A mid-October updates!

Prologue: It's already halfway through October?! What happened for the earlier half of October anyway! It's...gone without me realizing what happened? Unbelievable!

Greeting my fellow (not exactly exist but it's out there somewhere) blog followers/readers! My deepest apology as I am guilty indeed of leaving my blog in dust again and/or littered with filler/aside post that doesn't not really deal with what exactly happened in my daily life. So, it's about time to inject some "me" back into my poor, neglected blog! But before that, let's take a quick tour about what actually happened in the real life/world outside my context of real life. And as all you can clearly observed buzzing in the media and cyberspace, a lot of things did happened from the last time we left in both international front as well as local front. Here's are some of the best bits.

The 19th Commonwealth Games held in Delhi from 3 of October til 14 October 2010. It's only the 2nd time that a Commonwealth Games, the 2nd largest global multi-sports event after the Olympic Games is held in Asia since the previous one back in good old days of 1998 at Kuala Lumpur. But say, how many of us actually realized that there's such an event going on over the Indian Subcontinent there anyway? I didn't much hypes going on or maybe it's because I am not reading much newspaper's these days.

The opening ceremony over Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, complete with Bollywood Light and Spectacles and huge blimp that functions as props and projectors screen floating in the middle of stadium! In a typical Indian wedding-esque fashion, Delhi CWG organizers finally managed to muster enough strength and pulled off the Commonwealth amid all the chaos and looming controversies before and even during the games such as corruption allegations and construction of game venues chronically behind schedule and shoddy constructions qualities and questionable living quality over the Games Village and collapsed footbridge and "isolated" terrorist attack which is good enough to alarm the media and used condoms (those frisky athletes) clogging the sanitation pipes and dopings and boycott and withdrawal of well known names from the games (such as Usain Bolt of Jamaica) etc etc to be named a few (it's over Wiki so just read it yourself). In fact, with so many controversies and chaos going on, it is almost certain the actual games itself will be rendered underwhelming despite claim by the Delhi CWG Organizing Chairman, Suresh Kalmadi that this commonwealth games will be better than 2008 Beijing Olympics. What a self-aggrandizing prick and served him well from being booed by the audience during the opening ceremony.

But of course at the end of the days, what matters the most for competing nations and their athlete is of course the medal counts. Australia is back to the top again with impressive performance especially over their traditional stronghold over the swimming pools while host nation India surged to second place with the support of home advantage garnering key golds in shooting. Malaysia's performance was not too shabby actually with 12 golds which is an improvement from meager 7 during 2006 CWG at Melbourne, garnering key golds from Badminton. Our down neighbour is trailing closely behind Malaysia with their gold contributed by their Mainland Chinese Imports in table tennis. With the closing ceremony currently underway in Delhi (14 October), the games has finally reached the end note. That's all about the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

Here's are some snippet that I grabbed online courtesy of Skyscrapercity.net's Delhi 2010 thread. Next game: Glasgow 2014! Scotland/Alba here we come!

Typical of any closing ceremony for any multisport event, the next host city will have their own performance as a transition to the next game. Here's one of the most famous modern architectural landmark of Glasgow, Clyde Auditorium or "Armadillo", reproduced/formed using balloon/airfilled...thing.

Bagpipe and tartans and men and women in skir...I mean kilts! What more can be more Scottish than this! See you next time in Glasgow 2014!

We are well in the shelther, 33 of us. The Copiapo Mining Accident that happened on 5 August 2010 in which 33 miners were trapped in 700 metres deep mine for 69 days before being the rescue mission the last two days has to be one of the most awe-inspiring survival stories of the year. The credit for the success of the rescue mission has to be given to the miners themselves in which their discipline and morale has kept them alive for the first 17 days before being discovered and contacted by the rescuers above surface, the organization, aid and faith by the rescue above surface which keep the miner alive with supplies from above and expedite the rescue process during the execution, the support of friends and families, all Chileans as well as the rest of the world in the rescue effort and last but not least, the advancement of rescue technology by the Chilean Navy and NASA with the usage of Fenix II rescue pod! With the last miner being pulled out from the mine on 13 October 21:55 Chilean Time and last rescuer on 14 October 00:32, the rescue mission is finally over. Chile and Chilean has earned a renewed respect from the rest of the world with the success of the rescue. Congratulations!

Meanwhile in local front:

One of the worst environmental disaster in Sarawak happened last week til now when a landslide triggered by erosion after continuous rain and alleged over-logging over upstream of Rajang River has brought along tonnes of logs and debris downstream clogging miles of waterways all the way from the inland town of Kapit til Sibu in the middle to the Rajang River mouth, blocking the river traffic, damaging speedboats which are the mainstay of inland transport and damaging the river habitats.

Another shot of the logjam flowing through Sibu courtesy of Hornbill Unleashed. This unprecedented but most likely preventable incident has certainly tarnished the already battered and dubious environmental record with regards to protecting rainforest from illegal logging. Investigation by the state government to gauge the exact causes for this environmental catastrophe is current underway and hopefully the state government can be truthful and diligent in their finding to curb malpractice. But no matter what's the outcome of the report, it is certain that Sarawak's reputation in sustainable forest management (or lack of it) has been forever tarnished with unmistakable scar.

And last but not least, (Datuk) Ibrahim Ali which is the guy in the center of this picture which has the face that captures aptly the alluring flair of an elephant's bum and the supremo of his band of raving loonies called Perkasa has been stripped of his Datukship in Kelantan by the Kelantan Royal Palace. But since he has his Selangor and Malacca's datukship in tact, he can still be adressed as a Datuk. Not that it has a lot meaning these days in which a datuk can be a stone throw away...before they call the police and charges you in the name of assault.

And talking about PERKASA, here's its official website if you need further information. Oh wait! The account for that website has been suspended (as of 00:56am, 15 October 2010). LULZ.

That's all about the world today! What about...me?

OHAI! It has been quite a while since my face showed up in my own blog. Yes, this was taken during my last week's visit to the library and yes, finally I made some effort related to my research by dropping by library and searching for more reference for my research's literary review.

Books. Books EVERYWHERE. And these are the books that I am currently (supposedly lar) reading at the moment, added with other journals and such related to my research which I scoured from online courtesy of Google Scholar. And did you that pile of paper on top of these books? That's actually a printed copy of Topics in Audiovisual Translation (edited by Pilar Orero) which I managed to get a PDF copy from online and so far, it has been quite a good read and seems to have points relevant to my interest I don't know about you but I have a feeling that research proposal is actually might actually take the longest time for my Master thesis with search for focus and literary review of related research and references and theoratical framework and research methodologies and such. And the process can be very mind-grating with all the jumbled academic languages and further references and such. Everytime whenever I tried to read up a journal, I will inevitably ended up being knocked out in one hour tops. Or maybe it's because that I am reading my books in a dimmed room on my comfortable bed...and sometimes you can't help to slack by addicted to Facebook and internet and email and blog and... Ahem, anyway that's about it for my research I guess. Currently warming to the idea of Polysystem and Functionalism and Descriptive Translation Studies. Work hard and good luck for myself.

Currently I am somewhat back to my MSG packed shi- I mean Instant noodle diet for my dinner as a part of the measure in handling my current recession economy wise. To balance things out however, I still head out to cafe (mostly Indah Kembara's cafe) for a proper yet affordable lunch with vegies and meats and fibers and all. Guess that's one way to handle Moneygeddon for now. I can't wait for the JPA to give me a positive reply and it has been more than two weeks since the last time I sent an email to them. Looks like I have to spam their mailbox just to get a reply from them just like what I did the last time. *flexing fingers*. I definitely need any form of financial support for the rest of my master as the leftover money for the past three years by JPA is running dangerously thin by days. Maybe I should consider other way for financial supports...and I am still not exactly keen of getting USM's Fellowship or Graduate Assistant Scheme simply because of their rather demanding requirement and duties after being approved. I mean, producing a journal in the first year? Teaching 6 hours per week for your school? I would rather secure PTPTN instead.

What's the matter for this plate of rice? Well, this was the Nasi campur I ate the other day over Bakti Nasi Campur stall and guess what? It featured nothing but beef meats! This situation occured because I came back late into campus about after 1:30pm after spending my whole morning over Pelita onlining all the way and there're basically nothing left to pick for nasi campur except some beef and meat. So in the end, I settle for plain rice with beef and nothing else. Price: RM 2:80 (if my memory serves me well). Pfft I could've a more fulfilling lunch over IK than this. Definitely a one-off experience.

Some related SISTAHood related stuffs:

Sunday the Triple ten (10/10/10), which was a lunch date with the SISTAHoods in Penang before SzeSze goes on with her work at 2:30pm. Actually the night (or rather, very early morning) before, I received a message from SzeSze regarding the plan...at 2:00am in the morning. I still manage to gave a prompt response to her because I haven't enter my sleep yet.

And the people involved and the SISTAHood left in Penang: Chuah BeeSze and Chan PooBee~~

Tailou Lawrence in which those two women poked fun of me again for keep on forgetting to inform Lawrence in any outing planning. Grr.

And still elusive and busy working woman AhBui who only came after we actually had our lunch because of her church activities earlier in the morning.

Condiments: Mayo and Chilli thing.

This is what the other three people had: Fush and Chups.

While me heading for cheaps, had Mediterranean Baked fish rice set with Calamari add on.

At the end of the day, satisfied stomach and slightly emptied pocket. Which I actually did end up with an empty pocket when the bill came because I forgot that I still owe ChanPao RM20 for the dinner last time at Dave's Deli and in the end had to fork out some more money over ATM later to pay for Lawrence who volunteered to pay the bill first. Money management and memory FAIL.

Wednesday 13 October 2010. Dinner to Hidden Recipe over Sungai Dua for the first time since the semester starts and in which I ordered Chicken Mont Blanc, this time armed with fuller wallet. But the food is not the main reason here.

Yes! It's because of AhHan who came down to Penang earlier during day time to attend a second job interview at Citigroup as well as AhBui who happened to have a half-day MC due to discomfort and had to come back home earlier. Yes, these two elusive birds!

And with almost full set of SISTAHood available, phototaking ensued! That's Ah wong with the ladies.

That's me, with the ladies.

And the gents and the ladies forming and almost full set of SISTAHood, courtesy of AhHan's BF who took the picture for us. (Note: Chanpao joined us later at 7pm because she had a class til then. But still it's consider as almost full set and she did take another even more fuller set of SISTAHood with her own camera. I guess I shall wait for her Facebook upload!)

At the end of the day, a clean plate and happiness. Oh maybe except the part where those women poke fun of me again of my not exactly moving research and full time slacking lifestyle and laziness in helping their assignment and apathy and etc. It's more of inability, dear. Not reluctance. I will give my tips and guidance if you ask but seriously please finish your own assignment in your own words. And my current mental faculty is not in its prime state anymore. I am getting old and obese.

Last but not least, evidence of self-censorship practiced by Times over Borders. The naked pregnant woman's body is covered with black marker! But hey she did cover her boobs and fanny and only revealed her pregnant stomach! Geez a scene that reveals woman's flesh and it's enough to cause a hullaballoo or stupid man with pregnant fetish to fap over this cover. This cover is what I call thought-provoking to direct attention to their main story for this particular edition.

Err, that's all for now I guess. Stay tuned for more (erratic) updates of my blog. Will try to explore more topic related to me as well as the campus.

Epilogue: My thesis is definitely in a mirage right now. It's there...but it's not exactly there. And hopefully I won't be running out of resource before actually reaching the real ending point and die from exhaustion and starvation. Must. Keep. Going.