The air was crispy and cool. The autumn air seemed to have started to seep into the air that was nicely warmed by a generous, yet non-overwhelming amount of sunlight. Seagulls had a feast on the ground, and people were everywhere around me. I sat at a table with my company, having a chat on things that mattered but didn't normally show up in a cloudy, hectic mind. There was food on the table, the muffin was good, the coffee was great, and the salad was awesome. There was a mind clear of worry; a mind as crystal-clear as morning dew, sensationally tranquilized by the gladdening imperfection of the surrounding. The place was unbelievably teeming with lives, the real living creatures, not the ones who enslaved themselves for the cause of chasing the mirage of material so-called 'well-being'. Had there been these slaves around the place, the face would glow a different glow; a darker, hollow complexion with a limp, lifeless smile simply stamped on it.
When you have all these, forget about the rat race, forget about the things that make your world one heck of an F1 circuit with the pursuit for the rights for pomposity and glowing pride rules. Forget about the things that normally matter, because they are just unimportant; overwhelming but painfully tenuous. Forget about everything, because the real life is for the living.
I can live like this forever - I wish I can.
Faizal Hamssin
Monday, 1 March 2010
Wednesday, 3 February 2010
Of A New Eye and An Extra Pair of Feet
I passed my driving lesson. Yay! ;)
I'm a late bloomer, I know that. But then, late is better than never. At least the dark days of me not knowing to drive have been put to an end. I can't wait to get my license done on Thursday so I can straightaway grab Mamak's car and drive around Bintulu.
Yes, Bintulu. It's a perfect place for new drivers to get accustomed to roads. The traffic is mild, and the worst gridlock ever would have to be a "nerve-pinching" line that took 3 minutes to disperse. That's it.
Having passed the driving test and spent quite a lot of time with my family, I can safely say that my holidays don't seem to end as an idle 3-month sojourn. This is said amidst the reality that I've been sleeping from 4 till 12 every night(or should I say morning instead?) throughout the holidays.
I'm happy.
Talking about happiness, I've just got a new digital camera. Yay! I'd been camera-deprived since I mysteriously lost my previous one on one of Melbourne's trams. I'm split between the two theories of its loss;
1) I might've dropped it on the tram.
2) Someone picked it. Melbourne is generally safe, but sometimes you can't deny that there can be snakes hiding in the bush. The tram was very crowded when I lost it, and I was preoccupied with my conversation with Effa and Sasha to really keep my eyes on my possessions (They came all the way from KL to spend a few days with me in Melbourne. Bless them).
Forget about it.
My new camera ain't something really expensive or anything. It's just decent I'd say. 10.1 Megapixels. Sony. With the drama of losing a few stuff last year, I know I don't deserve anything better for the time being.
These are some of the first shots I took using this camera. The photos were taken at home.
The seating area outside in its messy glory.
My brother was running around and he gave a weird cheeky pose in the dark TV area when I took this. Gosh. Why must he be this cute? :)
That is it. May all be good.
p.s. This is new and this is hot. The lyrics are deep. Check this out.
Faizal Hamssin
Tuesday, 26 January 2010
Random Stuff
"Kedai Babi Berhawa Dingin". Ika drove me around and showed me the place. LOL I think it's funny. This is in Miri by the way.
On the other note, I was watching "Backtracks" on V when this video was played. I loved it instantly. The song had that very 90's vibe that I really liked. It somewhat reminded me of the darker "Frozen", which was also my favorite.
Faizal Hamssin
Friday, 1 January 2010
And a New Decade Is Finally Here.
Well Well Well. HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! May all's well in 2010. Let us all make the 1st January a day not only for celebrations of sheer enjoyment, but a day when we're all determined to allow the new seeds of new, positive ideas and outlook on life to inseminate and grow. Let the 1st of January be the day when the bad blisters of the past are allowed to be instantly removed, just to have them replaced with the fresh skin of new spirit and new goals. Attainable goals, of course.
Having talked about attainable goals, here my new year resolutions go. 11 resolutions for the period of 2010-2011! Voila :)
11. I want to become a better cook. I need to become a better cook. I know I've improved tremendously in this respect since I started studying in Melbourne and living alone there, but still, it's not good enough. But then, learning to cook shouldn't be a big problem for me now since I have one of the best cooks in the world as my mom. She can teach me Cooking 101 anytime I feel like it this summer, so for now, determination is the only key. It's whether I want to learn it or not.
10. I want to go to the gym and be healthy! Yes, this needs to be in the resolution for sure! I'm gonna be 21 next year (gosh I feel old) and of course it'd be pathetic if I look 20 years older than my age. It's not that I'm gonna be young twice or thrice, so it'd be a shame if I just embrace old age, appearance-wise, 20 or 30 years prematurely.
9. I want to, at least, try to keep in touch with some old friends. Well, people say friendships are forever. I think they're all wrong. Friendships can easily wilt and die if the people involved are not making some efforts to keep them alive. There's no harm in resorting to some ego-crushing measures like saying hello occasionally to some sincere and true old friends to just show them that they're still parts of my life after all this while.
8. I want to spend my money more wisely after this. I guess I should not binge-shop whenever I have some cash in hand. Apart from that, I should cook more and spend less money on eating out. It's a glaring misstep that I spent too much of my money last year on eating out. I should start saving from now on; there are lots of things that I wanna do in 2010, so I certainly need dollars and cents to keep them all rolling!
7. I should update my blog more often! Yes, this is for sure. You know how much I treasure this blog. It's been here since 2007, and a lot of things have changed since then. Sometimes, when I feel like it, I'd go straight to this blog's archive and read whatever craps I wrote back in the day. Especially the posts that truly reflected the situation I was in back then; if there's such thing as a publicised diary, this blog truly fits the bill for me.
6. I should be more engaged with the community; I should realize that the world is like a jigsaw puzzle; everyone that's in it is inter-connected to each other. There's no room for selfish attitude in this world, and I know I can do much to help make the world a better place. I can start small; I can reduce the usage of plastic bags and make it a point to bring my Safeway shopping bag whenever I do my grocery shopping, for example. For this, I have to learn from Khairul. He's gone far in this respect, I'd have to say.
5. I have to look for a job! Yes, a job. I need it cos I love money. Who doesn't? However, the job I'll pick should not be too time-demanding, since I always put studies as my number one priority. I won't put my grades in jeopardy because of a few dollars some demanding jobs will bring.
4. I want to become a morally and spiritually better person. I don't have to elaborate further on this; let it be as private as it should be.
3. I want to score good grades consistently. Call me kiasu all you want, but a side of me always wants me to be on the top league academic-wise. Flopping in the exams has always been one of the last things that I want to happen in my life, so I'll make it a point to stay focussed on my studies and work hard and smart to maintain my grades. I surely want to graduate with a good degree, but that doesn't mean that I'll nerd my way to score straight H1s or any of its derivatives. I'll try to find the golden-ratio kind of balance in this sense.
2. I want to travel more! I need to. First spot, New Zealand! That's my goal for now. I'd also love to go to Tasmania, Gold Coast, and even Alice Springs. Anyone care to join? Anyway, a trip to Canada is very much on the radar; I want to travel around Canada and the States with Mary so bad! It is going to be fun, I know that, and that's why I need a money-making job so bad!
1. Let it be a secret only I know :)
Anyway, have you guys thought of the things that have certainly changed in the past 10 years? I can still vividly remember that 10 years ago, I was just a boy who was so passionate with my lego and world maps. Thinking about this makes me grateful to have chosen Geology, something that I really love. Something that's me.
Can you all imagine what's gonna happen in the next 10 years? Who will you become in 2020? What will the world be like at that time?
I pray for the best. I'm meek now but I have optimism at least.
Bonne annee tout le monde. Selamat tahun baru.
Faizal Hamssin
Having talked about attainable goals, here my new year resolutions go. 11 resolutions for the period of 2010-2011! Voila :)
11. I want to become a better cook. I need to become a better cook. I know I've improved tremendously in this respect since I started studying in Melbourne and living alone there, but still, it's not good enough. But then, learning to cook shouldn't be a big problem for me now since I have one of the best cooks in the world as my mom. She can teach me Cooking 101 anytime I feel like it this summer, so for now, determination is the only key. It's whether I want to learn it or not.
10. I want to go to the gym and be healthy! Yes, this needs to be in the resolution for sure! I'm gonna be 21 next year (gosh I feel old) and of course it'd be pathetic if I look 20 years older than my age. It's not that I'm gonna be young twice or thrice, so it'd be a shame if I just embrace old age, appearance-wise, 20 or 30 years prematurely.
9. I want to, at least, try to keep in touch with some old friends. Well, people say friendships are forever. I think they're all wrong. Friendships can easily wilt and die if the people involved are not making some efforts to keep them alive. There's no harm in resorting to some ego-crushing measures like saying hello occasionally to some sincere and true old friends to just show them that they're still parts of my life after all this while.
8. I want to spend my money more wisely after this. I guess I should not binge-shop whenever I have some cash in hand. Apart from that, I should cook more and spend less money on eating out. It's a glaring misstep that I spent too much of my money last year on eating out. I should start saving from now on; there are lots of things that I wanna do in 2010, so I certainly need dollars and cents to keep them all rolling!
7. I should update my blog more often! Yes, this is for sure. You know how much I treasure this blog. It's been here since 2007, and a lot of things have changed since then. Sometimes, when I feel like it, I'd go straight to this blog's archive and read whatever craps I wrote back in the day. Especially the posts that truly reflected the situation I was in back then; if there's such thing as a publicised diary, this blog truly fits the bill for me.
6. I should be more engaged with the community; I should realize that the world is like a jigsaw puzzle; everyone that's in it is inter-connected to each other. There's no room for selfish attitude in this world, and I know I can do much to help make the world a better place. I can start small; I can reduce the usage of plastic bags and make it a point to bring my Safeway shopping bag whenever I do my grocery shopping, for example. For this, I have to learn from Khairul. He's gone far in this respect, I'd have to say.
5. I have to look for a job! Yes, a job. I need it cos I love money. Who doesn't? However, the job I'll pick should not be too time-demanding, since I always put studies as my number one priority. I won't put my grades in jeopardy because of a few dollars some demanding jobs will bring.
4. I want to become a morally and spiritually better person. I don't have to elaborate further on this; let it be as private as it should be.
3. I want to score good grades consistently. Call me kiasu all you want, but a side of me always wants me to be on the top league academic-wise. Flopping in the exams has always been one of the last things that I want to happen in my life, so I'll make it a point to stay focussed on my studies and work hard and smart to maintain my grades. I surely want to graduate with a good degree, but that doesn't mean that I'll nerd my way to score straight H1s or any of its derivatives. I'll try to find the golden-ratio kind of balance in this sense.
2. I want to travel more! I need to. First spot, New Zealand! That's my goal for now. I'd also love to go to Tasmania, Gold Coast, and even Alice Springs. Anyone care to join? Anyway, a trip to Canada is very much on the radar; I want to travel around Canada and the States with Mary so bad! It is going to be fun, I know that, and that's why I need a money-making job so bad!
1. Let it be a secret only I know :)
Anyway, have you guys thought of the things that have certainly changed in the past 10 years? I can still vividly remember that 10 years ago, I was just a boy who was so passionate with my lego and world maps. Thinking about this makes me grateful to have chosen Geology, something that I really love. Something that's me.
Can you all imagine what's gonna happen in the next 10 years? Who will you become in 2020? What will the world be like at that time?
I pray for the best. I'm meek now but I have optimism at least.
Bonne annee tout le monde. Selamat tahun baru.
Faizal Hamssin
Friday, 18 December 2009
Of Mukabukuholicism
Mukabukuholic versus Facebookaholic. And I think the former wins big against the latter. It's so much easier to pronounce, don't you think so? Try to pronounce Facebookaholic. It is a tongue-twister, don't you think so?
Manglish Boleh. Malaysia Boleh!
LAME
You see, even facebook could hit a kind of wall after which it just doesn't seem to be very interesting. I got pretty bored of it. But then, friendster sucks more, and myspace is just like another lame dating site so where can I turn to now? ;(
Talking about myspace, it makes me LMFAO to see so many girls (and, disturbingly, guys too!) put up pictures of them with disturbing cute-wannabe poses. Lots of them tended to think that by bigging (or literally popping) their eyes out and disastrously pouting their lips, they'd look cute. But hey, you ain't no Tyra Banks or Miss Jay Alexander, okay! It's fugly at its best! I have nothing against anyone with any poses, but seriously, you can easily differentiate between some normal, natural poses and the fake, pretentious ones. And these people would add strangers and they're inundating facebook nowadays, making it more tedious for the normal, sane, users to keep on clicking 'ignore' from what seems to be incessant and blatant friend requests from them.
But well, I can hate facebook as much as I want, but I still have to admit that I can't live without it. There needs to be a rehab for Mukabukuholicism, I believe!
p/s the post was written just after I found out that I had nothing to do after having facebooked for the whole night.
Faizal Hamssin
Manglish Boleh. Malaysia Boleh!
LAME
You see, even facebook could hit a kind of wall after which it just doesn't seem to be very interesting. I got pretty bored of it. But then, friendster sucks more, and myspace is just like another lame dating site so where can I turn to now? ;(
Talking about myspace, it makes me LMFAO to see so many girls (and, disturbingly, guys too!) put up pictures of them with disturbing cute-wannabe poses. Lots of them tended to think that by bigging (or literally popping) their eyes out and disastrously pouting their lips, they'd look cute. But hey, you ain't no Tyra Banks or Miss Jay Alexander, okay! It's fugly at its best! I have nothing against anyone with any poses, but seriously, you can easily differentiate between some normal, natural poses and the fake, pretentious ones. And these people would add strangers and they're inundating facebook nowadays, making it more tedious for the normal, sane, users to keep on clicking 'ignore' from what seems to be incessant and blatant friend requests from them.
But well, I can hate facebook as much as I want, but I still have to admit that I can't live without it. There needs to be a rehab for Mukabukuholicism, I believe!
p/s the post was written just after I found out that I had nothing to do after having facebooked for the whole night.
Faizal Hamssin
You're So So Lame
You call me a hick yet you can't differentiate a "cook" and a "cooker"?
Boo Shame Shame
At least I'm not a "cooker" LOL
Faizal Hamssin
Boo Shame Shame
At least I'm not a "cooker" LOL
Faizal Hamssin
Monday, 14 December 2009
The Epitome of Frog-Singing
If there's such thing as a singing frog, I think I must be it.
We sang our stress away. We sang our lungs away. It seems that the pathetic frogs finally found some digs to do their 'thing'.
I sang "One Sweet Day" in the end; so much for a happy day.
Not only the singing skills do we lack, we're certainly the biggest loser when it comes to camwhoring. Where the hell was half of my head?
But well, I love you all. Without you, Bintulu would've been bleak. And I'm being honest here.
I wanna do it again.
p/s pictures courtesy of Doro and Emmi.
Faizal Hamssin
We sang our stress away. We sang our lungs away. It seems that the pathetic frogs finally found some digs to do their 'thing'.
I sang "One Sweet Day" in the end; so much for a happy day.
Not only the singing skills do we lack, we're certainly the biggest loser when it comes to camwhoring. Where the hell was half of my head?
But well, I love you all. Without you, Bintulu would've been bleak. And I'm being honest here.
I wanna do it again.
p/s pictures courtesy of Doro and Emmi.
Faizal Hamssin
2009 2010 2011
2009 go away, don't come again another day, little Faizal wants to stray.
Life seems to be full of promises now that this great year is going to end.
When a being is happy, his soul will definitely yearn for the flavors of challenges,
And I know that 2010 will be full of them.
As the shadow of the nightly past peters away.
And the endless nights of slaving myself to cast those negativities away seem to be a million light years away,
A new day beckons,
Turning hope into a magical star.
I have nothing but optimism.
Random rambling on a Sunday night. Everyday is weekend now that holidays are in charge. What Monday blues?
Enjoy this classic. Good night ;)
Faizal Hamssin
Life seems to be full of promises now that this great year is going to end.
When a being is happy, his soul will definitely yearn for the flavors of challenges,
And I know that 2010 will be full of them.
As the shadow of the nightly past peters away.
And the endless nights of slaving myself to cast those negativities away seem to be a million light years away,
A new day beckons,
Turning hope into a magical star.
I have nothing but optimism.
Random rambling on a Sunday night. Everyday is weekend now that holidays are in charge. What Monday blues?
Enjoy this classic. Good night ;)
Faizal Hamssin
Friday, 11 December 2009
Of Uneuphoric Relief
iThe 2nd Semester results have finally been released and yay, I've officially survived the first year of uni ;)
Here the 'gory' details go;
Chemistry 2: 88 H1
Linear Algebra: 71 H2B
The Earth, Atmosphere and Oceans: 82 H1
Introductory Macroeconomics: 76 H2A
Total WAM: 79.3/100
[Another kind of so-close-but-so-far-away drama struck me again. Just 3 freaking marks- that's all I needed, and I could've gotten an 80 WAM straightaway. Dammit]
Overall mood regarding the results: Relieved, but not so happy.
But hey, at least I did pass my Linear Algebra and scored respectable okay in the subject. Lord knows how much I hated the subject, and its syllabus being totally irrelevant to my major (Geology) just exacerbated that feeling. Seriously, I never hated a subject that much, what more with the annoying MATLAB component of the subject that didn't help much. With that in mind, I kinda left everything till the very last minutes, and voila. God had been nice to me this time around. Thank you ;)
And yes, that 76 in Macroeconomics really disappoints me. I really didn't know what went wrong, actually. The paper wasn't, at all, hard, and I loved the subject so much that I really hoped I'd ace it hands down.
With that being said, my result this time around ain't as great as my first semester's, but well, I can tell you all that I had THE time of my life on the second sem. That was the period when I started to learn more about life and got closer to like-minded people who made the uni hardship bearable and colorful. The study meetings we all had in Baileu, Old Eng, ERC - they were all fun, and not at all strenuous.
Well, life is not all about getting straight As, I guess. Life's about living the moment.
May the good vibes keep on rolling in next year. Melbourne peeps, I miss you. Really.
Faizal Hamssin
p/s to my well-performing friends, congratulations! Especially to that alien-brained juwie Farouq who managed to score straight H1s. Seriously, that's fantastic ;)
Here the 'gory' details go;
Chemistry 2: 88 H1
Linear Algebra: 71 H2B
The Earth, Atmosphere and Oceans: 82 H1
Introductory Macroeconomics: 76 H2A
Total WAM: 79.3/100
[Another kind of so-close-but-so-far-away drama struck me again. Just 3 freaking marks- that's all I needed, and I could've gotten an 80 WAM straightaway. Dammit]
Overall mood regarding the results: Relieved, but not so happy.
But hey, at least I did pass my Linear Algebra and scored respectable okay in the subject. Lord knows how much I hated the subject, and its syllabus being totally irrelevant to my major (Geology) just exacerbated that feeling. Seriously, I never hated a subject that much, what more with the annoying MATLAB component of the subject that didn't help much. With that in mind, I kinda left everything till the very last minutes, and voila. God had been nice to me this time around. Thank you ;)
And yes, that 76 in Macroeconomics really disappoints me. I really didn't know what went wrong, actually. The paper wasn't, at all, hard, and I loved the subject so much that I really hoped I'd ace it hands down.
With that being said, my result this time around ain't as great as my first semester's, but well, I can tell you all that I had THE time of my life on the second sem. That was the period when I started to learn more about life and got closer to like-minded people who made the uni hardship bearable and colorful. The study meetings we all had in Baileu, Old Eng, ERC - they were all fun, and not at all strenuous.
Well, life is not all about getting straight As, I guess. Life's about living the moment.
May the good vibes keep on rolling in next year. Melbourne peeps, I miss you. Really.
Faizal Hamssin
p/s to my well-performing friends, congratulations! Especially to that alien-brained juwie Farouq who managed to score straight H1s. Seriously, that's fantastic ;)
Saturday, 5 December 2009
Reincarnation
I'm in Malaysia now! Gonna be here for all through my summer break. 3 months, baby!
Feeling: Refreshed. Upbeat.
I miss Melbourne! I guess I'm pretty much a workaholic who doesn't know when to stop working. I kind of miss the smell and characteristic ambiance of unimelb's lecture halls. Anything that's got anything to do with uni, including the putrid sushi lunches back in those busy days, and the crowded Bailleu Library that caused claustrophobia-related feelings to flush through my veins seem intriguing now ;p
I guess I should not treat my summer break the way polar bear treats its 6 months of wintry darkness. I gotta do something. Any ideas, out there?
Faizal Hamssin
Feeling: Refreshed. Upbeat.
I miss Melbourne! I guess I'm pretty much a workaholic who doesn't know when to stop working. I kind of miss the smell and characteristic ambiance of unimelb's lecture halls. Anything that's got anything to do with uni, including the putrid sushi lunches back in those busy days, and the crowded Bailleu Library that caused claustrophobia-related feelings to flush through my veins seem intriguing now ;p
I guess I should not treat my summer break the way polar bear treats its 6 months of wintry darkness. I gotta do something. Any ideas, out there?
Faizal Hamssin
Monday, 5 October 2009
Honeydays Are Over, Reality's Looming
Well, back to serious business here. I'm having finals in roughly a month's time, so I guess I'll seriously need to buck up for the papers while I still can.
Since I've made a promise to upload some pictures I'd taken in Canberra/Sydney during the trip last week, voila. Here we go!
*Off to studying for finals! Wish me luck cos I need it bad.
Faizal Hamssin
Since I've made a promise to upload some pictures I'd taken in Canberra/Sydney during the trip last week, voila. Here we go!
*Off to studying for finals! Wish me luck cos I need it bad.
Faizal Hamssin
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