Oxford

Welcome to Oxford! We visited Oxford University.

The Old meets the New. A very old building featuring the modern Nokia Communication store! Unique!

Modern HF of Shanghai in old Oxford seems to be having a great time! The wise old just flew in.

Oxford's high street

A very talented street performer with his instruments playing trance! It's amazing to watch him doing it all simultaneously! We ran away before feeling obliged to donation! Yeah, we're cheapskate! *winks!*

Did we end up in the wrong city?? Uhm... no. It is Oxford!

... Building! Old but classic building!

HF seated being taken away by this hypnotising street performer's romantic tunes.

Under-the-spell-of-romantic-music look!

HF on Oxford University ground.

Me, on Oxford University ground.

Oxford University!

Brand New Fiat Punto

When I picked up the car from Leeds-Bradford Airport (LBA), it has only done 1,528 miles of mileage -- quite new. We were supposed to get a smaller 2-doored car, I think was a Ford Ka, but look... brand new elegant Fiat Punto and it has four doors!! We rented the car for 96 hours (4 days) for only 68.75£ from Hertz. I must say it was quite a bargain.

Key to our new ride

I found it hard to believe that I will be driving down to Manchester to pick up HF from her (she did not know about this till I told her I was lost in Manchester city centre). I was over-excited as I have not driven for over a year. I was putting myself together with the much needed confidence to be back on the road! The car was still in the parkade!!


The gear, with a pull-knob into Reverse gear.

Parked in Aspect 14 after driving from Manchester successfully without getting myself into trouble! We were loading up stuffs (especially food! (Hunger may strike!)) and getting ready for our journey! Wales, here we come!

The back of the Punto! We coined a name for it -- our food caravan! Simply because... 75% of the space we had were occupied by food! Imagine two pigs going on a vacation!

The Present

This is me, the present me.

I have indeed gained several pounds over the last 2 years but I have also toned up a few inches of muscles around the chest and arms.

I recalled the times when I was so thin during my teen years. Chopsticks, was one of the names I was known as those days.

I have only 2 sweat shirts and this is my favorite one from University of Saskatchewan's Huskies sports team. I planned to get another set for HF when we go to Canada next year and make all our pictures boring for every places we go -- we're going to be wearing the same clothings everytime. Now, that's ambitious! 

In my arms, always!

 

Among the giants

Giant sunflowers around The Village Hotel's parkade.

HF is always attracted to sunflowers, not the other way round. My sunshine... just as the sunshine is to the sunflower.

Lovely pic!

ISO: 200
Shutter Speed: 1/640 seconds
Aperture: F /8
Focal length: 40 mm
Exposure Program: Manual 

Complimentary fruits by The Village Hotel, Cardiff.

Shot using my newly acquired Canon 350D with its original lens.

ISO: 200
Shutter speed: 1/15 seconds
Aperture: F /5
Focal length: 40mm
Exposure program: Manual
Lighting: Incandescent/bulb lighting 

Cardiff Town Hall

With much regret to even mention this, Cardiff was supposed to be the city where I should have come 2 years ago. A visit to the beautiful and lively city had made me face my sorrows and regrets with positive attributes. Thanks to HF!

I would not have met such a wonderful person as HF had I gone to Cardiff. I'm contended. 

Rock of my heart

My love is steadfast for you, my love, just as the rocks of the Stonehenge, which have stood for over 5,000 years and still going strong (albeit through numerous preservation and restoration processes).

Relaxing on the grounds of the Stonehenge under an amazing weather! When we arrived, those gloomy clouds were already leaving. Unexplanable phenomenon. Lucky, I guess! 

Silhouette of time

An attempt to create a silhouette of the rocks of the Stonehenge, England. The only issue I have with this picture is the numerous clouds in which otherwise would have been a better picture, I supposed. 

Rhossili Bay

Arrived at Rhosilli Bay, Swansea, and was welcomed with such an amazing weather-- bright sunny with clear blue skies and not too many clouds. We parked next to a church with burial grounds (some dated way back to 1885) but thankfully, our vehicle was not spooked.

The bay, recommended by the landlord of The Rock Villa Bed & Breakfast, was indeed an amazing and spectacular. It has deep shore lines probably due to low tides and it looks as though the waters had retreated further out. It was almost half a kilometre walk to the water from the beach. It was not crowded and best of all, it is not comercialized as those of Scarborough's beach.

There are trails and tracks up along steep hills and mounts overlooking the bay. The view was breath-taking. It was very windy and I could not recall a moment without breeze.

Upon arrival, we planned to stay for only 45 minutes but because everything exceeded our expectations, we remained there for 3 hours. It was so beautiful.

Bank robber of sort

Frank Caliendo's Bush Impersonation

A very funny imitation of George W. Bush and Bill Clinton! One of the best impersonation of GWB I've ever heard.

Giant Anaconda's Complex Engineering Bite

My Brother

Happy Birthday to you, Brother!

Nothing could have been better to know you are always there
There are times when I hated you for your annoyances
but that's only because I failed to recognise our differences
and that we are each an individual bonded by love and family
and surely too we share also a lot of similarities since our growing ups.

Nothing could and should tear us apart
although sometimes your stillness and quietness aggravates me much
for I would often cry out for you to look out for me as my elder.
You may have your reasons for doing the things you do
but know that I have much respect for you and I do look up to you.

Happy Birthday, my brother!

Decided

It has come to the time when I have to make one decision for my future. It would involve a biggest sacrifice.

Coming to Leeds Metropolitan University Law School was an unstudied decision and I only realised this after 2 months of attendance. The LL.B degree that will be issued by LMU will not be recognised by the Malaysian government. I had to change university but all universities were reluctant to consider my application into their second year program (see email below). A year past and earlier this year I tried to be admitted into Cardiff University's final year in which I was given an offer. It was declined but they offered me an unconditional offer to do their second year.

The email I received yesterday:
Dear Danny,

Thank you for your recent email. I can confirm that the Director of Overseas
Recruitment have now reviewed your case and I am pleased to confirm that he has
agreed for you to enter Cardiff Law School into year 2.

I have forwarded Academic Registry the details and they will inform UCAS
shortly.

Kind regards


Emma Williams
Admissions Secretary
Cardiff Law School

I have just finished my second year and I am reluctant to do second year again even though Cardiff University's LL.B is recognised by the Malaysian government.

I have recently been employed to work in a food franchise here in Leeds after months of searching. If anything at all, I should consider myself lucky to be employed. To have employment would mean the gain of work experiences. To leave for Cardiff would mean sacrificing 2 things: work experience that was hard to come by, and 1 year's time. The latter is a huge sacrifice in which I do not want to lose at all. A lot can be done and achieved within a year's period.

Instead of doing another year of second year, I could have finished a postgrad study in the Master's level right after I finished LL.B from the crappy substandard LMU's law school.

A mistake of the past is but a mistake of the past. If there should be a remedial action that warrants a bigger sacrifice, then perhaps the mistake should just be left as it is and take it as a lesson learnt so as not to be repeated.

Been wonderful

A couple of weeks ago, I was almost on the verge of giving up staying on in Leeds and thought of heading home for a short vacation if I still could not find any sort of employment. HF could not have been a better blessing -- she informed me about a poster advertising to recruit people to work at a Bagel Nash store that was due to open some time soon. I did what I had to do and two hours later I got an interview and got the job and was to start on Monday, July 31st.

Seemingly unbelievable as I headed home, I kept thanking God and HF for such a wonderful blessing. I would rather be working 12 hours a day than to stay at home doing nothing; and now the most hours I have worked was 10 hours. I have been trained over the past week by extremely warm-hearted and patient people and as a result, I just couldn't help but to benefit from their mentorship.

Besides, the other interesting subject I think is worth mentioning is the best or ideal method for making espresso. James Hoffman, who came fifth place in the World Barista Championship (first place in UK), visited our store to lecture on how to make the best espresso. He has, well, of course, revealed his secrets of coffee brewing and we have all benefited from his lecture. It's not that I will one day become a brewster but it was something I have never thought of knowing or even learned in my lifetime and I do now. "It's so good to know" is all I can say.

I have made a lot of mistakes but that is gradually going down. The start of something is always slow and difficult but with time they will all be overcome. And I'm getting there. It has been an enjoyable experience so far.

Last Wednesday was also my first time to have tried SCUBA diving. Scuba diving and its equipments has long been my curiousity for a very, very long time. It was really fun and a different experience to have put on all diving gears and carrying an air tank on my back in the water; breathing through the air regulator; etc. The frightening part was when we were told that our lungs will 'pop!!' if we had not exhaled (breath out) in the water as we surface because of the difference in air pressure taken in from the air tank. I thought, "This can be fatal?! I don't want to burst like an over-blown balloon IN or OUT of the water!" Soon, after a few practises it all came naturally. Breathing was so natural via the regulator from the tank. The only thing I remembered that I had to manage quite a bit was balancing as I peddle forward in the water.

When all the demonstration was over, I convinced myself to scuba dive again in Malaysia with HF when we go back home. There are simply just so many beautiful things to see underwater -- corals, marine life, etc. -- that I think it would be a shame to miss in life. She is a great person, a person who is not afraid to take up on any challenges... outside of water. IF only I could.

Holographic TV

The future of TV could be nearer than you thought.

Russell Peters Stand Up Comedy -- China Man

Orthodontic retainers

It should not be surprising for those of you who had undergone orthodontic treatments in the past to know what a retainer is; otherwise, it is an appliance used to hold teeth in its new position after orthodontic treatments.

The retainer only needs to be worn a night once a week depending on the person's condition. The teeth is always shifting back to its default, unmoved, and prior to treatment position and the retainer helps to prevent that likelihood. This can be proven whenever it is time to put back on the retainers as you will feel a tightness of misfitting as if like your index fingers to your pinky fingers invertly coming together (see illustration below).

I have always felt this and I still wonder when will the time come when I will be liberated from putting on retainers week after week. Once I asked, "Was the orthodontic treatments effective at all? I mean, if so, why did the orthodontist advised to apply retainers for the rest of my life?" I freaked a little at his last few words. Well, then I told myself that will not happen because then I could have just lost all of my precious teeth and already had a set of detachable fake teeth (like those of old people's) as I approach my golden years.

Over the years, I realised something which I think is significant -- that the body remembers what has been moved and what has NOT be moved; OR what has been different. This body memory has been giving me nightmares about my teeth! I know it sounds very odd but I believe this condition can be related to The Invisible Cripple Syndrome. Often when I do get nightmares about my teeth, I will almost always be in a situation when I will feel a virtual lost or impartial lost of my oral assets OR that horrible feeling of a loosened teeth that is due to come off in all of my teeth and the only thing that is holding them back is its nerve and vein endings still attached inside the gums.

Already in that condition in my dream, to make matters worse, the dream follows a desire to eat; i.e. invited to a party, just stepped into a restaurant, offered some sort of food etc. However, I know (consciously and subconsciously) that that "loosened teeth" condition (teeth falling out) will soon subside and I can do whatever I want with my mouth.

This is the only nightmarish dream that I remember and may seem to be common among teenagers but I attribute this to the fact that the body remembers what it was like before and wants it to be in default its position but it can't because it is being controlled and maintained by this appliance called retainer.

After all, agonies such as the above was for the sake of a good and confident smile. Worth it? In the long run, yes, it is worth it.

Defeat Darth Vader the Japanese way

Intersexual Chimerism

Life at the moment

One year has past since living in the city centre and thankfully I need not move, maybe not just yet and hopefully I don't have to. I recalled the many times I have been moving lugging all new and old things to the new place at least twice a year throughout university time in Canada. It did look like that initially when I moved in and settled in Leeds but I'm praying for peacefulness, at least for the moment.

It was Canada Day yesterday. I sent a postcard of Leeds University featuring the Parkinson Building on a clear sky to my host family who is in Saskatoon. They have a white huskie with blue eyes and I think that was the reason they named it Blèu. The last time I saw Benjamin he was much taller and have grown lots. I am sure he'll be as tall as Jerôme, if not taller. They are all great musicians. They used to bring me to their Mennonite church whenever there was an event going on. We would find ourselves playing boardgames after. That was how I rediscovered my likings to boardgames; e.g. Cranium, Balderdash, Settlers of Catan, Seafarers, etc.

At the moment, life seems to be stalled with no jobs and I'm living out my days at the gym and outside of home. The broadband service at home has ceased due to some miscommunications over BT's end. When broadband is on, we (as in all of us generally) would spend most of our time doing nothing productive. When there's no access, we feel something's missing. So, in short, I guess we're just loving to do nothing. Life without broadband seems empty and HF has just related that she felt empty too.

Been thinking of getting on the road again. I need a job to pay off some bills that comes with the maintenance of the car. That way, HF and I can go just anywhere without relying on others, i.e. public transportations.

I guess that will be all the rantings I have for today.

Is Leeds Metropolitan University good?

I believe many alumni's as well as prospective students would have at one time asked themselves the above question. While there can be no general or specific answer, there can be opinions that may be suggested as answer and the reader will draw his/her own conclusion of what s/he thinks the answer might be.

Still Young
In all honesty, LMU is still considered a young institution. It does not change the fact that although the university is staffed with some experienced employees in the academic fields, the efficiency and the quality of education received by students are below average. Although my conversations with over 20 students cannot be sufficient to prove the preceding statement, it does, however, indicate dissatisfaction among the students for the amount of tuition fees they have paid for -- almost as much as universities in the top 10 rankings per annum.

Leeds Law School (or LMU's Law School)

Educator's standard

Organization/ Orderliness

Your tuition fees' worth

Special days

People call days like Mother's day, Father's day, and birthdays as special days and celebrations to commemorate such days usually entails.

Oddly enough, till today these special days are still as mysterious as the word mysterious is to me. It is not unlike appreciating camera equipments, lenses, or photography where I know the meaning and its value of appreciating it. It is also not unlike having the person you love & cherish around.

I don't look forward to birthdays, not even on my birthdays, and I do not think I have ever looked forward to my birthday since as far as I can remember until recently because of HF. She has somehow sheded new light onto the meaning of birthdays to me. Strange but true. I have tried to understand why some people looked forward to their own birthdays so much and I found that the reason some do that was because they know it will be their happy day where family and friends would gather together and celebrate that moment just for that person; knows that gifts will be received; happy moments created and sometimes perpetuated; add new meaning to life rather than riding on the monotonousness of life.

If this is or has been a problem, then I guess this is just my problem, otherwise this could just be me. I guess my growing up environment was much more than simple comparatively. I guess in our family, we haven't really take occasions such as Birthday celebrations (or any of the Special Days above) as seriously as others. However, I should not make this as an excuse for not doing what should be done. Am I making any sense here? Sigh, maybe all these are just my other empty rantings.

Uranus landing

I know it is totally uncalled for to mention the following, but I have been getting a lot of hits lately to this site from people searching for porn, sex toys, vulva, vulvology, masturbation, escorts, sex, teen sex, Jenna Jameson, etc.

They are NOT here! NONE!

I know I am going to get more hits from this moment forward now that those extra search querry keywords are written down again. Oh, bugger!

A short and significant comment

Previously, I wrote my dilemma and I mentioned that "HF is holding me back with emotional blackmails and threats", well, that is no longer valid.

She was/is not holding me back but is now more supportive & confident in trusting our relationship as I have managed to convinced her to look at things more openly and with a more objective mindset. In fact, she has never held me back as those emotional blackmails and threats could not amount to the natural meaning of being held back, but rather a state of feelings in which I felt really bad about having made my decisions without much explanation as to what I have decided.

Therefore, this short posting would have negate the words "... is holding [me] back" in that posting.

Pillars of stories

At the foot of Christ, this pillar is one of the many pillars of Notre Dame that tells a tale of Genesis Chapter 3 where the deception in The Garden of Eden happened. 

Dandelion Says Caress me Please

I simply love the way HF reacts in this video. Makes me laugh everytime I watch this.

Musée Louvre

One of the hundreds or thousands of sculptures inside the Louvre museum. This one is found in the Denon Access area while on our way to meet world renowned Mona Lisa.