Makanang in Kemamang

Frankly speaking, I don't really miss my hometown but eating at the same restaurant (since there is no other halal restaurants within walking distance) and food cooked by my friends here have made me want to go back just to eat. I want to eat the 'normal' food that I always eat at home. The food that I always eat sokmo-sokmo (all the time).

Talking about makang pagi (breakfast) in Trengganu means that you are talking about eating nasik (rice). There all kinds of nasik early in the morning sold by mok-cik mok-cik (mak ciks). They are the food heroes in the morning. My mom don't usually cook in the morning during school holidays. She will go out with my father and buy all the kinds of food that we ordered the night before. Yes, we told her what to buy. It sounds that we ask the food from her, but she always insists us to tell her what do we want to eat. Otherwise, she will buy something like mee goreng and kepok goreng and honestly, we the siblings don't like them.

What I want to eat the most is the nasi minyok  with ayang goreng near the steseng bas. We call it nasi minyok Pok Mat. Yes, I want nasik kerabu too. You can find nasik kerabu anywhere in Malaysia now, but ugh, they are far to be compared from those in Trengganu and Kelantan in terms of its kelazatan. Yes, the colour is still blue, but its taste also is bluish. My nasik kerabu is not perfect without ayam paprik since I don't eat fish (normally, they serve nasi kerabu with fried fish). I tried the best ayam paprik in Kota Bharu before and no Kenny Rogers' chicken can match with that. Sorry Mr Roger, but your chickens are both dok sedap, muok and mahal!

If my Chukai friends are reading this, you must not have forgotten Sonstar. You must have serious brain problem if you forget this place since you guys go there almost every day. I am still wondering the purpose of going to the kopitiam whether it is just to drink cendol ijo-ijo or chit chat or just to become the Third Force to a lovely (?) couple (hok mane pahang tu pahang la, hahaha). 

By the way, for these few months in Miri, people keep associating my hometown (Kemamang or Chukai) with some restaurants that they went to before. This happens when they all are asking where I'm coming from la. Faham ke? The normal "Owh really? I've been to the .... before".

They remember sata Che Aziz (If the owner is reading this, I want to tell you that your sata is becoming more mahal and day by day, they are getting smaller. They are not like the French amuse bouche!). They also know Hai Peng and Tong Juan. This is the post written by someone who is hungry. -The Chukai Insider

Procrastination

Do you have the moments where you run to the lecturer's office to submit your assignment? Have you ever seen someone doing his work on the bus because he/she has to submit it after the lecture? Have you finished your high school homework, honestly? 

For the last question, I know most of us have not even finished their school work. While I am doing my work which I think might have finished by now if I started earlier, I think this is truly the root problem in Malaysia (I know, I always think from the national perspective, so what?). We always blame this and that (blaming the Government particularly as what is for if not to be blamed, yes even for a sex video, right?) but we never thought of blaming it on our attitude. Look at the traffic summons counter, they always come late and when the queue is long, they become angry saying this and that while they commit the offence in the first place. I even saw one picture of a man smiling while holding a long sheet of receipt after he paid all of the summonses. He was so 'proud' for having such a long list of 'activities' that may put others to death on the road. 

Yes, they are many wrong things happening around us and there always will be but the thing that will make a difference is our reaction towards them. We have to do our part to. It's your life and you are responsible about your own life and how you react.

This is why our productivities are low. We say the citizens of this and that countries are good, but we never try to emulate the way they work.

Procrastination is a very serious problem. While some may say they work the best at the last moment, I beg to differ. You work the best in the condition because you have never tried working without procrastinating! I have done some last-minute jobs and they turned out great, Alhamdulillah! But, they are not as excellent as others. I have also tried to finish my work earlier than others before and the final result sucked. See? I guess the difference is not whether we do it at the last minute or not. The problem is how we deal with the time given to us. When I did the work in a longer period, I was more relaxed and got distracted easily because my mind say 'it's okay, there are still more time left'. So, the work became sucked. 

However, at the last minute, you focused so hard and that's why you scored. You were not distracted. But I recalled the feelings and emotions while doing it at the last minute. It was horrible. I was sweating 'peluh jeruk' as the Trengganu people may say it. For me, it was not worth it. 

Then, you keep telling yourself that you will never do it again. But, you WILL do it again. Self-control is the cause of procrastination too. When we forget to control ourselves and our priorities, we procrastinate. Let us try to change and become disciplined, focused and responsible in everything that we do. I am telling myself and you about this. 

We must not only appreciate the times we have, but we MUST maximise them. We must use the time to the fullest to achieve our goals. We always recite this surah from Quran but have we ever lived with the meaning and its purpose?

Surah 103. Al-‘Asr (The Declining Day, Eventide, The Epoch)

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. 1. By (the Token of) Time (through the ages), 2. Verily Man is in loss, 3. Except such as have Faith, and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the mutual teaching of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy.

So, kawan-kawan, let us do our work with faith, patience and consistency. That will repel the procrastination. 

The Chukai Insider

Infaq :)

Sahih Muslim, Book 42, Number 7058:

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The world is a prison-house for a believer and Paradise for a non-believer.

I just heard an amazing talk by Dr. Fauziah Hj Mohd Hasan, a well known activist and gynaecologist in Malaysia. She has done a lot of humanitarian work with Mercy Malaysia and Aqsa Syarif and her talk was just downright inspiring. My favourite quote from her was,

"You all are always amazed and ask me how I can do so many things in my life but actually, it's only because I am older than you."

Well,OK,that's not exactly how she said it but you get the picture. Anyways, there is so much we can do if we are just willing to get our asses out of the comfort zone and just give a little. For starters, check this website out: http://www.aqsasyarif.org.my/penajaan/

With only RM35 contribution per month, you can sponsor one Palestinian child's education for a year. That's nothing compared to what we spend eating out at Pizza Hut, KFC and even the mamak stalls. So like I said, give a little. 

Diriwayatkan dari Abu Hurairah ra. : "Seorang lelaki menemui Nabi Muhammad Saw dan bertanya, “ya Rasulullah Saw, sedekah apakah yang paling utama?” Nabi Muhammad Saw menjawab, “sedekah yang kau berikan ketika kau dalam keadaan sehat, kikir dan takut terhadap kemiskinan dan menginginkan kekayaan. Janganlah menunggu sampai dekatnya saat kematian dengan mengatakan, ‘untuk si fulan sekian, dan untuk si fulan sekian, dan harta tersebut telah menjadi milik ahli warisnya’”. 

One more thing, THIS BOOK, From Beirut to Jerusalem by Ang Swee Chai,is really good! I only managed to read 3/4 of it cause I borrowed it from my friend and had only 3 days to read it. I don't usually read journals/autobiographies/biographies and all cause I usually find them boring. But the way the author wrote this book was exceptional. It's a great book, I promise. It will certainly open your eyes to many things. Although it's about events that happened between 1982-1987, I still consider them relevant to life today.  

Not Losing Hope

In many verses of the Qur’an, Allah mentions that Muslims—even those with the most fear of Allah—may make mistakes. In one verse, Allah reveals;

Say [from Me]: ‘My servants, you who have transgressed against yourselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Truly Allah forgives all wrong actions. He is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.’ ”(Surat az-Zumar; 53)

We surely have done many things that we regret. It puts us under constant guilt and sorrow. I found this verse relieve me from the regret.

But despite of the many consolations in the Qur’an that refresh the spirit and give hope, many human beings do not admit that they make mistakes. In spite of the glad tidings announced in the Qur’an, after making a mistake they become wrapped in despair and become anxious and downhearted.- Harun Yahya

Like I do, I think most of you felt the same way reading the above statement. When we deal with things, we always do mistakes. However, very seldom that we admit that we have done something wrong. For me, the minute that I realise that I have done something wrong, that is when you start to change your reaction towards the things you are dealing with. I have to admit my mistakes first only then I can change my course of action. Recognising our own fault and mistakes are very hard to do, but as soon as you realise them, you will be aware of how wrong they are. Then, your heart will tell your brain to do the right thing. Our relationship with Allah needs to be reassessed from time to time. Fortunately for us that Allah accepts our repentance and give us the opportunities to make mistakes. 

Many may not realise this but for me, the reason why Allah forgives us is because we learn the best when we make mistakes. Allah has given us the chance. We always make mistakes and everyone else too. But our reaction will determine how the outcomes will be. How we react to things are the things that will make difference. However, the tipping point is where you realise your mistakes. That's why we have friends.-The Chukai Insider

Gua Niah

Last Saturday, I went to Gua Niah on a trip orgainsed by the Curtin Buddhist Society. Together with my friends , we were so excited to go there since we are all doing geology and nothing make us happier more than seeing rocks. Gua Niah is mainly made up of limestone. It was home for homo sapiens 40,000 years ago. 

We arrived at the Niah National Park at around 10.30 am and had our early lunch. The river looked very muddy though. Is it normal for a rainforest river or due to some logging activities, I don't know. These are three of my friends who went together with me, from left, Shafiq, Rashad and Rakin. 

Look at them- visualising their futures probably. They did not know what they will endure in the journey to Niah Cave.

Read more... Ada lagi

Alhamdulillah

I have been enjoying my holiday  the way I like it. I have lots of assignments and a presentation to be prepared for next week. Currently, I'm still working on my geosequestration of carbon dioxide report and underground water presentation. I would have never thought that I would fell in love with geology. Sheldon in The Big Bang Theory may call it as 'science of the dirt people'. Studying geology has changed me a little. I became more grateful towards Allah SWT for sending me to Sarawak instead of to Seattle. I had bad experiences in KTJ and the people in Curtin made me feel everything is nice. Eventhough there are many shortcomings and no things comparable to the life in KTJ, this is far better. It makes me happy. Alhamdulillah.

When I study rocks and minerals, I feel pretty blessed with what I'm doing. I know everyone must have probably thought that sometimes you may see things differently and that change you into a different person. When I look at my friends all around the world, in places I wanted to be before, I couldn't feel much better about me. The saying that Allah knows best rings true to my ears now. Studying geology made me feel closer to Allah. 

Yesterday, someone called me to look at something. He said it was a matter of life and death. When I came there, he directed me to look at something on the most famous social networking site. It was about his friend's friend. He wrote something that is unacceptable for any muslim that consider him/herself as the servant of Allah. When I read his statements, I knew his aqidah has been shaken. I read his ideas many many times. The more I read them, the more I think that this guy is really really just like me. From his ideas and the way he wrote the statements, I was pretty sure that he was a debater. His way of writing is mostly the same like me when I argue with others. 

I read his profile and he is studying in the University that I was supposed to go if Allah has let me to. That was when I think that Allah really loves me. I was so grateful. I don't know if you can see the connection or not but something in my heart says it is. I was thinking that if I was given the chance, if I was not educated about Islam properly, if I was not looking for Allah in tough times, I would have turned to be like him. Maybe these are just words but when I was reading his sentences, it feels like they really are my sentences. It really feels like they are my writings. I don't know how to describe this but the feelings made me feel grateful about everything. 

I was grateful that Allah has given me the privilege to remember Him in tough times in my life. If you know me really well, I used to be very very very outspoken that I don't care to hurt people as long as I know I am on the right side. Events changed me and it turned out to be the best way. Sometimes, events changed people but not towards the good direction. For me, Alhamdulillah that I think it is towards a better life. 

I feel so blessed. 

Government Spending The Fun Way (not serious)

This is not serious at all. Watch it and you may learn something. It's a fun-learning experience in politics!

What do you think about this video? Does the same abuse happen in Malaysia? Be neutral. Don't let politics divide us- it's very stupid to divide ourselves just for politics. Faham ke?- The Chukai Insider

Look at the skies

Let's experience it together!

This is sunset in Miri, Sarawak. Who does not feel intoxicated by this Allah's beautiful creation? I was on a motorcycle with my one-of-the-kindest-friend I have here in Miri, Rakin Z. When I was on the motorcycle and my stomach was growling, I could not think of anything else but a video shown by my one of our very good seniors, Miqdad during our last gathering session. He showed us the video of a man looking for divine signs from the Almighty. He was asking Allah for some signs that will show him to the right path or to be spiritually guided. I will post the video later because I could not find it. He was looking for the signs for the whole night. Then, he opened the Quran and there it was. There is a verse in the Quran saying that about Allah's signs are His creations which are in front of our eyes. You don't need a telescope to be amazed with this panoramic view. If you could not see it, maybe in the future you will. The same thing happened to most of us, including me. It was the moment when you actually see something with your eyes but you realised that you don't see it with your heart. 

Like I've told you before, my stomach was grumbling. It made embarrassing sounds (in case of me, not so embarrassing). Luckily my friend called me earlier asking whether I wanted to eat ice cream or not. Why ice cream? I don't know. Even he himself also were puzzled why he asked whether I wanted ice cream or not. He came to my house and we decided to go to McDonald since I've been craving for it the whole week. We rode a motorbike the rempit way and off to McD. I took some pictures on the bike.

By the way, this is the Senadin City Centre, located in the heart of Senadin Metropolis. Here, there is one of the busiest junction in the world that even the Times Square in the Big Apple could not match. This is the only place where we can find real dinner food within walking distance. I'm talking about 15 minutes of walking, folks. Yeah, that is the nearest we can get.

McDonald! Finally I pampered my cravings for real burger, real fries and chicken porridge. I'm not saying that the fries cooked by my friends are not good, but they are not equally good as the McD's. So, buck up, improve your skills in cooking. Haha.

Something had struck me when I was on my way back home. My stomach was full and the view was indescribable. How are my brothers in Sudan? What are the Palestinians are doing now? Do they feel safe? Do they have enough food? Do they eat until their stomachs look like mine? Can they get food whenever they want like me? 

Then I remembered giving an advice earlier this noon to some friends about complaining. It wasn't really Faidhi-ism to give good advice to people but I did. I felt that I don't deserve to preach people about things to do in life as I myself always do bad things. My friend said, 'humans are not perfect' so everyone are not entitled to ask others to do good deeds. I cannot find any verse, but I think Allah has made us to have the responsibility to remind others to do good things in order to remind ourselves to do the good deeds. So, the next time I remind my friends to do good things, remind me too that I should do it also. 

My friends, why do we complain for everything when we have so much things to be praised of? Why do we always focus on negative events when we feel lifted off from the ground when we see the skies? 

Could it be any better? Thank you, Allah.-The Chukai Insider

"Gua Niah? Yeah, I've been there."

Gua Niah: My Story

by Mr F

After two weeks of assignments, tests and many other unnecessary stressful events, I was set to go to Niah Cave. Like I have mentioned in previous post before, I have a tuition-free week now, and getting out of my work desk is a dream come true for me. Due to some technical mistakes, I am able to post only a preview of the Gua Niah trip. This is the first part of a trip that left some 'guilty-to-the-humankind' members an experience they will never forget. And, it involves the remains of the past. Can you figure it out? No, you can't (Sheldon-like in The Big Bang Theory).

Trip to Niah Cave, a home of homo sapiens 40,000 years ago 

Look at these two boys, Acad (left) and Rakin (right).
Look at their faces: full of spirit to see Niah Cave! Olololo.

 After 30 minutes

Babies are sleeping, shh!

This guy doesn't need 30 minutes to fall asleep.
Way to go, Shafiq!

Nature's call..hahaha. Shh.. Toilet, boys?

When you study geology, this looks very interesting?
I don't feel sands and mud are dirty any more.

This is the beautiful Miri, folks. Look at the sky and try
to appreciate Allah's creation even though the road was very very bumpy. 

There were some villages along the road to Batu Niah, 110 km from Miri.
Look at their houses. Their lives are simple.
Whether you think it's good or bad, we must remember that we are still very lucky.

You see how lucky we are? Food is everywhere!
Even to the point you want to enter  a cave, which is located
far far away in the jungle, you still can eat.
From left, Shafiq J, Wei Min, Wani, Shafiq R, Rakin and  Acad.

Mengumumkan, ketibaan Y.A.B Datuk Baby bin Olololo. 

Can you see any interesting structure here? What rock is this?

I have more pictures that I will upload in the near future. This does not look serious at all, right Acad? -The Chukai Insider

Something different.

-Friend of the Chukai Insider.

"If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus one day so I never have to live without you"
Winne the Pooh.

Now you all must be wondering why on earth would the owner of this blog write something like this. Given the history of posts (which to be honest have all been either educational,political etc...boring...) it would seem very unlikely that this is posted by him. Indeed,it isnt. So dont panic, this is not Faidhi Yusoff. =) Yes,the very first smiley to grace this "owh so serious" page!

Back to Winnie the Pooh.

How wonderful it would be for us to be able to say that to another human being. Love. Such a powerful force. And often we come across people who say that they dont have "love" in their life.

The common misunderstanding is that "love", is only when you find that one person you wanna spend the rest of your life with. That other "half" as some would call it. But that is wrong, there are so many types of love in our life. Love of God. Love of family. Love of friends. Deny all you want, but it's all around us.

But of course I'd be lying if I say I dont need to find that other "half of mine love". I do! Everyone does! (No,dont lie)

""It's all about love. We're either in love, dreaming about love, recovering from it, wishing for it or reflecting on it." Michael Buble

So true Mr Buble. So in whichever stages that you are in, be it, recovering,or even wishing for it, this post is just to wish you luck in love. Dont stop hoping. Believe that you'll one day find what you're looking for =)

The reason I chose this topic, is so I could confine the seriousness of this page. With the consent of the owner of this page, my posts will hopefully add that "fun" part of life the owner has been missing in life. (Just kidding Faidhi=p )

-cad

Saya mahu buku-buku ini, faham ke*?

* To the mat-salleh wannabe, 'faham ke' means 'do you understand?'.

Saya ada seorang kawan di Curtin. Dia seorang perempuan/wanita (?) dan dia suka berkata dengan nada sinis selepas setiap perbualan. Salah satu kata-kata sinisnya ialah "Faham ke?". Penggunaannya sungguh berpura-pura dan penuh dengan maksud. Oleh sebab itu, saya letak kata-kata "faham ke?" di tajuk penulisan saya di atas.

Okay! Hi bitchies !(typo error). 

 Since I'm in Miri, the land of oil and gas (?), and there is no MPH or Kinokuniya here, and the Popular is just as big as the one in my place and I don't have the urge to take a Miri Belait** to the Bintang, then I would just wait this June when I go back to KL and do some retail therapy. It does work.

So here is my 'Saya mahu buku-buku ini' list, faham ke? 

1. A Map of Trengganu by Awang Goneng

Review (copy and paste)-Following the runaway success of Growing Up in Trengganu, Awang Goneng now takes his journey further to map out the town where he was born. This book looks at the terrain of Trengganu, the landmarks that are still standing and those that have fallen to rubble at the hands of developers, the winds that bring chill and change to the inhabitants of his coastal town, and people – the important and the ordinary – who walked the streets and breathed the air that is laced with more than a whiff of dried shrimps, the sweat of toil, the aroma of röjök in Pök Déh’s plate, and salt coming in with the spray from the South China Sea.

A Map of Trengganu gives a vibrant and extraordinary topography of the land and its people for the uninitiated and for those who are familiar with the terrain and territory. Time does not stand still in Kuala Trengganu as Awang Goneng notes, but it moves at a different pace in every fascia, and then it is gone forever. So who moved the clock tower from the roundabout in the town centre? You’ll soon be pondering this important question and many more things that you never knew about Trengganu.

2. The Blue Ocean Srategy by Two Professors in Harvard and I don't know their names

I guess since 2007 I've been waiting to buy this book. However, the price always stop me. There are countless times when I go to MPH and Kino with the hope that some rich guy see me reading the book with my I'm-very-poor face, then he will pay the book for me. Hahaha! Please, rich guy! It's not easy to find a boy to read a book. So, buy the book for me, deal? 

3. The Social Animal by David Brooks

Review (copy and paste)- The laudably ambitious aim of the The Social Animal: A Story of Love, Character, and Achievement, the new book by New York Times columnist David Brooks, is to weave a unified picture from the scattered discoveries in the various sciences of the mind and bring to life this picture’s practical implications through the tale of two fictional characters, Erica and Harold. Brooks detects in the scattered findings of the psychological and brain sciences a “revolutionary” picture of human decision-making that emphasizes the role of the unconscious. This research, Brooks argues, establishes “the relative importance of emotion over pure reason, social connection over individual choice, character over IQ, … and the idea that we have multiple selves over the idea that we have a single self.” In the course of The Social Animal, Brooks alights briefly on the work of an astonishing number of important researchers and theorists, making the book a convenient point of entry for readers looking to dip a toe into new-ish thinking about the mind and brain. Yet, he rarely makes more than superficial contact with any body of research long enough to really draw out its implications, and nothing resembling an integrated synthesis of science ever emerges.-The Chukai Insider

**Miri Belait is a name of the city bus around Miri. The route that I use to go to the 'town' is 66 Senadin.   This is the company's website.

Smells Like Teen Spirit

Kalu mu nok pinjang, buleh! Kekgi aku
wat alik bulang nang!
(Figure this out, non-Trengganuites!)

On my desk, there is something I've been waiting to buy for a quite long time. Now, it is on my desk. It is my new girlfriend. Again. I know, they seem to come to me all the time. I've dumped Middlesex since it is such a huge commitment for me. Now, I'm changing to something someone that suits me. She knows things that I like. She knows how to entertain me. She give stories and inspirations. Yeah, she costs a lot too. I bought her for RM100.00. Oh, that is like one fifth of my monthly allowance! I've just realised that.

Well, the thing is that I've waited for so long and this is the time I can spend most of my time with her. Hehe. Her name is A Doctor in the House: The Memoirs of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. No surprise, isn't it? I don't care what people say when I want to read something. It's not like I choose books to read, ops actually I do. Why? If I think it is interesting, then I read it. Oh, that's a simple maths! It's not like when Malaysian our own Its-Not-Me-In-The-Video publishes a memoir of himself, I won't read it. Oh come one, it's not like you actually have to stop me from reading it. That's not freedom. That is not a liberation. Walk the talk.

This Saturday, Niah Cave will be my destination. Yeah, I'm a Geology student so where do you expect I want to go during holidays? Ekk, actually there is nothing to do here and that is why Niah Cave sounds so nice. Here is some facts about Niah Cave: 

• Located on the Sungai (river) Niah, about 3 km from the small town of Batu Niah, a 110 km to the south-west of Miri in northern Sarawak. The park was first gazetted as a National Historic Monument in 1958, gazetted as National Park on 23 November 1974 and was published to the public on 1 January 1975.
• Forty thousand years ago, the Niah Great Cave sheltered human life. Here lies the oldest human remains in Southeast Asia, along with many other relics of prehistoric man.
•  Today the Cave is home only to bats, swiftlets and other specially adapted forms of life. However, a few locals still venture into the dark interior to collect guano (bird and bat droppings used as fertilizer) and bird's nest and some Curtin geology students who have their field trips regularly.
• The famous Painted Cave is another highlight of the visit to Niah Cave. Here, little human-like figures drawn in red haematite watch over a gravesite where the bodies of the dead were each laid in its own boat-shaped coffin. The Great Cave and Painted Cave have been declared as National Historical Monuments.

The facts are boring, isn't it? So, you guys wait for a narrative description from The Chukai Insider, okay? He will write write and write about it. Oh, morning sickness. Yes, I've been having it almost every morning as a result of prolong hungriness. 

Sudah lama saya tidak menulis dalam Bahasa Melayu

Sudah lama rasanya saya tidak menulis dalam Bahasa Melayu. Memandangkan saya rasa sangat tertekan dengan kerja-kerja geologi saya, saya ingin membuang stres saya dengan membuat penulisan dalam Bahasa Melayu. Bukanlah penguasaan Bahasa Inggeris saya bagus sangat, tetapi disebabkan proses akademik saya menggunakan Bahasa Inggeris pada kebanyakan masa semenjak saya berada di Tingkatan 1 lagi. Cuba bayangkan dulu rasa kekok hendak menulis dalam Bahasa Inggeris, sekarang rasa kekok menulis bahasa baku. 

Kelakor nggoh tulis gitu. Stres dan kerja yang bertimbun ditambah pula dengan weekly test pada hari esok menyebabkan saya rasa hendak menulis. Kadang-kadang saya melukis untuk menghilangkan tekanan. Kalau tengok tulisan saya, mungkin ramai orang akan cakap 'skema'. Biarlah nak kata apa pun, tapi saya kurang mahir menulis perkataan singkatan. 

Beginilah keadaan saya sekarang. Saya tersenyum gembira
membuat tugasan-tugasan yang saya dapat. 

Adakah anda ingin mengetahui pasal geosekuestrasi karbon dioksida? Saya sedang menjalankan kajian dalam topik tersebut. Memandangkan saya rasa anda semua tidak mempunyai pengetahuan dalam ilmu kaji bumi, biar saya terangkan kepada anda. Geosekuestrasi karbon dioksida itu bermaksud menangkap karbon di udara dan disimpan dalam besen (rock basin) bawah tanah. Topik itulah yang menyebabkan saya pening kepala ni. Esok, pensyarah saya ingin melihat laporan saya. Saya sudah ada siapkanlah sedikit. 

Kelakar kan penulisan saya kali ini, rasa sangat skema patriotik. 

The bottom line is, I am stressed and in need of something stronger than coffee. I drank more than 5 cups today, so I turned into something stronger, my blog. That have kept me alive for a while. Bye. I felt so funny writing in bahasa baku.

Sudah lama saya tidak menulis dalam Bahasa Melayu.-The Chukai Insider

Scholarships in Malaysia: Interviews and Mistakes

My brother has received many offers from government-linked companies (GLCs) to further his studies overseas. However, the biggest hurdle for him and many other students comes in the form of interviews. Forget what you have received in school, and most probably the interviewees won't be asking that since details about yourself are already in front of their eyes. Let me share with you how to tackle the questions and mistakes not to be done if you want to get scholarships in Malaysia. I've got mine and it is wonderful and I feel obliged to share my knowledge with our excellent SPM students. You have worked so hard, and so are the rest. So, what makes you different? When it comes to interviewing people, nothing matters except what's in front of you.

1. Prepare, prepare, prepare

Now is the best time to share with the interviewees what have you done before, be it curricular activities or whatever. That is why your activities in schools are important. Why? At least you have something to tell the person who will decide whether you will get the scholarship or not.

• A must question in any interview: Tell us about your family and background. If you can't prepare for this kind of question, please don't put your hope too much, okay? So, what to tell the interviewees? Tell them about your parents, what do they do (in case of me, I've an interesting story because my father is a barber and everyone will be like "Really, your father is a barber?"). So be proud of your parents. That was what I told my interviewees for every single time. Next, tell them where do you come from. Elaborate and  make stories out of it. Make sure that you are very smooth when talking about you background. Who else is better to tell about yourself?
• What have you done in schools? What were you interested in? 
• For me, I was very sure that my position as the school's top student leader was not an interesting topic to my interviewees since she did not ask anything about that. Why? Everyone knows if you can lead a student body, at least you have leadership qualities (although even some may not).
• Do you know what the interviewee asked me? She asked about my Chemistry Quiz which I got a distinction from an Australian body when I was in Form 2. Yes, when I was in Form 2. She may be more interested in the amazing thing that I did in Form 2 compared to all of the national leadership camp, science quizzes, national champion, public speaking and debating competition. 
• What I learnt from this is that we have to prepare ourselves of something unexpected. I would have never thought that she would be asking about that. However, I was gifted with some communication skills and went through the question very well. This brings us to another point, polish your communication skills!
• Ignore those stupid person who would say you don't have to practice to speak in public. Practice speaking and you will be good in it. I saw many scholars who cannot speak very well actually but they managed to get the scholarships? How is that? They practised for so many times before coming to the interviews. My friends and I have always practised speaking before the interviews on any topic that came to mind, even if it was Benazir Bhutto. Practice, practice, practice!
• What, Benazir Bhutto? Who is she? This should be the 'aha' moment when you must realise the importance of reading newspapers (or having some friends who are newspaper addict like Mr F, a friend of mine). My brother also asked what to answer of you have no idea whatsoever in answering the question. I asked him what was the question? His answer - What is sustainable development? OMG! That's easy. The solution is take the key words and elaborate! Easy. That question was nothing compared to the question I received from a white-haired interviewee from TNB, " What is the price per unit share for Tenaga in BSKL now?". I did not know. That was a fact and you need to answer that accurately. But, did you know what was I thinking? I thought he also did not know about the price, so I answered RM3.00++ because the price always fluctuates. He just nodded. I tell you, he did not know as well. See, confidence is everything. 
• Confident, confident, confident! But not too much or you will be a bitch during the interviews. How to get the confidence? Easy. Get into your room, lock the door, and play acting. 
• Successful students do this. Imagine the room is filled with the interviewees. So, main berlakon-berlakon ye. Practice your speech and sometimes read the newspaper aloud so you can practice your pronunciation.
• This bring us to another point, polish your English if you want to get good scholarships. But, if can't do it in short time, never mind. Many scholars are still struggling with their English even if they are sent to London. The point is, if you can speak English properly, show to the interviewees that you have tried. But seriously, improve your English if you still have time. How? Read The Star aloud, the articles not Starmag. 
• Knowledge about your choice of courses. Why do you want to do medicine? Normal answer: I like to help people. Folks, think of something else. Why engineering? Normal answer: I want to help building the country. Why geology? Normal answer: I will get lots of money, haha! 

Don't do these mistakes:

1. If you are like me, someone who cannot stop talking then you have to learn how to control yourself. If there is a group interview, do not dominate. This is especially true for Petronas scholarship program. If you ask any Petronas scholar, he/she will say not to dominate the group. If you do, goodbye. Then, how to present yourself without dominating the group? When you present your ideas, and you are done, ask for other friends to give feedback. Ask them questions that start with " Don't you feel that...", "Isn't that true..". This is to show how your team has worked together. 

2. Don't come late. Do you need more explanation on this topic? If you do, please close this window.

3. Wearing inappropriate clothes. Who would want someone sloppy? So, wear something smart that makes you look smart. However, don't overfashion yourself. No one give a damn whether it is a Zara or not. 

4. Wearing slippers (I'm not sexist but this is what I always see among girls). They think wearing long baju kurung will cover the feet portion. No, it doesn't. If you wear something work-like shoes, don't you feel more comfortable and have more confidence? People want to give you scholarships, so wear something nice. 

5. Crutches in speech. Crutches like 'urm', 'ahh', 'aaa'.

If you want to get specific interview tips for specific scholarship, you may contact me through the email at faidhiyusoff@gmail.com or leave your comments below. I may be able answer your queries as soon as possible. I have many friends from different scholarships so I can ask them for you. Whether it is Petronas, Bank Negara, JPA, Mara, Sime Darby, Khazanah, Shell, Yayasan Terengganu etc. you may get insider information from those who have gone through them and succeeded. -The Chukai Insider

Be a yardstick of quality.

Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected.

That is exactly the quote I put in front of my desk. I am not writing about him. Why did I put his quote in front of my desk is easy to be guessed. Now, I'm telling my own heart to really expect myself to be the yardstick of quality. Last weekend was so unproductive. It was productive if you put the parameters on different things (unacademic of course) and I felt very sad to be able to perform. So, I am writing this to tell the person that I love so much and I really really want to see him succeed. So this piece is for you, Faidhi.

Dear Faidhi,

Once, you came late to the class. You are easily distracted and you know that. You were late for only around 10 minutes. But being you, it was a horrible thing to do. Then, something happened and you could not answer some questions in the class. You already know that particular lecturer like to ask you questions. When you could not answer, you felt so bad. However, what was your response? Did you work yourself to improve your studies? As one of your lecturers have said " All of you are matured enough. You can think". Yeah! 

So, what are your plans? You know what they are, right? Bye. Hope you are fine in your studies.

Interactive comments from readers are welcomed! Haha!

Bye. Tomorrow, I have practical test. Mineral and rock identification. Sounds boring? No..not at all. Let's score the practical test!-The Chukai Insider

Miri and Belait

Miri. Miri. Miri.

Mak Cik : Pdh lkdi kjh ihs?

Saya       : Ya?

Mak Cik : Hjh kjshd kjjk?

Saya        : Belajar kat Curtin. Hmm, apa? Nama tempat ni orang panggil apa? (So Semenanjung!)

Mak Cik : Sdhsh jhsbdjh Senadin. Fj kjsd hjhh?

That was one of the moments that I will never forget for the rest of my life. It was my first day in Miri and together with my friends, I went out to the so-called the Mid Valley of Sarawak, Bintang Shopping Complex! On the way back on Miri Belait Transport Sdn. Bhd. bus, I sat next to a mak cik. Dialog di atas menerangkan segalanya. That mak cik friendly giler!! But I did not understand a word she was saying except 'Senadin' which is the name of the place where Curtin is located. Aku pun gatal jugak, pergi tegur dan membuat muka peramah kat mak cik tu. Tanya nak balik ke? Jawab je terus  tak faham. Mak cik, you are my motivation for me to learn Sarawakian language since I felt so horrible not able to answer your questions. To have some conversations with the mak cik, I asked her something. " Nama tempat ni orang panggil ape?". So Semenanjung. She answered Senadin! She understood me but not vice versa! Haha. I will learn Sarawakian language, mak cik!

That was one of the little things that I don't think I will ever forget insya-Allah. Okay kids, what can you learn from the story?

1. We are all different and yet we share many common things. So, we should leverage on that. 

2. If you don't understand the language, it is not a barrier for you to show warmth or kindness towards others. 

3. Learn languages of others and accept our differences because it is fun!

Dear Mak Cik Atas Bas,

You have taught me so many things. 

My friends, see the beautiful things that happen in our everyday's life. Driving a Ferrari while watching an old couple on an old motorcycle holding their many children will not make you smile. But, a simple moment like a friendly conversation with a mak cik does.- The Chukai Insider

ps: I met the Mak Cik again on Miri Belait bus. She remembered me. I just smiled at her so that I would not have awkward moment again. I have not improved my Sarawakian language, mak cik.  Next time, okay?

Miri oh Miri...

Slippers slippers on the floor, which pair of you are the
best of all? -Photo by Faidhi Y.

It has been ages since the last time I wrote something for this blog. Today's session of writing is a testament of hard and painful week. I've kind of busy lately. I wasn't so busy actually, but couple of things have made me gone miserable. Ugh! 

Today, Sarawak has a state election. Well, we'll talk about it later. I might have gone a little bit insane if I stop writing. It's something like what happened to Sheldon in the Big Bang Theory when his friends didn't allow him to speak. I love Geology, I love Miri, I love my friends and I love the food here. Miri oh Miri, what have you done to me? Alhamdulillah.

This post is just a product of boredom and stress. This week, I will have mid-term exam, presentation on underground water which I have no idea whatsoever (since my lecturer asked me to change my research topic as only two persons are working on it in my class). 

The thing is, even though when you know you have something hard to be endured starts from this Monday, it is fine because you like what you are doing. I know many of friends have said to me that I should pursue my studies in law, business etc. It is a surprise to me too that I have fallen in love in Geology. Maybe some pessimists will say that I am just a freshman and I'll have more to endure. Never mind. As long as you put heart into something and you like it, you will have the courage to continue what you love doing. Alhamdulillah! How great things have worked out for me. Thank you, Allah. -The Chukai Insider

ps: Actually, I just want to write something. This is the product. Bye bye.

Future topics (semangat nih!): 

1. Friends in Miri

2. People in Miri

3. Cats and dogs in Miri

Haha! Boring!!!!!