Flight of Fantasy

... Or rather 'Drive of Fantasy'. The last few posts have been quite serious and formal, so I've decided to break the tense and deliver something more eye-pleasing.

Welcome everyone, to the first Gran Turismo 6 photo entry. Gran Turismo 6 (GT6) is a PS3 racing simulator, so it isn't in the same league as the other car games. Notice how I said simulator? It's because this game simulates the laws of Physics virtually, and all the details aren't misplaced. In this game, when you approach a bend/corner, you need to brake adequately - like in real life - then downshift a few gears, execute the turn, then gently apply the throttle. Basically you apply what you do to a real life car in this game. I was quite surprised when I took an in-game photo inside the cabin of the BMW M4 and it turned out very, very familiar to the one in real life. I felt frankly at home with that shot.

These are some random shots I've done and snapped around. Some of them are drifts and slides. Now keep in mind, drifting in this game isn't like those of Need For Speed or Burnout anyhow. Well since this game is a simulator, all the inputs are close to real life. To execute a beautiful drift like this, you don't tap the brake then stomp the accelerator. In this case, you need to switch off the traction control - that's a system that avoids wheelspin, which is what you want in drifting but not in daily driving - then search for your power band, it's usually the low gears, the BMWs do well in the 2nd to 3rd gear. Next approach the turn, and press on the throttle. Throttle control is important here. Then apply some counter steer. That's the basics, easier said than done.

Without further ado, here's the photoshoot, cars driven by, and pictures taken by Your's Truly.

(Click for a bigger pic, rollover for captions)

And a real BMW M4 for comparison

I know my friend Qays is a fan of Beemers and I'm certain that somewhere in his wish list is owning an M5. I can imagine the following situation as his calm evening escape around The City Of Arts and Science in Valencia. Perhaps with his significant other, who knows?

The following scene would portray Peeq and Faiq on their business trip around Ronda, Spain.

The sight of an R8 even a mile away would cause the little child in us to experience an explosive squirm, so I've had a go with this one.

This is Ayep's dream ride, I could imagine him picking up Nick from a fancy walk around Piazza Duomo, Syracruse.

And there I am in the Nissan GT-R, affectionately known by many enthusiasts as Godzilla, picking up my future date.

I've never liked the R8 before, too over-rated, too conventional, but after I took it around Bathurst in New South Wales, Aussie. I kinda like it's quattro handling. I might give it a chance.

 And I took a McLaren 12C down the long highway, acah-acah balik kampung. 

That's about it for now. I might do another photoshoot in the future. We'll see. Hope you enjoyed the gallery.

'Till then.

An Ode to Camaraderie

1st of June marks my registration in UiTM Melaka, thus begins then a new chapter of the story we call Life. It has been a long, winding journey since the days of MCKK and surely many memorable events has come and passed. Even then, there are an abundance of memoirs and people left engraved in my heart. Most of them are from the alma mater, but I've met a lot of interesting personalities along the way.

The past few months spanning from the arduous days of Asasi till this very second I'm breathing has been an emotional and spiritual rollercoaster ride. Only held onto the ride by my faith to Him, and a helping hand from my comrades, I was able to survive and thrive to this moment. Well at least I can finally say, I couldn't have done it without you guys.

Stepping into the new chapter, the anticipation of new challenges are unavoidable. Three years plus another four for degree and a few more for Masters, but that's another chapter waiting to be unfold in the future. Even then the path ahead lies with a cornucopia of ups and downs. There is no speck of doubt that an impetus is paramount in plowing through this obstacle.

I was blessed enough to have good company in this course of life, and I cherish those who I've met along the and are always close, and they have become my impulse to succeed in this future studies.

From left: Nurzam, Yours Truly, Rifqi, Nasir, Faiq, Azim, Aiman, Safuan, Izzat

These are the people who ignited the spark. The drive. The energy. This is the Editorial Board of '12 (minus Izzat on the right). These are fantastic people to be with. For instance, Nurzam, our graphics designer, one of the best there is, always a good friend and classmate. Affectionately known as Hamster by our colleagues. Then there's Rifqi the coffee enthusiastic lead photographer, also SIC. Very good musician. Drove me once to Chief's because I had no transport after the MUET test. Some say his body burns coffee like a combustion engine and that he thought that Star Wars was a documentary. All we know is he's Rifqi Ghazali. The next man on the list is Megat, or better known as Chief, simply because he's the chief. More on him later. Faiq is the imported character in this story. The one photographer from Thailand. His head is literally harder than diamond, after so many ordeals with the goalposts and the 'longkangs'. The next bloke in the lineup is Azim or Qays as most of them know him, the most successful financier since the inception of this A-team. He raised 50k from scratch in half a year. Highest collection of all time. Also worth mentioning he's a BMW fan as well. Aiman is the person that never lets you down. He's the always-dependable person. The wacky one in the group, he never fails to entertain the company when all is going tight. Then comes Safuan aka Sapu aka Benny aka Jimmy Hopkins aka Vega aka Sapudor. Yep, all those nicknames are valid. Toughest cameraman on the block. He auditioned for Hulk recently but got turned down because the female crew kept hitting on him. And there's Izzat Zalis, or Jack. Those in the debating circle would already recognize him. He was featured in the school's magazine in '12. He's always there for me since his enrollment  in '11. Technically legally a hotstuff. Girls, I have his number feel free to ask for it  :P

What were we looking at?

Where were we? Ah, yes the man himself. The brain of the team. He's Megat Nasir. The man is two-parts-Tony Stark-to-one-part-Nathan Drake. Nothing could describe him better than The Prodigy. A person with relentless pursuit towards knowledge, he's the one calling the shots during the development of our magazine. A distant brother and a great friend. We have always said our minds were linked with Bluetooth. He's always there when I was at my lowest. No matter what the conditions were, he never failed to lend me a hand when I slipped and fell. Especially when I failed my Chemistry paper, and was dismissed. I will always remember his support throughout this journey.

Looking young

This almost-nose-picking bloke is Khan Hamidy. We call him Khansdos. He's the first person I knew back in MCKK as he registered the same moment as me, so we got to know each other in the office before making our way to the dorms. Very funny guy. Plays rugby thus the very bulky physique. He's just completed his Engineering foundation at PALAM.

From left: Adib, Aidil, Khan

One of our memorable moments is when we registered at the same day, then five years later after so many exams and tests, we said our farewell to the alma mater on the same day and headed off back home at the same moment, because I hitched a ride in his dad's car. It was as if we were destined to come and go at the exact same time.

There's the shades

Never without his shades is Mag Malik, the wise one. He's the inspiration towards going through Masscom. The one with the advice. He's the matured one among us. Probably because he's slightly aged than me but that doesn't matter, he's still young inside, full of energy.

I often turn to him and Mr. Dad to ask for some of their invaluable opinions on certain choices in life. Still undergoing degree in TESL. he has very high knowledge in the language background, namely linguistics.

He's not a hitman

To me, he's like a brother whose always there with his never ending support. An eccentric writer himself and a massive fan of Youtuber TheRadBrad, he aims to put Malaysia on the map where Let's Plays are concerned. I'd like to join and become co-presenter as well, but that fantasy would take a lot of years to become true.

And there's the sage of life skills, Redzuan. Pardon me for the dated picture but he still looks good. A master in FIFA, he's the brother with the tips whether it be in FIFA or in life. Once called me a hobo for picking me up in the middle of nowhere. I promise you, it was literally in the middle of no where! Blame RapidKL for not following its prescribed route.



My time in Asasi wasn't time wasted.

A1 up to A5 in its entirety

This is the whole lecture hall with our Physics lecturer Prof Hj Ahmad, who reminds me of Dad. It's been a while since I've met these people. Heck, the last time I've met them was the final time I met them when I said my good byes and signed my resignation forms. It was a forlorn moment as I knew meeting these people again would be next to impossible. Even if we had our misunderstandings, we got back together closer than before. These wonderful people have already received their results last week. I pray that the future is bright for them, and I'm certain it is paved with success, especially for the likes of the front row usual, Mas, TJ, the boys and all the other students in this picture. Even though I didn't had the chance to get to know all these people long, I knew these people are close together, like a huge family with a colorful background. I had the opportunity to be deskmates (?) with Johan, awesome genius that bloke. There's also Suraya whom I knew because she's always at the front end of the hall, where Johan and I sat especially during Chemistry. Not forgetting the Class Reps, we have Izzat from A1, then former Class Rep of A2, umm, me, then there's A3 whom I haven't recognized. From what I've heard A3 doesn't have any singular Rep, as they have each for every subject. Might be the case, if not plausible. Then there's the most approachable leader in the hall, representing A4 is Najib Khaidir. His remarkable leadership skill is most likely because he shares the name with the Prime Minister, or because he's a natural leader. Most likely the latter. A5 is represented by Dan, which I usually chat on our PSN accounts.

From left: Front row: Zahid, Din, Ikhwan, TJ, Fydo, Acap, Paeh

Second row: Mekjah, Lia, Jaja, Miss Sabrina, Liyana, Tina, Sandy, Tykah, Sh Husna

Third row: Mizz Nina, Alynn, Damia,  Sab, Mas, Ainaa, Atim, Zue, Azuin, Hajar O, Ecah, Diyana, Idayu

A few weeks left before I head off to UiTM Lendu, I would just like to thank all of the people who was there by my side. Hope we will meet each other again in the future.

'Till then.

Pictures credit in order to Rifqi Ghazali, Khans, Mag and Farah Asyiqin.

A Glimpse of the Future

Every time you drive your car, how often do you ponder on the small things that work in unison to drive you and your vehicle forwards? It’s the oily bits, the engine and the lot under the hood that’s doing all the mojo, which can be quite complicated for the uninitiated, but you don’t need a college degree to know it runs on petrol, or diesel if you drive a truck or lorry. Those who drive on a daily basis should know that it isn’t cheap filling up your tank with petrol, and with the increase of petrol prices and the high cost of living nowadays, it is imperative that an alternative, cheaper if possible, source of energy is needed, and that in itself is the conundrum that I personally think we are facing in the current status quo. A sustainable, relatively cheaper energy source to run our vehicles so that we won’t empty our pockets simply to ferry ourselves to work.

The Japanese automobile industries, namely Toyota, have taken a step forward in reducing the consumption of fuel in our everyday commute by introducing the hybrid technology in 1997 with the zippy family car, the Prius. After several improvements to the hybrid drivetrain over the years, the Prius is the most popular family hybrid sedan, in the world, though it has received so much resent from the petrolhead community for much unknown reasons. Other popular hybrids on our roads today are the likes of the Honda Insight, the famous sports hybrid Honda CR-Z, Jazz hybrids, Civic hybrids, a range of high end Audis mainly A5 onwards, a few BMWs with the ActiveHybrid badge.

Hybrids work by coupling an electric motor with a normal car engine to work hand in hand. At low speeds normally around 30kph, the internal combustion engine shuts down completely and the car cruises, or rather crawls around by the power of electricity. A battery feeds energy to an electric motor that spins the wheels, thus saving fuel and in turn, saving money! Another advantage is, during acceleration from a stop, where a normal combustion engine would guzzle a lot of fuel to get things going building up torque as the gear rises, the hybrid would start to drive forward using the electric motor with instantaneous torque, and when the car is at a suitable driving speed, the combustion engine kicks in taking over the drivetrain. A combustion engine takes in so much fuel during start-stop traffic like those in urban areas such as Kuala Lumpur that it severely reduces fuel economy. Plus, to add to the reduced fuel economy, start-stop traffic is highly strenuous to the parts of the engine.

So, why don’t we just switch off the combustion engine and just run on electricity? We could, and that could ultimately save a lot of our petrol cash, right? Well, sort of, because there’s a catch, it doesn’t last long. A typical hybrid could last around 30km to 40km per charge before the batteries dry out and the combustion engine takes over while charging them. A sub 40km range is sufficient for urban driving and it saves considerable amount of petrol cash, and it gives off less fumes too.

I’ve learned that short drives and cold starts are a factor of fast degradation in engine performance. Believe it or not, a 30km drive on the freeway is more economical and easy on the engine compared to a 5km journey to your office. I’ve done a small survey out of ten people around my area on the ranges they drive daily and the number of cold starts. Cold starts are when you first start your engine in the morning and drive without warming up the engine first.  Six out of ten reportedly drove below than 10km every morning simply to buy groceries, breakfast or simply sending their children to school. A short drive is very harmful to the internals of your car. Fuel economy would be the least of your concerns. Plus, have you ever had the thought of 1.5 tons of steel just carrying one person around? Doesn’t it sound like a waste of petrol, especially when one travels short distances just for relatively trivial errands?

Some readers might have already realized a few paragraphs earlier that the hybrid technology isn’t the silver bullet in reducing your petrol expenditure by much, but it might save relatively a lot for those short range drivers. So, what could be the next step to solve all these problems of trying to curb fuel expenditure and such?

It’s closer to you than you think, it’s coursing through your room, powering up all your devices. Yes, it’s electricity. Welcome everyone, to the future.

“But Syazwan, I thought you said electricity wasn’t reliable?”

Yes, I agree but to some extent. An electric car works almost similar to a hybrid; just without the petrol engine and it has a larger battery for more juice. There are a few prominent electric vehicle companies around the globe. The most prominent would be Tesla Motors. We have the Nissan Leaf on our shores, and the Mitsubishi i-MiEV.

“How much would one of these set me back?”

Looks decent to me

Oh God! Who designed that?

Uhm, right, it’s around above RM100,000. Without insurance. Yes, it might sound ludicrous but if you consider it as a long time investment, it suddenly doesn’t sound so absurd. Consider this, charging up a flat battery to full, which gives you a maximum range of approximately 150km, costs you about RM3.50. A conventional petrol car, say a Golf GTi, needs around 12 litres of petrol to do 150km, and that costs around RM25 per fill at the current price. Imagine doing that for a year, how much you would save if you often travel around town and back. Let’s say, you charge it up every night, so RM3.50 x 30 x12 which gets you a yearly cost of RM1260. In comparison, you would fill your car, let’s say around 3 times a week. That would be RM25 x 3 x 4 x 12. Your yearly fuel consumption would be RM3600. You wouldn’t save much but it shows promise that you could cut costs. Plus, because it doesn’t have an engine, it has less moving parts, and your yearly maintenance costs are reduced. No cylinders, no filters, no pumps, not tailpipes, no exhaust fumes. You only need to change the brake fluids and the tyres. Road tax is charged by the lowest price possible, which is a frugal RM10, and the insurance is priced based on a 660cc engine. See, so there’s still some compromise between buying an electric car and a conventional petrol car.

All electric five-door sedan, Tesla Model S.

Let’s be realistic here, electric vehicles generally aren’t the most eye catching car on the roads, though the Tesla Model S looks very futuristic. It isn’t the most reliable vehicle for long distance driving. It isn’t as big as the other hatches. So, you might be wondering what might justify even a thought to buy one of these oversized golf carts.

In the future, technology would surpass all these cars we see now. Man will find more efficient ways to utilize energy, but before we reach that stage, this is the first leap into the future. We are the pioneers of the future automotive technology.  

The first all-electric supercar from the chaps at Affalterbach

Rewriting the meaning of sports cars

In the distant future, I am certain this EV tech could be perfected. You might not be saving much, but you’re actually saving much more. You are saving Mother Earth. But what’s more important is, when you buy an electric vehicle, you also buy a promise. 

A promise that even when there’s no other option, when the fuel sources are too expensive, too hard to find, the electric vehicles does at least show us cars will live on in our lives.

Start of A New Chapter

After a while doing nothing and basically floating around lifeless while my peers finish up the foundations and A-Levels, I was accepted for an interview for the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, or the more popular term for it would be Masscomm. A diploma course for Masscomm. Finally, a step into the right direction.

Masscomm is notorious for its interview sessions and I am sure many would take their time searching for sources online for tips and tricks for the interview. Well here I am about to share with you readers my experience on the hot seats. 

~~~

I received a notification text from UiTM stating to check their online portal 5 days prior the interview, and my preparation began. I scoured the world wide web for two things, interview tips, and previous Masscomm interviews (Here, here, here and here) and there I've learned a plethora of invaluable lessons.

You might have already noticed that the interview consists of two parts. The first one is the written test while the second, spoken.

The written test is very very important. Why? You'll know soon enough. 

Now, the written test is only 30 minutes and you'll have to answer 3(three) questions at about 200 words.

The questions are:

1.     Write what you know about Masscomm

2.     Why did you choose this program

3.     What will you contribute to this program after you are accepted

I'm quite certain no one can crack up a 200+word quality essay in 30 minutes, so prepare a draft that you will follow for the written test. Write a few days before you face the exam and get familiar with the points you would like to present, keep your handwriting tidy and in the essay, it is imperative to sell yourself. Show them why they should choose you. Make a powerful impression on the paper.

For instance, this is my draft but it isn't exactly the same to the one I wrote on paper.

           The Faculty of Communication and Media Studies of UiTM is one of the best gateways to enter the media industry such as journalism, public relations, broadcasting, and advertising. After careful analysis, I discovered that this course intends to groom the students in order to succeed in their respective fields in the media industry to achieve a global standard. 

I see this course as a stepping stone for my success. I am aiming to become an editor for a magazine. This is mainly because I am enthusiastic in writing articles that I am passionate about. For instance, I am really into cars, thus I would spend an entire evening cracking the thinking cap looking for issues to address regarding the automotive industry. Plus, I had the privilege to be the head of journalism back then in my school, which is The Malay College. I paraphrase one of my English teacher’s quote that she said I wrote too many articles for my school’s magazine and weekly flyers that editing might be my raison d’etre in my school. 

                I am planning to contribute to the society with a few ways in mind. One of which sees me writing articles on awareness of current issues mainly on environment, but I am confident to say that I may become a journalist in a press first before moving on to my personal company or similar.

After 30 minutes has passed, hand in your paper to the invigilators, most likely two persons, and if you haven't realized yet, they will be the panel of interviewers for the next session so always show good manners at all times.

On to the spoken test.

Before you are summoned to the interview room, get your documents ready, get yourself ready. If you need to go to the lavatory, do so now! There will not be a chance to visit the loos when you're interviewed in the freezing temperatures.

You might've noticed they'd given you a list with your names with numbers before the written test. That isn't the order you will be called for the interview. You will be called randomly by the sequence of the papers you have submitted a few minutes ago, and they will read it before calling you in. That's why I told you the written test is important. The invigilators will analyse you before even meeting you.

When you are called in, mute your phone or just switch it off, knock on the door and wait till they say "Come in" or so, offer salam if you're Muslim or greetings if you're non-Muslim,  

~~~

My first major interview session in my life went as the following, butterflies in my stomach ensues:

Interviewer : Have a seat, umm, Syazwan right?
Syazwan Bahri : Yes, that would be me. Thank you sir. Here are my documents and I’ve brought along my certificates.
IV : Four years of interviewing, after around 500 candidates, this is the first time interviewed someone from The Malay College. So, you walk into here bringing high expectations from us.
SB : Yes sir.
IV : This course, if you are accepted, isn’t conducted here but in UiTM Melaka. Did you know that?
SB : Yes, I am informed, sir.
IV : Okay. Have you done your homework?
SB : Homework, sir?
IV : Yes, homework? Have you read anything, or done anything to prepare yourself?
SB : Yes sir. I have done a lot of reading the past few months.
IV : Okay good. Let’s start. Introduce yourself.
SB : Before that I would like to thank both of you sirs for giving me the opportunity introduce myself. My name is Muhamad Syazwan Bin Shamsul Bahri. As you know I had my education at The Malay College. I've done Foundation in Science at UiTM Puncak Alam before this but didn't manage to finish it. My father is a lecturer at UMT and my mother is a housewife. I am the eldest of four siblings, that’s including me.
IV : Your father’s a lecturer? From what faculty is he?
SB : He’s a lecturer from the Faculty of Food Sciences.
IV : I see. Why didn’t you follow his footsteps, to be a scientist?
SB : Well as you remember, I’d attempted once before but I failed a paper even after struggling with said subject. I thought it wasn’t my cup of tea.
IV : What subject?
SB : It’s Chemistry. It has been my weakest link since SPM.
IV : Oh, so that means you’re not a science people lah. Kalau orang Kelate sebut “buke oghe sains ah dok?”
SB : [chuckles] Haa betul lah tu.

[At this point I could sense the air was no longer tense, maybe because the interviewers are taking this easy, or my breakfast has finally settled down with the butterflies deep inside. Either way, this session is starting to go my side, or so I think it is]

IV : So, why are you interested in Masscomm?
SB : Well, I’m really interested in this course. It’s because I’m interested in writing. In my free time at home I always read magazines and books. I’m thinking of becoming an editor, specifically for the Top Gear magazine. I'm really enthusiastic in cars, especially the motorsport sector. Back in my school I wrote a lot of articles and stories for the school magazine. Plus I have skills in communication. I was the Exco of External Affairs back in MCKK and was often the Master of Ceremonies during events. So I thought that I could further develop my skills here.
IV : What did your parents say when you told them you were going to take Masscomm?
SB : At first they were silent. I knew they wanted me to pursue a professional course but after a while of thought, they approached me and said “Abang, whatever floats your boat. We will always support you.”
IV : Being an MCKK student, you always get visits from the ministries. Is that right?
SB : At times from the Sultan too, yes.
IV : Interesting. So can you name me the Sultan of Perak?
SB : Sultan Azlan Shah.
IV : That’s right. It was easy. Kalau belajar kat Perak tak tahu nama Sultan, susah ye dok? So, can you name me the Minister of Education?

[The moment I heard the word ‘minister’, my brain instantly had a nervous reflex, heartbeat started to race again. I knew I was going to fumble somewhere, and it didn't took long]

SB : Sultan Muhyiddin Yassin.
IV : Sultan? You mean Tan Sri Muhyiddin?
SB : Oh yes! Sorry, I meant Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

[A quick deep breath calmed me down, now regained composure, but it certainly didn’t help me for the next question]               

IV : Who’s the second Minister of Education?

[I knew I was screwed, but I kept focused and remained calm. I can imagine there was hundreds of tiny me inside my head scouring for folders for names of the ministers that I may have come across while doing my research]

SB : [Calmly]Is it Rosland Hussein?
IV : No it’s Idris Jusoh.
SB : Oh, my bad*.

[Later, I discovered that Tn Hj. Rosland Hussein was the Director for Bahagian Pengurusan Sekolah Berasrama Penuh dan Sekolah Kecermelangan(BPSBPSK), and I picked up his name on my certificate from my Malay College Youth Development Summit ’12. *Note: Apologize professionally and not like me. That’s wrong; you should say something like “Pardon me” or “My mistake”]

IV : You said you have interest in writing. Have you written anything?

[I’ve been wondering when to whip out the ace in the deck; the opportunity presented itself during a pivotal moment]

SB : I’ve done a few articles but sadly it’s in my blog, but I bought along my school magazine in the year I was involved with. Would you like to see it?

[I proudly took out the magazine from my bag and walked around the table and gave it to them. They might’ve realized my hands were slightly trembling, might be from the intense anticipation, or I was nervous]

IV : Wow, it’s very nice. Very beautiful. 

SB : Thank you sir.

[Trying hard not to blush, nor to kembang hidung. While the first interviewer was busy flipping pages marvelling at the masterpiece, his partner who was busy checking my certificates and documents earlier on stepped in]

IV#2 : You said you were involved in that. Explain.

SB : As you can see, I was the Head of Journalism. I was in charge of the articles, the event reports, proofreading, and grammar checks.

IV : Who made this concept? Did the teacher design this?

SB : No. In all honesty it’s all the students’ effort. Everything! From designing to financing.

IV : Seeing all this, I wouldn’t hesitate to accept you as one of my student because I’m from publishing, and you said you had interest. [Pauses for a while] How do you b interact with noisy people, or other people in that sense?

[Deep inside I knew that I despised rowdy rough people who didn’t understand the concept of being mannerly]

SB : Some say that I’m an extrovert. I interact well with people. Back in the days at my school, there were a few groups of students. They were all good company but some were a bit loud but I can mingle with all of them. I don’t mind interacting with any of them.

IV : That’s good, because there’s a problem. 

SB : Problem, sir?

IV : I think your standards are higher. We accept students even with parents with very low salaries like farmers because that’s our responsibility to expand the potential of those who can’t afford. I’m afraid that you can’t mix with these types of people.

SB : I’m confident I can mix well. I had close friends whose parents were fishmongers, but that was relatively okay, because a few of my close friends were orphans.

IV#2 : I have to warn you, budak-budak Masscomm havoc sikit.

IV : Lecturer pun havoc jugak.

SB : It’s okay. It’s an experience I’m willing to go through.

IV : Well, I think that’s all for this interview. Is there any questions?

SB : Actually yes. Is there anything of my interview that concerns you sirs?

IV : No, nothing. Just we are only concerned about you. If you are accepted I hope you can cope with the students there.

SB : InshaAllah, I’m sure I can.

IV : Well hope to see you in Malacca.

SB : Hope so. Thank you. Salam.

~~~

As I walked out of them room, with the magazine and documents still in hand, I felt confident but still worried. They thought I was 'overqualified', but let God decide whether it's best for me or not. I pray it's the former. I managed to make some new friends too. Nevertheless, the best part after the interview was getting a huge burden off your shoulders.

Quite a good place to stay this. Just beside UiTM Dungun cmapus

The exterior of the hotel. The campus on the left.

Post-interview beach walk.

                               

Never a Case Unsolved

I was never much of a television series fan, except for Top Gear, because of the segmented storylines and inside jokes. Yes, I know, that is what makes a television series feel special and unique, but what if you missed a chunk of the earlier episodes and you picked up inn the middle of a season? That's the only reason that kept me away from any television series, until now.

I introduce you BAFTA, Emmys and Golden Globe award winner television series Sherlock. A classic tale based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's masterpiece with a contemporary twist. Now, I'm quite certain every time someone hears the word 'adaptation', a little part of them died inside. Why? Because most of the adaptation of past pieces, for instance a viral zombie movie based off a video game or balls of dragon Z, hasn't really caught the attention of many simply because it isn't as close to the original. Many of the elements were missing.

This one is special, unique. Most of the elements are in place. The characters are faithfully recreated and not even the most minor characters are left out.Speaking of characters, the brilliant detective is played by British sweetheart Benedict Cumberbatch, and his loyal partner Dr John Watson is portrayed by Martin Freeman.

One thing I really like about this series, as to Top Gear, is their witty British humour. I promise you, you can never find Brit humour boring. The series is in its third season now since it's conception is 2008. Yes, I'm quite late writing this review of some kind. 

As an end note, I highly suggest you catch up on the series. For those in Malaysia, tune into AXN this 27th of February for the premiere of the much anticipated Season 3. Trust me, you'll love it.

Bye now

A Shift in Paradigm

   After a while away from the dusty recesses of my Blogosphere, I've decided to jump back into the cradle. It raises the question, "Why return back? What reignited the spark?". It's been quite the roller coaster ride since my last post. Many events have happened. Lots have changed. If I were to list down what had happened and what had changed in the past few months, it would span a few pages and it would stretch this entire page like mozzarella cheese on an Italian cheeses pizza special. Either way, this would be a long one, so I beg you, bear with me for a moment.

   I'd love to sum everything up, but that would just defeat the entire purpose of writing this post, wouldn't it? Besides, sharing you what happened is way more wholesome than simply condensing the story.

Well, where should I start? Ah! Regarding my last post before this post (see post below), I kindly ask you to disregard it, please. It's quite a long story, but to entertain the curious minds, I'll tell you the shorter version of what happened. Getting used to PALAM life was tough, studying Science for a foundation course. I've tried my best, and unfortunately, it got the best of me. It's a legit reason to be devastated as I've been through some hard times after my dismissal. I never thought the course wouldn't be perfect for me. I never got the grasp of Chemistry and I've just realized that I've been memorizing almost everything since SPM. Nevertheless, every dark cloud has a silver lining.

   I have discovered what I love to do. Writing. It doesn't matter either writing random rants or serious issues. I just love to write articles for anyone to read. You see, I spent most the final year in Koleq writing journals and articles, and I never regret those lost time massing all those words. I didn't mind spending countless hours in the editorial room doing all these tasks, simply because I enjoy what I was doing. The final product was the very definition euphoria. The inexplicable feeling when you've finished you last words of the story. It's just surreal. It feels as if I'm compiling a story that would happen only once in this celestial universe, and if you look at it that way, it's more than just compiling words. Moreover, those who know me tends to relate me with my endless babble of stories that amuse both the teller and the listener. To me, telling a story is a heart-to-heart kind of feeling. I try to put you readers, and listeners, in my position and attempt to make you experience my story as if it was unfolding before your very eyes. It's special. It's fun.

I consider my greatest achievement, so far.

   And you know what? That's not the end of my passionate past times. This is already clear to most of my peers. I'll reiterate, making this crystal clear, I am really passionate about automobiles, chiefly cars. Why, you ask? It's actually a childhood thing, revived. I used to like cars a long time ago, when the clutch and petrol prices never made any sense to me. Now, it's a more detailed experience with a more intimate knowledge towards the systems, the driver aids, the performance of each vehicle. I would kindly ask you not to mistake me as an angry yob blasting their fart cannons driving all recklessly around town. I'd like to think myself as the pacifist of the roads. But show me a proper race track, mostly go kart, and I'll happily demonstrate that driving is more than just the pedals and the steering wheel. It's way more than the arduous twists and turns on the track, more than the speed, more than anything. It's closer than than you think. It's about understanding the machine, as the machine would understand you requests. My daddy always tells me, always treat the car as an extension of yourself. It's complex at first, but I grasped the gist of it. Even though I might be a hardcore care enthusiast, I am not the best of drivers.

   This blog of mine, it has been here since 2008, if I'm not mistaken. It holds many interesting personalities of Syazwan Bahri over the past. But I personally think it's time for an overhaul. Perhaps a change of background would be welcomed, and maybe a swap of colour palette. And that blog title, needs a touch of literary improvement. What say you?

   So, we return to the main conundrum, why my return after being a recluse? The answer is, simply a welcoming whisper where my heart truly belongs. Expect me to write a lot more now and then.

Thanks for your time