Mr Wise Guy Blog

Ahhh... The holidays are just around the corner! Christmas is in less than 2 months, and unless you already booked your holidays at the NATAS travel fair, or planned super early, you're in for super expensive hotels at insanely overpriced rates. Not a good time for a holiday?
Say hello to the Accor Hotels 3-Day Super Sale Asia Pacific! This is the sale whereby over a million hotel rooms are going at amazing rates across the Asia Pacific. Hurry, this campaign lasts for only 3 days (27-29 Oct 2009) and has been extended for another 24 hours to 30th Oct! So by the time you're reading this, you have less than 24 hours to react and decide!
Hotels in Thailand, Korea, China, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia (just to name a few) are all taking part in this crazy sale and surprise surprise, this 3-day super sale coincides with record-low air fares across the Asia Pacific region. What does this mean? Super cheap holidays!

If you think these hotels are the sleazy, cheap and oh so disgusting hotels, think again! Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Novotel, Mercure, Suitehotel, Ibis, All seasons, Etap Hotel, Formule 1 and Motel 6 brands are taking part in this super sale. This sale is definitely worth checking out.

Go check them out here!

I have been working on a broken down MacBook for over two months and yet to complete fixing it up. Urgh. Been putting a 100% effort in it but it just refuses to boot up. Macs are kinda new to me but still, I did not expect it would take two months for me to fix it.

(Truth is, I procrastinated)

The MacBook came to me in a pretty messed up shape. It looked like it had been dropped several times before, fairly dusty, and the keypads have gone yellowish. The only thing that interests me was if it was an Intel MacBook, or PowerPC MacBook. Turns out, its an Intel! Core2 Duo processor inside baby!

Took out the harddisk, and voila! Previous owner had Windows XP Home installed. Okay, that is as far as I have gotten. It refuses to load via CD, and the next step is to Ghost a Windows OS into the Hard Disk manually. But that takes time, and time, is something I don't have much of.

Have a look at this MacBook. Urgh. Disgusting.
If you look closely, you can see the chipped bodywork. And geee, yellowish keypads. I wonder if other people's MacBook are as disgusting as this. I've got so many computers to fix, so many harddisks to destroy and so little time to study. Back to the books!

I caught Muzikaraya'09 on a Friday evening and I must say that I was entertained. Besides the reunion of seniors and whatnots, it was something that I look forward mainly because I have seen with my own eyes how far and long SangSingaPurba (SSP) had grown. From a small band of brothers, to a massive following of about 200++, they are a formidable lot.

They even got their own website! WWW.SANGSINGAPURBA.COM

So anyways, the plot was about the leader of a village, banishing his son as punishment for trying to sell away the land the village sits on. Then come the regrets after his son got hit by a lorry and it ends with a dream. Forgive me for being so brief, I think there are room for improvement on its ending.

The play was a mix of dance, music, poetry and singing. A whole repertoire of Hari Raya songs were sung, danced to, and basically, I think SSP is pushing forward its "Malay Dance" branding to potential SP students who might be watching the show. Nothing wrong with that cause I think they dance pretty well. Oh who am I to judge whether they dance well or not, but as of today, I think they did it nicely.

There's nothing much else to critique except some parts where I find it draggy. Like the part where Along and the father emo-ed under a spotlight that I was hoping Mr Bean would fall splat onto the stage. It was a tough fight against the "Z" monster for that 5mins? 10mins? scene... But I like the Indian guy though. =) Funny.

And fuiyo... Ayu is hot la~

(Pandai diorang cari org seayu Ayu)

So anyways, I wish SangSingaPurba all the best in their future productions, and I give it a 4/5 rating! (As if my rating matters. lol!) Looking forward to your next show!

My keyboard stopped working all of a sudden while I was reading up on the net. My keyboard is the wireless kind, and as usual, I did the SOP, i.e. flip on its back and replace batteries. But to my horror, I saw that the battery had leaked! OMG. Battery juice was all over the shop and geee, its highly acidic and I could see it eat into the plastic of the keyboard. fuiyo!!!

This isn't the first time it happened, but lets make this time the last because this is the worst I've ever seen. It formed a small pool under the keyboard and gee, it looks like the puddle was fresh. Before my cats or some kid get the juice into their eyes, or worse, they lick it, I better get rid of my Microsoft Wireless Multimedia Keyboard. The Wireless Mouse is still working though and I'm quite lucky to still have my default Compaq keyboard as backup. =)

Sometimes I see my computer as a Frankenstein. It has been modded a gazillion times, from the Power Supply Unit, to the Keyboard, to the Hard Disk, to the Graphics Card, to the Graphics Card heatsink, and what have you and it is nothing like the specifications pasted on the side of the casing. lol!! Whatever is good, I'll slap it in. It has been a reliable servant for a good 3++ years now and I think I need a new rig after my return from my great adventure. This computer is falling apart!!!

Every individual is special, and every individual is unique. Indeed, one can be content with a 3-room flat, while another thinks a 5-room flat is the minimum. Likewise, the way we treat each and every individual is unique too. Some need 24/7 attention from their partners to feel loved, while some can make do with a bit part of the day. Some are happy with a plate of nasi goreng for a dinner date, while some, need steak and carbonated drinks. Whatever your taste might be, do not feel ashamed. You are special.

If there is one thing I learnt from you, I learnt trust. And besides the explanation given by the dictionary (assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something b : one in which confidence is placed), trust has new meaning for me. And it is the ability to let go, and still have confidence in standing up straight and tall. Trust leaves me vulnerable, in a sense that I am fully dependant on this trust. And it is this vulnerability that tells how much I care for you.

I trust you.

Can someone tell me what this is and how to fix this problem? This error pops out after I signed into MSN Messenger, and after clicking "Don't Send," MSN Messenger will log out. Its frustrating! I tried reinstalling MSN Messenger, restarted my computer, and it still pops out! The only way of getting around this error is to do nothing about it, drag the window to the corner of the screen and carry on life as per normal. =P

Someone, something out there... Help?

My mind went wild while I was asleep for the past few days. Every night at about 4 to 5.30 am, I'll be awakened in cold sweat and a super scary Coco staring at me. I do not think its healthy for the mind to experience super pleasant dreams and super scary nightmares all in the same day. And to have a cat staring in your face after all that torment is the ultimate. lol!!!

I'm glad Coco is here with me though... I hearts my cat. =)

They say, good dreams should not be spoken of or it will never come true. It is sacred and because the means of transmission is so personal (i.e. within the brain), it is meant for yourself only. Dreams can also be an indication of what is to come. Moments of dejavu come a month or two apart, and its eerie to have "been there and done that" even before you carry on with whatever you're doing.

Alhamdullilah, I've been saved many times thanks to these small gifts of foresight.

My friend was unhappy with me today over some issues that I overlooked. It is the case whereby I misjudged the importance of something to someone, and what may seem like a petty issue to me, is serious business for the other party. But all is okay though... =)
What came to mind this morning, that will probably be worth blogging about, is "Letting Down Others." It could be a case when you have performed at a high level so consistently, that when you underperform, people feel let down by your actions. Or perhaps, when you've been such a great partner for 364 days a year and on a single day you forget about major events like your first anniversary. That would be a huge let down ain't it?

(I have no idea why my command of English is so poor right now. Macam Rojak.)

So anyways, it doesn't feel good to let down others. Be it in soccer, when you let down your teammates by conceding an own goal, exams by failing miserably or not buying the loaf of bread that your mom had instructed earlier. It just goes to show how you prioritise others before self, and in a way, indicates how close you are to the person at heart.

Personally, I've let down many many people and I hope they will forgive me. To err is human, but perfection is the ultimate goal.

At every lab session, I get to meet my lab partner up close and personal for a good 3 hours. He's a fellow mat and I like him for his chill and laid back attitude. Definitely a refreshing change from the hectic and fast pace of university life. Its not that we do not talk outside of lab, but rather, we have our own cliques and do not usually meet up outside of lab hours.

To cut the story short, lets just say that he's an old schoolmate of mine, and that he knew a bit about my past. So he was asking me, whether I've moved on and got myself a girlfriend. Of which I replied "No," promptly. Hearing this, he asked if she has moved on, of which I replied "Yes." And then he quipped, "Mana boleh kalah nie macam.. Ko takde girlfren... " (In English, "How can you lose in this race... You got to get yourself a girlfriend!")

And the best part of all, I replied, "Dalam hal nie, aku tak kisah kalau aku kalah."
(In this race, I do not mind losing)

We plan, Allah decides. Lets continue going out on Friday and Saturday dates with the cute girl next door, go on for long walks at the beach with the sweetie, and lets see how it goes... Just you, and Me. =)

Thank God my quizzes are over. It has been 9 days since I last updated and I guess nothing much happened besides the jalan raya I had with my secondary school mates. There were more people as compared to last year because this time, some brought their partners. It was great fun!

The time of the year has arrived once again. Exams, projects, reports, love, friendships all laid down on the line for 2 months. In 2 months, the results will show, and tell me what kind of a person am I. In 2 months, the semester will be over. In 2 months, I'm preparing for something big.

Life has been tough since Recess Week started. Looking at my past entries,

White Lies to Hypocrisy.
Queen of Bitching.
An Invitation to the Truth. What the Qur'an Says about Liars and their Methods.
I realise that I'm going through a lot emotionally. As Jordin Sparks sings "Battlefield" and thinks that love is one, I think life itself is a battlefield. Full of minefields and potholes. You inch your way through NO MAN's land, not knowing if there is a mine up ahead. And when you do step on one, you lose a part of yourself.

The thing is, you can't stay down for long. You have to move on. So there comes the medic, in the form of family, close friends, and self-motivation. When you're all patched up, you continue running. And you run as hard as you can and do not look back.

Some of my friends have tough lives too. And each have their own way of handling things. Some seek solace in God, some find strength in family, most confide to their friends. and a select few blast it out on their blogs. Whichever path they choose, these problems will inevitably have to be solved their way.

No point ranting about life and not doing anything about it. I'm going to study for my exams, meet up with friends in between studies, bring that cute girl out for dates, help my parents when they need help, pray to God, and ultimately, strive to find happiness.

When all else crumble, I am glad I'm blessed with a great family, a cool mom, a determined dad, a funky bro and a strong sister. There is nobody better to return home to, than these people. =)

Alhamdulillah.
Alhamdulillah.
Alhamdulillah.

During the bike ride home, my mind wandered off to the previous conversations I had with everyone in my life for the past few days. Of all the conversations I had, there was one which struck me the most. It was about "White lies", and it got me seriously thinking. So much so that I regurgitated everything that raced through my mind at the very instant, and put it into this blog.

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A famous white lie would be the answer to the question, "Honey, do I look fat?"

Most men would say, "No dear." Or perhaps something along the lines that would make her feel good about herself. Obviously, you're a liar if you said no when your partner is as large as an elephant. But generally, we do get the point that we do not want to hurt the other party, we need to stabilise a sticky situation, and besides, she knows it. In this case, a white lie is necessary to keep everything in check. Women know we're lying, but they just want to hear the good things from their man cause the opinion of their man is all that matters.

White lies are something big to pull off in my opinion as it goes along the lines of hypocrisy and backstabbing. A simple example would be to ask your girlfriend, "Baby, is my hair okay?" after a bike ride. She replied, "Your hair is a-okay!" You stride into town, with 100% confidence after the assurance your babe gave you. Then when her friends stumbled upon the two of you, they whispered to your chick, "What's with his hair?" And she said, "Its messy isn't it? Man, he's getting on my nerves with that smack face!" (This is based on a true story. My friend broke down when he told me this.)
Now, what is to be a white lie at first, transforms into hypocrisy/backstabbing/(insert mean word here). Worst part of it all, turning against the person claimed to be your "special one" or boyfriend. Where is the trust? Ultimately, your partner should be the most trusted person in your life! You support him, not insult him!

Golden Rule, never say bad things about your partner/ex-partner/ex-ex-partner/ex-ex-ex partner to anyone, even when he/she really sucked. You stand by your partner, and defend them like you would defend your own reputation. You love him/her, you choose to be with him/her, and it is your job to defend him/her. If you fail to do so, you're a hypocrite. A big bloody hypocrite. You said you love him, he feeds you on dates, he sends you around on his vehicle, he pays for your drinks, but you go against him when you're with your friends. Idiot. Period.

So yeap, this is just my 2-cents worth on the issue, "White Lies." My advice is, if you do it, you better pray hard the truth stay hidden.

Remember:

Your 5 times a day goes to waste when you're a hypocrite.
Your Ramadhan fasts goes to waste when you're a hypocrite.
Your terawihs goes to waste when you're a hypocrite.

I pray that Allah bless all my lovely readers like he did to me. Amin.