Wednesday 26 June 2013

Zoah Hedges-Stocks becomes first traveller to graduate from Cambridge University

Written byNEWS REPORTER
26/01/10 Zoah Hedges - Stocks comes from a travelling community; based in Suffolk during the winter, they spent the summer months on the road, going from fair to fair. As a result, she missed every summer term of school growing up - but she still made it26/01/10 Zoah Hedges - Stocks comes from a travelling community; based in Suffolk during the winter, they spent the summer months on the road, going from fair to fair. As a result, she missed every summer term of school growing up - but she still made it
The first traveller to win a place at Cambridge University after growing up working on a fair has amazed her family by gaining a first-class degree in her final exams.
Zoah Hedges-Stocks - who was born into a family of travelling showmen who have been working the fairgrounds since the early 1800s - is graduating from the prestigious university this week.
The 23-year-old, who never completed a full school year and grew up in a caravan, spent every summer term working on her mum’s food van selling burgers, toffee apples and candy floss to fairgoers.
She would also work at Cambridge University’s prestigious May Balls and dream of one day studying there.
Now amazingly she will be graduating from the world-renowned university on Saturday with a first in History, after studying for three years at Murray Edwards College.
She said: “I still can’t quite believe I have got a first, it has been a lot of hours and a lot of essays.
“I’ve never experienced any snobbery about my background at Cambridge and everyone has been really welcoming.
“It has been the most amazing four years, hard work, but great fun.”
Zoah is the only member of her community to have gone to university and just a few generations ago her ancestors couldn’t even read or write.
During her time at the university she was chosen twice to be editor of the student newspaper The Cambridge Student.
But at the beginning of her third year in January 2012 she started suffering from chronic fatigue and had to go home and recover.
“I was really ill and at the time I wondered if I would manage to go back, but thankfully I did,” said Zoah.
She returned to complete her final year in September 2012 and excelled in her course.
Her mum, Bernice and her grandparents will be at her graduation ceremony on Saturday.
Bernice said: “I am so proud of Zoah and just couldn’t take it in when she said she had a First. I cried for two days.
“No one else in our community has ever been to university and I think she has done amazingly well.
“I’ve got my outfit ready for Saturday, it will be so exciting, I know I’ll be in tears.”
Zoah’s mother’s family have been travelling showmen since 1821 and when they are not on the road they live on a plot in Suffolk.
Zoah lived in a caravan until she was 14 when her mum, Bernice, bought a trailer.
She went to her local school but missed the summer term each year to travel with her family to fairs.
She helped her mum run the burger van, while her uncle had a set of dodgems, inherited from her grandfather.
She said: “The reason I wanted to go to Cambridge University in the first place was because it was the only university I knew.”
“When I went to the open day at Cambridge with my mum I didn’t even know what a university would look like.”
Although Zoah missed a lot of school she excelled academically, passing her GCSE’s and getting top grades at A-level.
She was then accepted onto a summer school at Eton for potential Oxbridge students, which made her more determined than ever to get to Cambridge.
Zoah was given a straight-As offer and got two A’s, but then, after a teacher had to leave suddenly, she missed out on an A in Philosophy and Ethics by just 11 marks.
“It was the most nerve-racking 24 hours of my life. When they called to say I got a place I cried.”
Zoah has been offered a place on the Press Association journalism training course, which starts in January.

Thursday 13 June 2013

New IPO: Wanna try "small" investment with Air Asia Berhad

This IPO is currently open for subscription through Maybank2u. You can apply for Initial Public Offering (IPO) shares and check your application status conveniently online, wherever you are.
 Share Issue Number :5238
 Share Name :Air Asia Berhad
 Opening Date :10 June 2013
 Opening Time :10:00am
 Closing Date :19 June 2013
 Closing Time :5:00pm
 Unit Price :RM1.45
Note:
Only IPOs available for Internet subscription are listed in Maybank2u. You may also apply for shares at Maybank ATMs or submit printed forms.

Follow these steps to apply for this IPO:

  1. Login to Maybank2u and select "Investment".
  2. Next, select "eShare". This shows you the IPO (Initial Public Offering) list.
  3. Select the IPO that you want and click "Apply".
  4. Read the Terms and Conditions of the eShare Application and Declaration. You are advised to read and understand the prospectus and important notices before proceeding.
  5. Select "I agree" to accept the terms and conditions of the Declaration.
  6. Fill in the application form.
  7. Confirm your details and submit your application.
  8. Print the transaction receipt for your reference.

DIY Bokashi composting (altered method).


Normally, Bokashi will use effective microbes (EM) as biocatalysts to speed up the process of composting. Since this is DIY, and I am running out of budget, I used indigenous microorganisms (IMO) that I learned from my colleague. How to prepare IMO? You can google it right away.


These are rabbit dungs. This is the additional material that I added to the method of Bokhasi. So this sort of experimental stage. I crossed my fingers, hoping something good to happen within the composting pit later (not that I ran nuclear reaction, right?). 


The kitchen wastes were mix altogether with IMO and rabbit dungs before put into the pit.


Seal them under the earth.

DIY germinating pots

I tried to sow some kailan seeds on the soil plots last week, but none of them are germinated. This might due to heavy rain since last week. What in my mind is, the run off may sweep away all the seeds. Flushed away every thing. 

Sad.

By the way, my wife, D has proposed me this method.
I sowed cucumber, Chinese's cabbage, and kailan in every egg pot. 

I hope something good will happen after this ;)


My eggplant "babies".

Booyah!

My eggplant trees had just budded out its first "baby" yesterday. That's mean I could possibly harvest them the other week!







Wednesday 12 June 2013

Sleep-walking around my garden.

It was raining like cats and dogs yesterday. So I went out to check up my garden. Luckily everything was fine :)


Chinese cabbage


Egg-plants


Pumpkin


Tapioca 


Kuinin on the pot, and pandan's leaf.


Banana


Chilies


Spring beans


The tree


I have no idea what is this, but my maid used this in her dish. Indonesian and Thai like to use this in thier dish. It smell like lemon grass :)


Lemon grass.


Can I identify it as lilly?

The intruder of my garden.

I still remember when I was small, I used to accompany my grandma to guard her garden during the night. It was her routine to patrol around her garden before we went to bed. She would carry a small container filled with salt.

Normally she will give me  a short instruction.

"Remember, when ever you come across with slug or snail, just pour a pinch of salt on them"

Last night, I went outside for fear that my rabbits may run out of food supply, as I missed to feed them due to heavy rain since early evening. I screamed hysterically when I saw a snail lingering slowly and eating my garden plants.

I am sorry. You deserved better.





Tuesday 11 June 2013

My potato saga.

Sad. Sad. And Sad.

It was my first attempt and the result wasn't expected to be worsened like that. 
I need to find help from Mr Google then. Sigh.

I think there are few info that should be gathered before I proceed with my next potato saga:

1. What is the type of soil that I should use?
2. What is the type of potato variety that possible could be resistant to hot temperature of Malaya?

Grrr...

The Hippocratic Oath


You may read about the oath here, but I would like to comment the video.

I watch this video yesterday, and the robber probably bled to death getting his major blood vessels hit by the bullet(s). Kudos for the police to bring him down for the safety of the public. I could not agree less, but shooting him down may be the best option to stop him - at that moment.

However when I saw the robber was pleading to be saved, I reckon he deserved the right to be salvaged. As a human, I disagree that this is the way to deal with the injured person, and leaving him to die is totally inhumane.

I am not blaming the police per say. The crowd were busy recording "the moment" instead of calling the ambulance or do necessary thing to stop the bleed. Sigh.

Some people may say that when he decided to rob, he was giving up human rights. Well, that is something that the court should handle with, and could only happen if the robber were saved.

But, this is only my judgement based on what I saw in the video. You may agree to disagree.

88 Pakatan reps skip briefing at Parliament


This is among the perks and perils when the Govt has shrunk their majority in the Parliament. Sigh.
Even though the first meeting is avoidable, I strongly disagree with the action by the opposition members.
Please play your role as MPs of the people and get back to work for the benefit of people who have voted you in.




 
In an apparent boycott, 88 of the 89 Pakatan Rakyat members of parliament failed to turn up at Parliament House this morning for a briefing sesion on seating, among other issues.Please login to read full story.

MP Bakri wakil tunggal Pakatan ke taklimat Parlimen
 
Seramai 88 daripada 89 ahli parlimen Pakatan Rakyat gagal untuk hadir dalam sesi taklimat mengenai tempat duduk dan isu-isu lain di Parlimen pagi ini.

Menurut Speker Dewan Rakyat, Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia, hanya seorang sahaja ahli parlimen dari pembangkang yang hadir pada sesi taklimat tersebut iaitu Ahli Parlimen Bakri dari DAP, Er Teck Hwa. 

"Kita mengamalkan demokrasi. Orang yang datang, datang. Yang tidak datang, tidak datang.

"Saya menganggap semua yang tidak hadir mempunyai alasan mereka tersendiri dan bukan untuk memboikot," katanya dalam sidang media selepas sesi taklimat tersebut. 

Pandikar juga menjelaskan bahawa kehadiran bagi sesi pagi ini adalah tidak wajib. 

"(Sesi) ini adalah untuk Ahli Parlimen yang baru. Bagi yang senior, mereka akan hadir jika mereka menghormati tempat di mana mereka bekerja. Tetapi kita faham yang ada sesetengah daripada mereka mempunyai alasan kenapa mereka tidak datang," katanya lagi. 

Beliau bagaimanapun berkata, ketidakhadiran ahli parlimen tersebut akan menjadikan perkara lebih rumit kerana mereka perlu mengambil tempahan untuk baju uniform serta memohon kad pengenalan ahli parlimen. 

A sacred message from the Superfoxes.

This is my respond.

I read the latest entry from BTB's blog (http://biotechnologist-to-be.blogspot.com) yesterday. I personally think that the idea of creating a travelling fund for BTB group members (and their extended members) is simply awesome.

It is just too good to be imagined that each and everyone can spend quality times togather in any selected places in the near future. Oh, I just can't stop thinking K and F playing with wallabies on one of the houseboat's stoppage point in Hawkesbury River.

I totally agreed with Yati and Kak Opie. Ever since we graduated and started working, we have been slowly sculpting our lives around each other. No matter how far or how close we get, we always find ways to do something together, like brothers and sisters, or Superfoxes and Uberfoxes.

For the record, most of our "get-along" activivities were conducted locally, in Malaysia. Since will be setting up our own "piggy bank", it would be better if we plan for an oversea trip as for one of our next class "excursion".

I always interested to discover the north, so Seam Reap, and Harbin would be the best choice in my preference. However, the onus to choose the best place to visited is not on me, so I left it to everyone's consideration - as long as I can't take good photos. Hehehe.

My dear Superfoxes, please count me (D and the kids too) in! We are so into this :)

Monday 10 June 2013

Genius!

Be creative man!


Latest addition to my garden ;)


Egg-plants


Pumpkin shoots.


Tomatoes :)


Water spinach and chives :)

From farm to table ;)

Harvesting yo! What a great weekend :)


Chinese's cabbage.


Tapioca's shoots for the rabbits.


String beans.



Al-Fatihah to the luminous Latifah Omar.

My late mom was a big fan of her.

Seniwati Latifah Omar meninggal dunia
9:53AM Jun 10 2013 
Seniwati Latifah Omar, 74, meninggal dunia di Pusat Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (PPUKM) petang Ahad kerana sakit usus.

Menurut anak sulungnya, Afendi Rahmat, 55, Allahyarham sebelum ini menjalani rawatan di sebuah pusat perubatan di Kampung Baru sebelum dibawa ke PPUKM untuk menjalani pembedahan kerana sakit ususnya itu.

"Doktor maklumkan bahawa usus arwah membengkak dan tersumbat dan perlu dibedah untuk menjadikan keadaannya stabil.

"Pembedahan yang dilakukan semalam cuba menstabilkan ibu tetapi tidak berjaya, dan Allahyarham meninggal dunia pada 6.19 petang," katanya ketika ditemui Bernama di Masjid Al-Khairiah AU3 malam tadi.

Menurutnya, antara pesanan terakhir arwah ialah supaya jenazahnya dibawa ke masjid itu untuk disempurnakan. Jenazah dijangka dikebumikan Tanah Perkuburan Islam AU4 pada 11 pagi esok.

Allahyarham Latifah, yang meninggalkan empat anak dan lapan cucu, ketika sakit sering dikunjungi rakan seperjuangan yang tidak putus-putus memberi doa dan sokongan, kata Afendi.

Sementara itu, sepupu arwah, Zalimah Nordin, 64, berkata Latifah pernah berpesan supaya saudara terdekat yang tinggal di kawasan AU3 menjaganya ketika tenat.

Latifah, legenda filem Melayu yang sepanjang kariernya sering digandingkan dengan seniman Nordin Ahmad, meninggal dunia tidak sampai seminggu selepas rakan seangkatannya Allahyarham S.Shamsuddin meninggal dunia di Singapura akibat sakit tua dan paru-paru berair.

Arwah membintangi filem klasik yang diminati ramai seperti Panggilan Pulau, Bawang Putih Bawang Merah, Laila Majnun, Putus Sudah Kasih Sayang, Gurindam Jiwa, Hang Jebat dan Hati Batu.

Selain Nordin, Latifah diberi peluang berlakon di sisi pelakon hebat pada masa itu antaranya Tan Sri P.Ramlee, Normadiah, Yusof Latif, Saleh Kamil, S. Shamsudin, Siti Tanjung Perak, Omar Rojik, S.Kadarisman dan Ibrahim Pendek.

Bernama

Altantuya case: Court allows ex-cop to appeal conviction

Stay tuned and buy your popcorn for 24 june premier :)
BY IDA LIM

JUNE 10, 2013

PUTRAJAYA, June 10 — The Court of Appeal today allowed an application by former policeman Sirul Azhar Umar to appeal his conviction for the 2006 murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu on the grounds that there has been a mistrial.
Sirul’s lawyer Kamarul Hashim said they are now seeking a declaration of the 2009 decision as a mistrial based on two new and related grounds, namely the adverse publicity and the danger that the High Court judge’s impartiality was affected by the said publicity.
“We have brought in an application this morning. That application is to include two new grounds in the petition of appeal.
“The court has allowed the application,” he told reporters when met outside the courtroom.
Kamarul said he will be filing the application by tomorrow.
He also clarified that the other appellant Azilah Hadri was not part of this application and had not made a similar application to introduce these grounds.
The three-day appeal hearing initially set to begin from today has been postponed to June 24.
On October 31, 2008, the Shah Alam High Court acquitted former political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda of abetting them in the murder, following the prosecution’s failure to establish a prima facie case against him.
On April 9, 2009, Sirul Azhar and Azilah were convicted and sentenced to death by the same xourt for the murder of Altantuya at Mukim Bukit Raja, Shah Alam between October 19 and October 20, 2006.
The duo, who were then with the Bukit Aman Special Action Squad, had previously been charged under Section 149 of the Penal Code, which carries a mandatory death sentence upon conviction.

Kedah BN chief willing to step down

 
Kedah Barisan Nasional (BN) chairperson Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah said today that he is prepared to step down from the post to ensure the state BN remains victorious in the 14th general election (GE14).

Forskning BETA first Give Away Project :)

Alhamdulillah. "Contest" (?) - erm aku pun tak pasti contest ka apa - dah tamat, dan sambutan adalah so so. Tapi not bad lah kan untuk blogger suam-suam kuku.

Ada juga silent readers yang hantar email/respond cakap nak join, tapi tak ada blog :( Maaf sangat lah yer, saya akan usahakan contest? yang lain pula.

Ok, kat sini saya akan senaraikan semua penyertaan, dan akan recode dalam number. Number ini semua akan disenaraihitamkan oleh Random.org bagi menentukan pemenang.

1. http://sharingiscaring-fiza.blogspot.com
2. http://juneaina.blogspot.sg/
3. http://derapkomando.blogspot.com/
4. http://tidolagibaik.blogspot.com
5. http://ayucera.blogspot.com
6. http://wahidayatulaswa.blogspot.com
7. http://teranglaginyata.blogspot.com/
        8. http://jassnani.blogspot.com
        9. http://ikajohans.blogspot.com/ 

        Drum rolls......

        And the winner is

        There were 9 items in your list. Here they are in random order:
        1. 9. http://ikajohans.blogspot.com/
        2. 5. http://ayucera.blogspot.com
        3. 7. http://teranglaginyata.blogspot.com/
        4. 1. http://sharingiscaring-fiza.blogspot.com
        5. 3. http://derapkomando.blogspot.com/
        6. 6. http://wahidayatulaswa.blogspot.com
        7. 2. http://juneaina.blogspot.sg/
        8. 8. http://jassnani.blogspot.com
        9. 4. http://tidolagibaik.blogspot.com
        Timestamp: 2013-06-10 04:01:32 UTC

        Tahniah kepada pemenang. Saya akan terja ke blog anda untuk maklumat lanjut.
        Selamat membaca buku tentang Palestine dan moga-moga kita lebih cakna terhadap saudara kita seagama ;)

        Saturday 8 June 2013

        OMG OMG

        I have been waiting this moment for so long, since the first time we exchanged our first sight in the labor room two years ago. I didn't expect it will happen too soon, but I happened just now.

        Makcik : Ini siapa?

        Kakak K : Ini papa saya. Ini mama saya.




        Friday 7 June 2013

        Good read: Happy Flyday everyone :)

        Kisah Si Pendosa dan Kucing

        Katanya, pada suatu hari, seorang lelaki datang bertemu Hamka.

        "Bapak, dalam kepala saya ini ada satu persoalan yang rumit sekali."

        Hamka memandang lelaki itu dan berkata, "Silakan."

        "Bapak, solat itu tiang agama, bukan? Solat itu, pencegah daripada perbuatan keji dan mungkar, bukan?"

        Hamka memandang dan mengiyakan, "Benar sekali."

        "Saya ini Bapak, ada dua orang jiran. Seorang adalah ahli ibadat. Solatnya tidak pernah tinggal. Amalnya terus sahaja tanpa henti-henti.

        Kemudian, saya ada seorang lagi jiran. Dia ini cuai orangnya, Bapak. Solatnya sering ditinggalkan."

        Hamka mengangguk.

        "Persoalannya, Bapak... Ada seekor kucing datang ke rumah kedua-dua jiran saya ini...."

        Hamka diam dan setia mendengar.

        "Apabila kucing ini ke rumah ahli ibadah tadi, dia tidak menghiraukannya. Dia tidak memberikan kucing itu makanan. Bahkan dihalaunya kucing itu."

        Hamka terus mengunci mulut.

        "Kemudian apabila kucing ini ke rumah orang yang tidak solat, lain pula jadinya. Lelaki ini melayan kucing itu dengan baik dan memberikannya makan."

        Hamka memandang sahaja si pencerita tanpa memberi komen.

        "Di sinilah lahir rasa gusar dalam hati saya, Bapak. Bagaimana mungkin seorang ahli solat berperangai begitu? Di manakah gunanya solat dia? Dan kenapa pula orang yang meninggalkan solat itu begitu? Tanpa solat pun dia begitu baik."

        Pengadu melepaskan keluhan yang panjang. Fikirannya jadi berat memikirkan persoalan ini.

        "Bantulah saya, Bapak. Cerahkanlah saya."

        Hamka tersenyum.

        "Anakku, percayalah. Percayalah sekiranya si ahli ibadat tadi tidak solat, pasti sikapnya jauh lebih buruk lagi. Dan percayalah sekiranya lelaki yang baik budi itu solat, perangainya jauh lebih mulia lagi."

        Strawberry's lovers.








        Raya Celebration with Friends and Ducks. Nurshariza Abdullah, did you miss my char koey tiaw?









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