Speed is Everything?

"Develop a sense of urgency in all things you do. Speed is everything." Everything. Well how true is this? Perhaps true to a certain point, but it really stops there. In many if not most cases, I observe getting it done right is always more important than getting it done quick. Mindless haste by some only results in extra work for others who have better things to do.

How many times have you rushed through a piece of work, only to realise you messed up some crucial parts in the process? I'm prone to making such errors, although most of the time I attribute it to the fact that I had my mind on other matters (like lunch). Still, unless you're extremely sharp and know very well what you're doing, simply speeding up won't get you anywhere.

Simply speeding up would mean driving at 160km/h on a 80km/h highway. And we all know that people who drive like hell, are bound to get there some day.

Urgency is a great tool, if you use it right. The presence of a right amount of urgency (and brains) drives people forward, but too much of it drives people straight into walls. Would you spend time to sharpen your axe now and fell trees later in just minutes, or not sharpen your axe now but take all day to clear the jungle?

Going Somewhere

After a very, very, very long wait, I finally received the offer letter to transfer to Perth, about 1 month later than my friends.

 Congratulations on possessing a large bucket of patience I guess.

In the time it took for this to arrive, I grew a 5-inch beard, my cow conceived and gave birth to her third calf, the flowers bloomed a fifth time and the cockroaches under the cupboard completed their portrait of me. Much can happen in a month you see. 

Nonetheless, I'm glad the university has finally decided they want my butt in Perth. I promise I won't dig up the hostel pavements to grow vegetables. Nor will I use the curtains as blankets. All I need is enough space to keep my pet cow comfortable.

Maybe that's why they took so long to process my application.

Cows aside, I'm very happy with this bit of progress. At least that's one problem solved. For now.

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I'm putting my books aside to write this because I've finally found the courage to put them down. And I'm willing to face the consequences.

Books don't define who I am. Neither do my results. There are many other more important things and people in life I have lost touch with in life, and I guess now it's time to give these people, especially people, some recognition.

It always starts with family, and it will always end with family. I suppose much of his white hair may be due to his endless (and sometimes unnecessary) worry about me. He never needed my 8As and 13As and all that nonsense to make him proud. In fact he told me his happiest moment was when I was 6 years old, in the car with him, passing by my would-be primary school, and I told him when I grow up, I promise I'll do my best. He was proud of me because I was his son, and that was all he needed of me.

Mum. Probably gives me the most pressure because she usually asks about results. And it was her idea that I should go to Perth. And I'll always remember what she told me years ago. No matter what happens, I still have family. I forgot why she said that and when, but ah well, bad memory does not define a person too I guess. So never mind that.

My ultimate nemesis when it comes to arguing. Good source of practice when it comes to training oratory skills. His mouth is a thermonuclear weapon that can devastate the entire universe. Undoubtedly the greatest noise maker in the family. Nevertheless, the noise he makes pivots me to reality. If that makes sense. We troll the planet like a boss!

Another of my pillars of support, and one of the few people that are able to sense something's wrong just by looking at the way I act. Now that's a skill. Somehow she reminds me to be true to myself. I'm living my life, not another person's life. And nothing can be worse than being someone you're not.

They say not everyone that stands beside you is your friend, and not everyone that shuns you is your enemy. That said, I'm still certain I have a small group of friends that really care. Although ,they don't know the whole story (which is partly my fault). One day I believe most people realise that their best memories from their college years are not related to academics. They're from spending time doing not-so-academic things with friends.

And this is probably the guy I've lost touch with the most. Note to him, try your best but BE YOURSELF. And freaking get something done about those worms on the bean plants.

There's no such thing as a no through road in life. Despite the obstacles, there's always something, and more importantly, someone to fall back to. I guess it's all about realising this. And in the end, it's really the people that matter, not slips of papers with numbers and words on them.


In life, unlike chess, the game continues after checkmate.

- Isaac Asimov

It's a quote I heard some time ago when watching an episode of Criminal Minds. Arguably the best piece of wisdom I've encountered so far. I suppose with the right people supporting you, a checkmate is never a checkmate. 

The game continues.

Leave of Absence

Hello all. Please be informed that the asylum inmates will be on leave till 21st April 2012 due to preparations for the impending Martian invasion led by the fearful General Zjork.

There will (supposedly) be no blog activity till then.

Besides the Martian invasion (which will begin somewhere in north Poland), you can also blame the lack of activity here on Accounting (External Reporting) 260, Accounting (Systems) 204, Accounting (Managerial) 301 and Taxation 231.

Thank you.

Tuition Free Week!

So it's now the beginning of my tuition free week, meaning there will be no classes for the time being. This means relaxation, time to exercise, hang out with friends and clean up my room. Awesome, right?

Huh. You wish.

The week after my so called holiday, I'll be having 3 mid-semester exams, 1 quiz and a side dish of 2 visiting lecturers having classes over a span of 5 days. Sounds delicious. The only problem is, I'll need the entire tuition free week to cook up this scrumptious meal. STUDY TIME!

Still, life goes on, and there's always time for all things bright and beautiful.

Rainbow!

There are actually 2 rainbows, but the other one ain't so clear here.

There's also always time for one of my favourite fruits. Remember to eat your fruits. They promote healthy bowel movements.

Grapes. 1 kilo RM12 at Jelutong market.

To my classmates, especially those having the same ridiculous timetable as mine, here's to determination, perseverance and sheer dumb luck in surviving the coming onslaught. Cheers~~~

Bird's Nest

Here are more photos of the bird's nest from the previous post, because I don't have anything to blog about this week.

This time mama bird was at home.

She's guarding her eggs!

The second photo was taken using zoom 'cuz I didn't want to get too near. I'm surprised I managed to capture these photos without the bird flying off. She ignored me the whole time. Probably thought I was part of the wall or something.