First post in April does not have a theme.

Prologue: Finally, it's all over...all the blood and toil for the assignments throughout the whole semester is finally over...Only one last hurdle left: the final exam in which I only have four papers to face this semester...so I am suppose to study for it since it's already study week. But here I am. *shrug*

This is the application form for residence during the two months year break. The only thing that I need to do right now is to fill in the form and finger crossed. However, the period of staying back is only until 19th of June in which I will be gone by 14th of April for PPMS camp. Hmm, should I apply for full or only until 15th of June?

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Last Thursday was the last lecture of HBT203 for 08/09 batch by Mr. Harjit, the forever nice and cool lecturer of us who enjoy giving out sweets and kindness during his lecture. Since this is the last paper of the Law and Translation Series (HBT103/203), this means that we will not see him in the next semester when we enter 3rd year. *sigh I am so jealous of the coming juniors that will attend his lecture next year.* Anyway as usual for him, he gives the last lecture and meaningful advices about life as well as giving some parting gift. (besides the sweets and snacks, of course.) All pictures are shamelessly grabbed from Facebook courtesy of Malar and Minny.

And that's Mr Harjit.

Each and everyone of us got a gift from Mr Harjit in a form of butterfly/paper clip for notes thingy with our own names on it! The fact that he dishes out his own money every semester for his batch of student are just one of his act of generosity. And I am sure the souvenir guy from KOMTAR that Mr. Harjit always visit will be glad to have him as a loyal customer lolx!

...and this is mine. Some says that my butterfly is a result of cross-breeding of butterfly and bee. Bee-terfly?!

Besides the butterfly paper clip thingy, he also gives each and everyone of us a card and a bookmark with motivational message. The words on the bookmark: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. It makes me myself thinks: how many steps in my life do I actually taken until the current point of my life and how many new journey that I actually started...and which way that I am heading too or am I moving at all etc etc...

And of course, being the last lecture and all, group photo are obligatory and all of us got together took photo with Mr. Harjit. SMILE EVERYONE!!!!

And with so many camera around and its the lecture for THE WHOLE SEMESTER, excessive phototaking and camwhoring is also obligatory. So here's a extremely random picture of me and Minny. LMAO the expression. For more piccies goodness, go Facebook.

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Last Friday night was BATI Night, my course very own annual dinner mainly for the going seniors and it was held at Evergreen Laurel Hotel at Gurney Drive. With confusion in the planning stage as well as failing to secure a USM bus and had to rely much on the seniors and all, I am glad that it did goes on smoothly...I think. This BATI night also marks my virgin experience of attending such event for the last two years in BATI. LOL I didn't even attend the previous dinner and now I am in the organizing commitee and obliged to go. I was assigned the job following the bus that picks the attendees up from USM to the venue. *Bus conductor lar tu...not exactly a glorious job anyway* So as I rushes back from my final recording for HBT214 (my BM was kinda sucky. A financial advice from Warren Buffett...in BM!) it was still pretty sunny with clouds here and there. Little did I know just a couple of hours later, around 7pm when I am ready to receive the bus, it turns into...

...a torrential downpour. That's ONE "GREAT" WAY to start the journey?! Is this some kind of omen or a test? And so I waited patiently in my shirts and tie for the any sign of the bus to appear at DUP...and waited...passed the original designated time at 7:30 pm. And no sign of bus or people following the bus. Panicked. And then Vincent called to check whether the bus is here. Nope, not yet. Waited some more. Walking back and forth between Indah Kembara, DUP and PALAPES bus stop just to check whether there are people wearing nice dress or something. Vincent called back and said that there are 3 seniors waiting at DUP. OK, at least there are people but why are they waiting in the toilet/in the dark? Around 7:45 pm. Bus finally came. A bus sekolah. Surprised that only one third of the bus is filled. Was wondering where the hell are the 3 seniors hiding in DUP. They rushed out in time and board the bus and off we go to Evergreen Laurel. THIS BUS IS LATE!!! And immediately on the bus I was chastised by the DIVA for not waiting at DUP and the bus own lateness. *Are you the junior who is suppose to manage the bus? Where were you? I was so SCARED that there is no dinner at all!! I was so hungry and cold! Ahh, I am so angry right now!* Blah blah blah blah As if I did not worried at all. (Kak Sha, if I am not mistaken. Her dress goes along pretty well actually with the DIVA attitude.) It is so ankward to sit in a bus filled with people that you know nothing about and had negligible relationship/interaction despite being our very own senior for the last two year. The seniors know nothing about the juniors, we juniors know nothing of seniors. One way to summed up senior-junior relationship. And there I was, sitting alone looking at the rain and traffic jam stuck in between two group of seniors, DIVA group and U-Height group. That's a way to start the night.

Anyway, we reached the venue safely (phew!)...and no one is outside to sambut us at all. (OK, my fault lar for not being able to contact people that is already there.) Luckily the reception pointed the way and we headed to first floor through the grand staircase at the lobby reach the Laurel Ballroom. Right outside the ballroom is the reception table and all of us signed in and ready for the night! And not many people were there when all of us reached there and Afifah and the rest was like: "Ini saja yang ikut bus?" Memang saya pun terkejut. There is so many seniors that drives?! In the end, all seniors that drives found themselves stuck in traffic and ends up slightly late for the event including Vincent and Joyce them all. Jaya brought along two cameraman who was loaded with weapon aka DSLR and tripod and such!

The chinese vase right outside the ballroom.

The tagline for the night: Rewind to retro. Nice poster and decor and all. I wonder is it the work of the hotel or the work of the organizing team...my gut tells me its hotel.

What is retro without huge shades in striking colours! Atun's and Azira's I think.

Right before the event starts. Kudos for the hotels for providing nice decos.

And finally the event starts with the cake cutting ceremony. Was pleasantly surprised that MeiMay, the first years juniors actually came with her own car, picking up Malar (supposibly my AJK mate but oh well, she came in her own transport) and Miss Hajar, our interpretation lab tutor. Kudos to MeiMay and she dressed in a striking red dress. BeeChin (who almost lost one side of her glove until Sue noticed saw it hanging at the sofa right outside the ballroom and I picked it up for her) was slightly jealous that MeiMay is so slim lolx!

Now, let's move on with the FOOD! The main course: Some rice which I am not exactly remember what it is (kinda bland), fried rice, char koay teow, mix vegies, fish fillet in tomato sauce, ayam masak marah (didn't have the chance to try it cos I was sooo full by the time I finish my meal), lemon chicken, black pepper lamb chop and the best out of all, fried calamari/squid ring with mayonaise. BeeChin commented that my plate looks like rojak. Topping 過ぎだ！！ There is a mushroom soup bar and salad bar which I didn't manage to visit much because I was filled to the brim after two rounds of main course. At least I went back and forth and ate the Kani　蟹/crab stick over the salad bar.

The dessert bar is made of various french pastries, pudding-cake thingy which again, I didn't manage to taste of and fresh fruits.

And this is the cake that we prepared for the opening ceremony. Heard that we got it from Secret Recipe. Nice and creamy!

The buffet table was adorned with this creepy statue though lolx.

Some of the french pastries that I manage to savour before my stomach gives up on me. The peppermint with a little piece of chocolate on the right side was the best.

Dr. Goh and Azira, our hostess for the night. Look at how big her shade is!

What is retro night without some dancing! First round: Vincent and Joyce, Jaya and Mel and Ben and Atun!

Second round: Dr Hasuria and Dr. Leelany along with Mel and Joyce. (if you can see them with the size and shakiness of the photo lolx!) Both of them were looking very gorgeous and they can DANCE! BATI lecturers are the coolest ever!

And this was done right almost at the end of the event, with throngs of people going on stage and dancing away!!! All hail kebaya and Pop Ye Ye! And ohh, we do choose our own BATI King and Queen which is Jaya and Kak Sha aka DIVA. Suits both of them!

...with all the commotion going on in the ballroom, I wondered off instead to the toilet, taking my own picture. In fact, most of my time over there was spent wandering around the whole ballroom looking for a group to perch on before moving around again, occasionally to the buffet table to pick up some calamari ring and kani stick and fresh fruits, move in and out between the toilet and ballroom, jumping from phototaking group to another, without much reasonable interaction with other people, even among my own AJK. Ms. Hajar quipped that I am a wandering soul. Even though almost at the of event, I joined Azira, Atun, Aziela etc and singing out loud "Standing in the eyes of the world" for the seniors and we all did took a 2nd year group photo, I do feel a little tinge of loneliness in me. Oh well. At least I had good food.

And the bloody bus got me in confusion again. First I called the number that Joyce gave me. The person picked up (only after the 2nd time!) and redirect me to another number, which is the bus drivers. Will come in 10 minutes. Fine cos the whether is kinda chilly over Gurney Drive. Bus came. Went up to call them. Half of the U-Height group decided that they will join other people for transport. Fine. After confirming the number of people, we head back to USM. First stop: U-height. And the DIVA asked: "we are going to have two stop right? (YES.) OK, cos I don't know. And I have to call you junior because I don't know your name. (I don't know your name either and there is no need and too late to know my name anyway. You guys will be gone by the next convo anyway.) Reach PALAPES, let them off and the bus driver suddenly asked about the payment. CRAP. No one informed me and I didn't ask about whether the bus is already settled or not. That bus driver even closed the door to prevent me from going out before the things settled! Slightly panicked and start making calls to no avail (OMFG). Then the bus driver made his own call to the people in charge, and then he open the door and says ok, its settled already. Phew! It was around 1am when I finally reached my room, feeling kinda drained...take a quick bath, changed and sleeps...

Verdict: OK lar the experience. Maybe partially ruined by being a not-exactly-informed bus conductor. At least I had good food and I grab hold one of the souvenir before I left. I wonder how is it gonna turn out next year, when the junior organized it for us. OH NOZ! I am going to be a 3rd year senior soon! Time flies WAAAAAAAAYYYY too FAST!

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Saw this last Saturday, when I went over to Istimewa for my usual weekly Bleach download run. The famous Kuching 3 layered tea is coming over to Peninsula?! OH RLY? lol didn't order it cos I can always have the authentic and original one right behind my home in Kuching.

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And oh, one last announcement. Through a visibly not exactly democratic mean, (reserved post and limited turnout and people who didn't attend can be nominated. Whaddya expect? Its on last Wednesday, when everyone is rushing for their last assignments!) I got elected as the incoming President of BATI Club.

ガンーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー！！！！！ YES, I am shocked. Despite how much I un-sell myself and resort to threatening (Joyce: YOU ARE SUPPOSE TO SELL YOURSELF, NOT THREATEN THEM!) so that they will not vote for me, it backfired and I got voted in. Anyway, Vincent and Joyce gave me some tips and advices and assurance the club will still be fine even when I go off overseas for student exchange (kalau ada berkat lah...) because most of the projects will be done by the excos.

So, Am I ready for the job? *shudder* And the fact the it have to start off with confirming the AJK and projects and all those red tapes blah blah blah. And where is all the document that I need? Did the previous secretary passed the portfolio to the incoming secretary already? How many more documents that we need to send in? Jeez! Somehow my guts tells me that I shouldn't trust the utterance "Everything will be fine..." too much. This is a white lie that have a great tendency to backfire...Murphy's Law it is. I think in another sense though, I think my basic responsibility get the best of me...oh well. Guess have to pull it through with everyone!

Epilogue: Recently, I was kinda thinking of starting a new blog, concentrating on musing, questions, views in translation and languages issue and such. Dr. Hasuria also suggested before that I can blog about translation issues so that everyone else can share views and such. Now still in the process of gathering motivation and idea for it. Meanwhile, the static state of mind continues...haven't done much studying at all for this study week!