Lil' Red Riding Hood

There was a relocation sale at Triple Crown. Yes, that overpriced surfers clothing retail store next to Converse at One Utama. But there was a sale. A sale...not a whale, but a sale.

You see, usually I would just turn the other cheek and walk away (okay that's a lie). But this isn't just another run-of-the-mill sale. Nope it isn't, it is a relocation sale. Say it with me syllable by syllable...re-lo-ca-tion. Yes very good, now articulate every syllable slowly and say it again.

In my version of the retail vocabulary, 'relocation sale' means "more discounts compared to a sale". And if you're a sane person like me, here are the steps you should take:

1. Walk into the store.
2. While you're in the store, look at the clothes (duh).
3. If there is a slightest chance that you should see something that catches your eye, you ought to try it on.
4. After trying it on...well why put it back on the rack after all the hassle of putting it on and checking yourself out in the mirror?
5. Thus, if you're sane like me, you would walk over to the cashier make the purchase, don't look back, swear you will start saving, stop eating so much (because food is not exactly cheap anyway, more so  when you're paying for something you don't even have the chance to eat) and not attend another birthday party until next year.

Okay before you judge me too harshly, the hoodie retails for RM189.90 on a normal day. But on this relocation sale, it only costs RM60!

Pik Kei, being a concerned friend that she is posed me this question "Do you really need it? Or do you just want it?" while I was rummaging through the display rack looking for sizes.

Well do I want it?

Well...I don't really want it. But you have to admit that it has an arresting colour. Those who know me well will know that I have a preference for bold colours when it comes to my clothes. And that shade of red just screams sexy.

Do I really need it?

Of course I do. The air conditioning at Kampar UTAR's lecture halls are so cold to the point where it can shrink your balls. So yes, I do need a comfortable 80% cotton and 20% polyester hoodie to keep me warm (and also to keep my anatomy working at optimum level) during a 3 hours lecture.

So after much careful deliberation and context dissection, I retorted back at Pik Kei with a (very well constructed, I daresay) response.

"I don't want it...but I do really need it"

You see if I want it but don't really need it, then I will feel guilty about getting it in the first place. But aha there is a catch! It is the reverse situation here; I don't want it but I do need it :)

There was also this pig skin lining sandals that go on sale for RM50 per pair. Pik Kei says it looks ugly, but  then again on a normal day the sandals cost RM102.

Oh well, there is always another sale just around the corner right?

Delivery

I love free stuffs. Well if you're not Malaysian you probably wouldn't know what I'm talking about. Which is why I was ecstatic (reminder: free stuff) when I received the following package...

which contains a free book within it...

sent all the way from...

Nashville!


A million thanks to Cleffairy, noted blogger and published Malaysian author (I'm including the 'published Malaysian author' part to flaunt my blogosphere connection...hahahahahahahahaha, shit Chester one of these days you're going to get bitch slap from random strangers for being so vain), who introduced me to the BookSneeze program.

For those of you who want to know what BookSneeze is all about, let me tell you now. Go google it and you will find out :)

Okay I'm not that bad lah. BookSneeze is basically a book review program which is targeted at all bloggers.

Based in Nashville, the aim of the program is to get bloggers to review books and post that review on their blogs. Thats not all, you get to post your honest thoughts about the book - love it, hate it (those who despise compulsive liars will enjoy this) and...

*drum roll please* 

YOU GET TO KEEP THE BOOK. (reminder: free stuff)

Hahahahaha exciting much? Well I'm an avid reader and self-proclaimed "book collector", so whatever free titles I can add to my library is a welcoming notion. 

Some of you bookaholics out there might get what I'm trying to say, but I guess most of you optimistic people just think I'm crazy...that or you're not a Malaysian.


P.S: Review coming up, got to get through Political Science pop quiz first!

I Love College

Dearest optimistic and perpetually convivial pollyannas,

I am here today to bore you with my thoughts about my new life as a varsity student at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman a.k.a. Tunku Abdul Rahman University a.k.a. UTAR. (Whatever to-mah-to, to-may-to).

(Hey you at the back there! Wake up!)

You know how all the reviews say that the movie 'Valentine's Day' was sucky but when you watched it, it was kind of okay and you actually liked it? (But that of course does not change the fact that Taylor Swift's acting was god awful). Sorry JG!

Well yeah that happened to me with UTAR. I came with low expectations. Heck okay I came with ZERO expectations.

You see, outsiders' comments about the university had been discouraging...while others had just been downright vituperative. And if you're a so-called "English ed" like me, there is the whole Cina Beng thing going on.

But what I saw and experience in these past two weeks had blown me away (in a good way that is). I can't believe I'm going to admit this but...I love it here in UTAR!

I absolutely love it here!

I love the campus.
I love the facilities.
I love the student life.
I love how the seniors are unbelievably friendly.
I love the feng shui vibe the university grounds have going on.
I love how the cafeteria and library overlooks the lake.
I love how the classrooms have little small crevices windows that overlooks the foliage outside.
I love the lecture halls (even though the air conditioner is cold enough to shrivel your balls).
I love  the whole aesthetics value in the designs of all the buildings.
I love the lectures and tutorials (okay except maybe ONE particular tutor).
I love how during early mornings as I cycle (yes CYCLE) to campus I will catch the view of the morning sun across the lake as Rachael Yamagata's 'You Take My Troubles Away' plays on my iPod.

Call it novelty messing with my perception of things. But I love, love, love my new life as a university student at the Perak campus of UTAR.

But yeaaah, it is probably too early to call on things. In the future you might hear me bitch about the university and assignments. Okay maybe I won't bitch about assignments lah because I find it pretentious to do that. As for now, I'm just going to say "So far, so good!".

Its getting wordy, I know. So feast your eyes on some of the photos taken in the university's grounds courtesy of Darryl Chin and Grace Chia:

The Heritage Hall which serves as the university main hall for talks, blood donation drive, concerts and other events.

Aha I'm not sure where this is. I'm a Freshman okay, so I have room to accommodate mistakes!

Another building. I have most of my tutorial classes there.

This is where they house the Faculty of Science I think. No not outside the building of course.

The library. It might look grand and all (well it is the same inside) but the collection of books is simply disappointing.

Some of the lecture halls at Block E. I love how the design pays attention to every single little details. Note the column or whatever you call it on the ceiling.

The walkway by the lake. It would be a very scenic walkway except for the weather which is absolutely atrocious in Kampar. I have pale skin (translation: more prone to skin cancer), so I try not to use this way to get to classes even though it is much nearer.

The view of the lake from the cafeteria. The photo does not do much justice to it. But the first time I saw the panorama, it took my breath away.

Trees, landscaping, whatever you want to call it. Heck they even have trees and plants (okay that is redundant) inside buildings.

More trees, landscaping and whatever you want to call it.

Yet more trees and landscaping.

Yes, at this point you're allowed to question my intellect for posting so many photos of the university's landscaping.

The gym. Couldn't get a better shot as it was still early and the gym was closed.

One of those little thing to add to the university's aesthetic's quality.

Mini Stonehenge and stones in the cafeteria. The gym is situated upstairs overlooking the lake AND the cafeteria...my hypothesis would be that the architect loves the irony going on. Working out while looking at other people eating.

*  *  *

And there you have it, my university's campus x)
One of my friends from Pre-U (a very wise friend he is) once told me this...

"You're not defined by which university or college that you attend. It is what you get and what you become that matters at the end of the day. You give definition to your university". (give and take that is what he said lah)

All in due time, all in due time. Then maybe I'll be able to give UTAR  a definition during my tenure here.

On that note, I was paid a substantial amount by UTAR to write this post.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Okay, thats a LIE. Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

But you probably won't believe me anyway after all that excessive adulation =P

This Is The Thing

Rachael Yamagata (insert: thegoddessofallthingslyricalallhailweshallbowbeforehergreatness) is working on her new album. Okay I'm being redundant here, you can CLEARLY see it in the screenshot above.

And nothing else matters... :)