Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
(...actually it's more of Ken Rhee's Series of Unfortunate Events)
For a long time, I always believed that everything is either a cause and/or is an effect. This sentence is a neutral statement, compared to say, "There is always a silver lining," or "What goes around, comes around." This belief of mine I think is something in line with karma. Something always happen for a reason, whether it's something good, or something bad. In a conceptual world, you do good you get good, you do bad you get bad. However, real life isn't always like this.
But still, the sentence still holds true. The only thing is that you DON'T know what is the cause or the effect. The event could be something that happened as a result of something. Best illustrated as you get punished for something bad that you have done. Or could be rewards reaped from the field you have sowed. When something wrong happens that you cannot explain, and you have not done anything bad in your life, there is only one thing that is left to hold on to. Faith that things will change for the better.
It could be a test, to see how you will come out in the end. A test that will make you stronger. A test that can make you find yourself.
(Lost comes back to mind...)
Now, coming back to my title: A series of unfortunate events has occured to me. More like ill news all the way. Everything isn't going my way, everything isn't turning out to my benefit. And there is nothing that I can do.
It started quite some time ago. I don't know when to start. For one, I have not yet recieved my student visa. I applied on the 21st of December. Others have applied and gotten theirs by the time I applied. The next day, I went to the doctor to get my medical checkup. They found haematuria. And because of that, my medical fees was RM300 for the additional tests.
I was hoping that it would not interfere with my application, but it did. They refered the medical report back to Australia. And due to the holiday season, I only got a reply on the 3rd of January. They just recieved the reports and are reviewing it now. There was another e-mail, from the University saying that they have reserved a place for me in the temporary accomodation, comfirming that I do NOT have a place in the campus. So I have to go look for my own place outside.
I finally got a reply on 6 Jan. They needed to contact my doctor. Fine. Another mail on 9 Jan saying I should go see my doctor. I was supposed to fly off on 9 Jan. The rest flew off on 9 Jan. Why am I still here. I went and I had to go see a nephrologist. Fine. I tried to make appointments, but Tuesday was a holiday. The next available one was Wednesday. FINE.
Wednesday, I also get an e-mail stating that my friends who were already there decided to rent a place together and I will be alone. I have not felt so betrayed... But they have valid excuses. There was nothing I can do anyway. Not only I have to stay alone, I most probably have to miss the entire orientation. I might not even make it for the first few lessons.
So, now, I have problems with my visa, problems with my health, problems of accomodation, problems of settling in. I can only what events will occur next.
And I do not have a clue on what is the purpose of all these, only why it could be happening to me. Neither gives me comfort.
Monday, January 09, 2006
T-minus 1
(well it should have been if not for my health...)
What scares me is now is that I am watching the series Lost. It's about a plane that crashed on course from Australia to Singapore... It features a bunch of survivors who miraculously survived the crash. They all survived, and the main cast all have a tale to tell, and they are actually in fact, emotionally and spiritually... Lost.
So begins the story. Miracles happening and all that. Every episode will star a character, and the problems he/she is facing for the day, and at the same time, will reveal his/her story which he/she will have to relive and find themselves to get through their stay in the island.
Then enter the shamanistic character, Locke. He was a cripple, and the crash made him able to walk. After his episode, he became this sort of a preacher. He believes strongly that the island is filled with mystical powers which brought all those who survived there for a reason. He started taking it like a duty to spread this knowledge, teaching everyone. In the beginning, he was the righteous one. After a while, I felt a tinge of evangelistic sentiments being weaved into the show.
When I look back, Christianity has always been beside me almost all the way of my life. Though I am a Buddhist, I have asked questions about the religion. I feel that I do know much about Christianity, but then, so did Lucifer. Anyway, I am also reading a book "The Case for a Creator." The first few chapters already is shattering my beliefs in Darwinism. I held to the Theory so much because it was the most logical sensical fact in my life. I am still mulling over whether I still hold on to it because I am stubborn or because it is true...
The part which scares me is that I am in this period of not believing anything. Nothing has been going my way these couple of weeks. And I do feel Lost. And an interesting discussion I had yesterday, about the 7 deadly sins. I am committing all of them at this very moment and I don't know what to do. Evelyn tried showing me the other good 14... but I can't see any of it...
Anyway, that's just a gist of what is going on in my mind now. Back to being lost.. I mean, watching Lost
(well it should have been if not for my health...)
What scares me is now is that I am watching the series Lost. It's about a plane that crashed on course from Australia to Singapore... It features a bunch of survivors who miraculously survived the crash. They all survived, and the main cast all have a tale to tell, and they are actually in fact, emotionally and spiritually... Lost.
So begins the story. Miracles happening and all that. Every episode will star a character, and the problems he/she is facing for the day, and at the same time, will reveal his/her story which he/she will have to relive and find themselves to get through their stay in the island.
Then enter the shamanistic character, Locke. He was a cripple, and the crash made him able to walk. After his episode, he became this sort of a preacher. He believes strongly that the island is filled with mystical powers which brought all those who survived there for a reason. He started taking it like a duty to spread this knowledge, teaching everyone. In the beginning, he was the righteous one. After a while, I felt a tinge of evangelistic sentiments being weaved into the show.
When I look back, Christianity has always been beside me almost all the way of my life. Though I am a Buddhist, I have asked questions about the religion. I feel that I do know much about Christianity, but then, so did Lucifer. Anyway, I am also reading a book "The Case for a Creator." The first few chapters already is shattering my beliefs in Darwinism. I held to the Theory so much because it was the most logical sensical fact in my life. I am still mulling over whether I still hold on to it because I am stubborn or because it is true...
The part which scares me is that I am in this period of not believing anything. Nothing has been going my way these couple of weeks. And I do feel Lost. And an interesting discussion I had yesterday, about the 7 deadly sins. I am committing all of them at this very moment and I don't know what to do. Evelyn tried showing me the other good 14... but I can't see any of it...
Anyway, that's just a gist of what is going on in my mind now. Back to being lost.. I mean, watching Lost
Friday, January 06, 2006
4 More Days...
To be more accurate, the sentance ends with: ...till I know whether I'll be flying on the 9th or not. Yep, I have NOT heard about my visa yet, so I might leave suddenly on the 9th or later. Just my luck to get haematuria at this point in time.
I have just completed Phase 1. Phase 1 was a gruesome challenge, taking a lot of my time and effort. Initially, I thought I might not make it, but after a little coaching and help from my parents, I managed to complete it, with extra's as well. There were a lot of doubts and worries, that I might not make it, but with a lot of reorganising, it was finally done. In the end, it wasn't a close shave, but far from it. I really had lots of room in the end. I could breathe easily now. And I because of that, I will be getting new medical books! oh joy! Well, that's the end of Phase 1: the Packing of the Bag.
I am actually halfway through Phase 2 and Phase 3. My desktop (yes my DESKTOP) is actually the same size as my monitor, but not as slim though. But still, I can actually fit both CPU AND monitor into a carry on luggage, with additional space for extra clothes. My keyboard and mouse are in Phase 1 and almost impossible to retrieve now. But I have spare mouses/mice that I can still plug in. No keyboard though. Anyways...
The books I am bringing Down Under are Kumar & Clark, baby Talleys, baby Patho, Oxford Hndbook of Clinical Medicine and Surgery. And if there is space, I can even bring papa Patho or Dorlands. And IF they close one eye, I think I can smuggle in a novel or two. What I will definitely bring onboard is a crossword book that I bought with Evelyn. Something to do on a 5 hour flight...
What I have decided not to bring (or rather don't have the means of getting it) is a PDA. I could fill it with programs here, but sadly they ran out of the beautifullest of models, with built in bluetooth, WiFi, 128mb worth of accesible memory, and a camera. No other model can top it for that price. That was the year end sale. It's never coming back... However, my eyes turned to the Dell Axim series, where there is similar features, with more speed, but less memory no camera. However, it only deals stuff online and takes a week to deliver. So much for getting a PDA. But who knows, I might not need it there.
Another problem that awaits me Down Under is accomodation. I can save loads if I manage to share with my collegues, but it seems like they have other ideas in mind. I can't change their minds, but I do wish though, that I would still get a roof over my head. As of right now, I think I do NOT have any accomodation at the campus.
The Aussie Dollar has also been increasing, last I checked was 2.7, but now it is 2.85. Oh well. another headache there. This will also be a new year resolution (for me to break) to keep track of my expenses to the 5 cent. Hopefully, I can save enough to actually live a social life, even if it was for a day.
Anyways... wish me luck
To be more accurate, the sentance ends with: ...till I know whether I'll be flying on the 9th or not. Yep, I have NOT heard about my visa yet, so I might leave suddenly on the 9th or later. Just my luck to get haematuria at this point in time.
I have just completed Phase 1. Phase 1 was a gruesome challenge, taking a lot of my time and effort. Initially, I thought I might not make it, but after a little coaching and help from my parents, I managed to complete it, with extra's as well. There were a lot of doubts and worries, that I might not make it, but with a lot of reorganising, it was finally done. In the end, it wasn't a close shave, but far from it. I really had lots of room in the end. I could breathe easily now. And I because of that, I will be getting new medical books! oh joy! Well, that's the end of Phase 1: the Packing of the Bag.
I am actually halfway through Phase 2 and Phase 3. My desktop (yes my DESKTOP) is actually the same size as my monitor, but not as slim though. But still, I can actually fit both CPU AND monitor into a carry on luggage, with additional space for extra clothes. My keyboard and mouse are in Phase 1 and almost impossible to retrieve now. But I have spare mouses/mice that I can still plug in. No keyboard though. Anyways...
The books I am bringing Down Under are Kumar & Clark, baby Talleys, baby Patho, Oxford Hndbook of Clinical Medicine and Surgery. And if there is space, I can even bring papa Patho or Dorlands. And IF they close one eye, I think I can smuggle in a novel or two. What I will definitely bring onboard is a crossword book that I bought with Evelyn. Something to do on a 5 hour flight...
What I have decided not to bring (or rather don't have the means of getting it) is a PDA. I could fill it with programs here, but sadly they ran out of the beautifullest of models, with built in bluetooth, WiFi, 128mb worth of accesible memory, and a camera. No other model can top it for that price. That was the year end sale. It's never coming back... However, my eyes turned to the Dell Axim series, where there is similar features, with more speed, but less memory no camera. However, it only deals stuff online and takes a week to deliver. So much for getting a PDA. But who knows, I might not need it there.
Another problem that awaits me Down Under is accomodation. I can save loads if I manage to share with my collegues, but it seems like they have other ideas in mind. I can't change their minds, but I do wish though, that I would still get a roof over my head. As of right now, I think I do NOT have any accomodation at the campus.
The Aussie Dollar has also been increasing, last I checked was 2.7, but now it is 2.85. Oh well. another headache there. This will also be a new year resolution (for me to break) to keep track of my expenses to the 5 cent. Hopefully, I can save enough to actually live a social life, even if it was for a day.
Anyways... wish me luck
Sunday, January 01, 2006
It's been a long time since my last post... so this is a summary of what has happened:
Studied for End of Semester Exams
Sat for EoS
Passed EoS => can go to Australia
Applied for Visa - Spent AU$420
Medical Checkup - required for visa - spent RM 300
Got back report - good news, I dont have AIDS. bad news, I have haematuria.
Bought Air ticket - spent RM 2656
Finished the Convocation Magazine. Didn't manage to add in the trivia questions to every page.
Stayed up for more than 24 hours. finishing the magazine.
Planning on starting a cd version though...
Watched Extended Edition of Lord of the Rings. By that I meant all three movies.
Finished watching Desperate Housewives.
Watched Narnia and King Kong
Gave a friend a Gundam Model and got one back.
Help make a Gundam Model
Painting my own Gundam model
Playing Black and White 2, The Sims 2 and Chronicles of Narnia
Started watching Gensomaden Saiyuki. Hope I can finish it before I leave
Studied for End of Semester Exams
Sat for EoS
Passed EoS => can go to Australia
Applied for Visa - Spent AU$420
Medical Checkup - required for visa - spent RM 300
Got back report - good news, I dont have AIDS. bad news, I have haematuria.
Bought Air ticket - spent RM 2656
Finished the Convocation Magazine. Didn't manage to add in the trivia questions to every page.
Stayed up for more than 24 hours. finishing the magazine.
Planning on starting a cd version though...
Watched Extended Edition of Lord of the Rings. By that I meant all three movies.
Finished watching Desperate Housewives.
Watched Narnia and King Kong
Gave a friend a Gundam Model and got one back.
Help make a Gundam Model
Painting my own Gundam model
Playing Black and White 2, The Sims 2 and Chronicles of Narnia
Started watching Gensomaden Saiyuki. Hope I can finish it before I leave
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Why I like this movie? Coz it potrays my all time favourite hero, Robin Hood. This movie is a 'remake' from the normal story line, with additions of new allies like Azeem and enemies like the witch... It gives off a deeper meaningful movie rather than the normal hero saves the day thing.
Nobles aren't born, they are made...
A man defending his homeland, his honour is stronger than 10 hired guards...
Oh, racism and religion also comes in here. It really shows how people can be so ignorant and so quick to judge the other side when they themselves are like that. Call the muslims cruel and stuff, but the english were the ones cruel and Azeem was the one saving people and delivering babies.
Which reminds me of an episode of House MD. A racist black guy who refuses treatment that helps black people. Says it's a racist drug. The issue of racism has been so great in the past, that even in this modern times, people can still be racist even though there is nothing to be racist about.
Anyway, this is me in the midst of studying for a test tomorrow. I watch movies and TV series... My problem is I have this severe chronic headache. ok, maybe not severe, but it's there... I can't concentrate on my studies and the only way I get to relieve my headache is by watching something, sleeping or playing something. Alas, with playing a first-person shooter, dizzyness will arise later... So either way, I don't get much studying done. Kind of like a paradox. Ironic, isn't it.
I'd better get back to studying...
Why I like this movie? Coz it potrays my all time favourite hero, Robin Hood. This movie is a 'remake' from the normal story line, with additions of new allies like Azeem and enemies like the witch... It gives off a deeper meaningful movie rather than the normal hero saves the day thing.
Nobles aren't born, they are made...
A man defending his homeland, his honour is stronger than 10 hired guards...
Oh, racism and religion also comes in here. It really shows how people can be so ignorant and so quick to judge the other side when they themselves are like that. Call the muslims cruel and stuff, but the english were the ones cruel and Azeem was the one saving people and delivering babies.
Which reminds me of an episode of House MD. A racist black guy who refuses treatment that helps black people. Says it's a racist drug. The issue of racism has been so great in the past, that even in this modern times, people can still be racist even though there is nothing to be racist about.
Anyway, this is me in the midst of studying for a test tomorrow. I watch movies and TV series... My problem is I have this severe chronic headache. ok, maybe not severe, but it's there... I can't concentrate on my studies and the only way I get to relieve my headache is by watching something, sleeping or playing something. Alas, with playing a first-person shooter, dizzyness will arise later... So either way, I don't get much studying done. Kind of like a paradox. Ironic, isn't it.
I'd better get back to studying...
Saturday, October 08, 2005
almost one month..
There aren't much movies that I want to watch. The latest 'movie' was SuperSize me. There goes my appetite for McDonalds...
It's really gross, how business and money takes over the needs for health awarness...
Argh, I can't really think now. I'm sick now. Having running nose and sore throat. How did I get sick? Late practises and lack of rest. Stress? I don't think I was under stress, but I am still sick.
Updates:
Cheerleaing was over on Tuesday. A hectic month of IMU cup. I tried to join as much as I can and in the end it was just cheerleading. I really am messed up and angry about how people think nowadays. Especially the new batches. They think that we rigged the IMU cup when all we tried to do was to be fair. So, with all the transparency, we broke history by losing the IMU cup. oh well. On the one hand, they deserve it, on the other, I really hope they change their attitude. We were just being fair.
Anyway, we won cheerleading. I am not too happy though. Reasons too many, and not nice to mention here. My first well earned gold medal. That is good enough for me.
And the Art Competition came to a close on Friday. I am now RM50 richer, but I hoped to have gained more. Oh well, it's the best I could have done. I'm still thinking of what to do with that money. I'm thinking of using it to cover up the cost of the Return of the King soundtrack I bought a few weeks back. I guess that's where my money should go...
Well, this is all the thoughts I have to write out. Probably more to write IF i feel like it...
There aren't much movies that I want to watch. The latest 'movie' was SuperSize me. There goes my appetite for McDonalds...
It's really gross, how business and money takes over the needs for health awarness...
Argh, I can't really think now. I'm sick now. Having running nose and sore throat. How did I get sick? Late practises and lack of rest. Stress? I don't think I was under stress, but I am still sick.
Updates:
Cheerleaing was over on Tuesday. A hectic month of IMU cup. I tried to join as much as I can and in the end it was just cheerleading. I really am messed up and angry about how people think nowadays. Especially the new batches. They think that we rigged the IMU cup when all we tried to do was to be fair. So, with all the transparency, we broke history by losing the IMU cup. oh well. On the one hand, they deserve it, on the other, I really hope they change their attitude. We were just being fair.
Anyway, we won cheerleading. I am not too happy though. Reasons too many, and not nice to mention here. My first well earned gold medal. That is good enough for me.
And the Art Competition came to a close on Friday. I am now RM50 richer, but I hoped to have gained more. Oh well, it's the best I could have done. I'm still thinking of what to do with that money. I'm thinking of using it to cover up the cost of the Return of the King soundtrack I bought a few weeks back. I guess that's where my money should go...
Well, this is all the thoughts I have to write out. Probably more to write IF i feel like it...
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