Guess who's at no. 30?

In the recent article "The 31 Places to Go in 2010" in The New York Times, Malaysia is at 30!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/travel/10places.html?pagewanted=3#Kuala

How I learn to love Malaysia only when I am far away from it.

Life is never without difficult choices

Will the day of every come? The day when we do not need to make choices and everything settles by itself? The day when we do not need to contemplate and deliberate the "best" action plan? The day when we can lie thoughtlessly without any potential for regrets or lost opportunities?

And when it does come, would we wish it never did?

Not today (for me, at least). Today, I wish this decision will form itself, giving me the assurance that nothing would go wrong. That I will not have regrets choosing it, that I wouldn't wish it any otherwise.

What am I to do? Is there ever a fool-proof methodology to go about it?

Imperfections of World Democracy

Although so far until now I have made no mention on anything regarding to my studies here in Warwick, I have learnt and immersed myself in the sorts of knowledge which I would not have otherwise.

Before arriving in UK, when people questioned the course I would pursue here, I would just give the short answer: Economics. That is not exactly true. Not only am I studying Economics, I decided (with the suggestion from my father) to take Politics and International Studies as well. So, the course name is Economics, Politics and International Studies (thus Economics was a much simpler and shorter answer to people's questions).

As far as I am aware of, Warwick is the only university providing such a course. Thus, I was as clueless as everyone else what EPAIS entails. All I know that I would be studying both Economics and Politics. Up until now, neither have I touched anything regarding International Studies, nor do I know what exactly that means. Is international studies another name for international relations (a specialised branch of politics)? I have no clue.

For this year, I have taken up three Economics modules and two Politics modules. Economics 1 is pretty simple, most of the topics were covered in A-levels, just add a little bit more. Quantitative Techniques is pretty damn hard, especially with a lecturer like Dennis Leech. World Economy just begun to be interesting as we finished the history part last term and this term, we are having a new lecturer, who is going through the theoretical part.

Politics is a much obscure subject. There are theories to be learnt, but none of them hold absolutely true. There's the realism theory, while on the opposite, there's the liberalism theory. To make matters worse, there is constructivism right in the middle. All of them have people going for it and people going against it. There is no absolute right or wrong in Politics, not even human rights!

Next is the reason for writing this post today. In politics seminar (one for each module every week), we are all academics sitting in our comfort chairs, enjoying the heat from the radiator, discussing and debating world issues like we care, like we understand. Do we really? Even after all the researching and reading, do we really understand what is truly happening outside our classroom door?

While we are discussing all the terrors, such as genocide, terrorism, we speak with a sense of detachment. With a sense of security of knowing that whatever we talk about, it would end when we exit the class. And next week, we will do exactly the same thing all over again. We are not those who have to live with it every day and every night. We do not to fear for our lives. We do not directly face the consequences of the terror happening in this world. Who are we to talk, discuss about it and act as if we truly understand?

Reading the news about Aung San Suu Kyi today ("Court to decide on Suu Kyi appeal within a month" January 20, 2010, CNN International http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/01/20/myanmar.suukyi/), there is a person who decided that sitting in the classroom discussing about the issue was not enough for her. She knows that if she wanted to make a difference, she had to go out there and do something, whatever the consequences.

She has been in house arrested for 14 of the past 20 years. Did she think and fear that before she begun? I am sure what she thought of was more than that (probably more on the lines of death and murder, although how is that worse than being isolated in a house with only two companions for 14 years and counting?).

Having been for approximately 20 of such classes so far, it feels like I have not truly learnt anything new. But, this is a necessary step towards achieving something more. Hopefully, not quite like Aung San Suu Kyi (I wouldn't wish for such a predicament to befall on myself), but something of that substance (or as close as it can get).

Cooking Fetish

My RSS reader to me is like Facebook to most other people. When I am free, or right after checking my mail, I will log into the reader to read new posts posted on multifarious sites.

Of course, I have many economics blogs on the reader, which are awesome reads. These blogs are by some of the most knowledgeable economists out there: Paul Krugman (nobel laureate in economics), writers of Freakanomics, professors at famous economics institutions like Princeton and Yale and of course, editors of The Economist. To keep myself up to date on the world outside Warwick, I have most of the major news site on the reader: CNN, New York Times, Guardian..etc... For fun, I have some sites which are there to amuse, like Lifehacker!, which is always full of useful surprises. And last but not least, a list of friends' blogs are on it too. So that I do not have to enter their blogs one at a time to see whether they have posted something new!

Wait... There is still more. (You may ask how do I find time to read ALL of them? Well, I pick and choose what I read and I love to waste my time) Of all the feeds I have on my Reader, the ones that always get me going and all excited are FOOD AND COOKING BLOGS. I am sure this is not surprising to many. But I have taken in an addiction that is hard to cure, and possibly detrimental to my health and the health of my pocket!

I have a whole category just for cooking and baking feeds, which are unsurprisingly labeled "Cooking and Baking"! Most of these sites are blogs by some of the most enthusiastic people. All of them share one common interest: food. Do not think that just because they love food, they are not fit. On the contrary, some of them live excellent lifestyles. Many of them specialise in good, clean, healthy food and the food still looks and sounds so so so GOOD.

Funnily enough, looking at photos of food does not make me crave for food. Simply because, how can biscuits and bread ever compare with those scrumptious delights? Aaahh... Although I am a student (where food is suppose to come in ready-made form), I believe that good food can only be produced on a hob, in an oven, in a steamer. Certainly and never never never out of a microwave.

I am always on a lookout for interesting recipes which I always hope to cook or bake one of these days. But time and funds rarely allows it. Although there are plenty recipes that calls for the most minimum, but the most exciting ones are usually far from it. I will just have to wait for the day I have my own home, my own kitchen, my own pantry. (I always wanted a pantry more than anything else! By then, I can die of happiness.)

I shall prove everyone who says fitness and food don't mix wrong!

Before I stop, let me introduce to everyone one of my ABSOLUTE favourite site to visit: www.rasamalaysia.com (Thank you Sharon for introducing it. Love ya!!!!) The writer is a Penang-ite in America.

I am sounding very aunty, well this is what happens when you hit twenty. You start feeling old, real oldXD

Housemates = kids

In my hall/floor, we have common milk, bread, cheese, butter..etc... So cases of "stealing" (big or small items, it is still stealing after all) are uncommon, at least to my knowledge. Well, Yu Min's eggs did get stolen, but she has had her revenge (she is not one of the kids I am referring too)=)

Anyways, someone STOLE my frozen pizza which I happen to treasure quite a lot. It is those special treats I have for myself which I restrict myself to once a week - the only prepared meal I take. Even though it is a prepared meal, it is extremely delicious (not Tesco Value or Tesco brand). It was on sale during the holidays, so I stocked up on it.

Now that someone has stolen the ration for the week, what am I to do?
1. Consider it finished for the week and continue with the rationing.
2. Finish it up as quickly (and as healthily - without killing myself in the process) as I can.
3. REVENGE! Take someone else's pizza for this week.

The problem with solution (3) is that I have no idea who took it. Damn it! How can he/she take it when it is clearly stated that it belongs to someone else? I wrote my NAME on it.

Ever since they got back, they have already begun to frustrate me, more so than last term. Blame the wonderful weeks when Yu Min and I had the kitchen all to ourselves.

Roar.

This post does not express how angry I was when I found out the pizza was missing. This is a trivial issue, but my anger probably is collected from all other tiny issues as well.

Roar.

Oh well.

Winter '09 London Trip

Happy Twenty Ten, everyone! We are now (unofficially, for most) a year older. Did you feel any different on 31 December than on 1 Jan?
For me, 31 Dec I was brimming with energy and 1 Jan exhausted due to lack of sleep.

All in all, 2010 started off great. Watching the fireworks at London Eye, even when from afar, is breath-taking. The fact that I am in UK has sunk in more then than ever before. I am starting to love this island. Enough about all that, let's talk London!

It is been a long time since I have done this (probably the first since the "renovation" of this blog) - let's have some photos (which must have been sorely missed).

Back to studies.... Toodles~

2010

I have learnt to dislike these "momentous" post. Once that carry, instead of a past, a future. What more, that it may in some way affect this nascent year.

So,

FA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA~ refer to "Big Bang Theory" Season 3 Episode 11

HAPPYY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!