BERSATU 08 : Style over Substance

The long awaited BERSATU games in Wellington ended with mixed emotions for me and my team. MUMSA obtained its first gold medal in the history of the games, but really, we were unlucky not to add to the tally. Takder rezeki.

Preparations for the games, besides the obvious deed of training, consists of fund raising, rallying supporters and keeping everyone on their toes. We did a pretty good job for fund raising, sausage sizzles, and also the selling of Nasi Lemak and other Malaysian goodies, which contributed greatly to the final amount. Kudos goes to everyone involved in making those two fund raising activities a success.

As for the games itself, we left for Wellington on the 28th of June, on the bus, and arrived a few hours short of the opening ceremony. This years opening ceremony was simple and I guess its how it should be. Our contingent arrived in our brand spanking new MUMSA t-shirts, which I thought was the paling semart out of the others. As head contingent, had to go through the baca ikrar, and some introductions on stage, which was all good. No speeches.

The night went on with introduction videos and performances from WMSO, a dance number, as well as the Haka. Ceremony ended earlier than expected, and all went back to the backpackers, to get ready for the first day of games.

Everyone was pumped up for the first day of games. All were on time. Only thing was the weather made the organizers have a headache. Football was canceled, and moved to the last day, while Touch was now to be played indoor. Netball went ahead despite the roaring winds and pouring rain. Badminton was on schedule as planned. First day was a bit of a bore, as the team split up into 2 as venues were different. Full support couldn't be given and to me that made us suffer. We bowed out of Touch in the group stages, but definitely with a fight. We were unlucky with netball and badminton, but didn't make the semis due to goal or points difference. Bad first day for MUMSA.

It was the same story for the second and third day, where we challenged but not making the semis again. Even lost my cool, my temper during handball, and I apologize to all that were hurt if any. The girls made a valiant effort in Futsal, and I felt had a great chance to make the semis if not get a medal. But due to a tactical error, we bowed out in the group stages as well. Despite the losses, I am proud to say, that our supporters were the best during the games. Our cheers and chants made a difference, and I could safely say, we all lost our voices supporting each other. Even WMSO who had the biggest number of supporters did not come close to our supporting power. MUMSA supporters ruled the whole of BERSATU. I say thanks to those who led the cheers, who till today still have not recovered from all that screaming.

It was the last day, and there were 2 sports left for MUMSA to get a medal. Football, which was now to be played indoor, went on first. We were up against the defending champs, and expectations were high. We won 2-0. We broke the curse, we won our first football game at BERSATU ever. Morale was high. Too high, as we switched off against CMSA, which left us vulnerable to get kicked out of the tourney yet again. We won our 3rd game against Otago, but then had to depend on the match between CMSA and WMSO. Everything was going smooth, until CMSA scored with 12 seconds to go. The group was now tied 3 ways and due to some technicality, we were out, WMSO and CMSA were in. Potential out the window yet again.

All of us went up to support Takraw, the last game. I got a text on the way there saying we made the semis. I was overjoyed, at least points for MUMSA. When we got there, another fight with WMSO, although it went to rubber set, the experience of MUMSA shone through, and carried forward to the finals. The abang-abang post grads showed us experience, as well as moves no one at the BERSATU level has seen. MUMSA got our first gold. We were ecstatic.

That night we had our closing dinner. The venue was great, some hiccups, but overall an enjoyable night, even more so when MUMSA won the video competition with this video




The audience responded positively, reacting how we expected them to react, many of them asking us for the video to keep. Credits to Imran for showing us the video, Matt Harding for the inspiration, and Lutfi for making the video a reality.

We left the games this year with a new and improved reputation, that MUMSA were contenders, not just another team making up the preliminary stages, but challengers, tough challengers that other contingents should be looking out for in years to come.

8 eight

Okay people. I was tagged by la poupres, saper entah dier. Since I am always looking for excuses to put off studying, I will layan. Anyways, 8 things, facts about myself. Oh before that, the rules? Here they are


Okay. Laying down the rules of the tagging game:
----------------------------------------------------------

1) Semua blogger harus menyatakan peraturan-peraturan ini dahulu.

2) Setiap blogger harus mula dengan 8 fakta/amalan tentang diri mereka.

3) Blogger yang di tag hendaklah menulis tentang 8 fakta/amalan mereka itu dan menyenaraikan peraturan-peraturan ini. Seterusnya tag pula 8 orang lain.

4) Tinggalkan komen kepada mereka yang di tag memberitahu bahawa mereka di tag dan suruh mereka datang baca blog kamu.

(La Poupres, 2008)

I think the rules were in English, then she changed it to Malay, and so I just copy paste, cited, maybe not correctly but still cited ok..


So here are the eight:

Uno:

I have a thing about letting people down, I don't like it. I think its because I don't handle guilt very well. So people that are pleased = no guilt for me


Dos:

I still think i'm overweight even though i'm borderline not overweight. If by all randomness someone were to ask "Who's the fattest here?" I would raise my hand, even though I'm not the fattest there. This is not a joke. Haha

Tres:

I am more alive in my imagination than I am in real life, which i'm trying to minimize this year. Keeping it real in the year 2008.


Cuatro:

4. Thats my jersey number, for football, futsal. Started because of Patrick Vieira. Arsenal great, midfield general. From those few statements, I love football, the greatest sport in the world, watching, playing, being passionate because of it. www.espfootie.blogspot.com

Cinco:

Family and friends are my lifeblood. If I call you a friend, I would literally go to the end of the world for you.

Seis:

From the numbers, uno, dos, tres, you might figure I like the spanish language. Hope to learn it soon, and also hope to visit the country in the near future.

Siete:

I like cooking, and flatting this year lets me do that. It doesn't work everytime, but it also means it does work sometime, which I am proud of.

Ocho:

I would like to think I am creative, with my writing, pictures and videos. Hopefully I am really creative at one of those things and not be a poser, and just say I am creative but not.


So, there they are, 8 facts off the top of my head, not much time because i'm not using my own laptop which is still not functioning. Sorry if the facts are useless. Haha

I am tagging:

LSG : Because he's the only one I think will do this thing..

thank you. good night

24...eh 23 la...

Another year, and another birthday away from home.

Just before midnight, text came in and wished me a happy 24th birthday. I read it, and then locked the keypad on the phone. Only after 15 minutes, did I unlock the keypad and re read the text, and realised that 24 is wrong. I'm only 23. Haha.

"to the beat of tradition we danced, eyes meeting, arms swaying, cheeks blushing, feet uncoordinated"

It was yet another simple birthday, as always really throughout my life. Have I ever had a real birthday party? surely, but I can't remember my baby years ( I still believe one of them, brother sister or cousins dropped me on the head when I was a baby, but they deny it profusely). Its always dinner with the family, and drinks with the Kakibangkus.

"in the dark, sparks flew, oh how the sparks flew..."

This year, its sad and happy. Sad because no family and kakibangkus, but happy because brothers cooked and baked for me. Appreciate it guys.

"light? say it isn't so, waking up is not an option now"

Remember those videos last year? we're making fresh new ones this year. One is already on my youtube, silly test video, but fun nonetheless. Another 2 definitely coming, because its required for BERSATU, with potentially more video fun after that.

"what good is a name, if it's not for reference"

With exams getting closer, and one more assignment to hand in, its officially nearing the end of semester one. Like my age, time flies.

"teardrops of water triggered by time"

A month disconnected

Looking at the date stamp of my last post, it has been exactly a month since I updated. Why? The answer to that would be my laptop is not functional, and still not functional. I haven't been totally disconnected though, thanks to the Massey computer lab, and the 24 hour access card.

A lot happened in the last month, a bad luck month really for me and my flatmates. The car was acting up again, and took 2 weeks to get well again. Safwan's car blew up...well the engine did, which meant its not functional and meant there is one less car at the house. Iylia can't drive anymore, because he got pulled over by the police, and he's still presenting a Malaysian license, which goes invalid after a year. Well he can drive, but if he gets caught, he'd be imprisoned, and the car he drives would get impounded. Sam's power supply blew up, which was the most minor of all our bad luck. And of course my laptop is unusable, which i'm predicting to be the motherboard, and if it is the problem, I won't bother and continue being a bonafide student in the computer labs.

So enough of the tales of bad luck.

I cut up my first whole chicken this month. It's good cutting steaks into small pieces, but tearing up a whole chicken with a meat cleaver is wayy better. I have pictures of the event, but due to the laptop not functioning, I have limited access to the pictures, which are in Safwan's cam. I promise you the grit and determination of dismantling that piece of poultry was caught on camera.


BERSATU games down the block and around the corner. MUMSA has been appointed co-hosts, with Wellington Students Organisation, with the event being held in Wellington this June. The top committe of MUMSA will be involved with the actual games, so they have appointed a few select people including me, to handle the contingent in their place. The top committee say they're busy with BERSATU, but I think they're just dumping their load on to us "choice" slaves, haha.


There was a leadership meeting/seminar in conjunction with BERSATU games down in Wellington at the Malaysian Students Department. I was not even supposed to go but due to transport and Razif unable to get an extension, I replaced him, and along with Iylia, Sheng and Eugene drove down to Wellington for the ANZAC day weekend. Left Palmy early and reached Welly around 10 ish. It was quite empty, mostly because people were still in Church for ANZAC day appreciation.


We were all seperated accomodation wise, with the reason of mingling with other leaders of other contingents being thrown at us. I didn't mind that, pretty valid reason. I did mind however mind that MY accomodation looked like a whorehouse from the outside, and Iylia's looked like a modern motel, and even had Sky TV . Woo-saaah. I started to dread the trip, After settling in (if that was ever possible in that building), we were told to be at MSD, and so we were. It was my first time being at the MSD, and I was quite impressed. Went up to the dewan for a briefing with Aunty Rose, the student attache here in NZ. Aunty kept repeating "Expect the Unexpected" and after all was done, it was exactly that.


After the briefing, we played frisbee. Fun? not when you play it in the dark. Aunty said all events on the schedule must be performed, and because we were late with the previous item on the schedule, it was already dark by the time we were done. Everyone was still up for it, some groaning of course, but generally looked lively. It all went well and we actually caught the darn thing while in the dark, except for Iylia, who tried to catch a pass, and bumped into a team mate, and fell down spraining his ankle. What most of us were annoyed about at that point, was that aunty refused to call the driver to pick Iylia up and back to MSD. Instead, we as a group, took turns carrying him from the park we played, which was down a hill bout 10 minutes from MSD. It was good that we came together, but in a way dangerous, for Iylia, and for us as well. That invariably left him useless when it came to activities over the weekend as he was on crutches. Alas, all was justified by aunty at the end of the seminar. The night ended late, even more for me as I went for coffee after.


I didn't get much sleep in Wellington, because its damned noisy at night, and it was early starts each day. The second day was mainly for BERSATU, where the committee presented their presentation to the contingents. It got quite heated and it will be a different BERSATU next year if proposed changes are approved.

The third day was the best, and all the stress of no sleep and high levels of annoyance with aunty's mental tests were gone as we participated in an "Amazing Race" kind of activity called senses. Kudos to the organisers of that, coz it was really a great experience. It helped me bond with new comrades as we sang, laughed, guided and made fools of ourselves together as a team. My team would have won too, if I hadn't broken an egg. I would have never seen Wellington if not for that activity, and again that made the whole weekend worth it. That night, tired bodies sat down for a final talk with aunty, where she explained herself to us. She was testing us with , in her own words "putting you out of your comfort zone", which was spot on. She justified her actions, and I personally think its a loss to MSD in NZ if she was not there working with us students. She refused to take credit for the success of the weekend, but she got us there, and that deserves credit.

So that was my month disconnected. Sorry there are no thousand words worth of pictures.