Since, I’ve been going on a trend which blogs about the things around me (in my country) and its issues. I’ve decided to stick on to this trend. I shall call it the “Nonsense Friday”, just so cause it has nothing to do with me, but it’s all about the people, the place or the things around me. I think I’m so full of myself in events and trips from Saturday till Thursday. Let’s give it a break, shall we? Here’s the new topic: If you have been following the media, you’d know that the subject of Abolishing UPSR and PMR has been the headlines for at least few days. I, for one feels that every Education Minister in our country that took over this post has been trying and vying to show or prove something to the nation, by making outstanding but crazy and ridiculous decisions. And such decisions has not been well implemented over the past many ministers and past many years. I’d personally object to this idea of abolishing UPSR and PMR. Not because I’ve passed the years of UPSR and PMR (yes, i have. if you are wondering), but it’s because I fear that it’d go from bad to worst. I foresee bad implementation as well as much mishandling of the results and the future of the kids. UPSR is a public examination taken by Standard 6 students; while PMR is another examination taken by Form 3 students. Both these tests has it’s own significant purposes. UPSR was and is used to help to stream students and to decide the school/hostel that they would go to in Secondary School while PMR is another exam used to stream students into the Arts and Science Stream. If the government was trying to justify that the two exams would be replaced by School Assessments, how sure are we to assure on the standards and the quality of these questions and results? I’ve said this before, and I am saying it again – it’s no point good at implementing, but bad at maintaining. Take for an example, the diagnostic tests sent by the government to schools. The same questions were used for all the schools, but the students sat for the papers at different time of the day. Hence, the leakage. What are the assurance that can be given to Malaysians that these internal papers would serve the same purpose of UPSR and PMR; while maintaining the qualities and standards? With this, we can also no longer differentiate the top schools as well as the not-so-top schools. The government has been using different names to classified the schools into different categories through the results of these public examinations. Although it boils down to just different taglines, but it helps the country and people to know what are the prominent schools around! Being a student for St John’s; I’ve had the privileged of being taught by many good and experience teachers. Yes, undeniably true – being in a school like ours; we are constantly expected to perform well in our major examinations (that includes SPM). In addition, we were put into heavy stress and unnecessary burdens in our work. But it actually helped me a lot. Here is what I experienced: I had a principal that was fierce yet, had good intentions. He introduced many methods and ways just to get students to do well. Me, being a lazy and not-so-smart student, I was forced to do many things. Some of the things I remembered clearly was to copy essays like crazy weekly and to be handed in; I was also required to sit for exams for two weeks in a month after school. It was then, I felt so traumatized with exams. I decided to even cancelled my tuition despite those years. I was also caned for not completing my work; and was being asked to sit outside the class (even when I was Form 5). Embarrassing moments? Nevertheless, through all this – I had to say that I made through my PMR and SPM (not with flying colours) but with above average results. And many were amazed, that I did not attended tuition. Exams helped push the school, the teachers and the students to their fullest potential. Many at times, we slack when we are not expected of something. We tend to take it easy. What more, Malaysians? Yes, the government is trying to make us think out of the box; but I feel that it does not help much by abolishing exams. Recently, in my semester, I’ve been attending a module on “Creativity and Innovation”. It’s a weird module, but it really does help me think out of the box. Creativity has no limitations and our education system should be thinking of ways to incorporate this issue on “Creativity and Innovation” in our syllabus and to cultivate a creative environment in classes where both teachers and students get to share and learn together. That’s what learning is all about. I guess we can’t force one to be creative, but we can always create an environment where students are allowed to just spread their wings and fly be creative. Questions in the exams could also be tailored into a very open-ended questions instead of just 1+1. We are very much limited in our education system not because of the examinations, but because of what is in our examinations. Many choose to memorise and regurgitate it all in the exams, instead of understanding the subject matter. Hence, when they leave high school – many do come out with the same expectations to be fed in universities. That happens all the time anyways, I’ve seen that since I came into University. And it took me quite a little while to adjust. Enough of experiences; I know its a little messed up – cause I am writing what’s on my mind without planning the whole post. This post is good, long and wordy enough even without bringing the issue of Maths and Science in English back to Bahasa. Let’s just take a vote and see what you guys really think; and drop me a comment on the comment box. I won’t shoot you for going against me.

Coming to Part 3, most of the pictures were from The Peak and the city. And call me weird, or crazy; cause I ate McDonalds at Hong Kong. Nothing was wrong with me; we just decided to eat McDonalds for no reason. There were strange menus on the board when I have not even seen them before; but I decided to stick to my Spicy Chicken McDeluxe. Don’t you think it’s the best burger in McD?Amazed by Chilli Sauce 😛 We saw this bunch of birds there; it was soooo friggin’ cute! Although I dislike animals, but hey, there are really cute! A picture at The Peak; don’t you think the background looks so like a wallpaper? Here is where Sher Leen actually got confused with her gender; and capabilities! Opps, but look at the design, it’s so coool! A random shot, as we were walking around, they met this 2 young chap; which was so tall. Just when I thought I was tall enough, look at them – a head taller!Here are some photos outside of The Peak:   Please do not look at my belly! 😛 We saw Haagen Dazs and we were drooling for it; but we didn’t manage to eat it though! Here, at the town, we met Pastor Daniel from SIBKL; what a great coincidence. 😉 If you are interested to see how Malaysians tortured the other Asians in the Conference; check out tomorrow! 😛 Hope Hong Kong doesn’t bore you to death! If it did, here is a video to entertain you:

Tell me if you had a good laugh!

This is a super long overdue post for Hong Kong; for those who didn’t know, I was actually away to Hong Kong at Dec 2009 to January 2010. Yes, I celebrated New Year there. I went with a bunch of monkeys youths there to have a good holiday as well as to attend a Conference there in Hong Kong for the Asia Pacific Christian youths. It was held for 4 days; and the rest were mainly holidays and tours. Here is 2 young ladies who joined us to Hong Kong right after their SPM Examination.We were so excited that we screamed, laughed, chat in the van. Okay, I know the picture below doesnt at all sound convincing because of the emo guy behind. But yeah, we were so excited about the trip that we took tons and tons of photos even before we reached the airport.Thanks to my kind, generous dad, he actually drove us all to the airport. Here is a group picture of us – the Malaysia delegate at the airport. Spot the joy on our faces!Here, we were boarding on the train to our departure gate. We made noise wherever we were and I somehow felt the security guards might probably be thinking who this bunch of monkeys people are. 😛 Most of us were busy tweeting, calling, onlining at the airport while waiting for the aeroplane. And yes, we did not sit AirAsia this round. When we arrived at Hong Kong, a team of people welcomed us and we hopped on into our bus to head to the place we were gonna stay. Apparently, the place we were gonna stay is the border of Hong Kong and China; I still don’t know how true is that! First day, first night – already posing! Because we reached day a day earlier or so before the conference, we walked and went around the town near the meeting place to grab some food and to splash some money! Just check that out – SHOPPING! Don’t you just love these egg tarts? The picture makes me drool! 😛 This was a new found friend from Hong Kong. She was such a nice and outgoing girl!   Here was our meeting place. Stay tune for Part 2! I don’t know how many parts I am gonna post yet; I am still sorting out the pictures! There are just too many I want to share! Tell me how? :S

Some of you guys may have know that I won a pair of tickets to Urbanscapes 2010 – The City’s All-Day Creative Arts Festival organised by KLuE. If you didn’t know, I wont it by writing a random comment (which I never thought I’d win) on their Facebook. Coming to read it back again, I somehow felt it is so lame. I actually submitted 2 comments on different days; but the winning entry was: Apart from this entry, the one I wrote before (which did not get posted on their Facebook cause of some problems) was:

Alvin does not like living and jumping in the jungle with the monkeys; and the only way to get out is to be urbanised at Urbanscapes!

Yes, lame stuffs. Anyways, I had 2 tickets and I went in with Bryan; but finally I had to leave early, so I passed by ticket to smashpOp thereafter when I realised he doesn’t have his. I had to say I am not very much impressed with the whole event; mainly because the things there doesnt attract me as much. I can just conclude that YOUTH’10 was a more well organised event. Here are some pictures I took, don’t be too amazed because I myself ain’t amazed after all. Thank goodness for the free tickets! 😛 Here was quite a disastrous pretty art work Some of the shop at the marketplace; they were selling some tshirts; and I do love some of those super cool wordings on the tshirts. They make me look cool, I think. This area was a free-for-all to take. There are some really nice postcards that we can take. It does have some very unique, funky pctures. I only took like a few; just the nice ones! Here is something I wanted to write about, Project Angkat Rumah.

“Film maker Liew Seng Tat with the support of Five Arts Center wants to re-live the spirit of gotong-royong by moving a house. Yes, they are going to carry and move a whole house to KLPac. Check out Projek Angkat Rumah.” – http://jiboneus.com/

Project Angkat Rumah Ad.

I have to say, it was a great effort of bringing people together to do something (for the better); it really showed great unity in diversity. People of different background, age, race, religion all come together – for one purpose, for one success. It definitely shown a good Malaysian spirit. Despite all this, yes, I am still proud to be a Malaysian. This was a short video I took when i was there. I am still impressed with the effort and teamwork shown.

Some other pictures to conclude the post:   Thank you KLuE for giving me the free tickets; definitely has been one of a great day out!