Good Bye Bill Gates

Bill Gates is finally saying good bye to all of us...not dead...but retired

[who is Bill Gates? Oh, he hate to eat Apple; and although he is rich, his house has Micro-size Windows which is very Soft...]

This post is meant for my appreciation for him and his products, which has changed my life forever.

And thanks his Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for sponsoring BBC World Service Radio in Ann Arbor so that I can listen to news to make me sleepy if I'm still not sleepy at 2am...

A crazy trip to Sandusky!

June 19 7:30pm, the crazy journey began...

Our destination: Sandusky...huh? what a dusty sandy small town...
5 persons: DK KS SW YL + me
Transportation: my beloved Amtrak + our legs + cabs

First, we took Amtrak thruway bus from Ann Arbor to Toledo. And the bus has many nice LCD screen playing the 1930's black and white movie...can you guess the movie? It's called "Nothing"...

From Toledo we took the Shore Line Limited toward Sandusky! Yay! And we arrived at around 5am!

With no maps in hand, we start our walking in the quiet little town...and suddenly we saw a 7-11 and then just went in to sight-seeing :) then we kept on moving...and we saw lots of churches...and then Merry Go Round Museum! weird museum...

and we keep on moving and finally we reached the lake side! The great Erie Lake and we found a weird creature...After we (forget to mention we're Fantastic 4 and an Incredible big Hulk) defeated the weird creature , we saw the beautiful sunrise...

And we walked again...until the Incredible Hulk feel so hungry he was busy looking for food...and he finally smelled a McDonald's 100 miles away and yay! We had our breakfast!After having breakfast, everyone just pengsan... except me...

Then after I rescued them we continued our journey...now already 9am...we walked from 5am to 9am!!! without any map.

Then we called a cab to cross the causeway to reach a place where the diet Cheddar cheese is made...and do you know diet cheddar has a shortened name? It's called Cedar! Imagine diet Coca-Cola being called Oca-Ola... [rubbish]

Actually we were heading to Cedar Point! the best amusement park in the planet!

Oh please don't think the Snoopy themed amusement park is just childish...the rides in the park are the best in the world!

So, among the 5 persons, we are divided into 3 categories: DK & I am the true fanatics, SW & KS are "this one ok, this one cannot" category, and YL is our professional back pack guard who safeguarding our back packs because he just had 1 or 2 rides throughout the day...

Oh I never imagined there are so many thrill rides in Cedar Point and I just can't describe how satisfied, how exciting, how crazy the rides were...just simply the best experience in my life!

We (which mean DK & I) started with Demon Drop where we dropped from 131 feet in 6 secs .. and then the thrill never end until the last minute! Ok let me describe some of the best:

Wicked Twister:
the tallest and fastest double-twisting impulse roller coaster in the world

3..2...1...and sprinted toward the sky! WAH!









Sky Hawk:
You kick the sky at 125 feet high in the sky!
And just superb when you being brought down from the highest point!










Maverick:
a new ride built in 2007 that has double launch!
With a drop at 95 degree angle it was just WAH!











Millennium Force:
"Standing a breathtaking 310 feet into the air, this "giga-coaster" will take thrill-seekers on an incredible 92-mph journey along 6,595 feet of track that winds its way through the center of the park, crosses a lagoon and dives onto an island."

We rode this during the night and it was really exciting to drop from that height!!!

And many more thrilling rides such as MaxAir, Magnum. Raptor etc etc...I finally had my dream come true! there was nothing else I want to do in US except trying all these crazy rides!

And we kept the best part to our final minutes in the park! It's the Top Thrill Dragster!!!

The tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world!!

"Riders begin their epic journey aboard this whopping 42-story screamer by securing themselves into ultra-cool trains that resemble top fuel dragsters. The train then moves into a "starting line" position, where it is launched forward, reaching 120 mph in approximately four seconds. The train then zooms straight up the 420-foot-tall hill on track that rotates 90 degrees, crests the coaster's apex and then free falls back to Earth. But hold on, this isn't your father's roller coaster. As the train races 400 feet to the ground, the track twists an unbelievable 270 degrees – what a rush! Riders then return to the station to begin regaling their friends with stories of the greatest ride of their lives"

Imagine 120mph (200km/h) in 4 seconds! and we did it twice consecutively! and WAHHH!

Now get the feeling!

That ended our day in Cedar Point and it was already 10:45pm

But the journey has not ended! We called a cab back to Amtrak train station...and called sandusky Police to open the Amtrak waiting room for us. Yes, it's the police who has the key for the station...Before the police came, there were 4 kids who strayed in the midnight coming to us say we are from Tokyo, Japan... and I told them my name is Michael...

Then the kids went away to search for some other new friend to chat...and the police came and we got into the waiting room to wait for our Amtrak train which was scheduled at 4:55am...

While asleep, 2 African American females came in and chatted loudly and loudly and just disturbing my sleep...they were not waiting for trains and I have no idea who they are...and they left not long after...weird

And at 4:55am we were wide awake waiting the train to arrive but yet again...delay! OH I have experienced so many times in my previous trip [link]...it's a norm...so ok...and finally it came after 1 hour and 40 minutes behind schedule...

And finally we arrived Ann Arbor at 10am.

Wah...what a trip!

yay I'm proud of myself!

After 20 years of infinite attempts, I finally made a Guinness World Record! Not Malaysia Book of Record because that's so cacat, I can simply eat 100 packs nasi lemak and claim I'm the king of nasi lemak, no fun... But this is world record!!!

So let me show off the certificate ok
First I must 'thank you' my parents, my family, my friends, my enemies...no I don't have enemies, my cats, my squirrels, myself and of course,
my Pooh...,
don't judge him as a dumb smiling poo...he beat the firefox!

and also 'thank you' you for sharing my proud moment!

*this is a really lamp post...oh not lamp post, I mean lame post...

Free! Please take one

There's nothing worth living in United States except one thing. You can live here without spending any money...because everything is FREE!

So far I've got free snacks, coffee, cereals, lotion etc etc etc for free! with no terms and conditions applied.

here are some of them...and more to come
How to get them free? go [here] to check out!

You may think those are just small little sample...not really...

I got this 10pcs LightScribe DVD+R worth $15 for free! Wah! I can start lightscribing!
They love to give away free stuffs and I can get free stuffs. So it's win-win :)

Best Employee of the Year! ...and a top SECRET! please don't tell anyone

So today I officially received a Michigan hat (with real gold"M") as compliment of 2008 Best Employee of The Year in Dining Hall category!!

What a great day!

Ok that was a lie...

In fact today was the first day I started to work (or to be trained) in dining hall and that hat is to be given to every employee...

But anyway I'm on my way to win the prize because I've done so many tasks today without causing any troubles.

First, I walked around like a supervisor to check out whether everything was in order...
ie to learn the working of dining hall...

Then I replaced a juice container in the juice machine...

Then I was the "food runner" wh0 ran here and there and in and out just to get the foods to the counter...

After a while I became the server who gave people chicken breast...

And I was upgraded to dishroom afterward...

So how's the dishroom? Oh I finally found the place where foods stolen from Africa are stored (or disposed)! Woo...what a strategic place as nobody will ever think that Michigan has a secret mission: to steal food from Africa and dispose it to nowhere (or somewhere)...

You can see plates and bowls of fully uneaten foods to be thrown into a mysterious state of the art machine which turn those foods to nothing...I wonder if they have a mission call: "send the foods to Mars for humankind's future nevermind the people in Africa now"?

And I wonder if they are trying to experiment whether mars has gravity or not because I saw a big red apple being thrown into the machine...oh no! then the future human have to learn Newton's 4th Law!!!! (4th law says the energy and mass of apple in Mars is still retaining the energy and mass it has in Earth, so it is still an apple...)

Actually I'm the one threw it...but I couldn't save it because they are so many people watching and I can't risk the chance to change the future...if the future Newton (in Mars) can't have the apple drop to his head he won't discover the 4th law...and humankind will be doomed...
and don't forget the employee award!

So after 2.5 hours my job is done!

And with that, I'm a fully trained employee and looking forward next mission! (wonder if they have any more?)

About change

As mentioned in previous post: Change

So what's change?

Is it better to change?

Judge yourself :)


























image credit: venukb

:) haha

Petrol naik harga, so how? protest?

Recently there's petrol price hike in Malaysia (in case you don't know).

Beside Malaysia, India also did the same thing on the same day...co-incidence?

So why suddenly petrol price raised from rm1.92 to rm2.70 and diesel from rm1.58 to rm2.58? Government revamped the fuel subsidies policy! Not only Msia & India, Indonesia and Taiwan also reduced the subsidies. Judging the recent global high fuel price, it's a change that inevitable for Malaysia...(like the change that we Americans can believe in Obama...just for comparison :)

To view my opinions on this issue just go [here]. A post that shares same views.

I lazy to type here...

or [here]

actually same....

by the way, petrol naik harga, cars turun harga la...I can't drive a USD18,000 All new 2009 Camry back to Malaysia...

Blue screen of death!!!!

This is the infamous blue screen of death aka BSOD!! If you never heard of and never encountered, well you are just lucky...what is it?? It's a norm in Windows, when it feels it's tired of listening to your command, it just go BLUE!

So it happened during my physics lab today...just after my partner and I finished collecting data and done some calculations...pop! BSOD! Wah, long time never had BSOD but now it comes out!

Oh no...all data gone...the lab PC is network base and no data will be saved after restart...

so how? so our lecturer just copied data and calculations from other group for us :) and we untung a a bit because the group calculated more than us so I have to thanks the windows XP :)

If you want to try how is BSOD without really having BSOD, go [here]

Reflection . Future . Life

When a person reach a point of his life, it's inevitable to look back at the past...

looking back the my past 20 year, it's a long journey.

Well, some people have plans until the day they feel it's time for eternity sleep (some even decide where to sleep I think)...some people have no plans for life at all...but there's one thing for sure: plans can never be followed 100%; not even 99.99%

In my life, there's many unexpected journeys...I really did a lot beyond my imagination.

Born in a kampung surrounded by padi, now in University of Michigan pursuing my dreams (is it my dreams?), it is not planned...and much of the times I have no plans :)

My memories of the past is still vivid in my life...

story telling time!
at kindergarten, I'm just an extraordinary normal kid...learning and knowing friends...

And as little child, there's nothing to worried about; it's so carefree...and all those afternoons after school playing with siblings and friends around the residential area...and I never really pressing hard to study...and my parents never gave even tiny pressure on academics...and then to primary school.

And for no reasons I've been selected as school prefect and class monitor...And I know I'm not the "tough" disciplinarian so I've done my jobs pretty well with the Mr Good Guy image.

And then life continues...in secondary school. at first admitted to a newly built school but the study environment was terrible...and if I did not decide to switch to GBS...maybe I've ended up as a billionaire now, who knows :)

The most anticipated class was PE...all classes can be cancelled but PE! and I enjoyed playing football every second even though I'm damn cacat at it.

Maybe it's just DNA, I'm not the talkative guy, I'm not outgoing etc, and maybe people have perceived me as a nerd or an introvert person...whatever, I'm just being myself, I'm not a nerd, I don't really study, I love outdoor activities, I love to be friend with others, I am Unique...

And growing older, on top of being the elder brother of two sisters, I've learned responsibilities. Though my 1st sister & I always quarrel and I always kacau my 2nd sister and never shown as a caring brother, I do care about them; and I must say I'm a home guy who just enjoy go back to home for unexplainable reasons. Home is warm...

I've gained invaluable experiences after elected as the St John Ambulance President in school; that's one of the toughest responsibilities. Imagine you are the leader for an active uniform body not only in school but involved in community. Through interaction with all the officers I've learnt; through all those competitions I'm proud; through leading I'm braver. And there's no other greatest moments after emerged as national first-aid competition champion team and received the Grand Prior highest honor for cadet...

and I was at the turning point of life: after SPM.

Form 6 was my only option after rejected both Matrikulasi and JPA before JPA accepted the appeal.

INTEC was another milestone in my life. With no intention to involve in any clubs , it ended up I being the VP for IE Club. Besides, the 1.5 years was a spiritual journey for me when I finally rediscovered Buddhism.

The path from INTEC to Michigan was a real crazy experience...but I'm happy with my decision to come here and I'm on my way to become the weird plant biologist...

20 years, it's just like yesterday, but yet it is so far away; there's sweet memories, but also evil deeds that I wish I could have not done...but we can never go back, and I bet you won't go back even there's time machine, there's no way we can alter the past to be better...there's no perfect life, we just need to acknowledge the past and keep moving.

People always say life is short; not really. When you live to the fullest, you live to be happy and contentious, life is just nice; learn to enjoy.

drink a cup of coffee, listen to music, admiring the views from windows; or go for a trip, take a break, life is enjoyable...

that's just my view of life. Life is to enjoy, live my way of life...and be happy

So relax huh? How to achieve in life?...no need to work? Don't worry, we can achieve because we believe we can.