Orientation

I was browsing UNSW's website and I came across the orientation program. I have been to two orientations ... one in college when I was doing my diploma and the other was in my previous university when I was doing my degree. It came across to me, I don't need to do the orientation. But suddenly I thought, yea why not? It'd help me to get to know UNSW better and familiarize myself with the staffs and course mates.

Orientation. I don't know what I should expect. Sure it'll be fun. But, scary in a way too cause I hardly know anyone there and I'll be like a total stranger. Just like everybody else tee hee hee. We do get our own fears but get rid of it in a moment or two.

My orientation in college was the best because it was back home and they had so many fun activities that I could get myself enrolled in. In university, everything seemed distant cause it was a new country and a new place. I hardly knew anyone there. All the Malaysians were from KDU and they always stuck to their own group. And so most of my friends were foreigners. Weird don't ya think?!

UNSW has a weird orientation program. Their orientation lasts for a month. But I'm only attending three days of orientation, which is one week before class really starts.

Nevertheless, I'm excited about starting my Masters program. I'm gonna gain lots of knowledge, training and experience. It'd help me in the workfield in the future. Boy am I excited. And I'm the first granddaughter to study masters. In my maternal side, only two cousins who are males studies Masters. I'm the first girl to do it. You feel the pressure but it's alright I guess.

I have the support of my family and that itself is ever so important.

Weather Stress

The weather in Sydney has been rather weird ...

It's cold and not cold and cold and not cold. It's raining and sunny and raining and sunny and raining and sunny. How peculiar is that?! That's why everyone's falling sick, including me. And pimples are popping up and dryness in the skin.

Sydney[taken from abc.net.au] Possible thunderstorm		9 - 20

Four Day Outlook [taken from abc.net.au]

Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Showers and a few storms in the east. Mostly sunny in the west.	Inland fog/frost patches then dry in east. Patchy rain spreading over the west.	Patchy rain spreading from the west to the east. Cloud increasing but staying mostly dry on coast.	Light, patchy rain easing over the east. Partly cloudy and mostly dry in the west.

Mufflers, beanies, warm jackets and shawls ... we all need 'em unless you want to get sick. Trust me, you won't even wanna go there. Being sick is not a good thing to be proud of. It's hell. It's suffering. In Cantonese we call it, SAM FU!!!

Prepare yourself before you make yourself a part of the sick clan.

Pregnant Man?

I never knew men could get pregnant. I thought women were the only genders that could get pregnant. Science has proven it and so has the world. Women were always the ones to get big bellies where infants were stuck in them for 9 months. It would be good if men would get it instead of women.

Thanks to smh.com.au I now know that men could get pregnant. But, this is a very rare case.

The particular Spanish 25-year-old Ruben Noe Coronado, was born a woman named Estefania and unfortunately still has female organs. How amazing is that?! Apparently, after doctors told his female partner that she isn't able to have anymore children, this Coronado guy changed his sex-change procedure to get pregnant through artificial insemination.

He was expecting twin boys in September. Unfortunately, bang ... he suffers miscarriage. Oh some disappointment. That would be a world record for the first man to get pregnant. So ever rare ...

However, fret not. In the United States of America, however, a 35-year old man, born a woman before undergoing gender realignment surgery gave birth to a second child last Tuesday. This means ... men are able to get themselves pregnant, as long as they were once women and keep their female organs. Now we know why and how.

It would be easier if women could change roles with men. Imagine the pain we encounter during pregnancy, giving birth period and after pregnancy period. Imagine the emotional issues we have after confinement. Imagine the period pain we encounter.

It's simply impossible unless they were once women or half-women.

Halal Magazine in Malaysia

Halal Magazine in Malaysia?

I've been a Malaysian for 24 years now and I didn't even know Halal Magazine existed till I read a specific article in Time magazine that specified much on 'halal'.

I was curious, googled it and guess what I found? It exists!!! It's a journal sort of magazine called Halal Journal. It contains of topics related to the Halal and Muslim markets worldwide which is distributed to 57 countries, amazingly!!! And it's only RM9.90, what a cheap price.



You must be wondering, what is halal?It is about everything from the food Muslims consume to the businesses they conduct to the transactions we perform in their daily lives. Muslims have a responsibility to ensure that what they practice and consume is clean, hygienic and not detrimental to either their health or well-being. Halal is an all encompassing concept which encourages a Muslim to seek and use products, ventures and services that promote cleanliness in all aspects of a person’s -that a product or service is safe for consumption, produced in a clean environment and health. That is the reason why Muslims do not eat pork cause pigs are swines and dirty.

Islam is popular, more like a celebrity issue. I'm not against it or anything. I just find it amazing, it has brought great shock to my very nerves. To think that an Islamic magazine could be distributed to 57 different countries and that it exists without my knowledge. I'm a magazine freak, how could I let that slip off my eyes?!

The halal thing is growing. In 5 years, halal food would be known in every country, or so I assume?! Then, the Muslims won't have to worry what is added into the food that they order. It is a hassle to ask every waiter who serves them to remove the pork since they aren't allowed to eat any pork.

Time will tell. It's too early to say. The westerners love meat. But with swine flu going on, I doubt that pork would be on their top list for meals.

Recession Hits

Recession has hit Australia, New South Wales in particular pretty bad, I quote.

Recession has hit America REALLY bad, my elder cousin from America tells me.

Recession hasn't really hit Malaysia but Singapore even more, my other elder cousin from Malaysia tells me.

What do I have to say?

Recession is beyond our control. Friends are thinking of leaving jobs at a time like this and moving to another job. Wise? Hmm, I don't know at this point with bad recession affecting the world.

Unemployment increases. Poverty increases. Beggars in the streets of Sydney increases. People buy more canned food which is so unhealthy. People sell properties and cars to get more $$$ for themselves and their families.

Though recession is bad, you still see people shopping in the streets of Sydney, branded or not. People get so intrigued to shop for their own special desires just to get satisfaction. The fashion in clothes and shoes are fancy and trendy to make everyone buy buy buy and not save save save.

This is bad. Surely retail stores need to make money by these people buying. But, sometimes it's just too much. This has to stop. My cousin shops once a week and I don't even shop. Not in Australia though I live here. I shop more in Malaysia though. Half price, way much better!!!

Plus you see people eating out rather than in. Eating at home is much more cheaper than out. I'm not discouraging restaurants to make $$$. But, people need to survive too. I only eat out twice a week. WEEKENDS!!! Cause that's when I spend my time with my friends and church. So, I need my social life too. But everyday? That'd cost me a bomb and my mom would kill me for sure.

Maybe you could try writing down all your expenses on a journal and minus it from your salary and judge it from there. Then, you'll know much about the value of it and learn to save more money before it's too late. Recession's gonna last for at least 3 years so beware. Start now or suffer soon. It's never too late now. There's still time.