I'm back at home! Get to do a lot of catch-ups + hang-outs with buddies, ranging from people I know to I don't. Been observing a lot and doing meaningful stuffs. Home is the best!
I'd been idle for quite a while.
I would be writing about few things soon!

1. A blogger 
I love how she express herself not just in words but in style, comic drawing.

2. A brand/ design 
We were just catching up, and fate brought us to meet up at a place we never expected we would, so he started talking about his brand and I would love to write about it soon.

3. An event 
A promo + a recap. I'll be anticipating this event because of the fame and the name it created in previous years.
Would love to see breathtaking events.

4. A videographer 
Get to had a short talk with him, and offered to write about him. I'd been noticing and following his products. Anticipate!

5. A photographer 
Wow, this guy has bloomed to an extent which I can't really describe. I love this photographs, good mode, good backgrounds. Perhaps it's not anymore 'Grass is always greener on the other side'?

6. A singer-songwriter 
He has been inspiring. Though he does not has the best vocal, but his talents are acknowledged and appreciated.

7. A production team 
Down to earth, hardworking, living their dreams people. I've never seen these bunch of passionate people. We'll see what's gonna be up soon!

*Hope I didn't missed anything, and the numbering wasn't meant to be in the exact order.

After Red Hong, then Jeremy Lin (Linsanity), and now KONY 2012 is going viral too? What is KONY 2012? This struck my mind after it appears on facebook's news feed. Of course, curiosity led me to dig in more & I actually googled it to find out.

About KONY 2012
It is an operation / campaign to get Joseph Kony, an Ugandan guerrilla group leader and head of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), to be arrested before the end of 2012. This operation involves viral spread of information about KONY and his war and humanity crimes to gain enough support from the American Government for ambassadors to visit Uganda with the assistance of Ugandan military to capture Kony.

History of KONY
Kony's leadership of LRA is derived from North Uganda's people (also known as Acholi People) mistreatment during Great Britain's colonization in the 19th century. Consequently, Ugandan people's woes were directed at the Ugandan Government.

1st major resistance group was created by Acholi sprit-medium named Alice Auma in 1988, named the Holy Spirit Movement, a rebel group which claimed to be under the inspiration of God's Holy Spirit, that enable Auma to rebel against the government. Following Kony's dropout form high school, he started his own rebel group, the United Holy Salvation Army, inspired by Auma's group and eventually renamed it to LRA.

Kony preached  a similar message to Auma's to win support from the Acholi people even blindly claiming that he and Auma were related and as religious as she was. However Auma kept a distance from Kony as she did not cultivate the techniques used by LRA, e.g: killing civilians or prisoners of war. As Auma's military was defetead, Kony uses the belief that he was following Auma's footstep to recruit former soldiers of Holy Spirit movement to LRA.

Kony is now the head of LRA, another  resistance group that preaches a hybrid of Christianity and Acholi beliefs. Over its 25 year existance, it has become increasingly off-track regarding political goals with many believing Kony continues the charade of war against the government to stay in power. the group is reported as attacking, killing and enslaving unarmed Acholis of its own tribe, including women and children. They turned the females into sex slaves and the males into child soldiers forcing them to mutilate human bodies and kill their own parents (in some cases).

Approximately 66 000 children have been abducted by Kony's involvement with his various rebellion groups - mainly LRA and has caused over 2 million people in Uganda to move out to avoid kidnapping.

Kony was indicted by the International Criminal Court for his war crimes but has avoided capture since.

INVISIBLE CHILDREN INC
In spring 2003, 3 filmmakers: Jason Russell, Bobby Bailey and Laren Poole traveled to Africa to document the genocide that was occurring in Darfur. Instead, they learned about the war against the government and the actions and effects of the rebel group. They formed Invisible Children Inc, a non-profit organisation in 2004 to bring attention to Kony and LRA not to celebrate but to raise support for his arrest and set a precedent for international justice. They've helped Africa in building an alert system for resistance groups and assisted in educating the people in Africa.

On 5th March 2012, Invisible Children Inc uploaded a 30 minute video to Youtube named Kony 2012 detailing their cause, Kony's history, Kony 2012 operation and how viewers (YOU & i) could support this cause by spreading the video, info, donation. Goal = 500 000 video shares.The vid is directed and narrated by Jason Russell and features clips of his time spent in Africa.
This video has gathered over half a million views in 2 days, and over 200 000 likes, and 200000 favourites.

Jason also explains a plan to target 20 culture makers who have massive impact of today's culture including celebrities, athletes and billionaires) and 12 political figures that have the abilty to support the plan. They intend to have them speak out against Kony and make him known to the population who are uninformed about him.

talk to them here : http://s3.amazonaws.com/kony2012/kony_new.html
P/S: On celeb list Oprah Winfrey, Ryan Seacrest, Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, ...

Near the ending of the video, they explained the climax of their plan named "Cover the Night" that'll take place on 20th of April. It will start spreading various Kony 2012 media in major cities from sundown to sunrise of that night to help create awareness.

So feel free to share it on Facebook, Youtube, Twitter adding # (hashtag) e.g.: #makekonyfamous, #kony2012, #stopkony.

KONY 2012 NEEDS TO PERMEATE EVERY LEVEL OF PUBLIC CONSCIOUSNESS.
GOAL: 1,000,000 POSTERS, SIGNS, AND STICKERS POSTED AROUND THE U.S.

Make some effort to make it real. We know it'll reach the target and lets hope this operation would be a SUCCESS!

credits to: Wikipedia, http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/events/kony-2012; http://musicfeeds.com.au/culture/watch-what-is-kony-2012/; http://s3.amazonaws.com/kony2012/kony_new.html

As I was browsing via my twitter this afternoon (08 March 2012), I saw Ryan Higa, youtube v-logger posted his thoughts. Of course there are many people out there who are either against or seconding. So you pick your own stand. Even culture-maker like Choi Siwon from Super Junior is asking people to pledge for it.
So what you think? In my mind: this event is going HUGE! More and more people are noticing with the usage of media, culture-makers and social networkings. Way to go! :) Let's hope for better =D

Here attached a video just posted by Ryan Higa/nigahiga

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all. - Dale Carnegie.
1 Samuel 17:32
"Master," said David, "Don't give up hope. I'm ready to go and fight this Philistine."
The only failure is the failure to stop trying. Don't lose hope even when the challenges seem impossible to overcome. If you don't give up on hope, hope will not give up on you.

People come and go, rise and fall, win and lose and offer up many other forms of inconsistency throughout a lifetime. Not only are we inconsistent but the times are ever changing; either for the good or the better bad or for the worse, we have learned that only one thing remains consistent is GOD.
Now we all know about the benefits of consistency but its important to also note an important attribute of God's consistency. Love!
For he himself said "I will never leave you nor forsake you!" That's love!
Malachi 3:6 says" For I am the Lord, I do not change.." That's consistent!
Be encouraged everyday knowing that you have someone that loves you consistently no matter how much you or the world may change. 
Hebrews 13:8 says "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever."

Confession – Walking In Love
Speak this out of your mouth. Sow this in your heart and build it into your walk.
I am born of God. [1 John 5:1] I am a child of God. [John 1:12]
The love of God is shed abroad in my heart by the Holy Ghost. [Rom 5:5]
I walk in the light as He is in the light. [1 John 1:7]
I walk in love as He walks in love. [1 John 4:7]
I am rooted and grounded in love. [Eph 3:17]
I speak the truth in love. [Eph 4:15]
I endure long and I am patient and kind.
I am never envious, nor do I boil over with jealousy.
I am not boastful, nor do I display myself haughtily, or in an arrogant way. I am not inflated with pride.
I am not rude or unmannerly.
I am not self-seeking or insisting on my own rights or way.
I am not touchy, fretful, or resentful.
I take no account of the evil done to me, and I pay no attention to a suffered wrong.
I do not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but I rejoice when righteousness and truth prevail.
I bear up under anything. I have love’s strength. I have love’s power.
I am ready to believe the best of every person. My faith is not in them but in God’s love.
My hopes are fadeless under all circumstances and I endure everything without weakening.
I never fail, become obsolete, or come to an end. [1 Cor 13:4-7]

Source: Jaeson Ma
Its not man who made him special, its God who made him special. Inspirational devotions. Keep believing in those that you can't see.

X.

Can't believe I've been in EC Swim for nearly a year (well technically, not even a year coz I had several months off for sem break). But its good that things are getting along well, students are improving, relationships are stronger, and the sense of belongings are greater. I'm loving it more & more.

So I had an underwater shot w/ Evelyn Goh, an avid diver, a colleague that I have a lot more to learn from on 19 Feb 2012.

P.S.: Underwater photo shots really fascinate me! hahahahaha. Waiting for more timing :)
We should do more of this x)



P/P/S: Planning to do a natural-look photo with roomies when timing is right. Stay tuned!

I know I know.
I'm wayyyyyyyyyyy behind the date of posting this. 
Really sorry for that. 

So this Event is held in conjunction with Dean's List Award 2011 on
8pm 14 Dec' 2011
at Mahsa University College (Jalan University Campus) Auditorium.
And basically, the dress code is 'reminiscing in Ethnic, Cultural beauty.'

Christy, Hilda, & I were invited as the blogger of the night. Thanks a lot for the invitation, Christy and the organisers. Of course, we tried our best to fit into the 'dress code'. =D

 So I get to go earlier. Managed to see familiar faces there.. Those faces who greeted me warmth-ly when I just settled down here. The smiles from the bunch of pals in Environmental Health course =D Initially only get to know few of them but owing to similar background, most of them are from East, we's hanging around just fine.

 There are lots of things that I love about this event. 1st is the detailed decoration. I don't really get to see these sort of decoration. Reminds me of old school days where I used to study in a government(malay) school.

Light appetizer for the event is "Silat". Its a collective word for indigenous martial arts of Indonesian Archipelago and Malay Peninsula of Southeast ASIA. It's basically a form of Martial Art, where the one who practices this depict the "Art of Fighting". In a way, we can say that they're fighting in a graceful manner as it is very much appreciated as a form of art. Not many youngster can inherit/learn this these days. I'm glad that I'm able to witness it though I can't really understand the art of it but it's something that is priceless.

Next is of course, the opening speeches and the official launching of the event. Thumbs up to the graphic designer of the current event. I love the settings of the brochure, ticket, pass, background, theme, presentation. I love how they put in the vintage, grunge, floral, retro, old-school essences. Everything fits in nicely. A job well done to y'all..

One of the important part of the event, Dean list's Award. It's just overwhelming to see happy faces receiving certificate from happy face as well =) Seriously, the queue is quite long! I guess nothing is happier than receiving prizes especially when it's out of your own 'blood & sweat' hah!

Next thing I love about this event is the array of numerous performances. I was fed with eye-candies throughout the night with beautiful performances.
1st up to give a core eye-opening is Indian dance.
They performed "Kollattam" or the stick dance. It is one of the most popular dances of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Kolattam is derived from Kol (a small stick) and Attam (play). It is also called as Kolannalu or Kolkolannalu. Kolattam dance is a combination of rhythmic movements, songs and music and is performed during local village festivals. This dance is known by different names in different states of India. The stick is the main rhythmic provider.

Having performances only, I bet not just me that the brain would get over-saturated. They have "Lucky-Draw session" every few performances. Just nice to let us rest and have a go to enjoy tailor-made performances for the audiences..

Datun Julud or Hornbill Dance is a traditional dance from Sarawak. The dance is from Kenyah tribe from Kabupaten, Balungan, Kutai Berau and Pasir. The dance was traditionally performed to greet returning warriors, as well as to mark the end of the rice harvest season. It is believed to celebrate happiness and gratitude.
The male dancer, Leonard is dressed as a warrior to depict the returning of warrior whilst the female dancer, Louisiana hold feather fans of hornbill feathers, moves up and down gracefully to depict the hornbill in flight.

Two men with one bass guitar and one acoustic guitar - Instrumental Performance.Though its only a bass and acoustic guitar, they managed to pull the show off with some classic yet reminiscing songs. Familiar faces, aren't they? Yep they're contestants from Mahsa Idol 2011 too (;

Next up, is the 'community anthem' performance by (from left): Danniel, Henry, Melvina, Faezah. Basically they're doing easy-to-sing songs. And most of the song are what we used to and have always been listening to.

One of the most anticipated one, with bigger than usual troup is none other than the Chinese Fan Dance. This dance was developed during the Han dynasty. The art of Chinese Fan Dance conveys the hue, extravagance, and splendor of the Chinese culture and is mesmerised by spectators all over the world. This dance highlights delicate movements with constantly changing rhythm, which is dynamic and graceful. It is a classical fan dance as it is based on simple classical chinese body movements, allowing the dance to be soft and flowing continuously. Chinese believe Chinese Fan Dance tells stories with its unique visual beauty. I love the fact that it is not solely performed by Chinese. Good to have other races to learn our culture too (;

My favourite! of all, is of course the stage play. As my brain is on the way getting over-saturated.. I would never expect this stage play to be tttttttthhhhhhhhhhaaaatttt Good! I love the casts, the plot, the story, the background, materials used. I can really see the efforts being put into this to make it a great one. Double thumbs up to everyone who involved. I can see some raw talents there.

Basically, its a story about a man who forgets about his friends and family when he succeeded. He is proud, rude, and harsh. Until everything is vanished from his life one by one, he realised that he didn't treasure and appreciate them as they should. And it's a lesson learnt. (Just a rough idea)

Following, a performance combining Sabah and Sarawak tribe dances like Warrior dance, Sumazao Dance, etc. It's great to see them wear different outfit from different tribe. Rare opportunity to see. Eye-opener for me to see these in Mahsa University College ;)

 Another mesmerising performance accompanied by good vocals. Great indulgence in their singing :)

Closing of the event, we have a long runway for showcasting different costume and attire for Chinese, Malay, Indian, and East Malaysians' different tribe.

A job well done to the committee members and ALL who are involved!