Whatever You Say I Am

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Vlog: Moving by Fan

"I hope you're happy with yourself," NJ Legion Iced Tea by A Day To Remember.

Moving by Fan from IniAnwarHadi on Vimeo.

I've moved.

Something I made that I thought wasn't very Youtube-worthy, thus I tried to upload on the blog, but turned out it couldn't be done, so I uploaded it to Vimeo and THEN put it on the blog..

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Warning! A Very Rugby Post (Communication)

"Got nothing against you," Afterlife by Avenged Sevenfold.

So over here I haven't completely neglected rugby (thankfully). I'm currently training with the New South Wales Malaysian students rugby team, and we've got THE tournament of the year coming up, which is the National Conference Games (NCG) 2011 that'll be held in Melbourne. It's basically a sports carnival type event where Malaysian students from all over Australia come as representatives of their states and compete against other states. The rugby games will be on the 6th of July.

The current NSW rugby team is pretty good in my humble opinion.We've got some good players who have had substantial experience in rugby. It's good fun playing with them. Plus, they're cool guys, so that's always great.

However, I do feel that the team does need to work on its communication. This has been an issue in any team I've played. Since rugby is very much a team sport, communication plays a huge role in the game. But when I say communication here, I'm not saying that we need to talk about what we had lunch yesterday on the field. I mean meaningful, in the moment, specific communication like "I'll take the scrum-half!", "That's your man!" and "Ruck it out!"

Here, I'll list down a few reasons why meaningful communication is THAT big a deal to me while playing rugby (or any team sport, for that matter):

1. It helps the team get organized. Especially when defending, when we let our team mates know who we've marked, they can mark another guy instead of having two guys marking the same person, increasing the chances of the opponent of getting an extra man on the wing. When attacking, we can know exactly how much support we have and the options that are available to us in order to make an informed decision of how to play the ball.

2. It helps the team focus. When we're voicing out what we're doing and what we're going to do, we're actually reminding our team mates and also ourselves about what we're going to do, so we'll focus more on the task at hand. If we were to stay silent, it would be very easy for us to stray in our thoughts and lose focus in a game. We don't think about how we're going to perform then and there, we'll start thinking about the result, about a cute girl standing on the sidelines rooting for his boyfriend, wondering why she even bothered to come because they're not even married yet. (No I don't think about these things. Because I communicate in games.)

3. It intimidates the opposition (why does a certain de-facto leader spring to mind? Oh well, never mind.) When you're up against a team that are frequently communicating with each other, you can't help but feel a little unsettled. You just get drowned by their meaningful noise, as they sound confident and fit. Yes, when you communicate a lot, your opponent will think that you're fit, even though inside you're panting more than a dog on heat. So communicate, it'll make you fitter (in your opponent's eyes, at least).

So those are some of the reasons why I think communication is integral in rugby or any other team sport. Of course, there are several other reasons, but those are more situational (is that even a word?) and can only be said on the field with the ball in hand.

I'm praying that all will be fine in Melbourne and that our team will do great. Think about your performance first, and the result will come. Think about your results too much, and your performance shall suffer. Wise words from a wise man (my Bapak).

May peace be upon all of you.

Cheers!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

I Haven't Really Blogged Much / Winter Plans

"Called up to listen to the voice of reason, and got the answering machine," Reckless Serenade by Arctic Monkeys.

I've noticed this about a year ago, but I've never really done anything about it. I've either been too busy or too lazy. I'm referring to the fact that I don't really blog anymore.

This not so recent re-realization has made me re-question why I blog in the first place. Then I remember that my initial reason for blogging was to record significant events and thoughts in my life so that I wouldn't just forget it all as time passes me by. Besides practicing my writing, of course.

I haven't been doing that lately. A whole semester in Australia has passed with only 7 blog posts to show for it. And then I wonder what I've done this whole semester. Brilliant. Sigh.

So, from this post on, I vow to myself to blog more frequently (at least once a week) no matter how busy I am or uneventful my week was, I HAVE to think about something to write about. I find that I work harder (and sometimes better) when pushed, so I hope that this push from myself will be a catalyst for some change upon myself.

...

Now that that's off my chest, I will now list down a few things that I hope to get done during this winter break. And here we go:

1. Continue making videos every weekend (and possibly on non-weekends too if I have the time and will power).

2. Play for New South Wales Malaysian students' Rugby Club in the National Conference Games in Melbourne.

3. Read some books (starting with Kuntum Cinta di Taman Syurga)

4. Attend Winter Gathering 2011 [sorry, no link found]

5. Look for a job, maybe after Winter Gathering.

6. Blog about all of it (except no. 1, of course).

I'm hoping that all that will be accomplished. But I always need to remember that we can plan, but Allah determines. And in anything I do, I need to remember that I'm doing it for Allah, to seek His pleasure.

So here's to an eventful Winter Break!

May peace be upon all of you!

Cheers!

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Semester Wrap-Up

"You're acting like a stranger, coz you thought it looked like fun," Hellcat Spangled Shalalala by Arctic Monkeys.

Hello there blogosphere. It's been a while, huh?

I have just finished my final exams for this semester. Four subjects, loads of knowledge, lots of hope that all of it'll stick with me forever and ever.

But it won't. *kueng kueng kueng* #WTFmoments

(Noob gila mamat ni guna hashtag dalam blog)

Digressor at heart, me.

So this post is going to summarize the subjects succinctly (let's hope).

Courtesy of spanish-only.com

Aaaaaaaand GO!

EDUC260 (Language, Literacy & Learning)

This subject taught us how to teach and be awesome at it. The lectures and tutorials were unique and great to experience. Yes, they were experiences, rather than just "lessons". We did a lot of work in pairs and were engaged throughout with well-thought-of activities. Overall, the subject made us think seriously about how we were going to make a difference in the world, class by class, student by student.

EDUC258 (Mathematics in School)

What? TESOL students learning to teach maths? But why? But then again, why not? We got to learn a lot of theories and approaches to teaching in this course, because, let's face it, this IS still basically an EDUCATION course. It also re-opened my eyes to mathematics, and shed mathematics in a more kind, less threatening light. The kind of maths that was taught in this course was fun and cool, emphasising on relational understanding. Very different to the maths that was taught to me in school, which was very instrumental and transmissionist in their approach. Any teacher would have benefited from taking this course. If the maths in our schools were taught the way this course taught us to teach it, then there would be a lot more math-lovers out there, and for all the right reasons. If it could transform a math-hater like myself say all these things, you know this course was good.

LING218 (Grammar & Meaning)

This was basically a functional grammar course, where grammar is not seen as just "a set of rules in a language", but the system of shaping reality. I know that's a bit heavy for some people, but that's exactly what it is. To non-language lovers out there, this course is dead boring. But to a person like me who is really into the English language and words in general, it really opens your eyes and makes you say "aaaahhh!" (not like an "aaah! Scary!" but more of an "aaah! Interesting!") It shows how us humans use language to construe the world around us and also how the world construes you. Interesting stuff, I kid you not. The down side was the readings, which were horribly technical, so it got my head jammed several times.

LING109 (Language, Culture & Communication) (Elective)

An interesting (understatement alert!) introduction to linguistics course. In the first lecture, the lecturer said something along the lines of "If you think this course is like rocket science, you're wrong. It's much harder." I imagine that he said those things to weed out the people who were just looking for a kacang course (easy-easy one). Some of my friends decided to switch electives after that first lecture, leaving me to be the only Malaysian in the course. And I'm glad that was the case. Besides learning loads of awesome things about just how humongous an impact language has on significant world events as well as everyday things in life that we take for granted, it also allowed me to talk to Aussies on a weekly basis and be "that Malaysian dude" rather than "one of those Malaysians". Really, fantastic course to learn, and I wish I could learn it all over again. But a big negative on the course were the assignments. They were TOUGH. Finished them on the verge of tears, I did. (Nah, I'm kidding. Or am I?)

So that was all of 'em. Overall, it was a good first semester as a university student. A very busy one, yes, but I learned a lot. Alhamdulillah, praise be to Allah for this wonderful opportunity to learn. I hope I'll be able to make good use of all this new knowledge in future. As Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported, Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying:

When a man dies, his acts come to an end, but three, recurring charity, or knowledge (by which people) benefit, or a pious son, who prays for him (for the deceased). [Sahih Muslim]

So if it won't be of benefit to me in this world, I hope it'll bring me some good in the hereafter. Bi ithnillah.

May peace be upon all of you!

Cheers!

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Birthdays

"I'll be on your side forevermore," That's What Friends Are For by Stevie Wonder, Dione Warwick and Elton John.

Yup. Birthdays. The anniversary of you coming into the world.

Typically, on this joyous and special day, most of us would expect people to flood our Facebook walls with happy birthday wishes, some birthday wish text messages, cake, presents, food and some more cake. The day would be all about the person who was born on that day.

http://partyshop.co.nz/zen/birthday-supplies-34/

That's what most of us would expect. Admit it, if not one person wished you "happy birthday" on your birthday, you would get pretty pissed (or really sad, depending on what kind of person you are). If your boyfriend didn't remember your birthday, it would be a good enough reason for you to break up with him. If not one person posted a "HB :D" on your wall (because you decided to test your friends by not revealing your birth date on your profile), in the middle of the night, you would post a status along the lines of "Thanks A LOT guys. Now I know how much I'm appreciated. Don't bother saying sorry to me tomorrow. You're all dead to me." Or something like that.

But let's take a step back and think about this for a second people. Shouldn't anniversary celebrations be about our victories or past achievements? Don't we celebrate Merdeka Day to remember the past struggles of our forefathers in gaining our independence? When we were born, what did we achieve? What did we do that was SO important that it had to be remembered year after year? What did we do on that day that deserved , even demanded annual congratulatory wishes from others?

http://www.nadine30stm.blog.com /

Isn't the most deserved person to be celebrated during our birthday is the "heroine" herself? The one who struggled for 9 months and 10 days with the extra 'luggage' in her tummy, yeah, her. The person who cheated death while delivering the baby. The one who suffered bruises and cuts just to make sure that her labour of love see the light 'at the end of the tunnel'. Even if the doctor delivering the baby asks her "Ma'am, the situation is critical. We can only either save the baby or save the mother. Whom might we choose, Ma'am?" and without even a pause to think she would answer "SAVE MY BABY PLEASE!!". Isn't this is the real "heroine"? Don't you think that we should remember her the most each time our birthday comes a calling? Doesn't SHE deserves our accolades the most?

So, if our next birthday comes by, (note that it's an "if", not a "when") instead of asking her for gifts or treats at the nearest Resipi Rahsia or Market Ikan Manhattan, stop to think about it. Who is the most deserving person to receive a gift? Who should be given a cake and treated to their favourite meal instead?

Let's think about it.

May peace be upon you.

Cheers!

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Can We Trust?

"A smile could change a life," Healing by Sami Yusuf.

A conversation with Puan S after lunch at her house somewhere in Sydney, Australia inspired this post.

A pretty obvious thing about Australia and Australians in Sydney is that people here have very high levels of trust. Not only do they trust their friends (because you're supposed to be able to trust your friends), they trust their customers and even complete strangers.

Again, let's look at the obvious first. Most of their houses don't have actual fences around their property. Even those that do have fences make it just way too easy for any burglar to climb over them. So they are obviously not worried about any burglar-ing going on. Even their doors and windows aren't fitted with any grilles. Compare this to the houses in our country. Different, no?

Now on to my experiences. At a local park (there are a lot of parks here in Sydney), friends come to have a game of soccer. They leave everything on the park bench and go play. No need for a friend to stay back and look after their bags. Phones can even be left on the park benches for all to see, but at the end of the game, they'll still be there. Now I ask you, how often does that happen in Malaysia?

How about their customers? Here are two examples. One of the buttons on one of my friends' (Afifi) phone was defective. He did not do anything to cause this (at least, not that he knew of). It just didn't work, for some reason. At this point, he had had this phone for about one and a half months. And it was an i-phone. So he took the phone to the local Apple Centre in hopes of it getting fixed. When he showed the phone to one of the staff members there, the phone was replaced with a new one right away, no questions asked, no fee paid. Needless to say, he left the store all smiles.

Second example, given by Puan S. Her daughter's phone (Blackberry, if I'm not mistaken) fell out of her pocket while at the beach. The phone fell into the water. So they brought the phone to the local centre and explained what had happened. The phone was replaced with a new one, free of charge.

Can I get a "wow" for both of the situations above? Imagine them happening in Malaysia. Imagine.

We're an Islamic country. This is a Westernized country. Why does it seem the other way round in this aspect?

I refrain from condemning the situation in our country. I just need you, the readers, to stop and think for a while. Is this the situation in our country? If not, then can this be the situation in our country?

Happy thinking! May peace be upon you.

Cheers!

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Scouting Canberra

"Give me truth to my conviction," There's No Solution by Sum 41.

Mission: Scout the capital city of Australia, Canberra and report back to home base.

So the team, cleverly disguised as 60 international university students on a visit-while-learn trip to the country's capital city, embarked on the journey at 0700 hours. The two buses that they used further strengthened their facade.

The trip from "their university" took 3-and-a-half hours. Most of the that time was spent by the team to meditate on the mission at hand.

Those who took some time to rest from their meditations took the opportunity to observe the landscape and terrain of the land throughout the journey.

The agents noticed that the land was bare with very few natural resources. Not knowing if this was positive or negative, they kept their feelings about this situation to themselves.

Their first stop in Canberra was the National Museum of Australia. The objective of visiting this particular location was to carry out an extensive research on the history and legacy of the people of the country and to dig up any information about any weaknesses they had that would be useful in future missions.

We had to work very hard in acting like tourists.

The data collected are as follows (click on the pictures to enlarge):

They have a laughing floor on which they like to roll on, and which acts as a leader to them

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Their surveillance system is far more advanced than ours. They have satellite dishes and everything.

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They came up with the Pokemon character, Sharpedo:

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They recruit lizards instead of eating them.

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Their Toyotas are very much still primitive and look like they contribute a lot to the worldwide greenhouse gas emissions.

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They are gravely ignorant about their fauna. Take the platypus above for example. They seem to think that it lays eggs.

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.End of museum data.

The agents then proceeded to scout the Australian House of Parliament, the most key of venues in the whole country. They show their lack of concern towards the safety of their leaders by allowing "tourists" like us to go in and out of the building as we please.