Blog de Donovan Tan

There are some simple rule for this. Photos cannot be taken from the internet or from any other sources. I have to be involved in all these photos in one way or another.

I'm a big fan of photography and I take quite a lot of photos. (mind you, not the self-portrait ones)
So here they are !

photo number 1:
On a rather sad note, this photo sums up the misery of failing to graduate. that is me looking at all my classmates that have made it through.

photo number 2:
This is a happy one for me as Seng Keat fails miserably to stop me from winning just about every race in Need For Speed.

photo number 3:
A magnificent view at Penang's Hard Rock Hotel with Eunys and Amelia in it. NICE. There are a few with that view and its kinda hard to choose.

photo number 4:
Perfect timing by Wener. There were Typhoon at the Philippines, minor tsunamis elsewhere and we were in Pangkor's beach ! Kevin's reaction shows just how hard hitting those waves were.

photo number 5:(just to make up the numbers)
Seng Keat's face that sums up how the espresso at Segafredo tastes during my 21st birthday celebration.

So there we have it. the 5 nominated photos. Send me your comments on which is best,2nd best and 3rd best in my blog, facebook, msn, whichever way. the result will be posted on the 31st of December. "vote" now. I'll frame the winning photo for being the favorite photo of the year !

Had a TERRIBLE,AWFUL day and it seems, nothing can cheer me up for now. Here's how bad my day is.

Before Work
­-rain coat pants pocket torn, lost my coins for parking. ended having to to ask from passer by for 50 cents.
-raining while on the way to work.
-after parking, went all the way to the entrance and then the guard tells me NO HELMET. so I have to walk back to the bike parking space and walk back while its still raining.

During work
-boss told me the venue is at the 3rd floor, I walked all the way but couldn't find it because it is at 2nd floor.
-walked quickly because I was getting late, only to find out that the people at the shop are even more late. so I had to wait for them.
-boss sent 3 people.only 2 people managed to sell, I didn't after standing there for so 12 long hours.
-lunch time queue was very long. A customer in front wanted to order KFC food in McD,so the cashier had to explain to her that McD's fries and like this and that, bla bla bla....while I'm waiting for my turn to order with my stomach almost empty.
-dinner time, clear sky as i went outside the mall across the street to eat. after dinner, it rained again.
-All the food in QB is expensive.

After work
-I told my dad that this kind of work, no one can work for long. He scolded me for that.
-Reached home at 11pm sharp. which means I'll be very late or will not make it in time to meet up with my friends tomorrow.
-The thought of having to work from 1030-1030 again tomorrow.

Seriously, think about it. you only got 24 hours a day. 12 hours at work. 8 hours to sleep. One hour for traveling and one hour for meals before and after work. 2 hours approximately left. You don't have a life any more. Unless I've got no family and friends, unless this job pays bloody well, there is NO WAY I could ever work for that many hours everyday.

The only good thing about the day ??? - knowing that I will only work there for 3 days.

• I'm so disturbed by these thoughts. Every time it goes through my mind I'll end up having sleepless nights.
  
  
• I have probably seen a little too much of the dark side and I have lost the believe that such a thing or person still exist. Maybe it does, but certainly rare in the real world.
  
  
• If I'm in the opposite position I would have acted in the same manner as well. But I am where I am.
  
  
• I don't want to blame the whole world for this because it is just not right. But what could I do to make a significant difference? Is there any thing I could have done in the past to change the present? How can I change myself to make a difference?
  
  
• Life has been arranged in such a way and it will remain like this for the next few years at least. They say you have to appreciate what you have in order to be happy but how can I be happy when I'm now powerless to change the way things are?
  
  
• The situation is not getting any better at all. There will be no miracles and I need time to solve this problem. By the time its over, what's gone is gone.
  
  
• I don't want pay the price for somebody else's mistake. Why should I be punished for another person's sin? But guess what, I might just have to swallow that bitter pill and accept it.
  
  
• I have always believed if I really wanted something realistically possible, I will get it sooner or later. But to get everything the way I want it is a major doubt.
  
  

Feeling quite depressed. I hope I'm wrong about this. Hopefully things aren't as bad as they seem.

HOPEFULLY...

Both of my eyes are infected. I can't go out without sunglasses or I'll scare people with my vampire-in-real-life face.

But from what I've heard, I'm not the only one. It must be one of those time, the season where many people are infected by this eye virus.

Having seen a doctor, not much advise was given on how to prevent or how to speed up the recovery. The only thing I'm told to do is to take my medication on time.

What I've learned from the net is that one should keep his/her hands clean all the time. Try not to rub your eyes. There are so much info on the net I don't even know which is relevant.

As for my infection, the symptom starts with you having a lot of... "waste" (don't know what should I call it) around the infected eye. Followed by some pain around the eye. By the time you wake up, you'll have even more eye "waste" around it and you'll have to wash it with clean water. Next, you'll suffer for a few days looking like a vampire. Except its for real, not like those you see during Halloween.

Its my 3rd day living with the red eyes now. Hopefully tomorrow I'll recover by half at least. It has not improved much in the last 2 days.

Appeal results is going to take another week or two. Although it can happen, but the chances are low.

If miracle do happen, I will go for the January intake surely. Very UNLIKELY. May intake is only 4 months later and maybe, with more students enrolling by then, I'll have a better chance to look for my future wife. *some say that is when you find one* Not ideal but hardly a worst case scenario.

Haven't got a job since July and if I were to help my family financially, I need to get a job before November. That could be a bit of a problem.Apart from the daily expenses, I also plan to invest on something I've always wanted.A DSLR ! It will help me cope with the so called boring-life at Kampar. But it seems I might just have to delay the purchase.

To makes things a little bit worse, my biological clock has been set to London's GMT. Its 5am now and I'm still very much awake.

I'm a jobless, 21 year old who failed to graduate yet again. In a real mess now.

Its like missing the World Cup after losing out on goal difference. Only this time, the wait is 8 months long, not 4 years.

Its like being suspended for a Champions League final for a stupid red card. Only this time, I'm appealing to TARC, not UEFA.

Its like Zidane in the 2006 World Cup. Put in a fantastic performance, and during his last match as a pro in the final, got himself sent off and France lost. Only this time, my dreams are still alive.

Its like Ah Beh playing futsal. Ran through the whole defense, with the keeper away from goal, the target wide open, pulls the trigger and . . . HITS THE POST !!! As a result, we had a "half-time" break, because everybody laughed their butt off. Only this time, its not funny.

If you have no idea of what I'm talking about, no worries.I have it all summed up.

To sum up my feelings after getting a C- out of 4, One simple word-disappointed. It was that close, having passed the rest of my nightmare papers and now, this one, one grade below passing grade. So close,yet so far.

I've submitted my appeal. Not sure if it will do any good. Either way I'll go consult the college counselor soon.

1 Malaysia, 1 Pangkor !!!

Went for a vacation at Pangkor, a place I haven't visited for a very long time. The tour guide was Kev this time. We're also joined by Marcus-nator Kim. So its me and 2 big, hairy dudes on an all guys trip !Sounds wrong? It is. Could have been a great holiday but the weather somewhat ruined the plan a bit.

First of all we were unaware that there were earthquakes,tsunami and typhoon around SEA until we came back from the beach. The sea was rough. The waves hit us quite hard.As a result I lost my sleeper which was at the edge of the beach. Looks pretty fun isn't it? It is.

An all-guys holiday trip is not always bad thing but this time the trip does feel quite 'empty'. Its like McValue Meal without the fries. Enjoyable, but not ideal. I tried but none of my female friends could join. And the make matters worse our tour guide brought along the most gay movie, ever made called Bruno !

The sunset was unfortunately nowhere as beautiful as the one I saw at Penang few days ago.The whole feel of enjoying the view just wasn't there.But on the upside, the wind and waves are much stronger. That makes the beach look dangerous and very much more exciting !

But then because it was dangerous the boats wouldn't take us to the surrounding islands and of course, no snorkeling. Under these conditions its just not possible.

The whole trip was not bad. There aren't too many place to visit at Pangkor but if there were chicks around and no bad weather, I'm sure it would have been much better ! Any way, thanks to Kev for being the tour guide and thanks to Mr.Tan, the tauke of Seagull, for fetching us around.

'OK, you may leave the hall now.'the main invigilator said which puts to an end to yet another STRESSFUL,HECTIC,SUFFERING,TIRING, semester exam. The reason why an exam is such a pain in the butt is due to my inability to carry out a well planned study program,AGAIN.

I mean, I still did my work at the last minute. I resigned from work 1 month before exam but still it didn't give me enough time. When short of time I started to panic. I couldn't sleep at night. My mind was too stressed to the extent that I can't absorb any thing. IT'S SUCH A SHAME I ONLY LEARN ONE LESSON AFTER ONE MISTAKE

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, I'm sure I did better than last semester and I believe I've learned quite a lot out of this experience.
Now I know:

• Without the help from the lecturers, certain question can't be solved by asking friends.
  
• Quality,NOT quantity time is what I need to prepare for exam.(There is no quality time when you don't have enough time to study)
  
• Don't get stuck on small obstacles.(which I always do)Don't stop,Move on
  
• Maintain a healthy lifestyle. Junk food,sleep deprivation don't do any good.
  

As I've said before, it is make or break. I'm planning apply for UTAR's Jan 2010 intake. THERE IS A LITTLE TWIST,HOWEVER. IN CASE I do screw up this time, I'll just work until May 2010 for my expenses and then, continue my studies.
Because after some serious consideration, I figured I needed at least a degree for my future career.

P/S: Much thanks to all the people who have wished me luck and gave me all the help and support. Olive,thanks for your teachings and patience.Kev, thanks for the rides in your UR-Kelisa-Sparkle. I appreciate it guys. Thanks for the ride again.

My first resit paper of this semester is on the 2nd of September. I have more than 48 hours but will that be enough? As of now I haven't done enough to ensure a pass yet.

TIME IS RUNNING OUT

My plans to start revision early was not well executed. Memories of last semester's moments of failure are still clear in my mind. I even had nightmares about it recently.

Last semester, I had all 4 resit papers in 2 days. I did all I can within a short time. I was under a lot of stress and I'm also mentally, very tired. Eventually, I failed miserably. And so my plans to study in TARC KL had to be called off.

This semester however, things are looking a bit better. I have a lengthy schedule from the 2nd to the 17th for my 4 subjects which is a good thing. . . If I make full use of my time that is. But the stakes are pretty much the same. Because I have a deal with my parents.
If I don't pass all of my subjects this semester, I will not be given any funds to further my studies. The study loan can't cover all expenses.

The bottom line is, I have to pass all. Scoring or not is not important to me now. I want to graduate and go to Kampar.
Life at PG TARC was good but not great. I want to make the best out of my remaining time as a student at Kampar.

1st post ever to be written Tun Mahathir style

1.The recent newspaper headline have caught my attention and got me thinking.

2.The number of old folks being abandoned by their children is on the rise. A sad news it is but that is the trend.

3.Parents have to bear the burden of raising their children since they are born. A mother can look after 5 children or so.

4.Now all 5 children are grown up, looking after their mother until THAT DAY comes seem to be too much of a burden.

5.Orphans would never do that to their step parents but those born and raised by their biological parents would.

6.Is taking care of an old man that much harder than taking care of a baby? I don't know.

7.In Singapore, those who are caught abandoning their parents can be jailed for up to six months.

8.Our government should learn from our neighbors on this matter.

9.If one could speak out words like 'I got my own life to live now.Goodbye' to their parents, he/she can say it to any body.

10.If you cannot respect the very people who have raised you with love and care,then there is no point respecting the gods you worship. Because you cannot respect any body.

11.I might have missed out of those who had not have a good time with their parents. Child abuse,rape, etc.

12.BUT, how many people in the old folks home actually did that? How many of them actually deserved to be there?

What goes around, comes around.

Yesterday Kev was saying on his facebook that his new SE Xperia X1 broke down and was sent to the 'hospital'. My reaction?


Yes, literally. See?
Today,guess what happened? On my way to work, I had a puncture and arrived at work late.

So I called and inform Ben about it.And His reaction?


You might have thought so.

And I also got mad and replied with 'MCB ni. hen hao siao ar !?' In mandrin.

So, what I've been taught about karma proved to be true,again. And that makes me wonder, what is happening to Ben tomorrow ???

I'm seeing my old self at work. Watching him serve a customer reminds me of myself about 3 years ago. He is hard working,aggressive,he never stops trying, and has no fear of rejection. Always eager to know how much other people earn from the sale that he missed. Always the 1st to react when customers walk in. That was me. And now I see that in him.

Now things have changed. I'm laid back and more relaxed at work. I got fed up with this place. I have more time for exam preparation and photography but that is just not my main purpose at work.
I used to take the shortest lunch and dinner break at off-peak hours when I was at Megamall. Worrying that staying away from the shop will result in missing a sale. But now I take one full hour breaks even at weekends. I don't care because usually there is no sale to miss. And while I'm taking things easy at work, he is there to take every advantage of it.
I don't blame him. He did nothing wrong and should take credit for his hard work. The only thing that I find irritating is his tendency to get involved in my sales.

It is tough to earn more here. Back then when the economy was good and shopping malls were few and far away, selling 3 cameras in a day is just routine. But now its the opposite.I sell 1 in 3 days. Sometimes less. And I have to work 12 hours everyday.*tiring* When there is no people there is no sale. This is not an excuse but a condition.

Facing my old self everyday isn't such a great thing.

I can't take this half day long,less rewarding job any more. I'm going to quit at the end of the month to prepare for exams in September.

NO, it is not my birthday today. It is probably the most significant birthday of your life.

I see my friends celebrate their 21st birthday one after another. Some wants to throw a party. Some wants to relax at beach. Others kept it very simple.

So with mine coming up in a few months I started to think how am I going to celebrate mine. How do I celebrate moving from
childhood/boyhood TO adulthood/manhood ?

BUT... There is a problem. Because I can't figure out many reasons to celebrate. I mean, I screwed up and missed the convocation. I'm not happy with a few things that I can't do much about now. And I haven't achieved much in recently months.

Everybody have their own way. I can't figure out mine for now. Any suggestion my friends?

Somehow during my 2 years studying at PG TARC which located in Tg.Bunggah, I've never fully explored Batu Ferrigghi. It is a famous tourism spot in Penang. Many people have told me about the beach and Sunset Bistro.I've always enjoyed vacations at the beach
Yesterday,Wednesday which is my off-duty day, I went over to see what's what. A big thanks to Su Ping for being kind enough to provide transportation. And also special thanks to Wei Chang,a guy from Ipoh who came to Penang for a vacation because if he had not come, we wouldn't bother to go all the way there.

I have to say it is the best off day I've ever had so far! Much better than the Kampar trip for 2 reasons.

First, there is a beach and of course, a beautiful scenery plus the bikini babes and animals you can't see in town.
Second, traveling is less tiring and takes less time to reach. Its in Penang !

The only thing I didn't quite like is the rough sand and the weather. Which was very warm.

But you wouldn't be so bothered if you are on the parachute being dragged by a boat or just enjoying water sports.
And as you would expect, you have to pay a bit extra for a tourism hot spot. For the short 5 minute flying-without-wings experience costs you *170bucks. RM120 for a 35mins jet skiing in a 2 seater.

Even my iced peach juice costs RM4.90
I'm not whining about what I paid, I'm just trying to bring up some awareness.

I don't know about prices of banana boat ride, 4-seat-in-a-row water drifting,"horse riding", and literally horse riding.

I abosolutely loved my trip there and I'm thinking about visiting Batu Ferringhi again soon. Who wants in?

Opening an invitation for all ! 'mai kong wa bo chio hor'

Browsing through facebook and friendster have not been a great experience lately. Photos of others' graduation. My classmates, my cousins, my friends... They have all earned the right to attend the convocation as a graduate. And I have nothing but a sincere congratulations to all those who have made it.

As for me, and a few others who suffered the same fate as me, I can only say Keep Trying ! Finish what you started and don't ever quit.

I don't blame any body but myself for this. And they did nothing wrong by sharing photos of their sweet success moments online.

I felt bad because I tried but not hard and smart enough. I wanted to graduate. I want it bad.
I wanted to be among my M26 classmates in this photos.

I thought I could share that moment with my friends.


I wished I can stand in this photo with my cousins. What a family reunion that would have been ! My granny would have been so proud.
The experience of going through such a hard time have thought me one thing. My previous method and the amount of work I put in for exam,is not good enough.

Now that is it decided that I either graduate by September,go to UTAR in Janaury OR settle with a diploma. Any more delays in studies is unacceptable.

In other words, I do well this well, I continue and if I don't, that's it. The fun ends.

With that in mind I'll have to do everything I can to make sure I do well. I might quit my job,study until I drop,cheat in exam,beg for help, any thing to get this right.

I have 7 weeks left now to tackle my worst subjects in college. I hope I'm up for this. To those in similar situation as me, start early,study smart,do your best! And you shall have no regrets at the end of day.

Good Luck

Kampar UTAR is said be a boring place to people but T-back Marcus-nator said it is fun while Tzun Hoong called the place hell.

So I thought I would need some kind of companion there. Kev said I should find a girl friend instead but I have other ideas. I'll have a pet ! Previously I had hamsters but now I'm thinking about Sugar Gliders!

I did some brief research on the net and found out a few facts about these animals of Australia/Indonesian origin.

The size is slightly bigger than a hamster but it has a much longer tail. It has the cute looks that everybody will adore. But unlike hamsters who has lived with humans for many generations, the pet Sugar Gliders' ancestors live in the wild. Which means they not very used to living with humans yet. Some say.

Preparing for food takes a bit of time and effort. The owner must also know what to and what not to feed their little pets. This might be troublesome to some.

It bonds well with its owner. It is very playful in an adorable way and loves to climb on the owner's shirt.

But then there is a problem. These little creatures are very attention needy. Beast Master Pei Hong said it is recommended that you breed two so that it has the company and attention it needs. Like in the wild, they live in groups. Some web site also says that boredom and loneliness can cause these cute little animals to die.

While most hamsters live for about 1 1/2 year to 2, sugar gliders can live up to 15 years. Which is almost as long as a dog but it doesn't guard the house like a dog.

There is however one thing sugar gliders and hamsters have in common. They are both active at night but sugar gliders can make louder noise.

But one thing makes a sugar guider stand out from the rest of the home pets. These little creatures, can actually glide or fly downwards without getting themselves hurt !

But even here this could be a problem. Because if it can jump off from somewhere to you, I fear it might jump into another animal's mouth.
I haven't tried breeding a sugar glider yet. But I know it bonds well with its owner but could be a difficult to handle.

If you have some information about these cute little animals to share, please send an email to Thank you

Having thought about going to Kampar for some time, finally this time it happened. Much thanks to Kev for offering a ride, I had the chance to see what's what.The surroundings, the food, the lake, the campus and the random accident spot.

So here is what I found out.

Distance from home
It is quite far away. Over 140km from the nearest Juru toll to Gopeng exit. It took us about 2 hours to get there.

Without any music one might fall asleep on the wheel.

So you might as well drive fast and try stay awake.


Light after darkness in the tunnel

Surrounding Houses

There are quite a lot of houses there. From single story to 3 storey houses. There is still some distance from the nearest house to the campus.Although the scenery on the way can be rather enjoyable to watch but...

I bet those going to classes won't enjoy their ride much under the extremely warm weather.

The Campus
In terms of size, it is HUGE. The biggest Private University maybe. But that is what I have expected to see. Big campus, lots of students. What I didn't expect though, was this.


Should I call it bicycle town?

Unfortunately I didn't have any wide lens with me or else I could have shown you a better picture of UTAR's very own, CHINA.

The food
Had only one meal there somewhere near that Island Red cafe. I had economy rice, the price,the taste is acceptable.

The entertainment
Nothing much really. So I'll start off with what is lacking in Kampar

• NO CINEMA. Nearest one is in Ipoh.
  
• NO FUTSAL COURT. A proper one.
  
• NO CLUB. The nearest place to find one is in Ipoh.
  
• NO BIG HYPERMARKETS.Like Gurney Plaza,QB, Megamall or Mid Valley. None.
  
• NO BEACH. No seaside barbecue. No new year's count down on the beach.
  

But luckily, it is still some places to hang out with friends
Cyber Cafes, mamak shop,Tesco and there is Ipoh if you don't mind travelling.

Entertainment wise Kampar is no match for Penang.

Friends
I do know a few people studying here. So I shouldn't feel too lonely at my 1st few weeks there.And I'm sorry that I didn't call any of them out because it was a quick in-and-out,straight to the point visit.

Course Duration
The duration depends on how I arrange the number of subjects according the the minimum/maximum credit hour.

The number of papers exempted on the other hand, depends on the lecturer and the FUCKculty. Yes. I was told its called the FUCKculty.

Conclusion
UTAR Kampar seems to be a decent place to study. Quiet, less distraction, peaceful. Which is good because that is the main purpose of going there. BUT...

The lack of entertainment could be a problem to some. Unlike in PG or KL,Kampar is a peaceful and quiet place to be.

The campus doesn't have enough parking lot and to make things worse, instead of first come first serve they'll have a lucky draw instead for the parking stickers.

If all goes well in my September exam, most probably I will be there in January.