You are currently browsing the monthly archive for July, 2007.
Oh ya.. N my Bro Zhaf.. Happy Birthday man… Enjoy
So the Special Semester of the module General Biology has ended. The exams just now was crap to say the least, utter crap. Wasnt able to make head or tail for even half of it, wasnt sure of what I was doing for a quarter of it and for the remainder, a 50/50 chance of getting them correct. That worst module for breadth aside; focus now will be the final slew of PBM events, the last lap before this Exco hands over to the next coterie of leaders. Fiesta De La Siesta, Matriculation Fair, Welcome Tea, Pentas Budaya and the AGM. Dikir Barat NUS will be on its last high octane fuel before it dries out, hopefully not with a whimper but with a grand finale. Some great individuals who became good friends have graduated, leaving a slew of us behind struggling for our honours while they go on to plan for their lives and earn the moolah.
Looking back, I think whatever standards that I have compared every batch on was from the quality of the batch that I came in with. A batch of really really capable individuals with talents in the arts coupled with wonderful drive and organisational skills. A strong batch who were opinionated but at the same time was open to criticisms (most at least). I remember back to the time of Kem Kita Orang, where security was lax and my bag got stolen, the comm got a thrashing from the Syed Faisal until some of them broke down into tears, but the comm still continued on to run for JK, realising that we are never bigger than PBM or what it has been tasked to achieved. Unfortunately, I have brought over that benchmark to every new batch that comes in, siphoning off all those who thinks too highly of themselves without really proving themselves or without being able to receive criticisms and only prefers to be the ones giving them. What irks me most is that some individuals let petty differences or unhappiness blind them to the bigger picture that must always be put on the pedestal, that is our community, how we can provide for them, how we can value add.
One thing that should be noted too is that the best individuals dont always make the best team, other imponderables are involved: team synergy, the presence of backbiting/politicking, personal interests and ulterior motives. I believe leadership must always be the strongest at the top but contradictorily too is another thing I believe in that is you are only as good as the people under you. No matter how great you are, if someone below you fucks up, it would transcend to you. Period.
I will say more when the time comes, when I hand over, and when I look back at what I have experienced.
That said, BABE, I’m sorry Im not able to upload the pictures from the fabulous Birthday Dinner man. But I’ll try again ya. hehehe… Thanks babe. Oh and FOC went well I think, so did the interview sessions.
A boxer is whining to the doctor that he can’t sleep.
- I won’t give you any drugs, you don’t need any. Use the classical method, the one with counting the sheep’s.
- I tried. But, every time I get to 9 I jump off the bed.
And it has come to pass, I’m almost a quarter of a century now. How time passes when life treats you well. Alhamdullilah.
And so on the eve of the day, I was treated to a glitzy, sumptuous affair, one that was truly surreal and wonderful to say the least. There we sat at the elaborately decorated artifice that was The Carousel, the eatery that had just recently opened, replacing the much lauded Cafe Vienna. The lady had brought me there for a buffet. In my mind I thought, ‘This should be nice’. I was to find out 2 hours later, that I wasnt quite accurate in my predictions.
In fact, I was blown away. Oh my. The array of dishes on display was astounding and using the much repeated KFC maxim ‘finger-licking good’. It was rows after rows of food spreads man. Tomato and chicken foccacia, slipper oysters, snapper pie with wild mushrooms, osso bocco of lamb shank, bailotine of turkey breast and so so much more man. I was freaking excited as I collected my first round of food, knowing already what I want to have for my subsequent rounds, which was 5 rounds in total mind you.
For this magnificent treat, I thank the Lady, profusely, and to a larger extent for presenting me with a great birthday experience. The gifts included, an external hard disk, something really useful and one that I had wanted for quite some time now, and also a Biore Pore Pack, something which is uberly practical, remove all the blackheads away…haha… I recommend a Carousel Buffet for anyone who intend to celebrate a special day with someone. Put it as part of your plans. It may be costly, but it really leaves your stomach extremely happy. Thank you again hot babe. It was really fantastic.
On a different note, the bros brought me to Pizza Hut for the birthday meal, after spending the time earlier playing badminton and watching the immensely enjoyable Transformers movie. At the end of that meal, the staff had actually brought a brownie cum mini-cake as a birthday wish to me. A suprise, as they dimmed the lights and sang in unison, and I was a bit embarassed… haha… but thank you anyways brothers and of course the Jurong Point KFC staff for that nice gesture. Thanks also to everyone who had wished me well, be it via friendster, smses, emails or phonecalls. May the friendships that has been forged, endure the times. Insya Allah.
On a final note, like Maly mentioned in her blog, it is crunch time, in a number of ways.
To leave a capable set of successors for the betterment of PBMUKS, to present a creditable final performance for Dikir NUS, to end well with PBM’s last few events, to prepare well for the upcoming Honours year, to do well for the Special Semester, and to learn as much from the experience working with Synergy before the time is taken away once school starts proper.
And along the way I have learnt that, we can never please everyone, and for those who do not possess an objective view, or gives comments without being able to accept those given back to him in return or is not able to rationalise well, then he/she can never be good leaders, because you’ll never be able to maintain and entice the support of others, here meaning those who are truly capable. And from what I learn from Synergy too, a good leader more often than not risks rubbing some people off the wrong way because he is decisive and firm in his actions. Strength must come together with capabilities. If you are nice all the way, then those who thinks too highly of themselves and usually flatter to deceive, may step over you. All I can say is f*** people up if they deserve it but be rational and have dialogue if they do not. Some people need hard knocks to wake them up while some are open to learning, taking what is relevant and syphoning off what is not.
Syukran.
Im irked by the utter irresponsibility of some individuals who I have expected more from. Today I came for Dikir training all along with a view that I could always depend on the old guard to be responsible and have a noble semblance of courtesy at the same time expecting nothing much from the newbies, but instead the latter proved me wrong. Today, they realtered my vantage point somewhat, even if its a little.
Theres supposed to be 2 meet-ups, one at 3 P.M with some individuals to discuss on content, and the other at 430 P.M to start the general training. For the former, one of them messaged me at 250 P.M, to say that he has fever and can’t come. An analysis, if you know you have fever, why do you not tell me much earlier, and leave it till late when I’m already in the bus. What? you mean you only caught a fever at 2.49P.M? But that’s just a miniature example. Another glaring example is that an individual messaged me at 6.15P.M when Dikir training is almost ending, saying that he got fever and cant’t come, and this is only after I messaged him and asked where is he? Do you need to be prompted to be responsible?
Yes, I feel alone at times, like as if the weight of the world is on my shoulders, that I can only depend on myself to sell this product, to get the people to come in. Yesterday I had to send a quite strong sms message to FOC comm to rationalise things and to sell my product and entice them to come for trainings, and I was glad that today, they came. And you know what that did? It spurred me on, it gave me a glimmer of hope, that things will fall into place. That at times you have to do the job yourself and cant fully depend on those in your grapevine to help you. Sometimes you are only a good as the men who are supporting you.
I think that’s what I did when Dikir NUS was in it’s early period, for Perkampungan Bahasa 04/05. I got the people myself, walked the grounds, sold the product, got the performers for the welcoming Show. Dare I say, I did that all by myself, while being head of Bahasa Programmes, getting a Dikir team, getting the dancers, the actors and creating a storyline. ON the flipside, I had the valuable support of my friends, the old guard. Therein lies my wish now, that you stand stoically and effectively by my side for our last big performance. For those who have stood with me for the past 3 years, step up your game, show your quality. Cos in truth, I go through all these, plan for a performance, while doing my special semester cos I know you will be behind me, supporting me come what may.
N many of you do see the content of this final performance as not what you had envisioned what your final performance would be like, then it is our job to make it entertaining while at the same time sticking to the main gist of the whole performance. The new blood has finally arrived, and yes I did feel that in this past few months I have been picking up the slack from some individuals, doing things that they didnt do, but I guess that since we started dikir, we might as well help it achieve a good end or at last a good billing at it’s biggest stage.
Why do I go through all these?
In the end it is because of the people who is by your side.
It’s cos of your love for it.
And it’s cos you wanna leave an indelible mark in the banks of your memory and in the annals of PBM history and that if ever you look back, you will smile, at the memories and at the imagery of your friends being by your side.
Syukran.
