Picture of the Moment

IEEE Robot Competition 2011

2010-02-18T20:31:00.004-06:00

I just got the news that my team is going to build a robot and it is going to enter a robot competition on 2011. This project will be my final project of my undergraduate. It will last 3 semesters.

My team consists of 4 members including me:

Steven Bell (Team Leader)
Daniel Nizeyumukiza
Alain Bigirimana
Mark Tock

We are one of 8 teams in my year. We have to build this robot from scratch. Meaning, no schematics, and no blueprints. We have to research, design, and implement it.

I am going to try to take pictures and update what we do. This is going to be a 1 and half year project. It seems long but it actually takes that long to build it.

This is an idea on how the robot and competition is going to be. Click here

Falling For You - Panko

2009-10-13T01:37:00.004-05:00

Another video that everybody has been waiting for. I am pretty sure the 10 people that visits my blog would love to listen to another hit song from Panko. She has been spotted by a production company that scouts for local talents and she is going to sing in a prestigious stage that many famous artists have sung before.

She is singing on the 11th of November. Click this site and scroll down to November 11th and it has information about the production company that chose her to sing. While scrolling down, you can see different artists that is about to perform. It is going to kick-start her career and hopefully she is able to excel in her singing career like she always wanted to.

SUBSCRIBE ON HER YOUTUBE! here

Who Will Tell them by Panko

2009-08-23T15:33:00.003-05:00

A gospel song written originally by her own two hands. This song is originally to reach out to the Hmong people that has their own religion. It is a rather unique religion. She is talented and has a good heart. This song is not completely done yet. This is a little sneak peak of her own creation.

Crikey! Boxers!

2009-08-18T21:23:00.005-05:00

Sister: Kor, I am going to Australia to compete in a cheerleading tournament.

Me: Good Good, Buy me an I "Heart" Australia T-shirt.

Sister: Ok, I will buy it.

Waited for a month.

Boxers and it fits me right. =D

I'm Yours by Jason Mraz

2009-08-16T19:36:00.003-05:00

I am guessing panko can't rap because Jason Mraz's lyrics are pretty crazy. You probably need two tongues to catch up with him. Panko did her best singing my favorite song that I asked her to sing. Don't forget to subscribe on her youtube and give her encouragements. Have fun listening...

The Vision of Students Today

2009-08-13T22:53:00.003-05:00

This is basically what we go through in US colleges. Bradley introduced to me this other video to show me what is currently going on in colleges. Students are doing so much during their college years but will they use all of the information they obtained during classes? Professor Wesch studied and found the elements that contributed to our technological and educational world at this current era.

A short video summarizing some of the most important characteristics of students today - how they learn, what they need to learn, their goals, hopes, dreams, what their lives will be like, and what kinds of changes they will experience in their lifetime. Created by Michael Wesch in collaboration with 200 students at Kansas State University.

The Machine is Us/ing Us

2009-08-13T22:40:00.003-05:00

My good buddy, Bradley Collier, introduced this video to me and I thought it was really interesting. We always spend our time online blogging, posting pictures, and all sorts of stuff into the network. We might be thinking that WE are using the computer to spread information but we are absolutely wrong.

We blog and think that we are using the blogging network to post up latest news about yourself or post up pictures for your family back home to keep them updated; however, in reality, the machine is just offering tools for us to use in order to feed information into the machine. Basically, the machine is using us to teach them and expand its "brain".

Watch this video and you would know what I am talking about.

Nobody - WonderGirls

2009-08-07T16:52:00.004-05:00

Nobody was sung by somebody but panko-body is singing this song Nobody.

Lil girl with a Big Voice

2009-08-02T23:35:00.008-05:00

Her name is PangKou Xiong aka Panko

So I met this little girl from school and she has a hidden talent that nobody would know if she didn't opened her mouth to sing. She is probably the best singer I know in person (not that I know a whole lot that sings.) However, she is crazygood and that is what I always tell her. Her singing career has just begun because she is just 19 and still singing. She has a small body but a big voice. She had to stand away from the computer in order to get a better sound without the static-y sound although you could still hear a little static when she goes into... I don't know what is the music term but she basically screams but its a good scream if you catch my drift. She is a shy girl with a big heart for God. Of course, a huge voice too.

How I met her? Probably my mom would want to know that. Basically, i thought she was an international student and she was sitting alone. I went to say hi to her and found out she wasn't an International but she is from Oklahoma. We became close friends after that. The End... No seriously THE END.

This gives me the opportunity to spread the existence of Hmong people. She is a hmong and if you watched the movie Gran Tarino you would know a little bit about Hmong people in America. Enjoy her music and there are more to come.

This song she is singing is more subtle and soothing but if she sings a crazy bombastic loud and challenging song, she would scream and I mean good scream with a strong voice. No keed~ No Keed~

If you request to sing a song other than Linkin Park or Jay Z songs she would kindly sing the song for you. Maybe she will if you subscribe to her youtube account.

Hollywood, LA

2009-07-25T15:31:00.011-05:00

Cycling from Venice Beach to Santa Monica!

BAYWATCH!!

Michael Jackson!

Hollywood Boulevard!

Beverly Hills

Yeap! I met Vin Diesel in Universal Studio

The SpongeBob Square Pants!

Sean And Shanice Loves this

He will do anything for money!

What I did:

Went to Baywatch Beach
Caught the waves in Santa Monica and Venice Beach
Universal Studio
Beverly Hills
Saw Michael Jackson, Snoop Dog, and etc's house.
Saw Vin Diesel, Crazytown, and APL from BlackeyePeas (he was DJing for us) in person.
Saw hall of fame stars on the road of Hollywood Boulevard.
Partied in a Cadillac limo.
Went Pub Crawling in LA.
Heard gunshots outside of the hostel while people were running.
Saved two Asian Americans from the hands of Mexicans in Hollywood. =P
Had an International Party almost every place in Hollywood.

Apology for what!?

2009-06-24T23:16:00.003-05:00

I have been following the news about Swine Flu in Malaysia and I am really concerned about one matter. It doesn't necessarily have to do with Swine Flu. It is about a school who demanded the girl's family, who is currently infected with Swine Flu, to give a public apology to students and families in school or whoever is concerned. They may be wrong to not detect this virus from their daughter soon enough but demanding a public apology?

What the crap is all this?! You have to give a PUBLIC APOLOGY to everybody because you have Swine Flu? Is everyone a doctor now? Do you think you know that you're infected? Do you think a little girl who wants to go to school just to infect people? We all know it is highly contagious. We all know its life threatening. However, I don't think it is necessary for a family who is already going through mental distress and pressure from Swine Flu to issue a public apology to everybody. Is the school trying to humiliate the family and create more distress to the family? Aren't they the victims too?

For God's sake, she is only 11 years old. She might not know the the fatality of this disease but do you think she doesn't know that infecting other people with this contagious disease is wrong? The whole family is infected by this disease and being quarantined. The school demanding an apology is completely stupid and inconsiderate. It is ridiculous. This is a school that needs to fire the ones that demanded this nonsensical public apology.

Happy Birthday Amy!

2009-06-10T19:25:00.007-05:00

So another year gone and a pretty friend of mine became a year older. She is an American who grew up in Japan. It is pretty weird listening to her speak fluent Japanese and learning from her. She is bubbly and fun to hang out with. She requested that each of us wore something pink. Thanks to Jeremy Gan I have one.

A time worth remembering and talking about in 20 years from now.

A look worth remembering and talking about in 20 years from now.

Bak Kut Teh Specialist and Newly Wed Mrs. Kristi Thornton (Japanese Yakuza)
Made it for the crowd and it was gone at the end of the day.
Success!

The Japanese American.... Japican? Amerinese?
The Japanese Peace sign proved that she is Japanese

A minute before it happened.

Taunting and annoying her constantlyShe shooed me away so she could concentrate.However, it's her destiny.
So it happened.

It was a great day not because it was a birthday party or the delicious food. But it is because the people and friends I made changed me in a way that would help me in a long run. Or should I say my future. This is not the only memorable event in my life. I still have 2 years to go and I will enjoy it as much as I can.

Summer 09

2009-05-12T23:07:00.003-05:00

Loving my trump cards

So it has been a month since I updated my blog. A lot happened this past couple of weeks after Finals.

Firstly, here is what I am doing this summer.

Work on weekdays from 8AM to 5PM.
Taking classes called C.S Lewis. (A whole class dedicated to him)
Taking two more classes after that during the whole summer.

Basically, it is all work and no play. I have to write 10 journals, 1 thesis paper, 1 biography paper, discuss topics online, and an essay exam paper. In order to do all that, I have to read 7 C.S Lewis' books that he wrote in 1940's. All that is to be done in 4 weeks.

It might sound bad...actually it does suck but not everything turned out to be bad.

I got a job in maintenance on campus. What I do is fix stuff around campus and making sure everything looks good in campus before anyone moves in. I work 40 hours a week which is an average of 8 hours a day on excluding weekends. Since I am working in maintenance, they gave me free housing and that is what I ultimately was aiming for since I have no where to stay during the summer. I have a nice apartment, a private room, kitchen, and all the works. I thought I couldn't get it since I applied late; however, thank God I got it and it is another miracle.

I have always wanted to take classes. I even chose the classes I would love to take way before Finals were over. Surprisingly, I never thought I could pay for it. I kept my list what I would take even when I thought to myself that I wouldn't be able to enroll. Two weeks before Finals, I got an email from my Financial Adviser to see her. I thought to myself, what do I have to pay this time. When I went in there, she looked at me and asked me about my summer plans. I told her and she said that I was able to take summer classes. She told me that an anonymous donor would love to pay for me this summer including my books. I didn't know how to react and just left the office. I open my laptop and started enrolling into all the classes I chose from the list I kept. Everything is oh so good right now. Things could not be any better than this but I know it will be someday.

To summarize everything I just wrote

I got a paying job and making money. (Stating the obvious. =P)
Free housing (It is an awesome blossoming apartment)
Free summer classes.
Free books (It costs a lot)

SOCCER INTRAMURAL FINALS 09

2009-04-16T22:23:00.005-05:00

KAPPA SIGMA TAU vs. CHI LAMBDA PHI

Score

2 - 1

GOAL SCORER

WILMER

CHI LAMBDA PHI

FLORENT (GOLDEN GOAL)

AT LAST! We won Soccer Intramural 2009. It was probably the hardest game I played so far in this competition.

I was on the floor most of the time. I wanted to blast the ball in and a guy lifted his leg to kick it too but I ended kicking the ball and the sole of his boots. Stayed on the floor with my head down for a minute.

Jumping around to win headers ended up being pushed from behind while I was in the air. Pretty intense!

This is my third time playing in this competition and for the last two times, I got second. This time it changed and I am definitely happy that we won it this time.

My body is going to ache so bad, I think it is going to be hard to wake up tomorrow morning.

Just for the record: I beat the defender on the right corner and passed it into the box for Florent to scoop it into the net. I assisted the second goal. =P

4 goals in nine games and multiple assists ain't that bad. =P

SEMI-FINALS 09

2009-04-15T23:06:00.002-05:00

KAPPA SIGMA TAU vs. DELTA GAMMA SIGMA

Score

2 - 1

GOAL SCORER

REAGEN

JARED

DELTA (PK)

Intramural Soccer 2009 Game 7

2009-04-14T21:09:00.001-05:00

KAPPA SIGMA TAU vs. ALPHA GAMMA OMEGA

Score

4 - 0

GOAL SCORER

REAGEN

MARK TOCK

KRESTEN

KELLY

Intramural Soccer 2009 Game 6

2009-04-09T21:36:00.002-05:00

KAPPA SIGMA TAU vs. DELTA GAMMA SIGMA

Score

0 - 1

GOAL SCORER

DELTA

Mission Trip San Antonio, TX

2009-04-04T16:38:00.003-05:00

This is done by Jeremy Gan alone.

They played this during our school assembly and it was pretty much what we did during the trip. I was working when they played it in the assembly. When it was done, some of my dude friends came to me and said "Nice pose!" and I have no idea what they were talking about until I saw this myself.

And if you're wondering what they were laughing at at the end of the video, let me explain. My korean buddy, Hyun, doesn't know how to pronounce Fajita, which is a Mexican dish. It is suppose to pronounce something like (fə-hē'tə) or Fa-He-Ta. We lied to him and said it was pronounced like Fur-Jai-Taz (sounds like women's ...) So he did and we all laughed. Actually all the international students did it thats why it was funny. The waiter calmly played along and tried not to laugh at his customers at the same time. =P

Intramural Soccer 2009 Game 5

2009-04-02T20:07:00.001-05:00

KAPPA SIGMA TAU vs. FRESHMEN

Score

2 - 0

GOAL SCORER

ALEXANDER

REAGEN

My groin hurts so bad right now~!

Intramural Soccer 2009 GAME 4

2009-04-01T22:39:00.003-05:00

KAPPA SIGMA TAU vs. CHI LAMBDA PHI

Score

1 - 2

GOAL SCORER

CHI LAMBDA PHI (PK)

PACIFIQUE MAHORO

CHI LAMBDA PHI (Golden Goal)

Two lucky goals took us down but we are going to kick them out of play-offs like we did last year by ME!! =P

Intramural Soccer Game 3

2009-03-31T22:12:00.002-05:00

KAPPA SIGMA TAU vs. PSI EPSILON

Score

2 -1

GOAL SCORER

MARK TOCK

FLORENT TURITIMANA

PSI EPSILON

Intramural Soccer 2009 GAME 2

2009-03-26T20:57:00.002-05:00

Spot the Tock =P

KAPPA SIGMA TAU vs. OMEGA PSI OMICRON

Score

3 -1

GOAL SCORER

WILMER

MARK TOCK

ALEX TULIKUMWENAYO

JASON FORD (PK)

Spring Break 09

2009-03-26T11:07:00.016-05:00

So I am sitting in the receptionists desk trying to take my hands away from my laptop, I need to focus on my homework eventually though. So I figured I should do something constructive like updating my blog instead of browsing through the same old news about the world, at the verge of unleashing their M16 for war.

SPRING BREAK!!

Just need to update something about spring break. I spend the whole week in San Antonio Texas handing out flyers to people's houses to encourage them to go to a Bible class that the church is hosting. I probably walked average 4 miles per day. I went there for 7 days and that is what I did most of the trip although there are few occasions where I have my own private time to chill, sit down, relax, and turn me on some Virginia Moon by Foo Fighters. It is not that bad, after all I don't think I have anything to do if I didn't go to this Mission Trip. I get to meet many nice friends that I didn't know.

Hearing me some Virginia Moon by Foo Fighters

Did anybody tell you that Mexican food is probably the best thing I could find in US? Well now, it is the best especially in Texas since its the border between US and Mexico. Many Mexican illegals to help cook mar. =P

I needed this break after doing assignments, tests, sleep, eat, assignments, tests, and so on. It was a good Spring Break and I definitely had a lot of rest. Well mentally YES but not physically since we need to walk several miles a day handing out flyers. Mental exhaustion is probably worse than Physical exhaustion. Si?

Si!

I could not care less about my 60 over questions Math assignment that I had to do before my test after Spring Break! Just kidding~ I took my books with me to the trip and guess what! The only time it was used was the time my friend needed it to add more weight to his bag so that he could work out! That is the most productive thing my book actually did. If only I could just eat the book and print out my homework through my ****. That wouldn't happen in my lifetime or anybody's.

Me, my friends, and my Itouch =P

So we hung out at the park after, had a little picnic party after an exhausting day. Kicking ball, playing American Football, trying to get the ball from the tree, and watching ducks mate or rather gang rape a poor duck. My friend had the nerves to even say "Hey, that male duck is getting raped!". We all know that animals know their sexes. Right? No?

GANG RAPED! KACHAW!

A lil Korean love drama pictures. NOT! Just kidding~ No Seriously.

We also went to the riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas. It is a famous place to take your girlfriend or wife to this place. A nice river in the middle of the city with violin playing Mexicans and a few ducks swimming in the river. IT IS NOT an ideal place to go with 6 dudes and 3 girls. Let me warn you before you go there.

Chilling in the riverwalk~ O-RIGHT~

There are few pictures I thought I should put up to satisfy my readers. Well, honestly, I don't think I will update this blog for a long time besides putting up my intramural soccer updates. =P

Intramural Soccer 2009

2009-03-24T21:36:00.002-05:00

1st game

KAPPA SIGMA TAU vs. SIGMA TAU DELTA

Score

2 - 0

GOAL SCORER

MARK TOCK

WILMER

urgh... So out of shape. Could have scored 4 more goals!!

Highlights so far~

2009-03-11T19:46:00.007-05:00

Yukari
Farewell

Masayo

Just chilling in the library

Masayo

Friend's graduation 08

Bryan's Graduation 08

Nana Nagata

Machie Nobuta

Koichi who left me

After Spring Sing 09

Halloween o8

Possessed shot of me playing basketball 08

Kelsey and Anna chilling in starbux

Chilling in starbux after Freshman fanfare 08

21st B-day of mine.

B-day cake

Getting creamed on my B-day

Fall Banquet date: Lauren

Henry's 22nd B-day

again

I basically kidnapped him, tied and taped him just because he creamed me on my 21st B-day

Last Day with the Japanese

Rejected again.

Anna's 19th B-day kiss which she rejected.

Anna's 19th B-day

Spring Sing 09 aftermath

Whats going on...

2009-02-25T16:30:00.002-06:00

Nerd to da max...

Test, homework, test homework, soccer, test, homework, test homework, friends, homework, homework, homework.

What else did I do this month? Oh ya...homework, homework, homework...Sick...Sick...Sick...

Still sick... It has been a crazy month.

OH well, back to homework.

Secret Angel

2009-02-22T00:51:00.005-06:00

Note says: Medicine for you! Get well soon. ^-^

So, I am sick. Can't sleep for the past couple of days. My nose is totally block and I am relying on my mouth to breathe.

I kept waking up in the middle of night and I have SO much homework to do.

I have tests and homework due this week and I have no idea how am I going to finish it.

HOWEVER, not everything is bad. Life is good. Life is awesome. Why?

I have been browsing my Facebook pictures(all 900 of them) and I found that each and every one of them reminds me of the fun times I had throughout my life over here.

Each picture made me recall back the good feeling I had on that particular time period.

Not only that. I just came back to my dorm after being out the whole day and...

I found a bottle of medicine and a packet of green tea stuck on my room door.

I am really curious who put it there. I smiled and it remind me that people really do care.

A packet of green tea and a bottle of medicine can do wonders.

Encourage others. Be considerate of others. It will be worthwhile although you might not get something back in return.

I am the one that got encouraged and it helped me A LOT! Thanks whoever you are.

Lookalike

2009-02-18T23:00:00.004-06:00

Fukuda Saki

So it seems that I look like this Japanese actress. When I met the Japanese, they told me that I look like an actress and I kept correcting them that actress is for females and actor is for males. I didn't know that I actually look like an actress. I am probably hot when I wear a skirt and a tight T-shirt.

Btw, she is hot. I like this lady.

Another brand new day over~

2009-02-11T22:05:00.005-06:00

The Japanese geisha on my right and a lil Irish blood.

So, I am sitting on the floor in the study room wasting my time thinking whether I should do my homework that is due next week or should I not do it. Duh~

Small room, 5 chairs, 6 people, are the reasons why I am sitting on the floor. We have a Cayman Island lady, a Japanese lady, a American Born Asian gentleman, a Chinese lady, a Korean gentleman, and THE Malaysian man. We are all doing our homework...well, more like they are doing their homework.

Give me a break, I have been studying for 3 of my hardest tests for the past week. I did my last test today, that is why I am so lazy and relaxed. Besides, chilling is my specialty.

Apparently, I have no clue what I am doing when I am in the gym. Should I lift weights? Should I run on the treadmill? Should I watch women work out? Should I approach them? Should I...anyway, I have no clue. I ended up running on the treadmill and lifting weights for a while. I started going to the gym for the past 3 weeks ago and...let me rephrase that...I have been going to the gym for the past 3 weeks and that number is equivalent to the number of times I stepped into the gym.

Don't judge me! At least I tried. The reason why I started going to the gym is because I needed to work on my stamina and get ready for intramural soccer next month. My main reason why I can't enjoy soccer, futbol, football, whatever, is because I lose my breath after a short while in competitive games. I need to work on my Stamina.

Apparently, I am the so-called Japanese devourer. Every year they send long term exchange Japanese students for 8 months and on the last month the short-term exchange student will arrive. The short-term student arrived on Monday this week. Even before they arrive, almost everybody I hang out with are keeping an eye on me and they expect me to prey on them. "Mark! Mark! How many Japanese girls you know so far?!" or "Mark, Japanese girls are coming, I know you want to meet them." or more like their eyes are on me when any Japanese girls are around. I admit Japanese are fun to be around with but its not like I am going to date every one of them. I just love having them around because they are fun to be with. Anyway, it does not matter at all, I get the girls and they are just jealous. =P

My mom is probably worried now reading the Japanese part of my post. Anyway, yet another random post that does not make any sense.

To all my faithful readers, probably could count with two hands, until then, tata~=P

Today

2009-02-07T10:56:00.008-06:00

K-Pop to da Max!

So, I am here sitting down in front of laptop after a nice hot shower and only wearing a towel, I just felt like updating this blog of mine although I should be preparing for my test on Monday.

ding ka doo doo.... I have no idea what to write but I guess it is time to update something about what is happening in here

Smiling, laughing, cracking jokes is what has been happening over here. (not forgetting tests) Arghh the pain....

It's been good and I just can't ask for more because I am getting everything I wanted.

So, life is short so live life to the fullest. That is so true.

I mean Oklahoma looks dormant most of the time but my friends are livelier than a CNY firecracker *pak pera pak*

"That's what she said jokes" and "Yo mama" jokes never seems to die off.

"Put it in now?!" (password to the Itouch)

"That's what she said." *de duk dish*

So Valentine's Day is coming and I have a weekend off on that week from my RA job in school.

I am the RA(Residential Assistant) for my dorm. Basically what I do is make sure the kids in my dorm behave.

Anyway, back to V-Day. I wonder what should I do on that day?

I want to take multiple girls just because they are great people not because I want to hook up with them.

Oh well, I guess I can't defy the odds of having multiple dates on V-Day.

V-day is overrated and it is also R-rated if you know what I mean although I think my friends back home would likely do that but not here(I think).

I have been wanting to do a fohawk or whatever it is called. It is a milder version of mohawk.

My hair i so long and puffy I thought I look like Marry Poppins with a lil of Puff Daddy on the side.

I ain't no kidding dude... Do you dig wah ah am sayin'?

So... intramural soccer is coming and I just can't wait to play competitive soccer again. From my previous posts LAST YEAR, I updated about my progress in the competition and we got 2nd although I kicked the ball and it hit the crossbar at the very last minute!!!

Anyway, we have a better team now and I hope we can win this time. I want to win the MVP again this year. It is a great feeling when almost 60 or 70 people cheering for you. It is a great feeling.

I think I better stop now since I need to do homework and study before I go and play soccer with the dudes and watch the basketball game tonight.

Adios~

SO-CALLED PROTECTOR OF THE SOCIETY

2009-01-22T13:55:00.006-06:00

Go here (graphic pictures) or here before you read.

DISGUSTED, SICK, DISGRACE, DIRTY, INHUMAN, and etc.

These are the words I describe our wonderful police force.

Every human is created by God.
Every human has their rights.
Every human depends on oxygen to live.
Every human has RED blood flowing in them.
Every human in every country is a human, regardless of color.

What are the reasons that he should be treated that way?

Yes, Yes.... He is a criminal. I would be glad that he be sentenced to years in prison BUT he shouldn't be treated that way. Was color the reason? Your say.

NO MATTER WHAT HE HAD DONE OR WHAT KIND OF PERSON HE IS, humans do not have the rights to treat him that way.

Government newspaper says its SUDDEN DEATH. A cover up?
You be the judge.

I love Malaysia but...........sigh~

2009

2009-01-17T00:23:00.004-06:00

Living life with Koichi Sukigara

2009?

Everybody kept asking me what is my resolution for 2009?

Honestly, I have no idea what is my resolution for 2009.

I am trying to get an internship this summer.

Is that a resolution?

Personally, I have been putting this off for a long time.

I want to do something satisfying.

Probably go to Africa build water wells for the villages or build houses for Honduran families?

I missed opportunities before that is why I haven't done anything like that and probably wont be able to do it this year.

That saddens me.

I have no idea what is my resolution for 2009 but I can assure you that I will do something worthwhile.

Somalia

2008-12-12T17:01:00.004-06:00

Somalia, a small Islamic country in the African continent that has a population of approximately 10 million people and a long history of clan wars, civil wars, and etc. It is also a popular route for cargo ships. More than 1 million people are in of food aid. Honestly, I have no clue about Somalia; however, recently, there is big news about what is happening in Somalia.

Somalia Pirates

If any of you have been following the latest news, you should know that Somalia pirates are holding cargo ships and the crews. I am not talking about fishing boats or sampans. I am talking about huge cargo ships that transport multiple hundred million dollars worth of product. For example, tanks, 2 million barrel of oil products, branded products, and etc. This year alone, they seized around 30 over ships. Each ship they seized is held until the respective companies that own the ship pay the ransom that they demand. They made approximately 150 million dollars this year. You can find the cargo ships and the products they stole here. I am asking myself, how could a small country seize huge cargo ships without being notice by the Somalia government? I concluded that the government is probably making money from the ransom or should I say ‘Dirty Money’. Prior to that, the government has no reason to interfere or abolish it since they are having troubles within their government or militias in Somalia. There are news about other countries wanting to help in Somalia waters but I guess we have to wait for the results.

Somalia Militants

It seems like militants are everywhere these days. This war between the Somalia government and Somalia militants has been going on for years. There are many reasons why they are having war now. For the pirates, I guess fighting against the government to create an utopia for themselves are their main reason. The Somalia militant has connections with the Al-Qaeda organization. The leader and of the Somalia militant is Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys. Mr. Aweys is the founder of the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) that ruled much of Somalia in 2006 before being ousted by Ethiopian forces backed by Somali government troops. Mr. Aweys also vowed to avenge the death of a top operative Al-Qaeda agent that operates in East Africa. He was killed by an American airstrike.

There are many reasons why they want war but you can never deny the fact that they are selfish, ruthless, self-centered, and vicious killers. Do they want a country of their own? An island of their own? Thinking about the war disgusts me but civilians killed because of the ambitious dreams and goals of one man disgusts me more. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that the current fighting contravene to wreck all efforts to resolve a humanitarian emergency that could soon rival Somalia's famine in the early 1990s.

Everybody wants power. It’s all about obtaining absolute power. The government and terrorists, they all want power. When can there be change? Once again, corruption and violence prevails.

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”
Barack Obama

Reading the news

2008-12-06T15:38:00.003-06:00

I have been reading the news like a geek who is addicted to World of Warcraft, literally. I go to every news website that I could possibly go to for world knowledge purposes. BBC, CNN, TheStar, MalaysianToday, and etc, you name it. I check it probably 3 times a day and I am not even joking.

Firstly, I want to show my condolence to the Indians and the people who were in Mumbai during the attacks. I first knew about the attack when I was in Nashville, TN enjoying my thanksgiving break on the 26th of November 2008. One of the worst attacks was in India, the country that consists of more than 1 billion people and 75% of the population is living in abject poverty. They survive with under $2 per day. The people of India's hard earned lives came to an abrupt stop, taken by ignorant terrorists that follows false and ambiguous doctrines created by the leader of a violent, power-seeking organization. I just can't grasp and understand what are these terrorists are thinking. All I can assume is, it is filled with darkness and evil. My assumption, without doubt, is evidently true.

Not everything has a sad ending. If you visit CNN, you can read about the story of a lady who saved a boy in Mumbai. Her name is Sandra Samuel, an Indian nanny, saved a toddler in a house filled with militants in Mumbai. When the militants came charging into Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife, Rivka’s house, Sandra quickly hid in the storage room. She heard explosions and gunshots overnight. She emerged from the room late afternoon she saw the boy, the Rabbi;s son named Moshe, was crying for Sandra. He was standing between his unconscious parents. His parent was knocked unconscious but still alive so was Moshe, based on the mark on his back. Without thinking twice; she ran and grabbed him to safety. The militants were shooting at her at the moment of the heroic mission to save the boy. They were one of the few who escaped alive. Her heroism was acknowledged by the world. I, a small time unknown blogger would like to do my part to acknowledge her heroism too. If you want to know more you can go here.

There is another problem that would spark another war. All of the terrorists were killed but one was captured. The Indian police interrogated the captured terrorist. He said that they were from Pakistan and was trained by a terrorist group named Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, an Islamic militant group based in Pakistan but also active in Srinigar, the capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir. India is blaming Pakistan for not taking initiative to find and destroy terrorists’ organizations in their country that resulted to the Mumbai attacks. There are many assumptions that there is many wanted terrorists are hiding in Pakistan. It maybe true it might not be but from the information that I found in many sources, Pakistan has not shown any sign to hunt down terrorists in their country.

Let me highlight a few things in OUR World:
• Zimbabwe led by President Mugabe has no clean water and Cholera crisis.
• Rebellions stealing children from DR Congo to fight in the war.
• Biggest job losses in US since 1974.
• Continuous bombings in Fallujah and Baghdad (Iraq).
• Sri Lanka still fighting the Tamil Tigers.
• Nothing new about the melamine case in China. (BAD)
• Pirates in Somalia holding cargo ships for ransom.
• Malaysian politicians fighting among themselves while there are bigger issues.

UPDATE!!

2008-12-01T12:28:00.002-06:00

I should probably update this blog of mine.

Reasons why I did not update this blog:

3 and half months in Malaysia doing nothing messed up my time management skills in school.
The results of the first reason is lots of procrastinating, lack of sleep, and lots of homework.
The results of the 2nd reason is lack of motivation and crazy lazy feeling to update.
I could have updated during the break BUT that is the only time I can catch up with sleep.
I don't take as many pictures as I do before so I can't just update with pictures like I have been doing.
I love Malaysia. ??? Wat??? Random.

Love/Hate of Malaysia

2008-10-12T13:24:00.002-05:00

I love Malaysia!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love the way we talk Laaaaaa~
I love the way we hang out in Mamak Stores.
I love the way we eat dim sum at 6 in the morning.
I love the spicy food that burns my tongue.
I love the fact that we can find any kind of food at 4 in the morning.
I love the closeness between my friends from different races.
I love the way the tables are set on parking spots to eat on.
I love the various languages we speak or hear in a day.
I love the Chinese, Indian, Malay festivals we celebrate.
I love the Indian, Malay, Chinese food.
I love the Malay, Chinese, Indian clothes.
I love the environment and the way we live our lives.
I love the various languages we use in a SENTENCE.

I hate the amount of corruption we have in our government.
I hate the childish ways of the politicians.
I hate the way everybody point fingers.
I hate the way I have write Malay,Indian,Chinese or I.C.M or C.M.I to avoid being a racist.
I hate the power seeking people that govern us.
I hate the self-centeredness of the government.
I hate the fact that we have to adopt another country to seek a brighter future.
I hate the racism in the government. (Not the people of Malaysia)
I hate the lies we hear from our government.
I hate the fact that I doubt our leaders.
I hate the division between the leaders.
I hate the horrendous truth about our government.
I hate the hypocrisy in our leaders.
I hate the leaders who abuse their powers.
I hate the fact we are disappointed with the people that governs us.
I hate that it is INCREASING!
I hate the amount of ‘I hates’ that I wrote than ‘I love’.

BUSY BUSY BUSY!

2008-09-12T14:17:00.001-05:00

BUSY BUSY BUSY!

What's wrong with Malaysian politicians anyway? *random*

The Results for Intramural Soccer

2008-04-15T00:31:00.003-05:00

We lost in the Finals but it was a good game.
Bummer!!!!If only everyone who couldn't be there, were there to see how passionate the audience were.
It felt like I am playing professionally.
They called out my name on the mike and everybody start cheering.
"MARK FROM MALAYSIA!!!"
Pretty cool~

Look how cheesy I look now.
Smiling with my piece of paper.

Just two weeks and this are my injuries.
My knee got kicked and its bruising like a ball.

Intramural Soccer

2008-04-15T00:29:00.000-05:00

FINALS

KAPPA SIGMA TAU vs. DELTA GAMMA SIGMA

Score

1 - 2

GOAL SCORER

CORY ALFRED

DELTA

DELTA (GOLDEN GOAL)

Intramural Soccer

2008-04-13T21:05:00.002-05:00

SEMI-FINALS

KAPPA SIGMA TAU vs. CHI LAMBDA PHI

Score

1 - 0

GOAL SCORER

MARK TOCK

ps: WE MADE THE FINALS!!!!

Intramural Soccer

2008-04-10T23:18:00.002-05:00

KAPPA SIGMA TAU vs. SIGMA TAU DELTA

Score

5 - 1

GOAL SCORER

REAGAN ROBLES

SIGMA TAU DELTA

JARED TURBYFILL

ALEX TULIKUMWENAYO

ps: WE MADE THE PLAYOFFS!

Rwanda Genocide

2008-04-07T22:27:00.008-05:00

Today is the day of mourning for my fellow Rwandan friends. At this very day, 14 years ago, it is the day when tragedy struck. One of the smallest country called Rwanda being terrorized by selfish people that lusts for power and total domination. I have the privilege to learn more about Rwanda and the tragedy because I became part of the Rwandan family in my school. They are probably the most respectable people that I have ever met and will meet in my life. I know all the Rwandans in my school and each one of them had either lost at least one of their love ones in the genocide. Hearing their personal stories about their experience in the genocide; for example, seeing hundreds of dead people on the streets, screams, houses on fire, women being raped, and many unimaginable death and sadness that could happen to a person, I am stunned by their FAITH in GOD. Every story that I heard from them, they would end it by saying FORGIVENESS WILL SET YOU FREE and that is what they did. They forgave their neighbors, actual NEIGHBORS, that killed their love ones. They could forgive because they had GOD to lean on. Clinging on to GOD even though the genocide happened. They received my utmost respect that I could possibly give to anyone I have ever known.

I ask everybody who reads my post to learn more about the GENOCIDE*click* or watch the YouTube video called "THE GHOST OF RWANDA"*click* so that we are educated about the terrible results that could happen to any country and prevent it. Be warned that the Youtube video is GRAPHIC and it is not suitable for kids or whoever who is afraid of blood. The Youtube video consists of 12 videos. Watch all of them if you can.

Going to the memorial service and listening to their personal stories changed my perspective about my life. I am grateful and thankful that I get to meet each one of them.

This is my experience with the Rwandans:

DIFFERENT COLOR, ONE PEOPLE!

Rwandan Saying. I think.

KAPPA SIGMA TAU MVP AWARD

2008-04-06T22:20:00.003-05:00

I just heard from a friend that I just won the MVP aka Most Valuable Player AWARD for soccer in the new social club that I was accepted in just to play soccer for them.
They awarded the Most Valuable Award during the Banquet, prom, that I didn't go to because it cost too much.
I am honored to receive this award.

Intramural Soccer

2008-04-06T22:17:00.002-05:00

KAPPA SIGMA TAU vs. CHI LAMBDA PHI

Score

2 - 4

GOAL SCORER

CHI LAMBDA PHI

Reagan

KAPPA SIGMA TAU

CHI LAMBDA PHI

Intramural Soccer

2008-04-02T01:47:00.001-05:00

KAPPA SIGMA TAU vs. DELTA GAMMA SIGMA

Score

1 - 2

GOAL SCORER

DELTA

MARK TOCK

DELTA (GOLDEN GOAL)

Intramural Soccer

2008-03-30T23:24:00.004-05:00

KAPPA SIGMA TAU vs. ALPHA GAMMA OMEGA

Score

1 - 3

GOAL SCORER

MARK TOCK

ALPHA

ALPHA (PK)

KAPPA (OWN GOAL)

Happy 21st Birthday

2008-03-27T20:20:00.005-05:00

Can't forget the master of the Tock Family.
GRAND-DADDY

Shasha Lane Tock, Sandra Tock

Sandra Tock, Shana Mae Tock

HAPPY 21st BIRTHDAY!
Sandra Tock!
Sorry I couldn't be there but I knew it was your birthday! =P
I will be back soon!
Wait for me.
ps: Kor! Sorry for stealing your pictures.

Intramural Soccer

2008-03-27T20:05:00.002-05:00

KAPPA SIGMA TAU vs. FRESHMEN

Score

1 - 0

GOAL SCORER

YVES MUJYAMBERE

Intramural Soccer

2008-03-26T00:09:00.012-05:00

KAPPA SIGMA TAU vs. OMEGA PSI OMICRON

Score

4 -1

GOAL SCORER

MATT STOVALI

JORDAN NEALEIGH

MARK TOCK

ALEX TULIKUMWENAYO

I am flying

2008-03-05T19:30:00.003-06:00

A TH 24APR UNITED CONFIRMED

2008 FLIGHT NUMBER-6443 DEPARTURE CITY-OKLAHOMA CITY
ARRIVAL CITY-LOS ANGELES CLASS OF SERVICE-W
TIME OF DEPARTURE-540P TIME OF ARRIVAL-643P
SEAT 10B

A TH 24APR CATHAY CONFIRMED

2008 ARRIVE-26APR08 FLIGHT NUMBER-0883 DEPARTURE CITY-LOS
ANGELES ARRIVAL CITY-HONG KONG CLASS OF SERVICE-H
TIME OF DEPARTURE-1145P TIME OF ARRIVAL-525A
SEAT 57G

A SA 26APR CATHAY CONFIRMED

2008 FLIGHT NUMBER-0723 DEPARTURE CITY-HONG KONG
ARRIVAL CITY-KUALA LUMPUR CLASS OF SERVICE-H
TIME OF DEPARTURE-850A TIME OF ARRIVAL-1230P
SEAT 34C

"I HAVE A DREAM!" by Martin Luther King, Jr

2008-02-27T08:52:00.000-06:00

Life is AWESOME!

I just had to blog about my dream. I am fresh from the bed with my smelly mouth, messed up hair, and stinky me.

It is exactly 8:57AM right now and I have never felt better because I haven't had a good sleep since August because of my 8:00 AM classes and I had to wake up at 7:00AM every single day.

Yesterday I had a tough test and I have been studying and worrying about it for a week. I think it went well. Probably it did.

ANYWAY, back to my purpose for writing this post.

Have you ever dream about something and forgot about it. Like your brain just auto-trashed it in the unrecycleable bin. It is just gone.

Well, I did remember every single sweet moments in my dream although it is short; however, the image was clear.

"I Have A Dream" by Martin Luther King, Jr.

I dream t about ALISAN MAMAK STORE.

I remember running to the snooker center and hugging my friend, Gino.
I remember looking at Indonesian dishes that I constantly crave for when I was back home.
I remember the "Asam Laksa" lady treated me like a good friend although I don't know the lady.
I remember watching her make it.
I remember the Indians that were there.
I remember waking up feeling fresh and posting this.

Like I said, I haven't slept well for a long time and the reason why I did have a good sleep is because I did my test yesterday and I overslept for my class at 8:00AM.

Well, you gain some you lose some. =)

It is ok. NO bg deal because I only missed one class this semester and it is not that important. WAIT A MINUTE! TWO CLASSES. OH well

I think the reason why I had this sweet dream is because I i know that I am going back HOME end of this April.

I don't consider myself homesick because I only dream about it, other than that, I am fine. But I have been dreaming about home since last month but this was the best dream I ever had.

IS ANYONE READY FOR MY ARRIVAL!? WATCH OUT PEOPLE!

Devilish Hair Cut

2008-02-11T22:51:00.000-06:00

I was praying...

...and meditating

Felt the evil spirit

Got possessed

Petrified

taking photos of his trophy

Couldn't run

Hated it...

Wait a minute!

Thinking

Its not so bad

Pretty good job

Nice
The weaponsThe end of the 'Devilish Hair Cut'

New Coffee

2008-02-09T22:47:00.000-06:00

OLD COFFEEKomodo Dragon Blend

Komodo Dragon Blend® is wholly an Asia Pacific coffee – deep, full-bodied with a complex flavor that is bold and unanticipated. Indonesian coffees are known as the deep, stalwart elements of the coffee world, while the Papua New Guinea coffee offers a touch of acidity.

Key term: Earthy

Geography is a flavor You can tell a lot about a coffee if you know where it’s from. Coffees from Asia are popular for their full body and mellow, earthy flavors. Coffees from the Pacific islands are typically lively with herbal undertones.

NEW COFFEEGuatemala Casi Cielo
Casi Cielo has amazing character and great depth of flavor. Smooth and versatile to please a variety of tastes, every sip begins with an elegant floral aroma and surprising lemony flourish, and finishes with deep, satisfying dark cocoa notes.

Key Term: Elegant

Geography is a flavor You can tell a lot about a coffee if you know where it’s from, because every bean has a distinctive flavor particular to its land of origin. Coffees from Latin America are celebrated for their great balance, medium body and clean finish.

Christmas Gifts

2008-01-15T19:28:00.000-06:00

I have been blessed in so many ways. This is one of them and I should share this to everyone especially to my family and relatives. Every break there is always someone offering me to follow them back home. So far I have been to Texas:Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Dallas, and etc, California:Los Angeles and Bakersfield, Nebraska:Omaha, Minnesota:Minneapolis, Iowa, Kansas:Wichita, Arizona:Tuba City, and Oklahoma. I basically have a family or friend waiting for me in most of these places to go back. Here are the presents that I received from friends and families.

Pictures, cards, and $25 in one of them given by Lindsay's granny.

These are all the presents I received.

Sweet looking Hoodie Jacket given by a family in Bakersfield, California.

Coffee was given by Lindsay because she works in Starbucks and gets it for free.
The coffee maker was bought with a $20 Walmart gift card given by Henry's(roommate) brother.

Sweet looking Zoo York shoes given by Lindsay's parents.
I haven't worn it yet. Too precious.

Another pair of shoes given by Lindsay's parents.Two Levi jeans bought by Lindsay's parents again.

1st Christmas in America

2008-01-15T18:44:00.000-06:00

I met Lindsay Bingham, the girl below, when we were in Arizona. We didn't talk much at all. Anyway when we got back from a 22 hour drive back to Oklahoma from Arizona, I was suppose to follow my roommate back with his brother to Kansas for Christmas. However, his brother didn't know I was coming and his wife didn't know that both of us were coming so she invited her mother from Korea to her house. In other words I have no where to go but my roommate does. They didn't have room for me in the car too. So, I knew that Lindsay is going to Nebraska but she has to pass Kansas and Henry, my roommate, asked her to drop me in Kansas when she passes by. She agreed and she wanted to leave the next morning because of the crazy snow storm.........

Man! its getting too complicated.

Short version, Lindsay kindly took me home because there were no room in Henry's house. Alas, I did enjoy myself.

I guess my family or friends who reads my blog must be wondering what did Junior Mark did on Christmas. Well, I can't express how much I enjoyed myself in words but I will let the pictures do all the talking. Like I always do. The girl who took me home. She is from my school and we went to the Arizona Mission Trip that I posted before together.

Nebraska!

Celebrated Christmas with the family. I got socks, Reese candy, and etc.
So did the rest.

On our way to Minnesota to visit her mom's family. Took us 8 hours to get there.

It was 25th of December, and it was Lindsay's mom's B-day.
They took a family picture and invited me in.
They adopted me unofficially.

Love the snow.
Love sledding.
Minnesota has good quality 'Ais Kacang' Snow.

Everyone should try it.
Painful when you fall but
no pain no gain.

Kristin's Graduation

2008-01-15T18:31:00.000-06:00

From left: Henry (roommate), Krisin (Alumni), Mark (Bachelor *winks*)

The Graduated girl.

He just came in randomly. Filipino.

Being all cocky just because she graduated.

Sigh~

Trying to be happy for her.

My wife?

I know I know. We pose really bad.

Finally, a picture where we all look normal.

Mission Trip to Arizona Navajo Indian Reservation (Native Americans)

2007-12-29T20:37:00.000-06:00

The Grand Canyon Creek was huge. It took us 3 hours to hike down to the Colorado River that flows through the Grand Canyon which is one of the Wonders of the World. It was fun but it was tiring. I can't describe how beautiful it was. It makes me feel so small in this world. I was never interested about nature until I explored the Grand Canyon.They were trying to imitate everything I was doing so I did that posture to see how long they could stand holding they feet up and their arms up. I won without breaking a sweat. You can see my shoes on the bottom of the picture.

From left, Shaunte, Elise, and Lynette.

I have made three BFF aka Best Friends Forever during my trip. I know it sounds 'Cheesy'. They jump on you, they hit you, they make jokes, they follow everything that I do including the way I walk, that is how 'tight' we were. Anyway, these three kids treated me like an older brother. Why? I only had the chance to hear one story from one girl. Let me tell you a brief story of Lynette's life. She is 11 years old and she lives with her 18 years old sister who goes to school and works at the same time to feed her. Her mom is no where to be found and her dad is in prison. The sad thing is she doesn't know anything about her parents at all. Why her mom left and why her dad is in prison. That explains why she loves to hug me and everybody else. She needed a brother or father figure. I strongly think that is what she subconsciously sees me as. The sad thing for me is I didn't have the time I wanted and I wished I had more time to talk to her and to the other two kids. They were fun girls with not many options in life.

I tried to take my own picture but they all started rushing in to get in the picture.

I had to drag her, Maria, all around while she hold on to my jacket.

This is not a paranormal phenomenon. It is just a heavy, chubby little human being. She weighs more than 20 pounds. It feels like I was carrying weights. I had to change arms every 5 minutes while I was carrying her. I am not even kidding. If you look at the picture closely, I was sweating really bad. Why are we laughing!? Let me tell you the reason. Plain and simple, she farted on my shoulder and smilingly told me "I farted on you!"

These are the kids that came for the VBS (Vacation Bible Study) session.

On top of the Grand Canyon

Of course, my roommate. Always have to take a picture with him. The picture shows I hated it but actually I was freezing because it was 0 degrees on the Grand Canyon.

I can act!

2007-12-05T20:20:00.000-06:00

The Ghost and The Crew.

Guess who is who from the Scooby-Doo Cartoon.

They tried to make me white but I look like an old man/ghost.
They put weird 'Women Chemicals' on me.
I over heard them saying they were using 'Make up' on me aka 'Women Chemicals'

Part of the play where we were silent for 10 seconds because we forgot our lines.

The part where I have to act like I am obsessed with cookies.
Basically, I have to act like I am high on cookies. Weird~

Now I have to act like I found something and shout "Hip Hip Hooray!"

Thanksgiving With Cambodians

2007-11-24T22:53:00.001-06:00

from left: Joshua, Jesselyn, Jacob, and Jonathan
Feed us! We need food! Don't you think they all look like my kids? Actually, these kids are my friend's cousins that I spent my Thanksgiving Day with.
This kid, Joshua, was playing "Dora the Explorer" and some Nickelodeon character games online. Actually all of the kids were playing it.

All I did was spend time with the kids and eat. These kids are adorable and they smack each other's face for fun!(not really) While I was playing with the kids the adults were......

........playing poker the whole day. Typical Asians.

Runing to the mall, hoping to be the first

Every year during Thanksgiving, there is a day called 'Black Friday'. It is the day where everywhere is on SALE. Basically, 50% off for every merchandise that you buy in any malls or stores. There were people camping outside of electronic stores at 2AM on Thursday just to wait for the stores to be open at 4 AM on Friday and they made it in the news. Some malls were already open on Friday at 1 AM and we decided to go and start shopping. All I bought was a hoodie jacket that cost me 10 dollars and it is pretty cool looking too. We started shopping at 1 AM to 3 AM and went back home to sleep for more than an hour and started shopping again at 5 30AM until 11 AM. It was crazy and it was tiring. The mall was packed when I got there. There were people rushing in like ants when the mall started to open. I am pretty sure my mother and my two sisters will be happy on 'Black Friday'.

The famous hoodie jacket.

Future?

2007-11-10T01:04:00.000-06:00

I am happy where I am now

Our future is always unpredictable. Sometimes I wish I know where I will be every 5 months. When my last semester ended, I was curious where would I be or where should I go or what should I do. Why do I think my future is unpredictable? My future is very unpredictable. I live entirely on God’s plans because that is the only thing I can depend on. I guess it is good to know sometimes where I will be next year. I just can’t figure out. This semester is about to end soon and I am clueless. What should I do? What can I do? Where should I be? Maybe this is life works. Everyone else knows where they will be studying next semester but me. I just want to know where I will be studying. Then again, maybe not knowing will increase my faith in God. My curiosity is killing me slowly but I am contented. I am happy where I am now so I hope my future is now and now is my future.

Halloween 2007

2007-11-03T14:25:00.000-05:00

Japanese Cat
She smiles all the time Seriously!

Nothing is better than losing weight while sumoING~

Me and my pirate of the Japan

Meet The Haloween Borat
Correction: Meet Carlos 'The Real Thing'

Fall Break 2007

2007-11-03T13:40:00.001-05:00

Brownswood Lake, here we come

The gang that I went with and adore.

I just had to add the girls~

Do I look like I am having fun?
You should have seen me when I hit the water! Ouch~

Great weather! Nice view! And everything nice!Guess who!

I actually thought of joining the diving contest.
Then again, OUch! Maybe not~

Time for school~ =(

Oklahoma State Fair!

2007-10-10T00:48:00.000-05:00

HUGE turkey ever~

Here are the gang of people that we went with to Oklahoma State Fair.

This is the time for every Oklahomans to enjoy the sunshine with their family.
They have a lot of rides and small mini games.
Anyway this is the group that I went with.This is my Hong Kong buddy. She always insults my Cantonese and Mandarin.
At least I can speak better English than her. Look at the smile.

These two pictures were edited by my roommate.
He is the guy who is pointing at the camera.
Weird guy.
Getting ready to go back after an Asian Invasion of Oklahoma State Fair.
I had a lot of fun but the walk isn't great at all. Too much walking.
Ps: Too much stuff to say but too little time to think what to write.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA!

2007-09-26T09:17:00.001-05:00

One day, I woke up in the morning like any other Saturday, getting ready to go out, I was nudged by my cousin on MSN. I accepted the request to webby. When it was connected I could see my entire family smiling at the laptop as though they haven't seen a laptop before. We do this every year for my grandfather. We even had the same type of cake but the difference is the layer of chocolate below the cheesecake. It is fun seeing them again. I am happy that they took the effort to contact me through MSN although I was sleeping. We made jokes and all that as usual. Typical of my family to crack a joke anytime and anywhere. So, finally, we took the picture of my grandpa's grandchildren and I am right there. The shortest one with my roommates face in it also. It was short but fun. I have a new baby cousin too, Isaac? or Izat? Anyway he is my cousin. Can't wait to see him next year. Happy Birthday Grandpa!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2007-09-19T00:45:00.000-05:00

Here are a few pictures on my birthday. It was actually an international dinner for international students but since it was my birthday, they decided to celebrate my birthday on the same day. I did not suspect any celebration that will occur. It was a lot of fun but sadly, it only lasted a day. Surprisingly it was organized by my Korean roommate (the one with the two 'V' sign) Here are a few of my friends.

Here are a few cards and a few birthday presents that was given to me. I got two Japanese educational books for kids. One coloring book. I felt weird when I got those books. I guess the kid in me still shows. I got a sweet sweater and a cool looking shirt. A Japanese cup that has a Japanese symbol that says Japan. I got a cool looking sweat watch wristband from Nike. Two balloons that says 'Happy Birthday', 'Get Well' and a birthday cone hat. The 'Get Well' balloon was given to me because I had 'Pink Eye' from my roommate. It wasn't great at all. Anyway, I got two ping pong bats and several balls from my roommate. I got seven cards and three of them plays a song. I was surprised at the number of presents and cards that I received. I didn't expect anything. I want to emphasize the fact that I am glad that this is a 'clean' party for the very first time. The people here are unbelievable. Hopefully I can stay here the next semester.

~Alright~

MERDEKA!

2007-08-31T00:45:00.000-05:00

MERDEKA!!
MERDEKA!!
MERDEKA!!
MERDEKA!!
MERDEKA!!
MERDEKA!!
MERDEKA!!

Sista!

2007-08-18T17:05:00.000-05:00

From left: Shana (younger sister), Sandra (cousin), Shasha (older sister)

I finally realize i do miss my brother a lot i realize when i saw old photo's of me and him and i still call him "sally" its like i don feel much when he leave M'sia and now after almost 7 months and seeing old pics i feel a tinge but its ok sally is sending down candies and until now is not here i believe the pilot or post man ate it or he wrote to the wrong address!!..but miss sally claim he knows he's own hse!..sally sally sally tsk tsk ur so naive, i feel like writing a letter to him in handwritten of course.. -Shana-

The text above is written by my younger sister few months ago. If you guys don't know who Sally is, it is me. She calls me Sally and I don't know why. Anyway that is not why I posted this message. Let's get back to the topic. I started to read her blog this month. I was browsing through her posts and I am surprised that she wrote stuff about me. Why am I surprised? Let me tell you why. We fight a lot when we were younger. I got an anger problem and she got an annoying attitude. We really fight like street fight. We would swing our hand and grab each others hair and all that. Most of the time I would win or maybe all the time. We hung out a few times. There was one time when I got my bike I would take her on a ride. She wrote about this too and here is what I got from her blog:

as I look back in time where me and sally use to run around, he in he's hot blue shorts while i'm in sailor moons.I remember I was always so excited to come home coz i obviously hate school i mean most people do right, then i always wait for sally to come home coz i have no one to play with besides my grandma.I mean my grandma is old and I can't expect her to play catching or bring me out on a bike right, and when he comes home I'll get very happy coz he will always bring me out on his bike.

And I remember we will always steal things in this shop poor owner, so funny we would steal office stuff like receipts coz i like to write receipts when I was young and he would steal for me, coz i'm too afraid.Then the next time we went there I saw this earring sticker and I like it so much, but its in a case so sally ask me if I wanted I nodded.

As we leave the shop, I saw the earring sticker on the floor! oh my gosh I was so happy, then sally said I took for you when the owner and you were looking elsewhere I was so touched,

And I remember as we were going downhill and of coz down there will be pain right got bumps and all and he will say "tahan tahan reaching house d"

And now i'm learning to drive and he's in U.S and we're both not as close anymore, but at least I have memories that will last a lifetime. -Shana-

Even though I am a bad example for stealing but at least we hung out. I think this happened a decade ago if I am not mistaken. I know I was caught stealing that time. That guy told me not to come back anymore but I went back there the very next week. It was funny memories but they are good ones.

PS: She needs to cure her addiction of calling me Sally.

Last Day

2007-08-10T23:19:00.000-05:00

After 5 days hard work, I finally can rest. Every day I work, go back, straight go take a nap. After that, I wake up, hang around the house, sleep until the next day. Today is the last day, but, there is no rest until the day is over. There are so many orders today, which is unusual on Fridays. I had to call another company to supply me this product to sell to another company. It was a very good experience for me. I am so blessed to be able to do this. I am sure that I will use this experience in the future. Although I only took charge for 5 days, it is the longest week of my life. The experience isn't much but the quality of the experience is overwhelming. I love it. Thank God for a wonderful week. Thank God!

4th Day

2007-08-09T21:21:00.000-05:00

Another good business day! Doing the usual routine. Running here and there, carrying boxes; despite of all that work, every order was completed. I only have one problem today. My previous post I wrote that I had to test 100 units of the products that a ridiculous company ordered. I tested all 100 units but there were 6 defective ones. Now they don't want to accept it because there were only 64 units. They ordered 100 units of the same product before and I tested each one of them. They rejected it twice. The third time they finally accepted it. Now the current order, they wanted me to test the 100 units quickly. They reject it again because I found 6 defective and there were 94 good quality ones. My uncle told them to give me 3 days to test every one of them. I finished testing it before the 3rd day. They said they don't want to accept it and they wanted to wait until my uncle comes back. I sent an email to my uncle and he just couldn't care less about them anymore. If they don't want to take it we will sell it to someone else. Last chance for them. Anyway, other than that, everything was great! I sold a lot today. Thank God!

3rd Day

2007-08-09T00:19:00.000-05:00

Today is the most tiring day. Most of the companies purchased in big numbers this time. Average of 10 boxes per company. As usual, running up and down, trying to make things happen, I was able to complete every sales without any difficulties. It is really tiring but the feeling of completing it really feels good. I am really tired not but at the same time, complacent. I work so much I even forgot about breakfast which is the most important meal of the day. Well, every meal, I eat a lot in every meal anyway. So, I guess I ate double portion at lunch time. Luckily, my Aunt was there to remind me to eat all the time. Work, eat, and sleep is a boring routine but I hope it won't be my life routine. Another good day over. Thank God!

2nd Day

2007-08-07T23:29:00.000-05:00

It is really tiring running back and forth. Of course, nothing can stop me from doing what I do. Great power comes great responsibilities. Finished testing those 100 units, packed it, and all I have to do now is get ready for the ridiculous, non-profit customer that we have to deal with to pick it up. All is good. Anyway, today wasn't that bad because business was slow. One problem, some of the customers gives me the description of the products that they wanted but I don't even know a single thing they were saying. All they have to do is tell me the name of the product and the part number. What is so hard about that? They have been purchasing products from us and they still have to explain what they want. Sometimes people ain't that simple. So far, when I asked them the name of the product, instantly, I knew what they wanted. Crazy times. Thank God again.

1st Day

2007-08-07T00:39:00.000-05:00

My uncle is out of town for a week so I am the person who is going to run his company while he is away. We contact each other through the internet but it is still hard. My aunt is there to back me up with the accountings and what I have to do is to receive orders, ship it out, paperwork, and etc. Doesn't sound so bad right? What do you know!? It is harder than I thought. Picking up calls and listening to orders for the first time of the day, went to pack it up and while I was getting it ready to deliver, next thing you know, another order after another starts coming in. It is like multiple gun shots at a time. Arguing with customers for ridiculous demands, I just sat there quietly and let my Aunt do the arguing because they speak Mandarin and I don't. Got to test 100 units of a computer device for a particular customer, so that I am sure that everything is fine and not broken. Sometimes I wonder how my uncle could manage this on his own for years. The only main problem is, my aunt and uncle do things differently in the office. So, what I learned from him doesn't appeal to her. I am getting confused right now. Follow uncle or aunt!? Whatever it is, I am glad that all orders were successful. Let's see what happens tomorrow, where things get worse because it is in the middle of the week. By the way, I only slept a few hours before I knew I had to work. Another problem is I don't speak Mandarin and they usually do business in Mandarin. My aunt don't speak English so it is also hard to communicate with her. All I do is nod my head whenever she talks to me. Other than that everything is fine so far. I hope. Thank God!

DisneyLand

2007-08-01T23:24:00.001-05:00

Oh yea~ A place where everybody is happy. Disney Land. My eyes was wide open when I saw the castle that appears in every Disney cartoon. It is huge!
This is only a small part of the Disney Lake.
I was actually instructed by Sandy, Micah's mom, to put on a hat and be weird. Of course when I act goofy, I smile. Crazy times!
We waited for a table in Rain Forest Cafe for 45 minutes. Only the Gorilla could understand how I feel.
Sandy, Micah, and ZachI tried so many times to take a good picture but it was too dark.

Summer Camp

2007-07-30T16:09:00.000-05:00

from left: Zachary , Alicia, Me, Micah (Host)
I went to Summer Youth Camp on the 25th to 28th of July. Met so many people in one day. A friend of mine in Camp was promoting my name even before I got there. When I step in to camp, everybody started running to me shouting "Mark from Malaysia!" I needed this camp to relax since I have been working every weekdays since June. Honestly, this camp is the best camp I have ever been in my entire life. Wish I could explain to everybody how I feel but I can't.
I taught these four boys how to play 'Chor Tai Ti'. They picked it up so fast. They eventually got addicted to it. They have been playing this game for a couple of days. It is a lot of fun playing with because they understand the concept. We had an after camp party and they are still playing that game. They couldn't remember how to say it in Chinese so they call it 'CG2' which stands for 'Chinese Gambling Game'. I am not a camper but I am a helper in the kitchen. That makes me a Camp staff. It is a lot of fun hanging with these physically old guys but fully young spirited boys. They would shout and jump around like little kids. I learned how to make BLT. Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato sandwich. It taste so good I am going to make it for breakfast every day in school. BLT!
These are the few of the hundred people whom I took picture with. Great people.

A Reward for the Steward

2007-07-24T15:20:00.000-05:00

An offer that I couldn't resist but unfortunately for me it is a Pink IPod Nano. Since it was my little sister's birthday; so, her big face smacked me in my creative mind. Not anymore. Of course, as an older brother, a little additional token that is useless in America, which is 'Ringgit', is placed in the box for her to get accessories to adorn her pitiful neck. I found pink earphones, so, why not make it pink to the extreme since it is most ladies' favorite color.

This is the only present I would give to her for a couple of years. No present for her next year. It took me more than 2 weeks to finally ship it out because I was too lazy. It will arrive by the 4th of August. If she reads this post then she would spoil the surprise. I don't think she reads my blog anyway. She is lucky to have a brother like me. And she thinks she is the only 'HOPE' in the family. What was she thinking!? I am the only 'HOPE' in the family. She better accept it or else she have to pay me back for the IPod.

Second, a pink IPod and a pink earphone are not complete with a pink pouch. It is not fully pink but it is a custom made pouch created by me and worn before by me. I want her to remember me, trust me, and SMELL me! The rival of the siblings never stops. By the way, when I say smell me, it doesn't mean I smell like my dirty laundry. When she receives it, it will smell like HEAVEN and the pouch is hot like HELL!

This present is for her achievements in "CHARM", a cheer leading organization, and to naturally lift her eyes when she is dancing or exercising. She looks like a sloth every time. I guess it runs in the family. Of course a present for her because she is about to graduate high school. It is also a bribe given to her so that she would take care of the family while I am not around in Malaysia. She got a greater responsibility since I came to the United States.

Operation Successful

2007-07-22T19:35:00.000-05:00

Good news from Malaysia. I just talked to my mother this morning which is Sunday morning in California through MSN. She told me that my Granny’s operation was successful although she is experiencing pain because of the after effect of the surgery. The plates in the spinal cord were crooked somehow. Due to this mishap her nerves are clashing with the bones which cause a lot of pain in her lower part of her body which is her thighs. This pain is so excruciating it immobilized her. The doctor said that he needed to insert three metal plates to separate the nerves and the bones. These plates would support her back.

She went for the surgery on Saturday morning and the next day I heard from my mom that it was a successful surgery. This result brought great relief to me and my family. Never fail to surprise me how she could move that well at this age. I think I should challenge her in a one-on-one hundred meter dash. It is hard to say who will win.

Thank you for all your prayers and support. Whoever reads this blog and just hope that this operation would be successful, it is a blessing to me and my family. A little hope and encouragement could save someone. Thank you Lord for giving her the strength to break through this obstacle. I love my granny as much as I love myself. She is a strong lady.

Prayers!!!

2007-07-20T19:31:00.001-05:00

My grandmother need prayers. She is going to get a major surgery today. All we can do is pray for her.

Jog? Koreans?

2007-07-15T22:27:00.000-05:00

Spot my Korean roommate!

A good jog refreshes my day without a doubt. Woke up at 8:00 AM, which is the right time to jog because the sun is up and the heat is right. Every time I jog, it puts me in an oblivious stage that helps me think rationally. It is great! The only thing I have to put up with is the strains and aches from all that jogging. It is all worth it. 5 days of non-stop working tires me in every aspect. Jogging is what I need. Surprising? No! Jog!

After that, I went to a Korean church which is nearby the house that I am living in. It only takes me two minutes to walk there. All I see are Koreans. Of course, I attended the English service. I met so many Koreans today I couldn't remember all their names. Fortunately, they have English names that helped a LOT! The only Korean name I could remember is Park Ji-Sung, who is a Manchester United soccer player. Manchester United 4eva!! Everybody speaks good English and they are nice people. The girls are worth dying for if you guys know what I mean. The most important thing is I got a church that I am happy to attend to. I hope my purpose of going there is not because of the Korean girls. If you guys know what I mean. I love Koreans so much, my roommate is a Korean for this Fall semester. Koreans everywhere. Maybe its a calling that I should marry one. I don't mind actually. We live in a paradoxical life (Sharon) A great day to thank the Lord.

Blessings vs. Consequences

2007-07-12T15:02:00.001-05:00

Blessings vs. Consequences. I always ponder and wonder whether this question can be answered. “Do we face consequences or achieve blessings in the results of our current actions or past actions?” I think everybody might experience this phenomenon in certain point of their lives. In our teenage years we intend to be ignorant about the consequences in most cases and settle in the blessings that we attain. Cases like inappropriate behavior or pain induced in a negative manner to your peers or even adults. When we do that we usually get grounded (in America) or get beat up (in Malaysia) until you cry miserably like a little cry baby =P. Those are a minor consequence that doesn’t really affect you in a long run. I think nobody remembers how many wrongdoing we actually had done in our lives. This is my blessings.

I have been blessed in so many ways. I have not seen a doctor for almost two years whether it is minor or major. I have friends that brighten my life mentally and emotionally. I got friends that depends on me for advice although I speak more than what I am capable of doing. My family, especially me, has been blessed financially from four corners of the earth. I am literally blessed in so many ways that I can’t describe or explain. The thing that I don’t understand is I have done so many wrongdoings in my life and I have hurt so many people that I regret doing it and yet I get overflowing blessings. Basically, I live in a life of sin and blessing. I can’t see both sin and blessing be in the same sentence. I don’t deserve these blessings.

One particular case that I want to talk about is a case that clashes with my understandings of “Blessings vs. Consequences” My friend, Cory, has been living a life of sin in her teenage years. She started to change as she grew up because she realized that she got a lot of responsibilities to take care of. She began to be more considerate and put others first. She would do anything for a friend in need. She got into trouble because she helped a friend. Things started to get worse as years go by. She is a blessing to others even her family but troubles keeps coming in every way. She is a changed woman and yet she gets tons of troubles. Anyone who meets her is a blessing to them but she is not blessed as much as she should be and yet the dilemma she experience could possibly destroy her life. Does it make sense!?

I have been blessed unconditionally despite of my wrongdoings. Nevertheless, Cory is experiencing difficulties regardless of her unconditional love for others. The similar thing about me and Cory is we both have done many bad things in our lives; however, she did more good things compared to me. She deserves all the blessings I am experiencing right now.

My thoughts have been random lately. Anyway I needed to update my blog. Life is a mystery anyhow. I would rather reside in the blessings I have now. If I could possibly share it I would. I hope I don’t get into trouble like Cory in the near future just because I am blessing to others. Live life to the fullest.

America's Dumbest Criminals

2007-06-20T00:49:00.000-05:00

I think I make a better criminal. No!?

This is a compilation of stupid criminals who could have gotten away without any problems. The reason I wrote this is because I think it is hilarious and stupid. I think I should share it with my fellow friends. So, enjoy and laugh with me. Enjoy guys!

Case #1

This is about a man who did the most stupid thing ever. He went into his basement to check his plants that he patiently waited for, to be fully grown. When he went in, the plants were missing. Someone broke in and stole everything. He panicked and ran to the phone and started dialing 911. The police picked it up and asked him what was going on. He said “Officer, someone broke into my basement and stole all my plants!” The officer said “Calm down. Tell me what kind plants are you talking about?” He replied “I lost my weed that took me so long to grow!” The officer was surprised and replied calmly “Don’t worry. Why don’t you drop by the police station and we will find some way to catch the thief?” And he went to the police station and was arrested. The cops were laughing among themselves.

My point of view:

Who would be so stupid to do something like that!? I can’t believe that someone would actually call a police about that! He got a weed farm and he called the cops because it was stolen!? That is crazy! When I heard about this I laughed hysterically. All I know is, he is stupid.

Case #2

This guy wanted to rob a bank in Dallas, Texas. Before making his move he had to analyze the situation. He realized that there were only one guard beside the counter and there were camera’s too, obviously. He analyzed and waited for a chance to move. While waiting he pretended to fill up his personal information paper. After filling it up he went to the guard and asked him who he should give it to. The guard took him to the counter, off-guard, that guy pulled out his gun and pointed at the guard and demanded the woman at the counter to give him all the money. I believed it was a great plan. Taking the guard close to the counter and take him hostage. He was close to the counter and he has the guard totally! It was a brilliant plan. He escaped with the loot and did all that within ten minutes. Unfortunately, he was arrested in his house within 3 days. The loot was in his house, so, definitely he was the bank robber. You guys must be wondering how quick and efficient the cops are in America. Alas, he was just plain stupid. Do you remember the information paper that he so-called pretended to fill. He actually wrote every single thing about him. His name, his address, his telephone number, and etc, anything that you can think of in personal information paper in a bank. Once again, the cop got a joke to talk about.

My point of view:

He filled up his personal information when he wants to rob a bank! I can’t freaking believe this guy. It is like killing someone and placing your business card on the body. I just don’t get this guy. How stupid can a person get! I got nothing else to say.

Case #3

This is a common case about a guy who stole something from another. This guy stole a Rolex watch from this business man. I don’t know how he stole it but that business man knew it was him and reported it. So, in order to catch that guy they went to court to be judged. The business man accused the defendant but the defendant denied every single accusation. Because of lack of evidence the judge ruled that the defendant was innocent. The case was closed but the defendant was still standing in the courtroom. The judge said “What are you doing there? Go home. You are innocent and free to go, so, leave.” The defendant sheepishly whispered “So!? Do I still have to give the watch back to him?” That guy was tackled by the officers and he was arrested.

My point of view:

I was exaggerating about that guy being tackled but I think they should have tackled him real hard. The case was closed and he was free to go but he still asked that question!? I think he will be a good joke for his inmates in prison.

Case #4

This is a story about a man who is broke and desperately needed money. He works in a store with minimum wages. He makes $5 an hour but it was not enough. As a result, he decided to rob the store that he works in. He broke in at night although he had the keys to make it like someone else broke in. He robbed the store and went back home. The next morning he went to the store to work and called the cops from the store. The cops came to the crime scene immediately and questioned the store worker who is actually the robber. He told the cops that he saw someone ran out of the back door of the store when he opened the store to start his day. So, the cops asked him for the man’s facial description. A cop artist was present at that time. While listening to his descriptions the cop was sketching it on a paper. He gave very detailed description as though he knew the person. After sketching it, the cop looked at it and looked at the store worker. It looks exactly like him! So the cop was suspicious and questioned him until he eventually admitted that he was the person who robbed the store. He was arrested and sent to prison.

My point of view:

Once again, it is more or less the same like the person who filled up the personal information paper. He foolishly exposed his own supposedly perfect crime. What was this guy thinking!? Another stupid act of a perfect crime, so they say.

My fatherless life

2007-06-17T17:18:00.001-05:00

"I have no father now but the Father above."

Today is the day that I can never experience at all. I have never experience anything special on this day. In reality, today is Father’s Day as we all know. The purpose of this day is to honor or appreciate our father for all his achievements and his sacrifice for the family. Father’s Day is just an ordinary day to me. Nobody can blame me for feeling that way because I have no father to celebrate with. I know that everybody who reads this would feel sympathetic for me or perhaps despise me for saying that without any remorse. Seriously, it doesn’t really bother me if my Dad was alive or dead. I have gone past that stage of feeling pitiful of myself for not having a father figure in my life. Don’t get me wrong. I would definitely love to have my Dad in my life but this is my life, my ‘Walk’, the fatherless walk, to break through any obstacle that gets in my way. I have taken the responsibility as the man of the house without even knowing it. It all happened 13 years ago, when I saw my Dad in the coffin with scratch marks all over his face because of the accident. It was bad but I did not feel anything at all at that time. Not until it hit me years after my Dad’s funeral; finally, I realize how important a Dad is in a family. It was a crazy feeling at that time. I always wish that my Dad didn’t die but at the same time I am happy how my family is now. It is not perfect and we have gone through a lot especially my mother. Raising 3 kids alone isn’t an easy job at all. I am grateful that my family is alive. I would do anything to keep my family alive. My life isn’t important unless my family is alive and well. I have no father now but the Father above.

CALIFORNIA!!!

2007-05-28T13:00:00.000-05:00

I got tired of staying in Texas, I decided to fly to California to stay with my uncle. Anyway who wouldn't want to go to California. I am one hour away from the nearest beach side. I know for everyone back home 1 hour is very far but over here 1 hour is not bad at all. Hopefully, sooner or later I can just smell the beach it would be enough. Playing in the water would be a blessing. I am looking forward to a new adventure in California.

I flew from Dallas to Phoenix but we had to land somewhere before I go to Phoenix so that I can change my plane that is going to California. Unfortunately, I didn't know that we had to land in that place before flying to Phoenix. I went out of the plane and started searching for the gate that I am suppose to wait in for the plane that flies to California. I searched for and even asked some people over there. Then, I realized! That I am not in Phoenix and I am not suppose to get out of the plane. I ran back to the gate that I came out from. Fortunately, that plane haven't departed yet. Other than that incident, everything was A-O-K.

I went to Kuala Penang today in California for lunch. They have all kinds of Malaysian dishes. We had Nasi Lemak, Curry Laksa, Satay, Roti Canai, Hokkien Noodles, Kang Kung Belacan, and Ais Kacang. Since I got here I have not eaten any Malaysian food at all. The food was delicious and great but it was not like Malaysia at all. Roti Canai was made by a Chinese lady and not an Indian. The Roti Canai was shaped like a hand towel thrown from a building. The food was not too bad at all; however, it is not original at all. Overall, I am glad that I was able to eat those dishes. Peace.

Bad Vs Good

2007-05-11T21:16:00.000-05:00

There is always a balance between good and bad. Bad things happen to a lot of people and good things do happen to a lot of people too. The only problem with human beings, that God created, is that we tend to take for granted the good things that come our way and to dwell on the bad situations that result in an irrelevant down fall. Everybody does it and no one can deny it. Every day I see people who complain about every little thing and who forget how lucky are they to be able to attain so much more than the basic necessities of life. For example, they don’t have to worry about food or future expenses because their parents are there for them to supply them with everything they need, as well as with several things that they do not need. Wait a minute. Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t say that everybody takes the good things for granted. Let me try to clarify about what I am trying to say. Do you feel mad every time you see a good family that is screwed by their own children, because the children are spoilt? These children might have thought about redeeming themselves by thinking about various ways to make things right. They think of these ways to make things right because it reduces the guilt that they are experiencing. Now, THINKING is the main problem about these children. They think so much but no action is enforce to get results. I must say that I am guilty as charge too. Crazy things happen to people but all you have to do is ask yourself “What can I do about this?” (This time do it)

We intend to murmur and complain about every problem that restrains us from taking the next step in life. Depression is the results of your constant complaining and constant abusive words that degrades your existent. Depression is a dangerous chronic disease. It is not a scientific way to describe it; however, as long as I am the writer that is what it is. Every little thing that takes place around us may or may not give a positive stimulus to our fragile emotions. Our emotion is the cause of our actions. For example, when you are sad, you cry; when you are happy, you laugh. It can happen either way you want if you are in control of your emotions. Complaining and murmuring shows that your mind, body, and soul are still fragile as ever. How fragile life is when we are not able to withstand the pressure to achieve the principles of life that is accepted by the human society! Please, think twice when you complain or murmur. It will only give a negative impact in your life. Remember! Man cannot do it alone, but men can.
This post is meant to encourage people and not to despise anybody. This is totally my own point of view. Criticize or comments will be appreciated. Hey! Humans are created to learn right? I learn from critical comments to write a better post in the future.

Attention!!

If you saw this girl, contact
00 351 282 405 400

Madeleine McCann, 4 years old,disappeared from The Ocean Club resort, Praia da Luz, Lagos, Portugal, in the evening of May 3, 2007. Police says that she was kidnapped by an english man. There is also a russian suspect.

Madeleine´s right eye is unusual!

Summer

2007-04-30T02:12:00.000-05:00

Summer Holiday!
Starting of summer holiday did not go as well as I planned. Sitting down, updating my blog since ever and a bad dial-up connection, is all that I could do right now. After hours of driving from a wedding from north Oklahoma to Dallas (Texas), I needed something to spice up my summer time; however, what I got was a house with nothing to do. I was suppose to stay in this house, which is my mom's friend's house, alone for 4 days because she is out of town. There is absolutely nothing to do over here besides sitting down in the house and watch TV. Being alone for 4 days was not the problem but being alone without food for 4 days is the main problem. I do have money with me and I could walk to the nearest restaurant although the surroundings is new to me. Unfortunately, the nearest restaurant is 30 minutes away if I walk at a reasonable rate. I will get crazy without food and without human contact. I didn't say that summer will "SUCK BIG TIME" but it was not an ideal start for me.

Despite of all that problems, God was merciful to provide me everything that I need to last for 4 days. Fortunately, a friend who stayed beside my room lives 15 minutes away from where I am living. He brought me to church and his family provided me with great, delicious food. They gave me the left overs so that I have food the next day. I borrowed a few DVDs to watch, just because I needed something to do to avoid myself from committing suicide in this house. There is also a swimming pool in the house although it is dirty, due to the heavy storm. It is not a big deal because I am going clean it tomorrow so that I can swim in it for the rest of the summer. I can imagine myself sitting on an inflated bed that rests on the surface of the clear water, a cup of lemonade in my hands, and finally enjoy the everlasting beauty of God's creations.

Overall, I guess, my whole summer wouldn't be as bad as I thought it would be. I shouldn't be complaining because everything is going my way when I trust Him although it took quite a while for it to go my way. I have come so far with aids from unexpected source. So, I have to make full use of the help that I get from God. It always amazes me every time I think of myself being in America. All I could do for the rest of my life is thank God for His ridiculous favors that is overflowing in my life.

Questioning Family Ties?

2007-04-03T19:14:00.000-05:00

Your parents are the most influential people in your life. Nobody can deny this truth. Once you open your eyes for the first time, the first thing that you will see is your parents. God gave us a family to depend on in times of trouble; however, once you get old enough to take care of yourself that is the time when you have to take responsibilities to "glue" the gap. Everybody knows that you will always love your family even though you think they are annoying or they have done something wrong. Love between family members can never be broken. If you are still asking "What if it is breakable?" The answer to this question can never be found because the answer does not exist.

What if you don't have a father as a role model? What if you are the only son? Are you, as a son, supposed to take over the "Daddy" role? All this questions remain unanswered because it can never be answered unless you have a child of your own. Being the backbone of the family can be a pain sometimes. At the same time, it can be rewarding as well. Only if I pray harder, I would get the answers that I need. When I get the answers I would definitely share it.

Every child desperately needs a "Daddy" or "Mommy" as a role model. No doubt about that. As a son, the only boy in the family, I am trying to be a role model to my nephew. I think I did pretty well constructing principles in him. Watching him grow in size and in knowledge, I can slowly see the rewards that are to come. I just heard that he became a monitor in his class. A good start to show his leadership qualities in his life I believe it will continue to grow even though I am not there. He is able to grow and learn by himself because he is unique. So? What rewards do you think I am looking for?

There is so many questions that everybody keeps asking. Why is my family like this? Why are they acting like that? Why do they not understand me? Have you ever thought of not asking "Why" but "What" can you do to make it better? I always ask "Why" every time something wrong happens but I am always reminded by someone to ask "What". Try to put more thoughts into this post that I have written. God Bless You~

Spring break

2007-03-31T00:23:00.000-05:00

This one of my favorite Spring day. Got sand in my mouth on the way down. It was CRAZY!!

At the sand hill... Almost got struck by lightning because there was a thunderstorm just right behind me.

"Dream team" We were equipped with a sword, machete, baseball bat, bow, golf stick and a torch light. We went to the jungle to hunt but got nothing but dirt because we were laughing all the way through although we saw a deer, from a distance!!

The famous alamo fort in San Antonio. This is where Ozzy Osbourne pee on and got ban from San Antonio for a decade. Complemented with a great ciew in River Walk, San Antonio.

Do I look like a Vietnamese Army from Viet Cong?
"No Comments" abot the torpedo thingy.

This not my idea of fun. I was forced to take with Bugs Bunny. I think bugs bunny is Hispanic because Hispanics are everywhere. They make 70% of the population in Texas alone. We were in Texas Fiesta, like a carnival consisting of 6 types of rollercoasters and we sat all of them. Pretty intense!!

Made a fire in Corpus Christi beach. Made hot dogs and marshmallows. Burn marshmallows and throwing it to the birds hopefully they get burned. Laughing hysterically when it happens. Almost got stung by a jelly fish. Crazy day!!

We were in a ranch, which is a private property, shooting at cans and cups. The ranch is full of rattle snakes and jack rabbits but we were not allowed to shoot them because we were beginners. I shot two shotguns and a rifle. The rifle was the hardest to shoot because when you pull the trigger, the impact would pull you back and the scope might hit your eye. My shoulder was bruised by the impact. Overall, I love shooting those guns.

Spring Break!!

2007-03-21T12:02:00.000-05:00

*After 12 hours of driving*

*In the car bored to death*

Spring Break. A time of rest after an excruciating struggle to score reasonable points for midterm exams, I could barely even have the thought that I can even pass midterm. Studying is all I can think of during my free time in OC; however, spring break saved us all. Looking at the flowers bloom, people getting ready to go, cars starts to decrease in numbers in campus, I could sense a sign of relieve from everybody in campus including the lecturers. Giving them time to do important matters as well as trivial matters. Enjoyable matters is also considered. If only time would stop, creating a moment of peace and quiet, I could enjoy spring break without any worries that time is up. Time is cruel most of the time when we start to enjoy our break. Why complain? To think positively, making use of the break in every way is all we can do. Complaining uses time as well. Life is too short to complain and worry. Enjoy life while you can.

A great deal of college students consuming alcohol increases every spring break. An average of 16 pints of alcohol is consumed daily by college students in America during spring break. Not too bad for only 1 week of holiday. Now everyone knows how the "beer belly" started in every American. Wonder no more! I had couple of beers during spring break but I am way off the "beer belly" category. Everybody indulges themselves into inappropriate conduct when they are under the influence of alcohol. To tell you the truth, I do that sometimes, depending on the purpose of consuming it. Human race intends to be imperfect at times. May God be with us and have mercy on us.

Homework is what I was supposed to be doing on Spring Break. Perhaps, organizing my schedule throughout this semester is included. Fun or Success? Fusion is not an option in this semester of mine because of my tendency to procrastinate. I was supposed to write a schedule for my remaining semester on Spring Break but I made a last minute decision to follow my friend on a road trip. I am expecting a period of anguish completing my homework for Spring Break. I think I think I am able to manage it when I get back to campus. Studying is not so bad when you actually understand it but doing it is a pain in my bum, the left side between the cracks. =P

~Life And Hope~

Going through life is impossible without learning. We are created to learn and to apply it into our lives. God created us to be betterment to the society and to the people you love. But! Why do you want to be someone like that if you know that the society is corrupted by the influence of worldly perspectives? Why help the corrupt? However, God commanded us to love your neighbor as yourself. This statement itself portrays the importance of aiding the society, which is the human race. Life is unfair most of the time but life itself gives us hope. Hope that keeps us going extends the meaning of life. Life is not meaningful if there are no obstacles that we have to overcome. Do what you can for the good of man because if no one cares for one another, human race will perish and God's creation will be a failure. God never fails. He has a plan for all of us that is beyond our understanding. I am waiting for my calling.

Matane!!

2007-03-15T17:33:00.000-05:00

Farewell

The day for my Japanese Angels to leave Oklahoma and continue life in Japan. Staying up the whole night, taking pictures, fooling around, I could sense a special bond between me and the Japanese people. I only knew them for 3 months and most of them only for a month, we got really close. When I came to OC my very first friend was Yuta-kun, an older brother to me. I step into the dorm for the first time and he was the first guy I talked to in OC. I was like "Yes! An Asian guy". He unconsciously created a comfort zone around him for me. Talking to him makes sense all the time because he is direct and only speaks relevant stuffs like WWII. I told him how destructive Japanese were back in the old days when my grandmother had to flee from them. He looked at me with a calm and cool look, as usual, and said "I will do it again, only to you." But of course he was just joking. He is a funny guy even though he doesn't realize that he is humorous. He really loved OC and he planned to come back next year. Hopefully I can see him sooner or later.

Well, I would like to call Yuta my angel but unfortunately he will assassinate me like a ninja. Maya-chan, the only Japanese angel that have the same common problems like me. I can relate and talk to her about family and life. Most of her experience is like mine. Unfortnately, she has to go back to Japan. Crying, is her specialty, but she cries because she misses her friends in OC. She is special and unique in a way. I am very sure that if she reads this post, she will cry her lungs out. I can bet my life on it.

Saya-chan, cried along with laughters and screams, I could barely listen to what she was saying. She is the shortest of them all but she go the loudest laughter among them. That is what I like about her. She laughs and crack jokes with me. She is also able to laugh even though we call her SaYaKuZa! She is adorable and 'okashii'. I love to see her again some time.

Rika-chan, the cinderella of the pack, is the 'kirei' one. The main thing why I like her is because she laughs at every single thing anyone says. Even though it is quiet and no one says anything, she will laugh. It doesn't make sense but at least that shows that she is happy at all times. When she walks, it looks like she is skipping, as though, something great happened. She cried when I hugged her. It was really sad to see her leave OC. Never ever going to see her walk aroud with a big smile anymore.

Kaori-chan, 'kawaii'-est, softest, and the most gentle, showed me the true gentle side of a Japanese girl. She is like the Japanese actress in the LAST SAMURAI who acted as Tom Cruise's wife. She cried while walking through the metal scanner while carrying her bag full of cute stuffs. She was closing her eyes that time. She is the kind of person who would do anything to make u happy. She is the shy one of the group. She is just too cute to be though. I am sure she can be a good 'okasan' in the future. Kaori I am just joking da yo!!

I received a card from each of them EXCEPT YUTA!! I don't blame him since he wants to start a war with me. Just one message to all my Japanese Angels. "I am going to smile everyday for all my angelic ne hong jin" (that is the common thing in the letters that all of you wrote, my smile makes all of you happy)

Japanese Night

2007-02-27T21:38:00.000-06:00

Japanese Culture Night

My Japanese angels are going back to Japan. Before that happens, they had an event to promote Japanese Culture to everyone in OC. They did a very good job organizing it. They showed good charisma and energy when they teach us Japanese. At the same time, their kawaii(cuteness) is reflected. All of them are so adorable and energetic.
I learned so many things about Japanese tradition and their modern culture. It has been a great experience; especially their fashion. They have different kinds of fashion that shocked me when I looked at the magazine that they had with them. They have funky hairstyles, weird colors on their skin and face, stylish and animated outfits, and so many more that I could not even describe. One day, I would like to visit Japan and meet all of them again. If I actually failed engineering I would just go to Japan and teach English language because the demand in Japan is fairly high. When I saw the slides of the sites in Japan, I was overwhelmed by their historical sites and the nature. In autumn, the leaves would turn red in color. Maybe one day I might bring my wife there to experience it or maybe I could just get a wife in Japan and experience it every year. It was really beautiful.
Another thing I want to talk about is the 4 Japanese angels that I adore most. Saya, Maya, Rika, and Kaori are the closest Japanese that I have in campus. Saya is the most outspoken one among the four girls. She laughs and jokes with me every time we see each other. She is a great ping pong player as well. Every time she whacks the ball when do a mistake, she would shout so loud "HAIYA!!!" Hearing the screams, screeching sounds, I would just duck to avoid the ball from hitting my face. She is dangerous des ka! Another girl I would like to talk about is Maya. She might look strong on the outside but in the inside she is a soft and gentle girl. She even cried when I showed her the pictures I took today because they are going back to Japan soon. She is one of the closest to me among the four too. We are able to communicate very easily when I met her actually. She is the talkative one but a good talkative person. She is a very nice person. The third girl I am going to talk about is Rika. She wants to be a air hostess in the future. So whenever I fly anywhere I would demand that she be my personal air-hostess. She laughs at everything I say even though it doesn't makes sense. It makes me laugh to see her act like this. She is very special and sarcastic too. Her sarcasm degrades my sarcasm at a high percentage. She is the queen of all sarcasm!! Last girl that always stays in the shadow of a crowd is Kaori. She is so gentle and soft like the Japanese actress in the Last Samurai. She is the kawaii-est girl because her face turns red whenever she is in the spotlight. She is very motherly as well because she would serve you food if you wanted anything. She makes good ice-cream because she worked in a ice cream store in Japan. Basically, all the four Japanese angels of mine makes me feel so comfortable when they are around. Sadly, this complacency is about to disappear because they are returning home soon. I am going to miss my 4 Japanese angels very much.
ps: My Malaysian angels, please do not be threatened because I still remember you all. Hahaha

Yakuza!!

2007-02-25T23:25:00.000-06:00

~Japanese Family~

This is what we do in the library. (trying to study)

These pictures are just a hand full of Japanese students. There is so many more somewhere around the campus. THey are everywhere in our midst; however, they are going back to Japan next month, so I am taking as many pictures as possible. I have four main Japanese girls that I adore. Maya, Saya, Rika, and Kaori are my Kawaii(cute) Japanese angels. But, my angels are flying back to their Mother Land which is Japan. It will be so quiet after they leave the Campus (If you know what I mean) *winks*

Last Home Game

2007-02-18T23:05:00.000-06:00

OCU vs ???

It is very blur but that is the only shot that I cold take because the rest of the memory space was for my Lil sis aka The Man. She is so into cheer leading and I was suppose to record for her and show it to her, but I procrastinated and forgot about it. Since this is the last game for the women and men category of the season, I had to take drastic measures. Taking the camera, holding it as steady as I could, and face the humiliation, I humbly recorded. Everyone behind me must be wondering why am I recording the girls instead of the game. They might have thought that I was 'HENTAI' (pervert). Anyway this is for my sister back home. Anyone who knows my little sister please tell her to visit my blog and watch my masterpiece. Thank you for your great help. She is in my wanted list right now. If you ever see that MAN from the picture please inform me. She is armed and dangerous. She has the ability to project HIS inner strength in times of need. Save the WORLD please!! We are in grave danger. God be with us~

Music

2007-02-18T16:23:00.000-06:00

BLUES~

Everyone might not know that I love all kinds of music. Jazz, Blues, Rock, R&B, and whatever there is, I love it. I just came back from a concert with different bands. There are three different bands like The Orchestra, The Strings, and The Jazz/Blues band. I was amazed by the orchestra because of the unusual sounds and the impact they made on everyone. The first was not bad compared to the three. After the orchestra they had The Strings band that consist of string instruments. I have to confess that I actually slept most of the time. It is not bad but I was just tired.*winks*. They did pretty well too. No offence to them especially to the violinist. The best of the best are The Jazz/Blues band. Everyone did a solo and totally made everyone go crazy. Unfortunately, I was not able to record everything because of memory shortage in my camera. The saxophone was totally awesome. No words can describe these players because I never really enjoy Jazz/blues because I don't like to hear it through a radio or mp3. When I heard it live, I couldn't believe the skills and effort they had to work for. Basically, it was magnificent. I wished that I had another additional memory card so that I could capture all of the show. One of the video stops half way because not enough memory. So bear with me and enjoy the remaining show. A lot of things have been happening, I am just too lazy to update my post. Bye Malaysians~

Happy Valentine's Day

2007-02-14T18:30:00.000-06:00

ALL I GOT WAS A....

KOPIKO!! I can't believe that I was able to find a Malaysian made candy. The ingredients at the back of the packet is in Malay. I went to the Asian Market with a couple of Japanese girls. In the market, there is so many varieties of Asian foods and items. The only thing that I could find was KOPIKO! I told the Japanese girls that KOPIKO taste really good and it is Malaysian made. I told them that it taste good but I didnt know that they would buy it. They bought some japanese tea, a box of Ramen noodles, and some candies.

Couple of days after that, it is Valentine's Day where everybody would be with their love ones. As you all know, Valentine's Day in America is an important day. Thy opened a booth for people who wants to send cookies to their crush or you can send it anonymously. Heart shape balloons were everywhere, everybody kissing, holding hands, going out to dinner, and i'm in my room updating my blog! It is sad but it doesn't matter to me. Anyway at least I got a Valentine gift from a Japanese girl. Guess what! The content is KOPIKO! I felt really special because I didn't know that I would even receive a gift in America. That feeling lasted only for a short while because when I looked at my other friends, they had the same bag. That Japanese girl was giving it to everybody=/. Anyway I am glad that I received a prezzie!! So, no Valentine Date for me this year. In fact, I never had a proper Valentine date before. I just realized that I never had a Valentine date in my life. So, I wonder who will be my first Valentine Date!! haha