1st post of the year 2011.

Prologue: There are plenty of things happened in reality as the year 2010 heads toward the end. For example in local front, YET ANOTHER ADUN/MP PASSED AWAY, triggering YET ANOTHER by-election (lost count of it already. The death never ends! ADUN/MPs elected in 3.8.2008 are all MORBIDLY JINXED. Who's gonna die next?) at Johor at a place ironically called Tenang (peaceful or composed or unpertubed in Malay). In the global front, series of widespread protests and strikes across Europe by workers and students etc against cost-cutting measures by reducing welfare expenses and subsidies. One particular example is the student's protest in United Kingdom against the current Tory-LibDem Coalition Government's plan to slash funding in eduction and raising tuition fee. The protest from time to time erupted into sporadic violence and vandalism in which there's one incident in which Prince Charles and Camillia's motorcade were trapped amid crowding protesters. Lib-Dems and it's leader, Nick Clegg were immediately in the spotlight regarding this issue due to the fact that they were signatories of a pledge in supporting the students before the 2010 General Election which eventually resulted in hung parliament. Guess political survival as a minority partner in the coalition gets better of the Lib-Dems.

-Saturday 1 January 2011-

01.01.11. What an auspicious number indeed for the first day of the year.

The moment the clock struck 12am, raising the curtain for year 2011 while curtain falls for the year 2010 with sparks and colours and bangs. Sounds of fireworks blooming in the skies can be heard at that moment but as far as the view from my room is concern, I can here sounds and if you squint a little bit harder, that's sparks of firework in the middle of the picture at the direction of the Ivory Twin Tower. 

Rising sun for a new day! Woke up 7:30am just to tune in to BBC Radio 4 online streaming and listened to the Big Ben's Chime at 12am for new year. Remember, Malaysia is GMT +8! I think BBC Radio 4 is indeed the best radio station out there for the high brow content, whether it's entertainment (Satirical stage shows! Manage to listened to one right before Big Ben's chime and there're plenty more in the week!), literature (recitals of poem and reading of excerpts and short stories!) and current affairs (talk shows, news) etc.

While my morning time was uneventful, went for lunch + online over Roti Bakar for the first time this year ever since I come back. Ordered one of their Christmas Specials Offering: Sweet and Sour Chicken set. Verdict: Err. So so. My stint over Roti Bakar was cut short because I wasn't seat right beside the plug over there. In fact, I could've been seated right beside one if I didn't venture down further over Istimewa's side of Ivory Plaza to check whether Pingu Cafe's open or not (It wasn't.). When I head back to Roti Bakar, the golden seat's occupied. FFFFFFFFUUUUUUU-. Head over to Istimewa instead right after that and online for a couple more hours.

Towards the end of my online session over Istimewa, storm clouds formed, wind started to blow and not too long later, it rained. Hence, I walk back in rain. Oh, forgot to mention this: there's no in campus bus service on Sunday.

Looking towards DUP where's PC Fair Universiti jointly organized by PIKOM and USM was on it's last day of exhibition. The PC Fair here is a small fare if compared to the normal one usually organized at PISA in Penang and there're small but deemed sufficient choice of exhibitors and merchandises here. Actually I planned to buy a new external harddisk for myself in a way to celebrate new year and I did saw good deals over there (500gb for RM189. Worth it right?) and I did marched over to ATM machines located at DK foyer to took some money out. As I walked over to the ATM machines however, the miserly side of me get the better of my judgment and in the end, I only took out RM 100 instead of RM 200 that I originally planned. Oh well. As money running low slowly and surely, one has to adhere to austerity measures in order to move on with life. Have to plan carefully in future purchase especially with regards to luxuries.

A long walk back to Bakti in the drizzle, umbrella in one hand, groceries (to be precised crackers, milk powder and instant noodle. Oh still can't get rid of the unhealthy diet of MSG packed instant noodle) in the other...

-Sunday, 2 January 2011-

Just saw this up around campus when I head back into campus after having first B&O session of the year over Pelita. For those USM-ers who didn't know, Yes4G is collaborating with USM to offer free YES4G account to all USM students. To check your password, just login to your CampusOnline portal and there will be a pop-up which contain details about your YES4G account. Besides that, YES4g will be coming into campus starting from tomorrow setting up booth over DK foyer for student who were interested to sign up. Another reason that I put off my plan to buy external harddisk is because of this. I am considering of actually sign up to it thus reducing off-campus onlining trips and off-campus spending to a minimum but let's see what did they offered first tomorrow...Oh as for the B&O session, I was silently gleeing when the waiter over there forgot to write down the time on my bill (Like Istimewa, they charge RM 1 per hour for electricity. Geez.) but as I marched over to pay my bill, the cashier punch in another RM2.50 to my bill. Dang, they do see that I plugged it. FFFFUUUUU- The need for getting a wireless broadband plan seems imminent.

Once in a while blue sky that appeared around noon time, lacking the usual, dusty murkiness. Maybe because of the rain last night then.

Lunch for today: Nasi Goreng Pattaya, generously doused with soy sauce. I love my fried rice to have extra mix saltiness and sweetness. Originally planned to buy economical rice over ShuangXing (the pork, the sinfully delicious ppppppoooooorrrrk!) as I head back to campus but to my horror, the economical rice stall's closed even though others open! Walk further down the road to check out Lida and the same thing too happened: door shut tightly. CRAP. Head back to Bakti Cafe instead only to realized that almost all cafe closed during weekend but thank god, the nasi goreng stall open almost daily every week. I place my order as takeaway without realizing the container cost extra 20 cents. Pfft fine then. Should've eaten my dinner at the cafe instead.

Tomorrow's Monday. Oh dear.

Epilogue: My single room is my oyster, cloistered away from reality going on just outside my window. Isn't ironic that I spent my day with curtain closed but opened it at night time when there's no sun. My room at night are brighter (albeit artificial then day time, when the curtains closed time with little sun light entering the room.