Breaking Dawn/ Tech Savvy

I'm still reading Breaking Dawn which I borrowed from Cass. It's not as bad as others put it, but that's just my opinion.
I'll still buy the book when I can, just for the novelty of it.


Anyways, it's Malaysia's Independence Day today!
Ah...I don't really care. Actually, I'm feeling pretty indifferent now.


As you can see in my blog, I've added something new. Yes, the links to the outside world.
Yes, the pictures are clickable and they'll bring you to whereever I want the link to go.
I figured out how to do it in just five minutes.


If you have seen my other blog- Her Life- My Fiction, you would have noticed that I put a F.A.Q link there. Yes, it'll bring you to a F.A.Q page! Why did I do that? Well, go read to find out!

Honestly speaking, I was never tech savvy.
Believe me, I've come a long way to get to this level and I've got further to go. I'm still trying to figure out how to have a background music playing in my blog without a visible player. I've seen websites do it and am still working on it.

I guess it was in Facebook that I started to learn HTML. I wanted my notes to be fun to look at, with all the big, bold and small words.
It's not that hard, actually. But I can't say it's the same for a professional compared to an amateur like me.
At first, I learnt how to bold words.
Then, how to make them italic.
Then, how to strikethrough.
Then, to hyperlink to a site. (Try clicking on the word hyperlink and see what happens.)
I was then off to numbering, bulleting , enlarging and minimizing words, underlining, blockquoting, encoding, hiding and a whole lot more.
I don't use encoding or hiding in my blog, but I do in forums. That's to get people to post something in the forums to be able to see what I've got hidden inside, usually links to download. Want an example? Head on over to Shoujo Manga Downloads (just follow the link at my links section) and see for yourself. At the forums, just click on the New Releases section and see the hidden message first hand!

I'm sure when you wanted to bold something, you'd press the 'b' on your compose post toolbar using your mouse and when you want to underline something, you couldn't.
I can do all that without my fingers leaving the keyboard or reaching for the mouse.
Kinda sound like I'm bragging right now, eh? Haha...


One thing though, I still have to move my mouse to color my text as I'm not sure of the RBG number of colours nor can I align my text yet. I will soon enough.


Of course, my blog didn't look like this at first. It started out in minima black. I wanted to put a background picture like the one I have now but I couldn't. So, I sought out help from Crystal, a friend of my brother's; she's in APIIT now and her blog is left to collect cyber dust. She told me to revert the whole thing back to classic template so that I can insert a blogskin found in Blogskin (yes, another clickable link).

I did messed around with the CSS code of the template, adding and subtracting digits and words to see how it turned out. At one point, my whole blog was deformed and I was lucky to have a back-up template saved up.
No matter how much I messed, I was still unsatisfied with how my blog was. I still wanted to have my own picture for header and background. So, I researched on how to do it.

I found my solution after five hours of non-stop searching. And when I found out how to do it, it was a relief. Though, frustration should be the mood, as I only needed to type a few words to get it up. But it was worth it. Now I can put any background I want.


I still wasn't satisfied. I didn't like the words blocking the header. Then, I saw Jess's and Lily's blog. They used Photoshop.
I borrowed the disc from Jess the very next day and was playing around with the tools inside. I didn't know how to use it properly, so I looked for guides.
Thank you igotangsinmypants for your wonderful step-by-step tutorial.
With his/her tutorial, I created two signatures, one banner, one avatar and three Polaroids.
The header above was my 8th creation.
The header in my fiction blog was my 15th while the background 16th.
If I could, I hope to learn how to create blogskins. It'll be so awesome to be able to do that!
Then, the next step would be animated siggys (signatures) , animated avatars (or GIFs) , how to make the title bar disappear like Ryan Chong's blog and last, how to make your links blink, strike through (and unstrike through) as your cursor rolls over.

By then, I'd ask my dad to help with the funding of a server and create my very own website!


Well, what is my whole point of talking about this?
It's to say, tech savvy-ness isn't a gift. You have to spend time and energy on it; and even if you can't get it the first time, do it again, till you get it.
I wish I could say the same for my school subjects; I usually cave in the first time I stall.


I'd best get to sleep now. A new day awaits me!

Cable/ Her Life-My Fiction

No questions to where I've gone. It's on the need-to-know basis, and you don't need to know.

I was bored, and still am.
I've got a dinner to attend to but I still need something to kill time.
So, I've came up with her.

She has already existed as long as I have, perhaps even longer.
She lives in a world that I created out of thin air, yet I'm no God.

Her life is my story to tell; her life is my fiction.

Well, you can sorta say it's fan-fic, but it's not.
I can also say that it's to test my creativity and writting skills. Who knows, maybe I should be a writer instead. Whatever.

Now then, would you like to see her world?
Go on, the door is now open.

[mode set:+ by winternite]
[incoming transmission]
[Welcome to auto-write, winternite. Password for voice-recognition]
[static]********
[voice recognition confirmed, access granted]
[receiving transmission]

[transmission located and recognized...buffering 20%]

[attempting audio playback]

[disturbance]...I don't need to explain myself...I...

[buffering 50%]

...don't care a...

[buffering 60%]

[static]...don't need to know wh...[static]...don't give a da...[static]

[buffering 65%]

[static]...don't fi...[static]...me...[static]

[transmission interrupted]
[audio playback failed]
[auto-write halted]

[attempting to relocate source of transmission]
[source of transmission: non-existent]

[following pre-programed command]
[closing connection to receiver]
[closing connection to blogspot]
[closing connection to internet]

MP3/ Religion

My MP3 is playing Warped Path of Time found in MapleStory's BGM. I have most of the BGM. To how I found it, it's a secret and no one shall ever pry out of me.


Yes, I've not gone to school today because of reasons that no one needs to know. I don't even mind missing the class party that they're having today.

Ah, religion, one of the most sensitive topics in the world. One misunderstanding could result in another Holy War or worst, World War IV. Yes, WW III has already been resolved, but that's beside the point.

First thing's first, I'm giving a few warnings before writing any further.

1. This is a long post, so if you have anything to do first, please do it before reading. I do not want to be blamed for wasting your time.
   
2. This is post is about my opinion/views/ ideas on this particular topic. DO NOT SPAM my CBOX with your comments on HOW WRONG I am for the things I'm about to say/ write. You have every right to think to your way, I have all the same to mine. So, don't go threatening to bring others to gang up and use violence. It does nothing but tarnishes your reputation, not mine.
   
3. If you feel that you don't like what I'm about to say, you're always welcomed to press that 'X' button at the top of your tab/ screen.
4. I apologize if I have insulted anyone in any way, to any degree in advance. I have the utmost respect for any of the religions that I'm about to speak on.
5. Lastly, I'm not asking you to approve of my opinions, nor am I out to change yours. You stand by what you believe in, I stand by mine.

Since that's settled, I'll get started. *clears throat*

My dad is not a pious man, neither do our family practice extremism. We are Taoists (if anyone's wondering...). I'm not a Christian, as most of the people whom I just met would assume that I am.
It's not a branch a Buddhisms, as many believe it to be so. I spent plenty of my childhood trying to correct the misconception.
My dad has never practiced any rituals to the extreme; moderation is my dad's motto.
"Do you have food that we can't eat"? My dad would most definitely answer,

I eat everything that has wings except planes, everything that has legs except furniture.

Sure enough, this statement has generated a lot of negative feedback, but my dad ignores them. He lives on the philosophies that enables him to survive, to do what's right and to protect the family.
These are some of the examples:

1. Do everything in moderation, never stray to the extreme right nor left. Life's about keeping a balance. Once the balance is tilted either way, chaos and despair is ensured.
2. Never let anyone change your opinion (also said to me by my maternal grandma). If your guts tell you that it's the right way, don't let other comments influence you. Stand firm and never give in, regardless of what negative comments and pressure they might throw at you.
   
3. You don't need do good nor prove to anyone's eyes. Only the opinion of your immediate family matters.
4. Live life to the fullest, never go by one day with regret.
5. The bond between siblings is important. If one is in trouble, do not hesitate to give your fullest support. United we stand, divided we fall.
6. Have an open mindset, it makes accepting easier.
   

Now, you know how my family functions.

We don't really immerse ourselves with our religion.
Perhaps that's why some think that I'm a Christian (probably by the way I speak) while others think that I'm an atheist. Personally, I don't care.

Though, I met someone who has insulted me at the greatest degree. He disrespected my family's practice.


It was two years ago that I meet him at a game. We hit off well and started talking more often. Conversations with him was not only intellectual, but fun too. It was three months after when everything started.

[I shan't reveal which religion he's in; just so long as you know that these people do exist]
We were talking through MSN one night. He suddenly brought up the subject of religion, asking what I believed in. I told him mine and him his. Then, he started to give a lecture about his religion, telling me how good it was. Being polite, I listened.
After the lecture, he tried to persuade me to join; I declined. He then returned to praising the religion and again, tried to persuade, but to no avail. My patience was already running thin.
Again, he tried; my patience snapped.
What I said, I shall repeat now and it's without any editing. Whether it was rude or not, it's up to you to decide.

I respect what you believe in, but could you for one moment, stop to think?
I already said 'No, thank you', which putting it nicely means- I'm not interested! Please respect what I believe in, as I do respect yours.

Then, he started saying baseless things about my belief, like I was worshiping the devil! I've had it! I just blocked him off in mid-sentence. Even now, the anger builds up whenever I think about it.


What's my point, then?
My point is, RESPECT OTHER PEOPLE'S RELIGION!
I've had it with this kind of people! I've met plenty more of these people after this incident!
Yes, I appreciate the trouble you've taken to tell me about your religion, but to the point of persuading me to convert? Puh-leez!

Yeah, I'm not as fanatic as a hell lot of people when it comes to religion. I don't go around singing praises about how good it is or to persuade people to join me!
And I sure do not make friends according to their religion either! I prefer people from different walks of life and religion.

No doubt that I'm interested in the topic of religion, but it's only to gain knowledge and better insights!

I do read about the Bible, even if I'm not a Christian. I'm also interested in the stories in the Gospel of Mark and Gospel of Luke.
I also read about the Koran/ Qur'an. Bet you didn't know that Abu Lahab has injured by Ummi Fadl (Abbas's wife) and his injury didn't heal. It turned septic and the poison spread, making his body erupt with pustuls and he died within a week. His corpse was left to decompose for a few nights as nobody wanted to touch his body due to his plague-like symptoms. The burial wasn't pretty either, for his sons threw stones at his corpse until it was completely covered outside the walls of Mecca.
I even read about ancient Gods and Goddess for the fun of it.
And just yesterday, I read about Hesidic Judaisim.

*sigh*


There is no doubt that anyone might feel very proud of what they believe in. But people seem to have forgotten the most important lesson that every religion has, modesty and humility.
Didn't they ever teach you to be modest and never place yourself higher than others? Didn't they teach you the most basic of all things, to respect others?
So why the heck do those people exist, hmm?

Another thing, I've seen people desperately praying for a divine intervention, hoping that God shall somehow help him/ her to overcome the problem. Let me share a lil advise my mom got from her father, and me from her when I was 9:

God helps those who help themselves.

I told my mom that if that's so, why not I just think of a way to solve the problem myself. Mom smiled when I said that.

Well then, I've had my say. I'm also glad for my parents to raise us to have an open mindset.
To those who aren't satisfied with what I said, go rant anywhere but my CBox.

Scissors/ Of Manglish and Chinglish

I'm not done wrapping my books yet.

I've been to the mall twice this week, once was at Ikea/Ikano/ The Curve yesterday and 1U today.
And in these two days, I've spent 70% of my allowance (plus dad's subsidies) on books, or rather, manga.

I've gotten the first two volumes of Ouran, 1st and 8th volume of Tsuki no Shippo, 5th and 6th of Skip Beat! and 1st volume of I Wish.
And I don't mind being close to broke either.


Today's topic will be short, since I'm just killing time till Reaper to start at 10. I've got 6 minutes.

Manglish and Chinglish, ever heard of it?

Manglish or Mangled English is the English spoken in Malaysia.
It's hilarious when someone speaks Manglish.
For example:

You see, so damn chunted lah wei!

In proper English, it would be:

Did you see that? It was so cool!

I'm not saying that I have the rights to correct others nor that I'm well versed in English; that's for you to decide. Mind you, I too speak that way when I'm among friends. Well, only among friends who speak like that; as they say: When in Rome, do what the Romans do.

Terms like: (Manglish will be in mint green while The proper English is in ice blue)

What lah, kacau me now for wat?
What? Why are you bothering me?

Don't bother me can or not? I'm busy now lah
Can't you not bother me? I'm busy now!

Walao eh, damn chunted!
Wow, so cool!

This phone cacated one, where can use?
This phone is faulty. I can't use this.

And then there's Chinglish or Chinese English,like: (same as above, Chinglish in mint green, English in ice blue)

Eh, you don't so sampat can or not?
Can you not be such a busybody?

Wait for a while, I coming now.
Hold on, I'm coming.

Aiyah, pain a little bit can die meh?
It's just a little pain, you don't need to make a fuss out of it.

Eh chinapek, you diam abit can or not?
Hey (well, chinapek means old Chinese guy, but it's used to diss people, particularly guys), can you be quiet?

Most famous quote from a primary friend in front of a bunch of guys, referring to me:

This girl ah, very geng one. She can scold like a lion mother and beat you until kau kau. So don't qi fu her, you know?
This girl is very fierce and can beat you up, so don't bully her; understand?

I LoL'ed at each and every one of the examples above.

Well, this is how the Malaysian people speak, so does the Singaporeans. Gurmit Singh has done his job of teaching people how to speak Singlish while portraying the famous Phua Chu Kang.

So the next time you meet a Malaysian, you might want to learn a lil bit of Manglish; 'cause chances are, you might not understand half of what they're saying, especially teenagers!