My musical influences

I have no idea why I decided to do this. I just do. Maybe I could use this as reference if I need ideas. Or if I forget which bands I haven't listened to in a long time.

Bands :

• Linkin Park (these guys are the people that got me into music. Thanks for making me waste my money and time, guys.  Especially you, Robert....jerk ;-) )
• OrkeStar Trio (Singapore) (The first band I ever liked. Surprisingly, they didn't inspire me enough to pick up an instrument, unfortunately... Never knew why.  They were "newer", maybe? They do inspire my sound a lot, though...)
• The Reign of Kindo (If it weren't for this band, Snarky Puppy and OST, I wouldn't have thought to mix every single genre in my playing. And their 8-bit stuff. Wow.)
• Dropkick Murphys
• All Time Low
• Blink 182
• Animals As Leaders
• August Burns Red
• Tesseract
• 30 Seconds To Mars
• The Word Alive
• Black Sabbath
• Megadeth
• King Crimson
• Porcupine Tree
• Pink Floyd 
• Metallica
• 5 Seconds of Summer
• Imagine Dragons
• OneRepublic
• Issues
• Dream Theater 
• Periphery (to OUUUURRRSEEEEEELLLLVVVEEESSSS)
• Twenty One Pilots
• Foo Fighters
• Ventura Lights
• New Found Glory
• Bad Religion (Oh, the irony.)
• Rancid
• +44
• We The Kings ( not a fan of Charles Trippy, though...)
• A Day to Remember
• Atomic Mosquitoes 
• Queen
• Led Zeppelin
• Green Day
• The Beatles
• The Dear Hunter
• Avenged Sevenfold
• Snarky Puppy
• The Offspring
• The Bellerophon Project
• Styx
• Bunkface
• Deep Purple
• Pomplamoose
• Royal Crown Revue
• The Police 
• The Transplants
• Red Hot Chilli Peppers
• Alestorm
• All American Rejects
• Flogging Molly
• The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band*
• Fall Out Boy
• Neck Deep
• Sekumpulan Orang Gila
• Alvarez Kings
• Black 47
• RED
• The Black Mages
• Rush
• Muse
• Radiohead
• Pierce The Veil
• Dance Gavin Dance*
• The Dillinger Escape Plan*
• The Apemen
• The Shadows
• Hawaii Samurai
• The Pogues
• The Dubliners
• The Venopian Solitude
• DragonForce
• Scale The Summit
• Korpiklaani
• Of Mice and Men
• Incubus
• Royal Blood
• Walk Off The Earth
• Twenty One Pilots
• Metallica
• Toto 
• The Script
• Kyoto Protocol
• Enterprise
• Pitahati

Solo Artists, "Boy/Girl Bands", Composers, Orchestras, Ensembles and others that are not rock bands  :

• Steven Padin 
• Jake Bowen
• Chick Corea
• Vinnie Colaiuta 
• Alhafiz Jamat
• Russ Miller
• Virgil Donati
• One Direction ( not so much, but still... it counts)*
• Michael Jackson
• Ellie Goulding
• John Williams
• Hans Zimmer
• Karl Jenkins
• Steve Jablonsky
• Brian Tyler
• Junkie XL
• John Mayer
• takaharasuiko
• Some random Kpop bands that I periodically listen to
• Luca Striganoli 
• Omar Faruk Tekbilek
• Dave Brubeck Quartet 
• Buddy Rich Big Band
• London Symphony Orchestra
• Patrick Williams
• Andrew and Simon Hale
• Alex Rudinger
• Nick Glennie-Smith
• Vibrasphere*
• Jack Arel
• Phil Collins*
• Salatin El Tarab Orchestra
• Yasin Sulaiman
• Various Arab, Brazilian, Japanese, Italian, Scottish and Welsh composers and orchestras ( the names are mostly unknown since I listen to random mixes on YT for stuff like that)
• Vitamin String Quartet
• Eric Calderone
• Yuna
• Sting
• Steve Jordan
• Two Steps From Hell
• Johan Skugge
• Juka Ritamaki
• Nobuo Uematsu
• Ryuichi Sakamoto
• Richard Wagner
• Keith Carlock
• Steve Gadd
• Jack Conte
• Jordan Rudess
• Aphex Twin
• Weird Al Yankovic
• Nino Rota
• Fort Minor/Mike Shinoda
• Noisecontrollers (dammit)
• Lincoln Brewster (instrumentals) *
• Marty O'Donnell
• Bill Conti
• Robert Glasper
• Lars Erik Fjosne
• Steve Vai
• Steven Wilson
• Jon Licht
• Daniel Platzman
• Dick Dale
• Madrasah Aljunied al-Islamiah Angklung Ensemble ( do you know how weird it is to take inspirations from a group that your friend is in? .___. )

OK.

_________________________________________________________________________________

* - This means I've only probably listened to less than 5 of their songs.

Singapore Trip 2014 ( Day 3, Part 2 : I Regret...)

I rushed all the way back to Victoria Lane and I think I got there in... 5 minutes. Halfway there, I saw some Aljuniedians coming out into the street.

"Oh no no no."

I doubled my pacing (I think?), crossed the road and started checking everyone's faces for familiar ones...

I started asking everyone whether school is over or not, then I reached the gate and entered the school...

I looked at everyone while walking slowly, and I recognized one; she looked at and recognized me shortly thereafter and I walked towards her.

"Awak nampak lain gila,"

"Uh...." I really have no idea how to respond to that.

We talked about a few things; where she lived, among other stuff... but I can't remember much, because I was tired.

After we departed at the Victoria St./Ln. intersection - she was going to Geylang for something - I decided to go back to Bras Basah again... for more drum gear. Plus, I need to use up my Ez-link balance... heh.

I went there, bought my gear, and returned to my hotel at around 12-12:30 pm. Since I already packed earlier in the morning, I rested for an hour before checking out at 1 pm. I took a taxi to Queen St. to take the 170 bus again; I checked the time. I still have some time... I could go to Bugis and walk around. Well, SOME time.

I decided against it; the bus ride took me 2 hours the last time... and I have to be at the station by 3:30; otherwise I run the risk of being left behind.

I waited for the bus which then arrived shortly after, and boarded it at around 1:20-1:30.

Damn, I was wrong about the duration of the bus ride.

The bus ride reached Woodlands Centre Rd. when the clock had not even struck 3 yet. Darn it, I could've went to Bussorah St. or somewhere else...

I should've taken a plane ride home instead. Less travelling time back home = more time in Singapore. Maybe taking a 6pm plane would've been nice. I could lepak for 3 more hours.

Ah... nevermind. At least now I've learned.


I put my luggage at the waiting area of the checkpoint, and went out into Woodlands Ctr. Rd. I was hungry... and I'm surely not going to eat anything they serve in the train...!

I walked towards a nearby food court, and had a some chicken rice and some sort of a blueberry drink. It was a nice way to end my time in Singapore. I walked around the buildings and looked around, but didn't buy anything. I even walked into a grocery store.

Darn, everything here's expensive. Well... almost.

By 3:20, I took my bags and lined up at the Train Checkpoint. I got everything checked, and boarded the train. I saw the last of Singapore's shores at around 4pm. I reached KL Sentral at around 11:00 pm.

All in all, it was a nice trip, although the final day was a bit too rushed (hence the reason I forgot all the details). I didn't get what I actually came for (my enlistment), but I learnt a lot, and I got awesome new music gear, met new friends and had lots of awesome food (I'm soooo going to bring more money for food the next time...!).

I'm not going THAT close to any exams anymore. And I'm not going to spend 6 hours on a train, either... unless, I'm really broke.

Someone remind me to pick a better time and plan better for the next trip, darn it.

Singapore Trip 2014 (Day 3, Part 1 : Marathons and New Friends)

I was up at 4:00 despite the fact I was tired as heck...

Well, when you're going to see your internet friends that you've never met IRL before, the fatigue magically goes away, you see... excitement and happiness prevails!

I took a shower (cold hotel room + warm water = longest shower ever) and got out the hotel at around 8:20 a.m .  I had prata (yaaaassss) at Rowell Rd (I think) before setting off towards Madrasah Aljunied.

The original plan was to take the enlistment forms and walk around the school and sit around at the canteen for 5 minutes or so.

Halfway through walking Victoria St. , I realise that I have ample time left, and turned back to head to Jalan Sultan to find Madrasah Alsagoff so that I wouldn't get lost and indirectly, save some time.

When I reached Madrasah Alsagoff, I realised that the gates are closed... I did not dare try to open the gates.

I headed back to Madrasah Aljunied at around 9:20; the moment I approached the gates, I saw someone close the gates... Darn it.

By the way, remember when I said that the actual distance compared to what is shown on the map is larger?

Looks like a small distance , right?

This took me 10 minutes. And I have to run. RUN.

Alright. Done... Anyways...

I waited around the outside until I saw some students approaching the school. I walked to the gate and saw that the gate wasn't actually locked when I saw the students open it.

OK. Paiseh giler.

I went to the receptionist's office and asked for the enlistment forms :

"Saya nak ambik borang pendaftaran."

"Daripada mana?"

"Malaysia."

"Umur?"

"17."

"Peringkat(?) mana?"

"Pre-U 1."

"OK."


I took the enlistment forms and read it. Ah noooo....

Even if my Arabic was up to par... I still couldn't take the exam without resorting to "extreme and excessive measures"; the entrance exam was on the 20th of November... I have to sit for my Physics papers on that day. Not that I intended to pass it, but--

"Nak isi kat sini ke?"

"Tak, tak."

"..."

"Uhhhh... orang luar boleh masuk dalam sana tak?" *points to school courtyard*
"Oh, tak boleh."

Darn it...!



I went off to the side, out of the view of the receptionists.

"Sigh. Looks like this is it."

I put the enlistment forms in my bag and waited for their recess time, hoping that someone, anyone would recognise me.

By 9:55, I left Aljunied and headed towards Alsagoff. I waited for my friend. By this time, the primary students were having their recess. A primary student came up to me:

"Akak tunggu sapa?"

"Ah, takpe, takpe... Uhhhh... pelajar menengah dengan pre-u dah rehat ke belum?"

"Belum... pukul 10:40 nanti"

"Ah, takpe uh. Tunggu sini je lah."



I waited even more and tweeted  that I have arrived, hoping that she would see it. She did.

At around 10:20, I saw her familiar face walk towards me at the gate. Finally...! By this time I was tired and dazed from running marathons around Bugis.

She greeted me warmly. I gave her a letter (which was from a friend of mine in another school who coincidentally knew her as well),  and opened the gates. I looked at the primary students near the gate, looking at me in a bewildered and confused way, wondering who's this lone, small girl and why is a student sneaking her in.

She gave me a letter for my friend in Malaysia, and we headed towards the school interior.

"Dah lama sampai ke?"

"Pukul 10 tadi."

"Oh ya, actually sebenarnya sekolah SAMBest ke SAMBestari?"

"Dua-dua boleh."

"Oh, OK. Eh, masuk toilet kejap; ramai sangat orang kat sini."

We headed towards the toilet, and I washed my face so that I didn't look like I was coming out from hell.

"Awak tinggal kat mana?"

"Selangor--"

"Tak, tak kat Singapore..."

"Oh, hahahaha... kat Little India."

We headed towards the canteen. Everyone was staring at me. Maybe it's because of my black shirt. Maybe they don't have visitors often.

We reached the canteen, and I bought something to drink; it was a relief after running around for an hour. I sat down at the canteen and was greeted by 3 of her friends. We shook hands.

We chatted about my Singaporean friends and my enlistment, among other things. Unfortunately, I didn't remember the order or much of the details of the conversation... so I'll write a few parts :

"Kenal sapa kat Aljunied?"

I told them the names of the ones I regularly interact with.

"Awak kenal semua budak madrasah ke?"

"Macam mana awak kenal pasal Aljunied?"

"Ah, actually my family member(?) ada ajar kat Aljunied waktu sekolah tu mula2 bukak dulu... and I idoli-- looked up to him, so..."

"Lepas Junied... kalau masuk, nak sambung kat mana?"

"Kalau keadaan ok, Mesir uh. Kalau tak... Jordan."

We chatted until their recess was over. We took a few pics at the table.

My friend walked me to the gate... but before that, she beckoned for me to take a picture in front of the school building.

That day was the first time anyone invited for me to be in a picture, ever. So everything was weird and awkward. I stood at the wrong place the first time. But at least I got a good laugh out of it.

She took a couple of pics and walked me to the gate.

"Make sure awak datang next year bila nak daftar masuk Junied tau...!"

"OK...! Bye...!"

"Bye."

It was 10:35. Realising that the Aljuniedians might have finished their exams, I rushed back to Victoria Lane.




Note: All of the conversations on this day were paraphrased due to the rushed nature of the events... None of the conversations are 100%correct, so, if you talked to me on that day and you remember everything, tell me and I'll correct it.

Singapore Trip 2014 (Day 2 : Burning Money and Getting Lost)

I woke up at 7... I think. I don't remember.

After waking up, I got ready and set off for Mustafa Centre at 8:30 for some shopping... chocolates to be exact. Don't ask me why...!

I walked along Jalan Besar and reached Mustafa Centre before my entire gut decides to give up on me.

"Fine, I'll have breakfast first."

I ate at a nearby restaurant (Can't remember the name unfortunately...). The prata (roti canai for you Malaysians...!) was nice, although a bit small... not that I cared at the time; I was rushing...

I think I was in there for at least 2 1/2 hours... I got 7 bottles of sparkling water, some souvenirs for my classmates (bayar oi...! lol jk)  and 3 bags of chocolates because they were cheap as heck.

Here's 2 out of 7 of the bottles. I got 4 of the blues JUST because of the colour hahaha.

I walked back to the hotel and put my stuff before setting off for Bras Basah.

For what? My drum gear, of course...! (As if I have any interest in buying anything else...)

I got off at City Hall MRT before walking to Bras Basah Complex.

There, I walked to Swee Lee Music Company(?) and bought a practice pad, a pair of Vic Firth American Jazz 1 (AJ1) sticks (great sticks, minus the lacquer...), a pocket practice "pad" (to sneak in masuk asrama next year mwehehehe), a Planet Waves NS Micro Universal guitar tuner  and a pack of Ernie Ball regular gauge (.10 gauge for the highest string and .46 for the lowest) guitar strings for my brother. (you'd better pay me darn it)

I got to test out some drums as well for 45 minutes or so. Apparently stick size matters little when it comes to reducing volume during playing...

I think I spent at least S$ 190. RIP savings....

Then, not knowing what to do... I walked back to City Hall MRT, and decided to visit the Esplanade Performing Arts Centre, more specifically the famed Outdoor Theatre.

I got lost on the underpasses. I think it took me 20 minutes from City Hall before I reached the Esplanade Concourse. I reached it at around... 4pm

And guess what?

I got lost in the building itself... but hey, at least I got to see a good part of it...

And, finally, I got out to the area where the Outdoor Theatre was located.

The entire place looked so, so different then from what I've seen in the videos and pictures.

First off, it was smaller than I thought it would be. Nice stage equipment though.

I took some pics of the venue and the bay that lay beyond it, and sat down at the seats of the theatre.

To know that some of my friends, my acquaintances and my music heroes has been here has left me with this unbelievable feeling... (If The Reign of Kindo ever performed "Till We Make Our Ascent" at the Outdoor Theatre, I would die alsndkhisds)

From there on, I swore to myself that I'll be on that stage one day... whether it's as someone's touring musician... or with a band of my own.

I sat and rested for a while. It was calming to to look out into the bay and see the place from which I've looked the very place I'm at right now two years ago.

Two views... 20 November 2012  from Merlion  Park looking out to the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre (left), and 22 October 2014, from the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre looking out to Merlion Park (right).

I got up and got back to the MRT station in order to go to Plaza Singapura so that I could check out more drum gear (cymbals, to be specific). I got out of the train when I realised that the next train I was supposed to be on was right in front of me...! I rushed towards and barely got in when the doors closed. It was fun, hahahahaha....

I stepped down at Dhoby Ghaut MRT and began making my way to Plaza Singapura.

I swear that the underground MRT was like a mini-mall or something... All those pathways... my legs still hurt oK.

I had one of those KFC Cheesy BBQ Meltz which some of my friends had talked about a bit on Twitter... heh. I could barely walk by the time I finished my meal (darn it).

I walked to the Yamaha store and went to the drums section...

Damn I was in for a disappointment. Most of the newer models weren't there...

"But the pictures..."

Then I realised that I was at the wrong store; the store I was supposed to go to was at Paya Lebar... and I had no time left.

I was on my way down when I saw a headphone store. I went there and bought a pair of cheap ATH-M20X studio monitoring headphones... Well, at least I got something...

That and the KFC Cheesy BBQ Meltz which I ate.  Worth it...!


By the time I was back at Bugis MRT, it was almost 7... I roamed around Bugis Village and Bugis Junction and got a pair of Vans for S$ 69.00.

I can't believe this thing is actually cheaper in Singapore than in Malaysia.

After getting out, I took a bus (can't remember the number, though...) and went off to Arab St. to eat again... because I have a black hole for a stomach. I got the chicken murtabak... wasn't as nice as the beef murtabak but... hey, it's food...

At around 9:00-9:30, I returned to Dickson Rd., ending my final night in Singapore.

What a day.

Singapore Trip 2014 (Day 1 : Back There Again...!)

I travelled to Singapore on the 21st of October to attempt enlisting again into Madrasah Aljunied... at first. But a performance review given by my teacher the week before deemed me unfit for enlistment ,and so I decided to postpone my enlistment (again...!) for yet another year.

Now that's out of the way... alright.

I woke up at 5 and set off for KL Sentral at 6;45.  And the train is supposed to leave at 8... So you could imagine rushing from SJ to KL with a traffic jam.

I barely got on the train.

I reached JB at around 1:30. I'm not a fan of going through weird pathways just to get my passport and luggage checked, but... eh, whatever.

I first stepped on Singaporean soil at 2:00. Thankfully, we only have to go up the stairs once to get out into Woodlands Centre Rd.

After 2 minutes of waiting (yay Singapore public transport...!) , I got on bus 170 from Woodlands Train Checkpoint. The bus ride wasn't fun, but at least I don't have to stand... The northwest part of Singapore was a bit boring... to me, at least. It was fun seeing the sights, though...Also, the schools. Darn, some of the schools are like universities, size wise...

I got off from the bus on Queen St.When I reached there, I realised something.

The distance on the maps looked small. The actual area isn't.  (I will show this in a later post)

What looked like a 2 minute walk was actually an 8 minute walk instead. Nevertheless, I reached the hotel at Dickson Rd. around 4:30 pm.

After resting for a while, I set off to Geylang/Paya Lebar so that I can go to Joo Chiat Complex. I had problems on how to buy the tickets, but thankfully, I braved myself to go and ask the lad manning the nearby counter. (Actually it was embarrassing. Not doing that again ever.)

 I bought my stuff there before returning to Bugis MRT.

Then, I walked around Bugis Junction and had dinner at Yellow Submarines... It was awesome..! :D

I walked out to Bugis St. and browsed for items to buy, though none of them were of my interest.

When I walked out along Victoria St. to return to my hotel, it was awesome. I couldn't believe I was actually there... Seeing all the bulidings, lights and vehicles just felt surreal. (As I write this post, I actually didn't know whether I walked back along to my hotel on the first night or the second...)

I reached my hotel at around 9:00 pm, but I was so tired that I couldn't sleep until 11:30.

But at least I managed to sleep, thankfully. The next day will be one the most physically exhausting days of my life.

Let's do this.

Two years. Well, almost, in a way. In another way, it is almost three years since all of this started.

So much has happened, and it hasn't even started yet.
I'm proud of what I've done.
I'm proud to have trodden down a path not many have before me.

Now, the time has almost come.
Ready or not, let's do this.
No turning back.
It'll take everything to stop me.

Almost three years ago, I said to myself, "I will succeed."
And succeed I will.

Welcome to East Side Singapore...!!!!!! (Day Three, Part 2: Another Visit and A Reluctant Departure)

After we got off the taxi at Syed Alwi Rd., we headed straight to Mustafa Centre, where the others shopped at before we checked out. We went in and bought a few provisions. I bought a 5 SGD box of Jelly Belly and a pack of cookies.

But when we got out, we discovered that we exited from the wrong place...!!!! I believed we got in on one side and got out through another. We wandered the streets, before we hailed a cab and returned to Fernloft. We got our bags down, and while waiting for the bus, I got on the 'Net and tweeted happily about my visit to
'Junied. I liked Singapore's internet; it was waaayyy faster than Malaysia's.

I wished I could stay in Singapore forever. But I know I couldn't.

At about 9:06 a.m, the bus arrived and we boarded it. Then, we headed to Bedok North. At Bedok North, we visited an organisation called Perdaus. Their job is to educate Muslim youths about Islam. They told us about their activities. I was marvelled at how creative their activities were, just as I did at Masjid Kassim two days earlier. At 11:50, we departed.

I thought we were heading to Woodlands Checkpoint, when they announced, "We're heading to Masjid Sultan to pray before departing..." Once again, my eyes flew open.

We reached Masjid Sultan, and before we stepped off, they ordered us to regroup at Bussorah St. at 2:30 p.m. Alhamdulillah....!!

When I went up to the women's prayer hall, I went to take my prayer clothes and prayed.

After I prayed, I told my aunt I was going to the mosque's auditorium, but my target was another: Madrasah Aljunied.

Alright, actually I only got one pic from my morning visit, since we thought we were supposed to rush back this morning. So I decided to go back and get more.

I ran from Masjid Sultan to Victoria Lane in 3 minutes. No joke.

I went into the school grounds (not passing the reception, though... I did not dare to...!), took a few pictures and ran back to where the others were. There, we sat at Bussorah St. while eating ice-cream.

Suddenly, my brother came up to me and said, "Hey come look at this," I followed him and he showed me  another donation box, this time Madrasah al-Irsyad's.  I donated whatever coins that I have left.

(Darn it. I should've ran to Bali Ln. for my stuff. Until the day I'm writing this post, I still haven't got the thing I wanted yet.)

At 2:30 p.m, we boarded our buses and reluctantly left Singapore. We exited through the Tuas checkpoint and reached USJ 4 at around 10:20 p.m.

All in all, I enjoyed my trip. I learnt a lot, I travelled to about 2% of the country (hey, it's a good start, right?), and  I discovered a new hope that raised my spirits to work hard for 2013. I think the thing that started to take place inside me (as I mentioned earlier) was that spirit.

The best thing? I think I found a place where I think I actually belong.

I've made a vow to come again to Singapore again. And when I do, I'll be there for a long time.

Welcome to East Side Singapore...!!!!!! (Day Three, Part 1: A visit to Madrasah Aljunied al-Islamiah)

I can barely sleep the night before since my aunt has agreed to bring me to Madrasah Aljunied after I persuaded her on our way back last night.

So, by 5, I was up, and by 6:15, I was ready.I had packed my luggage, I have bathed...Yes, I was THAT excited. Who wouldn't be, having got to go to their dream school which is literally located hundreds of miles away from home... 

I got on the computer and obtained the directions from Google Maps(LOLL!!!). After my aunt was ready, we set off from Little India to Bugis at about 7 a.m. We have to back by 8:40 a.m though, since we would board the bus at 9 a.m.

I was nervous, since this is my first visit to Singapore, and I don't know the street names that well. According to the directions, I was supposed to turn into Weld Rd.(I think) and we would pass through Arab St. before moving into Victoria St. However, I ended up going the opposite direction, and instead of Arab St., I had to straddle along Kallang Rd. 

Luckily, I know where I was going from there,since I memorized every single street in the vicinity of my destination. I entered Victoria Lane at 7:15, but something made my blood run cold; the sight of Juniedians in their full uniform (white tudung/shirt for the boys and black jubah/pants). I was like, "Wait... none of the Juniedians told me that anyone's schooling today...!!!!!"

Like I explained, I always wanted to meet my Juniedian friends/acquaintances, but on this day, my failed enlistment attempt has made me scared to meet any of them, since the news of my failure may have spread among the Juniedians. And some of them knew my face and name, which is the reason I was scared. I only got over my fears AFTER I returned.

 At around 7:20 a.m, I was literally in front of Madrasah Aljunied al-Islamiah. My thoughts were:

"I can't believe I'm at Madrasah Aljunied al-Islamiah; Finally, after hearing so much of this place, I'm finally here...!!!!!!!!!"

I was smiling from ear to ear from the time I was in front of Victoria Lane. But I was scared to enter the school grounds, truth be told, since my friend told me that if you want to enter the school, you had to make an appointment. However, I quickly realized that was not the case, when my aunt entered the school grounds with no repercussions whatsoever, I went in. I felt honored, somewhat. There's a myriad of feelings, from happiness to dissapointment to feeling honored and a lot others, it almost overwhelmed me.

My aunt was greeted by a middle-aged lady, possibly in her 40s to her early 50s, who might be a staff member or parent of a Juniedian. We shook hands. The lady asked us what are we here for. My aunt explained that I was interested in enlisting, but was rejected, and that we came here just to visit. She asked me what level I'm signing up for. I answered with a "Menengah Empat(Secondary 4)," and she replied, "Oh, Secondary Four is full, I think," in Malay. I hung my head in defeat, knowing that any chances of somehow getting called up in the future is close to zero.

But she said , "You can try out again for pre-U," I asked her, "They will look at your STE results, right????" "Yes," "What about O-Levels?" "I'm not sure..." This lifted my spirits a bit, and I felt good; now that I had known the reasons for my failure and that I have a second chance. "Hmm, pre-U it is then..." She said  that she'll pray for me and wished me luck before we parted. I walked around the school a bit, but not passing the receptionist's office, since I didn't actually make an appointment prior to my visit. I was amazed; the school, although small, was beautiful and nicely maintained; a contrast to my current school, SMK USJ 4.

Suddenly, from the front area, I saw three Juniedians, a guy and two girls (presumably siblings) walking along the walkway outside the gates. I FREAKED, I TELL YOU...!!!!! My heart was beating outside my chest, and my brain starting pumping thoughts of, "Hey look! Maybe those are your Twitter acquaintances..." I tried to quell the thoughts, but to little effect. We met at the gate, with the boy saying, "Assalamualaikum,". We returned the greeting. But if there's anything, it's the boy's face. I knew I saw him somewhere.

However, I ignored it. I gestured to my aunt to take a picture at the school's sign once we're outside. I took one picture, and as soon as it was done, I turned my head to the left to see more Juniedians arriving. I tried to take off, but common sense took over, and I walked calmly.

Well, I looked calm. My 5 senses was on full-alert due to my fear, my heart was beating outside my chest, and I felt a pit forming in my stomach. Each time I passed a Juniedian, I scanned their faces for familiar ones.

Thankfully, there was none, and we took a cab back to Syed Alwi Rd, where the others are waiting.

I felt really really happy, and also a sense of accomplishment. I never stopped smiling at Victoria Lane, and it would continue until we reached Bedok North. That's how happy I was.

Of all the places I went to, Madrasah Aljunied  was the most significant. Hadn't I been there, I wouldn't have known I have a second chance.

And I'm really grateful for that.

Welcome to East Side Singapore...!!!!!! (Day Two: Rollercoasters and Lightshows)

I woke up kind of early, about 5 in the morning or so. Maybe it's because I was excited, haha. I got ready, and by the time I was, it's 7 o'clock. I got on the computer while waiting for everyone else.

At about 8:30 to 9, we were ready, headed off to Sentosa Island. For what???

For USS, of course...!!!!!

We entered USS at around 9:30, and when we walked through the first part, which is right after we entered, I felt like I'm in LA Noire( it's a game about an LAPD detective in the '40s), since it looked like NYC and LA it the 40's. But other than shops and restaurants, there's nothing much there.

So, I'm going to sum everything up:

Transformers: The Ride: It was hair raising in a way, but my scumbag brain keeps telling me it ain't real, so...

Human vs Cylon (Battlestar Galactica) - The Human one was OK, but the Cylon ride???? God, I'm lucky that I don't have nightmares(LOL)... there's this sudden turn, which scared the crap out me.

Revenge of the Mummy - Well, the scariest part is when it went backwards...!!! I didn't expect that!! And yes, it's scarier than the Human ride of BSG.

Canopy Flyer  - Meh. It's not actually scary, but having rode something with my feet hanging out which scared me half to death(or is it a quarter? I can't remember...), I can't help but a having a bit of cold feet (I'm sure that the temperature was 25 degrees plus, though...)

Shrek 4D and Madagascar: A Crate Adventure : Calming and funny. That is all...

I exited at 5:30 to roam around outside to calm myself. I entered the two candy and chocolate stores, then waited for the others. When some of the others came out, I walked over to the Candylicious store and bought 7SGD worth of Jelly Belly, of which I finished within 3 weeks of coming home... (Don't ask!!!)

We arrived at Masjid Daeng Temenggung. We ate before praying. While I was waiting, my brother came up to me and said something along the lines of, "There's a donation box for Madrasah Aljunied in the prayer hall...!!!!!!" My eyes widened to its full size and I gave him a "What???????Where?????" "In the prayer hall,"

I ran inside;I saw that it was in the men's prayer hall, so I skirted around the mosque and put some money in the donation box.

Don't get me wrong... I was upset about not enlisting in Madrasah Aljunied, yes, but at that time, I thought, "If you couldn't enlist, Farahin, why don't you help them out as much as you can?". That's it.

I ended up saving 30 SGD for something that I'll never get to buy.

After that, we set off to Merlion Park. I went ahead of the guide, since I know this place well from first-hand accounts and pictures. I saw the Esplanade, and the Marina Bay Sands, among other things. I snapped a lot of pictures here.

Again, it was bloody unreal, I tell you what. I keep looking down to see if my feet were actually on the ground. I looked around the bay and went to the steps near the water. I felt the urge to jump and push my brother into the bay but thankfully, I decided against it. I dipped the edge of my shoes into the water for fun.

This place would be the third-most significant place for me, since I was in the vicinity of the place where my crush made his first performance. Also, it calmed me down... A lot. All of the tension I got from of the failure of my enlistment evaporated temporarily.

When I was looking out into the bay, a lightshow appeared in front of the MBS. Sadly, I have a crappy camera, so I couldn't take any pictures of it.

After a while, we departed back to Jalan Besar, but before that, we passed by Orchard Road. While we were at Orchard, my aunt suddenly blurted out, "Hey, isn't this the place where Sharizat's condo is????" Suddenly, the three of us start making jokes about politics, ministers and cows. We laughed a lot that night...

After Orchard, we reluctantly returned home to our last night in Singapore.

Welcome to East Side Singapore...!!!!!!( Day One: I'm in freakin' Singapore..!!!!!)

On the 19th of November, 2012, I boarded a bus to Singapore for a 3-day trip with my aunt and brother. We tagged along with the youth of an-Nur Mosque of USJ 4.

We started off at 8:20 and reached JB about 5 hours later. Around 1:20, we reached Woodlands Immigration Checkpoint. It was my first trip to Singapore as such, so I was nervous when I got my luggage checked and passport stamped. God, it was a relief when I got past it...!

On 1:32, I officially have entered the borders of Singapore. I was nothing short of amazed, but a certain bad news that was told shortly before my departure dampened my spirits a bit. Nevertheless, I was determined to focus on the good things.

At one point we were on Bradell Rd. I saw Madrasah al-Irsyad al-Islamiah. I felt a sense of amazement and "unrealness". I couldn't believe that I was actually seeing a place that  I've only seen in Internet photos. It dawned on me that that was an actual place. This feeling would recur one too many times throughout the trip.

The tour guide also us that we're supposed to be visiting Madrasah al-Irsyad, but their administration refused to let us visit, since they had more important guests on the same day.

At somewhere near Geylang, we picked up our tour guide. I looked around, and felt like something was taking place inside me. We arrived at Masjid Kassim in Changi Rd. at about 1:50. When I stepped off the bus, it felt unreal.

I was in Singapore.

I'm breathing the same air as my crush.

And a lot other things were on my mind that I couldn't say.

I was amazed. I would be in this state throughout the 3-day trip. It never stopped.

We went up the mosque and prayed before coming down to eat. After that, we were briefed on how youth-related mosque activities were conducted.

After that, we went to An-Nadhah mosque in Bishan St. We visited the Harmony Center, and also the part-time madrasah which was located on the top floor. Of all the places we've gone to, this place was the most... informative should I say... I learnt a lot about other religions there.

We arrived at our hostel/dorm, which is Fernloft Hostel at around 7:10 to 7:30, located somewhere at Jln. Besar.When I walked in, I was relieved to find out that they had computers, which means I can access the 'Net.  However, before we arrived, I noticed something.

The street names.

There's North Bridge Rd. and Ophir Rd. among others( I tried to memorize the names of every street in and near Bugis area), so I realized something : I must be close to Bugis area!!. So, I made a resolve to try visit Madrasah Aljunied before we left, if time permits it.

We settled in, and rested for about 20 minutes. Then, without knowing it, we set off to Bugis. I didn't know it until I saw a sign that said, 'Jln. Kubor'. I froze for 3 seconds before uttering a, "You've got to be freaking kidding me right?????" We ate at Zam-Zam Restaurant(I think?).  And then, we went off to Masjid Sultan to pray.

As I stepped inside Masjid Sultan, I kept my eyes open for a possibility that my acquaintances (or any madrasah students, in fact) would be there. After I prayed, I looked around the mosque. There was none.

Still I expected that, so I exited and went out to Busorrah St. As I walked a bit along there(I didn't go far), I felt someone was walking with me. The lights were very dim at that time, so I became freaked out. I stopped. The others were either still praying or are at the end of the street. I was the only one walking out there. I didn't run though, I walked calmly back to where the others are.

 As I walked back, I thought to myself, "Yep, something or someone is with me right now,"

Despite the fact I was walking calmly, every nerve in my body was screaming and urging me to make a break for it.

I returned to the others. We walked around Kandahar St. before heading back.

When they passed through the Victoria St./Arab St. intersection, I saw Madrasah Aljunied's 5-story building.It strengthened my resolve to visit it before we left... I said to myself, "I'm going there," before the bus headed back to Jalan Besar.

When we reached Jalan Besar, we stepped into the dorms to end our day.