

I presume its a stink bomb? Or emulated stool bomb? Engrish from China… memang terror!

“Are you happy after you punished your friends?” - Wow… talk about after sales service! They actually ask you how you feel after you spray fake stinky shit all over friends who naturally becomes an angry mob chasing after your pranking ass…

And my favourite?

“The product supplies between friends to make happiness and amusement, please don’t use it in public”

First they ask you whether you’re happy after getting fake shit all over your friends (And get beaten up in the process) now they dont want you to use it in public? Where am I suppose to use this thing then???

RM2.50 for a crash course in China english lessons, a good laugh, a trip to the hospital, great after sales service and last but not least a public service announcement! What great value!

This is to all the sh*t that’s going on around me and to all the people that I give a damn, a big fat F**k You. Onwards to the real deal.

The Shins - Wincing The Night Away

1. Sleeping Lessons
2. Australia
3. Pam Berry
4. Phantom Limb
5. Sea Legs
6. Red Rabbits
7. Turn Me On
8. Black Wave
9. Split Needles
10. Girl Sailor
11. A Comet Appears

Apparently Natalie Portman describes The Shins as a “life changing” band. So I picked up their latest album to sample their flavour of indie pop/folk rock sound, I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised as I was expecting a commercial sound to the folk genre and yet I was presented with a soothing approach to their outlook of what music could be. Soothing is the right word. Sleeping lessons is one of those rare introductory tracks that you would remember very very well, with dreamy notes from synthesizers acting as a backdrop and slowly becomes a well orchestrated crescendo of synthesizer, bass, drums and guitar. The vocalist James Russell Mercer serenates clever lyrics which you will be humming for quite a while.
Australia is another very memorable track, albeit heavy Beach Boys influenced.

I’ll keep this review short. The Shins - Wincing The Night Away gets 3-1/2 stars from me. They’ve got great lyrics and a few tracks show experimentalism which always gets a nod from me. A great album to accompany you whilst reading a good book or whilst relaxing after a tiring day.

Being engrossed in my faith is very rewarding and a rather eye opening experience, finding out weaknesses within my character and actually finding answers rather than swimming in a vast ocean of confusion.

My pair of KOSS UR-20’s. RM298.00 very well invested indeed. Yes, some would find purchasing a pair of ear deafening equipment at such ridiculous prices rather insane, however, I’d beg you to differ once you had a go at them!

Puffing on cancer sticks as usual while contemplating topics of interest to further bloat www.seipokai.com

Sadly I won’t be going back to Brunei for Chinese New Year holidays which is rather depressing as I’d love to see all my mates again. Parents seem to think that coming over to Kuching would be a good idea. Arguing with them would lead to nowhere so, I’ve decided to accept the fact and adapt to the situation when they come over rather than being all anal about it.

Male egoism… What a beautiful thing.

And so ladies and gentleman, I’m back for good. Like the new layout? Its still a prototype. Modifications will be enroute to accomodate a shoutbox so keep your pants on. I’d like to hear from you guys for layout suggestions.

It was nearly there but alas not heavenly

The lettuce was excellent!

Fang Fang it was rather sweet of you. I really appreciated everything. Thanks.

Me and my good mate Dheem cracking our heads over a Unix assignment. Life is grand isn’t it? Well this is college life, spending countless sleepless nights over assignments and cramming at the last minute for the finals.

At these trying times when your eyes/brain/hands are at the verge of giving up and your morale is at an all time low, such simplest things would bring you through.

What I do enjoy during these times are the nice conversations when we go for our breaks. I long for a meaningful conversation with someone and Dheem is an excellent yum cha kaki. Topics range from the simplest little things like the hottest girls in college to deep thoughts about life and existence. A good cup of teh tarik, roti canai and a pack of smokes. “The simplest things in life are always the best”, A saying that holds up to itself very well indeed.

Who ever would have known that an old, quaint (albeit dirty) mamak shop would be paradise away from it all at 3.52a.m. in the morning?