Every Little Helps

I have been doing masters in Sustainable Engineering course for almost a year now. So, throughout the course, we've been taught and reminded to save energy, go green etc. Kat class angguk2 kepala but whenever I reach home I am so not energy efficient. My reason senang jer, I have paid for the electricity and gas bills, so if i consume less i rugi la kan. Bad Aeni..very bad. Heck, I dont even recycle. So, every now and then I would feel guilty for not doing my share in saving energy and combating climate change etc.

But then today I received this email from my friend who is into sustainable engineering and the following is how the email goes.

"For those worried with energy consumption the following may be of interest...

When your screen is white, be it an empty word page, or the Google page, your computer consumes 74 watts, and when it's black it consumes only 59 watts. Mark Ontkush wrote an article about the energy saving that would be achieved if Google had a black screen, taking in account the huge number of page views.

According to his calculations, 750 MWh per year would be saved (about the same as, say, one-quarter of the energy produced annual by the Green Park wind turbine) - but it all helps!

In a response to this article Google created a black version of its search engine, called Blackle, with the exact same functions as the white version, but with a lower energy consumption; check it out

http://www.blackle.com/ "

If the study is true than I have been doing my share all these while sbb my blog has a black background! hehehe I am so proud of myself. Oh, I have also checked out the black version of google.. cool jugak but need some getting used to. For now I think I'll stick to the white version kut..hehehe coz I have done my share :P (sikit pun nak claim gak..x kisah)

What is the limit?

Personally, i think Malaysians are pemalu. If they are offered something, the usual answer you would get is "x per lah" when most of the time they do want it but too shy to say they do. As a result, to show that you honestly meant to offer them whatever that is, you would have to offer over and over again. It's quite a tiring process coz if you dont do it they would think you ajak2 ayam jer. But in the end if you offer them too many times, they have to say yes but terpaksa kind of yes sbb x nak lukakan hati org yg offer pulak. Now it is becoming pure complicated.

So surely there is a rule of thumb as to how many times you offer something and if they still refuse by then, it really means 'No, thank you'. From what I heard, the Malay's offer limit is three and I take this as my guideline even when offering to non Malays. So that is one problem solve, for me at least.

The next question is how many times do u offer someone to join in an activity and get turned down before you should take it as 'I am not interested to join any of your activities'. I tried applying the three times rule but cannot because every activity is unique in its own way. Maybe that person do not like one kind of activity but like the other one. But, when the 'no' keep coming in my way that I rasa macam terhegeh2 je when it is obviously the other party is not interested. So berapa kali kena ajak before i can stop so as not to be considered being rude?

Wasted minutes

I am not really the kind of person who takes naps. That was true until i started my third semester i.e. since early May. Now, all that i do is nap. Morning nap, Afternoon Nap, Evening nap. No wonder la makin hari makin tembam. Although the nap is good, the feeling after waking up from the nap is not especially these days when time is extremely precious. Nowadays, when I wake up i will regret taking the nap in the first place coz it feels like I've wasted the little time i have left here. I should really be using those wasted minutes to finish my thesis as soon as possible and then enjoy my remaining stay to the maximum. As a result, each time after waking up from a nap, I'll be grumpy and angry at myself. And yet, i keep on falling asleep. Nap after nap and then nap again. grrrr

i just woke up from my sleep and i am grumpy. better not take a nap today!

i think my entries are getting more personal i.e. me merungut most of the time. Maybe i should start making this blog private, for my eyes only. Wonder if there is a way to do that. hmmm

Misc. and etc.

Look at the dates!!! I have only six more weeks left to be spent in this country. Panic attacks are coming more frequently. Why didnt I apply for the unpaid leave (sambil ketuk kepala sendiri). What was I thinking. Agak2 sempat x if I apply now? But I dont really want to be fasting here alone and whatmore, I would be homeless after 1 September. Yaiks, I'm actually in quite a mess. Time to get organised.

1. Must start writing
2. Must ban youtube etc.
3. Must start dieting (seriously!)- if i heard her correctly, mummy said i look boroi in the pictures :(

Those who have the intentions to kirim stuff, this is the time to send me the list. I accept payment by cash or through maybank2u.

Just found out someone very close to my heart is expecting a baby. Dont think it is for public knowledge so namanyer dirahsiakan di sini. Anyways I am excited for the couple and hope everything goes well with the baby. I really think balik ni I will be getting BABY SHOCK. Within a year, so many of friends dah dapat baby. Sure rasa surreal when the next time we meet and these people will come holding cute babies in their arms.. erk

Glasgow River Festival

Glasgow River Festival (GRF) is an annual festival held here in Glasgow on the River Clyde and its banks over Glasgow Fair weekend. This year, the festival was held on 14-15 July. It is a great event for those who are into ships and boats and other maritime stuff specifically and those who enjoy great day's out generally. Held at the Clyde Waterfront, not only you can see the historical landmarks of Glasgow such as the Tall Ship but you also get to enjoy some of Glasgow’s more modern architectures such as the Glasgow Science Centre and the Clyde Auditorium.

Landmarks aside, there are loads of boats, ships and other floating vessels of all shapes and sizes throughout this festival, some of which taking part in races while others are for display. You can even climb aboard for a look around on some of them, which has historical significance one way or another such as the MV Kyles, the Pole Star etc for free. There is also Zapcat racing, which is pretty fast and exciting and is part of the Zapcat National Championships. You could even go for powerboat rides, try rowing and sail on board the steam engine boats. They mentioned duck races as well but did not see any while we were there. Oh we also saw a demonstration of how Bells Bridge, one of the bridges on River Clyde can be swung to let tall ships pass.

Meanwhile, on the riverbanks and around the Science Centre, there is also loads of entertainment happening – funfair, bands, crafts etc. There was this huge balloned slide that I would love to get on but I was too old for it. *sigh*. More info on the festival here.

Free SPT(local bus company) shuttle buses were provided throughout the festival weekend. There were regular departures from several locations within the city center and also outwith Glasgow. We boarded.. chewaah we got on one of these buses at West George Street, in front of the Queen Street Station. Surprisingly there was no queue at all. Since it is one of the double decker buses, we took this opportunity to sit right in front on the top floor. Feels a bit like on a roller coaster ride.

We arrived at Clyde Waterfront just before 1 pm. There was already a huge crowd there. So, without wasting any time, snap snap snap. Weather was great (but photos look gloomy somehow..hmm) and I had a lot of fun.

After A Month of Silence

For those who have not given up hope on me updating this blog, this entry is specially dedicated to you. A month without any new posts, I have so many things to tell and share with you. But, if I were to write everything, this entry would be too long and time consuming. So, I will try to summarise what I have been doing and where I have been for the past month. Still long though.

14 - 18 June - Paris Amsterdam Tour

Another adventure with Fairuz and Alden. This time we also have Rizal and his wife for Paris and Tini later joined us in Amsterdam. Have always loved Paris. Always something new to discover each time I go there. Still as lively and beautiful as I remember it. And Disneyland, just awesome. Most memorable ride is of course the Aerosmith Ride in Disney Studio. My only regret for this tour is not going to Versailles. But, it could be a good excuse to go to Paris again..hehehe

And oh, there is HALAL KFC in Paris!

22 June - My birthday

I turned 27 on this day. With the new age number, came a new realisation (although I am back to being in denial now) that I am old now and no longer qualifies as a mid twenties. Hence, I have officially changed the blog title to Post Mid-Twenties Crisis instead of just Mid-Twenties Crisis. Birthday this year was really great.

Birthday started with a birthday wish from my parents. Then more wishes came pouring in through sms, friendster and etc. I was really touched that so many remembered my birthday. Then Fairuz gave me my present that sent me smiling from ear to ear. Really love it. In the evening, Fairuz and Zack took me out for Bday Dinner at TGI Friday's here in Glasgow. Zack surprised me with a really cute birthday present. Thank you guys for making my 27th birthday a memorable one.

After dinner, we went for coffee at the Italian Square and lepak there until the shop closes.

27 June - 28 June, Brother's Graduation,Cambridge

I went to Cambridge for my brother's graduation. While I was there, Alden cooked me sumptuous dinner. Chicken Rice with special herbal chicken and Alden-style omlette (forgot the name). Seriously delicious. Must get him to cook more for me.

After dinner we tried playing snooker. Had to google how to place the balls as neither Alden, Eskandarian or myself know how to play. Game was quite slow as most of the shots did not hit the target. LOL. I also had the pleasure to meet Duane the chess king. As usual, we took photos while playing. Unfortunately that very fun night was also the last night that Alden saw his camera. Kind to think of it. It was probably my fault that he lost his camera for if I have not rushed him to send me home, he would not have lost his camera. But then again he would not have such a gorgeous brand new camera, would he? Anyways, my apologies to Alden for any part that I play in his camera loss.

On the graduation morning, my parents and I sempat pegi shopping while my brother handles his shipping errands. He then joined us for the punting session, a must for Cambridge visitors. This is not my first experience being in a punt but it definitely brings back old memories when Cambridge was my annual getaway from Southampton.

Then there was my brother's graduation ceremony, the reason why I went to Cambridge in the first place. He graduated with flying colours and I am so proud of him. I must say witnessing a Cambridge graduation ceremony is a truly unique experience as teh ceremony is conducted in Latin. It also turned amusing when the Chancellor forgotten his script and there are also times when he forgotten what degree he is awarding the students (they graduate according to college rather than course). hehehe. That was a good laugh. Alden and Eskandarian was kind enough to join us for the ceremony and act as unofficial family photographer. Btw, they have a strictly no photos and videos in the senate house where the ceremony took place but I managed to snap a couple without getting caught. Am still proud of my achievement..hehehe

30 June -2 July - Parents visit to Glasgow

Parents and bro were here for a visit. Unfortunately it was raining most of the time. Kesian my parents. But dalam hujan tuh sempat jugak they naik the red bus around Glasgow and Edinburgh. The best part is my mum masakkan nasi beriyani while she was here. Rented an apartment for them in the city center. Cheaper than hotel but really cantik. If any of you thinking of coming here for a holiday and would like to rent a cheap aprtment, gimme a ring and i'll give you the link.

6 July -Rented A Car

Went to check out the apartment that Fairuz rented for his family then off to eat Nandos..Sedaapnya. Dah kenyang, serang Ikea Sale pulak..huhu. Life as a student is a real bliss

7 July - Breakfast at Tesco and Football

Had Scottish breakfast at Tesco (similar to English breakfast). For breakfast I had fried bread, baked beans, scrambled eggs, mushrooms and a pot of tea. All this for a mere £1.64. Murah giler. Portion besar pulak tuh. We continued for regular groceries where Fairuz had to go home for urgent business..hehehe. Luckily he didn't forget to pick us (Zack and I) up later.

In the afternoon we went to Garscube to watch Fairuz play foot ball and practise our photography skills. Had a chance to play with a dslr, canon eos d400. Excellent camera. Wish I have the money to get one myself.

8 July -Strawberry Picking and Picnic at Kelvingrove Park

After 7 years of dreaming of picking my own strawberries, I finally did it. Yeay! That's another dream came true. The lucky farm chosen to host my first experience is the Boghall Farm (Dunno why I find this name kelakar) . Why this farm? Sebab tu jer yg listed under PYO for Stirlingshire which is the nearest to Glasgow. For others who are interested to go for a PYO can go here. The farm is a mere 40 minutes away but with our F1 driver, Fairuz, we took less than that..hehehe.

Zack dipaksa ikut but I think he enjoyed the experience. At the farm ada currants (red and black), gooseberries, other berries, raspberries, strawberries, other vegetables. Tapi kiterorg petik strawberries jer and kind to think of it actually spent more time taking photos rather than picking the strawberries.. . Tapi strawberries dia manis. Sedap sangat. Banyak gak la melantak sambil petik tuh.

Since we have a car and weather was great, we decided to go for a picnic at Kelvingrove Park. Kelvingrove is 10 minutes drive away kat West End. Beautiful Park. We left for picnic at 7.30pm, can u believe it? Since pagi dah penat petik strawberry, mlm nih kiterorg makan strawberries lak. Masih manis. yummilicous as usual. This time kiterorg ada additional member, Miss Ley-Ha..hehehe best sebab dia ni pun suka posing. So sambil picnic ptg tuh sempat gak posing as usual.

Menu for picnic is almost extremely healthy. We had:

1. Strawberries
2. Tesco Value Oranges
3. Tesco Apple Finest
4. Tesco Hoeny Roasted Cashew and peanuts
5. Tesco Peach Flavoured Sparkling Drink.

As you can see we are loyal customers orf Tesco..hehehe Kali ni picnic x kesejukan macam picnic kat Glasgow Green. We stayed till about 9pm. Next target is to have a bbq soon.


10 July - Badminton and Futsal

Lately I am into sports mainly to reduce weight before going home which is soon. This is an absolute essential as the last time I went back to Malaysia for good, I gained 5 kg. Hence, it's good to have a weight margin before going home. So, after investing in some new workout graments (all nike) I tried badminton and I like it. This is the second time playing. We played mixed doubles. Zack was with Lili and myself with Fairuz. For senstive reasons, results of the 3 set game will not be published. hehehe and after one hour of intense badminton (for me at least), we started to pack to go home.

Suddenly, a guy came and offered us to play futsal with them. Somehow Fairuz and I ended up playing. I was the only girl and the guys were really nice. Initially I thought of playing for 5 minutes only but I ended up playing for a full hour and enjoyed it. I even scored a goal and assisted a few. Cant believe my first futsal game is in Scotland..hehehe. To think back, 5 years ago, I would never have said yes sbb malu but i guess getting older and realising that there are still so many things that I have not done or tried changes me.

Unfortunately, in my excitement playing futsal I also sprained my ankle. So now jalan macam kartun sbb ankle swollen. But I dont care and I am playing badminton again today.

I think I am crazy.