Deus ex Machina

Deus ex Machina which means 'God in a Machine'

Anyway, forget that...
Today is a Sunday, so that means I'll be going to Youth, which is (since PMR trials)the only social activity I engage in for the whole bloody week

Speaking of 'Youth'

On Friday, I found out that I couldn't play in Theophiloas' Band for SMI's 6th Form night cause I was too young. I despise being discriminated for my age. You think I can help it if I'm younger??

So it looks like I'll be spending my holidays studying and alone(sad)
-Mark-

Death and Rebirth

School holidays is finally here...
Been studying like crazy for PMR

Anyway, just started my latest project, which is: Writing a novel
But due to the pressures of a certain government exam, that dream may have to be put on hold

STUFF I WANNA DO AFTER PMR:

-Watch Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion
-Get a PSP
-Fix my PS2
-Play DotA and CS for hours and hours
-SLEEP
-Finish my novel

Oh yeah, just found out that the girl I like has a boyfriend...not too sure when THAT happened

Better find some creative ways to promote my blog
-Mark-

Fade to Black

Something's wrong with me today...

It's just that feeling you get when nothing interests you anymore, when everybody seems distant. It feels like drowning, the food is tasteless and all colours fade to black

I miss her a lot more than I would care to admit.
Hopefully with enough time, I'll be able to move on with my life

Been writing alot of 'emo' stuff recently
(Probably driving away all the readers)

-Mark-

When it rains...

I can't believe how much this month sucks

-Anyway, for those of you who don't already know - My PMR trial exam results totally went down every drain, sink and toilet bowl in history.
(By the way...that's a bad thing)

-One of my best friends has been suspended from school for the past 2 weeks...so school is like, bloody boring

-But worse of all, my girlfriend broke up with me last Thursday. I'm still hurting, and said some really unimaginably stupid things so she's not talking to me anymore

AND I STILL HAVE TO STUDY. WAAAARRRGH!!!!!!!!!!!

*Author not available for comment*

Living on Ground Zero

Allow me a brief moment in time to process the month's events

...

Anyway, just finished my PMR trials. I think I did ok, but I won't worry about that until I get the results back

(Changes the subject)

Ah yes...SMI DRAMA NIGHT!!!!
Which brought the meaning of the word 'boredom' to an entirely different level. We Michaelians should be proud.
Anyway, the acting was below expectation, the lead actress was misunderstood most of the time, the music sounded more or less the same, the storyline was poorly conceived and the ending was anti-climatic. Did I miss anything out?
(I should be a food critic...)

She's coming back on the 25th, can't wait to see her.
I wanna watch Wall.E (looks cute)

-Mark-

A day in the Life

Went to MYF today...
Everyone was kinda depressed over the death of Korean student Kwok Min, cause he'd been to our Youth Fellowship a few times already and it came as a shock to hear about it on the news

Personally, I never really knew him...but from what I've heard, he was a good guy

Also, my girlfriend went back to Hong Kong to see her parents...so I'm all alone here, bored out of my mind

Bad day
-Mark-

For your Information

I am like THIS close to deleting my blog...again.
Sorry everybody, but I'm just too lazy to continue writing about my MSSM experience
If you really need to know, add me on Friendster or MSN Messenger

Emotional Problems
-Mark-

Battle for the De La Salle

The De La Salle chess tournament, where an epic battle had taken place for the Champions Trophy which has stood proudly in St. Michael's Institution for the past 2 years.

My team was named SMI A, and was hand-picked from the very best St. Michael's had to offer. The team was:

Board 1: Mark Siew
Board 2: Lau Tuck Khein
Board 3: James w. Foong
Board 4: Tan Kian

Our 1st round was against our long standing rivals, ACS(Anglo-Chinese School). I drew against Lawrence Teoh(from a winning position dammit) whereas my other team mates got a win, a loss and another draw. So the final score was 2-2 which meant that the championship would be decided by the next 4 rounds.

We had the advantage, because even though ACS had Lawrence Teoh, Yew Keng Heng and Issac Teoh...their 2nd Board player was an unknown from MY school, who lost too many of his games (this was a game-point tournament)

Needless to say, both teams wiped out all other opposition. After our first round, we won EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR GAMES. I was so freakin happy.

In the end, I had to playoff with Lawrence for the Best Board trophy and James had to fight Issac. The time control was 5 minutes. Lawrence was seriously winning but lost on time control (I couldn't believe it). James lost to Issac.

So, SMI A took the Champions Trophy with the Best 1st Board and Best 2nd Board titles. ACS took 2nd place with Best 3rd Board and Best 4th Board

Apart from Lawrence, it was a relatively simple tournament for me
-Mark-

MSSM 2008 - Season Finale (Part 2)

Where was I?
Oh yeah...

Day 2 -
I did not sleep well the previous night. One of the teachers kept us awake by telling ghost stories (that's called sabotage!)

Anyway, the tournament hasn't even started yet so we went to check out some of the Museums. But first, we went shopping for souvenirs and stuff. Then we visited all of those places you usually only see in your sejarah textbooks. So it was kinda cool seeing all that history. Anyway, we came, we saw, we made a hell of a lot of noise and we took lots of pictures...which I have not recieved yet.
Oh yeah, we (which includes Myself, Yit San, Yit Ho, Mi Yen, Lawrence, Siew Ting, Kay Lynn and Kong Liang) took a photo with Chef Wan!...which I have not recieved either.

I can't remember what I ate...but I remember eating alot. I was so seriously sick by the time I got back on the bus.

To be continued again - under time pressure right now

Kensei

Hey, guess what?
I PASSED MY AIKIDO GRADING EXAMS!!!!!!

*screams*

Anyway, time to calm down
Next grading is on the 28th of June

I rock
-Mark-

MSSM 2008 - Season Finale (Part 1)

I suppose the last post about my MSSM was both too short and too boring.
This is a more detailed account of what happened

Day 1 -
I arrived at PPD (Pejabat Pendidikan Daerah) early in the morning, only half-awake and looking forward to sleeping on the bus. I honestly can't remember what happened during the bus ride, as the dramatic events that followed seemed to have wiped out most of my memory. Anyway, we arrived at Melaka around 6 hours later. We stayed and slept at SMK Teluk Mas when we weren't at the Tournament Hall or going on outings. Our teachers were great, making sure we had plenty of rest and relaxation before the fight (we arrived 2 days before the tournament actually started)

I was feeling pretty good, as our Under-15 team has never been stronger. We had Fong Yit San, Fong Yit Ho, Helmi Zakaria and of course, myself. We were labeled the 'Dream Team' by our teachers, an illusion which would soon be shattered...

Anyway, I went sight-seeing with the rest of the team. On the first night we went on a ride on the 'Eye of Melaka' It gave us an amazing view of downtown Melaka, which is even more spectacular at night. Dinner was McDonalds

I tried my best to enjoy myself, as the days ahead would definitely not be so kind...

-to be continued-

I came, I saw...

Last night was my Aikido grading exam.
I was taking 6th Kyu, skipping the 8th and 7th Kyu tests. My partner was Michelle, who was also taking 6th Kyu.

The techniques (Waza)we had to do were:
-Shomen Uchi Daiikyo
-Katatedori Shihonage
-and Suwariwaza Kyoku-Ho

Anyway, I didn't do as well as I hoped (I was so blur)but I think we still passed the test. Our examiner was Nakamoto-sensei, who watched sternly as we executed our moves.

This was my very first grading exam, I seriously hope I passed
-Mark-

Blood, Sweat & Tears

After all the excitement that followed after MSSM, I almost forgot to write about the Water Games that took place in my church (CGMC) last week.

Anyway, I was put in Group 9 with old-timers Christopher, Carl Cheong and Jenny Cheng. There were also these 2 girls whom I've never seen before. So overall, we were a solid team with a good mix of experience and new blood.

Our first game was called H.U.G.O (How You Go On?), where we had to throw and catch water balloons using a cloth over a volleyball net against the opposing team (under Jane Lam). I honestly can't comprehend the name of this game.

The second game was Capture the Flag. The objective was simple: Run to the other side of the field, capture your enemy's flag and make it back alive...
We fought against Kerry's team. Kerry is a good strategist, and he organized an entire group of freshies effectively while he guarded his flag with water balloons. Our team had fast runners like myself and Carl, but we were all over the place. Amidst all the confusion, we were defeated by Kerry and his team.

The 3rd game was BUTT. I feel slightly uncomfortable describing the details of this particular game. But our team won (I think...)

After this, Water Games was interupted by heavy rain. So, rather than let all the water balloons go to waste...we assaulted one another in a free-for-all battle with no rules and no regrets!

In the end, the heavy rain turned into a violent storm. Water Games was cancelled due to the fact that one of the tents had collapsed. Hot milo was provided by the church.

I had a good time
-Mark-

MSSM 08 - Love & Chess

It seems that everything I update this bloody thing, I start off with apologizing because the last post was done many, many months ago.

Anyway, plenty has happened since last year...some good, some bad. But thankfully, my brain only seems to remember the good stuff.

So the current major event of my life is the MSSM, which ended last week.

-It started with me representing my school (St. Michael's Institution) to the MSSD, where I got Champion ahead of such tough competitors such as James William Foong and Mohd. Azam, so needless to say...I was kinda proud of myself.

-Then there was MSSD selection, something which has never happened before. Azam was not able to come, and I defeated James to earn my status as the Under-15 Champion of Kinta Utara.

-MSSPK, which almost killed me, especially after 2 brothers (insanely strong, diehard chess players) from Selangor migrated to Perak and played in my category. I lost to the younger one (Fong Yit San), and drew with the older brother (Fong Yit Ho), securing my place as number 3. Abdul Rahman, who got 3rd place in the Nationals last year (2007) was unfortunately knocked out of the top 8.

-MSSPK Selection, which was slightly easier...since there were 2 players who weren't as strong as the rest of us. The top 6 would represent Perak to the MSSM. I drew with both brothers, which put me in 3rd place...again.

-Centralized Training, where we trained for the final battle at MSSM Melaka. We had group bonding activities, which was kinda fun. I was put in the Team Category alongside the two brothers. We were allies at last!

-MSSM, where I experieced heartbreak too severe to describe. Anyway, our team did alright, 4th place ahead of Kuala Lumpur. I only got 3 points over 7, having drew 4 games! (which is a record for me). I wish we had done better...we were aiming for the Gold medal this year.

-So having failed in Love and Chess...I began the long journey back to Ipoh. I slept most of the way.

Pictures are on their way...my friends haven't sent them to me yet

-Mark-

Parties, Farewells & Christmas

Only a few days after Youth Camp, our church had an early Christmas party organized by some Form 3 students. It was kinda fun, with food, games, drama and a gift exchange session.

For some strange reason, on that night I noticed that I have an unusual abililty to get high by drinking the contents of a chilled soft drink on a cold night.

ANYWAY...
Not too long after that, there was another party. This time it was to celebrate two birthdays and a farewell for someone who was going...somewhere far. I ended up attempting to set up a barbeque for the first time, got wet and had an older girl pour honey down my throat.

Oh yeah...
It's Christmas day today...so wishing everyone who is reading this a warm and fuzzy Christmas, with presents under the tree and all that happy stuff

-Mark-

Youth Camp 007

I suppose it's about time I wrote a little something about my Youth Camp. I know I'm neglecting my blog again...my bad

Anyway,
As with every adventure, camp began with the journey of a thousand miles (which in this case came in the form of a bus ride to Stella Maris, Penang)

First day of camp started with us checking into our rooms followed by a concert. Dinner was nice (as with all Youth Camps) and the evening was spent gazing into the sea or hanging out with friends(new and old).

Second day started with breakfast and the first Session by Pastor Lindy Ong. After that we played water games which I got my one of my legs tied together with a kinda cute girl for one of the challenges which involved getting a balloon from one place to another (sounds easy right...? It wasn't)
Later during the night was another game (I got my hand tied together with the same cute girl...and there was a semi-romantic moment...I think)

Third day began with Morning devotion in which our group shared gossip-worthy secrets with one another. There was another Session with Pastor Lindy which included games that left many of us feeling a little foolish...

Afternoon had more games by the beach where both my legs were tied together(I was alone this time) where we played Station games. I never realized how difficult is was to walk (more like hop) around the beach with two of your legs tied together.

In one of the games our group all had to squeeze together to fit onto a mat laid on the sand with all our legs off the ground (please remember that my legs are tied together to appreaciate the next sentence). Unfortunately...someone lost their hold on me and I fell, rolling down the sand all the way to the sea.

We also created a group cheer which we performed(unsuccessfully)

During the night we played a game where we had to solve a mystery involving the mysterious kidnaping of a guy called 'fish'

We tried our best to stay awake all night...I didn't make it, and fell asleap at 4:30 a.m

Fourth day we had a final session and pilled onto the bus heading back to CGMC, Ipoh. Which reminds me, one of the girls there borrowed one of my black shirts to wear during the games...I have never seen it since.

-Mark-

The Last

Day before yesterday was the last week of MYF (Methodist Youth Fellowship) for the year 2007 (Youth Camp not included). So naturally, we played games the whole time there. We were split into 5 groups(randomly selected) and had lots of fun playing assorted indoor games.

-In the first game, we had to find books of the bible from a long almost meaningless passage. We didn't do too well there
-We dressed a selected model up in newspaper (a classic)
-Played Charades, in which our group had to act out Moses crossing the Red Sea. I played the evil Pharaoh who unfortunately got killed.
-Also played a game where we had to act out a specific word individually. My team sent me for the 'Evil Laugh' category. I rolled up my eyeballs and shrieked in a way that would probably qualify me for the 'Highly Insane Laugh' category too.

Nice day
-Mark-

Anime Withdrawals

(About time I updated again)

Anyway, last week I finished watching the final episode of Blood+ (which is an anime in case you didn't know - I highly recommend it) and the ending almost had me in tears.

The protagonist went in a sorta coma for the next few decades, her evil twin sister died, her chevalier Haji(a bishonen who plays the celo) died, the Schiff(half vampires, half human) all died except for one, lots of people who's names were never released died, and the protagonist's younger brother didn't come back to life as I had hoped.

Besides that, I have recieved criticism about only watching animes after their popularity date(if one ever existed) expires...

Such animes include
-Blood+
-Samurai X (Rouruni Kenshin)
-Shakugan no Shana
-Basilisk
-and several others that you probably wouldn't know

Apart from that, I had a very successful Perak Close(chess tournament) and I am currently ranked 7th(including adults) in the state of Perak

Long Live Me
-Mark-

Between Chess and God

I always thought that the holidays would be exciting, filled with opportunities and chances to do stuff I never had time for.

Dead wrong...I'm actually starting to miss school
Anyway, I had two chess events today and yesterday.

Yesterday, I fought the candidate master and chess coach Collin Madhavan(FIDE rating: 2220) in an simultanious round and WON somewhere in the endgame. To be fair to him, he was actually fighting 25 fairly strong players at the same time but I still think that this was an achievement worth mentioning(to the 3 or 4 people who actually read my blog)

Today, I also had another Chess Competiton which I walked away as the Champion after winning all 5 games in a row. The God(or Goddess) of Luck seems to be smiling upon me as I rose from the dead 3 times from totally drawn(or lost) positions. Call it Luck, or call it skill...I honestly don't know

-Mark-

Is This Thing On??

Today, I am proud to say that I played UNO cards and all day long. Our Discipline Master confistated several chess sets already (for some reason between himself and God) so I felt somewhat unable to visit the next class and challenge their champion to a game of chess (for money-lah) .

Nevertheless, as stated above, I played UNO cards for almost the entire day and had several disputes with other players about the rules of the game, which happens to differ from place to place.

A sure sign of boredom...
-Mark-