Moving On..??

wah, ever since soraya's back this 2 weeks (2 rite?), my days have been filled with lots of activities again :) hee..have been seeing munif less though *sad :'( but he's been really busy training and all and it's best that i don't disturb him much i guess..not like i'm helping the situation if he come's over anyway rite..i'm no good at helping him train...so sad...

i really should start on my portfolio..am expecting to work after raya, but have to actually get a job first rite..aih..which proves to be quite a task for a lot of people at the moment..wow, am i relaxed..horrible alia, horrible...

doing "nothing" is beginning to annoy me already :p..i'm bored of doing nothing..i'm ready to move on and get a job..i need a constant amount of money already anyway..am eating into my savings and that's really not a good thing...

urgh!! i know i have to start getting off my lazy @s& and start preparing for the next chapter, which is work! but i'm in denial!! i don't want to, but i want to, but i malas! 

oh my God..help me please :(

Sara Bareilles - Gravity

i was driving on the way back home with my mom from KL..frazzled and tired from yet another day of careless KL exploring..as i was drifting into autopilot, my mom turned up the volume of the radio that was on Light & Easy..the sound of a piano playing..a lovely voice accompanying the melody..a beautifully written song....

i fell in love at first listen...

The "top 10" Lists

Since i was discussing this with a friend this afternoon, i thought might as well i put it on blog for future references and such..it may just be helpful to someone who stumbles upon it :)

All the information below are rankings that are pretty much accepted internationally..a reminder that the list is focused to architecture in particular, means that the list ranks the universities based on their architectural courses only k..

i focused on 3 countries; United Kingdom, Australia, and United States..don't ask me why, it's just a matter of personal interest :p..

Top 10 Architecture Schools in the UK

quoted from Guardian.co.uk

2009(Preliminary)              2008(Final)

1.   Cambridge                    1.   Cambridge

2.   UCL                            2.   UCL

3.   Cardiff                        3.   Strathclyde

4.   Bath                           4.   Bath

5.   Newcastle                     5.   Cardiff

6.   Nottingham                  6.   Glasgow Sc. of Art

7.   Edinburgh                     7.   Sheffield

8.   Liverpool                      8.   Edinburgh

9.   Manchester Sc. of Arch.    9.   Manchester/MMU

10. Sheffield                      10. Oxford Brookes

Top 10 Architecture Schools in Australia

quoted from Archsoc.com

2009 (Preliminary)               2008(Final)

1.   Queensland U.                sorry, i couldn't get

2.   Melbourne U.                  them :(

3.   Tasmania U.

4.   RMIT

5.   Newcastle U.

6.   New South Wales U.

7.   Adelaide U.

8.   Sydney Tech. U.

9.   Deakin U.

10. Sydney U.

Top 10 Architecture Schools in the US 

(2008-Final)

quoted from Architectmagazine.com

Undergraduate Sc.                Graduate Sc.

1.   Virginia Polytech.             1.   Harvard

2.   Cornell                           2.   MIT

3.   Syracus                           3.   Columbia U.

4.   California Polytech.            4.   Cornell 

5.   Cincinnati U.                    5.   Washington St. Louis

6.   Texas Austin U.                 6.   Virginia Polytech.

7.   Carnegie Mellon                 7.   Cincinnati

8.   Kansas State U.                  8.   Michigan

9.   Penn State U.                   9.   Berkeley California

10. Pratt Institute                   10. Clemson/Rice/Texas Austin

Reflection

i decided to attend a wedding this afternoon, a friend's family member was getting married and she invited me quite nicely on facebook..so despite my mom questioning my reason for going, i decided to go anyway..

thing is, there was some history between me and this friend and it doesn't help that the group of other invited guests are mostly also not in my close circle of friends..this shouldn't be a problem, but i seem to have had developed some relationships in school that left a kind of bitter taste in the mouth..so, explains my mom's curiosity for me wanting to go all of a sudden..

honestly, i don't really know why i was so adamant..but i went anyway lah..

so i went with one of my closest friend, as she was invited as well..and as we entered the venue seeing my friend's parents and all, i gave myself a pat on the back as i still remembered how most of her family members look as the last i saw them were ages ago..haha..

ok, long story short..we salam-salam-ed, makan-makan, cakap-cakap, photo-photo and then said our goodbyes and left lah..

what i deduced from the whole evening was that i am honestly and utterly contented with my life right now and i am so thankful that i am way way from who i was in the past..

well, i am thankful for the opportunities that i was presented at school but i guess good company and just a simply "rich" and moderately blessed life is way happier and healthier..haha!..

i don't feel the need to impress or fulfill every single person around me anymore..and it reminds me that the few people i do really appreciate in life deserve a little TLC every now and then, just to remind them how special they are..i am also at peace with the fact that not all relationships were meant to bloom into beautiful roses that need protection, that the term acquaintance was created for a reason, and that sadly not everyone can be called a friend..so painful..but it's the bitter reality of things huh..i think i can learn to accept that.. :p

-end-

Getting Crafty !! :D

i stumbled upon a really cool website that offers crafters a lot of video tutorials, step-by-step guides and just awesome ideas on getting crafty :D there's really a lot to get into and i've been browsing through for hours already and still can't stop..i'm so addicted!..plus, the website is really easy to navigate around and looks good too..hee..

do check it out if interested in d.i.y stuff and eco-friendly, reuse, recycle! nonsense..hehe..

some of the cooler stuff i'm hung up on:

    d.i.y recycled business cards!!

    home-made eco-labels!!

                recycled button coasters!!

wah..so cool..and there's so much more!! all eco-inclined and considerably easy..and all free free FREE !! it makes me very happy..hehehe..the website is so inspiring, i'm going crazy :p

#@%*!!

Click the link to check it out! :)

Crafting A Green World

http://craftingagreenworld.com/

Would i Have Done The Same?

i received this msg from a friend on facebook, and thought it was something worth sharing..it moved me to tears (although i easily get teary eyed over these things) but to think there are still such people in the world makes me happy..

please read on ok..

from Cat Juan,

What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line, there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the same choice?

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question:

'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does, is done with perfection.

Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do.

Where is the natural order of things in my son?'

The audience was stilled by the query.

The father continued.

I believe that when a child like Shay,who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.'

Then he told the following story:

Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?'

I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.

I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.'

Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.

In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again.

Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.

At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game?

Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat.

Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.

However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact.

The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed.

The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay.

As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.

The game would now be over.

The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman.

Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.

Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates.

Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first!


Run to first!'

Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base.

He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.

Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!'

Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base.

By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball. the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team.

He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head.

Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.

All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third!

Shay, run to third!'

As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!'

Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team.

'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world'.

Shay didn't make it to another summer.

He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!

AND NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY:

The crude, vulgar, and often obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.

We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural order of things' yet most of the time we often neglect it.

A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.

How do we play a part in treating the less fortunate in our society?

:) May your day, be a Shay Day.