Britney!BritneyBritney!

Yesterday, I saw my first concert. If I can describe it in one word,it would be SPECTACULAR!But NO WAY! Its my first concert and there are many things I would like to tell!I got the ticket a few months back in fact I got it just hours after it was sold online.There are many reasons I bought the ticket but lets concentrate on what leads me to the concert. When I got the ticket it was a few weeks before my finals. I told myself if I work hard and really study, I will to the concert. So, I really studied spent lots of time in the library, the ticket was like a gift I decied to put aside for myself after a year of struggle in uni. I was reasonably satisfied with my preparation and so I decided to go to the concert.

The Circus Starring Britney Spears: Australian Tour
Yes, my first concert is her concert!She had Adelaide as one of her Australian destination so I see this as an opportunity to see her live. I was a huge fan of her back in primary school arounf 10 years ago but as I grow up I wasnt realy a big fan anymore. I do love her songs with catchy beats and dance move but that was just it.

Moving on, I arrived at Adelaide Entertainment Centre, went there alone because there are not many Britney fans that I know here so it was just me alone. I sat there and there was this guy sitting beside me. He told me he's 50 years old and became really into Britney just recently. He said his ticket is a birthday cum christmas gift from his sister. I could see he was very excited. While waiting for Britney to start we had a light conversation then he tells me all about his life, broken mariage, gay son, alcohol and smoking addiction and how he is trying to get back on track and 6 months ago he saw Britney performing one of her hits on tv and immediately became a big fan!He read her books, bought all her records.Its really interesting because each and everyone in that place had their own Britney story. I wish I could have one but I dont have any Britney story except for maybe Britney had made me realize that its impossible to please everyone but it is possible to be yourself and make the best out of life.

The concert was opened by Dj Havana Brown Australian born very talented DJ. I think she managed to really get the crowd to be in the mood. Everyone started to scream dancing and get into the mood. The show started with Britney singing You Want A Piece of Me. Like I said Im not a huge fan so when I listen to this song I just listened but during the concert they had lyrics and when I read the lyrics it made me realize that it was about her life. How people are always judging her and expecting more from her ignoring the fact that she's just a girl who wants to live her life.Overall all her songs was fabulous on that night. I really enjoyed it. It was such a great experience for me.I just wish that I had some friends with me but oh well you cant get everything from life. If you guys want to see the concert I believe people would have posted in youtube.You can just check it out. And one more thing. Ive just become a fan of THE LEGENDARY Ms BRITNEY SPEARS!*screw the haters*=P

My favourite moments in the concert!

Roles of international organisation in contemporary politics by Ahmad Ridhuan

Contemporary politics have seen states with separate policies align themselves into common understanding to form international organizations. Over the years there has been a staggering increase in the amount of international organizations by which different nations work together on common ground to achieve similar objectives.

The concept of international organization can be explained from three main theories; the realist, intuitionalist and idealist school of thoughts. This paper will argue the role of international organizations from the institutionalize point of view. Institutionalize view organization as completely rational. Institutionalists recognizes the complex relation between states in the creation of international organizations however, international organization are steadily becoming more important due to increasingly complex interdependent relationships in many issue areas of international politics. Contrasting from the instituitionalist view, the realist school believes that since the power of international organizations are very limited, it is impossible for any international organizations to be able to change the anarchical structure of international system. According to the realist view, international organizations are merely being used by stronger state to achieve their self-interest. As for the idealist school of thought, they view international organizations as a representative of commonly accepted values by the society in different members of an international organization and the supporters of the average that leads to an order in the system.

In arguing the roles of international organizations, this paper will use two approaches, the rationalistic and reflective approaches. I will look at the United Nations as an example of intergovernmental organization and Amnesty International as an example of international nongovernmental organization. I will explain both organizations from multiple viewpoints and levels of analysis. The roles of international organizations in the complex interdependent between states can be argued from various points of view but for simplicity this paper will argue that the main roles of international organization involve security and peace, economy and trade, social welfare and human rights. These arguments highlights the significant roles that international organizations needs to play, coinciding with the understanding of international organizations as a common platform by which international co-operation are being held to overcome the many issues and broad area in international politics.

Maintaining peace and security is a complex process that needs massive workforce and lots of co-operation. When peacekeeping efforts are fronted by international organizations the process gets more complicated, questions regarding sovereignty of states especially arise. This is because in peacekeeping missions involving international organizations various countries come together under the international organization banner. Peacekeeping is something that happens in a situation or surrounding that is defined as structured largely in terms of collectively understood concepts, norms, and understandings.

At times the different members have conflicting issues with the affected states making peacekeeping effort more complicated. The United Nations, one of the most influential international organizations for example faces these problems. One example is when China vetoed peacekeeping efforts in Macedonia due to the latter’s stand to recognize Taiwan. Does this legitimize the realist view that international organizations are merely being used by powerful political actors in fulfilling their objectives? From a short-hand view, it can be easily deduced from that point.

However without UN intervention, things could have been worst. One must wonder what would happen to Darfur or East Timor for example without the intervention of United Nations peacekeeping efforts. Situation in both states improved tremendously after UN peace keeping effort. Peace building, in the words of Roland Paris, is a practice by which a liberal international order is projected. The concept of co-operation of states under international organization needs to be clear. In order for the international organization to play its role efficiently, it is important for states under the international organization banner adhere to the organization’s sets of law in missions.

Under this condition members needs to re-address its identity. It is impossible for peacekeeping efforts to be successful if each state were to maintain its own identity. There will be many conflicts of interest even among its own members which would undermine the role of international organizations. Another issue that international organization needs to deal with in regards to its role to front peacekeeping effort is to decide what needs to be done and what can be done. Peacekeeping missions often involve some form of intervention. The most problematic situations of internal displacement are those states that refuse to acknowledge a problem of internal displacement and international access. For example, if two countries get into a war and United Nations decides to intervene in the war to maintain peace and order what kind of approach they should take to improve the situation. The options that UN have assuming that there are no vetoes would be either to protect the weaker country, only provide necessities for the people or stay out of the conflict. The right decision is extremely important because a wrong approach will worsen the impact on the affected countries. Here we could see how important the role of international organization could play in maintaining peace. The fact that in consist many states to a certain extend gives it the authority and capacity to intervene.

I would argue that in the role to front peacekeeping efforts international organization have its limitation but by improving its structure they can play vital role in ensuring global peace. The structure of United Nations for example has rested an incredible amount of power on its security council. This reduces their efficiency in playing the role as peacekeepers. In contemporary politics, with rapid globalization, many issues relating to peace and security need global solution. The conflict between Israel and Palestine is a clear example where a conflict between two states becomes a global issue. The huge impact that it could bring is why intergovernmental co-operation is becoming very important and popular.

The recent economic crisis that started in from the sub-prime crisis the US and eventually affected the global community proves that international relation can have a massive impact on global economic affairs. If we study the history of international organization’s role in economic affairs, the ability of Organization of Petroleum Export Countries (OPEC) to play a decisive role in international oil market particularly in controlling the supply and price of crude oil and petroleum in the 1970’s marks the significance of intergovernmental organization in economic and trade affairs. The success shows the important role an international organization can play in the affairs relating to global economic development.

The growing interdependence among states especially increasing economic contacts between states regardless of internal policy increases the vital role of international organizations. The capacity it has with members ranging from undeveloped countries to developing countries and developed countries gives international organization the influence to have a significant impact on economic and trade affairs. It is important that international economic organization have an integrated system that can provide help for different countries that have different needs. Without a universal integrated system, this advantage could also dampen the role of international organizations as an imbalance economic trade could actually destroy the smaller economies.

When discussing global economic affairs it is important to highlight the different background and developments in different states as they are not the same. It is also important for the co-operation to include vast amount of countries. A recent report in the Walls Street Journal about the expansion of Group of 8 to group of 20 shows the needs for international economic organization to include more countries. A senior US described the expansion as a reflection of the world today and pulling the international co-operation into the 21st century. In contemporary politics, globalization has made trade very open and inclusive that to stay relevant any international economic co-operation needs to be more inclusive and open to more countries. Another limitation that could be identified is the different internal conditions of states that are members of international economic organizations.
A realist perspective will definitely be skeptical of international organizations due to its nature that members have not got the same capability which creates an imbalance of power. Realists argue that international organizations are merely being used as a tool for stronger states to achieve their self-interest. In issues such as free trade agreement, the realist ideas by which international organisations being used as a tool by stronger states for self-interest probably are true if not done accordingly. Governments have used free trade zone to respond to both domestic and international pressure for more open trade policy. The pressure is even higher for members in international organization. For developing state, free trade could be a disaster because without a competitive domestic market, free trade would destroy its primary or domestic market. Nevertheless, governments of small countries would face difficulties in facing resisting international even more if they are receiving aids of international organizations.

However, there are initiatives to avoid small states from being duped into unfair trading deals. The role of UN economic and social council proves that the realist view is not entirely fair to describe international organizations. The role of UN economic which is to enhance the coherence and effectiveness of activities of different development partners proves that there are efforts within the organization to work together and find solutions for its members.

The initiation of Development Cooperation Forum that reviews the trends and progress in international development cooperation before providing guidance and recommendations to help its members further proves that despite the complex relation between members, it is possible for the more stable countries to help the less stable countries in terms of economic and trade development. The role of international organization in economic and trade development amongst the global community can be justified by the efforts and its objective on paper however all this needs to be translated into reality.

Human right is a universal idea that came from the western liberalisation. Ramesh Thakur in his writing for the journal of peace research argued that Amnesty International and United Nations are the most preeminent international organisation in the matters relating to human rights. Despite being fundamentally different with UN as an intergovernmental organisation and Amnesty International as a non-governmental organisation that causes both organisations to have different objectives, UN and Amnesty International could work together in issues regarding human rights and social rights.

On the issue of human rights and social welfare, this paper will argue that the role of international organisations in contemporary politics is to uphold the basic principal of human rights in accordance to the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. There are major critiques of this declaration saying that it ignores different cultures of the plural global society, but this paper would make a general assumption that the rights discussed here are referring to the rights as suggested by the 1948 declaration and it is by far the most accepted universal proclamation of human rights.

Human right issues have been the epitome of modern international relations. In contemporary politics, there are two major roles of international organisation in regards to human rights and welfare; providing military aid and humanitarian aid. There are many controversies surrounding human right issues especially when it involves military intervention. Generally, the only organisation that has an authority to conduct military intervention is the UN. This is because the only ones that have the very power are states and since UN is a state based organization, it has that authority. As for Amnesty international, it does not have such authority but since it is a non-state based organisation, it is free to act without the influenced of any state actors with self-interest.

Realists regard the pursuit of rights as unnecessary, dangerous and it is against national interest. However surprisingly, they allow defending human rights is a pre-requisite to protecting national interest. Base on this, it is obvious that this view is vague and thus can be rejected. In contrast to realist, institutional theorist sees that defending human right is rational it done by international organisation.
To prove that defending human rights is rational and it is done by international organisations we can refer to the achievements of Amnesty International. The limitation that it has as non-governmental organisation that have got very little authority to intervene in state affairs does not undermines its function in upholding human rights. It provides training and awareness about the content of Universal Human Declaration. For example, after evictions in Zimbabwe in 2005, Amnesty International facilitated a workshop for local activists to develop strategies on how to work with national and international human rights organizations. When a community was threatened with eviction the following year, they were able to mobilize these networks and prevent eviction. This is an example of how human rights are being restored using humanitarian aid such as providing awareness.

Globalisation has certainly changed the global political landscape. In contemporary politics, international co-operations especially under the international organisation banner is increasingly important in dealing with global issues. It is true that international organizations have its limitations but at the same time, it has its own advantages. In many cases, the advantage exceeds the disadvantages. In terms of security and peace, we could see from the case study of how the intervention of UN has improved situations in Darfur and Macedonia. From the perspective of economy and trade, the role of UN economic council in helping development nations such as Burma has been very impressive. As from the social and welfare point of view,we could see non-governmental international organization such as Amnesty International have saved a lot of lives and provided awareness amongst the global community. Despite all these successes, it did not come easily. International organisations face many obstacles and complication faced in order to achieve its aspirations and objectives in playing a more meaningful role. The functions and roles of international organisations followed by its complexity in contemporary politics confirm the instituitionalist view that despite its complexity, international organizations are rational.












References
Footnotes
Ramesh Thakur Human Rights: Amnesty International and the United Nations Journal of Peace Research, Vol. 31, No. 2 (May, 1994), pp. 143-160 Sage Publications, Ltd.

William F. Shulz, A New Realism for Human Rights, UU World XV:3 (July/August 2001): 28-35.
Hugo Slim,Military Intervention to Protect Human Rights: The Humanitarian Agency Perspective Oxford Brookes University Oxford, UK
Background Paper for the International Council on Human Rights’ Meeting on Humanitarian Intervention: Responses and Dilemmas for Human Rights Organisations, Geneva 31st March
http://www-secure.amnesty.org/en/human-rights-defenders/issues/human-rights-community
David Mozeresky, International Intervention in Darfur The International Development Magazine, http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=3140&l=1

Roland Paris, “International Peacebuilding and the ‘Mission Civilatrice,’” Review of International Studies 28, 4 (October 2002), pp. 637-656.

Catherine Phuong “The international protection of internally displaced persons” Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2004.pp 226

Robert O. Keohane International Institutions: Two Approaches International Studies Quarterly, Vol. 32, No. 4 (Dec., 1988), Blackewell Publishsing pp. 379-396

W. Graham Astley and Andrew H. Van de Ven Central Perspectives and Debates in Organization Theory Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 28, No. 2 (Jun., 1983), : Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University pp. 245-273

Bob Davis, Jonathan Weisman and Stephen Fidler G-20 Near Deal Economy, The Wall Street Journal, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125383640233239423.html
Amer Salih Araim, Intergovernmental commodity organizations and the new international economic order New York : Praeger, 1991. Pp 4
United Nations Economic Council informations,
http://www.un.org/ecosoc/about/faqs.shtml#newfunctionecosoc

Max Lawson, The world is still waiting, OXFAM briefing paper 2007 pp 1-31

Ba-Emadi Coffin Rethinking International Organisation Deregulation and Global Governance London, Routledge.2002 pp 30

Asia as the next super-power by Ahmad Ridhuan Alauddin

Introduction
Asia will be a future super-power, the shift in the balance of power from the west to east is not improbable. History has shown us how empires from Asia once dominated the world. From the mighty Mongolian empire (1206-1368) to the Gunpowder Empire of the Ottomans (1299-1922), the importance of Asia in the world history is undeniable. The last big upheaval of Asia the world have seen comes from the land of rising sun, Japan (1860’s)

The era of western domination has run its course bringing both good and harm to human history. Many still believe that the West still maintains superiority over Asia. Kishore Mahbubani in his book The New Asian Hemisphere presents us with a possibility that the world is entering a turbulent era of “de-Westernization”. This paper will argue that in the near to medium term future, Asian countries are very much likely to be more important as the power shifts begins from West to East. Asia will be the new axis of power. Power in this paper will be narrowed down to mean the control of economy, politics and social. This paper will explain how Asian countries are gaining more power in global economy and politics indicating a power shift.

Politics, economy and social advancement as basis of success

Any region which can control global politics and economy while at the same time maintaining its social will have the advantage in global decision making processes. This paper argues that Asian countries will be more important in the near future from an economic perspective as the region economy keeps growing despite global economic downturn. I will look at the emerging economy of India and China that if these economies continue at the same rate of growth they are projected to surpass even the most powerful western economy, the United States of America. This will put into perspective the idea that due to the ability of Asian countries to develop their economy successfully the region will in the future be the new powerhouse. Besides getting an upper hand in economic growth, social advancement is another important aspect of global power because it will ensure stable growth, in terms of materials also intellectualism. Asian culture and Western cultures are known to have fundamental differences. To explain how social aspects can be a form of advantage in global decision making process, this paper will look at how the emergence of soft power from Asian countries are creating waves that are certainly breaking the domination of Western culture. We will also look at the current political climate. With Asian countries’ increasing economic influence, the international political landscape has certainly changed with the Asian region getting a more significant role in the worlds’ political arena. Finally, we will look at the Black Swan theory to see why all consensus agreement can be wrong by looking at current developments. We will look at how the unexpected global economic downturn have left Dubai from one of the fastest growing city to a ghost town to explain how an unprecedented event could change everything. In conclusion, this paper will show how, by using hard power and soft power, Asian countries will likely to shift global power from the West to East.

Asia’s rise as regional economic hub

Current development sees the global economic crisis that hit the world has left many countries struggling to recover. The western countries especially USA has been hit severely stunting its economic growth. Amazingly, China has emerged out of the crisis fairly well. China's growth will be underpinned by a rapid expansion in emerging market economies, which will account for about 70% of global GDP growth in the coming decade, Deutsche Bank's Chief Economist for Greater China, Jun Ma, told an investment conference in Hong Kong. From this projection it can be expected that if China keeps growing at its current rate, in the near future and medium term future, it could definitely be one of the dominant economical force breaking the western domination of the world economy.

As the US (the current economic super-power from the West) main trading partner China is undeniably very important to US. In the near future China’s progress would definitely be followed closely by the West as it will determine their future too. We can see how economic growth has made Asian countries more important and at current rate the continuity of Asian economic growth in the near future is extremely important in determining the global economic condition. To further affirm the shift from west to east it is important to acknowledge that China is not the only emerging economy from Asia. This paper will only look at India as the other emerging economic force from the East. However since Asia is a big continent consisting many different nations, different parts of Asia for instance, South Korea, Japan and the South East-Asian region at the same time are emerging to become strong economic forces on their own pace.

India economic reform beginning on the early 1990’s has transformed its economy making it grow at a higher pace. In the next ten years India’s economic growth is very likely to become one of the fastest growing economies. The recent acceleration in real GDP growth reflects both faster input growth as well as rising total factor productivity. It is no wonder Malaysian former premier; Dr. Mahathir identified China and India as the countries that would lead the Asian charge. If the rapid growth continues at the same rate for these countries, it is very much possible for them to replace the likes of western economies. However if these countries fail to live up to their potential, the shifts will not happen as we can see from Dubai. The collapse of the global economy has left Dubai struggling. Foreign companies are starting to withdraw from Dubai as investments stunt. Therefore the current economic growth in Asian countries needs to be maintain, and then only these countries can ensure they remain as economic powerhouse.
In arguing the point that economic might will provide an advantage in global decision making process, we will see how economy can be used as a tool to get extra influence. One way is by increasing military strength. US the current biggest economy has got the highest military expenditure followed by China Military might is a form of advantage especially in global politics. Military force can be used as a tool to get respect from other countries thus providing a form of authority. As the economic dominance shifts from west to east, military dominance might also shift. This will definitely make Asian countries more important.

Benefiting from Soft power

Power as we know does not only come from military might. It is true economic growth can be used to increase a country’s military force but it is not necessary. There are also other forms of tool that can make countries politically influential. Decision making process in the 21st century has become increasingly based on diplomacy rather that military. Therefore it can be deduced that there are alternative options other than military and economic force to be influential globally.
Soft power, as labeled by Joseph Nye, are other forms of power such as the ability to persuade other states to go according to your states direction and follow your states style of administration is how this paper would describe the ‘other’ aspect of power. The key word here is persuasion not by means of aggression. In supporting the idea of how Asia can use soft power to their advantage Anwar Ibrahim, former deputy prime minister of Malaysia explains how Asian Renaissance can mean ‘the revival of the arts and sciences under the influence of classical models based on strong moral and religious foundations; cultural resurgence dominated by a flowering of arts and literature, architecture and music and advancement in science and technology’.

Unlike hard power (economic and military might) soft power is very hard to define but in order for it to be useful it needs to provide significant impact. However, the impacts can sometimes be too discrete that its impacts are debatable. In analysing Dr. Gerry Groots argument in his writing “Soft power in the Asia Pacific Pacific Post 9/11: The case of Japan,China and India”, Japan theoretically is a super soft power as well as economic power but it couldn’t use its strength to get outcomes it wants. It is undeniable that Japanese culture has been very famous especially in popular culture. Japanese have been importing its popular culture such as sushi and anime (animated cartoons) all over the world. It is very famous that we can see Japanese culture anywhere in the world. Such popularity however did not obtain Japan any extra political mileage. Looking at Japan’s failure to be included in the UN security council despite its huge soft power, I would to a certain extend agree that soft power might help in assimilation of different cultures in the world’s society but evidently, it still could not match the influence a state gets from hard power.

In order to gain political advantage from soft power, Asian countries needs to make the advantage they get from soft power provide them with extra power and influence. India for example has the opportunity to do this. Not only their technological developments are moving very fast, India could use its rich religion and cultural tradition to build up their soft power and make full use of so that the soft power can provide them with extra influence. The use of Bolywood films to bridge Muslim-Hindu divide is one example how India can use its movies to promote peace. From one perspective with such impact, this type of soft power can be a tool of diplomacy. This capacity could give an indication that India can play an important role especially engaging the differences between East and West. If India could live up to this expectation, it is possible that it could emerge as one of the front runners from the east. If western domination failed to bring together east and west, maybe eastern domination could unite these two regions.

Black Swan theory

“There are known knowns. There are things we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we do not know we don’t know.” This was the statement made by former US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on regards to the unstable situation in post-invasion Afghanistan. These words in simple term reflect the Black Swan theory, the impact of the highly improbable. There are many possibilities but we often disregard the improbable. Relating to our topic the Black Swan logic makes what you don’t know far more relevant than what you know. This is because it is easy to speculate what would happen in the future, how important can Asian countries be in the near or medium term future can be concluded in many ways however till the time comes the possibility of the improbable is still there.

Therefore based on this the black swan theory I state the limitation of this paper, which it is a mere projection based on current events and data’s. This paper has shown that with increasing economic strength and political influence, Asian countries will likely be very important in global politics and decision-making process. However, according to the Black Swan theory, there are possibilities that it might not happen. It is very hard to determine the future especially when certain events could change everything in a glance. The case of Dubai will be a very good example. Dubai’s economy was sky rocketing just over the last few years foreign aids were pouring in. Everyone expected that Dubai will be the super power of Middle East economy. The global economic downturn has left Dubai a ghost town. Foreign investment soured with many projects from oversees cancelled. This could happen to India or even China. Never ignore the improbable because there are possibilities that things might change against expectations. Any planning and decision making processes needs to be carefully planned so that countries are well prepared in facing any possibilities.

Asia could be the new axis of power. The increase in soft and hard power at a very high pace rate can certainly prove that this is not merely wishful thinking. However the important thing is that the development needs to maintain. Asian countries such as China and India needs to take affirmative action to further strengthen their economic development. It is also important to find a way for soft power to be used as an advantage particularly in international politics. The failure of Japan to use its soft power must be a lesson that if soft power will not mean anything if it can’t give any advantages. The Black Swan theory can be a reason for Asian countries to be more careful in decision making processes. Any decisions need to be considered from various perspectives before being finalised. In conclusion, based on current development it is very likely that global power will shift to the east but the future can be unpredictable.












Bibliography
1. E. James, William, Naya, Seiji and M. Meier, Gerald Asian Development: Economic Success and Policy Lessons, The University of Wisconsin Press, Wisconsin, 1989 pp 7-10
2. Groot,Gerry Soft Power in the Asia Pacific Post-9/11:the Cases of Japan, China and Japan In in G. Groot & Jain & F. Patrikeeff (eds)(2005/2006) Asia Pacific and a New International Order (New York, Nova Publishers)
3. Ibrahim,Anwar The Asian Renaissance Times Books International, Kuala Lumpur,1996 pp 18
4. Mahbubani,Kishore The New Asian Hemisphere: The irresistible Shift of Global Power to the East (Public Affairs, New York 2008) pp127-173)
5. Mukherji ,Joydeep India: Asia’s Next Productivity Success Story Centre for the Study of Living Standards volume: 14 (2007) pp 38-52
6. Nye, Joseph S., The Paradox of American Power: Why World’s Super Power Can’t Go it Alone. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2002
7. Oliver, Chris China's GDP to overtake U.S. by early 2020s, says analyst The Wall Street Journal http://www.marketwatch.com/story/chinas-gdp-overtake-us-early
Last checked: 18 November 2009
8. Stockholm International Peace Institute list of top 10 biggest spenders of military expenditure http://www.sipri.org/yearbook/2009/05/05A
Last checked: 18 November 2009
9. Taleb, Nassim Nicholas, The Black Swan theory: Impact of the highly improbable ,The Random House Publishing Group United States,2007)

The girl that I might never know.

I try to find
Who I am
Far away from who I was
I look for peace
I search for love
A new story
A new beginning
I found you
Dear library girl,
You are a mystery
That I cant solve
I want to know you
I would love to
Share stories
With you
As I can see you are
Always by yourself
Perhaps the anticipation
With lots of patience
Will one day be rewarded
With answers
I do not dream
A fairytale ending
I might be young
But I am not naïve
Just so you know
The sight of you
Is enough to make me smile.
You make me happy.


extraordinaryme,19


P/s: I just realized there are many mistakes in this post. I was just too overexcited I guess. After reading it again I myself got confused hence Ive made some corrections.

The time is now

Next week will be my final academic week for Semester 2. Final exams and assignment submission follows before I end my first year It felt like just yesterday I finished SPM but now I’m already going into my second year in university. My journey is still at the very beginning and there is still a long way to go before graduation but things are going extremely fast Im not sure it will feel that long.

 

Having said that, I think the time has come for me get out of this cocoon ive built around myself for far too long. I have restricted myself from doing many things that I have wanted not because I cant but because I don’t want to. University is where the great separate themselves from the good, its where extraordinary people distant themselves from the ordinary crowd. History have shown that great leaders blossomed at university level. Anwar Ibrahim for example was a student leader at university level. He was the founding leader of ABIM and was actively involved in student movements. With 2 years left, if I do not start doing something meaningful I fear that my university days will be all about examination and assignments, nothing more, and nothing meaningful.

 

I have a dream.

 

I want help build my country for my future and for the future generations.

 

I do not see life as in terms of dollars and materials. I think there are more to it. I am not denying the fact that money is important but why cant I earn money differently. All my family members lambasted me for my opinion. No one supports my decision to be actively involved in my nation’s decision-making process. My parents, auntie’s, uncles, everyone was against it. Not a single person asked me why I have such a deep passion in politics. They ignored my feelings; they ignored me as an individual. My political views might be a little bit different from them. However does it mean I do not deserve a chance to explain my reasons?

 

Everyone seems to have forgotten the fact that I am studying Economics not accounting. Even from that people should be able to see that I am more interested in finding solution for the PEOPLE not Companies.

 

Don’t get me wrong. I do like money and for sure I would like to earn lots of money. I’ll be a hypocrite and a liar if I say I don’t want to live a lavish and luxurious life. Just that I also believe in serving the community at the same time. By which I mean getting involved in the society not just throwing around money and expecting it to solve problems such as social issues, poverty and community development.

 

No matter what challenges I face despite getting absolutely no support from anyone my spirit will not die. I will take advices but my dream shall not fade away. It stays. I will achieve it eventually. Maybe now people cant see my vision but I believe if I am patient and consistent, one day people will understand. For that to happen, there are many things that I have to do especially balancing my life. There should be enough emphasize on my studies and also in community service. In order to achieve my dream and to prove the critics are wrong.

 

I have no choice but to start progressing.

The time is NOW.

Late night in Adelaide

Its 2 in the morning and I cant sleep. The fact that Ive got a morning class tomorrow makes it worse. Its my first day in uni after 2 weeks so I was rather tired I slept at 8 for about one hour and now here I am wide awake. It has been a while since I wrote random stuffs here. This is supposed to be the place where I write wtv comes to my mind. I would again like to stress that I'll write anything that I consider suitable here. People have warned me that  student blogs are being monitored government. If its true and I would like to make it clear here that I dont feel threatened at all. I do not spread lies. And if they cant accept the truth or any different opinion I suggest they should just stop being a hypocrite. Why practice democracy if you cant even let the future generation have their own opinion. Forget about freedom of speech or freedom of thought because we are just too far away from that. All I can say is it is disgusting and unacceptable if they were to monitor STUDENTS blog and destroy their future just because they see things differently. Again I am saying this based on warning given to me by a reliable source. I am not accusing but IF its true it is STUPID. And again IF this is true, now I know why so many people wants to migrate and I am talking about talented brains not just normal individuals(doctors,engineers etc.) I used to question them but now I am seriously considering settling down somewhere else, serving another country. 

Enough of that I guess. I just feel so betrayed. Lets talk about about something else. Noticed I used the word 'talk'? Ive met heaps of wonderful friends here in Adelaide. People that really care about me and people that I realy care about. However I havent got any very close friends over here. Unlike previous years I had people around me that really understands me I can express my feelings. Now the only way of expressing my feelings and thought is here, online. I either talk to my friends online or my blog. So thats why I hope you people can understand at times this blog can get emotional. Yes I like intellectualism but I just cant be consistent not here at least. This is where I share my feelings and ideas with the world. I am sorry. By the way it is already SPRING. I love Spring!Awesome season where you can see flower blossoming, enjoy the chill but sunny weather..Its getting reallly late. I shall stop here. Dear friends, life is too short,if you dont start living you will miss out the one chance you get to experience this world. good night.

At the Crossroad of life

Someday you’ll remember

Things that you let go

Shot that you have missed

All the roads not taken

All the fears you succumbed

And when it all comes

You know you’re at a point

The crossroad of life

You know it

This is the moment

You are supposed to decide

You can’t be sure

How it will end

You wish you can run

But where will you go

When you are here

At the crossroad of life.

You had it planned

All the things you want

One thing changes

Everything goes wrong

Life becomes a maze

You wished you were out

It brings you here

Now you’re at

The crossroad of life.

You won’t change your mind

Your heart refuses to move on

Now is the time

You have a choice

To wake up from your dream

To start living

This is when you start moving on

Not holding on to memories

At the crossroad of life

By Ahmad Ridhuan Alauddin,19

Selamat Hari Raya!

hye!Lately I havent been updating my blog. The reason being so is because Im BACK HOME!So Ive been caught up with all the plans that I had planned months ago!I would like to take this chance to wish everyone


Selamat Hari Raya!Maaf Zahir & Batin!

Issue

Ive been extremely busy for the past few weeks with assignments,test,presentations piling up and I just got bored.So I decided to take a break and decided to find a new tv series that I can watch now that all my favourite series are either canceled or havent entered its latest season. I decided to check out 'the secret live of american teenager'. Since Im just too lazy to write my own synopsis,heres an overview I got from wikipedia 

Centered around fictional teen Amy Juergens, The Secret Life of the American Teenager explores how Amy's pregnancy affects her, the baby's father, her friends, and her family. The news of her pregnancy puts additional strain on her parents' already rocky marriage, but brings Amy closer with her younger sister Ashley, her new boyfriend, Ben, the father of her baby, Ricky, as well as with other teens atUlysses S. Grant High School in Valley Glen, California. Amy's world expands as she learns that virtually every teen at Grant High carries a secret or unexpected problem.

Why I think this show is very interesting is because it highlights the common problems teenagers face nowadays. This show has got its fare share of haters stating that its not realistic etc. However to me what's important is the message that it is trying potray. Teen pregnancy happens everywhere so does abortion and divorce. Obviously people would not act as cool or as proper to that sought of things like in this show but cant we see that the writer is trying to show us how we SHOULD react. Again many other stuffs in this show are debatable but it is really a matter of choice whether you want to get the message or just antagonize all the messages.

So what about Issue(title of post)?Lately Malaysian politics are getting more and more irrelevant. WE are just soo caught up with race related issues and it is getting more ridiculous each day.I wonder whether our leaders have put so much emphasize on this matter and have overlooked other problems. There hasnt been much attention given to social problems. I just think that issues such as healthcare,economy,education, teenagers, family development are equally important and needs to be address. What are we doing to solve these problems? Are we doing enough?I cant see any significant moves to engage on all this social issues. Even if there are efforts to improve this situation dont blame me if I cant see it. There hasnt been much reports about this issue in newspapers. It is a shame that in US they are vigorously debating about the healthcare issue and we are still stuck with cow head protestor as the main news.

In this context I think the media have got to play a more meaningful role. Why fight for freedom of press if freedom if it is just used for politicking purposes. Freedom of press should be more than that. Perhaps sensitive issues such as teen pregnancy could be given a fair account so that at least these type of issues can be addressed. Public awareness is extremely important especially in issues that involves the community. In conclusion, in order for Malaysia to move forward it is highly essential that people are being exposed important issue rather than focussing on trivial issues and not gain anything from it.

Adelaide University Union Election 2009

ITs election time in Adelaide Uni! This week students of the university of Adelaide will be voting for their new student representative council. I can see lots of politics and history students running in the election. As a matter of fact todays international politics lecture was half empty!I guess they were busy campaigning outside! To my fellow adelaide comrades I here are the preview of the contesting parties.If you are interested go vote for them!

Activate-progressive,active,accountable

I would say they form the current student body. Most of their candidates are running to retain their seat in the student body. I was being told that they are know to be labour-left which is very appealing to me. They also promised more engagement with the students. Regarding this matter I did stressed to one of the candidates if they win they really should deliver this promise. Students needs to be engaged consistently in order for them to feel represented.All in one a strong party with realistic promises. Most of my votes went to their candidates.

Innovate

Here we have a party with lots to offer for the international student communities. One of my tutor mate is running for them. From what I've seen she has got impressive oratory skill and like-able character. However I'm not really sure about their manifesto, seems to be too good to be truth. An international student village in the uni?I wonder how are they planning to deliver their promises. As always despite having some doubts some of my votes(we are voting for many posts and we are allowed to pick a few candidates from different parties) did go to them. In a nutshell heres a party that offers lots of new faces as candidates(i was told),aligned to labor party-right,with many benefits being offered to international students.

Indygo

An independent party not affilated to any political link. Not very appealing to me but according to their flyers this party have representatives in the current SRC. They achieved everything that they promised last year. The appealing bit of this party is their catchphrase student control of students affair.

=)

When I saw your facebook profile today

I realized I havent been there

for a quite a while

I see you now

Though from a distant, very far away

I saw

everything that I have always wanted

in my life

Its like what I dreamt of

Years ago

It is now reality

Things seems to be just like

Everything that I had planned

For me,for you,for us

We are in uni,young and preparing 

for the future

Unfortunately things are different today

There's me,there's you but no more us

It will never be the same again

Im not that stupid

To even have a glimpse of hope

It is true

We can plan

But Allah has his own plans

for us

Everything happens for a reason

I hope you know

I feel extremely happy for you

As I said

once upon a time

It doesnt matter 

Who I am to you

What's important is your happiness,

I WILL BE HAPPY IF YOU ARE HAPPY=)

Nur Kasih

Inspired by a Malaysian drama, Nur Kasih. Honestly, I rarely follow any Malaysian drama but this one is different. It is impressive!Thumbs up to the director Khabir Bhatia and the actors despite not all being well known produced an outstanding story. I did watched some Malay movies in cinema last year for the sake of supporting the industry because studying economics had made be understand that without support there is no way our industry was survive. Some movies were impressive but others just wasnt good enough. Well, Nur Kasih isnt a movie but its a drama worth checking out. 

Cahaya Kesetiaan

Kau sendiri dalam segala rahsia

Tentang cinta dan derita

Yang telah kau pendam

Sekian lama dalam diam

Segala kerana perasaan kasih

Setia kepada si suami

Sesuci hati seorang isteri

Bukan salah mu,

Segala derita ini

namun kau tetap tabah

Menghadapi segala pancaroba

Tak pernah sekali kau cuba

Menyalahkan tadir

Mahupun berputus asa

Terus teguh menngabdikan diri

Kepada yang maha esa

Sesungguhnya hati ini

Mungkin punya pilihan sendiri

Mengharapkan jalan yang mudah

Tetapi Ingatlah wahai kasih

Hanya tuhan yang menentu

Hala tuju manusia yang hanyalah hamba

Janganlah hampa

Terus kecewa

Suatu hari

Pastinya tiba Saat bahagia

Teruslah percaya

Jangan berhenti

Segala ini, hanya dugaan.

Ahmad Ridhuan Alauddin,19

Salam Ramadhan

I am very thankful to god that I am given the chance to experience this month once more. I wish my fellow Muslim friends all the best, may we use this blessed month the best way possible. It is really amazing for me to look back because for the past three years I have spent this month in 3 different places. 3 years ago I was in Lenggong. Studying for my SPM preparing for THE exam of my life. I was young, 17 to be exact. Last year, I was at home. Enjoying the comfort of my bedroom and mums cooking. Again preparing for another big exam. I was doing my AUSMAT. It was a transition for me coming from a school that have got 97% muslim student to a college that have got less than 10% Muslim student. Back in school everyone was fasting but in college it felt like no one was fasting. However thanks to my wonderful wonderful friends in college it was fun! They were very understanding in fact they were days that we fasted together and when to break fast together. I’ll always remember those days. Finally this year! Here I am far away from home. Things are definitely more challenging here. Unlike previous years I will have to prepare my own food! I really wonder how am I gonna cook especially when I have to cook for the whole house without tasting what I’m cooking. We’ll see how it goes. One thing I realize this year is that next year, Insyaallah I wont be in a different place. I am finally settled at least for another 3 years!It might not be a big deal for other people but is for me. Only god knows what I had went through due to all the uncertainties surrounding my life. All the pressure I had to deal with. Alhamdulillah for now I have a clearer path. Definitely not easy but at least I know where I’ll be next year. Whats gonna happen after that. I shall let time decide. One more thing. I'll be back home soon!

I want a star

When I look at the stars

I believe that there are other stars up above the sky

Because I can see

It is the same

for certain things in life

I need prove

I want to be convinced

I want to believe

That there are other 'stars'

Might not be as bright

Might not be as beautiful

At least it is up there.

I dont wanna fall in love

Not again.

Why?

Because I dont want to hurt anyone

And be hurt by anyone

I dont want to let anyone down

and be let down by anyone

The notion of love doesnt suit me anymore

It had left me feeling so alone

When she's not with me

It had made me cry

When she doesnt reply my text messages

It had gave me sleepless night

Thinking about her and how to make her happy

I thought I couldnt live without her

Who says I cant survive without love?

I dont need to fall in love 

Even if I want to be with someone

I just need to be committed

I just need to trust

I just need to be there for her

I just need to be with her,just her

I just need to be her friend

I just need to be her partner in every way possible

I just need to care about her

NO,I dont need to fall for her

We can be happy

Aint that what everyone need from a relationship

We let our mind be blurred

By a perception that love is all we need

to be happy 

I despise that

Why love when it cant give you happiness?

Why love when it hurts you?

Why love if it forces you to do stupid things?

In the end.

You get absolutely nothing from it.

Yes it can stay with you as happy memories.

Is that what you need? 

Funny People

Underneath anger, there's hurt.

Underneath hurt, there's love.

-from the movie Funny People-

Us

Some things in life are meant to be only in my dreams I guess

Us

If you want to see the world

Can I be the one with you

I wont promise you the world

But I can tell that you'll be my world

I wanna sing and dance and cry

With no one else but you

We will drive on the roads

We can swim through the streams

Climb the mountains and run on trails

I'll be there just for you

We take one step every time

I just need you to be you

-extraordinaryme, 19-

The day

Each year I would write something on my birthday.

Usually it would be something unusual.

Not This Year.

Maybe because Im tired?

Maybe because Im confused?

Maybe because I am uninspired?

I am done.

Moving on

It is something easier said than done. It can take years or in some cases days but it is definitely not an easy task to move on from a broken relationship. I admit I myself took 3 years and few thousand miles before I can really say that I have finally moved on. Having said that let me be honest I am not 100% sure but I think I can already accept the fact that we were just not meant to be.I think I have gone through that stage of life fairly well. You might be wondering why am I talking bout this? It is because I am seeing the same situation happening to one of my friend. It hurts I know how it feels I really hope she can see it in a very mature and rational manner. I dont want anyone else to feel what I felt. The devastating impact it can be bring to our life might just be very bad that we cant recover from it. Until today I still find it impossible to fall for someone else. There are people that I really like but I just couldnt take that one extra step because I have become traumatized. I do not blame anyone except for myself. Yes it was my first love.Yes she was my dream girl. However when it comes to a relationship feelings are just not enough there are other things that matters. Life is like a book. There are many pages.There are chapters. There are beginning and last but not least there are endings. You just have to accept it and go through it.It is your story you cant blame anyone else if it is not the story that you wanted. God have got it all written down. The stories are all destined. You never know the ending but you just have to keep going on, moving on. I have learnt this from my own experience. I refused to let go. That was the whole problem. The moment when I left my country  that was when I told myself this is it if I don't move on now I will miss a lot. I will be sad all the time because I know I am alone here. Surprisingly the world didn't end, as a matter of fact I feel better. Firstly because I can now treat her like my best friend. Moving on doesn't mean I do not love her anymore. Just that in a different way,in a very special way. Secondly I meet other people. I open myself to new possibilities. Now I can see there are actually other extraordinary girls out there. This have made me believe that despite losing the most perfect girl that I have known in my life there is actually hope that I can meet someone else that is perfect for me. I end this with a quote from the movie '17 Again' When you're young everything feels like the end of the world. But it's not; it's just the beginning. You might have to meet a few more jerks, but one day you're gonna meet someone who treats you the way you deserve to be treated. Like the sun rises and sets with you.

Adelaide update

It is hard to believe that things are going to be moving this fast. It felt like just yesterday I arrived here in Adelaide for what I expected to be the ride of my life. Now I am already going into my second semester in university. Life hasnt been like I imagined. I have always said. I am not here just to get a degree. I have got other missions. So far it hasnt been that way. Studies are going on well, Im also coping with the new environment met a lot of friends. However I dont really see myself gaining experiences that can be used for my future career.NOT YET.  I am not doing any part time job which from my point of view is very important to get on hands business experience, Im not communicating with any locals I dont have any Australian friends, I am not socializing, creating networks and also I havent joined the gym. I am not actively involved in any clubs or society though I did signed up for the labor party club of Adelaide. Well those are stuffs that I have failed to achieve in semester one which I hope I can do it in semester 2. On the other hand what I have managed to do in semester 1 includes going around Australia. Visited Sydney,CAnberra and Melbourne(twice!), constantly attending islamic talks,passed all my subjects,full attendance for principle of microeconomics(tutorial and lectures),full attendance for comparative politics(lecture) and thats about it. Things are not all bad here. Even though Once a while I still get lonely but thank god Ive got lots wonderful friends and family members that are willing to talk to me online. It wouldnt be unfair to say that my macbook is my best friend in Adelaide. Every day and night happy or sad she is always there for me. I'll die without her=D I guess it is impossible to achieve everything in one shot but it is important to have a goal in life. I believe it makes my life more organized and more focussed.

Jika ingin gegar dunia

Jika ingin gegar dunia

Ku harus percaya

Kemampuan itu ada.

 

 

Jika ingin gegar dunia

Ku perlu akur

Ku harus berkorban

 

Jika ingin gegar dunia

Ku harus berubah

Agar mimpi menjadi kenyataan

 

Jika ingin gegar dunia

Ku harus gengam bara api

 Sampai jadi abu

 

Jika ingin gegar dunia

Bukan dunia harus ku kejar

Dunia itu datang dengan akhirat

 

Jika ingin gegar dunia

Ku harus berani

Bukan sekadar berkata

 

Jika ingin gegar dunia

Ku harus bangkit

Meninggalkan kelalaian ini

 

Jika ingin gegar dunia

Ku harus mula sebelum fajar menyinsing

Bukan terkinja2 di waktu senja

 

Jika ingin gegar dunia

Ku tidak boleh mengharap

Tetapi menjadi harapan

 

Jika ingin gegar dunia

Ku tida boleh merasai benci

Tetapi menyedari cinta

 

Jika ingin gegar dunia

Ku  tidak mampu berseorang

Harus mengumpul angkatan

 

Jika ingin gegar dunia

Perlu bermula dengan aku

Demi agama,bangsa dan Negara.

-Ahmad Ridhuan Alauddin,19-

Bagaikan Pepasir di Pantai

We always forget, we let ourselves drown in sin everyday. It doesnt matter who you are,where you are from seeking forgiveness is important. I believe it makes life much simpler if you are not hated. There are things in life that I wished I didnt do, words that I shouldnt have said but I know I cant undo all of it. What I can do is probably not repeat all those regrettable things. Just because I cant undo all of it doesnt mean I can just let it be. So I seek forgiveness for all those things that cant be undo all those words that cant be unsaid. I cant change my past but I certainly can do something about my future. I cant fix all the mistakes but I shall try not to repeat it again. 

Dalam Menghadapi segala dosa-dosa lama,baru, yang akan datang,

bagaikan pepasir di pantai...

Wahai Tuhan ku,

Ku tak Layak ke syurgaMu,

Namun Tak pula sanggup ke nerakaMu

 

Ampunkan dosa-dosa ku

sesungguhnya Engkaulah Pengampun dosa-dosa besar.

Wahai Tuhan selamatkan kami ini 

Dari Segala kejahatan dan kecelakaan

Kami takut, Kami harap kepada Mu

Suburkan Cinta kami kepada Mu

Akulah hamba yang mengharap belas kasihan darimu

Life aint a movie

I have always wanted my life to be like the movies I watch. No matter what happens in the end it will be a happy ending.I hate watching movies with sad endings because I tend to relate myself with the characters. I dont usually put myself as the hero because I know I am no hero. I love to see the way problems are solved in movies. Regardless of the challenges the problem will be solved. It is also interesting to see how people accept or reject someone in movies.It seems that no matter what the consequences might be, it is bearable. Sometimes, I wish life was more like a movie. I do not expect a perfect movie. I do expect ups and downs but I want things to be more bearable. It so happens that I have to face harsh facts again and again in my life. The best way to describe my life would be a constantly declining graph. I pray to god everyday asking for forgiveness, asking for happiness asking for success. The only hope I have would be that one day all my prayers will be answered. I do not hope for something extraordinary not even a life like in the movies, I dont deserve that I know. I do not cry.I do not show my emotions not to you not to anyone. Deep down inside I know I am crying. I just wanna be happy.The end.

Destiny

I would say this is a very interesting piece.It came to me suddenly, I was doing maths while listening to some music and out of the blue i felt a sudden urge to write. I started writing this on one of my past year question paper. The more interesting part is that I am not sure whether I am inspired by a song or by someone or by life. Life is a mystery!=D

It was destined 

I dont need another chance

I have to take my chances

What's right or What's wrong

I cant be sure

I craved for a dream 

that was never meant to be

I waited for something

That made me lose my senses

I have and will always

believe in what I was destined

It was destined for me to fall for you

It was destined for me to make promises

It was destined for us to fall apart

It was destined that all my promises,

Be broken by time and distance

It was destined for me to see

There is more to life

It was destined for me to believe,again

I can smile and love

and be inspired

All at once

I can choose to explore

what's in stored for me

without being the one for you.

Heal the world

A tribute to Michael Jackson(1958-2009), The King of Pop.

My opinion

When the Malaysian opposition decided to thrash the unity talk and concentrate on wresting the federal power, it IS not or SHALL not merely be about taking away the power. A lot needs to done. A country with so much potential is now on the verge of breaking down. The main plan is to restore the economical situation and also mend the broken society. I would rather not elaborate on that because it will be impossible, here I do not wish to state what should be done but I will state what I hope to see. Another BN is not needed, Pakatan Rakyat should get only ONE chance to govern and if it fails then they should be topple too. The rakyat deserve the best government, it does not matter which party. The important thing is a functional government. People are very scared to move on, to change. It is not something unusual when you have been under the same government from day 1. There are too many what if questions that can only be answered if the people are brave enough to explore new possibilities or else nothing will change. If you are promised a new dawn expect a new dawn nothing less.  Now, that is the talk for the future. We have got at least another 3 years or less before that could happen. If the government were to change fair ELECTIONS should be the ONLY reason it happen. What happened in Perak should by now make us understand. Again I repeat we do not want the same old story, we want change. Pakatan Rakyat should realize that they have got ample time to be prepared. Instead of getting involve in never ending politicking, PR should start strengthening itself. New and young leaders should be identified and given the right guidance. I have personally met a few PR leaders and trust me; they are the leaders for the future. I know this because when a politician talks about various issues from religion to education to football but not politics it wouldn’t be unfair to say ‘this is the new politics’. This is important, as a strong government needs to have strong leadership at every layer. People have said that PR is a very fragile coalition. Instead of ignoring this opinion why not investigate these allegations? If it’s true there nothing wrong with it, PR was form just last year! By taking the right approach it can be sorted well. States under PR should also beef up their administration because whether they like it or not these states are by far the closest indication that the people can get on how things are going to be under PR. Perhaps avoiding controversies can be one of the agenda and also they shouldn’t concentrate too much on the past administration flaws because that was the main reason they were elected. It is the future that needs to be shaped. PR have promised a lot now it is the time to hold on to those promises and prove the people that they were right in choosing them. The only justification would be in their performance.  For now, lets give our 6^th prime minister his chance to lead. He introduced us to 1Malaysia a very interesting but confusing concept. It sure did get a lot of attentions but what can it do?Even though I doubt much can change lets hope he does not make the already bad situation worst.So if you are wondering why am I being so one sided? Well, Different people have different opinion and from my point of view a reliable Pakatan Rakyat would be the one for our future. You can have your own opinion, feel free to object this post but PLEASE do it with facts. I will not delete any comments as I believe in freedom of thoughts and opinion. Comment with sense not emotion.

From the bottom of my heart

Firstly, thank you Mama,Abah,Sabrina Ashraf for visiting me here in Adelaide. It was perhaps the best thing that has ever happened since I arrived. I am not saying things are bad here but that was the best.

 

I would like to thank the only neighbour I am close to for everything. I wish her good luck in her new journey.

 

I would also like to congratulate someone that I consider my best friend for achieving what she has always dreamt of. Your new life chapter aint gonna be a ride in the park but its what you have chosen. Have a good life

 

 To all my friends that are also entering new chapters in their lives. I wish you guys all the best.

 

We have shared wonderful moments that I will not forget. Things are certainly going to change but I guess this is life, just go through it!

 

To an almost forgotten friend. Its good to be friends again. Its good to know that I can actually make someone smile. I always thought that I can never make anyone happy.

 

I feel happy blogging, after a week filled with microeconomics and going into ANOTHER week filled with microeconomics this sure  help me to relax. For certain reasons I considered shutting down this blog but this is the only medium I have for me to explain myself. So far studying overseas has been a very lonely experience, it is hard to explain but that’s a fact. Therefore I will continue blogging. Be it life, politics or love I will continue to blog about things that I am passionate.

 

 We tend to forget that happiness doesn`t come as a result of getting something we don`t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.Frederick Keonig

Pasti

Ku tak mampu memetik bintang

Jauh bergemelapan di sana

Ku telah cuba, sekadar untuk pasti

Biarkan bulan yang sendiri

Temankan ku di sini

Biar pun tak lengkap di sisi

Tak mungkin akan ku ratapi

Setelah apa yang ku lalui

Yang pasti tidak akan ku lari

Cuba hilang dalam mimpi

Biar apa pun yang akan terjadi

Walau perasaan ini tak pernah kau selami

Walau pun ku telah dilukai

Bukan sekali tetapi berkali

Walau esok masih belum pasti

Aku ku pegang pada janji.

Fear

I stumble upon 2 interesting quotes yesterday and today. The first one was from a movie and the second one was on my adelaide metroticket..

"Fear is the heart of love"

and

"Fear is the parent of cruelty"

Interesting dont you think? The heart of love is also the parent of cruelty. I personally think this is true. Love is cruel. Ive got nothing else to say perhaps anyone with experience can explain more about this?BTW it is winter here and it is cold!I know winter here is nothing compared to the winter in US or Russia but it is freaking cold!

Aye to the Future

Something I wrote while studying microeconomics. 

Aye to the  Future

I’ve tried all my best

I’ve given all I have

I did all I can

I’ve said all I want

I can’t think but remember

I’ve been there once

It have been years not months

More time and more space

Are just excuses

For far too long

I can’t move on

And I cant lie anymore

That’s a fact

I must accept

Things have to change from now onwards

Giving up is inevitable

Looking up is inescapable  

As I could already see a light

At the end of this dreadfully dark tunnel 

By Ahmad Ridhuan,19

Ausmat Sunway 2008

I am seeing

All that I missed

I am dreaming

All of those memories

I wish I could do more than cherish

I want those days we shared to come alive

I don’t understand why time flies

Why couldn’t it last?

Why wouldn’t it wait for me

Ausmatians, I miss you.

random thoughts

I often think about all those memories that I wish had never left me

Now it seems to be so far away

It used to be with me 

I used to live my dream

I know Ive done things that I shouldnt have done

But I am in no position to undo those mistakes

Its a done deal I cant change it but I regret it

For example, Seeing my friends studying medicine 

it makes me happy, at least I can see my dream through people that I care

It was the one thing that I really wanted in life

I want to help others,

I left home for something that I thought could lead me there

I sacrificed my love for something that I believe could jump start my dream

It was a gamble and I lost my game

Fair enough, I FAILED

and so I lost everything

I am not going to give up

Just because I cant get into my dream career

it doesnt mean I cant be successful

now things are different

I will still serve the people

In a different way

Insyaallah, by studying economics and politics

I can still achieve a part of my dream

which is to serve the people

I have experienced how it felt to be in a golden era in my life

The feeling of being complete

The feeling of being in control of my life

I had it all

I have a feeling

that, NOW I am ready

With my family and friends that matters

on my side

Golden Days of my life will be back