Need some inspiration? Lambo me!

Need more inspiration to study?

Babe On My Wall!

The memories always bring me back to the times when its only me and Bb!

Top 5 reasons to study at Imperial

Well this is ackward, I find so many juniors and kids wanting to graduate from Imperial College London. Well, I decided to come up with a list of reasons why you should apply! (I'm not getting paid for this)

1. It is in London!
Well, duh. London is considered the capital of the world and it can be rightly proclaimed. The Queen lives here so does David Beckham and Elton John. JK Rowling and Harry Potter lives here and so does Amy Winehouse. So many stars have a place in London like Madonna and Micheal Jackson was supposed to perform here! Safe to say, London is the happening place!

2. There are lots of guys!
If you are a girl or homo, then this will be the best place for you! Stay our of medicine though! Too many girls! Comes in all shapes and sizes. Enjoy the buffet!

3. Recruiters love Imperial!
Yes they do and on average, more than 80% of engineering students get jobs after they graduate! Most recruiters even go directly to the departments to recruit specific disciplines and you will find the big names here like Exxon, Shell, BP, Azko, ICI, McKinsey, Rolls Royce, Boston Consulting, RBS, Llyods, Citi and a lot more!

4. The fees!
Well, if you are local then its F**** cheap education so stop complaining! So cheap that when the government proposed to raise the fees by 3 times people start complaining. Its still cheaper than education in the USA so live with it! If you are on scholarship, which most people are, den even better!

5. The rankings!
Ah, the senseless numbers that put all the top Uni's in one page. Why not, have a good degree from the top 3 uni in the UK and have braggin rights!

Well, it would not be fair if I dont look at the other side, so here are the

Top 5 reasons why not to study at Imperial!

1. It is in London!
Oh gosh, that means its a friggin pricey place, the most expensive the UK perhaps. There are not many people from the UK in London, mostly Arabs shopping in Harrods, Chinese in the universities, and Indians in the clubs! Not to mention that Oxford street is a big cigarette butt, making London the biggest cigarette dump I've seen!

2. There are lots of guys!
If you are a guy...welcome to the sausage fest! Sad reality that engineering is a guy thing... with gender equality and that stuff not really better at all. Thank god you were not in the 1960s. Must have been a man club of some sort!

3. Recruiters love Imperial!
Yes they do and on average you have to compete with the rest of the uni! All 20,000 of them! Good luck! Where are all the stupid people when you need them!

4. The fees!
If you are foreign, it WILL burn a hole in your pocket!

5. The rankings!
Hmmm, wonder why is UCL climbing up? Perhaps might be the old lecturers that we have or just the way the uni is run like a profit making centre.

Now you heard both sides of the story! Happy applying kids!

Top 5 ways to destress!

This past week, my head feels like the below picture. The problem was, I could not find any reason to be stressed or to be anxious.



So, I decided to find out the best ways to destress!

1) Chocolate



Okay, chocolate suppose to make you feel nicer but seems that I have grown immune to the caffeine kick that it has... sad.

2) Movies

After unsuccessfully trying to destress using my dark friends, I decided to watch some movies in the hopes of feeling less stressed... So I went to watch an old movie... All the way from 1998, the Truman Show by Jim Carey!



Nope, even if it was a nice show, it did not help decrease the amount of stress. Immune to movies....

3) Youtube



What else do you do when you are stressed! Watch shows on Youtube in the hopes of finding some entertainment. After video number 5, I dosed off.

4) Stress ball



Haha, well, these lil things are really nice to squeeze. I prefer to throw them around against the wall. Hard. Then I started throwing it to the ceilng and then the ground. After 5 minutes, the stress ball was gone, hiding under some huge furniture. Oh well, at least I found something that decreased my stress.

5) Laundry!



Who knew doing the laundry can be so relaxing and destressing! Maybe its the feeling of clean sheets and socks! Who cares, it least it seems to work and for a good cause as well!

Boston Consulting Group Interview, London!

Oh sheet! First interview of the year and why did it have to be BCG!

The stupid me did not know that BCG is one of the most established consulting groups in the world, working for governments and all other huge corporations. I also did not know that the company had 70 offices around the world.

Ranked among the second best consultancy firm to work for, I think i should be preparing for tomorrow!

If you are interested in how to do well to their standards, read this!

Unfortunately, first interview i screwed! Sheet!

Oh well, note to self:

1) Train doing math without using a calculator
2) Do not trade in the stock markets the day before
3) Actually practice all answers and the interview
4) Prepare for Why this company and why consulting questions!

Hopefully I remember all the best interview practices

Objective of the interview

Things to prepare

At the Interview

Introducing yourself

Teamwork Skills

Technical skills

Communications

IT Questions

Hobby Questions

Ambition Questions

Money Questions

Fermi Questions

Weakness Questions

Never too late going over them, except that it is 9 hours to my 9 am interview!
Time to Zzzz!

Romantic things to do in Selangor, Our Selangor Story! Part 2/5

On the road to more romantic things you can do in Selangor...

Following My Selangor Story as a guide, a good place to go in Selangor is definitely the Royal Selangor factory!

Why would one find it any fun to be at a metal factory? Well, besides having the biggest puiter mug in the world,






I would say it would be about value. Why is gold so expensive? How about diamonds or how about silver or platinum. We do not see why these things are so expensive or valued until we see how they are made! At this factory, you get to make your own creations and I can say I was not easy for Bb and me!


We managed to engrave our names on a metal plate and turned it into a bowl! Once you realise the hard work and effort into making such ornaments, you will appreciate (hopefully) if a guy gives a girl some precious metal! Gold and silver included!Anyway, you get to tour the factory together and see how other people do it for a change!


Before you get bored, you should check out the museums inside and have a welcome drink in some really expensive set of cups!
Cheers!



Another unusually romantic place in Selangor, or another romantic place in Malaysia for that matter is definitely Genting Highlands!

Usually, the nightlife there is nothing short of amazing! An escape from the hectic city, you can indulge in some well deserved entertainment! There are concerts and shows all year round but the Dazzle show was one really Romantic thing to do in Genting!

The shows are held at the Pavillion, close to the First World Hotel, the largest hotel in the world!

Make sure you get a good seat! We got the front row just to make sure, and Bb even brought her glasses to make sure she did not miss a second of the show!

Of course, some of the themes were romance as well! To find out about the night, read more in this post!

If you consider eating romantic, then do not miss the cafes and restaurants! This trip, we found our self in Maxim, one of the big dining areas in Genting!

The desserts were fantastic and looks so yummy!While you are up in the mountains, might as well drop down to Chin Swee Temple at the spot with the best scenery in Genting! Praying at this temple will gurantee you building your own company based on casinos and high altitudes!

Hehe, Jing Yi in the picture. Hmmmm... well, three is a crowd... No matter, friends or no friends, there is always something in store. To read more about Chin Swee, go to this post!The other beautiful thing about the place is the lights! After sunset, the lights kick in and set the place on fire in an amazing glow!

Therefore, go for the lights! They are really nice to look at!

If you are hungry, just pop by into one of the other makan places around! Psst, the casino is next door!

After your night at the affordable rooms, you can get breakfast in one of the most serene places with the amazing view!

Check out the First World Lounge!

Have a nice trip!

Safe to say, there are more than just romantic things to do in Genting Highlands. In fact, some people go there just to be alone. However, being such a popular place,  I have not been to genting once without meeting someone familiar! Shows that it is a place people escape to, albeit unsucessfully! Anyway, find out more from this post!

PS: Dont forget your cameras!

Harry Potter Filming in London!

If you had not already known, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is filmed in London! Small world! Check this out! Thats where I happen to be, and will be for the next year till the film ends.



Was not in London at the time though, but would be great to meet Emma Watson or Daniel Radcliffe!

Perhaps join as an extra in the last instalment... Might just get to! Now where do I sign up as an extra?

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Best Trailer!

Another year another billion dollars for JK Rowling!
Anyway, Harry Potter opened in cinemas in London on the 18th of November!

Reviews said it was kinda draggy as Rowling tried to squeeze every penny out of people by breaking the finale into two parts.

Hence, expect some boring scenes, which rightly sets the tone for the finalest instalment of the saga.

Who knows, JK might be working on a story for every character... You'll probably be hearing the likes of Dumbledore, or Tom Riddle in the forecasted prequels! Hope not! Come July 2011, we can say it is finally over!

How to ACE Citi's Numeracy Test

Just did Citi's numeracy test. It is anything but a numeracy test. For all of you all who already done it, appreciate some feedback!

But seeing that 12 minutes is not enough  (trust me) for such a huge table of information, you will need preparation!

Yes, so my recommendations for applying to Citi is:

1) Come up with a ficticious CV and not your real name. Use another email account to correspond. Make sure its a good one such that they send you to the numeracy test.

2) Get invited to the numeracy test.

3) Do the test on your ficticious account.

4) Print screen every question. (and circulate it on the web if its legal)

5) Practice the questions and the format.

6) Now go apply with your real CV and email address, and do the numeracy test over again! Ace it and proceed to the next step!

Now that is preparation. Beat that Citi!

Good luck!

STOMP is RUBBISH, Stomp a preview!

After my phone interview with Exxon HR, at 7.45pm, I rushed to Ambassador's theater at Leicester Square where I would meet Emir, John, Danny and two other friend of John's! Like many of London's shows, it was an 8pm gig and naturally, yours truly was running like the wind! Anyhow, I got to the place still in time to get a 7 up!

Yes, contrary to what people think, STOMP is a piece of rubbish. (Pun intended). I mean, from their humble beginnings, these guys now play music on all sorts of junk professionally for fifty pounds a ticket! When I say rubbish I mean Rubbish! They play music on matches, lighters, pipes, paint buckets and everything else INLCUDING THE KITCHEN SINK!!!

Here is the opening act if anyone is interested!


You can start your list from brooms, sticks,



Newspapers were next. This was one of the funniest acts of the show! Especially the guy with the shorts!



One of the highlights was also the air balloons! The sounds were so bass you would go boom!



Don't forget one of the coolest scenes! Zippos! They even played with matches and plastic bags OMG!



There were many more performances and interactive games at the show, but as for the finale, it went along the lines of:



Anyway, it was a worthwhile show to watch. It was amazing to see how creative can people be with ordinary things that we all take for granted. Not recommended for the faint hearted or the good hearing! but definitely a must do if you have the $$$. IF not, go get your sticks and bins out and go STOMP!

Travel the world squared!

Hehe, the places ni the world I wanna go to!

Exxonmobil Interview Questions!

Yay! Just had my Exxonmobil interview on the Phone!

Can't say how well it went but I can tell you what did they ask!

So here it goes!

1) Analytical skils are important in the things we do. Give me an example of a time that you showed good analytical skills.

2) Problems can potentially have many solutions. Give me an example of a time when you had to decide between two solutions to a problem.

3) People have different perspectives. Give an example of a time when your perspective differed from someone elses.

4) Give an example of a time when you had to motivate your team.

5) Give an example of a time when you failed or almost failed.


Strategy to answer the questions!

First is the type of questions. Read my blogposts on interview skills for each type of question.

Question 1 is a technical skills question.
Quesiton 2 is also a technical skills question.
Question 3 is a team work question
Question 4 is a communication skills question
Question 5 is a biggest regret question

Secondly, how to answer them!

Follow this simples structure, Remember PREP STAR

Point - eg. I am good at analytical skills
Reason - I do reseach, find out more things than needs to be done etc.
Evidence -
     Situation - Give a situation, what was going on? How about a story?
     Task - What did you need to do?
     Action - How did you handle it?
     Result - How was the out come?
Point - make the point again!

Following these simple rules will take you miles! All d best!

Romantic things to do in Selangor, Our Selangor Story! Part 1/5

Warning! This post may get your hair standing on ends so user guidance is adviced!
Please vote 5 stars for my blog as well!

At first, I did not think that Selangor would be a romantic place. I mean, pffttt, come on, Selangor? No way.... there are many more romantic things to do in Malaysia right? I was taken aback when me and Bb went for My Selangor Story Tour 2010! There were so many things and romantic things to do around the place! Let us take you on a tour of the nicer lovey dovey venues and attractions in and around the quite state of Selangor!

This is OUR Selangor Story!

Getting There

There are many ways to get into Selangor, one of which is to fly there! Since both of us were in Penang, we took the Firefly service to Subang Airport. If you did not already know, Firefly is a subsidiary of Malaysian Airlines, and one of the perks you can elect to have is to use the Golden Lounge at Penang International Airport! I do recommend if whether you are flying MAS or Firefly!



Poor Bb who was on the flight was feeling the nausea. Being a frequent flyer myself, it was no problemo for me and my tummy! Thats what you get for staying on a small island all your life! Luckily there were light refreshments for the faint hearted!

The journey from Penang ( in fact, from every part of Peninsular Malaysia ) takes 55 minutes and in no time we landed at Subang International Airport in Selangor! Do check out

Kapitan Kopitiam

Not only will the place give you the old coffee shop feel, this is where you will find your friendly Firefly crew hanging out! Yesh, aren't they hawt! Ask nicely and they might just take a picture with you!

iCity - City of Digital Lights

One nice place to head to once you have touched down in Selangor is definitely iCity! By day, this area is akin to Googleplex or Silicon Valley, by night, the place lights up into a sea of light. A forest of glowing tress, this is indeed something that you will find right out of Final Fantasy! Just need the costumes and you are set to go!

Lets face it, lights beneath the stars are romantic. We had to agree with that as we went around taking pictures! The best thing about this place is that it is technically free of charge to enter! Car parks fees are redeemable the last time we were there, that is, RM10 per entry which can be used as a cash voucher at any restaurants. Enjoy steamboat under the stars and moonlit dinners!

Besides the insane broadband speed there, the latest installation is the laser light show with music! Bring your mats along and picnicing there would be great!

Uptown Shah Alam

Hehe, who loves shopping? Well, we do! One place to see is Uptown Shah Alam tucked away in a suburb of the State. Its an okay place to spend the night but it has just begun operations. Would make a good tourist spot if it concentrates on making the place more presentable.



Stay tuned more!

Students can Win RM40,000 or 10,000€ from L'Oreal

If you haven't heard about L'Oreal Brandstorm 2011, here is something you should start taking note of!

Alright, this competition is targeted at Students from all over the world!

You have to solve this problem:

Create a new concept to attract men to salons!

Basic Rules:

Team of 3 undergraduate students

Prizes
1st - 10,000€
2nd- 5,000€
3rd- 2,500€

Visit http://www.brandstorm.loreal.com/Cand/index.asp for more information!

Deadline for Registration
Malaysia - 15 Dec 2010
Singapore- 30 Nov 2010
UK - 23rd December 2010

Citi and Barclays Capital Graduate Recruitment Site

Dear graduating peeps, I know some of you are already applying to or have applied to graduates programmes at the big names like Barclays and Citi. 

I was really weird when I opened both sites and I noticed something really strange... Okay, here is the one from Barclay's Capital...

and here is the one from Citi Group...

 

Verdict?

Jealousy Kills @ Royal Albert Hall

Yes I'm jealous, seeing all frens graduate and I'm still stuck here! Anyhow, Commemoration Day 2010 was blessed with perfect weather and we had the chance to bid happy graduation to everyone at the Royal Albert Hall, right next to Imperial College.

Yes, it was hectic, over 10,000 people crowded into the area as big as a football field.



There were peopel just snapping away and making the most of the bustling atmosphere. Some jump for joy, some were damn happy. In fact, I did not see anyone crying!



The term rubbing shoulders became literal when trying to get from one side to the other. Parents, friends, lecturers and KPC people like me were there too!


As far as Imperial is concerned, today is a holiday for all. Where we get out and go meet the faces that we might not see again in a long time.



For me, its like the light at the end of a 4 year tunnel. See how happy they are graduating?

The other highlights for the day included a sneaky tour into the Mechanical Engineering Department to witness their prize giving!


Surprisingly, most of the top students were all Asians! wierd! Then a brief visit to the Biology department where my house mates were all graduating!


Canapes and wine! What a good way to end the night!


Alas, it did not make me feel any better as I went home.
Perhaps it is the stress that is taking a toll on the back.

Ah well, at least we are still stick for one more year.


Next year, our turn!

What you missed at Royal Bank of Scotland, RBS CV Clinic

Recently, on the 8th of November 2010, the Chemical Engineering Department was for the First Time visited by a major bank. The Royal Bank of Scotland, RBS organised a CV clinic for the students in the department.

A presentation was held which showcased the type of work that graduates will be doing within RBS and in particular how engineers fit into the organisation. We then adjourned to the CV clinic in the design rooms.



A senior recruiter at RBS, Ms Ana was there to look at each CV one by one and scrutinise the contents and layouts of the CVs. If you did not already know, one graduate position will receive 10,000 applications so it pays to be competitive!



A proper Chem Eng style CV clinic, there were food and drinks! Today, we had sandwiches and light refreshments.



Rarely seen, Jacky is the Treasurer for Chem Eng Soc and is listening NOT PAYING ATTENTION to the useful hints and tips right from the person who will be reading them later!



Overall, these are what RBS is looking for from graduates:

1) Academic Qualifications (2:1 and above)
2) Team working skills
3) Initiative aka know everything about the company
4) Commitment and Drive
5) Entrepreneurial Skills
6) Communication skills
7) Adaptability
8) Cook well under pressure
9) Decision making ability
10) Analytical Skills
11) Problem Solving Skills

Evidence should be provided to support your claims in your CV! Note: These prerequisites are in the above order.

The rewards? Starting salary of GBP 55,000 per year or roughly RM250,000 per year.

Imperial MSOC Welcome Dinner 2010 @ Holiday Villa

Welcome to the Imperial College London Malaysian Society! As one of the most active Malaysian Societies in the whole of Europe, the MSOC hosts many events throughout the year!

This is what you missed at the Welcome Dinner 2010!



The dinner this year, was (as always) held at the Holiday Villa, Bayswater, London! Before I go in to the people, note the buffet!



As you can see, typical Malaysians aready going for the food!



Here are some facts, there are about 400 Malaysians students at Imperial College London at any given year and most of them are members of MSoc.



One thing that unites us all if food! Like keropok for appetizers!



Note the sotong rings which were already half gone BEFORE I got there! No doubt, there was a long queue.



But, this special lady was able to beat all of us to it! Why? She's vegetarian! And yes, there are food for you vegetarians!



Okay, spring rolls, check, salad, checked, rojak, checked!



I still don't understand why did the Manager had to stand beside her like a Queen or something. Suggestions?



For the carnivores, like me, we had some saute chicken!



London Style Fried Rice apparently



Can you see the white rice behind??



Beef Rendang which was so good!



I can't remember what is this called, but i'm pretty sure it was fish...



Anyhow, after food and drinks, I was good to stretch and so everyone just got up and started mingling. Note the ratio of guys to girls in this picture. Yes, we were all fooled as they never stated it in the application.



The place was absolutely crowded and it was nice to see people dressed up in traditional costumes. Back to the gender equality thing, yes its unfair. Therefore, it is not surprising when you see this:



It ackward, but they will learn that there is still hope. They are still all first years, as the event was intended to bring all of them into the Imperial family. However, there were seniors as well, such as Ke Lun, Tian Siong, Lilian, Zafi and Aaron. We were all past our league but since it is our last year, might as well have a go.




Okay, these are perfect specimens of Buaya Darat and Buaya Air Masin. Who knows who will be next.



Here is Aaron! The biggest buaya of the all! who is a 6th year medic! Also, you will sometimes find that you make old connections again. Was surprised to see Ka Yin again, the last time I saw this guy was at least 5 years ago when he was one head shorter!



Yes, London could use more Penang people. See you in London!

PS. There were girls in pretty dresses as well but I won't go into the details! Later kena smack by Bb!