Back to school

1st class, 1st course, 1st week, 1st semester. Surely, it does feel like a virgin, all over again...

Hari ni hari pertama kelas aku, ever, untuk Masters degree aku, kelas Makroekonomi Lanjutan. Aku gerak dari ofis tepat jam 5pm. Rush jugak lah, dengan jem sikit sebab ada dua tiga lori rosak di beberapa tempat sepanjang highway Serdang tu, lepas tu hujan lebat pulak dan aku tersesak masuk ke area Kuchai Lama (hajat nak guna NPE ke Bangsar), pastu terpaksa u-turn somewhere along Jln Klang Lama.

Sampai kelas, tepat-tepat jam 5.55pm macam tu lah. Living on the Edge gitu aku jadinya. Agaknya for the next two years, macam ni lah life aku ek? Anyway, kelas dah agak penuh waktu tu, adalh dekat 30 orang kot. Dan lepas tu, sorang demi sorang, sampailah dekat jam 7pm pun ada yang baru sampai. Adalah total dekat 70 orang cramped up dalam bilik darjah kecik tu.

Awal-awal lagi aku dah pening. Ye lah, first class, first chapter dan ajar pasal equations, derivatives semua.. aduuuhhh... memang payah aku nak tangkap. Berkarat sungguh otak aku jadinya ni. Dan aku pun macam tak percaya je how did I manage to pull it through during the undergraduate dulu, kat US pulak tu kan? Bukan takat pening pasal subject tu je, waktu lecturer aku sebut dia nak hand out 'course pro forma' pun aku dah pening. Jadahnya pro forma ni, kan?


Tengok je lah sebahagian nota aku dalam gambar tu. Aku kayuh juga lah perlahan-lahan, pahamkan mana yang tak paham, walaupun aku tetap tak paham. Nak bertanya, segan laa pulak sebab ramai sangat students nya. Tunggulah dua tiga minggu lagi bila ramai yang dah drop kelas tu nanti. Yang kelakarnya, lecturer aku kata kitorang boleh copy nota dia dari desktop kat kelas tu. Cuma, yang first class ni je dia print kan kat kitorang. Tapi dia charge 70sen. Heheheh... macam ni rupanya korok style universiti kat Malaysia nih...

Tapi waktu break, siap ada bagi sandwich tu. Yang ni aku respek sikit laa walupun roti sandwichnya tu keras dan telur inti sandwichnya pun alahai, lagi banyak taik hidung aku rasanya. Takpelah, aku datang nak study bukan nak makan.

Sekarang ni, aku tengah pening sebab lecturer aku kata buku rujukan tu tak wajib beli, mahal pun ye dekat RM400 kot. Dan dia kata, you can live without the book,
just read her notes. Tapi notes dia ringkas sangat lah pulak, dah tu notes dia direfer dari buku tu tiap chapter. Dia kata boleh pinjam kat library buat fotokopi. Aduuuhhh macam ni lecturers universiti kat Malaysia ek...

Tapi memang pengalaman hari pertama aku - blur and confused. Sampai dalam kereta, aku macam termenung je thinking why I choose this path? Dan rasa nak give up pun ada. Dan aku sedar juga yang it's all hardwork from now onwards. Sabtu pagi sementara menunggu kelas tengahari, harus aku memulun kat library. Nampak memang occupied habis aku nih all week long.

Itu je lah citer aku.

Ohh satu lagi, pagi tadi big boss aku dah signed confirmation aku, dan dia rekomen baik punya (tapi takde kenaikan pangkat laa). Dan dia ada panggil aku meeting pagi tadi, discuss portfolio baru aku, dan semakin menginci aku nak kena pindah ke Emerald Tower ni. Cuma masanya je tak tau bila, tapi kerja dah start kena buat. Hmmmm....

Ok lah, gua nak tidur dah ni, kepala berat gila. Tak pernah kepala aku kerja seteruk hari ni. Memang belajar ni lagi teruk dari kerja. Dan aku baru realized that you can't bluff your lecturer the same way you always do to your boss! Hahahah...

Oregon Journey - BCS t-6

by Andy McNamara, Assistant Director Media Services, Football

It's Day 3 in the Desert, but it feels like it's been longer than that because the Ducks are so well settled into their routine.

The second of six full practices here in Arizona is now in the books, and players once again hit the books this afternoon, doing their best to simulate the second day of winter term classes from their satellite campus consisting of a giant tent in a Scottsdale resort parking lot.

Weather-wise, Tuesday was the best day yet with loads of sunshine to serve as a distraction from the still cool temperatures. Oregon hit the practice field just after 10 a.m. local time to the Journey hit "Don't Stop Believing," and just like home sessions, the tunes continued throughout a brisk workout lasting less than two hours.


Today was the first day for media to get a look at the Ducks since their arrival, with just about every Oregon based outlet taking advantage of a 15-minute window at the start of practice to snap photos, roll video and basically observe 100-plus athletic guys warming up.

As is typically the case during bowl week, or before any game where the stakes are so high, practices are closed and security is tightened. On Monday, an onlooker was removed from a tree, but outside of that there have been no other breaches.

The first bowl-related press conferences are set for tomorrow with defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti and five defensive players scheduled to appear. They will follow Auburn's offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and five AU offensive players, including Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton, in a group interview session at the media hotel.

David Paulson hopes to capture the same tight end magic that Stanford's Coby Fleener had in the Orange Bowl.

SCENE AT PRACTICE
Cliff Harris is a fan of chicken and waffles ... Daryle Hawkins was one of the most photographed players during the media availability thanks to his blue jersey with an orange No. 2 on it ... As if it wasn't evident during the last two regular season games, Kenjon Barner has his timing and confidence fully back after that frightening collision at Washington State ... Rob Beard was striping field goals from left, right and center hashes ... Justin Hoffman flashed great hands on a couple of grabs during 7 on 7 drills ... The video crew is a little too proud of their sweet golf cart that has a stereo and dub minus deuces.


Lunch for the players was prepared on the premises. Today's fare: Chicken and waffles.


Locals can't miss the Ducks when they roll through town this week.

Oregon Journey - BCS t-7

by Andy McNamara, Assistant Director Media Services, Football

The Valley of the Sun stayed true to it's name early Monday as the Ducks woke to bright, blue skies ready to begin their final week of preparation for the BCS Championship Game.

The early morning consisted of treatment, breakfast and meetings at the hotel before heading to the practice site for lifting. Practice - on a meticulously manicured sod pitch - formally got underway shortly before 11 a.m. local time. It was UO's first time practicing on grass since preseason camp back in August.

Fourth-year senior Kenny Rowe will play in his 52nd game as a Duck one week from today.

The workout was typical for a normal game week Monday, but the guys seemed to bring a little extra pent up energy to the field with them. Not sure if it was due to a change of scenery or just the anticipation of playing in the biggest football game of their lives, but the team's spirit and enthusiasm was incredibly high throughout the entire session.

The Ducks' timing off the field proved to be as good as it was on it. As soon as the team arrived back at the hotel, clouds moved in, the temperature dropped and it started to hail before switching to a light, but steady rain. Some might consider that to be perfect studying weather, which is what the team commenced doing after lunch, participating in the first day of winter term classes despite being more than 1,200 miles from campus.

Oregon has another early night in store before doing it all again on Tuesday. This time next week, they'll be playing for the national championship.

PRACTICE OBSERVATIONS
Bryan Bennett throws bullets ... Darron Thomas is throwing a better ball now than he was early in the year. It's always been accurate, but now it just looks prettier ... The Ducks have their share of playmakers, but the way the entire group approaches practice is what makes this team so good ...

Next year's stable of potential punt and kickoff return men is going to be the best in program history ... Kenjon Barner and LaMichael James have either gotten faster or those Volt Green cleats really do create a blur effect ... There was no real wind to speak of, but I've got to think the video student-assistants who went up on lifts for the first time since August had thoughts of Notre Dame's Declan Sullivan while they were up there.

Go Ducks!

Oregon Journey - BCS t-8

by Andy McNamara, Assistant Director Media Services, Football

And away we go.

Depending on who you ask, the last four weeks have either gone by at a snail's pace or like an Oregon scoring drive. I'm in the latter camp, but for some reason the eight days in front of us seem like eight weeks.

It started today as the regular travel party, plus a few additional support staff, boarded a giant Delta 767 in the Emerald Valley and ended up in the desert.

Turns out that we arrived about an hour ahead of schedule, but there were still plenty of bowl volunteers and representatives on hand to greet us, despite what had to have been a late night for most of them on Saturday with their Fiesta Bowl duties and all.

Chip Kelly was the lone speaker at the welcome press conference that took place inside a tent on the tarmac, and I counted just four regulars from the UO press corps in attendance, which led to what had to be the shortest presser in BCS title game history at 9 minutes flat.

After a police escort to the hotel, most members of our party were checked in and taking in the grounds by mid afternoon. The hotel's efficiency was put to the test as they had to turnover rooms and alter the bowl related decor from UConn to UOregon in a span of a few hours and they did a remarkable job.

Once they had a couple hours to settle in, the players and coaches got back to the business at hand, meeting and setting the tone for the week ahead. Unlike every other bowl trip in Oregon history, this one takes place during school, meaning it was a quiet, early night in Scottsdale.


Monday marks the first day of bowl week practices is also the first day of winter term. This team will undoubtedly attempt to do what they always do: Win The Day.

Go Ducks!

Awesome Chenang

Arrived in Langkawi around noon Friday, took cab to the hotel in Chenang Beach and while waiting for 3pm to check-in, I strolled along Chenang Beach Road and right away I fell in love with this place. I know this place is many many more times better than Ferringhi. And I couldn't wait for the New Year parties that night.

Was met by a long-time friend whom like a brother to me, Abg Nuar, who now resides in Langkawi for a dinner at the nearby ikan bakar parlor. At around 10.30pm I was all alone to usher into the New Year but it ain't a problem to me.

The atmosphere was great. There were at least 5 resort/pubs offering some kind of New Year celebrations. Although there were lots of people on the beach but it wasn't crowded. It wasn't like the one we always see in KL. And everyone was in casual mode, wearing shorts, some guys went shirtless, ladies in parios and bikinis. Unlike in KL where people outshowing one another with designer's clothes then showing off their expensive cars. Bodo!

Met few friends while partying that night. There were bunch of guys from Satun, Thailand, who can speak Malay. So, they were my companies that night. We hang out until 5am. Even by that time, there were two pubs still having things going on, playing dance musics, and still serving foods. Awesome!

Went back to the room slightly after 5am, took a 45-minute nap and went out for a short run, my first run since 24 days ago. Ran 6.7km on the road before continuing the last 4km on the beach. The run on the beach was hard but nice with the sun started to rise and the sound of the waves. Priceless!


The rest of the day was just about laying on the beach, most of the time sleeping under the sun but cool breeze with the sound of the waves, soothing music from nearby pubs and voice of children playing with the sand on the background. Greatness!

I vouch to come back to Chenang for New Year 2012 if everything goes as planned. Now, am going back to the beach...