Free parking!

I know, I know.. this post is gonna excite you. Because there's FREE parking!! What else is better than that?! ;p

Simply click on the image to enlarge.


The one highlighted with darker grey is free all day long (for goodness sake, not Avon River!). Whereas the other on-site parking is free after 5pm or so. However, all are on first come first serve basis. So, make sure you arrive early to get a nice decent free parking. It does save you a fortune. Otherwise, you can start singing "here we go round, and round again, round and round, round again..."...

But, if you're feeling rich, or simply run out of time (otherwise you might miss our grand opening..), just park at the building besides Rydges, or at Farmers!

Enough said. Please be punctual. Looking forward to see all of you at Malam Malaysia!! :)

p/s: Do remember to lock your car! :D

Feeling tired?

the team has been working super hard.

with talent night coming along and 6 days away to Malam... and just righ after a crazy term 3!

once again, thanks guys!

take a break when you can k! :D

eh... wait wait... siapa ni?

.
.
.
.
.
.

....the protocol and events boss!
aduh. macam sangat letih!
xin ku ni le!
.
.
.
.
.

...and what's the sponsorship director doing there?

btw, we call them kombinasi yang membinasakan
(the destroyers)

can't wait for the rehearsals to start!

we will be putting up more photos and updates on our preparation progress during this crazy week! hope to see you in Malam 2008! let's all have a fun fun time! :D

Malam 2008 Theme Song

will talk about what inspired the song. we might perform it during Talent Night (25/8). hehe. help to promote Talent Night too ^_^

hope the message behind these lyrics will help you have a better idea of what we hope to bring out from this year's Malam.

Malam 2008 will be more than just a ball :)

Pass It On

i've found a home
in a faraway land
i know i'm not alone
in this journey

i'm part of a melody
that transcends differences
and now it showed me to how to sing

so won't you pass it on
you will bring home closer
let the fire within
warm the coldest nights

so won't you pass it on
the song you are singing
let the hope that you have found
glow in the darkest nights
for you and i

pass it on

A Tribute to Lee Chong Wei

i'm sure by now most of you would have known about the result from yesterday's badminton finals for the men singles (you can google for more news about the match yesterday).

my flatmates and i stayed up to watch the match. we had to admit that it was totally Lin Dan's day. both of them equally had great pressure on their shoulders to perform; and there will only be one winner.

for me, though a little bit sad of the lost, it was still a proud moment for Malaysia with Lee Chong Wei being in an Olympics finals. His meekness was what that struck me the most. After the game, both Lin Dan and Chong Wei gave each other a friendly hug - to me, it was a gracious acceptance of defeat; and also a gesture of respect and 敬服 (can't think of the english word at the moment) to the winner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psRcrwwUI3o
This is an interview with Lee Chong Wei before the Olympics. It is in Mandarin though. i have yet to find an English one.

Hope there will be some videos on Chong Wei's feat in Olympics 2008 on YouTube :)

this was written before Chong Wei went to the finals
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/8/17/focus/22106345&sec=focus

we know he will fight harder. just like how he pulled himself again after a car accident in 2006. and he has inspired me to fight harder too. in all honesty, we are facing some financial difficulties for Malam but we will definitely fight even harder to get the money in!

Well done, Lee Chong Wei! We are all very proud of you! Congratulations!

Jive Jive Jive!

this year Malam will have a dance-floor as our after-party!

Besides the usual clubbing music, we hope to introduce some elements of MODERN JIVE on the dance floor too!

As a warm-up session, we are offering a FREEEEEE dance class! Yes, freee! btw, we will never say no to a gold coin donation! ;)

date?
23 August 2008, Saturday

time?
12.30pm - 3.00pm

place?
UCSA Ballroom

who's teaching?
Sam, a teacher from the UCanDance class.

come along!
bring your friends!
let's warm up the floor and heat the house during Malam!!!

More Photos!

found more photos from previous Malams..

Year 2004:
http://www.pbase.com/evyvekt043/malam_malaysia_2004_at_grand_chancellor_album_2
http://enggangkeramat.fotopages.com/?entry=206183

Year 2006:
http://www.nzview.com/ball/

Malam 2008 Poster

yay! the poster is out!

thanks to Azmir and Wan Yin who have worked very hard to design the poster!!!

Feeding the Heart of the City

...warmth in the darkest nights :)

Kechara Soup Kitchen

Got to know about KSK from:
Feeding the Heart of the City

Perhaps

this is a very different kind of stress that i'm facing compared to academic stress.

there's the financial part to work hard on - money matters. and then, as the days are nearer, i can feel the pressure mounting. Deco team - all good? Can finish in time? Performances? Settled? Equipment hire? Cool? How's the video going? Posters alright? Can print the tickets on time? What did the pub owner say abt the after party? Oh.. XX shop said dun want to sponsor us - never mind - dun give up - keep working hard!

Malam.. Malam.. :) all the sweat and tears - and 30 plus days to go!

wow!!!

perhaps you are one of the wise and experienced, smiling as the team learn from our mistakes, and nodding your head in approval when we have done something extraordinary.

perhaps you are not sure what Malam is gonna be about - given that the team is made up of new faces - you might be a little sceptical, a little uncertain about going to Malam.

perhaps you are uncertain - but you are going to Malam just to see what we have to offer.

perhaps you don't really mind how Malam is going to be - you are going coz your friend is in the team - bagi muka - show some support.

perhaps you are thinking that NZD45.00 is super expensive and our team member is explaining to you with a smile the circumstances.

perhaps you are very expectant and looking forward to what Malam 08 has to offer.

perhaps... perhaps... perhaps...

:)

Why not give us a chance to see what we have to offer for this year's Malam?

thank you for your support! :)

Not-Much-To-Say

...that's why i've been quiet.

taking it one step at a time :)

each team is hard at work.

just attended the deco team's meeting. wow. they are going massive! man! they'd need a lot of support and cheerleading!

go go go deco team!!!

(^^)9

we are starting to sell tickets next week!!

get ready!!!

ps: sorry about the trailer. turns out we might not be able to do one for this year due to time-constraints. much apologies!

Acknowledgement to CMSI

We would like to express our appreciation to Canterbury Malaysian Society (CMSI) for taking the initiative to work with the students. It was a good experience for us students getting to meet with them and also widened our scope a lot about many things.

Last week they suggested on us merging with them to do Malam. However after much consideration from the team, we decided that we will not do so this time - the main reason being that our objectives were not exactly in-line. Also we've come this far and since Malam is about one and a half months away (wow, time flies!) - not the right time.

They are a cool group of adults and it'd be a good experience for us to learn from them. We do hope to be able to work with them in the near future for other events or projects. CMSA will be having their committee meeting some time this week and one of our agendas will be to discuss about working together more with CMSI - they have resources and sources, experiences and expertise - and they have expressed their willingness to help the students whenever we need them. After all, that's what these clubs are set up for - to serve its community well :)

Also, by interacting and learning from them, the students can also share their thoughts and ideas with the adults. Pn Sabidah mentioned that we are the 'young blood' and they can also learn from us :)

Thanks to Mr Ling, Pn Sabidah, Aunty Donna, Aunty Caroline, Mr Lee, Mr Ambrose, Uncle Sam, Danie, Puan Rafa for your time and initiative! it was great meeting you all! :)

(still not very used to calling them by their first names :p)

Dirgahayu Tanah Airku

this is my all-time favourite patriotik song :)

Jaclyn Victor's version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-47qRBj7T3o

From a high school in Malaysia - tot the girls did a great job (i'm a big fan of choirs and musicals btw :p):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmMMZwDB1Og

i like this choir arrangement of the song. it starts around the 4th minute :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-FUYoY9sBs&feature=related

Dirgahayu Tanah Airku
Norsheila Amin

Kau...
Persada indah permai
Pepohon menghijau menghias pantai
Putera Puteri mu tersenyum riang ria
Tegas Bebas sejahtera makmur maju jaya
Dibawah naungan payung mahkota

Ohh...
Pertiwi ku perkasa
Disanjung di puja setiap masa
Berwaspada sentiasa bersemangat waja
Satu bangsa satu bahasa satu budaya
Malaysia nusaku tercinta

Tumpuan.. pelancong
Dan juga para peniaga
Batik songket tenunan menawan
Terkenal merata dunia

Kepada mu oh pertiwi
Kasih ku abadi
Sejati murni
Rela ku Berbakti mesti terkorban diri
Padamu ku curah sumpah setia dan janji
Dirgahayu oh Tanahairku ( 2X )

Military History of New Zealand in Malaysia

this might be pretty random to you but i thought it was good to share! so here goes...

i was so bored with studying today and so i switched on the TV, flipping through the channels randomly.

And then i heard the familiar Malay language - and i saw the year 2007 Merdeka parade...

...and of all channels, it was on Maori TV!

MALAYSIAN MEMORIES TOUR 2007
Wednesday June 18 and June 25 at 8.30 PM

Looks at the return of NZ Soldiers 50 years later, to the places they were stationed during the Malaysian Emergency (June 18); and documents the establishment of a Marae for the Kiwi Battalion in Malaya (June 25).

Basically it was a documentary of the return of the NZ war vets to Malaya last year. They were also invited to participate in our nation's 50th Merdeka parade. It was an honour and acknowledgment to them for their deeds during the Emergency Period in the 1960s.

Check out this article from Wikipedia to learn more about the Malayan Emergency and what the NZ troupes have done for our country :)

would like to take this opportunity to honour and acknowledge these soldiers for their sacrifice and peacekeeping efforts in our nation!

i really liked what one of the NZ army vets said at the end of the documentary:

"...we are all one!"

lovely!

ps: hope you are keeping warm and still sane over the exams! :D

Venue!

Follow up from the previous post, I'm gonna upload a few photos of the venue to tempt you. ;)

Malam Malaysia 2008 will be held in Rydges Christchurch!

The function hall where our annual gala dinner will be carried out.
Merlin and team will certainly transform this posh hall to the posher-st!!

drool.. yummy yummy food!!

Tempted? Anticipated?


Jot down in your diary..

Malam Malaysia 2008

30th August 2008
(Saturday)


More to come!! =)

(Photos source: Rydges Christchurch)

theme ;)

will not reveal the theme until i get someone to do a really cool and awesome trailer.. ;) huhu.

for now - set the date aside!! and set some money aside!

we really really hope to see YOU there!!! :D

ladies and gentlemen....

Malam Malaysia 2008 will be at...

Venue
Rydges Hotel, Christchurch
(http://www.rydges.com/hotel/0/RZCHCH/Rydges-Hotel-Christchurch.htm)

Date
30 August 2008

Time
TBC

Price
TBC

come come come!!! :D

Punctuality

i believe that if i dun respect time, time wouldn't respect me either :)

punctuality is a virtue that i'm learning to acquire. to be on time for classes, on time for meetings and appointments, on time for gatherings... even getting up early in the COLD mornings (still working hard on that ;p).

for CMSA committee meetings, we have this 'siape-lambat-kena-bayar' (if-u-late-then-pay) thing. President late - 5 bux; sec or treasurer late - 2 bux; the rest - 1 buck. if you can't attend the meeting and did not inform beforehand - fined :)

it all voices down to respecting your time and also other people's time.

the same will apply for our main Malam meetings. at first i wanted to do it for the first meeting - however some of them apparently din get the notice about the meeting etc - so well - anyway, when we have our next main meeting - this will be implemented :)

same goes for myself - i told WY that whenever i have an appointment with her - if i am late - i will pay. just so that i will stop being late :) coz there are 10001 excuses to be late - and i think i've used them all up :p

i agree with what Ing Chia shared at the meeting the other day (paraphrased):

"not Malaysian time, but NZ time. be punctual! we all come here to learn something - and i'm sure one of them is to be a better person."

she's really firm on punctuality. i remember when she made the appointments with the various venues, she kept emphasizing on us to be on time - thanks to her advice - we surely were on time, and i know that it will also make a good first impression ;)

thanks Ing Chia for those words of wisdom! :)

thanks also to those who turned up early and on time for the meeting - i truly appreciate it.

as for Malam, we do hope to be able to start on time though it can be quite tricky. but i am sure our protocol team will be able to work out something with regards to time so that each second in Malam will be worth your money :)

till then, what are YOUR views on punctuality? would like to hear from YOU. do leave a comment or shout at the chatbox ;) cheers!

Malam 1992

a Google search found us this:

Malam Malaysia in Christchurch (1992)

seemed more like a festival kind rather than a dinner :)

jus tot it was a pretty random and fun finding to share! :)

This week's updates

we had our brainstorming session yesterday. Emma will be posting some photos and stuff on the meetings we had thus far some time soon ;)

we will update you with the date, venue and theme of Malam some time this week. Currently waiting for some things to be finalized before we can release the dates and all.

over these few weeks, amidst the studies and cold weather and organizing, i can pretty much relate to this:

The crowd gives the leader new strength.
Evenius

once again, thanks folks! :)

anyway, what's most urgent now is $$$. We will be working on the grant proposal this week and also sending letters out to potential sponsors. Our team will be also doing some fund-raising. We will update you more on that later on :)

As for the decorations and the events etc etc for the night...

Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.
George S. Patton

To lead people, walk beside them ...
As for the best leaders, the people do not notice their existence.
The next best, the people honor and praise.
The next, the people fear;
and the next, the people hate ...
When the best leader's work is done the people say,
"We did it ourselves!"
Lao-tsu

The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it.
Theodore Roosevelt

have been learning heaps! till then, off to shower, dinner and then uni~! :)

Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.
John F. Kennedy

have a great week ahead, people! :)

Come on everyone ;)

Malam 08 Team

Might be quite a big team but 25 people would be the maximum :)

Organising Chairpersons
Gloria Teng Lim Wan Yin

Secreterial Team
Firdaus Hassan Lam Ka-Mun

Treasury
Quratul Natasha

Logistics
Phang Ing Chia Hafiz Majied

Protocol and Events
Bernard Khoo Emma Chin Benjamin Jon Ng Li Ying

Technical Crew
Mamat Jacky

Decorations
Chai Merlin Jasmine Ting Wong Mun Yee Nur Adilla Azhari

Publicity
Lim Wan Yin Sharon Yoon