First Friday Classical Chess Competition

Another tournament at Jax Tham's Chess Centre.
Got 2nd place and RM80. Going for DATCC next week...

-Mark-

All Messed Up

Currently into reading horror manga. And I'm feeling very disturbed right now. These Japanese comics really screw with your head. I don't think I can turn the lights off tonight...

So that you can experience it for yourself, check out:  http://www.onemanga.com/directory/horror/

I recommend School Mermaid, Uzumaki, BioMeat, Jisatsu Circle, Highschool of the Dead, Parasyte and Alive!
There's another one, School Days...which starts out really sweet in the beginning, then turns out to be very disturbing in the last two chapters

Very addictive. Read at your own risk
-Mark-

UPSI Open

Just finished playing the UPSI Open in Tanjung Malim.

I did quite well this time, winning against this year's National Master, Evan Timothy Capel in Round 4.

Check out: GiloCatur and look for my name. Haha

Also drew against former National Master, Kamalariffin in Round 5.
And lost to Abdullah Che Hassan in Round 6.

Got 8th place and RM100 + Trophy.

-Mark-

Dashboard Confessional - Vindicated

Hope dangles on a string
Like slow spinning redemption
Winding in and winding out
The shine of it has caught my eye

And roped me in
So mesmerizing, so hypnotizing
I am captivated

[Chorus]
I am Vindicated
I am selfish
I am wrong
I am right
I swear I'm right
I swear I knew it all along

And I am flawed
But I am cleaning up so well
I am seeing in me now the things you swore you saw yourself

So clear
Like the diamond in your ring
Cut to mirror your intentions
Oversized and overwhelmed
The shine of which has caught my eye

And rendered me so isolated, so motivated
I am certain now that

[Chorus]

So turn
Up the corners of your lips
Part them and feel my finger tips
Trace the moment, fall forever

Defense is paper thin
Just one touch and I'd be in
Too deep now to ever swim against the current

So let me slip away [3x]
So let me slip against the current
So let me slip away [4x]

[Chorus]

Slight hope
It dangles on a string
Like slow spinning redemption

Accusation

Yeah, I know I haven't updated for a while. Between exams and my chess competitions...I feel like my head is going to explode. Anyway, here's another drawing of a hand. I like hands...

-Mark-

Freedom of Expression

I've been drawing alot of hands recently, so I thought I'd put this on my blog. This is one of my best so far.

I know it's anatomically inaccurate, but I still kinda like it.

Drew this during school hours.

I really should have been studying for my exams instead...

Ah well...you only live once

-Mark-

Tham Vivian's Photos

These photos were taken from Tham Vivian's Facebook profile.
I think Amanda Pan also took her own photos.
I wonder when she's gonna upload them...

-Mark-


Watching Saw. Almost ruined my appetite



Everyone put on weight that night...



Camera shy Vivian Cheah

No comment for this one...

Birthday Cake (Blueberry).

Most of it ended up ON me

Watching Korean horror movie with Judith

(why is she smiling? Sadist...)

The girls didn't want to take a picture with me...



...So I found someone else

More food...

Rites of Passage

Celebrated Weisoon's birthday last night.
Had a good time, I ate like crazy, met old friends and...new (even crazier) friends

His party was held at Skycorner Restaurant.
I almost couldn't find the damn place...thanks to Weisoon's directions which I could not understand. This was his SMS to me:

just that...you see..let's say that you are at tesco you see some alot
of shop there isn't it.. just go till the end of that rows of shop. and
skycorner will be around thr..

I stopped by at Jusco first to buy Weisoon his birthday present...which was an angpau with a RM10 DiGi reload card inside. LOL. Something practical right? All teenagers need credit.

We ordered ALOT of sushi and steamboat.
It was way too much for ten people to finish...AND we were forced to finish the food, since we get charged an extra RM50 for each 100g of uneaten food. What the hell...

Also, there was a TV there.
So I watched Saw and some Korean horror movie with Judith for a while.

We had no idea what was going on, but from what I can understand:

The movie was about a detective who got raped once, now investigating a girl who got raped a few years ago who came back as a ghost and raped the people who raped her before.. Essentially...everyone got raped. XD

Good movie...gotta love the Koreans

Got to wear Vivian Cheah's Quantum Pendant. Really pretty. Protected my DNA for 15 minutes. HAHA. When I found out the price was RM300, I almost had a heart attack...

Oh yeah,
then Vivian Cheah went missing after a while.
Thought she got kidnapped (and raped...like in the movie). So Samuel and I went to investigate. Found her buying cetak rompak VCD's. Supporting piracy. How sad.
Shortly after, her mom came to take her home.

She was also the first to leave

And this is my favourite part...

After bringing out the birthday cake, we sang (screamed?) Happy Birthday as loud as we could. Everyone else in the restaurant was staring at us...but they were smiling lah.
Then Weisoon blew out the candles, cut the cake and we started eating.

Then, Amanda Pan started staring at a forgotten piece of cake, smiled at me, picked up the cake...and smashed it into the side of my face. LOL. I didn't know she had it in her.
So I returned the favour by wiping my hands on her hair. She screamed at me, and smeared even more cake on my face and hair.

Afterwards, we went to the sink to wash it out...Yen Fong helped me to get it out of my hair (thanks Yen Fong)...

After we payed the bill, I sent Weisoon and Vincent to Jusco. Then went home.

Took a shower.
And went to sleep...

*Photos coming out in my next post*

-Mark-

Quantum Pendant

Quantum Pendants.
When I first heard that name...I was thinking of those devices that the Power Rangers wear on their wrists. XD

But when I saw the pictures, they actually look kinda cool.
And it seems that they're not totally useless either.

According to the website (of the company that sells them), they actually have HEALTH benefits. Seriously. I'll just cut and paste them here:

-Reduces inflammation
-Promotes unclumping of cells
-Enhances circulation
-Enhances immune and endocrine systems
-Has the ability to destroy viruses and bacteria
-Enhances cellular nutrition and detoxification
-Enhances cellular permeability
-Increases energy
-Helps to protect DNA from damage
-Helps to retard the ageing process
-Helps to fight cancer cells
-Strengthens the body’s biofield preventing electro-magnetic waves from affecting one’s health
-Increases focus and concentration

If you think I'm joking, you can check it out for yourself:
Fusion Excel

Whether this pendant can do all that...I honestly don't know.
I wasn't even aware that my DNA needed protecting...



But they DO look really nice. So...
Buy one for your girlfriend, if you're a boy.
Buy one for your boyfriend, if you're a girl.
Then, buy one for yourself. Then you can both live long and happy lives...

Some of them have Swarovski Crystal Studding on them too. Which sounds expensive. I have no idea what that is either

But if you're interested...leave a comment on
Vivian Cheah's Cbox

-Mark-

Kumar Drag Queen

MUST WATCH!!! Damn funny.
This is the first out of 3 parts.

Enjoy
-Mark-

Dead Frontier

Currently playing this zombie-Apocalypse MMORPG called Dead Frontier.

It can be pretty fun for a while, just randomly running around, killing zombies and saving up money for that shiny new gun. Gameplay gets kinda repetitive after a while... and graphics are just around average but it's FREE to play.

If you have nothing better to do during your holidays, check it out: http://www.deadfrontier.com/

-Mark-

Fantasy Premier League

I'm currently addicted Fantasy Premier League, which is this online game based on the EPL (English Premier League). This game was introduced to me by my classmates. Before this, I had no interest in football whatsoever.

The goal (pun intended) of this game is to form your very own team using the players participating in the EPL for the current season. You 'only' have $100 million to spend to buy players for your team. You'll also have to choose your Club Name and design their jerseys.

For each gameweek, you'll score points based on your player's actual performance in real life. For more details, you should read the help section. It's important to know the rules before forming your team.

WARNING: This game is very addictive. I myself was transformed from a ignorant child to a screaming football fan overnight since playing this game

If you're still interested, here's the link: http://fantasy.premierleague.com/

On a more personal note: I really regret not playing Abdoulaye Faye instead of Ryan Shawcross. I could have gotten 7 MORE POINTS!!!

I'm also thinking about replacing Mark Noble with Yossi Benayoun. But to do that, I'll need to replace Jermain Defoe with Darren Bent. And I'll also lose 4 points for transfers.

Ideas, anyone?
Seriously, this game screws with your head

-Mark-

Raw Fish

Sushi 寿司, 鮨, 鮓

During the holidays, I went to Sushi King with a Malay friend.
I did all the eating...since he said that he couldn't eat sushi (non-Halal...go figure)

Anyway, I started covering my kappamaki 河童巻(that's the one filled with cucumber) with an unhealthy and potentially very dangerous amount of wasabi.

My friend watched curiously while I was doing all this
(he's never seen anyone eat sushi before...how sad)

So I took a bite, and after a 2-second pause, I began crying and wailing and burying my head in my hands.
Anyone who has eaten sushi with alot of wasabi before will know what I mean.
The feeling is similar to having your lungs forcibly removed through your nose. Morbid...

So I was totally high at the time. In Bahasa Malaysia we call that khayal.
My Malay friend just couldn't understand. He was like:

"Apa dengan kamu wei? Otak tak centre ke?"

"SAYA SEDANG MENERIMA WAHYU!!!" I screamed. XD

Those studying Sejarah in Form 4 should understand.
This is my most random and irrelevant post so far
-Mark-

District 9

Just went to watch District 9 with my girlfriend. This movie is awesome!
The beginning is kinda boring for a while...but I didn't mind. XD
And it just gets better and better towards the end.

Oh yeah, while I was surfing Wikipedia, I discovered that District 9 is actually based on another short 6- minute movie called: Alive in Joburg

Not sure how good it is.
I'm actually waiting for the movie to load right now.

Check it out if you're interested:
http://www.spyfilms.com/#neill_blomkamp/alive_in_joburg

-Mark-

Thunder (by Mark)

Malaysian Open 09

Hey everyone, I'm back in Ipoh after almost 2 weeks of non stop chess tournaments.
Very tired now, so I'll put up more pictures and stuff later on.
It's good to be back

-Mark-

Traveller

I'll be leaving for KL tomorrow morning.
So I probably won't be blogging for a while.

My dear,
if you're reading this,
know that I'll miss you alot and I promise to take you on a date when I get back (if you want me to)

To everyone else,
a simple goodbye will do. I'll be back in 2 weeks time

Bye
-Mark-

Pyrotechnics

My friend really came through for me that day.

I walked into SMI on Saturday night with 4 VIP tickets in my pocket.

Each ticket costs RM500!!! And he gave them to me for NOTHING!

Thank you Justin,

I will remember your generosity for a long, long time.

Anyway, the drama itself was a success.

I think this is the best I've seen from my school so far.

The acting was nothing special, and the songs were kinda weird.

But the stagecrew and the overall concept were good.

I'm so proud of my school...LOL

Haha.

And my date was excellent.

I'm so glad I asked her out. I miss her already.

-Mark-

You Belong With Me (by Mark)

(In)famous

I have a FIDE (International) rating now
Check out: http://ratings.fide.com/card.phtml?event=5706017

Not a very high rating yet.
But good enough for now

Also, I tried searching for my name using Yahoo!
The results were quite encouraging:

http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0geu7WFMIVKUkcALAZXNyoA?p=Mark+Siew+chess&fr=yfp-t-150&fp_ip=MY&fr2=sb-top&rd=r1&meta=vc%3Dmy&sao=0

-Mark-

We, The Future

My friend hasn't given me the tickets yet.
Which worries me.
I would feel alot better if I were looking at them on my table right now.

But...he is giving them for free after all.
So I shouldn't complain, right?

I just hope I don't disappoint her.

Zong Yu gave me another VIP ticket today. (God bless you, Zong Yu)
I gave it to Sunny since his sister wanted to go.
And I already have 2 (so I thought...)

Alot of people I know are coming on Saturday.
Good chance to meet new friends, old friends(old enemies) and other random people

-Mark-

What Merdeka?

Merdeka is the Malay word for Freedom.
It is a word that has defined the aspirations of all mankind

It has sparked revolutions, by inspiring men and women to stand for their rights and beliefs. It has given hope, when there was none. It has led uprisings against tyrants and dictators.

All in the name of...

Freedom

Let's examine some definitions of freedom:

"The free communication of thoughts and opinions is one of the most precious rights of man..."

That sounds good, doesn't it?
Let's try another one:

"Freedom of speech and expression everywhere, the freedom and the right to worship God in their way everywhere, the freedom from want and freedom from fear"

That was even better...
But you know something?

THESE STATEMENTS DON'T APPLY IN OUR COUNTRY!!!

You read in the news everyday about people getting arrested for voicing their opinions (Raja Petra). People who get arrested for practising their so called 'illegal' religions (ajaran sesat). People being arrested for wearing black one fine morning (don't even ask...)

The list goes on...

What the hell kinda freedom is this?
And if I get arrested for this, let my name be further evidence to support my claims.

So when we wave our flags and sing patriotic songs. Remember this:

We are not truly free...yet. But we CAN BE.
As long as we don't keep fooling ourselves that we already are.

I will be the first to admit that Malaysia is ALOT better than some other countries. But that is not good enough. Mediocrity in freedom is not freedom at all.

So what Merdeka are you talking about?
-Mark-

Warlord of Terror (update)

Just came back from my aikido training.
A new member mistook me for a Japanese (again...)

Anyway, one of my friends was kind enough to give me 2 VIP tickets for my school drama on Saturday.
He can't come himself because he's helping out for the stagecrew
(look out for the moving tree. LOL)

I'm going to try asking this girl out.
Wish me luck. I hope she says yes.

-Mark-

Zero to One

I've been getting a couple of requests for new videos on YouTube.
Sorry if I haven't been able to put them up yet.

Firstly, I'm dead tired nowadays. And learning new pieces are taking a fearful toll on my memory banks.

Secondly, I'm trying to maintain quality control here. Even though I can actually play some of the pieces already, I don't feel that they're good enough to put on YouTube.

Not that my previous videos were that good anyway
-Mark-

Don't Trust Me (by Mark)

On the Losing Side

The appearence of H1N1 has affected the lives of so many people around the world.
And they say it's only going to get worse.

I swear, humanity will never learn.
You can't fuck with nature without expecting some kind of retribution or consequence.

On a more personal level

Many of my classmates are sick today.
My prayers go out to them.

I myself am not feeling well again.
My cold seems to have returned with a vengence. Damn

-Mark-

What I've Done (by Mark)

Sen no Yoru wo Koete (by Mark)

Press Conference

It seems I got alot of people worried when I updated my Facebook status, saying:

"Fighting a losing battle. And yeah, I have the flu..."

And suddenly, people started messaging and commenting and texting me asking if I was all right. Like I had a terminal illness or something...

Firstly, I would like to confirm that I DO NOT have H1N1.
I only have a slight cold and fever.

But I am recovering well.
Even went to school on Friday.

The losing battle I was referring to means something entirely different.
For now, that issue falls under private & confidential

But thanks for your concern.
I didn't know so many people cared.

-Mark-

The Lockdown 2: Tales from Isolation

It seems that my hopes for a speedy recovery were not realized.
Skipped school again today.

I feel sick...

Now playing Half Life: Opposing Force
Good game, with a damn good storyline.

And thanks everyone for your
get-well-soon wishes yesterday.

-Mark-

The Lockdown

Imposed self-quarantine on myself today.
Woke up this morning with a sore throat, a fever, a slight flu and a minor headache.
So I skipped school and spent the last 12 hours sitting in front of my laptop.

Thankfully, most of these symptoms have receded.
Still got a sore throat. But feeling better now

-Mark-

Paradox

What would you do if you saw this in your Modern Maths test paper?

The following statement is true:
The above statement is false

-Mark-

Chasing Queens

Just some photos from a recent tournament at UTP.

-Mark-

My first YouTube post

The Reveal

This was an evangelistic event organized by SMC.

The musicians were great
Really like their choice of songs

On the other hand, the sound system wasn't so good.
The mics kept glitching and there was alot of feedback.

SoundTech Tip: This problem usually occurs when you point your mic at an amplifier causing an electrical disturbance known as feedback

But Theo was right when he said onstage that:
This event shouldn't be about the music and the singing, but about glorifying God

The speaker wasn't too bad actually.
He was funny, spontaneous and prepared his material well...but his speech lacked power and he failed to convince and capture his audience as much as he could have.
Alot of us at the back couldn't even hear him


Apart from that:
I managed to make some new friends.
Also met some old friends.
And I got a free T-shirt

Lol. I almost tackled two Indian girls trying to catch that shirt after the guy threw it off the stage.
How ungentlemanly of me. My deepest apologies to the two girls mentioned previously.

And Judith wore her school uniform (with pinafore). HAHAHAHAHAHA
She makes me laugh sometimes

-Mark-

Pseudo Democracy

-When you support the ISA and decide that you want the public to know that you do, you're known as a Peaceful Demonstration.

-When you DON'T support the ISA and you open your mouth...you're called an Illegal Rally

-In America, if you don't voice your opinions...you're not exercising your rights

-In Malaysia, if you even hint that something is wrong with the establishment...you get arrested

-When you wear black anywhere else in the world...you're a Goth

-When you wear black in Malaysia...you get arrested

-If you decide to make your country's national anthem more relevent to today's youth...you should be given a medal

-But in Malaysia...you get arrested

I love this country
-Mark-

A Public Service Announcement

Attention to all 4th Formers of SMI:

If you have symptoms that include

-fever
-cough
-sore throat
-muscle aches
-conjunctivitis and/or
-breathing problems

please be aware that you are suffering from SUB (Stres Ujian Bulanan) and that this is a perfectly normal disease to be experiencing at this time

In such cases, preventive measures come in the form of studying and actually paying attention in class. If such measures were not taken in advance, SUB has proven fatal in many occasions.

Cheating is considered an experimental form of vaccination.
Should only be attempted by professionals


Haha.
Good luck in your exams everyone.
I should be studying right now. Lol

-Mark-

Click

When I settled down with my family to watch Click on TV a couple of weeks back, I expected some slap-stick comedy film with an uninspired script.

After all, it was a film about a universal remote control that could control...the universe

LAME

What I got was something completely different.
The comedic value of this movie was way above expectation.

But towards the middle part, the message that this movie portrayed was both meaningful and very touching.
Almost cried towards the end.

Adam Sandler has been doing some good movies.
50 first dates was another decent movie.


Anyway, I won't spoil it for you by telling you what happened.
But I highly recommend this movie.

Just one more thing:

***SPOILER WARNING***






WHO THE HELL WOULD WANT TO FAST FORWARD SEX WITH KATE BECKINSALE??!!

I really needed to say that. XD
-Mark-

Lets Run Like Hell

Exams are on Monday.

I've got another competition tomorrow.

and I'm not prepared for either of them

On a more positive note, I passed my aikido grading.

Received my new belt last Tuesday.

Also, I got the post of Vice President for my school's Chess Club.

Planning lots of events for the coming months.

And...

I'm learning how to swear in Korean!!!

And in Japanese!!!

while failing miserably in my studies
(my priorities are all messed up) XD

Lets run like hell

-Mark-

Chaos Thursday

Happy Birthday to Chiang and Aaron Tan.

Class parties are always the best

-Mark-

A Baptism of Fire

I set a new personal achievement today:
SCORED A 3-POINTER IN BASKETBALL...TWICE...IN A ROW!!

Which I have never done before in my life
(Gawd. I hate myself)

...


Anyway, it happened just after one of my 'friends' said he would cut his balls off, if I made the shot. And I did. LAWL

But he challenged me to do it again, saying:

"If you can...I will definitely, 100%, cut my balls off...immediately"

And I also succeeded the second time.
I can't remember who was more surprised.
Me or him.

For those of you who don't know, I'm kinda (in)famous in my school for being one of the worst basketball players in my year.

Okay. So that was a LOL moment for me. In the end he didn't cut his balls off...probably because he didn't have any.

*cough*

Anyway, we had a photo taking session for our Michaelian Christian Fellowship today.
About half the people there had never attended any of our functions, meetings or morning prayers before.
And another handful weren't even Christians...just random people skipping class.

So quite honestly...that photo session was one of our most successful evangelistic events ever.

Haha
-Mark-

Through Death

I've been working on my novel recently. This is all I could come up with so far.

The story features a newly-turned zombie as the 'protagonist' and his relationship with his girlfriend...who's also a zombie.

Take a look and let me know what you think
-Mark-

Through Death

Somewhere in that apartment, the phone rang.

A sharp incessant sound that assaulted my ears, bringing me to my senses, back into a world I was sure I had departed from just moments ago.

The first thing I noticed was blood and broken glass, followed by the realization that I was lying face-first on the marble floor with my arm twisted at an unnatural angle.

Apart from that, everything else was a dull. Clouded memories filled my consciousness with images and sounds that meant nothing to me, something like watching a badly directed movie in a cheap cinema.

All of a sudden, the ringing stopped. Silence filled the air, poisoning the atmosphere with an ominous gloom. Amidst the unexpected quiet, a single name flashed across my mind:

Sarah...
Where was she?

I tried to pull myself up into a sitting position, but joints were stiff and muscles uncooperative. My broken arm didn’t help matters either.

The complete absence of pain when there should have been plenty should have aroused my suspicions. But, in my frantic struggle to find Sarah, the thought escaped me.


The interior of the apartment was an unpleasant sight, decorated by blood and rust.
Slowly I crawled across the living room, attempting to call out to her...but every syllable died in my throat. I could not speak. Every sound produced was a guttural slur, punctuated by infrequent snarls.

In my frustration, I rose to my feet in a sudden desperate movement, feeling bones and sinew crunch together. Swaying slightly, I took my first step and discovered that I could walk.
Suddenly, I sensed a movement somewhere behind me. Was it Sarah?


I turned slowly and shuffled towards the direction of the master bedroom. My body refused to move any faster in its present condition. I approached the bedroom door, which was left slightly ajar. With the hand of my good arm, I pushed the door wide open.

The room was pitch black, the colour of crows and ashes. From within its confines I could hear someone whimpering. And slowly but surely, a figure reached out from the darkness to touch me lightly on the cheek.

Without a doubt, this was Sarah.

Alive

Report card day was today.
It wasn't as bad as I imagined it would be.
After all, I'm still alive...

But I was amazed at my class's intelligence network.
We all knew whose parents were here before they even reached the first floor.
Early warning system. LOL

Some students and myself were listening in on the conversations between our class teacher (Pn. Komathi) and the parents. So we started building a character profile and deciding on strategies on how to deal with her. Each student was required to give a brief report to us before leaving with his parents.

Teacher's comments to my parents (as I remember it):

"Your son is not serious in class"
(OH SHIT!)

"But he can get good grades if he wants to"
(whatever...)

"He has the brains and the talent to do it, I'm sure he can do well if he wants"
(Okay. Getting better...)

But don't worry, he's better than alot of other students
(LMAO. Better and better...)

And I'm sure some students disturb him in class. Right or not?
(I said NO...not willing to betray my friends)

In the end, my parents were kinda pleased.

At least she didn't mention that I talk too much.
Every teacher has been saying that to my parents since kindergarten.
So my parents took it as a good sign.

But my dad wasn't too happy about my Add Maths results
-Mark-

Idiot-proof

I have to say, I'm very disappointed in my classmates...

This whole bloody mess started when I fell asleep during BM,
since the teacher was absent that day.

I was so damn tired that I slept through 2 periods...and didn't realize that the whole class had moved to the Physics lab, leaving me and Samuel Lopez(who was also sleeping) behind.

Nobody bothered to wake me up...

When Sam woke me up, it was actually already halfway through the period
(and our physics teacher is my school's (in)famous discipline master...Mr. Chong)

We actually grabbed our stuff and started jogging towards the physics lab when I had a sudden flash of inspiration.

So, I called all the school debaters from all over the school and got them to agree that we should hold an immediate practise session for our Law Olympiad on the 11th.

Being the lazy asses that we are...everyone readily agreed.
And we got 2 other discipline masters to sign our permission slip
(both are the teacher advisers for the Debate team)

Unfortunately, this strategy didn't account for Samuel, so I told him to go back to class and wait it out (SORRY SAM!!)

Mr. Chong caught me as I was leaving school.
I had the perfect alibi - which included 9 debaters and 2 discipline teachers.

-Mark-

Burn

I don't really know if you'll ever read this.

It's just that I've noticed that the more I try to be there for you, the more you take me for granted.
I don't want to be just the guy you talk to when no one else replies your messages, or the guy you only notice when everyone else dumps you.

I already know that you not being able to go out and that your phone is only for 'emergencies' is a lie.
I've always known it.
And I don't want to be lied to anymore.
More importantly, I don't want you to feel that you have to lie to me.

So, I've decided to distance myself from you for a while.
I know I've tried doing this before, but I'll try much harder this time.

And we'll see whether or not he can fulfil your needs and wants.
Cause I'm not doing it anymore.

-Mark-

Flesh Wound

Even at my busiest, I always make time for you.
But you never seem to return the favour.

I think I understand now
-Mark-

Trial by Fire

My team lost the second round in the Sallehuddin Championship (debate).
Looks like we have to improve alot more to stand a chance in the Nationals.

To be fair to myself and my team, we fought the team that won 1st place in the HELP College Debate this year.
And we only had 2 days to prepare...cause our teacher 'forgot' to tell us about it until Monday (the competition was on Wednesday of the same week)

Anyway, in my opinion, we didn't lose that badly.
We actually stood a fighting chance.

Also, just went for an interview to elect the new EXCO for the Michaelian Chess Club.
I'm aiming for the Presidency, since the rule that only Six Formers could hold that particular post in no longer in effect.

And...my exam results were terrible.
And Report Card Day is on Thursday.
And I haven't finished my homework since...January

Die laa...
-Mark-

Crucifix

Just came back from church.
Haven't been going for almost two months
Alot has changed.

My Youth Fellowship is kinda going into decline.

The musicians are still inexperienced, which is fine...it's just that they don't seem that passionate about their music compared to their previous counterparts (No offence)

And most of the older members are all leaving. For studies or work

One after the other.
2 more are leaving today.
Many more are following.

Which is depressing...

Also, there are two of my friends there whose mothers are suffering from cancer.
So the atmosphere there has darkened somewhat.

On a more positive note:
My group CY5 has a new leader, Xian Chang to replace our last one (Fish) who left last week
And my cell group members all still kinda close, even after almost 4 years

Hope things get better for everyone
-Mark-

Clearwater Sanctuary 2009

Just played the Clearwater Sanctuary tournament last Sunday. Got 3rd place and RM100

Sleeping Beauty

EVERYONE WENT!!!
From my Schoolmates to my Church friends to my Chess buddies.
My old love interests were also there *ahem*

Met some old friends that I haven't seen for a year(s)
Ainaa Shafinaz, Gary Tan and Chan Wei Shin were among them

Kirsten from my Youth picked me up, along with Debbie, Kai Bing and Rachel.

I actually hoped to walk into the hall with them.
You know...one guy and four girls.
The whole thorn among the roses kinda thing.
(which would have been cool...)

Didn't happen.
I looked down at my shoes for three seconds...and they were already halfway across the parking lot (maybe they were on to me?)

I was also seriously overdressed.
I actually wore the shirt I intended for the Prom, which I heard kinda sucked. Lucky me

To be honest, I only really enjoyed the earlier parts of the ballet, namely the Malay/Ballet fusion thingy, which was pretty imaginative...reminds me of SMC's TradiMode

and

Ooh ee ooh ah ah
(Witch Doctor...XD)

Anyway, the dancing for Sleeping Beauty was just okay...
The segments were too long, so I kinda lost concentration halfway
The girls were hot. The dresses were colourful. And the wicked fairy was A GUY!
(Charles Pooley, who's a director at Hairforce Saloon and Academy. He did my hair once)

Oh yeah
Something else happened that night...which is kinda personal for me and the person/people involved.

The night ended after supper with Kirsten and the girls at the Stadium foodcourt. Others from the ballet were also there

No photos this time
-Mark-

Run Faster

Just made some calls...there's no place left for reservations at the prom.
Should have booked earlier. But I didn't think I would be going until a couple of days ago

How sad. Maybe I'll go for the ballet instead
-Mark-

Run

Looks like I'm going to the prom tomorrow night.
Can't find a date, so I'm going solo...
and hopefully I won't end up spending the night alone

Can't seem to find anything half decent to wear either.
What the heck do they mean by formal attire?

Trying to get over her
-Mark-

Power Overwhelming

I'm participating in the HELP University College Law Olympiad.
To be honest, I never even heard of it until today

Anyone else joining?
-Mark-

Stolen Hearts

Penang is a really beautiful place to be.
The architecture is amazing, the food is amazing, the ocean is amazing AND THE WOMEN!!!

...

are also amazing
*sigh*

Anyway, as usual...I lost weight.
3 days of Penang cuisine, SUSHI, Spaghetti at Secret Recipe, seafood and enough junk food to satisfy your average American

...

and I lost more weight. Not much, just a couple of pounds or so
(must be the stress)

Speaking of which, I also played a chess tournament while I was there.

-Penang Open-

Stayed at Marcus Yeoh's house.
He's an official FIDE Instructor, which is kinda cool...cause we don't have alot of them here in Malaysia.

He also acted as our tour guide. Took us shopping, to popular tourist sites and famous food stalls

Anyway, the tournament was more or less a success for me. I won't bore you with the details here. Pictures on my Facebook (spam my Cbox if you want the link)

-Mark-

Penang Open 2009

Spent the whole holiday playing chess (as usual)
Just came back from the Penang Open

Did quite well. Came in 13th placing
I even got featured on Gilachess

Check out this link: http://blog.gilachess.com/2009/06/round-8-fm-mok-tze-meng-vs-mark-siew/

Very tired right now. I'll fill in the details later
School starts tomorrow. Damn
-Mark-

Bercham Open 09

Just played in the Bercham Open yesterday.

Got 3rd place which earned me a trophy and RM100

-Mark-

Bloodlust

OMFG. I spent the whole of last week in KL eating KFC, chicken chops, sushi and Burger King
(not to mention the amount of alcohol consumed)

...

AND I LOST WEIGHT!!!!???

Anyway,
Going for a tournament this Sunday (Bercham Open)
and another one next Tuesday (Penang Open)

Means I'll be skipping Youth again.
Haven't seen my friends at church for almost a month

Keeping busy this holiday
-Mark-

Tag Cloud!

If you notice on your right,
there is now this cool new Widget that I just added.

But since my blog was getting a bit messy, I decided to remove my music playlist in favour of the Tag Cloud.

Let me know what you think. Spam my cBox

(Also notice the creepy picture for my blog title)
-Mark-

More photos

Photos from National Close

Still damn tired from National Close
So here are the (my) photos first

All photos here are courtesy of Andrew Ooi, owner of Gilachess.com
(he gave me 1000 photos from the tournament)

"Thank you Andrew"

-Mark-

I Hate Long Goodbyes

Anyway, I'm going for National Close from the 30th of May to the 4th of June.
Won't be blogging for a while. Wish me luck

-Mark-

Selamat Hari Guru

Since we didn't get to celebrate Teacher's Day, our class monitor collected RM2 from us to get a gift for our class teacher (at least)

Being concerned tax payers, some of my classmates and I organized a sort of committee to decide on how our money would be best spent

A small part of the conversation is as follows:

AD: So hey, what do ya'll wanna get for our class teacher?

CK: a pencil box

MS: or just the pencils...

AT: too expensive lah!

CK: then...?

MS: we should give her the same present as Karpal Singh

AT: what's that?

MS: live bullets

LOL

AD: How about a pen?

MS: we could find a broken one on the floor and put it together with cello-tape and rubber bands

CK: or send her a card lah

AT: saying "Teacher, I hate you!"

CK: So bad lah...


I actually just wanted my money back...
-Mark-

Found this picture on MalaysiaKini

Check it out:

http://www.malaysiakini.com/

Cursed

I'm having a day from hell

First, I accidentally broke a table at school by sitting on it...
In my defence, that table was already messed up

And the manner in which I broke the table was...very embarrassing
Others will be blogging about it too, so I'd rather not mention it here.

They took pictures...

And that's not even the worse part.
After recess, I went up to class late. When I got there, one of my friends told me

"Mark, you're going to die"

I thought he was joking, so I asked him what happened.
The conversation is as follows(more or less):

"Just now, there was a helluvalot of Indians who came looking for you"

"WTF? What for...?"

"I dunno, but they are like...damn pissed at you for something. You better follow teacher out of school later. They will be waiting for you outside after school"

"..."

I still thought he was joking (or lying). Until...
A boy from my class came back and told me that he overheard the Indian boys in other classes planning to whack me up or something. At that point, I felt it would be wise to assess the situation

So I went to an Indian guy in my class:

"What's happening lah?"

"You ah! What the hell you saying about us?"

"Huh...? What are you talking about?"

"You were telling, F*ck all Indians just now right?"

"WTH? No lah...I wasn't even here"

Anyway, he wasn't convinced. He just told me that they would be looking for me after school.
I couldn't concentrate on my Sivik & Kewarganegaraan test paper (like I cared anyway)

So, after the paper...we were allowed to go home early.
And they came in numbers I couldn't believe.
I swear there was like 30 or 40 of them(felt that way anyway)

Everyone told me to run. But I was like...

this is bullshit

I didn't do anything wrong, right?
Take my word on this: I have nothing against the Indians.

If you people are reading this: I have NO PROBLEM with you people. Someone is spreading lies about me. So, come on lah. You got the wrong guy

So I went over to them. Some were carrying helmets for God's sake. One guy put his arms around me and told me

"Don't scared wei...we just want to talk"

oh shit...I'm dead

But after some explaining to 2, 3 fellers. They kinda got the message and let me go. At the end of the corridor, my 'friends' were waiting for me.

"Hey Mark...you're alive wei!!!"

But they were still waiting for me at the front gate.
Luckily, I go home late on Fridays...but I found out from some friends that they still wanted to confront me.


What the hell wei...it's like I got some seriously bad karma from my past life or something.
I don't think it's over yet. Probably have to talk to them again on Monday

-Mark-

And the new American Idol is...

KRIS ALLEN???

WTH happened? Adam totally outdid Kris all throughout the competition and the finale was no exception

It's because he's gay...isn't it?

Anyway...it's not the end of the world.
Kris was still a great competitor and he's...nice

nice??

...

But why didn't Adam WIN???!!!
WHY WHY WHY WHY???

I suppose you don't get everything in life...
at least Obama won the elections...

-Mark-

Music please

EXAMS ARE OVER!!!!!
...

Oh wait...there's still Pendidikan Moral tomorrow
...

*damn*
what a killjoy...

BUT WHO GIVES A **** ABOUT MORAL???

(Like I was saying)

EXAMS ARE OVER!!!!!

-Mark-

This is so damn funny

-If you can't read it...just click on the picture

Age of Examinations

Examination Day

I hear the clicking of pens,
the creaking of fans,
the whispers of joy and dismay

The drumming of tables,
remembering fables,
formulas and notes read today

The coughs and the sneezes,
infectious diseases,
the teachers are seeking their prey

Some know the answers,
some just pass notes,
and others just sit down and pray

The joyful and sad,
the good and the bad,
confined at their tables to stay

They all come together,
for worse or for better,
and sit for examination day

-Mark-

(This was composed during my Sejarah test)

f:u[c]=K Add Maths

I am highly confident...that I just FAILED Add Maths today

Omg...

Oh yeah, Nizar is no longer the Perak MB anymore...I don't quite understand how a decision that took 3 months to make could be reversed by a single day of appeals.

Democracy is dead. And just when I thought that our country was making progress

Btw, the new Form 6 girls are looking good. XD
-Mark-

This is Democracy

YES!!!!
The Kuala Lumpur High Court just declared that Nizar is now Perak's legitimate Menteri Besar.
Now that's what I call Democracy. To Freedom and Justice for all!!!

Even the air smells sweeter...

On a more negative note,
today is the first day of my mid-year exams. Many more days of torment to come.
If Nizar can abolish examinations in schools, I would vote for him to be PM. Seriously

-Mark-

Exams!!!

Divine Judgement awaits you
(I should be studying)

I just don't feel like doing anything right now
And my exams are like...tomorrow

I'm screwed, aren't I?
(yes you are)

-Mark-

Worth It

Hey everyone, this is a new song I'm working on.
As usual...another emo song

And I haven't come up with the music for this song or the previous one...yet

(that's Samuel's job)

No storyline for this one...the lyrics pretty much explain themselves.
Based on personal experiences? You never know

WORTH IT

(Verse 1)
Were you worth the pain and suffering?
Of my darkest days, hear the angels sing...
The lights fade out and I turn away,
cause there's nothing to live for anyway

(Chorus)
When my world crashes around me,
and you tell me that you're sorry,
I ask myself the question:

Were you worth it?
Were you worth it?

(Verse 2)
So I play our song inside my head,
eyes look up, but the heart is dead,
illusions shattered, choices made,
some too soon, and some too late

(Chorus)
When my world crashes around me,
and you tell me that you're sorry,
I ask myself the question:

Were you worth it?
Were you worth it?

(Verse 3)
Heard you whisper in my ear,
hold me steady, calm my fears,
you are everything that I hold dear,
until you disappeared

(Bridge)
When I look up, you're not there,
and I fall into despair,
watching you, wanting you
seeing you act like you don't care...

(Chorus)
When my world crashes around me,
don't tell me that you're sorry,
I ask myself the question:

Were you worth it?
Were you worth it?


-Mark-

Tales from the Beyond

"I serve Nuffnang..."

Bullshit. I serve no one

Anyway, just watched the 8:00 news.
This country is going to hell.
Local news is sounding more and more like a mixture between an obituary and a cartoon show.

So, to be on the safe side.

-Don't pray for our country's political crisis (you might get arrested)
-Don't wear Black (you might get arrested)
-Don't talk about Altantuya (you WILL get arrested)
-Don't sing the Negaraku out of tune (you SHOULD get arrested)

Interesting thought:
What happens if a Malay dude gets Swine flu? Do the authorities treat him or do they just arrest him?

-Mark-

The reason why I still play Chess...

- Carina Jorgensen-

Ouch!

One thing I noticed while playing sports:
When you have the ball...everyone remembers your name

Last week, a vet came to my house to perform surgery on my cat (so it can't breed anymore)
My parents felt it was necessary after she gave birth to her 6th litter in 2 years.

So some Indian guy came, tranquilized my poor cat and shaved off a patch of it's fur.
I didn't stay to see the surgery...

And the ****** kept answering his phone while operating on MY cat.


Needless to say, my cat was thoroughly pissed when she woke up.
The very next day, she dug her claws into my dad's hand.


On a more positive note, I'm learning a couple of new piano songs from YouTube

-Requiem for a dream, from Lord of the Rings and
-He's a pirate, from Pirates of the Caribbean

Said the blogger to the writer:
The keyboard is mightier than the pen


-Mark-

Don't Disappear

I just composed this song today...


It tells a story about a guy whose girlfriend died in a car accident
So he sings to her, hoping that wherever she is, she can hear him


I was feeling emo
But I hope you like it

Please give me some feedback. Thanks
-Mark-

DON'T DISAPPEAR
By Mark

Verse 1
Run towards you,
say I love you,
but you're so far away

Separated, suffocated,
I will look for you,
blinded by the light,
I tried to fight,

don't disappear...

CHORUS
Scream my heart and soul,
love takes it's toll,
but I will wait,

Hear me shout your name,
I take the blame,

don't disappear...

Verse 2
Hold you in my arms,
until the calm,
takes you away

Did you hear my voice?
and made your choice,
I'll see you again

CHORUS
Scream my heart and soul,
I lose control,
why can't heaven wait?

Hear me shout your name,
I take the blame

please don't disappear...

Verse 3
When tears fail to express,
go get some rest,
I'll join you some day

So, when you get there,
pull up a chair,
and save a seat for me

CHORUS
Scream my heart and soul,
love takes it's toll
but I can wait

Hear me call your name,
It's still the same,
don't disappear...

please don't disappear...

Tag...YOU'RE IT

My life is already pretty much on public display.
Do I really need to reveal more?

Oh well...here we go again

1. Do you have any secrets?
Yes, plenty. But I can't tell you...that would defeat the purpose of having a secret.

2. Have you ever tried not eating anything for a few days?
Few days? Would I even be alive to write this if I did?

3. Do you enjoy going to school?
Sometimes. Most of my friends are there. But so are the teachers.

4. Coffee or more coffee?
I drink sometimes. But I don't really like it. I prefer my caffeine in a coke can

5. Laughter or forever smiles?
I disagree with Weisoon here. I think laughter is superficial, but a smile means so much more.

6. Who is more important, lover or best friends?
Can't answer this...they are equally important. You can't live a meaningful life without either one of them

7. What made you smile today?
Watching my cat do tricks

8. The person you like is already attached, what will you do?
Everything I can...if that person is important enough to me

9. Angelic or Devilish?
Me? I suppose I incline more to the Devilish side.

10. How would you see yourself in 10 years time?
At age 26? Hopefully I would have a good job(or a business), an apartment of my own and someone special to share it with

11. Who is currently the most important person to you?
Not so sure anymore...

12. What is the most important thing in your life?
Right now? My laptop and my handphone. Sounds pathetic right?

13. Are you single or attached?
Single

14. What is your favourite colour?
I have two. Black and White

15. What is your wish?
That is a secret (please refer to question 1)

16. Have you wondered what would happen afterlife?
Yeah. I hope I can become a shinigami (like in Bleach)

17. Would you forgive and forget no matter how horrible a thing someone has done to you?
Forgive? Yes...Forget? Never

18. Which do you prefer, spending time with family members or with close people who understands you most?
My family members are weird

19. What is your biggest regret of life
Screwing up my chances with 'her'

20. 5 people you're gonna tag
I rather not

Falling Slowly

Falling Slowly

A really great song by American Idol finalist Kris Allen.

Even though eveyone knows that Adam Lambert is going to win...this song is still a good one

Btw, this is only an audio recording. And you might wanna turn my playlist off first

-Mark-

Tactical (part 2)

Went to see Sunny at the hospital today.
I can understand why he's bored...poor kid only has a handphone to keep him company

And the nurses, although very friendly, probably contribute to the rising number of hospital fatalities.

LOL

Sunny was pressing the 'Patient Distress Button' to get some painkillers.
The nurses didn't come until 5-10 minutes later.

By that time, a patient could have suffocated, bled out, had a seizure and/or died

But I must reaffirm that they were very, very friendly.
Just that their response time leaves much to be desired.

Anyway, he seems to be in some serious pain.
So I talked and talked and talked to keep his mind off things.
Should have confused him enough to last several days...

-Mark-

Tactical

For those of you who don't already know:

Sunny Phang is currently in Fatimah Hospital after breaking his leg by doing a front flip in the school field.

(They don't call it breakdancing for nothing)

Anyway, he's scheduled for minor surgery later today.
So please say a quick prayer for him.

Actually, if you think about it...there's no such thing as minor surgery.
Surgery is surgery

School is damn, freakin boring without him...
so pray that he makes a quick recovery for my sake

Over and out
-Mark-

Family of Misfits

During assembly today, the prefect-on-duty sang the Negaraku SO BADLY that many felt that he ought to be arrested for insulting the national anthem...or disturbing the peace...or causing mental duress

It was THAT bad.

I couldn't help laughing my head off. As a result, I was reprimanded by the discipline master later during his class.

I seem to be using the word 'discipline master' alot recently.
Maybe the rebellious side of me is coming out?

Oh yeah, my cat gave birth...again.
I found 2 kittens (1 grey and 1 brown) sitting on my doorstep this afternoon.

-The brown one is named Gandhi
-The grey one is Mandela

See? I'm not a racist
-Mark-

Fading Lights

I'm feeling depressed again.
no one loves me...

And I don't even know who I am or who I want to be anymore
It's a feeling that comes and goes

Wish I knew how to make it go away
-Mark-

End of Me

Just finished playing my National Age Group tournament in KL.
Didn't do so well this time...
Arrived in Ipoh at 1:00 am Monday morning
Slept in school the whole day

Also, saw Sonia last week at my school.
She was taking part in some 'Pertandingan Puisi & Lagu'
Haven't seen her for almost 3 years now...so it was good to finally see her again

Currently into Russell Peters right now. The guy is a genius. Makes me laugh every time. Unfortunately for my friends, I memorized entire videos of his jokes and recite them everyday at school

(playing chess has blessed me with an excellent memory...for unimportant details)

My social and academic life is as usual, down the toilet bowl...
I no longer believe that love is always enough

And considering the state of our country's political situation...
even Iraq looks like a safer place to live

-Mark-