Friday, January 1, 2016

Selamat tinggal 2015, selamat datang 2016

Its that season of the year again: social medias are showered with peoples' reflections. And in all honesty, 2015 is a year full of the unpredictables. In wordier reflections, it is also the year where:

I end my International Baccalaureate Programme!
My first half of the year was monotone, it was all about struggling in my study - something I never felt like my thing, fighting the doubts from people around me, while overcoming my own fears towards the dready IB exam. Almost gave up on Mathematics Higher Level because our teachers did. But eventually Alhamdulillah I passed! The end result was better, at least than what I expected. The underdog made it!


I have no idea where I gonna pursue my study next
Our sponsors said that passing the requirement would get you to study abroad, but I learnt that is at least whats written in the initial agreement. My post-IB plot, in the middle of the year, was much complicated than the written agreement. If a smooth sea never made a skillful sailor, then me and my batch-mates should be thankful for the hurricane. Our fate was tightly dependent on currency, which was staggering days by days. 2015 was criticized for its comical economic growth, and it affected us to a certain degree of commotion. We had a lot of dramas involving mara HQs, lecturers, parents and even politicians. Sponsored students become an issue. I already imagined myself in some Australian university, or even Malaysia's I remember dont really mind anymore. But in less than one month from uni commencing date, we were given the green light for studying in the UK! Despite the craziness of that one month (getting CAS, TB test, VISA process) and the pain in the neck RM1=6.70gbp, Alhamdulillah I am in the UK now. In fact studying was the only reason that'd allow me to set foot on my land of birth (since a holiday in Europe is a luxury to me) and I was given that one chance.  I couldn't be any more grateful.

My uni campus map!


I didn't know I can miss so many people  
This is not a lovey dovey stuff. Almost at every places I go and for all the beautiful things I see, I always, always imagine seeing it with my family and friends. I wonder how exciting it must be if they're with me now. And there are times where I felt very nostalgic about old memories and little details, even they are just my mere acquaintances. And to your wonder, I don't get homesick, in fact I felt weirdly closer to my families, probably because there's endless list of every possible way to stay in touch, which I would hardly utilized if I'm still in Malaysia,

I discovered new things
Including things about myself, alpacas and kilts. And I fell in love with studio culture! All this while people been telling me about what its like to be an architecture students, but I never know what it really felt like. Now I'm experiencing it, I really like to make a separate post about this one day. Btw felling in love doesn't mean I'm acing my subjects (my interim review was bad), but then of course there's always new things to be learnt everyday ;)

I'm back in action again ecewah
My second year in IB was totally boring because I resolved to just focus on IB and nothing else. But I dont think I can bear the feelings of not being busy. So my second half of the year, I decided to take part in things I wanted before I regret not doing anything in life. I played netball (where I remember feeling very very stress bcause I'm lacking stamina) and had training with the locals, whose playing styles are way different, extremely fast and tall (obviously).

Sometimes I believe life is like driving a car. If you just focus on the road throughout the journey, and when accident happened (or you reached you destination), you might regret the fact that there are other important things that you need to focus along with the road, like the rear side mirror, cermin belakang etc?

With that being said I am also part of the Sheffield Malaysian Games committee, and I joined UKEC! I honestly dont know how I make it to the team in the first place but I am so happy to be a part of these amazing people, and I really look forward for a great (and busy) year ahead!

UKEC Executive Council 2015/2016












Your Executive in the Connect Office






made tonnes of new friends
Malaysians and non-Malaysians! Making friends across the worlds is definitely a booster in restoring humanity. I'm glad I am surrounded by close friends that doesn't do clubbing and drinking. But I really hate to think what would happen once I done my study here. I hate to think that many of these people will just walk away from my life. But thats what most people do anyway.

I did two websites!!!
Never have I imagine that I'll be handling website for real! With real domains! I didn't expect my website skills that was just for fun in ITGS class would be so useful in my days now. They were both Sheffield Games website and UKEC's although sadly, my colleague have revamped the UKEC website now so you cant see my works there. But you can still go to sg.smsa.org.uk to see the first website I do!

 And lots of graphics!!
After all these years, I got a Macbook finally! And for real, I legally bought the expensive Adobe Creative Cloud out of desperate because UK's implementation of stopping torrent/piratebay is real people. In a positive way I felt like it motivates me to never stop making designs.

My unfiltered expression when unboxing the mac for the first time, mak had to layan me of course




I didn't know my Photoshop and Illustrator hobbies can earn me good times, even here in England! Having all those skills in architecture seems to be added-value (and its probably the reason some of the student from my course actually talk to me).

But that aside, I am really grateful my niece Arifah  introduced me to photoshop when I was in primary school. She doesn't know this (kalau arifah baca ni, thank you arifah!), but that was the moment I am attracted to photoshop and started to figure out how I can get it for free. At 14, I managed to own an illegal crack of photoshop and it was the beginning where I played a lot with them. Excuse me if I sound like an old brag, I just wanted to pinpoint the fact that all the things you once learnt will always benefit you sooner or later!

Also, the year where I look forward for a new year!
And the best thing about new year is of course, how everyone - regardless of who you are - is given another chance to start all over again. Although I never believe in new year resolutions, although I always think its something more nicer to be said than done, but I think I really need one now.


I dont know if anyone still read my blog, but happy new year! Lets make a better 2016 if not for someone else, at least for yourself!
Thank you for browsing through my rant! You already make a better 2016 for myself ;P